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Information on the positional behaviors of primates is essential for understanding the mechanisms of environmental adaptation. From October 2021 to September 2022, we collected data on positional behaviors of Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis) at Guangxi Nonggang National Nature Reserve, China, using instantaneous scan sampling method. Our results showed that quadrupedal walking (34.99% ± 6.05%) was adopted as their most frequent locomotor mode, followed by leaping (31.54% ± 10.50%), climbing (25.55% ± 11.33%), quadrupedal running (6.55% ± 2.65%) and bridging (1.37% ± 1.19%). The ground (36.83% ± 21.18%) was the most frequently used stratum during moving. Most arboreal locomotion occurred on small (44.06% ± 11.36%) and medium (34.90% ± 11.09%) sized substrates. Sitting (81.19% ± 10.47%) was used as their most common postures, followed by holding (6.38% ± 9.97%), quadrupedal standing (3.70% ± 3.03%), bipedal standing (3.54% ± 1.84%), sprawling (3.17% ± 6.45%), suspending (1.88% ± 1.19%) and lying (0.14% ± 0.21%). Positional behaviors seasonally vary with habitat structure, and distribution of food resources. The macaques used climbing more frequently in the fruit-lean season (dry season) than in the fruit-rich season (rainy season), which could be related to reducing energy expenditure in the dry season. In addition, they adopted holding and lying together to conserve energy and stabilize intergroup relationships. In conclusion, Assamese macaques adapt to limestone forests with positional behavior flexibility in response to seasonality. Our findings highlight the necessity to understand the effects of ecological factors on the behavioral ecology and adaptations of Assamese macaques in their unique limestone forest habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) gains increasing popularity in the surgical management of prostate cancer (PCa) but is challenged by its prohibitive expense. A domestic robotic system has been developed to address this issue, but data comparing the self-developed robot with the widely used robot is lacking. We performed a randomized clinical trial to compare KD-SR-01® and DaVinci® robots in terms of perioperative, short-term oncological and functional outcomes in RARP. Materials and methods: We prospectively enrolled patients with clinically localized PCa. Patients were randomized to undergo either KD-SR-01®-RARP (K-RARP) or DaVinci®-RARP (D-RARP) by the same surgical team. The baseline, perioperative, short-term oncologic and urinary functional data were collected and compared. Results: We enrolled 39 patients, including 20 patients undergoing K-RARP and 19 undergoing D-RARP. Demographic and tumor characteristics were comparable between groups. All surgeries were performed successfully with no conversion to open. The operative time was similar (P = 0.095) and K-RARP offered less volume of intraoperative bleeding (P < 0.001). Four patients in the K-RARP group and three in the D-RARP group developed postoperative complications (P = 0.732). Patients undergoing K-RARP had less volume of drainage (P = 0.022). Positive surgical margins were observed in three patients undergoing K-RARP and five undergoing D-RARP (P = 0.451). During the follow up, one patient receiving K-RARP group and two receiving D-RARP group had measurable prostate specific antigen (P = 0.605). Urine leakage, urinary control and pad usage were comparable between groups at six weeks post-surgery. Conclusions: The two surgical robots yielded similar results in feasibility, safety and short-term oncologic and functional efficacy for RARP. Trial registration: The trial has been registered at www.chictr.org.cn with a registration number of ChiCTR2200057000 on 25th February 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Si3N4 ceramics with improved thermal conductivity and mechanical properties were prepared by carbothermal reduction and two‐step sintering. The addition of 2 wt% C led to the development of an intergranular phase YNSiO2 with reduced oxygen content. Notably, setting the pre‐sintering temperature at 1450°C promoted the formation of a rough bimodal morphology within the Si3N4 ceramics. Furthermore, an extended holding period at 1850°C resulted in additional grain growth and the elimination of intergranular phases. The Si3N4 specimens produced at 1450°C for 3 h followed by 1850°C for 8 h, incorporating 2 wt% C, exhibited a notable continuity between Si3N4 grains. The thickness of the grain boundary layer was only about 1 nm, and the N/O atomic ratio of the intergranular phase was measured to be 0.42. Consequently, the resulting thermal conductivity, flexural strength, and fracture toughness of Si3N4 specimens were found to be 101 W·m−1·K−1, 712 ± 29 MPa, and 7.7 ± 0.2 MPa·m1/2, respectively. Compared with samples without C additive and directly sintered at 1850°C for 8 h, the Si3N4 specimens produced in this work showed a significant increase of more than 50% in thermal conductivity and about 17% in fracture toughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in operating temperature contributes to improving the performance and fuel utilization efficiency of gas turbines. However, it also places thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) in a more demanding working environment, requiring higher sintering resistance and better mechanical properties. In the present study, HfO2 was introduced into the dual‐phase LaYbZr2O7 system as a doping oxide to form the LaYb(HfxZr1−x)2O7 system. The research concentrated on its phase composition, mechanical properties, and thermophysical properties. The results show that substituting Hf for Zr does not alter the dual‐phase structure of the system. The mutual inhibition between the two phases and the inherent material‐binding capability of Hf further reduce the grain size compared to pure LYZO. Additionally, the presence of Hf reduces the tendency of Frenkel defect formation and cation migration frequency, effectively inhibiting ion diffusion and thereby suppressing the densification and shrinkage trends of the material. The system retains relatively high hardness, fracture toughness, and low elastic modulus of the LYZO matrix, with a decrease in thermal conductivity and an increase in infrared reflectivity. These results suggest that Hf doping enhances the sintering resistance of LYZO material, making them promising for high‐temperature TBCs. Our study presents a viable approach to enhance the sintering resistance of LYZO, and this methodology can be extrapolated to other rare‐earth zirconates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double‐layer thermal barrier coatings are one of the development directions of thermal barrier coatings technology. LaYbZr2O7 (LYZO) has high toughness and low thermal conductivity, making it promising for use as a high‐temperature thermal barrier coating. However, its relatively poor mechanical properties, especially low fracture toughness, limit its