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Near-zero magnetic shielding systems (MSSs) can provide basic experimental environments for extremely weak magnetic measurements. Reducing the internal magnetic field of MSS is the crucial element of high-sensitivity measurements, which is related to the shielding material flux. As an effective way to regulate the material remanence, degaussing reconstructs the magnetic balance with the geomagnetic field. However, previous research studies mainly focused on the optimization of material degaussing, with few considering the practical application scenarios of MSS. In this work, a numerical modeling method is proposed to realistically depict the balancing process, and the mapping relationship between the internal magnetic field of the MSS and the degaussing current is established. First, the magnetic field source analysis is carried out, and the internal magnetic field fluctuations of the MSS during degaussing are decomposed into multi-harmonic components. Then, the phase and amplitude changes of the hysteresis loop are simulated to predict the residual field. Thereafter, the effectiveness of the method is verified by a magnetic shielding cylinder. The experimental results indicate that the slight difference in material remanence has a negligible effect on the residual field. This work has potential application value in the research of degaussing technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: to construct a prediction model for clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) based on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, digital rectal examination (DRE), and transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS). Methods: We retrospectively analysed 1196 Asian patients who underwent transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy (TRUSB) between June 2000 and February 2023. Patients were randomly divided into a training set of 837 cases (70%) and a validation set of 359 patients (30%). A csPCa risk prediction model was established using the logistic regression. The performance of the model was examined based on calibration curves, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and clinical impact curves (CIC). Results: Serum PSA levels, age, DRE results, prostatic shape, prostatic border and hypoechoic area were associated with pathological outcomes. The area under the ROC curve of the training set was 0.890 (95%CI: 0.865-0.816). The optimal cut-off value was 0.279. The calibration curves indicated good calibration, and the DCA and CIC results demonstrated good clinical utility. Significantly, the prediction model has higher negative predictive value (89.8%) and positive predictive value (68.0%) compared with MRI. Subsequently, we developed an online calculator (https://jiwentong0.shinyapps.io/dynnomapp/) with six variables for biopsy optimization. Conclusion: This study incorporated the results of three traditional diagnostic methods to establish a cost-effective and highly accurate model for predicting csPCa before biopsy. With this model, we aim to provide a non-invasive and cost-effective tool for csPCa detection in Asia and other underdeveloped areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two rare earth isonicotinic acid compounds [Y(HIA)2(H2O)4(NO3)](2NO3) ((1); HIA = isonicotinic acid) and [LaHg3Cl8(HIA)4]nnCl (2) were reported. Compound one features an isolated (0-D) structure, while compound two has a two-dimensional (2-D) structure. The rare earth ions are coordinated by eight oxygen atoms to display a square antiprismatic REO8 geometry. Compound one shows blue photoluminescence and it has CIE chromaticity coordinates of 0.2332 and 0.3104. The CCT of compound 1 is 13755 K. Compound two exhibits green photoluminescence and it has CIE chromaticity coordinates of 0.3663 and 0.6184. The CCT is 4997 K. Their band gaps are 2.86 and 3.12 eV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since ELL-associated factor 2 (EAF2) was identified in 1997 as an androgen response gene, it has been of medical and scientific interest. Early studies demonstrated the tumor-suppressing function of EAF2 in the prostate. Sequencing studies indicated an association between EAF2 and several other malignant diseases and multiple physiological processes, such as transcription, apoptosis, embryogenesis, and DNA repair. Further understanding of EAF2 will provide new opportunities and therapeutic approaches for cancers, especially prostate cancer. This narrative review summarizes the existing knowledge of EAF2 and outlines its potential significance. To our knowledge, this is the first review of the role of this novel tumor suppressor gene and its possible functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A validated computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model was developed to conduct a detailed examination of particle distribution within a burn patient ward. The indoor airflow was simulated using an RNG k–epsilon turbulence model, and particle dispersion was tracked employing a discrete phase model (DPM) that utilizes the Lagrangian framework. The primary objective is to assess the impact of a thermal-guided mobile air supply (MAS) unit, used in conjunction with an air curtain jet and localized exhaust grilles, on controlling particle dispersion. The focus on burn patient wards is critical, given the heightened vulnerability of burn patients to environmental contaminants, coupled with their impaired thermoregulatory and fluid balance capabilities. By integrating temperature control through the MAS unit, this study explores a novel approach to maintaining a sterile environment, achieving 0 BCP/m3 within the laminar airflow region around patients. The analysis reveals that the MAS unit significantly reduces particle penetration into the patient's protective zone by 82% relative to the baseline scenario without the activation of MAS unit. The thermal-guided MAS unit also effectively maintains ambient air temperatures within the optimal 21–24 °C range for burn patient recovery zone. However, the study also uncovers a temperature distribution around healthcare workers who do not meet satisfactory conditions, indicating areas for further improvement. In addition, the particle dispersion outside the protective zone was exacerbated when the MAS unit was activated, which demonstrated its contradictory effect. This underscores the importance of selecting optimal operating temperatures and configurations in clinical practice, emphasizing the need for extensive clinical testing and verification of the MAS device in varied room layouts and ventilation schemes. This research contributes significantly to the field by focusing on an underexplored area of patient care technology during critical times, providing insights into the efficacy of thermal-guided MAS units in enhancing environmental control in burn patient wards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bursaphelenchus xylophilus is the pathogen of pine wilt disease, which can devastate the pine forest ecosystem. Usually, plant cells generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a defensive substance or signalling molecules to resist the infection of nematodes. However, little is known about how B. xylophilus effectors mediate the plant ROS metabolism. Here, we identified a