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Artificial Intelligence (AI) assumes a pivotal role in Earth science, leveraging deep learning's predictive capabilities. Despite its prevalence, the impact of AI on scientific discovery remains uncertain. In Earth sciences, the emphasis extends beyond mere accuracy, striving for groundbreaking discoveries with distinct physical properties essential for driving advancements through thorough analysis. Here, we introduce a novel knowledge-guided deep symbolic regression model (KG-DSR) incorporating prior knowledge of physical process interactions into the network. Using KG-DSR, we successfully derived the Penman-Monteith (PM) equation and generated a novel surface resistance parameterization. This new parameterization, grounded in fundamental cognitive principles, surpasses the conventional theory currently accepted in surface resistance parameterization. Importantly, the explicit physical processes generated by AI can generalize to future climate scenarios beyond the training data. Our results emphasize the role of AI in unraveling process intricacies and ushering in a new paradigm in tasks related to "AI for Land Surface Modeling." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The degree of students' attentiveness in the classroom is known as learning attention and is the main indicator used to portray students' learning status in the classroom. Studying smart classroom time-series image data and analyzing students' attention to learning are important tools for improving student learning effects. To this end, this paper proposes a learning attention analysis algorithm based on the head pose sight estimation.The algorithm first employs multi-scale hourglass attention to enable the head pose estimation model to capture more spatial pose features.It is also proposed that the multi-classification multi-regression losses guide the model to learn different granularity of pose features, making the model more sensitive to subtle inter-class distinction of the data;Second, a sight estimation algorithm on 3D space is innovatively adopted to compute the coordinates of the student's sight landing point through the head pose; Finally, a model of sight analysis over the duration of a knowledge point is constructed to characterize students' attention to learning. Experiments show that the algorithm in this paper can effectively reduce the head pose estimation error, accurately characterize students' learning attention, and provide strong technical support for the analysis of students' learning effect. The algorithm demonstrates its potential application value and can be deployed in smart classrooms in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of a tube-beam front subframe was optimized to meet performance and lightweight requirements. Firstly, a 3D mesh model of the subframe was established using HyperMesh software, and the optimization space was determined through sensitivity analysis. Then, the topology optimization was conducted using Optistruct analysis software to determine the layout of the subframe and the optimal position of the cross member. By comparing the performance of the subframe before and after conducting topology optimization under various working conditions, it was observed that the static stiffness at the most critical points of the optimized subframe was significantly improved. Additionally, the strength and modal characteristics were enhanced. Finally, the optimized scheme was verified through bench tests with high accuracy and feasibility, providing a valuable reference for future tube-and-beam subframe design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relaxor ferroelectrics are highly desired for pulse-power dielectric capacitors, however it has become a bottleneck that substantial enhancements of energy density generally sacrifice energy efficiency under superhigh fields. Here, we demonstrate a novel concept of highly polarizable concentrated dipole glass in delicately-designed high-entropy (Bi1/3Ba1/3Na1/3)(Fe2/9Ti5/9Nb2/9)O3 ceramic achieved via substitution of multiple heterovalent ferroelectric-active principal cation species on equivalent lattice sites. The atomic-scaled polar heterogeneity of dipoles with different polar vectors between adjacent unit cells enables diffuse reorientation process but disables appreciable growth with electric fields. These unique features cause superior recoverable energy density of ~15.9 J cm−3 and efficiency of ~93.3% in bulk ceramics. We also extend the highly polarizable concentrated dipole glass to the prototype multilayer ceramic capacitor, which exhibits record-breaking recoverable energy density of ~26.3 J cm−3 and efficiency of ~92.4% with excellent temperature and cycle stability. This research presents a distinctive approach for designing high-performance energy-storage dielectric capacitors. The authors introduce the concept of highly polarizable concentrated dipole glass, involving the reduction of polar order scale from the nanoscaled polar nanodomains in traditional relaxor ferroelectrics to atomic-scale individual dipoles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experimental study examined ways to reduce stigma against children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. We randomly assigned 220 Chinese pre-service teachers to one of the four experimental groups in which they read a vignette describing a student with ADHD symptoms. The contents of the vignettes differed from one another on two dimensions: (a) the causes of the symptoms (biomedical versus social) and (b) the extent to which the student has exerted effort to improve (high effort versus low effort). Participants who received biomedical explanations of ADHD ascribed less blame to the target compared with those who received social explanations. However, the group difference was only significant in the "low-effort" group, but not in the "high-effort" group. Similarly, the "biomedical" group indicated higher levels of entity beliefs than the "social" group, but the group difference was only significant in the "low-effort" group but not in the "high-effort" group. Finally, participants in the "high-effort" condition reported a stronger intention to interact with the target compared with participants in the "low-effort" condition, whereas onset causal attributions did not affect participants' ratings on behavioural intention. These findings may have implications for reducing ADHD stigma and bear relevance to other kinds of social stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous techniques for achieving superhydrophobic modification of cotton fabrics are documented in existing literature. However, pursuing multifunctionality, especially concerning textile performance, remains a topic of significant research interest. This study introduced a straightforward yet highly effective method for producing modified cotton fabric (SFC) exhibiting a vibrant orange-yellow coloration, along with exceptional self-cleaning, stain-resistant, UV-blocking, anti-icing, and photothermal de-icing properties, through the utilization of ferric chloride hexahydrate (FeCl3·6H2O) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The surface of the SFC was evenly coated with small nanoparticles, identified by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) as β-FeOOH. The SFC displayed a water contact angle of 165.9° and a sliding angle of 2°, demonstrating outstanding superhydrophobicity. In addition, the SFC achieved a UPF value of 80, indicating exceptional UV-blocking capabilities. Additionally, the SFC exhibited remarkable stability when subjected to