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Installation noise is a dominant source associated with aircraft jet engines. Recent studies show that linear wavepacket models can be employed for prediction of installation noise, which suggests that linear control strategies can also be adopted for mitigation of it. We present here a simple model to test different control approaches and highlight the potential restrictions on a successful noise control in an actual jet. The model contains all the essential elements for a realistic representation of the actual control problem: a stochastic wavepacket is obtained via a linear Ginzburg-Landau model; the effect of the wing trailing edge is accounted for by introducing a semi-infinite half plane near the wavepacket; and the actuation is achieved by placing a dipolar point source at the trailing edge, which models a piezoelectric actuator. An optimal causal resolvent-based control method is compared against the classical wave-cancellation method. The effect of the causality constraint on the control performance is tested by placing the sensor at different positions. We demonstrate that when the sensor is not positioned sufficiently upstream of the trailing edge, which can be the case for the actual control problem due to geometric restrictions, causality reduces the control performance. We also show that this limitation can be moderated using the optimal causal control together with modelling of the forcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NiO/Ag/NiO (NAN) structure, a member of the oxide/metal/oxide (OMO) structures, was developed as an alternative to conventional transparent electrodes. The fabrication process employed combination of RF-magnetron sputter and e-beam evaporation techniques, and to optimize the electrode performance, the Ag layer thickness within the NAN structures was varied between 4 and 20 nm. The resulting configurations were evaluated through the Fraser-Cook and Haacke figures of merit (FoM). The optimized structure exhibited high optical transmittance of 75% and a low sheet resistance (RS) of ∼5 Ω/□. Compared to a commercial sample of indium tin oxide (ITO) coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the NAN/PET structures show higher Fraser-Cook FoM, closely aligned with the Haacke FoM, owing to their lower RS values. In addition, the flexural resistance of the electrodes was assessed by subjecting the samples to 10,000 bending cycles. Following this test, the RS value of ITO/PET increased 26.3 times to 3312.89 Ω/□, while the NAN/PET only increased 1.25 times to 7.82 Ω/□. Even the least performing NAN sample, deposited on polyethylene naphthalate (NAN/PEN), experienced a moderate increase in resistance, stabilizing at 59.93 Ω/□. The obtained results highlight the great potential of the NAN structure as an electrode for flexible optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the time-varying effects of crude oil prices (OP) and gold prices (GP) on the Turkish stock market using a weekly data series from November 26, 1989 to July 10, 2022. For this purpose, we develop a new hybrid technique, the rolling window-based nonparametric quantile causality test, which allows the investigation of time-varying causality at various quantiles. The results reveal that (i) under all market conditions, there is time-varying causality from crude OP and GP to Turkish stock market returns (SMR) and volatility. (ii) The causal effects of both crude OP and GP on stock market volatility are larger than their causal effects on SMR. (iii) The crude OP have a greater impact on SMR than the GP, while the GP has a greater impact on stock market volatility than the crude OP. (iv) Both crude OP and GP have the strongest (least) causal impact on SMR and volatility under normal (bullish) market conditions. (v) Crude OP and GP have a greater impact on stock market volatility than on stock returns under all market conditions. Overall, our results highlight that OP and GP have a strong impact on the Turkish stock market, and this impact varies by returns and volatility. Therefore, financial investors should consider the volatility of crude OP and GP in the Turkish stock market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural stones are widely used environmentally appropriate building materials as dimension stone both for exterior cladding and floor coverings in urban areas. Depending on their solar reflectivity, these materials may absorb more solar radiation, especially with noontime summer sunlight exposure, which may cause both increasing cooling costs in commercial buildings and overheating of a city with the formation of urban heat islands. Solar reflectance index (SRI) is defined as the ability of a surface to reject solar heat which tends to change with physical, chemical and biological degradation processes by varying solar reflectance (SR) and thermal emissivity (TE) values. Weakening of the stone matrix structure by physical degradation mechanism, such as thermal shock (T-S) cycles mostly have significant impact on SRI. Within the scope of this study, SRI values were calculated before and after cyclic T-S by measuring the optical properties such as SR and TE values of 30 selected sedimentary and metamorphic originated carbonate-based natural stone types. The changes in surface properties such as color, roughness, and gloss, that may have an impact on the SRI values were also analyzed. In addition, a multivariate regression analysis was established to predict SRI value from such properties with a high degree of accuracy. Finally, it was found that, initial SRI values of 9 natural stone types (mostly metamorphic originated) have been increased considerably by cyclic T-S and tend to increase their ability to reduce urban temperatures by higher SRI values, one of the most important selection criteria in energy consumption for natural stones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Authorities have long proved the utility of bioindicators in monitoring the state of environmental pollution. Some biological indicators can measure environmental pollutant levels, and many tree species have been tested for suitability for monitoring purposes. The differences in morphological characteristics in the trees have demonstrated the effects of human activities on different materials. Measuring bark and wood biomass from contaminated sites was identified and directly compared with those from a clean site or areas characterized by distinct contamination sources. However, preliminary results demonstrate the approach's potential in the realization of strategies for disease control and promoting health to reduce environmental and health inequalities in at-risk urban areas. Picea orientalis L. and Cedrus atlantica Endl., especially their bark, can be regarded as a more robust storage of Cu (37.95 mg/kg) and Mn (188.25 mg/kg) than Pinus pinaster, Cupressus arizonica, and Pseudotsuga menziesii, which and is therefore a better bioindicator for Cu and Mn pollution. Considering the total concentrations as a result of the study, the pollution is thought to be caused by environmental problems and traffic in the region. The deposition of Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn elements was found P. menziesii (60, 443, 58, and 258 mg/kg) and P. orientalis (76, 1684, 41, and 378 mg/kg) and seems to reflect atmospheric quite clearly compared to P. pinaster, C. arizonica, and C. atlantica. Ni and Zn concentrations have significantly increased since 1983, and P. menziesii and P. orientalis can be potentially valuable bioindicators for emphasizing polluted fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In line with global warming, decarbonization of economies is a much-discussed topic in climate policies and economic forecasts. However, estimating the output cost of decarbonizing economies has not received attention. Therefore, this study examines the costs of decarbonization in the USA, the leading country in the global economy, by proposing a "Green Sacrifice Ratio" based on estimating the output costs of emission abatement policy. To do this, the study employs Structural Vector Autoregression analysis to measure the Green Sacrifice Ratio in the USA from 1973/Q1 to 2023/Q2. The empirical results show that a permanent 1% reduction in carbon emissions results in a cumulative loss of 0.0001% of output in the USA. The implication is that the cost of decarbonization in the USA can be lower than the economic burden of environmental pollution. Therefore, policymakers in the USA should take determined actions to prevent irreversible environmental