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Biweekly sea surface temperature (SST) variability significantly contributes to over 50% of the intraseasonal variability in the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) and Atlantic (EEA). Our study investigates this biweekly variability, employing a blend of in–situ and reanalysis data sets. The research identifies biweekly signals in SST, meridional wind, and ocean currents, notably in September–November in EEP and June–August in EEA. Biweekly southerly (northerly) winds drive instantaneous northward (southward) ocean currents in EEP, but with a 1–2‐day phase delay in EEA. Consequently, these currents lead to SST anomalies with a 3–4‐day lag in both EEP and EEA due to the presence of the cold tongue. The study reveals the origin of biweekly wind fluctuations in the western Pacific for EEP and the subpolar Pacific for EEA, connected by atmospheric Rossby waves validated through a linearized non‐divergent barotropic model. This research affirms the influence of subtropical and subpolar atmospheric forcing on equatorial SST. Plain Language Summary: Our research focuses on understanding the regular changes in sea surface temperature (SST) occurring every 2 weeks, which significantly contribute to the seasonal variations in the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) and Atlantic (EEA). By analyzing a mix of direct and reconstructed data, we uncover the distinct patterns of these biweekly changes in SST, winds, and ocean currents. Our investigation shows that the movements of the ocean currents are closely linked to the shifts in wind direction, affecting the temperature of the ocean waters. Notably, we observe a delay in the relationship between wind and SST in both EEP and EEA. Through our analysis, we establish that the origins of these biweekly wind patterns can be traced to specific regions in the Pacific. Moreover, we identify the role of atmospheric Rossby waves in connecting these wind patterns to their source regions, which helps us understand how changes in atmospheric conditions in different parts of the ocean can impact the equatorial SST. Key Points: Over 50% of intraseasonal SST variability in the eastern equatorial Pacific and Atlantic is attributed to biweekly fluctuationsThe atmospheric winds play a crucial role in driving the biweekly SST variabilityBiweekly winds in the eastern equatorial Pacific and Atlantic stem from the subtropical and subpolar regions, respectively [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored the relationships among perceived social support, psychological resilience, and work readiness of final-year nursing students. Participants included 376 Chinese final-year nursing students (female = 83.8%; mean age = 20.24 years, SD = 1.37 years). They completed the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale, the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Work Readiness Scale for graduate nurses. Hierarchical regression analysis results showed that social support was significantly associated with higher work readiness. Further, social support was associated with higher psychological resilience. Psychological resilience partially mediated the relationship between social support and work readiness to be higher. These study findings suggest a need for targeted student social support programs to increase their psychological resilience, which is important for increasing their work readiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Microscopic, mechanical, physiochemical and colour changes of sufu during fermentation (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 days) were analysed to predict sufu quality objectively and accurately. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the absorption peaks at 702, 1454, 1652, 2926 and 3281 cm−1 increased in intensity, and sufu was altered from a granular colloidal protein structure to a smooth and uniform shape. Analysis of mechanical, physiochemical and colour properties demonstrated the growth of mucor, the addition of salt and dressing mixture had a significant impact on the changes of indexes of sufu with extension of fermentation time. Besides, a random forest (RF) sufu quality prediction model with 90% accuracy was established by selecting forest quality evaluation indicators using RF and setting the model parameters mtry and ntree to 5 and 900, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean warming is a key factor impacting future changes in climate. Here we investigate vertical structure changes in globally averaged ocean heat content (OHC) in high‐ (HR) and low‐resolution (LR) future climate simulations with the Community Earth System Model (CESM). Compared with observation‐based estimates, the simulated OHC anomalies in the upper 700 and 2,000 m during 1960–2020 are more realistic in CESM‐HR than ‐LR. Under RCP8.5 scenario, the net surface heat into the ocean is very similar in CESM‐HR and ‐LR. However, CESM‐HR has a larger increase in OHC in the upper 250 m compared to CESM‐LR, but a smaller increase below 250 m. This difference can be traced to differences in eddy‐induced vertical heat transport between CESM‐HR and ‐LR in the historical period. Moreover, our results suggest that with the same heat input, upper‐ocean warming is likely to be underestimated by most non‐eddy‐resolving climate models. Plain Language Summary: With the rise in anthropogenic emissions, the ocean has absorbed over 90% of greenhouse gas‐related heat, resulting in well‐known ocean warming. This warming is the main cause of severe deoxygenation, coral bleaching, and sea‐level rise, among others. Furthermore, the upper ocean experiences more warming than the deep ocean, which leads to strengthened ocean stratification. On a global scale, the heat into the ocean is vertically redistributed by a downward mean‐flow‐induced heat transport, upward eddy‐induced heat transport, and vertical turbulent mixing. In this study, we compare vertical structures of ocean heat uptake in response to anthropogenic forcing between high (∼10 km) and low horizontal resolution (∼100 km) future climate simulations. We find that, with similar heat input at the ocean surface, the high‐resolution simulations exhibit more warming in the upper 250 m of the ocean than their low‐resolution counterparts. This difference is caused by the different representations of vertical heat transport by mesoscale ocean eddies in high‐ and low‐resolution models. Key Points: Simulated upper‐ocean ocean heat content anomalies are more realistic in high‐resolution simulations than in low‐resolution counterpartsWith similar ocean surface heating, high‐resolution simulations project stronger upper‐ocean warming than low‐resolution simulationsFuture changes in vertical heat transport depend on the representation of the mean ocean states at present day [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been widely recognized that tropical cyclone (TC) genesis requires favorable large‐scale environmental conditions. Based on these linkages, numerous efforts have been made to establish an empirical relationship between seasonal TC activities and large‐scale environmental favorability in a quantitative way, which lead to conceptual functions such as the TC genesis index. However, due to the limited amount of reliable TC observations and complexity of the climate system, a simple analytic function may not be an accurate portrait of the empirical relationship between TCs and their ambiences. In this research, we use convolution neural networks (CNNs) to disentangle this complex relationship. To circumvent the limited amount of seasonal TC observation records, we implement transfer‐learning technique to train ensemble of CNNs first on suites of high‐resolution climate model simulations with realistic seasonal TC activities and large‐scale environmental conditions, and then on a state‐of‐the‐art reanalysis from 1950 to 2019. The trained CNNs can well reproduce the historical TC records and yields significant seasonal prediction skills when the large‐scale environmental inputs are provided by operational climate forecasts. Furthermore, by inputting the ensemble CNNs with 20th century reanalysis products and Phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) simulations, we investigated TC variability and its changes in the past and future climates. Specifically, our ensemble CNNs project a decreasing trend of global mean TC activity in the future warming scenario, which is consistent with our future projections using high‐resolution climate model. Plain Language Summary: Tropical cyclones (TCs) require favorable large‐scale environmental conditions to form. Pioneer studies show that these conducive conditions include warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs), sufficient low‐level vorticities and mid‐level humilities, as well as weak‐to‐moderate vertical wind shears. Several follow‐up studies have focused on improving the empirical linkage between number of TC and environmental conditions and developed sets of TC genesis index based on conventional statistical methods. Although these indices can capture climatology of TC genesis spatial distributions and seasonal variation reasonably well, their representations of interannual TC variability are degraded. With the aim to better represent TC interannual variability and long‐term trend using large‐scale environmental conditions, we trained ensembles of convolution neural networks (CNNs) based on the combination of observations and large sets of high‐resolution dynamical climate simulations. The trained CNNs perform significantly well in capturing observed TC interannual‐to‐multidecadal variability and are broadly applicable to many areas of seasonal TC activities. Using a deep learning technique, this paper introduces a new potential avenue to improve our understanding of TC variability and future changes. Key Points: Ensemble convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are trained to emulate seasonal tropical cyclone (TC) activity using environmental factorsThe trained CNNs can be utilized to study seasonal TC variability, and their changes in the past, current and future climatesSkillful seasonal TC predictions can be made using CNN‐based statistical‐dynamical hybrid framework [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

