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Surface-specific sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy is applied to study the molecular configuration of short-chain n-alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs with n = 2–6) on the Au surface. For monolayers with n ≥ 3, the alkanethiols are upright-oriented, with the CH3 tilt angle varying between ∼33° and ∼46° in clear even–odd dependency. The ethanethiol monolayer (n = 2) is, however, found to exhibit a distinct lying-down configuration with a larger methyl tilt angle (67°–79°) and a smaller CH2 tilt angle (56°–68°). Such a unique configurational transition from n = 2 to n ≥ 3 discloses the steric effect owing to chain–chain interaction among neighboring molecules. Through density functional theory calculations, the transition is further confirmed to be energetically favorable for thiols on a defective reconstructed Au(111) surface but not on the pristine one. Our study highlights the roles of the chain–chain interaction and the substrate surface atomic structure when organizing SAMs, offering a strategic pathway for exploiting their applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional molecular dynamics simulation of biomolecules suffers from the conformational sampling problem. It is often difficult to produce enough valid data for post analysis such as free energy calculation and transition path construction. To improve the sampling, one practical solution is putting an adaptive bias potential on some predefined collective variables. The quality of collective variables strongly affects the sampling ability of a molecule in the simulation. In the past, collective variables were built with the sampling data at a constant temperature. This is insufficient because of the same sampling problem. In this work, we apply the standard weighted histogram analysis method to calculate the multi-ensemble averages of pairs of time-lagged features for the construction of both linear and nonlinear slow collective variables. Compared to previous single-ensemble methods, the presented method produces averages with much smaller statistical uncertainties. The generated collective variables help a peptide and a miniprotein fold to their near-native states in a short simulation time period. By using the method, enhanced sampling simulations could be more effective and productive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binary solvent electrolytes can provide interpretations for designing advanced electrolytes of next generation batteries. This study investigates the adsorption mechanisms of solvated lithium ions in binary solvents near charged electrodes. Molecular dynamic simulations are performed for lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) in ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate (EC:DMC) solvent sandwiched between two electrodes. Results show that lithium ions form a tetrahedral solvation structure with two EC and two DMC molecules. The solvated lithium ion shows anti-electrostatic interaction with electrodes. This can be attributed to the electrostatic attraction of the polar end of the DMC molecule, which keeps the cation anchored to the positive electrode. Meanwhile, the solvation structure adopts a fix orientation at the negative electrode, which leads to unchanged electrostatic interaction at high charge density. Finally, EC molecules are swapped by DMC molecules near the negative electrode at high charge density. This leads to a decrease in local relative permittivity and, therefore, a decrease in differential capacitance. The differential capacitance of the positive electrode continuously decreases with increasing charge density. This is caused by the partial anchoring of solvent molecules holding the cations, which cancels the adsorption of anions near the positive electrode. This study provides insights into designing better electrolytes for efficient battery performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ship maintenance service optimisation is of great significance for improving the competitiveness of shipbuilding enterprises. In this paper, we investigate a ship maintenance service scheduling problem considering the deteriorating maintenance time, distributed maintenance tasks, and limited maintenance teams. The objective is to minimise the service span. First, we construct an initial mixed-integer programming model for the studied problem. Then, through the property analysis of the problem with a single maintenance team, an exact scheduling algorithm is proposed. In addition, the lower bound of the problem with multiple maintenance teams is derived. A scheduled rule is developed to obtain the lower bound for the problem. Based on the property analysis, the original mixed-integer programming model is simplified to an improved mathematical programming model. Since the studied problem is NP-hard, this paper proposes two heuristic algorithms and an integrated metaheuristic algorithm based on the variable neighbourhood search to obtain approximate optimal solutions in a reasonable time. In computational experiments, the two models can solve problems on small scale, while metaheuristics can find approximately optimal solutions in each problem category. Moreover, the computational results validate the performance of the proposed integrated metaheuristic in terms of convergence and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interfacial nature of few-layer transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD)-based van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) plays a vital role in their optoelectronic properties and can greatly influence charge transfer and recombination. Here, we consider a trilayer MoS2/WS2/WSe2 vdWH with ladder band alignment and address the relationship between the interface character and optoelectronic properties in terms of the atomic-bond-relaxation approach, Marcus theory, and the detailed balance principle. We find that a trilayer vdWH with ladder band alignment exhibits ultrafast interface charge transfer, and the interface barrier induced by the middle WS2 layer can significantly suppress interlayer recombination. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of trilayer MoS2/WS2/WSe2 vdWHs can reach 2.43%. Our findings show that the PCE of MoS2/WS2/WSe2 vdWHs is obviously better than that of bilayer heterostructures, suggesting that the design of ladder band alignment can be an effective way to achieve highly efficient TMD-based photovoltaic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document discusses the importance of carbon reduction engineering in combating global climate change. It highlights the role of production and supply chain management in achieving carbon neutrality and reducing carbon emissions. The document presents 20 selected research papers that cover various aspects of production optimization in carbon reduction engineering, including carbon reduction in the production process, low-carbon and sustainable supply chains, assessment and optimization methodologies, and policy instruments. The papers provide insights into topics such as scheduling optimization, renewable energy production, carbon emission efficiency, sustainable consumption, government subsidizing arrangements, and the impact of policy instruments on carbon reduction. The document expresses gratitude to the authors and reviewers for their contributions and acknowledges the support of the International Journal of Production Research. [Extracted from the article]

