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TiN/TiO 2 composite ceramics coatings have been deposited on the surface of Q345B structural steel using supersonic dual-filament arc spraying. The structural, mechanical, wear resistance and corrosion resistance properties of TiN/TiO 2 composite ceramics coatings were systematically analyzed using various characterization techniques. The physical and chemical compositions, surface morphology, Young's modulus and hardness of the coatings were analyzed using XRD, XPS, SEM, EDS and nanoindentation. The corrosion resistance properties of the coatings were evaluated using potentiodynamic polarization tests in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The wear condition and specific wear rate of linear reciprocating friction of the coatings and Q345B against GCr15 steel balls at different normal loads of 5 N and 10 N and in a 3.5 wt% NaCl corrosive solution environment were investigated using a Rtec-multifunctional friction machine. The wear surface and wear mechanism were also analyzed. The results show that the coating thickness is approximately 300 μm, the internal structure is uniform and dense, and the overall porosity is low, exhibiting a certain laminar structure. The coating exhibits extremely high hardness and high Young's modulus of 26.3 GPa and 264.3 GPa, respectively, with a 10.2-fold increase in hardness over the substrate. The corrosion current of the coatings decreased by three orders of magnitude compared to the substrate, with higher polarization resistance and charge transfer resistance. In wear tests under different conditions, the coatings exhibit perfect wear resistance characteristics, with a specific wear rate of only 5.19%–14.48% of the substrate specific wear rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Ottelia Pers. is in the Hydrocharitaceae family. Species in the genus are aquatic, and China is their centre of origin in Asia. Ottelia alismoides (L.) Pers., which is distributed worldwide, is a distinguishing element in China, while other species of this genus are endemic to China. However, O. alismoides is also considered endangered due to habitat loss and pollution in some Asian countries. Ottelia alismoides is the only submerged macrophyte that contains three carbon dioxide-concentrating mechanisms, i.e. bicarbonate (HCO3−) use, crassulacean acid metabolism and the C4 pathway. In this study, we present its first genome assembly to help illustrate the various carbon metabolism mechanisms and to enable genetic conservation in the future. Data description: Using DNA and RNA extracted from one O. alismoides leaf, this work produced ∼ 73.4 Gb HiFi reads, ∼ 126.4 Gb whole genome sequencing short reads and ∼ 21.9 Gb RNA-seq reads. The de novo genome assembly was 6,455,939,835 bp in length, with 11,923 scaffolds/contigs and an N50 of 790,733 bp. Genome assembly completeness assessment with Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs revealed a score of 94.4%. The repetitive sequence in the assembly was 4,875,817,144 bp (75.5%). A total of 116,176 genes were predicted. The protein sequences were functionally annotated against multiple databases, facilitating comparative genomic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Nasopharyngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma (NACC) is a rare malignancy with special biological features. Controversies exist regarding the treatment approach and prognostic factors in the IMRT era. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes and management approaches in NACC. Methods: Fifty patients with NACC at our institution between 2010 and 2020 were reviewed. Sixteen patients received primary radiotherapy (RT), and 34 patients underwent primary surgery. Results: Between January 2010 and October 2020, a total of 50 patients with pathologically proven NACC were included in our analysis. The median follow-up time was 58.5 months (range: 6.0–151.0 months). The 5-year overall survival rate (OS) and progression-free survival rate (PFS) were 83.9% and 67.5%, respectively. The 5-year OS rates of patients whose primary treatment was surgery and RT were 90.0% and 67.3%, respectively (log-rank P = 0.028). The 5-year PFS rates of patients whose primary treatment was surgery or RT were 80.8% and 40.7%, respectively (log-rank P = 0.024). Multivariate analyses showed that nerve invasion and the pattern of primary treatment were independent factors associated with PFS. Conclusions: Due to the relative insensitivity to radiation, primary surgery seemed to provide a better chance of disease control and improved survival in NACC. Meanwhile, postoperative radiotherapy should be performed for advanced stage or residual tumours. Cranial nerve invasion and treatment pattern might be important factors affecting the prognosis of patients with NACC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating the factors that influence individual decisions to participate in social health insurance is an essential component of constructing a multi-tiered, comprehensive social health insurance system, and religious beliefs may constitute an important potential factor. Utilising data from the China General Social Survey (CGSS), this study has developed a comprehensive explanatory framework encompassing both macro- and micro-level analyses to ascertain the impact of religious beliefs on individual decisions to participate in social health insurance through quantitative methods. The findings indicate that religious beliefs significantly diminish the likelihood of individuals participating in social health insurance, and the influence varies among different types of religions; endogeneity and robustness tests offer robust support for these conclusions. With respect to heterogeneity, the influence of religious beliefs on the decision to participate in social health insurance exhibits differentiation across dimensions such as educational attainment, social trust levels, income levels, and self-rated health statuses. Furthermore, the social interaction effect and the employment opportunity effect are identified as potential mechanisms driving this influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1,4‐BN‐doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have emerged as very promising emitters in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) due to their narrowband emission spectra that may find application in high‐definition displays. While considerable research has focused on investigating the properties of these materials, less attention has been placed on their synthetic methodology. Here we developed an efficient synthetic method for 1,4‐BN‐doped PAHs, which enables sustainable production of narrowband organic emitting materials. By strategically introducing substituents, such as methyl, tert‐butyl, phenyl, and chloride, at the C5 position of the 1,3‐benzenediamine substrates, we achieved remarkable regioselective borylation in the para‐position of the substituted moiety. This approach facilitated the synthesis of a diverse range of 1,4‐BN‐doped PAHs emitters with good yields and exceptional regioselectivity. The synthetic method demonstrated excellent scalability for large‐scale production and enabled late‐stage transformation of the borylated products. Mechanistic investigations provided valuable insights into the pivotal roles of electron effect and steric hindrance effect in achieving highly efficient regioselective borylation. Moreover, the outstanding device performance of the synthesized compounds 10 b and 6 z, underscores the practicality and significance of the developed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1,4‐BN‐doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have emerged as very promising emitters in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) due to their narrowband emission spectra that may find application in high‐definition displays. While considerable research has focused on investigating the properties of these materials, less attention has been placed on their synthetic methodology. Here we developed an efficient synthetic method for 1,4‐BN‐doped PAHs, which enables sustainable production of narrowband organic emitting materials. By strategically introducing substituents, such as methyl, tert‐butyl, phenyl, and chloride, at the C5 position of the 1,3‐benzenediamine substrates, we achieved remarkable regioselective borylation in the para‐position of the substituted moiety. This approach facilitated the synthesis of a diverse range of 1,4‐BN‐doped PAHs emitters with good yields and exceptional regioselectivity. The synthetic method demonstrated excellent scalability for large‐scale production and enabled late‐stage transformation of the borylated products. Mechanistic investigations provided valuable insights into the pivotal roles of electron effect and steric hindrance effect in achieving highly