Search

Objective: To examine the association between islet autoantibodies (IAbs) and the retinal neurovascular changes in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) with no diabetic retinopathy (NDR). Methods: This cross-sectional study measured the neural retinal structure and microvascular density of 118 NDR eyes using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography angiography. Retinal structure parameters included retinal thickness (RT), inner retinal thickness (iRT), retina never fibral layer thickness (RNFL thickness), ganglion cell complex thickness (GCC thickness), and loss volume of GCC. Microvascular parameters included vessel density of superficial capillary plexus (sVD), vessel density of deep capillary plexus, and vessel density of choroid capillary plexus. Comparison and correlation analyses of these OCTA parameters were made with various IAbs, including glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody (GADA), tyrosine phosphatase-related islet antigen 2 antibody (IA2A), and zinc transporter 8 antibody (ZnT8A). A general linear model was used to understand the association of IAbs with the retina parameters. Results: The IAb positive (IAbs +) group, which included 85 patients, had thinner RT (235.20 ± 18.10 mm vs. 244.40 ± 19.90 mm at fovea, P = 0.021) and thinner iRT (120.10 ± 9.00 mm vs. 124.70 ± 6.90 mm at parafovea, P = 0.015), compared with the IAb negative (IAbs-) group comprising 33 patients. Furthermore, a more severe reduction of RT was demonstrated in the presence of multiple IAbs. Among the three IAbs, GADA was the most significant independent risk factor of all-round RT decrease (β = −0.20 vs. −0.27 at fovea and parafovea, respectively, P < 0.05), while titers of IA2A negatively affect sVD in the parafovea (β = −0.316, P = 0.003). Conclusions: IAbs are associated with neural retinal thinning and microcirculation reduction in T1DM patients before the clinical onset of diabetic retinopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights Boron nitride (hBN) serves as an outstanding high‐performance polymer organic filler. However, its hexagonal crystal structure renders it chemically inert, thus limiting its applications. This study proposes the modification of hBN using economical amine and anhydride curing agents to reduce aggregation and enhance the heat conduction of epoxy resin. Specifically, the DETA curing agent and methyl tetrahydrophthalic anhydride (MTHPA) curing agent were grafted onto the hBN surface via ball milling and eco‐friendly water scrubbing processes. Subsequently, the modified functionalized BNNS were uniformly dispersed in epoxy resin via a wet process to form composite materials. Results indicate that both modified fillers maintain good dispersion at the epoxy interface. Compared to epoxy resin, the heat conduction of the EP/MTHPA‐BNNS composite material with 10 vol% loading increased by 212%. The EP/DETA‐BNNS composite exhibited a relative thermal conductivity enhancement of 191%. Moreover, both of materials demonstrated significantly improved thermal stability, with slightly reduced breakdown strength. Mechanical property testing revealed a maximum increase of 187.5% in fracture elongation. Comprehensive study on curing agent modified hBN High dispersion of BNNS after wet ball milling Modified BNNS improves composite interface properties The thermal conductivity increases twice under 10 wt% BNNS loading Composite materials with outstanding electrical insulation and high fracture elongation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Films with low dielectric constants have broad prospective applications in microelectronic devices. In this study, octavinyloctasilasesquioxane (POSS) was grafted with fluorinated long carbon chains on its eight vertices by clicking reaction. The successful synthesis of fluorinated POSS (F-POSS) was confirmed by NMR, FT-IR, and XPS analyses. Then, the F-POSS/poly (arylene sulfide sulfone) (F-POSS/PASS) composite films were fabricated via solution casting. When 15 wt.% of F-POSS was added, the dielectric constant of the F-POSS/PASS film at 1 MHz decreased from 3.52 to 2.65, while the Tan δ value dropped from 1.18*10–2 to 9.32*10–3, respectively. The developed F-POSS/PASS film showed excellent hydrophobicity (water contact angle of 120.3°) which was attributed to the fluorinated long carbon chains. In addition, the optimized F-POSS/PASS film also exhibited good mechanical properties (tensile strength 66.87 MPa), promising thermal stability, and flame-retardant property. Given the above-mentioned excellent properties, the F-POSS/PASS composite films will have great potential in the fabrication of microelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The axial compressive behaviours of coal gangue concrete-filled steel tube (GCFST) columns after chloride salt corrosion were investigated numerically. Numerical modelling was conducted through the static analysis method by finite element (FE) analysis. The failure mechanism, residual strength, and axial load–displacement curves were validated against tests of the coal gangue aggregate concrete-filled steel tube (GCFST) columns at room and natural aggregate concrete-filled steel tube (NCFST) columns after salt corrosion circumstance. According to the analysis on the stress distribution of the steel tube, the stress value of the steel tube decreased as the corrosion rate increased at the same characteristic point. A parametric analysis was carried out to determine the effect of crucial variation on residual strength. It indicated that material strength, the steel ratio, and the corrosion rate made a profound impact on the residual strength from the FE. The residual strength of the columns exposed to chloride salt was in negative correlation with the corrosion rate. The impact on the residual strength of the column was little, obvious by the replacement rate of the coal gangue. A simplified design formula for predicting the ultimate strength of GCFST columns after chloride salt corrosion exposure was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study published in the Journal of Integrative Plant Biology has discovered the enzyme responsible for the biosynthesis of camptothecin, a commonly used anticancer drug. The researchers used chemoproteomics to identify the enzyme, OpCYP716E111, in the camptothecin-producing plant Ophiorrhiza pumila. They found that expressing OpCYP716E111 in Nicotiana benthamiana and yeast led to the production of strictosamide epoxide 2, a precursor to camptothecin. This discovery lays the foundation for synthetic biological synthesis of camptothecin and highlights the potential of chemoproteomics for discovering enzymes involved in natural product biosynthesis. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: This study aims to perform a prenatal genetic diagnosis of a high-risk fetus with trisomy 7 identified by noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and to evaluate the efficacy of different genetic testing techniques for prenatal diagnosis of trisomy mosaicism. Methods: For prenatal diagnosis of a pregnant woman with a high risk of trisomy 7 suggested by NIPT, karyotyping and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) were performed on an amniotic fluid sample. Low-depth whole-genome copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were used to clarify the results further. In addition, methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MS-MLPA) was performed to analyze the possibility of uniparental disomy(UPD). Results: Amniotic fluid karyotype analysis revealed a 46, XX result. Approximately 20% mosaic trisomy 7 was detected according to the CMA result. About 16% and 4% of mosaicism was detected by CNV-seq and FISH, respectively. MS-MLPA showed no methylation abnormalities. The fetal ultrasound did not show any detectable abnormalities except for mild intrauterine growth retardation seen at 39 weeks of gestation. After receiving genetic counseling, the expectant mother decided to continue the pregnancy, and follow-up within three months of delivery was normal. Conclusion: In high-risk NIPT diagnosis, a combination of cytogenetic and molecular genetic techniques proves fruitful in detecting low-level mosaicism. Furthermore, the exclusion of UPD on chromosome 7 remains crucial when NIPT indicates a positive prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider a variable coefficient viscoelastic semilinear wave equation with logarithmic source term and acoustic boundary conditions in domains with non‐locally reacting boundary. By potential well method, we get the global existence of solution and through several important lemmas, we prove the general energy decay estimate of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forecasting citywide traffic congestion on large road networks has long been a nontrivial research problem due to the challenge of modeling complex evolution patterns of congestion in highly stochastic traffic environments. Arguing that purely data‐driven methods may not perform well for congestion