Search

Background: Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome (AHDS) is an X-linked disorder caused by pathogenic variants in the SLC16A2 gene. Although most reported variants are found in protein-coding regions or adjacent junctions, structural variations (SVs) within non-coding regions have not been previously reported. Methods: We investigated two male siblings with severe neurodevelopmental disorders and spasticity, who had remained undiagnosed for over a decade and were negative from exome sequencing, utilizing long-read HiFi genome sequencing. We conducted a comprehensive analysis including short-tandem repeats (STRs) and SVs to identify the genetic cause in this familial case. Results: While coding variant and STR analyses yielded negative results, SV analysis revealed a novel hemizygous deletion in intron 1 of the SLC16A2 gene (chrX:74,460,691 − 74,463,566; 2,876 bp), inherited from their carrier mother and shared by the siblings. Determination of the breakpoints indicates that the deletion probably resulted from Alu/Alu-mediated rearrangements between homologous AluY pairs. The deleted region is predicted to include multiple transcription factor binding sites, such as Stat2, Zic1, Zic2, and FOXD3, which are crucial for the neurodevelopmental process, as well as a regulatory element including an eQTL (rs1263181) that is implicated in the tissue-specific regulation of SLC16A2 expression, notably in skeletal muscle and thyroid tissues. Conclusions: This report, to our knowledge, is the first to describe a non-coding deletion associated with AHDS, demonstrating the potential utility of long-read sequencing for undiagnosed patients. Although interpreting variants in non-coding regions remains challenging, our study highlights this region as a high priority for future investigation and functional studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and positive childhood experiences (PCEs) impact adult health. However, differences in ACEs, PCEs, and mental health have not been extensively studied among Asian Americans. Objective: To examine the association between childhood experiences and adult mental health in first and second generation Asian Americans. Design: This study used data from the 2021-2022 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), an address-based sampling of noninstitutionalized Californians conducted online or by phone. Participants: Asian American respondents aged 18-65 years. Exposure: Fifteen different ACEs and seven different PCEs. Main Measures: Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) of severe psychological distress for each generation. Survey weights were applied to all analyses for population-based representation. Key Results: 5,744 Asian Americans (48.0% male, 16.4% aged 18-25) were included in the current study. We found that second generation Asian Americans experienced a greater prevalence of ACEs (65.4% reported ≥1 ACE vs 47.5% in first generation Asian Americans) and lower prevalence of PCEs (32.1% reported ≤2 PCEs vs 22.6% in first generation Asian Americans). Second generation Asian Americans were more likely to report ≥4 ACEs (aPR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.88) and ≤2 PCEs (aPR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.29 to 1.78) relative to first generation Asian Americans. Second generation Asian Americans with ≥4 ACEs or ≤2 PCEs were more likely to report severe psychological distress (aPR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.55 to 4.17 and aPR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.03 to 2.13, respectively) relative to first generation Asian Americans. When examining ACEs and PCEs individually, domestic, physical, and verbal abuse; divorce; racism; and lacking support systems were significantly associated with severe psychological distress in second generation Asian Americans. Conclusions: Second generation Asian Americans are more likely to experience more ACEs, fewer PCEs, and poorer mental health as a result. Our study indicates that physicians should screen for childhood experiences and leverage trauma-informed care among Asian American subpopulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES Surgical edge-to-edge repair has been proposed to treat tricuspid regurgitation with various aetiologies. Two techniques can be used for this repair: the 'double-orifice' and the 'clover' repairs. This study compares the clinical outcomes of these 2 techniques. METHODS The study enrolled 258 patients who underwent tricuspid edge-to-edge repair out of 2257 tricuspid valve repairs between January 2001 and December 2021. Patients were categorized into 2 groups (double-orifice and clover repairs) and analysed using propensity score matching. RESULTS The mean age of the 258 patients was 60.8 ± 12.4 years, with 190 females (73.6%) and a mean EuroScore II of 4.6 ± 5.5. Of these, 169 underwent double-orifice repair and 89 clover repair, adjusted to 118 and 66 after matching, respectively. Using the reverse Kaplan–Meier method to account for censored data, the median follow-up duration [Q1–Q3] was 169 [76–229] months. Early mortality and morbidity did not differ significantly between the groups. Survival analysis did not show statistical differences in overall mortality and late severe tricuspid regurgitation recurrence between the groups. Similarly, freedoms from late significant tricuspid stenosis (trans-tricuspid pressure gradient ≥5 mmHg) and tricuspid reoperations [8 (4.7%) in the double-orifice repair group and 2 (2.2%) in the clover repair group] were not significantly different between the groups. The sensitivity analysis, which included the inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis, produced consistent results. CONCLUSIONS The surgical outcomes of tricuspid edge-to-edge repair were not statistically significantly different, regardless of the repair techniques. Both methods can be valuable options for tricuspid regurgitation repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the performance of a recently developed Lagrangian stochastic model (LSM), which solves the transport equations for turbulence probability density functions (PDFs), for simulating the unstable atmospheric surface layer (ASL). The simulated statistics are compared with the Monin-Obukhov similarity theory (MOST) predictions for mean gradients, standard deviations, turbulent Prandtl number, turbulence kinetic energy budgets, and turbulence PDFs. The LSM successfully captures many aspects of ASL structure and turbulence characteristics, particularly the mean gradients and standard deviations of potential temperature, specific humidity, and vertical velocity, which align closely with MOST predictions. However, the model shows limitations in reproducing the stability dependency of mean gradients of horizontal wind speed. Additionally, the model underestimates the probability of high vertical velocity fluctuations, leading to underprediction of turbulent transport and thermal convection initiation. The simulated turbulent Prandtl number shows dependency on stability but is generally weaker than MOST predictions. The study identifies that the parameterizations of dissipation, pressure redistribution, and pressure transport need to be enhanced to ensure that they have correct stability dependency, in order to improve the model's accuracy in simulating the ASL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continual Learning (CL) is the process of learning ceaselessly a sequence of tasks. Most existing CL methods deal with independent data (e.g., images and text) for which many benchmark frameworks and results under standard experimental settings are available. Compared to them, however, CL methods for graph data (graph CL) are relatively underexplored because of (a) the lack of standard experimental settings, especially regarding how to deal with the dependency between instances, (b) the lack of benchmark datasets and scenarios, and (c) high complexity in implementation and evaluation due to the dependency. In this paper, regarding (a) we define four standard incremental settings (task-, class-, domain-, and time-incremental) for node-, link-, and graph-level problems, extending the previously explored scope. Regarding (b), we provide 35 benchmark scenarios based on 24 real-world graphs. Regarding (c), we develop BeGin, an easy and fool-proof framework for graph CL. BeGin is easily extended since it is modularized with reusable modules for