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Clonal integration is an important ecological advantage of clonal plants. To ask whether clonal integration can help invasive plants escape space limitations, we tested the hypothesis that it can promote the growth of apical ramets when their connected basal ramets grow in limited space. We conducted a greenhouse experiment on the common perennial herb Hydrocotyle vulgaris. Clonal fragments consisting of pairs of connected ramets grew with basal ramets in three different sizes of pots (small, medium, and large) and apical ramets in large pots, and the connection between ramets was either severed or left intact. Pot size significantly affected the growth of basal ramets such that the biomass, number of leaves and flowers, and stolon length were in general greater in medium pots than in large and small pots when stolons were intact and were greater in medium and large pots than in small pots when stolons were severed. Furthermore, pot size interacted with severance to affect the performance of H. vulgaris. When the basal ramets grew in small pots, the intact stolon resulted in a significant promotion of apical ramet growth, but such positive effect was not found when the basal ramets grew in medium and large pots. Our results suggest that H. vulgaris is able to promote the growth of apical ramets to occupy the surrounding areas through clonal integration when the space where basal ramets grow is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of the smart grid affects every aspect of people’s lives at all times. Among them, the identification accuracy of power metering anomalies is a serious problem that needs to be solved urgently. To further improve the identification accuracy of power metering anomalies, a user identification method for substation area anomalies is designed based on the restricted ridge regression model. First, a clustering algorithm is designed using high-frequency voltage data of users in the substation area to conduct phase separation and terminal branch identification for each user metering point in the substation area. Then establish a substation area energy conservation model equation set, and merge the end branch users based on genetic algorithm clustering results, thereby reducing the unknown quantity dimension. Then, a line resistance-constrained condition is constructed using the topological structure, and the model equation set is solved using quadratic programming based on the constrained ridge regression method to obtain the measurement point error results of users in the substation area. The experimental results show that this recognition method’s clustering effect and recognition accuracy are high, with a recognition rate of 98.21%. It can be seen that this abnormal user identification method has application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A set of colour tuning K2Ba(MoO4)2: Dy3+/Eu3+ (KBM: Dy3+/Eu3+) phosphors were fabricated by solid-state method. The phase purity of as-prepared materials was validated by XRD and DRS analyses. The KBM: 0.03Dy3+ sample exhibits two major luminescence lines at 481 and 572 nm when excited by 351 nm light, corresponding to Dy3+ ions' typical transitions of 4F9/2 → 6HJ (J = 15/2, 13/2). By introducing Eu3+ ions into KBM: 0.03Dy3+ phosphor, the ET from Dy3+ to Eu3+ ions arises, leading to colour tuning from green via yellowish green to pink with changing Eu3+ ions' concentration, along with the lowest CCT of KBM: 0.03Dy3+/0.03Eu3+ sample. It can be verified by PLE and PL spectra analysis combined with the decay times of KBM: 0.03Dy3+/yEu3+ samples. The energy transfer mechanism is also expounded. Meanwhile, the emission intensities at 423 K still maintain 72.8% for Dy3+ ions and 91.2% for Eu3+ ions relative to 303 K of the KBM: 0.03Dy3+/0.03Eu3+ sample, displaying its brilliant thermal stability. All these results connote that KBM: Dy3+/Eu3+ phosphors are prospected to be used for the near-UV excited white light-emitting diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the results of proficiency testing for anti-tuberculosis drug susceptibility testing (DST) in China. Number of laboratory participating the proficiency testing performed DST, and the sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, and accordance rate were calculated from data of 13 rounds proficiency testing results for DST from 2008 to 2021. A total of 30 and 20 strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with known susceptibility results were sent to each laboratory in 2008 to 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. The number of participating laboratories ranged from 30 in 2009 to 546 in 2021. L-J DST was the predominant method. The specificity presented relatively higher than sensitivity. Improvement of specificity were observed for all drugs through the years, while sensitivity did not show improvement for amikacin and capreomycin. Accordance rate of pyrazinamide and kanamycin and reproducibility of capreomycin and pyrazinamide were not significantly improved through the years. Most of the participating laboratories significantly improved the quality of their DST through the consecutive rounds of proficiency testing except for second-line injectable drugs and pyrazinamide. The results highlight the importance of developing novel and/or improving existing methods for phenotypic DST for certain drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a quasi-split Satake diagram, we define a modified q-Weyl algebra, and show that there is an algebra homomorphism between it and the corresponding ıquantum group. In other words, we provide a differential operator approach to ıquantum groups. Meanwhile, the oscillator representations of ıquantum groups are obtained. The crystal basis of the irreducible subrepresentations of these oscillator representations are constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research on fracture mechanisms of brittle materials is extremely difficult such as the determination of the energy absorption modes and the geometric characteristics of debris. In this paper, a dynamic experimental fragment recovery device was developed to study the facture characteristics of A99 ceramics (the mass of Al2O3 accounts for 99%) based on the Split‐Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) experiments, in which the energy absorption mechanism was revealed. A three‐view characterization method was developed to obtain the geometric characterization formula under various strain rate; therefore, the geometric parameters of the fragments can be quickly characterized. The failure mode was investigated in correlation between strain rate and micro‐cracks. It was found that the shape of the strain rate controlled the proportion of dissipated energy. At a lower strain rate the fragment was prone to needle shape, while at a higher strain rate (above 2001 s−1) the proportion of dissipated energy increased to 72% and the fragment shape tended to be nearly spherical. A formula based on strain rate was proposed to characterize the geometric parameters of the fragments without the need of geometry dimensions; therefore, the fragment rate can be quickly obtained, which could provide guidance for the design of ceramics parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the internet develops and 5G technology becomes increasingly prominent, the internet has become a major source of health-related information. Increasingly, people use the internet to find health-related information, and digital health literacy is now a set of essential capabilities to improve their health in the digital era. However, little is known about the factors that influencing digital health literacy. This study aimed to assess digital health literacy scores and identify its influencing factors among internet users in China. Additionally, this study explored the participant's actual skills using an additional set of performance-based items from the Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI). Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted in August 2022. Participants aged ≥18 years were recruited to complete the survey. Data were collected using the Chinese revised version of the DHLI, the self-reported internet use questionnaire, and the sociodemographic questionnaire. We conducted multivariate linear regression analyses to explore the relationships among the sociodemographic variables, behavior of internet use, and the digital health literacy scores. Results: In total, 702 participants completed the survey. The mean DHLI score was 2.69 ± 0.61. Multivariate linear regression analyses showed that the age groups 35–49 (β = − 0.08, P = 0.033), 50–64 (β = − 0.161, P < 0.001), and ≥ 65 (β = − 0.138, P < 0.001) were negatively associated with DHL scores. However, education level, including bachelor's or associate degree (β = 0.255, P = 0.002) and master's degree and above (β = 0.256, P < 0.001), frequency of health-related Internet usage (β = 0.192, P < 0.001), the number of digital devices used (β = 0.129, P = 0.001), and OHISB (β = 0.103, P = 0.006) showed a positive relationship with DHL scores. Conclusions: The study findings demonstrate that age, educational levels, number of technological devices used, and greater use of the web for health information were independently associated with DHL scores. Healthcare providers should consider providing training programs tailored to specific sociodemographic factors to improve the ability that find and use accurate information online to meet digital health services, which contributes to enhance their self-management and reduce health disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domino reaction of benzo[d]thiazole‐2‐methylamine (S1) has been developed in the presence of MnCl2 ⋅ 4H2O, leading to tetrasubstituted pyrrole coordinated dinuclear Mn(II) complex 1 ([MnClP]2, P−=2,3,4,5‐tetrakis(benzo[d]thiazol‐2‐yl)pyrrol‐1‐ide). The reaction process has been studied by assigning a series of intermediates based on time‐dependent mass spectrometry, control experiments, crystallography, and density functional theory (DFT) theoretical calculation. A plausible mechanism involving an unprecedented divergent‐convergent domino sequence has been proposed. Compound S1 could be activated by MnCl2 ⋅ 4H2O via coordination, which divergently produces two intermediates imine II (1‐(benzo[d]thiazol‐2‐yl)‐N‐(benzo[d]thiazol‐2‐ylmethyl)methanimine) and alkene C (1,2‐bis(benzo[d]thiazol‐2‐yl)ethene) through oxidative self‐condensation and free radical coupling followed by elimination, respectively. They could then react with each other convergently via formal [3+2] cycloaddition to give deprotonated tetrasubstituted pyrrole coordinated intermediate [MnClP] after aromatization. Dimerization of [MnClP] produces the final product 1. Three C−C bonds and one C−N bond are formed through this six‐step domino sequence. The corresponding organic skeleton (HP: 2,2′,2′′,2′′′‐(1H‐pyrrole‐2,3,4,5‐tetrayl)tetrakis(benzo[d]thiazole)) has been obtained from 1 and shows a higher fluorescent quantum yield (52 %) than the reported 3,4‐diphenyl substituted analogue 2,2′‐(3,4‐diphenyl‐1H‐pyrrole‐2,5‐diyl)bis(benzo[d]thiazole) (DPB) (42 %). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study was designed to evaluate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) patterns of the lower limb muscles in dermatomyositis (DM) with anti‐transcriptional intermediate factor 1‐γ (anti‐TIF1‐γ) antibody. Methods: This retrospective, observational, cross‐sectional study enrolled 12 adult DM patients with anti‐TIF1‐γ antibody. Muscles were assessed for fascial edema, subcutaneous‐tissue edema, muscle edema, and fatty replacement. These features were analyzed in relation to clinical characteristics. Results: All 12 patients underwent hip and thigh MRI, and 8 completed calf MRI. All patients showed myofascial edema, muscle edema, and fatty replacement, and 8 out of 12 further exhibited subcutaneous‐tissue edema. Specifically, myofascial edema of the gastrocnemius was observed in all patients (8/8). The vastus intermedialis and vastus lateralis muscles showed the most severe muscle edema, whereas the caput breve of the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and soleus muscles exhibited the most severe fatty replacement. Although only 1 patient exhibited asymmetric muscle weakness, 9 showed asymmetric muscle edema, and 10 showed asymmetric fatty replacement. Changes in muscle edema positively correlated with creatine kinase (CK) levels. Conclusions: Myofascial edema of gastrocnemius was a prominent characteristic of anti‐TIF1‐γ‐positive DM. Early detection of muscle edema, as well as CK levels, may be helpful for monitoring disease activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The APOE genotype has emerged as the major genetic factor for AD but differs among different alleles. Objective: To investigate the discrepant effects of APOE genotype on AD cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers. Methods: A total of 989 non-demented ADNI participants were included. The associations of APOEɛ2 and APOEɛ4 with CSF biomarkers were investigated using linear regression models. Interaction and subgroup analyses were used to investigate the effects of sex and age on these associations. Furthermore, we used mediation analyses to assess whether Aβ mediated the associations between APOE genotypes and tau. Results: APOEɛ2 carriers only showed higher Aβ levels (β [95% CI] = 0.07 [0.01, 0.13], p = 0.026). Conversely, APOEɛ4 carriers exhibited lower Aβ concentration (β [95% CI] = –0.27 [–0.31, –0.24], p < 0.001), higher t-Tau (β [95% CI] = 0.25 [0.08, 0.18], p < 0.001) and higher p-Tau (β [95% CI] = 0.31 [0.25, 0.37], p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that APOE ɛ2 was significantly positively associated with Aβ only in females (β [95% CI] = 0.12 [0.04, 0.21], p = 0.005) and older people (β [95% CI] = 0.06 [0.001, 0.12], p = 0.048). But the effects of APOE ɛ4 were independent of gender and age. Besides, the associations of APOE ɛ4 with t-Tau and p-Tau were both mediated by baseline Aβ. Conclusions: Our data suggested that APOEɛ2 could promote Aβ clearance, while the process could be modified by sex and age. However, APOEɛ4 might cause the accumulation of Aβ and tau pathology independent of sex and age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With orotic acid (H3OA) as building ligand, one one‐dimensional (1D) Zn(II) coordination polymer, [Zn2(HOA)(μ2‐OH)(μ3‐OH)(H2O)]n (1), and one tetra‐nuclear Cd(II) cluster, [Cd4(HOA)4(μ2‐OH2)2(H2O)10] (2), have been synthesized at 90 °C and room temperature, respectively. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analyses reveal that complex 1 has an 1D stair‐stepping structure consisting of co‐edge bi‐rhomboid [Zn6] structural motif and μ3‐HOA2− linker, and 2 owns a quasi‐linear tetra‐nuclear [Cd4] cluster structure fastened by μ2‐OH2 and HOA2− fixators. The solid‐state photophysical properties were investigated and 1 and 2 display a distinct emission centered at 374 and 393 nm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the size-dependent behavior of micro-beams with thermoelastic damping (TED), a new size-dependent thermoelastic damping model based on modified gradient elasticity is proposed in this study. The governing equations and boundary conditions are derived based on the modified gradient elasticity theory and the single-phase-lag thermal relaxation model. By utilizing the complex frequency method, the exact expression of thermoelastic damping is obtained from the model. The results indicate that there is a significant size effect of thermoelastic damping in micro-beams, and the critical thickness of the beam is related to the internal length scale. Different thermal parameters have varying degrees of influence on thermoelastic damping. Compared with other size-dependent thermoelastic damping models, the proposed thermoelastic damping model in this paper is characterized by its clear physical interpretation and simple form. Some theoretical guidance for the designing of high-quality micro/nano-electromechanical resonators can be provided by the new model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to activities like mining and smelting, lead (Pb) enters the atmosphere in various forms in coarse and fine particles. It enters plants mainly through leaves, and goes up the food chain. In this study, PbXn (nano-PbS, mic-PbO and PbCl2) was applied to eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) leaves, and 379 differential metabolites were identified and analyzed in eggplant leaves using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that all three Pb treatments significantly altered the metabolite profile. Compared with nano-PbS, mic-PbO and PbCl2 induced more identical metabolite changes. However, the alterations in metabolites related to the TCA cycle and pyrimidine metabolism, such as succinic acid, citric acid and cytidine, were specific to PbCl2. The number of differential metabolites induced by mic-PbO and PbCl2 was three times that of nano-PbS, even though the amount of nano-PbS absorbed by leaves was ten times that of PbO and seven times that of PbCl2. This suggests that the metabolic response of eggplant leaves to Pb is influenced by both concentration and form. This study enhances the current understanding of plants' metabolic response to Pb, and demonstrates that the metabolomics map provides a more comprehensive view of a plant's response to specific metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piping-seepage damage is one of the major factors leading to tailings dam failure. To explore the microscopic influence mechanism of tailings with different fine content on piping development, on the basis of the indoor permeability test, combined with the coupling method of discrete particle flow at the microlevel, through the small seepage model test, the discrete element model of the model test was further constructed. The effects of different fine particle contents on particle size composition, permeability, critical water head, fine particle migration, and porosity of samples were analyzed by an indoor small-scale seepage model and the corresponding numerical simulation study. The results showed that before the occurrence of piping, with the increase of fine particle content, the gradation constant is less than 0.074 mm, and the downward trend changes abruptly, showing a concave curve change. The permeability coefficient showed a decreasing trend, and the critical water head increased. The maximum void ratio and the minimum void ratio generally decreased first and