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The understanding of neural excitability and oscillations in single neuron dynamics remains incomplete in terms of global stabilities and the underlying mechanisms for phase formation and associated phase transitions. In this study, we investigate the mechanism of single neuron excitability and spontaneous oscillations by analyzing the potential landscape and curl flux. The topological features of the landscape play a crucial role in assessing the stability of resting states and the robustness/coherence of oscillations. We analyze the excitation characteristics in Class I and Class II neurons and establish their relation to biological function. Our findings reveal that the average curl flux and associated entropy production exhibit significant changes near bifurcation or phase transition points. Moreover, the curl flux and entropy production offer insights into the dynamical and thermodynamical origins of nonequilibrium phase transitions and exhibit distinct behaviors in Class I and Class II neurons. Additionally, we quantify time irreversibility through the difference in cross-correlation functions in both forward and backward time, providing potential indicators for the emergence of nonequilibrium phase transitions in single neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation systems involve high-density crowds of geographically diverse people with variations in susceptibility; therefore, they play a large role in the spread of infectious diseases like SARS-CoV-2. Dose-response models are widely used to model the relationship between the trigger of a disease and the level of exposure in transmission scenarios. In this study, we quantified and bounded viral exposure-related parameters using empirical data from five transportation-related events of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Dose-response models were then applied to parametrically analyze the infection spread in generic transportation systems, including a single-aisle airplane, bus, and railway coach, and then examined the mitigating efficiency of masks by performing a sensitivity analysis of the related factors. We found that dose level significantly affected the number of secondary infections. In general, we observed that mask usage reduced infection rates at all dose levels and that high-quality masks equivalent to FFP2/N95 masks are effective for all dose levels. In comparison, we found that lower-quality masks exhibit limited mitigation efficiency, especially in the presence of high dosage. The sensitivity analysis indicated that a reduction in the infection distance threshold is a critical factor in mask usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stochastic computing (SC) has been proven to be an energy-efficient way to perform neural network. In this study, we propose a field-free voltage-controlled spintronics SC system based on the magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ). We observe a stochastic switching behavior of the MTJ and that it could be controlled by the voltage applied on the device. The voltage-controlled stochastic switching behavior is used to encode numbers ranging from 0 to 1 into a series of random bit-streams in the SC system. Furthermore, the handwritten recognition task is performed on the MTJ-based SC system, achieving a 95% maximum accuracy, which is comparable with the floating-point based neural network. Our work provides inspiration for the energy-efficient neural network systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the association between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (measured using urinary metabolites) and periodontitis using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009–2014. Materials and Methods: Weighted binary logistic regression, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression were used to evaluate independent and joint associations between the six urinary monohydroxylated metabolites of PAHs (OH‐PAHs) and periodontitis. Results: In all, 3413 participants were included in this study. All six urinary OH‐PAHs were present at higher levels in the periodontitis group compared with the non‐periodontitis group (p <.001). Fully adjusted multivariable logistic regressions showed positive associations between the six urinary OH‐PAHs and periodontitis (p <.05). Higher concentrations of OH‐PAHs were also positively associated with attachment loss, periodontal pocket depth (PPD) and the number of tooth loss. BKMR and WQS regression yielded similar positive associations between OH‐PAH mixtures and periodontitis. Conclusions: PAHs and their mixture are positively associated with periodontitis, which may provide novel insights into periodontitis prevention from an environmental exposure perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Letter, we demonstrate an adjustable artificial neuron based on vortex magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ). By applying a bias current to vortex MTJ, the device exhibits splendid characteristics of stochastic switching and nonlinear rectification. The stochastic switching probability induced by spin transfer torque as a function of bias current can simulate sigmoid activation functions. The nonlinear spin-torque microwave rectification through injection locking is similar to a ReLU-like activation function. These two behaviors further are used to perform the recognition of handwritten digits in the Mixed National Institute of Standards and Technology database, with a produced accuracy of up to 93.56% and 93.25%, respectively. Our work provides a potential way for the construction of artificial neuron based on vortex MTJ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is a serine protease characterized by its high expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and near absence in adult normal tissues and benign lesions. This unique expression pattern positions FAP as a prospective biomarker for targeted tumor radiodiagnosis and therapy. The advent of FAP-based radiotheranostics is anticipated to revolutionize cancer management. Among various types of FAP ligands, peptides and antibodies have shown advantages over small molecules, exemplifying prolonged tumor retention in human volunteers. Within its scope, this review summarizes the recent research progress of the FAP radiopharmaceuticals based on antibodies and peptides in tumor imaging and therapy. Additionally, it incorporates insights from recent studies, providing valuable perspectives on the clinical utility of FAP-targeted radiopharmaceuticals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common psychiatric disorder worldwide. Psychotic depression has been reported to be frequently under-diagnosed due to poor recognition of psychotic features. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to reveal the rate and risk factors of psychotic symptoms in young, drug-naïve patients with major depressive disorder at the time of their first episode. Methods: A total of 917 patients were recruited and divided into psychotic and non-psychotic subgroups based on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) positive subscale score. Anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms were measured by the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) and the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), respectively. Several biochemical indicators such as total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), fasting blood glucose (FBG), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), and free thyroxine (FT4) were also measured. Results: The rate of psychotic symptoms among young adult MDD patients was 9.1%. There were significant differences in TSH (p<0.001), FBG (p<0.001), TC (p<0.0001), TG (p = 0.001), HDL-C (p = 0.049), LDL-C (p = 0.010), diastolic blood pressure (DP) (p<0.001), systolic blood pressure (SP) (p<0.001), and HAMD total score (p<0.001) between young MDD patients with and without psychotic depression. HAMD, TSH, TC, and severe anxiety were independently associated with psychotic symptoms in young adult MDD patients. In addition, among young MDD patients, the rate of suicide attempts in the psychotic subgroup was much higher than in the non-psychotic subgroup (45.8% vs. 16.9%). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that psychotic symptoms are common in young MDD patients. Several clinical variables and biochemical indicators are associated with the occurrence of psychotic symptoms in young MDD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cholesterol metabolism is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and recent studies have shown that cholesterol metabolism poses a residual risk of cardiovascular disease even when conventional lipid risk factors are in the optimal range. The association between remnant cholesterol (RC) and cardiovascular disease has been demonstrated; however, its association with hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and the concomitance of the two diseases requires further study. This study aimed to evaluate the association of RC with hypertension, T2DM, and both in a large sample of the U.S. population, and to further explore the potential mechanisms involved. