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Hyperspectral image unmixing gives increasing focus on the structural integrity of the spatial-spectral information. A large number of methods exploit the sparse and low-rank properties of the abundance vectors, abundance matrices and abundance maps, which are first-order or second-order structures, and are hard to preserve the integrated structure of the abundance. The abundance tensor formed by overlapping the abundance maps of endmembers sequentially is a more appropriate expression of the abundance. However, hyperspectral unmixing studies based on the abundance tensor are still in the minority, and most of these methods either inherently degrade the tensor structure to some extent, which is hard to distinguish the low-rankness of different dimensions; or are based on tensor decomposition methods, which always require a pre-estimation of the tensor rank, thus the unmixing accuracy depends on the rank estimation. In this article, we propose an unmixing model on tensor framework, in which the abundance tensor is approximated by a truncated Tucker tensor decomposition (TTD). Since the generated factor matrices are relatively low-rank, the low-rankness exploration of the abundance tensor is achieved potentially by this way. Moreover, we further improve the unmixing performance by a suitable rank estimation. The more flexible algorithm Tucker tensor decomposition with rank estimation for sparse hyperspectral unmixing (TTDRE) is proposed to differentiate the low-rankness of different dimensions of the abundance tensor while preserving the structural integrity. Experiments on synthetic and real data illustrate the effectiveness of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the luminescent performance of organic–inorganic metal halides (OIMHs) have obtained significant advances, achieving intrinsic water‐stable OIMHs remain a substantial challenge due to the fragile ionic nature of hybrid the halide structure. To overcome these challenges, a structural design strategy is proposed that involves the use of highly hydrophobic cations as a protective layer to improve the water stability of OIMH. Herein, an aprotic trimethylsulfoxonium [TMSO]+ is selected as a hydrophobic cation and successfully assemble two new manganese based OIMHs of (TMSO)MnCl3 and (TMSO)MnBr3 through facile solid and liquid phase reaction methods. Remarkably, these halides exhibit strong red light emissions with high quantum yields recorded at 86.1% and 53.4%, respectively, originating from the octahedral [MnX6]4− based one‐dimensional (1D) [MnX3]− chain. Most significantly, these halides present extraordinary structural and luminescent stabilities toward continuous corrosion by humid air, water, and acid‐aqueous solution for more than one month, suggesting promising application prospects in extreme chemical environments. In‐depth Hirshfeld surface calculations demonstrate that the ultrahigh water‐stability benefits from the abundant hydrogen bonds and strong electrostatic interactions between [TMSO]+ and [MnX3]− ions, which provides an underlying insight into the stability mechanism. This water‐stability enhancement strategy represents a breakthrough structural engineering to rationally design more water‐stable OIMH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new antimony corroles bearing nitro group at ortho-, meta-, and para-position of 10-phenyl 2-NBPC-Sb(1), 3-NBPC-Sb(2) and 4-NBPC-Sb(3), respectively, were prepared. The application of antimony corrole in the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was explored for the first time. The results demonstrate that antimony corrole has good electrocatalytic activity in the HER with acetonitrile and neutral buffer solvents; the catalytic efficacy follows the order 1 > 2 > 3. Specifically, complex 1 exhibited a remarkable turnover frequency (TOF) of 17.65 s−1 in acetonitrile when using trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) served as the proton source at an overpotential of 642 mV. The HER electrocatalyzed with antimony corrole may occur via ECEC pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) is a serious complication of acute pancreatitis, and early recognition and timely intervention are the keys to improving clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive capacity of the neutrophil CD64 index (nCD64 index) on IPN in patients with acute pancreatitis Methods: This study comprises two independent cohorts: the training cohort consisted of 202 patients from Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, and the validation cohort consisted of 100 patients from Changsha Central Hospital. Peripheral blood samples were collected on the day of admission and on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 10th days of hospitalization, and the nCD64 index was detected by flow cytometry. Additionally, relevant clinical characteristics and laboratory biomarkers were collected and analyzed. Results: We observed that nCD64 index on admission was significantly higher in the IPN group than Non-IPN group (p < 0.001). In the training cohort, a higher occurrence rate of IPN was observed in the high nCD64 index group compared to the moderate and low nCD64 index group (p < 0.001). Further analysis showed that nCD64 index was significant positive correlated with the incidence rate of IPN (p < 0.001, correlation coefficient = 0.972). Furthermore, logistic regression analysis showed that high expression of the nCD64 index on admission was a risk factor for the occurrence of IPN (OR = 2.971, p = 0.038). We further found that the nCD64 index of IPN patients was significantly higher than the Non-IPN patients on the days 1, 3, and 5 after admission, and the nCD64 index of IPN patients before and after the onset (p < 0.05). At the same time, this study revealed that the nCD64 index on admission showed good predictive efficacy for IPN (AUC = 0.859, sensitivity = 80.8%, specificity = 87.5%), which was comparable to APACHE II score. And this finding was further validated in an independent cohort of 100 participants (AUC = 0.919, Sensitivity = 100.0%, Specificity = 76.6%). Conclusion: This study demonstrated the clinical value of nCD64 index in patients with IPN patients for the first time through two independent cohort studies. The nCD64 index can be used as an early prediction and risk assessment tool for the occurrence of IPN, contributing to the improvement of patient outcomes and efficiency of medical resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment aimed to establish a method for quantitatively measuring the concentration of bacterial endotoxins in cat food using the dynamic turbidity method. Bacterial endotoxins in cat food samples were extracted with water, centrifuged, filtered, and the filtrate was appropriately diluted. Quantitative determination was carried out using the dynamic turbidity method on a bacterial endotoxin measuring instrument. The results showed good linearity of bacterial endotoxin within the range of 0.040 to 5.000 EU/mL (correlation coefficient r=-0.995 3, >0.980). The standard curve was effective, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) of repeated measurements ranged from 8.9% to 14.0% ( n=6). The recovery rates of interference tests were between 50% and 200% when the dilution factor was ≥1 000. The limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method was determined as 0.04 EU/mg. The study indicates that the method is simple, reliable, accurate, and exhibits good reproducibility, making it effective for detecting bacterial endotoxin content in cat food samples, with promising application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen refueling stations (HRSs) are crucial infrastructures for the advancement of hydrogen energy. To promote and construct HRSs, a cost-benefit analysis is essential. Factors such as hydrogen transportation, storage, production technology, and subsidy policies can impact the costs. This paper aims to analyze the economics of HRSs under four operation modes, ie., on-site hydrogen production, off-site production with pipeline transportation, off-site production with tube trailer, and off-site production with liquid hydrogen tanker. Two life-cycle analysis models, an annualized cost model for hydrogen transportation and a levelized cost model for HRSs, are established for economic assessment. The study reveals that hydrogen supply costs account for over 50% of the LCOH for off-site station, and power costs drive up the LCOH for on-site station. Among the four operation modes, off-site station with pipeline is most economical, and the cost advantage increases as pipeline capacity utilization rate reaches 100%, but decreases as it drops to 20%. off-site station with long tubes is economical within 300 km, and off-site station with liquid hydrogen tankers is more economical within 300km∼1,000 km. On-site hydrogen production by water electrolysis is not economical at a cost of 35.24 CNY/kg. The optimal operation scheme under different hydrogen source distances is proposed. • An annualized cost model for hydrogen transportation modes and A levelized cost model for HRSs were established. • The comprehensive costs analysis throughout the full life cycle was conducted in four different operation modes of HRSs. • The factors affecting HRS costs were analyzed in depth:hydrogen source distance, pipeline utilization, and cost structure. • On-site hydrogen production in integrated station is not yet economically feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cobalt‐catalyzed annulation of o‐phenylenediamines and internal alkynes for the synthesis of quinoxalines is developed. This method provides a variety of quinoxalines in good to high yields under a simple and mild reaction conditions with molecular O2 as a terminal oxidant. Preliminary mechanistic studies show that a novel reaction mechanism is involved in the current reaction, which is different from the previous reported dicarbonyl compound mechanism via the oxidation of the alkyne. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: In view of the lack of attention and predictability in postpartum breastfeeding in primiparas, health education on breastfeeding during pregnancy should be carried out to publicize the benefits of breastfeeding. OBJECTIVE: To investigate how well the primiparas during pregnancy are known of breastfeeding knowledge, and to provide a basis for developing health education measures for them. METHODS: With the adoption of the objective sampling method and the principle of saturation, 10 primiparas in the obstetrics outpatient department of the Hunan Provincial People's Hospital were selected as the study participants. Semi-structured in-depth interviews combined with the observation method were used for data collection. The interview data were analyzed and the theme was refined by Colaizzi's seven-step method. RESULTS: The results of the four themes of the cognition of breastfeeding knowledge among primiparas were as follows: Lack of knowledge and curiosity about breastfeeding in some women, lack of access to correct breastfeeding knowledge, insufficient support from family members for postpartum breastfeeding, and lack of approach to solve problems during breastfeeding among primiparas. CONCLUSION: Due to the current problems of the cognition of breastfeeding knowledge in primiparas, it was imperative to build a health education model suitable for primiparas to improve this knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synaptic plasticity enhances or reduces connections between neurons, affecting learning and memory. Postsynaptic AMPARs mediate greater than 90% of the rapid excitatory synaptic transmission in glutamatergic neurons. The number and subunit composition of AMPARs are fundamental to synaptic plasticity and the formation of entire neural networks. Accordingly, the insertion and functionalization of AMPARs at the postsynaptic membrane have become a core issue related to neural circuit formation and information processing in the central nervous system. In this review, we summarize current knowledge regarding the related mechanisms of AMPAR expression and trafficking. The proteins related to AMPAR trafficking are discussed in detail, including vesicle-related proteins, cytoskeletal proteins, synaptic proteins, and protein kinases. Furthermore, significant emphasis was placed on the pivotal role of the actin cytoskeleton, which spans throughout the entire transport process in AMPAR transport, indicating that the actin cytoskeleton may serve as a fundamental basis for AMPAR trafficking. Additionally, we summarize the proteases involved in AMPAR post-translational modifications. Moreover, we provide an overview of AMPAR transport and localization to the postsynaptic membrane. Understanding the assembly, trafficking, and dynamic synaptic expression mechanisms of AMPAR may provide valuable insights into the cognitive decline associated with neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by non-noble transition metals is of great significance for the production of hydrogen energy. In this work, a new 5,15-bis-(pentafluorophenyl)-10-[4-(1H-imidazole) phenyl]-corrole and its metal complexes (metal = Co, Cu, Fe) were synthesized and used for electrocatalyzed HER in DMF organic solvent and aqueous media. The prepared cobalt corrole showed the best catalytic performance in both media. Its turnover frequency (TOF) and catalytic efficiency (C.E) could reach 265 s−1 and 1.04 when TsOH was used as the proton source in a DMF solvent. In aqueous media, its TOF could also reach 405 h−1. The catalytic HER may go through an EECEC or ECEC (E: electron transfer, C: chemical step) pathway for these catalysts, depending on the acidity and concentration of the proton source. The present work successfully demonstrates that imidazole at a meso-phenyl group may improve the electrocatalytic HER activity of transition metal corroles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through infection and lysis of their coexisting bacterial hosts, viruses impact the biogeochemical cycles sustaining globally significant pelagic oceanic ecosystems. Currently, little is known of the ecological interactions between lytic viruses and their bacterial hosts underlying these biogeochemical impacts at ecosystem scales. This study focused on populations of lytic viruses carrying the B12-dependent Class II monomeric ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) gene, ribonucleotide-triphosphate reductase (Class II RTPR), documenting seasonal changes in pelagic virioplankton and bacterioplankton using amplicon sequences of Class II RTPR and the 16S rRNA gene, respectively. Amplicon sequence libraries were analyzed using compositional data analysis tools that account for the compositional nature of these data. Both virio- and bacterioplankton communities responded to environmental changes typically seen across seasonal cycles as well as shorter term upwelling–downwelling events. Defining Class II RTPR-carrying viral populations according to major phylogenetic clades proved a more robust means of exploring virioplankton ecology than operational taxonomic units defined by percent sequence homology. Virioplankton Class II RTPR populations showed positive associations with a broad phylogenetic diversity of bacterioplankton including dominant taxa within pelagic oceanic ecosystems such as Prochlorococcus and SAR11. Temporal changes in Class II RTPR virioplankton, occurring as both free viruses and within infected cells, indicated possible viral–host pairs undergoing sustained infection and lysis cycles throughout the seasonal study. Phylogenetic relationships inferred from Class II RTPR sequences mirrored ecological patterns in virio- and bacterioplankton populations demonstrating possible genome to phenome associations for an essential viral replication gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zero-dimensional (0D) hybrid metal halides have attracted much attention due to their rich composition, excellent optical stability, large exciton binding energy, etc. Photoelectric switchable multifunctional materials can integrate multiple physical properties (e.g., ferroelectricity, photoluminescence, magnetic, etc.) into one device and are widely used in many fields such as smart switches, sensors, etc. However, multifunctional materials with thermal energy storage, stimulant dielectric response, and light-emitting properties are rarely reported. Here, we synthesized a new organic–inorganic hybrid metal halide single crystal [TEMA]2MnBr4 (1) (TEMA+ = triethylmethylammonium). Compound 1 undergoes a reversible phase transition at a high temperature of 344/316 K, having a large thermal hysteresis of 28 K and exhibits high stability dielectric switching characteristics near the phase transition temperature. The single crystal exhibits green emission at 513 nm under UV excitation, originating from the 4T1g(G) → 6A1g(S) transition of Mn2+ ions. Excitingly, this single crystal's photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) is as high as 80.78%. This work provides a strategy for the development of organic-inorganic hybrid optoelectronic multifunctional materials with high-efficient light emission and switchable dielectric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A woman in her 76 s has valvular heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and myelodysplastic syndrome. Warfarin bridged with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), was treated for anticoagulation therapy in this patient. Five days later, The patient informed the anticoagulant management personnel from the APP of abnormal coagulation, thrombocytopenia, and ulcers, as well as pain in the left forearm pinhole, by Atrial fibrillation management mobile app software "Guidance on alfalfa anticoagulation". Following the diagnosis of warfarin-induced skin ulceration, the patient received intravenous vitamin K and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) to reverse the effects of warfarin. After 3 days of effective treatment, the patient 's forearm ulceration improved and healed soon. This case highlights the importance of telemedicine in patients with anticoagulant therapy. And warfarin should be used with caution in patients with HIT, HIT antibodies detection should be requested in patients presenting with thrombocytopenia after using of heparin. We suggest that medical staff should provide the remote medical and remote drug monitoring for patients with chronic diseases and those taking high-risk drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LGR4 and LGR5 are two homologous receptors