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Objective Methods Results Conclusion Numerous surgical techniques for addressing ulnar coronoid process fractures are available; however, a consensus on the optimal approach remains elusive. This study aimed to use the anterior neurovascular interval approach for the surgical management of ulnar coronoid process fractures and to evaluate its clinical outcomes over short‐ to mid‐term follow‐up.This retrospective clinical study included 20 patients with ulnar coronoid process fractures who were treated using the anterior neurovascular interval approach between January 2018 and December 2022. Participants comprised 16 males and four females, aged between 20 and 64 years (mean, 34.3 ± 12.44 years). Clinical and radiological evaluations were based on elbow joint range of motion (ROM), Visual analogue scale (VAS), and Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS). A paired t‐test was used to compare the pre‐operative and final follow‐up VAS and MEPS scores.The follow‐up duration for all patients was at least 12 months (average, 12.65 ± 1.60 months). At the final follow‐up, measurements of elbow ROM included a mean extension of 2.85 ± 3.17°, mean flexion of 135 ± 7.25°, mean pronation of 86.4 ± 4.56°, and mean supination of 84.85 ± 5.54°. All participants reached their target MEPS, with an average score of 97.25 ± 4.72 points, and the final mean VAS score was 0.2 ± 0.52 points. The VAS score was significantly lower and MEPS score was higher at the final follow‐up than those before surgery (p < 0.05). Throughout the follow‐up period, all the fractures united, and the stability of the affected elbows was satisfactory.Employing the anterior neurovascular interval approach for open reduction and internal fixation to manage coronoid process fractures effectively facilitates anatomical restoration and robust fixation of ulnar coronoid process fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPartner loss deprives young widows of physical contact, emotional intimacy, and the fulfillment of sexual desire. Although disenfranchised and oppressed, sexuality is a core piece of women’s identity, and sexual bereavement may compel widows to reconstruct their sexual identities. This existential phenomenological study seeks to illuminate the sexual loss and coping of young widows aged 45 and under. Qualitative findings from 21 women indicated three findings: a) young widows felt profound loss regarding their sexual relationships, leading to deep physical loneliness and an initial disinterest in sex; b) some subsequently experienced widows’ fire, an involuntary and often distressing intense sexual desire marked by cravings, obsessive thoughts, and a longing for connection; c) widows’ fire complicated their struggle to understand their post-loss identities as sexual beings. These findings highlight the neglected and significant repercussions of sexual loss for young widows and point to a need for heightened support, psychoeducation, and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Aims Methods Results Discussion Previous studies have suggested that treatments targeting the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) may play a role in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, factors impacting repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS), a technique to evaluate NMJ function, have yet to be fully elucidated. We aimed to identify independent factors contributing to the decremental response of the accessory nerve and evaluated its value in ALS clinical practice.A total of 626 patients who were diagnosed with ALS and underwent 3 Hz RNS tests on the accessory nerve were enrolled. Data on their clinical and electrophysiological indicators were divided into a training set (collected from June 2016 to December 2022) and a test set (collected from January to August 2023). Stepwise regression was used in independent variable selection and model building.Forty‐two percent of patients had a decrement larger than 10% and 24% had a decrement larger than 15%. Onset age, sex, onset site, forced vital capacity (FVC) and motor unit potential (MUP) duration were independent factors contributing to the results of the RNS test. MUP duration had the greatest impact on decremental response, followed by FVC and onset age. The decremental response in females was larger than in males. Upper limb onset was found to contribute more to the decrement than lower limb or bulbar onset.In patients with ALS, NMJ safety factor is reduced during re‐innervation. Decremental response is affected by multiple factors, which needs to be considered in clinical trials targeting the NMJ in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systematic research has been conducted on the relationship between aging and consumer fraud victimization. But few empirical studies examine the reality of judicial dispute resolution in consumer fraud against older people from the perspective of older adults and judges in China. Based on 161 court rulings, this qualitative study explores the perceptions of older adults in litigation about their experiences of being defrauded in China, alongside judges’ responses. Results reveal that common fraud patterns used by business perpetrators render older individuals more susceptible to fraud. Older plaintiffs strategically frame “old age” in litigation, potentially as a tactical maneuver, while also readily emphasizing the importance of procedural justice. Results further show that judges expressed either negative ageism or age-neutral discourse in response to fraud targeting older individuals. Findings highlight the need to enhance consumer education to prevent fraud and address ageist stereotypes among older people. Findings also highlight the need to encourage Chinese courts to consider individual case specifics, leading to fair judgments and the protection of older individuals from fraud while upholding their rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cine magnetic resonance (MR) images have been used for real‐time MR guided radiation therapy (MRgRT). However, the onboard MR systems with low‐field strength face the problem of limited image quality. Purpose: To improve the quality of cine MR images in MRgRT using prior image information provided by the patient planning and positioning MR images. Methods: This study employed MR images from 18 pancreatic cancer patients who received MR‐guided stereotactic body radiation therapy. Planning 3D MR images were acquired during the patient simulation, and positioning 3D MR images and 2D sagittal cine MR images were acquired before and during the beam delivery, respectively. A deep learning‐based framework consisting of two cycle generative adversarial networks (CycleGAN), Denoising CycleGAN and Enhancement CycleGAN, was developed to establish the mapping between the 3D and 2D MR images. The Denoising CycleGAN was trained to first denoise the cine images using the time domain cine image series, and the Enhancement CycleGAN was trained to enhance the spatial resolution and contrast by taking advantage of the prior image information from the planning and positioning images. The denoising performance was assessed by signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), structural similarity index measure, peak SNR, blind/reference‐less image spatial quality evaluator (BRISQUE), natural image quality evaluator, and perception‐based image quality evaluator scores. The quality enhancement performance was assessed by the BRISQUE and physician visual scores. In addition, the target contouring was evaluated on the original and processed images. Results: Significant differences were found for all evaluation metrics after Denoising CycleGAN processing. The BRISQUE and visual scores were also significantly improved after sequential Denoising and Enhancement CycleGAN processing. In target contouring evaluation, Dice similarity coefficient, centroid distance, Hausdorff distance, and average surface distance values were significantly improved on the enhanced images. The whole processing time was within 20 ms for a typical input image size of 512 × 512. Conclusion: Taking advantage of the prior high‐quality positioning and planning MR images, the deep learning‐based framework enhanced the cine MR image quality significantly, leading to improved accuracy in automatic target contouring. With the merits of both high computational efficiency and considerable image quality enhancement, the proposed method may hold important clinical implication for real‐time MRgRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu‐based catalysts have been identified as the most promising candidates for generation of C2+ products in electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction. Defect engineering in catalysts is a widely employed strategy for promoting C−C coupling on Cu. However, comprehensive understanding of defect structure‐to‐activity relationship has not been obtained. In this study, controllable defects generation is achieved, which leads to a series of Cu‐based catalysts with various phase mixing degrees. It is observed that the Faradaic efficiency toward C2+ products increases with the phase mixing degree, reaching 81 % at maximum. In situ infrared absorption spectroscopy reveals that the catalysts with higher phase mixing degree tend to form *CO more easily and possess higher retention of *CO under high overpotential window, thereby promoting C−C coupling. This work sheds new light on the relationship between defects and C−C coupling, and the rational developed of more advanced Cu‐base catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water vapor plays a pivotal role in the intricate processes of energy exchange and climate dynamics. However, a comprehensive understanding of the spatial distribution and temporal variability of water vapor in distinct climatic regions of China is still limited due to the intricate interplay of complex topography and diverse climatic conditions. This study investigates the multiscale variability of water vapor using 10-year 1-hour data of precipitable water vapor (PWV) from 248 observation stations of the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China (CMONOC). Significant variations in PWV distribution among China's climate regions are observed. Average PWV values vary considerably across regions, with the Tropical and Subtropical Monsoon Climate (TSMC) having