Search

In this work, a four-dimensional fractional order hyperchaotic system with coexisting attractors is excogitated. The stability analysis of the equilibrium point is investigated, and the chaotic and hyperchaotic behavior of the system is well demonstrated numerically by the Lyapunov exponents. By applying delayed feedback control technique, we obtain the existence condition of Hopf bifurcation for the such system. Some numerical simulations are exhibited to substantiate the obtained results in the end, which also displays some interesting dynamical phenomena, such as quasi-periodic, and hyperchaotic. The work reveals that the fractional order and delays have a great significance to controlling the hyperchaotic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) coated tens nanometer hydrangea macrophylla-like CeO2(CeO2-NC) was synthesized by simple hydrothermal and polymeric calcination approach. Samples are characterised by SEM, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, etc. CeO2-NC shows an initial potential of 0.90V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in 9.5 M H3PO4. In addition, the CeO2-NC composite also exhibits a high limiting current (6.25 mA mg−1). CeO2-NC effectively combines the high initial potential of CeO2 with the high limiting current of NC. Moreover, a hybrid proton battery assembled with CeO2-NC composite as the cathode catalyst and MoO3 (1 mg) as anode catalyst can produce a high capacity of 261.7 mAh at 1 A g−1. The hybrid battery also exhibits excellent catalytic stability. After 1000 cycles at a high current density of 15 A g−1, the capacity of the battery still remains 125.0 mAh, with a retention rate of approximately 90.9%. The improvement in battery performance is due to the use of NC to coat CeO2, which improves the limiting current and durability of the electrode. The presented hybrid proton batteries have further enriched the application of electrochemical energy storage devices, and the preliminary exploration of cathode catalysts significantly improved the catalytic performance of ORR under acidic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crossing departmental boundaries and improving the efficiency of policy instruments are potential solutions to break the dilemma of public affairs governance and shift to collaborative governance. It is necessary to re-examine the internal connection mechanism between intergovernmental relations and policy tools. This study used textual analysis to deconstruct 178 water pollution control policies from 1984 to 2020, provided an overview of 16 control sectors and 30 policy instruments; then used social network analysis to characterize the structure of the water pollution control network, discussed the principles of reciprocity and priority of cross-sector cooperation, the shift in preference in the choice of policy instruments, and the institutional logic of the "sector-instrument" interface. First, the network characteristics of the governance body evolves from "one-core multiple" to "multiple synergy." The means of the degree, closeness and betweenness centrality of the current policy stage are 0.79, 0.85, and 0.04, respectively. Second, the selective preference of policy instruments will shift from command-and-control preference to a balanced choice of multiple policy instruments. The mean values of degree, closeness and betweenness centrality in the current policy stage are 0.79, 0.92, and 0.01, respectively. Thirdly, the sectoral collaboration and policy instruments both follow the "relationship-interaction-synergy" process in the evolution of policy elements. The structural characteristics of the network change from "loose" in the policy construction stage to "decentralized-coupled" in the policy innovation stage to "core-edge" in the institutional innovation stage, and the current the network density is 69.14 and the connection degree is 0.93. This study enriches the knowledge of water pollution governance policy design and policy implementation, and provides ideas to consider the relationship between governance sectors and the embeddedness of instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late spring frosts, occurring after spring phenological events, pose a dire threat to tree growth and forest productivity. With climate warming, earlier spring phenological events have become increasingly common and led to plants experiencing more frequent and severe frost damage. However, the effect of late spring frosts after leaf-out on subsequent flowering phenology in woody species remains unknown. Utilizing 572,734 phenological records of 640 species at 5024 sites from four long-term and large-scale in situ phenological networks across the Northern Hemisphere, we show that late spring frosts following leaf-out significantly delay the onset of the subsequent flowering by approximately 6.0 days. Late-leafing species exhibit greater sensitivity to the frosts than early-leafing species, resulting in a longer delay of 2.5 days in flowering. Trees in warm regions and periods exhibit a more pronounced frost-induced flowering delay compared to those in cold regions and periods. A significant increase in the frequency of late spring frost occurrence is observed in recent decades. Our findings elucidate the intricate relationships among leaf-out, frost, and flowering but also emphasize that the sequential progression of phenological events, rather than individual phenological stages, should be considered when assessing the phenological responses to climate change. Climate warming causes earlier spring phenological events and higher risk of late spring frost damage. Here, the authors investigate the impact of late spring frosts on phenological events, finding that they delayed flowering by an average of 6 days across 640 species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic encephalopathy (DE) is a severe complication of diabetes, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the roles and underlying mechanisms of high glucose (HG)- and advanced glycosylation end product (AGE)-induced oxidative stress (OS) in the cognitive decline in DE. The DE mouse model was established using a high-fat diet and streptozotocin, and its cognitive functions were evaluated using the Morris Water Maze, novel object recognition, and Y-maze test. The results revealed increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitophagy inhibition, and decreased prohibitin 2 (PHB2) expression in the hippocampal neurons of DE mice and HG- or AGE-treated HT-22 cells. However, overexpression of PHB2 reduced ROS generation, reversed mitophagy inhibition, and improved mitochondrial function in the HG- or AGE-treated HT-22 cells and ameliorated cognitive decline, improved mitochondrial structural damage, and reversed mitophagy inhibition of hippocampal neurons in DE mice. Further analysis revealed that the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1)–nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway was involved in the HG- or AGE-mediated downregulation of PHB2 in HT-22 cells. These results demonstrate that HG- or AGE-induced OS inhibits the mitophagy of hippocampal neurons via the Keap1–Nrf2–PHB2 pathway, thereby contributing to the cognitive decline in DE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The RAB interacting factor (RABIF) is a putative guanine nucleotide exchange factor that also functions as a RAB-stabilizing holdase chaperone. It has been implicated in pathogenesis of several cancers. However, the functional role and molecular mechanism of RABIF in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are not entirely known. Here, we demonstrate an upregulation of RABIF in patients with HCC, correlating with a poor prognosis. RABIF inhibition results in decreased HCC cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. Our study reveals that depleting RABIF attenuates the STOML2-PARL-PGAM5 axis-mediated mitophagy. Consequently, this reduction in mitophagy results in diminished mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mitoROS) production, thereby alleviating the HIF1α-mediated downregulation of glycolytic genes HK1, HKDC1, and LDHB. Additionally, we illustrate that RABIF regulates glucose uptake by controlling RAB10 expression. Importantly, the knockout of RABIF or blockade of mitophagy sensitizes HCC cells to sorafenib. This study uncovers a previously unrecognized role of RABIF crucial for HCC growth and identifies it as a potential therapeutic target. RABIF upregulation promotes HCC growth, mitophagy, and glycolysis, and enhances sorafenib resistance, suggesting it as a potential therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honey vaults are useful tools for password management. A vault usually contains usernames for each domain, and the corresponding passwords, encrypted with a master password chosen by the owner. By generating decoy vaults for incorrect master password attempts, honey vaults force attackers with the vault's storage file to engage in online verification to distinguish the real vaults, thus thwarting offline guessing attacks. However, sophisticated attackers can acquire additional information, such as personally identifiable information (PII) and partial passwords contained within the vault from various data breaches. Since many users tend to incorporate PII in their passwords, attackers may utilize PII to distinguish the real vault. Furthermore, if attackers may learn partial passwords