aimed to analyze the data of high-violence patients and duration of high-violence risk to provide a new perspective on violence prevention, de-escalation and management. Methods: This retrospective observational cohort study included 171 patients who were treated in the acute psychiatric ward of Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between January 2016 and June 2020, and who were assessed daily as having high violence risk. All patient data were collected from electronic hospital records (eg, age, gender, diagnosis, violence history, self-harm history, and admission condition (involuntary admission, discharged against medical advice). Between-group differences in disease severity, use of antipsychotics and benzodiazepine, and duration of high violence risk were analyzed using regression analysis. Results: Only patients' age was significantly associated with duration of high-violence risk (P = 0.028), making it predictive of longer duration of high-violence risk. In patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder or bipolar disorder, higher severity was significantly associated with longer duration of high-violence risk (P = 0.007, P = 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Only age is a predictor of longer duration of violence risk in psychiatric patients, although higher severity is associated with higher violence risk. Study results may help management and healthcare staff better understand how quickly or slowly violence risk will decrease and may improve efficient use of healthcare resources and individualized patient-centered care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: The state-of-the-art progress of flexible thermally conductive films with ultrahigh in-plane isotropic thermal conductivity (k) and potential application are summarized. The heat transfer mechanism, processing methods to enhance k, optimization strategies to reduce interface thermal resistance of flexible thermally conductive films are reviewed. The limitations and opportunities for the future development of flexible thermally conductive films are proposed.Effective thermal management is quite urgent for electronics owing to their ever-growing integration degree, operation frequency and power density, and the main strategy of thermal management is to remove excess energy from electronics to outside by thermal conductive materials. Compared to the conventional thermal management materials, flexible thermally conductive films with high in-plane thermal conductivity, as emerging candidates, have aroused greater interest in the last decade, which show great potential in thermal management applications of next-generation devices. However, a comprehensive review of flexible thermally conductive films is rarely reported. Thus, we review recent advances of both intrinsic polymer films and polymer-based composite films with ultrahigh in-plane thermal conductivity, with deep understandings of heat transfer mechanism, processing methods to enhance thermal conductivity, optimization strategies to reduce interface thermal resistance and their potential applications. Lastly, challenges and opportunities for the future development of flexible thermally conductive films are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The slow conversion of Fe(Ⅱ)/Fe(III) cycle was largely limited the degradation efficiency of many photo-Fenton systems. Herein, four Fe-MOFs nanorods (namely Fe-TCPP-1, Fe-TCPP-2, Fe-TCPP-3, Fe-TCPP-4) with decreasing length-diameter ratios were synthesized in a household microwave oven, using photosensitizer porphyrin and iron ions with Fenton activity as building blocks. Among them, the Fe-TCPP-3 exhibited high photogenerated electron-hole (e −- h +) separation efficiency and largest pore structure, endowing Fe-TCPP-3 with superior photo-Fenton property. In addition, Fe-TCPP-3 based photo-Fenton system was applied to efficiently degrade antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP) under neutral condition, due to the continuously generated reactive species (h +, e −, OH·, O 2 ·–, 1O 2) in Fe-TCPP-3 under visible-light irradiation. With irradiation for 30 min, the degradation efficiency of the system could reach about 73 %, which was about 26-fold towards the system without light irradiation. This study paved a way to modulating the photo-Fenton activity of MOF-based catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric rivers (ARs), referring to long and narrow filamentary bands of intense water vapor transport in the atmosphere, can cause extreme precipitation, floods, and drought events. Their variability has been linked to various climate modes, such as El Niño/Southern Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and Pacific‐North America pattern. Understanding and improving simulation of this linkage can provide the potential to predict ARs at subseasonal‐to‐decadal timescales. Up to now, the extent to which climate model simulations of ARs are dependent on model resolutions has not been fully assessed. Here, we compare and evaluate ARs in a pair of high‐resolution (HR) and a low‐resolution (LR) Community Earth System Model (CESM) simulations against the observations. The results show that within this CESM framework, climatological AR strength and associated precipitation are severely underestimated by LR compared to the observations, and their relationships with major modes of climate variability are also poorly reproduced. These deficiencies in LR are alleviated to a significant extent in HR. Using a linear regression analysis, we show that HR is able to capture with high fidelity the observed relationships between ARs and major climate modes in the Northern Hemisphere at seasonal‐to‐decadal time scales. These results suggest that the use of HR CESM may potentially lead to an improved forecast skill of ARs at season‐to‐decadal time scales. Plain Language Summary: Atmospheric rivers (ARs) can trigger extreme rainfall and snowfall events, causing high risk of flooding. Meanwhile, they are sometimes responsible for the occurrence and break of drought events. So, it is of great importance for weather and climate forecast models to accurately represent ARs. Studies have shown that AR variability is linked to various climate modes, such as El Niño/Southern Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Pacific‐North America pattern, providing the potential for predicting ARs at subseasonal‐to‐decadal timescales. In this study, we examine the impact of climate model resolution on AR simulations and their relationship with major climate modes by comparing a pair of high‐resolution and a low‐resolution (LR) Community Earth System Model (CESM) simulations against the observations. The results reveal major deficiencies in LR that include underestimated climatological AR strength and associated precipitation, and inaccurate representations of ARs relationships with climate modes. Significant improvements are observed by increasing CESM horizontal resolution, suggesting a path for more accurate prediction of ARs. Key Points: Simulated atmospheric rivers (ARs) are dependent on horizontal resolutions of coupled Community Earth System Model (CESM)High‐resolution (HR) CESM simulates more realistic ARs' strength and associated rainfall than low‐resolution (LR)ARs' response to large‐scale climate modes is better simulated in HR CESM than in LR CESM [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi-state flow network (MSFN) serves as a fundamental framework for real-life network-structured systems and various applications. The system reliability of the MSFN, denoted as Rd, is defined as the probability of successfully transmitting at least d units of demand from a source to a terminal. Current analytical algorithms are characterized by their computational complexity, specifically falling into the NP-hard problem to evaluate exact system reliability. Moreover, existing analytical algorithms for calculating Rd are basically designed for predetermined values of d. This limitation hinders the ability of decision-makers to flexibly choose the most appropriate based on the specific characteristics of the given scenarios or applications. This means that these methods are incapable of simultaneously calculating system reliability for various demand levels. Therefore, this paper develops a simulation-based algorithm to estimate system reliability for all possible demand levels simultaneously such that we can eliminate the need to rely on repeat procedures for each specified d. An experimental investigation was carried out on a benchmark network and a practical network to validate the effectiveness and performance of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rush order insertion to satisfy immediate customer demand with early delivery. • Stochastic hybrid flow shop network to construct a manufacturing system. • System reliability to evaluate the probability of meeting demand within time. • A practical case of suction cover manufacturing system is studied. Rush order (RO) insertion is a common problem in industrial plants and represents immediate customer demand characterized by early delivery requirements. Consequently, capacity prioritizes handling RO over processing general orders (GO). In a manufacturing system, the number of machines in a workstation can be influenced by factors, such as failure and maintenance, resulting in the stochastic capacity of each workstation. Considering the stochastic nature of the capacity state in a manufacturing system, this study models it as a stochastic hybrid flow shop (SHFS) network. Algorithms are proposed to generate the lowest capacity vectors (LCVs) that satisfy both the GO and RO. In particular, the proposed algorithms can be applied to an arbitrary capacity probability distribution of a workstation. To assess the system performance of the SHFS network, we employed network reliability as a performance metric to evaluate the possibility of meeting the demand within the specified time constraints in terms of LCVs. We consider GO and RO, each with different time constraints for completion. Numerical examples show that the network reliability indicates the capability of an SHFS to handle both GO and RO. Therefore, decision-makers can ensure that the capacity of the SHFS is sufficient to meet customer demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report lists sea‐level rise as one of the major future climate challenges. Based on pre‐industrial and historical‐and‐future climate simulations with the Community