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Shear-force acoustic near-field microscopy (SANM) is employed to monitor stochastic formation and post dynamic response of a water meniscus that bridges a tapered gold probe (undergoing lateral oscillations of a few nanometers amplitude at constant frequency) and a flat (gold or silicon oxide) substrate. As the probe further approaches the substrate, its amplitude decreases. Shear forces (of yet unknown precise origin) are typically invoked to explain the apparently pure damping effects affecting the probe's motion. Herein, SANM measurements underscore instead the role of near-field acoustic emission from the water meniscus as an elastic energy dissipation channel involved in shear interactions. A simplified thermodynamic argument is provided to justify the formation of a water meniscus between the probe and the sample once they are at sufficient separation distance. The reported measurements focus on the role played by the tip's geometry (by using probes of slender and chubby apex termination). The results shed some light on the potential origin of the so-called shear forces, invoked in many scanning probe microscopy applications, but not yet well understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass provides a promising source of carbon for obtaining environment-friendly carbon materials, but obtaining heteroatom-doped carbon materials (HDCMs) from biomass directly by a green method still remains challenging. This study successfully synthesized nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped porous carbon materials (Y-NPC) by the simple in situ pyrolysis of renewable yeast mixed with water from 800 to 950 °C. Various characterization methods show that nitrogen and phosphorus are doped into the carbon skeleton and mainly exist in the forms of graphite-N, pyridine-N, C–P, P–N, and P–O states. The catalyst Y-NPC-900 °C with a 3D hierarchical porous structure and high P–N content exhibited superior nitro hydrogenation performance and reaction stability using molecular hydrogen and hydrazine hydrate as hydrogen sources under mild conditions. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experiments attributed the exceptional catalytic performance to hydrogen activation and the good adsorption ability of substrates over N, P co-doped carbon (NPC). Therefore, this research proposes an eco-friendly and simple synthesis strategy for in situ N, P co-doping metal-free carbon catalysts derived from biomass, showing the significance of N, P co-doping and single N- or P-monodoping in the charge distribution of carbon materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was desinged to evaluate the efficacy and safety of activated allograft combined with the induced membrane technique for reconstruction of infected segment bone defects of lower limbs. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 19 patients from May 2015 to February 2017. After debridements, the bone defects were filled with antibiotic bone cement to form the induced membrane. Autologous mesenchymal stem cells were seeded onto allografts to construct activated allograft, which was implanted into the induced membrane after infection was controlled. The clinical efficacy and complications were observed. 19 patients with 20 infected segment bone defect were evaluated. The average deficit size was 11.08 (4–17) cm in length. After a mean follow-up of 71.84 (61–82) months, bone union was achieved in 16 patients (17 sites), resulting in a final union rate of 84.21% (16/19 patients). The average bone union time was 10.18 (5–28) months. There were 2 patients with recurrence of infection, 3 patients with graft absorption, and 1 patient with malunion due to implant breakage. There were no graft-related complications. This study provides clinical significance for the treatment of patients with insufficient autologous bone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was desinged to evaluate the efficacy and safety of activated allograft combined with the induced membrane technique for reconstruction of infected segment bone defects of lower limbs. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 19 patients from May 2015 to February 2017. After debridements, the bone defects were filled with antibiotic bone cement to form the induced membrane. Autologous mesenchymal stem cells were seeded onto allografts to construct activated allograft, which was implanted into the induced membrane after infection was controlled. The clinical efficacy and complications were observed. 19 patients with 20 infected segment bone defect were evaluated. The average deficit size was 11.08 (4–17) cm in length. After a mean follow-up of 71.84 (61–82) months, bone union was achieved in 16 patients (17 sites), resulting in a final union rate of 84.21% (16/19 patients). The average bone union time was 10.18 (5–28) months. There were 2 patients with recurrence of infection, 3 patients with graft absorption, and 1 patient with malunion due to implant breakage. There were no graft-related complications. This study provides clinical significance for the treatment of patients with insufficient autologous bone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat-shock transcription factors (HSFs) are crucial for regulating plant responses to heat and various stresses, as well as for maintaining normal cellular functions and plant development. HSFA9 and HSFA2 are two of the Arabidopsis class A HSFs and their expressions are dramatically induced in response to heat shock (HS) stress among all 21 Arabidopsis HSFs. However, the detailed biological roles of their cooperation have not been fully characterized. In this study, we employed an integrated approach that combined bioinformatics, molecular genetics and computational analysis to identify and validate the molecular mechanism that controls seed longevity and thermotolerance in Arabidopsis. The acquisition of tolerance to deterioration was accompanied by a significant transcriptional switch that involved the induction of primary metabolism, reactive oxygen species and unfolded protein response, as well as the regulation of genes involved in response to dehydration, heat and hypoxia. In addition, the cis -regulatory motif analysis in normal stored and controlled deterioration treatment (CDT) seeds confirmed the CDT-repressed genes with heat-shock element (HSE) in their promoters. Using a yeast two-hybrid and molecular dynamic interaction assay, it is shown that HSFA9 acted as a potential regulator that can interact with HSFA2. Moreover, the knock-out mutants of both HSFA9 and HSFA2 displayed a significant reduction in seed longevity. These novel findings link HSF transcription factors with seed deterioration tolerance and longevity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the classes and locations of prohibited items is the target of security inspection. However, X-ray security inspection images with insufficient feature extraction, imbalance between easy and hard samples, and occlusion lead to poor detection accuracy. To address the above problems, an object-detection method based on YOLOv8 is proposed. Firstly, an ASFF (adaptive spatial feature fusion) and a weighted feature concatenation algorithm are introduced to fully extract the scale features from input images. In this way, the model can learn further details in training. Secondly, CoordAtt (coordinate attention module), which belongs to the hybrid attention mechanism, is embedded to enhance the learning of features of interest. Then, the slide loss function is introduced to balance the simple samples and the difficult samples. Finally, Soft-NMS (non-maximum suppression) is introduced to resist the conditions containing occlusion. The experimental result shows that mAP (mean average precision) achieves 90.2%, 90.5%, 79.1%, and 91.4% on the Easy, Hard, and Hidden sets of the PIDray and SIXray public test set, respectively. Contrasted with original model, the mAP of our proposed YOLOv8n model increased by 2.7%, 3.1%, 9.3%, and 2.4%, respectively. Furthermore, the parameter count of the modified YOLOv8n model is roughly only 3 million. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Drought is one of the main consequences of global climate change and this problem is expected to intensify in the future. Resurrection plants evolved the ability to withstand the negative impact of long periods of almost complete desiccation and to recover at rewatering. In this respect, many physiological, transcriptomic, proteomic and genomic investigations have been performed in recent years, however, few epigenetic control studies have been performed on these valuable desiccation-tolerant plants so far. Results: In the present study, for the first time for resurrection plants we provide evidences about the differential chromatin accessibility of Haberlea rhodopensis during desiccation stress by ATAC-seq (Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin with high-throughput sequencing). Based on gene similarity between species, we used the available genome of the closely related resurrection plant Dorcoceras hygrometricum to identify approximately nine hundred transposase hypersensitive sites (THSs) in H. rhodopensis. The majority of them corresponds to proximal and distal regulatory elements of different genes involved in photosynthesis, carbon metabolism, synthesis of secondary metabolites, cell signalling and transcriptional regulation, cell growth, cell wall, stomata conditioning, chaperons, oxidative stress, autophagy and others. Various types of binding motifs recognized by several families of transcription factors have been enriched from the THSs found in different stages of drought. Further, we used the previously published RNA-seq data from H. rhodopensis to evaluate the expression of transcription factors putatively interacting with the enriched motifs, and the potential correlation between the identified THS and the expression of their corresponding genes. Conclusions: These results provide a blueprint for investigating the epigenetic regulation of desiccation tolerance in resurrection plant H. rhodopensis and comparative genomics between resurrection and non-resurrection species with available genome information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Drought is one of the main consequences of global climate change and this problem is expected to intensify in the future. Resurrection plants evolved the ability to withstand the negative impact of long periods of almost complete desiccation and to recover at rewatering. In this respect, many physiological, transcriptomic, proteomic and genomic investigations have been performed in recent years, however, few epigenetic control studies have been performed on these valuable desiccation-tolerant plants so far. Results: In the present study, for the first time for resurrection plants we provide evidences about the differential chromatin accessibility of Haberlea rhodopensis during desiccation stress by ATAC-seq (Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin with high-throughput sequencing). Based on gene similarity between species, we used the available genome of the closely related resurrection plant Dorcoceras hygrometricum to identify approximately nine hundred transposase hypersensitive sites (THSs) in H. rhodopensis. The majority of them corresponds to proximal and distal regulatory elements of different genes involved in photosynthesis, carbon metabolism, synthesis of secondary metabolites, cell signalling and transcriptional regulation, cell growth, cell wall, stomata conditioning, chaperons, oxidative stress, autophagy and others. Various types of binding motifs recognized by several families of transcription factors have been enriched from the THSs found in different stages of drought. Further, we used the previously published RNA-seq data from H. rhodopensis to evaluate the expression of transcription factors putatively interacting with the enriched motifs, and the potential correlation between the identified THS and the expression of their corresponding genes. Conclusions: These results provide a blueprint for investigating the epigenetic regulation of desiccation tolerance in resurrection plant H. rhodopensis and comparative genomics between resurrection and non-resurrection species with available genome information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive production of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) in activated hepatic stellate cells (aHSCs) promotes liver fibrosis by activating the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway. Thus, specifically inhibiting the pro-fibrotic activity of TGF-β1 in aHSCs is an ideal strategy for treating liver fibrosis. Overexpression of platelet-derived growth factor β receptor (PDGFβR) has been demonstrated on the surface of aHSCs relative to normal cells in liver fibrosis. Interferon-gamma peptidomimetic (mIFNγ) and truncated TGF-β receptor type II (tTβRII) inhibit the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway by different mechanisms. In this study, we designed a chimeric protein by the conjugation of (1) mIFNγ and tTβRII coupled via plasma protease-cleavable linker sequences (FNPKTP) to (2) PDGFβR-recognizing peptide (BiPPB), namely BiPPB-mIFNγ-tTβRII. This novel protein BiPPB-mIFNγ-tTβRII was effectively prepared using Escherichia coli expression system. The active components BiPPB-mIFNγ and tTβRII were slowly released from BiPPB-mIFNγ-tTβRII by hydrolysis using the plasma protease thrombin in vitro. Moreover, BiPPB-mIFNγ-tTβRII highly targeted to fibrotic liver tissues, markedly ameliorated liver morphology and fibrotic responses in chronic liver fibrosis mice by both inhibiting the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 and inducing the expression of Smad7. Meanwhile, BiPPB-mIFNγ-tTβRII markedly reduced the deposition of collagen fibrils and expression of fibrosis-related proteins in acute liver fibrosis mice. Furthermore, BiPPB-mIFNγ-tTβRII showed a good safety performance in both liver fibrosis mice. Taken together, BiPPB-mIFNγ-tTβRII improved the in vivo anti-liver fibrotic activity due to its high fibrotic liver-targeting potential and the dual inhibition of the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway, which may be a potential candidate for targeting therapy on liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmodesmata (PD) are plasma membrane-lined cytoplasmic nanochannels that mediate cell-to-cell communication across the cell wall. A range of proteins are embedded in the PD plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and function in regulating PD-mediated symplasmic trafficking. However, knowledge of the nature and function of the ER-embedded proteins in the intercellular movement of non-cell-autonomous proteins is limited. Here, we report the functional characterization of two ER luminal proteins, AtBiP1/2, and two ER integral membrane proteins, AtERdj2A/B, which are located within the PD. These PD proteins were identified as interacting proteins with cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) movement protein (MP) in co-immunoprecipitation studies using an Arabidopsis-derived plasmodesmal-enriched cell wall protein preparation (PECP). The AtBiP1/2 PD location was confirmed by TEM-based immunolocalization, and their AtBiP1/2 signal peptides (SPs) function in PD targeting. In vitro / in vivo pull-down assays revealed the association between AtBiP1/2 and CMV MP, mediated by AtERdj2A, through the formation of an AtBiP1/2–AtERdj2–CMV MP complex within PD. The role of this complex in CMV infection was established, as systemic infection was retarded in bip1/bip2w and erdj2b mutants. Our findings provide a model for a mechanism by which the CMV MP mediates cell-to-cell trafficking of its viral ribonucleoprotein complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ellis–van Creveld (EvC) syndrome, caused by variants in EVC, is a rare genetic skeletal dysplasia. Its clinical phenotype is highly diverse. EvC syndrome is rarely reported in prenatal stages because its presentation overlaps with other diseases. Methods: A Chinese pedigree diagnosed with EvC syndrome was enrolled in this study. Whole‐exome sequencing (WES) was applied in the proband to screen potential genetic variant(s), and then Sanger sequencing was used to identify the variant in family members. Minigene experiments were applied. Results: WES identified a homozygous variant (NM_153717.3:c.153_174 + 42del) in EVC which was inherited from the heterozygous parents and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Further experiments demonstrated that this variant disrupts the canonical splicing site and produces a new splicing site at NM_153717.3: c.‐164_174del, which ultimately leads to a 337 bp deletion at the 3′ end of exon 1 and loss of the start codon. Conclusion: This is the first reported case of EvC syndrome based on a splicing variant and detailed delineation of the aberrant splicing effect in the fetus. Our study demonstrates the pathogenesis of this new variant, expands the spectrum of EVC mutations, and demonstrates that WES is a powerful tool in the clinical diagnosis of diseases with genetic heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The weight-adjusted-waist Index (WWI), an innovative metric for assessing obesity, exhibits superior efficacy in appraising lean muscle and adipose tissue mass relative to both the Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist Circumference (WC). The objective of this research paper is to investigate the correlation between WWI and the incidence of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: In this population-based study, we collected data from adult participants aged 20–80 years using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2011 and 2020 to analyze the association between WWI and the occurrence of RA and OA. NHANES, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey, is designed to evaluate the health and nutritional status of the U.S. population. The current research incorporates an extensive, nationally representative sample of U.S. adults, utilizing weighted multivariate linear regression and smoothed curve fitting techniques to examine linear and non-linear relationships. Threshold effects were determined through a two-part linear regression model. Additionally, subgroup analyses and interaction tests were conducted to explore the connection between WWI and the incidence of RA and OA. Results: Our findings reveal a linear positive correlation between WWI and OA prevalence, indicating that an increase in WWI is