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Precision grinding form fine grinding stripes with the micro-cutting effect of the abrasive micro-edges and obtain a high-precision and low-roughness machined surface. Due to the extremely high hardness and wear resistance, it is challenging for diamond abrasive grains to produce micro-cutting edges on the surface through grinding wheel dressing. In this paper, diamond abrasive grains with micro-edges are fabricated using hot filament vapor deposition (HFCVD) method. The graphite disc is the carrier on which high temperature and high pressure (HPHT) diamond seeds are distributed uniformly by patterned masks. Micro-edge structures are generated on the surface of grown diamond abrasive grains after chemical vapor deposition. The experimental results show that the grown diamond abrasive grains maintain the same cube-octahedral shape as seeds under the conditions of substrate temperature of 900 °C, reactive pressure of 4500 Pa, and carbon source concentration of 1 %. At the same time, numerous polycrystalline micro-edges with homogeneous distribution grow on the surface of diamond abrasive grains, and the two-dimensional (2D) size and protrusion height of micro-edges increase with the growth duration. The micro-edges are of high diamond quality with few impurities and defects and are equal in height. In addition, the analysis results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) imply that the optimal deposition parameters result in the preferred orientation of the crystals in the 〈111〉 direction, forming the pyramidal (111)-faceted micro-edges on the surface of the abrasive grains. [Display omitted] • Diamond abrasive grains with micro-edges were fabricated using hot filament vapor deposition (HFCVD) method. • The effects of deposition parameters on the surface morphology and quality of diamond abrasive grains were investigated. • The variation of 2D size and protrusion height of micro-edges at various deposition times were studied. • The controllable growth micro-edges can be achieved under the optimal deposition parameters by changing the growth duration. • The optimal deposition parameters result in the preferred orientation of the crystals in the <111> direction, forming the pyramidal (111)-faceted micro-edges on the surface of the abrasive grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunnels with surrounding rock temperatures exceeding 28 °C are called high geothermal tunnels. During the construction of high geothermal tunnels, construction personnel health, machine operation efficiency and second lining safety are affected by the heat tunnel. Therefore, calculating the precise heat release characteristics of high-geothermal temperature tunnels is a prerequisite for ensuring the smooth passage of the tunnel. The guideline that states that the wall temperature is constant in the longitudinal direction of the tunnel is not realistic. This constant temperature results in large heat release calculations and leads to increased energy wastage while cooling high geothermal tunnels. Therefore, a method is proposed for calculating the heat release along the longitudinal direction of a tunnel based on a three-dimensional implicit finite-difference technique considering the ventilation time and average wind speed. This calculation method is used to determine the heat release values of the surrounding rock, initial support and second lining and to compare these findings with the guideline algorithm. The results show that the difference between the internal surrounding rock temperature calculated by the three-dimensional implicit finite-difference method and the measured value is 0.94 °C, verifying the theory accuracy. The heat release of the initial support section is much higher than that of the surrounding rock and the second lining; all heat release values are smaller than the normative heat release. This method of calculating heat release is more realistic and can effectively lay the foundations for high geothermal tunnel cooling while saving costs. Therefore, the heat release calculation method should be extended and used as a basis for calculating ventilation and cooling in other high geothermal tunnel construction projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the “Thing” under the term “Internet of Things” is referred to “any physical entity capable of connectivity that directly interfaces the physical world, such as embedded devices, sensors and actuators,” these connections to the physical world would involve to certain elements od personal privacy. Furthermore, IoT operations have direct and important connections to the geographical location of individuals, under the assistance of the borderless Internet these privacy issues would shift to international level. Although IoT transforms business and enables individuals to complete the task of objects assignation in geographical means via Internet service, personal information is also leaked to public. With regard of the privacy safeguard between different countries, the data flows of personal data in IOT would be a critical issue to international trade. Therefore, both World Trade Organization and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development have demonstrated an increasing enthusiasm for engaging in dialogue and processes to assist trustworthy cross-border data flows. This article will present the issues and possible solutions to the topic. The first part would provide security and privacy risks regarding IoT applications. In the second part, the discussion of risks shifts to cross-border data flows. The second part will cite several controlling methods and safeguards of the governing bodies, including countries and unions provisions of controlling. Then, the article will illustrate the GDPR experience about cross-border data flows. The fourth part will provide the differences of countries’ culture, religious, social environments, and levels of national security that existed the gaps of cross-border data flows. As in the conclusion addresses that international cooperation of promoting trusted cross-border data flows towards designing a conducive policy environment is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Editor-in-Chief and the publisher have retracted this article, which was submitted as part of a guest-edited special section. An investigation uncovered evidence of systematic manipulation of the publication process, including compromised peer review. The Editor and publisher no longer have confidence in the results and conclusions of the article. LZ agreed with retraction. YS did not agree with the retraction. YL either did not respond directly or could not be reached. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We extend our ı Hall algebra construction from acyclic to arbitrary ı quivers, where the ı quiver algebras are infinite-dimensional 1-Gorenstein in general. Then we establish an injective homomorphism from the universal ı quantum group of Kac-Moody type arising from quantum symmetric pairs to the ı Hall algebra associated to a virtually acyclic ı quiver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study Ga-doped cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanowires (NWs) were grown through chemical vapor deposition. The carrier conductivities of the CdS NWs improved after the incorporation of Ga; moreover, the conductivities of the CdS NWs increased upon increasing the amount of the Ga source. Using a cation exchange method, these CdS NWs served as the source material for the preparation of Cu2S–CdS p–n heterostructured NWs. The short-circuit current, open-circuit voltage, fill factor, and power conversion efficiency of the best-performing Cu2S–CdS NW photovoltaic device were 0.152 nA, 0.245 V, 44.5%, and 0.405%, respectively, when illuminated under AM 1.5 solar light. This study demonstrates the possibility of modulating not only the properties of CdS NWs through the incorporation of dopant Ga atoms but also the photovoltaic properties of Cu2S–CdS p–n heterostructured NW devices, paving the way for the exploitation of nanostructures within optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the survival rate of burn patients in the Formosa Fun Coast Explosion disaster increased significantly, for patients facing long-term rehabilitation, there remained great stress. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the predictors of resilience among burn patients in this major disaster. We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive study in a medical center in northern Taiwan, with a total of 30 burn patients enrolled. Patients' demographics were collected, and the Resilience Scale and Perceived Stress Scale were administered. Multivariate statistical analysis by stepwise and linear regression was used to test these predictors of resilience. The results showed that perceived stress was the key predictor of resilience in the stepwise regression analysis and by adjusting variables including stress level, gender, and education level. These results indicate that the stress level of burn patients should be determined first to provide more targeted methods for reducing stress and improving resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progressive collapse of building structures has been a hot research topic since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. These works provide valuable information focused more on beam–column connections and two-dimensional (2D) substructures, and relative studies on three-dimensional (3D) structures are limited, especially high-quality experimental tests on 3D composite floor systems. As is known, external columns are entirely exposed to the outside environment, which makes them more susceptible to be damaged by extreme events like vehicular impact or explosion, as observed in the collapse of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995. In this study, two 1/3 -scale 3D specimens with four types of connections, including web unreinforced flange bolted (WUFB) connection, fin plate (FP) connection, reduced beam section (RBS) connection, and double angle cleat (DAC) connection, were tested quasi-statically up to failure under external column removal scenarios. Based on the test results, the vertical load–displacement curves, failure modes, deflection profile, and strain development of the structural components were obtained and discussed in detail. The reaction force redistribution in the remaining columns and surrounding restraints was also investigated. Special attention was paid to the contributions of the main load-resisting mechanisms, namely, flexural action (FA), catenary action (CA), and tensile membrane action (TMA), on resisting progressive collapse. The analysis results suggest that, after the failure of an external column, FA would dominate in resisting progressive collapse. Although TMA does contribute to the mitigation of progressive collapse at the large-deformation stage, it plays a secondary role because the total load-carrying capacity has already been severely deteriorated. By contrast, CA might be negligible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arrays of coils are commonly used in MRI both for reception and in parallel transmission to alleviate radiofrequency field inhomogeneities at high fields. Most designs typically overlap loop elements by a critical area (approximately 10%) to minimize mutual inductive couplings. With this geometrical constraint, loop sizes have to be reduced to accommodate large numbers of coils for a given coverage. However, the contribution of coil noise to total noise increases as each coil size decreases, which reduces overall signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), especially in deeper regions of the sample volume. Here we propose arrays designs using elements that overlap much more (over-overlapped), and using numerical calculations we investigate their performance compared to two kinds of conventionally overlapped arrays (one with the same coil size but smaller coil number, and one with the same coil number but smaller coil size). Our simulation results show that the over-overlapped array can considerably increase the central SNR when coil noise dominates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the deadliest cancer worldwide. Multiple long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are recently identified as crucial oncogenic factors or tumor suppressors in GC. In this study, we aimed to probe into the effect of LINC01436 on GC progression. Methods: LINC01436 and miR-513a-5p expressions in GC tissue samples were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Western blot was used to detect the expression of apurinic/apyrimidinic endodeoxyribonuclease 1 (APE1) expression. Human GC cell lines AGS and BGC-823 were employed to investigate the function and mechanism of LINC01436 in GC. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to assess the effect of LINC01436 on proliferation. Flow cytometry was utilized to explore the effect of LINC01436 on apoptosis, and Transwell assay was conducted to detect the effect of LINC01436 on the migration and invasion. Colony formation assay was performed to evaluate the effect of LINC01436 on radioresistance of GC cells. Furthermore, luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay were conducted to confirm the binding relationship between miR-513a-5p and LINC01436. Additionally, Western blot was used to study the regulatory function of LINC01436 and miR-513a-5p on APE1. Results: LINC01436 expression of GC clinical samples was remarkably increased and LINC01436 was correlated with unfavorable pathological indexes. LINC01436 high expression was associated with shorter overall survival time. Its overexpression observably promoted the proliferation, metastasis and radioresistance of GC cells, and its knockdown suppressed the malignant phenotypes of GC cells. LINC01436 overexpression markedly reduced the miR-513a-5p expression via sponging it and enhanced the APE1 expression. MiR-513a-5p overexpression or APE1 knockdown reversed the effects of LINC01436 on GC cells. Conclusion: LINC01436 is a molecular sponge of tumor suppressor miR-513a-5p, which indirectly enhances the APE1 expression and functions as the oncogenic lncRNA in GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on tools of attitudes towards ASD was limited. This study is the first to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the multidimensional attitudes scale toward persons with disabilities (MAS) in a sample of Chinese college students (N = 1002, 32.10% males). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the G-MAS-R model's 4-factor structure: calm, negative affect, positive cognitions and behavioral avoidance. The results suggest that the Chinese version of the MAS has satisfactory internal consistency. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the MAS scores were significantly correlated with the Social Distance Scale and Autism Stigma and Knowledge Questionnaire scores. Overall, the findings indicate that the MAS is appropriate for assessing attitudes toward people with ASD in a Chinese context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic of plant-parasitic nematode populations in soil is closely related to soil microorganisms. Fungi from Heterodera zeae cysts were isolated to explore the phenomenon of decline in the H. zeae population in the soil. Phylogenetic study of partial ITS, BenA, CaM, and RPB2 gene sequences, in addition to morphological investigations, was utilized to identify a nematode-destroying fungus. The nematicidal activity of a novel strain GX1 against H. zeae was assessed in vitro and in the greenhouse. Our findings revealed that strain GX1 is a new species of Talaromyces, named Talaromyces cystophila. It has a strong parasitic and lethal effect on H. zeae cysts, with 91.11% parasitism on cysts at 3 days after treatment. The contents of second-stage juveniles (J2s) and eggs inside the cysts were degraded and formed dense vacuoles, and the damaged eggs could not hatch normally. The spore suspension exhibited high nematophagous activity against nematodes, and fermentation filtrate exhibited marked inhibition of egg hatching and nematicidal activities on J2s. The hatching inhibition rates of eggs exposed to 1 × 108 CFU/ml spore suspensions or 20% 1-week fermentation filtrate (1-WF) for 15 days were 98.56 and 100%, respectively. The mortality of J2s exposed to 1 × 108 CFU/ml spore suspension reached 100% at 24 h; exposure to 50% 2-WF was 