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Utilizing the 0.25 μm GaN HEMT process, a high‐isolation single pole double throw (SPDT) RF switch has been meticulously designed for the X‐band. The circuit topology employs a series‐shunt configuration to prevent signal leakage, thereby enhancing chip isolation. By incorporating series transistors and shunt inductors, LC resonance is achieved, significantly boosting isolation performance. To optimize port matching and ensure both heightened isolation and minimized insertion loss, inductors are strategically integrated into each port. The inclusion of these lumped inductors contributes significantly to reducing the chip's footprint. Die measurement results demonstrate that across the 8–12 GHz frequency spectrum, insertion loss remains below 1.1 dB, with isolation exceeding 36 dB. Remarkably, at 10.5 GHz, isolation peaks at an impressive 52 dB. Moreover, return loss surpasses 12 dB, and the 0.1 dB compression point input power stands at 43.5 dBm, all achieved within a compact chip area of only 1 mm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synergistic effect of crystal and amorphous phases boosts the sodium ion transport kinetics in NVP, mitigates volume deformations during cycling, achieve a high capacity of 82 mAh/g at 10 C. [Display omitted] • A homogeneous hybridization of crystalline and amorphous phases in Na 3 V 2 (PO 4) 3 /C was achieved through a straightforward design. • The inclusion of the amorphous phase indirectly enhances the proportion of active Na2 sites. • In-situ formation of high-speed sodium-ion diffusion channels in amorphous phases enhances diffusion kinetics, the biphasic synergy provided an impressive capacity of 114 mAh/g at 0.2 C and a rate performance 82 mAh/g at 10 C. Na 3 V 2 (PO 4) 3 (NVP) has attracted considerable attention as a promising cathode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). But its insufficient electronic conductivity, limited capacities, and fragile structure hinder its extended application, particularly in scenarios involving rapid charging and prolonged cycling. A hybrid cathode material has been developed to integrate both amorphous and crystalline phases, with the objective of improving the rate performance and Na storage capacity by leveraging bi-phase coordination. Consequently, the combination of amorphous and crystalline phases enhanced the kinetics of Na-ion diffusion, resulting in a 1–2 orders of magnitude enhancement in diffusion dynamics. Furthermore, the existence of amorphous states has been demonstrated to elevate the active Na2 site content, resulting in an increased reversible capacity. This assertion is substantiated by evidence derived from solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ss-NMR) and electrochemical characteristics. The innovative bi-phase collaborative material provides a specific capacity of 114 mAh/g at 0.2 C, exceptional rate performance of 82 mAh/g at 10 C, and remarkable long-term cycle stability, retaining 95 mAh/g at 5 C even after 300 cycles. In conclusion, the homogeneous hybridization of amorphous and crystalline phases presents itself as a promising and effective strategy for improving Na-ion storage capacity of cathodes in SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DFNB61 is a recessively inherited nonsyndromic hearing loss caused by mutations in SLC26A5, the gene that encodes the voltage‐driven motor protein, prestin. Prestin is abundantly expressed in the auditory outer hair cells that mediate cochlear amplification. Two DFNB61‐associated SLC26A5 variants, p.W70X and p.R130S, were identified in patients who are compound heterozygous for these nonsense and missense changes (SLC26A5W70X/R130S). Our recent study showed that mice homozygous for p.R130S (Slc26a5R130S/R130S) suffer from hearing loss that is ascribed to significantly reduced motor kinetics of prestin. Given that W70X‐prestin is nonfunctional, compound heterozygous Slc26a5R130S/− mice were used as a model for human SLC26A5W70X/R130S. By examining the pathophysiological consequences of p.R130S prestin when it is the sole allele for prestin protein production, we determined that this missense change results in progressive outer hair cell loss in addition to its effects on prestin's motor action. Thus, this study defines the pathogenic roles of p.R130S prestin and identifies a limited time window for potential clinical intervention. Key points: The voltage‐driven motor protein, prestin, is encoded by SLC26A5 and expressed abundantly in cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs).The importance of prestin for normal hearing was demonstrated in mice lacking prestin; however, none of the specific SLC26A5 variants identified to date in human patients has been experimentally demonstrated to be pathogenic.In this study we used both cell lines and a mouse model to define the pathogenic role of compound heterozygous p.W70X (c.209G>A) and p.R130S (c.390A>C) SLC26A5 variants identified in patients with moderate to profound hearing loss.As in patients, mice carrying one copy of p.R130S Slc26a5 showed OHC dysfunction and progressive degeneration, which results in congenital progressive hearing loss.This is the first functional study reporting pathogenic SLC26A5 variants and pointing to the presence of a therapeutic time window for potential clinical interventions targeting the affected OHCs before they are lost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fungal community structure and soil fertility in rhizosphere soil have an important effect on the health of Panax notoginseng (P. notoginseng). The attack of pathogenic fungi and the imbalance of soil fertility can easily lead to diseases. The effect of Bacillus subtilis on improving the community structure of soil fungi has been confirmed, and the corresponding biological agent products have been commercialized. A pot experiment carried out in a greenhouse explored the effect of a biological agent and fertilizer on the fungal community in the rhizosphere of P. notoginseng. In the experiment, fertilization and the addition of biological agents were set up with three gradients, respectively, and the full coupling experiment was adopted, and the blank control group (CK) was set up at the same time. Therefore, there were thirteen treatments in the experiment. NH4 decreased between 36.42% and 11.56%, AP increased between 6.03% and 92.46%, AK increased between 2.99% and 25.40%, TN increased between 0.10% and 9.41%, and TP increased by 18.25% to 47.73% The addition of Bacillus subtilis biological agent decreased the Chao1, Shannon, Simpson, and ACE index of fungi in the rhizosphere soil of P. notoginseng. The Chao1 index decreased between 0.39% and 78.22%; the ACE index decreased between 0.43% and 78.24%. The main pathogenic fungi Cylindrocarpon and Fusarium of P. notoginseng were different in the experimental results. Cylindrocarpon decreased under F1C1, F2C1, and F3C2 treatments, while Fusarium increased under F1C1, F2C2, F3C1, and F3C3 treatments and decreased Fusarium content in rhizosphere soil of P. notoginseng in other treatments. RDA analysis (Redundancy analysis) showed that NH4-N was negatively correlated with the main pathogen Cylindrocarpon, Fusarium, and Ilyonectria, while AP and AK were positively correlated with Cylindrocarpon, Fusarium, and Ilyonectria. The results of the GRA-TOPSIS analysis showed that the score of F3C2 was the highest, while F2C3 and F2C1 ranked second and third, respectively. The calculation results of the theoretical model based on GRA-TOPSIS analysis showed that the GRA-TOPSIS score was highest when the theoretical optimal fertilizer application rate and bacteria application rate were 116.31 kg hm−2 and 15.83 kg hm−2, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with poor diet. Mixed reports in literature, so far, emphasize on the detailed understanding of relationships between diet composition and binge drinking at different drinking thresholds. Objective We examined the association of alcohol consumption thresholds with macronutrient composition, caloric intake and anthropometric measures from the NHANES 2017–2018 dataset. Methods A total of 2320 participants' data were analyzed. Energy and nutrient content from daily food and beverage intake were assessed via two dietary recall interviews. Physical examination and Alcohol Use Questionnaire including details about lifetime and current usage patterns were