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In this paper, I examine the iconography, religious function and text–image relationship of one of the earliest illustrations of the apocryphal Visualization Sūtra, namely, the mural painting on the left (south) wall of Cave 20 at the Toyok Grottoes in Turfan created in the late sixth century. I study this mural with a structuralist approach to situate it within the overall pictorial program of the cave temple. I argue that this wall painting was designed as a set of visual and verbal cues to assist the meditating monks in situ to separately visualize the different individual visions constituting the "Thirteen Visualizations" taught in the sutra, excluding the five visions directly related to the Amitāyus Triad, namely, the eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh and thirteenth visualizations. These five visualizations were likely facilitated by icons of the Amitāyus Triad placed in the center of the cave. The meditators started from the contemplations of the impure represented on the right (north) wall as preparatory practices to eliminate their sins, improve their karma and thereby enhance their spiritual purity to a level appropriate for performing the Pure Land visualizations. They then turned to the left wall to perform the Pure Land visualizations represented there that end with the twelfth visualization: imagining oneself being reborn in Sukhāvatī. Continuing from the twelfth visualization, the meditators facing the rear wall entered the Western Pure Land via the lotus ponds represented on the rear wall while in a state of meditational concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: COVID-19 infection confers an increased risk of coagulation dysfunction (1) predisposing to thromboembolism in many anatomical sites including the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) (2). This study investigates the clinical presentation and outcome in patients presenting with concurrent COVID-19 infection and gastrointestinal tract ischaemia. Furthermore, differentiation and comparisons are drawn between those with arterial and venous aetiology for mesenteric ischaemia. Methods: A systematic search was undertaken on EMBASE, PubMed, and MEDLINE. Two independent reviewers screened titles, abstracts, and full-text articles according to the inclusion criteria and extracted relevant data. Data analyses were conducted using Excel®. Results: Forty-one studies were included in the data analyses, yielding 44 patients. Twenty-six patients had mesenteric arterial occlusion, sixteen patients had mesenteric venous occlusion, and two patients had both arterial and venous mesenteric occlusion. All patients had concurrent COVID-19 infection. The survival rate in patients with arterial aetiology was 38.5% in contrast to 68.8% in patients with venous aetiology. Twelve patients (29.3%) experienced respiratory symptoms in the community before the onset of gastrointestinal symptoms, and five (12.2%) developed gastrointestinal symptoms during their inpatient stay for COVID-19 pneumonitis. Conclusions: Acute mesenteric ischaemia presents a clinical challenge to diagnose due to its non-specific symptoms. Concurrent COVID-19 infection with its predominant respiratory symptoms adds a further challenge in recognising the non-specific symptoms of mesenteric ischaemia. Our study draws attention to the increased thromboembolic risk posed by COVID-19 infection and the need for a high index of suspicion to aid prompt diagnosis and management of acute mesenteric ischaemia, even in the post-pandemic era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the enhancement of modern security through the integration of electrocardiograms (ECGs) into biometric authentication systems. As technology advances, the demand for reliable identity authentication systems has grown, given the rise in breaches associated with traditional techniques that rely on unique biological and behavioral traits. These techniques are emerging as more reliable alternatives. Among the biological features used for authentication, ECGs offer unique advantages, including resistance to forgery, real-time detection, and continuous identification ability. A key contribution of this work is the introduction of a variant of the ECG time-slicing technique that outperforms existing ECG-based authentication methods. By leveraging machine learning algorithms and tailor-made compact data learning techniques, this research presents a more robust, reliable biometric authentication system. The findings could lead to significant advancements in network information security, with potential applications across various internet and mobile services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanotechnology-enabled pesticide delivery systems have been widely studied and show great prospects in modern agriculture. Nanodelivery systems not only achieve the controlled release of agrochemicals but also possess many unique characteristics. This study presents the development of a pH-responsive pesticide nanoformulation utilizing hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) as a nanocarrier. The nanocarrier was loaded with the photosensitive pesticide prochloraz (Pro) and then combined with ZnO quantum dots (ZnO QDs) through electrostatic interactions. ZnO QDs serve as both the pH-responsive gatekeeper and the enhancer of the pesticide. The results demonstrate that the prepared nanopesticide exhibits high loading efficiency (24.96%) for Pro. Compared with Pro technical, the degradation rate of Pro loaded in HMSNs@Pro@ZnO QDs was reduced by 26.4% after 24 h ultraviolet (UV) exposure, indicating clearly improved photostability. In a weak acidic environment (pH 5.0), the accumulated release of the nanopesticide after 48 h was 2.67-fold higher than that in a neutral environment. This indicates the excellent pH-responsive characteristic of the nanopesticide. The tracking experiments revealed that HMSNs can be absorbed by rice leaves and subsequently transported to other tissues, indicating their potential for effective systemic distribution and targeted delivery. Furthermore, the bioactivity assays confirmed the fungicidal efficacy of the nanopesticide against rice blast disease. Therefore, the constructed nanopesticide holds great prospect in nanoenabled agriculture, offering a novel strategy to enhance pesticide utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of 2-aminoquinazoline derivatives is achieved by using hydrochloric acid as a mediator in the [4+2] annulation reaction between N-benzyl cyanamides and 2-amino aryl ketones. In addition, 2-amino-4-iminoquinazolines are synthesized by the reaction of 2-aminobenzonitriles, instead of 2-amino aryl ketones, with N-benzyl cyanamides. A wide range of substrates can be used and high yields are obtained, demonstrating the practicality of this method for the synthesis of 2-aminoquinazoline derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide (DOP) has shown various biological activities. However, the ability of DOP to participate in immune regulation during anti-gastric cancer treatment has remained unclear. In this study, the in vitro results showed that DOP has the potential to polarize THP-1 macrophages from the M2 to the M1 phenotype, downregulate the STAT6/PPAR-r signaling pathway and the protein expression of their down-targeted ARG1 and TGM2, and further decrease the main protein and mRNA expression in the JAGGED1/NOTCH1 signaling pathway. DOP suppressed the migration of gastric cancer cells by decreasing the protein expression of N-cadherin and Vimentin and increasing E-cadherin. In addition, CM-DOP promoted the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells by upregulating Caspase-3 and increasing the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2. In vivo, DOP effectively inhibited the growth of tumors and the expression of Ki-67. In summary, these findings demonstrated that DOP converted the polarization of M2 subtype macrophages into M1 subtypes via the STAT6/PPAR-r and JAGGED1/NOTCH1 signaling pathways in order to reduce apoptosis and prevent migration, thus indicating the potential of DOP as an adjuvant tumor therapy in preclinical and clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hetao Irrigation District is a typical salinized irrigation district in China, and soil salinization restricts agricultural development. To explore the spatial and temporal variability of soil water and salt and the coupling relationship in the Hetao Irrigation District, a field experiment was carried out at the scale of the Yichang Irrigation District branch canal in the downstream of the Hetao Irrigation District. Fifty-three soil sampling points were established to analyze the spatial and temporal variability of soil water content and total salt content and the coupling relationship using geostatistics and the coupling degree model. The results showed that soil water content in the study area belonged to medium variability and weak variability, and soil total salt content belonged to strong variability and medium variability. The theoretical models of soil water content and total salt content semi-variance function in the study area following the Gaussian model, with the block-base ratio less than 25%, with strong spatial autocorrelation, and the spatial