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To investigate the dynamic response of a hollow cylindrical shell structure subjected to a near-field underwater explosion, underwater explosion experiments were conducted in a 2 × 2 × 2 m water tank, and high-speed cameras were used to record the interactions between the bubbles generated by the underwater explosion and the hollow cylindrical shell. The high-speed photography results showed that the cylindrical shell experienced a minor degree of deformation during the shock-wave stage. However, during the bubble-pulsation stage, the cylindrical shell experienced significant deformation that surpassed the deformation observed during the shock-wave stage. On this basis, combined with the damage results for the cylindrical shell, a numerical model for the hollow cylindrical shell subjected to an underwater explosion was established using LS-DYNA software. The dynamic process and damage mechanism of a hollow cylindrical shell that was subjected to a near-field underwater explosion were revealed by analyzing the pressures and strains of the shell elements, the velocities and displacements of the nodes, and the variations in the energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Local high-frequency percussive (HFP) massage has recently found widespread application in physical therapy. Although HFP massage reportedly improves range of motion (ROM), the mechanism underlying its action has not yet been proven. This study aimed to clarify whether a 5-minute percussive massage regimen affects muscular or connective tissues, such as the deep fascia and deep intermuscular fascia and the change in joint ROM. Method: The study sample was calculated using G*Power analysis program, and this study enrolled 15 healthy men who underwent 5-minute HFP massage to the medial gastrocnemius muscle. Shear-wave elastography was used to measure tissue stiffness in the deep fascia, muscle, and deep intermuscular fascia through shear-wave velocity as well as the ROM of the volunteers' ankle joint dorsiflexion before and after the HFP massage. A value of P < .05 was used to declare statistical significance, and post hoc was used to calculate the effect size using G*Power. Results: Shear-wave velocity revealed a significant change in the deep fascia (P = .003; shear-wave velocity: -0.7 m/s) and significant increase in ROM of ankle dorsiflexion (P = .002; increase in ROM: 3.0°) after 5 minutes of HFP massage. However, the muscle and deep intermuscular fascia did not exhibit any significant changes. Conclusions: HFP massage for 5 minutes modified the stiffness of the deep fascia and concurrently improved the ankle joint-dorsiflexion ROM. This method can be used as an intervention to decrease stiffness of the deep fascia and increase the ROM efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular-level nucleation has not been clearly understood due to the complexity of multi-body potentials and the stochastic, rare nature of the process. This work utilizes molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, incorporating a first-principles-based deep neural network (DNN) potential model, to investigate homogeneous water vapor condensation. The nucleation rates and critical nucleus sizes predicted by the DNN model are compared against commonly used semi-empirical models, namely extended simple point charge (SPC/E), TIP4P, and OPC, in addition to classical nucleation theory (CNT). The nucleation rates from the DNN model are comparable with those from the OPC model yet surpass the rates from the SPC/E and TIP4P models, a discrepancy that could mainly arise from the overestimated bulk free energy by SPC/E and TIP4P. The surface free energy predicted by CNT is lower than that in MD simulations, while its bulk free energy is higher than that in MD simulations, irrespective of the potential model used. Further analysis of cluster properties with the DNN model unveils pronounced variations of O–H bond length and H–O–H bond angle, along with averaged bond lengths and angles that are enlarged during embryonic cluster formation. Properties such as cluster surface free energy and liquid-to-vapor density transition profiles exhibit significant deviations from CNT assumptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a theoretical scheme for the generation of nonreciprocal microwave-optical entanglement in a magnon-based hybrid system where an optical photon in a spinning resonator is coupled to a phonon representing the quantum of the mechanical deformation of a yttrium iron garnet crystal via radiation pressure. Meanwhile, the magnon interacts with the phonon and the microwave through the magnetostrictive and magnetic dipole–dipole interactions, respectively. By spinning the resonator, the light driven in opposite directions propagates irreversibly, which leads to the classical nonreciprocity of mean optical photon numbers. Strikingly, the nonreciprocal entanglement between microwave and optical photons can be generated owing to the Fizeau light-dragging effect. Physically, the magnon–phonon entanglement induced by the magnomechanical parametric downconversion interaction is partially transferred to the microwave-optical subsystem through magnon-microwave and optomechanical state-exchange interactions. Moreover, the nonreciprocity of entanglement can be manipulated by properly choosing various system parameters and the ideal nonreciprocal microwave–optical entanglement could be achieved, in which the entanglement depending on the effective optical detuning is present in a chosen direction but disappears in the other direction. Our work could be applied in the multi-task quantum information processing and construction of chiral quantum networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an approximate analytical approach to the adsorption problem of ABA triblock copolymers confined between two parallel plates in a θ solvent and give the expression of the propagator q(x, t) as a piece-wise function by solving the modified diffusion equation. In this way, the role of separation between the two plates, adsorption energy and block lengths on segment concentration profile, chain conformations, and interaction potential is then investigated, which agrees well with the numerical results. It is demonstrated that there are parallels between lengthening adsorbing A blocks and increasing surface affinity: strong adsorption and long adsorbing blocks favor the formation of loops and bridges, whereas more tails and free chains exist in the case of weak adsorption and short A blocks at large separations. For moderate and strong adsorptions, the bridging fraction begins to plummet at a separation larger than the end-to-end distance of non-adsorbing B block RB and becomes negligible at above 2RB owing to the entropy effect. The depth of the potential well in the interaction potential profile depends on the adsorption energy and A block length, while the location of the potential minimum corresponds to the onset of the sharp decrease in bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microscopic mechanism of ferroelectric switching is the motion of domain walls, which is actually accomplished by the movement of tiny steps on the domain walls. Using first-principles calculations, the detailed polarization structures and the motion barriers of neutral and charged steps on 180° domain walls of prototypical ferroelectrics PbTiO3 are elaborately revealed in this study. While the Bloch components get weakened near all neutral steps, they become weakened/strengthened near the head-to-head/tail-to-tail charged steps. The neutral step possesses a lower formation energy but a higher migration barrier, indicating that the charged step could move faster. Based on these results, the possible motion picture of steps on one 180° domain wall of tetragonal ferroelectrics is proposed, which provides a better understanding of the mechanism of domain wall motion and may shed light on the future development of domain wall–based functional devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an atomistic simulation of thermoelectric properties in cove-edged graphene nanoribbons (CGNRs) via the nonequilibrium Green's function. Different from gapless zigzag graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs), CGNRs exhibit a noticeable bandgap. Such a bandgap can be modulated by varying three structural parameters (namely, the width N, the distance between adjacent coves m, as well as the shortest offset n) of CGNRs, which can give rise to the transition from semiconducting to semi-metallic. Due to the less dispersive phonon bands and the decrease in the number of phonon channels of CGNRs, they are found to have the lower phonon thermal conductance than ZGNRs. Modulation of CGNRs can produce over tenfold improvement of the maximum of ZT compared to ZGNRs. This improvement is due to the promotion of the Seebeck coefficient together with the degradation of the phonon thermal conductance of CGNRs compared to ZGNRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acoustic holography (AH) provides a promising technique for arbitrary acoustic field reconstruction, supporting many applications like robotic micro-nano manipulation, neuromodulation, volumetric imaging, and virtual reality. In AH, three-dimensional (3D) acoustic fields quantified with complex-valued acoustic pressures are reconstructed by virtue of two-dimensional (2D) acoustic holograms. Phase-only hologram (POH) is recently regarded as an energy-efficient way for AH, which is typically implemented by a dynamically programmable phased array of transducers (PATs). As a result, spatiotemporal precise acoustic field reconstruction is enabled by precise, dynamic, and individual actuation of PAT. Thus, 2D POH is required per arbitrary acoustic fields, which can be viewed as a physical inverse problem. However, solving the aforementioned physical inverse problem in numerical manners poses challenges due to its non-linear, high-dimensional, and complex coupling natures. The existing iterative algorithms like the iterative angular spectrum approach (IASA) and iterative backpropagation (IB) still suffer from speed-accuracy trade-offs. Hence, this paper explores a novel physics-iterative-reinforced deep learning method, in which frequency-argument contrastive learning is proposed facilitated by the inherent physical nature of AH, and the energy conservation law is under consideration. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for acoustic field reconstruction, highlighting its significant potential in the domain of acoustics, and pushing forward the combination of physics into deep learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the prognostic factors and outcomes in patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodyassociated glomerulonephritis (ANCA-GN) in Southern China Methods: A retrospective analysis of medical records of patients with ANCA-GN admitted to Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University and Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University between September 2011 and September 2021 was performed. The clinical presentation, biological, and renal pathology were collected. In addition, the risk factors for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and short-term overall survival in patients with ANCA-GN were analyzed. Results: A total of 93 patients with ANCA-GN were included in the study. Of them, 91.4%, were perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (MPO-pANCA)-positive. Approximately one-quarter (24.7%) of patients had progressed to ESRD, and 7.5% died within six months. Most patients presented with hematuria (94.6%), proteinuria (78.5%), elevated serum creatinine (86.0%), anemia (90.3%), and increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (44.1%). The majority (94.6%) of patients presented with crescent formations at histopathological examination. Serum creatinine, hemoglobin, and Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS) were all independent factors for ESRD (P<0.05). Moreover, while ANCA renal risk score (ARRS) has an impact on prognosis of nephropathy, it did not influence ESRD independently (P>0.05). The effect of Berden's histopathologic classification on ESRD has not been confirmed. Age at onset, ESR and cardiovascular involvement were all independent factors affecting short-term overall survival of patients with ANCAGN (P<0.05). Conclusions: Serum creatinine, hemoglobin, and BVAS were all independent risk factors of ESRD, while ARRS and Berden's histopathologic classification were not. Age at onset, ESR, and cardiovascular involvement were independent risk factors for the overall six-month survival rate in patients with ANCA-GN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, in view of the poor adsorption capacity of sludge-based biochar, a sludge-based biochar adsorbent co-modified with hydrochloric acid and polypyrrole (PPy/SBC-HCl) was prepared and used to remove Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. Its characterization of SEM, EDS, BET, XRD, FT-IR, and XPS show that the removal mechanism of Cr(VI) by PPy/SBC-HCl includes electrostatic adsorption, ion exchange, reduction, and complexation. The removal efficiency of Cr(VI) by PPy/SBC-HCl decreases with the increase of pH. The coexisting cations Ca2+ and Mg2+ have a slight negative effect on it, while the oxoacid anions have a great negative effect on it. The adsorption of Cr(VI) by PPy/SBC-HCl is a spontaneous endothermic process, which conforms to the pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetic model and the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity is 97.37 mg g−1 at pH 2.0 and temperature 298 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) is one of the hot spots in the scientific research of polyurethane. In this work, mechanically regulable NIPU were prepared by ring-opening polymerization of cyclic carbonates via diamines. Cyclocarbonates with different functionalities were firstly synthesized by thiol-ene click reaction, which was characterized through nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The controllable mechanical performance of NIPU films was obtained by the structure of the diamines and the functionality of the thiol groups. The results of swelling and differential scanning calorimetry experiments suggested that the control of functionality and reactivity endowed the material with an adjustable crosslinking density. The Young's modulus of the material could be regulated from 51.3 to 765.1 MPa. Furthermore, the studied films also showed good thermal stability. The present study provides some guidance for the preparation of non-isocyanate polyurethane coatings for different application scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Properties of ferroelectric semiconductors have garnered significant research interest, particularly due to their non-volatile memory. Meanwhile, studies on the characteristics of two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectrics have appeared as a crucial topic in solar cells, i.e., bulk photovoltaic effects. In this work, we propose two heterostructures: Cs2PbI2Cl2/Sc2CO2-UP (CSUP) and Cs2PbI2Cl2/Sc2CO2-DOWN (CSDN) for solar cells, to examine their photoelectric properties by using first-principles. Our findings indicate that such two heterostructures may have both high exciton binding energies and strong optical absorption coefficients in the ultraviolet region, with the CSDN showing exceptional carrier mobility as well. Moreover, we explore their characteristics by means of modulations of electric fields and stresses. The results reveal that the transition of band alignment in the CSUP can be engineered from type-II to type-I under the control of the electric fields, which may significantly increase the power conversion efficiency in actual solar cells. Moreover, both may have good potential in the application of logic devices. All these outputs may imply that, by means of fine modulations on photoelectric properties, the Cs2PbI2Cl2/Sc2CO2 possess immense potential to become multifunctional devices in ultraviolet photodetectors, solar cells, and logic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL)‐active molecular materials have drawn increasing attention due to their promising applications for next‐generation display and optoelectronic technologies. Currently, it is challenging to obtain CPL materials with both large luminescence dissymmetry factor (glum) and high quantum yield (Φ). A pair of enantiomeric N N C‐type Pt(II) complexes (L/D)‐1 modified with chiral Leucine methyl ester are presented herein. Though the solutions of these complexes are CPL‐inactive, the spin‐coated thin films of (L/D)‐1 exhibit giantly‐amplified circularly polarized phosphorescences with |glum| of 0.53 at 560 nm and Φair of ~50 %, as well as appealing circular dichroism (CD) signals with the maximum absorption dissymmetry factor |gabs| of 0.37–0.43 at 480 nm. This superior CPL performance benefits from the hierarchical formation of crystalline fibrillar networks upon spin coating. Comparative studies of another pair of chiral Pt(II) complexes (L/D)‐2 with a symmetric N C N coordination mode suggest that the asymmetric N N C coordination of (L/D)‐1 are favorable for the efficient exciton delocalization to amplify the CPL performance. Optical applications of the thin films of (L/D)‐1 in CPL‐contrast imaging and inducing CP light generation from achiral emitters and common light‐emitting diode lamps have been successfully realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL)‐active molecular materials have drawn increasing attention due to their promising applications for next‐generation display and optoelectronic technologies. Currently, it is challenging to obtain CPL materials with both large luminescence dissymmetry factor (glum) and high quantum yield (Φ). A pair of enantiomeric N N C‐type Pt(II) complexes (L/D)‐1 modified with chiral Leucine methyl ester are presented herein. Though the solutions of these complexes are CPL‐inactive, the spin‐coated thin films of (L/D)‐1 exhibit giantly‐amplified circularly polarized phosphorescences with |glum| of 0.53 at 560 nm and Φair of ~50 %, as well as appealing circular dichroism (CD) signals with the maximum absorption dissymmetry factor |gabs| of 0.37–0.43 at 480 nm. This superior CPL performance benefits from the hierarchical formation of crystalline fibrillar networks upon spin coating. Comparative studies of another pair of chiral Pt(II) complexes (L/D)‐2 with a symmetric N C N coordination mode suggest that the asymmetric N N C coordination of (L/D)‐1 are favorable for the efficient exciton delocalization to amplify the CPL performance. Optical applications of the thin films of (L/D)‐1 in CPL‐contrast imaging and inducing CP light generation from achiral emitters and common light‐emitting diode lamps have been successfully realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, chiral metal‐organic coordination materials have emerged as promising candidates for a wide range of applications in chiroptoelectronics, chiral catalysis, and information encryption, etc. Notably, the chiroptical effect of coordination chromophores makes them appealing for applications such as photodetectors, OLEDs, 3D displays, and bioimaging. The direct synthesis of chiral coordination materials using chiral organic ligands or complexes with metal‐centered chirality is very often tedious and costly. In the case of ionic coordination materials, the combination of chiral anions with cationic, achiral coordination compounds through noncovalent interactions may endow molecular materials with desirable chiroptical properties. The use of such a simple chiral strategy has been proven effective in inducing promising circular dichroism and/or circularly polarized luminescence signals. This concept article mainly delves into the latest advances in exploring the efficacy of such a chiral anion strategy for transforming achiral coordination materials into chromophores with superb photo‐ or electro‐chiroptical properties. In particular, ionic small‐molecular metal complexes, metal clusters, coordination supramolecular assemblies, and metal‐organic frameworks containing chiral anions are discussed. A perspective on the future opportunities on the preparation of chiroptical materials with the chiral anion strategy is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semitransparent organic photodetectors (ST‐OPDs) show immense promise for integration into optoelectronic devices, offering adjustable absorption and see‐through functionalities. However, achieving high‐performance ST‐OPDs remains challenging, necessitating a delicate balance of low dark current density, high external quantum efficiency, and optimal visible light transmission. Here, a strategy is presented using anode interfacial materials (AIMs) as the donor and narrow bandgap non‐fullerene acceptors (NFAs) to formulate the donor: acceptor light‐sensitive layer. Critical to the approach is the incorporation of 1,8‐diiodooctane during film processing, enabling the formation of morphology with an NFA molecular crystal network embedded within the donor polymer matrix. This optimized morphology substantially boosted device external quantum efficiency and reduced dark current under reverse bias, yielding a remarkable special detectivity of over 1013 Jones at 840 nm under a bias of −0.1 V. ST‐OPDs are achieved with detectivity surpassing 1012 Jones and notable average visible transmittance of over 50%. These findings highlight the potential of AIM:NFA combinations for high‐efficiency ST‐OPDs by finely controlling morphology through multiple length scales, opening doors for various applications in transparent electronics and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional fuzzy decision-making methods still have certain limitations in practical applications, such as the problem of the sum of attribute memberships and non-memberships possibly exceeding 1. Additionally, due to the attributes in real decision-making processes often not being mutually independent but rather exhibiting a certain degree of correlation, traditional fuzzy decision-making methods may not fully capture and express this complexity. To overcome these limitations, this paper proposes a new multi-attribute decision-making method addressing the problem of integrating information with correlated attributes in the generalized spherical fuzzy environment. Initially, by combining the generalized spherical fuzzy set with the Heronian averaging operator, the paper introduces the generalized spherical fuzzy weighted Heronian averaging operator and thoroughly discusses some valuable properties of both operators, providing corresponding proofs. Furthermore, the paper proposes the multi-attribute decision-making method using the generalized spherical fuzzy weighted Heronian averaging operator, enriching not only the theoretical framework of multi-attribute decision-making methods but also offering more possibilities for practical applications. Finally, the application of this method in the field of commercial bank lending decision-making will be further explored to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of credit decisions, reduce risks, and promote the healthy development of the banking industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely known that sex differences have a significant impact on patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aims to evaluate the sex-related connection between serum trace elements and changes in neurometabolism in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of MDD patients. 