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Most existing material design studies assume that radiative cooling (RC) windows should be ideal radiators with high emissivity (ε λ ∼ 1) in wide infrared band (IR, 2.5–20 μm). However, whether this assumption is universal has not been tested. Different from previous studies based on experiments and steady-state theoretical calculation models, a transient building heat transfer model with facade windows verified by experiments is used to explore the optimal design of IR emissivity of RC windows. Results show that the RC effect of windows is not always improved as traditionally expected with the increase of emissivity ( ε ‾ NAW) in the infrared " non-atmospheric window (NAW) " band. In fact, the adjustment trend of ε ‾ NAW for the RC effect of windows is reversed. Smaller ε ‾ NAW can weaken the heat flow into the room and prolong the time that windows become " coolers ". A wider range of window-to-wall ratios are also studied, and it is found that the design of selective high emissivity ( ε ‾ NAW ∼0) is more conducive to the RC of windows. It is proved that the current default design of the RC window emissivity in IR band is non-universal, and new laws found provide an enlightening guide for the material development of RC windows. • A reversal trend of RC regulation of window emissivity outside the AW is revealed. • Smaller window emissivity outside the AW extends the time windows become coolers. • Designs with selective high emissivity may be more favorable for the RC of windows. • The default "broadband, high emissivity" of RC windows in IR band is not universal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analytical approach is presented to comprehensively describe a meticulously designed gold nanoarray situated on a silicon waveguide(length (L) and width(W) are 12 µm and 3 µm). The incorporation of a glass substrate with an L and W of 12 µm is proposed as a means to achieve broadband focusing. At the same time, a demultiplexing element utilizing surface plasmon polariton (SPP) waves is introduced, employing a novel phase modulation method that uses in-plane diffraction processes. The analytical calculations are focused on the sublattice arrays, which are currently under investigation to enhance the performance of demultiplexers and confocal SPP beams. The suggested method exhibits various functionalities that make it a promising approach. Its planar construction ensures a streamlined and integrated design, and the absence of SPP coupling processes adds to its practicality for implementation in photonic integrations. By leveraging the unique properties of the gold nanoarray on the silicon waveguide, combined with the glass substrate for broadband focusing and the novel phase modulation method for demultiplexing SPP waves, this approach holds great potential for advancing the field of photonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide. The logistics industry is the second largest source of CO 2 emissions, second only to the manufacturing industry. Therefore, developing effective environmental regulations to achieve low-carbon transformation in the logistics industry is an urgent task for government managers. Based on the 2005–2021 panel data of China's 30 provinces, this article adopts a data-driven nonparametric additive model to investigate the role of environmental regulations in CO 2 emission reduction in the logistics industry. The results display that overall, environmental regulations contribute to carbon reduction in the logistics industry (an inverted N-shaped effect). After endogeneity test and various robustness tests such as replacing the variable value of core variable, this conclusion still has good reliability. Further heterogeneity analysis indicates that the carbon reduction effect of mandatory environmental regulations fluctuates frequently (a W-shaped impact). However, the carbon reduction impact of incentive environmental regulations has gradually shifted from insignificant in the early stages to prominent in the later stages (an inverted U-shaped pattern). Regional heterogeneity analysis shows that the impact of environmental regulations on carbon reduction in the eastern, central, and western regions also has significant nonlinear characteristics. Finally, this article verifies that technological innovation and energy consumption structure are effective intermediate mechanisms for environmental regulations to affect emission reduction. The research findings provide practical inspiration for the government to formulate relevant environmental policies and promote the green development of the logistics industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SiC/SiC composites are the ideal candidates for hot-end components in aerospace and other high-tech fields. In recent years, as one type of material with simple structures, mini-composites have been widely used to study or initially verify the properties of ceramic matrix composites (CMC). Nevertheless, attentions were rarely paid on the influence of strain rate on the mechanical properties of mini-composites. In this study, based on mini-SiC/SiC composites, we investigated the effect of the strain rate on their tensile strength, initial tensile modulus, Weibull modulus, and fracture work. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms were discussed and the exact constitutive model of the as-prepared mini-SiC/SiC composites was constructed according to the Michaelis-Menten and generalized linear models. This work can fill the gaps in the CMC research in some degree and provide a preliminary theoretical basis for the formulation of tensile properties test standards of mini-composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional assessment of stem cell‐mediated endogenous repair relies on animal studies. Here an in vitro assay is described that recapitulates important early steps of the in vivo skeletal muscle endogenous repair (MEndR) process. The assay is integrated with a custom semi‐automated image analysis pipeline to enable high‐content data analysis of donor‐derived muscle fiber content and morphology. Myotube sheets, generated by infiltrating a cellulose scaffold with myoblasts, are engrafted with muscle stem cells (MuSCs), injured to induce a regenerative microenvironment, and muscle repair is assessed. Significantly, the spatiotemporal dynamics of in vitro repair closely matched those observed in vivo, when both stem cells and injury are present. By exploiting the easy imaging geometry of the engineered tissue, cellular mechanisms of action driving the MuSC response to the regenerative template are explored. In vivo outcomes of two known modulators of MuSC‐mediated repair, measured by donor fiber production, MuSC niche repopulation, and response to a secondary injury, are phenocopied in the platform only when both the stem cells and injured 3D template are present. The MEndR platform represents a powerful opportunity to explore MuSC‐mediated repair and potentially compress the discovery pipeline by combining drug screening and validation in one step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes a coordinated adaptive control for the hypersonic reentry vehicle with channel coupling and system uncertainties. Using the hierarchical sliding mode scheme, the coordinated design is applied to ensure flight safety. Once the yawing moment is not enough to meet the control requirement, the system will coordinate the channel moment distribution, and furthermore, the flight attitude can be stabilized with yawing moment compensation. To obtain the high‐precision uncertain approximation, the online recorded data‐based prediction error is constructed as one learning performance index, which is introduced into the updated law. The uniformly ultimately boundedness of the system signals is guaranteed via the Lyapunov approach. Through the simulation test, the results show that the proposed approach can maintain a stable attitude and present the adaptation to the system uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: We aimed to study the clinicopathological and molecular features of high‐grade non‐anaplastic thyroid carcinomas (HGTCs), a carcinoma with a prognosis intermediate between those of well‐differentiated carcinoma and anaplastic carcinoma. Methods and results: This study included 364 HGTC patients: 200 patients (54.9%) were diagnosed with poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (PDTC), based on the Turin consensus (HGTC‐PDTC), and 164 were diagnosed with high‐grade features that did not meet the Turin criteria (HGTC‐nonPDTC). HGTCs are aggressive: the 3‐year, 5‐year, 10‐year and 20‐year disease‐specific survival (DSS) rates were 89%, 76%, 60%, and 35%, respectively. Although DSS was similar between HGTC‐PDTC and HGTC‐nonPDTC patients, HGTC‐PDTC was associated with higher rate of radioactive iodine avidity, a higher frequency of RAS mutations, a lower frequency of BRAF V600E mutations and a higher propensity for distant metastasis (DM) than HGTC‐nonPDTC. Independent clinicopathological markers of worse outcome were: older age, male sex, extensive necrosis and lack of encapsulation for DSS; older age, male sex and vascular invasion for DM‐free survival; and older age, necrosis, positive margins and lymph node metastasis for locoregional recurrence‐free