Search

Context.--: Regulatory T-cell (Treg) detection in peripheral blood, based on flow cytometry, is invaluable for diagnosis and treatment of immune-mediated diseases. However, there is a lack of reliable methods to verify the performance, which is pivotal toward standardization of the Tregs assay. Objective.--: To conduct standardization studies and verify the performance of 3 commercially available reagent sets for the Tregs assay based on flow cytometry and agreement analysis for Treg detection across the different reagent sets. Design.--: The analytical performance of Tregs assay using reagent sets supplied by 3 manufacturers was evaluated after establishing the gating strategy and determining the optimal antibody concentration. Postcollection sample stability was evaluated, as well as the repeatability, reproducibility, reportable range, linearity, and assay carryover. Agreement between the different assays was assessed via Bland-Altman plots and linear regression analysis. The relationship between the frequency of CD4+CD25+CD127low/- Tregs and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs was evaluated. Results.--: The postcollection sample stability was set at 72 hours after collection at room temperature. The accuracy, repeatability, reproducibility, and accuracy all met the requirements for clinical analysis. Excellent linearity, with R2 ≥0.9 and no assay carryover, was observed. For reportable range, a minimum of 1000 events in the CD3+CD4+ gate was required for Tregs assay. Moreover, the results for Tregs labeled by antibodies from the 3 manufacturers were in good agreement. The percentage of CD4+CD25+CD127low/- Tregs was closely correlated with CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs. Conclusions.--: This is the first study to evaluate systematically the measurement performance of Tregs in peripheral blood by flow cytometry, which provides a practical solution to verifying the performance of flow cytometry-based immune monitoring projects in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heteroatom doping can change the chemical environment of carbon‐based nanomaterials and improve their catalytic performance. Exploring the structure‐catalytic activity relationship of heteroatom‐doped carbon‐based materials is of great significance for studying catalytic mechanisms and designing highly efficient catalysts, but remains a significant challenge. Recently, reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐triggered electrochemiluminescence (ECL) has shown great potential for unveiling the mechanism by which heteroatom‐doped carbon‐based materials catalyze the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), owing to the high sensitivity of these materials to the properties of the electrode surface. Herein, two kinds of heteroatom‐doped porous carbon (denoted as NP‐C and N‐C) are synthesized and analyzed by monitoring the cathodic ECL of luminol‐H2O2 in the low negative‐potential region. P, N‐doped NP‐C exhibits better catalytic ability for activating H2O2 to generate large amounts of •OH and O2•−, compared with N‐C. A sensitive antioxidant‐mediated ECL platform is successfully developed for detecting the antioxidant levels in cells, exhibiting considerable potential for evaluating the antioxidant capacity. The relationship between the structure and catalytic mechanism of heteroatom‐doped carbon‐based materials is successfully explored using ECL, where this method can be universally applied to carbon‐based materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ruddlesden–Popper phase oxides, such as Ca3Ti2O7, have been established as hybrid improper ferroelectrics. However, investigations into Ca3Ti2O7 have primarily concentrated on their structural and ferroelectric properties. In this study, we prepared epitaxial Ca3Ti2O7 thin films via magnetron sputtering. Conducting atomic force microscopy was employed to characterize local current variations under an applied bias voltage. Electron paramagnetic resonance measurements of the Ca3Ti2O7/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 film were conducted to assess its defect characteristics. Interestingly, the Ca3Ti2O7/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 stacks exhibited remarkable macroscopic resistance switching, with a resistance on/off ratio reaching 100, alongside robust retention (∼2500 s) and endurance (∼2000 cycles) features. Additionally, density functional theory calculations suggest that the resistance switching is attributable to the interface barrier of the Ca3Ti2O7/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 interface and the efficacy of space charge limitation. This work proposes an avenue for the utilization of Ruddlesden–Popper phase Ca3Ti2O7 in various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the underground excavation, various flaws are frequently observed, which significantly decrease the mechanical properties of surrounding rock, as has been proven. As known, grouting technology is a means of reinforcement that efficiently enhances the stability of underground engineering. However, existing studies have mainly focused on increasing the strength of the slurry stone, and relatively less attention has been paid to the poor bonding effect at the interface between the slurry and the rock mass. In this work, we proposed to adopt slurry containing nano-silica sol to reinforce the fractured rock mass. Based on the mechanical model of micro–nano-siliceous slurry reinforcement for single fractured rock masses established in this paper, the effect and the mechanism of micro–nano-siliceous slurry reinforcement for fractured rock were explored through theoretical analysis, laboratory tests, and numerical simulations. Results showed that the application of micro–nano-siliceous slurry increased the friction and the bonding force at the slurry–rock interface, which led to a (σn·Δμ + Δc) reduction of the effective stress. The optimum incorporation rate of the nano-silica sol was determined to be 3% based on these indicators including slurry fluidity, slurry stone rate, and strength and deformation parameters of slurry stone. The peak strength of the sandstone specimens reinforced by the micro–nano-siliceous slurry increased by 16.49% those of the sandstones reinforced by the ordinary slurry, and the elastic energy accumulated by the former was higher. Scanning electron microscope images revealed that the incorporation of nano-silica sol distinctly improved the pore characteristics of the slurry-rock interface. Finally, on the basis of 1790 ventilation roadway of Shiyakou coal mine, the effectiveness and the feasibility of micro–nano-siliceous slurry for reinforcing underground engineering surrounding rocks were verified using numerical simulation. Highlights: This paper developed a new micro–nano-siliceous grouting material. A mechanical model for fractured rock mass reinforced by new slurry was proposed. The optimal incorporation rate of nano-silica sol was determined by various means. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of the new grouting material in reinforcing fractured rock mass by control lab experiments and numerical simulation. The mechanisms of micro–nano-siliceous slurry to improve slurry–rock interface were revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bimetallic synergism can effectively improve the catalytic activity of the catalyst. In this work, different catalysts were synthesized by loading Co and Ce onto copper foam (CF) by impregnation method and applied to the catalytic oxidation of toluene. Catalytic performance of the Co/Ce loaded catalysts was significantly better than the CF. Among these catalysts, Co1Ce2/CF catalyst had the best catalytic activity of toluene (T90 = 237 °C), the lowest apparent activation energy (Ea = 35.0 kJ/mol), excellent stability (40 h) and cycle stability (three cycle) at a toluene concentration of 1000 mg/m3 under WHSV = 15,000 mL/(g·h). The good catalytic activity of Co1Ce2/CF catalyst is mainly due to a higher proportion of lattice oxygen, Ce4+ and Co2+. Ce4+ and Co2+ can provide more oxygen vacancies for the catalyst. By H2-TPR and O2-TPD, it is found that Co1Ce2/CF catalyst's effective catalytic activity is probably attributed to its low reduction temperature, ample oxygen storage capacity and low oxygen desorption temperature. In addition, the degradation process of toluene on the catalyst was speculated. The physical and chemical properties of the catalysts were investigated by SEM, EDS, XRD, XPS, BET, H2-TPR and O2-TPD. This work provides an effective way for synthesizing Co-Ce bimetallic oxide supported catalysts with great potential in toluene treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obtaining detailed energy-band diagram is always critically important at various semiconductor interfaces due to its direct instruction for optimizing and improving the performance of (opto-)electronic devices, which, therefore, always has been paid attention to by scientists. Despite the technological relevance of depicting energy-band diagrams at different types of semiconductors (inorganic, organic, and hybridized scenarios), the discrepancy at these interfaces still exists, and a reliable model that could potentially unify the full range of phenomena observed from these interfaces is still lacking. Here, we develop a theoretical framework to fill in this gap so that it could be capable of reproducing various band alignments at different semiconductor interfaces both qualitatively and quantitatively. Our model could further allow us to resolve some conflicting views in the literature related to the influence of