the highest mean PWV of 32.09 mm, followed by the Midlatitude Monsoon Climate (MMC) with 15.70 mm, the Humid Continental Climate (HCC) with 9.26 mm, and the Plateau Climate (PC) with 7.66 mm. Seasons exhibit summer concentration and winter reduction across regions. Most stations exhibit increasing PWV trends, while a few show decreasing trends. The amplitude of annual PWV variations is higher in TSMC and MMC regions with a range from 8 to 22 mm, compared to HCC and PC regions with a range from 2 to 15 mm. Semiannual variations range from 0 to 6 mm in each region. PWV negatively correlates with latitude, altitude and pressure, particularly in the TSMC. Positive correlations with temperature exist in all regions, with varying strengths. Thermodynamic factors primarily impact PWV, while dynamic factors have secondary influence, equally significant in the PC region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu‐based catalysts have been identified as the most promising candidates for generation of C2+ products in electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction. Defect engineering in catalysts is a widely employed strategy for promoting C−C coupling on Cu. However, comprehensive understanding of defect structure‐to‐activity relationship has not been obtained. In this study, controllable defects generation is achieved, which leads to a series of Cu‐based catalysts with various phase mixing degrees. It is observed that the Faradaic efficiency toward C2+ products increases with the phase mixing degree, reaching 81 % at maximum. In situ infrared absorption spectroscopy reveals that the catalysts with higher phase mixing degree tend to form *CO more easily and possess higher retention of *CO under high overpotential window, thereby promoting C−C coupling. This work sheds new light on the relationship between defects and C−C coupling, and the rational developed of more advanced Cu‐base catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneous mutations are rare in mitochondria and the lack of mitochondrial transformation methods has hindered genetic analyses. We show that a custom-designed RNA-binding pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) protein binds and specifically induces cleavage of ATP synthase subunit1 (atp1) mRNA in mitochondria, significantly decreasing the abundance of the Atp1 protein and the assembled F1Fo ATP synthase in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The transformed plants are characterized by delayed vegetative growth and reduced fertility. Five-fold depletion of Atp1 level was accompanied by a decrease in abundance of other ATP synthase subunits and lowered ATP synthesis rate of isolated mitochondria, but no change to mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes, adenylates, or energy charge in planta. Transcripts for amino acid transport and a variety of stress response processes were differentially expressed in lines containing the PPR protein, indicating changes to achieve cellular homeostasis when ATP synthase was highly depleted. Leaves of ATP synthase-depleted lines showed higher respiratory rates and elevated steady-state levels of numerous amino acids, most notably of the serine family. The results show the value of using custom-designed PPR proteins to influence the expression of specific mitochondrial transcripts to carry out reverse genetic studies on mitochondrial gene functions and the consequences of ATP synthase depletion on cellular functions in Arabidopsis. Knockdown of mitochondrial atp1 mRNA by a custom-designed pentatricopeptide repeat protein alters F1Fo ATP synthase, plant growth, amino acid metabolism, and ATP synthesis in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improper processing of sensitive personal data concerning disabled people in government information disclosure not only violates their privacy rights but also leads to discrimination, stigmatization, and other serious secondary harm, that have long been overlooked. China's procurator-led public-interest litigation system is a powerful tool for protecting the privacy rights of vulnerable groups. This paper contends that procurator-led public-interest litigation, as a supplement to and support for private-interest litigation, assists the Chinese government in fulfilling its international obligations to protect the right to privacy of disabled people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of hydrogen content on the deformation and fracture behavior of 27Cr−4Mo−2Ni super ferritic stainless steel (SFSS) was investigated in this study. It was shown that the plasticity and yield strength of SFSS were very susceptible to hydrogen content. The introduction of hydrogen led to a significant decrease in elongation and a concurrent increase in yield strength. Nevertheless, a critical threshold was identified in the elongation reduction, after which the elongation remained approximately constant even with more hydrogen introduced, while the yield strength exhibited a monotonic increase with increasing hydrogen content within the experimental range, attributed to the pinning effect of the hydrogen Cottrell atmosphere on dislocations. Furthermore, the hydrogen-charged SFSS shows an apparent drop in flow stress after upper yielding and a reduced work hardening rate during the subsequent plastic deformation. The more hydrogen is charged, the more the flow stress drops, and the lower the work hardening rate becomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micropterus salmoides rhabdovirus (MSRV) is a formidable pathogen, presenting a grave menace to juvenile largemouth bass. This viral infection frequently leads to epidemic outbreaks, resulting in substantial economic losses within the aquaculture industry. Unfortunately, at present, there are no commercially available vaccines or pharmaceutical treatments to combat this threat. In order to address the urgent need for therapeutic strategy to resist MSRV infection, the antiviral activity of natural product honokiol against MSRV was explored in this study. Firstly, cellular morphology was directly observed in an inverted microscope when treated with honokiol after MSRV infection. The results clarified that honokiol significantly lessened cytopathic effect (CPE) induced by MSRV and protected the integrity of GCO cells. Furthermore, the viral nucleic acid expression (G gene) was detected by reverse transcription real‐time quantitative PCR (RT‐qPCR) and the results indicated that honokiol significantly decreased the viral loads of MSRV in a concentration‐dependent manner, and honokiol showed a high antiviral activity with IC50 of 2.92 μM. Besides, honokiol significantly decreased the viral titre and suppressed apoptosis caused by MSRV. Mechanistically, honokiol primarily inhibited the initial replication of MSRV and discharge of progeny virus to exert anti‐MSRV activity. More importantly, in vivo experiments suggested that honokiol (40 mg/kg) expressed a fine antiviral activity against MSRV when administrated with intraperitoneal injection, which led to a notable 40% improvement in the survival rate among infected largemouth bass. In addition, it also resulted in significant reduction in the viral nucleic acid expression within liver, spleen and kidney at 2, 4 and 6 days following infection. What is more, 100 mg/kg honokiol with oral administration also showed certain antiviral efficacy in MSRV‐infected largemouth bass via improving the survival rate by 10.0%, and decreasing significantly the viral nucleic acid expression in liver, spleen and kidney of largemouth bass on day 2. In summary, natural product honokiol is a good candidate to resist MSRV infection and has promising application prospects in aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graph neural networks (GNNs) have many variants for graph representation learning. Several works introduce PageRank into GNNs to improve its neighborhood aggregation capabilities. However, these methods leverage the general PageRank to perform complex neighborhood aggregation to obtain the final feature representation, which leads to high computational cost and oversmoothing. In this paper, we propose simple hierarchical PageRank graph neural networks (SHP-GNNs), which first utilize the simple PageRank to aggregate different neighborhood ranges of each node and then leverage a jumping architecture to combine these aggregated features to enable hierarchical structure-aware representation. In this case, first, the simple PageRank turns the neighborhood aggregation process to no-learning, thereby reducing the computational complexity of the model. Then, the jumping structure combines the aggregation features of each node's different hierarchy (neighborhood range) to learn more informative feature representation. Finally, the successful combination of the above methods alleviates the oversmoothing problem of deep GNNs. Our experimental evaluation demonstrates that SHP-GNNs achieve or match state-of-the-art results in node classification tasks, text classification tasks, and community prediction tasks. Moreover, since SHP-GNNs' neighborhood aggregation is a no-learning process, SHP-GNNs are more suitable for node clustering tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating joint disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Despite its prevalence, our understanding of the underlying mechanisms remains incomplete. In recent years, transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) channels have emerged as key players in OA pathogenesis. This review provides an in-depth exploration of the role of the TRPV pathway in OA, encompassing its involvement in pain perception, inflammation, and mechanotransduction. Furthermore, we discuss the latest research findings, potential therapeutic strategies, and future directions in the field, shedding light on the multifaceted nature of TRPV channels in OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structurally well-defined small organic photothermal agents (PTAs) in the NIR-II biowindow (1000–1700 nm) have garnered considerable attention, but their rarity greatly limits their wide applications. Herein, we report a host–guest charge-transfer (CT) complex, TTF⊂TBox-12+, constructed by electron-deficient naphthalene diimide (NDI) cyclophane TBox-12+ and electron-rich guest tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) in 1 : 1 host/guest stoichiometry. Owing to strong CT