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Application of silicon‐based anodes is significantly challenged by low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) and poor cyclability. Traditional pre‐lithiation reagents often pose safety concerns due to their unstable chemical nature. Achieving a balance between water‐stability and high ICE in prelithiated silicon is a critical issue. Here, we present a lithium‐enriched silicon/graphite material with an ultra‐high ICE of ≥110 % through a high‐stable lithium pre‐storage methodology. Lithium pre‐storage prepared a nano‐drilled graphite material with surficial lithium functional groups, which can form chemical bonds with adjacent silicon during high‐temperature sintering. This results in an unexpected O−Li−Si interaction, leading to in situ pre‐lithiation of silicon nanoparticles and providing high stability in air and water. Additionally, the lithium‐enriched silicon/graphite materials impart a combination of high ICE, high specific capacity (620 mAh g−1), and long cycling stability (>400 cycles). This study opens up a promising avenue for highly air‐ and water‐stable silicon anode prelithiation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, resulting in a major health burden. Thus, an urgent need exists for exploring effective therapeutic targets to block progression of CVDs and improve patient prognoses. Immune and inflammatory responses are involved in the development of atherosclerosis, ischemic myocardial damage responses and repair, calcification, and stenosis of the aortic valve. These responses can involve both large and small blood vessels throughout the body, leading to increased blood pressure and end-organ damage. While exploring potential avenues for therapeutic intervention in CVDs, researchers have begun to focus on immune metabolism, where metabolic changes that occur in immune cells in response to exogenous or endogenous stimuli can influence immune cell effector responses and local immune signaling. Itaconate, an intermediate metabolite of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, is related to pathophysiological processes, including cellular metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammatory immune responses. The expression of immune response gene 1 (IRG1) is upregulated in activated macrophages, and this gene encodes an enzyme that catalyzes the production of itaconate from the TCA cycle intermediate, cis -aconitate. Itaconate and its derivatives have exerted cardioprotective effects through immune modulation in various disease models, such as ischemic heart disease, valvular heart disease, vascular disease, heart transplantation, and chemotherapy drug-induced cardiotoxicity, implying their therapeutic potential in CVDs. In this review, we delve into the associated signaling pathways through which itaconate exerts immunomodulatory effects, summarize its specific roles in CVDs, and explore emerging immunological therapeutic strategies for managing CVDs. [Display omitted] • Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the most common cause of death worldwide. • Immune responses play key regulatory and functional roles in CVDs. • Immune metabolism changes can alter immune cell activities and disease signaling. • Itaconate is a metabolite that can offer cardioprotection via immune modulation. • We review the roles and therapeutic potential of itaconate and derivatives in CVDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal and metalloid pollution in reservoir systems has attracted widespread attention due to their toxic, persistent, and nonbiodegradable characteristics. This study investigated the distribution and risks of heavy metals and metalloids in the sediment and drawdown area of the Fengshuba reservoir system. Sediment phase exhibited substantial heavy metal and metalloid pollution and higher ecological risk that the drawdown phase. There were significant differences in the structure and composition of the total metal content and the bioavailable fraction between the sediment and the drawdown area, which indicates that the total metal content and the bioavailable fraction might dominantly regulate by a complex combination of sediment characteristics. Positive Matrix Factorization model was used to identify sources of heavy metals and metalloids pollution and revealed that heavy metals and metalloids contamination in Fengshuba reservoir might originate from anthropogenic activities. Evaluations from risk assessment show that As and Cd in the reservoir system may pose health risks. Knowledge of distribution, potential risk assessment, and source apportionment of heavy metals and metalloids in the Fengshuba drinking water is critical in promoting the sustainable development of the reservoir, developing water management and conservation strategies in the Fengshuba reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal analysis of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers is commonly employed to assess the chemical and physical changes occurring during the pre-oxidation stage. However, in actual pre-oxidation processes, PAN fibers are stretched to a certain extent (approximately 5%) to prevent fiber shrinkage. Consequently, the pre-oxidation process of PAN fiber is influenced not only by temperature and atmosphere but also by the stretching tension. In this study, two types of PAN fiber samples with different crystal structures were utilized alongside four different processing methods (PAN powder, unfixation, physical fixation, and chemical fixation) to generate three degrees of fixed stretching. These included PAN powder and unfixed PAN fiber samples (without fixation tension), physically fixed PAN fiber with relatively weak fixation tension, and chemically fixed PAN fiber with strong fixation. Through a comparison of these samples, it was observed that the fixation tension aided in preserving the crystal structure during the heating process, significantly reducing the cyclization rate of the PAN fibers. The cyclization reaction rate of PAN fiber A, initially at 85% without any fixation, decreased to 66% after physical fixation and dropped to 56% after chemical fixation. For PAN fibers with distinct crystal morphologies, the impact of the fixation tension was more prominent for PAN fibers with larger crystal sizes and lower orientation. Additionally, the presence of crystal orientation facilitated the occurrence of the cyclization reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For any non-negative integer k and any graph G, a subset S ⊆ V (G) is said to be a K 1 , k + 1 -isolating set of G if G - N [ S ] does not contain K 1 , k + 1 as a subgraph. The K 1 , k + 1 -isolation number of G, denoted by ι k (G) , is the minimum cardinality of a K 1 , k + 1 -isolating set of G. Recently, Zhang and Wu (2021) proved that if G is a connected n-vertex graph and G ∉ { P 3 , C 3 , C 6 } , then ι 1 (G) ≤ 2 7 n . In this paper, we characterize all extremal graphs attaining this bound, which resolves a problem proposed by Zhang and Wu (Discrete Appl Math 304:365–374, 2021). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laboratory fish play an important role in many research fields, and they are also raised and bred in many laboratories around the world. While many studies have suggested suitable feeding densities for various laboratory fish, significant variations exist in the sizes of rearing tanks across different laboratories. Moreover, there is limited research on the effects of different rearing tank sizes. In this study, we set up the same rearing density (one liter of water corresponding to two fishes) and four treatments with different tank sizes (5 L, 10 L, 15 L, 20 L). We found that different sizes of rearing tanks had no significant effect on the growth and shoaling of laboratory rare minnow. However, the rare minnow in 10 L tank had lower cortisol levels, while the rare minnow in 20 L tank had higher levels of dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT) and their metabolites (DOPAC and 5-HIAA). These results show that even under the same rearing density, different sizes of rearing tanks will still have a physiological effect on the rare minnow, and the tank size suitable for laboratory fish should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a data-driven predictive iterative learning control (DDPILC) for nonlinear nonaffine systems. First, we develop an iterative predictive model (IPM) where an iterative dynamic linearisation technique is introduced for addressing the strong nonlinearities and nonaffine structure. Then, an