correlation gradually increased with the increase of soil depth. The total salt content of the soil in the study area was interpolated with higher accuracy using radial basis functions as compared to ordinary kriging interpolation. In terms of temporal changes in salinity, the average salt accumulation rate of the 0–100 cm soil layer in the study area was 20.17% when salinity increased from May to June; the average desalination rate was 16.37% when salinity decreased from June to August. The main factors affecting soil salinity in cultivated land during the growing period were irrigation, precipitation, and planting crops, and the main factors affecting soil salinity in wasteland were precipitation and topography. The average coupling degree of soil water and salt in wasteland in the study area was lower than that of cultivated land, ranging from 65.15% to 86.59% of that of cultivated land. The level of coordination is marginal coordination for cultivated land and marginal disorder for wasteland. The study provides a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of soil salinization in arid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how species richness changes along elevational gradients has attracted increasing attention from many researchers. The relationships between species richness and elevations were characterized by monotonic decreases or mid-elevational peaks. The western Sichuan Plateau is an important species diversity hotspot. However, there is little information available about the ant species diversity and distribution patterns of this region. In this study, we hypothesize that ant diversity will show a monotonic decrease from mid-elevation with increasing elevation. Here, the ant species diversity and distribution patterns of this region were investigated by plot surveys. A total of 22,645 ants were collected from eight elevational transects in the central and northern parts of the western Sichuan Plateau, which were identified as belonging to 40 species, 18 genera, and 4 subfamilies. We found a unimodal relationship between elevation and ant species richness, with the highest ant species richness occurring at mid-elevations. The similarity coefficient of ant communities in each elevational transect was at a moderate level of dissimilarity, indicating that the elevation difference and habitat heterogeneity had a great impact on ant communities in the central and northern areas of the western Sichuan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous studies indicated that endophyte M7SB41 (Seimatosporium sp.) can significantly enhance host plants powdery mildew (PM) resistance. To recover the mechanisms, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were compared between E+ (endophte-inoculated) and E− (endophyte-free) plants by transcriptomics. A total of 4094, 1200 and 2319 DEGs between E+ and E− were identified at 0, 24, and 72 h after plants had been infected with PM pathogen Golovinomyces cichoracearum, respectively. Gene expression pattern analysis displayed a considerable difference and temporality in response to PM stress between the two groups. Transcriptional profiling analysis revealed that M7SB41 induced plant resistance to PM through Ca2+ signaling, salicylic acid (SA) signaling, and the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway. In particular, we investigated the role and the timing of the SA and jasmonic acid (JA)-regulated defensive pathways. Both transcriptomes and pot experiments showed that SA-signaling may play a prominent role in PM resistance conferred by M7SB41. Additionally, the colonization of M7SB41 could effectively increase the activities and the expression of defense-related enzymes under PM pathogen stress. Meanwhile, our study revealed reliable candidate genes from TGA (TGACG motif-binding factor), WRKY, and pathogenesis-related genes related to M7SB41-mediate resistance. These findings offer a novel insight into the mechanisms of endophytes in activating plant defense responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the idea of integral averaging and function extension, an extended Kantorovich-type neural network operator is constructed, and its error estimate of approximating continuous functions is obtained by using the modulus of continuity. Furthermore, by introducing the normalization factor, the approximation property of the new version of the extended Kantorovich-type neural network (normalized extended Kantorovich-type neural network) operator is obtained in L p [ − 1 , 1 ] . The numerical examples show that this newly proposed neural network operator has a better approximation performance than the classical one, especially at the endpoints of a compact interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the demand for novel pest management strategies to combat the development of insecticide resistance, plant essential oils may be a promising alternative source. This study investigated the insecticidal activity of five essential oils from the Rutaceae plant family against Thrips flavus Schrank (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) under laboratory conditions. The plant essential oils were citrus oil (Citrus reticulata Blanco), Chuan-shan pepper oil (Zanthoxylum piasezkii Maxim.), zanthoxylum oil (Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim.), pomelo peel oil (Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr.) and orange leaf oil (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck). Among the essential oils evaluated, orange leaf oil (LC50 = 0.26 g/L), zanthoxylum oil (LC50 = 0.27 g/L), and pomelo peel oil (LC50 = 0.44 g/L) resulted in a higher gastric toxicity under laboratory conditions. The results of the pot experiment also showed that orange leaf oil (93.06 ± 3.67% at 540.00 g a.i.·hm−2, 97.22 ± 1.39% at 720 g a.i.·hm−2, 100.00% at 900.00 g a.i.·hm−2) zanthoxylum oil (98.73 ± 1.27% at 900 g a.i.·hm−2), and pomelo peel oil (100.00% at 900 g a.i.·hm−2) exhibited a higher control efficacy, being the most effective against T. flavus after 7 days of treatment. The essential oil components were then identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The insecticidal activity of orange leaf oil, pomelo peel oil, and zanthoxylum oil could be attributed to their main constituents, such as methyl jasmonate (50.92%), D-limonene (76.96%), and linalool (52.32%), respectively. In the olfactory test, adult T. flavus were attracted by zanthoxylum oil and Chuan-shan pepper oil. We speculated that linalool might be the key signaling compound that attracts T. flavus. These results showed that orange leaf oil, zanthoxylum oil, and pomelo peel oil exhibited insecticidal activities under controlled conditions. They can be implemented as effective and low-toxicity botanical insecticides and synergistic agents against T. flavus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oximes and hydroxylamines are a very important class of skeletons that not only widely exist in natural products and drug molecules, but also a class of synthon, which have been widely used in industrial production. Due to weak N-O σ bonds of oximes and hydroxylamines, they can be easily transformed into other functional groups by N-O bond cleavage. Therefore, the synthesis of N-heterocycle by using oximes and hydroxylamines as nitrogen sources has attracted wide attention. Recent advances for the synthesis of N-heterocycle through transition-metal-catalyzed and radical-mediated cyclization classified by the type of nitrogen sources and rings are summarized. In this paper, the recent advances in the N-O bond cleavage of oximes and hydroxylamines are reviewed. We hope that this review provides a new perspective on this field, and also provides a reference to develop environmentally friendly and sustainable methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tacrolimus is an immunosuppressant with a narrow therapeutic window. Tacrolimus exposure increased significantly during voriconazole co-therapy. The magnitude of this interaction is highly variable, but it is hard to predict quantitatively. We conducted a study on 91 kidney transplantation recipients with voriconazole co-therapy. Furthermore, 1701 tacrolimus concentration data were collected. Standard concentration adjusted by tacrolimus daily dose (C/D) and weight-adjusted standard concentration (CDW) increased to 6 times higher during voriconazole co-therapy. C/D and CDW increased with voriconazole concentration. Patients with the genotype of CYP3A5 *3/*3 and CYP2C19 *2/*2 or *2/*3 were more variable at the same voriconazole concentration level. The final prediction model could explain 54.27% of the variation in C/D and 51.11% of the variation in CDW. In conclusion, voriconazole was the main factor causing C/D and CDW variation, and the effect intensity should be quantitative by its concentration. Kidney transplant recipients with CYP3A5 genotype of *3/*3 and CYP2C19 genotype of *2/*2 and *2/*3 should be given more attention during voriconazole co-therapy. The prediction model established in this study may help to reduce the occurrence of rejection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Ultrasound (US) imaging is a safe, convenient imaging method for identifying malignant lymph nodes. Shear wave elastography (SWE), as a type of US elastography offers the