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Transverse aeolian ridges (TARs) are enigmatic landforms found across Mars, whose formation mechanism remains largely unknown. China's Tianwen-1 mission, which landed on Mars in 2021, provided extensive data aiding in-depth investigations of TARs. However, manually identifying TARs across large regions of Mars is time-consuming and labor-intensive, making it impossible to complete the entire region's TAR identification. To solve this issue, we propose the AiTARs-Net, an automatic arbitrary-oriented TRA detection network. This model begins by extracting TAR features using an enhanced dimension-aware global-local attention module, which focuses on interactions between spatial and channel features to capture discriminative features of TARs. After that, we employ an anchor-free proposal generation network to produce TAR candidates with arbitrary orientations. The proposal generation network uses a nonaxis-aligned two-variable Gaussian function to model the target as an oriented center heatmap. Then, the oriented bounding box and category information are predicted at the corresponding center position. Finally, we introduce the rotated region-based convolutional neural network to refine the proposals to obtain more accurate TARs' locations and orientations. To assess the efficacy of our proposed method, we built the Martian TARs dataset (M-TARset), an compilation of TARs labeled in six different topographical and morphological types, containing various shapes and illumination scales, to facilitate training and prediction of potential TARs. The experimental results obtained on a Martian TARs dataset and a large-scale TARs extraction at the Zhurong landing site confirm that the proposed framework outperforms the leading generic object extraction methods in accuracy, demonstrating its strong generalization abilities for large-scale TAR detection. The source code and M-TARset are available at https://github.com/PlanetaryScience3510/M-TARset. [Display omitted] • We proposed a novel AiTARs-Net framework for large-scale TARs automatic extraction. • We proposed enhanced global-local feature extraction module for capture TAR features. • We introduced anchor-free network for generating TAR proposal. • We created a Martian TARs dataset to train and test TAR detection model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the fuzzy segmentation boundaries, missing details, small target losses and low efficiency of traditional segmentation methods in ancient mural image segmentation scenarios, this paper proposes a mural segmentation model based on multiscale feature fusion and a dual attention-augmented segmentation model (MFAM). The model uses the MobileViT network, which integrates a coordinate attention mechanism, as the feature extraction backbone network. It attains global and local expression capabilities through self-attention, class convolution, and coordinate attention and focuses on location information to expand the receptive field and achieve improved feature extraction efficiency. An A_R_ASPP feature enhancement module is proposed for the attention-optimized residual atrous spatial pyramid pooling module. The module uses residual connections to solve the small target loss problem in murals caused by the excessive sampling rate of atrous convolution and uses a feature attention mechanism to adaptively adjust the feature map weight according to the channel importance levels. A dual attention-enhanced feature fusion module is proposed for multiscale decoder feature fusion to improve the mural segmentation effect. This module uses a cross-level aggregation strategy and an attention mechanism to weight the importance of different feature levels to obtain multilevel semantic feature representations. The model improves the mean intersection over union (MIoU) by 3.06% and the MPA by 1.81% on a mural dataset compared with other models. The model is proven to be effective at improving the segmentation details, efficiency and small target segmentation results produced for mural images, and a new method is proposed for segmenting ancient mural images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A typhoon can change the rainfall pattern over its path. Exploring the impact of typhoons on rainfall erosivity (RE) is very important for the prevention and control of soil erosion in key areas of the Pearl River Basin. Based on the long-term daily rainfall products from 1960 to 2020 and the GPM high-resolution rainfall products from 2001 to 2020, the Mann-Kendall test, Bernaola Galvan segmentation algorithm, and spatial autocorrelation are used in this study to analyze the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of RE and the influence of typhoons. The results indicate that (1) RE has obvious spatiotemporal heterogeneity. The average annual RE is 11,314.10 MJ·mm·ha−2·h−1. The RE shows an upward trend of 8.63 MJ·mm·ha−2·h−1/year, and this study shows that an abrupt change point occurred in 1992. In addition, the RE decreases from southeast to northwest, showing an extremely significant agglomeration near the delta. (2) The spatiotemporal variations in typhoon RE are different from those of the RE across all periods. Typhoons slow the increase in RE, change the abrupt change points, and increase the degree of agglomeration. There are significant resonance periods between typhoons and RE. (3) RE is significantly correlated with the typhoon potential risk index. Typhoons affect RE by increasing precipitation, the rainfall duration, and rainfall kinetic energy. This study explores the importance of typhoons to the spatiotemporal variations in RE, which is crucial for identifying soil erosion risks and formulating prevention and control strategies under extreme climate impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In engineering applications, deflectors play a vital role in regulating the uniformity of flow field distribution in the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system, and their optimal design is a topic of great concern. However, traditional optimal design methods often suffer from insufficient prediction accuracy or too high computational cost. This paper develops and verifies an efficient and robust parametric surrogate model for SCR systems based on the physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) framework. This study comprises three progressive steps. (1) We predicted the flow field distribution in the original flue based on the PINNs framework and compared the results qualitatively and quantitatively with the traditional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The results show that the maximum relative error of velocity is 12.6%, and the relative error is within 5% in most areas. (2) For the optimal design of the deflector in the SCR system, a parametric surrogate model based on the PINNs framework is developed, and the model inputs include not only the coordinate variables but also the position parameters of the deflector. The accuracy and efficiency of this parametric surrogate model are also compared with the traditional CFD method. (3) Based on the parametric surrogate model developed above, the deflector optimal position for the research object of this study is found through two quantitative indicators (uniformity coefficient and flue gas energy loss). The results demonstrate that the parameterized model based on PINNs can reduce the computational time to about 14% compared to traditional methods. Finally, the sensitivity analysis of the deflector position parameters is carried out. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that the parametric surrogate model based on the PINNs framework is an efficient and robust tool for system optimization, design, and autonomous control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design of the borehole thermal energy storage (BTES) is very important for the seasonal solar thermal storage system. The BTES designed based on the empirical method could lead to some unsatisfied effects in actual operations. This paper simulated the BTES operation in one year to study the effects of soil thermal conductivity, soil volume-specific heat, initial soil temperature and relative surface area of storage on energy efficiency of the BTES. The results show that energy efficiency of the BTES reaches the maximum when soil thermal conductivity is 1.8 W/(m·K). According to the results, soil thermal conductivity has more significant effects on the heat extraction per soil volume but has the most negligible impact on energy efficiency of the BTES. At the same time, relative surface area of storage is the most influential factor on energy efficiency of the BTES. Finally, a new BTES design method was proposed which is suitable for the studied parameter range. It is worth noting that the present study focuses on the continuous operation of the system and fixed buried pipe spacing, while the intermittent operation and other buried pipe spacing will be studied in future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-high-energy (UHE, >0.1 PeV) γ-ray astronomy is rapidly evolving into an expanding branch of γ-ray astronomy with the surprising discovery of 12 PeVatrons and the detection of a handful of photons above 1 PeV. Nearly all known celestial object types that have emissions in the TeV band are found also to emit UHE photons. UHE γ-rays have a well-defined horizon inside our Galaxy due to the absorption of infrared and cosmic microwave backgrounds in the Universe. In the last 30 years, traditional cosmic ray (CR) measurement techniques have enabled the detection of UHE γ-rays and opened the last observation window. For leptonic sources, UHE radiation is in the deep Klein–Nishina regime, which is largely suppressed. Therefore, UHE γ-ray detection will be helpful in locating and identifying hadronic radiation sources, tracing