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With the continuous downsizing of solder joints, the influence of the grain characteristics of the under bump metallization (UBMs) on the interfacial reaction is exposed. In this paper, the effect of grain characteristics of Cu UBM on the growth of interfacial intermetallic compounds and the formation of Kirkendall voids in Cu/Sn/Cu micro solder joints during isothermal aging at 150 °C was investigated. Electroplated polycrystalline Cu (EP-Cu), (111) single crystal Cu ((111) Cu), and (111) nano-twinned Cu ((111) nt-Cu) were selected as UBMs. After reflow soldering, the Cu6Sn5 grains formed on (111) nt-Cu were near to the orientation (2 1 - 1 - 3) , while those were randomly formed on both EP-Cu and (111) Cu. During isothermal aging, the Cu6Sn5 grains exhibited the highest growth rate on (111) nt-Cu UBM, and the slowest growth rate on (111) Cu UBM, due to the differing number of diffusion routes among the three Cu UBMs with distinct grain characteristics. Furthermore, no Kirkendall voids were detected on the (111) Cu UBM, however, a significant number of Kirkendall voids were identified on the (111) nt-Cu UBM, which can be attributed to the diffusion path and impurities present in the three Cu UBMs. The results will offer theoretical and practical recommendations for the selection of Cu UBMs for micro solder joints in 3D packaging interconnection technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at risk of experiencing lower quality-of-life, fatigue, and depression. Few randomized controlled trials have studied the effect of physical activity (PA) on these in adult long-term CCS. This study investigated the effect of a 1-year individualized PA intervention on healthrelated quality-of-life (HRQOL), fatigue, and distress symptoms in adult CCS. Methods: The SURfit trial randomized 151 CCS =16 years old, <16 at diagnosis and =5 years since diagnosis, identified through the Swiss Childhood Cancer Registry. Intervention participants received personalized PA counselling to increase intense PA by =2.5 h/week for 1 year. Controls maintained usual PA levels. The authors assessed physical- and mental-HRQOL, fatigue, and distress symptoms at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. T-scores were calculated using representative normative populations (mean = 50, standard deviation = 10). Generalized linear mixed-effects models with intention-to-treat (ITT, primary), and three per-protocol allocations were used. Results: At 12 months, ITT (-3.56 larger decrease, 95% confidence interval -5.69 to -1.43, p = .001) and two per-protocol analyses found significantly lower fatigue. Physical-HRQOL improved significantly in two per-protocol analyses at 12 months. No other effects were found. Conclusion: SURfit showed that increased intense PA over 1 year improved fatigue in adult CCS. Survivors should be recommended PA to reduce the burden of late-effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PAHs represent a prevalent form of environmental contamination. Efficiently managing PAHinduced pollution is a pivotal focus in contemporary environmental research and management. Globally distributed, Suaeda heteroptera exhibits robust bioaccumulation traits and also it can be grown sustainably, therefore, it is suggested to be used for its soil and water pollutant removal efficiency, particularly in the case of heavy metals. This study selected phenanthrene (PHE) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), as representative PAH mixtures with predefined concentrations. The research investigated Suaeda heteroptera's capability to mitigate PAHs under hydroponic conditions. Findings indicated concentration-dependent variations in Suaeda heteroptera's absorption capacity for PAHs. At a concentration of 100 µg/L, Suaeda heteroptera demonstrated the highest efficacy in reducing total PAHs, achieving a removal efficiency of 82.351 µg/kg/d. At concentrations of 10 µg/L, Suaeda heteroptera exhibited optimal reduction in PHE concentration, achieving a removal efficiency of 2.874 µg/kg/d. Regarding BaP, the most effective concentration reduction by Suaeda heteroptera occurred at a concentration of 100 µg/L, with a removal efficiency of 68.542 µg/kg/d. Over time, Suaeda heteroptera exhibited an increasingly significant removal effect on PAHs, notably at concentrations of 10 µg/L and 100 µg/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low sensitivity of working electrodes is usually the bottleneck of the electrochemical testing method. In this work, bismuth antimonate nanosheets have excellent electrochemical performance and are used as the modified materials for glassy carbon electrodes. Bismuth antimonate nanosheets were prepared by a simple coprecipitation method. By changing the calcination temperature and holding time, the effects of these factors on the morphology and structure of the bismuth antimonate nanosheets were investigated. The bismuth antimonate-modified electrode was used for the electrochemical detection of benzoic acid. The results showed that a pair of semi-reversible redox peaks appeared at − 0.48 V and + 0.05 V, and the intensity of the redox peaks gradually increased with the increase of benzoic acid concentration and scan rate. The bismuth antimonate nanomaterial-modified glassy carbon electrode has a wide linear detection range (0.0002–2 mM), low detection limit (0.053 µM) and good cycling performance for detecting benzoic acid. The good electrochemical performance shows that bismuth antimonate nanomaterials have potential application value in the detection of benzoic acid. The glassy carbon electrode modified by bismuth antimonate nanosheets can effectively detect benzoic acid, with linear detection range (0.0002–2 mM) and detection limit (0.053 µM) and good repeatability [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the magnetoresistance (MR) effect and magnetic properties in (Co/Pt)4/Co/IrMn (SFM) and (Co/Pt)4/Co/IrMn/(Co/Pt)2/Co (DFM) structures with (Co/Pt)4/Co and (Co/Pt)2/Co multilayers having a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Despite the exchange bias field, the antiferromagnetic IrMn layer itself influences the coercivity (Hc) and MR differently for both types of structures when the IrMn layer is thin. A suppressed Hc and an enhanced MR in the DFM samples are obtained compared with those in the SFM samples. The maximum MR reaches up to (0.6 ± 0.1)% when the IrMn thickness (tIrMn) of the DFM samples varies from 1.5 to ∼5 nm, but the MR value of the SFM samples remains (0.1 ± 0.05)% with the same tIrMn range. The suppressed Hc and the enhanced MR in the DFM samples may be due to the formation of an antiferromagnetic-type contact when large antiferromagnetic domains in the IrMn layer are sandwiched by (Co/Pt)4/Co and (Co/Pt)2/Co multilayers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use the three-dimensional (3-D) global hybrid code ANGIE3D to simulate the interaction of four solar wind tangential discontinuities (TDs) observed by ARTEMIS P1 from 0740 UT to 0800 UT on 28 December 2019 with the bow shock, magnetosheath, and magnetosphere. We demonstrate how the four discontinuities produce foreshock transients, a magnetosheath cavity-like structure, and a brief magnetopause crossing observed by THEMIS and MMS spacecraft from 0800 UT to 0830 UT. THEMIS D observed entries into foreshock transients exhibiting low density, low magnetic field strength, and high temperature cores bounded by compressional regions with high densities and high magnetic field strengths. The MMS spacecraft observed cavities with strongly depressed magnetic field strengths and highly deflected velocity in the magnetosheath downstream from the foreshock. Dawnside THEMIS A magnetosheath observations indicate a brief magnetosphere entry exhibiting enhanced magnetic field strength, low density, and decreased and deflected velocity (sunward flow). The solar wind inputs into the 3-D hybrid simulations resemble those seen by ARTEMIS. We simulate the interaction of four oblique TDs with properties similar to those in the observation. We place virtual spacecraft at the locations where observations were made. The hybrid simulations predict similar characteristics of the foreshock transients, a magnetosheath cavity, and a magnetopause crossing with characteristics similar to those observed by the multi-spacecraft observations. The detailed and successful comparison of the interaction involving multiple TDs will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) was successfully observed in epitaxial L10-FePt/CrxPt1−x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy with large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. With increasing Cr content, the critical switching current density (Jc) in FePt/CrxPt1−x heterostructures exhibited a decreasing trend, where it was greatly reduced by 69% in FePt/Cr (3d) films compared to FePt/Pt (5d) films with strong spin–orbit coupling. Furthermore, the same switching polarities were observed for all FePt/CrxPt1−x samples, indicating that the orbital Hall effect played a dominant