efficient regioselective borylation. Moreover, the outstanding device performance of the synthesized compounds 10 b and 6 z, underscores the practicality and significance of the developed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid‐state lithium metal batteries (SSLMBs) have gained extensive attraction as one kind of next‐generation energy storage device. However, the drawbacks of flammability, low mechanical strength, and low ionic conductivity limit the further development of solid‐state polymer electrolytes (SPEs). In this work, a reactive flame‐retardant unit into the polymer framework via covalent bonding to create a nonflammable and stretchable polyurethane‐based SPEs is introduced. Meanwhile, the mechanical strength of the polymer backbone is increased by grafting a rigid benzene ring unit, which remarkably suppresses the lithium‐dendrite growth. As a result, these inflammable SPEs do not burn after contact with flames for 6 s. Furthermore, the obtained SPE expands the electrochemical stability window up to 5.1 V. Small monomers containing bromine decompose on the surface of lithium metal creating a LiBr riched solid electrolyte interface (SEI). Li|SPEs|Li symmetric battery offers a stable cycling life for more than 2100 h at 0.2 mA cm−2 and 0.2 mAh cm−2. The LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2|SPEs|Li cell equipped with the integrated cathode delivers a 142.1 mAh g−1 capacity after 330 cycles at 0.3 C with 85.2% capacity retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Brasenia is a monotypic genus in the family of Cabombaceae. The only species, B. schreberi, is a macrophyte distributed worldwide. Because it requires good water quality, it is endangered in China and other countries due to the deterioration of aquatic habitats. The young leaves and stems of B. schreberi are covered by thick mucilage, which has high medical value. As an allelopathic aquatic plant, it can also be used in the management of aquatic weeds. Here, we present its assembled and annotated genome to help shed light on medial and allelopathic substrates and facilitate their conservation. Data description: Genomic DNA and RNA extracted from B. schreberi leaf tissues were used for whole genome and RNA sequencing using a Nanopore and/or MGI sequencer. The assembly was 1,055,148,839 bp in length, with 92 contigs and an N50 of 22,379,495 bp. The repetitive elements in the assembly were 555,442,205 bp. A completeness assessment of the assembly with BUSCO and compleasm indicated 88.4 and 90.9% completeness in the Eudicots database and 95.4 and 96.6% completeness in the Embryphyta database. Gene annotation revealed 67,747 genes that coded for 73,344 proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Burnout is a common issue among medical professionals, and one of the well-studied predisposing factors is the Big Five personality traits. However, no studies have explored the relationships between these traits and burnout from a trait-to-component perspective. To understand the specific connections between each Big Five trait and burnout components, as well as the bridging effects of each trait on burnout, we employed network analysis. Methods: A cluster sampling method was used to select a total of 420 Chinese medical personnel. The 15-item Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory-15 (CBF-PI-15) assessed the Big Five personality traits, while the 15-item Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) assessed burnout components. Network analysis was used to estimate network structure of Big Five personality traits and burnout components and calculate the bridge expected influence. Results: The study revealed distinct and clear relationships between the Big Five personality traits and burnout components. For instance, Neuroticism was positively related to Doubt significance and Worthwhile, while Conscientiousness was negatively related to Accomplish all tasks. Among the Big Five traits, Neuroticism displayed the highest positive bridge expected influence, while Conscientiousness displayed the highest negative bridge expected influence. Conclusions: The network model provides a means to investigate the connections between the Big Five personality traits and burnout components among medical professionals. This study offers new avenues for thought and potential targets for burnout prevention and treatment in medical personnel, which can be further explored and tested in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to explore the spatiotemporal distribution patterns of negative emotions in mainland China during different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the external factors influencing this clustering. Using Baidu Index data for 91 negative emotion keywords, a retrospective geographic analysis was conducted across Chinese provinces from 14 October 2019 to 7 July 2022. Four spatial analysis methods (Global Moran's Index, Local Moran's Index, Bivariate Global Moran's Index, and Bivariate Local Moran's Index) are employed to identify potential clustering patterns and influencing factors of negative emotions at different stages. The results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly intensified the clustering effect of negative emotions in China, particularly with a more pronounced radiation effect in northwestern provinces. Spatial positive correlations are observed between pandemic-related Baidu indices (pandemic Baidu index, government Baidu index, nucleic acid Baidu index) and negative emotions. These findings contribute to understanding the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of negative emotions in China post the COVID-19 outbreak and can guide the allocation of psychological resources during emergencies, thereby promoting social stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Asian violence in the United States has risen significantly. Many Asian American students have been disproportionately harassed in schools and fear resuming in-person learning. Thus, educators must resist returning to the old normal. Instead, they can reimagine the pandemic as a portal to justice for Asian American youth. The authors build on three hallmarks of ethnic studies curriculum as counternarrative, reclaiming cultural identities, and community engagement to suggest how ethnic studies commonalities can be mapped to social studies curricula to create a portal to affirm and empower Asian American students after the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasingly prominent defects of traditional fossil energy, large-scale renewable energy access to power grids has become a trend. In this study, a microgrid operation optimization method, including power-to-gas equipment and a hybrid energy storage system, is proposed. Firstly, this study constructs a microgrid system structure including P2G equipment and a hybrid energy storage system of electricity and hydrogen. Secondly, aiming at minimizing the system operation cost and carbon emission penalty cost, a low-carbon economic operation optimization model of the proposed microgrid is established. Then, this study proposes a microgrid optimization method based on an improved gazelle optimization algorithm to symmetrically improve economic and environmental performance. Finally, the practicability and superiority of the above model and optimization method are verified using a real microgrid case. The results show that considering the participation of P2G equipment and a hybrid energy storage system in the optimal operation, the carbon emission of the microgrid is reduced to 33.56% of the microgrid considering only a single electric energy storage system, and the comprehensive operation cost is reduced by 6.54%. This study is conducive to promoting the development of clean energy and symmetrically enhancing the economic and environmental performance of the microgrid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal phosphides (TMPs) with an adjustable structure can greatly promote the activity of water electrolysis owing to the zero-valence metal property of P. Therefore, designing the structure of metal phosphides by regulating the structure of the metal–organic framework (MOF) precursor is an important method to optimize the performance of catalysts. Herein, we prepared a P-doped FeNi compound by utilizing a low-temperature phosphating bimetallic organic framework, which was grown on an NiFe foam (NFF) using terephthalic acid and 2-methylimidazole as ligands through a hydrothermal method. Compared to monometallic phosphides, bimetallic phosphides have shown excellent electrocatalytic performance. The overpotential of P-FeNi@NFF was only 194 mV for the oxygen evolution reaction at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. In addition, the overall water splitting (OWS) performance of P-FeNi@NFF was analyzed. A current density of 10 mA cm−2 could be