that potentiate Wnt/β-catenin signaling in response to R-spondin (RSPO) ligands. The RSPO and LGR4 complex binds to and inhibits activities of two related E3 ubiquitin ligases, RNF43 and ZNRF3, and thus protects Wnt receptors from the E3 ligase-mediated degradation. The RSPO and LGR5 complex, however, does not interact with the E3 ligases, and the structural basis of this difference remained unknown. Here we examined the affinities of monovalent and bivalent RSPO ligands in binding to LGR4, RNF43/ZNRF3, and LGR5 in whole cells and found unique features among the receptors and E3 ligases. Monovalent RSPO2 furin domain had much lower affinity in binding to LGR4 or RNF43/ZNRF3 than the bivalent form. In contrast, monovalent and bivalent forms had nearly identical affinity in binding to LGR5. Co-expression of ZNRF3 with LGR4 led to much higher binding affinity of the monovalent form whereas co-expression of ZNRF3 with LGR5 had no effect on the affinity. These results suggest that LGR4 and RNF43/ZNRF3 form a 2:2 dimer that accommodates bivalent binding of RSPO whereas LGR5 forms a homodimer that does not. Structural models are proposed to illustrate how RSPOs bind to LGR4, RNF43/ZNRF3, and LGR5 in whole cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • •Highly dispersed CoO nanoparticles are formed in the inner channels of biochar by microwave-assisted treatment. • •Conductive network of biochar matrix can efficiently improve activation of the infused sulfur. • •Kinetics of polysulfides conversion and Li+ diffusion can be greatly enhanced by the CoO nanoparticles. • •The functionalized sulfur electrode exhibits the improved rate capability and excellent cycling stability. A new strategy is developed to fabricate sulfur electrode by infusing sulfur into a conductive biochar decorated with highly dispersed CoO nanoparticles. The loading of the CoO nanoparticles, as the active sites for reactions, is efficiently increased by using the microwave-assisted diffusion method. It is demonstrated that biochar can serve as an excellent conductive framework to effectively activate sulfur. Simultaneously, the CoO nanoparticles possessing excellent capability to adsorb polysulfides can remarkably alleviate the dissolution of polysulfides, and greatly enhance the conversion kinetics between the polysulfides and Li 2 S 2 /Li 2 S in the charge/discharge processes. The sulfur electrode dual-functionalized with biochar and CoO nanoparticles exhibits excellent electrochemical performance, including high initial discharge specific capacity of 930.5 mAh g−1 and low capacity decay rate of 0.069 % per cycle during 800 cycles at 1C rate. It is particularly interesting that the CoO nanoparticles distinctively enhance the Li+ diffusion during the charge process, endowing the material with excellent high-rate charging performance. This could be beneficial for the development of Li-S batteries with fast charging feature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is regarded as progressive lung disease. miR-155-5p depletion exerts anti-fibrotic effects in silicotic mice. This study explored the effect and possible mechanism of miR-155-5p in PF rats, hoping to find a new target for PF management. Bleomycin-induced PF rat model was established. Alveolar structure and collagen fiber deposition were observed by HE and Elastica-Masson staining. Alveolitis and PF scores were evaluated using the method of Szapiel. Total collagen content was detected using the Sircol method. PF rats were intraperitoneally injected with NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 or intravenously injected with miR-155-5p antagomir and si-FOXO3a lentivirus plasmids. Binding sites of miR-155-5p and FOXO3a were predicted using bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay. The expressions of miR-155-5p, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18, and FOXO3a were detected by RT-qPCR, Western blot, and ELISA. MCC950 treatment inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome, alleviated alveolar hemorrhage and alveolitis, and reduced blue collagen fiber deposition, scores of alveolitis and PF, and levels of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 in PF rats. miR-155-5p was elevated in lung tissues of PF rats. Inhibition of miR-155-5p downregulated levels of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 in lung tissues of PF rats. miR-155-5p targeted FOXO3a. miR-155-5p inhibition and silencing FOXO3a exacerbated alveolitis and PF in rats and increased levels of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18. miR-155-5p aggravated alveolitis and promoted PF by targeting FOXO3a and prompting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and then inducing IL-1β and IL-18 release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat yellow rust (YR) is a most devastating disease in wheat worldwide. In recent years, the epidemic in China has expanded from traditional areas to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River due to the changes in climate and cropping systems. To facilitate YR resistance breeding, it is meaningful to explore resistance loci from local germplasm resources. In this study, a linkage mapping was performed in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from Ningmai 9 × Yangmai 158 using a high‐density genetic map and phenotypic identification for adult plant resistance (APR) to YR in four environments. Phenotypic analysis showed that Yangmai 158 had better APR than Ningmai 9. Disease severity in different environments was significantly correlated with each other, and it was found that disease severity was significantly influenced by genotype, environment and their interaction. A total of 19 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified, of which four could be detected in multiple environments and four corresponding KASP markers were then developed. Lines with different QTLs from the population including 476 chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) were evaluated for APR. The results revealed that Qyr‐4B.4 and Qyr‐5B.2 could significantly reduce the disease severity, with their combination showing a better effect. The findings of the study can be beneficial for wheat YR resistance breeding in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For reconstructing the shape of an object from measured depth gradient field, the most popular two kinds are FFT-based integration methods and least-squares integration methods. For the former, it is time-efficient which should be attributed to the employment of FFT algorithms. However, the FFT algorithm usually implies periodic boundary which may be improper for non-periodic problems. This makes them less accurate than those least-squares integration methods. To avoid this deficiency, an algorithm is proposed by modifying the derivatives of endpoints to meet the numerical difference expression on a periodic domain. And the compact finite difference schemes are introduced to reduce the numerical error caused by the finite difference approximation of derivatives. The results of numerical tests show that the accuracy and robustness of the new non-iterative artificially-periodized-boundaries method are close to that of the state-of-art least-squares integration approach. Furthermore, its computational complexity is the same as a standard FFT-based integration approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new study estimates that 90% of flowering plant species rely on animal pollinators for reproduction. This finding is based on an analysis of published data on pollination modes and the understanding that wind or water pollination is correlated with specific floral traits. The study also re-analyzed previous data and found that after correcting for sample size and latitudinal diversity patterns, the proportion of animal-pollinated angiosperms increased from 87.5% to 89.5%. The study highlights the importance of conserving pollinators, particularly insects, for the sustainability of ecosystems. [Extracted from the article]

