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Objective: Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide, and cervical incompetence (CIC) is a significant contribution. Cervical cerclage (CC) is an effective obstetric intervention. However, many clinical factors affect the success rate of surgery. The objective was to investigate and compare the pregnancy and neonatal outcomes of patients who underwent ultrasound- and physical examination-indicated cervical cerclage and to explore the influencing factors of preterm delivery before 34 weeks. Methods: The sociodemographic characteristics and clinical data of patients with a diagnosis of cervical incompetence who underwent ultrasound- and physical examination-indicated transvaginal cervical cerclage at Nanjing Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The pregnancy and neonatal outcomes of the patients were evaluated. Continuous variables were compared using Student's t test (for normally distributed data) or the Mann-Whitney U test (for nonnormally distributed data). Categorical variables were analysed using the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. Additionally, logistic regression analyses and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the associations of inflammatory markers with maternal and neonatal outcomes. Results: This study included 141 participants who underwent cervical cerclage, including 71 with ultrasound-indicated cerclage and 70 with physical examination-indicated cerclage. Compared to those in the ultrasound-indicated cerclage group, the duration from cerclage to delivery, birth weight, and APGAR score in the physical examination-indicated cerclage group were significantly lower, and the rates of delivery at < 28 weeks, < 32 weeks, < 34 weeks, and < 37 weeks of gestation and neonatal mortality were significantly higher (all P < 0.05). Compared to those in the physical ultrasound-indicated cerclage group, in the physical examination-indicated cerclage group, maternal blood inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and the systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) were significantly higher (P < 0.05). Additionally, maternal blood inflammatory markers, such as the CRP, white blood cell count, platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), SII, and SIRI were significantly higher in the group with delivery before 34 weeks of gestation. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that twin pregnancy had the highest OR for preterm delivery before 34 weeks of gestation (OR = 3.829; 95% CI 1.413–10.373; P = 0.008), as well as the following: the SII level (OR = 1.001; 95% CI 1.000-1.002; P = 0.003) and CRP level (OR = 1.083; 95% CI 1.038–1.131; P = 0.022). The risk factors for preterm delivery before 34 weeks of gestation were twin gestation, an increased SII level and an increased CRP level, which had good combined predictive value. Conclusion: In patients with cervical insufficiency, ultrasound-indicated cervical cerclage appears to lead to better pregnancy outcomes than physical examination-indicated cerclage. Twin pregnancy and maternal blood inflammatory markers, such as the CRP level and the SII, are associated with preterm delivery before 34 weeks of gestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyacinth bean [Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet], a plant belonging to the leguminous family and traditionally used for medicinal purposes in China, is a valuable resource with a wide range of health benefits. This review examines the bioactive compounds, health‐promoting properties and functional food potential of hyacinth bean, highlighting its role in protecting against metabolic diseases and the underlying molecular mechanisms. According to existing research, hyacinth bean contains a diverse array of bioactive compounds, Consumption of hyacinth beans and hyacinth bean‐related processed food products, as well as their use in medicines, is associated with a variety of health benefits that are increasingly favoured by the scientific community. In light of these findings, we posit that hyacinth bean holds great promise for further research and food application. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clopidol is extensively used in livestock farming and residues of this antibiotic can persist in animal tissues, posing a risk to humans and the environment. In this study, we investigated the depletion of clopidol in various edible tissues of chickens (muscle, liver, kidney, fat, and eggs) using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry after the administration of a clopidol-contaminated diet (at 250 mg kg−1 for the high (1x) dose). After 14 d of exposure, the clopidol concentrations were highest in eggs (median: 9.83 mg/kg), followed by liver (3.56 mg/kg), kidney (3.01 mg/kg), muscle (1.56 mg/kg), and fat (0.727 mg/kg) at low exposure group, indicating that clopidol accumulated primarily in eggs rather than the other edible tissues. In addition, the maternal transfer ratios were estimated, and the transfer efficiencies of clopidol in muscle (egg-to-tissue ratio, ETR:1.81) and fat (2.06–58.2) were higher than those in liver (0.731–31.1) and kidney (0.832–38.9). Furthermore, we conducted a cumulative risk assessment for clopidol in edible chicken tissues using the hazard quotient (HQ) method. This assessment revealed that the exposure levels for Korean consumers pose an acceptable risk. However, for eggs from the 1x dose exposure group, the HQ values were greater than 1 for all age groups, particularly for young children (<18 y), suggesting that the higher daily consumption of eggs combined with the higher clopidol residues in eggs resulted in higher HQ values, which requires further attention. The findings of this study can assist in the management and monitoring of clopidol residues in chicken tissues and eggs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study compared the differences of microvesicles (MVs) and microvesicles-delivering Smad7 (Smad7-MVs) on macrophage M1 polarization and fibroblast differentiation in a model of Peyronie's disease (PD). Methods: Overexpression of Smad7 in rat BMSCs was obtained by pCMV5-Smad7 transfection. MVs were collected from rat BMSCs using ultracentrifugation. In cells, 100 µg/mL of MVs or Smad7-MVs were used to treat the 100 ng/mL of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells or 10 ng/mL of recombinant transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-induced fibroblasts. The pro-inflammatory cytokines and markers of M1 macrophages were measured in RAW264.7 cells, and the migration and markers of fibroblast differentiation were measured in fibroblasts. In rats, 50 µg of MVs or Smad7-MVs were used to treat the TGF-β1-induced animals. The pathology of tunica albuginea (TA), the markers of M1 macrophages and fibroblast differentiation in the TA were measured. Results: The MVs or Smad7-MVs treatment suppressed the LPS-induced macrophage M1 polarization and TGF-β1-induced fibroblast differentiation. Moreover, the Smad7-MVs treatment decreased the fibroblast differentiation compared with the MVs treatment. In the TGF-β1-induced TA of rats, MVs or Smad7-MVs treatment ameliorated the TA fibrosis by suppressing the macrophage M1 polarization and fibroblast differentiation. There was no significance on the M1-polarized macrophages between the MVs treatment and the Smad7-MVs treatment. Meanwhile, the Smad7-MVs treatment had an edge in terms of suppressing the fibroblast differentiation in the TGF-β1-induced PD model compared with the MVs treatment. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that Smad7-MVs treatment had advantages over MVs treatment in suppressing of fibroblast differentiation in a model of PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical weather prediction (NWP), when accessible, is a crucial input to short-term solar power forecasting. WRF-Solar, the first NWP model specifically designed for solar energy applications, has shown promising predictive capability. Nevertheless, few attempts have been made to investigate its performance under high aerosol loading, which attenuates incoming radiation significantly. The North China Plain is a polluted region due to industrialization, which constitutes a proper testbed for such investigation. In this paper, aerosol direct radiative effect (DRE) on three surface shortwave radiation components (i.e., global, beam, and diffuse) during five heavy pollution episodes is studied within the WRF-Solar framework. Results show that WRF-Solar overestimates instantaneous beam radiation up to 795.3 W m−2 when the aerosol DRE is not considered. Although such overestimation can be partially offset by an underestimation of the diffuse radiation of about 194.5 W m−2, the overestimation of the global radiation still reaches 160.2 W m−2. This undesirable bias can be reduced when WRF-Solar is powered by Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) aerosol forecasts, which then translates to accuracy improvements in photovoltaic (PV) power forecasts. This work also compares the forecast performance of the CAMS-powered WRF-Solar with that of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model. Under high aerosol loading conditions, the irradiance forecast accuracy generated by WRF-Solar increased by 53.2% and the PV power forecast accuracy increased by 6.8%. Significance Statement: Numerical weather prediction (NWP) is the "go-to" approach for achieving high-performance day-ahead solar power forecasting. Integrating time-varying aerosol forecasts into NWP models effectively captures aerosol direct radiation effects, thereby enhancing the accuracy of solar irradiance forecasts in heavily polluted regions. This work not only quantifies the aerosol effects on global, beam, and diffuse irradiance but also reveals the physical mechanisms of irradiance-to-power conversion by constructing a model chain. Using the North China Plain as a testbed, the performance of WRF-Solar on solar power forecasting on five severe pollution days is analyzed. This version of WRF-Solar can outperform the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model, confirming the need for generating high spatial–temporal NWP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite precipitation products (SPPs) have emerged as an alternative to estimate rainfall erosivity. However, prior studies showed that SPPs tend to underestimate rainfall erosivity but without reported bias-correction methods. This study evaluated the efficacy of two SPPs, namely, GPM_3IMERGHH (30-min and 0.1°) and GPM_3IMERGDF (daily and 0.1°), in estimating two erosivity indices in mainland China: the average annual rainfall erosivity (R-factor) and the 10-year event rainfall erosivity (10-yr storm EI), by comparing with that derived from gauge-observed hourly precipitation (Gauge-H). Results indicate that GPM_3IMERGDF yields higher accuracy than GPM_3IMERGHH, though both products generally underestimate these indices. The Percent Bias (PBIAS) is −55.48% for the R-factor and −56.38% for the 10-yr storm EI using GPM_3IMERGHH, which reduces to −10.86% and −32.99% with GPM_3IMERGDF. A bias-correction method was developed based on the systematic difference between SSPs and Gauge-H. A five-fold cross validation shows that with bias-correction, the accuracy of the R-factor and 10-yr storm EI for both SPPs improve considerably, and the difference between two SSPs is reduced. The PBIAS using GPM_3IMERGHH decreases to −0.06% and 0.01%, and that using GPM_3IMERGDF decreases to −0.33% and 0.14%, respectively, for the R-factor and 10-yr storm EI. The rainfall erosivity estimated with SPPs with bias-correction shows comparable accuracy to that obtained through Kriging interpolation using Gauge-H and is better than that interpolated from gauge-observed daily precipitation. Given their high temporal and spatial resolution, and timely updates, GPM_3IMERGHH and GPM_3IMERGDF are viable data products for rainfall erosivity estimation with bias correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IL/ICOF composites were in situ synthesized via a one-pot route in half an hour under ambient conditions for catalytic cycloaddition of CO2 with epoxides into cyclic carbonates. The prepared composites feature a decent CO2 adsorption capacity of 1.63 mmol g−1 at 273 K and 1 bar and exhibit excellent catalytic performance in terms of yield and durability. This work may pave a new way to design and construct functionalized porous organic frameworks as heterogeneous catalysts for CO2 capture and conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel sandwiched PVDF-HFP/Na 2.5 Zr 1.95 Ce 0.05 Si 2.2 P 0.8 O 11.3 F 0.7 /PVDF-HFP solid-state electrolyte is well designed, which exhibits high ionic conductivity and excellent interface compatibility with electrodes. [Display omitted] Solid-state sodium-ion batteries have attracted significant attention due to their rich resources, high safety, and high energy density. However, the lower ionic conductivity and inferior interfacial contact between solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) and electrodes limit their practical applications. Herein, polyvinylideneuoride- co -hexauoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) membrane is selected and a novel sandwiched composite PVDF-HFP/Na 2.5 Zr 1.95 Ce 0.05 Si 2.2 P 0.8 O 11.3 F 0.7 /PVDF-HFP (G-NZC0.05SPF0.7-G) SSEs is well designed. The ionic conductivity of Na 3 Zr 2 Si 2 PO 12 is enhanced by Ce4+/F− co-doping. The effects of Ce4+ and F− doping on the crystal structure, density, and ionic conductivity for Na 3 Zr 2 Si 2 PO 12 are well investigated. The optimal NZC0.05SPF0.7 delivers a high ionic conductivity of 1.39 × 10−3 S cm−1 at 25 ℃. Moreover, the PVDF-HFP membrane can significantly enhance the interface compatibility between NZC0.05SPF0.7 and electrodes. The as-prepared G-NZC0.05SPF0.7-G exhibits a large ionic conductivity of 1.07 × 10−3 S cm−1 at 25 ℃, wide electrochemical stability window up to 4.5 V, high critical current density of 1.2 A cm−2, and stable Na plating/stripping over 600 h at 0.3 A cm−2. The solid-state Na 0.67 Mn 0.47 Ni 0.33 Ti 0.2 O 2 /G-NZC0.05SPF0.7-G/Na battery delivers a remarkable cycling stability and rate capability at 25 ℃, indicating that the as-prepared G-NZC0.05SPF0.7-G has a promising application for solid-state SIBs. This study demonstrates an effective strategy to develop advanced solid-state electrolytes for solid-state SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand soil biodiversity we need to know how soil communities are assembled. However, the relationship between soil community assembly and environmental factors, and the linkages between soil microbiota taxonomic groups and their body sizes, remain unexplored in tropical seasonal rainforests. Systematic and stratified random sampling was used to collect 243 soil and organism samples across a 20‐ha plot in a tropical seasonal rainforest in southwestern China. High‐throughput sequencing, variation analysis and principal coordinates of neighbourhood matrices were performed. Soil community composition, spatial distribution and assembly processes based on propagule size (including archaea, bacteria, fungi and nematodes) were investigated. The results showed that: (i) the community assembly of small soil microorganisms (bacteria, fungi) was mostly influenced by stochastic processes while that of larger soil organisms (nematodes) was more deterministic; (ii) the independent effects of habitat (including soil and topographic variables) and its interaction with plant attributes for community structure significantly decreased with increasing body size; and (iii) plant leaf phosphorus directly influenced the spatial distribution of soil‐available phosphorus, which indicates their indirect impact on the assembly of the soil communities. Our data suggest that the assembly of multitrophic soil communities can be explained to some extent by changes in above‐ground plant attributes. This highlights the importance of above‐ and below‐ground linkages in influencing multitrophic soil microbiota community assembly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates pre-service teachers' motivations and perceptions about the decision to choose teaching as a career choice. Twenty-seven students who have embarked on teacher education programme in Scotland were interviewed. It was found that students conveyed ambivalent feelings and perspectives in the decision to teach in the sense that they perceived teaching as a platform to fulfil their career aspirations and enjoy themselves but also portrayed teaching negatively in relation to workload, work-related stress, salary, and social status. In light of expectancy-value theory, this study concludes that participants' seemingly highly intrinsically motivated to pursue a teaching career is likely to involve the feature of weighing the intrinsic rewards of teaching (enjoyment or fulfilment) and the negative perceptions deriving from a high level of workload and emotional stress and low salary and social status. The findings of this study have important practical implications for recruiting and retaining teachers; and, for helping future teachers fulfil their interests and articulated professional goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic changes of surface microorganisms were monitored during the fermentation of tobacco by Enterobacter hormaechei F8-1, and mechanism of tobacco fermentation by F8-1 was studied combined with neutral aroma components of tobacco leaves and sensory analysis. The results showed that after fermentation the aroma quality and sweet taste were improved, the offensive odor and irritation were reduced. The contents of megastigmatrienone, solanone, (E)-β-damascenone and dihydrodamascenone were increased respectively by 37.40%, 59.87%, 53.02% and 46.61%. During the fermentation, the predominant species were E hormaechei F8-1, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter cloacae; the highest number of glycoside hydrolases accounted for 78. 3% of the microbial carbohydrate-active enzymes on the surface of the tobacco filaments during fermentation; the abundance of Enterobacter spp. was positively correlated with the content of solanone, megastigmatrienone, (E)-β-damascenone and dihydrodamascenone, and the abundance of glycoside hydrolase family 1 (GH1) was positively correlated with the content of solanone, megastigmatrienon and farnesylacetone. Glycoside hydrolases in the GH1 might be key factors for sensory enhancement after tobacco fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the findings on motivational factors influencing teaching as a career choice from a qualitative study carried out in Scotland. Ten students undertaking a PGDE (Professional Graduate Diploma in Education) programme at one Scottish university were interviewed. The results indicate that the choice of a teaching career derived from the students' internal needs for personal achievement and from an altruistic dimension pertaining to helping and influencing young people. For some students, negative educational experiences played an important part in shaping their altruistic sense of offering the next generation an enjoyable school experience. Perceived intrinsic rewards of teaching appeared to deter and counteract negative thoughts or remarks about teachers' workload, salary and status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensemble numerical weather prediction (NWP) is the backbone of the state-of-the-art solar forecasting for horizons ranging between a few hours and a few days. Dynamical ensemble forecasts are generated by perturbing the initial condition, and thereby obtaining a set of equally likely trajectories of the future weather. Generating dynamical ensemble forecasts demands extensive knowledge of atmospheric science and significant computational resources. Hence, the task is often performed by international and national weather centers and space agencies. Solar forecasters, on the other hand, are primarily interested in post-processing those ensemble forecasts disseminated by weather service providers, as to arrive at forecasts of solar power output. To facilitate the uptake of ensemble NWP forecasts in solar power forecasting research, this paper offers an archived dataset from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Ensemble Prediction System, over a four-year period (2017–2020) and over an extensive geographical region (e.g., most of Europe and North America), under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. Two case studies are presented to