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This article studies the problem of prescribed‐time constrained tracking control for a class of 2×2$$ 2\times 2 $$ hyperbolic partial differential equation (PDE) systems with actuator dynamics, which are described by a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs). Since the control input only appears in the ODE subsystem rather than directly on the boundary of PDE subsystem, the control task becomes quite challenging. The most important is that for the control of such ODE controlled PDE systems we mainly make the following two contributions: (1) the controlled output of the PDE system tracks the reference signal within the prescribed time; (2) the controlled output and all the actuator states are constrained. It is the first time that such a prescribed‐time constrained tracking control problem is addressed for the PDE‐ODE coupled system considered in this article. Through rigorous theoretical proof, it is demonstrated that all the system states and control signals are bounded and sufficiently continuous by configuring appropriate design parameters. Finally, the performance is investigated via numerical simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stochastic modelling framework is developed to predict the flexural properties of high-strength sheet moulding compounds made of randomly oriented ultra-thin carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic prepreg tapes. The model enables reliable designs using ultra-thin randomly oriented strands with less testing, leading to potential applications in automotive primary structures. The stochastic model is based on a Monte Carlo simulation. The flexural modulus is predicted using classical laminate theory, while the flexural strength is predicted by following a Weibull distribution. Fibre discontinuities are considered through stress concentrations introduced by tape overlaps. The results are validated against new 3-point bending and previously reported 4-point bending experimental results. A scaling effect on strength and scatter is predicted, and its implications for structural applications are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supercritical carbon dioxide dewatering (SCD) offers significant potential for wood treatment due to its unique physical-chemical properties. SCD has the advantage of avoiding drying defects caused by capillary tension during the removal of free water in conventional kiln drying (CKD). In this study, 150 mm-long specimens of Juglans mandshurica wood underwent both SCD and CKD treatments, allowing for comparison of various dewatering characteristics such as dewatering rate, moisture distribution, deformation, and drying stresses. The findings revealed that the optimal dewatering time was 25 min. SCD proved highly effective, especially during the high moisture content (MC) phase, demonstrating a dewatering rate up to 5.6 times faster than CKD. SCD achieved a more even dewatering process across the wood, with a maximum MC difference of 4.52% between the core and surface zones. In contrast, CKD exhibited an MC difference 8.3 times larger than SCD. Furthermore, in the longitudinal direction, CKD displayed lower MC at the wood's end locations compared to SCD. Additionally, wood showed shrinkage following CKD but swelling after SCD treatment. Interestingly, both SCD and CKD treatments resulted in nearly identical drying stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigated the effect of geometric structural parameters on flow patterns and pressure drops and gas–liquid mixing effects of gas–liquid mixing devices. The computational fluid dynamics software FLUENT was used to calculate the airflow inside the mixer of a compressed air–foam gas–liquid mixing device with different cone angles, foam flow rates, air inlet inclination angles, and pipeline diameters. The results obtained are the pressure distribution, the liquid volume fraction, and the liquid phase streamlines in the mixing device. The numerical simulation results showed that for a gas–liquid mixing device, the optimal inlet inclination angle was 60°–70°, and the mixing effect of an equal diameter mixer was better than that of a variable diameter mixer, but it would reduce the mixing efficiency of the air and foam. The optimal pipeline diameter of the conveying pipeline was 190 mm, and the optimal cone angle of the mixing device was 55°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fictional story is always narrated from a certain narrative voice and mode of focalization. These core narrative techniques have a major impact on how readers interpret the narrative plot and connect with the characters. This study used eye-tracking to investigate how classic narrative reading is affected by narrative voice and focalization. The results showed that the third-person narrative voice was read more slowly than the first-person narrative voice, especially when the narrative was presented with internal focalization. Importantly, the transition from a first-person to a third-person narrative voice generally resulted in longer reading times, whereas a switch from a third-person to a first-person narrative voice only yielded limited benefits in terms of reduced reading time. These findings provide direct evidence to support the assumption that there is a distinction between the first-person narration and the third-person narration and demonstrate the important role of narrative voice and focalization in understanding narrative texts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) can reduce the incidence of graft versus host disease (GVHD) and this intervention is often applied on adults with hematologic malignancy. However, the high relapse rate hinders the development of the intervention and data of PTCy used on children with hematologic malignancy remains limited. In order to overcome issue of high relapse rate in PTCy treatment, we used fludarabine (Flu), enhanced dose of cytarabine (Ara-C, 9 g/m2), busulfan (Bu), Cy, anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) combined with PTCy for an intensified conditioning regimen. A total of 22 children with acute leukemia received intensified PTCy conditioning regimen (PTCy intensified group). We matched with 18 children who received modified Bu-Cy and ATG conditioning regimen in the same period (ATG group). The two-year cumulative incidences of grade II–IV acute GVHD was significantly lower in PTCy intensified group (13.6 ± 7.7% vs 38.9 ± 11.5%, P = 0.048). Two-year GVHD-free relapse free survival (GRFS) in PTCy seems to be better among the increment group despite not being significant (63.3 ± 10.3% vs 35.4 ± 11.9%, P = 0.092). The positive rate of minimal residual disease after transplantation was significantly lower than that before transplantation (20.0% vs 2.5%, P = 0.029). In conclusion, ATG and PTCy combined with Flu-based increased intensity conditioning regimen is effective for acute leukemia in children. It could reduce GVHD rate significantly and potentially improve GRFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the direct comparison of single-crystal and ceramic Yb3+:Lu203 gain media with respect to emission spectra, fluorescence lifetime, depolarization, and laser performance in a continuous-wave thin-disk laser oscillator. The most efficient laser operation was achieved with a single-crystal disk in multimode operation with a slope efficiency of 72.1% and an average output power of 997 W. At the same temperature level, a ceramic disk delivered 861 W with a slope efficiency of 68.6%. In fundamental-mode operation, the highest average power of 360 W and highest optical efficiency of 41.3% were obtained with a ceramic disk. For the single-crystal disk, the fundamental-mode output power was limited to 113 W at an optical efficiency of 29%, potentially due to stress within the crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pancreatic cancer stem cells (CSCs) promote pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumorigenesis and chemoresistance. Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) plays an important role in tumor initiation in other tumors, but the function of CDK1 in PDAC remains unclear. Fisetin is a bioactive flavonoid with anti-tumor properties in multiple tumors, while its function in CSCs remains elusive. Results: In this study, we demonstrated that CDK1 was correlated with prognosis and was highly expressed in pancreatic cancer tissue and gemcitabine-resistant cells. Silencing CDK1 impaired tumor stemness and reduced a subset of CSCs. We found that fisetin blocked the kinase pocket domain of CDK1 and inhibited pancreatic CSC characteristics. Using acetylation proteomics analysis and phosphorylation array assay, we confirmed that fisetin reduced CDK1 expression and increased CDK1 acetylation at lysine 33 (K33), which resulted in the suppression of CDK1 phosphorylation. Silencing CDK1 or STAT3 suppressed tumor stemness properties, while overexpressing CDK1 or STAT3 showed the opposite effect. Mutation or acetylation of CDK1 at K33 weakened STAT3 phosphorylation at Y705, impairing the expression of stem-related genes and pancreatic cancer stemness. In addition, lack of histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3), which deacetylates CDK1, contributed to weakening STAT3 phosphorylation by regulating the post-translational modification of CDK1, thereby decreasing the stemness of PDAC. Moreover, our results revealed that fisetin enhanced the effect of gemcitabine through eliminating a subpopulation of pancreatic CSCs by inhibiting the CDK1–STAT3 axis in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the role of post-translational modifications of CDK1–STAT3 signaling in maintaining cancer stemness of PDAC, and indicated that targeting the CDK1–STAT3 axis with inhibitors such as fisetin is a potential therapeutic strategy to diminish drug resistance and eliminate PDAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T