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Synthetic α-galactosylceramide (αGalCer) and its analogues as powerful agonists for natural killer T (NKT) cell manipulation have received significant attention in immunotherapy and adjuvant development. However, identifying new potent NKT cell agonists, especially those with Th1 selectivity that promote anticancer effects, remains a challenging task. In this work, we introduced a sulfonamide group into the acyl chain of αGalCer to form additional hydrogen bonds to intensify the glycolipid/CD1d interaction. Two compounds GCS-11and GCS-12demonstrated remarkable potency while exhibiting different cytokine induction patterns. Compared to αGalCer, the Th1-biased GCS-11exhibited a 6-fold increase in IFN-γ but not IL-4, while the Th1/2-balanced GCS-12elicited 7- and 5-fold increase in IFN-γ and IL-4, respectively, in vivo. These findings place them among the most potent NKT cell agonists, with superior antitumor effects. Therefore, hydrogen-bond-involved derivatization could be a powerful strategy to develop potent and polarized NKT cell agonists for various immunotherapies.

Oxygen incorporation is investigated as a strategy to improve heterojunction of CZTSSe solar cell. 12.04% PCE has been achieved due to the suppressed defects and optimized carrier collection.

A chemical activation followed by a high-temperature self-healing strategy is employed to create abundant interconnected closed pores in lignin-derived hard carbon, and the mechanism of closed pore formation during carbonization is revealed.

The self-assembly of cuprous iodide supramolecular clusters with novel molecular structures and excellent photocatalytic performance through weak noncovalent interactions remains a major challenge. In this work, we fabricate a dimeric anionic cuprous iodide supramolecular cluster [(Cu8I14)6–(L13+)2] (HUBU-1) using a multicomponent confined self-assembly strategy via host–guest encapsulation associated with multicharge electrostatic interaction. Furthermore, cluster HUBU-1exhibits exceptional visible light absorption capability and a surmountable energy bandgap (Eg= 2.73 eV), which is crucial for the generation of reactive oxygen species and other reactive radicals in the photocatalysis process. Excellent photoelectric performance endows cluster HUBU-1with highly photocatalytic activity toward both oxidative coupling reaction of benzylamine and cycloaddition reaction of azide–alkynes (CuAAC) in acetonitrile. Specifically, the photocatalytic yields of imine products reach 60–76% for nine amine substrates under illumination. Likewise, the photoinduced catalytic efficiency of the CuAAC reactions involving nine alkyne derivatives ranges from 56 to 90%. Consequently, by utilizing density functional theory calculations and electron paramagnetic resonance experiments, we propose a photocatalytic mechanism for superoxide radical-triggered photo-oxidation and phenylacetylene radical-initiated cycloaddition.

This paper considers leader–follower consensus of linear multiagent systems with unknown inputs. The proposed technical framework consists of two processes, that is, estimation and control. For the estimation process, we design a complementary sector region based on a novel reset variable. In this region, a class of distributed extended state observers that depends on the above variables is constructed, which completes the estimation of system states and unknown inputs, simultaneously. This reset strategy also guarantees that the system states are quickly estimated. For the control process, the distributed output feedback controller associated with the reset strategy is designed. The unknown input is also compensated under the reset strategy, which achieves the objective of consensus. Finally, effectiveness of the presented method is validated by an example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapidly increasing number of motor vehicles in megacities in recent years, nitrate has become a crucial component in atmospheric fine particulate matter, which has significant impacts on the formation of haze. In this study, a photochemical smog chamber was used to investigate the effect of atmospheric pollutants such as O3, NH3and SO2on the heterogeneous formation of nitrate on the surface of nano MgO particles in the two reaction systems of NO2–MgO-dark and NO2–MgO-hνand their related formation mechanisms. In the dark, similar to nighttime, O3, NH3and SO2played a key role in promoting the heterogeneous formation of nitrate on the surface of nano MgO particles, following the order O3> SO2> NH3. It was noted that the synergy between O3and SO2or NH3was more favorable for the heterogeneous formation of nitrate. Besides, the heterogeneous formation of nitrite was greatly impacted by NH3and SO2. Alternatively, under UV light, similar to daytime, the synergy between UV light and O3greatly promoted the heterogeneous formation of nitrate, whereas NH3and SO2exerted an inhibitory effect. The mechanisms for the heterogeneous formation of nitrate on the surface of nano MgO particles were strongly affected by UV light, O3, NH3and SO2, presenting different reaction mechanisms. The synergistic effects of O3, NH3and SO2on the heterogeneous formation of nitrate at nighttime were obviously higher than that of UV light, O3, NH3and SO2at daytime, implying that nighttime is more favorable for the heterogeneous formation of nitrate.

Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is a major cytosolic DNA sensor that plays a significant role in innate immunity. Upon binding to double stranded DNA (dsDNA), cGAS utilizes GTP and ATP to synthesize the second messenger cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP). The cGAMP then binds to the adapter protein stimulator of interferon genes (STING) in the endoplasmic reticulum, resulting in the activation of the transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and subsequent induction of type I interferon. An important question is how cGAS distinguishes between self and non-self DNA. While cGAS binds to the phosphate backbone of DNA without discrimination, its activation is influenced by physical features such as DNA length, inter-DNA distance, and mechanical flexibility. This suggests that the recognition of DNA by cGAS may depend on these physical features. In this article we summarize the recent progress in research on cGAS-STING pathway involved in antiviral defense, cellular senescence and anti-tumor response, and focus on DNA recognition mechanisms based on the physical features.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic, progressive and irreversible interstitial lung disease characterized by unremitting pulmonary myofibroblasts activation, extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and inflammatory recruitment. PF has no curable medication yet. In this study we investigated the molecular pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets of PF and discovered drug lead compounds for PF therapy. A murine PF model was established in mice by intratracheal instillation of bleomycin (BLM, 5 mg/kg). We showed that the protein level of pulmonary protein phosphatase magnesium-dependent 1A (PPM1A, also known as PP2Cα) was significantly downregulated in PF patients and BLM-induced PF mice. We demonstrated that TRIM47 promoted ubiquitination and decreased PPM1A protein in PF progression. By screening the lab in-house compound library, we discovered otilonium bromide (OB, clinically used for treating irritable bowel syndrome) as a PPM1A enzymatic activator with an EC50value of 4.23 μM. Treatment with OB (2.5, 5 mg·kg−1·d−1, i.p., for 20 days) significantly ameliorated PF-like pathology in mice. We constructed PF mice with PPM1A-specific knockdown in the lung tissues, and determined that by targeting PPM1A, OB treatment suppressed ECM deposition through TGF-β/SMAD3 pathway in fibroblasts, repressed inflammatory responses through NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway in alveolar epithelial cells, and blunted the crosstalk between inflammation in alveolar epithelial cells and ECM deposition in fibroblasts. Together, our results demonstrate that pulmonary PPM1A activation is a promising therapeutic strategy for PF and highlighted the potential of OB in the treatment of the disease.

In practice, the model structure, parameters and time-delay of the actual process may vary simultaneously. However, the general identification methods of the 3 items are performed with separate procedures which is very inconvenient in practical application. In view of the fact that variable selection procedure can ensure a compact model with robust input-output relation and in order to explore the feasibility of variable selection algorithm for the simultaneous identification of process structure, parameters and time-delay, non-negative garrote (NNG) algorithm is introduced and applied to system identification and the corresponding procedures are presented. The application of NNG variable selection algorithm to the identification of single input single output (SISO) system, multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system and Wood-Berry tower industry are investigated. The identification accuracy and the time-series variable selection results are analyzed and compared between NNG and ordinary least square (OLS) algorithms. The derived excellent results show that the proposed NNG-based modeling algorithm can be utilized for simultaneous identification of the model structure, parameters and time-delay with high precision.

This brief is devoted to the power-constrained low-thrust optimal control problem (OCP). First, a general model for a class of power constraints is proposed by defining a piecewise smooth function, which describes the discontinuities of the control system. Subsequently, a recursive smoothing function is proposed to smooth the generalized discontinuous terms leading to a family of smooth OCPs, whose solutions converge to the solution of the discontinuous power-constrained OCP. The distinguished feature is that the variations of the control bound, caused by the power constraints, are embedded into the smoothing function, and are retrieved gradually. Consequently, the constrained and unconstrained OCPs are seamlessly connected, allowing an easy start and convergence improvement of the continuation. Moreover, a homotopy is constructed to guarantee a smooth connection, providing a differential homotopy path-tracking process. Finally, by comparing with the existing methods, typical scenarios are simulated to demonstrate the convergence improvement and efficiency of the proposed generic homotopic smoothing method.

Reachability analysis is very useful and of great interest in various space missions. This correspondence proposes a method to compute the 2-D reachable set (RS) of low-thrust spacecraft with bounded control and limited fuel. For a class of smooth nonlinear affine-control systems, a two-step solving procedure is proposed to solve the boundary of 2-D RSs. By constructing a suitable homotopy, the connection between the homotopy path and the boundary of 2-D RSs is built. The proposed method is applied to investigate the 2-D orbital element RS of low-thrust spacecraft. In particular, both osculating and mean orbital elements are considered. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method are demonstrated by numerical simulations and analyses.

Representing the next-generation technology in lithium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries offer increased specific energy without relying on scarce metals like nickel and cobalt, but suffer from a low practical specific energy due to poor conductivity and a short lifespan due to the shuttle effect of polysulfides. Balancing the confinement of polysulfides and the transport of lithium ions requires highly elaborate modifiers for separators. Hollow multi-shelled structures (HoMSs) show promise as hierarchical mesostructures for separators, offering multiple shell layers and internal cavities that effectively inhibit polysulfide shuttle. Thoughtful design of these structures is crucial to address these challenges effectively. In this study, nitrogen-doped carbon HoMS (NC HoMS) was created using polymer templates through a precisely controlled polymerization process. Batteries featuring NC HoMS-modified separators exhibit improved capacity and cycling stability in comparison to those utilizing commercial separators. Especially, triple-shelled NC HoMS strikes a balance in polysulfide containment and lithium ion transport. Featuring a sulfur loading of 6.34 mg/cm2, the Li-S battery can consistently complete 100 charge-discharge cycles, starting with a discharge capacity of 966.4 mA·h/g with a 75.8% capacity retention rate. NC HoMS holds potential as the separator modifier in addressing the polysulfide shuttle problem and facilitating the Li-ion transportation for advanced Li-S batteries.

