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Pile is a common foundation on the slope, which poses a serious threat to the construction and operation if the slope deformation and causes landslide. In this study, a model device of pile foundation on landslide was independently developed by relative displacement loading between pile and soil to explore the influence of landslide deformation on pile and analysis the soil failure rule and the deformation characteristics of pile in different stages of landslide deformation, a few model tests were completed including the relative displacement between soil and pile from 1 to 17 cm, and the pile diameter and the modulus of slide bed were also considered. The results indicated that: the evolution process of landslide deformation with pile foundation on could be divided into four stages including soil compaction, cracks growth, yield stage, and failure stage; ratios of the maximum soil pressure and bending moment growth from the soil compaction stage to the cracks growth stage to the total growth in these four stages are both exceeding 60%; the soil pressure increases with the increase of pile diameter and sliding bed modulus. Therefore, it is best to effectively monitor and control the landslide in the initial soil compression stage that in soil compaction stage and methods such as increasing pile foundations or reinforcing the sliding bed can be used for protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove that a compact Einstein manifold of dimension n ≥ 4 with nonnegative curvature operator of the second kind is a constant curvature space by Bochner technique. Moreover, we obtain that compact Einstein manifolds of dimension n ≥ 11 with n + 2 4 -nonnegative curvature operator of the second kind, 4 (resp. , 8 , 9 , 10) -dimensional compact Einstein manifolds with 2-nonnegative curvature of the second kind and 5-dimensional compact Einstein manifolds with 3-nonnegative curvature of the second kind are constant curvature spaces. Combining with Li's (J Geom Anal 32:281, 2022) result, we have that a compact Einstein manifold of dimension n ≥ 4 with max { 4 , n + 2 4 } -nonnegative curvature operator of the second kind is a constant curvature space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PIWI‐interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are highly expressed in various cardiovascular diseases. However, their role in cardiomyocyte death caused by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, especially necroptosis, remains elusive. In this study, a heart necroptosis‐associated piRNA (HNEAP) is found that regulates cardiomyocyte necroptosis by targeting DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1)‐mediated 5‐methylcytosine (m5C) methylation of the activating transcription factor 7 (Atf7) mRNA transcript. HNEAP expression level is significantly elevated in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)‐exposed cardiomyocytes and I/R‐injured mouse hearts. Loss of HNEAP inhibited cardiomyocyte necroptosis and ameliorated cardiac function in mice. Mechanistically, HNEAP directly interacts with DNMT1 and attenuates m5C methylation of the Atf7 mRNA transcript, which increases Atf7 expression level. ATF7 can further downregulate the transcription of Chmp2a, an inhibitor of necroptosis, resulting in the reduction of Chmp2a level and the progression of cardiomyocyte necroptosis. The findings reveal that piRNA‐mediated m5C methylation is involved in the regulation of cardiomyocyte necroptosis. Thus, the HNEAP‐DNMT1‐ATF7‐CHMP2A axis may be a potential target for attenuating cardiac injury caused by necroptosis in ischemic heart disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) presents a significant challenge to global healthcare systems, with current treatments offering only modest relief and often bringing unwanted side effects, necessitating the exploration of more effective and safer drugs. In this study, we employed the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model, specifically the AD-like CL4176 strain expressing the human Aβ(1–42) protein, to investigate the potential of Reineckia carnea extract and its fractions. Our results showed that the Reineckia carnea ether fraction (REF) notably diminished the paralysis rates of CL4176 worms. Additionally, REF also attenuated the neurotoxicity effects prompted by Tau proteins in the BR5270 worms. Moreover, REF was observed to counteract the accumulation of Aβ and pTau proteins and their induced oxidative stress in C. elegans AD-like models. Mechanistic studies revealed that REF's benefits were associated with the induction of autophagy in worms; however, these protective effects were nullified when autophagy-related genes were suppressed using RNAi bacteria. Together, these findings highlight Reineckia carnea ether fraction as a promising candidate for AD treatment, warranting further investigation into its autophagy-inducing components and their molecular mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A selective maintenance model for multistate systems that simultaneously considers the random uncertainty of the system mission period and mission breaks and the requirements of different system performance levels is proposed. Unlike traditional studies, the proposed model not only considers the random uncertainty of the mission period and mission breaks and the requirements of different system performance levels but also effectively manages the selective maintenance problems of multistate systems by using a heuristic algorithm. In this model, random variables that conform to a verified distribution are employed to characterize the randomness of the mission period and mission breaks, while the service age reduction model is utilized to describe the effective age of the system components after maintenance. To construct this method, the quantitative relationships between the system maintenance cost and the service age reduction factor and between the maintenance time and the service age reduction factor are established. Then, based on the multistate system reliability and general generating function technology, the mission completion rate models of the components and the system are established. Finally, the solution approach for making selective maintenance decisions for multistate systems based on the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is presented. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed model as well as the solution algorithm, a coal transportation system at a thermal power station is studied, and satisfactory results are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AMPK plays significant roles in the modulation of metabolic reprogramming and viral infection. However, the detailed mechanism by which AMPK affects viral infection is unclear. The present study aims to determine how AMPK influences white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection in shrimp (Marsupenaeus japonicus). Here, we find that AMPK expression and phosphorylation are significantly upregulated in WSSV-infected shrimp. WSSV replication decreases remarkably after knockdown of Ampkα and the shrimp survival rate of AMPK-inhibitor injection shrimp increases significantly, suggesting that AMPK is beneficial for WSSV proliferation. Mechanistically, WSSV infection increases intracellular Ca2+ level, and activates CaMKK, which result in AMPK phosphorylation and partial nuclear translocation. AMPK directly activates mTORC2-AKT signaling pathway to phosphorylate key enzymes of glycolysis in the cytosol and promotes expression of Hif1α to mediate transcription of key glycolytic enzyme genes, both of which lead to increased glycolysis to provide energy for WSSV proliferation. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which WSSV exploits the host CaMKK-AMPK-mTORC2 pathway for its proliferation, and suggest that AMPK might be a target for WSSV control in shrimp aquaculture. AMPK and its downstream signaling pathways are implicated in the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) response of the shrimp Marsupenaeus japonicus, with WSSV using this pathway to promote its proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the effect and mechanism of the Clostridium metabolite p-Cresol sulfate (PCS) in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Methods: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to detect differences in tyrosine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, PCS, and p-Cresyl glucuronide (PCG) between the serum of PBC patients and healthy controls. In vivo experiments, mice were divided into the normal control, PBC group, and PBC tyrosine group. GC-MS was used to detect PCS and PCG. Serum and liver inflammatory factors were compared between groups along with the polarization of liver Kupffer cells. Additionally, PCS was cultured with normal bile duct epithelial cells and Kupffer cells, respectively. PCS-stimulated Kupffer cells were co-cultured with lipopolysaccharide-injured bile duct epithelial cells to detect changes in inflammatory factors. Results: Levels of tyrosine and phenylalanine were increased, but PCS level was reduced in PBC patients, with PCG showing a lower concentration distribution in both groups. PCS in PBC mice was also lower than those in normal control mice. After oral administration of tyrosine feed to PBC mice, PCS increased, liver inflammatory factors were decreased, and anti-inflammatory factors were increased. Furthermore, Kupffer cells in the liver polarized form M1 transitioned to M2. PCS