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Background and Objective Methods Results Conclusion Correlations between the image analysis of CT scan, lung function and quality of life in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of pulmonary blood‐vessel distribution and the extent of fibrosis on the lung function and quality of life of patients with IPF.Patients were enrolled in an IPF registry and had completed pulmonary function tests, chest HRCT, St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and echocardiography. Pulmonary blood‐vessel distribution, specific image‐derived airway volume (siVaw) and fibrosis extent (siVfib) were quantitatively calculated by functional respiratory imaging on HRCT.The study subjects were categorized into DLco <40% pred. (n = 40) and DLco ≥40% pred. (n = 19) groups. Patients with DLco <40% pred. had significantly higher scores of SGRQ, composite physiologic index (CPI), exercise oxygen desaturation (∆SpO2), siVaw, lower FVC% pred. and 6‐minute walking distance% pred. The proportion of small blood vessels in the upper lobes (BV5PR‐UL) was significantly correlated with CPI, DLco % Pred., FVC% pred., SGRQ and ∆SpO2. Only BV5PR‐UL had a significant impact on all indices but not BV5PR in the lower lobes (BV5PR‐LL). siVfib was significantly negatively correlated with BV5PR‐UL, DLco% pred. and FVC% pred., as well as positively correlated with CPI, ∆SpO2 and siVaw.BV5PR‐UL and siVfib had significant correlations with lung function and may become important indicators to assess the severity of IPF and the impact on quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, airlines have been expanding their fleets, but this has posed a challenge in terms of limited airport space for maintenance facilities. Maintenance, repair, and overhaul provider (MRO) enhances the efficiency of existing space utilization by reducing the distance between parked aircraft. However, it is often necessary to change the position of parked aircraft during maintenance and if there are other aircraft blocking this movement it is necessary to interrupt the original maintenance work to allow the aircraft to pass. Unnecessary relocation of aircraft could reduce maintenance efficiency and increase costs. This study adopts mathematical programming with a network flow technique to develop an MRO stand allocation model. The effectiveness of the proposed model is evaluated in a case study performed using the data collected from a Taiwan aircraft MRO service provider. The results demonstrate that the proposed model could be a useful and practical planning support tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with cardiac conduction defects and is a strong risk factor for heart failure. Complete left bundle branch block (cLBBB), a cardiac conduction abnormality, may have an unfavorable effect on ventricular mechanical synchrony and lead to the progression of heart failure. Once heart failure develops, it seems to act together with underlying CKD in a vicious circle. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the influence of CKD in patients with cLBBB by assessing the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). We examined a hospital-based sample of 416 adult patients with cLBBB from 2010 to 2013. The eGFR was calculated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratio for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality. A total of 416 adult patients with a mean age of 71 ± 13 years were enrolled. The median follow-up period was 3.6 years. After adjusting for clinical, electrocardiographic parameters, and medication use, cox regression analysis showed that total mortality was significantly associated with older age (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01–1.05, p = 0.002), presence of congestive heart failure (HR = 2.39, 95% CI = 1.63–3.49, p < 0.001), advanced CKD (HR = 2.48, 95% CI = 1.71–3.59, p < 0.001), higher HR (HR = 1.02, 95% CI = 1.01–1.03, p < 0.001) and without use of ACEI/ARB (HR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.41–0.85, p = 0.005) were independent predictors of the total mortality. Multivariate Cox hazard regression analysis demonstrated that, in comparison to patients lacking cLBBB, the coexistence of CKD (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) among those with LBBB significantly heightened the risks of both total mortality (HR ratio of 5.01 vs. 2.40) and CV death (HR ratio of 61.78 vs. 14.41) even following adjustment for clinical covariates and ECG parameters. In summary, within patients exhibiting cLBBB, the presence of CKD serves as a significant risk factor for all-cause mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce environmental pollution and conserve natural resources, calcined oyster shell ash (COSA), class F fly ash (FFA) and flue gas desulfurisation gypsum (FGDG) were used in an attempt to improve the engineering properties of alkali-activated ternary cementitious paste. The COSA – obtained by calcining crushed oyster shells at 800°C for 3 h and then grinding to pass through a no. 100 sieve – was used to substitute FFA at rates of 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 mass%. The alkali solution used was 10M sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate with a modulus of 2.5. The hardened paste with 7.5% COSA, 1% FGDG and ratio of weight of added water to dry binder of 0.09 at 56 days had the highest compressive strength of 62 MPa. Microstructural analyses (scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) showed that the resulting calcium aluminosilicate hydrate gel was found to have a compact microstructure, which improved the compressive strength of specimens. In summary, COSA successfully replaced natural limestone as a calcium oxide activator to manufacture an alkali-activated ternary cementitious paste containing FFA and FGDG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent rapid advancements in both sensing and machine learning technologies have given rise to the universal collection and utilization of people's biometrics, such as fingerprints, voices, retina/facial scans, or gait/motion/gestures data, enabling a wide range of applications including authentication, health monitoring, or much more sophisticated analytics. While providing better user experiences and deeper business insights, the use of biometrics has raised serious privacy concerns due to their intrinsic sensitive nature and the accompanying high risk of leaking sensitive information such as identity or medical conditions. In this paper, we propose a novel modality-agnostic data transformation framework that is capable of anonymizing biometric data by suppressing its sensitive attributes while retaining features relevant to downstream machine learning-based analyses that are of research and business values. We carried out a thorough experimental evaluation using publicly available facial, voice, motion, and EEG datasets. Results show that our proposed framework can achieve a high suppression level for sensitive information, while at the same time retain underlying data utility such that subsequent analyses on the anonymized biometric data could still be carried out to yield satisfactory accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In digital microfluidics, actuation voltage is critical in droplet manipulation using electrowetting-on-dielectric. Compared to parallel electrode devices, the droplet manipulation on coplanar electrodes requires a higher actuation voltage due to its structure. This study derives an equation related to the threshold actuation voltage and many critical parameters (applied frequency, surface tension, fluid conductivity, droplet volume, dielectric thickness, etc.). Our developed model has three innovations: (1) liquid and device parameters related to the threshold actuation voltage are integrated into the model, (2) the absolute value of the complex permittivity of the fluid is added into our model to clarify the conductivity-dependent and frequency-dependent threshold actuation voltage, and (3) the extrand model is used to derive the effects of the surface tension, contact angles, and droplet radius on the threshold actuation voltage. Additionally, we used many solutions for biochemical and biomedical assays—DI (Deionized) water, DMEM (Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium), PBS (phosphate buffered saline), glycerol–water solutions, ethanol–water solutions, potassium chloride solutions, and sodium chloride solutions—to verify the developed Vth in our model. By using the model and conducting an experiment, we investigated the Vth of different liquids on coplanar electrodes. Our model can successfully explain the difference of Vth between these solutions on coplanar electrode devices. The model and experimental data can be utilized to predict the actuation voltage for a broad range of buffers and organic solvents on coplanar electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation proctopathy (RP) is a common complication of radiotherapy for pelvic malignancies with high incidence. RP accompanies by microbial dysbiosis. However, how the gut microbiota affects the disease remains unclear. Here, metabolomics reveals that the fecal and serous concentrations of microbiota‐derived 3‐hydroxybutyrate (3HB) are significantly reduced in RP mice and radiotherapeutic patients. Moreover, the concentration of 3HB is negatively associated with the expression of proinflammatory IL6 that is increased along with the severity of radiation damage. 