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We have theoretically and experimentally demonstrated the feasibility of achieving ultra-low dark current in CpBnn type detectors based on a double-barrier InAs/GaSb/AlSb type-II superlattice. By employing a structure that separates the absorption region and depletion region, the diffusion, recombination, tunneling, and surface dark currents of the photodetector (PD) have been suppressed. Experimental validation has shown that a detector with a diameter of 500 µm at a bias voltage of −0.5 V exhibits a dark current density of 2.5 × 10−6 A/cm2 at the operating temperature of 300 K. The development of PD with low dark current has paved the way for applications with high demands for low noise in the fields of gravitational wave detection and astronomical observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the social exchange theory, this paper constructs a moderated mediation model to explore the influence of after-hours work challenges after-hours on employee creativity. By collecting 268 questionnaires from Chinese employees and employing hierarchical regression and bootstrapping to test the hypotheses, the results show that after-hours work challenges can enhance employee creativity by improving their perceived insider status. Servant leadership, as a moderator, strengthens both the direct effect of after-hours work challenges on perceived insider status and the indirect effect on employee creativity. This research enriches the creativity and work design literature by addressing the previously unexplored relationship between after-hours work challenges and employee creativity. The study reveals that after-hours work assigned to employees needs to be challenging so that employees can experience personal development through completing it. Additionally, leaders' support and care during the after-hours work process are essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histopathology image analysis plays a crucial role in cancer diagnosis. However, training a clinically applicable segmentation algorithm requires pathologists to engage in labor‐intensive labeling. In contrast, weakly supervised learning methods, which only require coarse‐grained labels at the image level, can significantly reduce the labeling efforts. Unfortunately, while these methods perform reasonably well in slide‐level prediction, their ability to locate cancerous regions, which is essential for many clinical applications, remains unsatisfactory. Previously, CAMEL is proposed, which achieves comparable results to those of fully supervised baselines in pixel‐level segmentation. However, CAMEL requires 1280 × 1280 image‐level binary annotations for positive WSIs. Here, CAMEL2 is presented, by introducing a threshold of the cancerous ratio for positive bags, it allows one to better utilize the information, consequently enabling us to scale up the image‐level setting from 1280 × 1280 to 5120 × 5120 while maintaining accuracy. The results with various datasets demonstrate that CAMEL2, with the help of 5120 × 5120 image‐level binary annotations, which are easy to annotate, achieves comparable performance to that of a fully supervised baseline in both instance‐ and slide‐level classifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Drawing on power approach-inhibition theory, this study aims to theorize a cross-level model to examine how team member personal power (i.e. expert power and referent power) impacts shared leadership through activating their taking charge behaviors in R&D teams, as well as the moderating effect of team learning orientation on the relationship between team member taking charge behaviors and shared leadership. Design/methodology/approach: With multisource data collected from 264 employees in 58 R&D teams from 13 companies, this study tested the hypotheses of the cross-level theoretical model using Mplus 7.4. Findings: The results showed that team member expert power was positively related to their taking charge behaviors, which in turn led to shared leadership, while team member referent power was not significantly related to their taking charge behaviors. Furthermore, the positive relationship between team member taking charge behaviors and shared leadership was strengthened by team learning orientation. Practical implications: This paper offers suggestions regarding how vertical leaders should pay attention to team member power to promote their change-oriented taking charge behaviors and address team learning to strengthen the effect of team member taking charge behaviors on shared leadership. Originality/value: By echoing the changing focus towards a shared leading process among team members in leadership literature, this paper provides important insights for both scholars and practitioners to understand the role that power plays in activating team member taking charge behaviors which in turn improves shared leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the deformation behavior of UNS S32750 (S32750) duplex stainless steel during low cycle fatigue was studied by controlling the number of cycles. The microstructure of the specimens under different cycles was characterized by optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The microhardness of the two phases was measured by a digital microhardness instrument. The results showed that the microhardness of ferrite increases significantly after the first 4000 cycles, while the austenite shows a higher strain hardening rate after fatigue fracture, and the microhardness of ferrite and austenite increases by 23 HV and 87 HV, respectively. The two-phase kernel average misorientation (KAM) diagram showed that the continuous accumulation of plastic deformation easily leads to the initiation of cracks inside the austenite and at the phase boundaries. The evolution of dislocation morphology in the two phases was obviously different. With the increase in cycle number, the dislocation in ferrite gradually transforms from dislocation bundles and a dislocation array to a sub-grain structure, while the dislocation in austenite gradually develops from dipole array to an ordered Taylor lattice network structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrified solid–liquid interfaces (ESLIs) play a key role in various electrochemical processes relevant to energy1–5, biology6 and geochemistry7. The electron and mass transport at the electrified interfaces may result in structural modifications that markedly influence the reaction pathways. For example, electrocatalyst surface restructuring during reactions can substantially affect the catalysis mechanisms and reaction products1–3. Despite its importance, direct probing the atomic dynamics of solid–liquid interfaces under electric biasing is challenging owing to the nature of being buried in liquid electrolytes and the limited spatial resolution of current techniques for in situ imaging through liquids. Here, with our development of advanced polymer electrochemical liquid cells for transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we are able to directly monitor the atomic dynamics of ESLIs during copper (Cu)-catalysed CO2 electroreduction reactions (CO2ERs). Our observation reveals a fluctuating liquid-like amorphous interphase. It undergoes reversible crystalline–amorphous structural transformations and flows along the electrified Cu surface, thus mediating the crystalline Cu surface restructuring and mass loss through the interphase layer. The combination of real-time observation and theoretical calculations unveils an amorphization-mediated restructuring mechanism resulting from charge-activated surface reactions with the electrolyte. Our results open many opportunities to explore the atomic dynamics and its impact in broad systems involving ESLIs by taking advantage of the in situ imaging capability.The development of advanced polymer electrochemical liquid cells for transmission electron microscopy allows direct monitoring of the atomic dynamics of electrified solid–liquid interfaces during copper-catalysed CO2 electroreduction reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection are challenging to be cured completely due to the existence of HIV-1 latency reservoirs. However, the knowledge of the mechanisms and biomarkers associated with HIV-1 latency is limited. Therefore, identifying proteins related to HIV-1 latency could provide new insights into the underlying mechanisms of HIV-1 latency, and ultimately contribute to the eradication of HIV reservoirs. Methods: An Isobaric Tags for Relative and Absolute Quantification (iTRAQ)-labeled subcellular proteomic study was performed on an HIV-1 latently infected cell model (U1, a HIV-1-integrated U937 cell line) and its control (U937). Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were analyzed using STRING-DB. Selected DEPs were further evaluated by western blotting and multiple reaction monitoring technology in both cell model and patient-derived cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4)+ T cells. Finally, we investigated the relationship between a specific DEP lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein 2 (LAMP2) and HIV-1 reactivation by panobinostat or lysosome regulation by a lysosomotropic agent hydroxychloroquine in U1 and U937 cells. Results: In total, 110 DEPs were identified in U1 cells comparing to U937 control cells. Bioinformatics analysis suggested associations of the altered proteins with the immune response and endosomal/lysosomal pathway. LAMP2, leukocyte surface antigen CD47, CD55, and ITGA6 were downregulated in HIV-1 latent cells. Downregulated LAMP2 was further confirmed in resting CD4+ T cells from patients with latent HIV-1 infection. Furthermore, both HIV-1 reactivation by panobinostat and stimulation with hydroxychloroquine upregulated LAMP2 expression. Conclusions: Our results indicated the involvement of the endosomal/lysosomal pathway in HIV-1 latency in macrophage cell model. The down-modulation of LAMP2 was associated with HIV latency, and the restoration of LAMP2 expression accompanied the transition of viral latency to active infection. This study provides new insights into the mechanism of HIV-1 latency and potential strategies for eradicating HIV-1 reservoirs by targeting LAMP2 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discovery and design of materials with the coexistence and coupling of different functional properties is extremely attractive for both fundamental physics and technical applications. In this work, we proposed a strategy to realize the coexistence of ferroelectricity, magnetism and topological order in a two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructure composed of a ferroelectric material α-In2Se3 and a topological hydrogenated germanene. More importantly, we found the strong coupling of the topological electronic structure and ferroelectric order. Transition from a normal semiconductor to a quantum anomalous Hall insulator can be switched by reversing the polarization direction of α-In2Se3. The topological phase transition mechanism is revealed by the interfacial charge transfer and energy band alignment. The difference in the energy band alignment stems from the difference of interfacial potential energy for two opposite ferroelectric phases. So, ferroelectric heterostructure engineering is an effective way to realize band inversion and topological phase transition by the interface effect. Our work is not only of great scientific significance for studying the coupling mechanism of various degrees of freedom through the interface effect, but also provides an effective strategy for realizing nonvolatile topological switches and storage devices in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Duplex stainless steels are widely used in many fields due to their excellent corrosion resistance and mechanical properties. However, it is a challenge to achieve duplex microstructure and excellent properties through additive manufacturing. In this work, a 0.09% N 25Cr-type duplex stainless steel was prepared by additive manufacturing (AM) and heat treatment, and its corrosion resistance was investigated. The results show that, compared with S32750 duplex stainless steel prepared by a conventional process, the combination value of film resistance and charge transfer resistance of AM duplex stainless steel was increased by 3.2–5.5 times and the pitting potential was increased by more than 100 mV. The disappearance of residual thermal stress and the reasonable distribution of Cr and N elements in the two phases are the reasons for the improvement of the corrosion resistance of AM duplex stainless steel after heat treatment. In addition, the extremely high purity of AM duplex stainless steel with no visible inclusions resulted in a higher corrosion resistance exhibited at lower pitting-resistance-equivalent number values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better understand the geodynamic evolution of northeastern China during the Late Mesozoic, we analyzed zircon U–Pb geochronological, Lu–Hf isotopic, and geochemical data for Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks from the southeastern margin of the Songliao Basin. Newly identified A-type rhyolite and trachyandesite yielded zircon 206Pb/238U ages of ca. 123 Ma and 117 Ma, respectively. The rhyolites are high in SiO2 (72.24–78.89 wt%) and total alkali (K2O + Na2O = 8.81–10.03 wt%), and low in MgO (0.10–0.26 wt%), CaO (0.32–0.36 wt%), Ni (0.08–2.69 ppm), and Cr (0.39–4.87 ppm) concentrations, with negative Nb, Ta, and Sr anomalies. They are enriched in light rare earth elements (LREEs) and large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and depleted in high-field-strength elements (HFSEs); the calculated Zr saturation temperatures are high (828–915 °C). The A-type rhyolites possess variable zircon εHf(t) values ranging from + 5.69 to + 10.49. Petrogenetic analysis leads us to propose that the A-type rhyolites were probably formed by partial melting of a Neoproterozoic–Early Paleozoic juvenile lower crust. The trachyandesites have Nb/Ta (14.9–17.25), Zr/Hf (35.04–42.75), Rb/Sr (0.25–0.40), and Lu/Yb (0.14–0.15) ratios that are similar to those of mantle-derived magma, indicating a mantle source. They have εHf(t) values of + 4.71 to + 7.29 and show enrichment in LILEs and LREEs, and weak depletion in HFSEs, suggesting that the parent magma originated from partial melting of a depleted lithospheric mantle, and was subsequently metasomatized by subduction-related fluids, followed by extensive fractional crystallization during the magma evolution. Combined with the temporal and spatial distribution of Late Mesozoic igneous rocks from the southeastern margin of the Songliao Basin, we propose that Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks formed in an extensional tectonic setting that was closely related to rollback of the Paleo-Pacific (Izanagi) oceanic slab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of mycotoxins and their masked forms in chicken feed poses a significant threat to both productivity and health. This review examines the multifaceted impacts of mycotoxins on various aspects of chicken well-being, encompassing feed efficiency, growth, immunity, antioxidants, blood biochemistry, and internal organs. Mycotoxins, toxic substances produced