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Currently, surface EMG signals have a wide range of applications in human–computer interaction systems. However, selecting features for gesture recognition models based on traditional machine learning can be challenging and may not yield satisfactory results. Considering the strong nonlinear generalization ability of neural networks, this paper proposes a two-stream residual network model with an attention mechanism for gesture recognition. One branch processes surface EMG signals, while the other processes hand acceleration signals. Segmented networks are utilized to fully extract the physiological and kinematic features of the hand. To enhance the model's capacity to learn crucial information, we introduce an attention mechanism after global average pooling. This mechanism strengthens relevant features and weakens irrelevant ones. Finally, the deep features obtained from the two branches of learning are fused to further improve the accuracy of multi-gesture recognition. The experiments conducted on the NinaPro DB2 public dataset resulted in a recognition accuracy of 88.25% for 49 gestures. This demonstrates that our network model can effectively capture gesture features, enhancing accuracy and robustness across various gestures. This approach to multi-source information fusion is expected to provide more accurate and real-time commands for exoskeleton robots and myoelectric prosthetic control systems, thereby enhancing the user experience and the naturalness of robot operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aim to develop machine learning (ML) models for predicting the complexity and mortality of polytrauma patients using clinical features, including physician diagnoses and physiological data. We conducted a retrospective analysis of a cohort comprising 756 polytrauma patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at Pizhou People's Hospital Trauma Center, Jiangsu, China between 2020 and 2022. Clinical parameters encompassed demographics, vital signs, laboratory values, clinical scores and physician diagnoses. The two primary outcomes considered were mortality and complexity. We developed ML models to predict polytrauma mortality or complexity using four ML algorithms, including Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). We assessed the models' performance and compared the optimal ML model against three existing trauma evaluation scores, including Injury Severity Score (ISS), Trauma Index (TI) and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). In addition, we identified several important clinical predictors that made contributions to the prognostic models. The XGBoost-based polytrauma mortality prediction model demonstrated a predictive ability with an accuracy of 90% and an F-score of 88%, outperforming SVM, RF and ANN models. In comparison to conventional scoring systems, the XGBoost model had substantial improvements in predicting the mortality of polytrauma patients. External validation yielded strong stability and generalization with an accuracy of up to 91% and an AUC of 82%. To predict polytrauma complexity, the XGBoost model maintained its performance over other models and scoring systems with good calibration and discrimination abilities. Feature importance analysis highlighted several clinical predictors of polytrauma complexity and mortality, such as Intracranial hematoma (ICH). Leveraging ML algorithms in polytrauma care can enhance the prognostic estimation of polytrauma patients. This approach may have potential value in the management of polytrauma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and multipotent progenitors (MPPs) play a pivotal role in maintaining lifelong hematopoiesis. The distinction between stem cells and other progenitors, as well as the assessment of their functions, has long been a central focus in stem cell research. In recent years, deep learning has emerged as a powerful tool for cell image analysis and classification/prediction. Methods: In this study, we explored the feasibility of employing deep learning techniques to differentiate murine HSCs and MPPs based solely on their morphology, as observed through light microscopy (DIC) images. Results: After rigorous training and validation using extensive image datasets, we successfully developed a three-class classifier, referred to as the LSM model, capable of reliably distinguishing long-term HSCs, short-term HSCs, and MPPs. The LSM model extracts intrinsic morphological features unique to different cell types, irrespective of the methods used for cell identification and isolation, such as surface markers or intracellular GFP markers. Furthermore, employing the same deep learning framework, we created a two-class classifier that effectively discriminates between aged HSCs and young HSCs. This discovery is particularly significant as both cell types share identical surface markers yet serve distinct functions. This classifier holds the potential to offer a novel, rapid, and efficient means of assessing the functional states of HSCs, thus obviating the need for time-consuming transplantation experiments. Conclusion: Our study represents the pioneering use of deep learning to differentiate HSCs and MPPs under steady-state conditions. This novel and robust deep learning-based platform will provide a basis for the future development of a new generation stem cell identification and separation system. It may also provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying stem cell self-renewal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the of Qufeng Tongqiao Prescription in the treatment of cerebral ischemia–reperfusion (CIR) and associated molecular network mechanism. Venny diagram, gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analysis, protein–protein interaction (PPI), hub genes mining, molecular docking, combined with animal experiments and Nissl stain were performed to determine the molecular network mechanism of Qufeng Tongqiao Prescription for CIR treatment. Fifty three intersecting genes between Qufeng Tongqiao Prescription and cerebral ischemia reperfusion were acquired from Venny analysis. GO analysis showed that the main biological process (BP) was response to lipopolysaccharide, and the main cell localization (CC) process was membrane raft, while the most important molecular function (MF) process is Cytokine receptor binding. Moreover, AGE‐RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications is the most important signaling pathway in KEGG pathway. Through molecular docking, it was found that Astragalus membranaceus was docked with MAPK14, IL4, FOS, IL6, and JUN; pueraria membranaceus was directly docked with JUN and IL4; Acorus acorus was linked to JUN and MAPK14; Ganoderma ganoderma and human were involved in JUN docking, and Ligusticum chuanqi and pueraria could not be docked with MAPK14, respectively. The results of animal experiments showed that Qufeng Tongqiao Prescription significantly improved behavioral performance and reduced the number of neuronal deaths in rats subjected to CIR, and molecular mechanisms are associated with FOS, IL‐6, IL4, JUN, and MAPK14, of there, IL‐6, as a vital candidator, which has been confirmed by immunostaining detection. Together, Qufeng Tongqiao Prescription has positive therapeutic effect on CIR, and the underlying mechanism is involved MAPK14, FOS, IL4, and JUN network, while IL‐6 may be as a vital target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhodiola rosea L. (RRL) is a popular plant in traditional medicine, and Rosavin, a characteristic ingredient of RRL, is considered one of the most important active ingredients in it. In recent years, with deepening research on its pharmacological actions, the clinical application value and demand for Rosavin have been steadily increasing. Various routes for the extraction and all-chemical or biological synthesis of Rosavin have been gradually developed for the large-scale production and broad application of Rosavin. Pharmacological studies have demonstrated that Rosavin has a variety of biological activities, including antioxidant, lipid-lowering, analgesic, antiradiation, antitumor and immunomodulation effects. Rosavin showed significant therapeutic effects on a range of chronic diseases, including neurological, digestive, respiratory and bone-related disorders during in vitro and vivo experiments, demonstrating the great potential of Rosavin as a therapeutic drug for diseases. This paper gives a comprehensive and insightful overview of Rosavin, focusing on