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Parametric level set method (PLSM) using interpolation method, such as radial basis function (RBF) interpolation, exposes high computational cost and poor stability when solving structural topology optimization (STO) problems with large-scale nodes. However, the quasi-interpolation method can approximate the level set function (LSF) and its generalized functions without solving any system of linear equations. With this good property, this paper utilizes multiquadric (MQ) quasi-interpolation to parameterize the LSF and innovatively introduces it into the STO problem. Moreover, the MQ quasi-interpolation is utilized to compute the element density, which makes the level set band method (LSBM) more rigorous. The proposed methods were compared with the PLSM based on compactly supported radial basis functions (CSRBFs). The results show that the approximation accuracy, computational efficiency and stability of the evolution process of the proposed methods are better than those of CSRBFs when the shape parameter takes a suitable small value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomically precise ~1‐nm Pt nanoparticles (nanoclusters, NCs) with ambient stability are important in fundamental research and exhibit diverse practical applications (catalysis, biomedicine, etc.). However, synthesizing such materials is challenging. Herein, by employing the mixture ligand protecting strategy, we successfully synthesized the largest organic‐ligand‐protected (~1‐nm) Pt23 NCs precisely characterized with mass spectrometry and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analyses. Interestingly, natural population analysis and Bader charge calculation indicate an alternate, varying charge ‐layer distribution in the sandwich‐like Pt23 NC kernel. Pt23 NCs can catalyze the oxygen reduction reaction under acidic conditions without requiring calcination and other treatments, and the resulting specific and mass activities without further treatment are sevenfold and eightfold higher than those observed for commercial Pt/C catalysts, respectively. Density functional theory and d‐band center calculations interpret the high activity. Furthermore, Pt23 NCs exhibit a photothermal conversion efficiency of 68.4 % under 532‐nm laser irradiation and can be used at least for six cycles, thus demonstrating great potential for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomically precise ~1‐nm Pt nanoparticles (nanoclusters, NCs) with ambient stability are important in fundamental research and exhibit diverse practical applications (catalysis, biomedicine, etc.). However, synthesizing such materials is challenging. Herein, by employing the mixture ligand protecting strategy, we successfully synthesized the largest organic‐ligand‐protected (~1‐nm) Pt23 NCs precisely characterized with mass spectrometry and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analyses. Interestingly, natural population analysis and Bader charge calculation indicate an alternate, varying charge ‐layer distribution in the sandwich‐like Pt23 NC kernel. Pt23 NCs can catalyze the oxygen reduction reaction under acidic conditions without requiring calcination and other treatments, and the resulting specific and mass activities without further treatment are sevenfold and eightfold higher than those observed for commercial Pt/C catalysts, respectively. Density functional theory and d‐band center calculations interpret the high activity. Furthermore, Pt23 NCs exhibit a photothermal conversion efficiency of 68.4 % under 532‐nm laser irradiation and can be used at least for six cycles, thus demonstrating great potential for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the significant impact of trochanteric hip fractures on elderly patients' quality of life and highlights their increasing prevalence due to global demographic shifts. It also discusses three critical concepts in managing these fractures: the tip-apex distance for implant placement, the importance of lateral trochanteric wall integrity in choosing fixation methods, and the role of anteromedial cortical support (AMCS) in fracture reduction.

Impact craters are formed due to the high-speed collisions between small to medium-sized celestial bodies. Impact is the most significant driving force in the evolution of celestial bodies, and the impact craters provide crucial insights into the formation, evolution, and impact history of celestial bodies. In this paper, we present a detailed review of the characteristics of impact craters, impact crater remote sensing data, recognition algorithms, and applications related to impact craters. We first provide a detailed description of the geometric texture, illumination, and morphology characteristics observed in remote sensing data of craters. Then we summarize the remote sensing data and cataloging databases for the four terrestrial planets (i.e., the Moon, Mars, Mercury, and Venus), as well as the impact craters on Ceres. Subsequently, we study the advancement achieved in the traditional methods, machine learning methods, and deep learning methods applied to the classification, segmentation, and recognition of impact craters. Furthermore, based on the analysis results, we discuss the existing challenges in impact crater recognition and suggest some solutions. Finally, we explore the implementation of impact crater detection algorithms and provide a forward-looking perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most published reports on SAMD9L‐related ataxia‐pancytopenia syndrome (ATXPC) have emphasized the hematologic findings. Fewer details are known about the progression of neurologic manifestations and methods for monitoring them. Cases: We present six individuals from two families transmitting a heterozygous variant in SAMD9L, exhibiting clinical variations in their hematologic and neurologic findings. Serial motor function testing was used to monitor motor proficiency over a 2 to 3 year period in the proband and his father from Family 1. Conclusions: Our case series focuses on the neurologic progression in patients with heterozygous variants in SAMD9L. Patients with ATXPC should be followed to evaluate a wide range of neurologic manifestations. Serial motor function testing using a standardized method is helpful to track changes in balance and coordination in children and adults with ATXPC and could aid in a future extended natural history study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The mechanism of relapsed CD19(−) B‐ALL after anti‐CD19 immunotherapy (Kymriah [CART‐19] and blinatumomab) is under active investigation. Our study aims to assess LILRB1 as a novel B‐cell marker for detecting CD19(−) B‐lymphoblasts and to analyze the clinicopathologic/genetic features of such disease to provide biological insight into relapse. Methods: Six patients (3 males/3 females, median age of 14 years) with relapsed CD19(−) B‐ALL were analyzed for cytogenetic/genetic profile and immunophenotype. Results: CD19(−) B‐ALL emerged after an interval of 5.8 months following anti‐CD19 therapy. Five of six patients had B‐cell aplasia, indicative of a persistent effect of CART or blinatumomab at relapse. Importantly, LILRB1 was variably expressed on CD19(−) and CD19(+) B lymphoblasts, strong on CD34(+) lymphoblasts and dim/partial on CD34(−) lymphoblasts. Three of six patients with paired B‐ALL samples (pre‐ and post‐anti‐CD19 therapy) carried complex and different cytogenetic abnormalities, either as completely different or sharing a subset of cytogenetic abnormalities. Conclusion: LILRB1 can be used as a novel B‐cell marker to identify CD19(−) B lymphoblasts. The emergence of CD19(−) B‐ALL appears to be associated with complex cytogenetic evolutions. The mechanism of CD19(−) B‐ALL relapse under anti‐CD19 immune pressure remains to be explored by comprehensive molecular studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem that the water intrusion control factors of multi-stage fracturing horizontal wells in tight gas reservoirs in edge and bottom water are not clear, the linear supply boundary is used to characterize the water intrusion characteristics and derive the mathematical characterization formula, considering the stress sensitivity and diffusion mechanisms of tight gas, and the water intrusion flow model of multi-stage fracturing horizontal well in tight gas reservoirs in edge and bottom water is established, and the bottom pressure and its derivative curves are obtained by Laplace and perturbation transformation. Furthermore, the