data processing, algorithm design, and evaluation. Especially, the evaluation module is completely separated from user code to eliminate potential mistakes. Regarding benchmark results, we cover \(3\times\) more combinations of incremental settings and levels of problems than the latest benchmark. All assets for the benchmark framework are publicly available at https://github.com/ShinhwanKang/BeGin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The anthosphere, also known as the floral microbiome, is a crucial component of the plant reproductive system. Therefore, understanding the anthospheric microbiome is essential to explore the diversity, interactions, and functions of wildflowers that coexist in natural habitats. We aimed to explore microbial interaction mechanisms and key drivers of microbial community structures using 144 flower samples from 12 different wild plant species inhabiting the same natural environment in South Korea. Results: The microbial diversity of the anthosphere showed plant dependence, with the highest diversity observed in Forsythia koreana, indicating microbial dynamics in relation to plant species. Caulobacter, Sphingomonas, Achromobacter, Epicoccum, Cladosporium, and Alternaria were anthosphere generalists, suggesting that the local plant anthosphere had a similar microbial composition. Ecological network analysis revealed that anthosphere generalists were tightly coupled to each other and constructed core modules in the anthosphere. Functions associated with parasites and pathogens were commonly observed in the anthosphere, particularly in Capsella bursa-pastoris and Brassica juncea. Conclusion: Overall, the anthosphere depends on the plant species and microbial generalists function as keystone species to support and connect the anthospheric microbiome in natural habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding and manipulating the cofactor preferences of NAD(P)-dependent oxidoreductases, the most widely distributed enzyme group in nature, is increasingly crucial in bioengineering. However, large-scale identification of the cofactor preferences and the design of mutants to switch cofactor specificity remain as complex tasks. Here, we introduce DISCODE (Deep learning-based Iterative pipeline to analyze Specificity of COfactors and to Design Enzyme), a novel transformer-based deep learning model to predict NAD(P) cofactor preferences. For model training, a total of 7,132 NAD(P)-dependent enzyme sequences were collected. Leveraging whole-length sequence information, DISCODE classifies the cofactor preferences of NAD(P)-dependent oxidoreductase protein sequences without structural or taxonomic limitation. The model showed 97.4% and 97.3% of accuracy and F1 score, respectively. A notable feature of DISCODE is the interpretability of its transformer layers. Analysis of attention layers in the model enables identification of several residues that showed significantly higher attention weights. They were well aligned with structurally important residues that closely interact with NAD(P), facilitating the identification of key residues for determining cofactor specificities. These key residues showed high consistency with verified cofactor switching mutants. Integrated into an enzyme design pipeline, DISCODE coupled with attention analysis, enables a fully automated approach to redesign cofactor specificity. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All‐solid‐state batteries (ASSBs) are emerging as promising candidates for next‐generation energy storage systems. However, their practical implementation faces significant challenges, particularly their requirement for an impractically high stack pressure. This issue is especially critical in high‐energy density systems with limited negative‐to‐positive electrode capacity ratios (N/P ratios), where uneven lithium (Li) stripping induces the formation of interfacial voids. This study addresses these challenges by introducing an anode with a novel structural design that operates effectively under practically viable conditions while significantly reducing the N/P ratio to less than one. The approach entails the integration of a lithiophilic magnesium (Mg) film beneath a thin layer of the silicon‐graphite (SiGr) active materials. This structure facilitates the deposition of excess Li beneath the SiGr layer during overcharging, which enables stable cycling even at room temperature and at a low stack pressure of 3 MPa. By mitigating the poor contact that is characteristic of ASSBs with a low stack pressure, and simultaneously increasing the energy density by lowering the N/P ratio, the design significantly advances the key electrochemical properties of ASSBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In lithium metal batteries, accurately estimating the Li+ solvation ability of solvents is essential for effectively modulating the Li+ solvation sheath to form a stable interphase and achieve high ionic conductivity. However, previous studies have shown that the theoretically calculated Li+ binding energy, commonly used to evaluate solvation ability, exhibits only a moderate correlation with experimentally measured ionic conductivity (R2 = 0.68). In this study, to determine the effective theoretical descriptor for evaluating the solvation ability, Li+ solvation energy was adopted instead of Li+ binding energy, and its correlation with ionic conductivity was compared. Using a sophisticated calculation model that considers the Li+ counter anion and solvent, it was demonstrated that the tendency between the calculated Li+ solvation energies and experimentally measured ionic conductivities is highly consistent (R2 = 0.97). Therefore, Li+ solvation energy is suggested as the theoretical descriptor for evaluating solvation ability. All these findings encourage the development of effective molecular design of solvents for lithium metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fluorinated polyimide (PI‐FTD) was synthesized for preparing a thermally conductive PI matrix and composites. Additionally, surface‐treated boron nitride (BN) was incorporated into the PI‐FTD via the solution casting method to form efficient heat paths along the through‐plane direction. The resultant composite demonstrated remarkable characteristics, including an impressive through‐plane thermal conductivity of 3.6 W mK−1, a substantial tensile strength of 69.4 MPa, and excellent thermal stability. When this composite was applied to light‐emitting diodes, it effectively managed heat, reducing the operating temperature by 29°C. The PI‐FTD/BN‐OH composites can potentially improve thermal management in electronic devices. Highlights: A novel fluorinated polyimide (PI‐FTD) was fabricated.Introducing CF3 functionalities in the PI‐FTD provides high thermal stability.BN‐OH reinforced the thermal and mechanical properties of the composites.The PI‐FTD/BN‐OH composites achieved excellent thermal management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Magnetized plasmas are widely utilized in semiconductor fabrication due to their high processing efficiency. However, comprehensive studies involved in thin film formation—particularly the influence of magnetic fields on elemental reactions—remain limited. Additionally, using CxFy gases for plasma processing presents challenges in understanding the behavior of magnetized plasma. Thus, the effects of inhomogeneous magnetic fields on polymer deposition in low‐pressure, magnetized Ar/C4F8 plasma were investigated through spatially resolved diagnostics. Introducing inhomogeneous magnetic fields led to notable localized changes, increasing ion, CF2, and F densities by factors of 2.29, 1.44, and 1.71 times, respectively. These variations resulted in thinner films with lower carbon‐to‐fluorine ratios. The findings highlight the potential of asymmetric plasma parameter control to modulate film properties locally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrokinetic turbines (HTs) extract power by utilizing hydrodynamic forces from flow energy. The surplus load not used for power generation acts as a system load and must be considered when designing the turbine. Additionally, due to the variability of the flow direction during tidal power generation, the effect of the yaw misalignment angle on the power generation performance and system loading is an important design consideration. This study investigates the characteristics of an experimental model of an HT that uses