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The evolution of Patient-Generated Health Data (PGHD) represents a major shift in healthcare, fueled by technological progress. The advent of PGHD, with technologies such as wearable devices and home monitoring systems, extends data collection beyond clinical environments, enabling continuous monitoring and patient engagement in their health management. Despite the growing prevalence of PGHD, there is a lack of clear understanding among stakeholders about its meaning, along with concerns about data security, privacy, and accuracy. This article aims to thoroughly review and clarify PGHD by examining its origins, types, technological foundations, and the challenges it faces, especially in terms of privacy and security regulations. The review emphasizes the role of PGHD in transforming healthcare through patient-centric approaches, their understanding, and personalized care, while also exploring emerging technologies and addressing data privacy and security issues, offering a comprehensive perspective on the current state and future directions of PGHD. The methodology employed for this review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and Rayyan, AI-Powered Tool for Systematic Literature Reviews. This approach ensures a systematic and comprehensive coverage of the available literature on PGHD, focusing on the various aspects outlined in the objective. The review encompassed 36 peer-reviewed articles from various esteemed publishers and databases, reflecting a diverse range of methodologies, including interviews, regular articles, review articles, and empirical studies to address three RQs exploratory, impact assessment, and solution-oriented questions related to PGHD. Additionally, to address the future-oriented fourth RQ for PGHD not covered in the above review, we have incorporated existing domain knowledge articles. This inclusion aims to provide answers encompassing both basic and advanced security measures for PGHD, thereby enhancing the depth and scope of our analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing relaxor ferroelectric for tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) compounds to server the urgent demand of energy storage for an high-power discharge capacitors is important, but the huge challenge of achieving significant breakthrough still lies in the unclear nature of relaxation compared with perovskite structure. In present work, the TTB-type Ba 2 Ca x Na 1-2x Nb 5 O 15 (BCNN, 0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) ceramics were thoroughly investigated the variation of dielectric and ferroelectric properties accompanying with A1-site crystal vacancies induced by introducing Ca2+. With increasing of Ca2+ concentration, the distortion of NbO 6 polar unit was alleviated due to the lattice shrinks arising from the higher lattice vacancies in A1 sites and smaller radius of Ca2+, as confirmed by XRD and Raman spectra. Analyses of I–V characteristics for BCNN ceramics indicate that conductive behavior is dominated by the space charge limited conduction, which associated with the oxygen vacancies arising from the evaporate of sodium element during high-temperature sintering. It is found that the space charge plays a crucial role in the unique dielectric and ferroelectric characteristics. Besides the typical phase transitions from ferroelectric (4 mm) to paraelectric (4/mmm), low-temperature dielectric anomaly derived from the freeze-out of polarizability caused by distorted polar octahedron. The apparent dielectric dispersion and extremely higher dielectric constant at lower frequencies arise from the pace charge polarization confirmed the rationality of the heterostructure by electric impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The ferroelectricity is associated with the insulation leakage from the space charge, besides the ferroelectric domain switching, that further confirmed by the conduction mechanism. Moreover, the sintered BCNN ceramics displayed the homogeneous equiaxed grain together with uniform distribution, which endows an excellent optical transmittance of BCNN ceramics at x = 0.5 and far exceeds that of iso-structural SCNN ceramics. The above results not only confirm the critical role of modulation in A1-site for constructing relaxor, but also delivers a new path into the design dielectric materials with ultrahigh transparent performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning has been proven to provide good performances on stress detection tasks using multi-modal sensor data from a smartwatch. Generally, machine learning techniques need a sufficient amount of data to train a robust model. Thus, we need to collect data from several users and send them to a central server to feed the algorithm. However, the uploaded data may contain sensitive information that can jeopardize the user's privacy. Federated learning can tackle this challenge by enabling the model to be trained using data from all users without the user's data leaving the user's device. In this study, we implement federated learning-based stress detection and provide a comparative analysis between individual, centralized, and federated learning. The experiment was conducted on WESAD dataset by using Logistic Regression as the classifier. The experiment results show that in terms of accuracy, federated learning cannot reach the performance level of both individual and centralized learning. The individual learning strategy performs best with an average accuracy of 0.9998 and an average F1-measure of 0.9996. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetragonal tungsten bronze structure (TTB) compounds have attracted tremendous interest for their applications in energy storage, especially as dielectric capacitor mediums. However, constrained by the inverse correlation of polarization and electric breakdown field in relaxor ferroelectrics, there is still a major challenge in improving energy density. To addresse this challenge, a viable strategy of constructing relaxor behavior with robust electrical insulation in TTB-type Sr 0.485 Ba 0.47 Gd 0.03 Nb 2- x Zr x O 6 (SBN-Gd-Zr x) by introducing ZrO 2 during the preparation process was proposed. By introducing Zr4+ in the B-site, we have revealed how Zr4+ affects the dielectric and ferroelectric characteristics to explore the intrinsic relaxation. Based on the analysis of Rietveld refinement against synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction and Raman results, the substitution of Gd3+ and Zr4+ for Sr2+ and Nb5+ in Sr 0.53 Ba 0.47 Nb 2 O 6 caused a decline in tetragonality and a shrinkage of the unit cell due to the lattice defect of [Gd Sr ]• and [Zr Nb ] ' , which mutually compensates effectively alleviate the distortion of BO 6 and then favors the balance of polarization and dielectric constant. The accrual of additional ZrO 2 at grain boundaries significantly enhances electrical insulation characteristics, as validated by complex impedance spectroscopy. At near room temperature, all Zr-doped SBN-Gd compounds of the series exhibit heightened relaxation and undergo a phase transition from ferroelectric to paraelectric. As a result, in tandem with the synchronous augmentation in breakdown electric field (E B) and saturation polarization (P m), optimal energy storage characteristic is realized in the SBN-Gd-Zr0.2 sample. It attains a remarkable W rec of 2.67 J/cm3 and an efficiency ƞ of 91.21 %, showcasing excellent suitability in terms of different frequencies and temperatures, which far exceeds that of Gd-modified SBN ceramics and pure SBN ceramics. These results exemplify an efficacious strategy for designing novel TTB dielectrics by coupling relaxor modulation with electrical insulation, and position them competitively for implementation in dielectric storage capacitors utilized in pulsed power devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pedestrian Level of Service (PLOS) is influenced by the factors of traffic conditions, road facility conditions and environmental conditions. Pedestrian flow rate was the key factor influencing PLOS for the reason that pedestrians' visual scopes of pavement and the influencing degree of each influencing factor on sidewalks was differed under different pedestrian flow rates. In order to evaluate PLOS more accurately, this paper classified pedestrian flow rates into 6 stages. Then, significant influencing factors of traffic conditions, road facility conditions and environmental conditions, which influenced pedestrians' satisfaction, were extracted respectively under each pedestrian flow rate by Spearman rank correlation method. Finally, the evaluation method of PLOS with multi-factors based on classification of pedestrian flow rates was put forward. In addition, the models got training with fuzzy neural network method. The test showed that the accuracy of the comprehensive evaluation model of PLOS under different pedestrian flow rates based on fuzzy neural network reaches to 92%, which is much higher than the model accuracy of previous researches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several biometric cryptosystem techniques have been proposed to protect biometric templates and preserve users' privacy. Although such techniques can thwart different attacks, it is difficult to achieve well non-linkability between biometric cryptosystems. In this paper, we propose a novel biometric cryptosystem scheme based on