substrate work functions, which should be considered differently between inorganic and organic semiconductor interfaces. Our results also highlight the importance of dielectric constant differences and the film thickness as critical factors in driving charge transfer at semiconductor interfaces through integrating different density of states with Fermi–Dirac distribution functions in various semiconductors, which hopefully could promote the numerical study on developing functional semiconductor devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an acquired insult to the brain caused by an external mechanical force, potentially resulting in temporary or permanent impairment. Microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system, are activated in response to TBI, participating in tissue repair process. However, the underlying epigenetic mechanisms in microglia during TBI remain poorly understood. ARID1A (AT-Rich Interaction Domain 1 A), a pivotal subunit of the multi-protein SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, has received little attention in microglia, especially in the context of brain injury. In this study, we generated a Arid1a cKO mouse line to investigate the potential roles of ARID1A in microglia in response to TBI. We found that glial scar formation was exacerbated due to increased microglial migration and a heightened inflammatory response in Arid1a cKO mice following TBI. Mechanistically, loss of ARID1A led to an up-regulation of the chemokine CCL5 in microglia upon the injury, while the CCL5-neutralizing antibody reduced migration and inflammatory response of LPS-stimulated Arid1a cKO microglia. Importantly, administration of auraptene (AUR), an inhibitor of CCL5, repressed the microglial migration and inflammatory response, as well as the glial scar formation after TBI. These findings suggest that ARID1A is critical for microglial response to injury and that AUR has a therapeutic potential for the treatment of TBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights To improve the subpar lubricating performance of epoxy resin, this paper presents the preparation of a novel bimetallic phyllosilicate featuring a distinctive rice‐granular morphology, which incorporates nickel and iron metal cations through a facile hydrothermal process. These phyllosilicates were then integrated into the epoxy matrix to form composites. A comprehensive analysis of the target product validates the rationality of the synthesis strategy for the as‐prepared rice‐granular bimetallic nickel/iron phyllosilicate, demonstrating a homogeneous hierarchical structure with numerous tiny nanosheets of nickel/iron phyllosilicate grown in situ on the flat surfaces of the rice‐granular metal–organic frameworks. An adequate addition of nickel/iron phyllosilicates allows for excellent dispersion within the matrix and establishes strongly bonded interfaces, steadily increasing the elastic modulus and hardness. Notably, the average friction coefficients decrease from 0.515 for the pure resin to 0.450 for the composites when the filler content reaches 7%, indicating a significant solid lubrication effect. In contrast, adding just 1% nickel/iron phyllosilicate moderately improves wear resistance, elongation at break, and tensile strength. Furthermore, it was found that as the filler content increased, the weight loss rate was reduced by approximately 43.8%, while the residual char increased by 74.2%, significantly enhancing the thermal stability of epoxy composites at high temperatures. This study offers a promising approach to preparing self‐lubricated epoxy composites with favorable mechanical and thermal properties. NiFePS was successfully synthesized via a facile two‐step self‐polymerization. Excellent mechanical properties of composites could be achieved with low content of NiFePS. The friction coefficient and wear rate were lowered remarkably. The friction mechanism was solid lubrication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The electrochemical properties of BG are significantly enhanced by the morphology of the constructed wool-like clusters. • The optimized BG-2 exhibits excellent rate performance and cycling stability. • The appropriate iron content in 3D skeletons opens a new possibility for enhancing ammonium ion storage. Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) are regarded as promising cathode materials for ammonium-ion batteries (AIBs) because of their low cost and superb theoretical capacity. However, its inherently poor conductivity and structural collapse can significantly limit the enhancement of rate property and cycling stability. In this work, Berlin Green (BG) electrode materials with similar wool-like clusters were constructed by direct precipitation method to accelerate the kinetic, which realizes outstanding cycling stability. Berlin Green with the appropriate amount of iron (BG-2) has a fast ion transport channel, enhanced structure stability, highly reversible insertion/extraction of NH 4 +, and fine electrochemical reaction activity. Benefiting from the unique architecture and component, the BG-2 electrode shows an excellent rate performance with a discharge/charge specific capacity of 60.1/59.3 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1. Even at 5 A g−1, BG-2 exhibits remarkable cycling stability with an initial discharge capacity of 59.5 mAh g−1 and a capacity retention rate of approximately 76% after 30,000 cycles. The BG-2 reveals exceedingly good electrochemical reversibility during the process of NH 4 + (de)insertion. BG materials indicate huge potential as a cathode material for the next generation of high-performance aqueous batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal failure is one of the most common chronic complications of diabetes. Simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPK) is considered the preferred treatment for individuals with diabetes and chronic renal failure. This procedure has demonstrated efficacy in enhancing the quality of life for patients and minimizing the complications associated with diabetes. In this study, we analyzed the incidence and safety of complications in different thrombosis prevention techniques post simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPK).Patients who underwent SPK between January 2019 and December 2022 were selectively categorized into two groups: the heparin group and the non-heparin group depending on the utilization of low molecular weight heparin. The occurrence of complications and clinical outcomes were subsequently calculated in each group. In this study, we included a total of 58 recipients who underwent SPK, with 36 in the heparin group and 22 in the non-heparin group. Among the 58 participants, there were 3 cases of pancreatic thrombosis complications, with 2 cases (5.6%) in the heparin group and 1 case (4.6%) in the non-heparin group, and the differences were not statistically significant (P> 0.05). Regarding gastrointestinal bleeding, there were 17 cases out of the total 58 patients, with 14 cases (38.9%) in the heparin group and 3 cases (13.6%) in the non-heparin group, and the difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05). After surgery, the use of low molecular weight heparin anticoagulation may increase the likelihood of experiencing gastrointestinal bleeding. Prior to the surgery, a comprehensive evaluation of the coagulation status and medical history of the patient should be performed, enabling stratification of risks involved. Based on this assessment, either low-molecular-weight heparin or aspirin should be selected as a preventive measure against thrombosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia is a common respiratory infection among children. However, the occurrence of thromboembolism with plastic bronchitis in association with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia is extremely rare. This case series presents five cases of children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia who developed thromboembolism and plastic bronchitis. The clinical presentation, diagnostic approach, and management strategies are discussed. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on medical records from a pediatric hospital. Patient demographics, clinical features, laboratory findings, imaging results, treatment modalities, and outcomes were collected. Results: The patients in our case series presented with varying degrees of respiratory distress, cough, and fever. Imaging studies revealed evidence of thromboembolism based on pulmonary artery occlusion. Bronchial casts were observed by bronchoscopy. Laboratory tests demonstrated elevated D-dimer levels and fibrinogen degradation products. All patients received a combination of low molecular weight heparin anticoagulation and supportive care. Conclusion: Thromboembolism with plastic bronchitis associated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia is a rare but potentially serious complication in children. Prompt recognition and management are crucial for improving patient outcomes. This case series highlights the diverse clinical presentations, diagnostic challenges, and treatment strategies for this unique clinical entity. Further research is needed to better understand the pathogenesis and optimal management of this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flutter is a typical dynamic instability phenomenon of the wing or rudder structure. Besides, the phenomenon of aerodynamic heating will be quite significant and temperature can rise rapidly with the increase of the flight speed, thermal flutter characteristics should be taken into consideration