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Obtaining 3D coordinates of fire by binocular vision is beneficial for intelligent fire extinguishing. However, binocular vision technology has a small field of view (FOV) for long-distance targets, which results in the fire not appearing in the FOV of binocular cameras. To solve this problem, an automatic fire alignment system with monocular and binocular cameras is constructed, and an alignment control method, including a one-time alignment method and visual servo is proposed. First, the one-time alignment method based on the monocular camera is designed to solve the problem of time. The alignment angle independent of depth information ensures that the binocular camera can reach the vicinity of the fire in a short time with only a single camera. Then, image-based visual servo (IBVS) methods based on a monobinocular vision system are designed to improve the alignment precision of the binocular camera, and a logic controller is designed for automatically switching the vision servo control method based on different cameras. Finally, experiments are designed to compare the proposed method with other methods. Results demonstrate that the method in this paper is better than other methods in terms of both time and accuracy and contributes to improving the efficiency of fire extinguishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a common glomerulopathy with an unclear mechanism. The demand for FSGS clinical diagnostic biomarkers has not yet been met. Circular RNA (circRNA) is a novel non-coding RNA with multiple functions, but its diagnostic value for FSGS remains unexplored. This study aimed to identify circRNAs that could aid in early clinical diagnosis and to investigate their mechanisms in podocyte injury. Methods: The signature of plasma circRNAs for FSGS was identified by circRNA microarray. The existence of circRNAs was confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), RNase R assay, and DNA sequencing. Plasma levels of circRNAs were evaluated by qRT-PCR. The diagnostic value was appraised by the receiver operating characteristic curve. The circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was built with Cytoscape 7.3.2. Statistically significant differences were calculated by the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: A total of 493 circRNAs (165 upregulated, 328 downregulated) were differentially expressed in the plasma of FSGS patients (n = 3) and normal controls (n = 3). Eight candidate circRNAs were demonstrated to be circular and stable transcripts. Among them, hsa_circ_0001230 and hsa_circ_0023879 were significantly upregulated in FSGS patients (n = 29) compared to normal controls (n = 51). The areas under the curve value of hsa_circ_0001230 and hsa_circ_0023879 were 0.668 and 0.753, respectively, while that of the two-circRNA panel was 0.763. The RNA pull-down analysis revealed that hsa_circ_0001230 and hsa_circ_0023879 could sponge hsa-miR-106a. Additionally, hsa_circ_0001230 and hsa_circ_0023879 positively regulated hsa-miR-106a target genes phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and Bcl-2-like protein 11 (BCL2L11) in podocytes. Conclusion: hsa_circ_0001230 and hsa_circ_0023879 are novel blood biomarkers for FSGS. They may regulate podocyte apoptosis by competitively binding to hsa-miR-106a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) often have depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of depressive symptoms on lipid metabolism and future cognitive function in patients with MCI. A total of 1014 patients with MCI were included. Their demographic data, clinical data, and lipid parameters were collected. Meanwhile, they also completed a series of scale assessments, including Geriatric depression scale (GDS), Ability of Daily Living (ADL), Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and Block Design Test (BDT). Then these patients were also followed for five years. Patients with depressive symptoms had lower serum apolipoprotein B (ApoB) levels, lower BDT scores and higher ADL scale scores. Correlation analysis showed that GDS was significantly associated with BDT and ADL. Moreover, logistic regression analysis found that ApoB was associated with depressive symptoms. Cox regression analysis showed that only baseline MoCA scores could predict the risk of future MCI transition to dementia. Our results suggest low serum ApoB levels may be associated with depressive symptoms in patients with MCI. However, depressive mood or lipids alone may not predict the risk of MCI transition to dementia. • low serum ApoB levels may be associated with depressive symptoms in patients with MCI • Neither mood symptoms nor lipid markers alone were effective in predicting the risk of future dementia transition • Increasing plasma APOB levels may improve depression in patients with MCI [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new approach integrating micro X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) and digital image processing is proposed to quantify the spatial distribution of calcium carbonate crystals for microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP)-treated sand. Scanning the entire MICP-treated sample slice with the μ-XRF imaging method presents an overview of the distribution of Si and Ca elements, corresponding to the distributions of quartz sand and calcium carbonate particles, respectively. To improve the accuracy of the μ-XRF-imaging technique, scanning electron microscope tests were conducted and used as a basis for calibrating the segmentation threshold. μ-XRF images reveal that MICP effectively reduces the soil porosity and enhances the inter-particle contacts. Various quantification indexes (including area proportion, apparent porosity, apparent calcium carbonate content and pore filling rate) obtained through quantitative analysis of the μ-XRF image highlight the heterogeneous distribution of calcite precipitations at inter-particle contacts. The advantages and limitations of μ-XRF imaging technique were discussed, revealing its potential and further improvements needed for efficient, large-scale bio-cemented soil characterizations. This study presents a new approach to microstructural characterization of bio-cemented soils, and provides microscopic insights into the governing bio-cementation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The grating projection‐based three‐dimensional (3D) measurement technique has been widely used in various fields, such as industrial inspection, cultural relic protection, and reverse engineering. However, due to the nonlinear response between the input and output of the measurement system, phase measurement errors occur, which reduces the accuracy of 3D reconstruction, which is known as the gamma effect. To address this issue, a novel method has been proposed to reduce the nonlinear response of the system. Ultimately, this method reduces the impact of the gamma value on the phase accuracy in subsequent measurements. Experimental results have shown that this method can quickly calibrate the correct precoding gamma value, effectively reduce the gamma nonlinear response during the measurement process, and improve measurement accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was conducted to study the effect of compound plant essential oils on the production performance and egg quality of laying hens. A total of 13 664 Dawu Jinfeng laying hens with similar body weight and late laying period (362~368 days of age ) were randomly divided into two groups, a control group and a compound plant essential oil group, with four replicates in each group and 1 708 laying hens in each replicate. The laying hens in the control group were fed a basal diet, and the laying hens in the compound plant essential oils group were fed a basal diet supplemented with compound plant essential oils. The trial period was 14 days. The results showed that compared with the control group, the laying rate of laying hens in the compound plant essential oils group was significantly increased (P<0.05), the average egg weight showed an increasing trend (P>0.05), the sand shell egg rate was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the feed to egg ratio was decreased (P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the egg yolk ratio of the compound plant essential oils group was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the eggshell intensity had a rising trend. The egg yolk color, hardness, and wetness in the compound plant essential oils group were significantly increased (P<0.05). The study indicates that adding compound plant essential oils to the diet can increase the production performance and egg quality of laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectral element method is currently the method of choice for computing accurate synthetic seismic wavefields in realistic 3-D earth models at the global scale. However, it requires significantly more computational time, compared to normal mode-based approximate methods. Source stacking, whereby multiple earthquake sources are aligned on their origin time and simultaneously triggered, can reduce the computational costs by several orders of magnitude. We present the results of synthetic tests performed on a realistic radially anisotropic 3-D model, slightly modified from model SEMUCB-WM1 with three component synthetic waveform 'data' for a duration of 10 000 s, and filtered at periods longer than 60 s, for a set of 273 events and 515 stations. We consider two definitions of the misfit function, one based on the stacked records at individual stations and another