Search

To address the carbon emission issue of combined heat and power (CHP) units in park-level integrated energy system (IES), this paper proposes an optimization scheduling model of park-level IES by considering combined weights. Firstly, a park-level IES is established within a designated park area, incorporating gas storage (GS), power to gas (P2G), carbon capture and storage (CCS), CHP units, wind power and photovoltaic power stations. Based on the analysis of the operational characteristics of GS, P2G, CCS, and CHP, an optimal scheduling model of the GS–P2G–CCS–CHP integrated system is proposed to optimize CHP with low carbon. Secondly, to achieve economic viability and the accommodation of renewable energy, a combined weights approach is proposed for the objective function, considering subjective and objective weights. Finally, to verify the feasibility of the proposed method, four operational strategies are compared, and based on the operational characteristics of GS, P2G, CCS, and CHP, the optimal capacities of P2G and GS are determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a significant application of machine learning in financial scenarios, loan default risk prediction aims to evaluate the client's default probability. However, most existing deep learning solutions treat each application as an independent individual, neglecting the explicit connections among different application records. Besides, these attempts suffer from the problem of missing data and imbalanced distribution (i.e., the default records are small samples against all the applications). We believe similar records could provide some auxiliary signals, which are of critical importance to alleviate the data missing issue and facilitate data argumentation. To this end, we propose multi-view loan application graphs, dubbed MLAGs. By evaluating the similarity between the records, a loan application graph can be constructed. Furthermore, we arrange different similarity thresholds to organize various graph structures for multi-graph constructions; thus, a variety of representations can be generated via information propagation and aggregation for small sample argumentation. Consequently, the imbalanced data distribution and missing values issues can be alleviated effectively. We conduct experiments on three public datasets from real-world home credit and P2P lending platforms, which show that MGCN outperforms both conventional and deep learning models. Ablation studies also illustrated the validity of each module design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dots (CDs) are quasi-spherical carbon nanoparticles with excellent photoluminescence, good biocompatibility, favorable photostability, and easily modifiable surfaces. CDs, serving as fluorescent probes, have emerged as an ideal tool for cellular differentiation owing to their outstanding luminescence performance and tunable surface properties. In this review, we summarize the recent research progress with CDs in the differentiation of cancer/normal cells, Gram-positive/Gram-negative bacteria, and live/dead cells, as well as the cellular differences used for differentiation. Additionally, we summarize the preparation methods, raw materials, and properties of the CDs used for cell discrimination. The differentiation mechanisms and the advantages or limitations of the differentiation methods are also introduced. Finally, we propose several research challenges in this field and future research directions that require extensive investigation. It is hoped that this review will help researchers in the design of new CDs as ideal fluorescent probes for realizing diverse cell differentiation applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate prediction of the future trajectories of traffic agents is a critical aspect of autonomous vehicle navigation. However, most existing approaches focus on predicting trajectories from a static roadside perspective, ignoring the influence of autonomous vehicles’ future plans on neighboring traffic agents. To address this challenge, this paper introduces EPG‐MGCN, an ego‐planning‐guided multi‐graph convolutional network. EPG‐MGCN leverages graph convolutional networks and ego‐planning guidance to predict the trajectories of heterogeneous traffic agents near the ego vehicle. The model captures interactions through multiple graph topologies from four distinct perspectives: distance, visibility, ego planning, and category. Additionally, it encodes the ego vehicle's planning information via the planning graph and a planning‐guided prediction module. The model is evaluated on three challenging trajectory datasets: ApolloScape, nuScenes, and next generation simulation (NGSIM). Comparative evaluations against mainstream methods demonstrate its superior predictive capabilities and inference speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With halogen‐atom transfer as an effective tool, a novel catalytic enantioselective protocol to generate chiral trifluoromethylated alkynes has been established by a cooperative photoredox and nickel catalysis system, providing a straightforward and modular route to access this type of product in good yields and enantioselectivities. The halogen‐atom transfer process is essential for the reaction and this novel strategy offers another promising way to utilize alkyl halides with highly negative reduction potentials. It firstly expands nickel‐catalyzed asymmetric reductive cross‐couplings of organohalides from the traditional single‐electron transfer to halogen‐atom transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With halogen‐atom transfer as an effective tool, a novel catalytic enantioselective protocol to generate chiral trifluoromethylated alkynes has been established by a cooperative photoredox and nickel catalysis system, providing a straightforward and modular route to access this type of product in good yields and enantioselectivities. The halogen‐atom transfer process is essential for the reaction and this novel strategy offers another promising way to utilize alkyl halides with highly negative reduction potentials. It firstly expands nickel‐catalyzed asymmetric reductive cross‐couplings of organohalides from the traditional single‐electron transfer to halogen‐atom transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/Introduction: Research has suggested that vitamin D deficiency is associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR). Our study aimed to determine whether vitamin D deficiency is the cause of diabetic retinopathy or if diabetic retinopathy reduces vitamin D levels. Materials and Methods: Participants with type‐2 diabetes were recruited for this prospective observational clinical study and were divided into a diabetic group without retinopathy and a diabetic group with retinopathy, with additional healthy volunteers serving as a control group. The differences in clinical characteristics among the three groups were also compared. Patients without retinopathy were then followed for 1 year to monitor the incidence of diabetic retinopathy. After follow‐up, participants were divided into subgroups based on whether diabetic retinopathy occurred. The baseline data of the subgroups were compared, and the independent risk factors were analyzed. Results: Vitamin D levels were generally low. Participants with diabetic retinopathy had significantly lower vitamin D levels than did those without retinopathy (P < 0.01). A comparison of the two subgroups revealed lower baseline vitamin D concentrations in the new‐DR subgroup than in the non‐DR subgroup (P < 0.01). Vitamin D deficiency and elevated HbA1c levels were found to be independent risk factors for diabetic retinopathy (OR = 0.935, 95% CI: 0.867–0.981, P = 0.006; OR = 2.208, 95% CI: 1.764–2.764, P < 0.01). The limit of vitamin D intake according to the receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 26.01 ng/mL, and the area under the ROC curve was 0.603 (95% CI: 0.559–0.706, P = 0.002). Conclusions: Vitamin D levels were significantly lower in patients diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy. More importantly, vitamin D deficiency may accelerate the onset of diabetic retinopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to develop a nomogram model incorporating lactate-to-albumin ratio (LAR) to predict the prognosis of hospitalized patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and demonstrate its excellent predictive performance. A total of 226 patients with ICH from the Medical information mart for intensive care III (MIMIC Ⅲ) database were randomly split into 8:2 ratio training and experimental groups, and 38 patients from the eICU-CRD for external validation. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to identify independent factors associated with ICH, and multivariate Cox regression was used to construct nomograms for 7-day and 14-day overall survival (OS). The performance of nomogram was verified by the calibration curves, decision curves, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Our study identified LAR, glucose, mean blood pressure, sodium, and ethnicity as independent factors influencing in-hospital prognosis. The predictive performance of our nomogram model for predicting 7-day and 14 -day OS (AUCs: 0.845 and 0.830 respectively) are both superior to Oxford Acute Severity of Illness Score, Simplified acute physiology score II, and SIRS (AUCs: 0.617, 0.620 and 0.591 and AUCs: 0.709, 0.715 and 0.640, respectively) in internal validation, and also demonstrate favorable predictive performance in external validation (AUCs: 0.778 and 0.778 respectively). LAR as a novel biomarker is closely associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality of patients with ICH. The nomogram model incorporating LAR along with glucose, mean blood pressure, sodium, and ethnicity demonstrate excellent predictive performance for predicting the prognosis of 7- and 14-day OS of hospitalized patients with ICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intramural hematoma of the small bowel is a rare yet acute gastrointestinal condition typically linked with impaired coagulation function, often posing diagnostic challenges. It is principally encountered in patients undergoing prolonged anticoagulant therapy, specifically warfarin. We reported a case of intramural hematoma associated with warfarin use. The patient was admitted to hospital with abdominal pain and had received anticoagulant therapy with warfarin 2.5 mg/day for 4 years. Laboratory examination showed decreased coagulation function, abdominal CT showed obvious thickening and swelling of part of the jejunal wall, and abdominal puncture found no gastroenteric fluid or purulent fluid. We treated the patient with vitamin K and fresh frozen plasma. The patient was discharged after the recovery of coagulation function. Then we undertaook a comprehensive review of relevant case reports to extract shared clinical features and effective therapeutic strategies. Our analysis highlights that hematoma in the small intestinal wall caused by warfarin overdose often presents as sudden and intense abdominal pain, laboratory tests suggest reduced coagulation capacity, and imaging often shows thickening of the intestinal wall. Intravenous vitamin K and plasma supplementation are effective non-surgical strategies. Nevertheless, in instances of severe obstruction and unresponsive hemostasis, surgical resection of necrotic intestinal segments may be necessary. In the cases we reported, we avoided surgery by closely monitoring the coagulation function. Therefore, we suggest that identifying and correcting the impaired coagulation status of patient is essential for timely and appropriate treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND RESULTS CONCLUSION Laminaria japonica polysaccharide, which is an important bioactive substance of Laminaria japonica with anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In this study, the molecular weight, functional groups and surface morphology were investigated to evaluate the digestive properties of Laminaria japonica polysaccharide before and after steam explosion.The results indicated that the Laminaria japonica polysaccharide entered the large intestine to be utilized by the gut microbiota after passing through the oral, gastric and small intestinal. Meanwhile, Laminaria japonica polysaccharide of steam explosion promoted the growth of beneficial bacteria Phascolarctobacterium and Intestinimonas, and increased the content of acetic, propionic and butyric acids, which was 2.29‐folds, 2.60‐folds and 1.63‐folds higher than the control group after 48 h of fermentation.This study reveals that the effect of steam explosion pretreatment on the digestion in vitro and gut microbiota of Laminaria japonica polysaccharide will provide a basic theoretical basis for the potential application of Laminaria japonica polysaccharide as a prebiotic in the food industry. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A knowledge gap exists in associating later life's osteoporotic fracture and middle adulthood's BMI trajectories. We observed an association showing those transitioning from overweight to normal weight face a higher fracture risk in late adulthood, emphasizing the potential benefits of maintaining a stable BMI to reduce late-life fractures. Purpose: Numerous studies on the relationship between obesity and fractures have relied on body mass index (BMI) at a single time point, yielding inconclusive results. This study investigated the association of BMI trajectories over middle adulthood with fracture risk in late adulthood. Methods: This prospective cohort study analyzed 1772 qualified participants from the Framingham Original Cohort Study, with 292 (16.5%) incident fractures during an average of 17.1-year follow-up. We constructed BMI trajectories of age 35–64 years based on latent class mixed modeling and explored their association with the risk of fracture after 65 years using the Cox regression. Results: The result showed that compared to the BMI trajectory Group 4 (normal to slightly overweight; see "Methods" for detailed description), Group 1 (overweight declined to normal weight) had a higher all-fracture risk after age 65 (hazard ratio [HR], 2.22, 95% CI, 1.13–4.39). The secondary analysis focusing on lower extremity fractures (pelvis, hip, leg, and foot) showed a similar association pattern. Conclusions: This study suggested that people whose BMI slightly increased from normal weight to low-level overweight during 30 years of middle adulthood confer a significantly lower risk of fracture in later life than those whose BMI declined from overweight to normal weight. This result implies the potentially beneficial effects of avoiding weight loss to normal weight during middle adulthood for overweight persons, with reduced fracture risk in late life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using multiple methods and qualitative research design (including analysis of online dating profiles, digital ethnography, and in-depth interviews), I examine the discriminatory nature and mechanism of youzhi (優質), a neoliberal discourse widespread on the Chinese gay dating platform "Blued." This paper also explores how users interpret the connotations of youzhi and utilize it while justifying and normalizing the usage. My findings consider that the discourse of youzhi can integrate a variety of human qualities and generate a hierarchy with establishing an image of first-class citizens in the Chinese gay community. Specifically on Blued, the connotation of youzhi has been reframed into a one-sided, superficial variant through the site's pre-configurated attributes and marketing promotions. This underlines the sexual and erotic capital with physical aspects of gay hegemonic masculinity as the currency. Given its discriminatory essence, which could risk the user's desirability, youzhi is still widely utilized on Blued to deter the ones lacking sexual capital from contacting, promote the user's image, and attract the ones who meet the stringent beauty standards. Based on my findings, the users rationalize and normalize these actions as solely following the logic of how Blued is configured and what it has constantly promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Propose the recurrent motion attention network (RMA-Net) to extract spatial-temporal image features for object detection in drone vision. • A recurrent fashion is designed to effectively and efficiently learn motion features in long sequences. • Only requiring a few frames of optical flows for initialization. • Not only boosts the mean average precision by 6.99 % but also reaches 31 frames per second. In recent years, object detection in drone videos has garnered widespread attention. Conventional image-based detectors have encountered a performance bottleneck for drone images due to the severe appearance deterioration of targets and numerous background clutters. Video object detection (VOD) is a promising paradigm for such problems as it can effectively enhance target appearance by aggregating features from nearby frames in drone videos. However, struggling with the feature alignment problem which is particularly important for drone images where the background varies frequently. Following the VOD philosophy, we propose the Recurrent Motion Attention Network (RMA-Net) to extract spatial-temporal image features for object detection in drone vision. A recurrent fashion is designed to effectively and efficiently learn motion features in long sequences, only requiring a few frames of optical flows for initialization. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed method could easily promote existing object detectors to achieve high performance on drone videos. Specifically, our RMA adapted YOLOv7 outperforms the state-of-the-arts by a large margin on the challenging VisDrone2019-VID dataset, not only boosts the mean average precision by 6.99 % but also reaches a batch-1 inference speed of 31 frames per second. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Objectives Methods Results Conclusion Erectile dysfunction (ED) is prevalent not only among older males but also in younger. The physical activity has been considered a potential protective factor against ED. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research on the impact of exercise interventions specifically on ED patients.This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the physical activity in addressing ED symptoms among adult males, without the use of the phosphodiesterase‐5 inhibitors (PDE5i) therapy. Additionally, subgroup analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of different exercise modes.Employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a systematic literature search. A registered protocol is available at PROSPERO (CRD42023441717). Our search spanned PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library, with data collection ending on 11 April 2024. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was applied by two independent authors to assess randomized controlled trial (RCT) quality. The primary endpoint was determined as the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) scores.A total of seven RCTs were included. Utilizing a random‐effects model, the estimated standardized mean difference (SMD) was 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37 to 1.02, p < 0.0001) for the overall impact of the physical activity. Subgroup analysis revealed SMDs of 0.81 (95% CI 0.56 to 1.06; p < 0.00001) for aerobic training alone. However, no significant improvement was observed with pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) (SMD 0.03; 95% CI −0.68 to 0.75; p = 0.93) and a combination of aerobic and resistance training (SMD 0.84; 95% CI −0.41 to 2.09; p = 0.19)The findings of this study highlight a significant improvement in the erectile function following exercise interventions for adult men with ED, who are not receiving the PDE5i therapy, especially in conducting aerobic training alone. However, PFMT and a combination of aerobic and resistance training did not show significant improvements in erectile function from this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pleural solitary fibrous tumors (pSFTs) are rare mesenchymal pleural tumors with rich vascularity. Surgical resection is the cornerstone of pSFTs treatment, requiring careful preoperative imaging to delineate lesion extent and vascular supply including contrast-enhanced computed tomography and other examinations depending on its size and characteristics. Case presentation: The patient was a 34-year-old female with a mass measuring approximately 67 × 42 × 65 mm in the left posterior mediastinum. Intraoperatively, the mass demonstrated rich vascularity. Two veins originating from the abdominal cavity entered the lower pole, one converged from the superior pole, draining into the brachiocephalic vein. Additionally, two arteries arose directly from the descending aorta, while several veins drained into the intercostal veins. In response to unexpected intraoperative vascular findings, vascular clips and silk threads were used to ligate them. Subsequently, the tumor was successfully dissected, with approximately 600 ml of blood loss recorded during the 4-hour surgery. The patient exhibited a satisfactory postoperative recovery, and follow-up spanning over six months revealed no indications of recurrence or metastasis. Conclusions: We firstly present a case of successful resection of a pSFT in a 34-year-old woman with a distinct feeding vessel arising from the descending aorta and describe the related surgical procedures. This case highlights preoperative evaluation of mass vascularity based on contrast-enhanced computed tomography. When blood supply is challenging to clarify, angiography can offer additional details, especially for giant pSFTs. Despite this, thorough intraoperative exploration remains essential to detect unexpected vessels. Appropriate interventions should be customized based on the vascular origins and the surrounding anatomical structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A commercial anti-cancer drug, axitinib, exhibits very stable dual emissions for discrimination of human serum albumin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an electron-insulating layer of Li2O nanoparticles passivating a Li-rich Li–Cu–Zn ternary alloy as an advanced Li anode. The insulating layer ensures Li deposition below the top protective layer and inhibits side reactions effectively. Additionally, the ternary alloy framework offers superior lithiophilicity and robust mechanical stability. Galvanostatic measurements demonstrate a prolonged lifespan of symmetric cells for over 1200 h at 1 mA cm−2 and 1 mA h cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite manganese oxides are highly desirable for infrared acquisition owing to their characteristics of ferromagnetic metal-paramagnetic insulators. In this work, the sol-gel spin-coating technique was employed to prepare La 1- x Ca x MnO 3 (LCMO) films with varying Ca2+ content (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5) on the (l00) LaAlO 3 (LAO) substrates. In comparison to previous studies, the pre-sintering temperature, final sintering temperature, and final sintering period were modified. The crystal structure, surface topography, elemental valence states, and electrical transport performance of the LCMO films were characterized and analyzed as well. The results demonstrated that the diffraction peaks of the above films were aligned with those of the LAO single-crystal substrate. The change in Ca2+ content caused an increase in the Mn–O bond length, the amount of Mn4+, and the Mn– O –Mn angle in LCMO films, promoting the double exchange effect. These modifications had a considerable impact on the resistivity of LCMO films, increasing their TCR value. The maximum TCR of 22.92% K−1 was reached at x = 0.3 and peak TCR temperature (T k) of 241.93 K. Therefore, the film has great application potential for infrared bolometers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apalutamide, a novel endocrine therapy agent, has been shown to significantly improve the prognosis of patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). However, resistance to apalutamide has also been reported, and the underlying mechanism for this response has yet to be clearly elucidated. First, this study established apalutamide-resistant prostate cancer (PCa) cells, and confirmed that apalutamide activated the release of calcium ions (Ca2+) and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) to enhance autophagy. Second, RNA sequencing, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry revealed significantly decreased Calpain 2 (CAPN2) expression in the apalutamide-resistant PCa cells and tissues. Furthermore, immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that CAPN2 promoted apalutamide resistance by activating protective autophagy. CAPN2 promoted autophagy by reducing Forkhead Box O1 (FOXO1) degradation while increasing nuclear translocation via nucleoplasmic protein isolation and immunofluorescence. In addition, FOXO1 promoted protective autophagy through the transcriptional regulation of autophagy-related gene 5 (ATG5). Furthermore, a dual-fluorescence assay confirmed that transcription factor 3 (ATF3) stimulation promoted CAPN2-mediated autophagy activation via transcriptional regulation. In