Search

To report four cases of endogenous endophthalmitis (EE) secondary to Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess, and discuss their clinic features and outcomes. Clinical data were collected by reviewing the medical records of four patients diagnosed with endogenous Klebsiella Pneumoniae endophthalmitis (EKPE) secondary to liver abscess. Four patients were diagnosed with EE. Two males and two females, with ages ranging from 33 to 63 years old. All patients presented with ocular symptoms initially. Liver abscesses were diagnosed during hospitalization. All cases were caused by Klebsiella Pneumoniae confirmed by blood or tissue cultures. All patients were treated with intravitreal antibiotic injection, and two of the patients had vitrectomy. At the end, all affected eyes underwent evisceration. One patient died of septic shock with multiple organ failures. EE secondary to liver abscess with metastatic spread is a severe sight-threatening condition. The delayed discovery of liver abscess may hinder the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, which may be related to poor prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a new method to determine the concentration of a sucrose solution based on Fano resonance, demonstrate that the T -shaped resonator and rectangular resonator structures can realize the Fano resonance, observe higher sensitivity up to 2142 nm/RIU, and use the structure to measure the concentration of a sucrose solution. This work shows that the Fano resonance wavelength removed to longer wavelengths as the concentration of the solution increased, and the resolution of solution concentration is 4. 8 × 1 0 − 9 , which can be used for measuring the concentration of solutions other than sucrose. This research is an important first step towards creating the industrial application of photon properties to extend photon polariton applications throughout the infrared. Angle T-shaped resonator and single rectangular resonator were analyzed. For the single T-shaped resonant cavity, the coupling with the straight waveguide is relatively weak. A narrow stopband at 450 nm can be seen in the transmission spectrum. The transmission spectrum produced by the rectangular cavity is equivalent to a wide continuous state. The complete transmission spectrum of the MIM waveguide structure is observed. An asymmetric Fano resonance line coupled between the two resonators; the peak at λ = 820 nm and the dip at λ = 540 nm can be widely applied in nano plasmon sensors for its high FOM and sensitivity. The magnetic field distribution corresponds to the three spectral lines in (a)–(c). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Swarm intelligent algorithms can effectively tackle optimization problems that are difficult to solve by using traditional optimization algorithms. However, with the huge increase in the time and space cost for solving optimization problems, the use of swarm intelligent algorithms suffer from the limitation of overly long computation time. Based on Spark, which is the most popular open-source distributed computing framework, this paper studies specifically using swarm intelligent algorithms to solve combinatorial optimization problems. Based on the characteristics of typical swarm intelligent algorithms, we develop Spark-based parallel implementation of these algorithms to accelerate the population updating and parameter tuning procedures involved in swarm intelligence. Specifically, we first initialize the swarm and generate the initial solution, then perform the distributed iterative evolution procedure, and finally obtain the optimal solution. In addition, in order to improve solution quality, we rely on the Spark platform to perform distributed parameter tuning. The tuning strategy first generates different parameter combinations according to a given parameter list, then execute swarm intelligent algorithms with different parameter combinations in a distributed and parallel manner, and finally determine the optimal parameter combination by comparing the solutions of all algorithms. Experimental results on benchmark datasets show that the distributed algorithms can significantly enhance the computational efficiency without affecting the solution quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Hückel's and Baird's rules, cyclic species are generally aromatic only either in the lowest singlet state (S0) or in the lowest-lying triplet ππ* excited state (T1). Thus, species with aromaticity both in S0 and T1 states (termed as adaptive aromaticity) are particularly rare. Herein, we carry out density functional theory (DFT) calculations to examine the aromaticity of 16e metallapentalenes containing heteroatoms (N, O). Interestingly, metallazapentalenes show adaptive aromaticity whereas metalloxapentalenes display nonaromaticity in the S0 and T1 states, which is supported by structural, magnetic, and electronic indices. In addition, a series of metallazapentalenes containing strong σ- or π-donor ligands are predicted to achieve adaptive aromaticity. Our findings expand the family of adaptive aromatics significantly, inviting experimental chemists to realize more hetero-metallapentalenes with adaptive aromaticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the visualisation of floods is essential for users to understand disaster information. However, existing flood visualisation methods have some deficiencies like scarce scene content expression and difficulty obtaining disaster information quickly and lacked a semantic description of the disaster scenes. This study presents constraint rules of flood disaster scene modelling guided by disaster information to determine the disaster's content and correlation. We created a disaster fusion expression model to obtain the complete flood disaster scene which integrated basic geography scene, flood space-time process and disaster object models. Finally, we proposed a dynamic suitability visualisation method for the flood scene to increase the readability of disaster information. We applied the proposed model in the Danba County flood in Sichuan Province, China, to validate the model's performance effectiveness. The finding shows the variation range of flow velocity and flood depth at different monitoring points at a specific time, and also shows the disaster level of disaster objects in the study area. It indicates that the proposed method can effectively realise the fusion of 3D disaster scenes and the dynamic suitability visualisation of floods and help users understand floods quickly and get useful disaster information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesis of π‐conjugated crystalline two‐dimensional (2D) polymers remains largely unexplored due to limited synthetic methodology. Herein, we report the preparation of a 1,6‐anthrazoline (AZ)‐linked crystalline 2D polymer AZP via acid mediated Friedländer synthesis. The feasibility was examined first by two model reactions, followed by synthesis of three AZ‐based macrocycles MCn (n=5–7), in which hexagonal MC6 was isolated as the major product. The favorable macrocycle formation could be largely attributed to the dynamic feature of Friedländer synthesis, which involves both imine condensation and aldol condensation. The structure and crystallinity of AZP were confirmed by experiments and simulation. The skeletons of the macrocycles and polymer consist of all‐sp2 hybridized C/N atoms and are thus π‐conjugated and electro‐active. Our studies provide a rational way to access kinetically stable 2D crystalline polymers by combination of different dynamic covalent chemistries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesis of π‐conjugated crystalline two‐dimensional (2D) polymers remains largely unexplored due to limited synthetic methodology. Herein, we report the preparation of a 1,6‐anthrazoline (AZ)‐linked crystalline 2D polymer AZP via acid mediated Friedländer synthesis. The feasibility was examined first by two model reactions, followed by synthesis of three AZ‐based macrocycles MCn (n=5–7), in which hexagonal MC6 was isolated as the major product. The favorable macrocycle formation could be largely attributed