degradation and avoid heavy economic costs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy transition is crucial for sustainable development, but its drivers have been neglected due to data limitations. Germany has adopted a low-carbon, secure, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly energy transition policy to achieve its 2050 carbon-neutrality goals. Despite the fact that the sub-components of energy have often been considered, to the author's knowledge, there is currently no study available that empirically examines the drivers of the energy transition in Germany. Therefore, the investigation examines the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT), research and development (R&D) investments in nuclear (NRD) and renewable (RRD) energy, and urbanization on the energy transition in Germany for the period 2000/Q1-2022/Q4. The results show that ICT, NRD, and RRD have an increasing impact, while urbanization hinders the energy transition. Accordingly, German policymakers make greater use of the increasing impacts of ICT and R&D investments to improve the energy transition and implement an urbanization plan to expand the use of green energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a strategy to improve the therapeutic success of chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CART) directed against solid tumors, we here test the combinatorial use of CART and IMSA101, a newly developed stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonist. In two syngeneic tumor models, improved overall survival is observed when mice are treated with intratumorally administered IMSA101 in addition to intravenous CART infusion. Transcriptomic analyses of CART isolated from tumors show elevated T cell activation, as well as upregulated cytokine pathway signatures, in particular IL-18, in the combination treatment group. Also, higher levels of IL-18 in serum and tumor are detected with IMSA101 treatment. Consistent with this, the use of IL-18 receptor negative CART impair anti-tumor responses in mice receiving combination treatment. In summary, we find that IMSA101 enhances CART function which is facilitated through STING agonist-induced IL-18 secretion. It has been previously suggested that STING agonists can improve response to CAR-T therapy. Here the authors report the characterization of the STING agonist IMSA101, showing that STING-induced IL18 secretion enhances CAR-T activity in preclinical cancer models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A de-embedding method for determining all scattering (S-) parameters (e.g., characterization) of a sensing area of planar microstrip sensors (two-port network or line) is proposed using measurements of S-parameters with no calibration. The method requires only (partially known) non-reflecting line and reflecting line standards to accomplish such a characterization. It utilizes uncalibrated S-parameter measurements of a reflecting line, direct and reversed configurations of a non-reflecting line, and direct and reversed configurations of the sensing area. As different from previous similar studies, it performs such a characterization without any sign ambiguity. The method is first validated by extracting the S-parameters of a bianisotropic metamaterial slab, as for a two-port network (line), constructed by split-ring-resonators (SRRs) from waveguide measurements. Then, it is applied for determining the S-parameters of a sensing area of a microstrip sensor involving double SRRs next to a microstrip line. The root-mean-square-error (RMSE) analysis was utilized to analyze the accuracy of our method in comparison with other techniques in the literature. It has been observed from such an analysis that our proposed de-embedding technique has the lowest RMSE values for the extracted S-parameters of the sensing area of the designed sensor in comparison with those of the compared other de-embedding techniques in the literature, and have similar RMSE values in reference to those of the thru-reflect-line calibration technique. For example, while RMSE values of real and imaginary parts of the forward reflection S-parameter of this sensing area are, respectively, around 0.0271 and 0.0279 for our de-embedding method, those of one of the compared de-embedding techniques approach as high as 0.0318 and 0.0324. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and inexpensive microwave measurement setup based on measurements of magnitudes of transmission properties ( | S 21 | dB ) is proposed for industrial-based microwave aquametry (moisture or water content) applications. An easy-to-apply calibration procedure based on normalization is implemented to eliminate systematic errors in the measurement system. As a case study, we applied this setup for the quantification of water-adulteration in flower honey. After validating this system by distilled water and pure flower honey measurements, | S 21 | dB measurements of the pure flower honey with various adulteration percentages (δ ) up to 9% are conducted to examine the performance of the measurement setup for quantification of water adulteration. A multi-dimensional fitting procedure is implemented to predict δ using the proposed inexpensive microwave measurement setup. It is shown that it is possible to quantify an adulteration level with an accuracy better than ∓ 1 % by the proposed measurement setup and the applied multi-dimensional fitting procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defects at the top and bottom interfaces of three-dimensional (3D) perovskite photoabsorbers diminish the performance and operational stability of perovskite solar cells owing to charge recombination, ion migration and electric-field inhomogeneities1–5. Here we demonstrate that long alkyl amine ligands can generate near-phase-pure 2D perovskites at the top and bottom 3D perovskite interfaces and effectively resolve these issues. At the rear-contact side, we find that the alkyl amine ligand strengthens the interactions with the substrate through acid–base reactions with the phosphonic acid group from the organic hole-transporting self-assembled monolayer molecule, thus regulating the 2D perovskite formation. With this, inverted perovskite solar cells with double-side 2D/3D heterojunctions achieved a power conversion efficiency of 25.6% (certified 25.0%), retaining 95% of their initial power conversion efficiency after 1,000 h of 1-sun illumination at 85 °C in air.A study presents a technique to sandwich 3D perovskite with 2D perovskites at the top and bottom, improving the performance and stability of perovskite solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The death toll and monetary damages from landslides continue to rise despite advancements in predictive modeling. These models' performances are limited as landslide databases used in developing them often miss crucial information, e.g., underlying movement types. This study introduces a method of discerning landslide movements, such as slides, flows, and falls, by analyzing landslides' 3D shapes. By examining landslide topological properties, we discover distinct patterns in their morphology, indicating different movements including complex ones with multiple coupled movements. We achieve 80-94% accuracy by applying topological properties in identifying landslide movements across diverse geographical and climatic regions, including Italy, the US Pacific Northwest, Denmark, Turkey, and Wenchuan in China. Furthermore, we demonstrate a real-world application on undocumented datasets from Wenchuan. Our work introduces a paradigm for studying landslide shapes to understand their underlying movements through the lens of landslide topology, which could aid landslide predictive models and risk evaluations. This study analyzes the 3d shapes of landslides and introduces a method to discern landslide movements, such as slides, flows and falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical stimulation is a fundamental tool in studying neural circuits, treating neurological diseases, and advancing regenerative medicine. Injectable, free-standing piezoelectric particle systems have emerged as non-genetic and wireless alternatives for electrode-based tethered stimulation systems. However, achieving cell-specific and high-frequency piezoelectric neural stimulation remains challenging due to high-intensity thresholds, non-specific diffusion, and internalization of particles. Here, we develop cell-sized 20 μm-diameter silica-based piezoelectric magnetic Janus microparticles (PEMPs), enabling clinically-relevant high-frequency neural stimulation of