Current medical treatments for endometriosis-associated pain (EAP) have limitations, including symptom recurrence and hormonal side effects. For this reason, it is important to elucidate any alternative or complementary treatments available, while Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) shows potential to be this treatment. This study aims to provide evidence for the efficacy and safety of CHM for EAP. Randomized control trials comparing CHM to other treatments for EAP in women with endometriosis were considered eligible, and they were searched for in Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov, as well as in the Chinese databases Sino-Med and CNKI, from inception to October 2021. Numerous outcomes were put through meta-analysis using a weighted mean difference and a 95% CI, and the results of dichotomous data were presented as a pooled RR with a 95% CI. A total of 34 eligible studies with 3389 participants were included. Compared with no treatment, there was a statistically significant pooled benefit of CHM on dysmenorrhea at the end of 3-month treatment, and these effects continued for 3 months, but not 9 months, after treatment. Compared with conventional therapy, a significant difference was found in the levels of pelvic pain with a lower rate of hot flush and irregular vaginal bleeding at the end of treatment for 3 months, but not after treatment. Comparing combined treatment with CHM and conventional therapy with conventional therapy alone, significant decreases were found in dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and pelvic pain after a 3-month treatment cycle, and in dysmenorrhea after a 4-month treatment cycle with a lower hot flash rate. In conclusion, CHM, used alone or in combination with conventional therapies, appears to have benefits in relieving EAP with fewer side effects than traditional treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As promising functional materials, organic–inorganic hybrid metal halide perovskites have attracted significant interest because of their excellent photovoltaic performance. However, although considerable efforts have been made, three-dimensional (3D) metal halide perovskites beyond lead halides have been rarely reported. Herein, a new 3D organic–inorganic hybrid ferroelectric material (Me-Hdabco)CsI3 (1, Me-Hdabco = N-methyl-1,4-diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane) was synthesized and characterized. 1 underwent a ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transition at Tc = 441 K, which was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dielectric measurements, and variable temperature structural analyses. Moreover, 1 shows a clear ferroelectric domain switching recorded by piezoelectric force microscopy. More interestingly, the pristine colorless crystal of 1 has no photoluminescence properties, while 10% Sn(II):(Me-Hdabco)CsI3 shows intense photoluminescence with a quantum yield of 8.90% under UV excitation. This finding will open up a new avenue to probe organic–inorganic hybrid multifunctional materials integrated ferroelectric and photoluminescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Chronic stress (CS) is closely related to intestinal health. Occlusal disharmony (OD) is a risk factor for hypersensitivity to novel stress, and the relationship between OD and the intestinal system with or without other chronic stresses remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether OD affects the gut microbiota and the intestinal barrier in a CS‐exposed animal model. Methods: OD was induced by making a 0.5‐mm‐thick incision on the right maxillary molar. CS involved exposure to one stressor per day for 35 days. Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into an untreated control group and OD‐, CS‐ and OD + CS‐treated groups. The behavioural tests, serum corticosterone level, gut microbiota composition and tight junction protein expression in colon tissue were measured on the 56th day to elucidate the effect of OD on animals under CS. Results: Significant differences in performance on behavioural tests and serum corticosterone concentrations were observed on day 56 in the OD + CS group compared with the control group. Exposure to occlusal disharmony or chronic stress resulted in a change in the composition of the gut microbiota of rats. Differences in the expression of the tight junction proteins zonula occludens‐1 and junctional adhesion molecule‐A were observed in colon tissue from the OD + CS group compared with the control group. Conclusions: We concluded that the significant changes in performance on behavioural tests, serum corticosterone concentrations and microbiota dysbiosis and tight junction protein levels induced by OD with CS may indicate that OD is a potential factor promoting gut microbiota dysbiosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, researchers have paid more and more attention to the natural compound curcumin for its potential application in anticancer therapy. However, the application of curcumin has been limited owing to its rapid metabolism in the body. HO-3867, a stable curcumin analog, shows potent antitumor activities against various tumor cells. Yet, information on HO-3867's impact on non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells is lacking. Herein, we evaluated the cytotoxicity of HO-3867 in NSCLC cells. We discovered that HO-3867 suppressed the viability of NSCLC cells containing wild-type p53. In NSCLC cells, HO-3867 promotes both apoptosis and ferroptosis, the latter of which is a newly discovered mode of cell death. Mechanically, HO-3867-induced apoptosis relied on the inhibition of Mcl-1 and Bcl-2 and the upregulation of Bax. Moreover, NSCLC cells undergo ferroptosis when treated with HO-3867 via activating the p53-DMT1 axis and suppressing GPX4. Additionally, HO-3867 caused an accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in NSCLC in a way that was dependent on the presence of iron. Our findings point to the possibility that HO-3867 might be employed as a therapeutic agent for treating NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this prospective study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of oral contrast-enhanced transabdominal ultrasound imaging (OCTU) with that of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) for the pre-operative tumor staging of gastric cancer, with post-operative pathology as the standard. We included 108 cases of gastric cancer with simultaneous OCTU and enhanced CT pre-operative tumor staging diagnoses. Results were compared with post-operative pathology based on the eighth edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer tumor-node-metastasis staging guidelines for gastric cancer. The accuracy of each tumor stage was obtained by comparing OCTU and enhanced CT diagnoses with post-operative pathology. The McNemar test was used to compare the overall accuracy of the two methods. There was no statistical difference in accuracy between OCTU (72.2%) and enhanced CT (75.9%, p = 0.644) for overall pre-operative tumor staging diagnosis. For stages T1 to T4, the accuracy rates of OCTU were 84.2%, 81.8%, 69.4% and 65.5%, respectively, and those for enhanced CT were 52.6%, 72.7%, 87.8% and 72.4%, respectively. OCTU is comparable to enhanced CT in the preoperative overall T-stage diagnosis of gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formation recognition is a significant focus of maritime target recognition. Automatic formation extraction and recognition facilitate autonomous decision‐making. However, few studies have explored formation extraction prior to recognition. This paper introduces a density‐based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) method based on Gaussian kernel to extract formation targets. On this basis, a depthwise separable convolutional neural network (DSCNN) method is proposed for formation recognition. A track simulation system is established to form a track dataset containing three different proportions of clutter, and the formation extraction method is examined using track dataset. Subsequently, the image dataset with eight different types of formation is formulated, on the basis of various detection errors, the DSCNN method for formation recognition is compared with several typical deep learning methods. As exposed in experimental results, the DBSCAN method based on Gaussian kernel can guarantee accurate extraction of formation targets subject to different proportions of clutter. Hence, it is greatly robust and capable of effective formation extraction. Under different radar detection errors, the formation recognition accuracy of DSCNN is 91.5%–99.5%, which achieves performance improvement by up to 12.5% compared with other deep learning methods. The combination of DBSCAN and DSCNN can well realise formation extraction and recognition with different proportions of clutter in tracks and various radar detection errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jasmonates (JAs) are the most effective inducers for the biosynthesis of various secondary metabolites. Currently, jasmonate ZIM domain (JAZ) and its interactors, such as MYC2, constitute the main JA signal transduction cascade, and such a cascade fails to directly regulate all the taxol biosynthesis genes, especially the rate-limit gene, DBAT. Another JA signaling branch, JAV and WRKY, would probably fill the gap. Here, TcJAV3 was the closest VQ-motif-containing protein in Taxus chinensis to AtJAV1. Although TcJAV3 was overexpressed in AtJAV1 knockdown mutant, JAVRi17, the enhanced disease resistance to Botrytis cinerea caused by silencing AtJAV1 was completely recovered. The results indicated that TcJAV3 indeed transduced JA signal as AtJAV1. Subsequently, TcWRKY26 was screened out to physically interact with TcJAV3 by using a yeast two-hybrid system. Furthermore, bimolecular fluorescence complementation and luciferase complementary imaging also confirmed that TcJAV3 and TcWRKY26 could form a protein complex in vivo. Our previous reports showed that transient TcWRKY26 overexpression could remarkably increase DBAT expression. Yeast one-hybrid and luciferase activity assays revealed that TcWRKY26 could directly bind with the wa-box of the DBAT promoter to activate downstream reporter genes. All of these results indicated that TcWRKY26 acts as a direct regulator of DBAT, and the TcJAV3–TcWRKY26 complex is actually another JA signal transduction mode that effectively regulates taxol biosynthesis in Taxus. Our results revealed that JAV–WRKY complexes directly regulated DBAT gene in response to JA stimuli, providing a novel model for