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Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is critical for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients but is prone to rapid changes and errors. Effective teamwork and leadership are essential for high-quality CPR. We aimed to introduce the Airway-Circulation-Leadership-Support (A-C-L-S) teamwork model in the emergency department (ED) to address these challenges.

The aim of this study was to determine whether the presence and extent of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) is prognostic in surgical stage I cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). All available tumour slides and/or paraffin blocks from 426 patients with stage I cervical SCC treated surgically with curative intent were collected from 18 institutions and retrospectively analysed. Presence and extent of LVI (focal <5 spaces, extensive ≥5 spaces) were assessed on scanning magnification in large haematoxylin and eosin slide sets in 366 cases. Progression-free survival (PFS) was calculated as the time from surgery to first progression or death or last follow-up, whichever occurred first. Overall survival (OS) was defined as the time from surgery to death or last follow-up. Clinicopathological and statistical analyses were performed on 97 patients with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2018 stage IA and 329 patients with stage IB SCC of the cervix. LVI, both focal and extensive, was more frequent in stage IB than in stage IA (p<0.001). Patients with stage IB carcinomas with extensive LVI had worse PFS [hazard ratio (HR) 2.86; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.49, 5.49; p=0.005] and OS (HR 2.88; 95% CI 1.38, 6.02; p=0.012) than those with focal or no LVI. In stage IA, in contrast, the presence and extent of LVI did not associate with PFS (p=0.926) or OS. Extensive LVI was not statistically correlated with PFS and OS in substages IA1, IA2 or IB2. PFS (HR 3.7; 95% CI 1.61, 8.46; p<0.001) and OS (HR 4.18; 95% CI 1.58, 11.04; p=0.002) in stage IB1, and PFS (HR 7.78; 95% CI 0.87, 69.82; p=0.039) in stage IB3 were diminished in the presence of extensive LVI. In conclusion, in patients with FIGO stage I cervical SCC, the presence and extent of LVI has prognostic significance in stage IB carcinoma, and quantifying LVI is recommended.

Flexible and wearable electronics are experiencing rapid growth due to the increasing demand for multifunctional, lightweight, and portable devices. However, the growing demands of interactive applications driven by the rise of AI reveal the inadequate connectivity of current connection technologies. In this work, we successfully leverage memristive technology to develop a flexible radio frequency (RF) switch, optimized for 6G-compatible communication systems and adaptable to flexible applications. The flexible RF switch demonstrates a low insertion loss (2 dB) and a cutoff frequency exceeding 840 GHz, and performance metrics are maintained after 106switching cycles and 2500 mechanical bending cycles, showing excellent reliability and robustness. Furthermore, the RF switch is fully integrable with a photolithography-processable polyimide (PSPI) substrate, enabling efficient 2.5D integration with other RF components, such as RF antennas and interconnects. This technology holds significant promise to advance 6G communications in flexible electronics, offering a scalable solution for high-speed data transmission in next-generation wearable devices.

Aqueous solubilization of porphyrins, often accomplished with appended polar aryl groups, can also be achieved with symmetrically branched alkyl (i.e., swallowtail) groups terminated with polar moieties. Here, carboxylic acids are employed as termini (versus prior phosphono- or phosphoester termini) in designs of trans-AB-porphyrins bearing a single swallowtail group (A) or trans-A2-porphyrins bearing two swallowtail groups. Variable-temperature 1H NMR studies (−60 to 97 °C) revealed that the 4-heptanedioic acid group at the meso-position of the free base porphyrin rotates with rate constant 5 s–1(310 K) and Arrhenius energy barrier Ea= 11.5 kcal/mol, whereas an isopropyl group undergoes rotation ∼1000-times faster (k= 5770 s–1). The interconversion is sufficiently fast that conformational diastereomers, as when two such swallowtail groups are present in a trans-A2-porphyrin, would not be isolable at room temperature (Class I atropisomers). DFT calculations (4 porphyrins containing the isopropyl or 4-heptanedioic acid groups) showed that the lowest energy conformer contains the swallowtail C–H unit in the plane of the porphyrin. The presence of one or two 4-heptanedioic acid moieties imparted solubility of the porphyrin in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The results suggest applications in the life sciences where compact, aqueous-soluble porphyrins are desired.

