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Background Objectives Methods Results Conclusion Erectile dysfunction (ED) is prevalent not only among older males but also in younger. The physical activity has been considered a potential protective factor against ED. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research on the impact of exercise interventions specifically on ED patients.This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the physical activity in addressing ED symptoms among adult males, without the use of the phosphodiesterase‐5 inhibitors (PDE5i) therapy. Additionally, subgroup analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of different exercise modes.Employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a systematic literature search. A registered protocol is available at PROSPERO (CRD42023441717). Our search spanned PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library, with data collection ending on 11 April 2024. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was applied by two independent authors to assess randomized controlled trial (RCT) quality. The primary endpoint was determined as the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) scores.A total of seven RCTs were included. Utilizing a random‐effects model, the estimated standardized mean difference (SMD) was 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37 to 1.02, p < 0.0001) for the overall impact of the physical activity. Subgroup analysis revealed SMDs of 0.81 (95% CI 0.56 to 1.06; p < 0.00001) for aerobic training alone. However, no significant improvement was observed with pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) (SMD 0.03; 95% CI −0.68 to 0.75; p = 0.93) and a combination of aerobic and resistance training (SMD 0.84; 95% CI −0.41 to 2.09; p = 0.19)The findings of this study highlight a significant improvement in the erectile function following exercise interventions for adult men with ED, who are not receiving the PDE5i therapy, especially in conducting aerobic training alone. However, PFMT and a combination of aerobic and resistance training did not show significant improvements in erectile function from this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reliable blood biomarkers are crucial for early detection and treatment evaluation of cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Objective: To examine whether plasma biomarkers and their combination are different between older people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cognitively normal individuals, and to explore their relations with cognitive performance. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 250 older adults, including 124 participants with MCI, and 126 cognitively normal participants. Plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), irisin and clusterin were measured, and BDNF/irisin ratio was calculated. Global cognition was evaluated by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Results: Plasma irisin levels, but not BDNF, were significantly different between MCI group and cognitively normal group. Higher irisin concentration was associated with an increased probability for MCI both before and after controlling covariates. By contrast, plasma BDNF concentration, but not irisin, was linearly correlated with cognitive performance after adjusting for covariates. Higher BDNF/irisin ratios were not only correlated with better cognitive performance, but also associated with lower risks of MCI, no matter whether we adjusted for covariates. Plasma BDNF and irisin concentrations increased with aging, whereas BDNF/irisin ratios remained stable. No significant results of clusterin were observed. Conclusions: Plasma BDNF/irisin ratio may be a reliable indicator which not only reflects the odds of the presence of MCI but also directly associates with cognitive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's numerous resource-based cities have confronted severe environmental and economic problems, which were substantial impediments to the regional sustainable development. In 2013, China started to implement its 'National Sustainable Development Plan of Resource-Based Cities', in order to transform the previous development patterns. This study employs the difference-in-differences (DID) method to evaluate the policy's impact on the city-level carbon dioxide (CO2) emission intensity. CO2 intensity is defined as the scale of CO2 emitted per unit of GDP. The research sample covers 326 Chinese cities during 2008—2017. Research results indicate that the policy significantly increased the CO2 intensity in resource-based cities. Moreover, it is found that the policy dampened resource-based cities' innovation levels and these cities did not strengthen their environmental regulations, which can be provided as the explanations of why the policy effect on carbon intensity was positive. Furthermore, this study reports the discrepancies in policy effects when cities have different development stages, spatial locations and marketization levels. Overall, this research discovers an undesirable policy effect. More actions should be taken to reduce the carbon intensity during the structural transformation in resource-based cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the failure (strength) regularities of rocks under complex stress states, we propose a novel three-parameter deviatoric function that includes the shape of the failure envelope on the Mohr–Coulomb (MC), Ottosen, Bigoni–Piccolroaz, and Wu–Zhang deviatoric planes. This function realizes the deviatoric plane shape of numerous classic criteria, including the Rankine, Tresca, von Mises, generalized Tresca, MC, Drucker–Prager (DP), Matsuoka–Nakai (MN), Lade–Duncan (LD), and Ottosen. On this basis, taking the nonlinear characteristics of the power function, we establish a novel 3D NUF criterion, namely MCNUF and LDNUF criteria, where the novel parameter γ is based on the basic parameters of two classical criteria, MC and LD, respectively. Based on the triaxial test data of different rocks, the proposed MCNUF and LDNUF criteria are compared with the previous criteria (the generalized nonlinear failure criterion (MNGNF), the DP and MN unified (DPMNu) criterion). Results show that: (1) the internal friction angles predicted by each criterion are equal under the same meridian plane parameters. (2) For four kinds of rock materials, the prediction performance of the proposed criteria is generally better than that of the MNGNF and DPMNu criteria. (3) The proposed criteria describe the hydrostatic stress and IPS and their coupled effect on various rock materials. (4) The 3D graphical visualization of the proposed criteria is carried out systematically, which plays a positive guiding role in enriching and perfecting the strength theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome‐wide association studies have identified many single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with erythrocyte traits. However, the functional variants and their working mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we reported that the SNP of rs80207740, which was associated with red blood cell (RBC) volume and hemoglobin content across populations, conferred enhancer activity to XPO7 gene via allele‐differentially binding to Ikaros family zinc finger 1 (IKZF1). We showed that the region around rs80207740 was an erythroid‐specific enhancer using reporter assays, and that the G‐allele further enhanced activity. 3D genome evidence showed that the enhancer interacted with the XPO7 promoter, and eQTL analysis suggested that the G‐allele upregulated expression of XPO7. We further showed that the rs80207740‐G allele facilitated the binding of transcription factor IKZF1 in EMSA and ChIP analyses. Knockdown of IKZF1 and GATA1 resulted in decreased expression of Xpo7 in both human and mouse erythroid cells. Finally, we constructed Xpo7 knockout mouse by CRISPR/Cas9 and observed anemic phenotype with reduced volume and hemoglobin content of RBC, consistent to the effect of rs80207740 on erythrocyte traits. Overall, our study demonstrated that rs80207740 modulated erythroid indices by regulating IKZF1 binding and Xpo7 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a hepatotropic non‐cytopathic virus characterized by liver‐specific gene expression. HBV infection highjacks bile acid metabolism, notably impairing bile acid uptake via sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP), which is a functional receptor for HBV entry. Concurrently, HBV infection induces changes in bile acid synthesis and the size of the bile acid pool. Conversely, bile acid facilitates HBV replication and expression through the signaling molecule farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a nuclear receptor activated by bile acid. However, in HepaRG cells and primary hepatocytes, FXR agonists suppress HBV RNA expression and the synthesis and secretion of DNA. In the gut, the size and composition of the bile acid pool significantly influence the gut microbiota. In turn, the gut microbiota impacts bile acid metabolism and innate immunity, potentially promoting HBV clearance. Thus, the bile acid–gut microbiota axis represents a complex and evolving relationship in the context of HBV infection. This review explores the interplay between bile acid and gut microbiota in HBV infection and discusses the development of HBV entry inhibitors targeting NTCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated guard cell detection and measurement are vital for understanding