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Causal reasoning—the ability to reason about causal relations between events—is fundamental to understanding how the world works. This paper reviews two prominent theories on early causal learning and offers possibilities for theory bridging. Both theories grow out of computational modeling and have significant areas of overlap while differing in several respects. Explanation‐Based Learning (EBL) focuses on young infants' learning about causal concepts of physical objects and events, whereas Bayesian models have been used to describe causal reasoning beyond infancy across various concept domains. Connecting the two models offers a more integrated approach to clarifying the developmental processes in causal reasoning from early infancy through later childhood. We further suggest that everyday language practices offer a promising space for theory bridging. We provide a review of selective work on caregiver–child conversations, in particular, on the use of scaffolding language including causal talk and pedagogical questions. Linking the research on language practices to the two cognitive theories, we point out directions for further research to integrate EBL and Bayesian models and clarify how causal learning unfolds in real life. This article is categorized under:Psychology > LearningCognitive Biology > Cognitive Development [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new optical image encryption and authentication scheme is proposed with the computational ghost imaging. • The problem of inherent linear defect and key management in computational ghost imaging encryption system is solved. • The dual-channel encryption method provides multi-layer protection for the plaintext images. Considering the necessity of identity authentication in most scenarios, a dual-channel (digital channel and optical channel) image encryption and authentication algorithm with computational ghost imaging (CGI) is proposed. The entire encryption process is governed by the pseudo-random sequences obtained by the 4D chaotic system and the Logistic map. During the digital channel encryption, the confusion and diffusion of the plaintext image are achieved by random scrambling and DNA computing, respectively. To alleviate the burden of key transmission and storage in the CGI encryption system, the speckle measurement matrices are constructed with the pseudo-random numbers obtained by the Logistic map. Additionally, a nonlinear encryption operation is carried out to compensate the linear vulnerability of CGI encryption. In the optical encryption channel, the authentication image is first encrypted with the CGI method, followed by the secondary encryption of the intensity values recorded by a bucket detector to produce an intermediate ciphertext. The final encryption image is generated by merging the intermediate ciphertexts from both encryption channels. It is demonstrated that the proposed optical image encryption and authentication scheme with CGI provides satisfactory encryption and decryption effects and can effectively counteract the common attacks. Moreover, the scheme holds promising application prospects due to its authentication capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1) is an important signal transducer that mediates crosstalk between cancer cells and their surrounding stroma. Due to the very high concentrations of its ligand, cleaved collagen (COL), DDR1 exerts a profound effect on tumor metabolism. DDR1 controls macropinocytosis–autophagy crosstalk by activating NRF2, a key transcriptional regulator of metabolic adaptation. Distinct COL types and their cleavage products exert differential effects on DDR1 activity and expression. DDR1 is an interesting therapeutic target for those cancers whose metabolism and growth depend on its activation. In addition to immune cells and fibroblasts, the tumor microenvironment (TME) comprises an extracellular matrix (ECM) which contains collagens (COLs) whose architecture and remodeling dictate cancer development and progression. COL receptors expressed by cancer cells sense signals generated by microenvironmental alterations in COL state to regulate cell behavior and metabolism. Discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1) is a key sensor of COL fiber state and composition that controls tumor cell metabolism and growth, response to therapy, and patient survival. This review focuses on DDR1 to NRF2 signaling, its modulation of autophagy and macropinocytosis (MP), and its role in cancer and other diseases. Elucidating the regulation of DDR1 activity and expression under different pathophysiological conditions will facilitate the discovery of new therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different additives on the quality of potato vine silage. Potato vines were used as raw materials. The silage in control group had no additive, while the experimental groups were added 5% corn flour, 0.002% lactic acid bacteria (1.5 x 1012 CFU/g), and 5% corn flour + 0.002% lactic acid bacteria (1.5 x 1012 CFU/g) to the silage, respectively. The results showed that compared with the control group and 0.002% lactic acid bacteria group, the sensory quality of 5% corn flour group significantly improved, and the crude protein, solanine and lactic acid concentrations of 5% corn flour group and 5% corn flour + 0.002% lactic acid bacteria group significantly increased (P<0.05). The soluble sugar, acid detergent fiber content, pH value, acetic acid content, and ammoniacal nitrogen/total nitrogen ratio significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the neutral detergent fiber content in the 5% corn flour group significantly decreased (P<0.05). The study indicates that adding 5% corn flour or adding 5% corn flour + 0.002% lactic acid bacteria (1.5 x 1012 CFU/g) can significantly improve the sensory quality, nutritional quality, and fermentation quality of potato vine silage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring the catalytical activities of single catalysts in the case of high turnover frequency (TOF, realistic conditions) is highly desirable to accurately evaluate the functional heterogeneities among individuals and to understand the catalytic mechanism. Herein, we report a microwell array-based method to in operando measure the photocatalytic kinetics of single CdS nanoparticles (NPs) with high TOF. This was realized by sealing individual CdS NPs into separated micrometer-sized polydimethylsiloxane wells, thus eliminating the diffusion of products among individuals in the case of high concentration of reactants. This method allowed us to monitor the activities of single catalysts with an average TOF up to 2.1 × 105 s−1. Interestingly, two types of catalytical behaviors were revealed during single CdS photocatalysis: a rapid decline in activity for most CdS NPs and an initial increase in activity followed by a decrease for a minor population of individuals. The developed method will facilitate the investigation of catalytic activities of single particles under realistic conditions and hold great potential in the fields of photo/electro-catalysts, enzymes, functional bacteria, and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a major cause of end-stage renal disease and imposes a heavy global economic burden; however, little is known about its complicated pathophysiology. Investigating the cellular crosstalk involved in DKD is a promising avenue for gaining a better understanding of its pathogenesis. Nonetheless, the cellular crosstalk of podocytes and endothelial cells in DKD is better understood than that of mesangial cells (MCs) and renal tubular epithelial cells (TECs). As the significance of MCs and TECs in DKD pathophysiology has recently become more apparent, we reviewed the existing literature on the cellular crosstalk of MCs and TECs in the context of DKD to acquire a comprehensive understanding of their cellular communication. Insights into the complicated mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of DKD would improve its early detection, care, and prognosis. A_vE6n4Ycp1ocY7qaKgS6d Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, crystal structure and microwave dielectric properties of phosphate CaMgP 2 O 7 were comprehensively investigated. As a novel microwave dielectric ceramic, CaMgP 2 O 7 consists of highly dense structure with optimal microwave dielectric properties (ε r = 7.8 ± 0.124, Q×f = 13,165 ± 836 GHz, and τ f = −85.04 ± 1.205 