To reduce noise interferences and improve the steady-state estimation accuracy of submodule (SM) capacitors, a novel SM capacitance monitoring approach has been proposed for the modular multilevel converter in this article. First, the fundamental frequency (FF) component is analyzed to be dominant of the capacitor voltage squared. Then, based on the energy equation W = Cv2/2, half of the FF capacitor voltage squared is selected as the input variable, and the FF capacitor energy calculated by power integral is selected as the feedback component. By proper design of the estimation law, closed-loop capacitance monitoring can be achieved with reduced noise interference. Furthermore, based on the Lyapunov stability criterion, the estimation parameter is designed so that the estimation error asymptotically converges to zero. Compared with the conventional methods, the proposed approach is easy to implement and requires no operation interruption of the monitored SM. Simulation and experimental results indicate that by the proposed approach, the estimation error of the SM capacitance can be limited to 1%.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is associated with changed dietary habits and mainly linked with the gut microbiota dysbiosis, necroptosis of epithelial cells, and mucosal ulcerations. Liver dysfunction and abnormal level of liver metabolism indices were identified in UC patients, suggesting a close interaction between gut and liver disorders. Methionine-choline deficient diet (MCD) has been shown to induce persistent alterations of gut microbiota and metabolome during hepatitis. In this study we further explored the disease phenotypes in UC patients and investigated whether MCD functioned as a trigger for UC susceptibility. After assessing 88 serum specimens from UC patients, we found significant liver dysfunction and dyslipidemia including abnormal ALT, AST, TG, TC, LDL-c and HDL-c. Liver dysfunction and dyslipidemia were confirmed in DSS-induced colitis mice. We fed mice with MCD for 14 days to cause mild liver damage, and then treated with DSS for 7 days. We found that MCD intake significantly exacerbated the pathogenesis of mucosal inflammation in DSS-induced acute, progressive, and chronic colitis, referring to promotion of mucosal ulcers, colon shortening, diarrhea, inflammatory immune cell infiltration, cytokines release, and abnormal activation of inflammatory macrophages in colon and liver specimens. Intraperitoneal injection of clodronate liposomes to globally delete macrophages dramatically compromised the pathogenesis of MCD-triggering colitis. In addition, MCD intake markedly changed the production pattern of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in murine stools, colons, and livers. We demonstrated that MCD-induced colitis pathogenesis largely depended on the gut microbes and the disease phenotypes could be transmissible through fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). In conclusion, this study supports the concept that intake of MCD predisposes to experimental colitis and enhances its pathogenesis via modulating gut microbes and macrophages in mice.

A design method of composite sensitized optical fiber microphone based on package is proposed. First, finite element simulation experiments were carried out to analyze the effects of Young’s modulus ( ${E}$ ) and Poisson’s ratio ( $\mu $ ) of packaging materials, as well as their size radius and height on the sensitivity of optical fiber microphones (OFMs), and the above analysis was verified by experiments. Based on the above conclusions, a simple resin-packaged sensitized optical fiber microphone (ROFM) with good protective properties and high sensitivity has been prepared by using aspartate polyurea resin (APR). Acoustic tests show that the ROFM maintains full frequency sensitization in the range of 100–3400 Hz and has a good linear sound pressure response. In particular, the ROFM achieves a 13.1–40 dB enhancement over the 100–1200-Hz human acoustic wave concentration range, averaging about 27.5 dB, and the frequency response is flatter. These results show that the ROFM has high sensitivity and high fidelity, and it is suitable for acoustic detection sin the range of human voice. At the same time, the package design sensitization method proposed in this article has wide applicability to OFMs and has broad application prospects.

The tip-clearance flow in a pump-jet propulsor exerts great impacts on the fluctuating pressures and resultant unsteady forces, which are important sources of structural vibrations and radiated noise underwater. The blade geometry close to the tip is an important factor determining the vortex strength in the tip-clearance flow. In the open-water condition, the effects of raking the rotor tips on the duct-surface fluctuating pressures and the resultant unsteady forces acting on different components of the propulsor are investigated via physical model experiments and the numerical solution of Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations coupled with the SST k- ωturbulence model. The measured and simulated results of hydrodynamic pressures are consistent to each other, and the simulated flows help better understand why the fluctuating pressures change with the tip geometry. The strong fluctuations of duct-surface pressures are caused by intensive tip separation vortices. The duct-surface pressure fluctuations are effectively reduced by using the rake distribution near the tip towards blade back side and, for the combination of the five-bladed rotor and the seven-bladed stator, the resultant unsteady horizontal (and vertical) forces acting on the duct and stator are also reduced; while increasing rake leads to negative effect on pressure fluctuations and unsteady horizontal (and vertical) forces acting on all the components of the propulsor.

