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AbstractThe unique mission of the helicopter compared to the fixed-wing aircraft introduces challenges to the aerodynamic stability of the turboshaft engine. Thus, the assessment of the availability of stability margin for special operating conditions in the envelope of this equipment is required to guarantee flight safety. In this paper, a rapid nonlinear complete engine method is developed to investigate the effect of helicopter ground-effect operation and high-altitude hovering on aerodynamic stability by considering factors including inlet distortion and component matching. Research indicated that the most dangerous point of stability margin in a unique section of the flight envelope is high altitude hovering, with about a 16.7% reduction in available stability margin compared to standard ground test conditions. This paper also investigates the effects of typical helicopter ground effects on a turboshaft engine and shows that the stability margin will be reduced by a maximum of 1.43% in hovering if the influence of ground effects in the flight envelope is not considered in the design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes between patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI) undergoing arthroscopic anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) repair who received elastic bandage treatment and those who received lower-leg cast immobilization. Methods: CAI patients with isolated ATFL injury undergoing arthroscopic ATFL repair from January 2017 and August 2019 were included in the study. The visual analogue scale (VAS) at rest and during activities, American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, Karlsson Ankle Functional Score (Karlsson score), and time of returning to walk, walk normally, work and sports were evaluated preoperatively, and at 6 months and 12 months follow-up. Results: A total of 41 patients were included in this study. Among them, 24 patients accepted lower-leg cast fixation, and the other 17 patients were immobilized with elastic bandage. Compared to patients with lower-leg immobilization, patients with elastic bandage fixation had significantly lower VAS during activities (P = 0.021) and higher AOFAS score (P = 0.015) at 12 months follow-up. The Karlsson score at 6 months follow-up were significantly higher in elastic bandage group than those in lower-leg group (P = 0.011). However, no significant difference was observed in time of returning to walk, work and sports between the two groups. Conclusion: Elastic bandage treatment was better than lower-leg cast immobilization in terms of eliminating pain symptom at 12 months follow-up, and improving ankle functional outcome at 6 months follow-up. Moreover, the present study emphasized that lower-leg cast immobilization offered no advantages in arthroscopic ATFL repair postoperative immobilization. Study design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green and clean photocatalytic technology has been extensively applied to degrade environmental pollutants and produce renewable energy, which is an important mean to solve environmental and energy problems. However, limited to the cost and efficiency of photocatalysts, it is difficult to realize large-scale application. In recent years, the single-atom photocatalysts (SAPCs) have added new vitality into this field. SAPCs have the active homogeneous centers, heterogeneous structures, stability, high catalytic activity and selectivity properties. The related researches on its synthesis, characterization and application have become a hot spot in many fields. In this review, the photocatalytic H2 production, CO2 reduction, nitrogen fixation, NOx removal, volatile organic compounds removal, pollutant degradation, reduction of radionuclides and heavy metal ions using SAPCs are reviewed. The advantages and disadvantages of the six kinds of SAPCs substrates are analyzed, and design strategies are carefully summarized. The mechanisms of photocatalysis, isolated-site reactions, photogenerated e−-h+ transfer and the construction of efficient photoactivation cycles are discussed. Finally, the future development trend of SAPCs is prospected. This review will provide a reference for the design of high efficiency SAPCs. The structures, characteristics and synthesis of SAPCs with different substrates are reviewed. The applications of SAPCs and their photocatalytic removal for different pollutants are introduced. The photocatalytic reaction processes and mechanisms for different pollutants are discussed. The development direction and challenges of SAPCs in the field of environmental energy are prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO2‐in‐water (C/W) foams have attracted much attention given their eco‐friendliness in recent years. However, limited surfactants were able to effectively adsorb at the supercritical CO2–water (C–W) interface considering the weak solvent strength of CO2, especially at high temperatures. Herein, attempts have been made to design suitable CO2 foaming agents by evaluating the influence of proportions of anionic and cationic surfactants and the affinity between aminopropyl methyl siloxane (APSi) and CO2. Through systematical foamability and foam stability experiments, together with the measurements of C–W equilibrium and dynamic interfacial tensions, the adsorption and stabilization mechanisms of sodium alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS)‐APSi aqueous dispersions on the CO2 foam films are revealed. Excellent foam properties were observed at AOS/APSi mass ratio of 9:1, in which initial foam height (h0) and half‐life period (t1/2) first increased and then decreased with increasing pressure, whereas the interfacial tension decreased with increasing pressure. The results indicate that the interaction of anionic and cationic head‐groups contributes to accelerating the surfactant adsorption rate from bulk to the C–W interface, enhancing foamability and stabilizing foam. Besides, the AOS/APSi mass ratio of 8:2 shows a good affinity for CO2 at 15 MPa, of which h0 is 26% higher and t1/2 is 60% slower than AOS alone. Furthermore, the initial mean bubble area of both 9:1 and 8:2 AOS/APSi mixtures was around half that of AOS alone. This work broadens the design of novel surfactant methodologies including CO2 foam, providing a theoretical guidance for the application of CO2 on enhanced‐oil‐recovery technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines demand information value and acquisition strategy for a supply chain composed of a supplier and a retailer under supplier encroachment, and considers the situation that both the enterprises can obtain information directly from the market. The problem is formulated with a Bayesian game model. A signaling mechanism is considered, i.e., the supplier's demand information will be signaled to the retailer through wholesale pricing. Under the signaling mechanism, this paper analyzes whether it is still worthy to the supplier and the retailer of acquiring information at a non-ignorable cost under dual information asymmetry. Moreover, this paper examines the interaction between channel substitution rate and information acquisition. Furthermore, subsidies for inducing information sharing and the signaling effects on the payoffs are also explored. The results propose strategy selections of encroachment and information acquisition based on cost thresholds. A double information inaccuracy effect is discovered, which comes from the fact that an enterprise receives the signal from another supply chain member as well as acquires information from the market. It is interesting to find that the information inaccuracy does not necessarily have a negative effect due to double information inaccuracy. The inaccuracy rate has a positive effect first and then a negative effect on the payoffs of the supply chain under certain conditions. The value of signaling of demand information is analyzed, revealing that lower substitution rate will make the signaling mechanism have a positive impact on the enterprises payoffs. Some managerial insights are presented in the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An asymmetric 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of β‐fluoroalkylated α,β‐unsaturated 2‐acyl imidazole with nitrones or N,N'‐cyclic azomethine imines to construct chiral α‐fluoroalkylated γ‐amino alcohols or chiral α‐fluoroalkylated 1,3‐diamino compounds has catalyzed by chiral‐at‐metal rhodium complexes is reported. The corresponding products with three contiguous tertiary stereocenters were obtained in 62%–98% yields with stereoselectivities up to >20:1 dr and 99% ee. Remarkably, as low as 0.06 mol% of chiral‐at‐metal rhodium complex can promote a gram‐scale reaction with nitrones or N,N'‐cyclic azomethine imines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Different fabrication methods and their advantages and disadvantages of COF membranes are reviewed. • The application potential COF membrane in different liquid separations is introduced. • The mechanisms of COF membrane during liquid separation processes are summarized. • The challenges and prospects of the application of COF membrane are presented. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a new kind of crystalline porous materials composed of organic molecules connected by covalent bonds, processes the characteristics of low density, large specific surface area, adjustable pore size and structure, and easy to functionalize, which have been widely used in the field of membrane separation technology. Recently, there are more and more researches focusing on the preparation methods, separation application, and mechanism of COF membranes, which need to be further summarized and compared. In this review, we primarily summarized several conventional preparation methods, such as two-phase interfacial polymerization, in-situ growth on substrate, unidirectional diffusion method, layer-by-layer assembly method, mixed matrix membranes, and so on. The advantages and disadvantages of each method are briefly summarized. The application potential of COF membrane in liquid separation are introduced from four aspects: dyeing wastewater treatment, heavy metal removal, seawater desalination and oil-water separation. Then, the mechanisms including pore structure, hydrophilic/hydrophobic, electrostatic repulsion/attraction and Donnan effect are introduced. For the efficient removal of different kind of pollutions, researchers can select different ligands to construct membranes with specific pore size, hydrophily, salt or organic rejection ability and functional group. The ideas for the design and preparation of COF membranes are introduced. Finally, the future direction and challenges of the next generation of COF membranes in the field of separation are prospected. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractWe consider several industry group sequential trials and associated issues over the last 30 years. Generally, group sequential design has provided a great deal of flexibility to overcome many challenges in a relatively straightforward way compared to more complex adaptive designs. Among the issues considered are the timing of and boundaries for interim and final analyses, dealing with multiple hypotheses created by dose groups, populations and endpoints. Tools for design and execution will also be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of a high‐fibre diet on growth performance, nutrients digestibility, intestinal health, and intestinal microbiota composition of growing pigs. Twelve healthy "Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire" castrates (49 ± 1.35 kg) were randomly divided into two groups with six replicates and one pig per replicate. The two diet treatments were fed the basal diet (CON) based on corn and soybean meal and high fibre diet (HF) respectively. The nutritional levels of the two treatments were the same. The experiment lasted 28 days. The results showed that the addition of 16% wheat bran fibre to the diet of growing pigs did not affect growth performance (p > 0.05). Compared with the CON, contents of isobutyric and butyric acid, GSH‐PX and T‐AOC in serum were increased in the HF. It decreased the gross energy digestibility and acetic acid content in feces of growing pigs (p < 0.05), the contents of GSH‐PX and T‐AOC in serum. It decreased the gross energy digestibility and acetic acid content in feces of growing pigs (p < 0.05). Compared with the CON, the Shannon, and Chao1 indexes of the HF were increased (p < 0.05). At the phylum level, the abundance of g_Lactobacillus increased in the HF (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that a total of 18 microbial genera were correlated with antioxidant capacity and volatile fatty acid levels (p < 0.05). In summary, this study showed that adding 16% wheat bran to the diet of growing pigs had no effect on growth performance but helped to improve the richness and stability of intestinal microbiota, promote posterior intestinal fermentation and increase serum antioxidant capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first catalytic asymmetric vinylogous Michael addition of coumarins to unsaturated ketones catalyzed by chiral rhodium catalysts has been established. This strategy allowed the synthesis of a variety of highly enantioenriched compounds containing coumarin skeletons in 41–99% yields and 84–99% ee. The developed reaction enriches the chemistry of catalytic asymmetric vinylogous Michael additions of 3-cyano-4-methylcoumarins. Furthermore, the protocol showed obvious advantages in reaction enantioselectivity. When the chiral rhodium catalyst was reduced to 0.06 mol%, a Gram-level reaction was still achieved to provide the desired products with 99% ee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first highly efficient vinylogous propargylation of α,α-dicyanoalkenes catalyzed by a copper catalyst to construct an all-carbon quaternary center with 3-ethynyl-2-oxoindolin-3-yl acetates is reported. The corresponding products with an all-carbon quaternary center were obtained in moderate to excellent yields (up to 92%). In addition, a gram-scale reaction and derivative transformations have also been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-mesoporous zeolite shows great potential in the field of fuel denitrogenation. However, the current preparation method of zeolite with composite pores still has the problems of high cost and low denitrification rate. Herein, we prepared a low-cost phosphorus doped zeolite by directly impregnated Y zeolite in phosphoric acid and calcinated at 400 °C firstly. Experimental results showed that phosphorus doped 10 wt.% PA/MY provided optimum denitrogenation performance with denitrogenation rate as high as 97% compared to unmodified MY zeolite (21.11%) and ion exchanged 1.0 MHY zeolite (91.38%). What's more, it was found that the introduction of phosphorus led to the formation of P–O tetrahedra and Al–O–P bonds in zeolite, which increased the amount of mesopore and the Lewis acid in zeolite. Meanwhile, the comparative study found that ion exchanged MHY zeolite depended on the limited pore matching effect of micropores and nitrogen-containing molecules and the chemisorption reaction of non-regenerable Brøsted acid to achieve denitrogenation performance. However, phosphorus doped zeolite PA/MY not only had a better size matching effect between the mesopore and the size of nitrogen-containing molecules, but also had more Lewis acid to play a major role in denitrogenation. The Lewis acid on PA/MY zeolite also had the advantage of being easy to regenerate by desorption of the nitrogen-containing molecules absorbed. This study showed good prospects for the industrial application of the doped zeolite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surrogate-based model optimization method has been successfully applied in various engineering optimization problems across multiple fields. However, when facing high-dimensional optimization problems with multi-design variables, the efficiency of surrogate-based model optimization is often hindered due to the proliferation of sample points and the computational complexity associated with high-dimensional matrices. In this work, an optimization method of adaptive dual-Kriging method based on parameter sensitivity analysis (PSAD-Kriging) is proposed to solve the inefficient problem of the surrogate-based model in high-dimensional optimization problem. In the PSAD-Kriging method, Kriging models with different accuracy are introduced to ensure the accuracy of optimization and improve optimization efficiency. The low-accuracy Kriging model is used for parameter sensitivity analysis to compute the sensitivity of design variables, which can reduce the dimensions of design space and improve optimization efficiency. The high-accuracy Kriging model is adopted to complete the adaptive filling point process to obtain the optimal solution of the optimization problem. The PSAD-Kriging method is applied to the vibration reduction optimization of the helicopter rotor test-bed, and compared with the other three traditional Kriging model method to verify the high efficiency and high accuracy of the PSAD-Kriging method proposed in this work. The results indicate that the PSAD-Kriging method improves the optimization efficiency by 30.02% on the premise of ensuring good prediction accuracy. Moreover, the maximum displacement response of the rotor test-bed is decreased by 31.32% after the vibration reduction optimization by PSAD-Kriging method. Therefore, the PSAD-Kriging method proposed in this work provides a novel solution for high-dimensional optimization problems with multi-design variables and can be effectively applied to engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Count data occur widely in many bio-surveillance and healthcare applications, e.g. the numbers of new patients of different types of infectious diseases from different cities/counties/states repeatedly over time, say, daily/weekly/monthly. For this type of count data, one important task is the quick detection and localization of hot-spots in terms of unusual infectious rates so that we can respond appropriately. In this paper, we develop a method called Poisson assisted Smooth Sparse Tensor Decomposition (PoSSTenD), which not only detect when hot-spots occur but also localize where hot-spots occur. The main idea of our proposed PoSSTenD method is articulated as follows. First, we represent the observed count data as a three-dimensional tensor including (1) a