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K -medoids clustering is a popular variant of k -means clustering and widely used in pattern recognition and machine learning. A main drawback of k -medoids clustering is that an improper initialization can cause it to get trapped in local optima. An improved k -medoids clustering algorithm, called INCKM algorithm, which is the first to apply incremental initialization to k -medoids clustering, was recently proposed to overcome this drawback. The INCKM algorithm requires the construction of a subset of candidate medoids determined by one hyperparameter for initialization, and meanwhile, it always fails when dealing with imbalanced datasets with an incorrect hyperparameter selection. In this paper, we propose a novel k -medoids clustering algorithm, called incremental k -means++ (INCKPP) algorithm, which initializes with a novel incremental manner, attempting to optimally add one new cluster center at each stage through a non-parametric and stochastic k -means++ initialization. The INCKPP algorithm overcomes the difficulty of hyperparameter selection in the INCKM algorithm, improves the clustering performance, and can deal with imbalanced datasets well. However, the INCKPP algorithm is not computationally efficient enough. To deal with this, we further propose an improved INCKPP algorithm, called INCKPP s a m p l e algorithm which improves the clustering efficiency while maintaining the clustering performance of the INCKPP algorithm. Extensive results from experiments on both synthetic and real-world datasets, including imbalanced datasets, illustrate that the proposed algorithms outperforms than the other compared algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops an oligopolistic model with consumption externalities to study (i) the policy interaction between tariffs and product standards; (ii) how such interaction may affect the welfare justification of national treatment (NT) in product standards. Absent NT, tariff reductions can lead to more discriminatory standards against foreign firms. Imposing NT eliminates discrimination but can induce higher tariffs which tend to undermine efficiency. As a result, the welfare justification of NT is stronger when tariffs are constrained. These findings suggest that the World Trade Organization's success in tariff liberalization can strengthen the case for its NT‐based approach to product standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer (BC) patients with extended survival show a higher incidence of frailty. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel model combining sociodemographic factors (SF) and disease-related factors (DRF) to identify frailty in BC patients with extended survival. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined data from 1167 patients admitted to a large urban academic medical centre. Three types of predictive models were constructed in the training set (817 patients): the SF model, the DRF model, and the SF + DRF model (combined model). The model performance and effectiveness were assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration plots and decision curves analysis (DCA). Then the model was subsequently validated on the validation set. Results: The incidence of frailty in BC patients with extended survival was 35.8%. We identified six independent risk factors including age, health status, chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, number of comorbidities and oral medications. Ultimately, we constructed an optimal model (combined model C) for frailty. The predictive model showed significantly high discriminative accuracy in the training set AUC: 0.754, (95% CI, 0.719–0.789; sensitivity: 76.8%, specificity: 62.2%) and validation set AUC: 0.805, (95% CI, 0.76–0.85), sensitivity: 60.8%, specificity: 87.1%) respectively. A prediction nomogram was constructed for the training and validation sets. Calibration and DCA were performed, which indicated that the clinical model presented satisfactory calibration and clinical utility. Ultimately, we implemented the prediction model into a mobile-friendly web application that provides an accurate and individualized prediction for BC. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that the prevalence of frailty in BC patients with extended survival was 35.8%. We developed a novel model for screening frailty, which may provide evidence for frailty screening and prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Endoscopic lung volume reduction with endobronchial valves has been widely recognized for treating hyperinflation in advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema patients. The main challenges include the technical complexity of upper lobe implantation and the number of endobronchial valves required. These issues might be addressed by placing larger diameter valves in the lobar bronchus. This study evaluated the feasibility, efficiency, and safety of the new valve PulmValve (model PV-13) in porcine models. Methods: Six PV-13 valves were bronchoscopically implanted into the caudal lobe bronchus of six healthy pigs. The procedure time, valve deployment, and removability were recorded. Follow-up examinations included blood tests, chest CT scans, and bronchoscopy at 30 min, 14 days, 28 days, and 84 days post-procedure, with necropsy and pathological evaluations after the final follow-up examination. Results: The successful in vivo deployment and removal of PV-13 valves was established, with a median procedure time of 6.5 min. The distal lung volume reduction was evident at 30 min post-operation and was persistently monitored on day 84. No migration or malfunction of any PV-13 valves was detected, but a mild angle deviation was found in 3 cases. Coughing was observed in four pigs within the first 7 days and localized granulation tissue was observed in all pigs. No cases of pneumothorax, diffuse pneumonia, or hemoptysis were detected. Conclusions: In this study, we report the successful implantation and removal of a new valve PulmValve in a short operation time. Complete lobar atelectasis was induced without device migration, malfunction, or severe complications. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the long-term, sustained effects and potential benefits in human patients. Plain Language Summary: Endoscopic lung volume reduction with endobronchial valves has been widely recognized as a treatment for advanced emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The main challenges include the technical complexity of implanting valves in the upper lobes and the number of valves required. These issues may be addressed by using larger diameter endobronchial valves in the lobar bronchi. The newly developed PulmValve System offers five variants of valves designed to accommodate airways with diameters ranging from 7.0 to 15.0 mm. The system is specifically designed for lobar bronchial implantation, with valve diameters within the range of 10.5–16.5 mm. Our study reports the successful implantation and subsequent removal post-placement of the PulmValve (PV-13) within a short operative time in healthy porcine models. During an 84-day follow-up period, significant atelectasis was induced in the distal lung without evidence of device migration, malfunction, or severe complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the utilization of clean energy sources, such as wind power and photovoltaic within virtual power plants, and mitigate carbon emissions, this paper proposes a virtual power plant participation in the electricity carbon joint market optimization operation model based on ensemble empirical mode decomposition–improved bat algorithm (IBA)–Markov chain new energy output prediction. First, complementary set empirical mode decomposition is performed on historical data to construct a Markov chain based wind power and photovoltaic prediction model optimized by IBA. Second, this prediction model is used to predict the daily generation power of wind power and photovoltaic power. Finally, with the optimization goals of maximizing the benefits and minimizing the carbon costs of virtual power plants, a virtual power plant system participating in the electricity carbon joint market model based on wind power and photovoltaic output prediction results is constructed. At the same time, demand response factors are introduced and solved using the NSGA-II algorithm. Taking a certain park as an example for simulation analysis, the research results show that the combined effect of carbon market and demand response can achieve 99.82% of new energy consumption in virtual power plants without significantly reducing profits, basically achieving complete new energy consumption, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed model in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the CO2 transformation mechanism on materials is essential for the design of efficient electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction. In aconventional adsorbate evolution mechanism (AEM), the catalysts encounter multiple high‐energy barrier steps, especially CO2 activation, limiting the activity and selectivity. Here, lattice carbonate from Cu2(OH)2CO3 is revealed to be a mediator between CO2 molecules and catalyst during CO2 electroreduction by a 13C isotope labeling method, which can bypass the high energy barrier of CO2 activation and strongly enhance the performance. With the lattice carbonate mediated mechanism (LCMM), the Cu2(OH)2CO3 electrode exhibited ten‐fold faradaic efficiency and 15‐fold current density for ethylene production than the Cu2O electrode with AEM at a low overpotential. Theoretical calculations and in situ Raman spectroscopy results show that symmetric vibration of carbonate is precisely enhanced on the catalyst surface with LCMM, leading to faster electron transfer, and lower energy barriers of CO2 activation and carbon–carbon coupling. This work provides a route to develop efficient electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction based on lattice‐mediated mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-channel transmission mode is the mainstream in real optical system scenarios, and its precise prediction of the optical channel quality of transmission (QoT) can provide guidance for the connections routing and margins allocation, avoiding network resources waste and unavailable connection establishment. However, current multi-channel QoT predictions devote to single-step modeling. It is difficult to grasp the state changes of the optical channel for a period of time in the future, thereby hardly enabling early warnings for abnormal channel conditions and timely maintenance deployment. To tackle this issue, we propose a novel multi-step multi-channel QoT prediction framework, i.e., the deep echo state attention network (DESAN). Structurally, it consists of stacked reservoirs that are successively connected, supporting multi-level feature extraction of optical QoT signal. Specially, the attention mechanism (AM) is introduced for enhancing each reservoir's state, which captures long-term QoT data features more effectively, meanwhile reducing the negative impact of redundant neurons as much as possible. Finally, aggregating the AM outputs of all reservoirs' states is for the DESAN training. On the real-world optical-layer characteristic data from Microsoft optical backbone network, the simulation results show that our proposal can make a good tradeoff between sequential multi-step QoT modeling performance and efficiency. The statistical verification is further adopted to demonstrate our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This trial assessed the efficacy and safety of 2.24 g intragastric expandable capsules twice per day versus placebo for weight management in adults with overweight or obesity. Methods: This double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study included adults with a body mass index of at least 24 kg/m2 and no more than 40 kg/m2. In total, 280 participants were recruited from six hospitals in China and were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive 2.24 g oral intragastric expandable capsules or placebo for 24 weeks. Coprimary endpoints were the percentage change in body weight from baseline and the rate of weight reduction of ≥5%, assessed using both the full analysis set and per protocol set. Results: At baseline, the mean body weight was 81.8 kg, and the mean body mass index was 29.4 kg/m2. The mean body weight change at week 24 was −4.9% with intragastric expandable capsules versus −1.9% with placebo [estimated treatment difference (ETD) −3.0%, 95% confidence interval (CI) −4.1 to −1.9; p <.001] using the full analysis set and −6.1% versus −2.5% (ETD −3.6%, 95% CI −5.0 to −2.3; p <.001), respectively, using the per protocol set. The percentage of participants who had weight loss exceeding 5% was 45.0% in the intragastric expandable capsule group versus 19.7% in the placebo group (ETD 25.3%, 95% CI 14.7‐35.9; p <.001) in the full analysis set and 55.9% versus 26.2% (ETD 29.6%, 95% CI 17.1‐42.2; p <.001), respectively, in the per protocol set. Waist circumference significantly decreased at week 24 (intragastric expandable capsules vs. placebo: −5.6 ± 8.3 cm vs. −2.9 ± 4.8 cm; p =.003). The most common adverse events associated with the use of intragastric expandable capsules were gastrointestinal disorders (intragastric expandable capsule vs. placebo, 25.0% vs. 21.9%), and most were mild and transient. Conclusions: In this 24‐week trial including participants with overweight or obesity, 2.24 g of intragastric expandable capsules twice daily led to a clinically meaningful reduction in body weight compared with placebo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNAzyme‐based fluorescent probes for imaging metal ions in living cells have received much attention recently. However, employing in situ metal ions imaging within subcellular organelles, such as nucleus, remains a significant challenge. We developed a three‐stranded DNAzyme probe (TSDP) that contained a 20‐base‐pair (20‐bp) recognition site of a CRISPR/Cas9, which blocks the DNAzyme activity. When Cas9, with its specialized nuclear localization function, forms an active complex with sgRNA within the cell nucleus, it cleaves the TSDP at the recognition site, resulting in the in situ formation of catalytic DNAzyme structure. With this design, the CRISPR/Cas9‐inducible imaging of nuclear Zn2+ is demonstrated in living cells. Moreover, the superiority of CRISPR‐DNAzyme for spatiotemporal control imaging was demonstrated by integrating it with photoactivation strategy and Boolean logic gate for dynamic monitoring nuclear Zn2+ in both HeLa cells and mice. Collectively, this conceptual design expands the DNAzyme toolbox for visualizing nuclear metal ions and thus provides new analytical methods for nuclear metal‐associated biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNAzyme‐based fluorescent probes for imaging metal ions in living cells have received much attention recently. However, employing in situ metal ions imaging within subcellular organelles, such as nucleus, remains a significant challenge. We developed a three‐stranded DNAzyme probe (TSDP) that contained a 20‐base‐pair (20‐bp) recognition site of a CRISPR/Cas9, which blocks the DNAzyme activity. When Cas9, with its specialized nuclear localization function, forms an active complex with sgRNA within the cell nucleus, it cleaves the TSDP at the recognition site, resulting in the in situ formation of catalytic DNAzyme structure. With this design, the CRISPR/Cas9‐inducible imaging of nuclear Zn2+ is demonstrated in living cells. Moreover, the superiority of CRISPR‐DNAzyme for spatiotemporal control imaging was demonstrated by integrating it with photoactivation strategy and Boolean logic gate for dynamic monitoring nuclear Zn2+ in both HeLa cells and mice. Collectively, this conceptual design expands the DNAzyme toolbox for visualizing nuclear metal ions and thus provides new analytical methods for nuclear metal‐associated biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium potassium phosphate cement (MKPC) is formed on the basis of acid–base reaction between dead burnt MgO and KH2PO4 in aqueous solution with K-struvite as the main cementitious phase. Due to the unique characteristics of these cements, they are suitable for special applications, especially the immobilization of radioactive metal cations and road repair projects at low temperature. However, there are few articles about the hydration mechanism of MKPC. In this study, the types, proportions and formation mechanism of MKPC crystalline phases under different magnesium to phosphorus (Mg/P) ratios were studied by means of AAS, ICP-OES, SEM, EDS and XRD refinement methods. Corresponding MD simulation works were used to explain the hydration mechanism. This study highlights the fact that crystalline phases distribution of MKPC could be adjusted and controlled by different Mg/P ratios for the design of the MKPC, and the key factor is the kinetic of K+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Struvite-K cements, also called magnesium potassium phosphate cements (MKPCs), are applicable for particular applications, especially the immobilization of radioactive Cs+ in the nuclear industry. This work focuses on how Cs+ affects the hydration mechanism of struvite-K cements because newberyite and brucite in the hydration products are deemed to be risky products that result in cracking. Experiments and molecular dynamics simulations showed that Cs+ promoted the diffusion of K+ to the surface of MgO, which greatly facilitates the formation of more K-struvite crystals, inhibiting the formation of newberyite and brucite. A total of 0.02 M Cs+ resulted in a 40.44%, 13.93%, 60.81%, and 32.18% reduction in the amount of newberyite and brucite, and the Cs immobilization rates were 99.07%, 99.84%, 99.87%, and 99.83% when the ratios of Mg/P were 1, 3, 5, and 7, respectively. This provides new evidence of stability for struvite-K cements on radioactive Cs+ immobilization. Surprisingly, another new crystal, [CsPO3·H2O]4, was found to be a dominating Cs-containing phase in Cs-immobilizing struvite-K cements, in addition to Cs-struvite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was performed to analyze the clinical effect of different concentrations of ropivacaine in the labor analgesia of the dural puncture epidural (DPE) technique for obese puerperae. Methods: One hundred and fifty first-term obese women who received vaginal delivery and required labor analgesia in our hospital were selected prospectively for this study, and divided into groups A, B, and C. The three groups of puerpera were given epidurals with different concentrations of ropivacaine (0.075%, 0.10%, and 0.125%) with sufentanil (0.5 μg/ml) for the labor analgesia regimen. The visual analog scale (VAS), Ramsay scale, and Bromage scale of puerperae before analgesia and at different time points after anesthesia, and analgesic onset time, analgesia time, first PCEA time, PCEA pressing time, ropivacaine consumption, labor time, maternal blood pressure and heart rate, maternal adverse reactions, blood gas analysis in the neonatal umbilical artery, and Apgar score were observed. Results: The analgesia onset time, PCEA pressing time, and ropivacaine consumption in group C were lower and the analgesia time and the first PCEA time were longer than those in groups A and B. At T1-T3 and T5, VAS scores of group A were higher than those in groups B and C, Ramsay score of group A was lower than that of groups B and C at T2–T3, and Bromage score of group C at any time point was higher than other two groups. The time of the second stage of labor in groups B and C was longer than that in group A, which in group C was longer than that in group B. Compared with groups A and C, the blood pressure and heart rate of puerperae in group B were closer to normal values. Three different concentrations of ropivacaine had no