influence of water intrusion strength, matrix-fracture channeling capacity, storage capacity coefficient, fracture segment spacing, fracture conductivity and other factors on the degree of water intrusion and water exposure time were analyzed. By fitting the well test data of the established model, the water intrusion intensity parameters can be obtained, and the water intrusion control of gas wells can be guided according to this parameter. The data analysis of two typical wells in the western oilfield was carried out by applying the established model, and the analysis results were well matched with the actual production, which verified the reliability of the model, and according to the analysis results, the treatment measures of the two wells were proposed, and the two wells obtained good production results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The classic Philadelphia chromosome–negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (Ph (‐) MPNs), have variable potential for progression to the blast phase (MPN‐BP) of the disease. Except initiated by distinct driver mutations, MPN‐BP frequently carry similar genetic abnormalities defining acute myeloid leukemia myelodysplasia‐related (AML‐MR). Because of dissimilar initial pathogenesis, MPN‐BP and AML‐MR are retained under different disease categories. To determine if separately classifying these entities is justified, we compare MPN‐BP with AML‐MR patients based on mutational landscape and clinical parameters. Methods: 104 MPN‐BP patients and 145 AML‐MR patients were identified with available clinical, cytogenetic, and genetic data. Results: AML‐MR patients presented with a higher blast count (median, 51% vs. 30%) while MPN‐BP patients had higher WBC counts, platelet counts and bone marrow cellularity (all p<0.0001). Patients with MPN‐BP showed similar genetic mutations with similar mutation pattern (functional domain, hotspot and locus involved by the mutations) but a different mutation rate from AML‐MR, with more frequent JAK2, CALR, MPL, ASXL1, IDH2, SETBP1 and SRSF2 mutations and less frequent TP53 and DNMT3A mutations. The overall survival (OS) of MPN‐BP (OS post‐BP‐progression) is comparable to that of AML‐MR (median OS, 9.5 months vs. 13.1 months, p=0.20). In addition, the subgroups of MPN‐BP show similar OS as AML‐MR. When harboring certain mutation such as TP53, ASXL1, DNMT3A, TET2, RUNX1, IDH1, IDH2, EZH2, U2AF1, BCOR and SRSF2, MPN‐BP and AML‐MR patients carrying the same somatic mutation show no difference in OS. Conclusion: MPN‐BP and AML‐MR harbor similar somatic mutations and clinical outcomes, suggesting a unified clinical disease entity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clot based assays used for lupus anticoagulant (LAC) detection are typically interpreted in a qualitative fashion and may not reflect LAC potency. In this cross‐sectional study, we describe a method for quantifying the LAC titer using serial (dependent) two‐fold dilutions in normal pooled plasma. Methods: Serial dilutions of 51 residual plasma samples from 50 patients were tested using the Russell's viper venom screening time (DRVVT) and activated partial thromboplastin screening time (APTT) methodologies. The measured clotting times and the corresponding dilution factors were then used to derive a four‐parameter logistic model. The LAC titer for each patient was interpolated as the sample dilution that corresponds to the upper reference interval limit of the corresponding assay. Results: Calculated APTT and DRVVT LAC titers displayed a strong linear correlation (R2 = 0.84) between each other, but not with the degree of prolongation of the APTT/DRVVT screening time in the neat undiluted samples. Using data driven partitioning, patients could be grouped into low (<10) or high (≥10) DRVVT LAC titer. There were no significant differences in anticardiolipin (aCL) or anti‐beta 2 glycoprotein 1 (aB2GPI) antibody levels or prevalence of thromboembolic events between low and high LAC titer groups. In contrast, antiphosphatidylserine/prothrombin (aPS/PT) IgM antibody levels, but not IgG, were significantly higher in the high LAC titer group. Conclusions: The degree of prolongation of the APTT/DRVVT screening time is not correlated with the LAC titer. Only aPS/PT IgM antibodies levels were strongly correlated with the LAC titers. Additional studies are warranted to determine clinical implications of high LAC titers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy localization in Hermitian systems has been utilized to generate ultra-sensitivity. Here, we report the interplay between non-Hermitian parity-time (PT) symmetry breaking and the mode localization transition. In our scheme, a PT-symmetric system consists of two coupled LC (inductor–capacitor) resonators: one has a linear loss and the other has a saturated gain described by a nonlinear model. The nonlinear gain is initially set to be slightly higher than the loss, and the system is operated at the exact PT-symmetric phase close to an exceptional point. The capacitance variation applied on the loss resonator, i.e., perturbation, causes PT-symmetry to break, generating complex frequencies. As a result of nonlinear gain, the resonator will grow to reach its steady state and saturate out the gain. This stable oscillation eliminates the complex frequencies, and the mode is ultimately localized at the gain side. We have observed that the voltage amplitude of the gain resonator due to the perturbation has experienced drastic changes. The amplitude ratio before and after the perturbation is sensitive to the perturbation. Our results provide an approach to study perturbation-driven localization phenomena in a PT-symmetric system and pave the way for sensors with ultrahigh sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Cardiac amyloidosis is a lethal disease, the incidence of which is increasing every year. Early diagnosis and treatment are the keys to reducing the mortality of this disease. Methods. Relevant English literature published in Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched until December 1, 2022. Meta-analysis was performed with Stata 17.0 software. Results. A total of 1060 patients with 5 articles were included in this study. The sensitivity of abdominal fat aspiration biopsy for the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis was 0.66 (0.48–0.84) and the sensitivity for light chain amyloidosis cardiomyopathy and transthyretin amyloidosis cardiomyopathy was 0.90 (0.80–0.97) and 0.39 (0.18–0.60), respectively. Conclusion. Abdominal fat aspiration biopsy has high sensitivity and clinical value in the diagnosis of light chain amyloidosis cardiomyopathy, whereas there are limitations in the diagnosis of transthyretin amyloidosis cardiomyopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Dual‐plate fixation was thought to be the gold standard for treating complicated bicondylar tibial plateau fractures, yet it was found to be hard to accommodate the posterior column in three‐column fractures. Currently, column‐specific fixation is becoming more and more recognized, but no comprehensive investigation has been performed to back it up. Therefore, the objective of this study was to validate the importance of posterior column fixation in the three‐column tibial fractures by a finite element (FE) analysis and clinical study. Methods: In FE analysis, three models were developed: the longitudinal triple‐plate group (LTPG), the oblique triple‐plate group (OTPG), and the dual‐plate group (DPG). Three loading scenarios were simulated. The distribution of the displacement and the equivalent von Mises stress (VMS) in each structure was calculated. The comparative measurements including the maximum posterior column collapse (MPCC), the maximum total displacement of the model (MTD), the maximum VMS of cortical posterior column (MPC‐VMS), and the maximum VMS located on each group of plates and screws (MPS‐VMS). The clinical study evaluated the indicators between the groups with or without the posterior plate, including operation time, blood loss volume, full‐weight bearing period, Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Scoring system (HSS), Rasmussen score, and common postoperative complications. Results: In the FE analysis, the MPCC, the MPC‐VMS, and the MTD were detected in much lower amounts in LTPG and OTPG than in DPG. In comparison with DPG, the LTPG and OTPG had larger MPS‐VMS. In the clinical study, 35 cases were included. In the triple‐plate (14) and dual‐plate (21) groups, the