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ABSTRACT This article is aimed to study the parameter estimation problems of a non‐commensurate fractional‐order system with saturation and dead‐zone nonlinearity. In order to reduce the structural complexity of the system, the model separation scheme is used to decompose the fractional‐order nonlinear system into two subsystems, one includes the parameters of the linear part and the other includes the parameters of the nonlinear part. Then, we derive an auxiliary model separable gradient‐based iterative algorithm with the help of the model separation scheme. In addition, to improve the utilization of the real time information, an auxiliary model separable multi‐innovation gradient‐based iterative algorithm is presented based on the sliding measurement window. Finally, the feasibility of the presented algorithms is validated by numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the analysis of survey data of left-behind children in rural areas of Guizhou Province, this paper studies the happiness of left-behind children and explores its interaction and impact with Internet usage behavior and social support. This study uses a sample size of 336 to study the relationship between Internet use, social support and subjective well-being of left-behind children through descriptive statistical analysis. The findings show that economic status has a statistically significant impact on financial well-being, and that the impact of life satisfaction on well-being increases as satisfaction levels increase. However, the frequency and duration of Internet use did not have a significant impact on subjective well-being. On the contrary, research found that content preferences have a positive impact on social support and subjective well-being of left-behind children. Information-based network use can bring more social support, thus improving the life satisfaction of left-behind children. Finally, family support had a significant predictive effect on left-behind children's subjective well-being. Future research can further explore the complex relationship between left-behind children's Internet use, social support and subjective well-being, especially comparative studies in different regions and different cultural backgrounds, to comprehensively understand the formation mechanism of left-behind children's well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural sunlight‐driven conversion of CO2 into valuable C2+ products is urgently being pursued at ambient pressure, yet it poses a substantial challenge. Herein, a bifunctional Cu‐promoted CoFe alloy catalyst is designed for the natural light‐driven CO2 hydrogenation into light olefins. Under a weak solar‐irradiation intensity of 0.45 kW m−2 (0.45 sun), the optimal catalyst exhibits excellent activity and selectivity, with an impressive 73.7% selectivity for C2+ hydrocarbons and an outstanding 56.5% selectivity for C2‐4 olefins, which is the best catalyst for C2+ hydrocarbons photosynthesis from natural sunlight to date. The bifunctional design of the catalyst combines the advantages of both metallic Cu and CoFe alloy components, providing a synergistic effect that enhances the CO2 hydrogenation performance. The Cu promoter plays a crucial role in enhancing the adsorption of CO2 and hydrogen spillover, while the CoFe alloy provides a stable coupling site of the C1 intermediate for promoting the C2‐4 olefins. This study provides new insights into the design of bifunctional catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation and opens up new possibilities for sustainable production of light olefins from renewable resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To tackle the complexity and limited applicability of high-precision segmentation models for damaged road markings, this study proposes a Multi-level Adaptive Lightweight Network (MALNet) based on knowledge distillation. By incorporating multi-scale dilated convolution and adaptive spatial channel attention fusion modules, the MALNet model significantly enhances the precision, integrity, and robustness of its segmentation branch. Furthermore, it employs an intricate knowledge distillation strategy, channeling rich, layered insights from a teacher model to a student model, thus elevating the latter's segmentation ability. Concurrently, it streamlines the student model by markedly reducing its parameter count and computational demands, culminating in a segmentation network that is both high-performing and pragmatic. Rigorous testing on three distinct data sets for damaged road marking detection—CDM_P (Collective Damaged road Marking—Public), CDM_H (Collective Damaged road Marking—Highways), and CDM_C (Collective Damaged road Marking—Cityroad)—underscores the MALNet model's superior segmentation abilities across all damage types, outperforming competing models in accuracy and completeness. Notably, the MALNet model excels in parameter efficiency, computational economy, and throughput. After distillation, the student model's parameters and computational load decrease to only 31.78% and 27.40% of the teacher model's, respectively, while processing speeds increase to 1.9 times, demonstrating a significant improvement in lightweight design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) undergoes dynamic morphological changes, which are crucial for the maintenance of mitochondrial functions as well as cell survival. As the dynamics of the membrane are governed by its lipid components, a fluorescent probe that can sense spatiotemporal alterations in the lipid properties of the IMM over long periods of time is required to understand mitochondrial physiological functions in detail. Herein, we report a red‐emissive IMM‐labeling reagent with excellent photostability and sensitivity to its environment, which enables the visualization of the IMM ultrastructure using super‐resolution microscopy as well as of the lipid heterogeneity based on the fluorescence lifetime at the single mitochondrion level. Combining the probe and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) showed that peroxidation of unsaturated lipids in the IMM by reactive oxygen species caused an increase in the membrane order, which took place prior to mitochondrial swelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) undergoes dynamic morphological changes, which are crucial for the maintenance of mitochondrial functions as well as cell survival. As the dynamics of the membrane are governed by its lipid components, a fluorescent probe that can sense spatiotemporal alterations in the lipid properties of the IMM over long periods of time is required to understand mitochondrial physiological functions in detail. Herein, we report a red‐emissive IMM‐labeling reagent with excellent photostability and sensitivity to its environment, which enables the visualization of the IMM ultrastructure using super‐resolution microscopy as well as of the lipid heterogeneity based on the fluorescence lifetime at the single mitochondrion level. Combining the probe and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) showed that peroxidation of unsaturated lipids in the IMM by reactive oxygen species caused an increase in the membrane order, which took place prior to mitochondrial swelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a challenging task to accurately segment damaged road markings from images, mainly due to their fragmented, dense, small-scale, and blurry nature. This study proposes a multi-scale spatial kernel selection net named M-SKSNet, a novel model that integrates a transformer and a multi-dilated large kernel convolutional neural network (MLKC) block to address these issues. Through integrating multiple scales of information, the model can extract high-quality and semantically rich features while generating damage-specific representations. This is achieved by leveraging both the local and global contexts, as well as self-attention mechanisms. The performance of M-SKSNet is evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively, and the results show that M-SKSNet achieved the highest improvement in F1 by 3.77% and in IOU by 4.6%, when compared to existing models. Additionally, the effectiveness of M-SKSNet in accurately extracting damaged road markings from images in various complex scenarios (including city roads and highways) is demonstrated. Furthermore, M-SKSNet is found to outperform existing alternatives in terms of both robustness and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of the extended state observer (ESO) in an Active Disturbance Rejection Control (ADRC) is limited by the operational load in stepper motor control, which has high real-time requirements and may cause delays. Additionally, the complexity of parameter tuning, especially in high-order systems, further limits the ESO's performance. This paper proposes a composite ADRC (LTDRO-ADRC) based on a load torque dimensionality reduction observer (LTDRO). Firstly, the LTDRO is designed to estimate abrupt load disturbances that are difficult to compensate for using the ESO. Secondly, the transfer function under the double-closed loop is deduced. Additionally, the LTDRO uses a magnetic encoder to gather the system state and calculate the load torque. It then outputs a compensating current feedforward to the current loop input. This method reduces the delay and complexity of the ESO, improving the response speed of the ADRC speed ring and the overall response of the system to load changes. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that it significantly enhances dynamic control performance and steady-state errors. LTDRO-ADRC can stabilize the speed again within 49 ms and 17 ms, respectively, in the face of sudden load increase and sudden load removal. At the same time, in terms of steady-state error, compared with ADRC and CADRC, they have increased by 94% and 88%, respectively. In terms of zero-speed starting motors, the response speed is increased by 58% compared to a traditional ADRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing low‐cost and high‐performance n‐type polymer semiconductors is essential to accelerate the application of organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). To achieve this objective, it is critical to design strong electron‐deficient building blocks with simple structure and easy synthesis, which are essential for the development of n‐type polymer semiconductors. Herein, we synthesized two cyano‐functionalized highly electron‐deficient building blocks, namely 3,6‐dibromopyrazine‐2‐carbonitrile (CNPz) and 3,6‐Dibromopyrazine‐2,5‐dicarbonitrile (DCNPz), which feature simple structures and facile synthesis. CNPz and DCNPz can be obtained via only one‐step reaction and three‐step reactions from cheap raw materials, respectively. Based on CNPz and DCNPz, two acceptor–acceptor (A–A) polymers, P(DPP‐CNPz) and P(DPP‐DCNPz) are successfully developed, featuring deep‐positioned lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels, which are beneficial to n‐type organic thin‐film transistors (OTFTs) and OTEs performance. An optimal unipolar electron mobility of 0.85 and 1.85 cm2 V−1 s−1 is obtained for P(DPP‐CNPz) and P(DPP‐DCNPz), respectively. When doped with N‐DMBI, P(DPP‐CNPz) and P(DPP‐DCNPz) show high n‐type electrical conductivities/power factors of 25.3 S cm−1/41.4 μW m−1 K−2, and 33.9 S cm−1/30.4 μW m−1 K−2, respectively. Hence, the cyano‐functionalized pyrazine CNPz and DCNPz represent a new class of structurally simple, low‐cost and readily accessible electron‐deficient building block for constructing n‐type polymer semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing low‐cost and high‐performance n‐type polymer semiconductors is essential to accelerate the application of organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). To achieve this objective, it is critical to design strong electron‐deficient building blocks with simple structure and easy synthesis, which are essential for the development of n‐type polymer semiconductors. Herein, we synthesized two cyano‐functionalized highly electron‐deficient building blocks, namely 3,6‐dibromopyrazine‐2‐carbonitrile (CNPz) and 3,6‐Dibromopyrazine‐2,5‐dicarbonitrile (DCNPz), which feature simple structures and facile synthesis. CNPz and DCNPz can be obtained via only one‐step reaction and three‐step reactions from cheap raw materials, respectively. Based on CNPz and DCNPz, two acceptor–acceptor (A–A) polymers, P(DPP‐CNPz) and P(DPP‐DCNPz) are successfully developed, featuring deep‐positioned lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels, which are beneficial to n‐type organic thin‐film transistors (OTFTs) and OTEs performance. An optimal unipolar electron mobility of 0.85 and 1.85 cm2 V−1 s−1 is obtained for P(DPP‐CNPz) and P(DPP‐DCNPz), respectively. When doped with N‐DMBI, P(DPP‐CNPz) and P(DPP‐DCNPz) show high n‐type electrical conductivities/power factors of 25.3 S cm−1/41.4 μW m−1 K−2, and 33.9 S cm−1/30.4 μW m−1 K−2, respectively. Hence, the cyano‐functionalized pyrazine CNPz and DCNPz represent a new class of structurally simple, low‐cost and readily accessible electron‐deficient building block for constructing n‐type polymer semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microcapsules with polydopamine composite shell layer were successfully synthesized by functionalizing silica‐modified microcapsules containing isophorone diisocyanate. The components and micromorphology of silica‐modified microcapsules at different reaction periods were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy. The structure of different microcapsules was characterized by FTIR, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance and x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The mechanical performances of different microcapsules were analyzed by nanoindentation technique. The compatibility and self‐healing efficiency of different microcapsules with the substrate were also investigated by the tensile tests. The results showed that the density of the silica‐modified microcapsule shell gradually increased and the mechanical performances were enhanced with the silica source. The hardness and elastic modulus of silica‐modified microcapsules in suitable core fraction (76.5 wt%) were 139.9 MPa and 2.2 GPa, which are 2.3 times and 4.8 times higher than those of untreated microcapsules, respectively. The functionalized modified microcapsules had excellent compatibility with the elastomeric substrate (PU‐PPG2000). At the same time, the self‐healing efficiency of the functionalized modified microcapsules in PU‐PPG2000 was 69.8%, which was 48.9% higher than that of the untreated microcapsules prepared under the same conditions. Silicon modification improved the density of microcapsules, enhancing their mechanical strength. At the same time, functionalization modification improved the interfacial bonding strength of microcapsules, further improving the compatibility with the polymer matrix. Highlights: Microcapsules with different silicon sources are characterized.Microcapsules are functionalized with polydopamine.Individual microcapsules are tested for mechanical strength by nanoindentation.The compatibility of the functionalized microcapsules is excellent.The self‐healing efficiency of modified microcapsules is greater than 70%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite-based PM2.5 estimation is an effective means to achieve large-scale and long-term PM2.5 monitoring and investigation. Currently, most of methods retrieve PM2.5 from satellite-derived aerosol optical depth (AOD) or top-of-atmosphere reflectance (TOAR) during daytime. A few algorithms are also developed to retrieve nighttime PM2.5 from the satellite day–night band and the accuracy is greatly limited by moonlight and artificial light sources. In this study, we utilize the properties of absorption pollutants in infrared spectrum to estimate PM2.5 concentrations from satellite infrared data, thus achieve the PM2.5 estimation in both day and night. Himawari-8 infrared bands data are used for PM2.5 estimation by a specifically designed neural network and loss function. Quantitative results show the satellite derived PM2.5 concentrations correlates with ground-based data well with R2 of 0.79 and RMSE of 15.43 μg · m−3 for hourly PM2.5 estimation. Spatiotemporal distributions of model-estimated PM2.5 over China are also analyzed, and exhibit a highly consistent with ground-based measurements. Dust storms, heavy air pollution and fire smoke events are examined to further demonstrate the efficacy of our model. Our method not only circumvents the intermediate retrievals of AOD, but also enables consistent estimation of PM2.5 concentrations during daytime and nighttime in real-time monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorophyll is an indispensable photoreceptor in plant photosynthesis. Its anabolic imbalance is detrimental to individual growth and development. As an essential epigenetic modification, DNA methylation can induce phenotypic variations, such as leaf color transformation, by regulating gene expression. Albino line XN1376B is a natural mutation of winter wheat cultivar XN1376; however, the regulatory mechanism of its albinism is still unclear. In this study, we found that low temperatures induced albinism in XN1376B. The number of chloroplasts decreased as the phenomenon of bleaching intensified and the fence tissue and sponge tissue slowly dissolved. We identified six distinct TaPOR (protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase) genes in the wheat genome, and TaPOR2D was deemed to be related to the phenomenon of albinism based on the expression in different