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the 2005—2018 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (N = 17,749). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the relationships of RC with hypertension, T2DM, and both comorbidities. A restricted cubic spline regression model was used to reveal the dose effect. Mediation analyses were performed to explore the potential mediating roles of inflammation-related indicators in these associations. Results: Of the 17,749 participants included (mean [SD] age: 41.57 [0.23] years; women: 8983 (50.6%), men: 8766 (49.4%)), the prevalence of hypertension, T2DM, and their co-occurrence was 32.6%, 16.1%, and 11.0%, respectively. Higher RC concentrations were associated with an increased risk of hypertension, T2DM, and their co-occurrence (adjusted odds ratios for per unit increase in RC were 1.068, 2.259, and 2.362, and 95% confidence intervals were 1.063–1.073, 1.797–2.838, and 1.834–3.041, respectively), with a linear dose–response relationship. Even when conventional lipids were present at normal levels, positive associations were observed. Inflammation-related indicators (leukocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils) partially mediated these associations. Among these, leukocytes had the greatest mediating effect (10.8%, 14.5%, and 14.0%, respectively). Conclusion: The results of this study provide evidence that RC is associated with the risk of hypertension, T2DM, and their co-occurrence, possibly mediated by an inflammatory response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP)-based speller has emerged as a widely adopted paradigm in current brain–computer interface (BCI) systems due to its rapid processing and consistent performance across different individuals. Calibration-free SSVEP algorithms, as opposed to their calibration-based counterparts, offer clear and intuitive mathematical principles, making them accessible to novice developers. During the World Robot Contest (WRC) 2022, participants in the undergraduate category utilized various approaches to accomplish target detection in the calibration-free setting, successfully implementing the algorithms using MATLAB. The winning approach achieved an average information transfer rate of 198.94 bits/min in the final test, which is notably high given the calibration-free scenario. This paper presents an introduction to the underlying principles of the selected methods, accompanied by a comparison of their effectiveness through analysis of results from both the final test and offline experiments. Additionally, we propose that the youth competition of WRC could serve as an ideal starting point for beginners interested in studying and developing their own BCI systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenanthrene (PHE), as a structurally simple, tricyclic, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs), is widely present in marine environments and organisms, with serious ecological and health impacts. It is crucial to study fast and simple high-sensitivity detection methods for phenanthrene in seawater for the environment and the human body. In this paper, a immunosensor was prepared by using a multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNTs)-chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) nanocomposite membrane loaded with phenanthrene antibody. The principle was based on the antibody–antigen reaction in the immune reaction, using the strong electron transfer ability of multi-walled carbon nanotubes, coupled with chitosan oligosaccharides with an excellent film formation and biocompatibility, to amplify the detection signal. The content of the phenanthrene in seawater was studied via differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) using a potassium ferricyanide system as a redox probe. The antibody concentration, pH value, and probe concentration were optimized. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the response peak current of the phenanthrene was inversely proportional to the concentration of phenanthrene, in the range from 0.5 ng·mL−1 to 80 ng·mL−1, and the detection limit was 0.30 ng·mL−1. The immune sensor was successfully applied to the detection of phenanthrene in marine water, with a recovery rate of 96.1~101.5%, and provided a stable, sensitive, and accurate method for the real-time monitoring of marine environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified many single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with complex phenotypes in the European (EUR) population; however, the extent to which EUR-associated SNPs can be generalized to other populations such as East Asian (EAS) is not clear. Results: By leveraging summary statistics of 31 phenotypes in the EUR and EAS populations, we first evaluated the difference in heritability between the two populations and calculated the trans-ethnic genetic correlation. We observed the heritability estimates of some phenotypes varied substantially across populations and 53.3% of trans-ethnic genetic correlations were significantly smaller than one. Next, we examined whether EUR-associated SNPs of these phenotypes could be identified in EAS using the trans-ethnic false discovery rate method while accounting for winner's curse for SNP effect in EUR and difference of sample sizes in EAS. We found on average 54.5% of EUR-associated SNPs were also significant in EAS. Furthermore, we discovered non-significant SNPs had higher effect heterogeneity, and significant SNPs showed more consistent linkage disequilibrium and allele frequency patterns between the two populations. We also demonstrated non-significant SNPs were more likely to undergo natural selection. Conclusions: Our study revealed the extent to which EUR-associated SNPs could be significant in the EAS population and offered deep insights into the similarity and diversity of genetic architectures underlying phenotypes in distinct ancestral groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pervasive health misinformation on social media affects people's health. Fact-checking health information before it is shared is an altruistic behavior that effectively addresses health misinformation on social media. Purpose: Based on the influence of presumed media influence (IPMI), this study serves two purposes: The first is to investigate factors that influence social media users' decisions to fact-check health information before sharing it in accordance with the IPMI model. The second is to explore different predictive powers of the IPMI model for individuals with different levels of altruism. Methods: This study conducted a questionnaire survey of 1045 Chinese adults. Participants were divided into either a low-altruism group (n = 545) or a high-altruism group (n = 500) at the median value of altruism. A multigroup analysis was conducted with R Lavaan package (Version 0.6– 15). Results: All of the hypotheses were supported, which confirms the applicability of the IPMI model in the context of fact-checking health information on social media before sharing. Notably, the IPMI model yielded different results for the low- and high-altruism groups. Conclusion: This study confirmed the IPMI model can be employed in the context of fact-checking health information. Paying attention to health misinformation can indirectly affect an individual's intention to fact-check health information before they share it on social media. Furthermore, this study demonstrated the IPMI model's varying predictive powers for individuals with different altruism levels and recommended specific strategies health-promotion officials can take to encourage others to fact-check health information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of surgical procedures (transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) and open partial laryngectomy (OPL)) on the prognosis of patients with early laryngeal cancer. Methods: A total of 760 patients diagnosed with early laryngeal cancer (T1-2N0M0) and treated with TLM (n = 416) or OPL (n = 344) between 2004 and 2015 were abstracted from the SEER database. Propensity score matching (PSM) and stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting (SIPTW) were performed to obtain comparable cohorts. The survival rates were estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method, and compared using the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses with a false discovery rate (FDR) correction were applied to contrast the association between two surgical approaches and overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS). Results: The 5-year OS for the TLM group was 79.5% versus 77.7% for the OPL group (P = 0.619). Similar results were revealed for the comparison of 5-year DSS rates (91.1% versus 91.5%, P = 0.891). After PSM and SIPTW balance the confounding factors, no significant difference was observed in the OS and DSS of patients treated with TLM compared to patients treated with OPL. The consistent results were still yielded (all P > 0.05), when stratified by gender, age, year of diagnosis, residence, household income, tumor site, T stage, differentiation, and adjuvant therapy. Conclusion: This study provides strong evidence that there is no significant difference in the prognosis of early laryngeal carcinoma between the treatment of TLM and OPL, which may be helpful to guide the clinical decision-making of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a 60‐year‐old man suffering from delayed arterial hemorrhage post liver biopsy. Contrast‐enhanced ultrasound was used to detect the bleeding point and to evaluate the efficacy of microwave ablation (MWA). The hemorrhage was controlled by MWA at the bedside. This is the first application of MWA for delayed hemorrhage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic conductive hydrogels used as flexible wearable sensor devices have attracted considerable attention because of their easy preparation, biocompatibility, and macro/micro mechanosensitive properties. However, developing an integrated conductive hydrogel that combines high mechanical stability, strong adhesion, and excellent mechanosensitive properties to meet practical requirements remains a great challenge owing to the incompatibility of properties. Herein, we prepare a multifunctional ionic conductive hydrogel by introducing high-modulus bacterial cellulose (BC) to form the skeleton of double networks, which exhibit great mechanical properties in both tensile (83.4 kPa, 1235.9% strain) and compressive (207.2 kPa, 79.9% strain) stress–strain tests. Besides, the fabricated hydrogels containing high-concentration Ca2+ show excellent anti-freezing (high ionic conductivities of 1.92 and 0.36 S/m at room temperature and −35 °C, respectively) properties. Furthermore, the sensing mechanism based on the conductive units and applied voltage are investigated to the benefit of the practical applications of prepared hydrogels. Therefore, the designed and fabricated hydrogels provide a novel strategy and can serve as candidates in the fields of sensors, ionic skins, and soft robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, benefiting from its strong capability of nondestructive detection, the ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has been applied to detect and reconstruct underground targets and has drawn lots of attention both in military and civilian fields. However, in the processing of GPR imaging, due to the dispersion errors caused by random distribution of various particles in soil, conventional imaging methods have disadvantages of low signal-noise ratio (SNR), low resolution, and unbalanced amplitude. In this article, to achieve high resolution and high veracity on underground targets’ 3-D reconstruction, we improved the conventional reverse time migration (RTM) algorithm in perspective of medium constitutive relationship. Besides, we extended the improved RTM method in 3-D environments and reconstructed the 3-D structure of several underground targets. To make the RTM algorithm suitable for stepped frequency continuous wave (SFCW) GPR system, we generated three excitation signal models and analyzed the effect of different excitation signals on imaging performance. Finally, through the quantitative analysis of simulation and on-vehicle experimental results, we found that the 3-D images generated by improved RTM method had higher resolution, smaller measurement error, and higher veracity than those of conventional RTM method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing a decade-long observation from the spaceborne dual-frequency precipitation radar, this study investigates the seasonal variations and microphysical characteristics of precipitation in North China. The results elucidate that the mean storm top height (STH) attains its zenith during the summer, potentially linked to the pronounced strong evaporation and convection. An upsurge in STH is frequently correlated with the evolution of precipitation particles of greater dimensions for both convective and stratiform precipitation. This investigation further discerns that the predominant microphysical mechanisms underlying precipitation during the process from altitudes of 3 km to 1 km exhibit significant seasonal variations and are contingent upon the precipitation types. Collision and coalescence processes are identified as the predominant contributors to precipitation formation, whereas evaporative processes and particle size sorting are less significant. For the coalescence process, the lowest is from summer (29.24%) to autumn (38.01%), spring (50.84%) and winter (58.43%). Additionally, this study observes that the altitude of the melting layer in North China(3–4 km) is relatively lower than that in East China and Yangtze-Huai River Valley region(4.5 km), which may be ascribed to the higher latitude, resulting in comparatively lower temperatures aloft and thus a reduced height for the melting layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy-walled cast austenitic stainless steels (CASSs) are usually used as the primary circuit pipelines in many nuclear power plants, but detecting the small defects in these materials has been a difficult problem for many years. To improve the defect-detecting ability and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of ultrasonic testing for CASSs with serious sound attenuation and scattering, an enhanced phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) method with pulse compression is developed in this work. A simplified numerical model of the PAUT for CASSs was established. Numerical simulations were carried out to verify the increasing SNR of the enhanced PAUT method with pulse compression compared with the conventional PAUT based on this model. Finally, an enhanced PAUT system with pulse compression technology was developed to inspect the defects in the heavy-walled CASSs. Experiment results prove the effectiveness of the enhanced PAUT method and system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorodiphenyl (PCB 118), a highly representative PCB congener, has been frequently detected in various environments, garnering much attention across the scientific community. The degradation of highly chlorinated PCBs by aerobic microorganisms is challenging due to their hydrophobicity and persistence. Herein, the biodegradation and adaptation mechanisms of Methylorubrum sp. ZY-1 to PCB 118 were comprehensively investigated using an integrative approach that combined degradation performance, product identification, metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses. The results indicated that the highest degradation efficiency of 0.5 mg L−1 PCB 118 reached 75.66% after seven days of inoculation when the bacteria dosage was 1.0 g L−1 at pH 7.0. A total of eleven products were identified during the degradation process, including low chlorinated PCBs, hydroxylated PCBs, and ring-opening products, suggesting that strain ZY-1 degraded PCB 118 through dechlorination, hydroxylation, and ring-opening pathways. Metabolomic analysis demonstrated that the energy supply and redox metabolism of strain ZY-1 was disturbed with exposure to PCB 118. To counteract this environmental stress, strain ZY-1 adjusted both the fatty acid synthesis and purine metabolism. The analysis of transcriptomics disclosed that multiple intracellular and extracellular oxidoreductases (e.g., monooxygenase, alpha/beta hydrolase and cytochrome P450) participated in the degradation of PCB 118. Besides, active efflux of PCB 118 and its degradation intermediates mediated by multiple transporters (e.g., MFS transporter and ABC transporter ATP-binding protein) might enhance bacterial resistance against these substances. These discoveries provided the inaugural insights into the biotransformation of strain ZY-1 to PCB 118 stress, illustrating its potential in the remediation of contaminated environments. [Display omitted] • This report is the first on the degradation of PCB 118 by Methylorubrum sp. ZY-1. • PCB 118 was degraded via dechlorination, hydroxylation and ring-opening pathways. • PCB 118 caused disorder of energy supply and redox metabolism of strain ZY-1. • The putative PCB 118 biotransformation mechanisms in strain ZY-1 were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the residual bearing capacity of the carriageway slab of a reinforced concrete rib beam bridge after fatigue damage, a double T-beam carriageway slab model with a high degree of symmetry was designed and fatigue tests were