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Here we report B(C6F5)3/CPA‐catalyzed enantioselective aza‐Diels–Alder reaction of 3,3‐difluoro‐2‐Aryl‐3H‐indoles with unactivated dienes to access chiral 10,10‐difluoro‐tetrahydropyrido[1,2‐a]indoles. This protocol allows the formation of pyrazole‐based C2‐quaternary indolin‐3‐ones with high enantioselectivities and regioselectivities. Moreover, gram‐scale synthesis of the 10,10‐difluoro‐tetrahydropyrido[1,2‐a]indole skeleton was successfully achieved without any reduction in both yield and enantioselectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the certain relation between threshold voltage and flat‐band voltage to improve the image sticking for AMOLED display was investigated. Flat band state generally refers to a state in which the energy bands of each region in an ideal MOSFET system are flattened. However, it is requiring an additional voltage to flatten the energy band for actual MOS systems due to the difference in metal and semiconductor work function, which is called the flat‐band voltage. It is investigated that this flat‐band voltage is strongly linked to the short‐term image sticking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2′,4′‐Dihydroxy‐6′‐methoxy‐3′,5′‐dimethylchalcone (DMC) is a typical and abundant chalcone compound from the buds of Cleistocalyx operculatus, which is well‐known for its edible and medicinal qualities. In this study, DMC showed effective cell cycle arrest at G2/M on MDA‐MB‐231 cells, though dual impacts, including the inhibition of microtubule polymerization through binding to β‐tubulin and the stimulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by inhibiting catalase activity. The increased ROS level inhibited PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and further suppressed the expression level of Cdc2, Cdc25C, and Cyclin B1, alongside stimulated the expression level of p21 and p27. Above 29.5% MDA‐MB‐231 cells were arrested at G2/M phase, subsequently undergoing apoptosis due to heightened levels of apoptosis‐related proteins Bax and caspase 3. In summary, this study demonstrated that DMC concomitantly plays dual roles in apoptotic inducing by inhibiting the ROS consumption and microtubules formation in triple‐negative breast cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Binary polyantimony clusters, namely [Cu2Sb14]4– and [Ag2Sb14]4–, containing coinage metals, were successfully synthesized and characterized, in which two homoatomic Sb73– subunits are bridged by two coinage metals in η4:η1 and η1:η1 coordination modes, respectively. In [Cu2Sb14]4–, two bridging Cu ions and two Sb atoms form a planar rhombic unit, which was revealed to have antiaromatic properties by theoretical calculations. Further electron structure and bonding analysis confirmed the presence of delocalized bonds in the rhombic unit and the metallophilic interaction between two formal M+ ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon electrode materials with superior rate performance are highly demanded in application scenarios of high power output/input, especially when paired with organic electrolyte for extended voltage window and high energy storage. By extracting thin sheets of entangled cellulose fibers from cell wall structures, porous carbon nanosheets as templated from the cellulose sheets are synthesized. Evident thickness reduction effect has been demonstrated with thickness reduced from several micrometers to several nanometers of the obtained thickness‐reduced activated carbon nanosheets (TRAC), which endow the material with a large surface area and high pore volume. The obtained TRAC exhibits significantly enhanced ion diffusion kinetics and superior rate capability thanks to the shortened diffusion pathway and suitable pore size distribution. Effects of sonication time have also been investigated, showing a trade‐off between ion diffusion kinetics and pseudocapacitive contribution. This thickness‐reduction method is extendable to many other biomass sources as cellulose sheets are widely existed in nature, offering a practical and easy‐to‐implement strategy of fabricating porous carbon nanostructures for efficient energy storage and utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cough is one of the most common symptoms after lung cancer surgery, which seriously affects the quality of life. Little research has been conducted on patient's experiences of cough following lung surgery. This study aimed to elucidate the experience of coughing after lung cancer surgery from the patient's perspective regarding symptoms and their impacts on daily life, as well as triggers and dealing strategies. Methods: Between June 2023 and July 2023, we conducted semi‐structured interviews with patients from outpatient clinics of two hospitals who were pathologically diagnosed with lung cancer and experienced cough after surgery through convenience sampling. The interview recordings were transcribed and analyzed by two researchers. The traditional content analysis and thematic analysis were used to identify the common codes, subthemes, and themes. Results: A total of 28 participants were interviewed. The mean age of the participants was 55.21 years (range: 36–75 years), and 21 participants were female. Most patients (75%) were interviewed within 6 months of surgery. We identified five themes (accompanying symptoms, incentives, effects, solution, and information sources) and 12 subthemes (local symptoms, systemic symptoms, personal factors, external factors, emotion, relationship with others, reduced quality of life, medical measures, nonmedical measures, no measures, relatives and friends, and the Internet). Patients with lung cancer may experience various cough symptoms after surgery, which a variety of internal and external factors can trigger. The coughing imposes a double burden on the physical and psychological due to the negative emotions it provokes. Conclusion: We generated a concept framework of cough after lung cancer surgery, providing a basis for further development of measurement tools from the patients' perspective. The lack of knowledge related to coughing highlights the need for adequate and timely health education and professional medical care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fully renewable oxygen barrier thermoplastic starch (TPS)/sugar alcohol blown films were innovatively prepared by blending proper loadings of Erythritol (ET), Sorbitol (ST), and Lactitol (LT) and supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) assistance. The oxygen transmission rate (OTR) values of the properly prepared scCO2TPSxETy, scCO2TPSxSTy, and scCO2TPSxLTy films reduced to 4.3, 6.6, and 12.5 cm3/m2∙day∙atm, which are about 5–28 times smaller than those of the conventional TPS films reported in the literature. The free‐volume‐cavity characteristics (FVCC) and OTR detected for TPSxETy (or scCO2TPSxETy), TPSxSTy (or scCO2TPSxSTy), and TPSxLTy (or scCO2TPSxLTy) films diminished to a minimum, as their ET, ST and LT loadings came near an optimal value. Slightly smaller OTR and FVCC values were detected for scCO2TPSxETy, scCO2TPSxSTy, and scCO2TPSxLTy films than those of corresponding TPSxETy, TPSxSTy, and TPSxLTy films prepared without scCO2‐assistance. The smallest OTR and FVCC detected for the properly prepared TPSxETy (or scCO2TPSxETy), TPSxSTy (or scCO2TPSxSTy), and TPSxLTy (or scCO2TPSxLTy) films diminished with decreasing sugar alcohol's molecular weight. An essential result is that the OTR of the properly prepared scCO2TPSxETy film was merely 4.3 cm3/m2∙day∙atm, which is small enough to meet the demand of high oxygen barrier packaging application. Dynamic molecular relaxations detected for