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We study whether fund managers' industry experience is an important source of value creation in hedge fund activism. We find that the targets of industry-expert fund managers realize higher activism announcement returns and better operating performance, particularly when fund managers' industry expertise is more valuable for targets. These targets also engage in more focused acquisition and divestiture activities in industries where fund managers have experience, allocate more employees to these industries, and cut investments more in the postacquisition period. The superior performance of targets of industry-expert fund managers is robust to controlling for the endogeneity concern and the attrition bias. KEYWORDS acquisition, announcement return, hedge fund activism, hedge fund manager, industry experience, operating performance, target, 1 INTRODUCTION The literature shows that targets of hedge fund activism realize positive and significant abnormal returns around Schedule 13D filings. However, the source of this value gain in hedge [...]

A protocol for the electrooxidative [3+2] annulation to generate indolo[2,3-b]indoles in an undivided cell is reported. It exhibits good yields with excellent regioselectivities and tolerates various functional groups without external chemical oxidants. Cyclic voltammetry and density functional theory calculations indicate that the [3+2] annulation is initiated by the simultaneous anodic oxidation of indole and aniline derivatives, and the step to determine the rate relies on the combination of radical cations.

In this work, the electrochemical CO oxidation (CO-OR) reaction catalyzed by Rh-N-doped graphene (Rh-N4-C) was studied via first-principles calculations with both the fix potential method (FPM) and the charge neutral method (CNM). The commonly used CNM assumes a zero net charge in the system and ignores the effect of the applied potential to the total charge, which could be important in real electrochemical reactions, while FPM includes such fixed potential effects by automatically adjusting the total charge of the system to match the applied electrode potential. We made a comprehensive comparison between these two methods to explore the fixed potential effects in the CO-OR reaction. Both methods predicted that Rh-N4-C has a relatively low overpotential for the CO-OR, smaller than that of the Pt electrode. It is found that the molecule adsorption energy can be effectively modified by the applied voltage, instead of being a constant with the CNM. The fix potential effects on the reaction energy are analyzed and the observed trends can be well understood by a capacitor model. The difference in the potential of zero charge before and after a reaction step is found to play a key role in determining the potential effects. These results could be helpful to the design of catalysts for CO oxidation, as well as to the understanding of the potential effects on the catalytic process in real electrochemical reactions.

ABSTRACTIntroductionBladder storage dysfunction is associated with low quality of life in men and remains a challenging field in pharmacotherapy because of low persistence followed by patient-perceived lack of efficacy and adverse effects. The persistent desire for the development of novel pharmacotherapy is evident, leading to numerous research efforts based on its pathophysiology.Areas coveredThis review describes the pathophysiology, current pharmacotherapeutic strategies, and emerging novel drugs for male bladder storage dysfunction. The section on emerging pharmacotherapy provides an overview of current research, focusing on high-potential target molecules, particularly those being evaluated in ongoing clinical trials.Expert opinionAs pharmacotherapies targeting alpha-adrenergic, beta-adrenergic, and muscarinic receptors – the current primary targets for treating male bladder storage dysfunction – have demonstrated insufficient efficacy and side effects, researchers are exploring various alternative molecular targets. Numerous targets have been identified as central to regulating bladder afferent nerve activity, and their pharmacological effects and potential have been evaluated in animal-based experiments. However, there is a limited number of clinical trials for these new pharmacotherapies, and they have not demonstrated clear superiority over current treatments. Further research is needed to develop new effective pharmacotherapies for bladder storage dysfunction in men.

Single-crystal semiconductor-based photocatalysts exposing unique crystallographic facets show promising applications in energy and environmental technologies; however, crystal facet engineering through solid-state synthesis for photocatalytic overall water splitting is still challenging. Herein, we develop a novel crystal facet engineering strategy through solid-state recrystallization to synthesize uniform SrTiO3single crystals exposing tailored {111} facets. The presynthesized low-crystalline SrTiO3precursors enable the formation of well-defined single crystals through kinetically improved crystal structure transformation during solid-state recrystallization process. By employing subtle Al3+ions as surface morphology modulators, the crystal surface orientation can be precisely tuned to a controlled percentage of {111} facets. The photocatalytic overall water splitting activity increases with the exposure percentage of {111} facets. Owing to the outstanding crystallinity and favorable anisotropic surface structure, the SrTiO3single crystals with 36.6% of {111} facets lead to a 3-fold enhancement of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rates up to 1.55 mmol·h–1in a stoichiometric ratio of 2:1 than thermodynamically stable SrTiO3enclosed with isotropic {100} facets.

Lebrunia bushaieStaner is an endangered medicinal plant that is endemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In this study, its current and future suitable distribution habitats were assessed using two Global Circulation Models (GCMs) HadGEM3-GC3.1-LL” (Third Hadley Centre Global Environment Model in the Global Coupled Configuration 3.1) and MIROC6 (Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate) under twoShared Socioeconomic Pathways (ssp) scenarios, ssp126 and ssp245 at the horizon 2050. Potential habitat predictions for L. bushaiewere performed using MaxEnt software. The area under the curve (AUC˃ 0.90) revealed a high level of prediction for the current and future scenarios. Seasonal Temperature (Bio4), and isothermality (Bio3) were the variables with the greatest influence on the distribution of L. bushaie. The current distribution that is highly suitable for this plant corresponds to the habitat in which this species was inventoried. Furthermore, the projected future suitable area of L. bushaiebased HadGEM3-GC3.1-LL and MIROC6 is expected to increase under the ssp126 and ssp245 scenarios by 2050.

