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Background: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) enables a non-invasive measurement of tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) in regions illuminated by near-infrared lights. Vascular occlusion test (VOT) serves as a model to artificially induce forearm ischemia-reperfusion. The combination of StO2 monitoring and VOT allows for dynamic evaluation of the balance between oxygen delivery and consumption in tissue, as well as the functional reserve of microcirculation. However, the implications of these measurements for patient outcomes remain inadequately understood. This study aimed to investigate the association between StO2-VOT measurements and the occurrence of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI), in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods: Between March 2020 and March 2021, 100 adult patients who scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery with mild hypothermic CPB were enrolled to this prospective observational study. StO2 was continuously monitored at the right forearm and ipsilateral VOT procedure was performed before initiation of CPB, at the time before weaning from CPB, and at the end of surgery. Preoperative and intraoperative factors, along with StO2-VOT parameters, were evaluated for their independent association with the occurrence of AKI following cardiac surgery. StO2-VOT parameters were also compared between patients with hyperlactatemia (peak blood lactate ≥ 4 mmol/L) and those without hyperlactatemia. Results: In our patient population (n = 87), 13.79% (12/87) patients developed AKI after surgery. Multivariable analysis revealed that CPB time and post-CPB desaturation speed (D-speed) were independently associated with AKI. Post-CPB D-speed had an area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.79 (95% CI, 0.66–0.93) with a cutoff value of 0.08%·min− 1 in predicting AKI. Patients with hyperlactatemia had longer pre-CPB T1 and higher D-speed during CPB. However, ROC analysis indicated that T1 and D-speed exhibited limited predictive capacity for hyperlactatemia. Patients with AKI exhibited an increased risk of prolonged ICU stays, postoperative stroke, reoperation, and in-hospital mortality. Conclusions: NIRS monitoring combined with VOT shows promise in predicting postoperative AKI in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with mild hypothermic CPB. Trial registration: ChiCTR1900021436 with registered date 21/02/2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aim Methods Results Conclusions Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) as a cognitive process in multiple mental disorders is a key risk factor for mental disorders. It is associated with the development and maintenance of the illness. The perseverative thinking questionnaire (PTQ) is an instrument to evaluate RNT with excellent reliability and validity. Nevertheless, a Chinese version of the perseverative thinking questionnaire (C‐PTQ) is lack of validation in Chinese college students. The study aimed to establish a C‐PTQ, explore its psychometric properties in college students.After translating PTQ into Chinese, we investigated 696 college students. We conducted exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine the psychometric properties and factor structures of the C‐PTQ. Content validity was assessed using the content validity index and internal consistency was assessed using the Cronbach's α and McDonald's Omega ω. Multi‐variable linear regressions explored the relationships between variables. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to determine the ability of C‐PTQ in identifying depression and anxiety.The EFA showed a one‐factor structure, which explained 52.227% of the total variance. The CFA showed that both one‐factor structure in this research and three‐factor structure of original demonstrated eligible model fits. The content validity index of 0.93. Results demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.934, McDonald's Omega ω = 0.934) and convergent validity. The PTQ is a useful tool in identifying depression (sensitivity = 85.5%, specificity = 64.6%) and anxiety (sensitivity = 84.6%, specificity = 68.5%).The C‐PTQ has good psychometric properties, which is valid and reliable for assessing RNT in Chinese college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This note examines the conditional least squares (CLS) estimators for integer-valued autoregressive (INAR) models, with a focus on the INAR(1) model. Our investigation reveals that the joint limiting distribution of the CLS estimators for the autoregressive coefficient and the mean of the model errors is degenerate in the case of mildly unstable INAR(1) models with moderate deviations from unity. This degeneracy may pose challenges for statistical inference. We provide commenting notes based on the asymptotic results to address this issue. Additionally, we conduct simulation studies and analyze a real-world dataset to validate the theoretical findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the problem of estimating the high-dimensional Poisson regression model with group sparsity in the parameter vector using the weighted group Lasso method. Non asymptotic oracle inequalities measuring the convergence rate of the estimation and prediction errors are given, provided that the true regression coefficients and the covariates satisfy suitable conditions. The non asymptotic oracle inequalities imply that the weighted group lasso estimator is consistent. A comparison of the performance of our proposed weights with other adaptive weights in simulated data shows that the weighted group Lasso estimator provides a good sparse approximation to the true parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a vitally important and challenging task to achieve high efficiency and wide color‐tunable white organic light emitting diodes (CT‐WOLEDs) meeting the needs of various decoration and lighting applications. Here, a high‐performance single‐cell all‐fluorescent CT‐WOLED with a single‐doped single‐emissive‐layer structure has been developed employing a multi‐functional hybrid local and charge transfer (HLCT) fluorophore 2‐(4‐(9H‐carbazol‐9‐yl)−2′,5′‐difluoro‐[1,1′:4′,1′'‐terphenyl]−4‐yl)−1‐phenyl‐1H‐phenanthro[9,10‐d]imidazole (PICZ2F) as a deep‐blue emitter as well as an effective host for a yellow thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitter. The record‐breaking power efficiency of 89.50 lm W‒1 and correlated color temperature (CCT) span from 3749 to 18 279 K are achieved simultaneously, which is not only one of the state‐of‐the‐art CT‐WOLEDs reported so far, but also comparable to the best values from all‐fluorescent white devices with a single‐emissive‐layer. Moreover, by using PICZ2F as an emitter, an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 7.10% with the Commission Internationale de lEclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.155, 0.068) is achieved in the doped device, and a low‐efficiency roll‐off even at a high luminance of 15 000 cd m−2 (EQE15000: 5.80%) is achieved in the non‐doped device. Overall, the findings provide a promising strategy to develop simple but efficient CT‐WOLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on constructions that are vulnerable to fire hazards during wildfire events, and these constructions are known as 'exposures', which are an increasingly significant area of disaster research. A key challenge lies in estimating dynamically and comprehensively the risk that individuals are exposed to during wildfire spread. Here, 'exposure risk' denotes the potential threat to exposed constructions from fires within a future timeframe. This paper introduces a novel method that integrates a spatiotemporal knowledge graph with wildfire spread data and an exposure risk analysis model to address this issue. This approach enables the semantic integration of varied and heterogeneous spatiotemporal data, capturing the dynamic nature of wildfire propagation for precise risk analysis. Empirical tests are employed for the study area of Xichang, Sichuan Province, using real-world data to validate the method's efficacy in merging multiple data sources and enhancing the accuracy of exposure risk analysis. Notably, this approach also reduces the time complexity from O   (m × n × p) to O   (m × n) . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Continuous and noninvasive hemoglobin (Hb) monitoring during surgery is essential for anesthesiologists to make transfusions decisions. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and accuracy of noninvasive and continuous Hb monitoring using transesophageal descending aortic photoplethysmography (dPPG) in porcine model. Methods: Nineteen landrace pigs, aged 3 to 5 months and weighing 30 to 50 kg, were enrolled in this study. A homemade oximetry sensor, including red (660 nm) and infrared (940 nm) lights, was placed in the esophagus for dPPG signal detection to pair with the corresponding reference Hb values (Hbi−STAT) measured by blood gas analysis. The decrease and increase changes in Hb concentration were achieved by hemodilution and transfusion. Metrics, including alternating current (AC), direct current (DC), and AC/DC for both red and infrared light were extracted from the dPPG signal. