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We investigate how blockchain technology influences optimal pricing and quality decisions under two different supply chain structures. In both cases, the supplier is the leader and plays a Stackelberg game with downstream platform(s). Specifically, the supplier determines the wholesale prices and quality levels of the products, and the platform(s) decides the selling prices. Based on our analysis, we find that when consumer acceptance of blockchain is low, among the two products in the single platform, the products with blockchain technology have not only a high quality but also a low price. However, in the case of the two competitive platforms, although blockchain will also enable the platform that uses this technology to provide products with a high quality and low price, its advantages are not obvious. Nevertheless, in comparing the two cases, when consumer acceptance is high, the two competing platforms tend to provide products with a high quality and low price, regardless of whether or not the products use blockchain technology. Our conclusions reveal that although blockchain will benefit a supplier and consumers, in some cases, the supplier will have an incentive to decrease the quality level of the products with blockchain technology, which will eventually negatively affect consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional van der Waals materials, with atomic-level thickness and unique electronic structures, have tremendous potential in electronic device applications, making them highly desirable for research in high-performance non-volatile memory. Here, we report a method for the van der Waals epitaxial growth of air-stable and uniformly distributed thin films of a 1T-CrS2 single crystal, based on a simple chemical vapor deposition technique using a binary metal precursor co-reaction growth mechanism controlled by the evaporation rate of the precursor. The corresponding 1T-CrS2 electronic devices can maintain their electrical performance without degradation for up to one month in air. Based on this, we have constructed a floating-gate memory device with a full van der Waals heterostructure, exhibiting a large storage window ratio (approximately 79%), a high on/off ratio (107), and stability for over 1000 cycles. The device demonstrates excellent multi-level data storage stability and can be optically programmed with stable operation using 532 nm laser pulses, showcasing outstanding optoelectronic storage performance. The excellent electrical stability of these two-dimensional materials, the non-volatile nature of the devices, and the stable multi-level storage characteristics present enormous potential for the integration of high-performance non-volatile memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to gain insight into the response mechanism of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) to drought stress by recognizing and analyzing drought-responsive genes in the roots of different root types of alfalfa. The rhizomatous-rooted M. sativa cv.'Qingshui' (QS), tap-rooted M. sativa cv.'Longdong' (LD), and creeping-rooted M. varia cv. 'Gongnong No. 4' (GN) were used to analyze the transcriptome information and physiological characteristics of the root systems of the cultivars under simulated drought stress using PEG-6000. Results: It was found that aridity caused a significant increase in the content of osmotic stress substances and antioxidant enzyme activity. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in QS was lower than that in LD and GN under moisture stress, indicating a stronger accumulation capacity of osmotic regulatory substances. Based on sequencing results, 14,475, 9336, and 9243 upregulated DEGs from QS, LD, and GN were annotated into 26, 29, and 28 transcription factor families, respectively. QS showed more DEGs than LD and GN. KEGG enrichment analysis identified that DEGs were significantly enriched in metabolic pathways such as amino acid biosynthesis, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signaling transduction, and MAPK pathways. This suggests a strong correlation between these pathways and drought stress. The results also show that genes associated with ABA hormone signaling (MS. gene93372, MS. gene072046, and MS. gene012975) are crucial for plant's adaptation to drought stress. Conclusions: These genes, such as serine/threonine protein kinases and abscisic acid receptors, play a crucial role in plant hormone signaling and MAPK pathways. They could serve as potential candidate genes for drought resistance research in alfalfa, providing a molecular foundation for studying drought resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to establish some fixed point results for enriched Kannan-type mappings in convex metric spaces. We first give an affirmative answer to a recent Berinde and Păcurar's question (Remark 2.3) [J. Comput. Appl. Math., 386 (2021), 113217]. Furthermore, we establish the existence and uniqueness of fixed points for Suzuki-enriched Kannan-type mappings in the setting of convex metric spaces. Finally, we present an application to approximate the solution of the Volterra integral equations to support our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational element doping is demonstrated as an effective strategy to optimize crystal stability and enhance the electronic conductivity of Prussian blue analogs (PBAs) to achieve a satisfactory sodium storage performance. However, unraveling the dopant selection principles is still a big challenge. Herein, the integrated crystal orbital Hamilton population (ICOHP) function is adopted to evaluate the strength of chemical bonds of N‐transition metals (N‐TM) and guide the dopant selection. Among the series of ICOHP values for N‐TM (TM = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn), the Cu─N bond exhibits the lowest ICOHP value, which indicates that Cu doping can improve the stability of PBAs compared to other dopants. Experimentally, among TM‐substituted Fe‐based PBAs (TMFeHCFs), the as‐prepared sample with 20 at.