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Time-consuming ocean transportation for international trades requires enterprises to advance payments for goods, which can be fatal for small and medium enterprises with insufficient self-owned capital. Logistics finance is an effective solution for tackling this problem. However, traditional logistics finance has long been plagued by information asymmetry, tremendous paperwork, and long financing cycles. As a distributed database with characteristics of transparency, traceability, and immutability, blockchain technology shows good potential in addressing pain points on traditional logistics financing platforms. This paper focuses on the operational mechanism and value analysis of the blockchain-based port logistics finance platform. The conceptual architecture of the blockchain-based port logistics finance platform is constructed, and a value analysis model based on the Newsboy Model is established for quantitatively analysing the platform's value. The results revealed that the introduction of the blockchain into port logistics financing can significantly improve small to medium-sized enterprises' profitability by providing reliable financing channels. The results also indicate that participants' profit on the blockchain-based platform may be influenced by the speed of market expansion, initial capital size, and financing cost. This paper also discusses theoretical and managerial implications by providing insights into the participants' decision-making on the platform under different constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the accelerated development of technology towards automation and intelligence, autonomous decision-making capabilities in unmanned systems are poised to play a crucial role in contemporary aerial two-player zero-sum games (TZSGs). Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) methods enable agents to make autonomous manoeuvring decisions. This paper focuses on current mainstream DRL algorithms based on fundamental tactical manoeuvres, selecting a typical aerial TZSG scenario—within visual range (WVR) combat. We model the key elements influencing the game using a Markov decision process (MDP) and demonstrate the mathematical foundation for implementing DRL. Leveraging high-fidelity simulation software (Warsim v1.0), we design a prototypical close-range aerial combat scenario. Utilizing this environment, we train mainstream DRL algorithms and analyse the training outcomes. The effectiveness of these algorithms in enabling agents to manoeuvre in aerial TZSG autonomously is summarised, providing a foundational basis for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Port digital transformation requires substantial investments. However, the benefits after transformation are difficult to accurately predict due to incomplete information available to ports. Balancing digital investments with benefits poses a key challenge for ports. We propose a game model based on revenue sharing between the port and the technology company to determine the digital level in equilibrium under incomplete information. Our study reveals that the incomplete information influences digital level of ports. When information is incomplete and ambiguous, the digital level of ports may be lower. However, significant ambiguous does not necessarily decrease the digital level due to risk pooling and agent cost effects. Additionally, revenue sharing reduces the incentive for technology company to withhold private information, and specific sharing ratios are identified. The study also finds that under incomplete information, digital level of port initially increases and then decreases with increasing optimism or the ratio of port's retained revenue. By considering these factors, our study provides guidance for ports in optimal investment strategies for digital transformation. • When information is significant ambiguous, the digital level of ports may not necessarily decrease due to risk pooling and agent cost effects. • Under incomplete information, digital level of ports initially increases and then decreases with increasing optimism or the ratio of port's retained revenue. • The revenue sharing ratio should also be carefully determined, with the port retention no less than 40%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expression of polysialic acid (polySia) on the neuronal cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) is called NCAM-polysialylation, which is strongly related to the migration and invasion of tumor cells and aggressive clinical status. Thus, it is important to select a proper drug to block tumor cell migration during clinical treatment. In this study, we proposed that lactoferrin (LFcinB11) may be a better candidate for inhibiting NCAM polysialylation when compared with CMP and low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), which were determined based on our NMR studies. Furthermore, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) represent the most dramatic stage in the cell death process, and the release of NETs is related to the pathogenesis of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, with proposed involvement in glomerulonephritis, chronic lung disease, sepsis, and vascular disorders. In this study, the molecular mechanisms involved in the inhibition of NET release using LFcinB11 as an inhibitor were also determined. Based on these results, LFcinB11 is proposed as being a bifunctional inhibitor for inhibiting both NCAM polysialylation and the release of NETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the effects and molecular mechanisms of naringenin (Nar) on the proliferation, migration and collagen synthesis of keloid fibroblasts (KFs) . Methods KFs were divided into control group and Nar group treated with Nar at concentrations of 10, 25, 50, 100 and 150 µmol/L, and the effects of Nar on the proliferation of KFs were analyzed using CCK- 8 assay. Western blot was performed to detect the effects of Nar on the expression levels of Col-1, FN, α-SMA, and MMP9, and the expression levels of Smad2/3 and p-Smad2/3 in KFs pretreated with TGF-β1. Results Compared with the control group, the proliferation ability of KFs was significantly inhibited by Nar at a concentration of ≥50 µmol /L (P <0. 05) . Similarly, the migration ability of KFs was significantly inhibited by 50 µmol/L of Nar (P <0. 01) . Nar down-regulated the expression levels of Col-1, FN, α-SMA and MMPP proteins in KFs, and p-Smad2/3 proteins in TGF-β1-treated KFs (all P < 0. 05). Conclusion Nar may inhibit the proliferation, migration and collagen synthesis of KFs by down-regulating the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphinidenes are heavy congeners of nitrenes that have been broadly used as in situ reagents in synthetic phosphorus chemistry and also serve as versatile ligands in coordination with transition metals. However, the detection of free phosphinidenes is largely challenged by their high reactivity and also the lack of suitable synthetic methods, rendering the knowledge about the fundamental properties of this class of low‐valent phosphorus compounds limited. Recently, an increasing number of free phosphinidenes bearing prototype structural and bonding properties have been prepared for the first time, thus enabling the exploration of their distinct reactivity from the nitrene analogues. This Concept article will discuss the experimental approaches for the generation of the highly unstable phosphinidenes and highlight their distinct reactivity from the nitrogen analogues so as to stimuate future studies about their potential applications in phosphorus chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing a highly efficient and environmentally friendly catalytic system for CO2 cycloaddition reactions is an attractive way to achieve carbon neutrality. In this work, tetrabutylammonium iodide (TBAI) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were used to produce novel deep eutectic solvents (DESs), which could serve as both solvents and catalysts, displaying excellent activity to synthesis styrene carbonates from CO2 and styrene oxide under metal‐free, cocatalyst‐free, solvent‐free and mild conditions. A detailed study was undertaken on the effects of reaction parameters, recyclability, and substrate scope. Additionally, the H‐bond interaction between the substrate and TBAI/PEG200 was thoroughly investigated using FT‐IR and 1H NMR techniques. The synergistic interaction between the two components of the DES, TBAI, and PEG200, may be the key to the high catalytic activity of this system. The tetrabutylammonium iodide‐based system is an innovative strategy for the CO2 cycloaddition with epoxides, achieved by elaborately devising the H‐bonds of DESs to enhance reactivity. This provides a novel green strategy for potential industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicles (EVs) have garnered significant attention as a vital driver of economic growth and environmental sustainability. Nevertheless, ensuring the safety of high-energy batteries is now a top priority that