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Within the framework of the macroscopic dielectric continuum model, the dispersive spectra of polar optical phonon modes of III-nitride based nanostructures with different inner and outer dielectric media are investigated in this paper. The dielectric and quantum size effects on the dispersive frequencies of phonon modes are focused and emphasized. In the case of GaN quantum rings (QRs), we found that the dielectric constant of the inner/outer medium could significantly influence the dispersive spectra of the surface optical (SO) phonon mode as the high/low-frequency SO phonon modes are mainly localized at the inner/outer surface of QRs, respectively. Moreover, such effects associated with different crystallographic structures of GaN, i.e., the wurtzite (WZ) and zinc blende (ZB) crystal structures, are also studied in detail, showing the different degenerating behavior and electron–phonon coupling strength. The results obtained in this study provide a beneficial opportunity to independently adjust dispersive spectra of the two branches of SO modes in GaN nanostructures; thus, it could be used to design and develop phonon-based detectors and sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Kangmei's first trial judgment, where the independent directors faced significant joint and several liabilities, it triggered a "wave" of resignations among independent directors of listed companies. Auditors auditing financial reports of these companies might consider this a significant signal, raising the question: does this signal influence their professional judgment? The study examines the relationship between the resignation of independent directors and auditors' professional judgment in A-share listed companies, following Kangmei's initial trial. This examination is conducted across three dimensions: audit pricing, audit input, and audit opinion.The findings indicate that the unusual resignations of independent directors prompt uditors to pay increased attention to the risk of material misstatements by clients, primarily reflected in audit pricing. However, these resignations do not significantly impact audit input or the judgment of audit opinions. Furthermore, this research enriches the existing literature on audit pricing and the role of independent directors, while also unveiling the specific pathways through which the departure of independent directors impacts auditors' professional judgment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different transition metals are employed to tune the Y-doped BaZrO 3 proton conductor, resulting in the new BaZr 0.125 Y 0.125 M 0.75 O 3 (M = Cu, Mn, Ni, Zn, Co, and Fe) compositions as cathodes for proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells. Only Co and Fe dopants can yield pure phases, whereas the use of other dopants results in impurities. Further experimental studies and first-principles calculations show that using Fe dopant has some advantages over Co-doped material, such as increased oxygen vacancies, lower proton migration energy barriers, and faster proton and oxygen diffusion kinetics. The fuel cell employing the BaZr 0.125 Y 0.125 Fe 0.75 O 3 (BZYFe) cathode has a larger fuel cell output than the fuel cell using the BaZr 0.125 Y 0.125 Co 0.75 O 3 (BZYCo) cathode. Furthermore, the CO 2 adsorption energy on the BZYFe surface is larger than that at the BZYCo surface, indicating that BZYFe has significantly better chemical stability than BZYCo. The long-term stability of the fuel cell demonstrates that the fuel cell with the BZYCo cathode is degrading. In contrast, the BZYFe cell has good operating stability. Given its phase purity, fuel cell performance, and stability, the Fe element is an appropriate dopant for altering BZY and creating a new cathode. • BaZr 0.125 Y 0.125 M 0.75 O 3 (M = Cu, Mn, Ni, Zn, Co, and Fe) were prepared. • Only Co and Fe dopants can generate pure phases. • BaZr 0.125 Y 0.125 Co 0.75 O 3 and BaZr 0.125 Y 0.125 Fe 0.75 O 3 cathodes yielded similar cell performance. • The cell using BaZr 0.125 Y 0.125 Fe 0.75 O 3 cathode showed better operational stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of integrated data often requires record linkage in order to join together the data residing in separate sources. In case linkage errors cannot be avoided, due to the lack a unique identity key that can be used to link the records unequivocally, standard statistical techniques may produce misleading inference if the linked data are treated as if they were true observations. In this paper, we propose methods for categorical data analysis based on linked data that are not prepared by the analyst, such that neither the match‐key variables nor the unlinked records are available. The adjustment is based on the proportion of false links in the linked file and our approach allows the probabilities of correct linkage to vary across the records without requiring that one is able to estimate this probability for each individual record. It accommodates also the general situation where unmatched records that cannot possibly be correctly linked exist in all the sources. The proposed methods are studied by simulation and applied to real data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Fast kV-switching (FKS) and dual-layer flat-panel detector (DL-FPD) technologies have been actively studied as promising dual-energy spectral imaging solutions for FPD-based cone-beam computed tomography (CT). However, cone-beam CT (CBCT) spectral imaging is known to face challenges in obtaining accurate and robust material discrimination performance. That is because the energy separation by either FKS or DL-FPD, alone, is still limited, along with apparently unpaired signal levels in the effective low- and high-energy projections in real applications, not to mention the x-ray scatter in cone-beam scan which will make the material decomposition almost impossible if no correction is applied. To further improve CBCT spectral imaging capability, this work aims to promote a source-detector joint multi-energy spectral imaging solution which takes advantages of both FKS and DL-FPD, and to conduct a feasibility study on the first tabletop CBCT system with the joint spectral imaging capability developed. Methods. For CBCT, development of multi-energy spectral imaging can be jointly realized by using an x-ray source with a generator whose kilo-voltages can alternate in tens of Hertz (i.e. FKS), and a DL-FPD whose top- and bottom-layer projections corresponds to different effective energy levels. Thanks to the complimentary characteristics inherent in FKS and DL-FPD, the overall energy separation will be significantly better when compared with FKS or DL-FPD alone, and the x-ray photon detection efficiency will be also improved when compared with FKS alone. In this work, a noise performance analysis using the Cramér–Rao lower bound (CRLB) method is conducted. The CRLB for basis material after a projection-domain material decomposition is derived, followed by a set of numerical calculations of CRLBs, for the FKS, the DL-FPD and the joint solution, respectively. To compensate for the slightly angular mismatch between low- and high- projections in FKS, a dual-domain projection completion scheme is implemented. Afterwards material decomposition from the complete projection data is carried out by using the maximum-likelihood method, followed by reconstruction of basis material and virtual monochromatic images (VMI). In this work, the first FKS and DL-FPD jointly enabled multi-energy tabletop CBCT system, to the best of our knowledge, has been developed in our laboratory. To evaluate its spectral imaging performance, a set of physics experiments are conducted, where the multi-energy and head phantoms are scanned using the 80/105/130 kVp switching pairs and projection data are collected using a prototype DL-FPD, whose both top and bottom layer of panels are composed of 550 μ m of cesium iodine (CsI) scintillators with no intermediate metal filter in-between. Results. The numerical simulations show that the joint spectral imaging solution can lead to a significant improvement in energy separation and lower noise levels in most of material decomposition cases. The physics experiments confirmed the feasibility and superiority of the joint spectral imaging, whose CNRs in the selected regions of interest of the multi-energy phantom were boosted by an average improvement of 21.9%, 20.4% for water basis images and 32.8%, 62.8% for iodine images when compared with that of the FKS and DL-FPD, respectively. For the head phantom case, the joint spectral imaging can effectively reduce the streaking artifacts as well, and the standard deviation in the selected regions of interest are reduced by an average decrement of 19.5% and 8.1% for VMI when compared with that of the FKS and DL-FPD, respectively. Conclusions. A feasibility study of the joint spectral imaging solution for CBCT by utilizing both the FKS and DL-FPD was conducted, with the first tabletop CBCT system having such a capability being developed, which exhibits improved CNR and is more effective in avoiding streaking artifacts as expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) can predict the prognosis and sensitivity of tumors to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy, whether it can be noninvasively predicted by radiomics in hepatocellular carcinoma with liver transplantation (HCC‐LT) has not been explored. In this study, it is found that intra‐tumoral TLS abundance is significantly correlated with recurrence‐free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Tumor tissues with