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Mulberry is a perennial deciduous woody plant, and its leaves are homologous food of medicine and food, which have been widely used in feed industry in recent years. After fermentation, the content of anti-nutritional factors such as cellulose and tannin in mulberry leaves is reduced, and the content of crude protein, crude fat, amino acids, and minerals is abundant, which has the effect of improving feed conversion rate and animal product quality. The paper mainly introduces the contents of conventional nutrients, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals in mulberry leaves, the commonly used strains for fermentation, and the changes of nutrients, anti-nutritional factors and bioactive substances in mulberry leaves after fermentation. The effects of fermented mulberry leaves on growth performance, meat quality, and intestinal health of pigs, ruminants, poultry and fish were summarized. The future research direction of mulberry in the field of feed industry was prospected, in order to provide a reference for the efficient utilization of mulberry in animal production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNAs that occupy a significant role in biological processes as important regulators of intracellular homeostasis. First, we will discuss the biological genesis and functions of the miR‐302/367 cluster, including miR‐302a, miR‐302b, miR‐302c, miR‐302d, and miR‐367, as well as their roles in physiologically healthy tissues. The second section of this study reviews the progress of the miR‐302/367 cluster in the treatment of cancer, inflammation, and diseases associated with aging. This cluster's aberrant expression in cells and/or tissues exhibits similar or different effects in various diseases through molecular mechanisms such as proliferation, apoptosis, cycling, drug resistance, and invasion. This article also discusses the upstream and downstream regulatory networks of miR‐302/367 clusters and their related mechanisms. Particularly because studies on the upstream regulatory molecules of miR‐302/367 clusters, which include age‐related macular degeneration, myocardial infarction, and cancer, have become more prevalent in recent years. MiR‐302/367 cluster can be an important therapeutic target and the use of miRNAs in combination with other molecular markers may improve diagnostic or therapeutic capabilities, providing unique insights and a more dynamic view of various diseases. It is noted that miRNAs can be an important bio‐diagnostic target and offer a promising method for illness diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Significance statement: Eight microRNA precursors and five microRNA matrices are produced by the miR‐302/367 cluster, which is found on human chromosome 4. In addition to playing an important function in both health and disease, miR‐302/367 can affect how certain drugs for cancer work. The miR‐302/367 cluster's regulation mechanism is made up of an enormous number of components. An increasing body of research is being done on this network's targets, signaling pathways, and other associated molecular mechanisms. The bio‐diagnostic target activities of the miR‐302/367 cluster can be thoroughly investigated in the future to support clinical translation and raise the cluster's clinical utility. Our research uncovered some intriguing data that can offer pertinent hints for upcoming investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(B) CT features of intradermal nevus: high refraction nevus cell mass and nest-like distribution can be seen in the dermis. Dear Editor, Exogenous pigment diseases usually include artificially required skin tattoos, such as tattoos,[[1]] eyebrow tattoos, and post-traumatic foreign body implants caused by various accidents, such as the marks formed when pencil lead accidentally pierces the skin. (C) A large amount of blue-black pigment particles in the middle and upper part of the dermis (HE staining×40). gl I hope this sharing will be beneficial to clinicians, helping them understand the skin CT features of exogenous pigment diseases and differentiate them from other diseases. [Extracted from the article]

Entirely inorganic polyoxometalate cluster-anion ligands are herein used to entrap and impart heat resistance to metastable metal-oxide based NCs. This is demonstrated by trapping 6-line ferrihydrite NCs that form as intermediates in the spontaneous conversion of β-FeOOH to hematite (α-Fe2O3). The results suggest that polyoxometalate ligation may prove to be a general method for stabilizing metastable phases as the cores of entirely inorganic macro-anion like complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) images are classified mainly according to the backscattering information of ground objects. For regions with complex backscattering information, misclassification is easy to occur, which leads to challenges in improving the classification accuracy of the PolSAR image. Given this situation, this paper combines the Deep Learning Model and traditional classifiers to classify PolSAR image. First, the Convolution Neural Network (CNN) was used to classify the PolSAR image and according to the category prediction probability of pixels, the key pixels easily misclassified are located. Then, the adaptive boosting (AdaBoost) algorithm combined the three shallow classifiers (the Support Vector Machine (SVM), the Wishart and the Decision Tree classifier) into strong classifiers to reclassify the key pixels. Finally, the labels of key pixels and other pixels are output as the final classification result. Experiments on two PolSAR images show that the proposed method can improve classification performance and obtain better classification results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether we are discussing revolution, construction or reform, the most fundamental question is always that of the path being pursued. In exploring its path of socialism with Chinese characteristics over the past century, the Communist Party of China has moved from "following the path of the Russians" to "learning to walk independently," and then to "taking China's own path and building socialism with Chinese characteristics" and "unswervingly taking the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics." In the process, the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics has become clearer and broader, and has shown a strong, continuing vitality. The implications of this transformation are as follows: upholding the principle of independence, since copying the experience and models of other countries will never succeed; innovating on the basis of what has worked in the past, and combine the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities; maintaining the foundation of Chinese civilization, and combine the basic principles of Marxism with China's rich traditional culture so as to enhance the vitality of Chinese national civilization; Keeping the world in mind, since "taking China's own path" is simultaneously to take the path of world civilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of highly efficient and cost-effective catalysts to drive the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is of significant importance for sustainable energy and energy conversion. However, the acceleration of the sluggish kinetics of the OER relies primarily on the use