two flapping foils, at different yaw misalignment angles through circulating water tunnel experiments. Experimental results show that with a yaw angle change of 10°, the power performance decreases by approximately 10% and the load increases by about 30% compared to an aligned configuration. Notably, the load in the flow‐perpendicular direction was significant, with periodic changes due to repetitive up‐and‐down motions. Consequently, the hydrodynamic force characteristics of the HT differ from those of conventional rotary turbines, necessitating the development of a design method that fits these characteristics for the actual installation of flapping‐foil HTs at tidal current power generation sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical inactivity contributes to various health risks; however, approximately one-third of the global population remains insufficiently active. Many researchers have attempted to increase physical activity levels; however, the effectiveness and the specific components of these interventions remain unclear. This systematic review with meta-analyses utilized a behavior change technique taxonomy to identify and extract effective intervention components, aiming to develop more efficient programs to promote physical activity. We searched the PubMed and Ichu-shi Web databases for studies targeting healthy young and middle-aged adults with data on physical activity changes and extracted the intervention components. A random-effects model was used for the primary meta-analysis, and a meta-regression was conducted for the selected outcomes. Overall, 116 studies were included, with 102 used for the primary analysis. The interventions showed a small effect on overall physical activity promotion. Subsequent meta-regressions identified 1.5 Review behavior goal(s) as a significant positive intervention component, as well as four and three potential positive and negative components, respectively. This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated the effectiveness of physical activity interventions and highlighted effective and negative components. These findings may inform the design of future programs aimed at promoting physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review covers the visible light induced reactions of quinones such as benzoquinone, naphthoquinone, and anthraquinone. These quinones are distinguished by their fully conjugated structures, which feature minimal energy gaps, and nonbonding electron pairs on the oxygen atoms. Such structural attributes facilitate np → π* transition, allowing for easy access to excited states and rendering quinones highly reactive under visible‐light irradiation. We describe three primary types of reactions facilitated by these electronic characteristics: Paternò–Büchi (PB) reactions, which entail [2 + 2] photocycloaddition between the carbonyl groups of quinones and alkenes or alkynes; CH activation processes, which showcase quinones' versatility in functionalizing hydrocarbons; and the formation of electron donor–acceptor complexes, demonstrating quinones' capability to engage in charge transfer interactions. Through this review, we highlight the critical role quinones play in photochemistry, their unique electronic properties, and their broad applicability in synthetic organic chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling the formation of interfacial layers in dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) capacitors is crucial because it affects electrical performance, such as increasing the equivalent oxide thickness. This study investigates the formation of an interfacial layer during atomic layer deposition (ALD) of ZrO 2 on TiN electrodes and examines its influence on electrical properties. Utilizing O 3 and H 2 O as oxygen sources, we quantitatively identified notable differences in the formation of the interfacial TiO x layer. Using O 3 results in a thicker TiO x layer with fewer impurities, which lowers the leakage current, whereas H 2 O creates a thinner interfacial layer with higher impurity levels, leading to an increased leakage current. To optimize these effects, we developed a two-step ALD process that combines both oxygen sources, reducing the interfacial layer thickness while maintaining low leakage currents. This approach significantly improved the electrical performance of capacitors. Furthermore, similar results were observed for HfO 2 /TiN systems, suggesting that our findings are broadly applicable to high-k dielectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate electricity consumption forecasting in residential buildings has a direct impact on energy efficiency and cost management, making it a critical component of sustainable energy practices. Decision tree-based ensemble learning techniques are particularly effective for this task due to their ability to process complex datasets with high accuracy. Furthermore, incorporating explainable artificial intelligence into these predictions provides clarity and interpretability, allowing energy managers and homeowners to make informed decisions that optimize usage and reduce costs. This study comparatively analyzes decision tree–ensemble learning techniques augmented with explainable artificial intelligence for transparency and interpretability in residential building energy consumption forecasting. This approach employs the University Residential Complex and Appliances Energy Prediction datasets, data preprocessing, and decision-tree bagging and boosting methods. The superior model is evaluated using the Shapley additive explanations method within the explainable artificial intelligence framework, explaining the influence of input variables and decision-making processes. The analysis reveals the significant influence of the temperature-humidity index and wind chill temperature on short-term load forecasting, transcending traditional parameters, such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed. The complete study and source code have been made available on our GitHub repository at https://github.com/sodayeong for the purpose of enhancing precision and interpretability in energy system management, thereby promoting transparency and enabling replication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn‐air battery (ZAB)‐driven water splitting holds great promise as a next‐generation energy conversion technology, but its large overpotential, low activity, and poor stability for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) remain obstacles. Here, a trifunctional graphene‐sandwiched, heterojunction‐embedded layered lattice (G‐SHELL) electrocatalyst offering a solution to these challenges are reported. Its hollow core‐layered shell morphology promotes ion transport to Co3S4 for OER and graphene‐sandwiched MoS2 for ORR/HER, while its heterojunction‐induced internal electric fields facilitate electron migration. The structural characteristics of G‐SHELL are thoroughly investigated using X‐ray absorption spectroscopy. Additionally, atomic‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images align well with the DFT‐relaxed structures and simulated TEM images, further confirming its structure. It exhibits an approximately threefold smaller ORR charge transfer resistance than Pt/C, a lower OER overpotential and Tafel slope than RuO₂, and excellent HER overpotential and Tafel slope, while outlasting noble metals in terms of durability. Ex situ X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis under varying potentials by examining the peak shifts and ratios (Co2+/Co3+ and Mo4+/Mo6+) elucidates electrocatalytic reaction mechanisms. Furthermore, the ZAB with G‐SHELL outperforms Pt/C+RuO2 in terms of energy density (797 Wh kg−1) and peak power density (275.8 mW cm−2), realizing the ZAB‐driven water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In coastal stow net fishing, the heavy weight of a typical anchor (750–1000 kg) can increase the risk of capsizing the boat and crew member injury during hoisting operations. Thus, to prevent these accidents, a reduction in the anchor weight is required. One strategy to achieve this is to reduce the resistance force of the fishing gear used, which would allow lighter anchors to be employed. This requires the accurate estimation of the resistance force for various gear designs. Therefore, the resistance force and shape during the operation of two representative types of coastal stow nets currently employed in the Korean