3HB treatment significantly downregulates IL6 expression and alleviates IL6‐mediated radiation damage. Irradiated cell‐fecal microbiota co‐culture experiments and in vivo assays show that such a radioprotection of 3HB is mediated by GPR43. Microbiome analysis reveals that radiation leads to a distinct bacterial community compared to untreated controls, in which Akkermansia muciniphila is significantly reduced in RP mice and radiotherapeutic patients and is associated with lower 3HB concentration. Gavage of A. muciniphila significantly increases 3HB concentration, downregulates GPR43 and IL6 expression, and ameliorates radiation damage. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the gut microbiota, including A. muciniphila, induce higher concentrations of 3HB to block GPR43‐mediated IL6 signaling, thereby conferring radioprotection. The findings reveal a novel implication of the gut‐immune axis in radiation pathophysiology, with potential therapeutic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Post-thrombectomy intraparenchymal hyperdensity (PTIH) in patients with acute ischemic stroke is a common CT sign, making it difficult for physicians to distinguish intracerebral hemorrhage in the early post-thrombectomy period. The aim of this study was to develop an effective model to differentiate intracerebral hemorrhage from contrast extravasation in patients with PTIH. Methods: We retrospectively collected information on patients who underwent endovascular thrombectomy at two stroke centers between August 2017 and January 2023. A total of 222 patients were included in the study, including 118 patients in the development cohort, 52 patients in the internal validation cohort, and 52 patients in the external validation cohort. The nomogram was constructed using R software based on independent predictors derived from the multivariate logistic regression analysis, including clinical factors and CT texture features extracted from hyperdense areas on CT images. The performance and accuracy of the derived nomogram were assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) and calibration curves. Additionally, decision curve analysis was conducted to appraise the clinical utility of the nomogram. Results: Our nomogram was derived from two clinical factors (ASPECT score and onset to reperfusion time) and two CT texture features (variance and uniformity), with AUC-ROC of 0.943, 0.930, and 0.937 in the development, internal validation, and external validation cohorts, respectively. Furthermore, the calibration plot exhibited a strong agreement between the predicted outcome and the actual outcome. In addition, the decision curve analysis revealed the clinical utility of the nomogram in accurately predicting hemorrhage in patients with PTIH. Conclusion: The developed nomogram, based on clinical factors and CT texture features, proves to be effective in distinguishing intracerebral hemorrhage from contrast extravasation in patients with PTIH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to validate a newly developed postoperative stability score for evaluating clinical follow-up in elderly patients with low-energy hip fractures. From 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2021, we enrolled patients aged over 65 who underwent cephalomedullary nail fixation using proximal femoral nail antirotation II (PFNAII) and had at least 6 months of follow-up; excluding multiple fractures, pathological fractures, and periprosthetic fractures. We collected general patient data. Parameters such as TAD, Parker's ratio (AP and lateral), and the new postoperative stability score were recorded. A loss of reduction was defined using the decline in the Chang reduction quality criteria (CRQC) score within one month. Among the 108 enrolled patients, 23 (21.3%) experienced a loss of reduction, with a mean age of 82.1 years and a mean follow-up time of 7.4 months. Univariate analysis showed no significant association between loss of reduction and general data. However, the new postoperative stability score correlated significantly with loss of reduction (mean scores: 6.68 vs. 4.83, p = 0.045). Multivariate analysis confirmed this association (odds ratio: 0.076, 95% confidence interval: 0.022–0.263, p < 0.05). The newly developed postoperative stability score, incorporating surgical technique assessment, improves prediction accuracy for loss of reduction in elderly intertrochanteric fracture (ITF) patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explores the fabrication and evaluation of a micro thermoelectric generator (MTG) with long-length thermocouples (TCs) through the utilization of a commercial complementary metal oxide semiconductor process. The MTG consists of 23 TCs, and its performance is intricately linked to the temperature difference (T diff) between the cold and hot sides of these TCs. An increase in T diff leads to higher output voltage and power for the MTG. To enhance T diff, the TCs are designed to be 700 µ m in length, and an innovative design has been implemented on the cold side of the TCs, creating a suspended structure to improve heat dissipation A post-process is essential for achieving this suspended TC structure. The results demonstrate that the TC structure is fully suspended and remains undamaged. The measured outcomes reveal an output voltage of 13.8 mV when the T diff reaches 3.5 K. Under these conditions, the MTG exhibits a voltage factor of 2.76 mV mm−2K−1. Furthermore, at a T diff of 3.5 K, the maximum output power reaches 2.1 nW. The MTG demonstrates a power factor of 0.12 nW mm−2 K−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The study examined the relationship between Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and various types of skin cancer, including squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma. It aimed to assess how HPV influenced the likelihood of developing these cancers, considering factors such as age, gender, urbanization, and existing health conditions. Through statistical models, the research quantified the risk of skin cancer in individuals with HPV compared to those without, underscoring how behaviors related to sun exposure and protection practices could alter these risks. The findings were crucial for guiding prevention and treatment strategies and were of significant interest to medical professionals and public health policymakers. Overall, the study enhanced our understanding of the risks associated with HPV, potentially leading to more effective health interventions. Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been implicated in various cancers, including those affecting the skin. The study assessed the long-term risk of skin cancer associated with HPV infection in Taiwan region, using data from the National Health Insurance Research Database between 2007 and 2015. Our analysis revealed a significant increase in skin cancer risk among those with HPV, particularly for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the subtype with the highest observed adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 5.97, 95% CI: 4.96–7.19). The overall aHR for HPV-related skin cancer was 5.22 (95% CI: 4.70–5.80), indicating a notably higher risk in the HPV-positive group. The risk of skin cancer was further stratified by type, with basal cell carcinoma (aHR = 4.88, 95% CI: 4.14–5.74), and melanoma (aHR = 4.36, 95% CI: 2.76–6.89) also showing significant associations with HPV. The study also highlighted regional variations, with increased risks in southern Taiwan and the Kaohsiung-Pingtung area. Key findings emphasize the importance of sun protection, particularly in regions of high UV exposure and among individuals in high-risk occupations. This research contributes to a better understanding of the complex interactions between HPV and skin cancer risk, reinforcing the importance of preventive strategies in public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous batteries employing Zinc metal anodes (ZMAs) are considered to be promising next‐generation energy storage systems. However, the severe interfacial side reactions and dendrite growth restrict the practical application of ZMAs in aqueous electrolytes. Herein, a water‐insoluble dual‐ionic electrolyte additive of yttrium 2,4,5‐trifluorophenylacetate (YTFPAA) is developed to stabilize the aqueous ZMAs. Notably, the ethanol‐solvated TFPAA− can capture H+ and thus buffer the decreased electrolyte pH caused by the hydrolysis of Y3+. Furthermore, the ethanol‐solvated TFPAA−  can dynamically adsorb onto the surface of ZMAs through a reversible oxidation‐reduction reaction, effectively suppressing the interfacial side reactions by forming a water‐poor interface, and enhancing the reversibility of Zn2+ deposition/stripping by redistributing the Zn2+ flux. These favorable effects of TFPAA− combined with the dynamic electrostatic shielding effect of Y3+ ultimately enable uniform and dense Zn2+ deposition. As a result, the Zn/Zn cells assembled with 0.25YTFPAA electrolyte exhibit an impressive cycle life of 2100 h at 0.5 mA cm−2–0.25 mAh cm−2. More importantly, the assembled V2O5/Zn full cell shows an ultra‐long cycle life of up to 18000 cycles at 5.0 A g−1.  This work highlights the rational design of multifunctional ionic additives for stabilizing aqueous ZMAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We exploit bias polarity dependent low-frequency noise (LFN) spectroscopy to investigate charge transport dynamics in ultra-thin AlOx-based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with bipolar resistive switching (RS). By measuring the noise characteristics across the entire bias voltage range of bipolar RS, we find that the voltage noise level exhibits an bias polarity dependence. This distinct feature is intimately correlated with reconfiguring of the inherently existing oxygen vacancies ( V O.. ) in as-grown MTJ devices during the SET and RESET switching processes. In addition, we observe two-level random telegraph noise (RTN) with a longer and shorter tunneling length in the high resistance state (HRS) and low resistance state (LRS) at a low bias voltage. The intrinsic voltage fluctuations of RTN arise from the dynamics of electron trapping/de-trapping processes at the V O.. -related trap sites. Notably, the RTN magnitude is similar in LRS but nonidentical in that of HRS for different bias polarity. These findings strongly suggest that the inherent V O.. are distributed near the top CoFe/AlOx interface in the HRS; in contrast, they are expanded to the middle region of the AlOx in the LRS. More importantly, we demonstrate that the location and distribution of the inherent V O.. can be electrically tuned, which plays an essential role in the charge transport dynamics in the ultra-thin AlOx-based MTJs and have significant implications for developing emergent memory and logic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The scarcity of medical resources and personnel has worsened due to COVID-19. Telemedicine faces challenges in assessing wounds without physical examination. Evaluating pressure injuries is time consuming, energy intensive, and inconsistent. Most of today's telemedicine platforms utilize graphical user interfaces with complex operational procedures and limited channels for information dissemination. The study aims to establish a smart telemedicine diagnosis system based on YOLOv7 and large language model. Methods: The YOLOv7 model is trained using a clinical data set, with data augmentation techniques employed to enhance the data set to identify six types of pressure injury images. The established system features a front-end interface that includes responsive web design and a chatbot with ChatGPT, and it is integrated with a database for personal information management. Results: This research provides a practical pressure injury staging classification model with an average F1 score of 0.9238. The system remotely provides real-time accurate diagnoses and prescriptions, guiding patients to seek various medical help levels based on symptom severity. Conclusions: This study establishes a smart telemedicine auxiliary diagnosis system based on the YOLOv7 model, which possesses capabilities for classification and real-time detection. During teleconsultations, it provides immediate and accurate diagnostic information and prescription recommendations and seeks various medical assistance based on the severity of symptoms. Through the setup of a chatbot with ChatGPT, different users can quickly achieve their respective objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dengue fever is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito and is prevalent in all tropical and subtropical climates worldwide. It is thus essential to model weekly dengue fever counts and other infectious diseases that exhibit spatial-temporal dynamics, overdispersion, spatial dependence, and a high number of zeros. To address these characteristics, this study introduces a spatial hurdle integer-valued GARCH (INGARCH) model and an improved version of the spatial zero-inflated generalized Poisson (ZIGP) INGARCH model with and without meteorological variables. Implementing two parameters in the distance function influences the spatial weight between two locations: one controls the decay rate, while the other shapes the decay curve. We employ these newly designed models to analyze time-series counts of infectious diseases - specifically, weekly cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever in four northeastern provinces of Thailand. Applying these models allow us to offer inferences, predictions, and model selections within a Bayesian framework through Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods. We then compare models based on the Bayes factors and the mean squared error of fitting errors. The results for the spatial ZIGP INGARCH models are remarkably good, but the spatial INGARCH model incorporating meteorological variables outperforms the other two. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a protocol for the hydroxyalkenylation of alkenes using an acridinium photoredox catalyst in combination with 1,2‐bis(phenylsulfonyl)ethylene and water. Using the protocol, alkenes could be converted into the corresponding 1‐phenylsulfonyl‐4‐hydroxyalkenes in good yields. The hydroxyalkenylation involves the nucleophilic hydroxylation of alkene‐derived radical cations to give β‐hydroxyalkyl radicals, which then undergo a radical addition/β‐elimination sequence. The catalytic cycle is likely sustained by electron transfer from the acridine radical to the benzenesulfonyl radical, which is formed via a radical addition/elimination sequence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used artificial intelligence techniques to identify clinical cancer biomarkers for recurrent gastric cancer survivors. From a hospital-based cancer registry database in Taiwan, the datasets of the incidence of recurrence and clinical risk features were included in 2476 gastric cancer survivors. We benchmarked Random Forest using MLP, C4.5, AdaBoost, and Bagging algorithms on metrics and leveraged the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) for imbalanced dataset issues, cost-sensitive learning for risk assessment, and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAPs) for feature importance analysis in this study. Our proposed Random Forest outperformed the other models with an accuracy of 87.9%, a recall rate of 90.5%, an accuracy rate of 86%, and an F1 of 88.2% on the recurrent category by a 10-fold cross-validation in a balanced dataset. We identified clinical features of recurrent gastric cancer, which are the top five features, stage, number of regional lymph node involvement, Helicobacter pylori, BMI (body mass index), and gender; these features significantly affect the prediction model's output and are worth paying attention to in the following causal effect analysis. Using an artificial intelligence model, the risk factors for recurrent gastric cancer could be identified and cost-effectively ranked according to their feature importance. In addition, they should be crucial clinical features to provide physicians with the knowledge to screen high-risk patients in gastric cancer survivors as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to report the long-term survival of fixed-bearing medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) with a mean of 14-year follow-up, and to determine possible risk factors of failure. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 337 fixed-bearing medial UKAs implanted between 2003 and 2014. Demographic and radiographic parameters were measured, including pre-operative and post-operative anatomical femorotibial angle (aFTA), posterior tibial slope (PTS), and anatomical medial proximal tibial angle (aMPTA). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to figure out risk factors. Results: The mean follow-up time was 14.0 years. There were 32 failures categorized into implant loosening (n = 11), osteoarthritis progression (n = 7), insert wear (n = 7), infection (n = 4), and periprosthetic fracture (n = 3). Cumulative survival was 91.6% at 10 years and 90.0% at 15 years. No statistically significant parameters were found between the overall survival and failure groups. Age and hypertension were significant factors of implant loosening with odds ratio (OR) 0.909 (p = 0.02) and 0.179 (p = 0.04) respectively. In the insert wear group, post-operative aFTA and correction of PTS showed significance with OR 0.363 (p = 0.02) and 0.415 (p = 0.03) respectively. Post-operative aMPTA was a significant factor of periprosthetic fracture with OR 0.680 (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The fixed-bearing medial UKA provides successful long-term survivorship. Tibial component loosening is the major cause of failure. Older age and hypertension were factors with decreased risk of implant loosening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, many cities have taken measures to reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs), an important precursor of ozone (O 3), to alleviate O 3 pollution in China. 116 VOC species were measured by online and offline methods in the urban area of Jiaozuo from May to October in 2021 to analyze the compositional characteristics. VOC sources were analyzed by a positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, and the sensitivity of ozone generation was determined by ozone isopleth plotting research (OZIPR) simulation. The results showed that the average volume concentration of total VOCs was 30.54 ppbv and showed a bimodal feature due to the rush-hour traffic in the morning and at nightfall. The most dominant VOC groups were oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs, 29.3%) and alkanes (26.7%), and the most abundant VOC species were acetone and acetylene. However, based on the maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) method, the major VOC groups in terms of ozone formation potential (OFP) contribution were OVOCs (68.09 µg/m3, 31.5%), aromatics (62.90 µg/m3, 29.1%) and alkene/alkynes (54.90 µg/m3, 25.4%). This indicates that the control of OVOCs, aromatics and alkene/alkynes should take priority. Five sources of VOCs were quantified by PMF, including fixed sources of fossil fuel combustion (27.8%), industrial processes (25.9%), vehicle exhaust (19.7%), natural and secondary formation (13.9%) and solvent usage (12.7%). The empirical kinetic modeling approach (EKMA) curve obtained by OZIPR on O 3 exceedance days indicated that the O 3 sensitivity varied in different months. The results provide theoretical support for O 3 pollution prevention and control in Jiaozuo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore the narrative expression skill of design students through manipulating image structure. Moreover, narrative expression is the skill of interpreting design with narrative. The study is a classroom experiment conducted naturally, and the experimental data is obtained and analysed by quantitative analysis. We found differences in students' narrative tendencies and richness in overall narrative expression. The teaching and training of design narrative can effectively help students familiarise themselves with the design process and personal skill integration and encourage students to pay attention to the design of elements and content. This will improve students' design competencies under skills different from technology. The paper concludes that students must improve and integrate design competencies through practical methods under other narrative tendencies. Furthermore, the lecturer can explore and adjust design teaching through design narrative training to strengthen or balance students' design performance competency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of anti‐pandemic measures, including wearing a face mask and receiving vaccinations, on interpersonal distance (IPD) during the normalization stage of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Virtual reality (VR) technology was used to simulate the experimental environment and a confederate in different conditions. Thirty‐one participants were asked to approach the virtual confederate, who could exhibit three vaccination states and two mask‐wearing conditions, actively and passively in both indoor and outdoor environments. ANOVA results showed that the participants kept a smaller IPD from the confederate wearing a face mask (IPD = 125.6 cm) than from the one without a face mask (IPD = 154.2 cm). The effects of vaccination states were significant, with the largest distance for an unvaccinated confederate (IPD = 182.3 cm) and the smallest distance for the confederate who had received a booster vaccine (IPD = 111.5 cm). Significant effects of environment were also found, with the participants maintaining a larger IPD in an outdoor environment (IPD = 143.4 cm) than in an indoor room (IPD = 136.4 cm). Additionally, the IPD collected when the participants were passively approached (IPD = 149.6 cm) was significantly larger than that obtained when they actively approached the confederate (IPD = 130.3 cm). Moreover, when the participants faced a confederate who had received a booster vaccine and wore a mask, the IPD was not significantly different from that collected before the COVID‐19 pandemic in both the active and passive patterns. These findings help us to better understand the nature of IPD and human behaviors during the normalization stage of the pandemic and provide scientific suggestions for policymakers to develop pandemic‐prevention measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many forms of Intangible Culture Heritage (ICH) are fast disappearing. The Lantern Festival is an important part of Chinese tradition and a critical ICH of Taiwan. However, few young people attend ICH activities. Given the importance of ICH education, this study describes what participants learned after lantern exhibitions that combined Augmented Reality (AR), mobile websites, and Paper-based Exhibition Brochures. This study evaluated what a cohort of college students (n = 115) learned about ICH through experiments and questionnaires. The results show that the public understood ICH better through digital technology. All participants thought that applying AR to ICH was good for the public to gain more information on lantern culture, although it took a lot of time to learn the new technology. The results also encouraged the application of AR to engage in ICH education. Therefore, a large number of digital technologies that are popular among young people should be used as part of ICH education in order to improve their cultural awareness and learning motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tin‐based perovskite solar cells (TPSCs) have attracted significant research interest due to their exceptional optoelectronic properties and environmentally friendly characteristics. However, TPSCs with ideal bandgap suffer from substantial current losses, necessitating the development of innovative interface engineering strategies to enhance device performance. In this study, an unprecedented approach constructing charge transfer path is presented by a simple post‐growth treatment of 3‐Aminomethylbenzo[b]thiophene (3‐AMBTh) on the perovskite film. The selective reaction of 3‐AMBTh with exposed FA+ on the perovskite surface suppresses the formation of iodine vacancy defects, leading to a reduction in trap density. Additionally, the residual aromatic rings on the surface form an effective π–π stacking interaction system with subsequently deposited ICBA, facilitating enhanced charge transfer at the interface. By harnessing the potential of the charge transfer path, the TPSCs exhibit remarkable device efficiency of up to 14.53%, positioning them among the top‐performing TPSCs reported to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In order to explore the effect of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) supplementation on bone growth in growing rats, 3-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into four groups as follows: a control group (C), low-dose group (L, 20.65 mg/kg of body weight (BW) ACC), a medium-dose group (M, 206.5 mg/kg of BW ACC), and a high-dose group (H, 413 mg/kg of BW ACC) administered by gavage for 12 weeks. The results indicated that ACC supplementation can enhance osteoblast metabolism and inhibit osteoclast metabolism, resulting in a higher bone formation rate compared to bone resorption. This led to increased trabecular bone thickness and a higher bone mineral density (BMD) and supported bone growth. By increasing peak bone mass, it is speculated that the risk of future osteoporosis could be reduced. To build upon the positive results of our study on skeletal health, future follow-up studies could be conducted on older rodents treated with ACC supplementation during the growth period. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) supplementation on bone growth in growing rats. Methods: We used 3-week-old male Wistar rats to simulate childhood and adolescent growth stages. Rats were divided into four groups as follows: a control group (C), a low-dose group (L, 20.65 mg/kg body weight (BW) ACC), a medium-dose group (M, 206.5 mg/kg BW ACC), and a high-dose group (H, 413 mg/kg BW ACC) administered by gavage. Body length (BL) and BW were measured weekly. The bone mineral density (BMD) of two lumbar vertebrae (L3 and L4) and the left femur were analyzed by micro-computed tomography (μCT) at 0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. At the end of 12 weeks, the rats were sacrificed. After that, blood samples were collected from the abdominal aorta. Femurs and tibias were collected and weighed, and their lengths were measured. Then, bone samples were used to perform histopathological and histomorphometric analyses. Results: It showed that ACC supplementation in growing rats increased the trabecular bone thickness and serum bone formation biomarkers. Furthermore, high-dose ACC decreased serum bone resorption biomarkers and increased BMD. Conclusions: ACC supplementation can enhance osteoblast metabolism and inhibit osteoclast metabolism, resulting in a higher bone formation rate compared to bone resorption. This led to increased trabecular bone thickness, a higher BMD, and supported bone growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we propose a simple axiom which, along with the axioms of additivity (transfer) and dummy player, characterizes the Shapley value (the Shapley–Shubik power index) on the domain of TU (simple) games. The new axiom, cross invariance, demands payoff invariance on symmetric players across "quasi-symmetric games," that is, games where excluding null players, all players are symmetric. Additionally, we demonstrate that the axiom of additivity can be replaced by a new axiom called strong monotonicity, or it can be completely dropped if a stronger version of cross invariance is employed. We also show that the weighted Shapley values can be characterized using a weighted variant of cross invariance. Efficiency is derived rather than assumed in our characterizations. This fresh perspective contributes to a deeper understanding of the Shapley value and its applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitinase-3-like protein-1 (CHI3L1), also known as YKL40, is a glycoprotein that belongs to the chitinase protein family. It is involved in various biological functions, including cell proliferation and tissue remodeling, with inflammatory and immunomodulatory capabilities. Several studies have shown that CHI3L1(YKL40) is upregulated in various diseases, such as cancer, asthma, and inflammatory bowel disease, among others. Although the expression level of CHI3L1(YKL40) is associated with disease activity, severity, and prognosis, its potential as a therapeutic target is still under investigation. In this review, we summarize the biological functions, pathological roles, and potential clinical applications of specific inhibitors and targeted therapies related to CHI3L1(YKL40). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotic cement articulating spacers eradicate infection during a two-stage revision for advanced septic hip arthritis (ASHA); however, mechanical complications have been reported. We hypothesized that the rate of mechanical complications would be lower in medullary-sparing (MS) than in non-medullary-sparing (n-MS) articulating spacers. A retrospective study of ASHA using n-MS or MS spacers was conducted between 1999 and 2019. The rate of mechanical complications and reoperation and risk factors for mechanical complications were analyzed. The cohort included 71 n-MS and 36 MS spacers. All patients were followed up for 2 years. The rate of spacer dislocation was lower in MS (0%) than in n-MS spacers (14.1%; p = 0.014). The reoperation rate for mechanical complications was lower in MS (0%) than in n-MS spacers (12.7%; p = 0.019). The rate of a diaphyseal stem during reimplantation was lower in MS (0%) than in n-MS spacers (19.4%; p = 0.002). The identified risk factors for n-MS spacer dislocation were postoperative under-restored femoral head diameter ≥3 mm, femoral offset ≥3 mm, and surgical volume (≤6 resection arthroplasties per year). Both spacers controlled infection. However, MS spacers had a lower spacer dislocation and reoperation rate and avoided the diaphyseal stem during reimplantation. We recommend using MS spacers to restore native femoral head diameter and femoral offset when ASHA is treated by surgeons with lower surgical volumes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces an all-digital CMOS time-domain smart temperature sensor (STS) that offers a smaller circuit area and reduced complexity. In contrast to previous studies that utilized multiple delay lines or additional path selection circuits, the proposed new structure employs a single cyclic path and fewer delay lines. The functionality of high-resolution temperature sensing, pulse-shrinking time measurement, and built-in offset-error cancellation is achieved using only one cyclic delay line (CDL). The temperature-sensing delay line generates a thermal-dependent pulse width proportional to the absolute temperature (PTAT). Subsequently, a pulse-shrinking unit, implemented within the pulse-shrinking delay line, performs time-to-digital conversion by measuring the PTAT pulse width. Finally, a time-added delay line within the CDL incorporates a simple D-type Flip Flop to enable concise offset-error cancellation, thereby improving accuracy. This study further simplifies the cancellation circuitry to reduce the overall circuit area. The proposed sensor, fabricated using a TSMC 0.35 μ m CMOS process, occupies an area of 0.022 mm 2 , providing a cost-effective solution for pulse-shrinking STSs. The maximum inaccuracy after offset-error cancellation is 1. 3 ∘ C within a temperature range of 0 ∼ 80 ∘ C, with a high resolution of approximately 0. 035 ∘ C/LSB. This resolution enhancement significantly surpasses similar studies. By reducing circuit complexity, the proposed sensor successfully achieves improvements in both area and resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the efficacy and safety of the combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and target therapy (anti-angiogenesis or EGFR inhibitors) as a second-line or subsequent treatment for recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (R/M NPC), we conducted a retrospective study. In this study, previously treated R/M NPC patients were administered one of the following treatment: ICIs combined with target therapy and chemotherapy (ITC), ICIs combined with target therapy alone (IT), ICIs combined with chemotherapy (IC), or chemotherapy alone (C). The primary endpoint under consideration was progression-free survival (PFS), while secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and safety measures. A total of 226 patients participated in this study, with 70 receiving the ITC regimen, 48 receiving IT, 48 treated with IC, and 60 undergoing C alone. The median PFS for the four cohorts was 20.67, 13.63, 12.47, and 7.93 months respectively. Notably, ITC regimen yielded the most favorable PFS among these cohorts. The ITC cohort exhibited a comparable tumor response and safety profile to the IT and IC cohorts (p > 0.05), but superior tumor response compared to the C cohort (p < 0.05). The ITC regimen also conferred a