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AbstractSelf-built masonry structures are commonly used as houses in rural areas of the central plains of China. These structures pose significant safety risks due to the low level of self-building and non-standard designs. The primary type of damage to the walls of masonry houses is cracks, while the decorative layers of the walls may also experience peeling or cracking. The shapes, sizes, and surface characteristics of these damages are complex and unique to each type. To achieve fast identification of surface damage on masonry house walls, this paper proposes a cascade detection model that combines a multilevel cascade classifier with a parallel sub-segmentation network. The VGG16 neural network is used as the backbone for a multi-level series classifier. The model is trained by using a damage image set of the wall decorative layers in rural masonry houses. The classification of background and damage, as well as the classification of cracks and peels, are sequentially completed. Then, the parallel sub-segmentation model uses EfficientNet-B7 as the encoder and combines it with the U-Net framework skeleton to perform pixel-level segmentation of peeling and cracks. Finally, the output of parallel sub-segmentation networks is superimposed and fused to generate a complete image containing segmentation information of peeling and cracks. The cascade form network structure adopted in this model significantly reduces the training difficulty and enhances the model accuracy. Compared with Segformer and Deeplabv3+ network, the average IoU of the proposed method for on-site masonry wall images can be increased by 0.29 and 0.08, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The nitrogen-doped (N-doped) negatively charged carbon dots (TPP-CDs) without metal doping showed excellent biocompatibility. • The TPP-CDs is simple to prepare, low cost, and the purification efficiency of TPP-CDs was greatly improved by using sephadex G-50 column. • The TPP-CDs exerted dual antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities through multiple mechanisms, achieving one-stop treatment to accelerate wound healing. • The TPP-CDs showed excellent antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli without detectable resistance. The development of bacterial resistance significantly contributes to the persistence of infections. Although previous studies have highlighted the benefits of metal-doped positive carbon nanodots in managing bacterial wound infections, their mechanism of action is relatively simple and they may pose potential hazards to human cells. Therefore, it is essential to develop a one-stop carbon dot nanoplatform that offers high biocompatibility, antibacterial properties, and anti-inflammatory activities for wound infection management. This study explores the antibacterial efficacy, without detectable resistance, and wound-healing potential of nitrogen-doped (N-doped) negatively charged carbon dots (TPP-CDs). These carbon dots are synthesized using tannic acid (TA), polyethylene polyamine, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as precursors, with a focus on their biocompatibility. Numerous systematic studies have shown that TPP-CDs can effectively destroy bacterial biofilms and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), while also inducing oxidative stress, leading to a potent antimicrobial effect. TPP-CDs also demonstrate the ability to scavenge excess free radicals, promote cellular proliferation, and inhibit inflammatory factors, all of which contribute to improved wound healing. TPP-CDs also demonstrate favorable cell imaging capabilities. These findings suggest that N-doped negatively charged TPP-CDs hold significant potential for treating bacterial infections and offer practical insights for their application in the medical field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallic aerogels, as featured by high surface area, porosity, and self‐supported metal skeleton, are regarded as an ideal platform for developing next‐generation electrocatalysts. However, the precise adjustment of their skeleton nanostructure to enhance catalytic properties remains significantly underexplored. Herein, inspired by the impact of the metal atoms' coordination number on their reactivity, we devised and prepared dendritic Pt aerogels (DPAs) via a facile sol‐gel method. The synergy of aerogel structure and coordinatively distinct catalytic sites from dendritic morphology enables DPAs to exhibit markedly improved electrocatalytic activity and stability for methanol oxidation reaction. The mass activity and specific activity of DPAs are 1.28 A mgPt−1 and 1.5 mA cmPt−2, which are 4.1 and 3.2 times higher than those of commercial Pt/C, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure during pregnancy has been related to IUGR. Here, we explored whether paternal LPS exposure before mating impaired fetal development. All male mice except controls were intraperitoneally injected with LPS every other day for a total of five injections. The next day after the last LPS, male mice were mated with untreated female mice. Interestingly, fetal weight and crown-rump length were reduced, while the incidence of IUGR was increased in paternal LPS exposure group. Additionally, paternal LPS exposure leaded to poor placental development through causing cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis. Additional experiment demonstrated that the inactivation of placental PI3K/AKT pathway might be involved in paternal LPS-induced cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis of trophoblast cells. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein levels of mesoderm specific transcript (MEST), a maternally imprinted gene with paternal expression, were significantly decreased in mouse placentas from paternal LPS exposure. Further analysis showed that paternal LPS exposure caused the inactivation of placental PI3K/AKT pathway and then cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis might be via down-regulating placental MEST. Overall, our results provide evidence that paternal LPS exposure causes poor placental development and subsequently IUGR may be via down-regulating MEST/PI3K/AKT pathway, and then inducing cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis in placentas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a torque distribution control strategy for electrical trains equipped with driven independently rotating wheels (DIRW) to realise the coordination of guidance control and adhesion control. For DIRW, active guidance control is required to restore self‐centring ability. Besides, the adhesion condition determines the wheel‐rail tangential force, affecting the realisation of the guidance function. A zero lateral displacement guidance control based on an active disturbance rejection controller and an adhesion control based on optimal adhesion coefficient utilisation are applied. According to the wheel‐rail adhesion state, several torque distribution rules are designed. The primary principle of rule design is to ensure the normal operation of trains, that is, to avoid the occurrence of train idling/sliding. Next, the self‐centring function should be achieved. Finally, the train traction/braking performance should be as close as possible to the requirements of the traction/braking characteristic curve determined by the driver handle instruction. The torque distribution strategy proposed can achieve the traction/braking and guidance function on the adhesion limit. The control performance is verified through MATLAB/Simulink‐SIMPACK co‐simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the chemical looping process of hydrogen sulfide oxidation by metal oxides was investigated by thermodynamic simulation, which primarily focused on sulfur formation. Some elements such as iron, copper and manganese, which were generally used as oxygen carriers, were firstly screened with a method of elements filtering. To attain the feasibility of relevant reactions, Gibbs free energy changes and chemical equilibrium constants for H2S oxidation by redox counterparts were calculated. Subsequently, thermodynamic equilibrium analysis was carried out to acquire the actual distribution of products and the effects of temperature, pressure and reactant ratio on sulfur formation were identified. The results of thermodynamic calculation confirmed that V2O5, PbO2 and Pb2O3 were prospective for chemical looping desulfurization process. When it was regarded to V2O5, an optimal condition was 440 °C and 1 bar. When H2S:V2O5 = 2:1.3, βs is 70% and α H 2 S is 100%. As for PbO2, the prime choice was at 240 °C, 1 bar and H2S:PbO2 = 2:1, in which α H 2 S is 99% and βs is 49%. With regard to Pb2O3, an optimal condition is at 240 °C, 1 bar and H2S:Pb2O3 = 3:1, in which α H 2 S is 99% and βs is 32%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work studies about the band gap characteristics and nonreciprocal propagation of nonlinear elastic wave metamaterials which are composed of the curved particle chain with diatomic lattice. The incremental harmonic balance (IHB) method is applied to derive the nonlinear wave equation with fractional terms. Different curved angles and amplitude ratios are considered to show band gaps of nonlinear elastic waves. Both