109 untreated MDD patients and 59 healthy controls underwent proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) under resting conditions. We measured metabolic ratios in the ACC from both sides. Additionally, venous blood samples were taken from all participants to detect calcium (Ca), phosphorus, magnesium (Mg), copper (Cu), ceruloplasmin (CER), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) levels. We performed association and interaction analyses to explore the connections between the disease and gender. In individuals with MDD, the Cu/Zn ratio increased, while the levels of Mg, CER, Zn and Fe decreased. Male MDD patients had lower Cu levels, while female patients had an increased Cu/Zn ratio. We observed significant gender differences in Cu, CER and the Cu/Zn ratio in MDD. Male patients showed a reduced N -acetyl aspartate (NAA)/phosphocreatine + creatine (PCr + Cr) ratio in the left ACC. The NAA/PCr + Cr ratio decreased in the right ACC in patients with MDD. In the left ACC of male MDD patients, the Cu/Zn ratio was inversely related to the NAA/PCr + Cr ratio, and Fe levels were negatively associated with the GPC + PC/PCr + Cr ratio. Our findings highlight gender-specific changes in Cu homeostasis among male MDD patients. The Cu/Zn ratio and Fe levels in male MDD patients were significantly linked to neurometabolic alterations in the ACC. • Serum levels of Cu and CER decreased in men with MDD, while the Cu/Zn ratio increased in women with MDD. • In males with MDD, a gender-specific decrease in the NAA/PCr + Cr ratio was noted in the left ACC. • The Cu/Zn ratio and Fe levels in male MDD patients are associated with changes in neurometabolism in the ACC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND RESULTS CONCLUSION The present study investigated the structure, functional and physicochemical properties of lotus seed protein (LSP) under different pH environments. The structures of LSP were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), zeta potential, particle size distributions, free sulfhydryl and rheological properties. The functional and physicochemical properties of LSP were characterized by color, foaming property, emulsification property, solubility, oil holding capacity, water holding capacity, differential scanning calorimetry analysis and surface hydrophobicity.LSP was mainly composed of eight subunits (18, 25, 31, 47, 51, 56, 65 and 151 kDa), in which the richest band was 25 kDa. FTIR results showed that LSP had high total contents of α‐helix and β‐sheet (44.81–46.85%) in acidic environments. Meanwhile, there was more β‐structure and random structure in neutral and alkaline environments (pH 7.0 and 9.0). At pH 5.0, LSP had large particle size (1576.98 nm), high emulsion stability index (91.43 min), foaming stability (75.69%) and water holding capacity (2.21 g g−1), but low solubility (35.98%), free sulfhydryl content (1.95 μmol g−1) and surface hydrophobicity (780). DSC analysis showed the denaturation temperatures (82.23 °C) of LSP at pH 5.0 was higher than those (80.10, 80.52 and 71.82 °C) at pH 3.0, 7.0 and 9.0. The analysis of rheological properties showed that LSP gel had high stability and great strength in an alkaline environment.The findings of the present study are anticipated to serve as a valuable reference for the implementation of LSP in the food industry. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two α-pyrone analogs were isolated from the endophytic fungus Diaporthe sp. CB10100, which is derived from the medicinal plant Sinomenium acutum. These analogs included a new compound, diaporpyrone F (3), and a known compound, diaporpyrone D (4). The structure of 3 was identified by a comprehensive examination of HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that biosynthetic gene clusters for α-pyrone analogs are common in fungi of Diaporthe species. The in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and antibacterial assay of 4 revealed that it has a 46.40% inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase at 800 μM, while no antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Mycolicibacterium (Mycobacterium) smegmatis or Klebsiella pneumoniae at 64 μg/mL. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations of 4 with α-glucosidase further suggested that the compounds are potential α-glucosidase inhibitors. Therefore, α-pyrone analogs can be used as lead compounds for α-glucosidase inhibitors in more in-depth studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medial patellar ligament reconstruction (MPFL-R) in combination with derotational distal femoral osteotomy (DDFO) for treating recurrent patellar dislocation (RPD) in the presence of increased femoral anteversion is one of the most commonly used surgical techniques in the current clinical practice. However, there are limited studies on the clinical outcomes of MPFL-R in combination with DDFO to treat RPD in the presence of increased femoral anteversion. Purpose: To study the role of MPFL-R in combination with DDFO in the treatment of RPD in the presence of increased femoral anteversion. Methods: A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines by searching the Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases through June 1, 2023. Studies of patients who received MPFL-R in combination with DDFO after presenting with RPD and increased femoral anteversion were included. Methodological quality was assessed using the MINORS (Methodological Index for Nonrandomized Studies) score. Each study's basic characteristics, including characteristic information, radiological parameters, surgical techniques, patient-reported outcomes, and complications, were recorded and analyzed. Results: A total of 6 studies with 231 patients (236 knees) were included. Sample sizes ranged from 12 to 162 patients, and the majority of the patients were female (range, 67-100%). The mean age and follow-up ranges were 18 to 24 years and 16 to 49 months, respectively. The mean femoral anteversion decreased significantly from 34° preoperatively to 12° postoperatively. In studies reporting preoperative and postoperative outcomes, significant improvements were found in the Lysholm score, Kujala score, International Knee Documentation Committee score, and visual analog scale for pain. Postoperative complications were reported in all studies, with an overall reported complication rate of 4.7%, but no redislocations occurred during the follow-up period. Conclusion: For RPD with increased femoral anteversion, MPFL-R in combination with DDFO leads to a good clinical outcome and a low redislocation rate. However, there was no consensus among researchers on the indications for MPFL-R combined with DDFO in the treatment of RPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem that image information is not effectively utilized because of unclear traffic video images and random jitter between image sequences, this paper has studied how to achieve stability of traffic video images and proposed an improved Mean Shift algorithm about how to conduct object centroid registration in compensation for the deviations in space localization and on this basis, how to select kernel window width to eliminate the errors in scale positioning. This algorithm gets the tracking effect and computation analysis of improved Mean Shift from the perspective of applications; removes or relieves the impact motion has on imaging, improves the quality of the video image information obtained, automatically adjusts the size of window according to the scale changes of moving object in the image, and effectively enhances the stability and real-time of object tracking. The experiment has proven that the algorithm of this paper is practical to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, dissolving microneedles (MNs) using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and poly (1-vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) (P(VP-co-VA)) as matrix materials were developed for transdermal delivery of rizatriptan benzoate (RB) for acute migraine treatment. In-vitro permeation studies were conducted to assess the feasibility of the as-fabricated dissolving MNs to release RB. Drug skin penetration were tested by Franz diffusion cells, showing an increase of the transdermal flux compared to passive diffusion due to the as-fabricated dissolving MNs having a sufficient mechanical strength to penetrate the skin and form microchannels. The pharmacological study in vivo showed that RB-loaded dissolving MNs significantly alleviated migraine-related response by up-regulating the level of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and down-regulating the levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP). In conclusion, the RB-loaded dissolving MNs have advantages of safety, convenience, and high efficacy over conventional administrations, laying a foundation for the transdermal drug delivery system treatment for acute migraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abnormal angiogenesis is crucial for gallbladder cancer (GBC) tumor growth and invasion, highlighting the importance of elucidating the mechanisms underlying this process. LncRNA (long non-coding RNA) is widely involved in the malignancy of GBC. However, conclusive evidence confirming the correlation between lncRNAs and