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Nonlinear dynamics is frequently encountered in practical applications. Adaptive dynamic programming (ADP), which is implemented via actor/critic neural networks with excellent approximation capabilities, is appropriate to be used in finding the solution for the control problem in the presence of known/unknown nonlinear dynamics. The objective of this paper is to introduce state-of-the-art ADP-based algorithms and survey the recent advances in the ADP-based control strategies for nonlinear systems with various engineering-oriented complexities. Firstly, the main motivation of the ADP-based algorithms is thoroughly discussed, and the way of implementing the ADP-based algorithms is highlighted. Then, the latest research results concerning ADP-based control policy design for nonlinear systems are reviewed in detail, Finally, we conclude the survey by outlining the challenges and possible research topics in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the elastoplastic deformation of a single-crystal copper substrate, based on the atomic scale, a mixed potential function (EAM and Morse) and the Verlet algorithm were used to simulate the adhesion contact and separation process between a hemispherical diamond indenter and a single-crystal copper substrate at low temperatures. The influences of the temperature on the micro/nanomechanical properties of the material surface and on the mechanism of the subsurface deformation process were analysed. The results show that as the simulated temperature decreases, the time for adhesion to occur is delayed, and the adhesion forces increase slightly. While the indenter is being pressed, the temperature affects the generation and interaction of the dislocations in the substrate. As the temperature decreases, a large number of dislocations in the substrate are generated and then relatively reduced, and the load on the indenter fluctuates. A calculation of the mechanical properties of the material found that the contact stiffness was related to the elastic recovery energy. A smaller elastic recovery energy leads to a greater contact stiffness; thus, the indentation hardness is related to the plastic deformation energy. An increased plastic deformation energy results in a decreased indentation hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive macroautophagy/autophagy leads to pancreatic β-cell failure that contributes to the development of diabetes. Our previous study proved that the occurrence of deleterious hyperactive autophagy attributes to glucolipotoxicity-induced NR3C1 activation. Here, we explored the potential protective effects of (-)-epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG) on β-cell-specific NR3C1 overexpression mice in vivo and NR3C1-enhanced β cells in vitro. We showed that EGCG protects pancreatic β cells against NR3C1 enhancement-induced failure through inhibiting excessive autophagy. RNA demethylase FTO (FTO alpha-ketoglutarate dependent dioxygenase) caused diminished m6A modifications on mRNAs of three pro-oxidant genes (Tlr4, Rela, Src) and, hence, oxidative stress occurs; by contrast, EGCG promotes FTO degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system in NR3C1-enhanced β cells, which alleviates oxidative stress, and thereby prevents excessive autophagy. Moreover, FTO overexpression abolishes the beneficial effects of EGCG on β cells against NR3C1 enhancement-induced damage. Collectively, our results demonstrate that EGCG protects pancreatic β cells against NR3C1 enhancement-induced excessive autophagy through suppressing FTO-stimulated oxidative stress, which provides novel insights into the mechanisms for the anti-diabetic effect of EGCG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a typical and broad-spectrum benzimidazole, mebendazole (MBZ) has long been used in human and veterinary medicine to treat parasitic infestations, and is widely employed in the aquaculture of Japanese pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes). However, there have been no studies examining the pharmacokinetic characteristics of MBZ in Japanese pufferfish. Furthermore, the presence of MBZ and its metabolites in animal-derived raw food represents a notable safety concern. Here, we investigated the metabolism of MBZ using a UPLC-Q-TOF system. Additionally, we evaluated the pharmacokinetics of MBZ and two metabolites, 2-amino-5(6)-benzoylbenzimidazole (MBZ-NH2) and 5-hydroxymebendazole (MBZ-OH), in Japanese pufferfish following intramuscular injection of 20 mg/kg MBZ. We detected three metabolites of MBZ (M1–M3), among which, 2-amino-5(6)-(a-hydroxybenzyl) benzimidazole (M3) was detected in an aquatic animal for the first time. The plasma dispositions of MBZ, MBZ-NH2, and MBZ-OH were characterized by low plasma clearance, medium distribution volume, and long terminal half-life. Moreover, these compounds were widely distributed in the muscle, from which they were rapidly cleared. The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of mebendazole in Japanese pufferfish are described for the first time in this study. Our findings provide a basis for the rational application of MBZ in Japanese pufferfish farming and contribute to our understanding of the metabolism of MBZ in cultured fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilabel remote sensing image classification (MLRSIC) has received increasing research interest. Taking the co-occurrence relationship of multiple labels as additional information helps to improve the overall