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[Display omitted] • New piezoelectric material of FZ with ZIF67 self-assembled wrapped Fe 3 O 4 was prepared. • FZ can efficiently degrade tetracycline under ultrasonic conditions. • More radicals were formed by modulating conduction and shortening reaction distance. Tetracycline antibiotic contamination as one of the major environmental issues continuously affects biological health. In this work, piezoelectric material of asymmetric center with ZIF67 wrapping Fe 3 O 4 structure was synthesized, which piezoelectrically degraded for 100 mg/L tetracycline with a degradation rate of more than 95 % in 40 min. Experimental and theoretical analyses indicated that ZIF 67 adsorbed tetracycline, which can shorten the reaction distance, and more •O 2 − was generated by ZIF67 regulating the conduction band position of Fe 3 O 4 the intermediate products during the piezoelectric reaction were investigated, which intuitively visualized the degradation pathway of tetracycline. This research provides a novel notion for the application of iron-based piezoelectric materials in wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the asymmetry of charge distribution and geometric structure, the Janus membrane can simultaneously intercept counter-ions and co-ions. This work constructed four Janus membrane configurations using numerical simulation methods. Due to the different potential within the membrane and the selectivity level, there is a significant deviation in the interception performance. The results found that the change in the height of the Janus membrane affects the distribution of anion and cation concentration inside the nanochannel, and the asymmetry of the nanochannel height is more conducive to interception than a uniform nanochannel. The effect of the nanochannel length of the first section on the rejection rate is higher than that of the second section. Considering the design of the membrane, we recommend that the pore length of the first section be set to about 50 nm. Since the flow potential balances the electroviscous force, the optimization of the flow rate for ion transport is often opposite to the interception effect. The Janus membrane has asymmetric pore size and charge distribution characteristics and has excellent retention ability for divalent salts under low-pressure intensity and high-concentration conditions. [Display omitted] • Four nanofiltration configurations are proposed based on Janus membrane's characteristics. • Janus membrane exhibits excellent rejection performance. • The optimization of ion transport by flow rate is often opposite to the interception effect. • Janus membrane has excellent rejection ability for divalent salts. • The concentration distribution of Janus membrane is more favorable for nanofiltration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel anion doping strategy is used to enhance the catalysis of NiCo 2 O 4. • NCOF demonstrates enhanced performance as an electrode for both SOFCs and LIBs. • NCOF shows a 61.5 % reduction in R p at 750 °C in SOFCs. • NCOF exhibits outstanding discharge specific capacity and rate capability in LIBs. The advancement of electrode materials exhibiting high catalytic activity is crucial for the application of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, the anion substitution strategy is used to enhance the electrochemical catalytic activity of spinel oxide NiCo 2 O 4. For the first time, F-doped NiCo 2 O 3 F (NCOF) was synthesized and systematically studied as the electrode for both SOFCs and LIBs. The results demonstrate a noticeable increase in both the content of oxygen vacancies and the unit cell free volume after F doping. Simultaneously, there is a reduction in the band gap width, consequently significantly enhancing the conductivity of NCO. These changes are beneficial to the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) process. At 750 °C, the R p of NCOF is 0.05 Ω cm2, exhibiting a reduction of 61.5 % compared to NCO. F doping accelerates the process of charge transfer and the adsorption/dissociation of oxygen. At 800 °C, NCOF exhibits an output performance of 0.85 W cm2, which is 46.6 % higher than that of NCO. Simultaneously, the initial discharge specific capacity of NCOF-based LIB reaches 1395 mAh/g at a current density of 100 mA g−1. F doping demonstrates a noteworthy improvement in both insertion potential and cycling performance. As a result, the NCOF electrode exhibits exceptional rate capability, highlighting its enhanced ability to efficiently handle charging and discharging processes over multiple cycles. These findings suggest that NCOF holds significant potential as an advanced electrode material for both SOFC and LIBs. This study introduces fresh perspectives for designing and developing high catalytic activity multifunctional electrodes for energy conversion and storage devices in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The applications of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) in rare or common diseases treatment have garnered great attention in recent years. Nevertheless, challenges associated with stability and bioavailability still persist, hampering the efficiency of ASOs. This work presents an ASO prodrug with parallel G-quadruplex assembly and lysosome escape capabilities for oncotherapy. Our findings revealed that the end-assembled quadruplex structure effectively shielded the ASO from enzymatic degradation. Meanwhile, the conjugation of maleimide within the quadruplex enhanced cellular uptake, potentially offering an alternative cell entry mechanism that circumvents lysosome involvement. Notably, an optimized molecule, Mal2-G4-ASO, exhibited remarkable therapeutic effects both in vitro and in vivo. This work presents a promising avenue for enhancing the activity of nucleic acid drugs in oncotherapy and potentially other disease contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-related cataract (ARC) is the prevalent cause of useful vision loss. Circular RNAs are related to ARC pathogenesis partly through their competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) activity. Herein, we defined the action of hsa_circ_0105558 in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-driven apoptosis and oxidative damage in human lens epithelial SRA01/04 cells. Hsa_circ_0105558, microRNA (miR)-182-5p and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) were evaluated by a qRT-PCR or immunoblotting method. The hsa_circ_0105558/miR-182-5p and miR-182-5p/ATF6 relationships were predicted by bioinformatics analysis and confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Reactive oxygen species level, glutathione peroxidase level, superoxide dismutase activity, and malondialdehyde level were measured using the matched assay kits. Hsa_circ_0105558 was upregulated in human ARC lens and H2O2-exposed SRA01/04 cells. Suppression of hsa_circ_0105558 attenuated H2O2-driven SRA01/04 cell apoptosis and oxidative damage. Hsa_circ_0105558 targeted miR-182-5p, and reduced miR-182-5p expression reversed the influence of hsa_circ_0105558 depletion on H2O2-driven oxidative damage and apoptosis. ATF6 was a target of miR-182-5p, and miR-182-5p-driven downregulation of ATF6 regulated cell oxidative damage and apoptosis under H2O2 insult. Moreover, hsa_circ_0105558 functioned as a ceRNA to post-transcriptionally control ATF6 expression through miR-182-5p competition. Our study demonstrates that hsa_circ_0105558 modulates SRA01/04 cell oxidative damage and apoptosis under H2O2 insult through the miR-182-5p/ATF6 cascade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sensitivity of temperature on the decomposition/polymerisation of ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) was investigated through the dissolution experiments at high water to solid ratio under controlled temperatures (5, 20, and 40 °C). The aqueous compositions during the dissolution in neutral and alkali media were determined by ICP-OES (Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry) and the saturation conditions with respect to the possible precipitations were estimated by thermodynamic modelling. The depolymerisation of silicate groups and the chemically combined water in the residual GGBS was examined by FTIR/SEM (Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy/Scanning Electron Microscopy) and TG (Thermogravimetric) analysis respectively. The results demonstrated that the effect of temperature on the dissolution of GGBS is more pronounced from 5 °C to 20 °C than that from 20 °C to 40 °C. The extremely low temperature (∼ 5 °C) restricts the hydration of GGBS even in a high pH environment. The temperature does not affect the depolymerising sequences of silicate groups in GGBS in a neutral environment but changes the overall dissolution rate. The major silicate spices (Q0 to Q3) in GGBS tend to dissolve evenly in DI water, whereas the Q2 tends to depolymerise faster than others in the NaOH solution. The decreasing Ca concentration in the NaOH solution corresponds to the formation of ∼ 50 nm needle-like precipitates regardless of temperature. Based on the results collected, the dissolving potential and the temperature sensitivity of the major components in GGBS can be divided into three batches: the easiest/most sensitive group: Na-Ox; intermediate group: K-Ox, Si-Ox, Ca-Ox, Al-Ox; the hardest/least sensitive group: Mg-Ox. The intermediate batch required an initial activation energy of ∼ 15 kJ/mol in DI water. The relevant data could be considered as experimental evidence in the thermodynamic modelling of the hydration of GGBSs. • The sensitivity of temperature on the decomposition of GGBS was studied. • The low temperature will restrict hydration of GGBS even in the high pH environment. • The Q0 to Q3 in GGBS tends to be evenly reduced in the neutral environment. • The higher temperature tends to accelerate depolymerisation of Q2 sites in NaOH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The