With increasing environmental concerns and energy crisis, a variety of renewable energy sources (RES) are being increasingly utilised worldwide. However, the integration of RES such as wind power and photovoltaics in large-scale can lead to increased load fluctuations, which can undermine the overall environmental benefits and pose risks to the secure and stable operation of the power system. To mitigate this challenge, a two-stage electricity production scheduling is developed incorporating energy storage system (ESS) and dynamic emission modelling (DEM). In the first stage, a multi-objective mixed integer programming model schedules the production of RES, increasing penetration rate and system stability. In the second stage, a data-driven dynamic emission model is developed to optimise the load allocation of thermal power unit to reduce the carbon emissions. Furthermore, a flexible operating reserve strategy is proposed to handle the uncertainty resulting from the intermittent character of RES. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method effectively schedules the production of RES thereby alleviating the contradiction between high RES utilisation and stable system operation. Compared to the benchmark model, the proposed method can reduce the carbon emissions and total cost of the system by 20.34% and 10.65%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fourth industrial revolution has necessitated the integration of sustainability and customer centricity into modern manufacturing systems, thereby emphasising their significance. However, the production process itself is characterised by inherent uncertainties. Hence, this paper primarily focuses on the multi-objective flexible job shop rescheduling problem with uncertain processing time and new job insertions. Two fuzzy constraints are incorporated: fuzzy processing time and fuzzy due date, which aim to model the uncertainty of processing time and ensure flexibility in meeting deadlines. The objective function aims to optimise both customer satisfaction and energy consumption. To address two types of rescheduling problems: time delay caused by fuzzy features and new job insertions, this paper is dedicated to providing a hybrid adaptative rescheduling strategy that combines a satisfaction-driven policy with two specific rescheduling methods. Moreover, an enhanced version of the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) is developed, incorporating population initialisation rules and multiple genetic operators to obtain solutions of superior quality. Experimental studies have demonstrated the impact of time delay caused by fuzzy features on customer satisfaction. The proposed hybrid adaptative rescheduling strategy and methods exhibit significant improvements in rescheduling plan performance under uncertain environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α-Al2O3 is renowned for its extensive bandgap and diverse applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices. Employing density-functional theory-based methods, this study investigates the feasibility of chalcogen doping (S, Se, Te) in α-Al2O3. Standard modeling tools are utilized to construct α-Al2O3 supercells, focusing on the calculations of individual chalcogen-related and native point defects resulting from single-atom doping. Our analysis systematically explores the formation energies and transition levels associated with chalcogen (S, Se, Te) doping in oxygen (or aluminum) sites in Al-rich (or O-rich) limits. We observe a trend where increasing atomic number (from S to Te) correlates with a higher difficulty in forming anion-doped α-Al2O3, but a lower barrier to cationic doping. The results indicate a preferential substitution of chalcogen atoms for aluminum in O-rich environments. Specifically, in varying oxygen conditions, the dominant defect types, their prevalence, and defect formation energies in α-Al2O3 are significantly altered following chalcogen doping, offering new insights into defect processes in α-Al2O3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-temperature, low-pressure Cu-to-Cu direct bonding technology is a promising solution for next-generation high-density interconnects. Previous studies have shown that many properties of nanomaterials are determined by their structural characteristics. Therefore, the effect of the nanostructure (i.e., twin crystal and twin boundary, TB, sizes) on the bonding mechanism and mechanical response of the direct bonding of (111)-oriented nanotwinned Cu (NT-Cu) is studied using molecular dynamics simulations, where TB size means the TB layer thickness in terms of the number of atoms. The simulation results show that NT-Cu with extremely small twin crystals (e.g., 0.625 nm) have poor diffusivity. The number of dislocations induced by plastic deformation increases with increasing twin crystal size during stretching processes, degrading mechanical strength. The strain hardening of bonded NT-Cu with extremely small twin crystals (e.g., 0.625 nm) is dominated by the strong barrier created by a high density of TBs, whereas that with twin crystal sizes of 2.5–10 nm is dominated by dislocation–TB and dislocation–grain boundary interactions. Bonded NT-Cu with 2–6 atoms per TB layer exhibits softening at initial plastic deformation due to the onset of partial collapse of TBs; however, the strength then significantly increases with a further increase in strain due to strain hardening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well documented that since at least the 1970s investment-cash flow (I-CF) sensitivity has been decreasing over time to disappear almost completely by the late 2000s. Based on a neoclassical investment model with costly external financing, we show that this pattern can be explained by the gradual increase of capital adjustment costs, attributable to the accumulation of knowledge capital. The result is robust to a variety of approaches, including Euler equation estimation and the simulated method of moments. More generally, our findings demonstrate that I-CF sensitivity should only be interpreted as a joint measure of financial and real frictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetocaloric materials, which exploit reversible temperature changes induced by magnetic field variations, are promising for advancing energy-efficient cooling technologies. The potential integration of two-dimensional materials into magnetocaloric systems represents an emerging opportunity to enhance the magnetocaloric cooling efficiency. In this study, we use atomistic spin dynamics simulations based on first-principles parameters to systematically evaluate how magnetocaloric properties transition from three-dimensional (3D) to two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetic materials. We find that 2D features such as reduced Curie temperature, sharper magnetic transition, and higher magnetic susceptibility are beneficial for magnetocaloric applications, while the relatively higher lattice heat capacity in 2D can compromise achievable adiabatic temperature changes. We further propose GdSi 2 as a promising 2D magnetocaloric material. Our calculation predicts that GdSi 2 exhibits an isothermal entropy change Δ S M of 22.5 J kg − 1 K − 1 and an adiabatic temperature change Δ T a d of 6.2 K, near the hydrogen liquefaction temperature (T C ≈ 25 K). Our analysis offers valuable theoretical insights into the magnetocaloric effect in 2D ferromagnets and demonstrates that 2D ferromagnets hold promise for cooling and thermal management applications in compact and miniaturized nanodevices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems can be used to harvest thermal energy for thermoelectric conversion with much improved efficiency and power density compared with traditional photovoltaic systems. As the key component, selective emitters (SEs) can re-emit tailored thermal radiation for better matching with the absorption band of TPV cells. However, current designs of the SEs heavily rely on empirical design templates, particularly the metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure, and lack of considering the overall performance of TPV systems and