cannot be overlooked during large-scale applications. This paper proposes an innovative active protection and cooling integrated battery module using smart materials, magneto-sensitive shear thickening fluid (MSTF), which is specifically designed to address safety threats posed by lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) exposed to harsh mechanical and environmental conditions. The theoretical framework introduces a novel approach for harnessing the smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) methodology that incorporates the intricate interplay of non-Newtonian fluid behavior, capturing the fluid-structure coupling inherent to the MSTF. This approach is further advanced by adopting an enhanced Herschel-Bulkley (H-B) model to encapsulate the intricate rheology of the MSTF under the influence of the magnetorheological effect (MRE) and shear thickening (ST) behavior. Numerical simulation results show that in the case of cooling, the MSTF is an effective cooling medium for rapidly reducing the temperature. In terms of mechanical abuse, the MSTF solidifies through actively applying the magnetic field during mechanical compression and impact within the battery module, resulting in 66% and 61.7% reductions in the maximum stress within the battery jellyroll, and 31.1% and 23% reductions in the reaction force, respectively. This mechanism effectively lowers the risk of short-circuit failure. The groundbreaking concepts unveiled in this paper for active protection battery modules are anticipated to be a valuable technological breakthrough in the areas of EV safety and lightweight/integrated design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of port integration, the competition between ports in overlapping hinterlands has intensified. Ports adopt differentiated strategies to compete, such as incentive strategy and price-cutting strategy. To analyze the optimal competitive strategies for asymmetric ports in the same region, this article develops a game theory model for port competition between superior and inferior ports. Different from the traditional price competition in ports, this article innovatively explores the market mechanism of incentive strategies based on the actual operation of ports. It also considers the economic status and reputation advantages of ports. Results show that if superior ports follow inferior ports to adopt the price-cutting strategy, it will lead to the prisoner's dilemma. And incentive strategies are the dominant strategies for superior ports, which has two effects: service quality effect and price distortion effect. Incentive strategies are conducive to incentivizing shipping companies and improving port profits. • The superior port follows the inferior port in price-cutting to form a prisoner's dilemma. • The incentive competition strategy has the service quality effect and price distortion effect. • The incentive competition strategy benefits both ports and shipping companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease is associated with bursting of the thalamic (TC) neuron, which receives the inhibitory synaptic current of the basal ganglia composed of multiple nuclei; deep brain stimulation (DBS) applied to the basal ganglia can eliminate the bursting to recover to the normal state. In this paper, the complex nonlinear dynamics for the appearance and disappearance of the bursting are obtained in a widely used theoretical model of a neuronal network. First, through a bifurcation analysis, isolated TC neurons exhibit paradoxical bursting induced from the resting state by enhanced inhibitory effect, which is different from the common view that the enhanced inhibitory effect should suppress the electrical behaviors. Second, the mechanism for the appearance of bursting is obtained by analyzing the electrical activities of the basal ganglia. The inhibitory synaptic current from the external segment of the globus pallidus (GPe) induces a reduced firing rate of the subthalamic nucleus (STN); then, an excitatory synaptic current from the STN induces the bursting behaviors of the GPe. The excitatory current of STN neurons and the inhibitory current of the GPe cause bursting behaviors of the internal segment of the globus pallidus (GPi), thus resulting in an enhanced inhibition from the GPi to the TC, which can induce the paradoxical bursting similar to the isolated TC neurons. Third, the cause for the disappearance of paradoxical bursting is acquired.The high frequency pulses of DBS induces enhanced firing activity of the STN and GPe neurons and enhanced inhibitory synaptic current from the GPe to the GPi, resulting in a reduced inhibitory effect from the GPi to the TC, which can eliminate the paradoxical bursting. Finally, the fast-slow dynamics of the paradoxical bursting of isolated TC neurons are acquired, which is related to the saddle-node and saddle-homoclinic orbit bifurcations of the fast subsystem of the TC neuron model. The results provide theoretical support for understanding the mechanism of Parkinson's disease and treatment methods such as DBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of gust generator generates the airflow oscillation in the wind tunnel through the Coanda effect of the unsteady trailing edge blowing, which has been shown to have strong potential for accurately simulating discrete gusts. It is necessary to study the relationship between the generated gust characteristics and the control parameters of such devices in order to optimize the design performance and improve gust simulation capabilities. By solving the compressible unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) equations, the computational fluid dynamics model of the subsonic airflow past the gust generator in the wind tunnel was presented. The effects of jet momentum, frequency, and spanwise blowing ratio on gust intensity, shape, and spatial uniformity were investigated. Results indicate that the intensity of gusts is positively correlated with jet momentum and frequency. The gust shape matches well with the normalized jet momentum coefficient curve. However, when the frequency increases to above 10 Hz, the gust shape differs significantly from expectation due to the appearance of reverse wave peaks. In addition, the mechanism of the impact of the sidewall and partial spanwise blowing on gusts was revealed. In the three-dimensional situation, streamwise vortices are formed on the sidewall and at the spanwise position where the blowing stops, respectively. This results in an increase and noticeable nonuniformity in gust amplitude. When the blowing with a 15% spanwise length near the sidewall is turned off, the gust amplitude at the symmetry plane increases by nearly 40% due to the main vortex being closer to the main flow. The result provides a physical explanation for the availability of this operation to reduce gust attenuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overexpression of polysialic acid (polySia) on neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAM) promotes hypersialylation, and thus benefits cancer cell migration and invasion. It has been proposed that the binding between the polysialyltransferase domain (PSTD) and CMP-Sia needs to be inhibited in order to block the effects of hypersialylation. In this study, CMP was confirmed to be a competitive inhibitor of polysialyltransferases (polySTs) in the presence of CMP-Sia and triSia (oligosialic acid trimer) based on the interactional features between molecules. The further NMR analysis suggested that polysialylation could be partially inhibited when CMP-Sia and polySia co-exist in solution. In addition, an unexpecting finding is that CMP-Sia plays a role in reducing the gathering extent of polySia chains on the PSTD, and may benefit for the inhibition of polysialylation. The findings in this study may provide new insight into the optimal design of the drug and inhibitor for cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluidic oscillators (FOs) can be used as an efficient fluidic vibration tool to solve high friction problems in extended-reach wells. However, the complex mechanism of FOs makes the design challenging, and the dynamic erosion behavior inside FOs is still unclear. In this paper, new FOs are proposed and the working characteristics under the influence of periodic particle-laden jets are investigated. Firstly, the results reveal the working mechanism of new FOs, showing that the generation of pressure pulses is closely connected with periodic jet switching and the development of vortices. Secondly, the important performance parameters, i.e., pressure pulse and oscillation frequency, are extensively studied through numerical simulation and experimental verification. It is found that the performance can be optimized by adjusting the tool structure according to different engineering requirements. Finally, the oscillating solidliquid two-phase flow inside FO is studied. It is demonstrated that the accumulation of particles leads to a significant reduction in performance. The results also reveal five locations that are susceptible to erosion and the erosion