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This paper explores the integrated optimization of complex coupled industrial manufacturing systems and production strategies based on user customization needs. Two optimization metrics are considered: one is whether the production process of engineering manufacturing is simplified, and the other is whether it is based on the customization requirements of the customer. These two metrics are interrelated, and cases may even be conflicting. Considering the interdependence between engineering manufacturing and user requirements, this paper develops an integrated customized modular engineering manufacturing process to minimize production and maintenance costs and improve efficiency while meeting user customization requirements. This paper takes expert evaluation as an important decision indicator and optimizes the production process strategy on this basis. Finally, a case study is given to illustrate the applicability of the proposed process model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) is rising rapidly worldwide. However, there are few reports on these heterogeneous diseases in China. Our study aimed to explore the epidemiological characteristics of NENs in Beijing. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using population-based cancer surveillance data in Beijing, China. All data were extracted from the Beijing Cancer Registry with incidence dates from 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2018; the follow-up period was through 31 December 2021. Segi's world standard population was used to estimate the age-standardized rate. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Results: From 1998 to 2018, the incidence of NENs in Beijing initially showed a significant increasing trend, from 1.07/100,000 to 3.53/100,000; this began to plateau after 2013. The age-specific incidence rate increased with age and peaked in the age group 70–74 years. The incidence in men was significantly higher than that in women (4.41/100,000 vs. 1.69/100,000). The most common sites of NENs were the lung (2.38/100,000) and rectum (0.14/100,000). Most NENs were diagnosed at a late stage. We found that NENs originating from the lung had worse overall survival than extrapulmonary NENs, and male patients had worse survival than female patients. Conclusions: This study retrospectively analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of NENs in Beijing from 1998 to 2018. Our findings provide a reference regarding the epidemiological statistics of NENs in Beijing to contribute to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of these specific tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we present a new application of fluorosulfonylazide (FSO2N3) for diazotizing a series of activated methylene compounds to deliver the corresponding diazo products. Notably, by the judicious choice of bases, the selective generation of the Bestmann‐Ohira reagent (BOR) or the Seyferth‐Gilbert reagent (SGR) has been realized from FSO2N3 and dimethyl‐2‐oxopropylphosphonate. We also investigated the kinetics of the homologation of aldehydes using these two reagents with K2CO3 as a base in MeOH, finding that a faster reaction rate was achieved by using SGR. Moreover, the facile one‐pot synthesis of terminal alkynes from aldehydes has been established, which could be further coupled with azides to deliver triazoles using CuAAC click chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lichen myxedematosus (LM) is a chronic cutaneous mucinosis that can present as a localized skin lesion or as a generalized systemic disease termed scleromyxedema. The differential diagnosis is determined by a combination of clinical presentation, serological studies, and histopathological examination. Currently, well‐established and accepted histopathological features to distinguish localized LM from scleromyxedema have not been elucidated. Our recent publication, together with a retrospective literature review, suggests that the presence of groups of light chain‐restricted plasma cells represents a distinct histopathological clue for the diagnosis of localized LM. In this report, we provide two additional cases of localized LM with lambda light chain‐restricted plasma cells, together with clinical and histopathological findings that are similar to our previous publication. These cases support our theory that the light chain‐restricted plasmacytic microenvironment is primarily attributed to the pathogenesis of localized LM. Therefore, we consider these cases to constitute a clinically and pathologically new variant of localized LM and name it primary localized cutaneous LM with light chain‐restricted plasma cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrolysis behaviors of polypropylene (PP), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and their mixtures are investigated by Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) under varying heating rates to research the co-pyrolysis kinetic and synergistic effect. Model-free methods (Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method, Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose method, and Starink method) and model-fitting techniques (Malek method, Coats-Redfern method) were utilized to determine key kinetic parameters. The average activation energy are 224.69–225.19 kJ/mol for PP, 186–188.5 kJ/mol for LDPE, 195.64–197.48 kJ/mol for PP/LDPE composites. Model-fitting analysis was employed to elucidate the thermal pyrolysis mechanisms. For PP and LDPE, the A3/2 mechanism was found to be the governing pathway, whereas the PP/LDPE blends exhibited the A1 mechanism. Subsequently, compensation effect equations were derived to elucidate the synergistic interactions between PP and LDPE during co-pyrolysis process. The co-pyrolysis of PP and LDPE mixtures exhibit a lower pyrolysis temperature compared to the individual materials. Furthermore, the activation energy and pre-exponential factor results indicate a promotion effect in the early stage and an inhibiting effect in the later stage of the pyrolysis process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical carbon capture and utilization (eCCU) from flue gas CO2 could avoid high energy consumption and capital input in conventional capture, storage, and utilization, which is a promising approach for achieving negative emissions and producing "e‐chemicals." However, low CO2 concentration and leftover O2 in the flue gas presumably lowers the eCCU performance. Herein, redox‐active 2‐amino‐5‐mercapto‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole (AMT) functionalized gold nanoparticles are synthesized to achieve integrated electrochemical capture and reduction of CO2 in simulated flue gas (SFG, 15% CO2, 4% O2, balanced with N2), achieving maximum CO Faradaic efficiency of 80.2% at −0.45 V versus RHE in H‐type cell, and 66.0% at voltage of 2.7 V in a full cell, respectively. The AMT ligand can capture CO2 by strong interaction with CO2 in the reduced state and serve as a selective layer to suppress O2 reduction, which provides the ability of electrochemical carbon capture from SFG and significantly decreases energy required for CO2 electro‐reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the mechanical behaviour of steel–concrete composite beams under fire is of great importance. However, little attention has been paid to the effect of elevated temperatures on the shear performance of composite beams. This study innovatively investigates the shear behaviour of steel-normal concrete (NC) composite beams and steel-engineered cementitious composite (ECC) composite beams after elevated temperatures and water cooling. The experimental results show that the degradation of the mechanical properties of concrete was more severe than steel after experiencing 200 ℃ and 400 ℃. This deteriorates the synergistic working properties of the concrete slab and steel beam, and the shear strength of steel beam was not fully utilised. PVA fibres have completely melted under 400 ℃, and the shear performance of steel-ECC composite beam, particularly the ductility and energy absorption, was found to be significantly reduced. The reductions in the shear capacity, ductility, energy absorption, and initial stiffness after 400 ℃ were 12.6%, 23.8%, 31.3%, and 10.2% for the steel-NC composite beam respectively, and 25.7%, 52.8%, 64.3%, and 30.2% for the steel-ECC composite beam respectively. Furthermore, the prediction equation for the residual shear capacity of the composite beams after elevated temperatures and water cooling was established and validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Alzheimer's disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are two widespread chronic disorders characterized by shared risk factors and molecular pathways. Glucose metabolism, pivotal for cellular homeostasis and energy supply, plays a critical