then increased. The strong force chain decreased, and the total force chain increased; there were obvious differences in the change of porosity of different fine particle contents before, during, and after destruction. This was verified by the indoor physical model test that different fine particle contents will lead to different sand inflows in seepage dam break. In practical engineering, it is more helpful to provide a new way for the comprehensive prevention of seepage failure of tailings dam by clarifying the disaster-causing mechanism of piping and seepage failure of tailings dam from the mesostructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To systematically evaluate the effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on depressive disorders. Methods: The electronic databases of Web of Science Core Collection, Pubmed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PsycInfo, CNKI, Wanfang and Weipu were used to select relevant publications. Screening, data extraction, and quality assessment were undertaken following PRISMA guidelines for preferred reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analysis. RevMan5.4 was used for meta-analysis. Results: 11 studies with a total of 962 patients were included. Random-effects model analysis showed that ACT could effectively reduce the level of depressive symptoms in patients with depressive disorders (SMD = − 1.05, 95% CI: − 1.43–− 0.66, P < 0.00001), improve psychological flexibility (MD = 4.84, 95% CI: 2.70–6.97, P < 0.00001), and have good maintenance effect (SMD = − 0.70, 95% CI: − 1.15–− 0.25, P = 0.002). All differences were statistically significant. Conclusions: ACT not only improves depressive symptoms and psychological flexibility, but also has a good maintenance effect, and it is particularly effective in Chinese patients. Large randomized controlled trials are needed to validate the findings from this meta-analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fate of nine tri-OPFRs in sludge was studied in a WWTP in Beijing, China. • Sludge contained high concentrations of tri-OPFRs (971.48–1,702.22 ng/g). • Mass flow of tri-OPFRs showed seasonal decreases. • The dehydration unit removed the most tri-OPFRs during sludge treatment. • Ecological risk of OPFRs in treated sludge was reduced. Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are emerging environmental pollutants that cause endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity. Sewage sludge is an important source of tri-OPFRs that are released into the environment. The occurrence, distribution, and ecological risk of OPFRs in the full-scale "Cambi® thermal hydrolysis (TH) + advanced anaerobic digestion (AAD) + plate-frame pressure filtration" sludge treatment process is closely related to the application of sewage sludge. We tested sludge samples from a wastewater treatment plant in Beijing, China. Nine tri-OPFRs were detected in the sludge samples collected at different treatment units during four seasons. The ΣOPFRs decreased from 1,742.65–2,579.68 ng/g to 971.48–1,702.22 ng/g. The mass flow of tri-OPFRs in treated sludge decreased by 61.4%, 48.9%, 42.4%, and 63.9% in spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively, effectively reducing the corresponding ecological risk. The ecological risk of tri-OPFRs in sludge in forestland utilization mainly lies in chlorinated tri-OPFRs, especially TCPP and TCEP. No >42.20 t/hm2 of sludge could be used continuously for one year to prevent tri-OPFRs from exceeding the low ecological risk level, indicating that the current commonly applied proportion of sludge (1.6–30 t/hm2) will likely not raise the ecological risk of tri-OPFRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Reduced survival of red blood cells (RBCs) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is thought to contribute to renal anaemia. Although renal anaemia improved greatly because of the wide use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and the advancement of dialysis techniques, RBC longevity seems not to be obviously ameliorated. Methods In this single-centre, single-arm trial, patients who had been undergoing haemodialysis and ESA therapy with epoetin alfa for at least 12 weeks changed their anti-anaemia drugs from epoetin alfa to oral roxadustat three times per week for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was the change in RBC lifespan from baseline at week 24. The change in the circulating percentage of eryptotic RBCs, RBC deformability and RBC oxygen transport ability were also assessed. Results A total of 27 patients were enrolled, with 26 completing the full course of intervention. At baseline, the average RBC lifespan was 60.1 days [standard deviation (SD) 14.4; n  = 27]. At the end of the study period, 26 patients had an RBC lifespan measurement (83.9 days on average; SD 21.9). The RBC lifespan increased by 22.8 days on average [95% confidence interval (CI) 15.5–30.0, P  < .001]. This equated to an average RBC lifespan increase of 39.2% (95% CI 27.8–50.6). The percentage of circulating eryptotic RBCs, erythrocyte filtration index and the pressure at which haemoglobin is 50% saturated decreased significantly from baseline to week 24 (1.39 ± 0.44% versus 0.89 ± 0.25%, P  < .0001; 0.29 ± 0.12 versus 0.16 ± 0.08, P  < .0001 and 32.54 ± 4.83 versus 28.40 ± 2.29, P  < .001, respectively). Conclusion Roxadustat prolonged RBC lifespan in patients with long-term haemodialysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the electricity market, prosumers are becoming more and more prevalent due to the fast development of distributed energy resources and demand response management, which also promote the appearance of peer-to-peer (P2P) trading mechanisms for energy. Optimization-based methods are efficient tools to design the P2P energy trading negotiation mechanism. However, the main drawback for market mechanisms based on optimization methods is that the incentive compatibility cannot be satisfied, which means participants can obtain more profit by providing untruthful biddings. To overcome this challenge, a novel consensus mechanism based on Proof of Solution (PoSo) is proposed for P2P energy trading. The optimization results will be verified by neighboring agents according to the KKT conditions in a fully decentralized and symmetric manner, which means agents will check each other's solutions. However, the verification process may leak the private information of agents, and a privacy-preserving consensus mechanism is designed using Shamir's secret sharing method. After that, we explore a method to realize that trusted agents can recover the right information even under the misbehavior of malicious agents by inheriting the philosophy of Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT). The numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed consensus mechanisms. In more detail, (1) when the message delivery success rate is not lower than 0.7, the consensus mechanisms almost guarantee success; (2) if the proportion of untrusted agents satisfies 4 f + 1 ≤ N ω n , the proposed method guarantees the correctness of the consensus verification results; (3) the communication times among agents can be highly reduced by more than 60% by only verifying the optimality of the received results for the first three and last few iterations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LiCoO2 plays a key role in energy storage devices due to its high energy density. And the volumetric energy density of LiCoO2 cathode can be significantly improved by increasing the charging cut‐off voltage to 4.6 V. However, the increase in resistance at the LiCoO2 interface, and the damage to the LiCoO2 from the outside to the inside by the HF generated that caused by the decomposition of the organic electrolyte and LiPF6 under 4.6 V conditions are not conducive to structural stability during cycling. Here, it is shown that the decomposition of electrolyte and LiPF6 is effectively mitigated by inhibiting the interfacial catalytic activity of LiCoO2 using an atomically thin layer of MXenes as a interlayer. Density functional theory results suggest that the decomposition energy of LiPF6 is 1.13 and 3.21 eV at the interface of LiCoO2 and MXenes, respectively. Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry results further indicate that the decomposition products of the organic electrolyte and LiPF6 have a thinner thickness at the interface of MXenes (5 nm) than LiCoO2 (10 nm). This study provides a new and universal strategy for stabilizing the cathode interface to support the development of high energy density lithium‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Polyurethane elastomer (TPU) is prepared firstly as an artificial SEI of Li metal anode. • IPDI hard chain segment and soft link forging PEO jointly improve elasticity and ion conducting channel of the TPU. • TPU coated Li foil can be stable in air for 45 min without obvious deterioration. • The elastic modulus of TPU is up to 105 Pa and the elongation at break is up to 2854%. • TPU-Li||LFP cell delivers a long cyclelife with 90% retention after 1500 cycles at 5 C. Compared with other anode materials, Li metal anode has higher capacity density and lower electrode potential, which has been considered as one of the most promising anode materials. However, the unstable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) leads to Li dendrite growth and the infinite volumetric expansion of Li metal, which seriously hinders the stability and cycle life of Li metal batteries (LMBs). Here, a polyurethane elastomer (TPU) material with high elasticity and air stability is used as the artificial SEI of Li metal anode. Its designed synergistic effect of soft chain forging and hard chain segments not only gives TPU artificial SEI layer good electronic insulation, Li ion conductivity, Li dendrite growth inhibition, high elastic modulus and flexibility to adapt to Li volume expansion, but also has a significant air protection effect on the Li metal surface, so that the TPU coated Li foil will not occur obvious oxidation phenomenon after being placed in air for 45 min. The Li symmetric battery modified by TPU achieved a stable and long-term cycle performance of 1300 h at 1 mA/cm2, it can also cycle stably at a high current density of 10 mA/cm2. The Coulomb efficiency of the modified Li/Cu half-cell maintains at above 97% after 400 cycles. In addition, the full cell with LiFePO 4 cathode also delivers a very excellent long cycle stability with 90% capacity retention after 1500 cycles at 5 C. This surface modification strategy of SEI on lithium anode has has great research value and will help to improve the widely application of LMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The land stockpiling of copper smelting slag causes serious environmental pollution and resource waste. It contains a large amount of Fe, which is difficult to recover by traditional methods. In this paper, a novel metallic Fe recovery method was presented by deep reduction with renewable biochar as a reducing agent. It not only recovers metallic Fe but also relieves the pressure of iron ore with a sustainable and eco-friendly method. It was found that the metallization ratio variation trend was explored by the temperature, time, CaO content and C/O molar ratio increasing. When biochar was used as a reducing agent, the metallization ratios of Fe under different reduction conditions were better than the traditional reducing agent coal, which indicated that biochar could replace coal as a reducing agent. The phase transition and microstructure change during the deep reduction process were analyzed by XRD, XPS and SEM-EDS. The metallic Fe particles were formed from the copper smelting slag particle outside and spread to the inside gradually, distinguishing the slag phase and metal phase eventually. The growth kinetic equations of the two stages were obtained after calculation and simulation. There's a certain amount of truth to the predicted value because R2 is 0.9745 with experimental measurements. This study demonstrates that the deep reduction is a green and effective technology for copper smelting slag utilization. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the ultra‐deep reservoir or other deep‐buried subsurface engineering, the in situ stress is high enough to make the rock transition from the brittle to the plastic. In such situation, the fracturing process always goes with the plastic deformation together. Therefore, to develop an elastoplastic constitutive model which can simultaneously account for both fracture and plastic deformation is critically important. In this paper, an elastoplastic augmented virtual internal bond (EP‐AVIB) model is developed. In EP‐AVIB, a hyperelastic AVIB is developed to characterize the elastic deformation of rock, in which the micro bond is linear elastic in compression whereas is hyperelastic in tension. The Drucker‐Prager yield criterion is employed to characterize the plastic deformation. Thus, the EP‐AVIB can combine the fracture and plastic deformation together. The simulation examples show that the EP‐AVIB can simulate the elastoplastic mechanical behaviors and the fracturing process of rock subjected to compression. It provides a simple approach to the elastoplastic failure simulation of rock. Its perspective in deep reservoir and deep‐buried subsurface engineering simulation should be inspiring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reconstruction-based and prediction-based approaches are widely used for video anomaly detection (VAD) in smart city surveillance applications. However, neither of these approaches can effectively utilize the rich contextual information that exists in videos, which makes it difficult to accurately perceive anomalous activities. In this paper, we exploit the idea of a training model based on the "Cloze Test" strategy in natural language processing (NLP) and introduce a novel unsupervised learning framework to encode both motion and appearance information at an object level. Specifically, to store the normal modes of video activity reconstructions, we first design an optical stream memory network with skip connections. Secondly, we build a space–time cube (STC) for use as the basic processing unit of the model and erase a patch in the STC to form the frame to be reconstructed. This enables a so-called "incomplete event (IE)" to be completed. On this basis, a conditional autoencoder is utilized to capture the high correspondence between optical flow and STC. The model predicts erased patches in IEs based on the context of the front and back frames. Finally, we employ a generating adversarial network (GAN)-based training method to improve the performance of VAD. By distinguishing the predicted erased optical flow and erased video frame, the anomaly detection results are shown to be more reliable with our proposed method which can help reconstruct the original video in IE. Comparative experiments conducted on the benchmark UCSD Ped2, CUHK Avenue, and ShanghaiTech datasets demonstrate AUROC scores reaching 97.7%, 89.7%, and 75.8%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental investigation on the vortex/wake-induced force of double unequal-diameter cylinders in tandem was performed. In the experiment, the upstream-to-downstream cylinder diameter ratio was 1.569, and the gap spacing ratio between the cylinder models ranged from 3 to 8. Under uniform flow with Reynolds number up to 11 328, the strains caused by the vortex/wake-induced vibrations were measured for the double flexible cylinders. Based on the measured strains, the displacements were reconstructed with the mode superposition method. Then, the vortex/wake-induced forces were obtained inversely. Subsequently, the time-varying excitation and added mass coefficients were identified by the forgetting factor least squares method. The results show that the wake-induced force coefficient and excitation coefficient of the downstream cylinder are smaller than those of the single cylinder, while the added mass coefficient becomes larger. In addition, the downstream cylinder under frequency capture can absorb a higher proportion of energy from the wake to excite larger vibration amplitudes, especially in the in-line direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increasing growth of economy in the last few years, environmental problems have become a prominent difficulty in Chinese economic growth and social development. Therefore, in order to respond to the environmental protection policy of Anhui Province, all prefecture-level cities need to be evaluated for their environmental efficiency. A study of environmental efficiency in Anhui Province is presented in this paper. The time period is from 2015 to 2020. By exploiting MaxDEA software, the input–output system in different years is taken as the decision-making unit, and slacks-based model (SBM-DEA) which is based on an unexpected output is used to construct the index system by selecting two output indexes and four input indexes, so as to calculate the environmental efficiency of Anhui Province, including 16 prefecture-level cities, under the condition of constant non-radial and non-angle scale benefits. In addition, based on the persistence and anti-persistence theory of fractal theory, in this paper, we have analyzed the future trend of environmental efficiency of prefecture-level cities in Anhui Province by rescaled range analysis (R/S). The results show that Anhui province has 16 prefectures that have not achieved an optimal level of environmental performance and fluctuates downward from 2015 to 2020. The average value of comprehensive efficiency is 0.846. As for technical efficiency, the mean value is 0.954, and scale efficiency has an average value of 0.887. The technical progress of environmental efficiency development in Anhui Province is small and the room for improvement is large. Finally, according to the results of the study, some suggestions on environmental technology are put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantity and quality of green space (GS) exposure play an important role in urban residents' physical and psychological health. However, the current framework for assessing GS quality is primarily based on 2-D remote sensing data and 2.5-D street-view images. Few studies have comprehensively evaluated residential community GSs from an overall 3-D perspective. This study proposes a novel systematic framework for evaluating the quantity and quality of residential GSs based on the generation of a high-resolution 3-D point cloud using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-digital