survival. The frequencies of BRAF, RAS, TERT, TP53 and PTEN alterations were 28%, 40%, 55%, 11%, and 10%, respectively. TP53, PTEN and TERT were independent molecular markers associated with an unfavourable outcome, independently of clinicopathological parameters. The coexistence of BRAF V600E and TERT promoter mutation increased the risk of DM. Conclusions: The above data support the classification of HGTC as a single group with two distinct subtypes based on tumour differentiation: HGTC‐PDTC and HGTC‐nonPDTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mechanically reconfigurable reflector (MRR) can adapt its geometry to facilitate a space antenna's ability to scan along different angles. The reflector geometries corresponding to various scanning angles are calculated by coordinate change. The proper mechanical properties of the MRR are important for reconfiguration accuracy and actuation of the reflector system. The ratio of bending stiffness to Young's modulus (D/E) is an essential parameter for the smooth reshaping of the MRR. In previous MMR research, materials with a small Young's modulus were used, and the D/E ratio is increased by increasing shell thickness. In order to increase the D/E ratio while maintaining a thinner shell thickness, this paper proposes an auxetic lattice material for a reconfigurable reflector shell. The auxetic lattice material allows the raw material of the reflector shell to have a high Young's modulus resulting in a smaller thickness. By optimizing the stacking sequence of carbon fiber composite, the bending stiffness of raw material is improved. Compounding the stacking sequence with elliptic voids array structure in reflector shell, the in-plane effective Young's modulus is significantly decreased while maintaining a small decrease in bending stiffness. For a given target shape, the geometric parameters of the elliptic void are determined by the comparison of the reshaping accuracy calculated through simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to its biosynthetic and biodegradable properties, polylactic acid (PLA) is considered to be a most promising biopolymer that could play a crucial role as a potentially environmentally friendly material for a sustainable bioeconomy. However, its long-life cycle indicates that it cannot be easily degraded in nature. Therefore, understanding the biodegradation mechanism of PLA is important for reducing the impacts of waste plastic and waste disposal. With the recent development of molecular biology techniques, some studies have confirmed that specific groups of microorganisms can facilitate the biodegradation of PLA. Here, recent advances in the biodegradation of PLA (i.e., microbial and enzymatic degradation) and key factors affecting the degradation efficiency were reviewed. In addition, compared with complete degradation through mineralization, upcycling is also proposed as a more recyclable strategy for disposing of waste plastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Hepatic fibrosis is the most significant determinant of all-cause- and liver -related mortality in NAFLD. However, the relationship between NAFLD fibrosis and severe coronary artery disease (CAD) remains unclear. Methods and Results. We conducted a retrospective study of 531 patients with ultrasonogram-confirmed NAFLD who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Then, all patients were separated into four categories by Gensini score (0, 0-9, 9-48, and ≥48) for use in ordinal logistic regression analysis to determine whether NAFLD fibrosis was associated with increased Gensini scores. Mediation analysis was used to investigate whether systemic inflammation is a mediating factor in the association between NAFLD fibrosis and CAD severity. FIB − 4 > 2.67 (OR = 5.67 , 95% CI 2.59-12.38) and APRI > 1.5 (OR = 14.8 , 95% CI 3.24-67.60) remained to be independent risk factors for the severity of CAD after adjusting for conventional risk factors, whereas among the inflammation markers, only neutrophils and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were independently associated with CAD. Multivariable ordinal regression analysis suggested that increasing Gensini score (0, 0-9, 9-48, and ≥48) was associated with advanced NAFLD fibrosis. ROC curve showed that either fibrosis markers or inflammation markers, integrating with traditional risk factors, could increase the predictive capacity for determining CAD. Inflammation markers, especially neutrophils and NLR, were mediators of the relationship between NAFLD fibrosis and CAD severity. Conclusions. NAFLD patients with advanced fibrosis are at a high risk of severe coronary artery stenosis, and inflammation might mediate the association between NAFLD fibrosis and CAD severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper designed a diffuser-augmented flapping wing device. Based on the orthogonal experimental design and numerical method, it is aimed to simulate the impact of structural parameters on the power coefficient and energy harvesting efficiency and research the effect and prioritize of structural practices on flapping wing performance. The results show that the energy harvesting efficiency can be improved by 53.7% by selecting appropriate parameters. The performance of the power coefficient is sensitive to the variation of flange height and diffuse angle, and the efficiency is sensitive to the variation of inlet spacing and flange height. Besides, the energy efficiency of the diffuser-augmented flapping wing will be improved under unsteady upstream velocity. • A diffuser-augmented flapping wing device was designed. • The energy harvesting efficiency of the flapping wing increases significantly. • The low-pressure zone at the outlet of the diffuser shroud can enhance the kinetic energy of the internal fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, thermal conductivity as a key parameter affecting the thermal performance of PCM has attracted much attention. However, the thermal performance evaluation of ultra-high thermal conductivity PCM is scarce, especially in field of building energy conservation. Therefore, we traversed the range of thermal conductivity that can be prepared at present and within the expected time frame, which is 0.08–49.28 W ⋅ m − 1 K − 1 . In addition, a novel index, Utilization Rate of Latent Heat (URLH), was proposed to evaluate matching degree between PCM and a certain application background in buildings, so as to explore the reason of poor energy-saving effect of PCM under some application backgrounds. We found that the thermal conductivity of PCM is not the higher the better in buildings, in other words, a turning point appears. The optimal thermal conductivity is about 0.6 W ⋅ m − 1 K − 1 and when the value is lower than 0.3 W ⋅ m − 1 K − 1 , URLH is equal to 0 in the cases of Shanghai. Therefore, we recommend PCM researchers to evaluate the URLH before using PCM to avoid the ineffective use of materials. Through the analysis of URLH, researchers can know the specific parameters that affect the thermal performance of PCM and obtain the way to optimize them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a design method to minimize the compliance or maximize the fundamental natural frequency of continuum structures under thin feature and support structure constraints in additive manufacturing processes. The objective functions are, respectively, to minimize the compliance of continuum structures under static loads and maximize the fundamental natural frequency of vibrating continuum structures. The topology optimization is performed by the bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) method. The sensitivity expressions for minimizing the compliance or maximizing the fundamental natural frequency are derived in detail. Different thin feature constraints and the support structure constraints in different printing directions are investigated. Several two- and three-dimensional numerical examples involving compliance minimization and eigenfrequency maximization show that the proposed method is effective in achieving convergent solid–void optimized solutions for a variety of optimization problems of continuum structures, and the designs resulting from the new topology optimization algorithm are additive manufacturing friendly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a serial-parallel estimation model (SPEM)-based sliding mode control (SMC) of MEMS gyroscope. For the system nonlinearity, the linear-in-parameterized dynamics are formulated and the updating law of the parameter vector is given. For the system uncertainty, the radial basis function (RBF) neural network (NN) is utilized. To improve the approximation accuracy of the compound nonlinearity, the updating laws of the parameter vector and RBF NN weight are constructed by the tracking error and the filtered modeling error derived from SPEM. Furthermore, the fast terminal (FT) SMC is employed to achieve finite-time convergence. The simulation results show that the proposed controller obtains higher tracking accuracy and faster convergence, while the compound nonlinearity approximation is with higher precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural topology optimization for nonlinear structures and stress-based design problems have been well developed and extensively studied. However, topology optimization of Simultaneous Geometrical and Material Nonlinear (SGMN) structures under stress constraints, requires significant investigation. Hence, based on an extended Bi-directional Evolutionary Structural Optimization (BESO) method, this work proposes a novel topology optimization method to maximize the stiffness of SGMN structures subject to both volume fraction and maximum von Mises stress constraints. The extended BESO method based on discrete variables can avoid the stress singularity problem. The global von Mises stress is established with the p-norm function, and the adjoint sensitivity analysis is derived. The nonlinear finite element equations are established by the Lagrangian method and the large deformation problem is solved by the Total Lagrangian method. A series of comparison studies have been conducted to validate the effectiveness and practicability of the method on several benchmark design problems. It concludes that the proposed approach can well control the stress level and efficiently solve the stress concentration effect at the critical stress areas of SGMN structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium alloy has been widely applied in industrial fields because of its excellent material properties. Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is commonly technology for processing titanium alloy. When titanium alloy was processed by EDM, a recast layer was inevitably be produced on its surface, which can adversely affect the surface quality and working life. Focus on the above problem, this paper proposed to add B4C powders into the spark oil and cooperate with the tool electrode sloshing for powder mixed electrical discharge machining (PMEDM) of titanium alloy, which can reduce the thickness of the recast layer and thereby improve the quality of the machined surface. Firstly, B4C powders were mixed in the spark oil and the PMEDM of the titanium alloy was carried out. In this step, the thickness of recast layer was preliminarily reduced and the quality of machined surface was improved. Secondly, when the PMEDM of the titanium alloy was nearly completed, the tool electrode sloshed along the machine tool spindle within the EDM gap. Combining PMEDM with the tool electrode sloshing, the recast layer on the machined surface was further eliminated and the quality of machined surface was further improved. By adding 3000 mesh B4C powders into the spark oil, the paper carried out the PMEDM of titanium alloy combining with the tool electrode sloshing. Under the action of appropriate process parameters, the micro-groove structure with surface roughness Ra of 0.205 μm was obtained in the titanium alloy and the recast layer on the machined surface was almost invisible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-scale concurrent topology optimization method based on the couple stress theory is proposed for maximizing structural fundamental eigenfrequency. Because of the fact that the classical mechanics theory cannot reveal the size effect because of neglecting the influence of microstructure, the theory of couple stress including the microscopic properties of materials can be used to describe the size effect in deformations. On the foundation of the couple stress theory, the two-scale optimization model for finding optimal configurations of macrostructures and their periodic composite material microstructures is built. And the fundamental eigenfrequency of the macrostructure is maximized. The effective macroscopic couple stress constitutive constants of macrostructures are calculated by the representative volume element method. And a modified solid isotropic material with a penalization model is used to effectively avoid the localized mode. The optimization algorithm based on the bidirectional evolutionary structural optimization method is proposed. The optimal results of numerical examples show that the optimal topologies and natural frequencies obtained by the couple stress theory may differ significantly from those obtained by the typical Cauchy theory. It is obvious that couple stress theory can effectively describe the size effect in topology optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. In the past decade, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely used for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), and noncoding RNAs in exosomes may play a major role. Aim. The present study is aimed at exploring the effect and mechanism of miR-326 in exosomes secreted by bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on pyroptosis of cartilage and OA improvement. Methods. Exosomes from BMSCs (BMSC-Exos) were isolated and identified to incubate with OA chondrocytes. Proliferation, migration, specific gene and miR-326 expression, and pyroptosis of chondrocytes were detected. BMSCs or chondrocytes were transfected with miR-326 mimics or inhibitors to investigate the effect of miR-326 in BMSC-Exos on pyroptosis of chondrocytes and the potential mechanism. Finally, a rat OA model was established to verify the effect and mechanism of miR-326 in BMSC-Exos on cartilage of pyroptosis. Results. Incubation with BMSC-Exos could significantly improve the survival rate, migration ability, and chondrocyte-specific genes (COL2A1, SOX9, Agg, and Prg4) and miR-326 expression of OA chondrocytes and significantly inhibit pyroptosis of chondrocytes by downregulation of the levels of inflammatory cytokines, Caspase-1 activity, and pyroptosis-related proteins such as GSDMD, NLRP3, ASC, IL-1β, and IL-18 (P < 0.01). PKH26 labeling confirmed the uptake of BMSC-Exos by chondrocytes. Incubation with exosomes extracted from BMSCs overexpressing miR-326 can significantly repress the pyroptosis of chondrocytes, while knockdown of miR-326 had the opposite effect (P < 0.01). The same result was also demonstrated by direct interference with the expression level of miR-326 in chondrocytes (P < 0.01). In addition, we found that the overexpression of miR-326 significantly inhibited the expression of HDAC3 and NF-κB p65 and significantly promoted the expression of STAT1, acetylated STAT1, and acetylated NF-κB p65 in chondrocytes (P < 0.01). The targeted relationship between miR-326 and HDAC3 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Animal experiments confirmed the mechanism by which miR-326 delivered by BMSC-Exos inhibits pyroptosis of cartilage by targeting HDAC3 and STAT1/NF-κB p65 signaling pathway. Conclusion. BMSC-Exos can deliver miR-326 to chondrocytes and cartilage and improve OA by targeting HDAC3 and STAT1//NF-κB p65 to inhibit pyroptosis of chondrocytes and cartilage. Our findings provide a new mechanism for BMSC-Exos to treat OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Radiation‐associated angiosarcomas (RT‐ASs) of the breast are rare tumours with a poor prognosis. MYC gene amplification is considered to be the hallmark of RT‐AS, and is sometimes used as a diagnostic tool to distinguish it from other radiation‐associated vascular lesions. However, a small subset of RT‐ASs lacks MYC amplification, and this may be associated with better outcome. Loss of trimethylation at lysine 27 of histone 3 (H3K27me3) expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) has been recently postulated as an additional diagnostic marker for RT‐AS. The aims of this study were to evaluate the impact of MYC amplification as detected by fluorescence in‐situ hybridisation and/or next‐generation sequencing on clinicopathological features and outcome in a large cohort of RT‐ASs, compare outcome with those of radiation‐associated sarcomas (RT‐Ss) of the breast other than angiosarcoma, and evaluate expression of H3K27me3 IHC in these groups. Methods and results: Eighty‐one RT‐ASs were identified, including 73 that were MYC‐amplified and 8 (10%) that were MYC‐non‐amplified. MYC‐amplified RT‐ASs were diagnosed in older patients (median age, 69 years versus 61 years). The 5‐year disease‐specific survival and 5‐year overall survival rates were 56% and 47%, respectively. Older age, larger tumour size, positive margin and MYC amplification were associated with worse prognosis. None of the RT‐ASs showed complete loss of H3K27me3 IHC expression. All 18 RT‐Ss were MYC‐non‐amplified, and complete loss of H3K27me3 expression was seen in 2 cases. We found no difference in prognosis between RT‐AS and RT‐S. Conclusions: RT‐AS of the breast is associated with a poor prognosis. Older age at diagnosis, larger tumour size, positive margin at excision and MYC amplification are associated with worse prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune disease that typically develops after a previous gastrointestinal (GI) infection. However, the exact association between Gut Microbiota (GM) and GBS still remains unknown due to various challenges. This study aimed to investigate the potential causal association between GM and GBS by using a two-sample Mendelian Randomization (TSMR) analysis. Utilizing the largest available genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis from the MiBioGen consortium (n = 13,266) as a foundation, we conducted a TSMR to decipher the causal relationship between GM and GBS. Various analytical methods were employed, including the inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-PRESSO, MR-Egger, and weighted median. The heterogeneity of instrumental