obtained. Correlations were evaluated using the Rao-Scott F Adjusted Chi-square statistic and Wald F-test. Sample-weighted multiple linear regression models were built to analyze the associations among volume of alcohol consumed, weight history and macronutrient intake. Results Waist circumference was significantly higher in 0– < 4 drinks/episode (low-quantity) drinkers than 4–7 drinks/episode (medium-quantity) and 8–11 drinks/episode (high-quantity) drinkers. High-quantity drinkers consumed significantly more kilocalories (2569.91) compared with low-quantity drinkers (2106.73). Low-quantity drinkers consumed more energy from carbohydrate and fat than medium and high-quantity drinkers. Very high-quantity drinkers (12+ drinks/episode) consumed less fiber (12.81 g) than low-quantity drinkers (16.67 g). Conclusions We observed an association between high alcohol intake and differences in eating habits and body composition. The findings suggest a need to compare more specific drinking patterns and their impact on nutrient intake. Although some results conflicted with previous studies, the mechanisms underlying alcohol's effect on ingestive and digestive metabolic pathways are still unclear and require further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, soyasaponin (Ssa), corn oil, and soybean protein isolate (SPI) were used to prepare a water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double emulsion system that can protect Lactobacillus plantarum (L.P) in the upper gastrointestinal tract for delivery to the small intestine and colon. Incorporating different amounts of L.P (0.1–0.6% (w/v)) in the W/O/W double emulsion caused the viscoelastic modulus and droplet size of the L.P-embedded emulsion system to change, and the emulsion system transformed from a non-Newtonian fluid to a "solid-like" gel. These results revealed that L.P encapsulation led to significantly improved stability of the W/O/W emulsion. In addition, different concentrations of L.P had different effects on the survival rate of L.P in simulated digestive fluids, and after in vitro digestion, L.P was naturally delivered from the stomach into the intestines. The optimal concentration of L.P for obtaining a stable emulsion was found to be 0.3%, and the survival rate of the encapsulated L.P in the small intestine was as high as 78.96% after 1 h. Thus, choosing an appropriate amount of L.P was crucial. The W/O/W emulsion system effectively maintained the viability of L.P and successfully delivered it to the small intestine and colon. • Ssa-SPI W/O/W emulsion improves the survival of LP in the gastrointestinal tract. • L.P shows better resistance to gastric acid upon encapsulation in inner phase. • Addition of 0.2–0.4% of L.P resulted higher stability in Ssa-SPI W/O/W emulsions. • The adsorption and film formation of L.P at the interface helps stabilize emulsion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block (QLB) on perioperative multimodal analgesia and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy. Methods: A total of 80 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy were randomly divided into two groups: general anaesthesia with QLB (QLB group; n = 40) and general anaesthesia with sham QLB (normal saline [NS] group; n = 40). QLB or sham QLB was performed before the induction of anaesthesia. Sufentanil was intravenously administered for postoperative analgesia. The primary outcome was the pain score (measured using a numerical rating scale [NRS]) at different time points within 48 h postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included the cumulative dose of sufentanil within 48 h postoperatively, subjective comfort, grip strength, first time of exhaustion, first fluid intake time, time to get out of bed, length of postoperative hospital stay and overall satisfaction. The SPSS software, version 17.0, was used for all statistical analyses. Results: Postoperative NRS at rest was significantly lower at 2 h (1.7 ± 1.1 versus 3.0 ± 2.1), 4 h (1.8 ± 1.2 versus 4.1 ± 2.3), 6 h (1.9 ± 2 versus 4.4 ± 2) and 12 h (3.5 ± 2.3 versus 5 ± 3.3) and was also lower when coughing at 2 h (2.3 ± 1.1 versus 4 ± 2.1), 4 h (2.3 ± 1. 1 versus 4.3 ± 2) and 6 h (2.4 ± 1.1 versus 5.9 ± 2.3) in the QLB than that in the NS group. The cumulative dose of sufentanil was significantly lower in the QLB than that in the NS group at 4 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h. The nausea score was significantly lower in the QLB group at 24 h postoperatively, and the first time of exhaustion and time to get out of bed were significantly shorter (P < 0.05). The overall satisfaction score was significantly higher in the QLB than in the NS group (4 ± 0.7 versus 2.6 ± 0.9). Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided bilateral QLB can provide effective postoperative analgesia for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy, reduce the need for sufentanil, facilitate comfort and improve postoperative outcomes. QLB can be a good component of multimodal analgesia. Trial registration: The clinical trial is registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR). Current Controlled Trials:ChiCTR1900022009. the date of registration:2019/03/20. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block (QLB) on perioperative multimodal analgesia and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy. Methods: A total of 80 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy were randomly divided into two groups: general anaesthesia with QLB (QLB group; n = 40) and general anaesthesia with sham QLB (normal saline [NS] group; n = 40). QLB or sham QLB was performed before the induction of anaesthesia. Sufentanil was intravenously administered for postoperative analgesia. The primary outcome was the pain score (measured using a numerical rating scale [NRS]) at different time points within 48 h postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included the cumulative dose of sufentanil within 48 h postoperatively, subjective comfort, grip strength, first time of exhaustion, first fluid intake time, time to get out of bed, length of postoperative hospital stay and overall satisfaction. The SPSS software, version 17.0, was used for all statistical analyses. Results: Postoperative NRS at rest was significantly lower at 2 h (1.7 ± 1.1 versus 3.0 ± 2.1), 4 h (1.8 ± 1.2 versus 4.1 ± 2.3), 6 h (1.9 ± 2 versus 4.4 ± 2) and 12 h (3.5 ± 2.3 versus 5 ± 3.3) and was also lower when coughing at 2 h (2.3 ± 1.1 versus 4 ± 2.1), 4 h (2.3 ± 1. 1 versus 4.3 ± 2) and 6 h (2.4 ± 1.1 versus 5.9 ± 2.3) in the QLB than that in the NS group. The cumulative dose of sufentanil was significantly lower in the QLB than that in the NS group at 4 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h. The nausea score was significantly lower in the QLB group at 24 h postoperatively, and the first time of exhaustion and time to get out of bed were significantly shorter (P < 0.05). The overall satisfaction score was significantly higher in the QLB than in the NS group (4 ± 0.7 versus 2.6 ± 0.9). Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided bilateral QLB can provide effective postoperative analgesia for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy, reduce the need for sufentanil, facilitate comfort and improve postoperative outcomes. QLB can be a good component of multimodal analgesia. Trial registration: The clinical trial is registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR). Current Controlled Trials:ChiCTR1900022009. the date of registration:2019/03/20. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO2 poisoning of alkaline electrolytes is a critical issue that affects the energy efficiency and lifespan of Zn‐air batteries. However, few strategies have been explored to address this issue because it is challenging to block CO2 from the outer atmosphere. Herein, a CO2‐tolerant flexible quasi‐solid‐state electrolyte for Zn‐air batteries, which is achieved by the pre‐fixation of CO2 on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) via its ionization in the form of side ‐OCO2‐ groups (PVA‐TMG), is reported. The pre‐fixation of CO2 enables excellent CO2 tolerance and alleviates the Zn dendrite and ZnO deposition, because the ‐OCO2‐ groups can strongly interact with the Zn2+. In addition, PVA‐TMG exhibits higher ionic conductivity and better water retention capability than the pristine PVA. Consequently, the fabricated Zn‐air batteries deliver excellent performance in both air and a CO2‐rich atmosphere. The optimized PVA‐TMG presents a cycling lifetime 12 times longer than that of the pristine PVA in the atmosphere with 22.7 vol% CO2. The feasible study presented here presents a new milestone in CO2 utilization with energy storage technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective Method Results Discussion Trial Registration Adults with binge‐eating disorder (BED), compared with those without BED, demonstrate higher blood‐oxygen–level‐dependent (BOLD) response to food cues in reward‐related regions of the brain. It is not known whether cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can reverse this reward system hyperactivation. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) assessed changes in BOLD response to binge‐eating cues following CBT versus wait‐list control (WLC).Females with BED (N = 40) were randomized to CBT or WLC. Participants completed assessments at baseline and 16 weeks including measures of eating and appetite and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure BOLD response while listening to personalized scripts of binge‐eating and neutral‐relaxing cues. Data were analyzed using general linear models with mixed effects.Overall retention rate was 87.5%. CBT achieved significantly greater reductions in binge‐eating episodes than WLC (mean ± standard error decline of 14.6 ± 2.7 vs. 5.7 ± 2.8 episodes in the past 28 days, respectively; p = 0.03). CBT and WLC did not differ significantly in changes in neural responses to binge‐eating stimuli during the fMRI sessions. Compared with WLC, CBT had significantly greater improvements in reward‐based eating drive, disinhibition, and hunger as assessed by questionnaires (ps < 0.05).CBT was effective in reducing binge eating, but, contrary to our hypothesis, CBT did not improve BOLD response to auditory binge‐eating stimuli in reward regions of the brain. Further studies are needed to assess mechanisms underlying improvements with CBT for BED.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03604172 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An organic-inorganic hybrid polyoxometalate (POM) based on bi-nuclear copper complexes and Dawson-type phosphotungstate (POT) [CuL(H2O)][CuL]2[P2W18O62]·3H2O (abbreviated as CPW) (L = 2-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine) was synthesized and structurally characterized by IR spectrum, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Structural analysis indicated that CPW is nanoscale molecule and extends into a two-dimensional layer, in which three bi-nuclear copper complexes are substituted at different sites of Dawson-type POT and joined adjacent POT fragments together. Notably, CPW can efficiently catalyze the production of reactive oxygen species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limited stability, compatibility, and ion transport capacity of SEI remain key challenges in the development of high-energy–density sodium metal batteries. In order to realize the rational design and facile synthesis of SEI, the influencing factors of different challenges were systematically sorted out. By improving SEI chemical/electrochemical stability, mechanical stability, and thermal stability, the voltage window and temperature range of the battery operation can be effectively broadened. Suppressing the volume effect, phase exfoliation, and phase dissolution to enhance SEI compatibility is crucial for extending battery cycle life. The stability of ion transport at the electrode–electrolyte interface is affected by the composition, structure, and homogeneity of the interfacial phase, and fast and uniform interfacial Na+ transport can enable high-rate, high-safety sodium ion battery designs. [Display omitted] • The challenges and design elements of SEI are summarized comprehensively. • The formation mechanism, characteristics, and failure mechanism of SEI are systematically reviewed. • The latest development of SEI regulation strategy is discussed. • The opportunity and research direction of interface design for long lasting sodium metal batteries are prospected. Inhomogeneous and fragile solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) leads to poor battery cycle life and safety hazards, which is a key challenge that limits the practical application of low-cost sodium metal anodes. Although sodium metal batteries based on non-aqueous liquid and solid electrolytes have made great progress in terms of interfacial chemistry and SEI regulation strategies, the relevant evaluation of SEI from the perspective of the electrolyte is not well understood. This paper reviews the formation mechanism, physicochemical properties, and failure mechanism of SEI at the interface between the sodium metal and the liquid/solid electrolyte, focusing on poor stability, compatibility, interfacial ion transport problems, and influencing factors. Recent advances in SEI regulation are summarized in terms of electrolytes, artificial interphases, and electrode engineering to achieve ideal electrochemical reversibility. The effectiveness of the SEI engineering strategies was evaluated based on a comprehensive review of the interfacial stability in different electrolyte systems. Finally, the challenges associated with rational interface design for long-lasting sodium metal batteries are discussed, along with promising avenues for the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitual smoking of tobacco and marijuana can lead to weight changes and poor diet quality. These effects may be caused by taste changes related to smoking and marijuana use. This study examined the associations among taste perceptions of a bitterant (quinine) and salt, tobacco and marijuana use, and weight status. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of adults who responded to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2013–2014. Participants (n = 2808; female = 51.7%) were adults ≥40 years with an average body mass index (BMI) of 29.6 kg/m2. Participants completed whole mouth and tongue tip assessments of bitter (quinine) and salty (NaCl) tastes, and questionnaires on demographics, cigarette, tobacco, and drug use. Measured height and weight were used to calculate BMI. Compared with never smokers, current smokers reported increased bitter ratings. Smoking status was not associated with salty taste intensity ratings after adjustment for demographic variables. Current marijuana users reported lower tongue tip quine ratings than never users. Among current smokers, current marijuana users had lower whole mouth quinine ratings than never users. Taste perception for salt and quinine for current and former smokers as well as marijuana smokers varied in whole mouth and tongue tip assessment. Changes in taste perception among cigarette smokers and marijuana consumers may be clinically relevant to address to improve diet and weight status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new hybrid PRPFR conjugate gradient method is presented in this paper, which is designed such that it owns sufficient descent property and trust region property. This method can be considered as a convex combination of the PRP method and the FR method while using the hyperplane projection technique. Under accelerated step length, the global convergence property is gained with some appropriate assumptions. Comparing with other methods, the numerical experiments show that the PRPFR method is more competitive for solving nonlinear equations and image restoration problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a modified Polak-Ribière-Polyak (PRP) conjugate gradient method is proposed for image restoration. The presented method can generate sufficient descent directions without any line search conditions. Under some mild conditions, this method is globally convergent with the Armijo line search. Moreover, the linear convergence rate of the modified PRP method is established. The experimental results of unconstrained optimization, image restoration, and compressive sensing show that the proposed method is promising and competitive with other conjugate gradient methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hearing loss is the most common sensory defect, and it affects over 6% of the population worldwide. Approximately 50–60% of hearing loss patients are attributed to genetic causes. Currently, more than 100 genes have been reported to cause non-syndromic