98.65 and 100% at 24 and 48 h, respectively. Greenhouse experiments revealed that the spore suspension and fermentation broth considerably decreased H. zeae reproduction by 56.17 to 78.76%. T. cystophila is a potential biocontrol strain with nematophagous and nematicidal activity that deserves attention and application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assess rate of visual impairment (VI) from uncorrected refractive error (URE) and associations with demographic and socioeconomic factors among low-income patients presenting to the Michigan Screening and Intervention for Glaucoma and Eye Health through Telemedicine (MI-SIGHT) program. Cross-sectional study. Adults ≥ 18 years without acute ocular symptoms. MI-SIGHT program participants received a telemedicine-based eye disease screening and ordered glasses through an online optical shop. Participants were categorized based on refractive error (RE) status: VI from URE (presenting visual acuity [PVA] ≤ 20/50, best corrected visual acuity [BCVA] ≥ 20/40), URE without VI (PVA ≥ 20/40, had ≥ 2 lines of improvement to BCVA), and no or adequately corrected RE (PVA ≥ 20/40, < 2 line improvement to BCVA). Patient demographics, self-reported visual function, and satisfaction with glasses obtained through the program were compared between groups using analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis, chi-square, and Fisher exact testing. PVA, BCVA, and presence of VI (defined as PVA ≤ 20/50). Of 1171 participants enrolled in the MI-SIGHT program during the first year, the average age was 55.1 years (standard deviation = 14.5), 37.7% were male, 54.1% identified as Black, and 1166 (99.6%) had both PVA and BCVA measured. VI was observed in 120 (10.3%); 96 had VI from URE (8.2%), 168 (14.4%) had URE without VI, and 878 (75.3%) had no or adequately corrected RE. A smaller percentage of participants with VI from URE reported having a college degree and a larger percentage reported income < $10 000 compared to participants with no or adequately corrected RE (3.2% versus 14.2%, P = 0.02; 45.5% versus 21.6%, respectively, P < 0.0001. Visual function was lowest among participants with VI from URE, followed by those with URE without VI, and then those with no or adequately corrected RE (VFQ9 composite score 67.3 ± 19.6 versus 77.0 ± 14.4 versus 82.2 ± 13.3, respectively; P < 0.0001). 71.2% (n = 830) ordered glasses for an average cost of $36.80 ± $32.60; 97.7% were satisfied with their glasses. URE was the main cause of VI at 2 clinics serving low-income communities and was associated with reduced vision-related quality of life. An online optical shop with lower prices made eyeglasses accessible to low-income patients. Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Rotating machinery is a crucial component of large equipment, and detecting faults in it accurately is critical for reliable operation. Although fault diagnosis methods based on deep learning have been significantly developed, the existing methods model spatial and temporal features separately and then weigh them, resulting in the decoupling of spatiotemporal features. Design/methodology/approach: The authors propose a spatiotemporal long short-term memory (ST-LSTM) method for fault diagnosis of rotating machinery. The authors collected vibration signals from real rolling bearing and gearing test rigs for verification. Findings: Through these two experiments, the authors demonstrate that machine learning methods still have advantages on small-scale data sets, but our proposed method exhibits a significant advantage due to the simultaneous modeling of the time domain and space domain. These results indicate the potential of the interactive spatiotemporal modeling method for fault diagnosis of rotating machinery. Originality/value: The authors propose a ST-LSTM method for fault diagnosis of rotating machinery. The authors collected vibration signals from real rolling bearing and gearing test rigs for verification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the other hand, RNA-based therapy might solve this issue by providing patient-customized therapy. In the past, the central dogma of molecular biology stated that after gene transcription, messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were translated to proteins with the help of ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and transfer RNAs (tRNAs). Scientists have created an antisense oligonucleotide drug (one of the RNA-based therapies) to effectively treat a 6 year old girl diagnosed with a rare disease.[7] We anticipate the application of RNA-based therapy in treating rheumatic diseases. [Extracted from the article]

High-redshift blazars are valuable tools to study the early universe. So far, only a handful of γ-ray blazars have been found at redshifts above 3. Gamma-ray signals are detected in the direction of PMN J2219–2719 (z = 3.63) and PMN J2321–0827 (z = 3.16) by analyzing the 10 yr Fermi-LAT Pass 8 data. PMN J2219–2719 is not distinguished from the background in the global analysis. During the 5 month epoch, the TS value is 47.8 and the flux is more than 10 times that of the 10 yr averaged flux. In addition, the angular distance between the γ-ray position and the radio position of PMN J2219–2719 is only 0.°04. Moreover, the long timescale γ-ray and infrared light curves are very similar, which supports the association between the γ-ray source and PMN J2219–2719. The global analysis of PMN J2321–0827 suggest a new γ-ray source; during the flare phase, the TS value is 61.4 and the γ-ray flux increased significantly. The association probability suggests that PMN J2321–0827 may be the counterpart of the new γ-ray source. In the future, the number of high-redshift γ-ray sources will increase by combining Fermi-LAT and the upcoming Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sporisorium reilianum (S. reiliana) is rich in nutrition, high in melanin content, and can be obtained by artificial species. It is a high‐quality raw material for extracting natural melanin. Because of its unique structure and physicochemical property, natural melanin has become a stable and unique rare species in natural pigments. In this study, the effect of ultrasonic assisted on melanin extraction was studied with S. reiliana as a material. The influences of ultrasonic power, temperature, time, NaOH extract on melanin extraction in S. reiliana were investigated respectively. And through the single factor test and response surface method (RSM) to verify the evaluation. The RSM optimum conditions for melanin accumulation were: Ultrasonic power 245W, temperature 50°C, time 2 h, and pH 13 of NaOH extract. Under this condition, the return is 3.52%, which is close to the predicted value, indicating the feasibility of this model. For α‐glycosidase and PTP1B inhibition assay, the melanin demonstrated the inhibitory effect with IC50 82.16 ± 5.02 μg/ml and 81.27 ± 10.48 μg/ml, respectively. This study reveals the hypoglycemic activities of the melanin isolated from S. reiliana for the first time. Practical applications: Melanin from S. reiliana is an excellent hypoglycemic product due to its high α‐glycosidase and PTP1B inhibition activity. However, its extraction yield is too low. The combination of unconventional techniques (ultrasound‐assisted alkali dissolution and acid precipitation) is characterized as a new methodology for the extraction of melanin from S. reiliana. The extract provided a higher content of melanin than conventional methods. This technique is easily incorporated at the industrial level and is the low cost after the purchase of the relevant equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This is the first study investigating the antidepressant efficacy of bilateral theta-burst stimulation (TBS) monotherapy. • Bilateral TBS monotherapy is effective for the treatment of major depression. • This is the first study investigating the effects of TBS on a broad array of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL) -1β, IL-12p40, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IFN-γ inducible protein 10 and C-reactive protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N)-fixing soybean plants use the ureides allantoin and allantoic acid as major long-distance transport forms of