absorption, TTF⊂TBox-12+ showed high NIR-II photothermal conversion efficiency in both aqueous solution and the solid state, and then was exploited as a high-performance PTA for antibacterial applications and seawater desalination. This work provides an insight for the development of new structurally well-defined NIR-II PTAs via host–guest CT interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forage selection by mammalian herbivores has shown to be influenced by plant nutritional content, but the role of plant secondary compounds (PSCs) on forage selection is less well understood. Here, we studied the role of PSCs in giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) foraging strategies; examined seasonal and age class variation in PSC composition in the panda's principal food resource, bamboo (Bashania fargesii); evaluated anti-oxidant and antibacterial effects of bamboo extract; and determined how panda's seasonal movements and foraging patch selection which were determined by GPS collars related to patterns of PSC concentrations in bamboo. Panda's selection of foraging sites indicated positive selection for several PSCs, including flavonoids, alkaloids, and tannins. Pandas primarily ingested bamboo leaves, as opposed other parts of the bamboo, during the time of year when many PSC concentrations were at their highest. Further, pandas prefer to forage on younger bamboo, which contains higher concentrations of alkaloids and antibacterial activity than older bamboo. As might be expected for compounds that can have positive or negative biological effects depending on dose, pandas appeared to select both for and against some PSCs depending on context. Ex situ experiments showed that flavonoids and alkaloids were influential antioxidants and tannins and alkaloids had high levels of antibacterial activity. Panda foraging sites were characterized by high anti-oxidant activity. Variation in PSC content of bamboo on the landscape may have profound effects on pandas, including parasite control, protecting against cancer, improved cardiovascular health, and disease prevention. These potential roles of PSCs should receive greater attention in ecology and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the toughening mechanism and effects of 3-(aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (3-APTES) intercalation in calcium–silicate–hydrate (CSH) structures were investigated through molecular dynamics simulations. CSH established a model using 11 Å-tobermorite to simulate the tensile properties, toughness, adsorption energy, average orientation displacement and radial distribution function of 3-APTES intercalation at different Ca/Si ratios under conditions of a CVFF force field, an NVT system, and 298 K temperature. Simulation results demonstrate that 3-APTES alters the fracture process of CSH and effectively enhances its tensile properties and toughness. The presence of 3-APTES molecules increases the energy required to destroy CSH, thereby increasing the adsorption energy of CSH crystals. Furthermore, 3-APTES molecules effectively increase the atom density within the CSH structure. As the Ca/Si ratio increases, Ca–O bond formation is enhanced, with noticeable aggregation occurring because of modification by 3-APTES within the CSH structure. This study found that 3-APTES organic compounds can effectively improve the tensile, toughness, adsorption and other properties of the CSH structure, and further improve the microstructure of CSH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study explored the current views of ophthalmologists in China on the preferred strategy and the primary influencing factors in managing primary angle-closure suspect (PACS). Methods: An online survey was distributed via WeChat to ophthalmologists working in hospitals at all levels throughout China to investigate the optimal management strategy and factors influencing the strategy for treating PACS from February to March 2023. Management strategies examined included regular observation (RO), laser peripheral iridectomy (LPI), and phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation (PEI). The study explored the factors that influenced clinical decision-making processes and collected demographic information from the respondents for analysis. Results: A total of 1009 ophthalmologists responded; 442 responders considered RO as a reasonable option for patients with PACS, while the majority opted for more positive treatments, with 460 choosing LPI and 107 selecting PEI. Further grouping analysis revealed significant differences between tertiary and lower-level hospitals (P < 0.01) and between public and private hospitals (P < 0.05). Significant differences were found among resident, attending, and senior doctors and between northern and southern hospitals. The top three considerations for ophthalmologists who selected RO were ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) without pupillary block, absence of a family history of glaucoma, and good compliance with regular follow-up. For LPI, the factors were UBM indicating pupillary block, glaucoma symptoms, and poor compliance with regular follow-up. For PEI the factors were age, family history of glaucoma, and poor compliance with regular follow-up. Conclusion: The majority of ophthalmologists prefer aggressive treatments such as LPI or PEI over RO when dealing with patients with PACS. Disparity existed among ophthalmologists based on their level of experience, hospital ownership and level, and geographical location. The survey underscores the complexity and multifactorial nature of PACS management and highlights the need for further research and standardization of treatment protocols to ensure optimal patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is one of the common features of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC). LNM is also taken as a sign of advanced OTSCC and poor survival rate. Recently, single‐cell RNA sequencing has been applied in investigating the heterogeneity of tumor microenvironment and discovering the potential biomarkers for helping the diagnosis and prognosticating. Pathogenesis of LNM in OTSCC remains unknown. Specifically, cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and epithelial tumor cells could foster the progression of tumors. Thus, in this study, we aimed to comprehensively analyze the roles of subpopulations of CAFs and epithelial tumor cells in lymph node metastatic OTSCC using the integration of OTSCC single‐cell RNA sequencing datasets. Four distinct subtypes of CAFs, namely vascular CAFs, myofibroblast CAFs, inflammatory CAFs, and growth arrest CAFs were successfully discovered in LNM tumor and confirmed the roles of GAS and PTN pathways in the progression of tumor metastasis. In addition, NKAIN2+ epithelial cells and FN1+ epithelial cells specifically exhibited an upregulation of PTN, NRG, MIF, and SPP1 signaling pathways in the metastatic OTSCC. In doing so, we put forth some potential biomarkers that could be utilized for the purpose of diagnosing and prognosticating OTSCC during its metastatic phase and tried to confirm by immunofluorescence assays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• SDH protects against DSS-induced colitis in mice. • SDH downregulates Th cell expression and regulates inflammatory cytokines. • SDH modulates gut microbiota structure. Ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the rectum and colon to varying degrees, is linked to a dysregulated immune response and the microbiota. Sodium (aS,9R)-3-hydroxy-16,17-dimethoxy-15-oxidotricyclo[12.3.1.12,6]nonadeca-1(18),2,4,6(19),14,16-hexene-9-yl sulfate hydrate (SDH) emerges as a novel diarylheptane compound aimed at treating inflammatory bowel diseases. However, the mechanisms by which SDH modulates these conditions remain largely unknown. In this study, we assessed SDH's impact on the clinical progression of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis. Our results demonstrated that SDH significantly mitigated the symptoms of DSS-induced colitis, reflected in reduced disease activity index scores, alleviation of weight loss, shortening of the colorectum, and reduction in spleen swelling. Notably, SDH decreased the proportion of Th1/Th2/Th17 cells and normalized inflammatory cytokine levels in the colon. Furthermore, SDH treatment modified the gut microbial composition in mice with colitis, notably decreasing Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria populations while substantially increasing Firmicutes , Actinobacteria , and Patescibacteria. In conclusion, our findings suggest that SDH may protect the colon from DSS-induced colitis through the regulation of Th1/Th2/Th17 cells and gut microbiota, offering novel insights into SDH's therapeutic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A liquid metal functionalized, glycerol modified hydrogel composite is developed for enhanced solar steam generation and thermoelectric conversion. [Display omitted] • A hydrogel composite is designed to promote solar driven interfacial evaporation. • A silver coating enhances the photothermal conversion of liquid metal nanofillers. • Glycerol prevents heat loss and modulates bonding state of water in the hydrogel. • The hydrogel composite is applied in solar driven photothermal technology. Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) holds great potential in alleviating global freshwater scarcity, which requires the design of efficient energy conversion devices. Herein, a quadruply engineered hydrogel-based evaporator is developed based on multipath regulation of the four key processes involved in SDIE, i.e. , heat generation, energy utilization, water transportation, and evaporation. Surface-tailored liquid metal nanoparticles (EGaIn@Ag NPs) with a high photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) of 30.4 % serve as the nanofiller to produce heat efficiently. Vertically aligned microchannels are constructed in the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel through directional freezing to accelerate water transportation. Glycerol is introduced to the PVA matrix to synergistically a) prevent heat loss from the interface to bulk water, and b) modulate the bonding state of water in the hydrogel to reduce the vaporization enthalpy. Such an elaborate design achieves a rather high evaporation rate of 3.26 kg m−2h−1 under 1 sun illumination. The hydrogel evaporator (EGaIn@Ag/PVAG) is applicable in treating real seawater and dye-contaminated sewages, showing favorable desalination durability and self-cleaning property. The synergistic design also imparts the hydrogel with thermoelectric power generation capabilities. This work offers a new insight into the synergistic design of SDIE devices, which is expected to inspire innovations in solar energy conversion and utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the lack of scientific guidance, most migratory beekeepers currently arrange their migratory beekeeping routes by experience. The production mode is extensive, and the quality and efficiency need to be improved. Therefore, this study investigates a dynamic migratory route recommendation problem considering the stochastic yield of nectar sources and uncertain disastrous weather events, by which the beekeeper can dynamically follow the practical and effective recommended route to cope with production risk to reach a better revenue. To this end, the problem is first formulated as a Markov decision process considering various flowering durations of nectar sources, migration costs and time, the prices of bee products, and, most importantly, uncertain yields. Then, an approximate dynamic programming algorithm incorporated with offline and online learning procedures is proposed to deal with the curse of dimensionality. Several acceleration methods are also provided to solve the problem more efficiently. The conducted numerical study shows that the proposed model and algorithm perform well in approximation precise and computational efficiency. Finally, the computational results show that the proposed migratory beekeeping route recommendation method effectively deals with yield uncertainty and significantly improves the migratory beekeeping revenue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Black phosphorene (BlackP) with low diffusion barriers has been extensively researched as one of the new Li-ion batteries (LIBs) anode materials. Nevertheless, the poor mechanical properties and elastic stiffness of BlackP obviously limit its practical application. Thus, owing to the excellent mechanical properties and good elastic stiffness exhibited by Graphdiyne (GDY), the BlackP/GDY Van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure was investigated in our study to overcome those disadvantages on the basis of the density functional theory (DFT). Our results suggest that the BlackP/GDY vdW heterostructure has favorable mechanical properties and high thermodynamic stability with a small lattice mismatch, which is owing to the synergistic effect existed in BlackP and GDY. Besides, the adsorption energy of Li adsorption on the BlackP/GDY vdW heterostructure evidently enhanced along with the changing of the heterostructure from semiconductor to metallic. Moreover, the maximum theoretical storage capacity (384.703 mA h/g) of the BlackP/GDY vdW heterostructure is larger than that of Graphite (372 mA h/g). Above all, the minimum diffusion barrier (0.083 eV) is extremely low, which is vital for achieving ultrafast charge and discharge rates. These favorable advantages suggest that the BlackP/GDY vdW heterostructure is a viable ultrafast LIBs anode material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• FLSP improves physical properties of AISI 9310 steel and friction behavior. • Hardened layer, surface hardness, fine grain jointly improves wear resistance. • Hardened layer is the most important factor affecting the wear properties. • FLSP of 150 μJ & 15 μm achieves optimal wear resistance. The wear resistance of gear components significantly influences operational reliability and lifespan of mechanical equipment. Compared with nanosecond time scale laser surface treatment, femtosecond laser shock peening (FLSP) has the advantage of no absorption layer and constraint layer in processing complex geometric structure parts. However, attempts at FLSP for gear materials are quite limited up to now. This paper introduces a methodology employing Pulsed FLSP to enhance the wear resistance of AISI 9310 gear steel. The research delves into the effects of FLSP on the surface morphology, mechanical characteristics, and wear performance of AISI 9310 steel under varying laser energy levels (50 μJ, 100 μJ, 150 μJ, 200 μJ) and pulse spacings (10 μm, 15 μm, 30 μm). The findings reveal that femtosecond laser surface treatment significantly augmented surface microhardness by 9.4 % to 17.4 % and induced a surge in surface residual compressive stress (RCS) by 30.5 % to 103.1 %. Moreover, it introduced a work hardening layer of 150–300 μm in depth direction, resulting in a wear rate reduction ranging from 10.1 % to 61.7 %. The sample treated with 15 μm pulse spacing and 150 μJ laser energy exhibited simultaneously the lowest wear rate and a minimum average coefficient of friction (COF) on 0.47. The advancement in wear resistance is attributed to the synergistic effects of markedly increased surface hardness, gradient hardness in depth direction, and reduced grain size induced by FLSP. A multiple linear regression (MLR) model indicates that deeper work hardening layers are most significant for improving wear resistance, which reduces risk of wear failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the nutrient budgets and biogeochemical dynamics in the coastal regions of northern Beibu Gulf (CNBG). Nutrient concentrations varied spatially and seasonally among the different bays. High nutrient levels were found in the regions with high riverine inputs and intensive mariculture. Using a three end-member mixing model, nutrient biogeochemistry within the ecosystem was estimated separately from complex physical mixing effects. Nutrient consumption dominated in most bays in summer, whereas nutrient regeneration dominated in winter, likely due to phytoplankton decomposition, vertical mixing and desorption. Through the Land-Ocean Interaction Coastal Zone (LOICZ) model, the robust nutrient budgets were constructed, indicating that the CNBG behaved as a sink of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus and silicon. River-borne nutrient inputs were the dominant nutrient source, while residual flows and water exchange flows transported nutrient off the estuaries. This study could help us better understand nutrient cycles and nutrient sources/sinks in the CNBG. • The CNBG behaved as a sink of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus and silicon. • Riverine inputs was the dominant nutrient source, water exchange flows was the main nutrient output. • Nutrient consumption dominated in summer, nutrient regeneration dominated in winter. • Microbial nitrogen removal exceeded nitrogen fixation in the CNBG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal spraying has become an industrial standard in the production of wear-resistant WC-Co and Cr3C2-NiCr composite coatings. However, generating optimum wear-resistant nano-reinforced carbide microstructures within the coatings remains challenging. The alternative two-step approach in this work involves coating formation under high energy conditions to generate maximum carbide dissolution, followed by heat treatment to precipitate nanocarbides. Microwave heating of particulate materials has been reported to offer several benefits over conventional furnace heating, including faster heating rates, internal rather than external heating, and acceleration of reactions/phase transformations at lower temperatures. This novel work explored the use of microwaves for heat treatment (as distinct from melting) of WC-Co and Cr3C2-NiCr thermal spray coatings and contrasted the rate of phase development with that from conventional furnace treatment. Coatings were successfully microwave heat-treated to generate the same phase composition as furnace treatment. Both treatments generated comparable results in the Cr3C2-NiCr system. The WC-Co system achieved a much more crystalline structure in a dramatically shorter time relative to the conventional furnace-treated sample. The results are contrasted as a function of material and microstructure interaction with microwaves and the critical phase transition temperatures to account for the observed responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the flexural properties and repair effects of unsaturated polyester resin concrete (UPRC) for potential pavement repair applications. Quasi-static flexural test, bonding test, and dynamic flexural test were conducted on UPRC specimens at different curing ages. Results exhibit UPRC's impressive early-age strength, reaching nearly 40% of ultimate strength at 28 days for 1-day curing. UPRC also showcases superior bonding compared to ordinary Portland concrete, rendering it a good choice for pavement repair. SEM analysis provides insights into the bonding mechanism between UPRC and old concrete. Employing digital image correlation, the loading process during impact tests reveals three stages. Accordingly, the calculation methods of strain rate and flexural load were determined. Under low-velocity impacts (≤ 2.0 m/s), extended curing enhances energy dissipation. Besides, the resin and aggregates within the specimen yields a buffering effect. However, under high-velocity impacts, substantial instantaneous strain weakens the energy dissipation capacity. UPRC's peak flexural load displays a significant strain-rate effect. An empirical model correlating dynamic increase factor, strain rate, and curing time was proposed. Consequently, the strain-rate effect diminishes with increasing curing age, stabilizing after 7 days. In summary, UPRC's exceptional early-age strength positions it as an ideal material for emergency repairs. • Unsaturated polyester resin concrete (UPRC) with super early strength was tested. • The bonding surface between UPRC and ordinary concrete was observed. • The flexural properties of UPRC under dynamic load was studied. • The relationship between flexural capacity and curing age was analysed. • A model correlating DIF, strain rate, and curing age was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pb 1–1.5x La x Zr 0.95 Ti 0.05 O 3 films with different La3+ contents were successfully prepared on the LaNiO 3 /SiO 2 /Si substrates by sol-gel method. The effect of La3+ doping on the microstructure, electrical properties, and energy storage performance of the films are systematically investigated. It is found that the introducing of La3+ with a smaller tolerance factor