these films disclosed that ET, ST, and LT were compatible with TPS, as their loads were ≤ the optimum value. The distinctly reduced OTR and FVCC for these properly prepared films are partially attributed to the reinforced molecular interactions between sugar alcohol and TPS's hydroxyl groups when they were prepared with scCO2‐assistance, optimal sugar alcohol loading, and/or smaller sugar alcohol's molecular weight. Highlights: High oxygen barrier thermoplastic starch/sugar alcohol blown films were prepared.The lowest oxygen transmission rate of the renewable film was 4.3 cm3/m2∙day∙atm.This oxygen transmission rate is qualified for high oxygen barrier application.Boosted oxygen barrier property was ascribed to the reduced free volume values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the role of soluble epoxide hydrolase for hyperglycemia induced‐disruption of blood‐brain barrier (BBB) integrity after diffuse axonal injury (DAI). Methods: Rat DAI hyperglycemia model was established by a lateral head rotation device and intraperitoneal injection of 50% glucose. Glial fibrillary acidic protein, ionized calcium‐binding adapter molecule‐1, β‐amyloid precursor protein, neurofilament light chain, and neurofilament heavy chain was detected by immunohistochemistry. Cell apoptosis was examined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick‐end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The permeability of blood‐brain barrier (BBB) was assessed by expression of tight junction proteins, leakage of Evans blue and brain water content. The soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) pathway was inhibited by 1‐trifluoromethoxyphenyl‐3‐(1‐propionylpiperidin‐4‐yl) urea (TPPU) and the nuclear transcription factor kappa B (NF‐κB) pathway was inhibited by pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate and activated by phorbol‐12‐myristate‐13‐acetate in vivo and/or vitro, respectively. The inflammatory factors were detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Hyperglycemia could exacerbate axonal injury, aggravate cell apoptosis and glial activation, worsen the loss of BBB integrity, increase the release of inflammatory factors, and upregulate the expression of sEH and NF‐κB. Inhibition of sEH could reverse all these damages and protect BBB integrity by upregulating the expression of tight junction proteins and downregulating the levels of inflammatory factors in vivo and vitro, while the agonist of NF‐κB pathway abrogated the protective effects of TPPU on BBB integrity in vitro. Conclusions: sEH was involved in mediating axonal injury induced by hyperglycemia after DAI by disrupting BBB integrity through inducing inflammation via the NF‐κB pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain networks extracted by independent component analysis (ICA) from magnitude‐only fMRI data are usually denoised using various amplitude‐based thresholds. By contrast, spatial source phase (SSP) or the phase information of ICA brain networks extracted from complex‐valued fMRI data, has provided a simple yet effective way to perform the denoising using a fixed phase change. In this work, we extend the approach to magnitude‐only fMRI data to avoid testing various amplitude thresholds for denoising magnitude maps extracted by ICA, as most studies do not save the complex‐valued data. The main idea is to generate a mathematical SSP map for a magnitude map using a mapping framework, and the mapping framework is built using complex‐valued fMRI data with a known SSP map. Here we leverage the fact that the phase map derived from phase fMRI data has similar phase information to the SSP map. After verifying the use of the magnitude data of complex‐valued fMRI, this framework is generalized to work with magnitude‐only data, allowing use of our approach even without the availability of the corresponding phase fMRI datasets. We test the proposed method using both simulated and experimental fMRI data including complex‐valued data from University of New Mexico and magnitude‐only data from Human Connectome Project. The results provide evidence that the mathematical SSP denoising with a fixed phase change is effective for denoising spatial maps from magnitude‐only fMRI data in terms of retaining more BOLD‐related activity and fewer unwanted voxels, compared with amplitude‐based thresholding. The proposed method provides a unified and efficient SSP approach to denoise ICA brain networks in fMRI data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endocrine‐disrupting chemicals pose a growing threat to human health through their increasing presence in the environment and their potential interactions with the mammalian endocrine systems. Due to their structural similarity to hormones like estrogen, these chemicals can interfere with endocrine signaling, leading to many deleterious effects. Exposure to estrogenic endocrine‐disrupting compounds (EDC) is a suggested risk factor for the development of breast cancer, one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in women. However, the mechanisms through which EDCs contribute to breast cancer development remain elusive. To rapidly proliferate, cancer cells undertake distinct metabolic programs to utilize existing nutrients in the tumor microenvironment and synthesize macromolecules de novo. EDCs are known to dysregulate cell signaling pathways related to cellular metabolism, which may be an important mechanism through which they exert their cancer‐promoting effects. These altered pathways can be studied via metabolomic analysis, a new advancement in ‐omics technologies that can interrogate molecular pathways that favor cancer development and progression. This review will summarize recent discoveries regarding EDCs and the metabolic reprogramming that they may induce to facilitate the development of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence has increased among patients aged <50 years. Exploring high‐risk factors and screening high‐risk populations may help lower early‐onset CRC (EO‐CRC) incidence. We developed noninvasive predictive models for EO‐CRC and investigated its risk factors. Methods: This retrospective multicenter study collected information on 1756 patients (811 patients with EO‐CRC and 945 healthy controls) from two medical centers in China. Sociodemographic features, clinical symptoms, medical and family history, lifestyle, and dietary factors were measured. Patients from one cohort were randomly assigned (8:2) to two groups for model establishment and internal validation, and another independent cohort was used for external validation. Multivariable logistic regression, random forest, and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) were performed to establish noninvasive predictive models for EO‐CRC. Some variables in the model influenced EO‐CRC occurrence and were further analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression analysis yielded adjusted odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: All three models showed good performance, with areas under the receiver operator characteristic curves (AUCs) of 0.82, 0.84, and 0.82 in the internal and 0.78, 0.79, and 0.78 in the external validation cohorts, respectively. Consumption of sweet (OR 2.70, 95% CI 1.89–3.86, P < 0.001) and fried (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.29–3.62, P < 0.001) foods ≥3 times per week was significantly associated with EO‐CRC occurrence. Conclusion: We established noninvasive predictive models for EO‐CRC and identified multiple nongenetic risk factors, especially sweet and fried foods. The model has good performance and can help predict the occurrence of EO‐CRC in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The