forecasting, we propose a deep marked graph process model for predicting the congestion indices and the occurrence time of traffic congestion events for complex signalized road networks. Traffic congestion is considered as a nonrigorous spatiotemporal extreme event. We extend the traditional point process model by integrating a specially designed spatiotemporal graph convolutional network. This hybrid strategy takes advantage of the simple form of the point process model as well as the ability of graph neural networks to emulate the evolution of congestion. Experiments on real‐world congestion data sets show that the proposed method outperforms state‐of‐the‐art baseline methods, yielding satisfactory prediction results on a large signalized road network with superior computational efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of heterogeneous Fenton catalysts with good performance and stability is a challenge in the field of wastewater treatment. In this work, MgAlFe hydrotalcite-like compounds (MgAlFe-HTLcs) were prepared by solid phase reaction at room temperature and modified via a hydrothermal process. The experimental results showed that MgAlFe-HTLcs had a good layered structure with the same proportion of iron and aluminium, 18 h of crystallisation time and 110°C of crystallisation temperature and the lamellar structure was more uniform by solid grinding. Furthermore, the addition of iron can activate H2O2 more effectively to generate active oxygen which is •OH. The degradation experiments demonstrated that nearly 99.0% degradation efficiency was achieved for 10 mg/L Malachite Green (MG) solution within 60 min at the conditions of 0.10 g·L−1 MgAlFe-HTLcs, 0.10 mol·L-1 H2O2 and a natural pH of 6.3. Total organic carbon (TOC) removal reached 72.2% in a 70 min reaction. BET and XRD were measured to further discuss the stability and durability. Finally, a possible mechanism for the degradation of MG was presumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This swift progression of urbanization has led to increasingly prominent conflicts over the use of land, particularly around its supply and demand. Researchers, both in China and internationally, have underscored the inherent interconnection between urbanization and land utilization. This relationship has gradually become more complex with the development of urbanization. With the implementation of the Yellow River Basin's strategy to preserve the environment while ensuring high-quality development, the Yellow River Basin has become a focal point of attention for numerous scholars. This study centers on the 57 county-level administrative divisions within the Gansu segment of the Yellow River Basin. We employed an extensive array of methodologies, such as GIS technology, the entropy method, data envelopment analysis, the coupling coordination degree model, and the panel vector autoregressive model. We established an index system and a measurement model to evaluate the degree of urbanization and the efficiency of land use. We also investigated the coupling coordinated dynamics between these two variables, to further explore the dynamic interplay between urbanization and land use and reveal their underlying mechanisms. The conclusions are as follows. The urbanization level and efficiency of land use in the Gansu section of the Yellow River Basin have exhibited a consistent upward trajectory, albeit at levels that are not particularly high, indicating substantial room for improvement in the future. The level of coupling coordination between urbanization and land use efficiency in the Gansu section of the Yellow River Basin has shown a generally upward trend. However, the overall coordination level remains relatively low, characterized by an imbalance, with "high coupling but low coordination". Regarding spatial distribution patterns, considerable disparities exist in the level of coordination development, which generally decreases from the eastern toward the western regions. A strong reciprocal and interactive relationship exists between the urbanization level and land use efficiency. An elevated level of economic urbanization can initially stimulate land use efficiency. Similarly, the improvement in the level of population urbanization, social urbanization, and ecological urbanization tends to exert a restraining influence on the augmentation of land use efficiency. Conversely, the enhancement of land use efficiency makes a distinct contribution to promoting the elevation of the urbanization level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pedestrian trajectory data, which can be used to mine pedestrian motion patterns or to model pedestrian dynamics, is crucial for indoor location‐based service studies and applications. However, researchers are faced with the challenges of data shortage and privacy restrictions when using pedestrian trajectory data. We present an Indoor Pedestrian Trajectory Generator (IPTG), which is a novel deep learning model to synthesize pedestrian trajectory data. IPTG first produces feature sequences that encode the spatial–temporal and semantic features of the walking process and then interpolates them into complete trajectories using A* and perturbation algorithms. IPTG has specially designed loss functions that preserve topological constraints and semantic characteristics. Incorporating the prior knowledge of environment constraints and pedestrian walking patterns, the IPTG model is capable of generating topologically and logically sound indoor pedestrian trajectories. We evaluated the synthesized trajectories based on multiple metrics and examined the generated trajectories qualitatively. The results show that IPTG outperforms several baselines, demonstrating its ability to generate semantically meaningful and spatiotemporally coherent trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Cas9 is limited by protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequences during the application process, which is particularly evident in insect genome editing. Researchers have discovered Cas9 variants with a wider range of recognition due to the development of genome-editing technology. However, the application of these variants in insects has been ineffective and time-consuming. To tackle this issue, this study established a high-throughput assay system capable of rapidly detecting recognizable PAM sequences of different Cas9 variants in Bombyx mori and the corresponding editing efficiency of the sites. We utilized this system to evaluate the editing ability of two protein variants, xCas9 and Cas9-NG, in Bombyx mori cells. Based on the editing ability of these two proteins, the editable range of the Bombyx mori genome can be greatly expanded, accelerating research on the genome's function. This system is also applicable to other insects for detecting the editing ability of Cas9 variants, thus accelerating the study of silkworm genome function. Genome editing provides novel opportunities for the precise genome engineering of diverse organisms. Significant progress has been made in the development of genome-editing tools for Bombyx mori (B. mori) in recent years. Among these, CRISPR/Cas9, which is currently the most commonly used system in lepidopteran insects, recognizes NGG protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequences within the target locus. However, Cas9 lacks the ability to target all gene loci in B. mori, indicating the need for Cas9 variants with a larger editing range. In this study, we developed a high-throughput screening platform to validate Cas9 variants at all possible recognizable and editable PAM sites for target sequences in B. mori. This platform enabled us to identify PAM sites that can be recognized by both xCas9 3.7 and SpCas9-NG variants in B. mori and to assess their editing efficiency. Cas9 shows PAM sites every 13 base pairs in the genome, whereas xCas9 3.7 and SpCas9-NG have an average distance of 3.4 and 3.6 base pairs, respectively, between two specific targeting sites. Combining the two Cas9 variants could significantly expand the targeting range of the genome, accelerate research on the B. mori genome, and extend the high-throughput rapid screening platform to other insects, particularly those lacking suitable NGG PAM sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we prepared a novel material of cobalt nanorods@ cobalt-platinum nanoparticles using a facile, green method. We used a hydrothermal method to first synthesize a cobalt nanorod, which was used as a substrate material on which a ZIF-67 MOF structure was controllably loaded, and then, platinum was loaded into the MOF using a redox substitution reaction, resulting in the formation of a new type of nanocomposites, cobalt nanorods@ cobalt-platinum nanoparticles. The composites were successfully doped with a small amount of precious metal platinum into cobalt nanorods @ cobalt MOF by replacement method, which combines the unique structure of cobalt nanorods, cobalt MOF and high electrocatalytic performance of platinum, realizes the organic combination of precious metal-transition metal and effectively improves the electrocatalytic performance of the composites. The novel composites Co NRs@Co 10 –Pt 1 NPs exhibit high catalytic activity and stability for the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, Tafel slopes is 25 mV dec−1 in HER and 56 mV dec−1 in OER. This work provides a new idea for the preparation step of novel transition metal-precious metal composites and contributes to the effective improvement of the material's performance in electrocatalytic water decomposition reaction. • Cobalt-platinum nanoparticles coated on cobalt nanorods. • Trace noble metal doping greatly improves electrocatalytic performance. • Nanorod structures and small-sized nanoparticles provide more active sites. • High electrocatalytic performance for oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a visual observer-based control system for autonomous vehicles, addressing challenges such as modeling uncertainties and measurement noise. The system uses a visual sensor and leverages state information from autonomous vehicles. The observer and controller are designed separately, and a two-stage design method is employed to coordinate them. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated through simulations and experiments. The article also discusses the modeling uncertainties and measurement noise that can affect the performance of the control system, and presents an experiment using a quadcopter to validate the proposed approach. Additionally, the article discusses the design of a robust nonlinear observer for a robotic system, using the Lyapunov candidate and the Small Gain Principle to ensure stability and practicality. The text provides equations and references to support its claims. [Extracted from the article]

MoCoB‐based cermets have been regarded as the potential substitution of WC cermets with high hardness, high melting point and high oxidation resistance. Ternary borides‐based cermets are widely used in extreme environment, such as high‐pressure environment. Therefore, it is significant to explore the mechanical properties and electronic structures of transition elements X (X = V, Mn, Fe, Ni) atoms doped MoCoB under high pressure, which are performed by first‐principles calculations to provide guidance for industry applications. The analysis of cohesive energy and formation enthalpy indicates high pressure leads to unstable states with lower lattice constants and crystal volumes. The deviation of cohesive energy and formation enthalpy indicate Mo4Co3FeB4 and Mo4Co3NiB4 have similar stability. The shear modulus, Young's modulus and bulk modulus increase under high pressure, which consists with the increasing of covalence. The variation of ductility and anisotropy indicate similar upward trend, which is verified by Poisson's ratio, B/G ratio and anisotropy index AU. The analysis of overlap population indicates high pressure leads to the increasing of covalence of B‐Co covalent bonds and the decreasing of the covalence of B‐Mo covalent bonds. The analysis of electronic structures indicates the high pressure leads to higher hybridization and lower density of states of metallic bonds. The analysis of charge density difference consists with the variation of mechanical properties, implying shorter bond length and higher bonds strength under high pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sodium extraction/insertion in layered transition‐metal oxide (TMO) cathode materials are typically accompanied by slab sliding and lattice changes, leading to microstructure destruction and capacity decay. Herein, negative lattice expansion is observed in an O3 type Ni‐based layered cathode of Na0.9Ni0.32Zn0.08Fe0.1Mn0.3Ti0.2O2 upon Na+ extraction. It is attributed to the weak Zn2+−O2− orbital hybridization and increased electron density of the surrounding oxygen for reinforced interlayer O−O repulsive force. This enables gliding of TMO slabs for the intergrowth phase transition of P3→OP2 to alleviate lattice strain with moderate lattice shrinkage, which exhibits general interslab spacings and volume changes as low as 2.4 % and 1.9 %, respectively. The strong Ti−O bonds accommodate the internal distortion of TMO6 octahedra due to the flexibility of TiO6 octahedra during cycling. These endow a high specific capacity of 144.9 mAh g−1 and excellent cycling performance of pouch‐type sodium‐ion batteries with 93 % capacity retention after 3600 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sodium extraction/insertion in layered transition‐metal oxide (TMO) cathode materials are typically accompanied by slab sliding and lattice changes, leading to microstructure destruction and capacity decay. Herein, negative lattice expansion is observed in an O3 type Ni‐based layered cathode of Na0.9Ni0.32Zn0.08Fe0.1Mn0.3Ti0.2O2 upon Na+ extraction. It is attributed to the weak Zn2+−O2− orbital hybridization and increased electron density of the surrounding oxygen for reinforced interlayer O−O repulsive force. This enables gliding of TMO slabs for the intergrowth phase transition of P3→OP2 to alleviate lattice strain with moderate lattice shrinkage, which exhibits general interslab spacings and volume changes as low as 2.4 % and 1.9 %, respectively. The strong Ti−O bonds accommodate the internal distortion of TMO6 octahedra due to the flexibility of TiO6 octahedra during cycling. These endow a high specific capacity of 144.9 mAh g−1 and excellent cycling performance of pouch‐type sodium‐ion batteries with 93 % capacity retention after 3600 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Self‐incompatibility plays a vital role in angiosperms, by preventing inbreeding depression and maintaining genetic diversity within populations. Following polyploidization, many angiosperm species transition from self‐incompatibility to self‐compatibility.Here, we investigated the S‐locus in Brassicaceae and identified distinct origins for the sRNA loci, SMI and SMI2 (SCR Methylation Inducer 1 and 2), within the S‐locus. The SMI loci were found to be widespread in Cruciferae, whereas the SMI2 loci were exclusive to Brassica species.Additionally, we discovered four major S‐haplotypes (BnS‐1, BnS‐6, BnS‐7, and BnS‐1300) in rapeseed. Overexpression of BnSMI‐1 in self‐incompatible Brassica napus ('S‐70S1300S6') resulted in a significant increase in DNA methylation in the promoter regions of BnSCR‐6 and BnSCR‐1300, leading to self‐compatibility. Conversely, by overexpressing a point mutation of BnSmi‐1 in the 'S‐70S1300S6' line, we observed lower levels of DNA methylation in BnSCR‐6 and BnSCR‐1300 promoters. Furthermore, the overexpression of BnSMI2‐1300 in the 'SI‐326S7S6' line inhibited the expression of BnSCR‐7 through transcriptional repression of the Smi2 sRNA from the BnS‐1300 haplotype.Our study demonstrates that the self‐compatibility of rapeseed is determined by S‐locus sRNA‐mediated silencing of SCR after polyploidization, which helps to further breed self‐incompatible or self‐compatible rapeseed lines, thereby facilitating the utilization of heterosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dental anxiety is a widespread complication occurring in pediatric patients during dental visits and may lead to undesirable complications. Esketamine may be effective in anxiety. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of premedication with a dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination compared with dexmedetomidine alone on dental anxiety in preschool children undergoing dental treatment under general anesthesia. This is a prospective, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial. A total of 84 patients were scheduled for elective outpatient dental caries treatment under general anesthesia. Patients were randomly premedicated with intranasal dexmedetomidine (group D) or intranasal dexmedetomidine-esketamine (group DS). The primary outcome was the level of dental anxiety assessed by the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale (MCDAS) at 2 h after surgery. Secondary outcomes included level of dental anxiety at 1 day and 7 days after surgery, the incidence of dental anxiety at 2 h, 1 day, and 7 days after surgery, sedation onset time, overall success of sedation, acceptance of mask induction, postoperative pain intensity, incidence of emergence agitation in PACU, adverse reactions, HR, and SpO2 before premedication (baseline) and at 10, 20, and 30 min after the end of study drug delivery. The dental anxiety in group DS was lower than that in group D at 2 h, 1 day, and 7 days postoperatively (P = 0.04, 0.004, and 0.006, respectively). The incidences of dental anxiety in group DS were lower than those in group D at 2 h (53 % vs 76 %, P = 0.03), 1 day (47 % vs 71 %, P = 0.04), and 7 days (44 % vs 71 %, P = 0.02) after surgery. Group DS had a higher success rate of sedation (P = 0.03) but showed a lower MAS score (P = 0.005) and smoother hemodynamics (P < 0.01) after drug administration than group D. Group DS showed a significantly lower incidence rate of emergence agitation (P = 0.03) and postoperative pain intensity (P = 0.006) than that in group D during the anesthesia recovery time. The occurrence of adverse reactions was similar in both groups (P > 0.05). We did not analyze and correct for the learning effect caused by repeated applications of the MCDAS and MCDAS scores on the 1 day after surgery were obtained by telephone follow-up. Compared to premedication with dexmedetomidine alone, premedication with intranasal dexmedetomidine combined with esketamine could significantly improve dental anxiety in preschool children undergoing dental treatment under general anesthesia. • Evidence regarding effects of esketamine on dental anxiety has been limited. • Intranasal dexmedetomidine combined with esketamine improves dental anxiety in children undergoing dental surgery. • Premedication with dexmedetomidine and esketamine reduces emergence agitation and postoperative pain in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of intelligent technologies, notably Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCIs), has introduced novel privacy dilemmas. Ensuring judicious privacy transfer is imperative for the application of BCI technology and pivotal for fostering economic and technological progress. This study adopts privacy transfer as the research perspective and employs an ethical matrix as the research method. It establishes BCI users as the central core interests, with marketers, developers, and medical personnel as stakeholders. Departing from the binary opposition of public and private in traditional privacy theory, this article proposes ethical principles such as maximizing benefits, minimizing harm, and respecting independent decision-making power. It constructs a judgment matrix for the privacy transfer of BCIs, utilizing this matrix to identify ethical risks like privacy disclosure and hijacking. This study analyzes the reasons for risks, aiming to overcome dilemmas and construct an ethical matrix to explore privacy transfer boundary division methods suitable for BCI technology and tailored to different stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study conducts a systematic bibliometric analysis of tongue cancer publications to identify key topics, hotspots, and research distribution. Methods: We analyzed tongue cancer publications in the Web of Science core collection database, assessing their quantity and quality. We investigated contributors, including countries, affiliations, journals, authors, and categories, within collaborative networks. Additionally, we synthesized key research findings using various analytical techniques, such as alluvial flow, burstness analysis, cluster analysis, co-occurrence network of associations, and network layer overlay. Results: From 2000 to 2022, this bibliometric study covers 2205 articles and reviews across 617 journals, involving 72 countries, 2233 institutions, and 11,266 authors. It shows consistent growth, particularly in 2016. Key contributors include China (499 publications), Karolinska Institute (84 publications), Oral Oncology (144 publications), and Tuula Salo (47 publications). Other notable contributors are the USA (16,747 citations), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) (2597 citations), and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) (2231 citations). Additionally, there are significant teams led by Tuula Salo and Dalianis. We have identified six primary clusters: #0 apoptosis, #1 depth of invasion, #2 radiotherapy, #3 hpv, #4 tongue cancer, #5 oral cancer. The top ten highly cited documents primarily pertain to epidemiology, prognostic indicators in early-stage oral tongue cancer, and HPV. Additionally, we observed 16 reference clusters, with depth of invasion (#3), young patients (#4), and tumor budding (#6) gaining prominence since 2012, indicating sustained research interests. Conclusions: This analysis emphasizes the increasing scholarly interest in tongue cancer research. The bibliometric evaluation highlights pivotal recent research themes such as HPV, depth of invasion, tumor budding, and surgical margins. Clinical relevance: The bibliometric analysis highlights the key topics and studies which have shaped the understanding and management of tongue cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced mobile functions and empowered smartphones have provided tourists with various location-based service apps that reshaped the business model of the tourism sector. Despite their importance to tourists, l-apps still have limitations, such as ignorance of tourist preferences and the mismatch between app introduction and tourist experience, therefore affecting tourist loyalty to destinations. Understanding tourist-oriented factors thus becomes critical for l-app designers and service providers. This study integrates the technology-acceptance model (TAM) into a unique context to examine the roles of digital literacy, perceived ease of use, perceived autonomy, virtual-content congruence, and tourist engagement on tourist loyalty. Our empirical test of a structural equation model based on a randomly recruited 319 customers found that tourists' digital literacy influences their engagement and perceived ease of use, which mediates the relationship between digital literacy and engagement; tourists' perceived autonomy influences their engagement. Moreover, we found the moderating role of information-experience congruency between digital literacy, perceived ease of use, and perceived autonomy and tourist engagement, thus contributing to the boundary conditions of the TAM model. Finally, tourist engagement contributes to tourist loyalty. The study contributes to the integration of the technology acceptance model with a tourist orientation. The findings also offer meaningful, practical implications and recommendations on l-app design to stakeholders of tourist destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Compound 2‐O‐α‐d‐glucosylglycerol (2αGG) naturally serves as a compatible osmolyte in acclimation to environmental stresses, such as high osmolarity, dryness, and extreme temperature. It presents several bioactivities and has been used in the food, agriculture, and cosmetics areas. RESULTS: In the present study, we attempted to synthesize the 2αGG from low‐cost maltodextrin and glycerol by constructing an in vitro multi‐enzyme system. The system contained two core enzymes, namely glucan phosphorylases (GPs) and glucosylglycerol phosphorylases (GGPs), and two auxiliary enzymes, namely isoamylase and 4‐α‐glucanotransferase. Several new GGPs from different organisms were characterized with the function of converting α‐G1P and glycerol to sole stereo‐configuration product 2αGG. Then, polypeptide SpyTag‐SpyCatcher was employed to construct a self‐assembled multienzyme complex, and different combinations between enzymes and peptides were constructed and tested. The best self‐assembled multienzyme complex exhibited three‐fold higher productivity compared to that of free enzyme. This reaction system also produced 240 mm (61 g L−1) 2αGG under high substrate concentration, with a conversion yield of 86%. CONCLUSION: The present study provides an efficient approach for producing 2αGG. It also demonstrates that the SpyTag‐SpyCatcher system could be applied to construct other multienzyme complexes for increased productivity and product titer. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explainable spatio-temporal prediction gains attraction in the development of geospatial artificial intelligence. The neural ordinal differential equation (NODE) emerges as a new solution for explainable spatio-temporal prediction. However, challenges still need to be solved in most existing NODE-based prediction models, such as difficulty modeling spatial data and mining long-term temporal dependencies in data. In this study, we propose a spatio-temporal attentional NODE (STA-ODE) to address the two challenges above. First, we define a spatio-temporal ordinary differential equation to predict a value at each time iteratively by a novel spatio-temporal derivative network. Second, we develop an attention mechanism to fuse multiple prediction values for capturing long-term temporal dependencies in data. To train the STA-ODE model, we design a loss function that aligns the prediction results in spatial dimension with prediction results in temporal dimension to calibrate the parameters of the model. The proposed model was validated with three real-world spatio-temporal datasets (traffic flow dataset, PM2.5 monitoring dataset, and temperature monitoring dataset). Experimental results showed that STA-ODE outperformed seven existing baselines regarding prediction accuracy. In addition, we used visualization to demonstrate the sound interpretability and prediction accuracy of the STA-ODE model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is currently poor scientific agreement on whether the ice–bed interface is frozen or thawed beneath approximately one third of the Greenland ice sheet. This disagreement in basal thermal state results, at least partly, from differences in the subglacial geothermal