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N-Nitrosamines represent a class of bifunctional nitrogen-radical precursors, but their application potential remains largely unexplored. This study reports the highly atom-economical production of diverse α-oximino sulfonamides via direct photo-mediated radical relay oximinosulfonamidation of activated or unactivated alkenes with N-nitrosamines triggered by organic sulfide. N-Nitrosamines worked as bifunctional reagents in this transformation, simultaneously generating aminyl radicals and NO radicals. The organic sulfide was designed to act as a radical decaging agent as well as a source of sulfonyl. Its strong radical capturing ability and affinity for alkenes enable the rapid capturing of the aminyl radicals, thereby inhibiting the rapid recombination of radical pairs in the solvent cage. The synthesized oxime units could also be easily converted into other functional groups, leading to selective downstream transformations. The mild photodegradation reaction of harmful N-nitrosoamines showed high functional group tolerance and compatibility, facilitating the late-stage functionalization of natural products and drug molecules, expanding the biologically relevant chemical space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxychloroquine sulfate is a common drug for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. However, the disadvantage of this drug is that it needs to be taken continuously for 3–6 months to be effective and compliance of patients is poor. In this work, four new salt forms of hydroxychloroquine are successfully prepared whose crystal structures and properties are confirmed by a series of solid‐state characterization methods, including infrared spectroscopy, single crystal X‐ray diffraction, powder X‐ray diffraction, thermal analysis, and dynamic vapor sorption analysis. The hygroscopicity, stability, equilibrium solubility, and intrinsic dissolution rate of the four new salts are also tested. The moisture absorption, solubility, and intrinsic dissolution rate of newly prepared salts are significantly reduced, and the dissolution rates of 1‐hydroxy‐2‐naphthoate and 1,5‐naphthalenedisulfonate salts are only 1/158 and 1/335 of that of the therapeutically used sulfates, respectively. It is expected that they are potentially useful to be developed into a sustained‐release formulation, which can greatly improve the dosing compliance for rheumatoid arthritis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular mechanism of flower development and sexual differentiation, which is an intricate process, still unclear in Vitis plants. In this study, we performed the transcriptome analysis by high-throughput sequencing to measure gene expression at three stages in male, female, and hermaphrodite grape flowers, and in combination with the fluctuation of hormones (ABA, IAA, BR, GA3, and JA) to understand the gene function and molecular basis of developmental processes in Vitis flowers. The results showed that more than 581 million clean reads were generated from all samples and average 83% reads were mapped on the Vitis vinifera genome. More, quite a large number of genes were differentially expressed between different stages within and across cultivars and various transcription factor families involved were identified in flower development. The genes belonging to MYB, bHLH, ERF, NAC, and WRKY have more numbers than other TF families. Furthermore, we analyzed the correlation of those hormones with 165 DEGs (including 36 TF genes). The results suggested that those genes might play important roles in sex differentiation during flower development and a unique opportunity to increase the efficiency of crossbreeding in Vitis plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we concern with a class linear quadratic (LQ, for short) N-person differential games with time inconsistency, where the time inconsistency arises from non-exponential discount function. The notions of closed-loop and open-loop equilibrium strategy are introduced. We establish the equivalent relationship between time-inconsistent differential game problems, forward-backward type differential equations, and Riccati type differential equations in the framework of closed-loop and open-loop equilibrium, respectively. We provide an example of time-inconsistent differential games from which we find a time-consistent equilibrium strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of elliptical injector will not only increase the atomization quality, but also reduce spray tip penetration, which has the potential to avoid wall wetting. However, so far the research on the effect of elliptical GDI nozzle on impinging spray is seldom reported. In this study, A GDI nozzle with circular and elliptical cross section shapes was employed to study the spray impingement characteristics through VOF-spray one way coupling method. The results revealed that the elliptical spray has shorter penetration as compared to circular spray, and the circular spray impingement time is earlier than the elliptical spray. Additionally, the spray rebound height of the circular spray was larger than that of the elliptical spray at the initial injection progress, while the elliptical spray rebound height became higher at the end of the injection. Furthermore, the elliptical spray impingement wall film mass and area were always smaller as compared with circular spray, and the injection pressure showed a negative influence on wall film mass. Finally, the average film thickness of the spray-wall impingement for an elliptical nozzle is observed to be reduced by 10.3% compared to that of a circular nozzle. Increasing the injection pressure is helpful to decrease the average wall film thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examining the relationship between the responses of a number of different cognitive trainings on cognitive functioning in middle-aged and elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment. Randomized controlled experimental studies published publicly from the time of inception to October 30, 2023 were searched through Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library databases. Traditional and network meta-analyses were performed using Stata 17.0 software. Fifty papers on 4 types of cognitive training were included. Traditional meta-analysis showed that virtual reality training (SMD = 0.53, 95% CI : [0.36,0.70], P = 0.00), neuropsychological training (SMD = 0.44, 95% CI : [0.18,0.70], P = 0.00), cognitive strategy training (SMD = 0.26, 95% CI : [0.16,0.36], P = 0.00), and cognitive behavioral therapy (SMD = 0.25, 95% CI : [0.08,0.41], P = 0.00) all had significant improvement effects on the cognitive function of middle-aged and elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment. Network meta-analysis revealed neuropsychological training as the best cognitive training, and subgroup analysis of cognitive function subdimensions showed that neuropsychological training had the best effects on working memory, lobal cognitive function, memory, and cognitive flexibility improvement. Meanwhile, virtual reality training had the best effects on processing speed, verbal ability, overall executive function, spatial cognitive ability, and attention improvement. Cognitive training can significantly improve the cognitive function of middle-aged and elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment, and neuropsychological training is the best intervention, most effective in interventions lasting more than 8 weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the impacts of continuous Ganoderma lucidum cultivation on soil physicochemical factors, soil enzyme activity, and the metabolome of Ganoderma lucidum fruiting bodies, this study conducted two consecutive years of cultivation on the same plot of land. Soil physicochemical factors and enzyme activity were assessed, alongside non-targeted metabolomic analysis of the Ganoderma lucidum fruiting bodies under continuous cultivation. The findings unveiled that in the surface soil layer (0–15 cm), there was a declining trend in organic matter, ammonium nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, pH, polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase, and sucrase, whereas nitrate nitrogen, electrical conductivity (EC), and salt content exhibited an upward trend. Conversely, in the deeper soil layer (15–30 cm), organic matter, ammonium nitrogen, available potassium, alkaline phosphatase, and sucrase demonstrated a decreasing trend, while nitrate nitrogen, available phosphorus, pH, EC, salt content, polyphenol oxidase, and soil peroxidase showed an increasing trend. Metabolomic analysis of Ganoderma lucidum fruiting bodies distinguished 64 significantly different metabolites between the GCK and GT groups, with 39 components having markedly higher relative contents in GCK and 25 components having significantly lower relative contents in GCK compared to GT. Moreover, among these metabolites, there were more types with higher contents in the fruiting bodies harvested in the first year (GCK) compared to those harvested in the second year (GT), with pronounced differences. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that GCK exhibited more complex metabolic pathways compared to GT. The metabolites of Ganoderma lucidum fruiting bodies were predominantly influenced by soil physicochemical factors and soil enzyme activity. In the surface soil layer (0–15 cm), the metabolome was significantly affected by soil pH, soil organic matter, available phosphorus, and soil alkaline phosphatase, while in the deeper soil layer (15–30 cm), differences in the Ganoderma lucidum metabolome were more influenced by soil alkaline phosphatase, soil catalase, pH, nitrate nitrogen, and soil sucrase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation research on integrated transport has mainly focused on urban agglomeration or cities. Yet the integration of various modes of transportation is increasingly being seen at smaller scales, such as counties, due to population concentration and rising affluence levels. Consequently, it is becoming necessary to evaluate the efficiency and convenience of transportation services for people at each location in the county space. This study has evaluated the efficiency and equity of integrated transport from a county perspective. With respect to efficiency indexes, in addition to transportation infrastructure investment, transportation energy consumption, transportation turnover, and other general indicators, we also take into account the accessibility of people to various types of hubs in the county. We use the BCC (Banker, Charnes, Cooper) model in DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) for efficiency evaluation. Besides, we evaluate transport equity by using the Gini coefficient to reflect the population distribution of the county and GIS-based spatial accessibility of each hub site. Finally, we establish an evaluation matrix of efficiency and equity; we employ a spatial overlay method to classify research counties into different quadrants. By comprehensively considering the relationship between efficiency and equity in integrated transport, this study can identify areas for improvement in transportation development. The case study evaluation in Ningbo counties, using data from 2017 to 2020, provides practical questions and constructive suggestions for integrated transport development in these areas. Overall, this research has important implications for local transportation development and could inform policy decisions related to integrated transport. • The research is focused on evaluating the efficiency and equity of integrated transportation. • We expand the evaluation work to include a county-level perspective. • We consider the accessibility of transportation services for residents. • We utilize an efficiency-equity matrix and a DEA model to conduct the evaluation. • This study can assist decision-makers in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the transportation system's advantages and disadvantages at the county level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The administration of protein therapeutics through oral means is seen as a convenient and painless experience for patients, making it a significant consideration in the field of drug delivery. Nevertheless, the challenging conditions within the gastrointestinal tract, along with the obstacles to absorption, impede the efficient transportation of proteins. Here, we successfully implemented post-synthetic modifications to attach medium-chain lipids (C10) onto the surface of zeolitic imidazole framework-90 (ZIF-90), then encapsulated the nanoparticles with sodium alginate, resulting in a potential platform for the oral administration of proteins. By means of biomimetic mineralization, ZIF-90 achieves a simple and efficient encapsulation of proteins of varying sizes, while shielding them against degradation by digestive enzymes. Sodium alginate hydrogel protects proteins against gastric acid and helps the cargo to rapidly penetrate the mucus layer. Through a mixed mechanism dominated by micropinocytosis, the C10-conjugated ZIF-90 (ZIF-90-C10) can be uptake by Caco-2 cells with a 200–400% increase and transported through the Golgi apparatus after escaping from lysosomes, exhibiting enhanced uptake in the overall gastrointestinal tract. Furthermore, ZIF-90-C10 retains its adenosine triphosphate-responsive release, which drastically lowers the likelihood of accumulation in vivo and allows targeted delivery for disease cells. Our work highlights mid-chain lipid conjugation as a potent approach to enhancing nanoparticle delivery efficiency and a potential strategy for oral delivery of biomacromolecules when combined with pH-responsive gels. [Display omitted] • A Gel-Metal-Organic Framework oral delivery system with dual pH and ATP response. • Efficient encapsulation of proteins of different sizes by biomimetic mineralization. • Modification of ZIF-90 with mid-chain lipid increases cellular uptake by 200%–400%. • Effective delivery and protection of protein in the gastrointestinal tract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we study Frobenius bimodules associated with a pair of automorphisms of an algebra and discuss their basic properties. In particular, some equivalent conditions for a finite-dimensional bimodule are proved to be Frobenius and some isomorphisms between Ext-groups and Tor-groups of Frobenius modules over finite dimensional algebras are established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impact of preexisting immunity on the antibody responses generated by influenza vaccines. It highlights how varying levels of preexisting antibodies against a specific site on the influenza virus can suppress or enhance the diversification of humoral immunity. The study found that high levels of preexisting antibodies completely blocked new antibody responses, while moderate levels dampened specific responses but induced robust responses against other epitopes. The findings emphasize the importance of understanding preexisting immunity in designing effective influenza vaccines and suggest strategies to overcome antibody suppression and enhance vaccine effectiveness. [Extracted from the article]

In recent times, medical imaging has become a significant component of clinical diagnosis and examinations to detect and evaluate various medical conditions. The interpretation of these medical examinations and the patient's demographics are usually textual data, which is burned in on the pixel content of medical imaging modalities (MIM). Example of these MIM includes ultrasound and X-ray imaging. As artificial intelligence advances for medical applications, there is a high demand for the accessibility of these burned-in textual data for various needs. This article aims to review the significance of burned-in textual data recognition in MIM and recent research regarding the machine learning approach, challenges, and open issues for further investigation on this application. The review describes the significant problems in this study area as low resolution and background interference of textual data. Finally, the review suggests applying more advanced deep learning ensemble algorithms as possible solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An all-optical half adder has been achieved successfully by using gain nonlinearity characteristics of cross-gain modulation in quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifier. In this design, no additional input beam is required, which is simpler and more compact compared to designs based on two or more interferometer switches. By optimizing the geometry of the multimode interference area to manipulate the position of the imaging point, a power splitter with an arbitrary splitting ratio is achieved, fulfilling the system's splitting requirements. The pattern effect, contrast ratio and output extinction ratio at different splitting ratios are compared. The effect of key parameters on the Q factor is compared and analyzed. The results demonstrate that the scheme can realize all-optical half adder with logical correctness and a high Q factor. Through parameter optimization, the Q factor can be improved by about 9 dB than the other half adders based on QD-SOA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unexpected discovery of hot Jupiters challenged the classical theory of planet formation inspired by our solar system. Until now, the origin and evolution of hot Jupiters are still uncertain. Determining their age distribution and temporal evolution can provide more clues into the mechanism of their formation and subsequent evolution. Using a sample of 383 giant planets around Sun-like stars collected from the kinematic catalogs of the Planets Across