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In recent years, the combination of deep learning and side-channel analysis has received extensive attention. Previous research has shown that the key recovery problem can be transformed into a classification problem. The performance of these models strongly depends on the size of the dataset and the number of instances in each target class. The training time is very long. In this paper, the key recovery problem is transformed into a similarity measurement problem in Siamese neural networks. We use simulated power traces and true power traces to form power pairs to augment data and simplify key recovery steps. The trace pairs are selected based on labels and added to the training to improve model performance. The model adopts a Siamese, CNN-based architecture, and it can evaluate the similarity between the inputs. The correct key is revealed by the similarity of different trace pairs. In experiments, three datasets are used to evaluate our method. The results show that the proposed method can be successfully trained with 1000 power traces and has excellent attack efficiency and training speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the rate of adverse events (AEs) caused by intravenous administration of sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles in abdominal and superficial applications retrospectively and to explore practical measures for prevention and treatment of them. Materials and methods: This study enrolled 83,778 contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) examinations using sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles intravenously performed during 11 years. Age, gender, and target organs of all CEUS patients were recorded. For cases of AEs, their medical history and laboratory results were also collected. The process of AEs was assessed and categorized. Besides, the management of AEs were recorded. Results: Twenty patients had sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles-related AEs. The AE rate was 0.024%. No significant difference was observed between patients with AEs and the whole group for age and sex distribution. All AEs happened in liver examinations. Among them, 7 (35%) were mild, 8 (40%) were moderate, and 5 (25%) were severe. They were categorized into 15 allergic-like reactions and 5 physiologic reactions. The manifestations of mild and moderate AEs mainly include urticaria, chills, and mild hypoxia, which could be eased by simple management. Severe cases had anaphylactic shock, generalized convulsions, and diffuse erythema with hypotension respectively. They need close monitoring and oxygen inhalation with anti-shock and anti-anaphylactic treatment. Most cases started within 30 min and recovered within 1 day. Conclusions: Intravenous administration of sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles in abdominal and superficial applications was safe with rare AEs. AEs were more likely to happen in abdominal applications than superficial ones. A well-designed emergency plan should be available for clinical use of sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles to reduce AEs and to deal with AEs properly. Critical relevance statement: Intravenous administration of sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles in abdominal and superficial applications reported few AEs and could be considered safe but severe AEs are life-threatening. We analyzed the influence factors of AEs and propose some methods for prevention and treatment of them, which can further improve the safety of sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles in clinical practice. Key points: • The AE rate of sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles in abdominal and superficial applications was 0.024%. • Patients were more likely to have AEs in abdominal applications than superficial ones. • Severe AEs are life-threatening and need prompt identification and treatment. • We summarized some detailed suggestions for clinical prevention and treatment of AEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal when imaging bioprocesses with optical microscopy is to acquire the most spatiotemporal information with the least invasiveness. Deep neural networks have substantially improved optical microscopy, including image super-resolution and restoration, but still have substantial potential for artifacts. In this study, we developed rationalized deep learning (rDL) for structured illumination microscopy and lattice light sheet microscopy (LLSM) by incorporating prior knowledge of illumination patterns and, thereby, rationally guiding the network to denoise raw images. Here we demonstrate that rDL structured illumination microscopy eliminates spectral bias-induced resolution degradation and reduces model uncertainty by five-fold, improving the super-resolution information by more than ten-fold over other computational approaches. Moreover, rDL applied to LLSM enables self-supervised training by using the spatial or temporal continuity of noisy data itself, yielding results similar to those of supervised methods. We demonstrate the utility of rDL by imaging the rapid kinetics of motile cilia, nucleolar protein condensation during light-sensitive mitosis and long-term interactions between membranous and membrane-less organelles. Rationalized deep learning improves image reconstruction by incorporating prior knowledge of illumination patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Comminuted inferior patellar pole fractures are challenging injuries and require effective treatment due to the extension mechanism of the knee. This study aims to evaluate the outcome of above fractures treated with a modified technique of cerclage-wire-augmented separate vertical wiring (SVW) with cerclage wiring passed through the proximal patella. Methods: Retrospective analysis (1/2017–1/2020) were performed for patients that were treated with three SVWs through the posterior margin of proximal fragment and directly to the anterosuperior border of patella, combined with a cerclage wiring passed through the proximal patella. Patients who experienced comminuted inferior patellar pole fractures within 3 weeks were included, and the outcome was evaluated radiologically and clinically by Bostman score after a minimum of 12 months following surgery. Further evaluation included the operation time and complication rate. Results: A total of 20 patients (10 males, 10 females) with a mean age of 54 ± 14.5 years (26–83 years) and a follow-up of 18.9 ± 6.6 months (12–36 months) were evaluated. The average operation time was 45.7 ± 8.8 min (30–60 min). At final follow-up, the average range of motion was 131.3° ± 3.5° (125°–135°), and the mean Bostman score was 29.4 ± 0.7 points (28–30) and graded excellent in all cases. Two patients experienced occasional giving way of the knee. Radiologically no loss of reduction, implant breakage, nonunion or skin irritation was observed. Conclusions: The cerclage-wire-augmented SVW with cerclage wiring passed through the proximal patella appears to be a safe and simple technique which can effectively treat the comminuted inferior patellar pole fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Space High-cadence Observing Telescope (SHOT) is proposed to conduct a wide-field survey in one of the frequency bands between 1 and 3 THz with an aperture of 0.8 m. It will provide complete terahertz and far-infrared photometry with low-resolution spectroscopy throughout the sky, promoting the study of fast radio bursts, the formation and evolution of stars, and other scientific goals. The telescope will adopt a superconducting kinetic inductance detector to achieve a wide survey of terahertz imaging. This work designs the optical system of SHOT to obtain a large FOV of up to 1.5 deg and match the detector with the size of 60 mm × 60 mm and pixel pitch of 0.8 mm. The primary optical system adopts a Ritchey–Chrétien design. By adding a corrector lens to the optical system and optimization, the aberrations mainly caused by the optical elements in the detector system are reduced. The influence of each component assigned to different terahertz materials is analyzed. The results show that TPX is more suitable than the other two materials. The performance of the optimized optical system is close to its diffraction limit. It will have the characteristics of high image quality and compact layout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible thin film with both good ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties has more extensive applications in the field of flexible and/or wearable devices and sensors. In this experiment, the flexible Bi0.9Gd0.1Fe0.98Mn0.02O3 (BGFMO) thin film is successfully