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[Display omitted] Anti-tumor therapies reliant on reactive oxygen species (ROS) as primary therapeutic agents face challenges due to a limited oxygen substrate. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is particularly hindered by inherent hypoxia, while chemodynamic therapy (CDT) encounters obstacles from insufficient endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) levels. In this study, we engineered biodegradable tumor microenvironment (TME)-activated hollow mesoporous MnO 2 -based nanotheranostic agents, designated as HAMnO 2 A. This construct entails loading artemisinin (ART) into the cavity and surface modification with a mussel-inspired polymer ligand, namely hyaluronic acid-linked poly(ethylene glycol)-diethylenetriamine-conjugated (3,4-dihydroxyphenyl) acetic acid, and the photosensitizer Chlorin e6 (mPEG-HA-Dien-(Dhpa/Ce6)), facilitating dual-modal imaging-guided PDT/CDT synergistic therapy. In vitro experimentation revealed that HAMnO 2 A exhibited ideal physiological stability and enhanced cellular uptake capability via CD44-mediated endocytosis. Additionally, it was demonstrated that accelerated endo -lysosomal escape through the pH-dependent protonation of Dien. Within the acidic and highly glutathione (GSH)-rich TME, the active component of HAMnO 2 A, MnO 2 , underwent decomposition, liberating oxygen and releasing both Mn2+ and ART. This process alleviates hypoxia within the tumor region and initiates a Fenton-like reaction through the combination of ART and Mn2+, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of PDT and CDT by generating increased singlet oxygen (1O 2) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH). Moreover, the presence of Mn2+ ions enabled the activation of T 1 -weighted magnetic resonance imaging. In vivo findings further validated that HAMnO 2 A displayed meaningful tumor-targeting capabilities, prolonged circulation time in the bloodstream, and outstanding efficacy in restraining tumor growth while inducing minimal damage to normal tissues. Hence, this nanoplatform serves as an efficient all-in-one solution by facilitating the integration of multiple functions, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of tumor theranostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mammalian females, quiescent primordial follicles serve as the ovarian reserve and sustain normal ovarian function and egg production via folliculogenesis. The loss of primordial follicles causes ovarian aging. Cellular senescence, characterized by cell cycle arrest and production of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), is associated with tissue aging. In the present study, we report that some quiescent primary oocytes in primordial follicles become senescent in adult mouse ovaries. The senescent primary oocytes share senescence markers characterized in senescent somatic cells. The senescent primary oocytes were observed in young adult mouse ovaries, remained at approximately 15% of the total primary oocytes during ovarian aging from 6 to 12 months, and accumulated in aged ovaries. Administration of a senolytic drug ABT263 to 3-month-old mice reduced the percentage of senescent primary oocytes and the transcription of the SASP factors in the ovary, in addition, led to increased numbers of primordial and total follicles and a higher rate of oocyte maturation. Our study provides experimental evidence that primary oocytes, a germline cell type that is arrested in meiosis, become senescent in adult mouse ovaries and that senescent cell clearance reduced primordial follicle loss and mitigated ovarian aging phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional methods for assessing the cleanliness of liquid metal are characterized by prolonged detection times, delays, and susceptibility to variations in sampling conditions. To address these limitations, an online cleanliness-analyzing system grounded in the method of the electrical sensing zone has been developed. This system facilitates real-time, in situ, and quantitative analysis of inclusion size and amount in liquid metal. Comprising pneumatic, embedded, and host computer modules, the system supports the continuous, online evaluation of metal cleanliness across various metallurgical processes in high-temperature environments. Tests conducted with gallium liquid at 90 °C and aluminum melt at 800 °C have validated the system's ability to precisely and quantitatively detect inclusions in molten metal in real time. The detection procedure is stable and reliable, offering immediate data feedback that effectively captures fluctuations in inclusion amount, thereby meeting the metallurgical industry's demand for real-time analyzing and control of inclusion cleanliness in liquid metal. Additionally, the system was used to analyze inclusion size distribution during the hot-dip galvanizing process. At a zinc melt temperature of 500 °C, it achieved a detection limit of 21 μm, simultaneously providing real-time data on the size and amount distribution of inclusions. This represents a novel strategy for the online monitoring and quality control of zinc slag throughout the hot-dip galvanizing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online monitoring and real-time feedback on inclusions in molten metal are essential for metal quality control. However, existing methods for detecting aluminum melt inclusions face challenges, including interference, prolonged processing times, and latency. This paper presents the design and development of an online monitoring system for molten metal inclusions. Initially, the system facilitates real-time adjustment of signal acquisition parameters through a multiplexer. Subsequently, it employs a detection algorithm capable of swiftly extracting pulse peaks, with this task integrated into our proprietary host computer software to ensure timely detection and data visualization. Ultimately, we developed a monitoring device integrated with this online monitoring system, enabling the online monitoring of the aluminum alloy filtration process. Our findings indicate that the system can accurately measure the size and concentration of inclusions during the filtration process in real time, offering enhanced detection speed and stability compared to the industrial LiMCA CM (liquid metal cleanliness analyzer continuous monitoring) standard. Furthermore, our evaluation of the filtration process demonstrates that the effectiveness of filtration significantly improves with the increase in inclusion sizes, and the synergistic effect of combining CFF (ceramic foam filter) and MCF (metallics cartridge filter) filtration methods exceeds the performance of the CFF method alone. This system thus provides valuable technical support for optimizing filtration processes and controlling inclusion quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ancient manganese (Mn) deposits are primarily characterized by the presence of Mn(II) carbonates that likely formed by the diagenetic reduction of precursor Mn(IV) oxides. As such, Precambrian sedimentary Mn deposits have been used as a line of evidence for the evolution of oxygen in Earth's surface environments. However, recent studies have shown that these Mn(II)-carbonates have the ability to directly accumulate within anoxic water columns, where free oxygen does not play a role in their formation. This alternative pathway casts uncertainty on the robustness of using ancient Mn deposits to constrain the redox fabric of the past marine water columns. Here, we investigate the Wafangzi Mn and Fe ore deposit from the 1.45 billion-year-old Tieling Formation, North China. The deposit contains Mn(II,III) mineral phases (hausmannite, braunite) as inclusions, or unreacted residues, trapped within Mn(II) carbonate (Ca-rhodochrosite). Some nodules and oolites of Mn(II) and Fe(II)-carbonate phases are also present and display a banded structure with concentric rings. Mn(III) oxide (manganite) is present in a paragenetic assemblage along with hematite and replacement textures with braunite. The negative carbon isotope composition (δ13C, –7‰ to –4‰) from Mn(II) carbonate samples in the Wafangzi Mn deposit which are distinct from that of contemporaneous seawater (~0‰), along with petrographic and speciation analyses, collectively suggest that the Mn(II,III)- and Fe(II)-bearing mineral phases formed through the diagenetic reduction of primary Mn(IV)/Fe(III) minerals coupled to the oxidation of organic matter. Therefore, the Wafangzi Mn deposit suggests the presence of sufficiently oxygenated marine waters, overlying anoxic ferruginous deeper waters with a transitional manganous water layer that could have driven the redox cycling of Mn, Fe, and C. Given the contemporaneous economic Mn deposits in the 1.45 Ga Ullawarra Formation in Western Australia, our findings imply the existence of a transient, and perhaps widespread, pulsed oxygenation event in the mid-Proterozoic oceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenotypic plasticity facilitates organismal invasion of novel environments, and the resultant phenotypic change may later be modified by genetic change, so called 'plasticity first.' Herein, we quantify gene expression plasticity and regulatory adaptation in a wild bird (Eurasian Tree Sparrow) from its original lowland (ancestral stage), experimentally implemented hypoxia acclimation (plastic stage), and colonized highland (colonized stage). Using a group of co-expressed genes from the cardiac and flight muscles, respectively, we demonstrate that gene expression plasticity to hypoxia