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Introduction With increasing tobacco product varieties, understanding tobacco use (TU) profiles and their associations with tobacco dependence (TD) has also become increasingly challenging. Aims and Methods We aimed to identify TU profiles and their associations with TD over time, and to identify subgroups with high risk of TD. We included 3463 adult recent tobacco users who had complete TU and TD data across waves 1–4 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study. We used a composite index of TD and a summed TD score from an established 16-item TD measure. We applied a latent class analysis to identify TU profiles based on participants' usage of eight common tobacco product groups at each survey wave and to check the stability of the TU profiles over time. We then used generalized estimating equations regressions to evaluate the longitudinal TU–TD association, adjusting for potential confounders. Results We identified three distinct TU profiles that remained consistent across four survey waves: Dominant cigarette users (62%–68%), poly users with high propensity of using traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and cigars (24%–31%), and dominant smokeless product users (7%–9%). Covariate-adjusted models showed that TD was significantly lower among the poly users and the dominant smokeless users, compared to that among the dominant cigarette users. Conclusions Both TU profiles and their associations with TD were stable over time at the population level. Poly users and smokeless product users were consistently associated with lower TD than cigarette-dominant users, suggesting the need for tailored tobacco cessation interventions for users with different TU profiles. Implications The finding of consistent TU profiles across four survey waves extends the current literature in capturing TU patterns in an evolving tobacco product landscape. The finding of the overall higher level of TD among the cigarette-dominant users compared to the other TU latent profiles (the Cig+eCig+Cigar dominant poly users and the dominant smokeless product users) can help identify high-risk groups for potential interventions. Our application of innovative statistical methods to high-quality longitudinal data from the PATH study helps improve the understanding of the dynamic TU–TD relationship over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper transcription regulation by key transcription factors, such as IRF3, is critical for anti-viral defense. Dynamics of enhancer activity play important roles in many biological processes, and epigenomic analysis is used to determine the involved enhancers and transcription factors. To determine new transcription factors in anti-DNA-virus response, we have performed H3K27ac ChIP-Seq and identified three transcription factors, NR2F6, MEF2D and MAFF, in promoting HSV-1 replication. NR2F6 promotes HSV-1 replication and gene expression in vitro and in vivo, but not dependent on cGAS/STING pathway. NR2F6 binds to the promoter of MAP3K5 and activates AP-1/c-Jun pathway, which is critical for DNA virus replication. On the other hand, NR2F6 is transcriptionally repressed by c-Jun and forms a negative feedback loop. Meanwhile, cGAS/STING innate immunity signaling represses NR2F6 through STAT3. Taken together, we have identified new transcription factors and revealed the underlying mechanisms involved in the network between DNA viruses and host cells. Author summary: DNA virus infection, such as KSHV and HSV-1, affects a large population of human beings and difficult to be cleared from human bodies. The change of enhancer activity on chromatin reflects the cellular response upon viral infections, and Epigenomic profiling of active enhancers has been found to be a powerful tool to identify key transcription factors in biological processes. Here, we have performed H3K27ac ChIP-Seq to determine new transcription factors in anti-DNA-virus response, and identified three transcription factors, NR2F6, MEF2D and MAFF, in promoting HSV-1 replication. Further studies show that NR2F6 promotes HSV-1 replication and gene expression in vitro and in vivo, but not dependent on cGAS/STING pathway. NR2F6 is critical for AP-1/c-Jun pathway activation through direct targeting the promoter of MAP3K5, which is critical for DNA virus replication. On the other hand, host cell controls the expression of NR2F6 via c-Jun, which forms a negative feedback loop in anti-DNA-virus response. Meanwhile, cGAS/STING innate immunity signaling pathway represses NR2F6 expression through STAT3. Taken together, we have identified new transcription factors and revealed the underlying mechanisms involved in the interaction between DNA viruses and host cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The axle box bearing serves as a critical rotational component for high-speed trains. Thus, it is of great significance to obtain accurate loading conditions for axle box bearings for its reliability design. In this study, a bearing-vehicle coupled system dynamic model, consisting of an equivalent bearing model characterized by the time-varying stiffness in the bearing, a nonlinear high-speed train dynamic model, and a slab track model, is developed. The validity of the proposed coupled dynamic model is demonstrated by comparing the simulated results with those obtained in a field test and the literature, respectively. Subsequently, the influence of long- and short-wavelength irregularities on the dynamic responses of bearings is investigated using the proposed coupled model in terms of dynamic loads of the axle box bearing. The results obtained by the proposed model are further compared with those calculated using a traditional vehicle dynamic model that represents the bearing as a revolute joint, so as to illustrate the advantages of the proposed model. The results suggest that the loading responses of the bearing calculated by the two models exhibit differences, which are simultaneously related to the structural damping of the bearing and the mode frequency change of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid single crystals (HSCs) of different poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) homopolymers with a poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide) (PCL‐b‐PEO) block copolymer (BCP) are prepared. The effects of PCL length, PCL/PCL‐b‐PEO molar ratio, crystallization temperature (Tc), and solvent on crystal morphology are investigated. The optimal Tc for the formation of more perfect HSCs is between those for homocrystals of individual PCL and PCL‐b‐PEO and roughly increases with the length of PCL and PCL/PCL‐b‐PEO molar ratio. The chain folding in the HSCs is studied by comparing the experimentally measured heights obtained by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and theoretically calculated ones based on a sandwich structure model. Under most situations, the PCL homopolymers adopt a larger chain folding number in the HSCs than that in their homocrystals, while the chain folding of BCP remains unaltered. However, when both PCL homopolymer and PCL‐b‐PEO BCP crystallize slowly and the overcrowding of the PEO is effectively alleviated, thicker HSCs can be formed, in which the PCL homopolymer preserves the chain folding in its homocrystals but the BCP adopts a reduced chain folding number as compared with that in its homocrystals. The relative crystallization rate of PCL homopolymer versus BCP also affects the real composition and overall height of the HSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering porous organic polymers (POPs) into 1D morphology holds significant promise for diverse applications due to their exceptional processability and increased surface contact for enhanced interactions with guest molecules. This article reviews the latest developments in nanofibrous POPs and their derivatives, encompassing porous organic polymer nanofibers, their composites, and POPs‐derived carbon nanofibers. The review delves into the design and fabrication strategies, elucidates the formation mechanisms, explores their functional attributes, and highlights promising applications. The first section systematically outlines two primary fabrication approaches of nanofibrous POPs, i.e., direct bulk synthesis and electrospinning technology. Both routes are discussed and compared in terms of template utilization and post‐treatments. Next, performance of nanofibrous POPs and their derivatives are reviewed for applications including water treatment, water/oil separation, gas adsorption, energy storage, heterogeneous catalysis, microwave absorption, and biomedical systems. Finally, highlighting existent challenges and offering future prospects of nanofibrous POPs and their derivatives are concluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics 66 hydrofoil with leading-edge protuberances is designed. The large eddy simulation combined with the Schnerr–Sauer cavitation model is used to obtain a satisfactory result as compared with the experimental measurement, integrating the permeable Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings equation for cavitation-induced noise analysis. It is found that the special leading-edge geometric structure deflects the incoming flow, creating two counter-rotating streamwise vortices at the peak shoulders. These