for the rudder structure of supersonic vehicle. To improve the thermal flutter characteristics of the rudder structure and meet the design requirements of a lightweight structure, this article optimizes the variable stiffness laminates of the skin on the premise of keeping the thickness of the skin unchanged, so as to improve the critical flutter speed of the rudder. A novel intelligent optimization algorithm named BJASCA, which is a hybrid algorithm coupling of Backtracking Search Algorithm, Sine Cosine Algorithm, and JAYA Algorithms is proposed in this article to improve the efficiency of structural optimization and this algorithm shows obvious advantages in searching global optima compared with several other algorithms. The finite element model and aerodynamic model of the rudder are established to calculate the critical flutter speed. The results represent that the rudder structure optimized by the BJASCA algorithm shows better flutter characteristics and the critical flutter speed can be increased by 76.4% compared with the un-optimized structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the irradiation response of Al 2 O 3 –ZrO 2 –ZrC ceramic composites under 500 keV He ion irradiation at room temperature has been investigated. The microstructure evolution was studied by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), while the hardness was assessed using the nanoindentation method. The results showed that the composites consisted of α-Al 2 O 3 , t-ZrO 2 , and ZrC phases, and no phase transformations were observed. However, a marginal degradation of structural crystallinity and lattice swelling occurred after irradiation. The aggregation of He bubbles was observed at grain/phase boundaries near the damage peak region. He bubbles were mainly distributed in the α-Al 2 O 3 grains, with only a few in the t-ZrO 2 grains. Although no significant presence of He bubbles was discovered in the ZrC grains. the defects clusters mixed "black dot" defects, dislocation loops were observed. The nanoindentation hardness increased with the irradiation fluences up to 1.0 × 1017 ions/cm2, but decreased at a fluence of 2.0 × 1017 ions/cm2. In the peak damage region, He bubble bands were formed in some α-Al 2 O 3 and t-ZrO 2 grains at the fluence of 2.0 × 1017 ions/cm2. The bubble bands are responsible for the weakened irradiation hardening effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most legumes can form an endosymbiotic association with soil bacteria called rhizobia, which colonize specialized root structures called nodules where they fix nitrogen. To colonize nodule cells, rhizobia must first traverse the epidermis and outer cortical cell layers of the root. In most legumes, this involves formation of the infection thread, an intracellular structure that becomes colonized by rhizobia, guiding their passage through the outer cell layers of the root and into the newly formed nodule cells. In this brief review, we recount the early research milestones relating to the rhizobial infection thread and highlight two relatively recent advances in the symbiotic infection mechanism, the eukaryotically conserved 'MYB–AUR1–MAP' mitotic module, which links cytokinesis mechanisms to intracellular infection, and the discovery of the 'infectosome' complex, which guides infection thread growth. We also discuss the potential intertwining of the two modules and the hypothesis that cytokinesis served as a foundation for intracellular infection of symbiotic microbes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identify a universality in the Fermi level change of Van der Waals interacting semiconductor interfaces. We show that the disappearing of quasi-Fermi level pinning at a certain thickness of semiconductor films for both intrinsic (undoped) and extrinsic (doped) semiconductors over a wide range of bulk systems including inorganic, organic, and even organic–inorganic hybridized semiconductors. The Fermi level (EF) position located in the energy bandgap was dominated by not only the substrate work function (Φsub) but also the thickness of semiconductor films, in which the final EF shall be located at the position reflecting the thermal equilibrium of semiconductors themselves. Such universalities originate from the charge transfer between the substrate and semiconductor films after solving one-dimensional Poisson's equation. Our calculation resolves some of the conflicting results from experimental results determined by using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and unifies the general rule on extracting EF positions in energy bandgaps from (i) inorganic semiconductors to organic semiconductors and (ii) intrinsic (undoped) to extrinsic (doped) semiconductors. Our findings shall provide a simple analytical scaling for obtaining the "quantitative energy diagram" in the real devices, thus paving the way for a fundamental understanding of interface physics and designing functional devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid compressed air energy storage (H-CAES) system can effectively reduce the heat loss in the compression process, which is one of the important methods to solve the problem of renewable energy volatility. Based on the H-CAES system that combines adiabatic compression and isothermal compression, this paper proposes a liquid piston compressor arrangement to adapt to the input power fluctuation and proposes a power allocation calculation method to solve the adiabatic compression and isothermal compression in the H-CAES system, with an emphasis on analyzing the impact of the participation of renewable energy sources on the system performance. In addition, the H-CAES system is placed under wind-solar-storage conditions, and scheduling strategies judged by time-sharing electricity price are proposed for different scenarios to explore the actual operating effects of the H-CAES system. The results show that the arrangement of liquid piston compressors from large tanks with fewer groups to small tanks with more groups can better adapt to the power change while maintaining a better isothermal compression effect. On the basis of using the power allocation calculation method proposed in this paper, it is found that higher compressor outlet pressure and lower storage pressure can improve the system efficiency and economic benefits. The system is able to achieve 59.71% efficiency and 0.2261 annual return on investment at the compressor outlet pressure of 4 MPa. Finally, it is demonstrated that the combined operation of H-CAES and wind energy can serve to increase the operating income of the power plant, and a maximum of 8909.236 yuan in daily electricity generation revenue can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, attention is paid to the nonlinear vibrations and chaotic dynamic behaviors of rotating graphene platelets reinforced metal foams (GPLRMF) blades operating in a thermal environment. Considering three different distribution patterns of graphene platelets (GPL) and foams, the improved Halpin–Tsai model, mixing rules and Maxwell-Eucken model are applied to obtain the physical parameters of rotating GPLRMF plates. The motion equations of GPLRMF rotating plates are established through higher-order shear deformation theory (HSDT), in which the centrifugal force, Coriolis force and heat conduction are included. Under the cantilever and simply supported boundary conditions, the nonlinear ordinary differential equation (ODE) of the system is obtained by Galerkin method. The amplitude-frequency response, bifurcation curve, and chaotic motion of the rotating GPLRMF blades are analyzed with the aid of the methods of multi-scale and Runge–Kutta. Furthermore, comprehensive investigations into the effects of temperature, presetting angle, GPL distribution mode, foam distribution mode, volume fraction, porosity coefficient, rotational speed, damping coefficient, and excitation force on the nonlinear dynamics of rotating plates are performed through numerical analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human movement recognition is the use of perceptual technology to collect some of the limb or body movements presented. This practice involves the use of wireless signals, processing, and classification to identify some of the regular movements of the human body. It has a wide range of application prospects, including in intelligent pensions, remote health monitoring, and child supervision. Among the traditional human movement recognition methods, the widely used ones are video image-based recognition technology and Wi-Fi-based recognition technology. However, in some dim and imperfect weather environments, it is not easy to maintain a high performance and recognition rate for human movement recognition using video images. There is the problem of a low recognition degree for Wi-Fi recognition of human movement in the case of a complex environment. Most of the previous research on human movement recognition is based on LiDAR perception technology. LiDAR scanning using a three-dimensional static point cloud can only present the point cloud characteristics of static objects; it struggles to reflect all the characteristics of moving objects. In addition, due to its consideration of privacy and security issues, the dynamic millimeter-wave radar point cloud used in the previous study on the existing problems of human body movement recognition performance is better, with the recognition of human movement characteristics in non-line-of-sight situations as well as better protection of people's privacy. In this paper, we propose a human motion feature recognition system (PNHM) based on spatiotemporal information