JA-regulated secondary metabolism. Moreover, JAV could also transduce JA signal and function non-redundantly with JAZ during the regulation of secondary metabolisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catalytic removal of C2H2 by Cu2O was studied by investigating the adsorption and partial oxidation mechanism of C2H2 on both perfect (stoichiometric) and CuCUS-defective Cu2O (111) surface models using density functional theory calculations. The chemisorption of C2H2 on perfect and defective surface models needs to overcome the energy barrier of 0.70 and 0.81 eV at 0 K. The direct decomposition of C2H2 on both surface models is energy demanding with the energy barrier of 1.92 and 1.62 eV for the perfect and defective surface models, respectively. The H-abstractions of the chemisorbed C2H2 by a series of radicals including H, OH, HO2, CH3, O, and O2 following the Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism have been compared. On the perfect Cu2O (111) surface model, the activity order of the adsorbed radicals toward H-abstraction of C2H2 is: OH > O2 > HO2 > O > CH3 > H, while on the defective Cu2O (111) surface model, the activity follows the sequence: O > OH > O2 > HO2 > H > CH3. The CuCUS defect could remarkably facilitate the H-abstraction of C2H2 by O2. The partial oxidation of C2H2 on the Cu2O (111) surface model tends to proceed with the chemisorption process and the following H-abstraction process rather than the direct decomposition process. The reaction of C2H2 H-abstraction by O2 dictates the C2H2 overall reaction rate on the perfect Cu2O (111) surface model and the chemisorption of C2H2 is the rate-determining step on the defective Cu2O (111) surface model. The results of this work could benefit the understanding of the C2H2 reaction on the Cu2O (111) surface and future heterogeneous modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Genetic factors play an important role in Parkinson's disease (PD) risk. However, the genetic contribution to progression in Chinese PD patients has rarely been studied. This study investigated genetic associations with progression based on 30 PD risk loci common in a longitudinal cohort of Chinese PD patients and the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) cohort. Methods. PD patients from the true world (TW) Chinese PD longitudinal cohort and the PPMI cohort with demographic information and assessment scales were assessed. A panel containing 30 PD risk single nucleotide polymorphisms was tested. Progression rates of each scale were derived from random-effect slope values of mixed-effects regression models. Progression rates of multiple assessments were combined by using principal component analysis (PCA) to derive scores for composite, motor, and nonmotor progression. The association of genetic polymorphism and separate scales or PCA progression was analysed via linear regression. Results. In the Chinese PD cohort, MAOB rs1799836 was associated with progression based on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the top 3 principal components (PCs) of nonmotor PCA and PC1 of the composite PCA. In the PPMI cohort, both MDS-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale II and motor PC1 progression were associated with RIT2 rs12456492. The PARK16 haplotype was associated with Geriatric Depression Scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults progression, and the SNCA haplotype was associated with the Hoehn-Yahr staging progression and motor PC1 progression. Ethnicity-stratified analysis showed that the association between MAOB rs1799836 and PD progression may be specific to Asian or Chinese patients. Conclusion. MAOB rs1799836 was associated with the progression of nonmotor symptoms, especially cognitive impairment, and the composite progression of motor and nonmotor symptoms within our Chinese PD cohort. The RIT2 rs12456492 and SNCA haplotypes were associated with motor function decline, and the PARK16 haplotype was associated with progression in mood in the PPMI cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interpersonal network within a firm serves as a primary knowledge base for organizational innovation. In this article, we propose that intrafirm network connectivity, which is measured by the transitivity of an intrafirm network, has a nonlinear effect on firm innovation performance. Furthermore, on the basis of the literature on environmental contingency, we propose that two dimensions of environmental uncertainty (i.e., environmental munificence and dynamism) moderate the influence of intrafirm network connectivity on firm innovation performance. To examine our hypotheses, we collect the profiles of firms in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries from the COMPUSTAT database and patent data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office database for the period of 1991–2012. Our longitudinal study finds an inverted U-shaped relationship between intrafirm network connectivity and firm innovation performance, and such a relationship is moderated by environmental munificence but not by environmental dynamism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broadband and plasmonic absorbers (PAs) are key components for numerous applications in the fields of energy harvesting, thermal photonics, optoelectronic devices, and enhanced spectroscopy. In this work, we propose a simple and cost-effective metamaterial plasmonic absorber (MPA) design based on an all-dielectric GaAs pyramid nanostructure for the full solar radiation spectrum range. Simulation results demonstrate that the absorbance of the proposed MPA exceeds 85% in the full solar spectrum range, and it exceeds 90% from 0.25 μm to 3.1 μm with a relative bandwidth of approximately 170.74%, with an absorption peak up to 99% at resonance wavelength. The high absorption is attributed to the excitation of wave-guide mode, surface plasmon polariton (SPP) resonance modes combined with coupling effect and intrinsic lossy of dielectric GaAs and metallic tungsten (W). Furthermore, the proposed MPA is polarization-independent and wide incident angles for both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes. Additionally, the MPA can tolerate certain structural parameter errors during practical fabrication applications. Furthermore, the photophysical properties of this MPA for solar cell applications are investigated, revealing the achievement of high short-circuit current density. Our proposed design is highly promising for applications in solar energy harvesting, thermoelectric, and thermal emitter applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of the global economy has led to frequent oil spills, resulting in environmental problems that seriously threaten human beings and marine water ecosystems. Therefore, the development of a superwetting material with a specific selective permeability using a natural polymer cotton fabric as a substrate is advantageous in separating different types of oil/water mixtures in complex environments. In this study, a cotton fabric with pH-responsive superwetting was investigated for selective on-demand separation of different types of oil phases. Firstly, vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) was reacted by hydrolysis condensation, and SiO 2 nanoparticles were anchored to the surface of cotton fabrics, which increased the roughness of cotton fabrics, and in turn provided reactive vinyl groups. Subsequently, tetradecyl methacrylate (TDMA), 10-undecenoic acid (UA), and VTMS were reacted by free radical polymerization to form a random copolymer. Thus, superhydrophobic long carbon alkyl chains and pH-responsive carboxyl group act synergistically to construct pH-responsive superwetting cotton fabrics. As-prepared cotton fabrics exhibited fast and stable reversible conversion of wettability in acidic/neutral and alkaline environments. For different types of oil/water mixtures, the separation efficiency reached more than 99% for high density oil/water mixtures and more than 95% for light density oil/water mixtures, as well as excellent recyclability and stability. Compared to the previously reported literature, for the separation of oil/water mixtures, the pH-responsive superwetting cotton fabrics prepared in this study suggested excellent separation efficiency. Therefore, it can be applied to the effective separation of different types of oil/water mixtures in real life and industrial production. [Display omitted] • Vinyltrimethoxysilane was adopted to anchor SiO 2 nanoparticles to cotton fabrics by hydrolysis condensation, increasing the stability of the rough structure and providing reactive vinyl. • Long carbon alkyl chains and carboxyl groups were chemically bonded to cotton fabrics through free radical polymerization reactions to co-construct pH-responsive superwetting cotton fabrics. • The as-prepared cotton fabrics exhibited fast and stable reversible wettability conversion in both acidic/neutral and alkaline environments. • Superwetting cotton fabrics were prepared to separate different types of oil-water mixtures with excellent separation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-scale simulations can be accelerated by substituting the meso-scale problem resolution by a surrogate trained from off-line simulations. In the context of history-dependent