Earth System Model, we analyze the projected sea‐level rise in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean with two sets of simulations at different horizontal resolutions. Compared with observations, the low resolution (LR) model simulated Gulf Stream does not separate from the shore but flows northward along the entire coast, causing large biases in regional dynamic sea level (DSL). The high resolution (HR) model improves the Gulf Stream representation and reduces biases in regional DSL. Under the RCP8.5 future climate scenario, LR projects a DSL trend of 1.5–2 mm/yr along the northeast continental shelf (north of 40° N), which is 2–3 times the trend projected by HR. Along the southeast shelf (south of 35° N), HR projects a DSL trend of 0.5–1 mm/yr while the DSL trend in LR is statistically insignificant. The different spatial patterns of DSL changes are attributable to the different Gulf Stream reductions in response to a weakening Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Due to its poor representation of the Gulf Stream, LR projects larger (smaller) current decreases along the north (south) east continental slope compared to HR. This leads to larger (smaller) trends of DSL rise along the north (south) east shelf in LR than in HR. The results of this study suggest that the better resolved ocean circulations in HR can have significant impacts on regional DSL simulations and projections. Plain Language Summary: Projecting future sea‐level rise has great socioeconomic value. Based on long‐term global high‐resolution Community Earth System Model simulations, we analyze future sea‐level rise in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Two identical sets of simulations were conducted with different horizontal resolutions. Comparisons between the two sets of simulations show different sea‐level rise projections along the US east continental shelf between the low‐resolution (LR) and high‐resolution (HR) models. At the northeast shelf, HR projects a sea‐level rise of 0.8 mm/yr, less than half of the trend (1.7 mm/yr) projected by LR. At the southeast shelf, HR projects a sea‐level rise of 0.6 mm/yr, while the trend in LR is statistically insignificant at only 0.15 mm/yr. We attribute the different sea‐level rise projections to the different ocean circulations simulated in LR and HR. Under global warming, LR projects a decrease in Gulf Stream flow along the entire east continental slope, while the decrease in Gulf Stream strength is confined to the southeast continental slope in HR. This study provides an explanation for the discrepancy in regional sea‐level rise projections between low‐ and high‐resolution climate models and thus improves our understanding of projected future sea‐level rise. Key Points: The high resolution (HR) Community Earth System Model reduces biases in dynamic sea level (DSL) and circulation on US east continental shelfCompared to the low resolution model, the HR projects enhanced (reduced) trends of DSL rise along the US south (north) east continental shelfDifferent DSL rise patterns are related to different Gulf Stream reductions under a weakening Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A catalyst-free co-reaction luminol-H2O2–K2S2O8 chemiluminescence (CL) system was developed, with long-life and high-intensity emission, and CL emission lasting for 6 h. A possible mechanism of persistent and intense emission in this CL system was discussed in the context of CL spectra, cyclic voltammetry, electron spin resonance (ESR), and the effects of radical scavengers on luminol-H2O2–K2S2O8 system. H2O2 and K2S2O8 co-reactants can promote each other to continuously generate corresponding radicals (OH•, 1O2, O2•−, SO4•−) that trigger the CL emission of luminol. H2O2 can also be constantly produced by the reaction of K2S2O8 and H2O to further extend the persistence of this CL system. CL emission can be quenched via ascorbic acid (AA), which can be generated through hydrolysis reaction of L-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate trisodium salt (AAP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Next, a CL-based method was established for the detection of ALP with good linearity from 0.08 to 5 U·L−1 and a limit of detection of 0.049 U·L−1. The proposed method was used to detect ALP in human serum samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A network with multi-state (stochastic) elements (arcs or nodes) is commonly called a stochastic flow network. It is important to measure the system reliability of a stochastic flow network from the perspective of operations management. In the real world, the system reliability of a stochastic flow network can vary over time. Hence, a critical issue emerges—characterizing the time attribute in a stochastic flow network. To solve this issue, this study bridges (classical) reliability theory and the reliability of a stochastic flow network. This study utilizes Weibull distribution as a possible reliability function to quantify the time attribute in a stochastic flow network. For more general cases, the proposed model and algorithm can apply any reliability function and is not limited to Weibull distribution. First, the reliability of every single component is modeled by Weibull distribution to consider the time attribute, where such components comprise a multi-state element. Once the time constraint is given, the capacity probability distribution of elements can be derived. Second, an algorithm to generate minimal component vectors for given demand is provided. Finally, the system reliability can be calculated in terms of the derived capacity probability distribution and the generated minimal component vectors. In addition, a big data architecture is proposed for the model to collect and estimate the parameters of the reliability function. For future research in which very large volumes of data may be collected, the proposed model and architecture can be applied to time-dependent monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic water splitting to produce hydrogen is one of the promising methods to deal with energy shortage and environmental crisis. In this paper, n-type H 2 O 2 /C 60 –TiO 2 photo-catalysts with excellent hydrogen production performance were prepared by simple hydrothermal method. The prepared catalysts were characterized by polycrystalline XRD, TEM, UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, etc. The results showed that H 2 O 2 can promote the formation of microspherical catalyst; meanwhile, fullerene can broaden the light response range, increase the separation ability of photogenerated carriers and catalyze the formation of molecular H 2 due to the formed superoxide radical. The water splitting experiments showed that the hydrogen evolution rate of H 2 O 2 /C 60 –TiO 2 is up to 41.6 mmol⋅g−1h−1, 9.7 times of pure TiO 2. These results have important reference significance for the development of new photocatalysts for water splitting to produce hydrogen. • N-type microspheric H 2 O 2 /C 60 –TiO 2 photocatalysts were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. • H 2 O 2 /C 60 –TiO 2 has high stability and excellent hydrogen evolution activity. • The hydrogen evolution mechanism of H 2 O 2 /C 60 –TiO 2 was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems on aquaculture ponds can reduce demand for land use and affects food and solar energy production. This study investigated the water quality of aquaculture ponds with and without simulated FPV systems (40% surface area shading) at three sites: Chupei, Lukang and Cigu. Results indicated the FPV‐covered ponds exhibited lower mean values in biochemical oxygen demand and plankton biomass but higher oxidation–reduction potential relative to the control ponds. The FPV‐covered ponds exhibited lower pH, water temperature and level of dissolved oxygen relative to the control ponds in Chupei and Lukang. The results suggested that the FPV shading effect potentially reduced phytoplankton growth. All FPV‐covered ponds exhibited 1.1, 1.2 and 1.4 times greater yields in giant freshwater prawn, tilapia and milkfish without any effect on the growth of cultured species. These results demonstrate the potential benefits and defects of combining aquaculture with FPV systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extending climate prediction from seasonal to decadal timescales requires realistic initialization of not only upper ocean heat content but also the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). However, it remains a major challenge to realistically initialize AMOC in a coupled system while also maintaining a balanced atmosphere‐ocean initial state. This study demonstrates the feasibility of generating fully coupled historical states with realistic AMOC variability. Employing a forced ocean—sea‐ice (FOSI) model simulation as the "truth," we show reproducibility of key features of historical AMOC decadal variability in a fully coupled model by restoring sea‐surface salinity, in addition to sea‐surface temperature restoring widely used in seasonal prediction. The atmospheric state of the restored coupled model solution is much closer to that of the free coupled simulation than to the observations used in FOSI, pointing to potential advantages of using this approach for initializing decadal predictions with reduced ocean initialization shock. Plain Language Summary: Realistic simulations of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) at decadal time scales in coupled climate models are vital to decadal climate predictions. Because of the sparseness of deep ocean observations, forced ocean—sea‐ice (FOSI) model simulations have been used to initialize decadal climate predictions in a fully coupled model. However, such an approach suffers from imbalance between atmosphere and ocean states because of systematic differences in the atmospheric state used for FOSI and that of the coupled climate model, causing ocean initial shocks that may lower prediction skill. Here, using a FOSI simulation as synthetic observations, we demonstrate that key features of historical AMOC decadal variability can be realistically replicated in a fully coupled simulation by nudging both sea‐surface temperature (SST) and salinity toward those of FOSI. Because the atmospheric state in the restored simulation is generated by the same coupled model, it is much closer to that in the free coupled simulation than in FOSI. This