deposited on fluorophlogopite (F-Mica) single-crystalline substrate by sol–gel method. The flexible BGFMO thin film exhibits a rhombohedrally distorted perovskite structure, uniform grain size, and a relatively smooth surface. It has good ferroelectricity, with a remnant polarization (Pr) value of 74.88 μC/cm2 and ferromagnetism with anisotropic saturation magnetization (in-plane saturation magnetization of about 32.00 emu/cm3, out-of-plane saturation magnetization of about 29.80 emu/cm3). The flexible thin film can maintain good ferroelectric properties at different frequencies and temperatures, and the ferroelectric properties can be adjusted by mechanical bending. Therefore, the flexible BGFMO thin film with excellent ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties has great application potential in flexible electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar-to-hydrogen conversion from water splitting have received a great of interest because it can alleviate the serious environmental pollution and energy crisis. The KNbO3 photocatalyst with high conduction band and excellent anticorrosion has been reported for water splitting, but the large band gap and low separation efficiency of electron–hole pairs restrict its photocatalytic activity. In this work, the CoO/KNbO3 p-n heterojunction photocatalysts were prepared via a hydrothermal and calcination method, which exhibits excellent photocatalytic for H2 production with high rates at 144.36 μmol h−1 g−1 under simulated sunlight and 76.78 μmol h−1 g−1 under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm). The enhanced H2 production was ascribed to the improvement of visible light absorption and the efficient charge separation after the formation of CoO/KNbO3 p-n heterojunction, which was evidenced by the UV–vis diffuse spectra and transient photocurrent. Finally, a possible mechanism was proposed for the CoO/KNbO3 p-n heterojunction photocatalysts toward the photocatalytic activity of H2 production. This kind of CoO/KNbO3 p-n heterojunction photocatalysts can provide a reference for developing high-efficiency KNbO3-based photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low-complexity stochastic dynamic element matching (DEM) technique to mitigate the distortions caused by the nonlinearity of multi-bit digital-to-analog converters (DACs) in sigma-delta modulator is proposed. Multi-bit DAC noise is analyzed in detail from a signal processing point-of-view in this research, and then implementation of the basic stochastic unit named swapper cell which includes bar state and cross state controlled by a 1-bit pseudo-random noise signal, is illustrated. To reduce the hardware complexity, a multi-layer scheme for multi-input multi-output stochastic encoder is presented and demonstrated based on rigorous mathematical derivation. For a n-input n-output version, the number of the switch elements employed in the proposed encoder is reduced to 2nlog2n from the conventional n!. Simulation results show that, with the use of the stochastic encoder, severe harmonic distortions resulted by the DAC elements mismatch errors are suppressed effectively. When the proposed encoders are applied to the internal multi-bit DACs in sigma-delta (ΣΔ) modulators, large improvements of the linearity performance of the modulators are achieved. Additionally, the analyses and explanations for this stochastic scheme provide a theoretical foundation for the future development of noise shaping DEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi2WO6/Bi2MoO6 heterostructured photocatalys had been synthesized by a refluxing method. And the photocatalytic activity of Bi2WO6/Bi2MoO6 heterostructured photocatalysts was better than Bi2WO6. The enhancement in photocatalysis activity belonged to the match of energy level between the Bi2MoO6 and Bi2WO6. In order to further enhance the photocatalytic activity of Bi2WO6/Bi2MoO6, Bi2WO6/Bi2MoO6 was used to activate peroxymonosulfate to photodegradate methylene blue. The mechanism of activating peroxymonosulfate was proved by radical quenching experiment which revealed that sulfate radicals governed the removal of methylene blue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has imposed a heavy burden on medical systems. In addition to the respiratory system, the virus also causes injuries to other organs and systems such as the gastroenteric system, kidneys, and reproductive system. Female reproductive health requires more attention in this context. Methods: We have performed a thorough review of the relevant literature that addresses the impacts of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination on the female reproductive system. Results: Most evidence shows that SARS-CoV-2 does not infect the female reproductive system. However, the virus may indirectly influence sex hormone concentrations through inflammation associated with cytokine storms and nervous system damage. Menstrual disorders in women infected with SARS-CoV-2 may be caused by down-regulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, abnormal hormone levels, medications, and stress. There is no significant difference in ovarian follicle quality and in vitro fertilization parameters between the pre- and post-COVID-19 vaccination groups. In addition, most symptoms due to side effects of vaccination could recover within a short period of time. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 infection affects female reproductive system function through multiple mechanisms. It is recommended that women of childbearing age be vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a co-optimization design method for thermal-stress coupling 3-dimensional integrated system with through silicon via is proposed based on the finite element method, support vector machine model and modified particle swarm optimization algorithm. In the cause of analyzing the effects of geometrical parameters (radius of through silicon via, oxide thickness and the height of oxide insolation layer) on the thermal-stress distribution, the finite element method based COMSOL software is conducted to simulate the thermal-stress coupling 3-dimensional integrated system. Based on the simulation data obtained by COMSOL, the support vector machine models are adopted to establish the database for describing the relationships between the geometrical parameters and key indexes (peak temperature, peak stress and temperature difference) to improve the design efficiency. Based on the desired key indexes of thermal-stress coupling 3-dimensional integrated system, the multi-objective evaluation function is formulated. Then, the geometrical parameters are optimized by the modified particle swarm optimization algorithm. The finite element simulation is conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. In three cases, the errors between the simulated and desired temperature differences are all less than 0.28 K, and the relative errors between the simulated and desired peak temperature/peak stress are all less than 4.78%, which indicates that the geometrical parameters can be optimized to control the key indexes of thermal-stress coupling 3-dimensional integrated system. Therefore, the developed method can be used in the design and manufacture of 3-dimensional integrated system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ERA-Interim (1979–2016) and National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) (1958–2016) reanalysis data are applied in an empirical orthogonal function (EOF) decomposition of the summer zonal wind anomaly in the upper troposphere (at 200 hPa) over Asia. Consistent spatio-temporal modes are derived from the two datasets on different time scales, with the first three dominant modes representing the principal features of the summer Asian subtropical westerly jet (ASWJ). The first and third modes respectively describe the meridional position deviation and the overall strength variations of ASWJ, and both exhibit zonally symmetric distributions, which have been extensively investigated. The second mode describes a zonally asymmetric distribution of the jet over Asia, which reflects coordinated variations in the upstream and downstream systems and has not yet been systematically studied. In this study, we focus on the analysis of the second mode of ASWJ. The observation results show that the second mode is closely related to external forcing factors as well as the large-scale circulation at mid-high latitudes. Through the interaction of the preceding North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST), the simultaneous soil moisture, and the atmospheric circulation that propagates zonally via the waveguide effect of the jet, the ocean–land–atmosphere coupled system can