materials, Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) have widely been considered to act as such a surrogate, since their hidden variables allow for a memory effect. However, defining a data-set for the training, which virtually covers all the possible strain–stress state evolution encountered during the online phase, remains a daunting task. This is particularly true in the case in which the strain increment size is expected to vary by several orders of magnitude. Self-Consistent recurrent networks were thus introduced by Bonatti and Mohr (2022) to reinforce the self-consistency of the neural network with respect to the input increment size when acting as a surrogate of an elasto-plastic material model. When designing RNN to act as a surrogate of a meso-scale Boundary Value Problem (BVP) defined by a Representative Volume Element (RVE) of complex micro-structures, the number of learnable parameters required for existing Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) to be accurate could remain high, impeding the training performance. In this work, we revisit and design alternative self-consistent recurrent units in order to limit the number of hidden variables required for the neural network to act as a composite material surrogate in multi-scale simulations. Although the RNNs based on the newly suggested self-consistency reinforced recurrent units have a reduced number of learnable parameters yielding good training performance, they remain accurate in the context of multi-scale simulations considering various strain increment sizes. • Recurrent cells are designed for neural network surrogates in multi-scale analyses. • Variation of input size increments is accounted for through a self-consistent cell. • Recurrent cell and network are optimized to reduce the number of learnable parameters. • The neural network is trained with homogenized response of elasto-plastic composites. • Training performance and prediction accuracy are shown to have been optimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a framework to solve non-linear and history-dependent mechanical problems based on a hybrid classical computer–quantum annealer approach. Quantum Computers are anticipated to solve particular operations exponentially faster. The available possible operations are however not as versatile as with a classical computer. Nevertheless, quantum annealers (QAs) are well suited to evaluate the minimum state of a Hamiltonian quadratic potential. Therefore, we reformulate the elasto-plastic finite element problem as a double-minimisation process framed at the structural scale using the variational updates formulation. In order to comply with the expected quadratic nature of the Hamiltonian, the resulting non-linear minimisation problems are iteratively solved with the suggested Quantum Annealing-assisted Sequential Quadratic Programming (QA-SQP): a sequence of minimising quadratic problems is performed by approximating the objective function by a quadratic Taylor's series. Each quadratic minimisation problem of continuous variables is then transformed into a binary quadratic problem. This binary quadratic minimisation problem can be solved on quantum annealing hardware such as the D-Wave 2 2 D-Wave trademarks and registered trademarks used herein include D-Wave and Ocean. system. The applicability of the proposed framework is demonstrated with one- and two-dimensional elasto-plastic numerical benchmarks. The current work provides a pathway of performing general non-linear finite element simulations assisted by quantum computing. • Quantum annealer evaluates the minimum state of a Hamiltonian quadratic potential. • A hybrid classical computer–quantum annealer finite element method is developed. • Elasto-plastic finite element problem is formulated as a multi-minimisation process. • Non-linear objective functions are transformed as a series of quadratic potentials. • Minimisation as solving steps of the finite element model is achieved via annealing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group A Rotavirus (RVA) is a major cause of diarrhea in infants and piglets. β2-microglobulin (β2 M), encoded by the B2M gene, serves as a crucial subunit of the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules. β2 M is indispensable for the transport of MHC-I to the cell membrane. MHC-I, also known as swine leukocyte antigen class I (SLA-I) in pigs, presents viral antigens to the cell surface. In this study, RVA infection down-regulated β2 M expression in both porcine intestinal epithelial cells-J2 (IPEC-J2) and MA-104 cells. RVA infection did not down-regulate the mRNA level of the B2M gene, indicating that the down-regulation of β2 M occurred on the protein level. Mechanismly, RVA infection triggered β2 M aggregation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and enhanced the Lys48 (K48)-linked ubiquitination of β2 M, leading to the degradation of β2 M through ERAD-proteasome pathway. Furthermore, we found that RVA infection significantly impeded the level of SLA-I on the surface, and the overexpression of β2 M could recover its expression. In this study, our study demonstrated that RVA infection degrades β2 M via ERAD-proteasome pathway, consequently hampering SLA-I expression on the cell surface. This study would enhance the understanding of the mechanism of how RVA infection induces immune escape. • RVA infection degrades β2 M via ERAD-proteasome pathway. • RVA infection inhibits SLA-I expression on the cell surface. • RVA infection promotes the Lys48 (K48)-linked ubiquitination of β2 M. • RVA infection may inhibit host adapted immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

David Webster's I Challenge the Strong Wind: Canada and East Timor, 1975-99 i is a significant scholarly work on Canada-East Timor relations. While the Canadian government was greatly influenced by the Australian government that strongly believed that the invasion was inevitable and irreversible, Oxfam Canada supported Australian NGOs' relief efforts in East Timor. This is a significant contribution of the book because although non-state actors do not represent a government, they could significantly influence a government's foreign policy behavior via lobbying and mobilization. [Extracted from the article]

Germany has a significant infl uence on the globe, both economically and culturally, being the center of Europe. Although severely damaged by the Second World War, German landscape architecture gradually recovered through garden exhibitions, landscape associations, and other means during a period of reflection and repair. Because of their artistry and utility, German gardens from the middle and end of the 20th century had a favorable infl uence on landscape architecture around the globe. The shift in focus from "post-war restoration" to "enhancing the urban appearance" to "ecological restoration" not only refl ects a shift in the design philosophy of the German people but also directly refl ects the value orientation of design across all of Europe and even the West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a common clinical emergency. Effective emergency treatment at the early stage of onset can effectively reduce the mortality rate. Time is the key of emergency treatment, which is directly related to the treatment effect and the prognosis of patients, and clinical intensive nursing intervention for emergency treatment is of great significance in improving the efficiency of emergency treatment and prognosis. In this study, the effects of routine emergency care flow and SWOT analysis combined with medical and nursing integration on emergency treatment efficiency and prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction were compared. The results showed that the combined scheme could improve the rescue effect and success rate of patients with acute myocardial infarction, shorten the rescue time, and reduce the mortality and complication rate of myocardial infarction, which provided a new direction for clinical emergency treatment of acute myocardial infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prolonged caregiving of an older adult can cause family caregivers to be overwhelmed, potentially affecting the well-being of both the caregivers and their care-recipients. Carer Matters is a holistic hospital-to-home programme, centred on caregivers' needs as their care-recipients transit from hospital to home. The programme was piloted to support caregivers through caregivers needs assessment, tailored resources, tele-support, training courses, and community support network. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of Carer Matters in a tertiary hospital in Singapore.Methods: This feasibility study was conducted on the pilot implementation from January to December 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic. It adopted the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. The study highlighted quantitative data collected from key process indicators, such as number of caregivers screened, assessed on their needs and provided with assistance. Additionally, qualitative data was collected from in-depth interviews with 51 stakeholders involved in the implementation to examine their perspectives and experiences. These included family caregivers, clinician caregiver support nurses, hospital leaders and community partners.Results: During the pilot, 550 caregivers were enrolled. All caregivers received educational resources when they completed the needs assessment, while 69 of them who reported high burden were given tele-support and 252 attended our caregiver training courses. Despite initial recruitment challenges and obstacles to adoption, stakeholders interviewed found Carer Matters to be effective in providing caregivers with emotional support, knowledge and skills that improved their caregiving abilities, and reduced their sense of isolation and caregiving stress. Among caregivers, the training courses were effective with majority of caregivers agreeing that the courses addressed their needs (99%) and improved their knowledge of the relevant disease conditions (97%). Programme maintenance considered among stakeholders included strategies such as multipronged approach in recruiting caregivers and inviting caregiver advocates to share their experiences.Conclusion: This feasibility study highlights that Carer Matters is a valuable component to the ecosystem of support for family caregivers and their care recipients. Carer Matters extends the current patient-centric care model to a more holistic post-discharge continuity of care for both caregivers and their care-recipients, improving and maintaining their overall well-being to better allow transition from hospital-to home.Trial Registration: Feasibility Study of Project Carer Matters for Family Caregivers of Persons with Dementia (NCT number: NCT05205135 ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional air cathode in microbial fuel cell (MFC) usually consists of catalyst layer (CL), supporting layer (SL) and conductive gas diffusion layer (GDL), the overall MFC performance is inevitably affected by the additional and expensive adhesives and conductive agents. Here, we developed an integrated air cathode in MFC without any additional SL, GDL or adhesives. The integrated air cathode was self-supporting nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide@carbon nanofiber (N-rGO@CNF) hybrid membranes fabricated by electrospinning with subsequent heat-treatment under ammonia atmosphere. The as-fabricated N-rGO@CNFs possessed far superior MFC performance and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity to the pristine nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (NCNF) and commercial activated carbon (CAC). The amount of rGO embedded into CNF had prominent influence on their ORR activities and MFC performances. N-5-rGO@CNF had the lowest resistance and the maximal exchange current density, exhibiting desirable oxygen reduction performance via a four-electron pathway. The maximum power density of N-5-rGO@CNF can reach 826 mW m−2 in MFC, which is approximately 9, 2.53 and 1.82 times of pristine NCNF, CAC and Pt/C with values of 91, 327 and 454 mW m−2. The outstanding performance of the integrated air-cathodes originates from the integrality, brevity and hybrid composition of the electrospun nanofiber membrane. The appropriate embedded rGO not only improves the bulk conductivity of the rGO@CNF to promote ion adsorption, but also provides vacancies to accommodate ions, the doped nitrogen atoms facilitate O 2 adsorption and/or subsequent O–O bond breaking, thus improving the electrochemical performance of N-rGO@CNF in MFC. [Display omitted] • An integrated N-rGO@CNF air cathodes with high-efficiency were developed via electrospinning. • The integrated air cathodes showed excellent catalytic performance in Microbial Fuel Cells. • The optimal air cathode (N-5-rGO@CNF) had maximum power density of 20650 mW m−3. • N-5-rGO@CNF exhibited ideal oxygen reduction reaction via a four-electron pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Patients with occlusal disharmony (OD) may be susceptible to depression. The hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis, 5-HT and 5HT2AR in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), amygdala, and hippocampus are involved in the modulation of emotion and depression. This study investigated whether OD affects the HPA axis and 5-HT system and, subsequently, produces depression-like behaviors in rats. Materials and methods: OD was produced by removing 0.5 and 0.25 mm of hard tissue from the cusps of the maxillary molars in randomly selected sides of Sprague–Dawley rats. CUS involved exposure to 2 different stressors per day for 35 days. OD-, CUS-, and OD + CUS-treated groups and an untreated control group were compared in terms of behavior, endocrine status and brain histology. Results: There were significant differences among the four groups in the behavior tests (p < 0.05), especially in the sucrose preference test, where there was a significant decrease in the OD group compared to the control group. ACTH and CORT concentrations were significantly higher in the OD + CUS group than the control group (p < 0.05). Expression of GR and 5-HT2AR in the PFC, amygdala and hippocampal CA1 was significantly higher in the OD, CUS and OD + CUS groups than the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: OD promotes depression-like behaviors through peripheral and central pathways via the HPA axis, GR and 5-HT system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carrier-based kinematic-to-kinematic relative positioning can obtain the precise baseline between two moving stations, which greatly expands the application field of dynamic relative positioning. However, the relative positioning performance is degraded greatly with low fixation rate of ambiguity with low-cost receivers. Especially, in the complex dynamic environment, ambiguity resolution effect is influenced by the satellite signal blocked, multipath outlier, and abnormal state prediction. Aiming at the problems, a novel inertial navigation system–aided robust adaptive filtering ambiguity resolution model is proposed. In addition, a hierarchical filtering strategy is developed to eliminate ambiguity parameters in BeiDou navigation satellite system/inertial navigation system tightly coupled integrated system. Finally, the precise relative position can be calculated with the "best" ambiguity solution. Both experiments with static data and field vehicle test were carried out to evaluate the algorithm efficiency in different data configurations. The results indicate that IRAFAR-TCRP method can effectively suppress the influence of observation outliers and model prediction abnormalities, which improves the success rate of ambiguity resolution, raises the accuracy as well as the continuity of relative positioning. The success rate of ambiguity resolution with single-frequency BeiDou navigation satellite system can reach 90% in the gross error and abnormal disturbance environments and centimeter-level accuracy can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the short-term reproductive and long-term obstetric outcomes after endometrial preparations by ovarian stimulation protocols and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) prior to frozen embryo transfer (FET). Method: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify relevant studies. Primary outcome was live birth rate, secondary outcomes included the rates of clinical pregnancy, miscarriage, implantation and hCG-postive, cycle cancellation, ectopic pregnancy, preterm birth, preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes mellitus and abnormal placentation. Results: Nine studies, including 8327 patients with PCOS, were identified. Live birth rate was significantly higher (RR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.03–1.19) and miscarriage rate (RR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.46–0.78) was significantly lower in stimulated protocol compared to the rates in HRT. While the rates of ongoing pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, implantation, hCG-positive, cycle cancellation and ectopic pregnancy showed no significant difference between the two protocols. Compared HRT with different stimulation protocols, significantly higher clinical pregnancy rate (RR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.20–1.98) were found in letrozole group, but not in the other subgroups. For the obstetric outcomes, the preterm birth and preeclampsia rates were significantly lower in the stimulated group compared to that in the HRT group (RR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.74–0.98; RR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.40–0.82, respectively), while gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes mellitus and abnormal placentation rates showed no significant difference. Conclusions: The present data suggest that ovarian stimulation protocol as an endometrial preparation regimen prior to FET might be superior to HRT protocol with a significantly higher rate of live birth, lower risk of miscarriage, preterm birth and preeclampsia. Our study showed stimulated protocol is better than HRT regimen as an endometrial preparation for women with PCOS. However, quality of the evidence is low, more well-designed RCT studies are still needed to confirm the results before clinical recommendation, particularly direct comparisons between letrozole and other stimulated regimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation Differential network inference is a fundamental and challenging problem to reveal