further application. Therefore, we prepared a double‐layer coating of LYZO and Y2O3 partially stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) using atmospheric plasma spraying, with the inner layer being YSZ and the outer layer being LYZO. The results showed that after spraying, LYZO was in the metastable fluorite phase, while YSZ was in the tetragonal phase. LYZO and YSZ had good chemical compatibility, and an interaction layer formed at the interface between them, with its thickness increasing with the sintering time. Eventually, after 100 h of heat treatment, the thickness reached 12 µm. The hardness of the LYZO/YSZ interface increased with the sintering time, reaching a maximum value after sintering at 1300°C for 10 h. When evaluating the interfacial bonding strength using indentation method, the length of cracks caused by indentation significantly decreased with the increase of sintering time. The increase in bonding strength can be attributed to the formation of a reaction layer and the reduction of thermal residual stresses. Raman spectroscopy was used to measure the thermal residual strain at the LYZO/YSZ interface. Unbalanced distribution of thermal residual stress and M phase was observed near the interface. As the sintering time increased, both thermal residual stress and M phase content decreased. In summary, the double‐layer thermal barrier coating of LYZO/YSZ has good potential for development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is highly prevalent among males worldwide. The investigation of exosomes in PCa has emerged as a dynamic and important research area. To visually depict the prominent research areas and evolutionary patterns of exosomes in PCa, we performed a comprehensive analysis via bibliometric methods. Methods: Studies were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace, VOSviewers, and the R package “bibliometrix” were employed to analyze the relationships and collaborations among countries/regions, organizations, authors, journals, references, and keywords. Results: Over the past 20 years (2003–2022), 995 literatures on exosomes in PCa have been collected. The findings indicate a consistent upward trend in annual publications with the United States being the leading contributor. Cancers is widely recognized as the most prominent journal in this area. In total, 5936 authors have contributed to these publications, with Alicia Llorente being the most prolific. The primary keywords associated with research hotspots include “liquid biopsy”, “identification”, “growth”, “microRNAs”, and “tumor-derived exosomes”. Conclusion: Our analysis reveals that investigating the intrinsic mechanisms of exosomes in PCa pathogenesis and exploring the potential of exosomes as biomarkers of PCa constitute the principal focal points in this domain of research.Highlights: This study is a comprehensive bibliometric analysis in the field of exosomes in PCa. Function and therapeutical potential serve as the foundation for this subject. Liquid biopsy and biomarkers would be the focus and emerging hotspots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly dense α‐silicon nitride (Si3N4) ceramics were densified at a lower temperature of 1450°C under a moderate mechanical pressure of 50 MPa from commercial α‐Si3N4 powder and with conventional Al2O3–Y2O3 sintering additives. The fabricated α‐Si3N4 ceramics exhibited a hardness of 19 GPa, which is higher than that of the β‐Si3N4 ceramics usually obtained. The effect of sintering temperature and sintering pressure in the liquid phase sintering of the α‐Si3N4 ceramics is studied. The role of the dissolution–reprecipitation process and the particle rearrangement during densification of the α‐Si3N4 ceramics is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting the likelihood vascular events in patients with BCR/ABL1-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) is essential for the treatment of the disease. However, effective assessment methods are lacking. Thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), plasmin-α2- plasmininhibitor complex (PIC), thrombomodulin (TM), and tissue plasminogen activator-inhibitor complex (t-PAIC) are the new direct indicators for coagulation and fibrinolysis. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of these four new indicators in thrombotic and hemorrhagic events in BCR/ABL1-negative MPN. The study cohort of 74 patients with BCR/ABL negative myeloproliferative disorders included essential thrombocythemia, polycythemia vera, and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). A panel of 4 biomarkers, including TAT, PIC, TM, and t-PAIC were determined using Sysmex HISCL5000 automated analyzers, whereas fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (FDP), D-dimer and Antithrombin III (ATIII) were analyzed using Sysmex CS5100 coagulation analyzer. A total of 24 (32.4%) patients experienced thrombotic events and hemorrhagic events occurred in 8 patients (10.8%). Compared to patients without hemorrhagic-thrombotic events, patients with thrombotic events had higher fibrinogen (FIB) level, FDP level and lower ATIII activity, while patients with hemorrhagic events had lower white blood cell count and hemoglobin level, higher FDP level (P < 0.05). Patients with a JAK2V617F mutation were more likely to experience thrombotic events (P < 0.05). In addtion, patients with thrombotic events had higher TAT, PIC, TM, and t-PAIC levels than patients without hemorrhagic-thrombotic events (P < 0.05), whereas patients with hemorrhagic events had a lower median value in TAT and TM (no statistical difference, P > 0.05). Patients with higher TAT, TM and t-PAIC were more likely to experience thrombotic events (P < 0.05), and only TAT was positively correlated with thrombotic events (Spearman r =0.287, P = 0.019). TAT, PIC, TM, and t-PAIC combined with ATIII and FDP have a certain value for predicting thrombosis in patients with BCR/ABL1-negative MPN. These 6 parameters are worth further exploration as predictive factors and prognostic markers for early thrombotic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on developing a privacy-preserving framework for individual-level COVID-19 infection prediction using federated learning and graph neural networks. Topics include proposing a novel method, Falcon, that utilizes a hypergraph structure for contagion process representation, incorporating differential privacy mechanisms and region-level models to protect user privacy while improving prediction accuracy.