Objective: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to estimate the effect of exercise interventions on anxiety and depression in patients with lung cancer through the analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. The meta-analysis was conducted in three databases from inception to May 2022. The investigation focused on assessing the impacts exercise interventions on patients with lung cancer, specifically examing RCTs that reported outcomes related to anxiety and depression. Effect sizes were calculated by standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI)statistics. Additionally, subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were conducted. Results: Eleven RCTs involving a total of 987 participants were included in this analysis. The results demonstrated that exercise interventions significantly decreased levels of anxiety (SMD = − 0.65; 95% CI [− 1.79, − 0.52], P= 0.0004) and depression (SMD = − 0.82; 95% CI [− 1.16, − 0.47]; P< 0.01). A subgroup analysis of anxiety, using the HADS scale, showed no heterogeneity (SMD = − 0.23, 95% CI [− 0.45, − 0.02], I2= 0%). Similarly, for depression, the subgroup analysis showed no heterogeneity (SMD = − 0.53, 95% CI [− 0.75, − 0.31]; P< 0.01; I2= 0%). Results of subgroup analyses using the SAS (I2= 90%) and SDS scale (I2= 92%) showed heterogeneity among studies; however, the scale itself was not a source of heterogeneity. Regarding sensitivity analyses for anxiety and depression, they were all statistically robust. Conclusion: In summary, the present meta-analysis suggests that exercise interventions may reduce anxiety and depression levels in patients with lung cancer. The exercise programs included in this trial were associated with less anxiety and depression levels.

Running exercise has been shown to alleviate depressive symptoms. However, the mechanism underlying the antidepressant effects of running exercise is not fully understood. The imbalance of M1/M2 microglia phenotype/polarization and concomitant dysregulation of neuroinflammation play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of depression. Running exercise increases circulating levels of adiponectin which is known to cross the blood‒brain barrier and suppress inflammatory responses. AdipoR1 is an adiponectin receptor that is involved in regulating microglial phenotypes and activation states. However, whether running exercise regulates hippocampal microglial phenotypes and neuroinflammation through adiponectin/AdipoR1 to exert its antidepressant effects remains unclear. In the current study, 4 weeks of running exercise significantly alleviated the depressive-like behaviors of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS)-exposed mice. Moreover, running exercise decreased the microglial numbers and altered microglial morphology in three subregions of the hippocampus to restore the M1/M2 balance; these effects were accompanied by regulation of pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokine production and secretion in CUS-exposed mice. These effects may involve elevation of peripheral tissue (adipose tissue and muscle) and plasma adiponectin levels, and hippocampal AdipoR1 levels as well as activation of the AMPK-NF-κB/STAT3 signaling pathway by running exercise. When an adeno-associated virus was used to knock down hippocampal AdipoR1, mice showed depressive-like behaviors and alterations in microglia and inflammatory factor expression in the hippocampus that were similar to those observed in CUS-exposed mice. Together, these results suggest that running exercise maintains the M1/M2 balance and inhibits neuroinflammation in the hippocampus of CUS-exposed mice. These effects might occur via adiponectin/AdipoR1-mediated activation of the AMPK-NF-κB/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is currently a preeminent challenge for cardiovascular medicine. It has a poor prognosis, increasing mortality, and is escalating in prevalence worldwide. Despite accounting for over 50% of all HF patients, the mechanistic underpinnings driving HFpEF are poorly understood, thus impeding the discovery and development of mechanism-based therapies. HFpEF is a disease syndrome driven by diverse comorbidities, including hypertension, diabetes and obesity, pulmonary hypertension, aging, and atrial fibrillation. There is a lack of high-fidelity animal models that faithfully recapitulate the HFpEF phenotype, owing primarily to the disease heterogeneity, which has hampered our understanding of the complex pathophysiology of HFpEF. This review provides an updated overview of the currently available animal models of HFpEF and discusses their characteristics from the perspective of energy metabolism. Interventional strategies for efficiently utilizing energy substrates in preclinical HFpEF models are also discussed.

ABSTRACT The freeze-thaw of the 3% [Na.sub.2]S[O.sub.4], 5% [Na.sub.2]S[O.sub.4] and 10% [Na.sub.2]S[O.sub.4] (mass fraction) solutions and water was tested using the quick freezing method for recycled concrete, with a water-binder [...]

Objective: We assessed whether biological age, measured by the epigenetic clock GrimAge, mediates the association of objective and subjective neighborhood disadvantage with incident HF among Black persons. Methods: Participants were 1448 self-reported Black adults (mean age (standard deviation, SD) = 64.3 (5.5)) dually enrolled in two community-based cohorts in Jackson, Mississippi, the ARIC and JHS cohorts, who were free of HF as of January 1, 2000. Incident HF events leading to hospitalization through December 31, 2017, were classified using ICD-9 discharge codes of HF. Multilevel age- and sex-adjusted Cox causal mediation models were used to examine whether biological age (at the person and neighborhood level) mediated the effects of objective (the National Area Deprivation Index, ADI) and subjective (perceived neighborhood problems) neighborhood disadvantage on incident HF. Results: A total of 334 incident hospitalized HF events occurred over a median follow-up of 18.0 years. The total effect of the ADI and perceived neighborhood problems (SD units) on HF was hazard ration (HR) = 1.26 and 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.98–1.56 and HR = 1.26 and 95% CI 1.10–1.41, respectively. GrimAge mediated a majority of the effect of perceived neighborhood problems on HF (person-level indirect effect HR = 1.07; 95% CI 1.02–1.12 and neighborhood-level indirect effect HR = 1.18; 95% CI 1.03–1.34), with the combined indirect effect explaining 94.8% of the relationship. The combined indirect effect of ADI on incident HF was comparable but not statistically significant. Conclusions: Subjective neighborhood disadvantage may confer an increased risk of HF among Black populations.