significant effect on the umbilical artery blood gas analysis indices and Apgar scores at 1st minute and 5th minute in neonates. The incidence of maternal adverse reactions in group C was lower than those in groups A and B. Conclusion: 0.1% ropivacaine combined with 0.5 μg/ml sufentanil through DPE technique has good analgesic efficacy and few adverse effects in obese puerperae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dan-Shen Decoction, which is composed of Danshen, Tanxiang and Sharen, has a good therapeutic effect on ischemic heart disease (IHD). However, systematic research on the exact mechanism of action of Dan-Shen Decoction is still lacking. The anti-IHD effect of Dan-Shen Decoction was examined in this study using a systematic pharmacological method. This study validates the efficacy and explores the potential mechanisms of Dan-Shen Decoction in treating IHD by integrating network pharmacology analyses and experimental verification. The active components, critical targets and potential mechanisms of Dan-Shen Decoction against IHD were predicted by network pharmacology and molecule docking. H9c2 cells were pretreated with various 1 µg/mL Dan-Shen Decoction for 2 h before induction with 1000 µmol/L CoCl2 for 24 h. The cell viability was detected by CCK8, and protein expression was detected by western blots. The network pharmacology approach successfully identified 69 active components in Dan-Shen Decoction, and 122 potential targets involved in the treatment of IHD. The in vitro experiments indicate that the anti-IHD effect of Dan-Shen Decoction may be closely associated with targets such as AKT1 and MAPK1, as well as biological processes such as cell proliferation, inflammatory response, and metabolism. This study not only provides new insights into the mechanism of Dan-Shen Decoction against IHD, but also provides important information and new research ideas for the discovery of anti-IHD compounds from traditional Chinese medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the completion of the launch mission, the soft landing recovery and reuse of the carrier rocket's first-stage can effectively control the landing area to ensure safety and significantly reduce the cost of space launch transportation. The trajectory optimization of the whole process from the first section to the landing site is significant to fuel saving. In the entire process, the first-stage needs to go through three startup ignitions of course adjustment, power deceleration, and vertical landing. For this segmented fuel optimization problem, optimizing the thrust size and direction during three sections and the switching time between each section is necessary. Optimizing the vertical landing section is essential to ensure the accuracy of landing position and speed, which greatly complicates the whole process's optimization. Therefore, the optimization process of the vertical landing is substituted by a neural network predictor, which is used to obtain the mapping relationship between the initial state of the vertical landing section and the fuel consumption of the segment. Besides, the thrust profiles of the first two startup sections are reasonably handled based on physical cognition. The combination of convex optimization and neural network successfully converted the multi-stage optimal control problem into a parameter optimization problem and solved it by a genetic algorithm. Optimization results were compared with the conventional method, which indicated its superiority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probiotics have become increasingly popular among cancer patients. However, there is limited data from a real-world setting. This study aims to conduct a retrospective analysis to understand the trend of probiotic prescriptions in Chinese colorectal cancer patients. The Mann-Kendall and Cochran-Armitage trend test was applied to estimate the trend significance. Gephi software identified the combination of probiotic strains. The binary logistic regression investigated influence factors, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient calculated correlations between probiotics and antitumor drug usage. The probiotic prescription percentage increased from 3.3% in 2015 to 4.2% in 2021 (Z = 12.77, p < 0.001). Although 48.3% of probiotic prescriptions had no indication-related diagnosis, diarrhea (OR 10.91, 95% CI 10.57–11.26) and dyspepsia (3.97, 3.82–4.12) included prescriptions most likely to contain probiotics. Prescriptions from the tertiary hospital (1.43,1.36–1.50), clinics (1.30, 1.28–1.33), and senior patients (1.018 per year, 1.017–1.019) were more likely to contain probiotics. Most probiotic prescriptions (95.0%) contained one probiotic product but multiple strains (69.3%). Enterococcus faecalis (49.7%), Lactobacillus acidophilus (39.4%), and Clostridium butyricum (27.9%) were the most prescribed strains. The probiotics co-prescribed with antitumor agents increased rapidly from 6.6% to 13.8% in seven years (Z = 15.31, p < 0.001). Oral fluorouracil agents (2.35, 2.14–2.59), regorafenib (1.70,1.27–2.26), and irinotecan (1.27,1.15–1.41) had a higher probability to co-prescribed with probiotics. There was no correlation between probiotic strain selection and specific antitumor drug use. The increasing prescription of probiotics in colorectal cancer patients in China may be related to treating the gastrointestinal toxicity of anti-cancer drugs. With unapproved indications and a lack of strain selectivity, evidence-based guidelines are urgently needed to improve probiotic use in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a critical complication of long-term chronic diabetes mellitus, and it is characterized by myocardial fibrosis and myocardial hypertrophy. Previous studies have shown that the pyroptosis pathway was significantly activated in DCM and may be related to the P2X7 receptor. However, the role of the P2X7 receptor in the development of DCM with pyroptosis is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to explore the mechanism of puerarin and whether the P2X7 receptor can be used as a new target for puerarin in the treatment of DCM. We adopted systematic pharmacology and bioinformatic approaches to identify the potential targets of puerarin for treating DCM. Additionally, we employed D-glucose-induced H9C2 rat cardiomyocytes and lipopolysaccharide-treated RAW264.7 mouse mononuclear macrophages as the in vitro model on DCM research, which is close to the pathological conditions. The mRNA expression of cytokines in H9C2 cells and RAW264.7 macrophages was detected. The protein expressions of NLRP3, N-GSDMD, cleaved-caspase-1, and the P2X7 receptor were investigated with Western blot analysis. Furthermore, molecular docking of puerarin and the P2X7 receptor was conducted based on CDOCKER. A total of 348 puerarin targets and 4556 diabetic cardiomyopathy targets were detected, of which 218 were cross targets. We demonstrated that puerarin is effective in enhancing cardiomyocyte viability and improving mitochondrial function. In addition, puerarin is efficacious in blocking NLRP3-Caspase-1-GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis in H9C2 cells and RAW264.7 cells, alleviating cellular inflammation. On the other hand, similar experimental results were obtained by intervention with the P2X7 receptor antagonist A740003, suggesting that the protective effects of puerarin are related to the P2X7 receptor. The molecular docking results indicated key binding activity between the P2X7 receptor and puerarin. These findings indicate that puerarin effectively regulated the pyroptosis signaling pathway during DCM, and this regulation was associated with the P2X7 receptor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In red tide early waring, multivariate ocean sensing data prediction has been the current technical mainstream. This prediction pattern can effectively capture the impact information of nonpredictive ocean environmental factors on the predictive target one, thus achieving a good nonlinear approximation. However, the temporal-spatial change of these impact information is completely ignored in practical applications. That is to say, these multivariate factors are generally determined by experience, which is typically not conducive to accurate prediction of targeted ocean series. To address this issue, this paper develops a novel multivariate ocean sensing data prediction framework combining cross recurrence theory (CRT) and long short-term memory neural network (LSTM), called CRT-mLSTM. In structure, this framework is composed of three functional parts of visualization, qualitative correlation analysis and multivariate prediction. CRT is employed to analyze the correlations between targeted chlorophyll a (Chla) series and other ocean environmental factors, which determines the optimal multivariate inputs for the LSTM-based predictor. On the collected real-world ocean sensing data of different sea areas, experimental results show that the proposed CRT-mLSTM significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches in prediction performance. Remarkably, our proposal can obtain the RMSE, R 2 and MAE of 5.08% , 98.82% and 3.88% on the Chla dataset of see area B, respectively. Such superiority is further verified by the visualized consistency of statistical distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of nickel-catalyzed selective hydroalkylation of 2-aryl-1,3-dienes has been studied using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. A reaction pathway was suggested, which involves the deprotonation of the amide substrate, ligand coordination with the nickel centre, ligand-to-ligand hydrogen transfer (LLHT) and finally nucleophilic attack. Analysis of the calculated energy profiles shows that the rate-determining step is the LLHT process. For the LLHT step, hydrogen transferring to the least sterically hindered C4 position of 1,3-diene to form a metal-π-allyl intermediate needs the lowest activation barrier because the