heat-flow basal boundary condition used in different ice-flow models. Here, we employ seven widely used Greenland geothermal heat-flow maps in 10 000-year spin-ups of the Community Ice Sheet Model (CISM). We perform two spin-ups: one nudged toward thickness observations and the other unconstrained. Across the seven heat-flow maps, and regardless of unconstrained or nudged spin-up, the spread in basal ice temperatures exceeds 10 ∘ C over large areas of the ice–bed interface. For a given heat-flow map, the thawed-bed ice-sheet area is consistently larger under unconstrained spin-ups than nudged spin-ups. Under the unconstrained spin-up, thawed-bed area ranges from 33.5 % to 60.0 % across the seven heat-flow maps. Perhaps counterintuitively, the highest iceberg calving fluxes are associated with the lowest heat flows (and vice versa) for both unconstrained and nudged spin-ups. These results highlight the direct, and non-trivial, influence of the heat-flow boundary condition on the simulated equilibrium thermal state of the ice sheet. We suggest that future ice-flow model intercomparisons should employ a range of basal heat-flow maps, and limit direct intercomparisons with simulations using a common heat-flow map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rubrics are often used as scoring tools in evaluating student writing performance. Although there is a considerable amount of research on the use of rubrics in ESL writing instruction, little attention has been paid to studies of engaging students in rubric co-construction in the ELT context. This study investigates the implementation of teacher-student rubric co-construction as an alternative formative assessment in an ESL university writing course. Through analyzing the data collected from student interviews and teacher reflection, this study focuses on elucidating the rubric co-construction process and providing insights of students and the teacher who have engaged in rubric co-construction in ESL writing teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of an interface has been demonstrated as one of the most insightful strategies for designing efficient catalysts toward electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2RR). However, the weak interfacial interaction and inherent instability inevitably hinder a further performance enhancement in CO2RR attributable to the interface effect. Herein, 2 nm Ag nanoclusters (Ag NCs) are embedded onto CeO2 nanospheres (CeO2 NSs) with highly interconnected porosity (Ag NCs@CeO2 NSs) to exclusively study the pure interface effect toward CO2RR. The enhanced Ag–CeO2 pure interface endows Ag NCs@CeO2 NSs with a remarkably larger current density, significantly higher Faraday efficiency (FE), and energy efficiency as compared to Ag NCs, CeO2 NSs, and the one with Ag NCs dispersed on CeO2 nanoparticles. More importantly, an impressively high CO FE of over 70.0% is achieved at an ultralow overpotential (η) of 146 mV. The free energy and differential charge calculations, coupled with X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy results jointly imply that the effective initiation of CO2RR to CO at a lower η over Ag NCs@CeO2 NSs derives from the enhanced interface‐induced charge delocalization, which enhances the electron transfer ability toward *COOH intermediate, thus overcoming the energy barrier demanded for the rate‐determining step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of new liquid crystal compounds with negative dielectric anisotropy was synthesised by regulating the orientation of the substituents on the benzoxazole ring, namely, 5–4-(2-(4-(alkoxy)phenyl)-2,3-difluorophenyl)benzo[d]oxazole derivatives (nPP(2,3)FO). These compounds mainly display enantiotropic nematic mesophases in the ranges of 8.62–16.09°C (heating process) and 23.98–30.32°C (cooling process), moderate birefringence (Δn) ranging from 0.25–0.32 (DFT theoretical calculation) and 0.22–0.28 (experimental measurement), as well as negative dielectric anisotropy (Δɛ) ranging from −2.77 to −2.94. These characterises are ascribed to the larger perpendicular dipole moments and orientation angles of benzoxazole. This work provides new ideas for the rational design of negative dielectric anisotropy liquid crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we study the adequacy test of the partial functional linear model when the scalar predictors are measured with additive errors. Based on a corrected profile least-squares estimation of the null model, estimated residuals are first constructed, and a U-statistic-based test is proposed. The asymptotic properties of the test are investigated under the null and the alternative hypotheses. It is shown that the proposed test can control the type I error well, and its power performance is satisfactory. The finite sample performance of the proposed test is demonstrated through simulation studies and a real data analysis. • We study the adequacy test of partial functional linear models with additive errors. • A U-statistic-based test is proposed, and its asymptotic properties are proved. • The proposed test can control the type I error well, along with satisfactory power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein‐polymer conjugates have significant potential in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. To enable their widespread use, robust conjugation techniques are crucial. This study introduces a photo‐initiated reversible addition‐fragmentation chain‐transfer (Photo‐RAFT) polymerization system that exhibits excellent oxygen tolerance. This system allows for the synthesis of protein‐polymer conjugates with high bioactivity under mild and aerobic conditions. Three photocatalytic systems utilizing Eosin Y (EY) as the photocatalyst with two different cocatalysts (ascorbic acid and triethanolamine) were investigated, each generating distinct reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as singlet oxygen, superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals. The impact of these ROS on three model proteins (lysozyme, albumin, and myoglobin) was evaluated, demonstrating varying bioactivities based on the ROS produced. The EY/TEOA system was identified as the optimal photo‐RAFT initiating system, enabling the preparation of protein‐polymer conjugates under aerobic conditions while maintaining high protein enzymatic activity. To showcase the potential of this approach, lysozyme‐poly(dimethylaminoethyl acrylate) conjugates were successfully prepared and exhibited enhanced antimicrobial property against Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein‐polymer conjugates have significant potential in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. To enable their widespread use, robust conjugation techniques are crucial. This study introduces a photo‐initiated reversible addition‐fragmentation chain‐transfer (Photo‐RAFT) polymerization system that exhibits excellent oxygen tolerance. This system allows for the synthesis of protein‐polymer conjugates with high bioactivity under mild and aerobic conditions. Three photocatalytic systems utilizing Eosin Y (EY) as the photocatalyst with two different cocatalysts (ascorbic acid and triethanolamine) were investigated, each generating distinct reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as singlet oxygen, superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals. The impact of these ROS on three model proteins (lysozyme, albumin, and myoglobin) was evaluated, demonstrating varying bioactivities based on the ROS produced. The EY/TEOA system was identified as the optimal photo‐RAFT initiating system, enabling the preparation of protein‐polymer conjugates under aerobic conditions while maintaining high protein enzymatic activity. To showcase the potential of this approach, lysozyme‐poly(dimethylaminoethyl acrylate) conjugates were successfully prepared and exhibited enhanced antimicrobial property against Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite phase change materials with sugar alcohol as the phase change material and highly thermally conductive ceramics as the porous skeleton are widely used in various thermal storage systems. The interfacial thermal conductance (ITC) between the phase change materials under different phases and the skeleton is an important factor affecting the rate of heat storage (release) in thermal storage systems. The ITC between ceramics(AlN, SiC) and sugar alcohols (mannitol and galactitol) in the solid and liquid states is investigated by means of both time-domain thermoreflectance and molecular dynamics simulations. The results show that the ITC between phase change materials and ceramic is better in liquid state than in solid state, and that the ITC between mannitol and ceramic is better, and that the ITC betweenAlN and sugar alcohol is better. More low-frequency phonons are involved in the thermal transport of the sugar alcohols in the liquid state, with an average overlap energy of about 9.5% higher than that of the solid state and an average phonon participation rate of about 6.8% higher. It