angiogenesis in GBC is lacking. Methods: LncRNA sequencing was performed to identify the differentially expressed lncRNAs. RT-qPCR, western blot, FISH, and immunofluorescence were used to measure TRPM2-AS and NOTCH1 signaling pathway expression in vitro. Mouse xenograft and lung metastasis models were used to evaluate the biological function of TRPM2-AS during angiogenesis in vivo. EDU, transwell, and tube formation assays were used to detect the angiogenic ability of HUVECs. RIP, RAP, RNA pull-down, dual-luciferase reporter system, and mass spectrometry were used to confirm the interaction between TRPM2-AS, IGF2BP2, NUMB, and PABPC1. Results: TRPM2-AS was upregulated in GBC tissues and was closely related to angiogenesis and poor prognosis in patients with GBC. The high expression level and stability of TRPM2-AS benefited from m6A modification, which is recognized by IGF2BP2. In terms of exerting pro-angiogenic effects, TRPM2-AS loaded with exosomes transported from GBC cells to HUVECs enhanced PABPC1-mediated NUMB expression inhibition, ultimately promoting the activation of the NOTCH1 signaling pathway. PABPC1 inhibited NUMB mRNA expression through interacting with AGO2 and promoted miR-31-5p and miR-146a-5p-mediated the degradation of NUMB mRNA. The NOTCH signaling pathway inhibitor DAPT inhibited GBC tumor angiogenesis, and TRPM2-AS knockdown enhanced this effect. Conclusions: TRPM2-AS is a novel and promising biomarker for GBC angiogenesis that promotes angiogenesis by facilitating the activation of the NOTCH1 signaling pathway. Targeting TRPM2-AS opens further opportunities for future GBC treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When an emergency vehicle (EV) passes through an isolated signal intersection, it is crucial to ensure the efficient passage of the EV while minimizing the negative impact on ordinary vehicles (OVs), particularly in high-traffic flow scenarios. Given the constraints on temporal and spatial resources within intersection areas, OVs ahead of EV often face challenges in finding safe gaps for giving way, resulting in significant obstructions to OVs. This research introduces a novel collaborative control framework to jointly optimize dynamic emergency lane settings and signal schemes, considering EV priority and OVs benefits for a single signalized intersection. Firstly, we propose a dynamic emergency lane control algorithm to help obstructed EV in roadway segments by extending and reallocating temporal and spatial resources for vehicles. Then, we establish a collaborative control model considering EV priority and OVs benefits. Assigning the highest priority to the emergency priority phase, this model optimizes signal schemes to prevent interphase conflict, taking into account OVs benefits. Finally, our collaborative control framework also employs an Eco-Driving algorithm for the optimization of OV speed to reduce fuel consumption. The case study results reveal that in comparison to other baseline methods, our proposed model significantly reduces EV travel time, simultaneously lowering the travel time and fuel consumption of OVs. Sensitivity analysis of varying traffic flow scenarios reveals that, as vehicle volumes increase, our proposed method demonstrates more pronounced reductions in both EV and OV travel time. In addition, there is a progressive increase in the proportion of dynamic emergency lane utilization, with activation occurring at earlier locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, one of the major factors limiting the further improvement of inverted (p‐i‐n) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is trap‐assisted non‐radiative recombination at the perovskite/electron transporting layer (ETL) interface. Surface passivation with organic ammonium salt is a powerful strategy to improve the performance of PSCs. Herein, an effective method by using propylamine hydroiodide (PAI) and 1,3‐diaminopropane dihydroiodide (PDADI) is reported to modify the perovskite/ETL interface. These two ammonium salts do not form new perovskite but directly passivate the defects on the perovskite surface after annealing. The results show that the PDADI‐modified perovskite films possess a lower surface defect density and less non‐radiative recombination as well as improved charge carrier transport. Based on this strategy, the PDADI‐modified p‐i‐n PSCs deliver an impressive efficiency of 25.09% (certified 24.58%) with an open‐circuit voltage of 1.184 V. Furthermore, the unencapsulated PDADI‐modified PSCs also exhibit good storage stability, retaining 91% of initial PCE at 65 °C in a N2 glove box for 1300 h. This strategy provides an efficient route to fabricate highly efficient and stable inverted p‐i‐n structured PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although metal-organic framework (MOF) materials are now a hot candidate for improving the kinetics of the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER), direct application of them is challenging due to their poor intrinsic conductivity and internal active sites. Here, we successfully introduced halogen atoms into the octahedral topological structure of Ni based MOF materials, achieving an impressive improvement in OER activity. Accordingly, the as-obtained halogen-containing Ni based MOF ball-flowers (X-Ni-MOF BFs, X = F, Cl, Br and I) exhibit significantly enhanced electrocatalytic OER activity with an increase in electronegativity. The optimal F-Ni-MOF BFs possess an ultra-low overpotential of 222 mV at 10 mA cm−2, ∼70 mV lower than Ni-MOF nanosheets. Further research demonstrates that the introduction of halogen atoms can cause NiO 6 octahedral distortion and strong electronic interactions between halogen and the adjacent Ni atoms, resulting in rapid reaction kinetics and lower electron transfer barriers. This work provides a reference for designing excellent electrocatalysts by adjusting their topological structure. [Display omitted] • The X-Ni-MOF ball-flowers (X = F, Cl, Br, I) were successfully prepared. • The F–Ni-MOF BFs exhibited the ultra-low overpotential of 222 mV at 10 mA cm−2. • The introduction of halogen atoms caused the NiO 6 octahedral distortion. • The electron interaction between halogen with Ni atoms enhanced the OER activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2T1C pixel driver circuit for mini-LED direct display has been proposed, which separates the switching transistor and the driver transistor from the same display substrate, replaces the driver transistor with n-metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS), and combines printed circuit board substrate and thin-film transistor (TFT) substrate to improve the driving capability of the circuit. The NMOS was soldered with mini-LEDs simultaneously onto a substrate which connects to the a-Si TFT array. Two driving modes for a 32-level gray-scale display panel were investigated to compare the voltage-current and optical characteristics. The results demonstrated that the drain-driving mode is better suited for high brightness and high-power display application scenarios as it supports higher-driven currents, but the source-driving mode is more appropriate for precision gray-scale applications due to the higher current linearity of the mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: With improving living standards, the incidence of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) has become increasingly high. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to explore the effect of diversified health-promoting models on rehabilitation exercises in patients with CSM after an operation. METHOD: This was a randomized controlled trial, wherein 107 patients with CSM treated by neurosurgery were selected as the subjects. Of those, 52 patients in the control group adopted the conventional health-promoting model, while the remaining 55 patients in the intervention group adopted diversified health-promoting models. The effect of rehabilitation exercises in the two groups was evaluated according to the self-efficacy rehabilitation outcome scale, grip strength measurement of the affected limb, and Barthel index. RESULTS: At Day 3 post-operation and before discharge, the self-efficacy management of rehabilitation exercises in the intervention group was better than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The grip strength measurement of the affected limb, Japanese Orthopedic Association score of the cervical vertebra, and Barthel index of the two groups at Day 3 post-operation were lower than before the intervention and were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). However, these three items before discharge were improved when compared with those of before intervention and were statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Postoperative rehabilitation exercises guided by the diversified health-promoting models for patients with CSM can improve the patients' self-efficacy management ability in rehabilitation exercises, help improve grip strength, and promote the recovery of cervical vertebra function, thereby improving the patients' quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, published in the British Journal of Surgery, examines the importance of nodular number in predicting the prognosis of patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who undergo hepatectomy. The study, conducted at multiple hepatobiliary centers in China, Italy, and the USA, analyzed data from HCC patients who had undergone curative-intent hepatic resection between 2008 and 2018. The findings indicate that patients with three or more tumor nodules had lower overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates compared to those with two nodules. The study suggests that nodular number should be considered when predicting long-term prognosis after hepatic resection for intermediate-stage HCC. However, further research is needed to validate these findings. The study was supported by various funding sources and the authors have no conflicts of interest. [Extracted from the article]

Endothelial pro-inflammatory activation is pivotal in cardiac ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury pathophysiology. The dried flower bud of Edgeworthia gardneri (Wall.) Meisn. (EG) is a commonly utilized traditional Tibetan medicine. However, its role in regulating endothelium activation and cardiac I/R injury has not been investigated. Herein, we showed that the administration of EG ethanolic extract exhibited a potent therapeutic efficacy in ameliorating cardiac endothelial inflammation (p < 0.05) and thereby protecting against myocardial I/R injury in rats (p < 0.001). In line with the in vivo findings, the EG extract suppressed endothelial pro-inflammatory activation in vitro by downregulating the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators (p < 0.05) and diminishing monocytes' firm adhesion to endothelial cells (ECs) (p < 0.01). Mechanistically, we showed that EG extract inhibited the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways to attenuate EC-mediated inflammation (p < 0.05). Collectively, for the first time, this study demonstrated the therapeutic potential of EG ethanolic extract in alleviating I/R-induced inflammation and the resulting cardiac injury through its inhibitory role in regulating endothelium activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dynamic model of a vibration system with two degrees of freedom and multiple rigid constraints is constructed, the dynamics constraints of the segmented smooth vibration system under the multi-body impact coupling condition are given. Based on the cell mapping principle, a two-parameter co-simulation is carried out with two important parameters of excitation frequency and constraint gap as control variables. The model types and distribution rules of the periodic motion of the system response on the (ω,δ)-whole two-parameter plane are obtained. The correlation between the dynamic response of the system and the model parameters is analyzed, and the evolution and bifurcation characteristics of fundamental periodic vibrations in the low-frequency small-gap parameter domain of the two-degree-of-freedom multi-rigid constrained vibration system are discussed. The diversity and regularity of subharmonic shock vibrations in the translational domain of the lingual domain are found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the public acceptance of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) control measures during the Omicron-dominant period and its associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional design was conducted and 1391 study participants were openly recruited to participate in the questionnaire survey. Logistic regression model was performed to assess the association between the public acceptance and potential factors more specifically. Results: By August 26, 2022, 58.9% of the study participants were less acceptive of the control measures while 41.1% expressed higher acceptance. Factors associated with lower acceptance included young age, such as < 18 (OR = 8.251, 95% CI: 2.009 to 33.889) and 18–29 (OR = 2.349, 95% CI: 1.564 to 3.529), and household per capita monthly income lower than 5000 yuan (OR = 1.512, 95% CI: 1.085 to 2.105). Furthermore, individuals who perceived that the case fatality rate (CFR) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) was very low (OR = 6.010, 95% CI: 2.475 to 14.595) and that the restrictions could be eased once the CFR dropped to 2–3 times of the influenza (OR = 2.792, 95% CI: 1.939 to 4.023) showed greater oppositional attitudes. Likewise, respondents who were dissatisfied with control measures (OR = 9.639, 95% CI: 4.425 to 20.998) or preferred fully relaxation as soon as possible (OR = 13.571, 95% CI: 7.751 to 23.758) had even lower acceptability. By contrast, rural residents (OR = 0.683, 95% CI: 0.473 to 0.987), students (OR = 0.510, 95% CI: 0.276 to 0.941), public (OR = 0.417, 95% CI: 0.240 to 0.727) and private (OR = 0.562, 95% CI: 0.320 to 0.986) employees, and vaccinated participants (OR = 0.393, 95% CI: 0.204 to 0.756) were more compliant with control measures. Conclusion: More than half of the Chinese public were less supportive of COVID-19 control measures during Omicron-dominant period, which varied based on their different demographic characteristics, cognition and overall attitude towards SARS-CoV-2 infection. Control measures that struck a balance between public safety and individual freedom would be more acceptable during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we give some criteria of the weakly compact sets and a representation theorem of Riesz's type in Musielak sequence spaces using the ideas and techniques of sequence spaces and Musielak function. Finally, as an immediate consequence of the criteria considered in this paper, the criteria of the weakly compact sets of Orlicz sequence spaces are deduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have received significant attention for change detection (CD) on multimodal remote sensing images, but they struggle to capture global cues due to the locality of convolution operations. In contrast, the transformer can learn global semantic information by dividing the input image into patches, adding position encodings, and utilizing the self-attention mechanism. Motivated by this, we propose mSwinUNet, a novel end-to-end multi-modal model with swin-transformer-based and U-shaped siamese network architectures for supervised CD using Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Sentinel-2 Multispectral Imager (MSI) data. mSwinUNet contains multi-modal encoder with difference module, bottleneck, and fused decoder, and all of them are based on swin transformer. Firstly, tokenized multi-modal bitemporal image patches are fed into multiple Siamese encoder branches to extract multi-level multi-modal difference feature maps in parallel. Subsequently, the last level multi-modal difference maps are fused to generate the smallest scale change map in the bottleneck. Then, the hierarchical decoder incorporates patch expansion and fusion operations to fuse multi-scale difference and change maps, effectively recuperating the details of the change information. Finally, the last patch expansion and a linear projection are applied to output the final change map, which preserves the identical spatial resolution as the input image. Extensive experiments have shown that mSwinUNet outperforms several the state-of-the-art multi-modal CD methods on OSCD