pioneer B. xylophilus Prx3‐interacting effector 1 (BxPIE1) expressed in the dorsal gland cells and the intestine. Silencing of the BxPIE1 gene resulted in reduced nematode reproduction and a delay in disease progression during parasitic stages, with the upregulation of pathogenesis‐related (PR) genes PtPR‐3 (class Ⅳ chitinase) and PtPR‐9 (peroxidase). The protein–protein interaction assays further demonstrated that BxPIE1 interacts with a Pinus thunbergii class III peroxidase (PtPrx3), which produces H2O2 under biotic stress. The expression of BxPIE1 and PtPrx3 was upregulated during the infection stage. Furthermore, BxPIE1 effectively inhibited H2O2 generating from class III peroxidase and ascorbate can recover the virulence of siBxPIE1‐treated B. xylophilus by scavenging H2O2. Taken together, BxPIE1 is an important virulence factor, revealing a novel mechanism utilized by nematodes to suppress plant immunity. Summary statement: A pioneer B. xylophilus Prx3‐interacting effector 1 (BxPIE1) suppresses reactive oxygen species burst by interacting with the class III peroxidase (PtPrx3) in Pinus thunbergii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helium ions implanted into metals can form ordered bubbles that are isomorphic to the host lattice. While long-range elastic interactions are generally believed to drive bubble superlattice formation, the interactions between individual helium solutes are not yet fully understood. Our first-principles calculations reveal that in molybdenum, Friedel oscillations induced by individual helium atoms generate potential barriers and wells that influence helium pairing and clustering at short He-He distances. These repulsive and attractive interactions at high concentrations provide thermodynamic driving forces that align randomly distributed helium atoms into Mo-He superlattices. Friedel oscillations may have broad impacts on solute–solute interactions in alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pinus, a conifer, dominates the world's forest ecosystems. But it is seriously infected with pine wood nematode (PWN). Transcription factors (TFs) are key regulators in regulating plant resistance. However, the molecular mechanism of TFs remains thus far unresolved in P. thunbergii inoculated with Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. Here, we used RNA-seq technology to identify differentially expressed TFs in resistant and susceptible pines. The results show that a total of 186 differentially expressed transcription factors (DETFs), including 99 upregulated and 87 downregulated genes were identified. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment showed that the highly enriched differentially expressed TFs were responsible for secondary biosynthetic processes. According to KEGG pathway analysis, the differentially expressed TFs were related to chaperones and folding catalysts, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum. Many TFs such as NAC, LBD, MYB, bHLH, and WRKY were determined to be quite abundant in the DETFs. Moreover, the NAC transcription factor PtNAC9 was upregulated in PWN-resistant and susceptible P. thunbergii and especially distinctly upregulated in resistant pines. By purifying recombinant PtNAC9 protein in vitro, we found that overexpression of PtNAC9 at the early stage of B. xylophilus infection could reduce the degree of disease. We also demonstrated the content of salicylic acid (SA) and the related genes were increased in the PtNAC9 protein-treated plants. These results could be helpful in enhancing our understanding of the resistance mechanism underlying different resistant pine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observational studies have suggested that SARS-CoV-2 infection increases the risk of neurological diseases, but it remains unclear whether the association is causal. The present study aims to evaluate the causal relationships between SARS-CoV-2 infections and neurological diseases and analyzes the potential routes of SARS-CoV-2 entry at the cellular level. We performed Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis with CAUSE method to investigate causal relationship of SARS-CoV-2 infections with neurological diseases. Then, we conducted single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis to obtain evidence of potential neuroinvasion routes by measuring SARS-CoV-2 receptor expression in specific cell subtypes. Fast gene set enrichment analysis (fGSEA) was further performed to assess the pathogenesis of related diseases. The results showed that the COVID-19 is causally associated with manic (delta_elpd, − 0.1300, Z-score: − 2.4; P = 0.0082) and epilepsy (delta_elpd: − 2.20, Z-score: − 1.80; P = 0.038). However, no significant effects were observed for COVID-19 on other traits. Moreover, there are 23 cell subtypes identified through the scRNA-seq transcriptomics data of epilepsy, and SARS-CoV-2 receptor TTYH2 was found to be specifically expressed in oligodendrocyte and astrocyte cell subtypes. Furthermore, fGSEA analysis showed that the cell subtypes with receptor-specific expression was related to methylation of lysine 27 on histone H3 (H3K27ME3), neuronal system, aging brain, neurogenesis, and neuron projection. In summary, this study shows causal links between SARS-CoV-2 infections and neurological disorders such as epilepsy and manic, supported by MR and scRNA-seq analysis. These results should be considered in further studies and public health measures on COVID-19 and neurological diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Filamentous fungi produce polysaccharide-degrading enzymes, which is controlled by poorly understood transcriptional circuits. Here we show that a circuit comprising RsrC-RsrA-RsrB (Rsr: production of raw-starch-degrading enzyme regulator) that positively regulates production of raw starch-degrading enzymes in Penicillium oxalicum. Transcription factor (TF) RsrA is essential for biosynthesis of raw starch-degrading enzymes. RsrB and RsrC containing Zn2Cys6- and C2H2-zinc finger domains, act downstream and upstream of RsrA, respectively. RsrA activates rsrB transcription, and three nucleotides (G-286, G-287 and G-292) of rsrB promoter region are required for RsrA, in terms of TF, for binding. RsrB165−271 binds to DNA sequence 5'-TCGATCAGGCACGCC-3' in the promoter region of the gene encoding key raw-starch-degrading enzyme PoxGA15A. RsrC specifically binds rsrA promoter, but not amylase genes, to positively regulate the expression of rsrA and the production of raw starch-degrading enzymes. These findings expand complex regulatory network of fungal raw starch-degrading enzyme biosynthesis. A novel circuit comprising RsrC-RsrA-RsrB (Rsr: production of raw-starch-degrading enzyme regulator) was identified to positively regulate the production of raw starch-degrading enzymes in Penicillium oxalicum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor air quality (IAQ) in the built environment is significantly influenced by particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and air temperature. Recently, the Internet of Things (IoT) has been integrated to improve IAQ and safeguard human health, comfort, and productivity. This review seeks to highlight the potential of IoT integration for monitoring IAQ. Additionally, the paper details progress by researchers in developing IoT/mobile