With the merit of global coverage, non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) with low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellations have been regarded as a promising innovation to support ubiquitous connectivity. However, due to the high orbital velocity, each LEO satellite can only service a different set of ground terminals (GTs) for few minutes, and thus it is difficult to utilize machine learning (ML) based and non-ML based algorithms to tackle high-dimensional resource optimizations within such a short dwell duration. To tackle this challenge, an effective solution lies in constructing collaborations between multiple LEO satellites and GTs to jointly address the resource optimization. In this article, motivated by the mutualism advantage in symbiotic radios, we therefore propose a novel collaborative learning scheme for implementing intelligent NTNs, in which each GT with powerful computing capability operates a groundtier learning agent to assist LEO satellites tackling GT resource allocation tasks. Each LEO satellite also operates as a space-tier learning agent and the learning model of the LEO satellite can be transferred to its successor satellite as a starting point to continue updating the learning model. Finally, comprehensive simulations are conducted with a Walker-Delta satellite constellation and a channel model composed of free-space path-loss and Rician fading, and the simulation results show that the proposed scheme outperforms DRL benchmarks with more than 5.9% improvements toward the optimal average overall throughput performance over a sufficient number of elevation angle samples from the interval of [31°, 90°].

This paper introduces an innovative secondary control strategy to regulate bus voltage and achieve effective current sharing in an isolated multi-agent DC microgrid (MG). This MG operates through a distributed network connection. The control architecture is founded on a prescribed performance (PP) approach, wherein a transformed error algorithm is integrated into the prescribed performance control (PPC) framework to establish a novel sliding mode control (SMC). The proposed strategy is reliant solely on input/output measurement data, rendering it suitable for model-free (MF) systems. The incorporation of fractional calculus enhances the controller’s effectiveness. So, a unique sliding surface is introduced, augmenting the controller’s robustness. Additionally, this paper delves into the intricate stability analysis inherent in the data-driven nature of the controller, which combines prescribed performance sliding mode control (PP-SMC). The secondary control encompasses two distinct controllers that leverage the MF-designed controller to compute reference voltages for each distributed generator (DG). One controller is dedicated to voltage regulation, while the other ensures precise current sharing. The proposed controller proficiently curbs the progression of both bus voltage error and current sharing error within predefined thresholds. Numerous Opal-RT experimental results validate the efficacy of the proposed controller, showcasing bus voltage regulation and appropriate current sharing.

Graphical Abstract:

Objectives: Individuals with autism often experience difficulties with executive functions (EF). Some of these EF are, in turn, associated with certain behavioural autism characteristics. This study explored the intra- and inter-individual variability between autistic children in each of the EF components. Furthermore, this study aimed to delineate subgroups of autistic children and adolescents with different EF profiles and examined whether these subgroups are distinguished by differences in autism characteristics. Methods: A sample comprised 58 autistic individuals and 47 non-autistic controls, aged between 8 and 18 years. Eight lab-based EF tasks were administered to measure EF domains: working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, generativity, and planning. Additionally, a parent-reported daily-life EF measure was used to assess how these abilities manifest in real-life contexts. Results: A multiple case series analysis revealed that most autistic individuals performed similarly to the non-autism group on all lab-based EF tasks, and no autistic participant experienced difficulty with all EF measures. However, most individuals seemed to face a particular challenge in daily-life EF, as reported by parents. Furthermore, a cluster analysis was performed to delineate more homogenous subgroups with similar EF profiles within the autistic group. Three subgroups were identified and characterised by (1) challenges with internally controlled cognitive flexibility and planning, (2) challenges with internally and externally controlled cognitive flexibility and (3) no EF-related difficulties. These clusters did not differ in terms of social communication and interaction; however, they significantly differed regarding restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour and interests. Conclusions: Distinct subgroups within the autistic group with unique EF profiles (weaknesses and strengths) were identified providing insight into the specific patterns of difficulty crucial for tailor-made interventions.