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was built to evaluate the performance of dPPG metrics in predicting the Hb "trigger threshold" of transfusion (Hb < 60 g/L and Hb > 100 g/L). Agreement and trending ability between Hb measured by dPPG (HbdPPG) and by blood gas analysis were analyzed by Bland-Altman method and polar plot graph. Error grid analysis was also performed to evaluate clinical significance of HbdPPG measurement. Results: The dPPG signal was successfully detected in all of the enrolled experimental pigs, without the occurrence of a continuous loss of dPPG signal for 2 min during the entire measurement. A total of 376 pairs of dPPG signal and Hbi−STAT were acquired. ACred/DCred and ACinf/DCinf had moderate correlations with Hbi−STAT, and the correlation coefficients were 0.790 and 0.782, respectively. The areas under the ROC curve for ACred/DCred and ACinf/DCinf in predicting Hbi−STAT < 60 g/L were 0.85 and 0.75, in predicting Hbi−STAT > 100 g/L were 0.90 and 0.83, respectively. Bland-Altman analysis and polar plot showed a small bias (1.69 g/L) but a wide limit of agreement (-26.02–29.40 g/L) and a poor trend ability between HbdPPG and Hbi−STAT. Clinical significance analysis showed that 82% of the data lay within the Zone A, 18% within the Zone B, and 0% within the Zone C. Conclusion: It is feasible to establish a noninvasive and continuous Hb monitoring by transesophageal dPPG signal. The ACred/DCred extracted from the dPPG signal could provide a sensitive prediction of the Hb threshold for transfusion. The Hb concentration measured by dPPG signal has a moderate correlation with that measured by blood gas analysis. This animal study may provide an experimental basis for the development of bedside HbdPPG monitoring in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Continuous and noninvasive hemoglobin (Hb) monitoring during surgery is essential for anesthesiologists to make transfusions decisions. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and accuracy of noninvasive and continuous Hb monitoring using transesophageal descending aortic photoplethysmography (dPPG) in porcine model. Methods: Nineteen landrace pigs, aged 3 to 5 months and weighing 30 to 50 kg, were enrolled in this study. A homemade oximetry sensor, including red (660 nm) and infrared (940 nm) lights, was placed in the esophagus for dPPG signal detection to pair with the corresponding reference Hb values (Hbi−STAT) measured by blood gas analysis. The decrease and increase changes in Hb concentration were achieved by hemodilution and transfusion. Metrics, including alternating current (AC), direct current (DC), and AC/DC for both red and infrared light were extracted from the dPPG signal. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was built to evaluate the performance of dPPG metrics in predicting the Hb "trigger threshold" of transfusion (Hb < 60 g/L and Hb > 100 g/L). Agreement and trending ability between Hb measured by dPPG (HbdPPG) and by blood gas analysis were analyzed by Bland-Altman method and polar plot graph. Error grid analysis was also performed to evaluate clinical significance of HbdPPG measurement. Results: The dPPG signal was successfully detected in all of the enrolled experimental pigs, without the occurrence of a continuous loss of dPPG signal for 2 min during the entire measurement. A total of 376 pairs of dPPG signal and Hbi−STAT were acquired. ACred/DCred and ACinf/DCinf had moderate correlations with Hbi−STAT, and the correlation coefficients were 0.790 and 0.782, respectively. The areas under the ROC curve for ACred/DCred and ACinf/DCinf in predicting Hbi−STAT < 60 g/L were 0.85 and 0.75, in predicting Hbi−STAT > 100 g/L were 0.90 and 0.83, respectively. Bland-Altman analysis and polar plot showed a small bias (1.69 g/L) but a wide limit of agreement (-26.02–29.40 g/L) and a poor trend ability between HbdPPG and Hbi−STAT. Clinical significance analysis showed that 82% of the data lay within the Zone A, 18% within the Zone B, and 0% within the Zone C. Conclusion: It is feasible to establish a noninvasive and continuous Hb monitoring by transesophageal dPPG signal. The ACred/DCred extracted from the dPPG signal could provide a sensitive prediction of the Hb threshold for transfusion. The Hb concentration measured by dPPG signal has a moderate correlation with that measured by blood gas analysis. This animal study may provide an experimental basis for the development of bedside HbdPPG monitoring in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic CO2 reduction is one of the best solutions to solve the global energy crisis and to realize carbon neutralization. The tetradentate phosphine‐bipyridine (bpy)‐phosphine (PNNP)‐type Ir(III) photocatalyst, Mes‐IrPCY2, was reported with a high HCOOH selectivity but the photocatalytic mechanism remains elusive. Herein, we employ electronic structure methods in combination with radiative, nonradiative, and electron transfer rate calculations, to explore the entire photocatalytic cycle to either HCOOH or CO, based on which a new mechanistic scenario is proposed. The catalytic reduction reaction starts from the generation of the precursor metal‐to‐ligand charge transfer (3MLCT) state. Subsequently, the divergence happens from the 3MLCT state, the single electron transfer (SET) and deprotonation process lead to the formation of one‐electron‐reduced species and Ir(I) species, which initiate the reduction reaction to HCOOH and CO, respectively. Interestingly, the efficient occurrence of proton or electron transfer reduces barriers of critical steps. In addition, nonadiabatic transitions play a nonnegligible role in the cycle. We suggest a lower free‐energy barrier in the reaction‐limiting step and the very efficient SET in 3MLCT are cooperatively responsible for a high HCOOH selectivity. The gained mechanistic insights could help chemists to understand, regulate, and design photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction of similar function‐integrated molecular photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic CO2 reduction is one of the best solutions to solve the global energy crisis and to realize carbon neutralization. The tetradentate phosphine‐bipyridine (bpy)‐phosphine (PNNP)‐type Ir(III) photocatalyst, Mes‐IrPCY2, was reported with a high HCOOH selectivity but the photocatalytic mechanism remains elusive. Herein, we employ electronic structure methods in combination with radiative, nonradiative, and electron transfer rate calculations, to explore the entire photocatalytic cycle to either HCOOH or CO, based on which a new mechanistic scenario is proposed. The catalytic reduction reaction starts from the generation of the precursor metal‐to‐ligand charge transfer (3MLCT) state. Subsequently, the divergence happens from the 3MLCT state, the single electron transfer (SET) and deprotonation process lead to the formation of one‐electron‐reduced species and Ir(I) species, which initiate the reduction reaction to HCOOH and CO, respectively. Interestingly, the efficient occurrence of proton or electron transfer reduces barriers of critical steps. In addition, nonadiabatic transitions play a nonnegligible role in the cycle. We suggest a lower free‐energy barrier in the reaction‐limiting step and the very efficient SET in 3MLCT are cooperatively responsible for a high HCOOH selectivity. The gained mechanistic insights could help chemists to understand, regulate, and design photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction of similar function‐integrated molecular photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing frequency and magnitude of landslides underscore the growing importance of landslide prediction in light of factors like climate change. Traditional methods, including physics-based methods and empirical methods, are beset by high costs and a reliance on expert knowledge. With the advancement of remote sensing and machine learning, data-driven methods have emerged as the mainstream in landslide prediction. Despite their strong generalization capabilities and efficiency, data-driven methods suffer from the loss of semantic information during training due to their reliance on a 'sequence' modeling method for landslide scenarios, which impacts their predictive accuracy. An innovative method for landslide prediction is proposed in this paper. In this paper, we propose an innovative landslide prediction method. This method designs the NADE ontology as the schema layer and constructs the data layer of the knowledge graph, utilizing tile lists, landslide inventory, and environmental data to enhance the representation of complex landslide scenarios. Furthermore, the transformation of the landslide prediction task into a link prediction task is carried out, and a knowledge graph embedding model is trained to achieve landslide predictions. Experimental results demonstrate that the method improves the F1 score by 5% in scenarios with complete datasets and 17% in scenarios with sparse datasets compared