responses of sea cucumbers to salinity changes are reflected in the expression profiles of multiple genes and microRNAs. The miR‐2008 and Pleckstrin Homology Domain Containing A3 (PLEKHA3) were previously shown to be involved in responses to salinity changes in sea cucumbers. To better understand the relationship between miR‐2008 and PLEKHA3, the miR‐2008 and PLEKHA3 predicted interaction was investigated using luciferase reporter assays and gene knockdowns. Dual‐luciferase reporter gene analysis indicated that miR‐2008 overexpression decreased luciferase activity in the PLEKHA3‐WT group. The miR‐2008 expression in coelomocytes was increasingly downregulated in the agomir group with salinity acclimation. PLEKHA3 expression patterns in the miR‐2008 agomir group were upregulated after 6 and 48 h and downregulated after 24 h of low‐salinity stress. The miR‐2008 expression in the miR‐2008 agomir group peaked after 24 h of low‐salinity exposure in sea cucumbers. miR‐2008 overexpression and PLEKHA3 inhibition affected ion concentrations, osmotic pressure, Na+/K+‐ATPase (NKA) activity, and ROS levels. The changes in ion concentrations, osmotic pressure, and NKA activity after 6–24 h of salinity stress were observed. The results indicated that 6–24 h after the initiation of salinity stress may be critical to the salinity‐acclimation process in sea cucumbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is no consensus on the optimal regimen for unresectable recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), so this retrospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with lenvatinib and PD-1 inhibitors (T-L-P) versus TACE combined with lenvatinib (T-L) or TACE alone. Method: Data were collected from 204 patients with unresectable recurrent HCC who received T-L-P, T-L, or TACE alone at three medical centers from January, 2019 to December, 2020 for analysis. The survival outcomes, tumor response, and adverse events were compared between three groups, and risk factors were further investigated. Results: The median overall survival in the T-L-P, T-L, and TACE alone groups were not reached, 25.6, and 15.7 months, respectively (p < 0.001). The median progression-free survival in the T-L-P, T-L, and TACE alone groups were 24.1, 17.3, and 13.7 months, respectively (p < 0.001). The best objective response rate in the T-L-P, T-L, and TACE alone groups were 70.4%, 48.9%, and 42.5%, respectively. The best disease control rate in the T-L-P, T-L, and TACE alone groups were 100.0%, 97.8%, and 87.5%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the T-L-P and T-L groups for Grade 3/4 adverse events. Conclusion: T-L-P regimen was safe and superior to T-L or TACE alone in improving survival for unresectable recurrent HCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early and late recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have different clinical outcomes, especially for those accompanied by microvascular invasion (MVI), but the definition of early recurrence remains controversial. Therefore, a reasonable identification of the early recurrence time for HCC is urgently needed. Methods: Resected recurrence patients were enrolled and divided into two cohorts, one for identification of the early recurrence time and another for verification of the accuracy of the point. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses were adopted to identify the prognostic factors of recurrence HCC (rHCC) and Kaplan–Meier method was applied to analyze the overall survival (OS). The appropriate cutoff value was determined by the exhaustive method using different recurrence intervals from 1 to 24 months in turn. Results: In total, 292 resected rHCC patients were analyzed to calculate the early recurrence interval, and another 421 resected rHCC patients with MVI were enrolled to verify the efficacy of adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in this recurrence interval. MVI was identified as an independent risk factor by multivariable analysis. The OS of rHCC patients without MVI is better than that of patients with MVI when the recurrence time was within 13 months, while not beyond 13 months. The verification cohort demonstrated that adjuvant TACE provided longer survival for rHCC with MVI when the recurrence time was within 13 months, while not beyond 13 months. Conclusion: For HCC patients with MVI who underwent R0 resection, 13 months may be a reasonable early recurrence time point, and within this interval, postoperative adjuvant TACE may result in longer survival compared with surgery alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Permian–Triassic boundary (PTB) volcanic tuffs are widely distributed in the East Palaeo‐Tethys region, but their age and origin have been controversial. The Permian–Triassic deep‐water sediments in the northeastern margin of South China are favourable research objects, and we report new results from the PTB deep basin sediments in the Susong area, Anhui Province, in this paper. Two volcanic tuffs are found in the Zuoshan PTB in the Zuoshan section, and Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) U–Pb zircon dating indicates that the upper and lower tuffs are 251.3 ± 1.7 Ma and 252.3 ± 2.1 Ma, respectively. The PTB age is 251.6 Ma according to a numerical interpolation method of the average deposition rate of the PTB. Fusulinids and non‐fusulinid foraminifers in the limestone overlying the lower tuff define the rock as end‐Permian. Zircon trace elements show that both tuffs are sourced from felsic volcanism in continental arc background, and their source magmas were derived from the continental crust. Zircons of PTB age from the upper tuff on the bottom of the Triassic have negative εHf(t) value from −8.02 to −3.75, and the Palaeo‐Mesoproterozoic two‐stage model ages of 1502–1780 Ma, showing that their source rocks were only derived from the remelting of the Palaeo‐Mesoproterozoic continental crust. The zircons from the lower tuff on the top of the Permian show two types, including negative εHf(t) values from −6.48 to −1.25 and Palaeo‐Mesoproterozoic two‐stage model ages of 1350–1679 Ma, and positive εHf(t) values from +3.98 to +10.15, and Neoproterozoic two‐stage model ages of 629–1023 Ma, indicating that their sources were derived from the reworking of the Palaeo‐Mesoproterozoic continental crust and early Neoproterozoic depleted mantle joined in juvenile crust growth in the northern margin of the South China Block at the beginning of the collision between the South China and North China blocks. The initial collision started no later than 252.3 Ma and developed significantly from east to west. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cuticular hydrocarbons of Cerambycidae species can function as signals for sex recognition. Little is known about the copulatory signals of the juniper bark borer Semanotus bifasciatus, a major economic threat to Platycladus orientalis Franco in China. Here, we investigated the cuticular hydrocarbons of both sexes of S. bifasciatus to determine the chemically mediated mating signals using the solid‐phase microextraction (SPME) technique with carbowax/divinylbenzene fibers (CAR/DVB) and then analyzed by coupled gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). A series of aliphatic saturated straight‐chain n‐alkanes (n‐C23 to n‐C28), internally branched monomethylalkanes at carbons 3, 11, or 13, and dimethylalkanes were identified, which showed no qualitative differences in either sex and were similar in the samples with SPME fiber extraction and those with hexane extraction. The bioassay showed that 11‐methylpentacosane (11‐MeC25), 11‐methylhexacosane (11‐MeC26), and 11‐methylheptacosane (11‐MeC27) have sex‐specific recognition functions that triggered more mating attempts at a female‐specific ratio of 100:4:60 than at a male‐specific ratio of 100:85:50. In addition, the female‐specific ratio of 11‐methylalkanes can elicit about 70% of male mating attempts within about 60 s, whereas live females elicit about 98% of male mating attempts within 25 s. The discrepancy in the initiation of mating attempts by synthetic mixtures and live females suggests that the methyl isomers 3‐MeC25, 3‐MeC27, and/or 11,15‐diMeC27 may also be involved in the mating behavior of S. bifasciatus. These results suggest that 11‐MeC25, 11‐MeC26, and 11‐MeC27 constitute the contact sex pheromone of S. bifasciatus, with the presence or absence of 11‐MeC26 in particular playing an important role in mate recognition by males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ARL2BP is a ciliary gene associated with multiple ciliopathy phenotypes. On comprehensive clinical examinations using molecular methods, we identified a Chinese patient from a consanguineous family carrying a novel homozygous variant c.22_23delAG (p.S8Lfs*10) in ARL2BP, presenting with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), situs inversus totalis, and oligozoospermia. Situs inversus and male infertility have never been reported in the same patient with ARL2BP variants; therefore, this a novel ARL2BP‐associated phenotypic triad of RP, situs inversus, and male infertility. Moreover, this patient likely had olfactory dysfunction susceptibility and presented with anosmia. We found reduced patient‐derived fibroblast proliferation and ciliary length. Our findings expand the genotypic spectrum and reveal abnormal cell proliferation and ciliogenesis in ARL2BP‐associated patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The progression of atherosclerosis can lead to the occurrence of multiple cardiovascular diseases (coronary heart disease, etc.). E prostanoid receptor‐3 (EP3) is known to participate in the progression of atherosclerosis. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism by which EP3 modulates the development of atherosclerosis. Methods and results: ApoE−/− mice were used to construct in vivo model of atherosclerosis. Human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) were stimulated with oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (ox‐LDL) to construct in vitro model of atherosclerosis. mRNA expressions were assessed by qRT‐PCR, and western blot was applied to assess the protein levels. CCK‐8 assay was applied to assess the cell viability. The inflammatory cytokines levels were assessed by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, and flow cytometry was applied to assess cell apoptosis. In vivo experiment was constructed to investigate the impact of EP3 in atherosclerosis development. L‐798106 (EP3 inhibitor) significantly inhibited the levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines in atherosclerosis in vivo. EP3 inhibitor (L‐798106) significantly reversed ox‐LDL‐caused HASMCs injury via inhibiting the apoptosis and inflammatory responses (P < 0.05). The levels of interleukin‐17 (IL‐17) and intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) in HASMCs were elevated by ox‐LDL, whereas L‐798106 or knockdown of cyclic AMP (cAMP) response element‐binding protein (CREB) notably restored this phenomenon (P < 0.05). EP3 overexpression further aggravated ox‐LDL‐induced inflammation in HASMCs, and EP3 up‐regulated the levels of IL‐17 and ICAM‐1 in ox‐LDL‐treated HASMCs (P < 0.05). EP3 up‐regulation promoted the inflammatory responses in ox‐LDL‐treated HASMCs through mediation of cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA)/CREB/IL‐17/ICAM‐1 axis (P < 0.05). Conclusions: EP3 inhibitor alleviates ox‐LDL‐induced HASMC inflammation via mediation of cAMP/PKA/CREB/IL‐17/ICAM‐1 axis. Our study might shed new lights on discovering novel strategies against atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: As a new type of lateral load‐resisting system in SPSW systems, corrugated SPSWs (CSPSWs) have been gradually researched and applied. Corrugated plates offer various advantages over flat plates including higher energy dissipation capacity, ductility, out‐of‐plane stiffness, and improved buckling stability. For seismic control and isolation techniques, low yield point (LYP) steels (LY100, LY160, and LY225) are the reliable and ideal energy‐dissipating materials. The low yield point CSPSWs combine high energy‐consuming materials with high‐performance structures to provide a better solution for ductile and seismic resistance of high‐rise and super tall buildings. Currently, there are no design codes addressing the seismic performance of LYP corrugated steel plate shear walls (CSPSWs). This study investigates cyclic behavior and energy dissipation performance of corrugated steel plate yield point (100, 160, 225, 235, and 345 MPa) of different thickness CSPSWs and determine the plate yield point that provides the optimum performance. Results and findings of this study reveal that compared with the ordinary yield strength corrugated steel plates, the low yield point CSPSWs have a larger safety factor of lateral bearing capacity, a fuller hysteresis curve, a strong energy dissipation coefficient, a larger ductility coefficient and a smaller fluctuation range of strength degradation coefficient, and better strength stability. The initial equivalent stiffness of CSPSWs with different yield strengths is the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total saponins of Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem. (TSAE) have been shown to play a significant role in cardiovascular protection, anti‐tumor, liver protection, anti‐oxidant stress, and anti‐inflammation. However, the specific mechanisms of TSAE in myocardial ischemia‐reperfusion injury (MIRI) remain largely elusive. Hearts from male Wistar rats were used to establish the isolated heart MIRI model. Using a multichannel physiological recorder, the whole course heart rate (HR), left ventricular development pressure (LVDP), and maximum rise/decrease rate of left ventricular pressure (±dp/dtmax) were recorded. 2,3,5‐triphenyl‐2H‐tetrazolium chloride staining observed the infarct area, while hematoxylin & eosin staining detected pathological changes in myocardial tissue. Creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, total superoxide dismutase, and malondialdehyde concentrations were determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Immunohistochemistry, quantitative PCR, and western blot assay were used to assess the amounts of IL‐18 and IL‐1β, NLR family protein (NLRP3) inflammasome‐ and apoptosis‐related proteins, respectively. Treatment with TSAE or MCC950 (NLRP3‐specific inhibitor) significantly reduced the myocardial infarction area, alleviated pathological changes in myocardial tissues, enhanced LVDP and ±dp/dtmax levels, prevented myocardial oxidative damage, and inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome formation. In addition, TSAE enhanced Akt and GSK3β phosphorylation, and LY29004 co‐reperfusion markedly diminished the protective role of TSAE reperfusion on cardiac function, oxidative damage, and inflammatory responses. Collectively, TSAE treatment exhibited a protective effect on I/R‐triggered inflammatory responses, cell necrosis, and oxidative stress injury by stimulating PI3K/Akt signaling‐mediated NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elemental analysis in disease diagnosis and biomedicine screening generally aims at alleviating the difficulties of sample pretreatment techniques, elucidating the distribution and speciation information of elements in bio‐samples as well as elevating