demonstrate the usage of the dataset. One case study elaborates how ensemble forecasts can be summarized and calibrated, which constitute two common forms of probabilistic forecast post-processing. The other demonstrates how the dataset can be used in solar power forecasting applications, which compares machine learning with the physical model chain in terms of their irradiance-to-power conversion capability. The Python code used to produce the results shown in this paper is made available on GitHub. • Four years of ECMWF EPS forecasts are offered under CC BY 4.0 license. • Dynamical ensemble GHI forecasts are provided over US and Europe. • The dataset facilitates a range of solar forecasting applications. • Two case studies on post-processing and model chain construction are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a random forest (RF) machine learning approach to determine the accreted stellar mass fractions (f acc) of central galaxies, based on various dark matter halo and galaxy features. The RF is trained and tested using 2710 galaxies with stellar mass log10 M */M⊙ > 10.16 from the TNG100 simulation. Galaxy size is the most important individual feature when calculated in 3-dimensions, which becomes less important after accounting for observational effects. For smaller galaxies, the rankings for features related to merger histories increase. When an entire set of halo and galaxy features are used, the prediction is almost unbiased, with root-mean-square error (RMSE) of ∼0.068. A combination of up to three features with different types (galaxy size, merger history, and morphology) already saturates the power of prediction. If using observable features, the RMSE increases to ∼0.104, and a combined usage of stellar mass, galaxy size plus galaxy concentration achieves similar predictions. Lastly, when using galaxy density, velocity, and velocity dispersion profiles as features, which approximately represent the maximum amount of information extracted from galaxy images and velocity maps, the prediction is not improved much. Hence, the limiting precision of predicting f acc is ∼0.1 with observables, and the multicomponent decomposition of galaxy images should have similar or larger uncertainties. If the central black hole mass and the spin parameter of galaxies can be accurately measured in future observations, the RMSE is promising to be further decreased by ∼20 per cent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's recently announced directive on tackling climate change, namely, to reach carbon peak by 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, has led to an unprecedented nationwide response among the academia and industry. Under such a directive, a rapid increase in the grid penetration rate of solar in the near future can be fully anticipated. Although solar radiation is an atmospheric process, its utilization, as to produce electricity, has hitherto been handled by engineers. In that, it is thought important to bridge the two fields, atmospheric sciences and solar engineering, for the common good of carbon neutrality. In this überreview, all major aspects pertaining to solar resource assessment and forecasting are discussed in brief. Given the size of the topic at hand, instead of presenting technical details, which would be overly lengthy and repetitive, the overarching goal of this review is to comprehensively compile a catalog of some recent, and some not so recent, review papers, so that the interested readers can explore the details on their own. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cr 0.5 Al 0.5 N x (x = 0.33, 0.81, 1.23) coatings were deposited on Zry-4 alloy using magnetron reaction sputtering technique to investigate their application as accident-tolerant fuel materials. The effects of nitrogen (N) content on the phase composition and high-temperature steam oxidation resistance of the coatings were systematically investigated. With the increasing N content, the phase composition of the coatings is mainly transformed from Cr(Al) to the cubic- CrAlN phase, which may be due to the formation of a greater number of Cr N bonds and Al N bonds. The high-N content of the Cr 0.5 Al 0.5 N x coating can significantly enhance the high-temperature steam oxidation resistance of zirconium alloy. Compared to the bare Zr alloy, the weight gain oxidation of the Cr 0.5 Al 0.5 N 1.23 coating is reduced by 45 % after oxidation at 1200 °C for 1 h. The oxide layer thickness of the bare Zry-4 alloy is as high as 350 μm, while the oxide layer thickness of the Cr 0.5 Al 0.5 N 1.23 coating is only about 12 μm. The complex oxide layer structure and an internal continuous Al 2 O 3 layer are formed, effectively preventing the inward diffusion of O2−. In addition, with the increase of N content in the coatings, the degree of interdiffusion between the coating and the substrate is weakened. The formation of α-Zr(N) layer in the Cr 0.5 Al 0.5 N 1.23 coating significantly inhibits the interdiffusion between the coating and the substrate. • The phase composition of Cr 0.5 Al 0.5 N x coatings is mainly transformed from Cr(Al) to cubic -CrAlN with increasing N content. • The oxide layer structure and a continuous Al 2 O 3 layer of Cr 0.5 Al 0.5 N 1.23 coating prevented the inward diffusion of O2−. • The α-Zr(N) layer in the Cr 0.5 Al 0.5 N 1.23 coating significantly inhibits the interdiffusion between coating and substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-quality solar power forecasting system that strictly adheres to grid regulations is valuable for system operators to formulate strategies for power system scheduling. Some grid operators, therefore, enact penalty schemes for the forecasts submitted by photovoltaic (PV) plant owners, as a means to fortify truthful and high-quality forecast submissions. From the perspectives of both plant owners and grid operators, this study inquires into the quality-to-value mapping of solar forecasts in the context of power system day-ahead scheduling. A physics-based solar power forecasting method is presented, which consists of two steps. Firstly, ensemble numerical weather prediction (NWP) is summarized into point forecasts. Then irradiance is converted to power via a physical model chain. The results reveal that the two-step physics-based forecasting method has an advantage over a winning method in Global Energy Forecasting Competition 2014 in terms of several accuracy measures. Subsequently, the economics of solar forecasting is quantified through performing day-ahead scheduling on a modified IEEE 30-bus system with PV and battery storage. It is demonstrated that, by respecting the statistical theory on consistency and elicitability when extracting point forecasts from NWP ensembles, both power system operators and PV plant owners can benefit profoundly in terms of cost savings. The former sees fewer needs for reserves, while the latter is less penalized. The data and Python code used to produce the results are also provided to enhance the reproducibility of this work. [Display omitted] • Solar power forecasts are integrated into a power system day-ahead scheduling framework. • The statistical theory on consistency and elicitability is used to summarize ensemble NWP. • Achieved 5% cost savings on power system reserve needs. • Achieved up to 82% cost savings on penalty of submitted forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benefitting from the synergistic effect of the continuous 3D NZSP framework and PEO/PVDF-HFP asymmetric polymer electrolyte layer, the novel composite solid electrolyte for solid-state sodium metal batteries exhibits ultrahigh ion transference number and stability. [Display omitted] • A novel 3D-NZSP solid electrolyte was synthesized via using NaCl as the templatewe. • The 3D-15PNZSPP exhibits an outstanding transference number of 0.82 at temperature of 30 °C. • The Na/3D-15PNZSPP/Na symmetric cell can cycle for 700 h with a small overpotential. • The assembled Na 0.67 Li 0.24 Mn 0.76 O 2 /3D-15PNZSPP/Na batteries demonstrate remarkable cycling stability. The combination of a Na-ion conducting filler and polymer matrix in composite solid electrolyte (CSE) presents a promising and attractive strategy for improving the energy density and safety of the sodium-metal batteries. The agglomeration and precipitation of inorganic ceramic fillers in the polymer matrix present a major challenge leading to the decreased Na ion conductivity property and transference number, increased interfacial resistance, and worsened mechanical properties of CSEs. Herein, we introduce a novel composite solid electrolyte (denoted as 3D-15PNZSPP), comprising a three-dimensional interconnected porous Na 3 Zr 2 Si 2 PO 12 framework integrated with an asymmetric polymer electrolyte layer, which not only offers continuous conductive pathways and high mechanical strength for Na ions transfer, but also enhances the interfacial compatibility and expands the electrochemical stability window. The 3D-15PNZSPP CSE shows a high Na+ conductivity of 7.6 × 10−4 S cm−1 and an outstanding transference number of 0.82 at temperature of 30 °C. These characteristics enable the Na/3D-15PNZSPP/Na symmetric cell to cycle for over 700 h with a small overpotential. More importantly, the assembled all solid-state Na 0.67 Li 0.24 Mn 0.76 O 2 /3D-15PNZSPP/Na batteries demonstrate remarkable cycling stability and high rate capability, indicating a promising and facile strategy for designing ultra-safe and high-performance solid-state sodium metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Combination of index system and improved SVM realizes identifying violations. • The KNBN and DBTC methods improve the efficiency of dynamic recognition. • The KNBN-CSSVM-DBTC strategy enhances the recall rate of the violation class. Accurate and real-time identification of market power abuse is a key task in the management of electricity market violations. However, there are few effective monitoring methods for extremely imbalanced datasets and progressively increasing amounts of data in actual market transactions. To address the aforementioned problems, this paper proposes an improved support vector machine by considering the index system, which can not only realize identification automatically but also minimize the credit risk of power market transactions. Firstly, the