included in the real vault, it can exclude numerous decoy vaults without the need for online verification. Indeed, both leakages pose serious threats to the security of the existing honey vault schemes. In this paper, we explore two attack variants of the inspired attack scenario, where the attacker gains access to the vault's storage file along with acquiring PII and partial passwords contained within the real vault, and design a new honey vault scheme. For security assurance, we prove that our scheme is secure against one of the aforementioned attack variants. Moreover, our experimental findings suggest enhancements in security against the other attack. In particular, to evaluate the security in multiple leakage cases where both the vault's storage file and PII are leaked, we propose several new practical attacks (called PII-based attacks), building upon the existing practical attacks in the traditional single leakage case where only the vault's storage file is compromised. Our experimental results demonstrate that certain PII-based attacks achieve a 63–70% accuracy in distinguishing the real vault from decoys in the best-performing honey vault scheme (Cheng et al. in Incrementally updateable honey password vaults, pp 857–874, 2021). Our scheme reduces these metrics to 41–50%, closely approaching the ideal value of 50%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crispness stands as a pivotal criterion in assessing apple texture, widely cherished by consumers. Yet, owing to its multifaceted nature, crispness remains a formidable challenge in artificial enhancement efforts. To expedite the early and precise evaluation of apple crispness, this study centered on a hybrid population derived from 'Fuji' and 'Pink Lady' cultivars, showcasing segregating crispness traits. We conducted measurements of flesh water content, cellular anatomical morphology, and employed a texture analyzer to assess mechanical properties of the offspring flesh. Integrating these three dimensions, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of quantitative characteristics of apple crispness, juxtaposed with sensory evaluation. Utilizing BSA-seq technology, we scrutinized extreme phenotypic individuals, revealing QTL loci intricately linked to the aforementioned dimensions, and subsequently developed Key Allele-Specific PCR (KASP) markers. These markers underwent validation in hybrid populations of 'Hanfu' x 'Pink Lady' and 'Hanfu' x 'Honey Crisp'. Our findings underscored significant correlations between mechanical properties, water content, and cell size with crispness. Higher mechanical properties and water content, alongside smaller cell size, correlated with firmer flesh texture; moderate mechanical properties, and elevated water content and cell size, with crisper texture; whereas lower mechanical properties, water content, and cell size implied softer flesh.The study yielded KASP markers effectively reflecting flesh mechanical properties (SNP_24399345), water content (SNP_8667563), and cell size (SNP_15566229). Comprehensive analysis of these markers identified CC-CC-TT as an effective identifier of soft flesh individuals; while GG-TC-TT and GG-CC-TT combinations better represented individuals with harder flesh. The Crunchy subclass could be discerned by combinations of GG-TC-TC, GG-TC-CC, GG-TT-TC, and GG-TT-CC. These findings furnish effective molecular markers for the genetic enhancement of apple crispness, bearing significant implications for the cultivation of novel apple varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the high-quality observation data and the numerical simulation, the evolution characteristics of internal solitary waves (ISWs) and the load on the suspend submerged body are studied on the continental shelf and slope separately. The observed ISWs exhibit the first mode depression ISWs. The amplitudes of ISWs on the shelf and slope areas reach 50 m and 80 m, respectively. The upper layer velocity in the westward direction is about 0.8 m/s on the continental shelf and 0.9 m/s on the continental slope during the passing through of ISWs. The lower layer is dominated by the eastward compensating flow. In the vertical direction, the water in front of the wave flows downward, while the water behind the wave flows upward, and the maximum vertical velocity exceeds 0.2 m/s. Numerical simulation results show that the larger the amplitude of ISWs, the larger the load on the submerged body. The force on the submerged body by ISWs is dominated by the vertical force, and the corresponding maximum vertical forces on the continental shelf and slope are −25 kN and −27 kN. The submerged body is subjected to a large counterclockwise moment and the sudden change of the moment will also cause the submerged body to capsize. This paper not only gives a deeper understanding of the characteristics of ISWs from the deep continental slope to the shallow continental shelf, but also has a certain guiding value for the prediction of ISWs and for marine military activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the established prediction model of internal solitary wave loads on FPSO in the previous work, the lumped mass model and the movement equations of finite displacement in time domain, the dynamic response model of interaction between internal solitary waves and FPSO with mooring lines were established. Through calculations and analysis, time histories of dynamic loads of FPSO exerted by internal solitary waves, FPSO's motion and dynamic tension of mooring line were obtained. The effects of the horizontal pretension of mooring line, the amplitude of internal solitary wave and layer fluid depth on dynamic response behavior of FPSO were mastered. It was shown that the internal solitary waves had significant influence on FPSO, such as the large magnitude horizontal drift and a sudden tension increment. With internal solitary wave of −170 m amplitude in the ocean with upper and lower layer fluid depth ratio being 60:550, the dynamic loads reached 991.132 kN (horizontal force), 18067.3 kN (vertical force) and −5042.92 kN·m (pitching moment). Maximum of FPSO's horizontal drift was 117.56 m. Tension increment of upstream mooring line approached 401.48 kN and that of backflow mooring line was −140 kN. Moreover, the loads remained nearly constant with different pretension but increased obviously with the changing amplitude and layer fluid depth ratio. Tension increments of mooring lines also changed little with the pretension but increased rapidly when amplitude and layer fluid depth ratio increased. However, FPSO's motion increased quickly with not only the horizontal pretension but also the amplitude of internal solitary wave and layer fluid depth ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses regression analysis of current status data with dependent censoring, a problem that often occurs in many areas such as cross-sectional studies, epidemiological investigations and tumorigenicity experiments. Copula model-based methods are commonly employed to tackle this issue. However, these methods often face challenges in terms of model and parameter identification. The primary aim of this paper is to propose a copula-based analysis for dependent current status data, where the association parameter is left unspecified. Our method is based on a general class of semiparametric linear transformation models and parametric copulas. We demonstrate that the proposed semiparametric model is identifiable under certain regularity conditions from the distribution of the observed data. For inference, we develop a sieve maximum likelihood estimation method, using Bernstein polynomials to approximate the nonparametric functions involved. The asymptotic consistency and normality of the proposed estimators are established. Finally, to demonstrate the effectiveness and practical applicability of our method, we conduct an extensive simulation study and apply the proposed method to a real data example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gallbladder carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor of the biliary system, and has a poor overall prognosis. Poor prognosis in patients with gallbladder carcinoma is associated with the aggressive nature of the tumor, subtle clinical symptoms, ineffective adjuvant treatment, and lack of reliable biomarkers. Purpose: Therefore, evaluating the prognostic factors of patients with gallbladder carcinoma can help improve diagnostic and treatment methods, allowing for tailored therapies that could benefit patient survival. Methods: This article systematically reviews the factors affecting the prognosis of gallbladder carcinoma, with the aim of evaluating prognostic risk in patients. Conclusion: A comprehensive and in-depth understanding of prognostic indicators affecting patient survival is helpful for assessing patient survival risk and formulating personalized treatment plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper adopts the "baseline scenario method" to construct a comprehensive model for calculating and reducing carbon emissions generated by employee travel, including the accounting of carbon emissions from commuting and business travel, as well as the assessment of green travel for carbon reduction. The study employs methods such as questionnaires and on-site interviews to collect travel data from employees of a research institute in Beijing as a case study. The results show that employees' commuting methods are