plant physiological performance and ecological functioning in global water and carbon cycles. Most current methods for measuring guard cells and stomata are laborious, time-consuming, prone to bias, and limited in scale. We developed StoManager1, a high-throughput tool utilizing geometrical, mathematical algorithms, and convolutional neural networks to automatically detect, count, and measure over 30 guard cell and stomatal metrics, including guard cell and stomatal area, length, width, stomatal aperture area/guard cell area, orientation, stomatal evenness, divergence, and aggregation index. Combined with leaf functional traits, some of these StoManager1-measured guard cell and stomatal metrics explained 90% and 82% of tree biomass and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) variances in hardwoods, making them substantial factors in leaf physiology and tree growth. StoManager1 demonstrated exceptional precision and recall (mAP@0.5 over 0.96), effectively capturing diverse stomatal properties across over 100 species. StoManager1 facilitates the automation of measuring leaf stomatal and guard cells, enabling broader exploration of stomatal control in plant growth and adaptation to environmental stress and climate change. This has implications for global gross primary productivity (GPP) modeling and estimation, as integrating stomatal metrics can enhance predictions of plant growth and resource usage worldwide. Easily accessible open-source code and standalone Windows executable applications are available on a GitHub repository (https://github.com/JiaxinWang123/StoManager1) and Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7686022). StoManager1 uses deep learning and geometrical algorithms for leaf guard cell and stomatal metrics high-throughput measurement to explain plant physiological performance and growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase separation, also known as biomolecule condensate, participates in physiological processes such as transcriptional regulation, signal transduction, gene expression, and DNA damage repair by creating a membrane-free compartment. Phase separation is primarily caused by the interaction of multivalent non-covalent bonds between proteins and/or nucleic acids. The strength of molecular multivalent interaction can be modified by component concentration, the potential of hydrogen, posttranslational modification, and other factors. Notably, phase separation occurs frequently in the cytoplasm of mitochondria, the nucleus, and synapses. Phase separation in vivo is dynamic or stable in the normal physiological state, while abnormal phase separation will lead to the formation of biomolecule condensates, speeding up the disease progression. To provide candidate suggestions for the clinical treatment of nervous system diseases, this review, based on existing studies, carefully and systematically represents the physiological roles of phase separation in the central nervous system and its pathological mechanism in neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a numerical study to investigate the load transfer mechanism of a geosynthetic encased stone column (GESC) under embankment loading. The soils were modeled with a nonlinear elasto-plastic constitutive model incorporating a hyperbolic stress–strain relationship and the Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion. The geosynthetic encasement was modeled using a linearly elastic embedded liner element. Two interfaces were used to simulate the interaction between the geosynthetic encasement and the soils on either side. The validation of the numerical model was conducted using test data from vertical loading tests of the individual GESC installed in loose sand, including applied vertical stress–settlement curves and the circumferential strains profiles. Then, the influences of different design parameters on the load transfer mechanism of the GESC unit cell were investigated through a parametric study. Results indicate that the development of stress concentration ratio depends on the mobilization of tensile strains. The circumferential strains are significantly larger than the longitudinal strains, indicating that the circumferential tensile effect is dominant under embankment loading. The load transfer effect was gradually enhanced with increasing tensile strains. Increasing the geosynthetic encasement stiffness can be considered as an alternative to increasing the column infill friction angle in improving the load transfer effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is still an urgent need to develop hydrogels with intelligent antibacterial ability to achieve on-demand treatment of infected wounds and accelerate wound healing by improving the regeneration microenvironment. We proposed a strategy of hydrogel wound dressing with bacteria-responsive self-activating antibacterial property and multiple nanozyme activities to remodel the regeneration microenvironment in order to significantly promote infected wound healing. Specifically, pH-responsive H2O2 self-supplying composite nanozyme (MSCO) and pH/enzyme-sensitive bacteria-responsive triblock micelles encapsulated with lactate oxidase (PPEL) were prepared and encapsulated in hydrogels composed of L-arginine-modified chitosan (CA) and phenylboronic acid-modified oxidized dextran (ODP) to form a cascade bacteria-responsive self-activating antibacterial composite hydrogel platform. The hydrogels respond to multifactorial changes of the bacterial metabolic microenvironment to achieve on-demand antibacterial and biofilm eradication through transformation of bacterial metabolites, and chemodynamic therapy enhanced by nanozyme activity in conjunction with self-driven nitric oxide (NO) release. The composite hydrogel showed 'self-diagnostic' treatment for changes in the wound microenvironment. Through self-activating antibacterial therapy in the infection stage to self-adaptive oxidative stress relief and angiogenesis in the post-infection stage, it promotes wound closure, accelerates wound collagen deposition and angiogenesis, and completely improves the microenvironment of infected wound regeneration, which provides a new method for the design of intelligent wound dressings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most important long-lived greenhouse gas and can be retrieved using solar absorption spectra recorded by a ground-based Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). In this study, we investigate the CO2 retrieval strategy using the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change–Infrared Working Group (NDACC–IRWG) type spectra between August 2018 and April 2022 (~4 years) at Xianghe, China, aiming to find the optimal observed spectra, retrieval window, and spectroscopy. Two spectral regions, near 2600 and 4800 cm−1, are analyzed. The differences in column-averaged dry-air mole fraction of CO2 (XCO2) derived from spectroscopies (ATM18, ATM20, HITRAN2016, and HITRAN2020) can be up to 1.65 ± 0.95 ppm and 7.96 ± 2.02 ppm for NDACC-type 2600 cm−1 and 4800 cm−1 retrievals, respectively, which is mainly due to the CO2 differences in air-broadened Lorentzian HWHM coefficient (γair) and line intensity (S). HITRAN2020 provides the best fitting, and the retrieved CO2 columns and profiles from both 2600 and 4800 cm−1 are compared to the co-located Total Column Carbon Observing Network (TCCON) measurements and the greenhouse gas reanalysis dataset from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS). The amplitude of XCO2 seasonal variation derived from the NDACC-type (4800 cm−1) is closer to the TCCON measurements than that from the NDACC-type (2600 cm−1). Moreover, the NDACC-type (2600 cm−1) retrievals are strongly affected by the a priori profile. For tropospheric XCO2, the correlation coefficient between NDACC-type (4800 cm−1) and CAMS model is 0.73, which is higher than that between NDACC-type (2600 cm−1) and CAMS model (R = 0.56). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gait recognition of exoskeletons includes motion recognition and gait phase recognition under various road conditions. The recognition of gait phase is a prerequisite for predicting exoskeleton assistance time. The estimation of real-time assistance time is crucial for the safety and accurate control of lower-limb exoskeletons. To solve the problem of predicting exoskeleton assistance time, this paper proposes a gait recognition model based on inertial measurement units that combines the real-time motion state recognition of support vector machines and phase recognition of long short-term memory networks. A recognition validation experiment was conducted on 30 subjects to determine the reliability of the gait recognition model. The results showed that the accuracy of motion state and gait phase were 99.98% and 98.26%, respectively. Based on the proposed SVM-LSTM gait model, exoskeleton assistance time was predicted. A test was conducted on 10 subjects, and the results showed that using assistive therapy based on exercise status and gait stage can significantly improve gait movement and reduce metabolic costs by an average of more than 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low-quality sleep and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can result in series of chronic diseases. Healthy diet has been considered as an effective and simple strategy to optimize sleep quality. However, current evidence on the correlation of dietary composite antioxidant intake with sleep health remained obscure. Aim of the study: To determine the relationship of composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) and sleep health. Methods: Cross-sectional analyses were based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005–2008. Dietary consumption was assessed by trained staff using 24-h diet recall method and CDAI was calculated based on previous validated approach that included six antioxidants. Sleep-related outcomes were self-reported by a set of questionnaires and classified into OSA, day sleepiness, and insufficient sleep. Weighted logistic regression was conducted to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Restricted cubic spline (RCS) regressions were also used to evaluate the dose-response of CDAI and three sleep-related outcomes. Results: A total of 7274 subjects included (mean age: 46.97 years) were enrolled in our study, including 3658 were females (52.54%) and 3616 were males (47.46%). Of them, 70.6%, 29.51%, and 35.57% of the subjects reported that they had OSA, day sleepiness and insufficient sleep, respectively. Logistic regression showed the highest quartile of CDAI was inversely associated with the risk of OSA (OR: 0.69, 95%CI: 0.49–0.97), day sleepiness (OR: 0.64, 95%CI: 0.44–0.94) and insufficient sleep (OR: 0.68, 95%CI: 0.50–0.92) compared with the lowest quartile. RCS showed linear relationship of CDAI and insufficient sleep but non-linear relationship of CDAI with OSA and day sleepiness. Conclusions: Our results show that CDAI was non-linearly associated with lower risk of OSA and day sleepiness whereas a linear inverse association between CDAI and insufficient sleep was observed. These findings implicate that combined intake of antioxidants could be a promising and effective approach to optimize sleep quality for public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of hydrogen through photocatalytic water splitting offers a secure and eco-friendly approach. In this study, the application of GaTe/SnS 2 heterojunction in the field of photocatalysis was studied in depth by using the first-principles calculation method. Based on single-layer GaTe and SnS 2 , a novel two-dimensional GaTe/SnS 2 van der Waals heterojunction (vdwH) was constructed. Through analytical calculations, it is obvious that the GaTe/SnS 2 heterojunction has an indirect bandgap of 0.85eV. Furthermore, its type-II band alignment facilitates efficient separation of photogenerated electrons and holes across different layers. The application of Bader charge analysis revealed an intriguing observation: the GaTe layer transferred a charge of 0.058e to the SnS 2 layer. This charge transfer led to the creation of a robust built-in electric field, which played a pivotal role in efficiently inhibiting the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. Under the condition of pH = 0, GaTe/SnS 2 heterojunction can promote redox reaction and realize water splitting. In addition, when the biaxial strain of -3%–3 % is applied to the GaTe/SnS 2 heterojunction, the band edge position and light absorption properties are effectively changed, and more photons participate in the water splitting process. More importantly, the solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency of GaTe/SnS 2 heterojunction reaches 56.6 %, and when ε = 3 %, ηSTH increases to 58.21 %. Hence, our research showcases the GaTe/SnS 2 heterojunction's potential as a highly efficient Z-scheme photocatalyst for water splitting, offering promising prospects for hydrogen production. [Display omitted] • The direct Z-scheme GaTe/SnS 2 heterojunction can effectively promote the separation of electrons and holes. • The GaTe/SnS 2 heterojunction has a built-in electric field from the GaTe to the SnS2 layer. • The absorption coefficient of GaTe/SnS 2 heterojunction is as high as 3.53 × 105cm-1. • The GaTe/SnS 2 van der Waals heterojunction is a highly efficient photocatalyst that can be used for photolysis of water. • The solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of GaTe/SnS 2 van der Waals heterojunction can reach 56.6 %, and can reach 58.21 % when ε = 3 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have systematically studied the crystal structure, cryogenic magnetic properties and MCE in RE 2 MgTiO 6 (RE = Tb, Dy, Ho and Er) DP oxides. The four RE 2 MgTiO 6 samples are all found to crystallize in a monoclinic DP structure (P 2 1 /n space group). The Néel temperature (T N) are found to be 4.7, 4.5, 3.1 and 2.1 K for RE 2 MgTiO 6 (RE = Tb, Dy, Ho and Er) DP oxides, respectively. Moreover, the maximum magnetic entropy change (-Δ S M max) together with relative cooling power (RCP) near T N under a magnetic field change (ΔH) of 0–7 T are evaluted to be 16.85, 360.59 for Tb 2 MgTiO 6 , 17.72, 381.05 for Dy 2 MgTiO 6 , 15.92, 398.14 for Ho 2 MgTiO 6 and 22.95 J/kg K, 459.09 J/kg for Er 2 MgTiO 6 , respectively. The excellent cryogenic MCE suggest that RE 2 MgTiO 6 (RE = Tb, Dy, Ho and Er) DP oxides can be used as a promising candidate material for cryogenic magnetic refrigeration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Left atrial (LA) myopathy, characterized by LA enlargement and mechanical dysfunction, is associated with worse prognosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) while the impact of sarcomere mutation on LA myopathy remains unclear. We aimed to assess the association between LA myopathy and sarcomere mutation and to explore the incremental utility of LA strain in mutation prediction. Methods: A total of 105 consecutive HCM patients (mean age 47.8 ± 11.9 years, 71% male) who underwent HCM-related gene screening and cardiac MRI were retrospectively enrolled. LA volume, ejection fraction and strain indices in reservoir, conduit, and booster-pump phases were investigated respectively. Results: Fifty mutation-positive patients showed higher LA maximal volume index (59.4 ± 28.2 vs 43.8 ± 18.1 mL/m2, p = 0.001), lower reservoir (21.3 ± 7.9 vs 26.2 ± 6.6%, p < 0.001), and booster-pump strain (12.1 ± 5.4 vs 17.1 ± 5.0%, p < 0.001) but similar conduit strain (9.2 ± 4.5 vs 9.1 ± 4.5%, p = 0.909) compared with mutation-negative patients. In multivariate logistic regression, LA booster-pump strain was associated with sarcomere mutation (odds ratio = 0.86, 95% confidence interval: 0.77–0.96, p = 0.010) independent of maximal wall thickness, late gadolinium enhancement, and LA volume. Furthermore, LA booster-pump strain showed incremental value for mutation prediction added to Mayo II score (AUC 0.798 vs 0.709, p = 0.024). Conclusions: In HCM, mutation-positive patients suffered worse LA enlargement and worse reservoir and booster-pump functions. LA booster-pump strain was a strong factor for sarcomere mutation prediction added to Mayo II score. Clinical relevance statement: The independent association between sarcomere mutation and left atrial mechanical dysfunction provide new insights into the pathogenesis of atrial myopathy and is helpful to understand the adverse prognosis regarding atrial fibrillation and stroke in mutation-positive patients. Key Points: • In patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, left atrial (LA) reservoir and booster-pump function, but not conduit function, were significantly impaired in mutation-positive patients compared with mutation-negative patients. • LA booster-pump strain measured by MRI-derived feature tracking is feasible to predict sarcomere mutation with high incremental value added to Mayo II score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune checkpoint blockades have been prized in circumventing and ablating the impediments posed by immunosuppressive receptors, reaching an exciting juncture to be an innovator in anticancer therapy beyond traditional therapeutics. Thus far, approved immune checkpoint blockades have principally targeted PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 with exciting success in a plethora of tumors and yet are still trapped in dilemmas of limited response rates and adverse effects. Hence, unveiling new immunotherapeutic targets has aroused immense scientific interest in the hope of expanding the clinical application of immune checkpoint blockades to scale new heights. Human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G), a non-classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule, is enriched on various malignant cells and is involved in the hindrance of immune effector cells and the facilitation of immunosuppressive cells. HLA-G stands out as a crucial next-generation immune checkpoint showing great promise for the benefit of cancer patients. Here, we provide an overview of the current understanding of the expression pattern and immunological functions of HLA-G, as well as its interaction with well-characterized immune checkpoints. Since HLA-G can be shed from the cell surface or released by various cells as free soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) or as part of extracellular vesicles (EVs), namely HLA-G-bearing EVs (HLA-GEV), we discuss the potential of sHLA-G and HLA-GEV as predictive biomarkers. This review also addresses the advancement of HLA-G-based therapies in preclinical and clinical settings, with a focus on their clinical application in cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beauty of one‐pot cascade reaction lies in the efficient disconnection and construction of several bonds in a single reaction flask, without the isolation of any intermediates. Herein, we report the first photoinduced thermally promoted cascade reactions of readily available aromatic ketones and aromatic gem‐difluoroalkenes for the synthesis of phenanthrenes which