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This paper provides an in‐depth study of the winding mechanical properties in generators under rotor interturn short circuit (RISC) cases. Unlike previous studies, this research investigates not only the influence of RISC degrees, but also the RISC positions and the eccentricity on the winding mechanical properties. The electromagnetic force (EF) formulas as well as the electromagnetic‐structure coupling model are first proposed to derive the mechanical winding response characteristics, such as the vibration, deformation, the strain, and the stress. Subsequently, both finite element analysis (FEA) and experimental investigations are conducted to validate the theoretical findings. The results reveal that RISC introduces additional harmonics to the EF. Furthermore, as the eccentricity/RISC degree or the distance between the short circuit position and the N‐pole increases, the end winding vibrations become more pronounced. When comparing single eccentricity and RISC faults to cases where both faults occur simultaneously, it is observed that the combined faults have a more detrimental impact on the end winding mechanical properties. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury (Hg) enrichments in ancient sediments have been used as a proxy of volcanism, especially large igneous province (LIP) eruptions. However, considering the existence of other potential Hg sources besides volcanoes and the diverse factors (e.g., organic matters, clay minerals, sulfide minerals and Fe oxides) that can affect Hg sequestration, there are considerable uncertainties to simply regard sedimentary Hg anomalies as signatures of volcanic activities. Mercury stable isotopes, a promising tool for tracing the origins and transformations of Hg, have been increasingly used for determining the causes of Hg spikes and understanding the geochemical behavior of Hg in the geologic record. To date, lots of researches have applied Hg concentrations and Hg isotopes to identify LIP volcanisms linking with significant geological events such as mass extinctions, ocean anoxic events and other environmental perturbations that mainly occurred in the Phanerozoic. However, the results in previous studies clearly show that not all Hg enrichments are derived from volcanic inputs, which emphasize the need for more caution in using Hg as a fingerprint of volcanism. With a better understanding of Hg isotopes in the future, there will be important implications for Hg isotopes to reconstruct volcanic activities in the rock records and their impacts on biological evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) is frequently accompanied by depression and anxiety, resulting in a reduced quality of life and increased medical expenditures. Although psychological factors are known to play an important role in the genesis and development of IBS-D, an understanding of the central neural control of intestinal dysfunction remains elusive. Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a gut-brain peptide involved in regulating feeding, sleep-wake rhythms, and emotional states. Methods: This study investigated the regulation of the MCHergic neural circuit from the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) to the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) on anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, intestinal motility, and visceral hypersensitivity in a mice model of IBS-D. The models of IBS-D were prepared by inducing chronic unpredictable mild stress. Results: Chemogenetic activation of the MCH neurons in the LHA could excite serotonin (5-HT) neurons in the DRN and induce anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and IBS-D-like symptoms, which could be recovered by microinjection of the MCH receptor antagonist SNAP94847 into the DRN. The mice model of IBS-D showed a reduction of 5-HT and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the DRN, while an elevation of 5-HT and BDNF was observed in the colon through immunofluorescent staining, ELISA, and Western blot analysis. SNAP94847 treatment in the DRN alleviated anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, improved intestinal motility, and alleviated visceral hypersensitivity responses by normalizing the 5-HT and BDNF expression in the DRN and colon. Conclusion: This study suggests that the activation of MCH neurons in the LHA may induce IBS-D symptoms via the DRN and that the MCH receptor antagonist could potentially have therapeutic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present an enhanced method for automatically capturing a large number of consecutive paraffin sections using a microscope. Leveraging these microstructural images, we employed three‐dimensional visualisation and reconstruction techniques to investigate the dispersal growth process of pollen tube bundles upon entering the ovary of Solanum nigrum. Additionally, we explored their behaviour within different ovules and examined the relationship between the germination rate of seeds and the fertilisation process. Our findings reveal that despite the abundance of Solanum nigrum seeds, only a fraction of them is capable of successful germination. The germination rate of seeds is closely related to whether fertilisation of the ovules and pollen tubes is completed. Due to the limited number of pollen tubes entering the ovary, only a portion of the ovules can be fertilised. The proportion of fertilised ovules positively correlates with the germination rate of the seeds. Through three‐dimensional reconstruction, we observed a phenomenon of proximity during the pollination process, wherein ovules closer to the pollen tube bundles are more likely to be fertilised. Furthermore, fertilised ovules exhibited significant changes in morphology and embryo sac structure. The number of fertilised ovules directly impacts the germination rate of wild Solanum nigrum seeds. Although all Solanum nigrum ovules have the potential to develop into seeds, most seeds originating from unfertilised ovules are unable to germinate normally, resulting in an incomplete germination rate of seeds and preventing it from reaching 100%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We developed a convolutional neural network (CNN) model to predict treatment outcomes of transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI) for controlling cervical radicular pain due to cervical foraminal stenosis. Methods: We retrospectively recruited 293 patients with cervical TFESI due to cervical radicular pain caused by cervical foraminal stenosis. We obtained a single oblique cervical radiograph from each patient. We cut each oblique cervical radiograph image into a square shape, including the foramen that was targeted for TFESI, the intervertebral disc, the facet joint of the corresponding level with the targeted foramen, and the pedicles of the vertebral bodies just above and below the targeted foramen. Therefore, images including the targeted foramen and structures around the targeted foramen were used as input data. A favorable outcome was defined as a ≥ 50% reduction in the numeric rating scale (NRS) score at 2 months post TFESI compared to the pretreatment NRS score. A poor outcome was defined as a < 50% reduction in the NRS score at 2 months post TFESI vs. the pretreatment score. Results: The area under the curve of our developed model for predicting the treatment outcome of cervical TFESI in patients with cervical foraminal stenosis was 0.823. Conclusion: A CNN model trained using oblique cervical radiographs can be helpful in predicting treatment outcomes after cervical TFESI in patients with cervical foraminal stenosis. If the predictive accuracy is increased, we believe that the deep learning model using cervical radiographs as input data can be easily and widely used in clinics or hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the field of organometallic chemistry has made a great progress and diverse types of metallaaromatics have successively been reported. In those studies, incorporation of ligated osmium centers into metallaaromatic systems played a prominent role. The reviewed literature documents that certain metallaaromatics with unconventional photophysical properties, redox and electronic transport properties and magnetism, have potential to be widely used in diverse practical applications, with selected examples of amino acid and fluoride anion identification, photothermal effects, functional materials, photodynamic therapy (PDT) in biomedicine, single‐molecule junction conductors, and electron‐transport layer materials (ETLs) in solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT) to investigate a series of cyclometallated Ir(III) complexes for their application as OLED light‐emitting materials, including (dtp)2Ir(dpm), (mmpyp)2Ir(dpm), (dtp)2Ir(tpip), (mmpyp)2Ir(tpip), (dtp)2Ir(pic), and (mmpyp)2Ir(pic). Their geometries, frontier molecular orbital properties, ionization potential, electron affinity, absorption and emission spectra, and spin‐orbit coupling properties have been analyzed respectively. Through comparison, we have identified complexes with reduced efficiency roll‐off and enhanced kISC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soft theorem states that scattering amplitude in gauge theory with a soft gauge-boson emission can be factorized into a hard scattering