based on station-pair cross-correlations of the stacked records. The inverse step is performed using a Gauss–Newton approach where the gradient and Hessian are computed using normal mode perturbation theory. We investigate the retrieval of radially anisotropic long wavelength structure in the upper mantle in the depth range 100–800 km, after fixing the crust and uppermost mantle structure constrained by fundamental mode Love and Rayleigh wave dispersion data. The results show good performance using both definitions of the misfit function, even in the presence of realistic noise, with degraded amplitudes of lateral variations in the anisotropic parameter ξ. Interestingly, we show that we can retrieve the long wavelength structure in the upper mantle, when considering one or the other of three portions of the cross-correlation time series, corresponding to where we expect the energy from surface wave overtone, fundamental mode or a mixture of the two to be dominant, respectively. We also considered the issue of missing data, by randomly removing a successively larger proportion of the available synthetic data. We replace the missing data by synthetics computed in the current 3-D model using normal mode perturbation theory. The inversion results degrade with the proportion of missing data, especially for ξ , and we find that a data availability of 45 per cent or more leads to acceptable results. We also present a strategy for grouping events and stations to minimize the number of missing data in each group. This leads to an increased number of computations but can be significantly more efficient than conventional single-event-at-a-time inversion. We apply the grouping strategy to a real picking scenario, and show promising resolution capability despite the use of fewer waveforms and uneven ray path distribution. Source stacking approach can be used to rapidly obtain a starting 3-D model for more conventional full-waveform inversion at higher resolution, and to investigate assumptions made in the inversion, such as trade-offs between isotropic, anisotropic or anelastic structure, different model parametrizations or how crustal structure is accounted for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we design a decoupled scheme for solving a fluid–fluid interaction problem, which includes two Navier–Stokes equations coupled by some nonlinear interface conditions. Compared with two decoupled schemes proposed by Connors et al. (2012, Decoupled time stepping methods for fluid–fluid interaction. SIAM J. Numer. Anal. , 50 , 1297–1319) for the fluid–fluid interaction problem, we deal with these nonlinear interface conditions by applying explicit scheme. The presented fully discrete scheme is a combination of a mixed finite element approximation for spatial discretization, the first-order backward Euler scheme for temporal discretization and explicit treatment for the interface conditions and the nonlinear terms. Moreover, the unconditional energy stability is established and error estimate for the fully discrete scheme is also showed. Finally, some numerical experiments are provided to verify the theoretical results, which illustrate the accuracy and efficiency of the presented scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To address the prevalence of diabetes distress (DD) and its correlators in adults with type 2 diabetes.Patients and Methods: During 2021 and 2022, we conducted a cross-sectional study in three Class A tertiary comprehensive hospitals in China, and received 947 participants who completed a printed survey covering DD, demographic, diabetic, physiological, and psychosocial factors. We used Jonckheere-Terpstra, chi-square, and Fisher's exact tests to assess intergroup differences between different levels of DD. We used ordinal logistic regression analysis to analyze correlators of DD further.Results: The prevalence of DD was 34.64%. In univariate analysis, those with lower satisfaction with financial status, longer durations of diabetes, more complications, higher glycemia, more severe insomnia, treatment by medications only, poorer lifestyle interventions, fewer self-care activities, more types and frequencies of insulin injections, and spending more money and time on treatment were susceptible to DD. Type D personality, negative illness perceptions, negative coping styles, and psychological effects of major life events were related to higher DD. Hope, self-efficacy, positive coping styles, and social support can reduce DD. In ordinal logistic regression analysis, hypoglycemic episode (β=− 1.118, p=0.019, "have hypoglycemic" as reference) and Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (β=0.090, p< 0.001) were significant positive correlators for DD, while diet intervention (β=0.803, p=0.022, "have diet intervention" as reference), money spent on diabetes treatment (β<-0.001,>p=0.035), and SES (β=− 0.257, p< 0.001) were significant negative correlators.Conclusion: More than one-third of Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes experience moderate or high levels of DD. DD was associated with financial, diabetic, physiological, and psychosocial status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study explores the potential causal association between proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors and tumor development using Mendelian randomization (MR) based on drug targets. Methods: Instrumental variables within ±100 kb of the PCSK9 gene locus, impacting low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), were utilized for MR analysis. Coronary heart disease (CHD) served as a positive control to validate the causal relationship between PCSK9 inhibitors and various cancers. We employed reverse MR to address the reverse causation concerns. Data from positive controls and tumors were sourced from OpenGWAS. Results: MR analysis suggested a negative causal relationship between PCSK9 inhibitors and both breast and lung cancers (95%CIBreast cancer 0.81~0.99, p = 2.25 × 10−2; 95%CILung cancer 0.65~0.94, p = 2.55 × 10−3). In contrast, a positive causal link was observed with gastric, hepatic, and oral pharyngeal cancers and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (95%CIGastric cancer 1.14~1.75, p = 1.88 × 10−2; 95%CIHepatic cancer 1.46~2.53, p = 1.16 × 10−2; 95%CIOral cavity and pharyngeal cancer 4.49~6.33, p = 3.36 × 10−4; 95%CICarcinoma in situ of cervix uteri 4.56~7.12, p = 6.91 × 10−3), without heterogeneity or pleiotropy (p > 0.05). Sensitivity analyses confirmed these findings. The results of MR of drug targets suggested no causal relationship between PCSK9 inhibitors and bladder cancer, thyroid cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, malignant neoplasms of the kidney (except for renal pelvis tumors), malignant neoplasms of the brain, and malignant neoplasms of the esophagus (p > 0.05). Reverse MR helped mitigate reverse causation effects. Conclusions: The study indicates a divergent causal relationship of PCSK9 inhibitors with certain cancers. While negatively associated with breast and lung cancers, a positive causal association was observed with gastric, hepatic, oral cavity, and pharyngeal cancers and cervical carcinoma in situ. No causal links were found with bladder, thyroid, pancreatic, colorectal, certain kidney, brain, and esophageal cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative programming helps improve students' computational thinking and increases their confidence in solving programming problems. However, the effect of collaborative learning is not ideal because it is difficult for students to mobilize metacognition to regulate learning spontaneously. To guide students to effectively regulate the learning process when they collaborate to solve programming problems, this study develops a collaborative learning approach and a Collaborative programming System (MR‐CPS) based on metacognitive regulation to support students' collaborative programming learning. A quasi‐experimental study was conducted in a junior high school programming course in Taiwan to assess the effects on students. The impacts of MR‐CPS from both individual and collaborative perspectives were investigated. Students' learning achievement and computational thinking tendencies were examined from an individual perspective. From a collaborative perspective, group self‐efficacy and group metacognition were investigated. Participants were divided into MR‐CPS (n = 115) and No‐MR‐CPS (n = 107). The MR‐CPS group used the collaborative programming approach with metacognitive regulation mechanisms as the experimental group. In contrast, the No‐MR‐CPS group used the collaborative programming approach without metacognitive regulation mechanisms as the control group. The results show that the MR‐CPS group statistically significantly outperformed the No‐MR‐CPS group in learning achievements. It was also found that the MR‐CPS group had statistically significantly better computational thinking tendency, collective efficacy and metacognitive planning and evaluation skills than the No‐MR‐CPS group. This finding suggests that the MR‐CPS has the potential to improve students' learning achievements, computational thinking tendency, group metacognition and collective efficacy. The study results have implications for the design of collaborative programming systems consistent with metacognitive regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widespread failures of replication and generalization are, ironically, a scientific triumph, in that they confirm the fundamental metascientific theory that underlies our field. Generalizable and replicable findings require testing