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Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology affecting mainly children. Studies have shown that the pathogenesis of KD may be related to autophagy. Using bioinformatics analysis, we assessed the significance of autophagy-related genes (ARGs) in KD. Methods: Common ARGs were identified from the GeneCards Database, the Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB), and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. ARGs were analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. Furthermore, related microRNAs (miRNAs), transcription factors (TFs), and drug interaction network were predicted. The immune cell infiltration of ARGs in tissues was explored. Finally, we used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) to validate the diagnostic value and expression levels of ARGs in KD. Results: There were 20 ARGs in total. GO analysis showed that ARGs were mainly rich in autophagy, macro-autophagy, and GTPase activity. KEGG analysis showed that ARGs were mainly rich in autophagy—animal and the collecting duct acid secretion pathway. The expression of WIPI1, WDFY3, ATP6V0E2, RALB, ATP6V1C1, GBA, C9orf72, LRRK2, GNAI3, and PIK3CB is the focus of PPI network. A total of 72 related miRNAs and 130 related TFs were predicted by miRNA and TF targeting network analyses. Ten pairs of gene–drug interaction networks were also predicted; immune infiltration analysis showed that SH3GLB1, ATP6V0E2, PLEKHF1, RALB, KLHL3, and TSPO were closely related to CD8 + T cells and neutrophils. The ROC curve showed that ARGs had good diagnostic value in KD. qRT-PCR showed that WIPI1 and GBA were significantly upregulated. Conclusion: Twenty potential ARGs were identified by bioinformatics analysis, and WIPI1 and GBA may be used as potential drug targets and biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are widely used in various fields, and the reliability and performance of WSNs are critical for their applications. However, WSNs are vulnerable to jamming attacks, and the impact of movable jammers on WSNs' reliability and performance remains largely unexplored. This study aims to investigate the impact of movable jammers on WSNs and propose a comprehensive approach for modeling jammer-affected WSNs, comprising four parts. Firstly, agent-based modeling of sensor nodes, base stations, and jammers has been proposed. Secondly, a jamming-aware routing protocol (JRP) has been proposed to enable sensor nodes to weigh depth and jamming values when selecting relay nodes, thereby bypassing areas affected by jamming. The third and fourth parts involve simulation processes and parameter design for simulations. The simulation results show that the mobility of the jammer significantly affects WSNs' reliability and performance, and JRP effectively bypasses jammed areas and maintains network connectivity. Furthermore, the number and deployment location of jammers has a significant impact on WSNs' reliability and performance. These findings provide insights into the design of reliable and efficient WSNs under jamming attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphite/Cu bonding is essential for the fabrication of graphite-based plasma-facing parts and graphite-type commutators. Transient liquid phase bonding of graphite/Cu has been conducted separately with Ti/Cu/Ti and Ti/Cu/Ni/Ti multi-foils. The interfacial microstructure and mechanical properties of the bonded joints have been characterized. For the joint with Ti/Cu/Ti multi-foils, complete melting of the Ti/Cu/Ti multi-foils and interdiffusion between the molten zone and the Cu substrate occur during the bonding process, leading to formation of Ti–Cu intermetallics in the bonding area. The liquid phase flowing toward the sidewall of the Cu substrate gives rise to a thickness of the bonding area far less than those of the as-received multi-foils. For the joint with Ti/Cu/Ni/Ti multi-foils, the bonding area can be divided into three parts (areas I, II and III). The bonding areas I and III comprise Ti–Cu intermetallics and Ti(CuxNi1-x)2, while the bonding area II consists of an Ni layer and two thin TiNi3 reaction layers. The thickness of the whole bonding area is similar to those of the as-received multi-foils, indicating that addition of Ni foil can prevent the loss of liquid phase zone by inhibiting the excessive liquid phase formation. The addition of a Ni foil in bonding of the graphite/Cu may alleviate the joint residual stress by its intermediate coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) to accommodate any thermal mismatch in the joint and by its superior ductility and plasticity, thus resulting in shear strength promotion of the joint with the Ti/Cu/Ni/Ti multi-foils by approximately 35% when compared to the Ti/Cu/Ti multi-foils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to accomplish a systematic review and meta-analysis of all randomized controlled trials that dissected the influence of tocotrienol supplementation on various anthropometric and cardiometabolic indices in all individuals, irrespective of health condition. This research was carried out in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement guidelines. 17 eligible articles were included in the final quantitative analysis. Current study revealed that tocotrienol consumption was not associated with CRP, WC, MDA, BMI, IL-6, HbA1C, ALT, AST, creatinine TNF-α, FPG, BW, DBP, and SBP. We did observe an overall increase in BW (SMD: 0.063 kg, 95% CI: −0.200, 0.327, p = 0.637) and DBP (SMD: 0.249 mmHg, 95% CI: 0.053, 0.446, p = 0.013). In addition, a significant reduction in SBP was observed (SMD: −0.616 mmHg, 95% CI: −1.123, −0.110, p = 0.017). In summary, our meta-analysis revealed that tocotrienol consumption was associated with increase in BW and DBP and decrease in SBP. Significant associations were not observed for other outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese Paulownia wood has been extensively used in the construction of timber buildings and lightweight sandwich structures. However, the bending and shear behaviors at elevated temperatures were not well understood. A total of 162 specimens were tested to investigate the bending, tangential shear, and radial shear performances of Chinese Paulownia wood under temperatures from 20 to 220 °C. It was found that the bending specimens exhibited ductile failure due to the progressive damage after reaching the peak load, while the tangential and radial shear specimens exhibited brittle shear failure along the shear plane. The elevated temperatures had limited effects on the failure modes. Under the same temperature, the retention rate of the modulus of elasticity is significantly higher than that of the modulus of rupture. Moreover, the bending strength, tangential shear strength, and radial shear strength generally and nonlinearly decreased with the increasing temperature. The EN 1995-1-2 design curve for the shear strength of wood at elevated temperatures is conservative for both the tangential and radial shear specimens. However, the design curve may not be adopted to estimate the tangential shear strength at temperatures higher than 220 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the process of producing hot‐rolled strips in the metallurgical industry, various defects inevitably appear on its surface due to harsh environments and complex manufacturing, consequently bringing about quality problems and economic loss. However, the existing detection methods are difficult to meet the actual requirements of commercial production due to their problems, such as low efficiency and low accuracy. Herein, an improved You only look once X (YOLOX) model for detecting strip surface defects is proposed. Based on the existing YOLOX model, herein, the MobileViT block is introduced to enhance the capability of feature extraction of the backbone network output. The feature pyramid networks through efficient channel attention (ECA) module to strengthen important channel weights are improved, and finally, the original positioning loss function by efficient intersection over union (EIOU) to increase the locating accuracy is replaced. The experimental results show that the improved YOLOX model can obtain 80.67 mAP and 75.69 mAP detection effects on the