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Background: This cross-sectional study aims to explore whether there exists an interaction between selenium and menopause concerning type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevalence and its related indicators such as fasting blood glucose (FBG) and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Methods: 150 women aged 35–60 years old were finally analyzed in this study. Multivariate linear or logistic regression modeling was conducted to explore the association of selenium and the prevalence of T2D besides its related indicators. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on menopause status to assess the potential impact on the relationship. Results: In the fully adjusted model, serum selenium was positively associated with FBG (β: 0.03, CI: 0.01–0.05) and the prevalence of T2D (OR: 1.04, CI: 1.00–1.08). After stratifying the data by menopause status, compared with the postmenopausal women group, as the serum selenium concentrations increased, the FBG concentrations were significantly higher in the premenopausal women group (p for interaction = 0.0020). Conclusions: The present study found serum selenium was positively associated with FBG and the prevalence of T2D. Furthermore, the relationship between serum selenium and FBG was different in the premenopausal and postmenopausal women. More studies are still needed in the future to verify the relationship as well as to explore the specific mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SnSe materials have garnered significant interest due to the intrinsic low thermal conductivity. However, its limited electrical conductivity hinders their practical implementation. This study achieved a high ZT value of 1.40 at 773 K in the samples of n-type polycrystalline SnSe 0.95 + x wt% SmCl 3 + y wt% ErCl 3 (x = 0, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, and 1.5; y = 0, 0.0675, 0.125, and 0.25) since (SmCl 3 , ErCl 3) co-doping decoupled the electrical-thermal transport properties. First, the released electron carrier concentration due to SmCl 3 doping enhanced the electrical transport properties. The SnSe 0.95 + 1.25 wt% SmCl 3 sample exhibited a high power factor of 563 μWm−1K−2 at 773 K. Then, the lattice thermal conductivity markedly decreased with further ErCl 3 doping due to the high-density dislocations and coherent boundary, resulting in effective the phonon scattering. Additionally, the special microtopography was conducive to the decreased lattice thermal conductivity. Therefore, the SnSe 0.95 + 1.25 wt% SmCl 3 + 0.125 wt% ErCl 3 sample achieved a low lattice thermal conductivity value of 0.28 Wm−1K−1 at 773 K. Simultaneously, the (SmCl 3 , ErCl 3) co-doped samples maintained the electrical transport properties than the SmCl 3 -doped samples. Consequently, the SnSe 0.95 + 1.25 wt% SmCl 3 + 0.125 wt% ErCl 3 sample obtained a peak ZT value of 1.40 at 773 K and a competitive average ZT value of 0.37 from 323 to 773 K, and a theoretically calculated conversion efficiency reached 7.2%, which can be applied in the deep space for power generation. This strategy can be utilized to optimize the thermoelectric performance of other thermoelectrical material systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracting hot‐carriers before they relax back to the band edge will reduce thermal dissipation above the bandgap, which is one of the primary sources of efficiency loss in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). It requires slow cooling of hot‐carriers together with the efficient extraction of hot‐carriers. Here, a novel interface engineering is demonstrated by embedding radical‐containing nanographene (r‐NG●) between perovskite and poly[bis(4‐phenyl)(2,4‐dimethoxyphenyl)‐amine] (PTOAA) to harvest this excess energy. This strategy accelerates the extraction rate of the hot‐hole (3 times that of control at 400 K) by augmenting the relaxation channel, which is related to the “quasi‐SOMO” energy state of r‐NG●. Nonadiabatic molecular dynamics calculation further revealed that radical character promotes the rotation of the cation in perovskite, which contributes to generating strong nonadiabatic couplings and multiple phonon modes. In addition, the band bending effect of buried perovskite and improved conductivity of PTOAA also facilitate exciton dissociation and hole collection efficiency (97.5%). Consequently, the resultant r‐NG● decorated PSCs delivered an impressive efficiency of 24.20%, along with better thermal and humidity stability. Moreover, it can maintain 93% of its initial efficiency after 300 hours of illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have reported low serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels in dermatomyositis (DM) patients, but the exact causal relationship between them remains elusive. Our aim is to confirm the causal relationship between 25(OH)D and DM risk through a Mendelian randomization study. Methods: Retrieve genome‐wide association study (GWAS) data on 25(OH)D (n = 441 291) and DM (n cases = 201, n controls = 172 834) from the GWAS database (https://gwas.mrcieu.ac.uk/). Select single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) strongly correlated with 25(OH)D as instrumental variables (IVs). The primary analytical approach involves the use of the inverse‐variance weighted method (IVW), supplemented by MR‐Egger regression and weighted median methods to enhance the reliability of the results. Heterogeneity and sensitivity analyses were conducted using Cochran's Q and leave‐one‐out approaches, respectively. Results: The IVW analysis confirmed a positive causal relationship between genetic variation in 25(OH)D levels and DM (OR = 2.36, 95% CI = 1.01–5.52, p =.048). Although not statistically significant (all p >.05), the other methods also suggested a protective effect of 25(OH)D on DM. Based on MR‐Egger intercepts and Cochran's Q analysis, the selected SNPs showed no horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated the robustness of the results against individual SNPs. Conclusion: We provide the first evidence of a causal relationship between 25(OH)D levels and DM. Our findings support the importance of measuring serum 25(OH)D levels and considering vitamin D supplementation in clinical practice for patients with DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the influences of the addition of different mung bean skin insoluble dietary fiber (MIDF) contents (0–10 wt%) on the properties of dough and gluten proteins were investigated. With the addition of MIDF, the elastic modulus, viscosity modulus, and loss factor of the dough all showed increasing trends. Additionally, the bound water content significantly increased by 15.37 % (P < 0.05), while the weakly bound water content decreased by 14.32 % (P < 0.05), indicating the migration of weakly bound water to bound water. These changes resulted in increased hardness, chewiness, and gumminess of the dough. Furthermore, the incorporation of MIDF significantly reduced the SS content in gluten by 43.01 % (P < 0.05). Concurrently, the secondary structure of gluten protein transformed from ordered structures, such as α-helices and β-sheets, to disordered structures, such as random coils and β-turns, thereby loosening the protein skeleton structure and affecting the gluten network. These results established a theoretical foundation for the development and enhancement of functional foods enriched with dietary fiber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Recent studies have suggested a potential association between methotrexate use and an increased risk of dementia. However, the causal relationship between methotrexate and dementia remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the potential causal effect of methotrexate use on the risk of dementia using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) approach. Methods: We conducted a TSMR study using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of methotrexate use and dementia. We obtained genetic instruments for methotrexate use from a large-scale GWAS meta-analysis and genetic instruments for dementia from a separate GWAS meta-analysis. We performed several statistical analyses, including inverse-variance weighted (IVW), weighted median (WM1), weighted mode (WM2), and MR-Egger regression methods, to estimate the causal effect of methotrexate on dementia risk. Results: Our TSMR analysis showed a significant positive association between genetic predisposition to methotrexate use and dementia risk. The IVW method estimated a causal odds ratio (OR) of 0.476 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.362–0.626] per unit increase in the log odds ratio of methotrexate use. WM1, WM2, and MR-Egger methods provided consistent results. Conclusion: The findings of this mendelian randomization (MR) study suggest a potential causal effect of methotrexate use on the risk of dementia. However, further research is needed to validate these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms. Since methotrexate is widely prescribed for various autoimmune diseases, a better understanding of its potential impact on dementia risk is crucial for optimizing treatment strategies and addressing potential adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To analyze adverse outcomes and influencing factors of elderly pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Guizhou Province and to provide a scientific basis for effective treatment of elderly pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Methods The medical records information of elderly pulmonary tuberculosis patients aged 65 and above in Guizhou Province from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2022, was extracted from the Tuberculosis Monitoring Report Management Information System. The time trend of adverse outcomes was analyzed using the chi-square trend test, inter-group comparison was conducted using the chi-square test, and binary logistic regression was employed to analyze influencing factors. Results From 2011 to 2022, 10, 820 elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis had adverse outcomes in Guizhou Province, with an adverse outcome rate of 12.91 %. The rate of adverse outcomes increased from 2011 to 2015 (χtrend² = 62.080, P < 0.001), and decreased from 2016 to 2022 (χtrend² = 38.163, P < 0.001). Regarding regional distribution, Bijie City had the highest rate of adverse outcomes, and TongrenCity had the lowest rate (% = 808. 