dataset is composed of an indicator system for measuring market power abuses. Secondly, a comprehensive algorithm for identifying offending data is proposed, which combines the K-Nearest Bound Neighbor and the distance between the means of two classes methods to overcome the shortcomings of traditional support vector machines with long training time due to the high dimensionality and progressively increasing amounts of data in actual market transactions, and the Cost-sensitive Support Vector Machine to tackle the problem of inefficient identification due to few tags in transaction data. Finally, five different features of constructed datasets and a power market synthetic dataset are tested, and results indicate that the proposed method can ensure high classification accuracy while significantly improving recognition speed and recall for violation data, which is more suitable for Chinese electricity market data and provide a dynamic detection method to identify market power abuse precisely and quickly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for simultaneous determination of 12 mycotoxins in Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae by HPLC-MS/MS was established to analyze the residues of mycotoxins, inwhich from Three Gorges Reservoir area of China, including AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2, T-2, FB1, FB2, FB3, ZEN, OTA, OTB and DON.In addition, a probabilistic assessment model based on Monte Carlo simulation method was established in combination with pollution data, and the health risk assessment was carried out by the exposure limit method (MOE).The results showed that the method with strong specificity, good linearity and accurate recovery was established and could be used for the determination of 12 mycotoxins in Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae.In general, the total pollution rate of different degrees of pollution in the 36 batches of Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae sampleswas 75 %. It should be noted thatthe proportion of positive samplescontaminated by one toxin was the highest (59.26 %), and the detection rate of FB3 in Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae was the highest (66.67%), followed by AFG1 (44.44 %), indicating that the medicinal material polluted by AFG1 and AFB3 alone or simultaneously was more serious. Specifically, the detection rate of mycotoxins in Chongqing was the highest (92.31%) on account of the high temperature and humidity in Chongqing, followed by Southeast of Sichuan (83.33%) and West of Hubei (45.45%).On the other hand, the MOE of AFB1 and AFB2 calculated were both greater than 10000, indicating that the health risk of AFB1 and AFB2 exposure caused by taking Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae was low, but the risk of high intake population was higher than that of conventional intake population, which needed to be paid attention to. This study can provide a reference for the safety assessment of clinical medication of Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae inThree Gorges Reservoir area. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Peyronie's disease (PD) is a fibrotic disorder of the penis, but effective treatments are lacking. Here, we observed the effects of rat-derived bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) injection in the active phase and chronic phase in a rat model of PD, and the possible mechanism was analysed with fibroblasts derived from rat penile tunica albuginea (TA). Methods: Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups. In sham group, the rats were injected with 50 µL of vehicle. In the PD group, the rats were injected with 50 µg TGF-β1. In the PD + BMSCs early treatment group, the rats were injected with 50 µg TGF-β1 and injected with 1 × 106 BMSCs after 1 day. In the PD + BMSCs late treatment group, the rats were injected with 50 µg TGF-β1 and injected with 1 × 106 BMSCs after 28 days. Twenty-seven days after the last injection, the erectile function of the rats was measured, and then, penile fibrosis was analysed by histology and western blot. In vitro, fibroblasts derived from rat penile TA were used to identify a possible antifibrotic mechanism of BMSCs, and a Smad7 expression vector was used as a positive control. Fibroblasts were pretreated with the Smad7 expression vector or BMSCs for 48 h and then activated with 10 ng/mL TGF-β1 for 24 h. Cells viability was assessed, and Smad7, collagen 3, elastase-2B and osteopontin expression levels were analysed by immunofluorescence and western blot. Furthermore, fibroblasts were transfected with Smad7 siRNA or scramble control to observe whether the effects of BMSCs could be offset. Results: Erectile function obviously improved, and fibrosis of penile TA was prevented after BMSCs treatment compared with that in the rats with PD. Furthermore, the effects of BMSCs treatment in the active phase were better than those in the chronic phase. After cocultured with BMSCs, cell viability was not affected, Smad7 expression was upregulated, and collagen 3, elastase-2B and osteopontin levels were decreased in the TGF-β1-treated fibroblasts. After transfection with Smad7 siRNA, the antifibrotic effects of BMSCs were offset. Conclusions: The antifibrotic effects of BMSCs treatment in the active phase of the PD rat model were better than those in the chronic phase. A possible mechanism of BMSCs treatment was related to increased Smad7 expression, suggesting a possible effective and safe procedure for the treatment of PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium oxide (TiO 2) is one of the promising anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) owing to its high theoretical capacity (335 mA h g−1), reasonable operation voltage (0.7 V), low cost, and low toxicity, but suffers from its low electronic conductivity and ionic diffusion coefficient. Here, the novel mesoporous hollow TiO 2-x /C nanofibers were designed and synthesized by the simple coaxial electrospinning with the annealing treatment in H 2 /Ar atmosphere (H–TiO 2-x /C). Benefitting from the oxygen vacancies (OVs), mesoporous hollow nanofibers, and conductive carbon framework, the electronic conductivity and ionic diffusion coefficient of H–TiO 2-x /C are remarkably enhanced. The as-synthesized H–TiO 2-x /C demonstrates an excellent reversible capacity of 262.4 mA h g−1 at 33.5 mA g−1, superior rate performance of 142.6 mA h g−1 at 1.675 A g−1, and prominent capacity retention of almost 100% with a capacity of 131.3 mA h g−1 over 7000 cycles under a current density of 3.35 A g−1. Moreover, the in-situ X-ray diffraction analysis and density functional theory calculation reveal that the H–TiO 2-x /C possesses stable structure and low energy barriers. Furthermore, Na-ion full-cell of Na 0.67 Ni 0.33 Mn 0.37 Ti 0.3 O 2 //H–TiO 2-x /C delivers an energy density of 398.2 Wh kg−1 with a retention of 95.1% after 100 cycles at 0.335 A g−1. This work indicates the great promise of the novel mesoporous hollow H–TiO 2-x /C nanofibers as high-performance anode materials for SIBs. [Display omitted] • The mesoporous hollow H–TiO 2-x /C nanofibers with multi-function are synthesized. • H–TiO 2-x /C delivers ultrahigh cyclic stability at a current density of 3.35 A g−1. • The structural evolution and storage mechanism is investigated for H–TiO 2-x /C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lean NAFLD is a special phenotypic closely correlated with metabolic syndrome (MS). The aim of this study is to investigate the MS development and the gender differences in lean NAFLD population. Participants were divided into 4 groups by BMI and NAFLD status. Descriptive analysis was performed to characterize baseline information. A total of 18,395 subjects were participated, and 1524 incident cases of MS were documented. Then, Kaplan–Meier curves were used to present the MS outcomes in different groups, and the NAFLD was found to be a riskier factor than obesity for MS. Subgroup analysis showed significantly higher MS incidence in female than male among lean NAFLD group, which is different from other groups. Although with higher prevalence in male, lean NAFLD seems to be a more harmful phenotype for females according to the TG, ALT and GGT levels. The logistic regressive analysis was performed to show the impact of NAFLD status and BMI changes on MS risk. Lean non-NAFLD subjects merely developed to NAFLD with no BMI status changes exhibited highest MS risk (ORs = 1.879, 95% CI 1.610–2.292) than that with both BMI increase and NAFLD development (ORs = 1.669, 95% CI 1.325–2.104). It also suggests the metabolic specificity of this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Charcot neuroarthropathy (CNA) of the upper extremity occurs most frequently in shoulders. However, CNA in the hands is uncommon and seldom be reported. The onset of CNA is usually insidious. If this process continues undetected, it can result in joint deformity, ulceration and/or superinfection, loss of function, and amputation or even death. In this article, we are going to present three cases of CNA in the hands of individuals with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) with central cord syndrome.Case Presentation: Three male individuals with cervical spinal stenosis contracted tetraplegia (American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale Grade D, D, and B) due to spinal cord contusion after a trauma and developed hand swelling without pain 2 to 3 months after their SCI. X-ray showed degenerative joint changes in the hands. CNA was considered due to the patient's history of cervical SCI, loss of motor function and sensation, symptoms of painless swelling, physical examination, and X-ray findings. The self-care sub scores of Spinal Cord Independence Measure III improved slightly only during rehabilitation and follow-up due to poor hand function.Conclusions: CNA may develop after a central or peripheral neurological disorder. Nearly every joint of the body can be affected and the lower limbs are the most frequently involved. However, CNA of the hand is rare. We present three patients with CNA in the hands after cervical SCI and review the features and early differential diagnosis of CNA. Currently there is no specific treatment available. Therefore, early identification of CNA and adequate