achieved with a cell voltage of 1.59 V, and the OWS process could continue for at least 27 h at a high current density of 500 mA cm−2. Its excellent catalytic performance was mainly attributed to the excellent conductivity of the phosphide catalyst on the conductive substrate. Additionally, the lattice distortion resulting from a lattice mismatch between Ni2P and Fe2P could accelerate electron transfer, thus greatly improving the intrinsic activity of the catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), encompassing exosomes, microvesicles (MVs), and apoptotic bodies (ABs), are cell-derived heterogeneous nanoparticles with a pivotal role in intercellular communication. EVs are enclosed by a lipid-bilayer membrane to escape enzymatic degradation. EVs contain various functional molecules (e.g., nucleic acids, proteins, lipids and metabolites) which can be transferred from donor cells to recipient cells. EVs provide many advantages including accessibility, modifiability and easy storage, stability, biocompatibility, heterogeneity and they readily penetrate through biological barriers, making EVs ideal and promising candidates for diagnosis/prognosis biomarkers and therapeutic tools. Recently, EVs were implicated in both physiological and pathophysiological settings of cardiovascular system through regulation of cell-cell communication. Numerous studies have reported a role for EVs in the pathophysiological progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and have evaluated the utility of EVs for the diagnosis/prognosis and therapeutics of CVDs. In this review, we summarize the biology of EVs, evaluate the perceived biological function of EVs in different CVDs along with a consideration of recent progress for the application of EVs in diagnosis/prognosis and therapies of CVDs. [Display omitted] • Extracellular vesicles (EVs) regulate diverse pathological process via transporting various bioactive molecules. • The content alteration of EVs plays a pivotal role in regulating the development of various cardiovascular diseases. • EVs with specific content combinations are promising tools for early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. • EVs have potential therapeutic applications in various cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐capacity O3‐type layered sodium oxides are considered one of the most promising cathode materials for the next generation of Na‐ion batteries (NIBs). However, these cathodes usually suffer from low high‐rate capacity and poor cycling stability due to structure deformation, native air sensitivity, and interfacial side reactions. Herein, a multi‐site substituted strategy is employed to enhance the stability of O3‐type NaNi0.5Mn0.5O2. Simulations indicate that the Ti substitution decreases the charge density of Ni ions and improves the antioxidative capability of the material. In addition, the synergistic effect of K+ and Ti4+ significantly reduces the formation energy of Na+ vacancy and delivers an ultra‐low lattice strain during the repeated Na+ extraction/insertion. In situ characterizations verify that the complicated phase transformation is mitigated during the charge/discharge process, resulting in greatly improved structure stability. The co‐substituted cathode delivers a high‐rate capacity of 97 mAh g−1 at 5 C and excellent capacity retention of 81% after 400 cycles at 0.5 C. The full cell paired with commercial hard carbon anode also exhibits high capacity and long cycling life. This dual‐ion substitution strategy will provide a universal approach for the new rational design of high‐capacity cathode materials for NIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive subtype of breast cancer that exhibits elevated glycolytic capacity. Lactate, as a byproduct of glycolysis, is considered a major oncometabolite that plays an important role in oncogenesis and remodeling of the tumor microenvironment. However, the potential roles of lactate in TNBC are not yet fully understood. In this study, our goal was to identify prognosis-related lactate genes (PLGs) and construct a lactate-related prognostic model (LRPM) for TNBC. Methods: First, we applied lactate-related genes to classify TNBC samples using a hierarchical clustering algorithm. Then, we performed the log-rank analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis to screen PLGs and construct the LRPM. The biological functions of the identified PLGs in TNBC were investigated using CCK8 assay and clone formation assay. Finally, we constructed a nomogram based on the lactate-risk score and tumor clinical stage. We used the operating characteristic curve and decision curve analysis to evaluate the predictive capability of the nomogram. Results: Our results showed that the TNBC samples could be classified into two subgroups with different survival probabilities. Three genes (NDUFAF3, CARS2 and FH), which can suppress TNBC cell proliferation, were identified as PLGs. Moreover, the LRPM and nomogram exhibited excellent predictive performance for TNBC patient prognosis. Conclusion: We have developed a novel LRPM that enables risk stratification and identification of poor molecular subtypes in TNBC patients, showing great potential in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article clarifies the historical background of China's shift to multilateralism in building global partnerships and proposes ideas for the role of China in reconstructing the world order. Challenges and opportunities for global partnership building include security and development, global governance, insufficient resources and capacity, deconstruction and paranoia of multilateralism. It discusses China's multilateral cooperation with regional countries and international organizations.

Background: Brachial plexus root avulsion (BPRA), a disabling peripheral nerve injury, induces substantial motoneuron death, motor axon degeneration and denervation of biceps muscles, leading to the loss of upper limb motor function. Acetylglutamine (N-acetyl-L-glutamine, NAG) has been proven to exert neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects on various disorders of the nervous system. Thus, the present study mainly focused on the influence of NAG on motor and sensory recovery after BPRA in rats and the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Male adult Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were subjected to BPRA and reimplantation surgery and subsequently treated with NAG or saline. Behavioral tests were conducted to evaluate motor function recovery and the mechanical pain threshold of the affected forelimb. The morphological appearance of the spinal cord, musculocutaneous nerve, and biceps brachii was assessed by histological staining. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT‒PCR) was used to measure the mRNA levels of remyelination and regeneration indicators in myocutaneous nerves. The protein levels of inflammatory and pyroptotic indicators in the spinal cord anterior horn were measured using Western blotting. Results: NAG significantly accelerated the recovery of motor function in the injured forelimbs, enhanced motoneuronal survival in the anterior horn of the spinal cord, inhibited the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and pyroptosis pathway factors, facilitated axonal remyelination in the myocutaneous nerve and alleviated atrophy of the biceps brachii. Additionally, NAG attenuated neuropathic pain following BPRA. Conclusion: NAG promotes functional motor recovery and alleviates neuropathic pain by enhancing motoneuronal survival and axonal remyelination and inhibiting the pyroptosis pathway after BPRA in rats, laying the foundation for the use of NAG as a novel treatment for BPRA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elevated excitability of glutamatergic neurons in the lateral parabrachial nucleus (PBL) is associated with the pathogenesis of inflammatory pain, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Sodium leak channel (NALCN) is widely expressed in the central nervous system and regulates neuronal excitability. In this study, chemogenetic manipulation was used to explore the association between the activity of PBL glutamatergic neurons and pain thresholds. Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) was used to construct an inflammatory pain model in mice. Pain behaviour was tested using von Frey filaments and Hargreaves tests. Local field potential (LFP) was used to record the activity of PBL glutamatergic neurons. Gene knockdown techniques were used to investigate the role of NALCN in inflammatory pain. We further explored the downstream projections of PBL using cis-trans-synaptic tracer virus. The results showed that chemogenetic inhibition of PBL glutamatergic neurons increased pain thresholds in mice, whereas chemogenetic activation produced the opposite results. CFA plantar modelling increased the number of C-Fos protein and NALCN expression in PBL glutamatergic neurons. Knockdown of NALCN in PBL glutamatergic neurons alleviated CFA-induced pain. CFA injection induced C-Fos protein expression in central nucleus amygdala (CeA) neurons, which was suppressed by NALCN knockdown in PBL glutamatergic neurons. Therefore, elevated expression of NALCN in PBL glutamatergic neurons contributes to the development of inflammatory pain via PBL-CeA projections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the compound probiotics and heat-killed compound probiotics on antioxidants, plasma biochemical parameters, intestinal histopathology, and microbiome of koi fish, Cyprinus carpio haematopterus. Koi fish (15.9 ± 0.63 g) were fed with five different diets: C (control, basal diet without probiotics), D3 (3% compound probiotics), D6 (6% compound probiotics), lnaD3 (3% heat-killed compound probiotics), and lnaD6 (6% heat-killed compound probiotics). After 28 days of the feeding trial, results showed that the activities of acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), catalase (CAT), and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) were significantly improved in koi fish fed with heat-killed compound probiotics compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Interestingly, total activities of glutamyl oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), total protein (TP), albumin (TA), globulin (GLB), and triglyceride (TG) were significantly improved in koi fish fed with compound probiotics compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The intestinal muscular and intestinal villi height of lnaD3 was significantly higher than other groups (P < 0.05). In addition, compound probiotics and heat-killed compound probiotics increased the diversity of intestinal microbes. Therefore, dietary supplementation with heat-killed compound probiotics can be an effective measure for improving nonspecific immune response, intestinal morphology, and the flora of koi fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This research analyses the relations between anxiety symptoms from the network perspective to deepen the understanding of anxiety in front-line medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic and can also provide a reference for determining potential goals of clinical interventions. Methods: A convenience sampling was adopted, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) was administered to front-line medical staff through online platforms. A regularized partial correlation network of anxiety was constructed and then we evaluated its accuracy and stability. The expected influence and predictability were used to describe the relative importance and the controllability, using community detection to explore community structure. The gender-based differences and the directed acyclic graph were implemented. Results: The connections between A1 "Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge" and A2 "Not being able to stop or control worrying", A6 "Becoming easily annoyed or irritable" and A7 "Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen", etc., were relatively strong; A2 "Not being able to stop or control worrying" and A3 "Worrying too much about different things" had the highest expected influence, and A2 "Not being able to stop or control worrying" had the highest predictability. The community detection identified two communities. The results of the gender network comparison showed the overall intensity of the anxiety network in women was higher than that in men; DAG indicated that A2 "Not being able to stop or control worrying" had the highest probabilistic priority; the lines from A2 "Not being able to stop or control worrying" to A1 "Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge" and A2 "Not being able to stop or control worrying" to A7 "Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen" represented the most important arrows. Conclusion: There exist broad interconnections among anxiety symptoms of front-line medical staff on the GAD-7. A2 "Not being able to stop or control worrying" might be the core symptom and a potential effective intervention target. It was possible to bring an optimal result for the entire GAD symptom network by interfering with A2 "Not being able to stop or control worrying". GAD may have two "subsystems". The modes of interconnection among anxiety may be consistent between genders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O3‐type Fe/Mn‐based layered oxide cathode materials with abundant reserves have a promising prospect in sodium‐ion batteries. However, the electrochemical reversibility of most O3‐type Fe/Mn‐based oxide cathode materials is still not high enough. Herein, the effect of different Cu contents on the electrochemical properties of O3‐NaFe0.50Mn0.50O2 materials is systematically investigated. The as‐prepared NaFe0.30Mn0.50Cu0.20O2 cathode achieves the synergistic optimization of the interface and bulk phase. It shows superior electrochemical performance, with an initial discharge specific capacity of 114 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C, a capacity retention rate of 94 % after 100 cycles at 0.5 C, and excellent chemical stability in air and water. In addition, the sodium ion full battery based on NaFe0.30Mn0.50Cu0.20O2 cathode and hard carbon anode has a capacity retention rate of 81 % after 100 cycles. This research provides a useful approach for the preparation of low‐cost and high‐performance O3‐type layered cathode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ovarian metastasis or recurrence of cervical microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is very rare. We report a case of unilateral ovarian recurrence 5 years after hysterectomy for the SCC stage IA1 without lymph vascular space invasion (LVSI). Case presentation: A 49-year-old female patient suffered from a dull pain in the left lower abdomen for 3 months. And five years ago, she received a laparoscopic hysterectomy for the treatment of stage IA1 (without LVSI) SCC of the cervix. The level of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) in serum was significantly elevated (10.60 ng/mL). Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a left ovarian solid tumor measuring 5.5 × 3.9 × 5.6 cm with heterogeneous enhancement. During laparotomy, the left ovarian tumor was measured about 5.0 × 4.5 × 3.0 cm and seemed densely adherent to the posterior peritoneal wall, including the left ureter. The tumor and pelvic lymph node were carefully removed. Postoperative anatomy revealed a solid mass with a greyish-white section. Postoperative pathology showed recurrent moderately differentiated ovarian SCC with negative pelvic lymph nodes. Immunohistochemistry showed that the tumor cells were positive for P16, P63, P40, and CK5/6 markers, and the positive rate of Ki67 was about 80%. Conclusions: Ovary preservation is reasonable and appropriate in young patients with microinvasive SCC. Ovarian recurrence is rare, but gynecological oncologists should not overlook its possibility. The serum SCC-Ag is an important indicator for monitoring postoperative disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature-dependent structural variations of ceramic coatings of lead titanate PbTiO3 (PT) formed at room temperature (RT) via aerosol deposition (AD) have been investigated to evaluate the stability of the ferroelectric phase. Synchrotron radiation x-ray diffraction experiments in the as-deposited state showed a polycrystalline film oriented preferentially along the c-axis of the perovskite-type ferroelectric tetragonal structure on the quartz glass substrate. The c-axis orientation may be attributed to the anisotropic structural characteristics of the crystal with a layered structure composed of a two-dimensional (2D) covalent bonding network in the ferroelectric phase at RT. The 2D interfaces of the ceramic particles in the aerosol, which are chemically activated by collision with the substrate, are most likely to recombine during the AD process and form a dense and hard coating at RT. When the PT film was heated to the paraelectric phase with a cubic structure at 1000 K, the c-axis orientation observed in the as-deposited state disappeared upon cooling owing to the degree of freedom in selecting the polar axis associated with the cubic-tetragonal phase transition. The spontaneous lattice distortion of the AD film at RT was smaller than that of the bulk ceramic. However, the phase transition temperature (TC) was approximately 100 K higher only during the first heating process from the c-oriented as-deposited state. The AD method stabilizes the ferroelectric phase up to a higher temperature, although the spontaneous polarization is suppressed. The ferroelectric ceramic materials synthesized mainly via particle collisions are assumed to have