188, P < 0.001). The results of multivariate analysis showed that compared with the patients who were female, ethnic minorities, 65-69 years old, without comorbidities, newly treated, pathogenic negative, and without other tuberculosis, the patients were more likely to develop tuberculosis. Male (OR = 1.323, 95% CI = 1.267-1.380), Han ethnic group (OR = 1.168, 95% CI = 1.117-1.222), 70-74 years old (OR = 1.244,95% CI = 1.181-1.310),75-79 years old (Oft = 1.612, 95% CI = 1) 525-1.704), ≥80 years old (OR = 2.322, 95% CI = 2.178-2.476), comorbidities (OR = 1.261, 95% CI = 1.179-1.348), retreatment (OR = 1.526, 95% CI = 1.423-1.636), positive pathogen (OR = 1.244, 95% CI = 1.181-1.310) and other tuberculosis (OR = 1.245, 95% CI = 1.161-1.336) were risk factors for poor outcomes. Conclusion Since the implementation of the "13th Five-Year Plan" for tuberculosis prevention and treatment, the adverse outcome rate of elderly tuberculosis patients in Guizhou Province has shown a gradual decreasing trend, but the distribution of the adverse outcome rate is uneven, which suggests that we need to continue to maintain a high degree of vigilance and strengthen preventive and control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a condition that occurs when individuals under the age of 16 develop arthritis that lasts for more than six weeks, and the cause is unknown. The development of JIA may be linked to serum metabolites. Nevertheless, the association between JIA pathogenesis and serum metabolites is unclear, and there are discrepancies in the findings across studies. Methods: In this research, the association between JIA in humans and 486 serum metabolites was assessed using genetic variation data and genome-wide association study. The identification of causal relationships was accomplished through the application of univariate Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Various statistical methods, including inverse variance weighted and MR-Egger, were applied to achieve this objective. To ensure that the findings from the MR analysis were trustworthy, a number of assessments were carried out. To ensure the accuracy of the obtained results, a range of techniques were utilised including the Cochran Q test, examination of the MR-Egger intercept, implementation of the leave-one-out strategy, and regression analysis of linkage disequilibrium scores. In order to identify the specific metabolic pathways associated with JIA, our primary objective was to perform pathway enrichment analysis using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. Results: Two-sample summary data MR analyses and sensitivity analyses showed that five metabolites were significantly causally associated with JIA, including two risk factors—kynurenine (odds ratio [OR]: 16.39, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.07-129.63, p = 5.11 × 10− 6) and linolenate (OR: 16.48, 95% CI: 1.32-206.22, p = 0.030)—and three protective factors—3-dehydrocarnitine (OR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.14–0.72, p = 0.007), levulinate (4-oxovalerate) (OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.20–0.80, p = 0.010), and X-14,208 (phenylalanylserine) (OR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.51–0.92, p = 0.010). Furthermore, seven metabolic pathways, including α-linolenic acid metabolism and pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, are potentially associated with the onset and progression of JIA. Conclusion: Five serum metabolites, including kynurenine and 3-dehydrocarnitine, may be causally associated with JIA. These results provide a theoretical framework for developing effective JIA prevention and screening strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CircRNAs are abnormally expressed in various cancers and play an important role in the occurrence and development of cancers. However, their biological functions and the underlying molecular mechanisms in pancreatic cancer (PC) metastasis are incompletely understood. Differentially expressed circRNAs were identified by second‐generation transcriptome sequencing in three pairs of PC tissues and adjacent tissues. The expression and prognostic significance of hsa_circ_0007919 were evaluated by qRT‐PCR and Kaplan–Meier survival curves. Gain‐ and loss‐of‐function assays were conducted to detect the role of hsa_circ_0007919 in PC metastasis in vitro. A lung metastasis model and IHC experiments were conducted to confirm the effects of hsa_circ_0007919 on tumor metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, RNA immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were conducted to explore the interplay among hsa_circ_0007919, Sp1, and the THBS1 promoter. hsa_circ_0007919 was significantly upregulated in PC tissues and cells and was correlated with lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and poor prognosis. Knockdown of hsa_circ_0007919 significantly suppressed the migration and invasion of PC cells in vitro and inhibited tumor metastasis in vivo. However, overexpression of hsa_circ_0007919 exerted the opposite effects. Mechanistically, hsa_circ_0007919 could recruit the transcription factor Sp1 to inhibit THBS1 transcription, thereby facilitating PC metastasis. hsa_circ_0007919 can promote the metastasis of PC by inhibiting THBS1 expression. hsa_circ_0007919 may be a potential therapeutic target in PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning-based models have achieved impressive results across various practical fields. However, these models are susceptible to attacks. Recent research has demonstrated that adversarial samples can significantly decrease the accuracy of deep learning models. This susceptibility poses considerable challenges for their use in security applications. Various methods have been developed to enhance model robustness by training with more effective and generalized adversarial examples. However, these approaches tend to compromise model accuracy. Currently proposed detection methods mainly focus on speech adversarial samples generated by specified white-box attack models. In this study, leveraging manifold learning technology, a method is proposed to detect whether a speech input is an adversarial sample before feeding it into the recognition model. The method is designed to detect speech adversarial samples generated by black-box attack models and achieves a detection success rate of 84.73%. It identifies the low-dimensional manifold of training samples and measures the distance of a sample under investigation to this manifold to determine its adversarial nature. This technique enables the preprocessing detection of adversarial audio samples before their introduction into the deep learning model, thereby preventing adversarial attacks without affecting model robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the quest to enhance the mechanical properties of CuP alloys, particularly focusing on the Cu3P phase, this study introduces a comprehensive investigation into the effects of various alloying elements on the alloy's performance. In this paper, the first principle of density universal function theory and the projection-enhanced wave method under VASP 5.4.4 software are used to recalculate the lattice constants, evaluate the lattice stability, and explore the mechanical properties of selected doped elements such as In, Si, V, Al, Bi, Nb, Sc, Ta, Ti, Y and Zr, including shear, stiffness, compression, and plasticity. The investigation reveals that strategic doping with In and Si significantly enhances shear resistance and stiffness, while V addition notably augments compressive resistance. Furthermore, incorporating Al, Bi, Nb, Sc, Ta, Ti, V, Y, and Zr has substantially improved plasticity, indicating a broad spectrum of mechanical enhancement through precise alloying. Crucially, the validation of our computational models is demonstrated through hardness experiments on Si and Sn-doped specimens, corroborating the theoretical predictions. Additionally, a meticulous analysis of the states' density further confirms our computational approach's accuracy and reliability. This study highlights the potential of targeted alloying to tailor the mechanical properties of Cu3P alloys and establishes a robust theoretical framework for predicting the effects of doping in metallic alloys. The findings presented herein offer valuable insights and a novel perspective on material design and optimization, marking a significant stride toward developing advanced materials with customized mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare emotional responses elicited by four cosmetic products on different sensory modalities (smell, visual, and touch), and analyze the link between objective instrumental analysis results and subjective evaluation of participants occurring within dimensional valence‐arousal model of emotions. Methods: In this study, four cream products exhibiting variations in olfactory perception, visual appearance and perception usability were selected. Electroencephalography (EEG) and a subjective emotion scale were used to assess participants' emotional responses during the sensory experience of utilizing the creams. Results: The study revealed that the objective emotional valence and arousal of different cream products exhibited certain variations at distinct stages of usage. The trend of valence differences induced by different products measured by EEG at the same stage was almost as same as measured by subjective evaluation. The correspondence between the valence measured by EEG closely approximated that obtained through subjective evaluation across various products at distinct stages of usage. These findings demonstrate a significant correlation between EEG‐based valence and subjective valence, however, no such relationship was observed for arousal. