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Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a highly prevalent musculoskeletal disorder affecting millions of adults worldwide, but a poor understanding of its pathogenesis has limited the effectiveness of therapy. In the current study, we integrated untargeted LC/MS metabolomics and magnetic resonance spectroscopy data to investigate metabolic profile alterations during IDD. Combined with validation via a large-cohort analysis, we found excessive lipid droplet accumulation in the nucleus pulposus cells of advanced-stage IDD samples. We also found abnormal palmitic acid (PA) accumulation in IDD nucleus pulposus cells, and PA exposure resulted in lipid droplet accumulation and cell senescence in an endoplasmic reticulum stress-dependent manner. Complementary transcriptome and proteome profiles enabled us to identify solute carrier transporter (SLC) 43A3 involvement in the regulation of the intracellular PA level. SLC43A3 was expressed at low levels and negatively correlated with intracellular lipid content in IDD nucleus pulposus cells. Overexpression of SLC43A3 significantly alleviated PA-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress, lipid droplet accumulation and cell senescence by inhibiting PA uptake. This work provides novel integration analysis-based insight into the metabolic profile alterations in IDD and further reveals new therapeutic targets for IDD treatment. Lipid droplet and palmitic acid accumulation in intervertebral disc degeneration nucleus pulposus cells drive endoplasmic reticulum stress-dependent cellular senescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giant phyllodes tumors, typically exceeding 10 cm in size, are neoplastic lesions with malignant potential. Surgical excision in small-breasted Asian women presents unique challenges where expected poor aesthetic outcomes may delay timely medical intervention. The periareolar mastopexy technique offers a comprehensive solution, enabling complete tumor removal alongside mastopexy to achieve optimal breast contouring. This approach consistently delivers favorable aesthetic outcomes, enhancing symmetry and contour. Additionally, the periareolar approach minimizes visible scarring, thereby enhancing patient satisfaction with the cosmetic outcome. Herein, we present a case report of Asian women with giant phyllodes tumors exceeding 10 cm, successfully managed using the periareolar mastopexy technique, emphasizing the importance of optimizing aesthetic outcomes in these challenging cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of voltage source converter (VSC) and line commutated converter (LCC) technology and the relative concentration of power and load, the inverter station of the flexible DC system is fed into the same AC bus with the conventional DC rectifier station, and the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) parallel hybrid feed system is formed in structure. As the electrical distance between the converter stations is very close, when a fault occurs in the near area, the current on the AC wiring on the VSC side will fluctuate greatly, resulting in the misoperation of the AC wiring protection. For this reason, this paper proposes a fault identification method based on VSC/LCC hybrid multi-fed HVDC system, which discriminates the fault and outputs the protection signal according to the protection criterion, and logically judges the combination of the output protection signal to identify the fault type. The simulation results show that the method can identify all kinds of faults of hybrid multi-feed DC system and solve the problem of protection misoperation of the hybrid multi-feed DC system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a long‐distance non‐contact current measurement method is proposed based on the non‐contact sensor array measurement technology, combined with a new current algorithm. The sensor array is a vertical array composed of three three‐axis magnetic field (MF) sensors that is placed on the ground plane below the measured overhead line. The proposed current algorithm can optimize the geometry of the overhead line using the spatial MF values measured by the sensor array and then the three‐phase currents can be calculated. To improve the accuracy of current measurement, the spatial MF model in the algorithm considers the influence of cable sag. It enables a more accurate coupling matrix between the measured overhead line and the sensor array to be established. Additionally, the current algorithm architecture is designed using a composite algorithm to more optimally obtain the best three‐phase current values. A scale‐down overhead‐line measurement system is developed to test the proposed current measurement method. The results show whether a cable sag exists when the three‐phase currents are approximately balanced, with errors less than 2.0%. Moreover, it can be determined whether cable sag exists when the three‐phase currents are unbalanced, with less than 3.4% errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid progress of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), integer ambiguity resolution has gradually become one of the key factors that affecting Precise Point Positioning (PPP) to achieve high-precision positioning results and fast convergence. Fortunately, the proposal of observable-specific code/phase biases (OSB) has greatly alleviated this problem tremendously. Different from obtaining OSB by dual-frequency linear combinations, this research proposed BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) OSB estimation method from raw observations. This method allows for more flexible estimation in a global network, without the need to compose the complex linear combinations when involving multi-frequency measurements processing. The BDS-3 observation data collected from 112 stations over one month (October 2022), containing B1C/B1I/B2a/B2b/B3I frequencies, were used for five-frequency phase OSBs estimation. Subsequently, static and kinematic PPP were executed utilizing two different ambiguity resolution strategies to corroborate the efficacy of this method. The results revealed that the BDS-3 five-frequency phase OSBs possessed good monthly stability, with standard deviation less than 0.3 cycle. High position accuracy was achieved in the static mode by fixing the ambiguity directly, with root mean square (RMS) of 3.0, 4.8 and 9.9 mm. Meanwhile, the ambiguity fixed rate was maintained at a high level around 96 % in multi-frequency tests. Simultaneously, the kinematic mode also presented the centimeter-level dynamic positioning results and the positioning accuracy improved by 55, 31 and 17 % in the East, North and Up components, respectively. Compared to the float solutions, the adoption of multi-frequency OSBs significantly accelerated the convergence speed by 55 % on average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify the factors affecting hip−knee−ankle (HKA) angle following Oxford medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (MUKA). A retrospective analysis of 200 patients who underwent Oxford MUKA from June 2018 to October 2020 was conducted. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate the impact of surgical and radiographic characteristics on the postoperative HKA angle. The mean HKA angle was 9.5 ± 4.3° before surgery and 3.6 ± 3.7° after surgery (p < 0.001). The postoperative HKA angle significantly correlated with the preoperative HKA angle, bearing size, tibial component alignment angle, and BMI (r = 0.71, p < 0.001; r = − 0.24, p = 0.001; r = 0.21, p = 0.004; r = − 0.18, p = 0.011). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the preoperative HKA angle (β = 0.68, p < 0.001), bearing size (β = − 0.31, p < 0.001), tibial component alignment angle (β = 0.14, p = 0.003), and BMI (β = − 0.09, p = 0.047) significantly affected the postoperative HKA angle. In conclusion, larger preoperative varus deformity, smaller bearing size, greater varus alignment of the tibial component, and lower BMI lead to greater postoperative varus alignment of the lower limb in Oxford MUKA. With this concept, surgeons can more accurately predict postoperative lower limb alignment and avoid malalignment in Oxford MUKA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertrophic scar (HS), which results from prolonged inflammation and excessive fibrosis in re‐epithelialized wounds, is one of the most common clinical challenges. Consequently, sophisticated transdermal transfersome nanogels (TA/Fu‐TS) are prepared to control HS formation by synergistically inhibiting inflammation and suppressing fibrosis. TA/Fu‐TSs have unique structures comprising hydrophobic triamcinolone acetonide (TA) in lipid multilayers and hydrophilic 5‐fluorouracil in aqueous cores, and perform satisfactorily with regard to transdermal co‐delivery to macrophages and HS fibroblasts in emerging HS tissues. According to the in vitro/vivo results, TA/Fu‐TSs not only promote macrophage phenotype‐switching to inhibit inflammation by interleukin‐related pathways, but also suppress fibrosis to remodel extracellular matrix by collagen‐related pathways. Therefore, TA/Fu‐TSs overcome prolonged inflammation and excessive fibrosis in emerging HS tissues, and provide an effective therapeutic strategy for controlling HS formation via their synergy of macrophage phenotype‐switching and anti‐fibrosis effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adventitious root formation is a key step in vegetative propagation via cuttings. It is crucial for establishing birch plantations and preserve birch varieties. Although previous studies have highlighted role of WOX11 in controlling adventitious root formation, no such study has been conducted in birch. Understanding the mechanism of adventitious root formation is essential for improvement of rooting or survival rate using stem cuttings in birch. In this study, we cloned BpWOX11 and produced BpWOX11 overexpression (OE) transgenic lines using the Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation. OE lines exhibited early initiated adventitious root formation, leading to increase the rooting rate of stem cuttings plants. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that OE lines induced the gene expression related to expansin and cell division pathway, as well as defense and stress response genes. These may be important factors for the BpWOX11 gene to promote adventitious root formation in birch cuttings. The results of this study will help to further understand the molecular mechanisms controlling the formation of adventitious roots in birch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable advances in the role of oxytocin (OT) effect on behavior and the brain network have been made, but the effect of OT on the association between inter‐individual differences in functional connectivity (FC) and behavior is elusive. Here, by using a face‐perception task and multiple connectome‐based predictive models, we aimed to (1) determine whether OT could enhance the association among behavioral performance, resting‐state FC (rsFC), and task‐state FC (tsFC) and (2) if so, explore the role of OT in enhancing this triangular association. We found that in the OT group, the prediction performance of using rsFC or tsFC to predict task behavior was higher than that of the PL group. Additionally, the correlation coefficient between rsFC and tsFC was substantially higher in the OT group than in the PL group. The strength of these associations could be partly explained by OT altering the brain's FCs related to social cognition and face perception in both the resting and task states, mainly in brain regions such as the limbic system, prefrontal cortex, temporal poles, and temporoparietal junction. Taken together, these results provide novel evidence and a corresponding mechanism for how neuropeptides cause increased associations among inter‐individual differences across different levels (e.g., behavior and large‐scale brain networks in both resting and task‐state), and may inspire future research on the role of neuropeptides in the cross levels association of both clinical and nonclinical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-DR plays a crucial role in the immune response against hepatitis B virus (HBV). We aimed to investigate the associations of HLA-DR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with the generation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-related HBV mutations. The effects of HLA-DR SNPs and their interactions with HBV mutations on HCC risks were also determined. Methods: Five HLA-DR SNPs (rs3135363, rs9268644, rs35445101, rs24755213, and rs984778) were genotyped in 792 healthy controls, 586 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, 536 liver cirrhosis (LC) patients, and 1500 HCC patients using quantitative PCR. Sanger sequencing was used to identify the HBV mutations. Logistic regression model was performed to evaluate the association of HLA-DR SNPs with HCC risk and the frequencies of HCC-related HBV mutations. Results: The variant genotypes at rs3135363, rs9268644, rs35445101, rs24755213, and rs984778 were associated with decreased HCC risks. In genotype C HBV-infected subjects, variant genotypes of these SNPs were associated with decreased frequencies of HCC-related HBV mutations such as C1653T, T1674C/G, G1719T, T1753A/C, A1762T/G1764A, A1846T, G1896A, G1899A, and preS deletion. AG genotype at rs3135363, CA genotype at rs9268644, and AG genotype at rs24755213 reduced the generation of T1753A/C and G1896A in genotype B HBV-infected subjects, respectively. In addition, the interactions of rs3135363, rs9268644, rs24755213 with C1653T, T1753A/C, A1846T, and G1896A decreased the risks of HCC. Conclusions: HLA-DR genetic polymorphisms might predispose the host to immunoselection of HCC-related HBV mutations and affect the HCC risks possibly through interacting with HBV mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Littoraria melanostoma (Gray, 1839) is one of the most common species of gastropods in mangroves. They quickly respond during the early stage of mangrove restoration and usually form a dominant community within a certain period. We characterized the complete mitochondrial genome of this species. The whole mitogenome of L. melanostoma was 16,149 bp in length and its nucleotide composition showed a high AT content of 64.16%. It had 37 genes, including 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes, and 1 control region between tRNA-Phe and COX3. The A/T composition in the control region was 74.7%, and is much higher than the overall A/T composition of the mitochondrial genomes. The amino acid composition and codon usage of the mitochondrial genomes from seven superfamilies of Littorinimorpha were analyzed, and the results showed that CUU (Leu), GCU (Ala), AUU (Ile), UCU (Ser), UUA (Leu), GUU (Gly), and UUU (Phe) are the commonly used codons. The maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree reconstructed using 62 species of Littorinimorpha presented consistency between the molecular and morphological classifications, which provide a basis to understand the phylogeny and evolution of this order. In the phylogenetic tree, L. melanostoma is located within Littorinoidea and is closely related to L. sinensis, a rock-dwelling species that is widespread in the coastal intertidal zone of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In principle, the local cosmic void can be simply modeled by the spherically symmetric Lemaitre–Tolman–Bondi (LTB) metric. In practice, the real local cosmic void is probably not spherically symmetric. In this paper, to reconstruct a more realistic profile of the local cosmic void, we divide it into several segments. Each segment with certain solid angle is modeled by its own LTB metric. Meanwhile, we divide the 1048 type Ia supernovae (SNIa) of the Pantheon Survey into corresponding subsets according to their distribution in the galactic coordinate system. Obviously, each SNIa subset can only be used to reconstruct the profile of one segment. Finally, we can patch together an irregular profile for the local cosmic void with the whole Pantheon sample. Note that, the paucity of each data subset lead us to focus on the inner part of each void segment and assume that the half radii of the void segments are sufficient to constrain the whole segment. We find that, despite 2 σ signals of anisotropy limited to the depth of the void segments, the constraints on every void segment are consistent with Λ CDM model at 95% CL. Moreover, our constraints are too weak to challenge the cosmic homogeneity and isotropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Variated anti-cancer therapies are combined with immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs) for improving ICB therapeutic efficacy. Occurrence of tissue damage is common that triggers multiple inflammatory cytokine generation. Gastrointestinal organs are the commonly affected. We investigated the impact of acute colitis on tumor infiltration of antigen-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) for controlling tumor growth and responding to antibody against PD-1 (anti-PD-1). Methods: Several tumor cell lines were inoculated into syngeneic mice subcutaneously or intra-hepatically. When tumor mass formed, activated CTLs were intravenously transferred into the tumor-bearing mice, that were given the drinking water containing 2% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) for acute colitis induction. Tumor growth, infiltration of two exhausted CTL subsets, and the CTL interaction with tumor vascular endothelium were examined. Results: Acute colitis dampened CTL-mediated antitumor effects, correlating with IL-17A elevation in the inflamed intestine. In the tumor bed, stem-like exhausted CTLs, which were defined as PD-1+Slamf6+Tim3−, expressed higher IL-17A receptor heterodimers and lower leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) than terminally exhausted CTLs did, that were defined as PD-1+Slamf6−Tim3+. IL-17A stimulation reduced LFA-1 surface expression on stem-like exhausted CTLs and the counterpart ICAM-1 (intracellular adhesion molecule-1) on tumor vascular endothelium. IL-17A stimulation suppressed the extravasation across tumor vascular endothelium and self-renewal of stem-like, not the terminally exhausted CTLs. Administration of anti-IL-17A neutralizing antibody to the colitis mice restored the CTL tumor infiltration and enhanced anti-PD-1 treatment efficacy against tumors. In 33 hepatocellular carcinoma patients being treated with anti-PD-1 plus antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor, disease progression of 15 patients, that exhibited serum IL-17A increase 24 h post-therapy as compared to pre-therapy level, was poorer than that of 18 patients that exhibited serum IL-17A no-increase. Conclusions: Abnormal generation of IL-17A mainly repressed tumor infiltration of stem-like exhausted CTLs. ICB-based immunotherapeutic efficacy could be upgraded with administration of anti-IL-17A, when treatment-related IL-17A elevation occurred due to tissue damage, such as acute colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In passive microwave remote sensing of the Earth's surface, it is essential to relate the emission to geophysical parameters. The emissivity ranges between 0 and 1. Hence, a slight emissivity variation leads to a significant change in brightness temperature. Many sources of error contribute to such tiny variations in emission. This paper quantifies microwave emission variability from a rough surface through model simulation due to the non-Gaussianity in height probability density (HPD) and power spectrum density (PSD). We considered Gaussian and exponential distributions for surface height and correlation functions, representing two extremes of asperity and skewness. Additionally, the surface under consideration contains multiscale roughness. The impact of the HPD and multiscale roughness on the polarization index of the emissivity is evaluated as a function of frequency and roughness. In