behavior of these locations are studied. It has been shown that the periodic jet causes fluctuations in the amount of erosion at the outlet and splitter. This research can provide valuable references for the design and optimization of vibration friction-reduction tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrinsic bursting neurons represent a common neuronal type that displays bursting patterns upon depolarization stimulation. These neurons can be described by a system of seven-dimensional equations, which pose a challenge for dynamical analysis. To overcome this limitation, we employed the projection reduction method to reduce the dimensionality of the model. Our approach demonstrated that the reduced model retained the inherent bursting characteristics of the original model. Following reduction, we investigated the bi-parameter bifurcation of the equilibrium point in the reduced model. Specifically, we analyzed the Bogdanov-Takens bifurcation that arises in the reduced system. Notably, the topological structure of the neuronal model near the bifurcation point can be effectively revealed with our proposed method. By leveraging the proposed projection reduction method, we could explore the bursting mechanism in the reduced Pospischil model with greater precision. Our approach offers an effective foundation for generating theories and hypotheses that can be tested experimentally. Furthermore, it enables links to be drawn between neuronal morphology and function, thereby facilitating a deeper understanding of the complex dynamical behaviors that underlie intrinsic bursting neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method for automatic volume determination of loose engineering deposits (LEDs) using point clouds collected by terrestrial laser scanning is proposed. The method starts with a problem of lacking bottom surface point clouds when scanning LEDs, assuming that the bottom surface is flat, a spatial plane is generated based on the plane fitting to the bottom surface. Then the sample point cloud is projected on this fitted plane to construct the subface point clouds, which, together with the initial point cloud data, are stitched into complete point cloud data with good closure, integrity, and accuracy. The 3D surface model established by introducing the alpha shape algorithm calculates the volume, and the validation experiments on three soil mound models and one field experiment on LEDs with a minimum average error of only 1.69% fully validate the effectiveness and accuracy of the method. The encouraging results show that effective volume calculation can be performed on realistic LEDs using the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The winter precipitation over South China (SCWP) can exert great impacts on the local ecosystem and human livelihood. Previous studies suggested that the inter-annual variability of SCWP can be affected by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) via the Northwest Pacific anticyclone (NWPAC). The present study investigates the role of the India–Burma Trough (IBT) in mediating the teleconnection between ENSO and the SCWP. During the El Niño mature winter, the slowdown of Walker circulation is evident over the tropical Indian Ocean (TIO). The low-level easterly wind anomaly is pronounced from the warm pool to the western TIO, which turns into the westerly wind anomaly over the northern TIO basin and then enhances IBT. Meanwhile, the Kelvin wave in the upper troposphere stimulated by El Niño propagates eastward toward Indian Ocean and induces the tropospheric warming over TIO. The resultant increase of the meridional temperature gradient leads to the southward shift of the westerly jet stream which favors the strengthening of IBT and the increase of SCWP. It is further shown that the IBT change is unclear in La Niña. This nonlinear feature can be largely attributed to the asymmetry in both ENSO amplitude and ENSO-related circulation anomalies. The present findings highlight the role of IBT, in addition to the well-known NWPAC, in bridging ENSO and SCWP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Steroid-induced necrosis of the femoral head (SONFH) is a refractory orthopedic hip disease occurring in young and middle-aged people, with glucocorticoids being the most common cause. Previous experimental studies have shown that cell pyroptosis may be involved in the pathological process of SONFH, but its pathogenesis in SONFH is still unclear. This study aims to screen and validate potential pyroptosis-related genes in SONFH diagnosis by bioinformatics analysis to further elucidate the mechanism of pyroptosis in SONFH. Methods: There were 33 pyroptosis-related genes obtained from the prior reviews. The mRNA expression was downloaded from GSE123568 dataset in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, including 10 non-SONFH (following steroid administration) samples and 30 SONFH samples. The pyroptosis-related differentially expressed genes involved in SONFH were identified with "affy" and "limma" R package by intersecting the GSE123568 dataset with pyroptosis genes. In addition, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of the pyroptosis-related differentially expressed genes involved in SONFH were conducted by "clusterProfiler" R package and visualized by "GOplot" R package. Then, the correlations between the expression levels of the pyroptosis-related differentially expressed genes involved in SONFH were confirmed with "corrplot" R package. Moreover, the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was analysed by using GeneMANIA database. Next, The ROC curve of pyroptosis-related differentially expressed genes were analyzed by "pROC" R package. Results: A total of 10 pyroptosis-related differentially expressed genes were identified between the peripheral blood samples of SONFH patients and non-SONFH patients based on the defined criteria, including 20 upregulated genes and 10 downregulated genes. The GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses revealed that these 10 pyroptosis-related differentially expressed genes involved in SONFH were particularly enriched in cysteine-type endopeptidase activity involved in apoptotic process, positive regulation of interleukin-1 beta secretion and NOD-like receptor signaling pathway. Correlation analysis revealed significant correlations among the 10 differentially expressed pyroptosis-related genes involved in SONFH. The PPI results demonstrated that the 10 pyroptosis-related differentially expressed genes interacted with each other. Compared to non-SONFH samples, these pyroptosis-related differentially expressed genes had good predictive diagnostic efficacy (AUC = 1.000, CI = 1.000–1.000) in the SONFH samples, and NLRP1 had the highest diagnostic value (AUC: 0.953) in the SONFH samples. Conclusions: There were 10 potential pyroptosis-related differentially expressed genes involved in SONFH were identified via bioinformatics analysis, which might serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers because they regulated pyroptosis. These results expand the understanding of SONFH associated with pyroptosis and provide new insights to further explore the mechanism of action and diagnosis of pyroptosis associated in SONFH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely believed that extensions of the minimal Higgs sector is one of the promising directions for resolving many puzzles beyond the Standard Model (SM). In this work, we study the unitarity bounds on the models by extending the two-Higgs-doublet model with an additional real or complex Higgs triplet scalar. By noting that the SM gauge symmetries SU(2)L × U(1)Y are recovered at high energies, we can classify the two-body scattering states by decomposing the direct product of two scalar multiplets into their direct sum of irreducible representations of electroweak gauge groups. In such state bases, the s-wave amplitudes of two-body scalar scatterings can be written in the form of block-diagonalized scattering matrices. Then the application of the perturbative unitarity conditions on the eigenvalues of scattering matrices leads to the analytic constraints on the model parameters. Finally, we numerically investigate the complex triplet scalar extension of the two-Higgs-doublet model, finding that the perturbative unitarity places useful stringent bounds on the model parameter space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matching is a popular design for inferring causal effect with observational data. Unlike model‐based approaches, it is a nonparametric method to group treated and control subjects with similar characteristics together, hence to re‐create a randomization‐like scenario. The application of matched design for real world data may be limited by: (1) the causal estimand of interest; (2) the sample size of different treatment arms. We propose a flexible design of matching, based on the idea of template matching, to overcome these challenges. It first identifies the template group which is representative of the target population, then match subjects from the original