cells play an important role in the development of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The mechanism underlying such T cell‐based kidney disease, however, remains elusive. Here the authors report that activated CD8 T cells elicit renal inflammation and tissue injury via releasing miR‐186‐5p‐enriched exosomes. Continuing the cohort study identifying the correlation of plasma level of miR‐186‐5p with proteinuria in FSGS patients, it is demonstrated that circulating miR‐186‐5p is mainly derived from activated CD8 T cell exosomes. Renal miR‐186‐5p, which is markedly increased in FSGS patients and mice with adriamycin‐induced renal injury, is mainly delivered by CD8 T cell exosomes. Depleting miR‐186‐5p strongly attenuates adriamycin‐induced mouse renal injury. Supporting the function of exosomal miR‐186‐5p as a key circulating pathogenic factor, intravenous injection of miR‐186‐5p or miR‐186‐5p‐containing T cell exosomes results in mouse renal inflammation and tissue injury. Tracing the injected T cell exosomes shows their preferential distribution in mouse renal tubules, not glomerulus. Mechanistically, miR‐186‐5p directly activates renal tubular TLR7/8 signal and initiates tubular cell apoptosis. Mutating the TLR7‐binding sequence on miR‐186‐5p or deleting mouse TLR7 largely abolishes renal tubular injuries induced by miR‐186‐5p or adriamycin. These findings reveal a causative role of exosomal miR‐186‐5p in T cell‐mediated renal dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wide bandgap β-Ga2O3 is an ideal candidate material with broad application prospects for power electronic components in the future. Aiming at the application requirements of β-Ga2O3 in space photoelectric devices, this work studies the influence of 40 MeV Si ion irradiation on the microstructure and optical properties of β-Ga2O3 epi-wafers. Raman spectroscopy analysis confirms that Si ion irradiation destroys the symmetric stretching mode of tetrahedral–octahedral chains in β-Ga2O3 epi-wafers, and the obtained experimental evidence of irradiation leads to the enhanced defect density of VO and VGa–VO from x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Combined with first-principles calculations, we conclude that most configurations of VO and VGa–VO are likely non-radiative, leading to quenching of experimental photoluminescence intensity. Unraveling optical degradation mechanism and predicting the optical application of β-Ga2O3 devices in the space environment by combining ground irradiation experiments with first-principles calculations still be one of the focuses of research in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodegradable polymeric materials with high strength and outstanding toughness are necessary for real‐world applications in the fields of electronics, electrics, and packaging. Unfortunately, such performance portfolios in polymers remain challenging to achieve due to their different governing mechanisms. Inspired by the hydrogen‐bond (H‐bond) cross‐linking structure of spider silk, herein, strong and tough poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composites with β‐cyclodextrin as a cross‐linker are developed. Benefiting from the H‐bond cross‐linking effect, the addition of 1.0 wt% of β‐cyclodextrin enables PVA to achieve a high tensile strength of 136.5 MPa, and a high elastic modulus of 3.0 GPa, in combination with a good toughness of 82.1 MJ m−3. In addition, the presence of β‐cyclodextrin improves the biodegradability of PVA composite by decreasing its crystalline size. Furthermore, PVA/β‐cyclodextrin composite combined with MXene has great potential as a sensor material for humidity and strain detection. This proof‐of‐concept opens numerous opportunities to create strong, tough, and biodegradable polymers for packing and sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the efficiency of polycrystalline silicon solar cells, process optimization is a key technology in the photovoltaic industry. Despite the efficiency of this technique to be reproducible, economic, and simple, it presents a major inconvenience to have a heavily doped region near the surface which induces a high minority carrier recombination. To limit this effect, an optimization of diffused phosphorous profiles is required. A "low-high-low" temperature step of the POCl3 diffusion process was developed to improve the efficiency of industrial-type polycrystalline silicon solar cells. The low surface concentration of phosphorus doping of 4.54 × 1020 atoms/cm3 and junction depth of 0.31 μm at a dopant concentration of N = 1017 atoms/cm3 were obtained. The open-circuit voltage and fill factor of solar cells increased up to 1 mV and 0.30%, compared with the online low-temperature diffusion process, respectively. The efficiency of solar cells and the power of PV cells were increased by 0.1% and 1 W, respectively. This POCl3 diffusion process effectively improved the overall efficiency of industrial-type polycrystalline silicon solar cells in this solar field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stochastic morphological modelling framework has been established to predict the tensile behaviour of Randomly Oriented Strands made of ultra-thin Carbon Fibre Reinforced Thermoplastic prepreg tapes. The tape properties from their distributions are generated in a Monte Carlo simulation. The Young's modulus of a laminate is accurately predicted using classical laminate theory. Fibre-dominant tensile failure is also accurately predicted in Carbon Fibre Reinforced Thermoplastics Sheet Moulding Compounds using Weibull theory. Material discontinuity is accounted for via the introduction of a stress concentration factor, as a result of tape overlaps. The predicted tensile strength values and scatter were found to increase with increasing tape length, which agrees well with literature data, and thus demonstrates the reliability of the proposed modelling framework. The rapid modelling framework is well-suited for application in structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE, hereafter NLTE) analysis for Cu i lines with the updated model atom that includes quantum-mechanical rate coefficients of Cu + H and Cu+ + Hâˆ' inelastic collisions from the recent study of Belyaev et al. The influence of these data on NLTE abundance determinations has been performed for six metal-poor stars in a metallicity range of âˆ'2.59 dex ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ âˆ'0.95 dex. For Cu i lines, the application of accurate atomic data leads to a decrease in the departure from LTE and lower copper abundances compared to that obtained with Drawin’s theoretical approximation. To verify our adopted copper atomic model, we also derived the LTE copper abundances of Cu ii lines for the sample stars. A consistent copper abundance from the Cu i (NLTE) and Cu ii (LTE) lines has been obtained, which indicates the reliability of our copper atomic model. It is noted that the [Cu/Fe] ratios increase with increasing metallicity when ∼âˆ'2.0 dex < [Fe/H] < ∼âˆ'1.0 dex, favoring a secondary (metallicity-dependent) copper production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable design is no longer an emerging debate. Data-driven urban and architectural design faces several potential threats related to airflow modelling, including extreme wind environments, pollutant emissions, and the potential for new wind energy in design. Designers require advanced design tools to address these airflow modelling challenges. Still, it is difficult for designers to implement and utilise airflow models fully, and not all data-driven approaches are accessible to designers in traditional design workflow systems. This review systematically analyses the frontiers of airflow modelling in urban and architectural building design from the designer's perspective. It briefly summarises the advantages and disadvantages of airflow modelling based on the parametric design's white-box, black-box, and grey-box approaches. This review explores the challenges of wind environments and their analytical responses by screening design research articles at three scales. It summarises the eight main existing research directions. The article discusses the findings of designers at each scale, revealing significant areas of interest and continuing focus, such as the reduction of pollutant emissions and the interaction of new wind energy generation in design. This study concludes with three responses to possible challenges: improved resolution for design research loop, unification of information entropy in design and research, and airflow modelling tool-accessibility in the overall design ethos and education mindset; and provides illustrative vignettes of possible demos for the future development of airflow models' accessibility; and offers a vision of how designers better produce data-accessible design logic and fulfil their role in future sustainable design. • Pollutant emission and wind turbine-interacted design will be the focus, not the design 'gimmicks'. • CFD is not the only choice for airflow modelling. • Resolution is more than a setting in research. It is the enforceable plan between design efficiency and research precision, even between designers and city management. • Designers are required to 'draw a data-driven design logic' rather than 'draw a plan'. • Designers, design education, and enterprises require data accessibility through interactive communication and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the backdrop of the carbon neutrality, lithium-ion batteries are being extensively employed in electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage stations (ESSs). Extremely harsh conditions, such as vehicle to grid (V2G), peak-valley regulation and frequency regulation, seriously accelerate the life degradation. Consequently, developing long-life batteries for typical scenarios has emerged as a crucial focus for future endeavors. This