hearing loss. It is possible and efficient to screen all potential disease-causing genes for hereditary hearing loss by whole exome sequencing (WES). Methods: We collected 5 consanguineous pedigrees from Pakistan with hearing loss and applied WES in selected patients for each pedigree, followed by bioinformatics analysis and Sanger validation to identify the causal genes. Results: Variants in 7 genes were identified and validated in these pedigrees. We identified single candidate variant for 3 pedigrees: GIPC3 (c.937 T > C), LOXHD1 (c.6136G > A) and TMPRSS3 (c.941 T > C). The remaining 2 pedigrees each contained two candidate variants: TECTA (c.4045G > A) and MYO15A (c.3310G > T and c.9913G > C) for one pedigree and DFNB59 (c.494G > A) and TRIOBP (c.1952C > T) for the other pedigree. The candidate variants were validated in all available samples by Sanger sequencing. Conclusion: The candidate variants in hearing-loss genes were validated to be co-segregated in the pedigrees, and they may indicate the aetiologies of hearing loss in such patients. We also suggest that WES may be a suitable strategy for hearing-loss gene screening in clinical detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many reptiles, including the red-eared slider turtle Trachemys scripta elegans (T. scripta), sex is determined by ambient temperature during embryogenesis. We previously showed that the epigenetic regulator Kdm6b is elevated at the male-producing temperature and essential to activate the male pathway. In this work, we established a causal link between temperature and transcriptional regulation of Kdm6b. We show that signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is phosphorylated at the warmer, female-producing temperature, binds the Kdm6b locus, and represses Kdm6b transcription, blocking the male pathway. Influx of Ca2+, a mediator of STAT3 phosphorylation, is elevated at the female temperature and acts as a temperature-sensitive regulator of STAT3 activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The BWL group lost 4.7 ± 4.9% of initial body weight at 16 to 25 weeks, which was significantly more than the WLC group which gained 0.2 ± 3.5% (p < 0.001). • BWL and WLC groups did not differ significantly in changes in left, right, or total hippocampal volume (ps>0.05). • BWL and WLC groups did not differ significantly in changes in attention, executive function, processing speed, episodic memory, and working memory (ps>0.05). • Baseline hippocampal volume and neurocognition scores were not significantly associated with weight loss (ps>0.05). Obesity in midlife is an established risk factor for dementia. In middle-aged adults, elevated body mass index (BMI) is associated with lower neurocognition and smaller hippocampal volumes. It is unclear whether behavioral weight loss (BWL) can improve neurocognition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether BWL, compared to wait list control (WLC), improved hippocampal volume and neurocognition. We also examined if baseline hippocampal volume and neurocognition were associated with weight loss. We randomly assigned women with obesity (N = 61; mean±SD age=41.1 ± 9.9 years; BMI=38.6 ± 6.2 kg/m2; and 50.8% Black) to BWL or WLC. Participants completed assessments at baseline and follow-up including T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging scans and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox Cognition Battery. The BWL group lost 4.7 ± 4.9% of initial body weight at 16–25 weeks, which was significantly more than the WLC group which gained 0.2 ± 3.5% (p < 0.001). The BWL and WLC groups did not differ significantly in changes in hippocampal volume or neurocognition (ps>0.05). Baseline hippocampal volume and neurocognition scores were not significantly associated with weight loss (ps>0.05). Contrary to our hypothesis, we found no overall benefit of BWL relative to WLC on hippocampal volumes or cognition in young- and middle-aged women. Baseline hippocampal volume and neurocognition were not associated with weight loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous contour-based corner detection (CBCD) algorithms have been proposed recently, necessitating effective and practical evaluation. Most existing methods evaluate corner detection accuracy through metrics between the testing image and its attacked versions or rely on image-specific ground truth for corner evaluation. These methods use images as input, failing to solely evaluate the corner detection performance but combining it with contour extraction evaluation. Since contour extraction is another important research topic and existing CBCD algorithms almost have no contribution to contour extraction, this intertwining may negatively impact the evaluation results, hindering corner detection development. Furthermore, most evaluation methods directly provide simple statistical scores of evaluation metrics, such as the mean value, which are inadequate to reflect the overall performance distribution. This study presents a novel benchmark that is specifically designed for assessing CBCD methods, which includes two major contributions. Firstly, we design two dedicated datasets, one with the ground-truth corner and the other without them. The dedicated contours instead of images are employed as input to evaluate numerous CBCD methods, eliminating the impact of the extracted contour quality. When the ground-truth corners are unavailable, we employ additional contour attacks, including Gaussian noise, projective, and combined geometry on contours, to simulate real-world complex image processes compared with the attacks in existing evaluation methods. Secondly, we evaluate the performance of twelve CBCD methods using six distinct metrics based on the constructed contour datasets. To gain a deep insight into the overall performance distribution, the sign test method for hypothesis testing is utilized alongside some simple statistical measures for evaluation metric analysis. Experimental results demonstrated that no individual method performs the best across all six evaluation metrics, while different CBCD algorithms have their positive scenarios. The evaluation code will be publicly available at https://github.com/roylin1229/CBCD_eva. [Display omitted] • Propose a dedicated benchmark that evaluates CBCD methods using two contour datasets. • Use generalized contour attacks for better simulation of complex imaging processes. • Employ the sign test in hypothesis testing to show overall performance distribution. • No method outperforms others in all metrics; guidelines are available for selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, a modified method to analyze and regulate the broken condition of a general parity-time symmetric waveguide system with non-conjugated refractive index profile ( n r1 - j n i1 and n r2 + j n i2) is proposed. The broken condition can be regulated by altering the width of waveguide. For the general PT symmetric waveguide system, this method provides a simple design to reduce the requirement of gain medium. This finally makes it easier to design a waveguide system on the basis of a now available material and to achieve broken condition. The analysis of a non-conjugate refractive index double channel waveguides is carried out as an example, and the calculation error is less than 4% compared with the result of FDTD simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying congested links accurately to ensure the Service Level Agreements is an important but challenging task, since it is costly or even practically unfeasible to monitor massive interior links directly for large networks. Network tomography has been proposed to overcome this problem by using end-to-end (path) measurements. However, most of existing tomographic methods only focus on the loss performance degradation, while paying much less attention the fact that network congestion will also greatly worsen the delay performance. Nevertheless, most of them normally work under single-path routing, which may also get violated in today's Internet as multipath routing is increasingly common. In this paper, we consider the problem of using end-to-end measurements to identify congested links when multipath routing is employed in a non-tree network. Firstly, we use both link delay variances and link loss rates to model the system constraints between end- to-end paths and the interior links, and transfer the issue of congested link identification