aerial photogrammetry (DAP). Nine indices were proposed: green volume ratio, floor green volume index, green groups diversity index, vegetation diversity index, greenspace fragmentation, average vegetation colour distance, vegetation colour diversity, activity areas ratio, and green cohesion index of activity site. These metrics were calculated using the classified point clouds from four typical Chinese residential communities with different residential greenery types and population densities. The results showed that our method could quantitatively identify the differences in residential GS exposure within urban residential communities. For example, a residential community with a large plant distribution and rich greenery variations had higher greenspace volume ratio and vegetation diversity index values. Our findings suggest that this novel framework, employing cost-effective UAV-DAP, can clearly describe different GS attributes and characteristics, aiding decision-makers and urban planners in comprehensively implementing GS interventions to improve the residents' quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional magnets offer a new platform for exploring fundamental properties in van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures and their device applications. Here, we investigated heterostructure devices of itinerant metallic vdW ferromagnet Fe3GeTe2 (FGT) with monolayer chemical vapor deposited graphene. The anomalous Hall effect measurements of FGT Hall-bar devices exhibit robust ferromagnetism with strong perpendicular anisotropy at low temperatures. The electrical transport properties measured in FGT/graphene heterostructure devices exhibit a tunneling transport with weak temperature dependence. We assessed the suitability of such FGT/graphene heterostructures for spin injection and detection and investigated the presence of FGT on possible spin absorption and spin relaxation in the graphene channel. These findings will be useful for engineering spintronic devices based on vdW heterostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of secure communications, the robustness of cipher images transmitted in various channels is becoming increasingly important. In this paper, a robust image encryption algorithm combining a new chaotic system and discrete cosine transform is proposed, which is interlinked with plain information and is resistant to high-intensity noise attacks. First, a 5D continuous hyperchaotic system is proposed, leading to an interrelated sequence of five chaotic sequences. Second, the plain image is subjected to discrete cosine transform. Then the transform domain image is quantized, and some high-frequency components are removed, and then the high-frequency components are filled with chaotic sequences. Next, the transform domain image is scrambled, and inverse discrete cosine transform is performed, and its gray value is mapped to obtain a spatial domain image. Finally, the spatial image is scrambled by the spiral transformation, and then the diffusion operation is performed to obtain the encrypted image. Through the simulation experiment, the histogram, correlation, differential attack, and robustness are analyzed. The experimental results show that the proposed encryption algorithm can resist high-intensity noise attacks and has good encryption performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate measurements of the energy spectrum and anisotropy can help us discover local cosmic-ray accelerators. Our recent works have shown that spectral hardening above 200 GeV in the energy spectra and transition of large-scale anisotropy at ∼100 TeV are of an unifying origin. Less than 100 TeV, both spectral hardening and anisotropy explicitly indicate the dominant contribution from nearby sources. Recent observations of CR anisotropy suggest that this phase is consistent with the locally regular magnetic field (LRMF) of the interstellar boundary explorer (IBEX) below 100 TeV. In this work, we further investigate the parameter space of sources allowed by the observational energy spectra and amplitude and phase of dipole anisotropy. To obtain the best-fit source parameters, a numerical algorithm is to compute the parameter posterior distributions based on Bayesian inference. We found that by combining the observations of the energy spectrum and anisotropy, the parameters of the model can be well constrained. The LRMF and the effect of the corresponding anisotropic diffusion are considered in this work. Finally, the phase results' right ascension (R. A.) = 3.2 h below 100 TeV was obtained by fitting, which is in general agreement with the experimental observations. Since the Geminga SNR is very close to the mean of the fitted parameters, it could be a candidate for a local cosmic-ray accelerator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reactive fluorescent "turn-on" probe (di-PIP) with imine-linked dual phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazole luminophore have been conveniently prepared as an Al3+ and H+ dual functional receptor. di-PIP displayed high selectivity and sensitivity towards Al3+ ion in DMF/HEPES accompanied by fluorescence blue-shift and a good linear relationship as well as a low detection limit of 30.5 nmol·L–1, which can root from the synergetic functions of the decomposition reaction of di-PIP promoted by acidic Al3+ and the coordination effect between decomposition product and Al3+. Intriguingly, it was found that hydrogen ion H+ can be sufficient for simulating the fluorescence enhancing of di-PIP. 1H NMR titration and MS analyses for elucidation of the intermediate structure further revealed that the acid-triggered decomposition reaction resulted in the rapid, and sensitive sensing to Al3+ and H+. In addition, the probe di-PIP could be successfully applied to the detection of Al3+ in real water samples, and also utilized to visualize Al3+ and H+ in the living cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the study, the adjuvant features of the immunoregulatory polysaccharide component CARP2 isolated from cultivated Artemisia rupestris L. for influenza virus vaccine (IVV) and the mechanism responsible for its action in DCs were further explored. CARP2 showed a typical absorbance peak of polysaccharides in spectral analysis. At two doses of CARP2-adjuvanted IVV, IgG, hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titers, and effector/memory T cells were generated and lasted for 275 days without adverse events. CARP2 primed rapid HI and IgG, IgG2a/IgG1 ratio, splenocyte proliferation, and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL), and facilitated the generation of INF-γ and IL-4 by activating DCs and regulatory T cells (Tregs). Additionally, CARP2 achieved the ten-fold dose-sparing effect. In vitro, CARP2 stimulated DCs to prime the production of Th1/Th2 cytokines and CCR7 and activated MyD88-dependent pathway by upregulating the expressions of TLR4, MyD88, TRAF-6, and p65. In contrast, MyD88, TRAF-6, and NF-κB inhibitors partially blocked the effect through reducing related cytokines and proteins. Overall, CARP2 promoted IVV efficacy, which was involved in the modulation of Th1/Th2 responses and shifted toward Th1-polarizing response via TLR4/MyD88/TRAF/NF-κB activation in DCs. [Display omitted] • CARP2 improved IVV efficacy with dose-sparing and long-term effects. • CARP2 triggered Th1/Th2 responses and shifted toward Th1-polarizing response. • CARP2 activated DCs through TLR4/MyD88/TRAF/NF-κB pathways. • CARP2 may be utilized as a potential polysaccharide adjuvant for IVV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decades, particulate matter (PM), especially fine PM <2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM 2.5) has been a major research focus. However, the air pollutant is a mixture of gases or vapour-phase compounds, such as carbon monoxide (C), nitrogen oxides (NO x), photochemical oxidants (Ox), and sulfur dioxide (SO 2). Little is known about their cardiovascular effect, individually or in combination with PM. Thus, we aimed to determine the associations between the incidence of acute cardiac events and both gaseous and PM using a case-crossover design. Cardiovascular cases were identified through the Gunma Prefectural Ambulance Activity Database in Japan in 2015 (1,512 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest [OHCA] and 1,002 heart failures from 53,006 ambulance cases). Air quality data from the nearest station was for day of the arrest (lag0) and 1-2 days before the arrest (lag1, lag2) and the moving average across days 0-1 (lag0-1). Conditional logistic regression was used for unadjusted and adjusted analysis for temperature and humidity. Independent associations of OHCA were daily concentrations of SO 2 at lag1 (OR 1.173, 95%CI 1.004, 1.370; p=0.044) and lag0-1 (OR 1.203, 95%CI 1.015, 1.425; p=0.033); and daily NO concentrations at lag2 (OR 1.039, 95%CI 1.007, 1.072; p=0.016). The incidence of heart failure was significantly associated with daily concentrations of O x on the day of the event in univariable model but not after adjustment for temperature and humidity. No associations were found for other pollutants. Short-term exposure to SO 2 and NO are associated with an increased risk of OHCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fosfomycin