coastal stow net fishing industry were investigated using simulations and modeling experiments. The modeled fishing gear was divided into four sections according to the mesh size. Based on the results, the twine thickness was reduced in order to target areas of the gear where the greatest resistance was observed, while the front part of the gear was redesigned to prevent the front of the net from being pushed back into a suboptimal shape. The proposed low-resistance fishing gear has the potential to improve occupational safety in the coastal stow net fishing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) can be an alternative to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) in patients without heart failure (HF) after acute myocardial infarction (MI) remains controversial. The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcomes between initial ARB and ACEI therapy in patients with MI without HF. Between 2010 and 2016, a total of 31,013 patients who underwent coronary revascularization for MI with prescription of ARBs or ACEIs at hospital discharge were enrolled from the Korean nationwide medical insurance data. Patients who had HF at index MI were excluded. The primary outcome was all-cause death. The secondary outcomes included recurrent MI, hospitalization for new heart HF, stroke, and a composite of each outcome. Of 31,013 patients, ARBs were prescribed in 12,685 (40.9%) and ACEIs in 18,328 (59.1%). Patients receiving ARBs had a lower discontinuation rate compared with those receiving ACEIs (28.2% vs 43.5%, adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.31-0.37; P <.01). During a median follow-up of 2.2 years, 2480 patients died. The incidence rate of all-cause death in patients receiving ARBs and those receiving ACEIs was 27.7 and 22.9 per 1000 person-years, respectively (adjusted HR 1.04; 95% CI 0.95-1.13; P =.40). There were no significant differences in the secondary outcomes between patients receiving ARBs and those receiving ACEIs, except stroke (19.2 vs 13.6 per 1000 person-years; adjusted HR 1.17; 95% CI 1.04-1.32; P =.01). In a subgroup analysis, a higher mortality was observed with ARBs compared with ACEIs in patients with diabetes. In this nationwide cohort, there was no significant difference in the incidence of all-cause death between ARBs and ACEIs as discharge medications in patients with myocardial infarction without heart failure. Angiotensin II receptor blockers would be an alternative to ACEIs for those intolerant to ACEI therapy. ▪ACEIs = angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors; ARBs = angiotensin II receptor blockers; CI = confidence interval; HF = heart failure; HR = hazard ratio; MI = myocardial infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erythorbyl oleate (EO), a novel emulsifier with multifunctional properties, was synthesized via lipase‐catalyzed solvent‐free esterification between erythorbic acid and oleic acid. The reaction produced EO of 30.75 ± 1.65 mM at 60 h, monitored by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Purified EO was chemically identified as 6‐O‐oleoyl‐erythorbic acid by HPLC‐electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and 13C NMR analyses, and further investigations on its multifunctionalities were conducted. EO displayed antioxidant activity equivalent to erythorbic acid in 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl and 2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activities. Investigation of the antibacterial activity of EO against foodborne pathogens showed MICs of 0.27 ± 0.09 and 0.40 mM for Bacillus cereus ATCC 10876 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 12692, respectively. EO also displayed interfacial properties, lowering interfacial tension between medium‐chain triglyceride oil and water to 3.40 ± 0.04 mN/m with a critical micelle concentration of 2.54 ± 0.03 mM. Dynamic light scattering analyses of the emulsion stabilized by EO demonstrated a similar polydispersity index (0.15 ± 0.00) to Tween 80‐stabilized emulsion (0.28 ± 0.01), with an average droplet size of 173.2 ± 1.8 nm. In addition, the EO‐stabilized emulsion exhibited a negative surface charge (−56.83 ± 4.30 mV) in zeta potential measurements, indicating sufficient electrostatic repulsion between droplets. These results suggest that EO is a multifunctional emulsifier to simultaneously control oxidative rancidification and bacterial spoilage in emulsion‐based foods. Practical Application: EO was synthesized via an enzymatic esterification reaction between erythorbic acid and oleic acid. The synthetic process excluded any use of organic solvent, diminishing potential health hazards or environmental pollution associated with chemical reactions. The interfacial properties of the resultant EO, along with excellent antioxidant and antibacterial activities, propose its potential application in emulsion‐based foods. Simultaneous control of bacterial spoilage and oxidative rancidification by EO would fulfill the industrial needs for extending shelf life and enhancing consumer safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a multiple‐resonance (MR) core structure is developed with a spin‐flip‐restricted emission mechanism based on a fused indolo[3,2,1‐jk]carbazole (ICz) framework as emitters to improve the lifetime of blue organic light‐emitting diodes. The molecular skeleton modulation approach applied to the conjugated π‐system effectively stabilizes the triplet energy of the fused ICz emitters and narrows the full‐width‐at‐half maximum (<20 nm). In addition, the emitters exhibit higher exciton stability than conventional boron‐based MR emitters. The fused ICz‐based blue fluorescent device exhibits a high external quantum efficiency of 7.2%, a blue index of 68.6 cd A−1 at a Commission internationale de l'éclairage y coordinate (CIEy) of 0.075, and a device lifetime 1.8 times longer than that of a boron‐based emitter. In addition, a phosphor‐sensitized fluorescent device based on the ICz emitter exhibited an improved external quantum efficiency of 20.6% with a CIEy coordinate of 0.076. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing importance of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding composites in civil engineering has garnered increasing attention. Conductive cement-based composites, incorporating various conductive fillers, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), carbon fibers (CFs), and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), provide effective solutions due to their high electrical conductivity. While previous studies have primarily focused on improving the overall shielding effectiveness, this research emphasizes balancing the reflection and absorption properties. The experimental results demonstrate an EMI shielding performance exceeding 50 dB, revealing that filler size (nano, micro, or macro) and shape (platelet or fiber) significantly influence both reflection and absorption characteristics. Based on a comprehensive evaluation of the shielding properties, this study highlights the need to consider factors such as reflection versus absorption losses and filler shape or type when optimizing filler content to develop effective cement-based EMI shielding composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite oxide semiconductor is unique for its capability to form epitaxial heterostructures with both dielectric and metallic perovskite oxides. The study underscores the potential of perovskite oxides for multi‐layer stacking, a key aspect in advancing semiconductor technology as silicon‐based devices evolve toward 3D stacked structures. Fabrication of the first double‐level double‐gate field‐effect transistors (DL DG‐FETs) is demonstrated, where each layer is epitaxially grown using all‐perovskite oxides. This resulted in improvements in subthreshold swing, current drivability, and field effect mobility. This innovation not only highlights the distinctive potential of perovskite oxides but also provides new avenues for integration with other perovskite oxides on Si for more advanced electronic functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A debris flow barrier is a structure used to prevent erosion caused by debris flow, and is typically installed in countries with mountainous areas, such as Korea. However, owing to earth pressure, several debris flow barriers become damaged. Geofoam is a reinforcement material widely used in the design of debris flow