% Cu doping (CuFeHCF‐2) exhibits the best cycling performance, with a capacity retention of 83.5% after 400 cycles at 1 C, which is consistent with the theoretical calculation results. In addition, in situ XRD and in situ, Raman reveal a highly reversible monoclinic‐cubic two‐phase conversion and redox‐active pairs, respectively. This study provides valuable guidelines for dopant selection to enhance the performance of PBAs cathodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, and non-motile strains, designated FZY0004T and YYF002T, were isolated from an agar-degrading co-culture, which was obtained from seawater of the intertidal zone of Yancheng City, the Yellow Sea of China. Strain FZY0004T optimally grew at 28 °C, pH 7.0, and 2–6% NaCl, while strain YYF002T optimally grew at 28 °C, pH 7.5, and 2–4% NaCl. Strain FZY0004T possessed Q-9 as the major respiratory quinone, and its major fatty acids (> 10%) were summed feature 8 (C18:1ω7c), C16:0, and summed feature 3 (C16:1ω7c/C16:1ω6c). The polar lipids identified in strain FZY0004T were phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and several unidentified phospholipids (PL) and lipids (L). On the other hand, strain YYF002T had MK-6 as the predominant respiratory quinone and its major fatty acids consisted of iso-C15:0, iso-C15:1 G, and iso-C15:0 3-OH. The polar lipids identified in strain YYF002T were aminolipid (AL), PE, and several unidentified lipids. Strain FZY0004T shared 99.5% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and 90.1% average nucleotide identity (ANI) with T. povalilytica Zumi 95T, and strain YYF002T shared 99.2% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and 88.2% ANI with W. poriferorum JCM 12885T. The genomic DNA G + C contents of strains FZY0004T and YYF002T were 54.5% and 33.5%, respectively. The phylogenetic, phenotypic, and physiological characteristics permitted the distinction of the two strains from their neighbors, and we thus propose the names Thalassospira aquimaris sp. nov. (type strain FZY0004T = JCM 35895T = MCCC 1K08380T) and Winogradskyella marincola sp. nov. (type strain YYF002T = JCM 35950T = MCCC 1K08382T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the impact of climate change on the growth period and yield of irrigated spring maize in arid region of Northwest China, the study was conducted based on located observational experiment and climatic data from 1984 to 2022. The results showed that the temperature increased significantly during the entire growth period with a climate trend rate of 0.76°C•10y-1 (P<0.01), and a significant rise in active accumulated temperature above 10°C, with a climate trend rate of 135.80°C•d•10y-1 (P<0.01). Although there was no significant change in precipitation during the entire growth period, it increased significantly during the milky-maturity stage, with a climate trend rate of 4.50mm•10y-1 (P<0.05). The sunshine duration increased significantly from 1984 to 2004, with a climate trend rate of 126.88h•10y-1 (P<0.01), but decreased significantly in the last 19 years, with a climate trend rate of -109.38h•10y-1 (P<0.01). The growth days of spring maize increased from 1984 to 2004, with a climatic trend rate of 9.86d•10y-1 (P<0.01), but decreased significantly in the last 19 years, with a climatic trend rate of 7.39d•10y-1 . The length of sowing-seedling and seventh leaf-jointing was significantly negatively correlated with temperature, respectively. The length of sowing-seeding, third leaf-seventh leaf and silking-milky was significantly positively correlated (P<0.05) with precipitation, respectively. The length of different growth periods was significantly positively correlated (P<0.01) with sunshine duration, respectively. The yield of spring maize fluctuated and climatic yield was significantly negatively correlated (P<0.05) with precipitation. In summary, climate change has been unfavorable to spring maize growth under current irrigation methods in arid region of northwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A honeycomb porous cadmium(II) metal–organic framework {[Cd(L)(H2O)] ⋅ NMP ⋅ 5H2O}n (1, H2L=1‐(4‐carboxyphenyl)‐1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carboxylic acid and NMP=1‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone) was obtained using the solvothermal method. The luminescent molecules rhodamine B (RhB) and fluorescein (FL) were encapsulated in 1 using the immersion method to prepare RhB@1 and FL@1 dual emission composites. Additionally, a series of RhBx/FL1‐x@1 composites with varying luminescence properties were generated by altering the molar ratio of RhB to FL. Furthermore, the photoluminescence of RhB@1 and FL@1 was demonstrated to be caused by photoelectron transfer and fluorescence resonance energy transfer from 1 to the encapsulated guest module. Notably, RhB@1 showed the considerable improvement in fluorescence selectivity and detection limit (10−6 M) for metronidazole and dimetronidazole with remarkable recyclability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysubstituted acrylamides are ubiquitous in bioactive molecules and natural products. However, synthetic methods for the assembly of these important motifs remain underdeveloped. Herein, we report the expedient synthesis of structurally diverse and synthetically challenging polysubstituted acrylamides from readily available aromatic amines, cyclopropenones (CpOs), and aryl halides via the synergistic merging of nucleophilic phosphine-mediated amidation and palladium-catalyzed C–H arylation. The reaction is scalable, and some obtained acrylamides proved to be solid state luminogens with obvious aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties, demonstrating the synthetic potential in drug discovery and material development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is associated with worse prognosis in bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC) patients. This study aimed to develop and validate machine learning (ML) models to preoperatively predict LNM in BUC patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC). Methods: We retrospectively collected demographic, pathological, imaging, and laboratory information of BUC patients who underwent RC and bilateral lymphadenectomy in our institution. Patients were randomly categorized into training set and testing set. Five ML algorithms were utilized to establish prediction models. The performance of each model was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and accuracy. Finally, we calculated the corresponding variable coefficients based on the optimal model to reveal the contribution of each variable to LNM. Results: A total of 524 and 131 BUC patients were finally enrolled into training set and testing set, respectively. We identified that the support vector machine (SVM) model had the best prediction ability with an AUC of 0.934 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.903–0.964) and accuracy of 0.916 in the training set, and an AUC of 0.855 (95%CI: 0.777–0.933) and accuracy of 0.809 in the testing set. The SVM model contained 14 predictors, and positive lymph node in imaging contributed the most to the prediction of LNM in BUC patients. Conclusions: We developed and validated the ML models to preoperatively predict LNM in BUC patients treated with RC, and identified that the SVM model with 14 variables had the best performance and high levels of clinical applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of electric vehicles (EVs) exhibits rapid and remarkable progress nowadays, serving as a crucial route to accomplish the target of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. As an integral part of the thermal management system oriented toward electric vehicles, the heat pump air conditioning system for electric vehicles is the result of a comprehensive choice that trades off the cooling and heating performance, environmental performance and economic cost. Particularly, different regions around the world suffer varying cooling and heating challenges due to the complicated climatic characteristics. Thus the most suitable refrigerant and system cycle structure may differ. This paper focuses