N, but in non-fixing, non-nodulated plants amino acids mainly serve in source-to-sink N allocation. However, some ureides are still synthesized in roots of non-fixing soybean, and our study addresses the role of ureide transport processes in those plants. In previous work, legume ureide permeases (UPSs) were identified that are involved in cellular import of allantoin and allantoic acid. Here, UPS1 from common bean was expressed in the soybean phloem, which resulted in enhanced source-to-sink transport of ureides in the transgenic plants. This was accompanied by increased ureide synthesis and elevated allantoin and allantoic acid root-to-sink transport. Interestingly, amino acid assimilation, xylem transport, and phloem partitioning to sinks were also strongly up-regulated. In addition, photosynthesis and sucrose phloem transport were improved in the transgenic plants. These combined changes in source physiology and assimilate partitioning resulted in increased vegetative growth and improved seed numbers. Overall, the results support that ureide transport processes in non-fixing plants affect source N and carbon acquisition and assimilation as well as source-to-sink translocation of N and carbon assimilates with consequences for plant growth and seed development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently published in Science , AstroPath outlines a standardized workflow for multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) panel development, imaging, and analysis; showcases its potential in biomarker discovery for predicting response to anti–PD-1 treatment; and paves the way for large-scale computational pathology studies on high-quality mIF datasets using data-driven machine-learning techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MR Imaging the spinal cord of non-human primates (NHP), such as squirrel monkey, is important since the injuries in NHP resemble those that afflict human spinal cords. Our previous studies have reported a multi-parametric MRI protocol, including functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, quantitative magnetization transfer and chemical exchange saturation transfer, which allows non-invasive detection and monitoring of injury-associated structural, functional and molecular changes over time. High signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is critical for obtaining high-resolution images and robust estimates of MRI parameters. In this work, we describe our construction and use of a single channel coil designed to maximize the SNR for imaging the squirrel monkey cervical spinal cord in a 21 cm bore magnet at 9.4 T. We first numerically optimized the coil dimension of a single loop coil and then evaluated the benefits of a quadrature design. We then built an optimized coil based on the simulation results and compared its SNR performance with a non-optimized single coil in both phantoms and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transfusion of autologous blood is a timesaving, convenient, safe, and effective therapy from a clinical perspective, and often employed for the treatment of diabetic patients. Stabilization of HIF‐1α has been widely reported to be a critical factor in the improvement of wound healing in diabetes. Therefore, our study reveals the roles of improved autologous blood in wound healing in diabetes, through autologous blood transfusion in a mouse model. Initially, BALB/c mice were subjected to streptozotocin for diabetic mouse model establishment. Diabetic mice were transfused with improved or standard autologous blood in perfusion culture system. Roles of improved autologous blood in mediating HIF‐1α pathway were determined by measuring expression of VEGF, EGF, HIF‐1α, and HSP‐90. In order to assess the detailed regulatory mechanism of improved autologous blood in perspective of wound healing, cell proliferation, migration and cell cycle, fibroblasts isolated from diabetic mice were transfected with HIF‐1α siRNA. Mice transfused with improved autologous blood exhibited increased levels of CD31 and α‐SMA in skin tissues, and reduced TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6 levels, indicating that improved autologous blood promoted wound healing ability and reduced the release of inflammatory factors. Diabetic mice transfused with improved autologous blood presented activated HIF‐1α pathway. The survival rate, proliferation, and migration of fibroblasts were elevated via activation of the HIF‐1α pathway. Taken together, improved blood preservation solution could enhance the oxygen carrying capacity of red blood cells and wound healing in mice with diabetes, which is achieved through regulation of HIF‐1α pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In titanium casting, the interfacial reactions between selected Y2O3/Ca4Ti3O10 composites in contact with titanium at 1600°C for 30 minutes in an argon environment were characterized using X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and analytical transmission electron microscopy. Before contact with titanium, reaction phases of the Y2O3/Ca4Ti3O10 composites formed through hot pressing at 1500°C or annealing at 1600°C. These phases were identified as Ca4Ti3O10, Y2O3, and minor amounts of CaO. The amount of Ca4Ti3O10 in the composites gradually decreased as the amount of Y2O3 increased. When the Y2O3/Ca4Ti3O10 composites were in contact with titanium, a reaction layer of α‐Ti and Y2O3 was formed near the interface of the composite side. Large amounts of calcium and oxygen were expelled toward the composite side from Ca4Ti3O10 near the interface to form CaO, which precipitated in the Ca4Ti3O10 and Y2O3 phases. Furthermore, no reaction phases were detected in titanium. Ca4Ti3O10 and Y2O3 can function as diffusion barrier layers to effectively suppress the diffusion of oxygen into titanium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we are concerned with the task of gaze following. Given a scene (e.g. a girl playing soccer on the field) and a human subject's head position, this task aims to infer where she is looking (e.g. at the soccer ball). An existing method adopts a saliency model conditioned on the head position. However, this methodology is intrinsically troubled with dataset bias issues, which we will reveal in detail. In order to resolve these issues, we argue that the right methodology is to simulate how human beings follow gazes. Specifically, we propose the hypothesis that a human follows gazes by searching for salient objects along the subject's sight line direction. To algorithmically embody this hypothesis, a two-stage method is proposed, which is dubbed as learning to draw sight lines. In the first stage, a fully convolutional network is trained to directly regress the existence strength of sight lines. It may seem counterintuitive at a first glance as these so-called sight lines do not really exist in the form of learnable image gradients. However, with the large-scale dataset GazeFollow, we demonstrate that this highly abstract concept can be grounded into neural network activations. An extensive study is conducted on the design of this sight line grounding network. We show that the best model we visited can already outperform the state-of-the-arts by a large margin, using a naive greedy inference strategy. We attribute these improvements to modern architecture design philosophies. However, no matter how strong the sight line grounding network is, the greedy inference strategy cannot handle a bunch of failure cases caused by dataset bias issues. We identify these issues and demonstrate that those grounded sight lines, which is a unique ingredient of our method, is the key to overcome them. Specifically, an algorithm termed as RASP is introduced as a second stage. RASP has five intriguing features: (1) it explicitly embodies the aforementioned hypothesis; (2) it involves no hyper-parameters, thus guaranteeing its robustness; (3) if needed, it can be implemented as an integrated layer for end-to-end inference; (4) it improves the performances of all sight line grounding networks we inspected; (5) further analyses confirm that RASP works by alleviating those spotted dataset biases. Strong results are achieved on the GazeFollow benchmark. Combining RASP and the best sight line grounding network can bring mean distance, minimum distance and mean angle difference 45.85%, 42.60%, and 49.23% closer towards human performance when compared with state-of-the-arts. We also contribute a video gaze following benchmark called GazeShift, on which we further demonstrate the importance of RASP in video applications. Codes and models will be released, encouraging further research on the important task of gaze following. Along with our implementation, we contribute a well-engineered toolbox for joint subject tracking and gaze following. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies demonstrated that dysregulation of G protein‐coupled receptor 120 (GPR120) plays a protective role in osteoarthritis (OA). However, the mechanism underlying how GPR120 is downregulated remains largely unknown. In the present study, we evaluated whether GPR120 is regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Our results show that GPR120 was negatively regulated by miR‐15b‐5p through targeting 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR), and that miR‐15b‐5p was negatively regulated by LINC00662. Further luciferase assay shows that LINC00662‐miR‐15b‐5p signaling pathway contributed the regulation of GPR120 expression. Functionally, the decreased of LINC00662 caused increased miR‐15b‐5p, thereby leading to decreased GPR120. The decreased GPR120 then contributes to increased expression of inflammatory factors including tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α), interleukin (IL)‐6 and IL‐8, cell apoptosis, and decreased apoptosis‐related protein levels including cleaved caspase‐3, cleaved caspase‐9, and Bax in cultured rat chondrocytes. In summary, the present study shows that LINC00662‐miR‐15b‐5p signaling pathway is involved in the regulation of GPR120, thereby contributing to arthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the conventional secondary phase-shifted (PS) control, a semidual-active-bridge (S-DAB) dc–dc converter suffers from low efficiency at light load in buck mode due to hard switching and high tank current. In order to avoid this phenomenon and extend soft-switching range, a hybrid control including the primary pulsewidth modulation plus secondary phase-shifted (PWM+PS) is proposed in this paper. Under the proposed hybrid control, all steady-state operation modes with distinctive features are identified and analyzed. Based on the operation range, power characteristics and switching behaviors in each mode, a minimum peak current control route is developed, which can enable the converter to work with low tank current and soft switching over the whole load range. A lab-scale S-DAB converter is implemented to validate the theoretical analysis, and experimental results reveal that the higher efficiency can be achieved using the proposed control route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let $R$ be a two-sided Noetherian ring, and let $M$ be a nilpotent $R$ -bimodule, which is finitely generated on both sides. We study Gorenstein homological properties of the tensor ring $T_{R}(M)$. Under certain conditions, the ring $R$ is Gorenstein if and only if so is $T_{R}(M)$. We characterize Gorenstein projective $T_{R}(M)$ -modules in terms of $R$ -modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Formosa Fun Coast Explosion was a major public disaster that caused international shock. Nursing staff made an all-out effort to care for patients injured in the explosion, and this may have caused a lot of stress among nurses. This study aimed to explore the predictors of professional quality of life among nursing staff experiencing major disaster events.Material and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in a medical center in Northern Taiwan in 2016. A total of 165 nurses were enrolled using convenience sampling. Data were collected on the demographic- and work-related characteristics of nurses, and the Perceived Stress Scale and Professional Quality of Life Scale were administered. Analyses included descriptive statistics and regression. The threshold for statistical significance was set at p<0.05.Results: The nurses' length of service in nursing (β=-0.26, p=0.029) and perceived stress level (β=0.15, p=0.002) were important predictors of compassion satisfaction, while their age (β=0.42, p=0.033) and perceived stress level (β=0.20, p=0.020) were important predictors of compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue was divided into burnout and secondary trauma. Nurses' age (β=0.18, p=0.044) and perceived stress level (β=0.14, p<0.001) were the key predictors of burnout. However, there were no significant predictors of secondary trauma among nurses.Conclusions: Based on the present findings, it is proposed to reduce the level of stress among nurses to improve their professional quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although various types of geophones are applied in seismic exploration, there are only three common types of signals produced by geophones: displacement, velocity, and acceleration signals. Currently, our understanding of the signal characteristics, such as the generation mechanism, the geophysical properties, and the significance of the corresponding rock physics, remains unclear, which makes it difficult to both scientifically evaluate and take full advantage of the different types of geophones. In this paper, the mechanism by which seismic waves are generated is studied based on the spring-damped vibration theory. The physical characteristics of the three above-mentioned signal types and the relationships among the physical properties of the signals and medium are analyzed, as well as the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), resolution, and spectrum characteristics. Based on laboratory tests, field experiments, and applications, we obtained the following conclusions. The acceleration signal reflects the elastic characteristics of the medium and the change rules, and the signal strength is positively correlated with physical property changes. The acceleration signal has favorable attributes, such as small distortion, high fidelity, strong high-frequency amplitudes, and a wide frequency band. Therefore, the acceleration signal is more suitable for high-precision seismic exploration of complex media. In addition, the P-wave acceleration signal more accurately reflects the elastic Young modulus, shear modulus, and density changes than the velocity signal. However, the sensitivity decreases with increasing shear modulus and density. For the S-wave, the acceleration signal is more sensitive to the shear modulus and density than the velocity signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite evidence that a greater extent of resection (EOR) improves survival, the role of extended resection based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) in the prognosis of glioblastoma (GBM) remains controversial. This study aims to investigate the role of additional resection of FLAIR-detected abnormalities and its influence on clinical outcomes of patients with GBM. Forty-six patients with newly diagnosed GBM involving eloquent brain areas were included. Surgeries were performed using awake craniotomy (AC) or AC combined with sodium fluorescein (SF) guidance. Following total removal of the contrast-enhancing tumor area, the EOR of FLAIR abnormalities was dichotomized to identify the best separation threshold for progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and 30-day postoperative neurologic function of patients with GBM. The threshold for removal of FLAIR abnormalities affecting survival was determined to be 25%. The median OS and PFS were shorter in the group with FLAIR resection <25% compared with the group with FLAIR resection ≥25% (12 months vs. 26 months; P = 0.001 and 6 months vs. 15 months; P = 0.016, respectively). Univariate and multivariate analyses identified tumor location within or near the eloquent brain areas and the 25% threshold for FLAIR EOR as independent factors affecting OS and PFS. Identifying a feasible threshold for the resection of FLAIR abnormalities is valuable in improving the survival of patients with GBM. Extended resection of GBM involving eloquent brain areas was safe when using a combination of AC and SF-guided surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Seed development largely depends on the long‐distance transport of sucrose from photosynthetically active source leaves to seed sinks. This source‐to‐sink carbon allocation occurs in the phloem and requires the loading of sucrose into the leaf phloem and, at the sink end, its import into the growing embryo. Both tasks are achieved through the function of SUT sucrose transporters. In this study, we used vegetable peas (Pisum sativum L.), harvested for human consumption as immature seeds, as our model crop and simultaneously overexpressed the endogenous SUT1 transporter in the leaf phloem and in cotyledon epidermal cells where import into the embryo occurs. Using this 'Push‐and‐Pull' approach, the transgenic SUT1 plants displayed increased sucrose phloem loading and carbon movement from source to sink causing higher sucrose levels in developing pea seeds. The enhanced sucrose partitioning further led to improved photosynthesis rates, increased leaf nitrogen assimilation, and enhanced source‐to‐sink transport of amino acids. Embryo loading with amino acids was also increased in SUT1‐overexpressors resulting in higher protein levels in immature seeds. Further, transgenic plants grown until desiccation produced more seed protein and starch, as well as higher seed yields than the wild‐type plants. Together, the results demonstrate that the SUT1‐overexpressing plants with enhanced sucrose allocation to sinks adjust leaf carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and amino acid partitioning in order to accommodate the increased assimilate demand of growing seeds. We further provide evidence that the combined Push‐and‐Pull approach for enhancing carbon transport is a successful strategy for improving seed yields and nutritional quality in legumes. Significance Statement: We demonstrate that carbon allocation from source to sink and seed carbon pools can be improved in legumes through synergistically enhancing leaf export and seed uptake of sucrose. In addition, changes in source‐to‐sink carbon transport affect seed protein levels though improved leaf metabolism and amino acid partitioning to, and uptake into, the embryo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of a comprehensive community intervention on cognition and inoculation behaviors of diabetic patients immunized with influenza vaccine.Methods: A total of 1538 diabetic patients aged 35 years and above for outpatient visits and follow-up treatments were selected from six community health service centers (three for the experimental group, and the other three for the control group) in Chaoyang District, Beijing. Comprehensive interventions applied to the experimental group include patient intervention and community climate interventions. We compared the total awareness of influenza vaccine knowledge and influenza vaccination rates between the two groups before and after the intervention.Results: Before the intervention, the total awareness rate of influenza vaccine in the experimental group and the control group was similar (50.6 and 50.2%, respectively. P = 0.171). After the intervention, the awareness rate of influenza vaccine in the experimental group and the control group increased. The amplitude of the increase was similar (70.3 and 70.1%, respectively. P = 0.822,). Before the intervention, there was no significant difference in the influenza vaccination rate between the experimental group and the control group (29.0 and 26.8%, respectively. P = 0.334). After the intervention, the vaccination rate of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group. The difference was statistically significant (The vaccination rate 45.8 and 27.4% for the experimental group and the control group, respectively. P < 0.001).Conclusion: Comprehensive community interventions had a positive effect on vaccination in diabetic patients.Trial Registration: ChiCTR1900025194, registered in Aug,16th, 2019. Retrospectively registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A real-time visible light communication (VLC) system is proposed and experimentally demonstrated for simultaneous high-speed wireless communication and positioning beacon transmission realization. Through proposed 2 amplitude shift keying-constant envelope-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (2ASK-CE-OFDM) coding, the transmitter can integrate 2ASK positioning beacon signal onto the envelope of CE-OFDM communication signal. The communication and positioning signals can be demodulated at the receiver, respectively. The mathematical derivations of 2ASK-CE-OFDM and implementation details of the field programmable gate array (FPGA) based real-time VLC system are introduced in this paper. The real-time VLC system transmission performance is verified with different light radial distances. Compared with directly modulating the 2ASK signal onto the envelope of OFDM, our proposed system has a better performance in terms of the light radial distance. The experimental result shows that the bit error rates (BERs) of 2ASK based positioning beacon and CE-OFDM based communication signal transmission are 4.3 × 10−7 and 6.8 × 10−4 when the wireless radial distance is 3.5 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent Assistive Systems (IASs) provide personalised support to individuals to increase their autonomy and competence in performing activities. The personalisation of such technology represents a particular challenge, for the individuals abilities typically change over time. The aim of this research was to explore a theory-based, activity-centred framework for the development of IASs that both facilitate the active involvement of caregivers and target users and allow for adaptation to the individual over time. Medication management was focused on as a case study. Three older adults and two caregivers were involved in a co-design process of an IAS prototype system, the MED-AR, which uses projection-based augmented reality as the user interface technology. The theoretical framework for the design and evaluation of the MED-AR was activity theory. For the decision-making process of the MED-AR, formal argumentation theory was used. The major contributions of the study are (i) a formal framework for understanding the level of independence in activities and the way an IAS can tailor support to an individual and a situation, including caregivers; and (ii) a model for involving older adults and caregivers in a co-design process in the first phases of developing IASs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seam carving is an excellent content-aware image resizing technology widely used, and it is also a means of image tampering. Once an image is seam carved, the distribution of magnitude levels for the pixel intensity differences in the local neighborhood will be changed, which can be considered as a clue for detection of seam carving for forensic purposes. In order to accurately describe the distribution of magnitude levels for the pixel intensity differences in the local neighborhood, local neighborhood magnitude occurrence pattern (LNMOP) is proposed in this paper. The LNMOP pattern describes the distribution of intensity difference by counting up the number of magnitude level occurrences in the local neighborhood. Based on this, a forensic approach for image seam carving is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the histogram features of LNMOP and HOG (histogram of oriented gradient) are extracted from the images for seam carving forgery detection. Then, the final features for the classifier are selected from the extracted LNMOP features. The LNMOP feature selection method based on HOG feature hierarchical matching is proposed, which determines the LNMOP features to be selected by the HOG feature level. Finally, support vector machine (SVM) is utilized as a classifier to train and test by the above selected features to distinguish tampered images from normal images. In order to create training sets and test sets, images are extracted from the UCID image database. The experimental results of a large number of test images show that the proposed approach can achieve an overall better performance than the state-of-the-art approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve clinical