role in CIMS for FePt/Cr films because of opposite spin Hall angles for Cr and Pt. Our results will put forward the applications of L10-FePt in collaboration with the orbital Hall effect from 3d metals in current-controlled magnetic random access memory and neuromorphic computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is an important viral pathogen in pig populations. However, commercial vaccines cannot provide complete protection with induced humoral immunity only against disease development. DNA vaccine is a candidate of great potential because it can induce both arms of the immune system, humoral and cellular immune responses. In this study, DNA vector pcDNA3.1 was inserted with a chimeric intron downstream of the CMV promoter followed by a Kozak sequence to enhance the expression of gene inserts. The C-terminal of the VP22 gene (VP22c), encoding one of the major tegument proteins of bovine herpesvirus-1, was fused to the N- or C- terminal of ORF2 gene encoding the most immunogenic capsid protein of PCV2. The expression of plasmids was confirmed in in vitro transfection of 293FT cells and the highest percentage of ORF2-positive cells was achieved from the plasmid with fusion of ORF2 to the C-terminal of VP22c (denoted as pVP22cORF2). Porcine GM-CSF gene was inserted into vector pSecTag2/Hygro for secreted expression (pGM-CSF). These two DNA plasmids were administered intramuscularly to pigs in combination. No detectable level of immunity was present in the vaccinated group before the virus challenge. However, the vaccinated group showed earlier and higher ORF2-specific antibody response and higher cellular immunity than the challenge control group after the virus challenge. Vaccinated pigs showed increased growth performance, reduced duration of clinical signs, as well as reduced viral load in serum, lung, and lymph nodes. Therefore, the developed DNA vaccine will be a potential candidate against PCV2 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium alginate-based hydrogels are particularly attractive because of their special properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, renewability, and ion exchange properties, and their mechanical performance can be greatly improved through forming semi-interpenetrating networks. Herein, a pH/temperature-sensitive semi-interpenetrating network hydrogel was fabricated by photopolymerization of N, N-dimethylacrylamide, N-isopropylacrylamide, and N, N'-methylenebisacrylamide in the presence of sodium alginate. The swelling ratio of the hydrogels reached 3263% in distilled water when the molar ratio of monomer to crosslinker was 150:1 and mass concentration of sodium alginate was 2%. The hydrogels were pH/temperature sensitive, and their swelling behavior had good cycling performance. Selective adsorption experiments showed that the hydrogel had good adsorption selectivity for the cationic methylene blue in binary dye systems. The maximum adsorption capacity was 151.79 mg/g with 250 mg/L methylene blue solution, 35 °C and pH = 10. The adsorption behavior could be well described by Langmuir isothermal model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model, suggesting that methylene blue adsorption was monolayer chemisorption. The adsorption capacity was still 75.91% of the initial adsorption capacity after five consecutive adsorption–desorption cycles, revealing that the adsorbent possessed good regeneration capacity. The efficient adsorbent described here was prepared by a facile strategy, so it holds great potential in wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Strain on soft materials plays a fundamental role in understanding the mechanical behavior of engineering soft machines and devices. However, it is challenging to noninvasively measure strain distribution on soft materials in situ. Objective: In this study, we investigate the mechanism for the strain modulation of spectral reflectance in soft materials like silica gels. This mechanism is about the effect of strain-induced roughness variance on the spectral reflectance. Methods: Based on a simplified Torrance-Sparrow model, we established a theoretical relationship related the reflectance variance to the strain undergone by the specimen. By HSI, we measure the reflectance changes caused the strain; by CLSM experiment, we determine the surface roughness under different strains. Results: The theoretical model is verified by the reflectance analysis based HSI and the roughness analysis based on CLSM. The calibrated model parameters respectively from HSI and CLSM obtain a good agreement. Conclusions: For soft materials similar to silicone rubber, within the strain range covered in this paper, the surface roughness of the material has a linear relationship with strain, while the reflectance has an inverse quadratic relationship with roughness. Our proposed mechanism provides a possibility for non-contact strain measurement based on HSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of ABEI Journal: The Brazilian Journal of Irish Studies is the property of Associacao Brasileira de Estudos Irlandeses and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A compact online proton spectrometer based on a CMOS plate detector was proposed for the diagnosis of picosecond intense-laser accelerated protons. Inside the CMOS plate detector, a composite structure that composed of a scintillator screen, a fiber optic plate (FOP), and a CMOS sensor was designed to detect the protons safely and efficiently. The scintillator screen converted the incident protons to visible light, which, in turn, was collected by using the FOP and detected by using the CMOS sensor. An additional aluminum housing was designed to decrease the strong electromagnetic pulse (EMP) impact on the electronic readout system from picosecond laser–plasma interaction. This online spectrometer is compact and cost-effective than the system based on the micro-channel plate or scintillator screen in combination with an electron multiplying CCD camera and has better resistance to radiation damage than the system based on a single CMOS sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the pollution status of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments, seawater, and Suaeda heteroptera in the Red Beach Wetland of Panjin City, China, in September and November of 2020, as well as May and July of 2021, sediment, seawater, and Suaeda heteroptera samples were collected from both Site A and Site B. The concentrations and risk levels of 16 priority PAHs regulated by the US (Environmental Protection Agency EPA) were analyzed. The results showed that the concentrations of PAHs in the sediments ranged from 0.7 to 98.5 ng·g-1, in seawater ranged from 0 to 41.5 ng·kg-1, and in Suaeda heteroptera ranged from 0 to 108 ng·g-1. Temporally, the total PAH concentrations in sediments at Site A showed a decreasing trend from 2020 to 2021, while the total PAH concentrations in seawater exhibited an increasing trend. At Site B, the total PAH concentrations in sediments increased, while the total PAH concentrations in seawater and Suaeda heteroptera decreased. Furthermore, ecological risk assessments of sediment PAHs were conducted using the sediment quality guidelines and sediment quality standard methods, while the ecological risk of seawater PAHs was assessed using the quotient approach. The toxic equivalent concentration method was employed to evaluate the ecological risk of PAHs in Suaeda heteroptera. The results indicated relatively low ecological risks of PAHs in the sediments and seawater of the Red Beach Wetland in Panjin. China. However, (Bap benzo[a]pyrene) exhibited the highest toxic equivalent concentration in Suaeda heteroptera, suggesting a significant potential carcinogenic risk that requires attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This randomised controlled trial (RCT) assessed the effect of a 1-year, partially supervised, physical activity (PA) intervention on a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk score in adult survivors of childhood cancer. Methods: We included childhood cancer survivors ≥16 y at enrolment, <16 y at diagnosis and ≥5 y in remission. The intervention group was asked to perform an additional ≥2.5 h of intense physical activity/week, controls continued exercise as usual; assessments were performed at baseline, 6 months (T6) and 12 months (T12). The primary endpoint was change in a CVD risk score (average z-score of waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose, inverted high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and inverted cardiorespiratory fitness) from baseline to T12. We performed intention-to-treat (ITT, primary) and 3 per protocol analyses. Results: We randomised 151 survivors (44% females, 30.4 ± 8.6 years). We found a significant and robust reduction of the CVD risk score in the intervention compared to the control group at T6 and T12 across all analyses; with a difference in the reduction of the CVD risk z-score of −0.18 (95% confidence interval −0.29 to −0.06, P = 0.003) at T12 in favour of the intervention group (ITT analysis). Conclusions: This RCT showed that a long-term PA intervention can reduce CVD risk in long-term survivors of childhood cancer. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02730767. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreshock bubbles (FBs) occur when interplanetary magnetic field discontinuities encounter the Earth's foreshock. These transient (∼1 to 5 min) features exhibit depressed densities and magnetic field strengths, enhanced temperatures, and deflected plasma flows trailed by a region of enhanced plasma density and magnetic field strength. Ions can be accelerated inside the FBs through the Fermi acceleration process. Hybrid simulations and test particle calculations predict that the maximum energies of ions accelerated by FBs reach 5.6 times the solar wind ram energy (Esw). We identify 23 FBs from September 2015 to January 2020 Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft observations. Most FBs (17 of 23) occurred upstream of the dusk‐side bow shock and above the ecliptic. The FBs occurred for Alfvé $\acute{e}$n Mach numbers ranging from 5 to 15, with 11 FBs having an Alfvé $\acute{e}$n Mach number near 10. To investigate ion energization inside the cores of the FBs we compare the proton spectra observed by the Hot Plasma Composition Analyzer and Energetic Ion Spectrometer before (upstream), during (core), and after (downstream) the FBs. The proton intensities at energies from Esw (the solar wind ram energy, 0.5×m×Vsw2 $0.5\times m\times {V}_{sw}^{2}$) up to about 5.6Esw are greater inside than outside 19 of 23 FBs, confirming that FBs can accelerate particles to these energies. The proton flux intensities at energies between Esw and 5.6Esw in the core of the FBs are consistent with results from global hybrid simulations for ion energization from FBs through second‐order Fermi acceleration. Key Points: Hybrid simulations and test particle calculations predict that foreshock bubbles (FBs) can accelerate ions up to 5.6 times solar wind ram energyWe identified 23 FBs during 5 Magnetospheric Multiscale dayside seasons from September 2015 to January 2020Proton intensities at energies between Esw and 5.6Esw during the FB events exceed those before and after for 19 out of 23 FB events [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We carried out a statistical study of equatorial dipolarization fronts (DFs) detected by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission during the full 2017 Earth's magnetotail season. We found that two DF classes are distinguished: class I (74.4%) corresponds to the standard DF properties and energy dissipation and a new class II (25.6%). This new class includes the six DF discussed in Alqeeq et al. (2022, https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0069432) and corresponds to a bump of the magnetic field associated with a minimum in the ion and electron pressures and a reversal of the energy conversion process. The possible origin of this second class is discussed. Both DF classes show that the energy conversion process in the spacecraft frame is driven by the diamagnetic current dominated by the ion pressure gradient. In the fluid frame, it is driven by the electron pressure gradient. In addition, we have shown that the energy conversion processes are not homogeneous at the electron scale mostly due to the variations of the electric fields for both DF classes. Key Points: We reveal a new class of dipolarization front related to a bump of the magnetic field associated with a minimum in the ion and electron pressuresThe energy conversion process in the S/C frame is driven by the diamagnetic current dominated by the ion pressure gradientThe energy conversion processes are not homogeneous at the electron scale due to the variations of the electric fields [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dental caries is a common disease affecting quality of life globally. In the present study, we found that a bacteriophage lysin LysP53 against Acinetobacter baumannii possesses selective activity on Streptococcus mutans, the main etiological agent of dental caries, even in low pH caries microenvironments, whereas only minor LysP53 activity was detected against Streptococcus sanguinis, Streptococcus oralis, and Streptococcus mitis. Testing activity against S. mutans planktonic cells showed that 4 μM LysP53 could kill more than 84% of S. mutans within 1 min in buffer with optimal pHs ranging from 4.0 to 6.5. Daily application of LysP53 on biofilms formed in BHI medium supplemented or not with sucrose could reduce exopolysaccharides, expression of genes related to acid resistance and adhesion, and the number of live bacteria in the biofilms. LysP53 treatment also showed similar effects as 0.12% chlorhexidine in preventing enamel demineralization due to S. mutans biofilms, as well as effective removal of S. mutans colonization of tooth surfaces in mice without observed toxic effects. Because of its selective activity against main cariogenic bacteria and good activity in low pH caries microenvironments, it is advantageous to use LysP53 as an active agent for preventing caries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the absorption capacity of Suaeda heteroptera for heavy metals in coastal wetlands under tidal conditions, a tidal simulation device for Suaeda heteroptera habitat was designed based on the field conditions of Red Beach in China to investigate the absorption capacity of Suaeda heteroptera at different growth stages for heavy metals. The results showed that the on-site data monitoring at the Red Beach of Panjin in China revealed that zinc had the highest detected values in the water, sediment, and Suaeda heteroptera samples, and the absorption of heavy metals followed the order of Zn > Pb > Cu. Under tidal simulation conditions, the maximum absorption values of copper, lead, and zinc by Suaeda heteroptera at different growth stages were in the order of Zn > Pb > Cu, with metal content of 59.72 mg/kg, 46.73 mg/kg, and 15.70 mg/kg, respectively. These findings were consistent with the trend observed in the on-site monitoring data, and the values in the early growth stage were higher than those in the later growth stage. This result reveals the absorption capacity of Suaeda heteroptera for heavy metals and provides a theoretical basis and data support for wetland ecological restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore whether work engagement during the work period affected the specific recovery process during the non-work period. According to the Work-Home Resources (W-HR) model, this study from a day-level perspective used work engagement as a predictor of non-work mastery experiences as well as control experiences and explored whether the mediating role of recovery level at the end of the workday was established, which was beneficial to re-understand the role of work engagement in promoting employees' well-being in the transition from work to non-work. A daily diary design was adopted, with 2 measurement occasions per day for 1 workweek (N = 112 persons, 510 valid data sets in within-person level). Results about day-level relationships confirmed that work engagement was positively associated with the non-work mastery experiences as well as control experiences, recovery level at the end of the workday played a mediating role between daily work engagement and non-work control experiences, but the mediating role between work engagement and non-work mastery experiences was not established at the within-person level. Practical and theoretical implications for work engagement and non-work recovery were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection can cause persistent inflammatory response in human gastric mucosal epithelial cells, which may result in the occurrence of cancer. However, the underlying mechanism of carcinogenesis has not been elucidated yet. Herein, we established the models of chronic H. pylori infection in GES-1 cells and C57BL/6J mice. Interleukin 8 (IL-8) level was detected by ELISA. The expression of NF-κB p65, IL-8, Wnt2 and β-catenin mRNA and proteins was evaluated by real-time PCR, Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, and immunohistochemistry. The infection of H. pylori in mice was evaluated by rapid urease test, H&E staining and Warthin‒Starry silver staining. The morphological changes of gastric mucosa were observed by electron microscopy. Our results showed that in H. pylori infected gastric mucosal cells along with activation of NF-κB signaling pathway and increase of IL-8 level, the expression of Wnt2 was also increased significantly, which preliminarily indicates that IL-8 can positively regulate the expression of Wnt2. Studies in chronic H. pylori infected C57BL/6J mice models showed that there was an increased incidence of premalignant lesions in the gastric mucosa tissue. Through comparing changes of gastric mucosal cell ultrastructure and analyzing the relationship between NF-κB signaling pathway and Wnt2 expression, we found that H. pylori infection activated NF-κB signal pathways, and the massive release of IL-8 was positively