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Stock market prediction has always been an important research topic in the financial field. In the past, inventors used traditional analysis methods such as K-line diagrams to predict stock trends, but with the progress of science and technology and the development of market economy, the price trend of a stock is disturbed by various factors. The traditional analysis method is far from being able to resolve the stock price fluctuations in the hidden important information. So, the prediction accuracy is greatly reduced. In this paper, we design a new model for optimizing stock forecasting. We incorporate a range of technical indicators, including investor sentiment indicators and financial data, and perform dimension reduction on the many influencing factors of the retrieved stock price using depth learning LASSO and PCA approaches. In addition, a comparison of the performances of LSTM and GRU for stock market forecasting under various parameters was performed. Our experiments show that (1) both LSTM and GRU models can predict stock prices efficiently, not one better than the other, and (2) for the two different dimension reduction methods, both the two neural models using LASSO reflect better prediction ability than the models using PCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Internet of Things (IoT), cloud, and fog computing paradigms provide a powerful large-scale computing infrastructure for a variety of data and computation-intensive applications. These cutting-edge computing infrastructures, however, are nevertheless vulnerable to serious security and privacy risks. One of the most important countermeasures against cybersecurity threats is intrusion detection and prevention systems, which monitor devices, networks, and systems for malicious activity and policy violations. The detection and prevention systems range from antivirus software to hierarchical systems that monitor the traffic of whole backbone networks. At the moment, the primary defensive solutions are based on malware feature extraction. Most known feature extraction algorithms use byte N-gram patterns or binary strings to represent log files or other static information. The information taken from program files is expressed using word embedding (GloVe) and a new feature extraction method proposed in this article. As a result, the relevant vector space model (VSM) will incorporate more information about unknown programs. We utilize convolutional neural network (CNN) to analyze the feature maps represented by word embedding and apply Softmax to fit the probability of a malicious program. Eventually, we consider a program to be malicious if the probability is greater than 0.5; otherwise, it is a benign program. Experimental result shows that our approach achieves a level of accuracy higher than 98%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moral framing is a mobilizing strategy in digital activism to raise awareness of a social issue. This essay discussed the strengths and weaknesses of multiple methods of extracting moral framing from media content. Two issues were highlighted from crowd-coding and automated coding using computational approaches: context sensitivity and the handling of coding discrepancies. We compared results from manual content coding and automated analysis using the eMFD, urging scholars to incorporate multiple methods to uncover the meanings behind each moral value. We argued that crowdcoding, computational approaches and manual coding are not exclusive of one another, and encouraged scholars to diversify their methodological toolbox and choose what to use based on the research context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by moral foundation theory and information virality theory, this study explored how moral framing, operationalized as the use of one of the five moral dimensions in tweets (i.e., care, fairness, loyalty, authority, and sanctity), is related to virality of social movement messages. It offered a case study of the 2019 Hong Kong protests by analyzing Twitter data collected using #HongKongPoliceBrutality. Results demonstrated that care framing promotes message virality, indicated by the likelihood of getting retweeted and favorited. However, the use of the fairness or authority frame decreased virality. Results indicated that the supporters of the movement were more likely to be triggered by non-political messages. The effect of moral framing on information virality was contingent upon the audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wide bandgap semiconductors are ideal materials for the application of high power density, high frequency and low- loss power electronic devices, owning to the advantages of wide bandgap, high electron saturation velocity, and high breakdown field. Attributed to the high thermal conductivity, high chemical stability and high heat resistance of silicon carbide (SiC), epitaxy of wide bandgap semiconductors on SiC is promising to exploit the advantages of wide bandgap semiconductors and improve the performance of wide bandgap semiconductor devices. Benefiting from the continuous quality-improvement and cost-reduction of SiC substrates, wide bandgap semiconductors grown on SiC substrates are ushering in an explosive growth. Epitaxy of high quality wide bandgap semiconductors on SiC substrates is critical to the performance and reliability of wide bandgap semiconductor devices. This paper summarizes the recent progress obtained on epitaxial growth of SiC, gallium nitride (GaN) and gallium oxide (Ga2O3) on SiC substrates. In addition, the prospective of wide bandgap semiconductors grown on SiC substrates for high-performance electronics are prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catastrophic regime shifts in various ecosystems are increasing with the intensification of anthropogenic pressures. Understanding and predicting critical transitions are thus a key challenge in ecology. Previous studies have mainly focused on single environmental drivers (e.g. eutrophication) and early warning signals (EWSs) prior to population collapse. However, how multiple environmental stressors interact to shape ecological behaviour and whether EWSs were detectable prior to the recovery process in lake ecosystems are largely unknown.We present long‐term empirical evidence of the critical transition and hysteresis with the combined pressures of climate warming, eutrophication and trophic cascade effects by fish stocking in a subtropical Chinese lake in the Yangtze floodplain. The catastrophic regime shifts are cross‐validated by 64‐year multi‐trophic level monitoring data and paleo‐diatom records.We show that EWSs are detectable in both the collapse and recovery trajectories and that including body size information in composite EWSs requires shorter time‐series data and can improve the predictive ability of regime shifts. Although full recovery has not yet been observed, EWSs prior to recovery provide us with the opportunity to take measures for a clear‐water regime.Climate warming and top‐down cascade effects have a negative influence on water clarity by altering lower trophic level abundance and body size, which, in turn, have a negative effect on macrophyte abundance. Furthermore, we identify a shift in the dominant driving forces from bottom‐up to top‐down after regime shifts, decoupling the relationships between nutrients and biological components and thus decreasing the efficiency of nutrient reduction.Synthesis. This study provides new insights into ecological hysteresis under multiple external stressors and improves our understanding of trait‐based early warning signals in both the collapse and recovery processes in natural freshwater ecosystems. For management practice, our work suggests that slowing down climate warming and weakening the fish predation pressure on food webs are necessary to increase the effectiveness of nutrient reduction in the restoration of lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how the moral values individuals possess and organizational crisis response strategies influence sports organizations. It showed that two moral foundations (fairness and purity/sanctity) had positive effects on moral outrage while care had a negative effect. When predicting team reputation, only one moral foundation (care) had a positive effect while the crisis response strategy had no effect. Furthermore, reputation had a positive effect on support intention, while both moral outrage and crisis response strategies had no effect. Implications were provided on what factors could function as effective buffers to prevent potential damages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symbolic execution is a powerful technique for automating software testing to detect many types of errors such as memory errors and assertion violations. However, it encounters the problem of path explosion, and by using only assertions, it still lacks the capability of going deep into checking the functional correctness of a path based on corresponding formal specifications. To address these problems, we propose a specification-based incremental testing method with symbolic execution, called SIT-SE, providing a much more rigorous way to automatically check the functional correctness of all the discovered program paths, by introducing theorems (instead of assertions) for path correctness and branch sequence coverage algorithm for guiding a moderate path