on evaluating both the refrigerants and cycle structures to screen the most suitable choice. According to the climate conditions of different cities, the annual energy consumption, life cycle climate performance, and economic cost of the basic system (Base), two-stage compression system (TSC,IC), and vapor injection (VI) system with CO2, R134a, and R1234yf refrigerants respectively, are quantitatively analyzed and evaluated. Subsequently, through comparative analysis, a comprehensive selection map for heat pump systems in electric vehicles worldwide is developed and the most suitable heat pump air conditioning system for each cites is determined. The results can provide a selection reference and decision-making for the air conditioning system of electric vehicles from regional considerations. It was found that the CO2 HPACVI was recommended for cold regions to meet both environmental and economic requirements. In warm region, the R1234yf HPACBase system was recommended to be used. For regions transitioning from cold to warm climates, the R1234yf HPACVI system was suggested. In hot region, the R1234yf AC system was recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River Delta (YRD), known for its vast and diverse wetland ecosystem, is the largest estuarine delta in China. However, human activities and climate change have significantly degraded the wetland ecosystem in recent decades in the YRD. Therefore, an understanding of the land use modifications is essential for the efficient management and preservation of ecosystems in this region. This study utilized time series of remote sensing data and the extreme gradient boosting method to generate land use maps of the YRD from 2000 to 2020. Several methods, including transition matrix, land use dynamic degree, and standard deviation ellipse, were employed to explore the characteristics of land use transitions. The results underscore significant spatial variations in land use over the past two decades. The most rapid increase was observed in built-up area, followed by terrestrial water and tidal flats, while unutilized land experienced the fastest decrease, followed by forest–grassland. The spatial distribution patterns of agricultural land, built-up area, terrestrial water, and forest–grassland demonstrated stronger directionality compared to other land use types. The wetlands have expanded in size and improved in structure. Unutilized land has been converted into artificial wetlands comprising ponds, reservoirs, salt ponds, shrimp and crab ponds, and natural wetlands featuring mudflats and forest–grassland. The wetland conservation efforts after 2008 have proven very effective, playing a positive role in ecological and environmental preservation, as well as in regional sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abducens nerve palsy is the most common ocular motor nerve palsy, and its possible aetiologies are numerous and diverse. Primary malignancy rarely occurs in the middle ear, with most cases associated with long-standing ear discharge and peak age of presentation in the sixties. We report a rare case of a 64-year-old male who presented with right abducens nerve palsy, which led to the diagnosis of primary squamous cell carcinoma of the right middle ear, and to our knowledge, this has not been reported previously in English literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO2 refrigeration and heat pump systems have gained widespread attention due to their environmentally friendly features. However, their application is limited by high operating pressure and limited refrigeration performance. To address this, the technology of adding other refrigerants to CO2 to form a CO2-based mixture has emerged as an effective solution, as it reduces operating pressure and improves energy efficiency. Although CO2-based mixtures can be mixed in any ratio, there is an optimal composition ratio that maximizes performance under given working conditions. However, as working conditions change, the optimal composition ratio also changes, and fixed compositions cannot achieve the best energy efficiency throughout the year. Therefore, this paper studies four types of CO2-based mixtures, namely CO2/R32, CO2/R290, CO2/R1270, and CO2/R1234yf， and proposes a CO2-based mixture refrigeration and heat pump systems composition adjustment scheme that adjusts the system's composition according to different working conditions. The paper designs two composition adjustment strategies, studies the limits of composition adjustment using different methods, and evaluates the energy-saving performance of different adjustment methods. The results show that the maximum range of composition adjustment is between.25 and.97， and the energy-saving of up to 27.2% can be achieved through composition adjustment in some areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease. The effects of emphysema on mortality in IPF remains unclear. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Library databases were searched. Studies were included if they compared mortality in IPF patients with and without emphysema. In included studies, the diagnosis with IPF or IPF combined emphysema was according to the ATS and ERS statements. From eligible studies, we extracted HR and 95% CI, if HRs were not reported, they were extracted based on Kaplan–Meier curves. Results: A total of 2605 patients across 15 cohort studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Emphysema was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality with a pooled HR 1.37 (95% CI, 1.04-1.80) and I 2 = 64%. However, the level of evidence was 'very low' according to GRADE criteria. Subgroup analysis according to IPF with emphysema patients revealed that DLCO%pre<40 (HR 1.75 (95% CI, 1.02-3.01) and I 2 = 74%), FVC%pre<80 (HR 1.81 (95% CI, 1.24-2.64) and I 2 = 61%), location on North America and Europe (HR 2.00 (95% CI, 1.09-3.67) and I 2 = 76%), and Smoking Pack-years<40 (HR 1.38 (95% CI, 1.02-1.87) and I 2 = 15%) were risk factors for all-cause mortality. Sensitivity analysis revealed that one study had a disproportional effect on the pooled rate. Conclusions: Our findings suggested emphysema increased the risk of all-cause mortality in patients with IPF. This conclusion should be re-evaluated by a large-scale randomized controlled trial. Trial Registration: PROSPERO: CRD42022378699; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2-(2-Methoxyethoxy)ethanol (MEEA) can cause DNA damage and teratogenesis, and the biomarker of MEEA is 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)acetic acid (MEAA). Therefore, portable and accurate monitoring of MEAA has far-reaching significance to ensure human health. In this work, a series of isometric three-dimensional (3D) lanthanide metal–organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs) {[Ln0.5(L)(H2O)]·1.5H2O}n (1-Ln, Ln = Eu, Tb, EuxTb1−x) were synthesized by using 1-(4-carboxyphenyl)-1H-pyrazole-4 carboxylic acid (H2L) and Ln3+. 