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Although extensive investigations have been performed on soil anisotropy, little information is available regarding its quantification. The quantification of anisotropy reflects the extent to which the inherent anisotropy of soil controls its mechanical behavior and so it is crucial for connecting comprehensive experimental research with soil constitutive models and engineering practices. The present study evaluates the level of shear strength anisotropy in various types of soil. A database is compiled of the variations of shear strength with the direction of major principal stress (α) as established via hollow-cylinder torsional shear tests, covering more than 20 types of soil. This study reviews critically the existing methods for strength anisotropy, finding none of them quantifies anisotropy satisfactorily. The present study proposes using the bracketed area by the S(α)/S(0)–α curve and the line S(α)/S(0) = 1 to measure the level of strength anisotropy, where S(α) is the soil strength as a function of α. The proposed method in this study can measure the strength anisotropy levels of sands, silts, clays, residual soil, calcareous sand, mudstone, and glacial till, among others. Additionally, the anisotropy degree measured using the proposed method appears to be consistent with the results of microstructural anisotropy evaluations. This study enhances the understanding of soil anisotropy by providing a comprehensive database of soil strength anisotropy and proposing a general method for its quantification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, we study a specific partition of a given network and establish the moderate deviation principle of modularity for the partition when the size of the network gets large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angular-dependent magnetoresistance (ADMR) of an epitaxial Fe(001) film is investigated with current along hard and easy axes in-plane at different temperatures. The temperature dependences of ordinary magnetoresistance (OMR), anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR), and magnetocrystalline anisotropy magnetoresistance (MMR) in ADMR were determined. As temperature decreases, negative OMR and positive AMR with a twofold symmetry show increasing and decreasing amplitudes, respectively. The amplitude of MMR with twofold and fourfold symmetries is almost invariable with both temperature and magnetic field. Meantime, when current was applied at hard and easy axes, MMR contributes an anti-phase signal to ADMR. Our findings of OMR, AMR, and MMR in the Fe(001) ADMR are of great significance to the understanding of magnetoresistance in magnetic films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract.In this article, let {Xn,n≥1} be a sequence of i.i.d. random variables with common probability density function f, and f̂n denotes a Wegman-Davies recursive density estimator f̂n(x)=1nhn1/2∑i=1n1hi1/2K(x−Xihi), where K is a kernel function and {hi,i≥1} is a sequence of band-width parameters. The asymptotic normality for integrated square error of Wegman-Davies recursive density estimators are established by using martingale method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the effects of gas hydrates on the prevention and control of coal and gas protrusions, this paper reports the results of acoustic emission experiments on coal bodies containing gas hydrates with different saturation levels. The results showed that few acoustic emission events were generated in the elasticity stages of coal bodies containing gas hydrates, and the first sudden increase in the number of ringing counts generally occurred before and after the yielding point. Additionally, the acoustic emission events in the yielding stage were more active, and the cumulative number of ringing counts increased faster. The peak ringing counts appeared around the damage point, and a small number of acoustic emission events were still generated after destruction of the coal samples. The cumulative ringing counts decreased linearly with increasing saturation. The effect of saturation on the cumulative ringing counts in the elasticity stage of the gas hydrate-containing coal samples was small, but the difference between the cumulative ringing counts in the yielding stage and those in the destruction stage was larger. The total cumulative ringing counts and the cumulative ringing counts during each stage for the gas hydrate-containing coal samples decreased with increasing enclosure pressure. The energy and amplitude of the loading process were consistent with the trend for the ringing counts. The acoustic emission ringing counts of gas-containing coals were greater than those of gas hydrate-containing coals in the yielding and destructing stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart diseases remain the primary cause of human mortality in the world. Although conventional therapeutic opportunities fail to halt or recover cardiac fibrosis, the promising clinical results and therapeutic efficacy of engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy show several advancements. However, the current models of CAR‐T cells need further improvement since the T cells are associated with the triggering of excessive inflammatory cytokines that directly affect cardiac functions. Thus, the current study highlights the critical function of heart immune cells in tissue fibrosis and repair. The study also confirms CAR‐T cell as an emerging therapeutic for treating cardiac fibrosis, explores the current roadblocks to CAR‐T cell therapy, and considers future outlooks for research development. Significance statement: The necessity and importance of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and their therapeutic efficiency in treating diseases other than cancer, mainly cardiovascular diseases, have emerged in recent years. However, there is still room for advancement in the current models of CAR‐T cell therapy. This paper highlights the evolution and roadblocks of CAR‐T technology at different levels, from technical concerns to clinical outcomes, in an attempt to improve the therapeutic efficiency of CAR‐T cell therapy in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Pea protein, as a by‐product of peas (Pisum sativum L.), is rich in a variety of essential amino acids that can meet the body's protein needs and is a valuable source of protein. Since the function of pea protein is closely related to its structure, pea protein has been subjected to different modifications in recent years to improve its application in food and to develop new products. RESULTS: The effects of sonication frequency (primary and secondary time) on pea protein isolate's (PPI's) structural and functional properties were investigated. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated that different sonication frequencies at the same power (600 W) treatment had no effect on PPI's molecular weight. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that treatment at different sonication frequencies caused secondary structural changes in PPI. The particle size distribution, foaming, stability, surface hydrophobicity, emulsification, and oxidation resistance of PPI were improved after primary and secondary sonication, but secondary sonication was not more effective than primary sonication for an extended period of time. CONCLUSION: Overall, ultrasound is able to improve the structural and functional properties of pea proteins within a suitable range. It provides a theoretical basis for elucidating the modification of the structure and function of plant proteins by ultrasound and lays the foundation for the development of plant proteins in food applications as well as development. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, let {Xn, n ≥ 1} be a sequence of random variables with heavy tailed distributions and define Sn = X1 + X2 + ⋯ + Xn, max 1 ≤ k ≤ n Sk = max{S1, S2, ..., Sn} and Mn = max{X1, X2, ..., Xn}. We consider the large deviation behaviors and establish the upper bounds of large deviations for the above three quantities based on some dependent random variables {Xn, n ≥ 1}, such as acceptable random variables, widely acceptable random variables and a class of random variables that satisfies the Marcinkiewicz-Zygmund type inequality and Rosenthal type inequality. Furthermore, the lower bounds of large deviations for some non-negative and identically distributed dependent sequences are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper, we establish the complete convergence for weighted sums of random variables satisfying generalized Rosenthal-type inequalities. Our results partially extend some known results and weaken their conditions. As statistical applications, we study the nonparametric regression model and obtain the complete consistency of the weighted regression estimator for the unknown regression functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of homogeneous nano-catalysts in catalytic ozonation was reviewed and the technical mechanism of catalytic ozonation was discussed. There are many types of catalysts in actual production. Nano-catalysts have been widely concerned and applied due to their large specific surface area, many active sites and high catalytic efficiency. The different materials such as metal, metal oxide nano-catalyst, perovskite nano-catalyst and carbon-based nano-catalyst are summarized, and the existing treatment effects of nano-catalyst applied in catalytic ozonation are introduced. The main disadvantages and corresponding countermeasures of nano-catalysts are pointed out, and the future development direction is prospected. In order to provide reference for the application of nano-catalyst ozonation in practical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The residue and dissipation dynamics of cyazofamid and its main metabolite 4-chloro-5-p-tolylimidazole-2-carbonitrile (CCIM) in garlic, garlic bolt and garlic sprouts were investigated by QuEChERS high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method. Field experiments were conducted in 6 sites for one year. The dietary intake risk of cyazofamid was assessed. At different levels, the results showed that the average recoveries of cyazofamid were 89.8%–1005% in garlic, 84.6%–109.4% in garlic bolt and 88.6%–108.5% in garlic sprout, recoveries of CCIM were 84.6%–104.2% in garlic, 84.6%–108.9% in garlic bolt and 85.3%–109.2% in garlic sprout, respectively, with relative standard deviation less than 10.1%. The limits of quantitation were all 0.01 mg/kg. The dissipation dynamics of cyazofamid and CCIM in garlic plant matrices fitted the first order kinetic equation, and the half-lives were 3.5–6.1 d and 0.9–3.9 d, respectively. The dietary intake risk assessment showed that the dietary exposure risk index of cyazofamid in garlic, garlic bolt and garlic sprout were less than 100%, which indicated that the dietary exposure risk was at an acceptable level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the first diversity‐oriented catalytic asymmetric dearomatization of indoles with o‐quinone diimides (o‐QDIs) is reported. The catalytic asymmetric dearomatization (CADA) of indoles is one of the research focuses in terms of the structural and biological importance of dearomatized indole derivatives. Although great achievements have been made in target‐oriented CADA reactions, diversity‐oriented CADA reactions are regarded as more challenging and remain elusive due to the lack of synthons featuring multiple reaction sites and the difficulty in precise control of chemo‐, regio‐, and enantio‐selectivity. In this work, o‐QDIs are employed as a versatile building block, enabling the chemo‐divergent dearomative arylation and [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of indoles. Under the catalysis of chiral phosphoric acid and mild conditions, various indolenines, furoindolines/pyrroloindolines, and six‐membered‐ring fused indolines are collectively prepared in good yields with excellent enantioselectivities. This diversity‐oriented synthesis protocol enriches the o‐quinone chemistry and offers new opportunities for CADA reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mesozoic and Cenozoic strata in the Junggar basin developed two sets of shallow to semi-deep lacustrine shale, namely, the Cretaceous Qingshuihe Formation (K1q) and the Paleogene Anjihaihe Formation (E2-3a). Through organic petrology and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation, it is found that the primary hydrocarbon-generating organic matter (OM) in the two sets of strata is different. The biological precursor of the E2-3a OM is mainly green algae (Pediastrum), while the precursor of K1q kerogen is mainly cyanobacteria (Oscillatoria). Then, the E2-3a green algae-rich shale and K1q cyanobacteria-rich shale were subjected to hydrous pyrolysis and kinetic analysis, respectively. The results show that the evolution modes of hydrocarbon generation of the typical shales are very different. Green algae have the characteristics of a low oil generation threshold, heavy oil quality, and no prominent oil peak, while cyanobacteria have the characteristics of late oil generation, concentrated hydrocarbon generation, and relatively light oil quality. The characteristics of oil generation can also be well reflected in the composition evolution of the crude oil components. The carbon isotope of gas, kerogen, and extracts of the E2-3a green algae-rich shale are significantly heavier than the K1q cyanobacteria-rich shale, which may be related to the living habits of their biological precursors, carbon source usage, photosynthesis efficiency, and carbon fixation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we establish the complete convergence of the weighted sums for martingale differences, which is the interesting supplements for some known results. As statistical