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The proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE), crucial for green hydrogen production, is challenged by the scarcity and high cost of iridium‐based materials. Cobalt oxides, as ideal electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), have not been extensively applied in PEMWE, due to extremely high voltage and poor stability at large current density, caused by complicated structural variations of cobalt compounds during the OER process. Thus, the authors sought to introduce chromium into a cobalt spinel (Co3O4) catalyst to regulate the electronic structure of cobalt, exhibiting a higher oxidation state and increased Co–O covalency with a stable structure. In‐depth operando characterizations and theoretical calculations revealed that the activated Co–O covalency and adaptable redox behavior are crucial for facilitating its OER activity. Both turnover frequency and mass activity of Cr‐doped Co3O4 (CoCr) at 1.67 V (vs RHE) increased by over eight times than those of as‐synthesized Co3O4. The obtained CoCr catalyst achieved 1500 mA cm−2 at 2.17 V and exhibited notable durability over extended operation periods – over 100 h at 500 mA cm−2 and 500 h at 100 mA cm−2, demonstrating promising application in the PEMWE industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ganoderma lucidum is known for its bioactive compounds, such as polysaccharides and triterpenoids, which are crucial in food and medicine. However, liquid fermentation encounters challenges in terms of strain differentiation and stability. In this research, we employed atmospheric room temperature plasma mutation and a microbial microdroplet culture system to identify strains with enhanced biomass and triterpenoid production. The three mutant strains, YB05, YB09, and YB18, exhibited accelerated growth rates and antagonized the initial strain G0023 more effectively than the controls. Notably, YB18 displayed the fastest growth, with a 17.25% increase in colony radius. Shake flask cultivation demonstrated that, compared with the initial strain, YB05 and YB18 had 26.33% and 17.85% greater biomass, respectively. Moreover, the triterpenoid production of YB05 and YB18 surpassed that of the control by 32.10% and 15.72%, respectively, as confirmed by colorimetric detection. Importantly, these mutant strains remained stable for five generations. This study revealed a comprehensive screening system utilizing atmospheric pressure, room temperature plasma mutation technology and microbial droplet cultivation. This innovative approach offers a promising pathway for obtaining advantageous Ganoderma strains for liquid fermentation. The methodology of atmospheric room temperature plasma mutation and microbial microdroplet culture systems is detailed for better comprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ionosphere can be artificially modified by employing ground-based high-power high-frequency electromagnetic waves to irradiate the ionosphere. This modification is achieved through the nonlinear interaction between the electromagnetic waves and the ionospheric plasma, leading to changes in the physical properties and structure of the ionosphere. The degree of artificial modification of the ionosphere is closely related to the heating energy density of high-frequency pump waves. Due to the high density of neutral constituents in the lower ionosphere and the high frequency of electron-neutral collisions, the energy of heating pump waves will be absorbed and attenuated during the penetration of the low ionosphere, seriously affecting the heating effect. This paper proposes a method to reduce the absorption of ionospheric heating pump waves by releasing electron attachment chemicals into low ionosphere to form a large-scale electron density hole. A model for mitigating pump waves absorption based on SF6 release is established, and the absorption at different frequencies is quantitatively calculated. The propagation characteristics of high-frequency signals in ionospheric holes are studied using a three-dimensional ray tracing method, and the results demonstrate that the chemical release method not only reduces the absorption attenuation of heating pump waves but also forms spherical electron density holes, which exhibit a focusing effect on the heating beam and enhance the heating effect. The results are of great significance for understanding the nonlinear interaction between electromagnetic wave and ionospheric plasma and improving the ionospheric heating efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dust resuspension from four typical fabrics (cotton, linen, silk, and polyester) exposed to airflow with common velocities within 0–10 m/s, including a moving fabric case and a fixed fabric case, was experimentally studied in this article. A set of empirical correlations, involving air velocity, fabric motion mode, fabric type, and airflow duration was developed to describe and predict the moving fabric case. It was found that a stronger-than-expected resuspension was triggered by short-term accelerating airflow. The resuspension enhancement of over 90% was reported for the moving fabrics compared with the fixed ones. Fabric motion induced by airflow was proposed to account for these resuspension findings. Fabric acceleration was then demonstrated to be a key factor in evaluating the resuspension for such a scenario. This article not only reveals an inconspicuous phenomenon of dust resuspension from fabrics under the impact of airflow and consequent fabric motion, but also provides a theoretical basis for particulate matter assessment and regulation. Copyright © 2024 American Association for Aerosol Research [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-friendly (0.73- x)Bi 1.05 FeO 3 - x LiNbO 3 -0.27BaTiO 3 ternary ceramics were designed and prepared via a solid-state sintering route. Based on the X-ray diffraction results and Rietveld refinement, it was found that the structure of the ceramics transformed from rhombohedral to tetragonal symmetry with the addition of LiNbO 3 , and at x = 0.003, there existed a morphotropic phase boundary separating the two phases. Near the phase boundary, the largest values were achieved for the piezoelectric constant d 33 and planar electromechanical coupling coefficient k p , being 180 pC/N and 0.27, respectively. Due to the addition of LiNbO 3 , the grain size tended to become smaller. Additionally, the ceramics were transitioned from normal to relaxor ferroelectrics with increasing x. Despite the fact that the LiNbO 3 addition would result in a gradual decrease of Curie temperature, a relatively high Curie temperature (535 °C) was still maintained at x = 0.003, the phase boundary composition, which also showed good temperature stability of piezoelectric properties. These experimental results can provide a reference for the practical applications of high-temperature lead-free ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The diagnosis of adolescent Depressive Disorder (DD) lacks specific biomarkers, posing significant challenges. This study investigates the potential of Niacin Skin Flush Response (NSFR) as a biomarker for identifying and assessing the severity of adolescent Depressive Disorder, as well as distinguishing it from Behavioral and Emotional Disorders typically emerging in childhood and adolescence(BED). Methods: In a case-control study involving 196 adolescents, including 128 Depressive Disorder, 32 Behavioral and Emotional Disorders, and 36 healthy controls (HCs), NSFR was assessed. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and anxious symptoms with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7). Pearson correlation analysis determined the relationships between NSFR and the severity of depression in DD patients. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) was used to identify DD from BED integrating NSFR data with clinical symptom measures. Results: The adolescent Depressive Disorder group exhibited a higher rate of severe blunted NSFR (21.4%) compared to BED (12.5%) and HC (8.3%). Adolescent Depressive Disorder with psychotic symptoms showed a significant increase in blunted NSFR (p = 0.016). NSFR had negative correlations with depressive (r = -0.240, p = 0.006) and anxious (r = -0.2, p = 0.023) symptoms in adolescent Depressive Disorder. Integrating NSFR with three clinical scales improved the differentiation between adolescent Depressive Disorder and BED (AUC increased from 0.694 to 0.712). Conclusion: The NSFR demonstrates potential as an objective biomarker for adolescent Depressive Disorder, aiding in screening, assessing severity, and enhancing insights into its pathophysiology and diagnostic precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CMOS image sensors in optical payloads are susceptible to single-event effects when irradiated by high-energy protons from the spatial radiation environment. Single-event transients in images primarily manifest as bright spots, and the characteristics of transient bright spots generated under different incident conditions exhibit some differences. In this study, we conducted proton irradiation experiments on CMOS image sensors at different energy levels and incident angles. The characteristics of single-event transient bright spots generated under various incident conditions were extracted and analysed in detail. Furthermore, the abnormal phenomena of different functional modules of CMOS image sensors observed during