tolerance is more often reversed than reinforced at the colonized stage. By correlating gene expression change with muscle phenotypes, we show that colonized tree sparrows reduce maladaptive plasticity that largely associated with decreased hypoxia tolerance. Conversely, adaptive plasticity that is congruent with increased hypoxia tolerance is often reinforced in the colonized tree sparrows. Genes displaying large levels of reinforcement or reversion plasticity (i.e. 200% of original level) show greater genetic divergence between ancestral and colonized populations. Overall, our work demonstrates that gene expression plasticity at the initial stage of high-elevation colonization can be reversed or reinforced through selection-driven adaptive modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to explore the value of magnetoencephalography in the presurgical evaluation of patients with posterior cortex epilepsy. Methods: A total of 39 patients with posterior cortex epilepsy (PCE) and intact magnetoencephalography (MEG) images were reviewed from August 2019 to July 2022. MEG dipole clusters were classified into single clusters, multiple clusters, and scatter dipoles based on tightness criteria. The association of the surgical outcome with MEG dipole classifications was evaluated using Fisher's exact tests. Results: Among the 39 cases, there were 24 cases of single clusters (61.5%), nine cases of multiple clusters (23.1%), and six cases of scattered dipoles (15.4%). Patients with single dipole clusters were more likely to become seizure‐free. Among single dipole cluster cases (n = 24), complete MEG dipole resection yielded a more favorable surgical outcome than incomplete resection (83.3% vs. 16.7%, p = 0.007). Patients with concordant MRI and MEG findings achieved a significantly more favorable surgical outcome than discordant patients (66.7% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.044), especially in single dipole cluster patients (87.5% vs. 25.0%, p = 0.005). Significance: MEG can provide additional valuable information regarding surgical candidate selection, epileptogenic zone localization, electrode implantation schedule, and final surgical planning in patients with posterior cortex epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separation grouting filling technology is widely used in surface subsidence management because of its simple process and good overburden control effect, while the changing pattern of overburden off-layer space (OS) during the mining process plays a key role in the selection of grouting timing and rock control effect. In this paper, the law of OS development and the mechanism of rock movement control by gangue slurry filling is studied by combining numerical simulation and physically similar simulation experiments with the engineering background of the 3−1801 working face of Hongqinghe coal mine. The results of the study indicate that the OS undergoes a slow growth period, an accelerated expansion period, a slow decrease period, and an accelerated decay period during the development process. The change of OS is closely related to the form of key layer bending and sinking, and the change of key layer from V-type sinking to basin-type sinking during the mining process is the turning point when the OS starts to decay faster, and timely grouting and filling before the turning point can effectively control the key layer breaking and sinking, reduce the stress concentration, and the effect of rock layer sinking reduction is obvious. The research results of this paper have certain theoretical value and practical significance for the technical scheme design of OS grouting and gangue filling treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Continuing Medical Education (CME) is an important part of the training process for health workers worldwide. In China, training in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) not only improves the expertise of medical workers, but also supports the Chinese Government's policy of promoting TCM as an equal treatment to western medicine. CME, including learning Traditional Chinese Medicine Technologies (TCMTs), perform poorly and research into the motivation of health workers to engage in CME is urgently required. Using a discrete choice experiment, this study assessed the CME learning preferences of primary health workers, using TCMT as a case study of CME programs. Methods: We conducted a discrete choice experiment among health workers in Shandong Province, Guizhou Province, and Henan provinces from July 1, 2021 to October 1, 2022 on the TCMT learning preferences of primary health workers. The mixed logit model and latent class analysis model were used to analyze primary health workers' TCMT learning preferences. Results: A total of 1,063 respondents participated in this study, of which 1,001 (94.2%) passed the consistency test and formed the final sample. Our key finding was that there were three distinct classes of TCMT learners. Overall, the relative importance of the seven attributes impacting the learning of TCMTs were: learning expenses, expected TCMT efficacy, TCMT learning difficulty, TCMT mode of learning, TCMT type, time required to learn, and expected frequency of TCMT use. However, these attributes differed significantly across the three distinct classes of TCMT learners. Infrequent users (class 1) were concerned with learning expenses and learning difficulty; workaholics (class 2) focused on the mode of learning; and pragmatists (class 3) paid more attention to the expected TCMT efficacy and the expected frequency of TCMT use. We recommend targeted strategies to motivate TCMT learning suited to the requirements of each class of TCMT learners. Conclusion: Rather than a single TCMT medical education program for primary health workers, CME programs should be targeted at different classes of TCMT learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeolian sand (AS) and recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) can be reasonably utilized as green materials for concrete modification. The paucity of natural sand and gravel in the construction industry is anticipated to be remedied by the use of these two eco-friendly concrete ingredients. This is incredibly important for environmental protection. Study on the damage law of self-compacting concrete with the addition of AS and RCA (ARSCC) under severely cold conditions is of great significance for the promotion and implementation of this material. In this study, 12 groups of ARSCC specimens were prepared for freeze–thaw cycle experiments, with AS substitution rates of 0, 20%, 40%, and 60% as well as RCA replacement rates of 0, 25%, and 50%. Then, the degradation mechanism of ARSCC freeze–thaw damage was discussed from both macroscopic and microscopic perspectives via mass loss rate (Wn), relative dynamic modulus of elasticity (Pn), bubble spacing factor, and SEM analysis. Finally, the response surface method was utilized to determine the damage variable. A freeze–thaw damage model for ARSCC was developed based on the Weibull distribution and Grey theories. The results showed that the Pn could reflect the evolution law of the internal structure of ARSCC. Appropriate addition of AS to fill the large, harmful pores in RCA would inhibit freeze–thaw damage of ARSCC. The optimum substitution rates of AS and RCA were determined to be 20–40% and 25–50%, respectively. In addition, the values obtained from theoretical damage modeling and experiments were in good agreement. The acquired damage model had the potential to predict ARSCC damage under freeze–thaw cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nephrotoxicity has become prominent due to the increase in the clinical use of nilotinib, a second‐generation BCR‐ABL1 inhibitor in the first‐line treatment of Philadelphia chromosome‐positive chronic myeloid leukemia. To date, the mechanism of nilotinib nephrotoxicity is still unknown, leading to a lack of clinical intervention strategies. Here, it is found that nilotinib could induce glomerular atrophy, renal tubular degeneration, and kidney fibrosis in an animal model. Mechanistically, nilotinib induces intrinsic apoptosis by specifically reducing the level of BCL2 like 1 (Bcl‐XL) in both vascular endothelial cells and renal tubular epithelial cells, as well as in vivo. It is confirmed that chloroquine (CQ) intervenes with nilotinib‐induced apoptosis and improves mitochondrial integrity, reactive oxygen species accumulation, and DNA damage by reversing the decreased Bcl‐XL. The intervention effect is dependent on the alleviation of the nilotinib‐induced reduction in ubiquitin specific peptidase 13 (USP13) and does not rely on autophagy inhibition. Additionally, it is found that USP13 abrogates cell apoptosis by preventing excessive ubiquitin‒proteasome degradation of Bcl‐XL. In conclusion, the research reveals the molecular mechanism of nilotinib's nephrotoxicity, highlighting USP13 as an important regulator of Bcl‐XL stability in determining cell fate, and provides CQ analogs as a clinical intervention strategy for nilotinib's nephrotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization is a trend lasting for more than one century worldwide. Four hundred ninety male and female adult Chinese Han participants with different urban and rural childhoods were included in this study. Early-life urban environment was found benefit for total grey matter volume (GMV), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) GMV, temporal pole (TP) GMV and cognition function, and negatively correlated with medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) GMV. Regression