dataset and the corresponding Sentinel-1 SAR data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcription factors (TFs) play essential roles in transcriptional reprogramming during activation of plant immune responses to pathogens. OsSPL10 (SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein-like10) is an important TF regulating trichome development and salt tolerance in rice. Here we report that knockout of OsSPL10 reduces whereas its overexpression enhances rice resistance to blast disease. OsSPL10 positively regulates chitin-induced immune responses including reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst and callose deposition. We show that OsSPL10 physically associates with OsJAmyb, an important TF involved in jasmonic acid (JA) signaling, and positively regulates its protein stability. We then prove that OsJAmyb positively regulates resistance to blast. Our results reveal a molecular module consisting of OsSPL10 and OsJAmyb that positively regulates blast resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) as a primary treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) remains uncertain. Even after undergoing standard SSRIs treatment, 40%–60% of individuals with OCD persistently endure symptoms. Recent studies proposed that personality traits may influence the diversity of OCD treatment results. Thus, in this retrospective study, we evaluated the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) scores of 51 untreated patients with OCD and 35 healthy controls. The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was employed to assess OCD symptom severity at weeks 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 of sertraline treatment. The primary outcome focused on the reduction rate of Y-BOCS scores (response: ≥25%; marked response: ≥50%). Our findings revealed that individuals with OCD demonstrated a significantly higher neuroticism score compared to healthy controls. Correlation analyses exposed a positive link between psychoticism and the duration of the disease. Moreover, family history strongly correlated with both obsessive thoughts and the total Y-BOCS score. Subsequent univariate Cox proportional analyses indicated that both low neuroticism and high extraversion traits could forecast the response to sertraline. Furthermore, only a high extraversion trait was linked to a marked response. Our results support the idea that personality traits may contribute to OCD vulnerability and predict sertraline treatment outcomes. • High neuroticism is a prominent trait in patients with OCD compared with HCs. • Psychoticism scores are positively correlated with the disease duration of OCD. • Low neuroticism can predict the response to sertraline in patients with OCD. • High extraversion can herald the marked response to sertraline in patients with OCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of conflict-free connection coloring of graphs was introduced by Czap et al. in 2018. It has been the subject of several papers, which is closely related with conflict-free coloring of hypergraphs. In this survey we bring together most of the results and papers on this topic. We begin with an introduction, and then try to organize the work into three categories, conflict-free connection number, strong conflict-free connection number and conflict-free vertex-connection number. This survey also contains some conjectures, open problems and questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A parabolic–elliptic Keller–Segel model for multipopulations in a two‐dimensional unit ball will be considered in this paper. For the initial boundary value problem with mutually attractive populations, the global existence of bounded solutions has been proved through the logarithmic Hardy–Littlewood–Sobolev inequality for system when the initial masses satisfy the subcritical condition. Moreover, based on the moments technique, there exists a blow‐up solution when the initial masses satisfy the supercritical case. In a word, a critical mass phenomenon has been established in this multispecies chemotaxis system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The layout optimization of wind turbines seeks to improve wind power conversion efficiency by minimizing the wake effect in wind farm. However, the existing optimization methods cannot provide a layout with high output power due to their inability to weaken the energy losses caused by the wake effect between turbines. In this paper, an equilibrium optimizer with local perturbation and adaptive escape strategies, termed adaptive equilibrium optimizer (AEO), is proposed to tackle the wind farm layout optimization problem (WFLOP). To be specific, the worst turbines in the layout are re-located to better locations to reduce wind losses by enhancing the exploitation capacity of AEO with a local perturbation strategy. Then, an adaptive escape strategy supports the particles to get out of the local optimum and to search toward more promising areas, which facilitates the adjustment of the layout to reduce the wake effect. Besides, an adaptive repair operator adaptively reconfigures infeasible layouts to augment the proportion of feasible solutions in the population; thus, AEO can sufficiently explore the layout space to optimize the output power of wind farms. Twelve prohibited area constraints, three turbine scales, and three wind farm sizes are utilized to evaluate the performance of AEO in two cases with various wind speeds and directions. The experimental results demonstrate that the AEO performs excellently in terms of efficiency, robustness, and generalization for the layout optimization of turbines with different constraints, scales, and wind farm sizes in comparison with the state-of-the-art metaheuristics and other methods reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft magnetic composites (SMCs) play an indispensable role in electromagnetic conversion, transmission, and storage. However, in order to achieve miniaturization, energy conservation, and meet the application requirements of premagnetisation in direct-current (DC) components, SMCs are required to have low core loss and high DC bias performance. In this work, FeSiAl SMCs with hybrid insulating layers of MgO/SiO 2 have been successfully prepared by the decomposition of magnesium acetate tetrahydrate and silicone resin. The presence of MgO and SiO 2 insulating layers can effectively compensate for each other's coating defects, thereby forming complete insulating layers on the surface of FeSiAl powders to reduce the core loss. Finally, the FeSiAl@MgO/SiO 2 SMC gets remarkable comprehensive magnetic properties with a low core loss (P cv) of 163.7 mW/cm3 at 50 mT/100 kHz, a high DC bias performance of 53.7 % at 100 Oe, and an effective permeability (μ e) of 46, which is promising for high-frequency and high-power applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The causal relationship between thyroid function variations within the reference range and cognitive function remains unknown. We aimed to explore this causal relationship using a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. Summary statistics of a thyroid function genome-wide association study (GWAS) were obtained from the ThyroidOmics consortium, including reference range thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) (N = 54,288) and reference range free thyroxine (FT4) (N = 49,269). GWAS summary statistics on cognitive function were obtained from the Social Science Genetic Association Consortium (SSGAC) and the UK Biobank, including cognitive performance (N = 257,841), prospective memory (N = 152,605), reaction time (N = 459,523), and fluid intelligence (N = 149,051). The primary method used was inverse-variance weighted (IVW), supplemented with weighted median, Mr-Egger regression, and MR-Pleiotropy Residual Sum and Outlier. Several sensitivity analyses were conducted to identify heterogeneity and pleiotropy. An increase in genetically associated TSH within the reference range was suggestively associated with a decline in cognitive performance (β = −0.019; 95%CI: −0.034 to −0.003; P = 0.017) and significantly associated with longer reaction time (β = 0.016; 95 % CI: 0.005 to 0.027; P = 0.004). Genetically associated FT4 levels