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Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in the tumorigenesis and progression of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, little was known about the role of lncRNAs in high-risk LUAD subtypes: micropapillary-predominant adenocarcinoma (MPA) and solid-predominant adenocarcinoma (SPA). In this study, we conducted a systematic screening of differentially expressed lncRNAs using RNA sequencing in 10 paired MPA/SPA tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues. Consequently, 110 significantly up-regulated lncRNAs and 288 aberrantly down-regulated lncRNAs were identified (|Log2 Foldchange| ≥ 1 and corrected P < 0.05). The top 10 lncRNAs were further analyzed in 89 MPA/SPA tumor tissues and 59 normal tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Among them, CARD8-AS1 showed the most significant differential expression, and decreased expression of CARD8-AS1 was significantly associated with a poorer prognosis. Functionally, CARD8-AS1 overexpression remarkably suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of LUAD cells both in vitro and in vivo. Conversely, inhibition of CARD8-AS1 yielded opposite effects. Mechanistically, CARD8-AS1 acted as a scaffold to facilitate the interaction between TXNRD1 and E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM25, thereby promoting the degradation of TXNRD1 through the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway. Additionally, TXNRD1 was found to promote LUAD cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. Furthermore, the suppressed progression of LUAD cells resulting from CARD8-AS1 overexpression could be significantly reversed by simultaneous overexpression of TXNRD1. In conclusion, this study revealed that the lncRNA CARD8-AS1 played a suppressive role in the progression of LUAD by enhancing TRIM25-mediated ubiquitination of TXNRD1. The CARD8-AS1-TRIM25-TXNRD1 axis may represent a promising therapeutic target for LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposed a composite tibia defect scaffold with radial gradient porosity, utilizing finite element analysis to assess stress in the tibial region with significant critical-sized defects. Simulations for scaffolds with different porosities were conducted, designing an optimal tibia defect scaffold with radial gradient porosity for repairing and replacing critical bone defects. Radial gradient porosity scaffolds resulted in a more uniform stress distribution, reducing titanium alloy stiffness and alleviating stress shielding effects. The scaffold was manufactured using selective laser melting (SLM) technology with stress relief annealing to simplify porous structure fabrication. The study used New Zealand white rabbits' tibia defect sites as simulation parameters, reconstructing the 3D model and implanting the composite scaffold. Finite element analysis in ANSYS-Workbench simulated forces under high-activity conditions, analyzing stress distribution and strain. In the simulation, the titanium alloy scaffold bore a maximum stress of 122.8626 MPa, while the centrally encapsulated HAp material delivered 27.92 MPa. The design demonstrated superior structural strength, thereby reducing stress concentration. The scaffold was manufactured using SLM, and the uniform design method was used to determine a collection of optimum annealing parameters. Nanoindentation and compression tests were used to determine the influence of annealing on the elastic modulus, hardness, and strain energy of the scaffold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The tea green leafhopper, Empoasca flavescens Fabrecius, is the most notorious pest in Chinese tea plantations, predominantly controlled through pesticide applications for decades. Recognizing the pressing need for novel, effective, and eco-friendly strategies to manage leafhoppers, this study aims to contribute to the reduction in pesticide usage in the tea industry. Salivary protein research is pivotal for gaining insights into effectors or elicitors, facilitating the exploration of novel regulatory targets and pathways in tea green leafhoppers. In this study, saliva from adult tea green leafhoppers was collected using a self-made collection device equipped with two layers of Parafilm stretched over a sucrose diet. Following freeze drying and filter-aided sample preparation (FASP), liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was employed to analyze the saliva proteins. Bioinformatics methodologies were then leveraged to predict the secretory proteins. The results suggest that the interactions between leafhoppers and tea plants, particularly in terms of feeding and defense responses, may be mediated by elicitors or effectors, such as mucin-like protein (EfMucin), vitellogenin (EfVg), odorant-binding protein (EfOBP), and others. The conclusive outcomes of this study provide new insights into the coevolutionary dynamics between tea plants and leafhoppers, offering novel pathways for the development of advanced leafhopper control technologies. Saliva plays a crucial role in shaping the compatibility of piercing–sucking insects with their host plants. Understanding the complex composition of leafhopper saliva is important for developing effective and eco-friendly control strategies for the tea green leafhopper, Empoasca flavescens Fabrecius, a major piercing–sucking pest in Chinese tea plantations. This study explored the saliva proteins of tea green leafhopper adults using a custom collection device, consisting of two layers of Parafilm stretched over a sucrose diet. A total of 152 proteins were identified using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) following the filter-aided sample preparation (FASP). These proteins were categorized into six groups based on their functions, including enzymes, transport proteins, regulatory proteins, cell structure proteins, other proteins, and unknown proteins. Bioinformatics analyses predicted 16 secreted proteins, which were successfully cloned and transcriptionally analyzed across various tissues and developmental stages. Genes encoding putative salivary secretory proteins, including Efmucin1, EfOBP1, EfOBP2, EfOBP3, Efmucin2, low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (EfLRP), EFVg1, and EFVg2, exhibited high expressions in salivary gland (SG) tissues and feeding-associated expressions at different developmental stages. These findings shed light on the potential elicitors or effectors mediating the leafhopper feeding and defense responses in tea plants, providing insights into the coevolution of tea plants and leafhoppers. The study's conclusions open avenues for the development of innovative leafhopper control technologies that reduce the reliance on pesticides in the tea industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Oxidative stress is closely related to animal health. Bupleuri Radix, a well-known Chinese herb, has an important antioxidant capacity. In this study, we discovered that supplementing Bupleuri Radix to the diet could reduce oxidative stress during the growth stage of Shanbei fine-wool sheep. In addition, we analyzed the antioxidant mechanism of Bupleuri Radix by combining metabolomics and microbiomics and discovered that Bupleuri Radix may increase the antioxidant capacity of Shanbei fine-wool sheep by regulating rumen bacteria and metabolites. The findings indicate that implementing appropriate nutrition strategies can improve the health of Shanbei fine-wool sheep. Oxidative stress (OS) in ruminants is closely associated with disease; thus, improving antioxidant capacity is an important strategy for maintaining host health. Bupleuri Radix (BR) could significantly improve host health and stress levels. However, the clear antioxidant mechanism of the function of BR remains unknown. In the current study, LC-MS metabolomics combined with 16S rRNA gene sequencing was employed to explore the effects of BR on rumen microbiota and metabolites in Shanbei Fine-Wool Sheep (SFWS), and Spearman correlation analyses of rumen microbiota, metabolites, and OS were performed to investigate the mechanism of antioxidant function of BR. Our results indicated that as SFWS grows, levels of OS and antioxidant capacity increase dramatically, but providing BR to SFWS enhances antioxidant capacity while decreasing OS. Rumen microbiota and OS are strongly correlated, with total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) showing a significant negative correlation with Succiniclasticum and a positive correlation with Ruminococcus. Importantly, the Chao1 index was significantly negatively correlated with malondialdehyde (MDA) and positively correlated with superoxide dismutase (SOD) and