Space and Time project, we find that hot Jupiters are preferentially hosted by relatively younger stars in the Galactic thin disk. We subsequently find that the frequency of hot Jupiters declines with age as FHJ / exp(-0:20 ± 0:06 ± t Gyr). In contrast, the frequency of warm/cold Jupiters shows no significant dependence on age. Such a trend is expected from the tidal evolution of hot Jupiters' orbits, and our result offers supporting evidence using a large sample. We also perform a joint analysis on the planet frequencies in the stellar agemetallicity plane. The result suggests that the frequencies of hot Jupiters and warm/cold Jupiters, after removing the age dependence are both correlated with stellar metallicities as FHJ / 101:6+0:3 -0:3-[Fe=H] and FWJ=CJ / 101:1+0:2 -0:3-[Fe=H], respectively. Moreover, we show that the above correlations can explain the bulk of the discrepancy in hot Jupiter frequencies inferred from the transit and radial velocity (RV) surveys, given that RV targets tend to be more metal-rich and younger than transits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, pea dietary fiber (PDF) was modified by dynamic high-pressure microfluidization (DHPM) technology with the aim to reveal the modulation of the structural and adsorption properties of PDF under different pressures. In addition, pea dietary fiber–chlorogenic acid complexes (PDF-CA) after DHPM treated were obtained, FT-IR showed that CA was interacting with PDF non-covalently through hydrogen bonding, and further investigated the interaction between PDF and CA, and synergistic action of CA and DHPM on PDF. Due to the molecular interplay of PDF-CA, the results showed that PDF and PDF-CA samples with different particle sizes could be obtained after DHPM treatment, the smallest particle sizes could be reduced by 48.92% and 49.19% compared to untreated samples, respectively. Microscopic evaluation of PDF and complexes also showed significant morphological changes; the crystallinity of both PDF and complexes decreased during the treatment, but the trend of thermal stability showed a different shift. In addition, PDF and PDF-CA made by the DHPM treatment exhibited better water-holding properties (increased by 85.47% and 52.01%) and oil-holding properties (increased by 33.42% and 39.79%); abilities to bind glucose and cholesterol. And the cholesterol adsorption capacity of PA and PDF-CA treated at the conditions of pH = 7, 120 MPa, could be increased from 1.23 to 2.67 mg/g, 2.64 to 7.06 mg/g, respectively. These results illustrated that the structural and adsorption properties of PDF could be effectively modified by DHPM and CA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow inside the orifices in diesel injector largely determines the injection characteristics, which further affects the performance of the diesel engine. In this paper, numerical simulation is conducted to characterize the fuel flow with characteristics of two-phase cavitation, high speed, high pressure, high turbulence intensity, and high viscosity in two crucial orifice locations. The OZ orifice is selected as a benchmark to select the appropriate turbulence model and cavitation model. The simulation results from different turbulence and cavitation models are analyzed, and the combination of the realizable k–ε turbulence model and the Zwart–Gerber–Belamri cavitation model proves to be superior. Then, based on the validated models, the compressibility and non-isothermal characteristics of the fuel and two geometric parameters of the nozzles in an injector are emphatically discussed to depict the cavitation flow. The results suggest that the compressibility and non-isothermal characteristics of fuel affect the mass flow rate, fuel flow velocity, and cavitation extent within the orifices with a maximum deviation of the mass flow rate of 7.1%. However, their influence on the orifice flow coefficient is relatively minor with a maximum deviation of 0.8%. The mass flow rate and flow coefficient are both positively correlated with the rounded edge radius and taper coefficient. A greater rounded edge radius and taper coefficient can lead to a better fuel flow capacity in the nozzle orifice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Full densification and fine microstructures are the two key optimization targets of ceramic materials. Although fine Hf 0.95 Ta 0.05 B 2 powder (∼ 0.36 µm) has been synthesized, it was still difficult to obtain densified Hf 0.95 Ta 0.05 B 2 ceramics with ultrafine grains (< 1 µm) using conventional high temperature sintering. Increasing sintering pressure could provided higher densification driving force, but it usually negatively promoted grain growth for nanoceramics. Our strategy was to gain the fully dense Hf 0.95 Ta 0.05 B 2 ceramic under a high pressure at a selected temperature with retarded grain growth. In this work, fully dense Hf 0.95 Ta 0.05 B 2 ceramic was prepared at 1700 °C under a high pressure of 200 MPa. The limited grain growth was achieved with the average grain size of 0.6 µm. Therefore, the mechanical properties were significantly improved, including Vickers hardness (24.8 GPa) and fracture toughness (4.2 MPa.m1/2), which were ascribed to Hall-Petch and dislocation strengthening mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myocardial infarction (MI) remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) are abundant in the heart and are responsible for cardiac repair post‐MI. NF‐κB‐repressing factor (NKRF) plays a significant role in the transcriptional inhibition of various specific genes. However, the NKRF action mechanism in CFs remains unclear in cardiac repair post‐MI. This study investigates the NKRF mechanism in cardiac remodeling and dysfunction post‐MI by establishing a CF‐specific NKRF‐knockout (NKRF‐CKO) mouse model. NKRF expression is downregulated in CFs in response to pathological cardiac remodeling in vivo and TNF‐α in vitro. NKRF‐CKO mice demonstrate worse cardiac function and survival and increased infarct size, heart weight, and MMP2 and MMP9 expression post‐MI compared with littermates. NKRF inhibits CF migration and invasion in vitro by downregulating MMP2 and MMP9 expression. Mechanistically, NKRF inhibits human antigen R (HuR) transcription by binding to the classical negative regulatory element within the HuR promoter via an NF‐κB‐dependent mechanism. This decreases HuR‐targeted Mmp2 and Mmp9 mRNA stability. This study suggests that NKRF is a therapeutic target for pathological cardiac remodeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Although it is an effective fixation technique for an unstable odontoid, anterior fixation remains challenging in pediatric populations. Our study measures the anatomical parameters of the odontoid to identify the feasibility of anterior fixation with a single screw for children. Methods: We retrospectively collected data from 112 normal male and female children (aged between 2 and 18) in our institute from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022. Subjects were divided into a youth group (2–6 years old), a juvenile group (7–12 years old), and an adolescent group (13–18 years old). Sagittal and coronal computed tomography images of the upper cervical spine were used to measure the screw length, angle, and inner and outer diameters of the odontoid. One‐way analysis of variance with the Tukey test was used to analyze the parameters among the groups, while the t‐test was used to analyze gender differences. Correlations between parameters and age were assessed using Pearson's test. Results: There were significant differences between male and female subjects in screw length and inner and outer diameters (of both sagittal and coronal views) but not in screw angle. The narrowest diameter of the odontoid was 4.0 ± 1.5 mm in the youth group, 5.5 ± 1.5 mm in the juvenile group, and 5.6 ± 1.1 mm in the adolescent group, respectively. There were significant differences among the three groups in screw length (p < 0.0001). The screw angle of the adolescent group was significantly smaller than that of the youth and juvenile groups. More than 90% of children aged 7–18 years old had an odontoid diameter greater than 4 mm, while only half of the youth group had an odontoid with diameter >4 mm. Screw length and inner and outer diameters in lateral view were positively correlated with age, and screw angle was negatively correlated with age. Conclusion: It is feasible to insert a standard single screw (Φ 3.5 mm) into the odontoid of children aged 7–18 years old but not those aged 2–6 years old. How the anatomical parameters of the odontoid change with age, especially the narrowest diameters, is worthy of attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cancer cells may develop resistance to cisplatin by various mechanisms. Yet, the exact mechanism of cisplatin in ovarian cancer remains unclear. Recent studies have shown that 3'-phospoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate synthase 1 (PAPSS1) inhibition combined with low-dose cisplatin increases DNA damage. The aim of this study was to determine the value of targeting PAPSS1 as a cisplatin modulator in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Results: Increased expression of PAPSS1 was observed in both EOC cells and tissues. Also, its higher nuclear expression was distinctly associated with FIGO (The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stage, histological subtype, metastasis, and recurrence. Down-regulation of the PAPSS1 gene increased the cisplatin sensitivity of EOC in vitro and in vivo. Expression of PAPSS1 was negatively correlated with estrogen receptor α (ERα) in EOC. Also, low nuclear PAPSS1 and high nuclear ERα expression in EOC were associated with longer overall survival and progression-free survival in all ovarian cancer and ovarian cancer patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy. PAPSS1 silencing increased the activity of ERα-signaling in EOC cells, thus sensitizing tumors to cisplatin. Conclusions: These findings characterize a novel interplay between PAPSS1-mediated sulfation and ERα-signaling in EOC cisplatin resistance. PAPSS1 may be exploited as a cisplatin-sensitizing therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β‐Amino sulfones are commonly found structural motifs in biologically active compounds. Herein, we report a direct photocatalyzed amino‐sulfonylation reaction of alkenes for the efficicient production of important compounds by simple hydrolysis without the need for additional oxidants and reductants. In this transformation, the sulfonamides worked as bifunctional reagents, simultaneously generating sulfonyl radicals and N‐centered radicals which were added to alkene in a highly atom‐economical fashion with high regioselectivity and diastereoselectivity. This approach showed high functional group tolerance and compatibility, facilitating the late‐stage modification of some bioactive alkenes and sulfonamide molecules, thereby expanding the biologically relevant chemical space. Scaling up this reaction led to an efficient green synthesis of apremilast, one of the best‐selling pharmceuticals, demonstrating the synthetic utility of the applied method. Moreover, mechanistic investigations suggest that an energy transfer (EnT) process was in operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional way of densifying high-melting-point ceramics at high temperatures with long soaking time leads to severe grain coarsening, which degrades the mechanical properties of ceramics. Here, highly dense (∼98%) zirconium carbide (ZrC) ceramics with limited grain growth were obtained by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at relatively low temperatures, 1900 ℃, with a high pressure up to 200 MPa in a reliable carbon-fiber-reinforced carbon composite (C f /C) mold. Subgrains and high-density dislocations formed in the high-pressure sintered ceramics. The hardness and fracture toughness of the prepared highly dense ZrC ceramics reached 20.53 GPa and 2.70 MPa·m1/2, respectively. The densification mechanism was mainly plastic deformation under high pressure. In addition, ZrC ceramics sintered at high pressure possessed a high dislocation density of 7.30 × 1012 m−2, which was suggested to contribute to the high hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionogels are hybrid materials comprising an ionic liquid confined within a polymer matrix. They have garnered significant interest due to their unique properties, such as high ionic conductivity, mechanical stability, and wide electrochemical stability. These properties make ionogels suitable for various applications, including energy storage devices, sensors, and solar cells. However, optimizing the electrochemical performance of ionogels remains a challenge, as the relationship between specific capacitance, ionic conductivity, and electrolyte solution concentration is yet to be fully understood. In this study, we investigate the impact of electrolyte solution concentration on the electrochemical properties of ionogels to identify the correlation for enhanced performance. Our findings demonstrate a clear relationship between the specific capacitance and ionic conductivity of ionogels, which depends on the availability of mobile ions. The reduced number of ions at low electrolyte solution concentrations leads to decreased ionic conductivity and specific capacitance due to the scarcity of a double layer, constraining charge storage capacity. However, at a 31 vol% electrolyte solution concentration, an ample quantity of ions becomes accessible, resulting in increased ionic conductivity and specific capacitance, reaching maximum values of 58 ± 1.48 μS/cm and 45.74 F/g, respectively. Furthermore, the synthesized ionogel demonstrates a wide electrochemical stability of 3.5 V, enabling diverse practical applications. This study provides valuable insights into determining the optimal electrolyte solution concentration for enhancing ionogel electrochemical performance for energy applications. It highlights the impact of ion pairs and aggregates on ion mobility within ionogels, subsequently affecting their resultant electrochemical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unexpected collapse accidents of burning buildings have greatly threatened firefighters and trapped people. Hence, accurate real-time early warning of fire-induced collapse of burning buildings is urgently needed to avoid unnecessary casualties. Existing research evaluated the collapse state of the burning building and issued an early warning before the collapse by analyzing the variation laws of displacements at key positions. However, some displacements are hard to acquire rapidly and accurately at fire rescue scenes, which restricts the application of early-warning methods in real fires. This paper proposes a synchronous real-time displacement acquisition approach for early warning of fire-induced collapse of steel portal frames. The three-order polynomial function is adopted to represent the deformation curve of members in frames under fire conditions. The displacements measured by on-site arranged microwave radars coupled with rotations measured by embedded inclinometers are adopted for determining the polynomial function and synchronously predicting displacements of the burning frame at any location. The research findings show that placing five inclinometers on each roof and three inclinometers on each internal column with equal spacing can accurately predict displacements of the overall frame. Slope-based weights and reset conditions with thresholds are proposed to consider the effects of heating conditions and structural parameters in order to improve the accuracy and reliability of the acquisition approach. Parametric analyses and case studies are presented to illustrate the application and robustness of the proposed approach in early warning of fire-induced collapse of steel portal frames. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cultured human skin models have been widely used in the evaluation of dermato‐cosmetic products as alternatives to animal testing and expensive clinical testing. The most common in vitro skin culture approach is to maintain skin biopsies in an airlifted condition at the interface of the supporting culture medium and the air phase. This type of ex vivo skin explant culture is not, however, adequate for the testing of cleansing products, such as shampoos and body washes. One major deficiency is that cleansing products would not remain confined on top of the epidermis and have a high chance of running off toward the dermal side, thus compromising the experimental procedure and data interpretation. Materials and Methods: Here, we describe an improved ex vivo method for culturing full‐thickness human skin for the effective testing and evaluation of skin care products by topical application. Results: This newly developed ex vivo human skin culture method has the ability to maintain healthy skin tissues for up to 14 days in culture. Importantly, the model provides a quick and safe way to evaluate skin care products at different time points after single or repetitive topical applications using a combined regimen of leave‐on and wash‐off. We found that the results obtained using the new skin culture method are reproducible and consistent with the data collected from clinical testing. Conclusion: Our new ex vivo skin explant method offers a highly efficient and cost‐effective system for the evaluation and testing of a variety of personal care products and new formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have witnessed growing interests in RGB-D Salient Object Detection (SOD), benefiting from the ample spatial layout cues embedded in depth maps to help SOD models distinguish salient objects from complex backgrounds or similar surroundings. Despite these progresses, this