This study develops a new type of C3-symmetric triphenylene triimide (TTI) bearing different oligo(ethylene glycol) side chains via imide linkages. By exploiting the unique TTI molecule as a building block, supramolecular polymerization is explored based on π–π stacking and hydrophilic/hydrophobic interactions in various solvents and the rates of heating/cooling process. The molecular chirality of the TTI unimer induces a preferential helicity formation in fibrous structures, while the achiral side chain allows the formation of linear nanofibers. The stacking type of supramolecular polymerization is highly dependent on the point chirality of the side chains, as indicated by the spectroscopic analyses, including ultraviolet–visible (UV/vis) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy with atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). Interestingly, the supramolecular polymerization does not occur in its monomeric state due to the generation of radical anions from the imide groups upon UV irradiation. In contrast, the fibrous structure in the assembled state is maintained, owing to the intermolecular interaction. This study provides a new direction in the phototriggered control of the supramolecular chiral assembly.

Background:: Stem cell-based transplantation therapy holds promise for peripheral nerve injury treatment, but adult availability is limited. A cell culture protocol utilizing a small-molecule cocktail effectively reprogrammed stem cells from apical papilla (SCAPs) into neural progenitor cells, subsequently differentiating into neuron-like cells. This study aims to evaluate neural-induced SCAPs, with and without small-molecule cocktail, for sciatic nerve repair potential. Methods:: A scaffold-free cell sheet technique was used to construct a three-dimensional cell sheet. Subsequently, this cell sheet was carefully rolled into a tube and seamlessly inserted into a collagen conduit, which was then transplanted into a 5 mm sciatic nerve injury rat model. Functional sciatic nerve regeneration was evaluated via toe spread test, walking track analysis and gastrocnemius muscle weight. Additionally, degree of sciatic nerve regeneration was determined based on total amount of myelinated fibers. Results:: Small-molecule cocktail induced SCAPs enhanced motor function recovery, evident in improved sciatic function index and gastrocnemius muscle retention. We also observed better host myelinated fiber retention than undifferentiated SCAPs or neural-induced SCAPs without small-molecule cocktail. However, clusters of neuron-like cell bodies (surrounded by sparse myelinated fibers) were found in all cell sheet-implanted groups in the implantation region. This suggests that while the implanted cells likely survived transplantation, integration was poor and would likely hinder long-term recovery by occupying the space needed for host nerve fibers to project through. Conclusion:: Neural-induced SCAPs with small-molecule cocktail demonstrated promising benefits for nerve repair; further research is needed to improve its integration and optimize its potential for long-term recovery.

In addition to the classical resistance mechanisms, receptor tyrosine-protein kinase AXL is a main mechanism of resistance to third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) osimertinib in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Developing an effective AXL inhibitor is important to sensitize osimertinib in clinical application. In this study we assessed the efficacy of brigatinib, a second-generation of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-TKI, as a novel AXL inhibitor, in overcoming acquired resistance to osimertinib induced by AXL activation. We established an AXL-overexpression NSCLC cell line and conducted high-throughput screening of a small molecule chemical library containing 510 anti-tumor drugs. We found that brigatinib potently inhibited AXL expression, and that brigatinib (0.5 μM) significantly enhanced the anti-tumor efficacy of osimertinib (1 μM) in AXL-mediated osimertinib-resistant NSCLC cell lines in vitro. We demonstrated that brigatinib had a potential ability to bind AXL kinase protein and further inhibit its downstream pathways in NSCLC cell lines. Furthermore, we revealed that brigatinib might decrease AXL expression through increasing K48-linked ubiquitination of AXL and promoting AXL degradation in HCC827OR cells and PC-9OR cells. In AXL-high expression osimertinib-resistant PC-9OR and HCC827OR cells derived xenograft mouse models, administration of osimertinib (10 mg·kg−1·d−1) alone for 3 weeks had no effect, and administration of brigatinib (25 mg·kg−1·d−1) alone caused a minor inhibition on the tumor growth; whereas combination of osimertinib and brigatinib caused marked tumor shrinkages. We concluded that brigatinib may be a promising clinical strategy for enhancing osimertinib efficacy in AXL-mediated osimertinib-resistant NSCLC patients.

Permanent magnet synchronous motors are widely employed in various fields due to their excellent efficiency and output characteristics. However, magnets are susceptible to irreversible demagnetization faults (IDF), where their magnetic properties degrade due to stresses such as external magnetic fields and high temperature condition. IDF can deteriorate motor performance and even lead to catastrophic failures like control failures. Therefore, there is a need to study diagnostic techniques for IDF. Various diagnostic techniques have been proposed. However, due to the uneven distribution of stresses, such as heat and magnetic flux, on the motor magnets, IDF exhibit non-uniformity along the z-axis direction. Most of fault detection method cannot provide diagnostics for individual magnet segments. In this paper, a fault diagnosis technique using planar search coils attached to the surface of the motor's stator is introduced. The planar search coils can be fabricated in various shapes, allowing for the arrangement of multiple coils along the z-axis of the motor to acquire signals based on the flux linkage on each coil. This technique is validated through finite element method and experiments. As a result, it is confirmed that the proposed technique allows for fault diagnosis in both the non-excited and excited states using the acquired signals.