lead to upwash and downwash effects and alter the pressure distribution on the suction side. The low pressure localized in the trough facilitates the advancement of the leading-edge cavitation while severely limiting the spanwise development of the cloud cavity, shortening the cavitation evolution by about 20% and reducing the maximum cavitation volume by about 35%. Analysis using the vorticity transport equation indicates that different vorticity transport equation splitting terms play dominant roles at different stages of cavitation evolution. Although the cavitation induces disturbances in the primary vortex, the effect is limited. Acoustic simulation shows that the bionic structure can reduce the total sound pressure level by 7.8–8.3 dB. The spherical noise reduction is not as effective as expected due to the similar cavitation volume acceleration processes of the two hydrofoils. However, the pressure fluctuation caused by the collapse of the cloud cavity is reduced by cavitation suppression, which reduces the linear noise. In addition, the protuberances suppress the generation of large-scale vortex systems and transform them into smaller ones, resulting in reduced spanwise correlation and coherence of the shedding vortices. This is a critical factor in noise reduction. Finally, we hypothesize that the unstable noise reduction is related to the streamwise vortices in the trough regions. These vortices increase the momentum exchange within the boundary layer, affecting its stability and weakening the acoustic feedback loop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the decentralized model reference adaptive control (DMRAC) problem is tackled for a class of time‐varying delay interconnect systems that comprise unknown system matrices and unknown dead‐zone inputs. Two robust adaptive control methods are proposed for state tracking based on the moderate matching time‐varying delay nonlinear assumptions and the matching between the controlled system and reference model matrices, respectively. The control gain function is explicitly expressed, and it is applied to the adaptive law gains simultaneously. Moreover, a Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional with two integral functions is developed. Besides the properties of the type‐B Nussbaum function, the circumstance where the system parameters are fully unknown is considered. As indicated by the results, all signals in the closed‐loop system are bounded while fulfilling asymptotically tracked control objectives. The simulation example of this study verifies the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed‐halide perovskites show promising applications in tandem solar cells owing to their adjustable bandgap. One major obstacle to their commercialization is halide phase segregation, which results in large open‐circuit voltage deficiency and J‐V hysteresis. However, the ambiguous interplay between structural origin and phase segregation often results in aimless and unspecific optimization strategies for the device's performance and stability. An atomic scale is directly figured out the abundant Ruddlesden‐Popper anti‐phase boundaries (RP‐APBs) within a CsPbIBr2 polycrystalline film and revealed that phase segregation predominantly occurs at RP‐APB‐enriched interfaces due to the defect‐mediated lattice strain. By compensating their structural lead halide, such RP‐APBs are eliminated, and the decreasing of strain can be observed, resulting in the suppression of halide phase segregation. The present work provides the deciphering to precisely regulate the perovskite atomic structure for achieving photo‐stable mixed halide wide‐bandgap perovskites of high‐efficiency tandem solar cell commercial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the following nonlinear Choquard equation with prescribed L 2 -norm constraint - Δ u = λ u + (| x | - 1 ∗ | u | 2) u in Ω , u = 0 on ∂ Ω , ∫ Ω | u | 2 d x = a 2 , where a > 0 , λ ∈ R appears as an unknown Lagrange multiplier and Ω ⊂ R 3 is an exterior domain with smooth boundary ∂ Ω ≠ ∅ such that R 3 \ Ω is bounded. By using the splitting lemma for the unconstrained problem in exterior domains, we prove the compactness of Palais–Smale sequences corresponding to the above problem at higher energy levels. Then combining the barycentric function and Brouwer degree theory, we establish the existence of positive normalized bound states for any a > 0 provided that R 3 \ Ω is contained in a small ball and explain that the restriction on domain Ω can be equivalently transferred to a. In addition, under the radial setting of domain Ω , we use genus theory to obtain the existence and multiplicity of radial normalized solutions for any a > 0 . Finally, we point out that the main results can be extended to a general mass subcritical Choquard equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: After stroke, restoring safe, independent, and efficient walking is a top rehabilitation priority. However, in nearly 70% of stroke survivors asymmetrical walking patterns and reduced walking speed persist. This case series study aims to investigate the effectiveness of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) in enhancing walking ability of persons with chronic stroke. Methods: Eight participants with hemiparesis after a single, chronic stroke were enrolled. Each participant was assigned to either the Stim group (N = 4, gait training + tSCS) or Control group (N = 4, gait training alone). Each participant in the Stim group was matched to a participant in the Control group based on age, time since stroke, and self-selected gait speed. For the Stim group, tSCS was delivered during gait training via electrodes placed on the skin between the spinous processes of C5–C6, T11–T12, and L1–L2. Both groups received 24 sessions of gait training over 8 weeks with a physical therapist providing verbal cueing for improved gait symmetry. Gait speed (measured from 10 m walk test), endurance (measured from 6 min walk test), spatiotemporal gait symmetries (step length and swing time), as well as the neurophysiological outcomes (muscle synergy, resting motor thresholds via spinal motor evoked responses) were collected without tSCS at baseline, completion, and 3 month follow-up. Results: All four Stim participants sustained spatiotemporal symmetry improvements at the 3 month follow-up (step length: 17.7%, swing time: 10.1%) compared to the Control group (step length: 1.1%, swing time 3.6%). Additionally, 3 of 4 Stim participants showed increased number of muscle synergies and/or lowered resting motor thresholds compared to the Control group. Conclusions: This study provides promising preliminary evidence that using tSCS as a therapeutic catalyst to gait training may increase the efficacy of gait rehabilitation in individuals with chronic stroke. Trial registration NCT03714282 (clinicaltrials.gov), registration date: 2018-10-18. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial microbiota are involved in tick physiology and varies with various factors. The variation of bacterial microbiota among tick organs is less investigated. In this study, the bacterial microbiota of four organs (ovaries, salivary glands, midgut, and Malpighian tubules) from the engorged female Haemaphysalis longicornis were surveyed using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. Results indicated that the bacterial richness and diversity varied among tick organs, and ovaries had the lowest level of bacterial richness and diversity. The ovaries and salivary glands had relatively stable bacterial compositions when considering bacterial abundance. Proteobacteria was the dominant bacterial phylum in the four organs, followed by Firmicutes, Bacteroidota and Actinobacteriota. The ovaries carried more Proteobacteria, while the Firmicutes abundance was higher in salivary glands. The environmental bacteria including Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Brevundimonas, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, and Stenotrophomonas had high abundance in the midgut and salivary glands, suggesting that ticks can acquire environmental bacteria through blood meals or host skin. The predominant proportion of Coxiella in ovaries ensures its vertical transmission, and Coxiella in Malpighian tubules can provide nutrients to the host. In conclusion, organ-specific bacterial microbiota was observed in the engorged female H. longicornis, and the functions of these bacteria in organs remain to be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) exhibit outstanding strength attributed to the complex dislocation dynamics as compared to conventional alloys. Here, we develop an atomic-lattice-distortion-dependent discrete dislocation dynamics framework consisted of random field theory and phenomenological dislocation model to investigate the fundamental deformation mechanism underlying massive dislocation motions in body-centered cubic MPEA. Amazingly, the turbulence of dislocation speed is identified in light of strong heterogeneous lattice strain field caused by short-range ordering. Importantly, the vortex from dislocation flow turbulence not only acts as an effective source to initiate dislocation multiplication but also induces the strong local pinning trap to block dislocation movement, thus breaking the strength-ductility trade-off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of