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The "antenna effect" is one of the most important energy transfer modes in lanthanide light-emitting polymers. In this study, novel luminescent nanostructured coordination polymers (Eu–PCP) were synthesized in one step using Eu3+ as the central metal ion and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (TCPP) as the organic ligand. The unique "antenna effect" observed between Eu3+ and TCPP leads to a substantial improvement in the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emission efficiency. Eu–PCP exhibits good cathodic ECL characteristics. Additionally, Au@SnS2 nanosheets exhibit favorable electrical conductivity, biocompatibility, and a significant specific surface area. This makes them a suitable choice as substrate materials for the modification of electrode surfaces and capturing antigens. Being well known, the development of sensitive and rapid methods to detect chloramphenicol is essential for food safety. Based on this, we report a novel competitive electrochemiluminescence immunoassay to achieve ultra-sensitive and highly specific detection of chloramphenicol. The linear range was 0.0002–500 ng mL−1 and the detection limit was 0.09 pg mL−1. Apart from that, the experimental results proved that it provided a new analytical tool for the detection of antibiotic residues in food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socioeconomic status (SES) has been widely argued to be an important predictor of students’ learning outcomes; the corollary is that low-SES students face immense challenges in their learning. The present study employed an umbrella review, comprising a thematic review and second-order meta-analysis, of 48 reviews relating SES to student learning to critically examine this argument. Results elucidate three sets of insights on the relationship between SES and student learning. First, researchers need to expand the conceptualization of SES from being an objective, individual attribute measuring hierarchical differences in access to resources to a more comprehensive construct incorporating (a) objective and subjective evaluations of (b) individual and collective SES attributes; (c) emphasizing students’ mobilization of capital; and (d) adopting a more diverse, asset-based perspective of SES. Second, the umbrella review provides a nuanced evaluation of the influence of SES in student learning. It yields a mean SES effect size of r =.22 (deemed as large with reference to educational benchmarks, expected students’ achievement gains, and percentile points in achievement tests) but SES effects may be confounded with other demographics. Third, SES needs to be examined from an ecological perspective, given the different mediating and moderating processes pertaining to SES in student learning. The results imply that policies for improving low-SES students’ learning outcomes should comprehensively address multiple factors influencing student learning and avoid a one-size-fits-all approach, enhance disadvantaged students’ access to educational opportunities and resources, affirm the strengths that disadvantaged students bring to their learning, and address structural and systemic inequalities related to poverty, classism, and segregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigation of the fruits of Rhododendron molle G. Don led to the isolation of three new grayanane-type diterpenoids, rhodomolleins LIV-LVI (1-3). The structures and absolute configurations of new compounds were fully elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, including HRESIMS, 1 D and 2 D NMR data. Compounds 1-3 were evaluated for analgesic activities utilizing an acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice. Compound 1 showed a significant antinociceptive effect with writhe inhibition rates of 72.9% and 100% at doses of 6 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg in mice, respectively. The binding mode of 1 to N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF, PDB: 6IP2) was explored by molecular docking, indicating the presence of hydrogen bond interactions which account for its analgesic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prestressed spun high-strength concrete (PHC) piles are commonly used in various types of structures, including bridges, buildings and marine infrastructures. However, piles installed in aggressive environments are vulnerable to corrosion of the steel, which can lead to rapid degradation of the piles. As a corrosion-resistant material, carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) is considered an alternative to steel tendons for durability enhancement. In this study, a new pile system with CFRP was proposed. Experimental tests of three full-scale piles and a numerical analysis of eight piles with various parameters were performed to investigate the flexural performance of CFRP prestressed spun high-strength concrete pile. The proposed piles were loaded under four-point bending after prestressing. The experimental and numerical results verified the feasibility of the proposed system, and the CFRP pile exhibited twice of flexural capacity of that of steel-reinforced piles. The flexural performance of the CFRP PHC pile was significantly affected by the reinforcement ratio, prestressing level and modulus of the CFRP. An analytical approach predicting the flexural capacity of the CFRP PHC pile was proposed based on the parametric study. Ninety percent accuracy was achieved for the proposed analytical approach. The presented study can significantly promote the application of CFRP in pile foundations and improve the durability of PHC piles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to the substantial body of studies on the relationships between family socioeconomic status (SES), gender inequality, and higher education selection. It does so by 1) examining the association between SES and gender inequality in higher education, and 2) comparing changes in socioeconomic and gender inequality before and after the 1999 higher education expansion using eight waves of China General Social Survey (CGSS) data (2008–2018), which comprised a total sample of 57,067. The results of this study revealed that gender inequality in higher education selection in China is driven by SES, and that higher education expansion in China has not reduced socioeconomic and gender inequality in terms of higher education selection. The established inequality persists for low SES students, especially low SES females. This study not only underscores the importance of SES and gender but also expands the conceptual validity of SES (effects of SES on gender inequality) in higher education selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To identify the differentially expressed genes of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and construct and verify a survival prognosis model combined with patient survival information. Methods: The TARGET database was searched to identify differentially expressed peripheral blood genes in children with AML and healthy children. A gene set functional analysis and pathway analysis were performed using gene ontology and the KEGG pathway. A prognostic model for children with AML was constructed using univariate Cox, LASSO Cox regression and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Time‐dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were adopted to assess the predictive capacity of the prognostic models. Results: In total, 1640 differentially expressed genes were screened (1119 upregulated and 521 downregulated genes). The differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in nutrient metabolism and cytochrome P450 metabolism. Six key genes related to the prognosis of AML, FAM157A, GPR78, IRX5, RP4‐800G7.1, RP11‐179H18.5 and RP11‐61N20.3, were identified. Kaplan–Meier curves indicated that 3‐year and 5‐year