by fungi, can exert detrimental effects even at low levels of contamination. The hidden or masked forms of mycotoxins further complicate the situation, as they are not easily detected by conventional methods but can be converted into their toxic forms during digestion. Consequently, chickens are exposed to mycotoxin-related risks despite apparently low mycotoxin levels. The consequences of mycotoxin exposure in chickens include reduced feed efficiency, compromised growth rates, impaired immune function, altered antioxidant levels, disturbances in blood biochemical parameters, and adverse effects on internal organs. To mitigate these impacts, effective management strategies are essential, such as routine monitoring of feed ingredients and finished feeds, adherence to proper storage practices, and the implementation of feed detoxification methods and mycotoxin binders. Raising awareness of these hidden hazards is crucial for safeguarding chicken productivity and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Early Cretaceous Weideshan granites are associated with large-scale Au and polymetallic Cu-Mo-Pb-Zn mineralization. To investigate the petrogenesis of the Weideshan granite and constrain its tectonic setting during the Early Cretaceous, we conducted a zircon U-Pb-Hf isotope and whole-rock geochemical and Sr-Nd isotopic study of the granite. In situ zircon U-Pb dating of three granite samples yielded Early Cretaceous ages of 112.83 ± 0.80, 112.64 ± 0.91, and 111.82 ± 0.78 Ma. The samples had high-K calc-alkaline compositions and were enriched in the light rare earth and large-ion lithophile elements (e.g., K, Rb, Ba, Th, and U) and depleted in high-field-strength elements (e.g., Nb, Ti, and P). The samples had small negative Eu anomalies and initial 87Sr/86Sr and εNd(t) values of 0.70853–0.71029 and –18 to –14, respectively. The zircon εHf(t) values varied between −16 and −12, with corresponding two-stage model ages (tDM2) of 2180–2000 Ma. These characteristics indicated that the Weideshan pluton was formed in a back-arc extensional environment caused by subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate toward the Asian continent during the early Cretaceous. The magma was generated by crust–mantle interaction during lithospheric thinning. The diagenetic age of the Weideshan granites was the same as the formation age of gold and polymetallic ores in the Jiaodong area. The extensive fluid circulation induced by the magma emplacement may be the main source of ore-forming materials for the gold and polymetallic Cu-Mo-Pb-Zn deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chickens are remarkably versatile animals that are used as model organisms for biomedical research. Here, we performed metabolomic and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) transcriptomic analyses of the hypothalamus, liver tissue and serum of poultry with different genetic backgrounds, providing detailed information for hypothalamus and liver tissue at the transcriptional level and for liver tissue and serum at the metabolite level. We present two datasets generated from 36 samples from three poultry breeds using high-throughput RNA-Seq and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry acquisition (LC/MS). The transcriptomic and metabolomic data obtained for poultry of different genetic backgrounds will be a valuable resource for further studies on this model organism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Duplex stainless steel (DSS) exhibits good mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, and has attracted more and more attention within the fields of both science and technology. However, the increasing levels of N and of Cr, Mo, etc., as alloying elements in DSS increase production difficulty. In particular, the N element increases the risk of Cr2N precipitation, which can seriously deteriorate the thermal plasticity of DSS, while increasing its strength. For this reason, a low-N-content 25Cr-type DSS was designed in order to adapt additive manufacturing processes. With regard to the nano-inclusions of oxide precipitation and effective grain refinement, and considering the benefits of selective laser melting fabrication, a low-N 25Cr-type duplex stainless steel with a 0.09 wt.% N content achieved high mechanical properties, with a yield strength of 712 MPa and an elongation of 27.5%, while the V-notch impact toughness was 160 J/cm2. The microstructure evolution and the reasons behind the improvement in mechanical properties will be discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: N‐acetylglutamate (NAG) is the initial and essectial substrate in the process of de novo arginine synthesis, plays an important role in intestinal development. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of in ovo feeding of NAG, 1.5 mg/egg at 17.5 days of incubation (DOI) via amnion, on hatching performance, early intestinal histomorphometry, jejunal barrier, digestive function, and growth performance of broiler chickens between 1 and 14 days of age. RESULTS: Amniotic injection of NAG had no significant effect on hatching characteristics compared with the non‐injected control group (NC group). Birds in the NAG solution‐injected group (NAG group) exhibited lower average daily feed intake and better feed efficiency during a period of 1–14 days. In comparison with the NC group, the NAG group had decreased crypt depth (CD) in the ileum and increased villus height (VH) / CD in the jejunum at 7 days, and decreased CD in duodenum and significantly increased VH in the jejunum at 14 days. However, the effects of in ovo supplementation with NAG on the density of goblet cells, and gene expression of mucin 2 and alkaline phosphatase were not significant. Chicks in the NAG group had a significantly higher mRNA expression level of trypsin and maltase in jejunum at 7 days than the NC group but not at 14 days. CONCLUSION: Amniotic injections of NAG (1.5 mg/egg) at 17.5 DOI could improve early growth performance of broilers during 1–14 days after hatching by accelerating the development of the intestine and enhancing jejunal digestive function. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unsupervised domain-adaptive vehicle re-identification approach aims to transfer knowledge from a labeled source domain to an unlabeled target domain; however, there are knowledge differences between the target domain and the source domain. To mitigate domain discrepancies, existing unsupervised domain-adaptive re-identification methods typically require access to source domain data to assist in retraining the target domain model. However, for security reasons, such as data privacy, data exchange between different domains is often infeasible in many scenarios. To this end, this paper proposes an unsupervised domain-adaptive vehicle re-identification method based on source-free knowledge transfer. First, by constructing a source-free domain knowledge migration module, the target domain is consistent with the source domain model output to train a generator to generate the "source-like samples". Then, it can effectively reduce the model knowledge difference and improve the model's generalization performance. In the experiment, two mainstream public datasets in this field, VeRi776 and VehicleID, are tested experimentally, and the obtained rank-k (the cumulative matching features) and mAP (the mean Average Precision) indicators are both improved, which are suitable for object re-identification tasks when data between domains cannot be interoperated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chickens are remarkably versatile animals that are used as model organisms for biomedical