general, assuming that Gaussian-distributed height leads to an underestimation of the emissivity, with V polarization being less sensitive to the non-Gaussian HPD and PSD effects than H polarization, the emissions are enhanced at high roughness with small look angles but are reduced for smooth surfaces at large look angles under non-Gaussian PSD. In a specific scenario, the dynamic range of the difference between exponential and Gaussian HPD is 0~10%, and the difference in emissivity caused by non-Gaussian PSD ranges from −2% to 16%. These results should be helpful in interpreting the radiometric measurements that exhibit fluctuations and differences with model predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme (ME2) is well-known for its role in cell metabolism, which may be involved in cancer or epilepsy. We present potent ME2 inhibitors based on cyro-EM structures that target ME2 enzyme activity. Two structures of ME2-inhibitor complexes demonstrate that 5,5'-Methylenedisalicylic acid (MDSA) and embonic acid (EA) bind allosterically to ME2's fumarate-binding site. Mutagenesis studies demonstrate that Asn35 and the Gln64-Tyr562 network are required for both inhibitors' binding. ME2 overexpression increases pyruvate and NADH production while decreasing the cell's NAD+/NADH ratio; however, ME2 knockdown has the opposite effect. MDSA and EA inhibit pyruvate synthesis and thus increase the NAD+/NADH ratio, implying that these two inhibitors interfere with metabolic changes by inhibiting cellular ME2 activity. ME2 silence or inhibiting ME2 activity with MDSA or EA decreases cellular respiration and ATP synthesis. Our findings suggest that ME2 is crucial for mitochondrial pyruvate and energy metabolism, as well as cellular respiration, and that ME2 inhibitors could be useful in the treatment of cancer or other diseases that involve these processes. Two specific inhibitors for emerging cancer therapy target malic enzyme 2 (ME2) are identified and are shown to bind to one of ME2 allosteric sites, resulting in inactive open conformation, inhibiting ME2-mediated cellular respiration and ATP production in the cell [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low protein intake (LPI) has been suggested as a treatment for chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, protein intake is essential for bone health. We studied the database of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005–2010. Basic variables, metabolic diseases, and bone density of different femoral areas were stratified into four subgroups according to different protein intake (DPI) (that is, <0.8, 0.8–1.0, 1.0–1.2, and >1.2 g/kg/day). Significant differences were found among all lumbar area bone mineral density (BMD) and T-scores (p < 0.0001). There was an apparent trend between a decreasing BMD in the CKD groups with increasing DPI in all single lumbar spines (L1, L2, L3, and L4) and all L spines (L1-L4). Compared with DPI (0.8–1.0 g/day/kg), higher risks of osteoporosis were noticed in the subgroup of >1.2 g/day/kg over L2 (relative risk (RR)=1.326, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.062–1.656), subgroup >1.2 g/day/kg over L3 (RR = 1.31, 95%CI = 1.057–1.622), subgroup <0.8 g/day/kg over L4 (RR = 1.276, 95%CI = 1.015–1.605), subgroup <0.8 g/day/kg over all L spines (RR = 11.275, 95%CI = 1.051–1.548), and subgroup >1.2 g/day/kg over all L spines (RR = 0.333, 95%CI = 1.098–1.618). However, a higher risk of osteoporosis was observed only in the non-CKD group. There was an apparent trend of higher DPI coexisting with lower BMD and T scores in patients with CKD. For osteoporosis (reference:0.8–1.0 g/day/kg), lower (<0.8 g/day/kg) or higher DPI (>1.2 g/day/kg) was associated with higher risks in the non-CKD group, but not in the CKD group. In the CKD group, LPI for renal protection was safe without threatening L spine bone density and without causing a higher risk of osteoporosis. A low-protein diet should be encouraged in patients with CKD, but protein is essential for bone health. In this study, we showed that a low-protein diet did not affect lumbar bone density. Therefore, in the care of CKD, a low-protein diet is beneficial for renal function and without harm to lumbar bone health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Preventing suicide in US youth is of paramount concern, with rates increasing over 50% between 2007 and 2018. Statistical modeling using electronic health records may help identify at-risk youth before a suicide attempt. While electronic health records contain diagnostic information, which are known risk factors, they generally lack or poorly document social determinants (e.g., social support), which are also known risk factors. If statistical models are built incorporating not only diagnostic records, but also social determinants measures, additional at-risk youth may be identified before a suicide attempt. Methods: Suicide attempts were predicted in hospitalized patients, ages 10–24, from the State of Connecticut's Hospital Inpatient Discharge Database (HIDD; N = 38943). Predictors included demographic information, diagnosis codes, and using a data fusion framework, social determinants features transferred or fused from an external source of survey data, The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Social determinant information for each HIDD patient was generated by averaging values from their most similar Add Health individuals (e.g., top 10), based upon matching shared features between datasets (e.g., Pearson's r). Attempts were then modelled using an elastic net logistic regression with both HIDD features and fused Add Health features. Results: The model including fused social determinants outperformed the conventional model (AUC = 0.83 v. 0.82). Sensitivity and positive predictive values at 90 and 95% specificity were almost 10% higher when including fused features (e.g., sensitivity at 90% specificity = 0.48 v. 0.44). Among social determinants variables, the perception that their mother cares and being non-religious appeared particularly important to performance improvement. Discussion: This proof-of-concept study showed that incorporating social determinants measures from an external survey database could improve prediction of youth suicide risk from clinical data using a data fusion framework. While social determinant data directly from patients might be ideal, estimating these characteristics via data fusion avoids the task of data collection, which is generally time-consuming, expensive, and suffers from non-compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Attenuated live bacterial therapy and medical BSA materials have their own advantages in anti-cancer research, and their combination is expected to overcome some of the disadvantages of conventional anti-cancer therapeutics. Methods and objective: Utilizing the high affinity between biotin and streptavidin, BSA modification on the surface of Escherichia coli (E. coli) was achieved. Then, the adhesion and targeting abilities of BSA modified E. coli was explored on different bladder cancer cells, and the underlying mechanism was also investigated. Results: BSA modification on the surface of E. coli enhances its ability to adhere and target cancer cells, and we speculate that these characteristics are related to the expression of SPARC in different bladder cancer cell lines. Conclusion: BSA and live bacteria have their own advantages in anti-cancer research. In this study, we found that E. coli surface-modified by BSA had stronger adhesion and targeting effects on bladder cancer cells with high expression of SPARC. These findings pave the way for the future studies exploring the combination of BSA combined with live bacteria for cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: The skin-inspired multifunctional ultra-tough electronic skin with tunable mechanical properties was developed by a physically cross-linking salting-freezing-thawing method. The hydrogel integrates transparency (>60%), super toughness (up to 13.96 MJ m−3), good antibacterial properties (E. coli and S. aureus), UV protection (Filtration: 80%–90%), high electrical conductivity (4.72 S m−1), anti-swelling and recyclability. As a human–machine interface, it can be used for complex underwater activities, information encryption/decryption and finger joint rehabilitation training. Multifunctional supramolecular ultra-tough bionic e-skin with unique durability for human–machine interaction in complex scenarios still remains challenging. Herein, we develop a skin-inspired ultra-tough e-skin with tunable mechanical properties by a physical cross-linking salting-freezing-thawing method. The gelling agent (β-Glycerophosphate sodium: Gp) induces the aggregation and binding of PVA molecular chains and thereby toughens them (stress up to 5.79 MPa, toughness up to 13.96 MJ m−3). Notably, due to molecular self-assembly, hydrogels can be fully recycled and reprocessed by direct heating (100 °C for a few seconds), and the tensile strength can still be maintained at about 100% after six recoveries. The hydrogel integrates transparency (> 60%), super toughness (up to 13.96 MJ m−3, bearing 1500 times of its own tensile weight), good antibacterial properties (E. coli and S. aureus), UV protection (Filtration: 80%–90%), high electrical conductivity (4.72 S m−1), anti-swelling and recyclability. The hydrogel can not only monitor daily physiological activities, but also be used for complex activities underwater and message encryption/decryption. We also used it to create a complete finger joint rehabilitation system with an interactive interface that dynamically presents the user's health status. Our multifunctional electronic skin will have a profound impact on the future of new rehabilitation medical, human–machine interaction, VR/AR and the metaverse fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, with symptoms such as tremor, bradykinesia with rigidity, and depression appearing in the late stage of life. The key hallmark of PD is the loss or death of dopaminergic neurons