its extraction and synthesis, pharmacological activities, progress in disease-treatment research and formulation studies, providing a reference for the production and preparation, further clinical research and applications of Rosavin in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In lithium metal batteries, non‐uniform stripping of lithium results in pit formation, which promotes subsequent non‐uniform, dendritic deposition. This viscous cycle leads to pulverization of lithium which promotes cell shorting or capacity degradation, symptoms further exaggerated by high electrode areal loading and lean electrolytes. To address this challenge, a composite lithium metal anode is engineered that contains uniformly distributed, nanometer‐sized carbon particles. This composite lithium is shown to strip more uniformly since the growth of non‐uniform pits is intercepted by the carbon particles. This mechanism is corroborated by a continuum electrochemical model. Subsequent lithium deposition on carbon particles is also found to be more uniform than on the surface with irregular pits. Notably, the pulverization rate of composite lithium is 26 times slower than that of commercial lithium. Moreover, in a Li‐S battery with sulfurized polyacrylonitrile cathode, the use of the composite anode extends the cycle life by three times when the areal capacity is 8 mAh cm−2. The approach of using an engineered lithium composite structure to address challenges during both stripping and plating can inform future designs of lithium metal anodes for high areal capacity operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is an important public health issue. However, knowledge on how the virus remodels the metabolic and immune response toward hepatic pathologic environment is limited. The transcriptomic and multiple evidences reveal that the HCV core protein–intestine‐specific homeobox (ISX) axis promotes a spectrum of metabolic, fibrogenic, and immune modulators (e.g., kynurenine, PD‐L1, and B7‐2), regulating HCV‐infection relevant pathogenic phenotype in vitro and in vivo. In a transgenic mice model, the HCV core protein–ISX axis enhance metabolic disturbance (particularly lipid and glucose metabolism) and immune suppression, and finally, chronic liver fibrosis in a high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced disease model. Mechanistically, cells with HCV JFH‐1 replicons upregulate ISX and, consequently, the expressions of metabolic, fibrosis progenitor, and immune modulators via core protein‐induced nuclear factor‐κB signaling. Conversely, cells with specific ISX shRNAi inhibit HCV core protein‐induced metabolic disturbance and immune suppression. Clinically, the HCV core level is significantly correlated with ISX, IDOs, PD‐L1, and B7‐2 levels in HCC patients with HCV infection. Therefore, it highlights the significance of HCV core protein–ISX axis as an important mechanism in the development of HCV‐induced chronic liver disease and can be a specific therapeutic target clinically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the optimal geometry and motion coordination problem of mobile bearings-only sensors for improving target tracking performance. A general optimal sensor–target geometry is derived with uniform sensor–target distance using D-optimality for arbitrary n ( n ≥ 2 ) bearings-only sensors. The optimal geometry is characterized by the partition cases dividing n into the sum of integers no less than two. Then, a motion coordination method is developed to steer the sensors to reach the circular radius orbit (CRO) around the target with a minimum sensor–target distance and move with a circular formation. The sensors are first driven to approach the target directly when outside the CRO. When the sensor reaches the CRO, they are then allocated to different subsets according to the partition cases through matching the optimal geometry. The sensor motion is optimized under constraints to achieve the matched optimal geometry by minimizing the sum of the distance traveled by the sensors. Finally, two illustrative examples are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The potential predictive significance of atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) for cardiovascular outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), with low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) below 1.8mmol/L, has not been well explored. Methods: The retrospective cohort analysis included 1,133 patients with ACS and LDL-C levels below 1.8mmol/L who underwent PCI. AIP is calculated as log (triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol). Patients were divided into two groups according to the median value of AIP. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), a composite of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke or unplanned repeat revascularization. The association between AIP and the prevalence of MACCE was evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazard models. Results: Over a median follow-up of 26 months, the incidence of MACCE was higher in the high AIP group compared to the low AIP group (9.6% vs. 6.0%, P log-rank = 0.020), and the difference was mainly derived from an increased risk of unplanned repeat revascularization (7.6% vs. 4.6%, P log-rank = 0.028). After adjusting for multiple variables, elevated AIP was independently associated with an increased risk of MACCE, regardless of whether AIP was considered a nominal or continuous variable (hazard ratio [HR] 1.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04–2.53 or HR 2.01, 95% CI 1.09–3.73). Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that AIP is a significant predictor of adverse outcomes in ACS patients undergoing PCI with LDL-C < 1.8mmol/L. These results suggest that AIP may offer supplementary prognostic information for ACS patients with optimally managed LDL-C levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Heisenberg supermagnet model is a supersymmetric system and has a close relationship with the strong electron-correlated Hubbard model. In this paper, the supersymmetric prolongation structure is used to analyze the high order supersymmetric nonlinear equation. The Lax representation is constructed for the prolongation algebra of this equation. The B a ̈ c k l u n d transformation of the supersymmetric nonlinear Schrödinger equation is obtained by simplified calculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methamphetamine (MA) is a widely abused illegal drug. As no medication is available for MA addiction, new treatment options are needed. This study examined the effects of aerobic exercise (AE) and attentional bias training (ABT), alone and in combination, on cognitive function and psychiatric symptoms in individuals with MA dependency. One hundred individuals with MA dependency were randomly divided into four groups of 25 persons each (AE + ABT, AE, ABT, and control group). The AE intervention was conducted five times per week for 8 weeks, while the ABT intervention was conducted once per week for 8 weeks. Multiple indicators of cognitive function and psychiatric symptoms revealed significant time-group interactions [F(1,87) = 2.580–4.143, p =.009–.049, η2 =.083–.170]. AE, but not ABT, benefited individuals with MA dependency. Combined AE and ABT was more effective than ABT alone, but not as effective as AE alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional control and monitoring of water quality in drinking water distribution networks (WDNs) rely on mostly model- or toolbox-driven approaches, where the network topology and parameters are assumed to be known. In contrast, system identification (SysID) algorithms for generic dynamic system models seek to approximate such models using only input-output data without relying on network parameters. The objective of this paper is to investigate SysID algorithms for water quality model approximation. This research problem is challenging due to (1) complex water quality and reaction dynamics; and (2) the mismatch between the requirements of SysID algorithms and the properties of water quality dynamics. In this paper, we present the first attempt to identify water quality models in WDNs using only input-output experimental data and classical SysID methods without knowing any WDN parameters. Properties of water quality models are introduced, the ensuing challenges caused by these properties when identifying water quality models are discussed, and remedial solutions are given. Through case studies, we demonstrate the applicability of SysID