as an optimization problem. By theoretically demonstrating that the link delay variances are identifiable from the end-to-end delay measurements with certain topology conditions, we further prove that the above optimization problem is a Non-deterministic Polynomial-time hard (NP-hard) problem. Then in order to solve such an NP-hard problem, two greedy algorithms based on bool and additive congestion statuses are proposed. Lastly, simulation studies show that with extra delay constraints, our proposed algorithms are able to achieve better identification performances than existing methods under multipath routing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salicylic acid (SA) is an essential hormone for development and induced defense against biotrophic pathogens in plants. The formation of SA mainly derives from chorismate via demonstrated isochorismate synthase (ICS) and presumed isochorismate pyruvate lyase (IPL)-mediated steps in Arabidopsis thaliana, but so far no plant enzyme displaying IPL activity has been identified. Here, we developed an E. coli SA biosensor to screen for IPL activity based on the SalR regulator/salA promoter combination from Acinetobacter sp ADP1, to control the expression of the reporter luxCDABE. The biosensor was responsive to micromolar concentrations of exogenous SA, and to endogenous SA produced after transformation with a plasmid permitting IPTG-inducible expression of bacterial IPL in this biosensor strain. After screening a cDNA library constructed from turnip crinkle virus (TCV)-infected Arabidopsis ecotype Di-17, we identified an enzyme, PRXR1, as a putative IPL that converts isochorismate into SA. Our results provide a new experimental approach to identify IPL and new insights into the SA biosynthesis pathway in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid crystal superstructures or metasurfaces based on Pancharatnam−Berry (PB) phase have made remarkable progress in all‐optical image processing due to the advantages of miniaturization, integration, and multi‐dimensional light field modulation. However, conventional static PB phase devices are usually not tunable and with a single function. Here, based on the tunability of the moiré effect, the wavelength‐independent effect of the PB phase, and the principle of retardation compensation, an ultra‐broadband multifunction moiré‐PB doublet lens is designed, which can realize optical edge imaging with a tunable resolution ranging from 13.2 to 57.2 µm and ultra‐broadband conventional and polarimetric imaging to meet the requirement of multiple functionalities and system integration. In addition, edge feature extraction or edge imaging of low‐contrast biological samples is also realized. Benefiting from the characteristics of miniaturization, switchable multiple imaging functions, and real‐time parallel processing, this method may expand the practicability of modern optical image processing, microscopic imaging, and biomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(La,Sr)(Cr,Mn)O 3 perovskite (LSCM) is one of the most promising cathode materials for solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) at high temperature, but suffers from poor electrocatalytic activity towards CO 2 reduction. Here we report that a modified LSCM based composite cathode fabricated via infiltrating Ce 0.9 Mn 0.1 O 2−δ (CMO) nanoparticles onto (La 0.75 Sr 0.25 ) 0.95 (Cr 0.5 Mn 0.5 )O 3−δ -Ce 0.8 Gd 0.2 O 1.9 (LSCM-GDC) composite materials, shows greatly improved electrocatalytic activity and stability towards CO 2 reduction compared with the unmodified LSCM cathode. Physicochemical characterizations and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis of electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction in SOEC show that CO 2 adsorption and the following carbonate intermediate dissociation processes on the CMO nanoparticles-modified LSCM-GDC cathode are significantly improved, which is attributed to the increased active three phase boundaries and surface oxygen vacancies by the infiltration of CMO nanoparticles on the LSCM-GDC cathode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a solid acid was prepared by the sulfonation of surface modified α-zirconium phosphate (ZrP) single-layer nanosheets (SO3H@ZrP), and the prepared solid acid was investigated for the esterification of oleic acid with methanol to produce biodiesel. For comparison, liquid H2SO4 and commercial Amberlyst® 15 catalyst were also evaluated for the same reaction under the same conditions. The experimental results showed that the SO3H@ZrP solid acid catalyst has a superior catalytic efficiency for the esterification reaction, as well as excellent recyclability. The SO3H@ZrP single-layer solid acid catalyst can be uniformly dispersed in the reaction media, but remains heterogeneous and thus can be easily separated and recycled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted significant attention because of their unique chemical and physical properties. Immobilization of ILs on solid materials helps increase their efficiency and facilitate their recycling. In our present work, ILs were immobilized on α-zirconium phosphate (ZrP) single layer nanosheets by a post-grafting method. The immobilized ILs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The characterization results supported that the ILs were covalently grafted onto ZrP nanosheets via the chemical reaction of ethoxyl silane groups in ILs with the surface hydroxyl groups on ZrP nanosheets. A high density of grafting of ILs on individual ZrP nanosheets was achieved. The immobilized ILs on individual ZrP nanosheets can be uniformly dispersed in polar chemicals and are readily accessible. When applied as a heterogeneous catalyst for Knoevenagel condensation under a solvent-free condition, such immobilized ILs exhibited high efficiency and can be easily recycled and reused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesis of the molecularly imprinted ratiometric fluorescent probes (MIRFPs) based on WO 3-x QDs for detection of tetracycline (TC). [Display omitted] • WO 3-x QDs based molecularly imprinted ratiometric fluorescent probes (MIRFPs) for detection of tetracycline (TC) were developed. • The fluorescence enhancement of TC is caused by forming W-TC coordination with WO 3-x QDs. • The mechanism of detecting TC by MIRFPs may be due to the joint action of IEF, PET and the generation of new coordination compounds. • This proposed strategy was applicable for the TC detection in real samples. This paper reports a novel probe developed based on the tungsten trioxide quantum dots (WO 3-x QDs) and molecularly imprinted polymers for the detection of trace tetracycline (TC) in the complex food matrix. Tungsten ion (W6+) in WO 3-x QDs has a fluorescence enhancement effect on TC, and TC has a fluorescence quenching effect on WO 3-x QDs. The blue emission of the WO 3-x QDs (λ em = 470 nm) as a reference and the yellow emission of the TC (λ em = 550 nm) as a response were utilized for the ratiometric fluorescence detection. In order to improve its selectivity, the molecular imprinting technology was combined to construct molecularly imprinted ratiometric fluorescent probes (MIRFPs). Therefore, the MIRFPs can not only selectively detect TC, but also realize the visual detection from blue to yellow. Under the optimal conditions, the linear ranges of 0.01 ∼ 10.0 μmol/L and 20.0 ∼ 80.0 μmol/L were obtained with the limits of detection of 3.23 nmol/L and 6.37 μmol/L, respectively. Furthermore, the MIRFPs had been successfully applied to the detection of TC in milk and eggs. The satisfactory recoveries were in the range of 92.7 ∼ 102.9 % with relative standard deviations (RSD, n = 3) below 1.59 %. This work offers a good strategy for the detection of food hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlabelled: Neuropathic pain in patients with total brachial plexus avulsion has always been a sophisticated problem in clinical practice.Objectives: For further researches on objective diagnosis, alleviation or even cure of neuropathic pain, we need to conclude the basic clinical features including pain intensity, distribution, type and possible risk factors.Methods: Thirty cases of patients with total brachial plexus avulsion were included and their baseline information was collected. Pain was evaluated by Present Pain Index using a visual analog scale; Douleur Neuropathique 4 was used for screening neuropathic