primary neurons under low-intensity focused ultrasound. Owing to its functionally anisotropic design, half of the PEMP acts as a piezoelectric electrode via conjugated barium titanate nanoparticles to induce electrical stimulation, while the nickel-gold nanofilm-coated magnetic half provides spatial and orientational control on neural stimulation via external uniform rotating magnetic fields. Furthermore, surface functionalization with targeting antibodies enables cell-specific binding/targeting and stimulation of dopaminergic neurons. Taking advantage of such functionalities, the PEMP design offers unique features towards wireless neural stimulation for minimally invasive treatment of neurological diseases. Wireless and localized stimulation of neural cells remains challenging. Here, the authors propose piezoelectric magnetic Janus microparticles that can target and stimulate neurons under low-intensity ultrasound through voltage-gated ion channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in heavy metal concentrations in the air, especially after the Industrial Revolution, is notable for the scientific world because of the adverse effects that threaten environmental and human health. Among the trace elements, nickel (Ni) is carcinogenic, and all barium (Ba) compounds are toxic. Trace elements are critical for human and environmental health. Their threat further increases, especially in the urban areas and surroundings with a high population. In urban areas, the trace element contamination in the airborne can be reduced using plants. However, which plant and plant organs absorb trace elements could not be determined. In the present study, Ni and Ba concentrations in the branch, wood, and leaf samples of 14 species collected from the city center of Mersin province were determined. As a result, broad-leaved species' Ni and Ba concentrations in their leaf sample were generally higher than other species. Almost all species had the lowest Ni and Ba concentrations in their wood samples. Among these 14 species, it was found that Ni concentration was very high, especially in non-washed leaves of Platanus orientalis, Photinia serrulata, and Citrus reticulate, and Ba concentration was very high in Citrus reticulata, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, Laurus nobilis, and Acer hyrcanum. Using broad-leaved species in urban areas where pollution is at high levels will significantly contribute to reducing Ni and Ba pollution. It is recommended that these points be considered in future urban landscaping projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study constructs a proposed model to investigate the link between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures and ESG scores for publicly traded companies in the Borsa Istanbul Sustainability (XUSRD) index. In this context, this study considers 66 companies, examining recently structured ESG disclosures for 2022 that were published for the first time as novel data and applying a multilayer perceptron (MLP) artificial neural network algorithm. The relevant results are fourfold. (1) The MLP algorithm has explanatory power (i.e., R2) of 79% in estimating companies' ESG scores. (2) Common, environment, social, and governance pillars have respective weights of 21.04%, 44.87%, 30.34%, and 3.74% in total ESG scores. (3) The absolute and relative significance of each ESG reporting principle for companies' ESG scores varies. (4) According to absolute and relative significance, the most effective ESG principle is the common principle, followed by social and environmental principles, whereas governance principles have less significance. Overall, the results demonstrate that applying a linear approach to complete deficient ESG disclosures is inefficient for increasing companies' ESG scores; instead, companies should focus on the ESG principles that have the highest relative significance. The findings of this study contribute to the literature by defining the most significant ESG principles for stimulating the ESG scores of companies in the XUSRD index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The studies have focused on changes in CO2 emissions over different periods, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Even if CO2 emissions are temporarily reduced during the pandemic according to annual figures, this may be misleading. Considering annual figures is important to understand the overall trend, but using data with much higher frequency (e.g., daily) is much better suited to investigate dynamic relationships and external effects. Therefore, this study comprehensively analyzes the association between CO2 emissions and disaggregated electricity generation (EG) sources across the globe by employing the novel wavelet local multiple correlation (WLMC) approach on daily data from 1st January 2020 to 31st March 2023. The results demonstrate that (1) based on the main statistics, daily CO2 emissions range between 69 MtCO2 and 116 MtCO2, indicating that there is an oscillation, but no sharp changes over the analyzed period. (2) based on the baseline regression using the dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) approach, the constructed estimation models have a high predictive ability of CO2 emissions, reaching ~ 94%; (3) in the further analysis employing the WLMC approach, there are significant externalities between EG resources, which affect CO2 emissions. The results present novel insights about time- and frequency-varying effects as well as a disaggregated analysis of the effect of EG on CO2 emissions, demonstrating the significance of the energy transition towards clean sources around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: In this study, the molecular structure of the mexiletine molecule was investigated. Since the Mexiletine molecule is a drug active ingredient, its molecular structure and spectroscopic properties are important. The effects of intramolecular hydrogen bonding on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Parameters (NMR), Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) parameters and molecular docking studies were examined in the mexiletine molecule. The effects of intramolecular hydrogen bonding on EPR parameters and molecular docking studies are the most important steps for this study. Method: Conformational space scanning required for molecular structure calculations was carried out with the Molecular Mechanic Force Field method. DFT method with 6–311 + + G(d,p) basis set level was used to obtain the most stable structure among the conformations. NMR parameters (1H and 13C chemical shift values) were also performed using the same basis set as the DFT method. The radicals created to calculate the Electron Paramagnetic Resonance parameters were modeled using the DFT/B3LYP/6–311 + + G(d,p) method basis set level. Molecular Docking studies were carried out with the Autodock vina program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle dampers (PD), a passive damping technology, absorb energy from particle-particle and particle-cell wall interactions originating from friction and collision. PDs offer advantages such as design simplicity, low cost, applicability in harsh conditions, and flexibility to be used in a wide frequency band range. Additive manufacturing, specifically the powder bed fusion process, can fabricate structures with integrated PDs in a single printing process, eliminating the need to implement external dampers. However, the dynamic behavior of PDs must be determined to utilize their full potential. In this study, we examined 16 cases of integrated PDs by varying specific parameters including size, number, and locations on the structure to understand the effects of these parameters on the dynamic behavior of the first and second modes of the structure. Modal tests were conducted on additively manufactured samples to extract frequency response functions and calculate modal parameters (natural frequency and damping ratio) using the rational fraction polynomial method, studying the effects of PDs. The results showed that the damping performance of the parts was increased by a factor of up to 10 using body-integrated PDs compared with the fully fused specimen. The effectiveness of body-integrated PDs was shown to be strongly dependent on their volume and location. For instance, the damping generally increased as the volume fraction increased, which also reduced the total weight of the specimens by up to 60 g. Furthermore, the damping performance significantly increased for a specific mode when the PDs were located near the maximum displacement regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermally evaporated C60 is a near-ubiquitous electron transport layer in state-of-the-art p–i–n perovskite-based solar cells. As perovskite photovoltaic technologies are moving toward industrialization, batch-to-batch reproducibility of device performances becomes crucial. Here, we show that commercial as-received (99.75% pure) C60 source materials may coalesce during repeated thermal evaporation processes, jeopardizing such reproducibility. We find that the coalescence is due to oxygen present in the initial source powder and leads to the formation of deep states within the perovskite bandgap, resulting in a systematic decrease in solar cell performance. However, further purification (through sublimation) of the C60 to 99.95% before evaporation is found to hinder coalescence, with the associated solar cell performances being fully reproducible after repeated processing. We verify the universality of this behavior on perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells by demonstrating their open-circuit voltages and fill factors to remain at 1950 mV and 81% respectively, over eight repeated processes using the same sublimed C60 source material. Notably, one of these cells achieved a certified power conversion efficiency of 30.9%. These findings provide insights crucial for the advancement of perovskite photovoltaic technologies towards scaled production with high process yield. Batch-to-batch reproducibility of device performances is crucial for perovskite photovoltaics moving towards industrialization. Here, the authors show that commercial as-received C60 source materials may coalesce during repeated thermal evaporation processes, jeopardizing such reproducibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the determinants of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, ecological footprint, and load capacity factor for the first time by applying the Fourier quantile causality test to data for the period 1975q1–2018q4 for Thailand. In this context, the study investigates the validity of the pollution haven hypothesis (PHH) by comprehensively examining the effects of foreign direct investment, renewable energy, import, export, natural resources rent, and income on environmental quality. The findings of the study show that the validity of the PHH varies depending on the environmental indicators, because while the PHH is valid for the CO2 and the load capacity factor, it is not valid for the ecological footprint. Moreover, renewable energy is the only element that can increase the environmental quality. All other variables have a negative effect on the load capacity factor, which worsens the environmental quality. The results of the study suggest that the Thai government should take measures to regulate natural resources rent and foreign capital inflows by considering environmental concerns and promoting renewable resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of powder-pack boronizing on the microstructure, hardness, and wear and corrosion behavior of AISI 304L austenitic stainless steel. Powder-pack boronizing was carried out using Baybora-1 boronizing agent for 2, 4, 6, and 8 h at 950 °C. Boronized AISI 304L steel exhibited a flatter and thinner morphology depending on the alloying elements. XRD analysis showed the presence of CrB, Cr2B, Ni2B, Ni3B, α-Mn, MnB, and α-SiO2 phases in addition to FeB and Fe2B. Boronizing time increased the boride layer thickness from 20.6 to 50.6 μm. The highest Vickers microhardness value of 1316.1 HV0.1 was observed in the sample boronized for 2 h. In the wear tests applied with 80, 220, and 400 mesh Al2O3 abrasives under 10, 20, and 30 N loads, the boronized samples exhibited approximately 1.7-10 times more wear resistance than non-boronized steel. In the corrosion test performed in 10% H2SO4 acid solution, corrosion resistance increased with metal boride layer thickness. The sample boronized for 2 h was seen to have the lowest weight loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: We explored the prognostic usefulness of the pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) in patients with stage IIIB/C non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Methods and patients: For all patients, the PIV was calculated using platelet (P), monocyte (M), neutrophil (N), and lymphocyte (L) measures obtained on the first day of CCRT: PIV = P × M × N ÷ L. Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, we searched for the existence of an ideal cutoff that may partition patients into two groups with unique progression-free- (PFS) and overall survival (OS) results. The primary endpoint of this retrospective cohort research was to determine whether there were any significant relationships between pretreatment PIV measures and post-CCRT OS outcomes. Results: The present research included a total of 807 stage IIIB/C NSCLC patients. According to ROC curve analysis, the ideal PIV cutoff was 516 [area under the curve (AUC): 67.7%; sensitivity: 66.4%; specificity: 66.1%], which divided the whole cohort into two: low PIV (L-PIV: PIV < 516; N = 436) and high PIV (H-PIV: PIV ≥ 516; N = 371). The comparisons between the PIV groups indicated that either the median PFS (9.2 vs. 13.4 months; P < 0.001) or OS (16.7 vs. 32.7 months; P < 0.001) durations in the H-PIV group were substantially inferior to their L-PIV counterpart. Apart from the H-PIV (P < 0.001), the N3 nodal stage (P = 0.006), IIIC disease stage (P < 0.001), and receiving only one cycle of concurrent chemotherapy (P = 0.005) were also determined to be significant predictors of poor PFS (P < 0.05, for each) and OS (P < 0.05, for each) outcomes in univariate analysis. The multivariate analysis findings revealed that all four variables had independent negative impacts on PFS (P < 0.05, for each) and OS (P < 0.05, for each). Conclusions: The findings of this hypothesis-generating retrospective analysis claimed that the novel PIV was an independent and steadfast predictor of PFS and OS in stage IIIB/C NSCLC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying eye movement is important for diagnosing various neurological and ocular diseases as well as AR/VR displays. We developed a simple setup for real-time dynamic gaze tracking and accommodation measurements based on Purkinje reflections, which are the reflections from front and back surfaces of the cornea and the eye lens. We used an accurate eye model in ZEMAX to simulate the Purkinje reflection positions at different focus distances of the eye, which matched the experimental data. A neural network was trained to simultaneously predict vergence and accommodation using data collected from 9 subjects. We demonstrated that the use of Purkinje reflection coordinates in machine learning resulted in precise estimation. The proposed system accurately predicted the accommodation with an accuracy better than 0.22 D using subject's own data and 0.40 D using other subjects' data with two-point calibration in tests performed with 9 subjects in our setup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graded TPMS topologies display excellent mechanical and thermal properties. Design schemes targeting optimal performance exist, but final reconstructed designs still suffer from performance degradation. To overcome this challenge, we propose an automated design framework based on the integration of a homogenization-based topology optimization scheme and a new mapping strategy. Optimized designs obtained using a modified SIMP technique are reconstructed as graded gyroid structures. Unlike mapping strategies using relative density values prior to TPMS infill, for the first time, we make use of readily available adjoint sensitivities for mapping optimal densities to graded gyroid structures. Results show that the proposed framework delivers performance-preserving graded designs when compared to original optimized designs obtained using OptiStruct and superior performance in comparison to standard density-based mapping methods. The resulting graded design is manufactured using additive manufacturing, and three-point bending tests are performed confirming simulation results and demonstrating the applicability of the presented design scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells are of great appeal as they promise high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) at affordable cost. In state-of-the-art tandems, the perovskite top cell is electrically coupled to a silicon heterojunction bottom cell by means of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM), anchored on a transparent conductive