analysis showed that maternal education was a protective factor for total and DLPFC GMVs, while having siblings was better for MPFC GMV. Total, DLPFC and TP GMVs acts mediation effects between childhood urbanicity and different cognitive domains. These findings may suggest some pros and cons on brain structure associated with childhood urbanicity and related environmental factors. Highlights: Urbanization is a trend lasting for more than one century, we did in-depth research which specific environment factor affects the brain structure and cognition function. Early-life rural environment was benefit for the grey matter volume (GMV) of medial prefrontal cortex, having siblings was a protective factor for MPFC GMV. Early-life urbanicity was benefit for cognition function and the GMV of total and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, of which maternal education was a protective factor. Total, DLPFC and TP GMVs acts mediation effects between childhood urbanicity and different cognitive domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our understanding of cingulate cortex function is limited. As a method for locating the epileptogenic zone, direct electrical cortical stimulation (ECS) provides an opportunity to understand the functional localization of the cingulate cortex. This study aimed to learn more about the function of the cingulate cortex by analyzing a large body of data from our center and by reviewing existing literature on cortical mapping. We retrospectively analyzed the ECS data of 124 patients with drug‐resistant epilepsy who had undergone electrode implantation in the cingulate cortex. The standard stimulation parameters included a biphasic pulse and bipolar stimulation at 50 Hz. Furthermore, we reviewed existing studies on cingulate responses elicited by the ECS and compared them with our results. A total of 329 responses were evoked in 276 contacts using ECS. Of these, 196 were physiological functional responses, which included sensory, affective, autonomic, language, visual, vestibular, and motor responses, along with a few other sensations. Sensory, motor, vestibular, and visual responses were concentrated in the cingulate sulcus visual area (CSv). Furthermore, 133 epilepsy‐related responses were evoked, most of which were concentrated in the ventral cingulate cortex. No responses were evoked by 498 contacts. Furthermore, the comparison of our ECS results with those reported in 11 comprehensive reviews revealed that the cingulate cortex is involved in complicated functions. The cingulate cortex is involved in sensory, affective, autonomic, language, visual, vestibular, and motor functions. The CSv is an integrating node of sensory, motor, vestibular, and visual systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pure marine chemical sediments are archives of geochemical proxies for the composition of seawater and may provide information about the ancient hydrosphere–atmosphere system. The early stage of the Emeishan large igneous province (ELIP) was characterized by the subaqueous eruption of mafic igneous rocks around the J. altudaensis zone of the Capitanian Stage that has been proposed to have contributed to the Guadalupian mass extinction. However, detailed mechanisms and the impact of the eruption on the Guadalupian marine environment have yet to be assessed. Here, to examine the Guadalupian marine environment, we studied major and trace element concentrations, particularly rare earth element and yttrium data, along with high-precision Sr-Nd isotope ratios, of three types of Mn ores (i.e., clastic, massive, and oolitic) and siliceous limestones from the Zunyi Mn deposit in South China formed following the early-stage eruption of the ELIP. Our results indicate that the clastic Mn ores contain notable detrital mafic aluminosilicates. In contrast, the massive and oolitic Mn ores and siliceous limestones preserved the pristine geochemical signatures of the Middle–Late Permian seawater characterized by distinctly low (87Sr/86Sr)i and high εNd(t) values. These data indicate a strong impact of the early-stage submarine eruptions of the ELIP on the marine environment in South China and worldwide, likely through intensive seawater–rock interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

H3 K27‐altered diffuse midline glioma is a highly lethal pediatric‐type tumor without efficacious treatments. Recent findings have highlighted the heterogeneity among diffuse midline gliomas with different locations and ages. Compared to tumors located in the brain stem and thalamus, the molecular and clinicopathological features of H3 K27‐altered spinal cord glioma are still largely elusive, thus hindering the accurate management of patients. Here we aimed to characterize the clinicopathological and molecular features of H3 K27M‐mutant spinal cord glioma in 77 consecutive cases. We found that the H3 K27M‐mutant spinal cord glioma, with a median age of 35 years old, had a significantly better prognosis than H3 K27M‐mutant brain tumors. We noticed a molecular heterogeneity of H3 K27M‐mutant spinal cord astrocytoma via targeted sequencing with 34 cases. TP53 mutation which occurred in 58.8% of cases is mutually exclusive with PPM1D (26%) and NF1 (44%) mutations. The TP53‐mutant cases had a significantly higher number of copy number variants (CNV) and a marginally higher proportion of pediatric patients (age at diagnosis <18 years old, p = 0.056). Cox regression and Kaplan–Meier curve analysis showed that the higher number of CNV events (≥3), chromosome (Chr) 9p deletion, Chr 10p deletion, ATRX mutation, CDK6 amplification, and retinoblastoma protein (RB) pathway alteration are associated with worse survival. Cox regression analysis with clinicopathological features showed that glioblastoma histological type and a high Ki‐67 index (>10%) are associated with a worse prognosis. Interestingly, the histological type, an independent prognostic factor in multivariate Cox regression, can also stratify molecular features of H3 K27M‐mutant spinal cord glioma, including the RB pathway, KRAS/PI3K pathway, and chromosome arms CNV. In conclusion, although all H3 K27M‐mutant spinal cord diffuse glioma were diagnosed as WHO Grade 4, the histological type, molecular features representing chromatin instability, and molecular alterations associated with accelerated cell proliferative activity should not be ignored in clinical management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The R294K mutation in neuraminidase (NA) causes resistance to oseltamivir in the avian influenza virus H7N9. Reverse transcription droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (RT-dd PCR) is a novel technique for detecting single-nucleotide polymorphisms. This study aimed to develop an RT-dd PCR method for detecting the R294K mutation in H7N9. Primers and dual probes were designed using the H7N9 NA gene and the annealing temperature was optimized at 58.0 °C. The sensitivity of our RT-dd PCR method was not significantly different from that of RT-qPCR (p = 0.625), but it could specifically detect R294 and 294K in H7N9. Among 89 clinical samples, 2 showed the R294K mutation. These two strains were evaluated using a neuraminidase inhibition test, which revealed that their sensitivity to oseltamivir was greatly reduced. The sensitivity and specificity of RT-dd PCR were similar to those of RT-qPCR and its accuracy was comparable to that of NGS. The RT-dd PCR method had the advantages of absolute quantitation, eliminating the need for a calibration standard curve, and being simpler in both experimental operation and result interpretation than NGS. Therefore, this RT-dd PCR method can be used to quantitatively detect the R294K mutation in H7N9. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional hydraulic fracturing techniques typically consume large amounts of water when producing shale gas. Fracking fluids may cause environmental pollution. In contrast, supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) (above 31.8°C, 7.29 MPa) can displace CH4 in shale reservoirs. Achieve CO2 sequestration while increasing the shale gas production. We studied the mechanical properties and fracture characteristics of a shale under the action of scCO2, nitrogen, helium, and water by comparing the triaxial compression tests of shale samples with seven coring angles. The results show that: (1) scCO2 effectively reduced compressive strength of the shale and weakened the anisotropy of shale; (2) scCO2 caused the content of dolomite, calcite, and illite to decrease by 4.7%∼13.5%, respectively; (3) scCO2 produced micropores and microfractures 10 times larger than the original size in the microstructure. These microstructures can help improve the seepage and gathering of shale gas, leading to enhanced shale gas recovery and CO2 storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is an attempt to provide a more credible control mode or a fault-tolerant control strategy for permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drives when an unexpected failure occurs to the current or position sensor. Considering that, a position sensorless control method that uses only one current sensor is proposed. Different from a traditional position sensorless control scheme that utilizes additional current sensors to obtain information of multiple phase currents, only a single current sensor (SCS) arranged on one of the current branches is included among the whole control circuit. Three-phase currents are reconstructed by sequentially sampling the SCS under specific voltage vectors, and directly employed for motor