to the dynamic feature of Friedländer synthesis, which involves both imine condensation and aldol condensation. The structure and crystallinity of AZP were confirmed by experiments and simulation. The skeletons of the macrocycles and polymer consist of all‐sp2 hybridized C/N atoms and are thus π‐conjugated and electro‐active. Our studies provide a rational way to access kinetically stable 2D crystalline polymers by combination of different dynamic covalent chemistries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of flexoelectricity on thickness-twist waves propagating in the nanoplates are analytically investigated. Detailed calculations are performed for nonpiezoelectric material using the method of reverberation-ray matrix (MRRM), by which the numerical instability usually encountered in the conventional methods can be successfully avoided. Based on the derived characteristic equation, the dispersion relations, phase velocity and group velocity of the structures with different geometry and material parameters are subsequently plotted and compared. The numerical results show that the flexoelectric effect is really essential and cannot be neglected to predict wave propagation behavior especially in the nanoscale structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A constant head permeability test of the coarse-grained soil of an earth-rockfill dam was carried out and the gradation of the tested soil was determined based on the continuous gradation equation. Based on the test results, an empirical formula of permeability coefficient considering the influence of gradation was established. The formula can be used to assess the influence of gradation on permeability coefficient with respect to the area under the gradation curve. The applicability of the formula was verified based on the results of the permeability test from other studies. It was found that the empirical formula of permeability coefficient based on gradation area was suitable for coarse-grained soil. This paper provides a new perspective for the study of permeation behavior of coarse-grained soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Weighted schatten- p norm regularization has been proposed for multichannel EEG signal recovery. • Welsch estimator has been used to retrain the impulsive noise which is included in the original signal. • An effect iterative optimization method is applied to exactly solve the resulting complicated optimization problem. • RCLR can achieve the superior performance compared with existing CS techniques in the open literature. Reducing noise is an urgent problem that solved in practical application, so designing robust signal recovery approach based on compressive sensing (CS) theory is critical for the multichannel electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. However, almost all the algorithms seldom regard noise or just take Gaussian noise emerged in transmission into account. When the original signal is affected by noise before compression and transmission, all these CS approaches will be out of effect. In order to abase the impact of impulsive noise, a new robust CS approach based on cosparse and low-rank priors is proposed to recover the clean original signal near perfectly. Specially, our model employs Welsch estimator to retrain the impulsive noise, and weighted schatten- p norm to efficiently utilize low-rank prior knowledge. Moreover, we present an iterative optimization strategy to reconstruct the signals. Experimental results have demonstrated that the proposed algorithm can exactly reconstruct the multichannel EEG signals under the impact of impulsive noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ganoderma (Lingzhi in Chinese) has shown good clinical outcomes in the treatment of insomnia, restlessness, and palpitation. However, the mechanism by which Ganoderma ameliorates insomnia is unclear. We explored the mechanism of the anti-insomnia effect of Ganoderma using systems pharmacology from the perspective of central-peripheral multi-level interaction network analysis. Methods: The active components and central active components of Ganoderma were obtained from the TCMIP and TCMSP databases, then screened to determine their pharmacokinetic properties. The potential target genes of these components were identified using the Swiss Target Prediction and TCMSP databases. The results were matched with the insomnia target genes obtained from the GeneCards, OMIM, DisGeNET, and TCMIP databases. Overlapping targets were subjected to multi-level interaction network analysis and enrichment analysis using the STRING, Metascape, and BioGPS databases. The networks analysed were protein-protein interaction (PPI), drug-component-target gene, component-target gene-organ, and target gene-extended disease; we also performed gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. Results: In total, 34 sedative-hypnotic components (including 5 central active components) were identified, corresponding to 51 target genes. Multi-level interaction network analysis and enrichment analysis demonstrated that Ganoderma exerted an anti-insomnia effect via multiple central-peripheral mechanisms simultaneously, mainly by regulating cell apoptosis/survival and cytokine expression through core target genes such as TNF, CASP3, JUN, and HSP90αA1; it also affected immune regulation and apoptosis. Therefore, Ganoderma has potential as an adjuvant therapy for insomnia-related complications. Conclusion: Ganoderma exerts an anti-insomnia effect via complex central-peripheral multi-level interaction networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative studies of the multiple factors influencing the mountain-mass effect, which causes higher temperatures in mountainous than non-mountainous regions, remain insufficient. This study estimated the air temperature in the Yellow River Basin, which spans three different elevation ranges, using multi-source data to address the uneven distribution of regional meteorological stations. The differences in mountain-mass effect for different geomorphic regions at the same altitude were then compared. The Manner–Kendall nonparametric test was used to analyse time series changes in temperature. Moreover, we employed the geographically weighted regression (GWR) model, with MODIS land-surface and air-temperature data, station-based meteorological data, vertical temperature gradients corresponding to the 2000–2015 period, and elevation data, to estimate the correlation between monthly mean surface temperature and air temperature in the Yellow River Basin. The following major results were obtained. (1) The GWR method and ground station-based observations enhanced the accuracy of air-temperature estimates with an error of only ± 0.74°C. (2) The estimated annual variations in the spatial distributions of 12-month average temperatures showed that the upper Tibetan Plateau is characterised by low annual air temperatures with a narrow spatial distribution, whereas north-eastern areas upstream of the Inner Mongolia Plateau are characterised by higher air temperatures. Changes in the average monthly air temperature were also high in the middle and lower reaches, with a narrow spatial distribution. (3) Considering the seasonal variation in the temperature lapse rate, the mountain-mass effect in the Yellow River Basin was very high. In the middle of each season, the variation of air temperature at a given altitude over the Tibetan Plateau was higher than that over the Loess Plateau and Jinji Mountain. The results of this study reveal the unique temperature characteristics of the Yellow River Basin according to its geomorphology. Furthermore, this research contributes to quantifying mountain-mass effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ovarian cancer is an aggressive tumor in women with high mortality. Paclitaxel (PTX) can be used for the chemotherapy of ovarian cancer. Here, the roles of circular_0061140 (circ_0061140) in PTX sensitivity and malignant progression of ovarian cancer are unveiled. Methods: The expressions of circ_0061140, microRNA-136 (miR-136) and chromobox 2 (CBX2) mRNA were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Protein expression was determined by western blot. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of PTX was determined by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Cell proliferation was investigated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays. Cell apoptosis was demonstrated by flow cytometry analysis. Cell migration and invasion were evaluated by transwell assay. The binding relationship between miR-136 and circ_0061140 or CBX2 was predicted by interactome or starbase online database, and identified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The effects of circ_0061140 on tumor formation and PTX sensitivity in vivo were disclosed by tumor formation assay. Results: Circ_0061140 and CBX2 expressions were upregulated, while miR-136 expression was downregulated in PTX-resistant tissues and cells compared with control groups. Circ_0061140 knockdown repressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis and PTX sensitivity; however, these effects were restrained by miR-136 RNAi. Additionally, circ_0061140 was a sponge of miR-136, and miR-136 bound to CBX2. Furthermore, circ_0061140 knockdown inhibited tumor formation and improved PTX sensitivity in vivo. Conclusions: Circ_0061140 silencing repressed the progression and PTX resistance of ovarian cancer by downregulating CBX2 expression via sponging miR-136, which provided novel insight into studying the therapy of ovarian cancer with PTX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A one-pot, base-mediated approach to Acanthus ilicifolius Linn alkaloid 2-benzoxazolinone derivatives is developed. Starting from trichloroacetic acid, o -aminophenol, substituted benzaldehydes and alkyl isocyanides, the desired 2-benzoxazolinone derivatives are obtained in good yields via a tandem Ugi condensation and intramolecular haloform cyclization at room temperature in the presence of Et3N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

World is rich in unconventional oil and various alternatives to petroleum. However, conventional oil production declines so quickly that it is likely these unconventional oil resources cannot be put into production fast enough and thus will not be compensated sufficiently. We realize detecting rapid detection of water content in heavy oil. The waveguide consists of a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguide, rectangular cavity resonator, and crescent-shaped cavity resonator. The effects of the coupling distance, geometry of the crescent-shaped cavity resonator and its rotation angle, and length and width of the rectangular cavity resonator on the Fano resonance lines were numerically analyzed. Multiple Fano resonances can be produced as the rotation angle of the crescent-shaped cavity resonator is adjusted, and the sensor's refractive index sensitivity was found to be 935.71 nm / RIU . By measuring the water content in heavy oil, we found that the Fano resonance lines shift toward shorter wavelengths as the volume fraction of water content increases. The detection resolution in heavy oil 1.79 × 10 - 9 . The results presented here show that water content in heavy oil can be calculated using the measured change in the Fano resonance wavelength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence of inborn errors of metabolism varies widely across countries. Very few studies have analyzed the incidence of these disorders in Mainland China. We aimed to estimate the overall and disease-specific incidences of inborn errors of metabolism in Chinese newborns and investigate the geographical distribution of these disorders. Methods: A national cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate newborn inborn errors of metabolism screening by tandem mass spectroscopy in Mainland China between 2016 and 2017. A total of 246 newborn screening centers were surveyed using a standardized questionnaire. We examined the cumulative and disease-specific incidences of inborn errors of metabolism in Mainland China as a whole and in different geographical locations. Results: Over 7 million newborns were screened and 2747 were diagnosed with inborn errors of metabolism, yielding an overall incidence of 38.69 per 100,000 births (95% confidence interval: 37.27–40.17). The most common disorders were amino acid disorders (17.14 per 100,000 births, 95% confidence interval: 16.21–18.13), followed by organic acid disorders (12.39 per 100,000 births, 95% confidence interval: 11.60–13.24) and fatty acid oxidation disorders (9.16 per 100,000 births, 95% confidence interval: 8.48–9.89). The overall and disease-specific incidence rates differed significantly across geographical locations (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The overall incidence of inborn errors of metabolism in Chinese newborns is relatively high. It is urgent to establish the recommended uniform screening panel for inborn errors of metabolism to guide the national and regional tandem mass spectroscopy newborn screening programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast estimation of volumes of landslide deposit has great significance for emergency rescue decision-making, such as deposit filling and excavation and road dredging. The existing methods for the volumes of landslide deposit estimation have the disadvantages of a long data acquisition cycle, poor timeliness and high cost. Therefore, this paper researches a fast estimation method of volumes of landslide deposit based on the 3D reconstruction of smartphone images. First, the improved algorithms of speeded up robust features (SURF) and oriented fast and rotated brief (ORB) algorithms are combined to realize the fast matching of landslide feature points. Second, the 3D scene sparse reconstruction of landslide deposit is realized through boundary constraints. Third, taking the steepest gradient into account, the interpolation of the bottom of the landslide deposit and the fast estimation of the volumes are carried out. Finally, a prototype system is developed, and a case study is performed. The experimental results show that the estimation results of the proposed method are between those of the commercial software ContextCapture, Metashape and Pix4Dmapper, which are commonly used in the field of 3D reconstruction, but the estimation speed is 1–2 times faster than that of the commercial software mentioned above. The proposed method can realize the low-cost and fast estimation of landslide deposit volumes and provide technical support for landslide emergency rescue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

circRNAs have been suggested to modulate NSCLC tumorigenesis and drug resistance. Whether circSNX6 affects NSCLC remains unclear. In this study, we aim to investigate the role of circSNX6 in drug resistance of NSCLC exposed to cisplatin. RT-qPCR method was used to investigate expression levels of circSNX6, miR-137 and CXCL12. MTT, cell colony formation and TUNEL assays were utilized to assess cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, respectively. Xenograft assay was conducted to examine in vivo tumor growth. circSNX6 overexpression caused enhanced cell viability and proliferation of H1299 and Calu-1, while it inhibited apoptosis under cisplatin treatment. miR-137 inhibitor greatly rescued cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis of circSNX6 knockdown H1299 cells. miR-137 mimic increased ROS generation, as well as reduced GSH and SOD levels, whereas miR-137 inhibitor exerted opposing effect. circSNX6 knockdown also enhanced ROS generation, as well as decreased GSH and SOD levels. CXCL12 partially restored miR-137 mimic-modulated cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis. Herein, our group proposes circSNX6 as key regulator for drug resistance of NSCLC. The findings provide solid groundings for understanding of NSCLC pathogenesis and development of therapeutics. • circSNX6 overexpression promoted chemoresistance of NSCLC cells. • miR-137 inhibitor rescued si-circSNX6-attenuated chemoresistance of NSCLC cells. • circSNX6 and miR-137 regulated ROS signaling. • CXCL12 acted as downstream effector for miR-137 in NSCLC cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the