Exploring the interaction between the gut microbiota and the host is beneficial for understanding the host's adaptive potential and evolution. Whether Assamese macaques living in limestone habitats in Guangxi undergo cyclical shifts in their gut microbiota in the face of seasonal environmental changes, especially abundant rainfall from May to October and significantly reduced rainfall from November to April, remains unelucidated. In this study, 16S rRNA sequencing was used to analyze the gut microbiota composition of wild macaques in the limestone forest, Guangxi, and the seasonal pattern of their gut microbiota was explored using the combined data of diet composition, food availability index, and climate factors. The results indicated that Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla in the gut of the Assamese macaques, and over 98% of these bacterial taxa exhibited no significant seasonal differences in relative abundance and the community structure of gut microbiota. This may be related to their diet throughout the year containing over 90% of young leaves and fruits, and the intake of mature leaves and flowers closely associated with the gut microbiota lacks significant seasonal differences, which also corresponds to the relative stability of the gut microbiota. Additionally, rainfall and humidity are closely related to the gut microbiota, but their effect was insufficient to significantly fluctuate the gut microbiota, indicating that the climatic change is tolerable for the macaques. Combined with the feeding choices of these macaques in the limestone habitat, their digestive strategy from the perspective of gut microbiota was determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the role of antimicrobial prophylaxis in laparoscopic nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 1000 patients who underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy from August 2019 to November 2021 in the Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Patients were divided into group without antimicrobial prophylaxis (n = 444) and group with antimicrobial prophylaxis (n = 556). Outcomes including 30-day postoperative infection rate, the increase rate of pre- and post-operative white blood cell counts and hospital stay were analyzed. Results: The overall infection rate was 5.0% (28/556) in the group with antimicrobial prophylaxis, which was similar to 4.1% (18/444) in the group without antimicrobial prophylaxis (P = 0.461). The increase rate of pre- and post-operative white blood cell counts was significantly lower (85.5% versus 97.0%) in the group with antimicrobial prophylaxis (P = 0.004). The postoperative hospital stay was 5 (4, 6) days in both groups (P = 0.483). Logistic regression analyses identified the use of antimicrobial prophylaxis had no influence on the occurrence of infection events (odds ratio = 0.797; 95% confidence interval, 0.435–1.460; P = 0.462). Hemoglobin (odds ratio = 0.430; 95% confidence interval, 0.257–0.719; P = 0.001) and partial nephrectomy (odds ratio = 2.292; 95% confidence interval, 1.724–3.046; P < 0.001) influenced the use of antimicrobial prophylaxis independently. Conclusions: The use of antimicrobial prophylaxis had no impact on postoperative infection in patients receiving laparoscopic nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hybridization is considered as an important model of speciation, but the evolutionary process of natural hybridization is still poorly characterized in Lycoris. To reveal the phylogenetic relationship of two new putative natural hybrids in Lycoris, morphological, karyotypic and chloroplast genomic data of four Lycoris species were analyzed in this study. Results: Two putative natural hybrids (2n = 18 = 4 m + 5t + 6st + 3 T) possessed obvious heterozygosity features of L. radiata (2n = 22 = 10t + 12st) and L. aurea (2n = 14 = 8 m + 6 T) in morphology (e.g. leaf shape and flower color), karyotype (e.g. chromosome numbers, CPD/DAPI bands, 45S rDNA-FISH signals etc.) and chloroplast genomes. Among four Lycoris species, the composition and structure features of chloroplast genomes between L. radiata and the putative natural hybrid 1 (L. hunanensis), while L. aurea and the hybrid 2, were completely the same or highly similar, respectively. However, the features of the cp genomes between L. radiata and the hybrid 2, while L. aurea and the hybrid 1, including IR-LSC/SSC boundaries, SSRs, SNPs, and SNVs etc., were significantly different, respectively. Combining the karyotypes and cp genomes analysis, we affirmed that the natural hybrid 1 originated from the natural hybridization of L. radiata (♀) × L. aurea (♂), while the natural hybrid 2 from the hybridization of L. radiata (♂) × L. aurea (♀). Conclusion: The strong evidences for natural hybridization between L. radiata (2n = 22) and L. aurea (2n = 14) were found based on morphological, karyotypic and chloroplast genomic data. Their reciprocal hybridization gave rise to two new taxa (2n = 18) of Lycoris. This study revealed the origin of two new species of Lycoris and strongly supported the role of natural hybridization that facilitated lineage diversification in this genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β‐Si3N4 powder with well‐dispersed spherical particles was synthesized by liquid‐phase modified carbothermal reduction and nitridation. The influence of the type and content of additives on the particle morphology was investigated. The liquid phase formed at the reaction temperature modifies the morphology of the Si3N4 powder. The Si3N4 products precipitated along the liquid‐solid interface, thus forming a spherical morphology and promoting the transformation from α‐Si3N4 to β‐Si3N4. The type of additives has a strong influence on the formation temperature and viscosity of the liquid phase and hence affects the product morphology. In the samples with CaF2 and CaO additives, sufficient liquid phase occurred and spherical particles were obtained. In the sample with Y2O3, however, the liquid phase was insufficient due to the higher formation temperature, thus resulting in an irregular particle morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a series of nano-Al2O3 reinforced polyimide (PI) composites were fabricated using the hot compression method. A silane coupling agent was used to modify the surface of nano-Al2O3 powder to enhance the PI/Al2O3 interface compatibility. The effects of Al2O3 contents on the microstructures, thermal behavior and mechanical properties of PI/Al2O3 composites were investigated. The results suggested that chemical reactions occurred during in situ modification. The nano-Al2O3 was cross-linked to the PI matrix, which reduced the mobility of PI chains and improved the elastic modulus of the composites. When the Al2O3 content was 30 wt.%, the compressive strength of composites reached the maximum value of 313 MPa and increased by 26.5% than that of the PI matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This is the protocol for a Campbell systematic review. The objectives are as follows. We will solve the following questions: (1) What are the characteristics of skills training services for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness? (2) How effectively do the different skills training programs improve employment status, work and life skills, or housing stability? (3) What factors are associated with the variation in the effectiveness of skills training services? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Si3N4 ceramics with tailored gradient in color and microstructure were prepared by a rapid cost‐effective one‐step approach. The gradient microstructure was obtained by the manipulation of the dissolution‐reprecipitation process, by controlling the sintering temperature and sintering additive content. In the Si3N4 ceramics, the β‐phase content gradually changed from 84% to 11%. The Si3N4 ceramics exhibited white color on one side and showed a hardness of 19 GPa and fracture toughness of 7 MPa·m1/2 and may be suitable for bio‐implantation applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to meet the urgent demand of new thermal barrier coating materials for a new generation of aero-engines,a high entropy rare earth tantalate (Y0.2Gd0.2Dy0.2La0.2Sm0.2)TaO4 material,abbreviated as (5RE0.2) TaO4, was developed using high-purity oxides (Y2O3, Gd2O3, Dy2O3, Sm2O3, La2O3, Ta2O5) as raw materials according to the stoichiometric ratio, and insulating at 1 200 - 1 750 °C for 5 h for a solid phase reaction. The phase composition, microstructure, thermal properties, mechanical properties, and CMAS (CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2) corrosion resistance of the material were studied. The results show that: (1) the (5RE0.2)TaO4 ceramic material has a monoclinic structure with obvious ferroelastic domain; (2) the material fired at 1 750 °C exhibits extremely low thermal conductivity (1.65 W ⋅ m-1 ⋅ K-1,600 °C) and high thermal expansion coefficient (10.2 x 10-6 K-1,1 200 °C); (3) due to the unique ferroelastic toughening effect,the fracture toughness of the (5RE0.2)TaO4 material fired at 1 750 °C reaches 2.4 MPa ⋅ m12; (4) (5RE0.2)TaO4 reacts with CMAS melt forming a reaction layer, showing excellent corrosion resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α‐SiAlON is well known for its excellent mechanical properties, but its thermal properties are less investigated. In this work, we investigate the thermal conductivity of Ca α‐SiAlON ceramics with varying m and n values and prepared samples by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1600°C or gas pressure sintering (GPS) at 1800°C and 1900°C. The prepared Ca α‐SiAlON ceramics showed thermal conductivities ranging from 4.6 to 10.7 W/(mK) at 25°C. It was found that the thermal conductivity of the α‐SiAlON samples could be reduced by increasing either m or n or both. Besides, the samples prepared by SPS had lower thermal conductivity compared with those by GPS due to their smaller grain size, and the effect of m and n would be minor after m reached 2. These results provide basic knowledge for tuning α‐SiAlON's thermal conductivity for applications concerning thermal management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) has received considerable attention, due to its high thermal conductivity and electrical insulation. However, the intrinsic platelike structure with the strong anisotropic property restricts its applications, and it is necessary to synthesize isotropic spherical h‐BN particles (SP‐BNs) with submicron size. Till now, methods to prepare (SP‐BN) still exist problems, such as high oxygen impurities and pollution, generated by the ammonia and pyrolysis of precursors. Here, a relatively green reaction between the restricted template of carbon nanospheres and boron trioxide (B2O3) under elevated temperature is conducted, and the SP‐BNs with an average diameter of 200–300 nm (named Nano‐BN‐s) have been successfully synthesized. Comprehensive scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X‐ray diffraction characterizations confirm the obtained products are spherical boron nitride. With the analysis of X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared, the reaction mechanism is briefly discussed. These results indicate the reaction occurs on the restricted template of carbon nanospheres, and the C atoms are substituted by B and N atoms as the reaction progress, forming the Nano‐BN‐s. What is more, the restricted template method plays a key role in the design and improves h‐BN‐based materials in the future and may also be extended to form other novel materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NJ30 alloy reinforced by WC were prepared by laser melting deposition at different laser irradiation angles. The influence of the laser irradiation angle on the microstructure and wear resistance of the coating under the action of gravity was studied. The results show that the change of laser irradiation angle has a certain effect on the microstructure and wear resistance of the coating. The microstructure of NJ30 alloy coating is mainly dendrite and interdendritic eutectic when laser is irradiation along the gravity direction. When the direction of laser and gravity is 45 and 90°, it is mainly equiaxed crystal and interdendritic eutectic. When the laser and gravity are irradiation at 45°, the energy density at the molten pool is low, the coating is thin, and the surface quality is poor. The microstructure of NJ30 alloy strengthened by WC is similar to that of NJ30 alloy. The difference is that the energy gradient around WC is high, and the fine cellular crystals are formed. At the same time, the growth of long dendrites is blocked, and the microstructure grains are refined. WC has high density and is deposited below under gravity. Therefore, when the substrate is placed vertically, the distribution of WC in the whole coating is uniform. The change of laser irradiation angles has great effect on NJ30/WC composite coating, which is related to the uniform distribution of WC in the coating. At the same laser irradiation angle, the hardness of the composite coating increases by about 8%. The change of laser irradiation angles has an effect on the wear properties of the coating, and the wear amount decreases with the increase in angle. But it does not change its wear mechanism. NJ30 is abrasive wear and adhesive wear. NJ30/WC composite coating is abrasive wear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we establish a three-dimensional heat conduction and thermal stress model of a bulk crystal. Based on planar strain assumption of solid-state lasers, we study the thermal conduction and thermal stress of the bulk Ho : CaF2 laser-medium end-pumped by the Gaussian beam. We establish a thermal model of the plate crystal with complex boundary conditions and discuss the effect of pump energy and pump beam waist radius on the thermal performance of Ho : CaF2 crystals in details. Out results show that, as the pump power increases, the thermal effect of Ho :CaF2 crystal increased with the decrease of the pump-spot radius, and the thermal effect of the crystal increases with increase in the pump power. Furthermore, the absolute value of the shear stress of crystals is far smaller than the absolute value of the corresponding normal stress, and the absolute values of the normal stress and shear stress of small size crystals are greater than those of large size crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quadrupolar compound Pyr‐BA with two pyrrole‐type nitrogen atoms doped externally was prepared in this work. In high contrast with other π ionic radicals, its cationic radical Pyr‐BA⋅+ undergoes unusual symmetry‐broken charge separation (SB‐CS), generating the mixed valence complex of Pyr‐BA+1−q⋅⋅⋅Pyr‐BA+1+q, where q is the degree of charge transfer. Variable‐temperature (VT) single‐crystal analysis, absorption and EPR experiments all confirmed that aggregation and lower temperature would help to facilitate this SB‐CS process. Gibbs energy calculations and gauge‐including magnetically induced current simulation both validate that, for Pyr‐BA⋅+, SB‐CS behavior is more favorable than the conventional dimerization mode. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that shows solid single‐crystal evidence for spontaneous SB‐CS between identical ionic radicals. Such a unique phenomenon is of great significance both in terms of fundamental aspects and uncharted material science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quadrupolar compound Pyr‐BA with two pyrrole‐type nitrogen atoms doped externally was prepared in this work. In high contrast with other π ionic radicals, its cationic radical Pyr‐BA⋅+ undergoes unusual symmetry‐broken charge separation (SB‐CS), generating the mixed valence complex of Pyr‐BA+1−q⋅⋅⋅Pyr‐BA+1+q, where q is the degree of charge transfer. Variable‐temperature (VT) single‐crystal analysis, absorption and EPR experiments all confirmed that aggregation and lower temperature would help to facilitate this SB‐CS process. Gibbs energy calculations and gauge‐including magnetically induced current simulation both validate that, for Pyr‐BA⋅+, SB‐CS behavior is more favorable than the conventional dimerization mode. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that shows solid single‐crystal evidence for spontaneous SB‐CS between identical ionic radicals. Such a unique phenomenon is of great significance both in terms of fundamental aspects and uncharted material science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, nitrogen‐annulated perylene (NP) was dimerized into one framework connected by two nitrogen atoms, generating the target molecule of DNP−DA. Owing to the substructure of 1,6‐diazecine ten‐membered ring, DNP−DA illustrates helical chirality with moderate dissymmetry factor, elevated molecular levels, expanded conjugation and supramolecular interactions with acceptors etc. Notably, DNP−DA represents a limited example of nitrogen−perylene based CPL emitter with glum around 6×10−3. Intrigued by the facile fabrication via a simple amination‐cross coupling sequence and other above advancing features, this work demonstrates the potential generality of utilizing 1,6‐diazecine as a chiral unit to build CPL‐active materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous nanomaterials with long-range disordered structures could possess distinct properties and promising applications, especially in catalysis, as compared with their conventional crystalline counterparts. It is imperative to achieve the controlled preparation of amorphous noble metal-based nanomaterials for the exploration of their phase-dependent applications. Here, we report a facile wet-chemical reduction strategy to synthesize various amorphous multimetallic Pd-based nanomaterials, including PdRu, PdRh, and PdRuRh. The phase-dependent catalytic performances of distinct Pd-based nanomaterials towards diverse catalytic applications have been demonstrated. Specifically, the usage of PdRu nanocatalysts with amorphous and crystalline face-centered cubic (fcc) phases can efficiently switch the ring-opening route of styrene oxide to obtain different products with high selectivity through alcoholysis reaction and hydrogenation reaction, respectively. Moreover, when used as an electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), the synthesized amorphous PdRh nanocatalyst exhibits low overpotential and high turnover frequency values, outperforming its crystalline fcc counterpart and most of the reported Pd-based HER electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recurrent wheezing is a common clinical problem in early childhood, which is associated with significant morbidity. There is no international consensus on the management and prevention of recurrent wheezing; therefore, identifying the risk factors associated with recurrent wheezing is crucial to prevent episodes of wheezing in young children. Methods: In this retrospective study, we collected the data of 24,737 patients who were admitted to our hospital between 27th April 2012 and 11th September 2019. After screening for patients with wheezing, we identified 8572 patients with a primary diagnosis of pneumonia with wheezing. Patients' clinical data were collected from the hospital medical records. Patients were stratified for age in the groups of < 6 months, 6–12 months, and > 12 months. Results: Among the 8569 pediatric pneumonia patients with wheezing, there were 343 patients with recurrent wheezing. Most enrolled patients were under 6 months of age (45.17%) and had a normal birth weight (86.95%). Winter was the most common onset season for the first episode of wheezing, while spring was the most common season for the second episode of wheezing for those with recurrent wheezing. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis for the risk factor associated with recurrent wheezing showed that male gender, past history of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, low birth weight, development of severe pneumonia, and PICU admission were significantly associated with recurrent wheezing. Conclusion: Male gender, past history of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, low birth weight, severe pneumonia, and PICU admission are independent risk factors of recurrent wheezing in the pediatric population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Haemorrhage and coagulation disorders are common complications in cirrhotic patients, which cause blood products transfusion, and mounting evidence suggested that red blood cells (RBCs) were associated with pathologic thrombosis and RBC transfusion increased the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Aims: The aim of the study was to investigate the association of RBC transfusion with splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT) in cirrhotic patients. Materials & Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with cirrhosis admitted in the Hunan Provincial People's Hospital between January 2010 and September 2020. Demographic data, the development of SVT, blood transfusion product type and RBC transfusion dose were collected. Multivariate logistic regression analyses and propensity matching analysis (PSM) were performed to identify the association between RBC transfusion and development of SVT. Results: A total of 4479 patients with cirrhosis were enrolled in the study. SVT occurred in 48 (12.4%) cirrhotic patients in RBC transfusion group, and 233 (5.7%) cirrhotic patients in non‐RBC transfusion group. RBC transfusion was significantly associated with an increased risk of SVT (unadjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.345, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.686–3.262, p < 0.001). Notably, this association remained robust after PSM, and the volume of RBC transfusion was associated with SVT in a dose‐dependent manner. Conclusion: This study suggested that RBC transfusion was associated with an increased risk of SVT in cirrhotic patients. High quality clinical study will be needed to further validate the association between RBC transfusion and SVT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently lead halide perovskite based solar cells have rapidly advanced and their power conversion efficiency (PCE) increased to 25.7%. The progress has been attributed to the super‐long carriers' lifetime (τ) and long diffusion length (LD) of the photocarriers, however it has been a challenge to precisely characterize and understand the super‐long τ and LD of photocarriers. Here, a MAPbI3 single crystal exhibits four different τ which increase with LD extending from nm scale to mm scale. The prior two lifetimes estimated by transient photoluminescence (TPL) spectra are in the range of ns which comes from the recombination of photocarriers in the tens of nm thick surface layer. In contrast, the third lifetime estimated by transient open‐circuit voltage is hundreds of µs, which is a result of the excess photocarriers diffusing hundreds of µm to electrodes. Finally, the fourth lifetime estimated from the transient photoconductance is as long as sub‐second since the low‐density photocarriers under an electric field drift across the mm‐scale high‐quality single crystal. This study not only clarifies the physical mechanisms of four different lifetimes of photocarriers but also facilitates the design of novel electronics with the halide perovskite semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusion: We develop a comprehensive and accurate channel model forMI-WUSNs by taking into account the impact of multiple conductive objects located in different positions. The mathematical expressions for mutual inductance and received power are rigorously derived for each case. Extensive experimental results have verified our theory. Hence, this paper provides a solid foundation for subsequent system design for MI-WUSNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α‐SiAlON ceramics with different stabilizing ions of Yb, Dy, Nd, Y, Ca, and binary stabilizing ions of (Yb + Ca) and (Yb + Nd) were prepared by spark plasma sintering at 1600°C and gas pressure sintering at 1800 and 1900°C, and their thermal conductivity was investigated. It was found that α‐SiAlON ceramics with larger and heavier stabilizing ions had lower thermal conductivity and the thermal conductivity could be further reduced by using binary stabilizing ions, which can be explained by phonon scattering from point defects. At the same time, the samples prepared at lower sintering temperatures showed smaller grain sizes and lower thermal conductivity. The relationship between the thermal diffusivity of samples and temperature was studied, where the dependence of inverse thermal diffusivity on temperature was better fitted by a quadratic fitting function than the usual linear one over a wide temperature range from 25 to 800°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spherical Si@Si3N4 granules were first prepared by in situ combustion synthesis. The inside of the granules is dense without cracks, and the two phases at the interface are well‐bonded. More significantly, no binder was used between the Si3N4 grains on the surface layer, thereby avoiding phonons scattering of metal oxides. In addition, crystallographic orientation relationships between Si and Si3N4 were identified by coupling transmission electron microscopy with selected area electron diffraction technology, and much more potential matching planes are also predicted according to the edge‐to‐edge model. It was found that the minimization of the interfacial energy will promote the formation of a transition layer at the interface, leading to the well‐bonded between core and shell. On the basis of the observations, the underlying growth mechanism of the Si@Si3N4 was comprehensively analyzed and put forward. Benefiting from the remarkable merits, the as‐synthesized Si@Si3N4 granules showed great potential for alternative fillers in solving heat dissipation problems for electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of a novel robotic system (KD-SR-01) for partial nephrectomy. Methods: Seventeen patients with small renal masses (SRMs) (≤4 cm) underwent KD-SR-01 robotic partial nephrectomy (KD-RPN) from December 2020 to March 2021 in our institution. The operative outcomes and perioperative data, including clinical and histological data, were prospectively collected and analyzed. Results: In total, 10 men and 7 women, with a median age of 51 years, underwent KD-RPN. Four transperitoneal procedures and 13 retroperitoneal procedures were performed without conversion to open or conventional laparoscopic surgery. The docking time and robotic operative time were 3.3 and 68.6 minutes, respectively. The warm ischemia time was 16.9 minutes. No major intraoperative or postoperative complications (Clavien grade ≥III) occurred. The duration of postoperative hospital stay was 5 days. Pathologic examination revealed nine clear cell carcinoma, two papillary cell carcinoma, one oncocytoma, and five angiomyolipoma cases. All surgical margins were negative. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) on the first postoperative day was significantly decreased compared with the preoperative eGFR (91.7 ± 12.9 mL/min vs 97.9 ± 10.7 mL/min, p = 0.036). However, no significant difference was observed between the preoperative eGFR and the value on the fourth postoperative day (95.7 ± 13.4 mL/min vs 97.9 ± 10.7 mL/min, p = 0.427). Conclusions: KD-RPN was safe and feasible for treatment of SRM. The early oncologic and functional outcomes were promising. Long-term follow-up and well-designed prospective comparative studies with the da Vinci® platform are needed to corroborate these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Si3N4 powders were prepared by combustion synthesis with 1‐ and 3‐μm α‐Si3N4, β‐Si3N4 diluent and BN inert diluent. The maximum temperatures of samples with boron nitride (BN) as a diluent are about 1500–1600°C lower than that of samples with α‐Si3N4 and β‐Si3N4 as diluents are about 1600–1800°C. Moreover, the newly formed α‐Si3N4 contents in the synthesized products with BN as diluent over 90 wt% are much higher than those with α‐Si3N4 and β‐Si3N4 as diluent about 20–40 wt%. The strip‐like α‐Si3N4, rod‐like β‐Si3N4 grains, and radiative shaped grains can be observed in the synthesized products. Finally, the effect of the diluent on the α‐phase content of combustion synthesized Si3N4 is discussed, which provides key guidance for preparing Si3N4 powders with high α‐phase content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between childbirth delivery methods and the risk of wheezing in children remains controversial. Few studies have explored it under different maternal conditions. To explore the influence of childbirth delivery method on the onset of wheezing in children of different parity. A total of 21716 patients were included in this retrospective observational study. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between childbirth delivery method and wheezing in children under 18 years of age in Fujian Province. Wheezing differed statistically based on the child's sex, age, season of onset, parity, jaundice history, and feeding patterns (P < 0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, in cases of parity greater than two, the risk of wheezing in cesarean section deliveries was higher than that in vaginal deliveries (OR: 1.107; 95% CI 1.010–1.214). In girls with parity greater than two (OR: 1.179; 95% CI 1.003–1.387) and normal-weight infants with parity greater than two (OR: 1.106; 95% CI 1.003–1.220), the risk of wheezing in cesarean section deliveries was higher. The interaction term between the mode of childbirth and parity was significant in girls (P = 0.014). The method of childbirth delivery and parity are related to the risk of wheezing and may be relevant to gender and birth weight. Parity and gender have synergistic effects on wheezing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A B−N embedded nitrogen‐annulated perylene has been successfully synthesized. The resultant molecule BN−NP is isoelectronic to coronene, but owns a five‐membered pyrrole ring. Experiments and DFT calculations indicated that peripheral pyrrole and BN modifications endow BN−NP with various unique properties like bent structure, dual emission, efficient Lewis acidic response, peripheral aromaticity, narrowest energy band gap among all coronene isoelectronic structures and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MAPbI3, MAPbBr3, and CsPbBr3 are excellent halide perovskite semiconductors with super long carrier diffusion length, long minority carrier lifetime, and large light absorption coefficient. Compared with the small intrinsic electrostriction, photocarriers induce a large photostriction in the surface layer. Furthermore, an electric field can efficiently separate the light excited electron–hole pairs, enhance photocarriers diffusion, and finally increase the crystal expansion, i.e., photo-electro-striction. For each crystal under 30 V/mm and in light with 450 nm wavelength and 840 mW/cm2, the photo-electro-striction is over four times of the pure electrostriction and is larger than the sum of photostriction and electrostriction. Most importantly, MAPbI3 single crystal shows a large photostriction of ∼0.35% and the photo-electro-striction of ∼0.64%. This work proves a very large photo-electro-striction as a result of the strong coupling among photocarriers, electric fields, and crystal lattices, which is important to develop semiconductor devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Urinary stones usually start at a young age and tend to recur. Therefore, preventing stone occurrence and recurrence in young people is crucial. We aimed to investigate the association between subcutaneous adipose tissue, visceral adipose tissue, and stone episodes in young people. Methods: We retrospectively studied patients aged below 40 years with kidney or ureteral stones. Data on demographic and metabolic characteristics, urolithiasis history, subcutaneous fat area (SFA), and visceral fat area (VFA) were collected. We evaluated the association between SFA or VFA and the occurrence or recurrence of stone episodes using binary logistic regression and Poisson regression analyses. Results: In total, 120 patients were included. Abdominal obesity, overweight or obesity, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, SFA, and VFA increased with the number of stone episodes (all p < 0.05). The increase in SFA was independently associated with episode occurrence (p = 0.015). Patients with an SFA > 97 cm2 had a higher risk of episode occurrence. SFA and VFA accumulation were independently associated with episode recurrence (all p < 0.05), and SFA had a stronger association than VFA did. Conclusions: In young people, SFA accumulation is an independent and early risk factor for the occurrence and recurrence of stone episodes. Subcutaneous fat could be a convenient and effective indicator to assess the risk of stone episodes before the development of metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel deep‐red‐emitting phosphor Ca2ScNbO6:Mn4+ is prepared via a high‐temperature solid‐state reaction and its luminescent properties are systematically investigated. The results show that Mn4+‐activated Ca2ScNbO6 phosphors have broad absorption in ultraviolet region, and show bright deep‐red emission at 692 nm. The optimal doping concentration, crystal‐field strength, internal quantum efficiency, and mechanism of concentration and thermal quenching effects are discussed in detail. Moreover, NaF flux is screened out to improve both luminescent intensity and morphology of the phosphor. Finally, a red light‐emitting diode (LED) lamp is fabricated with as‐prepared Ca2ScNbO6:Mn4+ phosphors and a 365 nm LED chip. The electroluminescence spectra show a good overlapping with phytochrome PR and PFR absorbance. The results provided the as‐synthesized Ca2ScNbO6:Mn4+ phosphors a great potential in plant growth lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We investigated the sleeping site use of one group of Assamese macaques in Southwest Guangxi, China. We examined their behavioral adaptation to limestone forests by evaluating hypotheses of predator avoidance, food proximity, and range or resource defense. Materials and Methods: We recorded the locations of sleeping sites on a topographic map using a grid cell method and mapped the use of foraging patches within the home range. Results: Assamese macaques used 19 different sleeping sites, mainly located on cliffs. They rapidly entered sleeping sites and then remained silent. They preferred three sites but never used them for more than four consecutive nights. Sleeping site use was positively correlated with the number of surrounding foraging patches, but the distances between sleeping sites and the last/first feeding areas (84.16 ± 41.26 and 94.88 ± 45.83 m, respectively) were not affected by seasonal fluctuations in fruit availability; these distances were longer than those predicted under a multiple central place foraging (MCPF) strategy but shorter than those predicted under a central place foraging (CPF) strategy. The observed distances between the sleeping sites and the first feeding areas in the rainy season were similar to the predicted distances of an MCPF strategy. The macaques slept in peripheral parts of their home range as expected, and there were no conflicts