could enhance the lattice distortion and compressive stresses, leading to smaller grain size, slimmer electric hysteresis loops, and lower phase transition field hysteresis. As a result, a relatively high energy storage density of 30.2 J/cm3 together with the energy storage efficiency of 62.2% has been achieved in Pb 0.82 La 0.12 Zr 0.95 Ti 0.05 antiferroelectric thin films with the optimum doping content. This improvement is largely attributed to the enhanced breakdown field strength from 1442 kV/cm to 1564 kV/cm as a result of grain size reduction. Our results demonstrate the crucial role of decreased tolerance factor in stabilizing the antiferroelectric phase and enhancing the phase transition electric field, and provide an effective route to enhance the energy storage performance of antiferroelectric thin films. • The stress of PbZr 0.95 Ti 0.05 O 3 films could be adjusted by La element contents. • The grain size and phase transition field difference decrease with La element content. • The reduced grain size and phase transition field difference help improve the W rec. • The W rec reaches the maximum value 30.2 J/cm3 in the PLZT-0.12 films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an incurable and highly complex chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affecting millions of people worldwide. C-phycocyanin (C-PC) has been reported to possess outstanding anti -inflammatory activities and can effectively inhibit various inflammation-related diseases. Whether C-PC-derived bioactive peptides can inhibit intestinal inflammation is worth research and consideration. The inhibition activities of three anti -neuroinflammatory peptides were evaluated using 2-4-6-trinitrobenzen sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced zebrafish colitis model. Subsequently, the abilities of peptides to promote gastrointestinal motility were also examined. The changes in the intestinal pathological symptoms and ultrastructure of intestinal, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and antioxidant enzymes were then determined after co-treatment with peptides and TNBS. Transcriptome analysis was used to investigate the underlying ameliorating TNBS-induced colitis effects molecular mechanisms of better activity peptide. Furthermore, quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and molecular docking techniques verified the mRNA sequencing results. Three peptides, MHLWAAK, MAQAAEYYR and MDYYFEER, which significantly inhibit macrophage migration, were synthesized. The results showed that these peptides could effectively alleviate the inflammatory responses in the TNBS-induced zebrafish model of colitis. In addition, co-treatment with TNBS and C-PC peptides could decrease ROS production and increase antioxidant enzyme activities in zebrafish larvae. Moreover, MHLWAAK had the most significantly therapeutic effects on colitis in zebrafish. The transcriptome analysis suggests that the effect of MHLWAAK on TNBS-induced colitis may be associated with the modulation of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway associated genes. In addition, molecular docking was conducted to study the prospective interaction between peptides and the key proteins that streamline the Nrf2 and MAPK signaling pathways. IL-6, JNK3, TNF-α, KEAP1-NRF2 complex and MAPK may be the core targets of MHLWAAK in treating colitis. The results suggested that the three C-PC-derived peptides could ameliorate TNBS-induced colitis in zebrafish, and these peptides might be a promising therapeutic candidate for UC treatment. • C-phycocyanin peptides could improve the intestinal histopathological damage. • C-phycocyanin peptides could decrease oxidative stress and repair immune capacity of gut. • It could change the expression levels of genes in MAPK/Nrf2 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crumb rubber particles (RPs) can improve the impact resistance of concrete structures owing to their high toughness. In the current paper, the dynamic behaviours of RPs reinforced concrete beams under blast loads were investigated. The near-field explosion tests were first performed on the rubber-modified reinforced concrete (RRC) beams with different content of RPs (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 50%). Numerical simulations based on the ConWep, Karagozian and Case concrete (KCC) models were then used to analysis the deformation/failure mechanisms of RRC beams. Finally, an improved single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) method was proposed to predict the dynamic deflection of RRC beams. The experimental results indicated that the crack patterns of the RRC beams changed from bending cracks to shear–bending cracks as the scaled distance decreased. When the blast load had a small scaled distance (0.234 m/kg1/3), the number of cracks decreased with increased rubber content, particularly shear cracks. The numerical simulation revealed that due to the low damping ratio of RRC beams, the vibration amplitude of the RRC beams was lower than that of the beams without RPs. It is believed that the current study can provide valuable insights into the key factors for designing the blast resistance of RPs reinforced concrete structures. • Influence of rubber particles on the blast resistance of RRC beams was analysed. • The damage mechanisms of RRC beams subjected to blast loads were discussed. • The FEA results of structural deformation agree well with the test results. • An improved SDOF method of structural response under blast loads was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The Beidashan pluton formed at ca. 140–138 Ma and belongs to I-type granite. • The Beidashan pluton sourced from mantle-derived melt and the Xilinhot Group. • Crystal mush model is used to explain the genesis of the Beidashan granitic complex. • Reducibility, high F content, and fractionation are helpful for tin mineralization. The Beidashan pluton, consisting of quartz monzonite in the northeast and biotite granite in the southwest, is a representative granitic intrusion in the southern Great Xing'an Range. To investigate its petrogenesis and relationship with tin mineralization, whole-rock and accessory minerals (zircon and apatite) geochemical analyses were carried out. The quartz monzonite mainly belongs to high-K calc-alkaline strongly peraluminous granite, and the biotite granite is high-K calc-alkaline weakly peraluminous granite. Zircon U-Pb dating indicates a younger age for the biotite granite (138 Ma) than the quartz monzonite (140 Ma). The zircon Hf and apatite Nd isotopic compositions of the quartz monzonite (ε Hf (t) = 5.2 to 9.1 and ε Nd (t) = −1.1 to 1.3) and those of the biotite granite (ε Hf (t) = 5.6 to 8.0 and ε Nd (t) = −0.9 to 1.0) are indistinguishable, implying that they were derived from the same sources. Modeling results using apatite Nd isotope data show that they were from a mixing source of the Xilinhot Group and mantle-derived basaltic melt. Whole-rock and apatite trace elements reveal that the granitic magma mainly experienced fractional crystallization of amphibole, biotite, plagioclase, K-feldspar, apatite, and monazite from the quartz monzonite to the biotite granite. Mineralogical, whole-rock geochemical, and apatite trace element data indicate that the Beidashan pluton has an I-type granite affinity. A crystal mush model was proposed accounting for the composition gap between these two granites (e.g., SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , and Ba), in which the biotite granite represents the highly fractionated interstitial melt extracted from the crystal mush system whereas the quartz monzonite is the residual crystal mush consisting of the cumulate crystals and trapped interstitial melt. The melt was extracted when the crystallinity of the crystal mush reached about 33–37%, and the residual crystal mush trapped about 38–46% interstitial melt. Both Ce anomalies in zircon and Eu anomalies in apatite imply reducing conditions. The calculated values of oxygen fugacity for the Beidashan pluton range from −19.3 to −15.7, and most of them are lower than the fayalite-magnetite-quartz (FMQ) oxygen buffer. Apatite in the Beidashan pluton has high F (2.35–3.61%) and low Cl (0–0.41%) concentrations, which are similar to those of Sn-W deposits worldwide. The Sn contents of apatite increase from the quartz monzonite (mean 0.30 ppm) to the biotite granite (mean 1.09 ppm), suggesting that magma evolution is important for the enrichment of Sn in the melt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water and nitrogen are the two main limiting factors on wheat growth. How to optimize the water and fertilizer management practices of irrigated spring wheat, so as to retain high and stable yield, maintain highly use efficiency of agricultural resources and to be environmentally friendly, is an urgent production problem need to be solved. The promotion of controlled experiment results is limited by experiment sites, experiment duration or the number of experiment designs, while the process-based crop models can effectively solve this difficulty. In recent years, the crop model has become a powerful and technical tool for exploring better crop planting management practices and for evaluating how agriculture production adapts to climate change. In this study authors collected experimental observation data (meteorological, crop, soil, and management data) of spring wheat (Yongliang 4) from 2010 to 2018 at the agricultural meteorological experimental station in Linhe district, Bayannur city, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to determine the key genetic parameters of wheat growth and development in the APSIM-wheat model. Based on the calibrated model and meteorological data from1986 to 2020, we designed multiple intelligent management scenarios under different drought levels, and then explored the final optimal water and nitrogen management modes of spring wheat based on several key selection indicators (yield, water/fertilizer application rate, and water/fertilizer utilization efficiency). The results showed that: (1) the APSIM-wheat model can effectively reproduce the spring wheat development and growth with the RMSE of 1.96d to 3.21d for the spring wheat developmental stages (emergence, jointing, flowering and maturity). As for the wheat growth process (leaf area index (LAI), aboveground dry matter mass, and yield), the RMSE values were 1.65, 292.44g·m-2, and 