can damage normal bile duct epithelial cells and suppress the immune response of Kupffer cells. But PCS protects bile duct epithelial cells damaged by LPS through Kupffer cells. Conclusions: PCS produced by Clostridium-metabolized tyrosine reduced PBC inflammation, suggesting that intervention by food, or supplementation with PCS might represent an effective clinical strategy for treating PBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karst is a common engineering environment in the process of tunnel construction, which poses a serious threat to the construction and operation, and the theory on calculating the settlement without the assumption of semi-infinite half-space is lack. Meanwhile, due to the limitation of test conditions or field measurement, the settlement of high-speed railway tunnel in Karst region is difficult to control and predict effectively. In this study, a novel intelligent displacement prediction model, following the machine learning (ML) incorporated with the finite difference method, is developed to evaluate the settlement of the tunnel floor. A back propagation neural network (BPNN) algorithm and a random forest (RF) algorithm are used herein, while the Bayesian regularization is applied to improve the BPNN and the Bayesian optimization is adopted for tuning the hyperparameters of RF. The newly proposed model is employed to predict the settlement of Changqingpo tunnel floor, located in the southeast of Yunnan Guizhou Plateau, China. Numerical simulations have been performed on the Changqingpo tunnel in terms of variety of karst size, and locations. Validations of the numerical simulations have been validated by the field data. A data set of 456 samples based on the numerical results is constructed to evaluate the accuracy of models' predictions. The correlation coefficients of the optimum BPNN and BR model in testing set are 0.987 and 0.925, respectively, indicating that the proposed BPNN model has more great potential to predict the settlement of tunnels located in karst areas. The case study of Changqingpo tunnel in karst region has demonstrated capability of the intelligent displacement prediction model to well predict the settlement of tunnel floor in Karst region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of molecular crystal materials with physical properties that can be dynamically controllable through various stimuli such as light and electricity is of extraordinary significance, while this remains a tremendous challenge. In this context, we demonstrate two novel 2-D multi-function viologen complexes, {[Ln(bcbp)(BDC)(CH 3 OH)(H 2 O) 2 ]·Cl·CH 3 OH·H 2 O} n (1-Eu , and 2-Dy ; H 2 bcbp·2Cl = 1,1′-bis(4-carboxyphenyl)-(4,4′-bipyridinium) dichloride; BDC = p -phthalic acid, and Ln = Eu, Dy). Due to the strong π-π interaction between viologen and BDC in the interlocked structure, both compounds exhibit rapid and reversible responses under the stimuli of UV light and electricity. Furthermore, accompanying the photochromic process, photo-modulated luminescent and photomagnetic behavior have been observed. Considering the excellent photochromic performance, the function filter paper and smart organic glass were successfully prepared and used for ink-free printing and UV light filtering. [Display omitted] • Two interlocking viologen-based lanthanide frameworks with strong π-π interactions were designed and synthesized. • The obtained compounds exhibited fast and reversible chromic under the stimuli of UV light and electricity. • Accompanied by the photochromic process, controllable photoluminescent and photomagnetic behavior have been observed. • The function filter paper and smart organic glass were successfully fabricated and their applications were explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper, we investigate the moments ⟨ ξ 2 ; a 1 ‖ ; n ⟩ of the axial-vector a 1 (1260) -meson distribution amplitude by using the QCD sum rules approach under the background field theory. By considering the vacuum condensates up to dimension-six and the perturbative part up to next-to-leading order QCD corrections, its first five moments at an initial scale μ 0 = 1 GeV are ⟨ ξ 2 ; a 1 ‖ ; 2 ⟩ | μ 0 = 0.223 ± 0.029 , ⟨ ξ 2 ; a 1 ‖ ; 4 ⟩ | μ 0 = 0.098 ± 0.008 , ⟨ ξ 2 ; a 1 ‖ ; 6 ⟩ | μ 0 = 0.056 ± 0.006 , ⟨ ξ 2 ; a 1 ‖ ; 8 ⟩ | μ 0 = 0.039 ± 0.004 and ⟨ ξ 2 ; a 1 ‖ ; 10 ⟩ | μ 0 = 0.028 ± 0.003 , respectively. We then construct a light-cone harmonic oscillator model for a 1 (1260) -meson longitudinal twist-2 distribution amplitude ϕ 2 ; a 1 ‖ (x , μ) , whose model parameters are fitted by using the least squares method. As an application of ϕ 2 ; a 1 ‖ (x , μ) , we calculate the transition form factors (TFFs) of D → a 1 (1260) in large and intermediate momentum transfers by using the QCD light-cone sum rules approach. At the largest recoil point ( q 2 = 0 ), we obtain A (0) = 0. 130 - 0.013 + 0.015 , V 1 (0) = 1. 898 - 0.121 + 0.128 , V 2 (0) = 0. 228 - 0.021 + 0.020 , and V 0 (0) = 0. 217 - 0.025 + 0.023 . By applying the extrapolated TFFs to the semi-leptonic decay D 0 (+) → a 1 - (0) (1260) ℓ + ν ℓ , we obtain B (D 0 → a 1 - (1260) e + ν e) = (5. 261 - 0.639 + 0.745) × 10 - 5 , B (D + → a 1 0 (1260) e + ν e) = (6. 673 - 0.811 + 0.947) × 10 - 5 , B (D 0 → a 1 - (1260) μ + ν μ) = (4. 732 - 0.590 + 0.685) × 10 - 5 , B (D + → a 1 0 (1260) μ + ν μ) = (6. 002 - 0.748 + 0.796) × 10 - 5 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The isospin breaking and radiative decay widths of the positive-parity charm-strange mesons, D s 0 ∗ and D s 1 , and their predicted bottom-strange counterparts, B s 0 ∗ and B s 1 , as hadronic molecules are revisited. This is necessary, since the B s 0 ∗ and B s 1 masses used in (Cleven et al., Eur Phys J A 50:149, 2014) were too small, in conflict with the heavy quark flavour symmetry. Furthermore, not all isospin breaking contributions were considered. We here present a method to restore heavy quark flavour symmetry, correcting the masses of B s 0 ∗ and B s 1 , and include the complete isospin breaking contributions up to next-to-leading order. With this we provide updated hadronic decay widths for all of D s 0 ∗ , D s 1 , B s 0 ∗ and B s 1 . Results for the partial widths of the radiative deays of D s 0 ∗ (2317) and D s 1 (2460) are also renewed in light of the much more precisely measured D ∗ + width. We find that B s π 0 and B s γ are the preferred channels for searching for B s 0 ∗ and B s 1 , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Galectin-9 (Gal-9) is a multifunctional lectin that moderates inflammation and organ damage. In this study, we tested whether Gal-9 has a protective role in the pathogenesis of endotoxemic acute kidney injury. Methods: We examined the levels of Gal-9 in control mice after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration. We developed Gal-9 knockout (KO) mice that lack Gal-9 systemically and evaluated the role of Gal-9 in LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokines, vascular permeability, and renal injury. Results: Gal-9 levels were increased in the plasma, kidney, and spleen within 4 h after LPS administration to wild-type mice. Gal-9 deficiency did not affect the LPS-induced increase in plasma tumor necrosis factor-α levels at 1 h or vascular permeability at 6 h. Lower urine volume and reduced creatinine clearance were observed in Gal-9-KO mice compared with wild-type mice after LPS administration. Gal-9-KO mice had limited improvement in urine volume after fluid resuscitation compared with wild-type mice. LPS reduced the body temperature 12 h after its administration. Hypothermia had disappeared in wild-type mice by 24 h, whereas it was sustained until 24 h in Gal-9-KO mice. Importantly, maintaining body temperature in Gal-9-KO mice improved the response of urine flow to fluid resuscitation. Conclusion: Deficiency in Gal-9 worsened LPS-induced hypothermia and kidney injury in mice. The accelerated hypothermia induced by Gal-9 deficiency contributed to the blunted response to fluid resuscitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let (M , g) be a 4-dimensional compact oriented Riemannian manifold with nonnegative biorthogonal curvature and W − be the anti-self-dual component of the Weyl curvature tensor W. If M has constant scalar curvature and | W − | of M is constant, or if M has harmonic Weyl tensor and det W − or | W − | of M is constant, then we give two classification theorems for M. As two applications, a 4-dimensional compact oriented Einstein manifold with nonnegative sectional curvature whose det W − or | W − | is constant is isometric to one of S 4 , CP 2 , S 2 × S 2 or a flat manifold; a 4-dimensional compact oriented self-dual Riemannian manifold with positive sectional curvature and constant scalar curvature either is conformal to S 4 , CP 2 , or is diffeomorphic to CP 2 ♯ CP 2 , CP 2 ♯ CP 2 ♯ CP 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we make a detailed discussion on the η and η ′ -meson leading-twist light-cone distribution amplitude ϕ 2 ; η (′) (u , μ) by using the QCD sum rules approach under the background field theory. Taking both the non-perturbative condensates up to dimension-six and the next-to-leading order (NLO) QCD corrections to the perturbative part, its first three moments ⟨ ξ 2 ; η (′) n ⟩ | μ 0 with n = (2 , 4 , 6) can be determined, where the initial scale μ 0 is set as the usual choice of 1 GeV. Numerically, we obtain ⟨ ξ 2 ; η 2 ⟩ | μ 0 = 0. 231 - 0.013 + 0.010 , ⟨ ξ 2 ; η 4 ⟩ | μ 0 = 0. 109 - 0.007 + 0.007 , and ⟨ ξ 2 ; η 6 ⟩ | μ 0 = 0. 