harsh conditions, including exposure to strong acid (pH = 1) and alkali (pH = 13), various chemical reagents, 600 min of water washing, and 30 cycles of abrasion testing. The approach proposed in this study offers the advantages of cost-effectiveness, environmental friendliness, and fluorine-free characteristics, and is applicable across a range of fabrics, and has certain practical utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alveolar bone regeneration has been strongly linked to macrophage polarization. M1 macrophages aggravate alveolar bone loss, whereas M2 macrophages reverse this process. Berberine (BBR), a natural alkaloid isolated and refined from Chinese medicinal plants, has shown therapeutic effects in treating metabolic disorders. In this study, we first discovered that culture supernatant (CS) collected from BBR-treated human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (HBMSCs) ameliorated periodontal alveolar bone loss. CS from the BBR-treated HBMSCs contained bioactive materials that suppressed the M1 polarization and induced the M2 polarization of macrophages in vivo and in vitro. To clarify the underlying mechanism, the bioactive materials were applied to different animal models. We discovered macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), which regulates macrophage polarization and promotes bone formation, a key macromolecule in the CS. Injection of pure M-CSF attenuated experimental periodontal alveolar bone loss in rats. Colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) inhibitor or anti-human M-CSF (M-CSF neutralizing antibody, Nab) abolished the therapeutic effects of the CS of BBR-treated HBMSCs. Moreover, AKT phosphorylation in macrophages was activated by the CS, and the AKT activator reversed the negative effect of the CSF1R inhibitor or Nab. These results suggest that the CS of BBR-treated HBMSCs modulates macrophage polarization via the M-CSF/AKT axis. Further studies also showed that CS of BBR-treated HBMSCs accelerated bone formation and M2 polarization in rat teeth extraction sockets. Overall, our findings established an essential role of BBR-treated HBMSCs CS and this might be the first report to show that the products of BBR-treated HBMSCs have active effects on alveolar bone regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated induction heating and mechanical rolling forming (IH-MRF) is a new method for producing complex curvature hull plates. The plate undergoes deformation through sequential or simultaneous action of induction heating and mechanical rolling. Understanding the mechanism of this forming process is essential for developing intelligent forming systems. Finite element simulation is a leading research tool in this area. However, the rigorous requirements on the number of model nodes and incremental steps of the simulation for direct modeling of inductor and rollers result in inefficient modeling and calculation processes. To address this issue, an equivalent load model for IH-MRF simulation is proposed in this study. The inductor is simplified to an equivalent heat source model, and the roller is simplified to an equivalent mechanical load model. The equivalent load model for the simultaneous action of induction heating and mechanical rolling is a simple superposition of the equivalent heat source model and the equivalent mechanical load model. The experiment and simulation results are consistent in terms of temperature trends, temperature values, and deformation. The research in this paper lays the foundation for developing an intelligent IH-MRF forming system based on finite element simulation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium alginate, as one of natural polymer existing in marine plants, can function as precursor of carbon-based microwave-absorbing materials with the advantages of low cost, easy degradation, and non-toxicity. However, its resultant carbon-based materials suffer from the poor impedance matching and low lossy capacity due to no magnetism and small amount of interface. In this work, CoNi alloy nanoparticles were uniformly located on the surface of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) derived from the sodium alginate fabricated by the electrospinning and solvothermal method to construct the CNFs/CoNi nanocomposites. The results show that CNFs/CoNi nanocomposites have the good absorbing performance, where the minimum RL of − 56.96 dB at a very thin thickness of 1.63 mm and an effective absorption bandwidth of 5.3 GHz (12.7–18 GHz) at a very thin thickness of 1.7 mm are obtained, respectively. The excellent wave-absorbing performance is mainly attributed to the appropriate impedance matching and high attenuation factor. The multilevel interfacial polarization from the interfaces between CoNi nanoparticles and carbon nanofiber makes the main contribution to the wave-absorbing performance at the whole test frequency range, while the natural ferromagnetic resonance of CoNi composition dominates the low frequency range and eddy current loss plays a major role at higher frequency range. This work develops a simple method for designing high-performance microwave-absorbing nanocomposites by using the marine raw materials of sodium alginate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While virus-vector-crop interactions have received considerable attention, free-living plants growing in cultivated areas ('weeds') can also serve as viral reservoirs. Although weed-to-crop transmission is well documented, less is known about crop-to-weed transmission and how the interplay between the two plant groups affects disease dynamics. We explored reciprocal viral transmission of Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) between tomatoes and ToCV-susceptible weeds by Bemisia tabaci MED. A field survey assessed Bemisia density and ToCV titer in virus-susceptible weeds; a parallel experiment demonstrated that their removal reduced ToCV infection in tomatoes. Weeds growing far from greenhouses had lower rates of ToCV infection than greenhouse-adjacent ones, suggesting reciprocal crop-weed viral exchange. While Bemisia preferred tomato over weeds, vector density and viral infection of near-greenhouse populations of the dominant weed Amaranthus retroflexus increased following tomato harvest. ToCV infection altered volatile production in A. retroflexus; the Bemisia-attractant compound neophytadiene increased 26-fold in infected plants. Because temperatures increase over the growing season, we also explored the relationship between temperature, neophytadiene levels, and whitefly preference: plants grown at higher temperatures produced more neophytadiene and were preferred by whiteflies. We also assessed volatile production and jasmonic acid levels in control A. retroflexus versus those previously fed upon by either virus-free or viruliferous Bemisia. The largest shifts occurred in plants fed upon by viruliferous whiteflies, demonstrating that ToCV rather than Bemisia feeding explained the observed changes. Our results suggest that post-harvest viral transfer from crops to weeds may play an important role in driving disease outbreaks the following season and identify some simple but effective ways of reducing transmission into weedy plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigated the longitudinal associations among helicopter parenting, self-control, and school burnout over a one-year period in 416 Chinese adolescents (Time 1 Mage= 16.23, SD = 0.77). Perceived maternal helicopter parenting was significantly associated with lower levels of self-control and higher levels of school burnout experienced by adolescents