1-Eu showed excellent sensing performance for MEAA with ultra-low detection limit (0.39 μM) and fast response time (within 1 min). To enhance the practicability of 1-Eu, three visual detection strategies of MEAA were provided. The polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fluorescence film (Film@1-Eu) had a detection limit as low as the ppm level, and the fluorescence test paper achieved quantitative MEAA detection by combining with a smartphone sensing platform. In addition, a portable intelligent logic detector based on 1-Eu was designed by introducing a logic gate strategy for the real-time detection of MEAA. Notably, a Ln-MOF texture code with a high encryption algorithm and information density was designed for anti-counterfeiting labels on merchandise, utilizing the distinctive tuneable emission characteristic of 1-Ln. This study not only achieved the first visual detection of MEEA but also provided novel insights for the design of anti-counterfeiting materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we successfully synthesized high-quality 2D layered BiOI crystals using a novel space-confined molten salt method. These crystals exhibit a bandgap of 1.9 eV, closely aligning with theoretical expectations. The photodetectors fabricated from these BiOI nanosheets demonstrate exceptional ultraviolet (UV) detection capabilities. Key performance metrics include an ultrahigh photoresponsivity of 1048 mA W−1, an impressive external quantum efficiency of 420%, and a significant detectivity of 4.7 × 1012 Jones, coupled with a fast response time of 420/690 μs at 310 nm. This study not only highlights the potential of BiOI in UV photodetectors but also marks a substantial advancement in the development of high-performance bismuth-based semiconductor optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To provide reference for controlling or delaying the decline of pulmonary ventilation function in male pneumoconiosis patients by studying associations of serum albumin levels with the risk of severe or very severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction in male pneumoconiosis patients. Methods A retrospective cohort design was adopted in this study. Male pneumoconiosis patients who were hospitalized in West China Fourth Hospital from January 2012 to December 2021 and did not have pulmonary ventilation dysfunction at baseline were selected as the study objects. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to calculate HRs and 95% CIs to evaluate the association of baseline serum albumin levels and the risk of severe or very severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction. Restricted cubic spline plot was used to explore whether there was a dose-response relationship between baseline serum albumin concentrations and the risk of severe or very severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction. Results A total of 746 subjects were included in this study. Fully adjusted model results of Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that male pneumoconiosis patients with serum albumin higher than 40.8 g/L had a reduced risk of severe or very severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction compared with male pneumoconiosis patients with serum albumin lower than 34.4g/L (HR = 0.660, 95% CI: 0.439-0.992). The restricted cubic spline figure showed that the risk of severe or very severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction in male pneumoconiosis patients gradually decreased with the gradual increase of serum albumin concentrations and there was a linear negative relationship between baseline serum albumin concentrations and the incidence risk of severe or very severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction in male pneumoconiosis patients (P < 0.05). Conclusion Higher serum albumin is a protective factor for severe or very severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction in male pneumoconiosis patients and maintaining the serum albumin concentrations above 40.8 g/L can reduce the risk of severe or very severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dual-ligand strategy was employed to synthesize a new microporous material, [Zn3(SNDC)(AmTAZ)3(H2O)]·H2O·CH3CN (1), incorporating sulfonic acid and amino groups for enhancing gas adsorption and separation. The activated 1 (named 1a) exhibited selective adsorption of acetylene over carbon dioxide and methane. Hence, the dual-ligand strategy optimized the pore environment and provided an effective approach for pure separation of gases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bimetallic metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), Cu/Co-MOF, was synthesized through a solvothermal method and calcined to obtain CuO/Co3O4 composites. By adjusting the molar ratio between Cu and Co ions, a composite material of CuO/Co3O4 (Cu:Co = 1:1) was developed and showed excellent sensing capabilities, and the response reached as high as 196.3 for 10 ppm H2S detection. Furthermore, the optimal operating temperature as low as 40 °C was found. In comparison with the sensors prepared by pristine CuO and pristine Co3O4, the sensor based on CuO/Co3O4 composite exhibited a significant response. Additionally, the sensor can detect H2S gas down to 300 ppb. The gas sensing mechanism is discussed in depth from the perspective of p–p heterojunction formation between the p-type CuO and p-type Co3O4. The as-prepared CuO/Co3O4 composite-based sensor is expected to find practical application in the low-power monitoring of H2S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gradient refractive index (GRIN) metamaterial lenses can achieve multi-band fusion infrared imaging and has the characteristics of integration, light weight, and achromaticity, compared with existing curved refractive lenses group. Constructing a three-dimensional (3D) GRIN lens for dual-band (3.0–5.0 and 7.5–9.2 µm) mid-infrared imaging is challenging due to the difficulty of fabricating the desired 3D GRIN materials with continuously changing linewidths. Here, we present a 3D self-focusing GRIN lens with a cylindrical symmetry configuration in the mid-infrared band. Such a 3D GRIN lens is designed with gradient woodpile polymer metamaterials based on effective medium theory and fabricated with high fidelity by grayscale two-photon lithography. Simulated and experimental results simultaneously exhibit a 3D GRIN lens possessing dual-band, achromatic, near-diffraction-limit focusing on the wavelengths of 4.5 and 7.5 µm. The protocol for developing the 3D GRIN lens with dual-band fusion imaging would prompt potential applications in integrated light-coupled devices and lightweight infrared imaging devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabrication of air‐stable Pb‐free solar cells using the Ag2BiI5 absorber has recently attracted extensive attention. 