position estimation. A nonlinear position observer established according to the gradient descent is adopted. Focusing on the special current-acquisition pattern in this article, a step-size optimization method based on golden section search is proposed to minimize position estimation error. The experimental results reveal that the method in this article is comparable to the traditional full-current-sensor method in terms of position estimation, which confirms the fault-tolerant capability as one certain sensor of the control structure malfunctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the quality check of bike frame still heavily relies on human operation. In practice, an entire checking process usually takes more than 30 min to complete. To overcome this dilemma, this paper aims to develop a fast high-precision measurement system using robotic arm based on 3D geometry mathematical model. Instead of four points needed to find coefficients of a space sphere, only three investigation points are required to achieve the sphere axis coordinates for measurement. The personal computer (PC) works as a control core, which to perform the mathematical model and control robotic arm movement. The robotic arm combined with contact sensor (probe) is used to move to the desired inspection points in shaft length, internal diameter, verticality, and parallelism following up the designated path planning route. The experimental results confirm that the proposed system can accurately reach the measurement outcomes. The entire checking cycle can be completed in 3 min at the range of 0.15 mm error, effectively reducing the process time with a high precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a power electronic converter with bidirectional energy transmission, the Dual Active Bridge (DAB) has a broad application prospect in the electrical power distribution system of hybrid‐electric flight. For the DAB application in the electrical power distribution system, high efficiency and high reliability are envisaged due to the mission‐critical nature of the application. A new pulse width modulation optimization control strategy is proposed, which is based on the feedback temperature fluctuations of the GaN (Gallium Nitride) power transistors, to improve the lifetime of the whole circuit. The complete topology and simulations of the DAB converter are carried out in PLECS. Detailed simulation results manifest the precise lifetime of the GaN power transistors and verify the accuracy of the new optimization control strategy. Meanwhile, Insulated Gate Bipolar Translator is set as a control group to compare the lifetime of conventional silicon‐based power devices with the GaN power transistor. Hardware In Loop platform test is built to further validate the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We investigated both the metabolic differences and interictal/ictal discharges of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT) in patients with epilepsy to clarify the relationship between the ANT and the epileptic network. Methods: Nineteen patients with drug‐resistant epilepsy who underwent stereoelectroencephalography were studied. Metabolic differences in ANT were analyzed using [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose–positron emission tomography with three‐dimensional (3D) visual and quantitative analyses. Interictal and ictal discharges in the ANT were analyzed using visual and time‐frequency analyses. The relationship between interictal discharge and metabolic differences was analyzed. Results: We found that patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) showed significant metabolic differences in bilateral ANT compared with extratemporal lobe epilepsy in 3D visual and quantitative analyses. Four types of interictal activities were recorded from the ANT: spike, high‐frequency oscillation (HFO), slow‐wave, and α‐rhythmic activity. Spike and HFO waveforms were recorded mainly in patients with TLE. Two spike patterns were recorded: synchronous and independent. In 83.3% of patients, ANT was involved during seizures. Three seizure onset types of ANT were recorded: low‐voltage fast activity, rhythmic spikes, and theta band discharge. The time interval of seizure onset between the seizure onset zone and ANT showed two patterns: immediate and delayed. Interpretation: ANT can receive either interictal discharges or ictal discharges which propagate from the epileptogenic zones. Independent epileptic discharges can also be recorded from the ANT in some patients. Metabolic anomalies and epileptic discharges in the ANT indicate that the ANT plays a role in the epileptic network in most patients with epilepsy, especially TLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce the cost and size of the power converters, techniques of reconstructing three-phase current through a single current sensor have been employed in permanent-magnet synchronous motors. In existing studies, the reconstruction precision is largely affected by current reconstruction dead zones in the space vector pulsewidth modulation (PWM) plane, which requires additional algorithms to compensateeither by modifying PWM modulation strategy or by phase-shifting of PWM signal. In this article, a phase current reconstruction method for three-phase inverter with the modification of a twelve sector space vector pulsewidth modulation (TS-SVPWM) is proposed. By arranging a single current sensor on a circuit branch between two power switches, the proposed method can reconstruct the three-phase current of the voltage source inverter and avoid the dead zones located at the sector boundary region. This method can be realized not only with a single Hall-effect current sensor but also with a single shunt resistor, which can expand its application. The proposed method can be a fault-tolerance solution when there are phase current sensor faults. Beside, the three-phase current can be reconstructed when there are open-circuit faults in the power switches. Compared with previous methods, the proposed TS-SVPWM can reduce the phase current harmonics. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to investigate peroxiredoxin 3 (PRDX3) expression in gastric cancer tissue and its effects on cisplatin resistance in gastric cancer cells and its possible mechanism. Methods: PRDX3 expression in human gastric cancer tissue microarrays was detected via immunohistochemistry. The PRDX3 small interfering RNA (siPRDX3 group) and the negative control siNC (siNC group) were transfected into AGS and MKN-74 cell lines, respectively, whereas a blank control group was set up. Each group was treated with different cisplatin concentrations (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 μg/ml), and the half-inhibitory concentration (IC50) of each group of the two cell lines was calculated using the CCK8 assay. The corresponding IC50 concentration of the siPRDX3 group in the two cell lines was used to treat cells of each group. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis, and Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax in each group. Results: PRDX3 was overexpressed in gastric adenocarcinoma tissue compared with adjacent noncancer tissue (P = 0.0053). After cisplatin treatment, the IC50 in the siPRDX3 group of AGS cells (5.91 ± 0.18 μg/ml) and the siPRDX3 group of MKN-74 cells (3.48 ± 0.30 μg/ml) was significantly lower than in the corresponding siNC groups (10.01 ± 0.99 and 6.39 ± 0.70 μg/ml; P = 0.0022 and 0.0027, respectively). AGS cells (38.81% ± 1.69%) and MKN-74 cells (25.03% ± 2.80%) in the siPRDX3 group showed significantly higher apoptosis rates than in the corresponding siNC groups (23.17% ± 1.43% and 16.7% ± 1.39%; P = 0.0003 and 0.0099, respectively). The expression levels of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax were significantly higher in the siPRDX3 group of both cell lines than in the siNC group (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: PRDX3 increases the gastric cancer cell resistance to cisplatin by reducing apoptosis and thus may serve as a target to overcome cisplatin resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the problem of relaying a single bit of information across a series of binary symmetric channels, and the associated trade-off between the number of hops $m$ , the transmission time $n$ , and the error probability. We introduce a simple, efficient, and deterministic protocol that attains positive information velocity (i.e., a non-vanishing ratio $\frac {m}{n}$ and small error probability) and is significantly simpler than existing protocols that do so. In addition, we characterize the optimal low-noise and high-noise scaling laws of the information velocity, and we adapt our 1-bit protocol to transmit $k$ bits over $m$ hops with $\mathcal {O}(m+k)$ transmission time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous mullite matrix ceramics have excellent thermal and mechanical properties suitable for applications such as in thermal insulation. However, their applications are limited by processing defects from nonuniform sintering shrinkage and the trade‐off between high porosity (preferred for low thermal conductivity) and high mechanical strength. Herein, we seek to minimize the sintering shrinkage by near‐net‐size preparation and improve the strength by in situ formed whisker network structure. Gelcasting forming technology and pressureless sintering were used to prepare porous mullite matrix ceramics using kyanite and α‐Al2O3 powders as the starting materials and using MoO3 to promote the growth of mullite whiskers. The results showed that the sintering shrinkage