Northeast University dataset and Xsteel surface defect dataset, respectively. Compared with the original YOLOX, the model increases by 3.95 mAP and 4.02 mAP, respectively. The data fully show that the improved YOLOX model proposed herein is more effective for strip surface defect detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ultra-dry C/W foam reduced reservoir permeability and decreased its heterogeneity. • The ability of residual foam to plug cores was stable. • Parallel-core experiment and COMSOL simulation verified good plugging of the foam. For oil recovery in low-permeability oil fields, ultra-dry CO 2 foam flooding possesses the dual advantages of pure CO 2 flooding and surfactant flooding, and is also effective for CO 2 storage. Herein, ultra-dry CO 2 -in-water (C/W) foam with 10 v/v% water content was used for core plugging and to decrease the heterogeneity of oil reservoirs. The resistance coefficient (R f) and residual resistance coefficient (R ff) characterizing the foam-plugged cores were measured at different foam existence times (different times after forming the foam) and for cores with different permeabilities. As the foam existence time increased, the non-uniformity of the foam intensified, resulting in a decrease in its ability to plug cores. Specifically, the resistance coefficient (R f) decreased from 12.179 to 6.802, while the residual resistance coefficient (R ff) decreased from 7.149 to 3.809. With a decrease in the core permeability, R f decreased from 26.525 to 10.398, R ff decreased from 17.313 to 4.230, and the ability of the foam to plug cores decreased, indicating that the ultra-dry C/W foam could effectively plug the high-permeability layer and decreasing the reservoir heterogeneity. Based on the distribution of foam and pore size, three plugging mechanisms were proposed: single-bubble bridge, multi-bubble accumulation and foam compression, deformation and rupture. Additionally, a scale factor I (I = R ff / R f) was introduced to evaluate the stability of the residual foam in the plugged core. After different existence times, the value of I for the foam injected into the core was stable at 0.55–0.6, indicating good stability of the foam. Finally, oil recovery in parallel cores was evaluated and two-phase flow was simulated based on the phase-field method, which further proved that the ultra-dry C/W foam can effectively decrease the reservoir heterogeneity and enhance oil recovery in the low-permeability zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant mRNA modification affecting diverse biological processes. However, the functions and precise mechanisms of m6A signaling in adult hippocampal neurogenesis and neurogenesis‐related depression remain largely enigmatic. We found that depletion of Mettl3 or Mettl14 in neural stem cells (NSCs) dramatically reduced m6A abundance, proliferation, and neuronal genesis, coupled with enhanced glial differentiation. Conversely, overexpressing Mettl3 promoted proliferation and neuronal differentiation. Mechanistically, the m6A modification of Lrp2 mRNA by Mettl3 enhanced its stability and translation efficiency relying on the reader protein Ythdc2, which in turn promoted neurogenesis. Importantly, mice lacking Mettl3 manifested reduced hippocampal neurogenesis, which could contribute to spatial memory decline, and depression‐like behaviors. We found that these defective behaviors were notably reversed by Lrp2 overexpression. Moreover, Mettl3 overexpression in the hippocampus of depressive mice rescues behavioral defects. Our findings uncover the biological role of m6A modification in Lrp2‐mediated neurogenesis via m6A‐binding protein Ythdc2, and propose a rationale that targeting Mettl3‐Ythdc2‐Lrp2 axis regulation of neurogenesis might serve as a promising antidepressant strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Spinal glia attribute to the development and maintenance of burn-induced pain. • Microglia p38-TNF signaling is crucial in the early-phase of burn-induced pain. • Astrocyte JNK-CXCL1 signaling attributes to the late-phase of burn-induced pain. • Spinal microglia-derived TNF is a critical mediator in burn-induced astrogliosis. Burn injury-induced pain (BIP) is an extremely complicated condition usually resistant to analgesic drugs, while its pathogenesis remains unknown. Considerable attention has been attracted to elucidate the glial mechanisms in chronic pain. In this study, we initiatively used a mouse model of second‐degree BIP to investigate the underlying non-neuronal mechanisms at the spinal cord level. Our behavioral results showed that hind-paw burn injury caused persistent allodynia and hyperalgesia for 2 weeks in mice. Further studies revealed that both microglia and astrocytes activated in a spatially- and temporally-dependent manner in spinal cord after burn injury. In addition, the phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-mediated tumor necrosis factor (TNF) release in spinal microglia is essentially attributed to the early stage of BIP, while the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) MAPK-dependent chemokine CXCL1 expression is mainly involved in the maintenance of pain hypersensitivity. Most strikingly, burn injury-induced pain symptoms and the activation of astrocytes were significantly suppressed by TNF inhibitor Thalidomide. On the contrary, intrathecal injection of TNF caused apparent pain hypersensitivity, accompanied by the activation of astrocytes and the upregulation of CXCL1 via the JNK MAPK signaling pathway, indicating that TNF is the key cytokine in the interaction between microglia and astrocytes at the spinal level. Moreover, treatment with the CXCR2 receptor antagonist SB225002 to block the biological activities of CXCL1 significantly attenuated the mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in this BIP model. Taken together, this study indicates that intervention of glial pathways provides a new perspective in the management of BIP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curriculum plays a central role in the cultivation of professional talents in colleges and universities and is the carrier of the goal of talent cultivation. Curriculum reform is the core of physical education teaching reform. In the context of social needs, curriculum reform should aim at cultivating professional talents. The overall reform should be guided by social needs to improve the suitability and effectiveness of curriculum reform. This paper aims to study the analysis and content optimization of physical education teaching based on the background of computer information technology. In order to maximize the professional function of physical education teaching and better provide basic guarantee for physical education, this paper firstly carries out a conceptual analysis of physical education and content optimization. Secondly, this paper expounds the advantages of computer information technology and then deeply studies the network computer server cluster method. Then it optimizes the case design of the teaching content of the special course of physical education. The cluster analysis results of college physical education teachers and experts show that, in terms of teachers, 36% of teachers are satisfied with the physical education textbooks, ranking first. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was to study the effect of calcium zinc mixture feed additives on production performance and milk quality of dairy cows. A total of 180 lactating period Holstein dairy cows with similar pens, parity and days of lactation were randomly divided into two groups, with 90 replicates in each group. The dairy cows in control group were fed with a full-mixed diet, and the dairy cows in test group were fed with a full-mixed diet + 500 mL/(head ·d) calcium and zinc mixture, for 3 d consecutive, then stopped for 4 d, lasted for 35 d. The results showed that compared with control group, the feed conversion rate of dairy cows in test group was increased by 2.18%. Milk yield of dairy cows in test group was increased by 0.35%, 11.31%, 2.89%, 3.10%, 1.83% and 3.84% on the 7th, 14th, 21th, 28th and 35th day and the whole process, respectively. Milk yield of dairy cows on the 14th day increased significantly. Milk fat percentage and milk protein of dairy cows in test group were slightly lower. Somatic cell number and persistence of dairy cows in test group were increased slightly. Urea nitrogen of dairy cows in test group was decreased slightly. The average economic benefit in each cow per day of dairy cows in test group was increased by 8.24%. The experiment indicates that adding calcium zinc mixture in total mixed diet has no significant effect on feed conversion rate, tends to improve milk yield in a certain stage, which has no significant effect on milk quality, can improve economic benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The delayed choice gedanken-experiment initially proposed by J A Wheeler reveals the nontrivial features of waveâ€"particle duality in quantum world, that is, the choice of whether to observe the particle/wave character of a quantum system at a delayed time can affect its evolution history. In this work, the Wheeler’s delayed-choice experiment is conducted and tested in a new regime based on a Rydberg-ground level atomic Machâ€"Zehnder interferometer with optical coherent manipulation. Our quantum system exhibits an excellent single-excitation of the collective atomic state due to the Rydberg blockade effect, and the delayed choice of the interferometer configuration is realized by a quantum random number generator based on high-quality Rydberg single-photon source. Our experimental results demonstrate the Wheeler’s nontrivial time order inversion in this quantum system and confirm the Copenhagen interpretation of the physical reality of quantum state, which means the particle/wave character can only be ascribed to a quantum system when it was measured. This work is encouraging toward testing the foundations of quantum mechanics using the Rydberg atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debris flow is a type of highly dangerous geological hazard, which can pose significant threat to the safety of various infrastructures including power transmission tower system. However, the performance of piled power transmission tower system against debris flow has yet to be well investigated. A validated coupled SPH-FEM method was employed to investigate the behavior of a typical piled power transmission tower system subjected to various debris flows, accounting for influencing factors of slope angle, sliding distance, and density and thickness of debris flow. The findings revealed that the incorporation of power transmission tower was important to accurately estimate the impact force and horizontal displacement of the pile and the frontal piles undertook more than 70% of the total impact force; among the factors considered, the slope angle and density were found to be more influential. After examining the performance of existing prediction methods, two semi-empirical equations were proposed for respectively estimating the maximum impact force and horizontal displacement of pile based on multivariate regression analysis. Furthermore, it was found that debris flows did not likely cause steel tower to directly experience structural damages; however, its pile foundation could suffer moderate to severe damages depending on the debris flow conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structure from Motion (SfM) is key to mixed computer vision and photogrammetry applications. However, the fast-growing needs for large-scale SfM bring challenges to current SfM solutions. Unlike traditional global and incremental SfM solutions, hierarchical SfM approaches demonstrate promising potential in effectively reconstructing large-scale image sets by dividing the image set into multiple image clusters, reconstructing each cluster separately, and gradually merging partial models into a complete model. However, current hierarchical SfM approaches still suffer from the following problems: accurate image clustering without ancillary information; automatic quality evaluation of each reconstruction unit and unreliable partial reconstruction removal; effective and efficient reconstruction of each image cluster; robust and accurate cluster merging considering the merging order and the handling of images taken with the same camera but divided into different clusters. These unstable factors limit the robustness and accuracy of hierarchical SfM approaches on different unstructured image sets. To systematically improve the performance of hierarchical SfM, we propose a novel robust hierarchical structure from motion (RHSfM) method for large-scale image sets, which does not rely on any additional information, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) and Inertial Navigation System (INS). (1) We develop an automatic image clustering method based on image correlation and present a dynamic adjustment strategy, obtaining reliable image clustering results. (2) We remove the poor reconstructions by introducing multiple quality evaluation standards. (3) We put forward a fast incremental SfM algorithm that optimizes the image adding mode with an image pre-screening strategy and gets rid of the dependence by the proposed dynamic adjustment strategy. (4) We achieve accurate cluster merging by creating an optimal merging list and employing a stepwise global optimization strategy that merges structures first and then cameras. Significantly, the entire process is fully automated with only a few input parameters, and the final result is not sensitive to these parameters. We verify our method on various real image sets that cover different image conditions, different scenes, and different image scales, especially two large-scale image sets with 121,506 and 153,396 images, respectively. The experimental results reveal that our approach outperforms the state-of-the-art SfM systems Colmap, 3DF Samantha, and Metashape in terms of robustness, accuracy, and efficiency. In particular, only our method successfully reconstructed all the seven challenging datasets. For the five datasets that the other systems can also reconstruct, our method obtains the highest accuracy, which is 25 percent better than the best result of the comparable methods on average; for the remaining two datasets, the accuracy of our method is higher than 0.75 pixels. Moreover, the efficiency of our method is about 18, 4.85, and 0.25 times faster than Colmap, 3DF Samantha, and Metashape averagely on the experimental image sets, respectively. After all, our contribution provides a comprehensive and practical solution for large-scale SfM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To evaluate the effect of reconstruction and repair, using a mini-plate and bone graft for HIV -positive patients with giant cell tumor of long bone. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 12 HIV positive patients with giant cell tumor of long bone. A non-HIV-positive cohort of patients, matched for age, sex, and disease type, was selected as the control group. From June 2012 to August 2020, curettage by ultrasonic scalpel was performed in all patients, combined with min- plate and bone graft treatment. All patients were followed- up for 18 to 60 months. Limb function was evaluated, using the MSTS93 scoring system, and any examples of postoperative recurrence, distant metastasis, complications, MSTS93 score, and fracture prognosis were recorded. Results: The mean age of HIV group was 43.5 years. The ratio of men to women was 11: 1. In all cases the histopathological diagnosis was clear, except the patients with primary malignant giant cell tumor of bone, including five, three, two, and two cases in the proximal tibia, distal femur, distal tibia, and talus, respectively. Following their surgery, all patients were followed up with an average of 31.24 ± 11.84 months. No local recurrence or pulmonary metastases were observed. Post-surgery, all the 12 patients showed good bone morphologic repair and reconstruction, good bone healing, good joint function, and no pathological fractures around their lesion. In the HIV group, one case of giant cell tumor in the proximal tibia showed mild articular surface collapse and mild valgus deformity of the knee joint but retained good joint function. The MSTS scores of excellent or good in the two groups comprised 83.3%, thus, there was no significant difference between them (P > 0.05). Compared with preoperatively, the MSTS scores in the HIV group were significantly improved, ranging from 7 to 