carried out. Based on the fatigue cumulative damage theory, the fatigue residual strength equation of concrete was improved and a constitutive fatigue model of a steel bar and concrete with arbitrary loading times was established. Because the carriageway slabs are highly symmetrical, we used a ratio of length to width and a ratio of width to height to express the dimensional changes in the carriageway slabs. Abaqus general analysis program was used to create a symmetrical T-beams model and analyze the influence of the fatigue load level, the ratio of width to height of the roadway slab, and the ratio of length to width on the remaining bearing capacity of the roadway slab. Finally, the 1stOpt fitting software was employed to fit the roadway slab's residual bearing capacity evaluation model. The fatigue test results show that the fatigue failure form of the roadway slab is punching failure, and the development law of fatigue damage can be divided into three stages, accounting for 6.25%, 56.25%, and 37.5% of the total fatigue life. The finite element analysis results showed that the length–width ratio of the roadway slab is positively correlated with its relative residual bearing capacity, and the residual bearing capacity of the two-way slab is higher than that of the one-way slab. The fatigue load level and the aspect ratio of width to height are negatively correlated with their relative residual bearing capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single‐atom electrocatalysts (SACs) toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) have been extensively studied owing to their high mass activity and atom utilization. Although platinum (Pt) based SACs have been reported frequently, optimizing the metal–support interaction to achieve low valence state Pt species is still a challenge. Here, the carbon supported α‐MoC1−x nanoparticles are used to anchor zero‐valent Pt single atoms (PtSA/α‐MoC1−x@C) as electrocatalyst for pH‐universal HER. The PtSA/α‐MoC1−x@C with optimized Pt loading of 0.75 wt% shows a low overpotential (21, 12, and 36 mV at 10 mA cm–2) and high turnover frequencies (27.00, 31.98, and 21.39 H2 s–1 at 100 mV) for HER under alkaline, acidic, and neutral electrolyte conditions. Experimental evidence combing density functional theory calculations confirm that the charge polarization leads to a zero‐valence state of Pt single atom and further optimized the adsorption/desorption energy of intermediates, further accelerating the reaction dynamics for HER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single‐atom electrocatalysts (SACs) toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) have been extensively studied owing to their high mass activity and atom utilization. Although platinum (Pt) based SACs have been reported frequently, optimizing the metal–support interaction to achieve low valence state Pt species is still a challenge. Here, the carbon supported α‐MoC1−x nanoparticles are used to anchor zero‐valent Pt single atoms (PtSA/α‐MoC1−x@C) as electrocatalyst for pH‐universal HER. The PtSA/α‐MoC1−x@C with optimized Pt loading of 0.75 wt% shows a low overpotential (21, 12, and 36 mV at 10 mA cm–2) and high turnover frequencies (27.00, 31.98, and 21.39 H2 s–1 at 100 mV) for HER under alkaline, acidic, and neutral electrolyte conditions. Experimental evidence combing density functional theory calculations confirm that the charge polarization leads to a zero‐valence state of Pt single atom and further optimized the adsorption/desorption energy of intermediates, further accelerating the reaction dynamics for HER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteosarcoma, considered as the primary cause of malignant bone tumors in children, necessitates novel therapeutic strategies to enhance overall survival rates. KAT7, a histone acetyltransferase, exerts pivotal functions in gene transcription and immune modulation. In light of this, our study identified a significant upregulation of KAT7 in the mRNA and protein levels in human osteosarcoma, boosting cell proliferation in vivo and in vitro. In addition, KAT7-mediated H3K14ac activation induced MMP14 transcription, leading to increased expression and facilitation of osteosarcoma cell metastasis. Subsequent bioinformatics analyses highlighted a correlation between KAT7 and adaptive immune responses, indicating CCL3 as a downstream target of KAT7. Mechanistically, STAT1 was found to transcriptionally upregulate CCL3 expression. Furthermore, overexpression of KAT7 suppressed CCL3 secretions, whereas knockdown of KAT7 enhanced its release. Overall, these findings underscore the oncogenic role of KAT7 in regulating immune responses for osteosarcoma treatment. • KAT7 was abundantly expressed in osteosarcoma. • KAT7 overexpression enhanced the expression of MMP14 by H3K14ac modification. • KAT7 inhibited the expression of CCL3 via JAK1-STAT1 signaling pathways. • STAT1 transcriptionally activated CCL3, thereby modulating immune responses. • KAT7 accelerated dissemination of OS cells in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glass fiber is a good substitute for metal materials. However, in the process of manufacturing, it is necessary to carry out sampling inspection on its tensile strength to infer its quality. According to previous literatures, the strength data can be well fitted by the Weibull distribution, while the poor parameter estimation method cannot obtain reliable analysis results. Therefore, a new parameter estimation method is proposed. Based on the simulation results, it is found that the proposed parameter estimation method outperforms the other competitors to obtain reliable estimates of the Weibull parameters. Finally, the proposed parameter estimation method is applied to two real data sets of glass fiber strength for illustration. The results of data analysis show that our proposed parameter estimation method is more suitable for these data sets than other estimation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The dispersed coated particles fuel is one of the most attractive fuel designs for innovative nuclear reactors, such as high temperature gas‐cooled reactors (HTGRs) and the accident tolerant fuel (ATF) in light water reactor (LWR). Monte Carlo (MC) method has unique advantages in the neutron transport simulation in dispersed coated particles fuel, due to its flexible and precise energy and angular treatments. Fully ceramic microencapsulated (FCM) fuel is one of the ATF designs using dispersed coated particles. The FCM fuel poses a challenge on MC method, due to its features of high packing fraction (PF) and polytype particles design. The burnup calculation of FCM fuel is another significant problem, due to the existence of large number of particle fuel. In the paper, the explicit modeling method with discrete element method (DEM) and generalized chord‐length sampling (CLS) method was implemented in MC code RMC for polytype particles design with high PF. The quantitative correction method was also implemented to preserve the precise PF. The typical FCM and HTGR cases were used, and the results show that the DEM and CLS methods were consistent and can treat different kinds of particles effectively. These new features and enhancements can help RMC to better simulate different kinds of ATF designs of innovative nuclear reactors with dispersed coated particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The escalating crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) underscores the urgent need for novel antimicrobials. One promising strategy is the exploration of structural diversity, as diverse structures can lead to diverse biological activities and mechanisms of action. This review delves into the role of structural diversity in antimicrobial discovery, highlighting its influence on factors such as target selectivity, binding affinity, pharmacokinetic properties, and the ability to overcome resistance mechanisms. We discuss various approaches for exploring structural diversity, including combinatorial chemistry, diversity-oriented synthesis, and natural product screening, and provide an overview of the common mechanisms of action of antimicrobials. We also describe techniques for investigating these mechanisms, such as genomics, proteomics, and structural biology. Despite significant progress, several challenges remain, including the synthesis of diverse compound libraries, the identification of active compounds, the elucidation of complex mechanisms of action, the emergence of AMR, and the translation of laboratory discoveries to clinical applications. However, emerging trends and technologies, such as artificial intelligence, high-throughput screening, next-generation sequencing, and open-source drug discovery, offer new avenues to overcome these challenges. Looking ahead, we envisage an exciting future for structural diversity-oriented antimicrobial discovery, with opportunities