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the feasibility of using EEG as a method to assess emotions elicited by various stages of cosmetics application, including smelling, looking, rubbing, and afterfeel. This technique serves as a valuable supplement to traditional methods for examining emotional responses by providing more objective evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A group of new iridium(III) complexes were rationally designed and synthesized with 2‐phenylbenzo[d]oxazole (bo), 2‐phenylbenzo[d]thiazole (bt), 2‐(thiophen‐2‐yl)benzo[d]thiazole (thbt), and 2‐(selenophen‐2‐yl)benzo[d]thiazole (sebt) as C^N ligands and bis(diphenylthiophosphoryl)amide (S‐tpip) as ancillary ligand. They are phosphorescent in a wide region of green to red with short lifetimes around 0.31–0.98 μs and quantum yields up to 64.7%. The detailed photophysical properties were investigated by experiment and further supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculation. These research results show that the spectroscopic properties are tuned by the replacement between oxygen, sulfur, and selenium or the change in aromatic ring. It has been demonstrated that the lowest energy‐level absorption and emission are dominated apparently by C^N ligands, and are ascribed to metal‐to‐ligand charge transfer (MLCT) and intra‐ligand charge transfer (ILCT) characters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The association between dietary selenium(Se) intake and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains controversial. The present study aimed to investigate this association using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database for the years 2007–2012. Methods: Three thousand seventy three individuals aged 20 years and above were eligible for inclusion in this cross-sectional study. The average age of the participants was 50.74 years and the proportions of males and females were nearly equal (49.12% vs. 50.88%). The odds ratios (OR) of the association between dietary Se intake (log2-transformed) and T2DM were examined through the multivariate logistic regression model. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on age, sex, and thyroid autoimmunity to assess the potential impact of these variables on the relationship. Fitted smoothing curves and threshold effect analysis were conducted to describe the nonlinear relationship. Results: In the fully adjusted model, a significant positive association between Se intake and T2DM was observed (OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.16, 1.90, p = 0.0017). After stratifying the data by age, sex, and thyroid autoimmunity, a significant positive association between Se intake and T2DM was observed in individuals under 65 years of age, males, and those with negative thyroid autoimmunity. A two-segment linear regression model was analyzed for sex stratification, revealing a threshold effect in males with an inflection point of 90.51 μg, and an inverted U-shaped relationship in females with an inflection point of 109.90 μg, respectively. Conclusions: The present study found a positive relationship between Se intake and the prevalence of T2DM. This association is particularly significant in younger individuals, males, and those with negative thyroid autoimmunity. Our results should be validated in future large prospective studies in different populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper phosphides are promising materials for energy conversion applications because of their unique electronic structure and controllable composition. Two stoichiometric copper phosphides, CuP2 and Cu3P, were prepared by direct wet-chemical synthesis using red phosphorus. They were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The precursor selection, reaction temperature, time and solvent composition were also studied. CuP2 is the thermodynamically more stable product, but Cu3P is more commonly obtained. This work demonstrated that higher temperature helps in CuP2 formation. More importantly, using more trioctylphosphine oxide helps control the morphology leading to crystal growth along the crystallographic a-axis. CuP2 and Cu3P were tested for hydrogen evolution, oxygen evolution, and oxygen reduction reactions. CuP2 works better for HER in acidic conditions and OER in general, and Cu3P showed better activity than CuP2 for HER and ORR in an alkaline medium. This study has led to a simple approach to the synthesis of CuP2 nanowires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) remains a challenging problem, and the impact on the risk of overall mortality (OM) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) in patients following allo-HSCT is still controversial. Utilizing the evidence mapping method, we aimed to assess the effect of CMV infection on outcomes of patients post-transplantation and identify research gaps through systematic reviews (SRs) and clinical studies. PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane library databases were searched from inception until 5 July 2022 to identify relevant literature. After systematic literature screening and data extraction, evidence mapping of the effects of CMV reactivation on patients post-allo-HSCT was conducted. Three SRs and 22 clinical studies were included. In one SR, CMV reactivation was associated with an increased risk of mortality (HR 1.46; 95% CI, 1.24–1.72; P ≤ 0.001). In two SRs, CMV reactivation was associated with NRM. One SR reported CMV reactivation was potentially associated with significant protection against relapse in patients with acute myelocytic leukemia (AML), but no significant correlation with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was found. Lastly, in one SR CMV reactivation significantly increased the risk of invasive fungal disease (IFD). Most clinical articles reported that CMV reactivation increased the risk of renal dysfunction, poor graft function, re-hospitalization, and bacterial infections. CMV reactivation following allo-HSCT is associated with an increased risk of OM, NRM, IFD, and renal dysfunction, as well as a reduced risk of relapse in patients with AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the development of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) technology, increasing numbers of elderly patients were undergoing allogeneic HSCT and elderly patients with hematologic malignancies could benefit most from it. Preformed donor-specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies (DSA) were associated with graft failure in HLA-mismatched allogeneic HSCT and the absence of DSA was the main criterion of selecting the donor. Except for sensitization events such as transfusion, pregnancy or previous transplantation, ageing affects the humoral immune response both quantitatively and qualitatively. To evaluate the prevalence and distribution of anti-HLA and antibodies of MHC class I chain related antigens A (MICA) specificities in different age groups before initial HSCT would provide HLA and MICA specific antibody profiles under the impact of ageing, which could provide meaningful information in the process of selecting suitable HLA-mismatched donors by avoiding preformed DSA. Results: There were no significant differences in the distribution of anti-HLA class I, class II and anti-MICA antibodies among the three age groups in this study except that a significant lower negative ratio of anti-HLA class I, class II antibodies and higher positive rate of MICA antibodies with maximum mean fluorescent intensity (MFI) > 5000 in the elderly than in young age group. The distribution of antibody specificities against HLA -A, -B, -C, -DR, -DQ, -DP and MICA antigens in the three age groups were generally consistent. The anti-HLA class I antibody specificities with higher frequencies were A80,A68;B76,B45;Cw17, which were unlikely to become DSA in Chinese. Anti-HLA class II antibody specificities were more likely to become potential DSA than class I.DR7, DR9, DQ7, DQ8 and DQ9 were most likely to become potential DSA. Conclusions: The prevalence of anti-HLA and anti-MICA antibodies increased slightly as age increased. While ageing had a small impact on the distribution of antibody specificity frequencies against HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR,-DQ, -DP and MICA antigens in recipients awaiting initial HSCT from East China. The risk of developing preformed DSA was basically consistent in the three age groups and the elderly group might be more favorable in HLA-mismatched HSCT due to higher positive rate of anti-MICA antibody. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deep shale of the Wufeng–Longmaxi Formation in the southern Sichuan Basin has high gas potential. The development characteristics of lamination could significantly impact reservoir property. Samples were investigated using microscopic observation, element analysis, organic petrology analysis, mineralogy analysis, and pore structure analysis to determine the types of laminae and laminasets, clarify the formation conditions of argillaceous lamina and silty lamina as well as their relationships with the sedimentary environment, and explore the influence of laminae on shale reservoir property. Results indicate that the Wufeng Formation shale exhibits weak development of laminae due to bioturbation, while the Longmaxi Formation shale develops continuous, parallel, and plate-like laminae. Compared with light silty lamina-rich shale, dark argillaceous lamina-rich shale usually develops in an anoxic reduction environment, with higher total organic carbon content, porosity, pore volume, specific surface area, and more developed organic matter pores, which can provide greater space for shale gas adsorption and storage. Shales in the middle section of the Longmaxi Formation are characterized by the development of silty-argillaceous interbedded type laminaset, which have good reservoir performance, making them the primary target for deep shale gas exploration and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review recent progress in the electronic structure study of intrinsic magnetic topological insulators (MnBi2Te4) · (Bi2Te3)n (⁠|$n\ = \ 0,\ 1,\ 2,\ 3$|⁠) family. Specifically, we focus on the ubiquitously (nearly) gapless behavior of the topological Dirac surface state observed by photoemission spectroscopy, even though a large Dirac gap is expected because of surface ferromagnetic order. The dichotomy between experiment and theory concerning this gap behavior is perhaps the most critical and puzzling question in this frontier. We discuss various proposals accounting for the lack of magnetic effect on the topological Dirac surface state, which are mainly categorized into two pictures, magnetic reconfiguration and topological surface state redistribution. Band engineering towards opening a magnetic gap of topological surface states provides great opportunities to realize quantized topological transport and axion electrodynamics at higher temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon carbide (SiC) devices can be used in high-temperature conditions due to advancements in packaging technology and manufacturing processes. However, a systematic evaluation of SiC device performances at high temperatures is necessary. First, this study implements a number of static tests on SiC MOSFETs from several manufacturers in environments up to 230 °C to obtain the variation patterns of SiC MOSFET static parameters at different temperatures and to characterize the static properties of SiC MOSFETs at high temperatures. Second, the long-term high-temperature tolerances of 200 °C devices and 175 °C conventional commercial devices are compared. Static test results at different aging stages show that the performance for each device type changes to different degrees at high temperatures. However, these devices have recovery characteristics during the process of cooling to room temperature. Finally, the static parameter characteristics of SiC MOSFETs are summarized in terms of time and temperature to provide a theoretical basis for applying SiC power devices at high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple infections are a key component of HPV pathogenesis and have a direct impact on how an infection turns out. It's crucial to look at the associations between HPV multiple infections and both age and HPV genotypes in the Chinese population, searching for the causative factors of multiple infections with a view to providing new ideas for the treatment and prevention of multiple infections. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the data of HPV infections among outpatients from the 2019 year to the 2021 year of Shandong Maternal and Child Health Hospital. Analyzed the correlation between HPV multiple infections and age using logistic regression. Differences in the percentage of multiple infections between age groups were compared using the chi-square test. The chi-square test compared the differences in the distribution of 15 common HPV genotypes in mono- versus multiple infections. A two-dimensional matrix presented the frequency of HPV genotype combinations. Logistics regression analysis showed that age was significantly associated with the occurrence of multiple infections, with a dominance ratio OR 1.026 (95% CI 1.02–1.04). Interestingly, the proportion of HPV multiple infections among HPV-positive individuals increases with age in people older than 30 years of age. The chi-square test showed there was a difference in the distribution of HPV genotypes between multiple infections and mono- HPV infection (χ2 = 76.4; p = 0.000), a difference in the composition of HPV genotypes for dual versus single infections (χ2 = 90.6; p = 0.000) and a difference in HPV genotypes for triple versus single infections (χ2 = 56.7; p = 0.000). A 2 × 2 matrix showed that the combination of HPV52/HPV58 (30; 6.4%) was the combination of the highest frequency of infection for dual infections; The HPV52/HPV58 (21; 4.8%) combination was the highest frequency of HPV triple infection combination. HPV multiple infections were positively correlated with age; increasing age was positively correlated with the proportion of HPV multiple infections in the total infected population; the distribution of the 15 common genotypes of HPV differed between multiple infections and single infections; and HPV52:58 was a common type of infection combination in the Shandong population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gorals Naemorhedus resemble both goats and antelopes, which prompts much debate about the intragenus species delimitation and phylogenetic status of the genus Naemorhedus within the subfamily Caprinae. Their evolution is believed to be linked to the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). To better understand its phylogenetics, the genetic information is worth being resolved. Results : Based on a sample from the eastern margin of QTP, we constructed the first reference genome for Himalayan goral Naemorhedus goral, using PacBio long-read sequencing and Hi-C technology. The 2.59 Gb assembled genome had a contig N50 of 3.70 Mb and scaffold N50 of 106.66 Mb, which anchored onto 28 pseudo chromosomes. A total of 20,145 protein-coding genes were predicted in the assembled genome, of which 99.93% were functionally annotated. Phylogenetically, the goral was closely related to muskox on the mitochondrial genome level and nested into the takin-muskox clade on the genome tree, rather than other so-called goat-antelopes. The cladogenetic event among muskox, takin and goral occurred sequentially during the late Miocene (~ 11 − 5 Mya), when the QTP experienced a third dramatic uplift with consequent profound changes in climate and environment. Several chromosome fusions and translocations were observed between goral and takin/muskox. The expanded gene families in the goral genome were mainly related to the metabolism of drugs and diseases, so as the positive selected genes. The Ne of goral continued to decrease since ~ 1 Mya during the Pleistocene with active glaciations. Conclusion: The high-quality goral genome provides insights into the evolution and valuable information for the conservation of this threatened group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) represents the autoimmune disorder that shows aggressive arthritis as the main symptom. It is difficult to treat and can lead to joint deformation and function loss. At present, Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) antigen has attracted much attention because it plays a role in host immune regulatory mechanisms. Therefore, we selected T. spiralis recombinant protein 43 (Tsp43) to treat the bovine collagen type II (BCII)-induced mice RA model and explored its therapeutic mechanisms. This work first verified that Tsp43 could promote the expression of indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO) in dendritic cells (DCs) in vitro. Then, we randomized BALB/c mice (8 weeks old) into six groups, including control, phosphate buffer saline (PBS), BCII, BCII + heat inactivated Tsp43 (HiTsp43), BCII + Tsp43, and BCII + Tsp43 + 1-methyl-troptophan (1-MT) groups. To determine the therapeutic effect of Tsp43 on the BCII-induced mice RA model, relevant cytokines in each group and pathological changes in ankle joints were detected. To explore the mechanisms of Tsp43 on the BCII-induced mice RA model, we checked the expression of IDO in each group, CD4+T cell proliferation, and apoptosis. Collectively, Tsp43 decreased tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) expression in BCII-induced mice RA model and recovered the ankle injury to a certain extent. Tsp43 promoted high expression of IDO, caused expression of related apoptotic proteins in CD4+T cells, and caused apoptosis in CD4+T cells. In addition, Tsp43 reduced the proliferation of CD4+T cells. However, these effects can be inhibited by 1-MT (IDO inhibitor). These results suggested that Tsp43 played an important role in the treatment of arthritis by inhibiting the proliferation of CD4+T cells and inducing CD4+T cells apoptosis through the high expression of IDO. The purpose of this experiment was to provide a new idea for the treatment