applications for IAQ monitoring, and their transformative impact in smart building, healthcare, predictive maintenance, and real-time data analysis systems. It also outlines the persistent challenges (e.g., data privacy, security, and user acceptability), hampering effective IoT implementation for IAQ monitoring. Lastly, the global developments and research landscape on IoT for IAQ monitoring were examined through bibliometric analysis (BA) of 106 publications indexed in Web of Science from 2015 to 2022. BA revealed the most significant contributing countries are India and Portugal, while the top productive institutions and researchers are Instituto Politecnico da Guarda (10.37% of TP) and Marques Goncalo (15.09% of TP), respectively. Keyword analysis revealed four major research themes: IoT, pollution, monitoring, and health. Overall, this paper provides significant insights for identifying prospective collaborators, benchmark publications, strategic funding, and institutions for future IoT-IAQ researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, solid state drives (SSDs) have witnessed rapid development towards higher bandwidth and larger capacity. To expand SSD capacity, the size of flash memory pages has increased from 4 KB to 16 KB. However, operating systems still issue read/write requests to SSDs with a 4 KB memory page granularity, making it difficult for applications to fully utilize the high bandwidth of SSDs. Increasing the size of memory pages to align the granularity of I/O requests issued by the operating system with the SSD's flash memory read/write operations could be a potential solution. This paper delves into the effects of memory page size on system I/O performance and SSD lifetime for the first time, including setting the memory page size to 16 KB, running benchmark tests, and comparing the results with those obtained using 4 KB memory pages. The key findings are as follows: (1) 16 KB memory pages exhibit better read performance; (2) the write granularity of applications determines the performance of 16 KB memory pages; (3) 16 KB memory pages amplify the impact of invalid data within pages on SSD lifetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Atypical small acinar proliferation (ASAP) is detected in approximately 5% of prostate biopsies. Current guidelines recommend a repeat biopsy within 3–6 months after the initial diagnosis. However, clinical significance and outcomes of repeat biopsy are conflicting. Based on this situation, we conducted a meta-analysis to report the rate of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) on repeat biopsy after a diagnosis of ASAP to determine the safety and validity of deferring repeat biopsy. Methods: We searched PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, and Embase databases for articles published until July 2023. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted the data, and assessed the risk of bias for the included studies. Pooled ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Stata 17. Results: Sixteen studies and 1,796 patients were included in the meta-analysis. A total of 553 patients were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 204 had csPCa. The pooled rate of csPCa on repeat biopsy after ASAP diagnosis was 12.1% (95% CI: 0.09, 0.15), which is a relatively low progression rate. However, we observed heterogeneity among the 16 articles. Subgroup analysis was performed, and patients who underwent repeat biopsy within 6 months according to the guidelines had a lower csPCa incidence (effective size [ES] = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.060, 0.120) than those who underwent biopsy after more than 6 months (ES = 0.221, 95% CI: 0.094, 0.349). Conclusion: Repeat biopsy can be safely deferred for patients diagnosed with ASAP. We believe our results may help improve management strategies and encourage clinicians to choose more patient-friendly or non-invasive diagnostic evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pinus is an important economic tree species, but pine wilt disease (PWD) seriously threatens the survival of pine trees. PWD caused by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus is a major quarantine disease worldwide that causes significant economic losses. However, more information about its molecular pathogenesis is needed, resulting in a lack of effective prevention and treatment measures. In recent years, effectors have become a hot topic in exploring the molecular pathogenic mechanism of pathogens. Here, we identified a specific effector, BxNMP1, from B. xylophilus. In situ hybridization experiments revealed that BxNMP1 was specifically expressed in dorsal gland cells and intestinal cells, and RT–qPCR experiments revealed that BxNMP1 was upregulated in the early stage of infection. The sequence of BxNMP1 was different in the avirulent strain, and when BxNMP1-silenced B. xylophilus was inoculated into P. thunbergii seedlings, the disease severity significantly decreased. We demonstrated that BxNMP1 interacted with the thaumatin-like protein PtTLP-L2 in P. thunbergii. Additionally, we found that the β-1,3-glucanase PtGLU interacted with PtTLP-L2. Therefore, we hypothesized that BxNMP1 might indirectly interact with PtGLU through PtTLP-L2 as an intermediate mediator. Both targets can respond to infection, and PtTLP-L2 can enhance the resistance of pine trees. Moreover, we detected increased salicylic acid contents in P. thunbergii seedlings inoculated with B. xylophilus when BxNMP1 was silenced or when the PtTLP-L2 recombinant protein was added. In summary, we identified a key virulence effector of PWNs, BxNMP1. It positively regulates the pathogenicity of B. xylophilus and interacts directly with PtTLP-L2 and indirectly with PtGLU. It also inhibits the expression of two targets and the host salicylic acid pathway. This study provides theoretical guidance and a practical basis for controlling PWD and breeding for disease resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a composite fibre structure based on thin-core fibre (TCF), Fibre Bragg grating (FBG), and micro-nano fibre (MNF) is proposed to achieve simultaneous sensing of humidity, temperature, and hydrogen concentration by coating different functional films. Based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR), a TCF and Au/PVA film are combined to achieve relative humidity (RH) measurement. Pt/MOF-5 is coated on the surface of the MNF by in-situ growth method. Its refractive index (RI) is changed by absorbing hydrogen. In temperature detection, FBG realizes the temperature compensation. Based on the above sensing mechanisms, it is shown that the fibre has a RH sensitivity of 0.38 nm/%RH, a temperature sensitivity of −0.0497 nm/°C, and a hydrogen sensitivity of 0.541 nm/%. The Bragg grating has a temperature sensing sensitivity of 0.0106 nm/°C, which accurately compensates for temperature crosstalk. This composite structure provides a good application prospect for accurate measurement of hydrogen concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) has demonstrated anti-tumor effects across various cancers, but its role in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) remains unclear. Our study revealed CGA's potent anti-tumor effects on CCA, significantly suppressing cell proliferation, migration, colony