spatial dimension for location patterns, e.g. different cities/countries/states; (2) a temporal domain for time patterns, e.g. daily/weekly/monthly; (3) a categorical dimension for different types of data sources, e.g. different types of diseases. Second, we fit this tensor into a Poisson regression model, and then we further decompose the infectious rate into two components: smooth global trend and local hot-spots. Third, we detect when hot-spots occur by building a cumulative sum (CUSUM) control chart and localize where hot-spots occur by their LASSO-type sparse estimation. The usefulness of our proposed methodology is validated through numerical simulation studies and a real-world dataset, which records the annual number of 10 different infectious diseases from 1993 to 2018 for 49 mainland states in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal‐organic framework (MOF) composites based on MOFs‐wrapped metals or metallic compounds (denoted as M/MC@MOFs) are an important class of materials that integrate M/MCs and MOFs. MOFs can fix and confine M/MCs to regulate their size, prevent uncontrollable aggregation, and enhance the exposure and ordered arrangement of active sites. In turn, M/MCs support the MOFs to enhance their stability and realize more targeted properties. In this review, the features and application scope of different M/MC@MOF synthesis methods are explored, considering the influential factors and regulation modes of the M/MC–MOFs integration. Additionally, the performances of the M/MC@MOF composites are comprehensively discussed, and the underlying mechanisms are clarified. The performance of M/MC@MOFs is dependent on the orderly synergy between the MOFs and M/MCs. MOFs can sieve and transfer specific molecules to the M/MC surface, whereas the robust interface provides new charge/energy‐transfer pathways, which enhance the activity and selectivity of the composites for diverse molecules. Furthermore, the challenges facing this field are analyzed, and the recommendations for advancing the development of M/MC@MOF composites are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) are microorganisms that can dissolve insoluble phosphorus (P) to accessible forms. This study aimed to screen saline–alkali-tolerant PSB and analyze its growth promoting properties, and evaluate its effects on the growth, quality, soil nutrient balance, and enzyme activities of silage maize in the field. We isolated six phosphate-solubilizing strains from rhizosphere soil of silage maize planted in saline–alkali land, and FC-1 with the best P-solubilizing effect was used for further study. The morphological, physiological and biochemical analysis, and 16S rDNA and housekeeping gene atpD sequencing were performed for identification. FC-1 was identified as Pantoea dispersa and had high P solubility. The phosphate solubility of FC-1 using four P sources ranged from 160.79 to 270.22 mg l−1. FC-1 produced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and decreased the pH of the growth media by secreting organic acids, including citric acid, malic acid, succinic acid, and acetic acid. The results of a field experiment indicated that FC-1 treatment increased the height, stem diameter, fresh weight, dry weight, starch content, crude protein content, and total P content of silage maize by 9.8, 9.2, 12.6, 11.7, 12.6, 18.3, and 17.4%, respectively. The nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and organic matter contents in the rhizosphere soil of silage maize increased by 29.8, 17.1, 17.9, and 25.3%, respectively; urease, catalase, sucrase, and alkaline phosphatase levels also increased by 24.7, 26.7, 24.0, and 19.5%, respectively. FC-1 promoted the growth of silage maize by improving nutrient metabolism and enzyme activities in saline–alkali soil and may be an effective alternative to fertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic nuclear polarisation (DNP) is a process that transfers electron spin polarisation to nuclei by applying resonant microwave radiation, and has been widely used to improve the sensitivity of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Here we demonstrate new levels of performance for static cross-effect proton DNP using high peak power chirped inversion pulses at 94 GHz to create a strong polarisation gradient across the inhomogeneously broadened line of the mono-radical 4-amino TEMPO. Enhancements of up to 340 are achieved at an average power of a few hundred mW, with fast build-up times (3 s). Experiments are performed using a home-built wideband kW pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer operating at 94 GHz, integrated with an NMR detection system. Simultaneous DNP and EPR characterisation of other mono-radicals and biradicals, as a function of temperature, leads to additional insights into limiting relaxation mechanisms and give further motivation for the development of wideband pulsed amplifiers for DNP at higher frequencies. Dynamic nuclear polarization is a technique to enhance NMR signals, often achieved by continuous-wave irradiation of the samples. Here, the authors create large polarization gradients by using high-power chirped inversion pulses at 94 GHz at an average power of a few hundred mW with fast build-up times, reaching NMR signal enhancements of up to 340. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have played a dominant role in facial expression recognition. While CNN-based methods have achieved remarkable success, they are notorious for having an excessive number of parameters, and they rely on a large amount of manually annotated data. To address this challenge, we expand the number of training samples by learning expressions from a face recognition dataset to reduce the impact of a small number of samples on the network training. In the proposed deep joint learning framework, the deep features of the face recognition dataset are clustered, and simultaneously, the parameters of an efficient CNN are learned, thereby marking the data for network training automatically and efficiently. Specifically, first, we develop a new efficient CNN based on the proposed affinity convolution module with much lower computational overhead for deep feature learning and expression classification. Then, we develop an expression-guided deep facial clustering approach to cluster the deep features and generate abundant expression labels from the face recognition dataset. Finally, the AC-based CNN is fine-tuned using an updated training set and a combined loss function. Our framework is evaluated on several challenging facial expression recognition datasets as well as a self-collected dataset. In the context of facial expression recognition applied to the field of education, our proposed method achieved an impressive accuracy of 95.87% on the self-collected dataset, surpassing other existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cyan-emitting BaSi 2 O 2 N 2 :Eu2+ phosphor is a promising narrow-band and high-efficiency luminescent material used in wide-color-gamut white light-emitting diodes (wLEDs). However, its serious degradation under thermal attacks hinders its practical applications and needs to be improved. Herein, we proposed to deposit a nano-sized Al 2 O 3 film around each BaSi 2 O 2 N 2 :Eu2+ particle through atomic layer deposition (ALD) in a fluidized bed reactor to improve its thermal stability. Thermal gravimetric analysis results showed that the Al 2 O 3 layer with a thickness of only 11 nm had an obvious anti-oxidization effect, by which the oxidation temperature in air of the Al 2 O 3 coated phosphor was largely increased from ∼550 to ∼750 °C. Moreover, the Al 2 O 3 coated phosphor remained 93% of its luminescence intensity in comparison to 73% of the uncoated one when degraded under water-steam at 200 °C for 24 h. The oxidization of both the BaSi 2 O 2 N 2 host matrix and the doped Eu2+ ions was reduced by the Al 2 O 3 layer. Meanwhile, the wLEDs fabricated with the Al 2 O 3 coated phosphor showed a luminous flux of 3 times higher than that of the uncoated one when aged under 100 mA for 300 h. The greatly improved thermal degradation property of BaSi 2 O 2 N 2 :Eu2+ phosphor and the reliability of the wLEDs indicate that the ALD approach could be a feasible route to produce uniform and nano layers on phosphors and enhance their stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The dispersing effect of carbon materials on nanoparticles can enhance the full exposure of their active sites. Herein, phosphorus (P)-doped activated carbon-supported trace cobalt ferrite composites (P-CoFe@BC X) were achieved by two-step pyrolysis for efficient peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation and water pollution remediation. The removal efficiency of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was optimized by adjusting the coupling ratio of carbon substrate and cobalt ferrite. P-CoFe@BC 5 /PMS oxidation system (0.10 g L-1, 0.50 mM) eliminated 98.3% of 2,4-D (20.0 mg L-1) within 60 min at unadjusted pH. The constructed adsorption enrichment and oxidative degradation pathways are highly efficient in utilizing reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the dual tracks of free and non-free radicals achieve the rapid degradation of 2,4-D. P-doped activated carbon acts as an