amplitude and a soft factor. In this paper, we present calculations of the soft factor for processes involving two hard colored partons, up to three loops in QCD. To accomplish this, we developed a systematic method for recursively calculating relevant Feynman integrals using the Feynman-Parameter representation. Our results constitute an important ingredient for the subtraction of infrared singularities at N4LO in perturbative QCD. Using the principle of leading transcendentality between QCD and N = 4 super Yang-Mills theory, we determine the soft factor in the latter case to three loops with full-color dependence. As a by-product, we also obtain the finite constant f 2 3 in the Bern-Dixon-Smirnov ansatz analytically, which was previously known numerically only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IoT device market has grown rapidly in recent years, with many researches have been done to investigate the IoT devices' adoption factors. However, it is crucial to understand how to maintain the users' continuance intention. This study, based on the post-acceptance model of the Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM), investigates the impact of early-stage users' personal traits (personal innovativeness), social influence (normative and informational), and familiarity, on the social diffusion of IoT devices (in particular, smart speakers) measured by the continuation intention of smart speakers. We tested the research model and hypotheses using data from 364 smart speaker users, analyzed with partial least square technique using Smart-PLS. The data analysis results revealed that satisfaction has a very strong and positive impact on continuance intention. Perceived usefulness, confirmation, and personal innovativeness are positively associated with continuance intention via satisfaction. Social influence, represented by normative and informational social influence, showed a significant positive impact on continuance intention, a high degree of familiarity weakens the influence of normative social influence on continuance intention; however, familiarity has no impact on the relationship between informational social influence and continuance intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intrinsic brittleness of cement hydrates can bring about the potential deterioration of concrete performance, affecting the service life of cement hydrates. In this study, we introduced polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) coupled with in situ polymerized acrylic acid (AA) to toughen conventional cement by constructing a polymer network in the cement matrix. The flexible polymer network, intermingled with cement hydrates, offered softness to the stiff cement matrix, significantly improving its flexural strength and toughness. Compared with the control cement paste, the AA–PVP-modified cement paste displayed an increment in flexural strength up to 86% with the comparable compressive strength to the control one by adjusting the AA–PVP fraction. Cement hydration promoted the polymerization reaction of AA by releasing heat, which ensured a synergistic effect between cement hydration and polymerization. Chemical interactions between carboxyl groups and metal ions (Ca2+ and Al3+) contributed to the improvement in mechanical strength. This method, the combination of polymer and in situ polymerization of monomers, exhibited extensive application prospects in toughening cement-based materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IoT device market has grown rapidly in recent years, with many researches have been done to investigate the IoT devices' adoption factors. However, it is crucial to understand how to maintain the users' continuance intention. This study, based on the post-acceptance model of the Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM), investigates the impact of early-stage users' personal traits (personal innovativeness), social influence (normative and informational), and familiarity, on the social diffusion of IoT devices (in particular, smart speakers) measured by the continuation intention of smart speakers. We tested the research model and hypotheses using data from 364 smart speaker users, analyzed with partial least square technique using Smart- PLS. The data analysis results revealed that satisfaction has a very strong and positive impact on continuance intention. Perceived usefulness, confirmation, and personal innovativeness are positively associated with continuance intention via satisfaction. Social influence, represented by normative and informational social influence, showed a significant positive impact on continuance intention, a high degree of familiarity weakens the influence of normative social influence on continuance intention; however, familiarity has no impact on the relationship between informational social influence and continuance intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although osmabenzyne, osmanaphthalyne, osmaphenanthryne, and osmaanthracyne have been previously reported, the synthesis of polycyclic osmaarynes is still a challenge. Herein, we report the successful synthesis of the first pentacyclic osmaarynes (pyreno[b]osmabenzynes 1 a and 2 a) and hexacyclic osmaaryne (peryleno[b]osmabenzyne 3 a). Nucleophilic reaction of osmaarynes was used to obtain the corresponding pyreno[b]osmium complexes (1 and 2) and peryleno[b] osmium complex (3), which exhibited near‐infrared luminescence and aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) properties. Complexes 2 and 3 are resistant to photodegradation, and complex 2 has better photothermal conversion properties than 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Simple and efficient synthesis of metalla‐aromatics with tailored distinctive optical, magnetic, redox, and light‐emitting properties is attractive yet challenging. We have now successfully synthesized three paramagnetic osmanaphthalenes bearing different electron‐donating groups as well as the first osmabenzo[b]carbazole containing an osmanaphthalene unit with four fused rings in good yields by subjecting suitable osmium carbyne precursors to a visible‐light‐induced protocol. In contrast, the four corresponding diamagnetic cyclic metal carbynes containing an osmanaphthalyne unit were obtained from the same osmium carbyne precursors by a heating method. The lowest‐energy absorptions of the paramagnetic osmanaphthalenes are red‐shifted compared to the corresponding osmanaphthalynes. Additionally, experimental observations including X‐ray analysis as well as nucleus‐independent chemical shift (NICS), anisotropy of the current‐induced density (AICD) calculations revealed these novel osmapolycycles bearing phosphonium substituents to be of aromatic character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, four different bis(imidazole) ligands, namely 1,4-bis(1-imidazolyl)benzene (bib), 4,4′-bis(1-imidazolyl)biphenyl (bibp), 1,4-bis (imidazol-1-ylmethylene)benzene) (bimb) and 4,4′-bis(imidazol-1-yl)diphenyl ether (bidpe), were used as the second ligand to give rise to the structural diversity of a coordination polymer based on the cobalt-miipa (H2miipa = 5-(2-methylimidazol-1-yl) isophthalic acid) system. In compound 1, miipa2− coordinates to Co(II) atoms to form the Co-miipa 3D network. On introducing linear bis(imidazole) ligands with different lengths and rigidities into the Co(II)-miipa system, the obtained compounds 2–4 form similar three-fold interpenetrating 3D MOFs constructed from the Co(II)-miipa layers pillared by bis(imidazole) ligands. While introducing the V-shaped half-flexible bis(imidazole) ligands, the obtained compound 5 exhibits a 2D double-layered network built from the Co(II)-miipa 1D quadrangular prism linked by the bis(imidazole) ligand. Each 2D double layer is further interlocked with two neighboring ones to produce an interesting 3D framework. Significantly, CoNC-5 derived from a mixture of dicyandiamide (DCD) and compound 5 with a low void volume shows a superior electrocatalytic performance for the oxygen reduction reaction. The Eonset (0.974 V) and E1/2 (0.830 V) of CoNC-5 in O2-saturated 0.1 M KOH at 1600 rpm and 5 mV s−1 are superior to those of Pt/C (0.968 and 0.799 V). The JL value of CoNC-5 (JL = 5.29 mA cm−2) is higher than that of Pt/C (5.09 mA cm−2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of heteroleptic cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes for OLEDs application have been investigated theoretically to explore their electronic structures and spectroscopic properties. The geometries, electronic structures, lowest‐lying singlet absorptions, and triplet emissions of (pdbi)2Ir(acac), (F‐pdbi)2Ir(acac), (pdbi)2Ir(dpis), (F‐pdbi)2Ir(dpis), (pdbi)2Ir(tpip), and (F‐pdbi)2Ir(tpip) were investigated with density function theory (DFT) and time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT), where pdbi denotes 1‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐5‐methyl‐3‐phenyl‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐1,3‐benzodiazole, acac denotes acetylacetonate, dpis denotes diphenylimidodisilicate, and tpip denotes tetraphenylimido‐diphosphinate. In addition, we analyzed the spin‐orbit coupling constant of these six complexes, and the results showed that the six complexes have a high ability of interlinear scampering. We hope this research can serve as a reference for practical experimental synthesis aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several studies have reported that circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are a promising marker for the diagnosis of thyroid cancer (TC) with recurrence or distant metastasis (DMs). However, some studies emerged with conflicting results. Therefore, we provide a meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic performance of CTC for detection of recurrence in patients of TC.Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane library with the keywords "thyroid cancer" and "circulating tumor cells". Data extraction and risk of bias assessment were performed independently by two reviewers. The summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) and other parameters were adopted to summarize the overall test performance. The sensitivity of CTCs in the detection of recurrent TC was reviewed. All analyses were performed by STATA 12.0 and Meta-disc software.Results: For CTCs expressing epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), seven studies were included in our meta-analysis. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio were 0.71 (95% CI: 0.63-0.78), 0.89 (95% CI: 0.84-0.94), and 26.75 (95% CI: 9.11-78.53); 0.78 (95% CI: 0.65-0.89), 0.88 (95% CI: 0.76-0.96), and 40.01 (95% CI: 10.49-152.63) for CTCs expressing thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR). The area under the SROC for EpCAM and TSHR were both 0.91.Conclusion: CTC was a reliable marker for the diagnosis of TC patients with recurrence and DMs, and the sensitivity of CTCs expressing TSHR was higher than that of EpCAM. Additional research is warranted in order to establish uniformity in international guidelines, make up the drawbacks of conventional diagnostic methods and to prevent futile surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, qualitative theoretical derivations, finite element analysis (FEA) and experiments are used to investigate the electromagnetic force (EF) and vibration characteristics of end windings. In contrast to previous studies, this study focuses not only on end winding EF/vibration under normal and radial static air gap eccentricity (RSAGE) conditions, but also for the cases of radial dynamic air gap eccentricity (RDAGE) and radial dynamic static hybrid air gap eccentricity (RHAGE). Firstly, the magnetic flux density (MFD) is derived for normal and radial air gap eccentricity (RAGE) faults, and detailed EF expressions are obtained before and after the RAGE fault. The finite element analysis (FEA) and experimental studies were performed on a four-pole DFIG at a speed of 1500 rpm to verify the proposed theoretical analysis. It is shown that RSAGE only enlarges the EF/end winding vibration and does not introduce new frequency components. RDAGE not only increases EF/end winding vibration but also introduces new frequency components. RHAGE can be seen as a superimposed effect of RSAGE and RDAGE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drinking alcohol is cited as a way for men to cope with stress, with most of the research emanating from western countries. However, in the East, limited scientific research has been conducted on the relationship between stress and alcohol consumption. Thus, this study aimed to explore the influence of life stress on alcohol use among Chinese men. Our data were drawn from the 2012 China Family Panel Studies that comprised representative samples of the Chinese population. In total, 15,373 Chinese men participated in this study, and their weekly alcohol intake and life stress were evaluated using computer-assisted personal interviews. It was found that the greater the overall life pressure experienced by the Chinese men, the less likely they were to engage in both general (OR = 0.977) and heavy drinking (OR = 0.975). Although severe life stress that interfered with daily life did not affect general drinking, it had a negative effect on heavy drinking. As for less severe life stresses, feeling down and sad had an inhibitory effect on male general and heavy drinking, and experiencing loneliness had a similar effect on general drinking but no effect on heavy drinking. Further, perceiving unfriendliness from others had no influence on male drinking behavior. Although feeling disliked by others had no effect on male drinking behavior, it had a significant, positive effect on male heavy drinking. This study found that in China, stress did not increase male alcohol consumption, but rather, inhibited it. Alcohol consumption is not a preferred strategy for Chinese men dealing with stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic time warping under limited warping path length (LDTW) is a state-of-the-art time series similarity evaluation method. However, it suffers from high space-time complexity, which makes some large-scale series evaluations impossible. In this paper, an alternating matrix with a concise structure is proposed to replace the complex three-dimensional matrix in LDTW and reduce the high complexity. Furthermore, an evolutionary chain tree is proposed to represent the warping paths and ensure an effective retrieval of the optimal one. Experiments using the benchmark platform offered by the University of California-Riverside show that our method uses 1.33% of the space, 82.7% of the time used by LDTW on average, which proves the efficiency of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the globalization of the contemporary social economy and its ever-increasing influence, it is particularly important to master a common language in the world at this stage English. For the subjects who have the opportunity to learn English, their listening, reading, writing, and other abilities are relatively good, but the speaking ability is relatively lacking. Therefore, the self-study of spoken English is particularly important for the improvement of the practical application ability of English, and an efficient self-study system will also play a better role in the self-study process. The efficiency of a system depends on the maximum and minimum magnitudes that the system can carry. Therefore, for the self-learning system of spoken English in this paper, it is necessary to calculate the maximum and minimum carrying capacity. Therefore, it is necessary to deal with the limit thinking of the maximum and minimum carrying capacity of the system. The evaluation based on limit theory in this paper is a kind of evaluation of the maximum and minimum carrying capacity of the English oral self-learning system by using the convergence and dispersion characteristics of limit thinking. In order to evaluate the performance of the oral English self-learning system, this paper implements the dynamic evaluator of the oral English self-learning system, and constructs a hardware system for the self-learning oral English. This paper also uses the hidden Markov model in the self-learning system and the application of the central limit theory. The corresponding experimental results show that the mean value of the spoken English test data is 25.1337, and the standard deviation is 2.01385, which is in line with the normal distribution. It shows that the evaluation based on the limit theory can make the operation of the spoken English self-learning system stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parameterized entanglement monotone, the q-concurrence, is also a reasonable parameterized entanglement measure. By exploring the properties of the q-concurrence with respect to the positive partial transposition and realignment of density matrices, we present tight lower bounds of the q-concurrence for arbitrary q ≥ 2 . Detailed examples are given to show that the bounds are better than the previous ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding phylogeography, demographic dynamics as well as evolutionary forces of agricultural pests can enhance our understanding of their distribution dynamics, which is critical for developing effective control strategies. The pink rice borer (PRB), Sesamia inferens (Walker), is a destructive pest of rice that is widely distributed in Asia; however, little is known regarding its phylogeography and evolutionary history. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity, population genetic structure and demographic history of the PRB at the scale of its whole distribution in China. Both mitochondrial and microsatellite datasets indicated that PRB individuals exhibit high levels of genetic diversity. Two large phylogeographic clusters were identified, corresponding to Northern and Southern China regions, respectively. The glacial events during the penultimate glacial period likely led to the separation of these two clusters, and parts of Northern and Southern China areas acted as independent refugia for PRB during glacial period. Two microrefugia in the Sichuan Basin and Yunnan‐Guizhou Plateau were also identified, and the PRB from Sichuan Basin could be one of the ancestral sources for PRB individuals from the Northern China lineage. Our study not only provides information that has implications for refugia identification, but also provides an example on how to reveal the phylogeography, demography history and evolutionary forces of an agriculture pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urothermal reactions of Co(II)/Zn(II) salts with the diverse carboxylic acid and 1,3,5,-tris(1-imidazolyl)benzene(tib) ligands afforded three novel MOFs, namely, [Co3(tib)2(abdc)2(ox)]2·6H2O (1), [Co3O(tib)(abdc)2(DMI)]·2DMI·2H2O (2) and [Zn3I2(tib)2(napdc)2]·2DMI·2H2O (3), (H2abdc = 5-amino-1,3-benzenedicarboxylate, H2napdc = 1,4-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid and DMI = 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone). In compounds 1 and 2, the Co(II) atoms are connected by polycarboxylate ligands to form two-dimensional (2D) layers that are pillared by tib ligands leading to the formation of 3D porous frameworks. In compound 3, the Zn(II) atoms are linked by tib ligands to form one-dimensional ribbon-like chains which are further connected by polycarboxylate ligands, making a 3D framework possible. Compound 1 can selectively adsorb unsaturated hydrocarbon molecules (C2H2 and C2H4) and saturated hydrocarbon molecules (C2H6 and CH4). Specifically, compound 1 has high IAST selectivity for acetylene and methane (0.50 : 0.50, v/v) at 273 K and 1 bar. DFT calculations reveal that the π-conjugated hexagonal carbon ring may be the primary adsorption site because there are π–π interactions between the unsaturated hydrocarbon molecules (C2H2 and C2H4) and the π-conjugated hexagonal carbon ring in the framework of compound 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gesture recognition utilizes deep learning network model to automatically extract deep features of data; however, traditional machine learning algorithms rely on manual feature extraction and poor model generalization ability. In this paper, a multimodal gesture recognition algorithm based on convolutional long-term memory network is proposed. First, a convolutional neural network (CNN) is employed to automatically extract the deeply hidden features of multimodal gesture data. Then, a time series model is constructed using a long short-term memory (LSTM) network to learn the long-term dependence of multimodal gesture features on the time series. On this basis, the classification of multimodal gestures is realized by the SoftMax classifier. Finally, the method is experimented and evaluated on two dynamic gesture datasets, VIVA and NVGesture. Experimental results indicate that the accuracy rates of the proposed method on the VIVA and NVGesture datasets are 92.55% and 87.38%, respectively, and its recognition accuracy and convergence performance are better than those of other comparison algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Patients with advanced ampullary carcinoma (AC) who are unsuitable for surgery are most likely to have poor outcomes. The role of endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in this population has not been fully defined. We aimed to assess the short‐ and long‐term outcomes of RFA in a large cohort of AC patients. Methods: In this retrospective study, data of consecutive patients with pathologically proven AC who underwent successful endobiliary RFA and/or stent placement were collected. All patients did not undergo surgical resection. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). The secondary outcomes included clinical success and adverse events. Results: A total of 85 patients, 50 in the RFA plus stenting group and 35 in the stenting alone group, were identified. The median OS was significantly longer in the RFA group than in the stenting alone group (16.9 vs. 9.8 months, P < 0.001). In multivariable Cox analysis, RFA (hazards ratio 0.408; 95% confidence interval 0.235–0.706; P = 0.001) was the only independent OS predictor. Eight patients with stage II tumors, exclusively from the RFA group, survived for more than 3 years. Clinical success was comparable between the two groups (96% vs. 100%, P = 0.231). Early adverse events between the two groups were similar (10% vs. 2.9%, P = 0.206); however, late biliary/pancreatic stenoses occurred in three RFA patients who were successfully managed with endoscopic interventions. Conclusions: Endoscopic RFA appears to prolong patients' survival with acceptable safety; it may therefore be a feasible treatment option for patients with inoperable ampullary cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The medium-chain fatty acid receptor GPR84, a member of the G protein-coupled receptor family, is mainly expressed in macrophages and microglia, and is involved in the regulation of inflammatory responses and retinal development in mammals and amphibians. However, structure, tissue distribution, and pharmacology of this receptor have rarely been reported in fish. In this study, we cloned the coding sequence (CDS) of common carp GPR84 (ccGPR84), examined its tissue distribution, and explored its cellular signaling function. The results showed that the CDS of ccGPR84 is 1191 bp and encodes a putative protein with 396 amino acids. Phylogenetic and chromosomal synteny analyses revealed that ccGPR84 was evolutionarily conserved with Cyprinids. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) indicated that ccGPR84 was predominantly expressed in the intestine and spleen. Luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that nonanoic acid, capric acid (decanoic acid), undecanoic acid and lauric acid could inhibit cAMP signaling pathway and activate MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, while the potencies of these four fatty acids on the two signaling pathways were different. Lauric acid has the highest inhibitory potency on cAMP signaling pathway, followed by undecanoic acid, nonanoic acid, and capric acid. While for MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, nonanoic acid has the highest activation potency, followed by undecanoic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid. These findings lay the foundation for revealing the roles of different medium-chain fatty acids in the inflammatory response of common carp. • CcGPR84 is highly expressed in the intestine and spleen of common carp. • Lauric acid exhibits the strongest inhibitory potency on the cAMP signaling pathway via ccGPR84. • Nonanoic acid exhibits the highest activation potency on the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway via ccGPR84. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High silica A-type granites (HSAGs) are important carriers of rare metal elements. Formation of HSAGs by crystal-liquid segregation would facilitate fertilization of rare metals and rare earth elements (REE). In this work, we present detailed petrology, whole-rock geochemistry, and in-situ zircon U Pb ages and Hf O isotopic compositions of the Halajun HSAGs in the South Tienshan Orogenic Belt (STOB). In combination with the previous study of the Halajun syenite and monzonite, we unravel the genetic connection of these granitoids and further explore the metallogenetic potentiality of HSAGs along the STOB in China. The Halajun granites have geochemical affinities of HSAGs with high SiO 2 contents (> 70 wt%), whole-rock zirconium saturation thermometry (680–860 °C), high Ga / Al ratios and high field strength elements (HFSE) contents. The HSAGs (273–279 Ma), monzonite (280 Ma) and syenite (283 Ma) have similar formation ages, identical mineral assemblages, and consistent variations in major elements, implying a common magma reservoir of their parental magma. The Tamu and Huoshibulake HSAGs have high SiO 2 (74.5–78.1 wt%) contents, low Sr (5–28 ppm) and Ba (7–60 ppm) contents, high Rb/Sr ratios (11.6–87.5), and strong negative Eu anomalies (0.01–0.08). Combined with the petrographic features, these geochemical variations suggest that they are the extracted melt. Conversely, the geochemical (high Sr and Ba concentrations, and Eu/Eu* near unity) and petrographic features of monzonite and syenite represent the residual silicic cumulate (crystals ± trapped melt). The Kezi'ertuo and Halajun II HSAGs have SiO 2 (71.9–76.5 wt%) contents, Sr (35–101 ppm) and Ba (60–541 ppm) contents, Rb/Sr ratios (1.9–8.9), and negative Eu anomalies (0.04–0.43), indicating the intermediate component (extracted melt + fractional crystals) in the consecutive system of crystal-liquid segregation. In-situ zircon Hf O isotopes for the Halajun granitoids indicate a complex trans-crustal magmatic process involving crystal-liquid segregation and wall-rock assimilation. The long-time span of Tarim Large Igneous Province (TLIP) sustained injection of mantle-derived magma and/or advective heat to the magma chamber (> 1 Ma). Owing to the prolonged magma evolution, the highly fractionated silicic magma with high incompatible elements and F contents was extracted from the magma mush, and formed the HSAGs. • The evolution of A-type granitoids are similar with the fractionated I/S granitoids. • The high silica A-type granites are formed by crystal-liquid segregation. • High fractionation of silicic magma facilitates the rare metal fertilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early hydration of Portland cement is profoundly affected by the mineral phase of tricalcium aluminate (C 3 A), but how in situ polymerization of monomers influences the hydration of C 3 A remains unclear. Herein, we probed the effect of in situ polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) on the hydration behavior of cubic C 3 A from experiment and ab initio molecular dynamics simulation (AIMD). Our findings reveal that in situ polymerization of AA retarded C 3 A hydration, which was corroborated by the AIMD result that polyacrylic