summary, CAPN2 activated protective autophagy by inhibiting FOXO1 degradation and promoting its nuclear translocation via transcriptional ATG5 regulation. ATF3 activation and transcriptional CAPN2 regulation jointly promoted this bioeffect. Thus, our findings have not only revealed the mechanism underlying apalutamide resistance, but also provided a promising new target for the treatment of metastatic PCa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric elastomer (DE), as an electrically active soft material, has enabled stretchable electronics, electronic skins, artificial muscles, biomimetic soft robots, and non‐magnetic motors. High permittivity is urgently desired for increasing the sensitivity of DE sensors and lowering the driving voltage of DE actuators. However, existing efforts for significantly enhanced permittivity is usually achieved at the expense of transparency of the DE by compositing external fillers, which limits the applications in optoelectronics, such as displays, touch screens, artificial eyes, etc. Here, by utilizing of transparent functional filler, ionic liquid micro‐droplet, and precise matching the refractive index with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer matrix, heterogeneous composites with high transparency and high permittivity are obtained simultaneously. The composites are transparent in the visible range (transmittance, 80%–95%). The permittivity reaches up to 22, which is more than seven times higher than the original value of the elastomer matrix. Moreover, the arbitrary deformability of ionic liquid filler endows the composites with better stretchability (300%) and much lower elastic modulus (0.5 MPa, about a quarter the value of PDMS), which is beneficial for soft electronics. Based on the as‐prepared high‐performance composites, high sensitivity and transparent soft sensors and touch panels have been realized, as well as wireless transmission of sensing signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining activity rhythms is crucial for understanding the life history, ecology, and evolution of an animal species. Due to various anthropogenic threats, wild populations of Reeves' turtle (Mauremys reevesii) are diminishing throughout its geographic range in East Asia. Despite the endangered conservation status of this species, little is known about its activity rhythm. Therefore, the focus of this study was to radio track 23 wild Reeves' turtles in the field to determine their daily and seasonal activity patterns. We identified the Reeves' turtle as both diurnal and nocturnal, rather than the traditional classification of diurnal, with an average daily activity peak between 1800 and 2000 hours. In spring, the frequency of diurnal activity was higher than that of nocturnal activity, and males were significantly more active than females. In summer, total activity frequency increased significantly and was predominantly nocturnal, with no significant difference in activity found between males and females. In autumn, nocturnal activity decreased and males were significantly more active than females overall. Reeves' turtles hibernated from the end of October to mid-April. Our results elucidate the daily and seasonal activity rhythms of Reeves' turtles, thus providing a reference for understanding the life history of the species and potentially improving future conservation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis is initiated by vascular endothelial dysfunction, and low-shear stress (LSS) of blood flow is a key factor leading to endothelial dysfunction. Growing evidence suggests that endothelial cell pyroptosis plays an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. Studies have shown that low-shear stress can induce endothelial cell pyroptosis, but the exact mechanism remains unclear. Our experiments demonstrated that low-shear stress induced endothelial cell pyroptosis and the phosphorylation of IκB kinase ε (IKKε). IKKε knockdown not only significantly attenuated atherosclerosis lesions of aortic arch areas in ApoE−/− mice fed with high cholesterol diets, but also markedly reduced endothelial cell pyroptosis and NLRP3 expression triggered by low-shear stress. Further mechanism studies showed that IKKε promoted the expression of NLRP3 via activating signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) and the subsequent binding of STAT1 to NLRP3 promoter region. These results suggest that low-shear stress plays a pro-atherosclerotic role by promoting endothelial cell pyroptosis through the IKKε/STAT1/NLRP3 pathway, which provides new insights into the formation of atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate changes have dramatically affected forest succession. However, how trees at different successional stages respond to climate warming is unclear in the subtropics. Here, we compared the radial growth (RW) and xylem features of the early-successional stage Castanea mollissima and late-successional stage Quercus fabri in subtropical forests and assessed their response to climate changes. All parameters, including RW, number of vessels (VN), vessel density (VD), mean (MVA) and total (TVA) vessel area, percentage of conductive area within xylem (RCTA), theoretical (Kh) and xylem-specific (Ks) hydraulic conductivity, except for MVA of C. mollissima were significantly higher than those of Q. fabri. During the drought period, a notable adverse correlation between two cluster parameters of Q. fabri, associated with hydraulic safety and efficiency, suggested a pronounced hydraulic trade-off in Q. fabri under drought conditions. Castanea mollissima was more sensitive to climate and more prone to hydraulic failure than Q. fabri. Temperatures and moisture conditions positively and negatively affected the hydraulic efficiency-related parameters of C. mollissima. Moisture conditions in the previous summer and winter were significantly negatively and positively related to the radial growth of both species. The impact of generalized warming was not evident due to variations in hydraulic strategies and species characteristics, trade-offs between non-growing and growing season climates, and specific competition. If climate warming continues, C. mollissima growth will probably significantly decline due to the increasing risk of hydraulic failure. Warming may accelerate species replacement and forest succession in the study area by changing their lifespans and competitive relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: When high tibial osteotomy is performed for genu varus deformity, it is not easy to determine the accurate placement of the plate. Purpose: To determine a simple way to assess the position of the plate, to provide more effective mechanical support and to reduce the risk of implant rupture and vascular injury. Material and Methods: Two human anatomical marks, the patellar ligament and semimembranosus, were connected and divided into four parts to identify points Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ. These points determined the areas for Tomofix placement: anterior, anterolateral, and lateral. Simulated internal fixation placed hole B of Tomofix at points Ⅰ (anterior), Ⅱ (anterolateral), and Ⅲ (lateral). We analyzed the pointing direction of the locking screws in Tomofix holes on MRI to assess potential injury risk to the popliteal neurovascular bundle. Results: In the X-ray: holes B and C appeared as the plate in the anterior, only hole C appeared as the plate in the anterolateral, and none of the holes appeared as the plate in the lateral. In the general view of the sawbones, the screw pointed towards the popliteal neurovascular bundle when the plate was in the anterior. Conclusion: If a small number of holes on the plate is visible under fluoroscopy, then several lateral positions of the plate can be obtained; the direction of the screw tunnel tends to deviate from the popliteal neurovascular bundle with the posterior position of the plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a novel precast shear wall connection method for connecting upper and lower wall panels. The vertical steel bars within the lower prefabricated wall panels are bundled and extended into pre‐designed holes within the upper prefabricated shear walls. Subsequently, high‐performance grouting materials are utilized to fill these pre‐designed holes. Cyclic load tests were conducted on all full‐scale specimens to evaluate the seismic performance of the proposed novel connected precast shear walls and compared