algorithms, show the corresponding performance in terms of accuracy and computational time, and explore the possible factors impacting water quality model identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central China harbors the native dart-sac-bearing camaenids Laeocathaica. The genus is revised and seven new species are proposed based on museum material and newly collected specimens. This work confirmed that most Laeocathaica species have restricted habitats. The comparison of the dart sac apparatus among the dart-sac-bearing camaenid genera indicated the importance of the presence of the proximal accessory sac that might be analogous to the membranous/muscular sac surrounding the proximal dart sac and/ or the distal region of the vagina near the atrium, which also plays a significant role in the diagnosis of Laeocathaica species based on its number, symmetry and position on the dart sac. Species with similar shell morphology were studied using geometric morphometric methods to detect variations in shell shape. A molecular phylogenetic analysis based on 16S and ITS2 sequence data of partial Laeocathaica species and many other dart-sac-bearing taxa suggested that Laeocathaica might be monophyletic. Furthermore, the present phylogeny indicated that Stilpnodiscus, Cathaica, Bradybaena, and Pseudobuliminus might be polyphyletic and therefore the taxonomy of dart-sac-bearing camaenids in this region requires a thorough revision. This work reconfirms that the Southern Gansu Plateau is important as a hotspot for malacodiversity conservation on the Chinese mainland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorine is a widely used disinfectant and proxy for water quality (WQ) monitoring in water distribution networks (WDN). Chlorine-based WQ regulation and control aim to maintain pathogen-free water. Chlorine residual evolution within WDN is commonly modeled using the typical single-species decay and reaction dynamics that account for network-wide, spatiotemporal chlorine concentrations only. Prior studies have proposed more advanced and accurate descriptions via multi-species dynamics. This paper presents a host of novel state-space, control-theoretic representations of multi-species water quality dynamics. These representations describe decay, reaction, and transport of chlorine and a fictitious reactive substance to reflect realistic complex scenarios in WDN. Such dynamics are simulated over space- and time-discretized grids of the transport partial differential equation and the nonlinear reaction ordinary differential equation. To that end, this paper (i) provides a full description on how to formulate a high fidelity model-driven state-space representation of the multi-species water quality dynamics and (ii) investigates the applicability and performance of different Eulerian-based schemes (Lax–Wendroff, backward Euler, Crank–Nicolson, and Implicit Upwind) and Lagrangian-based schemes (Method of Characteristics) in contrast with EPANET and its EPANET-MSX extension. Numerical case studies reveal that the Implicit Upwind scheme, Method of Characteristics, and Lax–Wendroff scheme outperform other schemes with reliable results under reasonable assumptions and limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After sequencing, it is common to screen ncRNA according to expression differences. But this may lose a lot of valuable information and there is currently no indicator to characterize the regulatory function and participation degree of ncRNA on transcriptome. Based on existing pathway enrichment methods, we developed a new algorithm to calculating the participation degree of ncRNA in transcriptome (PDNT). Here we analyzed multiple data sets, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were used for pathway enrichment analysis. The PDNT algorithm was used to calculate the Contribution value (C value) of each ncRNA based on its target genes and the pathways they participates in. The results showed that compared with ncRNAs screened by log2 fold change (FC) and p-value, those screened by C value regulated more DEGs in IPA canonical pathways, and their target DEGs were more concentrated in the core region of the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. The ranking of disease critical ncRNAs increased integrally after sorting with C value. Collectively, we found that the PDNT algorithm provides a measure from another view compared with the log2FC and p-value and it may provide more clues to effectively evaluate ncRNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnxMn2O4/carbon was recycled from spent alkaline batteries under mild conditions, then applied as a cathode material in aqueous zinc batteries, which can achieve an excellent specific capacity of 292 mA h g−1 over 200 cycles at a current density of 150 mA g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Content-adaptive automatic cost learning frameworks for image steganography based on deep learning can generate a more exquisite embedding probability map within a short time; such methods have reached remarkable security performance compared with conventional handcraft-based methods. However, some issues in deep steganography are not discussed in spatial domain: (1) the key point to the design of generator has not reached clearly; and (2) existing methods are unstable of model training due to vanishing gradient problem. To investigate these issues, this paper proposes a stable GAN (generative adversarial network) for image steganography called UMC-GAN, which presents a redesigned and adjustable nested U-Shape generator and utilizes deep supervision to fuse multiple embedding probability maps to improve security performance. A novel linear-clipped embedding simulator is designed to alleviate vanishing gradient problem at the staircase regions. Extensive experiments and ablation studies show that the proposed method outperforms existing GAN-based automatic cost learning embedding frameworks, and it can be applied at high resolution through the flexible adjustment of the generator. Further investigation on the design of generator is explored by model pruning which shows that in-depth features should be captured for deep steganography to ensure the security performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) is a tick-borne bunyavirus of the Narovirus genus, which is the causative agent of Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF). CCHF is endemic in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asia, with a high case-fatality rate of up to 50% in humans. Currently, there are no approved vaccines or effective therapies available for CCHF. The GEM-PA is a safe, versatile and effective carrier system, which offers a cost-efficient, high-throughput platform for recovery and purification of subunit proteins for vaccines. In the present study, based on a GEM-PA surface display system, a GEM-PA based vaccine expressing three subunit vaccine candidates (G-GP, including G-eGN, G-eGC and G-NAb) of CCHFV was developed, displaying the ectodomains of the structural glycoproteins eGN, eGC and NAb, respectively. According to the immunological assays including indirect-ELISA, a micro-neutralization test of pseudo-virus and ELISpot, 5 μg GPBLP3 combined with Montanide ISA 201VG plus Poly (I:C) adjuvant (A-G-GP-5 μg) elicited GP-specific humoral and cellular immunity in BALB/c mice after three vaccinations via subcutaneous injection (s.c.). The consistent data between IgG subtype and cytokine detection, ELISpot and cytokine detection indicated balanced Th1 and Th2 responses, of which G-eGN vaccines could elicit a stronger T-cell response post-vaccination, respectively. Moreover, all three vaccine candidates elicited high TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 cytokine levels in the supernatant of stimulated splenocytes in vitro. However, the neutralizing antibody (nAb) was only detected in A-G-eGC and A-G-eGC vaccination groups with the highest neutralizing titer of 128, suggesting that G-eGC could elicit a stronger humoral immune response. In conclusion, the GEM-PA surface display system could provide an efficient and convenient purification method for CCHFV subunit antigens, and the G-GP subunit vaccine candidates will be promising against CCHFV infections with excellent immunogenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adversarial patch is a threat to computer vision systems, as they can mislead the deep learning model by adding carefully designed stickers or patterns into images. This vulnerability has posed a serious challenge to the