to data-driven methods. Additionally, the application of the knowledge graph embedding model is utilized to generate susceptibility maps, and an analysis of the effectiveness of entity embeddings is conducted, highlighting the potential of knowledge graph embeddings in disaster management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trace regression has received a lot of attention due to its ability to account for matrix-type covariates, including panel data, images, and genomic microarrays as special cases. However, most of its existing research focuses on the case of mean regression. In this paper, we consider the expectile trace regression, which can provide a more diversified picture of the regression relationship at different expectiles, via the low-rank and group sparsity regularization. The upper bound for the statistical rate of convergence of the regularized estimator is established under some mild conditions. Some simulations, as well as a real data example, are also provided to illustrate the finite sample performance of the developed expectile trace regression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Impairment of cerebral autoregulation (CA) has been observed in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), but little is known about its risks and associations with outcomes. The cerebral oximetry index (COx), which is a moving linear correlation coefficient between regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2) and mean blood pressure (MAP), may reflect CA function. When COx approaches 1, it implies that CA is damaged, whereas the CA is functional when the COx value approaches 0. The objective of this study was to analyze the incidence and risks of impaired CA, based on COx assessment, in patients undergoing total aortic arch replacement under systemic moderate hypothermia and circulatory arrest of the lower body (MHCA). We also evaluated the association between impaired CA and patient outcomes. Methods: One hundred and fifty-four adult patients who underwent total aortic arch replacement with stented elephant trunk implantation under MHCA at our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were defined as having new-onset impaired CA if pre-CPB COx < 0.3 and post-CPB COx > 0.3. Pre- and intraoperative factors were tested for independent association with impaired CA. Postoperative outcomes were compared between patients with normal and impaired CA. Results: In our 154 patients, 46(29.9%) developed new-onset impaired CA after CPB. Multivariable analysis revealed a prolonged low rScO2 (rScO2 < 55%) independently associated with onset of impaired CA, and receiver operating charactoristic curve showed a cutoff value at 40 min (sensitivity, 89.5%; specificity, 68.0%). Compared with normal CA patients, those with impaired CA showed a significantly higher rates of in-hospital mortality and postoperative complications. Conclusions: Prolonged low rScO2 (rScO2 < 55%) during aortic arch surgery was closely related to onset of impaired CA. Impaired CA remained associated with the increased rates of postoperative complications and in-hospital mortality. Trial registration: ChiCTR1800014545 with registered date 20/01/2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In applications involving, e.g., panel data, images, genomics microarrays, etc., trace regression models are useful tools. To address the high-dimensional issue of these applications, it is common to assume some sparsity property. For the case of the parameter matrix being simultaneously low rank and elements-wise sparse, we estimate the parameter matrix through the least-squares approach with the composite penalty combining the nuclear norm and the l1 norm. We extend the existing analysis of the low-rank trace regression with i.i.d. errors to exponential β-mixing errors. The explicit convergence rate and the asymptotic properties of the proposed estimator are established. Simulations, as well as a real data application, are also carried out for illustration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there is a wealth of data and expert knowledge available on monitoring agro-meteorological disasters. However, there is still a lack of technical means to organically integrate and analyze heterogeneous data sources in a collaborative manner. This paper proposes a method for monitoring agro-meteorological disasters based on a spatio-temporal knowledge graph. It employs a semantic ontology framework to achieve the organic fusion of multi-source heterogeneous data, including remote sensing data, meteorological data, farmland data, crop information, etc. And it formalizes expert knowledge and computational models into knowledge inference rules, thereby enabling monitoring, early warning, and disaster analysis of agricultural crops within the observed area. The experimental area for this research is the wheat planting region in three counties in Henan Province. The method is tested using simulation monitoring, early warning, and impact calculation of the past two occurrences of dry hot wind disasters. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can provide more specific and accurate warning information and post-disaster analysis results compared to raw records. The statistical results of NDVI decline also validate the correlation between the severity of wheat damage caused by dry hot winds and the intensity and duration of their occurrences. Regarding remote sensing data, this paper proposes a method that directly incorporates remote sensing data into spatio-temporal knowledge inference calculations. By integrating remote sensing data into the regular monitoring process, the advantages of remote sensing data granted by continuous observation are utilized. This approach represents a beneficial attempt to organically integrate remote sensing and meteorological data for monitoring, early warning, and evaluation analysis of agro-meteorological disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new reverse half-discrete Mulholland-type inequality with the nonhomogeneous kernel of the form h (v (x) ln n) and the best possible constant factor is obtained by using the weight functions and the technique of real analysis. The equivalent reverses are considered. As corollaries, we deduce some new equivalent reverse inequalities with the homogeneous kernel of the form k λ (v (x) , ln n) . A few particular cases are provided. Our new reverse half-discrete Mulholland-type inequality which has a nonhomogeneous kernel is more general than in the previous homogeneous kernel work. The harmonized integration will have more applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the non-linear ionizing and heating processes, the 21-cm signals from epoch of reionization (EoR) are expected to have strong non-Gaussian fluctuations. In this paper, we use the seminumerical simulations to study the non-Gaussian statistics, i.e. skew spectrum and smoothed skewness of the 21-cm signals from EoR. We find the 21-cm skew spectrum and smoothed skewness have similar evolution features with the 21-cm bispectrum. All of them are sensitive to the EoR models, while not too much to the cosmic volume applied. With the SKA1-low telescope as reference, we find both the skew spectrum and smoothed skewness have much higher signal-to-noise ratios than the 21-cm bispectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of college physical education (PE) teaching quality is an indispensable part of the teaching process. Building a scientific, comprehensive, reasonable and effective evaluation system is crucial to improving the quality of college PE classroom teaching. This process is not easy, and requires long-term efforts and persistence. The PE teaching quality evaluation in Colleges and Universities is frequently viewed as the multiple attribute decision making (MADM) issue. In such paper, Taxonomy method is designed for MADM under double-valued neutrosophic sets (DVNSs). First, the score function of DVNSs and Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) method is used to derive the attribute weights. Second, then, the optimal choice is obtained through calculating the smallest double-valued neutrosophic number (DVNN) development attribute values from the DVNN positive ideal solution (DVNNPIS). Finally, a numerical example for PE teaching quality evaluation is given to illustrate the built method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Podocyte loss is a predictor of kidney disease development, including diabetic nephropathy. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) was considered a renoprotective drug, whereas the mechanisms operated by APS on podocyte dysfunction are rarely mentioned. This study aims at the mechanistic underlying of APS on angiotensin II (Ang II)‐induced podocyte dysfunction. Mouse glomerular podocytes MPC5 were induced with Ang II, the morphologic changes were observed and nephrin, desmin and Wilms' tumour protein‐1 (WT‐1) levels were determined. The MPC5 cells were treated with APS (50, 100 and 200 μg/mL) and transduced with retinoic acid receptor responder protein 1 (RARRES1) overexpression vectors. The expression of RARRES1, lipocalin‐2 (LCN2), nephrin and desmin was tested, MPC5 cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated, and the levels of an endocytotic receptor megalin, Bcl‐2, Bax, interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐1β and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α were assessed. The binding of RARRES1 to LCN2 was predicted and verified. Mice were infused with Ang II to evaluate histopathological alterations and 24‐h urinary albumin content. Ang II induction suppressed MPC5 cell viability, reduced the expression of nephrin, WT‐1, megalin and Bcl‐2, and augmented the expression of desmin, Bax, IL‐6, IL‐1β and TNF‐α, which were significantly nullified by APS treatment. RARRES1 interacted with LCN2, and APS treatment inhibited RARRES1 and LCN2 expression in a dose‐dependent manner, thereby alleviating Ang II‐induced podocyte dysfunction. Ang II infusion in mice facilitated pathological alterations in renal tissues and increased urinary albumin content, which were attenuated after APS treatment. Overall, APS treatment alleviated Ang II‐induced podocyte dysfunction by inhibiting RARRES1/LCN2 expression and blocked kidney injury development in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe an aromatic amide skeleton for manipulation of triplet excited states toward bright long‐lived blue phosphorescence. Spectroscopic studies and theoretical calculations demonstrated that the aromatic amides can promote strong spin‐orbit coupling between (π,π*) and the bridged (n,π*) states, and enable multiple channels to populate the emissive 3(π,π*), as well as facilitate robust hydrogen bonding with polyvinyl alcohol to suppress non‐radiative relaxations. Isolated inherent deep‐blue (0.155, 0.056) to sky‐blue (0.175, 0.232) phosphorescence with high quantum yields (up to 34.7 %) in confined films are achieved. The blue afterglow of the films can last for several seconds and are showcased in information display, anti‐counterfeiting, and white light afterglow. Owing to the high population of 3(π,π*) states, the smart aromatic amide skeleton provides an important molecular design prototype to manipulate triplet excited states for ultralong phosphorescence with various colors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe an aromatic amide skeleton for manipulation of triplet excited states toward bright long‐lived blue phosphorescence. Spectroscopic studies and theoretical calculations demonstrated that the aromatic amides can promote strong spin‐orbit coupling between (π,π*) and the bridged (n,π*) states, and enable multiple channels to populate the emissive 3(π,π*), as well as facilitate robust hydrogen bonding with polyvinyl alcohol to suppress non‐radiative relaxations. Isolated inherent deep‐blue (0.155, 0.056) to sky‐blue (0.175, 0.232) phosphorescence with high quantum yields (up to 34.7 %) in confined films are achieved. The blue afterglow of the films can last for several seconds and are showcased in information display, anti‐counterfeiting, and white light afterglow. Owing to the high population of 3(π,π*) states, the smart aromatic amide skeleton provides an important molecular design prototype to manipulate triplet excited states for ultralong phosphorescence with various colors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization–alkalization is a major hindrance to agricultural development globally. Tea crabapple is widely used in China. However, little remains known regarding the molecular mechanisms used to withstand mixed saline–alkali stress (MSAS). Herein, we exposed tea crabapple seedlings to MSAS, and RNA-seq was performed for the transcriptome analysis of roots. Between 43.26 million and 43.37 million clean reads were thus obtained. In comparison with the control group (day 0), 2931, 2335, and 3746 genes were differentially expressed at day 1, day 3, and day 6 of MSAS exposure, respectively, and 1022 genes were common in the three comparison groups. On functional annotation, we observed that numerous differentially expressed genes were involved in "global and overview maps"; "carbohydrate metabolism"; "folding, sorting, and degradation"; "biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites"; "environmental adaptation"; and "signal transduction." Heat shock proteins, cytochrome P450s, disease-resistant proteins, non-specific lipid-transfer proteins, pectate lyase, and beta-glucosidases were also induced in response to MSAS, in addition to nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium absorption and metabolism-related genes. Transcription factor-coding genes appear to regulate the response of tea crabapple roots to MSAS by participating in, for example, plant hormone signal transduction and heat shock response. We also performed quantitative real-time PCR to validate the expression of six differentially expressed genes. Our findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms used by tea crabapple to cope with MSAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two‐coordinate Carbene−Metal−Amide (CMA) complexes with thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) have attracted much attention owing to their excellent luminescence properties and potential applications in organic light‐emitting devices. However, the luminescence mechanism remains unclear. Herein, we took one CMA Au(I) complex as an example and investigate its relevant photophysics using both density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent DFT methods with a polarizable continuum model. The calculated absorption and emission spectra agree with the experimental data and the S1 and T1 states show mixed ligand to ligand charge transfer (CT) and ligand to metal CT characters. Small spatial overlap between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) minimizes the energy difference between the S1 and T1 states (ΔEST). Properly large spin‐orbit coupling promotes the reverse intersystem crossing (rISC) process. At 300 K, the rISC process is much more efficient than the T1 phosphorescent emission, which leads to the TADF emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Co-HTC significantly improved the hydrochar quality as a solid fuel. • Co-HTC increased the fixed carbon but decreased the ash contents in the hydrochar. • Both HHV and fuel ratio increased as the proportions of rice straw increased. • The hydrochar combustibility index increased by 30% to 419% with co-HTC. • The synergistic effect of co-HTC is more significant at 180 °C and 220 °C. This study assessed the effects of mass mixing ratio and hydrothermal temperature on the co-hydrothermal carbonization (co-HTC) of sewage sludge and rice straw regarding the yield, chemical composition, fuel properties, surface functional groups, and combustion behavior of the hydrochar. The co-HTC increased the hydrochar yield at 180 °C but decreased it at 220 and 260 °C. The co-HTC increased the hydrochar organic matter contents, higher heating values, fuel ratios, and combustion behavior (combustibility index) by 16 % to 63 %, 15 % to 85 %, 51 % to 321 %, and 30 % to 419 %, respectively. The co-HTC also enhanced the formation of oxygen-containing functional groups on the hydrochar surface. The synergistic and anti-synergistic effects of the co-HTC were more positive at 180 and 220 °C but more negative at 260 °C. The co-HTC of municipal sludge and rice straw is promising in converting waste materials into high-quality hydrochar as a clean solid fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the adaptive Huber trace regression model with matrix covariates. A non-convex penalty function is employed to account for the low-rank structure of the unknown parameter. Under some mild conditions, we establish an upper bound for the statistical rate of convergence of the regularized matrix estimator. Theoretically, we can deal with heavy-tailed distributions with bounded (1 + δ) -th moment for any δ > 0. Furthermore, we derive the effect of the adaptive parameter on the final estimator. Some simulations, as well as a real data example, are designed to show the finite sample performance of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Phase III trials with prospective biomarker validation are essential to drug development in the era of personalized oncology. However, concerns have emerged regarding the design and reporting of phase III trials with prospective biomarker validation.Methods: We searched MEDLINE for phase III oncology trials with prospective biomarker validation published in high-impact medical journals from 2011 to 2020. Information regarding trial design and reporting were extracted. Descriptive methods were used to summarize the results.Results: We identified 45 phase III trials with prospective biomarker validation. There was a trend for increasing use of biomarker validation phase III trials (from 1 trial in 2011 to 12 trials in 2020). For 39 (86.7%) trials, results in biomarker-negative population were either listed as an exploratory subgroup analysis (62.2%) or not mentioned in the methods (24.4%). Twenty-one (46.7%) trials were originally designed without biomarker validation but were then apparently modified to incorporate prospective biomarker validation after trial commencement, albeit only 15 (33.3%) trials reported this change. Treatment effect and primary outcome values in biomarker-negative patients were not reported in 24.4% and 40.0% trials, respectively. For 18 trials with statistically significant results in the overall population, only 7 trials reported a hazard ratio less than 0.8 in the biomarker-negative population.Conclusion: Although biomarker validation in phase III trials have been increasingly used in the past decade, issues regarding changes in trial design after commencement without disclosure, under-reporting of results in biomarker-negative groups and recommending treatment in biomarker negative groups despite modest effects, require substantial improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anti-angiogenic drugs increase anti-tumor efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, the optimal dose of anti-angiogenic drugs remains unclear. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed efficacy and safety data from patients diagnosed with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that received PD-1 blockade with low-doses of anlotinib, a highly selective receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor mainly targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptors, as second or later line therapy. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), overall response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and safety profile. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify prognostic factors. Results: A total of 40 eligible patients were included. The median PFS was 11.4 months. The median OS of the entire cohort was 27.0 months. ORR was achieved in 16 patients (40.0%) and DCR was maintained in 33 patients (82.5%). The overall incidence of adverse events (AEs) was 52.5%, and the most common all grade AE was gastrointestinal reactions, which occurred in four patients (10.0%). Treatment-related grade 3/4 toxicity was observed in one patient (2.5%). Conclusions Low-dose anlotinib may be an effective and well-tolerated anti-angiogenesis partner for combination therapy with ICIs in second-line and later settings for advanced NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the Lasso method for sparse linear models with exponential φ -mixing errors under a fixed design, where the number of covariates p is large, or even much larger than the sample size n. The non-asymptotic concentration inequalities for the estimation and prediction errors of the Lasso estimators are given when the errors follow the Gaussian distribution and the sub-exponential distribution, respectively. The prediction and variable selection performance of Lasso estimators are further illustrated through numerical simulations. Finally, the results of the empirical application show that the Index Tracking Fund based on the sparse selection of Lasso can closely track the trend of the target index, and thus provide some useful guidance for the investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dinuclear Pt(II) compound was reported to exhibit thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF); however, the luminescence mechanism remains elusive. To reveal relevant excited‐state properties and luminescence mechanism of this Pt(II) compound, both density function theory (DFT) and time‐dependent DFT (TD‐DFT) calculations were carried out in this work. In terms of the results, the S1 and T2 states show mixed intraligand charge transfer (ILCT)/metal‐to‐ligand CT (MLCT) characters while the T1 state exhibits mixed ILCT/ligand‐to‐metal CT (LMCT) characters. Mechanistically, a four‐state (S0, S1, T1, and T2) model is proposed to rationalize the TADF behavior. The reverse intersystem crossing (rISC) process from the initial T1 to final S1 states involves two up‐conversion channels (direct T1→S1 and T2‐mediated T1→T2→S1 pathways) and both play crucial roles in TADF. At 300 K, these two channels are much faster than the T1 phosphorescence emission enabling TADF. However, at 80 K, these rISC rates are reduced by several orders of magnitude and become very small, which blocks the TADF emission; instead, only the phosphorescence is observed. These findings rationalize the experimental observation and could provide useful guidance to rational design of organometallic materials with superior TADF performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of the energy industry and the growth of the global energy demand in recent years, the development of the photovoltaic industry has become increasingly significant. However, the development of the PV industry is constrained by high land costs, and land in central cities and industrial areas is often very expensive and unsuitable for the installation of PV equipment in large areas. With this background knowledge, the key to evaluating the PV potential is by counting the rooftop information of buildings, and an ideal solution for extracting building rooftop information is from remote sensing satellite images using the deep learning method; however, the deep learning method often requires large-scale labeled samples, and the labeling of remote sensing images is often time-consuming and expensive. To reduce the burden of data labeling, models trained on large datasets can be used as pre-trained models (e.g., ImageNet) to provide prior knowledge for training. However, most of the existing pre-trained model parameters are not suitable for direct transfer to remote sensing tasks. In this paper, we design a pseudo-label-guided self-supervised learning (PGSSL) semantic segmentation network structure based on high-resolution remote sensing images to extract building information. The pseudo-label-guided learning method allows the feature results extracted by the pretext task to be more applicable to the target task and ultimately improves segmentation accuracy. Our proposed method achieves better results than current contrastive learning methods in most experiments and uses only about 20–50% of the labeled data to achieve comparable performance with random initialization. In addition, a more accurate statistical method for building density distribution is designed based on the semantic segmentation results. This method addresses the last step of the extraction results oriented to the PV potential assessment, and this paper is validated in Beijing, China, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the lack of techniques for automatically detecting the surface defects of ceramic tiles, owing to the numerous types and complex surface textures of ceramic tiles, a salient region detection (SRD) algorithm is proposed. After the superpixel segmentation of the surface image of ceramic tiles, colour and structure saliency maps were constructed by taking the differences between the defects and backgrounds, in terms of colour and structure, as the salient values. The final saliency map for the surface defects was then obtained through the fusion of these two maps. The salient regions in the map were determined using the connected domain method and were then marked using minimum circumscribed rectangles for detecting the surface defects. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed SRD algorithm was verified through comparative experiments. The experimental results show that the detection accuracy of the algorithm for unknown types of ceramic tiles is 92.60%, which was 5.40% higher than that of the ResNet-50 algorithm, which was the highest for known types of ceramic tiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: As a novel antiangiogenic multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor recently approved in China, anlotinib has exhibited promising anticancer efficacy and acceptable safety profile in the salvage treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in clinical trials. Here we retrospectively investigated the efficacy and safety of anlotinib as third- or further-line treatment in patients with refractory SCLC. Patients and methods: A total of 40 patients with refractory SCLC treated with anlotinib monotherapy were included in this study. The clinicopathological data, treatment information, survival data and safety data were retrospectively collected. Survival curves were constructed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Univariate analysis was performed by log-rank testing. Results: Altogether, 40 patients of extensive-stage SCLC or progressive limited-stage SCLC received anlotinib monotherapy as third- or further-line treatment from July 2018 to June 2020. Four patients achieved partial response (PR), 14 patients achieved stable disease (SD), no complete response (CR) was recorded, and 22 patients experienced progressive disease (PD). The disease control rate (DCR) was 45.0%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 3.0 months (95% CI 2.241–3.759), and the median overall survival (OS) was 7.8 months (95% CI 3.190–12.410). The common adverse effects (AEs) included hypertension, fatigue, anorexia, cough, rash and nausea. Grade 3 treatment-related AEs occurred in 3 (7.5%) patients. One patient interrupted anlotinib treatment due to repeated grade 1 epistaxis. Univariate