correlated with the high expression of Wnt2 protein. Subsequently, the activated Wnt/β-catenin signal pathways may be involved in the malignant transformation of gastric mucosal cells. Collectively, H. pylori chronic infection may continuously lead to persistent inflammatory response: activate NF-κB pathway, promote IL-8 release and thereby activate Wnt/β-catenin pathway. IL-8 probably plays an important role of a linker in coupling these two signal pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autoignition and detonation development are foundational events in the combustion community and are fundamentally relevant to engine knocking and detonation propulsion. Autoignition-induced reaction front propagation modes have been extensively investigated, addressing the role of thermal and concentration inhomogeneities. In this work, we have further investigated the nonmonotonic response of detonation development to temperature gradients for low-carbon fuels (hydrogen and syngas) and have found additional detonation regimes, which can depict the panorama of reaction front propagation modes. Results show that separate detonation regimes can be observed when hotspot sizes are below some critical thresholds, with the first corresponding to the known "Bradley detonation peninsula" and the second newly identified featuring broader detonation regions. Despite this, distinct combustion characteristics are observed in the demarcation of detonation regimes between hydrogen and syngas fuels. Specifically, the upper branch of the first detonation regimes for hydrogen is sensitive to temperature gradients at various hotspot sizes, while it exhibits similar behaviors in the lower branch of the second one for syngas, which results in narrower detonation regions. Meanwhile, hydrogen possesses a larger critical hotspot size compared to syngas, and the underlying mechanism is ascribed to the chemical reactivity when hotspot autoignition and the difference of energy density between hotspot interior and exterior. Finally, various detonation regimes are summarized in dimensionless detonation diagrams, in which hydrogen and syngas show similar distributions of detonation peninsula. Despite this, those distinctions in the detonation characteristics between hydrogen and syngas can still be manifested quantitatively. The current work can provide useful insights into knocking inhabitation and detonation promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft X-ray emissions induced by solar wind ions that collide with neutral material in the solar system have been detected around planets, and were proposed as a remote probe for solar wind interaction with the Martian exosphere. A multi-fluid three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic model is adopted to derive the global distributions of solar wind particles. Spherically symmetric exospheric H, H2, He, O, and CO2 density profiles and a sophisticated hybrid model that includes charge-exchange and proton–neutral excitation processes are used to study the low triplet line ratio G = i + f r (0.77 ± 0.58) of O vii and the total X-ray luminosity around Mars. We further calculate the emission factor α -value with different neutrals over wide ion-abundance and velocity ranges. Our results are in good agreement with those of previous reports. The evolution of the charge stage of solar wind ions shows that sequential recombination due to charge-exchange can be negligible in the interaction region. This only appears below an altitude of 400 km. The anonymous low disk G- ratio can be easily explained by the collisional quenching effect at neutral densities higher than 1011 cm−3. However, the quenching contribution is small in Mars' exosphere and only appears below 400 km. Charge-exchange with H2 and N2 is still the most likely reason for this low G -ratio. X-ray emissivity maps in collisions with different neutrals differ from each other. A clear bow shock arising from the collision with all the neutrals is in accordance with previous reports. The resulting total X-ray luminosity of 6.55 MW shows better agreement with the XMM-Newton observation of 12.8 ± 1.4 MW than that of previous predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OAT-affected patients have significant difficulties in achieving pregnancy through spontaneous intercourse, and ICSI is the clinical treatment of choice for these patients. Here, we identified a novel nonsense I PNLDC1 i variant in a patient with Oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia (OAT) and poor clinical outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) from a consanguineous Chinese family. [Extracted from the article]

Learning points for clinicians Peptidyl arginine deiminase 6 (PADI6) is a member of the subcortical maternal complex, and I PADI6 i biallelic mutations have been reported to be cause female infertility via abnormalities in embryonic development. Subsequently, Sanger sequencing confirmed the recessive inheritance pattern of the I PADI6 i variant: the patients were homozygous, and their parents and another sister (individual II-2) with normal fertility were heterozygous for the I PADI6 i variant (Figure 1b). [Extracted from the article]

Digital data collection during routine clinical practice is now ubiquitous within hospitals. The data contains valuable information on the care of patients and their response to treatments, offering exciting opportunities for research. Typically, data are stored within archival systems that are not intended to support research. These systems are often inaccessible to researchers and structured for optimal storage, rather than interpretability and analysis. Here we present MIMIC-IV, a publicly available database sourced from the electronic health record of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Information available includes patient measurements, orders, diagnoses, procedures, treatments, and deidentified free-text clinical notes. MIMIC-IV is intended to support a wide array of research studies and educational material, helping to reduce barriers to conducting clinical research. Measurement(s) Homo sapiens Technology Type(s) Electronic Health Record Sample Characteristic - Organism Homo sapiens Sample Characteristic - Environment hospital Sample Characteristic - Location Commonwealth of Massachusetts [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we investigated the influence of different mid-stage N compensation timings on agronomic and physiological traits associated with grain yield and quality in field experiments. Two japonica rice cultivars with a good tasting quality (Nangeng 9108 and Nangeng 5055) were examined under eight N compensation timings (N1–N6: one-time N compensation at 7-2 weeks before heading; N7: split N compensation at 5 and 3 weeks before heading; N8: split N compensation at 4 and 2 weeks before heading) and a control with no N compensation. The highest yield was obtained with N7, followed by N3. The yield advantage is mainly attributable to the improved population structure (higher productive tiller rate with a stable number of effective panicles), higher total number of spikelets per unit area (large panicles with more grains per panicle), larger leaf area index in the late period and higher photosynthetic production capacity (more dry matter accumulation and transportation in the middle and late periods). Delaying N compensation timing improved the processing and nutritional quality of rice, but decreased the quality of appearance and cooking/eating traits. Our results suggest that, from the perspective of achieving relative coordination between high yield and high quality of japonica rice, the optimal N compensation should be divided equally at 5 and 3 weeks before heading. However, if simplifying the number of operations and the pursuit of eating quality were considered, one-time N compensation should be conducted at 5 weeks before heading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented which discusses articles in the issue on topics including how modern and contemporary Irish literature reflect changing notions of gender values, and social arrangements; and how existing orthodoxies have conditioned Irish people's perceptions of individuality.