4‐tert‐Butylpyridine (tBP) is mainly used as an additive in the hole transport layer (HTL). However, tBP can strongly destroy Ag2BiI5 perovskite structure due to the formation of the tBP‐BiI3 complex. Herein, 2‐pentyl pyridine (2‐py) is selected to replace the tBP in the Spiro‐OMeTAD precursor solution, which will promote the dissolution of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulphonyl)imide salt in the HTL precursor solution but not destroy the crystal structure due to more considerable steric hindrance. By judiciously choosing 2‐py as the additives, the best solar cell device achieves a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.32% under standard one sun (AM1.5). The devices also show excellent long‐term air stability and maintain 95% of their initial PCE even after 840 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Ischnura senegalensis, a beneficial insect predator in the paddy fields, is perilously confronted with the survival challenges posed by insecticide application. In this study, we delved into the toxicity of indoxacarb on the larvae of I. senegalensis. Through behavioral experiments and transcriptome analyses, we uncovered that indoxacarb caused abnormal body movements and locomotory impairments, thereby posing a threat to larval survival. Notably, genes related to muscle function were significantly impacted. While lower concentrations of indoxacarb may be mitigated by the cytochrome P450 gene, higher concentrations significantly diminished the larvae's sensory abilities and hampered toxicity degradation. Our findings highlight the importance of meticulously considering the impact of insecticides on non-target predatory insects before their widespread application. Ischnura senegalensis, which widely spreads in paddy fields, has the potential to be used as a natural predator of insect pests. However, the application of insecticides in the field could pose a threat to the survival of I. senegalensis. Among these pesticides, indoxacarb, an oxadiazine insecticide, is renowned for its broad-spectrum efficacy against numerous insect pests. In this study, we examined the toxicity of indoxacarb towards the larvae of I. senegalensis. Behavioral experiments and transcriptome analyses were conducted under indoxacarb treatments. Results revealed that indoxacarb induced abnormal body gestures and significant locomotory impairments, which could ultimately reduce the survival rate of the larvae in their natural habitat. Moreover, transcriptome analyses indicated that genes related to muscle function were significantly affected. Interestingly, at lower concentrations of indoxacarb (0.004 mg/L), the larvae seem to detoxify the indoxacarb with the aid of the cytochrome P450 gene. However, under higher concentrations (0.4 mg/L), the sensory abilities of the larvae were significantly diminished, and they were unable to degrade the toxicity of indoxacarb. Our study underscores the importance of carefully evaluating the impact of insecticides on non-target predatory insects before their widespread application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More demand-side flexible resources (DFRs) are participating in the frequency regulation of renewable power systems, whose heterogeneous characteristics have a significant impact on the system frequency response. Consequently, selecting suitable DFRs poses a formidable challenge for independent system operators (ISO). In this paper, a reserve allocation methodology for heterogeneous DFRs is proposed to manage the risk of power system frequency. Firstly, a performance curve is developed to describe the cost, capacity, and response speed of DFRs. Moreover, a clustering method for multiple distributed DFRs is conducted to calculate the aggregated performance curves and uncertainty coefficients. Then, the frequency security criterion considering DFRs' performance is constructed, whose linearity makes it can be easily coupled into the system scheduling model and solved. Furthermore, a risk management model for DFRs considering frequency-chance-constraint is proposed to make a trade-off between cost and frequency security. Finally, the model is transformed into mixed integer second-order cone programming (MISOCP) and solved by the commercial solver. The proposed model is validated by the IEEE 30 and IEEE 118 bus systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) have emerged as an attractive alternative for large‐scale energy storage due to their low cost and high safety. The selection of cathode materials, which determine SIB performance, becomes a crucial aspect. Vanadium‐based phosphates are known for their multielectron transfer properties and stable structure, but their intrinsic electronic conductivity is limited. In this regard, bimetallic substitution is an excellent modification method for improving the conductivity property. Herein, a novel Na4VMn0.7Ni0.3(PO4)3@C (NVMNP@C) cathode with less vanadium is designed for SIBs, which exhibits outstanding electrochemical performance at 25 °C, delivering rate capacity of 67 mA h g−1 at 3 A g−1, and long‐term cyclability of remaining 74.6% after 4800 cycles at 2 A g−1. Furthermore, excellent low‐temperature adaptability (82 mA h g−1 at 20 mA g−1, 60 mA h g−1 at 400 mA g−1, and 90.4% capacity retention after 230 cycles at 100 mA g−1) at −40 °C is also achieved. This unique work has broken a feasible pathway for high‐performance SIB cathode at low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing free-standing and mechanical robust membrane materials capable of superior enrichment of phosphopeptides for analyzing and identifying the specific phosphoproteome of cancer cells is significant in understanding the molecular mechanisms of cancer development and exploring new therapeutic approaches, but still a significant challenge in materials design. To this end, we firstly constructed highly flexible ZrTiO4 nanofibrous membranes (NFMs) with excellent mechanical stability through a cost-effective and scalable electrospinning and subsequent calcination technique. Then, to further increase the enrichment capacity of the phosphopeptide, the biomimetic TiO2@ZrTiO4 NFMs with root hair or leaf like branch microstructure are developed by the hydrothermal post-synthetic modification of ZrTiO4 NFMs through growing unfurling TiO2 nanosheets onto the ZrTiO4 nanofibers. Importantly, remarkable flexibility and mechanical stability enable the resulting TiO2@ZrTiO4 NFMs excellent practicability, while the biomimetic microstructure allows it outstanding enrichment ability of the phosphopeptide and identification ability of the specific phosphoproteins in the digest of cervical cancer cells. Specifically, 6770 phosphopeptides can be enriched by TiO2@ZrTiO4 NFMs (2205 corresponding phosphoproteins can be identified), and the value is much higher than that of ZrTiO4 NFMs (6399 phosphopeptides and 2132 identified phosphoproteins) and commercial high-performance TiO2 particles (4525 phosphopeptides and 1811 identified phosphoproteins). These results demonstrate the super ability of TiO2@ZrTiO4 NFMs in phosphopeptide enrichment and great potential for exploring the pathogenesis of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) demonstrate strong potential for application in photocatalysis owing to their tunable compositions and structures. However, systematically controlling the photoelectronic properties of MOFs remains a great challenge. Herein, we show that linker engineering is a powerful strategy for systematically tuning the light absorption and