role in these diseases. Its disturbance has been linked to the pathogenesis of both AD and T2DM. However, a comprehensive investigation into the specific roles of glucometabolic genes in the onset and progression of AD and T2DM has yet to be conducted. Methods. By analyzing microarray datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) repository, we identified differentially expressed glucometabolic genes (DEGs) in AD and T2DM cohorts. A range of bioinformatics tools were employed for functional annotation, pathway enrichment, protein interaction network construction, module analysis, ROC curve assessment, correlation matrix construction, gene set enrichment analysis, and gene-drug interaction mapping of these DEGs. Key genes were further validated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in AD and T2DM murine models. Results. Our investigation identified 41 glucometabolic-related DEGs, with six prominent genes (G6PD, PKM, ENO3, PFKL, PGD, and TALDO1) being common in both AD and T2DM cohorts. These genes play crucial roles in metabolic pathways including glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, and amino sugar metabolism. Their diagnostic potential was highlighted by area under curve (AUC) values exceeding 0.6 for AD and 0.8 for T2DM. Further analysis explored the interactions, pathway enrichments, regulatory mechanisms, and potential drug interactions of these key genes. In the AD murine model, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed significant upregulation of G6pd, Eno3, and Taldo1. Similarly, in the T2DM murine model, elevated expression levels of G6pd, Pfkl, Eno3, and Pgd were observed. Conclusion. Our rigorous research sheds light on the molecular interconnections between AD and T2DM from a glucometabolic perspective, revealing new opportunities for pharmacological innovation and therapeutic approaches. This study appears to be the first to extensively investigate glucometabolic-associated DEGs and key genes in both AD and T2DM, utilizing multiple datasets. These insights are set to enhance our understanding of the complex pathophysiology underlying these widespread chronic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Letter, we propose a kind of controllable multi-spiral beam that can be generated using the modulated helico-conical phases with an axicon. The focal-field intensity distributions of the multi-spiral beams were investigated theoretically and experimentally. The relative distance between the two adjacent sub-beams of the multi-spiral beams was discussed based on the approximate mapping of the local spatial frequency. The result demonstrated that the relative distance between the two adjacent sub-beams was linearly dependent on the radial factor gradient Δα of the two sub-beams. When the radial factor gradient Δα is equal to a critical value (i.e., Δαc), the multi-spiral beam can be changed into an Archimedean spiral-shaped beam (the sub-beams of multi-spiral beams will be connected with each other). In addition, the dependence of the topological charge l on the critical radial factor gradient Δαc is also discussed. The result demonstrates that the critical radial factor gradient Δαc has a linear dependence on the topological charge l. The experimental results are in good agreement with the numerical simulation results. The controllable multi-spiral beams are potentially applied in three-dimensional optical micro-manipulation and information transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mean-field games (MFGs) are developed to model the decision-making processes of a large number of interacting agents in multi-agent systems. This paper studies mean-field games on graphs (G -MFGs). The equilibria of G -MFGs, namely, mean-field equilibria (MFE), are challenging to solve for their high-dimensional action space because each agent has to make decisions when they are at junction nodes or on edges. Furthermore, when the initial population state varies on graphs, we have to recompute MFE, which could be computationally challenging and memory-demanding. To improve the scalability and avoid repeatedly solving G -MFGs every time their initial state changes, this paper proposes physics-informed graph neural operators (PIGNO). The PIGNO utilizes a graph neural operator to generate population dynamics, given initial population distributions. To better train the neural operator, it leverages physics knowledge to propagate population state transitions on graphs. A learning algorithm is developed, and its performance is evaluated on autonomous driving games on road networks. Our results demonstrate that the PIGNO is scalable and generalizable when tested under unseen initial conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the synthesis of a reagent called hexafluoroisopropyl N-fluorosulfonyl carbamate (HFC) and its transformation into sulfamoyl ureas. Sulfamoyl ureas are known for their use as herbicides and inhibitors of human acyl-CoA: cholesterol O-acyl-transferase. The article describes the synthesis of HFC and its bench-stability, as well as the reaction between HFC and amines to produce sulfamoyl ureas. The optimized conditions for this reaction are also discussed. This research provides a new method for accessing bioactive molecules. [Extracted from the article]

The modern theory of quantized polarization has recently extended from 1D dipole moment to multipole moment, leading to the development from conventional topological insulators (TIs) to higher‐order TIs, i.e., from the bulk polarization as primary topological index, to the fractional corner charge as secondary topological index. The authors here extend this development by theoretically discovering a higher‐order end TI (HOETI) in a real projective lattice and experimentally verifying the prediction using topolectric circuits. A HOETI realizes a dipole‐symmetry‐protected phase in a higher‐dimensional space (conventionally in one dimension), which manifests as 0D topologically protected end states and a fractional end charge. The discovered bulk‐end correspondence reveals that the fractional end charge, which is proportional to the bulk topological invariant, can serve as a generic bulk probe of higher‐order topology. The authors identify the HOETI experimentally by the presence of localized end states and a fractional end charge. The results demonstrate the existence of fractional charges in non‐Euclidean manifolds and open new avenues for understanding the interplay between topological obstructions in real and momentum space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a scalable learning framework to solve a system of coupled forward–backward partial differential equations (PDEs) arising from mean field games (MFGs). The MFG system incorporates a forward PDE to model the propagation of population dynamics and a backward PDE for a representative agent's optimal control. Existing work mainly focus on solving the mean field game equilibrium (MFE) of the MFG system when given fixed boundary conditions, including the initial population state and terminal cost. To obtain MFE efficiently, particularly when the initial population density and terminal cost vary, we utilize a physics-informed neural operator (PINO) to tackle the forward–backward PDEs. A learning algorithm is devised and its performance is evaluated on one application domain, which is the autonomous driving velocity control. Numerical experiments show that our method can obtain the MFE accurately when given different initial distributions of vehicles. The PINO exhibits both memory efficiency and generalization capabilities compared to physics-informed neural networks (PINNs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallium ion (Ga+) beam damage induced indium (In) precipitation in indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs)/indium aluminium arsenide (InAlAs) multiple quantum wells and its corresponding evolution under electron beam irradiation was investigated by valence electron energy loss spectroscopy (VEELS) and high‐angle annular dark‐field imaging (HAADF) in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Compared with argon ion milling for sample preparation, the heavier projectiles of Ga+ ions pose a risk to trigger In formation in the form of tiny metallic In clusters. These are shown to be sensitive to electron irradiation and can increase in number and size under the electron beam, deteriorating the structure. Our finding reveals the potential risk of formation of In clusters during focused ion beam (FIB) preparation of InGaAs/InAlAs quantum well samples and their subsequent growth under STEM‐HAADF imaging, where initially invisible In clusters of a few atoms can move and swell during electron beam exposure. LAY DESCRIPTION: In this paper, the evolution of Ga+ implantation induced In precipitation in InGaAs/InAlAs multiple quantum wells under electron beam irradiation