proton irradiation experiments were investigated. The results of this study establish the foundation for classifying the detected targets and transient bright spots, indicating that the validation of CMOS image sensor radiation reliability should account for functional abnormalities resulting from high-energy proton irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Fetal anomaly screening via ultrasonography, which involves capturing and interpreting standard views, is highly challenging for inexperienced operators. We aimed to develop and validate a prenatal‐screening artificial intelligence system (PSAIS) for real‐time evaluation of the quality of anatomical images, indicating existing and missing structures. Methods: Still ultrasonographic images obtained from fetuses of 18–32 weeks of gestation between 2017 and 2018 were used to develop PSAIS based on YOLOv3 with global (anatomic site) and local (structures) feature extraction that could evaluate the image quality and indicate existing and missing structures in the fetal anatomical images. The performance of the PSAIS in recognizing 19 standard views was evaluated using retrospective real‐world fetal scan video validation datasets from four hospitals. We stratified sampled frames (standard, similar‐to‐standard, and background views at approximately 1:1:1) for experts to blindly verify the results. Results: The PSAIS was trained using 134 696 images and validated using 836 videos with 12 697 images. For internal and external validations, the multiclass macro‐average areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were 0.943 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.815–1.000) and 0.958 (0.864–1.000); the micro‐average areas were 0.974 (0.970–0.979) and 0.973 (0.965–0.981), respectively. For similar‐to‐standard views, the PSAIS accurately labeled 90.9% (90.0%–91.4%) with key structures and indicated missing structures. Conclusions: An artificial intelligence system developed to assist trainees in fetal anomaly screening demonstrated high agreement with experts in standard view identification. Synopsis: An artificial intelligence system developed for trainees showed high agreement with experts in identifying standard view, which may promote novice operators to obtain diagnostic images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) using hydroxyl radicals (•OH) as oxidizing agents are a promising technology. Herein, a feasible strategy is developed to initially construct carbazole‐based D‐π‐A type conjugated polymer (PBNCZ) via the oxidative coupling. Additionally, introducing ─COO− through Cyano hydrolysis extends its conjugated structure and improves the energy band structure, which greatly facilitates the generation of •OH as well as the enrichment of pollutants. Detailed experiments and theoretical calculations have proved that the introduction of ─COO− enhances the adsorption of O2 and bisphenol A (BPA), optimizing the reaction path of •OH. Thus, it completely decomposes 10 ppm of BPA within just 10 min, exceeding all previously organic photocatalysts. Meanwhile, the efficiency of photocatalytic H2O2 production by PBNCZ‐COO− reaches 1719.03 µmol h−1 g−1 under visible light. This multifunctional material with high adsorption capacity, photodegradation efficiency, and photocatalytic H2O2 production activity provides a solid foundation for the preparation of organic photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Sleep and daytime movement behaviours occur co‐dependently with each other within a finite 24 h day. Sleep parameters other than sleep duration, such as social jetlag and chronotype, have been linked to health problems and unhealthy behaviours among children and adolescents. Given the increasing number of studies examining sleep timing/chronotype and weight‐related behaviours, including physical activity and sedentary behaviour, in the past decade, this systematic review and meta‐analysis collated and evaluated the evidence on the relationships of social jetlag and chronotype with physical activity and sedentary behaviour among children and adolescents aged 3–17 years. Seven databases were searched on 16 March 2022, and 52 studies were identified as eligible for inclusion, 47 of which were suitable for the meta‐analysis. A positive association was found between social jetlag and screen media use (r = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.04–0.24; I2 = 96%; p = 0.008). The morning chronotype was associated with a higher level of physical activity and a lower level of sedentary behaviour than the evening chronotype. No relationship was found between social jetlag and physical activity. The magnitude of heterogeneity among the included studies was high. Further experimental studies are urgently required to understand how circadian preference or misalignment affects activity behaviours. Interventions to promote an active lifestyle in young populations should consider their circadian preference, especially among individuals with the evening chronotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid storage tanks are widely used in the industrial and the agricultural production, the earthquake damage of the liquid storage tanks will not only lead to economic losses, but also may cause environmental pollution, fire and explosion. Considering the fluid–structure interaction, the liquid sloshing and the material nonlinearity, the three-dimensional numerical calculation models of nondamping and tuned mass damper (TMD) liquid storage tanks are established, respectively. The earthquake waves with different characteristics are selected to investigate the dynamic responses of the liquid storage tank, the control effects of the TMD on the seismic responses of the liquid storage tank are analyzed, and the influence law of the change of the spring stiffness on the damping effect is discussed. The results show that the TMD has a significant damping effect on the liquid storage tank, and the element damping has significant influence on the dynamic responses in the subsequent stage of the earthquake action. Under the action of Darfield–New Zealand wave, the damping ratio corresponding to the acceleration of the tank wall is 69.6%. When the element damping is not considered, the small change of the spring stiffness has significant influence on the damping effect, but after the element damping being considered, the influence of the spring stiffness change on the damping effect is small. The TMD provides a high performance system to the damping control of the liquid storage tank under the action of earthquakes with different intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an output dynamic game model of intertwined supply chains operating in two different countries is established. The Nash equilibrium point of the model and its stable region are obtained using nonlinear dynamic principles. The complex properties of the system, such as stability, period-doubling bifurcations, and chaos, are investigated using numerical simulations. Our results suggest that the level of output and the system's profits undergo bifurcation and chaos with an increase in the output adjustment speed. An interesting phenomenon occurs in that higher tariffs lead to the expansion of the stable range of the supply chain in the product-exporting country. The chaotic behavior of the system is sensitive to the value of the initial level of output. In supply chain competition, each supply chain firm should make suitable adjustments to the speed of output. To maintain the stability of domestic markets, excessive tariffs should be avoided. It is essential that each supply chain firm evaluates the potential impacts of different initial output values when making initial decisions. Using the method of delayed feedback control, the chaotic behavior of the system can effectively be controlled. These findings offer valuable and novel insight into inter-chain competition in supply chain networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Little is known about the association between parents' and children's 24‐h movement behaviors during the pandemic. This cross‐sectional study examined the association between the 24‐h movement behaviors of parents and their preschoolers and investigated sex differences in this association. Methods: A total of 1740 preschoolers (4.5 ± 0.8 years old, 50.3% boys) and their parents (35.4 ± 4.9 years old, 24.3% males) in China participated in this study and provided valid and complete data. Parents completed an online survey or a written questionnaire in the period between October and December 2020. Preschoolers' and parents' movement behaviors (physical activity [PA], sedentary behavior [SB], screen time, and sleep) and demographic information were reported by the parents. Generalized linear models and logistic regression models were performed. Results: Positive associations were found between parents' and preschoolers' moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity PA (β = 0.28; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.20, 0.36), total PA (β = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.17, 0.24), and sleep (β = 0.05; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.06) with no apparent sex difference. No significant association was found between parents' and preschoolers' SB or screen time. Girls were more likely to meet all three 24‐h movement guidelines when their parents met them (odds ratio = 2.38; 95% CI: 1.42, 4.01), but the relationship was not significant