oxide (TCO), which enables efficient charge transfer between the subcells1–3. Yet reproducible, high-performance tandem solar cells require energetically homogeneous SAM coverage, which remains challenging, especially on textured silicon bottom cells. Here, we resolve this issue by using ultrathin (5-nm) amorphous indium zinc oxide (IZO) as the interconnecting TCO, exploiting its high surface-potential homogeneity resulting from the absence of crystal grains and higher density of SAM anchoring sites when compared with commonly used crystalline TCOs. Combined with optical enhancements through equally thin IZO rear electrodes and improved front contact stacks, an independently certified PCE of 32.5% was obtained, which ranks among the highest for perovskite/silicon tandems. Our ultrathin transparent contact approach reduces indium consumption by approximately 80%, which is of importance to sustainable photovoltaics manufacturing4.An independently certified power conversion efficiency of 32.5% for perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells is achieved through improved charge transfer at the amorphous indium zinc oxide interconnecting layer and reduced optical losses at the front and rear electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumors acquire alterations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in an adaptive walk through the fitness landscape of tumorigenesis. However, the interactions between oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes that shape this landscape remain poorly resolved and cannot be revealed by human cancer genomics alone. Here, we use a multiplexed, autochthonous mouse platform to model and quantify the initiation and growth of more than one hundred genotypes of lung tumors across four oncogenic contexts: KRAS G12D, KRAS G12C, BRAF V600E, and EGFR L858R. We show that the fitness landscape is rugged—the effect of tumor suppressor inactivation often switches between beneficial and deleterious depending on the oncogenic context—and shows no evidence of diminishing-returns epistasis within variants of the same oncogene. These findings argue against a simple linear signaling relationship amongst these three oncogenes and imply a critical role for off-axis signaling in determining the fitness effects of inactivating tumor suppressors. Alterations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes are a hallmark of cancer, yet how they interact remains poorly understood. Here, the authors describe a quantitative functional cancer genomics platform in genetically engineered mice, and uncover complex interactions between tumor suppressors and KRAS, BRAF, and EGFR oncogenes across more than 100 different lung tumor genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicobacter pylori OipA (Outer Inflammatory Protein A) is an outer membrane protein that takes role in the adherence and colonization to the stomach. oipA gene expression is regulated by the slipped-strand mispairing mechanism through a hypermutable CT dinucleotide repeat motif in the 5΄ region. Alterations in the CT number repeats cause frame-shift mutations to result in phase variation of oipA expression. While a functional "On" status has been recognized as a risk factor for peptic ulcer diseases and gastric cancer in many studies, some controversial findings still exist. To this end, this study compiled the sequence data of oipA from 10 different studies between 2000–2019 and 50 oipA DNA sequences from our own research that examined the relationship between the phase On/Off status of oipA and gastric diseases based on CT repeat number. Overall, we have reached 536 oipA DNA sequences from patients. This large collection of oipA sequences first clarified the absolute conservation of the peptide-pentamer of FWLHA for phase ''On" status, suggesting this pentamer as a superior marker for the determination of oipA status than counting the number of CT repeats. Combining the sequence and patient data, we have re-analyzed the association between the "On" status of oipA and gastric diseases. Our results showed a strong association between oipA "On" status and gastric cancer supporting previous findings. We also investigated the AlphaFold2 computed structure of OipA that adopts a beta-barrel fold closely resembling to the autotransporter family of H. pylori. Altogether, this study confirms a strong association between oipA "On" statuses and severe gastrointestinal diseases like cancer and provides useful insights into the FWLHA pentamer as an indicator of "On" status of oipA putative autotransporter function rather than CT repeats number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal reactive power flow (ORPF) is of great importance for the electrical reliability and economic operation of modern power systems. The integration of distributed generations (DGs) and two-terminal high voltage direct current (HVDC) systems into electrical networks has further complicated the ORPF problem. Due to the high computational complexity of the ORPF problem, a powerful and robust optimization algorithm is required to solve it. This paper proposes a powerful metaheuristic algorithm namely fitness-distance balance-based adaptive gaining-sharing knowledge (FDBAGSK). In the performance evaluation, 39 IEEE CEC benchmark functions are used to compare FDBAGSK with the original AGSK algorithm. Moreover, the proposed algorithm is applied to perform the ORPF task in modified IEEE 30- and IEEE 57-bus test systems. The effectiveness of the FDBAGSK method was tested for the optimization of three non-convex objectives: active power loss, voltage deviation and voltage stability index. The ORPF results obtained from the FDBAGSK algorithm are compared with other optimization algorithms in the literature. Given that all results are together, it has been observed that FDBAGSK is an effective method that can be used in solving global optimization and constrained real-world engineering problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influences of annealing temperatures on the electrical characteristics of a p-NiO/n-TiO2 heterojunction diode were thoroughly investigated, taking into account changes in microstructure, morphology, and surface chemistry of the p-NiO/n-TiO2 films, which were deposited on an insulating SiO2/Si layer. During different annealing processes, considerable stress variations were observed in the p-NiO/n-TiO2 films due to the crystalline evolution of p-NiO and n-TiO2. Notably, the crystallization of the TiO2 layer, which serves as the intermediary between the back contact materials and NiO, led to the evident formation of grain structures. As the annealing temperature increased, the surface roughness also grew from 5.4 to 8.7 nm. At an annealing temperature of 500 °C, the formation of a parasitic NiTiOx phase was observed, particularly at the interface between NiO and TiO2. Conversely, the study also revealed that annealing temperature played a significant role in the rectifying behavior, barrier potential, and ideality factor of the diode. Among the various annealing processes, the most favorable results were achieved after annealing at 400 °C. At this temperature, the diode demonstrated the lowest ideality factor of 1.89, accompanied by superior rectifying behavior and a barrier potential of 0.70 eV. The findings clearly indicate that any alterations in the surface chemistry and microstructure of the film directly impact the diode's characteristics. Thus, optimizing the annealing temperature becomes crucial for enhancing the performance of the p-NiO/n-TiO2 heterojunction diode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Uterine fibroids are the most common benign smooth muscle tumors of the uterus. However, there is no consensus on whether myomectomy improves IVF success in women with non-cavity-distorting intramural fibroids. The aim of this study was to compare the IVF and pregnancy outcomes of women who had non-cavity-distorting intramural fibroids and underwent myomectomy vs women who had intramural fibroids, but did not undergo myomectomy. Methods: A retrospective cohort study at Acibadem Maslak Hospital, IVF Center, between 2019 and 2020. Data of 128 women aged between 25 and 43 years who have at least 2 intramural non-cavity-distorting fibroids of 2–6 cm in size were used. All patients had at least two IVF failure. The intervention group comprised women who decided to proceed to myomectomy before IVF (Group 1, n = 56). The control group was established women with intramural fibroids who reject myomectomy (Group 2, n = 71). Results: In regard to IVF result parameters and