the historic pursuit for the origin of CRs around the knee of the spectrum. The Crab Nebula is the focus of attention with measured photon emissions up to 1 PeV. In the absence of hadronic processes, these emissions may indicate the existence of an extreme accelerator of e+e−. Use of CR extensive air shower detection techniques broadens the field of view of the source observations, enabling measurement of UHE radiation surrounding the sources. These observations can probe the particle propagation inside and outside the accelerators and the subsequent injection/escape into the interstellar medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A half‐cell that is composed of electrode and metal (e.g., lithium) is the most classical model for examining electrode performance in battery community, by which the voltage versus capacity profile is the important indicator. However, it is found that these results are not all reliable, as a misconception of electrode performance can be caused once the electrolyte is chemically unstable. As a paradigm, it is demonstrated that the diethyl carbonate (DEC) solvent can chemically react with lithium metal to form insoluble and soluble by‐products, which can accumulate on the lithium anode to influence the lithium potential and/or migrate to the counter electrode to proceed with the uncompleted electrochemical reactions. The resultant voltage‐capacity profile cannot reflect the actual electrode performance, such as the lithium storing capability within the graphite. The reason for this phenomenon is elucidated based on solvation chemistry, particularly the mechanism of mitigating it by introducing ethylene carbonatesolvent to form new hydrogen bonds. The viewpoint is further verified by employing the full cell and also extended in sodium and potassium batteries. This study shows the necessity of discerning the reliability of electrode performance and also sheds light on the importance of designing a compatible electrolyte to examine electrode performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA has been considered a promising alternative to the current solid-state devices for digital information storage. The past decade has witnessed tremendous progress in the field of DNA data storage contributed by researchers from various disciplines. However, the current development status of DNA storage is still far from practical use, mainly due to its high material cost and time consumption for data reading/writing, as well as the lack of a comprehensive, automated, and integrated system. Microfluidics, being capable of handling and processing micro-scale fluid samples in a massively paralleled and highly integrated manner, has gradually been recognized as a promising candidate for addressing the aforementioned issues. In this review, we provide a discussion on recent efforts of applying microfluidics to advance the development of DNA data storage. Moreover, to showcase the tremendous potential that microfluidics can contribute to this field, we will further highlight the recent advancements of applying microfluidics to the key functional modules within the DNA data storage workflow. Finally, we share our perspectives on future directions for how to continue the infusion of microfluidics with DNA data storage and how to advance toward a truly integrated system and reach real-life applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to build a novel model with golgi apparatus related genes (GaGs) signature and relevant clinical parameters for predicting progression-free interval (PFI) after surgery for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods: We performed a bioinformatic analysis of integrated PTC datasets with the GaGs to identify differentially expressed GaGs (DE-GaGs). Then we generated PFI-related DE-GaGs and established a novel GaGs based signature. After that, we validated the signature on multiple external datasets and PTC cell lines. Further, we conducted uni- and multivariate analyses to identify independent prognostic characters. Finally, we established a signature and clinical parameters-based nomogram for predicting the PFI of PTC. Results: We identified 260 DE-GaGs related to PFI in PTC. The functional enrichment analysis showed that the DE-MTGs were associated with an essential oncogenic glycoprotein biosynthetic process. Consequently, we established and optimized a novel 11 gene signature that could distinguish patients with poorer prognoses and predicted PFI accurately. The novel signature had a C-index of 0.78, and the relevant nomogram had a C-index of 0.79. Also, it was closely related to the pivotal clinical characters of and anaplastic potential in datasets and PTC cell lines. And the signature was confirmed a significant independent prognostic factor in PTC. Finally, we built a nomogram by including the signature and relevant clinical factors. Validation analysis showed that the nomogram's efficacy was satisfying in predicting PTC's PFI. Conclusion: The GaGs signature and nomogram were closely associated with PTC prognosis and may help clinicians improve the individualized prediction of PFI, especially for high-risk patients after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolved over eons to encode biological assays, plants-derived natural products are still the first dawn of drugs. Most researchers have focused on natural compounds derived from commonly used Pimpinella species, such as P. anisum, P. thellungiana, P. saxifrage, and P. brachycarpa, to investigate their antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Ethnopharmacological studies demonstrated that the genus Pimpinella has the homology characteristics of medicine and food and mainly in the therapy of gastrointestinal dysfunction, respiratory diseases, deworming, and diuresis. The natural product investigation of Pimpinella spp. revealed numerous natural products containing phenylpropanoids, terpenoids, flavonoids, coumarins, sterols, and organic acids. These natural products have the potential to provide future drugs against crucial diseases, such as cancer, hypertension, microbial and insectile infections, and severe inflammations. It is an upcoming field of research to probe a novel and pharmaceutically clinical value on compounds from the genus Pimpinella. In this review, we attempt to summarize the present knowledge on the traditional applications, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of more than twenty-five species of the genus Pimpinella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the effect of Cr doping on the mechanical properties of Mo 2 FeB 2 -based cermets was studied. The results indicated that the hardness was continuously enhanced with the Cr contents, while the transverse rupture strength increased and then decreased. With the increase of Cr contents, the decreased binder deteriorated the fracture toughness. In the Mo 2 FeB 2 particles of the cermets, Cr atoms mainly substituted the large-size Mo atoms instead of Fe. However, the first-principles calculation results showed that when the Cr atoms occupied the sites of Fe, the Cr-doped Mo 2 FeB 2 were more thermodynamically stable. Based on the elemental composition of Cr-doped Mo 2 FeB 2 bulks, the sites of Cr in Mo 2 FeB 2 were mainly determined by the contents of Mo and Fe. In the Mo-depleted Mo 2 FeB 2 bulk, Cr atoms preferred to substitute the Mo atoms, while Cr atoms occupied the sites of Fe in the Fe-depleted Mo 2 FeB 2 bulk. Hence, the relatively lower content of Mo in Mo 2 FeB 2 -based cermets resulted in the substitution of Mo with Cr atoms. The intrinsic hardening of Mo 2 FeB 2 induced by Cr doping contributed to the enhanced hardness of Mo 2 FeB 2 -based cermets. Besides, the decreased bulk modulus and shear modulus were conducive to the improvement of the transverse rupture strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, numerous mechanically robust synthetic hydrogels have been created. However, unlike natural loading-bearing materials such as cartilages and muscles, most hydrogels have inherently contradictory requirements, obstructing the design of hydrogels with characteristics of robustness and rapid self-recoverability. Herein, we present a facile strategy for constructing mechanically robust and rapidly self-recoverable hydrogels. The linear poly(acrylamide-co-itaconic acid) chains crosslink via coordination bonds and minimal chemical crosslinkers to form the hydrogel network. Such design endows the coordination interactions to be asymmetrically distributed. Under deformation, the coordination interactions exhibit a reversible dissociation-and-reorganization property, demonstrating a new mechanism for energy dissipation and stress redistribution. Thus, the hydrogels possess tensile strength up to 12.5 MPa and toughness up to 28.2 MJ/m3. Moreover, the inherent dynamic nature of the coordination bonds imparts these hydrogels with stretch rate- and temperature-dependent mechanical behavior as well as excellent self-recovery performance. The method employed in this study is universal and is applicable to other polymers with load-bearing yet rapid recovery conditions. This study will facilitate diverse applications of most metallosupramolecular hydrogels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrolytes play a pivotal role to determine the electrode performances in lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). However, understanding the function of electrolyte components at the molecular scale remains elusive (e.g., salts, solvents, and additives), particularly how they arrange themselves and affect properties of the bulk, liquid‐solid interfaces, and electrolyte decomposition, rendering a bottleneck for improving the electrolytes. Herein, the function of electrolyte components is thoroughly studied, from Li+ solvation structure in the bulk electrolyte, Li+ (de‐)solvation