analysis revealed that patients without liver metastases, previously treated with radiotherapy or with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scores of 0 or 1 had longer OS with anlotinib treatment. Cox regression analysis demonstrated that patients without liver metastases and patients with ECOG score ≤ 1 had longer PFS, while patients without liver metastases had longer OS. Conclusion: Anlotinib is beneficial to refractory SCLC as third- or further-line treatment, especially in patients without liver metastasis and with better physical status. Related adverse effects are tolerable and manageable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reservoir computing capitalizes on the high-dimensional responses of a nonlinear dynamical system, it creates a high-dimensional temporal expansion of the input signal. State space with higher dimensions can allow for the mapping of more complicated output functions. In this work, we propose a novel photonic deep reservoir computing (DRC) whose reservoir layer consists of two reservoirs where the state of the driver reservoir layer acts as driven data for the master layer. Each input signal is first mapped into the states of the driver layer through a high-dimensional mapping. Then the reservoir state for training in the master layer is consecutively driven by the states of the driver reservoir. It is shown that the prediction accuracy NMSE of proposed DRC is 1.2E−8 in chaotic time-series prediction of the Lorenz system, which is 100 times more accurate than traditional isolated time-delayed reservoir computing (TDRC) based on semiconductor laser (SL) and optoelectronic oscillator (OEO). Moreover, the prediction accuracy of DRC is an order of magnitude higher than a cascaded TDRC-SL with 10 layers. The performance of DRC is further validated in terms of memory capacity and the complexity of reservoir state. Furthermore, we introduce heterogeneity into the reservoir layers of DRC, where the driver layer is TDRC-SL, and the master layer is replaced with TDRC-OEO. We elucidate that combining DRC with different dynamics exhibits better performance compared to the homogeneous DRC, as it can map the input signal to more sophisticated state space. At last, the processing speed of heterogeneous DRC is further improved with parallel structure. Our findings provide a new insight into the miniaturization of RC and further improvement of reservoir computational performance, and suggest a new insight for the cooperation of heterogeneous miniaturized reservoirs. • We propose a novel photonic RC scheme, which comprises a driver layer and a heterogeneous master layer. In time series prediction tasks, the prediction error of the driver RC scheme is only 1/100th compared to that of traditional photonic RC with one reservoir layer. • The complexity index of permutation entropy is used for the first time to measure the activity of virtual nodes in reservoir layer, which reflects the nonlinear mapping ability of RC to input signals. • There is one order of magnitude improvement in comparison with the cascaded RC composed of 10 layers of TDRC-SL in Lorenz chaotic time series prediction. • The system speed is further improved by setting up the parallel scheme in the master layer of the deep heterogeneous driver RC scheme. • Deep reservoir computing combined with heterogeneous driver layer provides a scheme for the high precision and miniaturization of RC and also offers a new insight into the cooperation of heterogeneous reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we investigated the luminescence mechanism of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) of blue-emitting methoxy-carbazole (Cz) substituted and boron dimesityl (BM)-based compounds (CzBM-1, -2, and -3) in cyclohexane using density functional theory (DFT), time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) and DFT/multireference configuration interaction (DFT/MRCI) methods. On the basis of the optimized minimum-energy structures in the S0, S1, and T1 states, the results show that the lowest energy absorption and emission peaks originate from electronic transitions between the S0 and S1 states. These transitions are of charge-transfer characteristics because the HOMO and LUMO are located on the Cz and BM groups, respectively. The well spatial separation of the HOMO and LUMO contributes to a small energy difference (ΔEST) between S1 and T1, less than 0.13 eV, which promotes the reverse intersystem crossing (rISC) process from T1 to S1. At 300 K, the fluorescence emission and ISC rates are comparable (106–107 s−1), indicating that the excitons can deactivate by either emitting fluorescence or hopping to T1 through ISC. In contrast, the phosphorescence rate from T1 is negligible compared with the rISC rate (ca. 101 s−1vs. 105 s−1), which indicates that the phosphorescence emission channel is blocked, and only the up-conversion TADF emission is recorded. Importantly, krISC decreased sharply below 1.0 s−1 at 77 K, which indicates that the rISC process is sensitive to temperature and will be suppressed at low temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A previous meta-analysis suggested that use of bevacizumab is associated with an increased risk of infection in cancer patients. With the continuous accumulation of evidence in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we performed a new, focused meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to quantify the relative risk (RR) and incidence of infectious complications in those individuals treated with bevacizumab. Methods: Electronic databases were searched, including PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases. Eligible studies were prospective randomized clinical trials of NSCLC patients treated with bevacizumab with toxicity data on infectious complications. RR, overall incidence rates, and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using fixed- or random-effects models, depending on the heterogeneity of the included studies. Results: A total of 4,545 patients from 14 prospective RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. Treatment with bevacizumab was not associated with an increased risk of all-grade (RR 1.12, 95% CI: 0.84–1.49) or high-grade (RR 1.11, 95% CI: 0.86–1.41) infections, respectively. The summary incidences of all-grade and high-grade infections in patients receiving bevacizumab in the treatment group were 16.4% (95% CI: 15.7–17.2%) and 4.3% (95% CI: 3.0–6.1%), respectively. Conclusions: The use of bevacizumab is not associated with a significantly higher risk of infections in NSCLC patients. These data provide reassurance regarding the risk of infection in patients with NSCLC receiving bevacizumab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilevel thresholding image segmentation has always been a popular issue and attracted the attention of many researchers in recent years since it has many applications. However, the process of determining the optimal thresholds in the case of multilevel thresholding is time-consuming. To address this problem, in this paper, the optimal thresholds for multilevel thresholding image segmentation are obtained by maximizing the Rényi entropy using the Lévy flight firefly algorithm (FAFA), in which an adaptive parameter strategy based on Lévy flight is used to improve the performance of the standard firefly algorithm (FA). The performance of the proposed algorithm has been evaluated using several benchmark images and has been compared with five different heuristic algorithms. The experimental results showed that the proposed algorithm prevailed over the other five competitive algorithms in terms of the objective function value, image quality measures, and computational efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small heat-shock proteins (sHSPs/HSP20s) are closely related to algae and plant thermotolerance, but studies on HSP20 family in Neoporphyra haitanensis are scarce. In this study, a total of eight HSP20 members were identified from the genome of N. haitanensis. It was predicted that most of them encode acidic hydrophilic proteins, locating in various organelles as chloroplasts and endoplasmic reticulum. Phylogenetically, the HSP20 genes of N. haitanensis were closely related to that of other species of Porphyra sensu lato, which evolved independently from that of land plants. In addition, their promoter regions contain a large number of cis-acting elements related to stress response. Based on the expression analysis of six HSP20 genes, it showed that the expression patterns of these genes were different among three conditions of dehydration, heat stress and co-stresses of heat and dehydration, with some genes being very sensitive to heat stress. These results initially indicated that HSP20 genes in N. haitanensis could specifically response to heat stress under gene expression level, suggesting their involvement in the process of thermotolerance of N. haitanensis, which is valuable for further studies on the molecular function of HSP20s in N. haitanensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reducing postoperative pain due to the thoracotomy incisions in patients undergoing transapical transcatheter aortic valve implantation remains a challenge. Methods: We introduced ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) in a patient with severe aortic insufficiency and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease before surgical intervention. Results: The patient's postoperative 1 h, 4 h, and 12 h resting visual analogue scale scores were 3, 1, and 1 without single injection of morphine or dezocine for rescue analgesia. Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided SAPB could improve analgesia after transapical transcatheter aortic valve implantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Paeoniae Radix Alba (PRA), the root of the plant Paeonia lactiflora Pall., has been suggested to play an important role for the treatment of asthma. A biochemical understanding of the clinical effects of Paeoniae Radix Alba is needed. Here, we explore the phytochemicals and therapeutic mechanisms via a systematic and comprehensive network pharmacology analysis.Methods: Through TCMSP, PubChem, GeneCards database, and SwissTargetPrediction online tools, potential targets of active ingredients from PRA for the treatment of asthma were obtained. Cytoscape 3.7.2 was used to determine the target of active ingredients of PRA. Target protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed through the STRING database. The Gene Ontology (GO) biological process and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were analyzed through the biological information annotation database (DAVID).Results: Our results indicate that PRA contains 21 candidate active ingredients with the potential to treat asthma. The enrichment analysis of GO and KEGG pathways found that the treatment of asthma by PRA may be related to the process of TNF (tumor necrosis factor) release, which can regulate and inhibit multiple signaling pathways such as ceramide signaling.Conclusions: Our work provides a phytochemical basis and therapeutic mechanisms of PRA for the treatment of asthma, which provides new insights on further research on PRA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Mild-acidic regulation impeded calcium accumulation in the bioreactor by over 60%. • The protonated granule surface has a lower Ca2+ affinity. • Weaker surface binding reduced the Ca2+ supply from liquid to granule. • A feasible solution for controlling AnGS calcification was validated. Controlling CaCO 3 precipitation within anaerobic granular sludge (AnGS) is crucial for the anaerobic treatment of paper recycling wastewater. A viable strategy was proposed to control calcification by adjusting a mild acidic condition in an anaerobic reactor without hindering organic degradation. The results indicated that lowering the bulk pH (6.5 to 6.8) reduced calcium precipitation by 60.1 % in calcium-rich influent (Ca2+ 1200 mg/L) and eradicated CaCO 3 deposition on AnGS. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) have proven to be crucial participants in Ca2+ migration. The acidic solution weakens the interactions between EPS and Ca2+ and then diminishes the EPS adsorption capacity and affinity for Ca2+. The mild acidic environment goes beyond reducing CaCO 3 formation in wastewater. EPS protonation reduced the probability of Ca2+ adhering to the AnGS surface, which halted calcium transportation from bulk liquid to granule. This work offers a feasible strategy to prevent AnGS calcification in high-calcium wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reservoir computing is a bio-inspired approach especially suited for processing time-dependent information. In this work, we propose a hybrid reservoir computing scheme based on parallel photonic time-delay reservoirs with optical injection. The state of virtual nodes are evaluated from the combination of temporal outputs of parallel lasers. It is demonstrated that our proposed hybrid scheme enables photonic reservoir computer with shortened time interval θ and less virtual nodes number N , which could break through the limitation of short external cavity length in miniaturization of reservoir computing with photonic integrated circuits. The computational efficiency of photonic reservoir is numerically evaluated by chaotic time-series prediction task and memory capacity test. State-of-the-art speed performances reach 20 GSa/s with prediction error rate below 0.01. Our scheme bridges the areas of photonic integrated circuits and photonic information processing. • We propose a hybrid scheme for TDRC that can be implemented on PIC. • K different parallel semiconductor lasers with short external cavity (less than 2.5 mm) are considered as photonic reservoir. • Additional optical injection is introduced to parallel reservoir lasers, the lower limit value of node internal θ could be shortened to 1 ps. • Our scheme could compress the length of external cavity to less than 2.5 mm. • State-of-the-art speed performances reach 20 GSa/s with prediction error rate below 0.01. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet organic light-emitting devices with neat film as emissive layer commonly suffer from low brightness, poor color purity, and severe efficiency roll-off owing to the intrinsic molecular properties. Herein we present a peripheral anchoring functional group approach to decorating "space-crowded donor−acceptor−donor" type carbazole-pyridine derivatives, for developing stable and bipolar ultraviolet fluorophores featuring narrowband emission. The introduction of anchoring group not only increases the delocalization of frontier molecular orbital distributions, enhancing the bipolar transport ability, but also confers the moderate rigidity and torsion of molecular conformation that shortens fluorescence lifetimes in aggregation state. Consequently, the non-doped devices with phenylcarbazole and naphthalene modified emit stable ultraviolet emission with the peaks of 395 and 388 nm and the full width at half maximums of 39 and 43 nm. Moreover, the maximum external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of ∼4.0% and a mitigated efficiency roll-off at the high brightness of 3000 cd m−2 (EQE 3000 : ∼3.8%) are achieved, which provides an opportunity for ultraviolet OLEDs to realize the applications at high brightness levels. A promising peripheral anchoring functional group strategy was proposed to developing efficient ultraviolet emitters, realizing good color purity, high luminance over 3500 cd m−2, maximum external quantum efficiencies of ∼4.0%, low efficiency roll-off (∼3.8%@3000 cd m−2) in the non-doped devices. [Display omitted] • A peripheral anchoring group strategy was proposed to decorating carbazole-pyridine based ultraviolet emitters. • The non-doped devices emit stable ultraviolet emission with peaks of 395 and 388 nm and FWHMs of 39 and 43 nm. • Maximum EQEs of ∼4.0% and mitigated efficiency roll-off at a high brightness of 3000 cd m−2 (∼3.8%) were achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camellia oil is widely recognized as a high‐quality culinary oil in East Asia for its organoleptic and health‐promoting properties, but its chemical composition and thermal stability have not been comprehensively defined by comparisons with other oils. In this study, the triacylglycerols (TAGs) in camellia, olive, and six other edible oils were profiled by the liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (LC‐MS)‐based chemometric analysis. Besides observing the similarity between camellia oil and olive oil, TAG profiling showed that OOO, POO, and OOG (O: oleic acid, P: palmitic acid, and G: gadoleic acid) can jointly serve as the identity markers of camellia oil. Thermal stability of virgin camellia oil (VCO) was further evaluated by extensive comparisons with virgin olive oil (VOO) in common lipid oxidation indicators, aldehyde production, and antioxidant and pro‐oxidant contents. The results showed that p‐anisidine value (AnV) was the sensitive lipid oxidation indicator, and C9‐C11 aldehydes, including nonanal, 2‐decenal, 2,4‐decadienal, and 2‐undecenal, were the most abundant aldehydes in heated VCO and VOO. Under the frying temperature, heated VCO had lower AnV and less aldehydes than heated VOO. Interestedly, the VCO had lower levels of pro‐oxidant components, including α‐linolenic acid, free fatty acids, and transition metals, as well as lower levels of antioxidants, including α‐tocopherol and phenolics, than the VOO. Overall, great similarities and subtle differences in TAG and aldehyde profiles were observed between camellia and olive oils, and the thermal stability of camellia oil might be more dependent on the balance among its unsaturation level, pro‐oxidant, and antioxidant components than a single factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alectinib is approved for the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring ALK rearrangements. Although generally well tolerated, alectinib can cause serious or life-threatening side effects. Case Presentation: Here, we report a case of a patient with NSCLC with an EML4-ALK fusion and was treated with alectinib but who developed grade 4 hyperbilirubinemia after five months on therapy. Alectinib was discontinued, and