Global simulations predict that the low‐latitude mantle may be an important pathway for the solar wind entry into the tail magnetosphere close to the current sheet when interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) By dominates over IMF Bz. To evaluate this entry mechanism in the near‐Earth tail (X ∼ −10–−20 RE), we investigate the predictions from 3D global hybrid simulations as well as in situ observations by magnetospheric multiscale (MMS) spacecraft. The simulations predict that the low‐latitude mantle plasma can appear in the near‐Earth tail lobe extending inward approximately 5 RE from the flank magnetopause. The low‐latitude mantle plasma appears in the dawnside northern lobe and duskside southern lobe during positive IMF By, while the opposite asymmetry is seen during negative IMF By. After a change in the IMF By direction arriving at the bow shock nose, it takes another ∼15–30 min for the asymmetry to completely reverse to the opposite sense in the near‐Earth tail. We present six MMS events in the tail lobe showing that the existence and absence of the low‐latitude mantle plasma is consistent with the predicted asymmetries. Statistical analysis of 5 years of MMS observations shows that the dependencies of the magnitudes of the lobe densities and tailward field‐aligned flow speeds on the IMF By directions are consistent with the predicted contributions from the low‐latitude mantle plasma in the expected lobe regions. Key Points: Global hybrid simulations predict that the low‐latitude mantle plasma can form in the near‐Earth lobe controlled by interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) ByLow‐latitude mantle is in dawnside northern lobe and duskside southern lobe for positive IMF By. The asymmetry reverses for negative IMF ByStatistical analysis of magnetospheric multiscale data supports the simulation predicted dependence of near‐Earth low‐latitude mantle on the IMF By direction [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticides are an indispensable part of agricultural production, and herbicides are more widely used in agriculture. Through the hydroponic experiment, it was found that atrazine would affect the growth of Suaeda salsa. High throughput sequencing was used to analyze its transcriptome in order to explain the growth pathway of atrazine on Suaeda salsa at molecular level. A total of 78.92 g data were obtained by transcriptome sequencing of Suaeda salsa, 443515 transcripts with an average length of 998 BP were obtained, and 261694 unigenes with an average length of 864 BP were obtained by splicing. All unigenes were annotated with seven databases, and 195917 unigenes were annotated successfully in at least one of the above seven databases, accounting for 74.86% of the total unigenes. The results of differential analysis were analyzed by KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. The results showed that the processes of significant enrichment of high, medium and low atrazine concentrations compared with the control group were ribosome, phagosome and oxidative phosphorylation. The transcription and translation related genes of elongation factor in ribosomes and SecY membrane protein related genes producing protein membrane channels were up-regulated, the F-actin and V-ATPase related genes involved in transport in phagocytes were up-regulated, and the f-atpase and V-ATPase related genes producing ATP during oxidative phosphorylation were up-regulated, indicating that the above related genes were involved in the corresponding response to atrazine stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a three‐dimensional hybrid kinematics‐force (HKF) model for fluid force estimation coupled with position optimization of an aerial robot capable of high‐pressure fluid ejection is presented. Motivated by the archerfish's unique (water‐jetting) hunting mechanics, the HKF model comprises of two sub‐models (hybrid kinematics and fluid force estimation) to maintain a specific fluid force at the point‐of‐contact (POC) during high altitude fluid jetting for high‐risk maintenance (cleaning) scenarios. Industries with high‐risk cleaning applications seek to employ robots to assist cleaners in routine operations on infrastructures or equipment at a height such as photovoltaic e‐glasses, impact‐sensitive objects, and many others. For a fluid jet, the stand‐off distance represents the length of the fluid trajectory between the nozzle orifice and POC, and is also a vital variable in fluid force control. If the stand‐off distance between the ejection source and the target is large, the fluid stream loses energy along the trajectory and the force at the POC is weakened thus losing some of the jet pressure at the target surface. The HKF model exploits this by estimating and maintaining a specific force at the POC through position optimization of the onboard nozzle coupled with the knowledge of the fluid parameters. To innovate high structure cleaning, the HKF model can be employed on an aerial robot with fluid ejection capabilities for accurate fluid force control at the POC. For high‐pressure fluid ejection (on horizontal and vertical structures), the HKF model is able to predict the (high pressure) fluid force at the POC with less than 10% error. The proposed HKF model is tested and verified through simulations and the experimentation results are validated by flying the physical prototypes in actual deployment scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uneven salt distribution in soil plays an important role in regulating plant growth. To explore the effect of heterogeneous soil salt stress on the growth of Pyrus calleryana Decne., container seedlings were placed in a split-root container for salt stress treatment. Five salt stress root treatments were performed, including a control non-salt stress treatment, two localized salt stress treatments, and two whole-root uniform salt-stress treatments. Our results indicate that salt stress was directly related to the reduced growth and photosynthesis. Seedlings under localized salt stress treatments (0/100 and 0/200) showed significantly larger increases in biomass than those under uniform salt stress treatments (100/100 and 200/200).Under localized salt stress treatment (0/100), the compensatory growth of fine roots (d < 2 mm) occurred in the salt-free side of the plant container, and the fine root biomass, root length, surface area, root volume, root tip number, branch number, and crossing number on the non-salt-stressed side were significantly higher compared to those on the salt-stressed side. Under the localized salt-stress treatment of 0/200, the salt concentration exceeded the lethal concentration for roots, which led to the growth of fine roots on the salt-free side. Our results indicate that the compensatory growth of L-side fine roots increased the photosynthetic rate and dry matter accumulation, and reduced the inhibition on the growth of Pyrus calleryana under local salt stress compared with uniform salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnesium aluminum spinel nanofibers are prepared by non-hydrolytic sol-gel and electrospinning methods using MgCl2 and AlCl3 as raw materials and PVP as spinning aid. The formation process of magnesium aluminum spinel nanofibers and the effect of calcination temperatures on the nanofibers are explored. The results show that magnesium chloride alkoxide and aluminum chloride alkoxide are formed after the addition of AlCl3 and MgCl2 into EtOH, respectively. The Mg–O–Al gel network is formed by the non-hydrolytic condensation reaction between the metal chloride alkoxides. The precursor fibers are synthetized using the electrospinning process. After calcination at 600°C, the nanofibers with magnesium aluminum spinel phase can be obtained and their average diameter is about 240 nm. When the precursor fibers are calcined at 1000 and 1300°C, the fibers are still continuous, smooth, and their diameter distribution is uniform. When the precursor fibers are subjected to the calcination temperature of 1600°C, the samples still maintain fibrous structure although the surface of fibers is rough. It indicates that the magnesium aluminum spinel nanofibers have excellent high temperature resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present observations in Earth's magnetotail by the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft that are consistent with magnetic field annihilation, rather than magnetic topology change, causing fast magnetic‐to‐electron energy conversion in an electron‐scale current sheet. Multi‐spacecraft analysis for the magnetic field reconstruction shows that an electron‐scale magnetic island was embedded in the observed electron diffusion region (EDR), suggesting an elongated shape of the EDR. Evidence for the annihilation was revealed in the form of the island growing at a rate much lower than expected for the standard X‐type geometry of the EDR, which indicates that magnetic flux injected into the EDR was not ejected from the X‐point or accumulated in the island, but was dissipated in the EDR. This energy conversion process is in contrast to that in the standard EDR of a reconnecting current sheet where the energy of antiparallel magnetic fields is mostly converted to electron bulk‐flow energy. Fully kinetic simulation also demonstrates that an elongated EDR is subject to the formation of electron‐scale magnetic islands in which fast but transient annihilation can occur. Consistent with the observations and simulation, theoretical analysis shows that fast magnetic diffusion can occur in an elongated EDR in the presence of nongyrotropic electron effects. We suggest that the annihilation in elongated EDRs may contribute to the dissipation of magnetic energy in a turbulent collisionless plasma. Plain Language Summary: Magnetic reconnection in electric current sheets is the key to fast release of magnetic energy in many space and astrophysical plasma systems, such as during magnetospheric substorms