emerging line of research has been considerably hindered by the noise and ambiguity that prevail in raw depth images, as well as the coarse object boundaries in saliency predictions. To address the aforementioned issues, we propose a Depth Calibration and Boundary-aware Fusion (DCBF) framework that contains two novel components: (1) a learning strategy to calibrate the latent bias in the original depth maps towards boosting the SOD performance; (2) a boundary-aware multimodal fusion module to fuse the complementary cues from RGB and depth channels, as well as to improve object boundary qualities. In addition, we introduce a new saliency dataset, HiBo-UA, which contains 1515 high-resolution RGB-D images with finely-annotated pixel-level labels. To our best knowledge, this is the first RGB-D-based high-resolution saliency dataset with significantly higher image resolution (nearly 7 × ) than the widely used DUT-D dataset. The proposed high-resolution dataset with richer object boundary details is capable of accurately assessing the performance of various saliency models, in order to retain fine-grained object boundaries. It also facilitates the growing need of our research community in accessing higher-resolution data. Extensive empirical experiments demonstrate the superior performance of our approach against 31 state-of-the-art methods. It is worth noting that our calibrated depth alone can work in a plug-and-play manner; empirically it is shown to bring noticeable improvements when applied to existing state-of-the-art RGB-D SOD models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural high brittleness of sapphire leads to its poor machinability, which limits its application shape and size. The connection between sapphire and metal provides a new method to prepare large‐size sapphire components and complex structural parts. In this study, sapphire and TC4 alloy were joined by spark plasma sintering (SPS) diffusion technology with Al2O3‐Ti as interlayer fillers. The effects of filler composition, sintering temperature, microstructure, and phase distribution on the strength of the joint were explored. The results showed that sapphire and TC4 could be well connected by SPS with Al2O3‐Ti fillers. The microstructure of the joint showed no obvious defect or element enrichment. The optimized shear strength of sapphire/interlayer(Al2O3‐Ti)/TC4 joint reached 121 MPa, and the fracture path mode was sapphire‐interlayer‐TC4, indicating the strong bonding between the heterogeneous materials. The sapphire/interlayer(Al2O3‐Ti)/TC4 structure could relieve the residual stress caused by the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient in direct connection between sapphire and TC4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simplified scheme for the blind phase search (BPS) algorithm is proposed. By comparing the loss function with a threshold value, the number of test phases is reduced. Simulation and experimental results show that compared with the traditional BPS algorithm, this algorithm only needs half of the test phases under the same performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorinated dicopper(II) metal–organic framework JXNU-16F with 1,3,5-tri(3,5-bifluoro-4-carboxyphenyl)benzene ligands and nonfluorinated JXNU-16 exhibit high propyne uptakes of 443 and 496 cm3 g−1 under ambient conditions, respectively. Their remarkable propyne uptakes result from suitable pore spaces and strong propyne⋯propyne interactions amongst the adsorbed propyne molecules, as revealed by computational simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HfB 2 -based ceramics, such as HfB 2 -SiC, are promising materials of neutron control rods. Under nuclear conditions, the interfacial compatibility between the HfB 2 -SiC control rod and the guide tube (made of Zr-4 alloy) is critical in the operation. The present study demonstrated the high compatibility of the two heterogeneous materials even at 1400 °C. The formation of an in-situ assembled triple diffusion layer with stable phases and dense structures largely improved the interface compatibility. In addition, the as-produced phases with unique microstructures were organized at the interface. ZrSi formed typical columnar crystals with strong [001] fiber texture, which extended in the direction favorable to the interface. ZrB 2 grains grew as needle shapes and entered the Zr-4 alloy substrate. These unique morphologies clearly revealed an interface with strong stability and high compatibility. The results provide the basis for the application of HfB 2 -based ceramics in nuclear infrastructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) suddenly broke out in China in December 2019. Pandemic-related behavioral changes can cause perioperative respiratory adverse events in children with congenital heart disease (CHD). Here, we compared the incidence of perioperative respiratory adverse events (PRAEs) in CHD children with and without upper respiratory infection (URI) undergoing the cardiac catheterization before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This prospective observational single-center study was based at a tertiary care center in Shanghai, China. A total of 359 children with CHD with and without recent URI were included between January 2019 and March 2021. The overall incidence of PRAEs (laryngospasm, bronchospasm, coughing, airway secretion, airway obstruction, and oxygen desaturation) in non-URI and URI children undergoing elective cardiac catheterization was compared before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A logistic regression model was fitted to identify the potential risk factors associated with PRAEs. Results: Of the 564 children enrolled, 359 completed the study and were finally analyzed. The incidence of URIs decreased substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic (14% vs. 41%, P < 0.001). Meanwhile, the overall PRAEs also significantly declined regardless of whether the child had a recent URI (22.3% vs. 42.3%, P = 0.001 for non-URI and 29.2% vs. 58.7%, P = 0.012 for URI, respectively). Post-operative agitation in children without URI occurred less frequently during the pandemic than before (2.3% vs. 16.2%, P = 0.001). Behaviors before the COVID-19 pandemic (odds ratio = 2.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.76–4.58) and recent URI (odds ratio = 1.79, 95% CI 1.09–2.92) were associated with PRAEs. Conclusions: COVID-19 pandemic-related behavioral changes were associated with a reduction in PRAEs in non-URI and URI children undergoing elective therapeutic cardiac catheterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NSCs play an essential role in the regeneration process of the central nervous system. However, due to the influence of the harsh pathological microenvironment, the viability of neural stem cells is limited, and the therapeutic effect needs improvement. Previous studies have found that stem cells overexpressing ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) have apparent therapeutic effects on remyelination, but the specific mechanism of action still needs to be further explored. We found that astrocytes, the most numerous groups in the CNS, exhibited a pathological role in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model, but after stimulation with CNTF-NSCs, a phenotypic switch occurred and induced the neurotrophic factor cardiotrophin-like cytokine 1 (Clcf1) production. Mechanistically, Clcf1 can significantly promote the differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), and the advanced effect can attenuate by the Clcf1 antibody. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the pathway by which CNTF-NSCs exert their therapeutic effects by affecting astrocytes. It is expected to identify a potential therapeutic factor, Clcf1, for the treatment of demyelinating diseases. • EAE mice injected with CNTF-NSCs significantly ameliorated clinical symptom development in the animal model. • CNTF effectively activated the expression of Clcf1 in astrocytes. • Clcf1 is also a potent neural growth factor that promotes the differentiation of OPCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to use single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) to discover marker genes in endothelial cells (ECs) and construct a prognostic model for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients in combination with traditional high-throughput RNA sequencing (bulk RNA-seq). Methods: Bulk RNA-seq data was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and The China Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) databases. 