paper concentrates on the fundamental scientific inquiries and comprehensively reviews aspects including the urgent requirements, degradation mechanisms, design methods, durability modeling and management approaches for long-life batteries. Firstly, it underscores the significance and urgency of developing long-life batteries under the typical EV and ESS scenarios. Subsequently, we delve into the long-life battery design methods concerning degradation mechanism suppression. Following this, the degradation modeling and advanced management strategies for achieving long-life batteries are elucidated. Lastly, facing the existing challenges and future opportunities, we provide new insights and perspectives to promote the development and practical application of long-life lithium-ion batteries. • A comprehensive review of the key issues towards long-life battery is presented. • The pressing long-life demands of EV and ESS typical application is highlighted. • A critical review of degradation mechanism and modeling is emphasized. • Challenges and solutions of long-life battery design and management are discussed. • Prospects of long-life battery are illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pulp samples from 20 pulpitis cases together with 20 normal participants were analyzed with a serum metabolomics approach using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)/Orbitrap mass spectrometry. • Determine the key metabolites of pulpitis and the pathways associated with pulpitis incidence, providing certain foundation for analyzing the relation of metabolites with pulpitis incidence. Pulpitis, a pulp disease caused by caries, trauma, and other factors, has a high clinical incidence. This study focused on identifying possible metabolic biomarkers of pulpitis cases and analyzing the related metabolic pathways for providing a theoretical foundation to diagnose and prevent pulpitis. Pulp samples from 20 pulpitis cases together with 20 normal participants were analyzed with a serum metabolomics approach using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)/Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Moreover, this work carried out multivariate statistical analysis for screening potential biomarkers of pulpitis. Through biomarker analysis and identification, such as partial least squares discrimination analysis, orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis model establishment, correlation analysis, and biomarker pathway analysis, 40 biomarkers associated with 20 metabolic pathways were identified, including 20 upregulated and 20 downregulated metabolites. Those major biomarkers included oxoglutaric acid, inosine, citric acid, and PA(14:1(9Z)/PGD1). Among them, oxoglutaric acid and inosine were most significantly downregulated and had the highest correlation with pulpitis. Among these metabolic pathways, GABAergic synapse and alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism were positively correlated with pulpitis. 4. These biomarkers as well as metabolic pathways may offer the theoretical foundation to understand pulpitis pathogenesis and develop preventive drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Contact surface boundary conditions between the two surfaces of the vertical crack were considered to study contact acoustic nonlinearity (CAN) from the breathing contact crack in conjunction with the modal decomposition method, Fourier transform, and variational principle-based algorithm. • The clapping effects when the crack closed due to the different ratios of incident wave amplitude to crack width with the contact boundary conditions between the crack surfaces were studied and analyzed to get the quantitative correlation between analytical calculations and FE simulation. • When the crack state was modulated at a low frequency (much lower than the one of the probing ultrasonic waves), the related mode conversion coefficients were modulated accordingly both in the fundamental frequency and harmonic frequency. To characterize fatigue crack, an analytical calculation and finite element (FE) simulation of Lamb wave propagating through the region of a breathing crack in a two-dimensional(2D) isotropic plate were studied. Contact surface boundary conditions between the two surfaces of the vertical crack were considered to study contact acoustic nonlinearity (CAN) from the breathing contact crack in conjunction with the modal decomposition method, Fourier transform, and variational principle-based algorithm. Reflection and transmission coefficients in the fundamental frequency and second harmonic frequency were calculated and analyzed quantitatively. Different ratios of incident wave amplitude to crack width were studied to calculate CAN results related to micro-crack width. In addition, a low-frequency (LF) vibration(10 Hz) excitation was introduced to perturb the free surface vertical crack to close, and an interrogating Lamb wave(1 MHz) was used to study crack-related CAN in different conditions for interpreting the modulation mechanism. The contact boundary conditions between two surfaces of vertical crack were set which were dynamically changed due to the low frequency modulation. The clapping effects when the crack closed due to the modulation of the contact boundary conditions between the crack surfaces were studied and analyzed to get the quantitative correlation between CAN and LF modulation. The results obtained from the analytical model were compared with those from the FE simulation, showing good consistency. Knowledge of these effects is essential to correctly gauge the severity of surface cracks in the plate, which can be spotlighted in its application to quantitative evaluation of micro fatigue cracks in structural health monitoring(SHM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N/P dual-doped three-dimensional porous carbon was synthesized via nano-CaCO 3 template-assistant carbonization of intumescent flame retardants (IFRs) precursor. [Display omitted] Heteroatom-doped three-dimensional (3D) porous carbons possess great potential as promising electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors. Inspired by the inherent features of intumescent flame retardants (IFRs) with universal availability, rich heteroatoms and easy thermal-carbonization to form porous carbons, herein we proposed a self-assembling and template self-activation strategy to produce N/P dual-doped 3D porous carbons by nano-CaCO 3 template-assistant carbonization of IFRs. The IFRs-derived carbon exhibited large specific surface area, well-balanced hierarchical porosity, high N/P contents and interconnected 3D skeleton. Benefitting from these predominant characteristics on structure and composition, the assembled supercapacitive electrodes exhibited outstanding electrochemical performances. In three-electrode 6 M KOH system, it delivered high specific capacitances of 407 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1, and good rate capability of 61.2% capacitance retention at 20 A g−1. In two-electrode organic EMIMBF 4 /PC system, its displayed high energy density of 62.8 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 748.4 W kg−1, meanwhile it had excellent cycling stability with 84.7% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles. To our best knowledge, it is the first example to synthesize porous carbon from IFRs precursor. Thus, the current work paved a novel and low-cost way for the production of high-valued carbon material, and expanded its application for high-performance energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endogenous circadian clock integrates cyclic signals of environment and daily and seasonal behaviors of organisms to achieve spatiotemporal synchronization, which greatly improves genetic diversity and fitness of species. This review addresses recent studies on the plant circadian system in the field of chronobiology, covering topics on molecular mechanisms, internal and external Zeitgebers, and hierarchical regulation of physiological outputs. The architecture of the circadian clock involves the autoregulatory transcriptional feedback loops, post‐translational modifications of core oscillators, and epigenetic modifications of DNA and histones. Here, light, temperature, humidity, and internal elemental nutrients are summarized to illustrate the sensitivity of the circadian clock to timing cues. In addition, the circadian clock runs cell‐autonomously, driving independent circadian rhythms in various tissues. The core oscillators responds to each other with biochemical factors including calcium ions, mineral nutrients, photosynthetic products, and hormones. We describe clock components sequentially expressed during a 24‐h day that regulate rhythmic growth, aging, immune response, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Notably, more data have suggested the circadian clock links chrono‐culture to key agronomic traits in crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC) is proposed by ITU to provide a large scale of connectivity services for billions of machine-type communications devices (MTCDs) via cellular networks. However, MTCDs are generally energy-constrained, security capability limited and short-packet transmission dominated. It has great challenges for massive MTCDs to perform short-packet transmission simultaneously while guaranteeing the confidentiality and energy efficiency of the information transmission. In this paper, we investigate the energy-efficient secure short-packet transmission of Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) assisted mMTC networks, in which MTCDs aim to transmit secrecy messages to the destination base station via trusted relays with a passive eavesdropper present. To realize secure, reliable and energy-efficient transmission, we maximize the secrecy energy efficiency (SEE) by implementing joint relay and power level selection. Furthermore, we formulate a decentralized stateless