electron shuttle to accelerate electron transfer between active sites and enhances the adsorption efficiency of 2,4-D and PMS onto the composites. In addition, the P-CoFe@BC 5 /PMS oxidation system still exhibited strong 2,4-D removal performance at a wide pH range of 2.0–10.0. The inhibitory effect of environmental components was related to their concentration, such as chloride, bicarbonate, sulfate and humic acid. Density functional theory calculations show that ROS tends to attack the C O bond on the 2,4-D branch chain, and the degradation products show lower biological toxicity. Hence, the constructed cobalt ferrite anchored P-doped activated carbon activated PMS system has great potential in treating organic wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In statistics, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) is a regression method that performs both variable selection and regularization. There is a lot of literature available, discussing the statistical properties of the regression coefficients estimated by the Lasso method. However, there lacks a comprehensive review discussing the algorithms to solve the optimization problem in Lasso. In this review, we summarize five representative algorithms to optimize the objective function in Lasso, including iterative shrinkage threshold algorithm (ISTA), fast iterative shrinkage‐thresholding algorithms (FISTA), coordinate gradient descent algorithm (CGDA), smooth L1 algorithm (SLA), and path following algorithm (PFA). Additionally, we also compare their convergence rate, as well as their potential strengths and weakness. This article is categorized under:Statistical Models > Linear ModelsAlgorithms and Computational Methods > Numerical MethodsAlgorithms and Computational Methods > Computational Complexity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional phase II trial design paradigm is to make the go/no‐go decision based on the hypothesis testing framework. Statistical significance itself alone, however, may not be sufficient to establish that the drug is clinically effective enough to warrant confirmatory phase III trials. We propose the Bayesian optimal phase II trial design with dual‐criterion decision making (BOP2‐DC), which incorporates both statistical significance and clinical relevance into decision making. Based on the posterior probability that the treatment effect reaches the lower reference value (statistical significance) and the clinically meaningful value (clinical significance), BOP2‐DC allows for go/consider/no‐go decisions, rather than a binary go/no‐go decision. BOP2‐DC is highly flexible and accommodates various types of endpoints, including binary, continuous, time‐to‐event, multiple, and coprimary endpoints, in single‐arm and randomized trials. The decision rule of BOP2‐DC is optimized to maximize the probability of a go decision when the treatment is effective or minimize the expected sample size when the treatment is futile. Simulation studies show that the BOP2‐DC design yields desirable operating characteristics. The software to implement BOP2‐DC is freely available at www.trialdesign.org. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of targeted therapies and immunotherapies, the traditional drug development paradigm of testing one drug at a time in one indication has become increasingly inefficient. Motivated by a real‐world application, we propose a master‐protocol–based Bayesian platform trial design with mixed endpoints (PDME) to simultaneously evaluate multiple drugs in multiple indications, where different subsets of efficacy measures (eg, objective response and landmark progression‐free survival) may be used by different indications as single or multiple endpoints. We propose a Bayesian hierarchical model to accommodate mixed endpoints and reflect the trial structure of indications that are nested within treatments. We develop a two‐stage approach that first clusters the indications into homogeneous subgroups and then applies the Bayesian hierarchical model to each subgroup to achieve precision information borrowing. Patients are enrolled in a group‐sequential way and adaptively assigned to treatments according to their efficacy estimates. At each interim analysis, the posterior probabilities that the treatment effect exceeds prespecified clinically relevant thresholds are used to drop ineffective treatments and "graduate" effective treatments. Simulations show that the PDME design has desirable operating characteristics compared to existing method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing Phase I clinical trials is challenging when accrual is slow or sample size is limited. The corresponding key question is: how to efficiently and reliably identify the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) using a sample size as small as possible? We propose model‐assisted and model‐based designs with adaptive intrapatient dose escalation (AIDE) to address this challenge. AIDE is adaptive in that the decision of conducting intrapatient dose escalation depends on both the patient's individual safety data, as well as other enrolled patient's safety data. When both data indicate reasonable safety, a patient may perform intrapatient dose escalation, generating toxicity data at more than one dose. This strategy not only provides patients the opportunity to receive higher potentially more effective doses, but also enables efficient statistical learning of the dose‐toxicity profile of the treatment, which dramatically reduces the required sample size. Simulation studies show that the proposed designs are safe, robust, and efficient to identify the MTD with a sample size that is substantially smaller than conventional interpatient dose escalation designs. Practical considerations are provided and R code for implementing AIDE is available upon request. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-swirl nozzle is an important cooling component that is located inside of aero-engine and exposed to complex vibration excitation, and exploring its vibration characteristics and durability is of significant importance, especially for 3D printing pre-swirl nozzle. The present study provides a novel vibration test method based on equivalent installation stiffness. Firstly, the vibration characteristics of pre-swirl nozzle in real engine assembly state is calculated by the finite element method, and the equivalent constraint fixture is designed and checked based on this. The check results indicate that the designed fixture can well restore the installation stiffness of engine and the strength of the test fixture elements is enough in the vibration test process. Then, the modal characteristics of pre-swirl nozzle are measured by modal test, based on which the accuracy of the finite element model is verified. Finally, a test program of vibration durability is established to evaluate the vibration durability of pre-swirl nozzle, in which the excitation frequency is determined by combining logarithmic frequency sweep and linear frequency sweep and the location of maximum stress is determined based on a novel method (density increasing method). Besides, the calibration of relation between vibration stress and excitation amplitude is completed. Based on the proposed test program, vibration durability test is performed. The results show that the natural frequency of pre-swirl nozzle only decreases by 0.62 % after 5×107 cycles, which indicates that the specimen is always in the stage of fatigue crack initiation over the test duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ag 2 Se nanoparticles-decorated CoSe 2 flower-like nanosheets loaded on porous and conductive nickel foam substrate have been constructed via monometallic cation release strategy. The Ag 2 Se-CoSe 2 /NF displays outstanding electrolysis water performance. [Display omitted] Superionic conductors regulated transition metal chalcogenides are the newly emerged electrocatalyst in water electrolysis into clean hydrogen and oxygen. However, there is still much room for the development of structural design, electronic modulation and heterogeneous interface construction to improve the overall water splitting performance in pH-universal solutions, especially in alkaline and neutral mediums. Herein, using β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and citric acid (CA) organics with abundant hydroxyl (–OH) and carboxyl (–COOH), a special Ag 2 Se nanoparticles-decorated CoSe 2 flower-like nanosheets loaded on porous and conductive nickel foam substrate (Ag 2 Se-CoSe 2 /NF) was successfully constructed by a new method of monometallic cation release of coordinated cobalt. The Ag 2 Se phase exerts the nature characteristics of superionic conductors to modulate the morphological and electronic structures of CoSe 2 as well as improve its conductivity. The generated rich active interfaces and abundant Se vacancy defects facilitate numerous active sites exposure to accelerate the hydrogen ion transport and charge transfer. Compared to the single-phase Ag 2 Se/NF-8 and CoSe 2 /NF, the prepared Ag 2 Se-CoSe 2 /NF-8 with a two-phase synergistic effect achieves an outstanding pH-universal electrocatalytic hydrogen production performance by water electrolysis, as evidenced by a lower overpotential (60 mV, 212 mV and 85 mV vs RHE at 10 mA