research. Here, we performed metabolomic and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) transcriptomic analyses of the hypothalamus, liver tissue and serum of poultry with different genetic backgrounds, providing detailed information for hypothalamus and liver tissue at the transcriptional level and for liver tissue and serum at the metabolite level. We present two datasets generated from 36 samples from three poultry breeds using high-throughput RNA-Seq and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry acquisition (LC/MS). The transcriptomic and metabolomic data obtained for poultry of different genetic backgrounds will be a valuable resource for further studies on this model organism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The poultry industry needs effective antibiotic alternatives to control outbreaks of necrotic enteritis (NE) caused by Clostridium perfringens. Methods: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with Macleaya cordata extract (MCE) on the immune function and gut microbiota of broilers with NE. A total of 288 1-day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two concentrations of dietary MCE supplementation (0 or 350 mg/kg of diet) and two disease challenge statuses (control or NE). Results: The results revealed that NE significantly increased the feed conversion rate (FCR), mortality, intestinal lesion score, the levels of IL-1β, IL-17 and IFN-γ/IL-4 in serum and IL-17/IL-10 in the jejunal mucosa, mRNA levels of TLR2, IFN-γ and pIgR in the jejunum, and Clostridium perfringens concentrations in the cecum. NE significantly decreased the body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), jejunal villus height, V/C, mRNA level of AMPK-α1 in jejunum, IL-4 level in the jejunal mucosa and lactic acid bacteria abundance in the cecum. MCE significantly increased BW, BWG, jejunal villus height, V/C, mRNA levels of occludin, ZO-1 and AMPK-α1 in the jejunum, the levels of IgA and IgG in serum and IL-10 in the jejunal mucosa and mRNA levels of NF-κB, IL-10 and MHC-II in the jejunum. Additionally, MCE significantly decreased the FCR, mortality, intestinal lesion score, jejunal crypt depth, the levels of IFN-γ and IL-17 in serum and IL-17/IL-10 in the jejunal mucosa, Clostridium perfringens concentrations in the cecum, and mRNA levels of IL-17/IL-10 in the jejunum. Moreover, NE significantly increased the abundance of bacteria that are associated with inflammation, obesity and depression (Alistipes, Barnesiella, Intestinimonas, RF39 and UCG-005) and significantly decreased the abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria (Anaerotruncus, Butyricicoccus and Bacteroides) in the cecum. MCE significantly increased the abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria (Streptococcus, Ruminococcus_torques_group and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group) and significantly reduced the abundance of bacteria that are associated with inflammation and obesity (Alistipes, Barnesiella and UCG-010) in the cecum. In the cecum of broilers with NE, the relative abundance of Barnesiella and Alistipes was higher and that of Lachnoclostridium and Shuttleworthia was lower. Interestingly, these trends were reversed by the addition of MCE to the diet. Spearman correlation analysis showed that Barnesiella and Alistipes were associated with enhanced intestinal inflammation and inhibited growth performance, whereas Lachnoclostridium and Shuttleworthia were associated with anti-inflammatory effects. Conclusions: MCE ameliorated the loss of growth performance in broiler chickens with NE, probably by regulating the intestinal barrier, immune function, and gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, facial expression recognition (FER) has garnered significant attention within the realm of computer vision research. This paper presents an innovative network called the Dual-Direction Attention Mixed Feature Network (DDAMFN) specifically designed for FER, boasting both robustness and lightweight characteristics. The network architecture comprises two primary components: the Mixed Feature Network (MFN) serving as the backbone, and the Dual-Direction Attention Network (DDAN) functioning as the head. To enhance the network's capability in the MFN, resilient features are extracted by utilizing mixed-size kernels. Additionally, a new Dual-Direction Attention (DDA) head that generates attention maps in two orientations is proposed, enabling the model to capture long-range dependencies effectively. To further improve the accuracy, a novel attention loss mechanism for the DDAN is introduced with different heads focusing on distinct areas of the input. Experimental evaluations on several widely used public datasets, including AffectNet, RAF-DB, and FERPlus, demonstrate the superiority of the DDAMFN compared to other existing models, which establishes that the DDAMFN as the state-of-the-art model in the field of FER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how to effectively stimulate creative potential in the workplace through strategic human resource management (HRM) practices is critical to enhancing organizational competitiveness. This study investigates the effects of high‐involvement work systems (HIWS) on team creativity in terms of ability–motivation–opportunity theory and a team input–process–output model. It draws on a data set consisting of 668 employees from 112 teams in 41 organizations in China. The results reveal that HIWS are positively related to team creativity, not only directly, but also indirectly through a sequential mediating mechanism of involvement climate and shared leadership. We argue that when employees are placed in an autonomous work environment underpinned by HIWS, they will be more likely to be involved in creative activities and engage in mutual influence behaviors in their work teams, and lead each other to achieve a higher level of creativity. Our study extends the knowledge on strategic HRM/HIWS, shared leadership, and creativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been widely known that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays an important role in gene expression and regulation. However, due to a few characteristics of lncRNA (e.g., huge amounts of data, high dimension, lack of noted samples, etc.), identifying key lncRNA closely related to specific disease is nearly impossible. In this paper, the authors propose a computational method to predict key lncRNA closely related to its corresponding disease. The proposed solution implements a BPSO based intelligent algorithm to select possible optimal lncRNA subset, and then uses ML-ELM based deep learning model to evaluate each lncRNA subset. After that, wrapper feature extraction method is used to select lncRNAs, which are closely related to the pathophysiology of disease from massive data. Experimentation on three typical open datasets proves the feasibility and efficiency of our proposed solution. This proposed solution achieves above 93% accuracy, the best ever. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) is an infectious, non-contagious viral disease of ruminants caused by epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) and is transmitted by insects of the genus Culicoides. In 2008, EHD was listed on the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) list of notifiable terrestrial and aquatic animal diseases. This article reviews the distribution of EHD in China and relevant studies and proposes several suggestions for the prevention and control of EHD. There have been reports of positivity for serum antibodies against EHDV-1, EHDV-2, EHDV-5, EHDV-6, EHDV-7, EHDV-8 and EHDV-10 in China. Strains of EHDV-1, -5, -6, -7, -8 and -10 have been isolated, among which the Seg-2, Seg-3 and Seg-6 sequences of serotypes -5, -6, -7 and -10 belong to the eastern topotype. The emergence of western topotype Seg-2 in EHDV-1 strains indicates that EHDV-1 strains in China are reassortant strains of the western and eastern topotypes. A novel serotype strain of EHDV named YNDH/V079/2018 was isolated in 2018. Chinese scholars have successfully expressed the EHDV VP7 protein and developed a variety of ELISA detection methods, including antigen capture ELISA and competitive ELISA. A variety of EHDV nucleic acid detection methods, including RT–PCR and qRT–PCR, have also been developed. LAMP and the liquid chip detection technique are also available. To prevent and control EHD, several suggestions for controlling EHD transmission have been proposed based on the actual situation in China, including controlling the number of Culicoides, reducing contact between Culicoides and hosts, continued monitoring of EHDV and Culicoides in different areas of China and further development and application of basic and pioneering research related to EHD prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The peat soil in the Dianchi Lake area of Yunnan, China, is widely distributed, bringing many problems to engineering. The peat soil foundation is usually treated by the cement mixing method, and the reinforcement effect of cemented soil is mainly affected by humic acid (HA). Ultra-fine cement (UFC) can improve cement performance and reduce cement consumption, decreasing CO2 emissions and the impact of human activities on the environment. Simulated peat soils in different environments are prepared with HA reagent and cohesive soil, reinforced by composite cement curing agent mixed with ultrafine cement (UFC). The relationship among the UFC proportion, HA reagent content, soaking time, and sample strength was studied. The unconfined compressive strength test (UCS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and PCAS microscopic quantitative test techniques were used to explore the mechanism of the effect of UFC on the strength of HA-containing cemented soil. The increasing UFC proportion in the composite cement curing agent gradually increased HA-containing cemented soil's strength. UFC significantly reduced the percentage of macropores in HA-containing cemented soil and made the microstructure denser. The HA-containing cemented soil's qu increased the most when the UFC proportion increased from 0% to 10%. The solidification effect of the composite cement curing agent mixed with UFC was always stronger than that of OPC. The composite cement curing agent with a UFC proportion of 10% is practical. Cement is still an important building material in the current construction industry, and UFC provides a new method for reducing environmental impact in engineering construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intelligent transformation of logistics plays a significant role in meeting the diverse needs of customers, improving operational efficiency, and reducing carbon emissions in logistics activities. Therefore, to achieve sustainable development, logistics enterprises need to face the decision-making problem of intelligent logistics transformation. In this paper, we construct a Stackelberg game model between a financially constrained logistics-service provider (LSP) and a well-funded logistics-service integrator (LSI) and discuss the impact of the wholesale price contract, the cost-sharing contract, the revenue-sharing contract, the two-part tariff contract, and the hybrid cost-sharing and revenue-sharing contract on the intelligence level of logistics services, the profits of supply-chain members, and the channel for logistics-service demand. We found that the cost-sharing contract and the revenue-sharing contract cannot achieve Pareto improvement in the profits of supply-chain members. In addition, the increase in bank-loan interest rates would seriously weaken the level of intelligence and market demand for the entire logistics service. However, when consumers do not have high requirements for the intelligence of logistics services, the two-part power–price contract can create a win–win situation for supply-chain members and increase market demand within a certain range; on the contrary, a hybrid contract of cost sharing and revenue sharing is the best choice. Moreover, in the process of contract design for the intelligent transformation of logistics services, it is necessary to pay attention to the influence of the price-sensitivity coefficient on decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of peat soil environment (PSE) on the mechanical properties of cement-soil in the area around Dianchi Lake and Erhai Lake in Yunnan Province has attracted much attention. This study explores the change law of cement-soil UCS in the PSE, and provides guidance for the development and sustained usage of peat soil foundation. The paper discusses the preparation of cement-soil samples by adding humic acid (HA) and cement to cohesive soil with low organic matter content (blending method) and soaking it in fulvic acid (FA) solution and deionized water (steeping method) to simulate the actual working environment of cement-soil. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS), acid consumption, ion leaching, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests are carried out on cement-soil samples soaked for 90 days. The results show that HA can significantly reduce the UCS of cement-soil. FA can reduce the UCS of cement-soil when the content of HA is less than 18%. However, when the amount of HA is more than 18%, the UCS of cement-soil increases slightly. FA makes the deformation and failure type of cement-soil gradually change from brittle shear failure to plastic shear failure. FA reacts with the cement hydration products in the sample so that the cumulative acid consumption of the cement-soil sample continues to increase, and the dissolution of Ca2+, Mg2+, Al3+, and Fe3+ in the sample increases the ion concentration of the soaking solution. In addition, SEM and XRD show that HA can increase the macropores and connectivity of cement-soil, while FA fills part of the pores of the wetting layer. In the PSE, FA can strengthen the inner structure of HA particles and fill and cement the layers of cohesive particles, enhancing the construction of cement-soil with HA content greater than 18%, so that its UCS is relatively improved. However, when the amount of HA is less than 18%, there are more small pores in the cement-soil. The interaction between FA and HA in the cement-soil is weak. The influence of FA on cement-soil is mainly a weakening effect, and its UCS is relatively reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-shareholding has played an important role in strengthening strategic synergy among enterprises, but its impact on the green development of enterprises is unclear. In this paper, we construct an analytical framework that includes a manufacturer and a retailer to explore the impact of cross-shareholdings under different leaderships on green supply chain operational decisions and profits, in which the manufacturer invests in green technologies and the retailer conducts green marketing. By constructing and solving the game model of manufacturer-led and retailer-led before and after cross-shareholding, it is found that after cross-shareholding, the product's green level and the retailers' marketing level are improved. For supply chain leaders, cross-shareholdings always increase their profits. Only when the follower holds the leader's shares no more than a certain value, cross-shareholding will increase the total profit of the supply chain. In addition, we obtain the optimal decisions and profits of the supply chain in the integrated situation and design two-part pricing contracts to achieve cross-shareholding supply chain coordination. The results of this paper can provide theoretical guidance and decision support for enterprises interested in using cross-shareholding to improve supply chain performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peat soil is widely distributed in the Dianchi Lake area of Yunnan, and the effect of the cement deep-mixing method on peat soil foundation is mainly affected by humic acid (HA). In this paper, a composite cement curing agent is formed by adding different proportions of ultra-fine cement (UFC) to ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and used to cure the HA-containing cohesive soil. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) are used to study the influence mechanism of UFC on the micropore structure of HA-containing cemented soil. The unconfined compressive strength test (UCS) is used to verify it. MIP, SEM, and XRD results show that UFC can significantly improve the microscopic pore structure of the samples. The hydration reaction rate of cement increases with the increase in the proportion of UFC, and the generated hydration products can fill the pores of the samples. The filling effect of hydration products on macropores is enhanced, and the pores change from fibrous filling to cemented filling. The enhanced cementation of the hydration products improved the loose and overhead structure inside the sample. Enhancing the cementation of hydration products improves the loose and overhead structure inside the sample and the integrity of cemented soil. UCS verified that the increase in the UFC proportion increases the HA-containing cemented soil strength. It achieves the purpose of reducing the amount of cement when curing peat soil foundations and supports reducing carbon emissions in practical projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic soil in the Dianchi Lake area contains much humic acid (HA), and the impact of HA on cemented soil has attracted much attention. In this study, test soil is prepared based on the actual HA content of the soil in Dianchi Lake, and cement is added to prepare samples. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive analysis (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests are conducted on the samples. The strength development and microstructure changes of cemented organic soil are studied. The results show that (1) cemented soil strength decreases with the increase in HA content and increases with the cement mixing ratio; (2) SEM and EDS tests show that with the increase in HA content, the connection between soil particles gradually changed from surface–surface to point–surface, point–edge, or point–point connection. A large overhead structure is inside the cemented soil, and its integrity weakens with increased HA content. However, elements such as Ca, Si, and Al exist in the pores of cemented soil, indicating that cement hydration products are cemented between soil particles. XRD testing shows that with the increase in HA content, the intensity of the diffraction peaks of hydration products in cemented soil gradually decrease. (3) In general, HA will gradually deteriorate the integrity of cemented soil and reduce its strength. When the HA content is more than 15%, the effect of HA on strength is more prominent. However, increasing the cement mixing ratio can effectively weaken HA's negative effect on cemented soil's strength. When the cement mixing ratio is between 15% and 25%, the strength of cemented soil with high HA content can be effectively increased. However, this approach is not conducive to the protection of the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To adapt to frequent charge and discharge and improve the accuracy in the DC microgrid with independent photovoltaics and distributed energy storage systems, an energy-coordinated control strategy based on increased droop control is proposed in this paper. The overall power supply quality of the DC microgrid is improved by optimizing the output priority of the multi-energy storage system. When photovoltaic and energy storage work simultaneously, the proposed method can dynamically adjust their working state and the energy storage unit's droop coefficient to meet the system's requirements. In DC microgrids with energy storage units of different capacities, the proposed strategy can be used to maintain the stability of bus voltage, improve the equalization speed and accuracy of the energy storage state of charge, and avoid the shutdown of energy storage units due to overcharge or discharge. Verification of the proposed strategy is implemented with MATLAB/Simulink. The simulation results show the proposed control strategy's effectiveness in balancing energy supply and demand and reducing the time of charging and discharging energy storage units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In China, cage systems with a high space utilization have gradually replaced ground litter systems, but the disease incidence of chickens in cages is higher. Broilers in the ground litter pens may be stimulated by more environmental microbes during the growth process and show strong immune function and status, but knowledge of which microbes and their metabolites play an immunomodulatory role is still limited. This study aimed to explore the differences and correlations in the immune function, gut microbiota and metabolites and the importance of gut microbiota of broilers raised in cages and ground litter pens. Methods: The experiment involved a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with rearing systems (cages or ground litter pens) and antibiotic treatment (with or without broad-spectrum antibiotics in drinking water) as factors. Results: The results showed that, compared with the cage group, the ground litter broilers had stronger nonspecific immune function (Macrophages% and NO in blood), humoral immune function (IgG in blood, LPS stimulation index in ileum) and cellular immune function (T%, Tc%, ConA stimulation index and cytokines in blood). Antibiotic (ABX) treatment significantly reduced nonspecific immune function (Macrophages% and NO in blood, iNOS and Mucin2 mRNA expression in ileum), humoral immune function (IgG in blood and sIgA in ileum) and cellular immune function (T% and cytokines in blood, Th and Tc ratio, TLRs and cytokines mRNA expression in ileum). Furthermore, the ground litter broilers had higher α diversity of microbiota in ileum. The relative abundance of Staphylococcus, Jeotgalicoccus, Jeotgalibaca and Pediococcus in the ileum of ground litter broilers were higher. ABX treatment significantly reduced the α diversity of ileal microbiota, with less Chloroplast and Mitochondria. In addition, the levels of acetic acid, isobutyric acid, kynurenic acid and allolithocholic acid in the ileum of ground litter broilers were higher. Spearman correlation analysis showed that Jeotgalibaca, Pediococcus, acetic acid, kynurenic acid and allolithocholic acid were related to the immune function. Conclusions: There were more potential pathogens, litter breeding bacteria, short-chain fatty acids, kynurenine, allolithocholic acid and tryptophan metabolites in the ileum of broilers in ground litter pens, which may be the reason for its stronger immune function and status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compressive strength of alkali-activated slag (AAS) concrete is influenced by multi-factors in a nonlinear