acid (PAA) reduced the charge transfer between C 3 A and water and inhibited the dissolution of Ca ions from C 3 A surfaces by adsorbing on the C 3 A. Additionally, in situ polymerized PAA improves the carbonation resistance of C 3 A hydrates, accompanied by lowering their crystallinity. Hopefully, our findings can provide valuable guidance on the theory for implementing in situ polymerization of monomers in cement-based materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large quantities of organic dyes are discharged into the environment, causing serious damage to the ecosystem. Therefore, it is urgent to develop inexpensive adsorbents to remove organic dyes. A novel cellulose-based aerogel (MPPA) with 3D porous structure was prepared by using cassava residue (cellulose) as basic construction blocks, doping ferroferric oxide (Fe 3 O 4) for magnetic separation, and applying polyethyleneimine (PEI) as functional material for highly efficient and selective capture of Congo red (CR). MPPA exhibited porous network structure, numerous active capture sites, nontoxicity, high hydrophilicity, and excellent thermal stability. MPPA showed superior adsorption property for CR, with an equilibrium adsorption capacity of 2018.14 mg/g, and still had an adsorption property of 1189.31 mg/g after five recycling procedures. In addition, MPPA has excellent selectivity for CR in four binary dye systems. The adsorption behavior of MPPA on CR was further explored using a multilayer adsorption model, EDR-IDR hybrid model and AOAS model. Electrostatic potential and independent gradient models were used to further verify the possible interaction between MPPA and CR molecules. In conclusion, MPPA is a promising adsorbent in the field of treating anionic dyes. [Display omitted] • A novel magnetic cassava pomace based aerogel was designed and synthesized. • MPPA can effectively removes Congo red from wastewater. • In vitro cytotoxicity tests were used to validate the safety of MPPA. • Density functional theory was applied to visualise the adsorption interactions. • The phenomenological models proposed new insights into sorption mass transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Cobb angle is a standard measurement to qualify and track the progression of scoliosis. However, the Cobb angle has high inter- and intra-observer variability. Consequently, its measurement varies with vertebrae and may even differ when the same vertebra is measured. Therefore, it is not constant and differs with measurements. This study aimed to develop a deep learning model that automatically measures the Cobb angle. The deep learning model for identifying vertebrae on spine radiographs was developed.The dataset consisted of 297 images that were divided into two subsets for training and validation. Two hundred and twenty-seven images (76.4%) were used to train the model, while 70 images (23.6%) were used as the validation dataset. Absolut error between the measurements by the observer and developed deep learning model and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).The average absolute error between the measurements was 1.97° with a standard deviation of 1.57°. In addition, 95.9% of the angles had an absolute error of less than 5°. The ICC was calculated to assess the model's reliability further. The ICC was 0.981, indicating excellent reliability.The authors believe the model will be useful in clinical practice by relieving clinicians of the burden of having to manually compute the Cobb angle. Further studies are needed to enhance the accuracy and versatility of this deep learning model.Methods: The Cobb angle is a standard measurement to qualify and track the progression of scoliosis. However, the Cobb angle has high inter- and intra-observer variability. Consequently, its measurement varies with vertebrae and may even differ when the same vertebra is measured. Therefore, it is not constant and differs with measurements. This study aimed to develop a deep learning model that automatically measures the Cobb angle. The deep learning model for identifying vertebrae on spine radiographs was developed.The dataset consisted of 297 images that were divided into two subsets for training and validation. Two hundred and twenty-seven images (76.4%) were used to train the model, while 70 images (23.6%) were used as the validation dataset. Absolut error between the measurements by the observer and developed deep learning model and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).The average absolute error between the measurements was 1.97° with a standard deviation of 1.57°. In addition, 95.9% of the angles had an absolute error of less than 5°. The ICC was calculated to assess the model's reliability further. The ICC was 0.981, indicating excellent reliability.The authors believe the model will be useful in clinical practice by relieving clinicians of the burden of having to manually compute the Cobb angle. Further studies are needed to enhance the accuracy and versatility of this deep learning model.Results: The Cobb angle is a standard measurement to qualify and track the progression of scoliosis. However, the Cobb angle has high inter- and intra-observer variability. Consequently, its measurement varies with vertebrae and may even differ when the same vertebra is measured. Therefore, it is not constant and differs with measurements. This study aimed to develop a deep learning model that automatically measures the Cobb angle. The deep learning model for identifying vertebrae on spine radiographs was developed.The dataset consisted of 297 images that were divided into two subsets for training and validation. Two hundred and twenty-seven images (76.4%) were used to train the model, while 70 images (23.6%) were used as the validation dataset. Absolut error between the measurements by the observer and developed deep learning model and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).The average absolute error between the measurements was 1.97° with a standard deviation of 1.57°. In addition, 95.9% of the angles had an absolute error of less than 5°. The ICC was calculated to assess the model's reliability further. The ICC was 0.981, indicating excellent reliability.The authors believe the model will be useful in clinical practice by relieving clinicians of the burden of having to manually compute the Cobb angle. Further studies are needed to enhance the accuracy and versatility of this deep learning model.Conclusions: The Cobb angle is a standard measurement to qualify and track the progression of scoliosis. However, the Cobb angle has high inter- and intra-observer variability. Consequently, its measurement varies with vertebrae and may even differ when the same vertebra is measured. Therefore, it is not constant and differs with measurements. This study aimed to develop a deep learning model that automatically measures the Cobb angle. The deep learning model for identifying vertebrae on spine radiographs was developed.The dataset consisted of 297 images that were divided into two subsets for training and validation. Two hundred and twenty-seven images (76.4%) were used to train the model, while 70 images (23.6%) were used as the validation dataset. Absolut error between the measurements by the observer and developed deep learning model and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).The average absolute error between the measurements was 1.97° with a standard deviation of 1.57°. In addition, 95.9% of the angles had an absolute error of less than 5°. The ICC was calculated to assess the model's reliability further. The ICC was 0.981, indicating excellent reliability.The authors believe the model will be useful in clinical practice by relieving clinicians of the burden of having to manually compute the Cobb angle. Further studies are needed to enhance the accuracy and versatility of this deep learning model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify potential risk factors of unsatisfactory screw position during robotassisted pedicle screw fixation. Methods: A retrospective analysis of robot-assisted pedicle screw fixation performed in Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from March 2018 to March 2019 was conducted. Research data was collected from the medical record and imaging systems. Univariate tests were performed on the potential risk factors (patient's characteristics and surgical factors) of unsatisfactory screw position during robot-assisted pedicle screw fixation. For statistically significant variables in univariate tests, a logistic regression test was used to identify independent risk factors for unsatisfactory screw position. Results: A total of 780 pedicle screws placed in 163 robot-assisted surgeries were analyzed. The rate of perfect screw positions was 93.08%, and the unsatisfactory rate was 6.92%. In patients with severe obesity (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m²) (odds ratio [OR], 2.459; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.199-5.044; p = 0.014), osteoporosis (T ≤ -2.5) (OR, 1.857; 95% CI, 1.046-3.295; p = 0.034), and the segments 3 levels away from the tracker (OR, 2.216; 95% CI, 1.119-4.387; p = 0.022), robot-assisted pedicle screw placement has a higher risk of screw malposition. Conclusion: During robot-assisted pedicle screw placement for patients with severe obesity, osteoporosis, and segments 3 levels away from