exploration. Compared with Hoare logic for proving the correctness of an entire program, a theorem in the SIT-SE is made for verifying the correctness of a program path. The proposed method carefully treats the relationship between a path condition and the specification in a theorem to restrict the monotonous path exploration, whereas traditional concolic testing methods roughly use one test data to determine the path correctness by assertions during long path searching. We use a classic case to demonstrate how the method works and conduct an experiment to evaluate the performance of both the proposed method and the commonly used well-known concolic testing tool KLEE. The experimental results show that our method SIT-SE is effective and outperforms KLEE in detecting faulty paths based on specifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytokinin (CK) is an important plant hormone that promotes plant cell division and differentiation, and participates in salt response under osmotic stress. LOGs (LONELY GUY) are CK-activating enzymes involved in CK synthesis. The LOG gene family has not been comprehensively characterized in cotton. In this study we identified 151 LOG genes from nine plant species, including 28 LOG genes in Gossypium hirsutum. Phylogenetic analysis divided LOG genes into three groups. Exon/intron structures and protein motifs of GhLOG genes were highly conserved. Synteny analysis revealed that several gene loci were highly conserved between the A and D sub-genomes of G. hirsutum with purifying selection pressure during evolution. Expression profiles showed that most LOG genes were constitutively expressed in eight different tissues. Furthermore, LOG genes can be regulated by abiotic stresses and phytohormone treatments. Moreover, subcellular localization revealed that GhLOG3_At resides inside the cell membrane. Overexpression of GhLOG3 enhanced salt tolerance in Arabidopsis. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of GhLOG3_At in cotton enhanced sensitivity of plants to salt stress with increased H 2 O 2 contents and decreased chlorophyll and proline (PRO) activity. Our results suggested that GhLOG3_At induces salt stress tolerance in cotton, and provides a basis for the use of CK synthesis genes to regulate cotton growth and stress resistance. • This study identified 151 LOG genes, including 28 LOG genes in G. hirsutum. • Gene loci were highly conserved between the A and D sub-genomes of G. hirsutum. • LOG genes can be regulated by abiotic stresses and phytohormone treatments. • Overexpression of GhLOG3 enhanced salt tolerance in Arabidopsis. • VIGS of GhLOG3_At in cotton enhanced sensitivity of plants to salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding social-ecological interactions is a major research priority for sustainable management. However, the scarcity in multi-decadal records represents a big gap in information that hinders the development of above research. In this paper, we propose a framework to explore the long-term dynamic mechanisms between social and ecological systems, and present a case study in the Erhai basin, southwest China. Using paleolimnological proxies to reconstruct the long-term trends of ecological changes, the social-ecological system (SES) framework links the variations of ecosystem services (ESs) and ecosystem functions with social policies. According to the results of the Erhai basin, there were increasing social demands and wanted provisioning ESs but degraded ecosystem functions over the last 70 years. Typically, the introduction of four major Chinese carps since the 1950s, the construction of hydropower stations on the Xi'er river since the 1970s, and the development of tourism since the 1990s, have been implemented to meet the social demands for wanted fish provisioning, hydroelectricity provisioning, and culture services respectively. Although there were temporary benefits in above desired services, improper strategies have gradually impaired the functions of native fish diversity, hydrodynamic forces, and nutrient cycling. Degraded ecosystem functions threatened the sustainable provision of wanted ESs, which motivated the implementation of subsequent social policies, such as the fishing ban after the 1950s, water level control after the 1970s and restoration projects after the 1990s. By rounds of renewed social drivers/policies, the social system and ecosystem in the Erhai basin are tightly connected in the form of a feedback loop in the SES, rendering dynamic changes in wanted ESs. The current social-ecological trap in the Erhai basin emphasizes the significance of SES framework and advantages of a paleolimnological approach in revealing the long-term SES dynamics, which can help tailor proper management measures in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a modification of the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) and reports the effects of culture on the sustainable livelihoods of households in a typical rural tourist site in Wuyuan county, Jiangxi province, China. Different from the previous studies, this paper highlights the role of cultural factors in households' sustainable livelihoods. The modified SLF can be used as a possible theoretical model to comprehensively characterise the sustainable livelihoods of households in tourism destinations with rich cultural resources. Results show that traditional culture significantly impacts locals' thoughts and behaviours and is an indispensable livelihood asset for households. The commercial value of traditional culture has gained prominence in response to shifts in modern tourists' preferences. Most households draw on their past to generate intangible and tangible cultural products to attract tourists and achieve their livelihood goals. The utilisation of tangible cultural resources and intangible cultural heritage to develop rural tourism promotes changes in the livelihood strategies of households. It can enhance locals' financial, human, and social capital. However, rural tourism development has made cultural preservation a potential source of livelihood vulnerability for households in the study area. Regulations may help reduce the adverse livelihood outcomes of rapid tourism development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a progressive, heterogeneous rare disease manifesting as ATTR polyneuropathy (ATTR-PN), ATTR cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), or a mixed phenotype. Tafamidis meglumine (20 mg po qd) is approved in some markets to delay neurologic progression in ATTR-PN, while high-dose tafamidis (80/61 mg po qd) is approved worldwide to reduce cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular-related hospitalization in ATTR-CM. The objective of this study was to assess the real-world benefit of high-dose tafamidis for delaying neurologic progression in patients with mixed-phenotype variant ATTR-CM (ATTRv-CM). Methods: This exploratory, retrospective, observational cohort study evaluated anonymized electronic medical records and included adult patients with mixed-phenotype ATTRv-CM treated with high-dose tafamidis for at least 6 months. Neurologic assessments included the Medical Research Council (MRC) Scale for Muscle Strength, Neuropathy Impairment Score (NIS) muscle weakness subscale, and Polyneuropathy Disability (PND) instrument. Modified body mass index (mBMI) was also assessed. Results: Patients (N = 10) started tafamidis treatment an average of 3.8 months after diagnosis, with an average treatment duration of 20.8 months. Seven of 10 patients demonstrated normal muscle strength on the MRC scale throughout the study, and 9 of 10 patients had no decline in muscle strength during the post-treatment period. The NIS muscle weakness subscale score was ≤ 60 for all patients in the study at all time points, suggesting normal function to mild impairment. Six of 10 patients had no change in walking capacity as measured by the PND instrument at pre- and post-assessments, while one-third of patients had a decrease in PND stage (signaling improvement) from pre- to post-assessment. mBMI remained relatively stable throughout the study. Conclusion: This is the first real-world study to demonstrate the potential value of high-dose tafamidis for delaying neurologic disease progression in patients with mixed-phenotype ATTRv-CM. The findings underscore the importance of multidisciplinary assessment for patients with ATTR amyloidosis. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05139680. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In peer-to-peer(P2P) networks, content delivery is very critical, but there are not many relevant research results in content delivery technology. In this paper, in order to simulate content delivery in P2P mode, the number of online players is abstracted into the number of servers that can provide services, the peers write content to buffer is abstracted into the arrival of customers, and the players read content from buffer is abstracted into the service process of the servers. Based on the consideration of the effect of the number of P2P online players on energy consumption, an M/M/c queueing model with random variation in the number of servers is developed, and negative customers and preemptive priority policies are introduced. The matrix–geometric solution method and Gauss-Seidel iterative method are used to derive the performance measures of the system at steady state for two types of contents. And some numerical examples are given using Matlab for analyzing the trend of performance measures in P2P networks with parameters. The benefit function is established to obtain the parameter values that make the social benefit optimal by Nash equilibrium and social optimal strategy, and provide the theoretical basis for the scheduling of P2P peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the lack of historical water ecology monitoring data and the limitations of traditional morphology-based water ecology reconstruction methods, the response mechanism of lake phytoplankton to climate change in the Tibetan Plateau remains unclear. In this study, we reconstructed the succession of phytoplankton community in Lake Gyaring, located in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, since the 6th century by using sediment DNA metabarcoding. We found that the diversity and structure succession stages of phytoplankton community were consistent with the global temperature oscillation events, namely, the Medieval Warm Period (800–1300 CE). Little Ice Age (1300–1850 CE) and Current Warm Period (1850–2000 CE). The community structure dominated by Chlorophyta in the Medieval Warm Period gradually changed to that dominated by Bacillariophyta in the Little Ice Age. However, the Current Warm Period did not observe the dominant community structure of Chlorophyta similar to that of the Medieval Warm Period. This finding may be due to the climate change of the Current Warm Period was influenced by multiple human activities, such as increased anthropogenic aerosols, which promoted obvious weakening of the intensity of the summer monsoon, leading to decreased soil erosion and lake mixing, and thus may trigger a strikingly different aquatic ecosystem compared to that during the Medieval Warm Period. In this paper, the combination of genomics and palaeollimnology is helpful to explore the response mechanism of phytoplankton to climate change. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an advanced two‐step hot‐pressing process for fabricating the 1‐3 type Pb(ZrTi)O3/poly(vinylidene fluoride‐trifluoroethylene) (PZT/P(VDF‐TrFE)) piezoelectric composite sheets, demonstrating significant potential for nondestructive evaluation and information storage applications. The engineered columnar architecture within these composites induces a two‐phase clamping effect, which, upon polarization, facilitates the elongation of PZT and suppresses its lateral vibrations, thus enhancing the electromechanical coupling effect as verified by COMSOL simulations. A notable dielectric constant of 2200 at 100 Hz and a coupling coefficient of 0.725 was achieved with specific geometric modifications to the PZT/P(VDF‐TrFE) sheets. These findings suggest that P(VDF‐TrFE) as a polymer matrix exceeds the performance of conventional epoxy matrices, offering a novel approach to designing 1‐3 type piezoelectric composites. Highlights: P(VDF‐TrFE) effectively drives the elongation strain of internal PZT columns.COMSOL simulation clarifies the clamping effect of piezoelectric P(VDF‐TrFE).PZT/P(VDF‐TrFE) shows a higher kt of 0.725 than that of pure PZT samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical method for the determination of the resistant starch (RS) content in grains is time-consuming and labor intensive. Near-infrared (NIR) and attenuated total reflectance mid-infrared (ATR-MIR) spectroscopy are rapid and nondestructive analytical techniques for determining grain quality. This study was the first report to establish and compare these two spectroscopic techniques for determining the RS content in wheat grains. Calibration models with four preprocessing techniques based on the partial least squares (PLS) algorithm were built. In the NIR technique, the mean normalization + Savitzky–Golay smoothing (MN + SGS) preprocessing technique had a higher coefficient of determination (R c 2 = 0.672; R p 2 = 0.552) and a relative lower root mean square error value (RMSEC = 0.385; RMSEP = 0.459). In the ATR-MIR technique, the baseline preprocessing method exhibited a better performance regarding to the values of coefficient of determination (R c 2 = 0.927; R p 2 = 0.828) and mean square error value (RMSEC = 0.153; RMSEP = 0.284). The validation of the developed best NIR and ATR-MIR calibration models showed that the ATR-MIR best calibration model has a better RS prediction ability than the NIR best calibration model. Two high grain RS content wheat mutants were screened out by the ATR-MIR best calibration model from the wheat mutant library. There was no significant difference between the predicted values and chemical measured values in the two high RS content mutants. It proved that the ATR-MIR model can be a perfect substitute in RS measuring. All the results indicated that the ATR-MIR spectroscopy with improved screening efficiency can be used as a fast, rapid, and nondestructive method in high grain RS content wheat breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MELAS patients exhibited metabolite abnormalities in acute SLLs. • Lactate level in acute SLLs was positively correlated with focal rCBF in MELAS patients. • Combination of 1H-MRS and ASL can help to reveal the pathogenesis of acute SLEs. Our purpose is to detect the metabolic alterations in acute stroke-like lesions (SLLs) and further investigate the correlations between metabolic concentrations and focal cerebral blood flow in patients with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) using proton MR spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and arterial spin labeling (ASL). A total of 23 patients with MELAS at acute stage of stroke-like episodes (SLEs) and 20 normal controls (NC) were recruited in this study, respectively. All subjects underwent conventional MRI and1H-MRS. In addition, ASL was performed in each patient. The measurements of creatine (Cr), choline (Cho), N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), lactate (Lac), glutamine/glutamate (Glx) levels and the ratios of Cho/Cr, NAA/Cr, Lac/Cr and Glx/Cr in acute SLLs for MELAS patients and left parietal and occipital lobes for NC were measured using LC-model software. Furthermore, in MELAS group, the associations between relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and metabolite concentrations in acute SLLs were also assessed. In MELAS group, acute SLLs were identified with metabolic abnormalities and increased rCBF. Specifically, compared with controls, MELAS patients exhibited significantly higher Lac, Cho levels and Lac/Cr, Cho/Cr ratios, and lower NAA, Glx levels and NAA/Cr and Glx/Cr ratios. Moreover, for MELAS patients, Lac concentration in acute SLLs was positively correlated with focal rCBF. This study exhibited the neural injury with increasing lactate and cerebral blood flow in the acute SLEs. It might shed light on the underlying biochemical mechanism of mitochondrial cytopathy and angiopathy in MELAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of a novel polymerizable collagen cross-linker methacrylate-functionalized proanthocyanidins (MAPA) on the polymerization, microhardness and leaching of a HEMA-based experimental dental adhesive system. Three MAPAs were synthesized using different methacrylate (MA) to proanthocyanidins (PA) feeding ratios of 1:2, 1:1, and 2:1 to obtain MAPA-1, MAPA-2, and MAPA-3, respectively. The resulting three MAPAs and PA were added to an experimental adhesive formulated with HEMA and a tri-component photoinitiator system (0.5 wt% CQ/EDMAB/DPIHP) at 1%, 5% and 10% MAPA or PA concentrations (wt%). The adhesive polymerization kinetics was measured continuously in real-time for 10 min using a Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) with an attenuated total reflectance (ATR) accessory. Degree of conversion (DC) and Vickers microhardness (MH) of cured adhesives were measured at 72 h post-cure. The leaching of cured adhesives in DI water was monitored using UV–vis spectrophotometer. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way and two-way ANOVA, Tukey's (p < 0.05). The adhesive formulations with 1%, 5% and 10% MAPAs-1, -2, -3 all generated higher rate of polymerization and 10-min DC than the formulations with PA at the same concentrations. At 72 h post-cure, the adhesive formulation with 5% MAPA-2 exhibited significantly higher DC (99.40%) and more than doubled MH (18.93) values than the formulation with 5% PA (DC = 89.47%, MH = 8.41) and the control (DC = 95.46%, MH = 9.33). Moreover, the cured adhesive with 5% MAPA-2 demonstrated significantly reduced PA leaching in comparison with cured adhesive with 5% PA. Synthesized MAPA is a novel class of polymerizable collagen cross-linker that not only stabilizes dentin collagen via its PA component, but also improves polymerization, mechanical properties and stability of HEMA-based adhesives via its MA component. By inheriting the benefit while overcoming the drawback of PA, MAPA offers a revolutionary solution for improved bond-strength and longevity of dental restorations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Hypertension requires continuous and long‐term care to prevent associated complications. Chronic disease management mode (CDMM) was developed to improve patients' self‐management. We aimed to evaluate quality of care and clinical outcomes of CDMM versus routine care. Methods: 300 patients aged >30 years with primary hypertension were randomly allocated to the CDMM intervention group (n = 162) or the usual care control group (n = 138). CDMM