allylic-Ni intermediate is the most stable. The allyl group binding to the metal centre in an η3 fashion also promotes the following nucleophilic attack owing to the electron-withdrawing capability of the metal. The subsequent nucleophilic attack leads to regio-divergent products with a different substrate. For a linear amide substrate, nucleophiles selectively attack the least hindered terminus carbon of the π-allyl–Ni species to form 1,4-addition products due to the steric effect. However, for a cyclic imide substrate, nucleophiles selectively attack the nonterminal carbon leading to 3,4-selective products, which is supposed to be a result of the electron-withdrawing capability of heteroatoms on the cyclic imide. Furthermore, on combining a cyclic imide substrate and a chiral ligand, a stereoselective 3,4-addition product is obtained due to steric effects. All the calculation results are in agreement with the experimental results. An alternative pathway which includes the step of hydrometalation from the nickel-hydride complex to the diene and the reductive elimination is ruled out due to the calculated high-energy barrier that cannot be achieved under the experimental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Density-based clustering algorithms are widely used for discovering clusters in pattern recognition and machine learning. They can deal with non-hyperspherical clusters and are robust to outliers. However, the runtime of density-based algorithms is heavily dominated by neighborhood finding and density estimation which is time-consuming. Meanwhile, the traditional acceleration methods using indexing techniques such as KD-tree may not be effective when the dimension of the data increases. To address these issues, this paper proposes a fast range query algorithm, called Fast Principal Component Analysis Pruning (FPCAP), with the help of the fast principal component analysis technique in conjunction with geometric information provided by the principal attributes of the data. Based on FPCAP, a framework for accelerating density-based clustering algorithms is developed and successfully applied to accelerate the Density Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) algorithm and the BLOCK-DBSCAN algorithm, and improved DBSCAN (called IDBSCAN) and improved BLOCK-DBSCAN (called BLOCK-IDBSCAN) are then obtained, respectively. IDBSCAN and BLOCK-IDBSCAN preserve the advantage of DBSCAN and BLOCK-DBSCAN, respectively, while greatly reducing the computation of redundant distances. Experiments on seven benchmark datasets demonstrate that the proposed algorithm improves the computational efficiency significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical Cyclone Debbie (2017) made landfall near Airlie Beach on 28 March 2017 causing 14 fatalities and an estimated $2.67 billion (U.S. dollars) economic loss and was ranked as the most dangerous cyclone to hit Australia since TC Tracy in 1974. In addition to the extreme flooding as TC Debbie moved onshore and down the east coast of Australia, it intensified rapidly just offshore from category 2 to category 4 on the Australian TC intensity scale in under 18 h prior to making landfall. A high-resolution WRF simulation is used to analyze the inner-core structure and evolution during the offshore intensification period. Two stages are identified: a slow intensification (SI) stage characterized by an asymmetric eyewall contraction and a rapid intensification (RI) stage characterized by three eyewall breakdown and redevelopment events. Each round of breakdown and reestablishment brings high potential vorticity and equivalent potential temperature air back into the eyewall, reinvigorating eyewall convection activity and driving intensification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the attitudes of people with diabetes mellitus (DM) on COVID-19 vaccination and its influence on the glycemic control. Methods: Data were collected from a consecutive series of adults (age > 18 years) with type 2 diabetes under regular follow-ups in the Integrated Care Diabetes Outpatient Clinic of Peking University First Hospital from December 1st to December 31st 2021. An online interview questionnaire was conducted, and demographic data including age, sex category, history of drug allergy, history of hypertension, the duration of diabetes, reasons for vaccine hesitancy (VH) and adverse reactions after each injection of vaccines was collected. Glucose levels were collected from medical records. Results: Thirty-nine (22.9%) subjects experienced VH and 131 (77.1%) people living with diabetes received inactivated vaccine against COVID-19. Hesitant individuals had a higher proportion of female gender (vaccinated group vs. VH group, 62/131 vs. 26/39, p = 0.044), higher baseline glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (vaccinated group vs. VH group, 6.56 ± 0.95% vs. 7.54 ± 2.01%, p < 0.001) and elevated baseline postprandial blood glucose (PBG) (vaccinated group vs. VH group, 8.32 ± 1.97 mmol/L vs. 9.44 ± 2.94 mmol/L, p = 0.015). Subjects of male gender (p = 0.025) and history of hypertension (p = 0.021) were likely to get vaccinated, while higher HbA1c was negatively associated with an elevated propensity to receive anti-COVID-19 vaccine (p = 0.003). Most common reasons for hesitating to receive COVID-19 vaccination were worrying about the possibility of leading to other diseases (30.8%), followed by fearing of glucose variation (17.9%). Systemic adverse reactions were reported in 30.5% individuals after the first injection of inactivated vaccines, and resolved within 3 days in medium. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) decreased significantly after the third injection compared with FBG after the second dose (second vs. third, 6.78 ± 1.24 mmol/L vs. 6.41 ± 1.30 mmol/L, p = 0.027). HbA1c reduced significantly from 6.56% before vaccination to 6.35% after the second injection (p = 0.012). Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that vaccine hesitancy was lower among male subjects and people with hypertension, while vaccine confidence was reduced in people with poor glycemic control. HbA1c level was lower along with vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease with increasingly recognised associations with gestational diabetes (GDM), including within the antenatal period. Aims: To assess the relationship between MAFLD in pregnancy and development of GDM. Methods: Fifty pregnant women were enrolled before 24 weeks gestation from a multiethnic obstetrics service in Sydney, Australia. Two FibroScan® assessments were performed, one prior to 24 weeks and one after 30 weeks gestation, to assess hepatic steatosis and stiffness. A control attenuated parameter (CAP) score ≥ 233.5 dB/m signified MAFLD. GDM was determined by an antenatal 75-g oral glucose tolerance testing. Results: Six (12%) women had evidence of FibroScan®-detected MAFLD in early pregnancy, while none had abnormal hepatic stiffness. Sixteen (32%) women developed GDM. No significant difference was observed in GDM rates (50% vs 29.5%; P = 0.37) between those with MAFLD in early pregnancy and those without. At the second scan (completed by 34 women), those who developed GDM had a lower observed mean increase in CAP scores (11.1 ± 23.3 dB/m vs 14.9 ± 26.0 dB/m; P = 0.004) and lower maternal weight gain (0.6 ± 0.2 kg/week vs 0.4 ± 0.2 kg/week; P = 0.04). Conclusions: There was no statistically significant association between FibroScan®- detected MAFLD in early pregnancy and subsequent development of GDM in this pilot study. Maternal weight gain may be associated with changes in the CAP scores, which reflect steatosis, during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of solid additive has been considered as an effective strategy for developing organic photovoltaics with multi‐components, which is independent of dynamics, playing unique roles in morphology adjustment. However, their complex working mechanisms involving specific chemical structures are selective to material systems, hence limiting their university and flexibility in application. Herein, an inert small‐molecular compound naphtho[1,2‐c:5,6‐c′]bis[1,2,5]thiadiazole (NT) is introduced into the bulk‐heterojunction blend as the solid additive, which can function with various material systems and solvents, depending on its simple π‐conjugated structure and S⋯N interaction for adjusting molecular alignment. It is interesting to note that the introduced NT can not only improve device performance, but also simplify complicated pre‐ or post‐processing methods, reduce impact from batch‐to‐batch differences, construct sufficient energy transfer channel as well as improve device stability. The resulting devices based on PTzBI‐dF:Y6‐BO system show an impressive power conversion efficiency of 17.4% with obviously enhanced T80 lifetime of >1200 h. These findings provide useful guidelines for exploring potential universal solid additives benefitting toward commercial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: HIV drug resistance increased with the widespread use of antiretroviral drugs, and posed great threat to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Pu'er Prefecture, lying in the southwest of Yunnan Province, China, borders Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, is also the area where AIDS was discovered earlier, however, in which there has been no information on HIV drug resistance.Methods: A cross-sectional survey of pretreatment drug resistance (PDR) was conducted in Pu'er Prefecture in 2021. Partial pol gene sequences were obtained to analyze drug resistance and construct genetic transmission network. HIV drug resistance was analyzed using the Stanford University HIVdb algorithm.Results: A total of 295 sequences were obtained, among which 11 HIV-1 strain types were detected and CRF08_BC (62.0%, 183/295) was the predominant one. Drug resistance mutations (DRMs) were detected in 42.4% (125/295) of the sequences. The prevalence of PDR to any antiretroviral