mechanical information of tissue by sensing shear wave propagation in lymph nodes. Malignant lymph nodes can show increased stiffness at the lesion margin and adjacent tissue on the SWE image. However, the diagnostic accuracies of various SWE parameters that quantify tissue stiffness, such as maximum stiffness, mean stiffness, minimum stiffness, and standard deviation, are yet to be demonstrated. We included sixteen eligible studies to evaluate the pooled diagnostic accuracy of different SWE parameters. SWE has demonstrated promise as an imaging modality in diagnosing and differentiating malignancy from benign lymph nodes. Its incorporation into standard US allows for a better evaluation of the target region or lymph node and might reduce the need for invasive procedures or exposure to ionising radiation without compromising on diagnostic accuracy. Shear wave elastography (SWE) has shown promise in distinguishing lymph node malignancies. However, the diagnostic accuracies of various SWE parameters that quantify tissue stiffness are yet to be demonstrated. To evaluate the pooled diagnostic accuracy of different SWE parameters for differentiating lymph node malignancies, we conducted a systematic screening of four databases using the PRISMA guidelines. Lymph node biopsy was adopted as the reference standard. Emax (maximum stiffness), Emean (mean stiffness), Emin (minimum stiffness), and Esd (standard deviation) SWE parameters were subjected to separate meta-analyses. A sub-group analysis comparing the use of Emax in cervical (including thyroid) and axillary lymph node malignancies was also conducted. Sixteen studies were included in this meta-analysis. Emax and Esd demonstrated the highest pooled sensitivity (0.78 (95% CI: 0.69–0.87); 0.78 (95% CI: 0.68–0.87)), while Emean demonstrated the highest pooled specificity (0.93 (95% CI: 0.88–0.98)). From the sub-group analysis, the diagnostic performance did not differ significantly in cervical and axillary LN malignancies. In conclusion, SWE is a promising adjunct imaging technique to conventional ultrasonography in the diagnosis of lymph node malignancy. SWE parameters of Emax and Esd have been identified as better choices of parameters for screening clinical purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metalloprotease ADAM17 is a key regulator of the TNFα, IL-6R and EGFR signaling pathways. The maturation and function of ADAM17 is controlled by the seven-membrane-spanning proteins iRhoms1 and 2. The functional properties of the ADAM17/iRhom1 and ADAM17/iRhom2 complexes differ, in that stimulated shedding of most ADAM17 substrates tested to date can be supported by iRhom2, whereas iRhom1 can only support stimulated shedding of very few ADAM17 substrates, such as TGFα. The first transmembrane domain (TMD1) of iRhom2 and the sole TMD of ADAM17 are important for the stimulated shedding of ADAM17 substrates by iRhom2. However, little is currently known about how the iRhoms interact with different substrates to control their stimulated shedding by ADAM17. To provide new insights into this topic, we tested how various chimeras between iRhom1 and iRhom2 affect the stimulated processing of the EGFR-ligands TGFα (iRhom1- or 2-dependent) and EREG (iRhom2-selective) by ADAM17. This uncovered an important role for the TMD7 of the iRhoms in determining their substrate selectivity. Computational methods utilized to characterize the iRhom1/2/substrate interactions suggest that the substrate selectivity is determined, at least in part, by a distinct accessibility of the substrate cleavage site to stimulated ADAM17. These studies not only provide new insights into why the substrate selectivity of stimulated iRhom2/ADAM17 differs from that of iRhom1/ADAM17, but also suggest new approaches for targeting the release of specific ADAM17 substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the limitation of spatial resolution and spectral resolution, deep learning methods are rarely used for the classification of multispectral remote sensing images based on the real spectral dataset from multispectral remote sensing images. This study explores the application of a deep learning model to the spectral classification of multispectral remote sensing images. To address the problem of the large workload with respect to selecting training samples during classification by deep learning, first, linear spectral mixture analysis and the spectral index method were applied to extract the pixels of impervious surfaces, soil, vegetation, and water. Second, through the Euclidean distance threshold method, a spectral dataset of multispectral image pixels was established. Third, a deep learning classification model, ResNet-18, was constructed to classify Landsat 8 OLI images based on pixels' real spectral information. According to the accuracy assessment, the results show that the overall accuracy of the classification results can reach 0.9436, and the kappa coefficient can reach 0.8808. This study proposes a method that allows for the more optimized establishment of the actual spectral dataset of ground objects, addresses the limitations of difficult sample selection in deep learning classification and of spectral similarity in traditional classification methods, and applies the deep learning method to the classification of multispectral remote sensing images based on a real spectral dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Western Jin period, Buddhism has confronted bureaucratic power within the architectural landscape. In this study, historical records and archaeological reports of two Buddhist temples—the Siyuan Temple 思遠佛寺 built during the reign of Tuoba Hong 拓跋宏 and Emperor Xiaowen 孝文帝 of the Northern Wei dynasty, and the Zhaoren Temple 昭仁寺, built during the reign of Li Shimin 李世民 and Emperor Taizong 唐太宗 of the Tang dynasty—were examined. A comparison was made of the two temples' geographic locations in relation to cities while considering period-specific phenomena. This study also considers mountains, water, and topographical features. The geographic information reflects differences in the ideas of the ruling class and monarchs of the two historical periods. The findings are that both Buddhist temples were close to the capital and both emperors demonstrated the supremacy of their power by building them. Therefore, the religious landscape owes its formation, development, and underlying significance to emperors and social groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Multiparametric magnetic-resonance imaging (mpMRI) is a routinely used imaging modality for diagnosing prostate cancer but misses 10–20% of prostate tumours. Recently, prostate-specific membrane antigen positron-emission tomography (PSMA PET) has been proposed as an alternative to mpMRI for diagnosis. Our systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the diagnostic performance between mpMRI and PSMA PET modalities prior to biopsy. Ten articles directly comparing the performance of both modalities in the same patient cohort were investigated. PSMA PET/CT was superior in diagnosing patients with prostate cancer over mpMRI, but not in defining the location of the cancer. Early evidence suggests that the addition of PSMA PET within the diagnostic pathway may enhance the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer. Multiparametric magnetic-resonance imaging (mpMRI) has proven utility in diagnosing primary prostate cancer. However, the diagnostic potential of prostate-specific membrane antigen positron-emission tomography (PSMA PET) has yet to be established. This study aims to systematically review the current literature comparing the diagnostic performance of mpMRI and PSMA PET imaging to diagnose primary prostate cancer. A systematic literature search was performed up to December 2021. Quality analyses were conducted using the QUADAS-2 tool. The reference standard was whole-mount prostatectomy or prostate biopsy. Statistical analysis involved the pooling of the reported diagnostic performances of each modality, and differences in per-patient and per-lesion analysis were compared using a Fisher's exact test. Ten articles were included in the meta-analysis. At a per-patient level, the pooled values of sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) for mpMRI and PSMA PET/CT were 0.87 (95% CI: 0.83–0.91) vs. 0.93 (95% CI: 0.90–0.96, p < 0.01); 0.47 (95% CI: 0.23–0.71) vs. 0.54 (95% CI: 0.23–0.84, p > 0.05); and 0.84 vs. 0.91, respectively. At a per-lesion level, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC value for mpMRI and PSMA PET/CT were lower, at 0.63 (95% CI: 0.52–0.74) vs. 0.79 (95% CI: 0.62–0.92, p < 0.001); 0.88 (95% CI: 0.81–0.95) vs. 0.71 (95% CI: 0.47–0.90, p < 0.05); and 0.83 vs. 0.84, respectively. High heterogeneity was observed between studies. PSMA PET/CT may better confirm the presence of prostate cancer than mpMRI. However, both modalities appear comparable in determining the localisation of the lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eucommia ulmoides Oliver (E. ulmoides) is a popular medicinal herb and health supplement in China, Japan, and Korea, and has a variety of pharmaceutical properties. The neuroendocrine–immune (NEI) network is crucial in maintaining homeostasis and physical or psychological functions at a holistic level, consistent with the regulatory