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The adsorption of particles onto fluid membranes can lead to membrane-mediated interactions between particles that promote their self-assembly and lead to changes in membrane morphology. However, in contrast with rigid particles, relatively little is known about deformable particles, which introduce additional complexities due to the mutual deformability of the particles and the membrane. Here, we use Monte Carlo simulations and umbrella sampling to investigate the equilibrium properties of hinge-like particles adsorbed on membrane vesicles by means of anisotropic, attractive interactions. We vary the hinge stiffness, adhesive area fraction, patterning of adhesive regions, and number of adsorbed particles. Depending on their properties, isolated particles can conform to the vesicle, induce invaginations of the membrane, or exhibit multistable behavior in which they sample distinct classes of configurations due to the interplay of particle and membrane deformations. With two adsorbed particles, the properties of the particles can be used to promote aggregation, bias the particles to different parts of the vesicle, or stabilize the coexistence of both cases. With multiple adsorbed particles, the number and type control their organization and collective impact on the vesicle, which can adopt shapes ranging from roughly spherical to dumbbell-like and multi-lobed. Our results highlight how modifying the mechanical properties and patterned adhesion of deformable particles, which is possible with DNA nanotechnology, influences their self-assembly and the resulting shapes of both the particles and vesicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly acidic protic ionic liquids (PILs) are promising materials for potential electrochemical applications due to their high proton conductivity and excellent thermal stability. Still, little is known about the correlation between charge transport and structural dynamics as well as the proton transport mechanism despite the large body of literature on this topic. Here, we have examined the charge transport and structural dynamics by employing broadband dielectric spectroscopy in two highly acidic PILs in their supercooled liquid and glassy states, which included the same anion [TfO]− and different cations, [Tau]+ vs [Ahs]+. Unlike many other ionic liquids, the conductivity relaxation time τe of two studied PILs is substantially faster than the structural relaxation time τα. The decoupling behavior between charge transport and structural dynamics of two materials, which is manifested by a decoupling index Rτ, varies between 0.3 and 2.3 over the temperature range above Tg. Moreover, "Walden" plots of the molar conductivity vs the viscosity qualify both compounds as "Super ILs." All findings support the physical picture of large, polar, and orientationally correlated ion clusters, where the slow α-relaxation can be identified as structural relaxation associated with cooperative reorientations of the cluster macrodipole. In contrast, the shortest timescale for diffusive charge transport, τe, is 1–2 decades shorter than τα, implying that proton hopping is triggered by "single particle" (ions or ion pair) rotations and jumps on a sub-length scale of the cluster size, a dynamics being present even in the glassy state as indicated by a strong β-relaxation. These results demonstrate the practicality of employing highly acidic PILs in electrochemical fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Endovascular therapy (EVT) is the most successful treatment for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large vessel occlusion (LVO) in the anterior circulation. However, futile recanalization (FR) seriously affects the prognosis of these patients. The aim of this study was to investigate predictors of FR after EVT in patients with AIS. Method: Patients diagnosed with AIS due to anterior circulation LVO and receiving EVT between June 2020 and October 2022 were prospectively enrolled. FR after EVT was defined as a poor 90-day prognosis (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score ≥ 3) despite achieving successful reperfusion (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction [mTICI] classification of 2b-3). All included patients were categorized into control group (mRS score < 3) and FR group (mRS score ≥ 3). Demographic characteristics, comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, smoking, etc.), stroke-specific data (NIHSS score, ASPECT score and site of occlusion), procedure data (treatment type [direct thrombectomy vs. bridging thrombectomy], degree of vascular recanalization [mTICI], procedure duration time and onset-recanalization time), laboratory indicators (lymphocytes count, neutrophils count, monocytes count, C-reactive protein, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio [NLR], monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein ratio [MHR], lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio [LMR], lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio [LCR], lymphocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein ratio[LHR], total cholesterol and triglycerides.) were compared between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore independent predictors of FR after EVT. Results: A total of 196 patients were included in this study, among which 57 patients were included in the control group and 139 patients were included in the FR group. Age, proportion of patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus, median NIHSS score, CRP level, procedure duration time, neutrophil count and NLR were higher in the FR group than in the control group. Lymphocyte count, LMR, and LCR were lower in the FR group than in the control group. There were no significant differences in platelet count, monocytes count, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, gender, smoking, atrial fibrillation, percentage of occluded sites, onset-recanalization time, ASPECT score and type of treatment between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that NLR was independently associated with FR after EVT (OR = 1.37, 95%CI = 1.005–1.86, P = 0.046). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that high NLR was associated with a risk of FR in patients with AIS due to anterior circulation LVO. These findings may help clinicians determine which patients with AIS are at higher risk of FR after EVT. Our study can provide a theoretical basis for interventions in the aforementioned population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining the multi-configuration Dirac–Hartree–Fock method and the model-quantum electrodynamics (QED) approach, the wave functions, transition energies and hyperfine structure constants for 2 l, 3 l states in Li-like Ne7+, Mg9+, Al10+, P12+, Ar15+ and Ca17+ ions are calculated. The effects of electron correlation, Breit interactions, nuclear recoil and QED effects are analyzed in detail. We find that the contribution of the non-diagonal elements of the self-energy is significant for the 2 p 1 / 2 → 2 s 1 / 2 and 2 p 3 / 2 → 2 s 1 / 2 transitions. However, for the 3 l → 2 s 1 / 2 transitions, the contribution of non-diagonal elements is small. The accuracy of the currently calculated hyperfine structure constants is expected to be within 1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current self‐healing ionogels are unable to undergo closed‐loop recycling and are unsuitable for large‐scale fabrication, which increases their manufacturing costs and limits their practical applications. In this study, self‐healing thermochromic ionogels with room‐temperature closed‐loop recyclability and self‐healing capability are large‐scale prepared by the in situ synthesis of imine bond cross‐linked supramolecular polymers in binary ionic liquids. The resulting ionogels show excellent mechanical and environmental stability, high solar modulation capability, and long service life, which can provide spontaneous solar modulation for buildings and vehicles to reduce cooling‐related energy consumption. The temperature‐responsive hydrogen bonding between supramolecular polymers and ionic liquids influences the dissolution state of the supramolecular polymers, allowing the self‐healing thermochromic ionogels to switch between transparent and opaque states through reversible agglomeration of ILs inside the ionogels. Dynamic imine bonds enable the ionogels to spontaneously heal themselves at room temperature and to be depolymerized into monomers in an extremely high yield and purity under hydrochloric acid catalysis at room temperature. The recovered monomers can be used to re‐manufacture self‐healing thermochromic ionogels without losing their original mechanical properties or thermochromic capability. This study provides a new route for developing functional self‐healing ionogels that can be large‐scale fabricated and closed‐loop recycled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SiC p /Al composites are suitable for satisfying the lightweight requirements of terahertz wave-reflecting components. In this paper, diamond-turned surfaces of 60 % high volume