large numbers of subjects from a wide range of demographics with a large, randomly‐sampled stimulus set, and using a variety of experimental parameters. Because few studies accomplish any of this, meta‐scientists predict that findings will frequently fail to replicate or generalize. We argue that to be more robust and replicable, developmental psychology needs to find a mechanism for collecting data at a greater scale and from more diverse populations. Luckily, this mechanism already exists as follows: Citizen science, in which large numbers of uncompensated volunteers provide data. While best‐known for its contributions to astronomy and ecology, citizen science has also produced major findings in neuroscience and psychology, and increasingly in developmental psychology. We provide examples, address practical challenges, discuss limitations, and compare to other methods of obtaining large datasets. Ultimately, we argue that the range of studies where it makes sense *not* to use citizen science is steadily dwindling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn order to study the influence of electromagnetic (EM) effect and load change on the modal characteristics and dynamic response of gear transmission system driven by permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM), a electromechanical coupling dynamic model is established. The composite air gap permeability coefficient is introduced, and the formula of permanent magnet flux linkage under the influence of space harmonic and cogging effect is derived. The variation laws of gear meshing stiffness and bearing support stiffness under the influence of load change are simulated and analyzed. The natural frequency and vibration modal under different load, flux linkage and PI controller gain are revealed. On this basis, the influence of EM effect and load change on the resonance domain is analyzed through frequency sweep analysis and time domain simulation. Results indicate that the 1st order natural frequency and resonance amplitude will increase with the load, and the influence of PMSM EM excitation will gradually dominate. The increase of the flux linkage and speed loop controller gain Kpω will reduce the 1st order natural frequency. When Kpω=123, a new mode appears, and there is a modal transition between the new mode and mode 1 when Kpω=161. The research results can provide theoretical guidance for improving the transmission performance and structure optimization design of the permanent magnet gear transmission system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) has the worst prognosis among skin cancers, especially metastatic CMM. Predicting its prognosis accurately could direct clinical decisions. Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was screened to collect CMM patients' data. According to diagnosed time, patients were subdivided into three cohorts, train cohort (diagnosed between 2010 and 2013), validation cohort (diagnosed in 2014), and test cohort (diagnosed in 2015). Train cohort was used to train deep learning survival model for cutaneous malignant melanoma (DeepCMM). DeepCMM was then evaluated in train cohort and validation cohort internally, and validated in test cohort externally. Results: DeepCMM showed 0.8270 (95% CI, confidence interval, CI 0.8260–0.8280) as area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) in train cohort, 0.8274 (95% CI 0.8286–0.8298) AUC in validation cohort, and 0.8303 (95% CI 0.8289–0.8316) AUC in test cohort. Then DeepCMM was packaged into a Windows 64-bit software for doctors to use. Conclusion: Deep learning survival model for cutaneous malignant melanoma (DeepCMM) can offer a reliable prediction on cutaneous malignant melanoma patients' overall survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vibration of pedestrian overbridges due to train-induced wind loads (TIWLs) during the passage of a high-speed train threatens the overbridge safety and causes pedestrian discomfort. To incorporate the structural dynamic magnification effect on overbridges under TIWLs in the design process, a framework to calculate the structural dynamic response, equivalent static TIWLs and response spectra of overbridges is established. A new simplified TIWL model with a “three-segment” wind pressure time history described by harmonic functions is proposed. This model facilitates the acquisition of analytical solutions for the structural dynamic response, streamlining the analysis process. The dynamic response and equivalent static TIWLs based on dynamic magnification factors (DMFs) of overbridges are obtained from the analytical method. The DMFs are primarily affected by the structural natural frequency and the characteristic frequency of TIWLs. Furthermore, based on the analytical solution of the overbridge dynamic response, parametric analysis is performed, and the response spectra representing the dynamic displacement and acceleration of overbridges are developed. The response spectra can be used to quickly calculate the displacement, internal force, and acceleration of the overbridges during engineering applications, which is more convenient but slightly less accurate than the analytical method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic wound management remains a challenge due to the epithelial barrier loss, drug‐resistant bacterial infections, inflammatory storm, and compromised angiogenesis. Herein, a boron‐based probe driven theranostic hydrogel dressing for visual monitoring and matching chronic wounds healing is developed to encourage chronic wound healing. The boron‐based (BT) probe is synthesized through the dynamic interaction between borax (B) and tannic acid (TA) and serves as a cross‐linker for constructing the guar gum/polyvinyl alcohol/BT (GPBT) hydrogels. Notably, the GPBT hydrogels offer visual monitoring through color change and remote diagnosis via smartphone. Meanwhile, they exhibit the ability to match the different healing stages of chronic wounds. During the early alkaline stage, the controlled release of TA accelerates healing by polarizing M1 macrophages to M2 macrophages and promoting angiogenesis. As the wound progresses into the acidic healing phase, the hydrogels undergo programmed disassembly to facilitate tissue regeneration. Remarkably, the hydrogel dressing demonstrates potent antibacterial activity by disrupting bacterial membrane potential. Furthermore, it has good self‐healing, self‐adaptive, and adhesion properties. This multifunctional theranostic hydrogel dressing, featuring visual monitoring and matching chronic wound healing, lays the foundation for the development of personalized and precise theranostic platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Echinolaelaps fukienensis is the dominant mite species parasitic on the body surface of the genus Niviventer. The mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) has its own independent genetic material and genetic system, and is now widely used in population genetics, genealogical biogeography, phylogeny and molecular evolution studies. Species diversity of the superfamily Dermanyssoidea is very rich, but its mitogenomes AT content is high, and it is difficult to amplify the complete mitogenome by routine PCR. To date, we have only obtained the mitogenomes of 6 species, scarcity on sequence data has greatly impeded the studies in the superfamily Dermanyssoidea. Methods: Echinolaelaps fukienensis were collected in 2019 from the body surface of Niviventer confucianus (Rodentia, Muridae) in Yunnan Province. The E. fukienensis mitogenome was determined and analyzed for the first time using the Illumina Novoseq 6000 platform. Phylogenetic analyses of the superfamily Dermanyssoidea were conducted based on the entire mitogenome sequences. Results: The E. fukienensis mitogenome was 14,402 bp, which is known the smallest genome of the superfamily Dermanyssoidea, encoding a total of 37 genes, including 13 PCGs, 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs and 1 control region. Most protein-coding genes use ATN as the start codon and TAN as the stop codon. AT and GC skew of atp8 genes in E. fukienensis were both 0. The average length of 22 tRNA genes of E. fukienensis was 64 bp, and secondary structures of tRNAs showed base mismatches and missing D-arms in many places. Compared with gene arrangement pattern of the hypothetical ancestor of arthropods, the E. fukienensis mitogenome shows a novel arrangement pattern. Phylogenetic tree supported the monophyly of the superfamily Dermanyssoidea. Echinolaelaps fukienensis being the least genetic distant (0.2762) and most closely related to Varroa destructor. Conclusions: This study analyzed comprehensive the structure and evolution of the E. fukienensis mitogenome for the first time, enriches molecular data of the genus Echinolaelaps, which will contribute to further understand phylogeny and rearrangement patterns of the superfamily Dermanyssoidea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to examine whether diabetes mellitus is causally associated with osteonecrosis. Method: Using publicly accessible genome-wide association study statistics, a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis was carried out. In order to determine whether diabetes has a causal effect on osteonecrosis and whether osteonecrosis has a causal effect on diabetes, we extracted six date on diabetes in Europeans from IEU OpenGWAS and GWAS Catalogue and osteonecrosis in Europeans from FinnGen. We then evaluated the data using inverse variance weighting, MR-Egger regression, weighted median, weighted mode, and simple mode. The results' stability and dependability