ppm/℃) at a low sintering temperature (950 ℃). The Rietveld refinement of XRD patterns revealed that CaMgP 2 O 7 belongs to a triclinic system with P-1 symmetry type. Moreover, the substitution of Zn2+ for Mg2+ in CaMgP 2 O 7 can further reduce the sintering temperature, effectively promote the densification process, and improve the Q×f value. The effects of porosity (or density) and chemical bond characteristics on the performance of CaMg 1- x Zn x P 2 O 7 ceramics were carefully analyzed as well. Outstanding performance (ε r = 8.05 ± 0.12, Q×f = 20,670 ± 923 GHz, and τ f = −87.59 ± 3.24 ppm/℃) can be achieved for the CaMg 0.84 Zn 0.16 P 2 O 7 ceramic sintered at 875 ℃ for 3 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, two low-temperature co-fired silicate ceramics (CaMg 0.9- x Li 0.2 Co x Si 2 O 6 , x = 0.15–0.75, CMLCS; CaMg 0.9-y Li 0.2 Sr y Si 2 O 6 , y = 0, 0.05, 0.1–0.5, CMLSS) were synthesized via solid-state reaction method with 0.5 wt%LBSCA glass addition. CMLCS and CMLSS were densely sintered at 925 °C, and had good chemical compatibility with silver. Optimal microwave dielectric properties (ε r = 6.71, Q×f = 30124 GHz, and τ f = −79.06 ppm/°C) and (ε r = 6.78, Q×f = 32530 GHz, and τ f = −52.99 ppm/°C) were obtained for CMLC 0.15 S and CMLS 0.05 S respectively. With increase in Co and Sr substitution, XRD and Raman spectra showed that second phases were produced, and densification process of CaMgSi 2 O 6 -based ceramics was promoted. Dielectric constant was influenced by relative density, Raman shift and second phase. The parameter Q×f was affected by the FWHM of Raman peaks as well as extrinsic factors that affected the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency. Therefore, the results suggested the potential of these two ceramics as candidates for LTCC application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare but fatal cardiopulmonary disease mainly characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling. Aberrant expression of circRNAs has been reported to play a crucial role in pulmonary vascular remodeling. The existing literature predominantly centers on studies that examined the sponge mechanism of circRNAs. However, the mechanism of circRNAs in regulating PAH-related protein remains largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of circItgb5 on pulmonary vascular remodeling and the underlying functional mechanism. Materials and methods: High-throughput circRNAs sequencing was used to detect circItgb5 expression in control and PDGF-BB-treated pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). Localization of circItgb5 in PASMCs was determined via the fluorescence in situ hybridization assay. Sanger sequencing was applied to analyze the circularization of Itgb5. The identification of proteins interacting with circItgb5 was achieved through a RNA pull-down assay. To assess the impact of circItgb5 on PASMCs proliferation, an EdU assay was employed. Additionally, the cell cycle of PASMCs was examined using a flow cytometry assay. Western blotting was used to detect biomarkers associated with the phenotypic switch of PASMCs. Furthermore, a monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PAH rat model was established to explore the effect of silencing circItgb5 on pulmonary vascular remodeling. Results: CircItgb5 was significantly upregulated in PDGF-BB-treated PASMCs and was predominately localized in the cytoplasm of PASMCs. In vivo experiments revealed that the knockdown of circItgb5 attenuated MCT-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling and right ventricular hypertrophy. In vitro experiments revealed that circItgb5 promoted the transition of PASMCs to synthetic phenotype. Mechanistically, circItgb5 sponged miR-96-5p to increase mTOR level and interacted with Uba1 protein to activate the Ube2n/Mdm2/ACE2 pathway. Conclusions: CircItgb5 promoted the transition of PASMCs to synthetic phenotype by interacting with miR-96-5p and Uba1 protein. Knockdown of circItgb5 mitigated pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary vascular remodeling and right ventricular hypertrophy. Overall, circItgb5 has the potential for application as a therapeutic target for PAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Ba1.5Sr1.5Co2+xZrxFe24‐2xO41 hexaferrites (x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, and 0.09) were successfully prepared by the conventional solid‐state reaction method. It was found that as the Co2+ and Zr4+ ions entered the hexaferrite structure, the lattice parameters increased, whereas the relative density increased when x = 0.00‐0.03 and then decreased. A suitable amount of substitution increased the DC resistivity, reduced the magnetic and dielectric losses, and made the μ′$\mu ^{\prime}$ and ε′$\varepsilon ^{\prime}$ closer to each other. At x = 0.03, the relative density and DC resistivity of the samples reached their maxim. Besides, both the magnetic and dielectric losses were lowest within the frequency range of 10 MHz‐1 GHz. Meanwhile, the hexaferrite was impedance matched to free space, and the miniaturization factor was about 15. Therefore, this low‐loss ferrite with almost equal permeability and permittivity could be meaningful for antenna miniaturization and high‐frequency applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Patients receiving microvascular free flap surgery are usually admitted to a high-dependency adult intensive care unit (ICU). Research is limited to investigate postoperative recovery among head and neck cancer patients in the ICU. This study aimed to evaluate a nursing-protocolized targeted sedation on postoperative recovery and to examine the relationship of demographic characteristics, use of sedation, mechanical ventilator to length of ICU stay in patients receiving microvascular free flap surgery for head and neck reconstruction. Methods: This retrospective study involves 125 ICU patients at a medical centre in Taiwan. Medical records were reviewed between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2018 including surgery-related data, medications and sedations used, and ICU-related outcomes. Results: The mean length of ICU stay was 6.2 days (SD = 2.6), and the mean duration of mechanical ventilation was 4.7 days (SD = 2.3). The daily dosage of sedation used in patients who received microvascular free flap surgery was dramatically reduced since the postoperative day (POD) 7. Over 50% of patients switched to PS + SIMV ventilator mode on POD 4. Duration of sedation used (r = 0.331, p < 0.001), total dosage of sedation (r = 0.901, p < 0.001), clear consciousness (r = − 0.517, p < 0.001), and duration on mechanical ventilator (r = 0.378, p < 0.001) are correlated with the length of ICU stay. Conclusion: This study provides an understanding of the use of sedation, mechanical ventilator, and length of ICU stay to inform the continued education for clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our paper, we consider the positive solutions of the nonlinear n -order m -point semipositive BVP. In this BVP equation, we allow that f can change the symbol for 0 < t < 1 ; by using the fixed point index theory, the existence of positive solutions and many positive solutions are obtained under the condition that f is superlinear or sublinear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology is transforming children's lived experience with spatial play. In particular, parents may interact with children differently depending on whether they play together with tangible or digital materials. The present research examined whether the medium for play (tangible or digital) affected kindergarten‐aged children's language experience during puzzle play and explored immediate effects on spatial reasoning. Sixty parent–child dyads played with a tangible or a digital set of tangram puzzles for 10 minutes; children received the Children's Mental Transformation Task (CMTT) before and after the play session. Their performance on the most challenging problems of the CMTT improved after tangible, but not digital, play. This effect was related to parental use of orientation and transformation words during the play session and unrelated to the success of puzzle completion. Moreover, we found that the digital interface, specifically the prescribed movements to use the app, affected parental use of deictic words (eg, here, there), and that this relation may be driven by children's production of a pointing‐like action. Together, these results shed