cm−2 for pH = 0.36, 7.00 and 13.70, respectively). Only a voltage of 1.55 V at 10 mA cm−2 is required to implement the overall water splitting in an alkaline electrolyzer. This work provides significant guidance for the future designation and practical development of transition metal chalcogenides with superionic conductors applied in the electrocatalytic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Randomized clinical trials are the gold standard to evaluate the efficacy of an experimental treatment. We propose a flexible Bayesian optimal phase II (BOP2) design for two-arm randomized trials. The proposed two-arm BOP2 design is flexible and can handle single, multiple primary and coprimary endpoints for superiority and noninferiority trials under a unified framework. It also allows users to specify the number and timing of interim analyses to meet clinical needs. While enjoying the flexibility of Bayesian adaptive designs, the two-arm BOP2 design explicitly controls the Type I error rate and is optimal for maximizing power, thereby ensuring desirable frequentist operating characteristics. Another feature of the two-arm BOP2 design is that its decision rule can be tabulated and included in the trial protocol prior to trial commence. To conduct the trial, no complicated Bayesian calculation is needed; clinicians can simply look up the table and make go/no-go decisions. Simulation studies show that the two-arm BOP2 design has desirable operating characteristics. Easy-to-use online application is freely available at to facilitate the use of the two-arm BOP2 design in clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to target individuals for charitable behavior to distant others is a major challenge. This paper tests the possibility that individuals with higher income engage in more charitable behavior toward distant beneficiaries relative to individuals with lower income. A multi‐method approach offers evidence for this prediction. Survey data (N = 2957) demonstrates that income is positively related to allocations of money to distant beneficiaries (foreign medical staff). Richer (vs. poorer) individuals are also more likely to volunteer to assist distant beneficiaries (Study 2, N = 397; Study 3, N = 250). Moreover, we tested this prediction with data from 66,669 respondents across 49 countries and found that those with higher income have higher global identity, which, in turn, leads to proffering more help toward distant others (Study 4). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many real-world applications of monitoring multivariate spatio-temporal data that are non-stationary over time, one is often interested in detecting hot-spots with spatial sparsity and temporal consistency, instead of detecting system-wise changes as in traditional statistical process control (SPC) literature. In this paper, we propose an efficient method to detect hot-spots through tensor decomposition, and our method has three steps. First, we fit the observed data into a Smooth Sparse Decomposition Tensor (SSD-Tensor) model that serves as a dimension reduction and de-noising technique: it is an additive model decomposing the original data into: smooth but non-stationary global mean, sparse local anomalies, and random noises. Next, we estimate model parameters by the penalized framework that includes Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and fused LASSO penalty. An efficient recursive optimization algorithm is developed based on Fast Iterative Shrinkage Thresholding Algorithm (FISTA). Finally, we apply a Cumulative Sum (CUSUM) Control Chart to monitor model residuals after removing global means, which helps to detect when and where hot-spots occur. To demonstrate the usefulness of our proposed SSD-Tensor method, we compare it with several other methods including scan statistics, LASSO-based, PCA-based, T2-based control chart in extensive numerical simulation studies and a real crime rate dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown increased aberrant expression of immune checkpoint (IC) proteins, such as programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1) and T cell immunoglobulin mucin-domain-containing-3 (Tim-3) on T cells from patients with multiple myeloma (MM), which result in T cell exhaustion and dysfunction. However, little is known about the mechanism regulating aberrant IC protein expression. In this study, we analyzed the expression of TOX (thymocyte selection-associated HMG BOX), a crucial transcription factor involved in T cell exhaustion, and its co-expression with PD-1, Tim-3, and CD244 in T cell subsets by multi-color fluorescent flow cytometry in peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) samples from patients with MM. Significantly, the percentage of TOX + CD3 +/CD4 +/CD8 + T cells was increased, and similarly, higher numbers of TOX co-expression with PD-1, Tim-3, and CD244 on CD3 +/CD4 +/CD8 + T cells were found. Interestingly, the numbers of TOX +, TOX + PD-1 +, and TOX + Tim-3 + regulatory T (Treg) cells also significantly increased in both the PB and BM of MM patients. In summary, we for the first time observed increased TOX expression concurrent with PD-1, Tim-3, and CD244 on T cells, which may contribute to T cell exhaustion and impair their function in MM. Thus, TOX may be considered a potential target for reversing T cell exhaustion and improving T cell function in MM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits histogram method for ADC linearity test. Here two methods are proposed for low cost test of histogram method. The first proposal is two-tone sine wave input for code selective histogram method for SAR ADC. In SAR ADC, the DNL of the codes corresponding to the internal DAC output voltages of the MSB bits can be large when the DAC employs a binary-weighted configuration. Therefore, in the proposed method, frequency of appearance of the codes is increased to make the length of the bins relatively long with two-tone sine wave input. It realizes low cost test and high-quality linearity test. The 2nd proposal is decision method of the ratio of the input and sampling frequencies with classical number theory. The proposed method decides the ratio based on metallic ratio or theory of prime numbers. This guarantees random data sampling to get accurate calibration result with relatively small number of histogram data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate asymptotically stabilisation for the cascaded system of a nonlinear ODE and a wave PDE with damping terms by a predictor control. Based on the backstepping transformations, the cascaded system is transferred to a target system. Further, a predictor control is designed. It is proved that the target system is asymptotically stable by using a Lyapunov functional. Further the stability of the original system under the proposed control law is equivalent to that of the target system. An example is given to illustrate the validity of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geochemistry of arc rocks provides a window to probe compositional variability in mantle wedge and slab-derived inputs. However, quantitative estimation of their contribution is a great challenge. Here we report an integrated study for determination of variable contributions to early Paleozoic arc plutons (the Mafan diorites and gabbros), from the northern Hong'an orogen, central China. Zircon grains from the diorites yielded crystallization age of 445 ± 3 Ma, whereas the gabbros have zircon U Pb age of 432 ± 3 Ma. Although both the two mafic rocks suites exhibit typical arc-like trace element distribution patterns, they show a series of differences in stable Li–Mo–O and radiogenic Sr–Nd–Hf isotope compositions, as well as major and trace element features. Geochemically, the diorites are medium-K calc-alkaline series with high and positive whole-rock ε Nd (t) (+3.8 to +4.5) and zircon ε Hf (t) values (+12.4 to +14.3), and normal mantle-like zircon δ18O values (5.1 ± 0.2 ‰). Contrarily, the gabbros are tholeiitic and have relatively low whole-rock ε Nd (t) (+ 2.3 to +3.1) and zircon ε Hf (t) (+5.0 to +8.5) values with normal mantle-like zircon δ18O values (5.4 ± 0.3 ‰). The diorites have δ98Mo values of −0.15 to −0.03 ‰, while the gabbros have δ98Mo values of −0.28 to −0.12 ‰. These values are slightly higher than those of the mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) (−0.20 ± 0.01 ‰). Whereas, δ7Li values of the studied diorites (2.15–4.49 ‰) and gabbros (2.89–5.33 ‰) are mostly consistent within the range of MORB. In combination with the above results, the primary magma of diorites was inferred to be derived from 1 to 5% partial melting of depleted lithospheric mantle metasomatized by slab-derived fluid with minor sediment-derived melts. While the gabbros were suggested to be generated by 5–10% partial melting of more depleted lithospheric mantle that had undergone perhaps extra 0.3% melt extraction, which had further been metasomatized by more subducted materials. In summary, both the slab-derived components and nature of the mantle wedge sources are quantitatively constrained for the mafic rocks in the Mafan plutons. Our new data suggest that the Mafan plutons exhibited the Mariana arc-affinity and represented products of an intra-oceanic subduction system in the