produce coordinating impacts on the variability of ASWJ. These results aid in a more complete and comprehensive understanding of the physical characteristics of the summer westerly jet and provide a new perspective for the study of the variability of ASWJ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dental caries is a chronic, infectious, and destructive disease that allows bacteria to break into the dental pulp tissue. As caries-related bacteria invade the human dentinal tubules, odontoblasts are the first line of dental pulp that trigger the initial inflammatory and immune responses. DNA methylation is a key epigenetic modification that plays a fundamental role in gene transcription, and its role in inflammation-related diseases has recently attracted attention. However, whether DNA methylation regulates the inflammatory response of human odontoblasts is still unknown. In the present study, we investigated the expression of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT)-1 in lipoteichoic acid (LTA)-stimulated human odontoblast-like cells (hOBs) and found that DNMT1 expression showed a decline that is contrary to the transcription of inflammatory cytokines. Knockdown of the DNMT1 gene increased the expression of several cytokines, including IL-6 and IL-8, in the LTA-induced inflammatory response. DNMT1 knockdown increased the phosphorylation of IKKα/β, IκBα, and p65 in the NF-κB pathway and the phosphorylation of p38 and ERK in the MAPK pathway; however, only the NF-κB pathway inhibitor PDTC suppressed both IL-6 and IL-8 expression, whereas inhibitors of the MAPK pathway (U0126, SB2035580, and SP600125) did not. Furthermore, DNMT1 knockdown upregulated the expression of MyD88 and TRAF6 but only attenuated the MyD88 gene promoter methylation in LTA-treated hOBs. Taken together, these results demonstrated that DNMT1 depletion caused hypomethylation and upregulation of MyD88, which resulted in activation of the NF-κB pathway and the subsequent release of LTA-induced inflammatory cytokines in hOBs. This study emphasizes the critical role of DNA methylation in the immune defense of odontoblasts when dental pulp reacted to caries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi2WO6 nanosheets were synthesized by a hydrothermal method with H2WO4 for the first time. The band structure of Bi2WO6 was investigated on the basis of density functional theory calculations. Bi2WO6 photocatalysts showed photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue under visible light irradiation. Kinetic studies using radical scavenger technologies suggested that holes were the dominant photo-oxidants. After hybridization with C3N4, the photocatalytic activity of Bi2WO6 was obviously enhanced. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the C3N4/Bi2WO6 photocatalysts could be attributed to the effective separation of photogenerated e−/h+ pairs. The photogenerated holes on the valence band of Bi2WO6 can transfer to the highest occupied molecular orbital of C3N4via the well-developed interface, causing a reduction in the probability of e−/h+ recombination; consequently, large numbers of photogenerated holes led to the enhancement of the photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The space-time structure of the Higgs boson decaying into hadron-jets (Higgs jets) is carefully studied with the HBT correlation method using $ e^+e^-$ collision events produced by the Monte Carlo generator PYTHIA 8.219 at $ \sqrt{s}=250$ GeV. The measurement of the Higgs boson radius and decay lifetime are derived from the HBT correlation of the final state pions, with an upper bound of $ R_H \le 1.03\pm 0.05$ fm and $ \tau_H \le (1.29\pm0.15)\times 10^{-7}$ fs. This result is consistent with CMS data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For modern equipment manufacturing industries, advanced manufacturing technologies have significant impact on the production quality and efficiency. Specifically, high-speed and high-accuracy technology is widely used in aerospace, automotive, and power-generation equipment to reduce the processing costs and improve the machining accuracy. However, the traditional velocity planning methods cannot satisfy the requirements of advanced equipment in point-to-point movement occasions. To solve these problems, a novel S-curve acceleration and deceleration (Acc/Dec) control model is proposed in this study, and the discretization of the Acc/Dec process was investigated. Furthermore, the derivation of the actual interpolation periods of each segment, actual achieved Acc/Dec, and actual achieved jerk of Acc/Dec zone are addressed in detail. To ensure the positioning accuracy and reduce the computational load, discrete formulae for the deceleration displacement, maximal achieved speed, and displacement of the constant acceleration segment are derived. To satisfy the product diversification and improve the efficiency, the function of the aforementioned S-curve Acc/Dec control algorithm was extended in this study. As a result, the end-point modification and target speed modification algorithms were developed. Finally, a series of numerical simulations and a real experiment were conducted. The results show that the proposed algorithms exhibit a good performance both in terms of reliability and efficiency. Thus, its feasibility was validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of 'Industry 4.0' that covers the topics of Internet of Things, cyber-physical system, and smart manufacturing, is a result of increasing demand of mass customized manufacturing. In this paper, a smart manufacturing framework of Industry 4.0 is presented. In the proposed framework, the shop-floor entities (machines, conveyers, etc.), the smart products and the cloud can communicate and negotiate interactively through networks. The shop-floor entities can be considered as agents based on the theory of multi-agent system. These agents implement dynamic reconfiguration in a collaborative manner to achieve agility and flexibility. However, without global coordination, problems such as load-unbalance and inefficiency may occur due to different abilities and performances of agents. Therefore, the intelligent evaluation and control algorithms are proposed to reduce the load-unbalance with the assistance of big data feedback. The experimental results indicate that the presented algorithms can easily be deployed in smart manufacturing system and can improve both load-balance and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of open architectures has been discussed extensively for many years. Software-oriented Computer Numerical Control (soft-CNC) is considered as one of the ideal solutions for open architecture CNC (OACNC). In recent years, this has become the mainstream direction for open CNC systems by employing a personal computer (PC) as the hardware platform and a real-time operating system as the software platform. However, existing CNC systems are limited in expansibility, portability, modularity, networking, and openness. In order to overcome these problems and in accordance with the characteristics and requirements of an OACNC system, a novel numerical control kernel (NCK) based on the real-time extension (RTX) and an industrial personal computer (IPC) is proposed. The implementation of the NCK is a difficult task, especially when real-time performance is desired. To compensate for the lack of real-time features in Windows NT, RTX provides a real-time software environment to implement the time-critical operations of a CNC system on an IPC by modifying the hardware abstraction layer (HAL). The proposed soft-CNC system consists of four components: the human machine interface (HMI), shared memory, the real-time subsystem (RTSS), and the device layer. This work first presents the hierarchical system architecture for developing an open architecture soft-CNC system and then describes the choices for the hardware and software platform of the soft-CNC system. Furthermore, this paper focuses on the software design and implementation of the soft-CNC system; thus, the software tasks, data flow, and the communication mechanisms are studied in detail. Finally, experiments are conducted to validate the real-time performance, the schedulability and the functions of the proposed soft-CNC system, thus verifying its feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been many recent advances in wireless communication technologies, particularly in the area of wireless sensor networks, which have undergone rapid development and been successfully applied in the consumer electronics market. Therefore, wireless networks (WNs) have been attracting more attention from academic communities and other domains. From an industrial perspective, WNs present many