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In this paper, the function, style, and material of foldable furniture are designed, and the process of selecting, generating, and deforming the blocks is combined with parametric techniques to model the foldable furniture blocks. To generate shrinkable unfolded furniture, the objective function of the foldable furniture is optimized, combined with the optimization algorithm of Voronoi polygon and surface parameterization, and the spatial geometry results of the foldable furniture are optimized using spatial geometry. After analyzing the optimized foldable furniture, it was concluded that the overall mechanical strength index was greater than 0.76, and the optimized weight, fluidity, operational complexity, material, degree of structural wear, and node stability were all significant factors exceeding 0.7.

Background: Osteoporosis, a systemic skeletal disease, seriously affects the quality of life in postmenopausal women. As one type of cathepsin K (CatK) inhibitor, odanacatib (ODN) is a fresh medication for osteoporosis. Considering the potential of ODN, we further examined the effect and safety of ODN for postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) with a meta-analysis. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched for eligible studies from inception to December 29th, 2023. After that, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines. Risk of bias was meticulously investigated with the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool. Efficacy was assessed with bone mineral density (BMD) at different sites (lumbar spine, trochanter, radius, femoral neck) and biomarkers of bone turnover (P1NP, uNTx/Cr, s-CTx, BSAP). Safety was evaluated by analyzing total, serious, other, and skin adverse events (AEs). Results: Four random clinical trials (RCTs) were involved in our research. All trials were rated as having high quality and met the eligibility criteria. In the current research, ODN was found to elevate BMD at lumbar spine, femoral neck, total hip, trochanter and forearm, while it decreased the levels of serum C-telopeptides of type I collagen (s-CTx) as well as urinary N-telopeptide/creatinine ratio (uNTx/Cr). No significant differences were observed in AEs between the ODN group and the control group. Conclusions: ODN is a promising alternative for the treatment of PMOP on account of its excellent efficacy and credible safety. Unclear links between ODN and cardiovascular AEs require further research to clarify. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaic power generation and energy storage technology are current hotspots in the clean energy industry. As a core piece of equipment, an inverter is subjected to higher demands for its voltage regulation range and output performance. A differential boost inverter features a boosting function not found in traditional inverters, effectively widening the input voltage range, with characteristics of a single-stage structure and simple modulation. However, the differential boost inverter faces the issue of high common-mode voltage. Considering that the magnitude of the common-mode voltage changes with different modulation methods, a novel modulation strategy with a flexible common-mode voltage is proposed, which can effectively suppress the common-mode voltage under the same gain without affecting the output power quality. This article first introduces the topology, working principle, and traditional modulation methods of the differential boost inverter. Then, the new modulation strategy is defined, and the gain equation is derived. The new modulation method's applicable scenarios are discussed and compared to other modulation methods based on the gain curve, concluding that the new method has advantages in terms of common-mode voltage amplitude and power quality under low boost gain. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through simulation and experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halide perovskites (HPs) have received increasing attention in the last two decades due to unique component diversity and structural tunability, although additional efforts are necessary for HPs beyond photovoltaic and light-emitting domains, e.g. gas/humidity sensing. Here, all-inorganic lead-free HPs Cs2SnX6 (X = Cl, Br, I) were synthesized by simple room-temperature precipitation without any surfactant or organic solution. Afterwards, Cs2SnX6 HPs were systematically investigated in terms of structure, morphology, energy band and surface state. Explored as humidity sensing materials, Cs2SnX6 exhibit favorable humidity sensing performance with a response sequence of Cs2SnCl6 > Cs2SnBr6 > Cs2SnI6. Remarkably, the Cs2SnCl6 sensor achieves a long-term stability at 11–97% relative humidity (RH) and a high response value of 4 orders of magnitude (3.6 × 104) with a short response time (15 s). Furthermore, the precise humidity detection capability makes the Cs2SnCl6 sensor extremely promising for real-time, non-contact human breath and finger monitoring. Ultimately, complex impedance spectra at various RH levels provide an explanation for the humidity sensing mechanism. In addition to offering an optional material for humidity sensors, this work offers fresh perspectives on next-generation sensory devices that use lead-free HPs to detect physiological aspects of human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic-inorganic methylammonium lead iodide perovskite (MAPbI3) nanowires (NWs) have attracted significant attention in the realm of optoelectronic devices due to their outstanding optoelectronic properties. However, the persistent challenge of high trap densities has been a limiting factor in realizing their full potential in device performance. To address this challenge, we incorporated cesium (Cs) and systematically investigated the impact of Cs concentration on the trap densities and the optoelectronic characteristics of Cs x MA(1− x)PbI3 NWs. Our findings unveiled an initial reduction in trap densities as Cs+ content increased, with the lowest point occurring at x = 0.2. However, beyond this threshold, trap densities began to rise, eventually surpassing those observed in pure MAPbI3 at x = 0.4. Furthermore, we fabricated single NW photodetectors to assess how Cs+ content influenced optoelectronic properties. The results indicated that Cs+ incorporation led to enhancements in photocurrent and response speed, withthe optimal performance observed at x = 0.2. Our study provides valuable insights into the role of Cs+ incorporation in tailoring the optoelectronic properties of perovskite NWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-glucose environment is involved in