588.96 kg·ha-1, respectively. (2) Based on the key selection indicators (yield, irrigation amount, water utilization efficiency (WUE), nitrogen fertilizer application amount, and nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE)), the research concluded that the two management modes, that auto irrigation be applied when soil root layer (60cm) water deficit reached 40% (S3P40) and when soil root layer water deficit reached 50% (S3P50), were superior to other management modes. (3) Compared with the conventional management mode, the S3P40 management mode was preferred with the production goal to significantly improve yield, in which lead to a 14.4% increase in yield production. With the production goal to stabilize yield and reduce water and fertilizer application amount simultaneously, the S3P50 management mode was favored, which resulted in a 23.2% reduction in irrigation amount and 32.4% reduction in nitrogen application rate compared with traditional management mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the 50% minimum effective concentration (MEC50) and the 95% effective concentration (MEC95) of ropivacaine for ultrasound-guided caudal block during hypospadias repair surgery of pediatric patients. Methods: Children were enrolled with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I–II undergoing elective hypospadias repair surgery. Children were grouped into two age groups: toddlerhood (1–3 years old) and preschool (3–6 years old). We measured The MEC50 using Dixon's up-and-down method. The first children received the caudal block with 1.0 mL/kg of 0.15% ropivacaine. We determined each subsequent patient's concentration based on the previous patient's response and adjusted the concentration in intervals of 0.015%. Meanwhile, the probit regression analysis obtains 95% effective concentration (MEC95). In addition, we recorded the general condition, adverse events, and postoperative pain of each child. Results: 46 children undergoing elective hypospadias repair surgery were included in this study, 22 in the toddlerhood group and 24 in the preschool group. Of the total number of patients, the caudal block was successful in 25 (54%) and failed in 21 (46%). The MEC50 of 1 ml/kg ropivacaine was 0.102% (95% CI 0.099%, 0.138%) in the toddlerhood group and 0.129% (95% CI 0.124%, 0.138%) in the preschool group. The MEC95 of 1 ml/kg ropivacaine was 0.148% (95% CI 0.131%, 0.149%) in the toddlerhood group and 0.162% (95% CI 0.134%, 0.164%) in the preschool group. Our results showed that ropivacaine concentration was statistically different between preschool children and toddlers (P < 0.001). None of the adverse events occurred. Conclusions: This study showed that children in the preschool group required higher concentrations of ropivacaine than children in the toddler group during ultrasound-guided sacral block combined with non-intubated general anesthesia. At the same time, this method of anesthesia is safe and effective for children undergoing surgery for hypospadias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate identification of delirium in sepsis patients is crucial for guiding clinical diagnosis and treatment. However, there are no accurate biomarkers and indicators at present. We aimed to identify which combinations of cognitive impairment-related biomarkers and other easily accessible assessments best predict delirium in sepsis patients. One hundred and one sepsis patients were enrolled in a prospective study cohort. S100B, NSE, and BNIP3 L biomarkers were detected in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid and patients' optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD). The optimal biomarkers identified by Logistic regression are combined with other factors such as ONSD to filter out the perfect model to predict delirium in sepsis patients through Logistic regression, Naïve Bayes, decision tree, and neural network models. Among all biomarkers, compared with BNIP3 L (AUC =.706, 95% CI =.597–.815) and NSE (AUC =.711, 95% CI =.609–.813) in cerebrospinal fluid, plasma S100B (AUC =.729, 95% CI =.626–.832) had the best discrimination performance for delirium in sepsis patients. Logistic regression analysis showed that the combination of cerebrospinal fluid BNIP3 L with plasma S100B, ONSD, neutrophils, and age provided the best discrimination to cognitive impairment in sepsis patients (accuracy =.901, specificity =.923, sensitivity =.911), which was better than Naïve Bayes, decision tree, and neural network models. Neutrophils, ONSD, and cerebrospinal fluid BNIP3 L were consistently the major contributors in a few models. The logistic regression showed that the combination model was strongly correlated with cognitive dysfunction in sepsis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waterborne acrylic coatings, the largest market share of predominant environmentally friendly coatings, face limitations in their extensive application due to their flammability. The flame-retardant properties of the coatings could be significantly enhanced by incorporate inorganic flame retardants. However, inorganic flame retardants tend to aggregate and unevenly disperse in waterborne acrylic coatings, causing a substantial decrease in flame retardancy. In this work, sodium silicate was utilized as a flame retardant, with urea and melamine serving as modifiers and synergistic agents. This combination resulted in the preparation of a sodium silicate/urea/melamine ternary synergistic waterborne acrylic flame-retardant coating. This coating was applied to the surface of poplar veneer to create flame-retardant poplar veneer. Subsequently, various instruments, including a scanning electron microscope (SEM), a limiting oxygen index meter (LOI), a thermogravimetric analyzer (TG), and a cone calorimeter (CONE), were employed to investigate the relevant properties and mechanisms of both the flame-retardant coating and poplar veneer. The results demonstrated that the sodium silicate/urea/melamine ternary synergistic flame retardant did not exhibit aggregation and could be uniformly dispersed in waterborne acrylic coatings. The physical and mechanical properties of the ternary synergistic flame-retardant poplar veneer coating were satisfactory. Melamine and urea, acting as modifiers, not only greatly enhanced the dispersibility of sodium silicate in waterborne acrylic coatings, but also assisted in the formation of a silicon-containing char layer through the generation of nitrogen, achieving ternary synergistic flame retardancy. In conclusion, this work explores a novel method to efficiently and uniformly disperse inorganic flame retardants in organic coatings. It significantly improves the dispersibility and uniformity of inorganic flame retardants in organic polymers, thereby substantially enhancing the flame-retardant performance of coatings. This work provides a theoretical basis for the research and application of new flame-retardant coatings in the field of chemistry and materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous investigations commonly employed solid-state sintering to fabricate Ni-based ferrite ceramics to improve magnetic performance. A few researchers used the hot-pressing method to prepare Ni-based ferrites, but their porosity remained relatively high values (>2%), resulting in high ferromagnetic resonance line widths (Δ H). To date, the influence of high-temperature and high-pressure forming processes on Δ H and spin wave line width (Δ H k) in Ni-based ferrite ceramics has been rarely reported using hot pressing. This study utilized a uniaxial hot-pressing method and systematically investigated the effect of porosity, grain size and grain uniformity on the magnetic properties of Ni-based ferrite ceramics. Porosity played a crucial role in determining Δ H at different sintering temperatures. As the sintering temperature increased, the reduced porosity resulted in a decrease in Δ H. Under varying sintering pressures, the grain uniformity primarily affected Δ H. Increasing pressures led to more uniform grains, causing a decrease in Δ H. The Δ H k was directly associated with the grain sizes. With the increase of sintering temperatures, the grain sizes increased, leading to a decrease in Δ H k. Conversely, as the pressure increased, the decreased grain sizes brought the increased Δ H k. Compared to other hot-pressing results on the Ni-based ferrite ceramics, the optimized high-temperature and high-pressure processing with annealing significantly reduced the porosity of Ni-based ferrite ceramics (0.11%). In comparison with the solid-state sintering without pressures, the optimized hot-pressed Ni-based ferrite ceramics exhibited a 7% increase in saturation magnetization, a 63% reduction in Δ H and a 6.5% increase in Δ H k. The striking reduction of Δ H suggests that microwave devices assembled from Ni-based ferrite ceramics could withstand high power levels while minimizing lower electromagnetic losses, predicting promising applications for Ni-based ferrite materials in high-power microwave ferrite devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface of the Earth is continuous, and obtaining precise elevation data at arbitrary query positions is essential for many applications and analyses. However, existing digital elevation models suffer from a precision gap caused by discretization. Therefore, we develop a new continuous representation model (CDEM) that allows height values to be obtained at any arbitrary query position. Inspired by recent research on the implicit neural representation model, we train an encoder–decoder network to learn CDEM from discrete elevation data for DEM super-resolution tasks. The encoder targets generating latent codes from discrete elevation data, while the decoder composes these latent codes with query positions to predict corresponding elevation values. Such a learning pipeline is well-suited for DEM super-resolution tasks. To improve model accuracy, we also propose predicting the bias of elevation values between the query position and its closest known position. Real-world terrain surfaces exhibit inherent roughness with numerous small variations in localized regions, resulting in high-frequency targets that are difficult for neural networks to fit. In order to facilitate the network's ability to model data with high-frequency variations, we introduce positional encoding to map query positions into a higher-dimensional space. Compared to