for boys. Conclusions: Parental role‐modeling was positively associated with children's PA and sleep. This finding suggests that supporting parents' movement behaviors has the potential to promote a healthy lifestyle among preschoolers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractFungal α/β-glucans have significant importance in cellular functions including cell wall structure, host-pathogen interactions and energy storage, and wide application in high-profile fields, including food, nutrition, and pharmaceuticals. Fungal species and their growth/developmental stages result in a diversity of glucan contents, structures and bioactivities. Substantial progresses have been made to elucidate the fine structures and functions, and reveal the potential molecular synthesis pathway of fungal α/β-glucans. Herein, we review the current knowledge about the biosynthetic machineries, including: precursor UDP-glucose synthesis, initiation, elongation/termination and remodeling of α/β-glucan chains, and molecular regulation to maximally produce glucans in edible fungi. This review would provide future perspectives to biosynthesize the targeted glucans and reveal the catalytic mechanism of enzymes associated with glucan synthesis, including: UDP-glucose pyrophosphate phosphorylases (UGP), glucan synthases, and glucanosyltransferases in edible fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing a laser plasma wakefield to accelerate ultrahigh charge and current electron beams is critical for many pioneering applications, for example, to efficiently produce nuclear isomers with short lifetimes that may be widely used. However, because of the beam loading effect, the electron charge in a single plasma bubble is limited to hundreds of picocoulombs. Herein, via a tightly focused intense laser pulse self‐guiding in dense gas, a twenty‐nanocoulomb, tens‐of‐MeV, hundred‐kiloampere collimated electron beam is produced from a chain of plasma bubbles in the saturated injection regime. This intense electron beam is utilized to excite indium nuclear isomers with an ultrahigh peak rate of 1.12×1015$1.12\ensuremath{\times{}}{10}^{15}$ particles·s‐1 via photonuclear reaction. This efficient isomer production method can be widely used for pumping isotopes with excited state lifetimes on the picosecond scale, which is beneficial for deeply understanding nuclear transition mechanisms or stimulating γ‐ray lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban overheating is the most documented phenomenon of climate change impacting humans. This article presents the most recent developments on the magnitude and characteristics of urban overheating and the potential synergies with global climatic change. It analyses the latest qualitative and quantitative data on the impact of higher urban temperatures on buildings' energy supply and demand, heat-related mortality, morbidity and wellbeing, human productivity, survivability of low-income populations, and environmental quality of cities. It describes the state of the art on the development of innovative mitigation materials, advanced urban greenery, heat dissipation, and evaporative techniques as the main mitigation and adaptation technologies to offset the impact of urban overheating. It also analyses the current knowledge on the impact of each mitigation technology on energy, health, environmental quality, urban economy, and survivability. Finally, this article presents the main future challenges related to urban overheating and proposes a specific research agenda to alleviate and counterbalance its impact on human life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the clinical and molecular characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of early-onset autosomal dominant neovascular inflammatory vitreoretinopathy (ADNIV) in Chinese patients. A retrospective, interventional case series was assembled from three ADNIV patients. The three ADNIV cases harbored de novo CAPN5 mutations (p.Arg289Trp and p.Leu73Val). The ages of onset ranged from 11 months to 2 years. All the cases presented with vitreous opacity and subretinal inflammatory exudations. During the postoperative follow-up, all the patients manifested with exaggerated postoperative inflammatory responses. An intravitreal Ozurdex injection could not effectively control ocular inflammation in ADNIV. Laser spots after panretinal photocoagulation were partly visible. Two de novo CAPN5 mutations (p.Leu73Val and p.Arg289Trp) could cause early-onset ADNIV. Panretinal photocoagulation during vitrectomy and an intravitreal Ozurdex injection could not significantly stop the progression of subretinal exudations and ocular inflammation in early-onset ADNIV patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cement slurry is an important lost circulation material. However, as oil and gas exploration continues toward deeper stratum, the majority of conventional cement retarders are insufficient at these depths. This research identified a synthetic high-temperature copolymer retarder as a potential replacement product, containing sodium styrene sulfonate (SSS)/itaconic acid (IA)/N-vinylcaprolactam (NVCL). By analyzing the effects of monomer mass ratios, initiator concentration, reaction temperature, and pH value of the solution on the thickening time, the ideal reaction conditions of the copolymer retarder were confirmed to be the mass ratio of monomers SSS/IA/NVCL (SNI) = 13/4/1, initiator concentration = 1.0 wt%, reaction temperature = 55 °C, and pH value = 4. Nuclear magnetic resonance proton spectroscopy (1HNMR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) were used to characterize the resulting copolymer, and its morphology was studied. The results demonstrate that SNI possesses excellent thermal resistance and that the microstructure is conducive to producing good retarding properties under high temperature (150 °C). SNI has temperature-sensitive associative characteristics, making the cement achieve good sedimentation stability due to the high-temperature retarder. SNI-based slurry has excellent overall performance, is simple to control and regulate, and can meet leakage-stopping requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear magnetic resonance studies of many physiologically important proteins have long been impeded by the necessity to express such proteins in isotope-labeled form in higher eukaryotic cells and the concomitant high costs of providing isotopelabeled amino acids in the growth medium. Economical routes use isotope-labeled yeast or algae extracts but still require expensive isotope-labeled glutamine. Here, we have systematically quantified the effect of 15N2-glutamine on the expression and isotope labeling of different proteins in insect cells. Sufficient levels of glutamine in the medium increase the protein expression by four to five times relative to deprived conditions. 1H-15N nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy shows that the 15N atoms from 15N2-glutamine are scrambled with surprisingly high (60-70%) efficiency into the three amino acids alanine, aspartate, and glutamate. This phenomenon gives direct evidence that the high energy demand of insect cells during baculovirus infection and concomitant heterologous protein expression is predominantly satisfied by glutamine feeding the tricarboxylic acid cycle. To overcome the high costs of supplementing isotope-labeled glutamine, we have developed a robust method for the large-scale synthesis of 15N2-glutamine and partially deuterated 15N2-glutamine-a,ß,ß-d3 from inexpensive precursors. An application is shown for the effective large-scale expression of the isotope-labeled ß1-adrenergic receptor using the synthesized 15N2-glutamine-a,ß,ß-d3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed the star formation surface density (ΣSFR) between the global and H ii regions in a sample of 69 low surface brightness galaxies (LSBGs) and 68 star-forming (SF) galaxies using data from the H α images. The conventional global ΣSFR, which is defined as the star formation rate (SFR) divided by the area of the global galaxy, may not accurately describe the star formation activity in LSBGs due to the lower number of H ii regions compared to SF galaxies. To address this, we divide the global galaxy into two regions, the H ii region and the diffuse region, and then study the ΣSFR in each region. Our results show that both the SFR and area of the H ii regions in LSBGs are lower than those in SF galaxies, resulting in the H ii region's ΣSFR (SFR/area) being slightly lower in LSBGs than in SF galaxies by 0.28 dex, although the global ΣSFR is at least an order of magnitude lower in LSBGs than in SF galaxies. Furthermore, a significant difference exists between the global and H ii regions in ΣSFR. In LSBGs, ΣSFR increased by 0.80 dex from the global region to the H ii region, while SF galaxies demonstrate a 0.54 dex increase, highlighting the crucial aspect of carefully selecting an appropriate aperture for ΣSFR calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Heavy metal ion removal from wastewater has become a global concern due to its extensive negative effects on human health and the environment. The density functional theory is employed to investigate the possibility of removing Pb2+, Hg2+, and Cd2+ ions from wastewater using nano-graphene. Researchers have shown that NG can efficiently remove heavy metals from media. Additionally, it was shown that the adsorption of Pb2+, Hg2+, and Cd2+ ions might reduce the