light on the interaction between material for play, parent spatial talk and children's spatial reasoning. Practitioner notesWhat is already known The use of touchscreen devices for play by children has become increasingly common.Parents tend to engage children in device‐relevant talk more than task‐relevant talk when using electronic devices.Hands‐on experience with tangible materials provides short‐term and long‐term benefits on children's spatial reasoning.What this paper adds With their parents, children at 5 to 6 years completed more puzzles of tangible materials than of digital materials; the design interface of the digital puzzles affected children's action experience.Tangible materials invited parents to talk about orientation and transformation more than digital materials. The design interface that prompted children to produce pointing‐like gestures invited parents to use more deictic words (eg, here, there).Children's spatial reasoning was elevated after playing with tangible (but not digital) puzzles. This elevation was related to parental talk about orientation and transformation.Implications for practice and/or policy This study sheds light on the considerations for parents and educators when choosing tangible or digital materials for children to engage in spatial play.The results inform about design principles of educational technology for spatial learning by children at the kindergarten age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let X be a regular curve and n be a positive integer such that for every nonempty open set U ⊂ X, there is a nonempty connected open set V ⊂ U with the cardinality ∣∂x(V)∣≤ n. We show that if X admits a sensitive action of a group G, then G contains a free subsemigroup and the action has positive geometric entropy. As a corollary, X admits no sensitive nilpotent group action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the most relevant indicator of global warming, the ocean heat content (OHC) change is tightly linked to the Earth's energy imbalance. Therefore, it is vital to study the OHC and heat absorption and redistribution. Here we analyzed the characteristics of global OHC variations based on a previously reconstructed OHC dataset (named OPEN) with four other gridded OHC datasets from 1993 to 2021. Different from the other four datasets, the OPEN dataset directly obtains OHC through remote sensing, which is reliable and superior in OHC reconstruction, further verified by the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) radiation flux data. We quantitatively analyzed the changes in the upper 2000 m OHC of the oceans over the past three decades from a multisource and multilayer perspective. Meanwhile, we calculated the global ocean heat uptake to quantify and track the global ocean warming rate and combined it with the Oceanic Niño Index to analyze the global evolution of OHC associated with El Niño–Southern Oscillation variability. The results show that different datasets reveal a continuously increasing and non-decaying global ocean warming from multiple perspectives, with more heat being absorbed by the subsurface and deeper ocean over the past 29 years. The global OHC heating trend from 1993 to 2021 is 7.48 ± 0.17, 7.89 ± 0.1, 10.11 ± 0.16, 7.78 ± 0.17, and 12.8 ± 0.26 × 1022 J/decade according to OPEN, IAP, EN4, Ishii, and ORAS5, respectively, which shows that the trends of the OPEN, IAP, and Ishii datasets are generally consistent, while those of EN4 and ORAS5 datasets are much higher. In addition, the ocean warming characteristics revealed by different datasets are somewhat different. The OPEN OHC dataset from remote sensing reconstruction shows a unique remote sensing mapping advantage, presenting a distinctive warming pattern in the East Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, the OPEN dataset had the largest statistically significant area, with 85.6% of the ocean covered by significant positive trends. The significant and continuous increase in global ocean warming over the past three decades, revealed from remote sensing reconstruction, can provide an important reference for projecting ocean warming in the context of global climate change toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The BaZnP2−xNbxO7 microwave dielectric ceramics were prepared by solid‐state reaction method to investigate the impact of Nb5+ on the composition, microstructure, and vibrational properties, as well as sintering characteristics and microwave dielectric properties. The solubility of Nb5+ in the BaZnP2−xNbxO7 lattice was limited. A moderate amount of Nb5+ substitution could promote the densification process. The vibrational characteristics of the BaZnP2O7 ceramics were first studied by performing experimental and theoretical Raman and infrared spectroscopy measurements in this work, and their relationship with the microwave dielectric properties was studied. The acquired results showed that (Ⅰ) εr was influenced by both the density and the second phase; (Ⅱ) the density and full width at half maximum of the Raman vibrational peak played a critical role in affecting the Q × f values. The BaZnP2−xNbxO7 samples sintered at 925°C exhibited the outstanding microwave dielectric properties with x = 0.02: εr = 7.98, Q × f = 60 615 GHz (tan δ = 2.18 × 10−4; f = 13.21 GHz) and τf = −52.93 ppm/°C (ρbulk = 4.03 g/cm3; ρr = 92.69%). The proposed ceramic is expected to be used in microwave substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of Ti substitution on microwave dielectric properties and structural characteristics of CaMgSi 2 O 6 ceramics synthesized via solid-state reaction method was investigated by XRD, XPS, Raman spectroscopy, SEM, EDS, Rietveld refinement, P–V-L theory and bond valence theory. XRD patterns indicated that CaTiO 3 was gradually formed with the increase in Ti content. The permittivity was closely related to ionic polarizability, which was confirmed by Raman shifts. Quality factor (Q × f) and temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ f) were considerably affected by lattice stability. Moreover, lattice energy and cation ordering of CaMgSi 2 O 6 influenced Q × f , while cation bond valence affected the τ f value. Improved microwave dielectric properties were achieved with high lattice energy and appropriate bond valence for well-densified CaMgSi 1.95 Ti 0.05 O 6 ceramics with specific values of Q × f = 80774 GHz (±2578 GHz; @13.47 GHz, tan δ = 1.67 × 10−4), ε r = 7.94 (±0.208), and τ f = −58.56 ppm/°C (±2.65 ppm/°C) with high relative density (ρ r = 96.9%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atom-atom-anion three-body recombination (TBR) in mixed 4He and xLi− (x = 6 or 7) is investigated in the adiabatic hyperspherical representation by quantum mechanically solving the Schrödinger equation. The distributions of product states following these TBR processes are found to be relatively different for the two systems when the collision energy is less than roughly 0.6 mK × kB or 0.3 mK × kB for 4He4He6Li− and 4He4He7Li− systems, respectively, with kB being the Boltzmann constant. For 4He4He6Li− systems, the rate of recombination into (v = 0) l = 04He6Li− molecular anions is the largest with v and l denoting the rovibrational quantum numbers, while the TBR rate that leads to the formation of l = 14He6Li− molecular anions is a little smaller than that of neutral 4He2 molecules. For 4He4He7Li− systems, neutral 4He2 molecules tend to be the most products, following the yields of l = 0 and 1 4He7Li− molecular anions. However, in spite of these distinctly different distributions, the products of molecular anions, the sum of l = 0 and 1 4HexLi− products, are relatively larger than that of neutral 4He2 molecules for both the two systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coupling mechanism of the Tianshan Orogenic Belt (TOB) and the basins on its sides (Junggar, Turpan–Hami, Tarim, Yili, etc.) since the Late Mesozoic was complex and multi‐levelled. Based on gravity, magnetism, Moho discontinuity, and lithospheric velocity structure of the TOB, together with the structural and sedimentary data of the basins, a model is proposed to reflect the influence of the basin–orogen coupling on the regional source–sink processes of sandstone‐type uranium mineralization since the Late Mesozoic. Generally, there are four main stages of tectonic movements that have changed the coupling mechanism of basin and orogeny: including the Early Yanshanian Movement, the Late Yanshanian