Q-learning-based multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) algorithm for the dynamic and complex mMTC systems. The simulation results show that adopting the proposed decentralized MARL algorithm and relaying with NOMA can improve the performance of SEE while reducing information exchange overhead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the purpose to turn wastes into wealth and develop renewable energy, much effort has been focused on converting biowastes into porous carbons and exploring their application for supercapacitors. In this study, inspired by natural porous structure of biomass and small size of Sn nanoparticles, a one-step strategy was developed to convert waste wolfberry fruits into porous carbons by SnCl 2. The as-fabricated carbon exhibited large specific surface area of 1423 m2 g−1 and hierarchical porosity with total pore volume of 1.36 cm3 g−1. Meanwhile, the newly produced SnCl 2 with more than 95% recovery rate was reused as catalyst. Moreover, the porous carbon was applied for supercapacitive electrode. In three-electrode 6 M KOH system, it displayed outstanding capacitance of 365 F/g at 0.2 A g−1, good rate capability of 75% capacitance retention at 20 A g−1 and excellent cycling stability of 96.4% capacitance retention after 10000 cycles. In two-electrode 1 M Li 2 SO 4 system, its energy density reached 23.2 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 225 W kg−1. The current work provided a facile and low-cost method to recycle renewable biowastes into high-valued carbon material, and further expanded its application for high-performance energy storage devices. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indium phosphide is widely used in electronics and photovoltaic devices due to its high electro-optical conversion efficiency, high electron mobility, and good radiation resistance. Defects are the main limitation for the performance of InP devices. In this work, based on hybrid functional with finite size correction, electronic properties of intrinsic and H-related defects have been investigated in InP. We found that PIn defect is the most stable intrinsic defect with the lowest formation energy. Defect signals detected experimentally are defined by our calculated results. Experimentally observed electron traps with the energy level of EC −0.66 eV and EC −0.68 eV are ascribed to the transition level ɛ(−1/−2) and ɛ(−2/−3) of In vacancies. The hydrogenated vacancies in InP have been systematically reported in the present work. Formation energies of H-related defects indicate that hydrogen atoms prefer to bind to In vacancy than P vacancy. The formation energy of In vacancy decreases with the addition of H, while that of P vacancy increases. For hydrogenated In vacancies, it captures fewer electrons than bare In vacancies when the Fermi level is close to CBM. Especially for the VIn −3H structure, it is 0 charge state in all Fermi levels so that it will not tend to capture electron or hole. Our work is helpful to explain experimental phenomena and radiation-induced damages and improve the performance of InP devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Salecan mitigates LPS-induced ALI by preserving alveolar structure, reducing edema, and suppressing inflammation. • Salecan modulates oxidative stress pathways, reversing ALI-associated metabolic alterations. • Salecan may inhibit LPS-induced ALI through Keap1-Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. • Salecan interacts with macrophages, alleviating LPS-triggered apoptosis and inflammation. Acute lung injury (ALI) is a severe clinical condition with high mortality, characterized by rapid onset and limited treatment options. The pathogenesis of ALI involves inflammation and oxidative stress. The polysaccharide salecan, a water-soluble β-(1,3)-D-glucan, has been found to possess numerous pharmaceutical effects, including anti-inflammatory properties, inhibition of oxidative stress, and anti-fatigue effects. This study aims to investigate the protective effect and underlying mechanism of salecan against LPS-induced ALI in mice. Using an in vivo LPS-induced ALI mouse model and an in vitro RAW264.7 cell system, we investigated the role of salecan in ALI with various experimental approaches, including histological staining, quantitative real-time PCR, flow cytometry, western blot analysis, and other relevant assays. Pre-treatment with salecan effectively attenuated LPS-induced ALI in vivo, reducing the severity of pulmonary edema, inflammation, and oxidative stress. NMR-based metabolomic profiling analysis revealed that salecan attenuated LPS-induced metabolic imbalances associated with ALI. Furthermore, salecan downregulated Keap1 and upregulated Nrf2 and HO-1 protein levels, indicating its modulation of the Keap1-Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway as a potential mechanism underlying its protective effects against ALI. In vitro studies on RAW264.7 cells revealed that salecan exhibited binding affinity towards macrophages, thereby alleviating LPS-induced apoptosis and inflammation, which underpin its therapeutic potential against ALI. Our study suggests that salecan can alleviate LPS-induced ALI by modulating oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and apoptosis through the activation of the Keap1-Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. These findings provide novel insights into the potential therapeutic use of salecan for the treatment of ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a gyro control system with the quadrature control circuit. The control system realizes the automatic decoupling of driving mode and sensing mode. The quadrature control circuit eliminates the quadrature signal in the sensitive mode by applying a voltage to the quadrature control electrode. The time needed to adjust the voltage can be changed by adjusting the parameters of the controller. The control system is realized by a digital circuit. The feasibility of the design is verified by the test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Femoral shaft fractures (FSFs) are associated with significant blood loss, resulting in anemia and hemorrhagic shock. However, there has been limited data for the blood loss of FSFs during the whole perioperative period. Our primary aim is to quantify the blood loss associated with FSFs treated with intramedullary nail or locking compression plate fixation, as well as to identify the relative affecting factors for perioperative hidden blood loss (HBL).Patients and Methods: 131 consecutive patients with FSFs were enrolled in the retrospective study between January 2009 and January 2020, including 90 cases for intramedullary nail (Nail group) and 41 cases for locking compression plate fixation (Plate group). Demographics and perioperative data were collected and analyzed. Total blood loss (TBL), visible blood loss (VBL), HBL, and percentage of HBL (PHBL) were calculated based on hematocrit (Hct) changes.Results: There was a large drop of hemoglobin (Hb) during the perioperative time. Of all 131 patients, the average HBL was 1445.5 ± 443.2 mL, accounting for 78.7% of TBL (1815.1 ± 446.3 mL). TBL and HBL in Nail group were 1886.1 ± 438.6 mL and 1546.0 ± 424.7 mL; while TBL and HBL in Plate group were 1659.5 ± 427.9 mL and 1225.1 ± 405.7 mL. The differences between the two groups were statistically significant (p = 0.007, p < 0.001, respectively). Besides, statistical significance (p< 0.05, p< 0.05, respectively) was also reported in HBL between Type-A and Type-C, and between Type-B and Type-C (1395.8 ± 444.8 mL vs. 1651.6 ± 495.7 mL; and 1411.2 ± 383.4 mL vs. 1651.6 ± 495.7 mL, respectively).Conclusions: Patients of FSFs had significant TBL and HBL, the amount of which was much larger than that observed intra-operatively. Moreover, two readily available preoperative factors for nail fixation and Type-C were associated with a higher likelihood of more HBL. Therefore, it was argued that regular perioperative monitoring and timely blood transfusion were crucially important for patients to avoid possible risks of anemia and facilitate recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the characterization and first laser operation of ceramic Yb:LuScO3 in a thin-disk oscillator. The optical performance achieved with a ceramic Yb:LuScO3 disk is compared to the one obtained with an existing ceramic Yb:Lu2O3 disk for reference. The characterization covers the measurement of the fluorescence spectra, the fluorescence lifetimes, and nomarsky imaging. The investigation on the laser operation covers the measurement of resonator losses, output powers, and thermal behavior during continuous-wave operation in a multimode thin-disk oscillator. An average output power of 149 W and a slope efficiency of 51.8% were achieved with the ceramic Yb:LuScO3 disk which reached a maximum surface temperature of about 150 °C. At the same temperature level, a disk made of the already established ceramic Yb:Lu2O3 delivered 957 W of output power with a slope efficiency of 75.7%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposed, verified and analyzed a potential reason (matrix composition complexity) for the subpar performance of FT-IR-based meat and bone meal (MBM) species discrimination. In order to address the aforementioned issue, the MBM matrix was modeled as a binary mixture comprising meat fragment (MF) and bone fragment (BF). BF and MF samples derived from four species were prepared, and MBM samples were subsequently formulated. The influence of matrix fragments on FT-IR-based MBM species-specific analysis was verified through the analysis of FT-IR spectral absorption peak intensities and comparison of species discrimination analysis models established using MBM, BF and MF samples. Furthermore, the coupling effect of BF and MF on FT-IR-based MBM species-specific analysis was elucidated by conducting correlation analysis between composition of matrix fragments