in the region substantia nigra pars compacta. Neuroinflammation plays a key role in the etiology of PD, and the contribution of immunity-related events spurred the researchers to identify anti-inflammatory agents for the treatment of PD. Neuroinflammation-based biomarkers have been identified for diagnosing PD, and many cellular and animal models have been used to explain the underlying mechanism; however, the specific cause of neuroinflammation remains uncertain, and more research is underway. So far, microglia and astrocyte dysregulation has been reported in PD. Patients with PD develop neural toxicity, inflammation, and inclusion bodies due to activated microglia and a-synuclein–induced astrocyte conversion into A1 astrocytes. Major phenotypes of PD appear in the late stage of life, so there is a need to identify key early-stage biomarkers for proper management and diagnosis. Studies are under way to identify key neuroinflammation-based biomarkers for early detection of PD. This review uses a constructive analysis approach by studying and analyzing different research studies focused on the role of neuroinflammation in PD. The review summarizes microglia, astrocyte dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and key biomarkers in PD. An approach that incorporates multiple biomarkers could provide more reliable diagnosis of PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing infrastructure for overhead lines, the demand for overhead‐line condition‐monitoring technologies has become increasingly urgent. Traditional current transformers used to measure three‐phase currents are bulky and difficult to install, which further increases the cost of monitoring. In order to meet the current state assessment needs of transmission and distribution networks, this study uses a novel magnetic‐field sensor array to realize nonintrusive overhead‐line current detection. Based on the magnetic fields measured by magnetic‐field sensors placed on the ground under the overhead line, the proposed algorithm can be used to calculate the three‐phase current values. The proposed method does not require on‐site calibration before the field measurements are conducted. With partially known overhead‐line geometry specifications from utilities, the algorithm can optimize the overhead‐line geometry and finally achieve accurate current detection. The simulation and experimental results verify that the proposed current‐detection technique can accurately calculate the three‐phase currents of the overhead line with only three three‐axis magnetic‐field sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a closed‐form synthesis method for wideband bandpass filters with suppressed harmonics, where stepped‐impedance resonators (SIRs), scaled lines, and vertically installed planar (VIP) structures are introduced to improve the in‐band and out‐of‐band performances. By combining SIRs and scaled lines, the rejection level of the filter is greatly improved and a more compact size is achieved. And the VIP structures help to bring wide passband as well as suppressed harmonics. Then, a 3rd‐order filter is designed to verify the validity of the proposed method and topology. The simulated and measured results demonstrate that the proposed design has a wide passband (FBW = 52.9%), low insertion loss (<0.4 dB), and suppressed harmonics with the level of 20 dB up to 7.1f0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of hysteresis on the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) still faces uncertainties despite the rapid development of perovskite photovoltaics. Although ion migration in perovskites is regarded as the chief culprit for hysteresis, charge carrier recombination pathways in PSCs are proposed to be necessary for the occurrence of hysteresis. Here, the impact of both bulk recombination and interface recombination on hysteresis in PSCs is investigated via drift–diffusion modeling. The simulation results demonstrate a direct correlation between recombination pathways and hysteresis in PSCs with ion migration. The simulation reveals that recombination pathways in PSCs will react to the variation in charge carrier distribution under different voltage scanning directions induced by ion migration in absorber layers, which leads to hysteresis in PSCs. Moreover, the hysteresis in normal (N-I-P) PSCs with different electron transport layers (ETLs) including sintered SnO2, SnO2 nano crystals and TiO2 is experimentally explored. The results demonstrate that multiple recombination pathways coupled with ion migration can lead to obvious hysteresis in fabricated PSCs which is consistent with simulation results. This work provides great insight into hysteresis management upon composition, additive and interface engineering in PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-ignition impact and heat stimuli are the most common external stimuli loaded on energetic materials. Nevertheless, there is thereby an urgent need, but it is still a significant challenge to comprehend their coupling effects on the decay and safety mechanisms of energetic materials. Then, reactive molecular dynamics simulation was employed to mimic practical situations and reveal the impact heat coupling effect on the decay mechanism of FOX-7. The temperature and the degree of compression of the crystal caused by the impact are considered variables in the simulation. Both increasing the degree of compression and elevating the temperature promotes the decay of FOX-7. However, their underlying response mechanism is not the same. The acceleration of decomposition is due to the elevated potential energy of the FOX-7 molecules because of elevating the temperature. In addition to the elevated potential energy of the molecule, the main contribution to the decomposition from the compression is to change the decomposition path. The results of the analysis show that compression reduces the stability of the C=C bond, so that chemical reactions related to the double bond occur. In addition, interestingly, the compression along the c direction has an almost equal effect on the final product as the compression along the b direction. Finally, the decay reaction networks are proposed to provide insights into the decomposition mechanism on atomic level. All these findings are expected to pave a way to understand the underlying response mechanism for the FOX-7 against external stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural rough surfaces have inherent multiscale roughness. This article presents the modeling and analysis of microwave emission from a multiscale soil surface. Unlike the linear superposition of different correlation functions with various correlation lengths, we applied the frequency modulation concept to characterize the multiscale roughness, in which the modulation does not destroy the surface's curvature but only modifies it. The multiscale effect on emission under different observation geometries and surface parameters was examined using an AIEM model. The paper provides new insights into the dependence of polarized emissivity on multiscale roughness: V-polarized emissivity is much less sensitive to multiscale roughness across the moisture content from dry to wet (5–30%). The H-polarized is sensitive to multiscale roughness, especially at higher moisture content. The predicted emissivity will have considerable uncertainty, even for the same baseline correlation length, without accounting for the multiscale roughness effect. V-polarized emissivity is less sensitive to the multiscale effect than H-polarized and the higher modulation ratio indicates larger emissivity. The higher modulation ratio indicates larger emissivity. Multiscale roughness weakens the polarization difference, particularly in higher moisture conditions. In addition, ignoring the multiscale effect leads to underestimated emissivity to a certain extent, particularly at the larger RMS height region. Finally, when accounting for multiscale roughness, model predictions of emission from a soil surface are in good agreement with two independently measured data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant polyploidization changes its leaf morphology and leaf development patterns. Understanding changes in leaf morphology and development patterns is a prerequisite and key to studying leaf development in polyploid plants. In this study, we quantified and analyzed the differences in leaf morphology, leaf growth polarity, and leaf size between diploid and tetraploid birches (Betula pendula subsp. pendula), and preliminarily investigated genes involved in leaf growth and development in birch. The results showed significant changes in leaf morphology in tetraploid birches, especially the basal part of the leaf. In addition, the proximal growth rate of tetraploid leaves was altered. The changed proximal growth rate did not affect the growth polarity pattern of tetraploid leaves. The leaf area of tetraploid was significantly larger than that of diploid birch. The difference in leaf size was mainly due to differences in their growth rates in the middle and late stages of leaf development. Increased cell expansion capacity was the major reason for the enormous leaves of tetraploid birch; however, cell proliferation did not contribute to the larger tetraploid leaf. The gene expression of ATHB12 was associated with cell size and leaf area, and may be a critical gene affecting the leaf size in diploid and tetraploid birches. The results will provide valuable insights into plant polyploid leaf development and a theoretical basis for later investigations into the molecular mechanisms underlying the gigantism of tetraploid birch leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the complexity of the multicore system grows, the large workload diversity results in serious thermal problems. In a practical way, the number of placed thermal sensors is usually limited due to the manufacturing cost. In recent years, the compressive sensing (CS) theory is proven as an efficient way to reconstruct the original signal by using fewer sampling