of noble metals at present. In this work, we proposed a series of single/dual metal atoms loaded on N, S-doped graphene and investigated the OER mechanism with dual metal and nonmetal active sites at the atomic level using density functional theory (DFT). The theoretical results reveal that dual active sites, including the doping of N, S and dual transition metals in catalysts (M1M2N8S-gra, M1= Co, Ni, Fe, M2= Co, Ni, Fe, Cu), can reduce the overpotential and thereby synergistically promote the catalytic efficiency in the OER process. Notably, CoCo and FeFe based dual atoms catalysts exhibit the lowest theoretical overpotential and the promising OER catalytic activity. The superior catalytic activity arises from the modulated charge transfer between the catalysts and the adsorbed intermediates, appropriate adsorption energies for adsorption and desorption and resulted reduced overpotential, and can be attributed to the dual active sites with the incorporation of S and the second metal atoms. Our study provides theoretical insights into the dual active site mechanisms for the OER at the atomic level, offering a new perspective for designing high performance OER catalysts.Graphical Abstract: The development of highly efficient and cost-effective catalysts to drive the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is of significant importance for sustainable energy and energy conversion. However, the acceleration of the sluggish kinetics of the OER relies primarily on the use of noble metals at present. In this work, we proposed a series of single/dual metal atoms loaded on N, S-doped graphene and investigated the OER mechanism with dual metal and nonmetal active sites at the atomic level using density functional theory (DFT). The theoretical results reveal that dual active sites, including the doping of N, S and dual transition metals in catalysts (M1M2N8S-gra, M1= Co, Ni, Fe, M2= Co, Ni, Fe, Cu), can reduce the overpotential and thereby synergistically promote the catalytic efficiency in the OER process. Notably, CoCo and FeFe based dual atoms catalysts exhibit the lowest theoretical overpotential and the promising OER catalytic activity. The superior catalytic activity arises from the modulated charge transfer between the catalysts and the adsorbed intermediates, appropriate adsorption energies for adsorption and desorption and resulted reduced overpotential, and can be attributed to the dual active sites with the incorporation of S and the second metal atoms. Our study provides theoretical insights into the dual active site mechanisms for the OER at the atomic level, offering a new perspective for designing high performance OER catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground-based interferometric synthetic aperture radar (GB-InSAR) technology can be applied to generate a digital elevation model (DEM) with high spatial resolution and high accuracy. Phase unwrapping is a critical procedure, and unwrapping errors cannot be effectively avoided in the interferometric measurements of terrains with discontinuous heights. In this paper, an improved multi-baseline phase unwrapping (MB PU) method for GB-InSAR is proposed. This method combines the advantages of the cluster-analysis-based MB PU algorithm and the minimum cost flow (MCF) method. A cluster-analysis-based MB PU algorithm (CA-based MB PU) is firstly utilized to unwrap the clustered pixels with high phase quality. Under the topological constraints of a triangulation network, the connectivity graph of any non-clustered pixel is established with its adjacent unwrapped cluster pixels. Then, the absolute phase of these non-clustered pixels can be identified using the MCF method. Additionally, a spatial-distribution-based denoising algorithm is utilized to denoise the data in order to further improve the accuracy of the phase unwrapping. The DEM generated by one GB-InSAR is compared with that generated by light detection and ranging (LiDAR). Both simulated and experimental datasets are utilized to verify the effectiveness and robustness of this improved method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the relationship between transglutaminase type 2 (TG2) and pulmonary vascular remodeling in the formation of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and to investigate the effect of the inhibitor cystamine dihydrochloride on pulmonary vascular remodeling in rats with PAH. Thirty healthy male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group, a PAH model group, and an intervention group. The mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), the right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI), the percentage wall thickness of the pulmonary artery (WT%), and the degree of neointimal proliferation were measured, and the pathological changes in the pulmonary tissues were observed.Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expressions of TG2, 5-hydroxytryptamine transporter (5-HTT), and Rho-associated protein kinase 2 (ROCK2) in the pulmonary tissues of the three groups of rats were detected. Compared with the control group, the mPAP, RVHI, and WT% were significantly higher in the model group, the degree of neointimal proliferation was significantly increased, and the mRNA and protein expressions of TG2, 5-HTT, and ROCK2 in the pulmonary tissue were significantly increased. Compared with the model group, the mPAP, RVHI, WT%, and the degree of neointimal proliferation were significantly lower in the intervention group, as were the mRNA and protein expressions of TG2, 5-HTT, and ROCK2 in the pulmonary tissue. The TG2 inhibitor cystamine dihydrochloride can prevent the formation of PAH to some extent. This might be due to the inhibition of the TG2 activity, 5-HTT expression, and possibly the inhibition of RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics have attracted global attention because of their potential ecological and health risks. The emission, multimedia fate and risk of 18 selected antibiotics in the entire Yangtze River basin were evaluated by using a level Ⅳ fugacity model. High antibiotic emissions were found in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin. The total antibiotic emissions in the Yangtze River basin exceeded 1600 tons per year between 2013 and 2021. The spatial distribution of antibiotics concentration was the upper Yangtze River > middle Yangtze River > lower Yangtze River, which is positively correlated with animal husbandry size in the basin. Temperature and precipitation increases may decrease the antibiotic concentrations in the environment. Transfer fluxes showed that source emission inputs, advection processes, and degradation fluxes contributed more to the total input and output. High ecological risks in the water environment were found in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. The comprehensive health risk assessment through drinking water and fish consumption routes showed that a small part of the Yangtze River basin is at medium risk, and children have a relatively high degree of health risk. This study provides a scientific basis for the pollution control of antibiotics at the basin scale. [Display omitted] • Emission of antibiotics in the entire Yangtze River basin was estimated. • Antibiotics concentrations were positively correlated with animal husbandry size. • The fate of antibiotics in the Yangtze River basin was reported comprehensively. • High antibiotics ecological risks in the water environment are found in 2019, 2020, and 2021. • Most of the Yangtze River basin is at low health risk, and a small part is at medium risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain W712T was isolated from rhizosphere soil of Nicotiana tabacum L. collected from Kunming, south-west China. Cells were Gram-staining negative, aerobic, motile and rod shaped. The isolate grew at 20–45 °C (optimum 30 °C), pH 6.0–8.0 (optimum pH 7.0) and in the presence of up to 3.