and solar flares. Establishing the mechanism by which magnetic energy is converted to particle energy in the reconnection process is the key to understanding the large‐scale impacts of reconnection, including energy partition and particle acceleration. It is generally believed that an electron‐scale diffusion region (EDR), where a magnetic‐to‐electron energy conversion occurs, has an X‐type magnetic field geometry around which the energy of antiparallel magnetic fields injected into the EDR is mostly converted to the bulk‐flow energy of electrons by magnetic tension of reconnected field lines. Contrary to this standard X‐type magnetic field geometry of reconnection, we report observations in Earth's magnetotail by NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft showing that the EDR can be highly elongated. The important and surprising consequence of the observed elongated shape of the EDR is that the fast energy conversion in the EDR can be caused mostly by magnetic field annihilation, rather than magnetic topology change. The fast collisionless annihilation that we discovered is fundamentally different from the classical magnetic field annihilation due to collisional and wave‐induced resistivity. Key Points: Multi‐spacecraft observations consistent with magnetic field annihilation in an electron diffusion region (EDR) of magnetotail reconnectionMagnetic field reconstruction suggests that an electron‐scale magnetic island was embedded in the EDR with elongated shapeTheoretical analysis shows that fast collisionless magnetic diffusion can occur in the elongated part of EDR with nongyrotropic electrons [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shoe modifications are suggested to reduce the risks of injuries and improve sports performance in basketball. This review aimed to critically evaluate the effect of different basketball shoe modifications on biomechanical changes in basketball movements. Searches of four major databases for biomechanics studies which evaluated footwear construction/material in basketball yielded 442 records. After duplicates were removed and exclusion/inclusion criteria applied to the titles and abstracts, 20 articles remained for further quality assessment. Two reviewers independently confirmed 17 articles (n = 340 participants), with 95.5% of agreement between judgements, which were included for review. The results were categorised based on the following shoe modifications: (a) cushioning, (b) midsole hardness, (c) collar height, (d) outsole traction component, (e) forefoot bending stiffness and (f) shoe mass that influence lower limb biomechanics. The included articles revealed that 1) better shoe cushioning or softer midsole is related to better impact attenuation in passive/unanticipated situations, 2) high shoe collars are effective to improve ankle stability in jumping and cutting tasks, 3) increased shoe traction and forefoot bending stiffness can improve basketball jump, sprint and/or cut performances and 4) lighter shoe mass results in better jump and/or cut performances when the shoe mass is known. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution caused by land use seriously threatens the surface water ecosystem. However, the relationship between surface water quality and land use remains obscure in multiple spatiotemporal scales. The spatiotemporal variation characteristics of the eutrophication degree were discussed via the in situ investigation, and the effects of land use on water quality were quantitatively studied through correlation analysis and redundancy analysis in the Honghu Lake Basin, a typical active agriculturally disturbed basin. Results show that the water quality of the entire basin has suffered from serious nitrogen (with the total nitrogen ranging from 1.90 to 11.72 mg/L in the dry season and 1.07–9.24 mg/L in the rainy season) and phosphorus (with the total phosphorus ranging from 0.07 to 1.78 mg/L in the dry season and 0.02–0.56 mg/L in the rainy season) pollution. Seasonally, the nutrient concentration in dry the season are approximately 14–46% higher than those in the rainy season, and the nutrient concentration upstream is higher in spatial distribution. Correlation analysis indicates that forest and wetland were negatively correlated with nutrient concentrations, while cultivated land and residence community were positively correlated with nutrient concentrations. Redundancy analysis shows that the spatial variation of the water quality is best explained at a small scale (1000 m buffer) and in the rainy season (55%). Our study can provide a strategy for land use planning for water quality management and protection in a typical agriculturally disturbed basin, like the Honghu Lake basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrons in earth's magnetotail are energized significantly both in the form of heating and in the form of acceleration to non-thermal energies. While magnetic reconnection is considered to play an important role in this energization, it still remains unclear how electrons are energized and how energy is partitioned between thermal and non-thermal components. Here, we show, based on in situ observations by NASA's magnetospheric multiscale mission combined with multi-component spectral fitting methods, that the average electron energy ε ¯ (or equivalently temperature) is substantially higher when the locally averaged electric field magnitude | E | is also higher. While this result is consistent with the classification of "plasma-sheet" and "tail-lobe" reconnection during which reconnection is considered to occur on closed and open magnetic field lines, respectively, it further suggests that a stochastic Fermi acceleration in 3D, reconnection-driven turbulence is essential for the production and confinement of energetic electrons in the reconnection region. The puzzle is that the non-thermal power-law component can be quite small even when the electric field is large and the bulk population is significantly heated. The fraction of non-thermal electron energies varies from sample to sample between ∼20% and ∼60%, regardless of the electric field magnitude. Interestingly, these values of non-thermal fractions are similar to those obtained for the above-the-looptop hard x-ray coronal sources for solar flares. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wave height attenuation in vegetation canopies is often all attributed to the drag force exerted by vegetation, whereas other potential dissipation process is often neglected. Previous studies without vegetation have found that opposing currents can induce wave breaking and greatly increase dissipation. It is not clear if similar process may also occur in vegetation canopies. We conducted systematic flume experiments to show that wave breaking in opposing currents can occur in vegetated flows, but only in submerged canopies with shear currents above vegetation top. Subsequently, we developed a new analytical model to understand and assess the contribution of both drag‐induced dissipation in the lower vegetation layer and current‐induced breaking in the upper free layer. A new generic drag coefficient relation was applied in the model to quantify drag‐induced dissipation with various current‐wave combinations. It shows that breaking induced by opposing currents constitutes an essential part (up to 87%) of the total dissipation, which leads to considerably higher dissipation than the cases with following currents. Breaking can occur with various submergence ratios and with small opposing currents in the submerged vegetation field. It indicates that similar breaking process is likely to occur in real vegetation fields. The present study reveals and quantifies the current‐induced wave breaking process that has not been reported before, which can improve our understanding of vegetation wave dissipation capacity in field conditions. Plain Language Summary: Nature‐based coastal protection has drawn much attention from coastal scientists, engineers, and managers. This measure conserves and (re)creates vegetated coastal wetlands, for example, saltmarshes, mangroves, and seagrasses as buffers to attenuate incident waves and reduce wave load on dikes. The mechanisms of wave dissipation in coastal wetlands have been extensively investigated. Existing studies generally attribute all the dissipation to the drag force exerted by vegetation, whereas indirect wave dissipation that may occur with accompanying tidal currents is generally neglected. By extensive flume experiments, we found that substantial indirect wave dissipation can be induced by triggered breaking. Such process takes place in submerged canopies with a suitable submergence ratio (e.g., 1< water depth/canopy height <4.5), where the currents above the submerged canopies is accelerated by the underneath vegetation drag. These insights highlight the importance of previously overlooked indirect wave dissipation in vegetation fields (not by vegetation drag but by breaking), which are likely to occur in shallowly submerged mangrove and saltmarsh canopies. Thus, the knowledge and the model developed in the