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Objective Methods Results Conclusion Although the advantages of postoperative braces have been verified in many fields, it is not clear whether postoperative braces can help reduce patients' adverse psychological emotions such as kinesiophobia, anxiety, and depression. This study aims to analyze whether the use of a postoperative brace helps reduce adverse psychological emotions in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients undergoing spinal deformity surgeries.All consecutive patients who underwent spinal corrective surgeries at our institution between April 2023 and July 2023 formed the prospective cohort. Outcome measures were collected in the preoperative period, 3 months after surgery, and 6 months after surgery. All patients were assessed using the Tampa scale for kinesiophobia (TSK), the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), and the numerical rating scale (NRS). A statistical model of propensity score matching was used to eliminate potential selection bias and maintain comparability. Multivariate linear regression models were used to determine the relationship between postoperative brace and adverse psychological emotions.After propensity score matching, this study ultimately enrolled 150 patients. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of demographic and perioperative variables. The fully adjusted model showed that the TSK scores of the non‐brace group at the 3‐month (ꞵ = 2.50, 95% CI 0.80–4.20, p = 0.005) and 6‐month follow‐up (ꞵ = 2.75, 95% CI 0.75–4.74, p = 0.007) were significantly higher than those of the brace group. The HADS score of the non‐brace group at the 3‐month follow‐up was significantly higher than that of the brace group (ꞵ = 1.75, 95% CI 0.28–3.22, p = 0.019). The NRS score of the non‐brace group at the 3‐month follow‐up was significantly higher than that of the brace group (ꞵ = 0.69, 95% CI 0.05–1.33, p = 0.034). At the 6‐month follow‐up, there were no significant difference for HADS score or NRS score between the two groups.In the early postoperative period, the postoperative brace could provide AIS patients with psychological supports and help them reduce the frequency of adverse psychological emotions. The postoperative brace could continuously improve the fear of movement within 6 months after surgery, and help reduce anxiety, depression, and pain within 3 months after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgical site infections (SSI) are one of the common complications following spinal fusion surgery. Unfortunately, several studies had shown conflicting results regarding optimal timing of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP) administration. Due to limitations in population homogeneity and sample size, these studies have not provided significant statistical correlations or clear practical recommendations. The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of timing of cefuroxime SAP on the risk of SSI in patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery, and to determine the optimal timing of administration. Retrospective nested case-control study. We retrospectively analyzed consecutive patients who underwent spinal fusion surgery at our institution between October 2011 and October 2021. In the current study, the primary outcome measure was SSI. This was a retrospective nested case-control study. All consecutive patients who underwent spinal fusion surgery at our institution between October 2011 and October 2021 formed a retrospective cohort. For each SSI case, 2 controls free of SSI at the time of the index date of their corresponding case were selected, matched by age, sex, and calendar year. Electronic record and radiographic data were reviewed retrospectively in electronic database. SAP related data included timing of administration, preoperative dose, intraoperative second dose, and postoperative use. To examine the effects of mismatched variables, we further adjusted for possible confounding factors using conditional logistic regression models. Subsequently, subgroup analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of the statistical associations. According to the preplanned statistical scheme and matching factors, we matched 236 controls for these SSI cases, and the subsequent statistical analysis was performed on these 354 patients. After adjusting for confounding factors, the results indicated that the risk of SSI was 70% higher in the group receiving SAP 31 to 60 minutes before incision compared to the group receiving SAP 0 to 30 minutes before incision (OR=1.732, 95%CI 1.031–2.910, p=.038). Additionally, the risk of SSI was 150% higher in the group receiving SAP 61 to 120 minutes before incision compared to the group receiving SAP 0 to 30 minutes before incision (OR=2.532, 95%CI 1.250–5.128, p=.010). In subgroup analysis, this statistical trend persisted for both deformity surgeries and different SSI classifications. Administering cefuroxime SAP within 30 minutes before skin incision significantly reduces the risk of SSI, whether they are deep or superficial, in spinal fusion surgery. This pattern remains consistent among spinal deformity patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, by considering the existence of unavailable state, external disturbance, and denial of service (DoS) attacks, an anti‐disturbance trajectory tracking controller is proposed for the air‐ground system composed of unmanned autonomous helicopter (UAH) and unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). Initially, by combining the advantages of conventional event‐triggered scheme (ETS) and memory ETS, a switching‐like event‐triggered mechanism is put forward, which can induce less data transmissions without reducing control performance, and effectively restrain the DoS attacks. Second, by dividing the DoS attacks into active intervals and sleep ones, the concept of acknowledgement character technology (ACK) is presented to define the suitable types of time intervals. Third, a switching‐like dynamic ETS is introduced for the sleep intervals of DoS attacks while the ETS with fixed triggered‐threshold is exploited for the active intervals. Fourth, based on the occurrence of DoS attacks, a switching‐like observer and a normal one are respectively proposed to estimate the UGV state, the UAH state, the reference input of the UGV, and the disturbance of the UAH, which are further utilized to design the tracking controller. Fifth, an augmented closed‐loop system consisting of observation errors and tracking error is established and its stability is analyzed by using Lyapunov stability theory. Then, a sufficient condition on co‐designing the parameters of switching‐like ETS, observers, and tracking controller is presented in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMI). Finally, the validity and superiority of the proposed control scheme are verified by resorting to simulations and comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pardosa pseudoannulata is key predator in rice ecosystems; it plays a crucial role in rice pest biological control, effectively managing major rice pests such as rice planthopper. At present, there are few related studies on spiders' microRNA (miRNA). Consequently, we initiate a study on miR‐6826‐3p in P. pseudoannulata in response to high temperatures. First, we identified a total of 686 target genes of miR‐6826‐3p, 439 target genes had annotated results in the database, primarily involved in transcription and metabolism functions. Subsequently, quantitative real‐time PCR was employed to assess the relative expression levels of miR‐6826‐3p in P. pseudoannulata under different temperatures (31, 34, 37, 40°C) and various durations (1, 2, 4, 8, 12 h). The results revealed that compared to the control group (25°C), the relative expression level of miR‐6826‐3p in female spiders significantly increased under the same temperature and different duration stresses. The expression level of miR‐6826‐3p in male spiders showed an initial increase followed by a decrease trend, with relatively lower expression levels after 1 and 12 h at the same temperature conditions. Furthermore, under the same duration of stress, compared to the control group (25°C), the relative expression level of miR‐6826‐3p in female spiders significantly increased at different temperatures. These results demonstrate that P. pseudoannulata miR‐6826‐3p plays a significant role in response to high‐temperature stress. The research findings can provide a basis for future in‐depth studies on the miRNA functional of P. pseudoannulata, aiding in the elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms of P. pseudoannulata miRNAs in response to high‐temperature environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate), a crucial member of the large biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate family, suffers from its brittleness. To enhance its performance, we employed a straightforward approach involving the ring‐opening copolymerization of racemic‐β‐butyrolactone (rac‐β‐BL) and β‐propiolactone (β‐PL) using the syndio‐selective amino‐alkoxy‐bis(phenolate)‐yttrium complex as a catalyst, thanks to the excellent ductility of poly(3‐hydroxypropionate). Control over the rac‐β‐BL/β‐PL feeding ratios and polymerization time yielded random or block copolymers with tunable thermal and mechanical properties comparable to traditional fossil‐based plastics. Furthermore, we achieved one‐pot synthesis of hard‐soft‐hard triblock copolymers by exploiting monomers' different copolymerization rates and a bifunctional initiator, thus transforming polyhydroxyalkanoates from