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Expected utility consensus models aim to obtain a consensus solution with the maximum utility of the group. However, decision-makers (DMs) are often bounded rational in practice and their loss aversion behaviors have an important impact on the consensus-reaching, which may lead to a deviation between the actual decision and the theoretical solution. To solve this issue, we propose a maximum perceived utility consensus model based on prospect theory (MPUCM-PT) to maximize the perceived utility of the group under a budget constraint. The individual perceived utility is measured by the prospect value, and individual adjusted opinion is taken as an endogenous reference point. To explore the influence of different consensus levels on consensus modeling, we further develop a soft MPUCM-PT based on soft consensus measure. Then, upper and lower bounds of the optimal budget are given to provide a reference for setting a reasonable budget. Finally, the proposed consensus models are verified by the case of China's Taihu Lake pollution control. Results show that, with the same level of budget, the utility satisfaction obtained by the MPUCM-PT is higher than that obtained by expected utility consensus models. Moreover, the group perceived utility based on prospect theory is also improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Ascending aortic aneurysm is a serious health risk. In order to study ascending aortic aneurysms, elastase and calcium ion treatment for aneurysm formation are mainly used, but their aneurysm formation time is long and the aneurysm formation rate is low. Thus, this study aimed to construct a rat model of ascending aorta aneurysm with a short modeling time and high aneurysm formation rate, which may mimic the pathological processes of human ascending aorta aneurysm. Methods: Cushion needles with different pipe diameters (1.0, 1.2, 1.4, and 1.6 mm) were used to establish a human-like rat model of ascending aortic aneurysm by narrowing the ascending aorta of rats and increasing the force of blood flow on the vessel wall. The vascular diameters were evaluated using color Doppler ultrasonography after 2 weeks. The characteristics of ascending aortic aneurysm in rats were detected by Masson's trichrome staining, Verhoeff's Van Gieson staining, and hematoxylin and eosin staining, while real-time polymerase chain reaction was utilized to assess the total RNA of cytokine interleukin-1β, interleukin 6, transforming growth factor-beta 1, and metalloproteinase 2. Results: Two weeks after surgery, the ultrasound images and the statistical analysis demonstrated that the diameter of the ascending aorta in rats increased more than 1.5 times, similar to that in humans, indicating the success of animal modeling of ascending aortic aneurysm. Moreover, the optimal constriction diameter of the ascending aortic aneurysm model is 1.4 mm by the statistical analysis of the rate of ascending aortic aneurysm and mortality rate in rats with different constriction diameters. Conclusions: The human-like ascending aortic aneurysm model developed in this study can be used for the studies of the pathological processes and mechanisms of ascending aortic aneurysm in a more clinically relevant fashion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial light‐harvesting systems (LHSs) with a multi‐step sequential energy transfer mechanism significantly enhance light energy utilization. Nonetheless, most of these systems exhibit an overall energy transfer efficiency below 80%. Moreover, due to challenges in molecularly aligning multiple donor/acceptor chromophores, systems featuring ≥3‐step sequential energy transfer are rarely reported. Here, a series of artificial LHSs is introduced featuring up to 4‐step energy transfer mechanism, constructed using a cyclic peptide‐based supramolecular scaffold. These LHSs showed remarkably high energy transfer efficiencies (≥90%) and satisfactory fluorescence quantum yields (ranging from 17.6% to 58.4%). Furthermore, the structural robustness of the supramolecular scaffold enables a comprehensive study of these systems, elucidating the associated energy transfer pathways, and identifying additional energy transfer processes beyond the targeted sequential energy transfer. Overall, this comprehensive investigation not only enhances the understanding of these LHSs, but also underscores the versatility of cyclic peptide‐based supramolecular scaffolds in advancing energy harvesting technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the synergistic effect of the rapid transfer of photo-generated electrons and enrichment of reactive active sites, reasonably assembling dual cocatalysts with semiconductor is considered as an excellent method to enhance the photocatalytic properties of semiconductors. Herein, earth-abundant Co 9 S 8 and Ni 2 P dual cocatalysts modified-ZnIn 2 S 4 (ZIS/CS/NP) composite photocatalyst has been constructed by the low-temperature solvothermal and in-situ photodeposition methods. A series of characterizations indicate the hollow structure of Co 9 S 8 can reduce the charge transfer distance and enhance the migration of photo-generated electrons, while Ni 2 P acts as an electron collector and provides sufficient active sites for H 2 release in this dual cocatalysts system. Because of the synergistic effect of dual cocatalysts, ZIS/CS/NP composites exhibit superior activity in the photocatalytic H 2 production compared to blank ZIS, ZIS/CS and ZIS/NP. Notably, the optimal photocatalytic H 2 production rate of ZIS/CS/NP reaches 6823.64 μmol g−1 h−1, which is approximately 86 times higher that of blank ZIS. This work is expected to provide useful reference for the construction of high-performance dual-cocatalyst modified semiconductor composite for photocatalytic H 2 evolution. The ZnIn 2 S 4 /Co 9 S 8 /Ni 2 P composite photocatalyst was synthesized through low-temperature solvothermal and in-situ photodeposition methods to achieve efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. In this dual cocatalysts system, the hollow structure of Co 9 S 8 can reduce the charge transfer distance and enhance the migration of photo-generated electrons of ZnIn 2 S 4 , while Ni 2 P acts as an electron collector and provides sufficient active sites for H 2 release. [Display omitted] • ZnIn 2 S 4 /Co 9 S 8 /Ni 2 P ternary composite has been synthesized. • ZnIn 2 S 4 /Co 9 S 8 /Ni 2 P exhibits superior performance in photocatalytic H 2 evolution. • Co 9 S 8 and Ni 2 P dual cocatalysts are rationally utilized. • Dual cocatalysts synergistically enhance transfer of electrons and enrichment of active sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the mechanical stability of PP layer, the PP/HDPE double-layer microporous membrane could be prepared at a higher heat-setting temperature than that of PE monolayer membrane. In this work, the effects of heat-setting temperature on the pore structure and properties of PP/HDPE double-layer membrane were studied. With the increase of heat-setting temperature from 120 °C to 130 °C, the length of connecting bridge crystal and crystallinity in the PE layer increase due to the melting of thin lamellae and the stability of connecting bridge structure during heat-setting. The corresponding air permeability, porosity, wettability of liquid electrolyte and mechanical property of the heat-set microporous membrane increase, exhibiting better electrochemical performance. However, when the heat-setting temperature is further increased to 140 °C, higher than the melting point of PE resin, some pores are closed since the lamellae and connecting bridges melt and shrink during heat-setting, resulting in a decrease of air permeability and porosity. In contrast, there is negligible change in the PP layer within the above heat-setting temperature region. This study successfully builds the relationship between the stable pore structure and property of microporous membrane during heat-setting, which is helpful to guide the production of high-performance PP/PE/PP lithium batteries separator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: Complex acetabular fractures involving quadrilateral areas are more challenging to treat during surgery. To date, there has been no ideal internal fixation for these acetabular fractures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical stability of complex acetabular fractures using a dynamic anterior titanium-plate screw system of the quadrilateral area (DAPSQ) by simulating the standing and sitting positions of pelvic specimens. Materials and methods: Eight formal in-preserved cadaveric pelvises aged 30–50 years were