applications, when errors are martingale differences, the least square estimator in the errors-in-variables regression model and the regression function estimator in nonparametric regression model are studied and their strong consistency is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyglycolide (PGA) fibers applied as surgical sutures strongly depend on their microstructure. The structural evolution of PGA nascent fibers during single low-temperature stretching and segmented high-temperature stretching was analyzed based on a combination of in situ WAXD/SAXS and DSC measurements. The results indicated that the hot stretching was conducive to the crystal perfection and the local fragmentation and recrystallization of the lamellar crystals may occur under stress induction. The single low-temperature stretching of PGA nascent fibers could be divided into three stages: the stretching of amorphous regions, stretch-induced crystallization and the stretching of crystalline regions. The elongation at break of the fibers can be substantially increased by adopting a segmented stretching method, and the high-temperature stretching can also significantly increase the crystallinity and orientation. The amorphous orientation peak appearing in the low-temperature stretching was gradually converted to crystallization peak during the heating process, which greatly improved the crystallinity and orientation of the fibers. High-temperature stretching compared with low-temperature stretching was more favorable for crystal perfection and structural evolution, where lamellar crystals underwent stress-induced fragmentation recrystallization to transform to fibrous crystals as the strain increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first Zn-ProPhenol catalyzed asymmetric inverse-electron-demand Diels–Alder reaction has been accomplished. This protocol was carried out by a dual-activation mode under mild conditions, allowing the preparation of various biologically important dihydropyrans in good yields with excellent stereoselectivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous study has shown that icaritin (ICT) has meaningful protective effect on cerebral ischemic stroke, and this study aimed to investigate its mechanism from the aspect of protecting astrocytes from oxidative stress. Murine primary astrocytes were pretreated by ICT and exposed to H2O2 to induce oxidative stress. The results indicated that ICT inhibited H2O2‐induced astrocytes apoptosis, decreased Bax and cleaved caspase‐3, and increased Bcl‐2. In addition, ICT inhibited H2O2‐induced oxidative stress, increased mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and maintained mitochondrial morphology. ICT decreased the synthesis of malondialdehyde and increased the activity of glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase. Moreover, ICT suppressed the transient and resting intracellular Ca2+ overload. Further investigation revealed that ICT could target the combination with Orai1 to block store‐operated calcium channel induced by H2O2. However, ICT did not enhance the protective effect of RO2959, a selective blocker of Orai1. These results indicate that ICT can play a neuroprotective role against oxidative stress injury by binding to Orai1 to block SOCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) is a common tool to assess agreement among multiple observers for continuous and discrete responses. However, previous results in the statistical literature have shown that the CCC estimators may suffer from a bias problem under a misspecified model for normal data. In order to avoid fitting data with a misspecified model, thus yielding biased CCC estimates for longitudinal overdispersed Poisson data, this research proposes new model-averaged estimators of CCC by combining the estimators of the variance components (VC) approach with model selection via corrected conditional Akaike information criterion (CAICC) and corrected conditional Bayesian information criterion (CBICC) measures under extended overdispersed three-way Poisson mixed-effects models. In simulation studies, the performance of the proposed model-averaged estimators is compared with the VC estimators with and without model selection via CAICC and CBICC and other existing model-averaged estimators for longitudinal Poisson and overdispersed Poisson data sets. An application of corticospinal diffusion tensor tractography study is presented for illustration. It can be concluded that the proposed model-averaged approach is a reliable procedure yielding small mean square errors and nominal 95% coverage rates. Therefore, the new model-averaged estimator is more robust to model misspecification than other competitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) with a Pt-like d-band electron structure exhibits certain activities for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions (ORR/OER) in alkaline solutions, but it is questioned due to its poor OER stability. Combining Mo2C with transition metals alloy is a feasible way to stabilize its electrochemical activity. Herein, CoFe-Prussian blue analogues are used as a precursor to compound with graphitic carbon nitride and Mo6+ to synthesize FeCo alloy and Mo2C co-encapsulated N-doped carbon (NG-CoFe/Mo2C). The morphology of NG-CoFe/Mo2C (800 °C) shows that CoFe/Mo2C heterojunctions are well wrapped by N-doped graphitic carbon. Carbon coating not only inhibits growth and agglomeration of Mo2C/CoFe, but also enhances corrosion resistance of NG-CoFe/Mo2C. NG-CoFe/Mo2C (800 °C) exhibits an excellent half-wave potential (E1/2 = 0.880 V) for ORR. It also obtains a lower OER overpotential (325 mV) than RuO2 due to the formation of active species (CoOOH/β-FeOOH, as indicated by in-situ X-ray diffraction tests). E1/2 shifts only 6 mV after 5000 ORR cycles, while overpotential for OER increases only 19 mV after 1000 cycles. ORR/OER performances of NG-CoFe/Mo2C (800 °C) are close to or better than those of many recently reported catalysts. It provides an interfacial engineering strategy to enhance the intrinsic activity and stability of carbides modified by transition-metals alloy for oxygen electrocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being the subject of multiple cancer studies, nothing is known about miR-597-5p's role in colitisassociated colorectal cancer (CAC). We intend to explore how miR-597-5p influences the growth and development of CAC. In order to construct a CAC model, mice were stimulated with azoxymethane (AOM)/ dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). The in situ hybridization (ISH) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used for the detection of miR-597-5p expression. The protein expression of CXCL5 was determined by western blotting, immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA). The histologic colitis score and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining were used to evaluate degree of damage to colonic