Objective: To decrease invasive mechanical ventilation exposure in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in the first week of life for preterm infants with the global aim of decreasing bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Methods: We created a quality improvement (QI) initiative to optimize early non-invasive respiratory support which launched in August 2021. Patients born at &lt;32 weeks gestation and admitted to the NICU on non-invasive respiratory support were included. Results: Invasive mechanical ventilation exposure decreased from 38 to 25% with evidence of special cause variation beginning in August 2022. Infants born at ≥26 weeks were most impacted, with a 50% reduction, from 34 to 17%. While BPD rates decreased, there has not yet been evidence of special cause variation. Conclusion: Invasive mechanical ventilation exposure for infants born at &lt;32 weeks gestation decreased following the creation of a QI initiative focused on optimization and standardization of early non-invasive respiratory support.

Surface modification of metal oxide nanoparticles can enhance their dispersibility in polymer matrix. In this study, the zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) were organically modified by coupling agent as isopropyl tri (dioctyl phosphate) titanate (KR-12) with the initial content of 3 wt.% (in comparison with ZnO NPs weight). The characteristics of modified ZnO (m-ZnO) NPs, namely chemical changes, zeta potential, morphology, and thermal behavior, were evaluated using IR spectroscopy, DLS, SEM, and TGA methods, respectively. The obtained results suggested that ZnO NPs were modified successfully with KR-12 coupling agent. In comparison with the unmodified ZnO (u-ZnO) NPs, the m-ZnO NPs had additional functional groups and there were changes of some properties such as hydrophobic property, surface charge, and thermal stability of m-ZnO NPs. The m-ZnO NPs could disperse in epoxy resin better than the u-ZnO NPs. Therefore, the m-ZnO NPs improved the mechanical properties, chemical resistance, thermal stability, and anticorrosion protection ability of epoxy resin coating. The abrasion resistance and the adhesion of epoxy coating containing 2 wt.% m-ZnO NPs were increased about 40% and 54%, respectively. The bending resistance of epoxy resin was also enhanced, and the anticorrosion resistance of coatings was improved in the presence of m-ZnO nanoparticles.

The urgent demand for sustainable manufacturing in semiconductor industry always conflicts with production efficiency. This study aims to assess and enhance sustainability without compromising machinability performance metrics in monocrystalline silicon (mono-Si) wafer processing, especially for diamond wire sawing (DWS) process. The DWS process has a significant gap in assessing sustainability, including processing time, energy consumption, carbon dioxide emission, machining cost, as well as integrating with machinability performance metrics, like surface roughness and diamond wire wear. Sustainability is enhanced by utilizing an electrophoretic-assisted reactive coolant and optimizing a single abrasive's material removal volume (MRV). To evaluate the proposed strategies, experiments have been conducted on a single-wire DWS machine using traditional DWS (T-DWS), electrophoretic-assisted reactive DWS (ER-DWS), and optimized electrophoretic-assisted reactive DWS (OER-DWS) cooling systems under varying processing parameters. Results reveal that the OER-DWS cooling conditions reduce the total processing time by 24.35 %, specific cutting energy by 37.53 %, carbon dioxide emission by 32.71 %, total machining cost by 8.4 %, surface roughness by 1.76 %, and wire wear by 21.95 % (in terms of tensile strength) compared to the T-DWS cooling conditions per unit wafer. Notably, employing sustainable cooling conditions and meticulously fine-tuned process parameters enhances sustainability without compromising machinability performance metrics in the DWS process.