charge-separation behavior of UiO-68 type MOF photocatalysts, using benzothiadiazole-based dicarboxylic acids as linkers. Remarkably, the introduction of different benzothiadiazole units onto the linkers led to distinctly different activities of the resulting MOFs (UiO-68, UiO-68-Bs, UiO-68-Ph, and UiO-68-Py). Among these catalysts, the integration of a fully conjugated benzothiadiazole acceptor and pyrene donor into UiO-68-Py allowed it to serve as a highly efficient and recyclable photocatalyst for thioamide cyclization under mild conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease with unknown etiology and treatment options for it were limited. Whether Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) could affect the occurrence of IPF remains unclear. Methods : Using available data from FINNGEN and IEU OpenGWAS, we performed Two-sample mendelian randomization (MR) to explore the causal relationship between GERD and IPF. Results: Using 65 GERD-related SNPs, we found the association between GERD and the risk of IPF was not statistically significant with IVW approach (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 0.84-1.70, p =.32), MR-Egger regression (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 0.19-14.43, p =.65) and weighted median approaches (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 0.94-2.23, p =.09). However, heterogeneity was observed with MR-Egger (p =.001) and IVW (p =.001) analysis. Similar results were obtained with MR-PRESSO (global heterogeneity test p value <.01). After removing one outlier (rs9636202), with weighted median method, we found GERD increased the risk of IPF (OR 1.55, 95% CI: 1.01-2.36, p =.045) while not with the IVW (OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 0.91-1.78, p =.16) and MR-Egger method (OR: 2.01, 95% CI: 0.26-15.8, p =.51). Hence, we set a stricter instrument p value threshold to a level of <1 × 10−8, there was no statistical significance with MR estimates. Additionally, there was no directional pleiotropy observed (intercept = −0.01; SE = 0.036. p =.772). To validate causal effect of GERD on IPF, we identified three SNPs (rs79348626, rs12759463 and rs4269485) from another GWAS data that were significantly associated with GERD independently. The analysis showed no evidence of causality between GERD and IPF using the IVW method (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.42-1.97, p =.814), MR-Egger regression (OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.06-3.07, p =.553) and weighted median approaches (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.36-2.27, p = 0 0.819). Conclusions: Our analysis using MR does not support GERD could significantly increase the incidence of IPF, which suggests that treating GERD cannot reduce the risk of developing IPF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioma, with its heterogeneous microenvironments and genetic subtypes, presents substantial challenges for treatment prediction and development. We integrated 3D bioprinting and multi-algorithm machine learning as a novel approach to enhance the assessment and understanding of glioma treatment responses and microenvironment characteristics. The bioprinted patient-derived glioma tissues successfully recapitulated molecular properties and drug responses of native tumors. We then developed GlioML, a machine learning workflow incorporating nine distinct algorithms and a weighted ensemble model that generated robust gene expression-based predictors, each reflecting the diverse action mechanisms of various compounds and drugs. The ensemble model superseded the performance of all individual algorithms across diverse in vitro systems, including sphere cultures, complex 3D bioprinted multicellular models, and 3D patient-derived tissues. By integrating bioprinting, the evaluative scope of the treatment expanded to T cell-related therapy and anti-angiogenesis targeted therapy. We identified promising compounds and drugs for glioma treatment and revealed distinct immunosuppressive or angiogenic myeloid-infiltrated tumor microenvironments. These insights pave the way for enhanced therapeutic development for glioma and potentially for other cancers, highlighting the broad application potential of this integrative and translational approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MXenes with excellent conductivity and abundant surface functional groups have displayed great advantages as platforms for sensing materials. NiO also has drawn much attention for gas detection due to its unique merits of excellent catalytic activity. Herein, NiO nanoparticles are incorporated with multilayer Ti3C2Tx-MXene to develop excellent triethylamine sensors. Due to the larger specific surface area and formed p–p heterojunctions, the response of the NiO/Ti3C2Tx gas sensor is endowed with a response value of 950% to 50 ppm triethylamine gas and is much higher than that of the pristine NiO sensor. Moreover, the NiO/Ti3C2Tx sensor displays a fast response time of 8 s (50 ppm triethylamine), excellent reproducibility, and reliable long-term stability. This study proves that NiO/Ti3C2Tx sensors have potential for the effective detection of triethylamine gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance humidity sensors with fast response and recovery capabilities are still a significant requirement in wearable digital healthcare applications. Herein, multifunctional humidity sensors based on heterostructured Ti3C2Tx MXenes have been designed, and are endowed with greatly improved sensing performance compared with the Ti3C2Tx sensors. The Ti3C2Tx/SnO2 sensor displays a high response of 13.4 and rapid response time (2 s) to 59% relative humidity (RH), good repeatability, a wide detection range for 11–97% RH, and high selectivity to water. Complex impedance spectroscopy and the synergistic effects of heterojunctions are employed to explain the mechanisms of the enhanced sensing performance of the Ti3C2Tx/SnO2 sensors. Such exceptional performance makes this Ti3C2Tx/SnO2-based humidity sensor much more applicable for applications of real-time respiratory monitoring and non-contact measurements. This work provides effective strategies for humidity sensors for collecting biomedical signals and realizing non-contact human–machine interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethylene (C2H4) purification and propylene (C3H6) recovery are highly relevant in polymer synthesis, yet developing physisorbents for these industrial separation faces the challenges of merging easy scalability, economic feasibility, high moisture stability with great separation efficiency. Herein, we reported a robust and scalable MOF (MAC‐4) for simultaneous recovery of C3H6 and C2H4. Through creating nonpolar pores decorated by accessible N/O sites, MAC‐4 displays top‐tier uptakes and selectivities for C2H6 and C3H6 over C2H4 at ambient conditions. Molecular modelling combined with infrared spectroscopy revealed that C2H6 and C3H6 molecules were trapped in the framework with stronger contacts relative to C2H4. Breakthrough experiments demonstrated exceptional separation performance for