tissues. The proportion of macrophages detected in colon tumors was also measured using flow cytometry. The transwell test was employed to assess macrophage migration. It was found that the miR-597-5p and its target CXCL5 had a negative correlation. MiR-597-5p expression was decreased, while CXCL5 expression was raised in CAC tissues. In AOM/DSS-induced mice, miR-597-5p deficiency in intestinal epithelial cells resulted in decreasing colon length as well as increasing tumor numbers and histologic colitis score, which was reversed by CXCL5 inhibition. MiR-597-5p deficiency facilitated macrophage recruitment in AOM/ DSS-induced mice and promoted macrophage migration in vitro, which were reversed by CXCL5 inhibition. Deficiency of miR-597-5p aggravated macrophage recruitment and tumorigenesis in a mouse CAC model, suggesting that miR-597-5p agonists may have an anti-inflammatory therapeutic effect in inflammatory bowel diseases and reduce the risk of developing CAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let {X,Xn, n ≥ 1} be a stationary sequence of nonnegative β-mixing random variables with heavy-tailed distributions, and let Sn = X1 + X2 + · · · + Xn be the partial sums. In the present paper, we establish the logarithmic asymptotic behavior for the tail probability P(Sn> bn) for some b > 1 and the weak law of large numbers for Sn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early Paleozoic black organic sediments and bentonites occur widely in the craton basin within the Yangtze block and are generally believed to be genetically related to a specific tectonic setting on the cratonic boundary. However, the intimate relationship between their origins and the dynamic mechanisms are unclear, as exemplified by the genesis of the black shale series and bentonites from the Wufeng Formation during the Ordovician–Silurian transition (OST). In order to reveal the relationship between the Wufeng Formation and the convergence of the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks (i.e., the intracontinental Kwangsian Orogeny), two stratigraphic sections respectively in Zhaotong area (Northeast Yunnan) and Puyi area (Northwestern Guizhou) that were located in the semi‐restricted inner Yangtze Sea during the OST were systematically studied, on the basis of whole‐rock geochemical composition, pyrite δ34S (δ34Spy), total organic carbon (TOC), stable Sr isotope, pyrite framboid size distribution and zircon U‐Pb age, trace elements. The evidence shows that the paleo‐oceanic environment changed significantly at the turn of the early–late Katian and formed the black shale series in the Wufeng Formation. These acritarch assemblages were formed in the transition process of the Upper Yangtze Basin from passive continental margin basin to foreland basin during this interval. Based on previous research on the genetic relationship between black shale series and plate tectonic movement, a basin‐mountain evolution model suitable for South China in the Late Ordovician is presented. The two bentonites in the Wufeng Formation with U‐Pb ages of 445.5 ± 0.8 Ma and 441.9 ± 2.4 Ma primarily originated from the intermediate–acid volcanic eruption during the collision and convergence between the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks in the Late Ordovician, the provenance region probably being located in the Jiangnan orogenic belt. Thus, we believe that the appearance of the black shale series and bentonite in the Wufeng Formation at the turn of the early–late Katian may represent the initiation of basin‐mountain transformation and the Kwangsian Orogeny in South China, which provides important evidence for the collision and convergence of the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks in the Late Ordovician. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the least squares estimator in nonlinear functional errors-in-variables models with dependent error, and establish the consistency and deviation inequalities of the estimator, which extend and improve some known results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A green and practical photoinduced method for regioselective hydroboration of electron-deficient alkenes with NHC-borane has been developed in which 1,2-diphenyldisulfane was employed as a photocatalyst and hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reagent precursor. This mild protocol shows excellent selectivity, good functional group tolerance, and broad substrate scope. A series of borylated carbonyl, nitrile, sulfone, phosphonate, trifluoromethyl, and gem-diboron compounds have been synthesized in moderate to excellent yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To study the expression and correlation of insulin receptor (INSR), insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), and programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods. 45 lung cancer tissues and 30 adjacent normal tissues of NSCLC patients diagnosed in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University from June 2019 to August 2020 were selected. The expressions of INSR, IRS-1, and PD-L1 proteins in tumor tissues and adjacent tissues of NSCLC were detected by immunohistochemical staining. Results. The expression of INSR and IRS-1 in NSCLC was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal lung tissue (P < 0.05). INSR expression had statistical significance with the degree of pathological differentiation of nonsmall cell carcinoma (P = 0.031), but had no significant association with age, gender, pathological type, TNM stage, and lymph node metastasis status (P > 0.05). There was no significant correlation between IRS-1 positive expression and NSCLC patients' age, gender, pathological typing, degree of differentiation, TNM stage, and lymph node metastasis (P > 0.05). PD-L1 positive expression was correlated with lymph node metastasis of NSCLC (P = 0.028), while there was no significant correlation with gender, age, pathological type, TNM stage, and pathological differentiation degree of NSCLC patients (P > 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that PD-L1 protein expression had a significant positive correlation with IRS-1 protein expression (r = 0.373), but was not correlated with the expression of INSR protein. Conclusion. IRS-1 may be involved in the regulation of PD-L1 expression and mediate the occurrence of tumor immune escape, which is expected to become a new target for NSCLC immunotherapy and provide new clinical evidence for immunosuppressive therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the recent development of boryl radical reactions, current methods to generate them by relying on photocatalysts or radical initiators cause contamination of the reaction. Herein, a novel system for generating boryl radicals has been developed without using photocatalysts or external radical initiators, and only a catalytic amount of thiol has been used. The success of this approach depends on the dual role