significant improvement in OS when comparing to C alone (HR 0.336, 95%CI 0.123–0.915, p = 0.033). The IT and IC regimens achieved a nearly identical PFS (HR 0.955, 95%CI 0.515–1.77, p = 0.884), although the IT regimen was associated with a lower occurrence of SAEs in contrast to the IC regimen (p < 0.05). In addition, the IT regimen demonstrated superior PFS (HR 0.583, 95%CI 0.345–0.985, p = 0.044) and fewer SAEs when compared to C alone (p < 0.05). These findings collectively support the notion that the combination of ICIs, target and chemotherapy exhibits robust antitumor activity in previously treated R/M NPC patients, without a significant increase in adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study aimed to investigate developmental changes in the female pharyngeal airway from adolescence to adulthood, considering variations in the anatomical structures related to the airway dimensions. Methods: Lateral cephalograms of 214 females were analyzed and categorized into five developmental stages: early adolescence (10–13 years), middle adolescence (14–17 years), late adolescence (18–21 years), early adulthood (22–30 years), and middle adulthood (31–50 years). The focus of the analysis included the point A-Nasion-point B (ANB) angle, tongue pharyngeal airway space (TPS), epiglottis pharyngeal airway space (EPS), soft palate airway space (SPS), and the horizontal and vertical positions of the hyoid bone. Results: The ANB angle exhibited significant variation across groups, being significantly larger in the early-adolescence group (4.22°) compared to the middle-adolescence, late-adolescence, and early-adulthood groups. The TPS and EPS were significantly shorter in the early-adolescence group. Negative correlations were observed between the ANB angle and the lengths of the pharyngeal airway spaces (SPS, TPS, and EPS). The horizontal and vertical positions of the hyoid bone remained stable after middle adolescence. Conclusion: The maturation of the ANB angle and pharyngeal airway in females seems nearly completed during middle adolescence (14–17 years). Additionally, a significant and negative correlation was identified between the ANB angle and the lengths of various pharyngeal airway spaces (SPS, TPS, and EPS). The horizontal and vertical positions of the hyoid bone showed stability after middle adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sisal fiber exhibits a fibrous and porous structure with significant surface roughness, making it highly suitable for storing phase change materials (PCMs). Its intricate morphology further aids in mitigating the risk of PCM leakage. This research successfully employs vacuum adsorption to encapsulate paraffin within sisal fiber, yielding a potentially cost-effective, durable, and environmentally friendly phase change energy storage medium. A systematic investigation was carried out to evaluate the effects of sisal-to-paraffin mass ratio, fiber length, vacuum level, and negative pressure duration on the loading rate of paraffin. The experimental results demonstrate that a paraffin loading rate of 8 wt% can be achieved by subjecting a 3 mm sisal fiber to vacuum adsorption with 16 wt% paraffin for 1 h at −0.1 MPa. Through the utilization of nano-CT imaging enhancement technology, along with petrographic microscopy, this study elucidates the mechanism underlying paraffin storage within sisal fiber during vacuum adsorption. The observations reveal that a substantial portion of paraffin is primarily stored within the pores of the fiber, while a smaller quantity is firmly adsorbed onto its surface, thus yielding a durable phase change energy storage medium. The research findings contribute to both the theoretical foundations and the available practical guidance for the fabrication and implementation of paraffin/sisal fiber composite phase change energy storage mediums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have reported weight gain in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection treated with direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs). This retrospective cohort study identified factors associated with substantial weight gain after DAA treatment in Taiwan. This study involved patients treated using DAAs at the Chiayi and Yunlin branches of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from 1 January 2017 to 31 October 2020. Body weight data were collected at the start of DAA therapy and 2 years after the confirmation of a sustained virologic response. We performed multiple logistic regression to evaluate the clinical and laboratory parameters associated with a large body mass index (BMI) increase (≥5%). The mean BMI was 25.56 ± 4.07 kg/m2 at baseline and 25.77 ± 4.29 kg/m2 at the endpoint (p = 0.005). A considerable reduction in fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score was a significant predictor of a large BMI increase (OR: 1.168; 95% CI: 1.047–1.304, p = 0.006). By contrast, older age (OR: 0.979; 95% CI: 0.963–0.996, p = 0.013) and a higher baseline BMI (OR: 0.907; 95% CI: 0.863–0.954, p < 0.001) were associated with a reduced risk of a large increase in BMI at the endpoint. In summary, a larger BMI increase was closely associated with a younger age, lower baseline BMI, and higher FIB-4 score reduction. Notably, differences in DAA regimens did not affect outcomes. Future studies are needed to elucidate the long-term effects and metabolic outcomes associated with this body weight change and investigate the exact underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The first local outbreak of Delta Variant B.1.617.2 COVID-19 of China occurred in Guangzhou city, south China, in May 2021. This study analyzed the transmission chains and local cluster characteristics of this outbreak, intended to provide information support for the development and adjustment of local prevention and control strategies. Methods: The transmission chains and local cluster characteristics of 161 local cases in the outbreak were described and analyzed. Incubation period, serial interval and generation time were calculated using the exact time of exposure and symptom onset date of the cases. The daily number of reported cases and the estimated generation time were used to estimate the effective reproduction number (Rt). Results: We identified 7 superspreading events who had more than 5 next generation cases and their infected cases infected 70.81%(114/161) of all the cases transmission. Dining and family exposure were the main transmission routes in the outbreak, with 29.19% exposed through dining and 32.30% exposed through family places. Through further analysis of the outbreak, the estimated mean incubation period was 4.22 (95%CI: 3.66–4.94) days, the estimated mean generation time was 2.60 (95%CI: 1.96–3.11) days, and the estimated Rt was 3.29 (95%CI: 2.25–5.07). Conclusions: Classification and dynamically adjusted prevention and control measures had been carried out according to analysis of transmission chains and epidemical risk levels, including promoting nucleic acid screening at different regions and different risk levels, dividing closed-off area, controlled area according to the risk of infection, raising the requirements of leaving Guangzhou. By the above control measures, Guangzhou effectively control the outbreak within 28 days without implementing a large-scale lockdown policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Navigating the development of attraction ad identity can be particularly stressful for sexual/gender minority (SGM) students—particularly as multiple states have passed legislation targeting SGM rights and culture. School psychologists can mitigate such stress through effective counseling when consent is granted for service provision, but parents who are unsupportive or non-affirming can revoke consent to their child's counseling services at school. Legally and professionally, this creates conflicting responsibilities for school psychologists, who must engage families' legal wishes without compromising students' rights to privacy and well-being. Therefore, to address the legal and ethical challenges of this situation, we present a scenario embedded within a structured seven-step ethical decision-making model. We conclude that while it may not always be possible to support SGM students as desired, there exists practices that can strengthen school psychologists' work with SGM students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe asthma is a complex and heterogeneous clinical condition presented as chronic inflammation of the airways. Conventional treatments are mainly focused on