of RA and lay a foundation for the development of parasite-derived drugs for the treatment of RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the multipartite entanglement generation and dynamics of three giant atoms coupling to a one-dimensional waveguide. By solving the time-delayed differential equations, we obtain the time evolution of the three-atom resulted state and concentrate on the non-Markovian effect, which is induced by the fact that the photon transmission time is taken into account, on the entanglement generation and dynamics. Our results imply that the multipartite entanglement generation and dynamics depend strongly on the accumulated phase characterizing the distance between the coupling points and the time delay for photon propagation in the waveguide. For the zero time delay, the entanglement generation takes a monotonic behavior. For the nonzero time delay, the entanglement generation and dynamics take an oscillation behavior to a stable value or to zero. The effect of different initial states on the multipartite entanglement generation is discussed. Under certain condition, the long-lived entangled state can be generated and the initial entangled state can preserve its entanglement in the time evolution. Our results can contribute to the understanding of multipartite entanglement generation of giant atoms coupling to a one-dimensional waveguide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-dimensional entanglement offers promising perspectives in quantum information science. Characterizing the dynamics of entanglement in high-dimensional state spaces is a necessary prerequisite towards practical quantum information processing. Here, we study the entanglement dynamics of two three-level giant atoms coupling to a one-dimensional waveguide. Our results imply that the entanglement evolution is enhanced by a large accumulated phase for the time delay with small values, while for the large time delay, the entanglement is robust to the change of the accumulated phase. With regard to the effect of the Rabi frequency and atoms' detuning, the entanglement evolution takes a controversial behavior for initial entangled states coupling to the waveguide or to the classical field. Our analysis may contribute to understanding of entanglement dynamics of qutrit systems coupling to a one-dimensional waveguide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Electrospun nanofibers could simulate the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) of the host bone, while minocycline (MINO) is a broad-spectrum tetracycline antibiotic which has been found to have multiple non-antibiotics biological effects that promotes osteogenesis in vitro and in vivo. OBJECTIVE: The present study aims at constructing a polylactic acid (PLA) electrospun nanofiber membrane loaded with MINO to enhance Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) adhesion and proliferation for early clinical treatment. METHODS: The MINO-PLA membrane were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and in vitro drug release study. The antibacterial ability was also investigated. In addition, in vitro cellular proliferation experiment was performed to verify whether the PLA electrospun nanofibers membrane loaded with MINO enhance BMSCs adhesion and proliferation. RESULTS: Analyzing the drug release and cell growth results, it was found that only the effective concentration of MINO-PLA could help the growth of BMSCs in the short term. This is related to the drug release rate of MINO-PLA and the initial concentration of MINO. CONCLUSION: This study shows that by controlling the concentration and release rate of MINO with electrospinning PLA, BMSCs could proliferate on it, and a new bone repair material had been made in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To analyze and evaluate the clinical value of hetrombopag in cancer therapy-induced thrombocytopenia (CTIT) caused by antitumor therapy for malignant tumors and to provide scientific evidence support for clinical application in the real-world setting. Methods. The clinical data of CTIT patients with advanced solid tumors who received hetrombopag were analyzed retrospectively. The proportion of patients with different characteristics who recovered platelet count to ≥75 × 109/L at day 14 and the effective rate of platelet elevation was compared by the χ2 test or Fisher exact probability method. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. A total of 60 CTIT patients who received hetrombopag at our site from July 2021 to October 2022 were finally included in this study. The proportion of patients who achieved therapeutic effect within (7 ± 2) days after treatment was 26.7% (16/60), among which 20.0% (12/60) patients had platelet count recovered to ≥100 × 109/L, and 25.0% (15/60) patients had platelet count increase from baseline ≥50 × 109/L. Within (14 ± 2) days of treatment with hetrombopag, 66.7% (40/60) of patients achieved treatment response, of whom 56.7% (34/60) had platelet counts ≥100 × 109/L and 53.3% (32/60) had platelet counts ≥50 × 109/L increase from baseline. In addition, no treatment-related adverse events occurred during the treatment period. Conclusion. This retrospective study provides preliminary evidence that hetrombopag increases platelets in CTIT patients receiving antitumor therapy for advanced solid tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driving behavior has frequently been overlooked in previous road traffic crash research. Hereby, abnormal (extreme) driving behavior data transmitted by the onboard navigation systems were collected for vehicles involved in traffic crashes, including sharp-lane-change, sharp-acceleration, and sudden-braking behaviors. Using these data in conjunction with expressway crash records, multiple classification learners were trained to establish a behavior-driven risk prediction model. To further investigate the influence of driving behavior on crash risk, partial dependence plots (PDPs) were applied. Regression analyses indicate that models have a stronger effect when derivative features such as frequency of specific deviant behavior, speed, and acceleration in the behavior process are included. The behavioral RUSBoost model surpasses other models, achieving an AUC prediction metric of 0.782 and outperforming traditional traffic-flow-driven machine learning models. PDP analysis demonstrates that the sudden-braking behavior is the leading contributory factor of expressway crashes, particularly when the acceleration exceeds 0.5 G. This study confirms the potential of predicting crash risks through augmenting behavior data from navigation software; the findings lay a foundation for countermeasures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of zinc sulphate on the activities of different enzymes and metabolites of Pholiota adiposa. In the experiment, we used the conventional enzyme activity assay to determine the changes of six indicators, including protein content, laccase activity, cellulase activity, amylase activity and polyphenol oxidase activity, under different concentrations of zinc sulphate treatment. The results showed that the activities of amylase, laccase, cellulase and peroxidase were Zn2+(200)>Zn2+(0)>Zn2+(400)>Zn2+(800).The activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase were Zn2+(200)>Zn2+(400)>Zn2+(800), and zinc sulfate could significantly affect the activity of polylipic squamase in a dose-dependent manner. Further correlation analysis showed that all six enzyme activities were significantly correlated with each other (P<001); the results of the statistical model test showed that the regression model constructed was statistically significant; overall the residuals met the conditions of normal distribution, and the corresponding points of different enzyme activities Q—Q' were more evenly distributed around y = x, and all fell in the 90% acceptance interval, thus the series was considered to obey normal distribution; the results of the principal The results of the principal component analysis showed that principal component 1 was positively correlated with amylase, laccase and cellulase. Principal component 2 was positively correlated with superoxide dismutase and catalase, and negatively correlated with peroxidase. The analysis of Metabonomic data revealed that zinc sulfate had a significant impact on the expression of metabolites in the mycelium. Moreover, varying concentrations of zinc sulfate exerted significant effects on the levels of amino acids, organic acids, and gluconic acid. This conclusion was confirmed by other experimental data. The results of the study provide a scientific reference for better research, development and utilization of Pholiota adiposa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a member of the PGAMs family, PGAM2 has been proved to catalyze the reversible reaction of 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PGA) to 2-phosphoglycerate (2-PGA) in the glycolytic pathway. However, it is unclear whether PGAM2 has a role in regulating differentiation in goat intramuscular preadipocytes. Here, this study was carried to clone the open reading frame (ORF) of goat PGAM2, elucidate its molecular and expressional characteristics, and evaluate the involvement in adipogenesis of intramuscular preadipocytes. According to our findings, the cloned goat PGAM2 gene was 784 bp in full length, including 762 bp of ORF and encoding a protein of 253 amino acids. The expressional level of PGAM2 peaked at 48 hours after induced adipogenic differentiation and was highest in the skeletal muscle of triceps. Moreover, overexpression of