barriers, not only in dams/retaining walls but also in bridges and landscaping. The purpose of this study was to examine the lateral earth pressure reduction effect of geofoam on debris flow barriers, and to find an optimized geofoam shape that satisfies specific conditions. In this study, the debris flow barrier, backfill, geofoam, and foundation were modeled using ABAQUS, a two-dimensional finite element method program. Models A-C were simulated and compared at backfill lengths of 10, 20, and 40 m. The debris flow barrier model was used at a mountain slope of 25°. To determine the geofoam shape and analyze the stability coefficients for sliding and overturning, ten diverse scenarios were considered. According to the results, Scenario 10, with a reversed triangle shape of geofoam, was the most effective in all cases, which reduces the earth pressure significantly. In the case of Model C, a reversed triangle geofoam reinforcement reduces the lateral earth pressure on the backside of the structure by an average of 34.43%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although a long line of research has examined the association between mental health and offending, previous literature primarily focused on the uni-directional path from mental health problems to offending, or vice versa. Also, there is still much to learn about how different types of victimization are related to the link between the two. To examine these questions, a series of fixed-effect models were employed to examine (1) the assessment of the relationship between mental health and violent offending and (2) the mediating role of experienced and witnessed victimization in that relationship. The results show a significant relationship between mental health and violent offending, while differences were found between the two types of victimization. Limitations and future research suggestions were discussed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to effectively predict outcomes when initial time series data are limited remains unclear. This study investigated the efficiency of Bayesian model selection to address the lack of initial data for time series analysis, particularly in cold-start scenarios—a common challenge in predictive modeling. We utilized a comprehensive approach that juxtaposed observational data against various candidate models through strategic partitioning. This method contrasted traditional reliance on distance measures like the L2 norm. Instead, it applied statistical tests to validate model efficacy. Notably, the introduction of an interactive visualization tool featuring a slide bar for setting significance levels marked a significant advancement over conventional p-value displays. Our results affirm that when observational data align with a candidate model, effective predictions are possible, albeit with necessary considerations of stationarity and potential structural breaks. These findings underscore the potential of Bayesian methods in predictive analytics, especially when initial data are scarce or incomplete. This research not only enhances our understanding of model selection dynamics but also sets the stage for future investigations into more refined predictive frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Between June and November 2017, four supervised consumption sites (SCS) began operating in Montreal, Quebec. Earlier studies on SCS focused on examining their effects on blood-borne viral infections and overdose mortality. Our objective was to examine the effect of Montreal's SCS on the incidence, health service use and outcomes of injection-related infections (IRI) in people who inject drugs. Methods: We used Quebec's provincial administrative health data to identify people who inject drugs in Montreal and calculated the incidence of IRI in this population between December 2014 and December 2019. We conducted a retrospective, population-based interrupted time series to estimate the effect of Montreal's four SCS on the monthly incidence rates of IRI-related hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, physician visits, and mortality. We also examined the effects of SCS on average length of IRI-related hospitalizations and incidence of hospitalizations involving surgery. Results: The average age of Montreal's people who inject drugs was 41.84 years, and 66.41% were male. After the implementation of SCS, there was a positive level change in the incidence of hospitalizations (0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.26, 1.68) for IRI. There was also a significant post-intervention decline in hospitalization trends (-0.05; 95% CI: -0.08, -0.02), with modest trend changes in ED visits (-0.02; 95% CI: -0.05, 0.02). However, post-intervention changes in level (0.72; 95% CI: -3.85, 5.29) and trend (0.06; 95% CI: -0.23, 0.34) for physician visits remained limited. SCS had no effect on the average length of hospitalizations, but there was a decreasing post-intervention trend in hospitalizations involving surgery (-0.03; 95% CI: -0.06, 0.00). Conclusion: Following the opening of the SCS, there was a moderate decline in the rate of hospitalizations to treat IRI, but the impact of the sites on the rate of physician visits remained limited. These findings suggest that SCS may mitigate the incidence of more serious and complicated IRI over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the development of a four‐component electrochemical method for the synthesis of CF3‐oxazoles, utilizing alkynes and NaSO2CF3 in MeCN. The method leverages the simplicity and mildness of the reaction conditions, despite the inherent complexity of utilizing four distinct components through aminotrifluoromethylation of alkyne followed by in‐situ cyclization. Notably, in addition to MeCN solvent, the presence of residual water in the reaction mixture also contributed as a coupling partner. The synthesis involves a sequence of four controlled oxidation steps under constant potential with graphite electrodes, facilitated by the mediator TMEDA, highlighting the precision achievable in electrochemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) is a crucial epigenetic modulator essential for various developmental and physiological functions. Although its dysfunction is increasingly recognized in abnormal phenotypes, to our knowledge, there have been no established reports of human diseases directly linked to HDAC3 dysfunction. Using trio exome sequencing and extensive phenotypic analysis, we correlated heterozygous de novo variants in HDAC3 with a neurodevelopmental disorder having variable clinical presentations, frequently associated with intellectual disability, developmental delay, epilepsy, and musculoskeletal abnormalities. In a cohort of six individuals, we identified missense variants in HDAC3 (c.277G>A [p.Asp93Asn], c.328G>A [p.Ala110Thr], c.601C>T [p.Pro201Ser], c. 797T>C [p.Leu266Ser], c.799G>A [p.Gly267Ser], and c.1075C>T [p.Arg359Cys]), all located in evolutionarily conserved sites and confirmed as de novo. Experimental studies identified defective deacetylation activity in the p.Asp93Asn, p.Pro201Ser, p.Leu266Ser, and p.Gly267Ser variants, positioned near the enzymatic pocket. In addition, proteomic analysis employing co-immunoprecipitation revealed that the disrupted interactions with molecules involved in the CoREST and NCoR complexes, particularly in the p.Ala110Thr variant, consist of a central pathogenic mechanism. Moreover, immunofluorescence analysis showed diminished nuclear to cytoplasmic fluorescence ratio in the p.Ala110Thr, p.Gly267Ser, and p.Arg359Cys variants, indicating impaired nuclear localization. Taken together, our study highlights that de novo missense variants in HDAC3 are associated with a broad spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders, which emphasizes the complex role of HDAC3 in histone deacetylase activity, multi-protein complex interactions, and nuclear localization for proper physiological functions. These insights open new avenues for understanding the molecular mechanisms of HDAC3 -related disorders and may inform future therapeutic strategies. [Display omitted] Yoon et al. identify de novo missense variants in HDAC3 that are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders with variable clinical features. Characterization of these variants focusing on their functions in histone deacetylation, multi-protein complex interactions, and nuclear localization highlights the multifaceted role of HDAC3 in