Static eccentricity fault (SEF) is mainly caused by incorrect fabrication of the motor and external mechanical stress from the outside, while permanent magnet irreversible demagnetization fault (IDF) is mainly caused by an increase in the temperature of the motor when instantaneous overcurrent is applied. These faults are generally diagnosed through a vibration sensor and an additional hardware device. However, the hardware for vibration measurement is expensive, and the reliability of the vibration sensor is also low due to the influence of electrical noise generated by the high switching frequency of the inverter. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, this article proposes a fault diagnosis method for a six-phase interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) using the voltage angle calculated by the inverter in real-time without additional hardware configuration. First, an analysis of voltage angle and electrical parameter changes due to fault is performed using the finite element method (FEM). Next, fault diagnosis using the proposed voltage angle is verified through experiment. Finally, we compare the fault diagnosis accuracy of the multivariate regression analysis (MRA) model and the artificial neural network (ANN) model using the voltage angle.

The Cu/SiO2catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation and tested for hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol in a fixed bed reactor. The deactivation mechanism of the catalysts was investigated by characterization of H2-TPR, ICP-OES, XPS, TG, Raman and TEM. Under the conditions of atmospheric pressure, reaction temperature of 140 °C, mass space velocity of 2.4 h–1and the molar ratio of hydrogen to furfural of 9.7, the furfural conversion was higher than 97% in the first 5 h. However, the conversion of furfural decreased rapidly from 96% to 32% after 21 h of reaction, indicating that Cu/SiO2catalyst was rapidly deactivated. The factors for the deactivation of Cu/SiO2catalyst were the agglomeration and sintering of the active component copper. Moreover, the carbon deposition on the catalyst surface resulted in the covered active site Cu0.

We examine whether outside directors with government experience add value to their firms. We find that government directors are more likely to miss board meetings and that their appointment announcements are greeted more negatively. Firms with government directors also experience poorer operating performance and more negative merger announcement returns, although their mergers are less likely to be challenged by antitrust authorities. These adverse valuation effects are largely alleviated when firms have large government sales, when they operate in regulated industries, or when government directors are politically connected. Using close gubernatorial election outcomes as a natural experiment and an instrumental variables approach to control for endogeneity bias do not change the results., The number of publicly listed firms that appoint former government officials as their outside directors has increased dramatically in recent decades. For example, while in 1990, only 31.47% of our [...]

Eccentricity fault in electrical motor causes increased noise and vibration, and degradation of motor characteristics. Thus, early detection of the eccentricity fault is required. Motor current signal analysis, a common fault detection method, may fail to detect eccentricity faults, depending on the type of eccentricity. This article proposes an eccentricity fault detection method using a new planar search coil (PSC). The model of PSC and the contribution of eccentricity to PSC are presented. PSC is a new type of search coil that generates a voltage signal from magnetic flux. The output signal of PSC is changed by the inductance deviation, a result of the rotor eccentricity. Finally, the experimental verification of fault detection using PSC is shown. The eccentricity fault detection method using PSC is proven to diagnose both dynamic eccentricity and static eccentricity faults.

In polymer semiconductor films, charge transport primarily occurs along the conjugated backbone, making the alignment of polymer chains crucial for superior electrical performance. This study focused on the fabrication of high-mobility organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on an ambipolar polymer semiconductor. Using simple directional solution processes, specifically off-center spin coating and bar-coating techniques, we successfully fabricated complementary-like inverter circuits. These OFETs, compared to their counterparts produced via conventional on-center spin coating, demonstrated enhanced ambipolar behavior and exhibited a heightened field-effect mobility of up to 4 cm2/Vs. Furthermore, by optimizing bar-coating conditions to achieve optimal alignment of the polymer chains, we developed a complementary-like inverter with a single-component active layer, demonstrating well-balanced p-channel and n-channel characteristics. The inverter showed an almost ideal switching point at half the supplied bias, with an impressive gain exceeding 30. Conventional organic semiconductors often encounter challenges, such as limited charge mobilities and suboptimal electrical performance. However, by implementing methods that optimize the alignment of polymer semiconductors, these limitations can be surpassed, thereby enhancing overall device characteristics. This allows for the realization of high-performance and economically viable printed and flexible electronic devices.

The macaque fossils, including mandible fragments, were discovered for the first time from the Taedong River Basin around Pyongyang (TRBP) (the Chongphadae Cave, Hwangju County; the Taehung Cave, Sangwon County; the Maeri Cave, Sungho County), the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which represent the first recognized occurrences of fossil M. mulattain DPRK. Although the only available skull specimens are the mandible including the teeth, the materials display some mandibular and dental feature combinations that might belong to the known species of Macaca mulatta. This discovery indicates that TRBP may be the richest area of Macacina fossils and an evolutionary center for macaques in DPRK. Radiometric dating of the Chongphadae Cave sediment Layer 12 and Layer 13 yielded 34770–27800 and 24980–21340 cal yr BP respectively.