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 1%, w/v). Ubiquinone-10 was the only respiratory quinone type. Polar lipids contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmehtylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and an unidentified aminolipid. The major fatty acids were detected as summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c or C18:1 ω6c), summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c or C16:1 ω6c) and C18:1 2OH. The genomic DNA G + C content was 68.7%. The ANI values were 94.3%, 93.3% and 93.6% between Azospirillum baldaniorum Sp245T, Azospirillum brasilense ATCC 49958T, Azospirillum formosense CC-Nfb-7T and strain W712T, respectively, which were lower than the prokaryotic species delineation threshold of 95.0–96.0%. The digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between A. baldaniorum Sp245T, A. brasilense ATCC 49958T, A. formosense CC-Nfb-7T and strain W712T indicated that the candidate represents a novel genomic species. According to the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, we propose that strain W712T warrants the assignment to a novel species, for which the name Azospirillum tabaci sp. nov. (type strain W712T = CGMCC 1.18567T = KCTC 82186T) is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to analyse tyrosinase (TYR) pathogenic variants in a Chinese Mongolian family with progressive symmetric erythrokeratoderma (PSEK). We collected clinical data and peripheral blood DNA samples from the initial patient and his family members for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and whole-exome sequencing of the coding region of TYR. Genetic analysis showed a TYR insertion (c. 929_930insC; p.Arg311Lysfs*7) in the patient that was not detected in any of the normal family members or in 100 healthy controls. This report provides the first description of this TYR pathogenic variant (c. 929_930insC) in a family; functional studies and further research are needed for an in-depth analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistance in Kawasaki disease (KD) was associated with coronary artery lesions. Neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio (NPAR) is an index of mortality in several inflammatory diseases. This study focused on the association of NPAR with IVIG- resistance in KD. Clinical and laboratory data of 438 children with KD before IVIG treatment were retrospectively analyzed. Notably, high NPAR was associated with older age, high WBC, NP, ALT, total bilirubin and CRP, as well as with high the incidence of IVIG-resistance, and with low hemoglobin (Hb), PLT, ALB and sodium levels. NPAR (OR: 2.366, 95% CI: 1.46–3.897, p = 0.001) and Hb (OR: 0.967, 95% CI: 0.944–0.989, p = 0.004) were independent risk factors for IVIG-resistance. NPAR showed linear relation with IVIG-resistance (p for nonlinear = 0.711) and the nonlinear correlation was found between IVIG-resistance and Hb (p for nonlinear = 0.002). The predictive performance of NPAR was superior to Beijing model (z = 2.193, p = 0.028), and not inferior to Chongqing model (z = 0.983, p = 0.326) and the combination of NPAR and Hb (z = 1.912, p = 0.056). These findings revealed that NPAR is a reliable predictor of IVIG-resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formic acid (HCOOH) is one of the most promising chemical fuels that can be produced through CO2 electroreduction. However, most of the catalysts for CO2 electroreduction to HCOOH in aqueous solution often suffer from low current density and limited production rate. Herein, we provide a bismuth/cerium oxide (Bi/CeOx) catalyst, which exhibits not only high current density (149 mA cm−2), but also unprecedented production rate (2600 μmol h−1 cm−2) with high Faradaic efficiency (FE, 92 %) for HCOOH generation in aqueous media. Furthermore, Bi/CeOx also shows favorable stability over 34 h. We hope this work could offer an attractive and promising strategy to develop efficient catalysts for CO2 electroreduction with superior activity and desirable stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formic acid (HCOOH) is one of the most promising chemical fuels that can be produced through CO2 electroreduction. However, most of the catalysts for CO2 electroreduction to HCOOH in aqueous solution often suffer from low current density and limited production rate. Herein, we provide a bismuth/cerium oxide (Bi/CeOx) catalyst, which exhibits not only high current density (149 mA cm−2), but also unprecedented production rate (2600 μmol h−1 cm−2) with high Faradaic efficiency (FE, 92 %) for HCOOH generation in aqueous media. Furthermore, Bi/CeOx also shows favorable stability over 34 h. We hope this work could offer an attractive and promising strategy to develop efficient catalysts for CO2 electroreduction with superior activity and desirable stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rational design for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts is pivotal to the overall efficiency of water electrolysis. Much work has been devoted to understanding cation leaching and surface reconstruction of very active electrocatalysts, but little on intentionally promoting the surface in a controlled fashion. We now report controllable anodic leaching of Cr in CoCr2O4 by activating the pristine material at high potential, which enables the transformation of inactive spinel CoCr2O4 into a highly active catalyst. The depletion of Cr and consumption of lattice oxygen facilitate surface defects and oxygen vacancies, exposing Co species to reconstruct into active Co oxyhydroxides differ from CoOOH. A novel mechanism with the evolution of tetrahedrally coordinated surface cation into octahedral configuration via non‐concerted proton‐electron transfer is proposed. This work shows the importance of controlled anodic potential in modifying the surface chemistry of electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rational design for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts is pivotal to the overall efficiency of water electrolysis. Much work has been devoted to understanding cation leaching and surface reconstruction of very active electrocatalysts, but little on intentionally promoting the surface in a controlled fashion. We now report controllable anodic leaching of Cr in CoCr2O4 by activating the pristine material at high potential, which enables the transformation of inactive spinel CoCr2O4 into a highly active catalyst. The depletion of Cr and consumption of lattice oxygen facilitate surface defects and oxygen vacancies, exposing Co species to reconstruct into active Co oxyhydroxides differ from CoOOH. A novel mechanism with the evolution of tetrahedrally coordinated surface cation into octahedral configuration via non‐concerted proton‐electron transfer is proposed. This work shows the importance of controlled anodic potential