could be compensated by the volume expansion from solid‐state reaction during reaction sintering. The in situ formed three‐dimensional (3D) whisker network further reduced sintering shrinkage and effectively improved the strength of the ceramics. An ultralow sintering shrinkage of.78% was achieved. The near‐net‐shape porous mullite matrix ceramics strengthened by 3D whisker network had a high porosity of 63.9%, a high compressive strength of 83.8 MPa and a high flexural strength of 53.5 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diesel engines have a wide range of functions in the industrial and military fields. An urgent problem to be solved is how to diagnose and identify their faults effectively and timely. In this paper, a diesel engine acoustic fault diagnosis method based on variational modal decomposition mapping Mel frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) and long-short-term memory network is proposed. Variational mode decomposition (VMD) is used to remove noise from the original signal and differentiate the signal into multiple modes. The sound pressure signals of different modes are mapped to the Mel filter bank in the frequency domain, and then the Mel frequency cepstral coefficients of the respective mode signals are calculated in the mapping range of frequency domain, and the optimized Mel frequency cepstral coefficients are used as the input of long and short time memory network (LSTM) which is trained and verified, and the fault diagnosis model of the diesel engine is obtained. The experimental part compares the fault diagnosis effects of different feature extraction methods, different modal decomposition methods and different classifiers, finally verifying the feasibility and effectiveness of the method proposed in this paper, and providing solutions to the problem of how to realise fault diagnosis using acoustic signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vital component that is frequently employed in the industrial powder conveying sector is the fluidized bed. In the light of powder unloading with a fluidized bed as the research object, an orthogonal experiment with two factors and four levels was established for the structural parameters of the fluidized bed. In the case of different noise factors, 16 schemes are designed and all schemes via computational fluid dynamics numerical simulation. The Taguchi method and regression analysis are used to analyze the response. Finally, the accuracy of the optimization results is tested. The results show that gas velocity decreases sharply at the airway's entrance and, then, gas flows to the second half of the airway and velocity decreases steadily and uniformly. Airway arc length L exerts a greater effect on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) than airway height H. The parameter combination of 180 mm L and 17 mm H for obtaining the optimal velocity distribution uniformity is determined. The test results indicate that the overall fluidization effect of the fluidized bed with the optimal parameters is better. The linked research findings can be used as a guide when designing a fluidized bed system for transporting comparable powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of electrochemical corrosion of buried pipelines in near-neutral electrolytes leads to defects in or even fracture of oil and gas pipelines and the leakage of natural gas. Based on the principle of material diffusion and migration, the research object established an electrochemical corrosion model under the metallographic structure of pipes with ferritic–pearlitic pipeline steel. The results show that the most severe corrosion occurs at the center of the corrosion on the surface of the pipeline steel in a near-neutral corrosive environment. In addition, due to corrosion product accumulation, the material corrosion rate increased by about 38%. The electrolyte potential near the corrosion electrode is smaller, the ion concentration near the electrode is the highest, and the mass transfer phenomenon around the corrosion electrode is obvious. When the material undergoes metallographic corrosion, the corrosion is more severe. This research method can be used to predict the electrochemical corrosion occurring in the metal structure of buried pipelines and has some guidance for the assessment of the integrity of the external surface of buried pipes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The positioning of indoor electronic devices is an essential part of human–computer interaction, and the accuracy of positioning affects the level of user experience. Most existing methods for RF-based device localization choose to ignore or remove the impact of multipath effects. However, exploiting the multipath effect caused by the complex indoor environment helps to improve the model's localization accuracy. In response to this question, this paper proposes a multipath-assisted localization (MAL) model based on millimeter-wave radar to achieve the localization of indoor electronic devices. The model fully considers the help of the multipath effect when describing the characteristics of the reflected signal and precisely locates the target position by using the MAL area formed by the reflected signal. At the same time, for the situation where the radar in the traditional Single-Input Single-Output (SISO) mode cannot obtain the 3D spatial position information of the target, the advantage of the MAL model is that the 3D information of the target can be obtained after the mining process of the multipath effect. Furthermore, based on the original hardware, it can achieve a breakthrough in angular resolution. Experiments show that our proposed MAL model enables the millimeter-wave multipath positioning model to achieve a 3D positioning error within 15 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent abnormal condition diagnosis is key to the safe and stable operation of the fused magnesia smelting process (FMSP). Existing studies have applied the Bayesian network (BN) to the FMSP with sufficient data. However, learning an accurate BN model for a new FMSP using small data isn't easy. Furthermore, the unreasonable diagnosis may seriously affect product quality and security threats. To this end, we present a novel BN transfer learning (BNTL) method to resolve this abnormal condition diagnosis problem using small data. The abnormal condition diagnosis model is established offline based on the proposed BNTL method, and the occurrence or extent of abnormal conditions is identified online based on the diagnosis model and real-time process information. The BNTL involves structure and parameter transfer learning. Among them, structure transfer learning is based on score and search. A new scoring function is proposed to evaluate the local structure of the candidate target domain by weighted integration of source and target domain data based on similarity. The search process is based on the genetic algorithm with other constraints that remove loops and control the number of parent nodes. After learning the structure, parameter transfer learning is done according to a new similarity evaluation and fusion algorithm. The public network is first used to evaluate the BNTL method. Then, it is utilized to build the abnormal condition diagnosis model of the FMSP using small data. Experimental results show that the recognition accuracy is significantly improved compared with other advanced methods in a limited data environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-efficiency composite adsorbent was synthesized by mixing cellulose and graphene oxide (GO) in the lithium chloride/N,N-dimethylacetamide system. The cellulose/GO composite (D-RCGO) was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and thermal gravimetric analysis. The influences of various parameters on the removal of Ce(III), such as the adsorbent dosage, temperature, initial Ce(III) concentration, contact time, and pH, were optimized using a range of batch adsorption experiments. Adsorption kinetics displayed adsorption behavior according to the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order model. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed that the two peaks of Ce-3d almost disappeared after the desorption in NaCl solution, which indicated that the adsorption belonged to the ion exchange adsorption mechanism. Furthermore, the theoretical maximum capacity of the adsorption of Ce(III) onto D-RCGO was 225.8 mg·g-1. This work suggested that the D-RCGO composite membranes could serve as an effective and eco-friendly adsorbent for rare earth pollutant removal in wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many real-world applications of monitoring multivariate spatio-temporal data that are non-stationary over time, one is often interested in detecting hot-spots with spatial sparsity and temporal consistency, instead of detecting system-wise changes as in traditional statistical process control (SPC) literature. In this paper, we propose an efficient method to detect hot-spots through tensor decomposition, and our method has three steps. First, we fit the observed data into a Smooth Sparse Decomposition Tensor (SSD-Tensor) model that serves as a dimension reduction and de-noising technique: it is an additive model decomposing the original data into: smooth but non-stationary global mean, sparse local anomalies, and random noises. Next, we estimate model parameters by the penalized framework that includes Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and fused LASSO penalty. An efficient recursive optimization algorithm is developed based