data. However, due to the high computational complexity during the signal reconstruction, the CS theory is not appropriate to apply to the real-time temperature monitoring in the current multicore system. In this article, we propose a grid-based sensor placement approach to placement the number-limited thermal sensors on the target multicore system. On the other hand, we adopt the matrix inversion bypass (MIB) property to reduce the computational complexity of two widely used signal reconstruction approaches in CS theory [i.e., the orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) and stagewise OMP (StOMP)]. Due to the characteristic of random sampling in CS theory, the complexity of thermal sensor placement for multicore systems can be reduced significantly. In addition, the proposed MIB-based temperature reconstruction method helps to satisfy the requirement of real-time temperature estimation. The experimental results show that the proposed approach can reduce 57%–93% average full-system temperature reconstruction error compared with the previous non-CS-based approaches. Besides, we can also reduce 22%–41% computing latency compared with the current CS-based reconstruction algorithm. Due to the MIB-based operation, we can bypass the matrix inversion operation for temperature reconstruction. Therefore, the hardware overhead of the temperature reconstruction unit can be reduced significantly. Compared with the conventional approaches, we can reduce 24%–87% area overhead and improve 50%–220% hardware efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defect detection of petrochemical pipelines is an important task for industrial production safety. At present, pipeline defect detection mainly relies on closed circuit television method (CCTV) to take video of the pipeline inner wall and then detect the defective area manually, so the detection is very time-consuming and has a high rate of false and missed detections. To solve the above issues, we proposed an automatic defect detection system for petrochemical pipeline based on Cycle-GAN and improved YOLO v5. Firstly, in order to create the pipeline defect dataset, the original pipeline videos need pre-processing, which includes frame extraction, unfolding, illumination balancing, and image stitching to create coherent and tiled pipeline inner wall images. Secondly, aiming at the problems of small amount of samples and the imbalance of defect and non-defect classes, a sample enhancement strategy based on Cycle-GAN is proposed to generate defect images and expand the data set. Finally, in order to detect defective areas on the pipeline and improve the detection accuracy, a robust defect detection model based on improved YOLO v5 and Transformer attention mechanism is proposed, with the average precision and recall as 93.10% and 90.96%, and the F1-score as 0.920 on the test set. The proposed system can provide reference for operators in pipeline health inspection, improving the efficiency and accuracy of detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global Navigation Satellite System interferometric reflectometry (GNSS-IR), a new and inexpensive technique, has become available to the broader scientific community for detecting surface environmental information, such as soil moisture, snow depth and vegetation growth. However, there have been limited experiments focusing on the potential of crop height retrieval, especially the performance evaluation of BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) with other GNSS. Accuracy and reliability are challenging to achieve with traditional methods utilizing a single GNSS, and few measured verification data. In this study, an improved method that includes segmentation processing and multi-GNSS fusion is proposed based on GPS/GLONASS/Galileo/BDS multi-frequency data. Furthermore, experiments were carried out on a farmland in Fengqiu County, Henan Province, China. The results show that the height retrievals from four GNSS were in good agreement with the in situ observations during the whole growth cycle of the wheat after overwintering. Meanwhile, the retrievals based on the proposed method exhibited greater correspondence than the single frequency results, the correlation coefficient was increased and the root-mean-square error (RMSE) was reduced, respectively. Therefore, this study illustrates the feasibility of the proposed method to precisely estimate wheat height and its potential for use in the early warning of wheat lodging based on GNSS-IR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modeling a rough surface, it is common to assume a Gaussian height distribution. This hypothesis cannot describe an eventual asymmetry between crests and troughs of natural surfaces. We analyzed the bistatic scattering from a rough surface with non-Gaussian height distributions using the Kirchhoff scattering theory. Two extreme cases of Gamma-distributed surfaces were compared in particular: exponential and Gaussian distributions. The bistatic angular dependence was examined under various root mean square (RMS) heights and power spectrum densities. Contribution sources to the coherent and incoherent scattering components were singled out relating to the surface height distribution. For an exponential height surface, the coherent scattering strengthens even as the surface becomes rough. The non-Gaussian effect on the incoherent scattering is connected with surface power spectrum density. The height distribution impacts differ in the different regions of the bistatic scattering plane and thus complicate the differentiation of the scattering patterns due to height distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Some occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections are resulted from PreS mutations that reduce secretion of envelope protein (HBsAg). We investigated the ceramide amounts and species in hepatocytes infected with PreS variants that were isolated from HBsAg-seronegative patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the ceramide effects on autochthonous HCC development in murine models.Methods: HBV PreS/S regions from 35 HBsAg-seronegative HCC patients were sequenced. Hepatocyte cell lines and male C57BL/6J mouse livers were transfected with two PreS variant representatives. The ceramides with variated lengths of fatty acyl chains were quantified. Tumour development was examined in the HBV-transfected mice fed different diet types.Results: In HBsAg-seronegative HCC patients, nonneoplastic liver tissues harboured HBsAg and replication-competent HBV. The most frequently detected PreS/S variants carried mutations of altered amino acid properties in HBsAg compared with an isolate from one HBsAg-seronegative HCC patient. Hepatocyte infection with PreS variants caused HBsAg retention within the endoplasmic reticulum and generated more amounts of ceramides with C16:0 ceramide elevated the highest. Saturated fatty acids aggravated the PreS variant-infected hepatocytes to generate abnormal amounts and species of ceramides, which with HBV proteins synergistically activated NLRP3 inflammasome in liver inflammatory macrophages. Liver tumours were only detected in HBV-transfected mice fed high-fat diet, with higher tumour loads in the PreS variant-transfected, associated with abnormal ceramide generation.Conclusions: HBV PreS mutations which altered amino acid properties of envelope proteins inhibited HBsAg secretion. Hepatocyte infection with PreS variants generated abnormal ceramides which with HBV proteins coactivated NLRP3 inflammasome in liver macrophages to promote autochthonous HCC development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the effect of microwave leakage into the diode region on the suppression of backward current in a relativistic backward wave oscillator (RBWO) operating at low magnetic field is investigated by the theoretical analysis, particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation, and experiments. The theoretical results show that some backward electrons are absorbed by the cathode holder due to microwave leakage, and as the microwave power increases, the microwave frequency increases, and the guiding magnetic field decreases, it will promote the absorption of electrons. The PIC simulations based on the first principle reveal that the leakage microwave partially suppresses the backward current and the suppression is enhanced when the incidence TM02 is dominant. In the ${X}$ -band dual-mode RBWO packaged with permanent magnet experiments, a microwave pulse with the power of 3.9 GW, the frequency of 9.93 GHz, and the efficiency of 33% was measured when the diode voltage was 820 kV and diode current was 14.5 kA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The imaging performance of the lunar-based synthetic aperture radar (LBSAR) is susceptible to the orbital perturbation effects. In particular, the perturbations of orbital inclination and right ascension of ascending node (RAAN) could give rise to the temporally varying orbit drift of LBSAR and further lead to Doppler errors in the radio signal. As a result, the LBSAR image performance might be influenced by such effects. This study comprehensively probes into the phase error induced by perturbations of orbital inclination and RAAN, and its effects on the LBSAR imaging performance are further explored. It is found that the LBSAR imaging performance in terms of focusing quality and geometric fidelity is affected by the perturbations of orbital inclination and RAAN, wherein the deterioration of focusing quality is closely associated with the synthetic aperture time. In this regard, the azimuth resolution on a decameter level is optimum for Earth observation of LBSAR with satisfactory image quality. Regarding the geometric fidelity, the accuracy requirement for the orbit determination of the LBSAR under perturbations of the orbital inclination and RAAN is proposed. The analysis results show that the LBSAR orbit determination in terms of the position and velocity determinations is most strenuous in the z-direction. Finally, point target responses are simulated to illustrate the preceding analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Suicides and opioid overdose deaths are among the most pressing public health concerns in the US. However direct evidence for the association between opioid use and suicidal behavior is limited. The objective of this article is to examine the association between frequency and dose of prescription opioid use and subsequent suicide attempts. Methods and findings: This retrospective cohort study analyzed 4 years of statewide medical claims data from the Connecticut All-Payer Claims Database. Commercially insured adult patients in Connecticut (n = 842,773) who had any medical claims beginning in January 2012 were followed through December 2015. The primary outcome was suicide attempt identified using International Classification of Diseases (ICD 9) diagnosis codes. Primary predictor variables included frequency of opioid use, which was defined as the number of months with claims for prescription opioids per year, and strength of opioid dose, which was standardized using morphine milligram equivalent (MME) units. We also controlled for psychiatric and medical comorbidities using ICD 9 codes. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to examine the association between frequency, dose, and suicide attempts, adjusting for medical and psychiatric comorbid conditions. Interactions among measures of opioid use and comorbid conditions were analyzed. In this cohort study with follow-up time up to 4 years (range = 2–48 months, median = 46 months), the hazard ratios (HR) from the time-to-event analysis indicated that patients prescribed opioid medications for at least 6 months during the past year and at 20–50 MME levels or higher had 4.44 (95% CI: [3.71, 5.32]) to 7.23 (95% CI: [6.22, 8.41]) times the risk of attempted suicide compared to those not prescribed opioids. Risk of suicide attempt was sharply elevated among patients with psychiatric conditions other than anxiety who were prescribed more frequent and higher opioid doses. In contrast, more frequent and higher doses of prescription opioids were associated with lower risk of suicide attempts among patients with medical conditions necessitating pain management. This study is limited by its exclusive focus on commercially insured patients and does not include patients covered by public insurance. It is also limited to patients' receipt of prescription opioids and does not take into account opioids obtained through other means, nor does it include measures of actual patient opioid use. Conclusions: This analysis provides evidence of a complex relationship among prescription opioids, mental health, pain and other medical comorbidities, and suicide risk. Findings indicate the need for proactive suicide surveillance among individuals diagnosed with affective or psychotic disorders who are receiving frequent and high doses of opioids. However, appropriate opioid treatment may have significant value in reducing suicide risk for those without psychiatric comorbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis is caused by an uncontrolled inflammatory response, whose underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. It is well known that the majority of human genes can be expressed as alternative isoforms. While isoform switching is implicated in many diseases and is particularly prominent in cancer, it has never been reported in the context of sepsis. Patients presented to the emergency department of three tertiary care hospitals from January 2020 to December 2020 were enrolled. Clinical variables and genome-wide transcriptome of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained. Isoform switching analysis were performed to identify significant isoform switches and relevant biological consequences. A total of 48 subjects with sepsis, involving 42 survivors and 6 non-survivors, admitted to the emergency department of three tertiary care hospitals were enrolled in this study. PBMCs were extracted for RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Patients (n = 4) with mild stroke or acute coronary syndrome without infection were enrolled in this study as controls. The most frequent functional changes resulting from isoform switching were changes affecting the open reading frame, protein domains and intron retention. Many genes without differences in gene expression showed significant isoform switching. Many genes with significant isoform switches ( | d I F | > 0.1) were associated with higher mortality risk, including PIGS, CASP3, LITAF, HBB and RUVBL2. The study for the first time described the landscape of isoform switching in sepsis, including differentially expressed isoform fractions between patients with and without sepsis and survivors and nonsurvivors. The biological consequences of isoform switching, including protein domain loss, signal peptide gain, and intron retention, were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The signal propagation of the lunar-based synthetic aperture radar (LBSAR) is affected by perturbations of the lunar orbit, wherein the apsidal precession that exerts a significant impact on the LBSAR imaging performance of the LBSAR deserves special care. Accordingly, the orbital determination used to maintain well-focused quality and high geometric fidelity in the existing SAR system becomes critical for the LBSAR. In this article, through establishing criteria for the orbital determination of LBSAR based on its imaging performance under the influence of apsidal precession, we investigate the accuracy requirements for the LBSAR orbital determination in terms of the position and velocity determinations. Analysis results show that the required accuracy for the LBSAR position determination depends on the geometric fidelity in the range direction, while the accuracy requirement for the velocity determination is dominated by the azimuth positioning accuracy. The focusing quality is not a primary issue for the LBSAR orbital determination. In addition, the far look angle of LBSAR accounts for the highest accuracy requirement in the position and velocity determinations; thus, it can be treated as the optimum look angle for the LBSAR orbital determination. It is also found that both velocity and position determinations are challenging in the ${z}$ -direction for the LBSAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on improving the operating efficiency of the Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) submerged pump system in the LNG receiving terminals and achieve energy saving. The minimum input energy consumption of the LNG submerged pump system is taken as the objective function, and an optimization model for the operation of the LNG submerged pump system with variable frequency speed is established. LINGO18.0 optimization software is used to solve the model to get the optimal LNG submerged pump operation plan that satisfies the constraints. Taking a certain LNG receiving terminal as an example, the operation optimization of its LNG submerged pump system is carried out, and the input energy consumption of the system before and after optimization is compared. The results show that the use of variable frequency pumps can reduce the energy consumption of the LNG submerged pump system of LNG receiving terminals, and the optimization model can reduce the input power consumption of the system by about 10% under different transportation conditions. After applying the optimization model to actual production, it is found that the model has certain practicability for guiding the production of LNG receiving terminal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To develop and validate a radiomics model based on 18F-FDG PET/CT images to preoperatively predict occult axillary lymph node (ALN) metastases in patients with invasive ductal breast cancer (IDC) with clinically node-negative (cN0); Methods: A total of 180 patients (mean age, 55 years; range, 31–82 years) with pathologically proven IDC and a preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT scan from January 2013 to January 2021 were included in this retrospective study. According to the intraoperative pathological results of ALN, we divided patients into the true-negative group and ALN occult metastasis group. Radiomics features were extracted from PET/CT images using Pyradiomics implemented in Python, t-tests, and LASSO were used to screen the feature, and the random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), stochastic gradient descent (SGD), and k-nearest neighbor (KNN) were used to build the prediction models. The best-performing model was further tested by the permutation test; Results: Among the four models, RF had the best prediction results, the AUC range of RF was 0.661–0.929 (mean AUC, 0.817), and the accuracy range was 65.3–93.9% (mean accuracy, 81.2%). The p-values of the permutation tests for the RF model with maximum and minimum accuracy were less than 0.01; Conclusions: The developed RF model was able to predict occult ALN metastases in IDC patients based on preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT radiomic features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A trash to high-value-added material strategy of waste conversion is presented. • Two interactions of polyurethane surface and silica are revealed. • The mechanism of coalescence demulsification of emulsions is revealed. • The obtained materials can separate immiscible and emulsified oil/water mixtures. • The scaling up of the oil/water separator from lab to a factor of 100 was studied. Polyurethane plastic waste (PUPW), a port-abundant solid waste, is difficult to degrade naturally and poses a severe threat to the environment. Hence, the effective recycling of PUPW remains a challenge. Herein, a strategy of converting PUPW into stacked oil/water filtration layer grain through a layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly process is investigated. Notably, such PU-based, grain-stacked, and switchable wettability of the oil/water