with the seismic performance of the cast‐in‐place shear wall specimens. The findings reveal that the proposed novel precast shear wall connection method performs comparably to cast‐in‐situ shear walls, exhibiting almost identical results in terms of load‐bearing capacity, stiffness, and ductility. Furthermore, investigations into the removal and retention of metal bellows within the prefabricated holes, as well as the effects of additional reinforcement on the top of these holes, demonstrated no significant improvement in seismic performance. Finally, the reliability of the connection method was verified by analyzing the strain changes of the vertical steel bars in the precast holes of the precast shear wall. This study can provide a reference for promoting new connections in prefabricated structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food packaging is an essential line to defend against the intrusion of undesirable external factors to protect food. The antibacterial edible films are considered as promising food packaging due to their biodegradability, environmental friendliness, and safety. In this paper, recent research progress on antimicrobial edible films based on polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids is reviewed. It is worth noting that polysaccharides and proteins are the main substrates of antimicrobial edible films, while lipids are mainly plasticizers and carriers of active substances in composite films. For example, second-generation liposomes have been investigated as promising carriers for antimicrobial substances or other bioactive substances due to their excellent stability. Moreover, recent advances and future trends of antimicrobial edible films are then analyzed. Linking antimicrobial edible film materials to delivery systems for stable loading of bioactive substances is a promising future direction, such as nanoemulsion and microencapsulation technologies. In addition, a smart and active packaging that allows consumers to directly determine the freshness of food products without unwrapping the package has come into the limelight. Currently, pH-sensitive films and smart fluorescent "on–off" sensors for humidity have been investigated as smart and active packaging materials for monitoring the freshness of food products, which can be vigorously explored in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indium-based oxides are promising electrocatalysts for producing formate via CO2 reduction reaction, in which *OCHO is considered the key intermediate. Here, we identified that the *COOH pathway could be preferential to produce formate on In2O3 of In/In2O3 heterojunction due to the synergistic effect of oxygen species and vacancy. Specifically, *CO2 and *COOH were observed on In2O3 and related to formate production by in situ Raman spectroscopy. The theoretical calculations further demonstrated that the energy barrier of the *COOH formation on In2O3 was decreased in the presence of oxygen vacancy, similar to or lower than that of the *OCHO formation on the In surface. As a result, a formate selectivity of over 90% was obtained on prepared In/In2O3 heterojunction with 343 ± 7 mA cm-2 partial current density. Furthermore, when using a Si-based photovoltaic as an energy supplier, 10.11% solar--to--fuel energy efficiency was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Psychological stress exacerbates respiratory viral infection via disturbing gut microbiome. • Psychological stress specifically reduces Lactobaceace abundance and GABA level. • Microbial GABA regulates AMs homeostasis via the αKG/TET2/PPARγ axis. • Replenishment of GABA-metabolizing bacteria reverses adverse effect of stress on viral pneumonia. Epidemiological evidences reveal that populations with psychological stress have an increased likelihood of respiratory viral infection involving influenza A virus (IAV) and SARS-CoV-2. This study aims to explore the potential correlation between psychological stress and increased susceptibility to respiratory viral infections and how this may contribute to a more severe disease progression. A chronic restraint stress (CRS) mouse model was used to infect IAV and estimate lung inflammation. Alveolar macrophages (AMs) were observed in the numbers, function and metabolic-epigenetic properties. To confirm the central importance of the gut microbiome in stress-exacerbated viral pneumonia, mice were conducted through microbiome depletion and gut microbiome transplantation. Stress exposure induced a decline in Lactobacillaceae abundance and hence γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) level in mice. Microbial-derived GABA was released in the peripheral and sensed by AMs via GABA A R, leading to enhanced mitochondrial metabolism and α-ketoglutarate (αKG) generation. The metabolic intermediator in turn served as the cofactor for the epigenetic regulator Tet2 to catalyze DNA hydroxymethylation and promoted the PPARγ-centered gene program underpinning survival, self-renewing, and immunoregulation of AMs. Thus, we uncover an unappreciated GABA/Tet2/PPARγ regulatory circuitry initiated by the gut microbiome to instruct distant immune cells through a metabolic-epigenetic program. Accordingly, reconstitution with GABA-producing probiotics, adoptive transferring of GABA-conditioned AMs, or resumption of pulmonary αKG level remarkably improved AMs homeostasis and alleviated severe pneumonia in stressed mice. Together, our study identifies microbiome-derived tonic signaling tuned by psychological stress to imprint resident immune cells and defensive response in the lungs. Further studies are warranted to translate these findings, basically from murine models, into the individuals with psychiatric stress during respiratory viral infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a bridge between planners and actuators, trajectory tracking is a critical and essential part of robot navigation, autonomous driving and some other fields. While traditional trajectory tracking methods generally have disadvantages such as poor tracking accuracy, high modeling requirements, and heavy computational load. This paper proposes an end-to-end trajectory tracking method based on reinforcement learning, and an information encoding network and a reinforcement learning policy network are constructed. A multi-task dense reward function for trajectory tracking is designed. For efficient encoding of local trajectory information, a self-attentive mechanism is developed. A virtual simulation environment is constructed for model training by modeling the trajectory tracking task. Comparing with model predictive control and pure pursuit in the tracking experiments of several reference trajectories, the obtained results show that the proposed method has significant advantages in terms of lateral tracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

9,9-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)fluorene (BPF) is a highly structurally symmetric bisphenol with excellent optical properties of low birefringence and high refractive index, however, the glass transition temperature (T g) of its polyester is high (T g>300°C), which makes it difficult to be thermally processed and limits its application. On the other hand, 4,4′-Thiobis (2-methylphenol) (T2MP) has a flexible thioether group, its introduction not only brings high refractive index, but also can appropriately reduce the T g of the polymer. Therefore, by combining the advantages of both of them, we prepared aromatic polyesters with high refractive index and stabilization. This study provides a route that can appropriately reduce T g without loss of refractive index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Thyroid cancer diagnoses have increased over recent decades at a rate much higher than that of any other cancer in Australia. Rural patients are known to have reduced access to healthcare and may have different thyroid cancer presentation rates. This study examined the relationship between thyroid cancer diagnosis and patient rurality. Methods: Data from the Australia and New Zealand Thyroid Cancer Registry from 2017 to 2022 were analyzed, stratifying patient postcodes into rurality groups using the Australian Statistical Geography Standard. The American Thyroid Association (ATA) guidelines were used to stratify risk categories and management to compare treatment adequacy between the groups. Statistical analysis assessed demographic, clinical, and management differences. Results: Among 