auto-regressive model is employed to estimate the unavailable parameter of IPM along with the iteration direction. Next, the outputs in the future iterations are predicted pointwisely over the finite operation interval that are further incorporated into the optimal objective function to obtain the optimal control input sequence. In addition, a constrained-DDPILC is extended for systems with I/O constraints which are reformulated as a linear matrix inequality (LMI). The two proposed methods do not have model requirement except for I/O data. Simulation study verifies the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: An investigation was conducted into the impact of various process parameters on the surface and subsurface quality of glass-ceramic materials, as well as the mechanism of material removal and crack formation, through the use of ultrasonic-assisted grinding. Design/methodology/approach: A mathematical model of crack propagation in ultrasonic-assisted grinding was established, and the mechanism of crack formation was described through the model. A series of simulations and experiments were conducted to investigate the impact of process parameters on crack depth, surface roughness, and surface topography during ultrasonic-assisted surface and axial grinding. Additionally, the mechanism of crack formation was explored. Findings: During ultrasonic-assisted grinding, the average grinding forces are between 0.4–1.0 N, which is much smaller than that of ordinary grinding (1.0–3.5 N). In surface grinding, the maximum surface stresses between the workpiece and the tool gradually decrease with the tool speed. The surface stresses of the workpiece increase with the grinding depth, and the depth of subsurface cracks increases with the grinding depth. With the increase of the axial grinding speed, the subsurface damage depth increases. The roughness increases from 0.780um/1.433um. Originality/value: A mathematical model of crack propagation in ultrasonic-assisted grinding was established, and the mechanism of crack formation was described through the model. The deformation involved in the grinding process is large, and the FEM-SPH modeling method is used to solve the problem that the results of the traditional finite element method are not convergent and the calculation efficiency is low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, layered porous SiC scaffolds were prepared by freeze casting and sintering, and then followed by loading polypyrrole (PPy) on its surface by in-situ polymerization to obtain porous SiC/PPy composites with different PPy content. The loaded PPy forms a good three-dimensional (3D) conductive network, thus the electrical conductivity and the dielectric loss capability of the sample is improved. Moreover, the porous structure provides more SiC-PPy heterogeneous interfaces for charge accumulation, leading to interfacial polarization and relaxation, further enhancing the microwave absorption performance. Compared with pure SiC particles, SiC/PPy-25 shows an increase in the minimum reflection loss (RL) from −8.64 to −39.1 dB, effective absorption bandwidth (RL < −10 dB) of 4.72 GHz, and comparatively thinner matched thickness of 1.7 mm. We provide a microwave absorption material with simple synthesis, high efficiency and wide application prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A retrospective analysis was performed from May 2003 to October 2021 at our hospital. One hundred and eleven neonates diagnosed with gastric perforation were categorized into non-survivor and survivor groups based on prognosis. The mortality rate was 23.42%. Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing the early neonatal death. The non-survivor groups showed more abdominal distension, vomiting, hypoxia, acidosis, hyperkalemia, and coagulation abnormalities. Serum potassium concentration (odds ratio [OR] 2.148, P =.043) was an independent risk factor; however, arterial partial pressure of oxygen (OR 0.977, P =.024), bicarbonate (OR 0.779, P =.023), and platelet count (OR 0.986, P =.014) had protective effects on neonatal death. Based on this, a visualized nomogram prediction model was constructed, patients who had a nomogram score of more than 163.787 was considered to have high risks of mortality, the area under the curve of this was up to 0.828 (95% confidence interval [0.733, 0.923]), the sensitivity was 80.0%, and the specificity was 76.9%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a series of suction-control oedometer tests were conducted on unsaturated and saturated MX80 bentonite pellet/powder mixtures. The mixture samples were imposed with various suctions from 0 to 113 MPa under a low vertical stress (0.1 MPa). Then, the mixture samples were loaded in steps with controlled suction until reaching three different target stresses σv (0.1, 3.2, and 12.8 MPa) and instantaneously unloaded. The microstructure of unloaded samples was observed with mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and microcomputed tomography (μCT), together with the determination of suction, water content, void ratio, and saturation degree. Results showed that the water-retention behavior of bentonite pellet/powder mixture was rather characterized by pellets instead of powder. Due to the stress release, the measured suction after unloading sme was larger than the imposed suction sim. The suction difference Δs between sme and sim depended on both suction and load. Under a given σv , the suction effect was characterized by an increase of Δs when sim decreased from 113 to 4.2 MPa, but by a noticeable decrease of Δs when sim further decreased to zero. This was found to be related to the changes of the slopes of soil-water retention curves (SWRCs): the slope was decreasing with suction increases after 4.2 MPa suction, but was increasing with suction increases before 4.2 MPa suction. As far as the stress effect was concerned, a larger Δs was identified at a higher σv for a given sim. The narrowing difference between Δs and the reduction of mean stress of pellet Δppellet with increasing load was because of the decrease of larger pores due to loading. The total mixture void ratio eTmixture was highly dependent on suction and vertical stress, whereas the total pellet void ratio eTpellet was only dependent on suction in the stress range considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During routine rail maintenance, rail grinding of sharp curves is challenging. In particular, setting up the grinding pattern is essential. A rail-grinding pattern optimisation method is proposed based on the mathematical relationship between the grinding pattern parameters and geometric parameters of the rail grinding profile. In this method, the design variables and constraints are reasonably selected, and a multi-objective optimisation function considering the wheel-rail contact stress, wheel-rail lateral force, and rail grinding amount is established. The optimisation model is solved using a chaotic microvariation adaptive genetic algorithm. The optimisation method is applied to the repairable grinding of a worn rail in a metro curve section. The results demonstrate that using this method can realise an ideal grinding pattern with the expected grinding effect in addition to high accuracy and high optimisation speed. The wheel-rail contact characteristics, wear characteristics, and train dynamic performance are significantly improved after rail grinding; this is significant for conducting grinding operations and improving the train's curve-passing ability. Therefore, this study provides theoretical guidance for formulating rail-grinding patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensifying air pollution, especially airborne particulate pollution, has attracted growing public concerns due to its widespread and harmful effects on humans. Air filtration technology has received increasing attention as an effective solution, and the development of high-efficiency, low-resistance air filtration materials have become a common pursuit. Electrospun electret fibers are recognized as a promising candidate for high-performance filter media, especially benefiting from their in-situ charge injection during fiber forming, which can provide attractive electret effect to capture particles. Here, we overview electrospun electret fibers for air filtration, introduce the development of electret fibers and their mechanisms of air filtration, then focus on the summary of the electret principles and the current development of electrospun electret fibers, finally conclude the existing challenges and perspectives, aiming