way. Both artificial neural network (ANN) and alternating conditional expectation (ACE) models of 3-day (3 d) and 28-day (28 d) compressive strength of AAS were established in this study by using the data reported in related literature, where alkali concentration of activator (Na2O%), modulus of activator (Ms), water/binder ratio (W/B), surface area of slag (SA), and basicity index of slag (Kb) were taken as input parameters. The models were employed later to predict 3 d and 28 d compressive strength of AAS concretes, respectively, and the results were validated by experimental work. The results show that both the ANN and the ACE models had adequate accuracy, no matter 3 d or 28 d compressive strength was considered. Compared to the 3 d compressive strength, due to data scattering that increased with the increase of data size, both the models did not yield a higher accuracy in the case of 28 d strength. However, also due to the increase in data size, both the models were more feasible to implement 28 d strength prediction as a result of sufficient learning and training during modeling. In addition, based on ACE analysis, the weight-influencing compressive strength of AAS decreased in a sequence of Na2O% > Ms > W/B > Kb > SA. If data size was sufficiently large, it was more suitable to establish an ANN model for compressive strength prediction of AAS concretes. Otherwise, ACE could be considered as an alternative to yield an acceptable result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation mode of isolated austenite (IA) formed during high-temperature cooling and its effect on pitting corrosion resistance of S32750 DSS were investigated. As the structure formed during the high-temperature cooling process after hot rolling in S32750 duplex stainless steel (DSS), the precipitation of isolated austenite (IA) can be considered as the combined production of temperature and cooling rates. IA generated at the ferrite (α) grain boundaries or internal α and performed the K-S crystallographic relation with the α N element enriched in IA. The redistribution of elements not only increased the concentration gradient between α/IA, but also reduced the pitting resistance equivalent number (PREN) of original austenite (γ). Scanning Kelvin probe (SKP) and Gaussian fitting proved that with prolonged corrosion time, the potential difference enlarged and local corrosion aggravated. Measured by the weight loss method, pitting resistance decreased to one-third of the solid solution state due to the existence of IA; following, the quantities, sizes, and depth of corrosion pits increased significantly. In addition to α/γ boundaries and α/α boundaries, corrosion pits preferred to initiate around IA. The IA that appeared at α grain boundaries deteriorated the pitting corrosion resistance severely. Furthermore, original austenite with decreased PREN tended to be corroded. In general, the order of pitting occurrence is displayed as follows: α-γ-IA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a combined usage of the hydraulic model calibration residuals and an improved vector angle method for the Battle of the Leakage Detection and Isolation Methods (BattLeDIM). The proposed method starts with the hydraulic model decomposition and followed by data partition, with both procedures aimed at simplifying the BattLeDIM problem. Next, a calibration residuals–based burst detection approach is used, in which the nodal demands of the hydraulic model are calibrated in real-time using a newly developed algorithm based on prior information. The burst detection is achieved by identifying the anomalous calibration residuals. Finally, the locations of pipe bursts are approximated by an improved vector angle method, which compares the angle between each pipe's sensitivity vector and the vector of calibration residuals. Application results to the BattLeDIM problem indicate the proposed method is effective and efficient in burst detection and localization, with nearly all abrupt bursts (9 out of the total 19 bursts) in 2019 being successfully detected within 5–10 min after their occurrence, and 7 out of 10 detected bursts being localized with a spatial difference less than 300 m from the true burst pipes. Performance comparisons with the Kalman filtering–based burst detection method have been conducted, and the obtained results indicate the proposed method has better performance under both consistent and varying operation conditions, as well as in detectability for small bursts. Lessons learned from this battle and future works are summarized towards the development of a more effective and robust burst detection and localization method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A suite of Paleogene mafic rocks was collected from boreholes in the Huimin Sag of the Jiyang Depression with the aim of investigating the petrogenesis and nature of mantle source for these rocks and further providing insights into the characteristic of related mantle plume. Whole-rock geochemical data indicate that the mafic rocks have relatively lower SiO2 (42.93%–48.57%) contents and similar characteristics to alkaline basalt and belong to transitional calc-alkaline series. These samples were clearly enriched in LREEs and depleted in HREEs and were also characterized by the enrichment of LILEs, incompatible elements, and HFSEs, similar to those of the Ocean Island Basalt (OIB). In addition, they exhibited Pb enrichment; Y, Pr, and Yb depletion; absence of Nb-Ta anomalies; high Hf and low Zr; and Rb/Yb ratios exceeding 1.0, indicating characteristics of intraplate rift-type alkaline basalt. The samples exhibited (Th/Ta)PM and (La/Nb)PM ratios less than 1 and plotted within the OIB, EMI, and EMII fields, indicating that crustal components had no role in the generation of the rocks. With the exception of individual samples that have a distinctive range of ε Nd values, the majority of samples have complex ε Nd values of -1.15 to 5.56, indicating a mixture of different sources, which was also apparent in the δ18O-87Sr/86Sr diagram, in which the samples plot close to the downward nonlinear curve. Based on the isotopic and trace elemental analyses, these igneous rocks are intraplate rift-type alkaline basalt and are of mantle plume origin. The variations in 87Sr/86Sr, 143Nd/144Nd, ε Nd values, LREEs, and HFSEs were probably due to the different locations of the mantle plume for different samples. The primary magma of the rocks likely originated from the melting of a mantle plume and the further metasomatism of lithospheric mantle, continental, or oceanic crust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stylosanthes guianensis is an excellent forage legume in subtropical and tropical regions with drought tolerance, but little is known about its drought tolerance mechanism. Dehydration responsive element binding proteins (DREBs) are responsive to abiotic stresses. A SgDREB2C was cloned from S. guianensis, while SgDREB2C protein was localized at nucleus. SgDREB2C transcript was induced by dehydration treatment. Transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing SgDREB2C showed enhanced osmotic and drought tolerance with higher levels of relative germination rate, seedlings survival rate and Fv/Fm and lower levels of ion leakage compared with WT after osmotic and drought stress treatments. In addition, higher levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities and stress responsive gene (COR15A, COR47) transcripts were observed in transgenic Arabidopsis than in WT under drought stress. These results suggest that SgDREB2C regulated drought tolerance, which was associated with increased SOD and APX activities and stress-responsive