behaviors at the electrolyte‐solid interfaces, until the formation of solid electrolyte interphase (i.e., SEI) layer on the electrodes. Furthermore, a detailed model by taking into account the effects of solvent, additive, lithium salt, and concentration on the electrochemical properties of the Li+‐solvent‐anion complex to elucidate the electrode performances are depicted. As the ultimate benefit of this study, a completely new non‐flammable ether‐based electrolyte and stabilizing the promising antimony (Sb) anodes can be designed. Remarkably, a high‐performance Sb anode that is superior to previous reports is obtained. This study provides a graphical model to unravel interfacial and interphasial behaviors of electrolyte components in LIBs, which is also significant for developing other metal‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification and monitoring of cyanobacterial blooms (CBs) is critical for ensuring water security. However, traditional methods are time-consuming and labor-intensive and are not ideal for large-scale monitoring. In operational monitoring, the existing remote sensing methods are also not ideal due to complex surface features, unstable models, and poor robustness thresholds. Here, a novel algorithm, the pseudo-Forel-Ule index (P-FUI), is developed and validated to identify cyanobacterial blooms based on Terra MODIS, Landsat-8 OLI, Sentinel-2 MSI, and Sentinel-3 OLCI sensors. First, three parameters of P-FUI, that is, brightness Y, saturation s, and hue angle α, were calculated based on remote sensing reflectance. Then, the robustness thresholds of the parameters were determined by statistical analysis for a frequency distribution histogram. We validated the accuracy of our approach using high-spatial-resolution satellite data with the aid of field investigations. Considerable results were obtained by using water color differences directly. The overall classification accuracy is more than 93.76%, and the user's accuracy and producer's accuracy are more than 94.60% and 94.00%, respectively, with a kappa coefficient of 0.91. The identified cyanobacterial blooms' spatial distribution with high, medium, and low intensity produced consistent results compared to those based on satellite data. Impact factors were also discussed, and the algorithm was shown to be tolerant of perturbations by clouds and high turbidity. This new approach enables operational monitoring of cyanobacterial blooms in eutrophic lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The frequent incidence of postsurgical recurrence issues in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients is a primary concern considering the low cancer‐related mortality. Previous studies have demonstrated that epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) activation is closely related to PTC progression and invasion. In this study, we aimed to develop a novel EMT signature and ancillary nomogram to improve personalized prediction of progression‐free interval (PFI). Methods: First, we carried out a differential analysis of PTC samples and pairwise normal thyroid samples to explore the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The intersection of the DEGs with EMT‐related genes (ERGs) were identified as differentially expressed EMT‐related genes (DE‐ERGs). We determined PFI‐related DE‐ERGs by Cox regression analysis and then established a novel gene classifier by LASSO regression analysis. We validated the signature in external datasets and in multiple cell lines. Further, we used uni‐ and multivariate analyses to identify independent prognostic characters. Results: We identified 244 prognosis‐related DE‐ERGs. The 244 DE‐ERGs were associated with several pivotal oncogenic processes. We also constructed a novel 10‐gene signature and relevant prognostic model for recurrence prediction of PTC. The 10‐gene signature had a C‐index of 0.723 and the relevant nomogram had a C‐index of 0.776. The efficacy of the signature and nomogram was satisfying and closely correlated with relevant clinical parameters. Furthermore, the signature also had a unique potential in differentiating anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) samples. Conclusions: The novel EMT signature and nomogram are useful and convenient for personalized management for thyroid cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methyl 2-fluoro-3-hydroxypropanoate (MFHP) and its derivative methyl 3-chloro-2-fluoropropanoate (MCFP) are easily converted into methyl 2-fluoroacrylate (MFA). A roundabout strategy was put forward based on MFHP to overcome the shortcomings of MFA to extend its storage life and reduce its cost of shipment and storage. In our work, a novel and facile method for the synthesis of MFHP was developed based on Claisen salts and formaldehyde in water as followed: 37% formaldehyde aqueous (9.0 equiv.) was dropped into the aqueous of Claisen salt (1.0 equiv.) and NaHCO3 (1.0 equiv.) at room temperature for 2-3 h to obtain MFHP in yield of 81.3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lake Qinghai located in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau provides ideal Holocene paleoclimatic records to explore the climatic and environmental changes controlled by the Asian summer monsoon and the westerlies. Radiocarbon (14C) is commonly used to constrain the sediment chronology, however, the 14C reservoir effects in Lake Qinghai are still under debate. Here, we firstly carry out multiple 14C dating (plant remains, authigenic carbonate and bulk organic matter) and multi-proxy analyses (mineralogy, major elements, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total inorganic carbon (TIC), carbon isotopic composition of bulk organic matter (δ13C org) and inorganic matter (δ13C inorg), and oxygen isotopic composition of inorganic matter (δ18O inorg)) on a 3.5 m-long core (QH1) in Lake Qinghai to illustrate the 14C reservoir effects and paleoclimate changes during the last 6000 yr. The 14C age-depth linear regressions of plant remains, authigenic carbonate and bulk organic matter present similar sediment accumulation rates of 17.59 ± 0.21, 17.74 ± 0.17 and 17.07 ± 0.22 yr cm−1 but different reservoir effects of 910 ± 41, 1661 ± 35 and 1031 ± 49 yr, respectively. This evidence suggests that the new 14C age-depth model used in this study is valid to estimate sediment accumulation rate and to distinguish different reservoir effects between multiple dating materials. Combing with the geochemical proxies, the paleoclimate fluctuated with a light drying trend from ∼6,000 to ∼4,000 cal yr BP. After the abrupt shift at ∼4,000 cal yr BP, the paleoclimate became colder and drier. Since the Mid-Holocene millennial-timescale warm and humid periods occurred at ∼5,900, ∼4,800, ∼4,000, ∼1,800, ∼1,100, ∼600 and ∼100 cal yr BP and relative droughts occurred at ∼5,200, ∼4,600, 4,000–2,000, ∼1,500, ∼900 and ∼300 cal yr BP. These features can be attributed to the rapid strengthening and weakening of the summer monsoon circulation in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) can be used as optical energy conversion materials to catalyze the water splitting reaction. A good catalytical performance requires: (i) well-matched semiconductor bandgaps and water redox potential for fluent energy transfer; and (ii) optimal orientation of the water molecules at the interface for kinetically fast chemical reactions. Interactions at the solid–liquid interface can have an important impact on these two factors; most theoretical studies have employed semiconductor-in-vacuum models. In this work, we explored the interface formed by liquid water and different types of TMDCs monolayers (MoS2, WSe2, and their lateral heterojunctions), using a combined molecular dynamics (MD) and density functional theory (DFT) approach. The strong interactions between water and these semiconductors confined the adsorbed water layer presenting structural patterns, with the water molecules well connected to the bulk water through the hydrogen bonding network. Structural fluctuations in the metal chalcogenide bonds during the MD simulations resulted in a 0.2 eV reduction of the band gap of the TMDCs. The results suggest that when designing new TMDC semiconductors, both the surface hydrophobicity and the variation of the bandgaps originating from the water-semiconductor interface, need to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) that forms on the electrode is crucial for achieving high performance in metal‐ion batteries. However, the mechanism of SEI formation resulting from electrolyte decomposition is not fully understood at the molecular scale. Herein, a new strategy of switching electrolyte to tune SEI properties is presented, by which a unique and thinner SEI can be pre‐formed on the graphite electrode first in an ether‐based electrolyte, and then the as‐designed graphite electrode can demonstrate extremely high‐rate capabilities in a carbonate‐based electrolyte, enabling the design of fast‐charging and wide‐temperature lithium‐ion batteries (e.g., graphite | LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 (NCM622)). A molecular interfacial model involving the conformations and electrochemical stabilities of the Li+‐solvent‐anion complex is presented to elucidate the differences in SEI formation between ether‐based and carbonate‐based electrolytes, then interpreting the reason for the obtained higher rate performances. This innovative concept combines the advantages of different electrolytes into one battery system. It is believed that the switching strategy and understanding of the SEI formation mechanism opens a new avenue to design SEI, which is universal for pursuing more versatile battery systems with greater stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-invasive biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) are still urgently needed. We aimed to