data to this template group and make inference. We provide theoretical justification on how it unbiasedly estimates the average treatment effect using matched pairs and the average treatment effect on the treated when the treatment group has a bigger sample size. We also propose using the triplet matching algorithm to improve matching quality and devise a practical strategy to select the template size. One major advantage of matched design is that it allows both randomization‐based or model‐based inference, with the former being more robust. For the commonly used binary outcome in medical research, we adopt a randomization inference framework of attributable effects in matched data, which allows heterogeneous effects and can incorporate sensitivity analysis for unmeasured confounding. We apply our design and analytical strategy to a trauma care evaluation study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interfacial debonding between the active layer and the current collector has been recognized as a critical mechanism for battery fading, and thus has attracted great efforts focused on the related analyses. However, much still remains to be studied regarding practical methods for suppressing electrode debonding, especially from the perspective of mechanics. In this paper, a pre-strain strategy of current collectors to alleviate electrode debonding is proposed. An analytical model for a symmetric electrode with a deformable and limited-thickness current collector is developed to analyze the debonding behavior involving both a pre-strain of the current collector and an eigen-strain of the active layers. The results reveal that the well-designed pre-strain can significantly delay the debonding onset (by up to 100%) and considerably reduce the debonding size. The critical values of the pre-strain are identified, and the pre-strain design principles are also provided. Based on these findings, this work sheds light on the mechanical design to suppress electrode degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simplest diphosphene HPPH and isomeric diphosphinyldene PPH2 features prototype phosphorus‐phosphorus multiple bonding properties that have been of long‐standing interest in main‐group chemistry. Herein, we report the observation of cis‐HPPH, trans‐HPPH, and PPH2 among the respective laser photolysis products of phosphine (PH3) and diphosphine (P2H4) in solid N2‐ and Ar‐matrices at 10 K. The identification of these P2H2 isomers with matrix‐isolation IR and UV/Vis spectroscopy is supported by D‐isotope labeling and the quantum chemical calculations at the CCSD(T)‐F12a/cc‐pVTZ‐F12 level using configuration‐selective vibrational configuration interaction theory (VCI). Bonding analyses suggest that the two conformers of HPPH contain standard PP double bonds, whereas, PPH2 resembles P2 in having partial PP triple bond due to the H2P←P π bonding interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simplest diphosphene HPPH and isomeric diphosphinyldene PPH2 features prototype phosphorus‐phosphorus multiple bonding properties that have been of long‐standing interest in main‐group chemistry. Herein, we report the observation of cis‐HPPH, trans‐HPPH, and PPH2 among the respective laser photolysis products of phosphine (PH3) and diphosphine (P2H4) in solid N2‐ and Ar‐matrices at 10 K. The identification of these P2H2 isomers with matrix‐isolation IR and UV/Vis spectroscopy is supported by D‐isotope labeling and the quantum chemical calculations at the CCSD(T)‐F12a/cc‐pVTZ‐F12 level using configuration‐selective vibrational configuration interaction theory (VCI). Bonding analyses suggest that the two conformers of HPPH contain standard PP double bonds, whereas, PPH2 resembles P2 in having partial PP triple bond due to the H2P←P π bonding interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the complex mesostructure and components of composite active layers in lithium-ion battery (LIB) electrodes, coupled with the concentration-dependent material properties and eigenstrains, efficiently estimating the effective modulus of the active layers remains a great challenge. In this work, the classic Mori–Tanaka method is found to be unable to estimate the modulus of the active layer. By realizing the importance of the mesostructure feature, a rod-rod model is proposed. The resulting modulus is expressed analytically. It is shown that the rod-rod model can accurately estimate the modulus evolution of the active layer if the material properties of the components and the evolution of volume fractions are known in advance. Moreover, a simplified rod-rod model is also developed to reduce the complexity of the proposed method. By knowing the volume fractions at two arbitrary states of charge and subsequently determining two constants, the simplified model can estimate the modulus efficiently. Considering both its accuracy and its simplicity, the simplified rod-rod model is the most suitable for the estimation. Thus, the methods developed in this work provide a new perspective for analyzing the material properties of composite active layers in LIB electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of interactions between proteins and surfactants is of relevance in a diverse range of applications including food, enzymatic detergent formulation, and drug delivery. In spite of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-induced unfolding has been studied in detail at the protein level, deciphering the conformation-activity relationship of a recombinant γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (BlrGGT) from Bacillus licheniformis remains important to understand how the transpeptidase activity is related to its conformation. In this study, we examined the enzyme catalysis and conformational transition of BlrGGT in the presence of SDS. Enzymatic assays showed that the transpeptidase activity of BlrGGT was greatly affected by SDS in a concentration-dependent manner with approximately 90% inactivation at 6 mM. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of SDS-treated samples clearly revealed that the heterodimeric enzyme was apparently dissociated into two different subunits at concentrations above 2 mM. The study of enzyme kinetics showed that SDS can act as a mixed-type inhibitor to reduce the catalytic efficiency of BlrGGT. Moreover, the t1/2 value of the enzyme at 55 °C was greatly reduced from 495.1 min to 7.4 min in the presence of 1 mM SDS. The I3/I1 ratio of pyrene excimer fluorescence emission changed around 3.7 mM SDS in the absence of BlrGGT and the inflection point of enzyme samples was reduced to less than 2.7 mM. The Far-UV CD spectrum of the native enzyme had two negative peaks at 208 and 222 nm, respectively; however, both negative peaks increased in magnitude with increasing SDS concentration and reached maximal values at above 4.0 mM. The intrinsic fluorescence spectra of tryptophan further demonstrated that the SDS-induced enzyme conformational transition occurred at approximately 5.1 mM. Tween 20 significantly suppressed the interaction of BlrGGT with SDS by forming mixed micelles at a molar ratio of 1.0. Taken together, this study definitely promotes our better understanding of the relationship between the conformation and catalysis of BlrGGT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) increases the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), and the impact of MetS on CRC prognosis remains controversial after the diagnosis of CRC has been established. This study aimed to explore the impact of the individual components and synergies of MetS on the prognosis of patients with CRC. Methods: We searched articles published before August 3, 2022, in four databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and ScienceDirect. The random‐effects model inverse variance method was used to estimate the summarized effect size. Results: Patients with CRC with MetS were 1.342 times more likely to experience all‐cause mortality than those without MetS, and the 95% confidence interval (CI) of hazard ratio (HR) was 1.107–1.627 (P = 0.003). CRC‐specific mortality in patients with CRC with MetS was 2.122 times higher than in those without MetS, and the 95% CI of HR was 1.080–4.173 (P = 0.029). CRC‐specific mortality exhibited an increasing trend of risk with increased metabolic risk factors. The HR of CRC‐specific mortality for one, two, and three metabolic risk factors was 1.206 (95% CI, 1.034–1.407; P = 0.017), 1.881 (95% CI, 1.253–2.824; P = 0.002), and 2.327 (95% CI, 1.262–4.291; P = 0.007), respectively. Conclusions: Metabolic syndrome increased all‐cause and CRC‐specific mortality in patients with CRC. As a single component of MetS, diabetes mellitus increased overall mortality in patients with CRC, while obesity increased CRC‐specific mortality in patients with CRC, with a significant difference from non‐MetS. Moreover, the risk of CRC‐specific mortality increased with increasing number of metabolic risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Distracted driving and associated mortality are major public health issues. • Illinois enacted a