of the 3D point cloud of millimeter-wave radar, design a neural network based on the network PointNet++ in order to effectively recognize human motion features, and study four human motions based on the threshold method. The data set of the four movements of the human body at two angles in two experimental environments was constructed. This paper compares four standard mainstream 3D point cloud human action recognition models for the system. The experimental results show that the recognition accuracy of the human body's when walking upright can reach 94%, the recognition accuracy when moving from squatting to standing can reach 84%, that when moving from standing to sitting can reach 87%, and the recognition accuracy of falling can reach 93%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinear differential equations exhibit rich phenomena in many fields but are notoriously challenging to solve. Recently, Liu et al. (in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118(35), 2021) demonstrated the first efficient quantum algorithm for dissipative quadratic differential equations under the condition R < 1 , where R measures the ratio of nonlinearity to dissipation using the ℓ 2 norm. Here we develop an efficient quantum algorithm based on Liu et al. (2021) for reaction–diffusion equations, a class of nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs). To achieve this, we improve upon the Carleman linearization approach introduced in Liu et al. (2021) to obtain a faster convergence rate under the condition R D < 1 , where R D measures the ratio of nonlinearity to dissipation using the ℓ ∞ norm. Since R D is independent of the number of spatial grid points n while R increases with n, the criterion R D < 1 is significantly milder than R < 1 for high-dimensional systems and can stay convergent under grid refinement for approximating PDEs. As applications of our quantum algorithm we consider the Fisher-KPP and Allen-Cahn equations, which have interpretations in classical physics. In particular, we show how to estimate the mean square kinetic energy in the solution by postprocessing the quantum state that encodes it to extract derivative information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Tricholathys, found for the first time in China, is surveyed and seven new species, T. burangensis sp. nov. (♂♀, Thibet), T. chenzhenningi sp. nov. (♂♀, Qinghai), T. hebeiensis sp. nov. (♀, Hebei), T. lhunzeensis sp. nov. (♂♀, Tibet), Tricholathys relictoides sp. nov. (♂♀, Xinjiang), T. serrata sp. nov. (♂♀, Tibet), and T. xizangensis sp. nov. (♂♀, Tibet), are described. A new combination is proposed for Tricholathys alxa (Tang, 2011) comb. nov., ex. Argenna Thorell, 1870. Descriptions of all new species are provided, together with digital images, illustrations, and a distribution map. The DNA barcode information of four recently collected species is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Tibetan medicine Sug-Mel-sum-thang (SMST) is often used to treat insomnia disorder (ID); however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, network pharmacology prediction was conducted to analyze the molecular mechanisms of SMST in treating ID. Methods: The active ingredients of the three herbs used in SMST were obtained from the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Chemistry Database [DB/OL]. The chemical formulae of the active ingredients were downloaded from PubChem in canonical SMILES format. These were then imported into the SwissTargetPrediction platform to identify drug targets. ID targets were obtained from databases such as DrugBank, GeneCards, and DisGeNET. Potential targets of SMST for the treatment of ID were identified using the online Venny mapping platform. The potential target protein-protein interaction was constructed using the STRING platform, and the obtained protein-protein interaction information was imported into Cytoscape 3.7.1 for image optimization and core gene extraction and ClueGO in Cytoscape 3.7.1 was used for the enrichment analysis of potential targets. Cytoscape 3.7.1 was also used to construct the regulatory network of the Tibetan medicine compound target pathway and conduct a topological analysis. Results: The mechanism of action of SMST in the treatment of ID involved 72 compounds, including nerolidol, apigenin, luteolin, and piperine. The key targets identified were COMT, CNR1, AKT1, SLC6A4, TNF, CTNNB1, and CHRNA4. The enrichment analysis obtained 69 KEGG pathways, mainly related to Alzheimer's disease, cAMP signaling pathway, serotonergic synapse, and other pathways. The core active ingredient molecule docked with the target to a higher degree. The results showed that the active ingredient exhibited good binding activity with the related targets. Some parts with good docking fractions were selected for surface plasmon resonance analysis. Conclusion: Various active components in SMST play a role in the treatment of ID by acting on key targets, such as COMT and CNR1, to regulate multiple signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Azide polymers are currently a major research hotspot in the field of energetic materials, with the advantages of high energy, low sensitivity and good thermal stability. A series of new azide polymer-modified nitrocellulose (NC) spherical powder were prepared by the internal solution method with introducing different azide polymers (GAP, GAPA, GAPE, and GAP-ETPE) into NC. The effect of different azide polymers on the performance of NC spherical powder was investigated. The addition of azide polymers led to a decrease in the average particle size of the spherical powder. The addition of azide polymer substantially reduced the mechanical sensitivities of NC spherical powder and improved their thermal stability. The critical temperature of thermal explosion (Tb) and self-accelerated decomposition temperature (TSADT) of the modified spherical powder were 5~10 °C higher than those of the NC spherical powder. Meanwhile, the mechanical sensitivities of the azide polymer-modified spherical powder were significantly reduced, in which the impact sensitivity was reduced by about 30.3%~65.3%, and the friction sensitivity was reduced by about 23.3%~41.1%. Therefore, the azide polymer-modified spherical powder have more excellent thermal stability and safety performance, and probably have a broader application prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high sensitivity of nitramine explosives limits their wide application, and an effective way to reduce the sensitivity is to coat them. In this study, four types of azide polymers (GAP, GAPA, GAPE, GAP-ETPE) and nitrocellulose (NC) were selected as the coating materials to coat RDX by the solvent evaporation method. The morphology, structure, dimensions and coating quality of the composite microspheres were investigated by SEM, laser particle size measurement, XRD, XPS and FT-IR. The results indicated that uniformly coated RDX composite microspheres with high sphericity and uniform particle size distribution were prepared. In addition, the thermal stability of the composite microspheres was further analyzed by DSC. The results showed that the critical temperature of thermal explosion (T b ) and self-accelerated decomposition temperature (T SADT ) of the azide polymer/NC/RDX composite microspheres were increased from 211.92°C and 198.49°C to 218.82°C and 206.19°C, respectively. In addition, mechanical sensitivity tests showed that the friction sensitivity and impact sensitivity of the composite microspheres were reduced by 24% ~36% and 35% ~58%, respectively.Therefore, this work demonstrates the beneficial effects of azide polymers and NC as coating materials for nitramine explosives and provides a reference for the desensitization research of nitramine explosives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting and characterizing subgroups with differential effects of a binary treatment has been widely studied and led to improvements in patient outcomes and population risk management. Under the setting of a continuous treatment, however, such investigations remain scarce. We propose a semiparametric change‐plane model and consequently a doubly robust test statistic for assessing the existence of two subgroups with differential treatment effects under a continuous treatment. The proposed testing procedure is valid when either the baseline function for the covariate effects or the generalized propensity score function for the continuous treatment is correctly specified. The asymptotic distributions of the test statistic under the null and local alternative hypotheses are established. When the null hypothesis of no subgroup is rejected, the change‐plane parameters that define the subgroups can be estimated. This paper provides a unified framework of the change‐plane method to handle various types of outcomes, including the exponential family of distributions and time‐to‐event outcomes. Additional extensions with nonparametric estimation approaches are also provided. We evaluate the performance of our proposed methods through extensive simulation studies under various scenarios. An application to the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study with a continuous environmental exposure of arsenic is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the knowledge, practices and attitudes of Ohio school nurses regarding school absenteeism (SA) for dental treatment. Methods: A 40-item questionnaire was generated and distributed to 246 attendees at an annual conference for Ohio school nurses in December 2019. Results: The response rate was 65.9 percent (n=162 out of 246 attendees) and 