necessity of nonstructural or structural intraarticular bone grafting in atlantoaxial facet joints via a posterior approach and the influence by the presence of basilar invagination (BI). Methods: From November 2016 to October 2018, patients who underwent posterior atlantoaxial or occipitocervical arthrodesis surgery at one institute were retrospectively reviewed. Operation records, preoperative and postoperative clinical status, and radiological films were analyzed. Results: Thirty-three patients (19 without BI, 14 with BI) underwent posterior facet joint release followed by intraarticular bone grafting were enrolled finally. Twenty-four nonstructural (15 without BI, 9 with BI) and 9 structural (4 without BI, 5 with BI) grafting were performed. The average follow-up was 32.15±6.73 months (24–47 months). Among them, 1 (3.03%) implant failure occurred, and 32 (96.97%) achieved satisfactory neurological outcomes, including 28 (84.85%) complete and 4 (12.12%) acceptable reductions with complete fusion within 6 months. For patients without BI, structural and nonstructural grafting showed no significant difference in terms of reduction maintenance (100% vs 73.33%, p = 0.530), while for those with BI, structural grafting significantly increased the postoperative height of the joint space (5.67±1.22 mm vs 3.43±1.78 mm, p = 0.002) and maintained it much better than nonstructural grafting (88.89% vs 20.00%, p = 0.023), contributing notably to BI correction. Conclusion: Intraarticular structural bone grafting in atlantoaxial facet joints has the advantage of maintaining anterior column height in the case of lateral mass collapse or when BI correction is needed; otherwise, nonstructural bone grafting is enough. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual scenes can present rich and clear disaster information, which can significantly improve the level of public disaster perception. However, existing methods for constructing scenes of debris flow disasters have some deficiencies. First, the construction process does not consider public knowledge, which makes it difficult for the constructed scenes to meet the requirements of the public. Second, the scene representation emphasizes visual effects but lacks augmented visualization, leading to scarcity of semantic information and inefficient public perception. In this paper, the optimal selection of scene objects, semantic augmentation through the combination of various visual variables and dynamic augmented representation are discussed in detail. Finally, a debris flow that occurred Shuimo town is selected for experiment analysis. The experimental results show that most people are unaware of the risks posed by debris flow disasters. The public is more concerned about the consequences of a disaster than its spatiotemporal process, especially when the consequences are related to their own interests. Furthermore, an augmented representation can increase the amount of semantic information of scene objects, which is essential for enhancing public understanding of the causes, processes and effects of debris flows and thereby changing people's attitudes and enhancing their risk perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a networked multiaxis motion control task, faults in any motor will cause the performance degradation of cooperative operation, which may considerably affect the whole network and the quality of products. The main objective of this article is to propose an improved observer-based fault-tolerant tracking control approach for industrial multiagent systems. First, a group of new distributed intermediate estimators is presented, where the design structure is modified to enhance the feasibility of the estimation scheme. It is shown that both of the nominal distributed intermediate estimator and the traditional extended state observer are special cases of the proposed estimator. Second, the estimation performance can be improved significantly via an online reinforcement learning estimation strategy, whose core is an adaptive switching mechanism integrated with a function block of source fault mode localization. Benefiting from satisfactory estimation results, good fault-tolerant tracking control performance can be guaranteed despite of multiple faults and disturbances. The application to a networked multiaxis motion control system demonstrates the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Rock mechanics; Loading rate; Water-weakening effects; Uniaxial compression strength (UCS); Dominant frequency EN Rock mechanics Loading rate Water-weakening effects Uniaxial compression strength (UCS) Dominant frequency 4347 4353 7 08/06/21 20210801 NES 210801 Introduction Water is one of the most important environmental factors affecting rock mechanical properties, because most rock masses in engineering practice are in the moist or saturated state (Fig. With an increase of loading rate, fewer micro-tensile failures induced by rate-dependence result in an increase in the UCS of dry rocks. For saturated rocks, the decrease in UCS at low loading rates is responsible to the dominant effect of rate-dependence. When the loading rate varies from 0.01 to 0.1 mm min SP -1 sp , the UCS increases rapidly, while when the loading rate reaches 0.5 mm min SP -1 sp it decreases as the loading rate increases. [Extracted from the article]

The propagation of extraordinary and upper-hybrid waves in spin quantum magnetoplasmas with vacuum polarization effect is investigated. Based on the quantum magnetohydrodynamics model including Bohm potential, arbitrary relativistic degeneracy pressure and spin force, and Maxwell's equations modified by the spin current and vacuum polarization current, the dispersion relations of extraordinary and upper-hybrid waves are derived. The analytical and numerical results show that quantum effects (Bohm potential, degeneracy pressure and spin magnetization energy) and the vacuum polarization effect modify the propagation of the extraordinary wave. Under the action of a strong magnetic field, the plasma frequency is obviously increased by the vacuum polarization effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigation effects of the combination use of epidural blockade and parecoxib in postoperative recovery of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. The present prospective single-blinded study included 186 CRC patients who received radical resection during April 2016 to December 2017. All patients were randomized into 3 different groups, the epidural blockade group, the combined-group with both epidural blockade and pre-intravenous injection of parecoxib, and the control group. The mean operative time, bleeding volume, the first out of bed activity time and hospital stay time were recorded. The mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score and Ramsay score were measured for cognitive function and the Visual Analog Score (VAS) was determined for the pain condition. The surgery time for the control group was significantly shorter than the other 2 groups (P < 0.05). The VAS scores were significantly lower in both the combined group and the epidural blockade group when compared with the control group and were dramatically lower in the combined group than the others 2 groups (all P < 0.05). The first out of bed activity time and hospital stay time were the shortest in the combined group, and the control group had the longest time (all P < 0.05). Both the Ramsay and MMSE scores were the highest in the combination group than other groups (all P < 0.05) and no significant difference was observed between the epidural blockade group and the control. The combination of epidural blockade and parecoxib could enhance the recovery process, as well as reduce the pain for the CRC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The visualization of flood disasters in virtual reality (VR) scenes is useful for the representation and sharing of disaster knowledge and can effectively improve users' cognitive efficiency in comprehending disaster information. However, the existing VR methods of visualizing flood disaster scenes have some shortcomings, such as low rendering efficiency and poor