characterize the N-glycome of PTMC, and establish nomograms for the diagnosis of PTMC and the prediction of lymph node metastasis (LNM). N-glycome of PTMC (LNM vs. non-LNM, capsular invasion (CI) vs. non-CI (NCI)) and matched healthy controls (HC) were quantitatively analyzed based on mass spectrometry. N-glycan traits associated with PTMC/LNM were used to create binomial logistic regression models and were visualized as nomograms. We found serum N-glycome differed between PTMC and HC in high-mannose, complexity, fucosylation, and bisection, of which, four N-glycan traits (TM, CA1, CA4, and A2Fa) were significantly associated with PTMC. The nomogram based on four traits achieved good performance for the identification of PTMC. Two N-glycan traits (CA4 and A2F0S0G) showed strong associations with LNM. The nomogram based on two traits showed relatively good performance in predicting LNM. We also found differences between CI and NCI in several N-glycan traits, which were not the same as that associated with LNM. This study reported serum N-glycosylation signatures of PTMC for the first time. Nomograms constructed from aberrant glycans could be useful tools for PTMC diagnosis and stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A joint berth allocation and ship loader scheduling problem in coal export terminals. • Deballasting restrictions and symmetrical berth layout-based rotary loading mode are considered. • A mixed-integer programming model is developed to minimize ship tardiness. • A logic-based Benders decomposition algorithm and effective acceleration strategies are proposed. • Compared to practical scheduling, the proposed methods achieve a reduction of 51.9% on tardiness. Due to nonmatching between the efficiency of ship deballasting and terminal loading, operations in modern coal export terminals (CETs) are frequently interrupted and significantly restricted by ship deballasting delays. This paper addresses a novel integrated problem of berth allocation and ship loader scheduling arising in CETs with new features, including the symmetrical berth layout-based rotary loading mode (SBLRLM) and deballasting restrictions. A mixed-integer programming (MIP) model is proposed to make joint decisions to minimize the total tardiness of all ships. By exploring the problem's decomposable structure, an exact method that relies on logic-based Benders decomposition (LBBD) is proposed to obtain optimal solutions. According to the problem features, the monolithic MIP formulation is decomposed into a new MIP (master problem) and a constraint programming (subproblem). Combinatorial valid inequalities are developed to enhance the master problem model and obtain a tighter lower bound. A Benders cut strengthening heuristic is developed to generate feasibility and optimality cuts to ensure efficient algorithm convergence. To evaluate the proposed method, computational experiments are conducted on a set of test instances generated based on real data collected from a major CET in northern China. The results indicate that the LBBD algorithm can optimally solve large-scale problem instances within a reasonable amount of time. The plan generated by the LBBD algorithm achieves a 51.9% reduction in ship tardiness, on average, compared to that of practical scheduling methods. By using the proposed method, the superiority of the SBLRLM in reducing deballasting delays becomes more significant as the problem scale increases. In addition, considering different working intensities, the results could also help port operators make decisions about the number of berths in the SBLRLM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The B incorporation in N doped carbon converts graphitic N into pyrrolic N, resulting in high edge-nitrogen ratio of 85.8 %. • The synergy of B and N atoms in the carbon matrix further enhances the salt adsorption performance of samples. • The optimized samples show an excellent salt adsorption capacity of 84.6 mg g−1 in 500 mg L−1 NaCl solution at 1.2 V. Nitrogen doping is an effective strategy to enhance the salt adsorption capacity (SAC) of carbon electrodes for capacitive deionization (CDI) via generating abundant active adsorption sites. However, the uncontrolled interior doping and the undesired defective sites usually restrict the further enhancement in SAC. Herein, the additional boron element is introduced into the carbon matrix to not only create the porous architectures but also modulate the types of doping species. It is observed that the introduction of B selectively converts the inert graphitic N into active pyrrolic N species with enhanced adsorption capacity in the carbon skeleton. Specifically, the optimized B enriched edge-N defective carbon network (ENC-X) exhibits a high edged N doping content of 85.8 %. Benefitting from the integrative modulation in surface functionalities, the optimized samples demonstrate a significantly higher SAC value of 84.6 mg g−1 in 500 mg L−1 NaCl solution at 1.2 V, comparable to that of the most carbonaceous materials reported so far. Additionally, density functional theory calculations uncover the synergistic effect between B and N doping, further facilitating the capacitive adsorption of sodium ions. Overall, this study highlights the advantages of regulating heteroatom species and co-doping, offering a new perspective for the application of heteroatom-doped carbon in CDI field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The social support characteristics of patients with late-onset epilepsy. • The physical comorbidity burden was more related to social support in older PWEs. • Psychotic symptoms were also more associated with social support in older PWEs. Epilepsy is the third most common neurological disorder in elderly people. Patients with epilepsy (PWEs) are more likely to have comorbidities. Social support is very important for PWEs. However, there are many gaps in the research on social support in older PWEs, especially the correlation between social support and comorbidities. A cross-sectional study was conducted in three hospitals in China. Social support was assessed using the Social Support Rate Scale. The burden of physical comorbidities was assessed using the CCI, and global disability was assessed using the mRS. The NDDIE was used to assess depression, the GAD7 was used for anxiety, the CDR was used for cognitive status, and the NPI was used for psychotic symptoms. A total of 154 older PWEs participated in the study. There were 97 patients with at least one physical comorbidities. The burden of physical comorbidities was negatively correlated with overall social support (Adj. r = -0.35, P < 0.001) and global disability (Adj. r = -0.45, P < 0.001). In terms of psychiatric comorbidities, anxiety, depression, and cognitive status were not correlated with overall social support (Adj. r = -0.03, −0.02, and −0.11, P > 0.05). Psychotic symptoms were correlated with overall social support (Adj. r = -0.20, P < 0.05). The overall burden of psychiatric comorbidities was associated with overall social support (r = 0.30, P < 0.01). Neurologists and social workers should consider more personalized biopsychosocial care to improve the quality of life of older PWEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerosols can influence the size, quantity, and other characteristics of raindrops, subsequently altering the precipitation pattern and modifying rainfall erosivity (RE). To explore the relationship between RE and aerosols, this study analyzed the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of RE and aerosols in the Pearl River Basin. Utilizing GPM rainfall data from 2001 to 2022, future 100-year rainfall prediction data, and aerosol data from 2001 to 2022, the study investigated the potential relationship between these indicators. The findings are as follows: (1) RE exhibited a spatial distribution decreasing from southeast to northwest, showing a declining trend; Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) demonstrated a similar decreasing spatial distribution and trend. (2) RE and AOD displayed a highly significant positive correlation, with a coordinated distribution within the basin, as indicated by a multi-year average coupling coordination index of 0.7054. (3) Over the next century, RE in various scenarios remained lower than current RE and exhibited a highly significant negative correlation with current AOD. (4) Aerosol particle size emerged as the most significant indicator correlated with RE, and among all RE indicators, rainfall quantity exhibited the strongest correlation with aerosols. (5) RE for rainfall across all magnitudes demonstrated a highly significant correlation with aerosols, with the strongest correlation observed in heavy rain. This study unveils the interrelationship between RE and aerosols, providing a theoretical basis for land managers and governments to formulate measures aimed at reducing the impact of rainfall erosion on farmland and ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetic networks provide a powerful framework for modeling and analyzing reticulate evolutionary histories. While polyploidy has been shown to be prevalent not only in plants but also in other groups of eukaryotic species, most work done thus far on phylogenetic network inference assumes diploid hybridization. These inference methods have been applied, with varying degrees of success, to data sets with polyploid species, even though polyploidy violates the mathematical assumptions underlying these methods. Statistical methods were developed recently for handling specific types of polyploids and so were parsimony methods that could handle polyploidy more generally yet while excluding processes such as incomplete lineage sorting. In this article, we introduce a new method for inferring most parsimonious phylogenetic networks on data that include polyploid species. Taking gene tree topologies as input, the method seeks a phylogenetic network that minimizes deep coalescences while accounting for polyploidy. We demonstrate the performance of the method on both simulated and biological data. The inference method as well as a method for evaluating evolutionary hypotheses in the form of phylogenetic networks are implemented and publicly available in the PhyloNet software package. [Incomplete lineage sorting; minimizing deep coalescences; multilabeled trees; multispecies network coalescent; phylogenetic networks; polyploidy.