within the reference range had a significant negative relationship with reaction time (β = −0.030; 95%CI:-0.044 to −0.015; P = 4.85 × 10−5). These findings remained robust in the sensitivity analyses. Low thyroid function within the reference range may have a negative effect on cognitive function, but further research is needed to fully understand the nature of this relationship. This study only used GWAS data from individuals of European descent, so the findings may not apply to other ethnic groups. • Higher TSH levels within the reference range may have a negative effect on cognitive function. • Increased levels of FT4 within the reference range are associated with better processing speed. • This study sheds new light on the relationship between thyroid function and cognitive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of droplets on the solid wall is a typical free surface flow phenomenon that widely exists in nature, industry, and daily life. According to the change of the droplet's center thickness, the droplet, the spreading process of the droplet is usually divided into three unique stages: the initial droplet deformation stage, the inertia-dominated stage, and the viscosity-dominated stage with the increase of the impact time. The problem of the liquid droplet spreading under different impact conditions is simulated by the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method. Firstly, the dynamic process of droplet spreading is simulated and compared with relevant experimental results to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Then, the effects of the Weber number and the diameter ratio of the droplet to the curved wall surface on the droplet's maximum spreading diameter and central thickness were studied and analyzed. On this basis, the key coefficient in the existing relationship between the Weber number and maximum spreading diameter is fitted. Finally, the fitting equation of the center thickness and the impact time in the third stage of droplet spreading is assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conductive Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) has been extensively used as non-metallic electrodes. However, the relatively low electrical conductivity of pristine PEDOT:PSS film restricts its further application. Although doping high content conductive filler or increasing the film thickness are effective for enhancing the electrical property, the transparency is sacrificed, which limits the application of PEDOT:PSS films. In this study, preparing PEDOT:PSS composite film with highly conductive and transparent property was the primary purpose. To achieve this goal, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was chosen to composite with PEDOT:PSS. The spin-coated SWCNT/PEDOT:PSS composite film exhibited excellent electrical conductivity and transparency. The electrical conductivity of composite film with desired transmittance property (78%) reached the highest value (1060.96 S cm−1) at the SWCNTs content was 6 wt%. Under the modification process applied in this work, the non-conductive PSS was partially removed by incorporated DMSO and SWCNTs. Then, the molecular chains of PEDOT stretched and adsorbed onto the surface of SWCNTs, forming a highly efficient three-dimensional conductive structure, which contributed to the enhancement of electrical conductivity and transparency. Additionally, the spin-coating process allowed for the reduction of film thickness, ensuring better transparency. This research contributed to expanding the further applications of PEDOT:PSS films in high-performance transparent film electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Room temperature and ultrafast synthesis of sulfur quantum dots (SQDs) is presented. • The conversion of elemental sulfur to fluorescent SQDs can be completed in 10 min. • The prepared SQDs have a photoluminescence quantum yield as high as 23.6%. • The utilization of SQDs to sensitively detect tetracycline and Ca2+ ions is reported. • A sensitive logic gate sensor based on SQDs is constructed. The direct and rapid conversion of abundant and cheap elemental sulfur into fluorescent sulfur quantum dots (SQDs) at room temperature is a critical and urgent challenge. Conventional synthesis methods require high temperatures, high pressures, or specific atmospheric conditions, making them complex and impractical for real applications. Herein, we propose a simple method for synthesizing SQDs simply by adding H 2 O 2 to an elemental sulfur-ethylenediamine (S-EDA) solution at room temperature. Remarkably, within a mere 10 min, SQDs with a photoluminescence quantum yield of 23.6 % can be obtained without the need for additional steps. A comprehensive analysis of the mechanism has demonstrated that H 2 O 2 is capable of converting S x 2− ions generated in the S-EDA solution into zero-valent sulfur atoms through oxidation. The obtained SQDs can be utilized as a fluorescent probe for detection of tetracycline (TC) and Ca2+ ions with the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.137 μM and 0.386 μM respectively. Moreover, we have developed a sensitive logic gate sensor based on SQDs, harnessing the activated cascade effect to create an intelligent probe for monitoring trace levels of TC and Ca2+ ions. This paper not only presents a viable approach for ultrafast and scalable synthesis of SQDs at room temperature, but also contributes to the efficient utilization of elemental sulfur resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] VO 2 (B) is recognized as a promising cathode material for aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) owing to its remarkable specific capacity and its unique, expansive tunnel structure, which facilitates the reversible insertion and extraction of Zn2+. Nonetheless, challenges such as the inherent instability of the VO 2 structure, poor ion/electron transport and a limited capacity due to the low redox potential of the V3+/V4+ couple have hindered its wider application. In this study, we present a strategy to replace vanadium ions by doping Al3+ in VO 2. This approach activates the multi-electron reaction (V4+/V5+), to increase the specific capacity and improve the structural stability by forming robust V5+ O and Al3+ O bonds. It also induces a local electric field by altering the local electron arrangement, which significantly accelerates the ion/electron transport process. As a result, Al-doped VO 2 exhibits superior specific capacity, improved cycling stability, and accelerated electronic transport kinetics compared to undoped VO 2. The beneficial effects of heterogeneous atomic doping observed here may provide valuable insights into the improvement electrode materials in metal-ion battery systems other than those based on Zn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The details of the dynamo process in the Sun are an important aspect of research in solar-terrestrial physics and astrophysics. The surface part of the dynamo can be constrained by direct observations, but the subsurface part lacks direct observational constraints. The torsional oscillations, a small periodic variation of the Sun's rotation with the solar cycle, are thought to result from the Lorentz force of the cyclic magnetic field generated by the dynamo. In this study, we aim to discriminate between three Babcock–Leighton dynamo models by comparing the zonal acceleration of the three models with the observed one. The property that the poleward and equatorward branches of the torsional oscillations originate from about ±55° latitudes with their own migration time periods serves as an effective discriminator that could constrain the configuration of the magnetic field in the convection zone. The toroidal field, comprising poleward and equatorward branches separated at about ±55° latitudes, can generate the two branches of the torsional oscillations. The alternating acceleration and deceleration bands in time are the other property of the torsional oscillations that discriminates between the dynamo models. To reproduce this property, the phase difference between the radial (B r ) and toroidal (B ϕ ) components of the magnetic field near the surface should be about π /2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]