A highly efficient enantioselective enamine-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition has been developed to directly convert unfunctionalized cyclic α-hydroxyamides into chiral cyclic α-hydroxyamides by reacting with vinyl sulfones, which could be used as versatile azacyclic synthons in the following sequences: (1) as the precursors of cyclic N-acyliminium ions to prepare natural productlike chiral azapolycyclic compounds under acidic conditions and (2) to construct chiral cyclic imides bearing unilateral substituents via oxidation reaction-induced formal desymmetrization.

The crown root system is the most important root component in maize at both the vegetative and reproductive stages. However, the genetic basis of maize crown root traits (CRT) is still unclear, and the relationship between CRT and aboveground agronomic traits in maize is poorly understood. In this study, an association panel including 531 elite maize inbred lines was planted to phenotype the CRT and aboveground agronomic traits in different field environments. We found that root traits were significantly and positively correlated with most aboveground agronomic traits, including flowering time, plant architecture and grain yield. Using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) coupled with resequencing, a total of 115 associated loci and 22 high-confidence candidate genes were identified for CRT. Approximately one-third of the genetic variation in crown root was co-located with 46 QTLs derived from flowering and plant architecture. Furthermore, 103 (89.6%) of 115 crown root loci were located within known domestication- and/or improvement-selective sweeps, suggesting that crown roots might experience indirect selection in maize during domestication and improvement. Furthermore, the expression of Zm00001d036901, a high-confidence candidate gene, may contribute to the phenotypic variation in maize crown roots, and Zm00001d036901 was selected during the domestication and improvement of maize. This study promotes our understanding of the genetic basis of root architecture and provides resources for genomics-enabled improvements in maize root architecture.

Cross-domain text recognition is a very challenging task due to the domain drift problem. One solution is aligning feature distributions between domains through Unsupervised Domain Adaptation (UDA). All existing methods perform feature alignment based on the whole image or semantic character features. However, visual character features without contextual semantics also contain much valuable information, e.g., stroke features of individual characters, which also benefits domain transfer. To this end, we propose a dual intra-Class Aggregation based unsupervised Domain Adaptation method (CADA) for text recognition, which aligns both visual and semantic character feature distributions. To our knowledge, CADA is the first to consider visual character features without contextual semantics in cross-domain text recognition tasks. Accordingly, a Single-head Self-Attention (SSA) mechanism is introduced for extracting visual character features. Thereafter, a dual intra-class aggregation strategy is designed, which performs class aggregations in both visual and semantic spaces. We test the proposed method on widely-used datasets by combining it with representative text recognition models with various decoding methods. Extensive experimental results demonstrate the superiority and generality. Moreover, there is no additional inference time introduced compared to the baselines.

Modular multilevel converters (MMCs) have attracted extensive research interests in various ac and dc conversion applications due to their modular structure and excellent harmonic performance. However, the large number of power switches increases the potential risk of submodule (SM) failure, which greatly challenges the safe and reliable operation of the MMC. This article presents a detailed review of fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control methods of the MMC under SM failures. On this basis, comprehensive comparisons are conducted among different fault diagnosis methods, and verification results are provided to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the popular fault-tolerant control methods. Finally, the review is concluded, and future trends and research opportunities are discussed.

One of the challenges of distributed fiber optic sensors is to monitor objects that have multiple branches, such as pipelines or power grids. Existing sensors require multiple sensing systems to cover each branch, which increases the cost and complexity of the monitoring. We propose a fiber optic sensor based on linear Sagnac interferometer for branch localization for practical environments where branch paths exist. The system is based on a dual-wavelength single-core Sagnac interferometer, which can extend multiple branches in the sensing cable part. The phase difference signals caused by external disturbances are demodulated and go through different signal processing. By using time delay estimation and null frequency method, we can determine the exact location of the disturbance on the main or branch path. Moreover, we propose a new method to reduce interference with null frequencies of the spectrum by subtracting the phase difference signal at one wavelength from the other. We demonstrate the feasibility and performance of our proposed system through theoretical analysis and experimental results. Our proposed system offers a simple and effective solution for branch localization in distributed fiber optic sensing applications.