was investigated by valence electron energy loss spectroscopy (VEELs), energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDXs) and high‐angle annular dark‐field (HAADF) imaging technique based in a probe aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscope. In contrast to Ar+ ion bombardment, the projectile of focused Ga+ ions is able to trigger the clustering of In interstitials in InGaAs/InAlAs multiple quantum wells, which allows the formation of metallic In precipitates. Afterwards, by exploiting an extensive electron beam rastering on the region of In precipitation, the increase of electron irradiation time could lead to a pronounced swelling of In cluster size. Especially for the region contains In precipitates of several atoms, where the morphology of In cluster is invisible in atomic image. The continuous electron irradiation could give rise to the promotion of In clustering, allowing the structure of In precipitates been resolved by HAADF image. Our finding reveals the potential risk of formation of In precipitates during focused Ga+ ion beam bombarded InGaAs/InAlAs semiconductors and the subsequent evolution of In clustering under electron beam rastering. These findings emphasise the need for caution when studying FIB prepared In‐based III–V quantum well specimens using TEM even in the In(Ga,Al)As system, as the initially formed In‐rich clusters are so small they can remain invisible for some time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Street trees are of great importance to urban green spaces. Quick and accurate segmentation of street trees from high-resolution remote sensing images is of great significance in urban green space management. However, traditional segmentation methods can easily miss some targets because of the different sizes of street trees. To solve this problem, we propose the Double-Branch Multi-Scale Contextual Network (DB-MSC Net), which has two branches and a Multi-Scale Contextual (MSC) block in the encoder. The MSC block combines parallel dilated convolutional layers and transformer blocks to enhance the network's multi-scale feature extraction ability. A channel attention mechanism (CAM) is added to the decoder to assign weights to features from RGB images and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). We proposed a benchmark dataset to test the improvement of our network. Experimental research showed that the DB-MSC Net demonstrated good performance compared with typical methods like Unet, HRnet, SETR and recent methods. The overall accuracy (OA) was improved by at least 0.16% and the mean intersection over union was improved by at least 1.13%. The model's segmentation accuracy meets the requirements of urban green space management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this paper, a new Pareas species of the P. hamptoni complex is described from southern Yunnan Province, China, based on morphological and molecular evidence. Genetically, the new species is most closely related to P. hamptoni sensu stricto, for which we confirm the distribution in China. Morphologically, the new species can be distinguished from P. hamptoni sensu stricto and all other congeners by a combination of morphological characteristics. The discovery of the new species brings the total number of recognized species of the genus Pareas to 31, of which 25 occur in China. We describe a new species of the genus Pareas, based on three specimens collected from Guanyinshan Provincial Nature Reserve in Yuanyang County, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by one preocular, one postocular or postocular fused with subocular, loreal not bordering the orbit, one row enlarged vertebral scales, five rows keeled mid-dorsal scales at the middle of the body, 189–192 ventral scales and 72–89 subcaudal scales. The dorsal surfaces of the head and body are yellowish red or yellowish brown, and the belly and ventral surfaces of the head and tail are pinkish yellow or yellow with more or less small black spots. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA recovered the new species being the sister taxon to P. hamptoni sensu stricto. The genetic divergences between the new species and P. hamptoni sensu stricto were 4.2% in the Cyt b sequences and 5.0% in the ND4 sequences. In addition, based on specimens collected from Honghe and Wenshan prefectures, we confirmed that P. hamptoni sensu stricto is distributed in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical cues like morphology, light, electric signal, mechanic signal, magnetic signal, and heat can be used as alternative regulators for expensive but short‐acting growth factors in bone tissue engineering to promote osteogenic differentiation and bone regeneration. As physical stimulation applied directly to the tissue cannot be focused on the bone defect area to regulate the cell behaviors and fate in situ, this limits the efficiency of precise bone regeneration. Biomaterials‐mediated in situ physical cues, as an effective strategy combining the synergistic effect of materials themselves, are put forward and studied widely to promote osteogenic differentiation and bone repair efficiently and precisely. Different types of physical cues provide different choices to better satisfy the requirements for targeted bone defect repair. In this review, the recent research about different biomaterials‐mediated physical cues accelerating osteogenesis in vitro and promoting in situ bone formation in vivo is introduced. Meanwhile, the corresponding possible mechanisms of various physical cues regulating cell responses are also discussed. This review provides useful and enlightening guidance for the utilization of intrinsically physical properties of functional materials to achieve efficient bone regeneration, leading to the design and construction of smart biomaterials for practical applications, and eventually promoting clinical translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in bodily fluid pressures, such as pulmonary artery pressure, play key roles in high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and other disorders. Smart delivery systems releasing a drug in response to these pressures might facilitate early medical interventions. However, pressure-responsive delivery systems are unavailable. We here constructed hydrostatic pressure-sensitive multivesicular liposomes (PSMVLs) based on the incomplete filling of the internal vesicle space with neutral lipids. These liposomes were loaded with amlodipine besylate (AB), a next-generation calcium channel inhibitor, to treat HAPE on time. AB-loaded PSMVLs (AB-PSMVLs) were destroyed, and AB was released through treatment under hydrostatic pressure of at least 25 mmHg. At 25 mmHg, which is the minimum pulmonary artery pressure value in HAPE, 38.8% of AB was released within 1 h. In a mouse HAPE model, AB-PSMVLs concentrated in the lung and released AB to diffuse into the vascular wall. Intravenously injected AB-PSMVLs before HAPE modeling resulted in a stronger protection of lung tissues and respiratory function and lower occurrence of pulmonary edema than treatment with free drug or non-pressure-sensitive AB-loaded liposomes. This study offers a new strategy for developing smart drug delivery systems that respond to changes in bodily fluid pressures. [Display omitted] • Pressure-sensitive multivesicular liposome was designed to carry amlodipine besylate. • Pressure sensitivity was due to loss of separate tricaprylin region in lipid structure. • Liposome rupture and drug release were triggered by hydrostatic pressure > 25 mmHg. • This system trapped in the lung can release drug by increased pulmonary artery pressure. • This system prevented the occurrence of high altitude pulmonary edema in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α-Amylase inhibitors constitute a category of compounds capable of diminishing α-amylase activity and hold significant promise for the development of novel drugs. This study focused on assessing the potential of Schisandra chinensis Baill extract to inhibit α-amylase. However, sieving and segregating inhibitors from intricate mixtures presents an obstacle. Consequently, this study devised and refined a methodology centered on immobilized α-amylase to identify and isolate natural inhibitors from S. chinensis. The immobilized α-amylase, featuring a load capacity of 254.18 ± 1.20 μg/mg and a specific activity of 2.69 ± 0.01 U/mg, was achieved through meticulous optimization of preparation conditions. Subsequently, this immobilized enzyme was used to isolate bioactive compounds from S. chinensis extract. The results revealed the presence of an active compound with an IC 50 of 324.12 ± 11.23 μg/mL. This compound was isolated via magnetic immobilized enzyme-based ligand fishing, employing high-speed countercurrent chromatography, and was conclusively identified as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. The