filter layer is first reported. The grain-stacked filter layers are flexible for separating immiscible oil/water mixtures, water-in-oil emulsions (WOE), and oil-in-water emulsions (OWE) under gravity over 10 cycle-usages. They can withstand strong acid/alkali solutions (pH = 1–14) and salt solutions over 12 h. Besides, 100-times scale-up experiments have indicated that the obtained filter layers exhibit an upper to 98.2 % separation efficiency for 10 L real industrial oil/water emulsion in the 24 h continuous operation. The demulsification mechanism for emulsions is that the electrostatic interaction along with adsorption between emulsion droplets and grains leads to the uneven distribution of surfactants on the interface film of the emulsion droplets, increasing the probability of tiny droplets colliding and coalescing into large droplets to achieve oil/water separation. This work proposes an effective and economical method of abundant plastic waste for industrial-scale oil–water separation rather than just on the laboratory-scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the computation of the backscattered field in simulation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) raw data. We develop an improved Kirchhoff approximation to estimate the surface fields induced by the incident waves. The improved Kirchhoff approximation is a second-order iterative solution of the integral equations governing the targets’ electric and magnetic current densities. In computing the second-order re-radiated fields, we applied the shoot-bouncing-ray (SBR) technique to enhance propagation path tracking efficiency. The geometrical theory of diffraction (GTD) was employed to account for the diffraction fields from the edges and wedges, which constitute the total scattered fields collected by SAR in synthetic aperture. As the SAR moves along the azimuth direction, the backscattered signal computation is repeated as the antenna beam crosses the targets. This procedure demands heavy computational resources but requires no priori assumptions of radar cross-sections (RCSs) nor speckle statistics. The raw data is generated as an output signal of the SAR system response into which the backscattered signal is input. We chose three types of the target to demonstrate our approach to confirm the effectiveness. The first set of targets are three dihedral reflectors – two of them were rotated to constitute three unique scattering matrices. The results show that the polarimetric information, both relative amplitudes and phases, are well–preserved. The second target is a rough surface with exponential power spectral density and Gaussian height probability density. We examined image speckle statistics of multi-looking image. The third target type is an electrically large cargo ship (container) sitting over a sea surface. Polarimetric analysis via the Pauli and Y4R decompositions reveals that the polarimetric features are well preserved. Simulation results demonstrate that the present approach is fully coherent in streamlining the data flow from backscattered field to complex single look images within the SAR imaging scene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the bistatic radar scattering coefficients related to an oil-covered sea surface are predicted by modeling both the oil damping effect on surface roughness–through the advanced integral equation method–and the oil modification on the dielectric properties of the scattering surface. The bistatic scattering is analyzed in the whole upper scattering space under different radar frequencies, incidence angles, wind speeds, and oil thicknesses. Numerical predictions show that the scattering energy of an oil-covered sea surface is generally higher in the forward scattering zone than that in the backward one. In addition, the oil damping effect is the main mechanism ruling the scattering behavior in the backward region. The information related to the bistatic scattering geometry is also explored to retrieve oil thickness, representing one of the key parameters for radar-based marine oil pollution observation. A new index is proposed to quantify the sensitivity of bistatic scattering coefficients to oil thickness in different cases: single-polarization features, dual co-polarization features, namely, the polarization ratio (PR) and the normalized polarization difference index (NPDI), and dual-angular scattering features. Numerical results show that the bistatic scattering coefficients result in an enhanced sensitivity to oil thickness with respect to the monostatic case. The single HH-polarized scattering coefficients show better oil thickness sensitivity in the backward region, while the VV-polarized ones are more sensitive to oil thickness in the forward region. The combination of dual-polarized scattering coefficients significantly improves the oil thickness sensitivity compared to single-polarization radar observations, especially in the forward region. PR outperforms NPDI, even though the latter can suppress the effect of wind speed. The combination of dual-angular observations can significantly increase its sensitivity of oil thickness in the backward region but at the expense of reduced sensitivity in the forward region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variations in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene are related to several inflammatory disorders. However, the potential links between such alternations and the risk of developing late fracture-related infection (FRI) remain unclear. This study investigated associations between genetic variations in the VDR and susceptibility to late FRI in the Chinese Han population. Between January 2016 and December 2019, 336 patients with late FRI and 368 healthy controls were genotyped six VDR genetic variations, including ApaI (rs7975232), BsmI (rs1544410), FokI (rs2228570), TaqI (rs731236), GATA (rs4516035), and Cdx-2 (rs11568820). Significant associations were observed between rs7975232 and FRI susceptibility in the recessive (P = 0.019, OR = 0.530, 95% CI 0.310-0.906) model. Patients with AA genotype had a relatively higher level of serological vitamin D (20.6 vs. 20.3 vs. 17.9 ng/ml) (P = 0.021) than those of AC and CC genotypes. Although no statistical differences were observed, potential correlations may exist between rs1544410 (dominant model: P = 0.079, OR = 0.634), rs2228570 (dominant model: P = 0.055, OR = 0.699), and rs4516035 (dominant model: P = 0.065, OR = 1.768) and the risk of FRI development. In the Chinese cohort, ApaI was associated with a decreased risk of developing FRI, and patients with the AA genotype had a higher vitamin D level. Further studies are required to assess the role of genetic variations in BsmI, FokI, and GATA in the pathogenesis of late FRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We calculate the single-particle excitation spectrum and the Landau liquid parameters for the archetypal model of solids, the three-dimensional uniform electron gas, with the variational diagrammatic Monte Carlo method, which gives numerically controlled results without systematic error. In the metallic range of density, we establish benchmark values for the wave-function renormalization factor Z, the effective mass m ∗ / m , and the Landau parameters F 0 s and F 0 a with unprecedented accuracy, and we resolve the long-standing puzzle of non-monotonic dependence of mass on density. We also exclude the possibility that experimentally measured large reduction of bandwidth in Na metal can originate from the charge and spin fluctuations contained in the model of the uniform electron gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High power microwave (HPM) sources without guiding magnetic field have the advantages of compactness and miniaturization. However, the efficiency is generally limited due to the poor beam quality and low beam transmission rate. Here, we demonstrate a scheme that actually makes use of the large oscillation of electrons in the absence of a magnetic field. In a novel radial three-cavity transit-time oscillator (TTO) with two output ports, about half of the diode current is deposited on the walls of the first two cavities. On the one hand, the truncated electrons are with lower energy, which has delivered some of their kinetic energy to the standing-wave field in the first two cavities. Other electrons then gain energy from the standing-wave field and are accelerated to a much higher beam voltage than the diode voltage. On the other hand, after part electrons are truncated by the first two cavities, the remained electrons are characterized with smaller energy spread, higher current modulation coefficient, which results in a very efficient energy exchange between the beam current and the electromagnetic field in the third cavity with two extraction gaps. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation shows that when the diode voltage is 496 kV, beam current is 43.4 kA, the total output microwave powers are 11.4 GW, corresponding to an unprecedented beam-wave conversion efficiency of 53%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Severe permafrost degradation was found beneath the EBTS, with temperatures nearing thawing point. • 80% settlement from foundation ground, transition weakening can cause up to 49% of total settling. • Expansion joint was still observed narrowing during winter despite partial abutment-beam contact. • Backfill frost heave induced abutment displacement, resulting in expansion joint failure. Differential embankment settlement and expansion joint failure in the embankment bridge transition section (EBTS) are two main issues endangering the safety of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR) in permafrost. A better understanding of the causes of EBTS deformation can offer valuable guidance for engineering maintenance. In this study, a comprehensive field investigation and a series of simulations were carried out to reveal the formation causes. The results revealed significant permafrost degradation beneath the EBTS after 15 years of operation, with temperatures nearing the thawing point. Despite contact between the abutment and beam end, the expansion joint exhibited continuous narrowing, particularly during the cold season. Permafrost degradation was primarily attributed to the heating effect of adjacent bridge structures. Foundation ground settlement emerged as the primary cause of embankment settlement in the transition section, contributing up to 80 % of the total settlement. Differential embankment settlement of the EBTS primarily stemmed from the uneven warming or thawing of permafrost, induced by the thermal impact of the adjacent bridge structures. The weakening of the transition section had a concentrated impact on embankment settlement within a 12-meter span behind the abutment, inducing approximately 30 % to 50 % of the embankment settlement. The backfill soils near the abutment experienced severe lateral frost heave in cold seasons. Horizontal displacement of the abutment caused by the lateral frost heave was identified as the main reason for expansion joint failure. Additional cooling measures are necessary to ensure the long-term stability of the EBTSs along the QTR, considering the faster degradation of ambient permafrost than expected. The findings offer valuable insights for the maintenance and design of railways in permafrost regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering that the number of wheelchair users is on the rise at the global level due to population aging, it is crucial to secure their rights to have adequate access to healthcare services. Spatial accessibility to healthcare services has been well recognized to influence people's health. However, research on healthcare accessibility of wheelchair users is scarce. This study proposes a barrier-free path planning method to estimate wheelchair users' travel time as the measurement of their accessibility. A study on Wuhan, China, is conducted to evaluate the spatial accessibility to healthcare services for wheelchair users and compare it with the general population. The results show that: (1) the levels of healthcare accessibility are unevenly distributed across the city center and the periphery of the study area for both wheelchair users and the general population, while wheelchair users have lower accessibility overall; (2) both similarities and differences in hospital and travel mode selection to access healthcare services co-exist in the study area between the two groups; (3) significant inequality in healthcare accessibility is observed in Hongshan and Qingshan districts. The research findings are beneficial for policymakers to further improve healthcare accessibility and its equality by optimizing the allocation of hospital resources and barrier-free public transport. • Proposes a barrier-free path planning method to estimate wheelchair user's accessibility. • Compares the spatial accessibility to healthcare services for wheelchair users with that of the general population. • Explores the similarities and differences in hospital and travel-mode selection pertinent to healthcare access for the two groups. • Measures the equality in healthcare accessibility between the two groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a numerical study of the wave scattering from a modulated rough surface characterized by a modulated correlation function that shows zero crossings along the lag distance. The zero crossings imply the presence of multiscale roughness. In such a way, we treat the rough surface to include a baseband correlation length and a modulation length. The modulation ratio, the ratio of baseband correlation length, and the modulated length determine the degree of multiscale roughness. We then examine the dependence of bistatic scattering, both in level and angular trends, on the modulation length. The results indicate that as the modulation ratio increases, the scattering coefficients reduce in the incident plane. Comparing the model predictions with two independent sets of measurement data demonstrates a good agreement of the scattering coefficients between the experimental data and the model predictions with modulation effects. The proposed modulated rough surface concept offers higher flexibility to model the radar scattering of multiscale rough surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the optimization problem of multiple objectives with contradictions and conflicts in the process of allocating the tolerance for complex products, taking advantage of the features of coordinating, and balancing contradictions and conflicts of cooperative game theory, this paper uses cooperative game theory to solve the multiobjective optimization problem of tolerance allocation. The quality requirements and cost requirements of assembly products are used as the game decision parties, and the fuzzy clustering method is used to group the design variables of tolerance allocation problem of the steam turbine to form the strategic space of game parties. Take the quality level and cost level of the assembly product as the optimization goals, complete the calculation of the utilities of the two game parties, and establish the multiobjective optimization model of tolerance allocation based on cooperative game theory. Finally, the Shapley value method based on cooperative game theory, the Nash equilibrium method based on noncooperative game theory, and the traditional single-objective optimization method with the quality as the constraint and the cost as the optimization objective are used to solve the tolerance allocation problem of steam turbine. The solution results show that the method of cooperative game realized the balance, coordination, and comprehensive optimization of the quality and cost from the perspective of collective interests, overcame the shortcomings of the traditional single-objective optimization method, and obtained better result than the Nash equilibrium method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the relationship between the impact factor (IF) and the number of journal papers in Chinese publishing system. The method proposed by Huang (2016) is used whereas to analysis the data of Chinese journals in this study. Based on the analysis, we find the following. (1) The average impact factor (AIF) of journals in all disciplines maintained a growth trend from 2007 to 2017. Whether before or after removing outlier journals that may garner publication fees, the IF and its growth rate for most social sciences disciplines are larger than those of most natural sciences disciplines, and the number of journal papers on social sciences disciplines decreased while that of natural sciences disciplines increased from 2007 to 2017. (2) The removal of outlier journals has a greater impact on the relationship between the IF and the number of journal papers in some disciplines such as Geosciences because there may be journals that publish many papers to garner publication fees. (3) The success-breeds-success (SBS) principle is applicable in Chinese journals on natural sciences disciplines but not in Chinese journals on social sciences disciplines, and the relationship is the reverse of the SBS principle in Economics and Education & Educational Research. (4) Based on interviews and surveys, the difference in the relationship between the IF and the number of journal papers for Chinese natural sciences disciplines and Chinese social sciences disciplines may be due to the influence of the international publishing system. Chinese natural sciences journals are losing their academic power while Chinese social sciences journals that are less influenced by the international publishing system are in fierce competition. More implications could be found if long-term tracking and comparing the international publishing system with Chinese publishing system are taken. It is suggested that researchers from different countries study natural science and social sciences journals in their languages and observe the influence of the international publishing system. This paper presents an overview of the relationship between IF and the number of journal papers in Chinese publishing system from 2007 to 2017, provides insights into the relationship in different disciplines in Chinese publishing system, and points out the similarities and differences between Chinese publishing system and international publishing system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With millions of years of evolution, owls have developed many excellent characteristics in terms of their flight. The speed of an owl in flight is similar to the relative speed of the blade of a small wind turbine with respect to air. Therefore, the owl wing airfoil is selected as the design airfoil of the wind turbine blade to reduce the flow separation under low Reynolds number. In this study, we analyze an owl wing‐section airfoil and the non‐smooth leading‐edge shape of an owl's wing, and implement an orthogonal optimum design to optimize the wavelength and amplitude of the non‐smooth leading edge. We extract the cross‐sectional features of the airfoil and the non‐smooth leading‐edge shape of the wing. Based on the orthogonal optimum design results, we determine the optimal combination of the wavelength, amplitude, and airfoil, and then design a horizontal‐axis wind turbine blade through bionic coupling. The flow field at different tip speed ratios (TSRs) is simulated using the k‐ωSST turbulence model at the rated wind speed. The results show that the power coefficient (CP) of the bionic wind turbine at a high tip speed ratio is 17.7% higher than that of the standard type. Furthermore, we analyze the operation of the turbine at TSRs of 2 and 5. At a high TSR, the leading edge bulge of the bionic wind turbine blade can change the flow direction distribution of the airflow on the blade surface, make the airflow to adhere to the suction surface, and then reduce the stall area on the suction surface of the blade. Thus, the wind turbine produces higher torque, thereby generating higher power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]