performance. However, current methods only focus on using it to constrain the final feature which is output from a convolutional neural network (CNN). On the one hand, these methods need to exploit the potential of label correlation in feature representation fully. On the other hand, they increase the label noise sensitivity of the system, resulting in poor robustness. In this paper, a novel method called 'Semantic Interleaving Global chaNnel Attention' (SIGNA) is proposed for MLRSIC. First, the label co-occurrence graph is obtained according to the statistical information of the training set and fed into a graph neural network (GNN) to generate optimal semantic feature representations of each label. Next, the semantic features are interleaved with visual features which are extracted by CNNs to guide the overall features of the input image transform from the original feature space to the semantic feature space with embedded label relations. Then, global attention triggered by semantic interleaving is used to emphasize visual features in important channels. Finally, to make SIGNA easier to use and more optimized, multihead SIGNA-based feature adaptive weighting networks are proposed as plug-in blocks to plug into any layers of a CNN. For remote sensing images, better classification performance can be achieved by inserting the plug-in blocks into the shallow layers of CNNs. We conducted extensive experimental comparisons on three data sets: UCM, AID and DFC15. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed SIGNA achieves superior classification performance compared to state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods. Notes that the codes of this paper will be open to the community for reproducibility research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the state estimation problem is investigated for a kind of time-delayed artificial neural networks subject to gain perturbations under the adaptive event-triggering scheme. To avoid wasting resources, the event-triggering scheme is adopted during the data transmission process from the sensors to the estimator where the triggering threshold can be dynamically adjusted. By means of the Lyapunov stability theory, sufficient conditions are provided to ensure that the estimation error dynamics achieves both the asymptotical stability and the l 2 - l ∞ performance. The desired non-fragile estimator gain is parameterised by solving certain matrix inequalities. At last, the usefulness of the proposed event-based non-fragile state estimator is shown via a numerical simulation example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An energy transition programme based on the principles of energy justice is an important way to mitigate climate change; however, empirical studies on energy justice remain scarce. This study explores key aspects of energy transition policy implementation in China, using three dimensions of energy justice – distributional, recognition and procedural justice – to establish an analytical framework and help develop quantification methodologies. We focused on Luquan District, Shijiazhuang City (Hebei Province, China), to assess energy justice levels following the implementation of China's 'coal-to-gas' energy transition policy in rural regions. The findings indicate that China's rural energy policy has not delivered energy justice. Analysis revealed a markedly low procedural justice index, registering a mere 0.37 on a scale of 0–1, attributable to factors such as the lack of involvement of rural households and a lack of transparency in the design and formulation of policy, as well as a lack of access of rural households to policy-related information. Furthermore, insufficient acknowledgment of the needs of specific groups during the energy transition has negatively impacted recognition justice, resulting in a mid-level index value of 0.69. By comparison, this study shows reveals a reasonably high energy distributional justice index value of 0.89. These findings suggest the need for the government to enhance energy policy communication and responsiveness to its stakeholders, to acknowledge and fairly address the energy transition needs of rural consumers, and to implement targeted energy subsidies to augment distributional justice and preclude the waste of limited financial resources. The analytical framework and calculation methods presented here could contribute to quantifying energy justice levels and to informing energy transition policy both in China and more broadly elsewhere in the world. Since 2013, implementation of China's 'coal-to-gas' energy transition policy has engendered impacts on different dimensions of social justice that have influenced the realization of a just transition. A composite index system is established, encompassing distributional justice, recognition justice, and procedural justice, and quantitative exploration of energy justice is undertaken using a reverse deduction method. The greatest losses in justice, following implementation of China's 'coal-to-gas' energy transition policy, are related to procedural justice, whereas recognition justice incurs moderate losses, and distributional justice experiences the lowest level of losses. Acknowledging the disparities among different groups, the ideal allocation of energy subsidies should be actualized through preliminary surveys, consultation and coordination, thereby preventing resource wastage. Recognizing individual rights and guaranteeing that the policy implementation process is open, transparent and participatory, could