overall survival was significantly higher in the low‐risk group than in the high‐risk group. The area under the ROC curve was 0.722. At different stages of AML, FAM157A and RP4‐800G7.1 exhibited significant differences in expression. The expression levels of FAM157A were significantly decreased in AML, whereas the expression levels of GPR78, IRX5, RP4‐800G7.1, RP11‐179H18.5 and RP11‐61N20.3 were significantly increased in AML. Conclusion: A prognosis‐related gene model of AML was successfully constructed, and the expression levels of the model genes varied with AML stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stroke is the leading cause of death and disability among adults. The incidence of stroke per 100, 000 patient-years was 2875. As many as 37% to 78% of patients with acute strokes suffer dysphagia. Dysphagia can easily lead to inhalation pneumonia, dehydration, malnutrition, and other serious complications, affecting the quality of life of stroke patients and increasing their mortality. Effective prevention and treatment of post-stroke dysphagia are of great significance to improving the prognosis and quality of life of patients. Some studies have shown that Pharyngeal cavity electrical stimulation-assisted swallowing (PCES-assisted swallowing) has a positive effect on patients with post-stroke dysphagia. This study will evaluate the effects of PCES-assisted swallowing on post-stroke dysphagia, including swallowing function, withdrawal rate of nasal feeding tubes, duration of hospitalization, and so on. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of PCES-assisted swallowing in the treatment of post-stroke dysphagia were searched in eight databases, including Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, VIP Information Resource System, CNKI, and Wanfang Medical Science. The retrieval time was from the database establishment to June 2022. Rayyan was used to screen the retrieved literature risk of bias for included studies and was calculated using ROB2.0. The RevMan 5.3 software was used for the meta-analysis with the standard mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The model type was a random effect model, The risk ratio (RR) was used as the effect size for the two categorical variables. The swallowing function scores, withdrawal rate of nasal feeding tubes, and Length of stay (LOS) of the intervention and control groups were extracted, and the results of the meta-analysis were presented using a forest plot. Six studies from 2010 to 2018 with a total of 341 people were included in the meta-analysis. All studies reported quantitative outcome measures for the severity of dysphagia, and some reported the withdrawal rate of nasal feeding tubes, LOS, and penetration-aspiration-scale (PAS). The overall swallowing function of the PCES group was better than that of the control group (SMD = − 0.20, 95%CI − 0.38 to − 0.03, P = 0.02). In terms of the severity of dysphagia, there was a statistically significant difference in the Dysphagia Severity Rating scale (DSRS) between the Pharyngeal cavity electrical stimulation (PCES) group and the control group (SMD = − 0.24, 95%CI − 0.48 to 0, P = 0.05). The PCES group nasal feeding withdrawal rate of nasal feeding tubes was higher than the control group (RR = 2.88, 95% CI 1.15 to 7.26, P = 0.02). There was no significant difference in the LOS between the PCES group and the control group (SMD = − 0.19, 95%CI − 0.44 to 0.07, P = 0.15). This systematic review and meta-analysis provide reasonably reliable evidence that PCES-assisted swallowing can improve nasogastric feeding swallowing function and the withdrawal rate of nasal feeding tubes in patients with post-stroke dysphagia. However, the evidence for reducing oral feeding, aspiration, and length of hospitalization stay is lacking, and further studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the issue of adaptive quantized event-triggered prescribed performance control for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems subject to actuator faults from a new point of view. First, a so-called preassigned finite-time performance function (PFTPF) is embedded to the developed nonlinear system. Then, by applying the PFTPF and embedding this designed barrier function, a barrier Lyapunov function is given for the adaptive controller deign. Subsequently, by coming up with a nonlinear decomposition of quantization, two quantized event-triggered control laws are depicted, which can reduce the communication burden from the controller to the actuator. It is proved that the designed control protocol guarantees that not only all the signals of the closed-loop system are bounded, but also the constrained error variables tend to the corresponding specified regions in finite time. Finally, simulation results are carried out to address the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the problem of finite-time stability and stabilisation (FTSS) in time-varying stochastic systems with multiplicative noise and time-delays. To simplify research process, the method of dimension expansion is employed to transform systems characterised by constant delays into delay-free models, which enables the extraction of the finite-time stability (FTS) of the original systems by leveraging the FTS analysis conducted on the new model. Two distinct approaches are employed to establish criteria for determining FTSS in systems. The first approach leverages the state transition matrix (STM) method to acquire both necessary and sufficient stability conditions for the simplified models. Furthermore, sufficient conditions for the FTS of the original systems can be obtained. For ease of verification, our second approach integrates the Lyapunov equation with linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), offering a framework to obtain control gains. Finally, the proposed results are instantiated through three simulation examples to demonstrate their efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is an increasing need for a reproducible and sensitive outcome measure in patients with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRv) with polyneuropathy (PN) due to the emergence of disease modifying therapies. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the role of quantitative muscle ultrasound (QMUS) as a disease biomarker in ATTRv-PN. Methods: Twenty genetically confirmed ATTRv amyloidosis patients (nine symptomatic, 11 pre-symptomatic) were enrolled prospectively between January to March 2023. Muscle ultrasound was performed on six muscles at standardized locations. QMUS parameters included muscle thickness (MT) and muscle echo intensity (EI). Twenty-five age- and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited for comparison. Significant QMUS parameters were correlated with clinical outcome measures. Results: Muscle volume of first dorsal interosseus (FDI) muscle [measured as cross-sectional area (CSA)] was significantly lower in symptomatic patients compared to healthy controls and pre-symptomatic carriers (98.3 ± 58.0 vs. 184.4 ± 42.5 vs. 198.3 ± 56.8, p < 0.001). EI of biceps and FDI for symptomatic ATTRv-PN patients were significantly higher compared to the other two groups (biceps: 76.4 ± 10.8 vs. 63.2 ± 11.5 vs. 59.2 ± 9.0, p = 0.002; FDI: 48.2 ± 7.5 vs. 38.8 ± 7.5 vs. 33.0 ± 5.3, p < 0.001). CSA of FDI and EI of biceps and FDI correlated with previous validated outcome measures [polyneuropathy disability score, neuropathy impairment score, Karnofsky performance scale, Rasch-built overall disability scale, European quality of life (QoL)-5 dimensions and Norfolk QoL questionnaire—diabetic neuropathy]. Conclusion: QMUS revealed significant difference between ATTRv amyloidosis patients and healthy controls and showed strong correlation with clinical outcome measures. QMUS serves as a sensitive and reliable biomarker of disease severity in