pain. For more detailed pain description, the Neuropathic Pain Symptoms Inventory questionnaire and a picture showing the exact pain district were both fulfilled by all the eligible participants. The relationship between neuropathic pain and basic information, injury conditions, accompanied conditions and quality of life was tested.Results: All the participants were male in both groups. The neuropathic pain group contained 22 patients (73.33%) with the mean age of 30.18±9.47; while 29.00±7.95 in the other group. Patients with neuropathic pain presented variously in pain degree, location, type and time phase, according to the results of the Neuropathic Pain Symptoms Inventory questionnaire. Nevertheless, most pain distributed on the region of hand. Among several related factors, alcohol abuse may be possible risk factors of neuropathic pain (p=0.03). Quality of life was significantly affected by pain (p<0.01).Conclusion: Neuropathic pain in patients with total brachial avulsion was characterized with heterogeneity in pain distribution, intensity, type and also time phase. Bad life habits might be risk factors associated with neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain might affect quality of life of the patients with total brachial plexus avulsion remarkably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The traditional surgical approach to repair of brachial plexus lesions involves use of whole segment ulnar nerve graft for contralateral seventh cervical (cC7) nerve root transfer, which sabotages the possibility of ulnar nerve recovery. We assessed the anatomical feasibility of a new approach that involves preservation of the motor branch of ulnar nerve (MBUN), for a later stage repair using the recovered pronator quadratus motor branch (PQMB), subsequent to the cC7 transfer procedure. Methods: Twenty-seven adult cadaver arms and one side of fresh adult cadaver were used in this study. The anterior interosseous nerve and its PQMB, as well as the motor and sensory branches of the ulnar nerve were dissected. The distances from the end of PQMB to the mid-point of a line joining the radial styloid and ulnar styloid, as well as to the point of divergence of the ulnar nerve, were measured. The MBUN was dissected from distal to proximal and the maximum length was measured. The diameter and number of axons of the nerve branches were also recorded. Results: The distance from the end of the PQMB to the midpoint of the radial styloid and ulnar styloid was 6.04 ± 0.52 cm, and that to the point of divergence of the ulnar nerve was 8.02 ± 0.63 cm. The maximum length of the MBUN after its dissociation was 9.70 ± 1.38 cm. The mean diameters of axons of the MBUN and PQMB were 0.09 ± 0.02 cm and 0.05 ± 0.01 cm, respectively. The corresponding mean numbers of axons were 2913 ± 624 and 757 ± 183, respectively. Conclusions: The results indicate that the PQMB is suitable for transferring to the MBUN without nerve graft. This anatomical study paves the way for further testing of this new procedure after cC7 transfer in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the hydrothermal temperature on the crystal structures and properties of {001} faceted anatase TiO 2 are systematically investigated. Results indicate that the reaction temperature has little effect on the particle size, but results in fusing the adjacent {001} facet and eliminating the cross-linked structure. Along with the decreased {001} facet percentage, the decreased crystal defects, increased crystallinity, and raised conduction band (CB) minimum dramatically increase the methylene blue (MB) decomposing efficiency. The present study indicates that it’s important to take into consideration of various factors in designing efficient photocatalysts, but not only to expose the high-reactive facets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halloysite nanotubes supported Cu–Ni bimetallic catalysts were synthesized and applied to the direct formation of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) from methanol and CO 2 . Halloystite nanotubes (HNTs), K treated HNTs (KHNTs) and the synthesized catalysts were characterized by thermogravimetric and differential thermalgravimetric analysis (TG-DTA), temperature programmed reduction (TPR), X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) techniques. The catalyst activities were evaluated in a continuous fixed-bed tubular microreactor under 1.2 MPa at 130 °C. The effects of the metal weight loadings on the catalytic performances and surface acid–base properties were studied. It was found that moderately acid–base balance on the catalysts surface were important for the DMC yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-functional diffraction gratings have found broad applications in laser processing, medicine, beam manipulation, etc. However, based on the existing schemes there are still some challenges in fabricating the diffraction gratings with the controllable and arbitrary diffraction intensity of each order, multiple phase distribution, and polarisation of the output. Here, we propose a new phase mixing algorithm based on the random binary matrix and describe the theoretical foundation and experimental realisation of the proposed scheme. Using the new algorithm, several phase-mixing devices were fabricated, and the experiment verified the relationship of the light intensity, polarisation, phase and the algorithm. Our approach is practical to mix the phases of several diffraction gratings to realise the controllable diffraction orders, offering an innovative idea for the research of the liquid crystal phase mixing devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction in solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) can simultaneously convert CO 2 to valuable chemicals or fuels by integrating with renewable energy so as to alleviate the greenhouse effects and energy crisis. Cerium oxide (CeO 2) with high redox stability and catalytic activity toward CO 2 reduction is considered a promising SOEC cathode. However, CeO 2 is rarely directly employed as cathodes due to its unsatisfactory electrical properties. Suitable modification of CeO 2 becomes essential to improve its electrocatalytic activity. Herein, Fe-decorated on Sm-doped CeO 2 via a simple mechanical milling process was employed as cathodes for high-temperature CO 2 electrolysis in SOEC. The addition of Fe species on Sm-doped CeO 2 can greatly enhance the CO 2 electrolysis efficiency, mainly attributing to the increased catalytic active sites, electronic pairs, and oxygen vacancy concentrations, which facilitated the CO 2 adsorption and dissociation as well as the electron-ion transportation. The 1.0 wt.% Fe-decoreated on Sm-doped CeO 2 showed the highest current density of 0.57 A cm−2 at 1.9 V under 800 °C. Moreover, the co-existence of doped and surface coated Fe species on Sm-doped CeO 2 with moderate oxygen vacancies and adequate electronic transportation paths facilitate the high-temperature CO 2 electrolysis. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A rapid and highly sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC–MS/MS) method for simultaneous determination of cefoperazone sodium and sulbactam sodium in human plasma was developed. The analytes and internal standard (IS), cefuroxime sodium, were extracted from human plasma via liquid–liquid extraction with ethyl acetate and separated on a Waters Xterra C18 column within 3.5min. Quantitation was performed on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer employing electrospray ionization technique, operating in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) and negative ion mode. The precursor to product ion transitions monitored for cefoperazone, sulbactam and IS were m/z 644.1→528.0, 232.1→140.0, and 423.0→362.0, respectively. The assay was validated in the linear range of 0.1–20μg/mL for cefoperazone and 0.02–4μg/mL for sulbactam. The intra- and inter-day precisions (CV%) were within 8.39% for each analyte. The recoveries were greater than 87.3% for cefoperazone and 87.2% for sulbactam. Each analyte was found to be stable during all sample storage, preparation and analytical procedures. The method was successfully applied in a pharmacokinetic study of Sulperazon injection in six hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Separation behavior of photo-generated electrons and holes is systematically investigated on anatase TiO 2 with selectively