is an important broad-spectrum bactericidal antibiotic to treat multidrug-resistant bacteria infections. It is generally accepted that heteroresistant bacteria are an intermediate stage in the formation of drug resistance, but there are few studies on the formation mechanism underlying fosfomycin heteroresistance (FHR).Objectives: To reveal the characteristics and formation mechanisms of FHR in Escherichia coli isolates obtained from chickens.Methods: We identified the FHR according to the population analysis profile (PAP) test and in vitro time-kill assay. Growth curves for FHR E. coli and their subpopulations were measured. Also, the subpopulations were repeatedly cultured in fosfomycin-free medium for 5-20 overnight incubation periods. The formation mechanisms of FHR in E. coli isolates were identified through accumulation assay, carbohydrate utilization testing, real-time relative quantitative PCR analysis, DNA sequencing, transcriptomic analysis, intracellular ATP and cAMP-level assessment.Results: Four of six E. coli strains were confirmed to show FHR, with a total of six subpopulations. The subpopulations restored phenotypic susceptibilities to fosfomycin within 5-20 overnight incubation sessions, but four of six subpopulations still maintained FHR characteristics. Differing from their parental isolates, the uptake of fosfomycin in the subpopulations through GlpT was reduced remarkably. Further studies identified that the low expression of glpT was due to the decrease of intracellular cAMP levels in the subpopulations, which was caused by the decreased ATP levels in cells.Conclusions: Our findings revealed the formation mechanism of E. coli isolates showing FHR obtained from chicken in China and characterized the dynamic change traits in vitro of the subpopulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum materials with a large charge current-induced spin polarization are promising for next-generation all-electrical spintronic science and technology. Van der Waals metals with high spin–orbit coupling and spin textures have attracted significant attention for an efficient charge-to-spin conversion process. Here, we demonstrate the electrical generation of spin polarization in NbSe2 up to room temperature. Characterization of NbSe2 shows superconducting transition temperature, Tc ∼ 7 K. To probe the current-induced spin polarization in NbSe2, we used a graphene-based non-local spin-valve device, where the spin-polarization in NbSe2 is efficiently injected and detected using non-local spin-switch and Hanle spin precession measurements. A significantly higher charge-spin conversion in NbSe2 is observed at a lower temperature. Systematic measurements provide the possible origins of the spin polarization to be predominantly due to the spin Hall effect or Rashba–Edelstein effect in NbSe2, considering different symmetry-allowed charge-spin conversion processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Cancer cachexia and cancer‐associated thrombosis are potentially fatal outcomes of advanced cancer. Nevertheless, thrombin expression in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) primary tumour tissues and the association between prognosis of NSCLC patients remain largely unknown. Experimental Approach Clinical pathological analysis was performed to determine the relationship between thrombin and tumour progression. Effects of r‐hirudin and direct thrombin inhibitor peptide (DTIP) on cancer progression were evaluated. Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence were used to explore the inhibition mechanism of r‐hirudin and DTIP. The therapeutic effect of the combination of DTIP and chemotherapy was determined. Key Results: Thrombin expression in NSCLC tissues was closely related to clinicopathological features and the prognosis of patients. Thrombin deficiency inhibited tumour progression. The novel thrombin inhibitors, r‐hirudin and DTIP, inhibited cell invasion and metastasis in vitro. They inhibited tumour growth and metastasis in orthotopic lung cancer model, inhibited cell invasion, and prolonged survival after injection of tumour cells via the tail vein. They also inhibited angiogenesis and spontaneous metastases from subcutaneously inoculated tumours. The promotion by thrombin of invasion and metastasis was abolished in PAR‐1‐deficient NSCLC cells. r‐hirudin and DTIP inhibited tumour progression through the thrombin‐PAR‐1‐mediated RhoA and NF‐κB signalling cascades via inhibiting MMP9 and IL6 expression. DTIP potentiated chemotherapy‐induced growth and metastatic inhibition and inhibited chemotherapy‐induced resistance in mice. Conclusions and Implications: Thrombin makes a substantial contribution, together with PAR‐1, to NSCLC malignancy. The anti‐coagulants, r‐hirudin and DTIP, could be used in anti‐tumour therapy and a combination of DTIP and chemotherapy might improve therapeutic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to investigate the constituents, adjuvant effects, and underlying mechanisms of purified polysaccharides from cultivated Cistanche deserticola (C. deserticola). Two macromolecules designated as CCDP-1 (26.5 kDa) and CCDP-2 (32.3 kDa) from C. deserticola were respectively identified as carbohydrate-lignin complexes with 44.1 % and 43.8 % lignin. CCDP-1 and CCDP-2 were composed of glucose, rhamnose, galactose, arabinose, and mannose respectively in the molar ratios of 7.22: 5.98:2.51:1.81:1.00 and 6.57:8.48:4.20:2.72:1.00. An in vitro experiment revealed that endotoxin-free CCDP-1 and CCDP-2 promoted splenocyte proliferation without cytotoxicity, but CCDP-2 induced dendritic cell (DC) maturation more efficiently than CCDP-1. An in vivo experiment suggested that CCDP-2 enhanced OVA-specific antibody production, antigen-specific T-cell activation, IFN-γ production, IL-4 production, and DC activation. Notably, CCDP-2 elicited a Th1-biased response. Mechanically, CCDP-2 upregulated CD40, CD80, CD86, and MHC II, facilitated allogeneic T-cell proliferation and Th1/Th2 cytokines, improved IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-6, and TNF-α production, and decreased endocytosis from DCs in vitro. Blocking assays indicated that TLR2 and TLR4 were the membrane receptor candidates of DCs. Western blot implied that CCDP-2 with the immune-enhancing activities were involved in the activation of MAPKs and NF-κB pathways in a dose-/time-related manner and could be employed as a more balanced Th1/Th2 adjuvant for vaccine exploitation. [Display omitted] • CCDP-1 and CCDP-2 were a carbohydrate-lignin complexes. • CCDP-2 more effectively enhanced DC activation than CCDP-1 in vitro via TLR2/TLR4/MAPKs/NF-κB networks. • CCDP-2 elicited a more balance Th1/Th2 responses with Th1-bised response. • CCDP-2 may be a promising adjuvant candidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyse the role of different transportation modes in China's national economy and provide a reference for transportation policy. To this end, we use input–output analysis to evaluate the inter-industry linkage effect, production-inducing effect, supply shortage effect, and employment-inducing effect of five transportation modes (rail, road, water, air, and pipeline) in China from 2007 to 2020. The contributions of these different transportation modes to China's economy and their evolution are quantitatively investigated. The results reveal that the forward linkage effect of road transportation in China is the highest and shows an upward trend. The backward linkage effect of air transportation is the highest but shows a declining trend while the supply shortage effect of pipeline transportation is the highest. COVID-19 had a significant effect on transportation in 2020, with only rail and water maintaining growth in their production-inducing and supply shortage effects on the economy. Meanwhile, road, air, and pipeline transportation all showed varying degrees of decline in their contributions to the economy in 2020. Regarding employment, the employment-inducing effect multipliers of the five transportation modes are all gradually decreasing, showing that the transportation industry is shifting from a labour-intensive orientation toward a technology-intensive one. These results have significance for understanding the economic contribution and evolution of China's transportation industries. They can provide a reference for related policy formulation and for improving transportation management. • The role of different transportation modes in China's national economy are analysed. • The evolvement rules of five transportation modes' economic contribution are studied. • Policy implications are presented to formulate regulations and improve management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between serum uric acid (UA) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk still remained ambiguous despite extensive attempts.Objective: Via the two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) design, we aimed to examine the bidirectional causal relationships of serum UA, gout, and the risk of AD.Methods: Genetic variants of UA, gout, and AD were extracted from published genome-wide association summary statistics. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW, the primary method), and several sensitivity methods (MR-Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode) were used to calculate the effect estimates. Egger regression, MR-PRESSO and leave-one-SNP-out analysis were performed to identify potential violations.Results: Genetic proxies for serum UA concentration [odds ratio (ORIVW) = 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01-1.19, p = 0.031] were related with an increased risk of AD using 25 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This causal effect was confirmed by sensitivity analyses including MR-Egger (1.22, 1.06-1.42, p = 0.014), weighted median (1.18, 1.05-1.33, p = 0.006), and weighted mode (1.20, 1.07-1.35, p = 0.005) methods. No evidence of notable directional pleiotropy and heterogeneity were identified (p > 0.05). Three SNPs (rs2078267, rs2231142, and rs11722228) significantly drove the observed causal effects. Supportive causal effect of genetically determined gout on AD risk was demonstrated using two SNPs (ORIVW = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.00-1.11, p = 0.057). No reverse causal effects of AD on serum UA levels and gout risk were found.Conclusion: The findings revealed a causal relationship between elevated serum UA level and AD risk. However, further research is still warranted to investigate whether serum UA could be a reliable biomarker and therapeutic target for AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The associations of physical activity with Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathologies remain controversial.Objective: To quantitatively assess the association between the frequency of physical activity with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers in AD and further explore the mechanism by which AD pathologies regulate the correlation between physical activity and cognition.Methods: A total of 918 participants without dementia from Chinese Alzheimer's Biomarker and Lifestyle (CABLE) were examined in this population-based cross-sectional study. Multiple linear models were used to evaluate the associations of physical activity with CSF biomarkers and cognition. Moreover, mediation analyses were conducted to investigate the potential relationships between physical activity, AD pathologies, and cognitive function.Results: Regular physical activity was positively associated with CSF Aβ42 (p < 0.001) and Aβ42/40 (p < 0.001), while it was negatively associated with p-tau/Aβ42 (p < 0.001) and t-tau/Aβ42 (p < 0.001). Of all participants, regular physical activity was associated with increased cognitive function (p < 0.001). The interaction effect indicated that age moderated the association between physical activity frequency and CSF Aβ42 (p = 0.014) and p-tau/Aβ42 (p = 0.041). The impact of physical activity on cognition was mediated in part by amyloid pathologies, accounting for 4.87% to 21.56% of the total effect (p < 0.05).Conclusion: This study showed the beneficial impact of physical activity on AD pathologies and cognition in participants without dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combinational oxides PbO-CuO are incorporated into the matrix of 0.645Pb(Zr 0.41 Ti 0.59)O 3 -0.355Pb(Ni 1/3 Nb 2/3)O 3 (PZT-PNN) in order to realize low-temperature sintering while achieving superior electrical properties, which are used to fabricate ceramic-electrode integrated devices for flat-panel-speakers. Ceramics are prepared using conventional solid-state reaction technique, and the effects of different amounts of sintering additives PbO-CuO on phase structure, grain size, sintering temperature and electrical properties are systematically investigated. On that basis, comprehensive electrical properties are further enhanced via optimizing the PbO (CuO) proportions in PbO-CuO additives. The results show that doping appropriate PbO-CuO decreases the sintering temperature significantly from normally 1250 °C for most of PZT-based ceramics by more than 250 °C, while superior electrical properties are still achieved. PZT-PNN + 1.5 wt% (0.77PbO-0.23CuO) ceramics sintered at 1000 °C exhibit optimal electrical properties of d 33 = 780 pC/N, k p = 0.62, ε 33 T / ε 0 = 3982, tan δ = 0.025 and density of 7.87 g/cm3. Furthermore, ceramics sintered at 950 °C even possess over 89% of the optimal piezoelectric properties, with d 33 = 695 pC/N, k p = 0.59 , ε 33 T / ε 0 = 3690, tan δ = 0.018. This work paves the way for mass production of co-firing ceramic-electrode integrated devices for high performance flat-panel-speaker applications, and inspires the low-temperature sintering strategy in other ceramic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two fluorinated COFs were facilely synthetized. • Which showed specific adsorption and capture capacity for phenolic contaminants from aqueous medium. The specific removal of phenolic pollutants from aqueous medium based on the functionalized materials are great significant for the adsorption processes. The purposes of this work were to fabricate fluorine-containing covalent organic frameworks (COFs) sorbent with hydrophobic function and hydrogen bond acceptor capacity to investigate the key role of fluorine functional group in the sorption behavior for phenolic pollutants in the aqueous solutions. Here, two fluorinated COFs, named TFPT-PI-CF 3 and TFPT-PI-2CF 3 , were facilely synthetized through the imine condensation reaction between tri -aldehyde and diamine pre-modified by trifluoromethyl group. The adsorption isotherms, kinetics, thermodynamic, and reusability of tow COFs for the adsorption and capture of prevalent phenolic contaminants (hydroquinone, catechol, resorcinol, phenol, and acetaminophen) from aqueous solution were inspected in detail. The maximum adsorption capacity for TFPT-PI-CF 3 and TFPT-PI-2CF 3 was calculated to be 576 and 567 mg·g−1 for hydroquinone by using linear Langmuir isotherm as an appropriate model, respectively. Adsorption mechanisms highlighted the synergistic effects of F–H hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions as important design criteria for efficient removal of phenolic pollutions from water medium. Furthermore, the prepared fluorinated COFs were successfully applied to evaluate five phenolic contaminants in real water samples, which demonstrated that the fluorine-containing materials held great promise for the development of an accurate platform for the rapid removal of the hydroxyl contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) in 2019 has garnered widespread attention. The virus exhibits high contagiousness, and in certain cases, it can lead to recurrent infections. Therefore, it is imperative to develop portable, sensitive, and accurate sensors to promptly detect infected individuals, control the virus's transmission, and determine suitable treatment strategies. In this study, we proposed a magnetically-assisted method employing CFO@CS-Au MNP as the substrate material, which was functionalized with human angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) for efficient capture of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in solution. Subsequently, the captured protein was sensitively detected through differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) electrical analysis. The linear detection range of the labeled GCE/MNP/GA/ACE2/BSA electrochemical sensor is from 1 pg/mL to 10 μg/mL, with a minimum detection limit of 0.15 pg/mL. Furthermore, the fabricated GCE/MNP/GA/ACE2/BSA sensor achieved satisfactory recoveries of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in saliva and nasal swab samples within 10 min. These results indicate that this magnetically-assisted biosensor has established a solid foundation for the swift on-site detection of COVID-19. Biosensor platform for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. [Display omitted] • SARS-CoV-2 enters host cells via spiny proteins (ACE2). • Efficient immobilization of ACE2 achieved by abundant functional groups in CFO@CS-Au • Magneto-assay for spiked SARS-CoV-2 in saliva and nasal samples was detected. • The developed sensors have good sensitivity, specificity and repeatability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Six novel DDAO-based fluorophores for near-infrared fluorescent probes of peroxynitrite were designed. • Fluorescence response mechanism and characteristics of the DDAO-PN probe to ONOO– were explored. • Substituents significantly changed electronic structures, fluorescent properties, and finally modified the probe efficiency. • Geometries, orbital, IR, UV–vis spectra, and fluorescence spectra of these PhBPO derivatives were described systematically. • Clarifying structure–property relationship provides theoretical guidance for designing new NIR fluorescent probe. On the basis of the experimentally reported near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe for peroxynitrite anions (ONOO–) DDAO-PN (DDAO = 1,3-dichloro-7-oxygen-9,9-dimethyl-2(9H)-acridinone, PN = 4- methylene benzeneboronic acid pinacol ester, DDAO-PN connecting 7-oxygen of DDAO with 4- methylene of PN), six DDAO derivatives DDAO-Px (x = 1–6) were designed. The fluorescence response mechanism and characteristics of the DDAO-PN probe to ONOO– were explored and the molecular structures, molecular orbital, and electron transfer during excitation and emission in DDAO-PN and DDAO-Px (x = 1–6) were comparatively analyzed in detail through the density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT calculations. The significant intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) effect in DDAO-PN were found to be released when PN (as the recognition domain of ONOO– in the recognition process) was removed, rendering DDAO-PN being an effective "off-on" NIR ONOO– fluorescent probe. The introduction of different electron-donating/accepting substituents in DDAO-Px significantly changed the electronic structures and thus the fluorescent properties, which finally modified the probe efficiency. This work clarifies the structure-property relationship in DDAO-Px type NIR probes and thus provides theoretical guidance for designing new NIR fluorescent probe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of monolayer SrTiO 3 films and LiF/SrTiO 3 bilayer films were prepared on n-Si substrates by using vacuum electron beam vapor deposition (EBVD) technology. The morphologies and thicknesses of the SrTiO 3 film and LiF film were controlled through adjustments and optimization of the growth conditions as well as deposition time. The experimental results show that the field emission performance of SrTiO 3 film is significantly improved after LiF film is added. Under the research conditions in our laboratory, a large number of LiF/SrTiO 3 bilayer film field emission devices have been tested and analyzed in the wide range of LiF film thickness (10–300 nm), and the effective field emission LiF film thickness (50–90 nm) was initially determined. Further study shows that the LiF/SrTiO 3 bilayer film has the best field emission performance when the optimal LiF film thickness is 70 nm, and its maximum field emission current density can reach 305.48 μA/cm2. The field emission current density of the LiF/SrTiO 3 bilayer thin film device is nearly 4 times compared to that of the monolayer SrTiO 3 film when the applied electric field intensity reaches 9.05 V/μm. All the field emission devices exhibit excellent functioning stability and experimental reproducibility. • The field emission properties of monolayer SrTiO 3 film and LiF/SrTiO 3 bilayer film are prepared and compared. • The LiF/SrTiO 3 bilayer film field emission device was fabricated for the first time. • This research provides a feasible way to broaden the application of wide-gap perovskite STO films in field emission field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • First study of refrigerant leakage in plasma protein alcohol deposition using NIRS. • A new impurity identification method "background silence" was proposed. • Provided a new perspective on the study of low-level contaminants. Low-temperature ethanol method is the main process for the preparation of blood products. Ethanol is cooled using plate heat exchangers with refrigerant fluid, and the ethylene glycol in the refrigerant is a toxic reagent, so the problem of refrigerant fluid leakage has become a concern for blood product companies. The lack of detection methods of refrigerant impurities in ethanol at this process stage can lead to serious safety issues and losses in the event of a refrigerant leak. In this study, a pattern recognition method based on near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), the "background silence" method, was developed for the detection of refrigerant impurities in ethanol. The method considered normal impurity-free ethanol solution samples as the background and impurity samples as the interference, made the background "silent" through linear regression, highlighted the changes brought by the interference factor, and then established a "background silence" pattern recognition system by calculating the RSD value at the characteristic data points, which realised the detection of trace refrigerant impurities in ethanol solution. The specificity and sensitivity of the method reached 100 %, and the detection limit can reach 0.25 ‰. The NIRS "background silence" method enables the detection of trace refrigerant impurities in ethanol solutions with reduced computational complexity compared with the widely used PLS-DA discrimination method. This study provides new methodological guidance for the detection of impurities in low content components, and lays the foundation for the application of the "background silence" method in practical production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bortezomib is the first-line standard and most effective chemotherapeutic for multiple myeloma; however, bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy (BIPN) severely affects the chemotherapy regimen and has long-term impact on patients under maintenance therapy. The pathogenesis of BIPN is poorly understood, and basic research and development of BIPN management drugs are in early stages. Besides chemotherapy dose reduction and regimen modification, no recommended prevention and treatment approaches are available for BIPN apart from the International Myeloma Working Group guidelines for peripheral neuropathy in myeloma. An in-depth exploration of the pathogenesis of BIPN, development of additional therapeutic approaches, and identification of risk factors are needed. Optimizing effective and standardized BIPN treatment plans and providing more decision-making evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment of BIPN are necessary. This article reviews the recent advances in BIPN research; provides an overview of clinical features, underlying molecular mechanisms, and therapeutic approaches; and highlights areas for future studies. [Display omitted] • BIPN incidence can increase with rise in global tumor incidence and survival time. • BIPN severely affects chemotherapy efficacy and quality of life. • No recommended therapies are available for BIPN according to ASCO guidelines. • Research and development on BIPN mechanisms and drugs are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-high-performance concrete with coarse aggregate (UHPC-CA) is a newly developed material. To explore the influence of aggregate volume fraction and maximum aggregate particle size on the compressive strength of UHPC-CA, a batch of UHPC-CA numerical samples as well as some experiments is carried out. The phase-field method is introduced to simulate the uniaxial compressive strength, and the simulation results show good agreement with experimental results. Both the simulation results and experiment results show that the compressive strength decreases with the aggregate volume fraction and increases with the maximum aggregate particle size. A size effect model of UHPC-CA is established by using its aggregate volume fraction and the maximum aggregate particle size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nucleotide sugars, the activated forms of monosaccharides, are important intermediates of carbohydrate metabolism in all organisms. Here, we describe a method for the detection and quantification of UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose in maize in order to compare their metabolism in both wild-type and mutated plants. Triple quadrupole operating in a multiple reaction monitoring mode was used to quantify nucleotide sugars. The limits of detection for UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose were 0.50 and 0.70 ng·mL−1, respectively. The recoveries of the method ranged from 98.3% to 103.6% with the relative standard deviations less than 6.3%. To prove the applicability of this method, we analyzed several sets of maize extracts obtained from different cultivars grown under standardized greenhouse conditions. All the results demonstrated the suitability of the developed method to quantify UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose in maize extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In recent years, there are several systematic reviews published on animal experiments of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta‐analysis) guidelines provide a guarantee for significantly improving the reporting quality of systematic reviews (SRs) and meta‐analysis (MAs) to a certain extent; however, there are still certain defects found in the quality of SRs/MAs of animal experiments of TCM. It has been found that especially, the descriptions of the rationale and animal characteristics of TCM interventions are inadequate. As a result, we have developed a novel reporting guideline for SRs/MAs of animal experimental in the field of TCM (PRISMA‐ATCM) to overcome these problems. Methods: PRISMA‐ATCM reporting guidelines were formed by analyzing both the status and quality of published SRs/MAs of animal experiments and consulting experts in the related fields, and then by Delphi consultation, consensus meeting and revision. Results: Among the 27 items on the PRISMA checklist, Title (1), Structured summary (2), Rationale (3), Objectives (4), Protocol and registration (5), Eligibility criteria (6), Data items (11), Planned methods of analysis (14), Study characteristics (18), Summary of evidence (24), Limitations (25), and Funding (27) have been extensively revised and expanded, to specifically include the details about TCM intervention and animal characteristics. In addition, illustrative examples and explanations have been provided for each item. Conclusion: PRISMA‐ATCM could markedly improve the quality SRs/MAs of animal experiments in the field of TCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]