variables (IVs) was assessed using Cochran's Q statistics. The analysis identified three microbial taxa with a significantly increased risk association for GBS, including Ruminococcus gnavus group (OR = 1.40, 95 % CI: 1.07–1.83), Ruminococcus gauvreauii group (OR = 1.51, 95 % CI: 1.02–2.25), and Ruminococcaceae UCG009 (OR = 1.42, 95 % CI: 1.02–1.97), while Eubacterium brachy group (OR = 1.44, 95 % CI: 1.10–1.87) and Romboutsia (OR = 1.67, 95 % CI: 1.12–2.47) showed a suggestively causal association. On the other hand, Ruminococcaceae UCG004 (OR = 0.61, 95 % CI: 0.41–0.91) had a protective effect on GBS, while Bacilli (OR = 0.60, 95 % CI: 0.38–0.96), Gamma proteobacteria (OR = 0.63, 95 % CI: 0.41–0.98) and Lachnospiraceae UCG001 (OR = 0.69, 95 % CI: 0.49–0.96) showed a suggestively protective association for GBS. The MR analysis suggests a potential causal relationship between specific GM taxa and the risk of GBS. However, further extensive research involving diversified populations is imperative to validate these findings. • The association between Gut Microbiota (GM) and Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) remains unknown due to various challenges; • This is the first study to identify the causal effects of GM on GBS through Two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis; • Our results may provide new evidence for potential causal relationship between specific GM taxa and the risk of GBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dilatancy behavior of overconsolidated (OC) clays is a key factor in determining their strength and deformation characteristics. Recognizing the limitations of previous dilatancy relations for OC clays, a novel dilatancy relation is proposed that can effectively capture the changes in dilatancy point, volume dilatancy and contraction with the overconsolidation ratio (OCR). As OC clays revert to the normally consolidated (NC) state, the proposed dilatancy relation smoothly transitions to that of the modified Cam‐clay (MCC) model, ensuring a unified description of the dilatancy relation between OC and NC clays. The dilatancy relation can be easily incorporated into the constitutive model of different theoretical frameworks. Subsequently, this advanced dilatancy relation is integrated into a new elastoplastic constitutive model for OC clays within the framework of bounding surface and generalized plasticity theory. The validity of the proposed model is confirmed through drained triaxial compression and extension, undrained triaxial compression and extension, as well as complex stress path tests for clays with various OCRs, and the simulation results of the proposed model are compared with those of the SANICLAY model. The comparative analysis demonstrate that the model performs well in simulating the behavior of OC clays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since it is difficult to obtain 3D micro-electrodes, simple micro-electrodes with round or rectangular cross-sections are used when performing layer-by-layer scanning EDM to machine 3D micro-structures. This process can process 3D micro-structure, which has deficiencies of complicated technical process and low processing efficiency. In the study, copper was used to fabricate 3D micro-electrodes by micro-milling. Using a reciprocating processing method, micro-EDM was conducted with the 3D micro-electrodes to obtain 3D micro-structures. This method had the advantages of high processing efficiency and a simple technical process. The above work is the main content and novelty of this paper. The paper detailedly studied the effects of the stand-off distance and flushing quantity of dielectric fluid on the machining quality of 3D micro-structure. Furthermore, the effects of rough machining and finish machining on the machined surface were also analyzed. Finally, with flushing quantity of 0.3 L/min, stand-off distance of 300 μm, the 3D micro-structures with 5 μm dimensional error were machined in 304# stainless steel by applying 3D micro-electrodes in micro-EDM, which had good processing efficiency and processing accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Functional evaluation of molecules that are predicted to promote stem cell mediated endogenous repair often requires in vivo transplant studies that are low throughput and hinder the rate of discovery. To offer greater throughput for functional validation studies, we miniaturized, simplified and expanded the functionality of a previously developed muscle endogenous repair (MEndR) in vitro assay that was shown to capture significant events of in vivo muscle endogenous repair. Methods: The mini-MEndR assay consists of miniaturized cellulose scaffolds designed to fit in 96-well plates, the pores of which are infiltrated with human myoblasts encapsulated in a fibrin-based hydrogel to form engineered skeletal muscle tissues. Pre-adsorbing thrombin to the cellulose scaffolds facilitates in situ tissue polymerization, a critical modification that enables new users to rapidly acquire assay expertise. Following the generation of the 3D myotube template, muscle stem cells (MuSCs), enriched from digested mouse skeletal muscle tissue using an improved magnetic-activated cell sorting protocol, are engrafted within the engineered template. Murine MuSCs are fluorescently labeled, enabling co-evaluation of human and mouse Pax7+ cell responses to drug treatments. A regenerative milieu is introduced by injuring the muscle tissue with a myotoxin to initiate endogenous repair "in a dish". Phenotypic data is collected at endpoints with a high-content imaging system and is analyzed using ImageJ-based image analysis pipelines. Results: The miniaturized format and modified manufacturing protocol cuts reagent costs in half and hands-on seeding time ~ threefold, while the image analysis pipelines save 40 h of labour. By evaluating multiple commercially available human primary myoblast lines in 2D and 3D culture, we establish quality assurance metrics for cell line selection that standardizes myotube template quality. In vivo outcomes (enhanced muscle production and Pax7+ cell expansion) to a known modulator of MuSC mediated repair (p38/β MAPK inhibition) are recapitulated in the miniaturized culture assay, but only in the presence of stem cells and the regenerative milieu. Discussion: The miniaturized predictive assay offers a simple, scaled platform to co-investigate human and mouse skeletal muscle endogenous repair molecular modulators, and thus is a promising strategy to accelerate the muscle endogenous repair discovery pipeline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of stability margin (SM) plays an important role in control engineering. For multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) systems, the classic SM is no longer applicable. The one‐loop‐at‐a‐time analysis method may lead to unreliable SMs. Although some robust SM analysis methods are popular in MIMO systems, they are model‐based or not easy‐to‐use in engineering sometimes. In this paper, ℒ2$$ {\mathcal{L}}_2 $$ gain margin and ℒ2$$ {\mathcal{L}}_2 $$ time‐delay margin are defined for linear MIMO systems, and a corresponding SM analysis method is proposed by utilizing a loop transformation and the small‐gain theorem. Most importantly, a data‐driven method for measuring the defined SMs is also presented. As a frequency‐domain method, this method can be used to experimentally obtain the SMs of MIMO systems on model‐free occasions. The proposed SM analysis method and measurement method are simple and practical. Two simulation studies and an experimental test are performed to illustrate the effectiveness and practicability of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Insulin resistance (IR) significantly contributes to cardiovascular disease (CVD) development. Triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI) are recognised as convenient proxies for IR. However, their relationship with sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) remains unclear. Methods: This prospective cohort analysis included 355,242 UK Biobank participants with available TyG index and TyG-BMI data and no history of CVD. Cox proportional risk models assessed the association between the TyG index, TyG-BMI and SCA risk. Additionally, Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) models were employed to investigate the timing of SCA onset. The impact of dynamic increases in TyG index and TyG-BMI levels on SCA risk was examined using restricted cubic spline. Results: Over a median follow-up period of 165.4 months (interquartile range 156.5–174 months), 1,622 cases of SCA were recorded. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed a 9% increase in SCA risk per standard deviation increase in TyG index (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–1.15) and an 14% increase per standard deviation increase in TyG-BMI (aHR 1.14, 95% CI 1.09–1.2). AFT models indicated earlier median times to SCA occurrence with increasing quintiles of TyG index and TyG-BMI compared to the lowest quintile (P for trend < 0.05). SCA risk was linearly (P = 0.54) and non-linearly (P = 0.007) correlated with gradual increases in TyG index and TyG-BMI levels, respectively. Sex-stratified analyses showed stronger associations in women. Conclusions: Higher TyG index and TyG-BMI levels are associated with an increased SCA risk and earlier onset, particularly in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to investigate the influence of Ca2+ doping on the infrared emission properties of DyTa3O9 ceramics. DyTa3O9 is considered a promising high-temperature thermal protection material due to its low thermal conductivity and good high-temperature stability. However, there is currently no research on the infrared radiation performance of such materials. We synthesized DyTa3O9 ceramics with different Ca2+ doping concentrations using the solid-phase reaction method and systematically investigated the effect of doping concentration on the infrared emissivity of DyTa3O9 ceramics. When Ca2+ is doped into the DyTa3O9 lattice, the original Dy elements are replaced by Ca, resulting in an increase in lattice constants and enhanced lattice distortion. The doping of Ca2+ introduces impurity energy levels, making it possible for some low-energy electron transitions, achieving an enhancement in infrared absorption and emission capabilities. When the Ca2+ doping concentration reaches 7.5% mol, the average infrared emissivity in the 3–5μm and 8–12μm ranges are 0.85 and 0.92, respectively, representing a 19.7% and 21% increase compared to DyTa3O9. This novel high-infrared-emissivity ceramic holds great potential for applications in high-temperature energy conservation and aerospace thermal protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphological variation in Schizothorax oconnori, Schizothorax waltoni, and their natural hybrids was examined using conventional and image‐based analysis approaches. In total, 38 specimens of S. oconnori, 35 of S. waltoni, and 37 natural hybrids were collected from the Shigatse to the Lhasa section of the Yarlung Zangbo River during June and July 2021. A total of 21 morphometric, 4 meristic, and 27 truss variables were employed for the classification of S. oconnori, S. waltoni, and natural hybrids. Principal component analysis (PCA) and factor analysis (FA), as well as discriminant function analysis (DFA) and cluster analysis (CA), were conducted to identify differences based on traditional and truss measurements. Four principal components explained 75.92% of the variation among the morphometric characters, while five principal components accounted for 79.69% of the variation among the truss distances. FA results showed that factor 1 was associated with head shape, and factor 2 was associated with fins based on morphometric characters. Among the truss characters, factor 1 was related to head shape, and factor 2 was related to chest shape. In DFA, morphometric measurements achieved higher accuracy (100%) compared to truss distances (94.55%). The head morphology of hybrids exhibited intermediate traits between S. oconnori and S. waltoni. Both morphometry‐based and truss‐based clustering indicated that the morphology of natural hybrids leaned toward S. oconnori. In conclusion, the combination of morphometric and truss analysis is beneficial for classifying S. oconnori, S. waltoni, and their natural hybrids. The presence of natural hybrids could be considered an evolutionary response to the differentiation of nutritional and spatial niches in the middle Yarlung Zangbo River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through field observation and theoretical study, we found that the Hanxing mining area has a typical ternary structure in coal mining under high water pressure of the aquifer. This ternary structure is the Ordovician limestone aquifer-aquiclude including thin limestones-coal seam. Although the aquiclude is considerably thick, there is still a great risk of water burst during mining under water pressure in the deep burial environment. Multidimensional characteristics of floor water inrush in deep mining are summarized in the paper, including water migration upwardly driven by the Ordovician confined water, the planar dispersion of the water inrush channel, the stepped increase of the water inrush intensity, the hysteretic effluent of the water inrush time and the exchange, and adsorption of the water quality. The water inrush mechanism is clarified that the permeability, dilatancy, fracturing, and ascending of the water from the Ordovician limestone aquifer form a planar and divergent flow through the transfer, storage, and transportation of thin limestone aquifers. The corresponding water inrush risk evaluation equation is also proposed. Based on the thickness of the aquiclude, the thickness of the failure zones, and the water inrush coefficient, the floor aquiclude is classified into five categories. While water inrush cannot be completely controlled by the traditional underground floor reinforcement with ultra-thick aquiclude or even zonal grouting, a comprehensive prevention and control concept of the four-dimensional floor water hazard in full time-space domain are proposed. A tridimensional prevention and control model of three-dimensional reticulated exploration, treatment, verification, and supplementation is presented. A full time domain technological quality control process of condition assessment, exploration, remediation, inspection, evaluation, monitoring, and reassurance is formed, and a water disaster prevention method with full time-space tridimensional network in deep coal mining is established. Case study in the Hanxing mining area demonstrates that the proposed methods are highly effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Kelch‐like ECH‐associated protein 1 (KEAP1) has been identified as a cancer driver gene in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), and increased evidence has given us clues about the association of KEAP1 mutation and immune characteristics. We assessed the association between KEAP1 mutation and tumor microenvironment in LUAD systematically. Methods: With the data collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we evaluated the association of KEAP1 mutation with tumor infiltrating leukocytes (TILs), including dendritic cell, CD8 T cell, CD4 T cell, neutrophil, B cells, and macrophage. Expression differences of the markers of those immune cells were also measured. We further compared the expression of antigen presentation genes and chemokines and the enrichment score of immune‐related pathways. Results: KEAP1 mutation had significant association with lower TILs and cytotoxic T lymphocyte. Strikingly, almost all of antigen presentation genes and chemokine showed lower expression in KEAP1‐mutated tumors. Moreover, most of immune‐related pathways were less active in KEAP1‐mutated tumors. As expected, KEAP1‐wild type LUADs favored better overall survival after immunotherapy. Finally, one patient harboring KEAP1 mutation along with a lack of immune cells infiltration in tumor microenvironment failed to respond to checkpoint inhibitor despite high tumor mutational burden (TMB). Conclusions: KEAP1 mutation has a significant effect on the tumor immune milieu of LUAD and may play as a predictive biomarker of immunotherapy for LUAD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Public health emergencies are serious social problems, threatening people's lives, causing considerable economic losses, and related to all mankind life and health and safety. Nurses are essential in the fight against the public health emergency, corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). clinic nursing students are considered as backup health care providers for licensed nurses, the coping abilities and crisis management of nursing students at present deserve attention all around the world. Methods: 2035 clinic nursing students were invited to participate in mobile phone app-based survey from Feb 6 to 20, 2020. The demographic items, psychological and behavioral responses, and the coping abilities were conducted. Multiple linear regression was used to identify the independent factors to clinic nursing students' coping abilities under COVID-19. Results: 1992 submitted were valid. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that Confidence to overcome difficulties, Optimism, Active coping, Help seeking and Practice hospital as designated treatment unit were independently associated with the positive coping of clinic nursing students. Fear of COVID-19, Optimism, Avoidance, Help seeking and Severity of epidemic around were independently associated with the negative coping of clinic nursing students. Conclusion: Under COVID-19, nursing students' coping level is superior to the Chinese norm, which is also affected by many factors. As the most direct backup resources of professional nurses, the way clinic nursing students respond to public health emergencies and its influencing factors deserve attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self‐trapped exciton (STE) emission of low‐dimensional metal halides has witnessed explosive developments in both display and illumination, due to its intriguing photoluminescence properties. As one typical feature, STE emission energy is commonly independent of excitation wavelength. Herein, a rare phenomenon of inverse excitation‐dependent dual‐band emission is achieved on 0D Cs2InBr5·H2O. Under initial compression, the contraction of inhomogeneously coordinated InBr5O octahedra gives rise to blue‐shifted STE emission with the decreased Stokes shift. As the phase transition occurs under higher pressure, considerable octahedral distortions generate a new defect‐related localized exciton emission. Notably, the high‐energy emission from the intrinsic STE state is only observed under the low‐energy excitation, which is believed to originate from the excitation‐dependent multiple excited states in high‐pressure Cs2InBr5·H2O. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a topology optimization method for a multi-physics problem considering weight minimization with compliance, stress, and temperature constraints. Two static equations for thermal and structural problems are solved. A novel topology optimization formulation, i.e., lightweight design involving compliance, stress and temperature limits, is established using the rational approximation of material properties. A corrected P-norm function is employed to exactly evaluate the maximum stress and temperature of the structure. Moreover, iteration oscillations stemming from the high non-linearity of stress constraint are alleviated by means of a stabilizing control scheme based on the stability transformation method. The sensitivity analysis of the coupled multi-physics field is performed utilizing the adjoint method. Some numerical examples are adopted to demonstrate the validity and robustness of the proposed methodology. It is indicated that the topology considering the above three constraints simultaneously can achieve good mechanical and thermal performances, while the compliance constraint can accelerate the rate of convergence. The stricter compliance limit leads to a heavier structure and more uneven stress distribution but less iterations. The optimized topologies are dependent on the temperature range due to the effect of thermal expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Primary intraosseous rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a rare entity defined by EWSR1/FUS–TFCP2 or, less commonly, MEIS1–NCOA2 fusions. The lesions often show a hybrid spindle and epithelioid phenotype, frequently coexpress myogenic markers, ALK, and cytokeratin, and show a striking propensity for the pelvic and craniofacial bones. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological and molecular features of 11 head and neck RMSs (HNRMSs) characterised by the genetic alterations described in intraosseous RMS. Methods and results: The molecular abnormalities were analysed with fluorescence in‐situ hybridisation and/or targeted RNA/DNA sequencing. Seven cases had FUS–TFCP2 fusions, four had EWSR1–TFCP2 fusions, and none had MEIS1–NCOA2 fusions. All except one case were intraosseous, affecting the mandible (n = 4), maxilla (n = 3), and skull (n = 3). One case occurred in the superficial soft tissue of the neck. The median age was 29 years (range, 16–74 years), with an equal sex distribution. All tumours showed mixed epithelioid and spindle morphology. Immunohistochemical coexpression of desmin, myogenin, MyoD1, ALK, and cytokeratin was seen in most cases. An intragenic ALK deletion was seen in 43% of cases. Regional and distant spread were seen in three and four patients, respectively. Two patients died of their disease. Conclusions: We herein present the largest series of HNRMSs with TFCP2 fusions to date. The findings show a strong predilection for the skeleton in young adults, although we also report an extraosseous case. The tumours are characterised by a distinctive spindle and epithelioid phenotype and a peculiar immunoprofile, with coexpression of myogenic markers, epithelial markers, and ALK. They are associated with a poor prognosis, including regional or distant spread and disease‐related death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For fiber-reinforced composites, the combination of structural topology optimization and fiber angle design is an excellent way to suppress structural vibration more efficiently and acquire a lighter structure. This paper proposes a concurrent optimization model for fiber-reinforced composite structures, where the mathematical model is built by combining the polynomial interpolation scheme (PIS) and the Heaviside penalization of discrete material optimization (HPDMO). Therein, the former is adopted to avoid the localized mode phenomena due to the mismatch between element stiffness and mass. And the latter is used for multi-candidate fiber orientation design. The objective function is to minimize the integration of the dynamic compliance in a given frequency band subject to macro-volume constraint. In order to ease the heavy computational burden caused by hundreds of frequency steps in each iteration, too many freedom degrees, and discrete design variables in HPDMO, the modal acceleration method is used to obtain a high-precision estimation of displacement response, and a decoupled method suitable for multiphase fiber material sensitivity analysis is also developed. Finally, a modified threshold Heaviside projection is used to obtain a black-and-white design. Several numerical examples are presented to verify the validity and robustness of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variable-polarity plasma arc (VPPA) is an effective energy source for the welding of thick aluminum alloy plates. However, the mechanisms influencing the fluid flow and the inhomogeneous distribution associated with thick-plate VPPA welding remain unclear, restricting the application of this technology in welding of thick aluminum alloys. Here, the relationship between the microstructure of the weld bead, energy transfer, and fluid flow is clarified by combining in situ three-dimensional x-ray imaging and multi-physics modeling. We find that heat conduction at the keyhole wall is the main factor influencing the morphology of the weld pool. The plasma arc pressure hinders the upward flow of liquid metal, while shear forces promote this flow. This causes the metal close to the weld pool surface to flow slowly, while that inside the weld pool has much higher velocity. It is also concluded that the large crystal size observed in the lower layer of the weld is partly caused by heat treatment from the upper layer of the thick plate. An eddy with a high flow velocity to the rear of the weld pool destroys the crystal-growth process, and this is considered to be one of the reasons for fine crystals appearing in the upper part of the weld. The mechanisms revealed here will help us to guide the use of VPPA technology in the production of stable, high-quality welding of thick aluminum alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountain steppe has important production value and ecological function. The chlorophyll content is a critical biochemical parameter of steppe. This study aims at exploring effective spectral parameters for estimating the chlorophyll content in mountain steppe using in situ hyperspectral measurements. The study area is located on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountains with complex terrain and sparse vegetation. The canopy hyperspectral data and leaf chlorophyll content and canopy chlorophyll content data were measured from 101 samples. The empirical models were constructed based on nine vegetation indices and three red-edge parameters. The results showed that the red-edge magnitude, red-edge area, Second Modified Chlorophyll Absorption Ratio Index, Second Modified Chlorophyll Absorption Ratio Index/Second Optimized Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index, Second Transformed Chlorophyll Absorption Ratio Index and Triangle Vegetation Index estimated canopy chlorophyll content satisfactorily. Leaf chlorophyll content of mountain steppe is not well estimated using canopy spectral parameters. The results revealed the specific vegetation indices and red-edge parameters for estimating vegetation biochemical parameters at canopy scale in mountain steppe using in situ hyperspectral measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) has frequently occurred a large number of landslides in the stratified rock slopes with typical saw-tooth rock discontinuities since its impoundment in 2003, in which the shear mechanical behaviors of the saw-tooth rock discontinuities have been explored by few scholars. In this study, the macro-meso shear mechanical behaviors of the rock discontinuities with multiscale triangular-shaped asperities under two different lithologic combination types, when subjected to a static constant normal load (CNL), were investigated using experimental and numerical approaches. The hard layer and soft layer are, respectively, limestone and clayey soil taken from the TGRA, and the normal loading rate for the combination of hard layers and the combination of soft–hard layers is 0.5 kN/min and 0.05 kN/min, respectively, while the shear loading rate of the two different lithologic combination types is 0.5 kN/min. The laboratory direct shear tests on the rock discontinuities with different first-order asperity angles, i.e., 30°, 45° and 60°, and the same second-order asperity angle of 45°, were first conducted under different normal stresses and moisture contents. Four various types of shear-tensile failure modes, i.e., climbing failure, climbing-gnawing failure, gnawing failure and sliding failure, were observed for the combination of hard layers; while three diverse types of shear-tensile failure modes, i.e., disengaging failure, dislocating failure and gnawing