hard and tough plastics to soft and ductile thermoplastic elastomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Exploring highly efficient ultrasound-triggered catalysts is pivotal for various areas. Herein, we presented that Ba2+ doped brookite TiO 2 nanorod (TiO 2 : Ba) with polarization-induced charge separation is a candidate. The replacement of Ba2+ for Ti4+ not only induced significant lattice distortion to induce polarization but also created oxygen vacancy defects for facilitating the charge separation, leading to high-efficiency reactive oxygen species (ROS) evolution in the piezo-catalytic processes. Furthermore, the piezocatalytic ability to degrade dye wastewater demonstrates a rate constant of 0.172 min-1 and achieves a 100 % antibacterial rate at a low dose for eliminating E. coli. This study advances that doping can induce piezoelectricity and reveals that lattice distortion-induced polarization and vacancy defects engineering can improve ROS production, which might impact applications such as water disinfection and sonodynamic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutritional status is an essential factor in the occurrence of complications in patients with esophageal cancer. We sought to assess the relationship between malnutrition and complications using various nutritional assessment indicators. We conducted a comprehensive literature search of medical databases for articles published up to July 2023. The primary outcome indicator is the occurrence of complications, for which we combined 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and odds ratios (ORs) for postoperative complications and analyzed them using a random effects model. The analysis was carried out using STATA15.0 software. A total of 33 study groups from 22 publications with 5,675 subjects were included. Pooled results show that nutritional indicators are strongly correlated with the occurrence of postoperative complications (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.30–1.62). In the subgroup analyses, comprehensive indicators and the skeletal muscle index were significantly associated with complications, whereas laboratory indicators were not associated with complications (comprehensive indicators OR = 2.68, 95% CI: 1.80–4.00; skeletal muscle index OR = 2.93, 95% CI: 1.44–5.99; laboratory indicators OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.96–1.16). Patients with normal body mass index and hospitalized patients were more likely to develop complications. Malnutrition is strongly associated with the development of complications. Nutritional indicators and patient characteristics influenced this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the optimal timing and associated risks of pediatric spinal deformity surgery during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. All consecutive surgical cases for spinal deformity between September 2022 and May 2023 were included. The population was divided into several categories according to the time from diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection to the day of surgery. Postoperative complications were analyzed using logistic regression, and we simultaneously showed the results from the crude model, minimally adjusted model, and fully adjusted model. A total of 81 consecutive patients were enrolled. In the fully adjusted model, compared with pre-COVID-19 patients, peri-COVID-19 patients had a 4.5-fold increased risk of postoperative complications (odds ratio = 5.5, 95% confidence interval 1.1–27.2, P = 0.037), early post-COVID-19 patients had a 2.3-fold increased risk (odds ratio= 3.3, 95% confidence interval 0.7–16.1, P = 0.133), and late post-COVID-19 patients were at essentially equal risk. In asymptomatic population, early post-COVID-19 patients and late post-COVID-19 patients appeared to be at equal risk compared with pre-COVID-19 patients. For patients with persistent symptoms, is necessary to wait at least 8 weeks or even longer after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Interaction tests demonstrated that the effect of the timing of surgery on postoperative complications significantly differed in populations with different symptoms. Surgery for pediatric spinal deformity should be postponed until 8 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection in cases with COVID-19-related symptoms within 2 weeks prior to surgery; whereas, for those who are asymptomatic within 2 weeks prior to surgery, an interval of 4 weeks seemed to be sufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of C‐8 substituted indeno[1,2‐g]coumarin‐based photoremovable protecting groups (PPGs) were synthesized. para‐Substituted benzoic acids were employed as leaving groups to evaluate their photolytic efficiency. Substitution of phenyl groups was proved to have negative impacts on photochemical properties of the PPGs, including but not limited to: retarded photolysis course, decreased uncaging quantum yield, and unsatisfactory cargo release yield. Electron‐donating diethylamino substituted PPG 3 d, a structural analogue of the widely used 7‐diethylaminocoumarin PPG (DEACM), exhibited red‐shifted absorption maximum and improved optical properties. Photochemical characterization revealed that PPG 3 d not only showed comparable photolytic efficiency to DEACM at 365 nm and 405 nm, but also demonstrated superior sensitivity towards 465 nm wavelength, to which DEACM is unable to absorb and therefore, non‐responsive. The >450 nm photosensitivity makes 3 d a complement to DEACM for long wavelength excitation and a promising PPG for biological applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circadian clocks drive a large array of physiological and behavioral activities. At the molecular level, circadian clocks are composed of positive and negative elements that form core oscillators generating the basic circadian rhythms. Over the course of the circadian period, circadian negative proteins undergo progressive hyperphosphorylation and eventually degrade, and their stability is finely controlled by complex post-translational pathways, including protein modifications, genetic codon preference, protein–protein interactions, chaperon-dependent conformation maintenance, degradation, etc. The effects of phosphorylation on the stability of circadian clock proteins are crucial for precisely determining protein function and turnover, and it has been proposed that the phosphorylation of core circadian clock proteins is tightly correlated with the circadian period. Nonetheless, recent studies have challenged this view. In this review, we summarize the research progress regarding the function, regulation, and mechanism of protein stability in the circadian clock systems of multiple model organisms, with an emphasis on Neurospora crassa, in which circadian mechanisms have been extensively investigated. Elucidation of the highly complex and dynamic regulation of protein stability in circadian clock networks would greatly benefit the integrated understanding of the function, regulation, and mechanism of protein stability in a wide spectrum of other biological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) are characterized by hyperinflammation. Calprotectin (S100A8/S100A9) is a calcium‐ and zinc‐binding protein mainly secreted by neutrophilic granulocytes or macrophages and has been suggested to be correlated with the severity and prognosis of COVID‐19. Aim: To thoroughly evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic utility of calprotectin in patients with COVID‐19 by analyzing relevant studies. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were comprehensively searched from inception to August 1, 2023 to retrieve studies about the application of calprotectin in COVID‐19. Useful data such as the level of calprotectin in different groups and the diagnostic efficacy of this biomarker for severe COVID‐19 were extracted and aggregated by using Stata 16.0 software. Results: Fifteen studies were brought into this meta‐analysis. First, the pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs) were used to estimate the differences in the levels of circulating calprotectin between patients with severe and non‐severe COVID‐19. The results showed an overall estimate of 1.84 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09–2.60). Diagnostic information was extracted from 11 studies, and the pooled sensitivity and specificity of calprotectin for diagnosing severe COVID‐19 were 0.75 (95% CI: 0.64–0.84) and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.79–0.94), respectively. The AUC was 0.89 and the pooled DOR was 18.44 (95% CI: 9.07–37.51). Furthermore, there was a strong correlation between elevated levels of circulating calprotectin and a higher risk of mortality outcomes in COVID‐19 patients (odds ratio: 8.60, 95% CI: 2.17–34.12; p < 0.1). Conclusion: This meta‐analysis showed that calprotectin was elevated in patients with severe COVID‐19, and this atypical inflammatory cytokine might serve as a useful biomarker to distinguish the severity of COVID‐19 and predict the prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the current optical information hiding methods are designed for protecting grayscale or color images. However, as an important information communication medium, the security of voice has also received a lot of attention in several application areas. In this paper, we propose an optical voice hiding scheme based on chaotic fingerprint phase masks (CFPMs) and three-step phase-shifting digital holography (PSDH). In this proposed scheme, the CFPMs are generated from the fingerprint using the secure hash algorithm (SHA-256) and chaotic Henon map. And to hide the voice into a host image, the voice signal is first converted into a two-dimensional (2D) matrix form (i.e., the "voice map"). Then, the "voice map" is encoded into three noise-like holograms using two CFPMs located in Fresnel transform (FrT) domain and three-step PSDH. Finally, the three noise-like holograms are hidden into a color host image using a fusion method based on discrete wavelet transform (DWT), thus achieving the hiding of the voice signal. The security of this optical voice hiding scheme can be greatly improved because the fingerprint key shared by the sender and authorized receiver is closely linked to the user and does not need to be transmitted over the open network. In addition, the parameters of chaotic Henon map and Fresnel diffraction distances can also provide additional security to the proposed scheme. We have verified the feasibility, security and robustness of the proposed scheme through extensive experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Na 0.5 Bi 0.5 TiO 3 -based relaxor ferroelectric ceramics have attracted widespread attention due to their potential applications in energy storage capacitors for pulse power system. We herein propose a synergistic strategy of introduction of 6s2 lone pair electrons, breaking the long-range ferroelectric order, and band structure engineering for high performance energy storage by introducing Bi(Mg 0.5 Sn 0.5)O 3 (BMS) with weak ferroelectric active cations into 0.7Na 0.5 Bi 0.5 TiO 3 -0.3SrTiO 3 (BNT-ST) to form BNT-ST-BMS ceramics. The doped ceramics display the excellent dielectric stability versus temperature and frequency. The suitable BMS doping can increase the band gap of the BNT-ST ceramic and effectively avoids early dielectric breakdown and polarization saturation. The BNT-ST-BMS ceramic in the composition of x = 0.08 exhibits an outstanding recoverable energy storage density (W rec) of 5.99 J/cm3, together with a good efficiency (ƞ) of 76% as well as an excellent dielectric stability versus temperature (Δε r /ε r(150°C) ≤ ±15%) and frequency. The findings in this work demonstrate that the BNT-ST-BMS ceramics have exceptional potential as candidate materials for pulse power and high voltage capacitors applications, and provide a path for the development of the other lead-free energy storage materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Na 0.5 Bi 0.5 TiO 3 -based relaxor ferroelectric ceramics have attracted widespread attention due to their potential applications in energy storage capacitors for pulse power system. We herein propose a synergistic strategy of introduction of 6s2 lone pair electrons, breaking the long-range ferroelectric order, and band structure engineering for high performance energy storage by introducing Bi(Mg 0.5 Sn 0.5)O 3 (BMS) with weak ferroelectric active cations into 0.7Na 0.5 Bi 0.5 TiO 3 -0.3SrTiO 3 (BNT-ST) to form BNT-ST-BMS ceramics. The doped ceramics display the excellent dielectric stability versus temperature and frequency. The suitable BMS doping can increase the band gap of the BNT-ST ceramic and effectively avoids early dielectric breakdown and polarization saturation. The BNT-ST-BMS ceramic in the composition of x = 0.08 exhibits an outstanding recoverable energy storage density (W rec) of 5.99 J/cm3, together with a good efficiency (ƞ) of 76% as well as an excellent dielectric stability versus temperature (Δε r /ε r(150°C) ≤ ±15%) and frequency. The findings in this work demonstrate that the BNT-ST-BMS ceramics have exceptional potential as candidate materials for pulse power and high voltage capacitors applications, and provide a path for the development of the other lead-free energy storage materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are conserved noncoding small RNAs that play essential regulatory roles in gene function by regulating target genes. Pardosa pseudoannulata is an important natural predatory enemy of insect pests and plays a significant role in controlling pests in rice fields, with temperature having a significant impact on their growth and development. To understand the response of miRNAs to temperature stress in P. pseudoannulata, we performed miRNA identification analyses of adult spiders exposed to 10°C and 40°C for 12 h, as low‐temperature and high‐temperature treatment groups, respectively. We obtained 54.74 M clean reads from 69.84 M raw reads after filtering out low‐quality reads, and 78 miRNAs including 13 novel miRNAs were identified from three small RNA libraries (10°C, 25°C and 40°C). At the low temperature and the high temperature, eight (one upregulated and seven downregulated) and ten (nine upregulated and one downregulated) differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, respectively. These differentially expressed miRNAs negatively regulated 43 and 12 target mRNA (the unigenes in our previous transcriptome sequence data) in response to low‐ and high‐temperature stress, respectively. These target genes are mainly involved in translation, ribosome structure and biotransformation, as well as the generation and conversion of energy. This study represents the first report of miRNA identification related to the Araneae spider species in response to temperature stress. These results will greatly facilitate our understanding of the physiological and biochemical mechanisms of spiders in response to temperature stress, which might be beneficial for the conservation and utilization of this species as an important natural insect enemy of pests in rice ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe chain graph model admits both undirected and directed edges in one graph, where symmetric conditional dependencies are encoded via undirected edges and asymmetric causal relations are encoded via directed edges. Though frequently encountered in practice, the chain graph model has been largely under investigated in the literature, possibly due to the lack of identifiability conditions between undirected and directed edges. In this article, we first establish a set of novel identifiability conditions for the Gaussian chain graph model, exploiting a low rank plus sparse decomposition of the precision matrix. Further, an efficient learning algorithm is built upon the identifiability conditions to fully recover the chain graph structure. Theoretical analysis on the proposed method is conducted, assuring its asymptotic consistency in recovering the exact chain graph structure. The advantage of the proposed method is also supported by numerical experiments on both simulated examples and a real application on the Standard & Poor 500 index data. Supplementary materials for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surveillance is an intricate challenge worldwide especially in those complicated environments such as nuclear plants, banks, crowded areas, barns, etc. Deploying self‐powered wireless sensor nodes can increase the system's event detection capabilities by collecting environmental changes, while the incompatibility among components (energy harvesters, sensors, and wireless modules) limits their application. Here, a broadly compatible self‐powered visualized platform (SPVP) is reported to construct a passive internet of events (IoE) network for surveillance systems. By encoding electric signals into reference and working LEDs, SPVP can visualize resistance change generated by commercial resistive sensors with a broad working range (<107 Ω) and the transmission distance is up to 30 meters. Visible light signals are captured by surveillance cameras and processed by the cloud to achieve real‐time event monitoring and identification, which forms the passive IoE network. It is demonstrated that the passive‐IoE‐based surveillance system can detect intrusion, theft, fire alarm, and distress signals quickly (30 ms) for 106 cycles. Moreover, the confidential information can be encrypted by SPVPs and accessed through a phone application. This universal scheme may have huge potential for the construction of safe and smart cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization is a crucial type in the degradation of coastal land, but its spatial distribution and drivers have not been sufficiently explored especially at the depth scale owing to its multidimensional nature. In this study, we proposed a multi-depth soil salinity prediction model (0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, 20–40 cm, and 40–60 cm) fully using the advantages of satellite image data and field sampling to rapidly estimate the multi-depth soil salinity in the Yellow River Delta, China. Firstly, a multi-depth soil salinity predictive factor system was developed through correlation analysis of soil sample electrical conductivity with a series of remote-sensing parameters containing heat, moisture, salinity, vegetation indices, spectral value, and spatial location. Then, three machine learning methods including back propagation neural network (BPNN), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF) were adopted to construct a coastal soil salinity inversion model. By using the best inversion model, we obtain the spatial distribution of soil salinity in the Yellow River Delta. The results show the following: (1) Environmental variables in this study are all effective variables for soil salinity prediction. The most sensitive indicators to multi-depth soil salinity are GDVI, ENDVI, SI-T, NDWI, and LST. (2) The RF model was chosen as the optimal approach for predicting and mapping soil salinity based on performance at four soil depths. (3) The soil salinity profiles exhibited intricate coexistence of two distinct types: surface