low-velocity drop hammer impact tests of five HSC specimens are conducted. • Five failure modes are proposed. • The impact process of HSC specimens is divided into 5 stages. • Static loading tests are implemented on HSC specimens to analyze structural residual bearing capacity. • Comparisons of dynamic response between HSC and SC slabs are made. The current research on the dynamic response of half steel–concrete (HSC) composite slabs is not only limited but also primarily concentrated on high-velocity impacts. This study investigates the dynamic response of such structures by examining failure modes, impact resistance mechanisms, and energy dissipation under low-velocity impacts through drop hammer impact tests conducted on five HSC specimens. In addition, the variation of the out-of-plane residual bearing capacity with the damage degree of specimens and impact energy is analyzed using static loading tests. Finally, the dynamic response differences between half steel–concrete slabs and steel–concrete (SC) slabs are analyzed by comparing multiple indicators. The results indicate that HSC slabs exhibit five distinct failure modes when subjected to low-velocity impact within a range of 3.13–7.00 m/s. Additionally, five stages of the dynamic response process of the HSC slabs are proposed. Moreover, the bottom steel plate plays a crucial role in retaining structural out-of-plane residual bearing capacity. Furthermore, compared with the SC structure, the HSC slab is capable of absorbing input impact energy within a much smaller displacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study proposed a new surface reconstruction method for the absolute measurement of shift rotation. It linearizes the surface distribution function based on the Taylor expansion and constructs a linear system of equations between the surface distribution function and the differential wavefront. The coefficient matrix of this linear system of equations is sparse, so the absolute surface distribution can be obtained quickly and accurately. Compared with existing methods, it has the following advantages: • It can obtain a full-aperture surface distribution regardless of the translation ratio of the test mirror. Then it can significantly reduce the effect of tilt errors by increasing the translation ratio. • It requires only three measurements, and the test mirror can be rotated at almost any angle. • It can reduce the effect of the measurement noise. • It can reduce the effect of translation error, rotation error and eccentricity error. We propose a new surface reconstruction method for the absolute measurement of shift rotation that can obtain a full-aperture surface distribution. Our approach reduces the effect of tilt errors on surface reconstruction by increasing the translation ratio of the test mirror. This method requires the test mirror to be measured once in situ , after translation, and after rotation. Because the known measured wavefront is a nonlinear function of the absolute surface distribution, the function of the surface distribution is linearized by performing a Taylor expansion to achieve fast surface reconstruction. Finally, a linear system of equations is constructed to solve the absolute surface distribution. The coefficient matrix is sparse and can quickly and accurately reconstruct the absolute surface distribution. In the simulation, the root mean square error (RMSE) of the reconstructed surface distribution of the method discussed in this study can reach to 0.012nm. Moreover, our method can significantly reduce the effect of tilt errors compared with typical methods, thereby yielding a new, high-precision solution for absolute measurements in interferometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium-Silicate-Hydrate (C-S-H) is the primary binding phase in cement and plays a crucial role in lifecycle performance of concrete. Understanding its multiscale mechanical properties is essential for optimizing its performance. In this study, we employed atomic force microscopy (AFM), nanoindentation and oedometric test to characterize multi-scale mechanical behaviours of C-S-H with different chemical composition and microstructure. Moreover, a calculation framework is used to bridge inter-scale gaps. Our results reveal the complex hierarchical features of C-S-H and its impact on mechanical properties including elastic, plastic, and viscous responses. We also identify the critical role of chemical composition including calcium-to-silica ratio and water content on the observed mechanical behaviours. Additionally, our multiscale model provides a valuable tool for rational design of C-S-H-based materials with tailored mechanical properties at less material cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immobilized photocatalysts represent a promising candidate for the wastewater treatments due to their good reusability, high stability and low eco-risk. Mass transfer within the immobilized catalytic bed is a crucial process that determines the contacting, adsorption, and degradation kinetics in the photodegradation. In this study, a floating catalytic foam (FCF) with a prominent pumping effect was designed to promote mass transfer. The polyurethane foam immobilized with rGO/TiO 2 /ultrathin-g-C 3 N 4 photocatalyst (PRTCN) was prepared by a simple dip-coating and Uv-light aging process. It was found that the hydrophilic-hydrophobic interfaces could not only contribute to the floating of the catalyst but also establish a temperature gradient across the floating immobilized catalyst. In addition, the temperature gradient induced convection could serve as a built-in pump to effectively promote the diffusion and adsorption of target antibiotic molecules during the photocatalytic process. Therefore, the PRTCN demonstrated a high photodegradation and mineralization efficiency with excellent reusability and anti-interference capability. Moreover, the photodegradation mechanism and the intermediates' toxicity of norfloxacin were detailly investigated by ultra-high resolution electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry, density functional theory simulation and ECOSAR estimation. This work proposed a facile and sustainable strategy to enhance the mass transfer problem on immobilized photocatalysts, which could promote the application of the immobilized photocatalysts in the real water-treatment scenarios. [Display omitted] • Hydrophilic - hydrophobic interface of GO/rGO enhance mass transfer effect of antibiotics on the catalyst surface. • Temperature gradient under the photothermal action is crucial for accelerate the mass transfer rate. • Optimized catalyst achieves high norfloxacin removal and mineralization rate with robust stability. • A possible mechanism for the norfloxacin degradation by DFT and ECOSAR was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, more than 100 genotypes of human adenovirus (HAdV) are classified into seven species (A–G). The tissue tropism and virulence of HAdV are closely related to the genotypes, different genotypes of HAdV infection lead to different types and severity of the disease. Although traditional genotype identification techniques are widely used, they are time-consuming, complex and low sensitivity. Therefore, a rapid and accurate genotype recognition method for HAdV is necessary. In this study, silver nanoparticles incubated with iodine ions and aggregated with calcium ions were used as the enhanced substrate to form a good "hot spot" suitable for viral nucleic acid. The method could rapidly identify the seven common genotypes of respiratory HAdV characteristic fingerprints, combined with machine learning technology could classify and identify HAdV (500 copies/mL) within 5 min, with an accuracy rate of over 98%. In addition, the concentration dependence curve assessing the relationship between the intensity of the characteristic peak and the nucleic acid concentration showed a good linear relationship, the method can be used to quantitatively detect HAdV nucleic acid. This technique can enhance diagnosis and genotype identification of HAdV infection, thus providing a feasible method for the efficient response to respiratory human adenovirus outbreaks. • The Ag@ICNPs can be used to capture SERS signals of multiple genotypes of HAdV. • This method can be used to identify genotypes when concentration is 100 copies/mL. • CNN can identify the genotypes of HAdV with an accuracy rate of over 98%. • Compared with the existing genotype recognition method, this is faster and easier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The mesh-insensitive ESS method is combined with MLE. • The Δ S r represents the fatigue life parameters distribution for all Δ S of interest. • Sample augmentation is applied to the test results corresponding to the Δ S r. • A mesh-insensitive life prediction model for small samples is established. • A closed-loop reliability validation part is added. In the fields of engineering design and fatigue life prediction, handling limited sample data has consistently posed a challenge. A hybrid distribution characteristics of equivalent structural stress (HDC-ESS) method is presented for the design of fatigue life prediction models with small sample sizes. The method integrates the equivalent structural stress (ESS) method with the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method based on the idea of sample augmentation, and adds closed-loop reliability verification to ensure its robustness and correctness. By employing three distinct approaches, an analysis and comparison were conducted on the failure data of small specimen obtained from high-frequency fatigue tests of welded joints. The outcomes reveal that the HDC-ESS method, in comparison to the conventional direct method and the MLE-integrated equivalent structural stress approach, exhibited an enhancement of goodness of fit by 0.1866 and 0.1988, respectively. Furthermore, it exhibited remarkable performance in enhancing stability