Movement, the Middle Himalayan Movement, and the Late Himalayan Movement. These four movements together controlled the mineralization of the sandstone‐type uranium deposits in the TOB together. The mineralization of sandstone‐type uranium deposits in the TOB can be divided into three metallogenic stages: the ore‐bearing formation stage (T‐J2), the tectonic reversal‐related metallogenic stage (J3‐N1), and the epigenetic regenerating ore‐preserving stage (N2‐Q). The tectonic reversal‐related metallogenic stage can be subsequently divided into three sub‐stages: the pre‐metallogenic stage (J3), the sub‐metallogenic stage (K), and the main metallogenic stage (E‐N1). The associated uplift led to the deformation of the mineralized strata in the basins, while the reducing agent migration along faults enhanced the reduction environment within the strata, which affected the enrichment and distribution of the uranium mineralization in the strata. Meanwhile, the recharge and the change of flow state of groundwater also contributed to the later transformation and mineralization. The intra‐continental subduction caused deep lithospheric buckling and depression in the TOB, accompanied by local‐scale mantle convection, which accounts for both tectonic and geodynamic settings for the regional basin–orogen coupling mechanism. In addition, the far‐field effect of the India–Eurasian collision also provided the driving force for the sandstone‐type uranium mineralization in the TOB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of marine ranching in recent years provides a new way of tackling the global food crisis. However, the uncontrolled expansion of coastal aquaculture has raised a series of environmental problems. The fast and accurate detection of raft will facilitate scientific planning and the precise management of coastal aquaculture. A new deep learning-based approach called RaftNet is proposed in this study to extract the coastal raft aquaculture in Sansha Bay using Landsat 8 OLI images accurately. To overcome the issues of turbid water environments and varying raft scales in aquaculture areas, we constructed the RaftNet by modifying the UNet network with dual-channel and residual hybrid dilated convolution blocks to improve the extraction accuracy. Meanwhile, we adopted the well-known semantic segmentation networks (FCN, SegNet, UNet, UNet++, and ResUNet) as the contrastive approaches for the extraction. The results suggested that the proposed RaftNet model achieves the best accuracy with a precision of 84.5%, recall of 88.1%, F1-score of 86.30%, overall accuracy (OA) of 95.7%, and intersection over union (IoU) of 75.9%. We then utilized our RaftNet to accurately extract a raft aquaculture area in Sansha Bay from 2014 to 2018 and quantitatively analyzed the change in the raft area over this period. The results demonstrated that our RaftNet is robust and suitable for the precise extraction of raft aquaculture with varying scales in turbid coastal waters, and the Kappa coefficient and OA can reach as high as 88% and 97%, respectively. Moreover, the proposed RaftNet will unleash a remarkable potential for long time-series and large-scale raft aquaculture mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Semen analysis (SA) plays a key role in guiding treatments of male reproductive diseases and infertility due to male factors; however, it remains challenging to conduct an accurate SA due to lack of standardization, highly subjective assessments, and problems with automated procedures. Therefore, quality assurance (QA) and teaching courses are essential for making the laboratory results more consistent. Materials and methods: The external quality assurance (EQA) scheme was organized by national human sperm bank technology training bases in Guangdong province in China between 2009 and 2020. Until 2020, 124 laboratories from China participated in the EQA program. The EQA scheme per year has been organized involving two semen aliquots for sperm concentration, two video recordings for motility, and two smears for sperm morphology. All samples used in the EQA scheme were obtained from different healthy donors or patients. Results: We estimated that the median coefficient of variation (CV) of sperm concentration, ignoring the method used, was 26.6%. Using a 100 µm deep counting chamber led to a decreasing CV of 13.6%. For sperm motility, the median CV of nonprogressive motility was high (50.8%), but the CV of progressive motility (13.2%), immotile sperm (14.3%), and total motility (11.8%) were acceptable. The morphology assessment revealed large variability (44.4%) irrespective of the classification criteria. Discussion: The reduction of interlaboratory variability is still a challenge during SA in China. Therefore, it is critical to increase awareness of joining EQA schemes and establish standardized training centers to follow WHO‐recommended procedures toward Chinese standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Ni2+ ions were incorporated into BaZnP 2 O 7 ceramics that were synthesized via solid-state reaction method to improve their performance. • The most optimal microwave dielectric properties were observed for BaZn 0.94 Ni 0.06 P 2 O 7 sintered at 900 °C for 3h: ε r = 7.43, q × f = 102,538 GHz, and τ f = −64 ppm/ °C, and the quality factor was improved to at least 200% of the unsubstituted BaZnP 2 O 7 ceramics. • The lattice energy and band gap were calculated based on the P-V-L theory and DFT, respectively. The results showed that the optimized q × f value (102,538 GHz) of the BaZn 0.94 Ni 0.06 P 2 O 7 ceramics sintered at 900 °C stems from the increased bond energy of P1-O and Zn-O bonds and the larger band gap. In this work, we incorporated Ni2+ ions into BaZnP 2 O 7 ceramics with a low dielectric constant to improve their performance. Enhancement of microwave dielectric properties was observed for BaZn 0.94 Ni 0.06 P 2 O 7 sintered at 900 °C for 3 h: ε r = 7.43(±0.04), Q × f = 102,538(±3012) GHz, and τ f = -64(±2.4) ppm/ °C. XRD, SAED, and EDS mapping indicated that a solid solution was formed in all ceramic samples. The Ni2+ doping promoted grain growth and densification of the samples. The density was a major factor affecting dielectric constant ε r , and the pore-corrected ε rc was explained by the molecular polarizability. The vibrational characteristics were analyzed by Raman and FTIR spectroscopies. The FWHM of Raman peaks had a marked effect on the Q × f and τ f values. Furthermore, the higher lattice energy and larger band gap lead to the higher Q × f value of the BaZn 0.94 Ni 0.06 P 2 O 7 ceramic with lower density. The excellent performance of the prepared ceramics makes them a good candidate material for low-temperature co-fired ceramic technology. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, sequential convex programming (SCP) has become a potential approach in trajectory optimization because of its high efficiency. To improve stability and discretization accuracy, a three-stage SCP approach based on the hp -adaptive Radau pseudospectral discretization is proposed in this paper. In most instances, the initial subproblem may risk infeasibility due to the undesignated initial guess. Therefore, we design a constraint relaxation stage for the SCP to enhance the feasibility of the subproblem as much as possible. Once the subproblem can be directly solved, the iteration enters the second stage, during which a mesh refinement algorithm based on discretization error analysis is utilized to decrease the discretization error to the tolerance. In the final stage, the damping term is introduced into the objective of the subproblem to suppress the oscillation of the solution and accelerate the convergence. A dual-channel control reentry trajectory optimization and an ascent trajectory optimization are taken as examples, and the simulation results show that the proposed approach outperforms conventional SCP approaches in terms of accuracy and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the impact of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the HIF1α gene and its interaction with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection on susceptibility to gastric cancer (GC).Logistic regression was used to test the relationship between four SNPs of HIF1α gene and the susceptibility of GC. A generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) model was used to assess the HIF1α gene-H. pylori infection interaction.Logistic regression analysis indicated that