to provide a background for further development of electrospun electret fibers for air filtration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is a common phenotype in children with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein IgG (MOG-IgG)-associated disease. We aimed to identify novel genetic variants that distinguish children with MOG-IgG-positive ADEM (MOG-IgG+ ADEM) from children with MOG-IgG-negative ADEM (MOG-IgG− ADEM) using whole exome sequencing (WES) analysis. We conducted a two-stage study design. First, we performed WES on five patients with MOG-IgG+ ADEM and five patients with MOG-IgG− ADEM. Following bioinformatics analysis, the candidate variant list was constructed. Second, 29 children with MOG-IgG+ ADEM and 27 children with MOG-IgG− ADEM, together with discovery cohort, were genotyped to identify the novel variants. WES resulted in 33,999 variants, and 5388 nonsynonymous variants were selected for downstream analysis. In total, 118 protein-affecting variants that were significantly different between the two groups were identified. Together with the five variants extracted from the literature, 49 variants were selected as the candidate variant list for genotyping in the replication cohort. Finally, we identified three variants: rs11171951 in NACα , rs231775 in CTLA4, and rs11171951 in GOLGA5 , which were significantly different between MOG-IgG+ ADEM and MOG-IgG− ADEM. Only rs12440118 in NACα remained significant after Bonferroni correction for multiple testing (P adj < 0.001). We identified strong associations between NACα, CTLA4, and GOLGA5 variants and MOG-IgG+ ADEM in a Han Chinese population of Northern China, which may present novel genetic risk factor distinguishing patients with MOG-IgG+ ADEM from those with MOG-IgG− ADEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Dietary patterns are closely related to obesity, and a balanced diet can prevent obesity more than a single food or nutrient. In this study, we investigated the anti‐obesity effects of food and medicine homologous ingredient complex (FMHIC). The serum biochemical indices related to lipid metabolism were significantly improved in the FMHIC group. Meanwhile, it significantly inhibited the accumulation of lipid droplets, improved adipocyte hypertrophy and downregulated gene expression related to lipid production. FMHIC can effectively regulate intestinal flora richness and structural disorder in obese mice and result in a higher abundance of NK4A214_group and Prevotellaceae _UCG_001, and a lower abundance of Negativibacillus, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Lachnoclostridium and GCA_900066575. Spearman correlation analysis showed that there was a strong correlation between species richness and lipid metabolism and that FMHIC might adjust lipid metabolism by regulating the abundance of intestinal flora. In conclusion, FMHIC regulates lipid metabolism and modulates gut microbiota to regulate high‐fat diet‐induced dysbiosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emoji appear to be an important cue to judge whether a statement is sarcastic in computer-mediated communication. In this study, we investigated whether the smiling emoji, an indicator of sarcastic intention in the Chinese culture, exerts an influence on sarcasm interpretation across the lifespan. Statements accompanied with or without a smiling emoji were compared in unambiguous (Experiment 1) and ambiguous (Experiment 2) contexts. The results of Experiment 1 illustrated that for teenagers and the 20-year-olds the smiling emoji enhanced the perceived sarcasm of sarcastic statements significantly. However, there was no difference in interpreting sarcastic statements with or without a smiling emoji in other age groups. Experiment 2 replicated the results of Experiment 1. We found both teenagers and the 20-year-olds were more likely to arrive at a sarcastic interpretation of the ambiguous statement followed by a smiling emoji, which were less frequent in participants aged in their 30s, 40s, 50s and individuals over 60 years old. This might be because people of varying ages differ in decoding the emotions of the emoji. Age-related differences in the use of sarcasm and participants' experiences with using emoji might be possible factors that were closely related to the interpretation of emoji-based sarcasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful business transformation requires companies to cope with serious resource constraints. Despite fruitful research on the factors influencing transformation, how companies achieve transformation remains unclear. This study investigates transformation mechanisms by adopting the resource orchestration perspective and conducting a case study of a fintech company. The findings demonstrate a three-stage model of resource constraints, resource orchestration actions, and resulting capabilities. This study contributes to transformation theory by exploring the transformation process with a focus on resource constraints and actions and the capabilities to respond to the constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium proliferatum is the main pathogen that causes Panax notoginseng root rot. The shortcomings of strong volatility and poor water solubility of Illicium verum essential oil (EO) limit its utilization. In this study, we prepared traditional emulsion (BDT) and nanoemulsion (Bneo) of I. verum EO by ultrasonic method with Tween-80 and absolute ethanol as solvents. The chemical components of EO, BDT, and Bneo were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and the antifungal activity and mechanism were compared. The results show that Bneo has good stability and its particle size is 34.86 nm. The contents of (-) -anethole and estragole in Bneo were significantly higher than those in BDT. The antifungal activity against F. proliferatum was 5.8-fold higher than BDT. In the presence of I. verum EO, the occurrence of P. notoginseng root rot was significantly reduced. By combining transcriptome and metabolomics analysis, I. verum EO was found to be involved in the mutual transformation of pentose and glucuronic acid, galactose metabolism, streptomycin biosynthesis, carbon metabolism, and other metabolic pathways of F. proliferatum, and it interfered with the normal growth of F. proliferatum to exert antifungal effects. This study provide a theoretical basis for expanding the practical application of Bneo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both the corrosion resistance and bond strength of silica particle-modified enamel (SPME)-coated steel bars are experimentally investigated, and uncoated and pure enamel (PE)-coated bars are also prepared for comparison. The microstructure of SPME coating is analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the corrosion performance in simulated concrete pore solutions is assessed by using a series of electrochemical techniques. Pull-out tests were conducted to obtain the bond behavior with concrete. SEM images show that silica particles are completely embedded in the enamel matrix. The corrosion resistance of SPME-coated smooth and deformed steel bars is 68 and 28 times lower, respectively, than that of the uncoated bars. The bond strength, bond stiffness, bond ductility, and bond toughness of SPME-coated smooth steel bars are 4.33, 4.61, 35.86, and 20.66 times greater than those of the uncoated bars, while they are 1.29, 4.72, 2.21, and 1.24 times greater than those of the uncoated ones for the deformed steel bars. SPME-coated steel bars can be used to enhance the seismic performance of reinforced concrete structures in earthquake-prone zones, while also improving corrosion resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the image quality of multiplexed sensitivity-encoding diffusion-weighted imaging (MUSE-DWI) and single-shot echo-planar imaging (SS-EPI-DWI) techniques in uterine MRI. Eighty-eight eligible patients underwent MUSE-DWI and SS-EPI-DWI examinations simultaneously using a 3.0 T MRI system. Two radiologists independently performed quantitative and qualitative analysis of the two groups of images using a double-blind method. The weighted Kappa test was used to evaluate the interobserver agreement. Wilcoxon's rank sum test was used for qualitative parameters, and paired t -test was used for quantitative parameters. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to obtained correlation between pathological results and mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the images by the two radiologists were in good or excellent agreement, with weighted kappa value ranging from 0.636 to 0.981. The scores of total subjective image quality (15.4 ± 0.99) and signal-to-noise ratio (158.99 ± 60.71) of MUSE-DWI were significantly higher than those of SS-EPI-DWI (12.93 ± 1.62 P < 0.001; 130.23 ± 48.29 P < 0.05). It effectively reduced image distortion and artifact, and had better lesion conspicuity. There was no significant difference in contrast-to-noise ratio score and average ADC values between the two DWI sequences. The average ADC values of the two DWI sequences were highest in the normal uterus group and lowest in the endometrial cancer group, with statistically significant differences among groups (P < 0.01). In addition, the average ADC values of the two DWI sequences were negatively correlated with the type of lesions, decreasing with the malignancy of the lesions (r = −0.805 P < 0.01, r = −0.815 P < 0.01). Compared to SS-EPI-DWI, MUSE-DWI can significantly reduce distortion, artifacts, and fuzziness in MRI of uterine lesions, which is more conducive to lesion detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid and accurate characterization of earthquake sources is crucial for mitigating seismic hazards. In this study, based on 18   000 scenario ruptures ranging from M w 6.4 to M w 8.3 and corresponding synthetic high-rate Global Navigation Satellite System (HR-GNSS) waveforms, we developed a multibranch neural network framework, the continental large earthquake agile response (CLEAR), to simultaneously determine the magnitude and slip distributions. We apply CLEAR to recent large strike-slip events, including the 2021 M w 7.4 Maduo earthquake and the 2023 M w 7.8 and M w 7.6 Turkey doublet. The model generally estimates the magnitudes successfully at 32 s with errors of less than 0.15, and predicts the slip distributions acceptably at 64 s, requiring only approximately 30 ms on a single CPU (Central Processing Unit). With optimal azimuthal coverage of stations, the system is relatively robust to the number of stations and the time length of the received data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The inherent properties of coconut oil (CO), including its elevated saturated fatty acid content and low melting point, make it suitable for application in plastic fat processing. The present study explores the physicochemical characteristics, micromorphology and oxidative stability of oleogels produced from CO using various gelators [ethylcellulose (EC), β‐sitosterol/γ‐oryzanol (PS) and glyceryl monostearate (MG)] to elucidate the formation mechanisms of coconut oleogels (EC‐COO, PS‐COO and MG‐COO). RESULTS: Three oleogel systems exhibited a solid‐like behavior, with the formation of crystalline forms dominated by β and β′. Among them, PS‐COO exhibited enhanced capability with respect to immobilizing liquid oils, resulting in solidification with high oil‐binding capacity, moderate hardness and good elasticity. By contrast, MG‐COO demonstrated inferior stability compared to PS‐COO and EC‐COO. Furthermore, MG‐COO and PS‐COO demonstrated antioxidant properties against CO oxidation, whereas EC‐COO exhibited the opposite effect. PS‐COO and EC‐COO exhibited superior thermodynamic behavior compared to MG‐COO. CONCLUSION: Three oleogels based on CO were successfully prepared. The mechanical strength, storage modulus and thermodynamic stability of the CO oleogel exhibited concentration dependence with increasing gelling agent addition. PS‐COO demonstrated relatively robust oil‐binding capacity and oxidative stability, particularly with a 15% PS addition. This information contributes to a deeper understanding of CO‐based oleogels and offers theoretical insights for their application in food products. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bending deformation is easy to occur under the action of cutting force during machining, due to the weak stiffness of slender beam structural parts of Ti6Al4V. This will lead to the change of the theoretical cutting position relationship between the tool and the workpiece, thus affecting the machining accuracy and quality of the parts. Aiming at the structural characteristics and machining deformation of slender beam parts with weak stiffness of Ti6Al4V, the bending deformation of slender beam structural parts under the action of static force is analyzed by theory of Euler Bernoulli beam and finite element simulation of ABAQUS. The influence of support mode on the overall static stiffness and machining deformation of the beam is discussed. It is concluded that the clamping method of fulcrum assisted support and micro-crystalline wax filling in the machining process of slender beam structural parts of Ti6Al4V cannot only effectively suppress the machining deformation of parts but also solve the problem of machining chatter of parts. The machining accuracy and quality of slender beam structural parts are effectively improved. Slender beam parts with weak stiffness of Ti6Al4V processed according to this clamping concept. The maximum deformation of the part is 0.017 mm, the maximum dimensional deviation is − 0.015 mm, and the surface roughness Ra of the part is less than 0.5 μm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is a vital hallmark in progression of depression, while calcitriol exerts anti-inflammatory effects in the brain. The activation of the P2X7 receptor has an important link to neuroinflammation. However, it is unclear whether calcitriol treatment exerts anti-inflammatory effects in association with P2X7R activation. Objective: In this study, we assessed the antidepressive and neuroprotective effects of calcitriol on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated depressive-like behavior, neuroinflammation, and neuronal damage. Methods: In in vitro experiments, the BV2 cells were exposed to LPS, and the protective effects of calcitriol were assessed. For in vivo experiment, thirty-two male C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups of control, calcitriol, LPS and LPS + calcitriol. Calcitriol was administered at 1 µg/kg for 14 days and LPS at 1 mg/kg once every other day for 14 days. The control group mice were given equal volumes of vehicles. All treatments were delivered intraperitoneally. Results: The in vitro experiments showed calcitriol inhibited the release of inflammatory mediators induced by LPS in BV2 cells. The in vivo experiments revealed that calcitriol alleviated LPS-induced behavioral abnormalities and spatial learning impairments. Moreover, calcitriol treatment reduced the mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, while increasing anti-inflammatory cytokine levels in the hippocampus. Our results further revealed that calcitriol administration attenuated LPS-induced microglia activation by suppressing P2X7R/NLRP3/caspase-1 signaling. Moreover, calcitriol inhibited apoptosis of neurons in the hippocampus as evidenced by expression of apoptosis-related proteins and TUNEL assay. Conclusions: Collectively, our findings demonstrated that calcitriol exerts antidepressive and neuroprotective effects through the suppression of the P2X7R/NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway both in LPS-induced inflammation models in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we first completely characterize the complex symmetric Toeplitz operators T φ on the Hardy spaces H 2 (D) with conjugations C p i , j and C n . Next, we give a method to determine the coefficients of φ (z) when T φ is complex symmetric on H 2 (D) with the conjugation C σ , which partially solves a problem raised by [2]. Finally, we consider the complex symmetric Toeplitz operators T φ on the weighted Bergman spaces A 2 (B n) and the pluriharmonic Bergman spaces b 2 (B n) with conjugations C V , where V is a symmetric permutation matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although outstanding detectivities, InGaAs photodetectors for optic fiber communication are often costly due to the need for cooling. Therefore, cryogen-free and cost-effective alternatives working in telecommunication bands are highly desired. Here, we present a design of hot-electron photodetectors (HE PDs) with attributes of room-temperature operation and strong optical absorption over S and C bands (from 1460 to 1565 nm). The designed HE PD consists of a metal–semiconductor–metal hot-electron stack integrated with a front grating. Optical simulations reveal that mode hybridizations between Fabry–Pérot resonance and grating-induced surface plasmon excitation lead to high absorption efficiencies (≥0.9) covering S and C bands. Probability-based electrical calculations clarify that device