11 points preoperatively to 24 to 27 points postoperatively; this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Reconstruction and repair, using a mini-plate and bone graft for HIV -positive patients with giant cell tumor of long bone can achieve satisfactory results. The mini- plate requires little space and is flexible during reconstruction and fixation, significantly reducing complications such as surgical site infection, as well as preserving joint function and avoiding amputation; therefore, it is a safe and effective treatment method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: In recent years, there is a growing incidence of granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM), but studies about the coexistence of erythema nodosum (EN) and GLM are rare. In this study, we assess the clinical characteristics and predictive factors of EN in GLM. Methods: A total of 303 patients diagnosed with GLM were enrolled from January 2012 to October 2018 at the second affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, including 78 patients with EN. Follow‐up data included: lesion site, lesion size, therapy approaches, course of GLM, course of EN, the recurrence of disease, possible causes. All patients had pathologic confirmation of GLM based on core needle biopsy (CNB) or surgical excision. Result: Fever in the EN group was significantly more common compared to the non‐EN group (44.87% vs 12.89%, P < 0.001). The proportion of lesion range >2 quadrants in the EN group was significantly higher than that in the non‐EN group (42.31% vs 16.00%, P < 0.001). The course of the disease was longer in the EN group compared to the non‐EN group (10.32 moths vs 8.74 moths, P < 0.001). Patients with EN had a trend towards a higher risk of recurrence (5.13% vs 1.33%, P = 0.055). Conclusion: EN is more likely to be found in GLM patients with breast lesion range >2 quadrants. The presence of EN in GLM indicates that the condition becomes more severe and the course of GLM also becomes longer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser sensing has a wide range of applications. In this paper, we propose a pH sensing laser with an ultra-low threshold and low sample consumption based on a whispering-gallery-mode microbubble resonator. Rhodamine 6G aqueous solutions with different pH values are injected through microfluidic channels as the lasing gain media and interact with a high-quality factor microbubble cavity with a sample consumption of only 550 pL to achieve lasing. Subtle pH changes of the aqueous solution lead to changes in lasing intensity in real time, and the threshold reaches a minimum of 0.091 μ J/mm2. The low pump energy density effectively avoids the self-aggregation and photobleaching effects of dye molecules present in high-concentration rhodamine 6G solutions. The lasing characteristics under different pH conditions were determined experimentally and theoretically, and the results are in good agreement. Due to the deprotonation of amino groups in highly alkaline environments, the lasing threshold is highly dependent on the pH of rhodamine 6G aqueous solutions. In the pH range of 10.16–13.14, the lasing intensity changes considerably with the increasing pH. The proposed pH-sensing laser exhibits a fast response time, low toxicity, and a high signal-to-noise ratio, making it promising for highly sensitive alkaline detection in biological applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally a method to break the Rayleigh limit of an imaging system by modulating only the aperture of the imaging optics. By fully utilizing the useful information extracted from an image sequence, a superresolution image with high-frequency components beyond the cutoff frequency of the imaging system is reconstructed. Resolution enhancement of 2 times is achieved experimentally. Simulation results show that the method can still work with the signal-to-noise ratio of ~ 10 for the acquired images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various black-box optimization problems in real world can be classified as multimodal optimization problems. Neighborhood information plays an important role in improving the performance of an evolutionary algorithm when dealing with such problems. In view of this, we propose a particle swarm optimization algorithm based on dynamic neighborhood to solve the multimodal optimization problem. In this paper, a dynamic ε-neighborhood selection mechanism is first defined to balance the exploration and exploitation of the algorithm. Then, based on the information provided by the neighborhoods, four different particle position updating strategies are designed to further support the algorithm's exploration and exploitation of the search space. Finally, the proposed algorithm is compared with 7 state-of-the-art multimodal algorithms on 8 benchmark instances. The experimental results reveal that the proposed algorithm is superior to the compared ones and is an effective method to tackle multimodal optimization problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteins are important biological molecules whose structures are closely related to their specific functions. Understanding how the protein folds under physical principles, known as the protein folding problem, is one of the main tasks in modern biophysics. Coarse-grained methods play an increasingly important role in the simulation of protein folding, especially for large proteins. In recent years, we proposed a novel coarse-grained method derived from the topological soliton model, in terms of the backbone Cα chain. In this review, we will first systematically address the theoretical method of topological soliton. Then some successful applications will be displayed, including the thermodynamics simulation of protein folding, the property analysis of dynamic conformations, and the multi-scale simulation scheme. Finally, we will give a perspective on the development and application of topological soliton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The nonapeptide DN‐9 functions as a multifunctional agonist to opioid and neuropeptide FF (NPFF) receptors and exhibits antinociceptive effects at the central and peripheral levels. Methods: The effects of DN‐9 on small and colonic intestinal transit were evaluated using the upper gastrointestinal (GI) transit test and colonic bead expulsion assay, respectively. Opioid and NPFF receptor antagonists were used to investigate the mechanisms of DN‐9‐induced GI inhibition. Furthermore, the agonism of the DN‐9 analog [Phg9]‐DN‐9 to opioid and NPFF receptors was tested by the cAMP assay. Key results: Intracerebroventricular administration of DN‐9 dose‐dependently slowed upper GI transit and colonic expulsion via mu‐ and kappa‐opioid receptors in the brain, independent of the delta‐opioid receptor. Similarly, intraperitoneal injection of DN‐9 dose‐dependently inhibited GI propulsion via the peripheral opioid receptors. DN‐9‐induced GI transit inhibitions were significantly aggravated by the NPFF receptor antagonist RF9. Moreover, the DN‐9 analog [Phg9]‐DN‐9, an agonist at mu‐, delta‐, and kappa‐opioid receptors but not NPFF receptors, inhibited GI more potently than DN‐9. In addition, intracerebroventricular NPFF significantly attenuated the central inhibitory effects induced by [Phg9]‐DN‐9 and morphine. However, central and peripheral injections of NPFF or RF9 almost had no significant effects on GI transit by itself. Conclusion and Inferences: Intracerebroventricular and intraperitoneal administrations of DN‐9 inhibit GI transit via opioid receptors in mice by central and peripheral mechanisms, respectively. In addition, the NPFF agonism of DN‐9 possesses antiopioid effects on GI transit, which might explain the reduced constipation at the antinociceptive doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Considerable effort has recently been directed at developing multifunctional opioid drugs to minimize the unwanted side effects of opioid analgesics. We have developed a novel multifunctional opioid agonist, DN-9. Here, we studied the analgesic profiles and related side effects of peripheral DN-9 in various pain models.Experimental Approach: Antinociceptive effects of DN-9 were assessed in nociceptive, inflammatory, and neuropathic pain. Whole-cell patch-clamp and calcium