the tracker, vigilance should be maintained during surgery to avoid postoperative complications due to unsatisfactory screw position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel osmaindenes 1–6 bearing different substituents (CF3, H, I, Br, OCH3, N(Ph)2) has been synthesized by nucleophilic reaction of water with the corresponding aromatic osmanaphthalyne complexes. All osmaindenes 1–6 have been characterized by elemental analysis (EA) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, although the low solubilities of 3 and 4 precluded the accumulation of their 13C NMR spectra. Osmaindenes 2, 3 and 5 have also been characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. Subsequently, through solid‐state fluorescence spectroscopy, mechanochromic studies, and powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, we found that osmaindenes 1–6 fluoresce at wavelengths in the range 500–800 nm, while also displaying reversible mechanochromic properties. The solid‐state fluorescence emission of 1 after grinding extends into the near‐infrared region. This research provides new insight into the design and synthesis of metallic materials with excellent mechanochromic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaporin (AQP) transport solutes across cell membranes in both unicellular and multicellular organisms. In this study, the aquaporin Cs Prip was identified in Chilo suppressalis , an important pest of rice. Cs Prip was comprised of two variants, Cs Prip_v1 and Cs Prip_v2; the former variant was <103 bp was shorter than the latter, although both exhibited the same open reading frame (ORF). Transmembrane topology and protein structure analyses showed that Cs Prip retained the conserved features of water-selective insect AQPs, including six transmembrane domains, two conserved hydrophobic asparagine–proline–alanine motifs and the aromatic/arginine constriction region. Expression in Xenopus oocytes revealed that Cs Prip preferentially transported water and urea instead of trehalose and glycerol. The Cs Prip transcript was expressed in multiple organs and tissues of C. suppressalis larvae and was most abundant in the hindgut and Malpighian tubules. Cs Prip transcription was highest in male adults and was relatively stable throughout development. Cs Prip expression in larvae was significantly altered by thermal stress, and relative humidity levels impacted Cs Prip transcription in 3rd and 5th instar larvae. This study confirms that the aquaporin Cs Prip performs multiple critical functions in maintaining water equilibrium in C. suppressalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Members of a new class of complexes, 2(CF3), 2(H), 2(Br), 2(I), and 2(OCH3), have been synthesized in a one‐pot method involving the treatment of osmanaphthalynes bearing corresponding substituents (1(CF3), 1(H), 1(Br), 1(I), and 1(OCH3)) with trimethylphosphine (PMe3) and water. The main reaction process involves two steps, namely a ligand‐exchange with trimethylphosphine and nucleophilic addition of water to the Os≡C bond of the osmanaphthalyne. The substituents have a significant influence on the rate of the reaction, as befits a nucleophilic addition. Fortunately, the key intermediate [1(OCH3)]′ could be successfully captured, and the detailed reaction mechanism has been explored with the aid of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which were in excellent agreement with the experimental findings. All of the target complexes have been fully characterized by 1H, 31P{1H}, and 13C{1H} NMR spectroscopy, high‐resolution mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four 3-fold symmetrical hexabenzocoronene-bridged trinuclear alkynylgold(I) compounds with different isocyano groups have been synthesized and characterized by 1H, 13C NMR, HRMS (ESI) spectra and elemental analyses. The photophysical properties have been fully studied through UV − vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectra, combined with DFT/TDDFT theoretical calculations. The experimental results show that the optical properties of this large π-system is dominated by the c-HBC core with minor impact of isocyano-gold(I) component. In addition, the response of these large conjugated molecules to different anions was also studied by fluorescence emission spectroscopy. The research in this paper provides theoretical basis for the design and synthesis of functional molecular materials containing hexa-cata-hexabenzocoronenes (c-HBCs) and alkynylgold(I) units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we calculate analytically the perturbative matching coefficients for unpolarized quark and gluon Transverse-Momentum-Dependent (TMD) Parton Distribution Functions (PDFs) and Fragmentation Functions (FFs) through Next-to-Next-to-Next-to-Leading Order (N3LO) in QCD. The N3LO TMD PDFs are calculated by solving a system of differential equation of Feynman and phase space integrals. The TMD FFs are obtained by analytic continuation from space-like quantities to time-like quantities, taking into account the probability interpretation of TMD PDFs and FFs properly. The coefficient functions for TMD FFs exhibit double logarithmic enhancement at small momentum fraction z. We resum such logarithmic terms to the third order in the expansion of αs. Our results constitute important ingredients for precision determination of TMD PDFs and FFs in current and future experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a comprehensive analysis on the end winding vibration characteristics due to different stator inter-turn short circuit (SISC) positions in synchronous generators. Different from other studies, this article not only pays attention to the effect of SISC on the end winding electromagnetic forces, but also considers the impact of the short circuit position, which is related to the static air-gap eccentricity, on the end winding vibrations at the meantime. The whole work is based on the qualitatively theoretical analysis, the finite element analysis (FEA), and the experimental validation on a 6-pole synchronous generator. The study shows that SISC will considerably enlarge the electromagnetic force and intensify the radial vibration of the end winding, especially at 100 Hz, 200 Hz and 300 Hz. The closer the short circuit position is to the minimum air-gap point, the more severe the end winding vibration will be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has received broad public attention and has been subject to social media discussion since the beginning of 2020. Previous research has demonstrated that framing could influence perception and behaviors of audience members in the mass media. The question addressed in this paper concerns which information frame is best for reporting negative news (eg, deaths) and positive news (eg, recoveries or cures) related to the outbreak of COVID-19. Methods: During the Spring Festival holidays of 2020 in China, we investigated a sample of 8170 participants' risk perceptions and emotional responses to the pandemic, and their willingness to forward updates when the information is presented in different frames by using a 2 (domain: living [good news] vs dying [bad news]) × 2 (count: absolute vs relative) × 2 (population base: excluding population base vs including population base) × 2 (content: text-only vs text-plus-graphic) mixed factorial design, with the first factor being a within-subjects factor and the last three being between-subjects factors. Results: Results indicated that (1) participants were more willing to forward good news (eg, cures) than bad news (eg, deaths); (2) when reporting bad news, the inclusion of the "population base" was effective in minimizing negative emotions; (3) when reporting good news, excluding the "population base" was more effective than including it in order to maximize positive emotions; (4) a text-plus-graphic frame worked better than a text-only frame in lowering the level of risk perception and negative emotions. Discussion: This study is relevant to how individuals and organizations communicate information about this viral pandemic and the probable impact of this news on the general public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different aromatic polycarboxylic acids are employed as auxiliary ligands to give rise to structural diversities in Co(II)-tpt (tpt = 2,4,6-tris(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine) frameworks. By introducing various secondary aromatic polycarboxylate anions, namely, biphenyl-3,4′,5-tricarboxylic acid (H3bpt), 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (H3btc) and 2,6-dimethyl pyridine-3,5-dicarboxylic acid (H2dmdcpy) into the Co(II)-tpt system (tpt = 2,4,6-tris(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine), four new complexes [Co3(tpt)2(Hbpt)3]·0.5DMDP (1) (DMDP = N,N′ = dimethylpropyleneurea), [Co3(btc)2(tpt)(H2O)3]·3H2O (2), [Co2(btc)(tpt)2Cl]·DMDP·1.5H2O (3) and [Co(tpt)(dmdcpy)]·H2O (4) were obtained. Complexes 1 and 2 reveal amazing 3D networks in which the polycarboxylate ligands and Co(II) ions connect with each other to form regular 3D porous frameworks with 1D cylindrical channels partitioned by virtue of the tpt ligands. Complexes 3 and 4 exhibit unusual 3D frameworks constructed from the Co–polycarboxylate layers pillared by tpt ligands. In addition, compound 1 was chosen as a precursor to prepare Co, N-codoped porous