human physiology and diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RASopathies represent a distinct class of neurodevelopmental syndromes caused by germline variants in the Ras/MAPK pathways. Recently, a novel disease‐gene association was implicated in MAPK kinase kinase kinase 4 (MAP4K4), which regulates the upstream signals of the MAPK pathways. However, to our knowledge, only two studies have reported the genotype–phenotype relationships in the MAP4K4‐related disorder. This study reports on a Korean boy harboring a novel de novo missense variant in MAP4K4 (NM_001242559:c.569G>T, p.Gly190Val), revealed by trio exome sequencing, and located in the hotspot of the protein kinase domain. The patient exhibited various clinical features, including craniofacial dysmorphism, language delay, congenital heart defects, genitourinary anomalies, and sagittal craniosynostosis. Our study expands the phenotypic association of the MAP4K4‐related disorder to include syndromic craniosynostosis, thereby providing further insights into the role of the RAS/MAPK pathways in the development of premature fusion of calvarial sutures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We obtain L q -regularity estimates for weak solutions to p -Laplacian type equations of differential forms. In particular, we prove local Calderón-Zygmund type estimates for equations with discontinuous coefficients satisfying the bounded mean oscillation (BMO) condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we first examine a detailed study of CeO2 in both crystalline and amorphous forms, assessing their structural, electronic, mechanical, and surface characteristics for chemical mechanical planarization (CMP). We explored the atomic structures of CeO2, uncovering distinct atomic configurations and consistent bonding in both phases. The crystalline form of CeO2 is characterized by a distinct bandgap of 1.84 eV and a higher degree of stiffness, evidenced by a bulk modulus of 178.10 GPa. Conversely, the amorphous phase of CeO2 features a smaller bandgap, measured at 1.39 eV, and a reduced stiffness with a bulk modulus of 155.13 GPa, beneficial for reducing CMP scratches. Notably, the amorphous CeO2 forms oxygen vacancies more readily, leading to a higher concentration of Ce3+ ions, lower surface energy (0.92 J/m2), and enhanced adhesion with SiO2 (adhesion work of 0.73 J/m2) compared to crystalline CeO2. Our DFT calculations reveal the unique physicochemical properties of amorphous CeO2, such as its softer nature and stronger SiO2 adhesion, providing valuable insights for optimizing CMP processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abundance and variety of benthic diatoms inhabiting tidal flats is widely acknowledged, although it has received relatively less attention than other research areas. In this investigation, we provide a formal description of a benthic diatom found in the tidal mudflat of South Korea, based on morphological and molecular characteristics and the similarities and differences between Halamphora hampyeongensis sp. nov., with morphologically similar Halamphora species are also discussed. Morphological characteristics are described from light and electron microscopy images. H. hampyeongensis is distinguished by its wide ventral sides of the valve, small and rounded areolae present across the whole valve face, and dense dorsal striae biseriate (34–38 in 10 μm). Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rDNA and rbcL sequence data revealed that H. hampyeongensis is related to H. montana, H. mosensis, and H. specensa. The results (morphometric and molecular) provide sufficient elements to support and propose this taxon as a new species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hacking, particularly among youth, is a relatively new form of deviance and its etiology is not well understood. Moreover, there is a lack of developmental approaches to understanding youth hacking, and the majority of studies on predictors of hacking have been cross-sectional. In light of this, we draw on prospective longitudinal data on a sample of Korean youth to explore theoretical predictors of youth hacking through a developmental lens. Cross-lagged dynamic panel models are employed to examine time-variant and time-invariant theoretical predictors of hacking. Results show that well-known criminological predictors are significantly associated with youth hacking, which implies the applicability of traditional criminological theories in online deviance. Limitations, suggestions for future research, and implications for practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer vaccines offer a promising avenue in cancer immunotherapy by inducing systemic, tumor‐specific immune responses. Tumor extracellular vesicles (TEVs) are nanoparticles naturally laden with tumor antigens, making them appealing for vaccine development. However, their inherent malignant properties from the original tumor cells limit their direct therapeutic use. This study introduces a novel approach to repurpose TEVs as potent personalized cancer vaccines. The study shows that inhibition of both YAP and autophagy not only diminishes the malignancy‐associated traits of TEVs but also enhances their immunogenic attributes by enriching their load of tumor antigens and adjuvants. These revamped TEVs, termed attenuated yet immunogenically potentiated TEVs (AI‐TEVs), showcase potential in inhibiting tumor growth, both as a preventive measure and a possible treatment for recurrent cancers. They prompt a tumor‐specific and enduring immune memory. In addition, by showing that AI‐TEVs can counteract cancer growth in a personalized vaccine approach, a potential strategy is presented for developing postoperative cancer immunotherapy that's enduring and tailored to individual patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Needle and syringe programs (NSP) are effective harm-reduction strategies against HIV and hepatitis C. Although skin, soft tissue, and vascular infections (SSTVI) are the most common morbidities in people who inject drugs (PWID), the extent to which NSP are clinically and cost-effective in relation to SSTVI in PWID remains unclear. The objective of this study was to model the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of NSP with respect to treatment of SSTVI in PWID. Methods: We performed a model-based, economic evaluation comparing a scenario with NSP to a scenario without NSP. We developed a microsimulation model to generate two cohorts of 100,000 individuals corresponding to each NSP scenario and estimated quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) and cost (in 2022 Canadian dollars) over a 5-year time horizon (1.5% per annum for costs and outcomes). To assess the clinical effectiveness of NSP, we conducted survival analysis that accounted for the recurrent use of health care services for treating SSTVI and SSTVI mortality in the presence of competing risks. Results: The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio associated with NSP was $70,278 per QALY, with incremental cost and QALY gains corresponding to $1207 and 0.017 QALY, respectively. Under the scenario with NSP, there were 788 fewer SSTVI deaths per 100,000 PWID, corresponding to 24% lower relative hazard of mortality from SSTVI (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.72–0.80). Health service utilization over the 5-year period remained lower under the scenario with NSP (outpatient: 66,511 vs. 86,879; emergency department: 9920 vs. 12,922; inpatient: 4282 vs. 5596). Relatedly, having NSP was associated with a modest reduction in the relative hazard of recurrent outpatient visits (HR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.95–0.97) for purulent SSTVI as well as outpatient (HR = 0.88; 95% CI = 0.87–0.88) and emergency department visits (HR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.97–0.99) for non-purulent SSTVI. Conclusions: Both the individuals and the healthcare system benefit from NSP through lower risk of SSTVI mortality and prevention of recurrent outpatient and emergency department visits to treat SSTVI. The microsimulation framework provides insights into clinical and economic implications of NSP, which can serve as valuable evidence that can aid decision-making in expansion of NSP services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectroscopic techniques generate one-dimensional spectra with distinct peaks and specific widths in the frequency domain. These features act as unique identities for material characteristics. Deep neural networks (DNNs) has recently been considered a powerful tool for automatically categorizing experimental spectra data by supervised classification to evaluate material characteristics. However, most existing work assumes balanced spectral data among various classes in the training data, contrary to actual experiments, where the spectral data is usually imbalanced. The imbalanced training data deteriorates the supervised classification performance, hindering understanding of the phase behavior, specifically, sol-gel transition (gelation) of soft materials and glycomaterials. To address this issue, this paper applies a novel data augmentation method based on a generative adversarial network (GAN) proposed by the authors in their prior work. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, the actual imbalanced spectral data from Pluronic F-127 hydrogel and Alpha-Cyclodextrin hydrogel are used to classify the phases of data. Specifically, our approach improves 8.8%, 6.4%, and 6.2% of the performance of the existing data augmentation methods regarding the classifier's F-score, Precision, and Recall on average, respectively. Specifically, our method consists of three DNNs: the generator, discriminator, and classifier. The method generates samples that are not only authentic but emphasize the differentiation between material characteristics to provide balanced training data, improving the classification results. Based on these validated results, we expect the method's broader applications in addressing imbalanced measurement data across diverse domains in materials science and chemical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is devoted to investigating the well-posedness, stability and large-time behavior near the hydrostatic balance for the 2D Boussinesq equations with partial dissipation. More precisely, the global well-posedness is obtained in the case of partial viscosity and without thermal diffusion for the initial data belonging to H δ (R 2) × H s (R 2) for δ ∈ [ s − 1 , s + 1 ] if s ∈ R , s > 2 , for δ ∈ (1 , s + 1 ] if s ∈ (0 , 2 ] and for δ ∈ [ 0 , 1 ] if s = 0. In addition, if one has either horizontal or vertical thermal diffusion then the stability and large-time behavior are provided in H m (R 2) , m ∈ N and in H ˙ m − 1 (R 2) with m ∈ N , m ≥ 2 , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zastaprazan (JP-1366), a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker, is a new drug for the treatment of erosive esophagitis. JP-1366 is highly metabolized in human, mouse, and dog hepatocytes but moderately metabolized in rat and monkey hepatocytes when estimated from the metabolic stability of this compound in hepatocyte suspension and when 18 phase I metabolites and 5 phase II metabolites [i.e., N-dearylation (M6), hydroxylation (M1, M19, M21), dihydroxylation (M7, M8, M14, M22), trihydroxylation (M13, M18), hydroxylation and reduction (M20), dihydroxylation and reduction (M9, M16), hydrolysis (M23), hydroxylation and glucuronidation (M11, M15), hydroxylation and sulfation (M17), dihydroxylation and sulfation (M10, M12), N-dearylation and hydroxylation (M3, M4), N-dearylation and dihydroxylation (M5), and N-dearylation and trihydroxylation (M2)] were identified from JP-1366 incubation with the hepatocytes from humans, mice, rats, dogs, and monkeys. Based on the cytochrome P450 (CYP) screening test and immune-inhibition analysis with CYP antibodies, CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 played major roles in the metabolism of JP-1366 to M1, M3, M4, M6, M8, M9, M13, M14, M16, M18, M19, M21, and M22. CYP1A2, 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, and 2D6 played minor roles in the metabolism of JP-1366. UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 2B7 and UGT2B17 were responsible for the glucuronidation of M1 to M15. However, JP-1366 and active metabolite M1 were not substrates for drug transporters such as organic cation transporter (OCT) 1/2, organic anion transporter (OAT) 1/3, organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP)1B1/1B3, multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE)1/2K, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), and breast cancer-resistant protein (BCRP). Only M1 showed substrate specificity for P-gp. The findings indicated that drug-metabolizing enzymes, particularly CYP3A4/3A5, may have a significant role in determining the pharmacokinetics of zastaprazan while drug transporters may only have a small impact on the absorption, distribution, and excretion of this compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stereoselective reactions have played a vital role in the emergence of life, evolution, human biology, and medicine. However, for a long time, most industrial and academic efforts followed a trial-and-error approach for asymmetric synthesis in stereoselective reactions. In addition, most previous studies have been qualitatively focused on the influence of steric and electronic effects on stereoselective reactions. Therefore, quantitatively understanding the stereoselectivity of a given chemical reaction is extremely difficult. As proof of principle, this paper develops a novel composite machine learning method for quantitatively predicting the enantioselectivity representing the degree to which one enantiomer is preferentially produced from the reactions. Specifically, machine learning methods that are widely used in data analytics, including Random Forest, Support Vector Regression, and LASSO, are utilized. In addition, the Bayesian optimization and permutation importance tests are provided for an in-depth understanding of reactions and accurate prediction. Finally, the proposed composite method approximates the key features of the available reactions by using Gaussian mixture models, which provide suitable machine learning methods for new reactions. The case studies using the real stereoselective reactions show that the proposed method is effective and provides a solid foundation for further application to other chemical reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We establish a partial regularity result for solutions of parabolic systems with general φ -growth, where φ is an Orlicz function. In this setting we can develop a unified approach that is independent of the degeneracy of system and relies on two caloric approximation results: the φ -caloric approximation, which was introduced in Diening et al. (Calc Var Partial Differ Equ 56(4):27, 2017), and an improved version of the A -caloric approximation, which we prove without using the classical compactness method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Afferent loop syndrome (ALS) is a rare complication of gastrectomies and gastrointestinal reconstruction. This can predispose patients to fatal conditions, such as cholangitis, pancreatitis, and duodenal perforation with peritonitis. Therefore, emergency decompression is necessary to prevent these complications. Herein, we report two cases in which transcholecystic duodenal drainage, an alternative decompression treatment, was performed in ALS patients without bile duct dilatation. Two patients who underwent distal gastrectomy with Billroth II anastomosis sought consultation in an emergency department for epigastric pain and vomiting. On CT, ALS with acute pancreatitis was diagnosed. However, biliary access could not be achieved because of the absence of bile duct dilatation. To overcome this problem, a duodenal drainage catheter was placed to decompress the afferent loop after traversing the cystic duct via a transcholecystic approach. The patients were discharged without additional surgical treatment 2 weeks and 1 month after drainage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D materials have attracted attention in the field of neuromorphic computing applications, demonstrating the potential for their use in low‐power synaptic devices at the atomic scale. However, synthetic 2D materials contain randomly distributed intrinsic defects and exhibit a stochasitc forming process, which results in variability of switching voltages, times, and stat resistances, as well as poor synaptic plasticity. Here, this work reports the wafer‐scale synthesis of highly polycrystalline semiconducting 2H‐phase molybdenum ditelluride (2H‐MoTe2) and its use for fabricating crossbar arrays of memristors. The 2H‐MoTe2 films contain small