protection to the affected joints seem important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serum uric acid can affect endothelial function, and hyperuricaemia‐induced endothelial dysfunction is involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. As endothelial dysfunction is also a main pathogenic mechanism of erectile dysfunction (ED), the present study aims to evaluate the relationship between hyperuricaemia and ED via systemic review and meta‐analysis. Five cohort studies and six cross‐sectional studies on hyperuricaemia and ED, including a total of 454,510 participants, were recruited. Odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence intervals (CI) were adopted to estimate the relationship between hyperuricaemia and ED. Overall risk on effects of urate‐lowering therapy (ULT) were analysed. In addition, subgroup analyses on study design, populations, age stratification and the object were conducted. In the patients with hyperuricaemia, the risk of ED was 1.59‐fold higher than (pooled OR = 1.59, 95% CI [1.29, 1.97]) the non‐hyperuricaemia counterparts. Urate‐lowing therapy (ULT) in these hyperuricaemia patients reduced the risk of ED by 27% (OR = 1.27, 95% CI [1.14, 1.41]). After subgroup analysis, the association between hyperuricaemia and ED remained significant apart from the >60 years subgroup. Hyperuricaemia is an important risk factor of ED, while ULT can reduce the risk of ED in hyperuricaemia. This study suggests that hyperuricaemia‐associated endothelial dysfunction may also underlie the pathogenesis of ED in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global horizontal irradiance (GHI) forecasting at intra-day horizons of up to 12-h ahead is vital to grid integration of solar photovoltaics, but has been fundamentally difficult for all methods that do not involve numerical weather prediction (NWP), since non-NWP methods are unable to extrapolate the data to a horizon beyond a fews hours. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are the most representative weather centers in Europe and America, respectively. To understand their operational impact and value to grid integration, the ECMWF's High Resolution (HRES) model and two models from NOAA, namely, Rapid Refresh (RAP) and High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR), are validated through the Murphy–Winkler distribution-oriented verification framework, over the year 2020, at seven locations. All forecasts are retrieved at native horizontal resolutions—9 km for HRES, 13 km for RAP, and 3 km for HRRR; it depicts the "off-the-shelf" scenario if these forecasts are to be utilized by end users. Three simple linear correction methods, each being statistically optimal in its own respect, are used to post-process the raw forecasts. It was found that 1–12-h-ahead ECMWF's HRES forecasts have a significantly lower root mean square error (14.0–33.7%) as compared to NOAA's HRRR (19.0–53.2%) and RAP (19.2–45.9%). Even after the large biases in HRRR and RAP forecasts are removed, those post-processed versions are still inferior to the raw HRES forecasts. • Twelve-hour-ahead operational solar forecasts from ECMWF and NOAA are verified. • Murphy–Winkler distribution forecast verification framework is used. • Three optimal linear post-processing schemes are proposed and discussed. • ECMWF forecasts are found to be of higher quality than the NOAA forecasts. • The normalized RMSE of ECMWF's High Resolution forecasts ranges from 14% to 34%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/Introduction: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the novel sodium–glucose cotransporter inhibitor, ertugliflozin, compared with a placebo or other antihyperglycemic agents for type 2 diabetes patients. Materials and Methods: We carried out a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials to assess the benefits and harms of ertugliflozin. Online database searches were carried out in PubMed, EMBASE, WEB OF SCIENCE and Cochrane from inception up to 11 March 2021. Our end‐points were glycated hemoglobin, fasting plasma glucose and bodyweight. We analyzed the results using a random effects model, computed weighted mean differences and risk ratios. Result: A total of 10 randomized controlled trials with 13,223 patients met the inclusion criteria. Compared with a placebo, the weighted mean differences in glycated hemoglobin were −0.77% (95% confidence interval [CI] −0.86 to −0.68%) for ertugliflozin 5 mg, and −0.82% (95% CI −1.01 to −0.63%) for ertugliflozin 15 mg. Ertugliflozin 5 mg daily was also associated with bodyweight loss (weighted mean difference −1.87 kg, 95% CI −2.12 to −1.6). When compared with a placebo, ertugliflozin significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose by −1.62 mmol/L (weighted mean difference, 95% CI −1.82 to −1.42 for 5 mg ertugliflozin). Yet, we observed a rising risk for genital mycotic infections (risk ratio 4.34, 95% CI 2.78–6.76). The results were similar for the 15 mg ertugliflozin group. Conclusion: Ertugliflozin effectively reduces glycated hemoglobin levels and provides extra clinical benefits including bodyweight and fasting plasma glucose. Common adverse effects, including genital mycotic infections and so on, were reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theory of spleen and stomach occupies an important position in traditional Chinese medicine theory because of its great theoretical value and clinical application value. In this paper, the similarities and differences between Li Dongyuan's spleen and stomach theory and Huang Yuanyu's spleen and stomach theory were analyzed from the perspectives of physiology, pathology, treatment models, and medication characteristics. Physiologically, both doctors affirmed the close relationship between the innate qi and the spleen and stomach, which are the main organs affecting qi's rise and fall. Li Dongyuan believed that the spleen and stomach played a pivotal role together, while Huang Yuanyu believed that the spleen and soil dominated the rise and the stomach and soil dominated the fall. In the relationship between spleen and stomach, Li Dongyuan paid more attention to stomach qi, while Huang Yuanyu paid more attention to spleen soil. In pathology, Li Dongyuan believed that internal and external injuries were mostly caused by the maladjustment of air and fire and the abnormal rise and fall. Huang Yuanyu often argued that the soil was wet because of yang deficiency and the middle qi was not carried. In treatment, Li Dongyuan and Huang Yuanyu used the theoretical model of zangfu shengke's five elements and the five elements of earth in yin-yang, respectively. In terms of dispatching prescriptions, both prioritized the spleen and stomach. Li Dongyuan used a wide range of medicines and a low dosage of drugs, and the emperor and minister ensured their compatibility. Huang Yuanyu uses small does, but his effects are concentrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certain concentration H+ can combine with the crystal water to form the H 3 O+, influencing the stability of the crystal water in dihydrate so that can be completely removed under lower temperature. Therefore, this paper introduces a method wherein sulfuric acid is employed as a medium, facilitating direct dry mixing and low calcination temperatures to produce anhydrite II. Initially, the low and high calcination temperatures were determined as 280°C and 500°C, respectively, through XRD analysis of the phase composition of calcination products under varying conditions. Subsequently, the influence of different sulfuric acid contents and concentrations on the calcination products at 280°C was investigated. Additionally, the impact of sulfuric acid on the dehydration behavior of PG was analyzed using TG-DSC and FTIR. The present work also assessed the physical-mechanical properties of anhydrite II at 280°C and 500°C, along with their hydration activity and microscopic morphology. The results indicated that the optimal sulfuric acid content and concentration were determined as 2 % and 40 wt%, respectively, yielding dehydration temperatures of 86.08°C and 146.95°C. The water requirement (W R) for normal consistency for anhydrite II at 280°C was 0.68, exhibiting higher flexural and compressive strength compared to calcination at 500°C (W R =0.58), and the hydration rate at 28 days reached 78.5 %. At 280°C, the dihydrate crystals formed by anhydrite II at 28 days exhibited a compact microstructure characterized by relatively small crystals with well overlapping. • Addition of sulfuric acid enables the minimum dehydration temperature of phosphogypsum is about 150°C. • Changes on the dehydration behavior and morphology caused by sulfuric acid were investigated. • The optimum dose and concentration of sulfuric acid are 2 % and 40 wt%, respectively. • Excellent hydration properties of anhydrite II prepared at 280°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Identified 25 novel flavor peptides from Hypsizygus marmoreus. • Uncovered peptides with multitaste sensory attributes. • T1R1, SCNN1A, OTOP1, T1R2, T2R46 crucial for taste perception. • Molecular docking elucidates flavor peptides' taste mechanisms. Hypsizygus marmoreuss is an under-explored source of flavor peptides that can enhance the flavor of NaCl or MSG, allowing products to be reformulated in line with reduction policies. This study utilized advanced techniques, including UPLC-Q-TOF MS/MS and molecular docking, to identify H. marmoreuss peptides. Sensory evaluations revealed 10 peptides with pronounced umami flavors and seven with dominantly salty tastes. VLPVPQK scored highest for umami intensity (5.2), and EGNPAHQK for salty intensity (6.2). Further investigation influenced by 0.35 % MSG or 0.35 % NaCl exposed peptides with elevated umami and salty thresholds. LDSPATPEK, VVEGEPSLK, and QKLPEKPER had umami-enhancing thresholds of 0.18, 0.18, and 0.35 mM, while LDSPATPEK and VVEGEPSLK had similar thresholds for salt (0.09 mM). Molecular docking revealed that taste receptor proteins interacted with umami peptides through hydrogen, carbon-hydrogen, alkyl, and van der Waals forces. Specific amino acids in the umami receptor T1R1 had roles in bonding with umami peptides through hydrogen and carbon-hydrogen interactions. In conclusion, molecular docking proved to be an