carbon materials (denoted as CoNC) as an eletrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reactions. In particular, the effect of different nitrogen sources on the electrocatalytic performance of MOF derived carbon materials was investigated. We found that although different nitrogen-containing ligands have a certain effect on the electrocatalytic performance of the synthesized CoMOF derived carbon materials, the additional nitrogen source has a significant effect on it. CoNC-A derived from compound 1 exhibits greater limiting current density than that of a Pt/C catalyst, while CoNC-B derived from a mixture of compound 1 and dicyandiamide shows almost identical onset potential but remarkably more positive half-wave potential as well as higher limiting current density as compared to commercial Pt/C catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monogamy of quantum entanglement captures the property of limitation in the distribution of entanglement. Various monogamy relations exist for different entanglement measures that are important in quantum information processing. Our goal in this work is to propose general monogamy inequalities for several entanglement measures on entangled qubit systems. The present results provide a unified model for various entanglement measures including the concurrence, the negativity, the entanglement of formation, Tsallis-q entropy, Rényi-q entropy, and Unified-(q, s) entropy. We then propose tightened monogamy inequalities for multipartite qubit systems and derive upper bounds of aforementioned entanglement measures for multipartite pure state under generalized bipartitions. We finally prove a generic result that most of tripartite high-dimensional entangled pure states have no entanglement monogamy. These results are useful for exploring the entanglement theory, quantum information processing and secure quantum communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective  Although microvascular decompression (MVD) has been widely accepted as an effective treatment of trigeminal neuralgia (TN), some patients have not been cured. To improve the postoperative outcome, the surgical procedure should be further refined. Design  This is a retrospective study. Setting  Present study conducted at a cranial nerve disorder center. Participants  Clinical data were collected from patients with TN who had undergone surgery in our center, including 685 who had undergone traditional MVD and 576 who had undergone the "MVD plus" procedure, in which any vessel attached to the trigeminal nerve was freed away ("nerve-combing"), which was followed by intraoperative neurolysis. Main Outcome Measures  Postoperative outcomes and complications in the two groups were compared. Results  Among patients who underwent traditional MVD, the rates of immediate relief and 1-year relief were 89.9 and 86.9%, respectively; among patients who underwent MVD plus group, these rates were 95.1 and 94.6%, respectively (p  = 0.05). Patients who underwent MVD plus initially exhibited a higher rate of facial numbness (p  < 0.05), but this finding decreased over time and reached the same level as that in the traditional MVD group within 3 months (p  > 0.05). Conclusion  Sufficient MVD with nerve-combing for the treatment of TN may produce a high rate of cure with less recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud computing offers resources to users for computing and storage needs on the policy pay-what-you-use model. A private cloud is an excellent cost-saving option because the user owns the resources and can be used free to execute workflow applications. However, when private cloud resources are insufficient to fulfill the needs of workflow applications, the public cloud is the only option. To this end, a hybrid cloud (HC) is an elegant way to combine public and private cloud resources to meet the requirements of workflow applications. Therefore, large enterprises prefer the HC, but task scheduling in the HC is complicated. Therefore, this study proposed a Deadline-constrained Cost-aware Workflow Scheduling (DCWS) algorithm to address task scheduling problems in the HC. Firstly, we will execute maximum workflow tasks on the private cloud owned by users under the deadline constraint. Secondly, send the unscheduled workflow tasks to the public cloud for execution. Lastly, we will ensure scheduling whole workflow tasks on the private cloud and the communication channels (for sending to the public cloud) to satisfy the task-precedence needs and the task deadline constraint while incurring a minimal monetary cost. Furthermore, we reduce task slack time with the help of the sub-deadline division technique and search for an ideal virtual machine (VM) to reduce further execution time and monetary cost. The experimental results prove that the DCWS algorithm outperformed existing algorithms. • A noval method is proposed to minimize monetary costs for workflow scheduling in hybrid clouds. • We studied how efficiently schedule tasks in hybrid cloud to meet task-precedence needs and deadline criteria. • We used sub-deadline method to find the right computing resource to reduce additional costs. • We carried out extensive tests to prove the efficiency of the DCWS algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abundant A-type granitic intrusions are located within the South Tienshan Orogenic Belt (STOB) and the adjacent area to the Tarim Block. Most of these intrusions share the analogical epoch of the Tarim Large Igneous Province (TLIP), however display diverse alkalinity and geochemical signature. There is controversy in deciphering the subdivision, petrogenesis and geodynamic setting of these intrusions based on their varied geochemical compositions. In this contribution, we conduct integrated research of whole-rock major and trace element compositions, zircon U–Pb geochronology, and in-situ zircon Hf–O isotopic characteristics of several Halajun intrusions in the STOB, to unravel their subdivision, petrogenesis and geodynamics. The Halajun IV quartz-syenite, Kaladuowei quartz-monzonite and tourmaline-rich granite show Permian crystallization ages of 283.4 ± 1.1 Ma, 280.2 ± 1.3 Ma and 270.7 ± 1.5 Ma, respectively. These intrusions exhibit high Zr + Nb + Ce + Y concentrations (449–1592 ppm), 10,000 × Ga/Al values (3.31–4.47), Na 2 O + K 2 O (6.9–10.9 wt%), (K 2 O + Na 2 O)/CaO (3.5–19.2) and FeOT/(FeOT + MgO) (0.67–0.95), which are similar to those of typical A-type granitoids. These samples show various degrees of enriched Rb, Th, U, Zr, Hf and Pb, and depleted Ba, Sr and Eu. Decoupling of Nb and Ta in late granitic phases infers that the Nb–Ta differentiation occurred during the magmatic evolution. The in-situ zircon Hf and O isotopes of these intrusions show wide ranges of ε Hf(t) (−1.2 to +4.7) and δ 18O (+6.2‰ to +8.2‰), indicating that crust- and mantle-derived materials were both involved in the quartz-syenite, quartz-monzonite and tourmaline-rich granite. End-member mixing model shows that the mantle contribution is ∼80% for quartz-syenite and ∼60–65% for quartz-monzonite and tourmaline-rich granite, respectively. With the increasing crustal materials of the parental magma and the subsequent fractionation of ilmenite and biotite, they exhibit a gradual tendency from A 1 -type to A 2 -type granitoids. This suggests that A-subtypes may evolve during the magmatic process. Considering the same tectonic setting and a common parental source, the quartz-syenite, quartz-monzonite and tourmaline-rich granite should be A 1 -type. The Halajun plutons were emplaced between the STOB and Tarim Block, and their generation might be related to the contemporaneous Permian Tarim mantle plume. The primitive magmas, derived from mantle plume, was mixed with the ancient Proterozoic crust and formed the Halajun A 1 -type granitoids. These alkaline intrusions share two tectonic regimes, i.e., the southern margin of the Tienshan Orogenic Belt and the northern margin of TLIP. The regional tectonic setting was in the transitional period from a compressive regime to an extensional or post-collisional one in the Late Paleozoic. The rising plume generated the ultramafic pipes, and provided dynamic energy to the extensional motion. The collapse of the Tienshan Orogenic Belt and the contemporary heavy eruption of TLIP not only afforded channels for the upwelling mantle magma, but also cycled the lithosphere or crustal materials into the mantle, which might have been involved in the formation of the A 2 -type granitoids in the STOB. The A 1 -type granitoids were mainly derived from the mantle source along the terminal suture. • Tarim Large Igneous Province is responsible for the formation of the Halajun granites. • The transition from A 1 - to A 2 -type granitoid is caused by increased crustal materials. • Crystallization differentiation of ilmenite and biotite will enhance this tendency. • A 1 -type granitoids mainly occur along the North Tarim Suture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing evidence that cellular metabolism can directly participate in epigenetic dynamics and consequently modulate gene expression. However, the role of metabolites in activating the key gene regulatory network for specialization of germ cell lineage remains largely unknown. Here, we identified some cellular metabolites with significant changes by untargeted metabolomics between mouse epiblast-like