selected as the research objects. First, one hip of the normal pelvises was randomly used as the control model (group B) for measurement, and then one hip of the pelvises was randomly selected to make the fracture model in the 8 intact pelvises as the experimental model (group A) for measurement. In group A, acetabular both-column fractures in the quadrilateral area were established, and the fractures were fixed by DAPSQ. The biomechanical testing machine was used to load (simulated physiological load) from 400 N to 700 N at a 1 mm/min speed for 30 s in the vertical direction when the specimens were measured at random in simulated standing or sitting positions in groups. The horizontal displacement and longitudinal displacement of the acetabular fractures in the quadrilateral area were measured in both the standing and sitting simulations. Results: As the load increased, no dislocation or internal fixation breakage occurred during the measurements. In the standing position, the horizontal displacement of the quadrilateral area fractures in group A and group B appeared to be less than 1 mm with loads ranging from 400 N to 700 N, and there was no significant difference between group A and group B (p > 0.05). The longitudinal displacement appeared to be greater than 1 mm with a load of 700 mm in group A (700 N, 2 cases), and the difference was significant between group A and group B (p < 0.05). In the sitting position, the horizontal and longitudinal displacements of the quadrilateral areas were within 0.5 mm in group A and group B, and there was no significant difference between group A and group B (p > 0.05). Conclusion: For complex acetabular fractures in the quadrilateral area, DAPSQ fixation may provide early sitting stability, but it is inappropriate for patients to stand too early. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bismuth is a well-known semimetal material with strong spin–orbit coupling and has been confirmed to exhibit a larger spin Hall angle in CuBi and PtBi alloys with low Bi-doping concentration. In this study, we investigated perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and spin–orbit torques (SOTs) in Pt/Co/Pt multilayers by inserting a Bi layer with a thickness of 2 nm at the Co/Pt interface. Two types of PMA multilayers, Pt (3 nm)/Co (1 nm)/Pt (5 nm) and Pt (3 nm)/Co (1 nm)/Pt (1 nm), with different spin accumulations, were designed and prepared by varying the top Pt thickness. A significant enhancement of PMA and SOT efficiency is observed in the Pt (3 nm)/Co (1 nm)/Bi (2 nm)/Pt (5 nm) multilayer via a Bi-layer interfacial decoration. However, for the Pt (3 nm)/Co (1 nm)/Bi (2 nm)/Pt (1 nm) multilayers, both PMA and SOT efficiency decrease with decoration of the Bi layer at the Co/Pt interface. Meanwhile, the sign of SOTs changes in the Pt (3 nm)/Co (1 nm)/Pt (5 nm) and Pt (3 nm)/Co (1 nm)/Pt (1 nm) multilayers when introducing a Bi layer. This completely opposite behavior illustrates that the Bi/Pt interface plays an important role in modulating the PMA and SOT efficiency of Pt/Co/Bi/Pt multilayers. Optimizing the alloying of Bi/Pt could be an effective approach to increase the PMA and SOT efficiency of Pt/Co/Bi/Pt multilayers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intraperitoneal dissemination is the main method of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) metastasis, which is related to poor prognosis and a high recurrence rate. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel class of endogenous RNAs with covalently closed loop structures that are implicated in the regulation of tumor development. In this study, hsa_circ_0001546 is downregulated in EOC primary and metastatic tissues vs. control tissues and this phenotype has a favorable effect on EOC OS and DFS. hsa_circ_0001546 can directly bind with 14‐3‐3 proteins to act as a chaperone molecule and has a limited positive effect on 14‐3‐3 protein stability. This complex recruits CAMK2D to induce the Ser324 phosphorylation of Tau proteins, changing the phosphorylation status of Tau bound to 14‐3‐3 and ultimately forming the hsa_circ_0001546/14‐3‐3/CAMK2D/Tau complex. The existence of this complex stimulates the production of Tau aggregation, which then induces the accumulation of lipid peroxides (LPOs) and causes LPO‐dependent ferroptosis. In vivo, treatment with ferrostatin‐1 and TRx0237 rescued the inhibitory effect of hsa_circ_0001546 on EOC cell spreading. Therefore, based on this results, ferroptosis caused by Tau aggregation occurs in EOC cells, which is not only in Alzheimer's disease‐ or Parkinson's disease‐related cells and this kind of ferroptosis driven by the hsa_circ_0001546/14‐3‐3/CAMK2D/Tau complex is LPO‐dependent rather than GPX4‐dependent is hypothesized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Performance of object detection tends to degrade on low-quality images. • Choosing suitable enhancement algorithms can improve the detection performance. • Reinforcement learning can autonomously select algorithms based on the scenario. • Reinforcement learning avoid the issue of data labeling and retraining. The task of object detection for low-quality images in multiple scenarios remains a challenging task. To alleviate this problem, a novel approach to improve the detection performance of the model on low-quality images using deep reinforcement learning is proposed. The approach differs from methods that involve data labeling and retraining, as the detection results of the model are utilized to formulate a reward function. This enables deep reinforcement learning to transform low-quality images into high-quality images through image enhancement, ultimately leading to an improvement in the model's recognition performance on low-quality images. An image enhancement tool chain (IETC) has been prepared, offering a flexible and lightweight algorithm selection for the Dueling Deep Q-Network-based Tool Selector (DDQN-TS). By adding a "Pass" option, Enable DDQN-TS to learn the relative relationship between performing and not performing image enhancement. To mitigate the potential inconsistency between the output of the detection model and the actual situation caused by negative samples, which can lead to incorrect decisions made by DDQN-TS, the introduction of a "thresh" parameter regulates the level of intervention in target detection by DIE. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and portability of the DIE model in environments with noise, fog, and uneven brightness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there are many different therapies available for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including engineered live bacterial therapeutics. However, most of these studies focus on producing a single therapeutic drug using individual bacteria, which may cause inefficacy. The use of dual drugs can enhance therapeutic effects. However, expressing multiple therapeutic drugs in one bacterial chassis increases the burden on the bacterium and hinders good secretion and expression. Therefore, a dual-bacterial, dual-drug expression system allows for the introduction of two probiotic chassis and enhances both therapeutic and probiotic effects. In this study, we constructed a dual bacterial system to simultaneously neutralize pro-inflammatory factors and enhance the anti-inflammatory pathway. These bacteria for therapy consist of Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 that expressed and secreted anti-TNF-α nanobody and IL-10, respectively. The oral administration of genetically engineered bacteria led to a decrease in inflammatory cell infiltration in colon and a reduction in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, the administration of engineered bacteria did not markedly aggravate gut fibrosis and had a moderating effect on intestinal microbes. This system proposes a dual-engineered bacterial drug combination treatment therapy for inflammatory bowel disease, which provides a new approach to intervene and treat IBD. Key points: • The paper discusses the effects of using dual engineered bacteria on IBD • Prospects of engineered bacteria in the clinical treatment of IBD [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water-soluble bromophenoxy-substituted naphthalimide derivative 1 and its copolymer P1 with acrylamide were synthesized and the photophysical properties of their host–guest complexes with cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) were studied. Notably, the host–guest complex CB[8]·1 showed long-lived RTP on filter paper and demonstrated a humidity response, making it suitable for use as an encryption ink. Furthermore, the solid powder of the host–guest