TLS are characterized by inflammatory signatures and high infiltration of antitumor immune cells, while those without TLS exhibit uncontrolled cell cycle progression and activated mTOR signaling by bulk and single‐cell RNA‐seq analyses. The regulators involved in mTOR signaling (RHEB and LAMTOR4) and S‐phase (RFC2, PSMC2, and ORC5) are highly expressed in HCC with low TLS. In addition, the largest cohort of HCC patients is studied with available radiomics data, and a classifier is built to detect the presence of TLS in a non‐invasive manner. The classifier demonstrates remarkable performance in predicting intra‐tumoral TLS abundance in both training and test sets, achieving areas under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) of 92.9% and 90.2% respectively. In summary, the absence of intra‐tumoral TLS abundance is associated with mTOR signaling activation and uncontrolled cell cycle progression in tumor cells, indicating unfavorable prognosis in HCC‐LT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ultraviolet (UV)‐induced fluorescence technology is widely used in dermatology to identify microbial infections. Our clinical observations under an ultraviolet‐induced fluorescent dermatoscope (UVFD) showed red fluorescence on the scalps of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) patients. In this study, based on the hypothesis that microbes are induced to emit red fluorescence under UV light, we aimed to explore the microbial disparities between the AGA fluorescent area (AF group) and AGA non‐fluorescent area (ANF group). Methods: Scalp swab samples were collected from 36 AGA patients, including both fluorescent and non‐fluorescent areas. The bacterial communities on the scalp were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, as well as through microbial culture methods. Results: Significant variations were observed in microbial evenness, abundance composition, and functional predictions between fluorescent and non‐fluorescent areas. Sequencing results highlighted significant differences in Cutibacterium abundance between these areas (34.06% and 21.36%, respectively; p < 0.05). Furthermore, cultured red fluorescent colonies primarily consisted of Cutibacterium spp., Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Micrococcus spp. Conclusions: This is the first study to investigate scalp red fluorescence, highlighting microbial composition variability across different scalp regions. These findings may provide novel insights into the microbiological mechanisms of AGA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

304 stainless steel (304SS) powder and novel Mo-cladded 304SS (304SS-Mo) powder were used as feedstocks to prepare metallic coatings with different inter-splat bonding qualities. Wear test was conducted to examine the dependence of wear behavior on the inter-splat bonding quality. The results showed that poor inter-splat bonding leads to much lower wear resistance in conventional 304SS coating relative to that of 304SS bulk, especially at high loading conditions (>75 N), where the wear rate increased to 5.53 × 10−3 mm3/(m⋅N) by 3.5 times higher than that at low-load range. However, the novel 304SS-Mo coating with metallurgical inter-splat bonding and minimized oxide inclusions exhibited a low wear rate comparable to that of 304SS bulk. Failure analysis of worn samples suggests that splat delamination contributes to low wear resistance of the 304SS coating; conversely, the absence of splat delamination results in higher wear resistance of the 304SS-Mo coating. Using Mo-cladded powders, significantly enhanced inter-splat bonding enables the use of plasma-sprayed metallic coating under high-load wear conditions. The strong dependence of wear resistance on the load in conventional coating implies that evaluation of wear performance of thermally sprayed metallic coating should consider both the wear rate and critical load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: High‐grade glioma (HGG) is known to be characterized by a high degree of malignancy and a worse prognosis. The classical treatment is safe resection supplemented by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Tumor treating fields (TTFields), an emerging physiotherapeutic modality that targets malignant solid tumors using medium‐frequency, low‐intensity, alternating electric fields to interfere with cell division, have been used for the treatment of new diagnosis of glioblastoma, however, their administration in HGG requires further clinical evidence. The efficacy and safety of TTFields in Chinese patients with HGG were retrospectively evaluated by us in a single center. Methods: We enrolled and analyzed 52 patients with newly diagnosed HGG undergoing surgery and standard chemoradiotherapy regimens from December 2019 to June 2022, and followed them until June 2023. Based on whether they used TTFields, they were divided into a TTFields group and a non‐TTFields group. Progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between the two groups. Results: There were 26 cases in the TTFields group and 26 cases in the non‐TTFields group. In the TTFields group, the median PFS was 14.2 months (95% CI: 9.50–18.90), the median OS was 19.7 months (95% CI: 14.95–24.25) , the median interval from surgery to the start of treatment with TTFields was 2.47 months (95% CI: 1.47–4.13), and the median duration of treatment with TTFields was 10.6 months (95% CI: 9.57–11.63). 15 (57.69%) patients experienced an adverse event and no serious adverse event was reported. In the non‐TTFields group, the median PFS was 9.57 months (95% CI: 6.23–12.91) and the median OS was 16.07 months (95% CI: 12.90–19.24). There was a statistically significant difference in PFS (p = 0.005) and OS (p = 0.007) between the two groups. Conclusions: In this retrospective analysis, TTFields were observed to improve newly diagnosed HGG patients' median PFS and OS. Compliance was much higher than reported in clinical trials and safety remained good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodically poled thin‐film lithium niobate (PPTFLN) waveguides enable efficient quadratic nonlinear processes due to the strong light confinement and the utilization of the largest nonlinear coefficient d33 of lithium niobate. Here, an efficient third harmonic (TH) generation is reported with a normalized conversion efficiency of 6481% W−2 cm−4 in a sampled‐grating PPTFLN waveguide under the pump of a continuous laser, which is improved by 4 orders of magnitude compared with reported results. Such an efficient TH generation is realized by cascaded second‐harmonic (SH) generation and sum‐frequency (SF) generation supported by a sampled‐grating domain structure with two Fourier coefficients of 0.44 and 0.37, respectively. Phase matching conditions for the SH and cascaded SF processes are simultaneously achieved by finely tuning the geometric dispersion, domain structure, and operating temperature of the PPTFLN waveguides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ordinal response is commonly found in medicine, biology, and other fields. In many situations, the predictors for this ordinal response are compositional, which means that the sum of predictors for each sample is fixed. Examples of compositional data include the relative abundance of species in microbiome data and the relative frequency of nutrition concentrations. Moreover, the predictors that are strongly correlated tend to have similar influence on the response outcome. Conventional cumulative logistic regression models for ordinal responses ignore the fixed-sum constraint on predictors and their associated interrelationships, and thus are not appropriate for analyzing compositional predictors. To solve this problem, we proposed Bayesian Compositional Models for Ordinal Response to analyze the relationship between compositional data and an ordinal response with a structured regularized horseshoe prior for the compositional coefficients and a soft sum-to-zero restriction on coefficients through the prior distribution. The method was implemented with R package rstan using efficient Hamiltonian Monte Carlo algorithm. We performed simulations to compare the proposed approach and existing methods for ordinal responses. Results revealed that our proposed method outperformed the existing methods in terms of parameter estimation and prediction. We also applied the proposed method to a microbiome study HMP2Data, to find microorganisms linked to ordinal inflammatory bowel disease levels. To make this work reproducible, the code and data used in this paper are available at https://github.com/Li-Zhang28/BCO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-speed and high-precision rotating machinery is widely applied in industry, which promotes the rapid development of non-contact bearings represented by active magnetic bearings (AMBs). The rotor-AMBs system is usually installed on the base. Due to the base motion, it affects the dynamic characteristics of the rotor-AMBs system. In this paper, the dynamic analysis of the rotor-AMBs system with base motion is carried out. The dynamic model of the system with base motion is first derived, and the control model is then established. The influence of the inherent property of the base, the excitation mode of the base motion, and the control method for the rotor-AMBs system are analyzed with numerical simulation. In addition, the combination of feedforward control and PID control is employed to eliminate the vibration disturbance caused by the base motion and improve the suspension accuracy of the rotor. The experimental results show that the proposed hybrid control can effectively reduce the vibration of the rotor-AMBs system with base motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Software defect prediction (SDP) aims to distinguish between defective and nondefective instances, but the imbalance between these two classes often leads to reduced prediction performance. Conventional SDP approaches use oversampling techniques, such as synthetic oversampling, to tackle the problem of imbalanced data. However, these methods merely synthesize new instances based on traditional code features without considering actual defects at the code level. To address the issue of data imbalance while preserving semantic features of code samples, a mutation‐based data augmentation approach in SDP is proposed. The method utilizes the mutation operator to generate mutants that mutate nondefective instances and create new defective instances. Six projects from the PROMISE dataset are used to evaluate the approach, employing four traditional and two deep classifiers. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of this method in improving defect prediction performance for both traditional and deep classifiers compared with other data augmentation methods. A novel mutation‐based data augmentation method is proposed, in which data are increased at the code level while preserving its semantic features. The method utilizes the mutation operator for generating mutants to mutate against nondefective instances and then generates new defective instances. Experimental results demonstrate that this approach achieves the best average overall performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding somatic cell totipotency remains a challenge facing scientific inquiry today. Plants display remarkable cell totipotency expression, illustrated by single-cell differentiation during somatic embryogenesis (SE) for plant regeneration. Determining cell identity and exploring gene regulation in such complex heterogeneous somatic cell differentiation have been major challenges. Here, we performed high-throughput single-cell sequencing assays to define the precise cellular landscape and revealed the modulation mode of marker genes during embryogenic differentiation in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) as the crop for biotechnology application. We demonstrated that nonembryogenic calli (NEC) and primary embryogenic calli (PEC) tissues were composed of heterogeneous cells that could be partitioned into four broad populations with six distinct cell clusters. Enriched cell clusters and cell states were identified in NEC and PEC samples, respectively. Moreover, a broad repertoire of new cluster-specific genes and associated expression modules were identified. The energy metabolism, signal transduction, environmental adaptation, membrane transport pathways, and a series of transcription factors were preferentially enriched in cell embryogenic totipotency expression. Notably, the SE-ASSOCIATED LIPID TRANSFER PROTEIN (SELTP) gene dose-dependently marked cell types with distinct embryogenic states and exhibited a parabolic curve pattern along the somatic cell embryogenic differentiation trajectory, suggesting that SELTP could serve as a favorable quantitative cellular marker for detecting embryogenic expression at the single-cell level. In addition, RNA velocity and Scissor analysis confirmed the pseudo-temporal model and validated the accuracy of the scRNA-seq data, respectively. This work provides valuable marker-genes resources and defines precise cellular taxonomy and trajectory atlases for somatic cell embryogenic differentiation in plant regeneration. High-throughput single-cell transcriptomics provide valuable marker genes and precise cellular taxonomy and trajectory atlases for somatic cell embryogenic differentiation in cotton regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, fatigue driving has become the main cause of traffic accidents, leading to increased attention towards fatigue detection systems. However, the pooling and strided convolutional operations in fatigue detection algorithm based on traditional deep learning methods may led to the loss of some useful information. This paper proposed a novel τ -shaped convolutional network ( τ Net ) aiming to address this issue. Unlike traditional network structures, τ Net incorporates the operations of upsampling features and concatenating high- and low-level features, enabling full utilization of useful information. Moreover, considering that the fatigue state is a mental state involving temporal evolution, we proposed the novel long short-term memory (LSTM)– τ -shaped convolutional network (LSTM- τ Net ), a parallel structure composed of LSTM and τ Net for fatigue detection, where τ Net extracts time-invariant features with location information, and LSTM extracts long temporal dependencies. We compared LSTM- τ Net with six competing methods based on two datasets. Results showed that the proposed algorithm achieved higher classification accuracy than the other methods, with 94.25% on EEG data (binary classification) and 82.19% on EOG data (triple classification). Additionally, the proposed algorithm exhibits low computational cost, good training stability, and robustness against insufficient training. Therefore, it is promising for further implementation of fatigue online detection systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis, as a chronic inflammatory disease, has been a threat to human health. How to diagnose and prevent this disease has long been the focus of medical and biomathematics study. In this paper, we investigate a free boundary model of an atherosclerotic plaque formation in the presence of reverse cholesterol transport, which includes low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, endothelial stimulating cytokines, pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory macrophages, as well as foam cells. For this model, we use the Holling type-III response function instead of the usual Holling type-II to describe the change of the concentration of each substance. We first introduce the auxiliary function ξ (r) to prove the existence and uniqueness of small radially symmetric stationary plaque for appropriate L 0 and H 0 by using the contraction mapping principle and maximum principle, and then establish a condition to ensure their asymptotic stability behavior by expanding the corresponding steady-state solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indocyanine green is a near‐infrared fluorescent dye which is widely used in various fields of surgery and gynecology. It is currently mainly used to detect various malignant tumors, sentinel lymph nodes, endometriosis lesions, ureter or intestinal occlusion, vaginal perfusion, uterine arterial blood perfusion, pelvic nerve, uterine niche, lymphatic edema, metastatic lesion shadow, and so on, providing new methods for decision‐making during surgery. This article elaborates the application progress of indocyanine green fluorescence technology in gynecology. Synopsis: Indocyanine green is widely used in various fields of surgery. This article elaborates the application progress of indocyanine green fluorescence technology in gynecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring economic inequality is an important topic to explore the social system. The Gini index and Pietra ratio are used by many people but are limited to reflecting the sampling distribution. In this paper, we study the interval estimates with another measure called the lower mean ratio u. By using jackknife empirical likelihood (JEL), adjusted jackknife empirical likelihood (AJEL), mean jackknife empirical likelihood (MJEL), mean adjusted jackknife empirical likelihood (MAJEL), and adjusted mean jackknife empirical likelihood methods, we propose the interval estimator for u. In the simulation study, we make a comparison of these methods in terms of coverage probability and average confidence interval length. The simulation results indicate that MAJEL performs the best among these methods for small sample sizes of the skewed distribution. For a small sample size of normal distribution, both JEL and MJEL show better performance than the other methods but MJEL is relatively time-consuming. Finally, two real data sets are analysed to illustrate the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As complexity and capabilities of Artificial Intelligence technologies increase, so does its potential for misuse. Deepfake videos are an example. They are created with generative models which produce media that replicates the voices and faces of real people. Deepfake videos may be entertaining, but they may also put privacy and security at risk. A criminal may forge a video of a politician or another notable person in order to affect public opinions or deceive others. Approaches for detecting and protecting against these types of forgery must evolve as well as the methods of generation to ensure that proper information is supplied and to mitigate the risks associated with the fast evolution of deepfakes. This research exploits the effectiveness of deepfake detection algorithms with the application of a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) variant for hyperparameter selection. Since Convolutional Neural Networks excel in recognizing objects and patterns in visual data while Recurrent Neural Networks are proficient at handling sequential data, in this research, we propose a hybrid EfficientNet-Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) network as well as EfficientNet-B0-based transfer learning for video forgery classification. A new PSO algorithm is proposed for hyperparameter