comprised nursing consultations, telephone contact, online WeChat link, health education, and appropriate referrals during hospitalisation and after discharge. QLICD‐HY (V 2.0) scale was used to evaluate the quality of life. Care outcomes were biochemical parameters, body mass index, blood pressure levels, waist circumference, psychological indicators and quality of life assessed on admission (baseline) and one month post‐care for both groups. Data were collected and analysed using SPSS 20.0. Results: After one month, the intervention group had 6 mm Hg (95% CI: −5.12 to −9.08) lower SBP and 0.6 mM/L (95% CI: −0.52 to −0.68) lower LDL than the control group. In terms of improvements in BMI, UmAlb or waist circumference, there were no differences between both groups. The intervention group scored better on psychological indicators than controls (P < 0.05), and scores reflecting social and psychological function in the intervention group were significantly higher than scores at baseline, and higher than scores of controls after one month (P < 0.05). In the control group, there was no statistically significant difference between the scores at baseline and after one month. Conclusions: Under CDMM hypertension care, improvement of blood pressure and LDL was clinically significant. Intervention care further improves social and psychological function among participants with primary hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twin-field quantum key distribution (TF-QKD) can overcome the fundamental rate-loss limit without quantum repeaters, which has stimulated intense research interests both in theory and experiment. Recently, TF-QKD protocols with discrete-phase-randomized sources have been widely studied. However, all these protocols require the phase postselection step in the test mode. To bypass this step, we propose a discrete-phase-randomized TF-QKD protocol without phase postselection in the test mode, which reduces the amount of information transmitted in the classical post-processing stage and thus reduces the consumption of secret keys in the authentication of classical information. Moreover, the numerical simulation of our protocol can be easily solved by linear programming. Simulation results show that, with only a few number of discrete phases, our protocol can beat the rate-loss bound and approximate the case of continuous phases, which is very practical in some real-life implementations of TF-QKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In tropical and subtropical countries, dengue virus (DENV) infections have been increasing; however, we still lack effective therapy. In the present study, we aimed to engineer a bispecific antibody (subsequently named LUZ-8F2–6B1), based on monoclonal antibody 6B1, which has anti DENV-1, 2, and 3 activity, and 8F2, which has anti DENV-4 activity. LUZ-8F2–6B1 displayed potent neutralization activity against four serotypes of DENV by binding to the envelop protein. In vivo , we demonstrated that LUZ-8F2–6B1 could provide protection against infection by four serotypes of DENV in a mouse model. In addition, the deletion of nine amino acids in the Fc region (LUZ-8F2–6B1-9del) completely abolished the antibody-dependent enhancement observed at lower doses of the antibody. Thus, LUZ-8F2–6B1 is a promising, safe, and effective agent for the prophylaxis and treatment of DENV infection. • An engineered bispecific antibody LUZ-8F2-6B1 showed potent neutralization activity against all four serotypes of DENV. • In vivo, a mouse model showed that LUZ-8F2-6B1 provided protection against infection by all four serotypes of DENVs. • LUZ-8F2-6B1-9del completely abrogated antibody dependent enhancement, which occurs when using lower doses of the antibody. • LUZ-8F2-6B1 could be an effective and safe agent for the prophylaxis and therapy of DENV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, prognostic biomarkers of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are fewer. The aim of this study was to explore the predictive value of soluble osteoclast-associated receptor (sOSCAR) level for the major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) occurring within 30 days after ACS. From January to August 2020, a total of 108 patients with ACS who were admitted to our hospital, were enrolled in this study. Of the 108 patients, 79 were men and 29 women. Patient-related data, including age, sex, body mass index, history of type 2 diabetes, history of hyperlipidemia and serum sOSCAR level, were collected. All patients were followed up for 30 days. Based on MACE occurrence, the 108 patients were divided into MACE group (n = 17) and non-MACE group (n = 91). The baseline data were compared between the two groups, MACE-independent risk factors were identified by multivariate regression analysis, and the predictive value of sOSCAR for MACE occurring within 30 days after CAS was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. At the same time, according to the type of ACS, the 108 patients with ACS were divided into unstable angina (UA) group (n = 29), non ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (USTEMI) group (n = 45) and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) group (n = 34), and then the sOSCAR level and MACE incidence were observed in each group. The serum sOSCAR level was significantly lower in the MACE group [130(100,183)] than in the non-MACE group [301(220,370)] (P = 0.000). The area under ROC curve of sOSCAR level for MACE occurring within 30 days after CAS was 0.860 with 95%CI 0.782–0.919, P < 0.001. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that the sOSCAR level was an independent risk factor for the MACE occurring within 30 days after CAS (OR 0.26, 95%CI 0.087–0.777, P = 0.04). The MACE incidence (0%) was the lowest but the sOSCAR level was the highest in the UA group, while in the STEMI group, the MACE incidence (23.53%) was the higest but the sOSCAR level was the lowest among the UA, STEMI and NSTEMI groups. Serum sOSCAR level may be used as a predictor of MACE occurring within the short-term after ACS. The higher the sOSCAR level, the lower the MACE incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Jades from the tomb of Yuehe contain secondary black mercuric material. • μ-XRD identifies micrometer-sized metacinnabar and its transition from red cinnabar. • Loose structure of jades provides interspace for black metacinnabar to penetrate in. Buried jades can turn to different colors because of underground weathering. As for the secondary blackness on excavated jades, previous studies have confirmed they resulted from carbon, manganese, iron and copper, but latest archaeological discoveries seem to be concerned with another chemical element, mercury. In order to clarify the specific composition of mercury, as well as its possible source and transition, this research analyzes typical jades from the tomb of Yuehe (not later than 538 BC) by Raman, FTIR, XRF, SEM-EDX, XPS, μ-XRD and mercury isotopes. Relevant evidences and simulated experiment indicate the coloring factor is metacinnabar (β-HgS), which might be converted from cinnabar (α-HgS) in the influence of bromine and alkali. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We drilled a core in Tingming Lake (located at the tree line) to conduct pollen and diatom analyses. The pollen record shows that the vegetation ecosystem is very stable and has no obvious regime shift signals, although the vegetable belt has moved gradually upward or downward under the backdrop of climate change. There may be a positive relationship between the vegetation ecosystem stability and the turnover component (β sim). Diatoms, which record the lake ecosystem, show an obvious regime shift signal in 1929 AD, which was possibly was due to environmental changes or decreased nutrient inputs. However, there were fluctuations in species richness and species dissimilarity and there was a slightly increased β diversity (β sor), which was mainly interpreted by the increased turnover component (β sim). It is difficult to determine the relationship between the unstable stability and diversity fluctuations. Therefore, the relationships between diversity and stability in the adjacent vegetation and lake ecosystems are different. It is possible that β diversity partitioning may lead to an improved understanding of ecosystem stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their important applications to coding theory, cryptography, communications and statistics, combinatorial t -designs have attracted lots of research interest for decades. The interplay between coding theory and t -designs started many years ago. It is generally known that t -designs can be used to derive linear codes over any finite field, and that the supports of all codewords with a fixed weight in a code also may hold a t -design. In this paper, we first construct a class of linear codes from cyclic codes related to Dembowski-Ostrom functions. By using exponential sums, we then determine the weight distribution of the linear codes. Finally, we obtain infinite families of 2 -designs from the supports of all codewords with a fixed weight in these codes. Furthermore, the parameters of 2 -designs are calculated explicitly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic urban growth is affected by various driving factors which are important for building cellular automata (CA) models. Two categories of urban‐growth drivers (i.e., proximity and accessibility) have not been