binary C2H6/C2H4 and C3H6/C2H4 as well as ternary C3H6/C2H6/C2H4 mixtures, simultaneously affording record productivities of 27.4 and 36.2 L kg−1 for high‐purity C2H4 (≥99.9 %) and C3H6 (≥99.5 %). MAC‐4 was facilely prepared at deckgram‐scale under reflux condition within 3 hours, making it as a smart MOF to address challenging gas separations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethylene (C2H4) purification and propylene (C3H6) recovery are highly relevant in polymer synthesis, yet developing physisorbents for these industrial separation faces the challenges of merging easy scalability, economic feasibility, high moisture stability with great separation efficiency. Herein, we reported a robust and scalable MOF (MAC‐4) for simultaneous recovery of C3H6 and C2H4. Through creating nonpolar pores decorated by accessible N/O sites, MAC‐4 displays top‐tier uptakes and selectivities for C2H6 and C3H6 over C2H4 at ambient conditions. Molecular modelling combined with infrared spectroscopy revealed that C2H6 and C3H6 molecules were trapped in the framework with stronger contacts relative to C2H4. Breakthrough experiments demonstrated exceptional separation performance for binary C2H6/C2H4 and C3H6/C2H4 as well as ternary C3H6/C2H6/C2H4 mixtures, simultaneously affording record productivities of 27.4 and 36.2 L kg−1 for high‐purity C2H4 (≥99.9 %) and C3H6 (≥99.5 %). MAC‐4 was facilely prepared at deckgram‐scale under reflux condition within 3 hours, making it as a smart MOF to address challenging gas separations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the biological mechanisms of orthodontic tooth movement have been explored further, scholars have gradually focused on the remodelling mechanism of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the periodontal ligament (PDL). The ECM of the PDL consists of various types of collagens and other glycoproteins. The specific process and mechanism of ECM remodelling during orthodontic tooth movement remains unclear. Collagen I and III, which constitute major components of the PDL, are upregulated under orthodontic force. The changes in the contents of ECM proteins also depend on the expression of ECM-related enzymes, which organise new collagen fibre networks to adapt to changes in tooth position. The matrix metalloproteinase family is the main enzyme that participates in collagen hydrolysis and renewal and changes its expression under orthodontic force. Moreover, ECM adhesion molecules, such as integrins, are also regulated by orthodontic force and participate in the dynamic reaction of cell adhesion and separation with the ECM. This article reviews the changes in ECM components, related enzymes and adhesion molecules in the PDL under orthodontic force to lay the foundation for the exploration of the regulatory mechanism of ECM remodelling during orthodontic tooth movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to present a study of α-η-type generalized F-proximal contraction mappings in the framework of modular metric spaces and to prove some best proximity point theorems for these types of mappings. Some examples are given to show the validity of our results. We also apply our results to establish the existence of solutions for a certain type of non-linear integral equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal oxide ion-gated transistors (MOIGTs) have garnered significant attention within the sensing domain due to their potential for achieving heightened sensitivity while consuming minimal energy across diverse scenarios. By harnessing the advantageous combination of metal oxides' high carrier mobility and facile surface customization, coupled with the potent signal amplification capabilities of ion-gated transistors, MOIGTs offer a promising avenue for discerning biomolecules, overseeing chemical reactions, pH levels, as well as facilitating gas or light determination. Over the past few decades, the MOIGT field has made remarkable strides in refining device physics, enhancing material properties, showcasing robust sensing capabilities, and broadening its application spectrum. These advancements have simultaneously unveiled new challenges and opportunities, necessitating interdisciplinary expertise to fully unlock the commercial potential of MOIGTs. In this comprehensive review, we offer a snapshot of this swiftly evolving technology, delve into its current applications, and provide insightful recommendations for future directions in the coming decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal immunity plays a vital role in protecting offspring from pathogen invasion, and it is present in nearly all vertebrates. As the most ancient vertebrates, teleost fish continuously secrete a substantial amount of mucus due to their unique living environment, and often exhibit schooling behavior. Previous studies have highlighted the presence of numerous immune components in the mucus of fish, that plays a crucial role in resisting pathogens. We hypothesize that this represents a distinctive maternal immune response mechanism in fish. In this study, we established a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced injury model by immersing zebrafish larvae in 0.5% DSS. This elicited robust inflammatory responses and showed DSS-induced alterations in microbial abundance via 16S rRNA sequencing. These changes included the disruption of normal gut structure; an increase in goblet cells; increased expression of inflammatory cytokines; and infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages into the gut, as well as an increase in pathogenic bacteria and a decline in probiotic bacteria. Furthermore, we conducted a mucus protection test by adding adult zebrafish mucus in fish tank water containing 0.5% DSS to test our hypothesis. As suspected, the mucus from adult zebrafish exhibited a protective role in defending zebrafish larvae against DSSinduced enteritis by alleviating excessive inflammatory responses and increasing probiotic abundance. In conclusion, our results confirm a significant role of adult fish mucus in the immune response of teleost fish to DSSinduced inflammation. Collectively, our findings show that the mucus of adult zebrafish may represent a novel form of maternal immunization, playing roles analogous to mammalian milk in immune regulatory functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improper processing of sensitive personal data concerning disabled people in government information disclosure not only violates their privacy rights but also leads to discrimination, stigmatization, and other serious secondary harm, that have long been overlooked. China's procurator-led public-interest litigation system is a powerful tool for protecting the privacy rights of vulnerable groups. This paper contends that procurator-led public-interest litigation, as a supplement to and support for private-interest litigation, assists the Chinese government in fulfilling its international obligations to protect the right to privacy of disabled people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep models trained by using clean data have achieved tremendous