present study provide a base for more precise predictions of coastal wetlands' protection values. Key Points: A generic CD‐Re relation for various current‐wave combinations has been proposedOpposing currents can trigger wave breaking in submerged canopies, leading to greater wave dissipation than following currentsAn analytical model is developed to assess the contribution of wave breaking as indirect wave dissipation by vegetation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high rate of false arrhythmia alarms in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) can lead to disruption of care, negatively impacting patients' health through noise disturbances, and slow staff response time due to alarm fatigue. Prior false-alarm reduction approaches are often rule-based and require hand-crafted features from physiological waveforms as inputs to machine learning classifiers. Despite considerable prior efforts to address the problem, false alarms are a continuing problem in the ICUs. In this work, we present a deep learning framework to automatically learn feature representations of physiological waveforms using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to discriminate between true vs. false arrhythmia alarms. We use Contrastive Learning to simultaneously minimize a binary cross entropy classification loss and a proposed similarity loss from pair-wise comparisons of waveform segments over time as a discriminative constraint. Furthermore, we augment our deep models with learned embeddings from a rule-based method to leverage prior domain knowledge for each alarm type. We evaluate our method using the dataset from the 2015 PhysioNet Computing in Cardiology Challenge. Ablation analysis demonstrates that Contrastive Learning significantly improves the performance of a combined deep learning and rule-based-embedding approach. Our results indicate that the final proposed deep learning framework achieves superior performance in comparison to the winning entries of the Challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main obstacle for the application of the high-temperature superconducting (HTS) coated conductors (CCs) in AC energy applications is the relatively large AC loss. To tackle this, several forms of HTS cables for AC applications have been invented and investigated, such as the HTS Roebel cable, Cable on Round Conductor (CORC), and Twisted Stacked Tape Cable (TSTC). In this paper, the possibility of encapsulating Roebel cables into a single HTS CC is investigated, from which a novel conception of a Roebel tape is proposed. Compared with the existing HTS cables, HTS Roebel tapes are more compact, more capable at carrying large current with minimised AC losses, and easier to manufacture. A 3D finite element method (FEM) model of the Roebel tape is built to optimise the structure and verify the performance. The results show that, compared with normal ReBCO CCs, Roebel tapes with optimum patterns can reduce AC transport losses by 60% through field-cancelling and can reduce magnetisation losses by the factor of the filament number through patterning. With excellent loss reduction performance and high current capability, the Roebel tape shows great potential to become a revolutionary HTS cable for high-current power transmission and AC machine applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Phosphorus (P) is a necessary nutrient for egg production and bone quality in poultry diets. To investigate the effects of low dietary available P (avP) on keel bone, 180 laying hens were fed either a control (C, 0.3% avP) or low phosphorus (LP, 0.15% avP) diet from 20–36 weeks of age (WOA). Each diet was replicated in six cages with 15 birds per cage. Keel samples were collected at 24, 28, 32, and 36 WOA to measure indicators. 2. The incidence of keel bone damage in the LP group was higher than C group and increased with age throughout the experiment period. Keel bone length from laying hens in the LP group was shorter than C group (P < 0.05) at 32 and 36 WOA. 3. The mRNA expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) and ratio of RANKL to osteoprotegerin (OPG) were upregulated (P < 0.05), and that of sclerostin and OPG was downregulated (P < 0.05) in the LP group in comparison to hens in the C group. Meanwhile, mRNA expression of the integrin-binding sialoprotein was increased at 24 and 28 WOA (P < 0.05), and decreased at 32 and 38 WOA (P < 0.05) in the LP group. 4. Laying hens in LP group had increased trabecular separation and bone surface fraction (P < 0.05), decreased bone volume, bone volume fraction, trabecular number and thickness, and bone mineral density (P < 0.05) at 32 WOA. The LP-fed hens had increased K, Ti, Mn, Fe, Zn, Se, Sr and Pb bone concentrations (P < 0.05), and decreased P and TI bone concentrations (P < 0.05) at 36 WOA. 5. Feeding hens a P-deficient diet with 0.15% avP and 3.37% Ca during the laying period impaired keel bone quality, which could be related to the osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proliferation and migration of retinal endothelial cells (RECs) contribute to the development of diabetic retinopathy. PLAG1 (pleomorphic adenoma gene 1) functions as a zinc-finger transcription factor to participate in the development of lipoblastomas or pleomorphic adenomas of the salivary glands through regulation of cell proliferation and migration. The role of PLAG1 in diabetic retinopathy was investigated in this study. Firstly, RECs were induced under high glucose conditions, which caused reduction in viability and induction of apoptosis in the RECs. Indeed, PLAG1 was elevated in high glucosetreated RECs. Functional assays showed that silence of PLAG1 increased viability and suppressed apoptosis in high glucose-induced RECs, accompanied with up-regulation of Bcl-2 and down-regulation of Bax and cleaved caspase-3. Moreover, migration of RECs was promoted by high glucose conditions, while repressed by knockdown of PLAG1. High glucose also triggered angiogenesis of RECs through up-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). However, interference of PLAG1 reduced VEGF expression to retard the angiogenesis. Silence of PLAG1 also attenuated high glucose-induced up-regulation of Wnt3a, β-catenin and c-Myc in RECs. Moreover, silence of PLAG1 ameliorated histopathological changes in the retina of STZ-induced diabetic rats through down-regulation of β-catenin. In conclusion, knockdown of PLAG1 suppressed high glucose-induced angiogenesis and migration of RECs, and attenuated diabetic retinopathy by inactivation of Wnt/ β-catenin signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reveal the chaotic characteristics of friction vibration, pin–plate wear experiments were carried on a wear tester. Different wear states were designed by changing the amount of lubricating oil and distinguished with the friction coefficient. In order to improve the reliability of the collected data, the fictional vibration signals were denoised using an ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) method. The method of information entropy was proposed to measure the disorder of frequency energy distribution of friction vibration signals. The information entropy of friction vibration decreases in the running-in wear state, fluctuates steadily in the stable wear state, and increases rapidly in the severe wear state. The variation of information entropy of friction vibration signals is closely related to the surface topography of friction pairs. The results indicate that the information entropy of friction vibration can be applied to monitor and recognize the wear state of friction pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The laser molten pool model was built to research the influence of high-frequency ultrasound vibration (HFUV) on aircraft thin-walled structures using the COMSOL software. The acoustic pressure of the laser molten pool was simulated considering the position and number of sources, with both side-touch single vibration and dual vibration sources being used. The results indicate that the positive and negative acoustic pressures alternate with HFUV, and the temperature field is homogeneous. This phenomenon favors the generation and collapse of cavitation bubbles, resulting in the ultrasound cavitation effect and reduced residual stress. The distance and amplitude of the ultrasound are directly proportional to the acoustic pressure of the molten pool. The acoustic pressure of the molten pool will enlarge 2–3-fold with each 10-mm decrease in the distance from the ultrasound loading position to the molten pool and by 10 Pa with each 4-μm increase in the amplitude. HFUV primarily acts as a blender for the molten pool. The acoustic streaming effect will appear when the amplitude exceeds 7 μm and the distance is lower than 60 mm. The ultrasound cavitation effect dominates when the distance is lower than 15 mm. Dual vibration sources will not influence the acoustic pressure amplitude of the molten pool. Still, the gradients of acoustic pressure influenced by these conditions will be favorable for the homogeneous flow of metal liquid