The light environment affects the growth and morphology of vegetables grown in greenhouses. Although many studies have attempted to improve plant growth using spectrum conversion films (SCFs), their effects depend on the plant species, and the reasons are not clearly resolved. The objective of this study was to investigate the long-term effect of SCF on the growth, morphology, and photosynthetic activity of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapaL. ssp. pekinensis) and romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativaL. var. longifolia) plants. SCF used in this study absorbed 14.8% of low photosynthetic efficiency wavelengths (500–600 nm) and emitted 14.4% of high photosynthetic efficiency (600–700 nm) wavelengths than polyethylene film (PE). The leaf optical properties, chlorophyll content, leaf nitrogen content, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and photosynthetic rate of two leafy vegetables grown under PE and SCF were compared at 20 or 25 days after transplanting. The electron transport rates of photosystems II and I and the photosynthetic rates of Chinese cabbage grown under SCF were significantly increased compared to those grown under PE. The leaf dry weight and leaf area of Chinese cabbage grown under SCF were also significantly increased by 33.0% and 33.3%, respectively, compared to those grown under PE. However, the lettuce grown under SCF showed no significant differences in photosynthetic activity, growth, or morphological characteristics compared to those grown under PE. We concluded that the solar spectrum modified by SCF could help increase photosynthetic efficiency and improve the yield of Chinese cabbage but not lettuce.

Identifying novel strategies to prevent particulate matter (PM)-induced lung injury is crucial for the reduction of the morbidity of chronic respiratory diseases. The combined intervention represented by herbal formulae for simultaneously targeting multiple pathological processes can provide a more beneficial effect than the single intervention. The aim of this paper is therefore to design a safe and effective medicinal and edible Chinese herbs (MECHs) formula against PM-induced lung injury.

Abstract This study examines the effects of targets' institutional environments on bidders' earning management behavior around cross-border mergers. Earnings management is a widely used strategy for the bidder to reduce [...]

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). This study aimed to examine the effect of waist circumference (WC) on the risk for ESRD based on glycaemic status in a Korean population‐based sample. This cohort study with a 9.2‐year follow‐up period used a population‐based National Health Insurance Service health checkup database with approximately 10 585 852 participants who were followed up from 2009 to the time of ESRD diagnosis. WC was categorized into seven levels in 5‐cm increments, with Level 4 as the reference group. Glycaemic status was categorized into the following groups: normal fasting glucose (NFG), impaired fasting glucose (IFG), newly diagnosed T2DM, T2DM treated with ≤2 oral hypoglycaemic agents (OHAs) and diabetes treated with ≥3 OHAs or insulin. We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for ESRD according to WC values and glycaemic status of the participants. The study finally included 10 177 245 patients with a mean age of 47.1 (13.8) years. The study population included 5 604 446 men (55.1%) and 4 572 799 women (45.9%). In total, 8.3% (n= 877 143) of the study population had diabetes. During the mean follow‐up of 9.2 (1.0) years (93 554 951 person‐years of follow‐up), 23 031 individuals were newly diagnosed with ESRD. The ESRD risk increased in parallel with an increase in WC in participants without T2DM, that is, the NFG and IFG groups (adjusted HRs [95% CIs] of WC Levels 4, 5 and 6: 1.17 [1.09–1.26], 1.37 [1.25–1.51] and 1.84 [1.63–2.07] in the NFG group and 1.06 [0.97–1.16], 1.23 [1.10–1.38] and 1.80 [1.57–2.06] in the IFG group, respectively). In patients with T2DM, the risk for ESRD was significantly increased in those with a low WC (adjusted HRs [95% CIs] of WC Level 1: 2.23 [1.77–2.80], 3.18 [2.70–3.74] and 10.31 [9.18–11.59] in patients with newly diagnosed diabetes, patients on ≤2 OHAs and those on ≥3 OHAs or insulin, respectively). The association between WC and ESRD thus showed a J‐shaped pattern in patients with newly diagnosed T2DM and a U‐shaped pattern in those on ≤2 OHAs and on ≥3 OHAs or insulin. Central obesity substantially increases the risk of developing ESRD regardless of glycaemic status. The harmful effects of low WC only become significant with the progression of T2DM.

ObjectiveTo verify whether the area of the ONSAS (ONSASA) obtained by transorbital ultrasonography can be used to accurately evaluate the intracranial pressure (ICP).MethodsThe recorded indexes included the optic nerve diameter, the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD), the width of both sides of the ONSAS (ONSASW) at 3 mm from the optic nerve head and the entire ONSASA outlined between 3 and 7 mm. After exploring and comparing five models to describe the relationship between body mass index (BMI), mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), ONSASA and ICP, the best model was determined.ResultsIn all, 90 patients with neurological diseases undergoing continuous invasive ICP monitoring were included in the study. In the training group, the correlation coefficient for the association between the ICP and ONSASA (Pearson’s correlation r=0.953) was higher than that for the association of the ICP with the ONSD (r=0.672; p<0.0001) and ONSASW at 3 mm behind the globe (r=0.691; p<0.0001). In the training group, the weighting function for prediction of the ICP was as follows: non-invasive ICP=2.050×ONSASA−0.051×BMI +0.036*MABP−5.837. With 20 mm Hg as the cut-off point for a high or low ICP, the sensitivity and specificity of ONSASA predicting ICP was 1.00 and 0.92. Receiver operator curve analysis revealed that the calculated cut-off value for predicting elevated ICP was 19.96 (area under curve= 0.960, 95% CI 0.865 to 1.00).ConclusionMeasurement of the ONSASA using ultrasonography can serve as a practical method for rapid and non-invasive quantification for evaluating ICP through an accurate mathematical formula with the BMI and MABP considered as contributing parameters.Trial registration numberThe study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Study no ChiCTR2100045274).