optimization efficiency. Here, we utilized a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) method to perform a comprehensive design of a 2D square-pattern metamaterial SE, with simultaneous optimization of material selections and structural parameters. In the DRL method, only the database of refractory materials with gradient refraction indexes needs to be prepared in advance, and the whole design roadmap will automatically output the SE with optimal Figure-of-Merit (FoM) efficiently. The optimal SE is composed of a novel material combination of TiO2, Si, and W substrate, with its thickness and structure precisely optimized. Its emissivity spectra match well with the external quantum efficiency curve of the GaSb cell. Consequently, the overall performance of TPV is significantly enhanced with an output power density of 5.78 W/cm2, an energy conversion efficiency of 38.26%, and a corresponding FoM of 2.21, surpassing most existing designs. The underlying physics of optimal SE is explained by the coupling effect of multiple resonance modes. This work advances the practical application potential of TPV systems and paves the way for addressing other multi-physics optimization problems and metamaterial designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modular integrated construction (MiC) is an innovative construction method that is widely used in practice, but high transportation cost is an obstacle to its wider implementation. This paper is motivated by the real-world need for a scientific approach for MiC transport scheduling, and addresses the practical problem of how to achieve on-time door-to-door MiC delivery in an economical manner. An innovative integer programming model is formulated with the objective of minimising the total transportation costs, including trailer rental, fuel costs, and worker salaries. A case study based on Hong Kong data validates that the developed model can be efficiently solved for problems of practical size. The results also demonstrate that the derived MiC schedule plan can reduce transportation costs by 58.7% compared with a just-in-time (JIT) strategy, thus bringing great economic benefits to off-site construction practitioners. Useful managerial implications related to on-site MiC storage areas are derived through sensitivity analysis. Overall, this paper sets the ground for the application of mathematical programming methodology to the off-site construction field. Future research may be devoted to MiC transport scheduling under uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallic glasses (MGs) are of high strength but limited plasticity at room temperature (RT) due to localized shear in the intrinsically heterogeneous structure. Here, we investigate the variation of structural heterogeneity and plasticity of a Zr-based MG after high-temperature (T) tension under different stresses (σ) at 579 K (0.9Tg, where Tg is the glass transition temperature). The correlation length (ξ) of the heterogeneous structure and the average Young's modulus ( E ¯ ) increase with σ when σ is below 160 MPa; when σ exceeds 160 MPa, both ξ and E ¯ decrease with σ, leading to the improvement of the plasticity. This research could be enlightening for improving the plasticity of MGs at RT through tuning their structural heterogeneity with high-T deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work considers an industrial production site partially powered by a decentralised energy system based on intermittent renewable energy sources. Our objective is to simultaneous plan the industrial production and the energy supply in this site so as to minimise the total cost. A new way of modelling this combinatorial optimisation problem is proposed: it relies on the extension of a multi-product single-resource small-bucket lot-sizing model called the proportional lot-sizing and scheduling problem. This extension involves among others sequence-dependent changeover times overlapping multiple periods and energy-related constraints. Our numerical results show that the resulting mixed-integer linear programming model enables to obtain good-quality production and energy supply plans with a computational effort much smaller than the one required by a previously published large-bucket lot-sizing model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional germanium is considered a promising new channel material to replace silicon owing to its lower effective mass and larger electron–hole mobility. To investigate the transport characteristics of single-layer germanane transistors with gate lengths (Lg) below 5 nm, we utilize an ab initio quantum transport methodology. It was found that the n-type germanane transistors having Lg of 3 and 5 nm satisfy the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) requirements for the on-state current (Ion), effective delay time, and power-delay products of high-performance (HP) devices. Notably, by introducing a negative capacitive (NC) dielectric layer, the p-type germanane transistor having an Lg of 5 nm is almost able to meet the ITRS demands for HP devices. Despite reducing the gate length to 2 nm through the incorporation of the NC dielectric layer, the on-state currents for both n-type and p-type still satisfy approximately 80% of the ITRS standard. Therefore, monolayer germanane presents promising potential as a channel material in a sub-5 nm scale for HP applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To hedge unforeseen risk, investors may prioritize male-led ventures that they anticipate most other investors will prefer, arriving at decisions that are biased against women. Yet, little is known about how investors infer such gendered preferences and when they are particularly likely to do so. Integrating insights from third-party bias research with social role theory, we posit that when women propose novel ventures, investors are more apt to make unpromising social approval forecasting—an anticipation of the extent to which other investors will endorse these ventures—and thus withhold funding support. This is because the intensified gender role violations due to women being entrepreneurial in tandem with being novel lead investors to impose harsher judgments that these ventures violate normative business practices. Our hypotheses receive support from results of three methodologically complementary studies, including an archival study of Shark Tank (2009–2019) coupled with preregistered online and field experiments. By casting light on how venture novelty, a key determining factor of entrepreneurial success, makes third-party bias against women particularly salient, our work identifies a less overt "entrepreneurial gender dilemma" and derives new insights into policy-making designed to help women entrepreneurs surmount financial and social barriers in the innovation-based economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of erector spinae plane block (ESPB) on intraoperative hemodynamic stability, opioid and inhalation anesthetic requirements and postoperative analgesic effects in patients undergoing surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRFs). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 173 patients who underwent surgical stabilization of rib fractures between May 2020 and December 2023. The patients were allocated into the ESPB group or the control group. Demographic data, intraoperative hemodynamic parameters, total intraoperative opioid consumption, the average minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of inhalational anesthetics, postoperative simple analgesics and opioid consumption and the length of hospital stay were included in the analysis. Results: Compared with the control group, the ESPB group had a lower heart rate (HR) in the first 90 min after surgical incision and lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) at the beginning of surgery. Intraoperatively, a notable reduction in fentanyl consumption was observed in the ESPB group (p = 0.004), whereas no significant difference was observed in the average MAC of inhalational agents (p = 0.073). Postoperatively, the ESPB group required fewer doses of simple analgesics in the first 24 h (p < 0.001) and 48 h (p = 0.029). No statistically significant difference in the length of hospital stay (p = 0.608) was observed between the groups. Conclusion: ESPB was shown to enhance intraoperative hemodynamic stability, reduce opioid consumption and decrease postoperative analgesic consumption in patients who underwent SSRF. These results suggest that ESPB may serve as a valuable component of multimodal analgesia protocols for SSRF. Larger prospective studies are warranted to confirm the results and evaluate long-term outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human adenovirus type 7 (HAdV7) has become a major public health threat due to its widespread transmission, severe associated pneumonia, and a lack of effective anti-HAdV7 drugs. The aim of the current study is to design a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb) demonstrating efficacy against HAdV-7 infections in vitro and in vivo. Methods: The humanized neutralizing antibody, 3G5-hu, was derived from the murine mAb 3G5. Antibody activity was evaluated using a flow cytometry-based neutralization (FCN) assay to identify humanized mAbs retaining potent neutralizing activity. Additionally, a humanized hDSG2/hCD46 dual-receptor transgenic mouse model was developed to simulate HAdV-7 infection. Results: Using recombinant HAdV-7 expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein and clinically isolated wild-type HAdV-7, the half-maximal effective concentration of 3G5-hu against HAdV-7 was determined to be < 30 ng/mL. Notably, 3G5-hu exhibits high specificity for the hexon protein of the HAdV-7 capsid (affinity: KD = 9.02 × 10− 11 M). Microneutralization studies with wild-type HAdV-7 and rAd7EGFP confirmed that humanized mAb 3G5-hu neutralizes 10–30 ng/mL HAdV-7 (approximately 67–200 pM). Furthermore, hDSG2/hCD46 double-receptor transgenic mice are more susceptible to HAdV-7 infection than single-receptor transgenic mice. Meanwhile, the humanized mAb 3G5-hu provides good protection against HAdV-7 infection in hDSG2/hCD46 knock-in transgenic mice. Conclusions: The newly designed humanized mAb 3G5-hu specifically neutralizes HAdV-7 in vitro and in vivo. 3G5-hu elicits protection against HAdV-7 infection in hDSG2/hCD46 knock-in transgenic mice. The findings of this study provide insights to guide the future development of preventative and therapeutic treatments for HAdV-7 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we reported an electrochemical biosensor with target-assisted self-cleavage DNAzyme function for signal amplified detection of miRNA. The target-recycling amplification led to significant signal enhancement and thus offers high detection sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the biological activity of lactobionic acid (LBA), its low bioavailability remains a challenge in response to complex clinical needs. Aided by computer high-throughput screening and ab initio analysis, we selected betaine and mandelic acid as the right arms to synthesize supramolecular lactobionic acid (SLBA) through a proton exchange reaction, which significantly and comprehensively improved the bioavailability of LBA. Density functional theory and physicochemical characterization revealed the supramolecular characteristics and chemical stability of this coupling. The resulting SLBA has shown significant advantages over LBA in cellular, animal, and clinical trials and demonstrated enormous potential in anti-aging beauty, clinical treatment, biomedicine, and food preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial-transcriptomics technologies have demonstrated exceptional performance in characterizing brain and visceral organ tissues, as well as brain and retinal organoids. However, it has not yet been proven whether spatial transcriptomics can effectively characterize primary tissue-derived organoids, as the standardized tissue sectioning or slicing methods are not applicable for such organoids. Herein, we present a technique, lamination-based organoid spatially resolved transcriptomics (LOSRT), for organoid-spatially resolved transcriptomics based on organoid lamination. Primary mouse lung and liver-derived organoids were used in this study. The organoids were formulated using the droplet-engineering method and laminated using a homemade device with weight compression. This technique preserved most cells in individual organoids while maintaining delicate epithelium structures in laminated domains that can be recognized through visual segmentation. The mouse lung and liver organoids were resolved comprising various cell types, including alveolar cells, damage-associated transient progenitor cells, basal cells, macrophages, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, hepatocytes, and hepatic stellate cells. The distribution and count of cells were confirmed using immunohistology and identified with spatial transcriptomic features. This study reports an automated and integrated spatial transcriptomics method for primary organoids. It has the potential to standardize and rapidly characterize primary tissue-derived organoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Some pathogenic mechanisms suggest a potential relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and respiratory diseases. However, evidence regarding the association between GERD and lung cancer is mixed. We aim to explore this relationship based on data from the large-scale UK Biobank study. Materials and methods: We performed a cross-sectional and prospective cohort study in 501,569 (45.58% male) individuals included in the UK Biobank at baseline (2006–2010). The Cox proportional hazards model and logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between GERD and lung cancer, small cell lung cancer (SCLC), lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Results: During a mean follow-up of 11.54 years, 3,863 (0.84%) incident lung cancer cases were identified. In the cross-sectional analysis using logistic models, significant associations were found between GERD and prevalent lung cancer cases (odds ratio [OR] = 1.87, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.45–2.38) and subtypes of lung cancer, with an OR (95% CI) of 3.19 (1.47–6.79) for SCLC, 2.08 (1.33–3.21) for LUSC, 1.85 (1.15–2.91) for LUAD. In the follow-up analysis using Cox models, GERD was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.24, 95%CI: 1.14–1.34). Similar associations were also observed between GERD and SCLC (HR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.09–1.78), LUSC (HR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.18–1.65), and LUAD (HR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.02–1.33). The risk of lung cancer resulting from GERD was mainly elevated in former smokers (HR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.23–1.54) and current smokers (HR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.04–1.34), but not in never-smokers (HR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.70–1.14). No significant association was observed in former smokers who had quit smoking for at least 25 years. Conclusions: We found that GERD was positively associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, especially among smokers. Awareness of this association may be beneficial for prevention and treatment strategies of both diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candida albicans, the most common opportunistic pathogenic fungus, is also the main pathogenic organism for oral candidiasis. This condition is particularly