complex between P1 and CB[8] exhibited a 4 s afterglow emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optical saturation problem is one of the main factors causing uncertainty in aboveground biomass (AGB) estimations using optical remote sensing data. It is critical for the improvement in AGB estimation accuracy to clarify the relationships between environmental factors and the variations in optical saturation values (OSVs). In this study, we obtained the OSVs for 20 districts and clarified the individual, interactive, and comprehensive effects of climate, soil, and topographical factors on the OSV variations. The results are as follows: (1) the range of the OSVs was from 104 t/hm2 to 182 t/hm2 for the 20 districts; (2) the soil factor had the greatest (−0.635) influence on the OSVs compared to climate and topography; (3) the highest interaction effect (−0.833) was between climate and soil; (4) the comprehensive effect of the three environmental factors on the OSVs was obvious, and the correlation coefficient was 0.436. Moreover, the mean temperature of the coldest quarter (MCQMean) had the highest effect on the OSVs. The results indicate that environmental factors significantly affect the variation in OSVs through their individual, interactive, and comprehensive effects. Our findings provide a valuable reference for reducing the uncertainty caused by spectral saturation in AGB estimations using optical remote sensing data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current meta-analysis was performed to gather available evidence regarding the incidence and risk factors of cement leakage (CL) in patients undergoing surgical procedures for spinal metastasis. Two authors independently searched the PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL databases. Clinical studies reporting the incidence or risk factors of CL were included for analysis. The primary outcome analyzed was the incidence of various types of CL. Random-effects or fixed-effects single-proportion meta-analyses were conducted to pool the available evidence, based on the heterogeneity test. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on surgical procedures (percutaneous vertebroplasty, percutaneous kyphoplasty, and others). Risk factors of CL were synthesized narratively to identify the most commonly accepted factors. A total of 26 studies, involving 2551 patients, were included. The number of operated spine segments was reported in 23 studies, accounting for 4101 vertebrae. The pooled incidences of general, intradiscal, paravertebral, spinal canal, and intravascular CLs were 0.18 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11–0.28), 0.14 (95% CI, 0.08–0.21), 0.13 (95% CI, 0.06–0.21), 0.11 (95% CI, 0.05–0.19), and 0.12 (95% CI, 0.08–0.17), respectively. Subgroup analyses revealed significantly different incidences of general CL (0.37 vs. 0.06 vs. 0.09, P < 0.01), intradiscal CL (0.22 vs. 0.06 vs. 0.12, P < 0.01), paravertebral CL (0.25 vs. 0.03 vs. 0.06, P < 0.01), and vascular CL (0.14 vs. 0.03 vs. 0.15, P < 0.01) among the three groups. Posterior wall disruption, pathologic fracture, and the number of treated vertebral levels were the most commonly identified independent risk factors for general CL. Posterior wall disruption was determined as a common significant risk factor for spinal canal CL. This review provides insights into the incidence and risk factors associated with CL in surgical procedures for spinal metastasis. Understanding these risk factors can contribute to the development of tailored strategies aimed at minimizing CL occurrence and optimizing surgical outcomes for patients undergoing spinal metastatic surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the precision of aboveground biomass (AGB) estimation in lowland tropical forests is crucial to enhancing our understanding of carbon dynamics and formulating climate change mitigation strategies. This study proposes an AGB estimation method for lowland tropical forests in Xishuangbanna, which include various vegetation types, such as Pinus kesiya var. langbianensis, oak, Hevea brasiliensis, and other broadleaf trees. In this study, 2016 forest management inventory data are integrated with remote sensing variables from Landsat 8 OLI (L8) and Sentinel 2A (S2) imagery to estimate forest AGB. The forest age and aspect were utilized as stratified variables to construct the random forest (RF) models, which may improve the AGB estimation accuracy. The key findings are as follows: (1) through variable screening, elevation was identified as the main factor correlated with the AGB, with texture measures derived from a pixel window size of 7 × 7 perform best for AGB sensitivity, followed by 5 × 5, with 3 × 3 being the least effective. (2) A comparative analysis of imagery groups for the AGB estimation revealed that combining L8 and S2 imagery achieved superior performance over S2 imagery alone, which, in turn, surpassed the accuracy of L8 imagery. (3) Stratified models, which integrated aspect and age variables, consistently outperformed the unstratified models, offering a more refined fit for lowland tropical forest AGB estimation. (4) Among the analyzed forest types, the AGB of P. kesiya var. langbianensis forests was estimated with the highest accuracy, followed by H. brasiliensis, oak, and other broadleaf forests within the RF models. These findings highlight the importance of selecting appropriate variables and sensor combinations in addition to the potential of stratified modeling approaches to improve the precision of forest biomass estimation. Overall, incorporating stratification theory and multi-source data can enhance the AGB estimation accuracy in lowland tropical forests, thus offering crucial insights for refining forest management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forest could be a protective structure to reduce rock avalanches in the Sichuan-Tibet Mountains. When rocks propagate down a forested slope and hit trees, they are blocked, modified in trajectory, slowed down, and deposited, which weakens their destructive effect directly on the downstream. To better understand the protective effect of forests against rock avalanches, a novel material point method (MPM) introducing two contact models describes the rock avalanches' movement on slope and interaction with trees, respectively. Carry out simulations on an idealized scenario of rock avalanches to conduct extensive parametric studies, which give the shape, volume, thickness, and runup height of rock accumulations, showing how shapes, species, and layout of trees have vital effects on blocking the rock avalanches. Finally, an optimal green protective structure for a vegetation-free slope in a 3D valley is given, and the blocking-baffle mechanism of vegetation to rock avalanches on mountains is illustrated clearly through numerical calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aliphatic polyester is an important polyester material with good biocompatibility and degradability, which can be synthesized through ring-opening alternating copolymerization (ROAC) of epoxides and anhydrides. Herein, density functional theory (DFT) is used to explore the mechanism of ROAC of epoxides (propylene oxide (PO), styrene oxide (SO), epichlorohydrin (ECH), and cyclohexane oxide (CHO)) and phthalic anhydride (PA) catalyzed by bis(triphenylphosphine) ammonium chloride (PPNCl) and ureas. It was found that the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of epoxides is the rate-controlling step, and the benzyl alcohol (BnOH) as the initiator has little effect on the polymerization activity, which was consistent with previous experimental results. Calculated comparisons of the ROAC activity of CHO/PA catalyzed by four different ureas indicate that as the Lewis acidity of the urea increased, the energy barriers of the copolymerization increased and the activity decreased. The main reason was that the strong hydrogen-bonding interactions stabilized the key intermediate of the rate-controlling step and inhibited subsequent monomer insertion. Based on this, a series of new ureas with higher catalytic activity were designed by introducing electron-donating substituents. In SO polymerization, increasing the Lewis acidity of urea can improve the SO regioselectivity. In addition, the monomer ECH with CH2Cl shows higher activity of ROAC than PO and SO, which could be ascribed to the fact that the strong electron-withdrawing Cl atom stabilizes the transition state in the rate-controlling step and reduces the reaction energy barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent and debilitating psychiatric disorders. It becomes more