both the rs11549465-CT genotype and the T allele were associated with an increased risk of GC, adjusted OR (95% CI) were 1.63 (1.09–2.20) (CT vs. CC) and 1.70 (1.13–2.36) (T vs. C), respectively. We also found that both the rs11549467-A allele and rs11549467-GA genotype were associated with an increased risk of GC, and adjusted OR (95% CI) were 2.21 (1.61–2.86) (GA vs. GG), 2.13 (1.65–2.65) (A vs. G), respectively. However, no statistically significant impact of rs2057482 or rs1957757 on risk of GC was found. The GMDR model indicated a statistically significant two-dimensional model combination (including rs11549467 and H. pylori infection). The selected model had testing balanced accuracy of 0.60 and the best cross-validation consistencies of 10/10 (p = 0.0107). Compared with H. pylori infection negative participants with rs11549467-GG genotype, H. pylori positive participants with the rs11549467-GA genotype had the highest GC risk, the OR (95% CI) was 3.04 (1.98–4.12).The rs11549467-A allele and rs11549467-GA genotype was associated with increased GC risk. Additionally, the gene-environment interaction between HIF-1α-rs11549467 and H. pylori infection was also correlated with an increased risk of GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Heat Wave Comprehensive (HWCI) Index can realize direct and effective comprehensive monitoring of global marine heat wave (MHW) events. • The new index can effectively monitor the evolutionary patterns of MHWs at various levels. • Global weak MHWs have shrunk significantly and extreme events have been expanding. As a result of global warming, major ocean basins have witnessed an increase in the number of extreme warm events and a decrease in the number of extreme cold events, increasing the number of marine heatwave (MHW) events. Previous quantification of MHW events has been limited to simple single metrics, which can only recognize some characteristics from a particular aspect. Here, we propose a new marine Heat Wave Comprehensive Index (HWCI) by fusing multiple metrics to characterize the scalable cumulative intensity of MHWs, which exhibits excellent identification reliability and superiority to effectively monitor the evolutionary patterns of various levels of MHW events. We find that five levels of global MHW events have presented an obvious spatial expansion and temporal enhancement pattern since the early 21st century, with the obvious spatial contraction (32.98 %) of weak events followed by the expansion (19.82 %) of extreme events at the highest growth rate of 0.07, primarily in the mid–low-latitude oceans and the Arctic. The results demonstrate that extreme MHW events dominate global MHW evolution patterns and that the expansion and intensification of such episodes have major implications for the event distribution and level structure. The new indicator is promising for directly measuring and identifying MHWs, and contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the evolution of MHWs in the context of global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reconstruction of the ocean's 3D thermal structure is essential to the study of ocean interior processes and global climate change. Satellite remote sensing technology can collect large-scale, high-resolution ocean observation data, but only at the surface layer. Based on empirical statistical and artificial intelligence models, deep ocean remote sensing techniques allow us to retrieve and reconstruct the 3D ocean temperature structure by combining surface remote sensing observations with in situ float observations. This study proposed a new deep learning method, Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory (ConvLSTM) neural networks, which combines multisource remote sensing observations and Argo gridded data to reconstruct and produce a new long-time-series global ocean subsurface temperature (ST) dataset for the upper 2000 m from 1993 to 2020, which is named the Deep Ocean Remote Sensing (DORS) product. The data-driven ConvLSTM model can learn the spatiotemporal features of ocean observation data, significantly improves the model's robustness and generalization ability, and outperforms the LighGBM model for the data reconstruction. The validation results show our DORS dataset has high accuracy with an average R2 and RMSE of 0.99/0.34 °C compared to the Argo gridded dataset, and the average R2 and NRMSE validated by the EN4-Profile dataset over the time series are 0.94/0.05 °C. Furthermore, the ST structure between DORS and Argo has good consistency in the 3D spatial morphology and distribution pattern, indicating that the DORS dataset has high quality and strong reliability, and well fills the pre-Argo data gaps. We effectively track the global ocean warming in the upper 2000 m from 1993 to 2020 based on the DORS dataset, and we further examine and understand the spatial patterns, evolution trends, and vertical characteristics of global ST changes. From 1993 to 2020, the average global ocean temperature warming trend is 0.063 °C/decade for the upper 2000 m. The 3D temperature trends revealed significant spatial heterogeneity across different ocean basins. Since 2005, the warming signal has become more significant in the subsurface and deeper ocean. From a remote sensing standpoint, the DORS product can provide new and robust data support for ocean interior process and climate change studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A ternary PCMGs consisting of octadecanol, SEBS and hydroxylated carbon nanotubes are proposed. • PCMGs present excellent flexibility, improved form-stability and high biocompatibility. • PCMGs possess high thermal energy storage capacity, high solar absorbance and high cost-effectiveness. • PCMGs are utilized for thermoelectric power generation and personal thermal management. The utilization of renewable biomass and the conversion of renewable energy are promising strategies for providing clean energy and meeting energy needs. In this work, a ternary phase change material gels (PCMGs) composed of octadecanol (OD), styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) and hydroxylated carbon nanotubes (HCNTs) are proposed to realize the biomass utilization and solar energy harvesting. As a kind of biomass, OD possesses the characteristics of high phase change latent heat, low cost, renewability, environmental friendliness and biosafety. SEBS provides the crosslinked network to load the OD and introduce the free-standing feature. The HCNTs can realize the highly-efficient solar harvesting through the solar-thermal conversion. The Van der Waals force between SEBS and OD, the π-π interaction between SEBS and HCNTs and the hydrogen bond between OD and HCNTs enable the excellent form-stability. Taking advantages of the synergistic effect of the functional components, the proposed biomass-based PCMGs demonstrate high thermal energy storage capacity of 183.04 Jg−1, high solar absorbance of 95.68%, high cost-effectiveness of 3.92 × 10-5$J−1 and high cell viability of 117.9%. The biomass-based PCMGs are effectively applied in the thermoelectric power generation and personal thermal management. This work creates a state-of-the-art alternative for the next-generation solar-thermal materials devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn 1−x (Li 0.5 Bi 0.5) x Mo x W 1−x O 4 (x = 0–0.25) ceramics were prepared using the solid-state reaction process. The results show that the existence of the (Li 0.5 Bi 0.5)MoO 4 secondary phase significantly increases the τ f value and improves the sintering behavior. When sintered at 755 °C, the sample with x = 0.05 exhibits the highest Q × f value (37,551 GHz), while the ceramics with x = 0.15 and 0.20 display excellent τ f values, − 6.569 and − 3.097 ppm/°C, respectively. Additionally, X-ray diffraction refinement, Raman and infrared spectroscopy, and the complex bond valence theory were used to investigate the relationship between the phase, structure, and vibration characteristics and the microwave dielectric properties. Good microwave dielectric properties were obtained for the Zn 0.85 (Li 0.5 Bi 0.5) 0.15 Mo 0.15 W 0.85 O 4 ceramic sintered at 755 ° C: ε r = 18.937, Q × f = 20,022 GHz , and τ f = −6.569 ppm/°C, which provides a promising candidate for low temperature co-fired ceramic technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tailoring the photoluminescence (PL) of semiconductors through spatiotemporal manipulation of dynamics of photoexcited carriers is of paramount