application of DNNs in security-critical domains such as security vision systems and autonomous driving. Researchers are actively working on defense strategies to counter adversarial patches. In this paper, a plug-and-play solution defense method is proposed that combines traditional masking with purification techniques. We implement the defense by leveraging a credible attribution algorithm mechanism. Compared to other heuristic methods, our approach minimizes the destruction of input images, reduces the distribution shift introduced by masking, and offers attack-agnostic protection without a carefully designed deep learning model. Our evaluation shows that our approach successfully enhances the security of computer vision systems against adversarial patches, safeguarding their trustworthiness in various applications. • A novel attribution algorithm to locate adversarial patches, by leveraging the image-independence of adversarial patches. • A purification method based on the diffusion model to purify adversarial patches, aligning attacked images with their natural distribution. • The attribution-guided purification method can effectively remove adversarial patches, and improve the robustness of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants with frequent mutations has seriously damaged the effectiveness of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine. There is an urgent need to develop a broad-spectrum vaccine while elucidating the underlying immune mechanisms. Here, we developed a SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles (VLPs) vaccine based on the Canarypox-virus vector (ALVAC-VLPs) using CRISPR/Cas9. Immunization with ALVAC-VLPs showed the effectively induce SARS-CoV-2 specific T and B cell responses to resist the lethal challenge of mouse adaptive strains. Notably, ALVAC-VLPs conferred protection in golden hamsters against SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan-Hu-1 (wild-type, WT) and variants (Beta, Delta, Omicron BA.1, and BA.2), as evidenced by the prevention of weight loss, reduction in lung and turbinate tissue damage, and decreased viral load. Further investigation into the mechanism of immune response induced by ALVAC-VLPs revealed that toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mediates the recruitment of dendritic cells (DCs) to secondary lymphoid organs, thereby initiating follicle assisted T (Tfh) cell differentiation, the proliferation of germinal center (GC) B cells and plasma cell production. These findings demonstrate the immunogenicity and efficacy of the safe ALVAC-VLPs vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and provide valuable insight into the development of COVID-19 vaccine strategies. [Display omitted] • Modify ALVAC vector with CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology to efficiently produce SARS-CoV-2 VLPs vaccine. • ALVAC-VLPs induced cross-neutralizing persisting antibodies and protected against challenges in small animals. • ALVAC-VLPs induce strong cellular immunity accompanied by elevated IFN-γ. • TLR4 regulates ALVAC-VLPs-induced humoral immunity through the recruitment of DCs-TFH-GCB axis. The protective efficiency of the existing SARS-CoV-2 vaccine against mutant strains has decreased, and a safe, efficient, and broad-spectrum COVID-19 vaccine is still needed. This study utilized CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology to modify the canary pox virus vector and efficiently produce a SARS-CoV-2 VLPs. Our VLPs vaccine has a protective effect on all variants including Omicron. It achieves this by mediating the migration of DCs to draining lymph nodes through TLR4 receptors, which triggers a germinal central immune response and induces a humoral immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetradentate N2S2 coordination platforms are widespread in biological systems and have endowed metalloenzymes and metalloproteins with abundant reactivities and functions. However, there are only three types of N2S2 scaffolds respectively based on the bipyridine, aryl and alkyl amine derivatives, which are significantly underdeveloped for coordination chemistry. With the objective of developing a new N2S2 coordination platform to assemble a series of first-row transition metal complexes, we have designed a novel tetradentate N2S2 ligand containing a central dipyrrin donor functionalized with two thioether-substituted aryl units. Interestingly, complexation of the N2S2 ligand with the chloride salts of Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) yields various geometries with various coordination numbers. The reaction between the ligand and NiCl2 readily forms two chloride-bridged centrosymmetric dinickel complexes in which the nickel centers are hexacoordinated by an N2S2Cl2 coordination environment in distorted octahedron geometry. In contrast, metalation of the ligand with CuCl2 gives a mononuclear copper complex consisting of a pentacoordinated copper center in a trigonal bipyramidal geometry with an N2S2Cl coordination sphere. Unexpectedly, the complexation of the ligand with ZnCl2 forms a homoleptic zinc complex in which the zinc center is surrounded by an N4 coordination sphere from two dipyrrin units in a non-planar pseudo-tetrahedral geometry despite the steric hindrance of two bulk thioether-substituted aryl units. These various geometries illustrate the potential structural flexibility of this new ligand. In addition, the optical properties of these compounds were also examined. This work thus provides a new N2S2 coordination platform with geometric flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass chemical looping gasification (BCLG) is a complex process for the conversion of biomass using an oxygen carrier, which is influenced by various operating parameters. For a better understanding of this process, biomass steam gasification using ilmenite as an oxygen carrier is numerically investigated in this work using the multiphase particle-in-cell (MP-PIC) method, which is a modified Euler–Lagrange approach. As a first step, a reduced reaction network for biomass gasification is investigated in a spouted bed. As a second step, the reaction network is coupled with oxygen carrier kinetics of ilmenite for the simulation of BCLG in a lab-scale fluidized bed. For both steps, the influence of the main operating parameters, such as reactor temperature, steam-to-biomass ratio, and oxidation degree of the oxygen carrier, are investigated and compared with experimental data from the literature. In general, the simulations show satisfying results and the predicted syngas compositions with varied operating parameters are in good agreement with the experimental data. Furthermore, the main trends for the syngas composition are predicted correctly and the oxidation degree of the oxygen carrier has a significant influence on the resulting syngas composition confirming the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) can disintegrate acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clusters in the postsynaptic membrane. In our previous research, lncRNAs that were differentially expressed in the whole transcriptome sequencing of denervated muscle atrophy after PNI were screened. By utilizing Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, a novel lncRNA LNC_000280 was predicted to be associated with neuromuscular junction (NMJ). The myotubes were used to assess the connection between LNC_000280 and AChR cluster formation in vitro by overexpression and knockdown of LNC_000280 in the C2C12 cell line. Our findings demonstrated that the overexpression of LNC_000280 repressed the gene expression and protein level of AChR subunits in myotubes and further reduced the area of AChR aggregates on the cell membrane. In contrast, the knockdown of LNC_000280 brought about opposite results. In addition, the transcriptional level of Sorbs2 changed inversely with the quantity change of LNC_000280. In conclusion, LNC_000280 may associate with the formation of AChR clusters. • A new lncRNA called LNC_000280 was identified based on the whole transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. • There is an association between LNC_000280 and the formation of acetylcholine receptor clusters in vitro. • Changes in expression level of Sorbs2 suggest the potential regulating ability of LNC_000280 in the neuromuscular junction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged as the prime challenge facing public health safety since 2019. Correspondingly, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines have been developed and administered worldwide, varying in design strategies, delivery routes, immunogenicity and protective efficacy. Here, a replication-competent vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) vectored recombinant COVID-19 vaccine was constructed and evaluated in BALB/c mice and Syrian golden hamsters. In BALB/c mice, intramuscular (i.m.) inoculation of recombinant vaccine induced significantly higher humoral immune response than that of the intranasal (i.n.) inoculation group. Analyses of cellular immunity revealed that a Th1-biased cellular immune response was induced in i.n. inoculation group while both Th1 and Th2 T cells were activated in i.m. inoculation group. In golden hamsters, i.n. inoculation of the recombinant vaccine triggered robust humoral immune response and conferred prominent protective efficacy post-SARS-CoV-2 challenge, indicating a better protective immunity in the i.n. inoculation group than that of the i.m. inoculation group. This study provides an effective i.n.