prevalent among the elderly, children, and individuals undergoing radiotherapy or suffering from HIV. The lack of new antifungal drugs, and drug resistance coupled with the side effects of current antifungal agents have increased the challenges of clinical antifungal therapies. Polyenes, including amphotericin B and nystatin, are clinical fungicidal drugs, however, their side effects and low solubility have limited their clinical applications. Here, we identified that moxidectin, a novel approved antiparasitic agent, could synergize with both amphotericin B and nystatin to inhibit the growth and biofilm formation of Candida albicans including 60 clinical isolates. The transcriptome and RT-PCR analysis indicated that moxidectin activated the biosynthesis pathway of ergosterol, the direct target of polyenes, further being verified by the loss of the synergistic activities with polyenes against ergosterol pathway mutants, including Δ/Δerg3, Δ/Δerg11 and Δ/Δerg3 Δ/Δerg11. Moxidectin was then confirmed to elevate the ergosterol biosynthesis levels of C. albicans and enhance the binding between cells and polyenes. In a mouse oral candidiasis model, moxidectin combined with low dosages of polyenes to significantly reduce the infection area, colonization of C. albicans and the inflammatory degree of tongue mucosa. Our study originally demonstrated that moxidectin could activate the ergosterol biosynthesis then elevate the ergosterol contents to enhance the antifungal effects of polyenes against C. albicans and its infections. Moxidectin can serve as the candidate potentiator of polyenes for further clinical practice. Key points: • Moxidectin synergized with polyenes against Candida albicans. • Moxidectin activated the ergosterol biosynthesis of Candida albicans. • Moxidectin combined with polyenes to effectively combat oral candidiasis in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Juxtaposition of the atrial appendages is an extremely rare congenital cardiac malformation. It is usually discovered incidentally during autopsy or surgery. This report aims to increase awareness of right juxtaposition of the left atrial appendage. Case presentation: We report a Chinese Han female aged 2 years and 10 months with recurrent lung infections after birth, who was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, corrected transposition of the great arteries, ventricular septal defect, and arterial ductus arteriosus at the local hospital and improved after the pulmonary artery banding procedure. The patient presented to our hospital with intermittent cough. During preoperative evaluation, a review of imaging data revealed a right juxtaposition of the left atrial appendage on enhanced computed tomography. Conclusion: Right juxtaposition of the left atrial appendage is a rare congenital heart anomaly that often occurs in conjunction with complex cardiac malformations. Diagnosis requires a combination of imaging modalities to improve detection rates. Careful identification of cardiac structures during surgery is crucial, as alterations in cardiac anatomy may increase surgical risks. For instance, the opening of juxtaposed atrial appendages could be mistaken for an atrial septal defect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioactive compounds play an increasingly prominent role in breeding functional and nutritive fruit crops such as citrus. However, the genomic and metabolic bases for the selection and differentiation underlying bioactive compound variations in citrus remain poorly understood. In this study, we constructed a species-level variation atlas of genomes and metabolomes using 299 citrus accessions. A total of 19 829 significant SNPs were targeted to 653 annotated metabolites, among which multiple significant signals were identified for secondary metabolites, especially flavonoids. Significant differential accumulation of bioactive compounds in the phenylpropane pathway, mainly flavonoids and coumarins, was unveiled across ancestral citrus species during differentiation, which is likely associated with the divergent haplotype distribution and/or expression profiles of relevant genes, including p -coumaroyl coenzyme A 2′-hydroxylases, flavone synthases, cytochrome P450 enzymes, prenyltransferases, and uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferases. Moreover, we systematically evaluated the beneficial bioactivities such as the antioxidant and anticancer capacities of 219 citrus varieties, and identified robust associations between distinct bioactivities and specific metabolites. Collectively, these findings provide citrus breeding options for enrichment of beneficial flavonoids and avoidance of potential risk of coumarins. Our study will accelerate the application of genomic and metabolic engineering strategies in developing modern healthy citrus cultivars. This study performed resequencing and wide-targeted metabolomic analysis on 299 citrus accessions, revealing the genetic basis of differential selection of bioactive compounds in citrus population through selective sweep analysis and mGWAS. Combined with large-scale bioactivity evaluation, potential citrus varieties and metabolites related to specific biological activities were screened, and the variation route of bioactivities alongside the evolution of citrus population was clarified. This study provided new insights for the selection and utilization of citrus resources as well as breeding improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellular interactions, such as intercellular communication and signal transduction, can be enhanced within three-dimensional cell spheroids, contributing significantly to cellular viability and proliferation. This is crucial for advancements in cancer research, drug testing, and personalized medicine. The dimensions of the cell spheroids play a pivotal role in their functionality, affecting cell proliferation and differentiation, intercellular interactions, gene expression, protein synthesis, drug penetration, and metabolism. Consequently, different spheroid sizes may be required for various drug sensitivity experiments. However, conventional 3D cell spheroid cultures suffer from challenges such as size inconsistency, poor uniformity, and low throughput. To address these issues, we have developed an automated, intelligent system based on inkjet printing. This system allows for precise control of droplet volume by adjusting algorithms, thereby enabling the formation of spheroids of varying sizes. For spheroids of a single size, the printing pattern can be modified to achieve a coefficient of variation within 10% through a bidirectional compensation method. Furthermore, the system is equipped with an automatic pipetting module, which facilitates the high-throughput preparation of cell spheroids. We have implemented a 3 × 3 spheroid array in a 24-well plate, printing a total of 216 spheroids in just 11 min. Last, we attempted to print mouse small intestinal organoids and cultured them for 7 days, followed by immunofluorescent staining experiments. The results indicate that our equipment is capable of supporting the culture of organoids, which is of great significance for high-throughput drug screening and personalized medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteasome inhibitors have been applied to anticancer therapy by accumulating toxic misfolded proteins. However, chemical inactivation of proteasome generates aggresome, a Vimentin cage-enclosed subcellular structure quarantining HDAC6-Dynein-transported misfolded proteins before the protein toxicants are degraded by autophagy. Hence, aggresome may attenuate proteasome inhibitor drug-induced cytotoxicity. To solve the problem, it is imperative to characterize how cells assemble aggresome. By examining aggresomes in six cell lines, A549 cells were selectively studied for their bigger cell size and moderate aggresome-forming activity. Aggresome grew in size upon continuous exposure of A549 cells to proteasome inhibitor MG132 and reached a mature size around the 16th to 24th hour of treatment. Mechanistic studies revealed that NF-кB translocated to the nucleus in MG132-treated cells, and chemical activation or knockdown of NF-кB enhanced or prohibited aggresome assembly. Further analyses showed that NF-кB upregulated HDAC6, and HDAC6 maintained the Vimentin cage by interacting with Vimentin p72, a key modification of the intermediate filament contributing to aggresome formation. Remarkably, chemical inactivation of NF-кB synergized MG132-induced cell mortality. All the findings suggest that NF-кB dictates aggresome assembly via upregulating HDAC6, and NF-кB inhibitor may serve as a potential drug potentiating proteasome inhibitor medicine-induced cytotoxicity during the treatment of cancer cells. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: The study reveals a new mechanism guiding MG132-triggered aggresome formation. NF-кB is quickly activated upon exposure to MG132, and NF-кB upregulates the misfolded protein recognizing factor HDCA6. In addition to collecting misfolded proteins, HDAC6 also binds Vimentin and maintains the Vimentin cage, which quarantines toxic misfolded proteins and protects cells from being toxified by those protein toxicants. Therapeutically, chemical inactivation of NF-кB synergizes MG132-induced cytotoxicity, providing a new strategy to defeat cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Lynch syndrome (LS) is an autosomal dominant disorder linked to increased risks of colorectal and endometrial cancers, caused by pathogenic variants in MMR genes (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6). In a cohort of 42,828 participants from the Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative (TPMI), 89 individuals carried MMR gene variants: 25% MLH1, 53% MSH2, and 22% MSH6, with a prevalence of 1 in 481. Cancer incidence rates were 40.9% for MLH1, 29.8% for MSH2, and 40% for MSH6 carriers. Colonoscopy screening revealed no significant differences in polyp prevalence compared to controls. The study underscores the need for improved LS diagnosis and surveillance in the Taiwanese population. Lynch syndrome (LS) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by increased risks of colorectal and endometrial cancers. LS is defined by pathogenic variants in mismatch repair (MMR) genes, including MLH1, MSH2, and MSH6. Data on the prevalence and associated cancer risks of LS in the Han Chinese population remain limited. In this study, using a broad biobank approach through the Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative (TPMI), we identified LS-associated MMR gene variants within a cohort of 42,828 participants from a Taiwanese medical center. A total of 89 individuals were found to carry pathogenic MMR variants: MLH1 (n = 22, 25%), MSH2 (n = 47, 53%), and MSH6 (n = 20, 22%). The overall prevalence of MMR variants was calculated, and cancer incidence rates among carriers were determined. The prevalence of MMR variants in the study population was 1 in 481. The distribution of MLH1, MSH2, and MSH6 variants were 24.7%, 52.8%, and 22.5%, respectively. Cumulative cancer incidence rates of carriers were 40.9% for MLH1 carriers, 29.8% for MSH2, and 40% for MSH6. Among the 19 individuals who underwent colonoscopy screening, the prevalence of polyps was similar to that of the control group (adenoma detection rate: 32% vs 26%, p = 0.585). A meticulous analysis of the detected polyps in seven participants, considering factors such as location, size, morphology, and pathological features, showed no significant differences from controls. A significant cancer risk is associated with LS-related MMR variants in the Taiwanese population. The apparent under diagnosis of LS highlights the urgent need for enhanced surveillance and genetic counseling in this demographic. Our findings suggest that adjustments in the current screening protocols may be warranted to better identify and manage at-risk individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the breaking differences between CS hob and BT hob under hard rock (rust rock) and soft rock (red sandstone), and reveal their adaptability in the two rock formations, the vertical breaking experiments of two hobs are conducted. Then, the rock breaking load, rock breaking difficulty coefficient, and rock breaking efficiency of the two hobs in different hob spacings are analyzed and discussed. The result denotes that the CS hob has a greater rock breaking load and rock breaking difficulty compared to the BT hob. Meanwhile, when the breaking object changes from hard rock (rust rock) to soft rock (red sandstone), both types of hobs' rock breaking loads decrease, but the CS hob's decrease is significantly greater than the BT hob's. Meanwhile, the optimal hob spacing for the CS hob increases from 40 mm to 50 mm, whereas for the BT hob, it remains at 30 mm. Considering the rock breaking load and rock breaking efficiency of the hobs together, the CS hob is found to be more suitable for soft rock formation, while the BT hob is more suitable for hard rock formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When treating perimembranous ventricular septal defect, median sternotomy leads to unsightly scar, right subaxillary thoracotomy requires cardiopulmonary bypass, and transcatheter device closure constrained by vascular condition. Using small left intercostal incision, we employed transthoracic device closure to get around these issues. During this study, right subaxillary thoracotomy was used for surgical repair in 117 patients (Surgical group), whereas small left intercostal incision was used for transthoracic device closure in 131 patients (Device group). Retrospective data collection and analysis were conducted. The success rate was comparable (117/117 vs. 130/131, P = 1.000). The device group experienced notably reduced operating time, mechanical ventilation duration, ICU stay, and postoperative hospital stay (All P < 0.001). Given that the device group's incision was much smaller than the surgical group's (1.1 ± 0.3 vs. 6.8 ± 1.6 cm, P < 0.001), blood transfusion or drainage tube was not needed. The device group observed a lower frequency of complications, with the exception of small residual shunt. It is feasible and safe to perform transthoracic device closure in children with perimembranous ventricular septal defects via small left intercostal incision. It can be a good minimally invasive substitute for surgical closure when utilized properly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, neural ensembles in the entorhinal-hippocampal circuit responsible for encoding recent memories undergo reactivation to facilitate the process of memory consolidation. This reactivation is widely acknowledged as pivotal for the formation of stable memory and its impairment is closely associated with memory dysfunction. To date, the neural mechanisms driving the reactivation of neural ensembles during NREM sleep remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the neural ensembles in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) that encode spatial experiences exhibit reactivation during NREM sleep. Notably, this reactivation consistently coincides with isolated theta waves. In addition, we found that the nucleus reuniens (RE) in the midline thalamus exhibits typical theta waves during NREM sleep, which are highly synchronized with those occurring in the MEC in male mice. Closed-loop optogenetic inhibition of the RE-MEC pathway specifically suppressed these isolated theta waves, resulting in impaired reactivation and compromised memory consolidation following a spatial memory task in male mice. The findings suggest that theta waves originating from the