search, which incorporates composite leaders and reinforcement learning-based search strategy allocation to mitigate premature convergence. To assess whether an image or a video is manipulated, both models are trained on datasets containing deepfake and genuine photographs and videos. The empirical results indicate that the proposed PSO-based EfficientNet-GRU and EfficientNet-B0 networks outperform the counterparts with manual and optimal learning configurations yielded by other search methods for several deepfake datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Brachytherapy has been indicated as an alternative option for treating cystic craniopharyngiomas (CPs). The potential benefits of brachytherapy for CPs have not yet been clarified. The purpose of this work was to conduct a meta-analysis to analyze the long-term efficacy and adverse reactions profile of brachytherapy for CPs. Materials and methods: The relevant databases were searched to collect the clinical trials on brachytherapy in patients with CPs. Included studies were limited to publications in full manuscript form with at least 5-year median follow-up, and adequate reporting of treatment outcomes and adverse reactions data. Stata 12.0 was used for data analysis. Results: According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 6 clinical trials involving 266 patients with CPs were included in this meta-analysis. The minimum average follow-up was 5 years. The results of the meta-analysis showed that 1-year, 2–3 years and 5 years progression free survival rates (PFS) are 75% (95%CI: 66-84%), 62% (95%CI: 52-72%) and 57% (95%CI: 22-92%), respectively. At the last follow-up, less than 16% of patients with visual outcomes worser than baseline in all included studies. While, for endocrine outcomes, less than 32% of patients worser than baseline level. Conclusion: In general, based on the above results, brachytherapy should be considered as a good choice for the treatment of CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sb2S3 has been extensively used as light absorber for photoelectrochemical cell. However, its p‐type nature may result in the formation of Schottky junction with substrates, thus hindering the collection of photogenerated holes. Herein, an ultrathin CuxS layer is successfully engineered as the bottom junction for Sb2S3 for the first time. Capitalizing on its impressive electrical properties and superior optical properties, the CuxS layer exhibits a high work function of 4.90 eV, which causes the upward band bending of p‐type Sb2S3, forming a hole‐transparent structure with ohmic contact. The transparency of the ultrathin CuxS layer enables back‐illumination of the Sb2S3/CuxS platform, facilitating the integration of intricate catalyst layers for photoelectrochemical transformation. When modified with Pt nanoparticles, the photocurrent density reaches −5.38 mA cm−2 at 0 V vs. RHE, marking a fourfold increase compared to the photocathode without CuxS layer. When introducing a molecular hybrid TC‐CoPc@carbon black, a remarkable average photocurrent density of −0.44 mA cm−2 at the overpotential of 0 V is obtained for CO2 reduction reaction, while the photocurrent density is less than −0.03 mA cm−2 without CuxS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a triazatruxene-based hole transport material (HTM), 3Ka-DBT-3Ka, aiming to enhance band alignment and augment charge generation and collection in devices, as an alternative for 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT). The PbS CQD solar cells employing 3Ka-DBT-3Ka as the HTM achieve a peak efficiency of 11.4%, surpassing devices employing the conventional PbS-EDT HTM (8.9%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in the development of eco-friendly, sustainable, and convenient bio-based coatings to enhance flame retardancy and antibacterial properties in cotton fabrics is growing. In this work, chitosan was protonated at its amino groups using a method with a high atom economy using an equimolar amount of amino trimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP), resulting in the fabrication of a single-component chitosan-based multifunctional coating (ATMP-CS), thereby avoiding any additional neutralization or purification steps. Cotton fabrics coated with various loads of ATMP-CS were prepared through a padding–drying–curing process. The morphology, thermal stability, mechanical properties, antibacterial properties, flame-retardant behavior, and flame-retardant mechanism of these fabrics were investigated. The coating exhibited excellent film-forming properties, and it imparted a uniform protective layer onto the surfaces of the cotton fabrics. When the load capacity reached 11.5%, the coated fabrics achieved a limiting oxygen index of 29.7% and successfully passed the VFT test. Moreover, the ATMP-CS coating demonstrated antibacterial rates against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus reaching 95.1% and 99.9%, respectively. This work presents a straightforward and gentle approach to fabricating colorless, environmentally friendly, and highly efficient fabric coatings that have potential applications in promoting the use of bio-based materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application potential of additive manufacturing nickel-based superalloys in aeroengines and gas turbines is extensive, and evaluating their mechanical properties is crucial for promoting the engineering application in load-bearing components. In this study, Hastelloy X alloy was prepared using the laser powder bed fusion process combined with solution heat treatment. The tensile and high cycle fatigue properties were experimentally investigated at room temperature as well as two typical elevated temperatures, 650 °C and 815 °C. It was found that, during elevated-temperature tensile deformation, the alloy exhibits significant serrated flow behavior, primarily observed during the initial stage of plastic deformation at 650 °C but occurring throughout the entire plastic deformation process at 815 °C. Notably, when deformation is small, sawtooth fluctuations are significantly higher at 815 °C compared to 650 °C. Irregular subsurface lack of fusion defects serve as primary sources for fatigue crack initiation in this alloy including both single-source and multi-source initiation mechanisms; moreover, oxidation on fracture surfaces is more prone to occur at elevated temperatures, particularly at 815 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrainment at the top of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) is of significant importance because it controls the upward growth of the PBL height. An option called ysu_topdown_pblmix, which provides a parameterization of fog-top entrainment, has been proposed for valley fog modeling and introduced into the YSU (Yonsei University) PBL scheme in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. However, enabling this option in simulations of sea fog over the Yellow Sea typically results in unrealistic dissipation near the fog bottom and even within the entire fog layer. In this study, we theoretically examine the composition of the option ysu_topdown_pblmix, and then argue that one term in this option might be redundant for sea-fog modeling. The fog-top variables are employed in this term to determine the basic entrainment in the dry PBL, which is already parameterized by the surface variables in the original YSU PBL scheme. This term likely leads to an overestimation of the fog-top entrainment rate, so we refer to it as redundant. To explore the connection between the redundant term and unrealistic dissipation, a widespread sea-fog episode over the Yellow Sea is employed as a case study based on the WRF model. The simulation results clearly attribute the unrealistic dissipation to the extra entrainment rate that the redundant term induces. Fog-top entrainment is unexpectedly overestimated due to this extra entrainment rate, resulting in a significantly drier and warmer bias within the interior of sea fog. When sea fog develops and reaches a temperature lower than the sea surface, the sea surface functions as a warming source to heat the fog bottom jointly with the downward heat flux brought by the fog-top entrainment, leading the dissipation to initially occur near the fog bottom and then gradually expand upwards. We suggest a straightforward method to modify the option ysu_topdown_pblmix for sea-fog modeling that eliminates the redundant term. The improvement effect of this method was supported by the results of sensitivity tests. However, more sea-fog cases are required to validate the modification method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The credit risk assessment acts as an important part in daily affairs for financial institutions. But in the era of big data, the growing business volume makes it an urgent demand to develop digital ways of credit risk assessment. Currently, the machine learning is universally employed to establish various data-driven models for this purpose. However, machine learning models generally suffer from limited ability of feature representation and robustness, and cannot deal with more complex financial security scenarios. To deal with this issue, this work introduces ensemble learning to construct a stronger credit risk prediction model via integration of several basic machine learning models. Thus, an ensemble learning-enhanced smart prediction model for financial credit risk is proposed in this paper. Three classification-based machine learning models (support vector machine, artificial neural network and radial basis function) are selected as the basic