advantages including flexibility, low cost, easy deployment and so on. Therefore, WNs can play a vital role in the Industry 4.0 framework, and can be used for smart factories and intelligent manufacturing systems. In this paper, we present an overview of industrial WNs (IWNs), discuss IWN features and related techniques, and then provide a new architecture based on quality of service and quality of data for IWNs. We also propose some applications for IWNs and IWN standards. Then, we will use a case from our previous achievements to explain how to design an IWN under Industry 4.0. Finally, we highlight some of the design challenges and open issues that still need to be addressed to make IWNs truly ubiquitous for a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, CHIME/FRB project published its first fast radio burst (FRB) catalog (hereafter, Catalog 1), which contains in total 536 unique bursts. With the help of the latest set of FRBs in this large-size catalog, we aim to investigate the dispersion measure (DM) or redshift () distribution of the FRB population, and solution of this problem could be used to clarify the question of FRB origin. In this study, we adopted the M&E 2018 model to fit the observed distribution of FRBs in Catalog 1. In the M&E 2018 model, we are mostly interested in the function, i.e., number of bursts per proper time per comoving volume, which is represented by the star formation rate (SFR) with a power-law index . Our estimated value of is () at the 68 (95) per cent confidence level, implying that the FRB population evolves with redshift consistent with, or faster than, the SFR. Specially, the consistency of the values estimated by this study and the SFR provides a potential support for the hypothesis of FRBs originating from young magnetars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to demonstrate the feasibility of a new measurement system using micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)-based sensors for quantifying the pivot shift phenomenon. Methods: The pivot shift test was performed on 13 consecutive anterior cruciate ligament-deficient subjects by an experienced examiner while femur and tibia kinematics were recorded using two inertial sensors each composed of an accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer. The gravitational component of the acquired data was removed using a novel method for estimating sensor orientations. Correlation between the clinical pivot shift grade and acceleration and velocity parameters was measured using Spearman's rank correlation coefficients. Results: The pivot shift phenomenon was best characterized as a drop in femoral acceleration observed at the time of reduction. The correlation between the femoral acceleration drop and the clinical grade was shown to be very strong ( r = 0.84, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The present study demonstrates the feasibility of quantifying the pivot shift using MEMS-based sensors and removing the gravitational component of acceleration using an estimation of sensor orientation for improved correlation to the clinical grade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To derive and validate a risk score for prediction of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in the Chinese patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. Methods: The hospital medical records of 3945 patients undergoing coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention were reviewed. Patients were randomly assigned into two cohorts: one was for derivation of risk score ( n = 2764) and another for validation ( n = 1181). The CIN was defined as an increase of serum creatinine level ≥44.2 μmol/L or ≥25 % and beyond its upper limit of normal value within 72 h following the procedure. On the basis of the odds ratio obtained from multivariate logistic regression, risk score of CIN was built up. The discrimination of the risk score was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and the calibration was assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. Results: The incidences of CIN in the derivation and validation cohorts were 4.6 and 4.2 %, respectively. Independent predictors included age >60 years, hypertension, acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, use of intra-aortic balloon pump, decreased glomerular filtration rate and contrast volume >100 mL. The incidence of CIN was increased with increment of risk score. Both the derivation and validation cohorts showed adequate discrimination (an area under the ROC curve, 0.76 and 0.71, respectively) and good calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic test, P = 0.50 and P = 0.54, respectively). Conclusion: A simple risk score for prediction of CIN development after cardiac catheterization in Chinese patients was built up by this study. Use of this risk score may help clinicians to perform early preventative strategies to minimize the risk of CIN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface defect inspection is an important part of quality control in mobile phone cover glass manufacturing. The traditional method is usually carried out manually by experienced inspectors and thus lacks sufficient efficiency and accuracy. In this paper, an automatic defect inspection system based on the principal components analysis is proposed for five typical cover glass defects: scratch, crack, deformation, edge broken, and angle cutting. This inspection system is robust for the defect shapes and obtains high recognition accuracy. The inspection system includes three parts: pre-processing, PCA-based defect recognition, and defect edge extraction. After pre-processing, most of noise and outliers are eliminated and the pixels of defects in the image are well enhanced for inspection and recognition. The eigen-defect matrix is constructed to characterize the variation between defect images. Additionally, time consumption in constructing the eigen-defect matrix is also discussed. The experimental results show that the inspection system has achieved high accuracy for inspection and recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-sensors are fabricated by co-electrospinning InO and SnO nanofibers on the substrates of SiO/Si with interdigitated Pt signal electrodes. The total sensor area is 1.36 mm × 0.55 mm and the active area is only 0.63 mm × 0.55 mm. Excellent NH sensing properties are obtained based on the sensors at room temperature. The sensitivity is at most 28 when the sensors are exposed to NH of 10 ppm. The response time is 8 s or so and the recovery time is nearly 2 s. Not only fine selectivity, but also long-time stability is obtained. The results not only demonstrate the obtained micro-sensors are very promising devices for NH detection, but also show a possible route for large-scale NH sensor fabrication at the industrial level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are extremely strong radio flares lasting several micro- to milliseconds and come from unidentified objects at cosmological distances, most of which are only seen once. Based on recently published data in the CHIME/FRB Catalog 1 in the frequency bands 400–800 MHz, we analyze 125 apparently singular FRBs with low dispersion measure (DM) and find that the distribution of their luminosity follows a lognormal form according to statistical tests. In our luminosity measurement, the FRB distance is estimated by using the Macquart relation that was obtained for 8 localized FRBs, and we find it still applicable for 18 sources after adding the latest 10 new localized FRBs. In addition, we test the validity of the luminosity distribution up to the Macquart relation and find that the lognormal-form feature decreases as the uncertainty increases. Moreover, we compare the luminosity of these apparent nonrepeaters with that of the previously observed 10 repeating FRBs also at low DM, noting that they belong to different lognormal distributions with the mean luminosity of nonrepeaters being two times greater than that of repeaters. Therefore, from the two different lognormal distributions, different mechanisms for FRBs can be implied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adsorption and photoelectrocatalytic characteristics of four different kinds of organic compounds ( d-fructose, glutamic acid, fumaric acid, and nicotinic acid) on TiO nanotube arrays (TNAs) were investigated using a thin-layer cell, wherein the compounds were rapidly and exhaustively oxidized. The photogenerated current-time ( I- t) profiles were found to be related to the adsorption, the degradation rate, and the reaction mechanism. The relationship between the initial organic compounds concentrations and photocurrent peaks ( I) fit the Langmuir type