outcomes for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), it is necessary to explore the mechanism of traumatic brain injury (TBI)–induced neuroinflammation. Connective tissue growth factors (CTGF) have been reported to be involved in the process of inflammatory response or tissue repair, whereas whether and how CTGF participates in the astrocyte-mediated inflammation after TBI remains unclear. In the present study, the TBI-induced activation of astrocytes and augmentation of inflammatory response were simulated by stimulating rat astrocytes with TGF-β1 or CTGF in cultured conditions. TGF-β1 and CTGF both upregulated the expression of GFAP in astrocytes and facilitated the production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Activation of astrocytes by CTGF is in an autocrine manner. According to the results of Boyden chamber assay, CTGF enhanced the recruitment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by reactive astrocytes. Besides, CTGF-mediated activation of astrocytes and augmentation of inflammatory response can be terminated by the inhibitor of ASK1 or p38 and JNK. Thus, our data suggested that CTGF could activate astrocytes in an autocrine manner and promote astrocyte-mediated inflammatory response by triggering the ASK1-p38/JNK-NF-κB/AP-1 pathways in astrocytes. Collectively, our study provided evidence that astrocyte-secreted CTGF serves as an amplifier of neuroinflammatory and could be a potential target for alleviating TBI-induced inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assigning labour-hours to a certain scope of work during design and estimating is still more of an art than a science. This research proposes a data-driven approach that uses multiple linear regression (MLR) and available historical data from building information models (BIM) to associate project labour-hours and project design features. The framework relies on an enhanced version of stepwise regression technique to select the most relevant predictive factors and generate a predictive model without compromising the achievable accuracy of regression. The framework also encompasses analytical methods for justifying MLR application, validating the resulting model, and establishing range estimates for point-value predictions. In collaboration with an industry partner, the framework application is exemplified by analyzing labour-hours and design features for structural steel fabrication, leading to the creation of a valid MLR model in the simplest form. Finally, pros and cons for the proposed framework and opportunities for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's fast-developing urbanization has promoted a great number of rural families migrating to urban areas. The objective of this study is to address the existing situation of urban migrant parents' parenting for infant and toddlers and the association between co-parental self-efficacy and child developmental outcomes. A sample of 387 parents of rural–urban migrant families in urban China was invited to complete the online questionnaires. Results showed that mothers have higher parenting self-efficacy (PSE) levels than fathers in all measured dimensions, and found an interdependence of their co-PSE predicting child development outcomes. This study revealed that rural–urban migrant families were still following Chinese traditional parenting and attributed mothers to the responsibility for early childcare, although the ensuing modernization and ingress of Western values have greatly influenced urban parents' understandings about parenting. Based on these results, this paper provides implications for intervention approaches to promote PSE among migrant parents with young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common male cancer types, androgen-independent prostate cancer possesses poor prognosis. Buforin IIb, an attractive antibacterial peptide derived from histone H2A, showed selective cytotoxicity against most cancer cell lines. However, the molecular mechanism of buforin IIb on prostate cancer cell has still not been determined. In this study, we found buforin IIb significantly inhibited the prostate cancer cells proliferation, Furthermore, buforin IIb–induced cell apoptosis through downregulation of pro-caspase 3/8/9, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase PARP and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and upregulation of pro-apoptotic Bax. In addition, buforin IIb increased the expression of tumor suppressor p53 and its target genes - p21, fas, noxa and puma. The cytotoxicity of buforin IIb on PC-3 and Du-145 cells is decreased by p53 knockdown. In conclusion, our results indicated that buforin IIb induced PC-3 and Du-145 cell apoptosis and could be considered as a potential drug for prostate cancer. • Buforin IIb demonstrated to inhibit androgen-independent prostate cancer cell proliferation. • Buforin IIb induced androgen-independent prostate cancer cell apoptosis. • Buforin IIb exerted an inhibitory effect through modulating the protein level of p53–Bcl-2 family protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a gentle algebra , we obtain an explicit description of the quiver with relations for the Cohen–Macaulay Auslander algebra. As a consequence, the Cohen–Macaulay Auslander algebra is again a gentle algebra. We then study the link between the representation theory of and the one of Λ. Among others, it is proved that is representation-finite if and only if Λ is; if Q has no loop and each indecomposable Λ-module is uniquely determined by its dimension vector, then each indecomposable -module is uniquely determined by its dimension vector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017, the No. 1 Document of the Central Committee proposed that" it is necessary to further promote agricultural supply-side structural reform, accelerate the cultivation of new kinetic energy for agricultural and rural development, and create a new situation in the construction of agricultural modernization". Under the new normal, Zhejiang's agricultural development shows new characteristics and new trends of speed change, structural optimization, and power conversion, and meteorological services for agriculture have stronger demands, higher requirements, and heavier tasks. The socialization of meteorological services is a new type of system arrangement for the provision of meteorological services, and aims to provide high-quality and efficient meteorological service products for the public and promote the equalization of basic meteorological services in urban and rural areas. In this study, through research on the socialization of grassroots meteorological services in a new situation, a new way of the government to provide public weather services is proposed, and a mechanism of the government to purchase public meteorological services is established ; social resources and forces are organized and guided to develop the innovation system and mechanism of public weather services, and social resources are fully mobilized to meet the demand for meteorological services in the process of agricultural supply-side structural reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectrum sensing for fast-moving vehicles in cognitive radios over a general line-of-sight (LOS) doubly selective fading channel, which is a practical environment for modern mobile orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing communications, should be addressed. However, time- and frequency-selectivity inherent in radio channels is a limiting factor for the detection performance. By discovering the complement property of correlation profile (introduced by the multipath delay spread) and adopting the proposed estimation for the correlation function of LOS channels (introduced by the mobility), the decision metric can be transformed to the ideal one without time- and frequency-selectivity. As such, the detection performance can be greatly enhanced by the proposed technique without needing any channel equalization techniques on received signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A complex two-dimensional hexagonal photonic crystal consisting of silicon (Si) and silica (SiO2) cylinders embedded in the air background is proposed to achieve the effect of all-angle negative refraction