on Fast Iterative Shrinkage Thresholding Algorithm (FISTA). Finally, we apply a Cumulative Sum (CUSUM) Control Chart to monitor model residuals after removing global means, which helps to detect when and where hot-spots occur. To demonstrate the usefulness of our proposed SSD-Tensor method, we compare it with several other methods including scan statistics, LASSO-based, PCA-based, T2-based control chart in extensive numerical simulation studies and a real crime rate dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In single current sensor (SCS) methods, different phase currents should be acquired sequentially under the duration time of specific voltage vectors within each switching period. The sampling asynchronization caused due to sampling delay will inevitably result in the increase of phase current reconstruction error and deteriorate the control performance. According to the fundamental expression formula of three-phase currents in permanent magnet synchronous motor drives, the sampling-delay error (SDE) occurring in the traditional SCS techniques is analyzed in this article. It is demonstrated that the error oscillates at the stator electrical frequency, with the amplitude affected by both the switching frequency and motor speed. Correspondingly, a novel compensation method based on a δ–γ reference frame is presented. There is a simple proportional relationship between δ- and γ-axis error component after filtering the ac component by a notch filter. As a result, the SDE can be easily eliminated without extra complex compensation algorithms introduced. The prominent feature of the proposed method is that it is developed without necessity of motor parameters when compared with previous compensation techniques, making it a more robust solution. Several experimental results are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coxiella burnetii, the etiologic agent of Q fever, is mainly responsible for endocardite. But there are only a few cases of Coxiella burnetii-caused wound infection have been published, because the pathogen is very difficult to isolate using conventional culture methods.Case Presentations: A 76-year-old man, underwent endovascular repair of ruptured left iliac aneurysm plus abdominal aortic aneurysm under general anesthesia in 2018. Left iliac fossa mass resection was performed in 2020. After operation, the wound in the left iliac fossa was repeatedly ruptured and not healing. We used the wound tissue to perform the Metagenomics next-generation sequencing (mNGS), Coxiella burnetii was detected. Sanger sequencing and serologic verification of Coxiella burnetii all showed positive results.Conclusions: This study proved that mNGS was an effective method to detect clinically unexplained infections, and showed the ability of pathogen identification with high sensitivity and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we present an improved current reconstruction technique with current prediction for a permanent magnet synchronous motor drive system. In some conventional single current sensor techniques, current fluctuations occur at the sector-switching period (SSP) due to current holding between two adjacent sampling intervals, which can cause current distortion and introduce many current harmonics, especially when the motor speed is very high. Focusing on that, a current prediction method is proposed in this article to prevent the current fluctuation happening at SSP. The SSP is divided into two independent parts for the accurate calculation of the output voltage vector and the actual three-phase currents at SSP are determined on account of both the predicted dq-axis currents and the measurable ones. As a result, compared with the previous current-holding strategy, the current fluctuations can be fundamentally eliminated under the proposed method with less current harmonics introduced, further improving the control performance of the whole system. The accuracy and practicability of the proposed method are verified by the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow-induced noise occurring in the prestage of the deflector jet servo valve (DJV) significantly affects the performance of DJV, which is a critical issue for electrohydraulic servo valves. To capture the root causes of flow-induced noise, DJV is numerically studied using computational aeroacoustics (CAA) methods in this paper. The acoustic field is investigated with Lighthill's acoustic analogy based on the pulsation data from a large eddy simulation (LES). The flow-induced noise generation mechanism in DJV is revealed by analyzing the sound pressure level and vorticity distribution at different moments. Moreover, a kind of oscillation cavity model based on the Helmholtz oscillator is built, which reveals that the flow-induced noise is caused by self-excited oscillation and vortex. In addition, the result shows that continuous broadband dipole noise with medium- and high-frequency components of 1100 Hz and 2501 Hz dominates the DJV flow field. In order to avoid unexpected resonance, the natural frequency of the prestage should not coincide with the frequency of the flow oscillation frequency. Thus, this work can benefit the design and optimization of the prestage structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of the more electric aircraft is aimed at electrifying the mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic subsystems on aircraft. With increasing usage of power electronics, the architecture of onboard electrical power distribution systems becomes more complicated. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the stability of the system. This article, first, presents and validates an impedance model of a permanent magnet synchronous generator as a source and dual active bridge converter as a load. These models are used for the stability analysis of a simple dc power system. In addition, two new control strategies are proposed to enhance the stability of the system. The stabilization effects of the new control strategies are verified with experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Hospital outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 infection are dreaded but preventable catastrophes. We reviewthe literature to examine the pattern of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in hospitals and identify potential vulnerabilities to mitigate the risk of infection. Methods: Three electronic databases (PubMed, Embase and Scopus) were searched from inception to July 27, 2021 for publications reporting SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in hospital. Relevant articles and grey literature reports were hand-searched. Results: Twenty-seven articles that described 35 SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks were included. Despite epidemiological investigations, the primary case could not be identified in 37% of outbreaks. Healthcare workers accounted for 40% of primary cases (doctors 17%, followed by ancillary staff 11%). Mortality among infected patients was approximately 15%. By contrast, none of the infected HCWs died. Several concerning patterns were identified, including infections involving ancillary staff and healthcare worker infections from the community and household contacts. Conclusion: Continuous efforts to train-retrain and enforce correct personal protective equipment use and regular routine screening tests (especially among ancillary staff) are necessary to stem future hospital outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the news and public opinion multioutput Internet of Things architecture, this article analyzes and predicts its popularity with big data. Firstly, the model adopts a three-tier architecture, in which the bottom layer is the data layer. It is mainly responsible for the collection of the terminal sensor data of the Internet of Things, and it uses intelligent big data as the data warehouse. Secondly, the computing layer on the data layer mainly provides the computing framework. Using the open-source SQL query engine, a cluster environment based on memory computing is constructed to realize the parallelization of data computing. It is used for interactive operations between the system and users. It receives and forwards the query requests submitted by the client browser, transmits them to the server cluster for execution, and displays the results in the browser. The end is displayed to the user. After that, combined with the needs of the development and application of news and public opinion big data, the data collection process was analyzed and designed, and the distributed data collection architecture was built. The intelligent Internet of Things was adopted for data storage, the data storage structure was analyzed and designed, and the data storage structure was designed to avoid catching. The repeat check algorithm is used to repeatedlystore the obtained page data. At the same time, according to the analysis of the business needs of the news and public opinion information platform, the overall functional structure of the platform was designed. The database and platform interface were designed in detail. The simulation results show that the model realizes the statistical query of the collected sensor alarm information and historical data on the user system, combines the historical operating data to analyze the relationship between the supply/return water temperature of the heat exchange station and the outdoor temperature, and realizes chart visualization of data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When extracting flight data from airport terminal area, there are