northern Hong'an orogen. Combined with previously published data for the early Paleozoic mafic magmatic rocks along the Qinling-Tongbai-Hong'an orogenic belt, there exists an oceanic arc in the east (Hong'an orogen) and an Andean-type continental arc in the west (Qinling-Tongbai orogen). • The Mafan plutons are composed of diorites (ca. 445 Ma) and gabbros (ca. 432 Ma) with systematically geochemical variations. • Both more depleted mantle wedge and more slab-derived materials metasomatized are required for generating the Mafan gabbros. • The Mafan plutons represented products of an intra-oceanic subduction system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migmatites can be produced in different stages of orogeny and thus have a great significance to constrain the evolution of an orogenic belt. Migmatites widely occur in the Tongbai orogen, but their formation ages and geological significance have not been well constrained. In this study, a combination of cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging, U-Pb-Hf-O isotopes and trace elements of zircons were carried for migmatites in the Tongbai orogen. Most inherited cores in a melanosome show variable U Pb ages and Hf isotope compositions with high δ18O values, suggesting they might be detrital zircons from its protolith. Whereas other relict cores in this sample have nebulously zoning or no zoning, flat HREE patterns with insignificant Eu anomalies and relatively low formation temperatures, indicating their formation under eclogite-facies conditions. They yield U Pb ages of 228 ± 3 Ma, providing direct evidence for the involvement of Triassic subducted continental materials. The overgrowth rims and some new grown grains in the migmatites show euhedral shapes, low CL luminescence, high Th/U ratios, clear negative Eu anomalies and steep HREE patterns, suggesting they are anatectic zircons formed during partial melting. They yield U Pb ages from 139 ± 2 to 132 ± 1 Ma. Combined with previous studies, we suggest that migmatization mainly occurred at 139–130 Ma in the Tongbai orogen. The anatectic zircons in the leucosomes show much lower δ18O values (5.79 ± 0.23‰ vs. 8.94 ± 0.16‰) and higher 176Hf/177Hf ratios (0.282302–0.282648 vs. 0.281728–0.282504) than the zircons in adjacent melanosomes, suggesting that the leucosomes might be externally sourced. According to a compilation of the geochronological information of migmatite and magmatism, the Tongbai-Dabie-Sulu orogens have a spatial and temporal variation of partial melting and magma activities in the post-collisional stage. These might result from the diachronical tectonic switch and collapse of the orogenic lithospheric keels caused by the subduction and rollback of the Paleo-Pacific slab. • The Tongbai migmatites formed at ca. 139–130 Ma. • There exist spatiotemporal variations of partial melting and magmatism in the Tongbai-Dabie-Sulu orogen. • A diachronous tectonic switch has been documented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The phosphorus-oxygen component in magnetic biochar can effectively enhance its catalytic ability. • P doping effectively enhanced the electron transfer capacity of magnetic biochar and the exposure degree of active sites. • Excellent graphitization structure can accelerate the electron transfer speed of the Fe-O-P pathway. • The removal of MCPA in the oxidation system is dominated by non-radical pathway. In this study, the incorporation of phosphorus (P) atoms into magnetic biochar was strategically achieved, and the preparation conditions of the composites were optimized by adjusting the pyrolysis temperature and iron doping. The resulting P-doped magnetic biochar (Fe 2 P@BC-700) exhibited remarkable catalytic activity towards peroxymonosulfate (PMS), rendering it highly effective for the degradation of common organic pesticides, such as 2-Methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA), in aqueous environments. Among them, the apparent rate constant in the oxidation stage was 6.42 times as large as that of magnetic biochar (Fe 2 BC-700). This was attributed to the fact that the introduced P species tuned the surface electronic configuration of the pristine carbon layer with excellent electron storage and transport capabilities, and the Fe-O-P bonds in the composites acted as electron transport bridges to promote iron cycling in the magnetic nanoparticles during catalysis. The elimination of MCPA in the constructed adsorption enrichment-oxidative degradation system (Fe 2 P@BC-700/PMS) was achieved through a non-radical pathway dominated by singlet oxygen (1O 2) and electron transfer process (ETP). It also ensured broad pH adaptability, environmental stability and repeatability. Density-functional theory calculated that ROS tended to attack the C-Cl branched chain in MCPA and the degradation products showed a tendency of toxicity reduction. This study provided new ideas for the design of market-oriented functional biochar catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cover image is based on the Original Article A modified model for predicting mortality after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt: A multicentre study by Yujie Zhaoet al., https://doi.org/10.1111/liv.15790 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The PECs of the four lowest Ω substates have been calculated using MRCI and DIRAC methods, respectively. • The transition dipole moment matrix elements in the A2Π 3/2,u - X2Π 3/2,g system have been calculated. • The line strengths and lifetimes of vibronic bands have been derived. • Enhancement factors for detecting the variation of α and μ have been calculated. The four lowest Ω substates (X 2Π 3/2,g , X 2Π 1/2,g , A 2Π 3/2,u and A 2Π 1/2,u) of the I 2 + cation have been studied by high-precision ab initio calculations in comparison with experimental high-resolution absorption spectra. The potential energy curves were calculated using the multi-reference configuration interaction (MRCI) method and Dirac method, respectively. Rovibrational levels of these electronic states were derived by solving the radial Schrödinger rovibrational equation. Molecular constants were obtained in fitting energy levels to a spectroscopic model. Using the fit spectroscopic constants and newly calculated transition dipole moment matrix elements, line strengths of vibronic bands in the A 2Π 3/2,u - X 2Π 3/2,g system, as well as Einstein A coefficients for 45 of these bands with ν′ = 11–19 and ν′′ = 1–5, have been derived. The Einstein A coefficients were used to compute radiative lifetimes of the ν′ = 11–19 vibrational levels of the A 2Π 3/2,u state. Enhancement factors for detecting the variation of the fine-structure constant (α) and the proton-to-electron mass ratio(µ) using transitions between nearly degenerate rovibronic levels of these low-lying states have been calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: Pomegranate is an excellent tree species with nutritional, medicinal, ornamental and ecological values. Studies have confirmed that SPL factors play an important role in floral transition and flower development. Results: Used bioinformatics methods, 15 SPL (SQUAMOSA promoter-binding protein-like) genes were identified and analyzed from the 'Taishanhong' pomegranate (P. granatum L.) genome. Phylogenetic analysis showed that PgSPLs were divided into six subfamilies (G1 ~ G6). PgSPL promoter sequences contained multiple cis-acting elements associated with abiotic stress or hormonal response. Based on the transcriptome data, expression profiles of different tissues and different developmental stages showed that PgSPL genes had distinct temporal and spatial expression characteristics. The expression analysis of miR156 in small RNA sequencing results showed that miR156 negatively regulated the expression of target genes. qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression levels of PgSPL2, PgSPL3, PgSPL6, PgSPL11 and PgSPL14 in leaves were significantly higher than those in buds and stems (p < 0.05). The expression levels of PgSPL5, PgSPL12 and PgSPL13 in flower buds were significantly higher than that in leaves and stems (p < 0.05). The full-length of coding sequence of PgSPL5 and PgSPL13 were obtained by homologous cloning technology. The full length of PgSPL5 is 1020 bp, and PgSPL13 is 489 bp, which encodes 339 and 162 amino acids, respectively. Further investigation revealed that PgSPL5 and PgSPL13 proteins were located in the nucleus. Exogenous plant growth regulator induction experiments showed that PgSPL5 was up-regulated in leaves and stems. PgSPL13 was up-regulated in leaves and down-regulated in stems. When sprayed with 6-BA, IBA and PP333 respectively, PgSPL5 and PgSPL13 were up-regulated most significantly at P2 (bud vertical diameter was 5.1 ~ 12.0 mm) stage of bisexual and functional male flowers. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that PgSPL2, PgSPL3, PgSPL6, PgSPL11 and PgSPL14 played roles in leaves development of pomegranate. PgSPL5, PgSPL12 and PgSPL13 played roles in pomegranate flower development. PgSPL5 and PgSPL13 were involved in the response process of different plant hormone signal transduction in pomegranate development. This study provided a robust basis for further functional analyses of SPL genes in pomegranate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a functional observer design method for a class of nonlinear systems with output nonlinearities and incremental quadratic constraints. The system under consideration includes a wider class of nonlinear systems, such as, Lipschitz, one-sided Lipschitz, nondecreasing nonlinearity system as special cases. Based on Moore–Penrose pseudo-inverse and linear matrix inequality theory, the existence conditions of gain matrices of a functional observer are obtained. Moreover, exponential convergence of the estimate errors is achieved. Through the Lorenz system, it is shown that the proposed approach provides a smaller order of observer than that of the conventional approaches, while maintaining satisfactory performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photoionization and dissociative photoionization of o-xylene have been studied using synchrotron radiation vacuum ultraviolet light with the photon energy in the range of 8.0–13.0 eV. The ionization energy of o-xylene and the appearance energies for the main fragment ions C 8 H 9 + , C 7 H 7 + and C 6 H 6 + were determined to be 8.45, 11.08, 11.47 and 11.17 eV, respectively, with photoionization efficiency spectra (PIES). Three dissociation pathways of parent ions are investigated by experimental photoionization and the quantum-chemical calculations. The fragment ions C 7 H 7 + derived from parent ions involved hydrogen atom transfer rather than direct dissociation. Particularly, detailed mechanisms of dissociation C 6 H 6 + are presented for the first time in this work. In addition, the geometries of the intermediates (INTs), transition states (TSs) and products have been performed at B3LYP/6-311 + + G (d, p) level. The mechanisms of dissociative photoionization of o-xylene and the INTs and TSs involved are discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2) has gained significant attention in the scientific community. Few-layered MoS 2 demonstrates unique properties and potential applications. However, the synthesis of few-layered and high-purity 1T-MoS 2 is still a challenge. In this study, we successfully employed a hydrothermal method to synthesize few-layered and high-purity 1T-MoS 2. The purity of the material is controlled by a combination of sodium borohydride and ethanol. Notably, the few-layered 1T-MoS 2 exhibits exceptional performance as a supercapacitor, including the high specific capacitance (250.3 ​F ​g−1 at a current density of 1 ​A ​g−1) and excellent long-trem cycling stability (90.7 ​% after 5000 cycles). Meanwhile, the asymmetric device assembled by 6-FL-1T-MoS 2 and active carbon on carbon cloths exhibits excellent flexibility and high energy and power density (23.1 ​μWh cm−2 at 600 ​μW ​cm−2, 55 ​μWh cm−2 at 12000 ​μW ​cm−2). This work provides valuable insights into the synthesis of few-layered and high-purity 1T-MoS 2 , opening up new avenues for further research and applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 3D Co‐based metal–organic framework (Co‐MOF) with two kinds of large pores filled by free Co2+ ions and ligands was synthesized and characterized. To expand the MOF structure and conductivity, the free Co2+ ions and ligands were exchanged by conductive ionic liquid EtpyBr and photosensitive AgNO3 through single crystal‐to‐single crystal transformation, which produced structure‐changed 3D MOFs Co‐MOF‐Br and Co‐Ag‐MOF, which were characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Incorporating small quantities of doped polyaniline (PANI) with redox activity into the pores could further tune the stability and conductivity of the three MOFs. The PANI/MOFs all show outstanding electrical conductivity (≈10−2 S cm−1), and PANI/Co‐MOF‐Br has the largest p‐type Seebeck coefficient of 66.6 μV K−1. PANI/Co‐MOF‐Br and PANI/Co‐Ag‐MOF have 4 and 15 times higher photocurrent density compared with PANI/Co‐MOF, respectively. This work sheds light on the design of advanced electrically conductive 3D MOFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is an important commercial fruit tree, with moderate tolerance to salinity. The balance of Cl− and other anions in pomegranate tissues are affected by salinity, however, the accumulation patterns of anions are poorly understood. The chloride channel (CLC) gene family is involved in conducting Cl−, NO3−, HCO3− and I−, but its characteristics have not been reported on pomegranate. Results: In this study, we identified seven PgCLC genes, consisting of four antiporters and three channels, based on the presence of the gating glutamate (E) and the proton glutamate (E). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that seven PgCLCs were divided into two clades, with clade I containing the typical conserved regions GxGIPE (I), GKxGPxxH (II) and PxxGxLF (III), whereas clade II not. Multiple sequence alignment revealed that PgCLC-B had a P [proline, Pro] residue in region I, which was suspected to be a NO3−/H+ exchanger, while PgCLC-C1, PgCLC-C2, PgCLC-D and PgCLC-G contained a S [serine, Ser] residue, with a high affinity to Cl−. We determined the content of Cl−, NO3−, H2PO4−, and SO42− in pomegranate tissues after 18 days of salt treatments (0, 100, 200 and 300 mM NaCl). Compared with control, the Cl− content increased sharply in pomegranate tissues. Salinity inhibited the uptake of NO3− and SO42−, but accelerated H2PO4− uptake. The results of real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed that PgCLC genes had tissue-specific expression patterns. The high expression levels of three antiporters PgCLC-C1, PgCLC-C2 and PgCLC-D in leaves might be contributed to sequestrating Cl− into the vacuoles. However, the low expression levels of PgCLCs in roots might be associated with the exclusion of Cl− from root cells. Also, the up-regulated PgCLC-B in leaves indicated that more NO3− was transported into leaves to mitigate the nitrogen deficiency. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that the PgCLC genes played important roles in balancing of Cl− and NO3− in pomegranate tissues under salt stress. This study established a theoretical foundation for the further functional characterization of the CLC genes in pomegranate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare clinical function after knot anchor versus knotless anchor repair of the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) in patients with chronic lateral ankle instability. Methods: All patients who underwent arthroscopic surgical ATFL repair using knot or knotless suture anchors were included in this study. Functional scores (American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS), Karlsson score and Tegner activity scores) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were used to evaluate the ankle with a follow-up of at least 2 years. Results: A total of 52 patients with chronic ankle instability were included in this study. Among these patients, 23 patients underwent one knot anchor repair procedure (Group A), and the other 29 patients underwent one knotless anchor repair procedure (Group B). At the final follow-up, there were no significant differences between Group A and Group B regarding the AOFAS score (89 ± 9 vs 84 ± 11; ns), Karlsson score (82 ± 14 vs 75 ± 18; ns), or Tegner activity score (4 ± 1 vs 4 ± 2; ns). There also were no significant differences in the mean ATFL signal–noise ratio (SNR) value (7.5 ± 4.4 vs 7.3 ± 2.9; ns) or ATFL angle (82° ± 7° vs 84° ± 9°; ns) between the groups. Conclusion: When compared with knot repair, knotless repair of the lateral ankle ligament produced similar functional outcomes. Level of evidence: III. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is the most common trichothecene distributed in food and feed. So far, much work has focused on investigating the cytotoxicity of DON, while there is few researches aimed at intervening in the toxic impacts on humans and livestock posed by DON. The objective of this study is to investigate the underlying mechanism of biomacromolecules mannan/β-glucans from yeast cell wall (BYCW) for their potency to impede the cytotoxicity and apoptosis caused by DON with porcine jejunum epithelial cell lines (IPEC-J2) used as a cell injury model. We analyzed the cell morphology, cell activity, oxidative stress, fluorescence intensity and expressions of proteins relevant to autophagy, apoptosis and PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway by using inverted microscopy, MTS, reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) assay, Annexin V-FITC / propidium iodide (PI) double staining and Western blot assay. The consequent data demonstrated that in the presence of BYCW, the cell morphology and activity were relatively ameliorated and that the oxidation damage was attenuated with DON-induced autophagy concomitantly decreased, which, furthermore, was found involved in the positive regulation on PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway by BYCW. In a word, BYCW possess an ability to repress the cytotoxicity and apoptosis induced by DON through the inhibition of autophagy via activating PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First-principles calculations are performed, revealing a significant enhancement of the piezoelectric properties of wurtzite Zn 3 6 O 3 6 upon the incorporation of a single Cu