low ferroelectricity but high TC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve adaptive learning, a dynamic assessment system equipped with a cognitive diagnosis was developed for this study, which adopts a three-stage model of diagnosis-intervention-assessment. To examine how this system influenced spatial geometry learning, the study used a quasi-experimental method to investigate student learning outcomes between different groups. One hundred sixteen junior high school students participating in the experiment were divided into experimental and control groups. Experimental group engaged in adaptive learning as they corrected their misconceptions in the learning intervention stage by using learning content provided according to their cognitive diagnosis results. Control group engaged in nonadaptive learning; they corrected misconceptions using self-selected learning content and thus engaged in learning activities that were not focused on their misconceptions. The results revealed that the adaptive learning students exhibited learning performance and misconception correction ratios superior to those in the control group. Through analysis, we discovered that nearly half of the nonadaptive learning students failed to select appropriate learning content for correcting their misconceptions. In addition, the time spent on learning by the students in the two groups was significantly different; the adaptive learning students spent significantly less time on learning than the nonadaptive students, thus exhibiting higher learning efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The zircon in situ laser (U–Th)/He and U–Pb double dating technique has been proven to be a powerful and efficient tool for sedimentary provenance studies. The recently developed laser microanalysis technique offers some advantages over conventional bulk crystal chemical methods such as higher spatial resolution, more productivity, and higher safety by avoiding the usage of concentrated hydrofluoric acid. To achieve this, matrix-matched zircon reference materials with a homogeneous composition (especially parent nuclides such as U, Th, and Sm isotopes) and (U–Th)/He age are urgently needed. In this study, a new natural zircon reference material SA01 is reported for in situ (U–Th)/He and U–Pb double dating by laser microbeam techniques. Three randomly selected shards yielded weighted mean in situ (U–Th)/He ages of 350.4 ± 18.8 Ma (N = 5, MSWD = 0.66), 369.6 ± 11.4 Ma (N = 12, MSWD = 0.60), and 368.6 ± 14.4 Ma (N = 7, MSWD = 0.59), respectively, which were consistent with traditional single-crystal laser fusion He determination and U–Th isotope dilution (U–Th)/He ages of 358.5 ± 9.1 Ma (N = 17, MSWD = 1.3) and 363.7 ± 13.6 Ma (N = 8, MSWD = 1.7) from two different laboratories. All the in situ analyses yielded a concordia age of 535.2 ± 7.1 Ma (N = 32, MSWD = 5.1) and weighted mean U–Pb age of 535.4 ± 7.1 Ma (N = 32, MSWD = 0.96), which was indistinguishable with published isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U–Pb ages. Raman spectrometry analysis suggested that the SA01 zircon experienced a low degree of radiation damage. All the results suggest that the SA01 zircon could serve as a new potential reference material for in situ (U–Th)/He, U–Pb double dating and traditional solution (U–Th)/He dating techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new gravity sensor based on electromagnetic damping for the JMGrav marine gravimeter is presented. The new gravity sensor considered the advanced construction methods of the electromagnetic damping system of the gravimeter. The design features of the new system are discussed and the research survey data in the South China Sea are shown. Numerical simulations are applied to model the magnetic and mechanical characteristics of the system using finite element analysis and to evaluate the force distribution and the resulting damping effects. The performance characteristics of the system were tested on a motion simulator in laboratory, and the gravimeter was subjected to vertical accelerations of up to 100 Gal in 1–1 000 s. It was found that the amplitude reduction of vertical accelerations in 3–15 s is 30–45 dB, with a time lag of 2–5 s, while the effect on gravity in period greater than 600 s is less than 0.5 dB, with a time lag of less than 100 s. The accelerations cause discrepancies of approximately only 1 mGal between the static value and the mean dynamic value. The sea tests were conducted in September 2020. Gravity measurements were taken with a JMGrav marine gravimeter onboard the R/V Dongfanghong 3, and the effective survey line exceeded 2 000 km. Completely irregular accelerations with peaks up to 100 Gal yielded a reduction of approximately 40 dB in amplitude. The survey data were evaluated using ocean gravity field models and grid line tests. The results show that the accuracy of the gravity measurements is better than 2 mGal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To dampen periodic off-levelling motions within an inertial platform while undergoing horizontal accelerations of the same period and to achieve a levelling accuracy of a few tens of arcseconds with that system, an internally damped inertial platform for a marine scalar gravity system was the developed. Methods for attenuating horizontal acceleration and reducing off-levelling error by a satisfactory gyro-levelling loop, which are fundamental to the internally damped inertial platform, were designed and implemented. In addition, phase delays are introduced by the levelling loop. The resulting off-levelling gravity errors were analyzed and modeled. A series of tests on a motion simulator were performed in laboratory for a variety of simulated sea conditions. We found that the motion of the platform is a function of the amplitude and period of the simulated ship motions and ranges between 10 and 40 arcseconds. In addition, the phase lag between platform motion and ship motion is not constant but ranges 180°–270°, depending on the period and amplitude of the motion. Then, the platform, on which a gravimeter was mounted, was installed on the R/V Shiyan 2 to conduct a gravity survey in the South China Sea. Despite rough sea conditions, it was shown that in short periods of 2–30 s, the off-levelling angle was less than 30 arcseconds, and the phase lagged the horizontal acceleration by 230°–260°. From a repeated survey line and intersecting survey points, the estimated errors of gravity measurements were between 1.3 and 1.7 mGal. The marine measurements results were compared with those of satellite altimetry data and show a mean value of 0.5 mGal in a standard deviation of 1.5 mGal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) arise from a complex interplay among genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic abnormalities. Emerging evidence has recently consolidated the presence of robust DNA damage in a variety of cardiovascular disorders. DNA damage triggers a series of cellular responses termed DNA damage response (DDR) including detection of DNA lesions, cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, cellular senescence, and apoptosis, in all organ systems including hearts and vasculature. Although transient DDR in response to temporary DNA damage can be beneficial for cardiovascular function, persistent activation of DDR promotes the onset and development of CVDs. Moreover, therapeutic interventions that target DNA damage and DDR have the potential to attenuate cardiovascular dysfunction and improve disease outcome. In this review, we will discuss molecular mechanisms of DNA damage and repair in the onset and development of CVDs, and explore how DDR in specific cardiac cell types contributes to CVDs. Moreover, we will highlight the latest advances regarding the potential therapeutic strategies targeting DNA damage signalling in CVDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The launch of new altimetry satellites and ongoing updates to altimetry data have continuously improved the accuracy and resolution of satellite altimeter-derived marine gravity field models. This paper evaluates the accuracy and real spatial resolution of marine gravity field models using three different marine gravity field models (DTU17, SS V32.1, and SDUST) and two sets of shipborne gravity data in the South China Sea for a multiattribute analysis. After preprocessing and calibrating, the shipborne gravity data quality was verified using crossover analysis. The study then compared typical marine gravity models with shipborne gravity measurements to assess their accuracies in the South China Sea. Through spatial and frequency domain analyses, two methods were applied to calculate the real spatial resolutions of the gravity models. The root mean squares of deviations between the three gravity models and shipborne gravity range from 3.48–7.01 mGal, 3.38–6.80 