136 surveys were eligible for inclusion. The sample was female (100 percent), worked at public schools (86.0 percent, n=117) and trained as registered nurses (83.8 percent, n=114). Nurses reported no change in concerns over children missing school for dental appointments in the last five years (69.9 percent, n=95) and most agreed that SA for dental visits "almost never" negatively impacted the educational needs of children. The medical history of the patient was the most common factor when determining the duration of a school excuse (81.6 percent, n=111) and the potential for pain was the most common dental consideration (93.4 percent, n=127). Nurses reported that they "sometimes" had problems with a child after a dental visit (44.9 percent, n=61) and pain was the most reported problem (83.8 percent, n=114). Conclusion: Nurses did not feel that SA for dental treatment negatively impacted the educational needs of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A direct implicit discretization approach is presented for an arbitrary non-conformal interface by using a virtual cell on unstructured meshes. In this study, the virtual cell is supposed to be located at the neighbour of a target cell adjacent to the non-conformal interface. Any computational value on a virtual cell is formulated as a linear combination of values on contribution cells, which are determined by the nearest neighbouring cells or surface intersecting cells. The linear formulation simplifies the process of implementing implicit discretization for the governing equations. The approach is simple and efficient for information transfer through the interface because it avoids mesh stitching or iterations based on explicit discretization for treating topologically inconsistent meshes. Several numerical tests verify that the proposed method is capable and efficient for dealing with the arbitrary non-conformal interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

See also the Commentary on this article by Fonouni‐Farde & Frugier, 239: 449–451. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most common extracranial solid tumors in children. MYCN gene amplification is highly associated with poor prognosis in high-risk NB patients. In non-MYCN-amplified high-risk NB patients, the expression of c-MYC (MYCC) and its target genes is highly elevated. USP28 as a deubiquitinase is known to regulate the stability of MYCC. We show here USP28 also regulates the stability of MYCN. Genetic depletion or pharmacologic inhibition of the deubiquitinase strongly destabilizes MYCN and stops the growth of NB cells that overexpress MYCN. In addition, MYCC could be similarly destabilized in non-MYCN NB cells by compromising USP28 function. Our results strongly suggest USP28 as a therapeutic target for NB with or without MYCN amplification/overexpression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precise measurement of temperature is crucial in various fields such as biology, medicine, industrial automation, energy management, and daily life applications. While in most scenarios, sensors with a fixed thermal conductivity inevitably mismatch the analogous parameter of the medium being measured, thus causing the distortion and inaccurate detection of original temperature fields. Despite recent efforts on addressing the parameter-mismatch issue, all current solutions are constrained to a fixed working medium, whereas a more universal sensor should function in a variety of scenes. Here, we report a dynamic and reconfigurable thermal sensor capable of highly accurate measurements in diverse working environments. Remarkably, thanks to the highly tunable thermal conductivity of the expanded-plane structure, this sensor works effectively on background mediums with a wide range of conductivity. Such a development greatly enhances the robustness and adaptability of thermal sensors, setting a solid foundation for applications in multi-physical sensing scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Nasal polyps (NPs) is a common upper airway inflammatory disorder with a huge negative burden on both the quality of life and costs to patients. However, NPs patients remain undiagnosed and untreated in a timely, which may be due to a lack of disease-related awareness. Google Trends (GT) is an online and open tool, which can provide real-world data on health informatics worldwide. Objectives: This study aimed to explore global public interest and awareness in nasal polyps (NPs) by performing a GT analysis. Methods: Data on relative search volume (RSV) for NPs globally were collected by the public website Google Trends from January 2007 to December 2021. Top-related topics, rising-related topics, and regions were extracted for further analysis. Seasonal variation analysis, the latitude difference analysis, and the rising-related topics between the developed countries and the developing countries were analyzed. A P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The average searching strength showed an overall increasing trend, although with slight fluctuation. The public interest of NPs focuses on the symptoms and treatment for NPs and changes with time. For seasonal variation countries, the peak for the RSV occurred in winter and the bottom in summer. A region in higher latitudes may yield more RSV than that in lower latitudes. The rising-related topics in the recent 5 years reflected the significant differences in treatment and public interest of NPs between the developed and developing countries. Conclusions: Google Trends analysis revealed global public interest and awareness of the evolution of trends and related topics in nasal polyps over time. Geographic distribution and seasonal variation may be potential trigger factors for NPs, and the public's interest in treatment especially biologics is rising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are among the most common complications in patients with diabetes and a leading cause of lower extremity amputation. DFUs are exacerbated by prolonged bacterial infection; therefore, there is an urgent need for effective treatments to alleviate the burden associated with this condition. Although autophagy plays a unique role in pathogen phagocytosis and inflammation, its role in diabetic foot infections (DFIs) remains unclear. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is the most frequently isolated gram‐negative bacterium from DFUs. Here, we evaluated the role of autophagy in ameliorating PA infection in wounds in a diabetic rat model and a bone marrow‐derived macrophage (BMDM) hyperglycemia model. Both models were pretreated with or without rapamycin (RAPA) and then infected with or without PA. Pretreatment of rats with RAPA significantly enhanced PA phagocytosis, suppressed wound inflammation, reduced the M1:M2 macrophage ratio, and improved wound healing. In vitro investigation of the underlying mechanisms revealed that enhanced autophagy resulted in decreased macrophage secretion of inflammatory factors such as TNF‐α, IL‐6, and IL‐1β but increased that of IL‐10 in response to PA infection. Additionally, RAPA treatment significantly enhanced autophagy in macrophages by increasing LC3 and beclin‐1 levels, which led to altered macrophage function. Furthermore, RAPA blocked the PA‐induced TLR4/MyD88 pathway to regulate macrophage polarisation and inflammatory cytokine production, which was validated by RNA interference and use of the autophagy inhibitor 3‐methyladenine (3‐MA). These findings suggest enhancing autophagy as a novel therapeutic strategy against PA infection to ultimately improve diabetic wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the transition density and exponential ergodicity for affine processes on the canonical state space R≥0m×Rn$\mathbb {R}_{\ge 0}^{m}\times \mathbb {R}^{n}$. Under a Hörmander‐type condition for diffusion components as well as a boundary nonattainment condition, we derive the existence and regularity of the transition densities and then prove the strong Feller property of the associated semigroup. Moreover, we also show that, under an additional subcriticality condition on the drift, the corresponding affine process is exponentially ergodic in the total variation distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitosan (CS) is a natural and low-cost adsorbent for capturing metal ions and organic compounds. However, the high solubility of CS in acidic solution would make it difficult to recycle the adsorbent from the liquid phase. In this study, the CS/Fe3O4 was prepared via Fe3O4 nanoparticles immobilized onto a CS surface, and the DCS/Fe3O4-Cu was further fabricated after surface modification and the adsorption of Cu ions. The meticulously tailored material displayed the sub-micron size of an agglomerated structure with numerous magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles. During the adsorption of methyl orange (MO), the DCS/Fe3O4-Cu delivered a superior removal efficiency of 96.4% at 40 min, which is more than twice the removal efficiency of 38.7% for pristine CS/Fe3O4. At an initial MO concentration of 100 mg L−1, the DCS/Fe3O4-Cu exhibited the maximum adsorption capacity of 144.60 mg g−1. The experimental data were well explained by the pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir isotherm, suggesting the dominant monolayer adsorption. The composite adsorbent still maintained a large removal rate of 93.5% after five regeneration cycles. This work develops an effective strategy to simultaneously achieve high adsorption performance and convenient recyclability for wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the robust optimal