Building a motor fault model through software-in-the-loop simulation (SILS) proposes the control state of the test object as an effective platform. Therefore, in this paper, the motor characteristics considering motor fault based on equations and numerical analysis are applied to the Matlab model. This presents the excellence of evaluating the characteristics of the motor that contributes to the vehicle characteristics in advance at the vehicle level simulation without directly manufacturing the motor.

From rate to temporal encoding, spiking information processing has demonstrated advantages across diverse neuromorphic applications. In the aspects of data capacity and robustness, multiplexing encoding outperforms alternative encoding schemes. In this work, we aim to implement a new class of multiplexing temporal encoders, patterning stimuli in multiple timescales to improve the information processing capability, and robustness of systems deployed in noisy environments. Benefitted by the internal reference frame using subthreshold membrane oscillation (SMO), the encoded spike patterns are less sensitive to the input noise, increasing the encoder’s robustness. Our design results in a tremendous saving on power consumption and silicon area compared with the power-hungry analog-to-digital converters. Furthermore, a working prototype of the multiplexing temporal encoder built based on an interspike interval (ISI) encoding scheme is implemented on a silicon chip using the standard 180-nm CMOS process. To the best of our knowledge, our introduced encoder demonstrates the first integrated circuit (IC) implementation of neural encoding with multiplexing topology. Finally, the accuracy and efficiency of our design are evaluated through standard machine learning benchmarks, including Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology (MNIST), Canadian Institute For Advanced Research (CIFAR)-10, Street View House Number (SVHN), and spectrum sensing in high-speed communication networks. While our multiplexing temporal encoder demonstrates a higher classification accuracy across all the benchmarks, the power consumption and dissipated energy per spike reach merely $2.6~\mu \text {W}$ and 95 fJ/spike, respectively, with an effective frame rate of 300 MHz. Compared with alternative encoding schemes, our multiplexing temporal encoder achieves at most 100% higher data capacity, 11.4% more accurate in classification, and 25% more robust against noise. Compared with the state-of-the-art designs, our work achieves up to $105 \times $ power efficiency without significantly increasing the silicon area.

In this work, the defect and doping properties of monolayer (ML) PdSe2were investigated from first-principles calculations. The calculated formation energies of the intrinsic defects indicate that the dominant defects are adatoms, followed by antisites, and then vacancies. The charge transition levels of the intrinsic defects are extremely deep. Although the screening of the substrate can shallow the defect levels, this effect is rather weak even though the substrate has a large dielectric constant. Therefore, the unintentional doping concentration in a ML PdSe2is expected to be very low. Tuning the carrier density in a ML PdSe2through substitutional doping is difficult since the calculated ionization energies of various dopants are quite large. Alternatively, good doping behaviors in a ML PdSe2can be achieved through a modulation doping approach, in which the dopant is incorporated into an encapsulation CaF2layer that forms a heterostructure with the PdSe2. It is shown that K and Al dopings in the CaF2layer introduce holes and electrons in the PdSe2layer, respectively, through the charge transfer driven by the type-I band alignment and large band offsets. In addition, the spatial separation of the charge carrier and the impurity significantly reduces Coulomb scattering; thus, good transport properties can be expected. These findings can be helpful for the defect control and performance optimization of 2D PdSe2-based devices.

Conventional Fe-Mg exchange geothermometers generally are not effective means to measure the peak metamorphic temperatures of granulites because of Fe-Mg diffusion during the re-equilibration during the exhumation and cooling. Therefore, it is essential to find alternative geothermometers. In this study, we investigated the magnitude of Mg isotope fractionation between the coexisting clinopyroxene and garnet in garnet pyroxenites and high-pressure mafic granulites from southern India. The clinopyroxene and garnet from the garnet pyroxenites have δ26Mg values of −0.04 to −0.07‰, and −0.65 to −0.64‰, respectively, with Δ26MgCpx-Grt= δ26MgCpx− δ26MgGrt= 0.62 and 0.57‰. The δ26Mg values of the coexisting clinopyroxene and garnet in the high-pressure mafic granulites are 0.03 to 0.07‰ and −0.54 to −0.55‰, respectively, with Δ26MgCpx-Grt= 0.57 and 0.62‰. The inter-mineral Mg isotope fractionations between the clinopyroxene and garnet of the garnet pyroxenites are similar to those of the high-pressure mafic granulites and more or less fall within the equilibrium fractionation lines at peak metamorphic temperatures. The measured peak temperatures for all four samples indicate equilibrium Mg isotope fractionations between the clinopyroxene and garnet. The clinopyroxene-garnet Mg isotope geothermometer of Li et al. (2016)yields temperatures of 994 ± 60 °C and 1048 ± 89 °C for the garnet pyroxenites, and 1048 ± 89 °C and 994 ± 65 °C for the high-pressure mafic granulites, which are slightly lower than those at both 10 and 12 kbar from the clinopyroxene-garnet Mg isotope thermometer of Huang et al. (2013). Compared with the peak metamorphic conditions from phase equilibrium modeling, the clinopyroxene-garnet Mg isotope thermometry yielded temperatures corresponding to the peak metamorphic conditions of the garnet pyroxenites and the high-pressure mafic granulites, whereas the conventional clinopyroxene-garnet Fe-Mg exchange thermometry yielded lower temperatures corresponding to the retrograde metamorphism. These results underscore the inter-mineral Fe-Mg exchange between clinopyroxene and garnet during the retrograde cooling of the ultrahigh temperature (>900 °C), which, however, did not disturb their Mg isotope fractionation equilibrium attained during the ultrahigh-temperature metamorphic condition. Therefore, we conclude that clinopyroxene-garnet Mg isotope thermometry, together with phase equilibrium modeling, is a valid tool to constrain the peak metamorphic temperature conditions even for ultramafic-mafic granulites that have undergone ultrahigh-temperature metamorphism.