matters such as large volume, unclear features, and similar trend in time series. In order to deal with the related issues and to optimize the description, by combining with the TBO (Trajectory-Based Operation), an application proposed by the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) in ASBU (Aviation System Block Upgrade), using multisource dynamic model to establish 4DDW (4D dynamic warping) algorithm, the multisource modeling integrated with evaluation system is proposed to realize the flight path optimization with time series characteristics and accord with the interval concept. The calculation results show that 4DDW can obtain the optimal solution for multiprofile calculation of TBO by comparing the composite trajectory deviation values and time dimension planning using the buffer and threshold values recommended by ICAO in airspace planning and flight procedure design. The results meet the requirements of high accuracy and convergence features of spatial waypoints and can improve the airport operation standards and terminal area capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Adamantyl end-capped groups have potential to boost blue MR-TADF OLEDs' stability. • Adamantyl stabilize excited states by reducing vibronic relaxation in backbones. • Solution-processed deep-blue OLEDs achieved CIE y < 0.08 with a high LT 95 of 55.7 h. Stable solution-processable emitters, particularly deep-blue emitters, are critical for cost-effective and energy-efficient organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). In this study, three new multiple resonance (MR) type deep blue emitters with through dual-introduction of methyl and adamantyl as end-capped groups are designed for highly efficient and stable blue fluorescent OLEDs, contributing to doubled device lifetime. Through end-capped modification, the excited states are stabilized via reducing vibronic couplings. Stable deep blue device based on m-DABNA-AdCz are achieved with high current efficiency (CE) of 6.0 cd/A in solution process fluorescent OLEDs and device lifetime up to 95 % of the initial luminance (LT 95) of 55.7 h at 1000 cd m−2, along with the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.133, 0.076). This lifetime is the best yet among solution-processed OLEDs of CIE y < 0.08 according to literature to our best knowledge. This work presents a viable strategy for the development of high-performance solution process deep blue fluorescent OLEDs with high color purity and long device lifetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contaminant status, spatial distribution, partitioning behavior, and ecological risks of 26 legacy and emerging perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in Laizhou Bay, China were investigated. The concentrations of ∑PFASs in surface and bottom seawater ranged from 37.2 to 222 ng/L and from 34.2 to 305 ng/L with an average of 116 ± 62.7 and 138 ± 93.8 ng/L, respectively. There were no significant differences in the average concentrations between the surface and bottom seawater (P > 0.05). Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and short-chain PFASs dominated the composition of PFASs in seawater. The concentrations of ∑PFASs in sediments ranged from 0.997 to 7.21 ng/g dry weight (dw), dominated by perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), and long-chain PFASs. The emerging alternatives of perfluoro-1-butane-sulfonamide (FBSA) and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (6:2 FTSA) were detected for the first time in Laizhou Bay. The ∑PFASs in seawater in the southwest of the bay were higher than those in the northeast of the bay. The ∑PFASs in sediments in the northeast sea area were higher than those in the inner area of the bay. Log K d and log K oc values increased with increasing carbon chain length for PFASs compounds. Ecological risk assessments indicated a low ecological risk associated with HFPO-DA but a moderate risk associated with PFOA contamination in Laizhou Bay. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis revealed that fluoropolymer manufacturing, metal plating plants, and textile treatments were identified as major sources contributing to PFASs contamination. [Display omitted] • Widespread contamination of PFASs occurred in Laizhou Bay. • PFOA was the major contaminant in the environmental samples of Laizhou Bay. • HFPO-DA and FBSA as emerging alternatives were detected in all water samples. • FBSA and 6:2 FTSA were detected for the first time in Laizhou Bay. • The carbon chain length affected the distribution of PFASs in water and sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Additive of Bismuth (III) triflate is used to strengthen the PEO based SPEs. • Enhancement of ionic conductivity (∼8 times higher than the baseline). • LiF-based integral cathode/SPE and Li/SPE interfaces are generated. • Lithium plating/stripping lasts 2800 h in Li/Bi-SPE/Li symmetric cell. • The NMC811/Li all-solid-state performs stable cycle at 45℃(800, 72%). The interfacial instability of the poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based electrolytes hinders the long-term cycling of the high voltage LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 /Li all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) and further application. In this work, we have demonstrated an effective additive bismuth (III) triflate (BiOTF) benefiting to the exceptional performance of the PEO-based electrolytes. Attributed to the intensive mediation of the BiOTF to the polymer matrix and anions, the coordination of the Li+-EO has been weaken and the bondage of anion has been improved, resulting to the improvement of the Li+ conductivity and the electrochemical stability. The reduced Bi 'seeds' on the surface of the lithium anode could effectively alloy with lithium to suppress the lithium dendrite growth. Importantly, the BiOTF mediates the formation of LiF in the both interfaces, which contributes to the interfacial stability (especially at high voltage) and protection of the electrodes, enabling the long-term cycling of the ASSBs under high voltage. Therefore, the Li/Li symmetric cell can undergo long-term lithium plating/stripping for over 2800 h. And the steady cycling of 4.4 V NMC811/Li ASSB with the optimized electrolyte for 800 times can be achieved, with an impress capacity retention of 72.4 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consecutive interpreting involves a demanding language task where mental workload (MWL) is crucial for assessing interpreters' performance. An elevated cognitive load in interpreters may lead to the interpretation failures. The widely used NASA-TLX questionnaire effectively measures MWL. However, a global score was employed in previous interpretation studies, overlooking the distinct contributions of MWL components to the interpreters' performance. Accordingly, we recruited twenty novice interpreters who were postgraduate students specializing in interpreting to complete the consecutive interpreting task. Throughout the process, we used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to monitor the hemodynamic response in participants' brains. The NASA-TLX was used to measure the MWL during interpreting with six components, including mental demand, physical demand, temporal demand, performance, effort, and frustration. Five interpretation experts were invited to assess the interpretation quality. The Bayes factor approach was employed to explore the components that contributes the most to the interpretation quality. It indicated that mental demand strongly contributed to the interpretation quality. Moreover, the mediation analysis revealed a positive correlation between mental demand and brain activation in three brain areas, which, in turn, was negatively correlated with interpretation quality, indicating the predictive role of mental demand in interpretation quality through the mediating of brain activation. The functions of the mediating brain areas, including the inferior frontal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and inferior temporal gyrus, aligned with the three efforts proposed by Gile's effort model, which emphasizes the significance of three fundamental efforts in achieving successful interpreting. These findings have implications for interpreter learning and training. • Mental demand strongly contributed to the quality of consecutive interpretation. • The advancing mental demand was associated with increasing brain activation, which negatively affected the performance. • Mental demand played a predictive role of interpretation quality, mediated through its impact on brain activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three morphologies of ZnO [spherical (S), rod (R) and disk (D)] were synthesized and tested as supports for Au nanoparticles for the selective oxidation of glycerol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,2-butanediol, and isopropanol at their secondary hydroxyl group to produce the corresponding ketones. The Au-ZnO(0 0 1) interface exhibits a strong electron sink effect and abundant oxygen vacancies, greatly promoting the adsorption of O 2 and the adsorption and conversion of polyols at their secondary hydroxyl moiety. Moreover, the as-formed Auδ+-OH* site resulting from O 2 activation can efficiently extract the hydrogen of the C-H bond of the key RCHO*CH 2 OH intermediate on the Zn-O v site of ZnO(0 0 1) surfaces. Therefore, the Au/ZnO-D exhibits superior catalytic activity (turnover frequency >500h−1) and ketone selectivity (>80 %) than other catalysts with different ZnO facets exposed. [Display omitted] • Three