numerical calculations by the Runge-Kutta method and experiments are performed to support band gaps and diode behaviors. This study provides a new application of nonlinear phononic crystals and mechanical metamaterials with different curved directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main challenge of scene classification is to understand the semantic context information of high-resolution remote sensing images. Although vision transformer (ViT)-based methods have been explored to boost the long-range dependencies of high-resolution remote sensing images, the connectivity between neighboring windows is still limited. Meanwhile, ViT-based methods commonly contain a large number of parameters, resulting in a huge computational consumption. In this paper, a novel lightweight dual-branch swin transformer (LDBST) method for remote sensing scene classification is proposed, and the discriminative ability of scene features is increased through combining a ViT branch and convolutional neural network (CNN) branch. First, based on the hierarchical swin transformer model, LDBST divides the input features of each stage into two parts, which are then separately fed into the two branches. For the ViT branch, a dual multilayer perceptron structure with a depthwise convolutional layer, termed Conv-MLP, is integrated into the branch to boost the connections with neighboring windows. Then, a simple-structured CNN branch with maximum pooling preserves the strong features of the scene feature map. Specifically, the CNN branch lightens the LDBST, by avoiding complex multi-head attention and multilayer perceptron computations. To obtain better feature representation, LDBST was pretrained on the large-scale remote scene classification images of the MLRSN and RSD46-WHU datasets. These two pretrained weights were fine-tuned on target scene classification datasets. The experimental results showed that the proposed LDBST method was more effective than some other advanced remote sensing scene classification methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological studies suggest that fetal growth restriction (FGR) caused by gestational cholestasis is associated with elevated serum cholic acid (CA). Here, we explore the mechanism by which CA induces FGR. Pregnant mice except controls were orally administered with CA daily from gestational day 13 (GD13) to GD17. Results found that CA exposure decreased fetal weight and crown‐rump length, and increased the incidence of FGR in a dose‐dependent manner. Furthermore, CA caused placental glucocorticoid (GC) barrier dysfunction via down‐regulating the protein but not the mRNA level of placental 11β‐Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase‐2 (11β‐HSD2). Additionally, CA activated placental GCN2/eIF2α pathway. GCN2iB, an inhibitor of GCN2, significantly inhibited CA‐induced down‐regulation of 11β‐HSD2 protein. We further found that CA caused excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and oxidative stress in mouse placentas and human trophoblasts. NAC significantly rescued CA‐induced placental barrier dysfunction by inhibiting activation of GCN2/eIF2α pathway and subsequent down‐regulation of 11β‐HSD2 protein in placental trophoblasts. Importantly, NAC rescued CA‐induced FGR in mice. Overall, our results suggest that CA exposure during late pregnancy induces placental GC barrier dysfunction and subsequent FGR may be via ROS‐mediated placental GCN2/eIF2α activation. This study provides valuable insight for understanding the mechanism of cholestasis‐induced placental dysfunction and subsequent FGR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For multiobjective model predictive current control (MPCC) method with penalties, the penalty weights are introduced into the cost function to determine the relative importance of control targets. However, the dimensions and value ranges of each control target are different. Thus, the penalty coefficient is difficult to determine. To avoid the difficulty of dimensionless parameter design, this article proposes a multiobjective control method called MPCC with multiple current bounds. In this article, the switching frequency and the common-mode voltage (CMV) are selected as the control target. Their control is converted into the limitation of the current ripple so that the control parameters have a clear physical meaning. On the one hand, the proposed method can realize the cooperative control of reference current tracking, switching frequency suppression, and CMV suppression. On the other hand, the key control parameters have the same dimension and strong correlation with others. Therefore, appropriate parameter design can be realized. Experimental investigations for permanent magnet synchronous motor prove the effectiveness of the control method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a finite set modelpredictive current control scheme for traction permanent magnet synchronous motors for railway application. For the rail transit drive system, it is necessary to realize the six-step operation. A method based on voltage vector clamping is presented to realize overmodulation including six-step operation and maximize the utilization ratio of dc voltage. The essence of voltage vector clamping is to gradually reduce the space of action of the closed-loop regulation mechanism until it enters six-step operation. This method is simple and feasible, which does not need to add controllers or switch the control framework. An ideal voltage vector reference coordinate system is established to analyze the current trajectory under different modulation ratios. Thus, an optimal control strategy in the ideal voltage reference coordinate system is proposed. Experiments are conducted to prove that six-step operation can be achieved and this strategy has an obvious effect on switching frequency index in the overmodulation area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological and animal experimental studies suggest an association between gestational cholestasis and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Here, we explored the mechanism through which gestational cholestasis induced IUGR. To establish gestational cholestasis model, pregnant mice were subcutaneously injected with 17α‐Ethynylestradiol (E2) on gestational day 13 (GD13)–GD17. Some pregnant mice were intraperitoneally injected with 4μ8C on GD13–GD17. The results found that the apoptosis of trophoblast cells was elevated in placentas of mice with gestational cholestasis and in deoxycholic acid (DCA)‐treated human trophoblast cell lines and primary mouse trophoblast cells. Correspondingly, the levels of placental cleaved caspase‐3 and Bax were increased, while placental Bcl2 level was decreased in mice with gestational cholestasis and in DCA‐treated trophoblast cells. Further analysis found that placental IRE1α pathway was activated in mice with gestational cholestasis and in DCA‐treated trophoblast cells. Interestingly, 4μ8C, an IRE1α RNase inhibitor, significantly inhibited caspase‐3 activity and apoptosis of trophoblast cells in vivo and in vitro. Importantly, 4μ8C rescued gestational cholestasis‐induced placental insufficiency and IUGR. Furthermore, a case–control study demonstrated that placental IRE1α and caspase‐3 pathways were activated in cholestasis cases. Our results provide evidence that gestational cholestasis induces placental insufficiency and IUGR may be via triggering IRE1α‐mediated apoptosis of placental trophoblast cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a growth factor that plays many critical functions in the central nervous system (CNS) and may be involved in the development of a range of psychopathologies, including depression, dementia, and neurodegenerative disorders. In the present study, we performed the first systematic review with a meta-analysis to quantitatively compare the peripheral blood BDNF levels between patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and healthy controls (HCs). A systematic search was conducted using PubMed and Web of Science databases to identify the relevant articles. Nine studies encompassing 474 adults with OCD and 436 HCs were included in this meta-analysis. A random-effects meta-analysis showed that patients with OCD had significantly decreased peripheral blood levels of Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) when compared with the HCs (Hedges' g = −0.722, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −1.152 to −0.292, P = 0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed decreased BDNF levels in plasma of patients (Hedges' g = −1.137, 95% CI = −1.463 to −0.810, P = 0.000) and drug-free patients (Hedges' g = −1.269, 95% CI = −1.974 to −0.564, P = 0.000) as compared to patients on active drug therapy and HCs. Meta-regression analyses showed that age, sex, sample size, Y-BOS total score, and publication year had no moderating effects on the outcome. Although the relationship between our findings and the pathophysiology of OCD and the role BDNF plays in the development of the disease remains to be determined, the outcomes suggest that BDNF may serve as a potential biomarker of OCD. • Brain-derived neurotrophic factor as a potential biomarker for obsessive-compulsive disorder. • Patients with OCD have significantly lower BDNF levels than healthy controls. • BDNF levels in drug-free patients were significantly lower than controls. • No significant difference in BDNF levels in drug-treated patients vs controls. • Meta-regression analysis showed that variables had no moderating effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In phase-shifting fringe projection profilometry, nonlinearities of the used devices affect measurement accuracy by induing harmonics in fringe signals. The resulting errors are manifested as ripple artifacts in the measured phase maps. Especially when phase shifts are not uniform, the error artifacts have unpredictable profiles and complicated frequency components thus being not easy to eliminate. To solve this problem, this paper suggests a method for suppressing effects of fringe harmonics when using arbitrary phase shifts. For doing it, this paper derives the frequency transfer function that explicitly represents the response of the phase-shifting algorithm to each order of fringe harmonics, and then uses this function to deduce a method that allows one to estimate the coefficients of harmonics from spectrum of the calculated complex fringe pattern. By iteratively subtracting off the estimated harmonics from the calculated complex fringe pattern, fringe phases are calculated accurately. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that this method significantly suppresses the influence of fringe harmonics on measurement results and, simultaneously, it preserves edges and details of the measured object from being blurred. • The frequency transfer function that represents response of least-squares phase-shifting algorithm to each order of fringe harmonic is deduced. • A novel non-filtering method for suppressing harmonics-caused errors is proposed. • This method can work well with few to three uniform or non-uniform phase shifts and can preserve details of the object from being blurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel screening strategy of oxygen carriers based on machine learning and thermodynamics is proposed. • Dozens of thermodynamically feasible oxygen carriers are screened for CLODHE process. • Among selected oxygen carries, LaCuO 3 shows high performance with a yield of 49.29 % at 750 ℃, 18000 ml·h−1·g−1. • LaCuO 3 shows high stability in 10 redox cycles with a yield of 48.19 % at 750 ℃, 18000 ml·h−1·g−1. Chemical looping oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane (CLODHE) is a promising alternative to ethylene production. The key to this technology is the development of oxygen carriers. In this paper, a novel rapid screening strategy for perovskite oxygen carriers, based on machine learning and thermodynamics, is proposed. Dozens of thermodynamically feasible oxygen carriers were screened for the CLODHE process and three of them were selected for further experimental verification. Among the selected oxygen carriers, LaCuO 3 had the best performance. LaCuO 3 achieved an ethane conversion of 51.3 % and an ethylene selectivity of 93.93 % over 10 cycles at 750 °C and 18,000 ml·h-1·g-1, respectively. XPS patterns showed that the composition and content of oxygen remained almost unaltered before and after the cycling, which may be the reason for its stability. The decreased in Cu3+ indicated it played a crucial role in oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane. SEM-EDS patterns showed that the oxygen carriers became agglomerated after cycling, leading to a slight reduction in reactivity. The proposed strategy is appropriate for binary to quaternary perovskites and can also be applied to other reactions, providing insights into material design and accelerating their development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) seriously endangers humans. In traditional Chinese medicine, Marsdenia tenacissima (MTE) has anti-inflammatory, antiasthmatic, antihypertensive, and anticancer effects. This study reveals the antiproliferative effect of MTE on the HCC cells in vitro and provides a theoretical basis for the development and clinical application of anti-HCC agents. Methods. MHCC-97H and HepG2 cells were cultured in vitro and exposed to various concentrations and durations of MTE, and an MTT assay was used to detect the effects of MTE on cell proliferation. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the morphological changes in the two cell lines after MTE stimulation. The MTE effects on the apoptosis and cell cycle distribution of the cell lines were detected by flow cytometry. Western blotting and qRT-PCR were used to detect target gene expression at the protein and mRNA levels, respectively. Results. MTE reduced the viability of the MHCC-97H and HepG2 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manners (P < 0.05). Autophagic vesicles and apoptotic bodies were found in the MHCC-97H and HepG2 cells after MTE incubation, and the Annexin V-PI assay showed that the apoptotic rates of the cell lines increased with increasing MTE concentration (P < 0.05). Autophagy inducer rapamycin promoted the MTE-induced apoptotic rates of the cell lines, whereas autophagy inhibitor chloroquine inhibited the apoptotic rates. More cells in the S phase were found in the two cell lines after MTE treatment (P < 0.05). After MTE incubation, MIF, CD47, and beclin-1 protein levels significantly increased. Furthermore, in the MTE group, Akt, mTOR, and caspase3 expressions decreased; however, LC 3 expression increased, which was significantly different from the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions. MTE inhibited proliferation and induced autophagy, apoptosis, and S phase cell cycle arrest in the MHCC-97H and HepG2 cells. These effects might be related to the activation of MIF and mTOR signaling inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with outstanding redox activity on flexible current collectors can serve as ideal cathode materials for flexible hybrid supercapacitors in wearable energy storage devices. Electrodeposition is a facile, time‐saving, and economical technique to fabricate LDHs. The limited loading mass induced by insufficient mass transport and finite exposure of active sites, however, greatly hinders the improvement of areal capacity. Herein, magneto‐electrodeposition (MED) under high magnetic fields up to 9 T is developed to fabricate NiCo‐LDH on flexible carbon cloth (CC) as well as Ti3C2Tx functionalized CC. Owing to the magneto‐hydrodynamic effect induced by magnetic–electric field coupling, the loading mass and exposure of active sites are significantly increased. Moreover, a 3D cross‐linked nest‐like microstructure is constructed. The MED‐derived NiCo‐LDH delivers an ultrahigh areal capacity of 3.12 C cm–2 at 1 mA cm–2 and as‐fabricated flexible hybrid supercapacitors show an excellent energy density with an outstanding cycling stability. This work provides a novel route to improve electrochemical performances of layered materials through MED technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliability assessments of mechatronic systems, considering covariates, are becoming more complex not just as a result of the integration of more diverse technologies into such systems but also because of increasing complexities in system topology; but traditional reliability assessment models with covariates tend to ignore the influence of system topology. This paper addresses such an exclusion and proposes a novel methodology dedicated to the analysis and quantification of system reliability using system topology and multiple covariates. There are essentially two new aspects contributing to the overall methodology. Firstly, using network theory, the system topology is abstracted as a network; in which network nodes represent a mechatronic system's minimum maintenance units, and the connections between them are regarded as edges. Secondly, the resultant topological network is combined with the inherent properties of the minimum maintenance units to construct the system baseline hazard function and considering the associated multi covariates from the perspective of failure propagation to provide a foundation for assessing system reliability. To validate the proposed methodology, by way of a case study, it was applied to the reliability assessment of a traction power supply system for a high‐speed train. The results, compared with three other assessment approaches, suggest that the proposed methodology provides for significantly more accurate assessments while requiring less computational resources. Furthermore, it can be flexibly extended to many other mechatronic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play crucial roles in multiple cancers. However, very few RBPs and their association with immune genes have been systematically studied in liver cancer (LC). We aimed to identify an immune-related RBP signature to predict the survival of LC patients. Bioinformatics methods were used to identify differentially expressed, immune-related, and prognostic RBPs and to develop an immune-related RBP signature based on data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. We obtained eight differentially expressed, immune-related, and prognostic RBPs to construct a risk signature. The signature could effectively distinguish between high- and low-risk patients, and its predictive capacity was validated in the International Cancer Genomics