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is critical to develop efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts with high catalytic properties for overall water splitting. Electrocatalysts with enriched vacancies are crucial for enhancing the catalytic activity of OER through defect engineering. We demonstrated the dealloying method in a reducing alkaline solution using the Co5Al95 alloy foil as a precursor to produce a new oxygen-vacancy-rich cobalt hydroxide (OV−Co(OH)2) hierarchical dendrite. The as-synthesised OV−Co(OH)2 showed superior electrocatalytic activities toward OER when compared to pristine cobalt hydroxide (p–Co(OH)2), which had a low onset overpotential of only 242 mV and a small Tafel slope of 64.9 mV dec−1. Additionally, for the high surface area provided by the hierarchical dendrite, both p–Co(OH)2 and OV−Co(OH)2 showed a superior activity as compared to commercial catalysts. Furthermore, they retained good catalytic properties without remarkably decaying at an overpotential of 350 mV for 12 h. The as-made OV−Co(OH)2 has prospective applications as an anode electrocatalyst in electrochemical water-splitting technologies with the advantages of superior OER performances, large surface area and ease of preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of 2-thio-imidazolidinone derivatives with aryl group modifications at the end of the five-carbon side chain were synthesized. Compared with conventional heating, the target compounds were obtained in higher yield (77–95%) and shorter reaction time under the assistance of microwave heating 100 °C over 2 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a promising target for prostate cancer imaging and therapy. The most commonly used scaffold incorporates a glutamate-urea (Glu-Urea) function. We recently developed oxalyldiaminopropionic acid-urea (ODAP-Urea) PSMA ligands in an attempt to improve upon the pharmacokinetic properties of existing agents. Here, we report the synthesis of an optimized 68Ga-labeled ODAP-Urea-based ligand, [68Ga]Ga-P137, and first-in-human results. Methods: Twelve ODAP-Urea-based ligands were synthesized and radiolabeled with 68Ga in high radiochemical yield and purity. Their PSMA inhibitory capacities were determined using the NAALADase assay. Radioligands were evaluated in mice-bearing 22Rv1 prostate tumors by microPET. Lead compound [68Ga]Ga-P137 was evaluated for stability, cell uptake, and biodistribution. PET imaging of [68Ga]Ga-P137 was performed in three patients head-to-head compared to [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617. Results: Ligands were synthesized in 11.1-44.4% yield and > 95% purity. They have high affinity to PSMA (Ki of 0.13 to 5.47 nM). [68Ga]Ga-P137 was stable and hydrophilic. [68Ga]Ga-P137 showed higher uptake than [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 in tumor-bearing mice at 6.43 ± 0.98%IA/g vs 3.41 ± 1.31%IA/g at 60-min post-injection. In human studies, the normal organ biodistribution of [68Ga]Ga-P137 was grossly equivalent to that of [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 except for within the urinary tract, in which [68Ga]Ga-P137 demonstrated lower uptake. Conclusion: The optimized ODAP-Urea-based ligand [68Ga]Ga-P137 can image PSMA in xenograft models and humans, with lower bladder accumulation to the Glu-Urea-based agent, [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617, in a preliminary, first-in-human study. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04560725, Registered 23 September 2020. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04560725 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We retrospectively evaluated the characteristics of these patients and the effectiveness of ankle arthrodesis in the treatment of ankle arthritis caused by Kashin-Beck disease (KBD).A retrospective study of KBD patients with ankle osteoarthritis who underwent ankle arthrodesis between December 2012 and January 2022 was performed. A total of 46 patients were included. The general characteristics, clinical manifestations and imaging features of the patients were recorded and summarized. measured using the VAS score, and ankle function was assessed by the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score.Multiple subchondral cystic changes were found in 42(91.3%) patients. The VAS scores for both resting and weight-bearing conditions were 6.28 ± 1.30 vs. 2.09 ± 1.12 (P < .001) and 6.87 ± 1.01 vs. 2.17 ± 0.98 (P < .001), respectively. The AOFAS scores were 59.17 ± 5.50 and 88.39 ± 1.42, respectively (P < .001).The subchondral multiple cystic transformation of the ankle KBD has a certain suggestive role.Arthrodesis is an effective method to reduce ankle pain and improve ankle function in KBD patients with ankle osteoarthritis.Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the characteristics of these patients and the effectiveness of ankle arthrodesis in the treatment of ankle arthritis caused by Kashin-Beck disease (KBD).A retrospective study of KBD patients with ankle osteoarthritis who underwent ankle arthrodesis between December 2012 and January 2022 was performed. A total of 46 patients were included. The general characteristics, clinical manifestations and imaging features of the patients were recorded and summarized. measured using the VAS score, and ankle function was assessed by the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score.Multiple subchondral cystic changes were found in 42(91.3%) patients. The VAS scores for both resting and weight-bearing conditions were 6.28 ± 1.30 vs. 2.09 ± 1.12 (P < .001) and 6.87 ± 1.01 vs. 2.17 ± 0.98 (P < .001), respectively. The AOFAS scores were 59.17 ± 5.50 and 88.39 ± 1.42, respectively (P < .001).The subchondral multiple cystic transformation of the ankle KBD has a certain suggestive role.Arthrodesis is an effective method to reduce ankle pain and improve ankle function in KBD patients with ankle osteoarthritis.Results: We retrospectively evaluated the characteristics of these patients and the effectiveness of ankle arthrodesis in the treatment of ankle arthritis caused by Kashin-Beck disease (KBD).A retrospective study of KBD patients with ankle osteoarthritis who underwent ankle arthrodesis between December 2012 and January 2022 was performed. A total of 46 patients were included. The general characteristics, clinical manifestations and imaging features of the patients were recorded and summarized. measured using the VAS score, and ankle function was assessed by the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score.Multiple subchondral cystic changes were found in 42(91.3%) patients. The VAS scores for both resting and weight-bearing conditions were 6.28 ± 1.30 vs. 2.09 ± 1.12 (P < .001) and 6.87 ± 1.01 vs. 2.17 ± 0.98 (P < .001), respectively. The AOFAS scores were 59.17 ± 5.50 and 88.39 ± 1.42, respectively (P < .001).The subchondral multiple cystic transformation of the ankle KBD has a certain suggestive role.Arthrodesis is an effective method to reduce ankle pain and improve ankle function in KBD patients with ankle osteoarthritis.Conclusions: We retrospectively evaluated the characteristics of these patients and the effectiveness of ankle arthrodesis in the treatment of ankle arthritis caused by Kashin-Beck disease (KBD).A retrospective study of KBD patients with ankle osteoarthritis who underwent ankle arthrodesis between December 2012 and January 2022 was performed. A total of 46 patients were included. The general characteristics, clinical manifestations and imaging features of the patients were recorded and summarized. measured using the VAS score, and ankle function was assessed by the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score.Multiple subchondral cystic changes were found in 42(91.3%) patients. The VAS scores for both resting and weight-bearing conditions were 6.28 ± 1.30 vs. 2.09 ± 1.12 (P < .001) and 6.87 ± 1.01 vs. 2.17 ± 0.98 (P < .001), respectively. The AOFAS scores were 59.17 ± 5.50 and 88.39 ± 1.42, respectively (P < .001).The subchondral multiple cystic transformation of the ankle KBD has a certain suggestive role.Arthrodesis is an effective method to reduce ankle pain and improve ankle function in KBD patients with ankle osteoarthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical properties and microstructure of magnesium potassium phosphate cement (MKPC) modified with red mud have been studied. However, the durability and environmental risks of red mud-modified MKPC have not been reported. This paper focuses on the water resistance, frost resistance, bonding properties, drying shrinkage and environmental performance of red mud-modified MKPC repair materials. The experimental results proved that the addition of red mud is beneficial for improving the durability, bonding properties, and volume stability of MKPC. The MKPC matrix with a 10% red mud content has the best water and frost resistance, which can reduce the loss rate of immersion and freeze thaw compressive strength of MKPC by 20.28% and 31.6%, respectively. Additionally, the bonding strength of MKPC at 1 d and 28 d increased by 15.2% and 21.9%, respectively, when the content of red mud was 10%∼20%. The early mechanical interlocking effect and the subsequent interfacial chemical action also contributed to the formation of strong