gene interactions and regulation relationships under different conditions. Many algorithms have been developed for this problem; however, they do not consider the differences between the importance of genes, which may not fit the real-world situation. Different genes have different mutation probabilities, and the vital genes associated with basic life activities have less fault tolerance to mutation. Equally treating all genes may bias the results of differential network inference. Thus, it is necessary to consider the importance of genes in the models of differential network inference. Results Based on the Gaussian graphical model with adaptive gene importance regularization, we develop a novel Importance-Penalized Joint Graphical Lasso method (IPJGL) for differential network inference. The presented method is validated by the simulation experiments as well as the real datasets. Furthermore, to precisely evaluate the results of differential network inference, we propose a new metric named APC2 for the differential levels of gene pairs. We apply IPJGL to analyze the TCGA colorectal and breast cancer datasets and find some candidate cancer genes with significant survival analysis results, including SOST for colorectal cancer and RBBP8 for breast cancer. We also conduct further analysis based on the interactions in the Reactome database and confirm the utility of our method. Availability and implementation R source code of Importance-Penalized Joint Graphical Lasso is freely available at https://github.com/Wu-Lab/IPJGL. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, new N, O-codoped chitosan-derived carbon adsorbents (CKC-x, x refer to the calcination temperature) were synthesized over a simple process of chitosan-KOH aerogel production and simultaneous carbonization/activation of the aerogel. CKC-700 was characterized by sheet-like morphology (even containing a portion of carbon nano-sheet of 3 nm thickness), high porosity and specific surface area (1702.1 m2/g), and pyridinic/pyrrolic/graphitic N groups. The simultaneous carbonization/activation of chitosan-KOH aerogel prepared by top-down coagulation of chitosan aqueous solution by KOH aqueous solution rendered these beneficial characteristics. CKC-700 exhibited a superior adsorption capacity for Rhodamine B (RhB) to other chitosan-derived carbon adsorbents, and the maximum adsorption capacity for RhB of 594 mg/g was achieved at 55 °C. CKC-700 also possessed reasonable reusability for the removal of RhB, and the removal efficiency was still above 95 % in the fifth cycle. The effects of adsorption temperature and time, adsorbent dose, organic dye concentration, and solution pH on the adsorption capacity of CKC-700 were studied. Moreover, the adsorption isotherm, kinetics, thermodynamics, and the adsorption mechanism of RhB on CKC-700 were discussed. In addition, CKC-700 also showed favorable adsorption performance for methylene blue (441 mg/g), methyl orange (457 mg/g), and congo red (500 mg/g) at around 25 °C. [Display omitted] • A new route to prepare N, O-codoped chitosan-based porous sheet-like carbon (CKC-700) • The new process even produced carbon nano-sheet. • One step carbonization/activation of chitosan-KOH aerogel at 700 °C produced CKC-700. • The top-down coagulation of chitosan sol by KOH solution produced the aerogel. • CKC-700 adsorbent showed good adsorption capacity and reusability for Rhodamine B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of phase separation behavior on bio-based film properties has attracted more and more attention. This work investigated the effects of microstructure and compatibility of the type-A gelatin (GE)-dextran (DE) mixtures on GE-DE edible film properties. Three kinds of GE-DE edible films with different textures were prepared via modulating the microstructure and compatibility of film-forming mixtures using the method of gelation-drying, e.g., homogeneous films, microphase separated films with relatively homogeneous texture, and microphase separated films with uneven texture. The optical, mechanical, water barrier, and thermal properties of films were characterized. Results showed that microstructure and compatibility significantly affected the film properties. In general, films with DE-in-GE microstructure exhibited the best film properties, followed by films with water-in-water-in-water/bicontinuous microstructure, and then films with GE-in-DE microstructure. And homogeneous films showed the best film properties, followed by films with relatively homogeneous texture, and then films with uneven texture. The weight loss results suggested the potential of GE-DE edible films for application in cherry tomato preservation. This work provided interesting information for the design of film with fabricated microstructure and properties. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomous aerial refueling (AAR) has generated great interest in recent years. However, much research has focused on the vision-based close docking stage; few studies have been conducted on the navigation algorithm for the rendezvous and following stages. High-precision relative navigation in following stage can provide favourable conditions for successful docking. Aiming at precise relative navigation in the complex high dynamic environment of aerial refueling rendezvous and following stages, a two-stage adaptive filtering architecture is exploited in this paper. An adaptive main Kalman filter (AKF) is realized for ambiguity eliminated GNSS/INS tightly coupled integrated system, and a robust adaptive subfilter is developed for GNSS individually. Particularly, aiming at the influence of pseudorange observation multipath outliers and state abnormal disturbances in unmanned air vehicle- (UAV-) tanker proximity, an INS-aided bifactor robust and classified factor adaptive filtering (IBRCAF) algorithm for single-frequency ambiguity resolution is proposed. Finally, the effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by the simulation experiments for UAV-tanker. The results indicate that the IBRCAF algorithm can efficiently suppress the influence of pseudorange multipath gross errors and abnormal state disturbances and greatly raise the success rate of ambiguity resolution, and the two-stage adaptive filtering algorithm of IBRCAF-AKF can significantly improve relative navigation performance and achieve centimeter-level accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the specification and applicability of performance indicators for in-vehicle subtask impact experiments, additional driving performance indicators were added to the international standard test environment, the lane-changing test (LCT). The comprehensive characteristics of multiple indicators were studied using the C4.5 decision tree. The paired memory test was selected as a subtask, and data on driving trajectory, speed, and steering angle were collected and analyzed under three task conditions (baseline, easy task, and difficult task). The results showed that the newly added indicators such as lane offset times, initial lane-changing distance, and correct lane-changing ratio could reflect the new driving characteristics from the aspects of the times of lateral deviation over threshold events, driver response, error proportion, etc. Subjects with different driving states were grouped into the lane-keeping indicator and lane-changing indicator. By using the C4.5 decision tree, classification accuracies of 85.2% and 91.3% were achieved, respectively, which indicated a high accuracy rate of task state discrimination. The overall performance of lane keeping and lane changing was different under the action of the subtasks, especially the lane-changing performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the most critical cells responsible for liver fibrosis, and platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) is the most prominent mitogen for HSCs in fibrogenesis. This study aimed to explore the potential of gadolinium (Gd)‐labeled cyclic peptides (pPB) targeting PDGF receptor‐β (PDGFR‐β) as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiotracer to identify the progression of liver fibrosis by imaging hepatic PDGFR‐β expression. Methods: Mice treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) were used to mimic hepatic fibrosis in vivo. The binding activity of FITC‐labeled pPB to PDGFR‐β was assessed in cultured human HSCs (HSC‐LX2). MRI was performed to visualize hepatic PDGFR‐β expression in mice with different degrees of liver fibrosis after Gd‐labeled pPB was injected. Results: Hepatic PDGFR‐β expression level was correlated with the severity of liver fibrosis, and the majority of cells expressing PDGFR‐β were found to be activated HSCs in fibrotic livers. Culture‐activated human HSCs expressed abundant PDGFR‐β, and FITC‐labeled pPB could bind to these cells in a concentration‐dependent and time‐dependent manner. With Gd‐labeled pPB as a tracer, an MRI modality demonstrated that the relative hepatic T1‐weighted MRI signal value progressively increased with the severity of hepatic fibrosis and reduced with remission. Conclusions: Hepatic PDGFR‐β expression reflects the progression of hepatic fibrosis, and MRI using Gd‐labeled pPB as a tracer exhibits potential for distinguishing liver fibrosis staging in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]