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Thunderstorm gusts are a common form of severe convective weather in the warm season in North China, and it is of great importance to correctly forecast them. At present, the forecasting of thunderstorm gusts is mainly based on traditional subjective methods, which fails to achieve high-resolution and high-frequency gridded forecasts based on multiple observation sources. In this paper, we propose a deep learning method called Thunderstorm Gusts TransU-net (TG-TransUnet) to forecast thunderstorm gusts in North China based on multi-source gridded product data from the Institute of Urban Meteorology (IUM) with a lead time of 1 to 6 h. To determine the specific range of thunderstorm gusts, we combine three meteorological variables: radar reflectivity factor, lightning location, and 1-h maximum instantaneous wind speed from automatic weather stations (AWSs), and obtain a reasonable ground truth of thunderstorm gusts. Then, we transform the forecasting problem into an image-to-image problem in deep learning under the TG-TransUnet architecture, which is based on convolutional neural networks and a transformer. The analysis and forecast data of the enriched multi-source gridded comprehensive forecasting system for the period 2021–23 are then used as training, validation, and testing datasets. Finally, the performance of TG-TransUnet is compared with other methods. The results show that TG-TransUnet has the best prediction results at 1–6 h. The IUM is currently using this model to support the forecasting of thunderstorm gusts in North China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: An asymmetric synthesis of dihydrospirotryprostatin B was achieved in 15 steps (8 purifications) from L‐tryptophan. The main feature of our synthetic strategy is the efficient construction of spirocyclic oxindole intermediate containing a chiral quaternary carbon center, involving the silica gel‐mediated cyclization of tryptamine‐ynamide and oxidation under neat conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous zinc metal batteries are regarded as one of the most promising alternatives to lithium–ion batteries for large‐scale energy storage due to the abundant zinc resources, high safety, and low cost. Herein, an ionic self‐concentrated electrolyte (ISCE) is proposed to enable uniform Zn deposition and reversible reaction of MnO2 cathode. Benefitting from the compatibility of ISCE with electrodes and its adsorption on the electrode surface for guidance, the Zn/Zn symmetrical batteries exhibit the long‐life cycle stability with more than 5000 and 1500 h at 0.2 and 5 mA cm−2, respectively. The Zn/MnO2 battery also exhibits a high capacity of 351 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and can enable a stability over 2000 cycles at 1 A g−1. This work provides a new insight into electrolyte design for stable aqueous Zn–MnO2 battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of first principles, the effect of sulfur (S) defects on the photoelectric and magnetic properties of transition metal, alkali metal, and rare earth element doped CrS2 systems is studied. The modification of certain atoms reduces the formation energy of the CrS2 system under S vacancy defects (VS), resulting in a more stable defect structure. Studies of the electronic structure of monolayer CrS2 reveal that it possesses magnetic metal properties. By substituting Cr atoms, the transition metal (TM) is incorporated into the system, and magnetic modulation is achieved. Magnetic semi-metallic properties are exhibited by both the VS-deficient system and the mixed system of VS-deficient monolayer CrS2 doped with Mn, V, and Fe atoms, respectively. The bandgap is effectively opened for the Ni-doped VS hybrid system, and the system exhibits magnetic semiconductor properties. The optical properties demonstrate that the optical response range of La-doped materials has been significantly expanded and can be employed effectively in both the infrared and visible spectra. In varying degrees, the dopant atoms enhanced the optical properties of the VS system in the infrared light spectrum. The aforementioned findings open up new avenues for the design and experimental investigation of this material, in particular, optoelectronic materials and spin devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: In this paper, we systematically studied the effects of non-metallic element (B, C, N, O, F) doping and biaxial stretching on the photoelectric properties of ZrS2/ZrSe2 heterostructures by using the first-principles calculation method based on density functional theory. The results show that the p-type doping is realized by B, C, and N atom doping, and the n-type doping is realized by O and F atom doping. The doping of B and C atoms produces impurity energy levels in the band gap, which affects the conductivity of the heterostructure. The band gap of N and O atom–doped heterostructures increases under tensile strain, but it is still a direct band gap. The analysis of the optical properties of the heterostructures shows that the doping of non-metallic atoms can adjust the optical absorption rate and reflectivity of the heterostructures. Under the action of tensile strain, the optical properties of the doped heterostructures have changed significantly in the low-energy region. This article provides a theoretical basis for the future application of ZrS2/ZrSe2 heterostructures. Method: This paper uses the first-principles calculation method based on density functional theory. The PBE exchange-correlation functional based on generalized gradient approximation (GGA) is selected for the specific calculation, and the crystal structure is geometrically optimized by the ultrasoft pseudopotential method. It is verified that when the cutoff energy of the ZrS2/ZrSe2 heterostructure is 500 eV, the K-point grid is selected to be 10 × 10 × 2 with the lowest energy, so the cutoff energy is selected to be 500 eV. The K-point grid is selected to be 10 × 10 × 2. The convergence limits for structural optimization are as follows: the maximum force between atoms is 0.01 eV/Å, the convergence threshold of the maximum energy change is set to 10−9 eV/atom, and the convergence threshold of the maximum displacement is 0.001 Å. In order to avoid the influence of atomic periodic motion between different atomic layers, a vacuum layer of 20 Å is added in the vertical direction. Considering the interaction of vdW between the interfaces, the DFT-D2 method is used to verify. The optical properties were calculated by the random phase approximation method, and the K-point grid was selected as 12 × 12 × 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While game‐based language learning (GBLL) in K‐12 education has received considerable attention, little is still known about its state‐of‐the‐art research trends over the last decade, necessitating a systematic review on its theoretical frameworks, instructional activities and research findings. Objectives: To fill the gap, drawing on the revised technology‐based learning model, this study aims to conduct a systematic review on the trends of GBLL for K‐12 education in terms of theoretical frameworks, participants, methodology, game genres, instructional activities and application effectiveness. Methods: Based on the proposed criteria, 83 Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) articles pertaining to GBLL in K‐12 education published during 2009–2022 were finalised for data analysis. Results and conclusions: The results showed that (1) most GBLL studies adopted cognitive and social frameworks, including flow theory, situated learning and socio‐cultural theory; (2) the most common participants were primary school students, and the most common languages were English as a foreign language (EFL) learning; (3) quantitative methods were frequently adopted, with a particular eye on tests, questionnaires and experimental design; (4) the most common game genre was tutorial games; (5) pre‐game instructional activities, such as gameplay training and lecture, were mostly implemented in K‐12 contexts; (6) benefits such as enhancing four language skills and communicative competence and improving learners' attitudes were reported. However, according to the results, technical issues, unhelpful partners, difficult learning tasks and high cognitive load were the most frequently reported drawbacks. Implications: Pedagogical implications for teachers, designers and researchers in GBLL were referred from the results of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on three large ensemble (LE) historical simulations, this study explored the contribution of low‐frequency internal variability (IV) modes to global mean sea surface temperature anomaly (GmSST) during 1920–2010. The dominant contributions of low‐frequency IV modes to GmSST in the three large ensembles are quite different. The low‐frequency IV modes in the Indo‐Pacific Ocean (i.e., IPO and IOBW) dominate the low‐frequency GmSST signal for the CESM2 and MPI LEs (the ensemble median contribution value reaches 70%–80%), while the low‐frequency IV modes in the North Atlantic dominate for the FGOALS‐g3 LE (contribute more than 50%). CESM2 LE and MPI LE can reasonably reproduce the impact of low‐frequency modes in the Indo‐Pacific ocean as observed, but FGOALS‐g3 LE underestimates this impact and overestimates the extratropical impact (on GmSST) of the North Atlantic. After removing the external forcing, it still retains the excessive signs in low‐frequency IV modes in FGOALS‐g3 LE over the North Atlantic. Furthermore, we used a pattern adjustment approach to revise the surplus effect in the North Atlantic. After revision, the contribution of decadal IVs in the North Atlantic to GmSST is reduced by 30%. Meanwhile, the tropical contribution in the Indo‐Pacific Ocean is increased and that is closer to the observed one. This approach can be employed to revise the weak or strong IV signals in other regions or LEs, which is meaningful for reducing the uncertainty of IV signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medullary Carcinoma of the Colon (MCC) is a rare histological subtype of colon cancer, and there is currently no recognized optimal treatment plan for it, with its prognosis remaining unclear. The aim of this study is to analyze the independent prognostic factors for MCC patients and develop and validate nomograms to predict overall