and the prediction scores of species discrimination analysis. Additionally, FT-IR spectral variables that contributed predominantly within the coupling process were investigated in detail. • MBM matrix fragments were characterized and compared by FT-IR. • PLS-DA model using MBM performed worse than MF and BF based models. • Coupling effect of MF and BF on MBM species-specific analysis was analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the identification mechanism of microplastics in agricultural environmental media by molecular spectroscopy, two typical media, soil and fishmeal, were selected for this study. Three common microplastics, PE, PP, and PS, were used as research objects. Near-infrared (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometric methods were used to explore microplastics' identification and analysis effects in different agricultural media and reveal their identification mechanisms. PCA analysis revealed that different soil types would affect the identification results of microplastics. PLS-DA discriminant analysis showed that the accuracy of NIR spectroscopy technology in identifying microplastics in different types of soil decreased in the order of sand > loam > clay. In contrast, the rule of MIR spectroscopy technology was the opposite. The sensitivity and specificity of the three microplastics in the NIR model of sand and the infrared spectroscopy model of fishmeal reached 1.000. NIR spectroscopy technology is suitable for identifying microplastics in soil, while infrared spectroscopy technology is more suitable for identifying microplastics in fish meal. Furthermore, based on the VIP values of each wavelength point in the spectrum, the characteristic bands that have essential contributions to identifying microplastics in soil were screened out. The NIR spectra of 4500–4300 cm − 1 , 4300–3900 cm − 1 and 7100–5800 cm − 1 are the most essential characteristic bands for identifying microplastics in clay, loam, and sand, respectively. The MIR of 3000–2900 cm − 1 and 700–650 cm − 1 were the most essential characteristic bands for identifying microplastics in soils, and the overlap of the characteristic spectra of the three soils reached 59.45%. The NIR spectra of 6050–5600 cm − 1 , 4700–4000 cm − 1 and the MIR spectra of 2300–1900 cm − 1 and 800–400 cm − 1 are the most essential characteristic bands for the identifying microplastics in fishmeal. This study provides a more suitable technical "solution" for identifying microplastics in environmental media, which is of great significance for improving the accuracy of molecular spectroscopic identification in environmental media and clarifying the interaction between microplastics and environmental media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postponing performance analysis of buildings until the final stage of the design process often leads to unexpected results, introducing errors and disrupting the architect's workflow. The literature review identifies prior research limitations, motivating this study to develop a high-rise design optimisation workflow, automate design preparation, explore alternative airflow simulation methods, and compare Optimisation (Opt) algorithms with Genetic Algorithms (GAs) for broader design considerations. We thus propose an integrated computational workflow for sustainable building design optimisation with four objectives. This study applied it in the early design phase of a practical energy efficiency-oriented redevelopment project involving a cluster of seven high-rise office buildings in Nanjing. The project aimed to decrease annual energy use, increase solar and wind energy potential, and reduce structural displacement. Our methodology primarily utilises the surrogate-model algorithm Radial Basis Function Muti-objective Optimisation (RBFMOpt) algorithm, enabling quick identification of self- and new- energy demands and cost-effective structural solutions for tall buildings while optimising energy performance. Different from traditional genetic algorithm-driven optimisation procedures or with a separated post-optimisation, our workflow follows a pre-design approach. Test results are automatically optimised in a loop without post-processing, aligning with the architect's research objectives and improving the decision-making process. Our study yielded a 12% increase in energy use efficiency and a 23% improvement in structural stability. However, achieving these gains resulted in a 32% decrease in solar energy potential. Furthermore, we provide a comparative study between RBFMOpt and Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II (NSGA-II), offering critical guidance for designers when selecting optimisation algorithms to address efficiency and precision challenges in energy-related design. These findings contribute to an integrated research-for-design workflow, providing data-driven evidence to support early design decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disposable aluminum cans and plastic bottles are common wastes found in modern societies. This article shows that they can be upcycled into functional materials, such as metal-organic frameworks and hierarchical porous carbon nanomaterials for high-value applications. Through a solvothermal method, used poly(ethylene terephthalate) bottles and aluminum cans are converted into MIL-53(Al). Subsequently, the as-prepared MIL-53(Al) can be further carbonized into a nitrogen-doped (4.52 at%) hierarchical porous carbon framework. With an optical amount of urea present during the carbonization process, the carbon nanomaterial of a high specific surface area of 1324 m2 g−1 with well-defined porosity can be achieved. These features allow the nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon to perform impressively as the working electrode of supercapacitors, delivering a high specific capacitance of 355 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 in a three-electrode cell and exhibiting a high energy density of 20.1 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 225 W kg−1, while simultaneously maintaining 88.2% capacitance retention over 10,000 cycles in two-electrode system. This work demonstrates the possibility of upcycling wastes to obtain carbon-based high-performance supercapacitors. [Display omitted] • Upcycle used PET bottles and aluminum cans into the nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbons. • Prepared carbon as supercapacitor electrode delivers a high energy density of 20.1 Wh/kg. • Well-defined porous carbon framework is vital to the excellent supercapacitive performance. • This work paves an effective environmental-friendly way to prepare carbon-based supercapacitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (2D MoS2) has great application prospects in the field of optoelectronic devices. Defect engineering is an effective way to regulate the electronic and optical properties of 2D MoS2. However, defect controlling on 2D materials remains a major challenge. Fluorine, as the most electronegative element, may cause many interesting phenomena after doping in 2D materials. So far, there have been no reports on the effect of fluoride ion (F− ion) irradiation on 2D material properties. In this paper, the monolayer MoS2 (ML-MoS2) synthesized by the chemical vapor deposition method was taken as the research object, and defects with controllable densities were produced by 30 keV F− ion irradiation, in which the defects were dominated by S vacancies. Based on Raman, photoluminescence, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, it is shown that the ion irradiation-induced defects significantly affect the optoelectronic properties of MoS2. We also observed the p-doping of ML-MoS2, which is attributed to the introduction of F− ions and the electron transfer from MoS2 to O2 at defect adsorption sites. This study reveals that 2D materials could be effectively doped or compensated using irradiation technology, potentially fabricating novel 2D electrical devices through defect engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Neuraxial morphine increases spinal caspase-6 cleavage and PKMζ phosphorylation. • Caspase-6 inhibition reduces morphine-induced itch and PKMζ phosphorylation. • PKMζ inhibition attenuates morphine-induced acute itch. • Caspase-6 inhibition reduces chronic itch after contact dermatitis. Patients receiving neuraxial treatment with morphine for pain relief often experience a distressing pruritus. Neuroinflammation-mediated plasticity of sensory synapses in the spinal cord is critical for the development of pain and itch. Caspase-6, as an intracellular cysteine protease, is capable of inducing central nociceptive sensitization through regulating synaptic transmission and plasticity. Given the tight interaction between protein kinase Mζ (PKMζ) and excitatory synaptic plasticity, this pre-clinical study investigates whether caspase-6 contributes to morphine-induced itch and chronic itch via PKMζ. Intrathecal morphine and contact dermatitis were used to cause pruritus in mice. Morphine antinociception, itch-induced scratching behaviors, spinal activity of caspase-6, and phosphorylation of PKMζ and ERK were examined. Caspase-6 inhibitor Z-VEID-FMK, exogenous caspase-6 and PKMζ inhibitor ZIP were utilized to reveal the mechanisms and prevention of itch. Herein, we report that morphine induces significant scratching behaviors, which is accompanied by an increase in spinal caspase-6 cleavage and PKMζ phosphorylation (but not expression). Intrathecal injection of Z-VEID-FMK drastically reduces morphine-induced scratch bouts and spinal phosphorylation of PKMζ, without abolishing morphine analgesia. Moreover, intrathecal strategies of ZIP dose-dependently reduce morphine-induced itch-like behaviors. Spinal phosphorylation of ERK following neuraxial morphine is down-regulated by ZIP therapy. Recombinant caspase-6 directly exhibits scratching behaviors and spinal phosphorylation of ERK, which is compensated by PKMζ inhibition. Also, spinal inhibition of caspase-6 and PKMζ reduces the generation and maintenance of dermatitis-induced chronic itch. Together, these findings demonstrate that spinal caspase-6 modulation of PKMζ phosphorylation is important in the development of morphine-induced itch and dermatitis-induced itch in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In specific, miR-186-5p is enriched in exosomes of activated CD8 T cells and preferentially enters renal tubular cells where it directly binds endosomal TLR7/8 and initiates renal inflammation. CD8 T Cell-Derived Exosomal miR-186-5p Elicits Renal Inflammation via Activating Tubular TLR7/8 Signal Axis (Adv. Sci. 25/2023) In article number 2301492, Ke Zen, Zhihong Liu, and co-workers identify exosomal miR-186-5p from activated CD8 T cells as such circulating pathogenic factor that causes renal dysfunction. [Extracted from the article]