water pollution has become increasingly serious, posing a great threat to human health. Among the various water pollutants, a significant one is dyes, which have strong toxicity and carcinogenicity and seriously pollute water bodies, thus further posing a great threat to the health of aquatic life, animals, plants and human beings. However, dyes are widely used in textile, paper, and printing industries, and thus it is difficult to prevent their discharge into water bodies during the production process. Therefore, it is necessary to develop efficient methods to remove dyes from process wastewater as much as possible for wastewater purification. In this regard, the adsorption method has become one of the most effective methods to remove dyes because of its simple process and low cost. In this study, we prepared a biomimetic seaweed absorbable membrane (BSAM). This membrane has a unique porous structure and can adsorb dye molecules. After testing, the highest removal rate of methylene blue dye reached 97.72%. This type of membrane looks like seaweed, can curl when dry, is easy to disperse in water, and has excellent water solubility. In addition, because of its hydrophilicity, it exhibits good separation efficiency in the separation of water-in-oil emulsions. Thus, this membrane has certain application potential in the treatment of dye wastewater and dye-containing oil water in special processes on ships and in oil fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male meiotic division exhibits two consecutive chromosome separation events without apparent pausing. Several studies have shown that spermatocyte divisions are not stringently regulated as in mitotic cells. In this study, we investigated the role of the canonical spindle assembly (SAC) pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans spermatogenesis. We found the intensity of chromosome-associated outer kinetochore protein BUB-1 and SAC effector MDF-1 oscillates between the two divisions. However, the SAC target securin is degraded during the first division and remains undetectable for the second division. Inhibition of proteasome-dependent protein degradation did not affect the progression of the second division but stopped the first division at metaphase. Perturbation of spindle integrity did not affect the duration of meiosis II, and only slightly lengthened meiosis I. Our results demonstrate that male meiosis II is independent of SAC regulation, and male meiosis I exhibits only weak checkpoint response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plants in Japan and globally experience creep damage in the welded parts of their high-chromium steel assets. As the creep damage advances, voids develop at depth by preference and become dense and cause accidents. The voids cannot be detected using existing non-destructive methods, causing the unreasonable and uneconomic management of plants. To establish a non-destructive examination method that can be used for practical and economic maintenance, a detection method for dense creep voids using ultrasonic backscattered waves is proposed herein. The creep-damaged structures are modelled using a transducer and the transmission and reception characteristics are discussed. These characteristics are considered using the finite element method, as they cannot be measured through normal experiments. The results show that without a focusing process at the time of reception, changes in the amplitude of backscattered waves cannot be confirmed; thus, the contribution of transmission focus to creep void detection is limited. Conversely, it is confirmed that when the received backscattered waves in the direction normal to the transducer are integrated and the phase matching is reflected, the amplitude of the scattered waves increases with creep void density. The reception focus considerably contributes towards dense creep void detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fluid ferroelectrics, called ferroelectric nematics (NF), have recently become available by incorporating strong polarity into rod-shaped liquid crystal molecules. Its unprecedented electro-optic properties have created significant excitement in soft matter research. The further progression from the NF phase to the antiferroelectric smectic Z (SmZA) phase, and ultimately to the ferroelectric Smectic A (SmAF) phase, represents a remarkable journey in emerging polar liquid crystal states. Nevertheless, the limitation of NF liquid crystal materials remains one of the prominent obstacles to physical property optimization and optoelectronic device development. In this work, we synthesized a series of fluorinated liquid crystal molecules with large dipole moments and systematically investigated their phase behavior. We designed them with a similar fluorinated aromatic skeleton and varied the structures of the terminal group and bridging bond. We found that the dipole moment density and shape anisotropy significantly affect the phase behavior. Notably, diverse polar liquid crystal phases, including NF, SmZA, and SmAF were observed. Through a multi-component mixing strategy, we successfully achieved a much-expanded temperature window and improved low-temperature stability not only in the NF phase but also in the SmZA and SmAF phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Companies' green competitive advantages result from the high coordination of economic, ecological, social and corporate subsystems. Thus, it is important to investigate the influence and coupling coordination degree (CCD) of the relevant components of green competitiveness. This paper justifies the relationship between green competitiveness and the coupling degree of its components. It hypothesizes that the increasing integrated index of companies' green competitiveness was determined by levels of coordination and communication between its components. The study applies the CCD model and correlation analysis to test the hypothesis. The objects of analysis were enterprises represented by three economic sectors: agro-industrial, mechanical engineering and food. The findings show that the highest coupling coordination degree among all components is represented by the companies with the highest green competitive index. These companies are characterized by the dominance of corporate components, which can increase the general level of green competitive advantages in various combinations with other determinants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aerodynamic performance of the variable cycle engine fan changes sharply during mode transition. Investigating the variations of flow structure and understanding the loss mechanism are helpful in providing guidance for the fan design. Three-dimensional models of single bypass and double bypass compression systems are established, and static pressure is applied at the bypass stream outlet to simulate the opening of the mode selection valve. The characteristic band of variable cycle engine fan is obtained by gradually increasing the bypass stream pressure while maintaining specific values for the core stream pressure. Results show that the overall performance of the double bypass configuration, without bypass recirculation, is almost identical to that of the conventional single bypass configuration during the throttling process. With the increase in bypass pressure, the shock wave and the trajectory of tip leakage vortex gradually move forward, thereby increasing the blockage region induced by the interaction between the shock and tip leakage vortex. In addition, the performance of fan with reverse flow is also calculated. The recirculation causes the operating point to move closer to the stability limit, reducing the isentropic efficiency. Additionally, the recirculation changes the radial distribution of axial velocity and total pressure, leading to inlet distortion in the core driven fan stage. Furthermore, the loss mechanism is clarified by modeling the splitter and conducting entropy generation analysis. The sharp expansion of bypass stream could cause severe flow separation, and reducing the curvature of casing can effectively suppress the viscous shear loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) has revolutionized the care of people living with HIV (PLHIV). As a result, PLHIV now have a life expectancy comparable with that of the general population. PLHIV are increasingly confronted with age‐related comorbidities and geriatric syndromes, including frailty and polypharmacy, which occur at a higher prevalence and set in at an earlier age compared with their uninfected counterparts. The underlying pathophysiology for multimorbidity and polypharmacy are multifactorial, multidimensional and complex. Therefore, regular review and optimization of risk factors to maintain physical function, social and psychological health is of utmost importance. With an ever‐growing population of older PLHIV, there is a pressing need to provide holistic care to address these emerging issues. Accelerated aging observed in PLHIV suggests that early involvement of a multidisciplinary team, including geriatricians, and implementation of integrated models of care can potentially improve the care of older PLHIV, who are at increased risk of frailty and complex multimorbidity. This article reviews the current global situation, discusses the challenges involved and suggests approaches to deliver comprehensive care for older PLHIV. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 49–59. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of perceived busyness on the effectiveness of destination advertising based on construal level theory. Results from four experiments using two different tourism destination settings (i.e., water sports park and spa resort) indicate that low- (vs. high-) construal tourism destination advertisement is more effective for tourists with higher (vs. lower) busyness perception. This relationship is mediated by the need for time efficiency and benefit focus (serial mediation) and is strengthened when the achievement motivates (i.e., hope of success and fear of failure) of the tourist are high. Our study enriches tourism research by revealing that the effectiveness of destination advertising depends on a matching effect between advertising messages and tourists' perceived busyness. It also has practical ramifications for destination marketing organizations in that it can enhance their understanding of tourists' decision-making process with perceived busyness as an internal factor and thus help promote their destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial (SW-CRT) design has become popular in healthcare research. It is an appealing alternative to traditional cluster randomized trials (CRTs) since the burden of logistical issues and ethical problems can be reduced. Several approaches for sample size determination for the overall treatment effect in the SW-CRT have been proposed. However, in certain situations we are interested in examining the heterogeneity in treatment effect (HTE) between groups instead. This is equivalent to testing the interaction effect. An important example includes the aim to reduce racial disparities through healthcare delivery interventions, where the focus is the interaction between the intervention and race. Sample size determination and power calculation for detecting an interaction effect between the intervention status variable and a key covariate in the SW-CRT study has not been proposed yet for binary outcomes. Methods: We utilize the generalized estimating equation (GEE) method for detecting the heterogeneity in treatment effect (HTE). The variance of the estimated interaction effect is approximated based on the GEE method for the marginal models. The power is calculated based on the two-sided Wald test. The Kauermann and Carroll (KC) and the Mancl and DeRouen (MD) methods along with GEE (GEE-KC and GEE-MD) are considered as bias-correction methods. Results: Among three approaches, GEE has the largest simulated power and GEE-MD has the smallest simulated power. Given cluster size of 120, GEE has over 80% statistical power. When we have a balanced binary covariate (50%), simulated power increases compared to an unbalanced binary covariate (30%). With intermediate effect size of HTE, only cluster sizes of 100 and 120 have more than 80% power using GEE for both correlation structures. With large effect size of HTE, when cluster size is at least 60, all three approaches have more than 80% power. When we compare an increase in cluster size and increase in the number of clusters based on simulated power, the latter has a slight gain in power. When the cluster size changes from 20 to 40 with 20 clusters, power increases from 53.1% to 82.1% for GEE; 50.6% to 79.7% for GEE-KC; and 48.1% to 77.1% for GEE-MD. When the number of clusters changes from 20 to 40 with cluster size of 20, power increases from 53.1% to 82.1% for GEE; 50.6% to 81% for GEE-KC; and 48.1% to 79.8% for GEE-MD. Conclusions: We propose three approaches for cluster size determination given the number of clusters for detecting the interaction effect in SW-CRT. GEE and GEE-KC have reasonable operating characteristics for both intermediate and large effect size of HTE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, vector beams with special intensity and phase distribution have received much attention due to their unique properties. In this paper, we construct the double‐petal linear edge dislocation (DPLED) beams based on Gaussian vortex beams. The distribution of intensity, polarization, and spin angular momentum (SAM) of the DPLED beams is analyzed in tightly focused based on the Richards‐Wolf vector diffraction theory. The significant difference is occurred in light field, polarization SAM, and polarization distributions before and after focusing of DPLED beams. It's of certain importance for expanding the application of vector beams in optical control, optical imaging, and other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red flesh apple (Malus pumila var. medzwetzkyana Dieck), purple leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera Ehrhar f), and purple leaf peach (Prunus persica 'Atropurpurea') are significant ornamental plants within the Rosaceae family. The coloration of their fruits and leaves is crucial in their appearance and nutritional quality. However, qualitative and quantitative studies on flavonoids in the succulent fruits and leaves of multicolored Rosaceae plants are lacking. To unveil the diversity and variety-specificity of flavonoids in these three varieties, we conducted a comparative analysis of flavonoid metabolic components using ultra-high-performance liquid phase mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The results revealed the detection of 311 metabolites, including 47 flavonoids, 105 flavonols, 16 chalcones, 37 dihydroflavonoids, 8 dihydroflavonols, 30 anthocyanins, 14 flavonoid carbon glycosides, 23 flavanols, 8 isoflavones, 11 tannins, and 12 proanthocyanidins. Notably, although the purple plum and peach leaves exhibited distinct anthocyanin compounds, paeoniflorin and corythrin glycosides were common but displayed varying glycosylation levels. While the green purple leaf peach fruit (PEF) and red flesh apple leaf (AL) possessed the lowest anthocyanin content, they exhibited the highest total flavonoid content. Conversely, the red flesh apple fruit (AF) displayed the highest anthocyanin content and a diverse range of anthocyanin glycosylation modifications, indicating that anthocyanins predominantly influenced the fruit's color. Purple PLF, PLL, and PEL showcased varying concentrations of anthocyanins, suggesting that their colors result from the co-color interaction between specific types of anthocyanins and secondary metabolites, such as flavonols, flavonoids, and dihydroflavonoids. This study provides novel insights into the variations in tissue metabolites among Rosaceae plants with distinct fruit and leaf colors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social motivation hypothesis proposes that the social deficits of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are related to reward system dysfunction. However, functional connectivity (FC) patterns of the reward network in ASD have not been systematically explored yet. The reward network was defined as eight regions of interest (ROIs) per hemisphere, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc), caudate, putamen, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), amygdala, and insula. We computed both the ROI-wise resting-state FC and seed-based whole-brain FC in 298 ASD participants and 348 typically developing (TD) controls from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange I dataset. Two-sample t -tests were applied to obtain the aberrant FCs. Then, the association between aberrant FCs and clinical symptoms was assessed with Pearson's correlation or Spearman's correlation. In addition, Neurosynth Image Decoder was used to generate word clouds verifying the cognitive functions of the aberrant pathways. Furthermore, a three-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to examine the effects of gender, subtype and age on the atypical FCs. For the within network analysis, the left ACC showed weaker FCs with both the right amygdala and left NAc in ASD compared with TD, which were negatively correlated with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) total scores and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) total scores respectively. For the whole-brain analysis, weaker FC (i.e., FC between the left vmPFC and left calcarine gyrus, and between the right vmPFC and left precuneus) accompanied by stronger FC (i.e., FC between the left caudate and right insula) were exhibited in ASD relative to TD, which were positively associated with the SRS motivation scores. Additionally, we detected the main effect of age on FC between the left vmPFC and left calcarine gyrus, of subtype on FC between the right vmPFC and left precuneus, of age and age-by-gender interaction on FC between the left caudate and right insula. Our findings highlight the crucial role of abnormal FC patterns of the reward network in the core social deficits of ASD, which have the potential to reveal new biomarkers for ASD. • Systematic exploring of reward network's abnormal functional connectivity (FC) patterns in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) • Evaluating the effects of gender, subtype and age on the abnormal FC • Analysis based on a large-scale multi-site dataset ensures the reliability of the findings • Reduced anterior cingulate cortex-limbic, decreased anterior-posterior, and enhanced