T-AOC. Two biomarkers connected to the antioxidant effects of BR, 5,6-DHET and LPA (a-25:0/0:0), were screened according to the results of metabolomics and Spearman analysis of rumen contents, and a significant relationship between the concentration of rumen metabolites and OS was found. Five metabolic pathways, including glycerolipid, glutathione, nucleotide, D-amino acid, and inositol phosphate metabolism, may have a role in OS. The integrated results indicate that rumen microbiota and metabolites are strongly related to OS and that BR is responsible for reducing OS and improving antioxidant capacity in post-weaned SFWS. These findings provide new strategies to reduce OS occurring during SFWS growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interactions between the rumen microbiota and the host are crucial for the digestive and absorptive processes of ruminants, and they are heavily influenced by the climatic conditions of their habitat. Owing to the harsh conditions of the high-altitude habitat, little is known about how ruminants regulate the host transcriptome and the composition of their rumen microbiota. Using the model species of goats, we examined the variations in the rumen microbiota, transcriptome regulation, and climate of the environment between high altitude (Lhasa, Xizang; 3650 m) and low altitude (Chengdu, Sichuan, China; 500 m) goats. The results of 16 S rRNA sequencing revealed variations in the abundance, diversity, and composition of rumen microbiota. Papillibacter, Quinella, and Saccharofermentans were chosen as potential microbes for the adaptation of Xizang goats to the harsh climate of the plateau by the Spearman correlation study of climate and microbiota. Based on rumen transcriptome sequencing analysis, 244 genes were found to be differentially expressed between Xizang goats and low-altitude goats, with 127 genes showing up-regulation and 117 genes showing down-regulation. SLC26A9, GPX3, ARRDC4, and COX1 were identified as potential candidates for plateau adaptation in Xizang goats. Moreover, the metabolism of fatty acids, arachidonic acids, pathway involving cytokines and their receptors could be essential for adaptation to plateau hypoxia and cold endurance. The expression of GPX3, a gene linked to plateau acclimatization in Xizang goats, was linked to the abundance of Anaerovibrio, and the expression of SLC26A9 was linked to the quantity of Selenomonas, according to ruminal microbiota and host Spearman correlation analysis. Our findings imply that in order to adapt harsh plateau conditions, Xizang goats have evolved to maximize digestion and absorption as well as to have a rumen microbiota suitable for the composition of their diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenges of respiratory infections persist as a global health crisis, placing substantial stress on healthcare infrastructures and necessitating ongoing investigation into efficacious treatment modalities. The persistent challenge of respiratory infections, including COVID-19, underscores the critical need for enhanced diagnostic methodologies to support early treatment interventions. This study introduces an innovative two-stage data analytics framework that leverages deep learning algorithms through a strategic combinatorial fusion technique, aimed at refining the accuracy of early-stage diagnosis of such infections. Utilizing a comprehensive dataset compiled from publicly available lung X-ray images, the research employs advanced pre-trained deep learning models to navigate the complexities of disease classification, addressing inherent data imbalances through methodical validation processes. The core contribution of this work lies in its novel application of combinatorial fusion, integrating select models to significantly elevate diagnostic precision. This approach not only showcases the adaptability and strength of deep learning in navigating the intricacies of medical imaging but also marks a significant step forward in the utilization of artificial intelligence to improve outcomes in healthcare diagnostics. The study's findings illuminate the path toward leveraging technological advancements in enhancing diagnostic accuracies, ultimately contributing to the timely and effective treatment of respiratory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Solid nodules (SN) had more aggressive features and a poorer prognosis than part-solid nodules (PSN). This study aimed to evaluate the specific impacts of nodule radiological appearance (SN vs. PSN) on lymph node metastasis and prognosis based on solid size in cT1 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Patients with cT1 NSCLC who underwent anatomical resection between 2010 and 2019 were retrospectively screened. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were adopted to evaluate the associations between nodule radiological appearance and lymph node metastasis. The log-rank test and Cox regression analyses were applied for prognostic evaluation. The cumulative recurrence risk was evaluated by the competing risk model. Results: There were 958 and 665 NSCLC patients with PSN and SN. Compared to the PSN group, the SN arm had a higher overall lymph node metastasis rate (21.7% vs. 2.7%, P < 0.001), including nodal metastasis at N1 stations (17.7% vs. 2.1%), N2 stations (14.0% vs. 1.6%), and skip nodal metastasis (3.9% vs. 0.6%). However, for cT1a NSCLC, no significant difference existed between SN and PSN (0 vs. 0.4%, P = 1). In addition, the impacts of nodule radiological appearance on lymph node metastasis varied between nodal stations. Solid NSCLC had an inferior prognosis than part-solid patients (5-year disease-free survival: 79.3% vs. 96.2%, P < 0.001). The survival inferiority only existed for cT1b and cT1c NSCLC, but not for cT1a. Strikingly, even for patients with nodal involvement, SN still had a poorer disease-free survival (P = 0.048) and a higher cumulative incidence of recurrence (P < 0.001) than PSN. Specifically, SN had a higher recurrence risk than PSN at each site. Nevertheless, the distribution of recurrences between SN and PSN was similar, except that N2 lymph node recurrences were more frequent in solid NSCLC (28.21% vs. 7.69%, P = 0.041). Conclusion: SN had higher risks of lymph node metastasis and poorer prognosis than PSN for cT1b and cT1c NSCLC, but not for cT1a. SN exhibited a greater proportion of N2 lymph node recurrence than PSN. SN and PSN needed distinct strategies for nodal evaluation and postoperative follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractSmartwatch comfort is a fundamental factor that significantly influences the user experience and provides crucial guidance for the evolution of wearable technology. However, there is currently a lack of a comprehensive theoretical model to describe the dimensions of smartwatch comfort and their corresponding influencing factors. Therefore, the present study employed a bottom-up grounded theory approach to construct a user-centered model for smartwatch comfort. Through the coding of in-depth interviews with 64 smartwatch users, we discovered that smartwatch comfort encompasses both physiological dimensions (e.g., pressure and foreign body sensation) and psychological dimensions (e.g., perceived intelligence and satisfaction of needs). Furthermore, the features of smartwatches, including physical attributes (e.g., size and material) and functionalities (e.g., interoperability and automation capabilities), directly impact the comfort experience. Additionally, individual and contextual factors can explain variations in the comfort experience of smartwatches. Users with different physiological characteristics (e.g., wrist size and body sensitivity) and psychological needs (e.g., utilitarian or hedonic needs) are influenced differently by the factors of smartwatches that affect their comfort experience. The adaptability of smartwatches across different contexts (including task context, social context, and temporal context) is also a significant influencing factor on comfort. This substantive grounded theory provides crucial guidance for the selection of core variables in future quantitative research and contributes to the development of smarter, more comfortable, and user-centric smartwatches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the mode I crack propagation mechanism of coal gangue concrete with different contents, the digital image correlation (DIC) method was used to carry out the three-point bending fracture tests on coal gangue concrete with different contents. The results show that the process of the mode I crack propagation of coal gangue concrete with different contents can be divided into three stages as follows: the elastic stage