approach may be considered as an extension of the SST‐restoring practice widely used for seasonal climate prediction, opening an alternative way to initialize decadal climate prediction to reduce the imbalance and initialization shocks, thereby improving prediction skill. Key Points: Realistic Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) decadal variations can be simulated in a coupled climate model by sea‐surface temperature (SST) and sea‐surface salinity (SSS) restoringSea‐surface salinity restoring plays a critical role in simulating realistic AMOC decadal variationsSimultaneously restoring SST and SSS in coupled model simulations may reduce initialization shock in initialized decadal climate predictions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precursor messenger RNA (Pre-mRNA) splicing is a crucial step in gene expression whereby the spliceosome produces constitutively and alternatively spliced transcripts. These transcripts not only diversify the transcriptome, but also play essential roles in plant development and responses to environmental changes. Much evidence indicates that regulation at the pre-mRNA splicing step is important for flowering time control; however, the components and detailed mechanism underlying this process remain largely unknown. Here, we identified the splicing factor RNA BINDING PROTEIN 45d (RBP45d), a member of the RBP45/47 family in Arabidopsis thaliana. Using sequence comparison and biochemical analysis, we determined that RBP45d is a component of the U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (U1 snRNP) with functions distinct from other family members. RBP45d associates with the U1 snRNP by interacting with pre-mRNA-processing factor 39a (PRP39a) and directly regulates alternative splicing (AS) for a specific set of genes. Plants with loss of RBP45d and PRP39a function exhibited defects in temperature-induced flowering, potentially due to the misregulation of temperature-sensitive AS of FLOWERING LOCUS M as well as the accumulation of the flowering repressor FLOWERING LOCUS C. Taken together, RBP45d is a U1 snRNP component in plants that functions with PRP39a in temperature-mediated flowering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Reliability estimation through simulation for multistate flow networks. • MP-based simulation without prior knowledge of boundary for demand. • Investigating reliability degradation through the analysis of time series. • Large-scale case study of Taiwan Academic Network. A multistate flow network is useful for the effective and efficient model construction and reliability evaluation of large and complex systems. To evaluate the reliability of a multistate flow network, boundary points for specified demands are generated in the existing path- and cut-based methodologies. Using the boundary points, the system reliability can be calculated using analytical or simulation methodologies. However, evaluating reliability using boundary points is an NP-hard problem. To improve the time efficiency of reliability estimation, a path-based simulation approach without boundary points is proposed in this study, where the minimal path without any cycles is used. The contributions of this study are threefold: First, the proposed path-based simulation complements the cut-based simulation to improve the applicability of reliability estimation for various network topologies. Second, the proposed simulation algorithm presents linear time complexity, whereas conventional boundary-based analytical methodologies or simulations consume exponential/factorial time. Third, the time attribute is included in the proposed simulation approach to analyze the behavior of reliability degradation over time. The experimental results, including those of a case study, indicate that the proposed path-based simulation is more effective and efficient than existing boundary-based approaches, particularly for large and complex systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vital sign monitoring in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is crucial for enabling prompt interventions for patients. This underscores the need for an accurate predictive system. Therefore, this study proposes a novel deep learning approach for forecasting Heart Rate (HR), Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), and Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) in the ICU. We extracted 24 , 886 ICU stays from the MIMIC-III database which contains data from over 46 thousand patients, to train and test the model. The model proposed in this study, Transformer-based Diffusion Probabilistic Model for Sparse Time Series Forecasting (TDSTF), merges Transformer and diffusion models to forecast vital signs. The TDSTF model showed state-of-the-art performance in predicting vital signs in the ICU, outperforming other models' ability to predict distributions of vital signs and being more computationally efficient. The code is available at https://github.com/PingChang818/TDSTF. The results of the study showed that TDSTF achieved a Standardized Average Continuous Ranked Probability Score (SACRPS) of 0.4438 and a Mean Squared Error (MSE) of 0.4168, an improvement of 18.9% and 34.3% over the best baseline model, respectively. The inference speed of TDSTF is more than 17 times faster than the best baseline model. TDSTF is an effective and efficient solution for forecasting vital signs in the ICU, and it shows a significant improvement compared to other models in the field. • The TDSTF model forecasts vital signs based on all events in the MIMIC-III dataset. • The proposed model captures temporal patterns in both slow and sudden changes. • The MSE of the model improves by 34.3% over the best baseline model. • The SACRPS of the model improves by 18.9% over the best baseline model. • The inference speed of the model is more than 17 times faster than the best baseline model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multistate flow network (MSFN) is an applicable model for constructing and evaluating practical systems, including an information system in resilient supply chain network. When assessing the performance of an MSFN, system reliability is a critical indicator in determining the probability that a given demand will be transmitted by the MSFN. This study develops a minimal cut (MC)-based simulation approach for estimating the system reliability of an MSFN. This simulation approach does not require the upper boundary points for the demand, which are essential in many existing simulation approaches. Additionally, the concept of a cut size limit is integrated into the simulation to reduce the number of MCs, with the computational time exhibiting a linear dependence on the number of MCs. The novel MC-reduction simulation approach proposed in this study estimates system reliability more efficiently than traditional approaches. The effectiveness of the MC-reduction simulation approach is validated on a series of examples, including a time-series analysis of a real-life computer system. Therefore, the proposed approach is advantaged to evaluate the performance of information system in a large supply chain network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, increasing evidence shows that circular RNA (circRNA) disorder is closely related to tumorigenesis and cancer progression. However, the regulatory functions of most circRNAs in bladder cancer (BCa) remain unclear. This study was aimed at exploring the molecular regulatory mechanism of circRNAs in BCa. We obtained four datasets of circRNA, microRNA (miRNA), and messenger (mRNA) expression profiles from the Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas microarray databases and identified 434, 367, and 4799/4841 differentially expressed circRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs, respectively. With these differentially expressed RNAs, we established a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA targeted interaction network. A total of 18, 24, and 51 central circRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs were identified, respectively. Among them, the top 10 mRNAs that had high connectivity with other circRNAs and miRNAs were regarded as hub genes. We detected the expression levels of these 10 mRNAs in 16 pairs of BCa tissues and adjacent normal tissues through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The differentially expressed mRNAs and central mRNAs were enriched in the processes and pathways that are associated with the growth, differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis of tumor cells. The outstanding genes (CDCA4, GATA6, LATS2, RHOB, ZBTB4, and ZFPM2) also interacted with numerous drugs, indicating their potency as biomarkers and drug targets. The findings of this study provide a deep understanding of the circRNA-related competitive endogenous RNA regulatory mechanism in BCa pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) requires treatment before disposal due to its high organic matter content. In this study, the electrical performance and wastewater treatment efficiency were evaluated for Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC) treating unsterile POME with chemical oxygen demand (COD) from 200 to 10 000 mg/L. Since the inoculum type is a key factor in MFC performance, three types of sludge (methanogenic sludge (MS), facultative sludge (FS), and dry sludge (DS), obtained from the current POME treatment ponds were evaluated as inoculum. Dry sludge (DS) developed a maximum power output of 3.30 W/m3 by oxidizing 71% out of the COD provided by POME (1000 mg/L). Also, raw POME microbiota contributed to an enrichment of the community in DS inoculum along with the operation, in which Geobacter was the predominant genus reaching a current generation of 247 mA/m2 and a power density of 2.36 W/m3. Conversely, pure electrogenic (Shewanella sp.) inoculation led to a diversification process, resulting in a lower current generation of 52 mA/m2 and a power density of 0.10 W/m3. Consequently, microbial community dynamics revealed that MFC inoculation tends to a microbial equilibrium wherein generation of high current density was achieved by gradual microbial enrichment rather than external electrogenic invasion. [Display omitted] • The effect of three types of sludge from POME was evaluated as inoculum in MFC. • Dry sludge MFC generated 250 mA/m2 and 3.30 W/m3 while consuming 71% of the COD. • Geobacter from dry