fraction SiC p /Al composites are characterized in terms of surface roughness and terahertz reflectivity. The finished surfaces of SiC p /Al composites are obtained using single-point diamond turning with different process parameters, and surface roughness measurements as well as SEM and EDS analyses are conducted on the surfaces. The theoretical relationship between surface roughness and terahertz reflectivity is analyzed, and terahertz reflectivity testing experiments are conducted and validated. The surface roughness evaluation system and prediction model for SiC p /Al composites with a volume fraction of 60 % are established, and the errors between the experimental results and the predicted results are verified within 10 % by random experiments. Finally, the turning process parameters are optimized using a genetic algorithm, and the optimized turning process parameters are obtained as the spindle speed of 750 r/min, the feeding speed of 1 mm/min and the turning depth of 6 μm. • Spindle speed and feeding speed have a significant impact on surface roughness. • The relationship between roughness and reflectivity was analyzed and experimented. • Roughness prediction model is established, and the model error is verified. • A genetic algorithm is adopted to optimize the turning process parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the latent class characteristics of college students' mental Huagong. Methods: A questionnaire survey was carried out on 510 college students by using Collage Mental Huagong Scale(CMHGS) and the Self-assessment Scale of College Students' Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ability(CSIEASAS). Results: The college students' mental Huagong can be divided into high Huagong group (40%), high-level low will group (6%), medium-level low emotion group (48%) and low Huagong group (5%). There were significant differences in the scores of entrepreneurial personality, basic entrepreneurial ability, core entrepreneurial ability and social adaptability among the four Latent class model of collage students' mental Huagong. Conclusion: There are four Latent class model of college students' mental Huagong, and there are significant differences in each dimensions of college students' abilities of innovation and entrepreneurship among each latent class models of college students' mental Huagong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) belongs to a class of epigenetic targets that have been found to be a key protein in the association between tumors and cardiovascular disease. Recent studies have focused on the crucial role of HDAC6 in regulating cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, myocardial hypertrophy, myocardial fibrosis, hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, and arrhythmia. Here, we review the association between HDAC6 and cardiovascular disease, the research progress of HDAC6 inhibitors in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, and discuss the feasibility of combining HDAC6 inhibitors with other therapeutic agents to treat cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document explores the use of late-stage functionalization (LSF) in medicinal chemistry, specifically focusing on the modification of drug molecules towards the end of synthesis. LSF allows for the rapid generation of diverse analogues and the exploration of structure-activity relationships (SAR). The document provides case studies of LSF applications, including the modification of compounds targeting the BTK enzyme and the GPR40 receptor. The authors emphasize the potential of LSF in expanding the chemical space around lead molecules and improving pharmacokinetic properties. They also discuss future opportunities for LSF in more complex synthetic contexts and the modification of other modalities such as peptides and oligonucleotides. [Extracted from the article]

CO oxidative coupling to dimethyl oxalate (DMO) is an important approach for the product of ethylene glycol and CO elimination. In this work, the Co doped Pd/Al2O3 nanocatalyst was highly effective for CO oxidative coupling and enhanced remarkably CO conversion and the formation of DMO. The maximum DMO STY reached 1082 g L−1 h−1 over the Pd/Al2O3@1/20Co catalyst at 130 °C for 2 h under the space velocity of 3000 h−1, which is two times higher than that over the Pd/Al2O3 catalyst. The Co modification and its influence on the structure of the Pd/Al2O3 catalyst were also studied systematically by XRD, TEM, CO‐TPD, N2 physical adsorption and XPS techniques. An appropriate Co doing was confirmed to promote distinctly the generation of smaller Pd particles and the adjustment of the adsorption or activation of CO over the catalyst. A positive interaction between Pd nanoparticles and the modulated support with Co doping was demonstrated and favored the enhanced activity of the catalyst for the reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding the molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has important clinical implications for guiding therapy. Impaired amyloid beta (Aβ) clearance is critical in the pathogenesis of sporadic AD, and blood monocytes play an important role in Aβ clearance in the periphery. However, the mechanism underlying the defective phagocytosis of Aβ by monocytes in AD remains unclear. Methods: Initially, we collected whole blood samples from sporadic AD patients and isolated the monocytes for RNA sequencing analysis. By establishing APP/PS1 transgenic model mice with monocyte-specific cystatin F overexpression, we assessed the influence of monocyte-derived cystatin F on AD development. We further used a nondenaturing gel to identify the structure of the secreted cystatin F in plasma. Flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and laser scanning confocal microscopy were used to analyse the internalization of Aβ by monocytes. Pull down assays, bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy were used to determine the interactions and potential interactional amino acids between the cystatin F protein and Aβ. Finally, the cystatin F protein was purified and injected via the tail vein into 5XFAD mice to assess AD pathology. Results: Our results demonstrated that the expression of the cystatin F protein was specifically increased in the monocytes of AD patients. Monocyte-derived cystatin F increased Aβ deposition and exacerbated cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 mice. Furthermore, secreted cystatin F in the plasma of AD patients has a dimeric structure that is closely related to clinical signs of AD. Moreover, we noted that the cystatin F dimer blocks the phagocytosis of Aβ by monocytes. Mechanistically, the cystatin F dimer physically interacts with Aβ to inhibit its recognition and internalization by monocytes through certain amino acid interactions between the cystatin F dimer and Aβ. We found that high levels of the cystatin F dimer protein in blood contributed to amyloid pathology and cognitive deficits as a risk factor in 5XFAD mice. Conclusions: Our findings highlight that the cystatin F dimer plays a crucial role in regulating Aβ metabolism via its peripheral clearance pathway, providing us with a potential biomarker for diagnosis and potential target for therapeutic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overreliance on non-renewable energy sources like fossil fuels has led to severe energy crises and environmental pollution, hindering sustainable development. Harnessing solar energy for water splitting through semiconductor photocatalysts offers a promising solution. Titanium dioxide (TiO 2), a benchmark photocatalyst, is favored for its cost-effectiveness, non-toxicity, and stability under ultraviolet light. However, its weak light absorption, limited range, and high carrier recombination rates pose challenges. Herein, we designed an Au nanoparticle modified TiO 2 (Au/TiO 2) using a two-step method involving initial stirring adsorption followed by calcination. This composite material exhibits a localized surface plasmon resonance property, demonstrating powerful light absorption capacity in both the visible and near infrared regions. Moreover, following the decoration of Au nanoparticles, in situ XPS reveal Au/TiO 2 exhibits a metal-support interaction, thereby enhancing the separation and migration of photogenerated carriers and decreasing the recombination rate of photogenerated charges. Thus, Au/TiO 2 shows a photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 47.89 mmol g−1 h−1, which is 39.25 times higher than that (1.22 mmol g−1 h−1) of pristine TiO 2 and among the top rankings of TiO 2 -based photocatalysts. This study provides a novel approach to developing a photocatalyst capable of absorbing a broad spectrum of solar energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let f be an expansive Lorenz map and c be the critical point. The survivor set is denoted as S f (H) : = { x ∈ [ 0 , 1 ] : f n (x) ∉ H , ∀ n ≥ 0 } , where H is an open subinterval. Here we study the hole H = (a , b) with a ≤ c ≤ b and a ≠ b . We observe that the case a = c is equivalent to the hole at 0, and the case b = c is equivalent to the hole at 