1766 patients, 70.6% were metropolitan (metro) and 29.4% were non‐metropolitan (non‐metro). Non‐metro patients were older at diagnosis (median 56 vs. 50 years, p < 0.001), presented more frequently with T stage greater than 1 (stage 2–4, 41.9% vs. 34.8%, and p = 0.005), AJCC stage greater than 1 (stage 2–4, 18.5% vs. 14.6%, and p = 0.019), and cancers larger than 4 cm (14.3% vs. 9.9%, p = 0.005). No significant differences in treatment adequacy were observed between the groups for ATA low‐risk cancers. Conclusions: Non‐metropolitan patients in the registry present with more advanced thyroid cancer, possibly due to differences in healthcare access. Further research should assess long‐term survival outcomes and influencing factors. Understanding the impact on patient outcomes and addressing healthcare access barriers can optimize thyroid cancer care across geographic regions in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the Navier–Stokes–Korteweg equations governed by the evolution of compressible fluids with capillarity effects. We first investigate the global well-posedness of solution in the critical Besov space for large initial data. Contrary to pure parabolic methods in Charve et al. (Indiana Univ Math J 70:1903–1944, 2021), we also take the strong dispersion due to large capillarity coefficient κ into considerations. By establishing a dissipative–dispersive estimate, we are able to obtain uniform estimates and incompressible limits in terms of κ simultaneously. Secondly, we establish the large time behaviors of the solution. We would make full use of both parabolic mechanics and dispersive structure which implicates our decay results without limitations for upper bound of derivatives while requiring no smallness for initial assumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CNTs-related composite PCMs are categorized in a new way: CNTs are usd as nanoadditives, porous supporters, and secondary network. • The research progress in the mechanism of heat transfer and phase transition of CNTs-related composite PCMs is introduced in detail. • In-depth insights into the micro-mechanism of heterogeneous interactions induced by CNTs are revealed. • The current challenges of designing CNTs-related composite PCMs are summarized. With the merits of inherent physicochemical properties of hollow structure, high mechanical strength, thermal stability, ultrahigh light absorption capacity, and ultrahigh thermal conductivity, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are extensively used to enhance the thermal storage capabilities of solid–liquid phase change materials (PCMs). Interestingly, CNTs can act as thermally conductive additives and supporting skeletons when marring with PCMs. The state-of-the-art reviews on PCMs pay attention to carbon-based porous composite PCMs or nanoparticle dispersed PCMs, CNTs-derived PCMs only share a small part, lacking of a comprehensive review for multifunctional CNTs compounded PCMs. Herein, focusing on the enhancement effects of CNTs on PCMs, we retrospectively describe composite PCMs with a novel category way, by using CNTs as nanoadditives, porous supporters, and secondary network. We emphasize the micro-mechanism of heterogeneous interactions induced by CNTs: crystallization behavior, interfacial thermal resistance, thermal conductivity, phonon transport. Simultaneously, we provide in-depth insight into relationship between micro structural and thermal properties of CNT-derived PCMs. As a result, some different pathways of modern utilization based on the improved PCMs are presented. Finally, we outline the current challenges of designing CNTs to enable advanced functional thermal storage materials. The review aims to inspire clever use of CNTs into PCMs for targeted applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Captured by relatively low energy consumption and harmful gas‐emission, direct regeneration has captured numerous attention, but still suffers from different particle sizes and diverse doping hetero‐elements, hardly meeting the market demand. Herein, assisted by the crush‐sinter regeneration from element to grain further to particle, homogenized recovery of hetero spent LiCoO2 is successfully carried out. More interestingly, after tailoring Li/Co anti‐sites ratio, the redox activity of Co‐ions is remarkably enhanced, effectively inhibiting the irreversible escape of O‐atoms under high voltage, bringing about the fascinating electrochemical performance and structural stability. As anticipated, the regenerated LiCoO2 delivered a considerable capacity of 175.2 mAh g−1 at 1.0 C, whilst its capacity retention can remain at 88.86% even after 500 cycles at 5.0 C, better than that of commercial materials. Assembling regenerated materials versus. graphite pouch cell, their considerable practical capacity retention can be kept at ≈91.4% even after 500 cycles. Supported by in situ XRD, electronic structure analysis, and detailed DFT calculations, the excellent high voltage stability of optimized samples mainly comes from the alleviating of phase conversion and oxygen redox. This work is expected to shed light on the potential value of homogenized regenerations, and offer effective strategies of upcycling about spent LCO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a multi‐monomer organohydrogel network is fabricated based on radical polymerization. Acrylic acid (AA) and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) are used as hydrophilic monomers, and methoxyethyl acrylate (MEA) serves as a hydrophobic monomer. To endow the organohydrogel with a photo‐responsive property, a fluorescent monomer, 1′‐acryloyl chloride‐3′,3′‐dimethyl‐6‐nitrospiropyran (SPMA) is added. Under ultraviolet (UV) and visible light irradiation, SPMA undergoes ring‐opening and ring‐closing isomerization reactions, respectively. This leads to enhanced and reduced fluorescence. This fluorescence tunability allows for the local regulation of fluorescence in the organohydrogel using a photomask. By employing UV and visible light, complex information can be repeatedly written and erased on the organohydrogel. Additionally, based on the interactions between dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and water within the system, the organohydrogel exhibits excellent anti‐freezing and water‐holding properties, allowing its use in low‐temperature environments and extended preservation time. The organohydrogel has precise information writing capabilities and is more difficult to falsify as an information encryption platform. This study provides guidance for future researchers to develop information writing capabilities with higher precision and broader applications in various environments using smart materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fucoxanthin is a special kind of keto-carotenoid found only in algae. The unique structure of fucoxanthin endows it with extraordinary biological activities, which are of great significance to improve food quality and enhance human health. However, due to its highly unsaturated structure, fucoxanthin also suffers from some limitations, such as instability, poor water solubility and low bioavailability. Therefore, although its content is relatively abundant, its applications in the food industry are extremely scarce. In recent years, there have been many reports on the preparation and characterization of delivery systems for fucoxanthin. These well-designed delivery systems can efficaciously alleviate the instability of fucoxanthin under adverse conditions, thereby improving its oral bioavailability. Thus, this review emphatically summarizes the delivery systems that are widely used to encapsulate, protect and release fucoxanthin. Besides, the influence of delivery systems on the absorption of fucoxanthin by intestinal epithelial cells is highlighted. The applications and future development trends of delivery systems for fucoxanthin are also discussed. The extraction of fucoxanthin, development of novel delivery systems, sensory evaluation and toxicity studies, and industrial production may be promising research directions in the future. Overall, this review provides guidance for the development of fucoxanthin-loaded delivery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timely and effective fault diagnosis is crucial to guarantee the reliability and durability of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Segmented cell technology has been proven to be a powerful tool for exploring the internal characteristics of fuel cells, yet it is seldom applied for fault diagnosis. This paper proposes a data-driven fault diagnosis method that combines segmented cell and deep learning technology for PEMFC water management fault diagnosis. The dynamic characteristics of the current distribution of the fuel cell under different levels of faults are explored with segmented cell technology. A dual-input convolutional neural network is applied to combine current distribution data and sensor data for a more comprehensive system status for fault diagnosis. The results show that the model can efficiently identify flooding and drying faults with more than 98.5% accuracy, faster and more accurately than other algorithms. This work highlights the significance of segmented cell technology for the comprehension of water management inside PEMFC and provides a new concept for PEMFC fault diagnosis. [Display omitted] • The segmented cell technology is applied to investigate the current distribution during flooding and drying process. • A dual-input CNN is adopted to establish a fault diagnosis model for PEMFC water management. • The proposed method exhibits excellent diagnostic performance, with an accuracy rate of over 98.