gene expression under drought stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we conducted sandstone petrography analyses and determined detrital zircon U–Pb ages and Hf isotopes for sandstones collected at different stratigraphic levels of the lowest strata of the Laiyang Group. All results nearly point to an evolutionary trend for the source regions of the strata. The detrital zircon U–Pb results reveal multiple age groups at 140–123 Ma, 810–700 Ma, and 2,500–1,750 Ma, but variable age proportions for two sandstones (19LY‐01Z and ‐05Z) collected at lowermost and middle levels of strata, respectively, but only one unimodal age mode at ca. 1,850 Ma for the uppermost sandstone 19LY‐09Z. Provenance analysis illustrates that the lower strata likely include two source regions, including the Jiaobei Terrane and the Sulu orogen, whereas the upper strata appeared to have one dominant source region (i.e., Jiaobei Terrane). Framework modes of sandstones display that lower samples contain more metamorphic lithic fragments, which corresponds to the recycled orogenic field in the Q‐F‐L diagram, while middle‐upper samples are enriched in feldspars but deficient in lithics and plot in the basement uplift field of the Q‐F‐L diagram. This compositional variation reflects an evolution of the source regions from the Sulu Orogen to the Jiaobei Terrane, completely consistent with the observation of an increase in the amount of detrital zircons sourced from the Jiaobei Terrane, but decreasing detrital zircons from the Sulu Orogen in an upward order. This shift in the provenance of sediments reflects two tectonic events including exhumation of the Sulu Orogen to the surface before sedimentation of the Laiyang Group, and a rapid uplift of the Jiaobei Terrane after ca. 125 Ma following removal of lithospheric mantle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a novel two-dimensional (2D) MoSi2N4 has been successfully synthesized and features high carrier mobility, moderate bandgap, and outstanding ambient stability (Science 369, 670, 2020). Through ab initio quantum transport simulations, we investigated the performance limits of the monolayer (ML) MoSi2N4 metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). We found that the optimized n- and p-type ML MoSi2N4 transistors can well satisfy the key criteria of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) for high performance (HP) applications at a 3 nm gate length, while the p-type devices can also fulfill the requirement of low power (LP) applications at a 5 nm gate length. By taking advantage of the negative capacitance (NC) effect, both the n- and p-type MOSFETs can achieve the ITRS LP goal when the gate length is decreased to 3 nm. The ML MoSi2N4 MOSFETs generally outperform their MoS2 counterparts. Hence, MoSi2N4 is a potential alternative to MoS2 to expand Moore's law beyond the sub-5 nm scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate the impact of glycerol monolaurate (GML) on performance, immunity, intestinal barrier, and cecal microbiota in broiler chicks. A total of 360 one-day-old broilers (Arbor Acres) with an average weight of 45.7 g were randomly allocated to five dietary groups as follows: basal diet and basal diets complemented with 300, 600, 900, or 1200 mg/kg GML. Samples were collected at 7 and 14 days of age. Results revealed that feed intake increased (P < 0.05) after 900 and 1200 mg/kg GML were administered during the entire 14-day experiment period. Dietary GML decreased (P < 0.05) crypt depth and increased the villus height-to-crypt depth ratio of the jejunum. In the serum and jejunum, supplementation with more than 600 mg/kg GML reduced (P < 0.05) interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and malondialdehyde levels and increased (P < 0.05) the levels of immunoglobulin G, jejunal mucin 2, total antioxidant capacity, and total superoxide dismutase. GML down-regulate (P < 0.05) jejunal interleukin-1β and interferon- γ expression and increased (P < 0.05) the mRNA level of zonula occludens 1 and occludin. A reduced (P < 0.05) expression of toll-like receptor 4 and nuclear factor kappa-B was shown in GML-treated groups. In addition, GML modulated the composition of the cecal microbiota of the broilers, improved (P < 0.05) microbial diversity, and increased (P < 0.05) the abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed that the genera Barnesiella , Coprobacter , Lachnospiraceae , Faecalibacterium , Bacteroides , Odoriacter , and Parabacteroides were related to inflammation and intestinal integrity. In conclusion, GML ameliorated intestinal morphology and barrier function in broiler chicks probably by regulating intestinal immune and antioxidant balance, as well as intestinal microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 testing in specimens collected from the anterior nasal vestibules of COVID-19 patients. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was performed on 30 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 at the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center from March 14, 2020 to March 21, 2020. Paired specimens were collected from both the anterior nasal vestibule and the oropharynx from all patients. All specimens were tested for SARS-CoV-2 using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays. Results: Of the 30 patients with confirmed COVID-19, 17 patients (56.7%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 when oropharyngeal specimens were used, while 20 patients (66.7%) tested positive when nasal swab specimens were used. There was no statistically significant difference in sensitivity between the two methods. Conclusions: Respiratory swabs collected from the nasal vestibule offer a less invasive alternative to oropharyngeal swabs for specimen collection in the detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and have adequate sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking the four-level supply chain participated by two-echelon logistics service providers as the research object, this paper deeply studies the influence of different power structures on the optimal price and logistics service level decisions of the whole supply chain system. On this basis, this paper points out the optimal power structure of the whole supply chain system and then discusses the optimal cooperative decision-making mode to improve the operation efficiency of the supply chain system under optimal power structure. The results show that compared with the two power structures of manufacturer-led and logistics service integrator-led, the retailer-led structure is the optimal power structure, whether from the perspective of maximizing the total profit of the supply chain or the surplus of consumers. When the supply chain is facing consumers who are less sensitive to the retail price of products and more sensitive to the logistics service level, the advantages of retail-led decentralized supply chain are more significant. The centralized decision of product supply chain (PSC) and logistics service supply chain (LSSC) under different power structures is the dominant strategy, and the equilibrium strategy is Nash game adopted by both parties. At this time, the total profit of the supply chain system is the largest and the total social welfare is the largest, while the total profit and consumer surplus of the supply chain under LSSC-led structure are the smallest. When the supply chain is facing consumers with low sensitivity of logistics service level and product retail price, PSC and LSSC have more significant advantages in Nash game rather than Stackelberg game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]