drugs, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) and protease inhibitors (PIs) were 10.8% (32/295), 9.5% (28/295), 1.0% (3/295) and 0.3% (1/295), respectively. The risk of PDR occurrence was higher among individuals with CRF01_AE strain types. HIV-1 molecular network was constructed, in which 56.0% (42/75) of links were transregional, and 54.7% (41/75) of links were associated with Lancang County. Among the sequences in the network, 36.8% (35/95) harbored DRMs, and 9.5% (9/95) were drug resistance strains. Furthermore, 8 clusters had shared DRM.Conclusion: The overall prevalence of PDR in this study was in a moderate level, but NNRTIs resistance was very approaching to the threshold of public response initiation. PDR was identified in the transmission network, and DRMs transmission was observed. These findings suggested that the consecutive PDR surveillance should be conducted in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of high-rank coal's pore characteristics on the physical properties, gas-bearing properties, and exploitation of coal reservoirs is becoming more and more prominent. How to establish the classification to describe the pore networks combining quantitative and qualitative characteristics has emerged as a major problem, which may offer a scientific foundation to deepen the understanding of this issue. In this research, the structure and fractal characteristics of reservoir pores were determined after analyzing 20 high-rank coal samples from Xinjing Coal Mine in the Qinshui Basin with the application of the high-pressure mercury intrusion method (HPMI) and argon ion polishing–field emission scanning electron microscopy (AIP–FESEM). The results show that the tested coal samples were bipolar distributed, with transitional pores and micropores dominating the pore volume, followed by macropores. The Menger sponge fractal models manifested two or three distinct straight-line segments with demarcation points of 65 nm and 1000 nm. A natural classification with three major pore types of diffusion pores (D-pores), seepage pores (S-pores), and pico pores (P-pores), demarcated by pore size intervals of 65 nm and 1 nm and seven sub-types, was established to relate pores to pore networks based on these fractal characteristics and the kinetic characteristics of methane molecules. This classification scheme can characterize the relationship between pore types and the corresponding major occurrence and transport mechanisms of the gas. In addition, P-pores and D-pores are predominately nanoscale OM pores with three major genetic types of organic constituent interparticle pores (5–200 nm), metamorphic pores (<5 nm), and intermorphic pores (<5 nm). S-pores are more complex in origin and shape features, and the major types include outgas pores, plant tissue residual pores, mineral-related pores, and microfractures. The mean radius (Pa), total pore volume (Vt), apparent porosity (Φ), and volume ratio of macro- and mesopores were positively correlated with the fractal dimension D1 of S-pores (>65 nm). Since fractal analysis is a more comprehensive characterization of reservoir structure and quantitatively reflects the pore structure, undulating state, and roughness of the inner surface, fractal parameters can be used as an important index to describe the pore structure characteristics of high-rank coal reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) are commonly seen in childbearing-age women and can lead to recurrent miscarriages. Studies with a relatively small sample size were conducted and concluded inconsistent results on the relationship between AITDs and APS or the presence of antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies. This meta-analysis aimed to provide evidence on the possible association between AITDs and APL using primary data from all relevant studies. Methods. Literature databases including PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane were searched from the time when the databases were established to March 2022. A total of 7 studies that met all inclusion criteria were selected in this meta-analysis, with 475 AITD patients and 764 healthy controls. After data extraction, the pooled odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated. Results. The risk of positive APL in AITD patients was approximately 3 folds higher in AITD patients compared with those in healthy controls (OR 3.41, 95% CI 2.29–5.08, p < 0.001). There was no significant association between the risk of Graves' disease (GD) and positive APL (OR 9.3, 95% CI 0.10–824.73, p = 0.33). The risk of positive APL in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) increased over 2 folds compared with healthy controls (OR 3.35, 95% CI 1.55–7.23, p = 0.002). Conclusions. The result of this meta-analysis proved that the presence of APL was significantly increased in patients with AITD compared with healthy individuals, especially in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Targeting BRD4 with proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) degrader ameliorated LPS-induced pulmonary pathological changes and inflammatory responses. • Targeting BRD4 with PROTAC degrader suppressed M1 alveolar macrophage polarization. • BRD4 degradation mediated the suppression of M1 polarization through the IRF7 signal pathway validated by CUT & Tag assay. Acute lung injury (ALI) is a highly inflammatory condition with the involvement of M1 alveolar macrophages (AMs) polarization, eventually leading to the development of non-cardiogenic edema in alveolar and interstitial regions, accompanied by persistent hypoxemia. Given the significant mortality rate associated with ALI, it is imperative to investigate the underlying mechanisms of this condition so as to identify potential therapeutic targets. The therapeutic effects of the inhibition of bromodomain containing protein 4 (BRD4), an epigenetic reader, has been proven with high efficacy in ameliorating various inflammatory diseases through mediating immune cell activation. However, little is known about the therapeutic potential of BRD4 degradation in acute lung injury. This study aimed to assess the protective efficacy of ARV-825, a novel BRD4-targeted proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC), against ALI through histopathological examination in lung tissues and biochemical analysis in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Additionally, the underlying mechanism by which BRD4 regulated M1 AMs was elucidated by using CUT & Tag assay. In this study, we found the upregulation of BRD4 in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI model. Furthermore, we observed that intraperitoneal administration of ARV-825, significantly alleviated LPS-induced pulmonary pathological changes and inflammatory responses. These effects were accompanied by the suppression of M1 AMs. In addition, our findings revealed that the administration of ARV-825 effectively suppressed M1 AMs by inhibiting the expression of IRF7, a crucial transcriptional factor involved in M1 macrophages. Our study suggested that targeting BRD4 using ARV-825 is a potential therapeutic approach for ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate monitoring of concrete pavement support condition is critical for pavement maintenance. This paper proposed a novel support condition monitoring method using distributed optical fiber sensing (DOFS) technology. The DOFS-based method can precisely monitor the support condition on a larger scale. Single-mode optical fiber with a particular rubber encapsulation was applied as a compression sensor, measuring the interfacial compression status between the concrete pavement slab and the pavement base through a compression-to-strain transfer mechanism. Finite element analysis (FEA) and laboratory experiments were conducted to compression-to-strain transfer mechanism. It was revealed that the average compression-to-strain transfer efficiency reached over 1900 μϵ/mm. The design parameters of the compression sensor were also provided based on the FEA and experiment results. A quasi-distributed sensing system was developed to capture the two-dimensional support condition by connecting the sensors in a particular path. The sensing system's effectiveness was demonstrated by conducting full-scale tests and using the pressure-sensitive film (PSF) as a comparison. The test results showed a great deal of applicability for support condition monitoring under concrete pavement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underwater image enhancement (UIE) plays an essential role in improving the quality of raw images captured in an underwater environment. Existing UIE methods can be categorized into two types: handcraft-designed and deep learning-based methods. Generally, the handcraft-designed methods are more explainable due to the leverage of knowledge-based image priors, while the deep learning-based methods are usually criticized for their weak interpretability. In this study, we address this issue by integrating the merits of both handcraft-designed and deep learning-based methods. Specifically, a physical underwater imaging model-inspired deep CNN for UIE is designed. Instead of estimating a global background light magnitude and a transmission matrix separately in traditional image restoration-based UIE methods, we directly generate a single variable as the joint estimation of these two parameters within a deep CNN and directly recover the enhanced image as an output according to a reformulated physical underwater imaging model. The whole network is trained in an end-to-end manner and more importantly has good interpretability. The proposed method has been validated for the UIE task on a real-world underwater image dataset and the experimental results well demonstrate the superiority of our method over the existing ones for UIE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pavement roughness is an essential indicator used in road maintenance and asset management. As a well-recognised