in modifying the surface chemistry of electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The pathogenesis of germinal center B-cell type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (GCB-DLBCL) is not fully elucidated. This study aims to explore the regulation of super enhancers (SEs) on GCB-DLBCL by identifying specific SE-target gene. Methods: Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to screen modules associated with GCB subtype. Functional analysis was performed by gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment. H3K27ac peaks were used to identify SEs. Overall survival analysis was performed using Kaplan–Meier curve with log-rank and Breslow test. The effect of ADNP, ANKRD28 and RTN4IP1 knockdown on Karpas 422 and SUDHL-4 cells proliferation was analyzed by CCK-8. Karpas 422 and SUDHL-4 cells were treated with bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) inhibitor JQ1, and the expression of ADNP, ANKRD28 and RTN4IP1was measured by qRT-PCR. Results: A total of 26 modules were screened in DLBCL. Turquoise module was closely related to GCB-DLBCL, and its eigengenes were mainly related to autophagy. There were 971 SEs in Karpas 422 cell and 1088 SEs in SUDHL-4 cell. Function of the nearest genes of overall SEs were related to cancer. Six SE-related genes associated with GCB-DLBCL were identified as prognostic markers. Knockdown of ADNP, ANKRD28 and RTN4IP1 inhibited the proliferation of Karpas 422 and SUDHL-4 cells. JQ1 treatment suppressed ADNP, ANKRD28 and RTN4IP1 expression in Karpas 422 and SUDHL-4 cells. Conclusions: A total of 6 SE-related genes associated with GCB-DLBCL overall survival were identified in this study. These results will serve as a theoretical basis for further study of gene regulation and function of GCB-DLBCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dear Editor, Skin, the largest organ of the human body, is organized into an elaborate layered structure consisting mainly of the outermost epidermis and the underlying dermis. Stratum lucidum: It is located between stratum granulosum and stratum corneum, and is only found in the thicker epidermis such as palm and plantar. The five fingers of the hand from the small finger to the thumb represent stratum basale, stratum spinosum, stratum granulosum, stratum lucidum, and stratum corneum. [Extracted from the article]

The electroreduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to value‐added fuels is of great significance to meet the ever‐increasing energy and environmental challenges. So far, desirable selectivity and Faradaic efficiency for CO2 reduction can be obtained over most electrocatalysts. However, improving cathodic energy efficiency is still neglected in research. Herein, a facile reduction method is first presented to synthesize the ultrafine non‐noble bismuth (Bi) nanoparticles anchored on rGO (Bi/rGO). As expected, the Bi/rGO catalyst exhibits excellent electrochemical performance on CO2 reduction to form formic acid (HCOOH), with very high Faradaic efficiency (up to 98%), favorable stability (over 12 h), and especially outstanding cathodic energy efficiency (up to 71%). Further, density functional theory (DFT) calculations are performed to investigate the possible reaction mechanism for reduction of CO2 to HCOOH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Urban parks play an important role in promoting physical activity (PA) among adults and especially among older city residents. According to the socioecological approach the association of physical environments and psychosocial factors in the context of park-based PA of elderly have not been systematically examined until now, let alone the relevance of the city (urban area) on a cross-cultural level. This study investigated selected aspects of (1) the association of psychosocial and park environmental factors with park-based physical activity (PBPA) of older people; and (2) the moderating effect of city on the association of these factors with PBPA.Methods: A face-to-face survey was conducted of a mixed-culture sample from different urban surroundings in Hong Kong (HK) and Leipzig (L). In six parks of each city physically active elderly (> = 60 years; HK: n = 306; L: n = 311) were recruited. Multiple linear regressions were used to analyse the association between psychosocial factors and perceived environmental factors with PBPA and the moderating effect of city.Results: Controlled for demographic variables, all other psychosocial factors were significantly related to PBPA, except social support. In terms of environmental factors, PBPA was positively associated with safety, attractiveness, features and negatively associated with park time distance. Controlled for demographic variables, psychosocial and environmental factors, the moderating effect of city on the associations of park features and park time distance with PBPA was not significant in HK. In contrast, there was a significant positive relationship for park features and a negative relationship for park time distance with PBPA in L.Conclusions: Psychosocial and perceived environmental factors significantly influence PBPA of older people. City moderates the associations of these factors and independently contributes to park-based PA of the elderly. The different interactions of environmental factors and urban area for PBPA of elderly can support policy makers on the municipal level in choosing adequate strategies for promoting PA of older people in parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of chromatin assembly factor 1 subunit A (CHAF1A) in the pathogenesis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as well as its association with disease prognosis. The expression levels of CHAF1A in NSCLC tissues were detected by immunohistochemical staining. The relationship between CHAF1A and patient survival was analysed. The effects of CHAF1A knock-down on cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell clones and cellular apoptosis were also analysed. The results showed that CHAF1A staining was observed in the cell nuclei in the NSCLC tissue, with higher H-score. In the CHAF1A low-expression group, the 5-year survival rate was significantly higher and the recurrence rate was significantly lower compared with the high-expression group. Tumour size, lymph node metastasis, clinical staging and H-score represented influencing factors related to the 5-year survival. CHAF1A expression was significantly associated with the 5-year overall survival and metastasis and recurrence of NSCLC. In addition, CHAF1A knock-down inhibited the proliferation and changed the cell cycles, cell clones and cellular apoptosis in the lung cancer cells. The results indicated that higher CHAF1A expression is related to shortened survival period of NSCLC, and CHAF1A knock-down inhibited the proliferation of lung cancer cell lines. CHAF1A might represent a disease prognostic predictor in clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the severe speckle noise of a fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar image and the complex backscattering mechanism at the junction of different land covers, some of the pixels are easily mislabeled, especially on the edge of the land covers. To address this issue, this study presents a novel scheme that selects polarimetric features step by step to participate in classification through different classification mechanisms. Different from previous classification methods where all land covers are described by the same polarimetric features, we make a fine selection of polarimetric features for each land cover with the help of information entropy and contextual information. Among many polarimetric features, elements of the covariance matrix and the coherence matrix are selected to optimize the original classification results. The experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve good classification results, especially in the edge area of land covers. Compared to traditional classification methods, the proposed method is robust and is able to improve the overall accuracy by more than 5.58% and the kappa coefficient by more than 0.0613. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/Introduction. This study is aimed at (1) investigating the change of β-cell dysfunction as baseline fasting glucose progresses in newly diagnosed patients with T2DM and (2) finding whether body mass index (BMI) has different degrees of impact on insulin secretion as baseline fasting glucose progresses. Materials and Methods. 661 patients with newly diagnosed T2DM were enrolled in the present study. A 75 g oral glucose tolerance test was used to calculate HOMA-β, HOMA-IR, early-phase insulin secretion index (EISI, calculated as ΔI30/ΔG30), and area under the insulin releasing curve (AUCI0-180). Patients were divided into low, medium, and high FBG groups. Each group was further divided into lean, overweight, and obese subgroups according to BMI. Results. A decrease of EISI and HOMA-β and an increase of HOMA-IR were shown among different FBG groups significantly. In the medium FBG group, AUCI0-180, EISI, HOMA-β, and HOMA-IR in obese patients were higher than those in lean and overweight patients. In the low and high FBG groups, AUCI0-180, HOMA-β, and HOMA-IR in obese patients were higher than those in other subgroups. BMI was positively associated with high EISI in the medium FBG group but failed to yield a significant association with EISI in the low and high FBG groups. Conclusions. During the progression of baseline FBG, β-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance worsened. As FBG increased, increased BMI had a positive influence on β-cell dysfunction in all FBG groups. The independent factors that correlated to EISI differed with the increasing of baseline FBG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• KD is the most common cause of acquired heart disease in children, as it could result in coronary artery lesions. • Intravenous immunoglobulin-resistance is associated with coronary artery lesions. • Serum IL-41 might be a promising biomarker for intravenous immunoglobulin-resistance and coronary artery lesions. This study aimed to evaluate serum IL-41 levels in IVIG resistance and CALs, and to elucidate the relationship between IL-41 and Kawasaki disease (KD)-related clinical parameters. 93 children with KD were collected. Baseline clinical data were obtained by physical examination. Serum IL-41 levels were detected with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The correlations between IL-41 and the clinical parameter of KD were performed by Spearman correlation coefficient. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to assess the predictive ability of IL-41 for IVIG resistance and CALs. Serum IL-41 levels were significantly increased in the IVIG resistance group compared with the response group, and serum IL-41 levels in the CALs group were higher than those in the non-CALs group. Serum IL-41 levels were positively correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and C-reactive protein/albumin ratio, but negatively correlated with albumin. Serum IL-41 levels was an independent risk factor for CALs, and total fever days and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were independent predictors for IVIG resistance. The area under the curve (AUC) value for serum IL-41 to predict IVIG resistance was 0.73, yielding a sensitivity of 54.55% and a specificity of 81.71%. The AUC of serum IL-41 was 0.712, with a sensitivity of 63.16% and a specificity of 72.97% for predicting CALs. IL-41 was not inferior to NLR in predicting IVIG resistance (z = 0.282, p = 0.7783). Serum IL-41 was increased in IVIG resistance and CALs. Serum IL-41 might be a new potential biomarker for IVIG resistance and CALs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jitter decomposition is a key tool to identify root causes of jitters in a high-speed digital communication system. It is a huge challenge in balancing the test cost and precision for conventional decomposition methods implemented in instruments where the time interval error (TIE) data are necessary. In this paper, we propose a deterministic jitter decomposition method using Boolean output from a network of simple low-cost comparators to identify the deviation of current sampling position from the ideal sampling position instead of TIE data. The new method simultaneously separates intersymbol interference (ISI), periodic jitter (PJ), and duty cycle distortion (DCD). Simulation and measurement results demonstrate that the proposed method can estimate the ISI, PJ, and DCD with sufficient accuracy using significantly fewer data samples than the state-of-the-art instrument test, and thus, reduce test cost greatly. Furthermore, the comparators have extremely relaxed design requirements, offering potential for possible on-chip implementation for built-in self-test or background test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a high-speed digital communication system, jitter performance plays a crucial role in bit-error rate. It is important to accurately derive each type of jitter as well as total jitter and to identify root causes of jitter by jitter decomposition as a key tool. In this paper, we extend our previously reported algorithm to decompose duty cycle distortion as well as other deterministic jitter components including periodic jitter (PJ), intersymbol interference (ISI), and random jitter (RJ), and describe more detail of this algorithm with extensively simulation and measurements to verify the algorithm. The proposed ISI model only requires the time invariant condition, which is true for almost all systems, while the traditional ISI model is valid only with linear time invariant assumption. Compared to the conventional methods, the proposed jitter decomposition method is able to obtain estimated individual jitter component values with good accuracy by using fewer samples of total jitter data. The efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method were demonstrated by simulation and hardware experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the occurrence and 90-day mortality of cancer patients following unplanned admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), as well as to develop a risk prediction model for their 90-day prognosis. We prospectively analyzed data from cancer patients who were admitted to the ICU without prior planning within the past 7 days, specifically between May 12, 2021, and July 12, 2021. The patients were grouped based on their 90-day survival status, and the aim was to identify the risk factors influencing their survival status. A total of 1488 cases were included in the study, with an average age of 63.2 ± 12.4 years. The most common reason for ICU admission was sepsis (n = 940, 63.2%). During their ICU stay, 29.7% of patients required vasoactive drug support (n = 442), 39.8% needed invasive mechanical ventilation support (n = 592), and 82 patients (5.5%) received renal replacement therapy. We conducted a multivariate COX proportional hazards model analysis, which revealed that BMI and a history of hypertension were protective factors. On the other hand, antitumor treatment within the 3 months prior to admission, transfer from the emergency department, general ward, or external hospital, high APACHE score, diagnosis of shock and respiratory failure, receiving invasive ventilation, and experiencing acute kidney injury (AKI) were identified as risk factors for poor prognosis within 90 days after ICU admission. The average length of stay in the ICU was 4 days, while the hospital stay duration was 18 days. A total of 415 patients died within 90 days after ICU admission, resulting in a mortality rate of 27.9%. We selected 8 indicators to construct the predictive model, which demonstrated good discrimination and calibration. The prognosis of cancer patients who are unplanned transferred to the ICU is generally poor. Assessing the risk factors and developing a risk prediction model for these patients can play a significant role in evaluating their prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a glucose-responsive metal–organic framework (MOF)-based insulin delivery nanosystem via a one-pot process. The system relies on the MOF response to glucose stimulation and this can promote insulin delivery. This nanosystem was successfully applied for glucose-responsive and self-regulated insulin release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new isocoumarins, (3R)-methyl-8-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-7-methoxydihydroisocoumarin (1) and (3R)-methyl-7,8-dimethoxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)dihydroisocoumarin (2), together with three known isocoumarins (3-5), were isolated from the fermentation products of an endophytic fungus Aspergillus versicolor. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1D and 2D NMR techniques. The anti-tobacco mosaic virus (anti-TMV) activities of compounds 1 and 2 were evaluated. Compounds 1 and 2 showed anti-TMV activities with inhibition rates of 21.8 and 18.6% at the concentration of 20 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are an important component in electronics design. One of the difficulties being faced is to be able to accurately and cost-effectively test the continually higher performance of ADCs under budget constraints. Test time for static linearity is a major portion of the total test cost. Our group proposed an ultrafast segmented model identification of linearity error (uSMILE) algorithm for estimating linearity, which reduces test time dramatically compared to the conventional method. However, this algorithm produces large estimation errors in low resolution ADCs (10-12 bits) when the input is a ramp signal, for which the quantization noise of ADC becomes a dominant part in the total noise. In this study, we propose three types of distribution dithering methods added to the ramp input signal to reduce the estimation error when uSMILE was applied to low resolution ADCs. Fixed pattern was proved to be the most efficient and cost-effective method by comparing with the Gaussian, uniform, and fixed-pattern distributions. The simulation results indicate that the estimation error can be significantly reduced in a 12-bit SAR ADC with effective dithering. Furthermore, a hardware evaluation board with commercial ADC products was used to validate the effectiveness of the fixed-pattern dithering methods, and our measurement shows the INL estimation error can be reduced to less than 0.1 LSB. Such dithering method relaxes the input requirement of uSMILE algorithm which dramatically reduces the test setup cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dual-function material in which ferroelectricity and spin crossover coexist in the same temperature range has been obtained. Our synthetic strategy allows the construction of acentric crystal structures in a predictable way and is based on the high directionality of hydrogen bonds. The well-known iron(II) spin crossover complex [Fe(bpp)2]2+ (bpp=2,6-bis(pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine), a four-fold noncentrosymmetric H-bond donor, was combined with a disymmetric H-bond acceptor such as the isonicotinate (isonic) anion to afford [Fe(bpp)2](isonic)2⋅2 H2O. This low-spin iron(II) compound crystallizes in the acentric nonpolar I [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dual-function material in which ferroelectricity and spin crossover coexist in the same temperature range has been obtained. Our synthetic strategy allows the construction of acentric crystal structures in a predictable way and is based on the high directionality of hydrogen bonds. The well-known iron(II) spin crossover complex [Fe(bpp)2]2+ (bpp=2,6-bis(pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine), a four-fold noncentrosymmetric H-bond donor, was combined with a disymmetric H-bond acceptor such as the isonicotinate (isonic) anion to afford [Fe(bpp)2](isonic)2⋅2 H2O. This low-spin iron(II) compound crystallizes in the acentric nonpolar I [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a prismatic casing, which is a part of a variable geometry device, is designed to improve the effectiveness of its impact distribution. The fragment velocity of the casing is investigated experimentally by high-speed photography. The experimental data indicate that the fragment velocities are influenced by the rarefaction wave from both the axial and transverse directions. In addition, the Parallel for Multi-material in Cell 3D (pMMIC-3D) hydrocode, coupled with the Lagrangian marker-point weighted method, is used to numerically investigate the fragmentation process of the prismatic casing. The numerical results confirm the considerable influence of the rarefaction wave on the fragment velocity. Therefore, a correction formula is proposed to calculate the initial fragment velocity on the basis of the experimental data. The agreement between the numerical results and corrected results confirms that the correction formula can be used to predict the fragment distribution of such prismatic casings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, in clinical work, we examined some patients with epidermoid cysts with reflective confocal microscopy (skin computed tomography [CT]). By collecting real-time dynamic skin CT images of these patients, we found that epidermoid cysts have some common characteristics under skin CT. Through the above information, we have preliminarily explored the skin CT image characteristics of epidermoid cyst, provided a new imaging diagnostic basis for the diagnosis of epidermoid cyst, and made the diagnosis more rapid, safe, and convenient, which will be beneficial to clinicians. [Extracted from the article]