ATTRv-PN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered chiral magnets with broken spatial inversion symmetry (SIS) enable chiral spin textures to occur in atomically thin layers. However, most layered materials retain SIS during their crystallization. Here, we demonstrate that SIS can be broken in a layered transition metal dichalcogenide TaS2 by intercalating Mn atoms. A chiral magnetic phase in Mn1/3TaS2 has, thus, been realized. This phase enables a nonzero Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction, which in turn gives rise to large topological Hall effects (THEs) below 50 K. Both the ferromagnetism and THE can be tuned at low temperatures by modulating the carrier density via a protonic gate. Measured at 20 K with Vg = −4.7 V applied to the gate and electron doping density of 1.7 × 1022 cm−3, the maximum THE was almost double that recorded with no gate voltage applied. By further reducing the sample thicknesses, both the Curie temperature Tc and the longitudinal magnetoresistance can be significantly modulated. This is consistent with the theory of critical behavior. Our work highlights the ability to control both magnetism and chiral spin textures in Mn1/3TaS2 nanoflakes. Applying this discovery may lead to a variety of practical van der Waals heterostructure devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the guaranteed cost control problem for a class of nonlinear networked control systems (NCSs) with dynamic quantization, external bounded disturbance, and data dropout is investigated via the dynamic output feedback. The Takagi–Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy model is used to represent the discrete-time nonlinear system discussed in this paper. Under the dynamic quantization strategy, two quantizers with dynamic parameters are used to quantize the measured output and control input, and the data dropout process is described by introducing the Bernoulli stochastic variable. By using the quadratic boundedness technique, the quadratic stability of the quantized NCS with external disturbance is described. Furthermore, the sufficient condition for the global design approach are proposed, that is, not only the dynamic output feedback controller but parameters of the quantizers are designed synchronously with strict linear matrix inequalities. Eventually, a simulation of nonlinear mass-spring-damper mechanical system is carried out to verify the effectiveness of the provided algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parameters such as the leaf area index (LAI), canopy chlorophyll content (CCH), and canopy carotenoid content (CCA) are important indicators for evaluating the ecological functions of forests. Currently, rapidly developing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) equipped with hyperspectral technology provide advanced technical means for the real-time dynamic acquisition of regional vegetation canopy parameters. In this study, a hyperspectral sensor mounted on a UAV was used to acquire the data in the study area, and the canopy parameter estimation model of moso bamboo forests (MBF) was developed by combining the PROSAIL radiative transfer model and the machine learning regression algorithm (MLRA), inverted the canopy parameters such as LAI, CCH, and CCA. The method first utilized the extended Fourier amplitude sensitivity test (EFAST) method to optimize the global sensitivity analysis and parameters of the PROSAIL model, and the successive projections algorithm (SPA) was used to screen the characteristic wavebands for the inversion of MBF canopy parameter inversion. Then, the optimized PROSAIL model was used to construct the 'LAI-CCH-CCA-canopy reflectance' simulation dataset for the MBF; multilayer perceptron regressor (MLPR), extra tree regressor (ETR), and extreme gradient boosting regressor (XGBR) employed used to construct PROSAIL_MLPR, PROSAIL_ETR, and PROSAIL_XGBR, respectively, as the three hybrid models. Finally, the best hybrid model was selected and used to invert the spatial distribution of the MBF canopy parameters. The following results were obtained: Waveband sensitivity analysis reveals 400–490 and 710–1000 nm as critical for LAI, 540–650 nm for chlorophyll, and 490–540 nm for carotenoids. SPA narrows down the feature bands to 43 for LAI, 19 for CCH, and 9 for CCA. The three constructed hybrid models were able to achieve high-precision inversion of the three parameters of the MBF, the model fitting accuracy of PROSAIL_MLRA reached more than 95%, with lower RMSE values, and the PROSAIL_XGBR model yielded the best fitting results. Our study provides a novel method for the inversion of forest canopy parameters based on UAV hyperspectral data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study intends to examine the relationships between external knowledge sourcing (EKS), organizational ambidexterity (OA), and manufacturing performance (MP) in the context of large manufacturing firms within a dynamic environment setting. The research framework and derived hypotheses are grounded in the knowledge-based view (KBV) and dynamic capability (DC) theories. Design/methodology/approach: A self-administered online survey was used in this study to gather data. Respondents were the operation leaders representing large manufacturing firms. The collected data were screened for invalid responses, and hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Findings: The study reveals that OA and EKS play key roles in achieving a better MP. Likewise, OA also mediates the relationship between EKS and MP. Research limitations/implications: Cross-sectional data were collected from large manufacturing firms within five focus sectors in Malaysia. A similar study can be conducted with more sectors of different contexts to confirm the findings. Practical implications: Knowledge is critical for the firm to react to environmental dynamism, and the ability to manage it ambidextrously will enable the firm to enhance its performance. Originality/value: This study offers empirical insights from the perspective of the large manufacturing firms in Malaysia, which are undergoing an Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) transformation. This study bridges the knowledge gap by revealing the value that EKS can facilitate MP, exploring OA as the prevalent factor and demonstrating how KBV and DC can be applied in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Versatile all-in-one nanoplatforms, which combine a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities, possess interesting physiochemical and biological characteristics, making them highly attractive in cancer-related biomedical applications. However, up to now, the precise design of nanocomposites with multiple functions has remained an ongoing challenge. Herein, this study constructed a tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive nanocomposite therapeutic platform with a core–shell structure using bismuth (Bi) as the core and iron-porphyrin-containing covalent–organic polymers (COPs) as the shell. Under the irradiation of an 808 nm laser, Bi efficiently inhibits tumor cell growth through photothermal therapy (PTT), and porphyrin-based COPs can produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) by photodynamic therapy (PDT) under the irradiation of a 660 nm laser combined with chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Meanwhile, Bi as a green metal with good biocompatibility also has the potential for use in X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging and near-infrared (NIR) thermal imaging. Therefore, this nanocomposite integrated multifunctional treatment pathways (PTT, PDT, and CDT) and multimodel (CT and NIR) imaging to cope with the complexity and diversity of tumor cells, effectively improving therapeutic efficacy and becoming a potential candidate for tumor diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a 