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine heterotrophic prokaryotes primarily take up ambient substrates using transporters. The patterns of transporters targeting particular substrates shape the ecological role of heterotrophic prokaryotes in marine organic matter cycles. Here, we report a size-fractionated pattern in the expression of prokaryotic transporters throughout the oceanic water column due to taxonomic variations, revealed by a multi-"omics" approach targeting ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and TonB-dependent transporters (TBDTs). Substrate specificity analyses showed that marine SAR11, Rhodobacterales, and Oceanospirillales use ABC transporters to take up organic nitrogenous compounds in the free-living fraction, while Alteromonadales, Bacteroidetes, and Sphingomonadales use TBDTs for carbon-rich organic matter and metal chelates on particles. The expression of transporter proteins also supports distinct lifestyles of deep-sea prokaryotes. Our results suggest that transporter divergency in organic matter assimilation reflects a pronounced niche separation in the prokaryote-mediated organic matter cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Macrophages are key inflammatory immune cells that orchestrate the initiation and progression of autoimmune diseases. The characters of macrophage in diseases are determined by its phenotype in response to the local microenvironment. Ficolins have been confirmed as crucial contributors to autoimmune diseases, with Ficolin-2 being particularly elevated in patients with autoimmune diseases. However, whether Ficolin-A stimulates macrophage polarization is still poorly understood. Methods: We investigated the transcriptomic expression profile of murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) stimulated with Ficolin-A using RNA-sequencing. To further confirm a distinct phenotype activated by Ficolin-A, quantitative RT-PCR and Luminex assay were performed in this study. Additionally, we assessed the activation of underlying cell signaling pathways triggered by Ficolin-A. Finally, the impact of Ficolin-A on macrophages were investigated in vivo through building Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and Dextran Sulfate Sodium Salt (DSS)-induced colitis mouse models with Fcna-/- mice. Results: Ficolin-A activated macrophages into a pro-inflammatory phenotype distinct to LPS-, IFN-γ- and IFN-γ + LPS-induced phenotypes. The transcriptomic profile induced by Ficolin-A was primarily characterized by upregulation of interleukins, chemokines, iNOS, and Arginase 1, along with downregulation of CD86 and CD206, setting it apart from the M1 and M2 phenotypes. The activation effect of Ficolin-A on macrophages deteriorated the symptoms of CIA and DSS mouse models, and the deletion of Fcna significantly alleviated the severity of diseases in mice. Conclusion: Our work used transcriptomic analysis by RNA-Seq to investigate the impact of Ficolin-A on macrophage polarization. Our findings demonstrate that Ficolin-A induces a novel pro-inflammatory phenotype distinct to the phenotypes activated by LPS, IFN-γ and IFN-γ + LPS on macrophages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change has escalated flood risks, necessitating advanced hydrodynamic models for predicting watershed dynamics. Integrating flow‐field visualization with web maps offers a time‐sensitive, geographic context for sharing and understanding these dynamic changes virtually. Traditional methods use texture series on maps for flow visualization but fall short in interactive detail examination. Drawing geometric shapes directly on maps has been limited by low efficiency. Addressing the need for interactive visualization and efficiency, this study presents a texture polymorphism strategy for geometric visualization of time‐varying flow fields. This approach combines geometric style simulation with texture‐assisted computation, optimizing interactivity and performance on web map platforms. Our evaluation confirms that this method enhances usability and integration, ensuring high performance in visualizing flow dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Al 2 O 3 –ZrO 2 –C material was prepared using tabular alumina aggregates and fines, zirconia-corundum, zirconia-mullite, flake graphite, B 4 C powder, Si powder and different nano-oxides (nano-ZrO 2 , nano-TiO 2 , and nano-Al 2 O 3) as raw materials, the effects of different nano-oxides on the corrosion resistance and microstructure evolution of Al 2 O 3 –ZrO 2 –C material were investigated. The results showed that the high reactivity nano-ZrO 2 , nano-TiO 2 , and nano-Al 2 O 3 particles reacted with CaO to generate high melting point phases of CaZrO 3 , CaTiO 3 , CaO·6Al 2 O 3 (CA 6) at high temperature, which forms a protective layer at the interface between corroded media and samples, inhibiting CaO penetration into the material. Additionally, nano-oxides can fill the pores and increase the density of material, thereby contributing to improving the penetration resistance and corrosion resistance of material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare‐earth element‐free materials that exhibit strong room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) and X‐ray scintillation properties are gaining global interest incessantly in the recent years. This work reports a series of easily synthesizable cubane Cu4I4‐triarsenic clusters [Cu4I4(R3As)3L] (L = none or nitrile), that exhibit a strong yellow‐green RTP with quantum efficiencies up to 100% and short decay times (4.4–4.9 µs). The title cluster complexes display X‐ray scintillation properties with a record ultralow detection limit (18.1 nGy s−1) and a perfectly linear dose rate response within a remarkably wide dose rate window (0–640 µGyair s−1). The cluster [Cu4I4(Ph3As)3] is highlighted as an efficient phosphor for UV‐pumped white and yellow LED devices, demonstrating an excellent white spectrum with a CIE index of (0.32,0.33) and bright yellow emission, respectively. These results may stimulate the future efforts in designing highly efficient arsenic‐based RTP materials and enriching the Cu4I4 cluster family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Liver transient elastography (TE) has been endorsed by the WHO as the first-line diagnostic tool for liver diseases. Although unreliable and invalid results caused by intercostal space (ICS)-associated factors (including excessive subcutaneous fat and a narrow ICS relative to the transducer size) and operator inexperience are not uncommon, no standard guidelines for ideal probe placement are currently available. Herein, we conducted a prospective observational study to identify an ideal measurement site and respiratory condition for TE by characterizing anatomical and biomechanical properties of the ICSs using ultrasound B-mode and elasticity imaging. Methods: Intercostal ultrasound was performed pointwise at four specific sites in 59 patients to simultaneously measure the width, stiffness, and skin‒liver capsule distance (SCD) of the ICSs over the liver, under end-inspiratory and end-expiratory conditions. Intersections between the 8th ICS and anterior axillary line, the 7th ICS and anterior axillary line, the 8th ICS and mid-axillary line, and the 