aggregated and homogeneous. The former was dominant in the east, where salinity was higher. The central and southwestern parts were mostly homogeneous, with lower soil salinity. (4) The soil salinity throughout the four depths examined was found to be most elevated in saltern and bare land and lowest in wetland vegetation and farmland, according to land-cover type. This study proposed a remote sensing prediction method for salinization in multiple soil layers in the coastal plain, which could provide decision support for spatial monitoring of land salinization and achieving land degradation neutrality targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the number of invested resources adopted in experiments of embedded applications dropped significantly as many simulation technologies are widely used. However, the efficiency of simulations is seriously influenced by some expensive and difficult-to-obtain devices. It is urgent and of great significance to build a universal simulation platform for embedded applications on general-purpose operating systems with an objective of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of system development and implementation. Since virtualization technology can greatly enhance the simulation efficiency by providing virtual models to simulate the behaviors of real devices, this paper designs and realizes a real-time simulation platform on general-purpose operating systems with the virtualization technology such that embedded applications would be correctly and efficiently debugged and tested on the general-purpose operating systems. The proposed simulation platform contains four layers named hardware resource, virtualization, virtual runtime environment, and interface adaptation, allowing dynamic debugging and testing of embedded applications without requiring the actual presence of real devices. Experiments are conducted to verify the functionalities of the proposed simulation platform, and results demonstrate that the proposed simulation platform can meet the real-time and high reliability requirements of embedded applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of using Ponte osteotomy combined with posterior lumbar interbody fusion in the treatment of patients with degenerative scoliosis. Method: The medical records and imaging data of degenerative scoliosis patients in our department from 2013 to 2022 were retrospectively collected. A total of 47 patients were included, including 16 male patients and 31 female patients. The mean follow-up was 47.8 months. Whole spine X-rays in the standing position were performed on all patients preoperatively, postoperatively, and at the latest follow-up. The length of hospital stay, complications, operative duration, estimated blood loss, instrumented segment, fused segment, clinical scores, and various radiological indicators were recorded. Results: The coronal vertical axis improved from 3.1 ± 1.9 cm preoperatively to 1.2 ± 1.0 cm postoperatively with an average reduction of 1.9 ± 1.7 cm. The preoperative coronal Cobb angle was 18.1 ± 10.6°, the immediate postoperative Cobb angle was 6.6 ± 3.9°, and the Cobb angle at the last follow-up was 5.8 ± 3.7°. The sagittal vertical axis decreased from 5.6 ± 3.7 cm preoperatively to 2.7 ± 1.9 cm immediately after the operation and was well maintained at the last follow-up (3.1 ± 2.5 cm). Lumbar lordosis increased from 22.2 ± 10.2° preoperatively to 40.4 ± 8.3° postoperatively and 36.0 ± 8.8° at the last follow-up. The ODI score, VAS low back pain score, and VAS leg pain score were also improved to varying degrees. Conclusion: Ponte osteotomy combined with posterior lumbar interbody fusion can significantly improve coronal and sagittal plane deformities and postoperative functional scores in patients with adult degenerative scoliosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the learning curve of total operative time, bone cutting accuracy, and limb alignment in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using a Chinese image-based knee surgery robot known as HURWA. Additionally, a comparison was conducted with conventional TKA to ascertain the benefits of robotic-assisted TKA. Methods: In this retrospective study, we analyzed a series of patients (n = 90) who underwent robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty using the HURWA robot between December 2021 and October 2022. The procedures were performed by one of three orthopedic surgeons with varying levels of experience. As a control group, we selected the last 30 conventional TKA cases performed by each of these three surgeons. To determine the learning curve, we recorded the operative time, bone cutting error, and pre- and post-surgery radiographs. Results: The study found no significant differences in total operative time, bone cutting accuracy, or limb alignment among the three surgeons. Of the three surgeons, surgeon 1, who had the most experience in joint arthroplasty, reached the learning curve in case 8, with the shortest bone cutting time and robot time. Surgeon 2 reached the learning curve in case 16, while surgeon 3 reached the learning curve in case 9. There was no observable learning curve effect for bone cutting accuracy and limb alignment. However, the percentage of cases where limb alignment differed from preoperative planning by 3° or less was higher in robotic-assisted TKA (77.97%) than in conventional TKA (47.19%). Conclusion: The study determined that the learning curve for robotic-assisted TKA using the HURWA knee surgery robot ranged from 8 to 20 cases. No observable learning curve effect was detected for bone cutting accuracy or limb alignment. Experienced surgeons using the HURWA robot for bone cutting took less time and reached the learning curve earlier. The HURWA robot achieved better limb alignment without depending on the experience of conventional TKA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: DNA damage response (DDR) pathways are essential to sustain genomic stability and play a critical role in cancer development and progression. Here, we investigated the profile of DDR gene mutations in early‐stage non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and their prognostic values. Methods: We first examined 74 DDR genes involved in seven DDR pathways and then focused on six specific genes: ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, CHEK1, BARD1, and BRIP1. A total of 179 stage I and IIIa NSCLC patients who received curative resection in Peking Union Medical College Hospital and their corresponding samples were collected for DNA sequencing, immunohistochemistry and survival analysis. Results: A total of 167 eligible patients were finally analyzed. Mutation frequencies were 82% and 26.3% for the selected 74 genes and six genes, respectively. Mismatch repair (MMR) and nucleotide excision repair (NER) alterations were observed more frequently in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and smokers were more likely to develop the selected six DDR gene mutations than those who never smoked. Deleterious mutations in the six genes were independent prognostic indicators of significantly longer disease‐free survival and overall survival. No association was found between DDR gene status and PD‐L1 expression, CD8 positive lymphocyte and tumor‐associated macrophage infiltration in tumor area. However, numbers of mutations were significantly increased among patients with DDR alterations. Conclusions: Deleterious mutations of these six genes were common in resected NSCLC and could serve as prognostic biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Primary liver cancer (PLC) is a common cancer of the digestive system. Patients with PLC often experience a heavy symptom burden and along with a significant levels of anxiety and depression after liver resection. High levels of symptom burden can lead to increased anxiety and depression, whereas high levels of resilience can alleviate these conditions. Therefore, we aimed to explore the relationships among symptom burden, resilience, and anxiety/depression in Chinese patients with PLC after liver resection and to determine whether resilience mediates the relationship between symptom burden and anxiety/depression.Patients and Methods: A total of 223 postoperative PLC patients were recruited from two public hospitals in Anhui Province, China. All participants completed the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). The mediating effect of resilience was estimated using the bootstrap method via IBM SPSS AMOS 26.0.Results: The mean HADS score was 12.37 ±  6.03 points in postoperative PLC patients. Among these patients, 78 (34.98%) had anxiety, and 64 (28.70%) had depression, as indicated by a subscale score ≥  8. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that anxiety/depression was positively associated with symptom burden (p <  0.05) and negatively associated with resilience (p <  0.05). Furthermore, resilience partially mediated the relationship between symptom burden and anxiety/depression (β =  0.04; 95% confidence interval: 0.01– 0.08).Conclusion: The levels of anxiety and depression in postoperative PLC patients should be decreased. Resilience partially mediated the relationship between symptom burden and anxiety/depression, but the indirect effect was much weaker than the direct effect of symptom burden on anxiety/depression. Consequently, rather than focusing primarily on resilience interventions, joint symptom-psychological interventions focusing on symptoms should be considered for patients with PLC after hepatectomy to reduce the levels of anxiety/depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is one of the most common skin malignancies. Patients with metastatic cSCC (mcSCC) tended to have unfavorable prognosis. However, there is no available models to evaluate the survival outcomes for these patients. This study retrospectively collected mcSCC cases identified from The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 2000 to 2018. All patients were randomly divided into the training and validation cohorts. The independent factors which predicted the cancer-specific survival (CSS) were identified by Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, and were used to build nomogram. he discrimination ability of nomograms was evaluated using the concordance index (C-index). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the corresponding area under the curve (AUC) at 1, 3, and 5 years were calculated to estimate the predictive accuracy. The performance of this nomogram was evaluated by the calibration curves. The decision curve analyses (DCAs) were conducted to assess the clinical usefulness of the models. Based on the novel nomograms, all patients were classified into low- and high-risk groups. Kaplan–Meier curves were plotted to compare the survival outcomes of two groups. All analyses were conducted by R software (Version 4.1.3). A total of 916 patients were included. Age, marital status, location of the primary sites, number of metastases, T stage, N stage, surgical resection of the primary sites, radiotherapy of the primary sites, and chemotherapy were significantly associated with CSS. A nomogram predicting CSS was built based on these parameters. C-index and ROC curves of nomogram showed promising discriminating and predicting ability for CSS. Survival analysis showed that patients in the low-risk group had significant superior CSS time than those in the high-risk group (median CSS time: 15.0 vs. 5.0 months, p < 0.001). In conclusion, we developed and validated a novel nomogram predicting the CSS in metastatic cSCC patients. This nomogram could be used to assess the prognosis of metastatic cSCC patients, and help clinicians evaluating optimal treatment options for individual patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The translation of in vitro potency of a candidate drug, as determined by traditional pharmacology metrics (such as EC50/IC50 and KD/Ki values), to in vivo efficacy and safety is challenging. Residence time, which represents the duration of drug‐target interaction, can be part of a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamic nature of drug‐target interactions in vivo, thereby enabling better prediction of drug efficacy and safety. As a consequence, a prolonged residence time may help in achieving sustained pharmacological activity, while transient interactions with shorter residence times may be favourable for targets associated with side effects. Therefore, integration of residence time into the early stages of drug discovery and development has yielded a number of clinical candidates with promising in vivo efficacy and safety profiles. Insights from residence time research thus contribute to the translation of in vitro potency to in vivo efficacy and safety. Further research and advances in measuring and optimizing residence time will bring a much‐needed addition to the drug discovery process and the development of safer and more effective drugs. In this review, we summarize recent research progress on residence time, highlighting its importance from a translational perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exemplar-guided Paraphrase Generation aims to use an exemplar sentence to guide the generation of a paraphrase that retains the semantic content of the source sentence, along with the syntax of the exemplar. Some methods use syntax structure extracted from exemplars to guide generation, but the preprocesses may cause information loss. The other methods directly use the natural exemplar sentences (NES) as syntactic guidance, which avoids the loss of information but fails to capture and integrate the exemplar's syntax and source sentence's semantics effectively. In this paper, we propose a Highlighted Contrastive learning framework for exemplar-guided Paraphrase Generation (HCPG), which solves the shortcomings of using NES as syntactic guidance. The "highlight" refers to a continuous process of supplementing and refining, which effectively captures both the semantic and syntactic information of the sentences. HCPG also includes a contrastive loss layer to help the decoder fully integrate the highlighted semantic and syntactic information to generate final paraphrases. Experiments on ParaNMT and QQP-Pos show that HCPG is comparable to several state-of-the-art models, including SAGP and GCPG, and achieves an average 3.19% improvement compared with CLPG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Holmes Rolston, III examined the significance of Asian thought for Western evaluations of nature and questioned if Asian Romanticism can inform the realistic decision making required for practice. However, Rolston's general evaluation of Asian thought ignored Confucianism. This study launches a dialogue between Rolston and contemporary Confucianism on environmental philosophy and highlights the following points in response to Rolston: First, Confucianism is grounded on an "anthropocosmic" worldview and bases its environmental ethics on its affirmation of the "virtue of life and growth" and the related vision of "unity of heaven and human beings"; it is thus an objective environmental virtue ethics with the characteristics of sacred humanism that avoids anthropocentrism. Second, Confucian ethics is built on the premise of "one principle with various manifestations" and advocates for practicing benevolence through "love with gradations", which avoids an excessively idealistic ecocentrism. Furthermore, Confucianism may adopt Rolston's recommendation for Asian thought concerning the incorporation of evolutionary biology into Asian traditions to facilitate their own transformation and thus contribute to environmental philosophy. Upon an exploration of the compatibility and possible reciprocal illumination between Confucianism and Rolston, this paper points out the implications of the above dialogue for theology in the planetary climate crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid growth of highly integrated electrical devices, the urgent demand for polymer composites with high thermal conductivity (TC) is increasing for effective thermal management. In this work, boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) were chemically grafted with aluminum oxide (Al2O3) to develop hetero‐structured filler (BNNSs@Al2O3). The BNNSs@Al2O3 fillers were uniformly dispersed in the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) by solvent mixing, verified by SEM, and the oriented BNNSs@Al2O3/PVA composites were produced by the doctor blade method. The results exhibited that the synergistic effect of BNNSs and Al2O3 was achieved, and the thermal conductivities of BNNSs@Al2O3/PVA composites were improved. When keeping the filler content at 30 wt%, the in‐plane and out‐of‐plane TC of BNNSs@Al2O3/PVA composite reached 5.641 and 0.651 W/(m·K), respectively. The BNNSs@Al2O3 filler may improve the performance of composite heat dissipation by reducing the interfacial resistance between fillers and making it easier to establish directed heat‐transfer pathways. This composite demonstrates promising application in the field of electronic packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of the 5G era, various thermal conductivity nanocomposites are being investigated to solve the heat accumulation on the surface of electronic devices. In this study, magnetic nanofiller ferroferric oxide-polydopamine-boron nitride nanosheets (Fe-PDA-BNNSs) are fabricated by mussel-inspired and coprecipitation methods with polydopamine (PDA) and ferroferric oxide (Fe3O4). The aligned Fe-PDA-BNNSs/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composites with higher in-plane thermal conductivity and decent mechanical properties are prepared by applying a horizontal magnetic field. The in-plane thermal conductivity of the aligned composite at 30 wt% filler loading reaches 5.237 W/(m·K), which is 1.1 times and 20.5 times that of the unaligned composites and neat PVA. Moreover, the aligned composite maintains mechanical strength and obtains commendable thermal stability and heat dissipation capability, which can be applied to the thermal management of flexible electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Focus on the information loss problem in tracking technologies for surgical navigation systems. • Survey the existing solutions to information loss in tracking surgical instruments. • Information fusion technology to improve accuracy, precision, and stability. • Future research trends on information fusion during surgical navigation. Surgical navigation technology provides minimally invasive surgery (MIS) with the relative pose relationships amongst medical images, surgical instruments, and lesions. On the other hand, traditional operation procedures depend heavily on direct surgical field exposure. Consequently, introducing surgical navigation can enable surgeons to operate more accurately and efficiently. A tracking system is a core enabling technology of a surgical navigation system. In this paper, after reviewing the tracking technologies, we compare and analyze their pros and cons, and find that information loss is a common challenge. The information loss problem is an inherent drawback in mono-modality surgical navigation systems. It is characterized by physical