at both time points. After controlling for the autoregressive effect of self-control at Time 1, adolescents' perceptions of maternal helicopter parenting at Time 1 predicted lower levels of self-control at Time 2. Perceived maternal helicopter parenting at Time 1 did not predict school burnout at Time 2 after the autoregressive effect of school burnout at Time 1 was considered. Earlier levels of self-control predicted higher levels of school burnout at Time 2 even after the autoregressive effect of school burnout at Time 1 was considered. By contrast, earlier levels of school burnout of adolescents did not predict self-control ability longitudinally. Taken together, these results support a unidirectional hypothesis that helicopter parenting contributes to school burnout through lowering individuals' competence in self-regulation. Perceived maternal warmth did not moderate the associations between maternal helicopter parenting with self-control and school burnout, which suggests that helicopter parenting may still be maladaptive for academic-related outcomes even it is perceived to be warm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure during pregnancy has been related to IUGR. Here, we explored whether paternal LPS exposure before mating impaired fetal development. All male mice except controls were intraperitoneally injected with LPS every other day for a total of five injections. The next day after the last LPS, male mice were mated with untreated female mice. Interestingly, fetal weight and crown-rump length were reduced, while the incidence of IUGR was increased in paternal LPS exposure group. Additionally, paternal LPS exposure leaded to poor placental development through causing cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis. Additional experiment demonstrated that the inactivation of placental PI3K/AKT pathway might be involved in paternal LPS-induced cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis of trophoblast cells. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein levels of mesoderm specific transcript (MEST), a maternally imprinted gene with paternal expression, were significantly decreased in mouse placentas from paternal LPS exposure. Further analysis showed that paternal LPS exposure caused the inactivation of placental PI3K/AKT pathway and then cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis might be via down-regulating placental MEST. Overall, our results provide evidence that paternal LPS exposure causes poor placental development and subsequently IUGR may be via down-regulating MEST/PI3K/AKT pathway, and then inducing cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis in placentas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current induced spin-orbit torque (SOT) holds great promise for next generation magnetic-memory technology. Field-free SOT switching of perpendicular magnetization requires the breaking of in-plane symmetry, which can be artificially introduced by external magnetic field, exchange coupling or device asymmetry. Recently it has been shown that the exploitation of inherent crystal symmetry offers a simple and potentially efficient route towards field-free switching. However, applying this approach to the benchmark SOT materials such as ferromagnets and heavy metals is challenging. Here, we present a strategy to break the in-plane symmetry of Pt/Co heterostructures by designing the orientation of Burgers vectors of dislocations. We show that the lattice of Pt/Co is tilted by about 1.2° when the Burgers vector has an out-of-plane component. Consequently, a tilted magnetic easy axis is induced and can be tuned from nearly in-plane to out-of-plane, enabling the field-free SOT switching of perpendicular magnetization components at room temperature with a relatively low current density (~1011 A/m2) and excellent stability (> 104 cycles). This strategy is expected to be applicable to engineer a wide range of symmetry-related functionalities for future electronic and magnetic devices. Switching the magnetization of a ferromagnetic layer with a current induced spin-orbit torques requires the breaking symmetry, either via an in-plane magnetic field, or in the case of field-free switching via a device asymmetry. Here, Liang et al carefully control the Burgers vector of crystal dislocations to break the in-plane symmetry and allow for field-free switching of magnetization in a Pt/Co heterostructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyhedral distortion, associated closely with the atomic arrangement and interatomic interactions, drives many unique behaviors in solids, such as phase transition and negative thermal expansion. In thermoelectric heteroanionic oxides, the anionic polyhedra are widely present, but their effect on thermal transport is rarely investigated. Here, we report an anomalous thermal conduction induced by local symmetry distortion in layered oxyselenides via solving the Boltzmann transport equation based on first-principles calculations. We found interestingly that lighter BiCuSeO exhibits lower thermal conductivity than heavier BiAgSeO. Due to the different distorted degrees of CuSe4 and AgSe4 tetrahedrons, Cu prefers the in-plane vibration, while Ag has more tendency of out-of-plane vibration. Thus, the heat-carrying phonons dominated by the rattling-like vibration of Cu are significantly suppressed, resulting in lower thermal conductivity of BiCuSeO. This study highlights the importance of polyhedral distortion in regulating thermal conduction in layered heteroanionic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of students' classroom behavior is an important part of classroom teaching evaluation. However, teachers cannot timely, objectively and accurately evaluate the listening status of each student in the class. We offer a multitask classroom behavior recognition method that combines human pose estimation and object detection. First, the target detector extracts the individual region from the keyframe as the network's input. Then, the multitask heatmap network (MTHN) module extracts the intermediate heatmap of multiscale feature association. The attitude estimation and target detection tasks are constructed by mapping relations to obtain the keypoints and object position information. Finally, the keypoints behavior vector and the metric vector are used to model the behavior, and a classroom behavior detection algorithm based on the fully connected network is designed. Additionally, we created a classroom dataset with pose estimation, objects, and behavior labels. Meanwhile, transfer learning is used to solve the problem of insufficient sample size. After several experiments, we show that the detection accuracy of the proposed multitask learning-based student behavior recognition algorithm reaches more than 90%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large-area laser-clad coating was realized by overlapping laser tracks and thus presents overlap and non-overlap zones on the surface. The microstructure and corrosion behaviors of the overlap and non-overlap zones of the multi-track laser-clad nickel-based alloy coating at various flow rates and impact angles were investigated. Results indicated that overlap zone presented coarse columnar dendrites rather than cellular structures. The primary phases were mainly composed of γ-Ni, and the precipitation at the grain boundary was Ni6Mo6C. At the impact angle of 60° and flow rate of 6 m/s, overlap zone showed 2.0 × 10–7 A/cm2 higher stable potentiostatic polarization current density at passivation film destruction and furrow formation than non-overlap zone. The increase content of Mox+ (Mo) in non-overlap zone was 4.38% more than that in overlap zone after corrosion indicating the better Cl− corrosion resistance. The current densities increased with the enhanced flow rate. At the impact angle of 60°, the flow rate increased from 1 to 6 m/s, and the potentiostatic current density increased by 3.0 × 10–7–3.7 × 10–7 A/cm2. With the increase of the impact angle, the stable current densities increased first and then decreased. And the surface morphology changed from long and shallow ravines to short deep gully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Thermoelectric materials can realize direct conversion between heat and electricity, showing excellent potential for waste heat recovery. Cu2Se is a typical superionic conductor thermoelectric material having extraordinary ZT values, but its superionic feature causes poor service stability and low mobility. Here, we reported a fast preparation method of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis to realize in situ compositing of BiCuSeO and Cu2Se to optimize the service stability. Additionally, using the interface design by introducing graphene in these composites, the carrier mobility could be obviously enhanced, and the strong phonon scatterings could lead to lower lattice thermal conductivity. Ultimately, the Cu2Se-BiCuSeO-graphene composites presented excellent thermoelectric properties with a ZTmax value of ~2.82 at 1000 K and a ZTave value of ~1.73 from 473 K to 1000 K. This work provides a facile and effective strategy to largely improve the performance of Cu2Se-based thermoelectric materials, which could be further adopted in other thermoelectric systems. Here, the authors devise a synthesis strategy to optimize the stability and thermoelectric performance of Cu2Se-based materials. They obtain a maximum ZT value of ~2.82 at 1000 K on Cu2Se-BiCuSeO-graphene composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the efficacy of propranolol in the treatment of infantile hemangioma (IH) has been well established, clinical data on the safety and tolerability of propranolol in neonates are still lacking. In this work, clinical data of 112 neonates with IH were analyzed retrospectively. All of the patients were evaluated in the hospital at the beginning of the treatment and later in outpatient settings during the treatment. Each time, the following monitoring methods were applied: physical examination, ultrasound echocardiography (UCG), electrocardiography (ECG), blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and basic laboratory tests including blood glucose (BG), liver function, blood potassium, thyroid function. There was a significant reduction in BP and HR at the initiation of treatment. The incidences of bradycardia and hypoglycemia were observed to be increased with the prolong duration of treatment, but not prolonged PR interval. During the course of the therapy, the risk of hyperkalemia and hypothyroidism was reached maximum at the 2 months and 3 months, respectively. Physical growth index including average height, weight and head circumference was not influenced by the treatment. The observed adverse effects were majority mild and only 3 patients needed to rest for 7 days due to severe diarrhea before restarting treatment. This study demonstrated that propranolol is safe and well-tolerated by properly selected young infants with IH. No serious adverse events were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to explore the 5Ts teach-back(5Ts) to improve oral nutritional supplements (ONS) compliance of discharged patients after gastric cancer surgery. Setting and methods: Patients were recruited from the Bethune First Hospital of Jilin University. The patients were randomly assigned to 5Ts (n = 54) and routine health education (n = 54). Weekly ONS compliance was collected by “weekly ONS diary.” ONS knowledge, health literacy, and health education satisfaction were collected at baseline and 5 weeks after discharge. Chi-square test, Mann–Whitney U test, and T test were used for data analysis. Results: At the end of the intervention, there were 41 and 40 patients in intervention and control group. 5Ts significantly improve ONS compliance, ONS knowledge level (P = 0.000), health literacy level (P = 0.011), and health education satisfaction (P = 0.009) of patients. At the end of follow-up, there were 30 and 27 patients in two groups, and no significant difference in ONS compliance (P = 0.728). Conclusion: The 5Ts can significantly improve patients’ ONS compliance and the effect of health education. Trial registration number: This prospective trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry at ChiCTR2000040986 (). Patient or public contribution: Jia Wang and Haiyan Hu contributed to the performance of the study, analysis and interpretation the data, and drafted the manuscript; Jianan Sun and Qing Zhang contributed to the supervision of the study and interpreted the data; Zhiming Chen contributed to the analysis and interpretation the data; Qiuchen Wang contributed to the performance of the study and revised the manuscript; Mingyue Zhu contributed to interpretation the data; Jiannan Yao contributed to revise the manuscript; Hua Yuan and Xiuying Zhang contributed to the conception of the study, performed the study, interpreted the data, and significantly revised the manuscript. All authors screened the final version of the manuscript. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) waves have been frequently observed during the northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) but have been much less frequently observed during the southward IMF. Here, we performed a 3D MHD simulation of a KH wave to investigate the evolution of KH instability under the pure southward IMF condition. In the linear phase of KH instability, there are almost no jet flows along northward and southward. In the nonlinear growth phase, the width of the KH vortex is about ∼ 12 λ , and the duration time of the KH vortex is about ∼ 20 t A . Moreover, the obvious jet flows whose peak V z value is about ∼ 0.5 V A are distributed in both the spine region and the edge of the KH vortex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To cure advanced hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC), primary operation followed by adjuvant (chemo-)radiotherapy (OP-CRT) or definitive chemoradiation (CCRT) are the two primary options. This study aimed to compare the failure patterns and long-term survival outcomes of HPSCC patients treated with these two strategies. Patients and Methods: From 2007 to 2015, 198 pathologically confirmed HPSCC patients receiving either OP-CRT or CCRT were retrospectively reviewed. Failure patterns and survival outcomes stratified by the 7th American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system and treatment modalities were compared. Results: One hundred and eighty-nine patients (95.4%) were stage III/IV and 62 patients (31.3%) received OP-CRT. Median follow-up duration was 4.9 years. Compared with CCRT, OP-CRT provided better 3-year local relapse-free survival for T3 (93 vs 48%, p < 0.0001), T4a (88 vs 37%, p = 0.0005) and better 3-year regional relapse-free survival for N2b+2c (93 vs 60%, p < 0.0001). Of note, for stage IVA subjects, OP-CRT provided better 3-year loco-regional relapse-free survival (85 vs 37%, p < 0.0001), marginal poor 3-year distant metastasis-free survival (62 vs 79%, p = 0.06), but comparable 3-year OS (52 vs 44%, p = 0.37) and 5-year OS (44 vs 31%, p = 0.15) compared with CCRT. Conclusions: For patients with advanced HPSCC, although OP-CRT and CCRT provided similar overall survival, failure patterns were distinct. OP-CRT provided better loco-regional control but was more likely to encounter distant metastases than CCRT. The detailed analysis of failure patterns will pave the way to improve this devastating disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the original publication, Sect. 2.1 was published incorrectly as below. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Under the umbrella of social cognitive theory, we examined the influences of personal, environmental, and behavioral factors on adherence to healthy eating behaviors among colorectal cancer survivors. Methods: Based on Pluye and Hong’s framework, a systematic mixed studies review was conducted. An extensive search strategy was applied in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO (from date of record to 2022 January 22). The pillar integration process was employed to integrate the extracted data. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to appraise the quality of all retained studies. Results: Twenty-eight studies with a total sample size of 5106 were included in the analysis, with 15 quantitative studies, 12 qualitative studies, and 1 mixed method study. The critical appraisal showed that 22 of the 28 studies (79%) were rated with five stars, while 6 (21%) were rated with four stars. The personal factors influencing adherence to healthy eating behaviors among colorectal cancer survivors included outcome expectancies, self-efficacy, psychological factors, knowledge about healthy eating, demographic and disease characteristics, environmental factors incorporated outside information on healthy eating, power of surrounding people, social activities, cultural milieus, socioeconomic status, and education. The behavioral factors included self-regulation of diet, goals, and other behaviors closely related to healthy eating behaviors. Conclusions: Adherence to healthy eating behaviors among colorectal cancer survivors was influenced collectively by personal factors, environmental factors and behavioral factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the morphology of paired fibula and mandible aiming to choose optimal fibular segments for mandibular reconstruction in a Chinses population. A total of 118 cases of paired mandible and fibula was collected. All patients were received preoperative cone beam CT (CBCT) scans for mandibular evaluation and CT-angiographical (CTA) examination of the bilateral lower legs, respectively. The cross-sectional morphological differences between proximal (Side P), middle (Side M) and distal (Side D) segments of fibula and anterior, premolar and molar areas of mandible were compared. The most frequent cross-sectional shape at Side D, Side M and Side P portion of fibula was circular (75.4%), triangular (67.8%) and circular (49.2%), respectively. In anterior, premolar and molar areas of mandible, the most of the cross-section was s-shape (90.82%), straight (83.64%) and oblique (91.89%), respectively. The height and width of upper one third (W1) at Side M were significantly larger than those of Side D and Side P (p < 0.0001). There was significantly difference of width of lower one third (W2) among three groups (p < 0.0001). As for the height and widths of mandible, there was significant difference among anterior, premolar and molar regions (p < 0.0001). The rate of height between Side M of fibula and mandible (H (Side M/area)) was significantly larger than H (Side D/area) and H (Side P/area) (p < 0.01). The ratio of W1 between Side D of fibula and mandible (W1 (Side D/area)) was significantly larger than that of W1 (Side M/area) and W1 (side P/area) (p < 0.05). As for the ratio of W2 between fibula and mandible (W2 (plane/area)), there was significant difference among groups (p < 0.01). The distal and middle segments of fibula were suitable for reconstructing the anterior area of mandible and the proximal segment of fibula was more compatible with the premolar and molar areas of mandible. Clinical Relevance Presurgical morphometric analysis of paired fibula and mandible aids for optimal fibular-based mandibular reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Grain size is a direct determinant of grain weight and yield in rice; however, the genetic and molecular mechanisms determining grain size remain largely unknown. Findings: We identified a mutant, wide grain 3 (wg3), which exhibited significantly increased grain width and 1000-grain weight. Cytological analysis showed that WG3 regulates grain size by affecting cell proliferation. MutMap-based gene cloning and a transgenic experiment demonstrated that WG3 encodes a GRAS protein. Moreover, we found that WG3 directly interacts with DWARF AND LOW-TILLERING (DLT), a previously reported GRAS protein, and a genetic experiment demonstrated that WG3 and DLT function in a common pathway to regulate grain size. Additionally, a brassinosteroid (BR) sensitivity test suggested that WG3 has a positive role in BR signaling in rice. Collectively, our results reveal a new genetic and molecular mechanism for the regulation of grain size in rice by the WG3-DLT complex, and highlight the important functions of the GRAS protein complex in plants. Conclusion: WG3 functions directly in regulating grain size and BR signaling in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purposes: Patients after gastrectomy have poor compliance with oral nutritional supplement (ONS) therapy. Incorporating patient preferences into treatment decisions allows possible product improvements or treatment focus adjustments. The purpose of this research was to investigate the preferences for ONS therapy among postoperative patients with gastric cancer, and to provide person-centered oral nutrition management strategies.Methods: A discrete choice experiment was designed and implemented within a Chinese cancer population. The survey was administered via paper-based questionnaires during face-to-face interviews with assistance from health professionals. A mixed logit model was used to estimate respondents' preferences for different levels of nutrition therapy attributes.Results: One hundred ninety respondents valued "Adverse reactions-almost none" (β 3.43 [SE, 0.28]) the most, followed by "Flavor-good taste" (β 0.68 [SE, 0.13]) and "Follow-up frequency-once every 2 weeks" (β 0.52 [SE, 0.13]), and were willing to pay more for these attribute levels. Respondents would be 93.73% more likely to accept a nutrition therapy program if there were almost no adverse reactions compared to the frequent adverse reactions.Conclusions: Health professionals should pay attention to the management and prevention of adverse reactions when prescribing nutritional products, and provide diversified ONS products when necessary to meet patient preferences. When formulating intervention strategies, health professionals should also consider the different characteristics of patients, acknowledge the importance of the role of nurse specialists in a novel model of multidisciplinary nutritional care, standardize ONS information, follow up regularly, and encourage patients' families to participate in daily nutrition care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is the established treatment for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, there is no evidence supporting routine adjuvant chemotherapy. We aimed to demonstrate the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on survival and distant metastasis in high-risk N3 NPC patients. We linked the Taiwan Cancer Registry and Cause of Death database to obtain data. Clinical N3 NPC patients were divided as those receiving definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with