theory of natural medicine. This review aims to systematically summarize the chemical compositions, biological roles, and pharmacological properties of E. ulmoides to build a bridge between it and NEI-associated diseases and to provide a perspective for the development of its new clinical applications. After a review of the literature, we found that E. ulmoides has effects on NEI-related diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative disease, hyperlipidemia, osteoporosis, insomnia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. However, clinical studies on E. ulmoides were scarce. In addition, E. ulmoides derivatives are diverse in China, and they are mainly used to enhance immunity, improve hepatic damage, strengthen bones, and lower blood pressure. Through network pharmacological analysis, we uncovered the possibility that E. ulmoides is involved in functional interactions with cancer development, insulin resistance, NAFLD, and various inflammatory pathways associated with NEI diseases. Overall, this review suggests that E. ulmoides has a wide range of applications for NEI-related diseases and provides a direction for its future research and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hordeum jubatum L. is a potential ornamental grass species. Spermidine (Spd) plays a regulatory role in plant stress. This study measured seedling growth, photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence, osmotic regulatory substance contents, and antioxidant enzyme activities in H. jubatum seedlings pretreated with Spd (0–1.5 mM at 0.5 mM intervals) in drought treatments simulating natural water loss. The results indicated that the water content, photosynthetic parameters maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm), actual quantum yield of photochemical energy conversion in PSII (ϕPSII), and photochemical quenching coefficient (qp) values of H. jubatum shoots decreased significantly with increasing drought intensity. Simultaneously, the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the nonphotochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ) value increased. Spd improved growth and photosynthesis under drought stress. Spd also increased osmotic regulatory substance contents and antioxidant enzyme activities. These results suggest that the drought stress inhibited the growth of H. jubatum and damaged the photosynthetic systems, triggering a range of protective responses. Exogenous Spd mitigated the damage by promoting a variety of responses and adaptive mechanisms, such as adjusting stomatal conductance, promoting photosynthetic capacity, accelerating the synthesis of osmoregulatory molecules, and activating antioxidant enzyme systems. Additionally, 1.5 mM Spd-treated H. jubatum had the best drought tolerance. This study will help to develop an understanding of the effects of exogenous Spd on improving drought resistance and provide a strategy for the H. jubatum landscape effect to be achieved under water-limited conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forced oscillation events have become a challenging problem with the increasing penetration of renewable and other inverter-based resources (IBRs), especially when the forced oscillation frequency coincides with the dominant natural oscillation frequency. A severe forced oscillation event can deteriorate power system dynamic stability, damage equipment, and limit power transfer capability. This paper proposes a two-dimension scanning forced oscillation grid vulnerability analysis method to identify areas/zones in the system that are critical to forced oscillation. These critical areas/zones can be further considered as effective actuator locations for the deployment of forced oscillation damping controllers. Additionally, active power modulation control through IBRs is also proposed to reduce the forced oscillation impact on the entire grid. The proposed methods are demonstrated through a case study on a synthetic Texas power system model. The simulation results demonstrate that the critical areas/zones of forced oscillation are related to the areas that highly participate in the natural oscillations and the proposed oscillation damping controller through IBRs can effectively reduce the forced oscillation impact in the entire system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic technology, which is regarded as a green route to transform solar energy into chemical fuels, plays an important role in the fields of energy and environmental protection. An emerging S-scheme heterojunction with the tightly coupled interface, whose photocatalytic efficiency exceeds those of conventional type II and Z-scheme photocatalysts, has received much attention due to its rapid charge carrier separation and strong redox capacity. This review provides a systematic description of S-scheme heterojunction in the photocatalysis, including its development, reaction mechanisms, preparation, and characterization methods. In addition, S-scheme photocatalysts for CO2 reduction are described in detail by categorizing them as 0D/1D, 0D/2D, 0D/3D, 2D/2D, and 2D/3D. Finally, some defects of S-scheme heterojunctions are pointed out, and the future development of S-scheme heterojunctions is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building height serves as an essential feature of urban morphology that provides valuable insights into human socio-cultural behaviors and their impact on the environment in an urban milieu. However, openly accessible building height information at the individual building level is still lacking and remains sorely limited. Previous studies have shown that the ICESat-2′s ATL03/08 products are of good accuracy for urban building heights retrieval, however, these studies are limited to areas with available data coverage. To this end, we propose a method for extracting urban building height by using ICESat-2 ATL03 photons and high-resolution remote sensing images. We first extracted the information of building roof to footprint offsets and building shadows from high resolution imagery using multitasking CNN frameworks. Using the building height samples calculated from ICESat-2 ATL03 photons, we developed a building height estimation method that combines building offset and shadow length information. We assessed the efficacy of the proposed method in the Wujiaochang area of Shanghai city, China. The results indicated that the proposed method is able to extract building height with a MAE of 4.7 m, and outperforms the traditional shadow-based and offset-based method. We believe that the proposed method is a good candidate for accurately retrieving building heights on a city-wide scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a type II transmembrane serine protease, fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is specifically expressed on the surface of fibroblasts associated with a variety of epithelial-derived malignancies such as pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, and colon cancer. It participates in the processes of tumorigenesis, progression, and immunosuppression. FAP constitutes an important target for tumor treatment; however, the current studies on FAP are mainly related to structural characteristics, enzymatic properties, and biological functions, and aptamers of FAP have not been investigated. In this work, by using recombinant human FAP as the target, five candidate aptamers, which are AptFAP-A1, AptFAP-A2, AptFAP-A3, AptFAP-A4, and AptFAP-A5, were selected by capillary electrophoresis–systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (CE-SELEX), and their secondary structures were predicted to be mainly stem-loop. Moreover, the CE-laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) method was used to determine the equilibrium dissociation constant KD values between the FAP protein and candidate aptamers, and the KD value was in the low molar range. Finally, Cy5-labeled aptamers were co-incubated with human pancreatic cancer-associated fibroblasts highly expressing FAP protein, and confocal microscopy imaging showed that aptamer AptFAP-A4 had the highest affinities with the cells. The FAP aptamers screened in this study provide a promising direction for the development of rapid tumor diagnosis and targeted therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the most common metabolic disease and is characterized by sustained hyperglycemia. The impact of T2DM on the survival of lung cancer patients remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of type 2 diabetes with lung cancer mortality. Methods: From January 2019 to January 2020, 228 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) staging earlier than IIIA were included. Results: In our study, we found that the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of lung cancer patients with diabetes was longer than non-diabetes group. Diagnosed T2DM was associated with the prognosis of lung cancer after adjusting for age and covariates. The association between T2DM and OS was influenced by age, stage of cancer and cancer treatment, as well as whether taking metformin was associated with the OS of lung cancer. However, with the adjustment for age and covariates, the relation trended to lose statistical significance. Conclusion: T2DM is an independent prognostic factor for patients with NSCLC