survival (OS). A total of 760 patients newly diagnosed with MCC from 2004 to 2020 were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. All patients were randomly allocated to a training group and a validation group in a 7:3 ratio. Univariate and multivariable Cox regression analyses were conducted to identify prognostic factors and construct nomograms. The nomogram prediction model was evaluated and validated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). The study found that elderly women are more susceptible to MCC, and the ascending colon and cecum are the most common sites of involvement. MCC is poorly differentiated, with stages II and III being the most common. Surgery is the primary treatment for MCC. The prognosis for patients with stage IV MCC is poor, with a median survival time of only 10 months. Independent prognostic factors for MCC include age, N stage, M stage, surgery, chemotherapy, and tumor size. Among them, age < 75 years and completion of chemotherapy were protective factors for colon medullary carcinoma, while N2 (HR = 2.18, 95%CI 1.40–3.38), M1 (HR = 3.31, 95%CI 2.01–5.46), no surgery (HR = 27.94, 95%CI 3.69–211.75), and tumor diameter > 7 cm (HR = 1.66, 95%CI 1.20–2.30) were risk factors for colon medullary carcinoma. The results of ROC, AUC, calibration curves, and DCA demonstrate that the nomogram prediction model exhibits good predictive performance. We have updated the demographic characteristics of colon medullary carcinoma and identified age, N staging, M staging, surgery, chemotherapy and tumor size as independent prognostic factors for colon medullary carcinoma. Additionally, we have established nomograms for prognostic prediction. These nomograms can provide personalized predictions and serve as valuable references for clinical decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a promising technique for sensitive detection. The design and optimization of plasma-enhanced structures for SERS applications is an interesting challenge. In this study, we found that the SERS activity of MXene (Ti3C2Tx) can be improved by adding Au nanoparticles (NPs) in a simple photoreduction process. Fluoride-salt-etched MXene was deposited by drop-casting on a glass slide, and Au NPs were formed by the photocatalytic growth of gold(III) chloride trihydrate solutions under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The Au–MXene substrate formed by Au NPs anchored on the Ti3C2Tx sheet produced significant SERS through the synergistic effect of chemical and electromagnetic mechanisms. The structure and size of the Au-decorated MXene depended on the reaction time. When the MXene films were irradiated with a large number of UV photons, the size of the Au NPs increased. Hot spots were formed in the nanoscale gaps between the Au NPs, and the abundant surface functional groups of the MXene effectively adsorbed and interacted with the probe molecules. Simultaneously, as a SERS substrate, the proposed Au–MXene composite exhibited a wider linear range of 10−4–10−9 mol/L for detecting carbendazim. In addition, the enhancement factor of the optimized SERS substrate Au–MXene was 1.39 × 106, and its relative standard deviation was less than 13%. This study provides a new concept for extending experimental strategies to further improve the performance of SERS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous Zn‐ion batteries with mild acidic electrolytes are considered the promising energy storage solutions due to their outstanding merits of high energy density and cost‐effectiveness. However, the rampant dendrite growth and severe parasitic reactions caused by a series of factors such as irregular Zn2+ transport pathway and pH variation would result in poor cycling stability. Herein, a self‐regulated interface strategy implemented by ammonium persulfate ((NH4)2S2O8, denoted as APS) multifunctional additive is proposed to simultaneously address the above issues. The zincophilic NH4+ preferentially adsorbs on the Zn protuberance to exclude water molecules and shield the "tip effect," thus inhibiting side‐reactions and inducing uniform Zn deposition. Moreover, NH4+ and S2O82− can dynamically adjust H+ and OH− concentrations in a pH self‐buffer manner, thus effectively mitigating hydrogen evolution reaction and formation of by‐products. Consequently, with the existence of APS additive, Zn anode exhibits ultrahigh coulombic efficiency (CE) of 99.9% over 9000 cycles and ultra‐long lifespan of 4300 h at 5 mA cm−2. Furthermore, even under high NH4V4O10 mass loading (9.4 mg cm−2) and thin zinc foil (10 µm), the assembled NH4V4O10//Zn pouch cell with APS additive can still maintain stably over 210 cycles, demonstrating its excellent value for application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannabis use may be a modifiable risk factor for mental health problems; however, the role of cannabis use frequency in population seeking mental health and addiction services remains unclear. This study aimed to: 1) compare the prevalence and functional impact of psychiatric symptoms among frequent, infrequent, and non-users of cannabis; and 2) evaluate the associations between cannabis use frequency and functional impact of psychiatric symptoms in help-seeking individuals. Data from the Mental Health and Addictions (MHA) Central Intake system in Nova Scotia, Canada was used. Participants aged 19–64 who received MHA Intake assessments from September 2019 to December 2021 with complete information about substance use were included (N = 20,611). Cannabis use frequency over past 30 days was categorized into frequent (>4 times a month), infrequent (≤4 times a month), and non-use. Psychiatric symptomatology consists of five domains: mood, anxiety, psychosis, cognition, and externalizing behaviors. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression was used to examine the associations between cannabis use frequency and functional impact of psychiatric symptoms. Frequent and infrequent cannabis users had a higher prevalence of psychiatric symptoms in each domain than non-users, while no significant differences were found between frequent and infrequent users. Frequent cannabis use was associated with greater functional impact of psychiatric symptoms in each domain compared to non-users, while infrequent use was only associated with greater functional impact of externalizing behaviors. Frequent cannabis use is associated with increased prevalence and functional impact of psychiatric symptoms among adults seeking mental health services. • The association between frequency of cannabis use with different psychiatric symptom domains is not well understood. • Studies of people with mental health needs can provide evidence to regulate harmful cannabis misuse. • Frequent cannabis use was associated with greater functional impact of each psychiatric domain compared to non-users. • Infrequent cannabis use was associated with greater functional impact of externalizing behaviors compared to non-users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new layered metal sulfide, namely (C6H15N3)1.3(NH4)1.5H1.5In3SnS8 (1, C6H15N3 = N-(2-aminoethyl) piperazine), has been solvothermally synthesized and characterized. Compound 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c. Its structure features a two-dimensional layer of {In3SnS8}n3n− with the (4,4) topology net, which is formed by interlinking supertetrahedral T2 clusters as secondary building units. Band structure calculations revealed that 1 had a band gap of 2.7 eV. The photoelectric response of 1 showed steady and reversible on/off cycles with an "on" state of 121.13 nA cm−2. Moreover, the activation of 1 by replacing the sluggish organic cations with harder K+ ions endowed the material with improved adsorption performances for Sr2+ ions from aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) with bright emission and unique chemical reactivity characters have been widely applied for optical sensing and imaging. With a combination of surface modifications, effective therapeutic treatments of tumors are realized. In this review, we summarize the recently adopted biosensing and therapy events based on Au NCs. Homogeneous and fluorometric biosensing systems toward various targets, including ions, small molecules, reactive oxygen species, biomacromolecules, cancer cells, and bacteria, in vitro and in vivo, are presented by turn-off, turn-on, and ratiometric tactics. The therapy applications are concluded in three aspects: photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, and as a drug carrier. The basic mechanisms and performances of these systems are introduced. Finally, this review highlights the challenges and future trend of Au NC-based biosensing and therapy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While previous work on the climatology of Northern China has focused on mean wind speed, wind gusts have received comparatively less attention but are equally important to various users. In this paper, an observed hourly maximum gust wind speeds (HMGS) dataset across North China has been created by using time series from 174 meteorological stations. The dataset offers superior quality, high spatiotemporal near-surface HMGS series for North China spanning from 2015 to 2022. The objective of this study is first to improve our understanding of the spatiotemporal gusts climatology in North China by analyzing the observed gust data. Second, we aim to supplement the observational data by using gust analysis and forecast data with a high spatial–temporal resolution from model simulations. The spatial characteristics of the seasonal cycle of the simulated analysis of mean HMGS and the performance in predicting gusts based on the geographical locations and elevations of the validation stations were investigated by comparing it with the observations. Results indicate the following: 1) Wind direction and intensity are affected by the terrain and climate conditions of different weather stations. Stations situated along the Bohai Bay coastal region and at higher-elevation areas of North China exhibit a higher mean HMGS than those located in the coastal and inland plains. 2) The probability density function curves for wind speed and wind direction exhibit notable variations across different elevation intervals. The contribution of moderate and strong gust wind speeds increases gradually with increasing altitude, while the gust directions in mountainous areas exhibit relatively consistent patterns due to the increased exposure to synoptic-scale forcing at higher elevations. 