imaging assays were used to evaluate the inhibitory effects of DN-9 to calcium current and high-K+ -induced intracellular calcium ([Ca2+ ]i ) on dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons respectively. Side effects of DN-9 were evaluated in antinociceptive tolerance, abuse, gastrointestinal transit, and rotarod tests.Key Results: DN-9, given subcutaneously, dose-dependently produced antinociception via peripheral opioid receptors in different pain models without sex difference. In addition, DN-9 exhibited more potent ability than morphine to inhibit calcium current and high-K+ -induced [Ca2+ ]i in DRG neurons. Repeated treatment with DN-9 produced equivalent antinociception for 8 days in multiple pain models, and DN-9 also maintained potent analgesia in morphine-tolerant mice. Furthermore, chronic DN-9 administration had no apparent effect on the microglial activation of spinal cord. After subcutaneous injection, DN-9 exhibited less abuse potential than morphine, as was gastroparesis and effects on motor coordination.Conclusions and Implications: DN-9 produces potent analgesia with minimal side effects, which strengthen the candidacy of peripherally acting opioids with multifunctional agonistic properties to enter human studies to alleviate the current highly problematic misuse of classic opioids on a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a novel variable structure control with finite time sliding sector for spacecraft atmospheric entry guidance. The finite time convergence of tracking error in the presence of system uncertainty can be guaranteed. In contrast with the normally used notion of asymptotic stability in conventional sliding sector, a finite time sliding sector for the entry guidance is designed as a subset of state space in which the Lyapunov function candidate satisfies the finite time stability condition. Then, the finite time sliding sector controller is designed to guarantee the tracking error to converge to a small region of zero. The chattering existing on the boundary of the sliding sector is further reduced by introducing inner sector and outer sector which are the subsets of the proposed sector. Finally, numerical simulation results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. • Finite time stability is guaranteed inside the proposed sector. • The proposed method can deal with unmatched parameter uncertainties. • Chattering can be further reduced by introducing inner sector and outer sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speed profiles affect fuel economy tremendously, especially, when vehicles running on an urban road with numerous signalized intersections. To improve fuel economy, in this study, we propose a double-layer speed optimization method with real-time computation that considers traffic signal information collected via vehicle-to-infrastructure communication and traffic conditions. In the first layer, we use a Dijkstra algorithm to optimize the average eco-speed between adjacent intersections with full-horizon traffic signal information, and in the second layer, we use an optimal control method to plan a real-time speed profile with average speed constraints. We conduct numerous field tests using a test bed and an experimental vehicle platform. The test results demonstrate that by computing optimal solutions in real time, the proposed double-layer speed optimization method has the potential to improve fuel economy and decrease trip time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The ultra-weak fiber Bragg grating (UWFBG) arrays are used for online long-distance monitoring of subway vibration reduction effect, and applied to verify the feasibility in Wuhan Metro Line 8. • Two parallel fiber optic cables of UWFBG arrays are separately laid on the track bed and tunnel wall of the metro line for the real-time acquisition of the dynamic response signals of passing train. The vibration reduction effect is calculated and analyzed using UWFBG arrays. Monitoring the subway vibration reduction effect is vital since subway train-induced vibration brings great damage and distress to the buildings and residents along the metro line. To deal with the problems encountered in traditional electrical monitoring methods, such as severe electromagnetic interference and short monitoring distance, we propose an online long-distance vibration monitoring method based on ultra-weak fiber Bragg grating vibration sensing arrays. First, two parallel fiber optic cables are laid separately on the metro line's track bed and tunnel wall for the real-time acquisition of the dynamic response signals of passing trains. Next, the time–frequency and correlation signal characteristics of specific measurement points are extracted and analyzed to show the single-point performance of the sensing arrays. Finally, the subway vibration reduction effect of the entire monitoring area in the metro line is calculated to verify the feasibility of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify the osteogenesis effect of icariside II (ICSII) and icaritin (ICT) in vitro. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were treated with ICSII and ICT in order to detect the proliferation and differentiation of BMSCs, the expression of the osteogenesis-related proteins with or without osteogenic medium (OM) and genes, Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx-2), osteocalcin (OCN), osteopontin (OPN), osterix, and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and the phosphorylation levels of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). We found that the optical density increased and alkaline phosphatase decreased after the BMSCs were treated with different concentrations of ICSII; however, ICT showed an opposing effect. The formation of calcium nodules was observed after the BMSCs were treated with ICSII and ICT. The expression level of osteogenesis-related proteins was enhanced following treatment with both ICSII or ICT, while the expression level of the osteogenesis-related genes Runx-2, OCN, OPN, osterix, and bFGF significantly increased with ICSII treatment (P < 0.05), and only Runx-2 and bFGF significantly increased (P < 0.01) with ICT. The expression of osteogenic differentiation-related proteins (except OPN) following treatment with ICSII + OM or ICT + OM was not notably increased. Both ICSII and ICT elevated the phosphorylation levels of MAPK/ERK, which was attenuated by GDC-0994 (an inhibitor of MAPK/ERK). Collectively, these data indicate that ICSII and ICT facilitate orientation osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, which is most likely via the MAPK/ERK pathway. OM did not synergistically enhance the osteogenesis effect of ICSII and ICT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The voltage-gated sodium channel NaV 1.7 is considered a therapeutic target for pain treatment based on human genetic evidence. GpTx-1 and its potent analogue [Ala5 , Phe6 , Leu26 , Arg28 ]GpTx-1 (GpTx-1-71) were recently characterized as NaV 1.7 inhibitors in vitro. Furthermore, the present work was conducted to investigate the analgesic properties of these two peptides in different pain models after spinal administration.Experimental Approach: The antinociceptive activities of both GpTx-1 and GpTx-1-71 were investigated in mouse models of acute, visceral, inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Furthermore, the side effects of GpTx-1 and GpTx-1-71 were evaluated in rotarod, antinociceptive tolerance, acute hyperlocomotion and gastrointestinal transit tests.Key Results: The i.t. administration of both GpTx-1 and GpTx-1-71 dose-dependently produced powerful antinociception in the different pain models. This effect was attenuated by the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone, suggesting the involvement of the opioid system. In this study, repeated administration of these two_peptides produced spinal analgesia without a loss of potency over 8 days in mouse models of acute, inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Moreover, spinal administration of GpTx-1 and GpTx-1-71 did not induce significant effects on motor coordination, evoke acute hyperlocomotion or increase gastrointestinal transit time.Conclusions and Implications: Our data indicate that the NaV 1.7 peptide inhibitors GpTx-1 and