staging before IIIA. The patients with both NSCLC and T2DM trended to having a longer OS, possibly due to metformin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Preclinical investigations have identified promising anti-tumor activity of a ketogenic diet in glioblastoma. Although a majority of the work has focused on how this diet directly influences tumor growth, our understanding of its impact on the tumor microenvironment remains limited. In this study, although the anti-tumor activity of a ketogenic diet in glioblastoma was validated, we uncovered a paradoxical increase in a "pro-tumoral" immune response, skewing tumor-associated macrophages towards an "M2-like" phenotype. We hypothesized this would limit the anti-tumor activity of a ketogenic diet, which was tested by combining this diet with a CSF-1 inhibitor. The combination of a ketogenic diet with CSF-1 inhibition normalized tumor-associated macrophages and led to a profound improvement in survival in mice. This provides rationale to test this novel combinatorial strategy in glioblastoma and highlights the importance of understanding how a given therapy influences both the tumor and its associated immune microenvironment. Glioblastoma (GBM) represents an aggressive and immune-resistant cancer. Preclinical investigations have identified anti-tumor activity of a ketogenic diet (KD) potentially being used to target GBM's glycolytic phenotype. Since immune cells in the microenvironment have a similar reliance upon nutrients to perform their individual functions, we sought to determine if KD influenced the immune landscape of GBM. Consistent with previous publications, KD improved survival in GBM in an immune-competent murine model. Immunophenotyping of tumors identified KD-influenced macrophage polarization, with a paradoxical 50% increase in immune-suppressive M2-like-macrophages and a decrease in pro-inflammatory M1-like-macrophages. We recapitulated KD in vitro using a modified cell culture based on metabolomic profiling of serum in KD-fed mice, mechanistically linking the observed changes in macrophage polarization to PPARγ-activation. We hypothesized that parallel increases in M2-macrophage polarization tempered the therapeutic benefit of KD in GBM. To test this, we performed investigations combining KD with the CSF-1R inhibitor (BLZ945), which influences macrophage polarization. The combination demonstrated a striking improvement in survival and correlative studies confirmed BLZ945 normalized KD-induced changes in macrophage polarization. Overall, KD demonstrates antitumor activity in GBM; however, its efficacy is attenuated by promoting an immunosuppressive phenotype in macrophages. Combinatorial strategies designed to modulate macrophage polarization represent a rational approach to improve the anti-tumor activity of KD in GBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2), a key component of the IFI20X/IFI16 (PYHIN) protein family, is characterized as a DNA sensor to detect cytosolic bacteria and DNA viruses. However, little is known about its immunological role during pathogenic Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) infection, an extracellular bacterial pathogen. In a pathogenic C. perfringens gas gangrene model, Aim2−/− mice are more susceptible to pathogenic C. perfringens soft tissue infection, revealing the importance of AIM2 in host protection. Notably, Aim2 deficiency leads to a defect in bacterial killing and clearance. Our in vivo and in vitro findings further establish that inflammasome signaling is impaired in the absence of Aim2 in response to pathogenic C. perfringens. Mechanistically, inflammasome signaling downstream of active AIM2 promotes pathogen control. Importantly, pathogenic C. perfringens-derived genomic DNA triggers inflammasome signaling activation in an AIM2-dependent manner. Thus, these observations uncover a central role for AIM2 in host defense and triggering innate immunity to combat pathogenic C. perfringens infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crater detection can provide valuable information for humans to explore the topography and understand the history of extraterrestrial planets. Due to the significantly varying scenario distributions, existing detection models trained on known labelled crater datasets are hardly effective when applied to new unlabelled planets. To address this issue, we propose a two-stage adaptive network (TAN) for semi-supervised cross-domain crater detection. Our network is built on the YOLOv5 detector, where a series of strategies are employed to enhance its cross-domain generalisation ability. In the first stage, we propose an attention-based scale-adaptive fusion (ASAF) strategy to handle objects with significant scale variances. Furthermore, we propose a smoothing hard example mining (SHEM) loss function to address the issue of overfitting on hard examples. In the second stage, we propose a sort-based pseudo-labelling fine-tuning (SPF) strategy for semi-supervised learning to mitigate the distributional differences between source and target domains. For both stages, we employ weak or strong image augmentation to suit different cross-domain tasks. Experimental results on benchmark datasets demonstrate that the proposed network can enhance domain adaptation ability for crater detection under varying scenario distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on regulation of the immune microenvironment based on bioactive materials is important to osteogenic regeneration. Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is believed to be a promising scaffold material for dental and orthopedic implantation due to its ideal biocompatibility and high osteoconductivity. However, any severe inflammation response can lead to loosening and fall of implantation, which cause implant failures in the clinic. Morphology modification has been widely studied to regulate the host immune environment and to further promote bone regeneration. Here, we report the preparation of nHAPs, which have uniform rod-like shape and different size (200 nm and 400 nm in length). The morphology, biocompatibility, and anti-inflammatory properties were evaluated. The results showed that the 400 nm nHAPs exhibited excellent biocompatibility and osteoimmunomodulation, which can not only induce M2-phenotype macrophages (M2) polarization to decrease the production of inflammatory cytokines, but also promote the production of osteogenic factor. The reported 400 nm nHAPs are promising for osteoimmunomodulation in bone regeneration, which is beneficial for clinical application of bone defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation therapy is a current standard-of-care treatment and is used widely for GBM patients. However, radiation therapy still remains a significant barrier to getting a successful outcome due to the therapeutic resistance and tumor recurrence. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of this resistance and recurrence would provide an efficient approach for improving the therapy for GBM treatment. Here, we identified a regulatory mechanism of CD44 which induces infiltration and mesenchymal shift of GBM. Ionizing radiation (IR)-induced K-RAS/ERK signaling activation elevates CD44 expression through downregulation of miR-202 and miR-185 expression. High expression of CD44 promotes SRC activation to induce cancer stemness and EMT features of GBM cells. In this study, we demonstrate that the K-RAS/ERK/CD44 axis is a key mechanism in regulating mesenchymal shift of GBM cells after irradiation. These findings suggest that blocking the K-RAS activation or CD44 expression could provide an efficient way for GBM treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower-like metallic nanocrystals have shown great potential in the fields of nanophononics and energy conversion owing to their unique optical properties and particular structures. Herein, colloid Au nanoflowers with different numbers of petals were prepared by a steerable template process. The structure-adjustable Au nanoflowers possessed double plasmon resonances, tunable electric fields, and greatly enhanced SERS and photocatalytic activity. In the extinction spectra, Au nanoflowers had a strong electric dipole resonance located around 530 to 550 nm. Meanwhile, a longitudinal plasmon resonance (730~760 nm) was obtained when the number of petals of Au nanoflowers increased to two or more. Numerical simulations verified that the strong electric fields of Au nanoflowers were located at the interface between the Au nanosphere and Au nanopetals, caused by the strong plasmon coupling. They could be further tuned by adding more Au nanopetals. Meanwhile, much stronger electric fields of Au nanoflowers with two or more petals were identified under longitudinal plasmon excitation. With these characteristics, Au nanoflowers showed excellent SERS and photocatalytic performances, which were highly dependent on the number of petals. Four-petal Au nanoflowers possessed the highest SERS activity on detecting Rhodamine B (excited both at 532 and 785 nm) and the strongest photocatalytic activity toward photodegrading methylene blue under visible light irradiation, caused by the strong multi-interfacial plasmon coupling and longitudinal plasmon resonance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strain-controlled