random projection (RP) and back propagation neural network (BPNN) to perform the task of biometric template protection. With the help of RP, an original biometric feature vector can be projected onto a fix-length feature vector of random subspace that is derived from a user-specific projection matrix. This process is revocable and produces unlinkable biometric templates. The proposed scheme further utilizes a BPNN model to bind a projected feature vector with a random key. Based on BPNN, a robust mapping between a projected feature vector and a random key is learned to generate an error-correction-based biometric cryptosystem. The security of the proposed scheme is analyzed and the experimental results on multiple biometric datasets show the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pedestrian safety is vital, especially when it comes to crossing at intersections. Setting pedestrian safety facilities is one of the solutions to provide a safer environment for pedestrians to cross at intersections. And most studies have focused on the influence of pedestrian safety facilities on drivers' yielding behavior. Meanwhile, psychological factors underlying drivers' decisions to yield to pedestrians have received little attention. The current study explored the relationship between drivers' yielding behavior and psychological factors using a questionnaire mainly designed based on the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB). Measures of the questionnaire included elements of the theory of planned behavior model, risk perception part, new countermeasure, and traditional countermeasure. Pearson correlation test revealed that young drivers or highly educated drivers were more likely not to yield to pedestrians. Factors analysis proved the extended TPB questionnaire to be valid and reliable. Structural equation modeling showed that attitude (0.23), subjective norm (0.58), perceived behavioral control (0.21), and risk perception (0.38) significantly and directly influenced drivers' yielding intentions. Traditional countermeasure (0.66) and new countermeasure (0.44) significantly influenced drivers' risk perception and then influenced drivers' yielding intentions indirectly. According to these findings, promotion and education on yielding behavior and on the functions of pedestrian safety facility were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite investigations into microRNA (miRNA) expression in esophageal cancer (EC) tissue, miRNAs that participate in EC pathogenesis and their subsequent mechanisms of action remain to be determined. The present study aimed to identify important miRNAs that contribute to EC development, and to assess miRNA biomarkers that could be used in EC diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to reanalyze EC tissue miRNA expression microarray dataset GSE113776, which was followed by in vitro verification of miRNA functions using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, western blot analysis and a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Out of 93 miRNAs extracted, only miR-200a was significantly increased in EC tissues. Transfection of KYSE150 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells with miR-200a mimics significantly increased their proliferative, migratory and invasive ability, whereas the opposite cell behaviors were observed in ESCC cells transfected with a miR-200a inhibitor. A total of six miR-200a target genes [catenin β1 (CTNNB1), cadherin-1 (CDH1), PTEN, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), catenin α1 (CTNNA1) and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2)] were selected for further analysis based on Gene Ontology terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, protein-protein interaction network map data and protein expression in esophageal tissue. These target genes were downregulated under miR-200a expression and upregulated in the presence of the miR-200a inhibitor. The association between miR-200a and the 3′-untranslated region of target genes in ESCC cells was confirmed using a dual-luciferase reporter assay. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that miR-200a may participate in the promotion of ESCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and provided novel evidence for the direct interaction between miR-200a and CTNNB1, CDH1, PTEN, APC, CTNNA1 and SOD2, which may contribute to the observed altered cell behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photogenerated electrons (e−) and holes (h+) easily undergo fast recombination in many semiconductors, limiting the further improvement of its photocatalytic efficiency. To solve this bottleneck problem, graphitic C 3 N 4 was used to group tetragonal-phase BaTiO 3 ferroelectric and successfully constructed the g -C 3 N 4 /BaTiO 3 heterojunction via a facial mixing-calcination method. These composites exhibited an extraordinary improvement under visible-light irradiation, achieving a "1 + 1>2" performance compared with their single pristine components. It is because the formation of double-transfer structure promotes the fast transfer of photo-induced charge carriers in g -C 3 N 4 /BaTiO 3 composites. Synergy between the two materials, especially the ferroelectric polarization, plays a key role in facilitating the spatial separation of photo-excited e−/h+ pairs and improving the photocatalytic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous authentication enhances security by re-verifying a user's validity during the active session. It utilizes data about users' behavioral actions and contextual information to authenticate them continuously. Such data contain information about user-sensitive attributes such as gender, age, contextual information, and may also provide information about the user's emotional states. The collection and processing of sensitive data cause privacy concerns. In this paper, we propose two efficient protocols that enable privacy-preserving continuous authentication. The contribution is to prevent the disclosure of user-sensitive attributes using partial homomorphic cryptographic primitives and reveal only the aggregated result without the explicit use of decryption. The protocols complete an authentication decision in a single unidirectional transmission and have very low communication and computation costs with no degradation in biometric performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Herein, Sr 2 NaNb 5 O 15 (SNN) ceramics with a filled tungsten bronze structure were synthesized by the various methods of conventional mixed-oxide (CMO), two-step sintering (TSS), reactive sintering (RS) and molten salt synthesis (MSS). It was found that varying the preparation method could result in significant differences in the ceramic morphology, relative density, and electrical properties. The TSS, RS and MSS methods all produced a pure tungsten bronze phase SNN ceramic, though the CMO method could not. Further characterization revealed a sharp drop in the Curie temperature and significant deterioration of the dielectric properties in the ceramics prepared by MSS compared to the other methods, likely owing to residual K+ from the molten salt. Systematic comparison of the electrical properties of the ceramics produced by the RS and TSS method found that the RS method was the most suitable preparation method for SNN ceramics. The superior ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties in the sample produced by the RS method were attributed to the highly distorted NbO 6 octahedron, as suggested by Raman spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl)-based photocatalysts have projected huge potential in terms of alleviating energy crisis and environmental pollution issues due to their unique layered structure and electronic band structures, while their photocatalytic efficiency still be restricted by the wide bandgap and fast charge recombination. Up to now, band engineering via element doping only cannot solve simultaneously these bottleneck problems mentioned above that are constrained by different bandgaps. In this study, a feasible approach coupling the band regulation with hydroxy modification for achieving high-efficient photocatalysis was put forward. Without involving any organic solvents, a one-pot high-pressure reaction was used to prepare an S-doped hydroxylated BiOCl catalyst (BOC-S-OH) in BiCl 3 /NaOH/H 2 O system. Intriguingly, the as-synthesized BOC-S-OH nanosheets have displayed the remarkable enhancement with high kinetic constant k -value (0.015 min−1, which is almost better 15-folds than BOC) toward the photocatalytic degradation tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) than the reference of pristine BiOCl and only S-doping (BOC-S) as well as only -OH retouched BiOCl (BOC-OH). Above significantly enhanced TC-HCl degraded efficiency is resulting from the synergistic effect of the doping levels for harvesting efficient visible-light energy, the internal electric field associated with covalent bonds of Bi-S and surface electronic trap for promoting the fast charge transform and separation. These synergistic modifications also facilitated to production of reactive species by absorbing charged species, especially the hydroxyl radicals, then endowed with stronger redox ability and caused the dissociation of TC-HCl molecule. This work demonstrated the huge potential and promise of coupling band engineering with surface-modification/defect engineering for layered bismuth-based photocatalysts in the application of antibiotic removal, and also delivered novel insights into design highly efficient bismuth-based photocatalysts. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous authentication modalities collect and utilize users' sensitive data to authenticate them continuously. Such data contain information about user activities, behaviors, and other demographic information, which causes privacy concerns. In this paper, we propose two privacy-preserving protocols that enable continuous authentication while preventing the disclosure of user-sensitive information to an authentication server. We utilize homomorphic cryptographic primitives that protect the privacy of biometric features with an oblivious transfer protocol that enables privacy-preserving information retrieval. We performed the biometric evaluation of the proposed protocols on two datasets, a swipe gesture dataset and a keystroke dynamics dataset. The biometric evaluation shows that the protocols have very good performance. The execution time of the protocols is measured by considering continuous authentication using: only swipe gestures, keystroke dynamics, and hybrid modalities. The execution time proves the protocols are very efficient, even on high-security levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead-free relaxor ferroelectrics (Ca 0.28 Ba 0.72 ) 2.1 Na 0.8 Nb 5- x Sb x O 15 (CBNNS) and (Ca 0.28 Ba 0.72 ) 2.1 Na 0.8 Nb 5- y Ta y O 15 (CBNNT) with tungsten bronze structure were fabricated via solid-state reactions. The obtained CBNNS and CBNNT ceramics showed different dielectric behaviors. Only the CBNNS ceramics revealed an intensified diffusion and relaxor-like characteristics, which could be verified by the modified Curie–Weiss law. The relaxor behaviors in CBNNS were attributed to the radii difference between Sb 5+ and Nb 5+ ions co-occupying in B-sites. For the substitution of Nb 5+ by Sb 5+ in CBNNS ceramics, the change from macroscopic polarization to local polarization could also give rise to the obvious relaxor behavior. The Raman spectra verified a larger off-centering of the cation and a higher distortion degree for BO 6 octahedron in the ab plane for CBNNS ceramics when compared with those of CBNNT. In addition, the ferroelectric properties of CBNNS ceramics further indicated the relaxor ferroelectric nature, and also confirmed that the relaxor behavior helped to improve the energy-storage performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we are concerned with the unilateral global bifurcation structure of fractional differential equation with nondifferentiable nonlinearity . It shows that there are two distinct unbounded subcontinua and consisting of the continuum emanating from , and two unbounded subcontinua and consisting of the continuum emanating from . As an application of this unilateral global bifurcation results, we present the existence of the principal half-eigenvalues of the half-linear fractional eigenvalue problem. Finally, we deal with the existence of constant sign solutions for a class of fractional nonlinear problems. Main results of this paper generalize the known results on classical Laplace operators to fractional Laplace operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(Sr 0.53 Ba 0.47 ) 2.5−0.5 x Na x Nb 5 O 15 ceramics (SBNN, 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 2.5) were prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction method. The Na + concentration varied from 0.0 to 2.5 so that the tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) crystal structure was designed to transform from ‘unfilled’ to ‘filled’ and then to ‘stuffed’ type. Apart from the change in the structural type, the effects of Na + concentration on the phase structure as well as microstructure, ferroelectric and dielectric properties were also investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the crystallized SBNN ceramics with x ≤ 1.0 had the tetragonal tungsten bronze structure with space group of P4bm . With further increasing x above 1.0, the broad asymmetrical diffraction peaks near 32° associated with EDX analyses indicated the existence of some amount of secondary NaNbO 3 -based phase due to the introduction of excessive Na + . It was also found that Na + concentration had a significant influence on the electrical properties of SBNN ceramics. Introducing Na + in A-sites to decrease the structural vacancies and increase the distortion degree of NbO 6 polar unit was beneficial for the electric properties, while excessive Na + content would deteriorate the electric properties owing to the presence of secondary NaNbO 3 -based phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological leaf spotting, or flecking, is a mild-lesion phenotype observed on the leaves of several commonly used maize (Zea mays) inbred lines and has been anecdotally linked to enhanced broad-spectrum disease resistance. Flecking was assessed in the maize nested association mapping (NAM) population, comprising 4,998 recombinant inbred lines from 25 biparental families, and in an association population, comprising 279 diverse maize inbreds. Joint family linkage analysis was conducted with 7,386 markers in the NAM population. Genome-wide association tests were performed with 26.5 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the NAM population and with 246,497 SNPs in the association population, resulting in the identification of 18 and three loci associated with variation in flecking, respectively. Many of the candidate genes colocalizing with associated SNPs are similar to genes that function in plant defense response via cell wall modification, salicylic acid- and jasmonic acid-dependent pathways, redox homeostasis, stress response, and vesicle trafficking/remodeling. Significant positive correlations were found between increased flecking, stronger defense response, increased disease resistance, and increased pest resistance. A nonlinear relationship with total kernel weight also was observed whereby lines with relatively high levels of flecking had, on average, lower total kernel weight. We present evidence suggesting that mild flecking could be used as a selection criterion for breeding programs trying to incorporate broad-spectrum disease resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the purpose of creating excellent walking environment, increasing the proportion of pedestrians and providing a planning and designing basis for the newly-built and rebuilt sidewalks, this paper proposed a comprehensive multi-factor evaluation method for pedestrian level of service on sidewalks based on the quantification of environmental factors. Firstly, pedestrians' satisfaction questionnaires survey was conducted with intercept survey method on 87 typical sidewalks covering different regions, road grades, road facility and environmental conditions. The rating scale form of the questionnaires was 10 grades and 4300 valid questionnaires were obtained. Then, the factors of traffic conditions, road facility conditions and environmental conditions which affected pedestrians' satisfaction were analyzed in detail. Image recognition and edge detection methods were used to quantify the environmental factors. Combined with Spearman rank correlation method, the 10 significant influencing factors obtained were verified. The more comprehensive and quantified multi-factors evaluation index system for pedestrian level of service on sidewalks could be proposed. Finally, aiming at the characteristics that pedestrian level of service on sidewalks and its influencing factors were multi-type variables, the fuzzy neural network method was used to establish the comprehensive evaluation model for pedestrian level of service on sidewalks. The error result showed that the accuracy of the model in this research was 0.94 which had a significant improvement compared with the existing linear regression models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sr 2 NaNb 5− x Sb x O 15 ceramics (SNNS, x =0.0, 0.3, 0.5, 1.0) with ‘filled’ tungsten bronze structure were prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction method. Effects of introducing Sb concentration in B-sites on the microstructure, dielectric and ferroelectric properties were investigated in detail. With increasing of Sb concentration, the crystal structure of SNNS ceramics distorted slightly from the TB orthorhombic Ccm2 phase to tetragonal P4bm phase, and then to paraelectric P4/mbm phase at room temperature. The smaller ionic radius of Sb 5+ (0.60 Å) compared with that of Nb 5+ (0.64 Å) contributed to the shrinkage of crystal structure. It was found that accompanying with the introduction of Sb, some unique dielectric and ferroelectric behavior emerged for SNNS ceramics. Only the samples with x <0.5 showed additional dielectric anomaly in low-temperature range, which was attributed to the incommensurate superstructure ICS-associated dielectric dispersion process caused by local structural fluctuation. With increasing of Sb concentration, T c shifted to lower temperatures, and the diffuse phase transition and relaxor behavior appeared to be exceptionally induced around T c at higher Sb concentration. The underlying mechanisms of relaxor behavior induced by different Sb concentration in B-sites for SNNS ceramics were clarified in detail. Moreover, the ferroelectric properties deteriorated and even disappeared