interfacial bonds between the OPC matrix and the MKPC repair materials. The ion leaching results also showed that the MKPC matrix can effectively solidify and stabilize harmful components (Na, Cr, As, and Pb ions) in red mud. This study will further guide the application of red mud-modified MKPC in practical cement and concrete structure repair engineering. • Adding 10%∼20% red mud is beneficial for improving the durability and bonding performance of MKPC. • The modification mechanism of red mud occurs via physical filling effect and chemical hydration reaction. • MKPC matrix can effectively solidify and stabilize the harmful components in red mud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Develop high-speed multi-species imaging techniques for flame stability analysis. • Propose a flame image feature screening and fusion method for combustion condition identification. • Investigate near-lean blowout flame dynamic behaviors and heat-release pulsation characteristics. Early prediction and depth analysis of lean blowouts are desirable for both aeroengine and stationary gas turbines. This study used a combination of high-speed multi-species optical diagnostic techniques and multivariate analysis methods to investigate near-blowout instabilities and identify combustion conditions. The flame root dynamic behavior and heat release pulsation characteristics were investigated using advanced modal decomposition methods. Results showed that a near-blowout flame exhibited a characteristic frequency (∼200 Hz) or "fingerprint" related to the temporal and spatial coupling characteristics of CH and OH radicals. Furthermore, flame image feature screening and multivariate fusion for combustion condition identification are reported for the first time. Significant differential features and effective fusion models were investigated and discussed. The identification accuracy of the multivariate fusion feature model compared with that of the geometric feature model improved by more than 24 %. Moreover, simplified fusion models of low-order moment and geometric features were constructed with relatively high identification accuracy (99 %) and low relative standard deviation value (14.1 %). These results demonstrate the significant potential of combining multi-species optical diagnostic techniques and multivariate analysis methods, thereby expanding their application to the field of combustion science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Datasets of aquatic vegetation dynamics in China's lakes since 1986 were first presented. • Spatiotemporal variation of different life-form aquatic vegetation were revealed. • Effects of driving factors on aquatic vegetation recovery were assessed. • The Tibetan Plateau Lake Zone dominates the restoration of aquatic vegetation. Often characterized as "sentinels of lake aquatic ecosystems", different life-form aquatic vegetation covering dynamics reflects both short- and long-term climate fluctuations and human activities. Previous assessments often lack comprehensive spatiotemporal coverage of aquatic vegetation dynamics, prompting a deeper understanding of aquatic vegetation variations and underlying drivers of such change. This article first presents a dataset of semi-decadal-scale trends in aquatic vegetation covering of 616 China's lakes (>10 km2) from 1986 to 2020, after validating a machine learning method of random forest (RF) by field investigations and literature reviews. The total area of aquatic vegetation in lakes nationwide was varied from 10,345.40 km2 to 17,329.31 km2 (a 67.51 % increase) since 1986, with a growth rate of 169.85 km2/yr. As of 2020, the aquatic vegetation is mainly concentrated in Tibetan Plateau Lake Zone (TPL) (55.99 %) and Eastern Plain Lake Zone (EPL) (25.86 %), followed by other regions. It was identified the changes in aquatic vegetation area experienced three periods: moderate growth (1986–1999), slight losses (2000–2010), and marked recovery (2011–2020). Specifically, the TPL experienced the most remarkable expansion, primarily contrbution from submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). It is found that smaller lakes in plain area are more conducive to the growth of aquatic vegetation, as shown by the increase in the percentage of aquatic vegetation area (PAV) with the decrease in lake size. But the lakes in TPL showed after 2010 larger lakes are more advantageous in aquatic vegetation recovery, attributing to climate-induced lake expansion. Furthermore, lakes with more intricately shapes also exhibited relative advantages in aquatic vegetation expansion. Geographic and climatic factors also played a pivotal role, with altitude notably influencing temperature and precipitation, thus exerting a considerable impact on aquatic vegetation growth. This study have estimated the semi-decade dynamic characteristics of aquatic vegetation in lakes across China since 1986, concluded that aquatic vegetation ushered in a vigorous recovery period around 2010, offering compelling evidence for the increasing greening trend of aquatic ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of shower muons on an event-by-event basis offers a potent tool for conducting ground-based experiments on gamma rays and cosmic rays due to its sensitivity to primary mass and interaction models. In recent years, underground water Cherenkov detectors as large-area muon counters provide the most powerful way of rejecting cosmic ray background when searching for TeV–PeV gamma rays and cosmic ray electrons, an unprecedented rejection power of 1 0 4 – 1 0 5 is achieved. Unburied water Cherenkov detectors are widely used in ground-based gamma astronomy experiments, e.g, Milagro, HAWC, LHAASO-WCDA, etc. However, due to the presence of electromagnetic components, their deployment as event-by-event muon counters has encountered considerable challenges. All the experiments mentioned above reconstruct lateral-distribution-function related parameters to tell a gamma from hadrons. In this work, we first developed a method to utilize the WCDA, to specify muon content in each shower with LHAASO KM2A-WCDA synergy and help LHAASO to gain approximately a 37,650-meter-square effective area as a muon counter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we present the results of a machine learning approach we developed to single out correct 3D docking models of protein–protein complexes obtained by popular docking software. To this aim, we generated 3 × 10 4 docking models for each of the 230 complexes in the protein–protein benchmark, version 5, using three different docking programs (HADDOCK, FTDock and ZDOCK), for a cumulative set of ≈ 7 × 10 6 docking models. Three different machine learning approaches (Random Forest, Supported Vector Machine and Perceptron) were used to train classifiers with 158 different scoring functions (features). The Random Forest algorithm outperformed the other two algorithms and was selected for further optimization. Using a features selection algorithm, and optimizing the random forest hyperparameters, allowed us to train and validate a random forest classifier, named COnservation Driven Expert System (CoDES). Testing of CoDES on independent datasets, as well as results of its comparative performance with machine learning methods recently developed in the field for the scoring of docking decoys, confirm its state-of-the-art ability to discriminate correct from incorrect decoys both in terms of global parameters and in terms of decoys ranked at the top positions. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Advances online. Software and data availability statement The docking models are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4012018. The programs underlying this article will be shared on request to the corresponding authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the impact of non-coding sequence variants on complex diseases is an essential problem. We present a novel ensemble learning framework—CASAVA, to predict genomic loci in terms of disease category-specific risk. Using disease-associated variants identified by GWAS as training data, and diverse sequencing-based genomics and epigenomics profiles as features, CASAVA provides risk prediction of 24 major categories of diseases throughout the human genome. Our studies showed that CASAVA scores at a genomic locus provide a reasonable prediction of the disease-specific and disease category-specific risk prediction for non-coding variants located within the locus. Taking MHC2TA and immune system diseases as an example, we demonstrate the potential of CASAVA in revealing variant-disease associations. A website (http://zhanglabtools.org/CASAVA) has been built to facilitate easily access to CASAVA scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radiative heat transfer of the particles has been investigated based on the gray body and the independent scattering. However, the radiative properties of the particles are strongly wavelength dependent and interact with each other with the increase of particle concentration. In order to indicate the radiative heat transfer under the high particle volume fraction, the radiation heat transfer model of non-gray particle is developed in this paper, which is based on the ideology of the weighted sum of gray gases (WSGG) model and the full-spectrum correlated k-distribution (FSCK) model, and the dependent scattering of particles is considered. For a one-dimensional plane-parallel slab system, the WSCK (the Weighted Sum of Gray Particles based on the full-Spectrum Correlated k-distribution) model is verified. Compared with the modified LBL model based on Mie theory and dependent scattering theory, the maximum errors of the dependent scattering WSCK (WSCKD) model are about 3.3% for the radiative heat flux and 11.5% for the radiative source term under non-isothermal and inhomogeneous