molecular docking analyses revealed its ability to interact with the active pocket of α-amylase through multiple hydrogen bonds. [Display omitted] • α-Amylase was immobilized on mesoporous silica particles for ligand fishing. • Main active component was screened from S. chinensis by immobilized α-amylase. • 5-Hydroxymenthyfurfural was the main active component in S. chinensis fruit. • The interaction between active compound and α-amylase was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cylindrical cyclones are a popular choice for oil-water separation and sewage treatment in the petroleum industry. Here, we investigate the cavitation and vibration phenomena in a cylindrical cyclone with a vortex finder by using various cyclone operating parameters and conducting multiphase flow numerical simulations. The lowest point of pressure on the cross section of the main cylinder is defined as the pressure center point and is used to understand the generation of the flow field oscillation, which is shown to exhibit an approximately circular motion. This circular oscillation of the flow field is an important characteristic that influences the overall performance and behavior of the cyclone system. Cavitation analysis results show that an increase in the inlet velocity leads to more intense cavitation and an expansion of the cavitation area. At lower split ratios, cavitation primarily occurs at the junction of the inlet pipe and the main cylinder, while at higher split ratios, the cavitation area gradually extends into the overflow pipe. Additionally, structural response analysis demonstrates that increasing the inlet velocity and overflow split ratio significantly enhances the vibrational degree of the structure, leading to greater stress levels. Adjusting the oil content at the inlet has a relatively minimal impact on the structural response compared with the influence of the inlet velocity and split ratio. Furthermore, dimensional analysis is used to analyze the change of wall pressure, and the wall pressure that induces structural vibration can be calculated using the inlet velocity and the split ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant challenge in detecting objects in complex remote sensing (RS) datasets is from small objects. Existing detection methods achieve much lower accuracy on small objects than medium and large ones. These methods suffer from limited feature information, susceptibility to complex background interferences, and insufficient contextual information. To address these issues, a small object detection method with the enhanced receptive field, ERF-RTMDet, is proposed to achieve a more robust detection capability on small objects in RS images. Specifically, three modules are employed to enhance the receptive field of small objects' features. First, the Dilated Spatial Pyramid Pooling Fast Module is proposed to gather more contextual information on small objects and suppress the interference of background information. Second, the Content-Aware Reassembly of Features Module is employed for more efficient feature fusion instead of the nearest-neighbor upsampling operator. Finally, the Hybrid Dilated Attention Module is proposed to expand the receptive field of object features after the feature fusion network. Extensive experiments are conducted on the MAR20 and NWPU VHR-10 datasets. The experimental results show that our ERF-RTMDet attains higher detection precision on small objects while maintaining or slightly enhancing the detection precision on mid-scale and large-scale objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the in-depth expansion and integrated application of information technology, smart city is one of the important directions for nurturing breakthroughs in the new generation of information technology, and an important part of the development of global strategic emerging industries. In the context of world peace, the world economy is developing rapidly and the process of urbanization is accelerating. The construction of a city not only reflects the economic strength of the city, but also is closely related to the life of the citizens. Therefore, this paper aimed to explore a new way of urban cultural creative design. This paper focused on the application of human–computer interaction virtual reality (VR) technology in urban cultural creative design. For this reason, this paper designed an interactive and immersive urban design simulation platform based on VR technology. In order to choose the viewing angle freely and control the design module freely, this paper proposed improved gesture recognition algorithm and anti-collision algorithm. The algorithm designed in this paper can enable designers to have better presentation effects when working on the platform, making architectural design more intuitive. Experiments show that the average accuracy rate of the gesture recognition algorithm designed in this paper reaches 97.3%, which is 4.1% higher than that of the traditional algorithm; and when the anti-collision algorithm in this paper is set to the optimal parameters, the accuracy rate is as high as 95%. These results fully demonstrate that the human–computer interaction VR technology design platform proposed in this paper has good design performance and can be applied to urban cultural creative design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encrypted optical communication is a critical technology in numerous fields, including remote sensing, environmental monitoring, and homeland defense. As a core of wireless interconnect systems, the conventional photodetectors generally receive optical signals from a single direction and fail to distinguish between various wavebands, severely undermining the potential for data transfer and protection. Herein, a Bi2O3 layer‐integrated waveband‐discriminated perovskite photodetector is presented. By rational design of energy band and device architecture, the novel photodetector is self‐powered, double‐sided responsive, and recognizable to the short or long‐wave UV, as well as visible optical signals. Without external bias, the device exhibits a high performance with peak responsivities of 42.1 and 72.3 mA W−1 in frontal and reverse incidence, respectively. Benefiting from these advantages, the photodetector is applicable to optical communication and encryption. In reverse incidence, reversible message delivery is achieved through the conversion and decoding of illumination patterns and binary digits. For a further step, the encrypted processing is fulfilled in frontal incidence. By virtue of the eight irradiation combinations, a secret key containing ten‐bit commands will generate over a billion encryption methods. This work realizes a new mode of communication and encryption that entirely relies on optical signals, offering new insights into wireless communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Currently, the genus Nanorana contains thirty-two species, and four of them belong to the subgenus Nanorana, namely N. bangdaensis, N. parkeri, N. pleskei, and N. ventripunctata. In this study, on the basis of molecular and morphological evidence, we described a new species of Nanorana (Nanorana) from northwestern Yunnan, China, where only one member (N. ventripunctata) of Nanorana (Nanorana) has been reported. Additionally, the taxonomic status of Nanorana arunachalensis and Allopaa hazarensis were discussed, and subgeneric allocations of Nanorana species were suggested. The findings in this study bring the number of Nanorana species to 33 and improve our understanding on the taxonomy of genus Nanorana and the species diversity of Nanorana (Nanorana), an alpine group widely distributed in the southern and southeastern QTP. The genus Nanorana contains three subgenera, namely Nanorana, Paa, and Chaparana, and currently, there are four species known to science in Nanorana (Nanorana). In this study, we describe a new species belonging to the subgenus Nanorana from northwestern Yunnan, China. Phylogenetically, the new species, Nanorana laojunshanensis sp. nov., is the sister to the clade of N. pleskei and N. ventripunctata. Morphologically, the new species can be distinguished from known congeners by the combination of following characters: present tympanum, equal fingers I and II, small body size, yellow ventral surface of limbs, distinct vomerine teeth, indistinct subarticular tubercles, head width greater than head length, slender supratympanic fold, absent dorsolateral fold, nuptial spines present on fingers I and II in adult males, absent vocal sac, and paired brown spines on the chest. Moreover, we suggest moving the genus Allopaa into Nanorana (Chaparana) and consider that N. arunachalensis is neither an Odorrana species nor a member of the subfamily Dicroglossinae (therefore Nanorana), but probably represents a distinct genus closely related to Ingerana or belongs to Ingerana, pending more