effective and efficient method for flavor peptide screening. Further, this study demonstrated that flavor peptides from H. marmoreuss had the capacity to enhance NaCl and MSG flavours and might be useful tools for reformulation, reducing salt and MSG contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guanxinning(GXN) tablet is a patented traditional Chinese medicine widely used to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases. However, its potential mechanism and target in anti-diabetic atherosclerosis have not been clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate the underlying targets and mechanisms of action GXN in the treatment of diabetic atherosclerosis, employing a combination of network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vitro experimental verification. We predicted the core components and targets of GXN in the treatment of diabetic atherosclerosis through various databases, and made analysis and molecular docking. In vitro , we induced injury in human umbilical vein endothelial cells using glucose/palmitate and observed the effects of GXN on cellular damage high-glucose and high-fat conditions, subsequently elucidating its molecular mechanisms. A total of 14 active components and 157 targets of GXN were identified. Using the PPI network, we selected 9 core active components and 20 targets of GXN. GO functional analysis revealed that these targets were primarily associated with apoptosis signaling pathways in response to endoplasmic reticulum stress and reactive oxygen species responses. Molecular docking confirmed the strong binding affinities of the primary active components of GXN with ERN1, MAPK1 and BECN1. In vitro experiments demonstrated the ability of GXN to restore endothelial cell activity, enhance cell migration and inhibit sICAM secretion, and upregulate the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins (IRE1, XBP1) and autophagy-related proteins (Beclin1, LC3A, and LC3B), while simultaneously inhibiting endothelial cell apoptosis under high-glucose and high-fat conditions. Our findings suggest that GXN can potentially safeguard endothelial cells from the adverse effects of high-glucose and high-fat by modulating the interactions between endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy. Therefore, GXN is a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of diabetic atherosclerosis. [Display omitted] • GXN treats diabetic atherosclerosis through multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway. • ERN1, MAPK1, BECN1, BCL2, CASP8, CASP3 are key targets of GXN against diabetic atherosclerosis. • GXN inhibits cell apoptosis by upregulating the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins (IRE1, XBP1) and autophagy-related proteins (Beclin1, LC3A, and LC3B) in high glucose- and high fat-induced HUVECs. • GXN protects HUVEC from high glucose and high fat by modulating the interactive effects of endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy. • GXN is a potential drug against diabetic atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the realm of urban development, the issue of Urban Sprawl (USL) is increasingly being recognized as a significant externality, profoundly influencing Urban Safety Resilience (USR). This study addresses the dearth of research on the implications of USL within the context of New Infrastructure (NI) development and its impact on USR. Using panel data from 259 prefecture-level cities in China from 2009 to 2020, an USR index was constructed, encompassing social, infrastructure, economic, and environmental components. Applying the System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) and panel threshold models, the study thoroughly examines the influences of USL and NI on USR. The findings reveal a significant negative correlation between USL and USR, while NI contributes positively to USR with a time-lagged effect. These results are robust across stability tests. Furthermore, the study uncovers a double threshold effect of USL on USR, with NI acting as the threshold variable. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the central and western regions of China experience a stronger negative impact of USL on USR. This research provides valuable theoretical insights into the relationship between USL and USR, offering guidelines for promoting safer urban development. • Confirms USL's negative correlation with USR in Chinese cities • Identifies NI as a positive counter to USL's adverse effects on USR • Discovers a double threshold effect of USL on USR, with NI as a moderator • Highlights greater USL impacts on USR in central/western China than eastern [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Federated Learning (FL) is a distributed learning approach that allows each client to retain its original data locally and share only the parameters of the local updates with the server. While FL can mitigate the problem of "data islands", the training process involving non-independent and identically distributed (non-IID) data still faces the formidable challenge of model performance degradation due to "client drift" in practical applications. To address this challenge, in this paper, we design a novel approach termed " Tw o-fold Knowl e dg e Dis t illation for non-IID Fed erated Learning" (FedTweet), meticulously designed for the personalized training of both local and global models within various heterogeneous data contexts. Specifically, the server employs global pseudo-data for fine-tuning the initial aggregated model through knowledge distillation and adopts dynamic aggregation weights for local generators based on model similarity to ensure diversity in global pseudo-data. Clients freeze the received global model as a teacher model and conduct adversarial training between the local model and local generator, thus preserving the personalized information in the local updates while correcting their directions. FedTweet enables both global and local models to serve as teacher models for each other, ensuring bidirectional guarantees for personalization and generalization. Finally, extensive experiments conducted on benchmark datasets demonstrate that FedTweet outperforms several previous FL methods on heterogeneous datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To speed up the buffering of visualization images and ensure the integrity of visualization images, this paper proposes the construction of a virtual packaging model of visualization images based on visual communication of deep learning (DL). Based on the visual communication, the specific calibration steps of the visual image are designed to complete the adjustment of the visual image by using the calibration process of the visual image. We introduce the minimum buffer coefficient of the visual image, calculate the size of the buffer liner of the visual image, correct the thickness of the visual image, and complete the design of the buffer package of the visual image. Finally, the process of constructing the virtual packaging model of the visualized image is constructed to realize the virtual packaging of the visualized image. The simulation results show that the visual image virtual packaging model based on visual communication improves the buffering speed of visual image by 66.6% compared with the visual image virtual packaging model based on machine vision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weather is often found to be a key driving factor for power generation and energy consumption. To capture the effects of weather, many energy forecasting practices, such as load forecasting, renewable power generation forecasting, gas and electricity price forecasting, and power distribution systems outage forecasting, would rely on numerical weather prediction (NWP). In the academic literature, however, energy forecasting models have often been developed based on settings of ex post forecasting, where the actual observations of weather variables during the forecasted period are being used. Such gap between academic research and field practices is partly due to the shortage of historical weather forecasts. To that end, an NWP forecast dataset from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) High Resolution (HRES) model, as available in the ECMWF's Archive Catalogue, is offered to the energy forecasting community under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. Since the raw data is massive in size, a subset which is thought sufficient for energy forecasting research purposes is provided through this article. Four years (2017–2020) of HRES forecasts of 14 frequently used weather variables, over the geographical region bounded by 63° N, − 126 °W, 21° S, and 36° E (most of Europe and North America), on a 0. 5 °by 0. 5 °longitude/latitude grid, are released in the form of NetCDF files. This dataset is able to support a variety of aforementioned energy forecasting tasks. In addition to introducing various means to utilize the dataset, this article provides a set of case studies on post-processing of day-ahead solar forecasts. The R code being used to produce the results shown in this article is also made available, so that the readers can reproduce this case study as well as adopt the code for other relevant studies. • Four years of operational forecasts from the ECMWF HRES model are offered. • The dataset allows energy forecasting applications such as solar, wind, or load forecasting. • ECMWF operational model constitutes the world's best global NWP model to date. • Case studies on solar forecast post-processing are included to exemplify the usage of the dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-adaptive surface measurements that can reduce data redundancy and improve time efficiency are in high demand in many fields of science and technology. For this purpose, a system implemented with Gaussian process (GP) adaptive sampling is developed. The non-parametric GP model is applied to reconstruct the topography and guide the subsequent sampling position, which is determined from the inference uncertainty estimation. A criterion is proposed to terminate the GP adaptive measurement automatically without any prior model or data of the topography. Experiments on typical surfaces validate the intelligence, adaptability, and high accuracy of the GP method along with the