was also found that it isthe H atom in the sugar alcohol that is linked to the C atom that governs the ITC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the coordinated exploitation of coal measures‐associated resources is facing many problems, such as wide range, complex technology, and lack of in‐depth theoretical research. To study and solve the coordinated exploitation of coal and oil‐type gas‐associated superimposed resources, taking Huangling No.2 mine in Ordos Basin as an example, a fluid–solid coupling finite element model for coal mining in associated mines is constructed, and the variation laws of axial stress, displacement, stability and oil‐type gas pressure of each gas reservoir at different advancing distances of coal face are numerically simulated and the disturbance characteristics of the mining coal seam to the gas reservoir are obtained. The fluid–solid coupling finite element model of associated mine extraction is constructed, and the variation laws of axial stress, displacement, stability, and oil‐type gas pressure of the gas reservoir and coal seam when extracted from different gas reservoirs are numerically simulated. The disturbance characteristics of the surface‐extracted gas reservoir to the coal seam are obtained. The study results show that the larger the interval between the gas reservoir and the mining coal seam, the smaller the degree of disturbance, and the pressure relief effect of the oil‐type gas in the gas reservoir is positively related to its displacement; the surface drilling extract oil‐type gas, the oil‐type gas in the underlying gas reservoir will migrate and supplement to the extracted layer, and the plastic area around the extraction well basically appears in the mudstone layer and coal seam, and the gas reservoir near the coal seam has good pressure relief effect. Combined with the mutual disturbance characteristics between gas reservoir extraction and coal seam extraction and the field practice, disturbance control strategies for coordinated exploitation of superimposed resources of coal and oil‐type gas in Ordos Basin are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Constipation is a prevalent gastrointestinal symptom that can considerably affect a patients’ quality of life. Although several drugs have been used to treat constipation, they are associated with high costs, side effects, and low universality. Therefore, alternative intervention strategies are urgently needed. Traditional lactic acid bacteria (LAB), such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, play a vital role in regulating intestinal microecology and have demonstrated favorable effects in constipation; however, a comprehensive review of their constipation relief mechanisms is limited. This review summarizes the pathogenesis of constipation and the relationship between intestinal motility and gut microbiota, elucidates the possible mechanism by which LAB alleviates of constipation through a systematic summary of animal and clinical research, and highlights the challenges and applications of LAB in the treatment of constipation. Our review can improve our understanding of constipation, and advance targeted microecological therapeutic agents, such as LAB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The process of aging itself and the behavioral changes caused by aging have been extensively studied and recognized in the field of biology. In this study, we determined that age had no effect on social behavior in male Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana). Old female macaques were less likely to approach other monkeys. This study provides a new perspective on adjusting social interaction strategies in old non-human primates under nature environments. Aging can induce changes in social behaviors among humans and nonhuman primates (NHPs). Therefore, investigating the aging process in primate species can provide valuable evidence regarding age-related concerns in humans. However, the link between aging and behavioral patterns in nonhuman primates remains poorly comprehended. To address this gap, the present research examined aging-related behaviors exhibited by Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) in their natural habitat in Huangshan, China, during the period from October 2020 to June 2021. We collected behavioral data from 25 adult macaques using different data collection methods, including focal animal sampling and ad libitum sampling methods. We found that among adult female macaques, the frequency of being attacked decreased with their age, and that the frequency of approaching other monkeys also decreased as age increased. In males, however, this was not the case. Our findings demonstrate that older female macaques exhibit active conflict avoidance, potentially attributed to a reduction in the frequency of approaching conspecifics and a decreased likelihood of engaging in conflict behaviors. This study provides some important data for investigating aging in NHPs and confirms that Macaca can exhibit a preference for social partners under aging-related contexts similar to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)-β mediates the self-renewal and multipotency of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) in vitro and in vivo, its mechanisms of activating endogenous NSPCs following ischemic stroke still remain unproven. The exogenous NSPCs were transplanted into the ischemic striatum of PDGFR-β conditionally neuroepithelial knockout (KO) mice at 24 h after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). 5-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) was intraperitoneally injected to label the newly formed endogenous NSPCs. Infarction volume was measured, and behavioral tests were performed. In the subventricular zone (SVZ), proliferation of endogenous NSPCs was tested, and synapse formation and expression of nutritional factors were measured. Compared with control mice, KO mice showed larger infarction volume, delayed neurological recovery, reduced numbers of BrdU positive cells, decreased expression of neurogenic factors (including neurofilament, synaptophysin, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor), and decreased synaptic regeneration in SVZ after tMCAO. Moreover, exogenous NSPC transplantation significantly alleviated neurologic dysfunction, promoted neurogenesis, increased expression of neurologic factors, and diminished synaptic deformation in SVZ of FL mice after tMCAO but had no beneficial effect in KO mice. PDGFR-β signaling may promote activation of endogenous NSPCs after postischemic NSPC transplantation, and thus represents a novel potential regeneration-based therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the effect of fracture morphology and in situ stress on the seepage behavior of rough fractures, hydraulic–mechanical experiments with different confining stresses, pore pressures and fracture geometry were carried out. The dimensionless parameter non-Darcy coefficient factor K and K-based critical Reynolds number model (KCRN) was proposed to characterize the behavior of rough-wall fracture and fluid seepage. The results show that the seepage flow of rough-wall fracture can be well described by Forchheimer equation. As the confining pressure increases from 1 to 31 MPa, the two walls of the rough fracture are compressed, and the fluid flow capacity is weakened, resulting in an increase of 2–3 orders of magnitude in Forchheimer viscosity coefficient A. Also affected by the increase in the confining pressure, the contact area between the two walls of the rough fracture increases, which makes the fluid channel become curved, increases the dissipation of water pressure in the inertial process and causes the inertial term coefficient B to increase by 2–3 orders of magnitude in general. In the whole range of test confining pressure (1 MPa–31 MPa), the flow state of rough fracture fluid is divided into zones based on the critical Reynolds number. The average hydraulic aperture decreases with the increase in the confining pressure, which can be perfectly fitted by hyperbolic function. The calculated critical Reynolds number of six rough fracture samples varies from 0.0196 to 1.0424. According to the experimental data, the K-based critical Reynolds number model (KCRN) is validated, and the validation results prove the accuracy and reliability of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cracking and fragmentation problems that occur during lignite drying limit its utilization value. In this study, the dehydration, surface damage, and pulverization behaviors of lignite were investigated under hot-air drying conditions, and the effect of the dewatering process on shrinkage cracking was analyzed. Cracks first appear at the edges of the lignite, then gradually extend inward until they spread over the entire surface of the lignite, before beginning to shrink, and eventually stabilize. The crack rate exhibited three stages: rapid development, shrinkage, and stabilization. The crack rate and shrinkage percentage increased significantly