perinatal outcomes, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Between study groups, there were no statistically significant differences in the perinatal outcomes. Myomectomy surgery did not increase miscarriage and biochemical pregnancy rate (odds ratio (OR) 0.9; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.8–3.7). Conclusion: Myomectomy does not impact on pregnancy or live birth rates substantially, according to the results of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many multiple sclerosis (MS)-associated common risk variants as well as candidate low-frequency and rare variants have been identified; however, approximately half of MS heritability remains unexplained. We studied seven multiplex MS families, six of which with parental consanguinity, to identify genetic factors that increase MS risk. Candidate genomic regions were identified through linkage analysis and homozygosity mapping, and fully penetrant, rare, and low-frequency variants were detected by exome sequencing. Weighted sum score and polygenic risk score (PRS) analyses were conducted in MS families (24 affected, 17 unaffected), 23 sporadic MS cases, 63 individuals in 19 non-MS control families, and 1272 independent, ancestry-matched controls. We found that familial MS cases had a significantly higher common risk variation burden compared with population controls and control families. Sporadic MS cases tended to have a higher PRS compared with familial MS cases, suggesting the presence of a higher rare risk variation burden in the families. In line with this, score distributions among affected and unaffected family members within individual families showed that known susceptibility alleles can explain disease development in some high-risk multiplex families, while in others, additional genetic contributors increase MS risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The model complexity is strictly connected to both the sample size and the number of features in a conventional pattern recognition study. Although there are some sample reduction methods in the literature, they cannot give the highest classifier performance or are not able to achieve the minimum number of samples in general. In this study, we offered a new sample reduction method, named Backward Iterative Elimination. To show its efficiency, we classified congestive heart failure (CHF) patients and healthy subjects from heart rate variability (HRV) features using the k-nearest neighbors (kNN) classifier. We extracted 59 HRV features (time and frequency domain measurements through power spectral density estimates of different transformation methods in addition to nonlinear measures calculated from Poincare plot, sample entropy, symbolic dynamics, and detrended fluctuation analysis) from databases provided by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Boston's Beth Israel Hospital. The extracted features were classified using kNN with various odd k values from 1 to 19. The proposed method was compared to three well-known reduction methods: Backward elimination, Gaussian elimination, and Genetic algorithm. The proposed system yielded the highest accuracy values for each "k" value. While the genetic algorithm achieved the maximum sample size reduction in general, the proposed method showed better sample size reduction performance than other backward elimination methods. The method resulted in a classifier accuracy of 87.95% with 33 samples only. In this case, the algorithm run time reduces to 9.1411 ms, which is 12.1578 ms using all samples. In conclusion, the "Backward Iterative Elimination" gives the highest classifier performances with an appropriate ratio in sample size reduction so that it can be utilized in pattern recognition studies as a good alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding the equivalent circuit parameters for photovoltaic (PV) cells is crucial as they are used in the modeling and analysis of PV arrays. PV cells are made of silicon. These materials have a nonlinear characteristic. This distorts the sinusoidal waveform of the current and voltage. As a result, harmonic components are formed in the system. The PV cell is the smallest building block of the PV system and produces voltages between 0.5 V and 0.7 V. It serves as a source of current. The amount of radiation hitting the cell determines how much current it produces. In an ideal case, a diode and a parallel current source make up the equivalent circuit of the PV cell. In practice, the addition of a series and parallel resistor is made to the ideal equivalent circuit. There are many equivalent circuits in the literature on modeling the equivalent circuit of a PV cell. The PV cell single–diode model is the most used model due to its ease of analysis. In this study, the iterative method by Newton–Raphson was used to find the equivalent circuit parameters of a PV cell. This method is one of the most widely used methods for determining the roots of nonlinear equations in numerical analysis. In this study, five unknown parameters (Iph, Io, Rs, Rsh and m) of the PV cell equivalent circuit were quickly discovered with the software program prepared based on the Newton–Raphson method in MATLAB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In glycolysis, hydroxyl radicals emerge via the auto-oxidation pathway in a status of hyperglycemia, and by binding to proteins or lipids, form advanced glycation end-products (AGE). Glyoxal (GO) and methylglyoxal (MGO) are precursors of AGEs. The aim of this prospective, case-control study was to investigate the difference in levels of AGE precursors in patients with and without diabetes and to investigate the relationship between the change in rates of the AGE precursors and treatment in diabetic patients. Methods: The study included 21 treatment-naive patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and 21 age and gender-matched healthy control subjects. Throughout an observation period of 3 months, the diabetic patients were started on anti-diabetic treatment and used no additional treatment or supplementary products. The GO and MGO levels were examined with the HPLC method. Results: The GO and MGO levels were determined to be 1.74 and 0.024μg/mL respectively in the diabetic patients and 1.14 and 0.002 μg/mL in the control group. After 3 months of treatment, a statistically significant decrease compared to pre-treatment values was determined of 0.684 μg/mL in GO and 0.01989 μg/mL in MGO (p=0.001, p<0.01). No statistically significant relationship was determined between the change in HbA1c at 3 months compared to pre-treatment and the changes in GO and MGO (p>0.05). Conclusion: The level of AGE precursors was found to be significantly higher in diabetic patients than in the healthy control group. Although there was a significant decrease in AGE precursors when the HbA1c level fell in patients who followed anti-diabetic treatment and diabetes-appropriate diet recommendations, this decrease was at different rates in each patient, which demonstrated that the HbA1c level is not the only determinant of AGE level in plasma. It can be concluded that with appropriate diet and antidiabetic treatment, significant reductions can be obtained in several risk factors which increase the level of AGE precursors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The open-circuit voltage (VOC) deficit in perovskite solar cells is greater in wide-bandgap (over 1.7 eV) cells than in perovskites of roughly 1.5 eV (refs. 1,2). Quasi-Fermi-level-splitting measurements show VOC-limiting recombination at the electron-transport-layer contact3–5. This, we find, stems from inhomogeneous surface potential and poor perovskite–electron transport layer energetic alignment. Common monoammonium surface treatments fail to address this; as an alternative, we introduce diammonium molecules to modify perovskite surface states and achieve a more uniform spatial distribution of surface potential. Using 1,3-propane diammonium, quasi-Fermi-level splitting increases by 90 meV, enabling 1.79 eV perovskite solar cells with a certified 1.33 V VOC and over 19% power conversion efficiency (PCE). Incorporating this layer into a monolithic all-perovskite tandem, we report a record VOC of 2.19 V (89% of the detailed balance VOC limit) and over 27% PCE (26.3% certified quasi-steady state). These tandems retained more than 86% of their initial PCE after 500 h of operation.Because open-circuit voltage deficit is greater in wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells, the authors introduce diammonium molecules to modify perovskite surface states and achieve a more