before crack initiation, extended viscoelastic stage, and extended fracture stage. The amount of coal gangue has a significant impact on the crack propagation path. The more the amount of coal gangue, the more the crack penetrates through the coal gangue coarse aggregate, the smaller the bending degree of the failure path, and the faster the crack propagation to the penetration speed. The crack initiation load, ultimate load, external force work, gravity work, and fracture energy all decrease with the increase of the coal gangue content. The data obtained by the DIC method and displacement extensometer are in good agreement, which proves that the DIC method is feasible. Based on the DIC method, before reaching the horizontal displacement on both sides of the crack tip, the horizontal displacement of the horizontal pixel is very small and there is a jump increase after the ultimate load. There are obvious inflection points on the left and right, and the horizontal displacement remains unchanged after the inflection point. After the horizontal displacement field of crack propagation reaches the limit load, there is an obvious limit; the limit gradually extends upward, and the corresponding crack tip strain field is also gradually enhanced. The more the coal gangue is added, the smaller the corresponding horizontal displacement and strain field is at the same limit load moment. The shape of the crack generation area of coal gangue concrete takes the crack tip as the axis of symmetry and is "gourd shaped." The more the content of the crack, the larger the crack generation area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our research interest focusing on synthetic methodology with diaryliodonium salts, is summarized in this account. Besides employing a dual activation strategy of C−I and ortho C−H bonds, we have introduced vicinal functional groups at ortho‐positions of diaryliodonium salts, in which their unique reactivities have been explored in various processes, including arylation, diarylation, cascade annulation, benzocyclization, arylocyclization, and intramolecular aryl migration. The variety of mechanisms of these reactions that involves either transition metals, especially palladium in organometallic catalysis, or transition‐metal free conditions, were discussed in the context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is a common disease in developed counties. This study aimed to identify autocrine roles and signaling pathways of gremlin 1, DAN family BMP antagonist (GREM1), which inhibits tumor growth and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in UC. Methods: Systematic in vitro and in vivo studies using genetic engineering, different urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma (UBUC)-derived cell lines, and mouse models were performed, respectively. Further, primary upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) and UBUC specimens were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Results: GREM1 protein levels conferred better disease-specific and metastasis-free survival rates and played an independent prognostic factor in UTUC and UBUC. Hypermethylation is the primary cause of low GREM1 levels. In different UBUC-derived cell lines, the autocrine/secreted and glycosylated GREM1 interacted with transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1) and inhibited TGFβ/BMP/SMAD signaling and myosin light chain 9 (MYL9) transactivation, subsequently cell proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Secreted and glycosylated GREM1 also suppressed tumor growth, metastasis, and MYL9 levels in the mouse model. Instead, cytosolic GREM1 promoted cell proliferation and EMT by activating the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)/AKT/nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) axis. Conclusions: Clinical associations, animal models, and in vitro indications provided solid evidence to show that the epithelial autocrine GREM1 is a novel tumor suppressor in UCs. The glycosylated-GREM1 hampered cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and in vitro angiogenesis through interaction with TGFB1 to inactivate TGFβ/BMP/SMAD-mediated EMT in an autocrine manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How cells control gene expression is a fundamental question. The relative contribution of protein-level and RNA-level regulation to this process remains unclear. Here, we perform a proteogenomic analysis of tumors and untransformed cells containing somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs). By revealing how cells regulate RNA and protein abundances of genes with SCNAs, we provide insights into the rules of gene regulation. Protein complex genes have a strong protein-level regulation while non-complex genes have a strong RNA-level regulation. Notable exceptions are plasma membrane protein complex genes, which show a weak protein-level regulation and a stronger RNA-level regulation. Strikingly, we find a strong negative association between the degree of RNA-level and protein-level regulation across genes and cellular pathways. Moreover, genes participating in the same pathway show a similar degree of RNA- and protein-level regulation. Pathways including translation, splicing, RNA processing, and mitochondrial function show a stronger protein-level regulation while cell adhesion and migration pathways show a stronger RNA-level regulation. These results suggest that the evolution of gene regulation is shaped by functional constraints and that many cellular pathways tend to evolve one predominant mechanism of gene regulation at the protein level or at the RNA level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for a simple and effective method to remove organic dyes and color intermediates that threaten human safety from the water environment is urgent. Herein, we report a simple method for constructing iron/nickel phosphide nanocrystals anchored on N-B-doped carbon-based composites, using steam-exploded poplar (SEP) and graphene oxide (GO) as a carrier. The stability and catalytic activity of N-B-NixFeyP/SEP and GO were achieved by thermal conversion in a N2 atmosphere and modifying the Fe/Ni ratio in gel precursors. N-B-Ni7Fe3P/SEP was employed for the catalytic hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and methylene blue (MB), using sodium borohydride in aqueous media at room temperature. This showed much better catalytic performances in terms of reaction rate constant (0.016 S−1 and 0.041 S−1, respectively) and the activity factor, K (1.6 S−1·g−1 and 8.2 S−1·g−1, respectively) compared to the GO carrier (0.0053 S−1 and 0.035 S−1 for 4-NP and MB, respectively). The strong interaction between the carrier's morphology and structure, and the vertically grown bimetallic phosphide nanoclusters on its surface, enhances charge transfer, electron transfer kinetics at the interface and Ni-Fe phosphide dispersion on the nanoclusters, and prevents dissolution of the nanoparticles during catalysis, thereby improving stability and achieving catalysis durability. These findings provide a green and simple route to efficient catalyst preparation and provide guidance for the rational selection of catalyst carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the dissipation of predeposited surface charges on the SiC/epoxy coated insulator is investigated. Similar to Part I of this study, the analysis is carried out for the system of a pair of finger-shaped metallic electrodes placed on flat material samples and different types of material precharging are considered. Specifically, two cases based on different types of electrode–sample contacts (Cases 1 and 2, similar to Part I) are examined as well as surface charging by external corona (Case 3). It is shown that surface charge dissipation in Cases 1 and 2 takes place in two stages, whereas three stages in the charge decay process are identified in Case 3. It is shown that the rate of charge dissipation is strongly affected by the increase of the content of SiC filler in the coating material. The experimental results obtained for different cases are compared and discussed by employing results of the calculations of the electric field in the experimental setups and surface conductivities and surface trap characteristics obtained in Part I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface charge accumulation on silicon carbide (SiC)/epoxy coatings with different contents of SiC filler, 3, 5, 7, and 10 wt%, is investigated using flat samples of epoxy substrate. In the experiments, a pair of finger-shaped electrodes was attached to the sample’s surface using direct pressing and conductive adhesive providing two different types of contacts and, respectively, surface