caudate-insula FC were revealed in ASD [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past decade has witnessed significant advances in the systemic treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nevertheless, the newly developed treatment strategies have not achieved universal success and HCC patients frequently exhibit therapeutic resistance to these therapies. Precision treatment represents a paradigm shift in cancer treatment in recent years. This approach utilizes the unique molecular characteristics of individual patient to personalize treatment modalities, aiming to maximize therapeutic efficacy while minimizing side effects. Although precision treatment has shown significant success in multiple cancer types, its application in HCC remains in its infancy. In this review, we discuss key aspects of precision treatment in HCC, including therapeutic biomarkers, molecular classifications, and the heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment. We also propose future directions, ranging from revolutionizing current treatment methodologies to personalizing therapy through functional assays, which will accelerate the next phase of advancements in this area. Precision treatment promises to fundamentally transform the current "one-size-fits-all" approach in managing advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Yang et al. review various strategies for achieving precision treatment in HCC and outline several future directions that could lead to more effective and personalized care for patients with HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential energy curves (PECs) and transition dipole moments (TDMs) of PH+ and PO are computed with the multireference configuration interaction method, and the cross-sections for the radiative association (RA) of PH+ and PO, which is the most efficient way to form the ground states, are presented via the quantum mechanical (QM) theory and computed using ab initio molecular data. The thermal rate coefficients are also expressed and fitted with the standard formula k(T) = A(T/300)αe-β/T in the range of 10 K-15,000 K. Meanwhile, the photodissociation, that is the inverse process of RA for PH+, is also studied, including eight photodissociation channels for the computation of state-resolved cross-sections. Careful comparisons with the Leiden Observatory database are made. Considering the cross-sections mentioned above, the local thermodynamic equilibrium cross-sections at the temperatures of 0, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 K are also shown. We expect the results to be helpful for studies of phosphorus chemistry in the interstellar medium and planetary atmospheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inattention is a key characteristic of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Specific brain abnormalities associated with this symptom form a discernible pattern related with ADHD in children (i.e., ADHD related pattern) in our earlier research. The developmental processes of segregation and integration may be crucial to ADHD. However, how brains reconfigure these processes of the ADHD related pattern in different subtypes of ADHD and across sexes remain unclear. Nested-spectral partition method was applied to identify effects of subtype and sex on segregation and integration of the ADHD related pattern, using 145 ADHD patients and 135 typically developing controls (TDC) aged 7–14. Relationships between the measures and inattention symptoms were also investigated. Children with ADHD exhibited lower segregation of the ADHD related pattern (p = 1.17 × 10−8) than TDCs. Only the main effect of subtype was significant (p = 1.14 × 10−5). Both ADHD-C (p = 2.16 × 10−6) and ADHD-I (p = 2.87 × 10−6) patients had lower segregation components relative to the TDC. Moreover, segregation components were negatively correlated with inattention scores. This study identified impaired segregation in the ADHD related pattern of children with ADHD and found shared neural bases among different subtypes and sexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic significance of anoikis related genes (ARGs) in ovarian cancer (OC) and to develop a prognostic signature based on ARG expression. We analyzed cohorts of OC patients and used nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) for clustering. Single-sample gene-set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was employed to quantify immune infiltration. Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan–Meier method, and differences in survival were determined using the log-rank test. The extent of anoikis modification was quantified using a risk score generated from ARG expression. The analysis of single-cell sequencing data was performed by the Tumor Immune Single Cell Hub (TISCH). Our analyses revealed two distinct patterns of anoikis modification. The risk score was used to evaluate the anoikis modification patterns in individual tumors. Three hub-genes were screened using the LASSO (Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator) method and patients were classified into different risk groups based on their individual score and the median score. The low-risk subtype was characterized by decreased expression of hub-genes and better overall survival. The risk score, along with patient age and gender, were considered to identify the prognostic signature, which was visualized using a nomogram. Our findings suggest that ARGs may play a novel role in the prognosis of OC. Based on ARG expression, we have developed a prognostic signature for OC that can aid in patient stratification and treatment decision-making. Further studies are needed to validate these results and to explore the underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In typical alteration extraction methods, e.g., band math and principal component analysis (PCA), the bands or band combinations unitized to extract altered minerals are usually selected based on empirical models or previous rules. This results in significant differences in the alteration of mineral mapping even in the same area, thus greatly increasing the uncertainty of mineral resource prediction. In this paper, an intelligent alteration extraction approach was proposed in which an optimization algorithm, i.e., a genetic algorithm (GA), was introduced into the PCA; this approach is termed GA-PCA and is used for selecting the optimized band combinations of mineralized alterations. The proposed GA-PCA was employed to map iron oxides and hydroxyl minerals using the most commonly adopted multispectral data, i.e., Landsat-8 OLI data, at the Lalingzaohuo polymetallic deposits, China. The results showed that the spectral characteristics of GA-PCA-selected OLI band combinations in the research area were beneficial for enhancing alteration information and were more capable of suppressing the interference of vegetation information. The mapping alteration zones using the GA-PCA approach had a higher agreement with known ore spots, i.e., 25% and 33.3% in ferrous-bearing and hydroxyl-bearing deposits, compared to the classical PCA. Furthermore, two predicted targets (not shown in the classical PCA results) were precisely obtained via analyzing the GA-PCA alteration maps combined with the ore-forming geological conditions of the mine and its tectonic characteristics. This indicated that the intelligent selection of mineral alteration band combinations increased the reliability of remote sensing-based mineral exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cones are among the significant and controversial landforms on Mars. Martian cones exhibit various morphological characteristics owing to their complex origin, and their precise origin remains an active research topic. A limited number of cones have been manually mapped from high-resolution images in local areas, and existing detection methods are only applicable to a single type of cone that has a similar morphology and spatial distribution, leading to the vast majority remaining unidentified. In this paper, a novel cone identification approach is proposed that is specially designed for adequately recognizing cones from different regions in high-resolution planetary images. First, due to the lack of a publicly available cone database for reference, we annotated 3681 cones according to the literature on manual interpretation and the cone information provided by the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (IRL) in HiRISE images. Then, the cone identification problem was converted into an instance segmentation task, i.e., a cone identification approach was designed based on deep neural networks. The Feature Pyramid Network-equipped Mask R-CNN was utilized as the detection and segmentation model. Extensive experiments were conducted for fine recognition of Martian cones with HiRISE. The results show that the proposed approach achieves high performance; it especially efficiently detects multiple types of cones while generating accurate segmentation to describe the geometry contour of cones. Finally, a Martian cone dataset with deep learning-based instance segmentation (DL-MCD) was built, containing 3861 cones for exploring geological processes on the surface of Mars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guhong injection (GHI) has been applied in the therapy of cardio-cerebrovascular