comprehensive handheld phone ban in 2014. • We used difference-in-differences analyses to measure its impact on distracted driving. • The ban was associated with less talking on handheld phone while driving. • Also associated with more talking on handsfree phone while driving. Introduction: Distracted driving has been linked to multiple driving decrements and is responsible for thousands of motor-vehicle fatalities annually. Most U.S. states have enacted restrictions on cellphone use while driving, the strictest of which prohibit any manual operation of a cellphone while driving. Illinois enacted such a law in 2014. To better understand how this law affected cellphone behaviors while driving, associations between Illinois' handheld phone ban and self-reported talking on handheld, handsfree, and any cellphone (handheld or handsfree) while driving were estimated. Methods: Data from annual administrations of the Traffic Safety Culture Index from 2012–2017 in Illinois and a set of control states were leveraged. The data were cast into a difference-in-differences (DID) modeling framework, which compared Illinois to control states in terms of pre- to post-intervention changes in the proportion of drivers who self-reported the three outcomes. Separate models for each outcome were fit, and additional models were fit to the subset of drivers who talk on cellphones while driving. Results: In Illinois, the pre- to post-intervention decrease in the drivers' probability of self-reporting talking on a handheld phone was significantly more extreme than that of drivers in control states (DID estimate −0.22; 95% CI −0.31, −0.13). Among drivers who talk on cellphones while driving, those in Illinois exhibited a more extreme increase in the probability of talking on a handsfree phone while driving than those control states (DID estimate 0.13; 95% CI 0.03, 0.23). Conclusions: These results suggest that Illinois' handheld phone ban reduced talking on handheld phones while driving among study participants. They also corroborate the hypothesis that the ban promoted substitution from handheld to handsfree phones among drivers who talk on the phone while driving. Practical Applications: These findings should encourage other states to enact comprehensive handheld phone bans to improve traffic safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Top: 100×, bottom: 200× magnification; (c) FISH results detected no human X/Y signals in any lesion cells Given the limited quantity of MSCs in human tissues, extensive ex-vivo cell expansion is required to magnify this population. Because fortuitously the human MSCs donor was female but the recipient mouse was male, the sample was then analyzed to identify human cell X/Y copy number with XY FISH, but no human X/Y signals were observed in any lesion cell. [Extracted from the article]

The lyophylloid agarics are a group of ecologically highly diversified macrofungi, some of which are very popular edible mushrooms. However, we know little about lyophylloid species diversity in China. In this study, we described four new species from China: Lyophyllum atrofuscum, L. subalpinarum, L. subdecastes, and Ossicaulis sichuanensis. We conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses of Lyophyllaceae based on the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU) and the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS). Phylogenetic analyses by the maximum likelihood method and Bayesian inference showed that the four new species are unique monophyletic species. A key to the species of Lyophyllum from China and a key to Ossicaulis worldwide were given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pipe-roof method is an increasingly popular pre-construction soil support system for underground space development for its superior safety. Whilst the load-bearing and deformation characteristics of pipe-roof structures has been the subject of much research, uncertainties surrounding the interactions between the pipe-roof and the surrounding soil remain. This paper fills this gap by describing small-scale laboratory testing and complementary theoretical analysis exploring the development of pipe-roof deformation, soil deformation mechanism and displacement field, and soil pressures acting on the pipe-roof. The results show that deformation of the pipe-roof itself leads to a partially mobilized soil arching effect, resulting in a 'tower-shaped' soil displacement mechanism. In addition, the earth pressure distribution above the pipe-roof is arch-shaped, forming a minor principal stress arch. The experimental results inform a theoretical model for the calculation of the soil earth pressure acting on the pipe-roof, considering the interaction between the pipe-roof deformation and the principal stress rotation. Theoretical predictions are shown to be in good agreement with the experimental measurements, with a maximum error of less than 5%. The proposed model is closed-form and suitable for routine use in design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice yield variability can be attributed to the range of sowing dates across extensive cropping areas and varying nitrogen application rates. Nonetheless, the precise quantitative relationship between sowing dates, nitrogen application rates, and rice yield development remains elusive. In this study, we evaluated differences in dry matter and yield components of three indica hybrid varieties for five sowing dates at four ecological sites in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China in 2019 and 2020, with three nitrogen application rates. Results indicated that yield initially increased and then decreased with delayed sowing dates. Photosynthetically active radiation accumulation after anthesis (PARAA) was identified as the key positive climate resource affecting rice yield, decreasing by an average of 19.7 MJ m−2 for every 15-day delay in sowing. Nitrogen agronomic efficiency decreased linearly with the delay in sowing dates. Early sowing of rice with high PARAA and effective accumulated temperature after anthesis (EATAA) showed yield increases due to nitrogen application, whereas late-sown rice with insufficient photothermal resources did not exhibit marked yield improvement and may experience yield reduction. Ensuring adequate dry matter accumulation after anthesis and high seed setting rate was the main way to increase yield, influenced by sowing dates and nitrogen application rates. Intriguingly, our study revealed that nitrogen application markedly enhanced yield sensitivity to PARAA and EATAA. This finding underscores the pivotal role of nitrogen in modulating crop responsiveness to climate resources, and contributes to a deeper understanding of agronomic practices for optimizing yield under varying climatic conditions. • Nitrogen agronomic efficiency decreased linearly with the delay of sowing date. • Photosynthetically active radiation accumulation after anthesis was the key climate resource for indica hybrid rice yield. • Nitrogen application increased yield sensitivity of rice to photothermal resources after anthesis. • Optimizing the combination of sowing date and nitrogen application rate was crucial for maintaining high yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The port green degree keeps the same whatever the government regulates on ports or shipowners. • The government should focus on ports to promote the shoreside electricity. • Full coverage of shoreside electricity can be achieved when the management costs are high. • Tough emission standards may not necessarily lead to the maximization of social welfare. With the shipping industry's focus on greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction, shore power (SP) emerges as a pivotal yet underutilized solution. The existing literature, based on the inappropriate assumption of ports adopting SP fully, focuses solely on the influence of subsidies on SP adoption. By comprehensively considering the impacts of various regulations, we construct a game model to explore the optimal SP adoption rates of competitive ports, treating regulations as exogenous factors. Considering ports' service quality differences and government regulations, we find there is a positive correlation between the SP cost and SP adoption rate of the port with low service quality. Specifically, the low-quality port can strategically increase adoption of SP to gain a competitive edge. We suggest a balanced approach to regulations, advocating targeting ports with extreme government regulations coefficients, and focusing on shipping companies with moderate coefficients. A key insight is the setting of the emissions standards at a level between the emissions of competing ports. Importantly, we uncover a nonlinear relationship between the SP adoption rate and emissions reduction effectiveness, highlighting the complexity of the environmental impact. Our findings provide reference for SP adoption decision-making at ports and formulating government regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online measurement of particle size distribution (PSD) of rocks on a conveyor