diverse, with the subway being the primary mode of travel; however, business travel generates higher carbon emissions, particularly among employees with higher education levels. The research concludes that the model proposed in this paper provides a framework for preliminary carbon emission estimation, but to improve the accuracy of the estimates, more variables and factors need to be considered, and the limitations of the model are pointed out. The research findings have significant implications for policy and institutional practices, suggesting the adoption of more targeted measures to reduce the use of high-carbon-emission travel methods and to encourage the use of green travel options. With the continuous advancement of data collection technologies in the future, it will be possible to further establish a more refined carbon emission accounting model and obtain more accurate and comprehensive travel data, thereby providing solid data support for the development of more effective carbon reduction strategies and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SM9 was established in 2016 as a Chinese official identity-based cryptographic (IBC) standard, and became an ISO standard in 2021. It is well-known that IBC is suitable for Internet of Things (IoT) applications, since a centralized processing of client data (e.g. IoT cloud) is often done by gateways. However, due to limited computation resources inside IoT devices, the performance of SM9 becomes a bottleneck in practical usage. The existing SM9 implementations are often CPU-based, with relatively low latency and low throughput. Consequently, a pivotal challenge for SM9 in large-scale applications is how to reduce the latency while maximizing throughput for numerous concurrent inputs. After a systematic analysis of the SM9 algorithms, we apply optimization techniques including precomputation, resource caching and parallelization to reduce the overhead of SM9. In this work, we introduce the first practical implementation of SM9 and its underlying SM9_P256 curve on GPU. Our GPU implementation combines multiple algorithms and low-level optimizations tailored for GPU's single instruction, multiple threads architecture in order to achieve high throughput for SM9. Based on these, we propose GAPS, a high-performance Cryptography as a Service (CaaS) for SM9. GAPS adopts a heterogeneous computing architecture that flexibly schedules the inputs across two implementation platforms: a CPU for the low-latency processing of sporadic inputs, and a GPU for the high-throughput processing of batch inputs. According to our benchmark, GAPS only takes a few milliseconds to process a single SM9 request in idle mode. Moreover, when operating in its batch processing mode, GAPS can generate 2,038,071 private keys, 248,239 signatures or 238,001 ciphertexts per second. The results show that GAPS scales seamlessly across inputs of different sizes, preliminarily demonstrating the efficacy of our solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cerebellum has historically been primarily associated with the regulation of precise motor functions. However, recent findings suggest that it also plays a pivotal role in the development of advanced cognitive functions, including learning, memory, and emotion regulation. Pathological changes in the cerebellum, whether congenital hereditary or acquired degenerative, can result in a diverse spectrum of disorders, ranging from genetic spinocerebellar ataxias to psychiatric conditions such as autism, and schizophrenia. While studies in animal models have significantly contributed to our understanding of the genetic networks governing cerebellar development, it is important to note that the human cerebellum follows a protracted developmental timeline compared to the neocortex. Consequently, employing animal models to uncover human-specific molecular events in cerebellar development presents significant challenges. The emergence of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has provided an invaluable tool for creating human-based culture systems, enabling the modeling and analysis of cerebellar physiology and pathology. hiPSCs and their differentiated progenies can be derived from patients with specific disorders or carrying distinct genetic variants. Importantly, they preserve the unique genetic signatures of the individuals from whom they originate, allowing for the elucidation of human-specific molecular and cellular processes involved in cerebellar development and related disorders. This review focuses on the technical advancements in the utilization of hiPSCs for the generation of both 2D cerebellar neuronal cells and 3D cerebellar organoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Norms are a coordination mechanism. They control agents' behavior in a multiagent system (MAS) and need to evolve to cope with changing environments. Mutation oriented norm evolution is a strategies for allowing norms to evolve. However, this strategy simply adds some possible trigger condition constraints on the norms, which means that some agents are unable to perform actions. To address this problem, this paper presents a new strategy for norm evolution based on an improved crossover operator. First, this paper presents a power-set approach to improve the integrity of norm evolution. This approach can help ensure that all possible combinations of norms are considered during the analysis, providing a deeper understanding of how norms interact and evolve within a norm set. Then, to improve the efficiency of norm evolution, a trade-off between efficiency and completeness is proposed. This approach reduces the search space and improves efficiency, as not every power set combination needs to be searched; it also ensures completeness. Finally, the crossover operator in this strategy is improved based on the trade-off approach. Specifically, the triggers and expectations of one mutated norm enrich the triggers and expectations of other norms. All of these factors enrich the normative conditions through the trade-off approach. A MAS can take immediate action to adapt to new requirements or problems encountered, and quickly make normative changes and learn to respond appropriately to a new situation. The MAS is able to more clearly understand and learn about causality in the environment during norm evolution, and understand the connection between behavior and outcomes. The proposed strategy is applied to a case study of an unmanned vehicle system. The experimental results show that the trade-off approach has greater completeness and effectiveness in norm evolution. This strategy achieves a more complete and effective autonomous norm evolution. It helps the system achieve its goals better and reach better performance in terms of adaptability, helping it to function better in complex multiagent environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterizing existence or not of periodic orbit is a classical problem, and it has both theoretical importance and many real applications. Here, several new criterions on nonexistence of periodic orbits of the planar dynamical system x ˙ = y , y ˙ = - g (x) - f (x , y) y are obtained and by examples shows that these criterions are applicable, but the known ones are invalid to them. Based on these criterions, we further characterize the local topological structures of its equilibrium, which also show that one of the classical results by Andreev (Am Math Soc Transl 8:183–207, 1958) on local topological classification of the degenerate equilibrium is incomplete. Finally, as another application of these results, we classify the global phase portraits of a planar differential system, which comes from the third question in the list of the 33 questions posed by A. Gasull and also from a mechanical oscillator under suitable restriction to its parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feeding strip significantly enhances continuous cast slab quality. To clarify its impact on inclusion distribution, a mathematical model coupling flow, solidification and inclusion motion have been developed. The upper recirculation, lower recirculation, and unformed recirculation flow occur during continuous casting. Under the resultant forces of drag, virtual mass, pressure gradient, Saffman, gravity, buoyancy, etc., the inclusion motion can be divided into two stages: Injection and Split flow. Feeding strip mainly affects inclusion motion by altering the drag, virtual mass, pressure gradient, and Saffman forces, which are closely related to the molten steel flow. After feeding strip, the lower recirculation on the strip feeding side is compressed, while it on the no-feeding side is expanded. The unformed recirculation flow on strip feeding side squeezes the flow below lower recirculation on no-feeding side. A higher strip feeding speed promotes downward inclusion motion, increasing the chance of being captured between the slab edge and strip. Unformed recirculation flow guides inclusions on the no-feeding side toward the slab edge, while expanded flow directs them toward the center. Consequently, inclusions on strip feeding side gradually gather between slab edge and quarter, while inclusions on no-feeding side first gather toward center and then toward edge of slab with increased strip feeding speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) presents with heterogeneous clinical outcomes, suggesting varied underlying pathogenic mechanisms. This study aims to