1. Given any expansive Lorenz map f with a hole H = (a , b) and S f (H) ⫅̸ { 0 , 1 } , we prove that there exists a Lorenz map g such that S ~ f (H) \ Ω (g) is countable, where Ω (g) is the Lorenz-shift of g and S ~ f (H) is the symbolic representation of S f (H) . Moreover, let a be fixed, we also give a complete characterization of the maximal plateau I(b) such that for all ϵ ∈ I (b) , S f + (a , ϵ) = S f + (a , b) , and I(b) may degenerate to a single point b. As an application, when f has an ergodic acim and a is fixed, we obtain that the topological entropy function λ f (a) : b ↦ h top (f | S f (a , b)) is a devil staircase. At the special case that f being an intermediate β -transformation, using the Ledrappier-Young formula, the Hausdorff dimension function η f (a) : b ↦ dim H (S f (a , b)) is naturally a devil staircase when fixing a. All the results can be naturally extended to the case that b is fixed. As a result, we extend the devil staircases in (Kalle et al. in Ergod Th Dyn Syst 40:2482–2514, 2020; Langeveld and Samuel in Acta Math Hungar 170:269–301, 2023; Urbanski in Ergod Th Dyn Syst 6:295–309, 1986) to expansive Lorenz maps with a hole at critical point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The criteria of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with mutated SFB31 (MDS‐SFB31) proposed by the 5th edition of the WHO classification (WHO 2022) and the International Consensus Classification (ICC) need validation. We analysed 125 consecutive MDS cases with SFB31 mutation or ring sideroblasts (RS) ≥15% without excess blasts. We found that SFB31‐negative MDS with RS had significantly different clinical features and worse prognosis. According to WHO 2022, the detection of ≥15% RS may substitute for SF3B1 mutation and our analyses support this proposal for similar prognosis of two groups after excluding high‐risk genetic features referred by WHO 2022. Patients with variant allele frequency (VAF) <10% SFB31 tend to have briefer survival, supporting the VAF 10% threshold of ICC. Patients with multilineage dysplasia (MLD) had significantly shorter OS than those with single lineage dysplasia. MLD is still a powerful morphological marker of worse outcome in WHO 2022 and ICC‐defined MDS‐SF3B1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on optimizing the management of delayed trains in operational scenarios by scientifically categorizing train delay levels. It employs static and dynamic models grounded in real-world train delay data from high-speed railways. This classification aids dispatchers in swiftly identifying and predicting delay extents, thus enhancing mitigation strategies' efficiency. Key indicators, encompassing initial delay duration, station impacts, average station delay, delayed trains' cascading effects, and average delay per affected train, inform the classification. Applying the K-means clustering algorithm to standardized delay indicators yields an optimized categorization of delayed trains into four levels, reflecting varying risk levels. This static classification offers a comprehensive overview of delay dynamics. Furthermore, utilizing Markov chains, the study delves into sequential dynamic analyses, accounting for China's railway context and specifically addressing fluctuations during the Spring Festival travel rush. This research, combining static and dynamic approaches, provides valuable insights for bolstering railway operational efficiency and resilience amidst diverse delay scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountainous regions present severe risks, including damage to transportation infrastructure, due to the occurrence of geohazards such as rock avalanches and other types of landslides. Lessons learned from past damaging events are helpful for risk reduction in mountainous regions. In this paper, to study a rock avalanche impact on a bridge, a numerical modeling framework with the aid of the discrete element method (DEM) is developed; the progressive failure process of an expressway bridge that was damaged by a rock avalanche is reproduced, and the failure mechanisms and dynamic behaviors of the bridge under impact are assessed. The Yaxi Expressway bridge that was destroyed by the September 20, 2020, Yaoheba rock avalanche in southwest China is used as an illustrative example. A field investigation is carried out to identify geological conditions, characteristics, and the kinetic failure pattern of the rock avalanche and the bridge. The stereographic projection analyses indicate that this rock avalanche was initiated as a planar slide. A three-dimensional numerical model of the rock avalanche and bridge is developed based on the terrain data acquired. The critical parameters of the numerical model are calibrated based on results obtained from laboratory tests. Finally, the progressive failure process and failure mechanism of the impacted bridge are analyzed based on the constructed numerical model. The comprehensive analysis framework can be applied to similar events involving geohazard-structure interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Exposure to crystalline silica (CS) in occupational settings induces chronic inflammation in the respiratory system and, potentially, the brain. Some workers are frequently concurrently exposed to both CS and nicotine. Here, we explored the impact of nicotine on CS‐induced neuroinflammation in the mouse hippocampus. Methods: In this study, we established double‐exposed models of CS and nicotine in C57BL/6 mice. To assess depression‐like behavior, experiments were conducted at 3, 6, and 9 weeks. Serum inflammatory factors were analyzed by ELISA. Hippocampus was collected for RNA sequencing analysis and examining the gene expression patterns linked to inflammation and cell death. Microglia and astrocyte activation and hippocampal neuronal death were assessed using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining. Western blotting was used to analyze the NF‐κB expression level. Results: Mice exposed to CS for 3 weeks showed signs of depression. This was accompanied by elevated IL‐6 in blood, destruction of the blood–brain barrier, and activation of astrocytes caused by an increased NF‐κB expression in the CA1 area of the hippocampus. The elevated levels of astrocyte‐derived Lcn2 and upregulated genes related to inflammation led to higher neuronal mortality. Moreover, nicotine mitigated the NF‐κB expression, astrocyte activation, and neuronal death, thereby ameliorating the associated symptoms. Conclusion: Silica exposure induces neuroinflammation and neuronal death in the mouse hippocampal CA1 region and depressive behavior. However, nicotine inhibits CS‐induced neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis, alleviating depressive‐like behaviors in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between epinephrine and cancer can be dose‐dependent in in vivo study. Whether it is the same in human body still needs verification. Method: We used frozen human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tissues to detect epinephrine content and analyzed its relationship with survival using the K‐M method and Cox regression. Disturbance of blood cell count and C‐reactive protein and identification of related potent intermediary factors were also analyzed. Results: K‐M plot and Cox regression all showed the inverted U‐shaped relationship between epinephrine and PDAC survival. Lymphocyte adjustment can increase the HRs of epinephrine for PDAC death by >10%. Conclusion: Epinephrine played an anti‐tumor or pro‐tumor effect depending on the specific concentration. Circulating lymphocyte count was elevated and might acted as a compensation pathway to reduce the pro‐tumor effect of epinephrine to PDAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive RFD-FTC-DCA system is proposed for the hypersonic vehicle with saturation constraints to resist the control surface damage, actuator faults, disturbances and parameter perturbation. Firstly, the hypersonic vehicle fault model is established. Secondly, the robust fault detection (RFD) observer is designed to detect the control surface damage and actuator faults accurately under the influences of disturbances and parameter perturbation. Thirdly, the fault-tolerant control (FTC) law is designed to resist the control surface damage, actuator faults, disturbances and parameter perturbation simultaneously. Finally, a dynamic control allocation (DCA) algorithm is designed to reallocate the FTC law and limit the deflection angle and velocity within saturation constraint. The comparison simulation results are presented to demonstrate that the RFD observer can detect the faults accurately and reduce false alarm rates effectively, the FTC law can resist the control surface damage, actuator faults, disturbances and parameter perturbation simultaneously, and the tracing errors of attack angle, side-slip angle and roll angle are only $ \pm 0.7^\circ $ ± 0.7 ∘ , $ \pm 0.2^\circ $ ± 0.2 ∘ and $ \pm 1.5^\circ $ ± 1.5 ∘ , respectively, and the DCA algorithm can reallocate the FTC law and limit the deflection angle and velocity within saturation values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The