output regulation problem for the constrained uncertain nonlinear systems. A two‐step design framework is proposed to overcome the difficulties brought by uncertainties, constraint and performance optimization. First, the feedforward controller is designed by the internal model principle, and the robust output regulation problem is transformed into the robust stabilization problem. Then, the optimal control problem with input saturation is further considered in the robust feedback controller design process. With the help of a non‐quadratic cost functional, actor‐critic algorithm and robust redesign technique are brought together to design the constrained robust optimal feedback controller. Finally, stability analysis based on Lyapunov method shows that all the signals of the closed‐loop system remain bounded, and the tracking error is uniformly ultimately bounded with arbitrarily small ultimate bound. Simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine visual search strategies of skilled basketball players in an anticipation task. This study selected 48 experienced and inexperienced basketball players. The participants were grouped into novice and expert groups based on their experience. The participants were asked to look at series of pictures of offensive patterns of play in a basketball game from a third person perspective and chose one of the three options: passing, shooting and break through. This study measured and recorded the response time, key pressing results, and eye movements. Eye movement data were recorded using the Tobii X-3 120 eye tracker. The results showed that, the expert group demonstrated superior anticipation performance, and were more accuracy. In addition, the results showed that participants in the expert group and faster predicted the offensive way faster than the novice group. The results also showed that experienced basketball players employed a simple and efficient visual search strategy including greater fixation counts and longer fixation duration on more informative areas than the novice group. Furthermore, the visualization metrics showed that the expert group had a more concise fixation trajectory and focused mainly on key information area. Generally, expert players exhibited a more efficient and effective visual search strategy demonstrating better performance on anticipation tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunoassays are currently not available in commercial kits for the quantification of valproic acid, vigabatrin, pregabalin, and gabapentin, which also cannot suffer the limitations of interferences of substances with similar structures. Chromatography is a good alternative to immunoassay. In this study, a simple and robust non‐derivatization gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry method for simultaneous determination of the above four drugs in human plasma was developed and validated for therapeutic drug monitoring purposes. This method employed benzoic acid as the internal standard with hydrochloric acid for plasma acidification and ACN for precipitate protein. The supernatant was directly injected into gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry for analysis. Good linearity was obtained with linear correlation coefficients of the four analytes of 0.9988–0.9996. Extraction recoveries of valproic acid, vigabatrin, pregabalin, and gabapentin were respectively in the ranges of 91.3%–94.5%, 90.0%–90.9%, 90.0%–92.1%, and 88.0%–92.2% with the relative standard deviation values less than 12.6%. Intra‐ and inter‐batch precision and accuracy, and stability assays were all acceptable. Taken together, the novel method developed in this study provided easy plasma pretreatment, good extraction yield, and high chromatographic resolution, which has been successfully validated through the quantification of valproic acid in the plasma of 46 patients with epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To recycle waste clay bricks and alleviate the physical and mechanical performance degradation of slag-based geopolymer foam concrete (SGFC) in thermal exposure, the brick powder (BP) was utilized to prepare slag-brick powder based geopolymer foam. The thermal stability of SGFC was evaluated comprehensively by introducing the strength and volume loss rate, and surface crack area after thermal exposure. Additionally, the composition and transformation of the phases before and after fire were quantitatively characterized by XRD, TG-DSC and FTIR. The results showed that the addition of BP significantly could greatly improve the thermal stability of SGFC, subsequently alleviate the volume shrinkage and reduce surface cracks after thermal exposure. The reason was that the BP changed the reaction products of SGFC and the phase transitions during thermal exposure. Specifically, the brick powder introduced a new phase, yoshiokaite, and decreased the melting sintering temperature (sintering point) of SGFC in fire. The SGFC with 20 wt% brick powder exhibited the optimal comprehensive thermal stability after 800℃ thermal exposure: the surface crack area decreased by 21.00 %, and the volume shrinkage reduced by approximately 10 %, with a residual strength of 1.06 MPa. This study demonstrates that ambient cured geopolymer foams prepared with slag and BP can achieve excellent thermal stability under temperature over 800℃. ● The thermal stability of slag-based geopolymer foam concrete was improved by the addition of brick powder. ● The unique hydrophilicity and loose surface structure of the brick powder play the role of internal curing and high temperature crack resistance. ● SGFC with 20% brick powder has excellent cracking resistance and volume stability after thermal exposure. ● The evolution of surface cracks and gel quantity after thermal exposure was quantitatively analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization poses a significant global challenge, exerting adverse effects on both agriculture and ecosystems. Planting halophytes has the potential ability to improve saline-alkali land and enhance ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF). However, it remains unclear which halophytes are effective in improving saline-alkali land and what impact they have on the rhizosphere microbial communities and EMF. In this study, we evaluated the Na+ absorption capability of five halophytes (Grubovia dasyphylla , Halogeton glomeratus , Suaeda salsa , Bassia scoparia , and Reaumuria songarica) and assessed their rhizosphere microbial communities and EMF. The results showed that S. salsa possessed the highest shoot (3.13 mmol g−1) and root (0.92 mmol g−1) Na+ content, and its soil Na+ absorption, along with B. scoparia , was significantly higher than that of other plants. The soil pH, salinity, and Na+ content of the halophyte rhizospheres decreased by 6.21%, 23.49%, and 64.29%, respectively, when compared to the bulk soil. Extracellular enzymes in the halophyte rhizosphere soil, including α-glucosidase, β-glucosidase, β-1,4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, neutral phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase, increased by 70.1%, 78.4%, 38.5%, 79.1%, and 64.9%, respectively. Furthermore, the halophyte rhizosphere exhibited higher network complexity of bacteria and fungi and EMF than bulk soil. The relative abundance of the dominant phyla Proteobacteria , Firmicutes , and Ascomycota in the halophyte rhizosphere soil increased by 9.4%, 8.3%, and 22.25%, respectively, and showed higher microbial network complexity compared to the bulk soil. Additionally, keystone taxa, including Muricauda , Nocardioides , and Pontibacter , were identified with notable effects on EMF. This study confirmed that euhalophytes are the best choice for saline-alkali land restoration. These findings provided a theoretical basis for the sustainable use of saline-alkali cultivated land. • Bassia scoparia and Suaeda salsa exhibit high Na + absorption to improve saline-alkali land. • Planting halophytes reduces soil pH and salinity, and increases soil enzyme activity. • Halophytes enhances rhizosphere network complexity and ecosystem multifunctionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni-based alloys are promising materials for advanced nuclear reactors operating at high temperatures due to their exceptional resistance to high temperatures and corrosion. Understanding the synergy of phase stability and helium effects is crucial for assessing the long-term performance and reliability of these alloys in advanced nuclear reactors. This study has investigated the co-evolution behavior of M 23 C 6 precipitates and cavities in a boron-free solid solution strengthened Ni-based alloy GH3617 under high-temperature He ion irradiation, and its impact on alloy swelling and mechanical properties, by He ion irradiation experiments with the highest fluence of 1 × 1017 He/cm2 up to 800 °C. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Nanoindentation are employed to investigate microstructural evolution and mechanical properties, respectively. The findings show that at room temperature and 500 °C, cavities and dislocation loops were the dominant irradiation defects, whereas at 800 °C, the density of cavities and dislocations reduced while the formation of M 23 C 6 precipitates increased. These precipitates act as effective trapping sites for He and point defect, leading to cavity formation at the interfaces or within the precipitates. Moreover, increased irradiation fluence accelerates the co-evolution process, resulting in an increase in the density and size of both precipitates and cavities, ultimately leading to enhanced swelling. The {111} planes are favored interfaces between intragranular M 23 C 6 precipitates and the matrix due to their minimal misfit, while the preferred interface planes between cavities with octahedral or cubo-octahedral shapes and the precipitate/matrix are also {111}, owing to their lower surface energy as well. The co-evolution of cavities and precipitates was found to influence mechanical properties, resulting in an irradiation hardening effect at lower fluences, while softening at higher fluences. This study provides novel insights into the degradation mechanisms of Ni-based alloys under coupling effect of He and high-temperature irradiation. • Co-evolution of M 23 C 6 precipitates and cavities were investigated in a boron-free Ni-based alloys GH3617 under high-temperature He ion irradiation. • The formation of M 23 C 6 precipitates and associated cavities was found at 800 °C. • Increased irradiation dose accelerates the co-evolution process of M 23 C 6 precipitates and cavities • The co-evolution of cavities and precipitates can resultin an irradiation hardening effect at lower fluences, while softening at higher fluences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-time monitoring and accurately understanding the continuous occurring psychical-chemical characterization during the hardening process of alkali-activated materials present a formidable challenge. In this study, the early-age reaction process of alkali-activated slag-waste brick powder paste (ASWP) was in-situ and continuous monitored by using acoustic emission (AE) system and temperature. A novel machine learning method was employed to categorize the evolution of AE signals into three distinct stages: reaction acceleration, reaction stabilization and volume shrinkage stage. During reaction acceleration stage (0–2h), the waste brick powder (WBP) increased AE counts rate (4000–7300 counts/h), with RT values exceeding 200μs, indicating the settlement of WBP. Additionally, WBP reduced the high r -value AE activity in volume shrinkage stage, effectively mitigated the drastic volume shrinkage, and delayed its occurrence time by approximately 4 h. Semi-quantitative analyses of FTIR and TG-DTG indicate that WBP reduced gel phase formation in the early-age stage, decreasing the relative areas in Q2 site by 16% before 36 h. However, WBP positively impacted ASWP hydration at long ages, increasing Q2 site d areas by 60%–100%. AE technique offers a new perspective for in-depth understanding of the reaction mechanism and microstructural development of alkali-activated materials in situ and continuously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The letter published in Heart & Vessels discusses the predictors of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in hospitalized chronic heart failure patients. The study by Yuan et al. identified age, history of Diabetes Mellitus, D-Dimer levels, alanine transferase levels, and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter as independent predictors of DVT, while chronic kidney disease, white blood cell count, and direct oral anticoagulant were protective factors. However, the authors raise concerns about the statistical analysis and selection criteria of variables in the study. Despite these concerns, they express respect for the work done by Yuan et al. [Extracted from the article]

• Consider the combined disturbance of rotating speed and rotor displacement. • Build a dynamic model of variable speed rotating blades under parametric and forced excitation. • Propose a method of varying amplitude to determine the typical tuned and detuned solutions. • Reveal the nonlinear interaction between principal and parametric resonances. It is generally acknowledged that the disturbance of rotating speed will cause parametric resonance for blades, and the presence of rotor displacement also can make the blade vibrate transversely. However, the coupled resonance mechanism of blades under the combined action of rotating speed disturbance and rotor displacement is not yet clear. To answer this question, this article investigates the nonlinear coupled resonance behavior of rotating blades in two cases: typical tuned (the frequency ratio of parametric and forced excitations equals 2:1) and frequency ratio detuned. A nonlinear vibration equation for rotating blades is established based on Euler beam theory in conjunction with geometric nonlinearity. The mixing rule and modified Halpin-Tsai model are used to calculate the effective properties of GPLRMF materials. Subsequently, using the method of varying amplitudes (MVA), an approximate analytical solution of the coupled resonance response is derived, the Jacobian matrix is used to determine the stability of non-trivial solutions, and the accuracy of the analytical results is verified with the aid of numerical solutions. Finally, the steady-state response of typical tuned and detuned coupled resonance is analyzed, and the influence mechanism of factors such as excitation amplitude, excitation phase angle and other parameters on coupled resonance is studied in detail. The results indicate that the supercritical coupled resonance curve exhibits double resonance peaks and jumps. Meanwhile, the steady-state response of coupled resonance highly depends on the excitation phase angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Adsorptions of all ORR/OER intermediates on various graphene-based electrocatalysts are studied. • Direct correlation between adsorption strength of a surface site and its local aromaticity is found. • The catalysts always maximumly preserve their system aromaticity and structural stability during the reaction. • A novel understanding of heterogeneous catalysis reactivity from the magnetic response properties of catalysts is provided. The adsorption behaviors of active sites for various adsorbates in reactions determine the performance of a catalyst, and different surface positions usually exhibit diverse adsorption strengths for the same species. Herein, density functional theory calculations were conducted to study the adsorptions of all oxygen-containing intermediates in oxygen reduction/evolution reactions (ORR/OER) on the surfaces of various graphene-based electrocatalysts with varied heteroatoms and coordination environments. By using the local aromaticity concept, we found a direct correlation between the adsorption strength of a metal/nonmetal site and its NICS(1) ZZ (perpendicular tensor of the nucleus-independent chemical shift at 1 Å above plane) value: positive (antiaromatic) and negative (aromatic) values basically correspond to stronger and weaker adsorptions, respectively. Consistently, the linear relationship between aromatic characteristics and adsorption behavior can be obtained from the magnetic induced ring currents at the surface sites as well. The stronger adsorptions at the antiaromatic sites may because these catalysts always tend to maximumly preserve their global aromaticities and structural stabilities. Our work not only demonstrates that local aromaticity can serve as a useful indicator for predicting/evaluating the adsorption abilities of various catalyst sites, but also provides a novel understanding of the complex heterocatalytic process from the magnetic response properties of catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The isothermal compressed air energy storage (I-CAES) technology boasts the advantages of high theoretical round-trip efficiency and zero carbon emissions. In order to rapidly and efficiently assess the thermodynamic performance of I-CAES, and addressing the limitations of the overly complex thermodynamic model for spray heat exchanged closed-loop I-CAES (CI-CAES), this paper establishes a dimensionless evaluation model related to container size and initial state a * , spray water quantity b * , start or end spraying time c * , and the ratio of liquid level to droplet velocity u *. The expressions for evaluation indicators such as round-trip efficiency, indicated efficiency, compression exergy efficiency, and expansion exergy efficiency are summarized, revealing the impact patterns of dimensionless numbers on the thermodynamic performance of CI-CAES. The results show that the relative difference in the percentage of air enthalpy change calculated using the real gas model versus the ideal gas model during the expansion stage is 88.26 %. The indicated efficiency and round-trip efficiency of CI-CAES simulated by the real gas model were 88.18 % and 60.51 %, respectively, for the design parameters, and the variable condition operation of the hydrodynamic machinery was the main reason for the lower round-trip efficiency. The larger the values of a * and b * , the closer to the isothermal process, and the greater the effect of b * on the performance of the CI-CAES system compared to the two. When b * is 50, the polytropic indices of the compression and expansion stages reach 1.03 and 1.01, respectively. The round-trip, compression exergy efficiency and expansion exergy efficiency all vary parabolically with c * , suggesting that there is an optimal c * that optimizes the system performance. The change in pressure ratio has a greater effect on round-trip efficiency and on the percentage change in air enthalpy during compression and expansion, and u * has a lesser effect on system performance. The results of the research can provide theoretical guidance for the efficient operation of CI-CAES. • A CI-CAES dimensionless assessment model for spray heat transfer is developed. • Comparison of the effects of real and ideal gases on system performance is made. • The effect of dimensionless numbers on system performance is explored. • The