To simultaneously achieve fast dynamics and fixed switching frequency, a dual-layer modulated model predictive control scheme is proposed for the cascaded H-bridge converter in this article. For the output current control layer, first, each phase cluster is considered as a whole, and only six nonzero vectors are evaluated for output current prediction. Then, two optimal vectors are selected, and their dwell times are calculated based on the current prediction results. As a result, fast output current dynamics can be obtained with a greatly reduced number of evaluated control options. For the cluster voltage balancing control layer, instead of fundamental-frequency zero-sequence voltage (ZSV), the adaptive ZSV is injected according to the predicted cluster voltage differences. As a result, the active power flows are adjusted in each control period, and the cluster voltage balancing speed can be significantly improved. By the proposed scheme, complicated weighting factor design is avoided, and fixed switching frequency is obtained through the integration of pulsewidth modulation. Experimental results verify that the proposed scheme can achieve fast output current and cluster voltage balancing dynamics with fixed switching frequency.

Purpose: A new backward punch shape was designed and used in the hydroforming process of double-layer Y-shaped tubes to achieve uniform wall thickness. This study focuses on the implementation and effectiveness of this novel punch shape. Design/methodology/approach: A numerical simulation and experimental validation of the hydroforming process of double-layer Y-shaped tubes under various backward punch, replenishment ratios (left and right feed ratios) and internal pressure loading paths was performed using finite elements. During the hydroforming process, an analysis was made on the distribution of stress, strain and wall thickness in both the inner and outer layers of the Y-shaped conduit. Findings: The novel backward punch parallel to the main tube has been found to improve the distribution of wall thickness in Y-shaped tubes. By controlling the feeding ratio and modifying the loading path of the internal pressure, it is possible to obtain the optimal forming part of the double-layer Y-shaped tube. The comparison between the simulation and experimental results of the double-layer Y-shaped tube formed under the optimal path indicates that the error is within 5% and the distribution of wall thickness is consistent. Originality/value: A novel backward punch technique is employed to control the hydroforming process in a Y-shaped tube. A study on hydroforming of double-layer Y-shaped tubes with asymmetric features and challenging forming conditions is being suggested.

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) are acknowledged as one of the most perfect precursors to synthesize metal–nitrogen/carbon materials in H2-air and Zn-air fuel cells to boost their cathodic sluggish oxygen reactions. However, abundant atomically dispersed metal–nitrogen sites are useless because of being buried in the derived carbon nanoparticles. Here, a molten-salt-assisted pyrolysis strategy is proposed to prepare two-dimensional porous metal–nitrogen/carbon materials with an attempt to expose metal–nitrogen sites, which involves thermal intercalation/exfoliation and space-confined pyrolysis of layer-structured ZIFs from the molten-salt mixture of KCl/LiCl. Specifically, atomically dispersed Co–N/C porous nanosheets were prepared, showing a high special surface area of 1100 m2g–1to host abundant exposed Co–Nxsites. When the Co–N/C electrocatalyst was assembled into a liquid-state Zn-air fuel cell, its peak power density and specific capacity reached up to 239.7 mW cm–2and 784.9 mAh g–1, respectively, and excellent discharge–charge cycling stability was demonstrated. Furthermore, a Co–N/C-based solid-state Zn-air fuel cell was fabricated, also showing outstanding cell performance, such as a peak power density of 147.2 mW cm–2. This work provides a feasible method to synthesize porous two-dimensional functional carbon materials for electrocatalysis and energy devices.

Kagome superconductors AV3Sb5(A = K, Rb, Cs) provide a fertile playground for studying intriguing phenomena, including nontrivial band topology, superconductivity, giant anomalous Hall effect, and charge density wave (CDW). Recently, a C2symmetric nematic phase prior to the superconducting state in AV3Sb5drew enormous attention due to its potential inheritance of the symmetry of the unusual superconductivity. However, direct evidence of the rotation symmetry breaking of the electronic structure in the CDW state from the reciprocal space is still rare, and the underlying mechanism remains ambiguous. The observation shows unconventional unidirectionality, indicative of rotation symmetry breaking from six-fold to two-fold. The interlayer coupling between adjacent planes with π-phase offset in the 2 × 2 × 2 CDW phase leads to the preferred two-fold symmetric electronic structure. These rarely observed unidirectional back-folded bands in KV3Sb5may provide important insights into its peculiar charge order and superconductivity.

While the ability to coordinate movements temporally with rhythmic auditory stimuli is universal, previous investigators showed that accurate rhythm reproduction depends on temporal complexity. To date, the effect of multiple pitches on the timing of rhythmic movements has been assumed. Exploring a possible sustainedentrainment effect of auditory stimuli on sequential movement might further elucidate the role of temporal complexity and its interaction with multiple pitch engagement. Thus, we investigated the sustained effect of auditory entrainment and the interaction between temporal complexity and pitch on predefined sequential tapping with tapping sequences predefined before a synchronization-timekeeping task. Temporal complexity was manipulated by increasing the number of non-integer ratios in temporal rhythm. The rhythm sequences were presented with either multiple pitches or a single pitch. We found a reduction in mean asynchronies and ratio error in three rhythms with non-integer ratios, while inter-response interval error was reduced in the integer rhythm and the rhythm with one repetitive integer ratio and one non-integer ratio. Ratio error remanence was less in rhythms with two non-integer ratios. We found no significant difference between the two pitch types. There was a sustained entrainment effect of sequential tapping that varied with differing temporal complexity, and pitch information was not essential for auditory entrainment. These findings provide support for possible interventions aimed at motor learning.