responsivity is mainly determined by working wavelength on the premise of broadband strong absorption. Moreover, through comparison studies between the grating-assisted HE PD and purely planar microcavity system that serves as a reference, we highlight the design superiorities in average absorption and average responsivity with optimized values of 0.97 and 0.73 mA W−1, respectively. The upgraded peformances of the designed device are promising for efficient photoelectric conversion in optic fiber communication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is unclear whether there is any postnatal abnormality in brainstem auditory function in late preterm small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants. We investigated the functional integrity of the brainstem auditory pathway at 4 months after term in late preterm SGA infants and defined differences from appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA) infants. The maximum length sequence brainstem evoked response (MLS BAER) was recorded and analyzed in 24 SGA (birthweight < 3rd centile) infants and 28 AGA infants (birthweight > 10th centile). All infants were born at 33–36-week gestation without major perinatal and postnatal problems. We found that I-V interval in SGA infants was shorter than in AGA infants at higher click rates and significantly shorter at the highest rate of 910/s. Of the two smaller intervals, I-III interval was significantly shorter in SGA infants than in AGA infants at higher click rates of 455 and 910/s clicks, whereas III-V interval was similar in the two groups. The III-V/I-III interval ratio in SGA infants tended to be greater than in AGA infants at all rates and was significantly greater at 455 and 910/s clicks. The slope of I-III interval-rate functions in SGA infants was moderately smaller than in AGA infants. Conclusions: The main and fundamental difference between late preterm SGA and AGA infants was a significant shortening in the MLS BAER I-III interval in SGA infants at higher click rates, suggesting moderately faster neural conduction in the caudal brainstem regions. Postnatal neural maturation in the caudal brainstem regions is moderately accelerated in late preterm SGA infants. What is Known: • At 40 weeks of postconceptional age, late preterm SGA infants manifested a mild delay in neural conduction in the auditory brainstem. What is New: • At 56 weeks of postconceptional age, late preterm SGA infants manifested moderately faster neural conduction in the caudal brainstem regions. • Postnatal neural maturation is moderately accelerated in the caudal brainstem regions of late preterm SGA infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourist-dedicated train is a tourism product launched by railway transportation enterprises that combines transportation with tourism. The preparation of tourist-dedicated train line plan is an important part of tourist-dedicated train operation. The optimization of the tourism train line plan is based on its characteristics that are different from other passenger trains. Based on the analysis of the demand for the line plan of the tourist-dedicated train, this paper constructs the optimization model of the line plan with the goal of maximizing the income of the line plan and the constraints of transportation capacity, passenger flow and supply factors, and designs the corresponding genetic algorithm. The model is verified by an example. The verification results show that the optimal selection model and algorithm can better reflect the characteristics of the tourist-dedicated train line plan. The optimization results show that the reasonable matching of transportation supply and demand can provide decision support for the optimization of the tourist-dedicated train line plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Orderly hierarchical structure with balanced mechanical, chemical, and electrical properties is the basis of the natural bone microenvironment. Inspired by nature, we developed a piezocatalytically-induced controlled mineralization strategy using piezoelectric polymer poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) fibers with ordered micro-nano structures to prepare biomimetic tissue engineering scaffolds with a bone-like microenvironment (pcm-PLLA), in which PLLA-mediated piezoelectric catalysis promoted the in-situ polymerization of dopamine and subsequently regulated the controllable growth of hydroxyapatite crystals on the fiber surface. PLLA fibers, as analogs of mineralized collagen fibers, were arranged in an oriented manner, and ultimately formed a bone-like interconnected pore structure; in addition, they also provided bone-like piezoelectric properties. The uniformly sized HA nanocrystals formed by controlled mineralization provided a bone-like mechanical strength and chemical environment. The pcm-PLLA scaffold could rapidly recruit endogenous stem cells, and promote their osteogenic differentiation by activating cell membrane calcium channels and PI3K signaling pathways through ultrasound-responsive piezoelectric signals. In addition, the scaffold also provided a suitable microenvironment to promote macrophage M2 polarization and angiogenesis, thereby enhancing bone regeneration in skull defects of rats. The proposed piezocatalytically-induced controllable mineralization strategy provides a new idea for the development of tissue engineering scaffolds that can be implemented for multimodal physical stimulation therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nanoscale morphology of the photoactive layer notably impacts the performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). Conventional methods to tune the morphology are typically chemical approaches that adjust the properties (such as solubility and miscibility) of the active components including donor, acceptor, and/or additive. Here, we demonstrate a completely different approach by applying an external electric field (EEF) on the active layer during the wet coating. The EEF-coating method is perfectly compatible with an ambient blade coating using environmentally friendly solvents, which are essential requirements for industrial production of OSCs. A record 18.6% efficiency is achieved using the EEF coating, which is the best value for open-air, blade-coated OSCs to date. Our findings suggest broad material applicability and attribute-enhanced performance to EEF-induced fiber formation and long-range ordering of microstructures of acceptor domains. This technique offers an effective method for producing high-performance OSCs, especially suited for industry OSC production based on open-air printing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPurposeMaterials and methodsResultsConclusions\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONExisting measurements of the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) among practitioners in disability services often treat ICT adoption as a monolithic concept, overlooking its multifaceted nature within the disability field. This study introduces a stepped, inclusive approach to capturing this complexity, elucidating disparities in the utilization of various ICT dimensions, the present vs. anticipated use, and variations among different clinical-demographic groups.A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Hong Kong, gathering valid data from 324 practitioners spanning diverse disciplines and disability services.Data analysis produced a three-factor model categorizing ICT tools into (1) information and communication tools, (2) screening and monitoring tools, and (3) treatment and rehabilitation tools. The first category was identified as the predominant ICT utilized currently, with significant projected growth in the latter two categories’ usage. Variances in current ICT adoption were influenced by practitioners’ roles, clientele, positions, affiliating agencies, and educational attainments.This research provides a deeper understanding of the key dimensions of ICT adoption within disability services. It underscores the importance of devising specific and customized strategies for the effective integration of ICTs, ensuring a more tailored approach to meeting the unique demands of the disability field.Future studies focusing on information and communication technologies (ICTs) adoption or relevant concepts, such as e-health and telerehabilitation may consider employing similar methodological approaches accustomed to one’s local context.Future attention and investment in ICT adoption in disability services should focus more on domains directly relevant to clinical and