were then evaluated using sensitivity analysis and heterogeneity analysis. Finally, meta-analysis is used to further confirm if there is a relationship between diabetes and osteonecrosis. Results: When diabetes was used as an exposure factor, MR-Egger regression showed that directional fold product was unlikely to bias the results. Cochran's Q test showed only minor heterogeneity in a few data sets. Multidirectional tests Egger-intercept, MR-PRESSO and funnel plots for most data did not show multidirectional and asymmetry at the gene level. Most of the IVW results showed no causal relationship between diabetes mellitus and osteonecrosis. The results of meta-analysis of IVW methods further confirmed the absence of a causal relationship. Inverse MR analysis also showed no causal relationship between osteonecrosis and diabetes. Conclusion: Results of bidirectional MR analysis show no evidence of causal relationship between diabetes and osteonecrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, the dissipation dynamics and residue distribution of flurochloridone in potato were assessed using a modified QuEChERS method combined with LC-MS/MS. At 0.01–1 mg kg−1 flurochloridone application, the recoveries ranged from 81.3% to 90.9% in potato leaf, root, tuber and soil, with the relative standard deviation of 1.6%-3.5%. The limits of quantification and detection for flurochloridone were 0.01 and 0.001 mg kg−1 in the four matrices. The dissipation dynamic and terminal residue analyses of flurochloridone 25% emulsifiable concentrate in potato was conducted in three different areas of Qinghai plateau (Haidong, Haixi and Haibei). The half-lives of flurochloridone in the three districts were 25.7, 27.7 and 19.3 days in soil as well as 8.1, 10.2 and 7.0 days in leaf, respectively. The terminal residues of flurochloridone were <0.001, 0.005–0.013, <0.001 and 0.007–0.023 mg kg−1 in potato leaf, root, tuber and soil, respectively, which did not exceed the European maximum residue limit recommendation (0.1 mg kg−1). Our findings can provide a basic framework for the appropriate use of flurochloridone in potato in the Qinghai plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) are essential in insect's daily behaviors mediated by olfactory perception. Megachile saussurei Radoszkowski (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae) is a principal insect pollinating alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in Northwestern China. The olfactory function have been less conducted, which provides a lot of possibilities for our research. Results: Our results showed that 20 OBPs were identified in total. Multiple sequence alignment analysis indicated MsauOBPs were highly conserved with a 6-cysteine motif pattern and all belonged to the classic subfamily, coding 113-196 amino acids and sharing 41.32%-99.12% amino acid identity with known OBPs of other bees. Phylogenetic analysis indicated there were certain homologies existed among MsauOBPs and most sequences were clustered with that of Osmia cornuta (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae). Expression analysis showed the identified OBPs were mostly enriched in antennae instead of other four body parts, especially the MsauOBP2, MsauOBP3, MsauOBP4, MsauOBP8, MsauOBP11 and MsauOBP17, in which the MsauOBP2, MsauOBP4 and MsauOBP8 presented obvious tissue-biased expression pattern. Molecular docking results indicated MsauOBP4 might be the most significant protein in recognizing alfalfa flower volatile 3-Octanone, while MsauOBP13 might be the most crucial protein identifying (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate. It was also found the lysine was a momentous hydrophilic amino acid in docking simulations. Conclusion: In this study, we identified and analyzed 20 OBPs of M. saussurei. The certain homology existed among these OBPs, while some degree of divergence could also be noticed, indicating the complex functions that different MsauOBPs performed. Besides, the M. saussurei and Osmia cornuta were very likely to share similar physiological functions as most of their OBPs were clustered together. MsauOBP4 might be the key protein in recognizing 3-Octanone, while MsauOBP13 might be the key protein in binding (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate. These two proteins might contribute to the alfalfa-locating during the pollination process. The relevant results may help determine the highly specific and effective attractants for M. saussurei in alfalfa pollination and reveal the molecular mechanism of odor-evoked pollinating behavior between these two species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood trauma is one of the most extensively studied and well-supported environmental risk factors for the development of mental health problems. The human tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) gene is one of the most promising candidate genes in numerous psychiatric disorders. However, it is now widely acknowledged that neither genetic variation nor environmental exposure alone can fully explain all the phenotypic variance observed in psychiatric disorders. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the interaction between the two factors in psychiatric research. Methods: We enrolled a sizable nonclinical cohort of 786 young, healthy adults who underwent structural MRI scans and completed genotyping, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and behavioural scores. We identified the interaction between childhood trauma and the TPH2 rs7305115 gene polymorphism in the gray matter volume (GMV) of specific brain subregions and the behaviour in our sample using a multiple linear regression framework. We utilized mediation effect analysis to identify environment /gene-brain-behaviour relationships. Results: We found that childhood trauma and TPH2 rs7305115 interacted in both behaviour and the GMV of brain subregions. Our findings indicated that the GMV of the right posterior parietal thalamus served as a significant mediator supporting relationship between childhood trauma (measured by CTQ score) and anxiety scores in our study population, and the process was partly modulated by the TPH2 rs7305115 gene polymorphism. Moreover, we found only a main effect of childhood trauma in the GMV of the right parahippocampal gyrus area, supporting the relationship between childhood trauma and anxiety scores as a significant mediator. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that early-life trauma may have a specific and long-term structural effect on brain GMV, potentially leading to altered cognitive and emotional processes involving the parahippocampal gyrus and thalamus that may also be modulated by the TPH2 gene polymorphism. This finding highlights the importance of considering genetic factors when examining the impact of early-life experiences on brain structure and function. Gene‒environment studies can be regarded as a powerful objective supplement for targeted therapy, early diagnosis and treatment evaluation in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lanthanum borate-based glass-ceramic has recently received considerable attention in the field of high-frequency communications as a sintering aid, due to the low sintering temperature and the precipitation of crystalline phases with excellent dielectric and mechanical properties. Importantly, the densification and crystallization behaviors of glass-ceramic are not only determined by its composition, but also affected by various processing parameters, such as the initial particle size, which is rarely explored for optimizing the dielectric and mechanical properties of lanthanum borate-based glass-ceramic/ceramic composites. Herein, La 2 O 3 –B 2 O 3 –CaO–P 2 O 5 –SiO 2 (LBCPS) glass-ceramics with a series of initial particle sizes are achieved by ball milling method through controlling the milling time. Employing LBCPS glass-ceramics with different particle sizes as the sintering aid, various LBCPS/Al 2 O 3 composites are fabricated, and the dielectric and mechanical properties of which are further investigated. Notably, the LBCPS/Al 2 O 3 composite with a moderate glass-ceramic particle size of 2.7 μm exhibits the excellent comprehensive performance with a low dielectric loss of 8.6 × 10−4 at 9.8 GHz and a high flexural strength of 199 MPa. Moreover, the influencing mechanisms of the glass-ceramic particle size on the crystallization, microstructure, and densification of the LBCPS/Al 2 O 3 composite have also been systematically explored and proposed. This research work provides an intriguing strategy for optimizing the dielectric and mechanical properties of the glass-ceramic/ceramic as the high-performance low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hospice and Palliative Care (HPC) is in high demand in China; however, the country is facing the shortage of qualified HPC nurses. A well-suited competence framework is needed to promote HPC human resource development. Nevertheless, existing unstandardized single-structured frameworks may not be sufficient to meet this need. This study aimed at constructing a comprehensive multi-structured HPC competence framework for nurses. Methods: This study employed a mixed-method approach, including a systematic review and qualitative interview for HPC competence profile extraction, a two-round Delphi survey to determine the competences for the framework, and a cross-sectional study for framework structure exploration. The competence profiles were extracted from publications from academic databases and interviews recruiting nurses working in the HPC field. The research team synthesized