PGAM2 transfected by its overexpression plasmid promotes lipid accumulation of goat intramuscular adipocyte as shown by Oil Red O and bodipy staining, accompanied by up-regulating the mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) (p < 0.001), sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1) (p < 0.001), CCAAT/Enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα) (p < 0.01) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) (p < 0.01). Taken together, these findings indicate that PGAM2 is a positive regulator for goat intramuscular adipocytes and provide new insights into improvement intramuscular fat deposition in goat meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the intensive development of animal husbandry, the demand for feed soybean meal increases. In order to promote the development of animal husbandry and ensure the supply and quality safety of feed in China, it is necessary to reduce the proportion of soybean meal and increase the development of protein feed resources and the supply of highquality feed. Cottonseed meal has high protein content, and the vitamin content is similar to that of soybean meal. Compared with soybean meal, cottonseed meal has a wide range of sources and is more affordable. However, cottonseed meal contains gossypol, which limits its application in animal production. Therefore, the dephenolization technology of cottonseed meal, the application of cottonseed meal instead of soybean meal in animal production and matters needing attention are summarized in the paper, which provides a reference for resource utilization of cottonseed meal, reducing livestock and poultry breeding cost and improving animal product quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was to determine the effects of year, month and parity on the milk yield, milk protein rate, milk fat rate, urea nitrogen, persistence and somatic cell number of dairy cows. The 400 432 DHI data of dairy cows from 26 dairy farms in Shihezi City, Xinjiang from 2016 to 2022 were collected, and the DHI data of different years, months and parities were analyzed by SPSS 26 statistical software. The results showed that the milk yield in 2021 and 2022 was significantly higher than that in other years (P<0.05), the milk fat rate in 2019 and 2020 was significantly higher than that in other years (P<0.05), and the somatic cell number in 2016 was significantly higher than that in other years (P<0.05). The milk protein percentage from April to August was significantly lower than that in other months (P<0.05). The content of urea nitrogen in September was significantly higher than that in other months (P<0.05). The milk yield and somatic cell count in the second parity were significantly higher than those in other parities except the first parity (P<0.05). The milk yield, milk protein rate, milk fat rate and durability in the second to the fourth parities were relatively higher. The study indicates that the production performance of large-scale dairy farms in Northern Xinjiang (Shihezi City) is significantly related to the year, month and parity. It is of great significance to increase the proportion of cows in the second to the fourth parity and to rationally prepare the rations from April to August to improve the production performance, milk quality and economic benefit of the dairy cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trap states in organic semiconductors are notoriously detrimental to the performance of organic electronics. However, the origin and energetics of trap states remain largely elusive and under debate, especially for bulk‐heterojunction (BHJ) photodiodes consisting of electron donor and acceptor materials. Combining three sensitive techniques now enables locating the origin and energy of trap states in six state‐of‐the‐art polymer – non‐fullerene acceptor organic photodiodes (OPDs) with noise‐based specific detectivities exceeding 1013 Jones. Analyzing the temperature dependence of the reverse‐bias dark current density (Jd) identifies intra‐gap states in the polymers, lying 0.3−0.4 eV above the energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital, as being responsible for Jd. Sub‐bandgap external quantum efficiency spectra of donor‐only and acceptor‐only diodes confirm that intra‐gap states are much more abundant in the polymers. Likewise, responsivity measurements at ultra‐low light intensities (10−7 mW cm−2) show trap‐mediated charge recombination in BHJ and polymer‐only diodes, but not in acceptor‐only devices. The results imply that to further improve the specific detectivity of near‐infrared OPDs, the intra‐gap state energy, and density need to be reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important roles in the occurrence and development of cancer and chemoresistance. DNA damage repair contributes to the proliferation of cancer cells and resistance to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. However, the role of circRNAs in the regulation of DNA damage repair needs clarification. Methods: RNA sequencing analysis was applied to identify the differentially expressed circRNAs. qRT-PCR was conducted to confirm the expression of hsa_circ_0007919, and CCK-8, FCM, single-cell gel electrophoresis and IF assays were used to analyze the proliferation, apoptosis and gemcitabine (GEM) resistance of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells. Xenograft model and IHC experiments were conducted to confirm the effects of hsa_circ_0007919 on tumor growth and DNA damage in vivo. RNA sequencing and GSEA were applied to confirm the downstream genes and pathways of hsa_circ_0007919. FISH and nuclear-cytoplasmic RNA fractionation experiments were conducted to identify the cellular localization of hsa_circ_0007919. ChIRP, RIP, Co-IP, ChIP, MS-PCR and luciferase reporter assays were conducted to confirm the interaction among hsa_circ_0007919, FOXA1, TET1 and the LIG1 promoter. Results: We identified a highly expressed circRNA, hsa_circ_0007919, in GEM-resistant PDAC tissues and cells. High expression of hsa_circ_0007919 correlates with poor overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of PDAC patients. Hsa_circ_0007919 inhibits the DNA damage, accumulation of DNA breaks and apoptosis induced by GEM in a LIG1-dependent manner to maintain cell survival. Mechanistically, hsa_circ_0007919 recruits FOXA1 and TET1 to decrease the methylation of the LIG1 promoter and increase its transcription, further promoting base excision repair, mismatch repair and nucleotide excision repair. At last, we found that GEM enhanced the binding of QKI to the introns of hsa_circ_0007919 pre-mRNA and the splicing and circularization of this pre-mRNA to generate hsa_circ_0007919. Conclusions: Hsa_circ_0007919 promotes GEM resistance by enhancing DNA damage repair in a LIG1-dependent manner to maintain cell survival. Targeting hsa_circ_0007919 and DNA damage repair pathways could be a therapeutic strategy for PDAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although prior research has found outdoor activities to be an important effect on employee well-being, the mechanisms of their effect are understudied. This study integrated the Broaden-and-Build Theory, Attention Restoration Theory and Cognitive Assessment Theory to examine the relation between passion for outdoor activities (two dimensions, namely, harmonious passion, obsessive passion) and employee well-being (three dimensions, namely, life well-being, workplace well-being, psychological well-being) by the mediating role of nature connectedness and the moderating role of environmental identity.Participants and Methods: Data were collected from 403 employees of Guangxi enterprises in China. The structural equation model was constructed using AMOS and SmartPLS to test the hypotheses proposed in this study.Results: Our results confirm that harmonious passion for outdoor activities had a positive effect on employee nature connectedness, workplace well-being and psychological well-being. Obsessive passion for outdoor activities had a negative effect on employee nature connectedness, life well-being and psychological well-being. Natural connectedness has a positive effect on all three dimensions of employee well-being. Nature connectedness mediates between harmonious passion for outdoor activities and all three dimensions of employee well-being. Environmental identity positively moderated the relationship between nature connectedness and the three dimensions of employee well-being. Harmonious passion for outdoor activities has no direct effect on employee life well-being. Obsessive passion for outdoor activities had no direct effect on employee workplace well-being.Conclusion: This study reveals the mechanism of passion for outdoor activities on employee well-being from a new perspective and unveils that the two dimensions of passion for outdoor activities have different effects on employees' life well-being, workplace well-being, and psychological well-being. Business managers should give attention to the benefits of outdoor activities and nature connectedness for their employees, through which they can relieve stress at work, recover attention and improve well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulsation frequencies offer a unique opportunity to probe the interior of hot B subdwarf (sdB) stars. In this study, we present the results by analysing the pulsation properties of the sdB star TIC 293165262 using the TESS 21-sector photometry in Cycles 1, 3 and 5. Fifteen significant frequencies were detected within the frequency range of <500 μ Hz, all of which were identified as low-frequency g-mode