Consortium (ICGC) cohort. We speculated that the high-risk group was more sensitive to targeted therapy. The immune-related RBP signature is an independent prognostic biomarker for LC patients and can expand the application of targeted therapy through patient stratification. • Eight differentially expressed and immune-related RBPs were identified to construct a risk signature for liver cancer • The signature was an independent prognostic biomarker for liver cancer patients • Our signature can indirectly predict the response of patients to targeted therapies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TANK‐binding kinase 1 (TBK1) belongs to the noncanonical IκB kinase (IKK) family. The ubiquitously expressed protein is well known to play a pivotal role in innate immune response and inflammation. Although excessive inflammatory activities have been shown to affect osteoclast (OC) differentiation and function, direct relevance of TBK1 in bone turnover is not known. In this work, we specifically altered the TBK1 protein level by knocking down or overexpressing it without affecting its homologous protein IKKε expression, and demonstrated the effect of TBK1 on OC differentiation in bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) and RAW264.7 cells upon induction by receptor activator of nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) ligand (RANKL). TBK1 knockdown was found to markedly inhibit the OC differentiation and function, while TBK1 overexpression enhanced OC formation. Downregulation of TBK1 greatly suppressed RANKL‐induced gene expression of Mmp9, Atp6v0d2, Acp5, Ctsk andNfatc1 involved in the regulation of OC formation and function in both BMM and RAW264.7 cells. Mechanistic studies indicated that TBK1 affected the NF‐κB signaling pathway as well as mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and protein kinase B (Akt) activation during OC differentiation. Moreover, the protein level of TNF receptor‐associated factor 6 (TRAF6) was increased, and the interaction of TRAF6 with TBK1 was potentiated, by RANKL. Collectively, we provide direct evidence showing that TBK1 effectively mediates OC differentiation and function by regulating NF‐κB, MAPKs and Akt signals. A TBK1‐targeted therapeutic strategy may be useful for the treatment of bone‐related disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of microwave absorption materials, which can effectively convert electromagnetic energy into thermal energy and/or other forms of energy, can effectively solve the increasingly serious electromagnetic pollution. As a type of promising microwave absorption material, ternary transition metal carbides/nitrides MAX phases possess layered structure and superior conduction loss capability. However, poor impedance matching and single polarization loss type seriously hinder their improvement of microwave absorption performance. High-entropy engineering is expected to be an effective strategy to address the above problems simultaneously. Herein, a series of low-, medium-, and high-entropy MAX phases with Ti2AlC structure were successfully synthesized and their structure, composition, and morphology were comprehensively characterized. High-entropy MAX phase (Ti1/5Zr1/5V1/5Nb1/5Ta1/5)2AlC presents excellent microwave absorption performance with the optimal minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of −47 dB at 11.92 GHz (a thickness of 2.4 mm) and optimal effective absorption bandwidth of 3.92 GHz between 8.48 and 12.4 GHz (a thickness of 2.78 mm), which are better than those of our prepared low-/medium-entropy MAX phases as well as most of the other previously reported MAX phases. Such excellent microwave absorption performance of (Ti1/5Zr1/5V1/5Nb1/5Ta1/5)2AlC is attributed to high-entropy engineering, which not only optimizes the impedance matching through regulating permittivity but also introduces more polarization loss type and amount. This work reveals that high-entropy engineering is not only a workable method to enhance the microwave absorption performance in MAX phases, but also an effective strategy to tailor the balance between impedance matching and loss capability through compositional design in single-phase systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient and practical synthetic strategy, suitable for one-pot synthesis, for novel amide-linked oligosaccharide mimetics from sugar amino acid precursors is described. Twenty substrates, including twelve amide-linked disaccharide mimetics, four amide-linked trisaccharide mimetics and four amide-linked tetrasaccharide mimetics, were synthesized based on this strategy and its optimal conditions. This potentially general method is featured by high yields, gram-scale synthesis, wide substrate scope, and mild reaction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent primary liver cancer often associated with chronic hepatitis B virus infection (CHB) and liver cirrhosis (LC), underscoring the critical need for biomarker discovery to improve patient outcomes. Emerging as a promising avenue for biomarker development, proteomic technology leveraging liquid biopsy from small extracellular vesicles (sEV) offers new insights. Here, we evaluated various methods for sEV isolation and identified polysaccharide chitosan (CS) as an optimal approach. Subsequently, we employed optimized CS‐based magnetic beads (Mag‐CS) for sEV separation from serum samples of healthy controls, CHB, LC, and HBV‐HCC patients. Leveraging data‐independent acquisition mass spectrometry coupled with machine learning, we uncovered potential vesicular protein biomarker signatures (KNG1, F11, KLKB1, CAPNS1, CDH1, CPN2, NME2) capable of distinguishing HBV‐HCC from CHB, LC, and non‐HCC conditions. Collectively, our findings highlight the utility of Mag‐CS‐based sEV isolation for identifying early detection biomarkers in HBV‐HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung adenocarcinoma, the most common histological subtype of non-small cell lung cancer, exhibits heterogeneity that enables adaptability, limits therapeutic success, and remains incompletely understood. Our team uncovers that lncRNA related to chemotherapy resistance in lung adenocarcinoma (lncCRLA) is preferentially expressed in lung adenocarcinoma cells with the mesenchymal phenotype. lncCRLA can not enhance chemotherapy resistance in lung adenocarcinoma due to its binding to RIPK1 in exosomes, which is released into intercellular media and transferred by exosomes from mesenchymal-like to epithelial-like cells. However, plasmatic lncCRLA corresponding to tissue lncCRLA functions as a preferred biomarker to reflect the response to chemotherapy and disease progression of lung adenocarcinoma. Through single-cell sequencing, RNA-Mutect technique and spatial transcriptomics, a handful of hybrid EMT cells with elevated lncCRLA are characterized as the origin of lung adenocarcinoma, which are indiscriminated from hybrid EMT cells by the in-depth sequencing. Plasmatic lncCRLA is properly predictive for the preinvasive lesion of lung adenocarcinoma that would evolve to invasive lesion. That notion is confirmed by a brand-new transgenic mouse model in which EMT is tracked by Cre and Dre system. Dasatinib is potential to hinder the spontaneous progression from preinvasive to invasive lesion of lung adenocarcinoma. Together, plasmatic lncCRLA is defined as a brand-new circulating biomarker to predict the occurrence and evolvement of lung adenocarcinoma, a light for early detection of lung adenocarcinoma. • Plasmatic lncCRLA functions as a preferred biomarker to reflect the response to chemotherapy in lung adenocarcinoma. • A handful of hybrid EMT cells with elevated lncCRLA are characterized as the origin of lung adenocarcinoma. • Plasmatic lncCRLA is a proper biomarker to predict the preinvasive lesion of lung that would evolve to invasive lesion. • Dasatinib has the potential to hinder the spontaneous progression from preinvasive to invasive lesion of lung. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Thermal transport at pillared-graphene (PG)/epoxy polymer (EP) interface is investigated. • We detected some fantastic phenomena at the pillared-graphene (PG)/epoxy polymer (EP) interface. • We detect the number of PG layers was revealed to be one of the most influential elements on ITC. • It predicts the performance of thermal design for PG/epoxy polymer (EP) interface. We investigate the thermal properties of pillared-graphene (PG)/epoxy polymer (EP) interface architectures by using reverse non-equilibrium molecular dynamics. The results show that the interface thermal conductance (ITC) of the PG/EP contact is 147.85 MW/m2 K. The ITC between PG and EP can be substantially enhanced when optimizing the number and length of PG interlayer single-walled carbon nanotubes. In addition, we detected the number of PG layers was revealed to be one of the most influential elements on ITC. The findings of this study offer valuable insights for optimizing thermal transfer interfaces in electronic device thermal design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional multilayered V 4 C 3 MXene is synthesized by etching Al from V 4 AlC 3 in HF aqueous solution at 55 °C. Ball-milling treatment on precursor V 4 AlC 3 is crucial for obtaining large specific surface and interlayer spacing in multilayered V 4 C 3 MXene. As an anode material for Li-ion batteries, it shows a higher capacity than that of as-prepared Ti 3 C 2 MXene, good rate capability, and superior long-term stability. • Two-dimensional multilayered V 4 C 3 MXene is synthesized by etching Al from V 4 AlC 3. • Large interlayer spacing of V 4 C 3 MXene is obtained by ball milling and HF etching. • As anode of lithium ion batteries, V 4 C 3 shows outstanding electrochemical performance. Two-dimensional MXenes (such as Ti 2 C, V 2 C, Nb 2 C, Ti 3 C 2 , and Nb 4 C 3) have shown enormous potential in lithium ion storage, and the exploration of new and/or high- performance MXene-based lithium ion storage materials is an active field. This present work demonstrates the synthesis of two-dimensional vanadium carbide V 4 C 3 MXene by selectively etching Al layers from V 4 AlC 3 in hydrofluoric acid at 55 °C. Large specific surface (∼52.1 m2 g−1) and interlayer spacing (∼0.466 nm) can be obtained in V 4 C 3 MXene via adding sufficient ball-milling treatment on precursor V 4 AlC 3 , which is benefit for lithium ion storage. As an anode material for lithium ion batteries, it shows high capacity as well as good rate capability and cycling performance. More specifically, V 4 C 3 delivers a high specific capacity of 225 mAh g−1 after 300 charge/discharge cycles at a current density of 0.1 A g−1, and 125 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1. This work provides another potential MXene-based lithium ion storage material and is expected to inspire more explorations of high-performance MXene-based electrode materials for lithium ion batteries and capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work reports oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity in metallic V 4 AlC 3 bulk powders prepared by solid-state reactions for the first time. An ultralow overpotential of 253 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm−2 and an excellent stability are observed, demonstrating that V 4 AlC 3 bulk powder can be used as an excellent new type of OER catalyst with low-cost for mass production. V 4 AlC 3 bulks show excellent electrocatalytic activity and stability for water oxidation, providing a new electrocatalyst with low cost. Unlabelled Image • Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) was first reported for V 4 AlC 3 bulks. • An ultralow overpotential of 253 mV at 10 mA cm−2 is realized. • V 4 AlC 3 bulks show very stable without degradation for more than 100 h. • V 4 AlC 3 bulks can be considered a new type of high active catalyst for OER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique thermogenic capacity of brown adipocyte makes it an attractive target for antiobesity treatments. Several epigenetic regulators can control brown adipocyte development. In this study, we show that SIRT5, a member of the sirtuins, is required for brown adipocyte differentiation and essential for brown adipogenic gene activation in vitro. Furthermore, we find out that knockdown of SIRT5 reduces intracellular α-ketoglutarate concentration, which leads to elevated H3K9me2 and H3K9me3 levels at promoter regions of Pparγ and Prdm16 loci. Finally, we discover that SIRT5 knockout mice on the Sv129 background exhibit less browning capacity in subcutaneous white adipose tissue compared with controls and show apparent cold intolerance, suggesting that SIRT5 can modulate the browning process in vivo. Thus, our study uncovers a new biological function of SIRT5 in brown adipocyte differentiation and a mechanism by which SIRT5 regulates brown adipogenic gene activation at least partly through an indirect effect on histone modifications. Our study extends the linkage between epigenetics and cell differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional black phosphorus (phosphorene) has drawn much attention in recent years due to its excellent electronic and optical properties. In this manuscript, we employ ab initio calculations to investigate the structural origin of the phosphorene/perovskite heterostructure. The calculations suggest that the chemical stability and the mechanical stability depend on the surface terminations, and the mechanical stability of the phosphorene/perovskite heterojunction should be further improved. The weak interactions between the P atoms in the phosphorene and the under-coordinated Pb atoms at the perovskite surfaces, as well as the weak interfacial charge transfer characters, are proposed to be mainly responsible for the moderate heterostructure stability. Suggestions to improve the stability of the heterojunction are provided. This study helps the fundamental understanding of the interaction between the phosphorene and the halide perovskite materials, and could provide a foundation for the better understanding of the low-dimensional materials in perovskite-based optoelectronic devices. Image 1 • The phosphorene/perovskite heterostructures are determined. • Excellent mismatch is obtained to acquire the heterostructure. • The properties are dependent on the surface terminations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the dimensions and drivers of entrepreneurial perceptions in the pursuit of emerging e-business opportunities for traditional (or offline) firms. This study introduces the subjectivist theory of entrepreneurship into the IS research context, and identifies three dimensions that make up entrepreneurial perceptions: collaboration perception, planning perception, and operation perception. The authors tested the proposed research model using structural equation modeling (SEM) with survey data collected from 203 firms in China. Results reveal that external pressures and IT infrastructure maturity are positively and significantly related to entrepreneurial perceptions. The results also suggest that IT infrastructure maturity has stronger effects on collaboration perception and planning perception than external pressures. This paper provides clear guidance for entrepreneurs to understand the three entrepreneurial perceptions for emerging e-business opportunity discovery and the driving forces to the entrepreneurial perceptions. Highlights • This study identifies three dimensions of entrepreneurial perceptions in the pursuit of e-business opportunities. • Data was collected from 203 manufacturing and service firms in China. • Results suggest that external pressures and IT infrastructure maturity influence entrepreneurial perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Two-dimensional (2D) MXenes such as Ti 3 C 2 , Ti 2 C, Mo 2 C, and Mo 1.33 C have shown excellent electrochemical performances as supercapacitor electrodes, and the exploration of new and/or high-capacity MXene-based supercapacitor electrode materials is an active field. In this work, 2D multi-layered V 4 C 3 MXene has been synthesized by selectively etching Al from V 4 AlC 3 and it shows a high capacitance of 209 F g−1 at 2 mV s−1, good rate performance, and stable long cyclic performance with capacitance retention rate of 97.23% after 10000 cycles at 10 A g−1 in 1 M H 2 SO 4. Importantly, the pseudocapacitance (∼100.1 F g−1) accounts for about 37% of the total capacity (∼268.5 F g−1) for V 4 C 3 MXene electrode. Therefore, the high specific capacitance of V 4 C 3 MXene is not only due to their wide interlayer spacing (∼0.466 nm), large specific surface areas (∼31.35 m2 g−1) and pore volumes (∼0.047 cm3 g−1), and good hydrophilicity but also attributed to the abundant valence states of vanadium (+2, +3, and +4). The high rate performance and excellent cycling stability of V 4 C 3 MXene electrodes are mainly attributed to the high electronic conductivity (1137 S m−1 at 300 K). The present work provides another promising MXene-based supercapacitor electrode material. Graphical abstract Here we report on the synthesis of two-dimensional multi-layered V 4 C 3 MXene and its electrochemical performances as supercapacitor electrode. Large interlayer spacing and specific surface area as well as excellent hydrophilicity are obtained in as-prepared V 4 C 3 MXene. As a supercapacitor electrode, it shows high capacitance (∼209 F g−1 at 2 mV s−1), good rate performance, and stable long cyclic performance (capacitance retention rate is 97.23% after 10000 cycles at 10 A g−1) in 1 M H 2 SO 4 electrolyte. Image 1 Highlights • Two-dimensional multi-layered V 4 C 3 MXene is synthesized by etching Al from V 4 AlC 3. • V 4 C 3 possesses large interlayer spacing and specific surface as well as good hydrophilicity and electrical conductivity. • As supercapacitors electrode materials, V4C3 shows excellent electrochemical performance in 1 M H 2 SO 4. • V 4 C 3 MXene is a typical pseudocapacitive electrode material for supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New anchoring groups are proposed to substitute the traditional anchoring group. • The anchoring group show impacts on the structures and properties of water splitting dyes. • The anchoring group effects on water splitting dye aggregates are determined. Dye-sensitized water splitting systems are considered to be a viable alternative to split the water and provide the clean energy. However, the current water-splitting dyes are limited mainly to those possessing the carboxylic acid anchoring group, which restraints the materials selection process. In this manuscript, we perform first