morphologies of ZnO [spherical (S), rod (R) and disk (D)] were synthesized to support Au nanoparticles. • Au/ZnO-D exhibits superior catalytic activity and ketone selectivity. • Au-ZnO(0 0 1) interface exhibits a strong electron sink effect and abundant oxygen vacancies. • Auδ+-OH* site can efficiently extract the hydrogen of the C-H bond of the key RCHO*CH 2 OH intermediate. In-depth understanding and precise tuning of the crystal facet-dependent catalytic properties of supported catalysts are critical for polyol oxidation. Herein, we report a crystal-facet-dependent study of Au-ZnO interfaces for the selective promotion of the oxidation of various polyols and alcohols (glycerol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,2-butanediol, and isopropanol) at the secondary hydroxyl position to produce the corresponding ketones. Three facets of the zinc oxide support, ZnO(1 0 1), ZnO(1 0 0) and ZnO(0 0 1), associated with nanoparticles of various morphologies (spherical (S), rod (R) and disk (D), respectively), were found to induce different electronic local environments and surface oxygen vacancy contents at the Au-ZnO interface. In particular, the ZnO(0 0 1) facet dominating in the Au/ZnO-D nanoparticles can store more electrons from Au, and such electron sink effect, together with the generation of oxygen vacancies (Zn-O v), synergistically enhances the adsorption of O 2 and polyols at the secondary hydroxyl position. Moreover, it was determined that the as-formed Auδ+-OH* site resulting from O 2 activation can efficiently extract the hydrogen of the C-H bond of the key RCHO*CH 2 OH intermediate on the Zn-O v site of ZnO(0 0 1) surfaces. Consequently, the Au/ZnO-D catalyst exhibits unprecedented catalytic activity (turnover frequency >500 h−1) and ketone selectivity (>80 %) for glycerol oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iodinated contrast media (ICM), one of the pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), are frequently detected in various water bodies due to the strong biochemical stability and recalcitrance to conventional water treatment. Additionally, ICM pose a risk of forming iodinated by-products that can be detrimental to the aquatic ecosystem. Consequently, effectively removing ICM from aqueous environments is a significant concern for environmental researchers. This article provides a comprehensive review of the structural characteristics of ICM, their primary source (e.g., domestic and hospital wastewater), detected concentrations in water environments, and ecological health hazards associated with them. The current wastewater treatment technologies for ICM control are also reviewed in detail with the aim of providing a reference for future research. Prior researches have demonstrated that traditional treatment processes (such as physical adsorption, biochemical method and chemical oxidation method) have inadequate efficiencies in the removal of ICM. Currently, the application of advanced oxidation processes to remove ICM has become extensive, but there are some issues like poor deiodination efficiency and the risk of forming toxic intermediates or iodinated by-products. Conversely, reduction technologies have a high deiodination rate, enabling the targeted removal of ICM. But the subsequent treatment issues related to iodine (such as I− and OI−) are often underestimated, potentially generating iodinated by-products during the subsequent treatment processes. Hence, we proposed using combined reduction-oxidation technologies to remove ICM and achieved synchronous control of iodinated by-products. In the future, it is recommended to study the degradation efficiency of ICM and the control efficiency of iodinated by-products by combining different reduction and oxidation processes. [Display omitted] • Overview of ICM environmental pollution and fate. • Poor deiodination efficiency of ICM and the generation of iodinated by-products in AOPs. • High deiodination rate in reduction methods but removed iodide poses potential risk. • Combine reduction and oxidation processes to remove ICM and control I-DBPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histone demethylase JMJD4 is a burgeoning tumor marker, which has been proven to be associated with colon cancer, but the role it plays in kidney cancer has not yet been investigated. In the present study, we evaluated whether JMJD4 can be a prognostic marker of patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) using data from public platform and in vitro experiments. Our results revealed that the expression of JMJD4 is higher in cancerous tissue than in normal tissues (p < 0.001). High expression of JMJD4 is associated with a poor overall survival (OS) of ccRCC as compared with low expression of JMJD4 (p = 0.015). JMJD4 showed significant relevance with M stage (p = 0.016), gender (p = 0.003), OS (0.018), disease-specific survival (DSS) (0.007), and percussion free interval (PFI) (0.041). Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses demonstrated that high JMJD4 expression had independent predictive value for OS in ccRCC patients (hazard ratio HR = 1.563 , 95 % confidence interval CI = 1.055 ‐ 2.316 , and p = 0.026). Besides, in vitro experiments confirmed that high expression of JMJD4 can significantly promote the invasion ability (p < 0.001), cloning ability (p < 0.001), and proliferation (p < 0.001) of renal cell carcinoma. In summary, high JMJD4 expression may be a prognostic marker in patients with kidney cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider a recently-proposed model of teaching and learning under uncertainty, in which a teacher receives independent observations of a single bit corrupted by binary symmetric noise, and sequentially transmits to a student through another binary symmetric channel based on the bits observed so far. After a given number $n$ of transmissions, the student outputs an estimate of the unknown bit, and we are interested in the exponential decay rate of the error probability as $n$ increases. We propose a novel block-structured teaching strategy in which the teacher encodes the number of 1s received in each block, and show that the resulting error exponent is the binary relative entropy $D\left({\frac {1}{2}\|\max (p,q)}\right)$ , where $p$ and $q$ are the noise parameters. This matches a trivial converse result based on the data processing inequality, and settles two conjectures of [Jog and Loh, 2021] and [Huleihel et al., 2019]. In addition, we show that the computation time required by the teacher and student is linear in $n$. We also study a more general setting in which the binary symmetric channels are replaced by general binary-input discrete memoryless channels. We provide an achievability bound and a converse bound, and show that the two coincide in certain cases, including (i) when the two channels are identical, and (ii) when the student-teacher channel is a binary symmetric channel. More generally, we give sufficient conditions under which our learning rate is the best possible for block-structured protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As train running speeds increase, the wheel–rail interactions of high‐speed trains are becoming more complicated, and predicting and monitoring wheel wear are becoming increasingly important for the safe operation of high‐speed trains. Therefore, identifying the critical factors that affect the wear of wheel–rail interactions and developing novel methods to predict wheel wear are of great importance. In this work, SIMPACK is used to establish a dynamic model of a high‐speed train and to investigate the normal and lateral contact forces of the wheel–rail interfaces and the wear of the wheels for a train passing through a specially designed route that consists of straight‐line, smooth‐curved, and circular tracks. The wheel wear is predicted by means of the Archard wear model based on the SIMPACK analysis, and the wear is validated by a backpropagation neural network (BPNN) classification based on daily measured data provided by the Beijing Railway Administration. The results from the SIMPACK dynamic simulation and the BPNN classification show that the position of a wheel in a bogie has a significant effect on the wheel wear, but the position of a carriage in a train does not have a significant effect on the wheel wear. The findings from this study are very useful for the maintenance and safe operation of high‐speed trains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separation flow in a curved duct is a common phenomenon in engineering applications, and it highly contributes to the performance of fluid machinery. Accurate prediction of curved duct flows using the computational fluid dynamics method remains a challenge due to the limitations of turbulence modeling. Hence, the high-fidelity method of the delayed detached eddy simulation (DDES) approach is employed to simulate the U-duct flow with a Reynolds number of 105. The DDES results are compared with experimental data from the study by Monson et al. (1990) and analyzed in detail. The Q-criterion is defined to analyze the vortex structures and study the mechanism in the flow separation region. Discussions are made on turbulence characteristics, including turbulence energy spectra, helicity density, and turbulence anisotropy in the U-duct flow. Results indicate that the regions near the wall and within flow separation are highly anisotropic. The turbulence near the wall region is in a two-dimensional state, and the turbulence within the flow separation region is in a "rod-like" state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]