10x scRNA-seq data for GBM were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) were used for downscaling and cluster identification. Key modules and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA). A non-negative matrix decomposition (NMF) algorithm was used to identify the different subtypes based on DEGs, and multivariate cox regression analysis to model the prognosis. Finally, differences in mutational landscape, immune cell abundance, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)-associated genes, immunotherapy effects, and enriched pathways were investigated between different risk groups. Results: The analysis of scRNA-seq data from eight samples revealed 13 clusters and four cell types. After applying Fisher's exact test, ECs were identified as the most important cell type. The NMF algorithm identified two clusters with different prognostic and immunological features based on DEGs. We finally built a prognostic model based on the expression levels of four key genes. Higher risk scores were significantly associated with poorer survival outcomes, low mutation rates in IDH genes, and upregulation of immune checkpoints such as PD-L1 and CD276. Conclusion: We built and validated a 4-gene signature for GBM using 10 scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq data in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine if Exendin-4 could be a therapeutic agent for burn-induced hyperglycemia. Male Balb/c mice received a bolus of Exendin-4 intraperitoneally immediately after 15% total body surface area scald injury. Tail glucose levels were recorded and T-cell functions were analyzed at 4 h and 24 h postburn (pb). Pancreatic pathology was observed consecutively. The secretions of cytokines were detected in serum, spleen, and lung. Apoptosis of splenic CD3+ T-cells was examined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling and flow cytometry. Although Exendin-4 could attenuate burn-induced hyperglycemia in mice at 4 h pb, it accelerated their survival dose dependently with progressive depletion of splenocyte number. T-cell function underwent two-phasic changes following Exendin-4 treatment. Compared to placebo mice, T-cell from Exendin-4–treated mice was manifested with increased proliferation, while decreased IL-2 secretion and lower ratio of IL-4/IFN-γ at 4 h pb. However, at 24 h pb, it showed decreased proliferation, while increased IL-2 secretion and higher ratio of IL-4/IFN-γ. Exendin-4 could elicit higher circulating IL-6 and IL-10 levels at 4 h pb, which were pronounced in the lung at 24 h pb. In the meanwhile, severe inflammation could be found in the pancreas. At 24 h pb, the numbers of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling or caspase-3 positive cells and the apoptosis of CD3+ T-cells were significantly increased in the spleens of Exendin-4 mice relative to placebo mice. These data support a pathogenic role of Exendin-4 signaling during thermal injury, warning against its clinical application in acute insults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce the notion of the twisted Segre product A ∘ ψ B of Z -graded algebras A and B with respect to a twisting map ψ. It is proved that if A and B are noetherian Koszul Artin-Schelter regular algebras and ψ is a twisting map such that the twisted Segre product A ∘ ψ B is noetherian, then A ∘ ψ B is a noncommutative graded isolated singularity. To prove this result, the notion of densely (bi-)graded algebras is introduced. Moreover, we show that the twisted Segre product A ∘ ψ B of A = k [ u , v ] and B = k [ x , y ] with respect to a diagonal twisting map ψ is a noncommutative quadric surface (so in particular it is noetherian), and we compute the stable category of graded maximal Cohen-Macaulay modules over it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a complex process of ectopic calcification involving various factors that lead to aortic valve stenosis, hemodynamic changes, and, in severe cases, even sudden death. Currently, aortic valve replacement is the only effective method. The osteogenic differentiation of aortic valve interstitial cells (AVICs) is one of the key factors of valve calcification. Emerging evidence suggests that bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) can induce the proosteogenic activation of AVICs. However, the regulatory mechanism underlying this activation in AVICs is unclear. In the present study, we elucidated through high-throughput RNA sequencing and RT-qPCR that miR-664a-3p was evidently downregulated in the calcific aortic valve. We also proved that miR-664a-3p was involved in regulating osteogenic differentiation in AVICs. Target prediction analysis and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed that miR-664a-3p is preferentially bound to BMP2. Furthermore, the effect of the miR-664a-3p/BMP2 axis on osteogenic differentiation in AVICs was examined using the gain- and loss-of-function approach. Finally, we constructed a mouse CAVD model and verified the effect of the miR-664a-3p/BMP2 axis on the aortic valve calcification leaflets in vivo. In conclusion, miR-664a-3p regulates osteogenic differentiation in AVICs through negative regulation of BMP2, highlighting that miR-664a-3p may be a potential therapeutic target for CAVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving fluency in sightreading—particularly rhythm reading—is cited by researchers as a universally problematic component of formal music education. This study employed an experimental design to examine the efficacy of focused practice on rhythm reading with targeted feedback. College music majors (n = 28) were sent a novel, challenging piece of sheet music every day for five days, and were required to return a recording of themselves clapping or tapping the rhythm. Half of the students received only a polite acknowledgement each day. The others received personalised feedback on their errors by the end of the same day, and were required to repeat the incorrect passages in the following day's recording, along with the new material. Sightreading tests were administered pre and post. On average, students in the feedback group improved significantly more than their peers in the practice-only group. Implications for postsecondary music instruction are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The third‐generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) almonertinib (HS‐10296) targets both EGFR‐sensitizing and T790M resistance mutations. This randomized, open‐label, two‐period crossover trial investigated the effect of food intake on the single‐dose pharmacokinetic properties of almonertinib and its metabolite HAS‐719. Twenty healthy adults received a single dose of almonertinib tablets (110 mg) on days 1 and 22 under overnight fasting or fed conditions, respectively. Plasma samples were collected 216 hours post‐dosing and almonertinib and HAS‐719 concentrations were determined using liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry. For almonertinib, the geometric mean ratio (GMR, fed/fasting) and 90% confidence interval (CI) for the area under the curve (AUC) from time 0 to 216 hours and apparent oral clearance (CLz/F) were 119.9 (110.0–130.7) and 83.5 (76.6–90.9), respectively. Fasting and fed groups showed significant differences in these parameters, but not for maximum concentration (Cmax) and time to Cmax (Tmax). The Cmax GMR of HAS‐719 was 81.7 (75.8–88.0), which decreased significantly in the fed group. The drug‐related adverse reaction (AR) incidence was similar in the two groups, 50% in the fasting group and 52.6% in the fed group. ARs were mainly gastrointestinal diseases and abnormal laboratory test results, and all participants fully recovered. In conclusion, a high‐fat diet slightly affected the pharmacokinetic profile of almonertinib in healthy participants, but not the safety tolerance. Therefore, almonertinib is suitable for administration under fasting or fed conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Athetis lepigone Möschler (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) is a common maize pest in Europe and Asia. However, there is no long-term effective management strategy is available yet to suppress its population. Adults rely heavily on olfactory cues to locate their optimal host plants and oviposition sites. Pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) are believed to be responsible for recognizing and transporting different odorant molecules to interact with receptor membrane proteins. In this study, the ligand-binding specificities of two AlepPBPs (AlepPBP2 and AlepPBP3) for sex pheromone components and host plant (maize) volatiles were measured by fluorescence ligand-binding assay. The results demonstrated that AlepPBP2 had a high affinity with two pheromones [(Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate, Ki = 1.11 ± 0.1 μM, (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate, Ki = 1.32 ± 0.15 μM] and ten plant volatiles, including (-)-limonene, α-pinene, myrcene, linalool, benzaldehyde, nonanal, 2-hexanone, 3-hexanone, 2-heptanone and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one. In contrast, we found that none of these chemicals could bind to AlepPBP3. Our results clearly