066 - 0.006 + 0.006 for η -meson, ⟨ ξ 2 ; η ′ 2 ⟩ | μ 0 = 0. 211 - 0.017 + 0.015 , ⟨ ξ 2 ; η ′ 4 ⟩ | μ 0 = 0. 093 - 0.009 + 0.009 , and ⟨ ξ 2 ; η ′ 6 ⟩ | μ 0 = 0. 054 - 0.008 + 0.008 for η ′ -meson. Next, we calculate the D s → η (′) transition form factors (TFFs) f + η (′) (q 2) within QCD light-cone sum rules approach up to NLO level. The values at large recoil region are f + η (0) = 0. 476 - 0.036 + 0.040 and f + η ′ (0) = 0. 544 - 0.042 + 0.046 . After extrapolating TFFs to the allowable physical regions within the series expansion, we obtain the branching fractions of the semi-leptonic decay, i.e. D s + → η (′) ℓ + ν ℓ , i.e. B (D s + → η (′) e + ν e) = 2. 346 - 0.331 + 0.418 (0. 792 - 0.118 + 0.141) × 10 - 2 and B (D s + → η (′) μ + ν μ) = 2. 320 - 0.327 + 0.413 (0. 773 - 0.115 + 0.138) × 10 - 2 for ℓ = (e , μ) channels respectively. And in addition to that, the mixing angle for η - η ′ with φ and ratio for the different decay channels R η ′ / η ℓ are given, which show good agreement with the recent BESIII measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments and theoretical analysis were conducted to investigate the upward flame spread over a homogenous PMMA plate and an array of discrete thermally thin PMMA elements. In the experiment, a digital video camera was used to record the flame spread process. An electronic balance and thermocouples were adopted to monitor the mass loss and pyrolysis front position, respectively, as a function of time. In the theoretical analysis, the mass loss rate of PMMA was correlated to the heat transfer during flame spread. The experimental results show that the flame spread rate peaks in the case of discrete PMMA elements with a fuel coverage around 80% rather than 100% (the homogenous case) because the gap with an appropriate spacing between neighboring elements accelerates the flame spread. However, the flame cannot spread over an array of discrete fuels at a coverage of 50% or smaller where the gap is too large to allow effective heat transfer required for flame spread. A smaller coverage of PMMA results in a larger mass loss rate per area since the gaps between elements can entrain more air to promote the burning. A logarithmic relation, that can well describe the mass loss rate as a function of PMMA coverage, was proposed based on the theoretical analysis and the fitting of experimental measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first detailed dissection of the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of massive starburst galaxies at z > 2. Our target is a submillimeter galaxy (SMG) at z = 2.674 that has a star formation rate of 1200 M⊙ yr−1 and a molecular gas reservoir of 1.3 × 1011M⊙. We characterize its CGM with two background QSOs at impact parameters of 93 kpc and 176 kpc. We detect strong H i and metal-line absorption near the redshift of the SMG toward both QSOs, each consisting of three main subsystems spanning over 1500 km s−1. The absorbers show remarkable kinematic and metallicity coherence across a separation of ∼86 kpc. In particular, the cool gas in the CGM of the SMG exhibits high H i column densities (), a low metallicity ([M/H] ≈ −2.0), and nearly the same radial velocity (δv ∼ −300 km s−1). While the H i column densities match previous results on the massive halos hosting QSOs, the metallicity is lower by more than an order of magnitude, making it an outlier in the line width−metallicity relation of damped Lyα absorbers. The large physical extent, the velocity coherence, the high surface densities, and the low metallicity are all consistent with the cool, inflowing, and near-pristine gas streams predicted to penetrate hot massive halos at z > 1.5. We estimate a total gas accretion rate of ∼100 M⊙ yr−1 from three such streams. At this rate, it takes only a gigayear to acquire the molecular gas reservoir of the central starburst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that a compact manifold with harmonic Weyl tensor and nonnegative curvature operator of the second kind is globally conformally equivalent to a space of positive constant curvature or is isometric to a flat manifold. Moreover, we obtain that a compact manifold with harmonic curvature and nonnegative curvature operator of the second kind is isometric to a space of constant curvature. These improve Kashiwada's result that Riemannian manifolds with harmonic curvature tensor for which the curvature operator of the second kind is nonnegative and positive are locally symmetric spaces and constant curvature spaces, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The imbalance induced by inhibition of bone mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) osteogenic differentiation results in osteoporosis (OP); however, the underlying regulatory mechanism is not completely understood. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve crucial roles in osteogenic differentiation; therefore, investigating their regulatory role in the process of osteogenic differentiation may identify a promising therapeutic target for OP. The expression of small nucleolar RNA host gene 1 (SNHG1), Dickkopf 1 (DKK1), microRNA (miR)-101, RUNX family transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), osteopontin (OPN) and osteocalin (OCN) were detected via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The protein expression levels of DKK1, β-catenin, RUNX2, OPN, OCN, osterix and collagen type I α1 chain were analyzed by performing western blotting. The osteoblastic phenotype was assessed by conducting alkaline phosphatase activity detection and Alizarin Red staining. The interaction between SNHG1 and miR-101 was validated by bioinformatics and luciferase assays. The regulatory role of SNHG1 in BMSC osteogenic differentiation was assessed. SNHG1 expression was downregulated in a time-dependent manner during the process of osteogenic differentiation. SNHG1 overexpression inhibited osteogenic differentiation compared with the pcDNA group. The results indicated that SNHG1 and DKK1 directly interacted with miR-101. Moreover, SNHG1 regulated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to inhibit osteogenic differentiation via the miR-101/DKK1 axis. The present study indicated that lncRNA SNHG1 could attenuate BMSC osteogenic differentiation via the miR-101/DKK1 axis as a competitive endogenous RNA. Therefore, the present study furthered the current understanding of the potential mechanism underlying lncRNAs in in osteogenic differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) can cause end-organ diseases including pneumonia, gastroenteritis, retinitis, and encephalitis in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients. Potential differences among different CMV diseases remain uncertain. This study aimed to compare the clinical characteristics, risk factors, and mortality among different CMV diseases. A retrospective nested case-control study was performed based on a cohort of 3862 patients who underwent haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at a single-center. CMV diseases occurred in 113 (2.92%) of 3862 haplo-HSCT recipients, including probable CMV pneumonia (CMVP, n = 34), proven CMV gastroenteritis (CMVG, n = 34), CMV retinitis (CMVR, n = 31), probable CMV encephalitis (CMVE, n = 7), and disseminated CMV disease (Di-CMVD, n = 7). Most (91.2%) cases of CMVG developed within 100 days, while most (90.3%) cases of CMVR were late onset. Refractory CMV infection and CMV viral load at different levels were associated with an increased risk of CMVP, CMVG, and CMVR. Compared with patients without CMV diseases, significantly higher non-relapse mortality at 1 year after transplantation was observed in patients with CMVP and CMVR, rather than CMVG. Patients with CMVP, Di-CMVD, and CMVE had higher overall mortality after diagnosis than that of patients with CMVG and CMVR (61.7%, 57.1%, 40.0% vs 27.7%, 18.6%, P = 0.001). In conclusion, the onset time, viral dynamics, and mortality differ among different CMV diseases. The mortality of CMV diseases remains high, especially for CMVP, Di-CMVD, and CMVE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To evaluate the role of short-term low-dose glucocorticoids in mild COVID-19 patients. Methods. We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional, single-center study in Kunming, China. A total of 33 mild COVID-19 cases were divided into two treatment groups (with and without glucocorticoids, methylprednisolone, were used in this setting), and the absolute value of peripheral blood lymphocyte count; CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cell counts; and the time to achieve negative transformation of a nucleic acid pharyngeal swab were recorded. Peripheral blood lymphocyte and T cell counts were compared between the treatment group and 25 healthy individuals. At the point of time when there was a 50% accumulation conversion rate (positive to negative nucleic acid on pharyngeal swab), and the nucleic acid turned negative in half of the patients in two groups, the peripheral blood lymphocyte and T cell counts were compared between treatment groups. Results. The mean cumulative time for the 50% negative conversion rate of the nucleic acid in the pharyngeal swab was 17.7 ± 5.1 days and 13.9 ± 5.4 days in the glucocorticoid group and the nonglucocorticoid group, respectively. The absolute peripheral blood lymphocyte count and the T cell subset count in the glucocorticoid group were lower than those in the nonglucocorticoid group. When the nucleic acid turned negative in half of the patients, the