resolution of multidimensional elemental profiling. The integration of microfluidic techniques with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) has been demonstrated to possess great potential in these aspects due to the versatile microstructure design, rapid sample pretreatment, extremely low sample consumption, and high‐sensitivity/high‐throughput elemental detection capability. Herein, an overview of the advancements in microfluidic‐based ICP‐MS for precise biological elemental determination is provided. A few microfluidic approaches for multiplex and effective manipulation of clinical samples followed by detection with ICP‐MS are highlighted, that is, high spatiotemporal resolution sampling, high‐purity elemental microextraction device, and high signal‐to‐noise ratio elemental analysis. In addition, other front‐end techniques are discussed for converting various types of samples into a suitable form for detection, for example, laser ablation and time of flight MS. The opportunities and outstanding challenges of microfluidic‐based ICP‐MS elemental investigations in clinical diagnosis and biomedical studies are also depicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power distribution network (PDN) is an essential component in high speed circuits, and the impedance calculation of PDN becomes a hot topic. In this paper, we proposed a method to calculate the impedance of power ground grid (PGG), which is one type of the PDN, by using artificial neural network (ANN). First, the PGG is equivalent to a simple power ground plane (PGP). The equivalent PGP has the same dimension and port location but different relative permittivity εg and relative permeability μg of the substrate compared to the original PGG. Then, ANN is used to calculate the equivalent εg and μg of the equivalent PGP. Thus, the impedance of equivalent PGP can be obtained by using Green's function. The proposed method has been validated by numerical and measurement examples. The agreement and difference of the impedance results in both examples are also analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Reliable and valid predictors of malnutrition in patients with cirrhosis remain scarce, especially easily accessible blood indicators. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the validity of the sarcopenia index (serum creatinine/serum cystatin C × 100) as a tool in assessing the nutritional status of patients with cirrhosis. Methods: This prospective cohort study included 109 patients with cirrhosis who were hospitalised in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from August 2020 to June 2021. Malnutrition was diagnosed by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between sarcopenia index and malnutrition. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of sarcopenia index. By contrast, we evaluated the subjective global assessment and traditional nutrition‐related indicators. Results: Of the 109 included patients, 71 (65.1%) were diagnosed with malnutrition. The sarcopenia index was significantly lower in malnourished patients (56.39 ± 15.23) compared with well‐nourished patients (74.95 ± 13.18, p < 0.001). In addition, the sarcopenia index was independently correlated with malnutrition (p < 0.001). The sarcopenia index was a good tool to predict malnutrition (area under curve = 0.833), which performed better than the subjective global assessment (area under curve = 0.782) and cholinesterase (area under curve = 0.812). A low sarcopenia index indicated longer hospital stay and higher risk of 90‐day re‐hospitalisation. Conclusion: Malnutrition is highly prevalent in this population. The sarcopenia index seems to be a good predictor in nutritional assessment of patients with cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes a transparent Mini‐LED panel with high transmittance and inproved see‐through imaging quality. The diffraction is the main reason of see‐through image blurred, and it is related to the arrangement of meteal wires and the phase difference in the transparent region. In order to better match the actual see‐through image and eliminate blur, we propose an optimized simulation method. Based on this method, the pixel design has been changed to improve see‐through imaging quality. In the end, a 11.4inch Mini‐LED display prototype with 65.1% transmittance and low blur is developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prolonged exposure to obesogenic diets disrupts the mesocortical dopaminergic input to the prefrontal cortex (PFC). This leads to suboptimal dopamine levels in this brain region, which affects cognition and control of food intake. Treatments that restore mesocortical dopaminergic neurotransmission may improve obesity-associated cognitive dysfunction and modulate food intake to induce weight loss. Given the complexity and multifactorial nature of obesity, combination treatments would likely achieve sizeable and sustained body weight loss and improve obesity-linked outcomes, such as cognitive dysfunction. Given this background, we hypothesize that concomitant activation of serotonin 5-HT2C and histamine H1 receptors, coupled with antagonism of histamine H3 receptors, synergistically modulates mesocortical dopamine neurotransmission and ameliorates obesity-induced cognitive dysfunction. We propose to test the hypothesis in a diet-induced obesity (DIO) rat model by treating animals with the 5-HT2C agonist lorcaserin and the H1 agonist and H3 antagonist betahistine. Consistent with our hypothesis, both lorcaserin and betahistine have been shown to reduce body weight in humans with obesity and animals. Both drugs have been demonstrated to improve cognitive functions by influencing dopaminergic signaling in the PFC. The proposed combination treatment addresses the paucity of studies on obesity treatments that improve cognitive function. This research may also help identify a potential targetable mechanism connecting obesity and neurocognitive outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cascade deboronation/regioselective B−P coupling of closo‐carboranes is disclosed using a combination of palladium catalysts and nitrogen or phosphine‐containing directing groups. Unsymmetric C‐substituted closo‐carboranes, including C‐monosubstituted and unsymmetric 1,2‐disubstituted closo‐carboranes, are tolerated. Select closo‐carboranes bearing other directing groups, such as benzoxazole, and diphenylphosphine, are compatible substrates for this reaction. Phosphine and arsenic can be utilized as effective coupling partners. Furthermore, a catalytic amount of palladium salt mediates the regioselective B−H activation process. Readily available closo‐carboranes as the starting materials for direct one‐pot synthesis of functionalized nido‐carboranes and the in‐situ formation of nido‐carborane intermediates without purification are important features in terms of practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel junctionless gate‐all‐around (GAA) transistor with ultrathin nanosheet GAA channel and self‐aligned raised source/drain (RSD) is successfully designed and fabricated on void embedded silicon on insulator (VESOI) substrate through a much simpler fabrication process. Devices with as thin as 13‐nm nanosheet GAA channel thickness exhibit excellent electrical characteristics: on/off current ratio of 106 and on‐state drive current of 58 µA/µm. Although the parasitic planar channel component still exists, the device performance is decisively dominated by the GAA channel, and further boosted by the junction‐free bulk conduction mechanism and the self‐aligned RSD structure.A novel junctionless gate‐all‐around (GAA) transistor with ultrathin nanosheet GAA channel and