of thiol as a proton donor and hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) catalyst. The thiol first reacts with NHC-borane to give boryl sulphides via a dehydrocoupling reaction, and then they undergo in situ cleavage of their B–S bond through photochemical reactions. The radicals obtained were later involved in a fast thiol-catalyzed HAT reaction, affording the hydroboration products. This strategy enables the regioselective hydroboration for scalable synthesis of α- or β-borylated products from many kinds of α,β-unsaturated alkenes and styrenes in good to excellent yields, with broad functional group compatibility at room temperature. The reaction could also be extended to radical-type nucleophilic addition to imines. This unprecedented protocol is anticipated to find potential application in other boryl radical-involved reactions by using boryl sulphides through photochemical reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was performed to explore the sagittal radiological parameters related to the occurrence of C5 nerve palsy after cervical posterior open-door laminoplasty for the patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Sixty-two patients who underwent cervical posterior open-door laminoplasty were reviewed retrospectively from March 2017 to March 2022. The C2-7 Cobb angle, C2-7 sagittal vertex axis, thoracic inlet angle, neck tilt, T1 slope, and encroachment ratio of ossification were measured on X-rays. The enrolled patients were divided into C5 nerve palsy and control groups. Logistic regression was performed to analyze the potential risk factors for the occurrence of C5 nerve palsy. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the significance of the results and the optimal diagnostic value. The results of logistic regression showed that only the T1 slope and encroachment ratio were variables that were responsible for C5 nerve palsy (P = 0.024; P = 0.04). The ROC curve analysis for the T1 slope showed that the cutoff value was 21.3° and the AUC was 0.796. The ROC curve analysis for the encroachment ratio revealed that the cutoff value was 0.21 and the AUC was 0.763. Both analyses demonstrated good diagnostic value for C5 nerve palsy. The preoperative T1 slope and encroachment ratio were variables that were risk factors for C5 nerve palsy in patients who underwent cervical posterior open-door laminoplasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low‐energy layer edge states (LESs) from quasi 2D hybrid perovskite single crystals have shown great potential because of their nontrivial photoelectrical properties. However, the underlying formation mechanism of the LESs still remains controversial. Also, the presence or creation of the LESs is of high randomness due to the lack of proper techniques to manually generate these LESs. Herein, using a single crystals platform of quasi‐2D (BA)2(MA)n−1PbnI3n+1 (n > 1) perovskites, the femtosecond laser ablation approach to design and write the LESs with a high spatial resolution is reported. Fundamentally, these LESs are of smaller bandgap 3D MAPbI3 nanocrystals which are formed by the laser‐induced BA escaping from the lattice and thus the lattice shrinkage from quasi‐2D to 3D structures. Furthermore, by covering the crystal with tape, an additional high‐energy emission state corresponding to the reformation of (BA)2PbI4 (n = 1) within the irradiation region is generated. This work presents a simple and efficient protocol to manually write LESs on single crystals and thus lays the foundation for utilizing these LESs to further enhance the performance of future photoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile chiral phosphoric-acid catalyzed asymmetric inverse-electron-demand aza-Diels–Alder reaction of 1,3-diazadienes with 3-vinylindoles was established. By using this mild and practical protocol, a broad range of benzothiazolopyrimidines with three contiguous stereogenic centers were prepared in good yields and excellent diastereo- and enantio-selectivities (43 examples, up to 83% yield, >99% ee and all >20 : 1 dr). A plausible concerted reaction pathway enabled by the dual hydrogen-bonding effect was proposed to account for the observed excellent enantioselectivity and specific trans–trans diastereoselectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper, we consider the generalized allocation scheme and study the asymptotic behaviors of the extreme η(N−s), where η(N−s) denotes the (n − s)th-order statistics from the allocation scheme. We establish asymptotic representations and large and moderate deviations for η(N−s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enhancement of antimicrobial wound dressings is of utmost importance in light of the escalating risk of antibiotic resistance caused by excessive antibiotic usage. Conventional antimicrobial materials eradicate pathogenic bacteria while impeding the proliferation of beneficial bacteria during the management of wound infections, thereby disturbing the equilibrium of the skin micro-ecosystem and engendering recurrent cutaneous complications. Lactobacillus rhamnosus (L.rha) is a probiotic that can inhibit the growth of certain pathogenic bacteria by secreting a large number of metabolites. In this paper, we synthesized a cross-linker (SPBA) with a boric acid molecule from succinic acid and 4-(bromomethyl)phenylboronic acid, which formed a boric acid ester bond with a diol on the natural polysaccharide sodium alginate (SA), and obtained a pH/reactive oxygen species (ROS) dual-responsive hydrogel (SA-SPBA) for loading L.rha to treat wound infections. The SA-SPBA@L.rha hydrogel improves the survival of L.rha during storage and has good injectability as well as self-healing properties. The hydrogel showed good biocompatibility, the antimicrobial effect increases in a dose-dependent manner, and it has a certain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity, accelerating wound repair. The use of SA-SPBA@L.rha hydrogel provides a safe and effective strategy for the repair of skin wound infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving an equilibrium between exceptional oil absorption and remarkable elasticity has emerged as a formidable challenge for magnetic porous materials designed for oil absorption. Here, we propose an original, magnetic and superhydrophobic cellulose nanofibril (CNF) based aerogel system with a rope-ladder like skeleton by to greatly improve the issue. Within this system, CNF as the skeleton was combined with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT)@Fe 3 O 4 as the magnetic and enhanced component, both methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) and acetonitrile-extracted lignin (AEL) as the soft-hard associating constituents. The resultant CNF based aerogel shows a rope-ladder like pore structure to contribute to high elasticity and excellent oil absorption (28.34–61.09 g/g for various oils and organic solvents) under the synergistic effect of