charging methods. The electrodes were energized by applying dc voltage for various time intervals and resulted surface charge distributions between the electrodes were measured. It was found that depending on the contact type, charging duration, and filler content, different patterns of homocharge or heterocharge appeared on the material surface. Physical reasons for the observed effects are analyzed based on the calculated electric field distributions in the experimental setup, results of the auxiliary tests on material charging in a limited air volume, and surface trap energy distributions measured by utilizing the isothermal surface potential decay (ISPD) method. Application of SiC/epoxy coating for controlling surface charge accumulation is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the mechanics performance, sensitivity and response range of multi-responsive photonic films, herein, a facile method for fabricating multi-responsive films is demonstrated using the evaporative self-assembly of a mixture of grape skin red (GSR), cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and deep eutectic solvent (DES). The prepared materials exhibited excellent thermal stability, strain properties, solvent resistance, ultraviolet (UV) resistance and antioxidant activity. Compared to a pure PVA film, the presence of GSR strengthened the antioxidant property of the film by 240.1 % and provided excellent UV barrier capability. The additional cross-linking of DES and CNC promoted more efficient phase fusion, yielding a film strain of 41.5 %. The addition of hydrophilic compound GSR, wetting and swelling due to the DES and the surface inhomogeneity of the films rendered the multi-responsive films high sensitivity, wide response range and multi-cyclic stability in environments with varying pH and humidity. A sample application showed that a PVA/CNC/DES film has the potential to differentiate between fresh, sub-fresh and fully spoiled shrimps. The above results help in designing intelligent thin film materials that integrate antioxidant properties, which help in monitoring the changes in food freshness and food packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corrosion in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution caused a mitigated weight loss of the aluminum alloy 7050 (AA7050) under cavitation erosion condition. The mechanism was observed using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electro back-scattered diffraction (EBSD), and potentiodynamic polarization. Both in deionized water and in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, the cavitation erosion degradation of the AA7050 was mainly attributed to fatigue fracture like peeling off of surface layer materials. The corrosion significantly mitigated the weight loss of AA7050 under cavitation erosion condition because the loose surface oxide film (generated by corrosion) dissipated the cavitation impact energy and therefore alleviated the stress concentration on the alloy surface. • The effects of corrosion on the cavitation erosion of the aluminum alloy 7050 (AA7050) was studied. • Corrosion generated protective oxide film was the crucial factor in the cavitation erosion resistance of the AA7050. • Dislocation lines tended to concentrate at the grain boundaries and at the second phase boundaries during cavitation erosion. • Under a cavitation erosion condition, the stress on the surface of the AA7050 was mitigated by corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ever since immune checkpoint inhibitors have been approved for anti-cancer therapy in several cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer, the significance of programmed death-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in the tumor immune microenvironment has been a topic of interest. In the present study, we investigated the detailed mechanisms of PD-L1 overexpression on tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in breast cancer. In in vitro culture studies using human monocyte-derived macrophages, lymphocytes, and breast cancer cell lines, PD-L1 overexpression on macrophages was induced by the conditioned medium (CM) of activated lymphocytes, but not that of cancer cells. Granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) derived from activated lymphocytes was found to be involved in PD-L1 overexpression, in addition to interferon (IFN)-γ, via STAT3 pathway activation. Macrophages suppressed lymphocyte activation, and this inhibition was impaired by PD-1 blocking. The CM of activated lymphocytes also induced the overexpression of PD-L2, but GM-CSF did not affect PD-L2 expression. In the murine E0771 breast cancer model, anti-GM-CSF therapy did not affect PD-L1 expression on TAMs, and the mechanisms of PD-L1 expression on TAMs might differ between humans and mice. However, not only PD-L1, but also PD-L2 was overexpressed on TAMs in the E0771 tumor model, and their expression levels were significantly lower in the tumors in nude mice than in wild-type mice. Anti-PD-L1 antibody and anti-PD-L2 antibody synergistically inhibited E0771 tumor development. In conclusion, PD-L1 and PD-L2 were overexpressed on TAMs, and they potentially contributed to immunosuppression. The GM-CSF-STAT3 pathway is thought to represent a new mechanism of PD-L1 overexpression on TAMs in human breast cancer microenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to examine the effect of an adapted physical education (APE) program on physical fitness of adolescents with intellectual disabilities, and (2) to investigate the associations between the changes of physical fitness tests over the course of a three-year period. A secondary data analysis design was used to evaluate the long-term effects of an adapted physical education program on physical fitness components of the participants. Forty-four students (age, 15.9 ± 0.4 years) with intellectual disabilities were included in this study. A series of repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant positive outcomes over time in body composition, muscular endurance, explosive strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness. The findings were mixed, as the participants performed better in muscular strength/endurance and cardiovascular fitness by Year Three. However, participants had lower scores in body composition and flexibility. Additional research is needed to explore the factors affecting physical fitness of students with intellectual disabilities by APE programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), especially the M2-like phenotype, promote tumor progression, making them candidate targets for anti-tumor therapy. We previously discovered a cyclic sulfur compound, Onionin A (ONA), which suppresses tumor progression by inhibiting the M2-polarization of TAMs. In the present study, we sought to find new candidate compounds possessing a stronger effect compared to ONA by exploring compounds with structures similar to those of ONA among several cyclic sulfur compounds. A total of 81 cyclic sulfur compounds were screened, and their effects on macrophage polarization toward an M2-like phenotype were tested using human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDMs). The anti-tumor effects of the identified candidate compounds were examined in a tumor-bearing mouse model. Three candidate compounds inhibited both IL-10- and tumor culture supernatant (TCS)-induced M2-polarization of HMDMs. These compounds also suppressed STAT3 activation in HMDMs stimulated by IL-10 and TCS, whereas these compounds had no effect on STAT3 activation in tumor cells. Furthermore, these compounds inhibited tumor cell proliferation under co-culture conditions with HMDMs, indicating that the three candidate compounds suppress tumor proliferation by regulating cell–cell interactions between tumor cells and macrophages. In addition, two of these candidate compounds had inhibitory effects on tumor growth and lung metastasis in the LM8 tumor-bearing mouse model. Our study identified new candidate cyclic sulfur compounds for anti-tumor therapy targeting the M2-polarization of TAMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Factor graph optimization is employed to combine observations from multi-sensors. • Proposed GNSS-to-VIO time synchronization method can adapt to the time instability of smartphones and is robust. • Our adaptive positioning mechanism enable smartphone to achieve seamless positioning. • The positioning accuracy of the proposed method is positively correlated with the precision of GNSS observations. With the diversification of functionalities and enhancement of performance in smartphones, low-cost GNSS chips, Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) inertial