absolute value of peripheral blood lymphocyte count and CD4+ T cells of the glucocorticoid group and the nonglucocorticoid group was not significantly different; the CD3+ and CD8+ T cells in the glucocorticoid group were lower than those in the nonglucocorticoid group. The absolute peripheral blood lymphocyte count, CD3+ T cells, and CD4+ T cells in the glucocorticoid group were lower than those of the healthy group during the whole disease period, and CD8+ T cells returned to normal at 19-21 days of the disease period. There was no significant difference between the nonglucocorticoid group and the healthy group for absolute peripheral blood lymphocyte and CD8+ T cells; moreover, CD3+ T cells and CD4+ T cells were lower in the nonglucocorticoid group than those in the healthy group from the day of admission to the 18th day and returned to normal at the period of 19-21 days. The absolute peripheral lymphocyte count (P = 0.048 , effect size d = 0.727) and T cell subset count (CD3: P = 0.042 , effect size d = 0.655 ; CD4: P < 0.01 , effect size d = 0.599 ; and CD8: P = 0.034 , effect size d = 0.550) in the nonglucocorticoid group were higher than those in the glucocorticoid group, and the difference between the groups was statistically significant. Conclusions. This study found that the use of short-term, low-dose glucocorticoids does not negatively influence the clinical outcome, without affecting the final clearance of viral nucleic acid in mild COVID-19 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyse the differential indicators of COVID-19 in severe and mild cases and to study the factors affecting the immune function of patients and the time required for oropharyngeal swabs to become negative. Age, albumin (ALB) levels, prealbumin (PAB) levels, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, platelet counts, lymphocyte counts, neutrophil counts, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ T cell counts and the time for oropharyngeal swabs to become negative were collected from 37 patients with COVID-19; the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were calculated as indicators of inflammation. An independent-sample t test was used to analyse differences between the severe and mild groups, and factors affecting the CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell counts and the time for the nucleic acid tests of oropharyngeal to convert to negative were identified by single-factor and multifactor analyses. Lymphocyte, ALB, PAB, CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell levels in the severe group were lower than those in the mild group, the P values were 0.048, 0.004, 0.033, 0.033, 0.015 and 0.013, respectively. The neutrophil count and PLR were higher in the severe group compared with that in the patients of mild group; the P values were all 0.000. Single-factor analysis showed that age, ALB level, PAB level, hs-CRP level, platelet count, the NLR, the PLR and the time to a negative nucleic acid test were the main factors influencing CD3+ T cells; the P values were 0.001, 0.031, 0.001, 0.010, 0.005, 0.002, 0.000 and 0.048, respectively. Age, ALB level, PAB level, hs-CRP level, platelet count, the NLR, the PLR and time to a negative nucleic acid test were the main factors influencing CD8+ T cells; the P values were 0.000, 0.012, 0.000, 0.005, 0.002, 0.004, 0.005 and 0.003, respectively. Age, PAB level, hs-CRP level, platelet count, the NLR and the PLR were the main factors influencing CD4+ T cells; the P values were 0.001, 0.006, 0.030, 0.041, 0.005 and 0.001, respectively. Age, ALB level, PAB level, hs-CRP level, platelet count, the NLR, CD3+ T cell count and CD8+ T cell count were the main factors influencing the time to a negative nucleic acid test in oropharyngeal swabs, and the P values were 0.032, 0.043, 0.013, 0.016, 0.042, 0.049, 0.048 and 0.003, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the PLR and platelet count were the main factors influencing CD3+ T cells. The P values were all 0.000. The PLR and platelet count were the main factors influencing CD4+ T cells. The P values were 0.000 and 0.001, respectively. The PLR and platelet count were also the main factors influencing CD8+ T cells. The P values were 0.004 and 0.001. CD8+ T cells affected the time to a negative nucleic acid test in oropharyngeal swab samples, and the P value was 0.002. There were differences in the PLR, PAB level, ALB level and T cells between the severe and mild groups. The platelet count and PLR were the main factors influencing the immune function of patients with COVID-19, and CD8+ T cells influenced the negative conversion time of the nucleic acid test in oropharyngeal swabs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To precisely control the size of droplets produced in a flow-focusing microdroplet generator, the pressure-driven device is designed to control the flow rates of the fluids during the experiments of droplet generation. While monodisperse droplets are produced by the pressure-driven microfluidic flows, the nonlinear relation between the droplet length and the driving-pressure ratio of the two phases can be observed for the open-loop control of droplet generation. In particular, by using the method of the closed-loop control of droplet generation, good agreements are shown between the tested size of droplets and the predicted droplet size. Consequently, based on the closed-loop control of droplet generation under pressure-driven flows, the effects of the nonlinearity of the flow-focusing microchannel on the control accuracy of the droplet size is drastically reduced, which can significantly increase the control precision of the droplet size in the flow-focusing microdroplet generator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a 100‐GHz phase shifter capable of providing full 360° continuous phase tuning range in 55 nm CMOS technology. The phase shifter is based on reflection‐type phase shifter (RTPS), which has more than 180° phase shift and employs a 0°/180° phase inverter (PI). The amplitude difference between 0°/180° modes of the PI is less than 0.5 dB while the phase imbalance is less than 1° at 90‐100 GHz. The measured insertion loss of the proposed phase shifter for all phase states is 6.1‐10.2 dB at 95 GHz. The chip of our proposed phase shifter occupies an area of 710 × 510 μm2, and the DC power consumption is 20 mW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate an efficient method that can precisely measure the viscosity of fluids based on droplet microfluidics. For our design of the droplet microfluidic viscometer, the volume of the fluid sample required for testing the fluid viscosity is on the order of nanoliters. In particular, a T-junction microdroplet generator is designed for the production of monodisperse droplets, and the flow rates of the continuous and dispersed phases are controlled by the pressure-driven microfluidic device. By giving a specified viscosity of the dispersed phase, the viscosity of the continuous phase can be measured, while considering the linear relation between the droplet length and the flow-rate ratio of the two phases, the linear relation between the droplet length and the viscosity ratio of the two phases can be obtained. For our design of the T-junction microdroplet generator, the viscosity ratio of the two phases can be predicted by testing the length of droplets formed in the microchannel, and therefore, the fluid viscosity of the continuous phase can be calculated. More importantly, the comparison between the measured and the given viscosity of the continuous phase is provided for three different geometries of the T-junctions, and consequently, the testing precision of the fluid viscosity can be validated experimentally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measured branching ratio of the D meson semileptonic decay D → ρ e + ν e , which is based on the 0.82 fb - 1 CLEO data taken at the peak of ψ (3770) resonance, disagrees with the traditional SVZ sum rules analysis by about three times. In the paper, we show that this discrepancy can be eliminated by applying the QCD light-cone sum rules (LCSR) approach to calculate the D → ρ transition form factors A 1 , 2 (q 2) and V (q 2) . After extrapolating the LCSR predictions of these TFFs to whole q 2 -region, we obtain 1 / | V cd | 2 × Γ (D → ρ e ν e) = (55. 45 - 9.41 + 13.34) × 10 - 15 GeV . Using the CKM matrix element and the D 0 (D +) lifetime from the Particle Data Group, we obtain B (D 0 → ρ - e + ν e) = (1. 749 - 0.297 + 0.421 ± 0.006) × 10 - 3 and B (D + → ρ 0 e + ν e) = (2. 217 - 0.376 + 0.534 ± 0.015) × 10 - 3 , which agree with the CLEO measurements within errors. We also calculate the branching ratios of the two D meson radiative processes and obtain B (D 0 → ρ 0 γ) = (1. 744 - 0.704 + 0.598) × 10 - 5 and B (D + → ρ + γ) = (5. 