with increase in the drying temperature. The moisture content had a greater influence on the crack rate and shrinkage percentage of the samples than the surface temperature. A uniaxial compression test revealed that lignite with different degrees of dryness exhibited different degrees of breakage. The drying process drives the lignite toward finer grain sizes and, with moisture content below 0.8 g/g, the degree of breakage increases significantly. Thus, the main factor affecting the shrinkage and cracking of lignite was the moisture content. Cracks occurred when the tensile strain caused by shrinkage was greater than the tensile strength of the lignite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore whether intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) parameters could evaluate liver regeneration preoperatively. Methods: A total of 175 HCC patients were initially recruited. The apparent diffusion coefficient, true diffusion coefficient (D), pseudodiffusion coefficient (D*), pseudodiffusion fraction (f), diffusion distribution coefficient, and diffusion heterogeneity index (Alpha) were measured by two independent radiologists. Spearman's correlation test was used to assess correlations between IVIM parameters and the regeneration index (RI), calculated as 100% × (the volume of the postoperative remnant liver − the volume of the preoperative remnant liver) / the volume of the preoperative remnant liver. Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to identify the factors for RI. Results: Finally, 54 HCC patients (45 men and 9 women, mean age 51.26 ± 10.41 years) were retrospectively analyzed. The intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from 0.842 to 0.918. In all patients, fibrosis stage was reclassified as F0–1 (n = 10), F2–3 (n = 26), and F4 (n = 18) using the METAVIR system. Spearman correlation test showed D* (r = 0.303, p = 0.026) was associated with RI; however, multivariate analysis showed that only D value was a significant predictor (p < 0.05) of RI. D and D*showed moderate correlations with fibrosis stage (r = −0.361, p = 0.007; r = −0.457, p = 0.001). Fibrosis stage showed a negative correlation with RI (r = −0.263, p = 0.015). In the 29 patients who underwent minor hepatectomy, only the D value showed a positive association (p < 0.05) with RI, and a negative correlation with fibrosis stage (r = −0.360, p = 0.018). However, in the 25 patients who underwent major hepatectomy, no IVIM parameters were associated with RI (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The D and D* values, especially the D value, may be reliable preoperative predictors of liver regeneration. Key Points: • The D and D* values, especially the D value, derived from IVIM diffusion-weighted imaging may be useful markers for the preoperative prediction of liver regeneration in patients with HCC. • The D and D* values derived from IVIM diffusion-weighted imaging show significant negative correlations with fibrosis, an important predictor of liver regeneration. • No IVIM parameters were associated with liver regeneration in patients who underwent major hepatectomy, but the D value was a significant predictor of liver regeneration in patients who underwent minor hepatectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We establish a novel definition of the fractional gradient and divergence of order α ∈ (0 , 1) through the use of Riesz potential on homogeneous Carnot groups. We introduce and investigate the distributional fractional Sobolev space and the space of fractional BV functions in this context. Additionally, we provide a definition of fractional Caccioppoli sets on homogeneous Carnot groups and demonstrate their blow-up property, using similar methods as outlined in [13]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to capture passengers' public transit behavior and their mobility to create profiles, which are critical for analyzing human activities, understanding the social and economic structure of cities, improving public transportation, assisting urban planning, and promoting smart cities. In this paper, we develop a generative adversarial machine learning network to characterize the temporal and spatial mobility behavior of public transit passengers, based on massive smart card data and road network data. The Apriori algorithm is extended with spatio-temporal constraints to extract frequent transit mobility patterns of individual passengers based on a reconstructed personal trip dataset. This individual-level pattern information is used to construct personalized feature vectors. For regular and frequent public transit passengers, we identify similar transit mobility groups using spatio-temporal constraints to construct a group feature vector. We develop a generative adversarial network to embed public transit mobility of passengers. The proposed model's generator consists of an auto-encoder, which extracts a low-dimensional and compact representation of passenger behavior, and a pre-trained sub-generator containing generalization features of public transit passengers. Shenzhen City is taken as the study area in this paper, and experiments were carried out based on smart card data, road network data, and bus GPS data. Clustering analysis of embedding vector representation and estimation of the top K transit destinations were conducted, verifying that the proposed method can profile passenger transit mobility in a comprehensive and compact manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural condition identification based on monitoring data is important for automatic civil infrastructure asset management. Nevertheless, the monitoring data are almost always insufficient because the real-time monitoring data of a structure only reflect a limited number of structural conditions, while the number of possible structural conditions is infinite. With insufficient monitoring data, the identification performance may significantly degrade. This study aims to tackle this challenge by proposing a deep transfer learning (TL) approach for structural condition identification. It effectively integrates physics-based and data-driven methods by generating various training data based on the calibrated finite element (FE) model, pretraining a deep learning (DL) network, and transferring its embedded knowledge to the real monitoring/testing domain. Its performance is demonstrated in a challenging case, vibration-based condition identification of steel frame structures with bolted connection damage. First, disparate subsets of test data are used as training data, and the identification accuracy of the whole dataset is evaluated. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach can achieve high identification accuracy with limited types of training data, with the identification accuracy increasing up to 8.57%. Second, numerical simulation data are used as training data, and then different TL strategies and different DL architectures are compared on the performance of structural condition identification. The results show that even though the training data are from a different domain and with different types of labels, intrinsic physics can be learned through the pretraining process, and the TL results can be clearly improved, with the identification accuracy increasing from 81.8% to 89.1%. The comparative studies show that SHMnet with three convolutional layers stands out as the pretraining DL architecture, with 21.8% and 25.5% higher identification accuracy values over the other two networks, VGGNet-16 and ResNet-18. The findings of this study advance the potential application of the proposed approach towards expert-level condition identification based on limited real-world training data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The moisture content of cigar leaves during drying is an important indicator for controlling the management of drying rooms. At present, the determination of cigar leaf moisture content is mainly dependent on traditional destructive detection methods, which are inefficient and damaging to plants. In this study, a Convolution Neural Network method consisting of digital images for monitoring the moisture content of cigar leaves during the drying process was proposed. In this study, the Convolution Neural Network model was trained to learn the relationship between the images and the corresponding moisture content using the extracted colour, shape, and texture features as input factors. In order to compare the Convolution Neural Network estimation results, a widely used traditional machine learning algorithm was applied. The results demonstrated that the estimated value of Convolution Neural Network agreed with the predicted value; the R² was 0.9044, and the average accuracy was 87.34%. These results were better than those produced by traditional machine learning methods. The generalization test of the proposed method was conducted using varieties of cigar leaves in other drying rooms. The results showed that Convolution Neural Network is a viable method for an accurate estimation of the moisture content, the R² was 0.8673 and the average accuracy was 86.81%. The Convolution Neural Network established by the features extracted from digital images could accurately estimate the moisture content of cigar leaves during drying and was therefore shown to be an effective monitoring tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to develop an unconditionally stable Euler implicit/explicit scheme for the natural convection equations based on an introduced exponential scalar auxiliary variable. Our numerical scheme involves treating the linear terms in the implicit scheme and nonlinear terms in the explicit scheme. Then, the considered problem is decoupled into a series of linearized subproblems, and these algebraic systems with constant coefficient matrixes can be solved efficiently. Compared with the existing theoretical findings of the implicit/explicit scheme for the incompressible flow [He YN. The Euler implicit/explicit scheme for the 2D time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations with smooth or nonsmooth initial data. Math Comput. 