stabilization of the automatic iteration termination. Compared with traditional raster sampling, data redundancy is reduced and the time efficiency is improved without sacrificing the surface reconstruction accuracy. The proposed method can be implemented in other systems with similar measurement principles, thus benefitting surface characterizations. • A surface measurement system is developed with adaptive sampling algorithms. • A criterion is proposed to terminate the sampling automatically. • Key characteristics are experimentally investigated. • Time efficiency is improved and data redundancy is eliminated significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few years, research tools have been developed to monitor the multistep protein aggregation process in live cells, a process that has been associated with a growing number of human diseases. Herein, we describe recent advances in methods that can either survey the distribution of aggregation at the level of the cellular proteome using mass spectroscopy or discern the multistep aggregation process of specific proteins of interest via fluorescence signals. Future development and application of such technologies are expected to provide insights on mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases rooted in protein aggregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance contact resonance atomic force microscopy (CR-AFM) and harmonic AFM imaging simultaneously, we design a multifunctional cantilever. Precise tailoring of the cantilever's dynamic properties is realized by either mass-removing or mass-adding. As prototypes, focused ion beam drilling or depositing is used to fabricate the optimized structures. CR-AFM subsurface imaging on circular cavities covered by a piece of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite validates the improved CR frequency to contact stiffness sensitivity. The detectable subsurface depth and cavity radius increase accordingly by using the multifunctional cantilever. At the same time, the free resonance frequency of the second mode is tuned to an integer multiple of the fundamental one. Harmonic AFM imaging on polystyrene and low-density polystyrene mixture shows the improved harmonic amplitude contrast and signal strength on the two material phases. The multifunctional cantilever can be extended to enhance other similar AFM operation modes and it has potential applications in relevant fields such as mechanical characterization and subsurface imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stochastic weather generator CLIGEN can simulate long-term weather sequences as input to WEPP for erosion predictions. Its use, however, has been somewhat restricted by limited observations at high spatial–temporal resolutions. Long-term daily temperature, daily, and hourly precipitation data from 2405 stations and daily solar radiation from 130 stations distributed across mainland China were collected to develop the most critical set of site-specific parameter values for CLIGEN. Ordinary kriging (OK) and universal kriging (UK) with auxiliary covariables, i.e., longitude, latitude, elevation, and the mean annual rainfall, were used to interpolate parameter values into a 10km×10km grid, and the interpolation accuracy was evaluated based on the leave-one-out cross-validation. Results showed that UK generally outperformed OK. The root mean square error between UK-interpolated and observed temperature-related parameters was ≤0.88 ∘ C (1.58 ∘ F). The Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient for precipitation- and solar-radiation-related parameters was ≥0.87 , except for the skewness coefficient of daily precipitation, which was 0.78. In addition, CLIGEN-simulated daily weather sequences using UK-interpolated and observed parameters showed consistent statistics and frequency distributions. The mean absolute discrepancy between the two sequences for temperature was <0.51 ∘ C, and the mean absolute relative discrepancy for solar radiation, precipitation amount, duration, and maximum 30 min intensity was <5 % in terms of the mean and standard deviation. These CLIGEN parameter values at 10 km resolution would meet the minimum data requirements for WEPP application throughout mainland China. The dataset is available at http://clicia.bnu.edu.cn/data/cligen.html (last access: 20 May 2021) and 10.12275/bnu.clicia.CLIGEN.CN.gridinput.001 (Wang et al., 2020). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple and practical tools for screening high-risk new-onset diabetes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (NODAP) are urgently needed to improve post-PCI prognosis. We aimed to evaluate the risk factors for NODAP and develop an online prediction tool using conventional variables based on a multicenter database. China evidence-based Chinese medicine database consisted of 249, 987 patients from 4 hospitals in mainland China. Patients ≥ 18 years with implanted coronary stents for acute coronary syndromes and did not have diabetes before PCI were enrolled in this study. According to the occurrence of new-onset diabetes mellitus after PCI, the patients were divided into NODAP and Non-NODAP. After least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and logistic regression, the model features were selected and then the nomogram was developed and plotted. Model performance was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration curve, Hosmer–Lemeshow test and decision curve analysis. The nomogram was also externally validated at a different hospital. Subsequently, we developed an online visualization tool and a corresponding risk stratification system to predict the risk of developing NODAP after PCI based on the model. A total of 2698 patients after PCI (1255 NODAP and 1443 non-NODAP) were included in the final analysis based on the multicenter database. Five predictors were identified after screening: fasting plasma glucose, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hypertension, family history of diabetes and use of diuretics. And then we developed a web-based nomogram () incorporating the above conventional factors for predicting patients at high risk for NODAP. The nomogram showed good discrimination, calibration and clinical utility and could accurately stratify patients into different NODAP risks. We developed a simple and practical web-based nomogram based on multicenter database to screen for NODAP risk, which can assist clinicians in accurately identifying patients at high risk of NODAP and developing post-PCI management strategies to improved patient prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive tract, and it has a poor prognosis. Traditional methods are not effective to accurately assess the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer. Immunotherapy is a new promising approach for the treatment of pancreatic cancer; however, some patients do not respond well to immunotherapy, which may be related to tumor microenvironment regulation. In this study, we use gene expression database to mine important immune genes and establish a prognostic prediction model for pancreatic cancer patients. We hope to provide a feasible method to evaluate the prognosis of pancreatic cancer and provide valuable targets for pancreatic cancer immunotherapy. Results: We used univariate COX proportional hazard regression analysis, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and multivariate COX regression analysis to screen 8 genes related to prognosis from the 314 immune-related genes, and used them to construct a new clinical prediction model in the TCGA pancreatic cancer cohort. Subsequently, we evaluated the prognostic value of the model. The Kaplan–Meier cumulative curve showed that patients with low risk scores survived significantly longer than patients with high risk scores. The area under the ROC curve (AUC value) of the risk score was 0.755. The univariate COX analysis showed that the risk score was significantly related to overall survival (HR 1.406, 95% CI 1.237–1.598, P < 0.001), and multivariate analysis showed that the risk score was an independent prognostic factor (HR 1.400, 95% CI 1.287–1.522, P < 0.001). Correlation analysis found that immune genes are closely related to tumor immune microenvironment. Conclusions: Based on the TCGA-PAAD cohort, we identified immune-related markers with independent prognostic significance, validated, and analyzed their biological functions, to provide a feasible method for the prognosis of pancreatic cancer and provide potentially valuable targets for pancreatic cancer immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although walnut protein (WP) is a good source of plant protein, it has a low degree of industrial development and utilization. In this study, we attempted to develop an edible 3D printing WP emulsion using walnut protein for processing and further preparation of walnut protein-based cream alternative. We investigated the feasibility of 3D printing for producing a visually attractive and nutrient-rich walnut protein-based cream substitute through the addition of xanthan gum (XG) (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5%, w/w). The results showed that the addition of XG in WP emulsion promoted the formation of hydrogen bonds, which significantly improved gel strength, water holding capacity, mechanical strength, stability, printability, significant shear thinning behavior, and high solid viscoelasticity. After testing, the walnut protein emulsion containing 1.5% XG had high printing accuracy, high self-supporting properties, and smooth surface texture. Walnut protein shows a promising cream substitute, which provides a basis for its industrial development. [Display omitted] • 3D printing technology was used to develop a walnut protein-based cream substitute. • The ink exhibited excellent 3D printability owing to its solid viscoelastic behavior. • The ink rheology was controlled by the XG concentrations. • The 3D printed walnut protein emulsion with 1.5% XG showed printing stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gridded daily data underestimates rainfall erosivity due to scaling differences. • Bias-correction factors: medians of 0.80 (R-factor) and 0.66 (10-year storm EI). • Future china is expected to experience rising rainfall erosivity by 14% ∼ 47%. • Increasing