and optimizing sample quantity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibody modification is a common method for endowing drug carriers with the ability to target specific cells. Recent studies suggest that the efficacy of these antibody-modified drug carriers is closely related to their physicochemical properties, such as size, shape, stiffness, charge, and surface chemistry. In this study, we functionalized microcapsules with antibodies to investigate the combined effect of shape and stiffness on their targeting ability. We synthesized hollow microcapsules, both spherical and rod-shaped, with adjustable stiffness using calcium carbonate particles as templates and silk fibroin (SF) as the shell material. These microcapsules were then functionalized with trastuzumab (TTZ) to enhance targeting capabilities. Our analysis revealed that increasing stiffness significantly improved the specificity and avidity of TTZ-coated rod-shaped microcapsules, but not spherical ones, indicating a strong shape-dependent influence of stiffness on these properties. Additionally, we explored the mechanisms of endocytosis using various inhibitors and found that both macropinocytosis and clathrin played critical roles in the cellular uptake of microcapsules. Furthermore, we loaded microcapsules with doxorubicin (DOX) to evaluate their anti-tumor efficacy. The stiffest TTZ-coated, DOX-loaded rod-shaped microcapsules demonstrated the most potent anti-tumor effects on BT-474 cells and the highest uptake in BT-474 3D spheroids. This research contributes to the development of more effective microcapsule-based target delivery systems and the realization of the full potential of microcapsule drug delivery systems. [Display omitted] • Silk fibroin microcapsules with controlled morphology and stiffness were prepared. • The interactions between shape and stiffness on cellular uptake were analyzed. • The influence of stiffness on targeting ability was strongly shape dependent. • The improved drug delivery and enhanced anti-tumor effects were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity gradient power generation has attracted much attention for its green and sustainable advantages. However, previous studies have tended to overlook the effect of reservoir size in porous membrane systems on power generation (the reservoir size from nanometer to micrometer were applied for similar-sized nanochannels). In this work, we investigate the ion transport behavior and working performance in the salinity gradient power generation with different reservoir sizes. The results show that there is a significant dependence of reservoir length and edge height on the effect of salinity gradient power generation. Smaller reservoir length or larger edge height corresponds to weaker ion concentration polarization, larger effective concentration difference, and better power generation performance. The regulation of the energy conversion process by reservoir size is significant. The influence of reservoir size on salinity gradient power generation diminishes as the pore distance increases. Sufficiently large reservoir length and edge height are necessary if a more stable output power is to be obtained. This work illustrates the impact of reservoir size on power generation performance and its significant regulatory effect, providing useful information for future selection of reservoir size in porous membrane systems. [Display omitted] • The reservoir size has a significant influence on salinity gradient power generation. • Rational optimization of reservoir dimensions in porous systems can greatly improve ICP effect. • Smaller reservoir length or larger edge height corresponds to larger effective concentration difference. • The effect of reservoir size on salinity gradient generation decreases with increasing pore distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the long-term preservation effects of nutrient capsules on the physiological activity, collagen fiber structure and transmittance of corneal stromal lenticules derived from small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE). A new nutrient capsule was constructed for long-term preservation of SMILE-derived corneal stromal lenticules. The lenticules were randomly divided into 99% anhydrous glycerol, and hydrogel nutrient capsules. After preserving for 1 year at −80 °C, lenticules were compared with fresh lenticules. The optical transmittance, tissue morphology, ultrastructure, cells activity and immunogenicity of the lenticules was detected and compared between different groups. The rate of apoptotic cells was significantly higher in the glycerol group compared with the nutrient capsule group (P < 0.0001). More viable cells were present in the lenticules after nutrient capsule preservation compared to the glycerol group (P = 0.0003). The mean transmittance of the lenticules in the glycerol group (50 ± 18%) was significantly lower (P = 0.0008) compared to the control group (75 ± 11%), and the lenticules transmittance of the nutrient capsule group (64 ± 15%) after long-term preservation was not significantly different (P = 0.23) compared to the control group. The structure of HE staining showed that the collagen fibers in the nutrient capsule group were arranged in parallel and neatly, and a few cavitation vesicles were visible inside the tissue. There was no significant difference in the number of lenticular collagen fibers in the nutritional capsule group compared to the fresh lenticule group (P = 0.06). HLA-DR, HLA-ABC, CD45, CD25 and CD69 expression was low in all groups of lenticules after preservation. Nutrient capsules can preserve lenticules for a long time and maintain the transmission structure and cells activity of lenticules. • The stromal lenticule can be used as a good biological material for the treatment of various eye diseases. • Establishment of nutrient capsules for lenticules cryopreservation. • Nutrient capsules allow long-term preservation of SMILE-derived lenticules. • Nutrient capsules can maintain lenticules optical transmittance capacity and tissue structures. • Corneal stromal cells preserved with nutrient capsules are more active than cryopreserved in glycerol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy irrigation and soil compaction cause hypoxic stress in plant roots, which limits crop growth. This issue can be solved by root-zone aeration, but the photophysiological responses of crop plants to the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in irrigation water remain unclear. Here, a greenhouse plot experiment was conducted to investigate the changes in leaf photosynthesis and plant growth of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. 'Omanda 3′) under aerated irrigation with various DO concentrations. Plants were treated with three different levels of aeration: 5 mg L–1 DO (conventional subsurface irrigation as a non-aeration control), 15 mg L–1 DO (low aeration treatment), and 30 mg L–1 DO (high aeration treatment). Compared with the control, the aeration treatments promoted electron transport from the primary to secondary plastoquinone acceptors (Q A to Q B) of photosystem II (PSII) and increased leaf net photosynthetic rate in plants at the seedling, fruit expansion, and maturation stages. The opposite effects of aeration treatments were observed at the flowering and fruit-setting stage. The enhancement of leaf photosynthetic performance contributed to improved plant growth, fruit yield, and quality of tomato as a result of increased oxygen supply in the root zone. The aeration treatments additionally facilitated the biosynthesis and transport of photosynthetic carbon assimilates in plant tissues, as evidenced by increased starch and sucrose contents in the leaves and sucrose content in the roots. However, under the high aeration level, excessive transport of sucrose from leaves to roots hindered further improvements in tomato yield and biomass at the maturation stage. Based on plant photophysiological and yield performance, aerated irrigation with a low concentration of DO (15 mg L–1) is recommended for greenhouse tomato crops during the seedling, fruit expansion, and maturation stages, and there is no need of root-zone aeration at the flowering and fruit-setting stage. • Oxygenated irrigation increased the net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance during the growth period. • Oxygenated irrigation promotes the synthesis and transport of photosynthetic carbon assimilates in leaves. • The excessive transport of sucrose to the roots under high oxygen levels can affect the growth of tomato aboveground parts. • The improvement of photosynthetic performance of tomato leaves promotes the growth of aboveground parts of plants. • 15 mg L–1 DO is recommended for tomato during the growth period, except for the flowering and fruit-setting stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Inconel 718 alloy seamless tubes were successfully prepared by RTP. • The dynamic compression-shear fracture of Inconel 718 alloy was explored. • The relationship between deformation gradient and crack propagation was found. • The formation mechanism of SLD was revealed. Large-diameter nickel-based superalloy seamless tubes are the key component of pipeline transmission system in nuclear power, thermal power and petroleum industries. The rotary tube piercing (RTP) process is suitable to prepare large-diameter seamless tubes. However, the high temperature dynamic compression-shear fracture, also known as separation layer defect (SLD), is inevitable in the RTP process of nickel-based superalloy. In the study, the SLD was systematically studied by the combination of simulation and experiment. Firstly, the isothermal compression-shear experiments were designed to study the fracture behaviors. The results reveal that the plasticity of Inconel 718 alloy decrease with the increase of temperature and strain rate within the range of temperature 1080-1160℃ and strain rate 5–40/s, and the shear