Policy decision of curling refers to providing strategy suggestions for curling competition with the help of computers. Existing curling agents have achieved good results in the digital scenarios, but cannot make correct decisions when applied to actual competition and training scenes. In this paper, a strategies decision agent in the real scene has been proposed. The competition situation was acquired by a Situation-Aware Network and mapped by a Digital Extraction module. We designed Curling MCTS to explore the best strategy in continuous space. The effectiveness of our framework has been verified by experiments and evaluated by China’s wheelchair curling team at China Disabled Sports Management Center. With the help of our system, China’s wheelchair curling team trained effectively and won the championship in the XIII Paralympic Winter Games (2022, Beijing). In addition, a new curling target detection dataset was provided.

To examine the association of neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) with sleep duration among a large cohort of Black and white men and women in the United States.

Emerging evidence supports shifting the focus from the quantity of macronutrients to quality to obtain greater benefits for the prognosis of ovarian cancer (OC). Additionally, despite the high relevance between macronutrient quality and quantity, the interaction of these parameters on OC survival remains unknown.

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Sucrose nonfermenting-related protein kinase 1 (SnRK1) is one of the critical serine/threonine protein kinases. It commonly mediates plant growth and development, cross-talks with metabolism processes and physiological responses to biotic or abiotic stresses. It plays a key role in distributing carbohydrates and sugar signal transporting. In the present study, eight SnRK1 coding genes were identified in sorghum (Sorghum bicolorL.) viasequences alignment, with three for α subunits (SnRK1α1to SnRK1α3), three for β (SnRK1β1to SnRK1β3), and one for both γ (SnRK1γ) and βγ (SnRK1βγ). These eight corresponding genes located on five chromosomes (Chr) of Chr1–3, Chr7, and Chr9 and presented collinearities to SnRK1s from maize and rice, exhibiting highly conserved domains within the same subunits from the three kinds of cereals. Expression results viaqRT-PCR showed that different coding genes of SnRK1sin sorghum possessed similar expression patterns except for SnRK1α3with a low expression level in grains and SnRK1β2with a relatively high expression level in inflorescences. Results of subcellular localization in sorghum leaf protoplast showed that SnRK1α1/α2/α3/γ mainly located on organelles, while the rest four of SnRK1β1/β2/β3/βγ located on both membranes and some organelles. Besides, three combinations were discovered among eight SnRK1 subunits in sorghum through yeast two hybrid, including α1-β2-βγ, α2-β3-γ, and α3-β3-γ. These results provide informative references for the following functional dissection of SnRK1 subunits in sorghum.

Inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD) is a critical strategy for enhancing cancer immunotherapy. However, inefficient and risky ICD inducers along with a tumor hypoxia microenvironment seriously limit the immunotherapy efficacy. Non-specific delivery is also responsible for this inefficiency. In this work, we report a drug-free bacteria-derived outer membrane vesicle (OMV)-functionalized Fe3O4-MnO2(FMO) nanoplatform that realized neutrophil-mediated targeted delivery and photothermally enhanced cancer immunotherapy. In this system, modification of OMVs derived from Escherichia colienhanced the accumulation of FMO NPs at the tumor tissue through neutrophil-mediated targeted delivery. The FMO NPs underwent reactive decomposition in the tumor site, generating manganese and iron ions that induced ICD and O2that regulated the tumor hypoxia environment. Moreover, OMVs are rich in pathogen-associated pattern molecules that can overcome the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment and effectively activate immune cells, thereby enhancing specific immune responses. Photothermal therapy (PTT) caused by MnO2and Fe3O4can not only indirectly stimulate systemic immunity by directly destroying tumor cells but also promote the enrichment of neutrophil-equipped nanoparticles by enhancing the inflammatory response at the tumor site. Finally, the proposed multi-modal treatment system with targeted delivery capability realized effective tumor immunotherapy to prevent tumor growth and recurrence.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a prototypical autoimmune disease that causes joint inflammation and destruction1. There is currently no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, and the effectiveness of treatments varies across patients, suggesting an undefined pathogenic diversity1,2. Here, to deconstruct the cell states and pathways that characterize this pathogenic heterogeneity, we profiled the full spectrum of cells in inflamed synovium from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. We used multi-modal single-cell RNA-sequencing and surface protein data coupled with histology of synovial tissue from 79 donors to build single-cell atlas of rheumatoid arthritis synovial tissue that includes more than 314,000 cells. We stratified tissues into six groups, referred to as cell-type abundance phenotypes (CTAPs), each characterized by selectively enriched cell states. These CTAPs demonstrate the diversity of synovial inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, ranging from samples enriched for T and B cells to those largely lacking lymphocytes. Disease-relevant cell states, cytokines, risk genes, histology and serology metrics are associated with particular CTAPs. CTAPs are dynamic and can predict treatment response, highlighting the clinical utility of classifying rheumatoid arthritis synovial phenotypes. This comprehensive atlas and molecular, tissue-based stratification of rheumatoid arthritis synovial tissue reveal new insights into rheumatoid arthritis pathology and heterogeneity that could inform novel targeted treatments.