Uniaxial strain has been widely used as a powerful tool for investigating and controlling the properties of quantum materials. However, existing strain techniques have so far mostly been limited to use with bulk crystals. Although recent progress has been made in extending the application of strain to two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures, these techniques have been limited to optical characterization and extremely simple electrical device geometries. Here, we report a piezoelectric-based in situ uniaxial strain technique enabling simultaneous electrical transport and optical spectroscopy characterization of dual-gated vdW heterostructure devices. Critically, our technique remains compatible with vdW heterostructure devices of arbitrary complexity fabricated on conventional silicon/silicon dioxide wafer substrates. We demonstrate a large and continuously tunable strain of up to − 0.15% at millikelvin temperatures, with larger strain values also likely achievable. We quantify the strain transmission from the silicon wafer to the vdW heterostructure, and further demonstrate the ability of strain to modify the electronic properties of twisted bilayer graphene. Our technique provides a highly versatile new method for exploring the effect of uniaxial strain on both the electrical and optical properties of vdW heterostructures and can be easily extended to include additional characterization techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grievances are vulnerable to state development and harmony; however, some factors provoke the masses and groups to vulnerability and state fragility (SF) by disturbing social cohesion. Under the grievance assumptions on the political process, this study has been designed to gauge the nexus of group grievances (GG), an essential parameter of social cohesion, institutional governance (IG), government legitimacy (GL), economic growth (EcG), and population growth (POPG) from the global perspective from 2008 to 2022 in a global panel of 158 countries considering the critical aspect of SF. The statistics reveal that PS is essential in controlling and managing the GG in the state. PS is the most significant factor in harmonizing the state's ethnic minorities, focus, and religious groups with stable policies and their grievances issues. It also states that apart from PS, another aspect of IG, Control of Corruption (CoC), helps mitigate malpractices and provides a transparent environment supporting grievances. It further demonstrates that EcG provokes grievances instead of lessening them among the key groups in the state, especially in the processing of industrialization. Because of the government's partiality to provide benefits to specific groups or sectors, that partiality and injustice hype the grievances among the public. Moreover, POPG is also a significant factor in increasing GG, along with government illegitimacy and untrust. The study concludes that to make the country agile and prosperous, the government should balance developing industrialization without compromising agricultural and domestic industries. It helps states gain public trust in the IG framework and GL. The government should harmonize its policies by tackling all minorities, ethnic, and religious groups coherently to maintain social cohesion in the country. Finally, One of the significant factors in natural resources and the scarcity of global resources is population. It stated that prudent population control measures better assist in resource scarcity and conflict management, such as in EU countries compared to Asia and Africa. Recent grievance movements in Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the US, are the practical application of this study because these countries fall in the list of the top 10 most populous countries. So, population control policies should be effectively implemented to support economic and social parity and mitigate GG. • This study examined Group Grievances, a vital factor of Social Cohesion globally. • Political stability is paramount in maintaining the GG globally. • Economic Growth is proking the GG instead of lessening it. • Population growth also adversely affects social cohesion policies. • Legitimate government institutes help in mitigating the GG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A physical informed neural network is built for aging mechanism identification. • A hybrid prediction method combining the aging mechanism and data-driven method. • Entire charging curve prediction using developed deep hybrid neural network. • Fast capacity prediction only using 50 mV charging voltage window. Accurate and robust capacity prediction is significant for battery management system to identify the state of health and life condition for lithium-ion batteries. This paper proposes a fast capacity prediction method by developing a novel deep aging mechanism-informed bidirectional long-short term memory (AM-Bi-LSTM) neural network. Firstly, a physical informed aging mechanism (AM) layer is established with the random charging curve sequences as input to identify the degradation features. Then the deep learning framework with two bidirectional long-short term memory (Bi-LSTM) layers is built to reflect the entire constant current charging curves and predict the battery capacity. In which, the battery aging mechanism is integrated into the artificial intelligence algorithm of capacity prediction for the first time. Several case studies are implemented to verify the effectiveness of developed method, and the influence of voltage window length on capacity prediction is further discussed. The results demonstrate that the charging curves can be accurately and fast captured with a capacity prediction root mean square error of less than 0.49% for 0.74 Ah batteries with 50 mV voltage window charging points collected in only less than 2.09 minutes mean cost time in the whole life cycle. It shows the proposed aging mechanism-informed data-driven prediction method has stronger robustness, faster prediction speed and higher accuracy compared with other data-driven methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An energy-efficient oriented multi-objective urban block form design workflow is proposed. • The relationship between urban form factors and building energy consumption, as well as solar energy potential, is explored. • Reducing energy demand, increasing energy generation, and improving environmental performance should be considered together in the design of energy-efficient blocks. • BD, OSR, SC, and PAR have significant correlations with the total EUI of the block. • FAR, BD, AF, OSR, SC, and PAR are highly correlated with rooftop PV energy generation. Urban form can significantly affect building energy consumption and solar energy potential, which is essential to sustainable urban development. However, few studies have proposed a comprehensive framework to discuss this. In addition, how to bridge the gap between theory and practice, and how to combine quantitative research results with urban form design is also a matter of concern. Based on this background, this study proposes a multi-objective urban form design optimization framework based on the Grasshopper platform. Three optimization objectives were identified: minimum building energy consumption, maximum solar potential and maximum sunlight hours. Then, taking Jianhu in China as an example, the building types are extracted from the actual urban context to create blocks. The Ladybug Tools plugin is used for performance simulation, and multi-objective optimization is run in Wallacei X. Furthermore, based on the optimization process data, a correlation analysis of urban form factors with building energy consumption and solar energy potential is conducted. Finally, the research findings are integrated, and energy-efficient urban form design strategies are proposed. The research results show that a block form with excellent energy performance in Jianhu has the following characteristics: (i) The open space is often located in the center of the block. High-rise buildings are located on the west side. (ii) The block presents a layout consisting of a low south side and high north side. (iii) The orientation of the block is 15° south by westor due south. (iv) Avoid building types with large shape coefficient such as P-4, C-1, S-3 and C-2. In addition, building density (BD), open space ratio (OSR), shape coefficient (SC) and average perimeter-area ratio (PAR) have significant correlations with the total building energy use intensity of the block. For solar potential, floor area ratio (FAR), BD, the average number of floors (AF), OSR, SC, and PAR are highly correlated with rooftop PV energy generation, and sky view factor (SVF) is significantly correlated with rooftop PV energy generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tartary buckwheat is one of the most health food for prevention of hypertension. • FtIST1 belongs to the SBP transcription factor gene family, which is predicted to be a soluble