for expanding the chemical space, harnessing the power of nature, deepening our understanding of mechanisms of action, and moving toward personalized medicine and collaborative drug discovery. As we face the continued challenge of AMR, the exploration of structural diversity will be crucial in our search for new and effective antimicrobials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compound contamination of soil with heavy metals copper (Cu) and lead (Pb) triggered by mining development has become a serious problem. To solve this problem, in this paper, corncob kernel, which is widely available and inexpensive, was used as the raw material of biochar and modified by loading CaAl-layered double hydroxides to synthesize biochar-loaded CaAl-layered double hydroxide composites (CaAl-LDH/BC). After soil remediation experiments, either BC or CaAl-LDH/BC can increase soil pH, and the available phosphorus content and available potassium content in soil. Compared with BC, CaAl-LDH/BC significantly reduced the available content of Cu and Pb in the active state (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid extractable state) in the soil, and the passivation rate of Cu and Pb by a 2% dosage of CaAl-LDH/BC reached 47.85% and 37.9%, respectively. CaAl-LDH/BC can significantly enhance the relative abundance of beneficial microorganisms such as Actinobacteriota, Gemmatimonadota, and Luteimonas in the soil, which can help to enhance the tolerance and reduce the enrichment ability of plants to heavy metals. In addition, it was demonstrated by pea seedling (Pisum sativum L.) growing experiments that CaAl-LDH/BC increased plant fresh weight, root length, plant height, catalase (CAT) activity, and protein content, which promoted the growth of the plant. Compared with BC, CaAl-LDH/BC significantly reduced the Cu and Pb contents in pea seedlings, in which the Cu and Pb contents in pea seedlings were reduced from 31.97 mg/kg and 74.40 mg/kg to 2.92 mg/kg and 6.67 mg/kg, respectively, after a 2% dosage of CaAl-LDH/BC, which was a reduction of 90.84% and 91.03%, respectively. In conclusion, compared with BC, CaAl-LDH/BC improved soil fertility and thus the plant growth environment, and also more effectively reduced the mobility of heavy metals Cu and Pb in the soil to reduce the enrichment of Cu and Pb by plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenge of constructing a mechanically robust yet lightweight artificial solid‐electrolyte interphase layer on lithium (Li) anodes highlights a trade‐off between high battery safety and high energy density. Inspired by the intricate microstructure of the white sea urchin, we first develop a polyvinyl fluoride‐hexafluoropropylene (PVDF‐HFP) interfacial layer with a triple periodic minimal surface structure (TPMS) that could offer maximal modulus with minimal weight. This design endows high mechanical strength to an ordered porous structure, effectively reduces local current density, polarization, and internal resistance, and stabilizes the anode interface. At a low N/P ratio of ~3, using LiFePO4 as the cathode, Li anodes protected by TPMS‐structured PVDF‐HFP achieve an extremely low capacity‐fading‐rate of approximately 0.002 % per cycle over 200 cycles at 1 C, with an average discharge capacity of 142 mAh g−1. Meanwhile, the TPMS porous structure saves 50 wt % of the interfacial layer mass, thereby enhancing the energy density of the battery. The TPMS structure is conducive to large‐scale additive manufacturing, which will provide a reference for the future development of lightweight, high‐energy‐density secondary batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenge of constructing a mechanically robust yet lightweight artificial solid‐electrolyte interphase layer on lithium (Li) anodes highlights a trade‐off between high battery safety and high energy density. Inspired by the intricate microstructure of the white sea urchin, we first develop a polyvinyl fluoride‐hexafluoropropylene (PVDF‐HFP) interfacial layer with a triple periodic minimal surface structure (TPMS) that could offer maximal modulus with minimal weight. This design endows high mechanical strength to an ordered porous structure, effectively reduces local current density, polarization, and internal resistance, and stabilizes the anode interface. At a low N/P ratio of ~3, using LiFePO4 as the cathode, Li anodes protected by TPMS‐structured PVDF‐HFP achieve an extremely low capacity‐fading‐rate of approximately 0.002 % per cycle over 200 cycles at 1 C, with an average discharge capacity of 142 mAh g−1. Meanwhile, the TPMS porous structure saves 50 wt % of the interfacial layer mass, thereby enhancing the energy density of the battery. The TPMS structure is conducive to large‐scale additive manufacturing, which will provide a reference for the future development of lightweight, high‐energy‐density secondary batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self-healing of this dynamic crosslinked hydrogel is mainly achieved by the formation of a dynamic B-O-B bond between the polymer chains. In this study, we have designed and synthesized a novel poly (4 - vinyl benzene boronic acid - co - N - vinyl pyrrolidone - co − 1 - vinyl − 3 - butylimidazolium bromide) hydrogel (VNV hydrogel) dressing with good self-healing properties and bactericidal activity. The gelation and self-healing of this hydrogel are mainly achieved by the formation of a dynamic B-O-B bond between the polymer chains, which is fractured by external forces and subsequently reformed. This self-healing mechanism is studied in detail through the molecular design of the hydrogel. The introduction of hydrophilic chemical groups can effectively improve the porous structures, water absorption and molecular migration. These properties have a positive effect on improving self-healing properties of dynamic crosslinked hydrogels. Furthermore, this VNV hydrogel dressing displays good antibacterial activity against E. coli , S. aureus , and C. albicans. The application of VNV hydrogel dressing on rat wound surface can effectively accelerate wound healing. These results indicate that this novel VNV hydrogel dressing with good self-healing properties and bactericidal activity has potential applications in wound dressings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the association of health insurances on catastrophic health expenditure (CHE), and compares that among different health insurances in the last two decades in China. Methods: The systematic review was conducted according to the Cochrane Handbook and reported according to PRISMA. We searched English and Chinese literature databases including PubMed, EM base, web of science, CNKI, Wan fang, VIP and CBM (Sino Med) for empirical studies on the association between health insurance and CHE from January 2000 to June 2020. Study selection, data extraction and quality appraisal were conducted by two reviewers. The secular trend of CHE rate and comparisons between population with different health insurances were conducted using meta-analysis, subgroup analysis and meta-regression. Results: A total of 4874 citations were obtained, and finally 30 eligible studies with 633917 participants were included. The overall CHE rate was 13.6% (95% CI: 13.1% - 14.0%) from Jan 2000 to June 2020, 12.8% (95% CI: 12.2% - 13.3%) for people with health insurance compared with 16.2% (95% CI:15.4% - 16.9%) for people without health insurance. For types of insurance, the CHE rate was 13.0% (95% CI: 12.4% - 13.6%) for people with new rural cooperative medical scheme (NCMS), 11.9% (95% CI: 9.3% - 14.5%) for urban employees health insurance (UEBMI), 12.0% (95% CI: 8.3% - 15.6%) for urban residents health insurance (URBMI), and 18.0% (95% CI: - 4.5% - 31.5%) for commercial insurance. However, the CHE rate in China has increased in the past 20 years, even adjusted for other factors. The CHE rate of people with NCMS has increased significantly more than people with UEBMI and URBMI. Conclusion: In the past 20 years, the basic health insurance plan has reduce the rate of CHE to a certain extent, but due to the rapid increase in medical costs and the release of health needs in recent years, it masks the role of health insurance. More efforts are needed to control unreasonable medical demand and rising costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate clinicopathological variables influencing overall survival, overall recurrence, and post-recurrence survival (PRS) in patients who experienced curative-intent surgical resection of stage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods: We investigated a series of 1387 patients with stage I NSCLC who underwent surgical resection from 2008 to 2015. The effect clinicopathological factors on death, recurrence, and PRS were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier estimates and cox regression analysis.Results: Among the 1387 stage I patients, 301 (21.7%) experienced recurrence. The 5-year cumulative incidence of recurrence (CIR) for all patients was 20.2% and median PRS was 25.5 months. The older age (P = 0.036), p-stage IB (P = 0.001), sublobar resection(P<0.001), histology subtype (P<0.001), and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (P = 0.042) were significantly associated with worse overall survival. Among 301 recurrent patients, univariable analysis indicated that p-stage IB (versus IA) (P<0.001), LVI (P<0.001) and visceral pleural invasion (VPI) (P<0.001) were remarkably correlated with the higher incidence of recurrence. Taking the effect of clinicopathological variables on PRS into consideration, smoking history (P = 0.043), non-adenocarcinoma (P = 0.013), high architectural grade of LUAD (P = 0.019), EGFR wild status (P = 0.002), bone metastasis (P =0.040) and brain metastasis (P = 0.042) were substantially related with poorer PRS. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that high architectural grade of LUAD (P = 0.008), brain metastasis (P = 0.010) and bone metastasis (P = 0.043) were independently associated with PRS.Conclusion: In patients with resected stage I NSCLC, the older age, p-stage IB (versus IA), sublobar resection, histology subtype, and LVI were significantly associated with worse overall survival. P-stage IB (versus IA), LVI, and VPI were significantly correlated with the higher incidence of recurrence. High architectural grade of LUAD, brain metastasis and bone metastasis were independent risk factors with PRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reported a novel ZIF-8 base STF with high performance shear thickening behavior, which was originated from the porous nature and polyhedron morphology of ZIF-8. • A novel ZIF-8 based STF was developed. • ZIF-8 can be prepared with uniform size on a gram scale. • The interaction between EG and ZIF-8 enhances the hydrodynamic forces. • The poor relative sliding of ZIF-8 leads to super ST behavior. A novel shear thickening fluid (Z-STF) was developed via dispersing zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanoparticles into ethylene glycol (EG). By varying the morphologies of the ZIF-8 nanoparticles, the rheological properties of the Z-STF were controlled. In comparison to the traditional SiO 2 based STF (S-STF), the Z-STF showed a superior shear thickening behavior because of the porous nature and polyhedron morphology of the ZIF-8 nanoparticles. Firstly, the EG molecule could be incorporated into the micropores of ZIF-8, which increased the volume fraction of the dispersing phases and enhanced the hydrodynamic forces between the particles. Secondly, the poor relative sliding of truncated cubic particles led to easily form a more robust structure of frictional contact network in truncated cube ZIF-8 based STF (TCZ-STF) than in truncated rhombic dodecahedron ZIF-8 based STF (TRDZ-STF) and S-STF, thus the TCZ-STF showed smaller critical shear rates and higher maximum viscosities. This work provides a morphology turning method to design high performance STF and supplies a good understanding of the relationship between ST behavior and particles' structure. In view of the easy preparation and wonderful mechanical properties, the Z-STF possessed broad application in damping, body armor, and safe energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lidar observations of metal layers play a significant role in research on the chemistry and dynamics of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. This work reports on Fe lidar observations conducted in Beijing and Mohe. Utilizing the same laser emission system, a 1064 nm seed laser was injected into an Nd: YAG laser to generate a single longitudinal-mode pulse 532 nm laser, which pumped a dye laser to produce a 572 nm laser. The 572 nm laser and the remaining 1064 nm fundamental frequency laser passed through a sum–frequency module to generate a 372 nm laser to detect the Fe layer. According to a total of 52.6 h of observations for 10 nights in Beijing, the Fe layer has an average column density of 1.24 × 1010 cm−2, an RMS width of 4.4 km and a centroid altitude of 89.4 km. In Mohe, observed for 16 nights and a total of 91.5 h, the Fe layer has an average column density of 1.08 × 1010 cm−2, an RMS width of 4.6 km and a centroid altitude of 89.5 km. The probability of the occurrence of sporadic Fe layers was 42.4% in Beijing and 29.4% in Mohe. Compared to simultaneously observed Na layers, the occurrence probabilities of sporadic Fe layers were higher than those of sporadic Na layers in both stations. Based on the two cases observed in Beijing, it is conjectured that the formation mechanism of sporadic metal layers above approximately 100 km has a more significant influence on sporadic Fe layers than on sporadic Na layers. The lower thermospheric Fe layers with densities significantly larger than those of the main layer were observed during two nights in Mohe. This work contributes to the refinement of the global distribution of Fe layers and provides abundant observational data for the modeling and study of the metal layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Porous soft carbon host for iodine loading. • PTCC900 limits the polyiodide dissolution and alleviates the shuttle effects. • 50,000 cycles at 5A g−1 with ultra-high capacity retention. • No need to introduce heteroatoms or additional pore formation steps. • High electrical conductivity and hierarchical porous structure at the same time. Aqueous zinc−iodine battery (AZIB) is a promising energy-storage system due to its high operational safety and the suitable theoretical capacity of 211 mAh g−1 of I 2. However, it suffers from poor rate performance and low capacity retention due to the easy loss of active substance and the shuttle effect caused by polyiodide species. Herein, we rationally designed a perylene−3, 4, 9, 10−tetracarboxylic anhydride (PTCDA)−based carbon host at the annealing temperature of 900°C (PTCC900) to alleviate the problems mentioned above. PTCC900 embraces a hierarchical porous structure with the pore width ranging from 1.8 nm to 13 nm, which is beneficial for the confinement of I 2 and polyiodide. In addition, the turbostratic graphitic microstructures spread inside PTCC900 also provide fast electronic transmission path to increase the electrical conductivity. Benefitting from the above features, the produced PTCC900@I 2 cathode delivers an initial capacity of 240 mAh g−1 and remains a high capacity of 187 mAh g−1 after 600 cycles at the current density of 0.5 A g−1. More importantly, an ultra−long cycle life of over 50000 cycles is also obtained for PTCC900@I 2 cathode when the current density increases to 5 A g−1. The improved electrochemical performances corroborate that PTCC900 is expected to be a potentially promising cathode host for zinc-iodine batteries. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An all-polymeric stretchable FTENG (PEDOT/FSiR-FTENG) is fabricated. • The PEDOT/FSiR-FTENG is applied as a flexible self-powered sensor. • An intelligent active motions monitoring system is developed. The emergence of fibrous triboelectric nanogenerators (FTENGs) provides a promising candidate for self-powered wearable electronics, and developing the all-polymeric FTENGs is beneficial to further improve the wearing comfort of the devices. However, it remains a crucial challenge to fabricate the all-polymeric FTENGs with ideal energy output performances. In this work, an all-polymeric stretchable FTENG (PEDOT/FSiR-FTENG) with high triboelectric outputs is fabricated through a simple rolling method and applied in the human active motions monitoring. The wrinkled poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) electrode layer is constructed to endow the PEDOT/FSiR-FTENG with high stretchability, enabling it to stably output electrical signals under 50% strain extension. In addition, the configuration and constituent of the electrode are adjusted to further enhance its conductivity, thereby significantly optimizing the triboelectric performance of the PEDOT/FSiR-FTENG. The obtained PEDOT/FSiR-FTENG can output the open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current of 30 V and 0.16 μA respectively under the external force of 60 N, and the electric signals show an obvious variation with the change of the force between 0.5 and 220 N, demonstrating its high sensitivity and responsiveness to mechanical stimuli. Taking advantage of these outstanding properties, the PEDOT/FSiR-FTENG is applied as a flexible self-powered sensor in the precise physiological detection, including large human motions (steps and joints bending) and slight human vital signs (expression, pulse, and phonation). In addition, a self-powered intelligent active motion monitoring system with wireless data transmission ability is developed based on the PEDOT/FSiR-FTENG, presenting great application potential in the remote patient care and the real-time communication between deaf-mutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A crucial obstacle to photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is the scarcity of p-type photocathodes with superior charge separation ability. Nanocrystals with well-defined anisotropic shapes offer an exciting opportunity for tailoring the PEC performance of semiconductors. In this paper, various SnS nanostructures with different dimensions were controllably synthesized using a colloidal injection method. Through controlling the roles of 1-dodecanethiol (DDT) and thioacetamide for nanocrystal nucleation and growth, different morphologies of SnS nanostructures were fabricated. 