user experience. In this paper, a tunnel vision optimization method for VR flood scenes based on Gaussian blur is proposed. The key techniques are studied, such as region of interest (ROI) calculation and tunnel vision optimization considering the characteristics of the human visual system. A prototype system has been developed and used to carry out an experimental case analysis. The experimental results show that the number of triangles drawn in a flood VR scene is reduced by approximately 30%–40% using this method and that the average frame rate is stable at approximately 90 frames per second (fps), significantly improving the efficiency of scene rendering and reducing motion sickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the classical WENO schemes [27] might suffer from slight post-shock oscillations (which are responsible for the numerical residual to hang at a truncation error level) and the new high-order multi-resolution WENO schemes [59] are successful to solve for steady-state problems, we apply these high-order finite volume multi-resolution WENO techniques to serve as limiters for high-order Runge-Kutta discontinuous Galerkin (RKDG) methods in simulating steady-state problems. Firstly, a new troubled cell indicator is designed to precisely detect the cells which would need further limiting procedures. Then the high-order multi-resolution WENO limiting procedures are adopted on a sequence of hierarchical L 2 projection polynomials of the DG solution within the troubled cell itself. By doing so, these RKDG methods with multi-resolution WENO limiters could gradually degrade from the optimal high-order accuracy to the first-order accuracy near strong discontinuities, suppress the slight post-shock oscillations, and push the numerical residual to settle down to machine zero in steady-state simulations. These new multi-resolution WENO limiters are very simple to construct and can be easily implemented to arbitrary high-order accuracy for solving steady-state problems in multi-dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is the standard approach for the axillary region in early breast cancer patients with clinically negative nodes. The present study investigated patients with false-negative sentinel nodes in intraoperative frozen sections (FNSN) using real-world data. Methods: A case–control study with a 1:3 ratio was conducted. FNSN was determined when sentinel nodes (SNs) were negative in frozen sections but positive for metastasis in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) sections. The control was defined as having no metastasis of SNs in both frozen and FFPE sections. Results: A total of 20 FNSN cases and 60 matched controls from 333 SLNB patients were enrolled between April 1, 2005, and November 31, 2009. The demographics and intrinsic subtypes of breast cancer were similar between the FNSN and control groups. The FNSN patients had larger tumor sizes on preoperative mammography (P = 0.033) and more lymphatic tumor emboli on core biopsy (P < 0.001). Four FNSN patients had metastasis in nonrelevant SNs. Another 16 FNSN patients had benign lymphoid hyperplasia of SNs in frozen sections and metastasis in the same SNs from FFPE sections. Micrometastasis was detected in seven of 16 patients, and metastases in nonrelevant SNs were recognized in two patients. All FNSN patients underwent a second operation with axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). After a median follow-up of 143 months, no FNSN patients developed breast cancer recurrence. The disease-free survival, breast cancer-specific survival, and overall survival in FNSN were not inferior to those in controls. Conclusions: Patients with a larger tumor size and more lymphatic tumor emboli have a higher incidence of FNSN. However, the outcomes of FNSN patients after completing ALND were noninferior to those without SN metastasis. ALND provides a correct staging for patients with metastasis in nonsentinel axillary lymph nodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the strongest triple bond in nature, the N≡N triple bond activation has always been a challenging project in chemistry. On the other hand, since the award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1950, the Diels‐Alder reaction has served as a powerful and widely applied tool in the synthesis of natural products and new materials. However, the application of the Diels‐Alder reaction to dinitrogen activation remains less developed. Here we first demonstrate that a transition‐metal‐involved [4+2] Diels‐Alder cycloaddition reaction could be used to activate dinitrogen without an additional reductant by density functional theory calculations. Further study reveals that such a dinitrogen activation by 1‐metalla‐1,3‐dienes screened out from a series of transition metal complexes (38 species) according to the effects of metal center, ligand, and substituents can become favorable both thermodynamically (with an exergonicity of 28.2 kcal mol−1) and kinetically (with an activation energy as low as 13.8 kcal mol−1). Our findings highlight an important application of the Diels‐Alder reaction in dinitrogen activation, inviting experimental chemists' verification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, by constructing contour integral and using Cauchy's residue theorem, we provide a novel proof of Chu's two partial fraction decompositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main observation and conclusion: Chiral‐at‐metal strategy was developed to resolve the essential sulfoxide pharmaceutical intermediates R‐modafinil acid and its analogues with high yields and ee values. The efficient resolution process was achieved based on the diastereoselective discrimination caused by hydrogen bond and intramolecular π‐π interaction between chiral‐at‐metal center and the coordinated chiral sulfoxide ligands. Moreover, the chiral Ir(III) receptor can be reused with complete retention of their configurations and without the loss of reaction activity and enantioselectivity. This work provides a new access to synthesize R‐modafinil acid as well as its analogues and develops the application of chiral‐at‐metal strategy in chiral resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loess is one of the problematic soils with a worldwide distribution for its collapsibility. To study structural strength and parameters of collapsible loess, a number of double-oedometer tests on intact and remolded loess specimens, sampled from Xinjiang, western China, at different initial moisture contents were conducted. The collapse potential curve can be divided into three stages, and the curve at each stage represents the change of the loess internal structure during the collapse deformation process. Stage I: loess initial structure transforms into the secondary structure; Stage II: damage to the secondary structure; and Stage III: loess structure has been destroyed. Proceeding from the damage to loess anticompression capabilities resulting from soaking, a model is proposed to evaluate the structural strength and parameters of collapsible loess. The variation of loess structural strength with moisture content and vertical pressure is investigated, and the loess structural parameters under different conditions are determined. The results ought to enable geotechnical engineers to evaluate the structural strength, stability, and water sensitivity of collapsible loess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, sensing structures based on Fano resonances have become a hot research topic. In this study, a coupled structure, composed of a metal baffle metal-insulator-metal waveguide and an asymmetric cross-shaped resonator, is designed. By changing the coupling distance and asymmetry of the cross-shaped resonator, their influences on the transmission and electromagnetic field distribution were calculated and systematically analyzed. The results showed a good linear relationship between the center wavelength of the Fano transmission peak and the refractive index of the filled material. The sensor sensitivity can reach 795 nm/RIU. The prospective applications of this waveguide structure are promising. The structure can