show no significant differences in the functional characterization of the binding properties between AlepPBP2 and AlepPBP3 to sex pheromones and host plant volatiles. Furthermore, molecular docking was employed for further detail on some crucial amino acid residues involved in the ligand-binding of AlepPBP2. These findings will provide valuable information about the potential protein binding sites necessary for protein-ligand interactions which appear as attractive targets for the development of novel technologies and management strategies for insect pests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• B-spline descriptors are engineered purely from absorbance spectra. • Two-step workflow improves conductivity measurement efficiency significantly. • Conductivity classifier attains a maximum of 100 % accuracy. • Conductivity regressor attains an R2 of 0.984. • Explainable ML reveals spectral influence on doped polymers' conductivity. The combination of high-throughput experimentation techniques and machine learning (ML) has recently ushered in a new era of accelerated material discovery, enabling the identification of materials with cutting-edge properties. However, the measurement of certain physical quantities remains challenging to automate. Specifically, meticulous process control, experimentation and laborious measurements are required to achieve optimal electrical conductivity in doped polymer materials. We propose a ML approach, which relies on readily measured absorbance spectra, to accelerate the workflow associated with measuring electrical conductivity. The classification model accurately classifies samples with a conductivity >∼25 to 100 S/cm, achieving a maximum of 100 % accuracy rate. For the subset of highly conductive samples, we employed a regression model to predict their conductivities, yielding an impressive test R2 value of 0.984. We tested the models with samples of the two highest conductivities (498 and 506 S/cm) and showed that they were able to correctly classify and predict the two extrapolative conductivities at satisfactory levels of errors. The proposed ML-assisted workflow results in an improvement in the efficiency of the conductivity measurements by 89 % of the maximum achievable using our experimental techniques. Furthermore, our approach addressed the common challenge of the lack of explainability in ML models by exploiting bespoke mathematical properties of the descriptors and ML model, allowing us to gain corroborated insights into the spectral influences on conductivity. Through this study, we offer an accelerated pathway for optimizing the properties of doped polymer materials while showcasing the valuable insights that can be derived from purposeful utilization of ML in experimental science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • APS 3 monolayers have metallic electronic structure and a relatively low rate-limiting step. • APS 3 monolayers have low decomposition barriers of Li 2 S/Na 2 S. • Strain can reduces the rate-limiting step. Metal-sulfur batteries (M–S batteries, M = Li, Na), because of their high energy density and low cost, are expected to become the next-generation energy storage systems. However, their commercial applications are impeded by the poor conductivity of polysulfides, the "shuttle effect" of soluble M 2 S n (n = 4, 6, 8), and the slow reaction kinetics. In this work, we perform first-principles calculations to find that the two-dimensional APS 3 (A = Cr, Co) monolayers are effective sulfur host materials for high-performance M–S batteries. The metallic electronic structures of APS 3 can accelerate electron transfer in reaction processes. The shuttle effect is inhibited by moderate binding strength between APS 3 and M 2 S n. Remarkably, APS 3 , as a bifunctional electrocatalyst, can greatly reduce the rate-limiting step of sulfur reduction reaction (SRR) and the decomposition barriers of Li 2 S/Na 2 S. We further explored the effect of strain engineering on the catalytic activity of APS 3 for SRR and found that the battery performance can be regulated by varying the applied strains ranging from −2 % to 5 %. These findings provide a new direction for the design of highly efficient catalysts for M–S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare and rank the effectiveness of optimal exercise intensity in improving executive function in patients with ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD) through a comprehensive comparison of direct and indirect evidence. A systematic search was performed in five electronic databases to explore the optimal exercise intensity for improving executive function in patients with ADHD by directly and indirectly comparing a variety of exercise intervention intensities. In addition, the isolated effects of exercise on improving executive function in patients with ADHD were explored through classical meta-analysis of paired direct comparisons. Twenty-nine studies were retrieved and included in this study. Classical paired meta-analysis showed that for the patients with ADHD in the age group of 7–17 years, statistical difference was observed for all the parameters of exercise interventions (intensity, frequency, period, and training method), the three dimensions of executive function, the use of medication or not, the high and low quality of the methodological approach. Network meta-analysis showed that high-intensity exercise training was optimal for improving working memory (97.4%) and inhibitory function (85.7%) in patients with ADHD. Meanwhile, moderate-intensity exercise training was optimal for improving cognitive flexibility (77.3%) in patients with ADHD. Moderate to high intensity exercise training shows potential for improving executive function in these patients. Therefore, we recommend applying high-intensity exercise intervention to improve executive function in patients with ADHD to achieve substantial improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic forecasting stands as a cornerstone in urban planning, yet existing methods mainly fall short in capturing long-term spatio-temporal patterns. To be specific, various exquisite modules are designed in current works, while bringing heavy computing costs with the length of historical data. Furthermore, any replacement or reintegration of modules could weaken final performance, and the whole model needs to be trained from scratch on different datasets. To address the above shortcomings, inspired by pre-training methodologies, we introduce a novel Pre-trained Spatio-Temporal Network (PreSTNet), a two-phase framework comprising pre-training and fine-tuning. In the first pre-training phase, PreSTNet undertakes a data masking and recovery task, which is facilitated through a dedicated long sequence embedding module and an encoder–decoder structure with temporal attention layers and graph convolution operators. The recovery task involves masking several data, forcing the model to capture correlations between unmasked data and finally recover the masked part, which facilitates the extraction of long-term spatio-temporal features from extensive data. The second phase involves freezing the learned parameters and replacing the decoder with a forecasting header. This header, designed as a meta-learning fusion module and spatio-temporal convolution layers, can integrate long-term and short-term traffic data, and is trained in the manner of supervised learning to suit the target task. Rigorous experiments on real-world datasets underscore the superiority of PreSTNet. Further case studies reveal that the pre-trained encoder, coupled with an intuitive linear regression, achieves comparable performance to advanced methods. These findings affirm the robust capabilities of the proposed PreSTNet in addressing the complexities of traffic forecasting. • Pre-training enhanced framework to capture generalized long-term traffic patterns. • Seamlessly compatible with different forecasting headers to downstream datasets. • Pre-trained backbone coupled with linear regression achieves advanced performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tandem mass spectrometry enables rapid and accurate detection of metabolites. • Tandem mass spectrometry for neonates and high-risk infants can provide a wealth of clinical data and metabolite spectra. • Early detection and early diagnosis can lead to more precise treatment, genetic counseling and scientific research. Compare the differences between normal newborns and high-risk children with inherited metabolic diseases. The disease profile includes amino acidemias, fatty acid oxidation disorders, and organic acidemias. Data was collected on newborns and children from high-risk populations in Shanghai from December 2010 to December 2020. 