elucidate the impact of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells on CLL progression and prognosis. Gene expression profile data for CLL were collected from GSE22762 and GSE39671 datasets. Patients were divided into high and low groups using Tfh levels using the optimal cutoff value based on overall survival (OS) and time-to-first treatment (TTFT). Differential expression analysis was performed between these groups, followed by co-expression network analysis and single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA). Marker genes of Tfh cells were used to construct prognostic models. Additionally, 40 CLL patients were recruited and categorized based on median Tfh levels. Marker gene expression was assessed using RT-qPCR and Western Blot, and immune cell levels were determined through flow cytometry. The high group showed better prognosis compared to the low group. Among the 1121 differentially expressed genes identified, five co-expression networks were constructed, with the turquoise module showing the highest correlation with Tfh cells. Genes within this module significantly participate in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity. Tfh cells were significantly negatively correlated with activated B cells and positively correlated with Tregs. The Random Survival Forest (RSF) model identified 10 marker genes, and further analysis using Lasso regression and nomogram selected CLEC4A, RAE1, CD84, and PRDX1 as prognostic markers. In the high group, levels of CLEC4A and RAE1 were higher than in the low group, whereas CD84 and PRDX1 were lower. Flow cytometry revealed that the level of activated B cells in the high Tfh group was significantly lower than in the low Tfh group, while the level of Tregs is significantly higher in the high Tfh group. This study seeks to contribute to a more detailed understanding of the pathogenesis of CLL, delving into the prognostic significance of Tfh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Agricultural irrigation is an important practice to safeguard crops against drought and enhance grain yield in arid regions. The Hexi Corridor, known as a classic arid region, faces significant pressure on agricultural production and food security due to the scarcity of water resources. There is an urgent need to investigate agricultural water use of the irrigated regions. Water use efficiency (WUE), defined as the ratio of gross primary productivity (GPP) to actual evapotranspiration (ET), serves as a valuable indicator linking carbon assimilation and water loss. It enables the quantification of areas where water can be utilized more effectively. However, the long-term spatiotemporal dynamics of WUE and driving mechanism in the irrigated areas of the Hexi Corridor remain unclear. Results: This study used GPP calculated by a light use efficiency model (EF-LUE), ET estimated by an ETMonitor model and irrigated cropland maps across China (IrriMap_CN) to examine the spatiotemporal dynamics of irrigated cropland WUE and its controlling factors in the Hexi Corridor from 2001 to 2018. The results are as following: (1) The average annual WUE was approximately 1.34 ± 0.38 g C kg−1 H2O yr−1, with an increasing trend of 0.012 g C kg−1 H2O yr−1, and faster growth observed during 2011–2018 compared to 2001–2010. (2) The contribution of GPP to WUE trends and WUE interannual variability (IAV) was greater than that of ET. (3) The dominant climatic factors of WUE IAV in the Hexi Corridor were SPEI, precipitation, and soil moisture. (4) The standardized Structural Equation Model (SEM), incorporating the relationship between WUE and factors such as water, energy, NDVI, and water-saving irrigation, explained 81% of the variation in irrigated cropland WUE. Here, biological factors (GPP and NDVI) were the primary factors influencing WUE variability, and water-saving irrigation had a stronger indirect effect than climate factors (water and energy) on variation in WUE. Conclusions: Our findings offer valuable theoretical insights into the mechanisms governing the interaction between the carbon and water of irrigated cropland, guiding the management of water resources and land in agricultural practices within the Hexi Corridor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic semiconductors (OSCs) are featured by weak spin-orbit coupling due to their light chemical element composition, which enables them to maintain spin orientation for a long spin lifetime and show significant potential in room-temperature spin transport. Carrier mobility and spin lifetime are the two main factors of the spin transport performance of OSCs, however, their ambiguous mechanisms with molecular structure make the development of spintronic materials really stagnant. Herein, the effects of halogen substitution in bay-annulated indigo-based polymers on carrier mobility and spin relaxation have been systematically investigated. The enhanced carrier mobility with an undiminished spin lifetime contributes to a 3.7-fold increase in spin diffusion length and a record-high magnetoresistance of 8.7% at room temperature. By analyzing the spin-orbit coupling and hyperfine interaction, it was found that the distance of the substitution site from the conjugated center and the nitrogen atoms in the molecules play crucial roles in spin relaxation. Based on the above results, we proposed a molecular design strategy of halogen substitution far from conjugate center to enhance spin transport efficiency, presenting a promising avenue for advancing the field of organic spintronics. The spin transport mechanism remains unclear for organic semiconductors. Here, authors investigate the effect of halogen substitution in bay-annulated indigo-based polymers and reveal the distance of substitution site from conjugated center and nitrogen atoms play crucial roles in spin relaxation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal micro/nanoparticle ink-based printed circuits have shown promise for promoting the scalable application of flexible electronics due to enabling superhigh metallic conductivity with cost-effective mass production. However, it is challenging to activate printed metal-particle patterns to approach the intrinsic conductivity without damaging the flexible substrate, especially for high melting-point metals. Here, we report a pressure-constrained sonication activation (PCSA) method of the printed flexible circuits for more than dozens of metal (covering melting points from room temperature to 3422 °C) and even nonmetallic inks, which is integrated with the large-scale roll-to-roll process. The PCSA-induced synergistic heat-softening and vibration-bonding effect of particles can enable multilayer circuit interconnection and join electronic components onto printed circuits without solder within 1 s at room temperature. We demonstrate PCSA-based applications of 3D flexible origami electronics, erasable and foldable double-sided electroluminescent displays, and custom-designed and large-area electronic textiles, thus indicating its potential for universality in flexible electronics. It is challenging to activate the flexible printed metal circuit to approach the intrinsic conductivity with minimal damage to the substrate. Here, the authors report a large-scale pressure-constrained sonication activation method for various metals and non-metallic inks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastrointestinal mesenchymal stromal tumors (GISTs) are a group of intramural tumors that exhibit a wide range of morphologies. Dysfunction or loss of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) is correlated with the disorders of gastrointestinal motility. At present, the characterization and molecular mechanisms underlying the role of ICCs in GIST are still not clear. Methods: The GSE162115 dataset from Gene Expression Omnibus database was processed using Seurat package for quality control, data normalization, and cell clustering. Differential expression and functional enrichment analyses were performed using the FindAllMarkers function and clusterProfiler package. Cellular heterogeneity was assessed by CytoTRACE and potential regulatory mechanisms of ICCs in GISTs were investigated using SCENIC. Cellular communication was inferred and analyzed applying the CellChat package. Results: Eight clusters were identified based on 34,861 cells. Intra-tumor samples had a higher proportion of ICCs than peri-tumor. ICCs were related to cell cycle and glycolytic activity in intra-tumor samples, while those in peri-tumor samples were involved in immune response. Further analysis identified four ICC subgroups (subcluster 1–4), of which subcluster 3 showed the most typical stem cell properties and interacted with the rest of the cells through the MIF-CD74 (CD44) protein. Conclusion: This study analyzed the heterogeneity and stem cell properties of ICCs in GISTs, revealing the molecular mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets for GISTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Normal veins could develop to varicose vein (VV) by some risk factors, and might further progress to shallow vein thrombosis (SVT). However, the molecular mechanism of key genes associated with the progression and regression of VV are still not thorough enough. In this study, the healthy control (HC), VV, and SVT vascular samples were collected for transcriptome sequencing. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened by "DESeq2", including DEGs1 (HC vs. VV), DEGs2 (HC vs. SVT) and DEGs3 (VV vs. SVT). And their functional enrichment analyses were conducted by "ClusterProfiler". The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to obtain the key genes (KGs) of the pathogenesis of VV and SVT. The qRT-PCR assay was performed to validate the expressions of KGs. Immune cell infiltration analyses were conducted based on ssGSEA method. The competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) regulatory network was constructed. The target drugs of KGs were predicted using DrugBank database. The biofunctions of DACT3 were further investigated through a series of experiments in vitro. All of these DEGs were associated with inflammation and immunity related functions. Immune cell infiltration was significantly different between VV and SVT. Six key genes including PLP2, DACT3, LRRC25, PILRA, MSX1 and APOD that were associated with the progression and regression of VV were screened. The expression of LRRC25 and PILRA was significantly negatively associated with central memory T cell, and significantly positively associated with B cell. Besides, XIST was the critical regulator of multiple KGs. Cimetidine was potential drug for VV and SVT therapy. Overexpression of DACT3 significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and affected their cell cycle and phenotypic transition. This study identified six key genes associated with the progression and regression of VV. Among them, DACT3 was proved to hinder VV progression. These findings may help to deepen understanding its underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ongoing climate change has a considerable influence on the seasonality, timing, and intensity of rainfall worldwide, and is also predicted to decrease snow cover in cold ecosystems. Larch is a widely distributed tree species in boreal Eurasia, calling for a comprehensive understanding of how larch adapts to changes in both rainfall and snowfall by adjusting carbon-water physiology. Here, we conducted a short-term rainfall (− 60% ambient rainfall; three-year) and snowfall (− 73% ambient snowfall; two-year) exclusions experiment in Larix gmelinii forest in northeastern China, and aimed to explore the responses of hydraulic (leaf pressure-volume traits, leaf and branch hydraulic conductivity and embolism resistance), stomatal (stomatal closure point and stomatal safety margin), and economic (photosynthetic rate, nutrient and non-structural carbohydrates contents) traits to rainfall and snowfall reductions. Despite the weak alternation of leaf and branch hydraulic traits, both rainfall and snowfall reductions significantly led to early stomatal closure and increased stomatal safety margins (the difference between stomatal closure point and xylem embolism threshold, describing drought resistance by merging both hydraulic and stomatal strategies). Reductions in rainfall and snowfall induced water or/and low-temperature stress, resulting in more conservative leaf economic traits, including a reduced photosynthetic rate, lower leaf nitrogen concentration, and higher leaf density. In addition, larch responded to reductions in rainfall and snowfall by up-regulating non-structural carbohydrates in the xylem, which helps repair embolism or lower the freezing point acting as osmolytes. Overall, our findings reveal that larch could adapt to the drought and snowpack reduction by strict stomatal regulation and investing non-structural carbohydrates in embolism repairing, at the cost of carbon assimilation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon peaking and achieving carbon neutrality have emerged as pivotal strategic imperatives in China. These objectives not only drive a shift in production, lifestyle, and consumption patterns but also illuminate a path towards a comprehensive green metamorphosis in China's economic and social development landscape. The distinctive nature of museums as quintessential public edifices, requiring sustained regulation of temperature and humidity alongside attracting substantial foot traffic, positions them as crucial pioneers in the pursuit of carbon peaking and neutrality. It is essential for museums to leverage their leadership and advocacy roles to catalyze low-carbon construction practices across society. This study delves into the energy dynamics specific to the museum sector, delving into the recycling of exhibition materials, methodologies for carbon footprint assessments of visitors and museum staff, and the establishment of a standardized carbon emission accounting framework tailored to the museum industry. Through meticulous examination of representative cases and subsequent analysis, this research delineates decarbonization strategies, offering indispensable technical scaffolding for carbon assessment and emission reduction efforts within the museum realm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence revealed that individuals with trait anxiety demonstrated abnormal affective forecasting (AF) performance, whereas whether individuals with trait anxiety show social-specific changes in AF, and its underlying mechanism remain unknown. Our study attempted to investigate whether individuals with trait anxiety show social-specific alterations when forecasting future emotions, and further explore the underlying psychological mechanism. A total of 130 participants were recruited into high trait anxiety (HTA) group (n = 65) or low trait anxiety (LTA) group (n = 65) based on their scores on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait (STAI-T) and Beck Depression Inventory-I (BDI-I). Participants answered online questionnaires first and then visited our lab to complete the Social Affective Forecasting task. Data collection lasted from March 2021 to May 2022. This study was a 2 (events: social vs. nonsocial) × 2 (group: HTA vs. LTA) mixed design. Compared with LTA, HTA group would anticipate more unpleasantness (e.g., lower valence) for future negative social events. Meanwhile, HTA group anticipated more unpleasantness for future negative social events than non-social events. Moreover, the anticipated valence was predicted by the anticipatory valence. No significant difference was observed in anticipating positive future events. These findings suggest that HTA individuals tend to anticipate increased unpleasantness for negative social events. Moreover, abnormal anticipatory emotion may contribute to the increased anticipated unpleasantness. Anticipatory emotions may be potential intervention targets for reducing anticipated unpleasantness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transcription factor WRKYs play pivotal roles in the adapting to adverse environments in plants. Prior research has demonstrated the involvement of OsWRKY70 in resistance against herbivores and its response to abiotic stress. Here, we reported the functional analysis of OsWRKY70 in immunity against fungal diseases and cold tolerance. The results revealed that OsWRKY70 was induced by various Magnaporthe oryzae strains. Knock out mutants of OsWRKY70, which were generated by the CRISPR/Cas9 system, exhibited enhanced resistance to M. oryzae. This was consistent with fortifying the reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst after inoculation in the mutants, elevated transcript levels of defense-responsive genes (OsPR1b, OsPBZ1, OsPOX8.1 and OsPOX22.3) and the observation of the sluggish growth of invasive hyphae under fluorescence microscope. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) validations demonstrated that differentially expressed genes were related to plant-pathogen interactions, hormone transduction and MAPK cascades. Notably, OsbHLH6, a key component of the JA signaling pathway, was down-regulated in the mutants compared to wild type plants. Further investigation confirmed that OsWRKY70 bound to the promoter of OsbHLH6 by semi-in vivo chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Additionally, the loss-function of OsWRKY70 impaired cold tolerance in rice. The enhanced susceptibility in the mutants characterized by excessive ROS production, elevated ion leakage rate and increased malondialdehyde content, as well as decreased activity of catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) under low temperature stress was, which might be attributed to down-regulation of cold-responsive genes (OsLti6b and OsICE1). In conclusion, our findings indicate that OsWRKY70 negatively contributes to blast resistance but positively regulates cold tolerance in rice, providing a strategy for crop breeding with tolerance to stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tensile properties and deformation mechanism of a new Ni–Co–W based wrought superalloy at 400–1000 °C were investigated. The results showed that the yield strength below 800 °C is essentially unchanged but swiftly decreases above 800 °C. The ultimate tensile strength of the alloy remains constant below 500 °C, decreases moderately between 500 and 850 °C, and decreases rapidly above 850 °C. The deformation mechanism of the alloy is dominated by dislocation pairs cutting below 700 °C, while a large number of stacking faults (SFs) and some microtwins participate in the deformed alloy at 800 °C. The dislocation bypass mechanism starts at 850 °C and dominates dislocation movement with increasing temperature. Strong coupling dislocation pairs, SFs, and microtwins are responsible for the low and intermediate temperature strength of the alloy. When the bypass mechanism dominates the dislocation motion, the strength of the alloy decreases swiftly at higher temperatures. The revelation of deformation mechanisms is beneficial to the property regulation and safety application of the new superalloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Multiple daily injection (MDI) insulin therapy is an effective method of glycemic control and appropriate assignment to MDI therapy could minimize the risks of hypoglycemia and weight gain. The aim of the present study was to identify factors associated with indication for MDI therapy in type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Methods: We recruited 360 participants with T2DM that were admitted to the Endocrinology Department of Peking University People's Hospital between August 2017 and July 2018. They first underwent intensive insulin therapy, then were switched to an optimized, simpler insulin treatment that aimed to maintain fasting blood glucose between 4.4 and 7.2 mmol/L, without episodes of hypoglycemia. The baseline characteristics of groups administering either MDI or basal/premix insulin were compared and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the odds ratios (ORs) for factors associated with MDI therapy. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were then used to identify independent predictors of MDI insulin regimen efficacy. Results: The mean age of the participants was 57.6 ± 12.9 years, and diabetes duration was 14.2 ± 8.2 years. Two hundred and sixty-seven participants administered basal/premix insulin and 93 underwent MDI therapy, of whom 61.8% and 46.2% were male, respectively (p = 0.01). The duration of diabetes was significantly longer in the MDI group (13.1 ± 7.7 years vs. 17.3 ± 8.7 years; p < 0.01). Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was higher in the MDI group than in the basal/premix group (8.3 [6.7, 11.3] mmol/L vs. 7.2 [5.7, 9.3] mmol/L; p < 0.01), while the postprandial C-peptide concentration (PCP) was significantly lower in the MDI group (2.6 [1.8, 3.5] ng/mL) compared to the basal/premix group (3.6 [2.5, 6.2] ng/mL, p < 0.01. Multivariable logistic regression analysis suggested that diabetes duration and FPG were positively associated with MDI therapy: OR (95% confidence interval [CI]) 1.06 (1.02, 1.10) and 1.12 (1.02, 1.24), respectively. In addition, PCP was negatively associated with MDI therapy (0.72 [0.60, 0.86]). ROC analysis suggested that a PCP of < 3.1 ng/mL predicted MDI therapy with 59.6% sensitivity and 72.1% specificity. Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that longer diabetes duration, higher FPG, and lower PCP were associated with necessity for MDI insulin regimen. These findings should assist with the personalization of insulin treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimal residual disease (MRD) based risk stratification criteria for specific genetic subtypes remained unclear in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Among 723 children with newly diagnosed ALL treated with the Chinese Children Leukemia Group CCLG-2008 protocol, MRD was assessed at time point 1 (TP1, at the end of induction) and TP2 (before consolidation treatment) and the MRD levels significantly differed in patients with different fusion genes or immunophenotypes (P all < 0.001). Moreover, the prognostic impact of MRD varied by distinct molecular subtypes. We stratified patients in each molecular subtype into two MRD groups based on the results. For patients carrying BCR::ABL1 or KMT2A rearrangements, we classified patients with MRD < 10–2 at both TP1 and TP2 as the low MRD group and the others as the high MRD group. ETV6::RUNX1+ patients with TP1 MRD < 10–3 and TP2 MRD-negative were classified as the low MRD group and the others as the high MRD group. For T-ALL, We defined children with TP1 MRD ≥ 10–3 as the high MRD group and the others as the low MRD group. The 10-year relapse-free survival of low MRD group was significantly better than that of high MRD group. We verified the prognostic impact of the subtype-specific MRD-based stratification in patients treated with the BCH-ALL2003 protocol. In conclusion, the subtype-specific MRD risk stratification may contribute to the precise treatment of childhood ALL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the Young's modulus (E) and strength of titanium alloys, we designed titanium matrix composites with interconnected microstructure based on the Hashin-Shtrikman theory. According to the results, the in-situ reaction yielded an interconnected microstructure composed of Ti2C particles when the Ti2C content reached 50vol%. With widths of 10 and 230 nm, the intraparticle Ti lamellae in the prepared composite exhibited a bimodal size distribution due to precipitation and the unreacted Ti phase within the grown Ti2C particles. The composites with interconnected microstructure attained superior properties, including E of 174.3 GPa and ultimate flexural strength of 1014 GPa. Compared with that of pure Ti, the E of the composite was increased by 55% due to the high Ti2C content and interconnected microstructure. The outstanding strength resulted from the strong interfacial bonding, load-bearing capacity of interconnected Ti2C particles, and bimodal intraparticle Ti lamellae, which minimized the average crack driving force. Interrupted flexural tests revealed preferential crack initiation along the {001} cleavage plane and grain boundary of Ti2C in the region with the highest tensile stress. In addition, the propagation can be efficiently inhibited by interparticle Ti grains, which prevented the brittle fracture of the composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) has gained traction in the management of muscle invasive bladder cancer. Urinary diversion for RARC was achieved with orthotopic neobladder and ileal conduit. Evidence on the optimal method of urinary diversion was limited. Long-term outcomes were not reported before. This study was designed to compare the perioperative and oncological outcomes of ileal conduit versus orthotopic neobladder cases of nonmetastatic bladder cancer treated with RARC. Patients and Methods: The Asian RARC consortium was a multicenter registry involving nine Asian centers. Consecutive patients receiving RARC were included. Cases were divided into the ileal conduit and neobladder groups. Background characteristics, operative details, perioperative outcomes, recurrence information, and survival outcomes were reviewed and compared. Primary outcomes include disease-free and overall survival. Secondary outcomes were perioperative results. Multivariate regression analyses were performed. Results: From 2007 to 2020, 521 patients who underwent radical cystectomy were analyzed. Overall, 314 (60.3%) had ileal conduit and 207 (39.7%) had neobladder. The use of neobladder was found to be protective in terms of disease-free survival [Hazard ratio (HR) = 0.870, p = 0.037] and overall survival (HR = 0.670, p = 0.044) compared with ileal conduit. The difference became statistically nonsignificant after being adjusted in multivariate cox-regression analysis. Moreover, neobladder reconstruction was not associated with increased blood loss, nor additional risk of major complications. Conclusions: Orthotopic neobladder urinary diversion is not inferior to ileal conduit in terms of perioperative safety profile and long-term oncological outcomes. Further prospective studies are warranted for further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the additional advantages of integrating contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) into the Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS) ultrasound (US) for the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components. Materials and methods: This prospective multicenter study recruited women suspected of having adnexal lesions with solid components between September 2021 and December 2022. All patients scheduled for surgery underwent preoperative CEUS and US examinations. The lesions were categorized according to the O-RADS US system, and quantitative CEUS indexes were recorded. Pathological results served as the reference standard. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify risk factors for malignancy in adnexal lesions with solid components. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to assess diagnostic performance. Results: A total of 180 lesions in 175 women were included in the study. Among these masses, 80 were malignant and 100 were benign. Multivariable analysis revealed that serum CA-125, the presence of acoustic shadowing, and peak intensity (PI) ratio (PImass/PIuterus) of solid components on CEUS were independently associated with adnexal malignancy. The modified CEUS risk stratification model demonstrated superior diagnostic value in assessing adnexal lesions with solid components compared to O-RADS US (AUC: 0.91 vs 0.78, p < 0.001) and exhibited comparable performance to the Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adnexa (ADNEX) model (AUC 0.91 vs 0.86, p = 0.07). Conclusion: Our findings underscore the potential value of CEUS as an adjunctive tool for enhancing the precision of diagnostic evaluations of O-RADS US. Clinical relevance statement: The promising performance of the modified CEUS risk stratification model suggests its potential to mitigate unnecessary surgeries in the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components. Key Points: • The additional value of CEUS to O-RADS US in distinguishing between benign and malignant adnexal lesions with solid components requires further evaluation. • The modified CEUS risk stratification model displayed superior diagnostic value and specificity in characterizing adnexal lesions with solid components when compared to O-RADS US. • The inclusion of CEUS demonstrated potential in reducing the need for unnecessary surgeries in the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) with machine learning (ML) models highly depends on the number and accuracy of landslides (positive samples) and non-landslides (negative samples). However, there is no existing standard method for selecting non-landslides, leading to the accuracy of negative samples being challenging to guarantee in previous studies, which leads to the loss of accuracy and reliability of the LSM model. To solve this problem, an information quantity and machine learning integrated model (IQ-ML) is proposed in this paper. The information quantity (IQ) model was introduced to preliminarily determine areas of low and very low landslide susceptibility applicable to non-landslides selection. Then, ML is used to accomplish LSM, with the support of randomly selected non-landslides. For validation purposes, the Jiuzhaigou area was selected as a case study area, three IQ-ML models (IQ-SVM, IQ-RF, and IQ-BPNN) were constructed successively for LSM and cross-validation, and further comparative analysis was conducted with three ML models (SVM, RF, and BPNN) that based on randomly selected non-landslides outside the landslide buffer zone. Finally, the ROC curve was used to evaluate each model's prediction accuracy objectively. The experimental results show that the IQ-ML model proposed in this paper has higher prediction accuracy than the ML model. The AUC of IQ-SVM, IQ-RF, and IQ-BPNN models are 0.986, 0.993, and 0.991, respectively, which are higher than the SVM, RF, and BPNN models. The above result proves that the accurate non-landslide negative samples selected by the IQ model help to improve the accuracy and reliability of ML-based LSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extrusion-based three-dimensional (3D) printing of gelatin (Gel) is crucial for fabricating bone tissue engineering scaffolds via additive manufacturing. However, the thermal instability of Gel remains a persistent challenge, as it tends to collapse at mild temperatures. Current approaches often involve simply mixing Gel particles with various materials, resulting in biomaterial inks that lack uniformity and have inconsistent degradation characteristics. In this study, acetic acid was used to dissolve Gel and polycaprolactone (PCL) separately, producing homogeneous Gel/PCL dispersions with optimal pre-treatment performance. These dispersions were then combined and hybridized with nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA) to create a composite printing ink. By evaluating the printability of the ink, the optimal conditions were identified: a n-HA concentration of 50% (w/w), a printing temperature of 10–15 ℃, a printing pressure of 2.5 bar, and a printing speed of 7 mm/s. The resulting biomaterial inks, with a composition of 25% Gel, 25% PCL, and 50% n-HA, demonstrated excellent printability and stability, along with significantly enhanced mechanical properties. As a result, 3D scaffolds with high printability and shape fidelity can be printed at room temperature, followed by deep freezing at -80 ℃ and cross-linking with vanillin. The Gel-based composite scaffolds demonstrated excellent biocompatibility, cell adhesion, cell viability and nano-hydroxyapatite absorption in vitro. Additionally, in vivo experiments revealed that the bioactive scaffold biodegraded during implantation and significantly promoted bone regeneration at the defect site. This provides a promising strategy for treating bone defects in clinical setting. In conclusion, the Gel/PCL/n-HA biomaterial inks presented here offer an innovative solution for extrusion bioprinting in the field of bone tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperspectral image (HSI) classification faces the challenges of large and complex data and costly training labels. Existing methods for small-sample HSI classification may not achieve good generalization because they pursue powerful feature extraction and nonlinear mapping abilities. We argue that small samples need deep feature extraction but weak nonlinear mapping to achieve generalization. Based on this, we propose a Deep Feature Dendrite (DFD) method, which consists of two parts: a deep feature extraction part that uses a convolution-tokenization-attention module to effectively extract spatial-spectral features, and a controllable mapping part that uses a residual dendrite network to perform weak mapping and enhance generalization ability. We conducted experiments on four standard datasets, and the results show that our method has higher classification accuracy than other existing methods. Significance: This paper pioneers and verifies weak mapping and generalization for HSI classification (new ideas). DFD code is available at https://github.com/liugang1234567/DFD [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low yields of crops, especially rice, are caused by climate change and environmental stress concerns such as drought, temperature fluctuations, and salinity in arid and semi-arid locations around the globe. Rice is one of the essential crops for human consumption and one of the most commonly farmed cereals on the planet earth, but its growth is severely retarded by excessive salt, which influences rice development and production, leading to economic loss. Salt stress induces osmotic stress and ionic toxicity in rice by altering the environment, leading to water deprivation and accumulation of toxic ions, thereby triggering specific physiological and molecular responses in the rice plants. Many factors may affect rice production and cereal quality via its interaction with salinity. This review focuses on some influential factors (photosynthesis, osmosis, micro and macronutrients, microbial flora, rice growth, development, and genes) that may reduce rice production in saline soils. The review also describes the responsive mechanism of rice to salinity and the genetic susceptibility of rice. In light of the challenges posed by the growing global population and limited agricultural land, it is imperative to consider the influential factors discussed in this review, along with genetic susceptibility to improve rice production in terms of quantity and quality under saline soil conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a spectroscopic analytic technique with great application potential because of its unique advantages for online/in-situ detection. However, due to the spatially inhomogeneity and drastically temporal varying nature of its emission source, the laser-induced plasma, it is difficult to find or hard to generate an appropriate spatiotemporal window for high repeatable signal collection with lower matrix effects. The quantification results of traditional physical principle based calibration model are unsatisfactory since these models were not able to compensate for complicate matrix effects as well as signal fluctuation. Machine learning is an emerging approach, which can intelligently correlated the complex LIBS spectral data with its qualitative or/and quantitative composition by establishing multivariate regression models with greater potential to reduce the impacts of signal fluctuation and matrix effects, therefore achieving relatively better qualitative and quantitative performance. In this review, the progress of machine learning application in LIBS is summarized from two main aspects: i) Pre-processing data for machine learning model, including spectral selection, variable reconstruction, and denoising to improve qualitative/quantitative performance; ii) Machine learning methods for better quantification performance with reduction of the impact of matrix effect as well as LIBS spectra fluctuations. The review also points out the issues that researchers need to address in their future research on improving the performance of LIBS analysis using machine learning algorithms, such as restrictions on training data, the disconnect between physical principles and algorithms, the low generalization ability and massive data processing ability of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human insulin gene modified with a C-peptide was synthesized according to the plant-preferred codon, and a fusion gene expression vector of insulin combined with green fluorescent protein (GFP) was constructed. The optimization of the flax callus culturing was undertaken, and a more efficient Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of the flax hypocotyls was achieved. The critical concentration values of hygromycin on the flax hypocotyl development, as well as on its differentiated callus, were explored by the method of antibiotic gradient addition, and the application of antibiotic screening for the verification of positive calluses was assessed. The fusion gene of insulin and GFP was successfully inserted into the flax genome and expressed, as confirmed through polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. In conclusion, we have established a flax callus culture system suitable for insulin expression. By optimizing the conditions of the flax callus