data. Additionally, we consider that Nanorana minica deserves the rank of an independent subgenus, and we suggest assigning N. arnoldi, N. blanfordii, N. ercepeae, N. polunini, N. rarica, N. rostandi, N. vicina, N. xuelinensis, and N. zhaoermii into the subgenus Paa and placing N. kangxianensis, N. phrynoides, and N. sichuanensis in the subgenus Chaparana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general approach to prepare superhydrophobic MOFs (denoted as MOFs-CF3) through a post-decorating strategy for highly efficient chemical fixation of CO2 was demonstrated. The enhanced catalytic activity of MOFs-CF3 is attributed to a synergistic effect between the Lewis acid sites of MOFs and modification of the electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl group, which resulted in a high CO2 enrichment capacity. The possible mechanism of cycloaddition catalyzed by the MOFs-CF3 catalyst was also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat seed classification is a critical task for ensuring crop quality and yield. However, the characteristics of wheat seeds can vary due to variations in climate, soil, and other environmental factors across different years. Consequently, the present classification model is no longer adequate for accurately classifying novel samples. To tackle this issue, this paper proposes an adaptive domain feature separation (ADFS) network that utilizes hyperspectral imaging techniques for cross-year classification of wheat seed varieties. The primary objective is to improve the generalization ability of the model at a minimum cost. ADFS leverages deep learning techniques to acquire domain-irrelevant features from hyperspectral data, thus effectively addressing the issue of domain shifts across datasets. The feature spaces are divided into three parts using different modules. One shared module aligns feature distributions between the source and target datasets from different years, thereby enhancing the model's generalization and robustness. Additionally, two private modules extract class-specific features and domain-specific features. The transfer mechanism does not learn domain-specific features to reduce negative transfer and improve classification accuracy. Extensive experiments conducted on a two-year dataset comprising four wheat seed varieties demonstrate the effectiveness of ADFS in wheat seed classification. Compared with three typical transfer learning networks, ADFS can achieve the best accuracy of wheat seed classification with small batch samples updated, thereby addressing new seasonal variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recovery of carbon dioxide (CO2) through carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technology to produce valuable chemicals has good industrial prospects, and it is also an effective method to solve the problem of global warming and achieve sustainable development. Unfortunately, catalysts are needed to realize the chemical conversion of CO2 due to its low reactivity. In this work, we selected transition metal copper ions and rigid triazole organic ligand 4-(1H-1,2, 4-triazol-1-yl)-benzoic acid to synthesize two-dimensional(2D) bilayer coordination polymer containing pentanuclear copper cluster by solvothermal synthesis method, and its molecular formula is [Cu5(TABC)4(COO)2(μ-O)2(NO3)2(H2O)·11H2O] (Cu-TABC). The pentanuclear [Cu5O2(COO)6] cluster forms a 2D layered structure by connecting to linear ligands, and the three-dimensional(3D) supramolecular structure with one-dimensional(1D) channels is formed by π–π interaction between layers and further parallel stacking, in which the channel window is quadrilateral and the size is 11.6 × 11.5 Å. Simultaneously, coordination unsaturated copper ions can be used as Lewis acid sites to catalyze the cycloaddition reaction of CO2 and epoxides. Importantly, Cu-TABC exhibits excellent catalytic performance, recoverability and significant size effect under solvent-free and mild conditions (0.1 MPa and 25 °C). A pentanuclear Cu(II)-based 2D bilayer coordination polymer was used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the cycloaddition reaction of CO2 and epoxides with high activity under mild conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Letter, the phase profile of the self-rotating beam is modified by introducing the radial shift factor c and the azimuthal shift factor θ0. The effect of the radial shift factor c on the corresponding intensity distribution is discussed. The results demonstrate that the focal-field intensity patterns of the modified self-rotating beams with different radial shift factors moved away from the center of the light field with the radial shift factor increased. The self-rotating beam array can be arranged arbitrarily along the azimuthal direction with a synthetic phase produced by superimposing multiple modified subphases (i.e., modified self-rotating beam phase). Furthermore, the position of each self-rotating beam in the beam array can be also adjusted arbitrarily in the transverse plane by adding the gratings into each subphase layer of the synthetic phase. The proposed beam array has potential applications in image transmission, data coding and decoding, and optical trapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic apical periodontitis (CAP) is a disease with characteristics of inflammation and bone loss. In this study, our objective was to examine the function of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) obtained from milk in encouraging osteogenic differentiation and inhibiting inflammation by miR-21 in CAP. The expression of miR-21 was detected using qRT-PCR in human CAP samples. The impact of miR-21 on the process of osteogenic differentiation was investigated using CCK-8, qRT-PCR, immunofluorescence staining, and Western blot analysis. The evaluation of RAW 264.7 cell polarization and the assessment of inflammatory factor expression were conducted through qRT-PCR. The influence of sEVs on MC3T3-E1 cells and RAW 264.7 cells was examined, with a particular emphasis on the involvement of miR-21. In human CAP samples, a decrease in miR-21 expression was observed. MiR-21 increased the expression of osteogenesis-related genes and M2 polarization genes while decreasing the expression of M1 polarization genes and inflammatory cytokines. Treatment with milk-derived sEVs also promoted osteogenesis and M2 polarization while inhibiting M1 polarization and inflammation. Conversely, the addition of miR-21 inhibitors resulted in opposite effects. Our results indicated that sEVs derived from milk had a positive effect on bone formation and activation of anti-inflammatory (M2) macrophages and simultaneously reduced inflammation by regulating miR-21 in CAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aided by computer generated holography, holographic optical tweezers enable manipulation of particles and objects with exceptional versatility. The responsiveness of the manipulation is often hindered by the speed of holograph generation, especially when the number of manipulated objects is high. Here, we propose an optimized hologram generation method with an improved iterative algorithm utilizing parallel computation with graphic processing units. The algorithm requires fewer iterations to produce high-quality holograms than established methods, such as weighted Gerchberg–Saxton algorithm, leading to a responsive and stable micromanipulation. This method expands the capabilities of holographic optical tweezers and provides more responsive traps in micro-manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tensile behavior and failure modes of the bonding interface of the repaired composite were investigated in combination with nondestructive testing techniques. The carbon nanotube-modified two-sided adhesive repair method improved the repair effect, while different failure modes of patch fracture and patch debonding were observed. The condition monitoring and damage pattern identification of the composites were performed in a non-destructive manner using acoustic emission and digital image correlation techniques. Analysis of acoustic emission signals was used to discriminate between matrix/patch cracking and bonding layer failure. The clustering analysis of the characteristic parameters is corroborated with the time-frequency domain analysis of the signal waveform to discriminate the interfacial damage of the patch debonding damage behavior. It was found that the double adhesive repair with the modified adhesive layer placed at the edge showed better repair results. In contrast, the repair pattern with the modified adhesive layer in the middle is relatively poor, and the patch debonding behavior corresponding to the multimodal acoustic emission signal at the high peak frequency is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the in-depth expansion and integrated application of information