formation, and invasion while inhibiting the epithelial–mesenchymal transition. CGA induced apoptosis, modulated cell cycle progression, and exhibited a stable binding affinity to AKR1B10 in CCA. AKR1B10 was highly expressed in RBE cells, and CGA treatment reduced AKR1B10 expression. Knocking out AKR1B10 inhibited the proliferation of RBE cells, whereas the overexpression of AKR1B10 promoted their proliferation. Additionally, CGA suppressed the proliferation of RBE cells with AKR1B10 overexpression. Mechanistically, AKR1B10 activated AKT, and CGA exerted its inhibitory effect by reducing AKR1B10 levels, thereby suppressing AKT activation. Furthermore, CGA facilitated the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages towards an anti-tumor phenotype and enhanced T-cell cytotoxicity. These findings underscore CGA's potential as a promising therapeutic agent for CCA treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propose: To evaluate the advantage of the manual adaptive plans comparing to the scheduled plans, and explored clinical factors predicting patients suitable for adaptive strategy. Methods and materials: Eighty two patients with weekly online cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) were enrolled. The re-CT simulation was performed after 15 fractions and a manual adaptive plan was developed if a significant deviation of the planning target volume (PTV) was found. To evaluate the dosimetric benefit, D98, homogeneity index (HI) and conformity index (CI) for the planning target volume (PTV), as well as D2cc of the bowel, bladder, sigmoid and rectum were compared between manual adaptive plans and scheduled ones. The clinical factors influencing target motion during radiotherapy were analyzed by chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. Results: The CI and HI of the manual adaptive plans were significantly superior to the scheduled ones (P = 0.0002, 0.003, respectively), demonstrating a better dose coverage of the target volume. Compared to the scheduled plans, D98 of the manual adaptive plans increased by 3.3% (P = 0.0002), the average of D2cc to the rectum, bladder decreased 0.358 Gy (P = 0.000034) and 0.240 Gy (P = 0.03), respectively. In addition, the chi-square test demonstrated that age, primary tumor volume, and parametrial infiltration were the clinical factors influencing target motion during radiotherapy. Multivariate analysis further identified the large tumor volume (≥ 50cm3, OR = 3.254, P = 0.039) and parametrial infiltration (OR = 3.376, P = 0.018) as the independent risk factors. Conclusion: We found the most significant organ motion happened after 15 fractions during treatment. The manual adaptive plans improved the dose coverage and decreased the OAR doses. Patients with bulky mass or with parametrial infiltration were highly suggested to adaptive strategy during definitive radiotherapy due to the significant organ motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low‐carbon martensitic steel is the key material of automobile lightweight. Unfortunately, the strategies for increasing the material strength, such as processing to create line defects (dislocations), tend to decrease the ductility. Herein, a strategy to circumvent this problem in an inexpensive, microalloy low‐carbon (0.32%) martensitic steel by regulating the accelerated cooling stop temperature after hot rolling is developed. Steel with fine austenite grains embedded in a highly dislocated martensite matrix is developed by cold rolling followed by saltwater quenching and low‐temperature tempering. This deformed process produces dislocation hardening, but retains high ductility both through the glide of intensive mobile dislocations. The proposed strategy provides a pathway for the development of high‐strength, high‐ductility materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish are vital in river ecosystems; however, traditional investigations of fish usually cause ecological damage. Extracting DNA from aquatic environments and identifying DNA sequences offer an alternative, noninvasive approach for detecting fish species. In this study, the effects of environmental DNA (eDNA), coupled with PCR and next‐generation sequencing, and electrofishing for identifying fish community composition and diversity were compared. In three subtropical rivers of southern China, fish specimens and eDNA in water were collected along the longitudinal (upstream–downstream) gradient of the rivers. Both fish population parameters, including species abundance and biomass, and eDNA OTU richness grouped 38 sampling sites into eight spatial zones with significant differences in local fish community composition. Compared with order‐/family‐level grouping, genus‐/species‐level grouping could more accurately reveal the differences between upstream zones I−III, midstream zones IV−V, and downstream zones VI–VIII. From the headwaters to the estuary, two environmental gradients significantly influenced the longitudinal distribution of the fish species, including the first gradient composed of habitat and physical water parameters and the second gradient composed of chemical water parameters. The high regression coefficient of alpha diversity between eDNA and electrofishing methods as well as the accurate identification of dominant, alien, and biomarker species in each spatial zone indicated that eDNA could characterize fish community attributes at a level similar to that of traditional approaches. Overall, our results demonstrated that eDNA metabarcoding can be used as an effective tool for revealing fish composition and diversity, which is important for using the eDNA technique in aquatic field monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel zinc complex [ZnI3(N-benzyl-4,4'-bipy)]·2MeOH·H3O (1) (bipy = bipyridine; MeOH = methanol) is synthesized and characterized. This complex is characterized by an isolated structure. The photoluminescence spectra using solid state samples unveiled that this complex can show a green photoluminescence emission. As revealed by the TDDFT (time-dependent density functional theory) calculation results, the photoluminescence emission should rise from an intraligand charge transfer (ILCT). The complex possesses CIE (Commission Internationale de I'Éclairage) chromaticity coordinates of 0.1305 and 0.3855. A solid-state UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectrum shows that this complex has a narrow optical band gap of 1.87 eV. A novel zinc complex is reported. It is characterized by an isolated structure. Photoluminescence spectra unveiled that it shows a green photoluminescence emission. As revealed by TDDFT calculations, the photoluminescence emission should rise from an intraligand charge transfer (ILCT). It possesses CIE chromaticity coordinates of 0.1305 and 0.3855 in the green region. A solid-state UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectrum shows that it has a narrow optical band gap of 1.87 eV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Tb(III) complex based on 3‐pyridylacetic acid, [Tb(H(3‐PAA)2)(NO3)2] (1, 3‐PAA=3‐pyridylacetic acid), has been triumphantly prepared and structurally characterized. Complex 1 is a 1D chained structure linked by carboxylate groups of the 3‐PAA ligand, and its 2D supramolecular packing is controlled mainly by hydrogen‐bonds. The compound exhibits outstanding thermal stability and excellent stability under ethanol solutions. Moreover, compound 1 shows a strong solid‐state green‐emitting emission at room temperature, which demonstrates that the ligand can effectively sensitize the emission of the Tb(III) ion, and it can serve as a responsive sensing material for detecting the Fe3+ ion in ethanol solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One iron compound {[Fe(bipy)3]2(SO3)(OH)4}·14H2O (1) (bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine) has been obtained from a hydrothermal reaction and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 is characterized by an isolated (0D) structure and the iron center is coordinated by six nitrogen atoms of three bipy molecules to yield an octahedron. Photoluminescence investigation shows that compound 1 displays an emission in the green region. Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculation reveals that the photoluminescent emission can be assigned to the ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) (from the HOMO of the bipy to the LUMO of the iron). Solid-state diffuse reflectance spectra discover that compound 1 features a narrow optical band gap of 1.82 eV, indicating that it is a potential narrow band gap semiconductor. One iron compound has been obtained from a hydrothermal reaction and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It features an isolated structure. It displays a photoluminescence emission in the green region which can be assigned to LMCT. It features a narrow optical band gap of 1.82 eV, indicating that it is a potential narrow band gap semiconductor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of China Tourism Research is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the associations between hemoglobin (HGB) levels and bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture risk in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) population of different ages. Method: This cross-sectional study included 641 patients with T2DM (57.9% males). BMD of the femoral neck (FN), total hip (TH), and lumbar spine (LS) were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The 10-year probability of fracture was assessed using a fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX). HGB and other biochemical indices were measured in a certified laboratory at our hospital. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 and R language (R version 4.1.0). Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to identify the associations between HGB and BMD and fracture risk. Results: Patients with osteoporosis have lower HGB levels than the nonosteoporotic population and lower FN BMD in patients with anemia than in the non-anemic population. In patients with T2DM, there was sex- and age-related variability in the correlation between HGB levels and BMDs and fracture risk. In older men, HGB level was an independent determinant of BMD and was positively correlated with FN and TH BMD. In non-older women, HGB level was an independent determinant of BMD and fracture risk, positively associated with BMDs and negatively associated with 10-year probability of fracture risk. GAMs revealed a positive linear association between HGB level and BMDs in nonolder female patients but not in older male patients. Conclusion: Our study provides a new perspective on the association of HGB level and BMDs with fracture risk. Relatively high HGB levels are a protective factor for bone quality in patients with T2DM. However, the bone-protective effect of HGB is influenced by age and sex and persists only in older men and non-older women with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The risk of surgical site infections (SSIs) is highly associated with the level of microbial contamination settled on a patient's wound. Low or zero microbial contamination could reduce the risk of patients contracting SSIs. To date, the state of microbial contamination in an operating room (OR) for pre- and post-surgery is rarely examined. This exploration is crucial as a patient undergoing surgery tends to contract the SSI if the microbial contamination is high. This study aims to identify the number of microbes present in the OR for pre- and postsurgical procedures. Microbial sampling was performed on 15 ORs in 6 private hospitals located on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Before the microbial sampling, cleanroom performance testing (CPT) was performed to ensure the compliance of operating parameters with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Class 7. The CPT was conducted based on ISO 14644-1, Institute of Environmental Science Recommended Practice (IES-RP-CC006.2), and National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB) Procedural Standards for Certified Testing of Cleanrooms. The CPT procedures involved verifying the cleanroom operating parameters: air change rate, differential room pressure, relative humidity (RH), and air temperature. The CPT shows that the air change rate, differential room pressure, RH, and air temperature fell within the recommended operating conditions, ranging from 28/h - 45/h, 6.8 Pa - 22.3 Pa, 51.8 % - 58.9 %, 18.2 °C - 21.6 °C, respectively. The microbes were measured in two phases: pre- and post-surgical procedures. The present study confirms that the microbial contamination for post-surgical procedures increased significantly compared to pre-surgical procedures. The increase in microbial contamination of pre- and post-surgical procedures ranged from 49 to 81 colony-forming units (CFU). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore how typical personal, interpersonal and environmental factors influence entrepreneurs' growth aspirations by investigating the impact mechanism of entrepreneurial competency and guanxi on the growth aspirations of small tourism entrepreneurs in a dynamic environment. Design/methodology/approach: Applying social cognitive theory (SCT) and business growth theory (BGT), this research uses confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) based on the questionnaire survey data of 371 small tourism business owners/owner-managers to test the relationship between entrepreneurial competency, guanxi and growth aspirations, with self-efficacy as a mediator and environment dynamism as a moderator. Findings: The findings indicate that entrepreneurial competency is a more direct and significant factor than guanxi in facilitating the entrepreneurial growth aspirations in small tourism enterprises (STEs). Entrepreneurial competency and guanxi can both enhance entrepreneurs' self-efficacy, which then affects their aspirations to grow their business. Self-efficacy is a critical predictor of entrepreneurs' growth aspirations in STEs, although its effect is weakened by environmental dynamism. Originality/value: This study expands the integrated application of SCT and BGT in tourism context, providing a more comprehensive and nuanced interpretation of the growth aspirations of entrepreneurs in STEs. It sheds more light on the effect of different entrepreneurial capital on growth aspirations and provides managerial implications accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the strength grade increases, the cold formability of high-strength steels (HSS) inevitably decreases and the brittleness tendency is