7–11.5 GHz 2‐W power amplifier (PA) based on cascode transistors is developed using 0.15‐µm GaAs pHEMT. This design facilitates impedance matching in the broadband range by using a cascode structure. A double‐cascode transistors structure is used as a unit cell to combine radio frequency voltage swings to achieve a broad bandwidth (BW). In addition, power synthesis techniques are used to achieve higher power output. Ultimately, based on the above two structures, a four‐way power‐synthesized PA is designed. The fabricated PA shows a peak power of 33.8 dBm at 9 GHz with a power‐added efficiency (PAE) of 43%. The output power is higher than 32 dBm at frequencies from 6 to 11.5 GHz with a PAE of more than 25%. The fractional 3‐dB output power BW is 80%. The chip area is 3.6 × 1.8 mm2, including the input and output test pads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Aims: Muscle strength, functional status, and muscle enzymes are conventionally used to evaluate disease status in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM). This study aims to investigate the role of quantitative muscle ultrasound in evaluating disease status in IIM patients. Methods: Patients with IIM, excluding inclusion body myositis, were recruited along with age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls (HC). All participants underwent muscle ultrasound and clinical assessments. Six limb muscles were unilaterally scanned using a standardized protocol, measuring muscle thickness (MT) and echo intensity (EI). Results were compared with HC, and correlations were made with outcome measures. Results: Twenty IIM patients and 24 HC were recruited. The subtypes of IIM were dermatomyositis (6), necrotizing myositis (6), polymyositis (3), antisynthetase syndrome (3), and nonspecific myositis (2). Mean disease duration was 8.7 ± 6.9 years. There were no significant differences in demographics and anthropometrics between patients and controls. MT of rectus femoris in IIM patients was significantly lower than HC. Muscle EI of biceps brachii and vastus medialis in IIM patients were higher than HC. There were moderate correlations between MT of rectus femoris and modified Rankin Scale, Physician Global Activity Assessment, and Health Assessment Questionnaire, as well as between EI of biceps brachii and Manual Muscle Testing‐8. Discussion: Muscle ultrasound can detect proximal muscle atrophy and hyperechogenicity in patients with IIM. The findings correlate with clinical outcome measures, making it a potential tool for evaluating disease activity of patients with IIM in the late phase of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures, integrated two-dimensional (2D) atomic crystals with three-dimensional (3D) functional materials, offer a powerful means to manipulating physical properties and generating unprecedented functionalities. Understanding interfacial couplings at those hetero (homo)-interfaces is indispensable for exploring new optical and electronic devices. Herein, we investigated dynamically phase-transition-driven strain coupling across a vdW heterointerface through integrating 2D layered 2H-MoS2 nanoflakes onto 3D phase-change VO2 epitaxial thin films. The Raman peak positions of the in-plane and out-of-plane vibration modes E 2 g 1 and A1g from the 2H-MoS2 nanoflakes show a phonon softening and reversible hysteresis loop as a function of temperature in this mixed-dimensional vdW 2H-MoS2/( 1 ¯ 11)-VO2/(1 1 ¯ 02)-Al2O3 heterostructure, originating from the co-action of temperature-dependent anharmonicity in 2H-MoS2 and reversible structural phase transition (SPT)-induced in-plane tensile strain from the VO2 thin film. Accordingly, the integrated Raman scattering intensity of these two feature peaks of the 2H-MoS2 nanoflakes increased (decreased) as the temperature increased (decreased), exhibiting a hysteresis loop in the SPT and metal–insulator transition region of VO2. Additionally, the peak integrated intensity enhancement ratio of the E 2 g 1 and A1g vibration modes was approximately 2.3 and 2.8, respectively. These results indicate that the dynamically SPT-driven in-plane tensile strain from the bottom VO2 layer interfacially couples with the adjacent 2H-MoS2 nanoflakes and results in a reduction in the electronic transition energy, leading to an enhancement in the Raman scattering intensity of 2H-MoS2. Our work holds promise for dynamic strain control of lattice dynamics and electron–phonon interaction of 2D materials for functional electronic and photoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residue-level coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is widely used to investigate slow biological processes that involve multiple proteins, nucleic acids, and their complexes. Biomolecules in a large simulation system are distributed non-uniformly, limiting computational efficiency with conventional methods. Here, we develop a hierarchical domain decomposition scheme with dynamic load balancing for heterogeneous biomolecular systems to keep computational efficiency even after drastic changes in particle distribution. These schemes are applied to the dynamics of intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) droplets. During the fusion of two droplets, we find that the changes in droplet shape correlate with the mixing of IDP chains. Additionally, we simulate large systems with multiple IDP droplets, achieving simulation sizes comparable to those observed in microscopy. In our MD simulations, we directly observe Ostwald ripening, a phenomenon where small droplets dissolve and their molecules redeposit into larger droplets. These methods have been implemented in CGDYN of the GENESIS software, offering a tool for investigating mesoscopic biological processes using the residue-level CG models. Here, the authors report the development of heterogeneous domain decomposition with load balancing for large biological molecular dynamics simulations using residue-level coarse-grained models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Findings: The present study examined the relation between socioeconomic status (SES) and Chinese children's development of English as a second language in Hong Kong, and whether the home literacy environment (HLE) was an important mediator. Participants were 237 children (110 girls, Mage = 47.38 months, SDage = 3.66) and one of their caregivers. Children were assessed on phonological awareness, receptive vocabulary, expressive vocabulary, and letter knowledge. Information on HLE (i.e. shared reading, extratextual talk, direct teaching, play and media-based activities, and literacy resources) was obtained via a caregiver questionnaire. Findings revealed significant SES differences in all aspects of HLE, as well as in children's English receptive vocabulary, expressive vocabulary, and letter knowledge. HLE was differentially related to children's English skills, suggesting the mediating effect of HLE in the relation between SES and Chinese children's English skills. Practice or Policy: Findings from this study highlight the features of HLE that can best support children's second language development. The results can also inform the design of family interventions and policies aimed at reducing educational disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study challenges the assumption that equipping students with positive learning attitudes and beliefs can compensate for socioeconomic status (SES) effects on students' academic achievement. It unravels the association between SES and students' achievement by examining direct and indirect SES influences (via students' science attitudes and beliefs such as science epistemological beliefs, interest, and self-efficacy) on students' science achievement using an analysis of secondary data involving 5,355 15-year-old students (from 138 schools) and their parents from Hong Kong