operation took 115.6 min and 100.5 min (p < 0.05), respectively. Blood loss in both groups was 287.0 mL and 206.6 mL (p < 0.05), and the full‐weight bearing period was 14.5 weeks and 16.2 weeks (p < 0.05). At the final follow‐up, the HSS score was 85.0 in the triple‐plate group and 77.5 in the dual‐plate (p < 0.05), the Rasmussen score was 24.1 and 21.6 (p < 0.05), there were two cases with reduction loss (9.5%) in the dual‐plate group and one case of superficial incision infection found in the triple‐plate group. Conclusion: The posterior implant was beneficial in optimizing the biomechanical stability and functional outcomes in the three‐column tibial plateau fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fractures are common features in deep gas reservoirs with strong heterogeneity, which are generally evaluated by well-testing analysis. Based on the characteristics of a variety of spatial scales from microscopic fractures to macroscopic faults in the Kuche area, this paper investigated the pressure behavior of naturally fractured gas reservoirs by using four typical patterns, including the Warren–Root model, radial composite model, dual-flow-state model, and local heterogeneity model. As a result, typical well-testing curves and parameter sensitivity analysis were demonstrated in detail. Furthermore, the pressure transient behavior of multi-scaled fractured reservoirs was identified by use of a state-of-the-art workflow. The analysis shows that the four patterns and their identification processes were feasible for the inversion of reservoir parameters in fractured gas reservoirs. Combined with dynamic data, the proposed method could further guide the optimization of development schemes and is of great significance for the development of fractured gas reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elektron‐Phonon‐Wechselwirkungen, die in kondensierter Materie von entscheidender Bedeutung sind, werden in metallorganischen Gerüstverbindungen (MOFs) selten beobachtet. In Lanthanoid‐ oder Actinoid‐basierten Verbindungen gelingt der Nachweis dieser Wechselwirkungen typischerweise über die Analyse der Lumineszenz. Frühere Studien zu Ln‐ und Ac‐basierten MOFs bei hohen Temperaturen ergaben zusätzliche Lumineszenzsignale, die jedoch zu schwach für eine gründliche Analyse waren. Im Rahmen unserer Untersuchungen haben wir mithilfe eines Schicht‐für‐Schicht‐Verfahrens eine hochgeordnete, kristalline uranbasierte MOF‐Dünnschicht (KIT‐U‐1) hergestellt. Unter UV‐Licht zeigte diese Schicht zwei ausgeprägte „heiße Banden", die auf eine starke Elektron‐Phonon‐Wechselwirkung hinweisen. Während bei 77 K keine Emissionsbanden sichtbar waren, erschien bei 300 K eine Emissionsbande mit der halben Intensität der Hauptbande. Überraschenderweise tauchte oberhalb von 320 K eine zweite, sogenannte heiße Bande auf, die von früheren Ergebnissen aus Seltenerd‐Verbindungen abweicht. Wir haben eine detaillierte ab initio‐Analyse mithilfe der zeitabhängigen Dichtefunktionaltheorie durchgeführt, um dieses ungewöhnliche Verhalten zu verstehen und die für die starke Elektron‐Phonon‐Kopplung verantwortliche Gitterschwingung zu identifizieren. Die heißen Emissionsbanden der KIT‐U‐1‐Schicht wurden dann dazu genutzt, ein hochempfindliches optisches Einkomponenten‐Thermometer zu entwickeln. Diese Ergebnisse belegen das Potenzial hochwertiger MOF‐Dünnschichten bei der Nutzung der einzigartigen Lumineszenz von Lanthanoiden und Actinoiden für neuartige Anwendungen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron‐phonon interactions, crucial in condensed matter, are rarely seen in Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs). Detecting these interactions typically involves analyzing luminescence in lanthanide‐ or actinide‐based compounds. Prior studies on Ln‐ and Ac‐based MOFs at high temperatures revealed additional peaks, but these were too faint for thorough analysis. In our research, we fabricated a high‐quality, crystalline uranium‐based MOF (KIT‐U‐1) thin film using a layer‐by‐layer method. Under UV light, this film showed two distinct "hot bands," indicating a strong electron‐phonon interaction. At 77 K, these bands were absent, but at 300 K, a new emission band appeared with half the intensity of the main luminescence. Surprisingly, a second hot band emerged above 320 K, deviating from previous findings in rare‐earth compounds. We conducted a detailed ab‐initio analysis employing time‐dependent density functional theory to understand this unusual behaviour and to identify the lattice vibration responsible for the strong electron‐phonon coupling. The KIT‐U‐1 film's hot‐band emission was then utilized to create a highly sensitive, single‐compound optical thermometer. This underscores the potential of high‐quality MOF thin films in exploiting the unique luminescence of lanthanides and actinides for advanced applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clinical nurses play an important role in ensuring patient safety. Nurses' work experience, organizational environment, psychological cognition, and behavior can all lead to patient safety issues. Improving nurses' attention to patient safety issues and enhancing their competence in dealing with complex medical safety issues can help avoid preventable nursing adverse events. Therefore, it is necessary to actively identify the latent profiles of patient safety competency of clinical nurses and to explore the influencing factors. Methods: A cross-sectional design was conducted. A total of 782 Chinese registered nurses were included in the study. Demographic characteristics questionnaire, Error Management Climate scale, Security Questionnaire, Proactive Behavior Performance scale and Patient Safety Competency Self-Rating Scale of Nurses were used. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was performed to categorize nurses into latent subgroups with patient safety competency differences. Multinomial logistic regression was conducted to explore the influencing factors of nurses' patient safety competency (PSC) in different latent profiles. Results: A total of 782 questionnaires were valid. Nurses' PSC was positively related to error management climate, and psychological safety and proactive behavior. The PSC score was 121.31 (SD = 19.51), showing that the PSC of clinical nurses was at the level of the medium on the high side. The error management climate score was 70.28 (SD = 11.93), which was at a relatively high level. The psychological safety score was 61.21 (SD = 13.44), indicating a moderate to low level. The proactive behavior score was 37.60 (SD = 7.33), which was at a high level. The latent profile analysis result showed that three groups of profile models were fitted acceding to the evaluation of PSC. They were defined as Low-competency Group (74 (9.5%)), Medium-competency Group (378 (48.3%)) and High-competency Group (330 (42.2%). Working years, professional titles, departments, error management climate, psychological security and proactive behavior were the influencing factors of PSC in three latent profiles. Conclusions: The PSC of clinical nurses had obvious classification characteristics, and the main influencing factors were working years, professional titles, working departments, error management climate, psychological security and proactive behavior. This study suggests that managers should pay attention to the continuous cultivation of patient safety competence among clinical nurses, provide targeted intervention measures for nurses at different work stages, professional titles, and departments, and use efficient management strategies to create a positive error management atmosphere. In patient safety management, providing nurses with more psychological security is conducive to stimulating more proactive behaviors and continuously improving the level of patient safety competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Fractures in the pyriform buttress area adversely affect facial appearance and nasal airway patency. Nasal airway function has received less attention than aesthetic problems in the literature. This retrospective study classified the different fracture types in this area and determined their impact on nasal airway function. Mathods: Three-dimensional computed tomography images of patients with fractures in the pyriform buttress area were analyzed to identify the exact fracture pattern. The nasal airway functions were evaluated and compared between patients with different fracture patterns using acoustic rhinometry, rhinomanometry, and the nasal obstruction