structural, electronic, and optical characteristics of monolayer β-AuSe are systematically studied using first-principles calculations in this paper. For the strain-free monolayer β-AuSe, the structure is dynamically stable and maintains good stability at room temperature. It belongs to the indirect band gap semiconductor, and its valence band maximum (VBM) and conduction band minimum (CBM) consist of hybrid Au-d and Se-p electrons. Au–Se is a partial ionic bond and a partial polarized covalent bond. Meanwhile, lone-pair electrons exist around Se and are located between different layers. Moreover, its optical properties are anisotropic. As for the strained monolayer β-AuSe, it is susceptible to deformation by uniaxial tensile strain. It remains the semiconductor when applying different strains within an extensive range; however, only the biaxial compressive strain is beyond −12%, leading to a semiconductor–semimetal transition. Furthermore, it can maintain relatively stable optical properties under a high strain rate, whereas the change in optical properties is unpredictable when applying different strains. Finally, we suggest that the excellent carrier transport properties of the strain-free monolayer β-AuSe and the stable electronic properties of the strained monolayer β-AuSe originate from the p–d hybridization effect. Therefore, we predict that monolayer β-AuSe is a promising flexible semiconductive photoelectric material in the high-efficiency nano-electronic and nano-optoelectronic fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the application of Compressive Sensing (CS) theory for sidelobe suppression in Random Frequency and Pulse Repetition Interval Agile (RFPA) radar, the off−grid issues affect the performance of target parameter estimation in RFPA radar. Therefore, to address this issue, this paper presents an off−grid CS algorithm named Refinement and Generalized Double Pareto (GDP) distribution based on Sparse Bayesian Learning (RGDP−SBL) for RFPA radar that utilizes a coarse−to−fine grid refinement approach, allowing precise and cost−effective signal recovery while mitigating the impact of off−grid issues on target parameter estimation. To obtain a high-precision signal recovery, especially in scenarios involving closely spaced targets, the RGDP−SBL algorithm makes use of a three−level hierarchical prior model. Furthermore, the RGDP−SBL algorithm efficiently utilizes diagonal elements during the coarse search and exploits the convexity of the grid energy curve during the fine search, therefore significantly reducing computational complexity. Simulation results demonstrate that the RGDP−SBL algorithm significantly improves signal recovery performance while maintaining low computational complexity in multiple scenarios for RFPA radar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the durability of cementitious materials under complex environmental conditions in Xinjiang, this study conducted durability tests on mortar specimens with different fly ash contents under dry/wet sulfate attack conditions, with standard curing and steam curing at 70 °C. The appearance loss and flexural and compressive strength variations in the specimens were analyzed, and an evolution model of the mortar strength under a dry/wet sulfate attack was established. Moreover, XRD and SEM techniques were used to characterize the erosion products and microstructure, and to explore the erosion resistance mechanism of fly ash cementitious materials. The results showed that, after 160 cycles of erosion, the flexural strength of the specimens decreased with the increase in the fly ash content. In the context of steam-cured mortar specimens, throughout the entire erosion period, specimens with a fly ash content of 45% exhibited the highest relative compressive strength. The established strength evolution model had a minimum determination coefficient of 0.879, indicating a good agreement between the model and experimental results. Microscopic research showed that fly ash would undergo a pozzolanic reaction under the action of sulfate and calcium hydroxide, which was beneficial to the improvement of the erosion resistance. As the fly ash content increased, the erosion products of the specimens gradually became dominated by gypsum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the influence of freshwater fish ponds on water and salt transport in cultivated wasteland in salinized areas, a typical study area was selected in the middle and lower reaches of the Hetao Irrigation District in China in the Yichang Irrigation Domain, and the temporal and spatial changes in the salinity of soil and salinity of groundwater and fish pond water in the cultivated–wasteland–fish pond system were characterized through the monitoring of the environmental information of soil and groundwater at the boundaries of the cultivated land, wasteland, and fish ponds. Salinity changes and groundwater migration in different periods were determined, and the response of soil salinity to the depth of groundwater burial was analyzed, as well as the effect of fish ponds on soil salinization. The results showed that the amount of groundwater migrating from cropland to wasteland during the simulation period in 2022 was 2700 m3, the amount of groundwater migrating from wasteland to fish ponds was 630 m3, and the amount of groundwater migrating from fish ponds to wasteland during the fall watering period was 440 m3. From an overall perspective, the average soil salinity of wasteland was 1.56 times higher than that of the boundary of fish ponds. Not only do fish ponds play a positive role in the ecosystem, but they also have a desalinization effect that reduces soil salinity significantly. Groundwater depth and soil salinity have an exponential relationship; when the depth of groundwater is greater than 1.75 m, the soil salinity varies little with the depth of groundwater and the soil salinity is less than 0.66 ds/m, which can be determined as the critical depth, and the average depth of groundwater in cultivated land in the study area is 1.5 m. Therefore, it is necessary to reasonably control the water level of fish ponds, so as to make the groundwater depth of cultivated land control between 1.75 m and 2.0 m, and to prevent soil salinization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the use of Li-ion batteries, Li-ion batteries will experience unavoidable aging, which can cause battery safety issues, performance degradation, and inaccurate SOC estimation, so it is necessary to predict the state of health (SOH) of Li-ion batteries. Existing methods for Li-ion battery state of health assessment mainly focus on parameters such as constant voltage charging time, constant current charging time, and discharging time, with little consideration of the impact of changes in Li-ion battery temperature on the state of health of Li-ion batteries. In this paper, a new prediction method for Li-ion battery health state based on the surface difference temperature (DT), incremental capacity analysis (ICA), and differential voltage analysis (DVA) is proposed. Five health factors are extracted from each of the three curves as input features to the model, respectively, and the weights, thresholds, and number of hidden layers of the Elman neural network are optimized using the Whale of a Whale Algorithm (WOA), which results in an average decrease of 43%, 49%, and 46% in MAE, RMSE, and MAPE compared to the Elman neural network. For the problem where the three predictions depend on different sources, the features of the three curves are fused using the weighted average method and predicted using the WOA–Elman neural network, whose MAE, RMSE, and MAPE are 0.00054, 0.0007897, and 0.06547% on average. The results show that the proposed method has an overall error of less than 2% in SOH prediction, improves the accuracy and robustness of the overall SOH estimation, and reduces the computational burden to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sandstones are enriched in deep energy reservoirs and also exist as outcrop rocks, where the pore characteristics of sandstone are influenced by hydration absorption and thermal effects. To study the influence of the initial temperature on the hydration absorption characteristics of outcrop porous sandstone in the Mogao Grottoes, China, an intelligent experimental device for rock hydration was used. The hydration absorption characteristics and temperature effects of sandstone were analyzed by using infrared thermography techniques to monitor the infrared radiation characteristics of the sandstone's surface during hydration absorption. The experimental results show that the higher the initial temperature of the rock samples, the shorter the time it takes for the sandstone to absorb enough water to reach saturation. The temperature variation of sandstone with different initial temperatures was also determined; the variation in the hydration absorption of sandstone conforms to certain rules, which can be expressed by formulae containing certain parameters. The changing trend of hydration absorption in outcrop porous sandstone shows that the hydration absorption increases rapidly at first, and then the rate of increase slows down until the hydration absorption remains unchanged after saturation. The experimental technique and method provide feasible means