belt is of great significance for intelligent control in process industries. Measurement methods based on the instance segmentation model are often used to measure PSD. However, they have high requirements for the quantity and annotation quality of learning samples, which remains a non-negligible challenge in industrial applications. In this paper, an improved lightweight rock object detection method is proposed. By adding the Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) attention mechanism module to the YOLOv7 model and performing steps such as image rotation, bounding box prediction, and hierarchical clustering of centroid points, the convex hull contour of rock fragments is obtained. The results have been validated and tested on three independent datasets, including a manual sieving case study, demonstrating the effective substitution of instance segmentation with object detection, which meets the measurement accuracy requirements of online PSD. Additionally, this paper proposes a lightweight training dataset and a rotation data augmentation method that enhance the recognition rate during rock rotation with reduced image labeling effort, overcoming the challenges posed by extensive annotation workload. [Display omitted] • Proposed: A novel rotating object detection for rock PSD analysis with rectangular detecting. • A new model integrates CBAM with YOLOv7, enhancing rock fragment detection. • Lightweight training & data augmentation reduce labeling effort while boosting recognition metrics. • Rigorous testing with a manual sieving case study validates the effectiveness of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To realize a higher-level autonomy of surgical knot tying in minimally invasive surgery (MIS), automated suture grasping, which bridges the suture stitching and looping procedures, is an important yet challenging task needs to be achieved. This paper presents a holistic framework with image-guided and automation techniques to robotize this operation even under complex environments. The whole task is initialized by suture segmentation, in which we propose a novel semi-supervised learning architecture featured with a suture-aware loss to pertinently learn its slender information using both annotated and unannotated data. With successful segmentation in stereo-camera, we develop a Sampling-based Sliding Pairing (SSP) algorithm to online optimize the suture’s 3D shape. By jointly studying the robotic configuration and the suture’s spatial characteristics, a target function is introduced to find the optimal grasping pose of the surgical tool with Remote Center of Motion (RCM) constraints. To compensate for inherent errors and practical uncertainties, a unified grasping strategy with a novel vision-based mechanism is introduced to autonomously accomplish this grasping task. Our framework is extensively evaluated from learning-based segmentation, 3D reconstruction, and image-guided grasping on the da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK) platform, where we achieve high performances and successful rates in perceptions and robotic manipulations. These results prove the feasibility of our approach in automating the suture grasping task, and this work fills the gap between automated surgical stitching and looping, stepping towards a higher-level of task autonomy in surgical knot tying. Note to Practitioners—This paper aims to automate the suture grasping task in surgical knot tying by leveraging stereo visual guidance. To effectively robotize this procedure, it requires multidisciplinary knowledge to achieve suture segmentation, 3D shape reconstruction, and reliable automated grasping, while there are no existing works tackling this procedure especially using robots with RCM kinematics constraints and under complex environments. In this article, we propose a learning-driven method along with a 3D shape optimizer, which can conduct the suture segmentation and output its accurate spatial coordinates, serving as guidance for automated grasping operation. Apart from this, we introduce a unified function to optimize the grasping pose, and a vision-based grasping strategy is also proposed to intelligently complete this task. The experiments extensively validate the feasibility of our framework for automated suture grasp, and its successful completion can serve as a basis for the following looping manipulation, hence filling a step gap in robot-assisted knot tying. This framework can be also encapsulated into the medical robotic system, and by simply indicating (e.g. mouse click) the rough position of the suture’s tip in one camera frame, the overall framework can be initialized and further accomplish the suture grasping task, which further prompts a full autonomy of surgical knot tying in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sophora flavescens Ait. is a medicinal herb traditionally used to treat inflammatory diseases. In this study, four polysaccharides, SFNP-1, SFNP-2, SFAP-1, and SFAP-2, were isolated from S. flavescens. Both SFNP-1 and SFNP-2 were (1→4)-linked glucans. SFAP-1 and SFAP-2 were identified as pectin-type polysaccharides containing mainly a homo-galacturanan backbone (as shown). NO release inhibition test revealed that the major polysaccharides, SFAP-1 and SFAP-2, did not have a significant anti-inflammatory effect. This result suggests that the anti-inflammatory effect of S. flavescens may not depend on its polysaccharides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, there are various schemes of quantum secure direct communications that have been studied. Most of these protocols commit themselves to accomplishing two goals: increasing the coding rate and expanding the range of quantum direct communications. Here in this study, a quantum secure communication protocol using the sending-or-not-sending strategy is proposed, which significantly enhances the communication distance. Numerical simulation results show that although the misalignment error e opt increases as large as 45 % , the protocol can still achieve a distance of approximately 350 km. Although the long-distance single-photon inference is involved in decoy windows, it is not required to use this technology in signal windows established for secret message transmission. Moreover, the security of the protocol against collective attacks is analyzed based on Wyner’s wiretap channel theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grains located on different positions of the panicle differed in grain weight and quality performance, however, the comprehensive effect of sowing dates on physiological and quantitative characteristics of grains located on different positions still remains unclear. In this study, a field experiment was conducted with two japonica rice cultivars, Nanjing 9108 and Ningjing 7, under 3 sowing dates (S1, 30th April; S2, 30th May; S3, 30th June). Delayed sowing treatments increased before-heading mean temperature (Tmean), day temperature (Tday), night temperature (Tnight) and mean solar radiation (Smean) for 0.94 °C, 0.99 °C, 1.23 °C, and 1.04 MJ, respectively, while decreased growth duration (GD) for 13.4 days, with 30 days delaying sowing date. Elevated before heading thermal resources and shortened GD contributed to enlarged panicle size via enhancing number of grains on secondary branches (SG) and led to higher ratio of SG per unit area (SG%). Meanwhile, delayed sowing decreased after heading Tmean, Tday, Tnight and Smean by 0.84 °C, 1.23 °C, 1.13 °C, and 2.12 MJ, respectively, with 30 days delaying sowing, and further enhanced rice stickiness (ST), peak viscosity (PKV) and breakdown (BD), but suppressed hardness (HD), amylose content (AC), cold pasting viscosity (CPV), hot pasting viscosity (HPV) and setback (SB) of SG, whilst grains on primary branches (PG) di no significant differences. Elevated taste and cooking quality of SG under delayed sowing was regulated by slower grain filling rate, which is largely regulated by AGPase and GBSS. Compared to PG, SG has better physiochemical, texture properties and RVA profiles due to its slower starch biosynthesis. The above results suggested that physiological (starch biosynthesis of SG) and quantitative parameters (amount of SG) of the rice population should be referred simultaneously to improve rice cooking and taste quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matching design is commonly used in social science and health research with observational data, as it is robust to outcome model misspecification and has the intuitive interpretation similar to blocked randomization design. Estimate the population average treatment effect with propensity score adjustment is very popular. From a practical perspective, however, it is not clear whether the post-matching analysis should adjust for the matching structure. Analytical strategies with and without accounting for matching design have appeared in literature. For continuous outcomes, the implication is more on the variance estimation. But for binary outcomes, the non-collapsibility problem for the odds ratio adds another layer of complexity in choosing