In this paper, BaO-ZnO-TiO2-SiO2 is used as the research system of high refractive index glass, and IR, XRD and DTA are used to study the structure, thermal behavior, crystallization and chemical stability of different glasses when Al2O3 gradually replaces CaO. The results show that when Al2O3 replaces CaO, the glass still has an amorphous structure. With the increase of Al2O3 content, the glass structure first becomes tight, and then due to the formation of [AlO6], the glass network becomes loose, and the glass density peaks with the increase of Al2O3 content. DTA analysis showed that with the increase of Al2O3 content, the devitrification trend of the glass increased during the cooling process, the crystallization peak moved to the low temperature direction, and the exothermic effect weakened, indicating that the surface crystallization trend of the glass increased and the overall crystallization became weaker. The results show that the density, refractive index and water resistance of glass microspheres containing only CaO are the best, but the crystallization of glass is obvious during heat treatment.

In line with the global carbon–neutral policy and renewable energy conversion policy, South Korea is also attempting to change energy mix from traditional generation into renewable energy such as Photovoltaic (PV), wind power, and fuel cells. According to The 9th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand, the capacity of renewable power generation facilities is 77.8GW, accounting for 40.3% out of the total facility capacity of 193GW in 2034. As the capacity of renewable energy increases, power system operators have to overcome the intermittency and variability of renewable energy caused by real-time weather changes. Enough amount of fast-responding resources is essential to cover it. In this paper, we statistically analyze the variability of renewable energy, especially PV, due to the changes of solar radiation. And we derive additional capacity of gas turbine (GT) to counteract these variability of renewable energy in 2034. We also look into the current limits of environmental regulation and electricity market system about GT simple start-up in South Korea. At the end, we suggest how the environmental regulation, long-term power plan, and market system for GT should be changed to harmonize renewable energy in the Korea power system.

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This paper examines the certification role of large customers and finds that IPO firms that have product market relationships with large customers experience higher valuation and better long-term performance compared [...]

The emergence of RAS/RAF mutant clone is the main feature of EGFR inhibitor resistance in KRAS wild-type colon cancer. However, its molecular mechanism is thought to be multifactorial, mainly due to cellular heterogeneity. In order to better understand the resistance mechanism in a single clone level, we successfully isolated nine cells with cetuximab-resistant (CR) clonality from in vitro system. All CR cells harbored either KRAS or BRAF mutations. Characteristically, these cells showed a higher EMT (Epithelial to mesenchymal transition) signature, showing increased EMT markers such as SNAI2. Moreover, the expression level of CXCL1/5, a secreted protein, was significantly higher in CR cells compared to the parental cells. In these CR cells, CXCL1/5 expression was coordinately regulated by SNAI2/NFKB and transactivated EGFR through CXCR/MMPI/EGF axis via autocrine singling. We also observed that combined cetuximab/MEK inhibitor not only showed growth inhibition but also reduced the secreted amounts of CXCL1/5. We further found that serum CXCL1/5 level was positively correlated with the presence of RAS/RAF mutation in colon cancer patients during cetuximab therapy, suggesting its role as a biomarker. These data indicated that the application of serum CXCL1/5 could be a potential serologic biomarker for predicting resistance to EGFR therapy in colorectal cancer.

We examine post-takeover restructuring activity and the sources of gains in large U.S. targets of foreign acquirers. We find that layoffs and sell-offs are less important in justifying the target premium in foreign takeovers than in domestic takeovers. In contrast, U.S. targets in foreign takeovers subsequently make more post-takeover investments than those in domestic takeovers. The likelihood of these post-takeover restructuring activities is significantly influenced by target characteristics. Finally, the U.S. Tax Reform Act of 1986 has had a significant positive effect on target returns. These results suggest that the realization of synergy is the main motive behind foreign takeovers.

Efficient charge injection/extraction from/to contact electrodes is essential to realize organic electronic and optoelectronic devices with optimum characteristics for many applications. Herein, we studied a versatile reductive interlayer based on sodium borohydride (NaBH4) to control the contact properties of the staggered organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) either by doping and/or by regulating the contribution of charge carriers. The versatile functionalities of the NaBH4layer are mainly determined by the alignment of frontier molecular orbitals of donor–acceptor (D–A) type copolymer semiconductors and the work function of the contact electrode. After incorporating the NaBH4layer, the work function of the bottom-contact gold electrode can be decreased significantly by 1.0 eV, which makes it favorable to efficient electron injection. An Ohmic contact is achieved by the spontaneous injection of electrons to the n-type organic semiconductors with high electron affinity while converting the OFET operation mode to n-type characteristics by blocking the counter-charge carriers for the other types of ambipolar and p-type semiconductors. The solution-processed reducing agent can be a valuable approach to develop high-performance printed and flexible electronic devices through careful engineering to obtain proper contributions of charge carriers either as electrons or holes in various D–A copolymer semiconductors.