034 - 0.958 + 0.939) × 10 - 5 , which also agree with the Belle measurements within errors. Thus we think the LCSR approach is applicable for dealing with the D meson decays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walnut Shell-derived hierarchical porous carbon has been successfully synthesized by the efficient KOH activation process. The hierarchical porous carbon material activated at 600 °C, has the specific micropore area of 1037.31 m2 g−1 and micropore volume of 0.51 cm3 g−1, which leads to have electrochemical performances of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and supercapacitors. Specifically, as the hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalyst, the walnut shell-derived carbon material activated at 600 °C exhibits a lower onset potential of 6.00 mV, a smaller Tafel slope of 69.76 mV dec−1 and outstanding stability above long-term cycling. As a supercapacitor electrode material, the sample possesses specific capacitance of 262.74 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1, the remarkable rate capability of 224.60 F g−1 at even 10 A g−1 and good long-term stability. A symmetric supercapacitor shows the highly energy density of 7.97 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 180.80 W kg−1. This novel and low-cost biomass material is very promising for the electrocatalytic water splitting and supercapacitors. The design of electrode materials with a appropriate porous structure is very important for applications in the energy conversion and storage devices. Herein, we synthesize a walnut shell-derived carbon material by the efficient KOH activation at different temperature possesses hierarchical pore structure and moderate surface area, it can accelerate ion transport rate from the electrolyte to electrode surface and reduces the ion diffusion distance and resistance, which lead to have high performances for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction and supercapacitors. Image 1 • The parameter of specific micropore area of has a greater influence on electrochemical performance. • The high micropore area of hierarchical porous carbon were prepared. • The optimized electrocatalyst exhibits a low onset potential of 6.00 mV, a small Tafel slope of 69.76 mV dec−1 in 1.0 M KOH. • The WS possess high energy density and power density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyse the differential indicators of COVID-19 in severe and mild cases and to study the factors affecting the immune function of patients and the time required for oropharyngeal swabs to become negative. Age, albumin (ALB) levels, prealbumin (PAB) levels, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, platelet counts, lymphocyte counts, neutrophil counts, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ T cell counts and the time for oropharyngeal swabs to become negative were collected from 37 patients with COVID-19; the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were calculated as indicators of inflammation. An independent-sample t test was used to analyse differences between the severe and mild groups, and factors affecting the CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell counts and the time for the nucleic acid tests of oropharyngeal to convert to negative were identified by single-factor and multifactor analyses. Lymphocyte, ALB, PAB, CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell levels in the severe group were lower than those in the mild group, the P values were 0.048, 0.004, 0.033, 0.033, 0.015 and 0.013, respectively. The neutrophil count and PLR were higher in the severe group compared with that in the patients of mild group; the P values were all 0.000. Single-factor analysis showed that age, ALB level, PAB level, hs-CRP level, platelet count, the NLR, the PLR and the time to a negative nucleic acid test were the main factors influencing CD3+ T cells; the P values were 0.001, 0.031, 0.001, 0.010, 0.005, 0.002, 0.000 and 0.048, respectively. Age, ALB level, PAB level, hs-CRP level, platelet count, the NLR, the PLR and time to a negative nucleic acid test were the main factors influencing CD8+ T cells; the P values were 0.000, 0.012, 0.000, 0.005, 0.002, 0.004, 0.005 and 0.003, respectively. Age, PAB level, hs-CRP level, platelet count, the NLR and the PLR were the main factors influencing CD4+ T cells; the P values were 0.001, 0.006, 0.030, 0.041, 0.005 and 0.001, respectively. Age, ALB level, PAB level, hs-CRP level, platelet count, the NLR, CD3+ T cell count and CD8+ T cell count were the main factors influencing the time to a negative nucleic acid test in oropharyngeal swabs, and the P values were 0.032, 0.043, 0.013, 0.016, 0.042, 0.049, 0.048 and 0.003, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the PLR and platelet count were the main factors influencing CD3+ T cells. The P values were all 0.000. The PLR and platelet count were the main factors influencing CD4+ T cells. The P values were 0.000 and 0.001, respectively. The PLR and platelet count were also the main factors influencing CD8+ T cells. The P values were 0.004 and 0.001. CD8+ T cells affected the time to a negative nucleic acid test in oropharyngeal swab samples, and the P value was 0.002. There were differences in the PLR, PAB level, ALB level and T cells between the severe and mild groups. The platelet count and PLR were the main factors influencing the immune function of patients with COVID-19, and CD8+ T cells influenced the negative conversion time of the nucleic acid test in oropharyngeal swabs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, moments of a 0 (980) -meson twist-2 light-cone distribution amplitudes were deeply researched by using QCD sum rules approach within background field theory. Up to 9th-order accuracy, we present 〈 ξ 2 ; a 0 n 〉 | μ 0 at the initial scale μ 0 = 1 GeV , i.e. 〈 ξ 2 ; a 0 1 〉 | μ 0 = − 0.307 (43) , 〈 ξ 2 ; a 0 3 〉 | μ 0 = − 0.181 (34) , 〈 ξ 2 ; a 0 5 〉 | μ 0 = − 0.078 (28) , 〈 ξ 2 ; a 0 7 〉 | μ 0 = − 0.049 (26) , 〈 ξ 2 ; a 0 9 〉 | μ 0 = − 0.036 (24) , respectively. An improved light-cone harmonic oscillator model for a 0 (980) -meson twist-2 light-cone distribution amplitudes is adopted, where its parameters are fixed by using the least squares method based on the 〈 ξ 2 ; a 0 n 〉 | μ 0 , and their goodness of fit reach to 95.4%. Then, we calculate the D → a 0 (980) transition form factors within the light-cone sum rules approach, and at largest recoil point, we obtain f + D → a 0 (0) = 1.058 − 0.035 + 0.068 and f − D → a 0 (0) = 0.764 − 0.036 + 0.044. As a further application, the branching fractions of the D → a 0 (980) ℓ ν ¯ ℓ semileptonic decays are given. Taking the decay a 0 (980) → η π into consideration, we obtain B (D 0 → a 0 (980) − (→ η π −) e + ν e) = (1.330 − 0.134 + 0.216) × 10 − 4 , B (D + → a 0 (980) 0 (→ η π 0) e + ν e) = (1.675 − 0.169 + 0.272) × 10 − 4 , which are consistent with the BESIII collaboration and PDG data within errors. Finally, we present the angle observables of forward-backward asymmetries, q 2 -differential flat terms and lepton polarization asymmetry of the semileptonic decay D → a 0 (980) ℓ ν ¯ ℓ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past several decades, a litany of acoustofluidic devices have been developed which purport to have significant advantages over traditional benchtop analytical tools. These acoustofluidic devices are frequently labeled as “labs-on-chips”; however, many do an insufficient job of limiting their dependence on the lab. Often, acoustofluidic devices still require skilled operators and complex external equipment. In an effort to address these shortcomings, we developed a low-cost, expandable, and multifunctional system for controlling acoustofluidic devices in the audible to low ultrasonic frequency range (31 Hz to 65 kHz). The system was designed around the readily available Arduino prototyping platform because of its user-friendly coding environment and expansive network of open source material; these factors enabled us to create a system capable of generating high voltage oscillatory signals and controlling microscale flows in acoustofluidic devices. Utilizing the established open source system, we achieved a series of acoustofluidic applications involving the manipulation of fluids and biological objects in a portable fashion. In particular, we used our open source acoustofluidic devices to achieve active rotation of cells and microorganisms, and operation of an acoustofluidic mixing device which has previously shown potential for viscous sample preparation, in a portable fashion. Additionally, using low frequency flexural waves and our portable system, we achieved acoustofluidic separation of particles based on size. It is our hope that the open source platform presented here can pave the way for future acoustofluidic devices to be used at the point-of-care, as well as simplify the operation of these devices to enable resource limited users to leverage the benefits of acoustofluidics in their work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a method for digital elevation model (DEM) extraction over forest areas from single-baseline interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data is proposed. The main idea of this method is that some backscattering variations which are linked to the geometrical structures of forest occur during the radar acquisition. The time–frequency analysis is used to retrieve these variations by dividing the synthesized SAR image into multiple SAR images in the Fourier domain called sublook images. Then, by interferometry, the sublook images characterized by the same Doppler bandwidth and acquired from spatially separated locations at either end of a baseline are used to estimate the sublook coherences and the above backscattering variations are converted into the variations of sublook coherences. As a result, the number of InSAR observations can be increased. The sublook coherences are then interpreted by the two-layer vegetation scattering model and are assumed to follow a near-linear relationship in the complex plane. The ground phase can then be estimated by linear regression of the sublook coherences. The performance of the proposed method was validated by E-SAR L- and P-band SAR data acquired over coniferous and