also provide a future reference for the design of a microwave waveguide structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of the ubiquitous greenhouse gas CO2 to valuable organic products is much sought after. Herein, the hydrogenation of CO2 to C1 products with an 80% yield in water is reported using a novel catalyst, porous-silica-supported Au nanoparticles (Au/SiO2). In the presence of a Lewis acid, boric acid, the Au/SiO2 catalyst enables an efficient conversion of amine-captured CO2 to methanol, formate, and formamide. A mechanistic study involving isotopic labelling suggests that methanol production in the catalytic process arises from the direct hydrogenation of formate. Most importantly, this one-pot, two-step process is able to convert CO2 in air at ambient pressures to C1 products in the absence of an organic solvent. Furthermore, the catalyst is readily recycled without further purification or reactivation and shows no significant decrease in catalytic activity after four reaction cycles in a reusability test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report the subcomponent self‐assembly of a truxene‐faced Zn4L4 tetrahedron, which is capable of binding the smallest hydrocarbons in solution. By deliberately incorporating inward‐facing ethyl groups on the truxene faces, the resulting partially‐filled cage cavity was tailored to encapsulate methane, ethane, and ethene via van der Waals interactions at atmospheric pressure in acetonitrile, and also in the amorphous solid state. Interestingly, gas capture showed divergent selectivities in solution and the amorphous solid state. The selective binding may prove useful in designing new processes for the purification of methane and ethane as feedstocks for chemical synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report the subcomponent self‐assembly of a truxene‐faced Zn4L4 tetrahedron, which is capable of binding the smallest hydrocarbons in solution. By deliberately incorporating inward‐facing ethyl groups on the truxene faces, the resulting partially‐filled cage cavity was tailored to encapsulate methane, ethane, and ethene via van der Waals interactions at atmospheric pressure in acetonitrile, and also in the amorphous solid state. Interestingly, gas capture showed divergent selectivities in solution and the amorphous solid state. The selective binding may prove useful in designing new processes for the purification of methane and ethane as feedstocks for chemical synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key to the practical application of overall water splitting is to develop high‐efficient non‐noble metal electrocatalysts. Herein, carbon cloth supported N‐doped porous carbon wrapped Co nanoparticles (CC@Co‐NPC) are constructed with high bifunctional catalytic activity toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline medium. Benefiting from the exposure of abundant Co active sites, and the synergistic effect between Co particles and N‐doped carbon species, the CC@Co‐NPC delivers small overpotentials of 286 and 340 mV at 100 mA cm−2 with Tafel values of 59 and 97 mV dec−1 towards OER and HER, respectively. Remarkably, when coupled as CC@Co‐NPC||CC@Co‐NPC cell, only a small voltage of 1.49 V is required to achieve 10 mA cm−2, making CC@Co‐NPC a potential bifunctional catalyst for overall water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In quantum key distribution, it is important to ensure the secure key rate and the distribution distance. To increasing transmission distance, we propose an entanglement-based protocol relying on two Bell states. Combining the idea of remote state preparation, the protocol can double the communication distance without introducing more security loopholes related to measurement device, and maintain the key generation rate consistent with the BBM92 protocol via untrusted third party. Based on that, we investigate key rate of the protocol when transmitted qubits are subjected to four noises. The result shows that our protocol can tolerate more amplitude damping noise than ES−BBM92 protocol. In addition, we found that if noise is unavoidable and the noise parameter exceeds a certain value, in some noisy environments, it is best to subject qubit to more noise to increase the secret key generation rate. Furthermore, we calculate secret key rate under both practical experimental condition and noisy environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Rotator cuff injury healing is problematic because the tendon-bone junction often forms cicatricial tissues, rather than fibrocartilage, which leads to mechanical impairment and is prone to redamage. Kartogenin (KGN) is a newly discovered small molecule compound which can induce cartilage formation through chondrogenesis of endogenous mesenchymal stem cells. Methods. In this study, we used KGN with fibrin glue (FG) to repair the rotator cuff injury by promoting the formation of fibrocartilage at the tendon to bone interface. Firstly, we assessed the release rate of KGN from the FG-KGN complex and then created a rabbit rotator cuff tendon graft-bone tunnel model. The rabbits received saline, FG-KGN, or FG injections onto the tendon to bone interface after injury. Shoulder tissues were harvested at 6 and 12 weeks, and the sections were stained with HE and Safranin O/Fast green. The samples were assessed by histologic evaluation and biomechanical testing. Synovial mesenchymal stem cells derived from the synovial tissue around the rotator cuff were harvested for western blotting and qRT-PCR analysis. Results. KGN was released rapidly from the FG-KGN complex during first 4 hrs and followed by a slow release until 7 days. The tendon graft-bone interface in the control (saline) group and the FG group was filled with scar tissue, rather than cartilage-like tissue, and only a small number of chondrocytes were found at the adjacent bone surface. In the FG-KGN group, the tendon to bone interface was fully integrated and populated by chondrocytes with proteoglycan deposition, indicating the formation of fibrocartilage-like tissues. At 12 weeks, the maximum tensile strength of the FG-KGN group was significantly higher than that of the FG and control groups (P < 0.01). The RNA expression levels of tendinous genes such as Tenascin C and the chondrogenic gene Sox-9 were substantially elevated in SMSCs treated with the FG-KGN complex compared to the other two groups. Conclusion. These results indicated that fibrin glue is an effective carrier for KGN, allowing for the sustained release of KGN. The FG-KGN complex could effectively promote the regeneration and formation of fibrocartilage tissue of the tendon-bone interface in the rabbit rotator cuff tendon graft-bone tunnel model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: SARS-CoV-2 causes COVID-19 with a widely diverse disease profile that affects many different tissues. The mechanisms underlying its pathogenicity in host organisms remain unclear. Animal models for studying the pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 proteins are lacking. Methods: Using bioinformatic analysis, we found that 90% of the virus-host interactions involve human proteins conserved in Drosophila. Therefore, we generated a series of transgenic fly lines for individual SARS-CoV-2 genes, and used the Gal4-UAS system to express these viral genes in Drosophila to study their pathogenicity. Results: We found that the ubiquitous expression of Orf6, Nsp6 or Orf7a in Drosophila led to reduced viability and tissue defects, including reduced trachea branching as well as muscle deficits resulting in a "held-up" wing phenotype and poor climbing ability. Furthermore, muscles in these flies showed dramatically reduced mitochondria. Since Orf6 was found to interact with nucleopore proteins XPO1, we tested Selinexor, a drug that inhibits XPO1, and found that it could attenuate the Orf6-induced lethality and tissue-specific phenotypes observed in flies. Conclusions: Our study established Drosophila as a model for studying the function of SARS-CoV2 genes, identified Orf6 as a highly pathogenic protein in various tissues, and demonstrated the potential of Selinexor for inhibiting