232,561 newborns were screened for disorders of organic, amino acid, and fatty acid metabolism. The initial positive rate was 0.66 % (1,526/232,561) and the positive recall rate was 77.85 %. The positive predictive value is 4.71 %. Among them, 56 cases were diagnosed as metabolic abnormalities. The total incidence rate is 1:4153. Hyperphenylalaninemia and short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase are the most common diseases in newborns. In addition, in 56 children, 39 (69.42 %) were diagnosed by genetic sequencing. Some hotspot mutations in 14 IEMs have been observed, including PAH gene c.728G > A, c.611A > G, and ACADS gene c. 1031A > G, c.164C > T. A total of 49,860 symptomatic patients were screened, of which 185 were diagnosed with IEM, with a detection rate of 0.37 %. The most commonly diagnosed diseases in high-risk infants aremethylmalonic acidemia and hyperphenylalaninemia. There are more clinical cases of congenital metabolic errors diagnosed by tandem mass spectrometry than newborn screening. The spectrum of diseases, prevalence, and genetic characteristics of normal newborns and high-risk children are quite different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Cost-benefit optimization of combined systems of WWTP and CW was developed. • Integrate ASM2d, random forest, and genetic algorithm-II aided decision-making. • Trade-offs between energy, cost, and effluent quality are revealed. • WWTP cuts energy consumption by 27 % and CW cost by 44 % while effluent compliant. • Design optimization can be performed in minutes on a laptop. This study proposed an efficient framework for optimizing the design and operation of combined systems of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and constructed wetlands (CW). The framework coupled a WWTP model with a CW model and used a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm to identify trade-offs between energy consumption, effluent quality, and construction cost. Compared to traditional design and management approaches, the framework achieved a 27 % reduction in WWTP energy consumption or a 44 % reduction in CW cost while meeting strict effluent discharge limits for Chinese WWTP. The framework also identified feasible decision variable ranges and demonstrated the impact of different optimization strategies on system performance. Furthermore, the contributions of WWTP and CW in pollutant degradation were analyzed. Overall, the proposed framework offers a highly efficient and cost-effective solution for optimizing the design and operation of a combined WWTP and CW system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The materials used in astronautics fields are usually designed to withstand severe thermal stress induced by large temperature differences. Compared with homogenous materials, functionally graded materials (FGM) possess gradient properties and can be applied in harsh operating conditions. In this study, ZrC–Mo multilayer FGM were designed and prepared with three gradient compositions. The as-produced ZrC–Mo FGM exhibited the dense and homogeneous morphology and excellent interlayer bonding without visible defects such as cracks and pores. The results of oxyacetylene ablation tests indicated that compared with homogeneous ZrC-based composites, the ZrC–Mo FGM could better maintain integrity and avoid catastrophic damage. An effective property transition was established by the gradient design, which could relieve the stress caused by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between ceramic and metal materials. The FGM in the composition of quadratic function nonlinear with higher Mo content show the optimized overall performance. The study provides a new strategy for developing promising candidate materials under ultra-high temperature conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the free-form curve contour tracking error problem of CNC machining, a cross-coupled controller based on Fuzzy PID using an improved PSO algorithm is proposed. First, the exact formulas of the linear and circular arc contour errors under a plane trajectory are derived, and an estimation method for the free curve profile error under a plane trajectory based on the principle of approximate approximation of preferred points is designed. Second, a cross-coupled controller based on Fuzzy PID using an improved PSO algorithm is achieved. An improved PSO algorithm, whose learning factor is adjusted with the inertia weight, is used to optimize the controller parameters and achieve contour tracking of the free curve. Finally, a two-dimensional biaxial experimental platform is used to test the proposed method. The results demonstrate that the optimal gain parameters obtained by the proposed strategy can significantly improve contour control accuracy in biaxial contour tracking tasks. The proposed contour error control scheme can achieve not only a nearly perfect contouring error estimation, but also an obvious promotion of contouring accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we propose a novel depth-induced multi-scale recurrent attention network for RGB-D saliency detection, named as DMRA. It achieves dramatic performance especially in complex scenarios. There are four main contributions of our network that are experimentally demonstrated to have significant practical merits. First, we design an effective depth refinement block using residual connections to fully extract and fuse cross-modal complementary cues from RGB and depth streams. Second, depth cues with abundant spatial information are innovatively combined with multi-scale contextual features for accurately locating salient objects. Third, a novel recurrent attention module inspired by Internal Generative Mechanism of human brain is designed to generate more accurate saliency results via comprehensively learning the internal semantic relation of the fused feature and progressively optimizing local details with memory-oriented scene understanding. Finally, a cascaded hierarchical feature fusion strategy is designed to promote efficient information interaction of multi-level contextual features and further improve the contextual representability of model. In addition, we introduce a new real-life RGB-D saliency dataset containing a variety of complex scenarios that has been widely used as a benchmark dataset in recent RGB-D saliency detection research. Extensive empirical experiments demonstrate that our method can accurately identify salient objects and achieve appealing performance against 18 state-of-the-art RGB-D saliency models on nine benchmark datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wideband metasurface antenna operating at millimeter-wave spectrum in substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) technology is proposed. Coupled by a slot etched on an SIW section, the proposed metasurface antenna achieves a wide 10 dB impedance bandwidth in simulation from 19.2 to 42.4 GHz, indicating a fractional bandwidth of 75%. The development of the proposed metasurface antenna can be divided into four stages, i.e., a slot antenna, dielectric loading, adding covered metasurface, and connecting to a transition. The input impedance and the resonance of these stages are elaborated in detail to explain the working mechanism. Parametric study is carried out to inspect into the design process. By analyzing the $E$ -field distributions, the proposed metasurface antenna is characterized by TM10 mode, antiphase TM20 mode, and TM30 mode. Compared with other similar designs in the open literatures, the proposed metasurface antenna displays a widest impedance bandwidth. The dimension of the proposed metasurface antenna is $0.80\,\,\lambda _{0} \times 0.72\,\,\lambda _{0} \times 0.24\,\,\lambda _{0}$ , where $\lambda _{0}$ is the free-space wavelength at 30 GHz. The maximum gain within the interested frequency spectrum is 7.0 dBi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of a high-pressure common rail injector is critical to the efficient operation of a high-power internal combustion engine. In this study, we develop a one-dimensional model of a hydro-mechanical system to examine the dynamic behavior of the injector. We use the validated model to investigate the effects of the operating conditions and internal structural parameters on the rate of injection, and analyze its dynamic response under single- and multi-injection conditions. The results show that the rail pressure and energizing time have different effects on the delays in opening and closing, and a sufficiently long energizing time is needed to lift the needle to a fully open position. A smaller semi-angle of the seat of ball valve might initiate faster injection. The diameter of the hole, half-angle of the seat, and half-angle of the cone of the needle valve all have positive effects on the rate of injection. The critical dwell time increased with the rail pressure under an energizing time of 0.5 ms, while the opposite result is obtained under energizing times of 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 ms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]