sludge predominated after three cycles of MFC treatment of POME. • Biofilm was enriched by inoculation with DS and diversified with Shewanella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reliability evaluation method is proposed for production systems by applying the capacitated-flow production network (CFPN) model. In particular, this article considers in-line stockers to monitor and to avoid blockage and starvation in the CFPN. First, the minimal capacity that all cells (group of machines) should provide to meet demand is generated. Second, status of stocker is monitored via the proposed “stocker volume check table” to calculate the volume usage of a stocker, and the stocker nonutilization is then obtained. Finally, the system reliability is derived in terms of the minimal capacity vector and stocker nonutilization. An important contribution of this article is to avoid complicated dependency calculation when multiple stockers are considered. A practical case of printed circuit board production is further studied to illustrate the applicability of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal dust is one of the most serious hazards on mine sites. Water spray with surfactant added is an effective way to control the coal dust. In this study, wind tunnel experiments were designed to evaluate the surfactant on coal dust suppression efficiency. A CFD modeling was first constructed in to investigate the coal dust particles movement characteristics, and the stimulation results were provided for the wind tunnel design. The CFD results indicated that the location of the nozzle placement and the time for the water spraying start time. The coal dust suppression efficiency was then evaluated in the presence of different surfactants. The experiment results suggest that the anionic and non-ionic surfactants are helpful to improve the suppression efficiency while the cationic surfactant failed to increase it. For the SDBS at various concentrations, the highest suppression efficiency is achieved when at 0.20%. Compared with the larger coal dust particles, the finer ones are more difficult to capture for both water and SDBS surfactant solution. The results also demonstrate the potential application of this surfactant on coal mine industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on eddy‐rich (0.1° horizontal resolution for ocean) Community Earth System Model simulations, we compute the Ekman pumping induced vertical eddy heat flux using two formulations: the classical and the Stern‐Ekman pumping. The two mechanisms yield similar patterns in the eddy‐induced vertical heat flux, showing strong upward heat flux in ocean frontal regions such as the western boundary current regions. Using the Gulf Stream Extension region as an example, we estimate (1) the Stern‐Ekman pumping induced eddy heat flux is 23% and 12% of the total vertical eddy heat flux at 50 m depth during summer and winter, respectively; (2) the classical Ekman pumping accounts for 82% and 88% of the Stern‐Ekman pumping induced eddy heat flux at 50 m during summer and winter, respectively. The second finding indicates eddy current feedback on wind stress is the primary cause for the upward eddy heat flux generated by Ekman pumping. Plain Language Summary: The classical Ekman pumping is well‐known for its role in driving global ocean circulations. Stern‐Ekman pumping modifies the classical Ekman pumping by taking into consideration of ocean eddy vorticity. In this study, we investigate the Ekman pumping induced eddy vertical heat flux using the two formulations above. Based on an eddy‐rich climate model simulation, we find the eddy heat flux induced by the Stern‐Ekman pumping can account for ∼10%–20% the total vertical eddy heat flux at 50 m in eddy‐rich ocean frontal regions, such as the Antarctic circumpolar region and the subtropical western boundary current regions. Comparison of the two Ekman pumping formulations shows the classical Ekman pumping can account for the majority of the Stern‐Ekman pumping induced eddy heat flux, although the classical Ekman pumping generates much weaker vertical motions than the Stern‐Ekman pumping. The results of this work suggest that parameterizing vertical eddy heat flux within the upper ocean mixed layer should take into consideration of the wind‐forced eddy heat flux component. Key Points: In eddy‐rich ocean frontal regions, Ekman pumping can account for 10%–20% of vertical eddy heat flux at 50 m depthEddy current feedback on wind stress is the key mechanism for Ekman pumping induced vertical eddy heat fluxThe results of this work suggest the wind‐forced vertical eddy heat transport should be considered in the submesoscale parameterization [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The system reliability of a multistate flow network (MSFN) holds significant importance as a critical indicator for assessing the probability of successfully transmitting a given demand. It is recognized that evaluating the system reliability of an MSFN presents a challenge due to its NP-hard property. Hence, the paper introduces a novel simulation approach based on minimal cuts (MCs) to estimate the system reliability of an MSFN. The MC-based simulation approach not only enhances computational efficiency during the simulation but also introduces two heuristic rules to remove the MCs that are likely to satisfy the demand. The first rule revolves around the concept of cut size, aiming to reduce the number of the MCs. Subsequently, a saturation threshold is implemented to preserve saturated MCs. By incorporating these two rules, the need to consider all MCs is circumvented, leading to notable gains in computational efficiency during the simulation. Furthermore, the proposed simulation approach effectively deals with non-integer demands directly for the system reliability estimation. Illustrative examples demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed MC-reduction simulation approach. Overall, the reduction in the number of MCs directly translates into a reduction in the time required, underlining the practical benefits of this innovative approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An experimental study of the evaluation criteria of the zeta potential test. • A comparison study between the zeta potential test and the wind tunnel test. • The impacts of ionicity and concentration of surfactants are investigated. • Only the anionic surfactant shows consistencies between these two tests. • The wind tunnel test is suggested for evaluating surfactants due to reliability. Coal dust is a significant health hazard for coal workers, as prolonged inhalation can lead to severe diseases such as Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis. Water spray with surfactants is commonly used as a pre-control strategy to control coal dust in underground mines. The zeta potential test is a widely used static test to evaluate surfactants with different ionicities. However, there are still some arguments about the evaluation criteria of zeta potential on surfactant performance between different researchers. Moreover, whether zeta potential can be used as an index to evaluate the surfactant suppression performance is inconclusive. To address these problems, this study conducted the zeta potential test and the wind tunnel test (a dynamic test) using various surfactants with different ionicities. It was found that the zeta potential test and the wind tunnel test gave consistent results for the anionic surfactant. However, this trend was not achieved for the non-ionic and cationic surfactants. Therefore, the zeta potential is only suggested to be used as an index to evaluate the surfactant's dust suppression efficiency, while dynamic tests are still recommended for these two types of surfactants to evaluate dust suppression efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A factorial experiment was designed to evaluate coal dust suppression efficiency. • The wind tunnel test was conducted to evaluate the impacts of respirable coal dust. • The respirable dust size of less than 10 µm was classified into four categories. • Two surfactants were evaluated with different concentrations and ionicities. Long-term exposure to coal dust can lead to severe health problems in coal workers, including Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis, making effective control of coal dust in underground mines essential. Water spraying is a widely used method for controlling coal dust, and adding surfactants can remarkably enhance its effectiveness. While previous studies have examined the influences of different coal particle sizes on surfactant performance, they have primarily focused on inhalable dust with sizes less than 100 µm. The impact of finer particle sizes, such as respirable dust with sizes less than 10 µm, remains inconclusive. This study aims to investigate the effects of respirable dust ranging from 0.1 µm to 10 µm in diameter, on the performance of surfactants. It was found that the surfactants' performance was weakened significantly with a decrease in the coal dust size. The suppression efficiency for coal dust size between 0.1 µm and 1.0 µm was only half that of size between 4 µm and 10 µm. The primary factors contributing to this result would be the roughness, the specific surface area, the air absorbability, and the number of particles. Furthermore, TX100 surfactant performed slightly better than SDBS in suppressing coal dust. While SDBS performed greater at a concentration of 0.15–0.20%, TX100 had higher suppression efficiency at lower concentrations. This study suggests that future research should focus on improving the suppressing performance of coal dust with finer sizes less than 0.1 µm or 2.5 µm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of constant C for ray tracing-assisted intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation in patients with different refractive power, we compared the refractive outcome of the ray tracing method based on constant C and conventional IOL calculation. Methods: 215 eyes which underwent phacoemulsification and IOL implantation were enrolled in the study. According to the average corneal power, patients were divided into 3 groups: high corneal power (K >45 D) group, medium corneal power (43 ≤ K ≤ 45 D) group, and low corneal power (K <43 D) group. The predicted sphero-equivalent refractive outcome for the IOL power implanted at surgery was calculated using the