tropical forests. For the coniferous scenario, the underlying DEM estimated by the proposed method has a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 4.39 m, which is slightly less accurate than the DEM (with an RMSE of 4.07 m) derived by the polarimetric line-fit (LF) method, but represents a significant improvement in DEM accuracy over the HH InSAR method. For the tropical scenario, the DEMs derived by the proposed method and the polarimetric LF method are closer to the ground surface than those derived by the HH InSAR method, and their mean ground height difference is 0.62 m. The two experiments confirm that it is feasible to extract a DEM by the proposed method, which has a comparable performance in DEM inversion to the polarimetric LF method and only requires single-polarization InSAR data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A silver bromide (AgBr)/polypyrrole (PPy) composite was synthesized in one step by using cetyltrim-ethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the bromine source, silver nitrate as the silver source and ammonium persulfate to oxidize the pyrrole monomer. The chemical structure, mass specific gravity, crystal structure and morphology of AgBr/PPy composite were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy. The catalytic performance of AgBr/PPy composites for degradation of rhodamine B under ultraviolet light was investigated. The results showed that the composite had a spherical morphology under the electron micrograph. The particle size of AgBr microspheres was 200~300 nm. The XRD pattern diffraction peaks proved the presence of PPy and AgBr in the composite. Affected by the bonding between PPy and AgBr, red shift was observed in the infrared spectrum compared to that of the PPy sample. The TG test showed that the AgBr content in the composite was 29%. Under ultraviolet light, the efficiency of the degradation of rhodamne B by the AgBr/PPy composite was 86% for 60 min, which was better than that of the AgBr sample and also about 10% higher than that of physical mixed sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stage stacking methods commonly use a one-dimensional (1D) through flow analysis at the mean line to design individual axial compressor stages and stack these to form a multistage axial compressor. This phase of design exerts a great influence on each stage's pressure and temperature ratio. The design process for an individual stage is usually guided by design values and rules developed in previous designs. This study develops a 1D stage un-stacking method (SUSM), which uses a minimal set of data from an actual axial compressor, while reducing the needed number of assumptions. Proceeding from the premise that an actual axial compressor design fulfills all thermodynamic requirements, velocity triangle requirements and design guidelines simultaneously, this proposed SUSM calculates the pressure, temperature, velocities and flow angles as a set of dependent data at each stage of the axial compressor. In approximating a possible axial compressor design for the LM2500 gas turbine that achieves the known pressure ratio distribution, the suggested stage loading coefficient (SLC) distribution is more appropriately considered an initial well-informed estimate and further improvements to this SUSM are needed to infer the actual SLC distributions used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal expansion microcapsules were prepared by using acrylonitrile and methyl methacrylate as polymerization monomer and isooctane as the blowing agent. The structure, composition, appearance, and thermal expansion properties of microcapsules were analyzed by SEM, FTIR, TG, DSC, and TEM. The cell structure and surface quality of PP foaming composites were characterized by SEM, optical microscopy, and gloss meter. Results show that sodium chloride in the aqueous solution can significantly improve the appearance of microcapsules. At 15.1 and 19.1 wt.% sodium chloride, the appearance of microcapsules was regular. At 19.1 wt.% sodium chloride, the thermal expansion microcapsules were coated with 25.0 wt.% of the blowing agent. The microcapsules exhibit an expansion temperature of 201 °C and can remain stable after expansion. Moreover, the microcapsule shell of the data (thickest part − thinnest part)/(core diameter) decreased to approximately 0.05. The glossiness of PP/(T-5) increased to 65.6. The surface of PP/microcapsule foaming composite is smoother than that of the PP/AC foaming composites, and the pores of thermal expansion microcapsules are difficult to deform during processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a wavelet decomposition-based correlation analysis (WDCA) method to correct atmospheric effects for interferometric synthetic aperture radar interferometry. The main idea is based on the a priori knowledge that the atmospheric effects are independent of the polarizations. This provides the possibility to find the identical atmospheric phases (ATPs) from the two different polarimetric interferograms. To achieve this goal, differential interferometry is performed with different topographic data so that the obtained differential interferograms (D-Infs) have different topographic errors. A polynomial incorporating topographic information is then used to remove the orbit error phase. Thus, the ATPs are the only identical components in the obtained D-Infs. A forward wavelet transform is then utilized to perform multiresolution analysis for the two obtained D-Infs. After this, we apply correlation analysis to identify the wavelet coefficients attributed to the atmospheric effects. The corrected D-Infs are then obtained by down-weighting the wavelet coefficients during inverse wavelet transform. The performance of the WDCA method was tested with L-band ALOS-1 PALSAR dual-polarization SAR images acquired over Southern California and Qilian mountain test sites characterized by different topographic conditions. For the Southern California test site, two interferometric pairs with long and short baselines (750 and 50 m) were formulated. The results show that the WDCA method can work well for both of the interferometric pairs, and the root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) of the obtained DEMs with respect to the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission digital elevation model (DEM) are 7.86 and 13.78 m, and show a decrease of 34.7% and 80.4% for the long- and short-baseline cases, respectively. For the Qilian mountain test site, the corrected interferogram can provide a DEM with an RMSE of 19.73 m, which is an improvement of 22.3% with respect to the DEM containing the atmospheric signals. In addition, the above two experiments show that compared with the existing topographic information-based wavelet method, this approach can remove not only the topography-dependent ATP but also the turbulent ATP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, the equivalent series resistance (ESR) and capacitance (ESC) of piezoelectric energy harvesting devices have been modeled accurately over a wide frequency range for the first time. It is shown that the impedance modeling of the ESR and ESC is demonstrated as an important factor for the design of the Bias Flip (or the parallel synchronized switching harvesting on an inductor) interface circuit, which affects the performance of energy harvesting seriously. The conventional Butterworth‐Van Dyke (BVD) model and the modified BVD model are analyzed to state their imprecise modeling performance. To address this problem, an artificial neural network (ANN) technique with prior knowledge input method is employed to improve the model accuracy of the ESR and ESC. Also, a least‐squares curve fitting method is presented to compare with the ANN model. A good matching has been obtained between the measured and ANN‐predicted ESR and ESC in the frequency range of 2600 to 3600 Hz. The excellent performance on the accuracy of the proposed method is further illustrated through the comparison on the average relative error and maximum relative error with the conventional BVD, modified BVD model, and the curve fitting method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to identify the role of the port backup service elements in the development of the container port, the paper puts forward a system dynamics model between the container port and the port backup service. Firstly, the system dynamics causal relationship path between the container port and the port backup service was established, and the interaction effects of the units in the system were analyzed qualitatively. Then, the empirical analysis based on system dynamics was implemented. Results show that the system dynamics model of the container port and the port backup service is effective; the port backup service elements have positive effects on the development of the container port. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A carbon nanotube (CNT) film on a substrate is characterized at millimeter waves (220 GHz−330 GHz) by metal rectangular waveguide scattering parameters (S-parameters) measurements. The anisotropy of the CNT film is investigated for different orientations of the on-substrate CNT film. The standard Nicolson–Ross–Weir (NRW) approach has been adopted to extract the complex permittivity (εr=ε′-jε″) and permeability (μr=μ′-jμ″) of the on-substrate CNT film from the measured S-parameters. The effective medium theory is then applied to remove the impact of the substrate and characterize the intrinsic CNT film. The observed frequency independent and anisotropic behaviors of the CNT film are very promising indicators that this material could be invaluable for a range of millimeter-wave applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • ABS/CNTs foams were fabricated by a melt blending and scCO 2 foaming technology. • Three typically pores (nano-pores, micro-pores and regular pores) were produced. • Multi-layered foams with various pore structures and same CNTs content were studied. • The positive pore gradient structure foam exhibited the best absorption coefficient. • The sandwich structure had the characteristics of low reflection and high absorption. The low-reflection and high-absorption features for electromagnetic (EM) waves are the key and significant requirements for fabricating efficient EM interference (EMI) shielding polymer-based composite foams. Herein, single-layered acrylonitrile–butadienestyrene (ABS)/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) foams with three representative pore structures (nano-pores, micro-pores and regular pores) were produced via supercritical CO 2 foaming technology. Subsequently, they were stacked together to obtain multi-layered ABS/CNTs foams through structural design for achieving the high absorption and low reflection characteristics described above. Among all the unfoamed and foamed ABS/CNTs specimens, nano-porous ABS/CNTs foams could reach the maximum electrical conductivity of 3.7 S/m. The multi-layered ABS/CNTs foam with positive pore gradient structure exhibited the best EM wave absorption coefficient of 0.90. The sandwich structure formed in ABS/CNTs foam by sandwiching a middle layer of regular porous foam between nano-porous foam and micro-porous foam increased EM wave absorption properties, owing to the generation of constructive interference. This work provides new insight and methodology for the design and fabrication of multi-layered EMI shielding polymer-based composite foams with low reflection and high absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The η (′) -mesons in the quark-flavor basis are mixtures of two mesonic states | η q ⟩ = | u ¯ u + d ¯ d ⟩ / 2 and | η s ⟩ = | s ¯ s ⟩. In previous work, we have made a detailed study on the η s leading-twist distribution amplitude by using the D s + meson semileptonic decays. As a sequential work, in the present paper, we fix the η q leading-twist distribution amplitude by using the light-cone harmonic oscillator model for its wave function and by using the QCD sum rules within the QCD background field to calculate its moments. The input parameters of η q leading-twist distribution amplitude ϕ 2 ; η q at the initial scale μ 0 ∼ 1 GeV are fixed by using those moments. The QCD sum rules for the 0 th -order moment can also be used to fix the magnitude of η q decay constant, giving f η q = 0.141 ± 0.005 GeV. As an application of ϕ 2 ; η q , we calculate the transition form factors B (D) + → η (′) by using the QCD light-cone sum rules up to twist-4 accuracy and by including the next-to-leading order QCD corrections to the leading-twist part, and then fix the related CKM matrix element and the decay width for the semi-leptonic decays B (D) + → η (′) ℓ + ν ℓ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) in the literature typically operate with a single conversion mechanism (either d 31 or d 33); the output power, therefore, is limited, and not sufficient to sustainably energize low-power electronics. In this study, a nonlinear PEH with coupled d 31 and d 33 modes is designed and evaluated. An axially moving piezoelectric beam (AMPB) was applied to investigate the contribution of d 31 and d 33 to the output, and the critical parameters of the configuration were determined. A distributed parametric electromechanical model was established to characterize the non-linear dynamics of AMPB with d 31 and d 33 modes. The Galerkin approach and the harmonic-balance approach were employed conjointly to investigate the forced response of the energy harvesting system. The axial velocity's effects upon energy harvesting were as well discussed. Comparison of the frequency response functions (FRFs) for voltage and power output between energy structures of d 31 and d 33 modes revealed several discrepancies. For instance, the voltage and power output of the d 33 mode were greater than those of d 31 mode for low frequencies, and the difference between the two modes decreased as the frequency increased. For the composite mode d 31 and d 33, under the same parameter conditions, the voltage and power output were greater than the output of any single mode. The analytical results were supported by a numerical method through the finite difference method. Both analytical and numerical results indicated the FRF could be increased by increasing the excitation amplitude, reducing the damping coefficient, or increasing the electrode spacing. The present study showed the efficiency of the use of the FRF using nonlinear transverse vibration of AMPB for d 31 and d 33 modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross validation (CV) is by far one of the most commonly used methods to estimate model complexity for partial least squares (PLS). In this study, stochastic cross validation (SCV) was proposed as a novel CV strategy, where the percent of left-out objects (PLOO) was defined as a changeable random number. We proposed two SCV strategies, namely, SCV with uniformly distributed PLOO (SCV-U) and SCV with normally distributed PLOO (SCV-N). SCV-U is actually a hybrid of leave-one-out CV (LOOCV), k -fold CV and Monte Carlo CV (MCCV). The rationale behind SCV-N is that the probability of large perturbations of the original training set will be small. SCV is expected to provide more flexibility for data splitting to explore and learn from the data set and evaluate internally a built model. SCV-U and SCV-N were used for PLS calibrations of three real data sets as well as a simulated data set and they were compared with LOOCV, k -fold CV and MCCV. Given a training and external validation set, different CV techniques were repeatedly used to evaluate the optimal model complexity and the prediction results were compared. The results indicate that SCV-U and SCV-N could provide useful alternatives to the traditional CV methods and SCV is less sensitive to the values of PLOO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disease in which dendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role in the breakdown of self-tolerance. Studies have identified the function of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in promoting the development of regulatory DCs (regDCs). Our previous work revealed that MSCs in ITP exerted senescence, apoptosis, and impaired immunosuppressive effects on T and B cells. However, it is unclear whether the effects of MSCs on regDC induction are altered in ITP. Our data demonstrated that MSCs in ITP were impaired in inhibiting CD1a+ DC and CD14+ DC differentiation from CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (CD34+ HPCs). DCs differentiated with MSCs in ITP exhibited an increased expression of costimulatory molecules CD80/CD86 and secretion of proinflammatory interleukin-12 (IL-12). Accordingly, the tolerogenic characteristics were deficient in DCs induced by MSCs in ITP. DCs differentiated with MSCs in ITP exhibited an impaired ability to inhibit CD3+ T cell proliferation, to suppress T helper (Th)1 cell differentiation, and to induce anergic and regulatory T cells (Tregs). The expression of Notch signaling components was measured in MSCs in ITP. Reduced expression of the ligand Jagged-1, the receptor Notch-1 intracellular domain (NICD-1), and the target gene Hes-1 was identified in MSCs in ITP. The addition of biologically active Jagged-1 to CD34+ HPCs was observed to promote regDC differentiation. When cultured on Jagged-1-coated plates, MSCs in ITP showed an enhancement of the Notch-1 pathway activation, Jagged-1 expression, and the function in inducing regDCs. Pretreatment with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) was found to partially restore the capacity of MSCs in both ITP patients and healthy controls in inducing CD34+-derived regDCs. Our data elucidated that MSCs in ITP were impaired in inducing CD34+-regDCs, associated with the Notch-1/Jagged-1 signaling pathway. ATRA could partially correct the impairment of MSCs, suggesting that ATRA could serve as a potential therapeutic alternative for ITP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To precisely control the size of the droplets is quite important for the application of the droplet microfluidic systems. To date, the size of monodisperse droplets is usually measured by the method of image processing for droplet microfluidics, which requires expensive detection devices such as microscope and high-speed camera. In this paper, an electrical-detection droplet microfluidic closed-loop control system is demonstrated, where the flow rates of fluids are controlled by the pressure-driven microfluidic device and the droplet size can be obtained from the method of electrical detection. The mathematical model of the closed-loop control system is established. Compared with the method of image processing, both the measuring efficiency and accuracy of the droplet size are increased significantly by the electrical-detection method, which can improve the dynamic characteristics of the droplet microfluidic closed-loop control system. In particular, a PI controller is integrated into the closed-loop control system to improve the control