Glioblastoma is incurable and in urgent need of improved therapeutics1. Here we identify a small compound, gliocidin, that kills glioblastoma cells while sparing non-tumour replicative cells. Gliocidin activity targets a de novo purine synthesis vulnerability in glioblastoma through indirect inhibition of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase 2 (IMPDH2). IMPDH2 blockade reduces intracellular guanine nucleotide levels, causing nucleotide imbalance, replication stress and tumour cell death2. Gliocidin is a prodrug that is anabolized into its tumoricidal metabolite, gliocidin–adenine dinucleotide (GAD), by the enzyme nicotinamide nucleotide adenylyltransferase 1 (NMNAT1) of the NAD+salvage pathway. The cryo-electron microscopy structure of GAD together with IMPDH2 demonstrates its entry, deformation and blockade of the NAD+pocket3. In vivo, gliocidin penetrates the blood–brain barrier and extends the survival of mice with orthotopic glioblastoma. The DNA alkylating agent temozolomide induces Nmnat1expression, causing synergistic tumour cell killing and additional survival benefit in orthotopic patient-derived xenograft models. This study brings gliocidin to light as a prodrug with the potential to improve the survival of patients with glioblastoma.

In this study, the measure-stress-measure (MSM) technique under the arc-shaped kink drain voltage (VD,kink) conditions is applied to investigate the ${\mathrm { V}}_{\mathrm { D,kink}}$ in GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). Forward and reverse transfer curves indicate that the ${\mathrm { V}}_{\mathrm { D,kink}}$ would change with gate voltages increasing. However, no previous study has investigated the exact location of traps that would dominate the loci of VD,kink. The results suggest that the trend of on-state current (Ion) degradation is caused by threshold voltage (Vt) shift. Hence, it can be determined that the ${\mathrm { V}}_{\mathrm { D,kink}}$ is related to the degree of impact ionization, which is dominant by the holes generation in the buffer. In addition, the capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements reveal that holes generated through impact ionization at the gate edge are responsible for the shift in VD,kink. This physical mechanism is further supported by temperature-dependent analysis. Finally, the results offer a novel C-V measurement to characterize and model the physical mechanisms of the kink effect, which is governed by hot carrier degradation in GaN HEMTs.

Survivors of COVID-19 are susceptible to diminished health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and adverse psychological health, which may be exacerbated by their experiences of fear and the impact of the pandemic itself. This study aims to identify distinct fear and impact patterns related to the COVID-19 pandemic among survivors through latent profile analysis (LPA) and examine the associations of fear and impact patterns with post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and HRQoL. A total of 5,890 Vietnamese COVID-19 survivors completed the COVID-19 Impact Battery– Disability Scale (CIB-D), the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCoV-19 S), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised for PTSS, and the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) for HRQoL. Four distinct groups of fear and impact were identified: “Fearful and highly impacted” (26.8%), “moderately impacted yet not fearful” (22.9%), “less impacted and less fearful” (18.6%), and “mildly impacted and neutral” (31.7%). Survivors who were “less impacted and less fearful” exhibited significantly higher HRQoL scores (regression coefficient, B: 10.9; 95% confidence interval (CI): 10.0 − 11.7), both in terms of physical (B: 12.0; 95%CI: 11.1 − 12.9) and mental health (B: 19.4; 95%CI: 9.6 − 11.1), and lower PTSS levels (B: -24.5; 95%CI: -25.8 − -23.3) compared to those who were “highly impacted and fearful”. It is imperative to acknowledge the intricate association between fear, impact, and mental health to comprehensively address the diverse needs of this distinct population post-COVID-19. These findings provide insights for designing interventions and support mechanisms for COVID-19 survivors.