GpTx-1-71 produce powerful, nontolerance-forming analgesia in preclinical pain models, which might be dependent on the endogenous opioid system. In addition, at the spinal level, the limited side effects imply that these NaV 1.7 peptide inhibitors could be potentially developed as GpTx-1-based drugs for pain relief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mismatch between band structures of a light-absorptive layer and hole or electron transport layers will significantly deteriorate the performance of photovoltaic devices, which is generally alleviated by inserting a mitigating layer. In this report, we propose an alternative strategy to improve the efficiency by using resistive switching, which may decrease defect density in bulk and the lower barrier height at the interface due to the migration of defects to the interface under a certain electric field. By using a BiFeO3 film as a model light harvesting layer, a TiO2 mesoporous layer as an electron transport layer, and NiOx as a hole transport layer, bipolar resistive switching behavior has been observed. By setting the device in the low resistance state under certain applied voltages, performance has been significantly improved. Compared with the virgin device, the highest short-circuit current Jsc increases 2.3 times from 2.38 to 5.66 μA cm−2 and open-circuit voltage Voc increases 1.35 times from 0.39 to 0.525 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: This article mainly reports the process of clinical diagnosis and treatment of a misdiagnosed Listeria monocytogenes meningoencephalitis. The patient's condition is aggravated because of the ineffective prophase therapy. In the later stage, we were mainly through combined antibiotics and given proper routes of administration, so that patient can recover quickly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nanoengineered materials can embody distinct atomic structures which deviate from that of the bulk‐grain counterpart and induce significantly modified electronic structures and physical/chemical properties. The phonon structure and thermal properties, which can also be potentially modulated by the modified atomic structure in nanostructured materials, however, are seldom investigated. Employed here is a mild approach to fabricate nanostructured PbBi2nTe1+3n using a solution‐synthesized PbTe‐Bi2Te3 nano‐heterostructure as a precursor. The as‐obtained monoliths have unprecedented atomic structure, differing from that of the bulk counterpart, especially the zipper‐like van der Waals gap discontinuity and the random arrangement of septuple‐quintuple layers. These structural motifs break the lattice periodicity and coherence of phonon transport, leading to ultralow thermal conductivity and excellent thermoelectric z T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nanoengineered materials can embody distinct atomic structures which deviate from that of the bulk‐grain counterpart and induce significantly modified electronic structures and physical/chemical properties. The phonon structure and thermal properties, which can also be potentially modulated by the modified atomic structure in nanostructured materials, however, are seldom investigated. Employed here is a mild approach to fabricate nanostructured PbBi2nTe1+3n using a solution‐synthesized PbTe‐Bi2Te3 nano‐heterostructure as a precursor. The as‐obtained monoliths have unprecedented atomic structure, differing from that of the bulk counterpart, especially the zipper‐like van der Waals gap discontinuity and the random arrangement of septuple‐quintuple layers. These structural motifs break the lattice periodicity and coherence of phonon transport, leading to ultralow thermal conductivity and excellent thermoelectric z T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connected vehicles will change the modes of future transportation management and organization, especially at intersections. In this paper, we propose a distributed conflict-free cooperation method for multiple connected vehicles at unsignalized intersections. We firstly project the approaching vehicles from different traffic movements into a virtual lane and introduce a conflict-free geometry topology considering the conflict relationship of involved vehicles, thus constructing a virtual platoon. Then we present the modeling of communication topology to describe two modes of information transmission between vehicles. Finally, a distributed controller is designed to stabilize the virtual platoon for conflict-free cooperation at intersections. Numerical simulations validate the effectiveness of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), as a pregnancy-specific liver disorder, obtains increasing recognition due to a series of adverse outcomes. ICP is generally characterized by pruritus and jaundice, and closely related to abnormalities in the metabolism and disposition of bile acids composition. Because of its elusive pathogenesis, ICP has become an intractable issue to be diagnosed and managed for obstetricians. Analysis of metabolic profile could reveal the state of small-molecule metabolites systematically and provide comprehensively metabolic information for diseases. We developed a pseudo-targeted approach to perform metabolomic analysis of bile acids in serum using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Triple TOF-MS/MS) method. Methods We investigated the metabolites of bile acids in 55 healthy pregnant women, 42 women with ICP and 11 women with ICP who persisted to accept ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) therapy. Results The metabolic profiles of serum bile acids were significantly altered in ICP group compared with the control group. A screened potential combination biomarker, with a high diagnostic efficiency (area under the curve = 0.996, Youden index = 0.940), was superior to total bile acids for the diagnosis of ICP. Conclusions The profiles of serum bile acids in women with ICP became more clear under the UDCA therapy, and were fully recovered after the delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The incidence of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is 10–100 times higher than that in the general population. However, the specific bone microstructure and extent of damage within the femoral head in PWH are still unclear. Methods Femoral head samples were obtained by total hip arthroplasty, micro–computed tomography (micro-CT) was employed to investigate the microstructure of trabecular bone across 4 representative regions within necrotic femoral heads, and quantitative analysis was performed. Results On general observation, different degrees of degenerative cartilage, fibrocartilage, hyperplastic bone, and exposed bone were presented alternately, with a "map-like" appearance. On micro-CT, compared with the normal and necrotic areas, the bone volume/tissue volume and bone mineral density of the sclerotic areas were significantly increased, the number of trabeculae was significantly increased, and the gap was smaller (P <.05). There was no significant difference in trabecular thickness among the groups (P <.05). Conclusions The systemic immune syndrome caused by HIV itself may interfere with the normal metabolism of bone, including osteoblasts and osteoclasts, and thus participate in HIV-related ONFH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, triphenylphosphonium cation moieties were incorporated into a dichloroacetophenone derivative, leading to the discovery of novel mitochondria-targeted and tumor-specific pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) inhibitors. Biological studies suggested that all these synthesized compounds had significant in vitro activities, in particular compound 1f , which inhibited PDK1 with an EC 50 value of 0.12 μM, and reduced the proliferation of NCI-H1650 cell with an IC 50 value of 0.21 μM, but showed marginal effect against non-cancerous BEAS-2B cell (IC 50  = 3.28 μM). In addition, 1f decreased the extracellular acidification rate and lactate formation, increased reactive oxygen species production, and depolarized the mitochondrial membrane potential of NCI-H1650 cell, which could serve as a potential modulator to reactive mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and reprogram the glucose metabolic pathways in cancer