erosivity mainly due to the rising probability of extreme precipitation. This study focuses on improving the accuracy of projections for future rainfall erosivity by selecting five CMIP6-based and bias-adjusted Global Climate Models (GCMs) in China. These models provide more precise estimations of rainfall erosivity under two future periods (2041–2065 and 2076–2100) and two emission scenarios (SSP1-RCP2.6 and SSP5-RCP8.5). The evaluation of the models' performance involved comparing their estimations of two erosivity indices, namely the annual average rainfall erosivity (R-factor) and the extreme storm EI 30 with a 10-year return period (10-year storm EI), with reference erosivity maps of China interpolated from hourly observations at 2381 stations. The results indicate that three models, GFDL-ESM4, IPSL-CM6A-LR, and UKESM1-0-LL, outperform the others in terms of higher Nash-Sutcliffe efficiencies and better spatial correlation, especially in regions prone to water erosion. However, it was observed that the R-factor and 10-year storm EI estimated using Multi-Model Ensembles (MMEs) were significantly underestimated for the historical period due to scaling differences. To address this issue, bias-correction factors were determined for each grid cell to improve future projections. The medians of these correction factors were found to be 0.80 for the R-factor and 0.66 for the 10-year storm EI. Overall, the study projects an increase in rainfall erosivity for most regions in China. Under the SSP1-RCP2.6 and SSP5-RCP8.5 scenarios, the R-factor is expected to rise by 18.9% and 19.8% for the near-term and 26.0% and 46.5% for the long-term, respectively. Similarly, the 10-year storm EI is projected to increase by 14.2% and 17.4% for the near-term and 14.9% and 45.0% for the long-term, respectively. These projected increases are primarily attributed to the elevated probability of extreme precipitation events, highlighting the need for enhanced soil and water conservation measures in China to mitigate the challenges posed by global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatoid adenocarcinoma is defined as an extrahepatic adenocarcinoma with hepatocyte differentiation, characterized by high malignancy and poor prognosis. Herein, we report the diagnosis, treatment and survival of a patient with pulmonary hepatoid adenocarcinoma who had received radiotherapy only. The patient was a 41-year-old man diagnosed with local advanced lung cancer (T3N3M0, stage IIIC). He had an intrahepatic hemangioma and abnormal serum liver enzymes. The patient developed intermittent fever with increased white blood cells and granulocytes during radiotherapy. After 38Gy/19 fractions of radiotherapy, the blood routine results returned to normal levels. After 50Gy/25 fractions of radiotherapy, the patient's tumor was significantly shrank in imaging. Although the patient refused to receive any treatment after radiotherapy and died 12 months after diagnosis, the data presented here represent a valuable resource for understanding the survival benefits of pulmonary hepatoid adenocarcinoma patients treated with radiotherapy alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurement of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a quantitative and non-invasive approach to examine airway inflammation, which is a powerful aid in diagnosing chronic disorders of airways like asthma. Diagnostic value of FeNO and relevant indices on pulmonary function in the patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was evaluated. A total of 164 patients [58 asthma, 49 COPD and 57 asthma-COPD overlap (ACO)] were randomly recruited. FeNO, pulmonary ventilation function, and bronchial diastolic function were performed. Eight indicators including FeNO, vital capacity percentage (VC%), forced vital capacity percentage (FVC%), forced expiratory volume in one second percentage (FEV1%), forced expiratory volume in one second to forced vital capacity percentage (FEV1/FVC%), maximum independent ventilation volume percentage (MVV%), the increased percentage of FEV1 after bronchial diastolic test, the increased absolute value of FEV1 after bronchial diastolic test were examined. Significant difference in VC%, FVC%, FEV1%, FEV1/FVC%, MVV%, the increased absolute value of FEV1 after bronchial diastolic test and FeNO were significantly different between patients with asthma and patients with COPD (P<0.05). There were significant differences of VC%, FVC%, FEV1%, FEV1/FVC%, MVV% and the increased percentage of FEV1 after bronchial diastolic test in cases of patients with asthma compared to ACO patients (P<0.05). There was no statistical significance on VC%, FVC%, FEV1%, FEV1/FVC%, MVV% between COPD patients and ACO patients (P>0.05). However, more importantly, the increased percentage of FEV1 after bronchial diastolic test, the increased absolute value of FEV1 after bronchial diastolic test and the alterations on FeNO were found significantly different in ACO group compared with COPD alone (P<0.05). We compared the results from pulmonary ventilation function, bronchial diastolic function examination as well as FeNO detection among 3 groups of asthma, COPD and ACO. The examination of pulmonary ventilation function and bronchial diastolic function combined with FeNO detection is helpful in the early screening of ACO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We proposed a method for measuring undercut etching based on contact resonance atomic force microscopy (CR-AFM). Suspended undercut structures were fabricated through isotropic wet etching on a patterned SiNx/Si architecture. The materials beneath the SiNx masks with circular and rectangular shapes were partially etched to form center-supported thin plates. A clear contrast was observed between the supported and suspended regions by CR-AFM amplitude imaging, enabling accurate determination of the undercut boundary and the corresponding etched length. CR-spectroscopy measurements of the undercut dimensions were also applied by acquiring the contact stiffness distribution and by further fitting with models of analyzing the plate deflection. The etching rates given by both the imaging and spectroscopy measurements were in close accordance. The theoretical measurement error induced by finite CR-frequency to stiffness sensitivity was evaluated to be around 5% under our experimental settings. This work paves the way for in situ and real-time detection of undercut etching at the nanoscale and benefits relevant micro- and nano-fabrications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies using mouse liver tumor models have indicated that coexpression of CD38 and CD101 in programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)+CD8+ T cells may reflect fixed dysregulation of CD8+ T cells and thus indicate a poor response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. However, whether CD38 and CD101 expression in PD-1+CD8+ T cells can predict the clinical status and efficacy of chemotherapy for various cancer types, including ovarian cancer (OC), remains unclear. In the present study, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained by Ficoll-Hypaque gradient centrifugation from 96 fresh samples from healthy adult volunteers and patients with epithelial OC, aged 55.21±9.91 years. Additionally, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were separated using a combination of mechanical, chemical and enzymatic digestion from fresh surgically removed tumor tissues from 15 patients with epithelial OC. The expression of CD38 and CD101 in PD-1+CD8+ T cells or TILs was detected by flow cytometry or immunofluorescence (IF) staining, respectively. The association between the level of CD38/CD101 expression and clinicopathological parameters or postoperative chemotherapy in patients with OC was statistically analyzed. The levels of CD38/CD101-coexpressing PD-1+CD8+ T cells were significantly increased in PBMCs and TILs of patients with OC compared with those of healthy volunteers. The frequency of PD-1+CD38+CD101+CD8+ T cells among the total PD-1+CD8+ T cell subpopulation was negatively associated with clinical stage, lymph node metastasis and postoperative chemotherapy prognosis in patients with OC. Furthermore, IF staining confirmed colocalization of CD38 and CD101 on the majority of TILs in OC tissues. Thus, the present study suggests that coexpression of CD38 and CD101 in peripheral PD-1+CD8+ T cells and TILs may serve as a new indicator for diagnosis and treatment efficacy in patients with epithelial OC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the associations between late-gestational dyslipidemia, expressed as the ratio between triglycerides (TGs) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and the risk of macrosomia among nondiabetic pregnant women. Methods. In this case-control study, 171 pregnant women who delivered macrosomia newborns were recruited from a total of 1856 nondiabetic pregnant women who delivered a singleton, nonanomalous newborn. A total of 684 normal controls were one-to-four matched by age. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between the TG/HDL ratio and the neonatal body weight as well as the risk of macrosomia. Results. The maternal serum TG and TG/HDL levels were much higher in the macrosomia group, while the maternal serum HDL-C levels were much lower in the macrosomia group than those in the control group. However, the serum total cholesterol (TC) and LDL-C levels were not significantly different between the two groups. Furthermore, maternal TG/HDL levels were positively associated with neonatal body weight. The confounding factors including maternal age, maternal height, gestational age, maternal body mass index (BMI), FPG, SBP, and neonatal sex were adjusted. A positive association between TG/HDL and neonatal body weight was still found. Moreover, the prevalence of macrosomia increased markedly in a dose-dependent manner as with maternal TG/HDL levels increased. Conclusions. Maternal serum TG/HDL levels at late gestation are positively associated with neonatal body weight and the risk of macrosomia in women without DM. Maintaining maternal lipid levels in an appropriate range is important in the context of fetal overgrowth and primary prevention of macrosomia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]