failure, were observed for the combination of soft–hard layers. Subsequently, the Two Dimensional Particle Flow Code discrete element method (PFC 2D DEM) was used for the numerical simulations, in which the meso-damage evolution process of the rock discontinuities was simulated, and the variation laws of the meso-damage crack number and energy were obtained. Based on the good agreement between the experimental observations and numerical results, a shear strength equation for the rock discontinuities was proposed, and its rationality was validated by comparing the factor of safety (FOS) of a slope calculated by the limit equilibrium method (LEM) and the strength reduction method (SRM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many uncertainties exist in pile-stabilized slopes which make their design substantially complicated. In this paper, a first-order reliability method (FORM) based on a support vector machine (SVM) and uniform design (UD) is proposed to investigate the reliability of a pile-stabilized slope. A deterministic model considering soil-pile interaction and using a strength reduction method based on the displacement criterion is employed to calculate the factor of safety and the corresponding pile-bending moment. The uncertainties involved in both the soil and the stabilizing pile are taken into consideration in the proposed method. Two typical failure modes, namely the insufficient factor of safety of a pile-stabilized slope and the insufficient flexural bearing capacity of stabilizing piles, are investigated from a probabilistic viewpoint. The proposed method is illustrated with an artificial homogeneous slope and a real slope engineering case. The influence of stabilizing pile installation locations on the reliability results were studied. The sensitivity of random variability was also investigated. The results of the proposed method show high accuracy while having a smaller computational time requirement when compared with the polynomial response surface method. The case study of a real highway slope shows the feasibility of the proposed method applied to practical engineering problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The model highly parallel graphics processor systems rely on high-bandwidth DRAM I/O interfaces for large volume of data access at the cost of a lot of energy consumption. In order to reduce the energy consumption of data transmission, modern DRAM uses an asymmetric pseudo-drain I/O interface, which increases the ratio of the termination energy to the transmission energy of logic value 1 in data transactions. This paper proposes the X + B Dynamic Bus Encoding Mechanism, which dynamically selects the encoding mechanism to reduce the number of logical values 1 within different data elements, thereby reducing the data transmission energy consumption of the modern DRAM data bus. The simulation evaluation shows the X + B Dynamic Bus Encoding Mechanism reduces the number of logical values 1 by 38.6%, which saves 31.4% of transmission energy consumption compared to the current bus coding technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimum interpolation (OI) analysis is performed on the sea surface temperature (SST) products retrieved from the Fengyun-3C (FY-3C) visible and infrared radiometer (VIRR). The oriented elliptic correlation scale is employed on the SST data and then compared with those from the traditional rectangular correlation scale in the OI analysis. The results were also evaluated against the daily SST data from the in-situ buoys and the Reynolds Optimum Interpolation 1/4 Degree Daily SST (OISST) during 2015. The statistical metrics indicate that the SSTs determined using the oriented elliptic correlation scales have higher accuracy than those from rectangular correlation scales, as the root-mean-square error (RMSE) from 0.42°C to 0.38°C, which are higher than those obtained with the comparison with OISST (RMSE of 0.28°C). This assessment demonstrates that the original SST data from FY-3C VIRR are of poor quality due to the presence of unresolved errors, whereas the oriented elliptic correlation scales for SST demonstrate better performance than the rectangular correlation scales in the OI analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold stress is one of the serious factors restricting the development of animal husbandry in cold areas. Cold exposure can easily lead to cold stress, slow growth and even death of newborn animals. O -GlcNAcylation modification can act as type of "stress receptor" and"nutrition sensor" in a variety of stress responses, however, it is not clear how O -GlcNAcylation can regulate glucose metabolism in the liver of piglets under cold stress. In this study, piglets 21 days of age were exposed to 4 °C for 4 h or 8 h in a phytotron. Serum cortisol and other stress hormones were used to assess body status to establish a cold stress piglet model. The changes of glycogen in liver were detected by PAS. FDP and PA were also measured to study the glycolysis level of liver. To characterize potential mechanisms of O -GlcNAcylation on the livers of cold stress piglets, AKT, GSK3β, GS, PFKFB2, AS160 and their corresponding phosphorylation were determined by Western blotting. Results show O -GlcNAcylation increased and apoptosis levels increased in the liver following cold exposure during excessive CORT or metabolic dysfunction. It is suggested that the acute cold exposure of piglets induced a sequential change in the level of O -GlcNAcylation, which may be one of the factors mediating liver cell apoptosis and glucose metabolism regulation by the O -GlcNAc/AKT pathway. These findings provide new insight into the mechanisms of the cold stress response, which can facilitate the development of new strategies to combat the effects of hypothermia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly efficient lead halide perovskites with tunable emission performance have become new candidate materials for light‐emitting devices and displays; however, the toxicity of lead and instability of halide perovskites greatly limits their application. Herein, rapid and large‐scale synthesis of highly emissive organic–inorganic manganese halide perovskites, (C5H6N)2MnBr4 and C5H6NMnCl3, are presented by a one‐pot solution‐based method, of which (C5H6N)2MnBr4 displays a high absolute photoluminescence quantum yield (95%) in the solid‐state. The developed (C5H6N)2MnBr4 perovskite noticeably exhibits high stability. Therefore both as‐synthesized green and red emissive manganese‐based phosphors with superior optical properties are used to fabricate blue light pumped white light‐emitting diodes (WLEDs), displaying excellent quality white light with a high color rendering index value of 91 and a correlated color temperature of 5331 K. This study not only presents the robust large‐scale production synthetic approach for organic–inorganic manganese halide perovskites, but also facilitates the development of high‐performance phosphors for future lighting and display technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, vehicle detection in aerial images plays an important role in different applications. Comparing with general object detection problems, vehicle detection in aerial images is still a challenging research topic since it is plagued by various unique factors, e.g. different camera angle, small vehicle size and complex background. In this paper, a Feature Fusion Deep-Projection Convolution Neural Network is proposed to enhance the ability to detect small vehicles in aerial images. The backbone of the proposed framework utilizes a novel residual block named stepwise res-block to explore high-level semantic features as well as conserve low-level detail features at the same time. A specially designed feature fusion module is adopted in the proposed framework to further balance the features obtained from different levels of the backbone. A deep-projection deconvolution module is used to minimize the impact of the information contamination introduced by down-sampling/up-sampling processes. The proposed framework has been evaluated by UCAS-AOD, VEDAI, and DOTA datasets. According to the evaluation results, the proposed framework outperforms other state-of-the-art vehicle detection algorithms for aerial images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of the long-range order in the atomic structure challenges the identification of the structural defects, akin to dislocations in crystals, which are responsible for predicting plastic events and mechanical failure in metallic glasses (MGs). Although vast structural indicators have been proposed to identify the structural defects, quantitatively gauging the correlations between these proposed indicators based on the undeformed configuration and the plasticity of MGs upon external loads is still lacking. Here, we systematically analyze the ability of these indicators to predict plastic events in a representative MG model using machine learning method. Moreover, we evaluate the influences of coarse graining method and medium-range order on the predictive power. We demonstrate that indicators relevant to the low-frequency vibrational modes reveal the intrinsic structural characteristics of plastic rearrangements. Our work makes an important step towards quantitative assessments of given indicators, and