measurement units (IMU), and cameras have become essential hardware components. Moreover, the computational power provided by smartphones for data processing has also become more robust. The fusion of multiple sensors in smartphones for positioning has emerged as a trend. In order to further enhance the positioning performance of smartphones in complex environments, this paper proposes a smartphone-based Vision/MEMS-IMU/GNSS tightly coupled integration for indoor-outdoor seamless positioning. Factor graph optimization is employed to combine observations from monocular vision, MEMS-IMU, and GNSS. To solve the unstable timing of current smartphone sensors, we present a GNSS-to-VIO time synchronization method. Furthermore, an adaptive positioning mechanism is devised based on the presence or absence of GNSS signals, allowing indoor and outdoor environment to switch. The proposed method is validated by integrating smartphone VIO with both smartphone built-in GNSS and high-performance geodetic GNSS receivers. The test results of the complex outdoor environments demonstrate that the proposed method significantly enhances GNSS positioning performance. The positioning accuracy of the proposed method using geodetic GNSS receiver is superior to that using smartphone GNSS. In outdoor environments, our method enables positioning accuracy of smartphone to improve 29.4, 53.0 and 69.9 % in three directions compared to single point positioning. Indoor and outdoor tests verified that the proposed method can provide continuous and reliable positioning in alternating interrupted and restored GNSS signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For achievement of more energy, this work proposes an idea that using high temperature physic heat in a steelmaking converter to carbonise and combust pine timber generates more CO. By establishing the various pine injection systems, the calorific value of gas generated is evaluated and discussed based on heat balance. Results show that the best time for pine injection is at the middle stage of gas recovery. Under a heat supplement of 50 K, the masses of carbon consumed and CO generated in steelmaking systems with pine injection are respectively 61 to 610 kg and 142 to 1442 kg, and the increased percentage of calorific value of CO is 6.59% to 65.9%. To sum up, this novel process is promising for tackling waste timber to generate gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using diaryliodonium salts, a cylization has been accomplished in the synthesis of N‐aryl phenanthridinone derivatives via a cascade of ortho‐arylation and Csp2‐N bond formation in the presence of palladium catalyst. The reaction exhibits a broad compatibility of readily available N‐arylnaphthamides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an antitumor therapy and has traditionally been regarded as a localized therapy in itself. However, recent reports have shown that it not only exerts a direct cytotoxic effect on cancer cells but also enhances body's tumor immunity. We hypothesized that the immunological response induced by PDT could potentially enhance the efficacy of programmed death‐1 (PD‐1) / programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) blockade. Methods: The cytotoxic effects of PDT on colon 26 cells were investigated in vitro using the WST assay. We investigated whether the antitumor effect of anti‐PD‐1 antibodies could be amplified by the addition of PDT. We performed combination therapy by randomly allocating tumor‐bearing mice to four treatment groups: control, anti‐PD‐1 antibodies, PDT, and a combination of anti‐PD‐1 antibodies and PDT. To analyze the tumor microenvironment after treatment, the tumors were resected and pathologically evaluated. Results: The viability rate of colon 26 cells decreased proportionally with the laser dose. In vivo experiments for combined PDT and anti‐PD‐1 antibody treatment, combination therapy showed an enhanced antitumor effect compared with the control. Immunohistochemical findings of the tumor microenvironment 10 days after PDT indicated that the number of CD8+ cells, the area of Iba‐1+ cells and the area expressing PD‐L1 were significantly higher in tumors treated with combination therapy than in tumors treated with anti‐PD‐1 antibody alone, PDT alone, or the control. Conclusions: PDT increased immune cell infiltration into the tumor microenvironment. The immunological response induced by PDT may enhance the efficacy of PD‐1/PD‐L1 blockade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study was intended to explore whether wearable device use is associated with their demographic factors (e.g., device ownership and gender), using undergraduate students in a Hispanic Serving Institution. Preliminary findings of this two-way contingency table analysis suggested that students who own the device(s) are more likely to use it for school. Males are more likely to use the wearables for learning in spite of a marginal effect size. Implications and recommendations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing attention to the energy crisis and global warming, solar generation has become an important way to use clean solar energy and is playing an increasingly important role. Due to the highly-variable patterns of solar generation, the estimation of prediction intervals is receiving more attention, which is conducive to the safe and stable operation of the power system. In order to further improve the performance of prediction intervals of solar generation, this paper proposes a prediction intervals estimation method for solar generation based on gated recurrent unit (GRU) neural networks and kernel density estimation (KDE). GRU, a commonly used recurrent neural networks, is utilized to obtain the deterministic forecast of solar generation. In addition, according to the characteristics of solar generation, attention mechanism is designed on the GRU prediction model to further improve the prediction performance. Then, the KDE method is used to fit the prediction errors of solar generation obtained by the deterministic forecasting method. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, we have carried out a large number of experiments on freely available datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms competing methods and can generate high-quality prediction intervals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wire beam electrode (WBE) method for investigating the crevice corrosion has been demonstrated by mapping non-uniform corrosion processes occurring on copper and copper alloys including the pure copper UNS No. C11000 (Cu), brass UNS No. C28000 (Cu–Zn alloy) and tin bronze UNS No. C51900 (Cu–Sn alloy) in mass 0.6% NaCl solution with the crevice spacings of d=103 μm and 206 μm. It was found that the sequence of three copper alloys in susceptibility for the crevice corrosion was that Cu–Zn alloy > Cu–Sn alloy > pure Cu. The average galvanic current of the Cu–Sn alloy in the covered region was changed from cathode to anode when the crevice spacing was increased to 206 μm. To sum up, it is feasible to study the behaviours of crevice corrosion within the different crevice spacings with the WBE method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerium (Ce)-substituted diopsides (CaMgSi 2 O 6) with enhanced mechanical strength and bioactivity were fabricated by precipitation method, followed by annealing at 1000 °C for 4 h. The mineralogical, morphological, in vitro biomineralization, degradation, and mechanical properties were investigated in order to assess the factors and mechanisms affecting the resultant properties. The X-ray diffractometer results showed that the onset of substitutional solid solubility in 0.25 mol Ce would result in new phase formation (cerium dioxide [CeO 2 ], and magnesium silicate [MgSiO 3 ]) further causing lattice instability. With increasing Ce dopant levels to 1.00 mol, the initial CaMgSi 2 O 6 phase was completely replaced by new phases. The field-emission scanning electron microscopy results indicated that the 0.25 mol Ce had the best biomineralization performance in vitro, while less hydroxyapatite precipitates were found with further increasing Ce dopant levels, suggesting the new phases led to the hindrance of precipitates. The weight loss values indicated that the high dissolution rate of ions in the matrix was observed in the pure sample, while the high readsorption rate of ions in the simulated body fluid (SBF) occurred with increasing Ce dopant levels. The pH value and the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer results suggested that the release of Ca and Mg ions controlled the pH value. The mechanical strength of matrices before SBF immersion was related to the phase transformation, the elastic modulus of CeO 2 and CaMgSi 2 O 6 , and the release of Mg ions, while the mechanical strength of matrices after SBF immersion was dominated by the structure of matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provided us an unprecedented chance to identify novel oncogenes or tumor suppressors at single-cell resolution. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) related to the functional states of cancer cells might play vital roles in the progression of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). In this study, lncRNAs that were associated with the functional states of LUAD cells identified in scRNA-seq studies were screened based on the CancerSEA database. Differential gene expression analysis and survival analysis were performed in TCGA, GEO and our JSPH databases. Finally, transwell and tail vein metastasis assays were used to reveal the functions of our identified novel prognostic lncRNAs. A total of 849 lncRNAs were initially identified. Among them, 11 lncRNAs were found significantly associated with LUAD prognosis in the TCGA database. Two of them (PCBP1-AS1 and ZSCAN16-AS1) were further validated in independent GEO datasets. ScRNA-seq analysis showed that PCBP1-AS1 and ZSCAN16-AS1 were significantly negatively correlated with most of the functional states of LUAD cells, especially with metastasis. Functionally, PCBP1-AS1 was aberrantly downregulated in LUAD cells and tumor tissues. Knockdown of PCBP1-AS1 significantly promoted the migration and invasion of LUAD cells. Consistently, PCBP1-AS1 overexpression suppressed the metastasis of LUAD in vitro and in vivo. Besides, PCBP1-AS1 inhibition induced decreased E-cadherin expression and increased N-cadherin, Vimentin and Snail expression. In conclusion, PCBP1-AS1 could suppress the metastasis of LUAD by targeting the epithelial–mesenchymal transition pathway and might serve as a prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target of LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to study the variation mechanism of corrosion-resistance performance of the oxidization film spontaneously generated on Ti-6Al-4V (TC4) titanium alloy surface by using the open circuit potential (OCP), Alternating Current (AC) impedance, and polarization curve. Combined with the method of wire beam electrode, the corrosion behaviors of the microregion of TC4 titanium alloy immersed in 3.5% NaCl solution during the formation of film were investigated. Results show that the corrosion-resistance performance of TC4 titanium alloy increased with the formation of oxidization film, with the electrochemical testing results showing that the OCP and AC impedance values were increased, while the corrosion current density reduced. When the time of film formed on the surface of the alloy was 24 h, the impedance value of the TC4 alloy was an order of magnitude greater than that before oxidation, then the impedance value was no longer increased and the corrosion-resistance performance was best. The anode current and localized corrosion characteristics of the TC4 titanium alloy submerged in 3.5% NaCl solution during the earlier formation stage of film were great. With the formation of oxidized film, the peak value of anode current and its region gradually reduced, and both standard deviations of the circuit potential and circuit were narrowed, as well as the reduction in the difference of localized corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the application of precise point positioning (PPP), especially in the dynamic mode, the classical Kalman filter (KF) usually produces a large number of estimation errors or diverges when there are gross errors in the observation data or unexpected turbulences occur in target motion state or both of them. For such problem, a variational Bayesian (VB)-based robust adaptive Kalman filtering (VB-RAKF) is proposed in this paper. This filter introduces a classification robust equivalent weight function to resist observation gross error and the inverse Wishart prior to model inaccurate process noise covariance matrix (PNCM). To improve the instantaneous accuracy of state estimation, the VB approach is used to obtain better estimations of inaccurate PNCM. Several sets of observation data collected by IGS reference stations and vehicles are employed to check the robustness and positioning accuracy of the VB-RAKF model. The results show that the VB-RAKF algorithm is more robust than the KF, and can effectively resist the gross error in observation data and control state disturbance. In the IGS reference station tests, when compared to the KF, the static positioning accuracies of the VB-RAKF in the north, east and up directions are improved by 13%, 8% and 22%, respectively, and the simulated dynamic positioning accuracies of the VB-RAKF in the north, east and up directions are improved by 19%, 9% and 21%, respectively. The in-vehicle dynamic test verifies that the VB-RAKF outperforms the KF, and shows that the VB-RAKF has better performance than the KF when dealing with observation data which has obvious gross errors, and similar performance as the KF when gross errors are small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wide application of single atom catalysts(SAC) has become an important research topic recently. Due to the highest atomic efficiency and high selectivity of the transition metal center single atom, the single atom catalyst combines the advantages of heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts, and further makes up the gap between them with its unique characteristics. Among many SACs, carbon-loaded SAC has attracted particular attention in electrocatalysis due to the high conductivity of graphite skeleton, which can accelerate electron transfer in the reaction process. However, large-scale synthesis of such highly loaded metal nitrogen doped single atom catalysts (SACs) with carbon supports is challenging because of the need to balance loading and dispersion of single atoms at high temperatures. Previously, few strategies have been reported for the preparation of nitrogen-doped graphene-supported single-atom catalysts in different electrocatalytic reactions, such as oxygen evolution (OER)，oxygen reduction (ORR), hydrogen evolution (HER), nitrogen reduction (NRR) and carbon dioxide reduction (CO 2 RR). As a result, this review screens the metal-center atoms of single-atom catalysts from three aspects of thermodynamic stability, catalytic activity and product selectivity from a unified perspective, and reviews the efficient and economical synthesis of metal nitrogen doped single atom catalysts M-N-C-SAC, which provides better insights into existing techniques and, enable new opportunities for future advances. • Strategies for preparing nitrogen doped graphene supported monoatomic catalysts. • Screening from thermodynamic stability, catalytic activity and product selectivity. • Strategies for Preparing M-N-SAC in Different Electrocatalytic Reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)‐based detection strategies have been widely developed for various practical applications, due to the near‐single‐molecule sensitivity and fingerprint identification capability. However, the qualitative and quantitative reliability of SERS have always been questioned when comparing with the classical GC/LC–MS techniques. Here, we systematically compared the properties of SERS and LC–MS in the detection of an unexpected herbicide in commercial herbicide. The result showed that, in the case of the ultra‐trace target detection in a complicated matrix, SERS‐based strategy exhibited high sensitivity and a much higher detection efficiency than the LC–MS‐based one, which demonstrated a more accurate quantifiability being facilitated with a well‐controlled sample pretreatment. Therefore, we showed that SERS could be further implemented in fast and on‐site detection tools for food safety application and environment monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the utilisation efficiency of renewable energy and the multifunctional response of composite films, the rational design and realisation of remarkable tensile and thermal properties, excellent insulation safety properties, waterproof performance, shape stability, and rapid response to external stimuli are crucial. Flexible three-dimensional (3D) network composite film materials with directional arrangement of sheet materials were fabricated by electrospinning the CNF-modified mica (Mica/CNF)/stearic acid (SA)/thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) blend solution. The prepared materials showed high volume resistivity (10 × 12 Ω cm), excellent stretchability (219.45%), high