3) The nowcasting prediction system analysis of mean HMGS provides a higher horizontal resolution that is capable of capturing the contrasts between land and sea, as well as the influence of high HMGS associated with large-scale circulations in high-elevation regions. Significance Statement: The purpose of this study is to better understand the spatiotemporal gust climatology in North China and the performance of the model-simulated gust analysis and forecast data. This is important because gusts conditions differ due to varying topographic and climatic conditions of different weather stations. Our results provide a valuable insight into the climatological variations of HMGS, their drivers, and identify the deficiencies in the model-simulation gusts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influences of varying dosages of C-S-H seeding on the properties of cement were assessed through a variety of methodologies. Calorimetry results revealed that the presence of C-S-H seeding notably reduces the induction period and enhances the total heat release during the initial days of cement hydration. All of the systems studied followed similar hydration kinetics, encompassing nucleation and growth (NG), phase boundary reaction (I) and diffusion (D). As the dosage of C-S-H seeding increased, there was a quicker transition from NG to I to D. XRD-Rietveld analysis indicated that seeding markedly improves alite and C3A dissolution in the early stages of hydration, ultimately leading to the expeditious precipitation of portlandite (CH) and ettringite. Nonetheless, at later hydration stages, higher dosage of C-S-H seeding compromises the alite reaction, resulting in a decreased amount of portlandite in the system. The CH obtained by thermogravimetry exhibited a similar trend to XRD-Rietveld, signifying their reliability in measuring portlandite content in the hydrated cement paste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a first-principles study of the stability, electronic structure, and magnetic and optical properties of transition metal (TM)-doped monolayer TiS2 systems has been carried out based on the GGA + U methodology under density functional theory. Formation energies, binding energies, phonon spectra, and molecular dynamics calculations indicate the stability of the systems. The Mn-, Fe-, and Co-doped systems exhibit magnetic narrow-band semiconductor properties, with Mn doping inducing the most sizable net magnetic moments. The V- and Mo-doped systems demonstrate magnetic-metallic properties, and incorporating Nb, Ta, and W gives the monolayer TiS2 system semi-metallic properties. The absorption band edges of the doped systems are all redshifted, in which V and Mo doping produces strong orbital hybridization at the Fermi energy level, generates new dielectric peaks in the low-energy region, and extends the absorption range of infrared light, which significantly enhances the optical response of the system. This study provides a theoretical reference for the application of monolayer TiS2 in nanospin and optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semicontinuous outcomes commonly arise in a wide variety of fields, such as insurance claims, healthcare expenditures, rainfall amounts, and alcohol consumption. Regression models, including Tobit, Tweedie, and two-part models, are widely employed to understand the relationship between semicontinuous outcomes and covariates. Given the potential detrimental consequences of model misspecification, after fitting a regression model, it is of prime importance to check the adequacy of the model. However, due to the point mass at zero, standard diagnostic tools for regression models (eg, deviance and Pearson residuals) are not informative for semicontinuous data. To bridge this gap, we propose a new type of residuals for semicontinuous outcomes that is applicable to general regression models. Under the correctly specified model, the proposed residuals converge to being uniformly distributed, and when the model is misspecified, they significantly depart from this pattern. In addition to in-sample validation, the proposed methodology can also be employed to evaluate predictive distributions. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed tool using health expenditure data from the US Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyoxometalate‐based frameworks, as a kind of material constructed by polyoxometalates (POMs), metal ions or clusters, organic ligands, are combined both the advantages of oxygen‐rich POMs and porous metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) within one single system. This integration greatly expands their potential applications compared to the individual POMs or MOFs. Particularly for photocatalysis, the narrow light absorption range of the typical POMs units in the ultraviolet region hinders their extensive uses as visible‐light‐driven photocatalysts. However, the incorporation of photoactive units into POMs‐based frameworks can be considered as an effective approach to overcome this limitation. In this paper, we review selected examples of recent progress based on the POM‐based frameworks along with their construction strategies and applications in various areas of photocatalysis, mainly including water splitting, CO2 reduction, organic synthesis and also the selective coupling reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the effects of transition metal doping on the electronic structure of monolayer NbS2 were studied through the first principles. The electronic structure changes caused by doping transition metal (TM) atoms were recorded, including the energy band, the density of states, binding energy, and optical properties. Studies show that all doping systems are metal. Still, under strain regulation, some doping systems offer an indirect bandgap; NbS2 transforms into a narrow bandgap diluted semiconductor and can improve the activity. Doping atoms lead to n (p) type doping in NbS2. Regarding optical properties, IVB group metals are selected as the typical dopant of three periods. Composite NbS2 has excellent reflector characteristics and can be applied to infrared and ultraviolet regions. The spectral response and electromagnetic wave absorption range of low-energy areas are also improved. This study effectively solves the problem of impurity states introduced by doping and provides a solution for the doping modification of monolayer NbS2, which will lay a foundation for nanoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excellent semiconductors and novel optical properties are the first criteria for nanomaterial technology. In this paper, the S-atom defect is applied to 1T-NbS2 for the first time, and doping atoms are introduced. The concentration of doping atoms is 3.84% and 4% under the two types of defects. Finally, the metallic properties of NbS2 were weakened successfully, and the highest indirect band gap of 0.27 eV was induced, which gradually transformed into a brand-new semiconductor material. In addition, partially composite systems exhibit excellent electromagnetic storage, polarizability, and infrared light absorption, showing high reflectivity in the visible and low-frequency UV regions, which can be used to make blackout lenses and reflective coatings. Cd composite systems can be used as a new type of conducting semiconductor for all kinds of equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation Emerging omics technologies have introduced a two-way grouping structure in multiple testing, as seen in single-cell omics data, where the features can be grouped by either genes or cell types. Traditional multiple testing methods have limited ability to exploit such two-way grouping structure, leading to potential power loss. Results We propose a new 2D Group Benjamini–Hochberg (2dGBH) procedure to harness the two-way grouping structure in omics data, extending the traditional one-way adaptive GBH procedure. Using both simulated and real datasets, we show that 2dGBH effectively controls the false discovery rate across biologically relevant settings, and it is more powerful than the BH or q -value procedure and more robust than the one-way adaptive GBH procedure. Availability and implementation 2dGBH is available as an R package at: https://github.com/chloelulu/tdGBH. The analysis code and data are available at: https://github.com/chloelulu/tdGBH-paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment aimed to assess the uncertainty of the determination of diazepam content in fishing baits by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. By establishing a mathematical model and analyzing uncertainties from different sources, the experiment evaluated various uncertainty components. The results showed that the relative standard uncertainty of the measurement results was 4.55%, and the relative expanded uncertainty was 9.10%. The diazepam content in the sample should be expressed as (2.3.821±2.168) µg/kg (K=2). The study indicates that the measurement uncertainty of diazepam content in fishing baits is mainly attributed to the repeated measurements of the sample, the preparation of standard solution, and the weighing of the sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing novel catalysts with excellent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity is crucial for expediting current research on solar-chemical energy conversion. In the present study, unique Sn3O4/CdS composites were carefully designed and prepared using a facile hydrothermal method to achieve outstanding photocatalytic H2 production activity. Various techniques were employed to determine the crystalline structure, chemical composition, microstructure, and optical and electrochemical characteristics of the prepared samples. The experimental results indicate that zero-dimensional (0D) CdS quantum dots were tightly attached to the surface of three-dimensional (3D) Sn3O4 nanoflowers. Furthermore, enhanced light-absorbing capacity and accelerated electron–hole separation and transfer were achieved after incorporating CdS quantum dots into Sn3O4 nanoflowers. The generation rate of hydrogen using the optimal sample (Sn3O4/CdS QDs-2) was about 20.74 μmol g−1 h−1, which was 2.86 and 3.16 times those of pure Sn3O4 and CdS, respectively. In addition, the possible photocatalytic