well differentiated in simulating urban patterns. We built two CA models (Pro‐CAPSO and Acc‐CAPSO) using particle swarm optimization (PSO) incorporating the proximity and accessibility drivers and applied these models to simulate urban growth at Zhuji in China. The results show that although both models accurately reproduced urban growth from 2005 to 2015, differences in the allocation of urban cells are apparent. The proximity‐based model yielded a slightly better figure of merit (FOM) of 19.3% during calibration (2005–2010) as compared to the accessibility‐based model with FOM of 17.5%. An opposite trend (FOM 17.5% vs. 18.3%) was found for subsequent validation (2010–2015). The simulations by the Acc‐CAPSO model are closer to the real urban patterns as measured by landscape metrics. The results indicate that accessibility is a relatively robust driver in predicting long‐term future urban growth. For specific regions, urban future scenarios produced by the two models show opposing patterns; in the same areas, when Pro‐CAPSO predicted more new urban cells, Acc‐CAPSO predicted fewer, and vice versa. Our methods are useful for modelers in selecting appropriate factors between proximity and accessibility and arrange the combination to represent human disturbance when simulating urban growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia. With aging societies, the prevalence of AD is increasing dramatically worldwide. The onset of AD is often not identified, and currently no available treatments are capable of stopping the disease process and its effect on cognitive decline. Thus, well-validated biomarkers of the preclinical stages of AD are needed. Alzheimer-associated neuronal thread protein (AD7c-NTP) is a member of the neuronal thread protein family and has a molecular weight of approximately 41 kD. AD7c-NTP has been identified as a biomarker for its specifically elevated levels in putative brain domains, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and the urine of AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients. Since the urine test is non-invasive, easy to perform, and patients accept it more easily than other methods, the urinary AD7c-NTP concentration has been recommended as a practical diagnostic tool for diagnosing AD and MCI. AD7c-NTP has undergone nearly 25 years of research course from its initial discovery to pathological verification, multi-center clinical evaluation, improvement of detection methods, epidemiological investigation, and combined application with other biomarkers. However, as a fluid biomarker, AD7c-NTP can be detected in urine instead of the traditional biomarker sources-CSF or blood, which has made the use of AD7c-NTP as a biomarker controversial. In this article, we review the research course of AD7c-NTP and suggest directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the data relevant to China's tourism industry and ecological environment from 2005 to 2018, the entropy method and the coupling coordination degree model were used to analyze the coupling degree and coupling coordination degree of the tourism industry's development and the ecological environment, and the GM (1.1) gray model was used to predict these values in the future. The model provided predictions and illustrated the trend in the changes in the degree of coordination between the development of China's tourism industry and the ecological environment for the next five years. The results show the following. (1) The coupling degree between China's tourism industry and the ecological environment was between 0.3 and 0.5. It was in the low-level coupling stage in 2005 and 2006 and generally low in 2005–2009, lower than the average level of 0.4204. In 2018, the coupling degree between the development of China's tourism industry and the ecological environment was mainly in a stage of antagonism, reaching a peak of 0.4998 in 2013. The coupling degree declined slightly from 2013 to 2015 and then began to show an upward trend again in 2016. (2) The average coupling coordination level of China's tourism industry development and ecological environment was 0.4266, which is in the medium coupling coordination stage. From 2007 to 2013, it was mainly in the phase of moderate coupling and coordination and high coupling and coordination from 2014 to 2018. (3) From the prediction results, the coupling degree will enter the coupling degree running-in stage in 2021 and the extreme coordination stage in 2023, but the coupling growth level during the running-in period will be significantly lower than the coupling coordination degree. Coordinated development of the two systems will take a long time, and active economic policies need to be adopted to promote their coordinated development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Hierarchically devised NiFeO x H y catalyst showed high OER activity under alkaline condition. • NiFeO x H y /Ni heterostructure was in-situ formed via a surface reconstruction process. • Charge transfer at the catalyst-electrolyte interface was improved with Fe incorporation into Ni (oxy)hydroxide. • Fe species located at the outer surface of NiOOH structure served as the OER active site. Nickel iron (oxy)hydroxide (NiFeO x H y) is among the most active electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in the alkaline media. Development of new design strategy for NiFeO x H y electrode with respect to intrinsic activity and number of active species is highly attractive. Here we report a hierarchical fabrication for NiFeO x H y electrode towards efficient oxygen evolution. Three-dimensional mesoporous NiO was initially prepared and reduced to a polycrystalline Ni metal framework. Despite the poor OER activity for Ni-based catalyst, the incorporation of surface Fe species induced a notably high current density for the oxygen evolution. The results indicated that the Fe species, located at outer surface region, played a key role as the OER active sites. It is also found that the surface of metallic Ni was reconstructed to (oxy)hydroxide phase with ease compared to NiO. As a result, a heterostructure composed of an OER-active NiFe (oxy)hydroxide shell and an electron-conductive Ni core was formed. In this fabricated NiFeO x H y /Ni catalyst, the promoted intrinsic activity, number of active sites and charge-transfer ability all taken into account contribute to an efficient OER process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catalytic enantioselective diorganozinc additions to cyclic diketones including pyrazolin‐4,5‐diones and isatins have been developed. In the presence of morpholine‐containing chiral amino alcohol ligand, the corresponding chiral cyclic tertiary alcohols were produced in good to excellent yields (up to 97 %) and enantioselectivities (up to 95 % ee). The notable feature of this protocol includes its mild reaction conditions, Lewis acid additives free and broad functional group tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and construction of a novel magnetic resonance sensor (MRS) is presented for bisphenol A (BPA) detection. The MRS has been built based on the core component of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (~ 40 nm), which were uniformly distributed in nanoporous carbon (abbreviated as Fe3O4@NPC). The synthesis was derived from the calcination of the metal organic framework (MOF) precursor of Fe-MIL-101 at high temperature. Fe3O4@NPC was confirmed with enhanced transversal relaxation with r2 value of 118.2 mM−1 s−1, which was around 1.7 times higher than that of the naked Fe3O4 nanoparticle. This enhancement is attributed to the excellent proton transverse relaxation rate of Fe3O4@NPC caused by the reduced self-diffusion coefficient of water molecules in the vicinity of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the nanoporous carbon. BPA antibody (Ab) and antigen (Ag)-ovalbumin (OVA) were immobilized onto the Fe3O4@NPC to form Ab-Fe3O4@NPC and Ag-Fe3O4@NPC, respectively. These two composites can cause the three-dimensional assembly of Fe3O4@NPC via immunological recognition. The presence of BPA can compete with antigen-OVA to combine with Ab-Fe3O4@NPC, thereby breaking the assembly process (disassembly). The difference in the change of the T2 value before and after adding BPA can thus be used to monitor BPA. The proposed MRS not only revealed a wide linear range of BPA concentration from 0.05 to 50 ng mL−1 with an extremely low detection limit of 0.012 ng mL−1 (S/N = 3), but also displayed high selectivity towards matrix interferences. The recoveries of BPA ranged from 95.6 to 108.4% for spiked tea π, and 93.4 to 104.7% for spiked canned oranges samples, respectively, and the RSD (n = 3) was less than 4.4% for 3 successive assays. The versatility of Fe3O4@NPC with customized relaxation responses provides the possibility for the adaptation of magnetic resonance platforms for food safety development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A five-step, practical, and concise total synthesis of mubritinib is described. The synthesis utilized Friedel–Crafts acylation, click reaction, reduction, and demethylation for the construction of the triazole ring system as key steps. Another important feature of this synthesis is the Bredereck oxazole synthesis. The main advantages of this process are the improved yield and decreased number of reaction steps, which paves the way for the industrial-scale synthesis of mubritinib. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The helical polyaniline (PANI) was synthesized through introducing the chiral chemical D-camphor-10-sulfonic acid (D-CSA) into the liquid crystal, which resulted in the typical conical texture of lamellar phase pattern, owing to the reorientation and rearrangement of liquid crystal. The morphology and the structures of helical PANI were characterized through TEM, Uv-vis, FTIR and XRD, and the influence of the factors such as the amount of D-CSA, stirring, the strength of the electric field on PANI was investigated. Besides, according to the electrochemical data of helical PANI, it was obtained the capacitance of helical PANI synthesized in the presence of electric field was higher, compared with other samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Previous studies have suggested that aggressive hydration with lactated ringer solution are one of the protective factors in preventing post endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (post-ERCP). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the efficacy aggressive hydration with lactated Ringer solution in preventing PEP. Methods: All published and unpublished articles on aggressive hydration with lactated ringer solution in those underwent ERCP procedure for any reasons were screened for eligibility. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. This paper doesn't need the IRB approval. Results: Seven RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis indicates that aggressive hydration with lactated Ringer solution were associated with lower PEP rate.[odds ratio (OR) 0.29; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.18–0.48]; lower incidence of hyperamylasemia (OR 0.49; 95% CI 0.35, 0.69) and lower risk of pain (OR 0.28; 95% CI 0.10–0.81). The association between aggressive hydration with lactated Ringer solution and incidence of moderate severity PEP were unclear (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.22, 1.45). Sensitivity analyses also showed that omitting 1 study from analysis of PEP rate could reduce the heterogeneity but did not change the conclusion of this meta-analysis. A cumulating meta-analysis was performed statistically which showed a stable result of overall incidence of PEP. Conclusions: Aggressive hydration with lactated Ringer solution was a protective factor in reducing the overall incidence of PEP, hyperamylasemia and risk of abdominal pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface quality of metal material directly affects its service life. In this paper, continuous scanning electron beam process (CSEBP) is used to treat the surface of 65 steel. The effects of electron beam current and moving speed on surface roughness are discussed. The results showed that: the surface roughness increased with increasing the bean current and the moving speed. When the electron beam current was 5 mA and the moving speed was 3 mm/s, the surface roughness of 65 steel decreased from 2. 0 μ m to 0.432 μ m. Craters are mostly composed of carbon and oxygen compounds, which are easily ejected when the melt flow rate changes rapidly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Migration of fish bones into abdominal para-aortic tissue after penetrating the junction of 3rd and 4th part of duodenum is incredibly rare.Case Presentation: A 68-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with persistent colic in the lower abdomen after eating fish two weeks ago. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan showed High density streaks along the anterior and lower edges of the 3rd part of duodenum with peripheral exudation and localized peritonitis. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy didn't find foreign bodies and perforations in the digestive tract. Laparoscopic surgery and intraoperative endoscopy were made to detect foreign bodies and perforation site was found. After transition to open surgery, the fish bone was found in abdominal para-aortic tissue and removed without complications. Postoperative recovery is smooth, and the patient resumed normal diet and was discharged.Conclusions: It is difficult to choose a treatment plan for foreign bodies at the 3rd part of the duodenum, because it is difficult to judge the damage caused by the foreign body to the intestine and the positional relationship with the surrounding important organs. Conservative treatment or surgical treatment both have huge risks. The handling of this situation will extremely test the psychology, physical strength and professional experience of the surgeon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: To explore the thermal performance of vertical U‐tube ground heat exchanger (GHE) during short‐term thermal energy storage (TES) and heat extraction process, a novel and well‐controlled sandbox with a plate heat exchanger at the bottom of GHE was proposed and established. According to the experiments of short‐term TES and heat extraction under different inlet temperature with Re between 2677 and 2823, we found that the thermal performance of GHE was mainly determined by the dynamic soil temperature distribution around GHE, which was induced by the inlet temperature and operation process of GHE. Furthermore, the energy was concentrated within a limited radius (0.4 m) around the GHE during the 8 hours TES and heat extraction process, which was of benefit to the efficient operation of GHE and the thermal environment of soil. Moreover, compared to the simple extraction process C10 (−/8°C) without TES, the heat extraction process of C5 (35/8°C) obtained a 47.8% increase of average heat extraction rate. In addition, approximately 35% of the injected heat was left in the experimental soil under thermal balance conditions C3, C5, and C7. These results show the superiority and characteristic of short‐term TES and heat extraction for GHE operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What predicts the formation and evolution of partnerships in unstable institutional contexts? We answer this question by examining the partnership field of environmental nonprofit organizations based in Lebanon. Employing descriptive and inferential network methods, we find organizational attributes such as scope, operations, and age to be significant predictors of partnership formation. In particular, organizations working in the same issue areas are more likely to partner with each other; age and scope complementarity also drives the partnership formation over time. Furthermore, the results reveal that organizations are more likely to form partnerships with their partners' partners, and consequently stable clusters or subgroups emerge over time. These findings are suggestive but are the first to provide a multilevel analysis of nonprofit partnership formation and evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report two different saturable absorbers based on transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and utilize them to Q-switch a Dy3+/Tb3+:LuLiF 4 crystal yellow laser. The samples are fabricated by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method and characterized with the atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy. Linear and nonlinear optical properties of the WS 2 and WSe 2 samples are explored using a balanced twin-detector technique. Efficient passive Q-switched operations are achieved with the maximum average output power of 37 mW and 54 mW using WS 2 and WSe 2 saturable absorbers, respectively. The experimental results indicate the potential of TMDs for all-solid-state Q-switched pulses in the yellow laser. • Continuous-wave yellow laser was generated with Dy3+,Tb3+:LuLiF 4 crystal. • Linear and nonlinear optical properties of the WS 2 and WSe 2 samples were explored in the visible range. • Efficient passive Q-switched yellow lasers were achieved using WS 2 and WSe 2 saturable absorbers, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface topography of focused down-beam single-pass modeling plays a paramount function in electron beam surface modeling. However, there remains a challenge to understand the formation mechanisms of different surface morphologies and correlation with e-beam process parameters. This paper describes the printing process in vacuum using a high-fidelity model of focused down-beam single-pass modeling. Results indicated that the high simulation result and the wide simulation result were 219.5 μm and 2947.8 μm, respectively, accompanied by an error rate of 6.7% for the experimental data. This could enhance the understanding of surface morphologies mechanisms and contribute to the improvement of metal topography manufacturing processes. • A high-fidelity modeling study with experimental validation was developed. • Surface topography of focused down-beam single-pass modeling was fabricated by Scanning electron beam. • The formation mechanisms of different surface morphologies and correlation with e-beam process parameters were revealed. • Marangoni shear stress and recoil pressure enhanced the surface topography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal (HM) pollution, particularly in its ionic form in water bodies, is a chronic issue threatening environmental security and human health. The microalgal-bacterial symbiosis (MABS) system, as the basis of water ecosystems, has the potential to treat HM wastewater in a sustainable manner, with the advantages of environmental friendliness and carbon sequestration. However, the differences between laboratory studies