connection between alterations in the disc structure following percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) and symptoms in patients postsurgery has not been reported yet. The purpose of the present study was to discuss the potential correlation between the changes in the morphological characteristics of various reference surfaces of the intervertebral disc after percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) and clinical outcomes, to identify the morphological parameters that affect efficacy and provide an evidence‐based foundation for assessing postoperative efficacy. Methods: From October 2019 to October 2021, after percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD), 98 individuals were enrolled. MRI DICOM data of the lumbar spine were obtained before and after surgery, specifically around 3 months. The morphological parameters of the operated and adjacent segments of the discs were measured using T2‐weighted images from three reference planes. Outcomes were assessed using the Oswestry disability index (ODI), visual analogue pain scores for the back and leg (VAS‐back/VAS‐leg), Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, and recovery rates. Postoperative changes in disc parameters and outcomes were compared between patients with different severity and types of LDH based on the MSU staging. Patients completed the questionnaire during outpatient follow‐up appointments 3, 6, and 12 months after the surgery. The follow‐up period was 14.69 ± 4.21 months, ranging from 12 to 24 months. Results: Parameters such as area and circumference of intervertebral discs in the cross‐section were not associated with the change in the efficacy index. Postoperatively, a negative correlation between the variation of the disc height, disc height index, and protrusion distance and the difference in VAS scores for low back pain at 3 and 6 months was observed among the two sagittal change parameters. Differences between changes in disc imaging parameters and postoperative efficacy were not statistically significant between various types of lumbar disc herniation. Conclusion: For the patients after percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy, the changes in parameters such as disc area and circumference in the cross‐sectional plane are not associated with efficacy, and the changes in disc height and herniation distance in the sagittal plane provide a morphologic basis for the assessment of short‐term postoperative efficacy. In addition, the changes in disc morphologic parameters and postoperative efficacy do not differ between various types of lumbar disc herniation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen vacancies and heteroatom doping play important role in oxygen reduction activity of metal oxides. Developing efficient modification method is one of the key issues in catalysts research. Room temperature plasma treatment, with the advantages of mild working conditions, no emissions and high efficiency, is a new catalyst modification method developed in recent years. In this work, hydrothermal synthesized α -MnO2 nanorods are treated in NH3 plasma at room temperature. In the reducing atmosphere, oxygen vacancies and N doping are achieved simultaneously on the surface. The NH3 plasma etched MnO2 demonstrate a significant enhanced oxygen reduction activity with half-wave potential of 0.84 V, limiting current density of 6.32 mA cm−2 and transferred electrons number of 3.9. The Mg–air battery with N-MnO2 display a maximum power density of 76.3 mW cm−2 as well as stable discharge performance. This work provides new ideas for preparing efficient and cost-effective method to boost the catalysts activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prescribed performance event-triggered fault-tolerant control (FTC) problem is considered for a class of uncertain pure-feedback nonlinear systems with actuator failures. Contrary to the existing results, the novel decoupling condition and the universal construction mode of error transformation are first given. Based on this, a new radical constrained function is used to low-complexity controller design without involving the Nussbaum gain scheme or adaptation parameter updated structure, in spite of nonlinear coupling and event triggering input. It is proved that the desired prescribed accuracy of the closed-loop output tracking can be achieved and the number of event-trigger showed a significant reduction. The effectiveness of theory results is verified by simulation on a numerical example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let b ≥ 2 be an integer and A = (a n) n = 1 ∞ be a strictly increasing subsequence of positive integers with η : = lim sup n → ∞ a n + 1 a n < + ∞. For each irrational real number ξ , we denote by v ˆ b , A (ξ) the supremum of the real numbers v ˆ for which, for every sufficiently large integer N , the equation ‖ b a n ξ ‖ < (b a N ) − v ˆ has a solution n with 1 ≤ n ≤ N. For every v ˆ ∈ [ 0 , η ] , let V ˆ b , A (v ˆ) ( V ˆ b , A ⁎ (v ˆ)) be the set of all real numbers ξ such that v ˆ b , A (ξ) ≥ v ˆ ( v ˆ b , A (ξ) = v ˆ) respectively. In this paper, we give some results of the Hausdorfff dimensions of V ˆ b , A (v ˆ) and V ˆ b , A ⁎ (v ˆ). When η = 1 , we prove that the Hausdorfff dimensions of V ˆ b , A (v ˆ) and V ˆ b , A ⁎ (v ˆ) are equal to (1 − v ˆ 1 + v ˆ ) 2 for any v ˆ ∈ [ 0 , 1 ]. When η > 1 and lim n → ∞ ⁡ a n + 1 a n exists, we show that the Hausdorfff dimension of V ˆ b , A (v ˆ) is strictly less than (η − v ˆ η + v ˆ ) 2 for some v ˆ , which is different with the case η = 1 , and we give a lower bound of the Hausdorfff dimensions of V ˆ b , A (v ˆ) and V ˆ b , A ⁎ (v ˆ) for any v ˆ ∈ [ 0 , η ]. Furthermore, we show that this lower bound can be reached for some v ˆ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrostrain properties of bismuth ferrite–barium titanate (BF–BT)‐based ceramics can be well regulated; however, this often occurs at the cost of piezoelectricity, and their electrostrain‐temperature stability is poor. To address these problems, defect engineering has been utilized to enhance the comprehensive properties via the unequal substitution of Na+. In this study, 0.69BiFeO3–0.3BaTiO3–0.01NaxNbO3 (BF–BT–NxN) (x = 0.8, 0.9, 1, 1.1, and 1.2) ceramics with different defect concentrations were prepared. Enhanced piezoelectricity and electrostrain (d33 = 165 pC/N and S = ∼0.22%, respectively) were obtained for the BF–BT–N0.9N ceramic. In particular, excellent temperature stability with a strain variation of only 12% from room temperature to 180°C was achieved. The introduction of NaxNbO3 reduced the degree of distortion of the oxygen octahedron, and the defects altered the local structure and heightened its disorder, leading to an enhancement in both the electrostrain and piezoelectric properties. In addition, the temperature‐dependent evolution of the oxygen octahedron structure was altered by defect engineering. A mutual compensation mechanism for the contribution of structural evolution and domain wall motion to electrostrain has been proposed to explain the excellent temperature stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic conversion of glucose to lactic acid is a green promising strategy for the effective utilization of biomass‐derived carbohydrates to generate valuable chemicals. The generation of lactic acid would also be distinguishing in different reaction atmospheres. In this work, we firstly investigated the decomposition of lactic acid and glucose transformation to lactic acid in H2. No obvious decomposition of lactic acid was observed in H2. The activity testing results showed that glucose could be completely converted over the selected hydroxides, while the formation of lactic acid was closely related to the alkalinity of hydroxide. The yield of lactic acid was remarkably obtained to be 87 % over Ca(OH)2 at 220 °C for 3 h. Stronger alkalinity of the catalyst would facilitate glucose isomerization to fructose, and then easily be transformed into dihydroxyacetone or glyceraldehyde intermediates through reverse aldol condensation, which is beneficial to the generation of lactic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel tandem reaction system formed with H 2 O 2 production and in situ fabric bleaching reaction was firstly designed and constructed with Au/TiO 2 photocatalyst. Results showed H 2 O 2 generated in situ achieved high-efficiency fabric bleaching under the sunlight excitation, thus successfully constructing a ready-to-use system.