etched {0 0 1} facet. Results indicate that the {0 0 1} facet etching degree and the resulted Ti 3+ impurity centers are increased along with the F ion concentration in the acid environment. However, both the etched {0 0 1} facet and the Ti 3+ centers have little effect on trapping the photo-generated electrons. Thus all the Au particles are photo-deposited on the {1 0 1} facet, while the etched {0 0 1} facet remains blank. The present work confirms that the {0 0 1}–{1 0 1} heterojunction is really helpful to separate the photo-generated electrons and holes. This behavior is mainly associated with the intrinsic bulk crystal structure, but not the external crystal defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has great potential to modulate cortical excitability and further facilitate visual function or rehabilitation. However, tDCS modulation effects are largely variable, possibly because of the individual differences in initial performance. The present study investigated the influence of the initial performance on contrast sensitivity function (CSF) following tDCS. Fifty healthy participants were randomly assigned to three groups: anodal, cathodal and sham stimulation. The CSF was measured through a grating detection task before and immediately after tDCS. Active and reference electrodes were applied to the primary occipital cortex (Oz) and the middle of the head (Cz) for 20 min with an intensity of 1.5 mA, respectively. Compared with sham stimulation, anodal or cathodal stimulation had no effect on the area under the log CSF (AULCSF) or contrast sensitivity (CS) of various spatial frequencies at the group level. However, a negative relationship was found between initial performance and the AULCSF change (or CS change at a spatial of frequency 8 c/°) after the application of anodal tDCS, indicating that the degree of change was dependent on initial performance, with greater gains observed for those with poorer initial performance. Initial performance modulated the effect of anodal tDCS over the Oz on the CSF, indicating that the Oz plays a crucial role in visual function. These results contribute to a deep understanding of the mechanisms of tDCS and to the design of more precise and efficient personalized simulation approaches based on individual differences. • tDCS has great potential to modulate cortical excitability and further facilitate visual function or rehabilitation. • tDCS modulation effects are largely variable, possibly because of the individual differences in initial performance. • Initial performance modulated the effect of anodal tDCS over the primary occipital cortex on the contrast sensitivity. • The primary occipital cortex plays a crucial role in visual function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rbert's uterus, also known as asymmetric septate uterus, is a rare genital malformation first reported by Dr. Robert in 1970. Robert's uterus is characterized by a septate uterus with a blind hemicavity and an intact external fundus. According to some reports, Robert's uterus was typically managed by laparoscopic uterine resection of a hemicavity, laparoscopic endometrectomy, and even hysterectomy. Considering that fertility preservation is important in young patients, we recommend ultrasound-guided hysteroscopic septum resection as an optimum treatment for Robert's uterus.Case Presentation: Herein is described a clinical case of Robert's uterus in a 15-year-old girl who was misdiagnosed for primary dysmenorrhea in the beginning. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 3-dimensional (3D) ultrasound identified an asymmetrical uterine septum. The patient was treated using ultrasound-guided hysteroscopic treatment without laparoscopy. The surgical procedure lasted less than an hour, and the symptoms of dysmenorrhea were relieved during a six months follow-up.Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided hysteroscopic septum resection is the preferred treatment for Robert's uterus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent soil (TS) presents immense potential for root phenotyping due to its ability to facilitate high-resolution imaging. However, challenges related to transparency, mechanical properties, and cost hinder its development. Herein, we introduce super-transparent soil (s-TS) prepared via the droplet method using low acyl gellan gum and hydroxyethyl cellulose crosslinked with magnesium ions. The refractive index of the hydroxyethyl cellulose solution (1.345) closely aligns with that of water (1.333) and the low acyl gellan gum solution (1.340), thereby significantly enhancing the transmittance of hydrogel-based transparent soil. Optimal transmittance (98.45%) is achieved with polymer concentrations ranging from 0.8 to 1.6 wt.% and ion concentrations between 0.01 and 0.09 mol·L−1. After 60 days of plant cultivation, s-TS maintains a transmittance exceeding 89.5%, enabling the detailed visualization of root growth dynamics. Furthermore, s-TS exhibits remarkable mechanical properties, withstanding a maximum compressive stress of 477 kPa and supporting a maximum load-bearing depth of 186 cm. This innovative approach holds promising implications for advanced root phenotyping studies, fostering the investigation of root heterogeneity and the development of selective expression under controlled conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large amounts of small molecule dyes leak into the ecosystems annually in harmful and unsustainable ways. Polymer dyes have attracted much attention because of their high migration resistance, excellent stability, and minimized leakage. However, the complex synthesis process, high cost, and poor degradability hinder their widespread application. Herein, green and sustainable polymer dyes are prepared using natural dye quercetin (Qc) and CO2 through a one‐step process. The CO2‐sourced polymer dyes show strong migration resistance, high stability, and can be degraded on demand. Additionally, the CO2‐sourced polymer dyes showed unique responses to Zn2+, leading to significantly enhanced fluorescence, highlighting their potential for information encryption/decryption. The CO2‐sourced polymer dyes can solve the environmental hazards caused by small molecule dye leakage and promote the carbon cycle process. Meanwhile, the one‐step synthesis process is expected to achieve sustainable and widespread utilization of CO2‐sourced polymer dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a fundamental material in the current mainstream display technology, liquid crystal (LC) exhibits excellent properties including controllable and reconfigurable LC orientation, high‐efficiency pure‐phase modulation, active tunability, etc., and becomes one of the most attractive candidates for the development of next‐generation flat optical devices. Current LC elements are suffering from the single functionality as only one type of the optical manipulation is involved. Integrating several functions together brings great flexibility and high integration but remains an urgent task. Here, flat LC elements are proposed to simultaneously accomplish near‐field display and far‐field holography. The anisotropic nature of the LC allows a complex amplitude modulation with a sinusoidal variation, promising a continuous amplitude change, and a binary phase modulation. Specifically, several two‐channel LC elements are experimentally demonstrated, which simultaneously generate a grayscale pattern at sample surface and project an independent holographic image in the far field. Furthermore, the position and spatial multiplexing methodologies are introduced to further improve the information capacity. The proposed LC elements with simple anisotropic structure and large fabrication size can empower the multifunctional design and have promising prospects in information multiplexing, image displaying, data storage, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the wide deployment of edge devices, a variety of emerging applications have been deployed at the edge of network. To guarantee the safe and efficient operations of the edge applications, especially the extensive web applications, it is important and challenging to detect packet payload anomalies, which can be expressed as a number of specific strings that may cause attacks. Although some approaches have achieved remarkable progress, they are with limited applications since these approaches are dependent on in-depth