cells. Collectively, these data demonstrated that 1f could be a promising lead for the development of therapeutic PDK1 inhibitor in cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Utilizing metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) as a “polymerization container” is a very effective method to prepare oriented and therefore birefringent polymer materials. In particular, the adsorption of polymer monomers and molecular chains within MOFs has a profound impact on the orientation of polymer chains. In this work, a theoretical study on the adsorption properties of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and its molecular chain within MOFs has been conducted by employing a combination of molecular dynamics, density functional theory, and Monte Carlo method, where 2 MOFs, [Zn2(1,4‐benzenedicarboxylate)2triethylenediamine]n and [Zn2(4,4′‐biphenyldicarboxylate)2triethylenediamine]n, were chosen. The corresponding number and degree of orientation of adsorbed molecules in these 2 MOFs were obtained from the simulations. The calculation results revealed 3 factors that affect the adsorption and orientation of MMA monomers in MOF pore channels. First, as the walls of the MOF pores are polar surfaces and consist of metal ions and organic ligands, the electrostatic interaction between the MOF channels and polar MMA molecules promotes the adsorption and orientation of the MMA monomers within the pore channel. Second, the electrostatic interactions between monomers can reduce the intermolecular gaps, which similarly assist in their orientation. Last, the relative sizes of the MOF pores and the monomers are also relevant. When the sizes of the MOF channels and monomers are similar, the molecular chains show a higher degree of orientation. The results and the findings of this work could provide predictive methods for selecting polymeric monomers or MOFs that may be ideal for the control of polymer chain orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Reconstructing canonical binary compounds by inserting a third agent can significantly modify their electronic and phonon structures. Therefore, it has inspired the semiconductor communities in various fields. Introducing this paradigm will potentially revolutionize thermoelectrics as well. Using a solution synthesis, Bi2S3 was rebuilt by adding disordered Bi and weakly bonded I. These new structural motifs and the altered crystal symmetry induce prominent changes in electrical and thermal transport, resulting in a great enhancement of the figure of merit. The as‐obtained nanostructured Bi13S18I2 is the first non‐toxic, cost‐efficient, and solution‐processable n‐type material with z T=1.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Reconstructing canonical binary compounds by inserting a third agent can significantly modify their electronic and phonon structures. Therefore, it has inspired the semiconductor communities in various fields. Introducing this paradigm will potentially revolutionize thermoelectrics as well. Using a solution synthesis, Bi2S3 was rebuilt by adding disordered Bi and weakly bonded I. These new structural motifs and the altered crystal symmetry induce prominent changes in electrical and thermal transport, resulting in a great enhancement of the figure of merit. The as‐obtained nanostructured Bi13S18I2 is the first non‐toxic, cost‐efficient, and solution‐processable n‐type material with z T=1.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activation of opioid and neuropeptide FF (NPFF) receptors plays important roles to modulate nociceptive signal in inflammatory pain states. Recently, BN-9 (Tyr- D . Ala-Gly-Phe-Gln-Pro-Gln-Arg-Phe-NH 2 ) was pharmacologically characterized as a novel bifunctional agonist at both opioid and NPFF receptors. In the present study, the anti-allodynic activity and site(s) of action of BN-9 were assessed in a mouse model of carrageenan-induced inflammatory pain. In mice, BN-9 induced a dose-dependent anti-allodinic effect through opioid receptor at supraspinal or spinal level, and this effect was augmented by pretreatment with the NPFF receptor antagonist at the same level. In contrast, peripheral administration of BN-9 produced opioid receptor-mediated anti-allodynia, which was insensitive of the NPFF receptor antagonist. In addition, systemic BN-9 produced anti-allodynic effect via opioid receptors, independent of NPFF system. Therefore, these data indicate that central, peripheral or systemic administrations of BN-9 exert potent analgesic activities in inflammatory pain model via opioid receptor, and central effects of BN-9 are associated with NPFF system. Interestingly, systemic anti-allodynia of BN-9 was blocked by intraperitoneal administration of the opioid receptor antagonists, naloxone and naloxone methiodide, but not by intracerebroventricular injection of the peripherally acting opioid antagonist naloxone methiodide. Furthermore, BN-9-induced systemic anti-allodynia was reversed by intraplantar administration of naloxone, but not by peripheral administration of the NPFF receptor antagonist. Taken together, our data further suggest that systemic BN-9-induced anti-allodynic effect is mainly mediated by peripheral opioid receptors, independent of NPFF receptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances on the compressive sensing theory were invoked for image compression–encryption based on the synthesis sparse model. In this paper we concentrate on an alternative sparse representation model, i.e., the analysis sparse model, to propose a novel image compression–encryption hybrid algorithm. The analysis sparse representation of the original image is obtained with an overcomplete fixed dictionary that the order of the dictionary atoms is scrambled, and the sparse representation can be considered as an encrypted version of the image. Moreover, the sparse representation is compressed to reduce its dimension and re-encrypted by the compressive sensing simultaneously. To enhance the security of the algorithm, a pixel-scrambling method is employed to re-encrypt the measurements of the compressive sensing. Various simulation results verify that the proposed image compression–encryption hybrid algorithm could provide a considerable compression performance with a good security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the performance of thermoelectric materials and enable access to their widespread applications, it is beneficial yet challenging to synthesize hollow nanostructures in large quantities, with high porosity, low thermal conductivity ( κ) and excellent figure of merit ( z T). Herein we report a scalable (ca. 11.0 g per batch) and low-temperature colloidal processing route for Bi2Te2.5Se0.5 hollow nanostructures. They are sintered into porous, bulk nanocomposites (phi 10 mm× h 10 mm) with low κ (0.48 W m−1 K−1) and the highest z T (1.18) among state-of-the-art Bi2Te3− xSex materilas. Additional benefits of the unprecedented low relative density (68-77 %) are the large demand reduction of raw materials and the improved portability. This method can be adopted to fabricate other porous phase-transition and thermoelectric chalcogenide materials and will pave the way for the implementation of hollow nanostructures in other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the performance of thermoelectric materials and enable access to their widespread applications, it is beneficial yet challenging to synthesize hollow nanostructures in large quantities, with high porosity, low thermal conductivity ( κ) and excellent figure of merit ( z T). Herein we report a scalable (ca. 11.0 g per batch) and low-temperature colloidal processing route for Bi2Te2.5Se0.5 hollow nanostructures. They are sintered into porous, bulk nanocomposites (phi 10 mm× h 10 mm) with low κ (0.48 W m−1 K−1) and the highest z T (1.18) among state-of-the-art Bi2Te3− xSex materilas. Additional benefits of the unprecedented low relative density (68-77 %) are the large demand reduction of raw materials and the improved portability. This method can be adopted to fabricate other porous phase-transition and thermoelectric chalcogenide materials and will pave the way for the implementation of hollow nanostructures in other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the birefringences of two fluorinated