profiles and transferred them to competences utilizing existing competence dictionaries. These synthesized competences were then subjected to Delphi expert panels to determine the framework elements. The study analyzed theoretical structure of the framework through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) based on a cross-sectional study receiving 491 valid questionnaires. Results: The systematic review involved 30 publications from 10 countries between 1995 and 2021, while 13 nurses from three hospitals were interviewed. In total, 87 and 48 competence profiles were respectively extracted from systematic review and interview and later synthesized into 32 competences. After the Delphi survey, 25 competences were incorporated into the HPC competence framework for nurses. The EFA found a two-factor structure, with factor 1 comprising 18 competences namely Basic Competences; factor 2 concluding 7 competences namely Developmental Competences. Conclusions: The two-factor HPC competence framework provided valuable insights into the need and directions of Chinese HPC nurses' development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To realize high-precision calibration of vibration sensors, the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the output waveform of a standard vibration actuator should be as small as possible, so a harmonic suppression technique based on current feedback control is presented. A low-cost, easy-to-implement feedback control loop of driving current is established in an electromagnetic standard vibration actuator (EVA), and the rationality of driving current in place of acceleration in the acceleration characteristic frequency band to achieve the feedback is analyzed. The influence of different values of the key parameters on the system is studied, and the acceleration characteristic frequency band of low-frequency vibration is effectively extended so that the THD of the output waveform is immensely alleviated. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by experiments and compared with traditional control methods, the harmonic distortion of acceleration waveform can be reduced by more than 40% without using any feedback sensors, which proves the superiority of the current feedback control method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid atomization is a very complex issue, involving multiple length and time scales over several orders of magnitude. To better understand the atomization characteristics of the main injection in a lean premix prevaporize (LPP) combustor, a volume of fluid (VOF)–particle conversion algorithm Lagrangian particle tracking (LPT) coupled approach was proposed to simultaneously reproduce the primary and secondary breakup processes. A VOF model with an adaptive mesh refinement strategy was used to resolve the liquid disintegration on a large scale. The small liquid structures qualified as droplets were transformed into discrete particles based on particle conversion criteria. Next, these particles were tracked using the LPT method to simulate the secondary breakup process. The proposed coupled method used in the Eulerian/Lagrangian framework was validated against liquid jet in crossflow experimental data. The numerical results achieved good agreement with the experimental data. Finally, the proposed method was used to predict the atomization characteristics of the main injection in an LPP combustor under various aerodynamic conditions. Qualitative and quantitative information about liquid deformation and spray characteristics were obtained, which varied depending on the aerodynamic parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As new information carriers, antiferromagnetic magnons have great potential in the fields of spintronics and quantum information. However, the strong exchange interaction between sublattice spins in conventional antiferromagnets results in their frequencies up to the terahertz (THz) range, hindering further exploration of related applications and physics. Recently, emerging van der Waals A‐type antiferromagnets with the weak exchange interaction may bring about a change. In this study, it demonstrates two distinct tunable ultrastrong magnon–magnon couplings in the gigahertz (GHz) band using this type of antiferromagnet, CrPS4, with a maximum normalized coupling strength (η) of 0.31. It establishes orthorhombic and monoclinic models for theoretical analyses, unambiguously showing that the ultrastrong coupling strength is caused by unique magnetocrystalline anisotropy rather than exchange enhancement. Furthermore, for the first time, it observes a continuous switching process of sublattice magnon chirality arising from the orthorhombic nature of anisotropy. These findings not only deepen the understanding of antiferromagnetic spin dynamics but also offer a powerful platform for building magnonic quantum systems and chirality‐based spintronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of autonomous vehicles on the spatial size of cities remains ambiguous, as the future is highly uncertain. This paper uses counterfactual analysis techniques to examine the effects of autonomous vehicles on urban expansion for metropolitan areas in the United States if autonomous vehicles had been introduced before. We argue that distance cost and congestion cost, which are the two components of transportation cost with different effects on urban expansion, should be addressed in autonomous vehicle research. By coupling historical data with hypothetical scenarios of introducing autonomous vehicles to cities, we find that urban expansion, rather than urban densification, would have been the dominant effect if autonomous vehicles had been introduced into cities. The finding indicates that if autonomous vehicles are widely adopted in the future, they are likely to have similar, or even larger, effects on future urban expansion than in the counterfactual past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the effect of three differently spaced retraining schedules (1-day, 2-day, and 1-week intervals) on the acquisition of basic arthroscopic skills and skill retention after 3 months. Methods: Thirty orthopaedic residents without arthroscopic experience were enrolled in a double-blind, randomised, parallel-controlled trial. Spaced retaining schedules were divided into massed training and retraining phases. Participants were required to obtain perfect scores in all tasks on the simulator in the massed training phase, followed by a pretest to evaluate the training effect. During the retraining phase, participants were randomly assigned to Groups A (1-day interval), B (2-day interval) or C (1-week interval). A posttest was used to evaluate the effect of different retraining patterns. Follow-up evaluations were conducted at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months after the completion of spaced retraining schedules to measure skill retention. One-way ANOVA and paired-sample t tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: Significant between-group differences in diagnostic arthroscopy (137.0 ± 24.8 vs. 140.1 ± 21.3 vs. 175.3 ± 27.4 s, P(A−C) = 0.005, P(B−C) = 0.010) and loose body removal (193.1 ± 33.9 vs. 182.0 ± 32.1 vs. 228.7 ± 42.9 s, P(B−C) = 0.025) completion times were observed. No significant differences were found in other posttest metrics. An assessment of skill retention after the 3-month follow-up (Evaluation 3) showed significant differences in diagnostic arthroscopy completion time (202.5 ± 53.3 vs. 172.0 ± 27.2 vs. 225.5 ± 42.1 s, P(B−C) = 0.026). No significant differences were found in other Evaluation 3 metrics. Conclusion: The 2-day retraining schedule was the most effective for the acquisition and retention of basic arthroscopic skills and could be integrated into arthroscopic skills curricula. After a 3-month follow-up, residents who followed this schedule showed better skill retention than those who followed the 1-week interval schedule. Level of evidence: Level I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information regarding single-modality medical images remains limited at present. Therefore, the details of relevant organizations cannot be reflected by such information and misdiagnosis may result in the clinical setting. A novel image fusion method based on nonsubsampled contourlet transform (NSCT) and visual saliency is presented for multimode medical images to solve the aforementioned problem and improve the effect of fused images. In this method, an image is initially decomposed via NSCT to obtain low- and high-frequency coefficients and derive the Achanta (AC) saliency map of the image. Subsequently, the similarity of low- and high-frequency subbands is calculated using the standard deviation and energy of a region. Similarity is determined through an adaptive threshold. Meanwhile, the saliency map is utilized to guide the fusion of high- and low-frequency coefficients, with emphasis on the visual salient target area of the source image. Lastly, inverse NSCT is used to reconstruct the fused image. The proposed algorithm can effectively improve the quality of multimodal medical image fusion and increase complementary information among different modalities as demonstrated by the experimental results. This algorithm is superior to existing medical image fusion algorithms and more in accord with human visual characters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early postoperative exercise is effective in improving the prognosis of postoperative lung cancer patients, but compliance was lower than expected. Factors affecting lung cancer patients’ intention to perform