technology, smart city is one of the important directions for nurturing breakthroughs in the new generation of information technology, and an important part of the development of global strategic emerging industries. In the context of world peace, the world economy is developing rapidly and the process of urbanization is accelerating. The construction of a city not only reflects the economic strength of the city, but also is closely related to the life of the citizens. Therefore, this paper aimed to explore a new way of urban cultural creative design. This paper focused on the application of human–computer interaction virtual reality (VR) technology in urban cultural creative design. For this reason, this paper designed an interactive and immersive urban design simulation platform based on VR technology. In order to choose the viewing angle freely and control the design module freely, this paper proposed improved gesture recognition algorithm and anti-collision algorithm. The algorithm designed in this paper can enable designers to have better presentation effects when working on the platform, making architectural design more intuitive. Experiments show that the average accuracy rate of the gesture recognition algorithm designed in this paper reaches 97.3%, which is 4.1% higher than that of the traditional algorithm; and when the anti-collision algorithm in this paper is set to the optimal parameters, the accuracy rate is as high as 95%. These results fully demonstrate that the human–computer interaction VR technology design platform proposed in this paper has good design performance and can be applied to urban cultural creative design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the use of the hierarchical ensemble filter to determine the localized influence of observations in the Weather Research and Forecasting ensemble square root filtering (WRF-EnSRF) assimilation system. With error correlations between observations and background field state variables considered, the adaptive localization approach is applied to conduct a series of ideal storm-scale data assimilation experiments using simulated Doppler radar data. Comparisons between adaptive and empirical localization methods are made, and the feasibility of adaptive localization for storm-scale ensemble Kalman filter assimilation is demonstrated. Unlike empirical localization, which relies on prior knowledge of distance between observations and background field, the hierarchical ensemble filter provides continuously updating localization influence weights adaptively. The adaptive scheme improves assimilation quality during rapid storm development and enhances assimilation of reflectivity observations. The characteristics of both the observation type and the storm development stage should be considered when identifying the most appropriate localization method. Ultimately, combining empirical and adaptive methods can optimize assimilation quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reptile embryos can move inside eggs to seek optimal thermal conditions, falsifying the traditional assumption that embryos are simply passive occupants within their eggs. However, the adaptive significance of this thermoregulatory behavior remains a contentious topic. Here we demonstrate that behavioral thermoregulation by turtle embryos shortened incubation periods which may reduce the duration of exposure to dangerous environments, decreased egg mortality imposed by lethally high temperatures, and synchronized hatching which reduces predation risk. Our study provides empirical evidence that behavioral thermoregulation by turtle embryos is adaptive. Studies of soft-shelled turtles show that behavioral thermoregulation decreases egg mortality and synchronizes hatching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving seamless integration between virtual objects and real scenes has always been an important issue in augmented reality (AR) research. To achieve this, it is necessary to provide virtual objects with real-time and accurate lighting conditions from a real scene. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to realize lighting consistency rendering for real-time AR systems in outdoor environments, aiming to enhance the user's sense of immersion. In this paper, we propose a lighting consistency technique for real-time AR systems in outdoor environments based on multi-source geographical information (MGI). Specifically, we introduce MGI into the study of lighting consistency and construct a comprehensive database to store and manage the acquired MGI data. Based on this, we proposed a sky radiance model driven using the MGI. Finally, we utilized the sky radiance model along with light sensor data to render the virtual objects in outdoor scenes. The experimental results show that the shadow angular error is reduced to 5.2°, and the system frame rate is increased to 94.26. This means that our method achieves a high level of realism in the fusion of virtual objects and real scenes while ensuring a high frame rate in the system. With this technology, users can conveniently and extensively realize the lighting consistency rendering of real-time AR systems in outdoor scenes using mobile devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This article performs the buckling and vibration studies of the sandwich plates with a negative Poisson’s ratio honeycomb core. Based on the isogeometric analysis in conjunction with the refined shear deformation theory, the discrete equilibrium equations of the sandwich plate are established. Numerical results show that the plate with negative Poisson’s ratios of the honeycomb core layer has a higher load-bearing capacity than that with positive Poisson’s ratios. In addition, the optimal inclined angles of honeycomb core for negative Poisson’s ratios subjected to different loading types are obtained. The normalized natural frequency of the plate almost decreases by 10% when the Poisson’s ratio ν 12 of honeycomb core decreases from −0.3 to −5.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Pareas Wagler, 1830 is described from Dulongjiang Township, Gongshan County, Yunnan Province, China. Phylogenetically, the new species is most closely related to Pareas kaduri Bhosale, Phansalkar, Sawant, Gowande, Patel and Mirza, 2020; however, the genetic divergence (uncorrected p-distance) of the cyt b gene between the new species and P. kaduri reached 9.4%. Morphologically, the new species can be distinguished from P. kaduri by the absence of preoculars, loreal bordering the orbit, the fusion of subocular and postocular, three rows enlarged vertebral scales, five rows keeled mid-dorsal scales at the middle of the body, having more subcaudals, and having a relatively longer tail. In addition, the new species can be distinguished from all other congeners by a combination of morphological characteristics. Our work brings the total number of recognized species of the genus Pareas to 29, of which 23 occur in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Change detection (CD), as a special remote-sensing (RS) segmentation task, faces challenges, including alignment errors and illumination variation, dense small targets, and large background intraclass variance in very high-resolution (VHR) remote-sensing images. Recent methods have avoided the misjudgment caused by illumination variation and alignment errors by increasing the ability of global modeling, but the latter two problems have still not been fully addressed. In this paper, we propose a new CD model called SFCD, which increases the feature extraction capability for small targets by introducing a shifted-window (Swin) transformer. We designed a foreground-aware fusion module to use attention gates to trim low-level feature responses, enabling increased attention to the changed region compared to the background when recovering the changed region, thus reducing background interference. We evaluated our model on two CD datasets, LEVIR-CD and CDD, and obtained F1 scores of 91.78 and 97.87, respectively. The experimental results and visual interpretation show that our model outperforms several previous CD models. In addition, we adjusted the parameters and structure of the standard model to develop a lightweight version that achieves an accuracy beyond most models with only 1.55 M parameters, further validating the effectiveness of our design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cylindrical cyclones play an important role in oil–water separation and sewage treatment in the petroleum industry. Here, we describe the characteristics of vibration induced by a two-phase rotational flow in a cylindrical cyclone. The cyclone operating parameters together with a dimensional analysis and multiphase flow numerical simulation were used to understand the flow field characteristics. The frequency and amplitude of pressure fluctuation were obtained by measuring pressure