grains (≈30 nm) separated by vertically aligned grain boundaries (GBs). These aligned GBs provide confined diffusion paths for metal ions filtration (from the electrodes), resulting in reliable resistive switching (RS) due to conductive filament confinement. As a result, the polycrystalline 2H‐MoTe2 memristors shows improvement in the RS uniformity and stable multilevel resistance states, small cycle‐to‐cycle variation (<8.3%), high yield (>83.7%), and long retention times (>104 s). Finally, 2H‐MoTe2 memristors show linear analog synaptic plasticity under more than 2500 repeatable pulses and a simulation‐based learning accuracy of 96.05% for image classification, which is the first analog synapse behavior reported for 2D MoTe2 based memristors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a numerically stable sequential formulation of thermoporomechanics for largely deformable gas hydrate deposits, extended from the fixed stress split of infinitesimal transformation. Constitutive equations are based on the total Lagrangian approach for both flow and geomechanics, including dynamic full tensor permeability and thermal conductivity updated from the deformation gradient. For space discretization, we take the cell‐centered finite volume and node‐based finite element method for flow and geomechanics, respectively. Then, we propose a sequential implicit method for all‐way coupled thermoporomechanics, where the nonisothermal multiphase flow problem of gas hydrates is solved implicitly first and then the geomechanics problem is solved implicitly at the next step. During solution of the flow problem, we fix the rate of first Pioal total stress for numerical stability as well as apply porosity correction and entropy correction to account for geomechanical effects. We test numerical examples where flow and geomechanics parameters are based on deep oceanic gas hydrate deposits. When applying depressurization, even though the results between the infinitesimal transformation and finite strain geomechanics are similar in the early stages due to small deformation, we find differences between them in the late times as deformation becomes large. Accordingly, permeability and thermal conductivity tensors become nonisotropic full tensors although they are initially isotropic. We identify numerical stability of the developed sequential method from the test cases that exhibit the highly complex coupled gas hydrate systems with large deformation. Thus, the proposed sequential formulation can be applied in largely deformable gas hydrate systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single-column turbulence model for stratified atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), which solves the transport equations of turbulence probability density function (PDF) using a Lagrangian stochastic modeling (LSM) approach, is proposed in this study. This study adopts previously developed stochastic differential equations (SDEs) for particle velocity and temperature and extends the LSM to simulate inhomogeneous turbulence. The proposed LSM is tested for its ability to fully simulate statistics of inhomogeneous stratified turbulence. In the model, particles evolve by SDEs, and turbulence statistics are calculated by averaging the properties of particles. The model provides a full representation of turbulence PDF and simulates turbulent transport without any modeling assumption. The model performance is evaluated against large-eddy simulation (LES) results in the simulations of convective and stable ABL cases. For the convective ABL, LSM realistically simulates the entrainment process with the temperature and heat flux profiles that closely match with LES. The joint PDF simulated by LSM reproduces a curved and highly skewed shape, and some distinct features, like the asymmetric distribution of vertical velocity and the separation of the PDF in the entrainment zone, are simulated. LSM also reproduces the entrainment enhancement by wind shear in the simulation of sheared convective ABL. The LSM simulation of stable ABL predicts realistic turbulence intensity and mean field profiles, where Gaussian-like PDFs are simulated both in LSM and LES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate clinicopathological and molecular tumour features associated with intratumoral pks+Escherichia coli (pks+E.coli+), pks+E.coli- (non-E.coli bacteria harbouring the pks island), Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum). Methods: We screened 1697 tumour-derived DNA samples from the Australasian Colorectal Cancer Family Registry, Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study and the ANGELS study using targeted PCR. Results: Pks+E.coli+ was associated with male sex (P < 0.01) and APC:c.835-8 A > G somatic mutation (P = 0.03). The association between pks+E.coli+ and APC:c.835-8 A > G was specific to early-onset CRCs (diagnosed<45years, P = 0.02). The APC:c.835-A > G was not associated with pks+E.coli- (P = 0.36). F. nucleatum was associated with DNA mismatch repair deficiency (MMRd), BRAF:c.1799T>A p.V600E mutation, CpG island methylator phenotype, proximal tumour location, and high levels of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (Ps < 0.01). In the stratified analysis by MMRd subgroups, F. nucleatum was associated with Lynch syndrome, MLH1 methylated and double MMR somatic mutated MMRd subgroups (Ps < 0.01). Conclusion: Intratumoral pks+E.coli+ but not pks+E.coli- are associated with CRCs harbouring the APC:c.835-8 A > G somatic mutation, suggesting that this mutation is specifically related to DNA damage from colibactin-producing E.coli exposures. F. nucleatum was associated with both hereditary and sporadic MMRd subtypes, suggesting the MMRd tumour microenvironment is important for F. nucleatum colonisation irrespective of its cause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer metastasis, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, remains a complex challenge in medical science. Stephen Paget's "seed and soil theory" introduced the concept of organotropism, suggesting that metastatic success depends on specific organ microenvironments. Understanding organotropism not only offers potential for curbing metastasis but also novel treatment strategies. Microphysiological systems (MPS), especially organ-on-a-chip models, have emerged as transformative tools in this quest. These systems, blending microfluidics, biology, and engineering, grant precise control over cell interactions within organ-specific microenvironments. MPS enable real-time monitoring, morphological analysis, and protein quantification, enhancing our comprehension of cancer dynamics, including tumor migration, vascularization, and pre-metastatic niches. In this review, we explore innovative applications of MPS in investigating cancer metastasis, particularly focusing on organotropism. This interdisciplinary approach converges the field of science, engineering, and medicine, thereby illuminating a path toward groundbreaking discoveries in cancer research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis involves complex inflammatory events and cell death. Although IBD involves mainly necrosis in the digestive tract, pyroptosis has also been recognized. Nonetheless, the underlying basis is elusive. Gα12/13 overexpression may affect endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. This study examined how Gα12/13 and ER stress affect pyroptosis using dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis models. Gα12/13 levels were increased in the distal and proximal colons of mice exposed to a single cycle of DSS, as accompanied by increases of IRE1α, ATF6, and p-PERK. Moreover, Il-6, Il-1β, Ym1, and Arg1 mRNA levels were increased with caspase-1 and IL-1β activation, supportive of pyroptosis. In the distal colon, RIPK1/3 levels were enhanced to a greater degree, confirming necroptosis. By contrast, the mice subjected to three cycles of DSS treatments showed decreases of Gα12/13, as accompanied by IRE1α and ATF6 suppression, but increases of RIPK1/3 and c-Cas3. AZ2 treatment, which inhibited Gα12, has an anti-pyroptotic effect against a single cycle of colitis. These results show that a single cycle of DSS-induced colitis may cause ER stress-induced pyroptosis as mediated by Gα12 overexpression in addition to necroptosis, but three cycles model induces only necroptosis, and that AZ2 may have an anti-pyroptotic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]