success in fine-grained image classification. Yet, they generally suffer from significant performance degradation when encountering noisy labels. Existing approaches to handle label noise, though proved to be effective for generic object recognition, usually fail on fine-grained data. The reason is that, on fine-grained data, the category difference is subtle and the training sample size is small. Then deep models could easily overfit the noisy labels. To improve the robustness of deep models on noisy data for fine-grained visual categorization, in this paper, we propose a novel learning framework named ProtoSimi. Our method employs an adaptive label correction strategy, ensuring effective learning on limited data. Specifically, our approach considers the criteria of exploring the effectiveness of both global class-prototype and part class-prototype similarities in identifying and correcting labels of samples. We evaluate our method on three standard benchmarks of fine-grained recognition. Experimental results show that our method outperforms the existing label noisy methods by a large margin. In ablation studies, we also verify that our method is non-sensitive to hyper-parameters selection and can be integrated with other FGVC methods to increase the generalization performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) has seen significant progress with the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), particularly Imatinib. However, a notable proportion of CML patients develop resistance to Imatinib, often due to the persistence of leukemia stem cells and resistance mechanisms independent of BCR::ABL1 This study investigates the roles of IL6R, IL7R, and MYC in Imatinib resistance by employing CRISPR/Cas9 for gene editing and the Non-Invasive Apoptosis Detection Sensor version 2 (NIADS v2) for apoptosis assessment. The results indicate that Imatinib-resistant K562 cells (K562-IR) predominantly express IL6R, IL7R, and MYC, with IL6R and MYC playing crucial roles in cell survival and sensitivity to Imatinib. Conversely, IL7R does not significantly impact cytotoxicity, either alone or in combination with Imatinib. Further genetic editing experiments confirm the protective functions of IL6R and MYC in K562-IR cells, suggesting their potential as therapeutic targets for overcoming Imatinib resistance in CML. This study contributes to understanding the mechanisms of Imatinib resistance in CML, proposing IL6R and MYC as pivotal targets for therapeutic strategies. Moreover, the utilization of NIADS v2 enhances our capability to analyze apoptosis and drug responses, contributing to a deeper understanding of CML pathogenesis and treatment options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the tremendous applications and purification requirement of acetylene (C2H2), seeking appropriate adsorbents with high capacity and selectivity is a vital task and remains an enduring challenge. Herein, we designed and synthesized a robust three-dimensional (3D) indium-organic framework ([(Me)2NH2][In(L6)0.5(IPA)0.5] dimethylammonium (DMA)2H2O (In-L6-IPA)) featuring two types of one-dimensional (1D) tubular channels. The activated In-L6-IPA displayed high loading for C2H2 (104.4 cm3·g−1, the second highest value among all reported indium-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)) and simultaneously selective adsorption for C2H2 over CO2, C2H6, and ethylene (C2H4) at 298 K under 100 kPa. Molecular modelling revealed that the porous wall of In-L6-IPA provides more and stronger multiple interactions for C2H2 than CO2, C2H6, and C2H4 containing C–H⋯π, C–H⋯O, and O⋯π interactions. Breakthrough experiments validated the actual separation ability for various ratios of binary C2H2/C2H4 and C2H2/CO2 mixtures as well as equimolar ternary C2H2/C2H4/CO2 and C2H2/C2H4/C2H6 mixtures with excellent reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To construct a deep learning model based on multi -task learning to assist clinicians in differential diagnosis and staging of pneumoconiosis. Methods The digital chest radiographs of 3 600 patients from an occupational disease hospital in Sichuan Province from 2011 to 2022 were collected, and the full convolution neural network (UNet) was used to segment the lung field. Based on multi-task learning, the multi-task model was constructed using the correlation between tasks. The multi -task model was pre -trained on the ChestX -ray14 dataset, whose backbone network was DenseNetl21, and two classifiers were added behind the backbone network. Paired t-test was used to compare the differences in accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and Fl scores between single-task model and multi-task model. Results The test set results showed that the differential diagnosis and diagnostic staging performance of the single-task model was about 90% and 77%, respectively. The differential diagnosis and diagnosis staging performance of the multi-task model was about 94% and 86%, which was higher than that of the single-task model about 4% and 9%, respectively. The difference between the evaluation indexes was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion The multi-task model has more advantages than the single-task model and can effectively realize the differential diagnosis and accurate staging of pneumoconiosis and pulmonary tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Estimating the demand for HCV care cascade plays an important role in planning, monitoring, and assessing the performance of introducing a new community-based hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination program but such an analytic and systematic approach has been barley addressed. Methods: A new collaborative care program for HCV elimination in the Changhua Community of Taiwan has been offered to a total of 895,353 residents since 2018. To grasp the variation of demand for HCV care cascade across demographic and geographic features in the planning stage, we applied the age–period–cohort spatial model to the antecedent anti-HCV survey enrolling 123,617 participants aged 30 years or older between 2005 and 2018. Based on this precise denominator, we then employed a "before-and-after" study design to routinely evaluate whether the WHO criteria of 90% RNA positive diagnosis and 80% successful treatments could be reached. Results: The overall demand for HCV care cascade was 4.28% (HCV infection) of the underlying population but a declining trend was noted. The early cohort had a higher demand, whereas the demand of the young cohort decreased with each passing year. The demand also differed by township. The demand, allowing for these variations, for antiviral treatment was 22,362, yielding the WHO target of 12,880 for achieving HCV elimination. With 11,844 successful treatments, the effectiveness of elimination has already reached 92% (11,844/12,880) by the end of 2022. Conclusions: The demand for HCV care cascade allows health care decision-makers to timely and properly assess the performance of a novel community-based collaborative care program in achieving HCV elimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]