recognized that mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to the pathophysiology of depression. However, little research has systematically investigated the mitochondria-related biomarkers for MDD diagnosis. This study aimed to develop a novel diagnostic gene signature in MDD based on mitochondria-related genes. We identified the differentially expressed mitochondrial-related genes (DeMRGs) by combing the gene expression data of the GEO database with mitochondria-related gene lists obtained from the MitoCarta3.0 database. Next, three kinds of machine-learning algorithms were used to screen characteristic DeMRGs. Then, we constructed a multivariable diagnostic model based on these characteristic genes and evaluated the diagnostic ability of this model. Subsequently, the immune landscape of infiltrated immune cells between MDD patients and controls was evaluated by CIBERSORT. Using consensus clustering analysis, we divided MDD patients into different clusters based on the characteristic DeMRGs expression patterns. Finally, the variations in immune cell infiltration between different clusters, and the correlation between characteristic DeMRGs and immune cell infiltration were analyzed. Seven characteristic genes, including PMPCB, MRPS28, LYRM2, MGST1, COX20, PTPMT1, and STX17, were identified from the 31 DeMRGs. Based on the seven characteristic genes, we successfully constructed a diagnostic model which had relatively good diagnostic performance and potential application in the clinical diagnosis of MDD. In addition, our results also imply an intimate and comprehensive association between the characteristic DeMRGs and immune infiltrating cells. A novel mitochondria-related gene signature with a good diagnostic performance and a relationship with immune microenvironment were identified in major depressive disorder. • PMPCB, MRPS28, LYRM2, MGST1, COX20, PTPMT1, and STX17, were identified as mitochondria-related biomarkers for MDD. • A diagnostic model with relatively good diagnostic performance and potential application was constructed. • MGST1 was upregulated in MDD group with a great influence on the risk of disease. • An intimate and comprehensive association between the seven genes and immune infiltrating cells was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal‐catalyzed enantioselective C−H carbonylation with carbon monoxide, an essential and easily available C1 feedstock, remains challenging. Here, we disclosed an unprecedented enantioselective C−H carbonylation catalyzed by inexpensive and readily available cobalt(II) salt. The reactions proceed efficiently through desymmetrization, kinetic resolution, and parallel kinetic resolution, affording a broad range of chiral isoindolinones in good yields with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 92 % yield and 99 % ee). The synthetic potential of this method was demonstrated by asymmetric synthesis of biological active compounds, such as (S)‐PD172938 and (S)‐Pazinaclone. The resulting chiral isoindolinones also serve as chiral ligands in cobalt‐catalyzed enantioselective C−H annulation with alkynes to construct phosphorus stereocenter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal‐catalyzed enantioselective C−H carbonylation with carbon monoxide, an essential and easily available C1 feedstock, remains challenging. Here, we disclosed an unprecedented enantioselective C−H carbonylation catalyzed by inexpensive and readily available cobalt(II) salt. The reactions proceed efficiently through desymmetrization, kinetic resolution, and parallel kinetic resolution, affording a broad range of chiral isoindolinones in good yields with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 92 % yield and 99 % ee). The synthetic potential of this method was demonstrated by asymmetric synthesis of biological active compounds, such as (S)‐PD172938 and (S)‐Pazinaclone. The resulting chiral isoindolinones also serve as chiral ligands in cobalt‐catalyzed enantioselective C−H annulation with alkynes to construct phosphorus stereocenter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural optimization of Ti-alloy lattice structure formed by the superplastic forming/diffusion bonding (SPF/DB) process is a high-nonlinear problem with multiple design variables. The problem is solved in this research by introducing the modified Kriging response surface model based on structural mechanics analysis and the genetic algorithm into the optimization design of the Kagome structure. The comprehensive influence of the structural parameters on the shape and compressive strength of the structure is analyzed, and the optimized structural parameters are obtained. The SPF/DB forming and performance test of the optimized Kagome structure are carried out for verifying the accuracy of the model. The results show that the modified Kriging response surface model of the Kagome structure performs well in describing the relationships between the structural parameters and the simulation results, the average relative error of the predicted groove depth and compression strength are 2.4% and 4.5%, respectively. The specific compression strength and the specific compression modulus of the optimized Kagome structure are 5.21 × 10 4 N · m / kg and 1.50 × 10 6 N · m / kg. Based on the compression strength results calculated by the Kriging model, a new Ashby plot for the compressive strength as function of density is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Cu‐catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of silicon‐stereogenic benzoxasiloles has been realized via intramolecular Si−O coupling of [2‐(hydroxymethyl)phenyl]silanes. Cu(I)/difluorphos is found to be an efficient catalytic system for enantioselective Si−C bond cleavage and Si−O bond formation. In addition, kinetic resolution of racemic substituted [2‐(hydroxymethyl)phenyl]silanes using Cu(I)/ PyrOx (pyridine‐oxazoline ligands) as the catalytic system is developed to afford carbon‐ and silicon‐stereogenic benzoxasiloles. Ring‐opening reactions of chiral benzoxasiloles with organolithiums and Grignard reagents yield various enantioenriched functionalized tetraorganosilanes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Cu‐catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of silicon‐stereogenic benzoxasiloles has been realized via intramolecular Si−O coupling of [2‐(hydroxymethyl)phenyl]silanes. Cu(I)/difluorphos is found to be an efficient catalytic system for enantioselective Si−C bond cleavage and Si−O bond formation. In addition, kinetic resolution of racemic substituted [2‐(hydroxymethyl)phenyl]silanes using Cu(I)/ PyrOx (pyridine‐oxazoline ligands) as the catalytic system is developed to afford carbon‐ and silicon‐stereogenic benzoxasiloles. Ring‐opening reactions of chiral benzoxasiloles with organolithiums and Grignard reagents yield various enantioenriched functionalized tetraorganosilanes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growth of global population and economic development, people are facing the problem of increasing scarcity of renewable energy and unsustainable energy use. To achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations, research on energy consumption efficiency has become particularly important. This research evaluates the energy consumption efficiency of 270 cities in China through an improved EBM model and finds a common phenomenon of low energy consumption efficiency in the cities, with the highest efficiency in northeast China and the lowest efficiency in eastern China. In addition, the efficiency of industrial exhaust emissions most significantly positively correlates with the efficiency of employed population and total energy consumption efficiency, while the efficiency of regional GDP does not significantly correlate with the efficiency of the two input variables. Using the LMDI method to decompose the driving factors of energy consumption efficiency in the cities, we find that the most important factor affecting energy consumption efficiency is their own energy endowment. Therefore, to improve the energy consumption efficiency of its cities, the China government should comprehensively consider factors such as regional economic development level, industrial structure, and technological level differences, formulate relevant energy-saving and emission-reduction policies, focus on optimizing the energy consumption structure, encourage technological progress and innovation, and help increase investment in science and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, magnetic alginate beads (MABs) were prepared as adsorption materials by adding Fe3O4 nanoparticles to sodium alginate (SA) matrix through in situ cross-linking and freeze drying. To improve adsorption performance, bentonite (BE) and activated carbon (AC) were also used to create composite BE–MABs and AC–MABs, respectively. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffractometry were used to characterize the magnetic beads before and after Cd(II) adsorption. BE and AC were successfully compounded with SA, which not only enhanced the compressive properties of SA but also exploited the adsorption capacities of BE and AC for cadmium. Batch adsorption experiments revealed that the optimum adsorbent dosage, pH, and contact time were 0.2 g, 5, and 1,440 min, respectively. The adsorption kinetics of the MABs and AC–MABs obeyed the pseudo-second-order model, suggesting that chemical reactions are involved in Cd(II) adsorption. The experimental adsorption–equilibrium isotherm data are consistent with the Langmuir model, which reveals that the process involves monolayer surface adsorption. The results show that magnetic bead materials with BE or AC can be used to treat cadmium-contaminated wastewater with similar efficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sets out to realize the prediction of microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the TC31 alloy four-layer structure formed by the superplastic forming/diffusion bonding (SPF/DB) process. The high-temperature flow behaviors of TC31 alloy were studied using uniaxial tensile tests, and the corresponding microstructure was observed using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). Based on the stress-strain curve and microstructure results, a physically based constitutive model was established and applied in the superplastic forming simulation of the four-layer structure for optimizing the structural parameters. The results showed that the main reason for the increase in material stress and the decrease in elongation was the growth of grains. The TC31 four-layer structure was soundly fabricated by the SPF/DB process, and the maximum damage value of the structure was located at the sidewall area with a value of 0.16. The compression strength of the structure was 19.0 MPa, and the compression failure mode of the four-layer structure was the cracking of the bonding area. The experimental results were similar to the simulation results, which demonstrated that the finite element simulation with the internal variable model could accurately predict the shape, thickness distribution, and damage distribution of the four-layer structure during the SPF process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection have a high incidence of postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction (POGD). Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) is an organ protection measure. The study investigated the effect of RIPC on postoperative gastrointestinal function. Methods: In this single-center, prospective, double-blinded, randomized, parallel-controlled trial, 100 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive RIPC or sham RIPC (control). Three cycles of 5-min ischemia/5-min reperfusion induced by a blood pressure cuff placed on the right upper arm served as RIPC stimulus. Patients were followed up continuously for 7 days after surgery. The I-FEED score was used to evaluate the patient’s gastrointestinal function after the surgery. The primary outcome of the study was the I-FEED score on POD3. Secondary outcomes include the daily I-FEED scores, the highest I-FEED score, the incidence of POGD, the changes in I-FABP and the inflammatory markers (IL-6 and TNF-α), and the time to first postoperative flatus. Results: A total of 100 patients were enrolled in the study, of which 13 patients were excluded. Finally, 87 patients were included in the analysis, 44 patients in the RIPC group and 43 patients in the sham-RIPC group. Patients assigned to the RIPC group had a lower I-FEED score on POD3 compared with the sham-RIPC group (mean difference 0.86; 95% CI: 0.06 to 1.65; P = 0.035). And patients in the RIPC group were also associated with a lower I-FEED score on POD4 vs the sham-RIPC group (mean difference 0.81; 95% CI: 0.03 to 1.60; P = 0.043). Compared with the sham-RIPC group, the incidence of POGD within 7 days after surgery was lower in the RIPC group (P = 0.040). At T1, T2, and T3 time points, inflammatory factors and I-FABP were considerably less in the RIPC group compared to the sham-RIPC group. The time to the first flatus and the first feces was similar in both groups. Conclusion: RIPC reduced I-FEED scores, decreased the incidence of postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction, and lowered concentrations of I-FABP and inflammatory factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hot press bend process of the 5A06 aluminum alloy high-stiffener integral panels was studied by FEM simulations and experiments. The high-temperature deformation behaviors and microstructures were tested by the high-temperature uniaxial tensile tests and the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), respectively. A set of physically-based constitutive equations and its VUMAT user subroutine, including dislocation density, grain size, and deformation damage, were established. The effects of forming parameters and blank size on the forming quality of the high-stiffener integral panel were studied. The main typical defects were the surface groove, side face curvature and inclination, springback, and wrinkle of the stiffener. The high-stiffener integral panels should be bent above 350 °C and kept for more than 20 min under a pressure of 8 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One major characteristic of tumor cells is the aberrant activation of epigenetic regulatory elements, which remodel the tumor transcriptome and ultimately promote cancer progression and drug resistance. However, the oncogenic functions and mechanisms of ovarian cancer (OC) remain elusive. Here, super‐enhancer (SE) regulatory elements that are aberrantly activated in OC are identified and it is found that SEs drive the relative specific expression of the transcription factor KLF5 in OC patients and poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi)‐resistant patients. KLF5 expression is associated with poor outcomes in OC patients and can drive tumor progression in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, KLF5 forms a transcriptional complex with EHF and ELF3 and binds to the promoter region of RAD51 to enhance its transcription, strengthening the homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathway. Notably, the combination of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and olaparib significantly inhibits tumor growth and metastasis of PARPi‐resistant OC cells with high KLF5. In conclusion, it is discovered that SEs‐driven KLF5 is a key regulatory factor in OC progression and PARPi resistance; and potential therapeutic strategies for OC patients with PARPi resistance and high KLF5 are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim and Objectives: To identify the main concern of patients with acute leukaemia and their family caregivers in the process of coping with the disease and to determine how patients and their family caregivers address these concerns on an ongoing basis. Background: Acute leukaemia is a progressive disease that may lead to physical problems and mental stress in patients. It also affects the psychological well‐being and quality of life of family caregivers. Nevertheless, few studies explore the behavioural pattern across the trajectories of illness in Chinese patients with acute leukaemia and their family caregivers. Design: Grounded theory. Methods: Theoretical sampling was performed to collect 14 sets of secondary data from Bilibili platform, literature, articles from WeChat official account, press releases and documentary. A total of 29 participants were selected to participate in semistructured interviews from the haematology department of a tertiary care hospital in Fuzhou, Fujian Province from January 2021 to November 2021. Data collection and analysis were conducted in a synchronous iterative manner until theoretical saturation was reached. Data analysis included open coding, selective coding and constant comparison, et al. The CCOREQ checklist was utilised. Results: This study discovered the main concern (i.e. seeking survival) and main behavioural pattern of how patients with acute leukaemia and their family caregivers addressed this issue. Three decision‐making strategies, 'responding' 'accommodating' and 'resisting' also emerged. Conclusions: This study explored the behavioural pattern of patients with acute leukaemia and their