cells (EpiLCs) and primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs). More importantly, we found that inhibition of glutaminolysis by bis-2-(5-phenylacetamido-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl) ethyl sulfide (BPTES) impeded PGCLC specialization, but the impediment could be rescued by addition of α-ketoglutarate (αKG), the intermediate metabolite of oxidative phosphorylation and glutaminolysis. Moreover, adding αKG alone to the PGCLC medium accelerated the PGCLC specialization through promoting H3K27me3 demethylation. Thus, our study reveals the importance of metabolite αKG in the germ cell fate determination and highlights the essential role of cellular metabolism in shaping the cell identities through epigenetic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) is a protein deacetylase regulating β-cell function through inhibiting oxidative stress in obese and diabetic mice, but the detailed mechanism and potential effect of β-cell-specific SIRT3 on metabolic homeostasis, and its potential effect on other metabolic organs, are unknown. We found that glucose tolerance and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion were impaired in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed β-cell-selective Sirt3 knockout (Sirt3f/f;Cre/+) mice. In addition, Sirt3f/f;Cre/+ mice had more severe hepatic steatosis than Sirt3f/f mice upon HFD feeding. RNA sequencing of islets suggested that Sirt3 deficiency overactivated 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) synthesis as evidenced by upregulation of tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1). 5-HT concentration was increased in both islets and serum of Sirt3f/f;Cre/+ mice. 5-HT also facilitated the effect of palmitate to increase lipid deposition. Treatment with TPH1 inhibitor ameliorated hepatic steatosis and reduced weight gain in HFD-fed Sirt3f/f;Cre/+ mice. These data suggested that under HFD feeding, SIRT3 deficiency in β-cells not only regulates insulin secretion but also modulates hepatic lipid metabolism via the release of 5-HT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endoscopic stenting to manage malignant hilar biliary obstruction has no consensus regarding the optimal stenting strategy. In this multicenter study, we compared transpapillary parallel‐style bilateral metal stenting with bilateral plastic stenting, and evaluated short‐ and long‐term outcomes. Methods: We recruited 262 consecutive patients (Bismuth classification types II–IV) who underwent either bilateral metal or plastic stenting as primary therapy at four tertiary centers. To overcome selection bias, we performed 1:1 propensity score matching. Our primary outcome was overall survival. Results: After propensity score matching, each group comprised 96 patients, with no significant differences in any baseline characteristics. The median survival was significantly longer in the metal stenting group than in the plastic stenting group (7.2 months [95% CI 6.0–8.5] vs. 4.1 months [95% CI 2.9–5.3]; P = 0.015). The clinical success rates were significantly higher in the metal stenting group than in the plastic stenting group (99.0% vs. 71.9%, respectively; P < 0.001), and lower post‐procedure cholangitis incidence (7.3% vs. 26.0%; P < 0.001), longer median symptom‐free stent patency (9.2 months [95% CI 7.6–10.6] vs. 4.8 months [95% CI 4.2–5.3]; P < 0.001), and fewer total interventions (1.3 ± 0.6 vs. 2.0 ± 1.4; P < 0.001). In multivariate Cox analysis of the overall survival, metal stenting (HR 0.589, P = 0.002), hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HR 0.419, P = 0.009), and adjuvant treatment (HR 0.596, P = 0.006) were independent predictors of death. Conclusions: Endoscopic therapy using bilateral metal stenting is superior to bilateral plastic stenting, with prolonged overall survival, higher clinical success, and longer stent patency in patients with advanced hilar biliary malignancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Fully covered self‐expandable metal stents (FCSEMSs) have been increasingly used in the management of benign or malignant biliary disorders. However, the risk of post‐endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis (PEP) with transpapillary placement of the FCSEMS remains controversial. This study therefore aimed to investigate the risk of PEP in patients who received FCSEMS implantation. Methods: In total, 602 patients who underwent endoscopic transpapillary FCSEMS placement at five Chinese medical centers, between 2011 and 2018, were included in this retrospective study. Patients who were younger than 18 years and with stent placement above the papilla were excluded from the study. PEP and the risk factors were reviewed. Results: PEP occurred in 56 (9.3%) patients, and eight (1.3%) of them experienced moderate‐to‐severe PEP. The incidence of PEP rose to 14.6% (51/349) when patients had no pancreatic duct (PD) dilation, and even to 18.6% if no prophylactic approaches were adopted. Prophylactic PD stenting showed better efficacy in reducing the incidence of PEP than did rectal use of indomethacin (3.5% vs 10.8%, P = 0.023). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that difficult cannulation (OR 2.837, 95% CI 1.245–6.465, P = 0.013), PD dilation (OR 0.145, 95% CI 0.05–0.422, P < 0.001), and PD stenting (OR 0.247, 95% CI 0.089–0.686, P = 0.007) were significantly associated with PEP risk. Post‐procedure cholecystitis was found in 4.0% of patients. Conclusion: The risk of post‐procedure pancreatitis is modestly increased in patients receiving transpapillary FCSEMS placement, particularly when there is absence of PD dilation. Thus, prophylactic pancreatic stenting is recommended in such a condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to provide thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication (TEHL) contact model to study all balls' lubrication performance of the ball screw when the multidirectional load is applied. Design/methodology/approach: A new TEHL contact model combining the multidirectional load and the roughness surface texture is established to describe fatigue life of the ball screw. Meanwhile, the authors use the Reynolds equation to study the lubrication performance of the ball screw. Findings: When the multidirectional load is applied, contact load, slide-roll ratio and entrainment velocity of all balls have a periodic shape. The TEHL performance values at the ball-screw contact points including contact stress, shear stress, minimum film thickness and temperature rise are higher than that at the ball-nut contact points. The TEHL performance values increase with the increase of root mean square (RMS) except for the film thickness. In addition, the radial load of the ball screw has a significant effect on the fatigue life. Originality/value: The results of the studies demonstrate the new TEHL contact model that provides the instructive significance to analyze the fatigue life of the ball screw under the multidirectional load. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-03-2020-0097/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glycoprotein from Schisandra chinensis was obtained with alkali extraction and acid precipitation, purified with DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow and Superdex G-75 column. The molecular composition structure and antifatigue activities of glycoprotein were studied. SCGP's molecular weight was approximately 10 KDa, and it consisted of a carbohydrate component (52.94%) and protein component (47.06%). SCGP comprised mannose, galactoside, rhamnose, glucose, galactose, xylose, arabinose, and fucose, its molar ratio was 2.14 : 1.43 : 1.59 : 8.17 : 8.99 : 3.18 : 18.51 : 1, and it contained 16 kinds of amino acids. SCGP could obviously extend the swimming time in mice by increasing LDH, SOD level, GSH-Px activity, and liver glycogen and decreasing the contents of BUN and MDA. The antioxidant activity of SCGP is a potential mechanism of its antifatigue effect. In vitro antioxidant test showed that SCGP scavenged DPPH and OH radicals in a dose-dependent manner (IC50 was 0.91 mg/ml and 0.72 mg/ml). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) are a useful source of stem cells for the treatment of various brain injury diseases due to their abundant supply and fewer ethical problems compared with transplant treatment. However, the clinical application of MSCs is limited due to allograft rejection and immunosuppression in the process of MSCs transplantation. According to previous studies, microglial cell autophagy occurs following co-culture with MSCs. In the present study, exosomes were obtained from MSCs and subsequently characterized using transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering particle size analysis. The type of microRNAs (miRs) found in the exosomes was then analyzed via gene chip. The results demonstrated that microglial cell autophagy could be induced by exosomes. This mechanism was therefore investigated further via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, western blotting and luciferase assays. These results demonstrated that exosomes from MSCs could induce microglial cell autophagy through the miR-32-mediated regulation of disabled homolog 2-interacting protein, thus providing a theoretical basis for the clinical application of miRs in MSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]