and engineering practices, including the complexity of pollutant compositions and extreme environmental conditions, limit the applications of the MABS system. Additionally, the biomass from the MABS system containing HMs requires further disposal or recycling. This review summarized the recent advances of the MABS system treating HM wastewater, including key mechanisms, influence factors related to HM removal, and the tolerance threshold values of the MABS system to HM toxicity. Furthermore, the challenges and prospects of the MABS system in treating actual HM wastewater are analyzed and discussed, and suggestions for biochar preparation from the MABS biomass containing HMs are provided. This review provides a reference point for the MABS system treating HM wastewater and the corresponding challenges faced by future engineering practices. [Display omitted] • The mechanisms of MABS system treating HM wastewater were reviewed. • The effects of HMs on growth and characteristics of MABS system were explored. • The structural form and characters of MABS system affect HM removal efficiency. • MABS system contribute to HMs removal through biosorption or bioaccumulation. • The challenges of MABS system treating HM wastewater were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is an important swine respiratory pathogen causing substantial economic losses to the global pig industry. The Apx toxins of A. pleuropneumoniae belong to the RTX toxin family and are major virulence factors. In addition to hemolysis and/or cytotoxicity via pore-forming activity, RTX toxins, such as ApxIA of A. pleuropneumoniae , have been reported to cause other effects on target cells, e.g., apoptosis. A. pleuropneumoniae ApxIIA is expressed by most serotypes and has moderate hemolytic and cytotoxic activities. In this study, porcine alveolar macrophages (3D4/21) were stimulated with different concentrations of purified native ApxIIA from the serotype 7 strain AP76 which only secretes ApxIIA. By observation of nuclear condensation via fluorescent staining and detection of apoptosis and necrosis by flow cytometry, it was found that high and low concentrations of native ApxIIA mainly caused necrosis or apoptosis of 3D4/21 cells, respectively. ApxIIA purified from an AP76 mutant with a deleted acetyltransferase gene (apxIIC) did not induce necrosis nor apoptosis. Western blot analysis using specific antibodies showed that a cleaved caspase 3 and activated capase 9 was detected after treatment of cells with a low concentration of native ApxIIA, while general or specific inhibitors of caspase 3, 8, 9 blocked these effects. ApxIIA-induced apoptosis of macrophages may be a mechanism of A. pleuropneumoniae to escape host immune clearance. • Low concentration of ApxIIA triggers apoptosis of porcine alveolar macrophages 3D4/21. • Fatty acylation is essential for ApxIIA to induce apoptosis of 3D4/21 cells. • ApxIIA activates caspase 3 and 9 to induce apoptosis of 3D4/21 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monsoon precipitation changes has led to substantial changes in the spatial pattern of land surface energy in most monsoon regions of the world, which subsequently affect the structure and development of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) over land. Based on the ERA-Interim reanalysis data (1979–2018), the present study analyzes the long-term variability characteristics of Boundary layer height (BLH) and its influencing factors in the global land monsoon region. The results show that the long-term annual mean BLH averaged over all the monsoon regions across the globe is approximately 653.2 m, but there exist great differences between various regions. The highest BLH occurs in the Australian (AUS) region, followed by that in South Africa (SAF), North Africa (NAF), North America (NAM) and South America (SAM) regions, and the lowest BLH occurs in the Asian (ASN) monsoon region. The differences in BLH between various regions reflect significant regional differences in surface energy distribution. A larger sensible heat flux SHF usually corresponds to a higher BLH , while NAM with the largest latent heat flux LHF corresponds to not the lowest BLH , which is related to its smaller cloud radiation cooling. In the past 40 years, the spatial variation of BLH in ASN region is the most special among all monsoon regions, which is mainly manifested in the increasing trend in the east (east of 100°E) and the decreasing trend in the west (west of 100°E), partly due to the distribution of more precipitation in the east and less precipitation in the west in recent decades. The differences in BLH distribution in different monsoonal regions are mainly caused by SHF. Wind shear S and vertical sensible heat advection H mv , as the main driving sources of ABL development, play a non-negligible role in the variances of BLH structure in different monsoon areas, although their contributions are much smaller than that of SHF.The role of S in promoting or inhibiting the development of ABL is not only related to S size, but also closely related to the atmospheric turbulence environment. Additionally, each monsoon region's H mv influence on BLH is the most complex, and changes in near-surface temperature and annual precipitation can only partially explain the observed occurrences. The complicated process must also take into account the significance of local vertical motion brought on by weather variations and surface irregularities in various monsoon regions. • The long-term annual mean BLH were great differences among regions. The highest BLH occurs in the Australian (AUS) region, followed by that in South Africa (SAF), North Africa (NAF), North America (NAM) and South America (SAM) regions, and the lowest BLH occurs in the Asian (ASN) monsoon region. The differences in BLH between various regions reflect significant regional differences in surface energy distribution. • Over the past 40 years, the BLH in the global land monsoon region has shown an increasing trend is generally associated with climate warming. Moreover, it also exhibits obvious fluctuation characteristics that are linked to variations in monsoon precipitation. The spatial variation of BLH in ASN region is the most special among all monsoon regions, which is mainly manifested in the increasing trend in the east (east of 100°E) and the decreasing trend in the west (west of 100°E), partly due to the seesaw distribution of more precipitation in the east and less precipitation in the west in recent decades. • The differences in BLH distribution in different monsoonal regions are mainly caused by SHF. And S and H mv , as the main driving sources of ABL development, play a non-negligible role in the variances of BLH structure in different monsoon areas, although their contributions are much smaller than that of SHF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel electrochemical sensor was constructed based on modification of polyaniline (PANI) and graphitic-phase carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) composites. Detection of Cd(II) ions in the aqueous environment using differential pulsed anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) technique. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), contact angle (CA), and Tafel curve analyses were used to characterize the physical and electrochemical properties of electrode. We prepared a new PANI@g-C 3 N 4 composite material by combining the two substances based on their respective advantages. The composite material was applied to electrode detection for the first time, which significantly enhanced the transfer of free electrons on the surface of the electrode, improved the sensitivity of the electrode, increased the adsorption capacity of Cd ions, and significantly improved the detection effect of the electrode. Parameters such as the amount of PANI@g-C 3 N 4 modification, deposition potential, deposition time and solution pH were optimized to determine the best conditions for the detection of Cd(II) ions. Under optimal conditions, our sensor achieves a best signal at −0.78 V (vs. Ag/Agcl electrode), and exhibits a wide linear concentration range of 0.1–140 μg/L with a low detection limit of 0.05 μg/L. The sensor was successful in implementing the identification of real water samples with recoveries ranging from 91 % to 106 %. The relative standard deviation (RSD) is less than 4.31 %. Besides, the sensor has outstanding anti-interference, repeatability and steadiness. The successful application of this sensor provides a new idea for efficient detection of Cd(II) ions in aquatic environments. [Display omitted] • PANI and g-C 3 N 4 composites were firstly used to modify GCE for Cd(II) detection. • The composite improves the electrode conductivity and Cd adsorption performance. • The PANI@g-C 3 N 4 @GCE shows a low Cd detection limit with wide linear range. • This sensor was also applied to the detection of Cd(II) ions in real water samples [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • G-CSF enhances the immunosuppressive function of MDSCs in the donor's peripheral blood. • MDSCs in grafts undergoing transplantation in hematologic patients affect patient prognosis. • The equilibrium range of absolute values of total MDSCs in the patient's graft was (1.7–4.3) × 107/kg. • The transfer of grafts with high levels of MDSCs to the patient's body is beneficial for the development speed of MDSCs. To discuss the effects of mobilization of healthy donors