ventral midline thalamus play a role in initiating memory reactivation and consolidation during sleep. The neural mechanisms of memory consolidation during sleep are poorly understood. Here the authors show that isolated theta waves from nucleus reuniens initiate neural ensemble reactivation during sleep required for spatial memory consolidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lymph node is the most common site of distant metastasis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), which elicits dismal prognosis and limited efficiency for treatment. Elucidation of the mechanisms underlying CSCC lymphatic metastasis would provide potential therapeutic strategies for nodal metastatic of CSCC. Here, based on in vivo lymphatic metastasis screening model, a circular RNA is identified that is termed as lymph node metastasis associated circRNA (LNMAC), is markedly upregulated in lymphatic metastatic CSCC and correlated with lymph node metastasis. Overexpression of LNMAC dramatically augments the metastatic capability of CSCC cells to the lymph node via inducing lymphangiogenesis. Mechanistically, LNMAC epigenetically upregulates fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) expression by directly associating with histone acacetylase 1 (HDAC1), preventing Importin α6/8‐mediated nuclear translocation of HDAC1 and eliciting histone H3K27ac‐induced FGF2 transcriptional activation. Treatment with 3F12E7, an anti‐FGF2 monoclonal antibody, effectively inhibits LNMAC‐induced CSCC lymphatic metastasis. Taken together, these findings indicate that LNMAC plays a crucial role in FGF2‐mediated lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis, highlighting that LNMAC might be a therapeutic target for lymph node metastasis in CSCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Functional training is essential for maintaining the independence of older adults, especially in rural areas with limited resources. In this study, we assess the short-term and long-term impacts of the Precision Functional Training (PFT) program on mobility outcomes, specifically walking performance, and cognitive ability in community-dwelling older adults. The unique feature of this training program was its countywide, community-based, and tailored approach, designed to strengthen the functional abilities of older adults living in rural areas. Methods: 158 older adults aged 65 years and above were assessed in this one-group pre–posttest study conducted in 11 community care stations in Chiayi County, Taiwan. Participants had two follow-ups, with data collection on mobility and cognition. The 12-week PFT program, led by certified trainers, integrated aerobic, strength, and cognitive elements. Primary outcomes, including changes in gait, falls, and cognition, were analyzed using linear mixed effects and logit models. Results: Strengthening mobility is critical to slowing functional decline in older adults. The PFT program led to significant improvements in cognitive function and several gait parameters compared with the baseline. Participants with limited mobility showed enhanced activities of daily living 1-month post-training, but these gains did not persist at the 1-year mark. No significant differences were observed in fall occurrence and knee extension strength. Conclusions: The training did not have a long-term effect; thus, more frequent practice may be necessary. Risk assessment and community-based interventions, particularly for older adults with a higher risk of falls, are recommended. Future prospective randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate the PFT program's effectiveness in preserving mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR), which can map subtle ground displacement over large areas, has been widely utilized to recognize active landslides. Nevertheless, due to various origins of subtle ground displacement, their presence on slopes may not always reflect the occurrence of active landslides. Therefore, interpretation of exact landslide-correlated deformation from InSAR results can be very challenging, especially in mountainous areas, where natural phenomenon like soil creep, anthropogenic activities and erroneous deformational signals accumulated during InSAR processing can easily lead to misinterpretation. In this paper, a two-phase interpretation method applicable to regional-scale active landslide recognition utilizing InSAR results is presented. The first phase utilizes statistical threshold and clustering analysis to detect unstable regions mapped by InSAR. The second phase introduces landslide susceptibility combined with empirical rainfall threshold, which are considered as causative factors for active landslides triggered by rainfall, to screen unstable regions indicative of active landslides. A case study validated by field survey indicates that the proposed interpretation method, when compared to a baseline model reported in the literature, can achieve better interpretation accuracy and miss rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's sustained air quality improvement is hindered by unregulated ammonia (NH3) emissions from inefficient nitrogen management in smallholder farming. Although the Chinese government is promoting a policy shift to large-scale farming, the benefits of this, when integrated with nitrogen management, remain unclear. Here we fill this gap using an integrated assessment, by combining geostatistical analysis, high-resolution emission inventories, farm surveys and air quality modeling. Smallholder-dominated farming allows only 13%–31% NH3 reduction, leading to limited PM2.5 decreases nationally due to non-linear PM2.5 chemistry. Conversely, large-scale farming would double nitrogen management adoption rates, increasing NH3 reduction potential to 48%–58% and decreasing PM2.5 by 9.4–14.0 μg·m−3 in polluted regions. The estimated PM2.5 reduction is conservative due to localized NH3-rich conditions under large-scale livestock farming. This strategy could prevent over 300 000 premature deaths and achieve a net benefit of US $68.4–86.8 billion annually, unlocking immense benefits for air quality and agricultural sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ridge–furrow cropping patterns, nitrogen fertilisation and seed rate regulation are popular management strategies for improving crop yields in the semi‐arid areas of Northwest China, but their interactive effects on grain yield and water use efficiency remain poorly understood. In 2020–2021 and 2021–2022, a two‐season field experiment was conducted on winter wheat. There were two cropping patterns (C), ridge–furrow cropping with film mulch (RC) and traditional cropping without mulch (TC), two nitrogen fertilisation rates (N), 0 and 200 kg N ha−1 (N0 and N1) and three seed rates (S), 240, 360 and 480 plants m−2 (S1, S2 and S3). The study was conducted in a split–split design with three replications (randomised blocks) and a total of 24 experimental plots. It was found that the interactive effects of C × N, C × S and N × S were significant on soil temperature (ST), leaf area index (LAI), relative chlorophyll content (SPAD), photosynthetic parameters, grain yield (GY) and water use efficiency (WUE) (p < 0.05), while C × N × S was significant only for LAI, aboveground biomass (AGB), GY and WUE (p < 0.05). Compared with TC and N0, RC and N1 significantly increased SPAD value (2.4% and 15.8%), net photosynthetic rate (Pn) (19.8% and 32.8%), net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr) (7.0% and 15.7%) and the effective PSII quantum production (ΦPSII) (10.7% and 5.0%). The highest GY (6773 kg ha−1 over 2020–2021 and 8036 kg ha−1 over 2021–2022) and WUE (20.03 kg ha−1 mm−1 over 2020–2021, and 21.77 kg ha−1 mm−1 over 2021–2022) of winter wheat were observed under RC + N1 + S2. The findings showed that the RC cropping pattern with fertilisation