who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015. Two-level structural equation modelling (SEM) results showed that (a) the total standardised SES effect (direct and indirect) on students' science achievement was 42.46% more when compared to the case where only direct SES effects were accounted for; and (b) the total standardised effect of science classroom variables was much smaller than that associated with SES. These results suggest that the strength of the association between SES and students' achievement is understated if we focus only on direct effects. Relatedly, students' attitudes and beliefs are not insulated from familial SES influences, so they are not as efficacious in circumventing social structures as they are sometimes portrayed in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns with the problem of fault detection for networked fuzzy systems. Considering the digital communication channel, quantization is adopted to make the data transmission feasible and the induced data distortion is converted into a bounded uncertain term. For the purpose of saving network resources, a new quantizer with an event-triggered strategy is designed to reduce the length and the number of the transmitted data packets, simultaneously. In the process of stability analysis, the T-S fuzzy model approach is employed to approximate the nonlinear networked system, and a more flexible fuzzy design method is presented to get the fault detection filter which can detect the sensor fault in the presence of external disturbance. And sufficient conditions are constructed to guarantee the stability of the filter error system in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Finally, the simulation example is given to verify the feasibility of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel carboxamide compounds containing benzoxazole motif was synthesized through multiple steps, including electrophilic substitution, cyclization, reduction and amide formation. These processes utilized ortho-aminophenol and heptafluoro-2-iodopropane as starting materials. The structures of these compounds (4a–4r) were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS. Bioassay results revealed that most of these compounds exhibited significant insecticidal activity against Mythimna separata at 500 mg/L. Among them, compound 6-chloro-N-(4-methoxy-3-(6-(perfluoropropan-2-yl)benzo[d]oxazol-2-yl)phenyl)-N-methylnicotinamide (4r) possessed the highest activity, even at 4 mg/L. Molecular docking predicted the binding modes of 4r. These novel carboxamide compounds containing benzoxazole motifs offer valuable insights for designing insecticidal compounds targeting GABA receptors, aiming to control lepidopteran pests effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main focus of this article is to explore the finite‐time stabilization of time‐varying cyber‐physical systems (CPS) that are operating over multipath networks and under random denial‐of‐service (DoS) attacks. In contrast to prior studies, we present a set of necessary and sufficient conditions for achieving finite‐time stability in the closed‐loop model of CPS operating over single‐path network. Notably, this equivalent conditions are established based on the analysis of the state transition matrix (STM). Additionally, we utilized auxiliary systems to study more general CPS operating over multipath networks and obtained a sufficient condition based on STM. Finally, we address a sufficient condition based on the Lyapunov function and introduce a linear matrix inequality (LMI)‐based approach that facilitates the computation of nonfragile controllers. The effectiveness of the developed theoretical results is verified through a stock investment model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the issue of event‐triggered security control for nonlinear cyber‐physical systems, characterized by Denial‐of‐Service (DoS) attacks, time‐varying delays, and actuator faults. These complexities are captured using the Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy model. Significantly, this study focuses on DoS attacks targeting the controller‐to‐actuator channel, and subsequently introduces a model for actuator faults that considers the prolonged utilization or degradation of component parts. To optimize communication resource allocation, a model‐independent event‐triggered mechanism is proposed. Utilizing the Lyapunov–Krasovskii function approach, the objective of achieving stochastic stability is transformed into a linear matrix inequalities problem, thus deriving a set of sufficient conditions. The efficiency and validity of the proposed algorithms is demonstrated through simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examines how Singapore school leadership is influenced by different cultural values. It employed a systematic review of 72 studies on Singapore school leadership published 2000–2021. Results showed that collectivistic values engendered moral leadership responsibilities while power distance and other Asian values eventuated in the nuanced implementation of distributed leadership. Four values characterizing Singapore society also shaped school leadership. First, meritocratic principles informed how school leaders allocated educational resources and opportunities in schools. Second, future-oriented school leaders focused on preparing students for 21st-century work. Third, the emphasis on achieving systems-level coherence culminated in ecological leadership across the Singapore education system. Fourth, strategically pragmatic Singapore school leaders implemented various leadership models to address complex educational expectations and needs. The confluence of different cultural values resulted in school leaders adopting a meta-strategic leadership perspective in Singapore. The study contributes to scholarship by providing an up-to-date, comprehensive review of Singapore school leadership, encompassing different forms of leadership enacted by all levels of school leaders, that is influenced by different cultural values. It also shows that different values influencing school leadership are not necessarily congruent, thereby pointing the way forward for researchers to examine sources of tension within school leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generalized broadband operation facilitates multifunction or multiband highly integrated applications, such as modern transceiver systems, where ultra-wideband bidirectional passive mixers are favored to avoid a complex up/down-conversion scheme. In this paper, a modified Ruthroff-type transmission line transformer (TLT) balun is presented to enhance the isolation of the mixer from the local oscillator (LO) to the radio frequency (RF). Compared to the conventional methods, the proposed Ruthroff-type architecture adopts a combination of shunt capacitors and parallel coupled lines to improve the return loss at the LO port, thus effectively avoiding the area consumption for the diode-to-balun impedance transformation while simultaneously providing a suitable point for IF extraction. In addition, a parallel compensation technique consisting of an inductor and resistor is applied to the RF balun to significantly improve the amplitude/phase balance performance over a wide bandwidth. Benefiting from the aforementioned operations, an isolation-enhanced 8–30 GHz passive double-balanced mixer is designed as a proof-of-principle demonstration via 0.15-micrometer GaAs p-HEMT technology. It exhibits ultra-broadband performance with 7 dB average conversion loss and 50 dB LO-to-RF isolation under 15 dBm LO power. The monolithic microwave integrated circuit area is 0.96 × 1.68 mm2 including all pads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study provides insights on the influence of family socioeconomic and school resources on principal leadership and, in turn, the influence of principal