symptom evaluation scale. Results: Overall, 47 patients, including 16 with type I fractures (high fracture line; group I), 16 with type II fractures (intermediate fracture line; group II), and 15 with type III fractures (low fracture line; group III), were included in the study. The mean minimal cross-sectional area (MCA), total nasal inspiratory resistance (Tri) and total nasal expiratory resistance (Tre) of group I were 0.51 ± 0.06 cm2, 1.67 ± 0.11 kPa L−1 s−1, and 1.66 ± 0.12 kPa L−1 s−1, respectively; those of group II were 0.48 ± 0.07 cm2, 1.89 ± 0.15 kPa L−1 s−1, and 1.88 ± 0.14 kPa L−1 s−1, respectively; and those of group III were 0.36 ± 0.04 cm2, 1.94 ± 0.21 kPa L−1 s−1, and 2.01 ± 0.34 kPa L−1 s−1, respectively. The nasal obstruction symptom evaluation (NOSE) scale scores for groups I, II, and III were 7.188, 9.813, and 13.27, respectively. Conclusion: Therefore, the severity of the nasal airway obstruction depends on the displacement of the fractured bones in patients with fractures in the pyriform buttress area. The most profound nasal obstruction occurs in patients with the lowest fracture line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For any rank 1 nonpositively curved surface $ M $ M , it was proved by Burns-Climenhaga-Fisher-Thompson that for any $ q q < 1 , there exists a unique equilibrium state $ \mu_q $ μ q for $ q\varphi^u $ q φ u , where $ \varphi^u $ φ u is the geometric potential. We show that as $ q\to 1- $ q → 1 − , the weak-* limit of $ \mu_q $ μ q is the restriction of the Liouville measure to the regular set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) is based on traditional cellular automata models in which each cell has one of the finite distinct states at any given time. Cellular automata refer to the use of Coulombic contact rather than wires to connect cells. The discrete character of cellular automata and quantum mechanics have been exploited to develop nano-scale devices that can conduct computations with high switching frequency and low power dissipation. QCA has been utilized in many categories for fault-tolerant and reversible logic computing. On the other hand, the morphology algorithm is an area of image processing that provides a unified methodology and strong tools for image/video processing applications. This work proposes a unique fault-tolerant approach based on QCA to execute the morphological operations in image processing. Two fault-tolerant 5-input majority gates are employed in the implemented QCA architecture, and a control line is used to accomplish dilation and erosion. To assess the capabilities of the proposed fault-tolerant circuit for morphological procedures, its performance is analyzed and confirmed. The proposed design is compared to earlier results, which significantly improve fault-tolerant ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate identification and segmentation of individual tree points are crucial for assessing forest spatial distribution, understanding tree growth and structure, and managing forest resources. Traditional methods based on Canopy Height Models (CHM) are simple yet prone to over- and/or under-segmentation. To deal with this problem, this paper introduces a novel approach that combines marker-controlled watershed segmentation with a spectral clustering algorithm. Initially, we determined the local maxima within a series of variable windows according to the lower bound of the prediction interval of the regression equation between tree crown radius and tree height to preliminarily segment individual trees. Subsequently, using this geometric shape analysis method, the under-segmented trees were identified. For these trees, vertical tree crown profile analysis was performed in multiple directions to detect potential treetops which were then considered as inputs for spectral clustering optimization. Our experiments across six plots showed that our method markedly surpasses traditional approaches, achieving an average Recall of 0.854, a Precision of 0.937, and an F1-score of 0.892. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-reciprocity is a crucial concept in the field of signal transmission and processing as it protects sensitive elements from the effects of feedback signal. The non-reciprocal components based on ferrite materials are bound to show shortcomings due to incompatibility with chip-level ICs. In recent years, parity-time (PT)-symmetric non-reciprocal transmission in electronic systems has been proposed and analyzed. Here, we propose the simplified noise analysis model based on a PT-symmetric non-reciprocal transmission system. And we verify the theoretical noise model by simulation analysis and experimental demonstrations. The experimental result shows that the noise figure of the proposed PT-symmetric non-reciprocal transmission device is 7.5 dB because of the employment of the active amplifier. This work establishes a noise performance analysis framework, providing guidance for the development of lossless and miniaturized applications of non-reciprocal components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to global public health, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are widely distributed across humans, animals, and environment. Farming environments are emerging as a key research area for ARGs and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB). While the skin is an important reservoir of ARGs and ARB, transmission mechanisms between farming environments and human skin remain unclear. Previous studies confirmed that swine farm environmental exposures alter skin microbiome, but the timeline of these changes is ill defined. To improve understanding of these changes and to determine the specific time, we designed a cohort study of swine farm workers and students through collected skin and environmental samples to explore the impact of daily occupational exposure in swine farm on human skin microbiome. Results indicated that exposure to livestock‐associated environments where microorganisms are richer than school environment can reshape the human skin microbiome and antibiotic resistome. Exposure of 5 h was sufficient to modify the microbiome and ARG structure in workers' skin by enriching microorganisms and ARGs. These changes were preserved once formed. Further analysis indicated that ARGs carried by host microorganisms may transfer between the environment with workers' skin and have the potential to expand to the general population using farm workers as an ARG vector. These results raised concerns about potential transmission of ARGs to the broader community. Therefore, it is necessary to take corresponding intervention measures in the production process to reduce the possibility of ARGs and ARB transmission. Highlights: Exposure to livestock‐associated environment, more microbially enriched than school environment, can remodel the human skin microbiome and antibiotic resistome.The 5 h of exposure is sufficient to alter the microbiota and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) structure of skin and these changes were retained once formed.ARGs carried by host microbes were transferred between the environment and workers' skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coagulation is a crucial biological mechanism in human bodies to prevent blood loss. Abnormal coagulation can cause bleeding diathesis or thrombosis, common pathologic conditions in our clinical practice. Many individuals and organizations have dedicated their efforts in the past decades to understanding the biological and pathological mechanisms of coagulation and developing laboratory testing tools and treatment options to help patients with bleeding or thrombotic conditions. Since 1926, the Mayo Clinic coagulation group has made significant contributions to the clinical and laboratory practice, basic and translational research on various hemostatic and thrombotic disorders, and the education and collaboration to share and advance our knowledge in coagulation through a highly integrated team and practice model. We would like to use this review to share our history and inspire medical professionals and trainees to join the efforts to advance our understanding of coagulation pathophysiology and improve our care for patients with coagulation disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic fields (MF) have been proven efficient in bioaugmentation, and the internal MFs have become competitive because they require no configuration, despite their application in waste gas treatment remaining