symptom control; however, there has been a shift towards personalized medicine. Identification of different phenotypes driven by complex pathobiological mechanisms (endotypes), especially those driven by type-2 (T2) inflammation, has led to improved treatment outcomes. Combining biomarkers with T2-targeting monoclonal antibodies is crucial for developing personalized treatment strategies. Several biological agents, including anti-immunoglobulin E, anti-interleukin-5, and anti-thymic stromal lymphopoietin/interleukin-4, have been approved for the treatment of severe asthma. These biological therapies have demonstrated efficacy in reducing asthma exacerbations, lowering eosinophil count, improving lung function, diminishing oral corticosteroid use, and improving the quality of life in selected patients. Severe asthma management is undergoing a profound transformation with the introduction of ongoing and future biological therapies. The availability of novel treatment options has facilitated the adoption of phenotype/endotype-specific approaches and disappearance of generic interventions. The transition towards precision medicine plays a crucial role in meticulously addressing the individual traits of asthma pathobiology. An era of tailored strategies has emerged, allowing for the successful targeting of immune-inflammatory responses that underlie uncontrolled T2-high asthma. These personalized approaches hold great promise for improving the overall efficacy and outcomes in the management of severe asthma. This article comprehensively reviews currently available biological agents and biomarkers for treating severe asthma. With the expanding repertoire of therapeutic options, it is becoming increasingly crucial to comprehend the influencing factors, understand the pathogenesis, and track treatment progress in severe asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shipping lines avoid tax burdens and policy requirements by registering their self-owned vessels in flag of convenience (FOC) countries and establishing subsidiaries in those countries. However, since the international tax system has been increasingly focused on substance, coherence, and transparency, the anti-tax avoidance rules may have affected the choice of registry for shipping lines. Based on the 900-ship registry data of the top 25 liners across 26 flag states over the period 2008 to 2019, this paper uses conditional logit and mixed logit models to examine the effect of anti-tax avoidance rules on the choice of registry for shipping lines. In this regard, the results indicate that introducing country-by-country reporting requirements and a common reporting standard will reduce the probability of shipping lines registering to flag in those countries. On the other hand, after imposing anti-tax avoidance rules, liners are more willing to register flags in countries with higher tax rates. The results of a regional analysis show that better tax performance exerts an adverse effect on flag choice of European shipping lines; however, it has the opposite effect on Asian shipping lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The body fluid status in acute stroke is a crucial determinant in early stroke recovery but a real-time method to monitor body fluid status is not available. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between salivary conductivity and body fluid status during the period of intravenous fluid hydration. Between June 2020 to August 2022, patients presenting with clinical signs of stroke at the emergency department were enrolled. Salivary conductivities were measured before and 3 h after intravenous hydration. Patients were considered responsive if their salivary conductivities at 3 h decreased by more than 20% compared to their baseline values. Stroke severity was assessed using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and early neurological improvement was defined as a decrease of ≥ 2 points within 72 h of admission. Among 108 recruited patients, there were 35 of stroke mimics, 6 of transient ischemic attack and 67 of acute ischemic stroke. Salivary conductivity was significantly decreased after hydration in all patients (9008 versus 8118 µs/cm, p = 0.030). Among patients with acute ischemic stroke, the responsive group, showed a higher rate of early neurological improvement within 3 days compared to the non-responsive group (37% versus 10%, p = 0.009). In a multivariate logistic regression model, a decrease in salivary conductivity of 20% or more was found to be an independent factor associated with early neurological improvement (odds ratio 5.42, 95% confidence interval 1.31–22.5, p = 0.020). Real-time salivary conductivity might be a potential indicator of hydration status of the patient with acute ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current study proposes an effective way to modify the properties of super-sulfated cement (SSC) paste and mortar with preheated flue gas desulfurization (FDG) gypsum at different temperatures and durations, and different sulfate compositions. Preheated FGDs with temperatures between 25 and 150 °C and durations between 0 and 24 h were used to replace 5, 10 and 15 mass/% of slag in SSC. Besides the ordinary Portland cement, the sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was also used as the alkali activator. Both anhydrite and sodium sulfate with five different contents were used to provide the ions of SO3 to react with the ions of Ca and Al released from slag during hydration to form ettringite. Experimental results showed that partial replacement of untreated FDG with either the specifically preheated FDG or the commercial sulfates noticeably enhanced the early hydration of modified SSC pastes with setting time being significantly shortened and increased the compressive strength, while the NaOH solution delayed the setting time and reduced the compressive strength. Microstructural examinations revealed that using partial preheated FDG or commercial anhydrite did not alter the hydrated components, but significantly enhanced the fractions and stabilized the crystallization of those hydrates with hydration time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effect of the consumption of caffeinated chewing gum on the performance of Romanian deadlift on the flywheel training device. A total of 19 participants completed a randomized, cross-over, single-blind experiment with food-grade caffeinated chewing gum trial (CAF) or placebo trail (PL). Gum were chewed for 10 min and rest for 15 min prior to the Romanian deadlift test using the inertial resistance training machine. 5 sets of 6 Romanian deadlifts were performed, with a 3-min rest between sets, followed by a 7-day washout period before the next set of trials. The average power, average force, total peak power, peak concentric power, peak eccentric power, heart rate, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) for each trials were analyzed using paired-T test. Compared to placebo, caffeinated chewing gum trial enhanced peak concentric power (P = 0.016, Cohen's d = 0.44), peak eccentric power (P = 0.005, Cohen's d = 0.55), average power (P = 0.013, Cohen's d = 0.43), and total work (P = 0.026, Cohen's d = 0.28). However, in average force (P = 0.063, Cohen's d = 0.50), RPE (P = 0.266), and heart rate (P = 0.143), were no significant differences between trials. Caffeinated chewing gum with a dose of caffeine of 200 mg for 10 min may acutely enhance Romanian deadlift performance on the flywheel machine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All-inorganic CsPbI3−xBrx perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are becoming increasingly mature due to their excellent optoelectronic properties. However, because of the poor environmental stability of the perovskite material, the device is susceptibly decomposed when exposed to moisture, high temperature, and high illumination. Therefore, a critical task is to address the problem of poor long-term stability in the environment, which serves as a significant obstacle impeding the commercialization of perovskite solar cells. This article introduces the incorporation of PEO into all-inorganic CsPbI3−xBrx perovskites with an advantageous thermal stability. PEO acts as a passivating agent near the grain boundary, and its high viscosity characteristics effectively improve the film-forming properties, leading to a substantial reduction in defects and to improving the surface uniformity. In addition, the grain boundaries that serve as water and oxygen penetration channels are filled, resulting in a substantial improvement in