measurement technique, the responsive devices allow us to collect roughness information by measuring the in-car vibration. However, most of them predict the International Roughness Index (IRI) based on the statistical features of the vibration. Few studies shed lights on the mechanism involved. This paper derives a mathematical relationship between pavement roughness and in-car vibration considering the joint impact of roughness-induced and engine-induced vibration. The quarter-car model is characterised by a linear time-invariant system. The Laplace transform and power spectral density (PSD) analysis are applied to specify the vibration transfer through multi-layer suspension and pavement roughness. Through more than 200 km field tests, the performance of the proposed model was tested by comparing it with two mainstream methods under both low and high IRI scenarios. The results show that the proposed model outperformed the prevalent algorithm by the highest fitting goodness and the lowest average evaluation error. The sensitivity of the sampling rate and driving speed is further discussed and quantified. This paper provides a better understanding of the vehicle's responses to pavement roughness and develops an accurate model for rapid measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective Results Conclusion Benign spinal intradural tumors are rare entities and there have been relatively few case series describing the epidemiology and characteristics of these tumors. Here, we evaluate the presentation, demographics, pathology and outcomes associated with the surgical management of spinal meningioma in our unit over a 6-year period.A total of 68 cases presented to the operating surgeon during a 6-year period. Of these, over 80% (n = 55) were in females. Seventy-nine percent of the meningiomas were observed in the thoracic region (n = 54). Weakness and gait disturbance were the most common presenting complaints. Surgery significantly improved both motor outcome (p < 0.001) and health related qualities of life (SF36, p < 0.01).Seventeen percent of spinal meningioma cases (n = 12) had a preceding cancer diagnosis. Of these 75% (n = 9/12) were attributable to breast cancer. Overall, breast cancer preceded a diagnosis of a spinal meningioma in 16.4% of female cases (9/55). This is higher than expected number of breast cancer based on UK population and those reported in literature for breast cancer and intracranial meningioma.Spinal meningioma is disproportionately over-represented in females. Patients present with neurological deficits and surgery improved both neurology and patient reported quality of life. Relative to the known UK prevalence of breast cancer, there is a significantly higher than expected association between spinal meningioma and a preceding history of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For de novo mutational signature analysis, the critical first step is to decide how many signatures should be expected in a cancer genomics study. An incorrect number could mislead downstream analyses. Here we present SUITOR (Selecting the nUmber of mutatIonal signaTures thrOugh cRoss-validation), an unsupervised cross-validation method that requires little assumptions and no numerical approximations to select the optimal number of signatures without overfitting the data. In vitro studies and in silico simulations demonstrated that SUITOR can correctly identify signatures, some of which were missed by other widely used methods. Applied to 2,540 whole-genome sequenced tumors across 22 cancer types, SUITOR selected signatures with the smallest prediction errors and almost all signatures of breast cancer selected by SUITOR were validated in an independent breast cancer study. SUITOR is a powerful tool to select the optimal number of mutational signatures, facilitating downstream analyses with etiological or therapeutic importance. Author summary: Mutational signatures are the footprints of exogenous exposures and endogenous mutational processes on the cancer genomes. To estimate de novo mutational signatures, the first step is to decide how many signatures should be extracted in a cancer genomics study, which determines downstream analytical steps and has been insufficiently studied. We developed SUITOR, an unsupervised cross-validation method to select the optimal number of signatures without overfitting the data. We demonstrated SUITOR's superior performance using in vitro experimental studies, in silico simulations and in vivo pan-cancer applications of 2,540 whole-genome sequenced tumors across 22 cancer types, and validated signatures of breast cancer in additional 440 breast tumors. SUITOR advances the methodological frontier of identifying de novo mutational signatures and would help discover the causes of cancer and the means of cancer prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemically bonded phosphate ceramics (CBPC) are a promising matrix for the immobilization of Sr2+ in medium -and low-level liquid radioactive waste. Understanding the stability of immobilization is crucial, especially when distinguishing the mechanism of chemical immobilization from that of physical encapsulation. However, the mechanisms underlying these processes remain unclear. In this study, ΔEaq, ΔE, and ΔE′ were calculated to study the stability of the immobilization. CBPC samples were synthesized to confirm the calculated results. A negative ΔE aq value accounts for the dominant mechanism of chemical immobilization. Negative ΔE and ΔE' values indicate that physical encapsulation also contributes to the stability of immobilization, because Sr2+ could induce brucite to cover the K-struvite matrix. Corresponding experiments confirmed the mechanism of immobilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The interactions of central obesity and body composition with thyroid hormones and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are unclear; both central obesity and body composition have an impact on energy homeostasis. Our study aimed to investigate the association between body composition and pituitary hormones, including the HPA axis and pituitary-thyroid axis, in a Chinese population of euthyroid overweight and obese individuals. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study. Overweight and obese patients who regularly visited the multidisciplinary team (MDT) for obesity at Peking University First Hospital were enrolled in the study. Thyroid function, morning serum ACTH and cortisol levels, thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb), body composition, and metabolic indicators, including liver function and the lipid profile, were measured at the first visit. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 21.0 (IBM, USA). Results. In total, 441 patients with overweight or obesity were enrolled (male/female, 123/318). Patients were assigned to four groups according to the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level stratified by quartiles, and increased body mass index (BMI) was revealed in the highest TSH quartile group (p = 0.002). Hip circumference (HC) of patients in the highest TSH quartile group was significantly increased (p = 0.021). Morning ACTH levels and fasting insulin levels were significantly elevated in patients in the highest TSH quartile group (p = 0.027 for fasting insulin, p < 0.001 for ACTH). In the female subgroup, patients in the highest TSH quartile group showed increases in BMI (p = 0.010), waist circumference (WC) (p = 0.007), muscle mass of the lower extremities (p = 0.020), fasting C-peptide (p = 0.031), and ACTH (p = 0.002). In the male subgroup, patients in the highest TSH quartile group exhibited higher BMI (p = 0.017), HC (p = 0.036), and ACTH (p = 0.003). Among patients in the highest ACTH quartile group, there was an elevated proportion of males (p = 0.003), and FT3 (p = 0.005), fasting insulin (p = 0.037), and cortisol (p < 0.001) levels were increased. Weight (p < 0.001), BMI (p < 0.001), WC (p < 0.001), HC (p < 0.001), muscle mass of the upper extremities (p = 0.003), muscle mass of the lower extremities (p = 0.005), and total muscle mass (p = 0.003) were elevated in patients in the highest ACTH quartile group. HC was found to be an independent factor after adjustment for other confounders and was positively associated with the TSH level (p = 0.004 for the regression model, B = 0.152, p = 0.004). Conclusions. BMI is positively correlated with TSH and ACTH levels in both male and female obese individuals. The ACTH level was positively associated with male sex and increased BMI and muscle mass. Hip circumference was an independent factor that was positively related to TSH levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous Ga 2 O 3 thin films were deposited on SiO 2 and sapphire substrates by pulsed magnetron sputtering (PSD) at room temperature, respectively. Corresponding amorphous Ga 2 O 3 thin film photodetectors were prepared. The oxygen vacancies and defects of the interface between films and substrates were found to determine the discrepancy by comparing the performance between these two photodetectors. Amorphous Ga 2 O 3 photodetectors on SiO 2 had highly performances with a responsivity of 417 A/W, detectivity of 7.84 × 1012 Jones, and external quantum efficiency of 2.01 × 105 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ta-10W alloy is an important high temperature structure material because of its high melting point and excellent high temperature performance. Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) provide a new scheme to break limitation in producing Ta-10W complex structures. High-density Ta-10W samples manufactured by LPBF were first achieved in this work. The variation of molten pool morphology and interior defects with energy density was investigated, and excellent mechanical properties in room temperature were obtained. • LPEF is employed to manufacture the Ta-10W alloy for the first time. • Good sintering formability and high relative density are realized. • Excellent tensile properties at room temperature are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ubiquitous presence of microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments poses a significant threat to crustaceans. Although exoskeleton quality is critical for crustacean survival, the impact of MPs on crustacean exoskeletons remains elusive. Our study represents a pioneering effort to characterize the effects of MPs exposure on crustacean exoskeletons. In this study, the mechanical properties of whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei exoskeletons were analyzed after exposure to environmentally realistic levels of MPs. Nanoindentation data demonstrated that MPs exposure significantly increased the hardness and modulus of both the carapace and abdominal segments of L. vannamei. Moreover, fractures and embedded MPs were detected on the exoskeleton surface using SEM-EDS analysis. Further analysis demonstrated that the degree of chitin acetylation (DA) in the shrimp exoskeleton, as indicated by FTIR peaks, was reduced by MPs exposure. In addition, exposure to MPs significantly inhibited the muscle Ca2+-ATPase activity and hemolymph calcium levels. Transcriptome and metabolome analyses revealed that the expression levels of genes encoding key enzymes and metabolites in the chitin biosynthetic pathway were significantly affected by MPs exposure. In conclusion, MPs at environmentally relevant concentrations may affect the exoskeletal mechanical properties of L. vannamei through a comprehensive mechanism involving the disruption of the crystalline structure of chitin, assimilation into the exoskeleton, and dysregulation of exoskeleton biosynthesis-related pathways. [Display omitted] • Microplastics (MPs) exposure significantly increased the hardness and modulus of the shrimp shell. • MPs reduced the degree of acetylation of chitin in shrimp shells. • MPs were embedded into the shrimp shell, which resulted in surface fractures. • MPs altered the expression of genes and metabolites related to shell conformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alternative splicing is a mechanism to produce different proteins with diverse functions from one gene. Many splicing factors play an important role in cancer progression. PRPF8 is a core protein component of the spliceosome complex, U4/U6-U5 tri-snRNP.Objective: However, PRPF8 involved in mRNA alternative splicing are rarely included in the prognosis.Methods: We found that PRPF8 was expressed in all examined cancer types. Further analyses found that PRPF8 expression was significantly different between the breast cancer and paracancerous tissues.Results: Survival analyses showed that PRPF8-high patients had a poor prognosis, and the expression of PRPF8 is associated with distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and post progression survival (PPS). Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) has revealed that PRPF8 expression is correlated with TGF-β, JAK-STAT, and cell cycle control pathways. Consistent with these results, upon PRPF8 silencing, the growth of MCF-7 cells was reduced, the ability of cell clone formation was weakened, and p⁢21 expression was increased.Conclusions: These results have revealed that PRPF8 is a significant factor for splicing in breast cancer progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Speeding is a ubiquitous problem in crossover work zones. • The likelihood of sharp deceleration and decelerating while lane changing would increase when crossing through a narrow median opening. • Under the same speed limit, the median opening with a larger length would decrease the speed limit compliance and increase the speed preference heterogeneity among the drivers. • The effectiveness evaluation of the median opening length, coupled with the recommended traffic management strategies, should be conducted before the implication of the lane crossover configuration. Work zone safety has been a major concern for drivers and transportation agencies. Considering the severe consequences of crossover work zone crashes coupled with the limited literature on the median opening length, this paper aims to investigate the influence of the median opening length on driving behaviors from a behavioral perspective in crossover work zones. A driving simulation study with 32 participants was carried out to investigate the driving performance by metrics (speed, acceleration, maximum steering wheel speed, and lane-changing trajectory) with respect to five median opening lengths. The significant differences of each driving performance metric among various median opening lengths were found in the process of crossing through the median opening on the entrance by-pass and exit by-pass. The results indicated that drivers' speeds were always higher than the speed limits for all median opening lengths. A narrower median opening may induce risky driving behaviors such as sharp deceleration and decelerating while lane-changing, which may increase speed variance. When crossing through the median opening with a larger length, high speed variance, sluggish lane-changing operations, and improper lane-using behaviors were observed because the excessive lane-changing space provided by the larger median opening length would decrease the situation awareness and increase the speed preference heterogeneity among drivers. Finally, some traffic management strategies were proposed, which can improve the safety and mobility of crossover work zones and further provide a basis for the formulation of related standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamically monitoring intracellular glutathione (GSH), a crucial biomarker of oxidative stress, is of significance for the diagnosis and treatment of certain diseases. Although manganese dioxide (MnO2) based GSH fluorescent sensors have exhibited high sensitivity and good selectivity owing to the specific reactivity between GSH and MnO2, near-infrared (NIR) MnO2 based nanoprobes for GSH detection are scarce. Herein, we have developed a NIR activatable fluorescence nanoprobe for the imaging and determination of intracellular GSH based on a core–shell nanoparticle, consisting of NIR emitted gold nanocluster doped silica as the fluorescent core and manganese dioxide as the GSH-responsive shell (named AuNCs@MnO2). Due to the absorption competition mechanism, the outer MnO2 shell rather than the inner AuNCs core preferentially absorbed the excitation light, thus leading to fluorescence quenching of the inner AuNCs core. Upon addition of GSH, the fluorescence of the nanoprobe restored along with the reduction of MnO2 to Mn2+ because of the absorption competition disappearance-induced emission. The activatable fluorescence linearly increased upon changing the GSH concentration in the range of 2 to 5000 μM with a detection limit of 0.67 μM. The cytotoxicity test shows that the AuNCs@MnO2 nanoprobes have a good biocompatibility. After entering the cancer cells, the intracellular GSH degraded the outermost MnO2 shell and initiated the NIR fluorescence restoration of AuNCs, which can be used to monitor the dynamic change of intracellular GSH. This strategy provides an NIR-activatable way to detect GSH levels in living cells and offers a promising platform for the diagnosis and treatment of GSH-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the multidisciplinary team (including a specialist, a dietitian, a physical exercise trainer, a surgeon for bariatric surgery, an acupuncturist, and several health educators) for obesity management and the body composition change and improvements in metabolic biomarkers during a 2-year follow-up. Materials and Methods. A total of 119 patients participated in the multidisciplinary team for obesity. Patients were followed up at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 18 months, and 2 years after their first visit. Individuals were divided into the high-protein diet (HPD) and standard-protein diet (SPD) group according to their results on a diet questionnaire that they filled out during follow-up. Results. After 1.2 years, the mean body weight of the participants dropped from 89.7 kg to 80.9 kg (p < 0.001). The body adiposity index was reduced from 33.9 to 32.0 (p < 0.001), while the fat-free mass index from 17.0 to 15.2 (p = 0.043). Fasting glucose and HbA1c were also lower after treatment (p = 0.002 and 0.038 for FPG and HbA1c, respectively). Fasting insulin and HOMA-IR were reduced (p = 0.002 and <0.001 for fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, respectively). HDL-c increased along with weight loss (1.06 mmol/L vs. 1.19 mmol/L, p < 0.001), and transaminase levels significantly dropped (p = 0.001 and 0.021 for ALT and AST, respectively). During treatment, mean protein intake was 29.9% in the HPD group and 19.5% in the SPD group (p < 0.001). Weight loss, reduction of visceral fat area, maintenance of lean body mass, body adiposity index, and fat-free mass index showed no statistical significance between the HPD and SPD groups, as well as glucose metabolic variables. Conclusions. A multidisciplinary team for obesity management could significantly reduce body weight and improve metabolic indicators, including HDL-c, transaminase, and insulin resistance. A high-protein diet does not produce better weight control or body composition compared with a standard calorie-restricted diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, taking the Wufeng Formation-Longmaxi Formation shales in the southeastern region of the Sichuan Basin as an example, the thin section, X-ray, geochemical testing and TIMA techniques are used to systematically study the source analysis and characterization of quartz fractions, and in turn, the mechanism of the development of highly brittle shale reservoirs is revealed. The results of the study show that the high quartz mineral content segments are well stacked with the organic matter enriched segments. Excess silica occurs in the lower part of the Wufeng -Longmaxi