possess potential utility in drug design and materials science. The reaction combines carbonyl‐olefin metathesis (cascade photoinduced [2+2] cyclization and thermally controlled retro [2+2] cyclization) and dehydrogenative cyclization (cascade photoinduced conrotatory 6π electrocyclization and collidine‐promoted dehydrogenative aromatization) together in one pot. The oxidant‐free, acid‐free and metal‐free reaction shows broad substrate scope and wide functional group tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beauty of one‐pot cascade reaction lies in the efficient disconnection and construction of several bonds in a single reaction flask, without the isolation of any intermediates. Herein, we report the first photoinduced thermally promoted cascade reactions of readily available aromatic ketones and aromatic gem‐difluoroalkenes for the synthesis of phenanthrenes which possess potential utility in drug design and materials science. The reaction combines carbonyl‐olefin metathesis (cascade photoinduced [2+2] cyclization and thermally controlled retro [2+2] cyclization) and dehydrogenative cyclization (cascade photoinduced conrotatory 6π electrocyclization and collidine‐promoted dehydrogenative aromatization) together in one pot. The oxidant‐free, acid‐free and metal‐free reaction shows broad substrate scope and wide functional group tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammals have potent innate immune systems that work together to fight against a variety of distinct viruses. In addition to interferon (IFN) response, which has been intensively studied, antiviral RNA interference (RNAi) is gradually being studied. However, previous studies indicated low Dicer activity on double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) substrates in vitro and that IFN response masks or inhibits antiviral RNAi in mammals. Therefore, whether or not the RNAi is functional for antiviral response in mammalian somatic cells is still an ongoing area of research. In this review, we will present the current advances in antiviral RNAi in mammals and focus on three fundamental questions critical to the intense debate about whether RNAi can function as an innate antiviral immunity in mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the global resource shortage has become a serious issue. Recycling end-of-life (EOL) products is conducive to resource reuse and circular economy and can mitigate the resource shortage issue. The disassembly of EOL products is the first step for resource reuse. Disassembly activities need tools, and tool deterioration occurs inevitably during the disassembly process. This work studies the influence of tool deterioration on disassembly efficiency. A disassembly line balancing model with the goal of maximizing disassembly profits is established, in which tool selection and assignment is a critical part. A modified discrete migratory bird optimizer is proposed to solve optimization problems. The well-known IBM CPLEX optimizer is used to verify the correctness of the model. Six real-world products are used for disassembly experiments. The popular fruit fly optimization algorithm, whale optimization algorithm and salp swarm algorithm are used for search performance comparison. The results show that the discrete migratory bird optimizer outperforms all three other algorithms in all disassembly instances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With limited phosphorus (P) supplies, increasing P demand, and issues with P runoff and pollution, developing an ability to reuse the large amounts of residual P stored in agricultural soils is increasingly important. In this study, we investigated the potential for residual soil P to maintain crop yields while reducing P applications and losses in Canada. Using a P cycling model coupled with a soil P dynamics model, we analyzed soil P dynamics over 110 years across Canada's provinces. We found that using soil residual P may reduce mineral P demand as large as 132 Gg P year−1 (29%) in Canada, with the highest potential for reducing P applications in the Atlantic provinces, Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia. Using residual soil P would result in a 21% increase in Canada's cropland P use efficiency. We expected that the Atlantic provinces and Quebec would have the greatest runoff P loss reduction with use of residual soil P, with the average P loss rate decreasing from 4.24 and 1.69 kg ha−1 to 3.45 and 1.38 kg ha−1, respectively. Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia would experience relatively lower reductions in P loss through use of residual soil P, with the average runoff P loss rate decreasing from 0.44, 0.36, and 4.33 kg ha−1 to 0.19, 0.26, and 4.14 kg ha−1, respectively. Our study highlights the importance of considering residual soil P as a valuable resource and its potential for reducing P pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative content of chlorophyll, assessed through the soil and plant analyzer development (SPAD), serves as a reliable indicator reflecting crop photosynthesis and the nutritional status during crop growth and development. In this study, we employed machine learning methods utilizing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) multi-spectrum remote sensing to predict the SPAD value of litchi fruit. Input features consisted of various vegetation indices and texture features during distinct growth periods, and to streamline the feature set, the full subset regression algorithm was applied for dimensionality reduction. Our findings revealed the superiority of stacking models over individual models. During the litchi fruit development period, the stacking model, incorporating vegetation indices and texture features, demonstrated a validation set coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.94, a root mean square error (RMSE) of 2.4, and a relative percent deviation (RPD) of 3.0. Similarly, in the combined litchi growing period and autumn shoot period, the optimal model for estimating litchi SPAD was the stacking model based on vegetation indices and texture features, yielding a validation set R2, RMSE, and RPD of 0.84, 3.9, and 1.9, respectively. This study furnishes data support for the precise estimation of litchi SPAD across different periods through varied combinations of independent variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photothermal therapy (PTT) systems typically do not possess intrinsic tumor‐targeting capability, resulting in indiscriminate thermal damage to both cancer and normal cells. Herein, a low‐density lipoprotein (LDL)‐based nanosystem (denoted as MTTQ@LDL) is reported for targeted photothermal killing of cancer cells. Such a nanosystem is fabricated by reconstituting the lipophilic core of LDL with an organic photothermal agent MTTQ. The reconstitution process improves the supramolecular photothermal effects of MTTQ assemblies, which contributes to the significantly enhanced photothermal conversion efficiency (41.3% vs. 16.2%). MTTQ@LDL can actively target LDL receptor‐overexpressed cancer cells via receptor‐mediated endocytosis, enabling the selective killing of cancer cells over normal cells (98% vs. 7%) post‐NIR irradiation. Reconstituted LDL can serve as a promising platform for targeted delivery of functional materials, holding great promise in tumor eradication in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semiflexible pavement (SFP) is attracting increasing interest due to its exceptional load-carrying capacity. However, there is limited understanding of its cracking performance and mechanisms. This study investigated the suitability of the emerging cracking resistance parameters, the flexible index (FI) and cracking resistance index (CRI), derived from the semicircular bending (SCB) test, in elucidating the mid-temperature resistance of SFP mixtures against cracking. The influence of styrene-butadiene-styrene-modified asphalts and styrene-acrylic emulsion/styrene-butadiene rubber-modified cement mortars on the anticrack property of SFP mixtures was also determined. Results indicated a high correlation (R2=0.95) between the FI and CRI of various SFP mixtures, with CRI exhibiting more promise than FI in assessing the fracture resistance of SFP mixtures due to its higher discrimination potential and lower variability. Enhancing the bending strength of cement mortar or increasing the CRI/Nf value of asphalt binder were identified as effective means to improve the anticracking ability of SFP. Therefore, improving the binder toughness of both cement mortar and asphalt is essential for enhancing the performance of SFP against cracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the most common chronic complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and it is particularly important to identify a high-quality method for evaluating disease progression. Urinary exosomes contain microRNA that might promise early diagnostic and monitoring markers of DKD. The present study aimed to identify novel exosome-related markers associated with inflammation and fibrosis to assess the progression of DKD. Exosomes were extracted from the urine of 83 participants to determine the expression levels of miRNA-615-3p and miRNA-3147 in 20 healthy people, 21 patients with T2DM and 42 patients with DKD, as determined by RT-qPCR. The circulating expression level of TGF-β1 was detected by ELISA. Serum Cystatin C was measured by a latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetric method. The correlation analyses were performed for all clinical