H2 production mechanism of Sn3O4/CdS nanocomposites was also revealed. This work is highly desirable to provide valuable inspiration for rational design and preparation of efficient photocatalysts for H2 evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe assessment of regression models with discrete outcomes is challenging and has many fundamental issues. With discrete outcomes, standard regression model assessment tools such as Pearson and deviance residuals do not follow the conventional reference distribution (normal) under the true model, calling into question the legitimacy of model assessment based on these tools. To fill this gap, we construct a new type of residuals for regression models with general discrete outcomes, including ordinal and count outcomes. The proposed residuals are based on two layers of probability integral transformation. When at least one continuous covariate is available, the proposed residuals closely follow a uniform distribution (or a normal distribution after transformation) under the correctly specified model. One can construct visualizations such as QQ plots to check the overall fit of a model straightforwardly, and the shape of QQ plots can further help identify possible causes of misspecification such as overdispersion. We provide theoretical justification for the proposed residuals by establishing their asymptotic properties. Moreover, in order to assess the mean structure and identify potential covariates, we develop an ordered curve as a supplementary tool, which is based on the comparison between the partial sum of outcomes and of fitted means. Through simulation, we demonstrate empirically that the proposed tools outperform commonly used residuals for various model assessment tasks. We also illustrate the workflow of model assessment using the proposed tools in data analysis. Supplementary materials for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on addressing the "last 100 metres" home delivery in rural areas, using a cooperated delivery method of drones and truck. Considering the constraints of drone load, drone energy consumption and customer time window, a mixed integer linear programming model is established to minimize the delivery cost. Owing to the computational complexity of this problem, a double ant colony optimization with neighbourhood search is proposed. First, the raw data are sorted and encoded. Second, the ant colony optimization with search operators is used to solve drone routes and truck route. Finally, the local search algorithm with search operators is used to solve the connection point between the drones and truck to obtain the cooperated delivery routes. Extensive experiments are conducted on the instances randomly generated in the Solomon dataset, and results demonstrate the proposed algorithm effectively solves problems within reasonable runtimes. Sensitivity analysis is conducted on factors that may affect the delivery cost of the solution and provide insights about drones participating in the "last hundred metres" home delivery service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Relationship between surface antigen differentiation cluster 274 (CD274) gene polymorphism and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) risk is limited. This study aims to discuss whether in a Chinese Han population, CD274 gene polymorphisms may relate to SLE susceptibility. Methods: Three hundred and ten SLE patients and 390 healthy controls were included in this case–control study. Using the Kompetitive Allele‐Specific PCR (KASP) approach, five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including rs2890658, rs4143815, rs822339, rs2282055, and rs2297137, were genotyped for CD274 gene polymorphisms. Correlation between the polymorphisms and clinical, laboratory features in SLE patients were discussed. Results: Frequency of C allele was substantially lower in SLE patients than in healthy controls (p =.015), and CC genotype was significantly negatively related to developing SLE at locus rs4143815 (p =.013). At locus rs822339, frequency of GA genotype was higher than that of the healthy controls (p =.006). At locus rs2282055, frequency of GG genotype was lower than that of healthy controls (p =.024). According to subgroup analysis, the CD274 gene polymorphisms rs2890658, rs4143815, rs822339, rs2282055, and rs2297137 were partly linked to some clinical symptoms of SLE patients, such as Complement 4 (C4), C‐reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Conclusion: CD274 gene polymorphisms may be susceptible to SLE in the Chinese Han people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency of tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cells, the selective emitter structure was prepared by boron diffusion and laser doping. The effects of sheet resistance of boron diffusion, power output ratio of laser and oxidation time on the passivation of the emitter were studied. The experimental results show that when the sheet resistance is 140 Ω/❏, the oxidation temperature is 1 020 °C, and the oxidation time is 30 min, the sheet resistance of light doping region (p+) reaches 320 Ω/❏, the corresponding implied open circuit voltage reaches 729 mV, and the dark saturation current density is 12 fA/ cm². The sheet resistance of heavily doping region (p++) reaches 113 Ω/❏, the corresponding implied open circuit voltage reaches 710 mV, and the dark saturation current density is 26 fA/ cm². Based on the selective emitter process, the highest conversion efficiency of 24. 75% was obtained with an open circuit voltage of 720 mV, and a short-circuit current improvement of 30 mA, leading to an absolute efficiency gain of 0. 26 percent point for the champion conversion efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the impact of the digital economy on industrial structure upgrading, this paper constructs the dynamic spatial Durbin model, dynamic spatial intermediary model, and spatial threshold model based on the panel data of 155 prefecturelevel cities in China from 2011 to 2021. It is found that: (a) the improvement of the digital economy in the region can directly promote the upgrading of local industrial structure, but there is a significant "siphon effect," which makes the spatial spillover effect negative and significant. (b) The digital transformation of enterprises plays a mediating role in the path of digital economy-driven industrial structure upgrading, with a short-term mediating effect size of about 17.18%. (c) The digital economy has a threshold effect on the path of enterprise digital transformation for industrial structure upgrading. These findings provide suggestions for policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite numerous studies on auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) in insomnia disorder (ID), the results are inconsistent across different ERP components (e.g. N1, P2, P3, and N350), types of auditory stimuli (e.g. standard and deviant), and stages of sleep (e.g. wakefulness, NREM sleep, and REM sleep). In light of this variability, we conducted a systematic meta-analysis of previous auditory ERP studies in ID to provide a quantitative review of the existing literature. Relevant literatures were searched on the Embase, PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library. A total of 12 studies comprising 497 participants were finally included in this meta-analysis. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO under the registration number CRD42022308348. We found that patients with ID have significantly decreased N1 (Hedges' g = 0.34, 95%CI [0.04, 0.65]) and P3 (Hedges'g = −1.21, 95%CI [−2.37, −0.06]) amplitudes during wakefulness. In addition, decreases in P2 (Hedges'g = −0.57, 95%CI [−0.96, −0.17]) amplitude during wakefulness and N350 (Hedges' g = 0.73, 95%CI [0.36, 1.09]) amplitude during NREM. This meta-analysis represents the first systematic investigation of ERP features across different stages of sleep in individuals with ID. Our results suggest that in patients with insomnia, the absence or deficiency of arousal inhibition during the nighttime sleep initiation or maintenance process may interfere with the normal process of sleep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated cellular immune responses induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines in an immunized population based on HLA-E-restricted CD8+ T cell epitope identification. HLA-E-restricted SARS-CoV-2 CD8+ T cell nonamer peptides were predicted with software. An HLA-E-transfected K562 cell binding assay was used to screen for high-affinity peptides. IFN-γ enzyme-linked immunospot assays were used to identify HLA-E-restricted epitopes. An HLA-E/epitope tetramer was employed to detect the frequencies of epitope-specific CD8+ T cells. Four CD8+ T cell epitopes on the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 restricted by both HLA-E*0101 and E*0103 were identified. HLA-E-restricted epitope-specific IFN-γ-secreting CD8+ T cell responses could be detected in individuals vaccinated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Importantly, the frequencies of epitope-specific CD8+ T cells in Ad5-nCoV vaccinated individuals were higher than in individuals vaccinated with recombinant protein or inactivated vaccines. Moreover, the frequencies of epitope-specific CD8+ T cells could be maintained for at least 120 days after only one dose of Ad5-nCoV vaccine, while the frequencies of epitope-specific CD8+ T cells decreased in individuals after two doses of Ad5-nCoV vaccine. These findings may contribute to a more comprehensive evaluation of the protective effects of vaccines for SARS-CoV-2; meanwhile, they may provide information to characterize HLA-E-restricted CD8+ T cell immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Two-dimensional semiconductor materials have received much attention in recent years due to their wide variety of applications in the field of nano-optoelectronic devices. In this project, we applied stresses ranging from −6 to +6% to the ZrSe2/HfSe2 heterostructure and systematically investigated its electrical and optical properties. It is discovered that stress can effectively modulate the forbidden bandwidth of the ZrSe2/HfSe2 heterojunction; whereas, under compressive stress, the forbidden bandwidth of the material decreases further until the bandgap is zero, leading to the material's transformation from semiconductor to metal. The