large pristine NG (HOMO–LUMO) gap. Methods: HSE06 may accurately represent NG electrical characteristics. The DFT-D3 method was also used to account for Van der Waals interactions in the present study. The results demonstrated that charge transfer and binding energy remained greater in cation-NG systems with greater electron transfer rates. Pb2+, Hg2+, and Cd2+ adsorption results indicated that Egap was significantly reduced by 68%, 15%, and 21%, respectively. The Pb2+@NG complex exhibited the strongest oscillator strength. This may be explained by the enormous occupation number difference between the 2px orbital of the C atoms and the 6 s orbital of the Pb2+ cations. The greater Ebin value of Pb2+@NG is consistent with the increased predicted redshifts (199 nm). DFT (hybrid functional HSE06) studies that rely on time showed that the relevant complexes have "ligand-to-metal charge transfer" excitations. In general, it was found that Pb2+@NG had the greatest k value, binding energy, redshifts, and charge transfer rate among the complexes. The theoretical insights of this study may influence experimental efforts to identify NG-based compounds that are effective and efficient at removing pollutants from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantification of the uncertainties in initial analyses against the real atmosphere ("reality") provides a fundamental reference for the evaluation and development of operational data assimilation (DA) systems. Due to the unknown reality, most existing methods for analysis error estimation use reanalysis datasets or observations as a proxy for reality, which are empirical, non‐objective, and biased. Unlike these methods, our study adopted a modified Statistical Analysis and Forecast Error (SAFE) estimation method to objectively and directly quantify spatiotemporal errors in analyses compared to reality based on unbiased assumptions. In the present study, the SAFE method was first applied to estimate the annual variation and spatial distribution of analysis errors in the Global Forecast System of Global/Regional Assimilation and PrEdiction System (GRAPES_GFS) at the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) since the beginning of its operational implementation (i.e., 2016–2021). Qualitative comparison to analysis error estimations in previous studies showed that SAFE can provide more reasonable spatial‐mean analysis error profiles than can the estimation with the ERA‐5 reanalysis as a reference (the approach hereafter called "ERAv"). Moreover, ERAv overestimates (underestimates) the spatial‐mean analysis error below (above) approximately 500 hPa compared to SAFE because it neglects the uncertainties inherent in reanalysis. Overall, the SAFE estimation reveals that relative reductions of about 12.5%, 29%, and 24.5% were achieved for the spatial‐mean analysis errors of wind, temperature, and geopotential height, respectively, in the GRAPES_GFS throughout the six‐year study period. These results can largely be attributed to the DA scheme being upgraded from 3D‐Var to 4D‐Var. SAFE can also provide more reasonable and accurate pointwise analysis errors than ERAv can. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The equations of motion for a Lagrangian mainly refer to the acceleration equations, which can be obtained by the Euler–Lagrange equations. In the post-Newtonian Lagrangian form of general relativity, the Lagrangian systems can only maintain a certain post-Newtonian order and are incoherent Lagrangians since the higher-order terms are omitted. This truncation can cause some changes in the constant of motion. However, in celestial mechanics, Hamiltonians are more commonly used than Lagrangians. The conversion from Lagrangianto Hamiltonian can be achieved through the Legendre transformation. The coordinate momentum separable Hamiltonian can be computed by the symplectic algorithm, whereas the inseparable Hamiltonian can be used to compute the evolution of motion by the phase-space expansion method. Our recent work involves the design of a multi-factor correction map for the phase-space expansion method, known as the correction map method. In this paper, we compare the performance of the implicit algorithm in post-Newtonian Lagrangians and the correction map method in post-Newtonian Hamiltonians. Specifically, we investigate the extent to which both methods can uphold invariance of the motion's constants, such as energy conservation and angular momentum preservation. Ultimately, the results of numerical simulations demonstrate the superior performance of the correction map method, particularly with respect to angular momentum conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relatively weak sea surface temperature bias in the tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) simulated in the coupled general circulation model (CGCM) from the recently released CMIP6 has been found to be important in model simulations of regional and global climate. However, the cause of the bias is debated because the bias is strongly model dependent and shows marked seasonality. In this study, we separate the bias in CGCMs into bias arising from oceanic GCMs (OGCMs) and bias that is independent of OGCMs using a set of CMIP6 and OMIP6 models. We found that OGCMs contribute little to mixed layer bias in the CGCMs. The OGCM-independent bias exhibits a large-scale cold mixed layer bias in the TIO throughout the year, with an unexpectedly high degree of model consistency. By conducting a set of OGCM experiments, we show that the OGCM-independent mixed layer bias is caused mainly by surface wind bias in the utilized CGCMs. About 89% of surface wind bias in the CGCMs is due to the inability of atmospheric GCMs (AGCMs), whereas atmosphere–ocean coupling in the CGCMs has only a minor influence on surface wind bias. The bias in surface wind is also found to be the cause of subsurface temperature bias besides the ocean dynamics such as vertical mixing and vertical shear in currents. Our results indicate that correcting TIO mixed layer bias in CGCMs requires improvement in the capability of AGCM in simulating the climatological surface winds. Significance Statement: We aimed to discover the cause of temperature bias in the Indian Ocean in CMIP6 models. The bias was separated into oceanic model and ocean-model-independent bias to correspond exactly to bias caused by the oceanic model and by the atmospheric model and coupling, respectively. Oceanic bias contributes little to bias in CMIP6, but ocean-model-independent bias explains the CMIP6 bias throughout the year. We ran oceanic model experiments to show that surface wind bias causes ocean-model-independent temperature bias in the entire TIO and subsurface temperature bias in some areas of the Indian Ocean. We further found that 89% of surface wind bias originates from the atmospheric model. The results improve our understanding of the cause of the bias in the Indian Ocean and show that our method of bias separation is effective for attributing the source of bias to different proposed mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sluggish de‐solvation kinetics and uneven Zn2+ transport behavior at the Zn anode are undesirable for commercialization of zinc ion batteries. To address these issues, a periodically alternating electric field is introduced on the Zn anode by constructing a laponite nano‐clay layer with unique electric field separation properties. This layer exhibits negative and positive electric fields together in the same space but in different directions (negative electric field in the normal direction while the positive electric field is in the radial direction); thus, achieving both homogeneous Zn2+ transport and an effective de‐solvation effect. The laponite film (LAP@Zn) as a multifunctional artificial layer can induce Zn2+ nucleation for preferential orientation growth of Zn along the (002) planes, thereby suppressing dendrite growth on the Zn anode. Consequently, the LAP@Zn symmetric cells exhibit an ultralow overpotential (12 mV) and cycle smoothly over 1100 h at 0.5 mA cm−2. Even at an ultrahigh current density of 40 mA cm−2, the cell still operates stably for 500 h. More encouragingly, the effectiveness is also convincing in MnO2‐based full cells with excellent rate performance and cycle stability. The periodically alternating electric field strategy provides an effective path toward high‐performance and dendrite‐free Zn‐based storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the associations between social jetlag and depressive symptoms and further analyze the interaction of social jetlag and chronic diseases on depressive symptoms among adults. Data were derived from a cross-sectional survey. Information on social jetlag, depressive symptoms, demographic characteristics, lifestyles, and health situations were collected via a structured self-administered questionnaire. The multivariable logistic regression analyses and restricted cubic splines regression were performed to test the association between social jetlag and depressive symptoms. The multiplicative model was applied to analyze the interaction of social jetlag and chronic disease on depressive symptoms. A total of 5818 adults were included and the prevalence of social jetlag was 22.95%. After multivariable adjustment, adults who experienced more than 2 hours of social jetlag had a significantly greater risk of depressive symptoms (OR = 1.43,95%CI:1.00–2.05, P = 0.049). Compared with participants having<1 hour of social jetlag and no chronic disease, participants having chronic disease were more likely to report depressive symptoms(OR = 3.22,95%CI = 2.59–4.00, P < 0.001). Moreover, among those who have chronic disease, the greater the social jetlag they reported, the greater risk of depressive symptoms they have (OR = 3.81,95%CI = 2.77–5.33, P < 0.001; OR = 4.08,95%CI = 2.24–7.43, P < 0.001). Social jetlag was linearly associated the with risk of depressive symptoms, according to restricted cubic splines. This study shows that 22.95% adults experience more than 1 hour of social jetlag. Social jetlag was positively associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms. Among those who have chronic disease, the greater the social jetlag they reported, the greater risk of depressive symptoms they have. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of chemotherapeutic agents is becoming more frequent as the proportion of new oncology patients increases worldwide, with prolonged survival after treatment. As one of the most popular chemotherapy drugs, doxorubicin plays a substantial role in the treatment of tumors. Unfortunately, the use of doxorubicin is associated with several adverse effects, particularly severe cardiotoxicity that can be life-threatening, which greatly limits its clinical use. For decades, scientists have tried to explore many cardioprotective agents and therapeutic approaches, but their efficacy remains controversial, and some drugs have even brought about significant adverse effects. The concrete molecular mechanism of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity is still to be unraveled, yet endothelial damage is gradually being identified as an important mechanism triggering the development and progression of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), a fundamental process regulating morphogenesis in multicellular organisms, is recognized to be associated with endothelial damage repair and acts as an important factor in the progression of cardiovascular diseases, tumors, and rheumatic immune diseases. Mounting evidence suggests that endothelial–mesenchymal transition may play a non-negligible role in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. In this paper, we reviewed the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways of EndMT and outlined the molecular mechanisms of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and the current therapeutic advances. Furthermore, we summarized the basic principles of doxorubicin-induced endothelial–mesenchymal transition that lead to endothelial dysfunction and cardiotoxicity, aiming to provide suggestions or new ideas for the prevention and treatment of doxorubicin-induced endothelial and cardiac injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the relationship between Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and serum uric acid (SUA) levels among the Chinese adult population, and verify the mediating effect of BMI between DASH diet and SUA levels. A total of 1125 adults were investigated using a self-administered food frequency questionnaire. SUA levels were determined by uricase colorimetry. The total DASH score ranged from 9 to 72. The relationship between the DASH diet and SUA levels was examined by multiple adjusted regression analysis. Method of Bootstrap was used to test the mediation effect of BMI in the correlation of the DASH diet and SUA levels. After multivariable adjustment, there was a significant linear relationship between the DASH diet and SUA (P < 0.001). Compared with the lowest group, SUA of participants in group of highest DASH diet score decreased by 34.907 (95% CI − 52.227, − 17.588; P trend < 0.001) μmol/L. The association between the DASH diet scores and SUA levels was partly mediated by BMI (− 0.26, Bootstrap 95% CI − 0.49, − 0.07), with 10.53% of the total effect being mediated. Adopting the DASH diet might be helpful in reducing SUA level, and the effect might be partly mediated by BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cracking of conductive brass accessories in substations causes overheating or an open circuit, seriously affecting the safe and stable operation of the power grid system. A deep understanding of failure mechanisms could provide more safety, as well as lower down costs and save time for the power grid system, which have been seldomly involved in the literature. This paper presents a cracking analysis of a brass clamp in service for seven years that is mounted on the main transformer. The fracture morphology, chemical composition, and metallographic structure of the brass clamp were systematically analyzed, and the stress conditions were obtained by finite element simulation. The clamp exhibits transgranular brittle fracture with high oxygen content in the fracture, containing a crack propagation along the Pb particle connecting pathways, and the stress concentration was confirmed at the crack position. It is concluded that the failure was a result of the stress corrosion cracking and excessive content of Pb. Suggestions were proposed to avoid malfunction of the main transformer caused by the clamp crack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Radiotherapy is a major therapeutic modality for locally advanced head and neck cancer. However, the effectiveness of radiotherapy is hindered by resistance mechanisms, most notably hypoxia, leading to unfavourable treatment outcomes. In this study, we investigate the radiosensitising potential of AuNPs in combination with the complex III electron transport chain inhibitor, using models of head and neck cancer. Results: AuNP intracellular accumulation occurred in a concentration-dependent manner and was not influenced by microenvironmental oxygen levels, with citrate capped 15 nm AuNPs readily internalised, accumulating primarily within the cytoplasmic compartment. Pre-treatment with atovaquone had a profound and rapid impact on oxygen consumption, promoting a glycolytic switch under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions, a finding underlined by the concurrent increase in extracellular acidification. AuNPs alone sensitised FaDu cells to radiation under atmospheric oxygen conditions, producing a sensitiser enhancement ratio (SER) of 1.37. In combination with atovaquone, maximum dose enhancements were achieved yielding a SER value of 1.43 and 2.1 under normoxic and hypoxic conditions, respectively. Studies to elucidate the underlying mechanism of radiosensitisation revealed S-phase accumulation and a significant increase in apoptosis. Additionally, combined treatment significantly increased yields of unrepaired DNA double strand breaks, indicating increased yields of DNA double strand break damage. Conclusions: Taken together, we believe this to be the first work providing evidence that AuNP radiosensitisation can be enhanced via metabolic modulation. This study reveals the dual action of both physical and biological pathways of AuNPs radiosensitisation, resulting in superior radiotherapeutic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence suggests that human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell‐derived exosomes (hUC‐MSCs‐Exos) are a promising therapeutic strategy for cerebral ischemia–reperfusion injury (CIRI). However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. hUC‐MSCs‐Exos were identified by electron microscopy, NTA, and Western blotting. In the hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) cell model, human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) were cocultured with hUC‐MSCs‐Exos. Then, cell viability, migration, apoptosis, and tube formation were measured by MTT, flow cytometry, transwell, and tube formation assays. RT‐qPCR and Western blotting were used to detect the changes in RNA and protein. RNA pull‐down and dual luciferase reporter assays confirmed the relationship between circDLGAP4, miR‐320, and KLF5. Ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) rat model was established for in vivo experiments. hUC‐MSCs‐Exos increased the expression levels of circDLGAP4 and KLF5 but decreased miR‐320 in H/R‐treated HBMECs by transferring exosomal circDLGAP4. Knockdown of circDLGAP4 in hUC‐MSCs‐Exos reversed the promoting effects of hUC‐MSCs‐Exos on cell viability, migration, and tube formation in H/R‐treated HBMECs in vitro and also abolished the protective effects of hUC‐MSCs‐Exos on cerebrovascular injury in I/R rats. Mechanistically, exosomal circDLGAP4 negatively regulated miR‐320 in HBMECs, which directly bound to KLF5. In addition, the downregulation of miR‐320 could reverse the regulatory effect of exosomal shcircDLGAL5 in H/R‐treated HBMECs by upregulating KLF5. hUC‐MSCs‐Exos‐derived circDLGAP4 reduced cerebrovascular injury by regulating miR‐320/KLF5 signaling. These results provide a stem cell‐based approach to treat CIRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Artificial microbial consortia composed of heterotrophic and photoautotrophic organisms represent a unique strategy for converting light energy and carbon dioxide into high-value bioproducts. Currently, the types of desired bioproducts are still limited, and microbial fitness benefit rendered by paired partner generally needs to be intensified. Exploring novel artificial microbial consortia at a laboratory scale is an essential step towards addressing this unmet need. This study aimed to conduct and analyze an artificial consortium composed of cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus FL130 