at higher Sb concentration, because the ceramics showed P4/mbm phase structure as a result of decreasing of T c to lower than room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we apply the Ljusternik-Schnirelmann theory to deal with the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the fractional Laplace operator. It shows that there exists a simple and isolated principal eigenvalue such that under certain conditions on the perturbation function , is a bifurcation point of the problem where , is a smooth and bounded domain, with and satisfies the Carathéodory condition in the first two variables. There are two distinct unbounded subcontinua and , consisting of the continuum emanating from . As an application of the unilateral global bifurcation result, we extend our investigation to the existence of constant sign solutions for a class of related nonlinear fractional Laplace problems. Some known results on the fractional Laplace problem in the literature are generalized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(Ca 0.28 Ba 0.72 ) 2.5−0.5 x K x Nb 5 O 15 ceramics (CBKN, 0.0≤ x ≤0.6) with ‘unfilled’ tungsten bronze structure were prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction method. Effects of K + concentration on the microstructure, dielectric and ferroelectric properties were investigated. It was found that modulating K + in A sites to decrease the structural vacancy could enhance the dielectric and ferroelectric properties, which was attributed to the stronger interaction inside NbO 6 octahedron and more distortion degree of NbO 6 polar unit confirmed by the Raman spectroscopy results. While higher K + concentration would deteriorate the physical and electrical properties due to the poor sintering behavior caused by the emergence of some larger anisometric pillar-type grains. Traditional temperature dependence of dielectric characteristics and well-saturated ferroelectric hysteresis loops were observed for all CBKN ceramics. The better comprehensive dielectric and ferroelectric properties were obtained at x =0.5 due to the bigger distortion degree of NbO 6 polar unit and the highest densification. In addition, the frequency dependence of ε around transition temperature ( T c ) and the temperature dependence of ferroelectric properties were discussed to further clarify the relationship between composition and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative trait locus (QTL) models can provide useful insights into trait genetic architecture because of their straightforward interpretability but are less useful for genetic prediction because of the difficulty in including the effects of numerous small effect loci without overfitting. Tight linkage between markers introduces near collinearity among marker genotypes, complicating the detection of QTL and estimation of QTL effects in linkage mapping, and this problem is exacerbated by very high density linkage maps. Here we developed a thinning and aggregating (TAGGING) method as a new ensemble learning approach to QTL mapping. TAGGING reduces collinearity problems by thinning dense linkage maps, maintains aspects of marker selection that characterize standard QTL mapping, and by ensembling, incorporates information from many more markers-trait associations than traditional QTL mapping. The objective of TAGGING was to improve prediction power compared with QTL mapping while also providing more specific insights into genetic architecture than genome-wide prediction models. TAGGING was compared with standard QTL mapping using cross validation of empirical data from the maize (Zea mays L.) nested association mapping population. TAGGING-assisted QTL mapping substantially improved prediction ability for both biparental and multifamily populations by reducing both the variance and bias in prediction. Furthermore, an ensemble model combining predictions from TAGGING-assisted QTL and infinitesimal models improved prediction abilities over the component models, indicating some complementarity between model assumptions and suggesting that some trait genetic architectures involve a mixture of a few major QTL and polygenic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(Ca 0.28 Ba 0.72 ) 2.5−0.5 x Na x Nb 5 O 15 ceramics (CBNN, x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0) were prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction method. Pure tungsten bronze structure could be obtained in all compositions according to X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. Raman spectroscopy results showed that introducing Na + in A sites could induce stronger interaction between A-sites ions and NbO 6 octahedron, and also lead to the more distortion degree of NbO 6 octahedron at higher Na + contents. It was found that accompanying with the structural evolution from ‘unfilled’ to ‘filled’ tungsten bronze type by modulating Na + concentration, some unique dielectric and ferroelectric behavior emerged for CBNN ceramics, especially when x > 0.4. Natural ferroelectric–paraelectric phase transition at the Curie Temperature ( T c ) was determined for all compositions, while only the samples with x > 0.4 showed slight dielectric anomaly around 125–200 K, which was attributed to the local structural fluctuation of stronger NbO 6 octahedron distortion in the ab plane. In addition, the more intense dependence of ε on the frequency measured around T c could be attributed to the ions disorder in mainly A2 sites caused by simultaneous occupation of Na + and Ba 2+ ions when x > 0.4. Normal ferroelectric hysteresis loops were observed in all compositions, and the related mechanisms for ferroelectric variations were discussed in detail. The better comprehensive dielectric and ferroelectric properties was obtained at x = 0.8 due to the bigger distortion degree of NbO 6 octahedron polar unit and the highest densification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A previous study reported a comprehensive quantitative trait locus (QTL) and genome wide association study (GWAS) of southern leaf blight (SLB) resistance in the maize Nested Association Mapping (NAM) panel. Since that time, the genomic resources available for such analyses have improved substantially. An updated NAM genetic linkage map has a nearly six-fold greater marker density than the previous map and the combined SNPs and read-depth variants (RDVs) from maize HapMaps 1 and 2 provided 28.5 M genomic variants for association analysis, 17 fold more than HapMap 1. In addition, phenotypic values of the NAM RILs were re-estimated to account for environment-specific flowering time covariates and a small proportion of lines were dropped due to genotypic data quality problems. Comparisons of original and updated QTL and GWAS results confound the effects of linkage map density, GWAS marker density, population sample size, and phenotype estimates. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of changing each of these parameters individually and in combination to determine their relative impact on marker-trait associations in original and updated analyses. Results: Of the four parameters varied, map density caused the largest changes in QTL and GWAS results. The updated QTL model had better cross-validation prediction accuracy than the previous model. Whereas joint linkage QTL positions were relatively stable to input changes, the residual values derived from those QTL models (used as inputs to GWAS) were more sensitive, resulting in substantial differences between GWAS results. The updated NAM GWAS identified several candidate genes consistent with previous QTL fine-mapping results. Conclusions: The highly polygenic nature of resistance to SLB complicates the identification of causal genes. Joint linkage QTL are relatively stable to perturbations of data inputs, but their resolution is generally on the order of tens or more Mbp. GWAS associations have higher resolution, but lower power due to stringent thresholds designed to minimize false positive associations, resulting in variability of detection across studies. The updated higher density linkage map improves QTL estimation and, along with a much denser SNP HapMap, greatly increases the likelihood of detecting SNPs in linkage with causal variants. We recommend use of the updated genetic resources and results but emphasize the limited repeatability of small-effect associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spindle checkpoint is essential to ensure proper chromosome segregation and thereby maintain genomic stability. Mitotic arrest deficiency 2 (Mad2), a critical component of the spindle checkpoint, is overexpressed in many cancer cells. Thus, we hypothesized that Mad2 overexpression could specifically make cancer cells susceptible to death by inducing a synthetic dosage lethality defect. Because the spindle checkpoint pathway is highly conserved between yeast and humans, we performed a synthetic genetic array analysis in yeast, which revealed that Mad2 overexpression induced lethality in 13 gene deletions. Among the human homologs of candidate genes, knockdown of PPP2R1A, a gene encoding a constant regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 2, significantly inhibited the growth of Mad2-overexpressing tumor cells. PPP2R1A inhibition induced Mad2 phosphorylation and suppressed Mad2 protein levels. Depletion of PPP2R1A inhibited colony formation of Mad2-overexpressing HeLa cells but not of unphosphorylated Mad2 mutant-overexpressing cells, suggesting that the lethality induced by PP2A depletion in Mad2-overexpressing cells is dependent on Mad2 phosphorylation. Also, the PP2A inhibitor cantharidin induced Mad2 phosphorylation and inhibited the growth of Mad2-overexpressing cancer cells. Aurora B knockdown inhibited Mad2 phosphorylation in mitosis, resulting in the blocking of PPP2R1A inhibition-induced cell death. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that PP2A is a good therapeutic target in Mad2-overexpressing tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The tribo-/pyro-catalysis of organic dye degradation is realized in SBT-0.3 ferroelectric nano-crystals. • Surfactant PVP-modified SBT nano-crystals exhibit excellent dye degradation capabilities. • RhB degradation mediated by SBT-0.3 ferroelectric is lying on the dominating contribution of tribo-catalysis. • Surfactant PVP plays a pivotal role in improving the separation and transfer of charge carriers. Ferroelectric materials have multiple characteristics in ferroelectric, piezoelectric, pyroelectric properties, which provide an attractive prospect for simultaneously harvesting multiple energy sources for catalytic applications. However, the crucial challenge for wastewater purification lies in the development of ferroelectric materials with improved functions and the design of advanced oxidation processes. Herein, Sr 0.3 Ba 0.7 TiO 3 (SBT-0.3) nano-catalysts modified by PVP surfactant could significantly promote water recovery efficiency from the rhodamine B (RhB), which is as high as 98% by simultaneously collecting two types of energy sources of mechanical friction and temperature fluctuation from the natural environment for tribo-/pyro-catalysis under dark conditions. It was found that the samples containing PVP surfactant show significantly improved performance in the separation of charge carriers in comparison with those without PVP surfactant. The permanent polarization in SBT-0.3, coupled with the piezo-/pyro-potential, could generate internal field and therefore reduce charge recombination. It also helps to absorb charged species from the dye solution, which favors the reaction with active oxygen to cause the cleavage and breakdown of organic molecules. The mechanism of RhB decomposition mediated by SBT-0.3 ferroelectric is also discussed. This work favors us to in-depth understanding for the tribo-/pyro-catalysis and hence proposes a new strategy to improve the water purification efficiency of ferroelectric nanocrystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00500-021-05804-3 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a health data sharing infrastructure which aims to empower a democratic health data sharing ecosystem. Our project, named Health Democratization (HD), aims at enabling seamless mobility of health data across trust boundaries through addressing structural and functional challenges of its underlying infrastructure with the core concept of data democratization. A programmatic design of an HD platform was elaborated, followed by an introduction of one of our critical designs—a "reverse onus" mechanism that aims to incentivize creditable data accessing behaviors. This scheme shows a promising prospect of enabling a democratic health data-sharing platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A phishing attack is one of the less complicated ways to circumvent sophisticated technical security measures. It is often used to exploit psychological (as as well as other) factors of human users to succeed in social engineering attacks including ransomware. Guided by the state-of-the-arts in a phishing simulation study in healthcare and after deeply assessing the ethical dilemmas, an SMS-based phishing simulation was conducted among healthcare workers in Ghana. The study adopted an in-the-wild study approach alongside quantitative and qualitative surveys. From the state-of-the-art studies, the in-the-wild study approach was the most commonly used method as compared to laboratory-based experiments and statistical surveys because its findings are generally reliable and effective. The attack results also showed that 61% of the targeted healthcare staff were susceptible, and some of the healthcare staff were not victims of the attack because they prioritized patient care and were not susceptible to the simulated phishing attack. Through structural equation modelling, the workload was estimated to have a significant effect on self-efficacy risk (r = 0.5, p-value = 0.05) and work emergency predicted a perceived barrier in the reverse direction at a substantial level of r = −0.46, p-value = 0.00. Additionally, Pearson's correlation showed that the perceived barrier was a predictor of self-reported security behaviour in phishing attacks among healthcare staff. As a result, various suggestions including an extra workload balancing layer of security controls in emergency departments and better security training were suggested to enhance staff's conscious care behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent reports indicate that over 85% of data breaches are still caused by a human element, of which healthcare is one of the organizations that cyber criminals target. As healthcare IT infrastructure is characterized by a human element, this study comprehensively examined the effect of psycho-socio-cultural and work factors on security behavior in a typical hospital. A quantitative approach was adopted where we collected responses from 212 healthcare staff through an online questionnaire survey. A broad range of constructs was selected from psychological, social, cultural perception, and work factors based on earlier review work. These were related with some security practices to assess the information security (IS) knowledge, attitude and behavior gaps among healthcare staff in a comprehensive way. The study revealed that work emergency (WE) has a positive correlation with IS conscious care behavior (ISCCB) risk. Conscientiousness also had a positive correlation with ISCCB risk, but agreeableness was negatively correlated with information security knowledge (ISK) risk and information security attitude (ISA) risk. Based on these findings, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation methods combined with cutting-edge technologies can be explored to discourage IS risks behaviors while enhancing conscious care security practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Introduced E2F-Net, a StyleGAN-based model for high-quality face inpainting using the periocular region. • To enhance StyleGAN output, we optimize the latent space code through a GAN inversion technique. • Achieved superior face reconstruction with minimal training, reducing computational resources. • Created and utilized seven new eyes-to-face datasets to train and validate the proposed method. Face inpainting, the technique of restoring missing or damaged regions in facial images, is pivotal for applications like face recognition in occluded scenarios and image analysis with poor-quality captures. This process not only needs to produce realistic visuals but also preserve individual identity characteristics. The aim of this paper is to inpaint a face given periocular region (eyes-to-face) through a proposed new Generative Adversarial Network (GAN)-based model called Eyes-to-Face Network (E2F-Net). The proposed approach extracts identity and non-identity features from the periocular region using two dedicated encoders have been used. The extracted features are then mapped to the latent space of a pre-trained StyleGAN generator to benefit from its state-of-the-art performance and its rich, diverse and expressive latent space without any additional training. We further improve the StyleGAN's output to find the optimal code in the latent space using a new optimization for GAN inversion technique. Our E2F-Net requires a minimum training process reducing the computational complexity as a secondary benefit. Through extensive experiments, we show that our method successfully reconstructs the whole face with high quality, surpassing current techniques, despite significantly less training and supervision efforts. We have generated seven eyes-to-face datasets based on well-known public face datasets for training and verifying our proposed methods. The code and datasets are publicly available. 