device stability. With 7.5 mg/mL PEO doping into CsPbI3−xBrx, the unencapsulated device maintained its original power conversion efficiency of 98% after being placed in a dark environment of 40% humidity and 25 °C for 10 days. Using PEO effectively enhanced the performance of the devices, with the highest PCE reaching 10.95%, significantly improving environmental stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Influenza virus infection leads to acute pulmonary injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The Radiographic Assessment of Lung Edema (RALE) score has been proposed as a reliable tool for the evaluation of the opacity of chest X-rays (CXRs). This study aimed to examine the RALE scores and outcomes in patients with influenza-associated ARDS. Methods: Patients who were newly diagnosed with influenza-associated ARDS from December 2015 to March 2016 were enrolled. Two independent reviewers scored the CXRs obtained on the day of ICU admission and on days 2 and 7 after intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Results: During the study, 47 patients had influenza-associated ARDS. Five died within 7 days of ICU admission. Of the remaining 42, non-survivors (N = 12) had higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores (SOFA) at ICU admission and higher day 7 RALE scores than survivors (N = 30). The day 7 RALE score independently related to late in-hospital mortality (aOR = 1.121, 95% CI: 1.014–1.240, p = 0.025). Conclusions: The RALE score for the evaluation of opacity on CXRs is a highly reproducible tool. Moreover, RALE score on day 7 was an independent predictor of late in-hospital mortality in patients with influenza-associated ARDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trace Sc3+ additive (1.0 mol%) is shown to greatly improve the Coulombic efficiency and cycling stability of Zn metal anodes in aqueous ZnSO4 electrolyte due to the decreased nucleation overpotential and increased kinetics for Zn plating/stripping. Both Zn‖Zn and Zn‖V2O5 cells show enhanced cycling stability and rate capability in the Sc3+-modified electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a new class of small, non-coding RNAs, crucial in the regulation of gene expression. Recent research has revealed links between piRNAs, viral defense mechanisms, and certain human cancers. Due to their clinical potential, there is a great interest in identifying piRNAs from large genome databases through efficient computational methods. However, piRNAs lack conserved structure and sequence homology across species, which makes piRNA detection challenging. Current detection algorithms heavily rely on manually crafted features, which may overlook or improperly use certain features. Furthermore, there is a lack of suitable computational tools for analyzing large-scale databases and accurately identifying piRNAs. To address these issues, we propose LSTM4piRNA, a highly efficient deep learning-based method for predicting piRNAs in large-scale genome databases. LSTM4piRNA utilizes a compact LSTM network that can effectively analyze RNA sequences from extensive datasets to detect piRNAs. It can automatically learn the dependencies among RNA sequences, and regularization is further integrated to reduce the generalization error. Comprehensive performance evaluations based on piRNAs from the piRBase database demonstrate that LSTM4piRNA outperforms current advanced methods and is well-suited for analysis with large-scale databases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the data from the 2018 China Family Panel Studies data, this paper examines the effect of non-cognitive abilities on gender wages gap in the Chinese labor market. First, use the least squares regression (OLS) method to estimate and analyze the income effect of gender differences. On this basis, the non-conditional quantile (RIF) model is used to analyze the impact of non-cognitive abilities on the gender wage gap. The study found that non-cognitive abilities promote the increase of gender wages. It can be seen from the regression of RIF that non-cognitive abilities has a greater effect on women's wages than men. According to the decomposition of RIF, in the gender wage gap, non-cognitive abilities helps to alleviate the degree of gender discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of the “metaverse” has triggered extensive discussions across various fields in China, leading to a significant increase in the number of articles related to this topic in 2022. In general, Chinese scholars in the humanities exhibit two divergent inclinations when it comes to the concept of “metaverse.” Some tend to metaphysicise or de-metaphysicise it, while others aim to contextualise it through a Chinese lens or decontextualise it from the perspective of the Chinese language and culture (i.e. Chinese-style understanding/de-Chinese-contextualisation). Given that the “metaverse” is a completely new concept pointing to the future, Chinese scholars are limited to utilising existing theoretical resources to analyze artistic issues related to the “metaverse.” They primarily focus on three aspects: interaction and immersion technologies, body–subject relations, and narrative. However, their analyses often suffer from the problem of misusing literary theory, akin to putting old wine in new bottles. Currently, “metaverse” creative cultural projects in China mainly centre on digital collectibles, virtual digital humans, and immersive experiences in tourism. However, these artifacts encounter intense challenges, including the inefficient utilisation of digital cultural capital, the rigid replication of content, an overemphasis on simulacra, and a lack of emphasis on conveying cultural values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abnormal polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion and fibrillization occur in Huntington's disease (HD). Amyloid modifier SERF enhances amyloid formation, but the underlying mechanism is not revealed. Here, the fibrillization and toxicity effect of SERF1a on Htt-exon1 are examined. SERF1a enhances the fibrillization of and interacts with mutant thioredoxin (Trx)-fused Httex1. NMR studies with Htt peptides show that TrxHttex1-39Q interacts with the helical regions in SERF1a and SERF1a preferentially interacts with the N-terminal 17 residues of Htt. Time-course analysis shows that SERF1a induces mutant TrxHttex1 to a single conformation enriched of β-sheet. Co-expression of SERF1a and Httex1-polyQ in neuroblastoma and lentiviral infection of SERF1a in HD-induced polypotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons demonstrates the detrimental effect of SERF1a in HD. Higher level of SERF1a transcript or protein is detected in HD iPSC, transgenic mice, and HD plasma. Overall, this study provides molecular mechanism for SERF1a and mutant Httex1 to facilitate therapeutic development for HD. Small amyloid modifier protein SERF1a induces aggregation of polyglutamine expanded huntingtin protein (htt-polyQ) through α-helical regions and exacerbates polyQ-induced toxicity, and the interaction is intensified by enhancing α-helical content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online news outlets have the power to influence public policy issues. To understand the opinions of the people, many government departments check online news outlets to manually detect events that interest people. This process is time-consuming. To promptly respond to public expectations, this research proposes a framework for detecting news events that may interest government departments. This article proposes a method for finding event trigger words used to represent an event. The news media can be a critical participant in 'agenda-setting', which means that more widely discussed news is more attractive and critical than news that is less discussed. However, few studies have considered the influence of news media publishers from the 'agenda setting' perspective. Therefore, this study proposes an 'agenda setting'-based filter to establish a high-impact news event detection model. The proposed framework identifies trigger words and utilises word embedding to find news event–related words. After that, an event detection model is designed to determine the events that are attractive to government departments. The experimental results show that purity increases from 0.666 when no extraction method is used to 0.809 when the extraction method in this study is used. The overall improvement trend shows significant improvement in event detection performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]