principles calculations to explore new anchoring groups and understand the effects of novel anchoring groups via on the electronic and optical properties of the water-splitting dye molecules, based on an experimentally-validated water-splitting metal-free organic dye that possesses a carboxylic acid anchoring group. We find that the alternative anchoring groups offer comparable electronic and optical properties in the dyes compared with the carboxylic acid group, and address the importance of considering the novel anchoring groups in the design of the water-splitting devices. We expect that the performance of the water-splitting devices could be further improved by finding suitable anchoring groups that present superior light-absorbing and charge transfer properties in the water-splitting photoelectrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract MAX-phase compounds with layered structure have been investigated extensively due to their excellent metallic and ceramic properties. Among them, Cr 2 GaC and Cr 2 GaN possess the same crystal structure and similar electronic structure, whereas Cr 2 GaN undergoes a spin-density-wave transition around 170 K but Cr 2 GaC is Pauli paramagnetism without any magnetic transition. To understand what make these happen, we studied the crystal structure between 300 and 35 K for both Cr 2 GaC and Cr 2 GaN. As the temperature decreases, the lattice constants (both a and c) decline monotonically in Cr 2 GaC, while an abnormal negative thermal expansion of c axis was observed below 170 K in Cr 2 GaN. The increase of c/a induced by abnormal increase of c leads to the enhancement of localization of Cr 2 N plane and causes more Cr-3 d electrons confinement in Cr 2 N plane of Cr 2 GaN. This further facilitates the reconstruction of density of states near the Fermi surface and even forms the Fermi surface nesting, resulting in the spin-density-wave transition as well as the abrupt changes of resistivity, specific heat, and density of carriers around 170 K in Cr 2 GaN. Graphical abstract We reported microtopography as well as temperature dependent resistivity, specific heat, and density of carriers in isostructural Cr 2 GaC and Cr 2 GaN, and there exists considerable differences. To make it clear, we investigated the changes of structure with temperature between 300 and 35 K in both Cr 2 GaC and Cr 2 GaN. The anomalous increase of lattice constant c and c/a ratio were observed around 170 K in Cr 2 GaN, which is the inducement of spin-density-wave and the origin of anomalous changes in resistivity, specific heat, and density of carriers in Cr 2 GaN. Therefore, the biggest difference between Cr 2 GaC and Cr 2 GaN is just an anomalous structure change of Cr 2 GaN. Image 1 Highlights • We firstly reported the negative thermal expansion of c axis below 170 K in Cr 2 GaN, leading to an anomalous increase of c / a. • Differences were observed in microtopography, resistivity, specific heat, and density of carriers between Cr 2 GaC and Cr 2 GaN. • Anomalous structure changes at 170 K cause the reconstruction of density of states near Fermi surface in metallic Cr 2 GaN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) is a promising technique for preparing high-quality heterostructure materials to achieve high electrochemical performance. Moreover, the materials obtained by ESD possesses well-dispersed, bonder-free and easy-control advantages. Herein, we firstly report that 1T MoS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x heterostructure material is successfully constructed by few-layer 1T MoS 2 and Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene through ESD. The construction of heterostructure by high electrostatic fields is able to solve problem of agglomeration of layered materials, improve conductivity and stabilize 1T MoS 2 to realize outstanding electrochemical performance of supercapacitor. As expected, the binder-free 1T MoS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x heterostructure displays an excellent specific capacitance (1198 mF cm−2 at 3 mA cm−2), a high rate performance (45% as current density from 3 to 20 mA cm−2) and long-cycle life (73.8% capacity retention after 7000 cycles at 20 mA cm−2). More interestingly, a simple and efficient route to prepare 2D/2D heterostructure electrode for storing energy can be extended to other materials. [Display omitted] • The few-layer 1T MoS 2 is synthetized by hydrothermal and ultrasonic. • The heterostructure of 1T MoS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x @NF is prepared by ESD technology. • The heterostructure displays high capacitance of 1198 mF cm−2 at 3 mA cm−2. • The heterostructures with various concentrations MoS 2 show different performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The magneto‐optical properties of conduction electrons in InSb in Voigt geometry at oblique incidence angles are explored. In parallel magnetic field, the oblique incidence reflectance exhibits high nonreciprocity, while the transmittance remains reciprocal. This phenomenology, combined with the unique magnetoplasmonic properties of InSb (high electron mobility, low effective mass, and temperature‐tunable bulk plasma frequency), allows the design of a simple and high‐performance THz optical isolator that works directly with linearly polarized light. It is demonstrated that the isolation power of the device exceeds 35 dB with the insertion loss of only −6.2 dB. The simplicity of the isolator design is unmatched among the proposed THz isolator concepts to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The network theory is widely applied to improve the reliability of a complex electromechanical system. In this application, system reliability assessment with network theory has been paid a great deal of attention. Because of instrument malfunctions, staff omissions, imperfect inspection strategies, and complex structures, field failure data are often subject to interval censoring, making the holistic reliability assessment becomes a difficult task. Most traditional methods assume reliability of critical components or partial reliability as system reliability, which may cause a large bias in system reliability estimation. This paper proposes a novel method to evaluate and predict the system reliability of a complex electromechanical system subject to the insufficient fault data problem from a network perspective. First, the system modeling based on network theory is developed to describe the topology of a holistic system. Second, interval‐valued intuitionistic hesitant fuzzy number is proposed in order to solve insufficient data for single component. Then, a new measure—comprehensive reliability—that can reflect the reliability of nodes in combination with functional properties and topological properties, which are formulated by failure data and network model, respectively, is constructed for system reliability assessment. Subsequently, an improved system reliability model based on percolation theory is given in terms of comprehensive reliability of nodes. Finally, to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, a simulation and a real case study for traction system are implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Clark-Ocone formula in the theory of discrete-time chaotic calculus holds only for square integrable functionals of discrete-time normal noises. In this paper, we aim at extending this formula to generalized functionals of discrete-time normal noises. Let Z be a discrete-time normal noise that has the chaotic representation property. We first prove a result concerning the regularity of generalized functionals of Z. Then, we use the Fock transform to define some fundamental operators on generalized functionals of Z and apply the abovementioned regularity result to prove the continuity of these operators. Finally, we establish the Clark-Ocone formula for generalized functionals of Z and show its application results, which include the covariant identity result and the variant upper bound result for generalized functionals of Z. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to introduce a novel weakness measure based on Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Hesitant Fuzzy Choquet Integral (IVIHFCI), and to illustrate the applicability of the proposed weakness measure to the identification problem for weak component of complex electromechanical systems. First, the definition of weak component, which has a great impact on system performance, especially on system reliability during actual operation, is proposed along with the comparison of critical component. Then, the properties of components, such as reliability measures, centrality measures and failure consequence, are pre-chosen in terms of the holistic topological network and historical fault data. However, complete records of failure data, such as a component for a same car of a same high-speed train, are in shortage due to special structural designs of the holistic electromechanical system and complex operating environments. The proposed Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Hesitant Fuzzy Number (IVIHFN) is used to solve the problem of insufficient data of single component when the properties of components are calculated. Subsequently, IVIHFCI-based weakness measure, which takes into account the various attributes of components, is proposed to integrate IVIHFNs of all nodes' properties and then, identify weak components. Finally, an illustrative example is provided for illustration-of-method purposes and to demonstrate difference between the proposed weakness measure used for weak component and the existing measures which are used to identify critical components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Annexin A3 (ANXA3), a member of Annexin family, is reported to mediate membrane transport and cancer development. However, the effect of ANXA3 on osteoclast formation and bone metabolism is still unclear. In this study, we found that knockdown of ANXA3 can significantly inhibit receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast formation through NF-κB signaling. ANXA3 downregulation abrogated the expression of osteoclast-specific genes, including Acp5, Mmp9 and Ctsk in osteoclast precursors. Moreover, lentiviral of shRNA against ANXA3 reversed the bone loss in osteoporosis using ovariectomized mice model. Mechanistically, we found that ANXA3 directly bound to RANK and TRAF6 to accelerate osteoclast differentiation by promoting their transcription and limiting degradation. In conclusion, we propose a fundamentally novel RANK-ANXA3-TRAF6 complex to effectively modulate the formation and differentiation of osteoclast to manipulate bone metabolism. The ANXA3-targeted therapeutic strategy may provide new insight for bone degrading-related diseases prevention and treatment. • ANXA3 promotes RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation. • ANXA3 silencing relieves the bone loss in OVX mice. • ANXA3 directly binds to RANK and TRAF6, promoting their expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the negative impact of component importance measures based on system reliability theory and centrality measures based on complex networks theory, there is an attempt to provide improved centrality measures (ICMs) construction method with fuzzy integral for measuring the importance of components in electromechanical systems in this paper. ICMs are the meaningful extension of centrality measures and component importance measures, which consider influences on function and topology between components to increase importance measures usefulness. Our work makes two important contributions. First, we propose a novel integration method of component importance measures to define ICMs based on Choquet integral. Second, a meaningful fuzzy integral is first brought into the construction comprehensive measure by fusion multi-ICMs and then identification of important components which could give consideration to the function of components and topological structure of the whole system. In addition, the construction method of ICMs and comprehensive measure by integration multi-CIMs based on fuzzy integral are illustrated with a holistic topological network of bogie system that consists of 35 components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has been reported to associate with increased cancer risk in several cancers. However, the role of MIF in breast cancer (BC) susceptibility remains unknown. For the first time, we conducted a case-control study to assess the potential association of three common MIF gene variants (rs755622, rs1803976, rs11548059) with BC susceptibility in Chinese women. Total 560 breast cancer patients and 583 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals were recruited from Northwest China, and the DNA was genotyped by Sequenom MassARRAY. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were computed to estimate the associations. We found that C/G, C/C, and C/G-C/C genotype carriers in MIF rs755622 have a significantly increased risk of BC (C/G vs. G/G: OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.07-1.75, P = 0.014; C/C vs. GG: OR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.06-3.79, P = 0.029; C/G-C/C vs. G/G: OR = 1.42 95% CI = 1.11-1.80, P = 0.004). Further analyses indicate that the BC risk is associated with Ki-67 status, and the rs755622 polymorphism increases breast cancer risk among elder patients (≥49 years). There is no association between BC risk and other two polymorphisms (rs1803976 and rs11548059) by overall analysis and stratified analysis. In conclusion, MIF rs755622 polymorphism increases BC susceptibility in Chinese population, especially among elder patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the association between exercise and glaucoma in a South Korean population-based sample. Design: Population-based, cross-sectional study. Participants: A total of 11,246 subjects, 40 years and older who underwent health care assessment as part of the 2008–2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Methods: Variables regarding the duration (total minutes per week), frequency (days per week), and intensity of exercise (vigorous, moderate exercise and walking) as well as glaucoma prevalence were ascertained for 11,246 survey participants. Demographic, comorbidity, and health-related behavior information was obtained via interview. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the association between the exercise-related parameters and odds of a glaucoma diagnosis. Main outcome measure(s): Glaucoma defined by International Society for Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology criteria. Results: Overall, 336 (2.7%) subjects met diagnostic criteria for glaucomatous disease. After adjustment for potential confounding variables, subjects engaged in vigorous exercise 7 days per week had higher odds of having glaucoma compared with those exercising 3 days per week (Odds Ratio [OR] 3.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16–9.54). High intensity of exercise, as categorized by the guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), was also associated with greater glaucoma prevalence compared with moderate intensity of exercise (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.03–2.33). There was no association between other exercise parameters including frequency of moderate exercise, walking, muscle strength exercise, flexibility training, or total minutes of exercise per week, and the prevalence of glaucoma. In sub-analyses stratifying by gender, the association between frequency of vigorous exercise 7 days per week and glaucoma diagnosis remained significant in men (OR 6.05, 95% CI 1.67–21.94) but not in women (OR 0.96 95% CI: 0.23–3.97). A U-shaped association between exercise intensity and glaucoma prevalence was noted in men (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.09–2.69 for low intensity versus moderate intensity; OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.25–3.85 for high intensity versus moderate intensity). Conclusion: In a South Korean population sample, daily vigorous exercise was associated with higher glaucoma prevalence. In addition, the intensity of exercise was positively associated with glaucoma diagnosis in men but not women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the effects of chemical doping on thermoelectric properties of metal-based thermoelectric materials Sn 1− x M x CCo 3 ( M = Ag, In, Ge, Pb, Sb, Te, and Bi) with antiperovskite structure. Compared to parent compound SnCCo 3 , both Seebeck coefficient ( S ) and figure of merit ( ZT ) can be effectively enhanced by hole doping, while a decreased S and ZT appear in equivalent- and electron-doped SnCCo 3 . Among all the doped samples, the maximum ZT value of 0.045(1) is obtained in Sn 0.95 Ag 0.05 CCo 3 , which is about 50% larger than that of parent compound SnCCo 3 (ZT ∼ 0.03). This enhanced ZT is mainly attributed to the increased S induced by locally modified density of states near Fermi level. In addition, our optimized ZT value (∼0.045, at 235 K) is relatively large compared with other typical low-temperature thermoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we systematically investigated the alloying effects on structural, magnetic, and electrical/thermal transport properties in MAX-phase Cr 2− x M x GeC ( M = Ti, V, Mn, Fe, and Mo). The alloying of M with the larger covalent radius than that of Cr increases lattice constants ( a and c ) as well as unit cell volume (V) of Cr 2− x M x GeC, and vice versa. However, the c / a ratio monotonously decreases with increasing alloying level x , which is due to a larger change of a than that of c . The Pauli paramagnetic ground state of Cr 2 GeC is confirmed by magnetic measurements and low-temperature specific heat analysis. Interestingly, ferromagnetism can be introduced in Cr 2− x M x GeC by doping magnetic elements (Mn and Fe) and non-magnetic elements (Ti and Mo), which may be due to a reconstruction of the Fermi surface caused by chemical doping. All our samples show a metal-like electrical transport behavior, and the residual resistivity ratio decreases with increasing alloying concentration, which are mainly attributed to the disorders induced by alloying. The change of electron specific heat coefficient is consistent with the change of density state of Fermi surface in Cr 2− x M x GeC. In addition, solid-solution scattering is the dominant factor for the behavior of thermal conductivity k ( T ) in Cr 2− x V x GeC, while enhanced phonon scattering induced by alloying is the decisive factor for the change of k ( T ) in Cr 2− x Mo x GeC. The positive Seebeck coefficient of Cr 2− x V x GeC and Cr 2− x Mo x GeC may be close related to the decrease of structural anisotropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a practical system which can provide a textured full-body avatar within 3 s. It uses sixteen RGB-depth (RGB-D) cameras, ten of which are arranged to capture the body, while six target the important head region. The configuration of the multiple cameras is formulated as a constraint-based minimum set space-covering problem, which is approximately solved by a heuristic algorithm. The camera layout determined can cover the full-body surface of an adult, with geometric errors of less than 5 mm. After arranging the cameras, they are calibrated using a mannequin before scanning real humans. The 16 RGB-D images are all captured within 1 s, which both avoids the need for the subject to attempt to remain still for an uncomfortable period, and helps to keep pose changes between different cameras small. All scans are combined and processed to reconstruct the photorealistic textured mesh in 2 s. During both system calibration and working capture of a real subject, the high-quality RGB information is exploited to assist geometric reconstruction and texture stitching optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐quality few‐layer M4C3Tx (M = V, Nb, Ta) MXenes are very important for applications and are necessary for clarifying their physicochemical properties. However, the difficulty in etching for themselves and the existence of MC/MC1−δ and M‐Al alloy impurities in their M4AlC3 precursors seriously hinder the achievement of defect‐free few‐layer M4C3Tx (M = V, Nb, Ta) MXenes nanosheets. Herein, three different defect‐free few‐layer M4C3Tx (M = V, Nb, Ta) nanosheets are obtained by using a universal synthesis strategy of calcination, selective etching, intercalation, and exfoliation. Comprehensive characterizations confirm their defect‐free few‐layer structure feature, large interlayer spacing (1.702–1.955 nm), types of functional groups (–OH, –F, –O), and abundant valance states (M5+, M4+, M3+, M2+, M0). M4C3Tx (M = V, Nb, Ta) free‐standing films obtained by vacuum filtration of few‐layer M4C3Tx inks show good hydrophilia, high thermostability, and conductivity. A roadmap on synthesis of defect‐free few‐layer M4C3Tx (M = V, Nb, Ta) nanosheets are proposed and three key points are summarized. This work provides detailed guidelines for the synthesis of other defect‐free few‐layer MXenes nanosheets, but also will stimulate extensive functional explorations for M4C3Tx (M = V, Nb, Ta) MXenes nanosheets in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal selenides have garnered considerable attention in the field of electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, their OER performances still lag behind those of Ir-based materials due to limited exposed active sites, inefficient electron transfer and inadequate stability. In this study, we have successfully synthesized nitrogen-doped NiSe2 nanosheets, which exhibit high efficiency and long-term stability for the OER, requiring only 320 mV to reach a current density of 10 mA cm−2. The nitrogen doping plays a crucial role in effectively regulating the work function and semiconductor characteristics of NiSe2, which facilitates the electron transport and optimizes the catalytic sites. Furthermore, the NiSe2 nanosheets present a larger surface area with more exposed active sites, thus resulting in exceptional OER catalytic activity. The nitrogen-doped NiSe2 nanosheets also display superior stability, maintaining a sustained current density throughout an 8-h OER operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the synthesis, crystal structure, magnetic and electrical/thermal transport properties of antiperovskite nitrides ZnNFe 3 and AlNFe 3 . Both compounds display ferromagnetic (FM) ground state and transform into the paramagnetic phase at 762 K and 770 K, respectively. At FM phase, for ZnNFe 3 and AlNFe 3 , the saturated magnetizations at 5 K are 163 and 188 emu/g, which is the largest value among all the antiperovskite compounds; the minimal coercive forces ( H C ) are as low as 18.6 and 16.3 Oe; the low H C is almost constant covering a broad temperature range of 5–650 K. These characteristics indicate that both ZnNFe 3 and AlNFe 3 may be promising candidates of high-temperature soft magnetic material. In addition, electrons are dominant carriers owing to the negative Seebeck coefficient, the Fermi-liquid behavior is well presented via the investigation of low-temperature electrical transport, and the lattice thermal conductivity estimated by Wiedemann–Franz law is the main part of total thermal conductivity at high temperatures for both ZnNFe 3 and AlNFe 3 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The M-LSCSFN for an HSEMU system describes system structure and functions. • The layer reliability is calculated based on MPs using specific operators. • The M-LSCSFN reliability is estimated with the layer reliability. • The HSEMU system reliability is evaluated in terms of the M-LSCSFN reliability. • A practical case is shown to demonstrate the proposed method. This paper proposes a new reliability assessment method for a high-speed electric multiple unit (HSEMU) system based on the expanded multi-state flow network. An HSEMU system is abstracted as a multi-layer multi-source multi-commodity multi-state flow network (M-LSCSFN), where minimum maintenance units (MMUs) and three types of connections form nodes and edges in different layers, and functional characteristics are regarded as network parameters. In the M-LSCSFN, multi layers describe different types of connections and their relationships; multi-source and multi-commodity reflect system features; whereas multi-state flow indicates the dynamic realization of system functions. Considering that an HSEMU system can be divided into multiple independent holistic functions, each holistic function has a corresponding sub-M-LSCSFN, and each layer of this sub-M-LSCSFN is a multi-source multi-commodity multi-state flow network (M-SCSFN). In order to assess system reliability, layer reliability (i.e. , the M-SCSFN reliability) is first defined as the probability that the amounts of each commodity transmitted successfully from source nodes to sink nodes will not be less than the required demands. A corresponding algorithm is proposed to calculate layer reliability in terms of minimal paths (MPs) using the quick inclusion-exclusion technique (QIE). The sub-M-LSCSFN reliability is subsequently calculated based on the layer reliability and the conditional relationships among different layers. Based on these, the HSEMU system reliability is defined as the ability of a system to complete specified multiple functions under stated conditions for a specified period of time, and can be evaluated using the reliability of sub-M-LSCSFNs via the proposed operator. Finally, a case study of the "Fuxing" HSEMU system is analyzed to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method and algorithm the effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated in an HSEMU system reliability assessment case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin D deficiency is a widespread health problem globally and vitamin D deficiency/ insufficiency in pregnancy is a risk factor for preeclampsia, a hypertensive disorder in human pregnancy. Vitamin D elicits its biological effects through binding to its receptor VDR. In the present study, we determined maternal vascular expression of VDR and hnRNPC1/C2, a native repressor of VDR, in subcutaneous adipose tissue from women with normal pregnancy and preeclampsia. Maternal antenatal and postnatal vitamin D levels were measured. We found that hnRNPC1/C2 expression was markedly increased, while VDR expression was markedly reduced, in maternal vessel endothelium and smooth muscle cells from women with preeclampsia compared to that from normal pregnant controls. Reduced VDR expression was relevant to low maternal antenatal and postnatal vitamin D levels in women with preeclampsia. Using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) as an endothelial model, we further investigated the role of hnRNPC1/C2-mediated VDR expression in endothelial cells, and tested effect of hnRNPC1/C2 inhibition on endothelial response to bioactive vitamin D, 1,25(OH) 2 D 3. Our results showed that inhibition of hnRNPC1/C2 by hnRNPC1/C2 siRNA resulted in not only an increase in endothelial VDR expression, but further improved endothelial response to 1,25(OH) 2 D 3. These findings indicate that aberrant hnRNPC1/C2 expression may contribute to reduced vascular expression of VDR in women with preeclampsia and suggest that hnRNPC1/C2 could be a target for improving vascular endothelial cell response to vitamin D. • Increased hnNRPC1/C2 expression is associated with reduced VDR expression in maternal vessels in women with preeclampsia. • Low maternal vitamin D levels is associated with reduced VDR expression in maternal vessel endothelium in preeclampsia. • Inhibition of hnNRPC1/C2 expression results in upregulation of VDR expression in endothelial cells. • Inhibition of hnNRPC1/C2 expression promotes endothelial response to vitamin D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]