Acrylic emulsion coatings are widely used for decorating and protecting construction surfaces. They offer numerous advantages such as ease of use, affordability, and environmental friendliness. However, they are susceptible to weather conditions, environmental factors, and bacterial growth, necessitating improvements to overcome these drawbacks. Fluorosurfactants are known for enhancing product performance, improving resistance to dirt, and increasing the cleaning and antibacterial properties of acrylic emulsion coatings. By effectively applying fluorosurfactants to acrylic emulsion coatings, their self‐cleaning performance can be enhanced by up to 85%. Additionally, the surface becomes highly waterproof and resistant to bacterial penetration, extending surface protection for up to 10 years.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy has demonstrated an overall survival benefit in patients with advanced melanoma. Though the significance of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on melanoma cells as a predictive biomarker of response remains inconclusive, some reports indicate that a PD-L1 expression of <1% of tumor cells may be associated with better outcomes with dual immunotherapy. Adequate patient selection for combination therapy is critical given the higher frequency of adverse effects compared with monotherapy. Immunohistochemical (IHC) PD-L1 interpretation in tumor cells is challenging when inflammatory cells are present and cutoffs are low. We studied 36 metastatic melanoma biopsies from Immune checkpoint inhibitor–naive patients, previously stained and scored for PD-L1 IHC using the tumor proportion score (TPS). Cases were classified into 3 groups: <1%, 1% to 5%, and >5%. After de-coverslipping, SRY-related HMG-box-10 (SOX10) IHC was performed on PD-L1 IHC slides with a red chromogen, and subsequently scanned and scored by ≥2 dermatopathologists. This assessment determined that 25% of cases (9/36) had a TPS ≥ 1%, in contrast to the single IHC assay (63.8%). The majority of the 1-5% group (11/13, 84.6%) underwent a change of category to <1% TPS. In the >5% group, 60% of cases (6/10) were downgraded to <1% and 1% to 5% (4 and 2 cases, respectively). Our study suggests that PD-L1 IHC evaluation could benefit from dual PD-L1/SOX10 IHC. Dual IHC is expected to decrease the interference caused by PD-L1 expression on inflammatory cells, and digital imaging proves useful for the preservation and analysis of stains. Refining PD-L1 evaluation in metastatic melanoma may improve clinical decisions between single and combination immunotherapy, with potentially profound consequences in response and quality of life.

In photovoltaic (PV) differential power processing (DPP) systems, bidirectional flyback converters are commonly used because of their isolated structure and bidirectional power-flow capability. However, they have a coupled inductor, often with high leakage inductance that causes high power loss. This work introduces a split-inductor boost converter in combination with conventional boost converters for the PV-to-bus DPP system to replace the conventional flyback converters to achieve higher DPP system efficiency. The proposed PV-to-bus DPP system includes three different topologies of nonisolated boost converters connected together. These bidirectional converters operate in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), and synchronous switching is utilized to further increase efficiency. To validate the proposed DPP converters, system efficiency was measured at different mismatch levels and compared to the results with flyback converters. At 50% mismatch of one PV substring (in a module of three substrings), the system efficiency reached 92.7%, which was 4.9% higher than when using flyback converters. The implemented split-inductor boost converter had a volume of 72 cm$^{3}$, while the flyback converter had a volume of 141 cm$^{3}$. Overall, this research verifies that using the DPP split-inductor boost converters with DCM synchronous switching has better performance and a smaller overall volume than using flyback converters.

The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration has implemented a three-tier quality control system to enhance food safety. This system includes self-management of food businesses, external certification, and government inspection. Ten categories of food businesses are required to comply with this system. By the end of 2023, over 90% of the food businesses successfully completed the second-tier certification. Statistical analysis revealed no significant correlation between non-conformity counts and factors such as capital amount, food industry type, or times of certifications. Non-conformity issues mainly arose from violations of good hygiene practices and discrepancies between the actual execution and the established hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) system in food businesses. These issues, potentially due to a lack of hygiene and safety awareness among employees, will not cause an immediate hazard for the time being but allow for early identification of potential risks, thereby improving overall food safety.

Background Collection of high-quality videorecorded speech samples is essential for speech outcomes research.Solution Cleft palate team SLPs were trained to collect standard videorecorded speech samples in the clinic setting across 20 sites in North America. Standard training and equipment was provided.What We Did That is New Quality management procedures were developed and utilized to verify video quality and protocol adherence. Over 97% of speech samples collected by trained SLPs met defined quality standards.