1 1 https://github.com/fatemejamalii/E2F-Net [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the spectrum of the fractional Laplace operator with sign-changing weight and show that there exist two simple, isolated principal eigenvalues λ 1 + and λ 1 −. By use of the obtained spectrum results, we study the existence, multiplicity, and nonexistence of constant sign solutions to corresponding nonlinear problems according to the asymptotic behavior of nonlinear term f at 0, ∞, and whether f possesses zeros in R ∖ { 0 }. As far as we know, the spectral results presented here are new,and the rest theorems partially generalize the corresponding ones in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to discuss the correlation of composition-structure-performances, it is essential to study the role of Sr/Ca ratio variations on the physical properties in (Sr 1- x Ca x) 2.1 Na 0.8 Nb 5 O 15 ceramics with nearly 'filled' TB structure. Similar micromorphology of all obtained SCNN ceramics according to the FESEM results was beneficial to reveal the intrinsic structural factors for the electrical performances. Two different dielectric anomalies appeared in the dielectric spectra for all specimens: (1) the high-temperature anomaly corresponded to the ferroelectric phase transition (ferroelectric 4 mm to paraelectric 4/mmm transition); (2) whereas for the low-temperature anomaly, introducing Ca2+ in the Sr 2.1 Na 0.8 Nb 5 O 15 composition could force some Na+ ions to occupy bigger pentagonal A2 sites, which could induce the slight distortion of NbO 6 octahedron (considered as the subtle structure effects) to further evolve into the structural phase transition from ferroelectric (4 mm)-to-ferroelastic (mm 2) (ferroelastic phase transition) at higher Ca2+ contents. The existence of mm 2 phase in SCNN ceramics with x > 0.075 could be further confirmed by XRD refinement and Raman results. This finding is helpful for improvement of the fundamental theory and modulation of the performances in tungsten bronze niobates. • Low-temperature dielectric anomaly behaviors appeared in all SCNN ceramics. • A noticeable evolvement of low-temperature anomaly was revealed accompanying the variation of Sr/Ca ratio. • Disordered distribution in A2-sites responded for the ferroelastic phase transition at higher Ca2+ contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabricating environmental and stable graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) photocatalyst with highly efficient visible light response and charge separation is still a challenging work. Herein, g-C 3 N 4 ultrathin nanosheets are synthesized via oxidation etching method. The as-synthesized samples show improved visible-light response and photogenerated charge separation, which is revealed to be brought from the synergy of hierarchical porous structure and nitrogen vacancies. On one hand, macropores can provide light transport channels for enhanced visible light absorption, meanwhile the photogenerated charge favors to be migrated on two-dimensional ultrathin planes and trapped in mesoporous structure to avoid the recombination. Also, macropore and mesopore promote the transport and adsorption of substrates. On the other hand, DFT calculations verify that nitrogen vacancies are conductive to the rearrangement of charge density distribution and the formation of defect levels in the band gap of g-C 3 N 4 , leading to the improvement of carrier mobility and separation. Thus, nitrogen vacancies promote more active sites generation. Consequently, the g-C 3 N 4 ultrathin nanosheet presents a promising photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 1.77 mmol.g−1.h−1 in a long time run under visible light, which is far higher than that of comparison samples (0.18 and 0.29 mmol.g−1.h−1 respectively). Highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity from the hierarchical pores and nitrogen vacancies in carbon nitride ultrathin nanosheets (TCN) is uncovered. The macropore provide channels for light absorption and reactant transport, and mesoporous work as active sites for electron trap and reactant adsorption. Meanwhile, nitrogen vacancies induce the rearrangement of electrons and the formation of defect levels, leading the improvement of carrier mobility and separation. Accordingly, photocatalytic activity of TCN is enhanced to an order of magnitude than that of bulk CN. [Display omitted] • Hierarchical pores and nitrogen vacancies are fabricated in TCN ultrathin nanosheet. • The hierarchical pores can provide the light and reactant channels and active sites. • The energy-level modulating mechanism by nitrogen vacancies has been revealed. • Trap for photogenerated charge is formed by nitrogen vacancies. • The photocatalytic activity of TCN is elevated to an order of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain signals are relayed to the brain via a nociceptive system, and in rare situations, this nociceptive system contains genetic variants that can limit pain response. Here we questioned whether a human transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) missense variant causes a resistance to noxious stimuli and further if we can target this region by a cell-permeable peptide as a pain therapeutic. Initially using a computational approach, we identified a human K710N TRPV1 missense variant in an otherwise highly conserved region of mammalian TRPV1. After generating a TRPV1K710N knock-in mouse using CRISPR/Cas9, we discovered the K710N variant reduced capsaicin-induced calcium influx in dorsal root ganglion neurons. The TRPV1K710N rodents also had less acute behavioral response to chemical noxious stimuli and less hypersensitivity to nerve injury-induced pain, while leaving the response to noxious heat intact. Furthermore, blocking this K710 region in wild-type rodents by a cell-penetrating peptide limited acute behavioral responses to noxious stimuli and rescued pain hypersensitivity induced by nerve injury back to baseline. These findings identify K710 TRPV1 as a discrete site crucial for the control of nociception and provides new insights into how to leverage rare genetic variants in humans to uncover fresh strategies for developing pain therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biometric verification can be considered one of the most reliable approaches to person authentication. However, biometrics are highly sensitive personal data and any information leakage poses severe security and privacy risks. Biometric templates should hence be protected and impersonation with stolen templates must be prevented, while preserving system's performance. In this study, a general biometric template protection scheme based on honey templates and Bloom filters is proposed, in order to grant privacy protection to the enrolled subject and detect the use of stolen templates. The performance and security evaluations show the soundness of the proposed scheme for facial verification. The benchmark is conducted with the publicly available BioSecure Multimodal DB and the free Bob image processing toolbox, so that research is fully reproducible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncovering the contribution of anisotropic crystal facets in single‐crystalline photocatalysts is still a challenge in fundamental study. Here, the mechanism underlying facet junction‐dependent photocharge separation in polyhedral Cu2O is demonstrated, which is beneficial for understanding why 50‐faceted Cu2O exhibiting quaternary {100}/{110}/{111}/{522} facet junction possesses an enhanced photodegradation activity toward tetracycline than that of the 26‐faceted Cu2O exhibiting ternary {100}/{110}/{111} and 18‐faceted Cu2O exhibiting binary {100}/{110} facet junction. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and selective photodeposition results confirm that hierarchical facet junctions are formed in a 50‐faceted Cu2O, which could be regarded as one parallel connection between binary {110}/{111} and ternary {110}/{522}/{100} series facet junction for conduction band minimum, and another parallel connection between binary {100}/{522} and ternary {111}/{110}/{522} series facet junction for valence band maximum, leading to an unprecedented dual series‐parallel transfer pathway for more efficiently improved photocharge separation. Hopefully, this study would be a beneficial guideline for scientific researchers currently concentrating on the facet junction engineering of polyhedral photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: To describe the surgical technique for endoscopic medial orbital fat decompression in type 1 (lipogenic) Graves orbitopathy and report outcomes. DESIGN: Retrospective interventional case review. METHODS: We reviewed 108 patients (206 orbits) with inactive, type 1 Graves orbitopathy without diplopia, who underwent endoscopic medial orbital fat decompression solely for proptosis reduction. Following endoscopic transethmoid medial orbital wall decompression, extraconal and intraconal orbital fat was removed with a low-suction cutting instrument. All patients were followed up for at least 12 months. Surgical time, preoperative and postoperative Hertel exophthalmometry, incidence of postoperative diplopia within 30-degree visual field in the primary gaze, and other complications were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean surgical time was 97.7 ± 16.7 minutes (67-136 minutes). The mean follow-up was 16.0 ± 4.2 months (12-24 months). Preoperative and postoperative proptosis values at final review were 21.1 ± 2.3 mm (17-26 mm) and 13.0 ± 0.9 mm (12-15 mm), respectively (P < .001). Median reduction in proptosis was 8.0 mm with mean of 8.2 ± 1.8 mm (4-11 mm). Symmetry to within 2 mm was achieved in 106 of 108 patients (98.1%). Twenty-five of 108 patients (23.1%) had diplopia within 30-degree visual field of the gaze, and 23 of these had complete resolution within 3 months, while the remaining 2 patients required squint surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic medial orbital fat decompression may be an effective technique for proptosis in selected patients with type 1 Graves orbitopathy and is associated with a low rate of surgically induced diplopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 0.9NBST-0.1BMS lead-free ceramics with W rec = 6.68 J/cm3 and η = 89.1 % were designed and fabricated. • Small grain size and high activation energy of grain boundary leads to high breakdown field (405 kV/cm). • The energy storage potential (W rec /E b) is up to 0.01649 μC/cm2. • Excellent