conditions. The radiative heat flux and radiative source term by the WSCKD model and the independent scattering WSCK (WSCKI) model are almost identical for the low particle volume fraction and the calculation accuracy is higher by the WSCKD model on the industrial scale. For the high particle volume fraction, the WSCKD model is more accurate, especially for particle systems with a large percentage of small particles or a relatively high-volume fraction. In addition, the radiative heat transfers of gases, particles and gas-particle mixtures at different one-dimensional scales are examined, highlighting the crucial role of particle radiative property model in large furnaces. [Display omitted] • The radiative property model for non-gray particle based on dependent scattering has been developed. • The radiative property (WSCKD) model has a good accuracy and high efficiency. • The radiative property (WSCKD) model performs better at high particle volume fraction. • The radiative property model plays a crucial role in large furnaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a malignant tumor of the blood system. Gö6976, as a type of indolocarbazole and shows strong antitumor effects, but there have been no reports on the effect of Gö6976 on CML. The objectives of this research were: (1) to explore the impact of Gö6976 on CML in vitro and in vivo; and (2) to explore the drug toxicity of Gö6976 to normal cells and animals. K562 cells and CML mice were used to explore the effect of Gö6976 on CML. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), CD34+ cells, and healthy mice were used to explore the drug toxicity of Gö6976. Cell experiments showed that Gö6976 could inhibit the proliferation of K562 cells and enhance the inhibitory effects of imatinib at 5 μM and 10 μM, but it had little effect on CD34+ cells or PBMCs at concentrations less than 5 μM. Animal experiments showed that 2.5 mg/kg Gö6976 could effectively inhibit the development of CML in mice, and it had almost no effects on healthy mice at 2.5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg. Because of the direct inhibitory effect of Gö6976 on CML and its pharmacological enhancement effect on imatinib, it is foreseeable that Gö6976 could become a new type of anti-CML medicine. And the further research is needed. Our findings verified that Gö6976 could effectively inhibit CML in vitro and in vivo, and it is almost nontoxic to hematopoietic cells, immune cells, and healthy mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, microparticle coatings and nanoparticle coatings were fabricated on copper surfaces by an electrochemical deposition method and an electrophoretic deposition method, respectively. Pool boiling of NOVEC-649 was experimentally studied on the coated surfaces, concerning heat transfer, bubble dynamics, and critical heat fluxes. Compared with a smooth surface, heat transfer coefficients and critical heat flux (CHF) were improved, achieving a maximum heat transfer enhancement of 460% on the nanoparticle-coated surface and a maximum CHF enhancement of 60% on the microparticle-coated surface. Based on high speed visualizations, bubble departure diameters were measured and compared with several correlations, and then the heat transfer was analyzed by a mechanistic model, considering natural convection, transient heat conduction and microlayer evaporation. The mechanistic model demonstrated a good ability to predict the present results. In addition, wickability, representing a liquid supplement ability, was measured, indicating that the wickability enhancement was probably responsible for the CHF improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metro subway systems with underground tunnels form the backbone of urban transportations and therefore, accurate monitoring and maintenance of such subway systems are extremely necessary for a hassle-free daily commutation of billions of people. Though 3-D models of tunnels are widely used for the deformation monitoring of such subway tunnels, existing model-based tunnel monitoring systems rely on coarse geometric models and hence fail to capture complete tunnel health information. We present a two-stage algorithm to create high-fidelity geometric models of tunnel lining from Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) point clouds. Tunnel geometry, defined at the detailed block entity level, is constructed through a data-driven block segmentation algorithm and a model-driven assembly technique. In our approach, the 3-D tunnel block segmentation problem has been translated into a bolt and lining joint recognition problem from 2-D images unfolded from the 3-D scans. The segmented 3-D blocks are matched with a set of predefined 3-D templates from a primitive library via a constraint total least squares matching method and the matched 3-D templates are assembled to create the final watertight tunnel model. The proposed tunnel modeling method has been comprehensively evaluated on Changzhou, Nanjing, and Wuhan tunnel data sets in terms of outliers, missing data, point density, topological representation, robustness, and geometric accuracy. The experiments on Nanjing and Changzhou metro tunnels show that the geometric model fitting incurs an error of only 7 mm, which is almost consistent with a mean density of 6 mm of these two data sets. Experimental results validate the advantages and potentials of the proposed tunnel modeling method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trait evolution among a set of species—a central theme in evolutionary biology—has long been understood and analyzed with respect to a species tree. However, the field of phylogenomics, which has been propelled by advances in sequencing technologies, has ushered in the era of species/gene tree incongruence and, consequently, a more nuanced understanding of trait evolution. For a trait whose states are incongruent with the branching patterns in the species tree, the same state could have arisen independently in different species (homoplasy) or followed the branching patterns of gene trees, incongruent with the species tree (hemiplasy). Another evolutionary process whose extent and significance are better revealed by phylogenomic studies is gene flow between different species. In this work, we present a phylogenomic method for assessing the role of hybridization and introgression in the evolution of polymorphic or monomorphic binary traits. We apply the method to simulated evolutionary scenarios to demonstrate the interplay between the parameters of the evolutionary history and the role of introgression in a binary trait's evolution (which we call xenoplasy). Very importantly, we demonstrate, including on a biological data set, that inferring a species tree and using it for trait evolution analysis in the presence of gene flow could lead to misleading hypotheses about trait evolution. Author summary: Traits include an organism's appearance, form, structure, development, physiology, biochemistry and behaviour. They are subject to the same evolutionary processes as their associated genes, including convergence and incomplete lineage sorting. In the former case traits are gained or lost independently in different species, in the latter variation within ancestral species enables a present-day pattern of traits seemingly at odds with the tree of life. Advances in sequencing and new methods to reconstruct evolutionary history have made us increasingly aware of how between-species hybridization results in a network, not a tree, of life. To understand the impact of hybridization on trait evolution we introduce the concept of xenoplasy where present-day traits are shared with ancestral organisms through hybridization instead of strictly tree-like speciation. We have developed a measure called the global xenoplasy risk factor (G-XRF) to quantify the risk that xenoplasy has contributed to a present-day trait pattern, and demonstrate its effectiveness on real and simulated data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteocytes are critical mechanosensory cells in bone, and mechanically stimulated osteocytes produce exosomes that can induce osteogenesis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important constituents of exosomes, and some miRNAs in osteocytes regulate osteogenic differentiation; previous studies have indicated that some differentially expressed miRNAs in mechanically strained osteocytes likely influence osteoblastic differentiation. Therefore, screening and selection of miRNAs that regulate osteogenic differentiation in exosomes of mechanically stimulated osteocytes are important. Results: A mechanical tensile strain of 2500 με at 0.5 Hz 1 h per day for 3 days, elevated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity of MLO-Y4 osteocytes, and promoted osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts. Fourteen miRNAs differentially expressed only in MLO-Y4 osteocytes which were stimulated with mechanical tensile strain, were screened, and the miRNAs related to osteogenesis were identified. Four differentially expressed miRNAs (miR-1930-3p, miR-3110-5p, miR-3090-3p, and miR-3058-3p) were found only in mechanically strained osteocytes, and the four miRNAs, eight targeted mRNAs which were differentially expressed only in mechanically strained osteoblasts, were also identified. In addition, the mechanically strained osteocyte-derived exosomes promoted the osteoblastic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells in vitro, the exosomes were internalized by osteoblasts, and the up-regulated miR-3110-5p and miR-3058-3p in mechanically strained osteocytes, were both increased in the exosomes, which was verified via reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Conclusions: In osteocytes, a mechanical tensile strain of 2500 με at 0.5 Hz induced the fourteen differentially expressed miRNAs which probably