and laboratory parameters. The expression level of urinary exosomal miRNA-615-3p in DKD patients was significantly higher than that in the control group and the T2DM group by RT-qPCR. The expression of miRNA-3147 showed an upward trend in the three groups of subjects, but it was not statistically significant. The urinary exosomal miRNA-615-3p was positively correlated with serum Cystatin C, plasma TGF-β1, creatinine, BUN, PCR and 24-h urine protein, and negatively correlated with eGFR and albumin. The diagnostic efficacy of urinary exosomal miRNA-615-3p combined with the ACR was higher than that of ACR alone. Urinary exosomal miRNA-615-3p may be used as a novel biomarker for evaluating the progression of DKD, and may be involved in the process of inflammation and fibrosis in DKD. The combined diagnosis of urinary exosomal miRNA-615-3p and ACR may be used as more stable and sensitive diagnostic criteria for DKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underactive bladder (UAB) is a prevalent but under-researched lower urinary tract symptom that typically occurs alongside detrusor underactivity (DU). Unlike UAB, DU is a urodynamic diagnosis which the International Continence Society (ICS) defines as "a contraction of reduced strength and/or duration, resulting in prolonged bladder emptying and/or a failure to achieve complete bladder emptying within a normal time span". Despite the widespread prevalence of UAB/DU, there are significant gaps in our understanding of its pathophysiological mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment compared with overactive bladder (OAB) and detrusor overactivity (DO). These gaps are such that clinicians regard UAB/DU as an incurable condition. In recent years, the understanding of UAB has increased. The definition of UAB has been clarified, and the diagnostic criteria for DU have been considered more comprehensively. Meanwhile, a number of non-invasive diagnostic methods have also been reported. Clinical trials involving novel drugs, electrical stimulation, and stem cell therapy have shown promising results. Therefore, this review summarizes recent reports on UAB and DU and highlights the latest advances in their diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network-on-chip (NoC) exists with the advantages of high communication efficiency, scalability and reliability. In recent years, NoC-based deep neural network (DNN) accelerators have been proposed. Although existing NoC research solutions can solve the problem of the existence of one-to-one traffic in the network and transmit unicast traffic efficiently. However, due to the traffic characteristics of neural networks, there exists a large amount of one-to-many traffic, and if unicast is used to transmit multicast traffic, it may rapidly exhaust the network bandwidth and greatly degrade the performance of the platform. To solve the problem of a large amount of one-to-many multicast traffic existing in the network, we propose a path-based multicast mechanism that greatly exploits the traffic characteristics of neural networks and has excellent scalability. Also a router architecture that can efficiently replicate multicast packets and provide single-cycle per-hop transmission for multicast packets was designed. Detailed simulation results indicate that our proposed scheme can effectively reduce the classification delay, the average packet delay and the number of packets transmitted by the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathogenesis of detrusor underactivity (DU) is unclear, and the available therapeutic effects are unsatisfactory. We propose to find key molecules and pathways related to DU based on transcriptome sequencing. A rat model of bilateral pelvic nerve injury (BPNI) was established. Bladder tissues from the sham-operated group, 3 and 28 days after BPNI mapping, were taken for urodynamics, histopathology, and RNA-seq. An enrichment analysis of the screened differential expression genes was performed. Three days after BPNI, the results showed urodynamic features of overflow incontinence, while there was a recovery at 28 days after the operation. Masson staining revealed collagen deposition accompanied by progressive thickening of the smooth muscle layer as DU progressed. RNA-seq results suggested that a total of 1808 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) differed among the groups. RNA-seq and subsequent analysis confirmed that the cell cycle and immune response were significantly activated 3 days after BPNI, while extracellular matrix remodeling occurred 28 days after BPNI. Partial DEGs and pathways were verified by qRT-PCR. Validation of key proteins involved in cell cycle, inflammation, and fibrosis was performed by immunohistochemical staining and western blot, respectively. These molecular expression patterns at different time points after BPNI injury provide valuable insights into the search for therapeutic targets for DU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) open up new opportunities for transportation monitoring. However, the vehicle targets in UAV images are situated in dynamic scenarios, such as uncertain background, dramatically varying arrangement density, multi-scale, and arbitrary-oriented. Most strategies for UAV-based monitoring require complex manoeuvring and still lack accurate abilities and lightweight structures. Consequently, designing effective detection methods with both speed and accuracy is challenging. This paper proposes a lightweight YOLO-based arbitrary-oriented vehicle detector via precise positional information encoding and bidirectional feature fusion to address the above issues. First, an additional angular classification prediction branch is added to the YOLO head network to significantly improve the detection performance for arbitrary-oriented vehicles without incurring the extra computational complexity and burden. Second, a C3 module embedded coordinate attention (C3CA) is presented to capture long-range dependencies and preserve vehicles' precise positional information in feature maps. Then, a fully connected bidirectional feature fusion module (FC-BiFPN) is applied at the neck of the YOLO detection framework, which is helpful for multi-scale vehicle detection. This module can efficiently aggregate features at different resolutions and automatically enhance information interaction. Finally, experiments and comparisons on vehicle and remote sensing datasets demonstrate that our approach outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in balancing precision and efficiency. In addition, the overall network design follows the lightweight concept, which better meets the real-time requirements of the UAV urban traffic monitoring platform in realistic scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the geometric structures and electron-optical properties of AlAs/GaS heterojunctions and Se-doped AlAs/GaS heterojunctions are calculated based on first-principles of density functional theory (DFT). At the same time, the influence of the AlAs layer's 5° rotation stacking method on the AlAs/GaS heterojunction is discussed. The results show that the AlAs/GaS heterojunction is a type-II van der Waals heterojunction (vdWH) with a direct bandgap of 0.974 eV, and the Z-scheme electron transfer mechanism is more conducive to the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. Both semiconductor-to-metal transitions can be achieved by applying an external electric field and strain. Under the action of an external electric field and uniaxial strain, AlAs/GaS maintains the type-II energy band alignment throughout the process. When biaxial strain is applied, the heterojunction is accompanied by a direct–indirect bandgap transition. It is worth mentioning that the optical absorption of the AlAs/GaS heterojunction is significantly higher than that of the two monolayers, and the absorption range is wider. The above characteristics indicate that the AlAs/GaS heterojunction has wider applications in fields such as photodetectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparing composites from gricultural waste with biodegradable polymers is one of the strategies used to ensure the long-term sustainability of such materials. However, due to the differences in their chemical properties, biomass fillers often exhibit poor interfacial adhesion with polymer matrices. Inspired by mussel foot silk, this work focused on the surface modification of coffee grounds (CGs) using a combination of tannic acid (TA) and alkali treatment. CGs were used as a biomass filler to prepare polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT)/CG composites. The modification of CGs was demonstrated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), the water contact angle, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of CGs on the rheological, tensile, and thermal properties of the PBAT/CG composites was investigated. The results showed that the addition of CGs increased the complex viscosity, and the surface modification enhanced the matrix–filler adhesion. Compared with unmodified CG composites, the tensile strength and the elongation at break of the composite with TA-modified alkali-treated CGs increased by 47.0% and 53.6%, respectively. Although the addition of CGs slightly decreased the thermal stability of PBAT composites, this did not affect the melting processing of PBAT, which often occurs under 200 °C. This approach could provide a novel method for effectively using biomass waste, such as coffee grounds, as fillers for the preparation of polymer composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese-based catalysts supported by TiO 2 (MnO 2 /TiO 2) show good deNO x performance at low temperature. However, the microscopic impact mechanism of poisonous substances such as K and SO 2 on the deNO x of the MnO 2 /TiO 2 catalyst is a grey area. In this work, the poisoning mechanism of K and SO 2 coexistence on the deNO x of the MnO 2 /TiO 2 catalyst was explored by using a density functional theory combined with experimental methods. SO 2 has low adsorption performance on the MnO 2 /TiO 2 (001) surface, while it can be oxidized to form SO 3 , and it will react with the catalyst to form sulfates. K poisoning makes NH 3 and NO molecules more difficult to be adsorbed on the MnO 2 /TiO 2 (001) surface. However, when SO 2 is introduced on the catalyst surface with K poisoning, it can interact with K and change the charge transfer from K to the catalyst surface, alleviating the K poisoning of the catalyst. These results contribute to the understanding of the mechanism of K and SO 2 co-poisoning on the deNO x of Mn-based catalysts at a microscopic level, and provide guidance for designing Mn-based catalysts with high anti-poisoning ability. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low-dimensional structure and excellent optical properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials have made them a hot theme for research in materials science. In this study, the geometrical properties, electrical properties, and optical characteristics of a new SnSe2/GaP heterostructure are explored using first principles. We also calculated the effect of different rotational angle stacking and doping on the optoelectronic properties of the SnSe2/GaP heterostructure. The results show that the SnSe2/GaP heterostructure is a type-II heterostructure with an indirect bandgap of 0.439 eV, and the photogenerated electron–hole pairs can be effectively separated at the heterogeneous interface. The heterostructure bandgap can be adjusted to zero by modulating the interlayer distance or by applying electric fields and strains, enabling semiconductor–metal leapfrogging. It is noteworthy that when imposing an electric field of 0.4 V Å−1, the SnSe2/GaP heterostructure varies from type-II heterostructure into type-I. In particular, unlike the two monolayers, the formation of the SnSe2/GaP heterostructure results in a significant increase in absorbance, especially in the UV absorption region, and has a wider light absorption range. This shows that SnSe2/GaP heterostructure has great potential for future multifunctional optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The aqueous-phase reactions of typical long-chain alcohols start from initial protonation. • Dehydration to carbenium ions (CBs) is the rate-limiting step. • OSA/OSI and dimers are formed via esterification and oligomerization from CBs, respectively. • Relative short-chain alcohols are more prone to contribute OSAs/OSIs than long-chain alcohols. • Typical long-chain alcohols contribute SOA formation via esterification rather than oligomerization. Organosulfate (OSA) nanoparticles, as secondary organic aerosol (SOA) compositions, are ubiquitous in urban and rural environments. Hence, we systemically investigated the mechanisms and kinetics of aqueous-phase reactions of 1-butanol/1-decanol (BOL/DOL) and their roles in the formation of OSA nanoparticles by using quantum chemical and kinetic calculations. The mechanism results show that the aqueous-phase reactions of BOL/DOL start from initial protonation at alcoholic OH-groups to form carbenium ions (CBs), which engage in the subsequent esterification or oligomerization reactions to form OSAs/organosulfites (OSIs) or dimers. The kinetic results reveal that dehydration to form CBs for BOL and DOL reaction systems is the rate-limiting step. Subsequently, about 18% of CBs occur via oligomerization to dimers, which are difficult to further oligomerize because all reactive sites are occupied. The rate constant of BOL reaction system is one order of magnitude larger than that of DOL reaction system, implying that relative short-chain alcohols are more prone to contribute OSAs/OSIs than long-chain alcohols. Our results reveal that typical long-chain alcohols contribute SOA formation via esterification rather than oligomerization because OSA/OSI produced by esterification engages in nanoparticle growth through enhancing hygroscopicity. Graphical Abstract [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to enhance the performance of the epoxy resin-prepared materials, straw fiber was used as the reinforcing base in this study. The principle of this study is to use the cellulose component exposed after the defibrillation of straw fiber can be further combined with the epoxy group. Firstly, the degree of defibrillation of straw fiber under three different pretreatment methods of acid, alkali and moist heat treatment was explored, and a control test was conducted with untreated straw fiber, which showed that the defibrillation of the straw fiber after alkali treatment was better than the other two methods. Secondly, to prove the comprehensive effect of the pretreatment method and straw fiber filling amount on the composite material performance, this paper carried out a tensile, bending, density and water absorption test. The results showed that when the straw fiber filling was 15%, the best performance of the composites was achieved by the alkali treatment, with tensile strength and tensile modulus reaching 1.89 KN and 3.92 MPa, bending strength and bending modulus reaching 2.00 KN and 81.65 MPa, average water absorption reaching 2.77%, and density reaching 0.957 g/cm3. Finally, the results were verified using Image J software was used for verification. After comparison, the material meets the basic requirements of high-density fiberboard material and provides a reference for preparing straw epoxy resin composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil nutrient content is an important index to determine the amount of fertilizer. Traditional soil nutrient content is obtained by manual sampling, which greatly increases the cost of agricultural production input. In order to solve this problem, this paper studies the relationship between soil nutrients, fertilizer amount, yield and the next year's soil nutrients, and establishes an optimized BP neural network model to realize the prediction of soil nutrient content. Aiming at the problem that the traditional BP neural network model will affect the prediction accuracy due to the different weights and thresholds, the Grey Wolf algorithm with reverse learning mechanism is introduced to obtain the optimal solution of BP neural network weights and thresholds. The soil nutrient content data collected in chenjiadian village, Nongan County, Jilin Province for five consecutive years were used to test the model. The data of the first four years were used as the training set and the data of the fifth year as the test set. The prediction results of BP neural network model, Grey Wolf algorithm optimized BP neural network model and Grey Wolf algorithm optimized BP neural network model with reverse learning mechanism were compared The prediction accuracy of BP neural network model optimized by Grey Wolf algorithm with reverse learning mechanism reached 88.7%, which was better than the first two models. It can provide basis for the fertilization decision of variable rate fertilization in the next year, so as to reduce the input of labor cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of nanotechnology, DNA molecules have been transformed from solely genetic information carriers to multifunctional materials, showing a tremendous potential for drug delivery and disease diagnosis. In drug delivery systems, DNA is used as a building material to construct drug carriers through a variety of DNA self-assembly methods, which can integrate multiple functions to complete in vivo and in situ tasks. In this study, ladder-shaped drug carriers are developed for drug delivery on the basis of a DNA nanoladder. We first demonstrate the overall structure of the nanoladder, in which a nick is added into each rung of the nanoladder to endow the nanoladder with the ability to incorporate a drug loading site. The structure is designed to counteract the decrement of stability caused by the nick and investigated in different conditions to gain insight into the properties of the nicked DNA nanoladders. As a proof of concept, we fix the biotin in every other nick as a loading site and assemble the protein (streptavidin) on the loading site to demonstrate the feasibility of the drug-carrying function. The protein can be fixed stably and can be extended to different biological and chemical drugs by altering the drug loading site. We believe this design approach will be a novel addition to the toolbox of DNA nanotechnology, and it will be useful for versatile applications such as in bioimaging, biosensing, and targeted therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the energy crisis intensifies, the global demand for natural gas is growing rapidly. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) technology is among the delivery solutions with flexible and reliable application prospects and is already a significant field of research in energy utilization. The performance of natural gas liquefaction process has a major influence on the production capacity, energy consumption, economics, and safety of the entire supply chain. Many scholars have conducted numerous studies on various LNG processes and designed many classical processes. This paper summarizes and discusses current research status and development level in the design and optimization of natural gas liquefaction processes in recent years, mainly focusing on cascade liquefaction process, expansion liquefaction process, and mixed refrigerant liquefaction process. The advantages and disadvantages of various liquefaction processes are compared and analyzed in terms of liquefaction capacity, energy consumption, economy, safety, and adaptability. In addition, the rapid development of pressurized liquefaction technology in recent years and its application outlooks are also introduced in detail. Finally, the present situation and industrial demand of LNG process are analyzed, and reasonable suggestions and future research prospects are put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The stepwise discriminant analysis and the jackknife method optimize Bayes discriminant analysis. • The influence of different sample covariance matrices and different prior probabilities on the OBDA model is considered. • The feasibility of the OBDA model is verified by the comparison model, previous studies, and weight calculation. The damage caused to nearby structures by blast-induced ground vibrations (BIGV) in open-pit mines is essentially dynamic. Predicting this damage can be used to set the allowable range for BIGV. To improve the accuracy of the predictions of structural damage due to BIGV in open-pit mines, an optimized Bayes discriminant analysis (OBDA) model is proposed. In this paper, a stepwise discriminant analysis (SDA) was used to screen the variables, and the Bayes discriminant analysis was optimized with the jackknife method. The influence of different sample covariance matrices and prior probabilities on the OBDA model was considered based on good engineering practice. Moreover, nine comparative models were established for a comparative analysis. The OBDA model is discussed in depth. The rationality of the degree of damage of a structure was demonstrated statistically. The coefficient of variation method and improved CRITIC method were used to calculate the weights of the primary variables. The rationality of SDA was verified. The hypothesis that the covariance matrices were not equal was verified statistically, and the influence of the significance level on the SDA was also discussed. The OBDA model was applied to evaluate the damage to structures caused by BIGV in Tonglushan open-pit mine. The results show that: (1) The model has an excellent discriminatory effect, and its correct-judgment rate was 89.167%. (2) The OBDA model has better prediction performance compared with nine comparative models and with the previously used random forest and gradient-boosted machine models. The OBDA model may be a new option for predicting the damage caused to structures by BIGV in open-pit mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internal flow of hydrodynamic retarder is a three-dimensional, complex, viscous, and unstable gas–liquid two-phase flow. The importance of numerical simulation of a hydrodynamic retarder has been paid attention to, but the research on the two-phase flow pattern of the retarder is rarely. Flow pattern diagnosis plays an important role in the study of two-phase flow because the premise of establishing the mathematical model of the two-phase flow is to accurately determine the flow structure of the flow system. Based on the numerical simulation and experimental research, this study found the corresponding relationship between the two-phase flow distribution inside the hydrodynamic retarder and the filling rate (expressed as "q"). The result shows that, when q = 0.1–0.2, the liquid in the working chamber is less. Under the action of centrifugal force, the liquid mainly gets distributed in the outer ring of the circulating circle, forming a laminar flow. When q = 0.3–0.4, the flow pattern of the gas–liquid two-phase flow changes from the laminar flow to slug flow. When q = 0.5–0.9, with a further increase in the filling ratio, the flow becomes a dispersed bubble flow. This paper provides an effective method for the analysis and identification of the two-phase flow pattern of a hydrodynamic retarder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solubility of ScF 3 (solid) and the speciation of scandium in fluoride-bearing aqueous solutions with HF concentrations from 0.53 mmol/kg to 645.12 mmol/kg were investigated at temperatures from 100 to 250 °C and vapor-saturated water pressure. The results of the experiments show that ScF 2 + and ScF 3 o are the dominant species in fluoride-bearing solutions at the conditions investigated. The logarithms of the formation constants (log β) for these species have been determined for 100, 150, 200, and 250 °C and show that scandium fluoride complexes are more stable than scandium hydroxide complexes and Sc3+ at these temperatures in acidic aqueous fluids. Whether this is also the case for near-neutral and alkaline conditions remains to be investigated. Modeling of the transport and deposition of scandium using our experimental data provide evidence that fluoride-bearing aqueous fluids can dissolve up to 2.9 ppm scandium at 250 °C, 500 bar, and a pH of 3, which is more than sufficient to form a hydrothermal ore deposit, given that concentrations of several hundred ppm in a deposit are considered economic. This study reports the essential thermodynamic data needed to understand the factors that control the mobilization of scandium in fluoride-bearing hydrothermal systems and determine whether scandium can be concentrated to exploitable levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human posture estimation plays a significant role in the growth of intelligent nursing robot, a field that demands high accuracy and respect for privacy. Nevertheless, traditional approaches to enhancing data-driven studies in this domain often face challenges, primarily due to privacy concerns in sensitive healthcare environments. Federated Learning rises as the solution to the problem, as it not only improves the model learning ability but also protects the data privacy. In this paper, we proposed a Federated Learning Human Posture Recognition (FL-HPR) framework according to image and point cloud fusion. FL-HPR significantly enhances the information flow in the global model while ensuring the data privacy in local models, the benefits highlight the framework's potential in sensitive applications. Furthermore, the key innovation of FL-HPR is the optimization of the local dynamic graph edge convolution network of robot, which improves the recognition accuracy of individual body limb and enhance overall robustness. Experiments on Non-IID datasets illustrate that the presented FL-HPR remarkably outperforms non-federated learning methods, suggesting its potential to improve the accuracy of human joint estimation. The breakthrough indicates that the proposed FL-HPR can be integrated into the intelligent nursing robot in practical applications. For further explorations, the open-source code and videos are available at https://github.com/Hebut-LEVO/FL-HPR. • Proposing a multi-sensor fusion framework for nursing robots to recognize human body poses. • Introducing federated learning to posture recognition validates FL-HPR's Non-IID feasibility. • Adopting non-enveloping point cloud data, a model segments human body limbs in nursing scenarios. • Proposed method estimates human joints in border regions of adjacent body segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing demand for efficient data transfer, developing optical memory has gained significant importance due to its ability to alleviate the conversion time between optical and electric signals. However, current optical memory technologies are susceptible to environmental perturbations and fabrication imperfections. To overcome these limitations, we propose a novel composite structure that combines the topological corner-state cavity with the edge-state waveguide configuration, enabling robust bistable optical memory. Through the introduction of nonlinear optical material, our simulations demonstrate a resilient bistable effect, highlighting the potential for optical random access memory applications. In addition, the topological protection properties are confirmed by the robustness and defect independence of our composite structure. • We introduce nonlinearity to a topological photonic structure, enabling the realization of an optical bistable effect. • We observe hysteresis behavior in the transmittance spectrum. • The optical bistable effect is topologically protected and shows independence from defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • NPs prepared with Lipo and polysaccharide improved the stability of ACNs in simulated processing and storage environments. • Bilayer hybrid nanoparticles improved the digestive resistance and antioxidant capacity of ACNs. • ACNs-Lipo@GA has a greater encapsulation efficiency and stability advantage. • ACNs-Lipo@GA can better enter the cells, thus showing more vigorous lipid-lowering activity. Anthocyanins (ACNs) systems encapsulated in nanomaterials have received widespread attention and rapid development due to its good delivery potential. Here, the favorable benefits of four natural polysaccharide food additives coated ACNs-liposome nanoparticles (ACNs-Lipo NPs) on the stability and possible lipid-lowering effects of ACNs are discussed in this work. The polysaccharides were coupled to the ACNs-Lipo NPs and self-assembled to create ACNs-Lipo@polysaccharide