with the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans TWY1.1 for producing fungi-derived secondary metabolite of polyketide neosartoricin B. Results: Polyketide-producing A. nidulans TWY1.1 substantially ameliorated the growth and the survival of sucrose-secreting cyanobacterium S. elongatus FL130 in salt-stressed environments. Besides sucrose, comparable amounts of other carbohydrates were released from axenically cultured FL130 cells, which could be efficiently consumed by TWY1.1. Relative to axenically cultured FL130, less glycogen was accumulated in FL130 cells co-cultured with TWY1.1, and the glycogen phosphorylase gene catalyzing the first step for glycogen degradation had two-fold expression. Different from axenically cultured filamentous fungi, abundant vacuoles were observed in fungal hyphae of TWY1.1 co-cultured with cyanobacterium FL130. Meanwhile, FL130 cells displayed a characteristic pattern of interacting with its heterotrophic partner, densely dispersing along certain hyphae of TWY1.1. Finally, polyketide neosartoricin B was produced from TWY1.1 in FL130-TWY1.1 co-cultures, which was tightly adjusted by nitrogen level. Conclusion: Overall, the results thoroughly proved the concept of pairing cyanobacteria with filamentous fungi to build artificial consortia for producing fungi-derived biomolecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the first detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO/VIRGO team, the related research field has attracted more attention. The spinning compact binaries system, as one of the gravitational-wave sources for broad-band laser interferometers, has been widely studied by related researchers. In order to analyse the gravitational wave signals using matched filtering techniques, reliable numerical algorithms are needed. Spinning compact binaries systems in post-Newtonian (PN) celestial mechanics have an inseparable Hamiltonian. The extended phase-space algorithm is an effective solution for the problem of this system. We have developed correction maps for the extended phase-space method in our previous work, which significantly improves the accuracy and stability of the method with only a momentum scale factor. In this paper, we will add more scale factors to modify the numerical solution in order to minimize the errors in the constants of motion. However, we find that these correction maps will result in a large energy bias in the subterms of the Hamiltonian in chaotic orbits, whose potential and kinetic energy, etc. are calculated inaccurately. We develop a new correction map to reduce the energy bias of the subterms of the Hamiltonian, which can instead improve the accuracy of the numerical solution and also provides a new idea for the application of the manifold correction in other algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The correlation between brain injury and high-altitude (HA) exposure duration (Dur_HA) as well as peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) remains unclear. Purpose: To evaluate the global and regional brain volume differences between HA immigrants and sea-level residents, and the relationship between brain volume with Dur_HA and SpO2. Material and Methods: Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were acquired in 33 healthy male HA immigrants (HA group) and 33 matched sea-level male residents (SL group). Differences in global gray matter volume (GMV), white matter volume (WMV), brain parenchyma volume (BV), total intracranial volume (TIV), and the volume-fraction (the ratio of GMV/TIV, WMV/TIV, BV/TIV) were assessed. Regional gray matter differences were investigated using voxel-based morphology analysis. The volume of clusters with GM loss were calculated as the volume of volume of interest (V_VOI). Student's t -test and partial correlation were adopted for statistic calculation. Results: Compared to the SL group, the HA immigrants had larger WMV (P = 0.015), smaller ratio of GMV/WMV (P = 0.022), and regional gray matter loss in bilateral basal ganglion, limbic system, midbrain, and vermis (cluster size >100 voxels, family-wise error corrected at P = 0.01). The global GMV, BV, and V_VOI confined to vermis had negative correlations with the Dur_HA (r = -0.369, P = 0.049; r = -0.380, P = 0.042; and r = −0.471, P = 0.010. Neither global nor regional brain volume correlated with SpO2. Conclusion: Global and regional brain are affected by long-term HA exposure, and global and regional gray matter have a time-dependent volume loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, guaiacolate derivatives‐containing tetranuclear sodium catalysts were synthesized, and their catalytic activity in l‐lactide (LA) polymerization was evaluated. Using LBF‐Na (sodium complex bearing 2,3‐dihydro‐2,2‐dimethyl‐7‐benzofuranolate) as a catalyst, the polymerization of LA was studied in various solvents. LBF‐Na polymerized LA in dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, and toluene, and the catalytic activity of LBF‐Na was similar in these solvents. Among the sodium complexes, LOH‐Na (sodium complex bearing guaiacolate) exhibited higher catalytic activity (5 min, conversion = 93%; MnGPC = 7200) than the other tetranuclear sodium complexes. Furthermore, LOH‐Na exhibited an "immortal" property after 20 equivalents of benzyl alcohol loading during LA polymerization and good controllability in polylactide production. Thus, guaiacolate ligands increase the catalytic activity of sodium catalysts in LA polymerization in both coordinating and halogen‐containing solvents and under the condition of extra alcohol loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ecopath model was used to construct energy flow models of two pond ecosystems: Mercenaria mercenaria–fish–halophyte polyculture and M. mercenaria monoculture. Carrying capacities (CCs) of M. mercenaria were evaluated using energy flow models. Lateolabrax maculatus and M. mercenaria showed the highest biomass in the polyculture and monoculture ecosystems, respectively, and zoobenthos represented the highest trophic levels (TLs) in both ecosystems. Energy transfer efficiency between TLs I and II, total system throughput, and primary production were significantly higher under polyculture than under monoculture. Imported food strongly affected the energy flow structure of polyculture ecosystem. The dominant food chains in the polyculture and monoculture ecosystems were detritus and predatory food chains, respectively. The ecological and production CC under polyculture (1458.84 and 1632.51 g m−2, respectively) were 10.14‐ and 8.25‐fold higher than those under monoculture (143.87 and 197.99 g m−2, respectively). Polyculture is better suited for M. mercenaria than monoculture because of higher resource utilization efficiency and M. mercenaria CC. Estimating the CC of M. mercenaria using Ecopath models can help improve the aquaculture management; however, it should be considered that the Ecopath model cannot simulate inorganic processes, so caution should be exercised while using the estimated CC‐based Ecopath model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turns of coil antenna with ferrite core is the most critical parameter when designing receiving coil antennas for wireless magnetic inductive communication. According to the adjustment of turns, the self‐inductance, self‐resistance, and mutual inductance of the coil will change respectively. Parallel resonance is often used in receiving coils to obtain a considerable induced voltage which supplies for receiving system. In this article, we summarize the parameters of the ferrite coil antenna with its corresponding circuit model and parallel resonance circuit. Moreover, the optimized turns of receiving coil antenna with ferrite core are analyzed. Meanwhile, an experiment has been built to verify the proposed conclusion with calculations. The results show that measurement results are well‐matched with calculated ones. Turns of the coil can be optimized to get larger induced voltage and the conclusion will guide for designing coils for wireless magnetic inductive communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dandelion is an herb with high nutritional and medicinal values, which has been listed in Chinese Pharmacopeia, European Pharmacopoeia and British Pharmacopoeia, gaining increasing acceptance around the world. However, the current quality control of dandelion is lagging behind. Only in Chinese Pharmacopeia, cichoric acid is used as a marker compound for its quality evaluation, whereas, it can not comprehensively reflect the bioactivity of dandelion. Methods: This study developed a strategy by integrating chemometrics with in silico pharmacology to reveal the bioactive markers of dandelion for its quality control. Firstly, the major chemicals in dandelion were characterized using HPLC-DAD-MS/MS, and the corresponding antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated in vitro. Subsequently, the active components were screened by relating the chemicals and bioactivity of dandelion via grey relational assay and partial least squares regression analysis. The potential active components were then subjected to a validation for their activities. Moreover, in silico pharmacology was utilized to evaluate the contribution of active components to efficacy. Results: A total of 22 phenolic compounds were characterized. Among them, cichoric acid, caffeic acid and luteolin were identified as quality markers owing to their good correlations with the bioactivities of dandelion. These three markers were quantified in frequently-used dandelion species, viz. Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz. (TAM) and T. officinale F. H. Wigg. (TAO). TAM, with acceptably higher content of cichoric acid and caffeic acid, showed better antioxidant activity than TAO. While TAO included higher content of luteolin, presenting slightly more effective in anti-inflammation. Conclusion: An useful strategy for the quality marker discovery was successfully designed. And the results provided more knowledge for the quality evaluation of dandelion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Federated learning is a distributed machine learning technology that can protect users’ data privacy, so it has attracted more and more attention in the industry and academia. Nonetheless, most of the existing works focused on the cost optimization of the entire process, while the cost of individual participants cannot be considered. In this article, we explore a min-max cost-optimal problem to guarantee the convergence rate of federated learning in terms of cost in wireless edge networks. In particular, we minimize the cost of the worst-case participant subject to the delay, local CPU-cycle frequency, power allocation, local accuracy, and subcarrier assignment constraints. Considering that the formulated problem is a mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem, we decompose it into several sub-problems to derive its solutions, in which the subcarrier assignment and power allocation are obtained by utilizing the Lagrangian dual decomposition method, the CPU-cycle frequency is obtained by a heuristic algorithm, and the local accuracy is obtained by an iteration algorithm. Simulation results show the convergence of the proposed algorithm and reveal that the proposed scheme can accomplish a tradeoff between the cost and fairness by comparing the proposed scheme with the existing schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, by using the machine learning methods, we study the sensitivities of heavy pseudo-Dirac neutrino N in the inverse seesaw at the high-energy hadron colliders. The production process for the signal is pp → ℓ → 3ℓ + E T miss , while the dominant background is pp → WZ → 3ℓ + E T miss . We use either the Multi-Layer Perceptron or the Boosted Decision Tree with Gradient Boosting to analyse the kinematic observables and optimize the discrimination of background and signal events. It is found that the reconstructed Z boson mass and heavy neutrino mass from the charged leptons and missing transverse energy play crucial roles in separating the signal from backgrounds. The prospects of heavy-light neutrino mixing |VℓN|2 (with ℓ = e, μ) are estimated by using machine learning at the hadron colliders with s = 14 TeV, 27 TeV, and 100 TeV, and it is found that |VℓN|2 can be improved up to O (10−6) for heavy neutrino mass mN = 100 GeV and O (10−4) for mN = 1 TeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the effects of various carbon and nitrogen sources on structural features and immunomodulatory activity of exopolysaccharides (EPS) from Ganoderma lucidum were studied. When glucose and yeast powder were used as carbon and nitrogen sources, the apparent viscosity of fermentation broth and EPS yield and the corresponding sugar content were higher than those cultured with other carbon and nitrogen sources. The main polysaccharide components (20E) with molecular weights ranging from 2.78 × 106 to 3.96 × 106 g/mol were isolated from fermentation broth through 20% ethanol precipitation. Monosaccharide analysis showed that the carbon source significantly affected the monosaccharide compositions of 20E, and the initial carbon source of the medium accounted for the largest proportion of monosaccharide in 20E. The immunoenhancing activities on inducing NF-κB activation by 20E fractions from different carbon and nitrogen combinations exhibited significant differences. Correlation analysis demonstrated that the immunomodulatory activity of 20E fractions was positively correlated with sugar contents and the molar ratios of glucose, while it was negatively correlated with the molar ratios of xylose. As the structural features and biological activities of EPS are highly dependent on the polysaccharide medium composition, this variability can be used advantageously to produce tailor-made polysaccharides with specific applications. [Display omitted] • Culture medium compositions affected the yield and sugar content of EPS. • The high MWs fractions precipitated by 20% ethanol (20E) were the main EPS in fermentation broth. • The initial carbon source accounted for the largest proportion of monosaccharide compositions in EPS. • Immunomodulatory activity of 20Es was positively correlated with sugar contents and the molar ratios of glucose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Route development programs have become popular with airports worldwide to enhance air connectivity. Enhanced air connectivity of an airport has been found to have a positive and significant impact on the competitiveness and attractiveness of the airport and the regional economy in which the airport is located. However, the drivers behind route development programs and their performance are not always clear; this has been less explored in the literature. In this paper, a dynamic performance management approach is taken to build a modeling framework in which key drivers affecting route development performance and strategic resources affecting key drivers are identified. Route-level planning is used in an empirical study to demonstrate the dynamic mechanism of airport route development initiatives and performance measurements. The proposed framework can not only provide performance monitoring, but also suggest suitable indicators to evaluate the performance for policymakers in future airport route development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary cardiomyocytes (CMs) are invaluable materials used to study in vitro cardiac physiology and pathophysiology. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive, systematic and comparative studies on methods for isolation of primary CMs from postnatal hearts. Here, we aimed to compare and optimize protocols for the isolation of CMs from embryonic to adult stages. We found that the trypsin digestion method was suitable for embryonic mouse CM isolation. The Gentle MACS method yielded high-quality CMs from neonatal hearts (postnatal day 1-day 3, P1-P3). The Langendorff-free perfusion method was applicable for isolation of CMs from mice older than P3. P14 and P56 CMs could also be isolated by the Langendorff perfusion system. The transcriptional profiles and cellular function of the isolated CMs were respectively confirmed by RNA sequencing and Angiotensin II treatment, suggesting the feasibility and effectiveness of the isolation methods. Overall, this study supplies a series of detailed and optimized protocols to isolate CMs at different developmental stages, which provides support for the study of the mechanisms, pathology, and pharmacology of cardiovascular diseases. [Display omitted] • Trypsin digestion method is suitable for embryonic cardiomyocyte (CM) isolation. • Gentle MACS method yields high quality CMs of postnatal day 1 (P1). • Langendorff-free perfusion method is applicable for isolation of CMs older than P3. • P14 and P56 CMs are isolated by Langendorff and Langendorff-free perfusion system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a powerful machine learning method, deep learning has attracted the attention of numerous researchers. While exploring a high-performance neural network model, the floating-point operations of a neural network model are also increasing. In recent years, many researchers have noticed that efficiency is also one of important indicators to measure the property of neural network models. Obviously, the efficient neural network model is more helpful to deploy on mobile and embedded devices. Therefore, the efficient neural network model becomes a hot research spot. In this paper, we review the methods related to the structural design of efficient convolution neural networks in recent years. According to the characteristics of these methods, we divide them into three kinds of methods: model pruning, efficient architecture, and neural architecture search. Detailed analyses of each method are presented to demonstrate their advantages and disadvantages. Then, we comprehensively compare them in detail and propose many suggestions about the design of the efficient convolution neural network model structure. Inspired by these suggestions, we built a new efficient neural network model, SharedNet. And the SharedNet obtains the best accuracy of manually-designed efficient CNN models on the ImageNet dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspergillus, a genus of filamentous fungi, is extensively distributed in nature and plays crucial roles in the decomposition of organic materials as an important environmental microorganism as well as in the traditional fermentation and food processing industries. Furthermore, due to their strong potential to secrete a large variety of hydrolytic enzymes and other natural products by manipulating gene expression and/or introducing new biosynthetic pathways, several Aspergillus species have been widely exploited as microbial cell factories. In recent years, with the development of next-generation genome sequencing technology and genetic