were in exosomes of osteocytes and involved in osteogenesis. The mechanically strained osteocyte-derived exosomes which contained increased miR-3110-5p and miR-3058-3p (two of the 14 miRNAs), promoted osteoblastic differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Crab Nebula is a bright source of gamma rays powered by the Crab Pulsar’s rotational energy through the formation and termination of a relativistic electron-positron wind. We report the detection of gamma rays from this source with energies from 5 × 10−4 to 1.1 peta–electron volts with a spectrum showing gradual steepening over three energy decades. The ultrahigh-energy photons imply the presence of a peta–electron volt electron accelerator (a pevatron) in the nebula, with an acceleration rate exceeding 15% of the theoretical limit. We constrain the pevatron’s size between 0.025 and 0.1 parsecs and the magnetic field to ≈110 microgauss. The production rate of peta–electron volt electrons, 2.5 × 1036 ergs per second, constitutes 0.5% of the pulsar spin-down luminosity, although we cannot exclude a contribution of peta–electron volt protons to the production of the highest-energy gamma rays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a diagnostic helical CT is integrated into a linear accelerator, called uRT-linac 506c, whose CT scanning dataset can be directly used to do simulation. This novel structure provides a possibility for online adaptive radiotherapy. For adaptive radiotherapy, the carbon fiber couch is an essential external device for supporting and positioning patients. And the effect on dose attenuation and distribution caused by a couch is inevitable and vital for precise treatment. In this research, the couch equipped with uRT-linac 506c was evaluated on the radiation dosimetry effect. The treatment couch equipped on the uRT-linac 506c accelerator was evaluated, and its effect on the attenuation, surface dose and dose buildup were measured for different phantom positions (offset = 0 cm, offset = + 10 cm and offset = − 10 cm, respectively) and different gantry angles. Since uRT-linac 506c is exclusively capable to provide diagnostic CT scanning data with real relative electron density (RED), this CT scanning data of the couch can be used directly in uRT-TPS to design plans. This scanned couch dataset was designated as the model A. The model B was a dummy structure of a treatment couch inserted with artificially preset RED. The dose calculation accuracy of these two models was compared using PB, CC, and MC on uRT-TPS. With the effect of carbon fiber couch, the surface dose was increased at least 97.94% for 25 × 25 cm2 field and 188.83% for 10 × 10 cm2 field, compared with those without. At different phantom positions (offset = 0, + 10, − 10 cm), the attenuation for 6 MV photon beam at gantry angle 180° were 4.4%, 4.4%, and 4.3%, respectively, and varied with changes of gantry angle. There do exists dose deviation between measurement and TPS calculation with the involvement of treatment couch, among the three algorithms, MC presented the least deviation, and the model A made less and steadier deviation than the model B, showing promising superiority. The attenuation, surface dose, and buildup effects of the carbon fiber couch in this study were measured similarly to most counterparts. The dose deviation calculated based on the couch dataset scanned by the diagnostic helical CT was smaller than those based on a dummy couch. This result suggests that an accelerator equipped with a diagnostic CT, which can help reduce the dose deviation of the carbon fiber couch, is a promising platform for online adaptive radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel 700 V triple REduced SURface Field (RESURF) lateral double-diffused MOSFETs (LDMOS) with a variable high-K (VHK) dielectric trench for smart power applications is proposed and studied by TCAD simulations. Compared with conventional triple RESURF (CTR) LDMOS, the new structure features a composite high-K (HK) dielectric trench embedded in the drain edge. First, a higher HK dielectric layer is in the upper trench to suppress the high electric field (E-field) under the drain by dielectric RESURF. Second, a lower HK dielectric is at the bottom of the trench to promote the depletion of the N-buffer layer and P-substrate, which increases the N-buffer doping concentration and thus reduces ON-resistance. The overall vertical bulk E-field distribution is modulated by the E-field peak generated at the position of varying K dielectric, which greatly improves breakdown voltage (BV). An analytical model of BV and vertical E-field taking account of the influence of the VHK dielectric trench is presented. Simulation results show that the proposed VHK TR LDMOS is able to obtain a 30.2% higher BV and a lower 15.4% RON,sp than the CTR LDMOS. Moreover, the figure of merit (BV2/RON,sp) of VHK TR LDMOS has doubled further breaking the lateral silicon limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing carbon nanotubes (CNTs)‐based materials are attracting great attention due to their fantastic properties and greater performance. Herein, a new CNTs network triggered by metal catalysts (e.g., Co, Ni, or Cu) is constructed on metal oxide (e.g., MnO) microparticles, giving rise to a high‐performance Co‐MnO@C‐CNTs anode in lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). An extremely high capacity of 1050 mAh g−1, extraordinary rate capacities over 10 A g−1, and a long lifespan over 500 cycles are demonstrated. The great features of Co‐MnO@C‐CNTs anode are further confirmed in LIBs when the nickel‐rich cathode (e.g., LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2) is used and charged at a high voltage over 4.5 V. A high‐capacity retention of 71.5% can be maintained at 1 C over 150 cycles. The superior performance relates to the CNTs network, which not only acts as an "expressway network" for fast ion/electron transportation but also buffers structural variation. Moreover, the metal nanoparticles can also enhance the electrical conductivity and catalyze the (de‐)lithiation of metal oxide, resulting in higher reversibility and long‐term cyclability. This study opens a new avenue to prepare CNTs‐based functional materials and also explores the potential applications of metal oxide‐based anode for high‐performance batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the Cauchy problem to Keller-Segel system, we show well-posedness and time-decay estimates in the critical scaling-invariant Besov spaces by using Littlewood-Paley analysis together with the decay estimates of heat kernels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical transmission nonreciprocity as a widely investigated phenomenon is essential to various applications. Many sophisticated mechanisms have been proposed and tested for achieving the optical nonreciprocity on integrated scale, but the technical barriers still exist to their practical implementation. To have an ultra-high transmission nonreciprocity, we consider a simple physical mechanism of optical gain saturation applied to a structure of three mutually coupled cavities or fiber rings. The gain saturation processes in two of its components creates a significantly enhanced optical nonreciprocity that satisfies the requirements for the realistic applications. The structure enjoys two advantages of its wide working bandwidth and the flexibility in choosing its components. Moreover, it is possible to apply the structure to a faithful and non-reciprocal transmission of broadband pulse signals. The structure may considerably relax the constraints on the integrated photonic circuits based on the current technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning-based crater detection algorithms have made remarkable progress in the fields of space science and engineering, establishing themselves as the leading solutions for Mars geology exploration. However, achieving outstanding performance with deep networks requires extensive annotated data, resulting in time-consuming and labor-intensive labeling processes. In response to this challenge, we propose a novel approach, the Cross-Attention-Induced Multilayer Domain Adaptation Network (CAMDA-Net), specifically designed for crater detection. CAMDA-Net leverages domain adaptation techniques to transfer valuable crater knowledge from the Moon to Mars, effectively bypassing the need for manual labeling. In our network, we integrate CenterNet*, an anchor-free detector, to expedite and enhance the accuracy of crater detection. Furthermore, we implement crater feature alignment through adversarial training at both the image and instance levels. The dual cross-attention mechanism at the image level directs the network's focus towards transferable crater features while suppressing noise effects. At the instance level, the foreground and background alignment model streamlines feature alignment and eliminates negative proposals. To assess the efficacy of our proposed method, we build the interplanetary domain-adaptive crater dataset (IDCD), which encompasses three subsets: the LRO WAC crater dataset, THEMIS crater dataset, and HiRIC crater dataset. This diverse dataset incorporates various shapes, lighting conditions, scales, and resolutions, making it an ideal resource for conducting transfer learning studies. We have made the IDCD publicly accessible on Github at https://github.com/PlanetaryScience3510. The experimental results on the IDCD subset from the LRO WAC to HiRIC demonstrate that our CAMDA-Net achieves precision and recall values of 0.77 and 0.79, respectively, slightly surpassing classic domain-adaptive detectors, DAF and SCDA. With encouraging performance, CAMDA-Net shows great promise for advancing crater detection and analysis on Mars, presenting exciting possibilities for future research and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]