-delivered recombinant COVID-19 vaccine candidate and elucidates a route-dependent manner of this vaccine candidate in two most frequently applied small animal models. Moreover, the golden hamster is presented as an economical and convenient small animal model that precisely reflects the immune response and protective efficacy induced by replication-competent COVID-19 vaccine candidates in other SARS-CoV-2 susceptible animals and human beings, especially in the exploration of i.n. immunization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we mainly investigate the constrained Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (KP) and modified KP (mKP) hierarchies. Squared eigenfunction (SE) symmetry is an important symmetry defined by eigenfunctions and adjoint eigenfunctions, which can be viewed as the generator of the additional symmetries. Due to special constraints on the Lax operators, it is found that there are three different cases for the generating eigenfunctions and adjoint eigenfunctions of the SE symmetries. Then we discuss the changes of the SE symmetries under the Miura links between the KP and mKP hierarchies. Next, the exponential of the SE symmetries is shown to be the binary Darboux transformations. At last based upon the results above, new additional symmetries for the constrained KP and mKP hierarchies are constructed, different from the additional Virasoro symmetries defined by Aratyn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate some topics involving the modified D-type Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (DKP) hierarchy. Note that the modified DKP (mDKP) hierarchy is just the modified B-type Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (BKP) hierarchy in the bosonic forms. Based on this fact, we first proved the conjecture in You [Physica D 50, 429–462 (1991)], that is, the product of the two tau functions of the mDKP hierarchy is some tau function of the KP hierarchy. Then, we investigate the Darboux transformations of the DKP and mDKP hierarchy. Finally, the solutions of the constrained BKP hierarchy are given in the context of the fermionic representation of infinite Lie algebra d∞. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathophysiology of sepsis involves inflammation and hypercoagulability, which lead to microvascular thrombosis and compromised organ perfusion. Dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitors, e.g., linagliptin, are commonly used anti-diabetic drugs known to exert anti-inflammatory effects. However, whether these drugs confer an anti-thrombotic effect that preserves organ perfusion in sepsis remains to be investigated. In the present study, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with linagliptin to examine its anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic effects under tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α treatment. To validate findings from in vitro experiments and provide in vivo evidence for the identified mechanism, a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced systemic inflammatory response syndrome was used, and pulmonary microcirculatory thrombosis was measured. In TNF-α-treated HUVECs and LPS-injected mice, linagliptin suppressed expressions of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) via a nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)–dependent pathway. Linagliptin attenuated tissue factor expression via the Akt/endothelial nitric oxide synthase pathway. In LPS-injected mice, linagliptin pretreatment significantly reduced thrombosis in the pulmonary microcirculation. These anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic effects were independent of blood glucose level. Together the present results suggest that linagliptin exerts protective effects against endothelial inflammation and microvascular thrombosis in a mouse model of sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To study the safety and patients' tolerance of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the major depressive disorder population.Methods: Our study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched the literature published before April 30th, 2021 and performed a random-effects meta-analyses which included drop-out due to adverse events, serious adverse events and other non-serious adverse events as primary and secondary outcomes.Results: A total of 53 randomized sham-controlled trials with 3,273 participants were included. There was no increased risk of drop-out due to an adverse event (active TMS intervention group=3.3%, sham TMS intervention group=2.3%, odds ratio = 1.30, 95% CI= 0.78-2.16, P = 0.31) or a serious adverse event (active TMS intervention group=0.9%, sham TMS intervention group=1.5%, odds ratio = 0.67, 95% CI= 0.29-1.55, P = 0.35). Our findings suggest that TMS intervention may significantly increase the risk of non-serious adverse events including: headaches (active TMS intervention group=22.6%, sham TMS intervention group=16.2%, odds ratio = 1.48, 95% CI= 1.15-1.91, P = 0.002), discomfort (active TMS intervention group=10.9%, sham TMS intervention group=5.0%, odds ratio 1.98, 95% CI= 1.22-3.21, P = 0.006) and pain (active TMS intervention group=23.8%, sham TMS intervention group=5.2%, odds ratio= 8.09, 95% CI= 4.71-13.90, P < 0.001) at the stimulation site, but these non-serious events were mostly mild and transient after TMS treatment.Conclusions: These findings provide evidence for the safety and patients' tolerance of transcranial magnetic stimulation technique as an alternative monotherapy or as an add-on treatment for major depressive disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression, one of the most common comorbidities with osteoarthritis (OA), affects patient prognosis and quality of life. It also increases the overall burden of disease. This subgroup of patients has not been effectively managed in clinical settings. The study aimed to direct physicians' attention to the co-occurrence of depression and OA. Therefore, this review summarizes the relevant literature published over the past 10 years. The focus is on the prevalence of and risk factors for depression in OA, the effects of depression on OA development and treatment response, comorbidity mechanisms, screening, and non-pharmacological treatment. The research on the etiology of depression has been driven largely by epidemiological studies. Recent studies have shown that high levels of pain, poor levels of function, high numbers of OA sites, and slow gait might be associated with depression. However, the pathophysiology of OA and depression comorbidities remains unclear. In addition to immune inflammation and structural changes in the brain, which have been documented in brain imaging studies, psychosocial factors may also play a role. The evidence indicates that depression can be treated with early intervention; however, adjustments may need to be made for individuals with comorbid depression in OA. It is recommended that health care providers pay more attention to depressive symptoms in patients with OA. Clinicians should develop and implement an individualized and comprehensive treatment plan for patients based on a mental health assessment and in teams with other professionals to optimize treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cyclic Interface Shear Test (CIST) device was recently developed to evaluate the response of soil–structure interfaces subjected to monotonic or cyclic loading. Numerical models of the CIST have not been documented. Such simulations may be