·OH was confirmed as the main active specie in the simultaneous fabric bleaching reaction. Herein, to ensure the sufficient H 2 O 2 production is a key factor. The different intensity of strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) was introduced into Au/TiO 2 by regulating the calcination atmosphere to boost the H 2 O 2 yield. H 2 /Ar calcination atmosphere imparted Au/TiO 2 the SMSI effect to make H 2 O 2 yield exceed that of counterpart under air atmosphere after 6 h of continuous reaction. The controllable capsulating overlayer on Au NPs provided relatively fewer exposed Au active sites to balance the H 2 O 2 generation and decomposition rates, thus giving a better final yield. This work not only offer a novel path to improve H 2 O 2 generation performance,but also propose new ideas for realizing in situ bleaching using sunlight as driving force and cleaning production of textile printing and dyeing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a nonparametric graphical model for discrete node variables based on additive conditional independence. Additive conditional independence is a three-way statistical relation that shares similar properties with conditional independence by satisfying the semi-graphoid axioms. Based on this relation we build an additive graphical model for discrete variables that does not suffer from the restriction of a parametric model such as the Ising model. We develop an estimator of the new graphical model via the penalized estimation of the discrete version of the additive precision operator and establish the consistency of the estimator under the ultrahigh-dimensional setting. Along with these methodological developments, we also exploit the properties of discrete random variables to uncover a deeper relation between additive conditional independence and conditional independence than previously known. The new graphical model reduces to a conditional independence graphical model under certain sparsity conditions. We conduct simulation experiments and analysis of an HIV antiretroviral therapy dataset to compare the new method with existing ones. for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a disease with high rates of disability and mortality. The role of epidermal growth factor receptor 1 (ERBB1) in ICH was elucidated in this study. Methods: ICH model was constructed by injecting autologous arterial blood into the right basal ganglia. The protein level of ERBB1 was detected by western blot analysis. To up‐ and downregulation of ERBB1 in rats, intraventricular injection of a lentivirus overexpression vector of ERBB1 and AG1478 (a specific inhibitor of ERBB1) was used. The cell apoptosis, neuronal loss, and pro‐inflammatory cytokines were assessed by TUNEL, Nissl staining, and ELISA. Meanwhile, behavioral cognitive impairment of ICH rats was evaluated after ERBB1‐targeted interventions. Results: ERBB1 increased significantly in brain tissue of ICH rats. Overexpression of ERBB1 remarkably reduced cell apoptosis and neuronal loss induced by ICH, as well as pro‐inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress. Meanwhile, the behavioral and cognitive impairment of ICH rats were alleviated after upregulation of ERBB1; however, the secondary brain injury (SBI) was aggravated by AG1478 treatment. Furthermore, the upregulation of PLC‐γ and PKC in ICH rats was reversed by AG1478 treatment. Conclusions: ERBB1 can improve SBI and has a neuroprotective effect in experimental ICH rats via PLC‐γ/PKC pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting ship trajectories plays a vital role in ensuring navigational safety, preventing collision incidents, and enhancing vessel management efficiency. The integration of advanced machine learning technology for precise trajectory prediction is emerging as a new trend in sophisticated geospatial applications. However, the complexity of the marine environment and data quality issues pose significant challenges to accurate ship trajectory forecasting. This study introduces an innovative trajectory prediction method, combining data encoding representation, attribute correlation attention module, and long short-term memory network. Initially, we process AIS data using data encoding conversion technology to improve representation efficiency and reduce complexity. This encoding not only preserves key information from the original data but also provides a more efficient input format for deep learning models. Subsequently, we incorporate the attribute correlation attention module, utilizing a multi-head attention mechanism to capture complex relationships between dynamic ship attributes, such as speed and direction, thereby enhancing the model's understanding of implicit time series patterns in the data. Finally, leveraging the long short-term memory network's capability for processing time series data, our approach effectively predicts future ship trajectories. In our experiments, we trained and tested our model using a historical AIS dataset. The results demonstrate that our model surpasses other classic intelligent models and advanced models with attention mechanisms in terms of trajectory prediction accuracy and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purposes: Dilatation of cystic duct is very rare and had been classified as Todani type VI choledochal cyst. Choledochal cyst combined with dilatation of cystic duct is difficult to diagnose preoperatively. The purpose of this study is to report the rare variants and discuss the significance and laparoscopic management strategy in children. Methods: The subjects for this study were 10 consecutive patients with type VI choledochal cyst who had laparoscopic procedures at our institute between January 2009 and January 2023. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, excision of the dilated cystic duct, and choledochal cyst were carried out, and the continuity of the biliary duct was re-established through a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. Results: Cystic duct combined with the common bile duct dilatation was revealed in all the patients intraoperatively. Laparoscopic procedures were completed with no conversions. The postoperative recovery was uneventful. The mean follow-up duration was 27 ± 12.7 months (range 5–36 months) with no postoperative complications encountered. Conclusions: The rare entity of type VI choledochal cyst should be recognized as a distinct type of choledochal cyst and need to be given enough attention clinically. The laparoscopic procedure is a feasible option for experienced surgeons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: QX006N is a novel, humanized, IgG4κ monoclonal antibody targeting IFNAR1, developed for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus. This study aims to investigate the pharmacokinetics, safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of QX006N when administered intravenously to healthy Chinese individuals. Methods: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, single-ascending-dose, phase I clinical trial was conducted comprising five cohorts (n = 10 per cohort, except n = 5 for the first cohort). Subjects in each cohort were randomly assigned in a 4:1 ratio to receive a single intravenous infusion of QX006N (0.3 mg/kg, 1.0 mg/kg, 3.0 mg/kg, 6.0 mg/kg, or 10.0 mg/kg) or placebo for 30 minutes. Tolerability assessments included adverse events, vital signs, 12-lead electrocardiogram, physical examination, and clinical laboratory tests. The serum concentration of QX006N was measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method, and the anti-drug antibodies were detected using the electrochemiluminescence assay method. Results: QX006N demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile throughout the study. All treatment-emergent adverse events were of Grade 1–2 (CTCAE Version 5.0), and no serious adverse events, deaths, or drug discontinuations because of treatment-emergent adverse events were observed. All drug-related treatment-emergent adverse events showed no clear dose-related trends. Following an intravenous infusion of QX006N at doses that ranged from 0.3 mg/kg to 10 mg/kg, the half-life increased from 24.7 to 208 hours in a dose-dependent manner, while clearance decreased from 0.0828 to 0.0065 L/h. The maximum concentration exhibited nearly dose-proportional increases, and the area under the curve displayed a more than dose-proportional increment with non-linear pharmacokinetic characteristics. The incidence of anti-drug antibodies was observed to increase over time for doses that ranged from 1.0 mg/kg to 10.0 mg/kg of QX006N, reaching its peak at day 57 (range 62.50–87.50%). Conversely, the incidence of anti-drug antibodies in the QX006N 0.3-mg/kg and placebo cohorts remained low. Conclusions: QX006N demonstrated acceptable safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic characteristics in healthy subjects when administered as a single intravenous infusion at doses that ranged from 0.3 mg/kg to 10.0 mg/kg. Based on the pharmacokinetic and safety outcomes, a recommended effective dose of 300 mg is proposed for future phase Ib studies. Clinical Trial Registration: This study has been registered at http://www.chinadrugtrials.org.cn/ under identifier CTR20212834. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land surface temperature (LST) serves as a crucial variable in characterizing climatological, agricultural, ecological, and hydrological processes. Thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing provides high temporal and spatial resolution for obtaining LST information. Nevertheless, TIR-based satellite-LST products frequently exhibit missing values due to cloud interference. Prior research on estimating all-weather instantaneous LST has predominantly concentrated on regional or continental scales. This study involved generating a global all-weather instantaneous and daily mean LST product spanning from 2000 to 2020 using XGBOOST. Multisource data, including Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) top-of-atmosphere (TOA) observations, surface radiation products, and reanalysis data, were employed. Validation using an independent dataset of 77 individual stations demonstrated the high accuracy of our products, yielding RMSEs of 2.787 K (instantaneous) and 2.175 K (daily). The RMSE for clear-sky conditions was 2.614 K for the instantaneous product, slightly lower than the cloudy-sky RMSE of 2.931 K. Our instantaneous and daily mean LST products exhibit higher accuracy compared to the MODIS official LST product (RMSE=3.583 K instantaneous, 3.105 K daily) and the land component of the 5th generation of European ReAnalysis (ERA5-Land) LST product (RMSE= 4.048 K instantaneous, 2.988 K daily). Significant improvements are observed in our LST product, notably at high latitudes, compared to the official MODIS LST product. The LST dataset from 2000 to 2020 at the monthly scale, the daily mean LST on the first day of 2010 can be freely downloaded from https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4292068 (Li et al. 2024), and the complete product will be available at https://glass-product.bnu.edu.cn/dload.html. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mixed traffic flow of various types of vehicles at bus station is severe, which has an impact on the overall safety of traffic. Especially upstream of bus station, since buses need to change lane in order to stop at the bus station, it interacts with social vehicles. Thus, in this paper, a two-lane CA model considering the mixed traffic flow composing of buses, cars and nonmotorized vehicles upstream of a bus station is proposed. Through several field surveys, the movement characteristics of the vehicles are obtained and the basic parameters are calibrated. For comparison, five cases about bus stops are studied. Several indexes (i.e. parallel time, blind area dwell time, time to collision, potential collision energy) are analyzed to assess the safety upstream of the bus station. Four safety indices are used to examine, based on simulation findings, the impact of bus station on vehicle safety and the significance of establishing exclusive nonmotorized vehicle lanes and exclusive bus lanes. Finally, several safety-related recommendations for drivers and management are provided. These findings offer a theoretical basis for driver management and optimal design of bus stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Neuraxial morphine increases spinal caspase-6 cleavage and PKMζ phosphorylation. • Caspase-6 inhibition reduces morphine-induced itch and PKMζ phosphorylation. • PKMζ inhibition attenuates morphine-induced acute itch. • Caspase-6 inhibition reduces chronic itch after contact dermatitis. Patients receiving neuraxial treatment with morphine for pain relief often experience a distressing pruritus. Neuroinflammation-mediated plasticity of sensory synapses in the spinal cord is critical for the development of pain and itch. Caspase-6, as an intracellular cysteine protease, is capable of inducing central nociceptive sensitization through regulating synaptic transmission and plasticity. Given the tight interaction between protein kinase Mζ (PKMζ) and excitatory synaptic plasticity, this pre-clinical study investigates whether caspase-6 contributes to morphine-induced itch and chronic itch via PKMζ. Intrathecal morphine and contact dermatitis were used to cause pruritus in mice. Morphine antinociception, itch-induced scratching behaviors, spinal activity of caspase-6, and phosphorylation of PKMζ and ERK were examined. Caspase-6 inhibitor Z-VEID-FMK, exogenous caspase-6 and PKMζ inhibitor ZIP were utilized to reveal the mechanisms and prevention of itch. Herein, we report that morphine induces significant scratching behaviors, which is accompanied by an increase in spinal caspase-6 cleavage and PKMζ phosphorylation (but not expression). Intrathecal injection of Z-VEID-FMK drastically reduces morphine-induced scratch bouts and spinal phosphorylation of PKMζ, without abolishing morphine analgesia. Moreover, intrathecal strategies of ZIP dose-dependently reduce morphine-induced itch-like behaviors. Spinal phosphorylation of ERK following neuraxial morphine is down-regulated by ZIP therapy. Recombinant caspase-6 directly exhibits scratching behaviors and spinal phosphorylation of ERK, which is compensated by PKMζ inhibition. Also, spinal inhibition of caspase-6 and PKMζ reduces the generation and maintenance of dermatitis-induced chronic itch. Together, these findings demonstrate that spinal caspase-6 modulation of PKMζ phosphorylation is important in the development of morphine-induced itch and dermatitis-induced itch in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the chronic nature of HIV, mental health has become a critical concern in people living with HIV (PLWHIV). However, little knowledge exists about the association between fear of progression (FoP) and medical coping modes (MCMs) in PLWHIV in China. Methods: A cohort of 303 PLWHIV were consecutively enrolled and their demographic, clinical and psychological information was collected. The Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF), Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), Internalized HIV Stigma Scale (IHSS) and MCMs Questionnaire were utilized. Results: Of the participants, 215 PLWHIV were classified into the low-level FoP group, and 88 were grouped into the high-level FoP group based on their FoP-Q-SF scores, according to the criteria for the classification of dysfunctional FoP in cancer patients. The high-level group had a higher proportion of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) stage (P = 0.005), lower education levels (P = 0.027) and lower income levels (P = 0.031). Additionally, the high-level group had lower scores in social support (P < 0.001) and its three dimensions, with total SSRS scores showing a negative correlation with two dimensions of FoP-Q-SF, namely physical health (r2 = 0.0409, P < 0.001) and social family (r2 = 0.0422, P < 0.001). Further, the high-level group had higher scores in four dimensions of internalized HIV stigma, and a positive relationship was found to exist between IHSS scores and FoP-Q-SF scores for physical health (r2 = 0.0960, P < 0.001) and social family (r2 = 0.0719, P < 0.001). Social support (OR = 0.929, P = 0.001), being at the AIDS stage (OR = 3.795, P = 0.001), and internalized HIV stigma (OR = 1.028, P < 0.001) were independent factors for FoP. Furthermore, intended MCMs were evaluated. FoP were positively correlated with avoidance scores (r2 = 0.0886, P < 0.001) and was validated as the only factor for the mode of confrontation (OR = 0.944, P = 0.001) and avoidance (OR = 1.059, P = 0.001) in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: The incidence of dysfunctional FoP in our study population was relatively high. High-level FoP was associated with poor social support, high-level internalized HIV stigma and a negative MCM among PLWHIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to develop a prediction model for esophageal fistula (EF) in esophageal cancer (EC) patients treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), by integrating multi-omics features from multiple volumes of interest (VOIs). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed pretreatment planning computed tomographic (CT) images, three-dimensional dose distributions, and clinical factors of 287 EC patients. Nine groups of features from different combination of omics [Radiomics (R), Dosiomics (D), and RD (the combination of R and D)], and VOIs [esophagus (ESO), gross tumor volume (GTV), and EG (the combination of ESO and GTV)] were extracted and separately selected by unsupervised (analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson correlation test) and supervised (Student T test) approaches. The final model performance was evaluated using five metrics: average area under the receiver-operator-characteristics curve (AUC), accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score. Results: For multi-omics using RD features, the model performance in EG model shows: AUC, 0.817 ± 0.031; 95% CI 0.805, 0.825; p < 0.001, which is better than single VOI (ESO or GTV). Conclusion: Integrating multi-omics features from multi-VOIs enables better prediction of EF in EC patients treated with IMRT. The incorporation of dosiomics features can enhance the model performance of the prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrolysis of ammonia borane is secure and promising for producing and employing hydrogen in mild conditions. Synthesis of bimetallic catalysts is an efficient way to boost the hydrogen generation rate. The regulation and control of synergistic effect is a key role for rational design of bimetallic catalysts with high performance. Herein, the bimetallic CoCu catalysts were prepared using co-reduction and sequential reduction methods, respectively, to