changes at points on the axis of the device. It shows that the pressure in a cylindrical cyclone varies periodically during separation and that fluctuation frequency and amplitude are related to the inlet velocity and flow split ratio. The effect of the overflow split ratio on the pressure fluctuation frequency is negligible, but increasing the overflow split ratio will cause greater fluctuation of the flow. For a cylindrical cyclone, the pressure fluctuation frequency can be calculated from the inlet velocity. Adjusting the inlet velocity and the overflow split ratio changes the mechanical response of the structure. The results of a modal analysis show that the structural vibration response is consistent with the response state of the lowest point of the internal central-vortex pressure and that both are in approximate circular motion. Furthermore, the frequency of pressure fluctuation induced by the flow is close to the intrinsic frequency of the structure with a single bottom constraint, which can cause unwanted resonance easily. Therefore, an appropriately added constraint on a cylindrical cyclone should be taken into consideration to avoid the resonance frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, bismuth layer-structured Bi 2 LaTiNbO 9 (BLTN) was introduced into BiFeO 3 –BaTiO 3 system. A large W r e c of 3.26 J/cm3 with a high η of 80.8% were realized in the BF-BT-0.08BLTN ceramic. The addition of BLTN facilitates to enhance the relaxor behavior and band gap of BF-BT ceramics and also suppresses the grain growth. More impressively, the x = 0.08 ceramic shows an excellent thermal stability (Δ W r e c / W r e c < 2.2%, 25–100 °C) due to the temperature-insensitive permittivity of BLTN, which is superior to other BiFeO 3 -based ceramics. This work indicated that the BLTN is an effective additive for dielectric materials used in the variable temperature environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance lead-free dielectric energy storage films have received a lot of attention in the modern electronics industry. In this work, sandwich structured SiO 2 /Ba 0.6 Sr 0.4 Ce 0.05 Ti 0.95 O 3 (BST-Ce)/ZrO 2 and Al 2 O 3 /BST-Ce/ZrO 2 composite films were prepared on ITO/glass substrate by a combination of electron beam evaporation and post-annealing. With the introduction of linear dielectric SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , and ZrO 2 layers, a high recoverable energy storage density (W r e c ) of 55.4 J/cm3 and an efficiency (η) of 78% was obtained in SiO 2 /BST-Ce/ZrO 2 film; an optimal W r e c of 71.5 J/cm3 and η of 86.1% was obtained in Al 2 O 3 /BST-Ce/ZrO 2 film. Moreover, the sandwich structured multilayers also exhibit an excellent thermal stability, high frequency stability and good fatigue durability. Due to the existence of the electron injection barrier in the interfaces, the schottky emission of the BST film under high electric field and high temperature is effectively suppressed, thereby greatly improving the dielectric breakdown strength. The Al 2 O 3 /BST-Ce/ZrO 2 composite film is promising for the energy storage applications working in the harsh environment of high temperature and high electric field. Our results also show that the sandwich-structured composite film composed of relaxor ferroelectric and linear dielectric layers is an effective method to improve energy storage performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Whether mitral surgery should be performed simultaneously with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with moderate ischemic mitral regurgitation (MIMR) is controversial. This study was performed to introduce a method of off-pump mitral valvuloplasty after off-pump CABG (OPCABG) and compare it with OPCABG alone. Methods: Eighty-three patients with MIMR underwent OPCABG. Among them, 21 patients (Group A) underwent posterior mitral annuloplasty without cardiopulmonary bypass, and 62 patients (Group B) underwent OPCABG alone. The primary endpoint of follow-up was the mitral regurgitation area. Results: The mean mitral regurgitant area in Group A and B was 6.42 ± 1.02 and 5.49 ± 1.24 cm2 preoperatively (p =.479), 2.93 ± 1.35 and 3.28 ± 1.93 cm2 at 1 week postoperatively (p =.516), 3.06 ± 2.16 and 3.09 ± 1.85 cm2 at 3 months postoperatively (p =.839), and 3.02 ± 1.60 and 3.7 cm2 (median) at 1 year postoperatively (p =.043). There was less regurgitation in Group A at the mid-term. Intragroup comparison showed significant differences between the preoperative and postoperative values in both groups, with no difference in the regurgitant area at each postoperative time point in Group A but a significant difference between 3 months and 1 year postoperatively in Group B (p =.042). Multiple linear regression showed that the mid-term mitral regurgitant area changes were negatively correlated with graft flow and positively correlated with age. Conclusion: In patients with MIMR who underwent OPCABG plus off-pump mitral valve annuloplasty, the mitral regurgitant area was smaller and mitral regurgitation recurrence was less frequent at the mid-term follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipase and α-amylase play a very important role in the screening of anti-obesity and anti-diabetic drugs. Here, bienzyme microspheres containing lipase and α-amylase were synthesized for simultaneous affinity screening of anti-obesity and anti-diabetic component from pomegranate peel. Lipase was immobilized by functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) coated with polyamide dendrimers to obtain MWCNT-lipase. Subsequently, MWCNT-lipase and α-amylase was encapsulated by sodium alginate (SA) hydrogel microspheres to form MWCNT/SA-bienzymes. Under the optimized reaction conditions, the immobilization rate of lipase and α-amylase was 65.16% and 95.79%, and the activities were 85.76% and 88.11% of free enzymes, respectively. Moreover, the enzyme activity conditions of MWCNT/SA-bienzymes were also optimized. The MWCNT/SA-bienzymes were more stable than two free enzymes at room temperature and can be reused. More importantly, in application, a compound (ellagic acid) was selectively screened from pomegranate peel extract by MWCNT/SA-bienzymes. In vitro activity determination confirmed that ellagic acid with IC 50 of 369.83 ± 11.75 μg/mL and 672.81 ± 18.55 μg/mL can interact with two enzymes through non-competitive inhibition. The molecular docking showed that ellagic acid bound with α-amylase and lipase through hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, etc, resulting in the binding energies of − 8.54 kcal/mol and − 6.87 kcal/mol, respectively. [Display omitted] • An effective strategy was proposed for screening of bifunctional inhibitor. • Bienzyme microspheres containing lipase and α-amylase were synthesized. • Multi-walled carbon nanotubes and hydrogels were used as carriers. • Ellagic acid has the dual function of inhibiting lipase and α-amylase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the molecular mechanisms of seed germination and seedling growth is vital for mining functional genes for the improvement of plant drought in a desert. Tamarix hispida is extremely resistant to drought and soil salinity perennial shrubs or trees. This study was the first to investigate the protein abundance profile of the transition process during the processes of T. hispida seed germination and seedling growth using label-free proteomics approaches. Our data suggested that asynchronous regulation of transcriptomics and proteomics occurs upon short-term seed germination and seedling growth of T. hispida. Enrichment analysis revealed that the main differentially abundant proteins had significant enrichment in stimulus response, biosynthesis, and metabolism. Two delta-1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetases (P5CS), one Ycf3-interacting protein (Y3IP), one low-temperature-induced 65 kDa protein-like molecule, and four peroxidases (PRX) were involved in both water deprivation and hyperosmotic salinity responses. Through a comparative analysis of transcriptomics and proteomics, we found that proteomics may be better at studying short-term developmental processes. Our results support the existence of several mechanisms that enhance tolerance to salinity and drought stress during seedling growth in T. hispida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal stability improvement of the phosphors is significant to obtain high-efficiency and thermally stable emission in high power light emitting diodes (LEDs). Herein, an anti-thermal quenching deep-red phosphor (Zn, Li)Ga 2 O 4 :Cr3+ for plant growth LED is reported. The defects were introduced into ZnGa 2 O 4 by doping with Li + ions with different valence state and the compounds Zn 1- x Li 2 x Ga 2 O 4 :Cr3+ were prepared. Optimized Zn 0.9 Li 0.2 Ga 2 O 4 :Cr3+ presents anti-thermal quenching and the emission from 580 to 680 nm increases