[Display omitted] • Syzyum polyanthum (Wight) Walp. leaf water-extract (SPWE) possibly protected carbon steel corrosion in aggressively acidic environment. • SPWE accumulates more polar molecules which identify throughout the qualitative, quantitative, GC–MS, and FT-IR analyses. • SPWE acted as a mix-type of inhibitor for carbon steel corrosion in 1.0 M HCl solution with 94.65 ± 0.94 % % inhibition efficiency. • The enhanced corrosion resistance is due to the self-forming film as a result of SPWE species absorption by the active functional groups in SPWE. This study focuses on an investigation of the corrosion inhibition behavior of Syzygium polyanthum (Wight) Walp. leaf extract (SPWE) of carbon steel in 1.0 M hydrochloric acid medium. Electrochemical methods demonstrated a corrosion inhibition efficiency of 94.65 ± 0.94 % when 2000 ppm extract is added to the corrosive solution. Furthermore, surface analysis results indicated that with the absence of an inhibitor, the steel surface suffered severe corrosion, while the corrosion density was slow, and a film was observed on the surface after applying the SPWE into a corrosive environment. The film formed by the chemical and physical adsorption of compounds such as polyphenol, flavonoid, alkaloid, and tannin onto the carbon steel surface has been qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed in this study. Notably, increased immersion time and reaction temperature led to significant desorption of molecules, reflecting characteristic of physical adsorption. However, the corrosion inhibition efficiency of SPWE remained effective, particularly within the temperature range of 25–35 °C. Therefore, this study provides an efficient inhibitor for carbon steel corrosion in 1.0 M hydrochloric acidic environment that could be possibly added to the corrosion inhibitor system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ga2O3is a promising ultrawide-bandgap semiconductor for high-voltage and high-power applications, yet achieving reliable p-type electrical conductivity remains a significant challenge. We utilized halide vapor phase epitaxy growth to synthesize epitaxial layers of β-phase Ga2O3doped with Zn, which can serve as a suitable acceptor. Thin-film samples with Zn doping concentrations of 1.7 × 1019and 2.5 × 1020ions/cm3were confirmed as single phases of monoclinic β-Ga2O3by X-ray diffraction. To determine the location of Zn ions within the β-Ga2O3lattice, we employed X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) in conjunction with first-principles density functional theory calculations. Theoretical XANES spectra for Zn substitutions in the tetrahedral and octahedral Ga sites in β-Ga2O3, as well as a precipitation of ZnGa2O4spinel, were compared with the experimental data. The experimental XANES spectra of the Zn L3edge were reproduced well by theoretical spectra of Zn ions occupied at cationic positions at the tetrahedral coordinated site.

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text.Among patients with ROP who had similar GA, patients who received IVB showed similar neurodevelopmental outcomes in comparison with patients who received laser photocoagulation when followed until the mean age of 8 years.

In this study, we present a detailed analysis of the structural forms of asymmetric curcuminoids through single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Curcuminoids substituted with electron‐withdrawing groups (Cl and Br) predominantly adopt the β‐keto‐enol form, whereas those with an OMe group exhibit both diketo and β‐keto‐enol forms. Variable‐temperature X‐ray diffraction studies confirm that the structural state of curcuminoids is influenced by temperature. Our findings also reveal that the β‐keto‐enol form is favored in acidic and neutral conditions, while the diketo form is more prevalent in basic environments. The theoretical Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations further elucidate the energy differences between the diketo and β‐keto‐enol forms, emphasizing the significance of electronic effects and temperature on tautomeric distributions. These insights enhance our understanding of the structural dynamics of curcuminoids, with implications for their biological activity and pharmacological applications. This research provides the inaugural evidence elucidating the stereochemistry of asymmetric curcuminoids in both liquid and solid states, exploring the interdependent roles of electronic and temperature effects.