mGal, and 2.64–6.83 mGal, and the real spatial resolution ranges of the models are 9.1–11.5 km, 6.7–11.2 km, and 8.9–11.3 km in the South China Sea area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a chemotherapeutic drug that is utilized for solid tumors and hematologic malignancies, but its clinical application is hampered by life-threatening cardiotoxicity including cardiac dilation and heart failure. Mitochondrial quality control processes, including mitochondrial proteostasis, mitophagy, and mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis, serve to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis in the cardiovascular system. Importantly, recent advances have unveiled a major role for defective mitochondrial quality control in the etiology of DOX cardiomyopathy. Moreover, specific interventions targeting these quality control mechanisms to preserve mitochondrial function have emerged as potential therapeutic strategies to attenuate DOX cardiotoxicity. However, clinical translation is challenging because of obscure mechanisms of action and potential adverse effects. The purpose of this review is to provide new insights regarding the role of mitochondrial quality control in the pathogenesis of DOX cardiotoxicity, and to explore promising therapeutic approaches targeting these mechanisms to aid clinical management. Mitochondrial quality control operates through the coordination of multiple processes (proteostasis, mitophagy, dynamics, and biogenesis) that maintain mitochondrial integrity and function. Doxorubicin (DOX) promotes the early phase of autophagy (autophagy initiation), whereas it blocks the late phase of autophagy by inhibiting autophagosome and lysosome fusion, as well as lysosome acidification. Impaired mitochondrial quality control processes, which favor mitochondrial dysfunction, are believed to be a major mechanism underlying DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Preclinical evidence demonstrates that modulation of mitochondrial quality control can be harnessed for therapeutic benefit against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, carbon quantum dots (PCQDs) were synthesized via a simple, green, single-step ultrasonic method from palm mane with a fluorescence quantum yield (QY) of 38.5%. A stable silver nanoparticle/carbon quantum dot (Ag/PCQD) composite was prepared using PCQDs and silver nitrate with a color change from brown to red-brown. When Hg2+ from Hg(ClO4)2 was introduced to the Ag/PCQD composite in dH2O solution and seawater samples, a color change from red-brown to colorless was observed. The interactions between the PCQDs, Ag/PCQDs and Ag/PCQDs after the addition of Hg2+ were investigated using TEM and XPS analyses. The analyses showed that the formation of a silver–mercury (AgHg) amalgam could be the working mechanism of this system. Moreover, we found that the Ag/PCQDs can also detect Hg2+ from HgCl2, Hg(NO3)2, Hg(OAc)2 and CH3HgCl (organic mercury species) with good detection performance in dH2O solution and seawater samples. It is vital to develop a sensing method that can detect Hg2+ in seawater samples. Therefore, an efficient sensing platform for detecting Hg2+ in pure water solution and seawater was constructed using the Ag/PCQD composite prepared from palm mane biomass. When Hg2+ from Hg(ClO4)2 was added to dH2O and 3.5% saline solution, the calculated detection limits were found to be 35.4 and 14.3 nM, respectively. The detected concentration exceeds the Hg2+ concentrations commonly found in seawater (∼300–400 nM). Furthermore, it is possible to improve the on-site analysis of complex seawater samples with colorimetric response without the need for complex equipment. Our strategy provides a highly innovative, rapid and low-cost method for the detection of Hg2+ in complex water matrices and seawater samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Police officers are a high-stress group with special job characteristics, and the Chinese police management system places particularly high demands on police officers. Whether the influence of job demands on officers' job burnout can be deduced to general stress response needs to be verified. Based on the JD-R model, the study aims to explore the impact of job demands on police stress response, whether job autonomy as a job resource has a moderating effect, and whether basic psychological needs mediate this effect.Methods: A total of 251 police officers in a district-level public security bureau of China, were surveyed using Chinese-language versions of the Job Demands Scale, the Stress Response Scale, the Job Autonomy Scale, and the Basic Psychological Needs Scale. The mediating effect of basic psychological needs and the moderating effect of job autonomy were tested by regression analysis and bootstrap test.Results: Job demands increase police officers' stress response, and job autonomy does not play a buffer role but enhances this impact, and job demands can partially reduce the police stress response through the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, that is, there is a masking effect of basic psychological needs.Conclusions: Adjusting and optimizing the ratio of job demands and autonomy in police work to provide high guidance under high demands is of great value to reduce the negative stress responses among police officers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in precipitation patterns and eutrophication can cause changes in plant traits and abundance, potentially affecting plant community structure and functions. Here, we studied responses of traits and abundance of Potentilla anserina to precipitation change and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) additions, and the effect of traits on its abundance in an alpine meadow of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We found that precipitation change and N and P additions significantly affected the mean value of traits such as specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), single leaf area, plant height and individual size, while only P addition significantly affected intraspecific variation of SLA and individual size. Increased precipitation and N and P additions shifted plant traits to more resource acquisitive, and increased plant abundance. Responses of plant traits to P addition were larger than that of N addition. Plant abundance was mainly affected by precipitation, and was limited by N or P dependent on precipitation conditions. In conclusions, our research shows that P. anserina can respond to environmental changes by changing its traits to improve its adaptability, potentially affecting community structure and ecosystem functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a cascaded metasurface (MS) with circular-polarization-selective properties is proposed, which can achieve high reflection for left-handed circular polarization (LCP) and high transmission for right-handed circular polarization (RCP). Such MS, constructed by cascading two kinds of MS sheets, can conduct decoupled geometric phase modulations for the LCP reflection channel and RCP transmission channel by respectively rotating the two elements in the two MS sheets. In order to show its practical applications, first, the proposed MS is applied to design a reconfigurable circularly polarized (CP) transmit-reflect-array antenna (TRA) that can be switched between a high-gain LCP transmitarray antenna and a high-gain LCP reflectarray antenna (RA) dependent on the polarization state of the feed antenna. The simulated results validate its function-switchable and high-gain characteristics. Second, a CP bidirectional antenna is designed utilizing the proposed MS and validated by a fabricated prototype with good agreement between the measured and simulated performances. The results indicate that the joint bandwidth (BW) for both forward and backward aperture efficiencies larger than 20% and axial ratios smaller than 3 dB is about 16% (9.4–11 GHz), across which the antenna realizes bidirectional high-gain and high-purity LCP radiations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reported herein an iridium/silver/acid ternary catalytic system to access bisbenzannulated [6,6]‐spiroketals in high efficiency with generally high diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities (up to >20 : 1 dr, >99 % ee). In this procedure, readily available o‐alkynylacetophenones undergo cycloisomerization to generate isochromenes in situ that participate in stereoselective allylation/spiroketalization sequence with 2‐(1‐hydroxyallyl)phenols. Meanwhile, 2‐(1‐hydroxyallyl)anilines were also compatible in this cascade reaction, furnishing structurally novel bisbenzannulated [6,6]‐spiroaminals with good diastereoselectivities (8 : 1–12 : 1 dr) and excellent enantioselectivities (98 %–>99 % ee). Moreover, experimental studies and theoretical calculations were