on the sides of the molten pool, achieving the aim of grain refinement and reduced residual stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Marine environment, 3-methylphenanthrene mainly comes from Marine oil spill accidents and the waste water discharge from the coastal petrochemical enterprises. In order to reveal the ecotoxicological effects of 3-methylphenanthrene pollutants on A. japonicus, it was exposed to different concentrations of the substance. The results showed, the survival rate of A. japonicus gastrula decreasing gradually with the extension of exposure time and the increase of exposure concentration; The bioaccumulation of 3-methylphenanthrene in A. japonicus increased significantly with the extension of exposure time and the increase of exposure concentration; Compared to the control group, the expression of CYP450 and p53 genes of A. japonicus was significantly inhibited in each treatment group. The above results provide the basic data for the evaluation of the biological toxicity of 3-methylphenanthrene towards A. japonicus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A massive amount of multimodal data are continuously collected in the intensive care unit (ICU) along each patient stay, offering a great opportunity for the development of smart monitoring devices based on artificial intelligence (AI). The two main sources of relevant information collected in the ICU are the electronic health records (EHRs) and vital sign waveforms continuously recorded at the bedside. While EHRs are already widely processed by AI algorithms for prompt diagnosis and prognosis, AI-based assessments of the patients' pathophysiological state using waveforms are less developed, and their use is still limited to real-time monitoring for basic visual vital sign feedback at the bedside. This study uses data from the MIMIC-III database (PhysioNet) to propose a novel AI approach in ICU patient monitoring that incorporates features estimated by a closed-loop cardiovascular model, with the specific goal of identifying sepsis within the first hour of admission. Our top benchmark results (AUROC=0.92, AUPRC=0.90) suggest that features derived by cardiovascular control models may play a key role in identifying sepsis, by continuous monitoring performed through advanced multivariate modelling of vital sign waveforms. This work lays foundations for a deeper data integration paradigm which will help clinicians in their decision-making processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: PL8177 is a selective melanocortin 1 receptor agonist in development for the treatment of various immunologic and inflammatory conditions. Here we describe the pharmacokinetics of PL8177 after subcutaneous (sc) delivery in animals and humans. Methods: Mice, rats, and dogs were administered sc PL8177 at single doses of 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg (mice); 1.0, 5.0, and 25.0 mg/kg/day (rats); or 1.5, 8.0, and 40.0 mg/day (dogs). Blood was collected over 24 h (mice) or 28 days (rats and dogs). Safety and pharmacokinetics of single and multiple sc doses were also examined in human volunteers. Two dose levels were tested in two dosing cohorts of 1.0 and 3.0 mg/day for 7 days. Blood samples were collected through Day 1 and on Days 2 to 6 at peak and trough times based on analysis of the first two single-dose cohorts. Results: In mice, 3 mg/kg PL8177 resulted in an area under the plasma concentration–time curve from 0 to infinity (AUC∞) of 1727 ng·h/mL, a maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of 2440 ng/mL, an elimination half-life (t½) of 0.5 h, and a time to maximum concentration (tmax) of 0.25 h. Results for the 1-mg/kg dose were generally proportional. In rats, mean tmax values were independent of dose and ranged from 0.25 to 1.0 h for single and multiple dosing. Cmax values ranged from 516 to 695 ng/mL (1-mg/kg dose) and from 666 to 1180 ng/mL (25-mg/kg dose). In dogs, mean tmax values ranged from 0.4 to 1.3 h for single and multiple dosing. Values for tmax decreased with increasing dose and mean plasma Cmax increased less than dose proportionally (96–129 ng·h/mL [1.5 mg], 275–615 ng·h/mL [8.0 mg], and 633–1280 ng·h/mL [40.0 mg]). In humans, PL8177 was observed in the plasma within 15 min after a single dose and persisted for up to 48 h at higher doses. The tmax was 30–45 min (single dose) and 15–45 min (multiple doses). In multiple-dose studies, maximum steady-state plasma concentration (Cmax,ss) and AUC∞ increased with dose. Geometric mean Cmax,ss values were 20.1 ng/mL (1.0 mg) and 57.2 ng/mL (3.0 mg). AUC∞ values were 54.3 ng·h/mL (1.0 mg) and 199 ng·h/mL (3.0 mg). Unchanged PL8177 excreted in the urine was ≤ 1%, and accumulation was minimal. Conclusion: PL8177 administration resulted in a consistent pharmacokinetic profile. The measured exposure levels resulted in pharmacologically active PL8177 concentrations at the targeted MC1R. Rapid absorption was seen in healthy volunteers, and multiple-dose administration over 7 days resulted in pharmacokinetic characteristics similar to those observed after single-dose administration. Results support the continued development of PL8177 to treat immunologic and inflammatory conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charge exchange has been recognized as a primary source of soft X-ray emission in many astrophysical outflow environments, including cometary and planetary exospheres impacted by the solar wind. Some models have been set up by using different data collections of charge-exchange cross-sections. However, multiple-electron transfer has not been included in these models. In this paper, we set up a charge-exchange model with the inclusion of double-electron capture (DEC), and make a detailed investigation of this process on X-ray emissions of highly charged carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and neon ions by using available experimental cross-sections. We also study the effect of different n- selective cross-sections on soft X-ray emission by using available experimental n -distributions. This work reveals that DEC enhancement on line intensity is linearly proportional to the ratio of ion abundance in the solar wind. It is more obvious for soft X-rays from carbon ions (C4+) in collision with CO2, and the enhancement on line intensity can be up to 53 per cent with typical ion abundances [ Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE)] in the solar wind. The synthetic spectra with parameters from the Ulysses mission for the solar wind reveal velocity dependence, target dependence, as well as the non-negligible contribution from the DEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Better models to identify individuals at low risk of ventricular arrhythmia (VA) are needed for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) candidates to mitigate the risk of ICD-related complications. We designed the CERTAINTY study (CinE caRdiac magneTic resonAnce to predIct veNTricular arrhYthmia) with deep learning for VA risk prediction from cine cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Using a training cohort of primary prevention ICD recipients (n = 350, 97 women, median age 59 years, 178 ischemic cardiomyopathy) who underwent CMR immediately prior to ICD implantation, we developed two neural networks: Cine Fingerprint Extractor and Risk Predictor. The former extracts cardiac structure and function features from cine CMR in a form of cine fingerprint in a fully unsupervised fashion, and the latter takes in the cine fingerprint and outputs disease outcomes as a cine risk score. Patients with VA (n = 96) had a significantly higher cine risk score than those without VA. Multivariate analysis showed that the cine risk score was significantly associated with VA after adjusting for clinical characteristics, cardiac structure and function including CMR-derived scar extent. These findings indicate that non-contrast, cine CMR inherently contains features to improve VA risk prediction in primary prevention ICD candidates. We solicit participation from multiple centers for external validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand the community structure of phytoplankton and its relationship with environmental factors in Taihu National Wetland Park in northeast China, a study was conducted in Taihu in September 2020. The results showed that there were 39 species of phytoplankton belonging to 27 genera and 6 phyla, among which Chlorophyta was the most abundant (20 species). The abundance and biomass of 5# and 6# sampling sites were significantly higher than other sampling sites, which may be caused by eutrophication. In Taihu National Wetland Park, the dominant species were Merismopedia minima, Aphanizomenon flosaquae, Synedra acus, Synura.sp and Scenedesmus quadricauda. Phytoplankton community structure in autumn in Taihu National Wetland Park were mainly influenced by pH, NO3 - -N, and water temperature. This research can provide a scientific basis for biodiversity protection and pollution control in Taihu National Wetland Park. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]