The advancement and proliferation of digitalization and communication infrastructure have facilitated the rise of real-time bidding markets in smart grids. In these dynamic markets, energy distribution companies and power-generating companies interact to establish energy exchange contracts based on offered prices. However, the fluctuation in power flow resulting from contract changes within the real-time bidding market introduces a potential vulnerability that malicious attackers can exploit to launch successful stealthy attacks. To enhance the smart grid resiliency against cyber-attack in the power market bidding environment, a new barrier-function adaptive finite-time trajectory tracking control is proposed in this paper. The developed controller is utilized to actively counteract and mitigate potential cyber-attacks to ensure their rejection and prevention. The stability analysis convincingly demonstrates the rapid convergence of system states within a finite time frame, empowering the system to effectively reject cyber-attacks in real-time. Test results of an IEEE test systems, considering governor dead bound nonlinearity and communication time delay are presented and compared with those obtained from other methods to ensure and demonstrate the performance of proposed method. The Speedgoat real-time target machine, along with Simulink real-time, validates the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Background and Objectives: Finerenone, a novel selective non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, has been indicated in chronic kidney disease associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Considering the potential complications of diabetes, finerenone can be co-administered with various drugs, including fluconazole, diltiazem, and ritonavir. Given that finerenone is a substrate of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4, the concurrent administration of finerenone with CYP3A4 inhibitors (diltiazem or fluconazole or ritonavir) could potentially lead to drug interactions, which may cause adverse events such as hyperkalemia. No studies have investigated interactions between finerenone and diltiazem or fluconazole or ritonavir. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the pharmacokinetic interaction of finerenone with diltiazem or fluconazole or ritonavir and to evaluate the impact of fluconazole on the pharmacodynamics of finerenone. Methods: The pharmacokinetic study included four rat groups (n= 8 rats/group), including a control group (finerenone alone) and test groups (finerenone pretreated with diltiazem or fluconazole or ritonavir) using both non-compartment analysis (NCA) and population pharmacokinetic (pop-PK) modeling. The pop-PK model was developed using non-linear mixed-effects modeling in NONMEM®(version 7.5.0). In the pharmacodynamic study, serum potassium (K+) levels were measured to assess the effects of fluconazole on finerenone-induced hyperkalemia. Results: The NCA results indicated that the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of finerenone increased by 1.86- and 1.95-fold when coadministered with fluconazole and ritonavir, respectively. In contrast, diltiazem did not affect the pharmacokinetics of finerenone. The pharmacokinetic profiles of finerenone were best described by a one-compartment disposition with first-order elimination and dual first-order absorption kinetics. The pop-PK modeling results demonstrated that the apparent clearance of finerenone decreased by 50.3% and 49.2% owing to the effects of fluconazole and ritonavir, respectively. Additionally, the slow absorption rate, which represents the absorption in the distal intestinal tract of finerenone, increased by 55.7% due to the effect of ritonavir. Simultaneously, a pharmacodynamic study revealed that finerenone in the presence of fluconazole caused a significant increase in K+levels compared with finerenone alone. Conclusions: Coadministration of finerenone with fluconazole or ritonavir increased finerenone exposure in rats. Additionally, the administration of finerenone in the presence of fluconazole resulted in elevated K+levels in rats. Further clinical studies are required to validate these findings.

Phosphinopyridyl ligands are used to synthesize a class of Ni(II) bis(chelate) complexes, which have been comprehensively characterized in both solid and solution phases. The structures display a square–planar configuration within the primary coordination sphere, with axially positioned labile binding sites. Their electrochemical data reveal two redox couples during the reduction process, suggesting the possibility of accessing two–electron reduction states. Significantly, these complexes serve as robust catalysts for homogeneous photocatalytic H2evolution. In a system utilizing an organic photosensitizer and a sacrificial electron donor, an optimal turnover number of 27,100 is achieved in an alcohol–containing aqueous solution. A series of photophysical and electrochemical measurements were conducted to elucidate the reaction mechanism of photocatalytic hydrogen generation. Density function theory calculations propose a catalytic pathway involving two successive one–electron reduction steps, followed by two proton discharges. The sustained photocatalytic activity of these complexes stems from their distinct ligand system, which includes phosphine and pyridine donors that aid in stabilizing the low oxidation states of the Ni center.