and techniques to evaluate the hydration absorption and thermal effects of outcrop porous sandstone, for further detecting the weathering degree of rock grottoes and revealing the damage mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a problem with the insufficient cleaning of the dust filter cartridge by the pulsed-jet cleaning method. This paper examines the improvement in the pulse-jet performance of cone filter cartridges achieved by using an annular-slit nozzle. Off-line pulse jet experiments were conducted to study the influence of initial compressed air pressure, jet distance, and Venturi tube on injection pressure. This paper compared the filtration performance of conventional nozzles versus slit nozzles by conducting an online dust filtration-cleaning experiment and investigating the effect of a Venturi tube. The results demonstrated that the jet produced by the slit nozzle had a bigger surface area in contact with the surrounding air, enhancing the entrainment effect, boosting the overall pulsed-jet pressure, and significantly elevating the pressure in the upper and middle section of the cartridge, particularly in the upper section. In both common nozzle and slit nozzle cases, the pulsed-jet intensity initially increased and then decreased with the jet distance. The corresponding optimal jet distances were 500 mm and 400 mm, respectively. The slit nozzle provoked an increment of 16% and 44% in the pulsed-jet intensity and uniformity (to 619 Pa and 0.19), respectively. And there was an 8% reduction in residual pressure drop, a 6% improvement in fallen dust mass, and a 7% improvement in comprehensive filtration performance. The fallen dust mass produced by a single cleaning of the slit nozzle was 0.64 kg and the comprehensive filtration performance was 0.18. While the addition of a Venturi tube improved the cleaning of the filter cartridge, it also led to a higher filtration pressure drop in the dust collector and reduced comprehensive filtration performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new xanthones, cratocochinones A–D (1–4), together with eight known analogues (5–12), were isolated from the stems and leaves of Cratoxylum cochinchinense. The chemical structures of cratocochinones A–D (1–4) were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses and the known compounds were identified by comparisons with the spectral data reported in the literature. All isolated compounds 1–12 were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activities and anti-HIV-1 activities. Compounds 1–12 showed remarkable inhibitory activities on nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide in mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells in vitro, with IC50 values in the range of 0.86 ± 0.05 to 18.36 ± 0.21 µM. Meanwhile, compounds 1–12 exhibited significant anti-HIV-1 activities with EC50 which ranged from 0.22 to 11.23 µM. These findings indicate that the discoveries of these xanthones, isolated from the stems and leaves of C. cochinchinense, showing significant anti-inflammatory and anti-HIV-1 effects could be of great importance to the research and development of new natural anti-inflammatory and anti-HIV agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant leaf ashes were obtained via the high temperature calcination of the leaves of various plants, such as sugarcane, couchgrass, bracteata, garlic sprout, and the yellowish leek. Although the photosynthesis systems in plant leaves cannot exist after calcination, minerals in these ashes were found to exhibit photochemical activities. The samples showed solar light photocatalytic oxidation activities sufficient to degrade methylene blue dye. They were also shown to possess intrinsic dehydrogenase-like activities in reducing the colorless electron acceptor 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride to a red formazan precipitate under solar light irradiation. The possible reasons behind these two unreported phenomena were also investigated. These ashes were characterized using a combination of physicochemical techniques. Moreover, our findings exemplify how the soluble and insoluble minerals in plant leaf ashes can be synergistically designed to yield next-generation photocatalysts. It may also lead to advances in artificial photosynthesis and photocatalytic dehydrogenase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is critical for gas sensors that sense greenhouse gas molecules to have both good sensitivity and selectivity for water molecules in the ambient environment. Here, we study the charge transfer, IV curves, and electric field tuning of vanadium-doped monolayer ϵ -phosphorene as a sensor for NO, NO2, and H2O gas molecules via first-principle and transport calculations. We find that the paramagnetic toxic molecules of NO and NO2 have a high adsorption energy on V- ϵ -phosphorene, which originates from a large amount of charge transfer driven by the hybridisation of the localised spin states of the host with the molecular frontier orbital. Using the non-equilibrium Green's function, we investigate the IV responses with respect to the adsorption of different molecules to study the performance of gas molecule sensors. Our IV curves show a larger amount of changes in resistance of the paramagnetic NO and NO2 than nonmagnetic H2O gas molecules, suggesting both sensitivity and selectivity. Moreover, our calculations show that an applied external electric field (gate voltage) can effectively tune the amount of charge transfer. More charge transfer makes the sensor more sensitive to the molecule, while less charge transfer can reduce the adsorption energy and remove the adsorbed molecules, allowing for the repeated use of the sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the issue of drive–response synchronization in fractional-order multi-link memristive neural networks (FMMNN) with multiple delays, under hybrid impulsive feedback control. To address the impact of multiple delays on system synchronization, an extended fractional-order delayed comparison principle incorporating impulses is established. By leveraging Laplace transform, Mittag–Leffler functions, the generalized comparison principle, and hybrid impulsive feedback control schemes, several new sufficient conditions are derived to ensure synchronization in the addressed FMMNN. Unlike existing studies on fractional-order single-link memristor-based systems, our response network is a multi-link model that considers impulsive effects. Notably, the impulsive gains α i are not limited to a small interval, thus expanding the application range of our approach ( α i ∈ (− 2 , 0) ∪ (− ∞ , − 2) ∪ (0 , + ∞) ). This feature allows one to choose impulsive gains and corresponding impulsive intervals that are appropriate for the system environment and control requirements. The theoretical results obtained in this study contribute to expanding the relevant theoretical achievements of fractional-order neural networks incorporating memristive characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The study found that Bacillus velezensis HN-Q-8 has an antagonistic effect on Alternaria solani. After being pretreated with strain HN-Q-8, which can induce potato plant resistance to early blight by regulating defensive enzyme activities and trig-gering the JA/ET pathway, as well as promote growth by regulating the contents of indole acetic acid, gibberellic acid 3 and abscisic acid, enhancing the chlorophyll content, and stimulating root activity. In addition, live bacteria and secondary metabolites should be used together for the best results. Thus, B. velezensis HN-Q-8 strain is an effective bacterial biocontrol agent, and our study can provide vital information for the research and development of biocontrol bacteria. Bacillus velezensis HN-Q-8, isolated in our previous study, has an antagonistic effect on Alternaria solani. After being pretreated with a fermentation liquid with HN-Q-8 bacterial cell suspensions, the potato leaves inoculated with A. solani displayed smaller lesion areas and less yellowing than the controls. Interestingly, the activity levels of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase in potato seedlings were enhanced by the addition of the fermentation liquid with bacterial cells. Additionally, the overexpression of key genes related to induced resistance in the Jasmonate/Ethylene pathway was activated by the addition of the fermentation liquid, suggesting that the HN-Q-8 strain induced resistance to potato early blight. In addition, our laboratory and field experiments showed that the HN-Q-8 strain can promote potato seedling growth and significantly increase tuber yield. The root activity and chlorophyll content of potato seedlings were significantly increased along with the levels of indole acetic acid, gibberellic acid 3, and abscisic acid upon addition of the HN-Q-8 strain. The fermentation liquid with bacterial cells was more efficient in inducing disease resistance and promoting growth than bacterial cell suspensions alone or the fermentation liquid without bacterial cells. Thus, the B. velezensis HN-Q-8 strain is an effective bacterial biocontrol agent, augmenting the options available for potato cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a solution to the consensus problem for a particular category of uncertain