color leaves (green leaves, white leaves and returned green leaves) and the analysis of promoters' cis-acting elements. TaPOR2D was localized to chloroplasts. TaPOR2D overexpression (TaPOR2D-OE) enhanced the chlorophyll significantly in Arabidopsis, especially at two weeks; the amount of chlorophyll was 6.46 mg/L higher than in WT. The methylation rate of the TaPOR2D promoter in low-temperature albino leaves is as high as 93%, whereas there was no methylation in green leaves. Correspondingly, three DNA methyltransferase genes (TaMET1, TaDRM and TaCMT) were up-regulated in white leaves. Our study clarified that the expression of TaPOR2D is associated with its promoter methylation at a low temperature; it affects the level of chlorophyll accumulation, which probably causes the abnormal development of plant chloroplasts in albino wheat XN1376B. The results provide a theoretical basis for in-depth analysis of the regulation of development of plant chloroplasts and color variation in wheat XN1376B leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Escherichia coli are major zoonotic pathogens causing diarrhea in humans and various animals. Knowledge of the distribution and genetic diversity of pathogens can shed a new light on the prevention and control of diseases. This study investigated the colonization frequency and genetic make-up of Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis, E. bieneusi and E. coli in dairy goat kids with diarrhea in partial regions of Shaanxi Province. The frequent occurrence of zoonotic species/genotypes/subtypes/pathotypes of these four pathogens in the present study indicated the potential for zoonotic transmission between humans and animals. Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Escherichia coli are important diarrheal pathogens threatening the health of humans and various animals. Goats, especially pre-weaned goat kids, that carry these pathogens are important reservoirs related to human infection. In the present study, PCR-based sequencing techniques were applied to characterize Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis, E. bieneusi and E. coli in 202 fecal samples of diarrheal kids for Guanzhong dairy goats from five locations in Shaanxi Province. The positive rates of Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis, E. bieneusi and E. coli were 37.6% (76/202), 16.3% (33/202), 55.4% (112/202) and 78.7% (159/202) in these goat kids, respectively. Co-infection of two to four pathogens was found in 114 of 202 fecal samples. Significant differences (p < 0.001) in the positive rates of Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis were found among locations and age groups. Furthermore, two Cryptosporidium species (C. parvum and C. xiaoi), two G. duodenalis assemblages (E and A), nine E. bieneusi genotypes (CHG3, CHG1, BEB6, CHG5, CHG2, SX1, CHG28, COS-II and CD6) and two E. coli pathotypes (EPEC and EHEC) were identified. As for Cryptosporidium, two (IIdA19G1 and IIdA19G2) and two (XXIIIa and XXIIIg) subtypes were recognized in samples positive for C. parvum and C. xiaoi, respectively. A phylogenetic analysis based on the ITS locus of E. bieneusi indicated that all nine genotypes of E. bieneusi identified in this study belonged to the group 2. Four virulence factors (ehxA, eae, stx2 and stx1) of EPEC and EHEC were found in E. coli strains. Collectively, this study explored the colonization frequency of Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis, E. bieneusi and E. coli in diarrheal kids of Guanzhong dairy goats in Shaanxi Province and expanded our understanding of the genetic composition and zoonotic potential of these pathogens in goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD mouse models are frequently used to assess pathology, behavior, and memory in AD research. While the pathological characteristics of AD are well established, our understanding of the changes in the metabolic phenotypes with age and pathology is limited. In this work, we used the Promethion cage systems® to monitor changes in physiological metabolic and behavioral parameters with age and pathology in wild-type and 5xFAD mouse models. Then, we assessed whether these parameters could be altered by treatment with oleocanthal, a phenolic compound with neuroprotective properties. Findings demonstrated metabolic parameters such as body weight, food and water intake, energy expenditure, dehydration, and respiratory exchange rate, and the behavioral parameters of sleep patterns and anxiety-like behavior are altered by age and pathology. However, the effect of pathology on these parameters was significantly greater than normal aging, which could be linked to amyloid-β deposition and blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption. In addition, and for the first time, our findings suggest an inverse correlation between sleep hours and BBB breakdown. Treatment with oleocanthal improved the assessed parameters and reduced anxiety-like behavior symptoms and sleep disturbances. In conclusion, aging and AD are associated with metabolism and behavior changes, with the changes being greater with the latter, which were rectified by oleocanthal. In addition, our findings suggest that monitoring changes in metabolic and behavioral phenotypes could provide a valuable tool to assess disease severity and treatment efficacy in AD mouse models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Middle-third falcine meningiomas (FMs) are usually hidden deep under the eloquent cortex and abundant bridging veins, which represent the main hindrances to surgical access. The endoscopic approach has the advantages of wide visualization and free visual axis without areas of visual blindness, which allows for the resection of FMs with good visualization in a narrow space, especially in deep operations. Here, we report a case of a middle-third FM treated using the endoscopic ipsilateral interhemispheric approach. A 55-year-old female who had suffered a headache for 6 months without other remarkable symptoms was diagnosed with middle-third FM combined with imaging evaluation. According to the imaging performance and anatomical features, we scheduled the endoscopic ipsilateral interhemispheric approach to access and remove the tumor. Consequently, gross total tumor resection was achieved without surgery-related complications. After the surgery, the patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged with no neurological deficit. During the 24-month follow-up, the patient's condition remained favorable, with no tumor recurrence. In our opinion, the endoscopic ipsilateral interhemispheric approach is a feasible surgical strategy for FMs, which deserves further exploration as a treatment option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study focused on the application value of the space compounding algorithm‐based colour Doppler ultrasound twinkling artefacts in predicting chemical components of urinary tract stones. Specifically, the minimum variance method was used to optimize the space‐compounding algorithm to improve the quality of colour Doppler ultrasound artefacts. Then, the urinary system stone model was built to quantitatively analyse the influence of stone components on colour Doppler twinkling artefacts. The results showed that no notable differences were noted in the twinkling artefact intensity (TAI), the width of twinkling artefact (TAW), and the length of twinkling artefact (TAL) between the oxalic acid monohydrate, hydroxyapatite, uric acid, and cystine stone models (p < 0.01). The area under the curve (AUC) of the TAI for the diagnosis of calcium‐free calculus models was 0.978, that of TAW was 0.9462, and that of TAL was 0.9315. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of TAI were 89% and 96%, respectively, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of TAW were 86% and 80%, respectively, and the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of TAL were 78% and 97%, respectively. The ability of TAL (AUC of 0.953) to distinguish between hydroxyapatite stone model and cystine stone was better than TAI (AUC of 0.702) and TAW (AUC of 0.657) (p < 0.01); and TAL and TAW were positively correlated with TAI (R2 was 0.79 and 0.68, respectively, p < 0.01). In conclusion, the space compounding algorithm based on minimum variance method can improve the quality of colour Doppler ultrasound twinkling artefacts, and colour Doppler ultrasound twinkling artefacts can predict the chemical components of urinary stones, which can be used as a criterion for clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with Cushing's disease (CD) who underwent endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (ETS) with a layered peel strategy at our center were retrospectively analyzed. Records on patients' basic characteristics, preoperative and early postoperative evaluations, perioperative complications, and follow-up were collected. A total of 12 unselected, consecutive patients with CD were identified. Ten of the twelve patients were female. All tumors were confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging, with a maximum tumor diameter ranging from 5 mm to 11 mm. A lower rate of surgical complications was identified postoperatively, with no cases of carotid artery injury, epistaxis, hematoma, visual disturbance, or intracranial infection, but with one case of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea. Ten patients experienced immediate remission, and two had delayed remission. No recurrence events were observed during a median follow-up of 51 months. In conclusion, our preliminary experience indicated that ETS with a layered peel strategy provided a perfect remission rate, low complication rate, and no recurrence in a case series of CD patients. Given the limited number of cases, future studies are warranted to confirm its effectiveness and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stochastic synchronisation of complex networks has recently attracted considerable attention because of the ubiquitousness of random noise in real-world complex systems. Previous works have mainly considered noise-corrupted communication by ignoring intrinsic dynamics of nodes. This work provides a systematic study of complex networks by taking into account both additive noise and nonlinear dynamics of nodes, examining their stochastic synchronisation problems. We model the deterministic diffusive coupling and noisy additive coupling with the time-invariant strength and the time-varying strength, respectively. Using the stochastic Lyapunov technique, this framework enables an analytical treatment of the problem, ultimately leading to sufficient conditions for the onset of synchronisation. For symmetrical/asymmetrical connections, the synchronisation condition for the time-invariant coupling strength can be stated elegantly in terms of node dynamics and network topology, whereas that for the time-varying coupling strength is described as a robust condition. Finally, two simulation examples are carried out to illustrate the effectiveness of theoretical findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymyxins are considered as last–resort antibiotics to treat infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii. However, there are increasing reports of resistance in A. baumannii to polymyxins. In this study, inhalable combinational dry powders consisting of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and polymyxin B (PMB) were prepared by spray–drying. The obtained powders were characterized with respect to the particle properties, solid state, in vitro dissolution and in vitro aerosol performance. The antibacterial effect of the combination dry powders against multidrug–resistant A. baumannii was assessed in a time–kill study. Mutants from the time–kill study were further investigated by population analysis profiling, minimum inhibitory concentration testing, and genomic comparisons. Inhalable dry powders consisting of CIP, PMB and their combination showed a fine particle fraction above 30%, an index of robust aerosol performance of inhaled dry powder formulations in the literature. The combination of CIP and PMB exhibited a synergistic antibacterial effect against A. baumannii and suppressed the development of CIP and PMB resistance. Genome analyses revealed only a few genetic differences of 3–6 SNPs between mutants and the progenitor isolate. This study suggests that inhalable spray–dried powders composed of the combination of CIP and PMB is promising for the treatment of respiratory infections caused by A. baumannii, and this combination can enhance the killing efficiency and suppress the development of drug resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CD14+CD16+CD163+ monocytes obviously increased in preeclampsia. • The proportion of CD14+CD16+CD163+ monocytes positively correlated with the level of IL-1β and TNF-α in preeclampsia. • A higher ratio of CD206+/CD206- M2-like monocytes in severe preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a major cause of increased maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, which is closely related to the abnormal maternal immune response. The skew of decidual macrophage polarization toward M1 phenotype has been proved to promote the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. However, it's not easy to monitor the change of decidual macrophage subtypes. The current study aims to examine the distribution of different circulating monocyte subtypes and analyze whether certain monocyte subtypes act as potential clinical indicators for preeclampsia. A total of 50 pregnant women [mild preeclampsia (n = 20); severe preeclampsia (n = 15); healthy pregnancy (n = 15)] and 15 healthy donors were included in the study. Medical information such as BMI, blood pressure, ALT, creatinine, thrombocyte, etc., were recorded. The frequency of different monocyte subtypes in venous blood were measured by flow cytometry. Serum level of IL-6 was detected using Roche-Hitachi cobas 8000. Serum concentration of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-4, IL-10 and TNF-α) were measured by ELISA. A circulating monocyte subset with both M1 and M2 markers (CD14+CD16+CD163+) was found to occupy an obvious higher proportion in the preeclampsia group than in the normal pregnancy group. The ratio of CD206+/CD206- M2-like monocytes was also increased in the preeclampsia group, and meanwhile, it had statistic difference between the mild- and the severe-preeclampsia group. Furthermore, the serum levels of IL-1β and TNF-α were positively correlated with the frequency of CD14+CD16+CD163+ intermediate monocytes in the preeclampsia group. The increased proportion of CD14+C16+CD163+ circulating monocytes and the high ratio of CD206+/CD206- M2-like monocytes may act as potential clinical indicators for preeclampsia, with the superiority of convenience and dynamic monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For atmospheric correction over turbid waters, due to non-negligible water-leaving radiance (L w) in the near-infrared (NIR), measurements in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) are usually required to achieve reliable remote-sensing reflectance (R rs). But several ocean color satellite sensors, such as the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) and other small satellites, have no bands in the SWIR domain. We here present an atmospheric correction algorithm (termed as ACA NIR-NN) based on NASA SeaDAS (version 7.5.3), which can achieve atmospheric correction seamlessly over clear and turbid waters, even for sensors having no spectral bands in SWIR. Specifically, ACA NIR-NN uses estimated R rs (NIR) from available R rs in the visible bands with a specifically designed artificial Neural Networks to carry out atmospheric correction, and the performance of ACA NIR-NN is evaluated over eight coastal locations having ground measurements by the Aerosol Robotic Network-Ocean Color (AERONET-OC) system. It is found that the Mean Absolute Percent Difference (MAPD) of R rs retrievals by ACA NIR-NN for this dataset is smaller by a factor of two or more than that by the standard SeaDAS algorithm (termed as ACA NIR-bio) for each band, especially for R rs (412) and R rs (443), which is 7.5% and 7.7%, respectively, from ACA NIR-NN , but they are 44.0% and 27.5% from ACA NIR-bio. We further demonstrated the applicability of ACA NIR-NN to SeaWiFS measurements over turbid waters, where consistent R rs products were also obtained compared to that generated from the same-day MODerate resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) measurements using SWIR bands. These results indicate that ACA NIR-NN can generate reliable R rs over turbid coastal areas, as well as clear ocean waters, for sensors having no SWIR bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • α-MnO 2 catalysts with different O v concentration were fabricated by a morphology strategy. • MnO 2 -D presented superior catalytic activity and durability than MnO 2 -P. • MnO 2 -D presented a lower oxygen vacancy formation energy (0.69 eV) than MnO 2 -P (1.59 eV). • A bidentate and tridentate carbonate pathway was involved in MnO 2 -D. The engineering defect such as oxygen vacancies over catalysts surface were essential for obtaining superior performance. Herein, two α-MnO 2 (MnO 2 -D and MnO 2 -P) with different O V concentration were facilely fabricated through a morphology strategy to catalyze CO oxidation. Typically, the T 90 value (∼180 °C) of MnO 2 -D with more O v concentration was significantly lower than that (∼250 °C) of MnO 2 -P and this optimized sample also presented superior durability (stable at 180 °C for 100 h). Various surface and structural characterizations including XPS, EPR and TEM, demonstrated that MnO 2 -D possessed plentiful defective Mnδ+-O V active structures, which could serve as catalytically activated sites for oxygen molecular via a MvK mechanism. Additionally, the proportion of surface adsorbed oxygen over MnO 2 -D (27.6 %) was higher than that of MnO 2 -P (17.7 %) from O 2 -TPD results. DFT calculation results further indicated that a remarkably lower formation energy of O V was observed over MnO 2 -D (0.69 eV) than MnO 2 -P (1.59 eV), firmly favoring the oxygen activation. According to in situ DRIFTS results, the bidentate and tridentate carbonate pathways were mainly involved over MnO 2 -D during oxidation. This work provided a facilely constructed defective Mnδ+-O V active structures over MnO 2 -based catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