NPs. The impact of various polysaccharides on the physical, chemical, and stability characteristics of NPs was examined. We found that the NPs prepared with gum arabic (GA) had the best stability. FT-IR and XRD analysis revealed electrostatic adsorption and hydrogen binding forces between the components, as well as an amorphous structure. A series of tests in vitro confirmed the excellent stability, bioavailability, antioxidant activity, and biocompatibility of NPs. Finally, cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) and oleic acid (OA)-induced lipid deposition cell models revealed that ACNs-Lipo@GA might be more readily absorbed by cells, resulting in improved antioxidant activity and lipid-lowering impact, with possible targeted delivery qualities and lipid-lowering effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the correlation of 18F-labeled fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) and to investigate the value of FAPI imaging in predicting cardiac functional recovery, as well as the correlation between FAPI activity and circulating fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and inflammatory biomarkers. Methods: Fourteen first-time STEMI patients (11 men, mean age: 62 ± 11 years) after PPCI and 14 gender-matched healthy volunteers (10 men, mean age: 50 ± 14 years) who had completed FAPI imaging and blood sample collection were prospectively recruited. All patients underwent baseline FAPI imaging (6 ± 2 days post-MI) and CMR (8 ± 2 days post-MI). Ten patients had follow-up CMR (84 ± 4 days post-MI). Myocardial FAPI activity was analyzed for extent (the percentage of FAPI uptake volume over the left ventricular volume, FAPI%), intensity (target-to-background uptake ratio, TBRmax), and amount (FAPI% × TBRmax). Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), extracellular volume (ECV), microvascular obstruction (MVO), and cardiac function from CMR imaging were analyzed. Blood samples obtained on the day of FAPI imaging were used to assess circulating FAP, TGF-β1, TNF-α, IL-6, and hsCRP in STEMI patients and controls. Results: Localized but inhomogeneous FAPI uptake was observed in STEMI patients, which was larger than the edematous and infarcted myocardium, whereas no uptake was detected in controls. The MVO area showed lower FAPI uptake compared with the surrounding myocardium. FAPI activity was associated with the myocardial injury biomarkers T2WI, LGE, and ECV at both per-patient and per-segment levels (all p < 0.05), but was not associated with circulating FAP, TGF-β1, TNF-α, IL-6, or hsCRP. Among the CMR parameters, T2WI had the greatest correlation coefficient with both FAPI% and FAPI% × TBRmax. Baseline TBRmax was inversely correlated with the follow-up left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (r = − 0.73, p = 0.02). Conclusion: FAPI imaging detects more involved myocardium than CMR in reperfused STEMI, and is associated with myocardial damage and follow-up LVEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurogenic erectile dysfunction (NED) caused by cavernous nerve (CN) injury is a typical complication after pelvic surgery, which lacks efficient treatments. Acetyl‐L‐carnitine (ALCAR) has been proven to promote nerve repair. Objectives: To investigate the effect and potential mechanism of ALCAR in the treatment of NED. Materials and methods: Thirty‐two rats were randomly divided into bilateral CN injury (BCNI) group, BCNI + lower‐dose ALCAR (50 mg/kg/day) group, BCNI + higher‐dose (100 mg/kg/day) group, and sham‐operated group. Erectile function was assessed 14 days after daily intraperitoneal injection of ALCAR or placebo. The penile tissues were gathered for subsequent histological and molecular biological analysis. Rat Schwann cell (SC) line S16 was used to verify the mechanism of ALCAR in vitro. Results: We found that the erectile function of the rats in the BCNI group was severely impaired, which was improved considerably in both BCNI+ALCAR‐LD and BCNI+ALCAR‐HD groups. Also, we observed decreased smooth muscle and increased collagen content in the corpus cavernosum in the BCNI group. The expressions of fibrosis markers transforming growth factor‐beta (TGF‐β), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and Smad 2/3 were significantly up‐regulated in the BCNI group. The above changes were alleviated after the administration of lower and higher‐dose ALCAR. Meanwhile, the nitric oxide (NO)/cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway (cGMP) was promoted and the Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA)/Rho‐associated protein kinase (ROCK) pathway was inhibited in the corpus cavernosum of BCNI rats after ALCAR treatment, accompanied by increased neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and down‐regulated tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). In vitro, ALCAR promoted the migration and proliferation of SC and increased the expression of 22‐kD peripheral myelin protein and nerve growth factor (NGF). Further, rats treated with ALCAR had high expression of ATF3 and S100 in the distal nerve tissues of the CN extrusion site. Discussion and conclusion: ALCAR could promote nerve repair and regeneration, inhibit penile fibrosis, and improve penile erection by promoting the proliferation and migration of SC and the secretion of NGF. Our study confirms that ALCAR may be a potential treatment strategy for NED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the duals of generalized bent functions $f: V_{n}\rightarrow \mathbb {Z}_{p^{k}}$ , where $V_{n}$ is an $n$ -dimensional vector space over $\mathbb {F}_{p}$ and $p$ is an odd prime, $k$ is a positive integer. It is known that weakly regular generalized bent functions always appear in pairs since the dual of a weakly regular generalized bent function is also a weakly regular generalized bent function. The duals of non-weakly regular generalized bent functions can be generalized bent or not generalized bent. By generalizing the construction of Çeşmelioğlu et al., 2016, we provide an explicit construction of generalized bent functions whose duals can be generalized bent or not generalized bent. We show that the well-known direct sum construction and the generalized indirect sum construction given in Wang and Fu, 2021. can provide secondary constructions of generalized bent functions whose duals can be generalized bent or not generalized bent. By using the knowledge on ideal decomposition in cyclotomic fields, we prove that $f^{**}(x)=f(-x)$ if $f$ is a generalized bent function and its dual $f^{*}$ is also a generalized bent function. For any non-weakly regular generalized bent function $f$ which satisfies that $f(x)=f(-x)$ and its dual $f^{*}$ is generalized bent, we give a property and as a consequence, we prove that there is no self-dual generalized bent function $f: V_{n}\rightarrow \mathbb {Z}_{p^{k}}$ if $p\equiv 3 ~(mod ~4)$ and $n$ is odd. When $p \equiv 1 ~(mod ~4)$ or $p\equiv 3 ~(mod ~4)$ and $n$ is even, we give a secondary construction of self-dual generalized bent functions. In the end, by the decomposition of generalized bent functions, we characterize the relations between the generalized bentness of the dual of a generalized bent function $f$ and the bentness of the duals of bent functions associated with the generalized bent function $f$ , as well as the relations of self-duality between a generalized bent function $f$ and bent functions associated with the generalized bent function $f$. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interplay between disease and awareness has been extensively studied in static networks. However, most networks in reality will evolve over time. Based on this, we propose a novel epidemiological model in multiplex networks. In this model, the disease spreading layer is a time-varying network generated by the activity-driven model, while the awareness diffusion layer is a static network, and the heterogeneity of individual infection and recovery ability is considered. First, we extend the microscopic Markov chain approach to analytically obtain the epidemic threshold of the model. Then, we simulate the spread of disease and find that stronger heterogeneity in the individual activities of a physical layer can promote disease spreading, while stronger heterogeneity of the virtual layer network will hinder the spread of disease. Interestingly, we find that when the individual infection ability follows Gaussian distribution, the heterogeneity of infection ability has little effect on the spread of disease, but it will significantly affect the epidemic threshold when the individual infection ability follows power-law distribution. Finally, we find the emergence of a metacritical point where the diffusion of awareness is able to control the onset of the epidemics. Our research could cast some light on exploring the dynamics of epidemic spreading in time-varying multiplex networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A receptor-targeting AIE photosensitizer (CE-TPA) is synthesized by conjugating cephalothin with a cationic D–A type AIE photosensitizer for selective killing of Gram-positive bacteria over Gram-negative bacteria and normal mammalian cells. By virtue of the strong photosensitization capability, CE-TPA exhibits efficient killing against Gram-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. More importantly, the photodynamic bactericidal outcome can be conveniently reflected in a real-time fashion by the polarity-sensitive property of CE-TPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]