disease in clinic, but there is no report about the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) research on GHI treating myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury in rats. In this study, eight compounds of GHI in plasma, including N-acetyl-L-glutamine (NAG), chlorogenic acid (CGA), hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), p-coumaric acid ( pCA), rutin, hyperoside, kaempferol-3-Orutinoside, and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, were quantified by LC-MS/MS. We discovered that the values of t1/2b, k12, V2, and CL2 were larger than those of t1/2a, k21, V1, and CL1 for all compounds. The levels of four biomarkers, creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), cardiac troponin I (cTn I), ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), and alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (a-HBDH) in plasma were determined by ELISA. The elevated level of these biomarkers induced by MI/R was declined to different degrees via administrating GHI and verapamil hydrochloride (positive control). The weighted regression coefficients of NAG, HSYA, CGA, and pCA in PLSR equations generated from The Unscrambler X software (version 11) were mostly minus, suggesting these four ingredients were positively correlated to the diminution of the level of four biomarkers. Emax and ED50, two parameters in PK/PD equations that were obtained by adopting Drug and Statistics software (version 3.2.6), were almost enlarged with the rise of GHI dosage. Obviously, all analytes were dominantly distributed and eliminated in the peripheral compartment with features of rapid distribution and slow elimination. With the enhancement of GHI dosage, the ingredients only filled in the central compartment if the peripheral compartment was replete. Meanwhile, high-dose of GHI generated the optimum intrinsic activity, but the af- finity of compounds with receptors was the worst, which may be caused by the saturation of receptors. Among the eight analytes, NAG, HSYA, CGA, and pCA exhibited superior cardioprotection, which probably served as the pharmacodynamic substance basis of GHI in treating MI/R injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) has drawn increasing public attention. Organic anion transporters (OATs) are considered to be responsible for mediating nephrotoxicity of aristolochic acids (AAs), as AAs are typical OAT1 substrates that exhibit anionic properties and contain one hydrophobic domain. Inspired by the OAT1 three-dimensional structure or substrate/protein interactions involved in transport, we designed a magnetic polymeric hybrid, mimicking the effect of basic and aromatic residues of OAT1, for efficient enriching aristolochic acid I (AA I) and aristolochic acid II (AA II) in Traditional Chinese patent medicines (TCPM). N, N-dimethylaminopropyl acrylamide (DMAPAm) was used as a cationic monomer and copolymerized with divinylbenzene (DVB) onto the surface of monodisperse magnetic nanoparticles (denoted as MNs@SiO2T-DvbDam). The magnetic polymer hybrid demonstrated high selectivity and capacity for AAs, which was mainly attributed to (1) electrostatic interactions from the cationic or basic moiety of DMAPAm and (2) the hydrophobic and p-p stacking interactions from the aromatic ring of DVB. Additionally, the surface of the hybrid exhibited amphiphilic property according to the ionization of DMAPAm, thus improving the compatibility of the adsorbent with the aqueous sample matrix. This strategy was proven to be robust in the analysis of real drug samples, which was characterized by a good linearity, high recovery and satisfactory reusability. This work confirmed that the proposed tool could be a promising candidate for enhancing the extraction selectivity of AAs in Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lesions with a high uptake of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) on positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) can be benign and malignant. New radiotracers, such as the gallium 68 (68Ga)–labeled fibroblast activation protein inhibitor 4 (FAPI-04), could be used to diagnose colorectal carcinoma. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET in differentiating benign from malignant 18F-FDG-avid colorectal lesions. An azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate (AOM/DSS)–induced rat colorectal tumor model was developed. Double-tracer 68Ga-FAPI-04 and 18F-FDG PET-CT were applied in the rat model and 22 patients. The PET-CT data were analyzed with enteroscopy, histopathologic observations, immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining, and radioautography results. One hundred seventy-two patients with pathologically confirmed colorectal lesions were enrolled in FAP IHC staining. We found that 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET-CT imaging accurately distinguished the malignant from benign inflammatory lesions in an AOM/DSS-induced rat colorectal tumor model. Of 22 patients with gastric cancer but without colorectal carcinoma, 8 had 18F-FDG uptake in the colorectum, but 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET was negative in these sites. An inflammatory lesion or adenoma did not interfere with 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET imaging. Among the 18F-FDG-avid colorectal lesions, 80 of 94 pathologically malignant lesions (85.1%) were FAP-positive, and only 16 of the 78 premalignant or benign lesions (20.5%) had a weak 68Ga-FAPI-04 uptake. 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET-CT could be used to distinguish between benign and malignant 18F-FDG-avid colorectal lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudoallergy is a typical and common adverse drug reaction to injections, especially in traditional Chinese medicine injections (TCMIs). At present, the evaluation methods for pseudoallergy include cell methods in vitro and animal methods in vivo. The mast cell evaluation method based on the β‐hexosaminidase (β‐Hex)‐catalyzed substrate, 4‐nitrophenyl‐β‐N‐acetyl‐D‐glucosaminide (4‐NPG), is an important method for the evaluation of drug‐induced pseudoallergy, but it is prone to false positive results and has insufficient sensitivity. In this study, a novel β‐Hex evaluation system with rat basophilic leukemia‐2H3 cells based on high‐performance liquid chromatography‐fluorescence detection (HPLC‐FLD) was established, which effectively increased the sensitivity and avoided false positive results. Cell viabilities were measured by 3‐(4,5‐dimethyl‐2‐thiazolyl)‐2,5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay. In addition, a method for the determination of histamine, which is another indicator in the development of pseudoallergy, was established to validate the above method. The results of this novel method indicated that two TCMIs (Shuxuening injection and Shenqi Fuzheng injection), which were considered to be pseudoallergenic using 4‐NPG, were not pseudoallergenic. Overall, the novel β‐Hex/HPLC‐FLD evaluation system using Rat basophilic leukemia‐2H3 cells established was effective and precise. It could be used for the evaluation of pseudoallergic reactions caused by TCMIs and other injections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of experimental evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) are closely associated with specific human diseases and play critical roles in their development and progression. Therefore, identifying miRNA related to specific diseases is of great significance for disease screening and treatment. In the early stages, the identification of associations between miRNAs and diseases demanded laborious and time-consuming biological experiments that often carried a substantial risk of failure. With the exponential growth in the number of potential miRNA-disease association combinations, traditional biological experimental methods face difficulties in processing massive amounts of data. Hence, developing more efficient computational methods to predict possible miRNA-disease associations and prioritize them is particularly necessary. In recent years, numerous deep learning-based computational methods have been developed and have demonstrated excellent performance. However, most of these methods rely on external databases or tools to compute various auxiliary information. Unfortunately, these external databases or tools often cover only a limited portion of miRNAs and diseases, resulting in many miRNAs and diseases being unable to match with these computational methods. Therefore, there are certain limitations associated with the practical application of these methods. To overcome the above limitations, this study proposes a multi-view computational model called MVNMDA, which predicts potential miRNA-disease associations by integrating features of miRNA and diseases from local views, global views, and semantic views. Specifically, MVNMDA utilizes known association information to construct node initial features. Then, multiple networks are constructed based on known association to extract low-dimensional feature embedding of all nodes. Finally, a cascaded attention classifier is proposed to fuse features from coarse to fine, suppressing noise within the features and making precise predictions. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, extensive experiments were conducted on the HMDD v2.0 and HMDD v3.2 datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that MVNMDA achieves better performance compared to other computational methods. Additionally, the case study results further demonstrate the reliable predictive performance of MVNMDA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Objectives Materials and methods Results Discussion and conclusions Infection and inflammation of the genital tract are major potentially treatable factors contributing to male infertility. The profile of small non‐coding RNA (sncRNAs) in spermatozoa can be altered by environmental exposures and inflammatory conditions.Experimental autoimmune epididymo‐orchitis (EAEO) is a well‐established model of autoimmune‐induced chronic testicular and epididymal inflammation. This model investigates the effect of chronic inflammation on sperm sncRNA profiles and offspring phenotypes.Regarding the EAEO model, mice were immunized with testis homogenates thrice. Subsequently, flow cytometry and histological analyses were conducted on EAEO mice. Next‐generation sequencing was used to profile small RNA of spermatozoa from the caput, corpus, and cauda epididymis. We performed a comprehensive integrative analysis of sperm sncRNAs and chronic epididymitis and identified their molecular signatures. The metabolic functions of the first‐generation (F1) offspring were evaluated using a glucose tolerance test (GTT).Body weight and metabolic function were significantly altered in F1 offspring from EAEO sperm donors. The analysis of cauda sperm sncRNA profiles revealed that the proportions of miRNAs and tsRNAs increased and decreased, respectively, after autoimmunization. Three differentially expressed miRNAs and seven differentially expressed tsRNAs were significantly correlated with F1 metabolic dysfunction. The expression patterns of miRNAs and tsRNAs in mice partially overlapped with those observed in the spermatozoa from human patients with chronic epididymitis.We revealed that autoimmune epididymo‐orchitis alters sncRNA profiles in mouse spermatozoa. Offspring from mice with autoimmune orchitis develop metabolic disorders. A comprehensive analysis of human and mouse inflammation data revealed an association between alterations in the miRNA and tsRNA profiles of epididymal spermatozoa and offspring phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The application of podocyte antigen M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R, GAg) and serum anti-PLA2R antibody (SAb) in predicting the prognosis of membrane nephropathy (MN) was controversial. Method: 328 biopsy-proven MN patients were divided into three phenotypes, 182 MN patients with GAg+/SAb+, 118 MN patients with GAg+/SAb-, and 28 MN patients with GAg-/SAb-. The baseline clinicopathological characteristics, therapy response, and prognosis were compared among the three groups. Cox regression analysis was performed to assess predictors of remission. Anti-PLA2R antibody was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve to find the optimal titer for MN diagnosis. Result: Lower eGFR (p = 0.009), higher UPCR (p < 0.001), and lower serum albumin (p < 0.001) were observed in GAg+/SAb+ MN patients, compared to GAg+/SAb-MN patients. More GAg+/SAb+ MN patients received cyclophosphamide (CTX) combined with glucocorticoids and calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) based therapy than the other two groups (p = 0.015 and p = 0.023, respectively). No significant difference was observed among the three groups in terms of complete remission, relapse, and developing ESRD. SAb+ status was an independent predictor for no remission (hazard ratio 1.378, 95% confidence interval 1.023 to 1.855; p = 0.035). The optimal cutoff value for anti-PLA2R antibody to predict MN was 2.055 RU/mL (sensibility 0.802, specificity 0.970). Conclusion: GAg+/SAb+ MN patients were related to more severe clinical manifestations and more requisition of immunosuppressive treatment. Positive anti-PLA2R antibody was an independent predictor for no remission. An anti-PLA2R antibody above 2.055 RU/mL can be a suggestive indicator of MN diagnosis in patients with proteinuria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report a light‐induced FeCl3‐catalyzed approach for benzyl C−H chlorination with remarkable regioselectivity, which enables alkylbenzenes to be converted into versatile benzyl chlorides under mild conditions using trifluoromethanesulfonyl chloride (TfCl) as the chlorine source. DFT calculations show that the dynamics preference of benzylic α−C−H chlorination is more pronounced by employing TfCl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An iridium complex based on the unsymmetrical pyrenyl‐thiophene‐benzothiazole ligand was synthesized, and the iridium complex was supported on reduced graphene oxide successfully. The developed iridium catalyst PTB‐Ir@rGO was characterized through SEM, TEM, XPS, EDS. Meanwhile, we found that this heterogeneous iridium catalyst had high catalytic activity in N‐alkylation of benzamide with alcohols via borrowing hydrogen strategy. Moreover, several control reactions and preliminary mechanism explorations were carried out to study this transformation. Finally, the recycling experiment showed that the catalyst could be reused at least five times without a significant decrease in catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiomics methods are increasingly used to identify benign and malignant lung nodules, and early monitoring is essential in prognosis and treatment strategy formulation. To evaluate the diagnostic performance of computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics for distinguishing between benign and malignant lung nodules by performing a meta-analysis. Between January 2000 and December 2021, we searched the PubMed and Embase electronic databases for studies in English. Studies were included if they demonstrated the sensitivity and specificity of CT-based radiomics for diagnosing benign and malignant lung nodules. The studies were evaluated using the QUADAS-2 and radiomics quality scores (RQS). The inhomogeneity of the data and publishing bias were also evaluated. Some subgroup analyses were performed to investigate the impact of diagnostic efficiency. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) Guidelines were followed for this meta-analysis. A total of 20 studies involving 3793 patients were included. The combined sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, and area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve based on CT radiomics diagnosis of benign and malignant lung nodules were 0.81, 0.86, 27.00, and 0.91, respectively. Deek's funnel plot asymmetry test confirmed no significant publication bias in all studies. Fagan nomograms showed a 40% increase in post-test probability among pretest-positive patients. Current evidence shows that CT-based radiomics has high accuracy in the diagnosis of benign and malignant lung nodules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ordovician-Silurian Wufeng and Longmaxi Shale in the Sichuan Basin were studied to understand the genesis and diagenetic evolution of carbonate minerals and their effects on reservoir quality. The results of geochemical and petrological analyses show that calcite grains have a negative Ce anomaly indicating they formed in the oxidizing environment of seawater. The high carbonate mineral contents in the margin of basin indicate that calcite grains and cores of dolomite grains appear largely to be of detrital origin. The rhombic rims of dolomite grains and dolomite concretions with the δ13C of –15.46‰ and the enrichment of middle rare earth elements were formed during the sulfate-driven anaerobic oxidation of methane. The calcite in radiolarian were related to the microbial sulfate reduction for the abundant anhedral pyrites and δ13C value of –11.34‰. Calcite veins precipitated in the deep burial stage with homogenization temperature of the inclusions ranging from 146.70 °C to 182.90 °C. The pores in shale are mainly organic matter pores with pore size mainly in the range of 1–20 nm in diameter. Carbonate minerals influence the development of pores through offering storage space for organic matter. When calcite contents ranging from 10% to 20%, calcite grains and cement as rigid framework can preserve primary pores. Subsequently, the thermal cracking of liquid petroleum in primary pores will form organic matter pores. The radiolarian were mostly partially filled with calcite, which combining with microcrystalline quartz preserved a high storage capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the time-dependent mechanical behavior of tough and viscoelastic hydrogels under complex external loading is crucial. In this study, we utilized tough and viscoelastic hydrogels synthesized through the copolymerization of methacrylic acid and methacrylamide as a model system to investigate their mechanical behavior under multiaxial stretching across a wide range of strain rates. Three stretching modes examined were uniaxial, pure shear, and equal biaxial stretching. Our findings show that under equal biaxial stretching, the hydrogels exhibit higher mechanical properties and energy dissipation compared to uniaxial and pure shear stretching, owing to the greater contribution of hydrogen bonds to energy dissipation in the