angle has significant effects on the fracture behavior. Secondly, based on the isothermal compression-shear experiment results, the SLD was explored by RTP experiments. The results reveal that the compression-shear deformation extent has significant effects on the SLD, and the folding defect is generated before the SLD is observed. The fracture morphology further confirms that the SLD belongs to typical shear fracture, which is generated under specific strain and stress state. Finally, the formation mechanism of SLD is revealed by combining finite element simulation and experiment. It is found that the formation of SLD includes crack initiation and crack propagation. Crack initiation is related with the maximum shear strain and maximum shear stress, and the crack propagation is controlled by radial deformation gradient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given its superior structure, the abundance of surface functional groups, and low cost, cotton fiber filtration paper can be used as the support for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction catalysts (OER) instead of copper foam (CF), nickel foam (NF), or carbon cloth (CC). Herein, the chemical plating method was used to create thin self-supporting electrodes based on cotton fiber filtration paper (FP). The Co-Ni-P amorphous nanospheres can be uniformly dispersed on the self-supporting FP due to its porous structure and oxygen functional groups. The Co-Ni-P/FP electrode has an overpotential as low as 125 mV for HER and 320 mV for OER at the current density of 10 mA cm−2. Additionally, according to density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the Co atom added to the Ni-P nanosphere can lead to considerably more charge accumulation around the Co and Ni active sites, which greatly encourages the HER and OER processes. The novel porous support, FP, provides a fresh way the preparation of self-supporting electrodes. [Display omitted] • Filter paper is used to prepare the self-supporting electrode as the substrate. • The preparation method is simple and the properties are stable. • Rich oxygen-containing functional groups of FP promote deposition and dispersion. • Explore the excellent electrochemical performance of amorphous Co-Ni-P/FP by DFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Efficient flotation separation of malachite from calcite was obtained using high-dosage PX. • PX weakly interacted with the calcite surface via poor physical adsorption. • Copper xanthate was formed by the chemisorption of PX onto the malachite surface. • The selective flotation of malachite was attributed to the generated hydrophobic substance. • The long carbon chain of xanthate collector can be used in the oxidized mineral flotation. Calcite is a commonly associated gangue mineral in oxidized copper ore, while the flotation separation of oxidized copper ore from calcite is a bottleneck technology in the utilization of carbonate-type oxidized copper ore. The present study applied the pentyl xanthate (PX) as a collector to efficiently separate malachite and calcite without any other reagents. The flotation results indicate that the PX dosage is a key factor determining the flotation separation results of malachite and calcite. When its dosage reaches 1000 mg/L, the flotation recovery rate of malachite can reach 88.7 %, while calcite is less than 5 %. The flotation test of real ore contained these two minerals further confirmed that the malachite could be separated from calcite using PX as the collector. The mechanism and characterization analysis show that the selective substitution reaction between xanthate ions and OH ions on the malachite surface could generate hydrophobic substances of copper xanthate, which largely improves the hydrophobicity of the malachite surface. This study is expected to provide theoretical and practical assistance for the efficient flotation beneficiation of low-grade marble-type copper oxide ore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A SPE-UPLC-MS/MS method was developed for halogenated polyphenols (HPPs) in water. • Eleven HPPs were identified as new disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in drinking water. • HPPs with -CHO substitution were more cytotoxic than those with -COOH substitution. • A QSAR model was developed based on the CHO-K1 cytotoxicity data of 15 HPPs. • 3-X-4,5-DHBAL was the most noteworthy HPP DBPs (X=Cl or Br). Halogenated aromatic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in drinking water, such as halogenated phenols, have received widespread attention due to their high toxicity and ubiquitous occurrence in recent years. This study identified a group of emerging halogenated aromatic DBPs, known as halogenated polyhydroxyphenols (HPPs), and investigated their occurrence and cytotoxicity. We developed a highly sensitive solid-phase extraction ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-UPLC-MS/MS) method under multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, with recoveries ranging from 86 to 115% and method detection limits (MDLs) ranging from 0.10 to 1.87 ng/L for the analysis of 15 HPPs. Eleven of these HPP DBPs were detected in collected drinking water samples using this method with detection frequencies ranging from 14 to 100% and a maximum concentration of 24 ng/L. The IC 50 of the 15 HPPs in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells were ranged from 15.13 µM to 6.08×103 µM. The tested HPPs with -CHO substitution exhibited higher cytotoxicity compared to those with -COOH substitution. The TIC-Tox values of HPPs were calculated to be higher than those of HPs, indicating a potential necessity to pay attention to HPP DBPs. A quantitative structure−activity relationship (QSAR) model was developed for the cytotoxicity of HPPs, which was shown to be significantly associated with acid dissociation constant (p K a) and total valence connectivity (TVCon). To the best of our knowledge, this study reported the analysis, occurrence, and cytotoxicity of HPP DBPs in drinking water for the first time. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the prescribed-time output feedback stabilization of linear systems is addressed using both a functional observer, which includes the reduced-order observer as a special case, and a dual observer. The approach is built upon smooth periodic delayed feedback which is a special case of linear periodic time-varying feedback. In contrast to existing periodic control approaches, the proposed feedback achieves prescribed-time convergence of the state to zero rather than asymptotic convergence. At the same time its synthesis requires solving algebraic equations rather than periodic differential equations. Compared with full-order observer based output feedback, the dimensions of the dynamic equations in the reduced-order observer and dual observer based output feedback are respectively n − p and n − m , where n , m and p are respectively the number of state variables, inputs and outputs, which indicates that the established controllers are less expensive than the full-order observer based controllers in implementations. A numerical example is given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the underlying pathophysiology of high myopia by analyzing the proteome of human corneal stromal lenticule samples obtained through small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE). A total of thirty-two patients who underwent SMILE were included in the study. Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis was performed on corneal stromal lenticule samples, equally representing high myopia (n = 10) and low myopia (n = 10) groups. The identified and profiled lenticule proteomes were analyzed using in silico tools to explore biological characteristics of differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Additionally, LASSO regression and random forest model were employed to identify key proteins associated with the pathophysiology of high myopia. The DEPs were found to be closely linked to immune activation, extracellular matrix, and cell adhesion-related pathways according to gene ontology analysis. Specifically, decreased expression of COL1A1 and increased expression of CDH11 were associated with the pathogenesis of high myopia and validated by western blotting (n = 6) and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (n = 6). Overall, this study provides evidence that COL1A1 and CDH11 may contribute to the pathophysiology of high myopia based on comparative proteomic profiling of human corneal stromal lenticules obtained through SMILE. • Proteomic analysis of human corneal stromal lenticules from SMILE revealed differential protein patterns in high myopia. • Differential proteins are enriched in immune activation, extracellular matrix, and cell adhesion-related pathways. • COL1A1 and CDH11 play important role in the cornea of high myopia eyes. • Our findings provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying high myopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) is the main binding phase of Portland cement concrete. Though C-S-H is known to be assembled from nanoscale features, there is little experimental study on how C-S-H nano solids interact with each other at the interface, which may hold the key to explain its macroscale strength, creep, and shrinkage behaviour. This work attempts to experimentally quantify the interactions between C-S-H solid surfaces using atomic force microscopy (AFM). We took a new approach to measure the surface adhesion under different relative humidity (R.H.) and calculate the Hamaker constant using an algorithm that eliminates the influence of surface roughness. The effect of chemical composition (e.g. Ca/Si ratio) and RH on surface forces, e.g. the van der Waals and capillary force, were systematically explored and compared with molecular calculation results. Our work provides an insight into the nexus of C-S-H chemistry – adhesion force – bulk mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the effect of new media advertising communication analysis, this paper combines the scalable neural network to construct the new media advertising communication analysis model. Moreover, this paper analyzes in detail the basic theories of fuzzy neural network and extension evaluation, the structure design and learning algorithm, and classification of fuzzy neural network. In particular, this paper summarizes the optimization algorithms and methods of neural network structure. In addition, this paper improves the algorithm to meet the needs of new media advertising data analysis and builds an intelligent system framework. The experimental verification shows that the new media advertising communication analysis model based on the extension neural network proposed in this paper meets the new media advertising communication analysis effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are various complex joints (fissures), laminae, and other soft structural surfaces in the roadway enclosure, and the existence of these soft structural surfaces seriously affects the stability of the roadway enclosure. In order to study the mechanical properties of the coal body and the development of joints during coal fracture, this paper establishes a three-dimensional model of the fracture structure of the coal body based on CT scanning and three-dimensional reconstruction technology. On this basis, a 3D numerical model of the equivalent nodal coal body is constructed, uniaxial compression simulation analysis is performed, and the joint evolution development law of the coal sample is studied by the built-in joint monitoring program of PFC3D. The results show that the larger the effective joint area and larger the joint size inside the coal sample, the smaller the compressive strength of the coal sample. The increase of joint size and joint surface area increased the ductility and stress-strain curve multipeak phenomenon of the coal sample to some extent. During the rupture of the coal sample, the changes of each phase of the statistical curve of joint number and the phases of the stress-strain curve of the coal sample are compatible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The interactions between nanoparticles (NPs) and plasma proteins form a protein corona around NPs after entering the biological environment, which provides new biological properties to NPs and mediates their interactions with cells and biological barriers. Given the inevitable interactions, we regard nanoparticle‒protein interactions as a tool for designing protein corona-mediated drug delivery systems. Herein, we demonstrate the successful application of protein corona-mediated brain-targeted nanomicelles in the treatment of glioma, loading them with paclitaxel (PTX), and decorating them with amyloid β-protein (Aβ)-CN peptide (PTX/Aβ-CN-PMs). Aβ-CN peptide, like the Aβ1–42 peptide, specifically binds to the lipid-binding domain of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) in vivo to form the ApoE-enriched protein corona surrounding Aβ-CN-PMs (ApoE/PTX/Aβ-CN-PMs). The receptor-binding domain of the ApoE then combines with low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLr) and LDLr-related protein 1 receptor (LRP1r) expressed in the blood–brain barrier and glioma, effectively mediating brain-targeted delivery. Methods: PTX/Aβ-CN-PMs were prepared using a film hydration method with sonication, which was simple and feasible. The specific formation of the ApoE-enriched protein corona around nanoparticles was characterized by Western blotting analysis and LC–MS/MS. The in vitro physicochemical properties and in vivo anti-glioma effects of PTX/Aβ-CN-PMs were also well studied. Results: The average size and zeta potential of PTX/Aβ-CN-PMs and ApoE/PTX/Aβ-CN-PMs were 103.1 nm, 172.3 nm, 7.23 mV, and 0.715 mV, respectively. PTX was efficiently loaded into PTX/Aβ-CN-PMs, and the PTX release from rhApoE/PTX/Aβ-CN-PMs exhibited a sustained-release pattern in vitro. The formation of the ApoE-enriched protein corona significantly improved the cellular uptake of Aβ-CN-PMs on C6 cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and enhanced permeability to the blood–brain tumor barrier in vitro. Meanwhile, PTX/Aβ-CN-PMs with ApoE-enriched protein corona had a greater ability to inhibit cell proliferation and induce cell apoptosis than taxol. Importantly, PTX/Aβ-CN-PMs exhibited better anti-glioma effects and tissue distribution profile with rapid accumulation in glioma tissues in vivo and prolonged median survival of glioma-bearing mice compared to those associated with PMs without the ApoE protein corona. Conclusions: The designed PTX/Aβ-CN-PMs exhibited significantly enhanced anti-glioma efficacy. Importantly, this study provided a strategy for the rational design of a protein corona-based brain-targeted drug delivery system. More crucially, we utilized the unfavorable side of the protein corona and converted it into an advantage to achieve brain-targeted drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Encephalitis associated with antibodies against alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) is an extremely rare type of antibody-mediated encephalitis. This research aims to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of anti-AMPAR encephalitis.Methods: This retrospective study enrolled nine patients with anti-AMPAR encephalitis. Demographic information, clinical manifestations, laboratory and radiological findings, treatment and response were collected and analyzed. These patients were followed up with an average period of 72 weeks to gather prognostic information.Results: Nine patients (7 females and 2 males) were enrolled with a mean age at disease onset of 59 years old. Three clinical pictures, including limbic encephalitis (n = 7; 78%), pure amnesia (n = 1; 11%) and fulminant encephalitis (n = 1; 11%) were identified. New symptoms of dysphagia and deafness were identified in the clinical spectrum of anti-AMPAR encephalitis. All patients had positive blood AMPAR antibodies, and six of them (67%) had paired positive antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was abnormal in 75% of the patients with no specific patterns recognized. Six patients (67%) had tumors, including lung cancers and thymomas. After immunotherapy and oncotherapy, partial improvement of neurological symptoms was observed among all 6 patients with available records during their hospitalization. After a mean follow-up of 72 weeks, 3 patients had marked decrease of modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score, 1 patient had unchanged mRS score, 4 patients died and the other one was lost.Conclusions: Anti-AMPAR encephalitis mainly presents as limbic encephalitis, and is paraneoplastic in 67% of cases. Thus, intensive screening for tumors is recommended for all anti-AMPAR patients. Although patients showed a good short-term therapeutic response, the overall prognosis was not satisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of high-strength steel (HSS) is a significant trend in the development of steel structures. Two main challenges for HSS structures in seismic design (i.e., low energy dissipation capacity and low lateral stiffness) need to be addressed before HSS structures can be widely constructed in practice. To solve those problems, the seismic performance of structures combined of HSS frames and concentric buckling-restrained braces (BRBs) was investigated in this study. Two half-scale experimental specimens with different stiffness ratios between BRB and HSS frame were fabricated and tested under constant vertical load and cyclic increasing horizontal load. The hysteretic response, horizontal bearing capacity, internal force distribution, energy dissipation capacity, and ductility of the dual system were analyzed. The results showed that the specimens exhibited overall ductile performance with high elastic stiffness, significant ductility, and excellent energy dissipation capacity. The characteristics of both specimens in the pseudo-static test can be divided into three typical phases, which were described as overall elastic phase, BRB hardening phase, and failing phase. The BRB hardening phase was characterized by high energy dissipation capacity, and the plastic deformation was limited to the BRB, so the ductile demand of HSS member in HSSF-BRB was reduced. Moreover, the effect of stiffness ratio between BRB and HSS frame on seismic performance was discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact interlinking converter modular (ICM) for hybrid ac/dc microgrids with a distributed storage (DS) bus for storage integration is proposed in this article. The advanced ICM for hybrid ac/dc/ds microgrids involves the nine-switch topology with compact configuration and decreased number of active operating switches, which structurally equivalents to afford a dc interconnection port for dc subgrid, an ac interconnection port for ac subgrid, a ds interconnection port for ds subgrid, and two dc–dc converters for the interconnection ports for parallel DSs. In addition to the popular advantage of component elements saving, the suggested ICM, aggregating various interlinking converter cells (ICCs) into an ICM, is also proficient of participating computations from all ICC sensors to enhance the overall modular performance without building extra communication connection links between ICCs. With this in mind, a decentralized power management control strategy is realized by employing a coordination power control methodology to systematically handle various distributed generations (DGs), DSs, and ICM in a decentralized manner with improved communication fault ride-through capability. The controller hardware-in-the-loop experiments on a real-time digital simulator platform validates the achievement of the advanced ICM application in hybrid ac/dc/ds microgrids and the effectiveness of the associated decentralized power management scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study aimed to discover the active compounds of Sophora flavescens Ait. (SF), the anti-itch effects and underlying mechanisms of oxymatrine (OMT), one of the bioactive compounds from SF. Methods Dorsal root ganglion cell membrane immobilized chromatography was used to screen potential anti-pruritic active compounds from SF. The scratching behaviour was analysed to systematically study the anti-pruritic effects of OMT in chloroquine- (CQ), peptide Ser–Leu–Ile–Gly–Arg–Leu- (SLIGRL), histamine- (HIS) and allyl-isothiocyanate-(AITC)-induced itch mice models. Real-time quantitative PCR, in-vivo study and molecular docking were employed to explore the underlying mechanisms. Key findings All in all, 21 compounds of SF were identified and 5 potential bioactive compounds were discovered. OMT significantly reduced scratching bouts in two HIS-independent itch models induced by CQ and SLIGRL but was not effective in the HIS-induced itch model. OMT reduced scratching bouts in a dose-dependent manner and decreased the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channel in two HIS-independent itch models; in addition, OMT reduced the wipes and scratching bouts induced by AITC. Conclusions This study discovered five potential anti-pruritic compounds including OMT in the SF extract, and OMT has strong anti-pruritic effects in HIS-independent itch via TRPA1 channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel series of pleuromutilin analogs containing substituted 1,2,3-triazole moieties were designed, synthesised and assessed for their in vitro antibacterial activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Initially, the in vitro antibacterial activities of these derivatives against 4 strains of S. aureus (MRSA ATCC 43300, ATCC 29213, AD3, and 144) were tested by the broth dilution method. Most of the synthesised pleuromutilin analogs displayed potent activities. Among them, compounds 50, 62, and 64 (MIC = 0.5∼1 µg/mL) showed the most effective antibacterial activity and their anti-MRSA activity were further studied by the time-killing kinetics approach. Binding mode investigations by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) with 50S ribosome revealed that the selected compounds all showed obvious affinity for 50S ribosome (KD = 2.32 × 10−8∼5.10 × 10−5 M). Subsequently, the binding of compounds 50 and 64 to the 50S ribosome was further investigated by molecular modelling. Compound 50 had a superior docking mode with 50S ribosome, and the binding free energy of compound 50 was calculated to be −12.0 kcal/mol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serious information asymmetry problems between new ventures and external stakeholders create room for misconduct behaviors. Therefore, finding clues that point to misconduct is very important. Drawing upon the theory of cognitive dissonance, in this article, we analyze whether and how entrepreneurs’ facial expressions during initial public offering (IPO) roadshow presentations predict misconduct behaviors in the first year after IPO. Using a sample of Chinese firms listed in the growth enterprise market (GEM) from 2010 to 2015, we identify and quantify entrepreneurs’ facial expressions during IPO roadshow presentations with the help of a facial expression recognition system—FaceReader 6.1. We find that facial expressions can help predict misconduct behaviors among new ventures to some extent. Specifically, we find a positive relationship between entrepreneurs’ negative facial expressions and the possibility that new ventures engage in misconduct behaviors. In addition, we find that individual responsibility strengthens this relationship. Findings reveal the need to consider entrepreneurs’ facial expressions during IPO roadshow presentations when predicting unethical behaviors among new ventures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paired-like homeodomain transcription factor 1 (PITX1) is involved in numerous biological processes, including cell growth, progression, and invasion in various malignant tumors. Nevertheless, the relationship between PITX1 and kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) remains unclear. The clinical role and functions of PITX1 were analyzed by integrating multiple open-access online datasets. Further experimental verification was performed via quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) to detect the expression of PITX1 in 10 pairs of KIRC tissues. Our results revealed that PITX1 mRNA was overexpressed in tumor tissues compared with normal tissues in the TCGA-KIRC database (p < 0.001) and numerous independent cohorts (p < 0.05). Further, high expression of PITX1 mRNA was detected in KIRC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues in our center by qRT-PCR (N = 10 , p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the PITX1 level was positively associated with KIRC patients, T and M stages, histologic grade, and pathologic stage (all p < 0.05). Survival analysis showed that upregulation of PITX1 mRNA was associated with poor overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and disease-specific survival (DSS) (all p < 0.05). Univariate/multivariate Cox hazard regression analysis revealed that PITX1 was an independent risk factor for OS in patients with KIRC (HR = 1.998 , p = 0.003). Accordingly, the time-independent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve confirmed that PITX1 had good predictive efficacy for OS and DSS. Meanwhile, a prediction model constructed by nomogram was used to predict the OS of KIRC patients, and the calibration plot indicated this model shows high accuracy. We also revealed some downstream target genes of PITX1-related signaling pathways. Our finding suggested that high PITX1 mRNA expression may act as an independent predictive factor of poor prognosis in patients with KIRC. The prognostic model based on the nomogram would be instrumental in evaluating the survival rate in KIRC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metastasis is the main culprit of cancer-associated mortality and involves a complex and multistage process termed the metastatic cascade, which requires tumor cells to detach from the primary site, intravasate, disseminate in the circulation, extravasate, adapt to the foreign microenvironment, and form organ-specific colonization. Each of these processes has been already studied extensively for molecular mechanisms focused mainly on protein-coding genes. Recently, increasing evidence is pointing towards RNAs without coding potential for proteins, referred to as non-coding RNAs, as regulators in shaping cellular activity. Since those first reports, the detection and characterization of non-coding RNA have explosively thrived and greatly enriched the understanding of the molecular regulatory networks in metastasis. Moreover, a comprehensive description of ncRNA dysregulation will provide new insights into novel tools for the early detection and treatment of metastatic cancer. In this review, we focus on discussion of the emerging role of ncRNAs in governing cancer metastasis and describe step by step how ncRNAs impinge on cancer metastasis. In particular, we highlight the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of ncRNAs in metastatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the utilization efficiency of cold airflow in data center (DC) has already attracted widespread concern. A broad consensus has been reached that cold/hot‐aisle containment technologies can reduce the mixture of cold and hot air to weaken the overheating phenomenon of the rack in a certain extent. However, local hot spots still occur in the front racks due to lower tile flow rate at the entrance of the cold aisle, which means the thermal environment of front racks can be further improved to achieve the more uniform airflow distribution horizontally and vertically in DC. In this paper, an innovative method of airflow optimization applying jet fans in the cold aisles is proposed to make up the lower tile flow rate, adjust the flow path of cold air from the perforated tiles to racks, and balance temperature heterogeneity. In addition, inductive velocity, nozzle height, horizontal position, and attachment distance of jet fans are optimized to explore the optimal parameters. Results show that the incorporation of jet‐induced ventilation can effectively improve the cooling performance and overall thermal environment in DC, while the amount of IT equipment that exceeded the ASHRAE recommended supply air temperature (SAT) is reduced by about 38%. The jet fan with optimal parameters has a broad application space in the raised floor DC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspect-level sentiment classification aims to identify sentiment polarity over each aspect of a sentence. In the past, such analysis tasks mainly relied on text data. Nowadays, due to the popularization of smart devices and Internet services, people are generating more abundant data, including text, image, video, et al. Multimodal data from the same post (e.g., a tweet) usually has certain correlation. For example, image data might has an auxiliary effect on the text data, and reasonable processing of such multimodal data can help obtain much richer information for sentiment analysis. To this end, we propose an aspect-level sentiment classification model by exploring multimodal data with fusion discriminant attentional network. Specifically, we first leverage two memory networks for mining the intra-modality information of text and image, and then design a discriminant matrix to supervise the fusion of inter-modality information. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a pseudo predictor feedback control scheme for stabilisation of linear systems with both input and state delays. It is proved that the stability of the closed-loop system is determined by the stability of the target closed-loop system, along with the stability of an associated integral delay system, which describes the additional dynamics induced by the pseudo predictor. It is shown that in case of commensurate delays, the control law can be directly expressed as a function of the original system matrices, widening the applicability of analysis and design tools. For the synthesis of the feedback gains, a numerical procedure is presented to solve the simultaneous stabilization problem of the target system and the associated integral delay system. Numerical experiments are carried out to illustrate the effectiveness of the methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric thrusters are considered to be the most promising propulsion system of choice for space gravitational wave detection. However, the requirement of high accuracy and drag-free control results in significant challenges in thrust measurements. To better understand the thrust noise characteristics, this work proposes a time-frequency-domain method for thrust noise analysis, i.e., a scalogram method attained through wavelet analysis. Unlike the conventional Fourier transform method, it can provide 3-D relationships for the time-frequency and thrust noise. A free-state thrust measurement experiment identified that the environmental temperature produces the dominant impact in the thrust noise. During a 70,000 s measurement, even without thruster operation, the thrust noise increased from 0.3 μN/Hz1/2 to 19 μN/Hz1/2 as the environmental temperature increased from −1 °C to 3 °C. The corresponding frequency of peak thrust noise for the entire period tends to be the same of 0.1 Hz. Additionally, a Hall thruster thrust measurement experiment was conducted to verify the method's time-varying analysis capability for thrust noise. The complete time-frequency thrust noise variation throughout the entire operating process of a Hall thruster was observed. The results at different stages of thruster operation indicate that thrust noise has the greatest influence 150–300 s after ignition. This is because the thrust stand will take hundreds of seconds to reach thermal equilibrium after ignition. Another finding during the Hall thruster operation is that the 0.1 Hz frequency corresponding to the peak thrust noise is highly consistent with the frequency of peak thrust noise in the free-state thrust experiment. This reveals the fact that the 0.1 Hz frequency should be the dominant frequency for thrust noise caused by temperature drift in our thrust measurement system. • A time-frequency-domain method for thrust noise analysis is developed for use with electric thrusters. • Time-varying and non-stationary features of thrust noise are analyzed using wavelet transforms. • The noise at 0.1 Hz is identified as the key frequency of thrust noise caused by zero drift. • Variations in the thrust noise during the entire operation process of a Hall thruster were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome is a common inborn error of immunity. The early consequences of thymic hypoplasia are low T cell numbers. Later in life, atopy, autoimmunity, inflammation, and evolving hypogammaglobulinemia can occur and the causes of these features are not understood. This study utilized an unbiased discovery approach to define alterations in histone modifications. Our goal was to identify durable chromatin changes that could influence cell behavior. Methods: CD4 T cells and CD19 B cells underwent ChIP-seq analysis using antibodies to H3K4me3, H3K27ac, and H4ac. RNA effects were defined in CD4 T cells by RNA-seq. Serum cytokines were examined by Luminex. Results: Histone marks of transcriptional activation at CD4 T cell promoters and enhancers were globally increased. The promoter activation signature had elements related to T cell activation and inflammation, concordant with effects seen in the transcriptome. B cells, in contrast, had a minimally altered epigenetic landscape in 22q11.2. Both cell types had an "edge" effect with markedly altered chromatin adjacent to the deletion. Conclusions: People with 22q11.2 deletion have altered CD4 T cell chromatin and a transcriptome concordant with the changes in the epigenome. These effects support a disease model where qualitative changes to T cells occur in addition to quantitative defects that have been well characterized. This study offers unique insight into qualitative differences in the T cells in 22q11.2 deletion, an aspect that has received limited attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Surgery is the predominant treatment modality of human glioma but suffers difficulty on clearly identifying tumor boundaries in clinic. Conventional practice involves neurosurgeon's visual evaluation and intraoperative histological examination of dissected tissues using frozen section, which is time-consuming and complex. The aim of this study was to develop fluorescent imaging coupled with artificial intelligence technique to quickly and accurately determine glioma in real-time during surgery. Methods: Glioma patients (N = 23) were enrolled and injected with indocyanine green for fluorescence image–guided surgery. Tissue samples (N = 1874) were harvested from surgery of these patients, and the second near-infrared window (NIR-II, 1000–1700 nm) fluorescence images were obtained. Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) combined with NIR-II fluorescence imaging (named as FL-CNN) were explored to automatically provide pathological diagnosis of glioma in situ in real-time during patient surgery. The pathological examination results were used as the gold standard. Results: The developed FL-CNN achieved the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.945. Comparing to neurosurgeons' judgment, with the same level of specificity >80%, FL-CNN achieved a much higher sensitivity (93.8% versus 82.0%, P < 0.001) with zero time overhead. Further experiments demonstrated that FL-CNN corrected >70% of the errors made by neurosurgeons. FL-CNN was also able to rapidly predict grade and Ki-67 level (AUC 0.810 and 0.625) of tumor specimens intraoperatively. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that deep CNNs are better at capturing important information from fluorescence images than surgeons' evaluation during patient surgery. FL-CNN is highly promising to provide pathological diagnosis intraoperatively and assist neurosurgeons to obtain maximum resection safely. Trial registration: ChiCTR ChiCTR2000029402. Registered 29 January 2020, retrospectively registered [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the possibility of UCP-2 inhibitor in reducing acquired resistance of trastuzumab to improve the outcome of patients receiving trastuzumab therapy by exploring the relationship between UCP-2 expression and HER2 signaling pathway and examining whether UCP-2 expression was modulated by trastuzumab treatment. Methods: 32 women diagnosed with primary HER2-positive breast cancer were recruited in this study. Needle biopsy was obtained from patients before they received at least four cycles neoadjuvant therapy containing trastuzumab in combination with chemotherapy. Surgical tumor biopsy was obtained during surgical procedure after the neoadjuvant therapy. Levels of HER2 phosphorylation and UCP-2 expression were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and compared between tumor needle biopsy tissue and surgical tumor samples of these patients, as well as in BT474 breast cancer cells before and after trastuzumab treatment. HER2-selective phosphorylation/kinase activity inhibitor ONT-380 was used to identify the correlation between HER2 phosphorylation level and UCP-2 expression. UCP-2 inhibitor Genipin was then used to evaluate the apoptosis index in BT474 cells treated with trastuzumab. Results: UCP-2 expression was significantly elevated in surgical tumor samples from breast cancer patients receiving trastuzumab in a neoadjuvant setting. We further confirmed our findings in HER2-positive BT474 cell line and found that trastuzumab treatment induced phosphorylation of HER2 and the overexpression of UCP-2, and the latter can be reversed by HER2 selective kinase inhibitor ONT-380. Moreover, UCP-2 inhibitor Genipin significantly enhanced the proliferation suppression effects of trastuzumab and markedly promoted apoptosis. Conclusion: Taken together, our study identified UCP-2 as a novel therapeutic target for HER2 positive breast cancer and UCP-2 inhibitor may have great potential to enhance the response rate and efficacy of trastuzumab therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper measures the reliability of a seru production system, which has been proven to be more flexible, efficient, and responsive than the traditional assembly lines in production practice. Seru is the Japanese pronunciation for "cell", and it is a new type and flexible parallel low automated assembly mode originated from Japanese production practice. This is the first research that focuses on the evaluation of the reliability of seru production systems. We take into account reworking actions of some defective products, especially when these defective products have high values. In this seru production system, the capacity of each worker in the seru systems is regarded as stochastic according to the practical situation. The whole processes of each seru can be decomposed into a general process and a reworking process. In order to analyze the reliability of a seru production system, a model is constructed to describe these two process paths. A solution method is designed to obtain the seru production system reliability. Finally, some numerical examples are presented, and the reliability between seru production system and traditional assembly line is compared. We found that seru production systems are more reliable than assembly lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focal ischemic stroke (FIS) is a leading cause of human debilitation and death. Following the onset of a FIS, the brain experiences a series of spatiotemporal changes which are exemplified in different pathological processes. One prominent feature of FIS is the development of reactive astrogliosis and glial scar formation in the peri-infarct region (PIR). During the subacute phase, astrocytes in PIR are activated, referred to as reactive astrocytes (RAs), exhibit changes in morphology (hypotrophy), show an increased proliferation capacity, and altered gene expression profile, a phenomenon known as reactive astrogliosis. Subsequently, the morphology of RAs remains stable, and proliferation starts to decline together with the formation of glial scars. Reactive astrogliosis and glial scar formation eventually cause substantial tissue remodeling and changes in permanent structure around the PIR. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) was originally isolated from a rat glioma cell-line and regarded as a potent survival neurotrophic factor. Under normal conditions, GDNF is expressed in neurons but is upregulated in RAs after FIS. This review briefly describes properties of GDNF, its receptor-mediated signaling pathways, as well as recent studies regarding the role of RAs-derived GDNF in neuronal protection and brain recovery. These results provide evidence suggesting an important role of RA-derived GDNF in intrinsic brain repair and recovery after FIS, and thus targeting GDNF in RAs may be effective for stroke therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examines whether and how parenthood status is associated with two key aspects of health—mental well‐being and smoking—among sexual minority adults across three gender identity groups: cisgender gay men, cisgender lesbian women, and transgender gay/lesbian adults. Background: Parents tend to report worse health than nonparents due to elevated stress associated with parenting. However, most existing scholarship de facto examines parental status and health among cisgender heterosexual adults. Little research has employed an intersectional approach to focus on parenthood and health differences within sexual minority adults across varying gender identities. Method: Ordinary least squares (OLS) and logistic regression models were used to analyze data from the 2010 Social Justice Sexuality Project (N = 2803), a survey of racially diverse sexual and gender minority adults residing in all 50 US states and Puerto Rico. Results: In a sample composed predominantly of people of color, parenthood status is related to both mental well‐being and smoking status among gay and lesbian adults, but this relationship is inconsistent across cisgender and transgender groups. OLS regression models show that parenthood is positively related to mental well‐being among gay and lesbian transgender people, whereas logistic regression results find that parenthood is associated with higher odds of smoking among cisgender gay men. Conclusion: These findings suggest that among a sample of sexual and gender minorities composed mostly of people of color, parenthood status is connected with the health and well‐being of gay and lesbian adults in ways that depend on gender identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important branch of polymer field, hyperbranched polymers have developed rapidly recently, which have been applied in various fields because of its outstanding biodegradability and biocompatibility, especially in biology and coatings. According to reaction mechanism, the fabrication methods of hyperbranched polymers include polycondensation, ring-opening polymerization, living polymerization and other new methods. These methods are all environmental-friendly and high-efficient to generate hyperbranched polymers, and are valuable for industrialization, but there are still some defects such as the structure of the polymer is not regular enough, the composition of the polymer is too single, or the partial synthesis method is complicated. In this work, on the basis of previous studies, the preparation methods of hyperbranched polymers and their applications in various fields were reviewed, and the development trend of hyperbranched polymers was analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on online product reviews has examined a variety of issues ranging from reviewers' motivation to write reviews to the impact of reviews on product sales. Implicit in this research stream is the notion that more reviews are better for sellers and consumers. However, it is unclear whether both retailers, who control the review platform, and manufacturers, whose products are reviewed, prefer more reviews over fewer reviews. Using a game theoretical model of a context in which a dominant retailer sells competing products from two manufacturers to consumers who are uncertain about product quality and fit, we show that the retailers' and manufacturers' preferences regarding the number of reviews are not always aligned. The nature of misalignment depends on whether the quality or the fit is more dominant in terms of consumers' evaluation of products. If generating reviews do not cost anything, we found that additional reviews always benefit the retailer; however, if the number of reviews exceeds a threshold in the quality-dominates-fit case scenario, they may be harmful to the manufacturer. On the other hand, if the retailer incurs a sufficiently high cost to generate reviews, the retailer may prefer to have fewer reviews. We show that retailers can exploit the divide between retailers' and manufacturers' preferences for reviews and monetize reviews by charging a fee to the manufacturers in return for a guarantee on the number of reviews that they generate. We show that the product type and review platform design play a significant role in the attractiveness of review monetization for retailers. Even if reviews are monetized, we determined that retailers' revenue from "selling" reviews to manufacturers does not exceed the cost of generating reviews, implying that the benefit from reviews is driven the positive impacts of reviews on the retailer's core business of selling products to consumers. However, in the fitdominates- quality case scenario, retailers do not prefer large numbers of reviews whereas manufacturers do. In this case, we found that retailers are unable to exploit the misalignment between retailers' and manufacturers' preferences for reviews through review monetization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D conjugated metal–organic frameworks (2D c‐MOFs) are emerging as electroactive materials for chemiresistive sensors, but selective sensing with fast response/recovery is a challenge. Phthalocyanine‐based Ni2[MPc(NH)8] 2D c‐MOF films are presented as active layers for polarity‐selective chemiresisitors toward water and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Surface‐hydrophobic modification by grafting aliphatic alkyl chains on 2D c‐MOF films decreases diffused analytes into the MOF backbone, resulting in a considerably accelerated recovery progress (from ca. 50 to ca. 10 s) during humidity sensing. Toward VOCs, the sensors deliver a polarity‐selective response among alcohols but no signal for low‐polarity aprotic hydrocarbons. The octadecyltrimethoxysilane‐modified Ni2[MPc(NH)8] based sensor displays high‐performance methanol sensing with fast response (36 s)/recovery (13 s) and a detection limit as low as 10 ppm, surpassing reported room‐temperature chemiresistors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D conjugated metal–organic frameworks (2D c‐MOFs) are emerging as electroactive materials for chemiresistive sensors, but selective sensing with fast response/recovery is a challenge. Phthalocyanine‐based Ni2[MPc(NH)8] 2D c‐MOF films are presented as active layers for polarity‐selective chemiresisitors toward water and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Surface‐hydrophobic modification by grafting aliphatic alkyl chains on 2D c‐MOF films decreases diffused analytes into the MOF backbone, resulting in a considerably accelerated recovery progress (from ca. 50 to ca. 10 s) during humidity sensing. Toward VOCs, the sensors deliver a polarity‐selective response among alcohols but no signal for low‐polarity aprotic hydrocarbons. The octadecyltrimethoxysilane‐modified Ni2[MPc(NH)8] based sensor displays high‐performance methanol sensing with fast response (36 s)/recovery (13 s) and a detection limit as low as 10 ppm, surpassing reported room‐temperature chemiresistors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a partial parallel dual active bridge (PPDAB) converter is proposed to lower the current stress over the switching devices on the low-voltage side. Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors are used to improve efficiency and power density at 1 MHz switching frequency. Moreover, in order to reduce the number of magnetic components and achieve more compact design, with a unique three-leg core geometry, a new method of integrating three transformers and their associated interfacing inductors is proposed. The integration is able to shorten winding length and therefore reduces winding dc resistance. Moreover, wounding the secondary windings on each outer leg in the core enlarges leakage inductance, which can serve as the interfacing inductor Lac in the PPDAB converter. Given that, a reluctance model to analyze coupling effect of the secondary windings as well as their current balance is derived and validated by finite element simulations. Based on both calculations and simulations, the proposed integrated transformer is found to be functionally equivalent to three discrete transformers, in which their primary windings are connected in series, and the additional Lac inductor. Additionally, given the same number of the turns of the windings in each parallel module, the ac currents in these three secondary windings can inherently balance. Finally, a fully GaN-based 1.2-kW 1-MHz 400V/50V prototype with a peak efficiency of 97.51% is built and tested to verify the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]