obvious. However, in most existing studies on HSS forming the assumption of ductile material was commonly used, and the brittle properties of HSS were not clearly understood. In this paper, a deliberately designed uniaxial twice tensile test was employed to examine the quasi-brittle deformation and fracture behaviors of NM450TP wear-resistant steel plates. FEM models considering non-uniform mechanical properties were constructed, and DC04 plates characterized by typical ductile material were tested for comparison. The results showed that the brittle trend of NM450TP plates causes obvious localized strain during stretching, and the fracture is sensitive to the random initial imperfections. The deformation outside the necking zone is small and the deformation capacity is preserved; thus, it would be conservative to evaluate the formability of HSS by the conventional concept of percentage elongation. The non-uniform FEM models can reproduce the fracture mode of NM450TP plates during tensile tests. In comparison, the ductile DC04 specimens can "average" the mechanical properties before fracture within a wide range via large plastic deformation, and then the deformation is more uniform. The correction index n for conversion of elongation value of NM450TP plates in the Oliver formula was obtained. In the studied cases, n ranges from 0.685 to 0.752 for specimens with gauge length of 150 mm, while it ranges from 0.839 to 0.931 when the gauge length is 15 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipase is involved in lipid hydrolysis, which is related to nematodes' energy reserves and stress resistance. However, the role of lipases in Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, a notorious plant‐parasitic nematode responsible for severe damage to pine forest ecosystems, remains largely obscure. Here, we characterized a class III lipase as a candidate effector and named it BxLip‐3. It was transcriptionally up‐regulated in the parasitic stages of B. xylophilus and specifically expressed in the oesophageal gland cells and the intestine. In addition, BxLip‐3 suppressed cell death triggered by the pathogen‐associated molecular patterns PsXEG1 and BxCDP1 in Nicotiana benthamiana, and its Lipase‐3 domain is essential for immunosuppression. Silencing of the BxLip‐3 gene resulted in a delay in disease onset and increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the expression of pathogenesis‐related (PR) genes. Plant chitinases are thought to be PR proteins involved in the defence system against pathogen attack. Using yeast two‐hybrid and co‐immunoprecipitation assays, we identified two class I chitinases in Pinus thunbergii, PtChia1‐3 and PtChia1‐4, as targets of BxLip‐3. The expression of these two chitinases was up‐regulated during B. xylophilus inoculation and inhibited by BxLip‐3. Overall, this study illustrated that BxLip‐3 is a crucial virulence factor that plays a critical role in the interaction between B. xylophilus and host pine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first Cd-Hg 2,2′-bipyridine compound, [Cd(2,2′-bipy)3](Hg2Cl7)·H3O (1), (2,2′-bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine), has been solvothermally prepared and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 is characterized by an isolated structure, comprising [Cd(2,2′-bipy)3]2+ cations, (Hg2Cl7)3– anions and protontated lattice water molecules. Photoluminescence investigation discovers that compound 1 displays an emission in the yellow region. It has remarkable CIE (Commission Internationale de I'Éclairage) chromaticity coordinates of (0.5126, 0.4865). Its CCT (Correlated Color Temperature) is 2510 K. Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations reveal that the emission is attributed to ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (LLCT). The first Cd-Hg 2,2′-bipyridine compound has been solvothermally prepared and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It is characterized by an isolated structure, comprising [Cd(2,2′-bipy)3]2+ cations, (Hg2Cl7)3– anions and protontated lattice water molecules. Photoluminescence investigation discovers that it displays an emission in the yellow region. TDDFT calculations reveal that the emission is attributed to ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (LLCT). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many filamentous fungi produce plant-polysaccharide-degrading enzymes (PPDE); however, the regulatory mechanism of this process is poorly understood. A Gal4-like transcription factor, CxrA, is essential to mycelial growth and PPDE production in Penicillium oxalicum. Its N-terminal region, CxrAΔ207–733 is required for the regulatory functions of whole CxrA, and contains a DNA-binding domain (CxrAΔ1–16&Δ59–733) and a methylated arginine (R) 94. Methylation of R94 is mediated by an arginine N-methyltransferase, PRMT2 and appears to induce dimerization of CxrAΔ1–60. Overexpression of prmt2 in P. oxalicum increases PPDE production by 41.4–95.1% during growth on Avicel, compared with the background strain Δku70;hphR+. Another arginine N-methyltransferase, PRMT3, appears to assist entry of CxrA into the nucleus, and interacts with CxrAΔ1–60in vitro under Avicel induction. Deletion of prmt3 resulted in 67.0–149.7% enhanced PPDE production by P. oxalicum. These findings provide novel insights into the regulatory mechanism of fungal PPDE production. Author summary: Fungal transcription factors (TFs) have important and complex functions in various cellular processes. However, few TFs have been characterized, hindering a greater understanding of their regulatory functions and especially their detailed mechanisms of action. Plant-polysaccharide-degrading enzymes (PPDEs) are essential for vegetative growth of fungi, because they can degrade complex polysaccharides into monosaccharides, such as glucose, for use as a carbon source. PPDE biosynthesis in fungi is strictly regulated by a complex regulatory network mediated by TFs, but the mechanisms of TF action are poorly understood. This study found that regulation of PPDE biosynthesis by the TF, CxrA in Penicillium oxalicum appeared to require a methylated N-terminus, mediated by arginine N-methyltransferase PRMT2 and assistance to enter the nucleus by arginine N-methyltransferase PRMT3, which contributes to a greater understanding of regulation of fungal gene expression and provides potential new targets for genetic engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pine wilt disease (caused by the nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) is extremely harmful to pine forests in East Asia. As a low-resistance pine species, Pinus thunbergii is more vulnerable to pine wood nematode (PWN) than Pinus densiflora and Pinus massoniana. Field inoculation experiments were conducted on PWN-resistant and -susceptible P. thunbergii , and the difference in transcription profiles 24 h after inoculation was analyzed. We identified 2603 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in PWN-susceptible P. thunbergii , while 2559 DEGs were identified in PWN-resistant P. thunbergii. Before inoculation, DEGs between PWN-resistant and PWN-susceptible P. thunbergii were enriched in the REDOX (Oxidation-Reduction) activity pathway (152 DEGs), followed by the oxidoreductase activity pathway (106 DEGs). After inoculation with PWN, however, the