ray tracing method, SRK/T, and Haigis formulas. Results: On the basis of the corneal refractive power, there were 65 eyes of K >45 D (30.23%), 96 eyes of 43 ≤ K ≤ 45 D (44.65%), and 54 eyes of K <43 D (25.12%). In general, the ray tracing group had the smallest value of mean absolute error (MAE) and mean error, and the proportions of eyes with absolute error (AE) <0.50 and <0.75 D were significantly higher than those of the other 2 formulas (p = 0.010). In each group, the value of MAE was smallest in the ray tracing group; for the proportions of AEs <0.50 and <0.75 D, the values in the ray tracing group were higher than those in the SRK/T and Haigis groups. Especially in the high and low corneal refractive groups, the proportion of AE <0.25 D was also obviously higher, but only in the low corneal refractive power group, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.006). Conclusions: Compared with the conventional formulas, C constant of the ray tracing-assisted IOL power calculation has more accuracy for the patients with different corneal refractive powers. Ray tracing could provide better guidance for IOL selection clinically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an unprecedented set of high‐resolution climate simulations, consisting of a 500‐year pre‐industrial control simulation and a 250‐year historical and future climate simulation from 1850 to 2100. A high‐resolution configuration of the Community Earth System Model version 1.3 (CESM1.3) is used for the simulations with a nominal horizontal resolution of 0.25° for the atmosphere and land models and 0.1° for the ocean and sea‐ice models. At these resolutions, the model permits tropical cyclones and ocean mesoscale eddies, allowing interactions between these synoptic and mesoscale phenomena with large‐scale circulations. An overview of the results from these simulations is provided with a focus on model drift, mean climate, internal modes of variability, representation of the historical and future climates, and extreme events. Comparisons are made to solutions from an identical set of simulations using the standard resolution (nominal 1°) CESM1.3 and to available observations for the historical period to address some key scientific questions concerning the impact and benefit of increasing model horizontal resolution in climate simulations. An emerging prominent feature of the high‐resolution pre‐industrial simulation is the intermittent occurrence of polynyas in the Weddell Sea and its interaction with an Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation. Overall, high‐resolution simulations show significant improvements in representing global mean temperature changes, seasonal cycle of sea‐surface temperature and mixed layer depth, extreme events and in relationships between extreme events and climate modes. Plain Language Summary: Although the current generation of climate models has demonstrated high fidelity in simulating and projecting global temperature change, these models show large uncertainties when it comes to questions concerning how rising global temperatures will impact local weather conditions. This is because the resolution (~100 km) at which the majority of climate models simulate the climate is not fine enough to resolve these small‐scale regional features. Conducting long‐term (multi‐centuries) high‐resolution (~10 km) climate simulations has been a great challenge for the research community due to the extremely high computational demands. Through international collaboration, we are able to address this challenge by delivering an unprecedented set of multi‐century high‐resolution climate simulations using the Community Earth System Model (CESM), capable of directly representing tropical cyclones and extreme rainfall events. In this paper, we give an overall assessment of the value and benefit of the high‐resolution CESM climate simulations by making a direct comparison to an identical set of low‐resolution CESM simulations. We showcase some of the major improvements of the high‐resolution CESM in simulating global mean temperature changes, seasonal cycle of sea‐surface temperature, and extreme events, such as tropical cyclones and relationships between tropical cyclones and El Niño‐Southern Oscillation. Key Points: An unprecedented set of multi‐century high‐resolution Community Earth System Model (CESM) simulations is describedHigh‐resolution CESM simulations reveal a potential role of Southern Ocean polynyas in multidecadal climate variabilityHigh‐resolution CESM exhibits significantly improved simulations of extreme events, such as tropical cyclones and atmospheric rivers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Numerical modelling of diesel particulate matter distribution were conducted. • The effectiveness of the auxiliary ventilation system was evaluated. • High DPM concentration areas were identified in different mining activities. • CFD simulation results were validated with onsite experimental data. Diesel particulate matter (DPM) is carcinogenic to humans. Underground miners have a high risk of over-exposure to high concentrations of DPM. To control DPM effectively, it is essential to understand the DPM dispersion characteristics. In this study, the DPM distributions of three key and representative mining activities, shotcreting, charging and loading activity, in an underground development face were studied. A computational model for the mining activities was developed using 3D imagery, onsite data and OpenFOAM. Tracer gas experiments were first conducted in the underground mine for the validation of CFD simulation. The simulations were carried out at a steady-state using the standard k-ε turbulence model, and the transport and dispersion of DPM were modelled using a segregated species transport model. DPM distribution characteristics for each mining activity were analysed, and the regions with high concentration (>0.1 mg/m3) were identified, and the reasons for the high concentrations were also discussed. At last, the efficiency of the current auxiliary ventilation system on DPM dilution was evaluated based on the simulation results. The results show that a broader region with high DPM concentration was identified in the downstream of the loader during the loading activity, and this issue could be solved by simply increasing the ventilation rate. The findings in this paper could be used for optimizing the auxiliary ventilation design for future mining activities in this development face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new diatom species belonging to the genus Gomphonemopsis are described, Gomphonemopsis nana sp. nov. and Gomphonemopsis gaoi sp. nov. These two species were compared in detail with congeners. Gomphonemopsis nana is distinguished by its high stria density and small size. This species was found so far to be epiphytic only on the eelgrass collected from Qingdao Bay (Yellow Sea). Gomphonemopsis gaoi is characterized by its isopolar valves, simple proximal raphe endings and acutely rounded apices. This taxon was separated from the exoskeleton of marine copepods sampled from the Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve (South China Sea). In addition, two new combinations, Gomphonemopsis oahuensis (Hustedt) Lang Li, Yuhang Li & Changping Chen, comb. nov. and Gomphonemopsis platypus (Østrup) Lang Li, Yuhang Li & Junxiang Lai, comb. nov. are proposed. This study increases the records and knowledge of Gomphonemopsis along the coast of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anterior uveitis is the most common anatomical type of uveitis. Patients with noninfectious anterior uveitis may develop various ocular complications and eventually visual impairment. Appropriately differentiating the etiologies can help clinicians to predict the outcome, arrange clinical follow-up, and decide the treatment or prevention strategy. Adequate treatment and effective prevention strategies can reduce the frequency of recurrence and the risk of developing complications. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 is the most common positive finding in patients with noninfectious AAU in many countries including Taiwan. To report a consensus from experienced uveitis specialists and rheumatologists was made in Taiwan. A panel of nine ophthalmologists from nine different referral centers with expertise in the management of uveitis and an experienced rheumatologist was held on January 16, 2022. A comprehensive literature review was performed. Differential diagnoses for etiologies, general treatments, and prevention strategies were discussed. Each statement in the consensus was made only if more than 70% of the experts agreed. A flow chart and seven statements regarding the differential diagnoses for etiologies, treatments and preventions, and co-management with rheumatologists were included in the consensus. This article discusses the general diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of noninfectious acute anterior uveitis, with or without HLA-B27, in adults for general ophthalmologists to improve overall outcomes of these patients [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Whether hydrocortisone, vitamin C, and thiamine treatment can reduce the mortality of patients with sepsis is controversial.Research Question: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of hydrocortisone, vitamin C, and thiamine combination treatment for patients with sepsis or septic shock (HYVCTTSSS).Study Design and Methods: This single-blind, randomized controlled trial evaluated treatment with hydrocortisone (50 mg every 6 h for 7 days), vitamin C (1.5 g every 6 h for 4 days), and thiamine (200 mg every 12 h for 4 days) vs placebo (normal saline) in patients with sepsis. The intention-to-treat analysis was used. Primary outcome was 28-day all-cause mortality, and secondary outcomes were organ protection, procalcitonin reduction, and adverse events related to hydrocortisone, vitamin C, and thiamine.Results: Eighty patients were randomized to receive combination treatment (n = 40) or normal saline (n = 40). No difference in 28-day all-cause mortality was observed (27.5% vs 35%, respectively; P = .47); however, treatment was associated with a significant improvement of 72-h change in Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (P = .02). In adverse events analysis, the treatment group exhibited more incidents of hypernatremia (P = .005). In prespecified subgroup