polymers, namely, poly(trifluoroethyl methacrylate) (PMATRIFE) and poly(methacrylate of pentafluorophenyl) (PMAPF), are studied. It is found that the molecular structure and molecular orientation of these polymers are the two main factors influencing the birefringence. The calculations show that the material birefringence (Δ n) of PMAPF is greater than that of PMATRIFE by 0.00009, while the intrinsic birefringence (Δ n ) of PMATRIFE is greater than that of PMAPF by 0.0378. The lower Δ n of PMAPF is caused by the benzene ring in the repeat unit. On the other hand, the planarity of the benzene ring can enhance the degree of orientation of the PMAPF molecular chains, which is three times larger than that of PMATRIFE, and consequently a larger Δ n of PMAPF. Furthermore, the effect of different shear rates on the birefringences of PMATRIFE and PMAPF is examined. The calculations reveal that their Δ ns are enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the general non-information prior distribution, we study the Bayes estimations of the parameter of the Exponential-Poisson Distribution under some symmetrical and unsymmetrical loss functions. As parameterbis fixed, the Bayesian estimations of another parameterlare given. Simulation studies are performed to access the accuracy of the different estimations. The simulation result illustrates different random sample size could select different loss functions, then, it is improved the precision of unknown parameters under the loss functions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Given the potential influence of aberrant bile acid metabolism on glucose homeostasis, we hypothesized that serum bile acid metabolism is altered in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We characterized the metabolic profiling changes of serum bile acids in GDM and to find the potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of GDM. Methods Based on ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography/hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, a targeted metabolomics study that involved targeted and untargeted screening techniques was performed to explore the changes in serum bile acid metabolism of GDM cases, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) cases and healthy controls. Results There were 3 significantly different profiling of serum bile acids for GDM, ICP and controls. Compared to the controls, GDM individuals demonstrated significant increases in 8 bile acid species, including 2 dihydroxy conjugated, 1 trihydroxy unconjugated and 5 sulfated bile acids. β-muricholic acid (β-MCA) and di-2 were well-suited to use as the metabolic markers for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of GDM, respectively. Conclusions These preliminary findings revealed the protective effect of body against cytotoxicity via elimination of increased sulfated bile acids and aberrant enzyme activity participated in the cycle β-MCA → hyodeoxycholic acid (HDCA) of the bile acid metabolism pathway for the women with GDM, which gave us further insights into the etiology and pathophysiology of GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Similar percolation phenomenon in CoNi and FeNi lead to distinct diffusion properties. [Display omitted] • A ML-kMC approach is developed for accurately determining the diffusion properties. • The percolation effect on triggering sluggish diffusion strongly depends on the diffusion properties of the slow diffuser. • The potential energy landscape is the predominant factor in determining the diffusion behaviour instead of percolation. Multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs), including high entropy alloys, show exceptional mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. These unusual properties are mostly attributed to their particular diffusion behaviors, such as sluggish diffusion. However, this phenomenon is still controversial. Although state-of-the-art simulations report that the percolation effect plays a crucial role in triggering sluggish diffusion in binary alloys, whether this correlation could be generalized to a broad class of MPEAs is unknown. In this work, we combine machine learning (ML) with kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) to accurately determine the diffusion coefficients in ternary CoCrNi MPEAs. Special care is taken to understand the effects of percolation on diffusion. We find that percolation does not always lead to sluggish diffusion. Instead, the diffusion properties are exclusively governed by the potential energy landscape (PEL) that the diffusing objects experience. By comparing the reduced systems of CoNi and FeNi, we reveal that the percolation effect on triggering the sluggish diffusion strongly depends on the diffusion properties of the slow-diffuser in these systems. These results shed light on the understanding of the complex diffusion behaviors in MPEAs, highlighting the importance of tunning species-dependent PEL in order to tailor their diffusion properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the outstanding functional and structural performance in high-entropy alloys (HEAs) relates to their sluggish diffusion properties under the rough potential energy landscape (PEL) induced by intrinsic chemical disorder. Due to the highly rugged and multi-dimensional nature of PEL, it is challenging to describe how the diffusion process is controlled by the PEL in HEAs. Here we develop machine learning (ML) models to accurately represent the local atomic environment dependence of PEL in HEAs. By combining the ML model with the kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) method, we reveal that self-diffusion in HEAs is predominantly governed by the PEL roughness, as characterized by the elemental-specific site energies and migration barriers. Comparisons with previously-proposed simplified models for self-diffusion in HEAs elucidate that the models based on species-averaged migration barriers may be a suitable alternative method to rapidly assess diffusion properties, though the correlation effects may be underestimated. Aided by theoretical analysis, we show that the atomic concentrations of fast-diffusing elements and the differences in the averaged migration barriers for different species are the dominant factors influencing sluggish diffusion in HEAs. The self-diffusion rates D* and the ratio R obtained from the four different potential energy landscape methods in binary and ternary systems at 900 K [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybridizing different antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is a particularly successful approach to obtain novel AMPs with increased antimicrobial activity but minimized cytotoxicity. The hybrid peptide cecropin A (1-8)-LL37 (17-30) (C-L) combining the hydrophobic N-terminal fragment of cecropin A (C) with the core antimicrobial fragment of LL37 (L) was designed and synthesized. C-L showed higher antibacterial activity against all indicator strains than C and L, and no hemolytic activity to sheep erythrocytes was observed. C-L kills bacterial cells and causes disruption of surface structure, as determined by scanning electron microscopy. Synergistic effects were observed in the combination of C-L with several antibiotics (chloramphenicol, thiamphenicol, or neomycin sulfate) against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel guidance law utilising variable structure control with finite time sliding sector is proposed. In contrast with the normally used notion of asymptotic stability in conventional sliding sector, a finite time sliding sector is defined as a subset of state space in which the Lyapunov function candidate satisfies the finite time stability condition. For the guidance system, the analytical solution of a state‐dependent differential Riccati equation is achieved to determine the finite time sliding sector. Then, based on the finite time sliding sector, a sliding sector guidance law is designed by considering the target acceleration as a bounded uncertainty. Furthermore, the finite time sliding sector guidance law is even extended to the case where missile acceleration saturation constraint is considered. Simulation results show that the new guidance law is highly effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]