between estimation strategies. We have conducted extensive simulation studies to compare several matching estimators and the propensity score weighting estimator for both continuous and binary outcomes. Especially, we consider three measures for binary outcomes, risk difference, relative risk and odds ratio. Our simulation results suggest that statistical methods accounting for matching structure are more advantageous and among binary effect measures, odds ratio tends to have higher power than other measures. We also apply different estimation strategies to a U.S. trauma care database to examine mortality difference between trauma centers and non-trauma centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corrosion-induced thickness loss is a common form structural damage in transmission lines. In our previous work, a novel circular piezoelectric-metal transducer for corrosion sensing using the electromechanical impedance (EMI) technique was proposed. This transducer was fabricated by attaching a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) patch to a metal plate. In the present study, the piezoelectric-metal transducer was encapsulated and enhanced, and two types of corrosion sensors were developed: piezoelectric-steel and piezoelectric-zinc sensors. To assess the practical performance of the corrosion sensors, the piezoelectric-steel and piezoelectric-zinc sensors were connected to the angle steels and the steel strands, which are highly prone to corrosion in transmission lines. Corrosion monitoring experiments were conducted in the laboratory. The results demonstrate that the peak frequencies in the conductance signatures decrease linearly with increasing corrosion-induced thickness loss. Furthermore, it was found that piezoelectric-steel sensors are effective for quantitative monitoring of metallic corrosion, whereas piezoelectric-zinc sensors are better suited for early-stage corrosion monitoring and warning. [Display omitted] • Novel circular piezoelectric-metal corrosion sensor using electromechanical impedance. • Peak frequencies decrease linearly with increasing corrosion-induced thickness loss. • Quantitative corrosion monitoring and early warning of the transmission lines. • The corrosion sensor is portable, cost effective, easy to install, and promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Design load redistribution methods using network topology and cooperative mechanism. • The cooperative mechanism enhances network resilience by safeguarding critical ports. • The cooperative mechanism reduces shipper losses by balancing carrier and shipper benefits. • Port reserve capacity is crucial for resisting cascading failures in shipping networks. Liner shipping networks play a vital role in global and regional trade. However, they are susceptible to damage from unexpected interruptions, which can trigger dynamic cascading failures and undermine the system's resilience. To address this challenge, we propose a novel cascading failure model for liner shipping networks that considers the characteristics of the network structure and port functions. First, we design two load redistribution methods that rely on network topology and employ a cooperative mechanism for coordination. This cooperative mechanism aims to balance the benefits for carriers and shippers by effectively controlling losses. Subsequently, we develop three metrics—network congestion rate, failure rate, and shipper loss—to assess the resilience of the network during cascading failures. To verify the impact of the cooperative mechanism, we apply the proposed methods to the China-Europe liner shipping network. Through simulations involving various port failures and resistance levels, we analyze the effectiveness of the cooperative mechanism. The results demonstrate that redistributing the load to downstream ports within the network effectively mitigates deep cascading failures. Additionally, the implementation of a port cooperative mechanism enhances resilience in the face of uncertainties by safeguarding crucial ports within the network and significantly reducing shipper losses. When port resistance is low, the cooperative mechanism reduces shipper losses by nearly half and lowers the average congestion rate. Although port reserve capacity can resist cascading failures, it falls short in the face of severe disruptions. In such cases, the cooperative mechanism compensates for capacity shortages, enhancing port resilience at a low cost. This study contributes to combating and minimizing cascading congestion in liner shipping networks, offering valuable insights for risk prevention and management strategies for ports and shipping companies. It also has implications for yield management and policy decisions from a network perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have demonstrated that neuroinflammation is the key to perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND); however, the specific mechanism postsurgery and anesthesia has not yet been fully clarified. The present study is aimed at exploring the effects of P2X4/NLRP3 signaling pathway in neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment after surgery. 12–14-month-old male C57BL/6 mice undergoing open tibial fracture surgery by sevoflurane anesthesia were administered P2X4R inhibitor 5-BDBD or saline was intraperitoneally for 3 consecutive days after surgery. Then, the animals were subjected to Morris water maze test or sacrificed to collect the hippocampus. The level of P2X4R and NLRP3 was estimated by Western blot, the activation of microglia was detected via immunohistochemistry, and the expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. These results indicated that tibial surgery caused cognitive impairment, increased the expression of P2X4R and NLRP3, and aggravated the neuroinflammation and microglia activation. However, intraperitoneal injection of 5-BDBD attenuated these effects. In conclusion, these findings indicated that the P2X4/NLRP3 pathway might be involved in the pathophysiology of PND. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have often been considered as the gold standard in drug development, but they may not be fully powered due to limited patient population and can even lead to ethical concerns in rare disease studies. In situations like this, real-world data (RWD)/historical data can be utilized to augment or possibly serve as the control arm for the current trial. If a subset of subjects from the RWD/historical trial could be matched to the concurrent control arm subjects and they are deemed comparable following certain criteria, then pooling the matched subjects from the historical control arm and the concurrent control arm can boost the power. In this paper, we propose two matching methods of borrowing historical control data that not only balance key observed baseline covariates but also ensure the comparability of responses between the historical and concurrent controls. Close similarity in response variables among controls reduces Type I error inflation and provides further protection against unmeasured confounding bias, which is a major challenge in using RWD. Simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the empirical performance of the two matching methods in terms of Type I error rate and power, and an illustrative description of a planned study is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prelithiation has been intensively investigated in high-capacity lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the optimization of prelithiation degrees for long service life of LIBs still remains a challenge. The positive efffect of prelithiation on suppressing degradation of LIBs, besides directly pursuing the high first Coulomb efficiency which has been widely reported in the literature, is revealed and discussed based on an analytical model focusing on the interfacial delamination in electrodes. For full charge-discharge cycling, well-designed prelithiation can effectively suppress the delamination and reduce the debonding size by approximately 25%, compared with the case without prelithiation. For the strategy combining partial charge-discharge cycling and prelithiation, the largest reversible capacity without debonding can be significantly improved by approximately 100% with well-designed prelithiation. This work is expected to provide a prelithiation design principle and further improve the mechanical stability of LIB electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HuoXue QianYang QuTan Recipe (HQQR) is used to manage hypertension and cardiac remodelling, but the mechanism is elusive. To determine the mechanism of HQQR on obesity hypertension (OBH)-related myocardial fibrosis. OBH models were prepared using spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and divided (n = 6) into saline, low-dose (19.35 g/kg/d) HQQR, high-dose (38.7 g/kg/d) HQQR, and valsartan (30 mg/kg/d) groups for 10 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), and Lee's index were measured. Heart tissues were examined by histology. HQQR's effects were examined on cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) stimulated with angiotensin II and treated with HQQR, a caspase-1 inhibitor, siNLRP3, and oeNLRP3. HQQR(H) reduced SBP (201.67 ± 21.00 vs. 169.00 ± 10.00), Lee's index (321.50 ± 3.87 vs. 314.58 ± 3.88), and left ventricle mass index (3.26 ± 0.27 vs. 2.71 ± 0.12) in vivo. HQQR reduced percentage of fibrosis area (18.99 ± 3.90 vs. 13.37 ± 3.39), IL-1β (10.07 ± 1.16 vs. 5.35 ± 1.29), and inhibited activation of NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1β pathway. HQQR also inhibiting the proliferation (1.09 ± 0.02 vs. 0.84 ± 0.01), fibroblast to myofibroblast transition (14.74 ± 3.39 vs. 3.97 ± 0.53), and collagen deposition (Col I; 0.50 ± 0.02 vs. 0.27 ± 0.05 and Col III; 0.48 ± 0.21 vs. 0.26 ± 0.11) with different concentrations selected based on IC50in vitro (all ps < 0.05). NLRP3 interference further confirmed HQQR inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome signalling. HQQR blunted cardiac fibrosis development in OBH and suppressed CFs proliferation by directly interfering with the NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1β pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of dynamics of the mixed-mode oscillations (MMOs), which exhibit transition between oscillations with large and small amplitudes, is very important for nonlinear physics. In this paper, the MMOs with transition between subthreshold oscillations and spikes are investigated in a neuron model. In the absence of noise, the MMOs appear between the resting state and period-1 firing with increasing depolarization current. After introducing white noise, coherence resonance (CR) is evoked from the resting state and non-CR is induced from period-1 firing far from the MMOs, which is consistent with the traditional viewpoint. However, an interesting result that a transition from anti-CR to CR is evoked by noise from both the MMOs and the period-1 firing near the MMOs is acquired, which is characterized by the increase, decrease and increase again of the coefficient of variations of interspike intervals (ISIs) with increasing noise intensity. At small noise intensity, more subthreshold oscillations are evoked by noise to reduce the firing frequency, resulting in faster increase of standard deviation (SD) of ISIs than that of mean value of ISIs, which is the cause for the anti-CR. The decrease of SD is faster for middle noise intensity and is lower for strong noise intensity, which is the cause for the CR. The different stochastic responses of MMOs and period-1 firing nearby at different levels of noise insanity are the dynamical mechanism for the transition from anti-CR to CR. Such results present potential functions of the MMOs and period-1 firing on information processing in the nervous system with noise and extend the conditions for the CR and anti-CR phenomena, which enriches the contents of nonlinear dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence regarding the role of chronic low-grade inflammation in the progression of cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) and cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) is currently limited. This prospective cohort study, utilising data from the UK Biobank, included 273,804 adults aged 40–69 years initially free of CMD at baseline. CMM was defined as the coexistence of two or more CMDs, such as coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension and stroke. The aggregated inflammation score (INFLA-score), incorporating C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, platelet count and granulocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, quantified chronic low-grade inflammation. Absolute risks (ARs), hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) assessed the association of increased INFLA-score with the risk of CMMs and CMDs. The accelerated failure time model explored the effect of INFLA-score on the time to CMM onset, and a restricted cubic spline characterised the dose-dependent relationship between INFLA-score and CMM risk. After a median follow-up of 166.37 months, 13,755 cases of CMM were identified. In quartiles with increasing INFLA-score levels, CMM ARs were 4.41%, 4.49%, 5.04% and 6.01%, respectively; HR increased by 2%, 15% and 36%, respectively, compared to the lowest quartile. The INFLA-score and CMM risk relationship was nonlinear (P for nonlinear < 0.001), exhibiting a significant risk trend change at a score of 9. For INFLA-score < 9, CMM risk increased by 1.9% for each 1-point increase; for INFLA-score ≥ 9, the risk increased by 5.9% for each 1-point increase. Additionally, a higher INFLA-score was associated with an earlier onset of CMM (P < 0.001). Compared to the first INFLA-score quartile, the AFT model revealed adjusted median times to CMM occurrence were 2.92, 6.10 and 13.19 months earlier in the second, third and fourth quartile groups, respectively. Chronic low-grade inflammation is associated with a higher risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity and earlier onset among middle-aged and older adults. Monitoring and screening the INFLA-score in adults without CMDs may improve early prevention of CMM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence regarding the role of chronic low-grade inflammation in the progression of cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) and cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) is currently limited. This prospective cohort study, utilising data from the UK Biobank, included 273,804 adults aged 40–69 years initially free of CMD at baseline. CMM was defined as the coexistence of two or more CMDs, such as coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension and stroke. The aggregated inflammation score (INFLA-score), incorporating C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, platelet count and granulocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, quantified chronic low-grade inflammation. Absolute risks (ARs), hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) assessed the association of increased INFLA-score with the risk of CMMs and CMDs. The accelerated failure time model explored the effect of INFLA-score on the time to CMM onset, and a restricted cubic spline characterised the dose-dependent relationship between INFLA-score and CMM risk. After a median follow-up of 166.37 months, 13,755 cases of CMM were identified. In quartiles with increasing INFLA-score levels, CMM ARs were 4.41%, 4.49%, 5.04% and 6.01%, respectively; HR increased by 2%, 15% and 36%, respectively, compared to the lowest quartile. The INFLA-score and CMM risk relationship was nonlinear (P for nonlinear < 0.001), exhibiting a significant risk trend change at a score of 9. For INFLA-score < 9, CMM risk increased by 1.9% for each 1-point increase; for INFLA-score ≥ 9, the risk increased by 5.9% for each 1-point increase. Additionally, a higher INFLA-score was associated with an earlier onset of CMM (P < 0.001). Compared to the first INFLA-score quartile, the AFT model revealed adjusted median times to CMM occurrence were 2.92, 6.10 and 13.19 months earlier in the second, third and fourth quartile groups, respectively. Chronic low-grade inflammation is associated with a higher risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity and earlier onset among middle-aged and older adults. Monitoring and screening the INFLA-score in adults without CMDs may improve early prevention of CMM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New clinical studies suggest that mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy can have positive clinical effects, potentially via immunomodulation, in patients with diabetic nephropathy or nephrotic syndrome. These trials suggest that the therapy is safe, but adverse reactions highlight the need to examine the source and functional attributes of MSCs closely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major advantage of the passive multiple-target tracking is that the sonars do not emit signals and thus they can remain covert, which will reduce the risk of being attacked. However, the nonlinearity of the passive Doppler and bearing measurements, the range unobservability problem, and the measurement to target data association uncertainty make the passive multiple-target tracking problem challenging. To deal with the target to measurement data association uncertainty problem from multiple sensors, this paper proposed a batch recursive extended Rauch-Tung-Striebel smoother- (RTSS-) based probabilistic multiple hypothesis tracker (PMHT) algorithm, which can effectively handle a large number of passive measurements including clutters. The recursive extended RTSS which consists of a forward filter and a backward smoothing is used to deal with the nonlinear Doppler and bearing measurements. The target range unobservability problem is avoided due to using multiple passive sensors. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm works well in a passive multiple-target tracking system under dense clutter environment, and its computing cost is low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]