largely unexplored. In this study, we firstly developed an intensity-regulable bioaugmentation with internal MF for gaseous chlorobenzene (CB) treatment with modified packing in batch bioreactors, and the elimination capacity increased by up to 26%, surpassing that of the external MF. Additionally, the microbial affinity to CB and the packing surface was enhanced, which was correlated with the ninefold increased secreted ratio of proteins/polysaccharides, 43% promoted cell surface hydrophobicity, and half reduced zeta potential. Furthermore, the dehydrogenase content was promoted over 3 times, and CB removal steadily increased with the rising intensity indicating enhanced biofilm activity and reduced CB bioimpedance; this was further supported by kinetic analysis, which resulted in improved cell adhesive ability and biological utilisation of CB. The results introduced a novel concept of adjustable magnetic bioaugmentation and provided technical support for industrial waste gas treatments. Key points: • Regulable magnetic bioaugmentation was developed to promote 26% chlorobenzene removal • Chlorobenzene mineralisation was enhanced under the magnetic field • Microbial adhesion was promoted through weakening repulsive forces [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic fields (MF) have been proven efficient in bioaugmentation, and the internal MFs have become competitive because they require no configuration, despite their application in waste gas treatment remaining largely unexplored. In this study, we firstly developed an intensity-regulable bioaugmentation with internal MF for gaseous chlorobenzene (CB) treatment with modified packing in batch bioreactors, and the elimination capacity increased by up to 26%, surpassing that of the external MF. Additionally, the microbial affinity to CB and the packing surface was enhanced, which was correlated with the ninefold increased secreted ratio of proteins/polysaccharides, 43% promoted cell surface hydrophobicity, and half reduced zeta potential. Furthermore, the dehydrogenase content was promoted over 3 times, and CB removal steadily increased with the rising intensity indicating enhanced biofilm activity and reduced CB bioimpedance; this was further supported by kinetic analysis, which resulted in improved cell adhesive ability and biological utilisation of CB. The results introduced a novel concept of adjustable magnetic bioaugmentation and provided technical support for industrial waste gas treatments. Key points: • Regulable magnetic bioaugmentation was developed to promote 26% chlorobenzene removal • Chlorobenzene mineralisation was enhanced under the magnetic field • Microbial adhesion was promoted through weakening repulsive forces [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important component of N-linked glycoproteins, the core pentasaccharide is highly crucial to the potential application prospect of glycoprotein. However, the gas phase conformation study is a challenging one due to the size and complexity of the molecule, together with the necessity to rely on quantum chemistry modeling for relevant energetics and structures. In this paper, the structures of the trisaccharides and core pentasaccharides in N-linked glycans in the gas phase were constructed by a three-step tree-based (TSTB) sampling. Since single point energies of all the conformers are calculated at the temperature of zero, it is necessary to evaluate the stability at a high temperature. We calculate the Gibbs free energies using the standard thermochemistry model (T = 298.15 K). For trimannose, the energetic ordering at 298.15 K can be strongly changed compared to 0 K. Moreover, two structures of trimannose with high energies at 0 K are considered to provide a much better match of IR vibration signatures with the low Gibbs free energies. On this basis, the core pentasaccharide was constructed in three ways. The building configurations of core pentasaccharide were optimized to obtain reasonable low-energy stable conformers. Fortunately, the lowest-energy structure of core pentasaccharide is eventually the minimum at 0 K and 298.15 K. Furthermore, spectrum analysis of core pentasaccharide was carried out. Although poorly resolved, its contour from the experiment was in qualitative correspondence with the computed IR spectrum associated with its minimum free energy structure. A large number of strongly and weakly hydrogen-bonded hydroxyl and acetylamino groups contribute to a highly congested set of overlapping bands. Compared with traditional conformation generators, the TSTB sampling is employed to efficiently and comprehensively obtain preferred conformers of larger saccharides with lower energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemically converting waste nitrate (NO3−) into ammonia (NH3) is a green route for both wastewater treatment and high‐value‐added ammonia generation. However, the NO3−‐to‐NH3 reaction involves multistep electron transfer and complex intermediates, making it a grand challenge to drive efficient NO3− electroreduction with high NH3 selectivity. Herein, an in‐operando electrochemically synthesized Cu2O/NiO heterostructure electrocatalyst is proven for efficient NH3 electrosynthesis. In situ Raman spectroscopy reveals that the obtained Cu2O/NiO, induced by the electrochemistry‐driven phase conversion, is the real active phase. This electronically coupled phase can modulate the interfacial charge distribution, dramatically lower the overpotential in the rate‐determining step and thus requiring lower energy input to proceed with the NH3 electrosynthesis. The orbital hybridization calculations further identify that Cu2O is beneficial for NO3− adsorption, and NiO could promote the desorption of NH3, forming an excellent tandem electrocatalyst. Such a tandem system leads to NH3 Faradaic efficiency of 95.6%, a super‐high NH3 selectivity of 88.5% at −0.2 V versus RHE, surpassing most of the NH3 electrosynthesis catalysts at an ultralow reaction voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persulfate liquid-phase advanced oxidation technology (AOP) has become a feasible and effective choice in wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) technology due to its efficient oxidation capacity and environmentally friendly characteristics. This paper proposes a new process for removing NO from simulated flue gas using FeⅡCA/heat co-activated persulfate system. The main influencing factors, active components, reaction products and reaction process of NO purification system were mainly studied. The results show that in the process of purifying NO in the system, active substances such as S 2 O 8 2-, •OH and •SO 4 - will be produced, among which •OH is the main free radical that oxidizes NO. The liquid phase products after the system absorbs and oxidizes NO are mainly NO 3 - and SO 4 2-, and the material balance before and after the reaction is satisfied. In the process of purifying NO, by increasing the concentration of persulfate and selecting an appropriate Fe2+/CA ratio, the NO purification effect of the system can be promoted. In addition, the purification effect is closely related to temperature. However, if the pH value of the solution is increased or the NO concentration is too high, the NO purification effect of the system will be reduced. For this reason, under suitable process conditions, the NO purification rate of the system can reach 71.1%. The experimental results confirmed the feasibility of FeⅡCA/heat co-activated persulfate to remove NO from flue gas, and provided a theoretical basis for further research and practical application of this system. [Display omitted] • A new process is proposed for citric acid complexing ferrous ions combined with heat coactivate persulfate to oxidize and absorb NO. • Citric acid improves the utilization of Fe2+ in the system, and hydroxyl radicals are the free radicals that play the main oxidation effect on NO in the system. • A material balance calculation was conducted on the reaction process, and the reaction pathway was identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alternating copolymerization of hydroxyalkyl vinyl ethers and dialkyl maleates is investigated by conventional radical polymerization and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT). The influence of comonomer structure, comonomer feeding ratios, and monomer concentrations on the copolymerization and the copolymer structure have been investigated systematically. With 2-hydroxyethyl vinyl ether (HEVE) and dimethyl maleates (DMM) as comonomers, a well-defined alternating copolymer is prepared with Mn=3400 and Mw/Mn=1.93 up to 71.6% monomer. The alternating sequential chain structure of the copolymers has been proved by both NMR and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The experimental reactivity ratios and theoretical calculated highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of vinyl ethers and alkyl maleates support that these monomer pairs have tendency to form alternating copolymers. With 2-cyanopropan-2-yl N-methyl-N-(pyridin-4-yl)carbamodithioate as the RAFT agent, the molecular weight of HEVE and DMM copolymer increases with the monomer conversion, demonstrating a controlled radical polymerization feature with well-controlled molecular weight and relatively narrower molecular weight distribution. With alternating copolymer of HEVE and DMM as macro-CTA (Mn=5200 and Mw/Mn=1.46), both the chain extension with HEVE and DMM (Mn=10400 and Mw/Mn=1.72) and block copolymerization with vinyl acetate have been successfully achieved (Mn=8500 and Mw/Mn=1.52). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In physiological situations, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and anterior insular cortex (AIC) are prone to coactivation. The functional connectivity and interaction between ACC and AIC in the context of epilepsy remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the dynamic coupling between these two brain regions during seizures. Methods: Patients who underwent stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) recording were included in this study. The SEEG data were visually inspected and quantitatively analyzed. The narrowband oscillations and aperiodic components at seizure onset were parameterized. The frequency‐specific non‐linear correlation analysis was applied to the functional connectivity. The excitation/inhibition ratio (E:I ratio) reflected by the aperiodic slope was performed to evaluate the excitability. Results: Twenty patients were included in the study, with 10 diagnosed with anterior cingulate epilepsy and 10 with anterior insular epilepsy. In both types of epilepsy, the correlation coefficient (h2) between the ACC and AIC at seizure onset exhibited a significantly higher value than that during interictal and preictal periods (p < 0.05). The direction index (D) showed a significant increase at seizure onset, serving as an indicator for the direction of information flow between these two brain regions with up to 90% accuracy. The E:I ratio increased significantly at seizure onset, with the seizure‐onset zone (SOZ) demonstrating a more pronounced increase compared to non‐SOZ (p < 0.05). For seizures originating from AIC, the E:I ratio was significantly higher in the AIC than in the ACC (p = 0.0364). Conclusions: In the context of epilepsy, the ACC and AIC are dynamically coupled during seizures. The functional connectivity and excitability exhibit a significant increase at seizure onset. By analyzing connectivity and excitability, the SOZ in ACC and AIC can be identified. The direction index (D) serves as an indicator for the direction of information flow from SOZ to non‐SOZ. Notably, the excitability of SOZ changes more significantly than that of non‐SOZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blast phase of BCR::ABL1‐negative myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN‐BP) represents the final stage of the disease, which is complicated by complex genomic alterations. These alterations result from sequence changes in genetic material (DNA, RNA) and can lead to either a gain or loss of function of encoded proteins, such as adaptor proteins, enzymes, components of spliceosomes, cell cycle checkpoints regulators, transcription factors, or proteins in cell signaling pathways. Interference at various levels, including transcription, translation, and post‐translational modification (such as methylation, dephosphorylation, or acetylation), can contribute to these alterations. Mutated genes such as ASXL1, EZH2, IDH1, IDH2, TET2, SRSF2, U2AF1, TP53, NRAS, KRAS, PTPN11, SH2B3/LNK, and RUNX1 play active roles at different stages of genetic material expression, modification, and protein function manipulation in MPNs. These mutations are also correlated with, and can contribute to, the progression of MPN‐BP. In this review, we summarize their common mutational profiles, functions, and associations with progression of MPN‐BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are regarded as highly prospective energy storage devices. However, problems such as low sulfur utilization, poor cycle performance, and insufficient rate capability hinder the commercial development of Li-S batteries. Three-dimensional (3D) structure materials have been applied to modify the separator of Li-S batteries to suppress the diffusion of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and inhibit the transmembrane diffusion of Li+. A vanadium sulfide/titanium carbide (VS 4 /Ti 3 C 2 T x) MXene composite with a 3D conductive network structure has been synthesized in situ by a simple hydrothermal reaction. VS 4 is uniformly loaded on the Ti 3 C 2 T x nanosheets through vanadium-carbon(V-C) bonds, which effectively inhibits the self-stacking of Ti 3 C 2 T x. The synergistic action of VS 4 and Ti 3 C 2 T x substantially reduces the shuttle of LiPSs, improves interfacial charge transfer, and boosts the kinetics of LiPSs conversion, consequently increasing the rate performance and cycle stability of the battery. The assembled battery has a specific discharge capacity of 657 mAh g -1 after 500 cycles at 1C, with a high capacity retention rate of 71%. The construction of VS 4 /Ti 3 C 2 T x composite with a 3D conductive network structure provides a feasible strategy for the application of polar semiconductor materials in Li-S batteries. It also provides an effective solution for the design of high-performance Li-S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Annual maximum 7-day precipitation has increased over South China since 1961. Ten CMIP6 climate models simulate either weaker increases in risk ratio than observed or nonsignificant changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐dimensional quantum systems offer many advantages over low‐dimensional quantum systems. Meanwhile, unitary transformations on quantum states are important parts in various quantum information tasks, whereas they become technically infeasible as the dimensionality increases. The photonic orbital angular momentum (OAM), which is inherent in the transverse spatial mode of photons, offers a natural carrier to encode information in high‐dimensional spaces. However, it is even more challenging to realize arbitrary unitary transformations on the photonic OAM states. Here, by combining the path and OAM degrees of freedom of a single photon, an efficient scheme to realize arbitrary unitary transformations on the path‐OAM coupled quantum states is proposed. The proposal reduces the number of required interferometers by approximately one quarter compared with previous works, while maintaining the symmetric structure. It is shown that by using OAM‐to‐path interfaces, this scheme can be utilized to realize arbitrary unitary transformations on the OAM states of photons. This work facilitates the development of high‐dimension quantum state transformations and opens a new door to the manipulation of the photonic OAM states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Natural World Heritage site (NWH) has a dual role of protection and utilization. The buffer zone of the South China Karst (SCK) World Heritage (WH) site is scattered with village dwellings, which adds pressure to preserve the outstanding universal value (OUV) and integrity protection of the WH site. The development of agroforestry is an essential means to maintain rural livelihoods, protect the ecological environment, and realize the protection and development of the heritage site. Studying the synergy and regulation of the heritage site integrity protection and the buffer zone agroforestry development is essential. This study takes the Shibing and Libo–Huanjiang karst WH as the study areas and administrative villages as the evaluation unit. From 2020 to 2023, through data methods such as remote sensing data interpretation, information data survey and collection, comprehensive index analysis, coupling coordination degree model, and GIS spatial analysis, a systematic study was conducted on the basic frontier research, synergy relationship, and regulation of the heritage site