linked to a heightened risk of OA. Conversely, a non-linear relationship was observed between WWI and RA prevalence, exhibiting a significant threshold effect with a saturation value of 11.21 cm/√kg. A positive association was detected to the left of the saturation point, while no significant association was present between the two variables to the right of the saturation point, suggesting a complex non-linear relationship between RA prevalence and WWI. Conclusions: This investigation demonstrates a positive linear association between WWI and OA prevalence, as well as a complex non-linear relationship with RA prevalence in U.S. adults aged 20–80 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cell model is developed and validated to analyze the performance of polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) stacks and systems. It is used to characterize the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity on a TiO2-supported IrO2 catalyst and an unsupported IrO2 powder catalyst. Electrochemical, stack, and system thermoneutral potentials are defined and determined for isothermal and non-isothermal stack operation. Conditions are determined under which the system thermoneutral potential or flammability of H2 in the O2 anode stream limits the stack turndown and operating temperature. Performance is analyzed of a complete PEMWE system with an electrolyzer stack containing an IrO2/TiO2 anode catalyst (2 mg/cm2 Ir loading) and N117-like membrane mitigated for H2 crossover, anode balance-of-plant (BOP) components, cathode BOP system with temperature swing adsorption for H2 purification, and electrical BOP system with transformer and rectifier. At the rated power condition, defined as 2 A/cm2 at 1.9 V, 80 °C, and 30 bar H2 pressure, the stack/system efficiency is 65.3%/60.3% at beginning of life (BOL), decreasing to 59.3%/53.9% at end of life (EOL). The peak stack/system efficiency is 76.3%/70.2% at BOL, decreasing to 71.2%/65.6% at EOL. Improvements in catalyst activity and membrane are identified for a 50% increase in current to 3 A/cm2 at 1.8 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early biomarkers are needed to identify patients at risk of developing postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). Our objective was to determine neuronal injury-related biomarkers with predictive values for this condition. Six biomarkers (S100β, neuron-specific enolase [NSE], amyloid beta [Aβ], tau, neurofilament light chain, and glial fibrillary acidic protein) were evaluated. According to the first postoperative sampling time, observational studies showed that S100β was significantly higher in patients with POCD than in those without POCD (standardized mean difference [SMD]: 6.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.44−9.41). The randomized controlled trial (RCT) showed that S100β (SMD: 37.31, 95% CI: 30.97−43.64) and NSE (SMD: 3.50, 95% CI: 2.71−4.28) in the POCD group were significantly higher than in the non-POCD group. The pooled data of observational studies by postoperative sampling time showed significantly higher levels of the following biomarkers in the POCD groups than in the control groups: S100β levels at 1 hour (SMD: 1.35, 95% CI: 0.07−2.64), 2 days (SMD: 27.97, 95% CI: 25.01−30.94), and 9 days (SMD: 6.41, 95% CI: 5.64−7.19); NSE levels at 1 hour (SMD: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.25−1.60), 6 hours (SMD: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.12−1.45), and 24 hours (SMD: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.38−1.29); and Aβ levels at 24 hours (SMD: 2.30, 95% CI: 1.54−3.06), 2 days (SMD: 2.30, 95% CI: 1.83−2.78), and 9 days (SMD: 2.76, 95% CI: 2.25−3.26). The pooled data of the RCT showed that the following biomarkers were significantly higher in POCD patients than in non-POCD patients: S100β levels at 2 days (SMD: 37.31, 95% CI: 30.97−43.64) and 9 days (SMD: 126.37, 95% CI: 104.97−147.76) and NSE levels at 2 days (SMD: 3.50, 95% CI: 2.71−4.28) and 9 days (SMD: 8.53, 95% CI: 7.00−10.06). High postoperative levels of S100β, NSE, and Aβ may predict POCD. The relationship between these biomarkers and POCD may be affected by sampling time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we treated infected ankle bone defects with the induced membrane two-stage technique. The ankle was fused with a retrograde intramedullary nail in the second stage, and the aim of this study was to observe the clinical effect. We retrospectively enrolled patients with infected bone defects of the ankle admitted to our hospital between July 2016 and July 2018. In the first stage, the ankle was temporarily stabilized with a locking plate, and antibiotic bone cement was used to fill the defects after debridement. In the second stage, the plate and cement were removed, the ankle was stabilized with a retrograde nail, and tibiotalar-calcaneal fusion was performed. Then, autologous bone was used to rebuild the defects. The infection control rate, fusion success rate and complications were observed. Fifteen patients were enrolled in the study with an average follow-up of 30 months. Among them, there were 11 males and 4 females. The average bone defect length after debridement was 5.3 cm (2.1–8.7 cm). Finally, 13 patients (86.6%) achieved bone union without recurrence of infection, and 2 patients experienced recurrence after bone grafting. The average ankle-hindfoot function score (AOFAS) increased from 29.75 ± 4.37 to 81.06 ± 4.72 at the last follow-up. The induced membrane technique combined with a retrograde intramedullary nail for the treatment of infected bone defects of the ankle after thorough debridement is an effective treatment method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influence of low‐sodium salt on water mobility, chemical interactions, and structural changes in noodles was investigated to explore the underlying mechanisms of noodle quality changes, and the results were in comparison with those of NaCl and KCl. Low‐sodium salt increased the cooking loss, hardness, chewiness, maximum tensile strength, and tensile fracture distance of noodles. Low‐sodium salt enhanced the interaction of water and non‐aqueous components in noodles by reducing water mobility. Besides, chemical interaction test showed that low‐sodium salt induced the oxidation of some free SH groups to form SS bonds, and strengthened the hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bonds of gluten. Fluorescence spectra revealed that low‐sodium salt changed the microenvironment of gluten molecules. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that low‐sodium salt noodles presented a more continuous and compact microstructure. Among the three kinds of salted noodles, some qualities of low‐sodium salt noodles were equivalent to or slightly worse than those of NaCl noodles, but higher than those of KCl noodles. Hence, replacing part of NaCl with KCl in noodle products is an effective method to reduce sodium content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dexmedetomidine has analgesic properties, but the intraoperative analgesic effect of dexmedetomidine is often masked by the effects of other general anaesthetics. Therefore, the degree to which it reduces intraoperative pain intensity remains unclear. The objective of this double-blind, randomised controlled trial was to evaluate the independent intraoperative analgesic efficacy of dexmedetomidine in real-time. Methods: This single-centre study enrolled 181 patients who were hospitalised for below-knee orthopaedic surgeries between 19 January 2021 to 3 August 2021 were eligible for this is single-centre study. Peripheral neural block was performed on patients scheduled for below-knee orthopaedic surgeries. Patients were randomly assigned to the dexmedetomidine or midazolam group and were intravenously administered with 1.5 µg kg−1 h−1 dexmedetomidine or 50 µg kg−1 h−1 midazolam, respectively. The analgesic efficacy was evaluated using the real-time non-invasive nociception monitoring. The primary endpoint was the attainment rate of the nociception index target. The secondary endpoints included the occurrence of intraoperative hypoxemia, haemodynamic parameters, the consciousness index, electromyography and patient outcomes. Results: On Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, the defined nociception index target was attained in 95.45% and 40.91% of patients receiving dexmedetomidine and midazolam, respectively. Log-rank analysis revealed that the dexmedetomidine group attained the nociception index target significantly faster and the median attainment time of the nociception index target in the dexmedetomidine group was 15 min. Dexmedetomidine group was associated with a significantly lower incidence of hypoxemia. There was no significant difference in blood pressure between the dexmedetomidine and midazolam groups. Further, the dexmedetomidine group had a lower maximum visual analogue scale score and lower analgesic consumption postoperatively. Conclusions: Dexmedetomidine has independent analgesia and systemically administered as an adjuvant agent has better analgesic efficacy than midazolam without severe side effects. Trial registration: clinicaltrial.gov Registry Identifier: NCT-04675372.Registered on 19/12 /2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical assessment of bone age is critical. Because it allows the study of the endocrine, genetic, and growth disorders in children's growth. However, clinical assessment of bone age is time-consuming and labor-intensive and is susceptible to observer error. Fully automated bone age assessment (BAA) systems can be a good solution to this problem, assisting or even replacing specialists in bone age assessment. Most of the existing fully automated BAA systems use more discriminative areas (carpal bones, finger bones, etc.) from the whole image as local information input. However, extracting multiple local regions is still complex and time-consuming. Selective extraction of regions is not objective enough and can lose some useful global information. In this paper, we propose a fully automated end-to-end BAA system that requires no additional annotation and no extraction of regions of interest. Specifically, we use a puzzle generator to generate skeletal puzzles containing information at different scales. By inputting smaller-scale skeletal puzzles, the network is forced to mining local fine-grained information first, then input larger-scale skeletal puzzles to obtain coarse-grained information, and finally learn the intact picture to obtain global information. BAA task is suboptimal as a general classification or regression task using single-valued labels due to the high similarity between hand images of similar ages. We propose a new label processing method called focused label smoothing for the BAA task and combine it with expectation regression to obtain a more robust age estimate. We perform adequate experiments on the public dataset from the 2017 Pediatric Bone Age Challenge organized by the Radiological Society of North America and we achieve great experimental performance compared to the method without manual annotation and competitive results with the method using additional manual annotation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an impedance-accelerated inverse-time over-current protection optimization scheme based on the improved quantum genetic algorithm. First, the speed of remote backup protection is improved by increasing the optimization level of backup protection. Second, to ensure the coordination of protection when the distributed generation is connected to the distribution network, a mathematical model for the optimization of inverse time protection parameters is established. The mathematical model takes the minimum total action time of the optimized main and backup protection as the objective function, and the selectivity and sensitivity requirements of the protection as the constraints. In addition, the genetic algorithm is improved from four aspects: coding method, population initialization, quantum revolving gate, and variational evolution. The theoretical analysis and simulation results show that the proposed scheme can effectively improve the selectivity and operation speed of the protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competitive initiation from multiple perforation tunnels and the non-planar propagation near the wellbore for different perforation technologies are not fully understood. Laboratory physical experiment can demonstrate the complex fracture behaviors, but there are many challenges in systematic investigation due to the difficulty in obtaining the spatiotemporal evolution of fracture development during the experimental process, the high cost of lab tests, and that the laboratory results are usually affected by random defects of rock specimens. Therefore, a 3D numerical model of perforated fracturing, which is the same scale as the physical experiments, is proposed as a powerful supplement to laboratory experiment. A verification against laboratory experimental results suggests the fidelity of numerical model. Two perforation technologies including oriented limited-entry (OLE) perforation and helical perforation are explored and compared by true-triaxial physical experiments and numerical simulations. We analyze the impacts of the horizontal stress difference and engineering factors such as the injection rate, number of clusters, perforation diameter, perforation length, and perforation density on the near-wellbore fracture morphology, cluster efficiency, and injection pressure. The results show that multiple planar fractures are created for OLE perforation, whereas various fracture morphologies including planar fractures, spiral fractures, and stepped spiral fractures composed of multiple parallel fractures, are generated for helical perforation. High cluster efficiency is generally achieved by OLE perforation, even up to 100%, which is significantly higher than helical perforation at 50%. Perforation diameter and the number of clusters per stage are the extremely important factors influencing the stimulation effect for OLE perforation. Compared with helical perforation, the extension pressure of OLE perforation is always maintained at a high level, facilitating the simultaneous growth of multiple fractures. Our results provide theoretical guidance for optimal design of operational parameters for perforated completion in geological reservoirs. Highlights: Large-scale true triaxial physical experiments of perforated fracturing, focusing on fracture growth from perforations, are conducted. A 3D numerical model of perforated fracturing is established as a powerful supplement to the laboratory physical experiment. Effects on fracture morphology, cluster efficiency and injection pressure for two perforation technologies are revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is used for quantitative detection based on the fact that the laser-induced plasma (LIP) is in local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). However, the radiation lifetime of the LIP is of the order of microseconds or less, resulting in the rapid change of physical properties inside the LIP, and the duration of LIP in LTE is very short. Numerous studies have shown that ambient pressure has significant influence on the LIP, but the influence of ambient pressure on the spatial–temporal evolution of LTE for LIP is still not clear, and the mechanism of the influence of ambient pressure on the LIP is obscure. In the present study, the spatially–temporally resolved spectra of the LIP were analyzed from the laser incident direction, and the influence of ambient pressure on the spatial–temporal evolution of LTE for LIP was studied. The experimental results showed that the LIP deviates from LTE when it is farther away from the plasma core and there is a longer delay time. Moreover, the results indicated that ambient pressure has a significant influence on the spatial–temporal evolution of LTE. In a higher ambient pressure environment, the ion energy level population of LIP is much closer to Boltzmann distribution and the LIP deviates from LTE faster with the increase of distance from the LIP core and slower with the increase of delay time. Finally, the moment at which the LIP core begins to depart from LTE decreases rapidly with the ambient pressure. This work is helpful for understanding the influence of ambient pressure on LIP, optimizing the experimental parameters of LIBS, and providing references for LIBS applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this work was to investigate the potential of hydrogen and fuel cells replacing diesel and internal combustion engines in the ultraclass haul trucks deployed in the mining sector. Performance, range, durability, and cost are the main criteria considered for comparing the two fuels and engine options. Fuel cell system (FCS) performance is characterized in terms of heat rejection, efficiency, and fuel consumption for a hybrid platform equivalent to a 3500 hp diesel engine operating on a representative open pit mining duty cycle. A hybrid platform was chosen because the heat rejection, with a constrained radiator frontal area, limits the maximum fuel cell-rated power by about 50% compared to that of the diesel truck. The hybrid powertrain was 81–88% more efficient than the diesel powertrain on the truck duty cycle. A liquid hydrogen storage system is required for an equal range or time between refilling, but the packaging remains a challenge. Fuel cell and battery durability were evaluated for their performance degradation and lifetime. Achieving a fuel cell lifetime comparable to the time between major overhauls for diesel trucks necessitates the oversizing of the membrane-active area, catalyst overloading, and voltage clipping. For an equal lifetime, the battery must be oversized to control its depth of discharge and charge/discharge rates. A total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis considering the initial capital expenditures, as well as the lifetime cost of fuel, operation, and maintenance, indicates that fuel cells and hydrogen can compete with diesel. A breakeven fuel cost for TCO parity is obtained if H2 is available at USD 5.79–6.85/kg vs. diesel at USD 3.25/gal and the FCS-specific cost is USD 323/kWe relative to USD 250/kW for a diesel genset. Volume manufacturing is required for FCS cost reduction. High volume is possible through the standardization, modularity, and proliferation of class 8 long-haul truck systems across different heavy-duty applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality after transplantation. This study aimed to investigate CMV seroprevalence, infection, and disease in Chinese thoracic organ transplant recipients.Methods: The clinical data of the patients who underwent lung and/or heart transplantation between January 2015 and October 2020 were retrospectively collected from four transplantation centers in China.Results: A total of 308 patients were analyzed. The CMV serostatus was donor positive (D+) recipient negative (R-) in 19 (6.17%) patients, D+/R+ in 233 (75.65%), D-/R+ in 36 (11.69%), and D-/R- in 20 (6.50%). CMV DNAemia was detected in 52.3% of the patients and tissue-invasive CMV disease was diagnosed in 16.2% of the patients. Only 31.8% of the patients adhered to the postdischarge valganciclovir therapy. The D+/R- serostatus (odds ratio [OR]: 18.32; 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.80-188.68), no valganciclovir prophylaxis (OR: 2.64; 95% CI: 1.05-6.64), and higher doses of rabbit anti-human thymocyte globulin (> 2 mg/kg) (OR: 4.25; 95% CI: 1.92-9.42) were risk factors of CMV disease.Conclusion: CMV seroprevalence was high in Chinese thoracic organ transplant donors and recipients. The low adherence rate to the postdischarge CMV prophylaxis therapy in Chinese patients is still an unresolved issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of metal material curved surface die is a common problem in engineering. From the perspective of intelligent manufacturing, this paper analyzes the mechanism and design key points of metal material curved surface die, establishes the mathematical model of die design by using the matrix equation method, and puts forward a general engineering mathematical calculation method of segmented die design. Based on the look-up table calculation, this scheme can simplify the calculation method and reduce the calculation error, which is suitable for general engineering die processing calculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To review the progress of research on photoplethysmography- (PPG-) based cuffless continuous blood pressure monitoring technologies and prospect the challenges that need to be addressed in the future. Methods. Using Web of Science and PubMed as search engines, the literature on cuffless continuous blood pressure studies using PPG signals in the recent five years were searched. Results. Based on the retrieved literature, this paper describes the available open datasets, commonly used signal preprocessing methods, and model evaluation criteria. Early researches employed multisite PPG signals to calculate pulse wave velocity or time and predicted blood pressure by a simple linear equation. Later, extensive researches were dedicated to mine the features of PPG signals related to blood pressure and regressed blood pressure by machine learning models. Most recently, many researches have emerged to experiment with complex deep learning models for blood pressure prediction with the raw PPG signal as input. Conclusion. This paper summarized the methods in the retrieved literature, provided insight into the artificial intelligence algorithms employed in the literature, and concluded with a discussion of the challenges and opportunities for the development of cuffless continuous blood pressure monitoring technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) deficiency is a major factor constraining plant growth and yield production worldwide because it is essential for living cells and organisms. To avoid disadvantageous genetic correlations between growth duration and root system, traits are critical in developing oilseed rape cultivars that use P efficiently. To understand the genetic basis underlying the correlations between root system traits and two levels of P availability in oilseed, we investigated 6091 different expression genes in the shoot and root tissues of the cultivar Eyou Changjia under low and normal P conditions. Subsequently, the Illumina Brassica 60 K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays were used in a diverse and representative core collection of 405 cultivated oilseed rape accessions, and nearly 13,340 functional SNPs with high polymorphisms were genotyped at the threshold interval of candidate genes. Four root system traits were investigated in the oilseed rape accessions in both low and normal P environments. A total of 224 suggestive association loci were identified for root system traits under low and normal P conditions. Eleven were co-located with the interval of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for the same traits detected in previous studies. Mutation of co-located SNPs with favourable alleles leads to gene sequence mutations or gene expression changes that result in different phenotypes. The interaction between multiple optimal loci and the effect of QTL aggregation of combined haplotype types with C(A3) and A(A7) formed optimal haplotypes and could improve our understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying P efficiency in oilseed rape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noble metal nanostructures can produce the surface plasmon resonance under appropriate photoexcitation, which can be used to promote or facilitate chemical reactions, as well as photocatalytic materials, due to their strong plasmon resonance in the visible light region. In the current work, Ag/Au nanoislands (NIs) and Ag NIs/Au film composite systems were designed, and their thermocatalysis performance was investigated using luminescence of Eu3+ as a probe. Compared with Ag NIs, the catalytic efficiency and stability of surface plasmons of Ag/Au NIs and Ag NIs/Au film composite systems were greatly improved. It was found that the metal NIs can also generate strong localized heat at low temperature environment, enabling the transition of NaYF4:Eu3+ to Y2O3: Eu3+, and anti-oxidation was realized by depositing gold on the surface of silver, resulting in the relative stability of the constructed complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their good dielectric properties and low global warming potential, C4F7N–CO2 and C4F7N–N2 mixtures have shown promising potential to replace SF6 in high voltage gas insulated equipment. However, during manufacturing, installation, and transportation of power equipment, burs and metal particles can be inevitably left inside, and they can cause corona discharge. Fundamental investigation of the corona discharge mechanism is essential to monitor partial discharge signals in environmentally friendly power equipment. This paper applies the fluid model to investigate the discharge mechanism of C4F7N–CO2 and C4F7N–N2 mixtures in negative point-plane corona discharge. A 2D axisymmetric model combines the drift-diffusion equations for electrons, positive ions, and negative ions and Poisson's equation to study the process of dynamics. The gas is a mixture of C4F7N (5%, 7%, or 13%) and CO2 or N2 (95%, 93%, or 87%). The rise time of the first discharge pulse in C4F7N–CO2 and C4F7N–N2 mixtures is about 0.1 ns. The interval time between the first and the second pulse in the 5% C4F7N–95%CO2 mixture is about 1.5 times longer than that in the 5% C4F7N–95% N2 mixture. When the C4F7N content is 7% and 13%, the interval time between the first and second pulses in C4F7N–CO2 mixtures is about 2 and 3 times longer than those in C4F7N–N2 mixtures, respectively. The suppression regions in C4F7N–CO2 mixtures are larger than those in corresponding C4F7N–N2 mixtures. The total number of electrons, positive ions, and negative ions in C4F7N–CO2 mixtures is higher than that in C4F7N–N2 mixtures, while the reduced electric field in C4F7N–CO2 mixtures is smaller than that in C4F7N–N2 mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance appraisal of well-facilitated farmland projects has positive significance for promoting the development of modern agriculture in rural areas and carrying out rural revitalization. Based on the AHP-object metatopological model, a well-facilitated farmland project performance appraisal system is proposed to analyze the county performance of well-facilitated farmland construction. In this study, Fangcheng County, Henan Province, is selected as the research sample area and evaluated by applying the established index system. The results show that the overall performance grade of the well-facilitated farmland project in Fangcheng County is at an excellent level with both excellent and good rates reaching more than 90%, the output is slightly lower with excellent and good rates reaching 73%, and the benefit is the worst with excellent and good rates at 53%. These indicate that the construction effect of the well-facilitated farmland project in Fangcheng County is at a good level, but the benefits are not as satisfactory as expected. In the overall appraisal, excellent accounts for 48.1%, good accounts for 26.9%, average accounts for 16.3%, and poor accounts for 8.7%. Fangcheng County has achieved a good performance level in the construction of a well-facilitated farmland project in 2019, with almost full completion of project objectives and compliance with implementation standards. This study provides a system of county performance appraisal methods for well-facilitated farmland as well as its practical application in county-level units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) make