fatigue endurance over 105 electrical cycles (the W rec variation is less than 1.5%). Ferroelectric ceramics, as a potential candidate for high-power energy storage capacitors, lies in their excellent recoverable energy storage density (W rec) and outstanding efficiency (η) in practical applications. Herein, a new type of lead-free ceramics (1- x)(Na 0.5 Bi 0.5) 0.65 Sr 0.35 TiO 3 - x BiMg 0.5 Sn 0.5 O 3 or (1- x)NBST- x BMS was prepared with the aim of enhancing the breakdown strength (E b) and reducing the energy storage loss through grain refinement. It was found that E b of 0.9NBST-0.1BMS reaches 405 kV/cm due to the reduction in the grain size of ceramic and thus the extremely high ratio of grain boundary resistance to grain resistance. Besides, a remarkable energy-storage performance was obtained, that is, W rec and η are ∼ 6.68 J/cm3 and 89.1% at 405 kV/cm, respectively, along with excellent stability in terms of frequency, temperature, and fatigue endurance. The outstanding energy-storage performance is resulted from modulating the grain size via doping the moderate content of Bi3+ and Mg2+/Sn4+, which is beneficial to increase the breakdown field by increasing resistivity under high electric field while increasing the grain boundary activation energy and promote the formation of a relaxor state at the same time. More importantly, energy storage potential (defined as W rec /E b) is up to 0.01649 μC/cm2, being the highest value reported so far for BNT-based ceramics in energy-storage application. Our results pave the way for practical applications of NBST-based ferroelectric capacitors with excellent energy storage performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric capacitors, as one of the important electronic devices, are widely used in various fields. However, most ferroelectric capacitors with high energy storage density require excessively high electric fields. In this work, we have prepared 0.9(Bi0.5Na0.5)0.7Sr0.3TiO3-0.1 Bi(Mg2/3Nb1/3)O3 relaxor ferroelectric ceramics with different BaZrO3 doping levels. A high energy storage (Wr) of 4.07 J/cm3 and efficiency (η) of 91% are simultaneously obtained in 0.94[0.9(Bi0.5Na0.5)0.7Sr0.3TiO3-0.1 Bi(Mg2/3Nb1/3)O3]-0.06BaZrO3 ceramic under a medium electric field of 260 kV/cm. Additionally, the ceramic also exhibits excellent temperature and frequency stability. Furthermore, the phase field simulation is used to simulate the evolution of domain structure and hysteresis loops of the ceramics with different doping levels. The results of phase field simulation explicitly explain the influence of different relaxation degrees on energy storage density and efficiency of the ceramics. We believe that the ceramic prepared in this work is one of the most promising candidate materials for some miniaturized energy storage devices operating under low or medium electric fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urgent requirement of environment-friendly materials with excellent energy storage performance for pulse power systems has sparked considerable research on lead-free ceramics. In this work, a new lead-free 0.90(0.80NaNbO3–0.20Sr0.7Bi0.2TiO3)–0.10BaSnO3 ceramic with high recoverable energy storage density (Wr = 3.51 J/cm3) and decent energy storage efficiency (η = 70.85%) has been obtained. In particular, these ceramics exhibit an ultrahigh breakdown strength of 402 kV/cm due to the dense microstructure and small grain size. The impedance analysis also reveals that the incorporation of BaSnO3 is conducive to the enhancement of insulation ability and breakdown strength. Additionally, great thermal stability (ΔWr < 10% over 20–120 °C at 200 kV/cm) and fatigue resistance (ΔWr < 1% after 120,000 electrical cycles at 200 kV/cm) are observed, indicating that the 0.90(0.80NaNbO3–0.20Sr0.7Bi0.2TiO3)–0.10BaSnO3 ceramics have promising application prospect for high-temperature energy storage devices in pulse power applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Z-scheme ZnO/Cu 2 O with large surface area was constructed by one-pot liquid phase reduction method, which exhibited an excellent adsorption-photocatalytic performance for removing tetracycline. [Display omitted] • Z-scheme ZnO/Cu 2 O with large surface area was constructed by one-pot liquid phase reduction method. • Z-scheme ZnO/Cu 2 O exhibited an excellent adsorption-photocatalytic performance for removing tetracycline. • Enhanced mechanism was uncovered by theory and experimental analysis. Exploring novel materials with both high adsorption capacity and photocatalytic properties is urgent in environmental remediation. In this work, a Z-scheme ZnO/Cu 2 O heterostructure with a large surface area of 45.42 m2/g was constructed by using the liquid phase reduction method. Compared to pure ZnO and pure Cu 2 O, the as-synthesized ZnO/Cu 2 O nanocomposites exhibited excellent capacity of adsorption and photodegradation for tetracycline (TC), which was degraded 95.3% of TC within 120 min under simultaneous adsorption and photocatalytic processes. Theory and experimental analysis manifested that the excellent adsorption-photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the large BET specific surface area, the efficient charge carrier separation and the high redox capability. The results of this study identified the potential advantages of ZnO/Cu 2 O composites for removing antibiotics to purify water resources and protect the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance environment-friendly piezoelectric potassium sodium niobate (KNN)-based thin films have been emerged as promising lead-free candidates, while their substrate-dependent piezoelectricity faces the lack of high-quality information due to restraints in measurements. Although piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) is a potential measuring tool, still its regular mode is not considered as a reliable characterization method for quantification. After combining machine-learning enabled analysis using PFM datasets, it is possible to measure piezoelectric properties quantitatively. Here we utilized advanced PFM technology empowered by machine learning to measure and compare the piezoelectricity of KNN based thin films on different substrates. The results provide a better understanding of the relationship between structures and piezoelectric properties of the thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We purposefully develop a precursors-reforming strategy to exquisitely introduce an appropriate amount of N vacancies in the conjugation plane of porous g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets. Most importantly, the mechanism for enhancing photocatalytic hydrogen evolution by the vacancy-induced generation of a built-in electric field is profoundly revealed. [Display omitted] • Porous g-C 3 N 4 with moderate N vacancies is obtained by precursor-reforming strategy. • N vacancies facilitate the enhancement of built-in electric fields between melons. • Synergy of built-in electric fields, textures, and reaction kinetics improves HER. • Performance enhancement mechanisms are insightfully elucidated. An appealing and efficient route to modify the catalytic behavior of g-C 3 N 4 (gCN) is to control textures and defects at the molecular scale, which is beneficial to enhancing its built-in electric field (BIEF) and accelerating the photogenerated charge carrier separation. Herein, we deliberately design a precursors-reforming strategy for enhancing the BIEF of gCN porous microstructures through constructing N vacancies to accelerate charge separation. The N vacancies can not only enhance the BIEF, thus accelerating photocharge delocalization, but also promote reaction kinetics. Also, the porous structures offer a large number of active sites to expedite the reaction and shorten the migration distance of photogenerated carriers to the surface. As anticipated, the modified gCN exhibits a much higher photocatalytic performance, around 7.1 times that of the bulk gCN. This work will provide a fascinating method to combine textures and electronic structure regulation for gCN-based photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tailoring energy band structure of bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl)-based photocatalysts by virtue of the metal and/or non-metal elements is one of the promising strategy to address environmental issues, especially plays a crucial role in water remediation. However, it still remains a great challenge to balance the light-harvesting and charge carriers separation. Herein, a feasible strategy was proposed for the simultaneous integration of energy-band modulation and surface hydroxylation to alleviate the as-mentioned contradiction and long-standing issues. By using a simple one-pot hydrothermal method, In–S-co-doped BiOCl photocatalyst coupling with surface hydroxylation (denoted as In/BOC-S-OH) was prepared by the simultaneous co-precipitation and ripening process and exhibited a good photocatalytic activity for removing tetracycline (TC) under visible light-irradiation than the counterparts of In-doped BiOCl (In/BOC), S-doped BiOCl (In/BOC-S) or surface –OH modification BiOCl (In/BOC-OH). Such satisfied photocatalytic efficiency benefits from the synergistic effect on the visible light capture, charge migration and separation associated with the introduction of intermediate energy levels and surface defect, respectively. Accompanying with the introduction of