Spring regrowth is an important trait for perennial plants including alfalfa, the most cultivated forage legume worldwide. However, the genetic and genomic basis of the trait is largely unknown in alfalfa due to its complex genetic background of the tetroploid genome. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with spring regrowth using high-resolution genetic linkage maps we constructed previously. In total, 36 significant additive effect QTLs for the trait were detected. Among them, 10 QTLs individually explained more than 10% of the phenotypic variation (PVE) with four in P1 and six in P2. Six overlapped QTLs intervals were detected with two and four intervals distributed in P1 and P2, respectively. In P1, both overlapped genomic regions were located on homolog 7D. In P2, the four QTLs with PVE>10% were co-localized on homolog 6D. Meanwhile, six pairs of significant epistatic QTLs were identified in P2. Screening of potential candidate genes associated with four overlapped QTLs (qCP2019-8, qLF2019-5, qLF2020-4, and qBLUP-3) narrowed down one candidate annotated as MAIL1. The Arabidopsishomolog gene has been reported to play an important role in plant growth. Therefore, the detected QTLs are valuable resources for genetic improvement of alfalfa spring vigor using marker-assisted selection (MAS), and further identification of the associated genes would provide insights into genetic control of spring regrowth in alfalfa.

Given a number of marine vessels treating the liquefied natural gas either as cargo or fuel, this paper examined the regulatory gaps of two different international Codes – the International Code of the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulkand the International Code of Safety for Ships Using Gases or Other Low-flashpoint Fuels– from the regulatory standpoint. Results of the gap analysis have identified and discussed the key areas encountered with regulatory discrepancies or ambiguities that might interrupt the proper design, construction and operation of LNG carrier and LNG fuelled ship. A systematic investigation and harmonisation process across the Codes was proposed to mitigate the potential issues that may arise from the discordant regulations. Also, the International Maritime Organization was suggested to take proactive action to improve such dissonances while a general insight into the importance of filling those gaps was provided for rule-makers and stakeholders.

The quantum Hall effect can be substantially affected by interfacial coupling between the host two-dimensional electron gases and the substrate, and has been predicted to give rise to exotic topological states. Yet the understanding of the underlying physics and the controllable engineering of this interaction remains challenging. Here we demonstrate the observation of an unusual quantum Hall effect, which differs markedly from that of the known picture, in graphene samples in contact with an antiferromagnetic insulator CrOCl equipped with dual gates. Two distinct quantum Hall phases are developed, with the Landau levels in monolayer graphene remaining intact at the conventional phase, but largely distorted for the interfacial-coupling phase. The latter quantum Hall phase is even present close to the absence of a magnetic field, with the consequential Landau quantization following a parabolic relation between the displacement field and the magnetic field. This characteristic prevails up to 100 K in a wide effective doping range from 0 to 1013cm−2.

In mature mammalian brains, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays an important role in the regulation of synaptic plasticity and the functioning of neural networks. Besides, the ECS also contributes to the neurodevelopment of the central nervous system. Due to the increase in the medical and recreational use of cannabis, it is inevitable and essential to elaborate the roles of the ECS on neurodevelopment. GABAergic interneurons represent a group of inhibitory neurons that are vital in controlling neural network activity. However, the role of the ECS in the neurodevelopment of GABAergic interneurons remains to be fully elucidated. In this review, we provide a brief introduction of the ECS and interneuron diversity. We focus on the process of interneuron development and the role of ECS in the modulation of interneuron development, from the expansion of the neural stem/progenitor cells to the migration, specification and maturation of interneurons. We further discuss the potential implications of the ECS and interneurons in the pathogenesis of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including epilepsy, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder and autism spectrum disorder.

Herein we disclose a highly efficient enantioselective para-C–H alkylation of aniline derivatives promoted by a base/Co/indeno-pybox ligand system. This methodology leads to the efficient construction of a series of enantioenriched aniline derivatives bearing all-carbon quaternary stereocenters. In addition, several special biologically or medicinally active indoles are facilely synthesized by our Co-catalyzed asymmetry synthesis method. Density functional theory calculations and experiment results suggest that the (acac)−anion of Co(acac)2plays a very important role in chiral control during the nucleophilic reaction.

With the development of technology, adjuvant immunotherapy has become a promising strategy for prevention of postoperative tumor regression and metastasis by stimulating the host immune response. However, the therapeutic effects are still unsatisfactory due to the lack of synergy between different methods. In this study, an efficient synergistic immunotherapy system based on injectable sodium alginate hydrogels was designed to inhibit in siturecurrence and metastasis at the same time. On the one hand, an injectable sodium alginate (SA) hydrogel microsystem loaded with toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists (CpG ODNs) was synthesized for inhibiting in siturecurrence, and then carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) probe was also added to detect CEA based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technology to monitor the occurrence and development of tumor recurrence. On the other hand, an anti-programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 antibody (anti-PD-L1)-modified SA nanogel loaded with indocyanine green (ICG@SA-anti-PD-L1 nanogel) was prepared for diagnosing and inhibiting lung metastasis by assisting orthotopic tumor therapy. In vitroand in vivoresults demonstrated that this SA micro/nanosystem could monitor and inhibit postoperative recurrence and metastasis. We hope that this micro/nano-synergistic system will become an effective strategy for postoperative adjuvant immunotherapy.