analysis, patients of the treatment subgroup diagnosed with sepsis within 48 h showed lower mortality than those in the control subgroup (P = .02). The study was terminated after the midterm analysis.Interpretation: Among patients with sepsis or septic shock, the combination of hydrocortisone, vitamin C, and thiamine did not reduce mortality compared with placebo.Trial Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT03258684; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resolution and robustness properties of a numerical scheme are two mutually restricted aspects for the detailed simulation of complex flows. In the present paper, an improved seventh-order finite difference weighted essentially non-oscillatory scheme (WENO-PR) is developed by distributing larger weights to the less smooth stencils. To meet the optimization requirements, the high-order smoothness indicator τ is modified by some constraints and a real-number index factor p is designed under the control of a wavenumber identifier. The results show that the modifications in the proposed scheme improve self-adaptation features in the smooth and discontinuous regions, which greatly balance the numerical resolution and robustness. Compared with the existing schemes such as WENO-Z and WENO-JS, the WENO-PR is more flexible, accurate and robust. Several one- and two-dimensional numerical tests are performed to confirm the high-resolution capability and the non-oscillatory property of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saphenous vein grafts disease (SVGD) is a common complication after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and usually treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In this prospective cohort study, we performed virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound to investigate whether plaque composition and morphological characteristics were associated with post-PCI major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) and slow/no-reflow in patients with SVGD. Patients (n = 90) were studied (76.7% men, mean age 64.9 ± 8.2 years and mean duration of SVG 8.0 ± 3.6 years). There were 77.8% lesions with a plaque burden of at least 70%; 18 MACE incidences accumulated in 14 patients over 12 months post-PCI and slow/no-reflow was observed in 12 patients. On adjusted multivariate analysis, lesion length (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.08]); age of CABG (HR = 1.51 [95% CI: 1.11-2.05], and absolute necrotic core (NC) area (HR = 8.04 [95% CI: 1.86-34.73]) were independently associated with MACEs. Factors independently associated with slow/no-reflow post-PCI were preprocedure systolic blood pressure (odds ratio [OR] = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96-0.99) and absolute NC area (OR = 2.47 (95% CI: 1.14-5.36). A cutoff value of absolute NC area at ≥1.1 mm2 may serve as a significant risk predictor for no-reflow after SVG-PCI. Factors associated with MACEs and the slow/no-reflow phenomenon following PCI of the SVG can be used in risk assessment of SVG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tailored a tropical channel configuration of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model to study tropical cyclone (TC) activity and associated climate variabilities. This tropical channel model (TCM) covers from 30°S to 50°N at 27-km horizontal resolution, with physics parameterizations carefully selected to achieve more realistic simulations of TCs and large-scale climate mean states. We performed 15-member ensembles of retrospective simulations from 1982 to 2016 hurricane seasons. A thorough comparison with observations demonstrates that the TCM yields significant skills in simulating TC activity climatology and variabilities in each basin, as well as TC physical structures. The correlation of the ensemble averaged accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) with observations in the western North Pacific (WNP), eastern North Pacific (ENP), and North Atlantic (NAT) is 0.80, 0.64, and 0.61, respectively, but is insignificant in the north Indian Ocean (NIO). Moreover, the TCM-simulated modulations of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) on the large-scale environment and TC genesis also agree well with observations. To examine the TCM's potential for seasonal TC prediction, the model is used to forecast the 2017 and 2018 hurricane seasons, using bias-corrected sea surface temperatures (SSTs) from the CFSv2 seasonal prediction results. The TCM accurately predicts the hyperactive 2017 NAT hurricane season and near-normal WNP and ENP hurricane seasons when initialized in May. In addition, the TCM accurately predicts TC activity in the NAT and WNP during the 2018 season, but underpredicts ENP TC activity, in association with a poor ENSO forecast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A manufacturing system constructed by multi-state manufacturing network (MSMN). • Manufacturing network with joint buffers is considered. • A simulation approach to estimate system reliability for the MSMN. • Sensitivity analysis to investigate the most potential location to increase buffer volume. This paper proposes a simulation approach to estimate system reliability of a multi-state manufacturing network (MSMN) with joint buffers. The system reliability is an indicator to evaluate the probability that an MSMN can provide sufficient capacity to meet a given demand. From the perspective of industrial and systems engineering, the MSMN is constructed as a network topology in which each node denotes an inspection point and arcs denote workstations. In particular, joint buffers with finite volume are embedded in such a topology. Based on the topology, workload processed by each workstation is derived according to a given demand. Subsequently, a simulation approach is applied to randomly generate the current capacity state for the MSMN and to compute the buffer usage under such a state. System reliability is estimated after several iterations of simulation to check if the generated capacity state is available to process the workload or not. Besides, sensitivity analysis is adopted to investigate the most potential location to increase buffer volume. Two practical examples are adopted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed simulation approach. Experimental results show that using joint buffers is more reliable than using parallel buffers in separated production lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possible effects of the Kuroshio current and associated sea surface temperature (SST) fronts on Southeastern China winter precipitation are examined using twin simulations of a regional atmospheric model. When the SST frontal features in the forcing data are artificially weakened, the simulated rainfall over Southeastern China, particularly heavy rainfall, is found to increase by a statistically significant amount, compared to the simulations with the observed SST fronts. This difference is attributed to an anomalous regional overturning circulation that interferes with the onshore moisture transport. With the presence of stronger frontal SSTs, an anomalous ascending motion is anchored along the warm current, with a descending branch to its western side, forming a circulation cell that strides across the coasts of Southern China. In days of heavy rainfall over the Southeastern China, the regional atmospheric circulation tunnels oceanic moisture onto land across the coasts, serving as the primary water vapor source for the precipitation. This process is weakened by the anomalous regional overturning circulation in that the imbalance between low-level offshore and upper-level onshore flux drains the land of moisture, and the up-lifted moisture import aloft creates unfavorable condition for land precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capacitance-dc voltage relation has been investigated in the giant dielectric constant material CaCu3Ti4O12. A capacitance drop, rise and even maxima, minima have been found with increasing dc voltage, which could not simply be explained by the back-to-back Schottky barrier theory. A trap charges repositioning between field perpendicular boundaries and field parallel boundaries has been put forward to explain the strange C-V relations. In addition, a first order calculation of C-V has been done based on the charge repositioning model and has led to a successful fitting of the experimental curves, extracting parameters such as a polarisability of about 1.5×10-39 for the induced dipoles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dear Editor, Two recent studies including one from our group ([1]) and another from [5] reported the function of an RNA-binding protein RBP45d in flowering time control of Arabidopsis. With the same amount of RNA being sequenced, the RNAs in input samples consisted of all RNAs existing in the nucleus, whereas the RNAs in mock and IP samples consisted of only those RNAs with affinity to the beads, antibody, or RBP45d-cMyc. [Extracted from the article]