importance for understanding the emitting mechanism and developing high‐performance devices. Herein, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) microscopy, a powerful tool in biology, is first utilized to simultaneously manipulate and monitor the dynamics of photoexcited carrier in attractive 2D transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers (1L‐TMDs). This allows on‐demand access to the PL dark state of 1L‐TMDs, based on the triggered exciton–exciton annihilation by pump beam‐initiated photodoping. Using a 0.7‐µm‐diametered pump laser, the PL dark region can be facilely tailored from ≈0.5 to ≈5 µm over a 10‐µm‐1L‐WS2 flake. An interesting photoinduced dedoping effect in 1L‐TMDs after photodoping is discovered by FRAP, which has not been observed before and might account for the non‐blinking emission of 1L‐TMDs. The revealed mono‐exponential photo‐dedoping can also be kinetically tailored by ≈170‐fold (k: 0.11–19.00 s‐1) by humidity, power of incident laser and type of 1L‐TMDs. This study demonstrates the power of FRAP microscopy in exploring the effect of photoexcited carrier dynamics on the PL property of semiconductors, holding promises for understanding light‐emitting mechanism and optimizing operational parameters for optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sr-substituted CaMgSi 2 O 6 ceramics (CaMg 1− x Sr x Si 2 O 6 , x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5) were synthesised via solid-state reaction method. The CaMg 0.9 Sr 0.1 Si 2 O 6 sample was dense at 1250 °C, and outstanding performance was achieved: ε r = 7.85, Q×f = 77,916 GHz (13.65 GHz), and τ f = −42.89 ppm/°C. The effects of Mg2+ substituted by Sr2+ on the phase composition, microstructure, lattice vibration and microwave dielectric properties of CaMgSi 2 O 6 ceramics were investigated. The doped Sr2+ with solubility between 0.05 and 0.1 mol promoted the densification and grain growth of ceramics and led to the formation of second phase and red shift of X-ray diffraction peaks and Raman active modes. Density and porosity played an important role in ε r. The Q×f value was optimised with homogeneous grain size distribution, high relative density and low full width at half maximum. The τ f value was closely related to the second phase and changed nonlinearly with the x value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic correlation analysis using LD score regression3 showed MD and HD were significantly correlated ( I r SB g sb i = 0.8618, I p i = 7.361e-5), but not for HD and AD, MD and AD. This work presented a significant correlation between heroin and methamphetamine dependence (HD and MD) which distinguished with alcohol dependence (AD) at the genome-wide level. Genome-wide association meta-analyses identify novel genetic risk loci and polygenic phenotype associations for heroin, methamphetamine and alcohol dependences. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, causes the outbreaks of Latin America in 2015 - 2016, with the incidence of neurological complications. Sunitinib malate, an orally bioavailable malate salt of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is suggested as a broad-spectrum antiviral agent against emerging viruses like severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and SARS-CoV-2. Materials and Methods: This study investigated the antiviral efficacy and antiviral mechanisms of sunitinib malate against ZIKV infection using cytopathic effect reduction, virus yield, and time-of-addition assays. Results: Sunitinib malate concentration-dependently reduced ZIKV-induced cytopathic effect, the expression of viral proteins, and ZIKV yield in supernatant with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 0.015 μM, and the selectivity index of greater than 100 against ZIKV infection, respectively. Sunitinib malate had multiple antiviral actions during entry and post-entry stages of ZIKV replication. Sunitinib malate treatment at entry stage significantly reduced the levels of ZIKV RNA replication with the reduction of (+) RNA to (-) RNA ratio and the production of new intracellular infectious particles in infected cells. The treatment at post-entry stage caused a concentration-dependent increase in the levels of ZIKV (+) RNA and (-) RNA in infected cells, along with enlarging the ratio of (+) RNA to (-) RNA, but caused a pointed increase in the titer of intracellular infectious particles by 0.01 and 0.1 μM, and a substantial decrease in the titer of intracellular infectious particles by 1 μM. Conclusion: The study discovered the antiviral actions of sunitinib malate against ZIKV infection, demonstrating a repurposed, host-targeted approach to identify potential antiviral drugs for treating emerging and global viral diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, using the method of moving planes, we study the monotonicity in some directions and symmetry of the Dirichlet problem involving the fractional Laplacian − Δ α / 2 u x = f u x , x ∈ Ω , u x > 0 , x ∈ Ω , u x = 0 , x ∈ ℝ n \ Ω , in a slab-like domain Ω = ℝ n − 1 × 0 , h ⊂ ℝ n . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the influence of Mo6+ substitution on the crystal structure, microstructures, chemical bond characteristics, vibration characteristics and microwave dielectric properties of ZnMo x W 1-x O 4 (x = 0−0.12) ceramics prepared by a solid-state reaction were investigated. The results show that Mo6+ substitution does not produce secondary phase, the densification temperature decreases from 1100 to 925 ℃, and Q × f values increased from 19605 GHz (x = 0) to 61640 GHz (x = 0.06) at 925 ℃, which resulted from the packing fraction, U tW-O and microstructures. Also, the τ f values were optimized to −34 ppm/°C due to changes in the degree of structural order and stability of chemical bonds. Af iW-O , molecular polarizability and porosity first led to an increase in permittivity and decrease thereafter. The ZnMo 0.06 W 0.94 O 4 ceramics sintered at 925℃ exhibited satisfactory properties (ε r = 15.10, Q × f = 61,640 GHz, and τ f = -34 ppm/°C), providing a potential candidate for microwave devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, (1- x) ZnTiNb 2 O 8 - x CuTiNb 2 O 8 -0.4 wt%LBSCA (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) microwave dielectric ceramics prepared by solid-state sintering were investigated to obtain low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) materials with near-zero resonant frequency temperature coefficient. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and Rietveld refinement results reveal that with the increase in x value, main phase of ceramics is transformed from ZnTiNb 2 O 8 to ZnNb 2 O 6 and new phases (CuTiNb 2 O 8 and Ti 3 O 5) are formed at x ≥ 0.3. The microwave dielectric properties are affected with the appearance and increase in content of the secondary phase. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images indicate that sample grains are relatively uniform and dense at x = 0.2. Raman shift obtained from Raman spectra explain changes in dielectric constant. Results reveal that the desirable dielectric properties were obtained by sintering at 875 °C with x = 0.375: ε r = 35.01, Q × f = 19449 GHz, and τ f = -0.3 ppm/°C, and the highest Q × f value (~38711 GHz) was obtained by sintering at 900 °C with x = 0.2 in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the synthesis and characterization of the red nanophosphors Zn2SiO4:Eu3+ (ZSO:Eu3+) and Mg2TiO4:Mn4+ (MTO:Mn4+). The use of phosphors as a fluorescence label for lateral flow immunochromatographic assay (LFIA) has also been described. The optimal photoluminescence (PL) for ZSO:Eu3+ was obtained when it was synthesized with 7 mol% of Eu3+ and annealed at 1100 °C for 1 h. Long fluorescence lifetime (1.01 ms), high activation energy E a (0.28 eV), and low PL degeneration (10% at 110 °C) are the characteristics of ZSO:Eu3+. MTO:Mn4+ also exhibited high PL intensity along with a high Ea of 0.32 eV. The emission wavelengths of phosphors are biocompatible with the optical bio-window of tissues. When human immunoglobulin G (human IgG) at a constant concentration of 100 μg/mL was used for detection, the PL ratios of the test line to the control line were 2.15 and 2.28 for the ZSO:Eu3+- and MTO:Mn4+-labeled LFIA, respectively. Thus, the ZSO:Eu3+ and MTO:Mn4+ nanophosphors are capable of human IgG recognition and are the promising candidates as fluorescent labels for on-site rapid optical