performed to illustrate the reaction mechanism and stereochemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reported herein an iridium/silver/acid ternary catalytic system to access bisbenzannulated [6,6]‐spiroketals in high efficiency with generally high diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities (up to >20 : 1 dr, >99 % ee). In this procedure, readily available o‐alkynylacetophenones undergo cycloisomerization to generate isochromenes in situ that participate in stereoselective allylation/spiroketalization sequence with 2‐(1‐hydroxyallyl)phenols. Meanwhile, 2‐(1‐hydroxyallyl)anilines were also compatible in this cascade reaction, furnishing structurally novel bisbenzannulated [6,6]‐spiroaminals with good diastereoselectivities (8 : 1–12 : 1 dr) and excellent enantioselectivities (98 %–>99 % ee). Moreover, experimental studies and theoretical calculations were performed to illustrate the reaction mechanism and stereochemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Audience Engagement (AE)" describes how a stage performance affects the audience's thoughts, provokes a bodily response, and spurs cognitive growth. With little audience involvement, theatre performing arts like opera typically have difficulty keeping audiences' attention. The brain-computer interaction (BCI) technology could be used in opera performances to alter the audience's emotional experience. Nevertheless, for such BCI systems to function, they must accurately identify their participants' present emotional states. Although difficult to evaluate, audience participation is a vital sign of how well an opera performs. Practical methodological approaches for real-time perception and comprehension of audience emotions include psychological and physiological assessments. Hence, a multimodal emotional state detection technique (MESDT) for enhancing the AE in opera performance using BCI has been proposed. Three essential steps make up a conceptual MESDT architecture. An electroencephalogram (EEG) and other biological signs from the audience are first captured. Second, the acquired signals are processed, and the BCI tries to determine the user's present psychological response. Third, an adaptive performance stimulus (APS) is triggered to enhance AE in opera performance, as determined by a rule base. To give the opera audience a high-quality viewing experience, the immersive theatre performance has been simulated. Fifty individuals have been used in the experimental assessment and performance studies. The findings demonstrated that the proposed technology had been able to accurately identify the decline in AE and that performing stimuli had a good impact on enhancing AE during an opera performance. It has been further shown that the suggested design improves the overall performance of AE by 5.8% when compared to a typical BCI design (one that uses EEG characteristics solely) for the proposed MESDT framework with BCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Increasing evidence has demonstrated the essential role of lncRNAs in tumorigenesis. LINC00514, a novel lncRNA, was reported to be a promoter of malignant behaviors in cancer, but in pituitary adenoma (PA), its biological functions remain unclear. Methods. Herein, we measured LINC00514 expression by RT-qPCR analysis which indicated a significant elevation of LINC00514 expression in human PA tissues. Moreover, the effect of LINC00514 silencing on PA cell proliferation and invasion was, respectively, examined by CCK-8 and transwell assays. Results. The results showed that LINC00514 deletion markedly inhibited PA cell proliferation and invasion. Besides, investigation on the molecular mechanisms showed that LINC00514 might function as an endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to sponge miR-28-5p and TRIM44 was mediated by LINC00514-derived miR-28-5p in PA cells. Furthermore, the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway was mediated through the LINC00514/miR-28-5p/TRIM44 axis. Conclusion. To sum up, we suggested LINC00514 as a novel therapeutic target for PA treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrocardiogram (ECG) is an important tool for the detection of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, machine learning (ML) for the diagnosis of STEMI complicated with arrhythmia and infarct-related arteries is still underdeveloped based on real-world data. Therefore, we aimed to develop an ML model using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) to automatically diagnose acute STEMI based on ECG features. A total of 318 patients with STEMI and 502 control subjects were enrolled from Jan 2017 to Jun 2019. Coronary angiography was performed. A total of 180 automatic ECG features of 12-lead ECG were input into the model. The LASSO regression model was trained and validated by the internal training dataset and tested by the internal and external testing datasets. A comparative test was performed between the LASSO regression model and different levels of doctors. To identify the STEMI and non-STEMI, the LASSO model retained 14 variables with AUCs of 0.94 and 0.93 in the internal and external testing datasets, respectively. The performance of LASSO regression was similar to that of experienced cardiologists (AUC: 0.92) but superior (p < 0.05) to internal medicine residents, medical interns, and emergency physicians. Furthermore, in terms of identifying left anterior descending (LAD) or non-LAD, LASSO regression achieved AUCs of 0.92 and 0.98 in the internal and external testing datasets, respectively. This LASSO regression model can achieve high accuracy in diagnosing STEMI and LAD vessel disease, thus providing an assisting diagnostic tool based on ECG, which may improve the early diagnosis of STEMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: VEGF inhibitors can enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy. However, despite high initial response rates, almost all patients eventually develop treatment resistance to EGFR tyrosine-kinase inhibitors. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sintilimab with or without IBI305 plus pemetrexed and cisplatin, compared with pemetrexed and cisplatin alone, for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had disease progression after receiving EGFR tyrosine-kinase inhibitor therapy.Methods: This randomised, double-blind, multicentre, phase 3 trial was conducted at 52 hospitals in China. Eligible participants were adults aged 18-75 years with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC and EGFRmut who progressed after receiving a EGFR tyrosine-kinase inhibitor, had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1 with at least one measurable lesion, and an estimated life expectancy of at least 3 months. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive sintilimab (200 mg) plus IBI305 (15 mg/kg) plus pemetrexed (500 mg/m2) and cisplatin (75 mg/m2), sintilimab plus pemetrexed and cisplatin, or pemetrexed and cisplatin (chemotherapy alone) using block randomisation with stratification according to sex and presence or absence of brain metastases. All study drugs were administered intravenously on day 1 of each cycle, once every 3 weeks. Except for cisplatin, which was only given in the first four cycles, treatment was given for 24 months or until disease progression, intolerable toxic effects, withdrawal of consent, death, or other protocol-specified conditions, whichever occurred first. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population. We herein report the first planned interim analysis, with progression-free survival results for the comparison between sintilimab plus IBI305 plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone. The progression-free survival results for the sintilimab plus pemetrexed and cisplatin group are immature and not reported here. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03802240 (recruiting).Findings: Between July 11, 2019, and July 31, 2021, 936 patients were screened and 444 were randomly assigned (148 to the sintilimab plus IBI305 plus chemotherapy group, 145 to the sintilimab plus chemotherapy group, and 151 to the chemotherapy alone group). Data cutoff for this interim analysis was July 31, 2021. After a median follow-up of 9·8 months (IQR 4·4-13·3), progression-free survival was significantly longer in the sintilimab plus IBI305 plus chemotherapy group versus the chemotherapy alone group (median 6·9 months [95% CI 6·0-9.3] vs 4·3 months [4·1-5·4]; hazard ratio 0·46 [0·34-0·64]; p<0·0001). The most common grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events were decreased neutrophil count (30 [20%] in the sintilimab plus IBI305 plus chemotherapy group vs 26 [18%] in the sintilimab plus chemotherapy group vs 27 [18%] in the chemotherapy alone group), decreased white blood cell count (17 [11%] vs 12 [8%] vs 13 [9%]), and anaemia (18 [12%] vs ten [7%] vs 15 [10%]). Potentially treatment-related deaths occurred in six patients (intestinal obstruction, gastrointestinal haemorrhage, and myelosuppression in one patient each, and three deaths of unknown cause) in the sintilimab plus IBI305 plus chemotherapy group, and in one patient in the chemotherapy alone group (unknown cause).Interpretation: In this interim analysis, sintilimab plus IBI305 plus cisplatin and pemetrexed was generally efficacious and well tolerated in patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC who progressed after receiving EGFR tyrosine-kinase inhibitor therapy.Funding: Innovent Biologics and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.Translation: For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To investigate a deep learning reconstruction algorithm to reduce the time of synthetic MRI (SynMRI) scanning on the breast and improve the image quality. Materials and Methods. A total of 192 healthy female volunteers (mean age: 48.1 years) underwent the breast MR examination at 3.0 T from September 2020 to June 2021. Standard SynMRI and fast SynMRI scans were collected simultaneously on the same volunteer. Deep learning technology with a generative adversarial network (GAN) was used to generate high-quality fast SynMRI images by end-to-end training. Peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), mean squared error (MSE), and structural similarity index measure (SSIM) were used to compare the image quality of generated images from fast SynMRI by deep learning algorithms. Results. Fast SynMRI acquisition time is half of the standard SynMRI scan, and the generated images of the GAN model show that PSNR and SSIM are improved and MSE is reduced. Conclusion. The application of deep learning algorithms with GAN model in breast MAGiC MRI improves the image quality and reduces the scanning time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a single-sheet metasurface (MS) for independently manipulating the transmissive phase and amplitude of linearly polarized electromagnetic (EM) wave is proposed. The amplitude modulation is achieved via imposing a rotation angle to flexibly control the ratio of polarization conversion, while the phase modulation is realized by tuning the physical parameters of the unit cell to change its resonance. By integrating the proposed single-sheet MS, a low-profile metalens antenna operating around 12.2 GHz is designed, fabricated, and experimentally validated. In particular, spatially varying amplitude on the MS aperture is designed to meet the Taylor distribution, thus reducing the sidelobe level (SLL) of the metalens antenna. In addition, special MS elements rotation strategy is performed to maintain good polarization isolation-level (PIL) performance. The measured results show that the proposed metalens antenna achieves the peak gain of 25.3 dBi at 12.6 GHz with 3 dB gain bandwidth of 16.4% (11.2–13.2 GHz). Within the 3 dB gain bandwidth, this metalens antenna achieves SLL lower than −20.5 dB with an average value of −23 dB and PIL lower than −22.2 dB with an average value of −26.5 dB. Compared with metalens antenna with phase-only modulations, the proposed metalens antenna realizes a 5.7 dB average SLL suppression. The proposed metalens antenna is a promising candidate in point-to-point communications for wireless and satellite system applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this communication, a method is proposed to generate coupling null by introducing shorting pins into a stacked microstrip patch antenna (S-MPA) array, named shorted S-MPA (SS-MPA). The currents on different regions of the driven patch, with approximately equal amplitude but out of phase, are formed, due to the shorting pins, which makes the electric field component $E_{x}$ canceled, introducing a new dip near the lower resonant frequency. The new dip works with the inherent dip produced by the radiation cancellation between two patches near the higher resonant frequency. High isolation is achieved over the wide impedance bandwidth of the SS-MPA array. Expected results are obtained from the fabricated two-element SS-MPA array. Moreover, the proposed scheme is employed to a three-element array successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Addressing intensity inhomogeneity is critical in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) because associated errors can adversely affect post-processing and quantitative analysis of images (i.e., segmentation, registration, etc.), as well as the accuracy of clinical diagnosis. Although several prior methods have been proposed to eliminate or correct intensity inhomogeneity, some significant disadvantages have remained, including alteration of tissue contrast, poor reliability and robustness of algorithms, and prolonged acquisition time.Objective: In this study, we propose an intensity inhomogeneity correction method based on volume and surface coils simultaneous reception (VSSR).Methods: The VSSR method comprises of two major steps: 1) simultaneous image acquisition from both volume and surface coils and 2) denoising of volume coil images and polynomial surface fitting of bias field. Extensive in vivo experiments were performed considering various anatomical structures, acquisition sequences, imaging resolutions, and orientations. In terms of correction performance, the proposed VSSR method was comparatively evaluated against several popular methods, including multiplicative intrinsic component optimization and improved nonparametric nonuniform intensity normalization bias correction methods.Results: Experimental results show that VSSR is more robust and reliable and does not require prolonged acquisition time with the volume coil.Conclusion: The VSSR may be considered suitable for general implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Person re-identification (re-ID) is of great importance to video surveillance systems by estimating the similarity between a pair of cross-camera person shorts. Current methods for estimating such similarity require a large number of labeled samples for supervised training. In this paper, we present a pseudo-pair based self-similarity learning approach for unsupervised person re-ID without human annotations. Unlike conventional unsupervised re-ID methods that use pseudo labels based on global clustering, we construct patch surrogate classes as initial supervision, and propose to assign pseudo labels to images through the pairwise gradient-guided similarity separation. This can cluster images in pseudo pairs, and the pseudos can be updated during training. Based on pseudo pairs, we propose to improve the generalization of similarity function via a novel self-similarity learning:it learns local discriminative features from individual images via intra-similarity, and discovers the patch correspondence across images via inter-similarity. The intra-similarity learning is based on channel attention to detect diverse local features from an image. The inter-similarity learning employs a deformable convolution with a non-local block to align patches for cross-image similarity. Experimental results on several re-ID benchmark datasets demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method over the state-of-the-arts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of primary liver cancers, accounts for a significant portion of cancer-related death globally. However, the molecular mechanisms driving the onset and progression of HCC are still not fully understood. Emerging evidence has indicated that non-protein-coding regions of genomes could give rise to transcripts, termed non-coding RNA (ncRNA), forming novel functional driving force for aberrant cellular activity. Over the past decades, overwhelming evidence has denoted involvement of a complex array of molecular function of ncRNAs at different stages of HCC tumorigenesis and progression. In this context, several pre-clinical studies have highlighted the potentials of ncRNAs as novel therapeutic modalities in the management of human HCC. Moreover, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification, the most prevalent form of internal mRNA modifications in mammalian cells, is essential for the governance of biological processes within cells. Dysregulation of m6A in ncRNAs has been implicated in human carcinogenesis, including HCC. In this review, we will discuss dysregulation of several hallmark ncRNAs (miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs) in HCC and address the latest advances for their involvement in the onset and progression of HCC. We also focus on dysregulation of m6A modification and various m6A regulators in the etiology of HCC. In the end, we discussed the contemporary preclinical and clinical application of ncRNA-based and m6A-targeted therapies in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]