· A new z-structured piezoelectric transducer (ZPT) has compact structure. · Coupled longitudinal-bending vibrations contribute low frequency and high power. · Effect of bender beam on ZPT is crucial for its excellent electroacoustic performance. · Equivalent circuit model and matrix solution are useful to simulate ZPT and its beam. To meet the demands of low frequency, small size, light weight and high power in the underwater application, a z-structured piezoelectric transducer (ZPT) is innovated, and its equivalent circuit representation is derived. In configuration, ZPT employs the bender beam to implement z-shaped structure for the compact design. In mechanics, ZPT utilizes the coupled longitudinal-bending vibration to produce a large output at a low frequency. In order to study the electro-mechano-acoustical behavior of ZPT, an equivalent circuit model is built based on the conception of analogy, and subsequently solved through the matrix-based methodology. The crux of this model lies in the derivation of the representation about the beam. The corresponding simulations indicate that the effect of the bender beam on ZPT is significant, and its connecting function and bending vibration makes it possible for ZPT to achieve the performance of compact structure and low frequency. The tests of the transducer prototype show that our ZPT has the size of Φ70 × 110 mm, the weight of ∼1.056 kg without housing and the transmitting voltage response (TVR) of 124.9 dB at the resonance frequency of 2.088 kHz. The experimental results show a good agreement with the equivalent circuit simulations of the ZPT. The benefits about low frequency, small size and light weight of the ZPT are attributed to its z-structured design and coupled longitudinal-bending vibration. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mustard, which belongs to the family Brassicaceae, is an annual or biennial herb and is considered as one of the most important native vegetables in China. Glucosinolates are important secondary metabolites containing sulfur and nitrogen in plants, which form a network with other metabolic pathways that play important roles in plant growth, development, and interaction with the environment. We studied varied phenotypic and glucosinolate contents of 60 mustard resources collected from various areas of China. The results showed both agronomic traits and glucosinolates varied greatly among mustard resources. We detected nine glucosinolates in mustard resources and the contents of total glucosinolates ranged from 1.2023 to 30.7310 μmol/g. Through the correlation analysis, we preliminarily found a significant negative correlation between leaf color and glucosinolate contents but needed further validation. For mustard resource JC 18-56, we analyzed the glucosinolate contents in different organs of different growth stages. The results indicated a significant difference among organs in both glucosinolates concentration and composition. The contents of glucosinolatess in alabastrums at bolting stage were highest, up to 140.1257 μmol/g dry weight (DW). We found that the main glucosinolates in roots were 4-methoxyglucobrassicin, while in other organs the glucosinolates were sinigrin. The contents of glucosinolatess in different organs of mustard were as follows: alabastrums > seeds > flowers > siliques > leaves > flower stems > stems > roots. This study provides important references for the selection and cultivation of high-quality mustard varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder; it is the most common cause of dementia and has no treatment. It is characterized by two pathological hallmarks, the extracellular deposits of amyloid beta (Aβ) and the intraneuronal deposits of Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Yet, those two hallmarks do not explain the full pathology seen with AD, suggesting the involvement of other mechanisms. Neuroinflammation could offer another explanation for the progression of the disease. This review provides an overview of recent advances on the role of the immune cells' microglia and astrocytes in neuroinflammation. In AD, microglia and astrocytes become reactive by several mechanisms leading to the release of proinflammatory cytokines that cause further neuronal damage. We then provide updates on neuroinflammation diagnostic markers and investigational therapeutics currently in clinical trials to target neuroinflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial institutions, investors, central banks and relevant corporations need an efficient and reliable forecasting approach for determining the future of crude oil price in an effort to reach optimal decisions under market volatility. This paper presents an innovative research framework for precisely predicting crude oil price movements and interpreting the predictions. First, it compares six advanced machine learning (ML) models, including two state-of-the-art methods: extreme gradient boosting (XGB) and the light gradient boosting machine (LGBM). Second, it selects novel data, including user search big data, digital currencies and data on the COVID-19 epidemic. The empirical results suggest that LGBM outperforms other alternative ML models. Finally, it proposes an interpretable framework for facilitating decision making to interpret the prediction results of complex ML models and for verifying the importance of various features affecting crude oil price. The results of this paper provide practical guidance for participants in the crude oil market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non‐destructive and rapid estimation of soil total carbon (SOC) content with mid‐infrared spectroscopy (MIR, 4000–400 cm−1) will play a vital role in precision agriculture. However, the benefit derived from the full MIR range is compromised by multicollinearity and noise. Hence, variable selection methods have been developed to reduce the full spectrum to a few variables that contribute the most information to a property of interest. However, only a few studies have applied variable selection methods in the MIR region to estimate organic carbon content in the soil. Therefore, four variable selection methods, namely stability competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (sCARS), bootstrapping soft shrinkage (BOSS), interval combination optimization (ICO) and the interval combination optimization‐successive projections algorithm (ICO‐SPA) method were investigated to ascertain the method that identified the wavebands most sensitive to SOC in order to improve prediction accuracy. The selected variables (i.e., reduced spectrum), as well as the full MIR spectrum, were coupled with partial least squares regression (PLSR) for the model calibration of SOC. The results showed that the models based on variable selection achieved higher prediction accuracy than the full spectrum model. sCARS selected 19 variables, BOSS selected 21 variables, ICO selected 311 variables, whereas ICO‐SPA selected only 9 variables (accounting for 0.38% of all variables), while the prediction accuracy of the ICO‐SPA‐PLSR model was similar to those of the other three variable selection methods. The ICO‐SPA‐PLSR model had an Rp2 value of 0.93, RPD of 3.90 and RMSEP of 0.13%. This method identified 3450, 2920, 2767, 2000, 1800, 1765, 1600, 1560 and 927 cm−1 as the feature wavenumbers with the most useful information in accurately estimating SOC content. Therefore, the combination strategy of interval (ICO) and individual (SPA) variable selection may be a good alternative variables selection method for MIR spectroscopic data. Highlights: Different spectral variable selection methods were compared for SOC estimation by MIR.ICO‐SPA variable selection was employed to improve the prediction accuracy of SOC by MIR spectra.ICO‐SPA method selected informative key spectral variables of SOC in MIR range.Interval coupled with individual variable selection can be an alternative for spectroscopic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metro systems