self‐aligned raised source/drain (RSD) is successfully designed and fabricated on void embedded silicon on insulator (VESOI) substrate through a much simpler fabrication process. Devices with as thin as 13 nm nanosheet GAA channel thickness exhibit excellent electrical characteristics: on/off current ratio of 106 and on‐state drive current of 58 µA/µm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cortical neurons oscillate synchronously between the Up and Down state during slow-wave sleep and general anesthesia. Using local-field-potential recording in the rat prefrontal cortex (PFC), we have shown that systemic administration of methylphenidate promotes PFC Up states and reduces PFC slow oscillation, suggesting a depolarizing effect of the drug on PFC neurons. Here, we report that systemic injection of d-amphetamine produced similar effects. Our evidence further suggests that norepinephrine (NE) plays a major role in the effects of d-amphetamine since they were mimicked by the NE reuptake inhibitors tomoxetine and nisoxetine and completely blocked by the α1 receptor antagonist prazosin. The effects of d-amphetamine persisted, however, in the presence of α2 or β receptor blockade. Experiments with α1 subtype-selective antagonists further suggest that d-amphetamine's effects depend on activation of central, but not peripheral, α1A receptors. Unexpectedly, the putative α1 receptor agonist cirazoline failed to mimic the effects of d-amphetamine. Previous studies suggest that cirazoline is also an antagonist at α2 receptors. Furthermore, it is a partial, not full, agonist at α1B and α1D receptors. Whether or not these properties of cirazoline contribute to its failure to mimic d-amphetamine's effects remains to be determined. Methylphenidate and d-amphetamine are two most common medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Both, however, are associated with adverse effects including abuse potential and psychotomimetic effects. Further understanding of their mechanisms of action will help develop safer treatments for ADHD and offer new insights into drug addiction and psychosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the impact of creative advertising on consumers' purchase intention and attention. By calculating mouse trajectories in two tasks, we found that when advertising gained enough attention, creative advertising can attract more attention and reduce individuals' feelings of uncertainty when making purchase decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water hydrogen bonding (H‐bonding) to α‐helical transmembrane (TM) peptides is fundamental to better understand the behavior and function of α‐helical peptides, disease pathways, and the development of new drugs. Deep‐UV resonance Raman (dUVRR) spectroscopy is a non‐destructive technique amenable to both lipophilic and aqueous environments, which is an excellent and convenient approach for studying water H‐bonding (or water accessibility) to α‐helical TM peptides in a membrane mimicking environment. The dUVRR results indicate that water molecules can access the lipid membrane and form H‐bonds with carbonyl groups along α‐helical backbones. Raman bands at ~1,629 and ~1,672 cm−1 can be used to monitor the hydration and dehydration conditions along TM α‐helices. Two bands at ~1,300 and ~1,340 cm−1 are also potential characteristic features of the dehydration and hydration along the α‐helices in a membrane environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Preoperative evaluation of the consistency of pituitary macroadenomas is important for neurosurgeons to prepare the surgical plan.Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of texture analysis (TA) of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) at a standard b-value (b = 1000 s/mm2 ) and a high b-value (b = 2000 s/mm2 ) for their ability to assess the tumor consistency of pituitary macroadenomas.Study Type: Retrospective.Population/subjects: Fifty patients with histologically confirmed pituitary macroadenomas were classified as soft (n = 37) or hard (n = 13) types.Field Strength/sequence: Coronal T2 -weighted imaging (T2 WI), Readout Segmentation of Long Variable Echo-trains (RESOLVE) DWI at b = 1000 s/mm2 and b = 2000 s/mm2 were acquired with 3.0T MRI.Assessment: The corresponding apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps (ADC1000 and ADC2000 ) were registered to T2 WI. Regions of interest (ROIs) were manually drawn along the solid part of the tumor from the coregistered T2 WI-ADC images. The texture parameters from T2 WI, ADC1000 , and ADC2000 were acquired.Statistical Tests: The texture parameters were compared between the two types by using unpaired Student's t-test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and logistic regression analyses were used to assess their diagnostic performance.Results: Significant differences in TA parameters of ADC1000 and ADC2000 were observed between soft and hard types (P < 0.05 for all), whereas the TA of T2 WI resulted in no significant difference (P > 0.05 for all). TA of ADC2000 provided a superior diagnostic performance compared with that of ADC1000 (P = 0.038). A combination of mean value and entropy of ADC2000 yielded an AUC, a sensitivity, and a specificity of 0.911, 78.4% and 92.3%, respectively.Data Conclusion: TA of ADC values were useful for assessing the tumor consistency of pituitary macroadenomas. ADC2000 may facilitate better type discrimination.Level Of Evidence: 3 Technical Efficacy Stage: 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;51:1507-1513. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional quarter/half‐wavelength common‐mode filter (CMF) cannot work well for a differential stripline when there is no ground via. A new and effective via‐free CMF design for the differential striplines is proposed in this study. An alternating high‐low impedance structure is developed to increase the coupling between the stripline and the CMF, thus achieving a good filtering effect. A cascaded CMF design is further studied to enhance the stopband without deterioration of the differential signals. Both simulation and measurement results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed high‐low impedance CMF. The significant advantage of the proposed CMF is its compactness and simplicity, which has almost no impact on the original layout of differential striplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary In this article, we study parameter estimation problems for fractional commensurate Hammerstein systems utilizing the conformable fractional derivative. Two algorithms are investigated: first, the Poisson moment functions (PMF) method, aiming to transfer the fractional derivative of the measurement signal into PMF using the fractional Laplace transform and convolution; second, a proposed new instrumental variable algorithm, which is based on the conformable fractional derivative. Both algorithms have been analyzed and shown to be consistent. A comprehensive complexity analysis is provided for each algorithm. Furthermore, a kind of special time‐varying systems are discussed under the conformable fractional derivative. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrition contributes to honey bee caste differentiation, but the role of individual nutrients is still unclear. Most essential amino acid contents, except that of methionine (Met), are greater in royal jelly than worker jelly. After ∼3.5 d, the Met content in the latter was slightly greater than in the former. Met is the major raw material used in the synthesis of S‐adenosyl‐L‐methionine, an active methyl donor for DNA methylation, which is an epigenetic driver of caste differentiation. Here, we tested whether Met regulates caste differentiation in honey bees by determining its effects on the caste development of bees receiving four diets: the basic, basic + 0.2% Met, basic + 0.2% Met + 20 mg/kg 5‐azacytidine, and basic + 20 mg/kg 5‐azacytidine. The presence of Met decreased the adult bee body length and the numbers of ovarioles, indicating that Met may direct the development of female larvae toward worker bees. The upregulated expression of SAMS, Dnmt1, and Dnmt3 caused by Met exposure in 4‐d‐old larvae indicated that the worker‐inductive effects of Met may occur through the promotion of DNA methylation. We investigated the co‐effects of Met and glucose on bee development, and found that the effects of an increased glucose level on the number of ovarioles and body length did not strengthen the worker‐inductive effects caused by Met. Our results contribute to caste development theory and suggest that Met—as a methyl donor—plays a regulatory, but not decisive, role in caste differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the relation between daily order imbalance and stock returns in the Chinese stock market. We show that lagged order imbalance significantly and negatively predicts future stock returns. In addition, the predictive relation is robust for size and turnover subsamples, but stronger for small stocks and stocks with high turnover. Finally, we show that a dynamic trading strategy based on lagged order imbalance generates positive returns with a Sharpe ratio much higher than those of passive strategies. Our results shed new light on the role of inventory effects in stock price movements in an order‐driven market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on density functional theory calculations under the framework of first‐principles, the electronic and optical characteristics of C2N/ZnTe van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure are investigated in detail. An inherent type‐II band alignment arises in the heterostructure, which possesses a 1.94 eV direct band gap. With light irradiation, the photogenerated electron‐hole pairs of heterostructure are separated on different monolayers. This helps to extending the lifetime of carriers. Additionally, the lower effective carrier mass (me*=0.55m0, mh*=0.23m0) is owned for the heterostructure. The heterostructure has suitable band gap and band edge positions, as well as, enhanced visible light absorption capacity, which can facilitate photocatalytic water splitting in acidic conditions. More interestingly, the redox reaction of photocatalytic water splitting can still proceed on the heterostructure after exerting a biaxial tensile strain of 2–6%. These results suggest that C2N/ZnTe vdW heterostructure will be a promising water splitting photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the mechanism of increased gate leakage current observed in SiNx‐passivated high‐resistivity cap layer high‐electron‐mobility transistors (HRCL‐HEMTs) is investigated. The leakage is found to be correlated with the roughened morphology and deviated surface stoichiometry caused by H‐plasma treatment. An additional step of surface etching before passivation restores GaN surface and gate leakage is reduced by about two orders of magnitude, whereas the other electrical characteristics of p‐GaN HEMTs are preserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-frequency waves are closely related to magnetospheric energy dissipation processes. The Cassini spacecraft explored Saturn's magnetosphere for over 13 years, until September 2017, covering a period of more than a complete solar cycle. Using this rich heritage data set, we systematically investigated key physical parameters of low-frequency waves in Saturn's magnetosphere, including their local time distribution and the dependence on solar activity. We found that the wave activity peaked in the near noon sector. For the nightside, the wave intensity also appeared to peak pre and postmidnight. Due to the limited local time coverage for each solar phase, we were not able to draw a firm conclusion on the wave's dependence on solar activity. In general, the wave power showed a monotonically decreasing trend toward larger distances in nightside sectors especially during the declining phase, which implied that low-frequency waves mainly originate from the relatively inner regions of the magnetosphere. On the dayside, stronger waves were mostly located at/within ~25 Rs, near the magnetopause. The study shows a global picture of low-frequency waves in Saturn's magnetosphere, providing important implications for how magnetospheric energy dissipates into Saturn's polar ionosphere and atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low‐frequency waves are closely related to magnetospheric energy dissipation processes. The Cassini spacecraft explored Saturn's magnetosphere for over 13 years, until September 2017, covering a period of more than a complete solar cycle. Using this rich heritage data set, we systematically investigated key physical parameters of low‐frequency waves in Saturn's magnetosphere, including their local time distribution and the dependence on solar activity. We found that the wave activity peaked in the near noon sector. For the nightside, the wave intensity also appeared to peak pre and postmidnight. Due to the limited local time coverage for each solar phase, we were not able to draw a firm conclusion on the wave's dependence on solar activity. In general, the wave power showed a monotonically decreasing trend toward larger distances in nightside sectors especially during the declining phase, which implied that low‐frequency waves mainly originate from the relatively inner regions of the magnetosphere. On the dayside, stronger waves were mostly located at/within ∼25 Rs, near the magnetopause. The study shows a global picture of low‐frequency waves in Saturn's magnetosphere, providing important implications for how magnetospheric energy dissipates into Saturn's polar ionosphere and atmosphere.Key Points: Using the complete Cassini magnetometer data set, we present the global picture of ultralow frequency waves in Saturn's magnetosphereThe wave power shows a rapid decrease beyond 25 RS in both the morning and afternoon sectorsThe wave activity peaks in noon sector, implying that these waves could be driven by the solar wind interaction with Saturn's magnetopause [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the effect of cross‐shareholdings on stock price synchronicity, as a measure of price informativeness, of the listed firms in the Chinese stock market. We gauge firms' levels of cross‐shareholdings in terms of centrality in the cross‐shareholding network. It is confirmed that it is through a noise‐reducing process that cross‐shareholdings promotes price synchronicity and reduces price delay. More importantly, this effect on price informativeness is pronounced for large firms and in the periods of market downturns. Overall, our analyses provide insights into the relation between the ownership structure and price informativeness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