hydrophilic protein. • The over-expression of FtIST1 gene can obviously improve the salt tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis. • The loss of FtIST1 gene expression in Tartary buckwheat led to the decrease of salt tolerance. • FtIST1 is a salt tolerance gene, which is closely associated with salt tolerance of Tartary buckwheat. FtIST1 is a novel SBP gene isolated from salt-responsive Tartary buckwheat, and its molecular characteristics and function in salt tolerance are unclear. With the use of DNAMAN and MEGA7.0 software and online analysis program SOPMA, we performed the bioinformatics analysis of the novel FtIST1 gene. We also identified the function of FtIST1 gene via over-expression and VIGS (virus-induced gene silencing). FtIST1 gene was cloned from Tartary buckwheat, and its GenBank accession number is MK799640. FtIST1 belongs to the SBP transcription factor gene family, it is 374 bp long and encodes 99 amino acids. The molecular weight and isoelectric point of FtIST1 protein are 11.7 kDa and 8.78, which is predicted to be a soluble hydrophilic protein. Through analyzing the physiological characteristics of transgenic Arabidopsis , it was found that the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD and CAT), chlorophyll content, Fv/Fm, Fv/F 0 , net photosynthetic rate, fresh weight and dry weight, K+ and Mg2+ content increased significantly in Arabidopsis with over-expression of FtIST1 gene, while the plasmalemma permeability, chlorophyll a fluorescence F 0 and Na+ content of leaves decreased significantly, indicating that the over-expression of FtIST1 gene can obviously improve the physiological characteristics of Arabidopsis under salt stress and the salt tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis. After successfully inhibiting the expression of FtIST1 gene in Tartary buckwheat by VIGS technology, the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, POD and CAT in Tartary buckwheat decreased significantly, while the plasmalemma permeability and Na+ content of leaves increased significantly, indicating that the loss of FtIST1 gene expression in Tartary buckwheat led to the decrease of antioxidant capacity, the increase of cell membrane damage, the increase of Na+ content in shoot and the obvious decrease of salt tolerance. Our data indicate that FtIST1 is a salt tolerance gene, which is closely associated with salt tolerance of Tartary buckwheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effect of temperature on the near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) discriminant of animal fats and oils species and its mechanism. Based on samples of lard oil, chicken oil, beef tallow, and mutton tallow, the classification errors of two-class (non-ruminant, ruminant) and three-class (lard oil, beef tallow, mutton tallow) at different temperatures were compared by principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The results showed that ruminant and non-ruminant animal fats were completely distinguished at 55 °C with a 0.000 classification error. Good classification results were achieved at 80 °C for lard oil, beef tallow, and mutton tallow, with a reduction of 0.142, 0.181, and 0.121 classification errors, respectively, compared to 30 °C. The coupling chemometrics method of near-infrared spectroscopy effectively explores the wavelength points and bands that contribute to identifying species at different temperatures and the corresponding structural changes. The temperature mechanism is analyzed to provide an efficient and accurate analysis method and theoretical support for the quality control of animal oils and fats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• GF-1 and GF-6 remote sensing data have potential for wetland change detection. • Spatial-temporal attention method can identify information changes in cultivated land to wetland areas. • Sanjiang National Nature Reserve has large wetland restoration areas located near water sources. • The results of the study have important implications for the restoration and sustainable development of wetlands. Wetlands are important ecosystems, and detecting changes in wetlands plays a very important role in the management of wetland resources. Therefore, we selected Sanjiang National Nature Reserve as the study area and proposed a method in which bi-temporal GaoFen (GF) remote sensing data was combined with a spatial–temporal attention neural network (STANet) model, coupled with the selection of spectral variables. We used the bi-temporal images from GF-1 and GF-6 and compared three band selection methods, Relief F, principal component analysis, and RGB combination, and two STANet-based change detection methods (BAM: basic spatial–temporal attention module and PAM: pyramid spatial–temporal attention module) to improve the change detection of the wetland restoration. The results show that the accuracy of wetland change detection is related to different combinations of spectral variable selection and STANet models. The combination of Relief F feature selection and the BAM model led to the highest accuracy of the wetland change detection, 71.72 % for F1-Score and 76.92 % for MIou. The vector results of the change detection statistics show that the area of the Sanjiang National Nature Reserve cultivated lands converted to wetlands is 46.05 km2. This study implies that the STANet method has the capacity of detecting complex wetland restoration. Red, Bule, NIR and Red Edge1 bands of GaoFen data can provide effective information in the detection of changes in wetlands. The results of the study can be used as a reference for rational planning of wetland restoration, seeking a balance between cultivated lands and wetlands, which is important for the sustainable development of wetland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The reliability of DLTS simulation is confirmed by the nonlocal hybrid functional. • The electron–phonon coupling is included to describe the hot carrier nonradiative capture in the DLTS simulation. • The DLTS simulation is verified by the radiation experiments. Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) is a crucial technique to characterize the defects in semiconductor devices. Within the framework of the state-of-the-art density functional theory (DFT), the simulation for experimental DLTS spectra is realized successfully with high accuracy and intrinsic physics in this work, of which the reliability is confirmed by nonlocal hybrid functional. The electron–phonon coupling is included to describe the thermal-activated behavior of the hot carrier nonradiative capture reflected by DLTS signal. In the case study, the divacancy in silicon is employed for the flow of DLTS calculation as a benchmark, of which the results are verified by our 40 MeV Si irradiation experiments on the NPN and PNP bipolar junction transistors and previous reports. The problem we can address is the identification of defect characterized in DLTS experiments. The realization of DLTS simulation would have a profound significance for understanding the underlying physics in experimental observations and be a powerful leverage to define defect nature in semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concessive relations, often indicated by conjunction words such as although, are semantically and pragmatically more complex than causal relations (expressed using because), as they involve more semantic features such as implicated meaning and negation. However, it remains unclear how linguistic-level complexity is manifested through different brain activities and functional connectivities. This fMRI study investigated how the neural underpinnings of concessive relations differ from those of causal relations. Pragmatically congruent and incongruent words were embedded in causal as well as concessive sentences. The whole-brain analysis revealed that relative to because-congruent sentences, although-congruent sentences evoked increased activations in a left network including IFG, bilateral MFG, mPFC, pMTG, and TPJ. DCM analysis showed that while the functional connectivity from IFG to MFG was commonly involved in processing concessive and causal relations, functional connectivities from pMTG to IFG and from pMTG to TPJ were involved in processing causal and concessive relations, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intrinsic properties and structural construction of active materials are crucial to improving the performance of electrodes. Herein, flexible and hydrophilic polyetherimide/polyaniline (PEI/PANI) conductive microfiber membranes with unique core-shell architecture were prepared via electrospinning followed by in-situ chemical oxidation polymerization of aniline doped with 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid, and used to boost the properties through the combined action of the pseudocapacitive PANI and abundant porous PEI membranes. For achieving excellent PEI/PANI microfiber membranes as free-standing electrodes, the polymerization time was controlled to refrain from exceed PANI particles agglomeration and maintain the unique three-dimensional porous network structure. Optimized PEI/PANI microfiber membranes with the polymerization time of 7 h presented the best electrochemical properties with high specific capacitance of 249.5 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and low charge-transfer resistance of 8.316 Ω. Ascribing to the combined effect between the unique pore structure of PEI microfiber membranes and pseudocapacitance of PANI, the flexible supercapacitor based on PEI/PANI-7 demonstrated exceptional capacitance (175.1 F g−1 at 1 A g−1), high energy density (43.4 Wh kg−1) and power density (34.0 kW kg−1), and outstanding flexibility while preserving the cyclic stability. Therefore, this free-standing PEI/PANI microfiber membranes could be deemed as a prospective electrode contender for flexible supercapacitor applications. [Display omitted] • Flexible PANI/PEI