Fe 3 O 4 @MWCNT, AEL and MTMS, as well as good specific surface area (27.97 m2/g), low density (26.4 mg/cm3). Notably, despite the introduced considerable proportion (0.5 times of mass-CNF) of Fe 3 O 4 @MWCNT, the aerogel retained an impressive compression-decompression rate (88%) and the oil absorption efficiency of above 87% for various oils due to the soft-hard associating structure supported by both MTMS and AEL. This study provides a prospective strategy to balance between high elasticity and excellent oil absorption of CNF based aerogel doping inorganic particles. • CNF based aerogels system with a rope-ladder like structure is designed. • The system incorporates both high elasticity and excellent oil absorption. • The rope-ladder like structure is key to the absorption and elasticity of system. • The synergistic effect of MTMS and AEL endows the system with fatigue resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • FeS 2 ore boosts biohydrogen production kinetics. • Enhanced electron transfer via redox-active EPS and flavins. • Optimized electron flux distribution for butyrate production. • Clostridium genes upregulated, accelerating H 2 generation. In this study, we investigated the advantages of utilizing natural FeS 2 ore in the context of dark fermentative hydrogen production within a fermentation system employing heat-treated anaerobic granular sludge with xylose as the carbon source. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in both hydrogen production and the maximum rate, with increases of 2.58 and 4.2 times, respectively. Moreover, the presence of FeS 2 ore led to a reduction in lag time by more than 2–3 h. The enhanced biohydrogen production performance was attributed to factors such as the intracellular NADH/NAD+ ratio, redox-active components of extracellular polymeric substances, secreted flavins, as well as the presence of hydrogenase and nitrogenase. Furthermore, the FeS 2 ore served as a direct electron donor and acceptor during biohydrogen production. This study shed light on the underlying mechanisms contributing to the improved performance of biohydrogen production from xylose during dark fermentation through the supplementation of natural FeS 2 ore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This scheme generalizes the classical scheme of allocation of particles to cells (see [[5]]) and hence gets its name. Law of large numbers, local limit theorem, Allocation scheme, power series distribution, almost sure central limit theorem, moderate deviation principle Keywords: Allocation scheme; power series distribution; law of large numbers; almost sure central limit theorem; moderate deviation principle; local limit theorem EN Allocation scheme power series distribution law of large numbers almost sure central limit theorem moderate deviation principle local limit theorem 193 205 13 06/17/22 20220601 NES 220601 Note: Originally published in Diskretnaya Matematika (2022) 34,No1, 88-102 (in Russian). [Extracted from the article]

The aim of this paper is to discuss the accidental events' impacts on the complicated supply chain systems and reveal the dynamic nonlinear system's role in enterprises' logistics financial management. First, the logistics distribution network and nonlinear system are analyzed and introduced, revealing the complexity of enterprises' supply chain systems. Second, considering the situation of enterprises' financial management, four major entities, the supplier, the distributor, the retailer, and the manufacturer, are introduced to construct a dynamic nonlinear model for the supply chain system. Finally, the model before and after accidental events are simulated and analyzed using the AnyLogic software. Results demonstrate that in normal states, each node's inventory in the system changes periodically, while the distributor's state is the most stable. A notable decrease in market demand has the largest impact on the distributor. Once the market demand is recovered, the decrease in the distributor's inventory is the most apparent, and the inventories of the supplier, the retailer, and the manufacturer also decrease. The supplier has the highest cost at the beginning of system operation, and the distributor's cost is the highest after the operation becomes stable. Once an accidental event caused a sharp decrease in market demand, the costs of all major entities in the system show an increasing trend. Once the market demand is recovered, the costs of different node entities will increase instead. As for the profits, the distributor has the highest profit initially, which is significantly influenced by the accidental events. The results provide a reference for revealing the changing laws of complicated supply chain systems and promoting the development of enterprises' financial management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For longitudinal overdispersed Poisson data sets, estimators of the intra-, inter-, and total concordance correlation coefficient through variance components have been proposed. However, biased estimators of quadratic forms are used in concordance correlation coefficient estimation. In addition, the generalized estimating equations approach has been used in estimating agreement for longitudinal normal data and not for longitudinal overdispersed Poisson data. Therefore, this paper proposes a modified variance component approach to develop the unbiased estimators of the concordance correlation coefficient for longitudinal overdispersed Poisson data. Further, the indices of intra-, inter-, and total agreement through generalized estimating equations are also developed considering the correlation structure of longitudinal count repeated measurements. Simulation studies are conducted to compare the performance of the modified variance component and generalized estimating equation approaches for longitudinal Poisson and overdispersed Poisson data sets. An application of corticospinal diffusion tensor tractography study is used for illustration. In conclusion, the modified variance component approach performs outstandingly well with small mean square errors and nominal 95% coverage rates. The generalized estimating equation approach provides in model assumption flexibility of correlation structures for repeated measurements to produce satisfactory concordance correlation coefficient estimation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interplay between virus and host has been one of the hot spot in virology, and it is also the important aspect of revealing the mechanism of virus infection. Increasing studies revealed that several key molecules took part in the process of virus-host interaction. White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) has been proved to affect several physiological processes of the host cells, especially apoptosis. While the relationship between them still remains unclear. In this study, a IFI27 gene (LvIFI27) of Litopenaeus vannamei was cloned. It is