opposite was observed; DEGs were enriched in the oxidoreductase activity pathway (119 DEGs), followed by the REDOX activity pathway (84 DEGs). Before inoculation, according to the metabolic pathway analysis results, we found more genes upregulated in phenylpropanoid metabolic pathways and enriched in lignin synthesis pathways; cinnamoyl-CoA reductase-coding genes related to lignin synthesis were upregulated in PWN-resistant P. thunbergii and downregulated in PWN-susceptible P. thunbergii , and the lignin content was always higher in resistant than in susceptible P. thunbergii. These results reveal distinctive strategies of resistant and susceptible P. thunbergii in dealing with PWN infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A terbium 2,6-naphthalenedisulfonic acid compound, [Tb(H2O)9]Cl(C10H6O4S4)2 (C10H6O4S42− = 2,6-naphthalenedisulfonate), is prepared and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. This compound is characterized by an isolated structure with the terbium ion possessing a mono-capped square antiprism coordination geometry. The [Tb(H2O)9]3+ cations and (2,6-naphthalenedisulfonic acid)2− anions are linked by hydrogen-bonding interactions to yield a three-dimensional supramolecular network. The solid state luminescence spectrum reveals that this compound shows the strongest emission band in the red region. The luminescence emission peaks can be ascribed to the characteristic emissions of the 4f electron intrashell transitions 5D4 → 7F5, 5D4 → 7F4 and 5D4 → 7F2 of the Tb3+ ion. The CIE (Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage) chromaticity coordinates are (0.5647, 0.4338). Solid-state UV/Vis diffuse reflectance spectra reveal that compound 1 shows a wide optical band gap of 4.92 eV. A novel terbium 2,6-naphthalenedisulfonic acid compound is prepared and characterized [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop an effective strategy for accurate diagnosis of focal liver lesions (FLLs) in patients with non‐high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: From January 2012 to December 2015, consecutive patients with non‐high risk for HCC who underwent contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) were included in this retrospective double‐reader study. All patients were stratified into 2 different risks (intermediate, low‐risk) groups according to criteria based on clinical characteristics, known as clinical risk stratification criteria. For the intermediate‐risk group, the CEUS criteria for identifying benign lesions and HCCs were constructed based on selected CEUS features. The diagnostic performance of the clinical risk stratification criteria, and CEUS criteria for identifying benign lesions and HCCs was evaluated. Results: This study included 348 FLLs in 348 patients. The sensitivity and specificity of the clinical risk stratification criteria for malignancy was 97.8 and 69.8%. Patients were classified as intermediate risk if they were male, or older than 40 years of age, or HBcAb positive, or having positive tumor markers. Otherwise, patients were classified as low risk. Among the 348 patients, 327 were in the intermediate‐risk group and 21 were in the low‐risk group. In the intermediate‐risk group, the CEUS criteria for identifying benign lesions were any of the following features: 1) hyper/isoenhancement in the arterial phase without washout, 2) nonenhancement in all phases, 3) peripheral discontinuous globular enhancement in the arterial phase, 4) centrifugal enhancement or peripheral enhancement followed by no central enhancement, or 5) enhanced septa. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the CEUS criteria for identifying benign lesions were 94.5, 83.0, and 99.6%, respectively. Arterial phase hyperenhancement followed by mild and late washout (>60 seconds) was more common in HCC patients than in non‐HCC patients (P <.001). Using arterial phase hyperenhancement followed by mild and late washout as the CEUS criteria for identifying HCCs, the sensitivity and specificity were 52.6 and 95.3%, but unfortunately, the positive predictive value was only 82.0%. For the low‐risk group, no further analysis was performed due to the small sample size. Conclusions: Initial clinical risk stratification followed by assessment of certain CEUS features appears to be a promising strategy for the accurate diagnosis of FLLs in patients not at high risk for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The filamentous fungus Penicillium oxalicum secretes integrative plant polysaccharide-degrading enzymes (PPDEs) applicable to biotechnology. Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) mediates various cellular processes in eukaryotic cells, but the regulatory mechanisms of PPDE biosynthesis in filamentous fungi remain poorly understood. In this study, POGSK-3β (POX_c04478), a homolog of GSK-3β in P. oxalicum, was characterised using biochemical, microbiological and omics approaches. Knockdown of POGSK-3β in P. oxalicum using a copper-responsive promoter replacement system led to 53.5 − 63.6%, 79.0 − 92.8% and 76.8 − 94.7% decreases in the production of filter paper cellulase, soluble starch-degrading enzyme and raw starch-degrading enzyme, respectively, compared with the parental strain ΔKu70. POGSK-3β promoted mycelial growth and conidiation. Transcriptomic profiling and real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR analyses revealed that POGSK-3β dynamically regulated the expression of genes encoding major PPDEs, as well as fungal development-associated genes. The results broadened our understanding of the regulatory functions of GKS-3β and provided a promising target for genetic engineering to improve PPDE production in filamentous fungi. Key points: • The roles of glycogen synthase kinase-3β were investigated in P. oxalicum. • POGSK-3β regulated PPDE production, mycelial growth and conidiation. • POGSK-3β controlled the expression of major PPDE genes and regulatory genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given both the popularity of street vendors and the government resistance to them in tourism governance, we interview vendors between September 2014 and May 2021 to gain insights into the interactions and conflicts between vendors, local enterprises and government departments in Canton, China. We derive a theory of 'He Wei Gui' from Chinese Confucian culture and adopt discourse analysis to investigate how informal tourism photography vendors in the Canton Tower Scenic Area resolve their conflicts. We argue that photography vendors have developed a harmonious but fragile coexistence through the use of measures such as fuzzification of public space, flexible industry regulations, output of emotional capital and normalised ways, thereby demonstrating the business acumen of little people. In contrast to the existing trend of 'rigid governance', the authors suggest applying 'flexible management' in the informal economy and tourism governance, and giving prominence to the principal role of informal operators or little people. In addition, this flexible management reflects the tacit consent from all the stakeholders, the active suing for nonviolent solution from the vulnerable and the willingness of modifying or even creating rules for balancing the distribution of the interests from the dominant stakeholder. The key to this flexible management