[Display omitted] Flexible and wearable electronics represent an emerging frontier, but realizing their potential requires addressing challenges like electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, electrical insulating thermal management, and mechanical flexibility. Layer-by-layer structure with alternating conductive and insulating layers offers a promising solution. In this work, we fabricated layer-by-layer structured papers combining boron arsenide (BA) as insulating layers and two-dimensional copper nanoflake (CuF) as conductive layers based on aramid nanofiber (ANF) film via alternating vacuum filtration. The resultant paper (BA4/CuF3) consists of 3 layers of CuF (50 wt%) based ANF (CuF@ANF) conductive layers sandwiched between 4 layers of BA (50 wt%) based ANF (BA/ANF) insulating layers providing exceptional EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) up to 52 dB in the X-band frequency, and in-plane thermal conductivity up to 32.8 W/mK. Meanwhile, the composite papers also demonstrate excellent mechanical flexibility, with the BA4/CuF3 papers exhibiting a tensile strength of 92.38 MPa and EMI SE above 50 dB. Moreover, the composites impart thermal stability up to 500 °C and reduce flammability. The concurrent enhancement of EMI shielding, thermal conductivity, and mechanical properties confirms the potential of layer-by-layer BA/CuF papers for next-generation flexible electronics demanding electromagnetic protection and thermal management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractInfectious diseases are a major threat to Asian shrimp aquaculture, as they proliferate at system level rather than only the individual level. We assess the impact of various forms of cooperation among Vietnamese farmers on yield risks caused by white spot disease and acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease. Using a stochastic simulation model, we simulate shrimp farming yield risks based on input from two expert workshops. The results provide a relative comparison of expected yield losses caused by both diseases comparing a baseline scenario (no cooperation) and three scenarios with varying degrees of synchronization and information sharing across farms. Results show lower expected yield losses in all three cooperation scenarios in comparison with the farm-based scenario, highlighting the value of synchronization and information sharing practices to mitigate yield losses. We discuss the potential this has to reduce systemic risks in aquaculture, thereby potentially incentivizing the reintroduction of risk-sharing mechanisms.

In this article, we propose a crowdsourced bicycle monitoring and finding (CBMF) framework with riding user recognition for rider safety and bike security based on Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. According to our review of relevant research, CBMF is the first framework that provides the following features: 1) it can use the inertial data to determine the normal/dangerous state of the bicycle; 2) it can recognize whether the rider is the owner based on the inertial data of cycling; and 3) if the bicycle equipped with the IoT device is stolen/missing, the current locations of the stolen bicycle can be reported by surrounding smartphones that receive the iBeacon signals with an abnormal bit proactively broadcasted by the equipped IoT device. In particular, the densely connected convolutional network is explored in CBMF to extract diverse features of riding for improving rider recognition accuracy. An Android-based prototype with the Jetson Nano developing board is implemented to verify the feasibility and superiority of our framework. Experimental results show that our developed deep learning model outperforms the existing methods and can accurately recognize the riding user (with over 90% accuracy). Moreover, the crowdsourced sensing approach can precisely locate the position of the bicycle (reducing about 50% of positioning errors), which increases the possibility of getting back the stolen/missing bicycle.

This study proposes a centimeter-level indoor positioning (CLIP) framework to achieve highly accurate localization with facing direction detection for the microlocation-aware Internet of Things (IoT). The CLIP framework can provide accurate centimeter-level positioning information to people indoors by integrating installed surveillance cameras with the IoT, where the efficient operation of microlocation-aware IoT applications and services can be enabled for smart spaces. CLIP can be used to accurately determine the position and facing direction of an individual. According to our review of relevant research, CLIP is the first indoor positioning framework that includes the following features: 1) centimeter-level positioning accuracy for the microlocation-aware IoT that can detect the facing direction of individuals; 2) employment of existing surveillance cameras with low-additional installation cost; and 3) innovative infrastructure for microlocation-aware IoT applications that can enable accurate centimeter-level path planning for individuals, emergency evacuation for groups of people, and geofencing with microlocation awareness. An Android-based system was implemented to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the CLIP framework, and experimental results indicate that CLIP outperforms existing indoor positioning methods and can achieve centimeter-level accuracy with the improvement ratio of 94.6% over Sextant.