adsorption model well, thereby confirming that the adsorption of organic compounds on TNAs was via monolayer adsorption. The adsorption equilibrium constant was obtained from the Langmuir equation. The results indicate that the adsorption performance of the organic compounds on TNAs were in the following order: nicotinic acid < d-fructose < glutamic acid < fumaric acid. The degradation of organic compounds on TNAs was classified as either easy or difficult based on the time of complete mineralization ( t) of the organic samples under an equal holes consumption; the degree of degradation were as follows: fumaric acid < d-fructose < glutamic acid < nicotinic acid. The photoelectrocatalytic characteristics of the organic compounds on TNAs were also discussed by analyzing the changes in the I- t profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A20 gene functions in negative immunoregulation and its SNP is related to SLE disease. But its expression level in immune cells from SLE patients is still unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the expression of A20 is associated with pathogenesis of SLE. Methods: Real-time transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis (RT-PCR) was used to determine expression of A20 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 37 patients with SLE and 32 healthy controls. Results: A20 expression was decreased in SLE patients compared with healthy controls ( p = 0.0133). The expression level of A20 gene negatively correlated with the SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) ( r =−0.4661, p = 0.0036) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) ( r =−0.5222, p = 0.0009). Furthermore, SLE patients with nephritis had a lower expression of A20 than those without nephritis ( p = 0.0188). Conclusions: Our results suggest that the insufficient expression of A20 gene in PBMC may take part in the pathogenesis of SLE disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from in vitro plasma protein binding experiments that determine the fraction of protein-bound drug are frequently used in drug discovery to guide structure design and to prioritize compounds for in vivo studies. However, we consider that these practices are usually misleading, because in vivo efficacy is determined by the free (unbound) drug concentration surrounding the therapeutic target, not by the free drug fraction. These practices yield no enhancement of the in vivo free drug concentration. So, decisions based on free drug fraction could result in the wrong compounds being advanced through drug discovery programmes. This Perspective provides guidance on the application of plasma protein binding information in drug discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a newly identified transcription factor in Candida albcians, CaSfl1 has been shown to be involved in cell flocculation and filamentation and in the negative regulation of several genes involved in hyphal growth. In this study, we constructed Casfl1Δ/Δ mutants and confirmed that deletion of this gene indeed affected cell flocculation and filamentation. In addition, by RT-PCR we found that while Casfl1 repressed the expression of several hypha-specific genes including HWP1, ECE1, ALS1, ALS3, and FLO8, it strongly activated the expression of the heat-shock protein genes HSP30 and HSP90 under certain stress conditions. Therefore, we propose that CaSfl1 can act as both positive and negative regulators, thereby playing a dual role in transcriptional controls in Candida albicans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy dependence of non-linear dynamical fluctuations in e+e− collisions at high energy is studied using the Monte Carlo method. The Lévy indices μ are measured, and the generalized fractal dimensions D( q) and multi-fractal spectrum f(α) are presented at various energies. It is found that the Lévy index μ distributes within 1 < μ < 2 in consistence with the Lévy stability. It takes approximately the central limit value (μ = 2) at √ s = 40 GeV and decreases with the increasing of the c.m. energy, departing farther and farther away from the central limit. The Rényi dimensions D( q) decrease with increasing q, lying in a narrow band for different energies. The multi-fractal spectrums are convex curves with maximum at q = 0. The maximum moves along the α-axis to the right with the increasing of energy. The fractal dimension D F , i.e. D( q = 0), almost does not change with energy, while the information dimension D I [ D( q = 1)] and the correlation dimension ν [ D( q = 2)] decrease with the increasing of the c.m. energy when √ s < 80 GeV and approach saturation when √ s > 80 GeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature induced magnetic phase transition in the interstitial compound LaFe11.6Si1.4C0.2 was studied by zero-field Mössbauer spectroscopy. A paramagnetic doublet and a magnetically split sextet co-existed in the zero-field spectra in the temperature region of 213-218 K, and a thermal hysteresis was observed in the heating and cooling cycles. The spectra indicate that the magnetic phase transition induced by temperature is of first order for this sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's dynamic and competitive business environment, it is critical for firms to share information selectively and develop organizational resilience. However, only a few existing studies examine the relationships between information management and supply chain resilience. Aiming to bridge the gaps between both domains, we propose a model encompassing information security culture, information leakage, information sharing effectiveness and supply chain resilience and to derive insights from their inter-relationships in this research. A cross-sectional survey of the multi-national corporations and small and medium enterprises among their senior managers in the United Kingdom was carried out for data collection. The data set was analysed using a structural equation modelling approach. The results obtained validate the proposed model. The findings ascertain that information security culture and information leakage are negatively correlated, which influence the supply chain resilience. Specifically, information security and information leakage affect the effectiveness of information sharing, which in turn positively and negatively influence the supply chain resilience, respectively. This study posits that information security culture is instrumental to mitigate information leakage and foster effective information sharing to strengthen supply chain resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the result of the search for pulses from the fast radio burst FRB 20220912A with the LPA LPI antenna at a frequency of 111 MHz during the period of activity in October–November 2022. As a result of observations, pulses were recorded on October 18, 30 and November 12 with a dispersion measure of pc/cm3 and a peak flux density of 626, 354, and 203 Jy, respectively. The registration of the FRB 20220912A radio burst with the FAST radio telescope on October 28 in the frequency range of 1–1.5 GHz is also reported. The data at other frequencies are analyzed, the dependence of the pulse width on the frequency is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The random bound mixed compound Fe(Br0.8I0.2)2has been investigated by magnetization and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The experimental results for Fe(Br0.8I0.2)2were compared with those of Fe(Br0.6I0.4)2studied previously. A magnetic structure below the magnetic transition temperature observed by Mössbauer spectroscopy has been suggested which shows a large distribution ofthe hyperfinefields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel metal–organic framework (MOF) containing Cu(II) ions with the chemical formula of {[Cu(L)2(H2O)2](DMF)3}n (1) was successfully prepared by solvothermal reaction method using metal Cu2+ ions as nodes and bifunctional ligand 3-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)pyridine as organic linker. The activated MOF 1 (1a) could be utilized as catalyst for solvent-free heterogeneous catalytic cyanosilylation reaction because of its open Cu(II) metal positions, and its large amount of nitrogen atoms could be applied as Lewis basic positions. Thus, its catalytic mechanism was also investigated in detail. The specific mechanism was discussed, and its inhibition of the viability of MGC-803 gastric cancer cells was assessed. First, cell counting kit-8 assay was performed to determine the anti-cancer effect of compound 1a against the viability of MGC-803 cells. Then, Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide method was implemented to determine the percentage of apoptotic MGC-803 cells. Finally, the