thereby an effective identification of the structural defects in MGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymph node metastases (pN1) at prostatectomy are infrequent but impact prognosis. Traditional prostate nomograms assess age, serum prostatic-specific antigen (PSA), clinical stage, and biopsy parameters to inform decisions on pelvic lymph node dissection. The impact of intraductal carcinoma (IDC) and cribriform pattern 4 (CC) on nodal metastases has yet to be explored. Five hundred forty three radical prostatectomy cases were reviewed for International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grade, CC/IDC, T- and N-stage. Two hundred seventy five cases had matched biopsies with age, serum PSA, CC/IDC and ISUP grade recorded. The association of CC/IDC with pN1 in both prostatectomy and biopsy settings was assessed using Fisher's exact test, as well as univariable (UVA) and multivariable (MVA) logistic regression. In 543 men in whom a prostatectomy was performed, a nodal dissection was also available in 340 (63%), and 37 (10.9%) of them had pN1 disease. ISUP grade, stage and CC/IDC were significantly associated with pN1 (p < 0.001). UVA regression showed grade (p < 0.001, odds ratio [OR]: 5.85), CC/IDC (p = 0.003, OR: 14.06) and T stage (p = 0.004, OR: 61.94) associated with pN1 as did MVA regression: grade (p = 0.010, OR: 2.81), CC/IDC (p = 0.015, OR: 5.12) and T stage (p = 0.016, OR: 30.38). In 275 patients with matched biopsies, a nodal dissection was performed in 197 (71.6%) and 20 (10.2%) patients had pN1 disease. On UVA regression, grade (p < 0.001, OR: 6.33), CC/IDC (p = 0.013, OR: 3.28), serum PSA (p = 0.001, OR: 1.08) and age (p = 0.047, OR: 1.07) were significant for pN1 at prostatectomy. All parameters including specifically grade (p = 0.007, OR: 5.35) and CC/IDC (p = 0.018, OR: 4.42) on biopsies predicted for pN1 by multivariate analysis. CC/IDC in prostatectomy and biopsy significantly associates with pN1. Incorporation of CC/IDC status into preoperative nomograms may optimize patient selection for pelvic nodal dissection. • Cribriform architecture includes cribriform pattern 4 and intraductal carcinoma. • Cribriform architecture in prostate cores strongly associate with nodal metastases. • Sampling of cribriform architecture carcinomas in biopsy tissue is critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional balance circuit is employed to balance the retired battery string. It will occupy some space for the extra switches, inductors, or/and capacitors of the energy storage system. This letter is trying to share the inductor of the dc–dc converter with the balance system by utilizing the current ripple on the inductor of the multiwinding transformer. The balance circuit does not require additional switches and control logic. The results of dynamic charging conditions show that the circuit is appropriate for balancing the battery string, and the system efficiency with the proposed approach reaches 94.1% at rated 28-W input power. The balance system only increases one diode and one inductor for each cell, which reduces the cost by 60% and 66% separately compared with the traditional resistance equalizer and transformer-based equalizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topology optimization, as a powerful conceptual design method, has been widely adopted in both academic research and industrial applications. To further promote the development of topology optimization, many computer programs have been published for educational purposes over the past decades. However, most of the computer programs are constructed based on a linear assumption. On the basis of bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) method, the paper presents a MATLAB implementation of the geometrically nonlinear topology optimization code for compliance minimization of statically loaded structures. Excluding 19 lines which are used for explanation, only 118 lines are needed for the initialization of the design parameters, nonlinear finite element analysis, sensitivity calculation, sensitivity filtration, and topological design variables update. Different design problems can be solved by modifying several lines in the proposed program. The complete 137-line code is included as an Appendix and is intended for educational purposes only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at developing high thermal conductivity copper/diamond composite, an unconventional approach applying self-assembled monolayer (SAM) prior to the high-temperature sintering of copper/diamond composite was utilized to enhance the thermal boundary conductance (TBC) between copper and diamond. The enhancement was first systematically confirmed on a model interface system by detailed SAM morphology characterization and TBC measurements. TBC significantly depends on the SAM coverage and ordering, and the formation of high-quality SAM promoted the TBC to 73 MW/m2-K from 27 MW/m2-K, the value without SAM. With the help of molecular dynamics simulations, the TBC enhancement was identified to be determined by the number of SAM bridges and the overlap of vibrational density of states. The diamond particles of 210 μm in size were simultaneously functionalized by SAM with the condition giving the highest TBC in the model system and sintered together with the copper to fabricate isotropic copper/diamond composite of 50% volume fraction. The measured thermal conductivity marked 711 W/m-K at room temperature, the highest value among the ones with similar diamond-particles volume fraction and size. This work demonstrates a novel strategy to enhance the thermal conductivity of composite materials by SAM functionalization. The precisely-controlled scalable nanointerface by the organic monolayer was firstly implemented in the fabrication of pronounced high thermal conductive composite through the high-temperature plasma sintering process. Image 1 • Self-assembled monolayer is firstly applied in the fabrication of high thermal conductive composite material by sintering. • The number of chains and the phonon transmission via each chain molecule determines the interfacial thermal conductance. • The nanointerface with extensive area in the composite can be precisely controlled by the scalable experimental process. • A marked thermal conductivity is realized for the copper/diamond composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family belongs to the transmembrane protein receptor of the tyrosine kinase I subfamily and has 4 members: EGFR/ERBB1, ERBB2, ERBB3, and ERBB4. The EGFR family is closely related to the occurrence and development of a variety of cancers.Materials/methods: In this study, we used multiple online bioinformatics websites, including ONCOMINE, TCGA, CGGA, TIMER, cBioPortal, GeneMANIA and DAVID, to study the expression profiles, prognostic values and immune infiltration correlations of the EGFR family in glioma.Results: We found that EGFR and ERBB2 mRNA expression levels were higher in glioblastoma (GBM, WHO IV) than in other grades (WHO grade II & III), while the ERBB3 and ERBB4 mRNA expression levels were the opposite. EGFR and ERBB2 were notably downregulated in IDH mutant gliomas, while ERBB3 and ERBB4 were upregulated, which was associated with a poor prognosis. In addition, correlation analysis between EGFR family expression levels and immune infiltrating levels in glioma showed that EGFR family expression and immune infiltrating levels were significantly correlated. The PPI network of the EGFR family in glioma and enrichment analysis showed that the EGFR family and its interactors mainly participated in the regulation of cell motility, involving integrin receptors and Rho family GTPases.Conclusions: In summary, the results of this study indicate that the EGFR family members may become potential therapeutic targets and new prognostic markers for glioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease with an unsatisfactory therapy outcome and characterized by the degradation of articular cartilage and synovial inflammation. Here, we isolated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) from rat's bone marrow and BMSC-derived exosome (BMSCs-Exo) from BMSCs successfully. MiR-135b was proved to be highly expressed in TGF-β1-stimulated BMSC-derived exosomes (BMSCs-ExoTGF-β1). Then, our results demonstrated that BMSCs-ExoTGF-β1 reduced OA-induced upregulation of pro-inflammatory factors in rat's serum and damage in cartilage tissues, which was then reversed by miR-135b decreasing. Subsequently, we found that the OA-resulted M1 polarization of synovial macrophages (SMs) was repressed by BMSCs-ExoTGF-β1, this effect of BMSCs-ExoTGF-β1 was limited by miR-135b decreasing. We also proved that M2 polarization of SMs can be induced by miR-135b mimics. Furthermore, we found that the promotory effect of miR-135b and BMSCs-ExoTGF-β1 on M2 SMs polarization was reversed by increasing of MAPK6. Overall, our data showed that BMSCs-ExoTGF-β1 attenuated cartilage damage in OA rats through carrying highly expressed miR-135b. Mechanistically, miR-135b promoted M2 polarization of SMs through targeting MAPK6, thus improving cartilage damage. Our study provided a novel regulatory mechanism of BMSCs-Exo in OA development and revealed a new potential treatment target of OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]