and seed rate regulation (360 plants m−2) of winter wheat, which is appropriate for ensuring the long‐term sustainability of agricultural production in the semi‐arid regions of Northwest China, enhanced plant growth, photosynthetic traits, yield and water use efficiency. The study might give useful information for enhancing the productivity and water use efficiency of winter wheat in this and other similar climate locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change leads to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme rainstorms. At present, in China, which is experiencing rapid urbanization, urban flooding triggered by heavy rainstorms has emerged as a prominent issue, exerting far-reaching influences on socio-economic development, ecology, and people's livelihoods. In response to this, China has put forward the concept of sponge cities and has shifted from pilot projects to comprehensive and systematic citywide implementation, with the aim of strengthening urban resilience in rainstorm management. This article takes the Chaoyang River area in Nanning City, South China as an example and proposes a dynamic risk assessment framework integrating hydrodynamic models and ABM to reflect flooding and pedestrian response to rainstorms. The research results show that under the design rainstorm scenarios with return periods of 5 years and 30 years, the rainstorm-induced flooding process in the study area presents a dynamic evolution pattern. It develops rapidly to the extreme or severe hazard grade within 1–2 h, and then declines slowly and persists until 8 h. The exposure and sensitivity of pedestrian mobility to flooding disasters extend across most areas of the study area within 1–5 h during the rainstorm-induced flooding process, with medium, high, or extreme risk levels observed during the 2–3 h period.Among the affected sensitive pedestrians, the gender ratio is roughly equal, and the proportion of the elderly and child populations is as high as 46.5%. The overall disaster resilience capacity of the study area is significantly insufficient, leading to a predominance of medium, high, or extreme risk levels for pedestrian mobility during the 2–3 h period. In conclusion, the study area should accelerate the construction of various sponge facilities on the underlying surface and comprehensively enhance diverse emergency management measures for excessive flooding disasters. The dynamic disaster risk simulation and assessment techniques proposed in this article can serve as essential scientific support for the construction of a digital twin system in China's sponge cities, reflecting both virtual and real scenarios and facilitating comprehensive resilience capabilities such as forecasting, warning, simulation, and contingency planning for intelligent rainstorm management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate the clinical benefit of adding concurrent chemotherapy to intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients with an intermediate risk (stage II and T3N0M0). Methods: A multicenter phase II randomized trial was conducted in intermediate-risk NPC patients. Enrolled patients were previously untreated and aged ranged from 18 to 70 years without severe coexisting diseases. Patients were randomly assigned to receive IMRT alone or IMRT+concurrent chemotherapy (CC; three cycles of 80 mg/m2 cisplatin every 3 weeks). Primary endpoint was defined as 3‑year progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints were distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), locoregional relapse-free survival (LRRFS), overall survival (OS), and treatment-associated toxicity. We registered this study with Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (CliCTR1800017132; registered July 13, 2018, study start July 13, 2018). Results: From November 2015 to July 2019, 42 patients with stage II and T3N0M0 NPC were enrolled; 20 patients received IMRT alone while 22 patients received IMRT+CC. After a median of 58 months of follow-up, we estimated the 3‑year PFS rates as 90% (IMRT group) and 86.4% (IMRT+CC group; hazard ratio 1.387, 95% confidence interval 0.240–8.014; P = 0.719). The 3‑year PFS, OS, and cumulative DMFS and LRRFS showed no significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). However, the IMRT group displayed a lower incidence of nausea/vomiting, leucopenia, and dry mouth than the IMRT+CC group. Conclusion: Adding CC to IMRT provided no survival benefit but increased treatment-associated toxicities in patients with intermediate-risk NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress interference is the main factor affecting hydraulic fracture propagation during multi-well hydraulic fracturing; stress interference is influenced by fracture bending, fracture hits, and asymmetric fracture propagation. To investigate the role of stress interferences among hydraulic fractures with nonuniform stress distribution in an inhomogeneous formation, a hydromechanical coupling extended finite element method was adopted to investigate the fracturing paths that occurred during the first fracturing–fracturing fluid flowback–repeat fracturing process; the asymmetric fracturing that occurred at different child well locations was also studied. The results showed that the area affected by fracturing-induced stress formed a "butterfly type" area. For child wells located within the zone, stress interference resulted in asymmetric fracture propagation; meanwhile, for child wells located outside this zone, stress interference resulted in symmetric fracture geometry. The effect of stress interference on the asymmetry of child well fracture wings was found to be negatively correlated with the distance between the parent well and the child well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interferon-induced transmembrane proteins (IFITMs) are upregulated by interferons. They are not only highly conserved in evolution but also structurally consistent and have almost identical structural domains and functional domains. They are all transmembrane proteins and have multiple heritable variations in genes. The IFITM protein family is closely related to a variety of biological functions, including antiviral immunity, tumor formation, bone metabolism, cell adhesion, differentiation, and intracellular signal transduction. The progress of the research on its structure and related functions, as represented by IFITM3, is reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorite-structured HfO2 ferroelectrics exhibit remarkable ferroelectricity owing to the robust thickness scalability, rendering them promising for next-generation ferroelectric memories. Unlike the well-understood perovskite structured ferroelectrics, such as Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, the origin of ferroelectricity in HfO2 remains elusive, which impedes the experimental fabrication of pure and stable ferroelectric orthorhombic phase in films. This study seeks to elucidate its origin by analyzing the covalent nature of local chemical bonding and changes in orbital hybridization and by catching the typical feather of the half-unit-cell spacer/polar layer in the orthorhombic phase. Notably, we find that the differences in the hybridization intensity of the 2s orbitals of two types of O atoms (OI and OII) and 5d orbitals of Hf atoms play a crucial role in inducing ferroelectric distortion. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the intrinsic mechanisms of stress in enhancing the ferroelectricity of HfO2 originate from the modulation of orbital hybridization intensity of the Hf–O bonds. These insights provide a vital theoretical foundation for further exploration of ferroelectric phase transitions and property modulation in HfO2 and similar fluorite-structured ferroelectrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]