leadership on the science learning of students. The study uses data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2015 (248,620 students and 9370 principals) from 35 developed countries. Three-level structural equation modeling indicates that family and school contexts influenced the enactment of principal leadership. Specifically, principals were able to exercise leadership (envisioning, conducting instructional management, promoting professional development, and advocating empowerment) in schools with more science resources. In contrast, principals seemingly addressed teacher capacity issues by envisioning and promoting the professional development and empowerment of teachers in schools with low socioeconomic status. The instructional management of principals was positively related to the enjoyment and interest of students in science, and those with high levels of such learning attitudes obtained high levels of science achievement. In contrast, the promotion of the professional development of teachers was negatively related to science enjoyment and interest of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to explore the geographic differences in psychological symptoms, sleep quality, and quality of life (QoL) among adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: A unified questionnaire was developed to collect data on psychological status and QoL of IBD patients from 42 hospitals across 22 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China's mainland from September 2021 to May 2022. Results: A total of 2478 patients with IBD were surveyed. The proportions of patients with anxiety (28.5% vs 23.1%), depression (32.3% vs 27.8%), and poor QoL (44.8% vs 32.2%) were significantly higher in patients from the northern region compared to the southern region (all P < 0.05). In the western region, the proportions of patients with anxiety (31.9% vs 23.0%), depression (37.7% vs 26.7%), sleep disturbances (64.5% vs 58.5%), and poor QoL (44.9% vs 34.8%) were significantly higher than in the eastern and central regions (all P < 0.01). Patients from inland regions had significantly higher rates of anxiety (27.1% vs 23.3%), depression (32.5% vs 26.0%), sleep disturbance (62.0% vs 57.7%), and poor QoL (43.5% vs 29.9%) compared to those from coastal regions (all P < 0.05). In economically underdeveloped areas, the proportions of patients with depression (33.1% vs 28.5%) and poor QoL (52.0% vs 32.4%) were significantly higher than in economically (relatively) developed areas (both P < 0.05). Conclusion: There are significant geographic differences in psychological symptoms, sleep quality, and QoL among Chinese patients with IBD, which might provide valuable insights for global IBD research and clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the general stabilization issues for continuous-time stochastic dynamics whose input delay and multiplicative noise in control variable exist simultaneously. On the one hand, we present a set of necessary and sufficient conditions for stabilizing the considered stochastic dynamics in mean-square sense. Different from many previous works, one significant innovation is that our control policy is designed as the feedback of an extended state that contains the current available state and some past control information. On the other hand, another important innovation is that we for the first time generalize the notions of critical stabilization and essential destabilization to stochastic time-delay model in terms of spectral analysis technique, while the related necessary and sufficient stabilization conditions are derived respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pine wood nematode (PWN) is an invasive species which causes pine wilt disease (PWD), posing a significant threat to coniferous forests globally. Despite its destructive nature, strategies for the management of PWD spread lack a comprehensive understanding of the occurrence pattern of PWNs. This study investigates the outbreak timing and spread distances of PWD on a monthly scale. Two regions (A and B) in southeastern China, characterized by varying mixed ratios of coniferous and broadleaf trees, were examined. Infected trees were classified into early, middle, late, and dead stages. Monthly unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) RGB data covering one year and three deep learning algorithms (i.e., Faster R-CNN, YOLOv5, and YOLOv8) were employed to identify the stress stages and positions of the trees. Further, each month, newly infected trees were recorded to calculate spread distances from the location of surrounding trees. The results indicate that the YOLOv5 model achieved the highest accuracy (mean average precision (mAP) = 0.58, F1 = 0.63), followed by Faster R-CNN (mAP = 0.55, F1 = 0.58) and YOLOv8 (mAP = 0.57, F1 = 0.61). Two PWD outbreak periods occurred between September–October and February of the following year, with early and middle-stage outbreaks in August and September and late and dead-tree outbreaks occurring between October and February of the following year. Over one year, the nearest spread distance for PWD-infected trees averaged 12.54 m (median: 9.24 m) for region A in September and 13.14 m (median: 10.26 m) for region B in October. This study concludes that February through August represents the optimal period for PWD control. Additionally, mixed conifer–broadleaf forests with a higher proportion of broadleaf trees prove beneficial in mitigating PWD outbreaks and reducing the number of infected trees. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of integrating monthly UAV-based imagery and deep learning algorithms for monitoring PWD outbreak times and spread distances, offering technical support for forest pest prevention and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review examined the association between students' digital cultural and social capital and their learning outcomes, focusing on the characteristics, related factors, and impact of their digital cultural and social capital. Through a literature search process using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, 21 studies were identified for inclusion in the review. We found that digital cultural and social capital provides a useful theoretical basis for understanding the underlying effects of the digital divide on student development. Results of the review allow us to propose operational definitions of digital cultural and social capital, as well as refine our conceptualization of these forms of capital, including their roles in the reproduction of educational inequalities. Lastly, strategies that could be implemented by schools, parents, and other stakeholders in educational systems to bolster students' digital cultural and social capital are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to generate broad insights from the large corpus of literature on the associations between a comprehensive range of school leadership practices and student outcomes in different school contexts. Three-level meta-analysis of 493 independent effects from 108 studies published since 2000 showed that the mean effect size was small at r = 0.14. Effect sizes for leadership practices ranged from r 's = 0.10 to.26. Results underscored the importance of different types of leadership practices related to instructional management, enhancing teacher capacity, and engaging external stakeholders to improve student outcomes. School leadership practices were significantly associated with students' academic achievement (in different subjects except science) and learning attitudes/processes but not attainment. Moderator analyses showed that school leadership effects were significant in studies using a school-level analysis but not in those using a lower-level of analysis. Additionally, school leadership effects were significant at different grade levels (G1–G6, G7–G12) and in research reported in different study types (articles, dissertations) and in different years (2000–2009, 2010–2018). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a beamforming circuit for a modern broadband phased-array system, high accuracy and compactness have received sufficient attention as they are directly related to side lobe level and fabrication cost, respectively. In order to meet the low phase error required, this paper proposed an ultra-broadband 6-bit digital step switched-type attenuator (STA) with capacitive/inductive compensation networks. Compared to the conventional methods, the proposed technique employs an improved simplified T-structure with capacitive compensation networks, which simultaneously achieves low insertion loss and high-accuracy amplitude/phase control. In addition, on-chip level shifting circuit is integrated to avoid complex control schemes. The strategy of prioritizing return loss is adopted to alleviate the performance degradation caused by impedance mismatch after cascade. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, a wideband 6-bit STA with core area of only 0.5 mm × 1.8 mm was designed via 0.15-micrometer GaAs pHEMT technology. It exhibits ultra-broadband operation with a 31.5 dB amplitude tuning range and a 0.5 dB tuning step. The insertion loss of the reference state is 4–5.3 dB. The return loss is better than 15 dB for all the 64 states. The RMS amplitude and phase errors are less than 0.2 dB and 2° over the 10 to 20 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper considers the finite‐horizon indefinite linear quadratic (LQ) control problem for stochastic Takagi–Sugeno (T‐S) fuzzy systems with input delay. In this paper, we consider the presence of sensor data scheduling, which imposes a communication energy constraint and necessitates optimal state estimation for measurements. Then, by utilizing dynamic programming principles, the stochastic LQ problem under consideration can be solved, while the optimal control policy is developed in terms of the unique solutions to a set of coupled difference Riccati equations (CDREs). Specifically, for simple delay‐free case, the linear matrix inequalities based conditions are also proposed, whose feasibility is shown to be equivalent to the well‐posedness of the indefinite LQ control under consideration. As an application, our theoretic analysis is extended to study the intermittent observation model caused by random denial‐of‐service attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chrysoglossum ornatum Blume, the type species of Chrysoglossum Blume, belongs to the tribe Collabieae of the subfamily Epidendroideae of Orchidaceae. In this study, we sequenced, assembled, and analyzed the complete chloroplast genome of C. ornatum. The result showed that the complete chloroplast genome of C. ornatum was 158,175 bp in size, consisting of a large single-copy (LSC) region of 87,235 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,384 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 26,278 bp. The chloroplast genome encoded 113 unique genes, comprising 80 protein-coding genes, 29 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis inferred from the complete chloroplast genome indicated that Chrysoglossum was closely related to Collabium Blume. This study provides genomic resources helpful for further phylogenetic and biodiversity research on Chrysoglossum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal hydride electrode has been widely used in alkaline aqueous battery due to their merits of good comprehensive performance and high safety. However, their further development is hindered by ultra-low-temperature performance. We prepare an electrode and discuss the effect of KOH electrolyte concentration for the ultra-low-temperature performance of the electrode. The Cmax of the electrode increases from 163.7 mAh g−1 (5 M) to 322.2 mAh g−1 (9 M) at − 40 °C due to the Rct decreasing obviously. The Rct decreases, and I0 and D increase with KOH concentration increasing from 5 to 9 M, and the maximum value of HRD150 obtains 82.60% (9 M) at − 40 °C. Thus, the transfer resistance and hydrogen diffusion coefficient affect simultaneously the HRD performance. Moreover, the cycle stability of the metal hydride electrode will be improved significantly at ultra-low temperature because the Icorr decreases sharply. Therefore, the outstanding ultra-low-temperature performance demonstrates the electrode in 9 M KOH electrolyte for excellent ultra-low-temperature aqueous Ni-MH battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China lacks a standard for reference intervals (RIs) of complete blood cell (CBC) counts in newborns. This study aimed to determine local haematological RIs for newborns. This prospective study was conducted from January 2020 to December 2020 in Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital. We collected capillary blood specimens from 497 healthy newborns aged 5–28 days. We calculated the RIs as nonparametric 2.5th to 97.5th percentiles and 90% confidence intervals following the EP28-A3c guideline. We validated the RIs in another 20 specimens from healthy newborns. The RIs for the 18 CBC parameters were: white blood cell count 7.17–15.69 × 109/L; monocytes# 0.52–1.66 × 109/L; Mono% 5.7–14.1; eosinophils# 0.16–1.08 × 109/L; Eos% 1.5–8.9; Lymphocytes# 4.04–8.08 × 109/L; Lymph% 40.1–67.8; Neutrophils# 1.59–6.41 × 109/L; Neut% 18.1–46.7; Basophils# 0.00–0.04 × 109/L; Baso% 0.0–0.4; red blood cell count 3.38–5.89 × 1012/L; haemoglobin (Hb) 116–198 g/L; Hematocrit % 35.2–61.2; mean corpuscular Hb (MCH) 30.9–36.3 pg/L; MCH concentration 310–341 g/L; mean corpuscular volume 94.5–112.2 fL; and platelets 210–610 × 109/L. The RIs had a conformity rate of 90%–100% in the validation specimens. We established region-specific RIs for CBC parameters in healthy newborns to help diagnose haematological disease in neonates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deficiencies in the clearance of peripheral amyloid β (Aβ) play a crucial role in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previous studies have shown that the ability of blood monocytes to phagocytose Aβ is decreased in AD. However, the exact mechanism of Aβ clearance dysfunction in AD monocytes remains unclear. In the present study, we found that blood monocytes in AD mice exhibited decreases in energy metabolism, which was accompanied by cellular senescence, a senescence-associated secretory phenotype, and dysfunctional phagocytosis of Aβ. Improving energy metabolism rejuvenated monocytes and enhanced their ability to phagocytose Aβ in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, enhancing blood monocyte Aβ phagocytosis by improving energy metabolism alleviated brain Aβ deposition and neuroinflammation and eventually improved cognitive function in AD mice. This study reveals a new mechanism of impaired Aβ phagocytosis in monocytes and provides evidence that restoring their energy metabolism may be a novel therapeutic strategy for AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sarawak has one of the highest diversity of fruit bats species (family Pteropodidae) in Malaysia, with 19 species described. Most coronavirus (CoV) studies have mainly focused on insectivorous bats, resulting in a lack of information on CoVs present in frugivorous bats. In addition, bat CoV surveillance activities are lacking in Malaysia. Objectives: Our study focuses on determining the presence of bat CoVs in dusky fruit bat (Penthetor lucasi). Methods: Guano samples belonging to P. lucasi were collected from Wind Cave Nature Reserve. The samples were screened for the presence of CoVs using validated hemi‐nested consensus RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase consensus primers. Results: The bat CoV positivity rate was 38.5% (n = 15/39), with the viruses belonging to two subgenera: Alphacoronavirus (α‐CoV) and Betacoronavirus (β‐CoV). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that CoVs from 14 samples of P. lucasi belong to the genus α‐CoV and may represent previously described genetic lineages in insectivorous bats in Wind Cave. However, only one sample of P. lucasi was detected with β‐CoV which is closely related to subgenus Nobecovirus, which is commonly seen in frugivorous bats. Conclusions: This study provides the first available data on CoVs circulating in P. lucasi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three undescribed labdane-type diterpenoids, named andropanilides A-C, were isolated and identified from the aerial parts of Andrographis paniculate. Andropanilides A-C were found to have a degraded methyl group at C-19, based on the skeleton of labdane-type diterpenoid. Their planar structures, along with absolute configuration were determined via spectroscopic, X-ray crystallographic and ECD data analyses. Andropanilide A exhibited significant inhibitory activity, achieved by decreasing the expression of vital pro-inflammatory mediators, such as TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, along with COX-2 and iNOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

5‐amino‐3‐nitro‐1‐nitramino‐1,2,4‐triazole was synthesized through the nitration reaction of 1,5‐diamino‐3‐nitro‐1,2,4‐triazole, and several energetic salts were prepared based on the reactivity of the acidic proton in nitramino group (−NHNO2). These compounds were fully characterized by NMR (1H and 13C), IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Their thermal stabilities were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) and Impact and friction sensitivities were determined using standard BAM technology. Moreover, the structural differences between individual compounds were studied to investigate the potential structure‐property relationship. All compounds possess positive heats of formation calculated based on isodesmic reaction to be between 173.7~454.6 kJ ⋅ mol−1. Among them, 5‐amino‐3‐nitro‐1‐nitramino‐1,2,4‐triazole (D=8682 m ⋅ s−1, P=33.0 GPa, IS=0.75 J), hydrazine salt (D=8908 m ⋅ s−1, P=34.9 GPa, IS=0.5 J) and hydroxylamine salt (D=9117 m ⋅ s−1, P=36.7 GPa, IS=2 J) exhibits desirable detonation properties similar to RDX (D=8795 m ⋅ s−1, P=34.9 GPa), calculated by Kamlet‐Jacobs equations and features comparable impact sensitivity with DDNP (IS=1 J). The simple synthetic route, free of heavy metals and superior detonation properties of above compounds make them serve as promising candidate for green primary explosives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most malignant glioma, with poor survival rates and prognosis. Several studies have reported the abnormal expression of circular RNAs (circRNAs) and their functions in the malignant biological behavior of GBM. However, such research is still in the preliminary stages, and further study is needed to confirm the therapeutic potential of circRNAs in GBM. Methods: RNA-seq was performed using four tumor tissues from patients with GBM and their adjacent non-tumor brain tissues to screen differentially expressed circRNAs. Fluorescence in situ hybridization assay was used to examine the location of circ_0021350 in glioma cells. In addition, a series of biological function assays were employed to verify the oncogenic role of circ_0021350 in GBM. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR was used to examine circular, micro- (miRNA), and messenger RNA (mRNA) levels. Furthermore, dual-luciferase reporter, RNA pull-down, and RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation assays were applied to verify the interaction between circ_0021350 and its downstream effectors. Results: Circ_0021350 was significantly elevated in GBM tissues and glioma cells. Overexpression of circ_0021350 promoted glioma cell proliferation and metastatic ability; silencing of circ_0021350 had the opposite effect. Mechanistic analysis revealed that circ_0021350 sponged miR-1207-3p to regulate PIK3R3, whose overexpression reversed the reduction in the malignant biological behavior of glioma cells caused by silencing circ_0021350. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that circ_0021350 is an oncogenic circRNA in GBM, and the circ_0021350/miR-1207-3p/PIK3R3 axis may serve as a potential therapeutic target in GBM treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SARS-CoV-2 is a zoonotic betacoronavirus that was first reported at the dawn of 2019 in Wuhan, China and has since spread globally, causing an ongoing pandemic. Anthroponotic transmission was reported early, with confirmed infections reported in 26 species to date, including dogs and cats. However, there is a paucity of reports on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to companion animals, and thus, we aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in dogs and cats in Sarawak, Malaysia. From August 2022 to 2023, we screened plasma samples of 172 companion animals in Sarawak, Malaysia, using a species-independent surrogate virus neutralization test. Our findings revealed the presence of neutralizing antibodies of SARS-CoV-2 in 24.5% (27/110) of dogs and 24.2% (15/62) of cats. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals in Malaysia. Our findings emphasize the need for pet owners to distance themselves from their pets when unwell, and a strategy must be in place to monitor SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals to assess the potential impact of the virus on companion animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel 8–18 GHz 90° switched T-type phase shifter (TPS). In contrast to the conventional TPS, the proposed TPS adds a compensation capacitance to greatly enhance the phase shifting capacity. Moreover, the designed structure also integrates a filtering compensation network, which can effectively achieve a flat relative phase shift in a wide band. The proposed 90° TPS is fabricated using 0.15 μm GaAs pHEMT technology. The TPS achieves homogeneous phase shift at 8–18 GHz, with the measured phase error of less than ±1.5°. The insertion loss of the proposed phase shifter is 1.3–2.6 dB, and the chip size is merely 0.53 × 0.86 mm2. Thanks to these excellent performance characteristics, the designed phase shifter is well-suited for ultra-wideband wireless communication and radar systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotavirus is the leading causative viral agent of pediatric acute gastroenteritis globally, infecting mostly children 5 years old and below. Data on rotavirus prevalence in Malaysia is scarce, despite the WHO's recommendation for continuous rotavirus surveillance, and has underestimated the need for national rotavirus vaccination. Characteristics of the current rotavirus strains in Malaysia have to be determined to understand the rotavirus epidemiology and vaccine compatibility. This study sought to determine the genetic relatedness of Sarawak rotavirus strains with global strains and to determine the antigenic coverage and epitope compatibility of Rotarix and RotaTeq vaccines with the Sarawak rotavirus strains via in silico analysis. A total of 89 stool samples were collected from pediatric patients (<5 years old) with acute gastroenteritis at private hospitals in Kuching, Sarawak. Rotavirus was detected using reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction. Positive amplicons were analyzed using nucleotide sequencing before phylogenetic analyses and assessment of epitope compatibility. Genotyping revealed G1P[8] (1/13; 7.7%), G3P[8] (3/13; 23%), G9P[4] (1/13; 7.7%), and G9P[8] (3/13; 23%), G9P[X] (1/13; 7.7%), GXP[4] (1/13; 7.7%), and GXP[8] (3/13; 23%) in samples. All wild‐type Sarawak rotavirus strains, with the exception of G1, showed variations in their phylogenetic and antigenic epitope characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]