atom. Research has demonstrated that the piezoelectric constant d 3 3 reaches its maximum value at a doping concentration of 1.4% for Cu atoms. The lattice parameters a and c of Zn 3 6 O 3 6 are decreased and the piezoelectric strain coefficient d 3 3 is increased by replacing one Cu atom in Zn 3 6 O 3 6 . It is found that elastic softening is the primary factor responsible for the increase of d 3 3 in Zn 3 5 Cu1O 3 6 . By differential charge density analysis, it is found that the covalency between Cu–O bonds is lower than that of Zn–O bonds, and the covalent bonding characteristics are weakened. Bader charge analysis shows that the charge of Cu is higher than that of Zn, indicating a more significant ionic bonding feature than that of Zn. Thus, a weaker covalent and stronger ionic bond are considered to play an essential role in promoting elastic softening for ZnO, which eventually promotes a significant enhancement in piezoelectric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of positive tuberculosis interferon gamma release assay (TB-IGRA) in the differential diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) and Crohn's disease (CD) patients, and to find a suitable threshold to help distinguishing CD from tuberculosis (TB), so as to provide better recommendations for clinical treatment. Methods: A retrospective study was performed including 484 patients who underwent TB-IGRA testing for suspected CD or ITB treated in the Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University between January 2015 and May 2018. According to the diagnostic criteria, 307 patients, including 272 CD and 35 ITB patients, were recruited for the final analysis. We comprehensively and systematically collected their clinical manifestations, and analyzed the influence of TB-IGRA values referring to diagnosis criteria, and the possible causes of false positives. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve and the cut-off value were applied to distinguish between ITB and CD patients. Results: Of the 56 patients with suspected CD enrolled, 23 were finally diagnosed with CD and 33 with ITB. In patients with TB-IGRA ⩾ 100 pg/ml, 4 cases were CD and 29 cases were ITB, while 19 cases were CD and 4 cases were ITB in patients with TB-IGRA < 100 pg/ml (p < 0.05). TB-IGRA ⩾ 100 pg/ml indicated a high possibility of TB infection, with a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 74%. Three out of the four CD patients with TB-IGRA ⩾ 100 pg/ml had a history of tuberculosis, while only 1 of the 19 CD patients with TB-IGRA < 100 pg/ml had a history of tuberculosis (p < 0.05). The average duration of ITB was 7 months, and that of CD was 46.8 months, thus a significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed. Perianal lesions such as anal fistula or abscess were found in all CD patients. Among ITB patients, 8 out of 15 patients with TB-IGRA ⩾ 400 pg/ml experienced weight loss, while only 1 out of 18 patients with TB-IGRA < 400 pg/ml underwent weight loss (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Patients with CD have longer duration of disease, and perianal lesions are more common in CD. ITB patients with TB-IGRA ⩾ 400 pg/ml experience weight loss more readily, which indicates that TB-IGRA value may be correlated positively with the severity of ITB. In patients with CD and ITB, TB-IGRA = 100 pg/ml may be a cut-off value of TB-IGRA. For patients with TB-IGRA ⩾ 100 pg/ml, it is recommended to use diagnostic anti-TB treatment first. Comprehensive analysis and judgment are required for patients with TB-IGRA from 14 pg/ml to 99 pg/ml. TB-IGRA false positivity may occur in patients with a history of TB infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of positive tuberculosis interferon gamma release assay (TB-IGRA) in the differential diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) and Crohn's disease (CD) patients, and to find a suitable threshold to help distinguishing CD from tuberculosis (TB), so as to provide better recommendations for clinical treatment. Methods: A retrospective study was performed including 484 patients who underwent TB-IGRA testing for suspected CD or ITB treated in the Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University between January 2015 and May 2018. According to the diagnostic criteria, 307 patients, including 272 CD and 35 ITB patients, were recruited for the final analysis. We comprehensively and systematically collected their clinical manifestations, and analyzed the influence of TB-IGRA values referring to diagnosis criteria, and the possible causes of false positives. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve and the cut-off value were applied to distinguish between ITB and CD patients. Results: Of the 56 patients with suspected CD enrolled, 23 were finally diagnosed with CD and 33 with ITB. In patients with TB-IGRA ⩾ 100 pg/ml, 4 cases were CD and 29 cases were ITB, while 19 cases were CD and 4 cases were ITB in patients with TB-IGRA < 100 pg/ml (p < 0.05). TB-IGRA ⩾ 100 pg/ml indicated a high possibility of TB infection, with a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 74%. Three out of the four CD patients with TB-IGRA ⩾ 100 pg/ml had a history of tuberculosis, while only 1 of the 19 CD patients with TB-IGRA < 100 pg/ml had a history of tuberculosis (p < 0.05). The average duration of ITB was 7 months, and that of CD was 46.8 months, thus a significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed. Perianal lesions such as anal fistula or abscess were found in all CD patients. Among ITB patients, 8 out of 15 patients with TB-IGRA ⩾ 400 pg/ml experienced weight loss, while only 1 out of 18 patients with TB-IGRA < 400 pg/ml underwent weight loss (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Patients with CD have longer duration of disease, and perianal lesions are more common in CD. ITB patients with TB-IGRA ⩾ 400 pg/ml experience weight loss more readily, which indicates that TB-IGRA value may be correlated positively with the severity of ITB. In patients with CD and ITB, TB-IGRA = 100 pg/ml may be a cut-off value of TB-IGRA. For patients with TB-IGRA ⩾ 100 pg/ml, it is recommended to use diagnostic anti-TB treatment first. Comprehensive analysis and judgment are required for patients with TB-IGRA from 14 pg/ml to 99 pg/ml. TB-IGRA false positivity may occur in patients with a history of TB infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secrecy involves the active concealment of information from others, which can cause undesirable consequences for cognitive, perceptual and health psychology, but empirical research linking secrecy to charitable behaviors remains relatively scarce. This research examined whether secrecy weakens people's desire to engage in charitable behaviors. Two experiments demonstrated that as a mental burden, secrets decreased people's donation desire, including their intentions to volunteer and donate, and their tangible charitable behavior. In Experiment 1, recalling a personal secret increased the tendency to donate less money than recalling a neutral experience. Study 2 showed that this weakening effect of secrecy on charitable behaviors is mediated by fatigue (but not negative affect). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world, which can lead to considerably high mortality rate. It was reported that the prognosis is extremely poor and survival is often measured in months once CRC metastases become clinically evident. Therefore, the development of effective approach for metastatic CRC cells detection and imaging may potentially be significant and helpful for CRC prognosis and treatment. Therefore, we proposed a sensitive and specific approach for high-metastatic CRC LoVo cells detection and imaging by using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-initiated molecule beacons (MBs) arrayed fluorescent aptamer probes (denoted as TMAP). In this approach, the aptamer W3 targeting high-metastatic CRC LoVo cells was elongated to form W3-poly A at the 3′-hydroxyl terminus with repeated A bases in the presence of TdT and dATP. The MBs designed with poly T sequence in the loop were then hybridized with the poly A in the aptamer W3. The TMAP was easily constructed without the need of aptamer modification. It was demonstrated that this approach could specifically detect and image the high-metastatic CRC LoVo cells from the mixture of high-metastatic CRC LoVo cells and non-metastatic HCT-8 cells. Compared with 6-carboxyfluorescein (6-FAM) labeled aptamer W3, the TMAP was demonstrated to have a much stronger fluorescence signal on the target cells, realizing a 4-fold increase in signal-to-background ratio (SBR). Determination by flow cytometry allowed for detection of as low as 23 CRC LoVo cells in 200 μL cell culture medium. The high sensitivity and the capability for using in complicate biological samples imply that this approach holds considerable potential for metastatic CRC detection and therapy. Image 1 • TMAP was developed for specific detection and imaging of metastatic CRC cells. • TMAP could identify target LoVo cells with excellent binding affinity and specificity. • TMAP could specifically distinguish between the metastatic LoVo cells and non-metastatic HCT-8 cells in mixed cells samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]