0-D SnS nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated by the hot-injection method, while temperature-controlled cool-injection facilitated the formation of 1-D SnS nanorods (NRs) and 2-D SnS nanosheets (NSs). Due to the efficient charge transfer and separation, photocathodes fabricated from 1-D nanorods exhibited much superior activity than 0-D nanoparticles and 2-D nanosheets. Our research demonstrates the enormous potential of dimensional tailoring of anisotropic SnS nanostructures for PEC activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Li-B alloy can be used as a lithium-metal anode, and this alloy maintains the entire structure of Li 7 B 6 constituents after the removal of free Li. In this study, a compact Li-Al layer which allows electron and ion transport to form in situ on the Li-B electrode was developed to solve the fundamental challenges of the Li-metal anode. Results of symmetric-cell tests show that the Li-Al layer coating on Li-B electrode can improve cyclic life over 1200 h at a current density of 0.2 mA cm−2, whereas bare Li-B electrode has stable cycles not exceeding 800 h. Results of scanning electron microscopy analysis demonstrate that Li deposition occurs beneath the Li-Al layer, and that the Li-Al alloy layer effectively reduces Li-metal corrosion and suppress the formation of Li dendrites. When matched with LiNi 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 O 2 cathode, the Li-B with Li-Al layer shows improved cycle stability and lower voltage difference than bare Li-B anode. Highlights • A flat and compact Li-Al layer formed in situ on the Li-B electrode. • A Li-Al layer is a mixed ionic/electronic conductor for electron and ion transport. • The lithium deposition occurs beneath the Li-Al layer. • Li dendrites growth is inhibited and side reaction is reduced by the Li-Al layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More efforts are being made in hybridizing TiO2 photocatalysts with graphene-analogue g-C3N4. However, a fundamental understanding of the interfacial behavior of charge carriers is still lacking. In this paper, the impact of exposed facets and structural defects on the charge transfer mechanism around heterostructured interfaces was investigated. Due to the electron-rich feature and the relatively lower CB position, integrating g-C3N4 with 101-TiO2 facilitated the Z-scheme recombination of electrons in the CB of 101-TiO2 and holes in the VB of g-C3N4. Creating oxygen vacancies in TiO2 resulted in the 4- and 24-fold increased photoactivity than blank TiO2 and g-C3N4. 001-Facets of TiO2 however were prone to accept electrons from the CB of g-C3N4, forming the conventional Type II junction with poor photoreduction ability. For 001-TiO2/g-C3N4 heterojunctions, nitrogen vacancies in g-C3N4 played a more important role in separating the charge carriers. Our discovery provides an efficient way to design high-performance TiO2-based heterostructured photocatalysts through facet and defect engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No-Reference (NR) quality assessment is a crucial approach for evaluating the quality of low-light enhanced images, as it is often difficult to acquire high-quality reference images in applications such as night-time automatic driving. However, current NR evaluation methods for low-light enhanced images often lack consideration of important characteristics such as color, structure, and naturalness. This paper proposes a novel NR quality assessment method for NR low-light enhanced images from both subjective and objective aspects. On the subjective side, we construct the Low-light Enhanced Images Subjective Dataset (LEISD) containing 2040 images with 255 different image contents. Each image was evaluated based on the Single Stimulus (SS) method by 20 subjects. On the objective side, we propose Multi-Features Reconciliation-based Quality Assessment (MFRQA) methods for low-light enhanced images by observing the low-light enhanced images. The MFRQA summarized four key feature perspectives: brightness, color, structure and naturalness, and employed the traditional machine learning model to reconcile the multi-features. Experimental results on the LEISD dataset demonstrate competitive performance and low complexity of our method compared to the representative quality metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• n-butane/air/CO 2 cellular flames on flat-flame burner were experimental investigated. • Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (OH-PLIF and CH 2 O-PLIF) flame diagnosis technology was utilized. • CO 2 dilution always enhanced flame instability in lean, stoichiometric and rich flames. • The enhanced effect of flame instability was stronger by CO 2 dilution than by N 2 dilution. Present experimental study reports on the effects of CO 2 dilution on intrinsic instabilities of non-adiabatic n-butane/air cellular flames on McKenna burner at initial 300 K temperature and 0.1 MPa pressure. The Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (OH-PLIF and CH 2 O-PLIF) optical diagnostic technology was utilized to probe the structure of cellular flames. The results show that the cellular flames can be obtained under the conditions with lean, stoichiometric and rich CO 2 diluted n-butane/air mixtures. At lean conditions, hydrodynamic instability was dominant and the cellular flames were formed by connected wrinkles. However, at rich conditions, diffusive-thermal instability was dominant and the cellular flames were formed by separated cells. It confirmed that the CO 2 dilution can enhance flame instability significantly, as well as the enhanced effect was positive correlation with CO 2 dilution ratio. Furthermore, the enhanced effects of flame instability was stronger by CO 2 dilution than by N 2 dilution. The chemical and thermal effects by CO 2 dilution were attributed to enhance flame instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to their high latent heat and chemical stability, phase change materials (PCMs) are often utilized for cooling high-power-density electronics. However, the application of PCMs is limited by their leakage and low thermal conductivity. In order to resolve this issue, a copper-powder-sintered frame/paraffin form-stable phase change material (CPSF/P-FSPCM) was prepared by embedding paraffin into CPSF using a vacuum perfusion method, and the dependences of its filling rate on the material porosity and CPSF thickness were determined. In addition, transient plane source and differential scanning calorimetry techniques were utilized to measure the thermal conductivity and latent heat of the fabricated CPSF/P-FSPCM. The obtained results showed that after increasing the porosity of CPSF/P-FSPCM from 47% to 74%, its thermal conductivity and latent heat changed from 17.18 W/mK and 32.69 kJ/kg to 156.30 W/mK and 11.61 kJ/kg, respectively. Further, the produced CPSF/P-FSPCM possessed the ability to significantly accelerate the heat transfer process and maintain the temperature of a device within a safe range. Finally, a CPSF/P heat sink for high power density light-emitting diodes (LEDs) was fabricated. After 10 on/off testing cycles conducted at a power of 18 W, the temperature of the CPSF/P heat sink varied between 93.7 °C and 57.5 °C, thereby decreasing the highest temperature by 16.3 °C, improving the LED brightness by 4.07% and decreasing its variation by 2.12% as compared to that of conventional aluminum heat sinks. The results presented in this work indicate that the prepared CPSF/P-FSPCM represents a high-potential material for reliable thermal management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resonance fluorescence scattering is the physical mechanism with which lidar detects atmospheric metal layers. The resonance fluorescence scattering cross section is an important parameter for lidar data processing. In this work, the resonance fluorescence backscattering cross sections of most detectable metal atoms and ions in the atmosphere were calculated. The calculated maximum backscattering cross section of Na at the D2 line is 7.38 × 10−17 m2/sr; K at the D1 line is 7.37 × 10−17 m2/sr; Fe at the 372 nm line is 7.53 × 10−18 m2/sr; Fe at the 374 nm line