family caregivers in the process of coping with disease. The study found that the main concern of patients with acute leukaemia and their family caregivers, and provided a theoretical basis for disease management and nursing interventions for them in the future. Relevance to Clinical Practice: The findings of this study contribute to nursing knowledge, practice in the field of patients' participation in decision‐making. Patient or Public Contribution: Due to the characteristics of grounded theory (no presupposition of research questions), the interviews in this study mainly focus on theory generation. Participants were not asked to assess the burden of the intervention and the time required to participate in the study, as interviews were conducted for theory generation. This study may assist patients and family caregivers in obtaining better understand and adapt to changes across the trajectory of illness, as well as to promote public destigmatisation of acute leukaemia and reforms in family‐hospital‐community diversified care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The C-3 modification of 1H-indazole has produced active pharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancer and HIV. But, so far, this transformation has seemed less available, due to the lack of efficient C-C bond formation at the less reactive C-3 position. In this work, a series of silica gel-supported PdO2 nanoparticles of 25–66 nm size were prepared by ball milling silica gel with divalent palladium precursors, and then employed as catalysts for the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of 1H-indazole derivative with phenylboronic acid. All the synthesized catalysts showed much higher cross-coupling yields than their palladium precursors, and could also be reused three times without losing high activity and selectivity in a toluene/water/ethanol mixed solvent. Although the palladium precursors showed an order of activity of PdCl2(dppf, 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene) > PdCl2(dtbpf, 1,1′-bis(di-tert-butylphosphino)ferrocene) > Pd(OAc, acetate)2, the synthesized catalysts showed an order of C1 (from Pd(OAc)2) > C3 (from PdCl2(dtbpf)) > C2 (from PdCl2(dppf)), which conformed to the orders of BET (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller) surface areas and acidities of these catalysts. Notably, the most inexpensive Pd(OAc)2 can be used as a palladium precursor for the synthesis of the best catalyst through simple ball milling. This work provides a highly active and inexpensive series of catalysts for C-3 modification of 1H-indazole, which are significant for the large-scale production of 1H-indazole-based pharmaceuticals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly efficient synthesis of axially chiral biaryl amines through cobalt‐catalyzed atroposelective C−H arylation using easily accessible cobalt(II) salt and salicyloxazoline ligand has been reported. This methodology provides a straightforward and sustainable access to a broad range of enantioenriched biaryl‐2‐amines in good yields (up to 99 %) with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99 % ee). The synthetic utility of the unprecedented method is highlighted by its scalability and diverse transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly efficient synthesis of axially chiral biaryl amines through cobalt‐catalyzed atroposelective C−H arylation using easily accessible cobalt(II) salt and salicyloxazoline ligand has been reported. This methodology provides a straightforward and sustainable access to a broad range of enantioenriched biaryl‐2‐amines in good yields (up to 99 %) with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99 % ee). The synthetic utility of the unprecedented method is highlighted by its scalability and diverse transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: High-speed health trains are important tools and guarantees in major accidents, epidemic pandemics, disasters, and warfare health care, and the health trains currently developed for common train platforms have more functional defects. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between the medical transfer system and the medical system, and to obtain a better medical transfer train formation through the established model. METHODS: Based on the case study of medical transport tools, this paper analyzes the components and interrelationships of the medical transport system and the medical system, and then analyzes the medical transport task process of the health train by using the hierarchical task analysis (HTA) method. Combined with the Chinese standard EMU, a medical transport task model of the high-speed health train is established. Through this model, the functional compartment unit of the high-speed health train and the marshaling scheme of the high-speed health train are obtained. RESULTS: The expert system is used to evaluate the scheme. The results show that the train formation scheme formulated by the model in this paper is superior to other train formation schemes in three indicators, meeting the requirements of large medical transfer tasks. CONCLUSION: The results of this study can improve the ability of on-site treatment of patients, and can provide a basis for the research and development of a high-speed health train, which has a certain practical application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), known as an epithelial Cl− channel, is increasingly noted to be expressed in the nervous system, although whether and how it plays a role in neuronal excitability is unclear. Given the association of CFTR with fertility, we tested here possible involvement of CFTR in regulating hypothalamic neuron excitability. Patch-clamp and Ca2+ imaging showed that pharmacological inhibition of CFTR evoked electrical pulses and Ca2+ spikes in primary rat hypothalamic neurons, which was dependent on extracellular Cl−. Hypothalamic neurons in brain-slice preparations from adult female mice with CFTR mutation (DF508) exhibited significantly reduced electrical pulses as compared to the wild-type controls. Removal of extracellular Cl− eliminated hypothalamic electrical pulses in the wild-type brain slices, which was reversible by subsequent addition of Cl−. In adult female mice, Ca2+ indicator (GCaMP6s)-based fiber-photometry showed that hypothalamic Ca2+ activities in vivo were enhanced at the proestrus/estrus phase as compared to the diestrus phase of the female cycle. Such estrus-associated hypothalamic activities were largely diminished in DF508 female mice, together with delayed puberty and disturbed female cycles. Therefore, these findings suggest a critical role of CFTR in modulating hypothalamic neuron excitability, which may account for the disturbed female cycles and reduced female fertility associated with CFTR mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the issue of the reference signal being contaminated by target echoes due to factors such as wide beamwidths, beam pointing errors, or site errors in passive bistatic radar (PBR). Such contamination can lead to reference signal impurity and subsequently degrade the performance of traditional object detection methods. To overcome this challenge, a novel target detection method centered around the reference signal's purification is presented. The proposed method involves the modeling, analysis, localization, and purification of the impure reference signal. First, a new signal model incorporating the impure reference signal is established, followed by a comprehensive analysis of its impact on target detection. Then, leveraging the valuable information hidden in the impure reference signal, target echoes within the impure reference signal are localized and reconstructed. Finally, the reconstructed target echoes are subtracted from the original impure reference signal to purify the reference signal. Based on the purified reference signal, traditional target detection is performed to detect the expected targets. The core advantage of this method lies in its efficient reconstruction and removal of the impure terms within the reference signal. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through a series of simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network embedding has facilitated lots of network analytical tasks by representing nodes as low-dimensional vectors. As an extension of convolutional neural networks from Euclidean data to irregular data, Graph Convolutional Networks (GCNs) provide a novel way to learn network representations and have attracted widespread attention currently. Most of the existing GCNs are only applied to unsigned networks. However, networks could have both positive and negative links in the real world, to which the unsigned algorithms are no longer applicable. In this paper, we propose a novel Signed Directed Attention Network model to capture the structural and social theoretical information of signed directed networks comprehensively through an auto-encoder framework. In the encoding block, the information of sign, direction, social theory, and "bridge" edges are encoded into node embeddings by a node fine-grained classification aggregation layer. Besides, a direction parameterization layer is also introduced to convert directions into direction-specific convolutional filters to enhance the node embeddings. In the decoding block, loss functions are designed to model sign, direction, "bridge" edge, and social theory information accordingly and make them complementary to each other to capture the network information fully. Experimental results for the signed link prediction task on several real-world signed directed graphs show that the proposed framework can achieve state-of-the-art performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ectopic prostatic tissue is rare, and it is usually only discovered by chance during imaging examinations or surgery. However, between 1967 and 2021, reports of ectopic prostatic tissue in the medical literature increased. It is rarely reported that ectopic prostatic tissue can be misdiagnosed as a nephrogenic adenoma (NA). This case study aimed to increase the awareness of ectopic prostatic tissue to improve its rates of diagnosis. This paper is focused on a 45-year-old male patient with a history of bladder lesions that were accidentally discovered through a health examination. A computed tomography scan revealed a homogeneous isoechoic mass in the posterior inferior wall of the bladder. At first, a transurethral cystoscopy revealed a smooth sessile mass covering the normal bladder mucosa, which was located in the middle of the interureteric ridge. The biopsy results suggested a possible intravesical NA. The mass was then completely resected under pneumovesicoscopy, and the pathological diagnosis was ectopic prostatic tissue. The clinical symptoms of ectopic prostatic tissue are similar to other bladder neoplasms, but there are too few characteristics available in imaging examinations to allow for an accurate diagnosis. Since ectopic prostatic tissue can present as a tumor in the bladder, urologists may easily misdiagnose the condition. Surgery is the basis of treatment for ectopic prostatic tissue, and it has a good prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Urea electrocatalytic oxidation afforded by renewable energies is highly promising to replace the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction in water splitting for hydrogen production while realizing the treatment of urea-rich waste water. Therefore, the development of efficient and cost-effective catalysts for water splitting assisted by urea is highly desirable. Herein, Sn-doped CoS 2 electrocatalysts were reported with the engineered electronic structure and the formation of Co-Sn dual active sites for urea oxidation reaction (UOR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), respectively. Consequently, the number of active sites and the intrinsic activity were enhanced simultaneously and the resultant electrodes exhibited outstanding electrocatalytic activity with a very low potential of 1.301 V at 10 mA·cm−2 for UOR and an overpotential of 132 mV at 10 mA·cm−2 for HER. Therefore, a two-electrode device was assembled by employing Sn(2)-CoS 2 /CC and Sn(5)-CoS 2 /CC and the constructed cell required only 1.45 V to approach a current density of 10 mA·cm−2 along with good durability for at least 95 h assisted by urea. More importantly, the assembled electrolyzer can be powered by commercial dry battery to generate numerous gas bubbles on the surface of the electrodes, demonstrating the high potential of the as-fabricated electrodes for applications in hydrogen production and pollutant treatment at a low-voltage electrical energy input. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral diarylmethylamines (DAMA) are important structural motifs widely present in pharmaceuticals, natural products, and chiral ligands. Herein, we reported a highly enantioselective synthesis of chiral DAMAs via cobalt‐catalyzed enantioselective C−H alkoxylation strategy. The reaction features easy operation, the use of earth‐abundant and cost‐efficient cobalt(II) catalyst, and readily available ligand. A range of chiral DAMAs were efficiently synthesized in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 90 % yield and up to 99 % ee) through desymmetrization and parallel kinetic resolution. Moreover, this protocol was also compatible with the synthesis of chiral benzylamines via kinetic resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral diarylmethylamines (DAMA) are important structural motifs widely present in pharmaceuticals, natural products, and chiral ligands. Herein, we reported a highly enantioselective synthesis of chiral DAMAs via cobalt‐catalyzed enantioselective C−H alkoxylation strategy. The reaction features easy operation, the use of earth‐abundant and cost‐efficient cobalt(II) catalyst, and readily available ligand. A range of chiral DAMAs were efficiently synthesized in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 90 % yield and up to 99 % ee) through desymmetrization and parallel kinetic resolution. Moreover, this protocol was also compatible with the synthesis of chiral benzylamines via kinetic resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The damage of wind turbines suffered from lightning strikes has been a key issue for the safe and reliable operation of wind farms. Accurate determination of the annual lightning flash number to a wind turbine is essential for designing proper lightning protection measures. The interaction of downward and multiple upward leaders (MULs) is studied in this paper, which also considers the stochastic nature and branched behaviour of the lightning attachment phenomenon. Firstly, with an improved stochastic lightning model, the relationship among the striking distance, the height of wind turbines and the return stroke current is established. Moreover, a modified method for predicting the annual lightning flash number strikes to a wind turbine is proposed. The simulation results show that the striking distance and the collection area not only depend on the return stroke current, but also on the height and blade angle. Besides, the comparations between the calculation results and field statistics indicate that the conventional electric geometry model is not satisfied with the need of lightning protection for wind turbines. Note that there is only a difference of 4% between the modified method and the observation value. These quantitative researches provide the guidance of calculation results for the optimization of the blade lightning protection system (LPS) design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gaze estimation plays a critical role in human-centered vision applications such as human–computer interaction and virtual reality. Although significant progress has been made in automatic gaze estimation by deep convolutional neural networks, it is still difficult to directly deploy deep learning based gaze estimation models across different edge devices, due to the high computational cost and various resource constraints. This work proposes LiteGaze, a deep learning framework to learn architectures for efficient gaze estimation via neural architecture search (NAS). Inspired by the once-for-all model (Cai et al., 2020), this work decouples the model training and architecture search into two different stages. In particular, a supernet is trained to support diverse architectural settings. Then specialized sub-networks are selected from the obtained supernet, given different efficiency constraints. Extensive experiments are performed on two gaze estimation datasets and demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method over previous works, advancing the real-time gaze estimation on edge devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally believed that the 1+1D model for a single chiral fermion does not exist by itself alone on lattice. The obstruction to such a lattice realization is the failure to reproduce the quantum anomalies of a chiral fermion in continuum. The conventional way to escape is to associate the anomalous 1d system with a 2d bulk, which is in a topologically non-trivial state, as the boundary of the latter. In this paper, we propose a 1+1D chiral fermion model on 1d