We constructed an apparent geological model with resistivity data from surface resistivity surveys. We developed a data fusion approach by integrating dense electrical resistivity measurements collected with Schlumberger arrays and wellbore logs. This approach includes an optimization algorithm and a geostatistic interpolation method. We first generated an apparent formation factor model from the surface resistivity measurements and groundwater resistivity records with an inverse distance method. We then converted the model into a geology model with the optimized judgment criteria from the algorithms relating the apparent formation factors to the borehole geology. We also employed a non‐parametric bootstrap method to analyze the uncertainty of the predicted sediment types, and the predictive uncertainties of clay, gravel, and sand were less than 5%. Overall, our model is capable of capturing the spatial features of the sediment types. More importantly, this approach can be arranged in a self‐updated sequence to enable adjustments to the model to accommodate newly collected core records or geophysical data. This approach yields a more detailed apparent geological model for use in future groundwater simulations, which is of benefit to multi‐discipline studies. Article impact statement: A novel approach to see into the earth with detailed geological features for a groundwater basin by fusing resistivity and borehole data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CFD modelling of diesel particulate matter distribution were established. • Species transport, Eulerian-Eulerian and Eulerian-Lagrangian methods are used. • Strength and weakness of different methods are compared and analysed. Diesel particulate matter (DPM) is carcinogenic to humans. DPM concentrations in underground mines are much higher than other working environments, thus pose substantial health threats to miners due to overexposure. Computational fluid dynamics is commonly used to study the DPM dispersion and assess the concentration distribution in various working environments. However, most such studies for underground mines treated DPM as a continuous phase (gas phase) in the model. DPM is a solid discrete phase, and its behaviours could be quite different from that of gaseous contaminants. This study compared DPM concentration distributions by using three modelling methods: the Eulerian-Lagrangian method and the Eulerian-Eulerian method that treats DPM as discrete phase particles, and the species transport method that treats DPM as a continuous phase gas. The model was based on a typical underground mine development face with a forcing auxiliary ventilation setup. It was found that the general DPM concentration distribution for the three numerical methods was similar for simple geometry with more uniform flow regions. However, large discrepancies existed in the development heading with complex geometry and flow features. The findings suggest that when simulating DPM, although the species transport method can provide relatively accurate results with much less computational time, the parameters of the modelled gas need to be carefully calibrated to get a better simulation result. For key areas where the diesel machinery and miners are usually located, the Eulerian-Lagrangian method should be used for more accurate analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops a novel Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) approach to estimate system reliability for a stochastic production system with finite buffer storage. System reliability indicates the probability of all workstations providing sufficient capacities to satisfy a specified demand, as well as that all buffer stations are not running out of storage. First, buffer stations are modeled in a stochastic production network (SPN) model and their storage usage is analyzed based on the network-structured SPN. Second, an MCS is developed to generate the system state and to check the storage usage of buffer stations to determine whether the demand can be satisfied. After repeated simulations, the system reliability of the SPN can be estimated. Experimental results show that the proposed MCS approach is effective and efficient in estimating system reliability with reasonable quality for an SPN within a reasonable time. More importantly, system reliability will be overestimated with infinite buffer storage, and thus, it is worth studying finite buffer storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burrs are always generated during the end-milling process of ductile materials and have become a common challenge because a large plastic flow of the material is generated during cutting. In this research, a combination method of the end-milling and electrical discharged machining (EDM) process is proposed to suppress the generated burrs during machining; this process is called the EDM end-milling process. EDM end-milling was performed for side milling of AISI 1045 alloy steel (HRC = 28). The height of the generated burrs was measured and compared between ordinary end milling and EDM end-milling, and the experimental results indicate that the generated burrs are suppressed effectively by EDM end-milling owing to the effect of reduced plastic flow. The experimental results also indicate that the height of the generated burrs decreases when the capacitance values are increased during EDM end-milling. Furthermore, the results show that the height of the generated burrs remains unchanged by EDM end-milling when the axial depth of cut is increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Beta-blockers can reduce recurrence, metastasis, and mortality in various cancers. In this study, we investigated the effect of propranolol, a non-selective beta-blocker on overall survival (OS) in unresectable/metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and on recurrence-free survival (RFS) in resectable, curable HCC. Methods: Data were retrieved from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database between January 2000 and December 2013. Propranolol users (for >1 year) and non-propranolol users were matched using a 1:2 propensity score in both cohorts. Results: The unresectable/metastatic HCC cohort comprised 1,560 propranolol users and 3,120 non-propranolol users (control group). On multivariate Cox regression analysis of HCC mortality, propranolol significantly reduced the mortality risk by 22% (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72–0.84, P <0.001). On stratified Cox regression analysis, propranolol also reduced the mortality risk in HCC patients with hepatitis B (HR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.85–0.99, P = 0.045), hepatitis C (HR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.78–0.92, P = 0.001), liver cirrhosis (HR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.72–0.85, P <0.001), and diabetes mellitus (HR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.81–0.94, P = 0.008). The resectable, curable HCC cohort comprised 289 propranolol users and 578 non-propranolol users (control group), but there was no significant difference in RFS (P = 0.762) between propranolol and non-propranolol users. Conclusion: This study revealed that propranolol could improve OS in unresectable/metastatic HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • The Eulerian-Lagrangian method is applied to simulate DPM. • DPM distribution and dispersion characteristics were studied. • High DPM concentration areas were identified under different ventilations. • CFD simulation results were validated with the onsite data. Abstract Diesel particulate matter (DPM) is a carcinogen to humans. Underground miners have the potential to expose to higher DPM concentrations since the working environment is confined. To address the DPM pollution issues and optimize the auxiliary ventilation system, a development face in an underground mine in Western Australia was taken as the physical model and the computational fluid dynamics was used to analyse the airflow characteristics and DPM concentration distributions in the development face. Then, the obtained simulation results were validated with the onsite measurement data. The DPM concentration distributions under 3 scenarios, with different duct lengths, were further compared with the AIOH standard for DPM (0.1 mg/m3). The results found that the current auxiliary ventilation system was not able to reduce the DPM concentration effectively, and the ventilation system with a duct length 5 m longer than the actual duct length provided a better DPM dilution performance. The finding of this paper is helpful for effective DPM control and auxiliary ventilation design for the further mining activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient modeling strategy is proposed for the investigation of the effect of the sea surface temperature (SST) mesoscale variability on atmospheric dynamics. Two ensembles of numerical simulations are generated with a high‐resolution atmospheric global circulation model coupled to a slab ocean model. The two ensembles differ only in the treatment of the SST data used for the specification of the SST initial conditions and the estimation of the oceanic heat transport: one of the ensembles is generated by retaining, while the other by filtering, the mesoscale SST variability. The effect of mesoscale SST variability is assessed by comparing the two ensembles. The strategy is illustrated by simulation experiments with the Community Earth System Model, with a focus on the processes of the NH midlatitudes. The results suggest that ocean mesoscale variability has a significant effect on the jet streams, large‐scale flow, and midlatitude storm tracks. Key Points: An atmospheric GCM coupled to a slab ocean model can be used to study the effect of mesoscale SST variability on atmospheric dynamicsSST mesoscale variability has a significant effect on components of the atmospheric circulation that play roles in S2S predictability [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of bone marrow stromal stem cells (BMSCs) on renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (RIRI) and dynamically monitor engrafted BMSCs in vivo for the early prediction of their therapeutic effects in a rat model. Methods. A rat model of RIRI was prepared by clamping the left renal artery for 45 min. One week after renal artery clamping, 2 × 106 superparamagnetic iron oxide- (SPIO-) labeled BMSCs were injected into the renal artery. Next, MR imaging of the kidneys was performed on days 1, 7, 14, and 21 after cell transplantation. On day 21, after transplantation, serum creatinine (Scr) and urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were assessed, and HE staining and TUNEL assay were also performed. Results. The body weight growth rates in the SPIO-BMSC group were significantly higher than those in the PBS group (P < 0.05), and the Scr and BUN levels were also significantly lower than those in the PBS group (P < 0.05). HE staining showed that the degree of degeneration and vacuole-like changes in the renal tubular epithelial cells in the SPIO-BMSC group was significantly better than that observed in the PBS group. The TUNEL assay showed that the number of apoptotic renal tubular epithelial cells in the SPIO-BMSC group was significantly lower than that in the PBS group. The T2 value of the renal lesion was the highest on day 1 after cell transplantation, and it gradually decreased with time in both the PBS and SPIO-BMSC groups but was always the lowest in the SPIO-BMSC group. Conclusion. SPIO-labeled BMSC transplantation can significantly promote the recovery of RIRI and noninvasive dynamic monitoring of engrafted cells and can also be performed simultaneously with MRI in vivo for the early prediction of therapeutic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]