classifiers, and "voting" strategy is utilized to integrate them into a novel strong classifier. A real-world financial credit dataset released by a Chinese commercial bank was selected as the experimental scenario. The obtained results show that the proposal has better prediction accuracy compared with basic machine learning models without ensemble learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the RFID adoption and chain structure (i.e., integrated or decentralized) decisions in two supply chains under two competition modes (i.e., Bertrand or Cournot competition). Each chain consists of a manufacturer and an exclusive retailer, who suffers from inventory misplacement problem. Two supply chains first simultaneously choose chain structure and then decide whether to invest in RFID technology. We develop an analytical model to derive the equilibrium outcomes, then further analyze the interactions between RFID adoption and chain structure under two competition modes. We find that in equilibrium, both chains prefer to choose integration under Cournot competition, while they might be better off from decentralization under Bertrand competition. Moreover, there may exist a prisoner's dilemma for the equilibrium strategies on RFID adoption and chain structure. Specifically, when both chains adopt RFID, the prisoner's dilemma occurs if the competition is fierce; when only one chain adopts RFID, the chain who forgoes RFID adoption is easier to trap into the prisoner's dilemma; when no chain adopts RFID, a high misplacement rate may aggravate the prisoner's dilemma if the competition is weak, and the supply chain members under Cournot competition may escape such dilemma if the competition is fierce. In addition, competition mode doesn't affect the optimal strategies for RFID adoption and chain structure. Further, in the case where the manufacturer affords a higher production cost, Cournot competition is more conducive to coordinate chains when competition is weak or relatively fierce, whereas Bertrand competition will be more effective when competition is moderate or very fierce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Design Methods Data Sources Results Conclusion Impact Reporting Method No Patient or Public Contribution This study aims to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to explore the trajectory and thematic developments of emotional labour research in nursing.Utilizing descriptive and bibliometric analysis techniques.The data analysis and graphical presentation were conducted using the Bibliometrix Package in R software.The Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database was searched on October 20, 2023.From 1992 to 2023, 842 authors published relevant articles, yielding 779 author keywords. There has been a general upward trend in the number of articles published over the past 30 years, with an annual growth rate of 11.71%. Keyword co‐occurrence cluster analysis revealed the main focus areas of research on emotional labour antecedents and consequences, regulatory modalities, training and education, as well as research methods and application scenarios.Emotional labour significantly influences nursing staff's well‐being and patient care outcomes. Effective management and education regarding emotional labour are crucial for enhancing nursing staff performance and patient care quality. Future research should focus on long‐term effects, training efficacy, regulatory strategies across clinical settings, and innovative approaches to address current challenges.This study provides valuable insights into the unique trajectory and thematic developments of emotional labour research in nursing. The findings underscore the importance of addressing emotional labour in nursing practice and education to improve patient care outcomes and nursing staff well‐being.Adherence to recognized bibliometric reporting methods, following relevant EQUATOR guidelines.This study is based solely on existing literature and did not involve patients or the public in its design, conduct, analysis, interpretation, or preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a highly pathogenic and rapidly disseminated virus with strong viability in the environment, suggesting the importance of environmental detection for prevention and control in all the pig industry. However, the detection results of environmental swabs cannot always reflect the accurate status of viral pollution, leading to persistent ASFV environmental contamination. In this study, we developed an ASFV eluant with higher environmental ASFV detection efficiency relative to 0.85% saline solution, which obtains the patent certificate issued by the China Intellectual Property Office (patent number:202010976050.9). qPCR analysis showed that in the environmental swab samples, the number of viral copies was 100 times higher for the ASFV eluant treatment than the traditional eluant treatment (0.85% saline solution). And besides, the high sensitivity of the ASFV eluant had be verified in a slaughterhouse environmental sampling detection. In soil samples, the ASFV eluent showed the same extraction effect as the TIANamp Soil DNA Kit, in contrast to no extraction effect for 0.85% saline solution. Simultaneously, this eluent could protect ASFV from degradation and allow the transportation of samples at ambient temperature without refrigeration. In clinical practice, we monitored the environmental contamination condition of the ASFV in a large-scale pig farm. The results shown that the ASFV load decreased after every disinfection in environment. This study provides an effective solution for surveilling the potential threat of ASFV in environment. Key points: The ASFV eluant can significantly improve the positive detection rate in environmental samples in clinical practice. The ASFV eluant is economical and convenient compared to commercial kit.. The ASFV eluant can provide a caution for the environmental safety for China's pig industries, slaughter houses, and transportations and facilitate ASFV eradication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Methods Results Conclusion To assess the frequency of uterine ruptures, clinical characteristics, and maternal and neonatal outcomes in a tertiary referral center.Information on complete uterine rupture between July 2010 and June 2022 was investigated retrospectively at a tertiary center.There were 42 cases of complete uterine rupture in 144 474 deliveries, with an incidence rate of 0.029%. Twenty‐seven cases had a scarred uterus and 15 had an unscarred uterus; Rupture of the lower uterine segment was predominant in the scarred uterus, whereas rupture of the body of the uterus was predominant in the non‐scarred uterus (P ≤ 0.001). Newborns with Apgar score of 7 or less at 1 min in the non‐scarred uterus group was more than that in the scarred uterus group (P = 0.001). There were no significant differences in the history of gynecologic surgery, induction of labor, mode of delivery, clinical features, maternal outcomes, neonatal weight, preterm birth rate, 5‐min Apgar score, or neonatal mortality between the two groups (P > 0.05).The clinical manifestations of uterine rupture are mainly abdominal pain, abnormal fetal heartbeat, or vaginal bleeding. Attention should also be paid to the history of previous uterine surgery. Strict prenatal management, early identification, and aggressive management can help improve maternal and child outcomes. Hysterectomy is not imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air–sea interactions in mid-latitudes and their climatic effects have long been a research focus. However, the influence of the variability of the Southern Oceanic Front (SOF) on atmospheric processes at interannual timescales remains somewhat ambiguous from existing studies. Using reanalysis data, our findings reveal that the SOF reaches its maximum intensity during the austral summer, characterized by pronounced interannual variability and an insignificant trend. On the one hand, an enhanced SOF intensifies the meridional temperature gradient and atmospheric baroclinicity, accompanied by increased local and downstream baroclinic energy conversion. This amplifies storm track activities in both the lower and upper troposphere. On the other hand, the atmospheric circulation in mid- and high-latitudes exhibits an equivalent barotropic response. This is attributed to the feedback of storm tracks on the mean flow, dominated by the transient eddy vorticity forcing. Moreover, we compare the relative contributions of the South Indian Oceanic Front (SIOF) and South Atlantic Oceanic Front (SAOF) variability to storm track and atmospheric circulation. Results indicate that the SIOF variability dominates the downstream development of storm track response and modulates the anomalous atmospheric circulation around the Antarctic, while the SAOF variability produces only a limited local atmospheric response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While observational studies have suggested a link between gut microbiota diversity and alopecia areata (AA), the causal relationship remains unclear. Methods: We leveraged data from the MiBioGen and FinnGen consortiums' Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) encompassing gut microbiota (n = 13,266) and AA (n = 211,428) datasets. A comprehensive Mendelian randomization (MR) and reverse MR approach were employed, utilizing five statistical methods to evaluate causality. Sensitivity analyses were also conducted to corroborate the MR results. Results: Inverse variance weighted (IVW) analysis indicated a protective effect against AA from Butyricimonas (OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.18–0.77, P = 0.01), Enterorhabdus (OR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.16–0.95, P = 0.04), Eubacterium (xylanophilum group) (OR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.15–0.84, P = 0.02), and Phascolarctobacterium (OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.15–0.91, P = 0.03), while Ruminococcaceae UCG003 posed as a risk factor (OR = 2.79, 95% CI: 1.27–6.14, P = 0.01). Reverse MR showed no significant causal link between AA and gut microbiota, with no significant heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy. Conclusions: Our analysis suggests probable causality between certain gut microbiota and AA, shedding light on its pathogenesis and potential intervention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A variety of viruses can cause acute respiratory infections (ARIs), resulting in a high disease burden worldwide. To explore the dominant viruses and their prevalence characteristics in children with ARIs, comprehensive surveillance was carried out in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai. Methods: Between January 2013 and December 2022, the basic and clinical information, and respiratory tract specimens of 0–14 years old children with ARIs were collected in five sentinel hospitals in Shanghai Pudong. Each specimen was tested for eight respiratory viruses, and the positive rates of different age groups, case types (inpatient or outpatient) were analyzed. Results: In our study, 30.67% (1294/4219) children with ARIs were positive for at least one virus. Influenza virus (IFV) was the most commonly detected respiratory virus (349/4219, 8.27%), followed by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (217/4219, 5.14%), para‐influenza virus (PIV) (215/4219, 5.10%), and human coronavirus (HCoV, including 229E, OC43, NL63, and HKU1) (184/4219, 4.36%). IFV was the leading respiratory virus in outpatients aged 5–14 years (201/1673, 12.01%); RSV was the most prevalent respiratory virus in both inpatients (61/238, 25.63%) and outpatients (4/50, 8.00%) for ARI patients aged <6 months old. For PIV, HMPV, HCoV, and HRV, the risk of infection usually was higher among young children. Co‐infection with more than two viruses was seen in 3.25% (137/4219). Conclusions: IFV and RSV played important roles in ARIs among children, but the risk populations were different. There are needs for targeted diagnosis and treatment and necessary immunization and non‐pharmaceutical interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-Nyquist synthetic aperture radar (SAR) based on pseudo-random time–space modulation has been proposed to increase the swath width while preserving the azimuthal resolution. Due to the sub-Nyquist sampling, the scene can be recovered by an optimization-based algorithm. However, these methods suffer from some issues, e.g., manually tuning difficulty and the pre-definition of optimization parameters, and a low signal–noise ratio (SNR) resistance. To address these issues, a reweighted optimization algorithm, named pseudo-ℒ0-norm optimization algorithm, is proposed for the sub-Nyquist SAR system in this paper. A modified regularization model is first built by applying the scene prior information to nearly acquire the number of nonzero elements based on Bayesian estimation, and then this model is solved by the Cauchy–Newton method. Additionally, an error correction method combined with our proposed pseudo-ℒ0-norm optimization algorithm is also present to eliminate defocusing in the motion-induced model. Finally, experiments with simulated signals and strip-map TerraSAR-X images are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of our proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A fully coupled three-dimensional THMC model (DEHydrate) is developed for simulating hydrate dissociation. • The numerical results obtained from the proposed model are in good agreement with those from other simulations. • Only a small fraction of gas produced from radial hydrate dissociation is collected from the wellbore. • The model provides an effective tool to predict the mechanical behavior during hydrate dissociation. Due to high energy density and huge reserves, many trial projects worldwide have been conducted to exploit natural gas hydrates (NGH). However, most of them did not meet the commercialization requirements because of submarine hazards, low gas production and sand production. Therefore, it is important to investigate the NGH dissociation process. In this paper, a fully coupled multiphase, strongly nonlinear three-dimensional (3D) thermal–hydro–mechanical–chemical model (DEHydrate) is developed to consider the multiphysics behaviours including solid-liquid-gas multiphase flow, heat transfer, NGH phase transition and solid deformation during hydrate dissociation. The model is solved using a fully implicit finite element method. The gas-liquid flow and heat transfer are simulated by low-order elements while the solid deformation is calculated by high- or low-order elements. The behaviours of the multiphase seepage and geomechanics are fully coupled and the physical properties of the reservoir are updated iteratively based on changes in pressure, temperature and displacement. The DEHydrate simulator provides an effective tool to predict the evolution of reservoir mechanical behavior during hydrate dissociation, including transient pressure, temperature, displacement and stress in the reservoir, as well as multiphase saturation, hydrate dissociation rate/mass and gas production rate/mass. During the NGH dissociation, the initial stage exhibits a rapid dissociation rate of up to 206.23 kg/(d·m) for NGH layer with a length of 600 m and a thickness of 22 m, which subsequently decreases to 11.64 kg/(d·m). Only a small portion of the gas generated during NGH dissociation is collected at the wellbore (approximately 35.6 % after 100 days), while the majority remains trapped in the reservoir. In addition, throughout NGH dissociation, the reservoir matrix continues to move toward the wellbore in the horizontal direction. While in the vertical direction, the reservoir matrix below the wellbore moves upwards, with decreasing displacement due to low-pressure diffusion, while the reservoir matrix above the wellbore moves downwards, with increasing displacement. The largest displacements occur near the wellbore during the early stage of NGH dissociation, while in the late stage, the largest displacements occur above the reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The standardization of cystatin C (CysC) measurement has received increasing attention in recent years due to its importance in estimating glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Mass spectrometry-based assays have the potential to provide an accuracy base for CysC measurement. However, a precise, accurate and sustainable LC–MS/MS method for CysC is still lacking. The developed LC–MS/MS method quantified CysC by detecting signature peptide (T3) obtained from tryptic digestion. Stable isotope labeled T3 peptide (SIL-T3) was spiked to control matrix effects and errors caused by liquid handling. The protein denaturation, reduction and alkylation procedures were combined into a single step with incubation time of 1 h, and the digestion lasted for 3.5 h. In the method validation, digestion time-course, imprecision, accuracy, matrix effect, interference, limit of quantification (LOQ), carryover, linearity, and the comparability to two routine immunoassays were evaluated. No significant matrix effect or interference was observed with the CysC measurement. The LOQ was 0.21 mg/L; the within-run and total imprecision were 1.33–2.05 % and 2.18–3.90 % for three serum pools (1.18–5.34 mg/L). The LC–MS/MS method was calibrated by ERM-DA471/IFCC and showed good correlation with two immunoassays traceable to ERM-DA471/IFCC. However, significant bias was observed for immunoassays against the LC–MS/MS method. The developed LC–MS/MS method is robust and simpler and holds the promise to provide an accuracy base for routine immunoassays, which will promote the standardization of CysC measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• HFPO-TA exposure causes linearized heart, affects gene expression related to heart looping. • HFPO-TA induces sprouting angiogenesis, and disturbs gene expression of VEGF signaling pathway in vascular development. • HFPO-TA reduces erythropoiesis, resulting in heme metabolism disruption. • HFPO-TA induces oxidative stress, inhibits cell proliferation, and causes apoptosis. As an increasingly used alternative to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), hexafluoropropylene oxide trimer acid (HFPO-TA) has been widely detected in global water environments. However, little is known regarding its toxic effects on cardiovascular development. Here, zebrafish embryos were treated with egg water containing 0, 60, 120, or 240 mg/L HFPO-TA. Results showed that HFPO-TA treatment led to a significant reduction in both larval survival percentage and heart rate. Furthermore, HFPO-TA exposure caused severe pericardial edema and elongation of the sinus venous to bulbus arteriosus distance (SV-BA) in Tg (myl7: GFP) transgenic larvae, disrupting the expression of genes involved in heart development and thus causing abnormal heart looping. Obvious sprouting angiogenesis was observed in the 120 and 240 mg/L exposed Tg (fli: GFP) transgenic larvae. HFPO-TA treatment also impacted the mRNA levels of genes involved in the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway and embryonic vascular development. HFPO-TA exposure significantly decreased erythrocyte number in Tg (gata1: DsRed) transgenic embryos and influenced gene expression associated with the heme metabolism pathway. HFPO-TA also induced oxidative stress and altered the transcriptional levels of genes related to cell cycle and apoptosis, inhibiting cell proliferation while promoting apoptosis. Therefore, HFPO-TA exposure may induce abnormal development of the cardiovascular and hematopoietic systems in zebrafish embryos, suggesting it may not be a suitable or safe alternative for PFOA. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the identification and characterization of fructose-bisphosphate aldolase as new pollen allergens. The study found that this allergen was present in Artemisia sieversiana and Artemisia annua pollen and shared similarities with other allergens found in fish and chicken. The researchers purified and characterized the allergen, and it exhibited IgE-binding patterns and allergenicity. The findings suggest that fructose-bisphosphate aldolase could be used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in pollen allergies. The study also provides a framework for investigating other unknown pollen allergens. [Extracted from the article]