Formation, and some samples in the middle and upper part of the Wufeng and Longmaxi Formation have excess silica deficit; the K2O/Na2O ratio is generally >1, reflecting that the reservoir quality is affected by the biogenic silica. Land- sourced detrital quartz grains, on the other hand, are significantly larger and are generally distributed over a range of tens to more than a hundred micrometers, often with clay minerals and organic matter around the periphery. Biogenic siliceous fossils are mainly developed in the lower part of the Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation, dominated by biogenic siliceous remains such as radiolarians. TIMA test results show that quartz belongs to the mineral type with absolutely dominant content ratio in the bottom samples of the Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation and reflects the characteristics of fine-grained-muddy/ carbonaceous horizontal laminar deposition. There are three different types of quartz grain distribution patterns in shale reservoirs, including excess silica type, multi-source silica type, and land-source silica type. The layers of highly brittle shale reservoirs are all at the bottom of Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation, which is rich in biogenic silica, and at the same time, they are also in the active layers of montmorillonite and other abundant volcanic activities, and they are developed in the closed basins as well as the deep-water land scaffolds, so that the reservoirs have a good self-sealing; at the same time, the combination of microcrystalline quartz+organic matter makes the reservoirs have an excellent mechanical brittleness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, an ultra-thin microwave absorber with a Jerusalem cross (JC) resonator exhibiting a broad low-frequency absorption bandwidth was successfully designed and fabricated. The system is composed of a perfect electric conductor-magnetic-periodic metal three-layer structure. The top metal layer consists of a periodic JC, which can be used to obtain dual-bands and low-frequencies in L-band, S-band, and C-band applications. The simulations show that the magnetic absorber with a thickness of 2 mm exhibits two absorption peaks at 1.4 and 4.7 GHz, with a reflectivity of −10 and −8 dB, respectively. The L-band RL (reflection loss) of −4 dB bandwidth has 91% (1–1.91 GHz), whereas the S-band and the C-band of −4 dB bandwidth have 47% (2.87–5.68 GHz). The total thickness of the absorber measures only 1/100λ at 1.5 GHz. When a magnetic harmonic TM is polarized at an incidence angle of 75°, an average RL of −10 dB in the 1–8 GHz range is obtained. The equivalent L–C circuit and the power loss density clarify the mechanism behind the absorption. Such a low-frequency absorber can be used in various applications to quench microwave energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The presence of Ni-MOF ensures excellent EG adsorption capacity. • Theoretical calculation and In situ FTIR revealed the mechanism of EGOR. • Ni-MOF@MnCo-OH exhibits high activity and selectivity for PET upgrading. • Continuous upcycling of PET plastics and synthesizing Ni-MOF catalysts. • The efficacy of constructing a MOFs hierarchical heterostructure. Electrocatalytic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste upgrading is crucial for developing a circular plastics economy and solving the energy crisis, but achieving efficient PET upgrading at an industrial-scale current density remains a formidable challenge. In our work, Ni-MOF@MnCo-OH catalyst was prepared by designing hierarchical heterostructure and incorporating the concept of multi-metal sites, wherein the Ni-MOF can be derived from PET plastic. Benefiting from the advantages of material design, the catalyst demonstrates excellent adsorption capabilities for both OH ad and ethylene glycol (EG), while also enhancing the electron transfer capability of Ni-MOF. We achieve a high Faradaic efficiency (∼80 %) during PET plastic upgrading at industrial-scale current density (300 mA·cm−2 at 1.43 V vs. RHE) with Ni-MOF@MnCo-OH. Moreover, through theoretical calculations and in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, we have further elucidated the mechanism of ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR). Notably, glycolic acid has been identified as a vital intermediate during the electrical oxidation of EG. This work provides a viable and eco-friendly approach to enhance the value of PET waste through sustainable means. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pseudohypoparathyroidism is a rare genetic disease characterized by hypocalcaemia and hyperphosphataemia due to the defect to the guanine nucleotide-binding protein alpha subunit (GNAS) gene. Patients with pseudoparathyroidism type 1a and 1c could manifest Albright's hereditary osteodystrophy and multiple hormone resistance including gonadotropin and thyroid stimulating hormone. Case presentation: Here we report a Chinese man who presented with fatigue, recurrent seizure and Albright's hereditary osteodystrophy. His genetic study revealed a heterozygote mutation in the GNAS gene [NM_000516.4(GNAS): c2787_2788del (p.Val930AspfsTer12)]. After calcium and calcitriol supplement, his seizures achieved partially remission. Conclusions: We report a case of PHP1a or 1c with a novel frameshift mutation in GNAS gene in a patient presenting with AHO, as well as TSH and partial gonadotropin resistance. This mutation in this case has not been reported in literature and adds to the spectrum of genetic mutations related to PHP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strategic emerging industrial cluster network as an important form of the current industrial development, with an intensive technological innovation, prominent economies of scale and knowledge spillovers, and other characteristics, is a symbol of strategic emerging industry formation and an effective model for its development. In this paper, the Logistic model is used to characterize the strategic emerging industry cluster's life cycle. Then, the scale-free evolution model being optimized based on the growth rate of strategic emerging industrial clusters and gray number being introduced, an evolution model of the strategic emerging industrial network is constructed considering the growth of innovators flow, the evolution process, and the stability state of the strategic emerging industrial cluster network are analyzed. Finally, an example is given to simulate and comparatively analyze the characteristics of the inflection point with the change of relevant parameters in the evolution process of the cluster network. The research results can provide some theoretical reference and guidance for the cultivation of strategic emerging industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical Cyclone Oswald (2013) is considered to be one of the highest-impact storms to make landfall in northern Australia even though it only reached a maximum category 1 intensity on the Australian category scale. After making landfall on the west coast of Cape York Peninsula, Oswald turned southward, and persisted for more than 7 days moving parallel to the coastline as far south as 308S. As one of the wettest tropical cyclones (TCs) in Australian history, the favorable configurations of a lower-latitude active monsoon trough and two consecutive midlatitude trough–jet systems generally contributed to the maintenance of the Oswald circulation over land and prolonged rainfall. As a result, Oswald produced widespread heavy rainfall along the east coast with three maximum centers near Weipa, Townsville, and Rockhampton, respectively. Using high-resolution WRF simulations, the mechanisms associated with TC Oswald’s rainfall are analyzed. The results show that the rainfall involved different rainfall mechanisms at each stage. The land–sea surface friction contrast, the vertical wind shear, and monsoon trough were mostly responsible for the intensity and location for the first heavy rainfall center on the Cape York Peninsula. The second torrential rainfall near Townsville was primarily a result of the local topography and land–sea frictional convergence in a conditionally unstable monsoonal environment with frictional convergence due to TC motion modulating some offshore rainfall. The third rainfall area was largely dominated by persistent high vertical wind shear forcing, favorable large-scale quasigeostrophic dynamic lifting from two midlatitude trough–jet systems, and mesoscale frontogenesis lifting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: In this work, we explored the role of corosolic acid (CRA) during pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Methods and results: Cardiac hypertrophy was induced in mice by aortic banding. Four weeks post-surgery, CRA-treated mice developed blunted cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and dysfunction, and showed increased LC3 II and p-AMPK expression. In line with the in vivo studies, CRA also inhibited the hypertrophic response induced by PE stimulation accompanying with increased LC3 II and p-AMPK expression. It was also found that CRA blunted cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and promoted autophagy in Angiotensin II (Ang II)-treated H9c2 cells. Moreover, to further verify whether CRA inhibits cardiac hypertrophy by the activation of autophagy, blockade of autophagy was achieved by CQ (an inhibitor of the fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes) or 3-MA (an inhibitor of autophagosome formation). It was found that autophagy inhibition counteracts the protective effect of CRA on cardiac hypertrophy. Interestingly, AMPK knockdown with AMPKa2 siRNA-counteracted LC3 II expression increase and the hypertrophic response inhibition caused by CRA in PE-treated H9c2 cells. Conclusion: These results suggest that CRA may protect against cardiac hypertrophy through regulating AMPK-dependent autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]