uniform spatial distribution of surface potential, enabling record voltage all-perovskite tandem solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the impact of globalization and income on ecological footprint over the period of 1970 to 2018 in the five highly globalized countries of the European Union ranked by the KOF index. To this end, the study uses a Fourier autoregressive distributed lag cointegration and Fourier Toda-Yamamoto causality methods. Studies that examine the effects of globalization on environmental degradation often neglect structural changes, which can lead to biased results. Using Fourier approximations, this study is the first to conduct an environmental assessment incorporating smooth structural changes for the five highly globalized countries of the European Union. The results show that (i) cointegration exists in Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria, and Denmark. (ii) The EKC hypothesis is valid for Switzerland and Denmark, while in Sweden and Austria, there is a U-shaped relationship between income and ecological footprint. (iii) The turning point at which income improves environmental quality is $68,191 for Switzerland and $46,600 for Denmark, and both countries have exceeded this per capita income level. (iv) Globalization is a factor that promotes environmental sustainability in Switzerland and the Netherlands. In order to regulate and manage environmental issues effectively, policy-makers should take advantage of economic development in Switzerland and Denmark as well as globalization in the Netherlands and Switzerland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GLARE laminates are multi-layered metal-composite materials created from bonding sheets of metallic alloys with carbon or glass fibre layers. The application of hybrid-conventional machining processes such as ultrasonic-assisted drilling (UAD) is becoming of great interest to the aerospace industry due to its capability in reducing the cutting forces and tool wear which are directly responsible for drilling-induced delamination. There is rich literature on the conventional drilling (CD) of GLARE, but no work reported using UAD process. This study will fill this gap and investigate the UAD of GLARE laminates using an indigenously developed UAD system. The influence of spindle speed and feed rate on thrust force and surface roughness metrics (Ra and Rz) were investigated under CD and UAD regimes. The quality of the borehole and damage mechanisms in the laminate constituents was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The contribution of the drilling parameters on the measured outputs was further evaluated using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical analysis. It was found that UAD resulted in a significant reduction in thrust force by up to 65% while surface roughness metrics Ra and Rz were unaffected by the type of drilling process used. SEM analysis showed irregular and fuzzier surfaces in glass fibre layers in holes machined using UAD due to the longitudinal vibration of the tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metamaterials are specifically engineered to produce electromagnetic properties that are not available in natural materials. Multiband metamaterial (MM) absorbers achieve great research interest due to their applications in sensing, filtering, and stealth. These absorbers are mostly made of multilayered and complex geometrical structures. In this work, a single-layered cartwheel-shaped (CWS), polarization-insensitive MM absorber operating in the microwave band is proposed. The absorber is discovered at four main resonance peaks at 13.64, 17.15, 18.4, and 19.23 GHz with an absorptivity above 0.9. It shows good angular stability, and multiple absorption peaks are attained due to multiple electric and magnetic resonances. Its characteristic has not been changed under different polarizations of incidence wave studied as 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 75°. When the absorber is examined with respect to the obliquity of the incidence wave in both TE and TM modes, the prominent absorption peaks exhibit an absorption performance above a ratio of 80%. Moreover, absorption characteristics can be tuned by modifying the substrate thickness. The comparison of simulated results and measured results shows good agreement with each other. This absorber would be useful for sensing and filtering applications in microwave devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological microorganisms overcome the Brownian motion at low Reynolds numbers by utilizing symmetry-breaking mechanisms. Inspired by them, various microrobot locomotion methods have been developed at the microscale by breaking the hydrodynamic symmetry. Although the boundary effects have been extensively studied for microswimmers and employed for surface-rolling microrobots, the behavior of microrobots in the proximity of multiple wall-based "confinement" is yet to be elucidated. Here, we study the confinement effect on the motion of surface-rolling microrobots. Our experiments demonstrate that the locomotion efficiency of spherical microrollers drastically decreases in confined spaces due to out-of-plane rotational flows generated during locomotion. Hence, a slender microroller design, generating smaller rotational flows, is shown to outperform spherical microrollers in confined spaces. Our results elucidate the underlying physics of surface rolling-based locomotion in confined spaces and present a design strategy with optimal flow generation for efficient propulsion in such areas, including blood vessels and microchannels. The effect of geometrical confinement on the locomotion of microrobots is crucial to operating them in real-world applications. Bozuyuk et al. show that the locomotion efficiency of microrollers decreases in confined spaces at high rotation frequencies and propose a slender geometry to overcome this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distribution of tree species is a function of climatic (such as temperature and precipitation) and topographic (such as altitude, slope, and exposure) parameters. It is thought that any change in climatic parameters would be one of the most effective factors to influence the distribution of species. The adaptation of populations would depend on the phenotypic variation, strength of selection, interspecies competition, and biotic interactions. Moreover, many ecologic and anthropogenic processes that are related with each other would affect the distance of distribution. Hence, the detailed and reliable information about the geographical distribution of species under changing climate conditions is of significant importance for various ecologic and protection practices. For this reason, the present study focused on the estimation and analysis of the potential distribution of Anatolian boxwood in different scenarios (SSPS245 and SSPS585) and the estimation and analysis of environmental factors influencing this distribution. Using the current and future (2040-2060-2080-2100) climate scenarios, the habitats that are suitable for the distribution of Anatolian boxwood in Turkey were modeled using the maximum entropy model and then mapped using ArcGIS software. In determining the potential distribution areas, 21 parameters (19 bioclimatic and 2 topographic variables) were used in 21 field-based formation points. The results showed that the most important variables affecting the distribution of species were annual mean temperature (Bio1), minimum temperature of the coldest month (Bio6), mean temperature of the coldest quartile (Bio11), precipitation of the driest month (Bio14), precipitation of the driest quartile (Bi017), and precipitation of the warmest quartile (Bio18). According to two future climate change scenarios, the estimation models showed that there might be decreases up to 6% in Anatolian Boxwood population in years 2040–2060 and, in year 2100; the potential area of distribution will shift to north and higher altitudes in comparison to the current ones and increase by 1–4%. The human help needed for maintaining the existence of new species in the suitable distribution areas suggests the necessity of reviewing and re-designing the current forestry plans and silvicultural practices within the context of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increased urbanization, the rise of the manufacturing industry, and the use of fossil fuels, poor air quality is one of the most serious and pressing problems worldwide. The COVID-19 outbreak prompted absolute lockdowns in the majority of countries throughout