integrity protection and the buffer zone agroforestry development. The results demonstrate that the Shibing and Libo–Huanjiang karst WH sites integrity protection and agroforestry development in the buffer zone have a high coupling degree and a good coupling coordination relationship. This reveals that the heritage site integrity protection and the buffer zone agroforestry development are an interconnected and mutually influential whole, which the synergistic relationship between them is developing in a positive direction; The buffer zone agroforestry development lags behind the heritage site integrity protection, based on which proposed the regulatory measures for the synergy development of the heritage site integrity protection and agroforestry development in the buffer zone. The findings in this study provide references for the synergies development of the WH karst site integrity protection and agroforestry development in the buffer zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Para‐aminophenol (PAP) is a critical intermediate widely used in medicine, pharmaceutical, rubber, antioxidant, petroleum, and other fields, but it is harmful to the environment. A novel photo electrochemical (PEC) sensor was synthesized and applied to detect PAP based on the composite material of cadmium telluride nanoparticle (CdTe NPs)–decorated copper–tetramine phthalocyanine covalently grafted graphene oxide (CuTAPc‐Gr). Materials & Methods: Copper–tetramine phthalocyanine (CuTAPc) has an excellent PEC conversion effect and narrow band. Graphene (Gr) has high mechanical stability and suitable bandgap. CuTAPc‐Gr was synthesized by chemical covalent bonding. And CdTe NPs@CuTAPc‐Gr composite was prepared by ultrasonic mixing method using CuTAPc‐Gr and CdTe NPs. The morphology and structure of the PEC materials were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and fourier transform infrared spectrometer. PAP contents were evaluated by the Time‐Current method. And the electron transfer rate of the PEC sensor was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy methods. Results & Discussion: CdTe NPs@CuTAPc‐Gr has excellent PEC properties. In the PAP analysis, distinct regular changes in the photocurrent within a linear range of 33.3–1330.0 nM were noted. The limit of detection was 15.5 nM. Acetaminophen, phloroglucin, and other substances did not affect PAP content determination. The water samples were analyzed using the proposed PEC sensor. The results show that the recoveries were in the range of 97.85%–99.58%, and relative standard deviations (RSDs) were less than 2%. Conclusions: The PEC sensor exhibited excellent sensitivity, selectivity, and stability. The proposed method provides an effective strategy for constructing PEC sensors to detect PAP in water samples and a promising PEC platform for analyzing other small molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional TiO2/N719 photoanodes often suffer from the limited visible light absorption (450–500 nm) and the serous recombination of photo-generated carries (e−/h+)/electrolyte ions (I3−), accordingly outputting a low photoelectronic conversion efficiency (PCE). In this work, a type of strawberry-like TiO2/NiTiO3 (NTO) nanospheres was designed via a simple hydrothermal method. In this design, the NTO quantum dots (QDs) with size of several nanometers were decorated on the surface of TiO2 nanospheres. This TiO2/NTO nanostructure can not only enhance the visible light absorption of the TiO2/N179 photoanodes but also improve the separation of photo-generated carriers and depress the recombination of e−/h+ and I3−. Thus, the optimal TiO2/NTO/N719 dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) achieved greatly improved Jsc and Voc, both of which result into a 32.8%-improved PCE compared to the TiO2/N719 ones. These improvements could be due to the decreased charge transfer resistance at the photoanode/electrolyte interface (Rct2) and the increased electron lifetime (τn) caused by TiO2/NTO hetero-interface. In addition, the optimization on NTO QDs indicates that the density of QDs main affects the τn, and the size of QDs affects with Rct2. Moderate density and size (ca. 5 nm) of QDs can optimize the photoelectronic performances of DSSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inherited platelet disorders (IPDs) are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by normal or reduced platelet counts, bleeding diatheses of varying severities, and the presence (syndromic) or absence (non‐syndromic) of involvement of other organs. Due to the lack of highly specific platelet function tests and overlapping clinical and laboratory features, diagnosing the underlying cause of IPDs remains challenging. In recent years, genetic testing via next‐generation sequencing (NGS) technologies to rapidly analyze multiple genes has gradually emerged as an important part of the laboratory investigation of patients with IPDs. A systemic clinical and laboratory testing approach and thorough phenotype and genotype correlation studies of both patients and their family members are crucial for accurate diagnoses of IPDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factor VIII and IX inhibitors in congenital hemophilia A and B, respectively, neutralize the infused coagulation factor concentrate rendering them ineffective. Bypassing agents (BPAs) that circumvent the block imposed by the inhibitors are used for the prevention and management of bleeding. Activated prothrombin complex concentrate was the original BPA, recombinant activated factor VII was then introduced, and more recently nonfactor agents that target the procoagulant and anticoagulant systems have been developed and are in clinical use (e.g., emicizumab, a bispecific antibody for hemophilia A). Other BPAs are in clinical trials (e.g., fitusiran targets antithrombin, concizumab and marstacimab target tissue factor pathway inhibitor, and SerpinPC targets activated protein C). The BPAs have a varied effect on coagulation assays, and as more patients are exposed to these agents, it is important to be aware of the effects. Herein, we present an overview of the effect of BPAs on routine and specialized coagulation assays including thrombin generation and viscoelastic assays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The systematic induction of structural defects at the atomic level is crucial to metal nanocluster research because it endows cluster‐based catalysts with highly reactive centers and allows for a comprehensive investigation of viable reaction pathways. Herein, by substituting neutral phosphine ligands for surface anionic thiolate ligands, we establish that one or two Au3 triangular units can be successfully introduced into the double‐stranded helical kernel of Au44(TBBT)28, where TBBT=4‐tert‐butylbenzenethiolate, resulting in the formation of two atomically precise defective Au44 nanoclusters. Along with the regular face‐centered‐cubic (fcc) nanocluster, the first series of mixed‐ligand cluster homologues is identified, with a unified formula of Au44(PPh3)n(TBBT)28−2n (n=0–2). The Au44(PPh3)(TBBT)26 nanocluster having major structural defects at the bottom of the fcc lattice demonstrates superior electrocatalytic performance in the CO2 reduction to CO. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the active site near the defects significantly lowers the free energy for the *COOH formation, the rate‐determining step in the whole catalytic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The systematic induction of structural defects at the atomic level is crucial to metal nanocluster research because it endows cluster‐based catalysts with highly reactive centers and allows for a comprehensive investigation of viable reaction pathways. Herein, by substituting neutral phosphine ligands for surface anionic thiolate ligands, we establish that one or two Au3 triangular units can be successfully introduced into the double‐stranded helical kernel of Au44(TBBT)28, where TBBT=4‐tert‐butylbenzenethiolate, resulting in the formation of two atomically precise defective Au44 nanoclusters. Along with the regular face‐centered‐cubic (fcc) nanocluster, the first series of mixed‐ligand cluster homologues is identified, with a unified formula of Au44(PPh3)n(TBBT)28−2n (n=0–2). The Au44(PPh3)(TBBT)26 nanocluster having major structural defects at the bottom of the fcc lattice demonstrates superior electrocatalytic performance in the CO2 reduction to CO. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the active site near the defects significantly lowers the free energy for the *COOH formation, the rate‐determining step in the whole catalytic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging smart cities and digital twins are currently built from heterogenous cutting-edge low-power remote sensing systems limited by diverse inefficient communication and information technologies. Future smart cities delivering time-critical services and responses must transition towards utilizing massive numbers of sensors and more efficient integrated systems that rapidly communicate intelligent self-adaptation for collaborative operations. Here, we propose a critical futuristic integrated communication element named City Sensing Base Station (CSBS), inspired by base stations for cell phones that address similar concerns. A CSBS is designed to handle massive volumes of heterogeneous observation data that currently need to be upgraded by middleware or registered. It also provides predictive and interpolation modelling for the control of sensors and response units such as emergency services and drones. A prototype of CSBS demonstrated that it could unify readily available heterogeneous sensing devices, including surveillance video, unmanned aerial vehicles, and ground sensor webs. Collaborative observation capability was also realized by integrating different object detection sources using advanced computer-vision technologies. Experiments with a traffic accident and water pipeline emergency showed sensing and intelligent analyses were greatly improved. CSBS also significantly reduced redundant Internet connections while maintaining high efficiency. This innovation successfully integrates high-density, high-diversity, and high-precision sensing in a distributed way for the future digital twin of cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pedestrian object detection and tracking have attracted much attention in the computer vision field. An improved multi-pedestrian tracking model is proposed, which improves the basic framework of Deep SORT and integrates Mask R-CNN to realize the detection, tracking and pose estimation f pedestrian. The anchor boxes with the more suitable aspect ratio for pedestrian target are adopted, which replace the anchor boxes of RPN to speed up the model and improve performance without complex calculation. In addition, attention mechanism is introduced into the deep residual network, i. e., the lightweight SKNet is used to choose the best convolution kernel adaptively to improve the feature representation for target detection. The histogram of gradient feature combined with color information is adopted instead of the convolution feature, which improves appearance feature association matching in the Deep SORT model so as to track pedestrian targets effectively under occlusion. The impact of various improvements on the model are verified through ablation studies, and the proposed model is compared with the current mainstream model. Experimental results show that the improved models are effective, which improves MOTA of NSH by 6% on the MOT16 tracking data set. The test performance of our proposal on the public datasets is superior to that of the compared models. The proposed model can still rack pedestrian targets effectively when the background moves or pedestrian targets are occluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a characterization of upper semi-Fredholm operators due to A. Lebow and M. Schechter, we introduce and investigate a new quantity characterizing upper semi-Fredholm operators. This quantity and several well-known quantities are used to characterize bounded compact approximation property. Similarly, a new quantity characterizing lower semi-Fredholm operators is introduced, investigated and used to characterize the bounded compact approximation property for dual spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to establish generalized fractional integral inequalities for operators containing Mittag–Leffler functions. By applying (α , h − m) − p -convexity of real valued functions, generalizations of many well-known inequalities are obtained. Hadamard-type inequalities for various classes of functions are given in particular cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rouse formula and its variants have been widely used to describe the vertical distribution of the sediment concentration in sediment-laden flows in equilibrium. Han's formula extends the Rouse formula to non-equilibrium regimes, where the diffusive flux is still assumed to be Fickian. The turbulent flow and suspension regimes downstream of a mega-reservoir, e.g., the Three Gorges Reservoir, usually exhibit fractal and unsaturated properties, respectively. To characterize the non-Fickian dynamics of suspended sediment and the non-equilibrium regime in natural dammed rivers, this study proposes a new formula for the concentration profile of unsaturated sediment based on the Hausdorff fractal derivative advection–dispersion equation. In addition, we find that the order of the Hausdorff fractal derivative is related to the sizes of the sediment and the degrees of non-equilibrium. Compared to Rouse and Han's formulae, the new formula performs better in describing the sediment concentration profiles in the Jingjiang Reach, approximately 100 km below the Three Gorges Dam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a half-century, the commercial wild silkworm, Antheraea pernyi, has been protected by coumaphos, which is an internal organophosphorus insecticide used to kill the potential parasitic fly larvae inside. Knowledge about the detoxification genes of A. pernyi as well as the detoxification mechanism for this species remains severely limited. In this study, we identified 281 detoxification genes (32 GSTs, 48 ABCs, 104 CYPs, and 97 COEs) in the genome of this insect, which are unevenly distributed over 46 chromosomes. When compared to the domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori, a lepidopteran model species, A. pernyi has a similar number of ABCs, but a greater number of GSTs, CYPs, and COEs. By transcriptome-based expression analysis, we found that coumaphos at a safe concentration level significantly changed the pathways related to ATPase complex function and the transporter complex in A. pernyi. KEGG functional enrichment analysis indicated that protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum was the most affected pathway after coumaphos treatment. Finally, we identified four significantly up-regulated detoxification genes (ABCB1, ABCB3, ABCG11, and ae43) and one significantly down-regulated detoxification gene (CYP6AE9) in response to coumaphos treatment, suggesting that these five genes may contribute to detoxification of coumaphos in A. pernyi. Our study provides the first set of detoxification genes for wild silkworms from Saturniidae and highlights the importance of detoxification gene repertoire in insect pesticide tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ta2O5-Y2O3 co-doped ZrO2 (TYSZ) powders were prepared by high-temperature solid-phase synthesis, and a TYSZ coating was prepared by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). The phase structures, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and thermal conductivity of the TYSZ and YSZ coating were studied. Thermal cycling was performed at 1400 °C to evaluate the feasibility of TYSZ as an optimal ceramic material for next-generation gas-turbine thermal barrier coatings. The results indicate that the sintered agglomerated TYSZ powders are regular solid spheres with uniform particle size and good flow performance, which meet the requirements of the APS. The TYSZ coating had a typical layered structure, and the coating bond strength was 27.5 MPa. In contrast to the stable t phase of the powder, the TYSZ coating has a cubic phase due to oxygen defects caused by oxygen escaping during spraying. After high-temperature heat treatment (>1300 °C), the cubic phase of the TYSZ coating reverted to the t phase. Due to the specially designed substitution defects, the coefficient of thermal expansion of TYSZ is slightly lower than that of YSZ, and the thermal conductivity is much lower than that of the YSZ coating. After 84 cycles, spalling and cracking occurred in the TYSZ coating near the bond coat and ceramic interface. The mismatch in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the TYSZ coating and the substrate appears to be the primary reason for the coating failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]