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) benefits some patients with triple-negative breast cancer, but what distinguishes responders from non-responders is unclear1. Because ICB targets cell–cell interactions2, we investigated the impact of multicellular spatial organization on response, and explored how ICB remodels the tumour microenvironment. We show that cell phenotype, activation state and spatial location are intimately linked, influence ICB effect and differ in sensitive versus resistant tumours early on-treatment. We used imaging mass cytometry3to profile the in situ expression of 43 proteins in tumours from patients in a randomized trial of neoadjuvant ICB, sampled at three timepoints (baseline, n= 243; early on-treatment, n= 207; post-treatment, n= 210). Multivariate modelling showed that the fractions of proliferating CD8+TCF1+T cells and MHCII+cancer cells were dominant predictors of response, followed by cancer–immune interactions with B cells and granzyme B+T cells. On-treatment, responsive tumours contained abundant granzyme B+T cells, whereas resistant tumours were characterized by CD15+cancer cells. Response was best predicted by combining tissue features before and on-treatment, pointing to a role for early biopsies in guiding adaptive therapy. Our findings show that multicellular spatial organization is a major determinant of ICB effect and suggest that its systematic enumeration in situ could help realize precision immuno-oncology.

Pseudo-periodic signals are frequently encountered in modern scientific and engineering applications. Most current signal modeling methods focus on strictly periodic signals, and they may fail to account for both the within- and between-period correlations of pseudo-periodic signals, which could lower the modeling and prediction accuracy. To address this issue, we develop a novel quasi-periodic Gaussian process method for signals collected at grids. It can well model the within- and between-period correlations and has an easy-to-interpret structure that can quantify the magnitude of cycle oscillations in pseudo-periodic signals. To speed up the model estimation, prediction, and simulation, we further propose a fast composite likelihood approach that decomposes the full likelihood in an exact manner. This acceleration is achieved by leveraging the fast Fourier transform (FFT) and exploiting the Kronecker structure of the within- and between-period correlations. Its superior performance over some state-of-the-art methods is demonstrated through a simulation study and two real case studies on sunspot period estimation and cardiac arrhythmia monitoring.

The effect of high-intensity ultrasonic treatment (which can generate cavitation) on the microstructure of aluminum (Al) ingots has been widely studied. In this work, a stainless steel thin-walled sleeve was placed in a crucible to separate the 2219 Al melt into two parts: inside and outside the sleeve. By applying the ultrasound in the melt inside the sleeve, a low-intensity ultrasonic field (where the acoustic pressure is lower than the cavitation threshold) was introduced into the melt outside the sleeve. The influence of low-intensity ultrasound on the temperature gradient of the pasty melt as well as the refinement efficiency was explored. The result shows that low-intensity ultrasonic can induce high-frequency forced vibration to the grains and reduce the solid–liquid interfacial thermal resistance. In addition, by comparing the microstructure inside and outside the sleeve, it was found that there was no significant difference in the size and morphology of the grains and eutectic phase. This indicates that the cavitation effect is not necessary for grain refinement, and low-intensity ultrasonic can also produce a significant microstructure improvement on Al alloys.

Dry eye disease (DED) is a prevalent ocular disorder with a multifactorial etiology. The pre-angiogenic and pre-inflammatory milieu of the ocular surface plays a critical role in its pathogenesis. DZ2002 is a reversible type III S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase (SAHH) inhibitor, which has shown excellent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of DZ2002 in rodent models of DED. SCOP-induced dry eye models were established in female rats and mice, while BAC-induced dry eye model was established in female rats. DZ2002 was administered as eye drops (0.25%, 1%) four times daily (20 μL per eye) for 7 or 14 consecutive days. We showed that topical application of DZ2002 concentration-dependently reduced corneal neovascularization and corneal opacity, as well as alleviated conjunctival irritation in both DED models. Furthermore, we observed that DZ2002 treatment decreased the expression of genes associated with angiogenesis and the levels of inflammation in the cornea and conjunctiva. Moreover, DZ2002 treatment in the BAC-induced DED model abolished the activation of the STAT3-PI3K-Akt-NF-κB pathways in corneal tissues. We also found that DZ2002 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs) while downregulating the activation of the STAT3-PI3K-Akt-NF-κB pathway. These results suggest that DZ2002 exerts a therapeutic effect on corneal angiogenesis in DED, potentially by preventing the upregulation of the STAT3-PI3K-Akt-NF-κB pathways. Collectively, DZ2002 is a promising candidate for ophthalmic therapy, particularly in treating DED.

Byline: Yong-wei. Li, Chun-xia. Wang, Jian-she. Chen, Lu. Chen, Xiao-qian. Zhang, Yue. Hu, Xiao-bin. Niu, Dong-xu. Pei, Xin-wei. Liu, Yong-yi. BiPurpose: An association between catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) 158G/A polymorphism and endometriosis/adenomyosis [...]