accumulation of reactive oxygen species in MGC-803 cells treated with the compound was determined via dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the discovery of the double neutron star (DNS) merger event GW170817 by LIGO, DNS systems have become one of the important candidates for gravitational wave (GW) observation. There are 19 DNS systems that have been discovered, and PSR J1906+0746 is the youngest DNS system with the age of about 0.1 Myrs. We simulate its orbital decay over its entire life by the GW radiation from the initial stage to the coalescence. For the DNS PSR J1906+0746, we obtain its initial orbital period of 3.99 hrs (3.98 hrs at present) with the nearly circular orbit, and the merger age of 3.18 × 108 yr. At the last minute of coalescence, corresponding to the orbital radius change from 335 to 30 km, we present the GW frequency to be 30 and 1122 Hz, respectively. As a comparison, with the GW frequency from 45 to 450 Hz, the orbital radii of the source GW170817 correspond to 163 and 57 km, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Owing to the popularity of low-dose computed tomography in lung cancer screening, young women spotted with ground-glass opacities (GGO) is a growing subgroup in clinical practice. We aim to investigate the influence of pregnancy on GGOs suspected for lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: This retrospective study collected a series of female patients who were pregnant in follow-up of GGO lesions. The last CT images of GGO before pregnancy (CT1) and the first CT images after pregnancy (CT2) were reviewed to assess any radiologic change. Young female patients who were not pregnant in long-term (> 12 months) follow-up of GGO were enrolled as a comparison group. We also enrolled patients who gave birth within 2 years before surgical resection of GGOs. Results: Four patients were enrolled according to the criteria. There was no significant change of the GGOs in all four patients with a median follow-up duration of 45.5 (range 17–86) months. Two patients were diagnosed pathologically to be minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, one was invasive adenocarcinoma and one did not underwent surgery. Six patients were enrolled in the comparison group and no significant change was witnessed in all the nodules. In those patients who gave birth within two years before surgical resection of GGOs, we found that the majority present as preinvasive lesions, and those with invasive adenocarcinomas were bigger in size and possess more solid component radiologically. Conclusion: Pregnancy seems to have little impact on GGOs suspected for lung adenocarcinoma. Therefore, pregnancy might be safely planned during the follow-up of GGOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Empty follicle syndrome (EFS) is a complex reproductive disorder characterized by the repeated failure to aspirate oocytes from mature ovarian follicles during in vitro fertilization (IVF). In addition to some cases caused by iatrogenic problems and known genetic factors, there are still many unexplained aspects of EFS. Here, we aimed to assess the clinical and genetic characteristics of two EFS patients. Methods: We have characterized two primary infertility patients with EFS in a nonconsanguineous family from China. Both the patients presented similar clinical phenotypes, that is a few granulosa cells but no oocytes could be retrieved during repeated cycles with normal follicular development, E2 levels, and bioavailable hCG plasma levels. Abnormal oocytes were obtained once or twice between multiple IVF cycles. We performed Sanger sequencing of the LHCGR and ZP1~ZP4 genes in the patients, and further bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify pathogenic elements in the genes. Results: A novel mutation, c.181C>T (p.Arg61Cys), and a known mutation, c.1169_1176delTTTTCCCA (p.Ile390Thrfs*16), in the ZP1 gene were both identified in patient 2, but no mutations were identified in patient 1. The novel mutation inherited from her mother was absent in the control cohort and the ExAc database. The arginine residue is conserved at this position, and its replacement by cysteine was predicted to be deleterious. In another allele, a paternal frameshift mutation was predicted to introduce premature stop codons, resulting in the deletion of 234 amino acids from the C-terminus of the ZP1 protein. Conclusions: Our findings presented compound heterozygous mutations in ZP1 associated with EFS and abnormal oocytes and provided further new evidence for the genetic basis of EFS and support for the genetic diagnosis of infertile individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a high-performance composite photocatalyst composed of WO3 nanosheets and Bi24O31Br10 nanosheets was successfully synthesized. The photocatalytic activity of the obtained samples was studied by the degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride under visible light irradiation. The results showed that Bi24O31Br10 modified with the appropriate amount of WO3 nanosheet exhibits higher catalytic activity and stability during the photocatalytic processes, and the holes (h+) is involved in the photolysis reaction as the main active species. The crystallization, morphology, optical and electrochemical properties of the as-prepared composite photocatalyst were characterized, and the mechanism of high photocatalytic activity was also explored. The optimal sample (10%-WO3/Bi24O31Br10) exhibited the best performance for tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) degradation, and more than 80% of the TC was degraded after 60 min under light irradiation. The degradation rate constant k was about 3.34-fold and 1.54-fold higher than pure WO3 and Bi24O31Br10, respectively. Its high photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the following reasons: the appropriate conduction band and valence band positions between WO3 and Bi24O31Br10, the close contact between the two visible light-driven photocatalysts, and the effective separation of the spatial charge. Our work may help to further expand the potential application of oxygen-rich bismuth oxyhalides photocatalyst in wastewater treatment, and provide a new strategy for the modification of nanostructured photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a novel method that combines gray system theory and robust M-estimation method to suppress the interference in controlled-source electromagnetic data. We estimate the standard deviation of the data using a gray model because of the weak dependence of the gray system on data distribution and size. We combine the proposed and threshold method to identify and eliminate outliers. Robust M-estimation is applied to suppress the effect of the outliers and improve the accuracy. We treat the M-estimators of the preserved data as the true data. We use our method to reject the outliers in simulated signals containing noise to verify the feasibility of our proposed method. The processed values are observed to be approximate to the expected values with high accuracy. The maximum relative error is 3.6676%, whereas the minimum is 0.0251%. In processing field data, we observe that the proposed method eliminates outliers, minimizes the root-mean-square error, and improves the reliability of controlled-source electromagnetic data in follow-up processing and interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute total hip arthroplasty has gained increasing popularity in the treatment of complex acetabular fractures in elderly patients, but the biomechanical evidence is lacking. Therefore, we measured the primary stability to evaluate whether acute total hip arthroplasty using a multi-hole acetabular cup and posterior column plating through a single K-L approach can safely be used for treating complexed acetabular fractures in the elderly.In 18 composite osteoporotic hemipelves, T-type acetabular fractures were treated in three ways: CSP (Cup with acetabular screws augmentation combined with posterior plate) group, CP (Cup without acetabular screw combined with posterior plate) group and CSPA (Cup with acetabular screws combined with posterior plate and anterior plate) group. Each specimen was dynamically loaded (300 to 1700 N, 1 Hz). Primary stability of the acetabular cup and fracture gap was evaluated by 3-dimensional (3D) micromotions.No significant differences in the 3D-micromotions were observed among the CSP, CP and CSPA groups except the test point on the anterior column of the acetabulum in the CP scenario (CSP 49.33 ± 21.08 μm vs. CP 224.83 ± 52.29 μm, p < 0.001; CSPA 45.50 ± 12.16 μm vs. CP 224.83 ± 52.29 μm, p < 0.001). No significant differences in the fracture gap displacement on the posterior