switched multi-agent systems (MASs). In these systems, the communication topologies between agents and the system dynamics are governed by a time-homogeneous Markovian chain in a stochastic manner. To address this issue, we propose a novel neuroadaptive distributed dynamic event-triggered control (DETC) strategy. By leveraging stochastic Lyapunov theory and matrix inequality methodology, we establish sufficient conditions for practical ultimate mean square consensus (UMSBC) of MASs using a combination of neural networks (NNs) adaptive control strategy and DETC method. Our approach employs a distributed adaptive NNs DETC mechanism in MASs with unknown nonlinear dynamics and upgrades it at the moment of event sampling in an aperiodic manner, resulting in significant savings in computation and resources. We also exclude the Zeno phenomenon. Finally, we provide numerical examples to demonstrate the feasibility of our proposed approach, which outperforms existing approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the solutions for the distributed optimization coordination problem (DOCP) for heterogeneous multiagent systems under directed topologies. To begin with, a different convex optimization problem is proposed, which implies a weighted average of the objective function of each agent. Sufficient conditions are set to ensure the unique solution for the DOCP. Then, despite the external disruption, a distributed control mechanism is constructed to drive the state of each agent to the auxiliary state in a finite time. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the outputs of all agents can achieve the optimal value, ensuring global convergence. Moreover, the controller design rule is expanded with event-triggered communication, and there is no Zeno behavior. Finally, to exemplify the usefulness of the theoretical conclusions, a simulation example is offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For humans, ARTs (assisted reproductive technologies) have become the most effective method to treat subfertility/infertility in clinic. To obtain enough oocytes during ART, ovarian stimulation is performed by exogenous hormones, and some patients undergo several ovarian stimulation cycles. Although some adverse effects of ARTs on women and offspring are reported, few studies are focused on the effects of multiple superovulation on ovarian reserve. In the present study, we found that repeated superovulation significantly reduced primordial follicle number and the serum AMH. Compared to the decreased antral follicle number, the expression of genes related to primordial follicle activation, such as Foxo3, Akt, and Rptor, and the atretic follicle number in ovaries were increased by superovulation times. We further found that repeated superovulation reduced the plasma level of FSH, LH, and estradiol, and increased the expression of genes related to apoptosis (Bax, Casp3 (caspase-3), Casp8, and Casp9) in granulosa cells, providing evidence that repeated superovulation disrupted the balance between survival and death in granulosa cells. In summary, our results suggest that repeated superovulation has adverse effects on folliculogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global μ -synchronization problem for nonlinear multi-weighted complex dynamical networks with uncertain parameter perturbation and mixed time-varying delays is investigated in this paper. Unlike other existing works, all delays, including sampling and internal and coupling delays, are assumed to be unbounded, making the considered model more general and practical. Based on the generalized impulsive comparison principles, a time-varying impulsive controller with sampling delays is designed, and some new sufficient conditions are obtained to make drive–response multi-weighted networks reach μ -synchronization. In addition, the external coupling matrices do not need to meet the requirement of zero-row sum, and the limitation of time delay on pulse interval is weakened. The results obtained in this article can be seen as extensions of previous related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Extramedullary relapse of multiple myeloma (MM) is often resistant to existing treatments, and has an extremely poor prognosis. Therefore, early identification of high-risk extramedullary relapse patients has important clinical significance. However, due to the lack of a large prospective clinical study, clinical characteristic evidence for the early identification of patients with extramedullary relapse is still lacking. Our study analyzed the high-risk factors for extramedullary relapse in NDMM patients for the first time, hoping to identify high-risk extramedullary relapse patients as early as possible to take early measures to prevent extramedullary relapse and improve the overall prognosis of NDMM patients. Extramedullary relapse of multiple myeloma (MM) is often resistant to existing treatments, and has an extremely poor prognosis, but our understanding of extramedullary relapse is still limited. The incidence, clinical characteristics, impact on the prognosis of extramedullary relapse, and the risk factors for extramedullary relapse in NDMM patients were analyzed. Among the 471 NDMM patients, a total of 267 patients had disease relapse during follow-up, including 64 (24.0%) patients with extramedullary relapse. Extramedullary relapse was more common in patients with younger age, IgD subtype, elevated LDH, extensive osteolytic lesions, extramedullary involvement, and spleen enlargement at the time of MM diagnosis. Survival analysis showed that extramedullary relapse patients had significantly worse median OS than patients with relapse but without extramedullary involvement (30.8 months vs. 53.6 months, p = 0.012). Multivariate analysis confirmed that elevated LDH (OR = 2.09, p = 0.023), >2 osteolytic lesions (OR = 3.70, p < 0.001), extramedullary involvement (OR = 3.48, p < 0.001) and spleen enlargement (OR = 2.27, p = 0.011) at the time of MM diagnosis were independent risk factors for extramedullary relapse in NDMM patients. Each of the above four factors was assigned a value of 1 to form the extramedullary relapse prediction score, and the 3-year extramedullary relapse rates of patients in the 0–2 and 3–4 score groups were 9.0 % and 76.7 %, respectively. This study suggested that extramedullary relapse was associated with poor clinical characteristics and poor prognosis in NDMM patients. The extramedullary relapse prediction score model composed of LDH, osteolytic lesions, extramedullary involvement and spleen enlargement has a better ability to predict extramedullary relapse than the existing ISS and R-ISS stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming to investigate the relationship between pulse pressure (PP) and cognitive decline, cognitively normal subjects from a community-based longitudinal cohort were followed-up for 4 years. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to evaluate global cognitive function, and a ≥2-point decrease in the MMSE score from baseline was defined as cognitive decline. Restricted cubic spline, multivariable linear regression and logistic regression were used to investigate the relationship between PP and cognitive decline. A total of 1173 participants completed the follow-up, and 205 (17.5%) met the criteria for cognitive decline. Restricted cubic splines showed no nonlinear relationship between PP and ΔMMSE (Poverall = 0.037, Pnon-linear = 0.289) or cognitive decline (Poverall = 0.003, Pnon-linear = 0.845). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that PP was positively related to ΔMMSE (b = 0.021, p = 0.020). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that PP was positively associated with cognitive decline (OR = 1.020, p = 0.023). A stratified analysis found an association between PP and cognitive decline in participants who were aged ≤65 years, male, and APOEε4 noncarriers and who had school education ≤6 years or hypertension. A sensitivity analysis after propensity-score matching did not alter our findings. These findings highlight that elevated PP is associated with rapid cognitive decline, particularly in males, middle-aged, low-educated, hypertensive individuals and APOEε4 noncarriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the hexagonal phase of ternary transition metal pnictides TT'X (T = Zr, Hf; T' = Ru; X = P, As), which are well-known noncentrosymmetric superconductors, were predicted to host nontrivial bulk topology. In this work, we systematically investigate the electronic responses of ZrRuAs to external pressure. At ambient pressure, ZrRuAs show superconductivity with Tc ~ 7.74 K, while a large upper critical field ~ 13.03 T is obtained for ZrRuAs, which is comparable to the weak-coupling Pauli limit. The resistivity of ZrRuAs exhibits a non-monotonic evolution with increasing pressure. The superconducting transition temperature Tc increases with applied pressure and reaches a maximum value of 7.93 K at 2.1 GPa, followed by a decrease. The nontrivial topology is robust and persists up to the high-pressure regime. Considering both robust superconductivity and intriguing topology in this material, our results could contribute to studies of the interplay between topological electronic states and superconductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]