the world, posing new research questions. The study's goals were to analyze air and temperature parameters in Turkey across various land cover classes and to investigate the correlation between air and temperature. For that purpose, remote sensing data from MODIS and Sentinel-5P TROPOMI were used from 2019 to 2021 over Turkey. A large amount of data was processed and analyzed in Google Earth Engine (GEE). Results showed a significant decrease in NO2 in urban areas. The findings can be used in long-term strategies for lowering global air pollution. Future research should look at similar investigations in various study sites and evaluate changes in air metrics over additional classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connexins (Cx) are primary components of gap junctions that selectively allow molecules to be exchanged between adjacent cells, regulating multiple cellular functions. Along with their channel forming functions, connexins play a variety of roles in different stages of tumorigenesis and their roles in tumor initiation and progression is isoform- and tissue-specific. While Cx26 and Cx43 were downregulated during breast tumorigenesis, Cx32 was accumulated in the cytoplasm of the cells in lymph node metastasis of breast cancers and Cx32 was further upregulated in metastasis. Cx32's effect on cell proliferation, gap junctional communication, hemichannel activity, cellular motility and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were investigated by overexpressing Cx32 in Hs578T and MCF7 breast cancer cells. Additionally, the expression and localization of Cx26 and Cx43 upon Cx32 overexpression were examined by Western blot and immunostaining experiments, respectively. We observed that MCF7 cells had endogenous Cx32 while Hs578T cells did not and when Cx32 was overexpressed in these cells, it caused a significant increase in the percentages of Hs578T cells at the S phase in addition to increasing their proliferation. Further, while Cx32 overexpression did not induce hemichannel activity in either cell, it decreased gap junctional communication between Hs578T cells. Additionally, Cx32 was mainly observed in the cytoplasm in both cells, where it did not form gap junction plaques but Cx32 overexpression reduced Cx43 levels without affecting Cx26. Moreover, migration and invasion potentials of Hs578T and migration in MCF7 were reduced upon Cx32 overexpression. Finally, the protein level of mesenchymal marker N-cadherin decreased while epithelial marker ZO-1 and E-cadherin increased in Hs578T cells. We observed that Cx32 overexpression altered cell proliferation, communication, migration and EMT in Hs578T, suggesting a tumor suppressor role in these cells while it had minor effects on MCF7 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A solar-blind ultraviolet photodetector based on Ti-doped Ga2O3/Si p–n heterojunction is demonstrated for the first time. It is found that the heterojunction quality forming between Ga2O3 and Si becomes better after Ti incorporation in Ga2O3. The current–voltage and temporal response measurements show that the detector based on Ti-doped Ga2O3/Si p–n heterojunction has a responsivity of 0.382 A/W and a fast rise time of 73 ms as well, which are much better than those undoped Ga2O3/Si p–n heterojunction analogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to give detailed information about fabrication and characterization of resistance temperature detector by smart mask design. The effects of annealing on both structural and electrical properties were investigated. Changes in microstrain, lattice parameter and grain size values were observed by means of annealing. It has been shown that the structural changes cause a decrease in resistivity and sheet resistance values. Thousands of sensors can be fabricated according to the substrate size of thin film RTD produced. It is almost impossible to fabricate thousands of sensors with the same resistance value. But by the agency of the smart mask design proposed in this study, it is possible to adjust each RTD to the same resistance value by using the resistance adjustment points. Maximum TCR value was found to be around 3.98 × 10–3 at 0 0C. This value is very close to the standard TCR value 3.90 × 10–3 at 0 0C used for industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More settlements will suffer as heavy rains and unregulated construction destabilize slopes in the tropics, models show. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer-associated gene fusions are a potential source for highly immunogenic neoantigens, but the lack of computational tools for accurate, sensitive identification of personal gene fusions has limited their targeting in personalized cancer immunotherapy. Here we present EasyFuse, a machine learning computational pipeline for detecting cancer-specific gene fusions in transcriptome data obtained from human cancer samples. EasyFuse predicts personal gene fusions with high precision and sensitivity, outperforming previously described tools. By testing immunogenicity with autologous blood lymphocytes from patients with cancer, we detected pre-established CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses for 10 of 21 (48%) and for 1 of 30 (3%) identified gene fusions, respectively. The high frequency of T cell responses detected in patients with cancer supports the relevance of individual gene fusions as neoantigens that might be targeted in personalized immunotherapies, especially for tumors with low mutation burden.EasyFuse detects gene fusions in cancer transcriptomes for personalized immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is a causative agent for several cancers types (genital, anal and head and neck region). The HPV E6 and E7 proteins are oncogenic drivers and thus are ideal candidates for therapeutic vaccination. We recently reported that a novel ribonucleic acid lipoplex (RNA-LPX)-based HPV16 vaccine, E7 RNA-LPX, mediates regression of mouse HPV16+ tumors and establishes protective T cell memory. An HPV16 E6/E7 RNA-LPX vaccine is currently being investigated in two phase I and II clinical trials in various HPV-driven cancer types; however, it remains a high unmet medical need for treatments for patients with radiosensitive HPV16+ tumors. Therefore, we set out to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of E7 RNA-LPX vaccine combined with standard-of-care local radiotherapy (LRT). We demonstrate that E7 RNA-LPX synergizes with LRT in HPV16+ mouse tumors, with potent therapeutic effects exceeding those of either monotherapy. Mode of action studies revealed that the E7 RNA-LPX vaccine induced high numbers of intratumoral-E7-specific CD8+T cells, rendering cold tumors immunologically hot, whereas LRT primarily acted as a cytotoxic therapy, reducing tumor mass and intratumor hypoxia by predisposing tumor cells to antigen-specific T cell-mediated killing. Overall, LRT enhanced the effector function of E7 RNA-LPX-primed T cell responses. The therapeutic synergy was dependent on total radiation dose, rather than radiation dose-fractionation. Together, these results show that LRT synergizes with E7 RNA-LPX and enhances its anti-tumor activity against HPV16+ cancer models. This work paves into a new translational therapy for HPV16+ cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to determine drought tolerant novel mutant of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) genotypes by screening EMS mutagenized 340675 M3 seeds at germination stages in the presence of osmotic stress of 35% PEG6000. Root growth assay provided several drought tolerant candidate mutants. Of those, 4 mutants were further evaluated at water deficit conditions applied for 24 days after the first cutting at flowering bud stage. The results revealed that mutants determined as drought tolerant at germination stage were also tolerant to water deficit conditions. Protein content and superoxide dismutase values were found to be higher in all mutants than controls. Ascorbate peroxides, glutton reductase and lipid peroxidase values varied based on the mutant genotype and duration of drought stress. Drought stress significantly changed transcriptional levels of MtP5CS, MtDehyd, MseIF-2, MtRD2 and MsNAC genes. These results indicated that in vitro screening of alfalfa mutant seeds for osmatic tolerance at germination and early seedling growth stages was successfully able to determine the drought tolerant alfalfa mutants which were also tolerant to water deficit conditions after the first cutting at flowering bud stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]