biodetection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two groups of low-temperature-fired Ni 0.6-x Zn 0.4 Cu x Fe 1.98 O 4 (x = 0.1–0.325 in intervals of 0.025) under two different doping modes, namely, low, i.e. , group A with 0.25 wt% Bi 2 O 3 and high, i.e. , group B with 1 wt% Bi 2 O 3 , were prepared by solid-state reaction method. Their crystal phase composition, microstructure, and soft magnetic properties were studied and compared. The series of ferrite samples of both groups presented single spinel ferrite phase. However, average grain sizes of samples in group A were significantly smaller than those in group B. Microstructures of samples changed significantly with the increase in Cu content. Furthermore, relative density, permeability, saturation flux density (B s), and quality factor, first increased and then decreased with increasing Cu content, in both groups. Snoek constants in the two groups increased monotonously. However, densified samples in group A had higher Snoek constants than samples in group B, which indicated that they were more suitable for high-frequency applications. In general, overall performance of samples in group A was better than that of samples in group B, but properties of the former were more sensitive to Cu content. Therefore, to achieve better overall performance, it was best to choose samples with proper Cu substitution (x = 0.275) in group A. For improved robustness of ferrite composition and process, it was more appropriate to choose samples with proper Cu substitution ((x = 0.25) in group B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the existence of positive solutions for the following nonlinear second-order third-point semi-positive BVP. We derive an explicit interval of positive parameters, which for any l , μ in this interval, the existence of positive solutions to the boundary value problem is guaranteed under the condition that a t , x , b t , x are all superlinear (sublinear), or one is superlinear, the other is sublinear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ba 1.5 Sr 1.5 Co 2-x Zn x Fe 22 O 41 (x = 0,0.4,0.8,1.2,1.6,2.0) hexaferrites substituted by Zn were prepared via conventional solid-state reaction. The influences of Zn substitution content on phase formation, microstructure, and magnetic properties, especially high-frequency magnetic properties, were systematically investigated. Results indicate that, when sintering temperature is 1200 °C, pure ferrite phase of Co 2 Z is formed, and Zn2+ is successfully incorporated into the lattice. Appropriate amount of Zn substitution can improve the densification and saturation magnetization (M s) of Z-type ferrite, thereby effectively promoting permeability. However, due to limitations of Snoek's law, cut-off frequency is found to be reduced with Zn substitution. For x = 0.4, the sample exhibits both high permeability (up to 22.49) and high cut-off frequency (~900 MHz), with Snoek constant (μ i − 1) × f r reaching 19.337 GHz. Furthermore, magnetic loss for the sample with x = 0.4 is found to be low. It is anticipated that this material will have extensive application prospects for miniaturization and high frequency antenna applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influences that Cu substitution has on the microwave dielectric properties of Li 2 Mg 0.6 Zn 0.4 SiO 4 ceramics that were prepared via solid-state reaction were investigated using microstructure analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and chemical bond characteristics. The relative permittivity increased with an increase in the relative density, and the highest Q × f value was obtained with the most compact and uniform microstructure. Cu substitution reduced the sintering temperature and caused the molecular polarizability and bond ionicity to continuously increase, this resulted in the ε r value increasing linearly. Also, the stability and degree of order of the structure first increased and then decreased. Furthermore, Cu substitution improved the temperature stability of the samples. Specifically, Li 2 Mg 0.56 Cu 0.04 Zn 0.4 SiO 4 that was sintered at 925 °C exhibited satisfactory properties (ε r = 5.628, Q × f = 58,742 GHz and τ f = −59 ppm/ºC), and these make the ceramics promising for use in microwave applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide a framework of analysis for Chinese ways of learning that extends beyond the individual level. The theoretical framework focuses on Confucian principles of xiào (孝, filial piety), guăn (管, to govern), and dào dé guān (道德觀, virtues), which leads us to argue that directive guidance as a cultural practice nourishes Chinese-heritage children's learning as early as in infancy. To illustrate how directive guidance occurs in action for infants, we present an empirical study that examined the interaction of mother-infant dyads in Taipei, Taiwan, when they played with a challenging toy. The dyads co-enacted directive guidance more frequently than their European-American counterparts in the USA – through hand holding, intervening, and collaboration – while infants actively participate in the practice. We discuss the early development of strengths for learning that is fostered through culturally meaningful practices recurrent in parent-infant interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structure and microwave dielectric properties of Zn 3-x Cu x (BO 3) 2 (x = 0–0.12) ceramics prepared via a traditional solid-state reaction method were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) utilizing the Rietveld refinement, complex chemical bond theory, and Raman spectroscopy. XRD showed that all samples were single phase. The samples maintained a low permittivity, even at higher Cu2+ contents, which is conducive to the shortening of signal delay time, and intimately related to the average bond ionicity and Raman shift. Moreover, proper Cu2+ substitution greatly reduced the dielectric loss associated with the lattice energy. Cu2+ entering the lattice optimized the temperature coefficient of resonance frequency (τ f) values and improved the temperature stability of samples by affecting the bond energy. Optimal microwave dielectric properties were: ε r = 6.64, Q × f = 160,887 GHz, τ f = −42.76 ppm/°C for Zn 2.96 Cu 0.04 (BO 3) 2 ceramics sintered at 850 °C for 3 h, which exhibited good chemical compatibility with silver and are therefore good candidate materials for Low temperature co-fired ceramic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mechanical conditions to ensure normal operation is established. • The more accurate working specific pressure of the sealing interface is obtained. • The excessive rotational speed leads to slippage between the O-Ring 1 and the shaft. • The overly small pressure、rotational speed and intense vibration lead to the disengagement of the sealing interface. Aiming at the leakage failure problem caused by the accidental disengagement of the sealing interface due to the failure of the magnetic seal force balance system, taking a certain type of aero-engine magnetic seal as an example, the mechanical analysis model of the magnetic seal is established, and the mechanical conditions for normal sealing work are deduced according to the set of equilibrium equations of force. The analysis process of the normal operation is proposed, and the calculation method of the key mechanical parameters of the magnetic seal is determined. On this basis, the influence of operating conditions on the normal operating mechanical conditions is analyzed. The results show that the primary sealing face contact pressure, the maximum contact pressure of the secondary sealing face, and the traction torque of the rotor determine the normal operating condition of the magnetic seal. Excessive chamber pressure and rotational speed will increase the contact pressure of the primary sealing face, leading to increased wear of the face and slippage between the O-Ring 1 and the shaft; too little differential pressure and rotational speed will lead to the disengagement of the graphite ring/stator, which ultimately leads to the failure of the seal. Severe vibration reduces the contact pressure of the primary sealing face and increases the risk of the primary sealing face disengagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochromic properties of WO 3 optical windows were improved with a hierarchical structure of amorphous-crystalline WO 3 nanowires. The hydrothermal method and sputtering deposition were used for the preparations of