imaging. Compared with normal hexagonal-lattice photonic crystals consisting of Si, the reduction of symmetry of the complex photonic crystal results in a large band gap between the second energy band and the third energy band, whereas in a normal hexagonal photonic crystal there is no gap between these two bands. Furthermore, the depressed energy band structures provide advantages to realize all-angle left-handed negative refraction similar to metamaterials. The far-field superlens imaging with an effective refractive index of -1 was demonstrated theoretically in the infrared region at the frequency of 200 THz. We also showed the far-field subwavelength resolution for imaging of two point sources with a distance of 0.66λ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-dimensional square lattice photonic crystal composed of ferroelectric cylinder rods in air background is proposed to realize tunable negative refraction by applying electric field. Based on the Pockels effect, refractive indices of rods can be changed linearly along with applied electric field, and then photonic band structure and equifrequency surface can be modified. The refractive angle could vary from negative to positive depending on intensity of electric field at a certain incident angle. The feasibility of the photonic crystal operating in visible region at the frequency of 476.5 THz was presented, which might have potential applications in photoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Calculation of activation energies of acetone and methane precursors. • Decomposition paths confirmation of three liquid-doped molecules. • Growth rate comparison of diamond films fabricated using various precursors. • Distribution of doped elements detected by TOF-SIMS. Fabricating diamond films using liquid carbon source precursors in hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) is an emerging technology. Although some experiments have demonstrated the feasibility of depositing doped diamond films using liquid carbon source precursors such as acetone, the theoretical explanation still needs to be elucidated. In this study, the density functional theory (DFT) method was used to analyze the decomposition and adsorption processes of acetone and methane on the surface of a diamond (1 1 1) models and to clarify the advantages of liquid carbon source precursors. The decomposition and adsorption reaction processes of trimethyl borate, urea, and ethyl orthosilicate on the surface of diamond (1 1 1) model were also analyzed to elucidate the doping mechanisms of B, N, and Si elements. Additionally, undoped diamond films were fabricated using acetone and methane precursors, illustrating that liquid precursors have higher growth rates than gas precursors. B-, N-, and Si-doped diamond films were also fabricated using liquid-doped carbon source precursors. Element detection by TOF-SIMS illustrates that all three elements had been doped into the diamond films and were uniformly distributed. Conversely, no doping elements were detected in N-doped diamond film fabricated with nitrogen and methane precursors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A ratiometric aptasensor with no need for real-time excitation and sample separation was developed for accurate detection of OTA. • The developed aptasensor combines the features of non-autofluorescence, exogenous interference-free as well as high specificity. • The developed aptasensor has a lower detection limit and a wider detection range than some recently reported methods. • The developed ratiometric aptasensor has good universality by replacing aptamer and corresponding complementary chain. Accurate and sensitive detection of ochratoxin A (OTA) is highly necessary due to its high carcinogenicity, teratogenicity and mutagenicity. Herein, we reported an exogenous interference and autofluorescence-free ratiometric aptasensor based on dual-colored persistent luminescent nanoparticles for precise detection of OTA. Green-emitting ZnGeO:Mn bonded with OTA aptamer and BHQ1-modified complementary base was acted as detection and specific recognition probe (ZGM@BHQ1). Quaternary ammonium modified ZnGaGeO:Cr with red emission was employed as reference probe and further bonded to ZGM@BHQ1 through electrostatic interaction to construct the ratiometric aptasensor. The developed ratiometric aptasensor was free from real-time excitation, external interference and autofluorescence and gave low detection limit of 3.4 pg mL−1, wide linearity in the range of 0.01–50 ng mL−1 and high precision of 3.1 % (11 replicate determinations, at 1 ng mL−1 level). The applicability of the aptasensor was successfully demonstrated by analyzing OTA in in grain samples with recoveries of 97.6 %-105.2 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of Reynolds number and nanoparticles on the connector were also studied, revealing that introducing Fe SB 3 sb O SB 4 sb nanoparticles increased overall thermal conductivity and the heat transfer coefficient. Lv et al. [[2]] developed a novel approach to enhance the thermal conductivity of graphene papers by depositing AgNWs on graphene sheets, resulting in a highly promising TIM with a cross-plane thermal conductivity of up to 7.48 W m SP -1 sp K SP -1 sp . Jiang et al. [[4]] investigated the issue of lattice thermal conductivity calculations for two-dimensional (2D) materials and found that hydrodynamic phonon transport plays a crucial role in predicting thermal conductivity in 2D materials such as graphene and silicene. [Extracted from the article]

Aim: This quasi‐experimental study aimed to explore effects of walking exercise on disease activity, sleep quality, and quality of life among individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus. Methods: After recruiting people with systemic lupus erythematosus from a hospital in Taiwan between October 2020 and June 2021, participants were free to opt to receive one walking exercise programme plus standard care for 3 months or to membership of a control group receiving routine care. Primary outcomes included Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Score, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Scale, and a quality‐of‐life scale for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, namely, LupusQoL. These scales were administered first, at baseline and later, within 1 week following completion of the intervention. Between‐group effects were compared using generalized estimating equations with adjustment for baseline variables. Results: The experimental and control groups each included 40 participants. Multivariate analysis indicated that adding the walking exercise programme into routine care elevated sleep quality and LupusQoL (the latter in the subscales of physical health, planning, and intimate relationships), except for disease activity. Conclusion: Findings of this study supported the addition of walking exercise as part of routine care for people with systemic lupus erythematosus and may be a reference in the provision of adequate care for these patients. Summary statements: What is already known about this topic? Systemic lupus erythematosus is a lifelong autoimmune disease that affects any organs throughout the body, thus insidiously causing negative impacts on the affected patients.Today, use of exercise programmes such as walking exercise has been studied as a remedy for many medical conditions, but its effectiveness in minimizing the symptoms of distress among people with systemic lupus erythematosus is unknown. What this study adds? Participants with systemic lupus erythematosus who opt to receive the walking exercise programme for 3 months in addition to routine care experience improved sleep quality and quality of life compared with those receiving routine care alone. The implications of this paper: In accordance with the belief that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," early implementation of an exercise programme should be considered in addition to routine care for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.Evidence from this research could provide empirically informed and robust data for healthcare policymakers and in turn might help to reduce the incidence of morbidity among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]