spatial lattice, standing alone — without being associated with a 2d bulk — with a simple non-Hermitian hopping Hamiltonian. We demonstrate, using various methods, that the model possesses the same chiral anomaly and gravitational anomaly as in continuum theory. Furthermore, with appropriate parameters, the low energy effective theory of the model remains a field theory for unitary chiral fermions. The essential reason for the success is that the usual "doubled" fermion mode with opposite chirality is rapidly damped out because of non-Hermicity of the Hamiltonian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the chemical synthesis of conotoxins with multiple disulfide bonds, the oxidative folding process can result in diverse disulfide bond connectivities, which presents a challenge for determining the natural disulfide bond connectivities and leads to significant structural differences in the synthesized toxins. Here, we focus on KIIIA, a μ-conotoxin that has high potency in inhibiting Nav1.2 and Nav1.4. The non-natural connectivity pattern (C1—C9, C2—C15, C4—C16) of KIIIA exhibits the highest activity. In this study, we report an optimized Fmoc solid-phase synthesis of KIIIA using various strategies. Our results indicate that free random oxidation is the simplest method for peptides containing triple disulfide bonds, resulting in high yields and a simplified process. Alternatively, the semi-selective strategy utilizing Trt/Acm groups can also produce the ideal isomer, albeit with a lower yield. Furthermore, we performed distributed oxidation using three different protecting groups, optimizing their positions and cleavage order. Our results showed that prioritizing the cleavage of the Mob group over Acm may result in disulfide bond scrambling and the formation of new isomers. We also tested the activity of synthesized isomers on Nav1.4. These findings provide valuable guidance for the synthesis of multi-disulfide-bonded peptides in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Hypoxia-mediated inflammation plays a crucial role in renal ischaemia–reperfusion (IR)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) and may influence renal graft survival, with no available pharmacological treatments. Here we investigate the protective effects and mechanism of roxadustat (FG-4592), a hypoxia-inducible factor stabilizer, against renal IR injury. Methods The protein expression levels of CD73 and AIM2 inflammasome complex were examined in kidney biopsy specimens of AKI and post-renal transplantation (PRT) patients. The effects of FG-4592 on CD73 and absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome components were examined in IR mice (right nephrectomy, followed by 30 min of unilateral renal ischaemia and reperfusion for 24 h), and some of the model mice received intraperitoneal administrations of adenosine 5′-(α,β-methylene)diphosphate sodium salt, which is an inhibitor of CD73. The function of FG-4592 was also investigated in vitro with HK-2 cells. Results In the AKI and PRT patients, the protein expression of AIM2 complex [AIM2–apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC)–cleaved caspase-1) increased and the activation of CD73 signalling pathway was detected as well. The pretreatment of FG-4592 improved the creatinine elevation and renal tubular injuries induced by ischaemia. What's more, the administration of FG-4592 significantly enhanced CD73 synthesis in mouse kidney but suppressed the activation of the AIM2 inflammasome [decreased AIM2, ASC, caspase-1, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 levels]. Notably, the renoprotection of FG-4592 and the inhibition of AIM2 were abolished by the CD73 inhibitor. Conclusion FG-4592-conveyed protection against AKI might be mediated by the induction of CD73 and the suppression of the AIM2 inflammasome, which may provide a novel therapeutic method for the treatment of AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by biological helices (e.g., DNA), artificial helical polymers have attracted intense attention. However, precise synthesis of one‐handed helices from achiral materials remains a formidable challenge. Herein, a series of achiral poly(biphenyl allene)s with controlled molar mass and low dispersity were prepared and induced into one‐handed helices using chiral amines and alcohols. The induced one‐handed helix was simultaneously memorized, even after the chiral inducer was removed. The switchable induction processes were visible to naked eye; the achiral polymers exhibited blue emission (irradiated at 365 nm), whereas the induced one‐handed helices exhibited cyan emission with clear circularly polarized luminescence. The induced helices formed stable gels in various solvents with helicity discrimination ability: the same‐handed helix gels were self‐healing, whereas the gels of opposite‐handed helicity were self‐sorted. Moreover, the induced helices could separate enantiomers via enantioselective crystallization with high efficiency and switchable enantioselectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by biological helices (e.g., DNA), artificial helical polymers have attracted intense attention. However, precise synthesis of one‐handed helices from achiral materials remains a formidable challenge. Herein, a series of achiral poly(biphenyl allene)s with controlled molar mass and low dispersity were prepared and induced into one‐handed helices using chiral amines and alcohols. The induced one‐handed helix was simultaneously memorized, even after the chiral inducer was removed. The switchable induction processes were visible to naked eye; the achiral polymers exhibited blue emission (irradiated at 365 nm), whereas the induced one‐handed helices exhibited cyan emission with clear circularly polarized luminescence. The induced helices formed stable gels in various solvents with helicity discrimination ability: the same‐handed helix gels were self‐healing, whereas the gels of opposite‐handed helicity were self‐sorted. Moreover, the induced helices could separate enantiomers via enantioselective crystallization with high efficiency and switchable enantioselectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the evolution of Ru clusters containing 1–4 atoms supported on graphene in CO atmosphere with extensive first principle‐based calculations. Exothermic CO adsorption induces gradual structure reorganization and change of the Ru−Ru, Ru‐graphene, and Ru‐CO interactions within these Ru carbonyls. The upper limits of CO on a surface of Ru cluster are 3, 6, 10 and 12 for Ru1, Ru2, Ru3 and Ru4, respectively. The further CO adsorption enhances steric hindrance at the Ru‐graphene interface that finally leads to release of undercoordinated Ru carbonyls into gas phase. Competing with the CO adsorption and sintering of Ru species for better thermostability, disintegration of multinuclear surface Ru carbonyls to atomically dispersed Ru species on graphene is still feasible. The current findings bring more insights into the evolution and interconversion of Ru carbonyls in a CO atmosphere and may help to understand the superior performance of heterogeneous transition metal catalysts in operation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Annealing and cyclic voltammetry (CV) are essential for the activation of amorphous alloy ribbons. Various amorphous alloy ribbons have been activated in the fields of environmental catalysts using either annealing or CV. However, the combination of the two methods for improving the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance has rarely been reported. This combination is expected to significantly improve the OER performance of amorphous ribbons. Here, we developed an "annealing +CV-activation" integrated strategy to treat a free-standing NiFeBSiP ribbon, which as an efficient and stable oxygen-evolving electrode. The "annealing +CV-activation" strategy induces the nanocrystallization and oxidation effects on the surface of the NiFeBSiP ribbon. The effects significantly increase the electron transfer ability, the Ni/Fe/P oxidation state and the surface area of the NiFeBSiP ribbon, which consequently leads to enhancing the OER performance. As a result, the treated ribbon exhibits a low overpotential of 269 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a small Tafel slope of 40.5 mV dec−1, which are much better than the OER performance of the as-spun ribbon. The enhanced OER performance of the NiFeBSiP ribbon demonstrates the significant and promising effect of the "annealing +CV-activation" integrated strategy for designing high-efficiency amorphous alloy ribbons electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]