developed dimensionless model simplifies the calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floating Photovoltaic (FPV) systems are emerging as a new type of ocean renewable energy, offering advantages such as avoiding land use and promoting power generation efficiency. Providing significant cost-effectiveness for manufacturing, transportation, and installation, FPV systems with modular floating platforms exhibit the potential to replace the conventional large steel-frame one. However, the performance of such multi-floating body structures under wave conditions remain underexplored. In this paper, based on potential flow theory, the motion characteristics and power performance of the proposed FPV array connected by the articulated system are evaluated. The results indicate that the FPV arrays with shorter floating structures exhibit greater pitch motion, especially when the wave condition matches the pitch resonance. For multi-float cases, the articulated system, optimized with appropriate parameters, demonstrates efficacy as attenuators. Additionally, the proposed FPV array has great potential to serve as an infrastructure for integrating solar and wave energy. For a selected offshore site, potential wave energy output from motion attenuators between FPV floaters is assessed together with solar energy output. Overall, this study serves as a valuable reference for the design and optimization of the multi-modules FPV and advances the research on combined solar and wave energy utilization on floating structures. • Constraint dynamics of a wave and solar hybrid system are modeled. • Key factors in the power performance of the devices are analyzed. • An optimization strategy for the array is proposed. • Power performance is evaluated based on real wave environment in China seas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Two Ce MOFs based on different valence states of Ce were successfully fabricated. • The influence and mechanism of valence states of Ce ions on the performance of EMWA were clearly elucidated. Low frequency electromagnetic waves are widely used in human daily life, especially in the areas of wireless communication and medical technology. However, the wide application of these low frequency electromagnetic waves has caused the inevitable electromagnetic pollution and interferences. Hence, the fabrication of functional absorbers to dissipate the electromagnetic wave is the effective way to solve this problem. It is worth to note that the unique magnetism and conductivity which are arising from the unique 4f electron layer of Ce atoms will undoubtedly facilitate the dielectric and magnetic losses during the electromagnetic wave attenuation process. Nonetheless, Ce based MOF materials are barely reported as the electromagnetic wave absorbers. Therefore, two Ce-MOFs, based on different valence states of Ce, have been successfully fabricated here. The Ce(IV)-MOF based electromagnetic wave absorber exhibits the better EMWA performance: the minimum RL value of Ce(IV)-MOF is –32.12 dB @4.56 GHz under the thickness of 5.5 mm, while the EAB(effective absorption band) of Ce(IV)-MOF of 2.88 GHz (3.92 to 6.8 GHz) can be achieved, indicating the effective absorption of C-band electromagnetic waves. Moreover, the influence of different valence states of Ce on the electromagnetic wave absorption (EMWA) has been initially investigated and elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantum dense output problem is the process of evaluating time-accumulated observables from time-dependent quantum dynamics using quantum computers. This problem arises frequently in applications such as quantum control and spectroscopic computation. We present a range of algorithms designed to operate on both early and fully fault-tolerant quantum platforms. These methodologies draw upon techniques like amplitude estimation, Hamiltonian simulation, quantum linear Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) solvers, and quantum Carleman linearization. We provide a comprehensive complexity analysis with respect to the evolution time T and error tolerance ϵ. Our results demonstrate that the linearization approach can nearly achieve optimal complexity O (T / ϵ) for a certain type of low-rank dense outputs. Moreover, we provide a linearization of the dense output problem that yields an exact and finite-dimensional closure which encompasses the original states. This formulation is related to the Koopman Invariant Subspace theory and may be of independent interest in nonlinear control and scientific machine learning. • Early fault-tolerant quantum algorithm by Hamiltonian simulation and Hadamard test. • Hamiltonian simulations with amplitude estimation achieve the Heisenberg limit. • Quantum Carleman linearization achieves the nearly optimal linear time complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Detailed CO 2 RR mechanism on two typical dual-atom electrocatalysts is disclosed. • Good catalytic activity and selectivity for C 2 products such as C 2 H 4 are predicted. • Key C-C coupling steps are compared and differences are rationalized. • Wavefunction analyses reveal several critical characteristics to achieve C-C coupling. Electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction (eCO 2 RR) can produce fuels, valuable chemicals, and help achieve carbon neutrality. However, obtaining target C 2 products (e.g., ethylene and ethanol) with high activity and selectivity is still challenging. In this work, we chose the CoCu/CoNi dual atoms incorporated N-doped graphene (CoCuN 6 -gra) and C 2 N (CoNi-C 2 N) as the model catalysts to study the detailed eCO 2 RR process by using density functional theory calculations. The results reveal that CoCuN 6 -gra and CoNi-C 2 N both exhibit good catalytic activity and selectivity for ethylene with low limiting potentials (-0.56 and -0.50 V) and energy barriers (0.56 and 0.62 eV). The C-C coupling reaction prefers to occur at the *CO+*CHO → *COCHO step on CoCuN 6 -gra and *CHOH+*CO → *CHOHCO step on CoNi-C 2 N rather than their previous *CO+*CO → *COCO. Quantum chemistry wavefunction analyses rationalize this reaction difference and further disclose that three important characteristics could help achieve the C-C coupling: (1) weakened interactions between metal site and intermediate; (2) lowered orbital components of adsorbate carbon atoms in the metal-carbon bonds; (3) reduced electrostatic repulsion between the two coupling carbon atoms after accepting electrons from the hydrogen and/or metal atoms. Our work not only demonstrates the promising eCO 2 RR performance of the emerging CoCuN 6 -gra and CoNi-C 2 N dual-atom catalysts, but also provides a novel and in-depth wavefunction understanding for the rational design of more electrocatalysts to obtain various multicarbon products. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the problem of water pollution, caused by antibiotics, is becoming more and more serious. Photocatalysis is one of the promising technologies for removing antibiotics from water. Herein, the In2.77S4/Ti3C2 composites were prepared by an in-situ hydrothermal growth method for photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline (TC). The as-developed composites were characterized by various methods. The UV–Vis DRS spectra reveals that the introduction of Ti3C2 makes the bandgap of the as-prepared composites smaller and the visible light absorption ability improved. The photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the as-prepared composite is enhanced under visible light illumination. It is shown as first increasing and then decreasing with increasing the content of Ti3C2 in the composite and reaches to the maximum of 89.3% in 90 min, which is higher than 75.1% of In2.77S4 and 6.7% of Ti3C2. The reason of improvement is the interface between In2.77S4 and Ti3C2 is tightly combined to form a heterojunction. Moreover, the photocurrent intensity of the as-obtained composite is improved, while its Nyquist arc radius is decreased. In addition, holes are the main active species and ·OH and ·O2− play an auxiliary role during the degradation of TC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pre-trained neural language model (LM) is usually used to generate texts. Due to exposure bias, the generated text is not as good as real text. Many researchers claimed they employed the Generative Adversarial Nets (GAN) to alleviate this issue by feeding reward signals from a discriminator to update the LM (generator). However, some researchers argued that GAN did not work by evaluating the generated texts with a quality-diversity metric such as Bleu versus self-Bleu, and language model score versus reverse language model score. Unfortunately, these two-dimension metrics are not reliable. Furthermore, the existing methods only assessed the final generated texts, thus neglecting the dynamic evaluating the adversarial learning process. Different from the above-mentioned methods, we adopted the most recent metric functions, which measure the distributional discrepancy between real and generated text. Besides that, we design a comprehensive experiment to investigate the performance during the learning process. First, we evaluate a language model with two functions and identify a large discrepancy. Then, several methods with the detected discrepancy signal to improve the generator were tried. Experimenting with two language GANs on two benchmark datasets, we found that the distributional discrepancy increases with more adversarial learning rounds. Our research provides convicted evidence that the language GANs fail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]