In and S hetero-atoms intercalation, both the potentials of valence and conduction bands were adjusted and the reduction of the bandgap could promote the capture of photons. Meanwhile, the powerful polarization effect associated with the non-uniform charge distribution could promote the special separation of carriers. More importantly, the surface defects induced by hydroxylation could act as traps for photogenerated electrons to stimulate the rapid separation of carriers, thereby causing the cleavage of antibiotics on the catalytic surface. This research offers a reliable strategy and promising scheme via effective solar energy conversion and charge carrier separation to advance photocatalytic wastewater remediation. [Display omitted] • In/BOC-S-OH nanosheets were synthesized by a low-temperature hydrothermal method. • The intermediate level induced by S 2p orbitals could promote visible light absorption. • The surface hydroxylation could induce the defects for promoting charge carriers separation. • Structural rearrangement induced the non-uniform charge distribution and enhanced the polarization effect. • Excellent photocatalytic activity could be achieved mediated by In/BOC-S-OH nanosheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite new treatment options for hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) recently, 5-year survival remains poor, ranging from 50 to 70%, which may attribute to the lack of early diagnostic biomarkers. Thus, developing new biomarkers for early diagnosis of HCC, is extremely urgent, aiming to decrease HCC-related deaths. Methods: In the study, we conducted a comprehensive characterization of gene expression data of HCC based on a bioinformatics method. The results were confirmed by real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and TCGA database to prove the credibility of this integrated analysis. Results: After integrating analysis of seven HCC gene expression datasets, 1167 differential expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. These genes mainly participated in the process of cell cycle, oocyte meiosis, and oocyte maturation mediated by progesterone. The results of experiments and TCGA database validation in 10 genes was in full accordance with findings in integrated analysis, indicating the high credibility of our integrated analysis of different gene expression datasets. ASPM, CCT3, and NEK2 was showed to be significantly associated with overall survival of HCC patients in TCGA database. Conclusion: This method of integrated analysis may be a useful tool to minish the heterogeneity of individual microarray, hopefully outputs more accurate HCC transcriptome profiles based on large sample size, and explores some potential biomarkers and therapy targets for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) has appeared as a popular candidate in photocatalysis field but is plagued by its poor visible light harvesting and low carriers-flow steering inherited from wide band gap. Integration of doping and heterojunction engineering into the bulk has proven to be an optimal and generally applied method for enabling excellent photocatalytic activity. Nevertheless, the previous reported BiOCl-based photocatalysts fabricated by the above strategies are still suffered from harsh synthesis process, poor interface stability and narrow application area. Here, we introduce a facile one-pot hydrothermal strategy to achieve in-situ growth of TaON as a medium on the surface of Bi 2 O 3 and S-doped BiOCl (denoted as S–BiOCl) for constructing ternary TaON/Bi 2 O 3 /S–BiOCl heterostructures, which were obtained by the simultaneous coprecipitation and ripening process. Current investigation suggests that such a unique TaON/Bi 2 O 3 /S–BiOCl exhibits a relatively much higher photocatalytic activity for visible light-driven removal of rhodamine B (RhB), tetracycline (TC) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) than those of hybrid Bi 2 O 3 /S–BiOCl and pristine S–BiOCl. It is ascribed to the synergetic effect on the introduction of S dopant level in BiOCl lattice as well as the construction of intimate double heterointerfaces among Bi 2 O 3 , TaON and S–BiOCl, which endows the TaON/Bi 2 O 3 /S–BiOCl photocatalysts with considerable advantages for highly elevating photocatalytic performances, such as the intensive optical absorption, high redox potential as well as high-efficient photocharge separation originated from type-I and Z-scheme pathways. This work delivers novel insights for design and one-pot preparation of high-active BiOX (X = Cl, Br and I)-based photocatalysts towards organic dye and antibiotic removal in the future research. Simultaneously integration of type-Ⅰ and Z-scheme junctions into ternary photocatalysts was achieved in TaON/Bi 2 O 3 /S–BiOCl system. It displayed intensive visible light absorption, high redox potentials as well as high-efficient photocharge separation for enhanced photodegradation of antibiotic and organic dye. [Display omitted] • One-pot construction of highly efficient TaON/Bi 2 O 3 /S-doped BiOCl integrated type-Ⅰ with Z-scheme junctions was achieved. • The TaON/Bi 2 O 3 /S-doped BiOCl displays a remarkably improved visible light-driven photoactivity. • The enhanced photocatalytic principles for organic dye and antibiotic removal were discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• One-pot integration of S-doped BiOCl and ZnO into a type-II photocatalyst was achieved. • The ZnO/S-doped BiOCl composite displays a remarkably improved visible light-driven photocatalytic activity. • The enhanced photocatalytic principle for antibiotic removal was discussed in detail. Ameliorating the charge separation behavior of photocatalysts is urgent and promising in current investigation of solar light-driven antibiotic removal. Herein, we introduce a facile hydrothermal approach for one-pot integration of sulfur-doped BiOCl (denoted as S-BiOCl) and ZnO into type-II photocatalysts (denoted as ZnO/S-BiOCl). The as-prepared ZnO/S-BiOCl exhibits an appealing removal rate for antibiotic (including tetracycline (TC) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl)) in comparison with ZnO/BiOCl composites, individual S-BiOCl and ZnO. This satisfactory performance could be ascribed to the synergic effect of S dopant level in band gap of BiOCl and type-II heterojunctions between S-BiOCl and ZnO for simultaneously boosting charge separation in both bulk and surface. This work can afford an ingenious strategy in constructing high-performance BiOCl-based photocatalysts coupled heterojunction engineering with element doping engineering for antibiotic removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electric field-induced strain in lead-free piezoceramics is generally limited to less than 0.4%, which hinders their practical applications such as actuator. Herein we report a new composition of 0.94Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 -0.06Ba 0.85 Ca 0.15 Ti 0.9 Zr 0.1 O 3 - x Li 0.06 (K 0.5 Na 0.5) 0.94 NbO 3 (BNT-BCZT- x LKNN) ceramics by adding two modifiers (i.e., Li 0.06 (K 0.5 Na 0.5) 0.94 NbO 3 and Ba 0.85 Ca 0.15 Ti 0.9 Zr 0.1 O 3) featuring with a morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) into the Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 system. The BNT-BCZT-0.02LKNN shows a high strain of 0.5% as well as a strain-electric field ratio (S max / E max) of 625 pm/V, which is one of the best performances compared with reported lead-free piezoceramics. Rietveld refinement and microstructure analysis confirmed the existence of tetragonal (P 4bm) and rhombohedral (R 3c) phases, and a small part of ferroelectric domains embedded into relaxors according to the PFM, both facilitating the relaxor-to-ferroelectric transformation under an external electric field. As a result, a high strain is obtained in the BNT-BCZT-LKNN system. Our work provides an effective strategy for designing novel lead-free materials with high strain. [Display omitted] Fig. in abstract (a) P-E loops, (b) S-E curves, and (c) J-E curves for x = 0, x = 0.02, x = 0.04 samples. (d) S and d 33 * for all samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel lead-free excellent transmittance electro-optic ceramics (1- x)(K0.5Na0.5)NbO3- xLaBiO3 (KNN-LB, x = 0.000, 0.005, 0.010, 0.015, 0.020, 0.025, 0.040, 0.060) were fabricated by traditional pressureless ceramics processing procedure. The effects of LaBiO3 dopant concentration x on the microstructure, phase transition, optical property, and electrical properties were studied systematically. The X-ray diffraction results indicated that the KNN- LB ceramics with x ≥ 0.025 have the pseudocubic phase. The morphology, density, and microstructure of the KNN- LB ceramics were characterized by scanning electronic microscopy and optical microscopy. In particular, the KNN- LB ceramics (0.05 mm thickness) with x = 0.025 exhibited the highest transmittance of 74.00% in the visible spectrum comparable to the 72.00% transmittance of the lead lanthanum zirconate titanate ( PLZT 9/65/35 of 0.127 mm thickness). In addition, the related mechanism of transparency variation induced by phase transition and grain size modulation were discussed thoroughly. Finally, the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of as-prepared KNN- LB ceramics were also investigated to further clarify the relationship between transparency and relaxor behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]