it urgent to push the frontier of AI to the network edge and release the potential of edge big data. The model's accuracy in data acquisition and music genre classification (MGC) is further improved based on theater music data acquisition. First, machine learning and AI algorithms are used to collect data on various devices and automatically identify music genres. The data collected by edge devices are safe and private, which shortens the time delay of data processing and response. In addition, the deep belief network (DBN)-based MGC algorithm has better overall recognition and classification effect on music genres. The MGC accuracy of the proposed improved DBN algorithm is nearly 80%, compared to 30%–40% of the traditional algorithms. The DBN algorithm is more accurate than the traditional classical algorithm in MGC. The research has an important reference value for developing Internet technology and establishing a music recognition model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formic acid molecules, which can be produced by reducing CO2, are considered to be liquid organic hydrogen carriers. Herein, PCN-222(Cu) loaded with Au nanorods was prepared via following a seed-induced growth route, and it exhibited highly selective photocatalytic performance during H2 generation (rate: 2.33 ± 0.12 mmol g−1 h−1, QY: 2.7 ± 0.14%) from HCOOH dehydrogenation, enhanced by plasmonic Au. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterozygous loss-of-function mutation of the calcium sensing-receptor (CaSR), causes familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia type 1 (FHH1), a typically benign condition characterized by mild hypercalcemia. In contrast, homozygous mutation of this dimer-forming G-protein coupled receptor manifests as the lethal neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism (NSHPT). To investigate the mechanisms by which CaSR mutations lead to these distinct disease states, we engineered wild-type (WT) and an exon 5-deficient disease-causing mutation, and transfected expression constructs into human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells. WT protein was mainly membrane-expressed whereas the mutant CaSR protein (mCaSR) was confined to the cytoplasm. Co-expression of WT CaSR directed mCaSR to the cell membrane. In assays of CaSR function, increases in extracellular [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]o) increased intracellular [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]i) in cells expressing WT CaSR while the response was reduced in cells co-expressing mutant and WT receptor. Untransfected cells or those expressing mCaSR alone, showed minimal, equivalent responses to increased [Ca2+]o. Immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed an association between mutant and wild-type CaSR. The affinity of the WT CaSR for calcium was three times greater than that of the heterodimer. The maximal functional response to [Ca]o was dependent on localization of CaSR to the membrane level and independent of homo- or heterodimerizations. In summary, these results suggest that heterodimerization of WT and mCaSR receptors, rescues the trafficking defect of the mutant receptors and also reduces the affinity of the WT-mutant heterodimer for [Ca]o. In contrast, the homozygous mutants do not produce functional receptors on cell membrane. These data indicate how substantial differences between signaling of hetero- and homodimeric mutants may lead to profound differences in the severity of disease in heterozygous and homozygous carriers of these mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we systematically analyzed the nutritional quality and volatile aroma compounds of stir-fried shredded potatoes, which had higher dietary fiber and calcium contents than deep fat-fried and shallow-fried potatoes and an excellent essential amino acid composition. Compared with deep fat-fried and shallow-fried potatoes, stir-fried shredded potatoes had a lower fat content. Stir frying led to a reduction in protein, starch, mineral (P, Mg, K), and vitamin contents. Incomplete gelatinization of starch granules in stir-fried shredded potatoes may have resulted in less loss of resistant starch. Moreover, this processing method, which is used in Chinese households, effectively reduced the glycoalkaloid concentration. Further volatile aroma compound analysis identified a total of 74 volatile aroma compounds, including hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, furans, ethers, and other compounds. 4-methyloctane, hexanal, α-phellandrene, γ-terpinene, o-cymene, diallyl disulfide, and linalool were the main flavor-contributing components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing sodium in foods has attracted the attention of consumers, it is therefore necessary to explore sodium alternatives (i.e., low-sodium salt). However, the mechanism of low-sodium salt on gluten in dough remains unclear. Effect of low-sodium salt on the aggregation behaviors of gluten in dough was investigated and compared with those with NaCl and KCl in this study. The results showed that low-sodium salt enhanced gluten strength and prolonged gluten aggregation time. Low-sodium salt decreased the content of SDS extractable protein under non-reducing conditions. Low-sodium salt changed the spatial conformation of gluten by reducing β-turn structure and increasing β-sheet structure. Confocal laser scanning microscopy images indicated that low-sodium salt promoted the formation of a larger and dense gluten network. In summary, this study showed that low-sodium salt promoted the aggregation of gluten in dough, and the change of gluten structure explained this aggregation mechanism. Its mode of action was similar to NaCl and KCl, which provided a theoretical basis for the study of sodium substitutes in flour products. • Low-sodium salt enhanced gluten strength and prolonged gluten aggregation time. • Low-sodium salt reduced SDS extractable protein content in dough. • Low-sodium salt increased D 32 and D 43 of gluten in dough. • Low-sodium salt changed spatial structure of gluten in dough. • Low-sodium salt promoted the formation of a larger and dense gluten network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A family of half-titanocene complexes bearing π,π-stacked aryloxide ligands and their catalytic performances towards ethylene homo-/co- polymerizations were disclosed herein. All the complexes were well characterized, and the intermolecular π,π-stacking interactions could be clearly identified from single crystal X-ray analysis, in which a stronger interaction could be reflected for aryloxides bearing bigger π-systems, e.g., pyrenoxide. Due to the formation of such interactions, these complexes were able to highly catalyze the ethylene homopolymerizations and copolymerization with 1-hexene comonomer, even without any additiveson the aryloxide group, which showed striking contrast to other half-titanocene analogues, implying the positive influence of π,π-stacking interaction in enhancing the catalytic performances of the corresponding catalysts. Moreover, it was found that addition of external pyrene molecules was capable of boosting the catalytic efficiency significantly, due to the formation of a stronger π,π-stacking interaction between the complexes and pyrene molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) secreted by activated hepatic stellate cells (aHSCs) aggravates liver fibrosis via over-activation of TGF-β1-mediated signaling pathways in a TGF-β type I receptor (TβRI) dependent manner. TβRI with the C-terminal valine truncated (RIPΔ), as a novel TβRI-mimicking peptide, is an appealing anti-fibrotic candidate by competitive binding of TGF-β1 to block TGF-β1 signal transduction. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFβR) is highly expressed on the surface of aHSCs in liver fibrosis. Herein, we designed a novel RIPΔ variant Z-RIPΔ (PDGFβR-specific affibody Z PDGFβR fused to the N-terminus of RIPΔ) for liver fibrosis therapy, and expect to improve the anti-liver fibrosis efficacy by specifically inhibiting the TGF-β1 activity in aHSCs. Target peptide Z-RIPΔ was prepared in Escherichia coli by SUMO fusion system. Moreover, Z-RIPΔ specifically bound to TGF-β1-activated aHSCs, inhibited cell proliferation and migration, and reduced the expression of fibrosis markers (α-SMA and FN) and TGF-β1 pathway-related effectors (p-Smad2/3 and p-p38) in vitro. Furthermore, Z-RIPΔ specifically targeted the fibrotic liver, alleviated the liver histopathology, mitigated the fibrosis responses, and blocked TGF-β1-mediated Smad and p38 MAPK cascades. More importantly, Z-RIPΔ exhibited a higher fibrotic liver-targeting capacity and stronger anti-fibrotic effects than its parent RIPΔ. Besides, Z-RIPΔ showed no obvious toxicity effects in treating both an in vitro cell model and an in vivo mouse model of liver fibrosis. In conclusion, Z-RIPΔ represents a promising targeted candidate for liver fibrosis therapy. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies superlattice materials with M barrier (InAs/GaSb/AlSb/GaSb superlattice) and B barrier (InAs/AlSb superlattice) structures. Firstly, it introduces the diffusion current, generation-recombination current, tunneling current and surface leakage current in devices, and analyzes the factors affecting different dark current mechanisms. Secondly, it theoretically analyzes the influence of the two barrier structures on device performance. Finally, devices were fabricated using these two structures, and the device performance was characterized. At a bias voltage of −50 mV and operating temperature of 77K. The PπMN type long-wave infrared (LWIR) detector has an RA of 91.4 Ω cm2 and a LW dark current density of 3.51 × 10−4 A cm−2. The PπBN type LWIR detector has an RA of 439 Ω cm2 and a LW dark current density of 2.81 × 10−4 A cm−2. Meanwhile, by fitting the data at different temperatures, the activation energy E a of the PπMN type LWIR detector is 119.8 meV, with dark current mainly determined by diffusion current and generation-recombination current. The activation energy E a of the PπBN type LWIR detector is 126.2 meV, with dark current mainly determined by diffusion current. This experimentally verifies the dominant dark current mechanisms for the two barrier structures of LWIR detectors, providing strong support for the design of superlattice detector structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology, a groundbreaking strategy for degradation of pathogenic proteins by hijacking of the ubiquitin-proteasome-system has become a promising strategy in drug design. However, the real-time monitoring and visualization of protein degradation processes have been long-standing challenges in the realm of drug development. In this research, we sought to amalgamate the highly efficient protein-degrading capabilities of PROTAC technology with the visualization attributes of fluorescent probes, with the potential to pave the path for the design and development of a novel class of visual PROTACs. These novel PROTACs uniquely possess both fluorescence imaging and therapeutic characteristics, all with the goal of enabling real-time observations of protein degradation processes. Our approach involved the utilization of a high ER-targeting fluorescent probe, previously reported in our laboratory, which served as a warhead that specifically binds to the protein of interest (POI). Additionally, a VHL ligand for recruiting E3 ligase and linkers of various lengths were incorporated to synthesize a series of novel ER-inherent fluorescence PROTACs. Among them, compound A3 demonstrated remarkable efficiency in degrading ERα proteins (DC 50 = 0.12 μM) and displaying exceptional anti-proliferative activity against MCF-7 cells (IC 50 = 0.051 μM). Furthermore, it exhibited impressive fluorescence imaging performance, boasting an emission wavelength of up to 582 nm, a Stokes shift of 116 nm, and consistent optical properties. These attributes make it especially suitable for the real-time, in situ tracking of ERα protein degradation processes, thus may serve as a privileged visual theranostic PROTAC for ERα+ breast cancer. This study not only broadens the application spectrum of PROTAC technology but also introduces a novel approach for real-time visualization of protein degradation processes, ultimately enhancing the diagnostic and treatment efficacy of PROTACs. [Display omitted] • Fluorescence imaging blends with therapeutic enable creating novel visual PROTACs. • Fluorescent A3 displays potent ERα degradation and anti-proliferative activities. • Expands PROTAC technology for real-time visualization of ERα protein degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore a downburst gale early warning index with more time leading early warning, the present study analyzed the environmental conditions, ground element field characteristics and the downburst process caused by six storm cells in a downburst event along the Huaihe River in Jiangsu Province and discussed the possible causes of disastrous gale by conducting synoptic analysis and radar echo characteristic analysis. The results show that the downburst was caused by the strong cold downdraft of the isolated convective systems, such as the pulse storms, which were triggered under the condition of weak vertical wind shear with a forward-inclined trough structure. The annular gust front with slow outward diffusion could be identified at the periphery of the storm cell 20 ~ 40 minutes before the occurrence of the ground disastrous gale, which could be regarded as the precursor signal of thunderstorm winds. The reflectivity factor core, storm centroid height and vertical integrated liquid water content of storm monomer showed the characteristics of continuous decline about 20 minutes before the occurrence of strong winds. The disastrous gale may be caused by the simultaneous superposition of the downburst and divergent air flow under the two storm cells, the strong variable pressure wind, the strong density current and the strengthening of the secondary circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secukinumab, a full human immunoglobulin G1κ monoclonal antibody that targets interleukin‐17A, has demonstrated remarkable efficacy and appreciable tolerance in patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis. However, data on its real‐life performance, particularly on drug survival in China are limited. To investigate the efficacy, safety, and drug survival of secukinumab in Chinese patients with psoriasis, we conducted a monocentric retrospective study of 66 patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis to followed‐up for 52 weeks. At week 12, 86.4%, 57.6%, and 10.6% of the patients attained 75% improvement in psoriasis area and severity Index (PASI) score from baseline (PASI 75), PASI 90, and PASI 100 responses, respectively. The quality of life of patients markedly improved. The overall survival rate was 74.2%. Adverse events occurred in 30 patients (45.5%). The results revealed favorable efficacy, safety, and tolerability of secukinumab in the treatment of patients with psoriasis and provided data on drug survival in real‐life clinical setting in China for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An internal fixation composite structure of antibiotic cement plates was created. The aim of this study was to analyse the infection control effect of this structure when applied to treat a bone infection. We retrospectively analysed patients with bone infection admitted to our hospital between January 2013 and June 2019. After debridement, an antibiotic cement plate composite structure was used to fill and stabilize the defects. The treatment effect was evaluated at six months after surgery, and the infection control rate, factors associated with the recurrence of infection, and complications were analysed. If the patients had bone defects, the defect was repaired after infection control, and the infection control rate of all of the patients was re-evaluated at 12 months after surgery. A total of 548 patients were treated with this technique, including 418 men and 130 women. The infection sites included 309 tibias, 207 femurs, 16 radii and ulnae, 13 humeri, and 3 clavicles. After at least 6 months of follow-up, 92 patients (16.79%) had an infection recurrence and needed further treatment. The recurrence rate of the tibia was higher than that of the femur (P = 0.025). Eighty-nine out of 92 patients who relapsed underwent a second debridement with the same method, and the infection control rate after the second debridement was 94.71%. Complications included 8 cases of epidermal necrosis around the incision, 6 cases of internal fixation failure, and 30 cases of lower limb swelling. By the follow-up time of 12 months, another 6 patients had experienced recurrence of infection, and 4 cases were controlled after debridement. Finally, among all 548 cases, 7 patients remained persistently infected, and 6 underwent amputation. The infection control rate was 97.6% at the 1-year follow-up. The clinical efficacy of this new antibiotic cement plate composite structure for internal fixation after debridement of bone infection is stable and reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, multi-stage hydraulic fracturing for shale oil reservoirs is developing toward a shorter cluster spacing and a larger number of clusters per stage. The objective is to improve the stimulation performance by reducing the fracturing stages and creating more hydraulic fractures in terms of cost-efficiency in geological engineering. Field tests demonstrate the uneven distribution of fluid volume among clusters and only a few perforation clusters contribute to productivity. The extreme limited entry (XLE) completion is an effective method to improve the efficiency of perforation clusters. However, the influence of several controlling parameters on the cluster effectiveness during XLE completion remains elusive. Therefore, a 3D field-scale hydraulic fracturing model for XLE completion based on the lattice method is developed for the case of shale oil reservoirs of Changqing oilfield in China. In this model, perforation friction, geological factor such as stress difference between adjacent clusters, and filtration of fracturing fluid are considered. The numerical results are compared with field data (i.e., injection pressure and cluster efficiency) obtained from the fracturing construction and the step-down test. The influences of injection rate, cluster spacing, cluster number, and stress difference between adjacent clusters on the fracture morphology, cluster