early postoperative exercise were unclear. Purpose: To discuss the factors affecting lung cancer patients’ intention to perform early postoperative exercise based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. Methods: This was a qualitative study. Twenty-five lung cancer patients were recruited using purposive sampling, and semi-structured face-to-face interviews were performed. The reflexive intuitive thematic analysis method was used, and triangulation was employed to ensure the credibility of the study. Results: Results of this study identified 8 themes from 3 aspects. For behavioral attitudes, two themes emerged: (1) Aware of the benefits of postoperative exercise, (2) Underestimate the importance of postoperative exercise. For subjective norms, four themes emerged: (1) Influence of caregiver support on carrying out postoperative exercise, (2) Short-term supervision of medical staff, (3) Positive driving effect from other patients, and (4) Motivation due to family responsibility. For perceived behavior control, two themes and six sub-themes emerged: (1) Obstacles before actual exercise (Lack of adequate knowledge of postoperative pulmonary exercise, Less active in seeking related knowledge about rehabilitation exercise, and Misconceptions about rehabilitation exercise); (2) Unpleasant experiences during exercise (Physical discomfort, Limited space and depressive atmosphere, and Psychological burden). Conclusions: Several factors could affect lung cancer patients’ early postoperative exercise behavior. Healthcare professionals should fully understand these factors from patients’ perspectives. Special interventions should be designed for the patients and their caregivers to correct cognitive bias, reduce obstacles, and promote compliance with exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affective empathy is generally considered an important inhibitor of aggression. However, the meta-analysis studies on the relationship between affective empathy and aggression have challenged this common-sense view and found no substantial correlation between the two variables. We proposed a double-edged sword model to explain this counterintuitive phenomenon and tested this model by establishing an inconsistent mediation model. A total of 663 college students in China (59.1% female; Mage = 20.69 years) completed questionnaires measuring affective empathy, sympathy, personal distress, anger proneness, and physical aggression. The results showed that on the one hand, affective empathy can indirectly inhibit physical aggression by increasing sympathy; on the other hand, affective empathy can indirectly promote physical aggression through the serial mediation of personal distress and anger proneness. Such two pathways offset each other, leading to an insignificant relation observation between affective empathy and physical aggression. The findings revealed the complexity of the relationship between affective empathy and aggression, which suggested that more efforts to reduce aggression should be made to develop individuals' sympathy, while affective empathy training should be moderate to avoid excessive empathic emotional arousal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health benefits of soy foods are attributed to the high-quality protein and the bioactive compounds such as isoflavones. We previously reported that feeding obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats soy protein concentrates (SPCs) with low isoflavone (LIF) and high isoflavone (HIF) for 9 weeks significantly reduced liver steatosis compared to a casein control (C) diet. The current study extended the dietary treatments to 18 weeks to investigate the long-term effect of LIF and HIF SPC diets. 6-week-old male lean (L, n = 21) and obese (O, n = 21) Zucker rats were fed a casein C diet, LIF and HIF SPC diets for 18 weeks and body weight (BW) was recorded twice weekly. Rats were killed after 18 weeks to measure liver steatosis and serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase. Obese rats had significantly greater final BW, liver weight, liver weight as the percentage of BW, and steatosis score compared to lean rats in all three dietary groups. The obese high-isoflavones (OHIF) group had significantly higher BW compared to obese control (OC) group (P < .0001) and obese low-isoflavones (OLIF) group (P = .01). OC group had significantly greater liver weight, liver weight as the percentage of BW, and liver steatosis score compared to OLIF (P = .0077, P < .0001 and P < .0001, respectively) and OHIF (P = .0094, P < .0001, and P < .0001, respectively) groups. Taken together, long-term feeding of SPC diets protected against liver steatosis regardless of isoflavone levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to achieve both toughness and enhanced electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) of carbon fibers (CFs) reinforced rigid polyurethane (RPU) composites is a significative challenge at present. In this work, a ring-shaped zinc coating was deposited on the short CFs by electrodeposition technique. It is expected to improve the interfacial properties between the fibers and the resin matrix as well as enhance the EMI shielding properties of the composites by changing the surface morphology and roughness of the fibers. Results showed that the surface free energy of the ring-shaped zinc modified carbon fibers (RS-CFs) increased from 49.0 mJ/m2 to 53.2 mJ/m2, indicating that the surface roughness and wettability of the CFs were effectively improved. In comparison with the pristine short carbon fibers/rigid polyurethane (CFs/RPU) composites, tensile strength and tensile toughness of RS-CFs modified composites were increased by 27.1% and 121.4%, respectively. In addition, the bending and impact strengths of RS-CFs reinforced RPU composites were also improved. Notably, the electrical conductivity of RS-CFs/RPU composites reached 1.2×10−5 S/m, which was much higher than that of CFs/RPU composites at 1.4×10−10 S/m. Moreover, the EMI SE of the modified composites reached 22 dB, which was 152.9% higher than that of CFs/RPU composites. The enhanced electrical conductivity and EMI shielding properties of the composites could be attributed to the synergistic effect of the porous structure in the RPU matrix and the CFs modified by the metal coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to evaluate the pregnancy outcomes of cleavage-stage embryo transfers (ETs) for the first time and explore optimal number of high-quality cleavage-stage embryos for extended culture to blastocyst-stage in women of advanced maternal age (AMA). We retrospectively identified 1646 AMA women ≥ age 38 years for the first fresh ETs between January 2014 and December 2020 at our hospital. Double ETs were divided into three groups as follows: DET-HH (two high-quality embryos), DET-HL (one high-quality and one low-quality embryo), and DET-LL (two low-quality embryos) groups. We mainly analyzed the pregnancy outcomes of double cleavage-stage ETs with different embryo grades and blastocyst-stage ETs with different number of high-quality cleavage-stage embryos on day 3. Our data indicated that the DET-HH group had significantly higher clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy, and live birth rates than DET-HL and DET-LL groups (p <.05). For extended culture to blastocyst-stage with 2 (D3-2H), 3 (D3-3H), and 4 (D3-≥4H) high-quality cleavage-stage embryos, the D3-≥ 4H group had significantly higher ongoing pregnancy and live birth rates than D3-2H and D3-3H groups (p <.05). We observed that the number of high-quality embryos on day 3 was independently associated with live birth rate for blastocyst transfers (OR: 1.133, 95% CI 1.023–1.256, p =.017). There were no significant differences in the clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy and live birth rates among DET-HH, D3-2H and D3-3H groups (p >.05). Extended culture to blastocyst-stage for transfer was safe and recommended for AMA women with ≥ 4 high-quality embryos on day 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder associated with uncontrolled body movements, cognitive decline, and reduced circulating melatonin levels. Melatonin is a potent antioxidant and exogenous melatonin treatment is neuroprotective in experimental HD models. In neurons, melatonin is exclusively synthesized in the mitochondrial matrix. Thus, we investigated the integrity of melatonin biosynthesis pathways in pineal and extrapineal brain areas in human HD brain samples, in the R6/2 mouse model of HD and in full‐length mutant huntingtin knock‐in cells. Aralkylamine N‐acetyltransferase (AANAT) is the rate‐limiting step enzyme in the melatonin biosynthetic pathway. We found that AANAT expression is significantly decreased in the pineal gland and the striatum of HD patients compared to normal controls. In the R6/2 mouse forebrain, AANAT protein expression was decreased in synaptosomal, but not nonsynaptosomal, mitochondria and was associated with decreased synaptosomal melatonin levels compared to wild type mice. We also demonstrate sequestration of AANAT in mutant‐huntingtin protein aggregates likely resulting in decreased AANAT bioavailability. Paradoxically, AANAT mRNA expression is increased in tissues where AANAT protein expression is decreased, suggesting a potential feedback loop that is, ultimately unsuccessful. In conclusion, we demonstrate that pineal, extrapineal, and synaptosomal melatonin levels are compromised in the brains of HD patients and R6/2 mice due, at least in part, to protein aggregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of moisture and air in hydraulic oil