column of acetabulum were observed among the CSP, CP and CSPA groups.Our results show, that acute total hip arthroplasty using a multi-hole cup with acetabular screws and posterior column plating through single a K-L approach offers good primary stability to allow good osseous integration for treating complex acetabular fractures in the elderly. Furthermore, it also provides good fracture gap displacement on the posterior column.Methods: Acute total hip arthroplasty has gained increasing popularity in the treatment of complex acetabular fractures in elderly patients, but the biomechanical evidence is lacking. Therefore, we measured the primary stability to evaluate whether acute total hip arthroplasty using a multi-hole acetabular cup and posterior column plating through a single K-L approach can safely be used for treating complexed acetabular fractures in the elderly.In 18 composite osteoporotic hemipelves, T-type acetabular fractures were treated in three ways: CSP (Cup with acetabular screws augmentation combined with posterior plate) group, CP (Cup without acetabular screw combined with posterior plate) group and CSPA (Cup with acetabular screws combined with posterior plate and anterior plate) group. Each specimen was dynamically loaded (300 to 1700 N, 1 Hz). Primary stability of the acetabular cup and fracture gap was evaluated by 3-dimensional (3D) micromotions.No significant differences in the 3D-micromotions were observed among the CSP, CP and CSPA groups except the test point on the anterior column of the acetabulum in the CP scenario (CSP 49.33 ± 21.08 μm vs. CP 224.83 ± 52.29 μm, p < 0.001; CSPA 45.50 ± 12.16 μm vs. CP 224.83 ± 52.29 μm, p < 0.001). No significant differences in the fracture gap displacement on the posterior column of acetabulum were observed among the CSP, CP and CSPA groups.Our results show, that acute total hip arthroplasty using a multi-hole cup with acetabular screws and posterior column plating through single a K-L approach offers good primary stability to allow good osseous integration for treating complex acetabular fractures in the elderly. Furthermore, it also provides good fracture gap displacement on the posterior column.Results: Acute total hip arthroplasty has gained increasing popularity in the treatment of complex acetabular fractures in elderly patients, but the biomechanical evidence is lacking. Therefore, we measured the primary stability to evaluate whether acute total hip arthroplasty using a multi-hole acetabular cup and posterior column plating through a single K-L approach can safely be used for treating complexed acetabular fractures in the elderly.In 18 composite osteoporotic hemipelves, T-type acetabular fractures were treated in three ways: CSP (Cup with acetabular screws augmentation combined with posterior plate) group, CP (Cup without acetabular screw combined with posterior plate) group and CSPA (Cup with acetabular screws combined with posterior plate and anterior plate) group. Each specimen was dynamically loaded (300 to 1700 N, 1 Hz). Primary stability of the acetabular cup and fracture gap was evaluated by 3-dimensional (3D) micromotions.No significant differences in the 3D-micromotions were observed among the CSP, CP and CSPA groups except the test point on the anterior column of the acetabulum in the CP scenario (CSP 49.33 ± 21.08 μm vs. CP 224.83 ± 52.29 μm, p < 0.001; CSPA 45.50 ± 12.16 μm vs. CP 224.83 ± 52.29 μm, p < 0.001). No significant differences in the fracture gap displacement on the posterior column of acetabulum were observed among the CSP, CP and CSPA groups.Our results show, that acute total hip arthroplasty using a multi-hole cup with acetabular screws and posterior column plating through single a K-L approach offers good primary stability to allow good osseous integration for treating complex acetabular fractures in the elderly. Furthermore, it also provides good fracture gap displacement on the posterior column.Conclusion: Acute total hip arthroplasty has gained increasing popularity in the treatment of complex acetabular fractures in elderly patients, but the biomechanical evidence is lacking. Therefore, we measured the primary stability to evaluate whether acute total hip arthroplasty using a multi-hole acetabular cup and posterior column plating through a single K-L approach can safely be used for treating complexed acetabular fractures in the elderly.In 18 composite osteoporotic hemipelves, T-type acetabular fractures were treated in three ways: CSP (Cup with acetabular screws augmentation combined with posterior plate) group, CP (Cup without acetabular screw combined with posterior plate) group and CSPA (Cup with acetabular screws combined with posterior plate and anterior plate) group. Each specimen was dynamically loaded (300 to 1700 N, 1 Hz). Primary stability of the acetabular cup and fracture gap was evaluated by 3-dimensional (3D) micromotions.No significant differences in the 3D-micromotions were observed among the CSP, CP and CSPA groups except the test point on the anterior column of the acetabulum in the CP scenario (CSP 49.33 ± 21.08 μm vs. CP 224.83 ± 52.29 μm, p < 0.001; CSPA 45.50 ± 12.16 μm vs. CP 224.83 ± 52.29 μm, p < 0.001). No significant differences in the fracture gap displacement on the posterior column of acetabulum were observed among the CSP, CP and CSPA groups.Our results show, that acute total hip arthroplasty using a multi-hole cup with acetabular screws and posterior column plating through single a K-L approach offers good primary stability to allow good osseous integration for treating complex acetabular fractures in the elderly. Furthermore, it also provides good fracture gap displacement on the posterior column. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Software-Defined Networking (SDN) has been a focus of research. As a promising network architecture, SDN will possibly replace traditional networking, as it brings promising opportunities for network management in terms of simplicity, programmability, and elasticity. While many efforts are currently being made to standardize this emerging paradigm, careful attention needs to be also paid to security at this early design stage. This paper focuses on the security aspects of SDN. We begin by discussing characteristics and standards of SDN. On the basis of these, we discuss the security features as a whole and then analyze the security threats and countermeasures in detail from three aspects, based on which part of the SDN paradigm they target, i.e., the data forwarding layer, the control layer and the application layer. Countermeasure techniques that could be used to prevent, mitigate, or recover from some of such attacks are also described, while the threats encountered when developing these defensive mechanisms are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential role of DNA methylation from paracancerous tissues in cancer diagnosis has not been explored until now. In this study, we built classification models using well-known machine learning models based on DNA methylation profiles of paracancerous tissues. We evaluated our methods on nine cancer datasets collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and utilized fivefold cross-validation to assess the performance of models. Additionally, we performed gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis on the basis of the significant CpG sites selected by feature importance scores of XGBoost model, aiming to identify biological pathways involved in cancer progression. We also exploited the XGBoost algorithm to classify cancer types using DNA methylation profiles of paracancerous tissues in external validation datasets. Comparative experiments suggested that XGBoost achieved better predictive performance than the other four machine learning methods in predicting cancer stage. GO enrichment analysis revealed key pathways involved, highlighting the importance of paracancerous tissues in cancer progression. Furthermore, XGBoost model can accurately classify nine different cancers from TCGA, and the feature sets selected by XGBoost can also effectively predict seven cancer types on independent GEO datasets. This study provided new insights into cancer diagnosis from an epigenetic perspective and may facilitate the development of personalized diagnosis and treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemoproteins play important roles in physiological activities in animals and plants. The research on the structures and properties of hemoproteins can better understand the relationship between structure and function of hemoproteins and expand the application fields and scopes of hemoproteins. In this report, the peroxidase activity, stability and structure changes of cytochrome c (Cyt c) and quench treatment Cyt c at different pH values and different quenching temperatures were studied by UV–Vis spectroscopy, circular dichroism, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and electrochemical methods, respectively. The results indicated: 1. The optimal pH value and temperature for Cyt c quench treatment were pH 9 and 85 °C (marked as Q-Cyt c), respectively, in 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer solution (PBS). 