an artificial liver support system (ALSS) was used with an impressive decline in bilirubin levels. After two months drug-free, the patient experienced disease progression. Ensartinib was initiated as second-line treatment with a best response of stable disease after three months of therapy with no evidence of hyperbilirubinemia. Conclusion: This is the first report of ensartinib treatment after alectinib-induced hyperbilirubinemia which was successfully relieved by ALSS treatment and targeted drug cessation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unexpected cascade reaction for oxidation–oximization of cyclohexane with ammonium acetate was developed for the first time to access cyclohexanone oxime with 50.7% selectivity (13.6% conversion). Tetrahedral Ti sites in Ni-containing hollow titanium silicalite can serve as bifunctional catalytic centers in the reaction. This methodology not only provides a direct approach to prepare cyclohexanone oxime, but also simplifies process chemistry. Various available nitrogen sources, such as ammonium salt and even ammonia can be used as starting materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subgroup analysis of clinical trials of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors have reported ethnic differences in outcomes. We systematically collected published data and performed a meta-analysis to compare therapeutic efficacy in Asian and non-Asian patients receiving PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Eligible studies included phase II and III prospective clinical trials with available subgroup data on Asian versus non-Asian populations. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were used to evaluate differences in outcome between Asian versus non-Asian cancer patients. A total of 11,020 cancer patients from 19 prospective randomized controlled clinical trials were included. The overall estimated HR for OS was 0.69 with 95% CI of 0.61–0.77 in Asian versus 0.82 with 95% CI of 0.77–0.88 in non-Asian patients. The estimated hazard ratio (HR) for PFS measured 0.54 (95% CI, 0.32–0.76) and 0.69 (95% CI, 0.54–0.85) in Asian and non-Asian patients, respectively. Pooled ratios of OS HRs and PFS HRs reported in Asian versus non-Asian cancer patients were 0.84 (95% CI, 0.75–0.94) and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.59–0.97), respectively. This meta-analysis shows for the first time that Asian cancer patients have a significantly improved survival benefit than non-Asian patients receiving PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-based therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the relationships between the pore structure and bulk properties such as irreducible water saturation (S wir) and permeability (k) of rocks is a crucial problem in geoscience. In this study, two types of fractal dimension were determined from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) T 2 relaxation time distribution and models for estimating S wir and k using fractal theory were proposed. In view of the data of sandstone samples from upper Paleozoic formation in China, we found a good agreement between the predicted S wir values based on fractal analysis and the experimental measurements, and the estimated k values based on the proposed model are within one order of magnitude of measured k. Additionally, another four frequently used k estimation models were compared with our proposed model, and the result support that the proposed approach has great potential in investigating k while certain limitation still exists. This procedure was applied on another set of sandstone samples collected from a different location, and the predicted permeability values are reliable. Our study suggests that the proposed S wir estimation model using NMR T 2 data and fractal dimensions provides useful insights into characterizing the pore space properties of sedimentary rocks. Our work demonstrates that we can use NMR data to infer S wir directly, and the estimated S wir value can be well integrated in permeability prediction model, which improves the applications of NMR in characterizing the properties related to rock pores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A passive tuned mass damper (TMD) fabricated using the Reid damping, referred to as the Reid-TMD, is proposed. First, the characteristics of the Reid damping model are introduced, followed by the presentation of a passive variable friction damper to achieve this model. Next, the steady-state response of single-degree-of-freedom structures with the Reid-TMD under a harmonic load is solved by the harmonic balance method (HBM), together with an error analysis of the results. Subsequently, the optimization and control effect of the Reid-TMD damping system are analyzed and compared with the traditional viscous damping TMD. The results show that under the action of a harmonic load or seismic load, the vibration suppression effect of the Reid-TMD with the same mass ratio is essentially equivalent to the traditional viscous damping TMD. In addition, the damping control effect increases with the increase in mass ratio. When the mass ratio is less than 0.05, the energy dissipation coefficient is less than 0.5 and the frequency ratio is less than 0.95. For parameters within this range, the steady-state response of the seismic reduction structure with the Reid-TMD is solved by the HBM. If the parameters of the Reid-TMD are outside this range, the error of the HBM becomes large, and recourse should be changed to general numerical methods. The optimum parameters of the Reid-TMD are determined through an optimization analysis for the mass ratio in the range of 0.005–0.1. While using the Reid-TMD for the vibration absorption design, the optimum parameters can be acquired directly by using the established tables. Because the passive variable friction damper has good durability and economy, the application of the Reid-TMD is beneficial to shock absorption technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been challenging to develop deep blue organic molecular fluorescent emitters with CIE y (y ≤ 0.08) based on triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA). Here, we report facilely available dianthracenylphenylene-based emitters, which have a 3,5-di(4- t -butylphenyl)phenyl moiety at the one end and 4-cyanophenyl or 3-pyridyl at the other end, respectively. Both fluorophores show a high glass transition temperature of over 220 °C with a thermal decomposition temperature of over 430 °C at an initial weight loss of 1%. The preliminary characterizations of the organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) that utilized these nondoped emitters provided high EQEs of 4.6%−5.9% with CIE coordinates (0.15, 0.07–0.08). The analysis of the EL transient decay revealed that TTA contributed to the observed performance. The results show that the new emitters are attractive as a potential TTA-based host to afford stable deep blue fluorescent OLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Dual synergistic effect of nonionic photoacid components. • Polymer bound photoacids prevent the excessive acid diffusion. • The similar structure of MONS and MONMA enhances component miscibility. In this paper, 4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzyl methacrylate (MONMA) was copolymerized with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and tert -butyl methacrylate (TBMA) to obtain the terpolymer with dual sensitivity of ultraviolet (UV) light and acid, P(MONMA-HEMA-TBMA). The nonionic photosensitive ester, 4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzyl p -toluene sulfonate (MONS), is designed and synthesized as the prime photoacid generator (PAG) because of excellent photoacid generating capability of MONS and the similar substituted structure between MONS and MONMA. The ester groups in MONS PAG small molecules and the MONMA units of P(MONMA-HEMA-TBMA) disintegrate under UV irradiation to generate free diffused sulfonic acids and localized carboxylic acids, respectively. Both free and localized acids facilitate the subsequent acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of TBMA adjacent to MONMA units to induce exponential growth of carboxylic acids. Therefore, the hydrolyzed polymers containing high-content carboxylic acids become soluble in the alkaline developer. Hydrophilic HEMA is introduced to the photoresist resin to improve the interfacial affinity between the resist and the substrate. Dual synergy effect from free photoacid generator MONS and polymerized photoacid unit MONMA enhances photoacid generation and accelerates acid proliferation, which enables the decreased exposure dose and lower content of free photoacid generator MONS. A series of novel chemical amplification photoresists with various methacrylate monomer ratios are designed and synthesized to optimize the photolithographic effect of photoresist resin. The UV photolithography results demonstrate that the distinct exposed patterns are obtained at a low exposure dose using the photoresist formulation with P(MONMA 50 -HEMA 19 -TBMA 31) and MONS of 9:1 w/w. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]