Orf6 toxicity using an in vivo animal model system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To evaluate the effect of Kartogenin-pretreated exosomes derived from infrapatellar fat pad mesenchymal stem cells on chondrocyte in vitro and articular cartilage regeneration in vivo. Methods. Infrapatellar fat pad mesenchymal stem cells (IPFP-MSCs) were isolated from rabbits to harvest exosomes. After identification of mesenchymal stem cells and exosomes, rabbit chondrocytes were divided into three groups for further treatment: the EXO group (chondrocytes treated with exosomes isolated from infrapatellar fat pad mesenchymal stem cells), KGN-EXO group (chondrocytes treated with exosomes isolated from infrapatellar fat pad mesenchymal stem cells pretreated with KGN), and control group. After processing and proliferation, phenotypic changes of chondrocytes were measured. In the in vivo study, 4 groups of rabbits with articular cartilage injury were treated with KGN-EXO, EXO, IPFP-MSCs, and control. Macroscopic evaluation and histological evaluation were made to figure out the different effects of the 4 groups on cartilage regeneration in vivo. Results. The proliferation rate of chondrocytes in the EXO or KGN-EXO group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The qRT-PCR results showed that the expression of Sox-9, Aggrecan, and Col II was the highest in the KGN-EXO group compared with the EXO group and the control group (P < 0.05). The results of Western blot were consistent with the results of qRT-PCR. In vivo, the cartilage defects in the KGN-EXO group showed better gross appearance and improved histological score than those in IPFP-MSC groups, EXO groups, and control groups (P < 0.05). At 12 weeks, the defect site in the KGN-EXO group was almost completely repaired with a flat and smooth surface, while a large amount of hyaline cartilage-like structures and no obvious cracks were observed. Conclusion. Our study demonstrates that the exosomes isolated from infrapatellar fat pad mesenchymal stem cells pretreated with KGN have potent ability to induce chondrogenic differentiation of stem cells, effectively promoting the proliferation and the expression of chondrogenic proteins and genes of chondrocytes. The KGN-EXO can also promote the repair of articular cartilage defects more effectively, which can be used as a potential therapeutic method in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bismuth (Bi), as a nontoxic and inexpensive diamagnetic heavy metal, has recently been utilized for the preparation of a variety of nanomaterials, such as nanoparticles, nanowires, nanotubes, nanosheets, etc., with a tunable bandgap, unique structure, excellent physicochemical properties, and compositional features for versatile properties, such as near‐infrared absorbance, high X‐ray attenuation coefficient, excellent photothermal conversion efficiency, and a long circulation half‐life. These features have endowed mono‐elemental Bi nanomaterials with desirable performances for electronics/optoelectronics, energy storage and conversion, catalysis, nonlinear photonics, sensors, biomedical applications, etc. This review summarizes the controlled synthesis of mono‐elemental Bi nanomaterials with different shapes and sizes, highlights the state‐of‐the‐art progress of the desired applications of mono‐elemental Bi nanomaterials, and presents some personal insights on the challenges and future opportunities in this research area. It is hoped that the controllable manipulation techniques of Bi nanomaterials, along with their unique properties, can shed light on the next‐generation devices based on Bi nanostructures and Bi‐related nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Impaired rapid eye movement sleep is common among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, information on rapid eye movement density (REM) among PD patients is currently lacking. The current study sought to characterize REM density in PD patients and to examine the associations between REM density sleep parameters and clinical manifestations. Participants and methods: We retrospectively recruited 172 PD patients. All participants were assessed with a two-night polysomnography, and REM density was calculated. Clinical assessments were completed in PD patients before polysomnography. Results: Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) was observed in 93 patients (54.1%). The disease duration, UPDRS part III score, Hoehn and Yahr (H-Y) stage, and HAMA, HAMD, PDQ-39 scores, and REM density in the Parkinson's disease patients with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) were significantly higher than in the patients without RBD (P < 0.05). However, NREM sleep stage 3 time (N3 time) and percentage of N3 time of total sleep time (N3%) were significantly lower in the RBD patients than in the patients without RBD (P < 0.05). The forward binary logistic regression model showed that REM density, UPDRS-III score, and N3 sleep time were associated with RBD in the PD patients. Conclusions: Our results confirm the high prevalence of RBD in patients with PD. Increased REM density was the main risk factor of RBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims The COMPASS trial demonstrated that the combination of rivaroxaban 2.5 mg twice daily and aspirin 100 mg once daily compared with aspirin 100 mg once daily reduced major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with chronic coronary artery disease or peripheral artery disease by 24% during a mean follow-up of 23 months. We explored whether this effect varies by sex. Methods and results The effects were examined in women and men using log-rank tests and Kaplan–Meier curve. Hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained from stratified Cox proportional hazards models to explore subgroup effects including subgroup of women and men according to baseline modified REACH risk score. Of 27 395 patients randomized, 18 278 were allocated to receive rivaroxaban plus aspirin (n  = 9152) or aspirin alone (n  = 9126), and of these, 22.1% were women. Women compared with men had similar incidence rates for MACE and major bleeding but borderline lower rates for myocardial infarction (1.7% vs. 2.2%, P  = 0.05). The effect of combination therapy compared with aspirin in women and men was consistent for MACE (women: 3.8% vs. 5.2%, HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.54–0.97; men: 4.2% vs. 5.5%, HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.66–0.89; P interaction 0.75) and major bleeding (women: 3.1% vs. 1.4%, HR 2.22, 95% CI 1.42–3.46; men: 3.2% vs. 2.0%, HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.29–1.97; P interaction 0.19). There was no significant interaction between randomized treatment and baseline modified REACH score above or below the median for MACE or major bleeding. Conclusion In patients with stable coronary artery disease or peripheral artery disease, the combination of rivaroxaban (2.5 mg twice daily) and aspirin compared with aspirin alone appears to produce consistent benefits in women and men, independent of baseline cardiovascular risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative imaging biomarkers (QIB) are extracted from medical images in radiomics for a variety of purposes including noninvasive disease detection, cancer monitoring, and precision medicine. The existing methods for QIB extraction tend to be ad hoc and not reproducible. In this article, a general and flexible statistical approach is proposed for handling up to three‐dimensional medical images and reasonably capturing features with respect to specific spatial patterns. In particular, a model‐based spatial process decomposition is developed where the random weights are unique to individual patients for component functions common across patients. Model fitting and selection are based on maximum likelihood, while feature extractions are via optimal prediction of the underlying true image. Simulation studies are conducted to investigate the properties of the proposed methodology. For illustration, a cancer image data set is analyzed and QIBs are extracted in association with a clinical endpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is a disease with limited treatment options and poor outcomes. Daratumumab monotherapy demonstrated clinical activity in a single-patient case report. We present data from the primary analysis of a phase 2 study of daratumumab monotherapy in relapsed or refractory (R/R) NKTCL. Methods: This phase 2 study with Simon's two-stage design evaluated daratumumab in patients with histologically confirmed extranodal NKTCL, nasal type, per WHO classification that was refractory to or relapsed after ≥ 1 line of chemotherapy, who were not candidates for other treatment modalities. All patients received daratumumab 16 mg/kg intravenously once weekly for Cycles 1 and 2, every other week for Cycles 3 through 6, and every 4 weeks thereafter until progression or unacceptable toxicity; all cycles were 28 days. The primary end point was objective response rate (ORR) based on blinded independent central review per Revised Criteria for Response Assessment of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (Lugano classification). Results: In total, 32 Asian patients received daratumumab. The ORR was 25.