with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on the absolute values and functions of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and subpopulations of M-MDSCs and P-MDSCs in their peripheral blood. In addition, this study also aims to investigate the impacts of the adoptively transferred MDSCs from the grafts to the patients on their prognosis and immune reconstitution. The selection of 72 donors and 72 patients were conducted for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) from August 2022 to December 2022 at Lu Daopei Hospital in Beijing, China. Statistical calculations were performed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Kruskal Wallis test, χ2 test, Kaplan Meier test, and log-rank test to analyze the data. G-CSF induced significant amplification of MDSCs in the peripheral blood of donors in percentage and absolute values. Whether the level of P-MDSCs in patients conducted for the adoptive transfer of P - MDSCs is higher than 3.7× 107/kg or lower than 1.4× 107/kg leads to a poor prognosis of the patients. Ensuring a balanced state of MDSCs is crucial for effective immunotherapy. Transferring a high level of MDSCs from the graft to the patient's body is advantageous for the development of MDSCs while simultaneously inhibiting the proliferation of lymphocyte subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of benefits derived from energy-saving renovation schemes plays a crucial role in the implementation of energy policies. Hospital buildings, due to their specific nature, require energy-saving renovations that place a greater emphasis on enhancing air quality and providing occupants with a comfortable environment. This requirement significantly sets them apart from other types of buildings, necessitating the consideration of investors' preferences when making decisions regarding renovation plans. This study proposes a multi-criteria decision-making method to aid investors in selecting the most optimal renovation strategy for hospital wards, taking into account factors such as energy efficiency, economic viability, and thermal comfort. To demonstrate the practicality of the proposed method, a case study was conducted in a hospital ward. The results indicate that green roofs yield the highest economic benefits, with an expected net present value of 47,359.38 yuan and an anticipated payback period of only 5.3 years. The replacement of high-performance windows is not financially feasible. However, upon simultaneous consideration of other renovation measures, the replacement of high-performance windows becomes a viable option due to investors' willingness to invest in energy-efficient and comfortable solutions, even if the economic benefits of such a scheme are not optimal. This study offers a comprehensive decision-making approach for energy-saving renovation strategies in hospital wards, providing valuable insights to investors in selecting the most suitable energy-saving renovation plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High efficient anchors are increasing demanded to moor floating structures with oil and gas and renewable energy developments move into deeper water. One effective way to increase efficiency is by maximizing the bearing area of the anchor during operation. Along this line of design, a new high efficiency plate anchor composed of two pieces of fluke plates, which are expandable after installation under preloading, is proposed in this paper. The keying process plays a significant role in the anchor's bearing performance. To gain insights into the keying process and optimize the geometry design of this anchor, a series of Large Deformation Finite Element (LDFE) analyses are carried out. From the comprehensive LDFE analysis, this proposed anchor with optimal padeye eccentricity has lower loss of embedment compared with traditional upright anchor and the accompanying higher holding capacity. Besides, the newly proposed expandable anchor also has a much stiffer response, the anchor can bear 3 times the keying load (proof loading) without losing much embedment during operation stage. This has an important implication for saving offshore cost, where the proposed anchor could be keyed using small vessel with limited winch capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Long-term changes in the water cycle of an arid irrigation district were analyzed. • The major drivers of surface and subsurface hydrological processes were identified. • Approximately 60% of the variation in ET resulted from climate variability. • Human activities induced over 70% changes in subsurface hydrological processes. Climate variability and human activities are the two major driving forces of changes in the hydrological cycle. However, how these two factors separately influence the water cycle in arid irrigation districts with shallow groundwater tables is still unknown. This study aimed to investigate the long-term changes in the water cycle and then quantify the individual contributions of climate variability and human activities to the changes in the water cycle in a large irrigation district. The Hetao Irrigation District (HID), located in the upper Yellow River Basin in Northwest China, was selected as the case study area, and an agro-hydrological model (SWAT-AG), which has powerful capabilities to model complex agro-hydrological processes, was employed as the simulation tool. The results showed that from 2000 to 2018, evapotranspiration (ET) of growing season in the HID remained relatively stable, but there were significant decreases in evaporation and dramatic increases in transpiration. For the subsurface hydrological processes, deep percolation and capillary rise of growing season both showed a decreasing trend, while groundwater drainage showed an increasing trend. The water exchange between the atmosphere layer and the root zone (i.e., ET, including evaporation and transpiration) was more significantly dominated by climatic conditions. In contrast, the subsurface hydrological processes were mainly affected by human activities, e.g., irrigation management, canal seepage, farmland area and cropping pattern. Climate variability contributed to approximately 60% of the changes in ET, whereas human activities introduced over 70% of the changes in deep percolation, capillary rise, and groundwater drainage, respectively. This study provides valuable insights into the impacts of climate variability and human activities on the changes in the water cycle and enhancements of water management practices in arid irrigation districts with shallow groundwater tables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Next-generation medium carbide steel development requires fabricating novel structural materials with superior mechanical properties. Herein, scanning electron beam alloying is proposed for obtaining a W/Ni alloy coating on medium carbon steel, and the impact of process parameters on the microstructure and properties are investigated. Results demonstrated that the microstructure of alloying zone is martensite, α-Fe (Ni, C) solid solution, and W 3 C particles scattered along the grain boundaries. The transition zone between coating and substrate exhibits multiple sublayers: different morphological martensitic and heat-affected zone. As the energy density rises, the mechanical properties of the coating initially increase and subsequently decline. The microstructural findings revealed that the formation of α-Fe (Ni, C) solid solution, martensitic, and carbides play a critical role in substantially enhancing mechanical properties. This work produced a high-performance W-Ni composite coating on medium carbon steel. • A route for efficient surface alloying of medium carbon steels was provided. • SEB successfully generated a W-Ni composite coating with superior mechanical properties. • Fast alloying on medium carbon steel with a fourfold microhardness raised and wear rate of only 11.6% of the matrix. • The mechanism for coating strengthening was revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is still difficult to simultaneously achieve surface polishing and purity-free modification of 30CrMo steel by conventional treatment technologies. Herein, the continuous circular scanning electron beam process (CCSEBP), a novel route, for direct surface modification of 30CrMo steel is proposed. The changes regularity in microstructure, surface roughness, microhardness and wear resistance after electron beam treatment was investigated. Results indicated that the modified layer was primarily composed of typical acicular and lath martensite. After polishing, the surface roughness was decreased from 2.2 μm to 0.9 μm and microhardness improved significantly, which is closely associated with martensitic transformation. Moreover, the wear amount of the 30CrMo steel after modification is reduced by 50% compared to the pristine specimen. Following appropriate treatment, 30CrMo steel exhibited an extraordinary combination of hardness and finish. This study shed light on the development of high-efficiency modification for electron beam scanning 30CrMo steel. [Display omitted] • Present a CCSEBP to modify 30CrMo steel, impurity-free and high-efficiency. • Finish, hardness and wear resistance were improved in a "one-step" process. • The highest hardness of the treated sample reaches 2.6 times that of the matrix. • Temperature of different depths had great effect on morphology of martensite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]