expert knowledge, e.g., signatures describing anomalies or communication protocol at the application level. Moreover, they might fail to detect the payload anomalies that may have long-term dependency relationships at the edge of network. To overcome these limitations and adaptively detect anomalies from packet payloads, we propose a deep learning based framework which does not rely on any in-depth expert knowledge and is capable of detecting anomalies that have long-term dependency relationships. The proposed framework consists of two parts. First, a novel block sequence construction method is proposed to obtain a valid expression of a payload. The block sequence could encapsulate both the high-dimension information and the underlying sequential information which facilitate the anomaly detection. Secondly, we design a detection model to learn two different dependency relationships within the block sequence, which is based on Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Multi-head Self Attention Mechanism. Furthermore, we cast the anomaly detection as a classification problem and employ a classifier with attention mechanism to integrate information and detect anomalies. Extensive experimental results on three public datasets indicate that our model could achieve a higher detection rate, while keeping a lower false positive rate compared with two traditional machine learning methods and three state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) refer to a polymeric architecture with repeating ionic liquid species in each unit. They are attracting rapidly increasing interest because of their diverse structures and facial processability. Our group focused on the design and synthesis of PILs for various applications in the past decade, including polyelectrolytes, biomedical materials, and other related fields. In this review, we briefly summarized our recent studies on the application of PILs for energy and electronic devices, emphasizing the controllable synthesis and regulation of specific structures and functions. The unique properties and designable structures of PILs will inspire further investigation in an extensive variety of potential applications. What is the most favorite and original chemistry developed in your research group? Synthesis and application of poly(ionic liquid)s for various applications, including polyelectrolytes for energy devices, smart windows, as well as biomedical applications. How do you get into this specific field? Could you please share some experiences with our readers? About 15 years ago, I was attracted by the novel properties of ionic liquids, which encouraged me to engage in ionic liquids with polymer science. Keep curiosity, keep learning and hard‐working are very important. How do you supervise your students? I always encourage my students to innovate and enjoy their scientific research. I would like to see motivated and determined characters from my students. What is the most important personality for scientific research? I think the most important personality for scientific research is keeping curiosity, innovative spirit and persistence. How do you keep balance between research and family? Both research and family are important in my life. I work hard during working hours while spending time with my family as much as possible after work. Who influences you mostly in your life? My parents and Prof. Gi Xue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is aimed to reconstruct displacements from measured accelerations based on a low-frequency attenuation (LFA) algorithm. The integration of acceleration is conducted directly in frequency domain and the integral accuracy is governed by an accuracy control factor (ACF). A finite element simulation is conducted to compare the integral accuracy of this algorithm with those of several other conventional integration algorithms and then the superiority of the LFA algorithm is verified. At the same time, a numerical study and a vibration test rig with limit positions of impact are designed to investigate the influence of the ACF on integration accuracy for the LFA algorithm. Besides, three error evaluation indices are proposed to evaluate the integration accuracy. The investigations indicate that the determination of the value of the ACF should fully consider the level of low frequency noise, and it is better to select a relatively large value to ensure a good effect of eliminating the trend error and/or drift error. According to this research, the value of the ACF is suggested to be selected in the range from 0.90 to 0.98 so that integral results with high accuracy can be obtained in engineering applications. • An improved low-frequency attenuation (LFA) algorithm is presented. • Integral accuracy of the LFA algorithm is governed by an accuracy control factor (ACF). • The superiority of the LFA algorithm against several conventional algorithms is verified by a FE simulation example. • A numerical study and a vibration test are designed to investigate influence of ACF on integration accuracy. • An optimal ACF value is given to get good integral result in engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat rejection in the hot-arid area is of concern to power cycles, especially for the transcritical Rankine cycle using CO2 as the working fluid in harvesting the low-grade energy. Usually, water is employed as the cooling substance in Rankine cycles. In this paper, the transcritical Rankine cycle with CO2/R161 mixture and dry air cooling systems had been proposed to be used in arid areas with water shortage. A design and rating model for mixture-air cooling process were developed based on small-scale natural draft dry cooling towers. The influence of key parameters on the system's thermodynamic performance was tested. The results suggested that the thermal efficiency of the proposed system was decreased with the increases in the turbine inlet pressure and the ambient temperature, with the given thermal power as the heat source. Additionally, the cooling performance of natural draft dry cooling tower was found to be affected by the ambient temperature and the turbine exhaust temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edge imaging is now an efficient way capable of demonstrating boundary features of an object, which is widely applied in optical imaging, robot vision. In this article, we propose an electrically regulated wedge liquid crystal (LC) cell for edge imaging based upon the combination of the large birefringence of LC and its electro-optic tunable characteristic, and its imaging principle of this element has been theoretically analysed. The experimental results wonderfully manifest that this method can achieve broadband edge imaging and realise real-time mode switch between edge image and original image which can be controlled by a proper voltage. We also demonstrate that the function for achieving electrically controllable resolution is feasible in theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable Na‐CO2 batteries are considered to be an effective way to address the energy crisis and greenhouse effect due to their dual functions of CO2 fixation/utilization and energy storage. However, the insolubility and irreversibility of solid discharge products lead to poor discharge capacity and poor cycle performance. Herein, a novel strategy is proposed to enhance the electrochemical performance of hybrid Na‐CO2 batteries, using water‐in‐salt electrolyte (WiSE) to establish an optimal reaction environment, regulate the CO2 reduction pathway, and ultimately convert the discharge product of the battery from Na2CO3 to formic acid (HCOOH). This strategy effectively resolves the issue of poor reversibility, allowing the battery to exhibit excellent cycle performance (over 1200 cycles at 30 °C), especially under low‐temperature conditions (2534 cycles at −20 °C). Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experiments indicate that by adjusting the relative concentration of H/O atoms at the electrolyte/catalyst interface, the CO2 reduction pathway in the battery can be regulated, thus effectively enhancing CO2 capture capability and consequently achieving an ultra‐high discharge specific capacity of 148.1 mAh cm−2. This work effectively promotes the practical application of hybrid Na‐CO2 batteries and shall provide a guidance for converting CO2 into products with high‐value‐added chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]