Magmatic–hydrothermal breccia pipes are widespread in numerous major porphyry and epithermal gold deposits globally, representing significant repositories of metal resources and serving as potential indicators for exploration targeting. More than ten breccia pipes occur in the Central Taihangshan District (CTD) of the North China Craton. Some of these breccia pipes host gold mineralization and are proposed to be related to the adjacent lode gold mineralization. However, the lack of detailed geological constraints make this hypothesis ambiguous. To address this, the present study conducted comprehensive field observations, drill core logging, an in situ sulfur isotope analysis of pyrite, and the 40Ar/39Ar dating of adularia along a 1400 m section of the Tietangdong breccia pipe at Yixingzhai. Three distinct breccia facies were identified at Tietangdong, exhibiting variable proportions across the entire section, including a massive skarn breccia; polymictic, skarn matrix-supported breccia; and polymictic, intrusive rock cement chaotic breccia. Furthermore, adularia 40Ar/39Ar dating indicates a syn-/post-gold mineralization age of 136 ± 1.5 Ma, coinciding with the age of post-breccia felsite dike. The deepest sampled pyrite displays δ34S values of ~2.7‰, strongly indicating a magmatic–hydrothermal signature. These results, when combined with the geological, geochronological, and isotopic studies on the adjacent lode gold mineralization, further suggest a close genetic relationship between the breccia pipes and the lode Au mineralization, paving the way for their utilization as effective indicators for gold targeting within the CTD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viscosity is an important property for CaO‐SiO2‐Al2O3‐based slag systems, which showcases different scenarios in basic and acid slag systems with temperature change. This article elucidates the mechanism of their difference in viscosity–temperature property from melt structure. Results reveal that basic slag shows a low degree of polymerization (DOP) and a low viscosity of the melt due to an excessive O2− ions depolymerizing the complex network structures, resulting in more low‐polymerized Q0(Si) units and less high‐polymerized Q3(Si) units. With the temperature decreases, the DOP and viscosity do not change significantly. However, the low DOP and viscosity favor crystal precipitation in the melt, leading to a solid–liquid mixed state of the slag, and thus a sharp increase in viscosity when the temperature decreases to 1275 °C. For acid slag, it undergoes a transformation into aluminosilicate structures with the introduction of numerous [AlO4]5− tetrahedra, accompanied by a significant increase in the relative mole fraction of high‐polymerized Q3(Si) units. Consequently, the DOP and viscosity are obviously higher than that of the basic slag. Furthermore, the DOP and viscosity of the acid slag increase continuously with the temperature decreasing, thus impeding crystal precipitation and enhancing the glass transition tendency of the molten slag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of embedded microfluidic cooling on the performance of Ku-band gallium nitride (GaN) microwave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) power amplifiers (PAs) has been studied in this work. The research demonstrates that embedded cooling can substantially lower junction temperatures, mitigate the self-heating effect, and thereby improve the electrical performance of GaN MMIC PAs. Using merely 10.4 mW of pumping power (Ppump), the technology reduces the maximum junction temperature (Tj,max) from 216.7 to 147.8 °C. Furthermore, the system enhances the saturation current by 13.8%, increases output power (Pout) and gain (Gain) by 1.8 dB, elevates the power added efficiency (PAE) by 5.9%, and improves the heat flux of last gate (Qgate) to 37.3 kW/mm2 and the heat flux of MMIC (QMMIC) over 2.6 W/mm2, while reducing the thermal resistance (Rj-c) from 2.13 to 1.26 °C/W. Additionally, there is a notable improvement of the small signal gain (S21) by 2.5 dB. Therefore, the achievements in this work indicate that embedded cooling offers a powerful technique to suppress the thermal effects on GaN MMIC PAs, consequently improving their electrical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When an electromagnetic wave is incident onto an object, the scattering from the object leads to its exposure. An invisibility cloak can bend the electromagnetic wave around the object with phase velocities exceeding the light speed in free space, which seems only possible over a narrow bandwidth, as manifested in the existing approaches, such as transformation optics and scattering cancellation. Here, it is experimentally demonstrated that this bandwidth limitation can be overcome by strategically positioning objects at topological nodes, characterized by minimal electromagnetic field amplitudes and indeterminate phases. This is accomplished using all‐dielectric photonic crystal slabs, which are engineered to exhibit a pair of topological nodes at fixed planes across an extensive bandwidth. This bandwidth expansion is facilitated not by resonance, but by the enforcement of mirror and time‐reversal symmetry. These findings thus introduce a novel topological paradigm for the broadband invisibility devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the largest group of healthcare professionals, nurses play an indispensable and crucial role in disaster response. The enhancement of nurses' disaster literacy is imperative for effective disaster emergency management. However, there is currently a lack of knowledge regarding nurses' disaster literacy. This study represents the first attempt to explore the key components and characteristics of disaster literacy among nurses. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was employed, and the reporting followed the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guidelines (refer to File S1). The purposive sampling method was utilized. Thirty-one rescue nurses from 31 medical institutions across 25 provinces and regions in China were recruited to participate in the study. The respondents were requested to share their experiences and insights regarding disaster rescue operations. Inductive content analysis was employed for data examination. Results: The results indicated that rescue nurses universally recognized that there was a pressing need to enhance the level of disaster literacy among nurses. The disaster literacy of nurses encompasses nine dimensions: physical and mental quality, disaster rescue general knowledge, professional and technical competence, professional ethics, teamwork, emotional ability, information literacy, leadership, and knowledge transformation. Conclusions: To ensure national sustainability, government departments, healthcare organizations, and hospital administrators can accurately evaluate the disaster literacy of individual clinical nurses, groups, and the workforce as a whole through nine dimensions, which also can provide evidence to support the development of precision strategies to strengthen the disaster literacy of nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although gene expression signatures offer tremendous potential in diseases diagnostic and prognostic, but massive gene expression signatures caused challenges for experimental detection and computational analysis in clinical setting. Here, we introduce a universal DNA-based molecular classifier for profiling gene expression signatures and generating immediate diagnostic outcomes. The molecular classifier begins with feature transformation, a modular and programmable strategy was used to capture relative relationships of low-concentration RNAs and convert them to general coding inputs. Then, competitive inhibition of the DNA catalytic reaction enables strict weight assignment for different inputs according to their importance, followed by summation, annihilation and reporting to accurately implement the mathematical model of the classifier. We validated the entire workflow by utilizing miRNA expression levels for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in clinical samples with an accuracy 85.7%. The results demonstrate the molecular classifier provides a universal solution to explore the correlation between gene expression patterns and disease diagnostics, monitoring, and prognosis, and supports personalized healthcare in primary care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: MNDA (myeloid nuclear differentiation antigen) has been considered as a potential diagnostic marker for marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), but its utility in distinguishing MZL from other B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHLs) and its clinicopathologic relevance in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are ambiguous. We comprehensively investigated MNDA expression in a large series of B-NHLs and evaluated its diagnostic value. Methods: MNDA expression in a cohort of 1293 cases of B-NHLs and 338 cases of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (RLH) was determined using immunohistochemistry and compared among different types of B-NHL. The clinicopathologic relevance of MNDA in DLBCL was investigated. Results: MNDA was highly expressed in MZLs (437/663, 65.9%), compared with the confined staining in marginal zone B-cells in RLH; whereas neoplastic cells with plasmacytic differentiation lost MNDA expression. MNDA expression was significantly higher in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL, 79.6%, p = 0.006), whereas lower in chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL, 44.8%, p = 0.001) and lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL, 25%, p = 0.016), and dramatically lower in follicular lymphoma (FL, 5.2%, p < 0.001), compared with MZL. 29.6% (63/213) of DLBCLs were positive for MNDA. The cases in non-GCB group exhibited a higher rate of MNDA positivity (39.8%) compared to those in GCB group (16.3%) (p < 0.001), and MNDA staining was more frequently observed in DLBCLs with BCL2/MYC double-expression (50%) than those without BCL2/MYC double-expression (24.8%) (p = 0.001). Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between MNDA and CD5 expression in DLBCL (p = 0.036). Conclusions: MNDA was highly expressed in MZL with a potential utility in differential diagnosis between MZL and RLH as well as FL, whereas its value in distinguishing MZL from MCL, CLL/SLL is limited. In addition, MNDA expression in DLBCL was more frequently seen in the non-GCB group and the BCL2/MYC double-expression group, and demonstrated a correlation with CD5, which deserves further investigation. The clinical relevance of MNDA and its correlation with the prognosis of these lymphomas also warrant to be fully elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Microbial cell surface display technology allows immobilizing proteins on the cell surface by fusing them to anchoring motifs, thereby endowing the cells with diverse functionalities. However, the assessment of successful protein display and the quantification of displayed proteins remain challenging. The green fluorescent protein (GFP) can be split into two non-fluorescent fragments, while they spontaneously assemble and emit fluorescence when brought together through complementation. Based on split-GFP assembly, we aim to: (1) confirm the success display of passenger proteins, (2) quantify the number of passenger proteins displayed on individual cells. Results: In this study, we propose two innovative methods based on split-green fluorescent protein (split-GFP), named GFP1-10/GFP11 and GFP1-9/GFP10-11 assembly, for the purpose of confirming successful display and quantifying the number of proteins displayed on individual cells. We evaluated the display efficiency of SUMO and ubiquitin using different anchor proteins to demonstrate the feasibility of the two split-GFP assembly systems. To measure the display efficiency of functional proteins, laccase expression was measured using the split-GFP assembly system by co-displaying GFP11 or GFP10-11 tags, respectively. Conclusions: Our study provides two split-GFP based methods that enable qualitative and quantitative analyses of individual cell display efficiency with a simple workflow, thus facilitating further comprehensive investigations into microbial cell surface display technology. Both split-GFP assembly systems offer a one-step procedure with minimal cost, simplifying the fluorescence analysis of surface-displaying cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bolted joint is widely used to connect different composite structures in the aerospace field, and the joint is usually the weakest part, and its performance is widely influenced by temperature. This paper aims to investigate the static tensile behavior of the composite‐aluminum four‐nailed joint structure at different temperatures. Carbon fiber epoxy resin matrix composites with a layup of [(0/45)2s]2 are selected to fabricate specimens, and the test temperatures are room temperature (RT, 25 °C), 60 °C, 100 °C, and 150 °C, respectively. The surface strain field and damage evolution inside the specimens are monitored at different stages of the loading process by combining the digital image correlation (DIC) and X‐ray computed tomography (CT) techniques. During the loading process at RT, a sudden drop in load occurs after structural yielding, and the following secondary bearing is observed; however, at higher temperatures, the load continuously decreases until final failure after it reaches the peak value. Moreover, the rearrangement of stress distribution around the bolts at higher temperatures relieves the asymmetric secondary bending of the joint. The experimental findings in this study provide valuable guidance for the structural design and safety assessment for composite‐aluminum bolted joints at different temperatures. Highlights: The loading process shows five stages at RT and four stages at higher temperatures.Extrusion damage led by shear cracks appears earlier at higher temperatures.Load on the upper and lower bolts is closer as the temperature increases.Higher temperatures relieve the asymmetric secondary bending of the joint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An imidazolyl hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF-T) with outstanding thermal and water stability was constructed by C–H⋯N hydrogen bonding and C–H⋯π interactions. UO22+ can be selectively captured by the imidazole group of HOF-T and rapidly reduced to UO2 under visible light irradiation, realizing exceptional uranium removal with high capacity and fast kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Aortic dissection (AD) is a disease with rapid onset but with no effective therapeutic drugs yet. Previous studies have suggested that glucose metabolism plays a critical role in the progression of AD. Transketolase (TKT) is an essential bridge between glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway. However, its role in the development of AD has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of TKT in AD. Methods: We collected AD patients' aortic tissues and used high‐throughput proteome sequencing to analyze the main factors influencing AD development. We generated an AD model using BAPN in combination with angiotensin II (Ang II) and pharmacological inhibitors to reduce TKT expression. The effects of TKT and its downstream mediators on AD were elucidated using human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (HAVSMCs). Results: We found that glucose metabolism plays an important role in the development of AD and that TKT is upregulated in patients with AD. Western blot and immunohistochemistry confirmed that TKT expression was upregulated in mice with AD. Reduced TKT expression attenuated AD incidence and mortality, maintained the structural integrity of the aorta, aligned elastic fibers, and reduced collagen deposition. Mechanistically, TKT was positively associated with impaired mitochondrial bioenergetics by upregulating AKT/MDM2 expression, ultimately contributing to NDUFS1 downregulation. Conclusion: Our results provide new insights into the role of TKT in mitochondrial bioenergetics and AD progression. These findings provide new intervention options for the treatment of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal aquaculture has made an important contribution to global food security and the economic development of coastal zones in recent decades. However, it has also damaged these coastal zones' ecosystems. Moreover, coastal aquaculture is poised to play a key role in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Consequently, extracting aquaculture has become crucial and valuable. However, due to the limitations of remote sensing image spatial resolution and traditional extraction methods, most research studies focus on aquaculture areas containing dikes rather than individually separable aquaculture ponds (ISAPs). This is not an accurate estimation of these aquaculture areas' true size. In our study, we propose a rapid and effective object-based method of extracting ISAPs. We chose multi-scale segmentation to generate semantically meaningful image objects for various types of land cover, and then built a decision tree classifier according to the unique features of ISAPs. The results show that our method can remove small rivers and other easily confused features, which has thus far been difficult to accomplish with conventional methods. We obtained an overall precision value of 85.61% with a recall of 84.04%; compared to the support vector machine's (SVM) overall precision value of 78.85% and recall rate of 61.21%, our method demonstrates greater accuracy and efficiency. We used this method to test the transferability of the algorithm to nearby areas, and the obtained accuracy exceeded 80%. The method proposed in this study could provide a readily available solution for the simple and efficient extracting of ISAPs and shows high spatiotemporal transferability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]