control the ratio and distribution of Co and Cu. The as-prepared catalysts exhibited excellent catalytic performance due to the synergistic effect between Co and Cu, and the appropriate ratio of Co and Cu was studied. The distribution of Co and Cu in catalysts have the significant influence on the catalytic performance in AB hydrolysis. The stronger interaction between Co and Cu in Co1Cu1/g–C3N4, in which Cu is in intimate contact with Co, optimized the electronic structure of catalyst surface and facilitated the reaction process. Therefore, the hydrogen generation rate over Co1Cu1/g–C3N4 was much higher than that over the catalysts prepared by the sequential reduction method. This work provides a fundament understanding of the structure–activity relationships of catalysts, and the essential insights into the preparation of catalysts for hydrogen generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper delves into the fuzzy adaptive event-triggered tracking control for a certain class of strictly uncertain nonlinear systems subject to partial state constraints as well as output dead-zones. First of all, fuzzy logic systems (FLSs) are utilised to approximate the unpredictable items, a fuzzy adaptive observer is intended to enable state estimation. Subsequently, a type of smooth approximate model is introduced to settle the nondifferentiable phenomenon of output dead-zones. To reduce the computational overhead of the communication operation effectively, an improved event-triggered control strategy including a decreasing hyperbolic tangent function related to dead-zone, is applied to determine the actual control input. In addition, the barrier Lyapunov function (BLF) is fabricated to address the issue of partial state constraint. By theoretical analysis, the reference signal can be precisely tracked by the system output and all closed-loop signals remain uniformly ultimately bounded (UUB). Finally, the constructed controller's effectiveness is validated with two illustrative examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fe-based Metal-Organic Framework material (activated MIL-88A) efficiently removes various arsenic species in water. • Pseudo-second order kinetic model reveals chemisorption as the dominant mechanism. • Molecular shapes and sizes of arsenic species affect their adsorption rates to activated MIL-88A. • Activated MIL-88A shows high adsorption capabilities across a wide pH range. • Coordination and hydrogen bonding are the main mechanisms for arsenic adsorption. Arsenic in water environment can present significant threats to human health, and eliminating arsenic pollutants from wastewater is crucial. Based on our previously reported work, this study delved into the adsorption behavior and mechanism of different arsenic contaminants (p -ASA, ROX, As(V), and DMA) on the activated Fe-based metal–organic framework (activated MIL-88A). The results show that activated MIL-88A exhibits exceptional adsorption capabilities toward diverse arsenic pollutants. The adsorption process is endothermic, spontaneous, and viable, and chemical adsorption plays a leading role. The remarkable adsorption capacity of activated MIL-88A to various arsenic pollutants is primarily attributed to coordination, while hydrogen bonding also assumes a significant role in the elimination of p -ASA and ROX. Additionally, we investigated the impact of arsenic molecule shape and size, solution pH, and the existence of specific anions and dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the adsorption of different arsenic pollutants. This study can provide valuable insights for further exploring the selective adsorption of different kinds of arsenic species by Fe-based MOF materials and improving the adsorption efficiency of MOFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite steam reforming of methane (SRM) has been the dominant way to produce hydrogen in industrial owing to its large hydrogen production capacity, easy accessibility of feedstocks and relative low cost, the development of high-efficient catalysts is still of great significance. In this work, we report the synthesis, characterizations and evaluation of Nickel-aluminum spinel (NiAl 2 O 4) catalyst in SRM reaction. Compared with Ni/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst prepared by impregnation, NiAl 2 O 4 presents higher methane conversion. Virous of characterizations exhibit NiAl 2 O 4 possesses higher distribution of Ni and smaller Ni nanoparticle size, which is one of advantages for its high activity. Another vital reason is the generation of oxygen vacancies in spinel during the reduction, which is beneficial for the activation of water. Moreover, NiAl 2 O 4 catalyst shows extremely stability without obvious deactivation in 160 h. This study illustrates that the construction of catalyst with high activity and stability via NiAl 2 O 4 spinel and reals its high activity origination. • NiAl 2 O 4 spinel shows excellent activity and stability in methane steam reforming. • NiAl 2 O 4 spinel catalyst presents better distribution of Ni comparing with Ni/Al 2 O 3. • The abundant oxygen vacancies in NiAl 2 O 4 play a vital role on activating water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider a class of octonion-valued stochastic recurrent neural networks with time-varying delays whose state variables, self-feedback coefficients, connection weights and external inputs of the networks are all octonion-valued functions. Based on Banach fixed point theorem and inequality technique, we obtain the existence, uniqueness and global exponential stability of almost automorphic solutions in distribution of this kind of neural networks. Our results are new. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This trial aimed to compare the efficacy and safety between biosimilar QL1207 and the reference aflibercept for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Methods: This randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trial was conducted at 35 centers in China. Patients aged ≥ 50 years old with untreated subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to nAMD and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) letter score of 73–34 were eligible. Patients were randomly assigned to receive intravitreous injections of QL1207 or aflibercept 2 mg (0.05 ml) in the study eye every 4 weeks for the first 3 months, followed by 2 mg every 8 weeks until week 48, stratified by baseline BCVA ≥ or < 45 letters. The primary endpoint was BCVA change from baseline at week 12. The equivalence margin was ± 5 letters. The safety, immunogenicity, pharmacokinetics (PK), and plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentration were also evaluated. Results: A total of 366 patients were enrolled (QL1207 group, n = 185; aflibercept group, n = 181) from Aug 2019 to Jan 2022 with comparable baseline characteristics. The least-squares mean difference in BCVA changes was − 1.1 letters (95% confidence interval − 3.0 to 0.7; P = 0.2275) between the two groups, within the equivalence margin. The incidences of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE; QL1207: 71.4% [132/185] vs. aflibercept: 71.8% [130/181]) and serious TEAE (QL1207: 14.1% [26] vs. aflibercept: 12.7% [23]) appeared comparable between treatment groups, and no new safety signal was found. Anti-drug antibody, PK profiles, and VEGF concentration were similar between the two groups. Conclusions: QL1207 has equivalent efficacy to aflibercept for nAMD with similar safety profiles. It could be used as an alternative anti-VEGF agent for clinical practice. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05345236 (retrospectively registered on April 25, 2022); National Medical Products Administration of China: CTR20190937 (May 20, 2019). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a deep eutectic solvent (DES) extraction combined with a magnetic bead ligand affinity analytical method was developed and used for α‐glucosidase inhibitor identification from Pueraria lobata. Several critical parameters affecting the analysis performance, including the type of DES, molar ratio, water amount, pH, salt concentration, and volume of DES, were investigated. The selected analytical sample preparation conditions were as follows. The composition of DES is choline chloride‐1,4‐butanediol (1:3), the water content is 40%, pH is 7.0 and the volume of extraction solution is 2 mL. The obtained sample extraction solution was analyzed directly using α‐glucosidase immobilized magnetic beads (GMBs). Three α‐glucosidase inhibitors in Pueraria lobata, including puerarin, daidzin, and daidzein, were identified. Luteolin was used as a positive control to evaluate the method's selectivity. Results showed it could selectively bond to the GMBs in the DES. As the affinity analysis was performed directly in a DES, the solution‐removing process could be avoided. The intra‐day and inter‐day precisions of the method are 5.21% and 6.38%, respectively. The solvent amount was 1/50–1/2000 of that used in traditional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the discovery of oil-offering orchids in Asia that are pollinated by male bees of the Ctenoplectra genus. Previously, oil-offering flowers were only known to be pollinated by female Ctenoplectra bees. The study documents and quantifies the interactions between these orchids and bees through observations and experiments. The findings raise questions about the evolutionary time frame of this mutualism and the role of floral oil in the behavior of male bees. Further research is needed to understand the cues that attract males to orchid oil and females to cucurbit oil. [Extracted from the article]