crystalline (c -WO 3) and amorphous WO 3 (a -WO 3), respectively. The c -WO 3 achieved a high contrast ratio of 55.9% at wavelength 700 nm and had a reversibility of up to 97.5%. The relationship between intercalated/extracted charges and scan time was discussed and formulated. The ion flow variation during charging and discharging was also investigated. The anodic and cathodic current densities of a -WO 3 / c -WO 3 were higher than those of c -WO 3 by 7.9% and 30.4%, respectively. The coloration efficiencies were 32.56 cm2-C−1 (improved by 67.2%) at a wavelength of 650 nm, 40.90 cm2-C−1 (improved by 56.1%) at 700 nm, and 58.44 cm2-C−1 (improved by 40.7%) at 800 nm. Rapid redox reaction with short coloring (11.0 s) and bleaching time (6.5 s) was achieved. [Display omitted] • Broadband optical modulation was enhanced using amorphous/crystalline WO 3 nanowires. • Efficiencies improved by 67.2%, 56.1%, and 40.7% at 650, 700, and 800 nm, respectively. • Low transmittance in color state (less than 1.7%) as wavelength longer than 650 nm. • Intercalated and extracted charges were expressed as functions of scan time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overcoming the current spiritual and ecological crisis plaguing the globe is impossible without changing the paradigm of aesthetic music education. Music should play an important role in achieving the goals of sustainable development, rather than be a utilitarian product of consumer society. Therefore, attention should be drawn to the music teacher education and to a new paradigm of education that is ecology-focused, aesthetic, and enables sustainable development at the urban, suburban, and rural levels. The study examines issues around the ecology-focused aesthetic music education in the context of sustainable development culture. This study aimed to substantiate an integration framework for ecological rationality, aesthetic education, and musical ecology in order to build a new educational paradigm from international experience. This is a review of the survey findings reported by the Country Music Association Foundation. The survey involved 468 music teachers from 392 primary, secondary and high schools in the United States. The weighting procedure used ensured that the sample of responding schools was nationally representative along the two dimensions of school locale/urbanicity (e.g. urban, suburban, town/exurbun, rural) and the grade levels (e.g. primary, middle, high, or some combination). The contemporary approach to education should be improved to extend ecological and integrated methods and ideas of thinking and hence bring the art of music to a new horizon with a higher goal of creating a sustainable community of ecologically responsible individuals. This study offered an integration model for ecological rationality, aesthetic education, and musical ecology in order to build a new educational paradigm. The proposal represents a framework that is built around five components of society, ecological rationality, teachers, sustainable development, and musical ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, by virtue of the critical point theory, we are pleased to investigate the existence of infinitely many high energy solutions for the generalized Chern-Simons-Schrödinger system with a perturbation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physics-informed neural network (PINN) method is extended to learn and predict compressible steady-state aerodynamic flows with a high Reynolds number. To better learn the thin boundary layer, the sampling distance function and hard boundary condition are explicitly introduced into the input and output layers of the deep neural network, respectively. A gradient weight factor is considered in the loss function to implement the PINN methods based on the Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) and Euler equations, respectively, denoted as PINN–RANS and PINN–Euler. Taking a transonic flow around a cylinder as an example, these PINN methods are first verified for the ability to learn complex flows and then are applied to predict the global flow based on a part of physical data. When predicting the global flow based on velocity data in local key regions, the PINN–RANS method can always accurately predict the global flow field including the boundary layer and wake, while the PINN–Euler method can accurately predict the inviscid region. When predicting the subsonic and transonic flows under different freestream Mach numbers (M a ∞ = 0.3–0.7), the flow fields predicted by both methods avoid the inconsistency with the real physical phenomena of the pure data-driven method. The PINN–RANS method is insufficient in shock identification capabilities. Since the PINN–Euler method does not need the second derivative, the training time of PINN–Euler is only 1/3 times that of PINN–RANS at the same sampling point and deep neural network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ordered assembly of molecules within a specific space of nanoscale, such as a surface, holds great promise in advanced micro‐/nanostructure fabrication for various applications. Herein, we demonstrate the evanescent wave (EW)‐guided organization of small molecules into a long‐range ordered nanowire (NW) array. Experiment and simulation revealed that the orientation and periodicity of the NW array were feasibly regulated by altering the propagation direction and the wavelength of EW. The generality of this approach was demonstrated by using different molecule precursors. While existing studies on EW often took advantages of its near‐field property for optical sensing, this work demonstrated the photochemical power of EW in the guided‐assembly of small molecules for the first time. It also provides an enlightening avenue to periodic structure with fluorescence, promising for super‐resolution microscopy and important devices applicable to optical and bio‐related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ordered assembly of molecules within a specific space of nanoscale, such as a surface, holds great promise in advanced micro‐/nanostructure fabrication for various applications. Herein, we demonstrate the evanescent wave (EW)‐guided organization of small molecules into a long‐range ordered nanowire (NW) array. Experiment and simulation revealed that the orientation and periodicity of the NW array were feasibly regulated by altering the propagation direction and the wavelength of EW. The generality of this approach was demonstrated by using different molecule precursors. While existing studies on EW often took advantages of its near‐field property for optical sensing, this work demonstrated the photochemical power of EW in the guided‐assembly of small molecules for the first time. It also provides an enlightening avenue to periodic structure with fluorescence, promising for super‐resolution microscopy and important devices applicable to optical and bio‐related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The layered potassium niobate, KNb3O8, is evident as a photocatalyst for hydrogen production from water splitting under UV light. We hereby reported a new modified sol–gel method for the preparation of potassium niobate photocatalyst. Photocatalytic water splitting has been improved in this work by loading Pt nanoparticles as cocatalyst. The catalysts were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Ultraviolet–Visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Their photocatalytic activities were in (i) an aqueous MeOH, used as sacrificial hole scavengers for hydrogen production and (ii) a new Z-scheme photocatalytic water splitting system where Pt/KNb3O8 was used for H2 evolution and Pt/WO3 was used for O2 evolution. The I−/IO3− aqueous solution was used as redox couple for the photocatalytic Z-scheme over all water splitting under UV light irradiation. The photocatalysts were prepared by loading platinum on sol–gel synthesis KNb3O8 and commercial WO3 via impregnation method. We find that, this KNb3O8 belonging to a orthorhombic structure with rod-like morphology. The Pt nanoparticles were sufficiently well-dispersed on the surface of photocatalyst, and enhanced photocatalytic properties. Our results show that I− concentration significantly influenced the photocatalytic activity. The combination of Pt/KNb3O8 with Pt/WO3 achieves a high H2 evolution rate (539 μmol g−1 h−1) and O2 evolution rate (140 μmol g−1 h−1) in 2 mM NaI solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]