oscillations. By analysing the two resolved incomplete multiplets with spacings of ∼ 0.056 and ∼ 0.099 μ Hz, we derived a rotational period of 99.8 ± 1.8 days, indicating that TIC 293165262 is a relatively slow rotating single sdB star. The period spacings of ℓ = 1 and ℓ = 2 sequences were determined as 264 and 154 s, respectively, which resulted in a mode discriminant of seven ℓ = 1 modes, three ℓ = 2 modes and two satisfied the both. During the five observational segments, the frequency and amplitude variations of six significant pulsations were clearly observed, revealing nonlinear weak mode interactions. These linear and nonlinear properties of pulsations in TIC 293165262 highlighted the continuous provision of high-quality photometry for pulsating sdB stars by the TESS mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The whistler-mode wave is an electromagnetic wave that commonly occurs in space plasma and has been extensively studied, especially within the Earth's magnetosphere. They have also been reported in the near-Mars space, such as Martian upstream solar wind, crustal magnetic field, ionopause, and the magnetic reconnection ion diffusion region. However, the generation of whistler-mode waves in the Martian magnetotail current sheet is still unclear. Based on observations made by Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft, we report whistler-mode waves observed within a train of proton-scale magnetic dips during a Martian magnetotail current sheet crossing. The linear growth rate analyses demonstrate that the whistler-mode waves are locally generated within the magnetic dips. Unlike in Earth's plasma environment, the train of magnetic dips in the Martian plasma sheet is attributed to electron mirror-mode instability. Our finding suggests that the mirror-mode structure in the Martian magnetotail can be an important source region for generating whistler-mode waves. This provides a new insight into how whistler-mode waves are generated in unmagnetized planets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern cutting-edge technologies have changed the appearance of the world and are presently working diligently to turn this partially automated world into a fully autonomous one. The primary players in this quest are the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and artificial intelligence. These technologies are game changers in almost all walks of life, including business, entertainment, healthcare, agriculture, education, etc. In the education sector, these technologies play their role to some extent, but there is still some room that needs to be filled in order to utilize the full potential of these technologies. For instance, there is very limited work in the literature that utilizes these technologies for developing college students' innovative and entrepreneurial skills. Thus, the main goal of this research is to investigate how big data analysis and IoT might be used by the professional associations of college students to encourage their growth of innovative and entrepreneurial skills. In this study, we tackled this issue in two ways: first, we thoroughly examined how IoT can help college students' professional associations for developing their innovative and entrepreneurial skills. More specifically, we used IoT to collect data on innovative and entrepreneurial skills from associations of college students. Secondly, we used a big data analytic algorithm, i.e., C4.5 decision tree, to calculate the knowledge acquisition rate for the professional associations of students' training in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation. The results are carefully evaluated, and a thorough comparison is made with relevant work from the literature. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method has a high degree of data classification accuracy and a high data throughput capacity as compared to state-of-the-art approaches. The proposed IoT and big data-enabled approach can significantly enhance college students' professional practice and employment capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The delivery mode, the feeding pattern and infant sex significantly influence the development of the infant gut flora. However, the extent to which these factors contribute to the establishment of the gut microbiota at different stages has rarely been studied. The factors that play a dominant role in determining microbial colonization of the infant gut at specific time points are unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess the different contributions of the delivery mode, the feeding pattern and infant sex to the composition of the infant gut microbiome. Here, 213 fecal samples from 55 infants at five ages (0, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum) were collected, and the composition of the gut microbiota via 16S rRNA sequencing was analyzed. The results showed that the average relative abundances of four genera, Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, and Phascolarctobacterium, were increased in vaginally delivered infants versus cesarean section-delivered infants, while those of ten genera, such as Salmonella and Enterobacter, were reduced. The relative proportions of Anaerococcus and Peptostreptococcaceae were higher in exclusive breastfeeding than in combined feeding, while those of Coriobacteriaceae, Lachnospiraceae and Erysipelotrichaceae were lower. The average relative abundances of two genera, Alistipes and Anaeroglobus, were increased in male infants compared with female infants, whereas those of the phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were reduced. During the first year of life, the average UniFrac distances revealed that the individual difference in the gut microbial composition in vaginally delivered infants was greater than that in cesarean section-delivered infants (P < 0.001) and that infants who received combined feeding had greater individual microbiota differences than exclusively breastfed infants (P < 0.01). The delivery mode, infant sex, and the feeding pattern were the dominant factors determining colonization of the infant gut microbiota at 0 months, from 1 to 6 months, and at 12 months postpartum, respectively. This study demonstrated for the first time that infant sex accounted for the dominant contribution to infant gut microbial development from 1 to 6 months postpartum. More broadly, this study effectively established the extent to which the delivery mode, the feeding pattern and infant sex contribute to the development of the gut microbiota at various time points during the first year of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Malaria is a global public health concern, mainly occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. Children infected with malaria are more likely to develop severe disease, which can be fatal. During COVID-19 in 2020, diagnosing and treating malaria became difficult. We analyzed the clinical characteristics and laboratory indicators of children with severe malaria in Benin to provide important information for designing effective prevention and treatment strategies to manage pediatric cases. Methods. Clinical characteristics of pediatric patients with severe malaria admitted to two hospitals in Benin (Central Hospital of Lokossa and Regional Hospital of Natitingou, located ∼650 kilometers apart) were collected from January to December 2020. Patients were grouped according to age (group A: 4–12 months old, group B: 13–36 months old, and group C: 37–60 months old), and clinical and laboratory indicators were compared. The incidences of severe pediatric malaria in both hospitals in 2020 were calculated. Inclusion, exclusion, and blood transfusion criteria were identified. Results. We analyzed 236 pediatric cases. The main clinical symptoms among all patients were severe anemia, vomiting, prostration, poor appetite, dysphoria, and dyspnea. Over 50% of patients in group A experienced vomiting and severe anemia. Most patients in group B had severe anemia and prostration. Delirium affected significantly more patients in group C than in groups A and B. In group C, the hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were significantly higher p < 0.05 , and the leukocyte count was significantly lower p < 0.01 than in groups A and B. Parasitemia was significantly higher in group C than in group A p < 0.01 . Twelve deaths occurred. Conclusions. Severe pediatric malaria is seasonal in Benin. The situation in children under 5 years old is poor. The main problems are severe disease conditions and high fatality rates. Effective approaches such as prevention and early and appropriate treatment are necessary to reduce the malaria burden in pediatric patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of organic photodetectors is steadily improving, and the specific detectivity, as a key figure of merit, has reached values of 1012–1013 Jones, i.e., comparable to that of silicon diodes but still considerably lower than the intrinsic limit. As with other semiconductor devices, the electrical performance of state‐of‐the art organic photodiodes (OPDs) is presently determined to a high degree by the presence of chemical impurities or structural defects which create carrier trapping states within the bandgap of organic active layer. This review aims to provide a comprehensive and timely account of trap‐assisted charge generation and recombination in OPDs, with emphasis on the impact of these phenomena on photodetector performance parameters such as, noise and dark current density, responsivity, response speed, and ultimately, specific detectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on an 81-year-old woman with an unusual skin condition characterized by erosions, pustules, and crusts on her scalp, which persisted for a year despite initial treatment with antibiotics, and her subsequent diagnosis and examination of the condition.