The implementation of perfect electric conductor (PEC) boundary condition for meshless radial point interpolation method (RPIM) with the weighted decaying Laguerre polynomial (WLP) is investigated. A novel uniform nodal placement is proposed and the number of H-nodes reduces to about a half of that for the conventional scheme. There are only E-nodes scattered on the PEC boundary. The E-node and H-node have the same scale of support domain nodes. The image theory is adopted to update the implicit electric equations on the PEC boundary. This scheme is also suitable for nonuniform node distribution. Numerical results have verified the accuracy of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial-driven straw-derived soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration plays pivotal role in promoting soil productivity and achieving C neutrality, while nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) input levels are the impetus of this process. However, our understanding of the microbial mechanism underpinning the straw-derived SOC fractions accumulation within aggregates under contrasting N and P application rates is rudimentary. Here, a 90-day incubation experiment was conducted to observe the dynamics of straw-derived SOC fractions accumulation within aggregates by adding C 3 straw (natural 13C-labeled substrate) to a Mollisol (in which C 3 plants had never been grown). Treatments included straw combinations of half N and regular P (N 1/2 +P + SR), regular N and half P (N + P 1/2 +SR) and regular N and P (N + P + SR). Regular N input accelerated the succession of the microbial community from bacteria-dominated to fungi-dominated and increased the contents of straw-derived particulate OC (POC) at 10 days and mineral-associated OC (MOC) at 30 days within aggregates. Differential abundance analysis and slopes of linear regression models showed that the fungal community, especially the core enriched taxon of Chaetomiaceae, was strongly positively correlated with straw-derived MOC after N input. Random forest models strengthened the view that N input rate and Chaetomiaceae richness may directly mediate straw-derived POC and MOC accumulation process, respectively, during incubation. To verify our conjecture, another 60-day incubation experiment was carried out to elucidate the effects of Chaetomium globosum inoculation and N application on SOC turnover after straw addition. Chaetomium globosum inoculation with regular N input promoted straw decomposition and SOC sequestration than other treatments, but no difference was observed in soil respiratory quotient compared with control. The slopes of linear regression model show the more significant and positive correlations between SOC content and Chaetomiaceae richness in the present study than data from previous references, impling the important role of Chaetomiaceae in SOC sequestration in Mollisols. Our work provides new ecophysiological angles for understanding the effect of Chaetomiaceae richness on the accrual of SOC in response to varying N levels in agroecosystems on the Northeast China Plain. [Display omitted] • We reveal the pathway of straw to SOC fractions by determining δ13 C. • N input levels regulate straw-derived SOC accumulation process, rather than P. • Succession of guides from bacteria to fungi optimized straw-derived SOC accumulation. • Chaetomiaceae's function in SOC accumulation was validated via culture inoculation. • Chaetomium globosum inoculation promoted SOC sequestration under regular N input. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports the syntheses, crystal structures, thermal and (photo)magnetic properties of spin crossover salts of formula [Fe(bpp)2](C6H8O4)·4H2O (1·4H2O), [Fe(bpp)2](C8H4O4)·2CH3OH·H2O (2·2MeOH·H2O) and [Fe(bpp)2](C8H4O4)·5H2O (2·5H2O) (bpp = 2,6-bis(pyrazol-3yl)pyridine; C6H8O4 = adipate dianion; C8H4O4 = terephthalate dianion). The salts exhibit an intricate network of hydrogen bonds between low-spin iron(ii) complexes and carboxylate dianions, with solvent molecules sitting in the voids. Desolvation is accompanied by a low-spin (LS) to high-spin (HS) transformation in the materials. The dehydrated phase 2 undergoes a two-step transition with a second step showing thermal hysteresis (T1/2↑ = 139 K and T1/2↓ = 118 K). 2 displays a quantitative LS to HS photomagnetic conversion, with a T(LIESST) value of 63 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partial reductive hydrolysis of a penta-CoII/III cluster [CoII4(H2O)2(CoIIIW9O34)(PW9O34)]12− (1) leads to the formation of [Co2{Co3(H2O)(Co(OH)2W7O26)(PW9O34)}2]22− (2). This polyoxometalate is made up of two capping [PW9O34]9− units and two bridging [W7O26]10− units that assemble to encapsulate a novel deca-CoII cluster core comprising octahedral and tetrahedral CoII ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyoxometalate (POM) chemistry has recently offered excellent examples of single ion magnets (SIMs) and molecular spin qubits. Compared with conventional coordination compounds, POMs provide rigid and highly symmetric coordination sites. However, all POM-based SIMs reported to date exhibit a very limited range of possibilities for chemical processability. We present herein two new families of POM-based SIMs which are soluble in organic solvents: [Ln(β-Mo8O26)2]5− {LnIII = Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm and Yb} and the functionalised POMs [Ln{Mo5O13(OMe)4NNC6H4-p-NO2}2]3− {LnIII = Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb and Nd}. In addition, these two families represent the first SIMs based on polyoxomolybdates. A magneto-structural analysis of these families is presented, which is based on an effective crystal field model, and compared with the results reported in analogous lanthanoid SIMs based on polyoxotungstates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ω-Hydroxy oleic acid is an important intermediate for the synthesis of certain polyesters and polyamides. In this study, a functional CYP153A/putidaredoxin (Pdx)/putidaredoxin reductase (Pdr) hybrid system was engineered for improved ω-hydroxylation activity towards oleic acid. By the combination of site-directed saturation mutagenesis (SDSM) and iterative saturation mutagenesis (ISM), a best mutant (Variant II) was obtained with mutations at two sites (S120 and P165) at the Pdx interaction interface with CYP153A, and one site (S453) in the substrate binding pocket. The in vitro-reconstituted activity of Variant II with purified Pdx and Pdr was 2.7-fold that of the template, while the whole cell transformation activity was 2.0-fold that of the template. A 96-well format-based screening scheme for CYP153A was also developed, which should be useful for engineering of other P450s with low activity. Kinetic analyses indicated that the activity improvement for CYP153A variants largely resulted from enhanced electron transfer. This further demonstrates the importance of the electron transfer between P450s and the non-native redox partners for the overall performance of hybrid P450 systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report two new single-ion magnets (SIMs) of a family of oxydiacetate lanthanide complexes with D3 symmetry to test the predictive capabilities of complete active space ab initio methods (CASSCF and CASPT2) and the semiempirical radial effective charge (REC) model. Comparison of the theoretical predictions of the energy levels, wave functions and magnetic properties with detailed spectroscopic and magnetic characterisation is used to critically discuss the limitations of these theoretical approaches. The need for spectroscopic information for a reliable description of the properties of lanthanide SIMs is emphasised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chondroitin sulfate was chemically conjugated to PEI25K through Michael addition to construct a non-viral gene carrier CS-PEI, and then the carrier was employed in miR-34a delivery to achieve the inhibition of cell proliferation and migration, using prostate tumor cell PC-3 as a model. The nanoparticle from CS-PEI and miR-34a at a mass ratio of 10 was prepared with particle size and zeta potential of 170.7 nm and +42.2 mV, respectively. Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy revealed that CS-PEI could efficiently induce the cellular uptake of miR-34a in a CD44-mediated endocytosis manner. Through CS-PEI-mediated miR-34a transfection, obvious cell apoptosis was observed with early apoptotic cells of 47.49%, and meanwhile the activation of caspase-3, -8 and -9, and decreased expression level of Bcl-2 were detected. Moreover, wound healing assay showed that CS-PEI/miR-34a transfection could inhibit the cell migration. Overall, CS-PEI is potentially employed as a promising tumor-targeting system for miR-34a delivery in tumor gene therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing laboratory findings indicate that n-3 fatty acids, mainly derived from fish, inhibit cancer development and progression, but results from epidemiologic studies have been inconsistent and inconclusive. Objective: To evaluate the association of fish intake with risk of liver cancer by conducting a meta-analysis. Methods: Published case-control/cohort studies that evaluated the relationship between total fish intake and risk of liver cancer were found on PubMed and EMBASE. The pooled relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained with the random-effects model. Results: Five retrospective case-control studies and 5 prospective cohort studies were included in the final analysis, involving a total of 3 624 liver cancer cases. Comparing the highest with the lowest category of total fish intake, the pooled RRs of liver cancer were 0.79 (95% CI, 0.59-1.06) for case-control studies, 0.82 (95% CI, 0.70-0.96) for cohort studies and 0.82 (95% CI, 0.71-0.94) for all studies combined. The protective effects of total fish intake against liver cancer were confirmed by stratified and sensitivity analyses. In addition, an increase in fish intake of 1 serving/week was estimated to be significantly associated with 6% lower risk of liver cancer (RR = 0.94, 95% CI, 0.91-0.98). Conclusions: Findings from this meta-analysis suggest that a higher fish intake is associated with reduced risk of liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new optimization-based approach for robotic motion planning among obstacles. Like CHOMP (Covariant Hamiltonian Optimization for Motion Planning), our algorithm can be used to find collision-free trajectories from naïve, straight-line initializations that might be in collision. At the core of our approach are (a) a sequential convex optimization procedure, which penalizes collisions with a hinge loss and increases the penalty coefficients in an outer loop as necessary, and (b) an efficient formulation of the no-collisions constraint that directly considers continuous-time safety Our algorithm is implemented in a software package called TrajOpt.We report results from a series of experiments comparing TrajOpt with CHOMP and randomized planners from OMPL, with regard to planning time and path quality. We consider motion planning for 7 DOF robot arms, 18 DOF full-body robots, statically stable walking motion for the 34 DOF Atlas humanoid robot, and physical experiments with the 18 DOF PR2. We also apply TrajOpt to plan curvature-constrained steerable needle trajectories in the SE(3) configuration space and multiple non-intersecting curved channels within 3D-printed implants for intracavitary brachytherapy. Details, videos, and source code are freely available at: http://rll.berkeley.edu/trajopt/ijrr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Recent advances in laser-induced color centers in different crystals are comprehensively reviewed, including diamond, silicon carbide, alkali halide crystals and others. • Cutting-edge applications of laser-induced color centers are introduced. • Current challenges and future perspective of this field have been discussed. • Cited figures are adapted carefully for a better understanding for readers. Color centers are widely used in quantum information, quantum sensing, micro-nano optics and other relevant fields. In addition to the traditional ways that can generate color centers, for instance, ion beam implantation, direct laser writing (DLW) technology has recently emerged as an appealing alternative to induce color centers because it enables true three-dimensional and high precision machining. Particularly, DLW can induce color centers near/on the surface or inside the crystals with a homogeneous and pure surrounding environment, which permits subsequent integration with other components. In this paper, the recent advances in laser-induced color centers in different crystals are comprehensively reviewed, including diamond, silicon carbide, alkali halide crystals and others. Meanwhile, cutting-edge applications of laser-induced color centers are introduced. Lastly, current challenges and future perspective of this field have been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] PBDEs were detected in the majority of e-waste. [•] PBDEs were found in TVs made in China after 1990. [•] The levels of ΣPBDEs in e-waste made in Japan far exceed the threshold limit of RoHS. [•] The inappropriate recycling and disposal of e-waste is an important source of PBDEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously introduced a new efficient algorithm for implementing the 2-D Laguerre-based finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The new 2-D efficient algorithm is based on the use of an iterative procedure to reduce the splitting error associated with the perturbation term, and it does not involve any nonphysical intermediate variables. Numerical results indicated that the new efficient algorithm shows better performance for modeling some regions with larger spatial derivatives of the field. In this paper, we extend this approach to a full 3-D wave. Numerical formulations of the new 3-D Laguerre-based FDTD method are devised and simulation results are compared to those using the conventional 3-D FDTD method and the alternating-direction implicit (ADI) FDTD method. We numerically verify that, at the comparable accuracy, the efficiency of the proposed method with an iterative procedure is superior to the FDTD method and the ADI -FDTD method. Also, in order to verify the stability of the iterative procedure, we present a convergence analysis and a long-time simulation to it in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: The presented work demonstrates a novel technique to prepare printable TiO2 paste, employing a (Sb, In) doped SnO2 sol (SITO-sol) as a crosslinking agent and binder, to construct plastic DSCs. Porous and robust hybrid TiO2 films with enhanced conductivity and electrochemical properties were obtained using the newly developed TiO2 paste. Compared with DSCs prepared from a pristine TiO2 colloid, plastic DSCs fabricated by the presented process show a significant improvement (49%) in power conversion efficiency (6.75% vs. 4.54%). The mechanism for the enhanced performance was investigated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]