play an important role in the public transportation system, and metro safety and passenger satisfaction are of great concern to urbanized societies. Identifying critical platforms and tracks is a fundamental and significant step to improving a metro system's safety and passenger satisfaction, which has never been examined in the literature. Typical critical link analysis for road networks cannot be applied to metro network systems because of the different characteristics of these two transportation modes, such as vehicle operation. In addition, the existing studies on critical stations for metro networks cannot reveal the different importance of platforms involved in one station. This study proposes a novel framework to identify critical platforms and tracks for a metro system with consideration of its spatial characteristics and temporal dynamics using smart card data. We first develop an entirely directed model to describe a metro system where nodes and arcs represent platforms and tracks, respectively. Critical platforms and tracks are then defined and assessed based on dynamic waiting time and onboard crowdedness. The proposed approach is validated by historical smart card data of the Shenzhen Metro system, and the results show time-variant rankings of critical platforms and tracks over the time of the day and the day of the week. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This article focuses on the parameter estimation issues for a fractional‐order nonlinear system with autoregressive noise. In the process, the challenge and difficulty are to identify the parameters of the system as well as the order. To reduce the complexity of the structure, we split the system into two subsystems by utilizing the hierarchical identification principle and derive a two‐stage gradient‐based iterative (2S‐GI) algorithm by minimizing two criterion functions. Compared with the calculation amount of the gradient‐based iterative algorithm, the computation of the 2S‐GI algorithm is significantly reduced. Moreover, in order to improve the identification accuracy, we propose a two‐stage moving‐data‐window gradient‐based iterative algorithm. Finally, the simulation examples test the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat transfer and frictional performance at the air-side is predominant for the application and optimization of finned tube heat exchangers. For aerospace engineering, the heat exchanger operates under negative pressure, whereas the general prediction models of convective heat transfer coefficient and pressure penalty for this scenario are rarely reported. In the current study, a numerical model is developed to determine the air-side heat transfer and frictional performance. The influence of air pressure (absolute pressure) is discussed in detail, and the entropy generation considering the effect of heat transfer and pressure drop are analyzed. Furthermore, prediction models of air-side thermal and frictional factors are also developed. The results indicate that both the convective heat transfer coefficient and pressure penalty decrease significantly with decreasing air pressure, and the air-side heat transfer coefficient is decreased by 64.6~73.3% at an air pressure of 25 kPa compared with normal environment pressure. The entropy generation by temperature difference accounts for the highest proportion of the total entropy generation. The prediction correlations of Colburn j-factor and friction factor f show satisfactory accuracy with the absolute mean deviations of 7.48% and 9.42%, respectively. This study can provide a reference for the practical application of fined tube heat exchangers under a negative pressure environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MnO2-CeO2/PG-FA catalysts were prepared by supporting MnO2-CeO2 to PG-FA and used to remove Hg0 in simulated flue gas. The results show that MnO2-CeO2/PG-FA catalyst had excellent and stable Hg0 removal activity, which was mainly due to the combination effect of the catalytic oxidation activity by MnO2-CeO2 and the adsorption ability by PG-FA. Mn8-Ce0.5/PG-FA (with 8.0% MnO2 and 0.5% CeO2 loading) catalyst showed the highest Hg0 removal efficiency at 140 °C and Hg0 removal efficiency could be maintained above 95% with the space velocity of 6000 h−1 and Hg0 concentration of 160 μg/m3. O2 promoted Hg0 removal by MnO2-CeO2/PG-FA catalyst, while SO2 and H2O had inhibitory effects. In the presence of O2, the inhibitory effect of SO2 and H2O can be obviously weakened. MnO2-CeO2/PG-FA catalysts were characterized with scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and temperature-programmed desorption experiments (TPD). The results of SEM and XRD showed that the active components MnO2-CeO2 dispersed well on the surface of PG-FA support. The results of XPS and TPD show that the Hg0 removal process over MnO2-CeO2/PG-FA catalyst included adsorption and oxidation, HgO and HgSO4 were generated and adsorbed on the catalyst. MnO2-CeO2/PG-FA catalyst also showed excellent regeneration performance after Hg0 removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In marine environments, steel friction pairs undergo significant degradation due to the combined effects of wear and corrosion, known as tribocorrosion. This study investigates the tribocorrosion behavior and mechanisms under high loads of a High Entropy Alloy (HEA) FeCrNiCoAl coating applied by HVOF spraying, as well as cast ingot FeCrNiCoAl and 304SS samples, in artificial seawater. The investigations were conducted using electrochemical methods and in situ wear- electrochemical techniques. The tribocorrosion rate of the HVOF coating is approximately 1/5 that of the HEA cast ingot and 304SS samples. This is attributed to the coating's high hardness and the supporting and isolating effects of its oxide layers between splats. An intriguing finding is that the Open-Circuit Potential (OCP) trough value of the HVOF coating coincides with the peak Coefficient of Friction (COF) value during tribocorrosion in artificial seawater. This is due to the exposure of fresh surfaces following the local peeling off of flattened particles. Furthermore, the coating exhibits high re-passivation capabilities during wear because of high oxygen content in the coating. In comparison to corrosion, wear-induced material loss was identified as the primary contributor (≥ 99.8 %) to mass loss in both HEA cast ingot and coating samples. Optimizing the quantity and morphology of the HVOF coating has the potential to further enhance its tribocorrosion resistance. This study lays the foundation for developing advanced tribocorrosion-resistant coatings for use in seawater environments. [Display omitted] • Excellent tribocorrosion resistance of HVOF FeCrNiCoAl coating in sea water under high load. • OCP trough value of HVOF coating corresponds to its COF's peak value during tribocorrosion. • The oxide at the interface of splat in the HVOF coating reduces the tribocorrosion resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A photostable and environment‐sensitive probe for imaging inner mitochondrial membranes is presented by Masayasu Taki, Shigehiro Yamaguchi et al. in their Research Article (e202404328). The probe can visualize the lipid properties of the membranes as it alters spatiotemporally in living cells. Peroxidation of unsaturated lipids in the inner membrane results in membrane remodeling, which leads to an increase in membrane order...By Junwei Wang; Masayasu Taki; Yohsuke Ohba; Makoto Arita and Shigehiro YamaguchiReported by Author; Author; Author; Author; Author [Extracted from the article]

A photostable and environment‐sensitive probe for imaging inner mitochondrial membranes is presented by Masayasu Taki, Shigehiro Yamaguchi et al. in their Research Article (e202404328). The probe can visualize the lipid properties of the membranes as it alters spatiotemporally in living cells. Peroxidation of unsaturated lipids in the inner membrane results in membrane remodeling, which leads to an increase in membrane order...By Junwei Wang; Masayasu Taki; Yohsuke Ohba; Makoto Arita and Shigehiro YamaguchiReported by Author; Author; Author; Author; Author [Extracted from the article]