forbidden band gap of the ZrSe2/HfSe2 heterojunction increases with increasing horizontal biaxial tensile strain. We discovered that the light absorption performance of this heterostructure is significantly better than that of its similar monomolecular layer and that its light absorption intensity can reach an order of magnitude of 104. Under compressive and tensile stresses, the ZrSe2/HfSe2 heterojunctions exhibit different degrees of red or blue shift. The results indicate that constructing ZrSe2/HfSe2 heterojunctions and applying horizontal biaxial stresses to them can significantly modulate the optoelectronic properties of the materials. ZrSe2/HfSe2 heterojunction is a new type of high-performance photogenerated carrier transport device with a wide range of applications. Methods: The calculations in this study are carried out the first principles approach of density functional theory, as implemented in the CASTEP module of Materials-Studio2019. The researchers used an ultrasoft reaction potential to calculate the interactions between the ion core and the electrons and applied the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) and the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) to perform the calculations. The Monkhorst-Pack technique was employed to create the k-point samples utilized for integration on the Brillouin zone, and the k-point grid was uniformly 6 × 6 × 1. In addition, in order to avoid interactions between the atomic layers affecting the properties and stability of the material, such interactions were prevented by adding a 30 Å vacuum layer. Using a plane-wave energy cutoff of 500 eV and the convergence accuracy of the iterative process was set to 1 × 10−5 eV to ensure the accuracy of the computational results, and in addition. The maximum stress in the lattice was limited to less than 0.05 GPa or the interaction force between neighboring atoms was lower than 0.03 eV/Å. For the calculation of the properties of the optical properties, a k-point grid of 18 × 18 × 1 is used for optimization, and the polarization direction of the material is not taken into account, considering that the material is isotropic. This study proposes to apply the Tkatchenko-Scheffler (TS) dispersion correction method in DFT-D to appropriately represent the interlayer van der Waals interaction forces to solve inaccuracies in the computation of van der Waals interactions via density functional theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrolysis hydrogen generation from Mg-based alloys is considered as a potential energy carrier for global low-carbon and growing energy challenges. At present, it is a key problem to explore an efficient modification method for Mg-based alloys to obtain rapid initial hydrolysis kinetics and high H 2 yield in short time. In this work, carbon-based isomeric catalysts were creatively employed to activate Mg10Ni10Ce alloy. Based on the rapid initial hydrolysis kinetics, the effects of carbon nanostructured catalysts on the hydrogen production of Mg10Ni10Ce were studied. Herein, the catalytically modified Mg10Ni10Ce samples with point-like carbon black (SP), one-dimensional tubular carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and two-dimensional layered graphite (GP) are simply prepared by short-time high-energy ball milling process. Due to the significant structural characteristics, the catalytically modified Mg10Ni10Ce samples have higher H 2 yields at the initial hydrolysis stage, Mg10Ni10Ce-SP, Mg10Ni10Ce-CNTs and Mg10Ni10Ce-GP samples are 17.3%, 25.2% and 36.2% at 313 K for 30 s, which are higher than that of Mg10Ni10Ce (10.4%). The above work provides an effective strategy for hydrogen production by modifying Mg-based alloys with nanostructured catalysts, and lays a foundation for the application of portable hydrogen production devices. • Carbon-based isomerism catalysts are introduced into the Mg10Ni10Ce alloy. • The catalyzed alloy surface is destroyed and transmission channels are generated. • Mg10Ni10Ce-GP generates 36.2% H 2 yield for 30 s at 313 K in initial stage. • Suitable nucleation rate and growth of Mg(OH) 2 are prerequisite for high H 2 yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonlinear grey Bernoulli model is a powerful tool for modelling and forecasting time series exhibiting a rough inverted U-shape behaviour. Traditionally, it is considered an indirect dynamical model, informed by empirical knowledge that the accumulation of the inverted U-shape series leads to a growth behaviour, which is subsequently characterized by the Bernoulli ordinary differential equation (ODE). However, its mechanism remains incomplete, particularly concerning the modelling paradigm and parameter estimation. To this end, we propose an equivalent and simplified variant in the form of an integro-differential equation (IDE), enabling direct modelling of the inverted U-shaped series and thereby enhancing the interpretability. By taking the IDE as a state equation in the state space framework, separable nonlinear least squares (SLS) and nonlinear least squares (NLS) are respectively formulated to simultaneously estimate structural parameters and the initial condition. Then, by combining the state equation (ODE/IDE) and parameter estimation approach (SLS/NLS), the generated ODE-based indirect paradigms are comprehensively compared with the IDE-based direct ones. Numerical simulations show that (i) IDE-based models outperform ODE-based ones and (ii) NLS outperforms SLS. Real-world applications indicate that the nonlinear grey Bernoulli model combining IDE and NLS can accurately discover the underlying dynamics of daily traffic flow, outperforming the competitive models. • Propose an IDE-based nonlinear grey Bernoulli model. • NLS and SLS are respectively formulated to estimate parameters. • Four generated modelling paradigms are compared comprehensively. • The IDE-based model accurately identifies the patterns of daily traffic flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nickel-PEG-thiourea and iron oleate in wax oil constituted a Ni-Fe microemulsion. • Ni 10 Fe 1 catalyst exhibited even better performance than Ni catalyst. • Iron components participated in the generation of ternary sulfides. • Changes of solid residues revealed the role of catalyst in hydrogenolysis of straw. Developing cost-effective dispersed catalysts is a crucial approach for the hydro-upgrading of biomass to produce high-value biofuels and chemicals. Herein, we designed a novel Ni-Fe microemulsion catalyst, with nickel and iron sources dispersed in polyethylene glycol-thiourea and wax oil respectively, facilitating the convenient formation of ternary sulfide without relying heavily on expensive organic ligands. Among the catalysts tested, the Ni 10 Fe 1 catalyst exhibited the highest performance in the hydrogenolysis of wheat straw and heavy residue, outperforming the Ni catalyst. Incorporating of a slight amount of organic irons successfully enhanced the stability and dispersibility of the microemulsion system, and restructured the in-situ sulfidation of nickel components, producing a high-efficiency nanostructure with (Fe,Ni) 9 S 8 phases surrounding the nickel sulfides, which maximized the synergism between nickel and iron. Analysis of the solid residues further revealed the promoted hydrogenolysis effect and anti-coking role of the Ni 10 Fe 1 catalyst in the hydroconversion process of biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dilemma of strength and ductility of Mo alloy at ultra-high temperature (above 1300 °C) limits its application in space reactors and other high-temperature environments. Single oxide enhancement has been unable to meet these use requirements. In this research, a strategy of synergistic reinforcement of Mo alloys with nanosized Al 2 O 3 and Cr 2 O 3 ceramic particles was proposed. A 300−400 nm Mo alloy powder was prepared by liquid‒solid doping, and in situ self-generated nanosized oxides were obtained. The grain size of vacuum sintered Mo alloy was very fine, at only 5.3 μm, which was one tenth of the particle size of commercial Mo alloy. Al 2 O 3 and Cr 2 O 3 particles were distributed in the grains of the Mo matrix, which effectively prevented the growth of Mo grains during vacuum sintering and reinforced the Mo alloy. The maximum flow stress of the Mo–Al 2 O 3 –Cr 2 O 3 alloy reached 367 MPa at 1000 °C/1 s−1, which was better than that of the single-oxide reinforcement. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the Mo–Al 2 O 3 –Cr 2 O 3 alloy was 862 MPa, which was twice that of pure Mo. The preparation process is simple and available for industrial production. Synergistic strengthening of multiple oxides will be the best strategy for strengthening refractory alloys in the future. • Al 2 O 3 and Cr 2 O 3 doped molybdenum alloy was prepared by liquid-liquid doping method. • Al 2 O 3 and Cr 2 O 3 doped molybdenum alloy can improve the yield strength of molybdenum alloys. • Al 2 O 3 and Cr 2 O 3 doped molybdenum alloy has good high temperature strength. • Provides a hydrothermal synthesis process which can be industrially applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and hypothesis: We investigate the feasibility, safety, and clinical therapeutic effect of laparoscopic sigmoid vaginoplasty in women with Mayer–Rokitansky–Kuster–Hauser (MRKH) syndrome.We performed a retrospective case review cohort study of 56 patients with MRKHs undergoing laparoscopic sigmoid vaginoplasty in Wuhan Union Hospital between 2000 and 2020, and all patients were followed up.The median operating time was 165 min (120–420 min). The median hospital stay was 10 days (rang 7–15 days). A functional neovagina was created 11–15 cm in length and two fingers in breadth in all patients. No introitus stenosis was observed. No intra- or post-operative complications occurred. Two patients were lost to follow-up after 3 months of outpatient visits. Six patients had no intercourse and were required to wear a vaginal mold occasionally. None of the patients had complained of local irritation or dyspareunia. Patients who had post-surgery sexual intercourse were satisfied with their sexual life and the mean total Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) score was 25.17 ± 0.63. The cosmetic results were excellent.The laparoscopic sigmoid vaginoplasty can achieve the goal of making a functional neovagina. The main advantage of this surgical technique is that