precision of the droplet size. By varying the flow rates of the fluids, the effects of the droplet production rates on the dynamic characteristics of the closed-loop control system are studied, and the control precision and stability of the system can be obtained from the experimental measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality data analysis methodology remains a bottleneck for metabolic profiling analysis based on ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The present work aims to address this problem by proposing a novel data analysis strategy wherein (1) chromatographic peaks in the UPLC-QTOF data set are automatically extracted by using an advanced multiscale Gaussian smoothing-based peak extraction strategy; (2) a peak annotation stage is used to cluster fragment ions that belong to the same compound. With the aid of highresolution mass spectrometer, (3) a time-shift correction across the samples is efficiently performed by a new peak alignment method; (4) components are registered by using a newly developed adaptive network searching algorithm; (5) statistical methods, such as analysis of variance and hierarchical cluster analysis, are then used to identify the underlying marker compounds; finally, (6) compound identification is performed by matching the extracted peak information, involving high-precision m/z and retention time, against our compound library containing more than 500 plant metabolites. A manually designed mixture of 18 compounds is used to evaluate the performance of the method, and all compounds are detected under various concentration levels. The developed method is comprehensively evaluated by an extremely complex plant data set containing more than 2000 components. Results indicate that the performance of the developed method is comparable with the XCMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nontargeted metabolic profiling analysis is a difficult task in a routine investigation because hundreds of chromatographic peaks are eluted within a short time, and the time shift problem is severe across samples. To address these problems, the present work developed an automatic nontargeted metabolic profiling analysis (anTMPA) method. First, peaks from the total ion chromatogram were extracted using modified multiscale Gaussian smoothing method. Then, a novel peak alignment strategy was employed based on the mass spectra and retention times of the peaks in which the maximum mass spectral correlation coefficient path was extracted using a modified dynamic programming method. Moreover, an automatic landmark peak-searching strategy was employed for self-adapting time shift modification. Missing peaks across samples were grouped and registered into the aligned peak list table for final refinement. Finally, the aligned peaks across samples were analyzed using statistical methods to identify potential biomarkers. Mass spectral information on the screened biomarkers could be directly imported into the National Institute of Standards and Technology library to select the candidate compounds. The performance of the anTMPA method was evaluated using a complicated plant gas chromatography–mass spectrometry dataset with the aim of identifying biomarkers between the growth and maturation stages of the tested plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let ( M n , g ) ( n ≥ 4 ) be an n -dimensional complete Einstein manifold. Denote by W the Weyl curvature tensor of M . We prove that ( M n , g ) is isometric to a spherical space form if ( M n , g ) has positive scalar curvature and unit volume, and the L p ( p ≥ n 2 ) -norm of W is pinched in [ 0 , C ) , where C is an explicit positive constant depending only on n , p and S , which improves the isolation theorems given by [24,14,17] . This paper also states that W goes to zero uniformly at infinity if for p ≥ n 2 , the L p -norm of W of M with non-positive scalar curvature and positive Yamabe constant is finite. Assume that M has negative scalar curvature and the L α -norm of W is finite. As application, we prove that M is a hyperbolic space form if the L p -norm of W is sufficiently small, which generalizes an L n 2 -norm of W pinching theorem in [19] . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy and chemometrics were adopted for the rapid analysis of a toxic additive, maleic acid (MA), which has emerged as a new extraneous adulterant in cassava starch (CS). After developing an untargeted screening method for MA detection in CS using one-class partial least squares (OCPLS), multivariate calibration models were subsequently developed using least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) to quantitatively analyze MA. As a result, the OCPLS model using the second-order derivative (D2) spectra detected 0.6% (w/w) adulterated MA in CS, with a sensitivity of 0.954 and specificity of 0.956. The root mean squared error of prediction (RMSEP) was 0.192 (w/w, %) by using the standard normal variate (SNV) transformation LS-SVM. In conclusion, the potential of FT-NIR spectroscopy and chemometrics was demonstrated for application in rapid screening and quantitative analysis of MA in CS, which also implies that they have other promising applications for untargeted analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A particle swarm optimization (PSO) based sparse regression (PSO-SR) strategy was proposed to study the quantitative structure-selectivity relationship (QSSR) of a biomimetic catalytic system, where the selectivity in the mild oxidation of o -nitrotoluene to o -nitrobenzaldehyde was related to the molecular descriptors of 48 metalloporphyrin catalysts. PSO was used to obtain an optimal variable combination for linear or nonlinear models. For nonlinear modeling, a set of 44 nonlinear transforms were developed for each single descriptor. To enable model interpretability and reduce the risk of overfitting, the total descriptors were divided into subclasses and the selected variables were forced to be sparsely distributed in each subclass. Model complexity was controlled by adjusting the maximum total number of variables included. Accurate linear and nonlinear PSO-SR models were developed using multiple linear regression (MLR) and partial least squares (PLS) and validated by randomly and repeatedly splitting the data into training and test objects for 500 times. The best predictions were obtained with 10 variables with linear ( Q 2 =0.9460) and nonlinear ( Q 2 =0.9505) models. The results indicate PSO-SR could provide an effective and useful strategy for modeling and interpreting complex QSSR problems. The proposed nonlinear modeling method could provide more information for model interpretation by probing and catching the unknown nonlinear relationship between a descriptor and the observed selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-class-number classification (LCNC) would bring new challenges to pattern recognition due to increased data complexity and class overlapping. In this study, a novel ensemble strategy (ES) was proposed to tackle LCNC problems. By combining the One-Versus-Rest (OVR) and One-Versus-One (OVO) strategies to design a set of classifiers with reduced class numbers, ES assigns a new object to the class receiving the most votes. When two or more classes obtain the most votes, an additional OVR model is developed to discriminate them. ES, OVR, OVO and the softmax function were investigated to discriminate the geographical origins of 25 green tea samples using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLSDA). Using the Standard Normal Variate (SNV) as a spectral scatter correction technique, the total accuracy was 0.6468 for OVR-PLSDA, 0.8494 for OVO-PLSDA, 0.9299 for PLSDA-softmax, and 0.9377 for ES-PLSDA, respectively. Using other preprocessing methods and multiple random splitting of the data sets obtained the similar results. The poor performance of OVR can be attributed to the increased possibility of class overlapping and high sub-model complexity. OVO was less influenced by LCNC because it is based on a set of relatively simpler two-class classifiers. PLSDA-softmax could overcome the class overlapping by nonlinear transformations. ES was demonstrated to be capable of extracting more useful information from sub-models and achieved improved performance in LCNC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design strategies and the implementation of a two-stage concurrent dual-band (DB) microwave harmonic-tuned power amplifier (PA) are presented in this paper. The power stage and the driver stage of this circuit are designed to operate under DB class-F conditions and DB inverse class-F conditions, respectively. The proposed DB harmonic control network of the power stage is implemented by combining a composite right/left-handed transmission line and a DB biasing line with harmonic tuning. A novel DB interstage matching network is developed to transfer the optimum fundamental output impedances of the driver stage to optimum fundamental input impedances of the power stage, as well as suppress the third harmonics at two frequency bands of interest. In the nonconcurrent mode (CM), the measured output power of the two-stage DB PA achieves two peaks of 40.2 and 40 dBm at 1.62 and 2.08 GHz with the maximum power-added efficiencies (PAEs) of 71.5% and 73%, respectively. In the CM, the maximum average PAE is up to 62%. To our best knowledge, the implementation of the two-stage concurrent DB harmonic-tuned PA is reported for the first time in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]