constraints, attenuation, breakdown of signal, and accuracy instability of the tracking algorithms. This review focuses on the information loss problem in tracking technologies for surgical navigation systems. Furthermore, we survey the existing solutions that aim at tackling the information loss problem, especially in the information fusion of surgical tracking technologies, and we also summarize their key improvements and limitations. Particular attention has been given to the modalities, approaches, objectives, and surgical application scenarios, which can improve the accuracy, precision, and stability of surgical navigation systems. Finally, future research trends directed at improving the information loss problem are discussed, i.e., tight integration of sensing technology, augmented reality for visualization in surgical tracking, stable high-speed 5G networks for telesurgery, strong intelligence and affordable service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various deep learning‐based video frame interpolation methods have been proposed in the past few years, but how to generate high quality interpolated frames in videos with large motions, complex backgrounds and rich textures is still a challenging issue. To deal with this limitation, a frame interpolation method based on residual blocks and feature pyramids is proposed. U‐Net is the main architecture of our method, which can capture multi‐layer information, segment objects from the background and obtain parameters with motion information to guide frame interpolation. However, the upsampling and subsampled of U‐Net will lose important information. In order to acquire more detailed contextual information, shortcut connection is used in the encoder basic module. At the same time, feature pyramid network is employed to capture features at different scales of the decoder to improve the representation of inter‐frame spatial‐temporal features. The experimental results show that the proposed method outperform the baseline methods in both of objective and subjective evaluations on different datasets. In particular, the method has obvious advantages on datasets which contain complex background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rock assemblies, such as ballasts and cobbles, are typically composed of granular particles of various sizes and shapes that significantly affect their mechanical behavior. Currently, it remains challenging to generate realistic and identical three-dimensional (3D) models for rock particles with a limited number of their individual two-dimensional (2D) projections. This study proposes a novel and effective deep-learning-enhanced approach to achieve the realistic reconstruction of 3D particle models, which includes the following sequential steps: (1) automatically detecting 2D projected images of each 3D particle individually during dynamic scanning of a rock particle assembly; (2) predicting 3D particle size indexes based on 2D images for each particle; (3) generating a corresponding 3D skeleton network from 2D outlines; and (4) reconstructing the particle surface of individual particle by spatial interpolations. Sensitivity analysis and verification are finally performed on both randomized superball particles and real cobbles/ballasts. The results demonstrated that the proposed approach is robust and efficient in reconstructing 3D rock particle models and offers a rapid and low-cost practical solution for convincible numerical studies of granular materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Asian Cancer Research Group (ACRG) classification is a molecular classification established based on the tissues of gastric cancer (GC) patients in Asia. Patients with different ACRG subtypes differ significantly with regard to treatment response and prognosis, which indicates that the ACRG molecular classification is more valuable than the traditional pathological classification. However, the specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the value of the ACRG molecular subtypes of GC have not been studied in depth. Methods: Through the analysis of the GEO database, the DEGs in GC tissues of different ACRG molecular subtypes were investigated. The expression and mechanism of the screened angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AGTR1) gene were bioinformatically analyzed and experimentally verified. The role of AGTR1 in GC cells was mainly investigated using CCK-8, wound-healing, transwell invasion assays, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting. Results: The bioinformatics results showed the presence of multiple DEGs in GC tissues with different ACRG molecular subtypes. Certain DEGs in GC tissues of different ACRG molecular subtypes have prognostic significance. AGTR1 levels in tumor tissues were significantly higher than in paired paracancerous tissues. The prognosis of GC patients with high expression of AGTR1 was poor (p < 0.05). The AGTR1 gene in GC samples was associated with the expression of immune pathways and immune checkpoint genes. After modifying AGTR1 expression in cell lines, cells' proliferation, invasion, and migration abilities and the expression of related genes changed. Conclusions: There were significant DEGs in GC tissues with different ACGR molecular types, among which the increased expression of AGTR1 was a molecular feature of MSS/EMT type gastric cancer. Further study found that AGTR1 was closely related to tumor immune infiltration and invasion and may be a new therapeutic target gene for gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a design of solar thermal propulsion (STP) system for microsatellite with liquid ammonia as propellant. The system was equipped with two concentrators, which were respectively placed in the tank and thrust chamber for propellant supply and heating. A platelet heat exchanger was adopted to heat the propellant in the chamber, and the fluid–solid coupling effect between the wall and the gas was considered. Meanwhile, the effects of satellite mass, initial orbit, nozzle size and target temperature on the performance of STP system were analyzed. The results show that for microsatellites with a total mass of 100 kg, the STP system can fully heat the propellant to more than 2050 K, generate an intermittent thrust of about 26 N, and enable the satellite to obtain a velocity increment of more than 1470 m/s within 19 days, consuming only 42 kg of propellant, which can directly meet the transfer mission from the geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) to the geostationary orbit (GEO). The maximum velocity increment could reach more than 1950 m/s when the propellant was completely consumed; Changing the mass and initial orbit of the satellite will not affect the thrust and specific impulse. Satellites with smaller mass will spend less time and propellant during orbit transfer. The lower is the perigee height of the initial orbit, the greater is the propellant consumption, while the shorter is the time of orbit transfer; The reduction of nozzle throat size and target temperature will lead to the increase of specific impulse and the decrease of orbital transfer time, but the reduction of thrust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To evaluate the immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPI) for the treatment of patients with advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). Materials and methods: A meta‐analysis was conducted, and the efficacy and safety of CPI were assessed. Results: A total of 13 studies with 980 patients were included. The pooled objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate were 47.2% and 64.4%, separately. In addition, patients with primary tumor located in head and neck (odds ratio [OR]: 0.374, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.219–0.640, p < 0.001) and positive expression of programmed death ligand 1 (OR: 0.364, 95% CI: 0.158–0.842, P = 0.018) had superior ORR during CPI treatment. The incidence of progression free survival at 6 and 12 months was 59.3% and 52.8%, and 80.6% and 76.4% for overall survival. As for safety, the overall incidence of adverse events with all grades and 3–4 grade was 76.9% and 20.2%. Conclusions: Our systematic review confirmed the satisfying efficacy and acceptable toxicity of CPI for advanced CSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer progression is associated with the evolutionary accumulation of genetic mutations that are biologically significant. Mutations of the androgen receptor (AR) are associated with the development of prostate cancer (PCa) by responding to non-androgenic hormones, and the lack of annotations in their responsiveness to hormone ligands remains a daunting challenge. Here, we have used a yeast reporter system to quickly evaluate the responsiveness of all fifty clinical AR mutations to a variety of steroidal ligands including dihydrotestosterone (DHT), 17β-estradiol (E2), progesterone (PROG), and cyproterone acetate (CPA). Based on an AR-driven reporter that synthesizes histidine, a basic amino acid required for yeast survival and propagation, the yeast reporter system enabling clonal selection was further empowered by combining with a random DNA mutagenesis library to simulate the natural evolution of AR gene under the selective pressures of steroidal ligands. In a time-frame of 1–2 weeks, 19 AR mutants were identified, in which 11 AR mutants were validated for activation by tested steroidal compounds. The high efficiency of our artificial evolution strategy was further evidenced by a sequential selection that enabled the discovery of multipoint AR mutations and evolution directions under