Herein, we have reported a nickel-catalyzed cascade reductive thiolation of aryl halides with sulfinates driven by paired electrolysis. This protocol uses sulfinates as the sulfur source, and various thioethers could be synthesized under mild conditions. By mechanism exploration, we find that a cascade chemical step is allowed on the electrode interface and could alter the reaction pathway in paired electrolysis, whose findings could help the discovery of novel cascade reactions with unique reactivity.

Air-stable ambipolar organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) are fabricated from the active layers of π-conjugated polymer and elastomer composites. Compared to the p-channel dominant charge transport behavior of pure donor–acceptor-type copolymer semiconductors, the polymer composites exhibited superior ambipolar charge transport characteristics with well-balanced and high electron and hole mobilities, both of more than 1.0 cm2/Vs. Moreover, these OFETs exhibited significantly improved air stabilities, particularly in the n-channel regime, which is because the encapsulation effect of the nanofibril conjugated polymers surrounded by the elastomer matrix efficiently suppressed electron trapping. At the optimal composition, spinodal decomposition of the constituent polymers is induced, forming fibrillar network structures during the solution casting and thermal annealing processes. These anisotropic polymer aggregates embedded in the elastomer matrix are induced to align in a direction parallel to the channel by directional printing techniques, such as off-centered spin coating and bar coating. This strategy of controlling the semiconductor film morphology is beneficial for the fabrication of high-performance and air-stable complementary-like electronic circuits. Furthermore, the embedded nanofibril morphology in a deformable elastomer can be widely used to realize stretchable optoelectronic devices.

Through the solubility product theory of the ternary secondary phase, classical nucleation theory, and Ostwald ripening theory, a model was established to describe the thermodynamics and kinetics of (Ti, V)C precipitates in austenite/ferrite (γ/α) matrices. The model was used to calculate the volume fraction, precipitation–temperature–time (PTT) curve, and nucleation rate–temperature (NrT) curve of MC (M = Ti, V) precipitates in γ/α matrices in Ti–V microalloyed steels with various Ti/V ratios, which is verified by hardness tester, transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The calculations indicate that, by decreasing Ti/V ratio from Ti4V0 steel to Ti0V4 steel, the complete-dissolution temperature decreases monotonically from 1226 to 830 °C, and the equilibrium volume fraction of MC precipitated from austenite decreases from 0.333% to 0.091% at 900 °C. Moreover, the maximum nucleation temperature of MC precipitated from α matrix decreases from 748 to 605 °C and the fastest precipitation temperature decreases from 844 to 675 °C as Ti/V ratio decreases. PTT and NrT diagrams of MC precipitated from α matrices in different Ti–V microalloyed steels all exhibit C-shaped and inverse C-shaped curves. In addition, both theoretical calculation and experimental results show that when tempered at 600 °C for 100 h, Ti2V2 steel shows the largest hardness value of 312 HV among the three steels tested because it has a larger volume fraction (0.364%), a larger precipitate density (1689 μm−2), and the smallest average size (8.4 nm) of (Ti, V)C precipitates. The theoretical calculations are consistent with experimental results, which indicates that the thermodynamics and kinetics model for (Ti, V)C precipitates is reliable and accurate.

AbstractThis study aimed to investigate the ethnomedicinal plant knowledge among people living in The Uvira Territory. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews with and field observation in seven villages. The ethnomedicinal data was analyzed using the informant consensus factor (ICF), family importance value (FIV), and Jaccard index (JI). Sixty-nine medicinal plants belonging to 61 genera and 34 families were used to treat eight disease categories. Fabaceae was not only the dominant family but also a family with the high FIV. Decoction and pound were the most common methods of preparation, while leaves were the most used part. We compared this study with 24 other ethnomedicinal studies conducted in RD Congo and neighboring countries, and the results showed that the Jaccard index ranged from 0.57 to 10.94. The highest degree of similarity (10.94) was found with another study conducted in Congo, while the lowest degree of similarity (0.57) was found with a study conducted in Rwanda. The disease category for which there was the highest number of use (66) and plant species (39) was “diseases of the digestive system disorders and intestinal parasites” (ICF 0.42). The investigation of the plants used as drugs in the study area revealed that the population daily relies on medicinal plants to treat different diseases.

Understanding the electrochemical behaviors of Ce(III)/Ce(IV) ions is essential for better treatment, separation, and recycling of lanthanide (Ln) and actinide (An) elements. Herein, electrochemical redox behavior and interconversion of Ce(III)/Ce(IV) ions and their recoveries were demonstrated over newly developed thio-terpyridine-functionalized Au-modified carbon paper electrodes in acidic and neutral electrolytes. Cyclic voltammetry and amperometry were performed for the electrodes with and without thio-terpyridine functionalization. Ce oxide nanostructure recovery was successfully conducted by amperometry, and the electrodeposited nanostructured Ce materials were fully characterized by scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction crystallography, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Geometry optimization and the electronic energy state calculations were conducted by density functional theory at the B3LYP/GENECP level for the complexes of Ce(III) and Ce(IV) ions with the thio-terpyridine in an aqueous state. The present unique results provide valuable information on understanding redox behaviors of Ln and An ions for their recycling and treatment processes.