electrode was prepared by polymerization of aniline doped with AMPS. • Microstructure of PANI/PEI electrode could be tunable by polymerization time. • The combined action of PANI and PEI membranes boosted its electrochemical properties. • The highest specific capacitance of PANI/PEI observed 249.5 F g−1 at a 1 A g−1. • Supercapacitor based on PANI/PEI revealed excellent energy density and power density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) image analysis method to characterize the Fracture Process Zone (FPZ) in scaled centre-notched quasi-isotropic carbon/epoxy laminates. A total of 61 CT images of a small specimen were used to fine-tune a pre-trained Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) (i.e., VGG16) to classify fibre orientations. The proposed CNN model achieves a 100% accuracy when tested on the CT images of the same scale as the training set. However, the accuracy drops to a maximum of 84% when tested on unlabelled images of the specimens having larger scales potentially due to their lower resolutions. Another code was developed to automatically measure the size of the FPZ based on the CNN identified 0 °plies in the largest specimen which agrees well with the manual measurement (on average within 3.3%). The whole classification and measurement process can be automated without human intervention. [Display omitted] • A novel method was proposed to characterise Fracture Process Zone (FPZ). • A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) was developed to identify fibre orientations. • The CNN model showed a test accuracy of 100% for classification. • The CNN was applied to unlabelled CT images achieving an accuracy of up to 84%. • The estimated FPZ size of the largest scale was within 3.3% from actual measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality of Healthcare and accessibility is one of the vital Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For achieving this goal, the United Nations focuses on state capacity development and associated determinants in emerging and developing countries. By focusing on this objective, this study evaluates and examines the liaison of state capacity, socio-economic conditions, private health expenditures, and demographic pressure to the quality of health and its accessibility in Pakistan from 1990 to 2019. This study investigates the policy implications and their consequences on Pakistan's health conditions during the last three decades. Moreover, during COVID-19, pandemic health governs policies in the year 2020 have also been considered by using the Health Containment Index and analyzed policy implication on combating COVID-19. By applied Ordinary Least Square and Fixed Effect estimations, results show that Pakistan's health conditions have been showing sluggish improvement in the last three decades. Prudent policy-making and adequate health spending have a strong significant impact on health quality and accessibility, while institutional corruption and demographic pressure have adversely affected Pakistan's health outcomes. This proposed study analyzed that policy enforcement has been fragile in Pakistan from 1990 to 2010. Furthermore, this study concludes that from the year 2010 to date with the 18th constitutional amendment to administration and public policies have fractionally improved Pakistan's health conditions. However, Pakistan still lacks the International standards and minimum criteria of health measures a far behind Sustainable Development. The present study concludes that a sound and effective policy enforcement by enhancing resource capacity, quality of institutional practices, and controlling socio-economic conditions will promote SDG of health quality in Pakistan. • HQAI has been fractionally improved in Pakistan in the last three decades. • Policy decision-making inconsistent with achieving Sustainable Health development. • Socio-economic risk factors have been significantly affected the HQAI. • 2010, 18th Constitutional Amendment has positively impacted the HQAI in Pakistan. • Out-of Pocket expenditure & health budget have a significant impact on HAQI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical benefits of targeting programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in various cancers represent a strategy for the treatment of immunosuppressive diseases. Here, it was demonstrated that the expression levels of PD-L1 in cells were greatly upregulated in response to H1N1 influenza A virus (IAV) infection. Overexpression of PD-L1 promoted viral replication and downregulated type-I and type-III interferons and interferon-stimulated genes. Moreover, the association between PD-L1 and Src homology region-2, containing protein tyrosine phosphatase (SHP2), during IAV/H1N1 infection was analyzed by employing the SHP2 inhibitor (SHP099), siSHP2, and pNL-SHP2. The results showed that the expressions of PD-L1 mRNA and protein were decreased under SHP099 or siSHP2 treatment, whereas the cells overexpressing SHP2 exhibited the opposite effects. Additionally, the effects of PD-L1 on the expression of p-ERK and p-SHP2 were investigated in PD-L1-overexpressed cells following WSN or PR8 infection, determining that the PD-L1 overexpression led to the decreased expression of p-SHP2 and p-ERK induced by WSN or PR8 infection. Taken together, these data reveal that PD-L1 could play an important role in immunosuppression during IAV/H1N1 infection; thus, it may serve as a promising therapeutic target for development of novel anti-IAV drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R6106 --> 875.18 --> Objective: Chloride and bicarbonate transport across the apical membrane via CFTR is critical for homeostasis of airway surface liquid and mucociliary clearance. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the CFTR gene resulting in mucus buildup, bacterial colonization, inflammation and respiratory insufficiency. F508del and nonsense mutations are the most common mutations characterized by defective protein processing and trafficking (F508del) or early termination of CFTR synthesis (G542X, R1162X). A combination of CFTR modulators (VX445/661/770; VX) has largely improved CFTR function in patients with F508del but is ineffective in nonsense mutations. We have shown that select amino acids (SAA) can modulate trafficking and activity of CFTR and alternative anion‐secretory pathways, and thus could improve clinical outcomes in CF patients. Hypothesis: SAA can stimulate anion secretion in primary HBEC with F508del/F508del, F508del/R1162X and G542X/G542X mutation. Methods: Transepithelial short‐circuit current (Isc) was measured in differentiated HBEC treated with DMSO or VX for 24h and bathed in vehicle or SAA in Ussing chambers. After blocking ENaC with benzamil, benzamil‐insensitive (anion) Isc was either continuously recorded for 90min, or sequentially blocked with CFTRinh172, CaCCinhA01 and bumetanide in 15min intervals. Isotope (36Cl) flux studies and whole‐cell patch clamp technique were used to confirm chloride movements, and CFTR and alternative anion‐secretory channel expression was analyzed by immunofluorescence. Results: Anion Isc increased in all mutations and was more sustained when exposed to SAA compared to vehicle (F508del: 15.4±0.5 vs 1.4±0.2; R1162X: 19.4±0.3 vs 2.3±0.3; G542X: 17.2±0.5 vs 1.6±0.2 µA.cm‐2; P<0.001). SAA recovered 48.7, 57.3 and 40.9% of normal Isc (21.9±0.5 µA.cm‐2). Treatment with VX increased anion Isc in F508del and R1162X (11.4±0.7 and 5.7±0.4 µA.cm‐2; P<0.001) but not in G542X (1.7±0.2 µA.cm‐2). In F508del, the CFTR response increased from 20.7% (non‐treated cells) to 32.9 and 85.5% of the anion Isc when treated with SAA or VX, and in R542X from 3.7% to 46.3 and 16.0%, respectively. Both, SAA and VX did not affect CaCC, but SAA increased the bumetanide‐sensitive Isc from 31.0 to 50.5% in F508del, and from 33.3 to 56.3% in R1162X, while VX reduced the bumetanide response to 5.4 and 4.5%. Isotope flux studies showed that SAA (‐0.21±0.08 μEq.h‐1.cm‐2) and VX (‐0.19±0.02 μEq.h‐1.cm‐2) increased net Cl‐ secretion in F508del when compared to vehicle (‐0.03±0.01 μEq.h‐1.cm‐2; P<0.05). SAA, but not VX increased Cl‐ secretion in G542X (‐0.21 0.07 vs ‐0.08±0.02 μEq.h‐1.cm‐2). In patch clamp recordings, SAA and VX resulted in a significant reduction in CFTRinh172 whole cell current in F508del. Immunofluorescence imaging demonstrated increased CFTR and alternative anion‐secretory channel expression along the apical membrane in SAA cells while VX showed increased expression of only CFTR. Conclusions: These studies demonstrate that SAA stimulates anion current and increases Cl‐ secretion via CFTR and alternative secretory pathways in different mutations, and could be beneficial in nonsense mutations but needs further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First-person narratives are more attentively and emotionally engaging than third-person narratives. This study examined whether and how personal perspective modulates counterfactual processing. Participants read counterfactual and causal conditionals written from the first-person or third-person perspective (e.g., If/Because I/he had read enough literature before, I/he would have finished my/his thesis easily.), followed by factual consequences that contained a critical word either consistent or inconsistent with preceding contexts (e.g., Therefore, when I/he was about to defend the thesis I/he felt panicked/confident). In both perspectives, inconsistent words showed a prolonged N400 vs. consistent words in the counterfactual condition, but a larger P600 in the causal condition. The critical word showed a larger P600 in the first- than the third-person condition in counterfactual scenarios, but not in causal scenarios. These findings suggest that personal perspective exerts different influences on counterfactual processing, presumably by modulating the amount of attentional resources involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]