rehabilitation practice, tailoring strategies to the specific needs of the field.There exists an urgent imperative to enhance ICT training, especially for psychosocial and medical professionals, while also increasing investments in non-governmental organizations.Such support needs to be gender- and age-inclusive, ensuring it meets the diverse needs of practitioners at all organizational levels.Future studies focusing on information and communication technologies (ICTs) adoption or relevant concepts, such as e-health and telerehabilitation may consider employing similar methodological approaches accustomed to one’s local context.Future attention and investment in ICT adoption in disability services should focus more on domains directly relevant to clinical and rehabilitation practice, tailoring strategies to the specific needs of the field.There exists an urgent imperative to enhance ICT training, especially for psychosocial and medical professionals, while also increasing investments in non-governmental organizations.Such support needs to be gender- and age-inclusive, ensuring it meets the diverse needs of practitioners at all organizational levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu receptor (KDELR) family genes play critical roles in a variety of biological processes in different tumors. Our study aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the potential roles of KDELRs in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Utilizing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, as well as clinical samples, we conducted a series of analyses and validations using R software tools and various online resources. The results showed that KDELR family genes and proteins were highly expressed and associated with a poor prognosis of LUAD. Promoter hypomethylation and the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network of PCAT6/hsa-miR-326/KDELR1 might be potential causes of aberrant KDELR1 overexpression in LUAD. Three key Transcription factors (TFs) (SPI1, EP300, and MAZ) and a TFs-miRNAs-KDELRs network (involving 11 TFs) might be involved in modulating KDELRs expression abnormalities. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) indicated enrichment of genes highly expressing KDELR1, KDELR2, and KDELR3 in MTORC1_SIGNALING, P53_PATHWAY, and ANGIOGENESIS. Negative correlations between KDELRs expression and CD8 + T cell infiltration, as well as CTLA-4 expression. Our multiple analyses suggested that the KDELRs are important signaling molecules in LUAD. These results provided novel insights for developing prognostic markers and novel therapies of LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The early and rapid identification of psychosomatic symptoms is crucial to prevent harmful outcomes in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in busy comprehensive clinics. This study aimed to explore the prevalence and rapid screening method of the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research-revised (DCPR) syndromes in patients with HPV infection. Methods: A total of 504 participants underwent a clinical assessment that included DCPR, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), fear of disease, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. The prevalence of DCPR syndromes and DSM-5 diagnoses were compared between the HPV-positive and negative patients using χ2 tests. We explored the rapid screen indicator through multiple logistic regression analyses of the participants’ psychosocial factors, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Results: The incidence of DCPR syndromes in HPV-positive patients (56.6%) was significantly greater than that in HPV-negative patients (17.3%) and DSM-5 diagnoses (8.5%) in the HPV-positive group. Health anxiety, irritable mood, type A behavior, and demoralization were the most common psychosomatic syndromes in HPV-positive patients. As the degree of fear increased from 0 to 5 to 10, the risk of DCPR increased from 1.27 (95% CI: 0.21–7.63) to 3.24 (score range: 1–5, 95% CI: 1.01–10.39) to 9.91 (score range: 6–10, 95% CI: 3.21–30.62) in the HPV-positive group. Conclusion: The degree of fear, as an independent risk factor, could be used to quickly screen outpatients with a high risk of DCPR syndrome among women with HPV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sea breeze characteristics for 30 years of summer (1981–2010) in the coastal region of Jiangsu Province were analysed in this study, using the four‐step filter method based on ECMWF Fifth‐Generation Reanalysis (ERA5) data. The results showed that the filtering method reasonably identified three types of sea breeze. Additionally, approximately 23% of the total summer days remained; the corkscrew type dominates the three types of sea breeze; and the backdoor sea breeze was the least common. Except for the type of backdoor sea breeze, the other two types had relatively fixed dominant weather types on three coastlines. The synoptic weather patterns in the 500‐hPa level corresponding to each sea breeze type were different. Further, the details of the diurnal cycle of lower tropospheric circulation indicated the strength of the onshore wind and the location of the large potential temperature gradient at noon being influenced by sea breeze type and coastal location. The wind strength for the three types of sea breeze on the middle coastline was stronger than that on the other two coastlines. On the three coastlines, strong onshore winds were concentrated in areas near the coastline, where they reached their maximum strengths around noon. On the southern coastline, strong onshore winds moved further inland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On‐chip spectral imaging based on engineered spectral modulation and computational spectral reconstruction provides a promising scheme for portable spectral cameras. However, the angle dependence of modulation units results in the angle sensitivity of spectral imaging, which limits its practical applications. Here, metal is utilized instead of dielectric materials to realize on‐chip angle‐robust computational spectral imaging based on a group of topology‐optimized plasmonic metasurface units under a 30° field‐of‐view, and demonstrate angle‐insensitive spectral imaging in the wavelength range of 450–750 nm for average polarization. Furthermore, it is experimentally verified that the angle‐insensitive spectral filtering effects of the fabricated metasurface units, and demonstrated angle‐robust spectral reconstruction with a fidelity of over 98% as well as spectral imaging for a standard color checker. This approach expands the application scale of spectral imaging, which has great potential on metal‐based on‐chip multimodal imaging with dimension of depth, polarization, spectrum and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whispering gallery mode (WGM) optical microcavities have played an essential role in both fundamental research and practical applications, such as cavity quantum electrodynamics, optomechanics, microlasers, and optical sensors. While microcavities made of various materials (e.g., SiO2, As2S3, polymethylmethacrylate) have been extensively investigated, exploiting new materials for microcavities holds great promise for expanding the functionalities of the microcavities. As one of the most ubiquitous and important solids on earth's surface, ice exhibits intriguing optical properties that render it an excellent material for optical applications. Here, ice microsphere optical cavities are demonstrated for the first time. By rapidly freezing water microdroplets, ice microspheres are batch‐fabricated with relatively smooth surfaces and diameters of 5–50 µm. Excitation of a series of WGMs within ice microsphere cavities is achieved over a broad spectral range from near‐ultraviolet to near‐infrared region (380–1600 nm) with quality factors up to 1.4 × 103. Considering the extremely low absorption coefficient of ice in the ultraviolet, this work provides an exceptional platform for exploring ultraviolet microcavity photonics and its diverse applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gut microbiota influences many aspects of the host, including immune system maturation, nutrient absorption and metabolism, and protection from pathogens. Increasing evidences from cohort and animal studies indicate that changes in the gut microbiota early in life increases the risk of developing specific diseases early and later in life. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to identify specific disease prevention or therapeutic solutions targeting the gut microbiota, especially during infancy, which is the window of the human gut microbiota establishment process. In this review, we provide an overview of current knowledge concerning the relationship between disturbances in the gut microbiota early in life and health consequences later in life (e.g., necrotizing enterocolitis, celiac disease, asthma, allergies, autism spectrum disorders, overweight/obesity, diabetes and growth retardation), with a focus on changes in the gut microbiota prior to disease onset. In addition, we summarize and discuss potential microbiota-based interventions early in life (e.g., diet adjustments, probiotics, prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, environmental changes) to promote health or prevent the development of specific diseases. This knowledge should aid the understanding of early life microbiology and inform the development of prediction and prevention measures for short- and long-term health disorders based on the gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic–inorganic metal halides (OIMHs) have drawn considerable attention due to their remarkable optoelectronic properties and substantial promise for nonlinear optical applications. In this research, phenazine has been selected as the organic cation because of its π-conjugated feature. Three compounds, (C12H9N2)PbCl3, (C12H9N2)SbCl4, and (C12H9N2)2InBr4·Br, were synthesized. Initial space group assignments were centrosymmetric for (C12H9N2)PbCl3 and (C12H9N2)SbCl4. However, under 1550 nm laser excitation, (C12H9N2)PbCl3 and (C12H9N2)SbCl4 exhibited second harmonic generation intensities ∼1.7 times greater than that of the benchmark KH2PO4. Structural reevaluation ultimately confirmed non-centrosymmetric P1 and P21 space groups for (C12H9N2)PbCl3 and (C12H9N2)SbCl4, respectively. Upon excitation at 335 nm and 470 nm, (C12H9N2)PbCl3, (C12H9N2)SbCl4, and (C12H9N2)2InBr4·Br emit fluorescence at room temperature. (C12H9N2)2InBr4·Br exhibits reversible phase transitions, showing potential for phase change energy storage. Our research underscores the critical role of comprehensive experimental validation in determining the precise crystallographic space groups and reveals the extensive potential of OIMHs as versatile candidates for advanced optoelectronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Cobalt(II)‐based metal–organic framework (MOF) with composition [Co2(μ2‐OH)(L)(bib)·H2O·2DMA]n (1) (H3L = 5‐[4′‐carboxylphenoxy] isophthalic acid, bib = 1, 4‐bis[1‐imidazolyl]benzene, DMA = dimethylacetamide) has been solvothermally synthesized and characterized. The MOF exhibits unprecedented topology with Schläfli symbol (43)2(4.66.1686) and display optical band gap of 3.68 eV and hence utilized as photocatalyst to photodegrade antibiotics such as metronidazole, tinidazole, nitrofurantoin, and dimetridazole. Among these antibiotics, it displays exceptional photocatalytic degradation of nitrofurantoin. Additional studies suggest that at pH 5 and 5 mg/L dosage of 1, 99.66% of nitrofurantoin decomposes at its 40 ppm concentration. Further, mechanistic pathway for light‐driven nitrofurantoin decomposition has been explored by utilizing experimental, namely, radical trapping experiments and computational techniques employing density of states and Hirshfeld surface analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new model is presented to predict hydrogen-assisted fatigue. The model combines a phase field description of fracture and fatigue, stress-assisted hydrogen diffusion, and a toughness degradation formulation with cyclic and hydrogen contributions. Hydrogen-assisted fatigue crack growth predictions exhibit an excellent agreement with experiments over all the scenarios considered, spanning multiple load ratios, H 2 pressures and loading frequencies. These are obtained without any calibration with hydrogen-assisted fatigue data, taking as input only mechanical and hydrogen transport material properties, the material's fatigue characteristics (from a single test in air), and the sensitivity of fracture toughness to hydrogen content. Furthermore, the model is used to determine: (i) what are suitable test loading frequencies to obtain conservative data, and (ii) the underestimation made when not pre-charging samples. The model can handle both laboratory specimens and large-scale engineering components, enabling the Virtual Testing paradigm in infrastructure exposed to hydrogen environments and cyclic loading. [Display omitted] • A new phase field-based model for hydrogen-assisted fatigue crack growth is presented. • Model predictions are compared against fatigue crack growth experiments in H 2. • An excellent agreement is attained across H 2 pressures, loading ratios and frequencies. • The impact of hydrogen pre-charging the samples is quantified. • The sensitivity to frequency is elucidated, mapping regimes of conservative testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness, affecting millions worldwide. Its complex pathogenesis involves a variety of risk factors, including lipid metabolism and inflammation. This study aims to elucidate the causal relationships between biomarkers related to these processes and AMD, leveraging Mendelian randomization (MR) and cross-sectional analysis from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Method: We conducted a two-phase study, initially using MR to explore the causality between 35 biomarkers and various AMD subtypes, followed by observational analysis with NHANES data to validate these findings. Results: MR analysis identified a protective role of TG and a risk factor role of HDL-C and CRP in AMD development. NHANES data corroborated these findings, highlighting a nuanced relationship between these biomarkers and AMD. Notably, lipid metabolism-related biomarkers showed stronger associations with early AMD, whereas CRP's significance was pronounced in late AMD. Conclusion: This comprehensive analysis, combining MR with NHANES data, reinforces the importance of lipid metabolism and inflammation in AMD's etiology. Future research should further investigate these biomarkers' mechanisms and their potential as therapeutic targets for AMD prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Ni–C films have been fabricated via pulse electrochemical deposition and carbon sol reinforcement methods. The surfacing of prepared films significantly improved due to the uniform distribution of nanoparticles. Additionally, the maximum thickness is attained when the concentration of carbon sol is 15ml/L. X-ray diffraction analysis of the Ni–C composite films reveals adding carbon sol effectively refines the grain size of prepared films. The highest film hardness, 420HV, is achieved at a carbon sol concentration of 15ml/L, corresponding to the best wear and corrosion resistance. Excessive carbon sol can lead to agglomeration of carbon particles, resulting in defects such as cracks and pores within the coating, thereby degrading its performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing polymer‐based piezoelectric materials with multistimulus responsiveness is highly desirable for advancing multi‐source energy harvesting in wearable electronics. Inspired by the multifunctionality of muscle fibers, a nanostructure interface engineering strategy to create piezoelectric polymeric nanoheterostructures (PNHs) with remarkable responsiveness to both mechanical and nonmechanical contactless stimuli is introduced. Through precise interfacing of polymer nanofibers with nanoparticles via multiscale‐regulated interface electrostatic and chemical interactions, the study achieves a controlled assembly of stabilized and hierarchically organized nanoheterostructures featuring unique interface‐confined configurations. These configurations induce in situ stabilized dipole orientation and significant geometric stress nano‐confinement at interfaces, crucial for amplifying electricity generation. Compared to conventional polymer nanocomposites, engineered PNHs exhibit dramatically enhanced piezoelectricity, boasting a higher sensitivity of 1065 mV kPa−1 and piezoelectric coefficient of 76.2 pC N−1. Furthermore, PNHs demonstrate superior thermo‐actuated electricity generation under temperature fluctuations through cooperative spontaneous polarizations of constituent nanostructures, yielding a higher pyroelectric coefficient of 3.13 µC m2K−1. Additionally, the design enables photothermally‐activated switchable electricity generation and light‐energy harvesting, achieving a photo‐electric conversion efficiency tenfold higher than nanocomposites. This effective