latent heat (131.4 J/g), good thermal stability, good photothermal conversion efficiency, reusability and were responsive to ultraviolet and visible light bands. Notably, flexible composite film had excellent shape-adaptability and adjustable phase-change enthalpy and temperature. The designed flexible composite film is a promising candidate for developing electrical insulation packaging, building energy conservation, solar energy conversion, wearable flexible materials and thermal management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrathin brucite-like β-Co(OH) 2 nanoflakes are prepared by a modified solvothermal method, and further thermal treatment is conducted at different temperatures to remove their intercalated and physically adsorbed water molecules and then enhance their pseudocapacitive performance. With the increase of the thermal treatment temperature from 60 to 140 °C, the morphology, size and crystalline phase of the pristine β-Co(OH) 2 gradually change. The Sample-100 shows the best pseudocapacitive performance, without obvious changes in morphology, size and crystalline phase after being thermally treated at 100 °C, and it presents high pseudocapacitance of 659.1 Fg-1 at 1 A g−1, increasing by 44.2% comparing with that of the pristine β-Co(OH) 2 nanoflakes. And it also exhibits superior cycling stability with capacitance retention of 95.7% after 8000 cycles at 10 A g−1. This study also demonstrates a facile strategy to improve the pseudocapacitive performance of materials with intercalated water. Ultrathin brucite-like β-Co(OH) 2 nanoflakes are synthesized by a facile modified solvothermal approach at 140 °C, and its pseudocapacitance increases by 44.2% after the removal of intercalated water by a further thermal treatment process at 100 °C in a tube furnace equipped with a mechanical pump. [Display omitted] • Ultrathin brucite-like β-Co(OH) 2 nanoflakes are facilely synthesized at 140 °C. • Pseudocapacitance increases by 44% after the removal of intercalated water at 100 °C. • Cycling stability with capacitance retention of 95.7% after 8000 cycles is achieved. • Stable and conductive nanoflakes contribute to superior pseudocapacitive behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Periodontitis is the main indication for dental extraction and often leads to peri‐implantitis (PI). Alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) is an effective means of preserving ridge dimensions after extraction. However, whether PI prevalence is lower after ARP for extraction after periodontitis remains unclear. This study investigated PI after ARP in patients with periodontitis. Materials and Methods: This study explored the 138 dental implants of 113 patients. The reasons for extraction were categorized as periodontitis or nonperiodontitis. All implants were placed at sites treated using ARP. PI was diagnosed on the basis of radiographic bone loss of ≥3 mm, as determined through comparison of standardized bitewing radiographs obtained immediately after insertion with those obtained after at least 6 months. Chi‐square and two‐sample t testing and generalized estimating equations (GEE) logistic regression model were employed to identify risk factors for PI. Statistical significance was indicated by p < 0.05. Results: The overall PI prevalence was 24.6% (n = 34). The GEE univariate logistic regression demonstrated that implant sites and implant types were significantly associated with PI (premolar vs. molar: crude odds ratios [OR] = 5.27, 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 2.15–12.87, p = 0.0003; bone level vs. tissue level: crude OR = 5.08, 95% CI = 2.10–12.24; p = 0.003, respectively). After adjustment for confounding factors, the risks of PI were significantly associated with implant sites (premolar vs. molar: adjusted OR [AOR] = 4.62, 95% CI = 1.74–12.24; p = 0.002) and implant types (bone level vs. tissue level: AOR = 6.46, 95% CI = 1.67–25.02; p = 0.007). The reason for dental extraction—that is, periodontitis or nonperiodontitis—was not significantly associated with PI. Conclusion: ARP reduces the incidence of periodontitis‐related PI at extraction sites. To address the limitations of our study, consistent and prospective randomized controlled trials are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a requirement of miniaturization in modern vibrating screens, the vibration synchronization method can no longer meet the process demand, so the controlled synchronization method is introduced in the vibrating screen to achieve zero phase error state and realize the purpose of increasing the amplitude. In this article, the controlled synchronization of a vibrating screen driven by two motors based on improved sliding mode controlling method is investigated. Firstly, according to the theory of mechanical dynamics, the motion state of the vibrating screen is simplified as the electromechanical coupling dynamical model of a vibrating system driven by two inductor motors. And then the synchronization conditions and stability criterion of the vibrating system are derived and numerically analyzed. Based on a master-slave controlling strategy, the controllers of two motors are respectively designed with Super-Twisting sliding mode control (ST-SMC) and backstepping second-order complementary sliding mode control (BSOCSMC), while the uncertainty is estimated by an adaptive radial basis function neural network (ARBFNN). In addition, Lyapunov stability analysis is performed on the two controllers to prove their stability theoretically. Finally, simulation analysis is conducted based on the dynamics model in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of key-value caches in modern web servers is becoming more and more ubiquitous. Representatively, Memcached as a widely used key-value cache system, originally intended for speeding up dynamic web applications by alleviating database load. One of the key factors affecting the performance of Memcached is the memory allocation among different item classes. How to obtain the most efficient partitioning scheme with low time and space consumption is a focus of attention. In this paper, we propose a lightweight and accurate memory allocation scheme in Memcached, by sampling access patterns, analyzing data locality, and reassigning the memory space. One early study on optimizing memory allocation is LAMA, which uses footprint-based MRC to optimize memory allocation in Memcached. However, LAMA does not model deletion operations in Memcached and its spatial overhead is quite large. We propose a method that consumes only 3% of LAMA space and can handle read, write and deletion operations. Moreover, evaluation results show that the average stable-state miss ratio is reduced by 15.0% and the average stable-state response time is reduced by 12.3% when comparing our method to LAMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract By a 1923 result of V. Jarník, every differentiable map φ from a closed subset P of R into R has a differentiable extension f : R → R. It has been recently proved, by the authors, that among such differentiable extensions of φ there is always one that is nowhere monotone on R ∖ P. In particular, the family E φ 1 (R) of "bad" differentiable extensions f : R → R of φ , for which the set [ f ′ = 0 ] : = { x ∈ R : f ′ (x) = 0 } is dense in R ∖ P , is nonempty. We notice here that E φ 1 (R) with a natural distance is a complete metric space and prove that actually a typical function in E φ 1 (R) is nowhere monotone on R ∖ P. At the same time, the set M φ (R) , of functions f ∈ E φ 1 (R) which are monotone on some nonempty subinterval of every nonempty open U ⊂ R ∖ P , is dense in E φ 1 (R). This last statement remains true, when the term "monotone" is replaced with either of the following three terms: "strictly increasing," "strictly decreasing," or "constant." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partial discharge (PD) taking place in a solid dielectric-bounded cavity involves physical processes such as free electron supply, discharge development and surface charge decaying, which bring about memory effects and become the main reasons for stochastic behavior of PDs. This paper reviews numerical modeling of cavity PD in the past 30 years. In the first place, physical processes relevant to PD activity are summarized, and modeling methods for discharge development are classified. Then some differences of PD modeling at AC and DC voltages are distinguished. Subsequently, reproducing methods from simulations to experiments are introduced, as well as their comparison under different conditions and with the emphasis on voltage frequency and PD aging. At last, some problems about current simulation models are discussed, and our suggestions for future work are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, two types of samples, i.e. a disc‐shaped cavity embedded within solid dielectrics and the other on an electrode surface, were used to investigate partial discharge (PD) behaviours at DC voltage. It has been found that the discharge frequency of the sample with one metallic surface was much larger under a positive voltage than under a negative one, whereas it was not sensitive to voltage polarities for the sample with two insulating surfaces. In order to explain experimental results, a simulation model based on continuity equations was established to obtain PD sequences at DC voltage, in which surface charge decay and discharge time lag were taken into account. Simulation results showed that positive surface charges dissipated faster than the negative, and the discharge time lag kept almost unchanged at the same voltage amplitude. The discharge time interval consisted of field recovery time and discharge time lag, and the former was determined by surface charge decay rate. In terms of these, the effect of surface charge decay on discharge frequency was discussed. The research is helpful to clarify PD mechanism at DC voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Full-color imaging is necessary for the wide applications of waveguide displays. To address this challenge, we propose a tilted-waveguide system with diffraction gratings. The waveguide is horizontally inclined at 30°to enlarge the field of view (FOV). Two surface-relief diffraction gratings are designed to be the in-coupler and the out-coupler, respectively. Stray light of this system is analyzed and is not shown to affect the projected images. A freeform surface prism is designed as the projection optics. The diameter of the circular exit pupil is 10 mm at an eye relief of 20 mm, and the diagonal FOV of the system reaches 35°. Highlights • A novel tilted-waveguide display with an incline angle of 30°is proposed. • A large full-color FOV of 35°is achieved. • Two surface-relief diffraction gratings are designed as couplers. • A freeform surface prism is designed as the projection optics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reveal partial discharge (PD) physical processes at DC voltage, a model with regard to PD taking place within a cavity embedded in polyethylene is established, in which the charge fluid equations and the Poisson equation are employed to simulate streamer propagation and surface charge accumulation processes after it arrives at the gas–solid interface. Meanwhile, parameters such as discharge current and discharge time during a PD sequence are obtained by considering surface charge decay and discharge time lag variation in the discharge time interval. It is found from the simulation results that the electrons generated by the discharge accumulate on the upper surface of the cavity and the time taken to accumulate is less that 1 ns when a positive voltage is applied to the upper electrode. On the contrary, positive ions accumulate on the lower surface, and the time taken is about 90 ns. Besides, the density of positive ions is slightly higher than that of the electrons. During a PD sequence, the decay of surface charges resulting from previous discharge can be considered to be the key factor contributing to the occurrence of subsequent one, and electric field within the cavity mainly depends on negative surface charges just before the subsequent PD takes place, because of the lower decay rate of the negative charges than the positive ones. The discharge time interval can be divided into two parts: discharge time lag and discharge recovery time, which depend on the surface charge decay rate. As surface charge decay rate increases or the discharge time lag decreases, the discharge time interval decreases. Moreover, the discharge current is affected by discharge time lag and the surface charge decay rate. © 2018 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of metallic particles in oil insulation degrades the performance of power transformers. At present, a large amount of research has focused on PD and breakdown characteristics initiated by particles in stationary transformer oil. However, in actual use, transformer oil flows which affect the movement of particles, and hence PD and breakdown characteristics change. In order to clarify these, PD parameters and breakdown voltage were measured in moving transformer oil in the presence of metallic particles, and the effects of flow velocity, particle size and concentration were investigated. It is found that as the oil flow velocity increased, PDIV became higher, whereas the discharge magnitude and frequency decreased. On the contrary, the discharge magnitude and frequency increased with particle size and concentration. Besides, the breakdown voltage increased with the circulation of oil, but it became lower with increasing particle size and concentration. A simulation model including electric field and fluid field was employed to study the moving trajectory of particles in flowing transformer oil. When the oil flow velocity increased, the collision number between particles and electrodes decreased and it became larger with particle size and number. In terms of the simulation results, the variation of PD characteristics could be interpreted. The breakdown voltage, as affected by oil flow velocity, particle size and concentration were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the mechanical deformation behaviors of Au nanotubes (Au-NTs) under torsional stress are investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The inter-atomic interaction is modeled using the embedded-atom potential. In particular, the effects of loading rate, thickness and length of the nanotube, as well as the thermal effects were systematically explored. The results indicated that higher loading rate, longer length and thinner wall thickness all led to a larger value of critical torsional angle (θcr), which signifies the onset of plastic deformation. On the other hand, θcr decreases with increasing temperature in all simulated results. Moreover, the torsional buckling deformation behavior and geometrical instability are found to strongly depend on the length of Au-NTs, the applied strain rate and temperature with vastly different underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns three kinds of seemingly paradoxical real valued functions of one variable. The first two, defined on R , are the celebrated continuous nowhere differentiable functions, known as Weierstrass's monsters, and everywhere differentiable nowhere monotone functions—simultaneously smooth and very rugged—to which we will refer as differentiable monsters. The third kind was discovered only recently and consists of differentiable functions f defined on a compact perfect subset X of R which has derivative equal zero on its entire domain, making it everywhere pointwise contractive, while, counterintuitively, f maps X onto itself. The goal of this note is to show that this pointwise shrinking globally stable map f can be extended to functions f , g : R → R which are differentiable and Weierstrass's monsters, respectively. Thus, we pack three paradoxical examples into two functions. The construction of f is based on the following variant of Jarník's Extension Theorem: For every differentiable function f from a closed P ⊆ R into R there exists its differentiable extension f ˆ : R → R such that f ˆ is nowhere monotone on R ∖ P . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

False rumors can lead to huge economic losses or/and social instability. Hence, mitigating the impact of bogus rumors is of primary importance. This paper focuses on the problem of how to suppress a false rumor by use of the truth. Based on a set of rational hypotheses and a novel rumor-truth mixed spreading model, the effectiveness and cost of a rumor-containing strategy are quantified, respectively. On this basis, the original problem is modeled as a constrained optimization problem (the RC model), in which the independent variable and the objective function represent a rumor-containing strategy and the effectiveness of a rumor-containing strategy, respectively. The goal of the optimization problem is to find the most effective rumor-containing strategy subject to a limited rumor-containing budget. Some optimal rumor-containing strategies are given by solving their respective RC models. The influence of different factors on the highest cost effectiveness of a RC model is illuminated through computer experiments. The results obtained are instructive to develop effective rumor-containing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]