is that authorities take the investment of emotional capital of the vulnerable groups into consideration. This leads to fuzzy governance which blurs and integrates emotions into the rules, making it possible to solve the conflicts in a more flexible way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To maintain the desirable residual chlorine in a clearwater reservoir, optimizing the chlorine dosage, especially in multiple-tunnel multiple-clearwater-reservoir structures, is a challenging task in the post-chlorination process of drinking-water treatment, which involves strong couplings among tunnels, time-varying dynamics, and a long time delay. Focusing on the multi-input multi-output control problem of the post-chlorination process, an intelligent decoupling control method based on inverted decoupling was devised, where the coupling effects are handled by decoupling compensators based on a neural network, and proportional–integral–derivative controllers were designed for the decoupled post-chlorination process. A simulation study revealed that a decoupler based on the Elman neural network can be used to implement the decoupling function. The proposed method is robust when there are disturbances and large model deviations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Altered anti-CD25 antibody levels in plasma have been observed in patients with various solid malignancies. The present study aimed to determine whether circulating anti-CD25 antibody levels were altered in bladder cancer (BC). Methods: An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed in-house to detect plasma IgG antibodies against three CD25-derived linear peptide antigens in 132 patients with BC and 120 control subjects. Results: The Mann-Whitney U-test indicated that the plasma levels of anti-CD25a (Z = -10.11, p < 0.001), anti- CD25b (Z = -12.79, p < 0.001), and anti-CD25c IgG (Z = -11.95, p < 0.001) were significantly lower in BC patients than in the control group. Further analysis indicated that the plasma levels of anti-CD25a IgG antibody were stage-dependent and associated with different postoperative histological grades (U = 977.5, p = 0.003). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.869 for anti- CD25a IgG (95%, 0.825 - 0.913), 0.967 for anti-CD25b IgG (95%, 0.945 - 0.988), and 0.936 for anti-CD25c IgG (95%, 0.905 - 0.967), with a sensitivity of 91.3% for the anti-CD25a IgG assay, 98.8% for the anti-CD25b IgG assay, and 96.7% for the anti-CD25c IgG assay, against a specificity of 95%. Conclusions: The present study suggests that circulating anti-CD25 IgG may have a potential predictive value for clinical staging and histological grading of BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object detectors can precisely detect the camouflaged object beyond human perception. The investigations reveal that the CNNs-based (Convolution Neural Networks) detectors are vulnerable to adversarial attacks. Some works can fool detectors by crafting the adversarial camouflage attached to the object, leading to wrong prediction. It is hard for military operations to utilize the existing adversarial camouflage due to its conspicuous appearance. Motivated by this, this paper proposes the Dual Attribute Adversarial Camouflage (DAAC) for evading the detection by both detectors and humans. Generating DAAC includes two steps: (1) Extracting features from a specific type of scene to generate individual soldier digital camouflage; (2) Attaching the adversarial patch with scene features constraint to the individual soldier digital camouflage to generate the adversarial attribute of DAAC. The visual effects of the individual soldier digital camouflage and the adversarial patch will be improved after integrating with the scene features. Experiment results show that objects camouflaged by DAAC are well integrated with background and achieve visual concealment while remaining effective in fooling object detectors, thus evading the detections by both detectors and humans in the digital domain. This work can serve as the reference for crafting the adversarial camouflage in the physical world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photothermal slippery surface has broad applications in many research fields for noncontacting, loss-free, and flexible droplet manipulation capability. In this work, with specific morphologic parameters and modified base materials doped by Fe3O4, a high-durability photothermal slippery surface (HD-PTSS) was proposed and implemented based on ultraviolet (UV) lithography to achieve repeatability of more than 600 cycles. The instantaneous response time and transport speed of HD-PTSS were related to near-infrared ray (NIR) powers and droplet volume. Meanwhile, the durability was closely related to the morphology of HD-PTSS, which impacts the recovering of a lubricant layer. The droplet manipulation mechanism of HD-PTSS was discussed in depth, and the Marangoni effect was found to be the key factor for the durability of HD-PTSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Retraction Note: Knockdown of insulin-like growth factor 1 exerts a protective effect on hypoxic injury of aged BM-MSCs: role of autophagy" by Ming Yang, Tong Wen, and Haixu Chen has been retracted by the Editor-in-Chief and the publisher due to concerns about incorrect images presented in the figures. The retraction was requested by the authors themselves after discrepancies were found in the images, leading to a loss of confidence in the data presented. Some authors disagreed with the retraction, while others did not respond to correspondence regarding the issue. The publisher, Springer Nature, remains neutral in this matter. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of cusp inclination and light-curing time on the microshear bond strength (µ SBS) between zirconia and a dual-cure self-adhesive composite cement and zirconia. Materials and Methods: Forty U-shaped specimens with angled surfaces, simulating different cusp inclinations (0 degrees, 20 degrees, and 30 degrees), were fabricated from zirconia blocks (Zenostar, Wieland). The specimens were randomly divided into two groups (n = 20) according to different light-curing times of the adhesive composite cements (20 s and 40 s). Three polyethylene tubes filled with a dual-curing self-adhesive composite cement (Multilink Speed, Ivoclar Vivadent) were bonded to the surfaces of each specimen with light-curing times of 20 s and 40 s. The µSBS was tested using a universal testing machine with a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. Failure analysis was performed. Two-way ANOVA (cusp inclination and light-curing time) followed by two independent samples t-test were used for statistical analyses (α = 0.05). Results: The composite cement showed various bond strengths to angled zirconia surfaces (7.07 ± 1.69 to 13.91 ± 3.11 MPa). The μSBS between composite cement and 0-degree zirconia surfaces was statistically higher than that of 20- and 30-degree zirconia surfaces. The composite cement light cured for 40 s showed nonsignificantly higher µSBS than did the composite cement cured for 20 s. Adhesive failure was the most common failure mode. Conclusions: Cusp inclination affected bond strength between the dual-curing self-adhesive composite cement and zirconia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]