beneficial to help guide the design of experiments, interpret results, and inform the development of further experimental device modifications. In the present paper, a series of interface shear tests utilizing the CIST system on a cohesive soil under monotonic loadings were simulated using a proposed three-dimensional model in the commercial finite element analysis software ABAQUS/Standard. Comparisons of simulations with experimental results are presented for the Mohr–Coulomb and hypoplasticity models for cohesive soils. It is found that (i) the clay-based hypoplasticity model outperformed the simpler Mohr–Coulomb model in terms of predicting the interface shear stress evolution and the soil volume change and (ii) the clay-based hypoplasticity model allows for identification of trends in shear response as a function of normal confining pressures at the soil–structure interface (e.g. soil–structure interface shear zone thickness). Neither of these capabilities have previously been documented or experimentally validated for cohesive soil–structure interface simulations using clay-based hypoplasticity models. • 3D FEA model for interface shear tests in the Cyclic Interface Shear Test system • Evaluated performance of a MC model and a hypoplasticity model for cohesive soil • Smooth surface shear test simulations in CIST system with clay-based hypoplasticity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild-type Proteinase K binds to two Ca2+ ions, which play an important role in regulating enzymaticactivity and maintaining protein stability. Therefore, a predetermined concentration of Ca2+ must be added during the use of Proteinase K, which increases its commercial cost. Herein, we addressed this challenge using a computational strategy to engineer a Proteinase K mutant that does not require Ca2+ and exhibits high enzymatic activity and protein stability. In the absence of Ca2+, the best mutant, MT24 (S17W–S176N-D260F), displayed an activity approximately 9.2-fold higher than that of wild-type Proteinase K. It also exhibited excellent protein stability, retaining 56.2 % of its enzymatic activity after storage at 4 °C for 5 days. The residual enzymatic activity was 65-fold higher than that of the wild-type Proteinase K under the same storage conditions. Structural analysis and molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the introduction of new hydrogen bond and π-π stacking at the Ca2+ binding sites due to the mutation may be the reasons for the increased enzymatic activity and stability of MT24. • In the absence of Ca2+, a mutant Proteinase K exhibited an activity approximately 9.2-fold higher than that of wild-type. • The mutant exhibited excellent protein stability, retaining 56.2 % of its enzymatic activity after storage at 4 °C for 5 days. • The introduction of hydrogen bond and π-π stacking at Ca2+ binding sites resulted in an increased in activity and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demand for oil, natural gas, and green energy has led to massive construction of storage and transportation infrastructure, and the resulting corrosion problems have attracted increasing attention. The complexity of the factors influencing corrosion and the uniqueness of infrastructure pose great challenges to the inspection, assessment, and prediction of corrosion. This challenge is reflected in the large number of influencing factors and the intricate interrelationships between them, which often require the involvement of experts in the assessment. However, due to reasons such as incomplete data and the complexity of corrosion mechanisms, there is uncertainty in the expert's judgment. To address this problem, this work proposes a multilevel, multi-index framework for corrosion evaluation. This framework integrates both analytic network process and comprehensive evaluation method under an intuitionistic fuzzy environment. It uses the triangular intuitionistic fuzzy numbers-based analytic network process (TIFANP) to establish and analyze the weights of the interactive and employed triangular intuitionistic fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (TIFCE) to address the subjective judgment and uncertainty issues in corrosion evaluation. The introduction of the intuitionistic fuzzy concept effectively handles the uncertainty in corrosion assessment. To verify the feasibility and practicability of the framework, it was applied to external corrosion assessment of the floor of a crude oil storage tank. Soil corrosion, cathodic protection, coating protection, and stray current interference were considered the main factors influencing the external corrosion of the storage tank floor. The assessment results were consistent with the open-tank inspection. This work can provide valuable information for storage tank operation, corrosion protection, and maintenance to reduce economic losses and safety accidents caused by the corrosion of crude oil tank floors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Developed a stomach-responsive photodynamic therapy system (ZnO 2 -Ce6@lipo) acting as a ROS reservoir. • ZnO 2 -Ce6@lipo can generate multiple ROS, including singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radicals, and hydrogen peroxide. • ZnO 2 -Ce6@lipo demonstrated > 99.999 % eradication of both standard and multidrug-resistant H. pylori strains. • Due to the stomach-responsive characteristics, ZnO 2 -Ce6@lipo does not affect the distribution of intestinal microbiota. Addressing the challenge of treating Helicobacter pylori infection while ensuring the safety of other microorganisms, such as intestinal microbiota, is of paramount importance. In this research, we synthesized a liposome-encapsulated composite of ZnO 2 and chlorin e6 (ZnO 2 -Ce6@lipo) to achieve the acid-responsive release of Zn2+, H 2 O 2 , and Ce6 in the stomach, thereby creating a versatile reactive oxygen species (ROS) reservoir for stomach infection therapy. The incorporation of liposomes improves the dispersion and the targeting towards mucosal lesions. Within the gastric environment, ZnO 2 displays a more efficient and prolonged acid-neutralization capacity compared to traditional proton pump inhibitors (PPI), while also generating bactericidal Zn2+ and H 2 O 2. Furthermore, abundant H 2 O 2 was photolyzed by 460 nm blue laser irradiation to generate highly active ·OH. The O 2 produced by the hydrolysis of H 2 O 2 effectively overcame the O 2 -dependent limitations associated with Ce6-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT). Serving as a ROS reservoir, the PDT system demonstrated remarkable bactericidal effectiveness, as evidenced by in vitro and in vivo experiments, achieving > 99.999 % eradication of both standard strain and multidrug-resistant H. pylori strains. Compared to traditional triple therapy, this gastric acid-responsive system minimizes its impact on intestinal microbiota, demonstrating excellent biocompatibility, and introduces a novel ROS reservoir for PDT against H. pylori. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike thermoplastic petroleum-based materials, starch-based materials rely on aqueous systems but are incapable of hot melting, resulting in low processing efficiency and limited large-scale industrial applications. In this study, the combination of α-amylase liquefaction and urea plasticization was used for the first time to obtain enzymatic thermoplastic starch (ETPS) for hot melting by changing the molecular chain of starch. ETPS showed an apparent hot melting phenomenon when heated below 200 °C. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed that heat absorption peaks were obviously reduced, and the hot melting phenomenon occurred easily depending on the combination of enzymatic hydrolysis and plasticization. Dynamic mechanical analysis indicated that the combined modification effectively increased the number of freely movable chains. The red shift of -OH stretching vibration peaks indicated the formation of strengthened hydrogen bonds in ETPS. X-ray diffraction showed that the crystallinity of ETPS was reduced to 5.68 %, effectively reducing the regenerative phenomenon. Gel permeation chromatography revealed that the molecular weight of ETPS decreased, and the entanglements between molecular chains were reduced. A tensile test showed that the elongation at break of ETPS was as high as 235.29 %, which was much higher than those of enzymatic hydrolysis starch and thermoplastic starch. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As more variable renewable energy (VRE) and energy storage (ES) facilities are installed, accurate quantification of their contributions to system adequacy becomes crucial. We propose a definition of capacity credit (CC) for valuing adequacy contributions of these resources based on their marginal capability to reduce expected unserved energy. We show that such marginal credits can incentivize system-optimal investments in markets with installed capacity requirements and energy price caps. We simulated such markets using a LP-based capacity expansion planning model with convexified unit commitment (UC) constraints and ES. The impacts of UC and ES on capacity credits are investigated. Furthermore, we analyze technology and system cost distortions resulting from implementing inaccurate CCs in the capacity market. The results show that ignoring UC constraints can overestimate the CCs for VRE and ES. Building ES increases the CCs of VRE resources with higher capacity factors and a negative correlation with load. Assigning the wrong credit to VRE can significantly distort resource mixes and system cost. Implementing the proposed CCs can, in theory, eliminate those distortions and achieve the same overall optimum as a theoretical market without energy price caps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A task-parallel framework for local structural vertex similarity calculation. • A threshold-adaptive technique to execute a similarity calculation task. • A Spark-based implementation with three optimization techniques. • Comprehensive performance evaluation of the vertex similarity calculation strategies. In many graph analytical applications, the local structural vertex similarity calculation is an essential prerequisite for advanced graph mining. The similarity calculation finds out all the similar vertex pairs whose local structural similarity scores (like the number of common neighbors, and the Jaccard index of adjacency sets) are above a given threshold. The real-world applications use a wide range of similarity thresholds. However, the existing distributed methods for the problem only optimize for either high thresholds (> 0.7) or low thresholds (< 0.1). To overcome the drawback, we propose a new distributed vertex similarity calculation framework VSIM that is efficient under a broad range of thresholds. VSIM processes static undirected graphs with local structural similarity scores that measure the similarity between vertices based on the first-order topology information. VSIM generates a similarity calculation task for every vertex in the graph and conducts all the tasks in parallel on a distributed computing platform along with a distributed key-value store. Each task finds vertices similar to a given center vertex with two task execution modes. The two modes optimize for high and low thresholds, respectively. Each task picks the suitable mode adaptively according to cost estimation models. We also propose an efficient implementation for VSIM on Apache Spark, with three optimization techniques to reduce communication costs and balance workloads on power-law graphs. The experimental evaluation shows that VSIM outperforms the state-of-the-art distributed methods by up to 67x speedup. VSIM can achieve near-linear node scalability in low-threshold and small cache scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcifying pseudoneoplasms of the neuraxis (CAPNON) are rare, slow‐growing, benign lesions occurring throughout the neuroaxis that are frequently misdiagnosed and overlooked by clinicians. Here, we report a case of a 56‐year‐old woman who presented with a history of recurrent headache for the previous six years. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a 2.3‐cm‐sized solid mass in the right frontal lobe that was surrounded by marked edematous areas. The lesion demonstrated dense calcification and avid enhancement. The lesion was initially diagnosed as oligodendroglioma, and then found to be CAPNON based on histopathology of a surgically resected tissue. Genetic analysis revealed a nonsense mutation in the CUL4B gene. The patient's condition appeared to reflect a reactive, rather than neoplastic, process. Clinicians should be prepared to detect such pseudotumors histopathologically in order to avoid unnecessary differential tests of neoplastic or infectious diseases, as well as potentially harmful therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical looping steam methane reforming (CLSMR) is capable of co-production of high-quality syngas and pure hydrogen, and it is important to develop appropriate oxygen carriers for this process. In this work, LaMn 1-x Al x O 3+δ (x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7) perovskites were investigated as oxygen carriers for CLSMR by means of characterizations and fixed-bed tests. The characterization and test results suggested that the substitution of Al leaded to more surface active sites and higher symmetry of crystal structure, which facilitates the activation of methane molecule on the surface and the formation of the oxygen vacancy in the bulk of the oxygen carrier particles, increasing the release rate of selective oxygen and the yield of syngas. The yield of CO 2 declined with the Al doped proportion due to the decrease of the mount of Mn4+ and surface absorbed oxygen. The substitution of Al cations could stabilize the crystal structure and prevent the destruction of perovskite structure. No carbon formed on LaMn 1-x Al x O 3+δ with x from 0 to 0.5 and a long period of partial oxidation was achieved to produce high-quality syngas with the H 2 /CO ratio of 2 and pure hydrogen, while carbon deposition occurred on the LaMn 0.3 Al 0.7 O 3+δ oxygen carrier. LaMn 0.5 Al 0.5 O 3+δ possessed the best performance with CO selectivity of 96.4%, the CO yield of 1.70 mmol·g−1, the H 2 yield of 3.32 mmol·g−1 in the reduction stage and the H 2 yield of 1.98 mmol·g−1 in the oxidation stage on average in 20 cyclic redox tests. LaMn 0.5 Al 0.5 O 3+δ exhibited good thermal stability and cyclic performance. It can be deduced that LaMn 0.5 Al 0.5 O 3+δ perovskite is a potential oxygen carrier for cyclic CLSMR. [Display omitted] • The doping of Al is capable of enhancing the release rate of selective oxygen. • The LaMn 1−x Al x O 3+δ (x ≤ 0.5) possess excellent resistance towards carbon deposition. • A long period of partial oxidation can be achieved via LaMn 1−x Al x O 3+δ (x ≤ 0.5). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A transmission-type cross-polarization converter is designed based on a frequency selective surface (FSS) and is investigated theoretically and experimentally. The FSS structure is built up with rotationally asymmetric fourfold supercell. The subcell of each supercell is a monopole-via-monopole (MVM) module, which consists of a receiving monopole, a transmitting monopole, and a quasi-wave-guiding structure (a through-via hole passing through the perforated shielding ground) to connect the monopole pair. In each supercell, the receiving and transmitting monopoles are orthogonally oriented to form a chiral geometry. The cross-polarization converter allows an incident wave linearly polarized at arbitrary azimuth to pass through and convert it into its cross-polarization state, while it operates as an FSS filter (without polarization state conversion) for the incidence of both circularly polarized waves. It exhibits a 3.0-dB transmission bandwidth ranging from 5.5 to 6.18 GHz (12%) with the peak insertion loss less than 0.16 dB at 5.8 GHz. The novelties of the reported cross-polarization converter lie in the insensitivity to the incident linear polarization azimuth and very low insertion loss within the investigated frequency band. To verify the proposed concept, a prototype is designed, fabricated, and measured, and good agreement between the simulated and experimental results is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploration potential is huge and the oil resources are rich in the Ordovician reservoirs of the Tarim Basin. However, the mechanism of hydrocarbon accumulation is complex and not yet fully understood. In the Tuoputai area, the hydrocarbon migration pathways and characteristics of deep hydrocarbon accumulation are revealed through analyses of the physical data of rich oil and gas, the geochemical parameters of oil, and fluid inclusions. The results show that the Ordovician oils in the Tuoputai area have the same geochemical characteristics as the mixed oil from the Lower Cambrian source rock and the Middle–Upper Ordovician source rock. The Ordovician reservoirs have been charged three times: in the late Caledonian, late