engineering methods, the production and utilization of various homo-/heterologous-proteins and natural products in Aspergillus species have been well studied. As a newly developed genome editing technology, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system has been used to edit and modify genes in Aspergilli. So far, the CRISPR/Cas9-based approach has been widely employed to improve the efficiency of gene modification in the strain type Aspergillus nidulans and other industrially important and pathogenic Aspergillus species, including Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus fumigatus. This review highlights the current development of CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing technology and its application in basic research and the production of recombination proteins and natural products in the Aspergillus species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Federated learning (FL) is a popular edge learning approach that utilizes local data and computing resources of network edge devices to train machine learning (ML) models while preserving users’ privacy. Nevertheless, performing efficient learning tasks on the devices and achieving longer battery life are primary challenges faced by federated learning. In this paper, we are the first to study the application of heterogeneous computing (HC) and wireless power transfer (WPT) to federated learning to address these challenges. Especially, we propose a heterogeneous computation and resource allocation framework based on a heterogeneous mobile architecture to achieve effective implementation of FL. To minimize the energy consumption of smart devices and maximize their harvesting energy simultaneously, we formulate an optimization problem featuring multidimensional control, which jointly considers time splitting for WPT, dataset size allocation, transmit power allocation and subcarrier assignment during communications, and processor frequency of processing units (central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU)). However, the major obstacle is how to design a proper algorithm to solve this optimization problem efficiently. For this purpose, we decouple the optimization variables so as to achieve high efficiency in deriving its solution. Particularly, we first compute the optimal processor frequency and dataset size allocation via employing the Lagrangian dual method, followed by finding the closed-form solution to the optimal time splitting allocation, and finally attain the optimal subcarrier assignment as well as transmit power for transmissions through an iteration algorithm. To evaluate the performance of our proposed scheme, we set up four baseline schemes as comparison, and simulation results show that the proposed scheme converges quite fast and better enhance the energy efficiency of the wireless powered FL system compared with the baseline schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human mobility prediction is of great importance for a wide spectrum of location-based applications. However, predicting mobility is not trivial because of four challenges: 1) the complex sequential transition regularities exhibited with time-dependent and high-order nature; 2) the multi-level periodicity of human mobility; 3) the heterogeneity and sparsity of the collected trajectory data; and 4) the complicated semantic motivation behind the mobility. In this paper, we propose DeepMove, an attentional recurrent network for mobility prediction from lengthy and sparse trajectories. In DeepMove, we first design a multi-modal embedding recurrent neural network to capture the complicated sequential transitions by jointly embedding the multiple factors that govern human mobility. Then, we propose a historical attention model with two mechanisms to capture the multi-level periodicity in a principle way, which effectively utilizes the periodicity nature to augment the recurrent neural network for mobility prediction. Furthermore, we design a context adaptor to capture the semantic effects of Point-Of-Interest (POI)-based activity and temporal factor (e.g., dwell time). Finally, we use the multi-task framework to encourage the model to learn comprehensive motivations with mobility by introducing the task of the next activity type prediction and the next check-in time prediction. We perform experiments on four representative real-life mobility datasets, and extensive evaluation results demonstrate that our model outperforms the state-of-the-art models by more than 10 percent. Moreover, compared with the state-of-the-art neural network models, DeepMove provides intuitive explanations into the prediction and sheds light on interpretable mobility prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A star tracker provides accurate space positioning and reference for satellites, intercontinental strategic missiles, and other spacecrafts. However, the main imaging unit of the star sensor – the image sensor – is affected by the space radiation environment and, in turn, affects the precision with which the star is located by the star tracker. In this study, the parameter degradation of a CMOS image sensor (CIS) after proton irradiation with different fluences was investigated. An outfield test platform for star map collection was built using the star sensor lens and image collection system. The influence of dark current, dark-current nonuniformity, and photo-response nonuniformity of the irradiated CIS on the star diagonal distance measurement error and star-point centroid position detection accuracy was studied. The results showed that with increasing proton fluences, the CIS noise increased, leading to an increase in the error in the measured diagonal distance of the star and a decrease in the star's position detection accuracy. Among these parameters, the dark current plays the greatest role in influencing the measurement accuracy of the star tracker. Furthermore, when a tracker is exposed to space radiation with fluences that are same as those used in this experiment, it is beneficial to reduce the integration time. This reduction in the time will decrease the noise and improve the position measurement accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical and biochemical efficacy of laser therapy as an adjunct to non‐surgical treatment in chronic periodontitis. Methods: A systematic search was performed through the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library for eligible articles published as of May 2, 2020, supplemented by information search in the System for Information on Programme Literature in Europe and a manual literature search. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) used to compare the adjunctive use of laser and non‐surgical treatment alone with an observation period of at least 6 months were included. Results: Sixteen RCTs with a total of 525 subjects were included. Meta‐analysis suggested that the additional use of laser to scaling and root planing (SRP) showed significant superiority over SRP alone among most of clinical parameters involved. Regarding the GCF, although volume in the laser group was lower at week 4 and 12, no significant difference was found regarding the cytokines level. Subgroup analysis revealed that the combined therapy produced no significant difference in PD, CAL and PI at most time points for studies in respect to smokers. No treatment‐related adverse events had been reported in the included studies. Conclusions: Pooled analysis suggested that laser‐assisted non‐surgical treatment improved clinical outcome to SRP alone in the management of non‐smoking chronic periodontitis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For better understanding the genetic diversity and phylogeny of the cultivated Salvia miltiorrhiza populations, four intergenic spacer sequences, ETS, psbA-trnH, trnL-trnF, and ycf1-rps15 of the 40 populations collected from China were Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplified, analyzed both individually and in combination. Haplotype diversity analysis showed that the cultivated S. miltiorrhiza populations had a very rich genetic diversity and an excellent capacity to resist environmental pressure. The best-fit nucleotide substitution models for ETS, psbA-trnH, trnL-trnF, ycf1-rps15, and their combined sequences were HKY+I, T92, T92, T92+G, and T92+G, respectively; the nucleotide conversion frequency in the combined sequences was lower than the transversion, and the relatively high nucleotide substitution frequencies suggests its high genetic variability. Neutral tests showed that the spacer sequences of the populations conform with the neutral evolution model, and there has been no current expansion events occurred. Phylogeny analyses based on both the individual and the combined sequences showed that the 40 populations were clustered in two clades with a very similar topological structure. The discrimination rate of the combined sequence marker is significantly increased to 52.5% (21 populations) over the highest 35% (13 populations) by the single marker of ETS, though still inadequate but a big step forward. Further exploration of more DNA markers is needed. This study for the first time revealed the rich genetic diversity and phylogeny of the currently cultivated S. miltiorrhiza populations in China and provides novel alternative molecular markers for the genetic identification and resources evaluation of the cultivated S. miltiorrhiza populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]