publisher‐imprint‐name Springer volume‐issue‐count 1 issue‐article‐count 0 issue‐toc‐levels 0 issue‐pricelist‐year 2020 issue‐copyright‐holder The Author(s) issue‐copyright‐year 2020 article‐contains‐esm Yes article‐numbering‐style Unnumbered article‐registration‐date‐year 2020 article‐registration‐date‐month 1 article‐registration‐date‐day 20 article‐toc‐levels 0 toc‐levels 0 volume‐type Regular journal‐product ArchiveJournal numbering‐style Unnumbered article‐grants‐type OpenChoice metadata‐grant OpenAccess abstract‐grant OpenAccess bodypdf‐grant OpenAccess bodyhtml‐grant OpenAccess bibliography‐grant OpenAccess esm‐grant OpenAccess online‐first false pdf‐file‐reference BodyRef/PDF/40169_2020_Article_264.pdf pdf‐type Typeset target‐type OnlinePDF issue‐type Regular article‐type OriginalPaper journal‐subject‐primary Medicine & Public Health journal‐subject‐secondary Medicine/Public Health, general journal‐subject‐collection Medicine open‐access true --> Background: Liver fibrosis, resulted from several liver diseases, are increasing up to 25% in population in global. It remains undetermined how much impact liver fibrosis have on the development of hepatic metastasis and relapse in colorectal cancer (CRC). Hence the aim of this study was to clarify the role of liver fibrosis on hepatic metastasis and relapse in CRC undergoing curative therapy. Methods: We enrolled consecutive 1652 patients with radical colorectal surgery as the discovery cohort, and the validation set enrolled 432 CRC patients with hepatic metastasis. To determine liver fibrosis, the NFS, FIB4 and APRI scores were applied. The influence of liver fibrosis on hepatic metastasis and relapse was assessed by survival analyses. Nomograms with fibrosis score incorporated were established to identify the incremental value for individualized relapse estimation, which was then assessed with respect to calibration, discrimination, and clinical usefulness. Results: The high liver fibrosis score patients had significantly worse outcomes than low score in 5‐year hepatic metastasis (22.6 vs. 8.7%) in discovery cohort, and relapse (58.2 vs. 44.1%) in validation cohort. Multivariate analysis also revealed liver fibrosis as an independent prognostic factor. The distribution analysis also demonstrated higher liver fibrosis score a powerful prognostic factor for hepatic metastasis and relapse. The nomogram incorporated with liver fibrosis score resulted in better performance than TNM staging system and clinicopathologic nomograms. Importantly, the discriminatory capacity of the fibrosis score was superior to that of the CRS score in predicting hepatic specific disease‐free survival (DFS) and relapse‐free survival (RFS), as demonstrated by the C‐index and AUC. The concordance study showed well agreement among NFS, FIB4 and APRI in predicting DFS and RFS. Among these three noninvasive liver fibrosis scores, NFS score performed the best in predicting hepatic specific DFS and RFS. Conclusion: The liver fibrosis was a powerful predictor of hepatic specific DFS and RFS in CRC. Fibrosis niche may be a favorable microenvironment for metastatic formation in the liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the dynamic modeling and robust control of an underactuated floating wind turbine for vibration suppression. The offshore wind turbine is equipped with a tuned mass damper on the floating platform. The Lagrange's equation is employed to establish the limited degree‐of‐freedom dynamic model. A novel disturbance observer‐based hierarchical sliding mode control system is developed for mitigating loads of the underactuated floating wind turbine. In the proposed control scheme, two prescribed performance nonlinear disturbance observers are developed to estimate and counteract unknown disturbances, where the load induced by wave is considered as a mismatched disturbance while the load caused by wind is treated as a matched disturbance. The hierarchical sliding mode controller regulates the states of such an underactuated nonlinear system. In particular, the first‐order sliding mode differentiator is used to avoid the tedious analytic computation in the sliding mode control design. The stability of the whole closed‐loop system is rigorously analyzed, and some sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee the convergence of the states for the considered system. Numerical simulations deployed on both the design model and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory 5‐MW wind turbine model are provided, which demonstrate great effectiveness and strong robustness of the proposed control scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This work examines the H∞ filtering issue for Markov jump systems in the circumstances of partial information on Markov chain and randomly occurring sensor nonlinearities. The partial information considered in this work includes partial information on the Markov state, on transition probabilities and on detection probabilities. A hidden Markov model with partially known transition probabilities and detection probabilities is introduced to describe the above partial information phenomenon. The randomly occurring sensor nonlinearities considered in this work depend on the system operating mode. Based on the Lyapunov methodology and the introduced hidden Markov model, some effective H∞ performance analysis criteria are derived for the filtering error system under the circumstances of partial information and sensor nonlinearities. In addition, the design procedure of the desired hidden Markov model‐based filter is established, and finally two examples are used to verify the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper presents a new three‐directional isolator and a new prediction model for base isolation method of buildings to improve the comfort of occupants under subway‐induced environmental vibration. The mechanical properties of the isolator were tested in a laboratory. The results indicated that the stiffness values can satisfy the isolation requirements for environmental vibrations by increasing the thickness of rubber layers, and the sliding bottom is beneficial for protecting the new isolator from instability failures under earthquakes. The suppression effectiveness of the new isolator for three‐directional subway‐induced environmental vibrations was then investigated via field experiments with a full‐scale building. Further, the tri‐axial comfort of occupants inside the building is enhanced significantly. Finally, using the measured data from the field experiments as an input, the new prediction model was proven to be effective for evaluating the vertical vibration levels of the base‐isolated building. As the new prediction model only includes a few of the most influential floor slabs, the modeling workload and computational cost of the prediction analysis are eased. Therefore, the new isolator and the prediction model are beneficial for improving the service performances of the base isolation method, especially for the buildings near subway transportation and in seismic areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose to mitigate the barge pitch and roll motions of floating hydrostatic wind turbine (HWT) by combining the advantages of the bidirectional tuned liquid column damper (BTLCD) and the tuned mass damper (TMD). This is achieved by enabling the container of the BTLCD to move freely, connecting it to the main structure through springs and dampers, creating what we call a bidirectional tuned liquid column mass damper (BTLCMD). The BTLCMD is made by the hydraulic reservoir of the HWT, saving costs by avoiding the addition of extra mass and fluids. The HWT simulation model is obtained by replacing the geared drivetrain of the NREL 5‐MW barge wind turbine model with a hydrostatic transmission drivetrain. The dynamics of the BTLCMD are then incorporated into the HWT. Two simplified mathematical models, describing the barge pitch and roll motions of the HWT‐BTLCMD coupled system, are used to obtain the optimal parameters of the BTLCMD. Simulation results demonstrate that the BTLCMD is very effective in mitigating the barge pitch motion, barge roll motion, and the tower base load. The BTLCMD also largely outperforms the BTLCD in suppressing barge motions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]