as the temperature evaluates. The enhanced emission at around 630 nm is attributed to the increased defect V Zn , at high temperature while the improved emission at around 670 nm arises from the new octahedral site for Cr3+. Both the emission of the optimized Zn 0.9 Li 0.2 Ga 2 O 4 :Cr3+ phosphor at room temperature and high temperature match well with the absorption spectra of the phytochrome P R and P FR. This simple strategy to introduce defects and obtain highly efficient and thermally stable emission provides a novel method to improve the thermal stability of the phosphors for high-power plant growth LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The black TiO2 material was prepared by chemical reduction method, and the difference in structure and performance between black TiO2 and white TiO2 was discussed. At the same time, the effects of hydrogenation temperature and mass ratio factors on the formation and structure of black TiO2 were investigated. The results show that black TiO2 has a special structure: the existence of oxygen vacancies shortens the Ti–O bond, and the lattice shrinks. In addition, defects such as Ti3+ and Ti–OH are formed in the TiO2 crystal, which cause a disordered layer on the surface of the black TiO2 crystal. At the same time, the existence of defects such as oxygen vacancies and Ti3+ will make the valence and conduction bands of TiO2 appear tail bands. This greatly reduces the band gap and improves absorption. Considering the absorption effect and preparation cost comprehensively, the optimum conditions for the preparation of black TiO2 are that the hydrogenation temperature is 400 °C and the mass ratio of white TiO2 and NaBH4 is 2:1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As new mutations continue to emerge, the ability of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus to evade the human immune system and neutralizing antibodies remains a huge challenge for vaccine development and antibody research. The majority of neutralizing antibodies have reduced or lost activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants. In this study, we reported a novel protein surface display system on a mammalian cell for obtaining a higher-affinity antibody in high-throughput manner. Using a saturation mutagenesis strategy through integrating microarray-based oligonucleotide synthesis and single-cell screening assay, we generated a group of new antibodies against diverse prevalent SARS-CoV-2 variants through high-throughput screening the human antibody REGN10987 within 2 weeks. The affinity of those optimized antibodies to seven prevalent mutants was greatly improved, and the EC50 values were no higher than 5 ng/mL. These results demonstrate the robustness of our screening system in the rapid generation of an antibody with higher affinity against a new SARS-CoV-2 variant, and provides a potential application to other protein molecular interactions. Author summary: The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has become a global health problem of wide concern due to the continuous emergence of mutants, so that human social and economic activities have suffered a serious blow. The development of potent neutralizing antibodies is critically important in the coming time. At present, the main way to obtain effective neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants is to isolate the serum of convalescent patients or immunized humanized mice. However, this method has high requirements on samples, and the whole process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. We here report a single-cell screening assay that allows the rapid and high-throughput optimizing of a human antibody displayed on a mammalian cell surface. The process can improve the affinity of antibodies with EC50 below 5 ng/mL within 2 weeks. Our approach with short turnaround and significant enhancement in antibody affinity presents an effective strategy for fighting against the ever-evolving COVID variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long ground-Rydberg coherence lifetime is interesting for implementing high-fidelity quantum logic gates, many-body physics, and other quantum information protocols. However, the potential well formed by a conventional far-off-resonance red-detuned optical-dipole trap that is attractive for ground-state cold atoms is usually repulsive for Rydberg atoms, which will result in the rapid loss of atoms and low repetition rate of the experimental sequence. Moreover, the coherence time will be sharply shortened due to the residual thermal motion of cold atoms. These issues can be addressed by a one-dimensional magic lattice trap, which can form a deeper potential trap than the traveling wave optical dipole trap when the output power is limited. In addition, these common techniques for atomic confinement generally have certain requirements for the polarization and intensity stability of the laser. Here, we demonstrated a method to suppress both the polarization drift and power fluctuation only based on the phase management of the Mach–Zehnder interferometer for a one-dimensional magic lattice trap. With the combination of three wave plates and the interferometer, we used the instrument to collect data in the time domain, analyzed the fluctuation of laser intensity, and calculated the noise power spectral density. We found that the total intensity fluctuation comprising laser power fluctuation and polarization drift was significantly suppressed, and the noise power spectral density after closed-loop locking with a typical bandwidth of 1–3000 Hz was significantly lower than that under the free running of the laser system. Typically, at 1000 Hz, the noise power spectral density after locking was about 10 dB lower than that under the free running of a master oscillator power amplifier system. The intensity–polarization control technique provides potential applications for atomic confinement protocols that demand fixed polarization and intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outdoor aerosol processes are often associated with disasters and diseases, which threaten human life and health. Outdoor aerosols are a fluid system affected by meteorological conditions and three-dimensional complex terrain. Their variable wind speed and direction and complex terrain boundary conditions make simulating advection processes difficult. Based on incompressible flow conditions, we designed an adaptive time step algorithm for forward advection for the rapid simulation of aerosol processes. The method is based on the first-order forward semi-Lagrangian advection method with unconditional mass conservation. The first-order truncated error coefficient function theory generates an adaptive time step to control the accuracy of forward advection. Smoke aerosol simulation experiments in two small outdoor scenes were designed, and the effects of the traditional backward advection and forward fixed step methods were compared with the algorithm in this study. The proposed simulation method showed improved accuracy compared with the other two methods in experimental scenarios; moreover, compared with those of the traditional backward method, the computation time was significantly reduced and the conservation of mass was significantly improved. Thus, the proposed method is a fast simulation method for outdoor aerosol numerical prediction. The first-order forward semi-Lagrangian method, which requires no iteration and less computation and offers unconditional conservation, was used. The law of truncation error coefficient of the first-order forward method was studied and an adaptive step algorithm was designed. Full-size real aerosol experiments in small-scale complex outdoor scenes were conducted for verification and comparison of simulation effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although public service employee promotive voice has recently attracted more attention from scholars, the link between negative public sector leadership (e.g., leadership ostracism) and employee promotive voice has not been fully explored in the extant literature. In a time-lagged study of 226 public sector employee–leader pairs in China, we explored the mechanism behind leadership ostracism and employee promotive voice. We argued that public service motivation would have its dark side in the relationship between leadership ostracism and promotive voice; thus, we examined the moderating effect of public service motivation in this setting. Results indicated that leadership ostracism had a significant negative impact on employees' promotive voice, and public service motivation positively moderated this relationship. The stronger the public service motivation of ostracized employees, the weaker was their promotive voice. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and directions for future research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]