is 6.98 × 10−18 m2/sr; Fe at the 386 nm line is 3.75 × 10−18 m2/sr; Ni at the 337 nm line is 4.05 × 10−18 m2/sr; and Ni at the 341 nm line is 2.05 × 10−17 m2/sr; Ca is 3.06 × 10−16 m2/sr; Ca+ is 1.12 × 10−16 m2/sr. The influence of the laser linewidth on the effective scattering cross section was discussed. If the laser linewidth is lower than 2 GHz to detect Na, the laser center frequency locked at the D2a line is a better option than the D2 line in order to obtain greater signals. If an unlocked lidar is used to detect Na, the frequency at D2a should be used as the laser center frequency when the effective scattering cross section of Na was calculated, because the absorption cross section of Na atom has two local maxima. This work proposes a quantifiable comparative method for assessing the observation difficulty of different metal particles by comparing their relative uncertainties in lidar observation. It is assumed that under the same observation conditions, the detectability of different metal atoms and ions is compared. Using Na as a basis for comparison, the relative uncertainty of Ni at 337 nm is the highest, about a factor of 21 larger than that of Na, indicating that it is the most difficult to be detected. The purpose of this work is to present a quantifiable comparison method for the detection difficulty of the metal particles by lidar in the middle and upper atmosphere, which has great significance for the design of the lidar system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The involvement of Rho of Plants (ROP) GTPases in abscisic acid (ABA) signalling in Arabidopsis has been demonstrated in many studies. However, the roles of RopGEFs (Rop guanine nucleotide exchange factors), which modulate ROP activities in ABA signalling, are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that Rop- GEF2 may play a negative role in ABA-suppressed seed germination and post-germination growth. We show that disruption of RopGEF2 enhances sensitivity to exogenous ABA in seed germination assays and that RopGEF2pro-GUS is mainly expressed in developing embryos and germinating seeds. Interestingly, YFP-RopGEF2 is located in both the cytoplasmic region and in mitochondria. Notably, the PRONE2 (plantspecific ROP nucleotide exchanger 2) domain of RopGEF2 is detected in mitochondria, whereas the N-terminus of RopGEF2 is shown to be in the cytosol. After ABA treatment, degradation of RopGEF2 is triggered in the cytosol through the ubiquitin-26S proteasome system. The binding of RopGEF2 to ROP2, ROP6 or ROP10, which has been demonstrated to be involved in ABA signalling, not only alters the localization of RopGEF2 but also enables RopGEF2 to escape degradation in the cell. Thus, in this study, we deduce a sophisticated mechanism of ABA-mediated RopGEF2-ROP signalling, which potentially implicates the inactivation of ROPs in responsiveness to ABA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The hierarchical Bi 2 MoO 6 -SOVs/ln 2 S 3 S-scheme heterojunction were fabricated. • CO 2 photoreduction to CO with high selectivity (94.1%) is achieved on BMO/IS-1. • The synergistic effect of IEF and SOVs improves the CO 2 photoreduction activity. • The S-scheme mechanism was verified by performing DFT calculations and ISI-XPS. Employing photocatalytic technology to promote CO 2 photoreduction into carbon fuels is of great significance to the field of renewable energy. Herein, the hierarchical Bi 2 MoO 6 @In 2 S 3 heterostructured nanotubes rich in surface oxygen vacancies (SOVs) are synthesized by a multi-step control strategy for visible-light-driven CO 2 reduction. The combination of density functional theory (DFT) calculations and in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ISI-XPS) confirms the existence of the S-scheme charge transfer mechanism and SOVs, which will accelerate the separation of charges and ameliorate the redox capability. Additionally, the unique hierarchical hollow architectures also effectively promote the efficiency of light utilization and provide abundant reactive sites. Consequently, the optimized Bi 2 MoO 6 -SOVs@In 2 S 3 heterogeneous nanotubes display remarkable activity under visible light irradiation, with the yield rate and selectivity for CO-generation are 28.54 μmol g-1h−1 and 94.1%, respectively. This work provides new opportunities for the design of hierarchical hollow heterojunctions with an S-scheme charge transfer mechanism for effective photocatalytic CO 2 reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical properties determine the use of two-component polyurethane materials. The compatibility of two components in the polyether polyol-MDI molecular system greatly influences the formation of mechanical properties in polyurethane materials. In this paper, we studied and evaluated the compatibility and mechanical properties of two-component polyurethane at multiple scales by combining molecular dynamics simulation with macroscopic experiments, which is an important guideline for synthesizing and preparing two-component polyurethanes. We evaluated the stability of the two-component polyurethane system by calculating the solubility parameter, binding energy, and diffusion coefficient at four temperatures with three isocyanate contents. The Perl scripting language obtained the mechanical properties of the MDI-polyether polyol system. The MD calculation results show that the solubility parameter of two-component polyurethane negatively correlated with temperature, and the intermolecular binding energy and MDI diffusion coefficient positively correlated with temperature. When the mass ratio of polyether polyol to isocyanate was 1:0.6, the solubility parameter difference between the two was 1.43 (J/cm3)1/2, the intermolecular binding energy was 531.68 kcal/mol, and the two-component system was more stable. A macroscopic direct tensile test was employed to assess the polyurethane elastomers' tensile properties. Our results show that the tensile strength of polyurethane elastomers increased with the increase in isocyanate content and decrease in temperature. Furthermore, the elongation at the break decreased, and the modulus increased, which is consistent with the law of molecular simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel lite action unit (AU) convolution network (LAUCN) is proposed for automatic AU detection, which could improve the accuracy of AU detection with a few samples. (i) LAUCN could transform the manual intervened factors (i.e. gradient, pixels etc.), which identify the characteristics of two‐dimensional shapes, to a hierarchical perceptron in multi‐direction and multi‐scale, while a small amount of samples are needed. (ii) LAUCN takes into account the core properties of facial AUs for detecting action unit more accurately, where the existence of strong co‐occurrence structure indicates that the presence of one AU can be regarded as a prior for the presence of others so that the problem of subtle changes in appearance or geometry of the face will be well solved via exploiting this property. The experiments are conducted on the CK+ dataset, and the experimental results show that LAUCN can accomplish AU recognition satisfactorily and has achieved the expected results as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of Rho of plants (ROP) in morphogenesis of leaf epidermal cells has been well studied, but the roles concerning regulators of ROPs such as RhoGDIs are poorly understood. This study reports that AtRhoGDI1 (GDI1) acts as a versatile regulator to modulate development of seedlings and leaf pavement cells. In mutant gdi1, leaf pavement cells showed shorter lobes in comparison with those in wild type. In GDI1-14 seedlings (GDI1-overexpression line) the growth of lobes in pavement cells was severely suppressed and the development of seedlings was altered. These results indicate that GDI1 plays an essential role in morphogenesis of epidermal pavement cells through modulating the ROP signalling pathways. The interaction between GDI1 and ROP2 or ROP6 was detected in the leaf pavement cells using FRET analysis. Dominant negative, not constitutively active, DN-rop6 could weaken the effect caused by overexpression of GDI1; because the pleiotropic phenotype of GDI1-14 plants was eliminated in the hybrid line GDI1-14 DN-rop6. GDI1 could be phosphorylated by CPK3. Three conserved Ser/Thr residues in GDI1 were determined as targeted amino acids for CPK3. Overexpression of GDI1(3D), not GDI1(3A), could rescue the abnormal growth phenotypes of gdi1-1 seedlings, demonstrating the impact of GDI1 phosphorylation in the development of Arabidopsis. In summary, these results suggest that GDI1 regulation in morphogenesis of seedlings and leaf pavement cells could be undergone through modulating the ROP signalling pathways and the phosphorylation of GDI1 by CPK3 was required for the developmental modulation in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]