it is minimally invasive and that there are fewer complications post-operation. It is an acceptable procedure for patients with MRKH syndrome.Methods: We investigate the feasibility, safety, and clinical therapeutic effect of laparoscopic sigmoid vaginoplasty in women with Mayer–Rokitansky–Kuster–Hauser (MRKH) syndrome.We performed a retrospective case review cohort study of 56 patients with MRKHs undergoing laparoscopic sigmoid vaginoplasty in Wuhan Union Hospital between 2000 and 2020, and all patients were followed up.The median operating time was 165 min (120–420 min). The median hospital stay was 10 days (rang 7–15 days). A functional neovagina was created 11–15 cm in length and two fingers in breadth in all patients. No introitus stenosis was observed. No intra- or post-operative complications occurred. Two patients were lost to follow-up after 3 months of outpatient visits. Six patients had no intercourse and were required to wear a vaginal mold occasionally. None of the patients had complained of local irritation or dyspareunia. Patients who had post-surgery sexual intercourse were satisfied with their sexual life and the mean total Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) score was 25.17 ± 0.63. The cosmetic results were excellent.The laparoscopic sigmoid vaginoplasty can achieve the goal of making a functional neovagina. The main advantage of this surgical technique is that it is minimally invasive and that there are fewer complications post-operation. It is an acceptable procedure for patients with MRKH syndrome.Results: We investigate the feasibility, safety, and clinical therapeutic effect of laparoscopic sigmoid vaginoplasty in women with Mayer–Rokitansky–Kuster–Hauser (MRKH) syndrome.We performed a retrospective case review cohort study of 56 patients with MRKHs undergoing laparoscopic sigmoid vaginoplasty in Wuhan Union Hospital between 2000 and 2020, and all patients were followed up.The median operating time was 165 min (120–420 min). The median hospital stay was 10 days (rang 7–15 days). A functional neovagina was created 11–15 cm in length and two fingers in breadth in all patients. No introitus stenosis was observed. No intra- or post-operative complications occurred. Two patients were lost to follow-up after 3 months of outpatient visits. Six patients had no intercourse and were required to wear a vaginal mold occasionally. None of the patients had complained of local irritation or dyspareunia. Patients who had post-surgery sexual intercourse were satisfied with their sexual life and the mean total Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) score was 25.17 ± 0.63. The cosmetic results were excellent.The laparoscopic sigmoid vaginoplasty can achieve the goal of making a functional neovagina. The main advantage of this surgical technique is that it is minimally invasive and that there are fewer complications post-operation. It is an acceptable procedure for patients with MRKH syndrome.Conclusions: We investigate the feasibility, safety, and clinical therapeutic effect of laparoscopic sigmoid vaginoplasty in women with Mayer–Rokitansky–Kuster–Hauser (MRKH) syndrome.We performed a retrospective case review cohort study of 56 patients with MRKHs undergoing laparoscopic sigmoid vaginoplasty in Wuhan Union Hospital between 2000 and 2020, and all patients were followed up.The median operating time was 165 min (120–420 min). The median hospital stay was 10 days (rang 7–15 days). A functional neovagina was created 11–15 cm in length and two fingers in breadth in all patients. No introitus stenosis was observed. No intra- or post-operative complications occurred. Two patients were lost to follow-up after 3 months of outpatient visits. Six patients had no intercourse and were required to wear a vaginal mold occasionally. None of the patients had complained of local irritation or dyspareunia. Patients who had post-surgery sexual intercourse were satisfied with their sexual life and the mean total Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) score was 25.17 ± 0.63. The cosmetic results were excellent.The laparoscopic sigmoid vaginoplasty can achieve the goal of making a functional neovagina. The main advantage of this surgical technique is that it is minimally invasive and that there are fewer complications post-operation. It is an acceptable procedure for patients with MRKH syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of starch–protein composite gels, the influence of protein on gel formation significantly shapes the textural attributes of starch gels, leading to distinct outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate how different ratios of pea protein (PP) affect the properties and structures of starch–protein composite gels at low (10 wt%) and high (40 wt%) solid concentrations. The addition of PP had opposite effects on the two gels. Compared to the pure starch gel, the low-concentration composite gel (LCG) with 20 % PP experienced a 48.90 ± 0.33 % reduction in hardness, and the storage modulus (G′) decreased from 14,100 Pa to 5250 Pa, indicating a softening effect of PP on LCG. Conversely, the hardness of the high-concentration composite gel (HCG) with 20 % PP exhibited a 62.19 ± 0.03 % increase in hardness, and G′ increased from 12,100 Pa to 41,700 Pa, highlighting the enhancing effect of PP on HCG. SEM and fluorescence microscopy images showed that PP induced uneven network sizes in LCG, while HCG with a PP content of 20 %, PP, together with starch, formed a three-dimensional network. This study provides valuable insights and guidance for the design and production of protein-enriched starch gel products with different textural properties. • Pea protein affected gel strength by influencing the starch pasting process • Pea protein reduced hardness of low-concentration composite gel. • Pea protein improved the strength of high-concentration composite gel. • Gels with high solid concentration had no free water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Constructed systems for the efficient degradation of aromatic compounds. • Mastered aromatic compound degradation under carbon source drive. • Explained microbial physiological responses under carbon source drive. • Revealed metabolic regulation strategies under carbon source drive. • Proposed carbon sources-driven mechanism for coal chemical wastewater treatment. The complex composition of coal chemical wastewater (CCW), marked by numerous highly toxic aromatic compounds, induces the destabilization of the biochemical treatment system, leading to suboptimal treatment efficacy. In this study, a biochemical treatment system was established to efficiently degrade aromatic compounds by quantitatively regulating the dosage of co-metabolized substrates (specifically, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) Glucose : COD Sodium acetate = 3:1, 1:3, and 1:1). The findings demonstrated that the system achieved optimal performance under the condition that the ratio of COD Glucose to COD Sodium acetate was 3:1. When the co-metabolized substrate was added to the system at an optimal ratio, examination of pollutant removal and cumulative effects revealed that the removal efficiencies for COD and total organic carbon (TOC) reached 94.61 % and 86.40 %, respectively. The removal rates of benzene series, nitrogen heterocyclic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and phenols were 100 %, 100 %, 63.58 %, and 94.12 %, respectively. Research on the physiological response of microbial cells showed that, under optimal ratio regulation, co-metabolic substrates led to a substantial rise in microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secretion, particularly extracellular proteins. When the system reached the end of its operation, the contents of loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS) and tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS) for proteins in the optimal group were 7.12 mg/g-SS and 152.28 mg/g-SS, respectively. Meanwhile, the ratio of α-Helix / (β-Sheet + Random coil) and the proportion of intermolecular interaction forces were also increased in the optimal group. At system completion, the ratio of α-Helix / (β-Sheet + Random coil) reached 0.717 (LB-EPS) and 0.618 (TB-EPS), respectively. Additionally, the proportion of intermolecular interaction forces reached 74.83 % (LB-EPS) and 55.03 % (TB-EPS). An in-depth analysis of the metabolic regulation of microorganisms indicated that the introduction of optimal ratios of co-metabolic substrates contributed to a noteworthy upregulation in the expression of Catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O) and Dehydrogenase (DHA). The expression levels of C23O and DHA were measured at 0.029 U/mg Pro·g MLSS and 75.25 mg TF·(g MLSS·h)−1 (peak value), respectively. Correspondingly, enrichment of aromatic compound-degrading bacteria, including Thauera, Saccharimonadales , and Candidatus_Competibacter , occurred, along with the upregulation of associated functional genes such as Catechol 1,2-dioxygenase, Catechol 2,3-dioxygenase, Protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase , and Protocatechuate 4,5-dioxygenase. Considering the intricate system of multiple coexisting aromatic compounds in real CCW, this study not only obtained an optimal ratio for carbon source addition but also enhanced the efficient utilization of carbon sources and improved the capability of the system to effectively degrade aromatic compounds. Additionally, this paper established a theoretical foundation for metabolic regulation and harmless treatment within the biochemical treatment of intricate systems, exemplified by real CCW. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The packing is the core heat transfer unit in the cooling tower. To improve the heat and mass transfer performance of the counterflow wet cooling tower, a new double S-wave structure packing is proposed in this paper, and its performance in heat-mass exchange is investigated using a combination of numerical simulation and experiment. The flow heat transfer performance of the double S-wave packing with different sheet spacing, tilt angle and inlet area is studied by numerical simulation, and the law of different structural parameters affecting the packing is derived to determine its optimal structure. The thermal and resistance performance of double S-wave packing and conventional double-folded packing under different working conditions were studied in comparison with each other by building an experimental bench. The results show that the cooling efficiency of double S-wave packing is 13.74% higher and the pressure drop is 3.58% lower than that of double-folded packing. The research results can provide important guidance and reference for engineering practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contamination of groundwater with chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) has become increasingly widespread. Enhanced reductive dechlorination (ERD) by emulsified vegetable oil (EVO) is an environmentally friendly, low-carbon and sustainable technology that effectively eliminates the threat from CAHs. To improve the permeability and bioavailability of EVO in the low-permeability substratum, nano-emulsified vegetable oil (nanoEVO) can be synthesized using a modified phase inversion composition method (MPIC) by increasing the emulsification temperature that reduces the shear force required for the formation of nanodroplets and the interfacial tension between the mixed phase and water. The emulsification temperature of 60 °C, the water content of 40–70%, the droplet diameter (DD) of nanoEVO prepared by MPIC is ∼200 nm, and had good monodispersion (≤0.2). The high molecular weight and low solubility of vegetable oil, and similar size of droplet make nanoEVO remains homogeneous after storage for > one year. NanoEVO can effectively biostimulate indigenous bacteria in CAHs-contaminated groundwater to dechlorinate 1,1,2-trichloroethane (1,1,2-TCA) to ethene via vinyl chloride (VC). The maximum dihaloelimination rate of 1,1,2-TCA was ∼66.06 μM·Cl−·day−1 and the maximum hydrogenolysis rate of VC was ∼35.67 μM·Cl−·day−1. NanoEVO effectively increased the relative abundance of Dehalococcoides from <0.10 to 9.61%. The abundances of Dhc 16S rRNA gene and dehalogenase gene vcr A increased by 102 and 103, respectively. Biostimulation shaped the structure of microbial communities and promoted hydrolytic acidification and anaerobic fermentation. Moreover, the syntrophic VFA-oxidizing bacteria participated in secondary fermentation and were closely correlated with H 2 consumption metabolism. By providing carbon sources and maintaining an anaerobic environment with stable pH and ORP, nanoEVO biostimulated the hydrolytic acidification led by fermentative bacteria, secondary fermentation with syntrophic VFA-oxidizing bacteria and reductive dechlorination carried out by dechlorinator, thus greatly increasing the CAH-dechlorinating ability of indigenous microbial communities. [Display omitted] • The MPIC method can prepared highly stable nanoEVO. • Biostimulation increased the abundance of Dehalococcoides by 102 times and increased the VC dechlorination rate. • Syntrophic VFA-oxidizing bacteria were important in biostimulated dechlorination community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an experimental study of the seismic performance of austenitic stainless steel full-scale frames using the pseudo-static test method. The bottom single-span, two-storey substructure of the designed prototype frame was chosen as the test frame. Two full-scale frames were tested, one with a bolt-welded joint and the other with an extended end-plate joint. This paper is the first of two accompanying papers to this experimental study and focuses on the specimen design, testing details and global response of the stainless steel frame under cyclic loading. The test results were utilized to analyse the global response of the frames, encompassing failure mode, bearing capacity, deformation capacity, energy dissipation capacity, the overstrength factor, ductility factor and seismic response modification factor. The experimental findings suggest that the stainless steel frames with two joint types demonstrate consistent ability to dissipate energy during cyclic loading. The structure also performs well in terms of deformation, with uniform inter-storey deformation and no soft-storey detected. The maximum storey drift ratio of the frame is 7%. Prior to reaching a storey drift ratio of 2%, the frames with both joint types exhibit similar cumulative plastic deformation, stiffness degradation, and cumulative energy dissipation. • Two stainless steel full-scale frames were tested under two loading protocols. • Global seismic response of the tested frames was analyzed. • Acoustic emission monitoring technique was attempted for overall damage detection. • Overstrength, ductility and seismic response modification factors were calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigated the effect of lecithin on the complexation of lauric acid with maize starch, potato starch, waxy maize starch, and high amylose maize starch. Rapid visco analysis showed that lecithin altered the setback pattern of potato starch-lauric acid and maize starch-lauric acid mixtures but not waxy maize starch-lauric acid. Further investigation, including differential scanning calorimetry, complex index, and X-ray diffraction, showed that lecithin enhanced the complexation of maize starch, potato starch, and high amylose maize starch with lauric acid. Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy revealed increasingly ordered structures formed in maize starch-lauric acid-lecithin, potato starch-lauric acid-lecithin, and high amylose maize starch-lauric acid-lecithin systems compared to corresponding binary systems. These highly ordered complexes of maize starch, potato starch, and high amylose maize starch also demonstrated greater resistance to in vitro enzymatic hydrolysis. Waxy maize starch complexation however remained unaffected by lecithin. The results of this study show that lecithin impacts complexation between fatty acids and native starches containing amylose, with the starch source being critical. Lecithin minimally impacted the complexation of low amylose starch and fatty acids. • Lecithin facilitated complexation between starches rich in amylose and lauric acid. • Lecithin did not enhance the complexation of amylopectin. • The impact of lecithin was more pronounced in maize starch compared to potato starch. • The formation of more complexes resulted in reduced enzymatic hydrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

METTL16 is a well-characterized m6A methyltransferase that has been reported to contribute to tumorigenesis in various types of cancer. However, the effect of METTL16 on tumor progression under restricted nutrient conditions, which commonly occur in tumor microenvironment, has yet to be elucidated. Herein, our study initially reported the inhibitory effect of METTL16 depletion on apoptosis under amino acid starvation conditions. Mechanistically, we determined that the METTL16 knockdown represses the expression of extrinsic death receptors at both transcription and translation levels. Depletion of METTL16 prevented protein synthesis of GCN2, resulting in diminished ATF4 expression in a GCN2-eIF2α-dependent manner. Reduction of ATF4 further declined the expression of apoptotic receptor protein DR5. Meanwhile, METTL16 deficiency directly hampered protein synthesis of FADD and DR5, thereby impairing apoptosis and promoting cancer cell survival. Taken together, our study provides novel evidence for the involvement of METTL16 in regulating cancer progression, suggesting that METTL16 as a potential therapeutic target for cancer treatment. [Display omitted] • METTL16 deficiency enhances cell viability upon amino acid deprivation. • Depletion of METLL16 prevented ATF4 expression in a GCN2-eIF2α-dependent manner. • METTL16 deficiency impairs apoptosis by hampering protein synthesis of FADD and DR5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of overweight vehicles severely threatens traffic safety and the service life of transportation infrastructure. Rapid and effective identification of overweight vehicles is of significant importance for maintaining the healthy operation of highways and bridges and ensuring the safety of people's lives and property. With the problems of high cost and low efficiency, the traditional vehicle weighing systems can only meet some of the requirements of different scenarios. The development of artificial intelligence technologies, especially deep learning, has greatly enhanced the accuracy and efficiency of computer vision. To this end, the paper proposes a method using computer vision and deep learning for the non‐contact identification of overweight vehicles. By constructing two deep learning models and combining them with the vehicle vibration model and relevant specifications, the weight and maximum allowable weight of the vehicle are obtained to make a comparison for determining overweight. Experimental verification was performed using a two‐axle vehicle as an illustrative example, and the results demonstrate that the proposed method exhibits excellent feasibility and effectiveness. It shows significant potential in real‐world scenarios, laying a research foundation for practical engineering applications. Additionally, it provides a reference for the governance and decision‐making of overweight issues for relevant authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence and development of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) are related to a variety of factors, which have been reported in the literature, but the literature does not mention factors related to the severity of DDH. The purpose of this study is to analyze the related factors of the occurrence and severity of DDH in combination with the Graf ultrasonic diagnostic classification. This study was a monocentric retrospective study describing the factors associated with DDH in a large hospital of northwest China. A total of 3046 infants (6092 hips) within 6 months after birth using the Graf method were admitted to our department between 2014 and 2018. We analyzed data of DDH. After reviewing medical charts and diagnostic examination results, we assessed whether factors such as ethnicity, gender, gestational age, birth weight, diagnosis age, maternal age, mode of delivery, fetal presentation, amniotic fluid volume and birth order, had any effect on development of hip. ① Analysis showed that DDH mostly occurs in female and left hip joint, related to intrauterine fetal presentation, amniotic fluid volume, gestational age, mode of delivery, prenatal weight, and diagnosis age after birth, and the occurrence of DDH is also related to maternal age (All P＜0.05). Ethnicity and first born showed have no obvious correlation with DDH incidence (p = 0.718, 0.147, respectively). ② The strongest correlation was found with amniotic fluid, followed by birth weight. ③ The severity of DDH was correlated with ethnicity, births, prenatal weight, gestational age, diagnosis age and maternal age (All P＜0.05, respectively). ④ There were significant differences in treatment methods, duration and prognosis among different types of DDH. The occurrence and development of DDH are related to a variety of factors. Ultrasound examination can provide an early assessment of the hip development status of infants and may play an important role in establishing an early clinical diagnosis treatment and monitoring and prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution data provides important information on air quality, which can be used to assess the impact of atmospheric pollution on human health, the environment, and the economy, as well as to develop corresponding policies and measures to reduce pollutant emissions and improve air quality. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to improve the resolution of meteorological data via masked image modeling (PMIM) to generate high-resolution air pollution data. In order to apply the image masking modeling to process air pollution data, we convert the data format and use radial basis function visualization to generate smooth distribution maps of air pollution data. To generate high-resolution air pollution data, we design several different masking strategies and use the masked image modeling to simulate the reconstruction process from low-resolution grid data to high-resolution grid data, obtaining the reconstructed high-resolution grid images. Finally, we use the mapping relationship between the pixel colors of the reconstructed images and the air pollution data to generate high-resolution air pollution concentration data. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, we conduct comparative experiments using different masking strategies and test air pollution data of different resolutions. The results show that our method has good applicability and effectiveness in different situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ATG10S is a newly discovered subtype of the autophagy protein ATG10. It promotes complete macroautophagy/autophagy, degrades multiple viral proteins, and increases the expression of type III interferons. Here, we aimed to investigate the mechanism of ATG10S cooperation with IFNL1 to degrade viral proteins from different viruses. Using western blot, immunoprecipitation (IP), tandem sensor RFP-GFP-LC3B and in situ proximity ligation assays, we showed that exogenous recombinant ATG10S protein (rHsATG10S) could enter into cells through clathrin, and ATG10S combined with ATG7 with IFNL1 assistance to facilitate ATG12–ATG5 conjugation, thereby contributing to the autophagosome formation in multiple cell lines containing different virions or viral proteins. The results of DNA IP and luciferase assays also showed that ATG10S was able to directly bind to a core motif (CAAGGG) within a binding site of transcription factor ZNF460 on the IFNL1 promoter, by which IFNL1 transcription was activated. These results clarified that ATG10S promoted autophagosome formation with the assistance of IFNL1 to ensure autophagy flux and autophagic degradation of multiple viral proteins and that ATG10S could also act as a novel transcription factor to promote IFNL1 gene expression. Importantly, this study further explored the antiviral mechanism of ATG10S interaction with type III interferon and provided a theoretical basis for the development of ATG10S into a new broad-spectrum antiviral protein drug.Abbreviation: ATG: autophagy related; ATG10S: the shorter isoform of autophagy-related 10; CC50: half cytotoxicity concentration; CCV: clathrin-coated transport vesicle; CLTC: clathrin heavy chain; CM: core motif; co-IP: co-immunoprecipitation; CPZ: chlorpromazine; ER: endoplasmic reticulum; HCV: hepatitis C virus; HBV: hepatitis B virus; HsCoV-OC43: Human coronavirus OC43; IFN: interferon; PLA: proximity ligation assay; rHsATG10S: recombinant human ATG10S protein; RLU: relative light unit; SQSTM1: sequestosome 1; ZNF: zinc finger protein [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study evaluated the effectiveness, psychological effects, and sleep quality using intramuscular diazepam infusion compared with placebo in patients with herpes zoster (HZ)-related pain. Methods: The patients were randomized to either the diazepam or control group. The diazepam group received an intramuscular injection of diazepam for 3 consecutive days, while the control group received an intramuscular injection of 0.9% normal saline. The primary outcome was pain relief on posttreatment day 4, as measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Moreover, anxiety and depression were evaluated using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ9), respectively. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Results: In total, 78 patients were enrolled in the trial. The mean differences in VAS scores between the two groups were 0.62 (P = 0.049) on posttreatment day 3 and 0.66 (P = 0.037) on posttreatment day 4. The effective rates of pain management in the diazepam group ranged from 10.26 to 66.67%, which were higher than those in the control group on posttreatment days 3 and 4 (P < 0.05). The mean difference in PSQI scores between the diazepam and control groups was 1.36 (P = 0.034) on posttreatment day 7. No differences were found in the incidence of analgesia-adverse 1reactions between the diazepam and placebo groups. Conclusions: The intramuscular injection of diazepam for 3 consecutive days provides effective pain management and improves the quality of life. Our study suggests that diazepam is more effective than the placebo in patients with HZ-related pain. Trial registration: The study was prospectively registered at https://www.isrctn.com/trialist(Registration date: 24/01/2018; Trial ID: ISRCTN12682696). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an experimental study into the structural behaviour and strength of concrete-filled stainless steel tubular stub columns with circular and square cross-sections subjected to combined compression and bending moment. A total of sixteen concrete-filled stainless steel tubular (CFSST) stub columns were tested, including two section types (circular and square hollow sections), two grades of concrete infill (C30 and C60), two thicknesses of tube wall for each cross-section (6 and 10 mm), and five loading eccentricity ratios (0, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5). The CFSST stub column specimens were loaded in compression, with different loading eccentricities applied to achieve a wide range of axial load-to-bending moment ratios. This research provides a comprehensive report on the experimental methodology and subsequent observations, including the failure modes, load-deformation curves, axial load-bending moment curves, strain development at the key locations and values of ductility index. It can be observed that for circular CFSST columns, ultimate load decreased by roughly 70% with an increase in loading eccentricity ratios from 0 to 0.5, while for square columns, the reduction was about 50% under same conditions. The experimental results were used to evaluate if the existing design provisions for carbon steel-concrete composite structures is capable of designing the investigated CFSST stub columns. It was found that the mean ultimate load to predicted failure load ratios are 1.25, 1.32, and 1.36, with coefficients of variations (COV) equal to 0.08, 0.09 and 0.11, for the European, American, and Chinese codes, respectively. Consequently, the design approach specified in the Chinese code led to the most conservative and scattered strength predictions among the three codified design approaches. In contrast, the European code provides the most precise predictions of the test results, though there still remains scope for improvements in the ultimate resistance predictions of CFSST stub columns subjected to combined compression and bending. • Stub column tests on concrete-filled stainless steel circular and square cross-sections subjected to combined compression and bending moment were conducted. • The structural responses of eccentrically loaded stub columns were discussed. • Strain developments were analyzed to elucidate the interaction between stainless steel outer tubes and concrete infill. • The design provisions in EN 1994-1-1, ANSI/AISC 360-16 and GB 50936-2014 were assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-assembled nucleating agents based on hydrogen bonding interactions have been increasingly used to manipulate the crystallization behavior of polymer materials, yet the specific working mechanism is not well unrevealed. In this study, the hydrazide-based nucleator structure of bis -(mono-methyl succinyl)dihydrazide (MSAD) is randomly incorporated in poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) chains to prepare a series copolymers of PBS- co -MSAD. It is confirmed that the multiple hydrogen-bonding interactions strengthen as the content of the MSAD segment increases, leading to a remarkable elevation of crystallization temperature. Meanwhile, the primary nucleation density of PBS is significantly raised without changing crystal modification. The formation of a pre-ordered network of hydrogen-bonding structures during non-isothermal crystallization is confirmed by rheological measurement and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy investigation, which immediately induces the crystallization of PBS segments once strong enough. In addition, the melt crystallization mechanism of PBS- co -MSAD with heterogeneous hydrogen-bonding segments is elucidated in detail by combining a self-nucleation protocol. [Display omitted] • Hydrazide-based nucleator of bis -(mono-methyl succinyl) dihydrazide is randomly incorporated in PBS. • Multiple hydrogen-bonding interactions remarkably lift the crystallization temperature of PBS. • The primary nucleation density of PBS is significantly raised. • Formation of pre-ordered network of hydrogen-bonding structures in melt is confirmed. • The melt crystallization mechanism of PBS with heterogeneous hydrogen-bonding segments is in detail elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]