adjuvant 5-fluorouracil and platinum (PF) chemotherapy and those receiving no chemotherapy after CCRT. Patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy were excluded. We compared overall survival, disease-free survival, local control, and distant metastasis in both groups using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Propensity-score matching was also performed to evaluate the independent effect of adjuvant PF in a matched cohort with similar baseline characteristics. We included 431 patients (152 and 279 patients in the adjuvant PF and observation groups, respectively). Median follow-up was 4.3 years. The 5-year overall survival were 69.1% and 57.4% in the adjuvant PF chemotherapy and observation groups, respectively (p = 0.02). Adjuvant PF chemotherapy was associated with a lower risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.43–0.84; p = 0.003), even after adjusting for baseline prognostic factors (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.43–0.86; p = 0.005). Distant metastasis-free survival at 12 months was higher in the adjuvant PF chemotherapy group than in the observation group (98% vs 84.8%; p < 0.001). After adjusting for baseline prognostic factors, adjuvant PF chemotherapy was associated with freedom from distant metastasis (HR 0.11, 95% CI 0.02–0.46; p = 0.003). Adjuvant chemotherapy was also associated with a decreased risk of death (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.41–0.85, p = 0.004) in a propensity score-matched cohort. Prospective evaluation of adjuvant PF chemotherapy in N3 NPC patients treated with definitive CCRT is warranted because adjuvant PF chemotherapy was associated with improved overall survival and decreased risk of distant metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of the low deposition temperature and high sputtering rate, a magnetron sputtering (MS) technique has been widely used for fabricating various kinds of thin films with special functions. Further, MS has been subsequently developed to cope with the increasing complexities required by film synthesis. In this work, we review a large variety of complex thin films and various advances in the techniques of producing them, combined with typical challenges. From an initial single-target direct current (DC) MS, to a much more advanced configuration with radio frequency (RF) and multi-targets, focusing on specific compound fabrication, the latest techniques can prepare almost all constituents with corresponding targets. More importantly, the unique adaptability, combined with features of low-cost, energy-efficiency, and time-efficiency, means that MS will remain an important technique for depositing high quality thin films in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive astrogliosis and the over-production of proinflammatory factors are key pathogenetic processes in Parkinson's disease (PD). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a promising noninvasive technique in treating PD, has been shown to alleviate neuroinflammation. However, high-frequency (HF) and low-frequency (LF) rTMS, which one produces better therapeutic and anti-inflammatory effects, and the underlying mechanism have yet to be determined. The efficacies of HF, LF, and sham rTMS on the survival of dopaminergic (DA) neurons, improvement of motor function, and downregulation of proinflammatory factors were compared in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat model. Then we investigated the role of endocannabinoid (eCB) system in the inhibition of astrocyte activation between HF vs LF rTMS. The results showed that HF rTMS daily for 4 weeks produced stronger anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. ECB receptor 2 (CB2R) but not receptor 1 (CB1R) expressions were substantially elevated in the GFAP-positive reactive astrocytes of the rat brains with 6-OHDA or LPS insults. Increased anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) were also observed. Interestingly, the elevated CB2R, AEA and 2-AG, and the increased GFAP expression could be all significantly suppressed by HF rTMS, but not by LF rTMS. This effect was also confirmed in cell culture. Of note, selective agonism of CB2R was able to reverse HF rTMS-mediated activation of extracellular regulated kinase1/2 (Erk1/2) and suppression of GFAP expression, while selective antagonism of CB2R sustained these effects. This study indicates that the modulation of eCB/CB2R is a potential mechanism for the greater effectiveness of HF rTMS on the inhibition of astrogliosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeolite imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) are a subclass of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) containing N element, which are always exploited to prepare N-incorporated carbon materials containing rich carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via the pyrolysis. Humic acid layers are regarded as a natural GO-like material due to similar laminate size and thickness, physical and chemical structures, surface polarity, and activity to graphene oxide (GO). Here, a layered humate-ZIF (HA-CoFe-ZIF) composite template is elaborately designed and first constructed by a hydrothermal method using sodium humate as the substrate. An N-incorporated carbon skeleton (NCS) support assembled by CNTs and graphene layers is then achieved after the segmented pyrolysis and acid etching. Afterwards, a PtCoFe/NCS electrocatalyst with high catalytic activity and cycling stability for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) is purposefully synthesized by loading PtCoFe nanoparticles on the NCS surface via ethylene glycol-sodium borohydride (EG-NaBH4) double reduction. The supported catalyst constructs a composite structure with good dispersibility of metal nanoparticles on the NCS surface due to the oriented coordination bonding between metal and nitrogen incorporated in the NCS. The large specific surface and good electrical conductivity of the NCS support together guarantee high MOR electrocatalytic activity, stability, and CO tolerance ability of PtCoFe nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic conductivities of ferroelectric domain walls have been extensively explored over the past decade for potential nanoelectronic applications. However, the realization of logic devices based on ferroelectric domain walls requires reliable and flexible control of the domain-wall configuration and conduction path. Here, we demonstrate electric-field-controlled stable and repeatable on-and-off switching of conductive domain walls within topologically confined vertex domains naturally formed in self-assembled ferroelectric nano-islands. Using a combination of piezoresponse force microscopy, conductive atomic force microscopy, and phase-field simulations, we show that on-off switching is accomplished through reversible transformations between charged and neutral domain walls via electric-field-controlled domain-wall reconfiguration. By analogy to logic processing, we propose programmable logic gates (such as NOT, OR, AND and their derivatives) and logic circuits (such as fan-out) based on reconfigurable conductive domain walls. Our work might provide a potentially viable platform for programmable all-electric logic based on a ferroelectric domain-wall network with low energy consumption. Ferroelectric domain walls have been extensively explored for nanoelectronics, but the logic devices are still challenging. Here, the authors propose programmable logic gates and circuits based on electric-field controllable conductive domain walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have done more research on the relationship between carbon emission reduction, energy consumption, and economic growth in specific countries or regions, which rarely consider the issue of heterogeneity between countries or regions, and also lack the refinement of energy consumption categories. Using panel data from 2000 to 2017, this paper divided the top 28 global carbon emission countries into developed countries and developing countries, and explores co-integration and causality between renewable energy consumption, non-renewable energy consumption, economic growth, and carbon emission. Results suggested that there is a two-way causal relationship between carbon emissions and economic growth in all economies. There is a two-way causal relationship between economic growth in developed countries and consumption of renewable and non-renewable energy, while there is no significant relationship between economic growth and energy consumption in developing countries. There is a two-way causal relationship between carbon emissions and renewable energy in all economies, but there are significant differences; there is a two-way causal relationship between carbon emissions in developed countries and non-renewable energy, and only one-way causality exists in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distilled grain waste (DGW) can be converted to organic fertilizer via aerobic composting process without inoculating exogenous microorganisms. To illustrate the material conversion mechanism, this study investigated the dynamic changes of bacterial community structure and metabolic function involved in DGW composting. Results showed that a significant increase in microbial community alpha diversity was observed during DGW composting. Moreover, unique community structures occurred at each composting stage. The dominant phyla were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, Myxococcota, and Chloroflexi, whose abundance varied according to different composting stages. Keystone microbes can be selected as biomarkers for each stage, and Microbispora, Chryseolinea, Steroidobacter, Truepera, and Luteimonas indicating compost maturity. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed a significant relationship between keystone microbes and environmental factors. The carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism were confirmed as the primary metabolic pathways by metabolic function profiles. Furthermore, nitrogen metabolism pathway analysis indicated that denitrification and NH3 volatilization induced higher nitrogen loss during DGW composting. This study can provide new understanding of the microbiota for organic matter and nitrogen conversion in the composting process of DGW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the association of cardiac fibroblast activation with clinical parameters and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging parameters in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Methods: Thirteen CTEPH patients were prospectively enrolled. All of the patients underwent cardiac 68Gallium-labelled fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (68 Ga-FAPI-04)-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), right heart catheterisation, and echocardiography, and 11 of them additionally underwent CMR. Thirteen control subjects were selected to establish the normal range of cardiac 68 Ga-FAPI-04 uptake. Cardiac 68 Ga-FAPI-04 uptake higher than that in the blood pool was defined as abnormal. The global and segmental maximum standardised uptake values (SUVmax) of the right ventricle (RV) were measured and further expressed as target-to-background ratio (TBRRV) with left ventricular lateral wall activity as background. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was visually evaluated, and native-T1 times, enhanced-T1 times, and extracellular volume (ECV) were quantitatively measured. Results: Ten CTEPH patients (77%) had abnormal 68 Ga-FAPI-04 uptake in RV, mainly located in the free wall, which was significantly higher than that in controls (TBRRV: 2.4 ± 0.9 vs 1.0 ± 0.1, P < 0.001). The TBRRV correlated positively with the thickness of RV wall (r = 0.815, P = 0.001) and inversely with RV fraction area change (RVFAC) (r = − 0.804, P = 0.001) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) (r = − 0.678, P = 0.011). No correlation was found between 68 Ga-FAPI-04 activity and CMR imaging parameters. Conclusion: Fibroblast activation in CTEPH, measured by 68 Ga-FAPI-04 imaging, is mainly localised in the RV free wall. Enhanced fibroblast activation reflects the thickening of the RV wall and decreased RV contractile function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of Na-montmorillonite (Na-Mt) content and curing age on enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP)–treated soil were studied. First, the effects of Na-Mt addition on the urease activity, Ca2+ precipitation rate, and pH of the solution were analyzed through tube tests. Then, Na-Mt-modified EICP was used to reinforce silty sand in the Yellow River flooding area in China. The solidification effect and action mechanism of Na-Mt were investigated via the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test, calcium carbonate content (CCC) measurement, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscope analyses, wherein soil treated by conventional EICP and soil treated with Na-Mt alone were considered the control group. Na-Mt improved the urease activity and Ca2+ precipitation rate, lowered the pH, increased the CaCO3 production through chelation, then regulated the morphology of the CaCO3 crystals and facilitated the formation of densely aggregated calcite. The CCC and mechanical parameters increased rapidly during the first 7 days of curing, and then slowed down. The incorporation of 8% Na-Mt enhanced the UCS and Ca2+ utilization ratio at curing age of 7 days by 1.4 and 2.72 times, respectively, compared with that of traditional EICP; and the optimal Na-Mt content was identified to be 8%. At Na-Mt contents lower than 8%, the mathematically expressed improvement effect of the Na-Mt-modified EICP on the soil strength was greater than the arithmetic sum of that when these two approaches applied individually; this result confirms that the Na-Mt-modified EICP technique proposed herein is an efficient approach for solidifying fine-grained soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purposes: The purposes of this discrete choice experiment are as follows: (1) to investigate the preferences of gastric cancer survivors for follow-up care, and (2) to quantify the importance of follow-up care–related characteristics that may affect the gastric cancer survivors' choices of their follow-up, so as to provide references for the development of the follow-up strategy of gastric cancer survivors. Methods: Discrete choice experimental design principle was applied to develop the survey instrument. All questionnaires were filled out by the respondents and collected on site. A mixed logit model was used to estimate gastric cancer survivors' preferences. Willingness to pay estimates and simulations of follow-up uptake rates were calculated. Results: All six attributes are significantly important for the follow-up care of gastric cancer survivors (p < 0.05). Achieving very thorough follow-up contents was the most valued attribute level (coefficient = 1.995). Specialist doctors are the most preferred providers followed by specialist nurses, and gastric cancer survivors were willing to pay more for these attribute levels. Changes in attribute levels affected uptake rate of