BACKGROUND: This study developed an intelligent, pH‐sensitive and amine‐responsive colorimetric label based on chitosan, whey protein and thymol blue by controlling the pH value of the film‐forming solution. The obtained label was used to monitor shrimp freshness in real time. The results of this study offer a new approach for developing highly intelligent biogenic labels for freshness monitoring during seafood preservation and processing. RESULTS: The pH 2.0 chitosan–whey protein–thymol blue (CWT‐pH 2.0) label exhibited remarkable properties, including the highest tensile strength (5.90 MPa), excellent thermal stability, low water solubility (27.80%) and highly sensitive color responsiveness. The characterization techniques of scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the effective immobilization of thymol blue within the film‐forming matrix through hydrogen bonding. Furthermore, the CWT‐pH 2.0 label demonstrated visible color changes in the presence of volatile ammonia concentrations ranging from 25 to 25 000 ppm. Consequently, the label successfully facilitated real‐time monitoring of shrimp freshness during storage at 4 °C. Importantly, the release rate of thymol blue from the label in food simulants was minimal, measuring only 2.53%. CONCLUSION: The CWT‐pH 2.0 label exhibits significant potential as a highly intelligent biogenic label for freshness monitoring in seafood preservation and processing. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital radiographic imaging technique based on the Digital Detector Array (DDA) plays an essential role in the non-destructive testing of turbine blades. However, the Digital radiography (DR) of turbine blade obtained by the X-ray spectrum at the single exposure parameter cannot provide effective information feedback to the whole blade in digital radiographic testing. Aiming at this critical issue, a detail-preserving fusion method of multi-exposure sequence DR images is presented in this paper. Firstly, the unordered DR images are divided into three categories of over-exposure, normal-exposure, and under-exposure by using clustering method. Then, the weight design methods based on local contrast analysis and exposure intensity are employed to accomplish the initial weight fusion. The guided filter and normalization are utilized to ensure the weight maps are edge-preserving and smoothing. Finally, the refined weight maps and initial DR images are decomposed by multiscale pyramid. The fused DR image can be reconstructed by the new fusion pyramid with satisfying visual effects. Four different experimental results show that the fused blade DR image can clearly show the full internal features of turbine blades, which integrally covers the advantages of high-exposure images and low-exposure images. Compared with the four existing DR fusion methods currently in use, the fusion effect of proposed method is most significantly improved. For four diverse kinds of turbine blades, all the fused images obtained by our method have the highest structural-similarity metric and the second shortest execution time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of cognitive control impairment in patients with schizophrenia (SPs) using electroencephalogram (EEG). Methods: A total of 17 SPs and 17 healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. We measured the EEG activity, whereas they performed the AX‐continuous performance test which consisted of the preparatory phase and the response phase. The MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) was used for cognitive function, and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used for clinical symptom assessment. A univariate linear regression model was used to explore the relationships among behavioral index, event‐related potentials (ERPs), rhythmic oscillation power, and score of MCCB and PANSS. Results: A significant difference was found in response accuracy and reaction time (RT) during the preparatory phase between patients and HCs (p <.05). During the response phase, the SPs exhibited longer RT than the HCs (p <.05). Analysis of the ERPs revealed that the amplitude of P3a on BX clues was significantly smaller in SPs than in HCs (p <.05). Additionally, the midline frontal theta power of neural oscillation was significantly lower in the SPs than in NCs both during the preparatory and response phases. The accuracies on BX clues (r =.694, p =.002) and d'context (r =.698, p =.002) were positively correlated with MCCB scores. Conclusion: The present study revealed that patients with schizophrenia have deficits both in proactive and reactive cognitive control, with a greater reliance on reactive control during conflict resolution. The neural mechanisms of the cognitive control impairment may involve the inability to engage additional neural resources for proactive control, and a reduction in frontal midline theta power during both proactive and reactive control. The severity of proactive control impairment is positively correlated with an increased tendency to rely on reactive control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Litter decomposition is dependent on the requirements of decomposer communities and their ability to acquire energy and nutrients from their substrates (i.e. litter) and the surrounding environment (i.e. soil). However, knowledge about whether and how stoichiometric imbalance (i.e. the differences in C:N:P ratios between microorganisms and their substrates) regulate litter decomposition rates and whether it can be compensated by soil resources have rarely been evaluated, and even less across different decomposition stages over time.In this study, we conducted a reciprocal litter transplantation experiment using a stoichiometric gradient along the forest‐steppe ecotone to evaluate mechanisms underlying litter‐microbe‐soil interactions at different moments during litter breakdown. We measured the C:N:P stoichiometry of litter, soil, microbes, enzyme ratios and soil microbial community composition (via metabarcoding) after 6 and 12 months of litter decomposition.We found that the stoichiometric imbalances between soil microorganisms and litter substrate controlled decomposition rates directly during the early phase of decomposition. In contrast, the stoichiometric imbalances between soil microorganisms and soil substrate regulated decomposition rates during the later phase of decomposition, but this was an indirect effect mediated via shifts in the saprophytic fungal community composition and enzyme allocation.These findings highlight that the stoichiometric imbalance between soil microorganisms and litter substrates can be partly compensated by the local soil resources over the course of the decomposition process. We conclude that the stoichiometric imbalance between soil microorganisms and their resources is a key mechanism that should not be ignored when predicting soil C and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-answer summarization for question-based queries in community Q&A requires comprehensive and in-depth analysis of lengthy and extensive information to generate concise and comprehensive answer summarization. Guided by the questions, capturing the relationships among candidate answers significantly benefits detecting salient information from multiple answers and generating an overall coherent summarization. In this paper, we propose a new Graph-enhanced Multi-answer Summarization under Question-driven Guidance model that enables explicit handling of the salience and redundancy of answer information. Specifically, the model first fully incorporates a pre-trained model to learn linguistic features through encoding and focuses on the role of questions in guiding answer generation during the encoding phase. The questions are utilized to explicitly constrain individual answers to ensure that the model more accurately identifies the information closely related to the questions in the answers and allocates more attention. Moreover, we utilize the question-driven answer graph information for encoding to capture the modeling relationships between answers and remove information redundancy. Finally, the graph-encoded information is exploited in the decoding stage to guide the generation of summaries to guarantee the informativeness, fluency, and conciseness of the summarization. Experimental results show that our proposed model brings substantial improvements compared to the state-of-the-art baseline, achieving the best outcomes on both of the community datasets ELI5 and MEDIQA, demonstrating the effectiveness of our model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]