the pressure of steroidal ligands. In summary, our designer yeast is a portable reporter module that can be readily adapted to streamline high-throughput AR-compound screening, used as a PCa clinical reference, and combined with additional bioassay systems to further extend its potential. Author summary: Androgens are a group of steroid-type sex hormones that regulate secondary sexual characteristics through interacting with the androgen receptor. Androgen-activated androgen receptor has been linked to prostate cancer progression, thus steroid drugs structurally similar to but different from androgens are clinically used to block androgen activation and to treat prostate cancers. However, mutations of the androgen receptor occur in clinics. As a result of some of these mutants, the steroidal hormone drugs become inactive and even by themselves can activate the androgen receptor exacerbating the disease conditions. Due to lack of an efficient screening method, how other clinical mutants respond to various steroidal hormone drugs remain unknown. Here, we developed a yeast-based system that allows high throughput study of the interaction between each hormone drug and androgen receptor mutant by eye-ball observation of yeast colony formation. Using this method, we thoroughly investigated all 50 clinically relevant mutants of the androgen receptor and how they individually respond to each of a variety of hormone drugs. Furthermore, the capacity of this system allowed us to perform random mutagenesis and quickly accumulate high volume of data regarding a large number of mutants, informative in guiding future precision medicine to treat prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li-air batteries have ultra-high theoretical capacity, but the actual discharge performance is not ideal. The morphology constraint formed by the cathode material in the electrolyte atmosphere is one of the factors affecting the transport performance of reactants. Coarse-grained simulation based on mesoscopic scale has inherent advantages in the study of system morphology and mass transfer characteristics by virtue of large spatial and temporal scales. Here, a polarizable water solvent coarse-grained model and carbon nanotube (CNT) pore coarse-grained model were constructed. The dynamic processes at the interface composed of CNT electrodes, different hydrophilic-functionalized CNT electrodes, and aqueous electrolytes were investigated by coarse-grain molecular dynamics (CGMD) simulations. The distribution and morphology of different functionalized CNTs, as well as the system and internal and external transport properties of the tube, were analyzed from the mesoscopic scale. The results show that CNTs can form a hydrophobic phase in aqueous electrolytes, and at the same time form a solvent phase that can provide favorable conditions for ion transport. By adding hydrophilic functional groups and uniform modification, the hydrophobic aggregation can be significantly improved, and the transport delay of CNTs to oxygen in the electrolyte can be weakened. The obtained simulation results of Li+ and oxygen diffusion coefficients are consistent with the microscopic simulation results and experimental data. In addition, the optimal material transport condition of the composite cathode is obtained when the mass ratio of uniformly functionalized CNT to hydrophobic CNT is 1/3. Moreover, the transport within the CNT tube has a higher transport efficiency in a single direction. This study is of great significance for analyzing the mesoscopic morphology and mass transfer characteristics of oxygen electrodes in Li-air batteries in aqueous electrolytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halogenated compounds are particularly important in pharmaceutical and agrochemical products. Biochemical halogenation with halogenases are environmental friendly reactions with high efficiency. Recently, the two new chlorinases (ClA1 and ClA2) were discovered from soil bacteria. However, the protein structure of ClA2 was not identified. Here, we determined the high-resolution crystal structure of ClA2. This structure will help us to understand the catalytic mechanism of chlorinase, and explain the catalytic process of the coupled chlorinase-fluorinase system, which offers the prospect of arising rapid radiolabeling protocols under mild conditions. • Resolves the crystal structure of the CIA2. • Discloses unique catalytic center of CIA2, which different from the CIA1 and SalL. • The Arg243 in CIA2 may lead to the higher trans -catalysis efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of rapid evolution under changing environments are important for understanding the evolutionary fate of populations and the future of biodiversity. We used experimental evolution to test whether the presence of toxic cyanobacteria and its subsequent removal could lead to rapid forward and reverse genetic changes in multiple traits of the zooplankter Ceriodaphnia cornuta. In the forward selection experiment, the covariant pattern in multivariate trait space provided strong evidence of adaptive evolution in multiple traits at two selection levels, in the presence of toxic cyanobacteria. The C. cornuta population under high selection pressure showed higher tolerance than those under low selection pressure. The total trait change generated through evolutionary responses (constitutive evolution and evolution of plasticity) ranged from 0.2% to 32.2%, depending on the trait and selection level. After the relaxation of selection, almost all evolved traits were restored to their original state when the C. cornuta population were fed pure green algae. That is, the toxin‐tolerant phenotypes were culled off from the population in the absence of the selection pressure, suggesting a heavy cost of maintaining tolerance. The genotype dynamics indicated that asymmetric intraspecific competition may be the main force driving the rapid reverse evolution. These results suggest that the change in cyanobacteria biomass, from proliferation to decline, resulted in rapid forward and reverse evolution of multivariate phenotypic responses in the freshwater zooplankton grazer C. cornuta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently circulating SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.5 is rampaging the world with elevated transmissibility compared to the original SARS-CoV-2 strain. Immune escape of BA.5 was observed after treatment with many monoclonal antibodies, calling for broad-spectrum, immune-escape-evading therapeutics. In retrospect, we previously reported Kansetin as an ACE2 mimetic and a protein antagonist against SARS-CoV-2, which proved potent neutralization bioactivity on the Reference, Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron strains of SARS-CoV-2. Since BA.5 is expected to rely on the interaction of the Spike complex with human ACE2 for cell entry, we reasonably assumed the lasting efficacy of the ACE2-mimicking Kansetin for neutralizing the new SARS-CoV-2 variant. The investigation was accordingly performed on in vitro Kansetin-Spike binding affinity by SPR and cell infection inhibition ability with pseudovirus and live virus assays. As a result, Kansetin showed dissociation constant KD and half inhibition concentration IC50 at the nanomolar to picomolar level, featuring a competent inhibition effect against the BA.5 sublineage. Conclusively, Kansetin is expected to be a promising therapeutic option against BA.5 and future SARS-CoV-2 sublineages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical properties of quasi-brittle materials, which are widely used in engineering applications, are often affected by the thermal condition of their service environment. Moreover, the materials appear brittle when subjected to tensile loading and show plastic characteristics under high pressure. These two phenomena manifest under different circumstances as completely different mechanical behaviors in the material. To accurately describe the mechanical response, the material behavior, and the failure mechanism of quasi-brittle materials with the thermo-mechanical coupling effect, the influence of the thermal condition is considered in calculating bond forces in the stretching and compression stages, based on a new bond-based Peridynamic (BB-PD) model. In this study, a novel bond-based Peridynamic, fully coupled, thermo-mechanical model is proposed for quasi-brittle materials, with a heat conduction component to account for the effect of the thermo-mechanical coupling. Numerical simulations are carried out to demonstrate the validity and capability of the proposed model. The results reveal that agreement could be found between our model and the experimental data, which show good reliability and promise in the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cr3+‐activated broadband near‐infrared (NIR) phosphors, featured by the octahedral coordination preference and strong absorption in visible (Vis) region, have great potential application in nondestructive assessment. It is still a challenge to develop Cr3+‐doped phosphors with the tetrahedrally coordinated Cr3+ NIR emission behavior and ultra‐wide Vis–NIR luminescence. Herein, an unusual NIR‐emitting Mg2Al4Si5O18:Cr3+ phosphor offers emission peak at 867 nm with full‐width at half‐maximum of 237 nm due to preferential occupation of the AlO4 tetrahedra by Cr3+ as demonstrated by structural and optical properties studies. Eu2+–Cr3+ energy transfer is proposed to induce ultra‐wide Vis–NIR Mg2Al4Si5O18:Eu2+,Cr3+ phosphors with more efficient NIR emission and lower thermal quenching behavior of Cr3+. The fabricated Vis–NIR phosphor‐converted