In this paper, we show that controlled near-field boundaries (CNFBs) fabricated from height-shiftable plate arrays (HSPAs) exhibit significant influences on the electromagnetic field distribution, which largely determines the performances of microwave heating; the significant influences provide a possibility to further improve the performances of microwave heating. First, the near-field boundary is proved theoretically having more influences on electromagnetic fields than the far-field boundary. Then, the CNFBs are fabricated by respectively placing three HSPAs, 2 × 2, 3 × 3, and 4 × 4, in a microwave reaction cavity (MRC). Based on the HSPA-MRC, three heating strategies are proposed to achieve extreme heating efficiency, excellent heating uniformity, and the best comprehensive heating performance, respectively. Compared with the conventional MRC, the proposed HSPA-MRC raises 56.27% heating efficiency and 394.64% heating uniformity. To validate the simulation results, a corresponding experiment system is built and experiments are carried out; the results of the experiments agree very well with simulations. Finally, the sensitivity of the proposed heating strategies is analyzed by heating samples with different shapes, sizes and materials. • Proved that near-field boundaries exhibit more influence on electromagnetic fields in the microwave reaction cavity. • Realized controlled near-field boundaries with height-shiftable plate arrays. • Achieved excellent heating performances by proposed heating strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supraparticles are spherical colloidal crystals prepared by confined self‐assembly processes. A particularly appealing property of these microscale structures is the structural color arising from interference of light with their building blocks. Here, we assemble supraparticles with high structural order that exhibit coloration from uniform, polyhedral metal–organic framework (MOF) particles. We analyse the structural coloration as a function of the size of these anisotropic building blocks and their internal structure. We attribute the angle‐dependent coloration of the MOF supraparticles to the presence of ordered, onion‐like layers at the outermost regions. Surprisingly, even though different shapes of the MOF particles have different propensities to form these onion layers, all supraparticle dispersions show well‐visible macroscopic coloration, indicating that local ordering is sufficient to generate interference effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supraparticles are spherical colloidal crystals prepared by confined self‐assembly processes. A particularly appealing property of these microscale structures is the structural color arising from interference of light with their building blocks. Here, we assemble supraparticles with high structural order that exhibit coloration from uniform, polyhedral metal–organic framework (MOF) particles. We analyse the structural coloration as a function of the size of these anisotropic building blocks and their internal structure. We attribute the angle‐dependent coloration of the MOF supraparticles to the presence of ordered, onion‐like layers at the outermost regions. Surprisingly, even though different shapes of the MOF particles have different propensities to form these onion layers, all supraparticle dispersions show well‐visible macroscopic coloration, indicating that local ordering is sufficient to generate interference effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneous removal of Hg0 and H2S over a regenerable activated coke supported Fe2O3 catalyst (Fe2O3/AC) was studied in simulated coal-derived syngas. It was found that the Fe2O3/AC catalyst exhibited high capability for Hg0 and H2S removal, which was attributed to the catalytic oxidation activity of Fe2O3. Its capability for Hg0 and H2S removal increased with an increase of Fe2O3 loading amount, and the highest was at 150 °C for Hg0 removal. CO and H2 showed no obvious effect on Hg0 removal by Fe2O3/AC, while H2S had a promotion effect, which was due to S and FeSx produced by the H2S reaction on Fe2O3/AC. The results of SEM-EDX and the temperature programmed desorption experiment (TPD) revealed that Fe2O3 played a critical role in Hg0 oxidation, and HgS was generated upon the reaction of Hg0 with H2S on Fe2O3/AC. The used Fe2O3/AC catalyst after Hg0 and H2S removal could be effectively regenerated and still had high capability for Hg0 and H2S removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving full‐color emission from a single chromophore is not only highly desirable from practical considerations, but also greatly challenging for fundamental research. Herein, we demonstrated the density‐dependent emission colors from a single boron‐containing chromophore, from which multi‐color fluorescent polyurethanes were prepared as well. Originating from its switchable molecular conformations, the emission color of the chromophore was found to be governed by the packing density and strongly influenced by hydrogen bonding interactions. The chromophore was incorporated into polyurethanes to achieve full‐color emitting materials; the emission color was only dependent on the chromophore density and could be tuned via synthetic approach by controlling the compositions. The emission colors could also be modulated by physical approaches, including by swelling/deswelling process, compression under high pressure, and even blending the fluorescent polyurethane with non‐emitting ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving full‐color emission from a single chromophore is not only highly desirable from practical considerations, but also greatly challenging for fundamental research. Herein, we demonstrated the density‐dependent emission colors from a single boron‐containing chromophore, from which multi‐color fluorescent polyurethanes were prepared as well. Originating from its switchable molecular conformations, the emission color of the chromophore was found to be governed by the packing density and strongly influenced by hydrogen bonding interactions. The chromophore was incorporated into polyurethanes to achieve full‐color emitting materials; the emission color was only dependent on the chromophore density and could be tuned via synthetic approach by controlling the compositions. The emission colors could also be modulated by physical approaches, including by swelling/deswelling process, compression under high pressure, and even blending the fluorescent polyurethane with non‐emitting ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the control tasks become complex, fulfilling such tasks cooperatively is the first choice in practice. In this article, the output consensus problem of heterogeneous multiagent systems is studied by deploying distributed observers in follower agents. Each observer in the follower only measures part of the leader’s output, which relieves the burden of a simple agent when the leader’s output is of large-scale dimensions. Then, all followers in the system work cooperatively to estimate the full state of the leader. By using parameterized Riccati equation and output regulation theory, sufficient conditions are given to design the distributed observers and the output consensus protocol. Finally, a numerical example is conducted to verify the obtained result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the most effective endovascular treatment modalities for de novo femoropopliteal lesions in intermittent claudication (IC) in terms of technical success, primary patency, target lesion revascularization (TLR) and all-cause mortality through network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Medical databases were searched on December 3, 2020. 16 studies (3265 patients) and 7 treatments were selected. Outcomes were technical success, primary patency, TLR and mortality at 6 and/or 12 months. Regarding 6-month primary patency, drug-eluting stents (DES) was better than balloon angioplasty (BA; odds ratio [OR], 23.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 12.57-43.06), drug-coated balloons (DCB; OR, 5.63; 95% CI, 2.26-14.03) and directional atherectomy (DA; OR, 31.52; 95% CI, 7.81-127.28), and bare nitinol stents (BNS) was better than BA (OR, 17.91; 95% CI, 7.22-44.48), DCB (OR, 4.33; 95% CI, 1.40-13.45) and DA (OR, 24.27; 95% CI, 5.16-114.11). Regarding 12-month primary patency, DES was better than BA (OR, 10.05; 95% CI, 4.56-22.16), DCB (OR, 3.70; 95% CI, 1.54-8.89) and DA (OR, 29.54; 95% CI, 7.26-120.26). DCB and combination of balloon and atherectomy were the most effective treatment regarding 12-month TLR and technical success (residual stenosis <30%), respectively. DES, BNS and DA with DCB (DA-DCB) were included in the best cluster in the clustered ranking plot combining 12-month primary patency and TLR. Balloon and atherectomy may confer advantages over other treatments for technical success; DCB may for TLR. Stent technologies confer substantial advantages regarding primary patency. Stent technologies and DA-DCB should be given priority in treating femoropopliteal lesions in IC. • DES and BNS had higher primary patency rates than those for BA, DCB and DA. • DCB might have the lowest TLR rates among endovascular treatments. • All-cause mortality rates were similar among endovascular treatments. • Balloon-atherectomy technologies might have the highest technical success rates. • DES, BNS and DA-DCB were the best in clustered ranking plot for patency and TLR [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies intuitionistic fuzzy (IF) decision making problems using an integrated approach. Firstly, an IF induced generalized ordered weighted averaging distance (IFIGOWAD) operator is introduced, that covers numerous IF aggregations distance operators. Then, two more generalized operators named IF quasi induced OWAD (Quasi-IFIOWAD) and IF induced generalized hybrid average distance (IFIGHAD) operator are presented. Furthermore, a new method using above operators is introduced to IF decision making problem and online trade systems. Finally, two real cases are present to show the effect of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Propose three incentive mechanisms for rebalancing free-floating bike sharing systems. • Model users' behavioral responds to incentives. • Conduct a survey study to test uses' attitudes to different incentive mechanisms. • Pick-up incentives perform best, so it is unnecessary to incentivize a user twice. • User preference narrows the advantage of pick-up incentives. • The incentive mechanism is robust to prediction error. Free-floating bike sharing (FFBS) provides citizens with a flexible way for traveling. The operational performance of such systems is impacted by the imbalance problem of demand and supply. This paper proposes the first two-stage incentive mechanism to improve the service quality of FFBS. While inspired by the user-based rebalancing approach in station-based bike sharing (SBBS), our work is different from existing studies because location optimization is a new problem in FFBS and user preference is considered for the first time. We propose three mechanisms that are pick-up incentives, drop-off incentives, and two-stage incentives. When modeling users' behavioral responses to incentive mechanisms, we think users prefer drop-off incentives to pick-up incentives, which is supported by a survey study. Each incentive offer is composed of a location and a price. To decide the suggested origin or destination, we first figure out the supply and demand of all valid locations based on Radiant Service Theory (RST) and then search the most problematic location comparing current inventory and future demand. The pricing scheme is modified Budgeted Procurement using Upper Confidence Bounds (BP-UCB). Simulation experiments validate the effectiveness of incentive mechanisms based on historical data from Capital BikeShare program. Results show that the service level of bike sharing systems can be significantly improved by three incentive mechanisms. The two-stage incentive mechanism unexpectedly shows no advantage over pick-up incentives. Sensitivity analysis further indicates that user preference will influence the ranking of two single-stage incentive mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies intuitionistic fuzzy (IF) decision making problems using an integrated approach. Firstly, an IF induced generalized ordered weighted averaging distance (IFIGOWAD) operator is introduced, that covers numerous IF aggregations distance operators. Then, two more generalized operators named IF quasi induced OWAD (Quasi-IFIOWAD) and IF induced generalized hybrid average distance (IFIGHAD) operator are presented. Furthermore, a new method using above operators is introduced to IF decision making problem and online trade systems. Finally, two real cases are present to show the effect of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many large-scale regularized inverse problems in imaging such as image restoration and reconstruction can be modeled as a generic objective function involves sum of nonsmooth but proximable terms, which are usually linear-operator-coupled. For the solution of these problems, a parallel linearized alternating direction method of multipliers (PLADMM) is proposed in this paper. At each step of the proposed algorithm, the proximity operators of the nondifferential terms are called individually. This leads to a highly parallel algorithm structure, where most sub-steps can be simultaneously solved. Profiting from the linearization step, the linear inverse operation is excluded. The convergence property of the proposed method is analyzed. The image deblurring, inpainting, and pMRI reconstruction experiments show that the proposed method has vast applicable vistas. Compared with the state-of-the-art methods, such as PADMM [21], FTVD-v4 [22], PPDS [33], FUSL [8], LADM [36], and ALADMM [27], it gains competitive results both in terms of quantitative indicators, such as PSNR or SSIM, and in terms of visual impression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper endeavors to explore the sustainable container shipping problem considering fuel bunker management and provide adequate recovery policies for countering disruption within maritime transportation. This paper addresses the environmental concerns related to fuel consumption and carbon emission within shipping operations and simultaneously presents strategies for countering disruption within the maritime transportation domain. Several studies addressed bunker fuel management strategies, but overlooked the need for integrating it with shipping operations. This paper aims to bridge this research gap by proposing a novel mathematical model and presenting a heuristic procedure combined with a variable neighborhood search algorithm for maximizing the shipping company's profitability, while addressing the vessel routing and scheduling decisions, container loading and unloading operations, selection of bunkering ports, and determining bunkered amount for heavy fuel oil and marine diesel oil. Recovery strategies such as port swapping and rescheduling of vessel route are considered to deal with disruptions related to weather adversities. An illustrative example is presented depicting the realistic scenario and providing results associated with ship routes, vessel speed, bunkering ports, bunkered amounts, fuel consumed by the vessel on each sailing leg, arrival and departure time of the ships, etc. Insights obtained from the analysis performed based on the fuel price, ship's bunkering capacity, adverse weather conditions on various routes, port closure, carbon tax, and fuel consumption provide useful information for shipping company managers. Managerial implications are presented with regard to the impact of fuel prices and carbon tax on shipping operation from the perspective of overall operational cost. Moreover, the results provide important policy insights for shipping company managers in terms of possessing alternate vessel route options for normal scenario and disrupted scenarios including weather adversities on sailing leg or port closure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This article considers the parameter estimation for a fractional‐order nonlinear finite impulse response system with colored noise. For the fractional‐order systems, the challenge and difficulty are to identify the order and parameters of the systems simultaneously under colored noise disturbances. In order to reduce the problem of redundant parameter estimation, the output form of the system can be expressed by a linear combination of unknown parameters through the separation of the key term separation. A key term separation auxiliary model gradient‐based iterative algorithm is derived by using the negative gradient search. Meanwhile, to achieve the higher estimation accuracy, we propose a key term separation auxiliary model multiinnovation gradient‐based iterative algorithm by utilizing the multiinnovation theory. Finally, the simulation results test the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The microstructure of LPBF-NiTi alloy was regulated by switching the heat transfer mode. • The grain morphology of LPBF-NiTi alloy exhibited fine grain at the conduction mode. • The grain morphology of LPBF-NiTi alloy exhibited coarse grain at the keyhole mode. The function-graded NiTi part is one of the greatest potential smart materials due to its superelasticity, shape memory, biocompatibility and the ability of coupling complex functionality. Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is a promising method for the preparation of microstructure-gradient NiTi parts. The microstructure of the NiTi alloy prepared by LPBF was tailored by switching the heat transfer modes through the variation of the process parameters. The LPBF-fabricated NiTi alloy with fine grains is obtained in the conduction mode because the laser energy is enough to melt the powder while, the growth of the grains is restricted without enough power. In comparison, the coarse grains penetrating through two or more layers is obtained in the keyhole mode, due to the appearance of the keyholes reheating the previous layers. This work proved the feasibility for the preparation of microstructure-gradient NiTi alloys by LPBF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]