2008;77(264):2097–2124.; He YN, Huang PZ, Feng XL. H2-stability of first order fully discrete schemes for the time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations. J Sci Comput. 2015;62:230–264; He YN, Li J. A penalty finite element method based on the Euler implicit/explicit scheme for the time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations. J Comput Appl Math. 2010;235(3):708–725; Jin JJ, Zhang T, Li J. H2 stability of the first order Galerkin method for the Boussinesq equations with smooth and nonsmooth initial data. Comput Math Appl. 2018;75(1):248–288; Su J, He YN. The almost unconditional convergence of the Euler implicit/explicit scheme for the three dimensional nonstationary Navier-Stokes equations. Discrete Continuous Dyn Syst Ser B. 2017;22(9):3421–3438], our analysis removes the restriction on time step Δ t ≤ C , and obtains the unconditional stability and convergence theoretical findings. Some numerical results are also provided to verify the established theoretical analysis and show the performances of the considered numerical scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an aqueous and near‐infrared (NIR) light mediated photoinduced reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (photo‐RAFT) polymerization system catalyzed by tetrasulfonated zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPcS4−) in the presence of peroxides. Taking advantage of its fast polymerization rates and high oxygen tolerance, this system is successfully applied for the preparation of hydrogels. Exploiting the enhanced penetration of NIR light, photoinduced gelation is effectively performed through non‐transparent biological barriers. Notably, the RAFT agents embedded in these hydrogel networks can be reactivated on‐demand, enabling the hydrogel healing under NIR light irradiation. In contrast to the minimal healing capability (<15 %) of hydrogels prepared by free radical polymerization (FRP), RAFT‐mediated networks display more than 80 % recovery of tensile strength. Although healable polymer networks under UV and blue lights have already been established, this work is the first photochemistry system using NIR light, facilitating photoinduced healing of hydrogels through thick non‐transparent barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an aqueous and near‐infrared (NIR) light mediated photoinduced reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (photo‐RAFT) polymerization system catalyzed by tetrasulfonated zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPcS4−) in the presence of peroxides. Taking advantage of its fast polymerization rates and high oxygen tolerance, this system is successfully applied for the preparation of hydrogels. Exploiting the enhanced penetration of NIR light, photoinduced gelation is effectively performed through non‐transparent biological barriers. Notably, the RAFT agents embedded in these hydrogel networks can be reactivated on‐demand, enabling the hydrogel healing under NIR light irradiation. In contrast to the minimal healing capability (<15 %) of hydrogels prepared by free radical polymerization (FRP), RAFT‐mediated networks display more than 80 % recovery of tensile strength. Although healable polymer networks under UV and blue lights have already been established, this work is the first photochemistry system using NIR light, facilitating photoinduced healing of hydrogels through thick non‐transparent barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the variation of mechanical properties of steel under acid rain corrosion conditions in northern China, monotonic tensile tests were conducted on Q235 steel with a thickness of 3.0 mm and 4.5 mm using a method of artificially prepared simulated acid rain solution for indoor accelerated corrosion. The results show that the failure mode of corroded steel standard tensile coupon includes normal fault and oblique fault. The failure patterns of the test specimen show that the thickness of the steel and corrosion rate affected the corrosion resistance. Larger thicknesses and lower corrosion rates will delay the failure mode of corrosion on steel. The strength reduction factor (Ru), deformability reduction factor (Rd) and energy absorption reduction factor (Re) decrease linearly with the increasing corrosion rate from 0% to 30%. The results are interpreted also from the microstructural point of view. The number, size, and distribution of the pits are random when the steel is subjected to sulfate corrosion. The higher the corrosion rate, the clearer, denser, and more hemispherical the corrosion pits. The microstructure of steel tensile fracture can be divided into intergranular fracture and cleavage fracture. As the corrosion rate increases, the dimples at the tensile fracture gradually disappear and the cleavage surface gradually increases. An equivalent thickness reduction model is proposed based on Faraday's law and the meso-damage theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the cold-start process of a PEMFC, the supply of air and hydrogen in the gas supply system has a great influence on the cold-start performance. The cold-start of a PEMFC is a complex nonlinear coupling process, and the traditional control strategy is not sensitive to the real-time characteristics of the system. Inspired by the strong perception and decision-making abilities of deep reinforcement learning, this paper proposes a cold-start control strategy for a gas supply system based on the MADDPG algorithm, and designs an air supply controller and a hydrogen supply controller based on this algorithm. The proposed strategy can optimize the control parameters of the gas supply system in real time according to the temperature rise rate of the stack during the cold-start process, the fluctuation of the OER, and the voltage output characteristics. After the strategy is trained offline according to the designed reward function, the detailed in-loop simulation experiment results are given and compared with the traditional control strategy for the gas supply system. From the results, it can be seen that the proposed MADDPG control strategy has a more effective coordination control effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantum yield (QY) values of crops are important for assessing photosynthetic efficiency. Our hypothesis is that high-throughput prediction models of QY values can be established based on vegetation indices (VIs). The objectives of this research were to predict QY values based on VIs with high correlations and to compare the performances of classical machine learning with that of B-NAS methods. Compared with support vector regression (SVR) and other traditional prediction methods, in this study, a novel prediction model based on an optimised neural architecture search (B-NAS) was proposed, and achieved comparatively better results. In addition, an improved architecture was obtained and compared for ten different search architectures on the experimental dataset. The experimental results showed that the neural network model constructed based on the B-NAS method predicted QY values outperformed the models obtained using SVR and Adaboost methods in terms of all considered performance metrics (R2, RMSE, RPD, Bias). Meanwhile, the proposed model meets the criteria for a class A model. The final B-NAS model was tested on an independent validation set, obtaining similar performance metrics and an accuracy of 92% for post-prediction classification into three equal interval QY classes. An analysis of the neural architecture obtained by B-NAS showed that a four-layer network architecture had certain advantages. As well, the importance of the preprocessing and dropout layers is discussed. • Developed an optimised NAS model for predicting quantum yield of wheat in the field. • Examined the potential of NDVI, GNDVI, LCI and NDRE for prediction of quantum yield. • A B-NAS neural network with four layers and dropout normalisation gave best results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]