2. The Michaelis–Menten constant Km, maximum catalytic rate Vmax and catalytic rate constant Kcat of Q-Cyt c were calculated to be 3.8 μM, 0.42 μM·s−1 and 0.085 s−1, respectively, in 50 mM pH 9 PBS. The catalytic efficiency of Q-Cyt c was 0.022 μM−1 s−1, which was 30% of the catalytic efficiency of horseradish peroxidase (0.0742 μM−1 s−1). 3. Compared with natural Cyt c, while the overall structure of Q-Cyt c became looser, its hydrophobicity had changed. At the same time, the degree of exposure and hydrophobicity of the heme structure decreased, respectively. 4. The content of Random-Coil structure of Q-Cyt c would restore to its state at room temperature, while the other secondary structures maintained their structures at high temperature (below denaturation temperature) before quenching. 5. The formal potential of Q-Cyt c was greater than that of Cyt c, the hydrophobicity of Q-Cyt c was enhanced compared with Cyt c, which might lead to the decreased stability and improved catalytic activity of Q-Cyt c. 6. Q-Cyt c could be used in industrial decolorization and biosensor construction. 7. Quench treatment may be an effective method to transform Cyt c from a classical redox protein to a peroxidase like enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) activation induces type I interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines which stimulate tumor antigen cross presentation and the adaptive immune responses against tumor. The first-generation of STING agonists, cyclic di-nucleotide (CDN), mimicked the endogenous STING ligand cyclic guanosine monophosphate adenosine monophosphate, and displayed limited clinical efficacy. Here we report the discovery of SHR1032, a novel small molecule non-CDN STING agonist. Compared to the clinical CDN STING agonist ADU-S100, SHR1032 has much higher activity in human cells with different STING haplotypes and robustly induces interferon β (IFNβ) production. When dosed intratumorally, SHR1032 induced strong anti-tumor effects in the MC38 murine syngeneic tumor model. Pharmacodynamic studies showed induction of IFNβ, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the tumors and, to a lower extent, in the plasma. More importantly, we found SHR1032 directly causes cell death in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that in addition to their established ability to boost anti-tumor immune responses, STING agonists can directly eradicate AML cells, and SHR1032 may present a new and promising therapeutic agent for cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of the piezo-composite transducer is greatly influenced by the matching layers. Based on finite element analysis and artificial intelligence, an optimization design method is proposed to optimize the matching layers of a 2–2 piezo-composite transducer for biomedical imaging. The neural networks are trained by the finite element analysis data to build up the mapping relationship between the thickness of matching layers and the performance. The optimization criteria are established based on the performance (centre frequency, bandwidth, and peak-to-peak voltage) and minimizing the material consumption. The thicknesses of matching layers are optimized by using a particle swarm optimization algorithm. The optimized thicknesses of both matching layers are 49 μm. The optimized centre frequency, bandwidth, and peak-to-peak voltage are 9.1 MHz, 72.5%, and 2.26 V, which can nearly achieve the designed targets (9.5 MHz, 75%, and 2.20 V). According to the optimized thicknesses of matching layers, the fabricated 2–2 piezo-composite transducer exhibits a centre frequency of 9.8 MHz, a bandwidth of 79.6%, and a peak-to-peak voltage of 2.11 V verifies the effectiveness and availability of the proposed method. Then, the piezo-composite transducer is hard-pressed for ultrasonic imaging. The press-focused piezo-composite transducer has an insertion loss of -19.1 dB at 10 MHz, a lateral resolution of 125 μm at 4 mm, and an axial resolution of 132 μm. The good resolution was confirmed by scanning the pig eyeball, which suggests that the 2–2 piezo-composite transducer with optimized matching layers has great potential in biomedical imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass-based protic ionic liquids (BILs), green solvents with inherent properties, have the potential as precursors of functionalized catalytic carbon materials. Simple one-step design and preparation of BILs-based porous carbon-based materials remains a challenge. Our demonstration here was to use BIL as an important precursor for synthesizing porous carbon-coated CoP nanocrystals by facile one-pot carbonization process. The as-prepared CoP@NPC-900 has a specific surface area of 979.67 m2 g−1 without activator and simultaneously exhibits excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance with a low overpotential of 181 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and small Tafel slope of 59 mV dec−1 in acid solution. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate lower adsorption free energy and rapid electron transfer between CoP nanocrystals and N, P co-doped porous carbon (NPC) are key factors of improving the HER performance. Our research opens up a new use of BILs, as well as provides a facile strategy to promote practical application of transition metal phosphides for HER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The unstable intertrochanteric femur fracture remains a challenge for surgeons. However, few studies have compared the clinical effectiveness of intramedullary nail in combination with a reconstruction plate and intramedullary nail alone in the treatment of patients with unstable intertrochanteric femoral fractures with lateral wall damage. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed 16 patients with 31 A3 intertrochanteric fractures treated with the intramedullary nail in combination with reconstruction plate (the study group) and 19 patients with 31 A3 intertrochanteric fractures treated with intramedullary nail alone (the control group) between January 2012 and January 2018. The operation time, intra-operative blood loss, time of fracture healing, and complication rates of post-operative fixation failure were assessed between the two groups. At the follow-up of post-operative six and 12 months, Harris hip score (HHS) and the Parker-Palmer mobility score (PPMS) were used to evaluate the functional states and mobility levels. Results: The distribution of all basic characteristics was similar between the two groups (P ˃ 0.05). The study group had longer operation time and more intra-operative blood loss in comparison with the control group (P < 0.001), while the study group had shorter fracture healing time (P = 0.03) and lower fixation failure rate as compared with the control group. Regarding the functional outcome, the study group had higher HHSs and PPMS than the control group (P = 0.003). Conclusions: Although intramedullary nails in combination with reconstruction plates had longer operation time and more intra-operative blood loss, it might be superior to intramedullary nail alone in terms of fracture healing time, fixation failure complication rate, and post-operative functional recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stray grains, the most serious casting defect, mainly occur in the platform because of the abrupt transition of the cross-section in the directional solidification of superalloy single-crystal blades. A new mould baffle technology based on 3D printing and gelcasting is proposed herein to reduce the formation of stray grains in the platform. The influence of the proposed mould baffle technology on the temperature field in the platform during solidification was investigated by simulation and experiment. The numerical simulation results indicate that the proposed mould baffle technology can effectively hinder the radiation and heat dissipation at the platform extremities, and therefore, reduce undercooling in the platform and the formation of stray grains during directional solidification. Casting trials of a hollow turbine blade were conducted using CMSX-4 superalloy. The trial results demonstrate the potential of the proposed approach for manufacturing single-crystal superalloy blades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]