indicated that LvIFI27 was induced upon endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress and unfolded protein response activator Thapsigargin. Unlike human IFI27 locating to mitochondria, LvIFI27 lied to ER, and was involved in cell apoptosis process. Moreover, results of cumulative mortality analysis showed that LvIFI27 might contributed to WSSV proliferation by promoting apoptosis during the process of viral infection. Findings in this study enriched our understanding of the relationship between WSSV infection and ER-stress mediated apoptosis. • Over-expressed LvIFI27 in S2 cells resulted in apoptosis. • Expression of LvIFI27 in L. vannamei hemocytes was induced upon unfolded protein response. • Knockdown expression of LvIFI27 decreased the cumulative mortality of WSSV infection shrimp. • Knockdown expression of LvIFI27 reduced the hemocytes apoptosis rate under white spot syndrome virus infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superhydrophobic coatings are developed rapidly due to the eye-catching versatility, but still suffer from problems of insufficient environmental protection, poor heat resistance, and weak UV resistance. Here, a stable and versatile lignin/calcium carbonate (CaCO 3)/chitosan (CS) superhydrophobic coating on the wood (beech) could be successfully prepared by simple one-step spay. In the coating system, enzymolysis lignin was employed as the main materials to construct surface rough structure, which was enhanced with both CaCO 3 and CS, methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) and hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS) as the hydrophobic modifiers and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the adhesive. The resulted coating shows good superhydrophobicity (water contact angle of 161.1° and sliding angle of 8°), as well as excellent heat resistance (superhydrophobicity still maintaining under 200 °C), UV resistance (10 h of high-intensity UV irradiation). In addition, when PU sponge was used as the substrate, the stable oil-water separation could be achieved. In view of the good performance and simple preparation, the superhydrophobic coating displays a good application prospect. • The system has superhydrophobicity and excellent abrasive resistance. • The ingenious combination of calcium carbonate and lignin is the key to its excellent abrasive resistance. • The system shows superior functionality on different substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loose nanofiltration membranes (LNMs) prepared by co-deposition of polyphenols and amine-rich polymers has been considered as an effective method for the efficient treatment of textile wastewater. However, the dye/salt selectivity remains unsatisfactory, due to the low free volume with wide distribution caused by the stacking and tight entanglement of polymeric chain segments. A high dye/salt selective LNM was prepared for the first time by rapid co-deposition of high-valent metal-induced microporous polymer framework (HMMP-1) and dopamine (DA). HMMP-1 with high specific area and suitable pore size can provide additional transfer channels for water/salt, breaking the limitation of free volume generated by polymer stacking and further improving perm-selectivity. In addition, the amine-rich HMMP-1 with a flexible polymer framework can be covalently linked to DA by Michael addition/Schiff base reaction, effectively avoiding the selectivity reduction caused by poor interfacial compatibility. The results showed that the pure water permeance of the optimal membrane (LNM-2) was 57.22 LMH·bar−1, which was 0.65 times higher than that of LNM-1 (without HMMP-1). In addition, LNM-2 exhibited excellent dye/salt selectivity for dye/salt mixtures with different concentrations, reaching >47 (CR/NaCl) and >29 (CR/Na 2 SO 4), respectively, which is more than twice of the conventional membranes reported so far. Moreover, the dye/salt selectivity of LNM-2 still maintained at 28 (CR/Na 2 SO 4) and 55 (CR/NaCl) respectively for 12 h, when salt concentration was 10 g L−1, which fully demonstrated the good stability of LNM-2 and the superiority of HMMP-1 for the design of LNM. [Display omitted] • High-valent metal-induced polymer framework was used to enhance membrane performance. • A high dye/salt selective LNM was prepared by rapid co-deposition of HMMP-1 and dopamine. • The optimal LNM-2 exhibited excellent water permeability, reaching 57.22 LMH·bar−1. • LNM-2 showed excellent dye/salt selectivity for dye/salt mixtures, reaching >47 (CR/NaCl) and >29 (CR/Na 2 SO 4), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Corneal alkali burn, one of the most serious ophthalmic emergencies, is difficult to be cured by conservative treatments. It is well known that oxidative stress, inflammation and neovascularization are the main causes of corneal damage after alkali burn, but its underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. Here, we reported that the expression and phosphorylation (Ser616) of mitochondrial fission protein Drp1 were up-regulated at day 3 after alkali burn, while mitochondrial fusion protein Mfn2 was down-regulated. The phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in corneas was increased at day 1, 3, 7 and peaked at day 3 after alkali burn. In human corneal epithelial cells (HCE-2), NaOH treatment induced mitochondrial fission, intracellular ROS production and mitochondrial membrane potential disruption, which was prevented by Drp1 inhibitor Mdivi-1. In corneas, Mdivi-1 or knockdown of Drp1 by Lenti-Drp1 shRNA attenuated alkali burn-induced ROS production and phosphorylation of IκBα and p65. In immunofluorescence staining, it was detected that Mdivi-1 also prevented NaOH-induced nuclear translocation of p65 in HCE-2 cells. Moreover, the expression of NADPH oxidase NOX2 and NOX4 in corneas peaked at day 7 after alkali burn. Mdivi-1, Lenti-Drp1 shRNA or the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant mito-TEMPO efficiently alleviated activation of NF-κB, expression of NOX2/4 and inflammatory cytokines including IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α in corneas after alkali burn. In pharmacological experiments, both Mdivi-1 and NADPH oxidases inhibitor Apocynin protected the corneas against alkali burn-induced neovascularization. Intriguingly, the combined administration of Mdivi-1 and Apocynin had a synergistic inhibitory effect on corneal neovascularization after alkali burn. Taken together, these results indicate that Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission is involved in alkali burn-induced corneal injury through regulating oxidative stress, inflammatory responses and corneal neovascularization. This might provide a novel therapeutic target for corneal injury after alkali burn in the future. [Display omitted] • Alkali burn stimulates mitochondrial fission in corneas through up-regulation of expression and phosphorylation of Drp1. • Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission facilitates ROS generation, activation of NF-κB and inflammation. • Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission may act as the upstream regulator of alkali burn-induced NOX2/4 expression. • Drp1 inhibitor and NOXs inhibitor have a synergistic inhibitory effect on alkali burn-induced CNV and inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The differences in the executive attention network and the related blood oxygen characteristics of the right frontal-parietal network brain area between athletes from interceptive and strategic sport were investigated. Strategic athletes had higher accuracy and longer reaction time (RT) compared with interceptive sports athletes, lower flanker conflict effects on accuracy compared to the other two group. It was accompanied by significant activation of the rdLPFC and the rIFG. Strategic athletes had higher flanker conflict effects on RT compared with interception athletes under the invalid cue condition, which was accompanied by significant activation of the right IFG. The strategic athletes complete the task under the condition of invalid clues indicating top-down control, and which is closely related to the activation of the right frontal-parietal network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal contamination of actinides has been a long term concern for the medical treatment of people in nuclear accident scenarios, due primarily to their chemo- and radio-toxicity. So far, many ligands and functional nanomaterials have been designed to sequester actinides in vivo, however, little attention has been paid to reduce the injury induced by the internal exposure of actinides. Herein, we propose PEG grafted melanin nanoparticles (MNPs-PEG) as a bifunctional agent that can not only selectively sequester two different actinides (namely U and Th) at the same time, but also reduce the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in U and Th contaminated cells. The adsorption experiments indicate that more than 99% of U and Th can be chelated selectively by MNPs-PEG in the presence of excess interfering ions. The in vitro decorporation assays show that the material can greatly reduce the deposition of U (77.5%) in NRK-52E cells and Th (75.8%) in AML-12 cells. In addition, ROS assays show that MNPs-PEG can almost reduce the intracellular ROS to a normal level, verifying its remarkable radical quenching ability. More importantly, an in vivo study demonstrated the effective sequestration capability of MNPs-PEG by reducing 33.1% and 45.4% of U from kidneys and bones, respectively, and 42.8% of Th from the liver of mice, simultaneously. Our results show that the MNPs-PEG exhibit clear advantages compared with the current decorporation agents in both actinide sequestration and radiation protection capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, a photocatalytic deoxygenative amidation protocol using readily available amine-boranes and carboxylic acids is described. This approach features mild conditions, moderate-to-good yields, easy scale-up, and up to 62 examples of functionalized amides with diverse substituents. The synthetic robustness of this method was also demonstrated by its application in the late-stage functionalization of several pharmaceutical molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problems of low contrast and blurred edge textures in medical image fusion, a new fusion scheme in non‐subsampled contourlet transform (NSCT) domain is proposed to improve the quality of fused brain images which is based on pulse‐coupled neural network (PCNN) and shuffled frog‐leaping algorithm (SFLA). First, the source images are decomposed into low‐frequency (LF) and high‐frequency (HF) subbands using NSCT; if one of the source images is multicolour, then hue, saturation and brightness (HSI) transform is needed first. Second, different PCNN fusion rules are designed for LF and HF subbands according to their features, respectively. Parameters including decay time constants and amplification factors are optimised by SFLA. Finally, the fused image is reconstructed by inverse NSCT; and if necessary, an inverse HSI transform is needed. Visual and quantitative analysis of experimental results show that the fused image preserves more information of the source images, and the ability of edge retention is strong. The scheme has prominent advantages in mutual information and QAB/F for multimodal brain images, including MRI‐PET, MRI‐SPECT, and CT‐MRI, which proves that it can obtain better visual effect and have strong robustness as well as wide applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A second-order control volume finite element method combined with the multiscale flux approximation (CVFEM-MS) based on triangular elements is proposed to numerically investigate the self-heating effects of semiconductor devices. The multiscale fluxes are combined with a selected set of second-order vector basis functions to stabilize the discretization of carrier continuity equations with respect to triangular elements. Numerical results reveal that the proposed method is robust and accurate, even on the mesh of low-quality, where the detrimental impacts caused by the severe self-heating on the terminal currents can be obviously observed for a bipolar transistor model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we shall prove the homeomorphism property of solutions for multidimensional stochastic differential equations (SDEs) driven by G -Brownian motion with non-Lipschitz coefficients with respect to the initial values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis comparing the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic versus open resection for gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) larger than 5 cm.Method: We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase for relevant articles. Randomized and nonrandomized clinical trials were identified and included in this study. Searching for related articles on large GIST (>5 cm) for laparoscopic resection (laparoscopic group [LAPG]) and open resection (open group [OG]), RevMan 5.3 was used for data analysis, comparing 2 groups of operation time, intraoperative blood loss, complications, length of hospital stay, recurrence rate, disease-free survival, and overall survival.Results: Seven studies including 440 patients were identified for the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis revealed that LAPG had less bleeding, shorter postoperative hospital stay, and a better 5-year disease-free survival. There was no significant difference between LAPG and OG in operation time, postoperative complications, recurrence rate, and overall survival.Conclusion: Laparoscopic resection of large (>5 cm) GIST is safe and feasible and has the advantages of less intraoperative blood loss and fast postoperative recovery, with a good outcome in the recent oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]