Hercynian, and Himalayan stages. Oil charging occurred in the Hercynian stage, in particular, as it is the main filling period of hydrocarbon. The north‐northeast (NNE)‐trending TP12CX major fault, active in in these times and is dominant migration channel of hydrocarbon, but there is segmentation affected by the difference of activities. Oil maturity is higher in the south than in the north and is abnormally high near the major fault. Parameters related to migration indicate that oil migrated northeastward along the NNE‐trending TP12CX major fault and adjusted laterally along the secondary faults and weathering crust, forming the present characteristics of oil and gas distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pickering emulsion approach has been frequently employed to fabricate various emulsions. However, the direct formation of cross-linked polymer films from Pickering emulsions and double functions (emulsified and mechanical reinforcement) of Pickering agents have not been sufficiently reported. Fumed silica was co-modified with vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) and hexamethyl disilylamine (HMDS) and was further adopted to emulsify vinyl or hydrogen dimethicone. The as-obtained Pickering emulsions were mixed with Karstedt catalyst capsules to produce one-component waterborne cross-linkable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coatings that were subsequently transformed into elastic films after drying at ambient temperature. The co-modification of fumed silica with VTMS/HMDS is shown to balance the Pickering emulsion effect and film-forming ability of the coatings. Greater amounts of grafted VTMS/HMDS or higher modified silica dosages demonstrated better Pickering emulsion effects. Nevertheless, because Pickering agents hinder the coalescence of silicone oil droplets, the appropriate modified silica concentration is crucial for achieving the highest cross-link density and thus the highest mechanical strength. The grafted C C groups can endow the modified silica with hydrosilylation reactivity and can thus additionally contribute to the mechanical performance of PDMS film. In addition, the Pickering emulsion approach is shown to be superior to the traditional emulsion approach for acquiring waterborne coatings with high mechanical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While the influence of meteorology on carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning has been reported, few data are available on the association between air pollutants and the prediction of CO poisoning. Our objective is to explore meteorological and pollutant patterns associated with CO poisoning and to establish a predictive model. Results: CO poisoning was found to be significantly associated with meteorological and pollutant patterns: low temperatures, low wind speeds, low air concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O38h), and high daily temperature changes and ambient CO (r absolute value range: 0.079 to 0.232, all P values < 0.01). Based on the above factors, a predictive model was established: "logitPj = aj - 0.193 * temperature - 0.228 * wind speed + 0.221 * 24 h temperature change + 1.25 * CO - 0.0176 * SO2 + 0.0008 *O38h; j = 1, 2, 3, 4; a1 = -4.12, a2 = -2.93, a3 = -1.98, a4 = -0.92." The proposed prediction model based on combined factors showed better predictive capacity than a model using only meteorological factors as a predictor. Conclusion: Low temperatures, wind speed, and SO2 and high daily temperature changes, O38h, and CO are related to CO poisoning. Using both meteorological and pollutant factors as predictors could help facilitate the prevention of CO poisoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) seriously threatens public health safety and the global economy, which warrant effective prophylactic and therapeutic approaches. Currently, vaccination and establishment of immunity have significantly reduced the severity and mortality of COVID-19. However, in regard to COVID-19 vaccines, the broad-spectrum protective efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 variants and the blocking of virus transmission need to be further improved. In this study, an optimum oral COVID-19 vaccine candidate, rVSVΔG-S delta , was selected from a panel of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based constructs bearing spike proteins from different SARS-CoV-2 strains. After chitosan modification, rVSVΔG-S delta induced both local and peripheral antibody response, particularly, broad-spectrum and long-lasting neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 persisted for 1 year. Cross-protection against SARS-CoV-2 WT, Beta, Delta, BA.1, and BA.2 strains was achieved in golden hamsters, which presented as significantly reduced viral replication in the respiratory tract and alleviated pulmonary pathology post SARS-CoV-2 challenge. Overall, this study provides a convenient, oral-delivered, and effective oral mucosal vaccine against COVID-19, which would supplement pools and facilitate the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. • rVSVΔG-S delta induces broad-spectrum neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants. • rVSVΔG-S delta induces local mucosal immune response. • Neutralizing antibodies triggered by rVSVΔG-S delta lasts for 1 year. • rVSVΔG-S delta offers protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants in golden hamsters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abundant oil and gas are yielded from Ordovician reservoirs in the Fuman oilfield of Tarim basin and behave in multi-phase states at comparable burial depths, including light oil, volatile oil, and condensate gas. Oil and gas phase are distributed in the west and east, respectively, with heavier oil property in the north than that in the south. However the genetic mechanism of oil and gas phase states in the study area remains obscure. This has been examined based on fluid inclusions and geochemical parameters of light hydrocarbons and diamondoids in this paper. The results show that most Ordovician reservoirs were charged by oils in the late Caledonian and the late Hercynian, and the oil maturity charged in the same period decreased from south to north. In the Himalayan, dry gas and condensate oil-wet gas were respectively filled into the Yuke area in the east and local areas in the west. The multi-period differential charging of oil and gas with different properties is the main cause of the current oil and gas phase states. Two and three periods of oil charging are responsible for the formation of light and volatile oil, respectively, in western regions. Condensate gas reservoirs in Yuke area were formed by three periods of oil and gas charging, with the dominance of dry gas in the Himalayan. The phase states were transformed into volatile oils with the decrease in the charging intensity of dry gas to the west. The oil property becomes lighter from north to south is mainly related to the oil maturity charged during the same period, but also affected by the gradually decreasing cracking degree of oils from south to north. The current oil and gas phase states were ultimately produced by the genetic model of "multi-period differential charging and spatial differential cracking". • Ordovician reservoirs in Fuman oilfield of Tarim basin behave in multi-phase states at comparable burial depths. • The genetic mechanism of multiple oil and gas phase states in Fuman oilfield was revealed based on fluid inclusions and oil geochemistry. • Multi-period differential charging of oil and gas with different properties is the main cause of the current oil and gas phase states. • Oil property becomes lighter from north to south is mainly related to the oil maturity charged in same period, but also affected by spatial differential cracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygenation reactions with molecular oxygen (O2) as the oxygen source provides a green and straightforward strategy for the construction of O‐containing compounds. Demonstrated here is a novel N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyzed oxidative transformation of simple and readily available organic halides into valuable esters through the incorporation of O‐atoms from O2. Mechanistic studies prove that the deoxy Breslow intermediate generated in situ is oxidized to a Breslow intermediate for further transformation by this oxidative protocol. This method broadens the field of NHC catalysis and promotes oxygenation reactions with O2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]