and versatile approach inspires the development of multi‐responsive nanogenerators for multi‐energy harvesting and self‐powered multistimulus‐sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutations in the transcription factors encoded by PHOX2B or LBX1 correlate with congenital central hypoventilation disorders. These conditions are typically characterized by pronounced hypoventilation, central apnea, and diminished chemoreflexes, particularly to abnormally high levels of arterial PCO2. The dysfunctional neurons causing these respiratory disorders are largely unknown. Here, we show that distinct, and previously undescribed, sets of medullary neurons coexpressing both transcription factors (dB2 neurons) account for specific respiratory functions and phenotypes seen in congenital hypoventilation. By combining intersectional chemogenetics, intersectional labeling, lineage tracing, and conditional mutagenesis, we uncovered subgroups of dB2 neurons with key functions in (i) respiratory tidal volumes, (ii) the hypercarbic reflex, (iii) neonatal respiratory stability, and (iv) neonatal survival. These data provide functional evidence for the critical role of distinct medullary dB2 neurons in neonatal respiratory physiology. In summary, our work identifies distinct subgroups of dB2 neurons regulating breathing homeostasis, dysfunction of which causes respiratory phenotypes associated with congenital hypoventilation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the primary decomposition of the edge ideal of the join of weighted oriented graphs in terms of the information from each of those graphs. Using this decomposition and induction, we derive formulas for the depth and regularity of ordinary powers of the edge ideal of the join of two graphs consisting of isolated vertices. Furthermore, we provide upper bounds for the regularity of symbolic powers of such an edge ideal. For the edge ideal of the join of two graphs with at least one oriented edge for each graph, we provide exact formulas for their depth and regularity, as well as upper bounds for the regularity of ordinary powers of such an edge ideal. Some examples demonstrate that these upper bounds are sometimes attainable and sometimes strict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to develop and evaluate radiomics models to predict CD27 expression and clinical prognosis before surgery in patients with serous ovarian cancer (SOC). Methods: We used transcriptome sequencing data and contrast-enhanced computed tomography images of patients with SOC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (n = 339) and The Cancer Imaging Archive (n = 57) and evaluated the clinical significance and prognostic value of CD27 expression. Radiomics features were selected to create a recursive feature elimination-logistic regression (RFE-LR) model and a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression (LASSO-LR) model for CD27 expression prediction. Results: CD27 expression was upregulated in tumor samples, and a high expression level was determined to be an independent protective factor for survival. A set of three and six radiomics features were extracted to develop RFE-LR and LASSO-LR radiomics models, respectively. Both models demonstrated good calibration and clinical benefits, as determined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis. The LASSO-LR model performed better than the RFE-LR model, owing to the area under the curve (AUC) values of the ROC curves (0.829 vs. 0.736). Furthermore, the AUC value of the radiomics score that predicted the overall survival of patients with SOC diagnosed after 60 months was 0.788 using the LASSO-LR model. Conclusion: The radiomics models we developed are promising noninvasive tools for predicting CD27 expression status and SOC prognosis. The LASSO-LR model is highly recommended for evaluating the preoperative risk stratification for SOCs in clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speech emotion recognition (SER) methods rely on frames to analyze the speech data. However, the existing methods typically divide a speech sample into smaller speech frames and label them with a single emotional tag, which fails to consider the possibility of multiple emotion tags coexisting within a speech sample. To deal with this limitation, we present a novel approach called self-labeling learning ensemble via DRNN and self-representation (En-DRNN-SR) for SER. This method automatically segments speech sample into speech frames, and then the deep recurrent neural network (DRNN) is applied to learn the deep features, and next the self-representation is built to get a relational degree matrix, finally the speech frames is divided into three parts using a relational degree matrix: the key emotional frames, the compatible emotional frames and the noise frames. The emotion tags of the compatible emotional frames are adaptive cyclic learned based on the key emotion frames vias the relational degree matrix, while also checking the emotion tags associated with the key compatible frames. Additionally, we introduce a new self-labeling criterion based on fuzzy membership degree for SER. To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed En-DRNN-SR, we conducted extensive experiments on IEMOCAP, EMODB, and SAVEE database, the proposed En-DRNN-SR obtains 69.13%, 82.83%, and 52.31% results on IEMOCAP, EMODB, and SAVEE database, which outperformed all competing algorithms. The experimental results clearly demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms state-of-the-art SER methods, achieving superior performance on feature learning and classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current studies on facial growth and development have been largely based on European populations. Less studied are African populations, who because of their distinct genetic makeup and environmental conditions, provide deeper insights into patterns of facial development. Patterns of facial shape development in African populations remain largely uncharacterised. Our study aimed to establish facial growth and development trajectories based on a cohort of 2874 Bantu Africans from Tanzania aged 6–18 years, with particular focus on identifying morphogenetic processes that lead to observed developmental shape changes. Procrustes ANCOVA suggested sexually dimorphic patterns of facial shape development (p = 0.0036). The forehead was relatively contracted during development in both sexes. The glabella region was more anteriorly displaced in females due to expansion in the region laterosuperior to the eyes. Nasal protrusion increased with development, which was found to arise from local expansion in the nasal alae and columella. Local expansion in the upper and lower labial regions resulted in forward displaced lips in both sexes, with the effect more pronounced in males. The mentum was displaced more anteriorly in females due to comparatively more expanded mental regions with development. The lateral facial region corresponding to the underlying body of the mandible were developmentally expanded but were posteriorly positioned due to protrusive growth of surrounding structures. Generalised additive modelling of Procrustes variance suggested that facial variation decreased non‐linearly with age (p < 0.05). Relative principal component analysis suggested that variations in facial outline shape were developmentally constrained, whereas nasolabial and mental regions, where developmental changes were significant, became morphologically diversified with development. In contrast to simple descriptive illustration of facial shape development, we gained transformative insights into patterns of facial shape development by analysing morphogenetic processes and variational properties. Our analytical framework is broadly applicable to morphometric studies on ontogenetic shape changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decarbonylative and dehydrogenative cascade annulation of aldehydes with N‐(o‐cyanobiaryl)acrylamides was developed for the synthesis of a broad spectrum of alkyl‐ and carbonyl‐substituted pyrido[4,3,2‐gh]phenanthridines. Secondary and tertiary aldehydes can undergo the decarbonylative cascade under DTBP/malonic acid conditions, while aryl, primary, and secondary aldehydes can undergo dehydrogenative reaction under TBHP system. Such transformations were triggered by alkyl and acyl radicals, and the annulations were accomplished through intramolecular additions of carbon‐centered radical to nitrile group and iminyl radical to aromatic ring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]