the progression of diabetes mellitus (DM). This study aims to explore the regulatory effects of quercetin (QUE) on autophagy and apoptosis after myocardial injury in rats with DM. The type 2 DM rat models were constructed using low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) treatment combined with a high-carbohydrate (HC) diet in vivo. Compared with the control group, the body weight was decreased, whereas blood pressure, blood glucose, and the LVW/BW ratio were increased in the diabetic group. The results showed that the myocardial fibers were disordered in the diabetic group. Moreover, we found that the myocardial collagen fibers, PAS-positive cells, and apoptosis were increased, whereas the mitochondrial structure was destroyed and autophagic vacuoles were significantly reduced in the diabetic group compared with the control group. The expression levels of autophagy-related proteins LC3 and Beclin1 were decreased, whereas the expression levels of P62, Caspae-3, and Bax/Bcl-2 were increased in the diabetic group in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, QUE treatment alleviated the cellular oxidative stress reaction under high-glucose environments. The results of immunoprecipitation (IP) showed that the autophagy protein Beclin1 was bound to Bcl-2, and the binding capacity increased in the HG group, whereas it decreased after QUE treatment, suggesting that QUE inhibited the binding capacity between Beclin1 and Bcl-2, thus leading to the preservation of Beclin1-induced autophagy. In addition, the blood pressure, blood glucose, and cardiac function of rats were improved following QUE treatment. In conclusion, QUE suppressed diabetic myocardial injury and ameliorated cardiac function by regulating myocardial autophagy and inhibition of apoptosis in diabetes through the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melanoma is a melanocyte‐derived malignant cancer and is known for its early metastasis and high mortality rates. It is a highly cutaneous tumour disease that could be related to the abnormal immune microenvironment, and the identification of reliable diagnostic and prognostic markers is crucial for improving patient outcomes. In the search for biomarkers, various types of RNAs have been discovered and recognized as reliable prognostic markers. Among these, small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) have emerged as a promising avenue for studying early diagnosis and prognostic markers in tumours due to their widespread presence in tissues, tumour specificity and stability. In our study, we analysed snoRNAs data from melanoma samples in the TCGA‐SKCM cohort and developed a prognostic model comprising 12 snoRNAs (SNORD9, SNORA31, SNORD14E, SNORA14A, SNORA5A, SNORD83A, SNORA75, AL096855, AC007684, SNORD14A, SNORA65 and AC004839). This model exhibited unique prognostic accuracy and demonstrated a significant correlation with the immune infiltration tumour microenvironment. Additionally, analysis of the GSE213145 dataset, which explored the sensitivity and resistance of immune checkpoint inhibitors, further supported the potential of snoRNAs as prognostic markers for immunotherapy. Overall, our study contributes reliable prognostic and immune‐related biomarkers for melanoma patients. These findings can offer valuable insights for the future discovery of novel melanoma treatment strategies and hold promise for improving clinical outcomes in melanoma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike is a primary target of neutralizing antibodies and a key component of licensed vaccines. Substantial mutations in RBD, however, enable current variants to escape immunogenicity generated by vaccination with the ancestral (WA1) strain. Here, we produce and assess self-assembling nanoparticles displaying RBDs from WA1 and BA.5 strains by using the SpyTag:SpyCatcher system for coupling. We observed both WA1- and BA.5-RBD nanoparticles to degrade substantially after a few days at 37 °C. Incorporation of nine RBD-stabilizing mutations, however, increased yield ~five-fold and stability such that more than 50% of either the WA1- or BA.5-RBD nanoparticle was retained after one week at 37 °C. Murine immunizations revealed that the stabilized RBD-nanoparticles induced ~100-fold higher autologous neutralization titers than the prefusion-stabilized (S2P) spike at a 2 μg dose. Even at a 25-fold lower dose where S2P-induced neutralization titers were below the detection limit, the stabilized BA.5-RBD nanoparticle induced homologous titers of 12,795 ID50 and heterologous titers against WA1 of 1767 ID50. Assessment against a panel of β-coronavirus variants revealed both the stabilized BA.5-RBD nanoparticle and the stabilized WA1-BA.5-(mosaic)-RBD nanoparticle to elicit much higher neutralization breadth than the stabilized WA1-RBD nanoparticle. The extraordinary titer and high neutralization breadth elicited by stabilized RBD nanoparticles from strain BA.5 make them strong candidates for next-generation COVID-19 vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Homeotic complex (Hox) genes play a crucial role in determining segment identity and appendage morphology in bilaterian animals along the antero‐posterior axis. Recent studies have expanded to agricultural pests such as fall armyworm (FAW), scientifically known as Spodoptera frugiperda J. E. Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), which significantly threatens global agricultural productivity. However, the specific role of the hox gene Sfabd‐B in FAW remains unexplored. This research investigates the spatial and temporal expression patterns of Sfabd‐B in various tissues at different developmental stages using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). Additionally, we explored the potential function of the Sfabd‐B gene located in the FAW genome using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The larval mutant phenotypes can be classified into three subgroups as compared with wild‐type individuals, that is, an excess of pedis in the posterior abdomen, deficient pedis due to segmental fusion and deviations in the posterior abdominal segments. Importantly, significant differences in mutant phenotypes between male and female individuals were also evident during the pupal and adult phases. Notably, both the decapentaplegic (dpp) and cuticular protein 12 (cp 12) genes displayed a substantial marked decrease in expression levels in the copulatory organ of male mutants and the ovipositor of female mutants compared with the wild type. These findings highlight the importance of Sfabd‐B in genital tract patterning, providing a potential target for improving genetic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]