former stretching mode. Additionally, employing the time-elongation separability method during the stretching process, we observed that the relaxation of dynamic hydrogen bonds in the hydrogels only depends on stretching time, independent of the elongation ratio and stretching modes. We anticipate that this study will yield valuable contributions to the design of durable load-bearing soft materials, particularly in dealing with complex deformation and strain rate responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to elucidate the role of anoikis in the progression of prostate cancer (PCa) and to develop a prognostic signature based on anoikis-related genes (ARGs). To achieve this, PCa cases were subjected to nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) analysis, which allowed for the identification of distinct patterns of anoikis modification. Additionally, immune infiltration was evaluated using single-sample gene-set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and a risk score was generated based on the expression levels of ARGs to quantitatively assess the modification of anoikis in PCa. Using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) method, four hub-genes were identified, and patients were classified into different risk groups based on their individual scores. Importantly, the low-risk subtype was characterized by a significantly improved biochemical recurrence-free survival, underscoring the clinical relevance of the ARG-based prognostic signature. To further improve the prognostic accuracy of the signature, patient age, pathological T stage, Gleason score, and prostate-specific antigen level were incorporated into the analysis, yielding a comprehensive prognostic signature. The clinical relevance of this signature was illustrated through a nomogram, providing a visual representation of the prognostic implications of the ARG-based signature. Taken together, these findings highlight the potential of ARGs in predicting the clinical outcomes of PCa patients and provide a novel and clinically relevant prognostic signature based on the modification of anoikis in PCa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid-state quantum emitters need accurate nanofabrication platforms with high process yields in order to be used in practical quantum information technologies. Self-assembled semiconductor quantum dots have shown to be among finest choices to fulfil the requirements of a variety of innovative quantum photonic devices due to their exceptional emission features. The aim of this research is to develop quantum electronic material nanofabrication in manufacturing industry based on spectroscopy techniques. Using optical quantum electronics, IR absorption spectroscopy, Raman scattering, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering for nanomaterial characterization, the proposed model for manufacturing industrial material nanofabrication is described here. Here, we demonstrate the nanofabrication of polymer nanostructures with better than 100 nm spatial resolution, chemical identification at nanometer scale, and nanometer-scale chemical imaging. When employing either band, particularly spectrally sharp band at 1000 cm−1, inverse ratio of these typical death periods is known as the "cell death enhancement factor." These findings significantly support the prospective future application of this approach to investigate the effectiveness, dynamics, and molecular processes of different manufacturing industry defect detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attribution of compound events informs preparedness for emerging hazards with disproportionate impacts. However, the task remains challenging because space-time interactions among extremes and uncertain dynamic changes are not satisfactorily addressed in the well-established attribution framework. For attributing the 2020 record-breaking spatially compounding flood-heat event in China, we conduct a storyline attribution analysis by designing simulation experiments via a weather forecast model, quantifying component-based attributable changes, and comparing with historical flow analogs. We quantify that given the large-scale circulation, anthropogenic influence to date has exacerbated the extreme Mei-yu rainfall in the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River during June-July 2020 by ~6.5% and warmed the co-occurring seasonal extreme heat in South China by ~1°C. Our projections show a further intensification of the compound event by the end of this century, with moderate emissions making the rainfall totals ~14% larger and the season ~2.1°C warmer in South China than the 2020 status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural activities and industrial emissions can lead to high bromide and iodide concentrations in surface water, and potentially pollute drinking water sources. During drinking water disinfection process, bromide and iodide can transform into brominated disinfection by-products (Br-DBPs) and iodinated disinfection by-products (I-DBPs), which are more toxic than chlorinated disinfection by-products (Cl-DBPs). Therefore, studying bromide and iodide removal from water is of great significance to the ecological environment, human health and resource recovery. In this work, we reviewed the techniques for bromide and iodide removal from water and unprecedently classified the techniques into four types: membrane techniques, adsorption techniques, electrochemical techniques and chemical oxidation techniques. It is worth mentioning that chemical oxidation is not covered in other reviews before. The halide removal performance, mechanism, applications, merit and demerit of each technique were discussed and compared. Finally, we proposed research priorities in the context of existing and future halide removal from water. Most of these methods have been studied in depth, but still have some problems and challenges. Electrolysis and chemical oxidation are mostly used in the field of bromine and iodine production, and less attention is paid to the remaining bromide and iodide in water. The research on electrolysis and chemical oxidation for halide removal is potential but lacking. It is hoped that this review will provide theoretical support and guidance for the development of new halide removal technologies and decision-making of environmental management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanadium oxide has become a promising electrode material for supercapacitors because of its multiple states, but the low electrical conductivity and poor cycling stability restrict its wide application in high-performance supercapacitors. This study reports the synthesis of a V2O5/biomass carbon nanocomposite using serine- and histidine-functionalized and boron-doped graphene quantum dots (S/H-GQD-B). NH4VO3 reacted with S/H-GQD-B to form a stable V-S/H-GQD-B complex, which was absorbed into cotton, vacuum-dried and annealed to produce V2O5-S/H-GQD-B/BC. The introduction of S/H-GQD-B and cotton to aid the construction of small V2O5 nanocrystals (25 ± 1.2 nm), oxygen vacancies and graphene electron traps. The integration of these structural engineering features significantly improved the inherent electronic conductivity, expanded the safe voltage window (1.7 V) and enhanced the discharge capacity. The specific capacitance of the V2O5-S/H-GQD-B/BC electrode reached 552.94 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and 291.48 F g−1 at 50 A g−1. The symmetrical supercapacitor exhibited high capacitance (435.53 F g−1 at 1 A g−1), high rate behavior (205.88 F g−1 at 50 A g−1), energy density (43.7 W h Kg−1 at 425 W Kg−1), and cycling stability (98.9% capacitance retention after 10 000 cycles at 10 A g−1). The study also paves an avenue for the synthesis of metal nanomaterials with outstanding electrochemical behavior for energy storage, catalysis and sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article was to reveal the spatio-temporal variation of summer precipitation in China and its response to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The results showed that the precipitation increased in 1900 s~1950 s, then decreased in 1960 s~1970 s, and increased in 1980 s~2010 s again. In space, it presented a "five-layered sandwich structure" featuring rising-falling-rising-falling-rising from northwest to southeast. The precipitation was generally less when ENSO occurred, but there were differences in intensities, regions, and so on. For example, When El Niño (all types) occurred, there was more precipitation in the western Continental Basin and the southern Huaihe River Basin, but less in the Yellow River Basin. When the extremely strong and medium La Niña occurred, the precipitation was more in the central and less in the north and the south. When the weak La Niña occurred, the precipitation increased in the northwest, decreased in the southeast, and vice versa for the extremely weak La Niña. Precipitation and Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) were negatively correlated in time, however, in space, there was a negative correlation in the north, and a positive correlation in the south, the dividing line was approximately at 29°N. In addition, the correlation between precipitation and ONI was proportional to the intensity of ENSO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]