This study investigates how Chinese developers responded to the changing patterns of investment in residential real estate in Sydney since 2010. The analysis also outlines the key lessons for cities around the world with high levels of Chinese foreign buyers and developers, which may experience a similar foreign real estate investment decline as a result of changing dynamics in domestic real estate markets, changes in China, and/or wider changes in the global economy or other key global events. Unlike Chinese individual foreign real estate investors who largely exited the real estate market after 2017, Chinese property developers remained committed to the domestic market in Australia. As such, this analysis is framed by a period of individual foreign capital withdrawal and is focused on foreign developers rather than individual foreign real estate investors. The paper argues that focusing on the actions of foreign developers in a domestic real estate market is important because the organisational structure and business practices of foreign developers can be vastly different to those of domestic developers. The analysis shows that since 2017 Chinese developers responded in two ways to the changing residential real estate market in Sydney: (1) they revised their sales strategies to target different customer groups; and/or (2) they changed their building practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuropilin 1 (NRP1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein, nontyrosine kinase receptor that plays an important role in axonal growth and angiogenesis in the nervous system. Although currently more and more studies have shown that NRP1 plays an important role in some cancers, no systematic pan‐cancer analysis of NRP‐1 has been performed to date. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the associated immune function and prognostic value of NRP1 in 33 tumors of various cancer types. In this study, based on The Cancer Genome Atlas, Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia, Genotype Tissue Expression, cBioportal for cancer genomics, and Human Protein Atlas (HPA databases), various bioinformatics analysis methods were used to investigate the potential carcinogenic effects of NRP1 activation, pan‐cancer analysis of NRP1 expression, and the relationship between NRP1 expression and prognosis indicators including overall survival, disease‐specific survival, disease‐free interval, and progression‐free interval, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI). The results showed that NRP1 was highly expressed in most tumors. In addition, NRP1 was found to be positively or negatively correlated with the prognosis of different tumors. Also, the expression of NRP1 was associated with TMB and MSI in in 27 and 21 different types of tumors, respectively, and with DNA methylation in almost all the various types of tumors. The expression of the NRP1 gene was negatively correlated with the infiltration levels of most immune cells. In addition, the correlation between the level of immune cell infiltration and NRP1 expression varied according to immune cell subtype. Our study suggests that NRP1 plays an important role in tumor development and tumor immunity and could potentially be used as a prognostic indicator in a variety of malignancies. Significance statement: Neuropilin 1 (NRP1) as an immunological and prognostic biomarker The increasing demand for targeted tumor treatment can significantly guide clinical practice by comprehensively identifying treatment targets for malignant tumors. In this study, pan‐cancer analysis revealed that NRP1 has an excellent performance as an immunological and prognostic biomarker, so this study will explore these findings in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquake location is a basic seismological problem and has a key role in many quantitative seismic analyses. The significant anomaly of traveltimes observed in mountainous areas with irregular surfaces has made earthquake location a challenge. To cope with this problem, we develop an effective eikonal equation-based earthquake location method based on unstructured mesh for 2-D/3-D isotropic and anisotropic media with irregular surfaces. First, the location misfit function is established by the reciprocity principle. Then, we use a global search algorithm to find the optimal origin times and hypocentres. Afterward, we apply eikonal equation-based master-event relocation method to relocate earthquakes on lateral boundaries of the region where the location results may be biased. To accurately compute the traveltime in 3-D vertically transversely isotropic and tilted transversely isotropic models with irregular surfaces or interfaces, we also propose a 3-D iterative fast sweeping method for eikonal equation on the unstructured tetrahedral mesh. Finally, we verify the proposed method by performing numerical experiments in 2-D/3-D irregular isotropic and anisotropic models. The numerical tests indicate that the proposed eikonal equation-based earthquake location method provides an effective way to find accurate hypocentre and origin time in 2-D/3-D isotropic and anisotropic media with irregular surfaces, even for inhomogeneous complex structures. In addition, the eikonal equation-based master-event location method has also yielded promising relocation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a magnon-bandgap controllable artificial domain wall waveguide is proposed by means of micromagnetic simulation. By the investigation of the propagation behavior and dispersion relationship of spin waves in artificial domain wall waveguides, it is found that the nonreciprocal propagation of spin waves in the artificial domain walls is mainly affected by the local effective exchange field, and the magnon bandgap can be controlled by changing the maximum value of the effective exchange field. In addition, it is observed that the artificial domain wall waveguides are structurally more stable than the natural domain wall waveguides under the same spin wave injection conditions, and the magnon bandgap of the artificial domain wall waveguides can be adjusted by its width and magnetic anisotropy parameters. The bandgap controllable artificial domain wall scheme is beneficial to the miniaturization and integration of magnon devices and can be applied to future magnonic technology as a high-pass filter with adjustable cutoff frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relation between the human body movements and cognition has been a research hotspot in physical education and health promotion in recent years. This study applied the embodied cognition theory to examine the effects of the Movement Integrity with Intelligent Play (MIIP) program on preschoolers' math performance. Objective: This study explores whether the Movement Integrity with Intelligent Play is connected with math performance, physical activity (PA) levels, and enjoyment of kindergarten students. Method: A quasi-experimental trial was delivered to evaluate the effects of the MIIP program that integrated bodily movements into math cognitive tasks related to pattern cognitive skills. A total of 54 (N = 54, 30 girls, Mage = 75.69 ± 3.36) children from two preschool classrooms served as participants and were assigned to one of the following two conditions: the integrated condition group (ICG, n = 28), and the conventional condition group (CCG, n = 26). During a 2-week intervention period, the ICG received a task-relevant PA (3×30 min/wk) in addition to their regular in-school math lessons (2×30 min/wk). Finally, math performance, PA levels, and enjoyment were assessed. Results: Following the intervention, significant differences (p < 0.05) in math performance, PA levels, and enjoyment were found in the ICG. The results demonstrated that preschool children in ICG outperformed children in the CCG. Children in the CCG showed no significant differences in math performance and PA levels. In addition, children in the ICG scored higher scores (M = 9.25 ± 2.71) on perceived enjoyment of the instructional method than children in the CCG (M = 7.07 ± 3.91). Conclusions: The integrated intervention has beneficial effects not only on math performance, PA levels but also on enjoyment. Transforming the focus of instruction to an integrated PA enhanced both math performance, PA levels, and increased enjoyment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on longitudinal research with 33 Chinese international students in 10 European countries, this article examines their polymorphic identifications towards homeland and asks how these changing perceptions constitute the underlying logic of their particular migration aspirations during the COVID-19. Specifically, the article explores how homeland identifications function as a driving force to facilitate 'voluntary immobility' in the study destination while being used as a tackling strategy to adapt to their 'involuntary immobility' overseas. It also examines how these identifications articulate with the students' mixing and shifting migration aspirations formulated during the pandemic. In doing so, the article demonstrates that polymorphic perceptions closely relate to the generation, exercise and reproduction of their migration aspirations that are temporally distributed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]