light‐emitting diode is expected to be an alternative to halogen lamp in hyperspectral imaging. This work reveals the luminescence behavior of Cr3+ in tetrahedra and demonstrates the application of Mg2Al4Si5O18:Eu2+,Cr3+ phosphor in hyperspectral imaging, which will facilitate further research on NIR and Vis–NIR phosphors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) is a novel and effective material for sterilization, disinfection, and bleaching. However, the utilization of NaDCC has caused several thermal runaway incidents worldwide, raising attention to exploring its unknown thermal hazards. This paper simulated the different incident conditions to conduct a comparative study on the thermal stability and decomposition of NaDCC using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and accelerating rate calorimeter (ARC). The gaseous products of the thermal decomposition of NaDCC were analyzed by a thermogravimetry-mass spectrometer (TG-MS). Several kinetic methods were used to calculate E a of the pyrolysis reaction of NaDCC under different conditions. TMR a d and self-accelerating decomposition temperature (SADT) were calculated based on the thermodynamic and kinetic analysis. The results of TMR a d showed that the adiabatic induction period decreased significantly, and the risk of losing control enlarged with increasing temperatures. Meanwhile, by comparing the SADT of NaDCC under several common packaging materials, the chemical plastic drums should be used for packaging materials of NaDCC. The result clarifies the reason for incidents and provides the fundamentals and valuable data for safe preparation, production, transportation, and storage of NaDCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor surface quality is one of the main problems for the forming and application of magnesium alloys. In this study, electric pulse and ultrasonic vibration were simultaneously applied to the incremental sheet forming (ISF) process of magnesium alloys, and the effect of electric pulse–ultrasonic composite energy field on the surface quality was investigated. Compared with electric pulse–assisted forming, a composite energy field could reduce the forming force under any condition and improve the surface quality at the condition of higher current frequency (≥ 350 HZ), lower step depth (0.1 mm), and keep the effective current density less than 30 A/mm2. The maximum percentage decrease in forming force and surface roughness is about 20 and 50%, respectively. Moreover, although the surface quality can be improved by ultrasonic energy in both directions, the effect is more significantly in direction perpendicular to the feed direction than that in the direction parallel to the feed direction. The repeated rolling caused by ultrasonic vibration is benefit to the rearrangement of the surface gully and makes the surface profile height distribution relatively uniform. The surface quality also would be aggravated due to the dynamic impact of the ultrasonic vibration and serious surface oxidative, which caused by excessive temperature increasing at the condition of high current density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,2,4,4-tetra-brominated diphenyl ether (PBDE-47)—the dominant homologue of polybrominated diphenyl ethers—is a toxic environmental pollutant in the aquatic environment that continuously exists and bioaccumulates in the aquatic food chain. In experimental disease models, melatonin (MEL) has been reported to attenuate necroptosis and inflammatory responses. To further explore the mechanism underlying PBDE-47 toxicity and the mitigative impact of MEL detoxification, in this study, fish kidney cell models of PBDE-47 poisoning and/or MEL treatment were developed. The Ctenopharyngodon idellus kidney (CIK) cell line was treated with PBDE-47 (100 μM) and/or MEL (60 μM) for 24 h. Experimental data suggest that PBDE-47 exposure resulted in the enhancement of cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration, induction of calcium dysmetabolism, decrease in the miR-140-5p miRNA level, upregulation of Toll-like Receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB), triggering of receptor interacting serine/threonine kinase-induced necroptosis, and NF-κB pathway mediated secretion of inflammatory factors in CIK cells. PBDE-47-induced CIK cell damage could be mitigated by MEL through the regulation of calcium channels and the restoration of disorders of the miR-140-5p/TLR4/NF-κB axis. Overall, MEL relieved PBDE-47-induced necroptosis and the secretion of inflammatory factors through the miR-140-5p/TLR4/NF-κB axis. These findings enrich the current understanding of the toxicological molecular mechanisms of the PBDE-47 as well as the detoxification mechanisms of the MEL. [Display omitted] • Melatonin alleviates PBDE-47-induced calcium dysmetabolism in CIK cells. • Melatonin mitigates CIK cell damage by restoring miR-140-5p/TLR4/NF-κB. • Melatonin relieves PBDE-47-induced necroptosis and inflammatory factor secretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cyanobacterial blooms caused by eutrophication exert strong selection on zooplankton grazers. Resurrection ecology, coupled with multivariate reaction norm analysis, can be used to parse the relative contributions of plasticity and evolution to mediating adaptation to environmental changes in natural populations. Here, we tested whether increasing levels of toxic cyanobacteria result in multivariate reaction norm changes in a natural zooplankton population. We resurrected dormant eggs of Ceriodaphnia cornuta (Cladocera) from three sediment layers in Dianshan Lake from 1988 to 2018, a period during which the abundances of cyanobacteria continuously increased, and conducted a common garden experiment to quantify the multivariate reaction norms of nine morphological, life history, and behavioral traits involved in the response to the toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. The youngest subpopulation coinciding with the high‐eutrophic period was characterized by smaller size at birth and maturity and fewer offspring in their second broods compared with the oldest subpopulation coinciding with the low‐eutrophic period. Patterns of covariance in multivariate trait space provided strong evidence of adaptive evolution in multiple traits over time. The total trait change generated through both constitutive evolution and evolution of plasticity ranged from 1% to 64% depending on the trait and subpopulations being compared. These results suggest that multivariate phenotypic shifts in response to environmental changes in the study population are achieved by integrating plasticity, evolution of trait means, and evolution of plasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Tremendous research has focused on the wearable electronic device, leading to the basic requirement of suitable power sources. Herein, we report one bendable paper‐based zinc‐air battery with a novel hollow channel structure. It achieves a maximum power density of 138 mW/cm2, outperforming the state‐of‐art paper‐based batteries reported previously. The boosted performance is assigned to the low charge transfer resistance and facilitated mass transfer from the hollow structure. It demonstrates the positive design of microchannel structure is profitable for the power‐generation enhancement, and offers a possible route to commercialize the paper‐based power generators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracellular fatty acid-binding proteins are evolutionarily highly conserved proteins. The major functions and responsibilities of this family are the regulation of FA uptake and intracellular transport. The structure of the H-FABP ortholog from mouse (Mus musculus) had not been revealed at the time this study was completed. Thus, further exploration of the structural properties of mouse H-FABP is expected to extend our knowledge of the model animal's molecular mechanism of H-FABP function. Here, we report the high-resolution crystal structure and the NMR characterization of mouse H-FABP. Our work discloses the unique structural features of mouse H-FABP, offering a structural basis for the further development of small-molecule inhibitors for H-FABP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiphoton upconversion that can convert near‐infrared irradiation into ultraviolet emission offers many unique opportunities for photocatalysis and phototherapy. However, the high‐lying excited states of lanthanide emitters are often quenched by the interior lattice defects and deleterious interactions among different lanthanides, resulting in weak ultraviolet emission. Here, we describe a novel excitation energy lock‐in approach to boost ultraviolet upconversion emission in a new class of multilayer core‐shell nanoparticles with a gadolinium‐rich core domain. Remarkably, we observe more than 70‐fold enhancements in Gd3+ emission from the designed nanoparticles compared with the conventional nanoparticles. Our mechanistic investigation reveals that the combination of energy migration over the core domain and optically inert NaYF4 interlayer can effectively confine the excitation energy and thus lead to intense multiphoton ultraviolet emission in upconversion nanostructures. We further achieve a 35.6% increase in photocatalytic reactivity and 26.5% in reactive oxygen species production yield in ZnO‐coated upconversion nanocomposites under 808‐nm excitation. This study provides a new insight to energy transfer mechanism in lanthanide‐doped nanoparticles and offers an exciting avenue for exploring novel near‐infrared photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]