follow-up. When the multiple attribute levels were changed at the same time, a very thorough follow-up content was provided by the same specialist doctor (specialist nurse), and the probability of receiving follow-up increases by 95.82% (94.90%). Conclusions: The characteristics of follow-up care in our study reflect the health management services' expectations of gastric cancer survivors. A dedicated specialist nurse involved in follow-up care should be developed to contribute to solve the complex and multifaceted personal needs of gastric cancer survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: qGSN5, a novel quantitative trait locus coordinating grain size and grain number in rice, was fine-mapped to an 85.60-kb region. GS3 may be a suppressor of qGSN5. Grain size and grain number are two factors that directly determine rice grain yield; however, the underlying genetic mechanisms are complicated and remain largely unclear. In this study, a chromosome segment substitution line (CSSL), CSSL28, which showed increased grain size and decreased grain number per panicle, was identified in a set of CSSLs derived from a cross between 93-11 (recipient) and Nipponbare (donor). Four substitution segments were identified in CSSL28, and the substitution segment located on chromosome 5 was responsible for the phenotypes of CSSL28. Thus, we defined this quantitative trait locus (QTL) as grain size and grain number 5 (qGSN5). Cytological and quantitative PCR analysis showed that qGSN5 regulates the development of the spikelet hull by affecting cell proliferation. Genetic analysis showed that qGSN5 is a semi-dominant locus regulating grain size and grain number. Through map-based cloning and overlapping substitution segment analysis, qGSN5 was finally delimited to an 85.60-kb region. Based on sequence and quantitative PCR analysis, Os05g47510, which encodes a P-type pentatricopeptide repeat protein, is the most likely candidate gene for qGSN5. Pyramiding analysis showed that the effect of qGSN5 was significantly lower in the presence of a functional GS3 gene, indicating that GS3 may be a suppressor of qGSN5. In addition, we found that qGSN5 could improve the grain shape of hybrid rice. Together, our results lay the foundation for cloning a novel QTL coordinating grain size and grain number in rice and provide a good genetic material for long-grain hybrid rice breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microcystin-leucine arginine (MC-LR) has reproductive and developmental toxicities. Previous studies indicated that gestational exposure to MC-LR induced fetal growth restriction in mice. The aim of this study was to further evaluate the effect of paternal MC-LR exposure before mating on fetal development. Male mice were intraperitoneally injected with either normal saline or MC-LR (10 μg/kg) daily for 35 days. Male mouse was then mated with female mice with 1:1 ratio. There was no significant difference on the rates of mating and pregnancy between MC-LR-exposed male mice and controls. Body weight and crown-rump length were reduced in fetuses whose fathers were exposed to MC-LR. Despite no difference on relative thickness of labyrinthine layer, cell proliferation, as measured by Ki67 immunostaining, was reduced in labyrinth layer of MC-LR-exposed mice. Moreover, blood sinusoid area in labyrinth layer was decreased in the fetus whose father was exposed to MC-LR before mating. Correspondingly, cross-sectional area of CD34-positive blood vessel in labyrinth layer was lower in fetuses whose fathers were exposed to MC-LR than in controls. These results provide evidence that paternal MC-LR exposure before mating induces fetal growth restriction partially through inhibiting cell proliferation and vascular development in labyrinth layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The silicon-based material exhibits a high theoretical specific capacity and is one of the best anode for the next generation of advanced lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, it is difficult for the silicon-based anode to form a stable solid-state interphase (SEI) during Li alloy/de-alloy process due to the large volume change (up to 300%) between silicon and Li4.4Si, which seriously limits the cycle life of the LIBs. Herein, we use strontium fluoride (SrF2) particle to coat the silicon-carbon (Si/C) electrode (SrF2@Si/C) to help forming a stable and high mechanical strength SEI by spontaneously embedding the SrF2 particle into SEI. Meanwhile the formed SEI can inhibit the volume expansion of the silicon-carbon anode during the cycle. The electrochemical test results show that the cycle performance and the ionic conductivity of the SrF2@Si/C anode has been significantly improved. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis reveals that there are fewer electrolyte decomposition products formed on the surface of the SrF2@Si/C anode. This study provides a facile approach to overcome the problems of Si/C electrode during the electrochemical cycling, which will be beneficial to the industrial application of silicon-based anode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient method for catalyzing the ammoxidation of aromatic alcohols to aromatic nitriles was developed, in which a new heterogeneous catalyst based on transition metal elements was employed, the new catalyst was named Co-[Bmim]Br/C-700 and then characterized by X-ray photo-electronic spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope and X-ray diffraction. The reaction was carried out by two consecutive dehydrogenations under the catalysis of Co-[Bmim]Br/C-700, which catalytically oxidized the alcohol to the aldehyde, and then the aldehyde was subjected to ammoxidation to the nitrile. The catalyst system was suitable for a wide range of substrates and nitriles obtained in high yields, especially, the conversion rate of benzyl alcohol, 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol, 4-chlorobenzyl alcohol and 4-nitrobenzyl alcohol reached 100%. The substitution of ammonia and oxygen for toxic cyanide to participate in the reaction accords with the theory of green chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a framework aimed at assessing the sustainability of fashion designers, intending to evaluate their proficiency in sustainability and enhance higher education in design. To establish a system for assessing and evaluating sustainable design competence, we initiated interviews with both designers and fashion design students. Thourgh these interviews, the definition and scope of sustainable design competence were identified. Quantitative research was then conducted to validate the framework, involving the collection of online recruitment data from fashion firms and the extraction of assessment indicators through keyword frequency analysis. The AHP method was then applied to assign weights to these indicators, establishing a comprehensive assessment system. The reliability of this system was confirmed through students’ self-evaluation questionnaires, with statistical analysis aligning the assessment method with their performance. The results highlighted the positive impact of higher design education on students’ professional ethics and knowledge of sustainability. However, it also emphasized the need to improve students’ proficiency in sustainable design practices and digital skills. Collaboration between educational institutions and businesses is suggested to enhance students’ sustainable design skills through projects, supported by tailored teaching methods from educators to tackle challenges in sustainable practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]