enhance energy justice and movement toward a just transition in the context of climate change policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate in this paper a super-hydrophilic and oleophobic green porous photothermal material based on wood fiber as a novel oil-repellent photothermal material for efficient solar vapor generation (WF-SP). WF-SP is an excellent light-absorbing material with the advantages of a porous nanostructure, super-hydrophilic, low thermal conductivity, high-temperature resistance, and oleophobicity. Based on these advantages, WF-SP exhibits good solar photothermal conversion performance with solar vapor generation efficiencies of 85.4%, 75.3%, and 70.2% at 1 kW m−2, 2 kW m−2, and 3 kW m−2 radiation intensities, respectively. The results provide new possibilities for the design and preparation of low-cost, green, and pollution-free photothermal materials with high solar thermal conversion efficiency for solar photothermal conversion vapor generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop and validate a radiomics nomogram for predicting the survival of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) after receiving high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment. A total of 52 patients with PDAC were enrolled. To select features, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm were applied, and the radiomics score (Rad-Score) was obtained. Radiomics model, clinics model, and radiomics nomogram model were constructed by multivariate regression analysis. The identification, calibration, and clinical application of nomogram were evaluated. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan–Meier (K–M) method. According to conclusions made from the multivariate Cox model, Rad-Score, and tumor size were independent risk factors for OS. Compared with the clinical model and radiomics model, the combination of Rad-Score and clinicopathological factors could better predict the survival of patients. Patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups according to Rad-Score. K–M analysis showed that the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.05). In addition, the radiomics nomogram model indicated better discrimination, calibration, and clinical practicability in training and validation cohorts. The radiomics nomogram effectively evaluates the prognosis of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer after HIFU surgery, which could potentially improve treatment strategies and promote individualized treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effects of β-sitosterol (B-SIT) and the underlying mechanisms of action in an ovalbumin-induced rat model of asthma. The pathological and morphological changes in lung and tracheal tissues were observed by H&E, PAS, and Masson's staining. The levels of IgE, TNF-α, and IFN-γ in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and those of IL-6, TGF-β1, and IL-10 in serum were measured by ELISA. The relative expression levels of IL-5, IL-13, IL-21, CD11c, CD80, and CD86 mRNA in lung tissue were examined by RT-qPCR. Flow cytometry was performed to assess the levels of immune cells, including macrophages and neutrophils in spleen tissue and Th cells, Tc cells, NK cells, and DCs in peripheral blood. The protein expression levels of CD68, MPO, CD11c, CD80, and CD86 were detected by western blotting or immunohistochemistry. B-SIT improved the injury in OVA-induced pathology, decreased the levels of inflammatory factors of IgE, TNF-α, IL-6, TGF-β1, IL-5, IL-13, and IL-21 and increased the levels of IFN-γ and IL-10. In addition, B-SIT decreased the number of macrophages and neutrophils and the relative expression levels of CD68 and MPO in the spleen. Moreover, B-SIT increased the number of Th cells, Tc cells, NK cells, and DCs in peripheral blood and upregulated the levels of CD11c, CD80, and CD86 in the spleen and lung. B-SIT improved symptoms in a rat model of asthma likely via the inhibition of inflammation by regulating dendritic cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine PD1/PDL1 expression status in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) at both protein and mRNA levels, and to analyze the relationship between their expression and clinical parameters of the TNBC patients. Immunohistochemistry and RNAscope were used to semi quantitively evaluate PD1/PDL1 protein and mRNA expression in 195 TNBC cases on tissue microarrays. Tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TILs) abundance was assessed using hematoxylin-eosin staining. Both tumor cells and TILs expressed PDL1. PDL1 protein and mRNA positivity was 6.7% and 74.4% respectively in tumor cells, and 31.3% and 50.9% respectively in TILs. PDL1 protein and mRNA expressions had no significant association with patient prognosis. PD1 protein was only detected in TILs (70.3% positivity). PD1 protein expression was significantly related to PDL1 expression, higher TIL abundance, Ki-67 index, basal-like subtypes, and distant metastasis. Furthermore, it was significantly associated with longer disease free survival (P<0.001) and overall survival (P = 0.004). There was no significant association between PD1 mRNA expression and clinicopathological characteristics. PD1/PDL1 protein and mRNA expressions were inconsistent (kappa = 0.705 and 0.061, respectively). PD1 protein expression in TILs, but not PDL1 in tumor cells, was a favorable prognostic factor in TNBC. PD1/PDL1 mRNA and protein expressions were inconsistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]