induction, transformation, screening, and verification of a transgenic callus, we have provided an effective way to obtain insulin. Moreover, the herein-employed flax callus culture system could provide a feasible, cheap, and environmentally friendly platform for producing bioactive proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passivation materials play a crucial role in a wide range of high-efficiency, high-stability photovoltaic applications based on crystalline silicon and state-of-the-art perovskite materials. Currently, for perovskite photovoltaic, the mainstream passivation strategies routinely rely on crystalline materials. Herein, we have invented a new amorphous (lysine)2PbI2 layer-enhanced halide perovskite. By utilizing a solid phase reaction between PbI2 and lysine molecule, an amorphous (lysine)2PbI2 layer is formed at surface/grain boundaries in the perovskite films. The amorphous (lysine)2PbI2 with fewer dangling bonds can effectively neutralize surface/interface defects, achieving an impressive efficiency of 26.27% (certified 25.94%). Moreover, this amorphous layer not only reduces crystal lattice stress but also functions as a barrier against the decomposition of organic components, leading to suppressed de-structuring of perovskite and highly stable perovskite solar cells. The mainstream passivation strategies routinely rely on crystalline materials for perovskite photovoltaics. Here, authors utilize a solid phase reaction to prepare an amorphous (lysine)2PbI2 layer to neutralize surface and interface defects, achieving device efficiency of over 26% for solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wave equation revealing the wave propagation in chiral phononic crystals, established through force equilibrium law, conceals the underlying physical information, such as the essence of the motion coupling and the inertial amplification effect. This has led to a controversy over the bandgap mechanism. In this article, we theoretically unveil the reason for this controversy, and put forward an alternative approach from wave behavior to formulate the wave equation, offering an alternative pathway to articulate the bandgap physics directly. Based on the physics revealed by our theory method, we identify the obstacles in coupled acoustic and optic branches to widen and lower the bandgap. Then we introduce an approach based on spherical hinges to decrease the barriers, for customizing the bandgap frequency and width. Finally, we validate our proposal through numerical simulation and experimental demonstration. The wave equation established for chiral phononic crystals based reveals only the coupling of acoustic and optic branches, hiding the complexity of the bandgap physics. The alternative method proposed in this paper allows direct observation of the essential physics, and enables to decouple acoustic and optic branches for the manipulation of band gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing efforts to optimize rechargeable Li-ion batteries led to the interest in intercalation of nanoscale layered compounds, including bilayer graphene. Its lithium intercalation has been demonstrated recently but the mechanisms underpinning the storage capacity remain poorly understood. Here, using magnetotransport measurements, we report in-operando intercalation dynamics of bilayer graphene. Unexpectedly, we find four distinct intercalation stages that correspond to well-defined Li-ion densities. Transitions between the stages occur rapidly (within 1 sec) over the entire device area. We refer to these stages as 'in-plane', with no in-plane analogues in bulk graphite. The fully intercalated bilayers represent a stoichiometric compound C14LiC14 with a Li density of ∼2.7·1014 cm−2, notably lower than fully intercalated graphite. Combining the experimental findings and DFT calculations, we show that the critical step in bilayer intercalation is a transition from AB to AA stacking which occurs at a density of ∼0.9·1014 cm−2. Our findings reveal the mechanism and limits for electrochemical intercalation of bilayer graphene and suggest possible avenues for increasing the Li storage capacity. Lithium-ion intercalation of bilayer graphene is shown to proceed via four distinct stages corresponding to different ordered in-plane arrangements of Li ions, commensurate with the underlying graphene lattices in both AA and AB stacking configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observational studies have shown that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is strongly associated with metabolic dysfunction. However, there is a paucity of research on whether changes in indicators of serum metabolism contribute to the development of NAFLD. This study was conducted with 4084 participants who underwent healthy physical examinations at Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China, in 2022 and 2023. Baseline and follow-up measurements, including anthropometric data, abdominal ultrasound and blood samples were collected. The diagnosis of NAFLD was based on the 2010 Chinese Guidelines on Diagnosis and Treatment of NAFLD. Multiple logistic regression was utilized to analyze the odds ratios (ORs) for the 1-year risk of NAFLD in connection with both baseline metabolic indicators and changes in metabolic indicators observed over the course of 1 year. A total of 3425 study participants who were free of NAFLD at baseline, including 1146 men and 2279 women, were included in the final analysis. The mean age was 34.43 ± 7.20 years. Participants who developed NAFLD were older, male and had higher levels of body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), free triiodothyronine (fT3), uric acid (UA), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST); and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and free thyroxine (fT4) (all P values < 0.05). The multivariable model showed that baseline BMI, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), TG, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, UA, fT4, fT3, ALT and changes in TG, HDL-C, and UA were associated with the 1-year risk of developing NAFLD. The risk of NAFLD increased by 56% [OR 1.56, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.32–1.87] and 40% (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.19–1.64) for each standard deviation (SD) increase in altered TG values (1.01 mmol/L) and altered UA values (55 µmol/L) respectively. Conversely, for each SD (0.27 mmol/L) increase in HDL-C change, the 1-year risk of incident NAFLD was reduced by 50% (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.40–0.62). The present study suggested that increases in TG and UA, and decreases in HDL-C, significantly increase the risk of developing NAFLD. Therefore, more attention should be paid to these factors in the management and prevention of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current research on deep learning-based intelligent landslide detection modeling has focused primarily on improving and innovating model structures. However, the impact of terrain factors and data fusion methods on the prediction accuracy of models remains underexplored. To clarify the contribution of terrain information to landslide detection modeling, 1022 landslide samples compiled from Planet remote sensing images and DEM data in the Sichuan–Tibet area. We investigate the impact of digital elevation models (DEMs), remote sensing image fusion, and feature fusion techniques on the landslide prediction accuracy of models. First, we analyze the role of DEM data in landslide modeling using models such as Fast_SCNN, the SegFormer, and the Swin Transformer. Next, we use a dual-branch network for feature fusion to assess different data fusion methods. We then conduct both quantitative and qualitative analyses of the modeling uncertainty, including examining the validation set accuracy, test set confusion matrices, prediction probability distributions, segmentation results, and Grad-CAM results. The findings indicate the following: (1) model predictions become more reliable when fusing DEM data with remote sensing images, enhancing the robustness of intelligent landslide detection modeling; (2) the results obtained through dual-branch network data feature fusion lead to slightly greater accuracy than those from data channel fusion; and (3) under consistent data conditions, deep convolutional neural network models and attention mechanism models show comparable capabilities in predicting landslides. These research outcomes provide valuable references and insights for deep learning-based intelligent landslide detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase equilibria of the Er-Al-Zr ternary system at 500 °C were investigated using a combination of electron probe microanalyzer and x-ray diffraction. The microstructure and diffraction peaks were analyzed to determine the phases and compositions of Er-Al-Zr ternary system. Based on the experimental results, the isothermal phase diagram of the Er-Al-Zr ternary system consists of 14 three-phase equilibrium regions, 15 two-phase equilibrium regions, and 13 stable binary compounds, but no ternary compounds were detected. The solubility of Er in the Al2Zr, Al3Zr2, AlZr, Al3Zr4, Al2Zr3 is 9.9, 5.3, 9.0, 12.4, 6.7 at.%, respectively. The present work could be important for alloy design of Al-based alloys and thermodynamic analysis of the Er-Al-Zr ternary system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]