7th ICS and mid-axillary line were defined as Sites 1 to 4, respectively. Results: Results indicated that Sites 2 and 3 presented greater intercostal width; Sites 3 and 4 displayed lower intercostal stiffness; Sites 2 and 3 exhibited a shorter SCD. The ICSs were significantly wider and stiffer at end-inspiration. Additionally, the liver was more easily visualized at Sites 1 and 3. Conclusion: We recommend Site 3 for TE probe placement owing to its greater width, lower stiffness, and smaller abdominal wall thickness. Performing TE at end-inspiration is preferred to minimize transducer-rib interferences. This study paves the way toward a standardized TE examination procedure. Critical relevance statement: A standardized measurement protocol for WHO-recommended liver TE was first established to improve the success and efficiency of the examination procedure. Key Points: WHO-recommended TE is unreliable or fails due to intercostal space-related factors. The 8th intercostal space on the mid-axillary line and end-inspiration are recommended. This standardized protocol aids in handling challenging cases and simplifies operational procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) with high energy/power density and low‐cost characteristics are deemed to be one of the best replacements to lithium‐ion batteries for utilizing in large‐scale electric energy storage (EES) devices. Fe‐Mn‐based cathode materials take the leading position in realizing high‐performance SIBs because of their high capacity, environment‐friendly, earth abundant, and low‐cost features, exhibiting huge commercial potential. However, the energy density and cyclic stability are still limited so far, considering the increasing demands for practical applications. In this review, aiming to better understanding the research level and currently existed sore points, the research progress is overviewed for several types of Fe‐Mn‐based cathode materials, including layered oxides, polyanionic compounds and Prussian blue analogues, and refine the electrochemical storage mechanism and structure–performance relationship. Finally, the representative electrochemical performances of these three kinds of cathode materials is summarized, compare the advantages and disadvantages of various materials, point out the existing key scientific problems of these materials, and propose the direction of development in near future. This review makes a thoroughly understanding for Fe‐Mn‐based cathode materials, providing new guidance for future research on SIBs toward real‐world applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excitotoxicity represents the primary cause of neuronal death following spinal cord injury (SCI). While autophagy plays a critical and intricate role in SCI, the specific mechanism underlying the relationship between excitotoxicity and autophagy in SCI has been largely overlooked. In this study, we isolated primary spinal cord neurons from neonatal rats and induced excitotoxic neuronal injury by high concentrations of glutamic acid, mimicking an excitotoxic injury model. Subsequently, we performed transcriptome sequencing. Leveraging machine learning algorithms, including weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA), random forest analysis (RF), and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis (LASSO), we conducted a comprehensive investigation into key genes associated with spinal cord neuron injury. We also utilized protein-protein interaction network (PPI) analysis to identify pivotal proteins regulating key gene expression and analyzed key genes from public datasets (GSE2599, GSE20907, GSE45006, and GSE174549). Our findings revealed that six genes—Anxa2, S100a10, Ccng1, Timp1, Hspb1, and Lgals3—were significantly upregulated not only in vitro in neurons subjected to excitotoxic injury but also in rats with subacute SCI. Furthermore, Hspb1 and Lgals3 were closely linked to neuronal autophagy induced by excitotoxicity. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of excitotoxicity and autophagy, offering potential targets and a theoretical foundation for SCI diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrafast lasers have significantly contributed to the advancement of research and technology; however, high‐intensity lasers bring potential risks to precision instruments and the human eye. Developing optical limiting (OL) devices capable of reasonably controlling laser energy to an acceptable energy level is imperative. Nevertheless, achieving both exceptional OL performance and broad‐spectrum laser intensity tunability proves highly challenging. In this work, the synthesis of a porphyrin‐based 2D polymer (Por‐2DP) using a template‐assisted self‐coupling polymerization, constructing a 2D framework through the carbon‐carbon single bond coupling of porphyrin monomer is presented. The resultant Por‐2DP demonstrates remarkable broadband nonlinear absorption performance, spanning the visible and near‐infrared spectral regions under an ultrafast pulse laser (35 fs) for the first time. OL thresholds at excitation wavelengths of 515, 800, and 1550 nm are determined to be 1.44, 0.48, and 0.54 mJ cm−2, respectively, surpassing reported 2D materials to date. Additionally, the Por‐2DP exhibits prominent photostability, enabling sustained operation under intense light conditions for a long time, thereby enhancing OL practical applicability. This study not only introduces a novel OL material and device but also promotes the application of innovative 2D organic polymers in NLO field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly radio-loud quasars (HRLQs; log  R > 2.5) at z ≳ 4 show apparent enhanced X-ray emission compared to matched HRLQs at lower redshifts, perhaps due to a redshift-dependent fractional contribution to the X-ray luminosity from inverse-Compton scattering of cosmic microwave background photons (IC/CMB). Using new Chandra observations and archival X-ray data, we investigate this phenomenon with an optically flux-limited sample of 41 HRLQs at z  = 4–5.5 all with sensitive X-ray coverage, the largest sample utilized to date by a wide margin. X-ray enhancements are assessed using X-ray-to-optical flux ratios and spectral energy distributions. We confirm the presence of X-ray enhancements at a 4.9–5.3σ significance level, finding that the median factor of enhancement is ≈1.8 at our sample median redshift of z ≈ 4.4. Under a fractional IC/CMB model, the expected enhancement at lower redshifts is modest; e.g. ≈4 per cent at z ≈ 1.5. We also investigate a sample of seven radio-loud quasars (RLQs; log  R > 1) at even higher redshifts of z  = 5.6–6.8, using new and archival X-ray data. These RLQs also show evidence for X-ray enhancements by a median factor of ≈2.7 at a 3.7–4.9σ significance level. The X-ray spectral and other properties of these z  = 5.6–6.8 RLQs, however, pose challenges for a straightforward fractional IC/CMB interpretation of their enhancements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Essential oils (EOs) are vital secondary metabolites in plants. They have garnered substantial attention owing to their distinct flavors and desirable attributes, including potent antioxidant, antibacterial, and antitumor properties. Nevertheless, the active constituents of EOs exhibit intricate chemical structures, and conventional separation techniques are inadequate for purifying the individual chemical components from EOs. High-speed countercurrent chromatography, based on the principles of a hydrodynamic equilibrium system, has emerged as a liquid–liquid chromatographic separation method renowned for its ability to handle substantial single injection volumes and the absence of irreversible adsorption. Consequently, in recent years, this technique has been widely employed in the isolation and refinement of natural products. In this review, a comprehensive analysis is conducted, contrasting the merits and demerits of high-speed countercurrent chromatography with conventional separation methods. The solvent systems, elution modes, commonly employed detectors, and practical applications are reviewed in the context of high-speed countercurrent chromatography for essential oil separation and purification. Furthermore, this review offers a glimpse into the potential prospects of applying this technique, with the intention of serving as a valuable reference for the use of high-speed countercurrent chromatography in the purification of EOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]