with neighboring groups. Discussion: Sleeping site use was strongly affected by predator avoidance and proximity to food resources, but not by resource defense. The vertical distribution of sleeping sites on hills was not influenced by fruit availability. The macaques are closer to using an MCPF strategy to maximize food harvest efficiency, particularly in the rainy season. Assamese macaques' sleeping site use in limestone forests supports the hypotheses of predator avoidance and food proximity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the role of neuropeptides in the communication between monocyte subtypes facilitates an investigation of the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease (KD). We investigated the patterns of interaction between neuropeptide-associated ligands and receptors in monocyte subpopulations in KD patients. Single-cell analysis was employed for the identification of cell subpopulations in KD patients, and monocytes were classified into 3 subpopulations: classical monocytes (CMs), intermediate monocytes (IMs), and nonclassical monocytes (NCMs). Cell-cell communication and differential analyses were used to identify ligand-receptor interactions in monocytes. Five neuropeptide-related genes (SORL1, TNF, SORT1, FPR2, and ANXA1) were involved in cell-cell interactions, wherein FPR2, a neuropeptide receptor, was significantly highly expressed in KD. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis revealed a significant correlation between the yellow module and FPR2 (p < 0.001 , CC = 0.43). Using the genes in the yellow module, we constructed a PPI network to assess the possible functions of the FPR2-associated gene network. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that increased FPR2 levels may be involved in immune system regulation. FPR2 in CMs mediates the control of inflammation in KD. The findings of this study may provide a novel target for the clinical treatment of KD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, text-based anomaly detection methods have obtained impressive results in social network services, but their applications are limited to social texts provided by users. To propose a method for generalized evolving social networks that have limited structural information, this study proposes a novel structural evolution-based anomaly detection method (⁠|$SeaDM$|⁠), which mainly consists of an evolutional state construction algorithm (⁠|$ESCA$|⁠) and an optimized evolutional observation algorithm (⁠|$OEOA$|⁠). |$ESCA$| characterizes the structural evolution of the evolving social network and constructs the evolutional state to represent the macroscopic evolution of the evolving social network. Subsequently, |$OEOA$| reconstructs the quantum-inspired genetic algorithm to discover the optimized observation vector of the evolutional state, which maximally reflects the state change of the evolving social network. Finally, |$SeaDM$| combines |$ESCA$| and |$OEOA$| to evaluate the state change degrees and detect anomalous changes to report anomalies. Experimental results on real-world evolving social networks with artificial and real anomalies show that our proposed |$SeaDM$| outperforms the state-of-the-art anomaly detection methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mn4+‐activated double‐perovskite type Ca2ScSbO6 (CSS) phosphors were synthesized via a high‐temperature solid‐state reaction. The phase purity and crystal structure of obtained samples were investigated by powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The successful incorporation of Mn4+ ions into CSS lattice was confirmed by the combination of energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectra (EDX) and X‐ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) results. The luminescent properties of the CSS phosphors, including the photoluminescence (PL) and PL excitation (PLE) spectra, commission international de l'clairage (CIE) chromaticity coordinates, fluorescence decay curves, quantum yields and temperature‐dependent PL spectra, were investigated in detail. Under 310‐nm excitation, the optimized CSS:0.3%Mn4+ phosphor exhibited bright deep‐red emission covering a narrow band from 640 nm to 720 nm, which overlaps with the absorbance of phytochromes. The Racah parameters B, C, and local crystal strength Dq were calculated to be 870, 2703, and 1984 cm–1, respectively. Particularly, the emission intensity of CSS:0.3%Mn4+ still remained 61.4% at 423 K compared with that at room temperature. Therefore, all these outstanding luminescent properties provided the as‐synthesized phosphors a great potential in plant growth lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: TikTok is the world's fastest-growing video application, with 1.6 billion users in 2021. More and more patients are searching for information on genitourinary cancers via TikTok. We aim to evaluate the functional quality and reliability of genitourinary cancer-related videos on it and share our thoughts based on the results for better public health promotion. Materials and Methods: We retrieved 167 videos on bladder, prostate, and kidney cancer from TikTok. Only 61 videos (36.53%) met the inclusion criteria and were eventually regarded as sample videos. Each video's length and descriptions, hashtags, number of views/likes/comments, forms of expression, and the uploader's profile were included. Three validated assessment instruments: the Hexagonal Radar Schema, the Health on the Net Code scale, and the DISCERN instrument, were used for evaluating the quality and reliability of the information. All misinformation was counted and categorized. Univariate analysis of variance was performed for analyzing the results. The Post-Hoc least significant difference test was conducted to explore further explanation. Results: Amongst 61 sample videos, healthcare practitioners contributed the most content (n = 29, 47.54%). However, 22 posts (36.07%) were misinformative, and the most common type was using outdated data. More than half of the videos could provide good (> 1 point) content on the diseases' symptoms and examinations. However, the definition and outcomes were less addressed (tied at 21%). The HONcode scale and the DISCERN instrument revealed a consistent conclusion that most videos (n = 59, 96.72%) on TikTok were of poor to mediocre quality. Videos published by media agencies were statistically better in terms of reliability and overall score (P = 0.003 and 0.008, respectively). Fifty-three videos (86.89%) had at least two unexplained medical terms. Healthcare professionals tend to use professional terms most (mean = 5.28 words). Conclusions: Most videos on genitourinary cancers on TikTok are of poor to medium quality and reliability. However, videos posted by media agencies enjoyed great public attention and interaction. Medical practitioners could improve the video quality by cooperating with media agencies and avoiding unexplained terminologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]