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.5–43.4); all 8 responders had a partial response; and the median duration of response was 55.0 days (95% CI 29–339). At 10.2 months of median follow-up, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 53.0 days (95% CI 43–106); the 4-month PFS rate was 13.0%. Median overall survival (OS) was 141.0 days (95% CI 94–438); the 6-month OS rate was 42.9%. Nineteen (59.4%) patients had grade 3/4 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs); the most common was thrombocytopenia (25.0%; n = 8). TEAEs leading to death occurred in 4 patients (death, respiratory failure, septic shock, and pneumonia); all were unrelated to daratumumab. Conclusions: In patients with R/R NKTCL, daratumumab monotherapy was well tolerated with no new safety concerns and achieved an ORR of 25.0%. However, no patients achieved complete response, and duration of response was short. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02927925. Registered 7 October 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of the burgeoning electric vehicle market, the demand for lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) is on the rise. However, the supply of materials essential for LiBs is struggling to keep pace, posing a significant challenge in meeting the surging market demand. This study offers a viable solution to bolster the dependability of the material supply chain by prioritizing material suppliers who are deeply committed to sustainable practices and performance. We have developed a comprehensive system for evaluating sustainable performance, encompassing three vital dimensions: economic, social and environmental contexts. Then, we introduced a pioneering approach known as the multi-criteria material supplier selection (MCMSS) methodology which amalgamates multi-criteria decision-making techniques with artificial intelligence to effectively generate sustainability performance of suppliers and identify the most suitable supplier, out of all alternatives. Eventually, the supply of four key materials of LiBs is used as illustrative examples to verify the feasibility and rationality of the proposed MCMSS. This work carries significant implications for overseeing the LiB material industry. The MCMSS model offers a solution for the government to establish a comprehensive material supplier database to intelligently supervise the activities of material suppliers and foster collaboration between upstream and downstream enterprises within the LiB industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to observe the correlation between the visceral fat/subcutaneous fat area ratio (VSR) and peripheral blood monocyte/high-density lipoprotein ratio (MHR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and albuminuria. Based on the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR), 89 T2DM patients were divided into normo-albuminuria group (n = 49, UACR <30 mg/g) and albuminuria group (n = 40, UACR ≥30 mg/g). Gender, age, body mass index (BMI), duration of T2DM, blood pressure, visceral fat area (VA), subcutaneous fat area (SA), biochemical indexes of blood serum and urinary were collected and compared between the two groups, and the relationship between VSR and MHR was analyzed in albuminuria group. No significant differences existed in gender, age, BMI, duration of diabetes, blood pressure, serum lipids, and hemoglobin Alc between the two groups. The levels of VA, VSR, MHR, and UACR were higher in the albuminuria group (P < 0.05). VSR was positively correlated with MHR (r = 0.39, P < 0.01), whereas VA was not significantly correlated with MHR in the albuminuria group. Compared with VA, VSR was significantly correlated with MHR, suggesting that VSR is more closely related to the occurrence of chronic inflammation in type 2 diabetics with albuminuria. • Type 2 diabetics with albuminuria showes higher visceral fat/subcutaneous fat area ratio compared to normo-albuminuria group. • Visceral fat/subcutaneous fat area ratio is more closely related with chronic inflammatory compared to visceral fat area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates a Fermi-level-reconfigurable terahertz wavefront modulator composed of a hybrid material comprising graphene, silver metal, and silicon dioxide. Through theoretical simulation, analysis, and experimental investigations, it is found that graphene plays a crucial role in enhancing the performance of the modulator. Specifically, the presence of graphene increases the limiting factor of the modulator by 0.281, reduces the normalized modal field area by 0.15, decreases the transmission loss, and lowers the gain threshold by 30097 cm−1, thereby improving the efficiency, reliability, and stability of the device. The silicon dioxide and silver metal in the structure act as the primary reflective materials, achieving the effect of a metallic lens and validating the modulator's capability for efficient defocusing. Further investigations reveal that the carrier concentration of graphene can be easily controlled, allowing for manipulation of its physical properties through Fermi-level modulation. When incident light passes through the graphene array, it induces phase variations, altering the transmission path of light and thereby affecting the position of the defocused focal point, enabling dynamic adjustability. Under low Fermi-level control, the modulator achieves a 2 π phase adjustment range with an average reflectivity of 75%. Thus, this provides potential for practical applications of more dynamic and tunable microdevices, particularly in the field of laser cutting technology and etching processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood visualization plays a pivotal role in understanding and predicting flood disasters, as it aids in the development of effective disaster mitigation measures and emergency response strategies. However, traditional methods of flood computation and visualization often suffer from poor timeliness and subpar visualization effects, particularly in virtual reality (VR) scenarios. Panoramic data, inherently suitable for VR visualization, offers a low data volume attribute that significantly reduces the time cost of data processing. This allows for the real-time overlay of flood simulation results with the actual environment. We proposed a multi-scale flood simulation method which is subsequently integrated with panoramic images or videos through a dimensionality reduction process, enhancing visualization effects. We developed a prototype system to validate the proposed methodology, and the results demonstrated improved visualization outcomes, rendering efficiency, and user experience in VR panoramic flood simulations. • The CA-PBD method enhances the visualization of floods across multiple spatial scales. • The real-time fusion of 3D flood data with panoramic data improves the timeliness. • User interaction with panoramic videos or images represents a new approach to disaster perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]