efficiency and injection pressure of XLE completion are discussed in detail. The results show that perforation friction is the most critical factor that affects the efficiency of perforation cluster during XLE completion. A guide chart of cluster efficiency under various differential geological stresses between adjoining clusters is proposed. According to this guide chart, the required perforation friction under different cases can be obtained, and then the related perforation parameters (i.e., perforation diameter and number) can be determined. The research results provide theoretical guidance for optimization of XLE completion in geological reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the influential nodes of complex networks is now seen as essential for optimizing the network structure or efficiently disseminating information through networks. Most of the available methods determine the spreading capability of nodes based on their topological locations or the neighbor information, the degree of node is usually used to denote the neighbor information, and the k-shell is used to denote the locations of nodes, However, k-shell does not provide enough information about the topological connections and position information of the nodes. In this work, a new hybrid method is proposed to identify highly influential spreaders by not only considering the topological location of the node but also the neighbor information. The percentage of triangle structures is employed to measure both the connections among the neighbor nodes and the location of nodes, the contact distance is also taken into consideration to distinguish the interaction influence by different step neighbors. The comparison between our proposed method and some well-known centralities indicates that the proposed measure is more highly correlated with the real spreading process, Furthermore, another comprehensive experiment shows that the top nodes removed according to the proposed method are relatively quick to destroy the network than other compared semi-local measures. Our results may provide further insights into identifying influential individuals according to the structure of the networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facial expression is one of the most direct and effective ways to recognize emotions, widely used in human‐computer interaction, affective computing, and other research fields. Expression recognition can be divided into discrete expression classification and continuous dimensional emotion recognition. Most of the existing multi‐dimensional emotional estimation only considers the data under laboratory conditions. In this paper, facial emotion estimation is performed based on real‐world images and combined with the advantages of multi‐task learning and attention mechanism. We improve the multi‐task attention network (MTAN) from two aspects: task and feature. At the aspect of the task, the multi‐task collaborative attention network (MTCAN), which is based on task correlation, is proposed to solve task deviation in multi‐task learning. At the aspect of the feature, based on MTCAN, we came up with MTACN, which used the self‐attention mechanism to measure the importance of each attention module for each specific task. Then, we can capture the local‐to‐global connection in one step and fully exploit the feature within different levels of each task. Experimental results on the AffectNet dataset show that the performance of the model is significantly better than the original network, and the Root‐mean‐square error and consistency correlation coefficient results are superior to other existing models. © 2021 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calix[4]pyrrole‐based porous organic polymers (P1–P3) for removing organic micropollutants from water were prepared. A bowl‐shaped α,α,α,α‐tetraalkynyl calix[4]pyrrole and diketopyrrolopyrrole monomer were crosslinked via Sonogashira coupling to produce a 3D network polymer, P1. P1 proved too hydrophobic for use as an adsorbent and was converted to the corresponding neutral polymer P2 (containing carboxylic acid groups) and its anionic derivative P3 (containing carboxylate anion groups). Anionic P3 outperformed P2 in screening studies involving a variety of model organic micropollutants of different charge, hydrophilicity and functionality. P3 proved particularly effective for cationic micropollutants. The theoretical maximum adsorption capacity (qmax,e) of P3 reached 454 mg g−1 for the dye methylene blue, 344 mg g−1 for the pesticide paraquat, and 495 mg g−1 for diquat. These uptake values are significantly higher than those of most synthetic adsorbent materials reported to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calix[4]pyrrole‐based porous organic polymers (P1–P3) for removing organic micropollutants from water were prepared. A bowl‐shaped α,α,α,α‐tetraalkynyl calix[4]pyrrole and diketopyrrolopyrrole monomer were crosslinked via Sonogashira coupling to produce a 3D network polymer, P1. P1 proved too hydrophobic for use as an adsorbent and was converted to the corresponding neutral polymer P2 (containing carboxylic acid groups) and its anionic derivative P3 (containing carboxylate anion groups). Anionic P3 outperformed P2 in screening studies involving a variety of model organic micropollutants of different charge, hydrophilicity and functionality. P3 proved particularly effective for cationic micropollutants. The theoretical maximum adsorption capacity (qmax,e) of P3 reached 454 mg g−1 for the dye methylene blue, 344 mg g−1 for the pesticide paraquat, and 495 mg g−1 for diquat. These uptake values are significantly higher than those of most synthetic adsorbent materials reported to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An array of ABA‐type thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), that is, poly(styrene‐b‐(ε‐caprolactone‐co‐4‐methyl‐ε‐caprolactone)‐b‐styrene) (SCSs), with controlled molecular weights and narrow distributions, are synthesized by ring opening copolymerization of 4‐methyl‐ε‐caprolactone and ε‐caprolactone and subsequent atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene. Thermal and mechanical analyses indicate that the molecular weights of middle and end blocks have significant effect on both the thermal and mechanical performances. It is worth noting that the target polymer SCS(155, 0.33) shows tensile strength of up to ≈42 MPa and impressive ultimate elongations of up to 1100% which is much higher than common styrenic TPEs. Additionally, SCS(155, 0.33) also displays an elastic recovery value of 91.5% after 19 stress‐strain cycles, suggesting that a good elastic recovery property therein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adsorption of CO, CO2, CH4, H2, N2 and N2O on armchair (5,5) boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) with and without the doping of transition metals (TM), i.e. Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu or Zn, was investigated using the density functional theory calculation. The results indicate all the considered gases are physically adsorbed by weak interaction on the pure BNNT, revealing that pure BNNT has poor sensing performance for these gases. TM are then doped in the B or N vacancy of BNNT to improve the sensitivity and selectivity. As a result, it was found that the gas adsorption performance of BNNT is obviously enhanced due to the introduction of TM dopant atom. In particularly, according to the results of adsorption energy, Cu doped BNNT (Cu-BNNT) system shows a high selectivity toward CO molecule compared with other metal doped systems. This is further confirmed by the density of state, energy gap and charge transfer analyses. Furthermore, based on the sensor performance analysis, it was found that Cu-BNNT also has favorable desorption characteristics for CO. Therefore, this study concluded that Cu-BNNT can be used as a superior sensor material with high sensitivity, selectivity and favorable recycle time for CO gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multilocular trait is generally considered as a desirable agricultural trait for the high‐yield breeding of Brassica crops and has attracted considerable attention. The siliques of multilocular plants contain more chambers and seeds than those of bilocular rapeseed varieties and, thus, have a higher yield. Furthermore, multilocular plants are precious germplasm resources for the breeding of Brassica crops. In this article, we provide a summary of researches regarding the multilocular trait in rapeseed, including its natural germplasms, silique morphology, genetic models, and regulatory mechanisms. The study will highlight the potential of multilocular rapeseed for high‐yield breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let α , β ∈ (0 , 1) such that at least one of them is irrational. We take a random walk on the real line such that the choice of α and β has equal probability 1/2. We prove that almost surely the αβ -orbit is uniformly distributed module one, and the exponential sums along its orbit have the square root cancellation. We also show that the exceptional set in the probability space, which does not have the property of uniform distribution modulo one, is large in the terms of topology and Hausdorff dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]