will seriously affect the reliability of machines. This paper proposes a new cross-capacitive oil pollution detection sensor, which is based on the Thompson and Lampard theorem. The sensing unit consists of four identical copper electrodes with infinitesimally small gaps. The sensor can effectively distinguish water droplets and air bubble pollutants mixed in the oil through the pulse direction of the signal. Compared with traditional capacitive sensors, the sensor has a significant improvement in detection accuracy and detection throughput. In this paper, the relationship between the cross-capacitance value with the dielectric constant and the frequency in an alternating electric field was deduced, and the best excitation frequency was chosen as 1.9 MHz. Experiments show that the sensor can effectively detect water droplets of 140–160 µm and bubbles of 170–190 µm and has good linearity for detecting water droplets and air bubbles of different sizes. The sensor provides a new method for machine condition monitoring of hydraulic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are Type-II, S-Scheme, and Type-I heterojunctions in 4-Methyl-5-vinylthiazole (MVTh) modified Ni-MOF/g-C 3 N 4 /CdS. The aforementioned three heterojunctions form a closed-loop path for electron migration, and MVTh can accelerate the electron migration within the closed-loop path by facilitating the electron migration within Ni-MOF. The photocatalytic H 2 evolution rate of Ni-MOF/g-C 3 N 4 /MVTh/CdS is up to 17.844 mmol·g−1·h−1 without precious cocatalysts. [Display omitted] • We pioneered the use of Ni-MOF (BTC) in the photocatalytic hydrogen production. • 4-Methyl-5-vinyl thiazole can drive the directional electron transfer in Ni-MOF (BTC). • A triangular closed-loop path for electron transport was first designed. • The H 2 production rate is up to 17.844 mmol·g−1·h−1 without precious cocatalysts. The construction of heterojunction systems is an effective way to efficiently generate hydrogen by water photolysis. In this work, Ni-MOF (trimesic acid, (BTC)) and g-C 3 N 4 (denoted as CN) were combined, and then Ni-MOF/CN was modified by 4-Methyl-5-vinyl thiazole (denoted as MVTh). Finally, CdS was loaded on the surface of Ni-MOF/CN/MVTh to prepare the photocatalyst Ni-MOF/g-C 3 N 4 /MVTh/CdS (denoted as Ni/CN/M/Cd) with a triangular closed-loop path heterojunction for the first time. As a photocatalyst without precious metal cocatalysts, Ni/CN/M/Cd displayed high H 2 evolution (17.844 mmol·g−1·h−1) under an optimum CdS loading of 40 wt%. The H 2 evolution rate was approximately 79 times that of Ni-MOF/CN and exceeded those of almost all catalysts based on MOF/CN in the literature. The triangular closed-loop heterojunction formed between Ni-MOF, g-C 3 N 4 , and CdS could realize the directional migration of photocarriers and significantly diminished the transfer resistance of carriers. The Ni2+ in Ni-MOF provided many cocatalytic sites for H 2 evolution via g-C 3 N 4 and CdS. Furthermore, charge carrier separation in Ni-MOF/CN/CdS improved after the innovative addition of MVTh. This study provides a reference for the construction of a closed-loop heterojunction system without precious metal cocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a fully discrete finite element scheme with two-order temporal accuracy is proposed for the Navier-Stokes/Navier-Stokes equations, which consists of two Navier-Stokes equations coupled by a linear interface condition. The considered scheme includes two steps: In the first step, a fully discrete first-order backward Euler scheme is given based on the mixed finite element method. Then, in the second step, a postprecessing step is designed for the velocity and pressure, which does not increase some computational complexity. Moreover, the stability and error estimates of the fully discrete scheme are established. Finally, numerical experiments are provided to verify both theoretical findings and efficiency of the presented scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delamination is unavoidable during the fabrication or utilisation of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) components. Due to the high sensitivity of the A0 mode for detecting delamination, nonlinear frequency mixing of counter-propagating A0-S0 mode Lamb waves was numerically and experimentally investigated in the CFRP composite plate. Considering the nonlinear effect caused by the heterogeneous structure of CFRP composite, the counter-propagation of primary Lamb waves can minimise the nonlinear interaction induced by material nonlinearity compared to the one-way propagation. Numerically, the nonlinear interaction between primary Lamb waves and delamination was investigated. Moreover, delaminations with different sizes, depths, and interface gaps were explored. It was found that the acoustic nonlinear parameter grows with expanding delamination size and diminishes with increasing delamination depth and interface gap. Furthermore, the nonlinear frequency mixing of counter-propagating A0-S0 mode Lamb wave was experimentally performed. The nonlinear frequency mixing effect induced by the delamination can be maximally isolated from the material nonlinearity. Consequently, the technique based on the nonlinear frequency mixing of counter-propagating A0-S0 mode Lamb waves provides a potential and effective method to detect defects in the composite plate with heterogeneous structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advantages of a large field of view, portability, and cost-effectiveness, lensless imaging has been applied widely nowadays. However, as a powerful tool for complete polarimetric characterization of microstructural and optical properties of a medium, Mueller matrix imaging has not yet been integrated in lensless imaging scheme. Here we propose a lensless inline polarization holographic system for high-speed and high-resolution Mueller matrix imaging. Liquid crystal variable retarders are introduced to realize high-speed response and avoid vibrations and positioning errors. We apply the blind deconvolution for depolarized imaging reconstruction and the back-propagation approach for polarization hologram reconstruction, respectively. The polarimetric imaging ability and resolution performance of the proposed technique are demonstrated. Furthermore, Mueller matrix images and certain quantitative polarimetric parameters of biological samples are calculated. The proposed method can be easily implemented and integrated in various lensless imaging techniques for on-chip polarimetric imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Transition metal‐catalyzed carbonylation reactions represent a direct and atom‐economical approach to synthesize carbonyl compounds or their derivatives by using CO as a cheap and readily available C1 feedstock. While carbonylation of C(sp2)‐hybridized electrophiles (e.g., aryl halides) is well developed, carbonylation of less reactive unactivated alkyl electrophiles remains challenging. Recently, the use of earth‐abundant base metals including Cu, Co, Mn, Fe, Ni as catalysts has enabled advances in carbonylative coupling of alkyl electrophiles for approaching diverse carbonyl compounds or their derivatives, notably, some of which are of synthetic importance but difficult to be synthesized through previous reported methods. Herein, we have summarized and discussed these recent achievements in base‐metal‐catalyzed carbonylative C—C, C—N, C—O, C—X coupling and other carbonylation reactions of unactivated alkyl electrophiles using CO as C1 source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) is considered a prodromal phase of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, little is known about the neuropsychological characteristic at pre-MCI stage. This study aimed to investigate which neuropsychological tests could significantly predict aMCI from a seven-year longitudinal cohort study. Methods: The present study included 123 individuals with baseline cognitive normal (NC) diagnosis and a 7-year follow-up visit. All the subjects were from the China Longitudinal Aging Study (CLAS) study. Participants were divided into two groups, non-converter and converter based on whether progression to aMCI at follow-up. All participants underwent standardized comprehensive neuropsychological tests, including the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), auditory verbal learning test (AVLT), the digital span test, the verbal fluency test, the visual recognition test, the WAIS picture completion task, and WAIS block design. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the predictive power of baseline cognitive performance for the transformation of amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to test the most sensitive test for distinguishing different groups. Results: Between the non-converter group and converter group, there were significant differences in the baseline scores of AVLT-delayed recall (AVLT-DR) (8.70 ± 3.61 vs. 6.81 ± 2.96, p = 0.001) and WAIS block design (29.86 ± 7.07 vs. 26.53 ± 8.29, p = 0.041). After controlling for gender, age, and education level, converter group showed lower baseline AVLT-DR than non-converter group, while no significant difference was found in WAIS block design. Furthermore, converter group had lower AVLT-DR score after controlling for somatic disease. The area under the curve of regression equation model was 0.738 (95%CI:0.635–0.840), with a sensitivity 83.9%, specificity of 63.6%. Conclusions: Our results proved the value of delayed recall of AVLT in predicting conversion to aMCI. Early and careful checking of the cognitive function among older people should be emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative photoconductance (NPC) detectors have attracted continuous attention for constructing advanced and novel optoelectronic devices, including reconfigurable image sensors and optosynaptic systems, especially by combining NPC with positive photoconductance (PPC). However, NPC devices suffer from much lower photosensitivity, slower response speed, and poor stability, especially in the infrared range. In this work, controllable NPC detectors based on organic-gated carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (OG-CNT FETs) are reported and the strong influence of light-induced electrostatic doping on the nonconventional photoresponse is demonstrated. The PM6/Y6-based heterojunction allows efficient near-infrared light absorption and facilitates exciton diffusion. By introducing a floating gate structure with an ultrathin dielectric layer, the OG-CNT FET shows an enhanced NPC effect owing to in situ signal amplification. Compared to other device configurations, the optimal OG-CNT FETs exhibit high responsivity of 72.6 A W-1 at 880 nm, along with improved response/recovery times of 7 and 5 ms. Impressively, gate-tunable switching between NPC and PPC is observed under the same light illumination. The reversible switching can be attributed to the competition between the light-controlled electrostatic coupling and the PM6/Y6 photovoltaic effect, which offers a new approach to achieve bidirectional photoresponses and paves the way for the development of future multifunctional optoelectronic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doped CaZnOS materials show great potential for mechanoluminescence (ML) applications spanning the ultraviolet-visible-near infrared (UV-vis-NIR) range. However, conflicting reports regarding the generation and reproducibility of ML hinder the understanding and practical utilization of these materials. To address this issue, a comprehensive characterization strategy combining NIR laser-assisted de-trapping, UV irradiation-induced trap-filling, in situ mechanical stimulation, and continuous ML recording is proposed. Herein, the ML behaviors of four representative doped CaZnOS materials (Mn2+, Bi3+, Er3+, and Ce3+) are investigated using this approach. The results reveal that de-trapped materials exhibit non-trap-controlled ML, wherein ML intensity gradually weakens under successive mechanical stimuli without self-recovery. In contrast, trap-filled materials demonstrate both trap-controlled ML and non-trap-controlled ML, with the former predominantly contributing to the overall ML intensity. Notably, trap-controlled ML shows only partial recovery after trap filling. The non-trap-controlled ML is attributed to plastic ML and destructive ML phenomena, while explaining trap-controlled ML through the carrier de-trapping model. These results not only clarify conflicting reports but also provide clear insights into the ML properties and mechanisms of CaZnOS-based materials, facilitating advancements in practical applications. Furthermore, the developed characterization strategy is expected to serve as a valuable reference for establishing standardized protocols to evaluate ML performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetracycline (TC) is a widely used antibiotic that adversely affects ecosystems and, therefore, must be removed from the environment. Owing to their strong ability to oxidise pollutants, including antibiotics, and selectivity for these pollutants, an improved oxidation method based on sulphate radicals (SO4·−) has gained considerable interest. In this study, a novel technique for removing TC was developed by activating peroxymonosulphate (PMS) using a ZnFe2O4 catalyst. Using the co-precipitation method, a ZnFe2O4 catalyst was prepared by doping zinc into iron-based materials, which increased the redox cycle, while PMS was active and facilitated the production of free radicals. According to electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy results, a ZnFe2O4 catalyst may activate PMS and generate SO4·−, HO·, O2·−, and 1O2 to eliminate TC. This research offers a new method for creating highly effective heterogeneous catalysts that can activate PMS and destroy antibiotics. The study proposes the following degradation pathways: hydroxylation and ring-opening of TC based on the products identified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. These results illustrated that the prepared ZnFe2O4 catalyst effectively removed TC and exhibited excellent catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: When it is suspected that the treatment effect may only be strong for certain subpopulations, identifying the baseline covariate profiles of subgroups who benefit from such a treatment is of key importance. In this paper, we propose an approach for subgroup analysis by firstly introducing Bernoulli‐gated hierarchical mixtures of experts (BHME), a binary‐tree structured model to explore heterogeneity of the underlying distribution. We show identifiability of the BHME model and develop an EM‐based maximum likelihood method for optimization. The algorithm automatically determines a partition structure with optimal prediction but possibly suboptimal in identifying treatment effect heterogeneity. We then suggest a testing‐based postscreening step to further capture effect heterogeneity. Simulation results show that our approach outperforms competing methods on discovery of differential treatment effects and other related metrics. We finally apply the proposed approach to a real dataset from the Tennessee's Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is devoted to the analysis for a new class of set-valued inverse mixed variational inequalities (SIMVIs) in reflexive Banach spaces, when both the mapping and the constraint set are perturbed simultaneously by two parameters. Several equivalence characterizations are given for SIMVIs to have nonempty and bounded solution sets. Based on the equivalence conditions, under the premise of monotone mappings, the stability result for the SIMVIs is obtained in the reflexive Banach space. Furthermore, to illustrate the results, an example of the traffic network equilibrium control problem is provided at the end of this paper. The results presented in this paper generalize and extend some known results in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium ion batteries using graphite anode and high‐voltage cathodes are considered to be optimizing candidates for large‐scale energy storage. However, the lack of suitable electrolytes significantly hinders the development of high‐voltage potassium ion batteries. Herein, a dilute (0.8 m) fluorinated phosphate electrolyte is proposed, which exhibits extraordinary compatibility with both graphite anode and high‐voltage cathodes. The phosphate solvent, tris(2,2,2‐trifluoroethyl) phosphate (TFP), has weak solvating ability, which not only allows the formation of robust anion‐derived solid electrolyte interphase on graphite anode but also effectively suppresses the corrosion of Al current collector at high voltage. Meanwhile, the high oxidative stability of fluorinated TFP solvent enables stable ultrahigh‐voltage (4.95 V) cycling of a potassium vanadium fluorophosphate (KVPO4F) cathode. Using TFP‐based electrolyte, the 4.9 V‐class potassium ion full cell based on graphite anode and KVPO4F cathode shows rather remarkable cycling performance with a high capacity retention of 87.2% after 200 cycles. This study provides a route to develop dilute electrolytes for high‐voltage potassium ion batteries, by utilizing solvents with both weak solvating ability and high oxidative stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matter < 2.5 μm (PM2.5) exposure is associated with increased arrhythmia events and cardiovascular mortality, but the detailed mechanism remained elusive. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the autonomic alterations in a rodent model after acute exposure to PM2.5. Twelve male WKY rats were randomized to control and PM2.5 groups. All were treated with 2 exposures of oropharyngeal aerosol inhalations (1 μg PM2.5 per gram of body weight in 100 μL normal saline for the PM2.5 group) separately by 7 days. Polysomnography and electrocardiography were surgically installed 7 days before oropharyngeal inhalation and monitored for 7 days after each inhalation. Physiologic monitors were used to define active waking (AW), quiet sleep (QS), and paradoxical sleep (PS). Autonomic regulations were measured by heart rate variability (HRV). The protein expression of ventricular tissue of the 2 groups was compared at the end of the experiment. In sleep pattern analysis, QS interruption of the PM2.5 group was significantly higher than the control group (0.52 ± 0.13 events/min, 0.35 ± 0.10 events/min, p = 0.002). In HRV analysis, the LF/HF was significantly higher for the PM2.5 group than the control group (1.15 ± 0.16, 0.64± 0.30, p = 0.003), largely driven by LF/HF increase during the QS phase. Ionic channel protein expression from Western blots showed that the PM2.5 group had significantly lower L-type calcium channel and higher SERCA2 and rectifier potassium channel expressions than the control group, respectively. Our results showed that acute PM2.5 exposure leads to interruption of QS, sympathetic activation, and recruitment of compensatory calcium handling proteins. The autonomic and calcium dysregulations developed after PM 2.5 exposure may explain the risk of sleep disturbance and sleep-related arrhythmia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]