the Bicubic interpolation method and state-of-the-art TfaSR model, our method is demonstrated to obtain more accurate elevation values and preserve more details of terrain structure on the TFASR30, Pyrenees, and Tyrol datasets. Specifically, our EBCF-CDEM model demonstrates performance improvements over the TfaSR model, with reductions in the RMSE of elevation, slope, and aspect by 7.03%, 4.81%, and 3.07% respectively at × 4 super-resolution scale on the TFASR30 dataset, by 9.92%, 7.06%, and 6.15% at × 8 super-resolution scale on the Pyrenees dataset. Extensive experiments further validate the generalizability of our EBCF-CDEM, compared to the TfaSR model, our results in terms of RMSE of elevation, slope, and aspect are reduced by 14.78%, 12.12%, and 8.99% respectively at × 8 super-resolution scale on the Tyrol dataset, and 26.92%, 7.14% and 5.36% on the TIFASR30to10 dataset. We release our source code (including the datasets) at https://github.com/AlcibiadesTophetScipio/EBCF-CDEM to reproduce our results and encourage future research. • Represent terrain elevation data in a continuous format with a neural model. • Use the elevation bias to modify the distribution of prediction data. • Use the positional encoding function to improve model accuracy. • Evaluate model performance on multi-scale DEM super-resolution tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the degree of heavy metal pollution in crops, this study focused on crop leaves subjected to varying levels of heavy metal copper (Cu) stress. After removing outliers and applying smoothing techniques, the spectral data underwent derivative (D) and multiplicative scatter correction (MSC). Competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) and specific spectral ranges (SSR) were employed to extract the feature bands. Six different combinations of data preprocessing methods were utilized. This model incorporates the semi-supervised learning method, which enables the reduction of time and cost associated with annotating large-scale data. It addresses the identification problem when the labelled data is limited. Finally, the eXtreme Gradient Boosting algorithm (XGBoost) is used to select the best model and discriminate the degree of heavy metal pollution in corn. The D-CARS-XGBoost model achieved an accuracy rate exceeding 98%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) show significant potential for osteogenic differentiation. However, the underlying mechanisms of osteogenic capability in osteoporosis‐derived BMSCs (OP‐BMSCs) remain unclear. This study aims to explore the impact of YTHDF3 (YTH N6‐methyladenosine RNA binding protein 3) on the osteogenic traits of OP‐BMSCs and identify potential therapeutic targets to boost their bone formation ability. Methods: We examined microarray datasets (GSE35956 and GSE35958) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to identify potential m6A regulators in osteoporosis (OP). Employing differential, protein interaction, and machine learning analyses, we pinpointed critical hub genes linked to OP. We further probed the relationship between these genes and OP using single‐cell analysis, immune infiltration assessment, and Mendelian randomization. Our in vivo and in vitro experiments validated the expression and functionality of the key hub gene. Results: Differential analysis revealed seven key hub genes related to OP, with YTHDF3 as a central player, supported by protein interaction analysis and machine learning methodologies. Subsequent single‐cell, immune infiltration, and Mendelian randomization studies consistently validated YTHDF3's significant link to osteoporosis. YTHDF3 levels are significantly reduced in femoral head tissue from postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) patients and femoral bone tissue from PMOP mice. Additionally, silencing YTHDF3 in OP‐BMSCs substantially impedes their proliferation and differentiation. Conclusion: YTHDF3 may be implicated in the pathogenesis of OP by regulating the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of OP‐BMSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the relationship between modic changes (MCs) and endplate sclerosis in patients with lumbar degenerative disease. This network meta-analysis was performed on the basis of Preffered Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis 2020 statement. This study was registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42024497370). We performed a systematic search of the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China national knowledge infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and Wanfang databases from inception to December 22, 2023. STATA13.0 and RevMan 5.3 were applied to perform the meta-analysis. Seven studies with a total of 1510 endplates were divided into 6 groups according to the type of MCs. The endplate sclerosis rate in the single-type group was significantly lower than that in the mixed-type group. The endplate sclerosis rate in the type I MC (MC1) was significantly lower than that in the type II MC (MC2). The endplate sclerosis rate in the MC2 was significantly lower than that in the type III MC (MC3). The endplate sclerosis rate in the MC1/2 was significantly lower than that in the MC2/3. No significant difference was detected between MC1/2 and MC1/3 or between MC2/3 and MC1/3. For decreasing the endplate sclerosis rate, the order of the different types of MCs was MC1>MC2>MC1/2>MC2/3≈MC1/3>MC3. Endplate sclerosis occurs in all kinds of MCs. With increasing grade of MCs, the incidence of endplate sclerosis gradually increased. The endplate sclerosis rate in mixed-type MCs was significantly greater than that in MC2 and significantly lower than that in MC3. The endplate sclerosis rate in the mixed-type, including MC3 (MC1/3 and MC2/3), was significantly greater than that in the MC1/2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] SnO 2 layer between Li 1.5 Al 0.5 Ge 1.5 (PO 4) 3 (LAGP) and lithium anode was prepared through simple scratch-coating process to improve interface properties. The physical phase, morphology, and electrochemical properties of Li/SnO 2 /LAGP structure were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electrochemical analytical methods. It was found that SnO 2 layer effectively improved the interface stability of LAGP and lithium anode. The prepared Li/SnO 2 /LAGP/SnO 2 /Li symmetric cell exhibited a large critical current density of 1.8 mA cm−2 and demonstrated excellent cycling characteristics. The polarization voltages of symmetric cell were 0.1 V and 0.8 V after 1000 h of cycling at current densities of 0.04 mA cm−2 and 0.5 mA cm−2, respectively. Li/SnO 2 @LAGP/LiFePO 4 solid-state full cells were also assembled, exhibiting a discharge specific capacity of 150 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 0.1C with capacity retention rate of 96 %. The good interface properties of Li/SnO 2 /LAGP structure are attributed to the transformation of SnO 2 layer into a buffer layer containing Li 2 O, Sn0, and Li x Sn y alloy during cycling process, which effectively inhibits the reduction reaction between LAGP and lithium anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-memory computing electronic components offer a promising non-von Neumann strategy to develop energy-efficient and high-speed hardware systems for artificial intelligence (AI). However, the implementation of conventional electronic hardware demands a huge computational and power budget, thereby limiting their wider application. In this work, we propose a novel superconducting in-memory computing architecture by coupling the memristor device. Leveraging the phase transition of the superconductor induced by external applied Joule power, we can modulate the state of the bottom superconductor based on memristor resistive states and applied voltages, enabling the execution of in-memory computing operations. We then successfully implement vector-matrix multiplication of input and output signals within the designed array, facilitating its integration into AI systems. Constructing a binarized neural network with superconductor-memristor arrays achieves a high level of accuracy, approximately 97%, in handwritten number classification. Through an evaluation of power consumption in our proposed architecture, we find a remarkable ∼48 400× advantage in power efficiency compared to typical memristor systems. This marks the inaugural demonstration of a superconducting in-memory computing architecture through memristor coupling, offering a promising hardware platform for various AI systems with superior energy efficiency and computing capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Observational studies have reported that gut microbiota composition is associated with metabolic syndrome. However, the causal effect of gut microbiota on metabolic syndrome has yet to be confirmed. Methods: We performed a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study to investigate the causal effect between gut microbiota and metabolic syndrome in European population. Summary statistics of gut microbiota were from the largest available genome-wide association study meta-analysis (n = 13,266) conducted by the MiBioGen consortium. The summary statistics of outcome were obtained from the most comprehensive genome-wide association studies of metabolic syndrome (n = 291,107). The inverse-variance weighted method was applied as the primary method, and the robustness of the results was assessed by a series of sensitivity analyses. Results: In the primary causal estimates, Actinobacteria (OR = 0.935, 95% CI = 0.878–0.996, P = 0.037), Bifidobacteriales (OR = 0.928, 95% CI = 0.868–0.992, P = 0.028), Bifidobacteriaceae (OR = 0.928, 95% CI = 0.868–0.992, P = 0.028), Desulfovibrio (OR = 0.920, 95% CI = 0.869–0.975, P = 0.005), and RuminococcaceaeUCG010 (OR = 0.882, 95% CI = 0.803–0.969, P = 0.009) may be associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome, while Lachnospiraceae (OR = 1.130, 95% CI = 1.016–1.257, P = 0.025), Veillonellaceae (OR = 1.055, 95% CI = 1.004–1.108, P = 0.034) and Olsenella (OR = 1.046, 95% CI = 1.009–1.085, P = 0.015) may be linked to a higher risk for metabolic syndrome. Reverse MR analysis demonstrated that abundance of RuminococcaceaeUCG010 (OR = 0.938, 95% CI = 0.886–0.994, P = 0.030) may be downregulated by metabolic syndrome. Sensitivity analyses indicated no heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy. Conclusions: Our Mendelian randomization study provided causal relationship between specific gut microbiota and metabolic syndrome, which might provide new insights into the potential pathogenic mechanisms of gut microbiota in metabolic syndrome and the assignment of effective therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a significant cause of mortality in patients with sepsis. Despite extensive research, its exact cause remains unclear. Our previous research indicated a relationship between non-hepatic hyperammonemia (NHH) and SAE. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between NHH and SAE and the potential mechanisms causing cognitive impairment. In the in vivo experimental results, there were no significant abnormalities in the livers of mice with moderate cecal ligation and perforation (CLP); however, ammonia levels were elevated in the hippocampal tissue and serum. The ELISA study suggest that fecal microbiota transplantation in CLP mice can reduce ammonia levels. Reduction in ammonia levels improved cognitive dysfunction and neurological impairment in CLP mice through behavioral, neuroimaging, and molecular biology studies. Further studies have shown that ammonia enters the brain to regulate the expression of aquaporins-4 (AQP4) in astrocytes, which may be the mechanism underlying brain dysfunction in CLP mice. The results of the in vitro experiments showed that ammonia up-regulated AQP4 expression in astrocytes, resulting in astrocyte damage. The results of this study suggest that ammonia up-regulates astrocyte AQP4 expression through the gut-brain axis, which may be a potential mechanism for the occurrence of SAE. Summary: This study elucidates the intricate relationship between gut microbiota, ammonia production, and brain dysfunction in sepsis associated encephalopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cancer is the leading cause of death among older adults. Although the integration of immunotherapy has revolutionized the therapeutic landscape of cancer, the complex interactions between age and immunotherapy efficacy remain incompletely defined. Here, we aimed to elucidate the relationship between aging and immunotherapy resistance. Methods: Flow cytometry was performed to evaluate the infiltration of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In vivo T cell proliferation, cytotoxicity and migration assays were performed to evaluate the antitumor capacity of tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in mice. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to investigate the expression of IFN-γ-associated gene and natural killer (NK)-associated chemokine. Adoptive NK cell transfer was adopted to evaluate the effects of NK cells from young mice in overcoming the immunotherapy resistance of aged mice. Results: We found that elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) aged ≥ 75 years exhibited poorer progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and a lower clinical response rate after immunotherapy. Mechanistically, we showed that the infiltration of NK cells was significantly reduced in aged mice compared to younger mice. Furthermore, the aged NK cells could also suppress the activation of tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T cells by inhibiting the recruitment and activation of CD103+ dendritic cells (DCs). Adoptive transfer of NK cells from young mice to aged mice promoted TME remodeling, and reversed immunotherapy resistance. Conclusion: Our findings revealed the decreased sensitivity of elderly patients to immunotherapy, as well as in aged mice. This may be attributed to the reduction of NK cells in aged mice, which inhibits CD103+ DCs recruitment and its CD86 expression and ultimately leads to immunotherapy resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni 0.6 Zn 0.4 Fe 2 O 4 (NZF-Zn 0.4) ferrites with different Al–Si–B–Pb (ASBP) glass additions were synthesized via a solid-phase reaction method at 1175 °C. The inclusion of ASBP-glass significantly enhances the grain size, density, shrinkage, and magnetic properties of NZF-Zn 0.4 ferrites without introducing impurity phases. The prepared NZF-Zn 0.4 -1 wt%ASBP ferrites not only exhibit appropriate radial shrinkage but also possess a dense microstructure and outstanding magnetic properties. Subsequently, Y 2.4 Bi 0.5 Al 0.1 Fe 3 O 4 (YIG-Al 0.1) ferrites and NZF-Zn 0.4 -1 wt%ASBP ferrites were chosen as the outer rings and inner cores, respectively. Tightly interconnected YIG-Al 0.1 /NZF-Zn 0.4 –1wt.% ASBP ferrite composite substrates were successfully co-fired within the temperature range of 1175 °C–1225 °C following co-pressing. Furthermore, YIG-Al 0.1 /NZF-Zn 0.4 -1 wt%ASBP composite substrates, co-fired at 1175 °C, exhibit a lack of impurity phases in the interface region, minimal element diffusion, and exceptional electromagnetic properties (NZF-Zn 0.4 -1 wt%ASBP: M s = 81.88 ± 0.05 emu/g; YIG-Al 0.1 : ε r = 18.28 ± 0.05@11.17 GHz, tanδ = 3.14 ± 0.55 × 10−4, M s = 21.62 ± 0.55 emu/g). The wide co-firing temperature range of YIG-Al 0.1 /NZF-Zn 0.4 -1 wt%ASBP composite substrates significantly enhances the shrinkage matching rate of two-phase ferrites, and its exceptional electromagnetic properties hold significant potential for applications in RF band circulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidermal melanin unit integrity is crucial for skin homeostasis and pigmentation. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) is a pivotal player in cell growth, wound healing, and maintaining skin homeostasis. However, its influence on skin pigmentation is relatively unexplored. This study investigates the impact and underlying mechanisms of EGFR inhibitors on skin pigmentation. We evaluated EGF and EGFR expression in various skin cells using quantitative real‐time PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence. EGF and EGFR were predominantly expressed in epidermal keratinocytes, and treatment with the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR‐TKIs) gefitinib and PD153035 significantly increased stem cell factor (SCF) and endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) expression in cultured keratinocytes. Enhanced melanocyte migration and proliferation were observed in co‐culture, as evidenced by time‐lapse live imaging and single‐cell tracking assays. Furthermore, topical application of gefitinib to guinea pig dorsal skin induced increased pigmentation and demonstrated efficacy in mitigating rhododendrol‐induced leukoderma. Suppression of EGF signaling indirectly enhanced skin pigmentation by upregulating SCF and ET‐1 in epidermal keratinocytes. This novel mechanism highlights the pivotal role of EGF signaling in regulating skin pigmentation, and topical EGFR‐TKI therapy at an appropriate dose may be a promising approach for depigmentation disorder management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Historically, the pesticidal Bacillus thuringiensis proteins in transgenic cotton cultivars have shown no activity on mirid pests such as the cotton fleahopper. Therefore, control options are limited to foliar applied insecticides, which are often not optimized for reducing potential yield losses. With the inclusion of the Mpp51Aa2 protein, termed ThryvOn, damage from cotton fleahopper feeding can be mitigated. While the effect of the protein has been observed in field studies, there is a limited understanding of the interaction of the protein and the insect. Therefore, the focus of this study was the use of electropenetrography to monitor the feeding behaviors of the cotton fleahopper on both ThryvOn and a non-ThryvOn cotton cultivars. We found that although attempts were made by insects to feed on ThryvOn cotton, they exhibited shorter durations of plant fluid ingestion when feeding. Additionally, the percentage of ingestion events per insect that were sustained was lower. These findings indicate potential damage to the insect gut, consistent with the known symptoms associated with the activity of Bt proteins. Prior to the recent implementation of the Mpp51Aa2 pesticidal protein (ThryvOn), transgenic cotton cultivars have historically offered no control of the cotton fleahopper (Pseudatomocelis seriatus (Reuter)). To evaluate the feeding behavior of cotton fleahoppers on ThryvOn cotton, electropenetrography (EPG) using a Giga-8 DC instrument was used to monitor the probing activity of fourth- and fifth-instar cotton fleahopper nymphs on both ThryvOn and non-ThryvOn cotton squares. Nymphs were individually placed on an excised cotton square for 8 h of EPG recording, after which resulting waveforms were classified as non-probing, cell rupturing, or ingestion. Although there were significantly more cell rupturing events per insect on ThryvOn (mean ± SEM, 14.8 ± 1.7) than on non-ThryvOn squares (mean ± SEM, 10.3 ± 1.6), there was no difference attributable to ThryvOn in the average number of ingestion events per insect. However, the average duration of ingestion events was significantly shorter on squares with ThryvOn (mean ± SEM, 509 ± 148 s) than on squares without (mean ± SEM, 914 ± 135 s). This suggests that cotton fleahoppers continued to probe despite their inability to sustain ingestion. These results provide conclusive evidence that the Mpp51Aa2 pesticidal protein affects the feeding behavior of cotton fleahopper nymphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms for spinal cord stimulation (SCS) to alleviate chronic pain are only partially known. We aimed to elucidate the roles of adenosine A1 and A3 receptors (A1R, A3R) in the inhibition of spinal nociceptive transmission by SCS, and further explored whether 2′-deoxycoformycin (dCF), an inhibitor of adenosine deaminase, can potentiate SCS-induced analgesia. We used RNAscope and immunoblotting to examine the distributions of adora1 and adora3 expression, and levels of A1R and A3R proteins in the spinal cord of rats after tibial-spared nerve injury (SNI-t). Electrophysiology recording was conducted to examine how adenosine receptor antagonists, virus-mediated adora3 knockdown, and dCF affect SCS-induced inhibition of C-fibre-evoked spinal local field potential (C-LFP). Adora1 was predominantly expressed in neurones, whereas adora3 is highly expressed in microglial cells in the rat spinal cord. Spinal application of antagonists (100 μl) of A1R (8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine [DPCPX], 50 μM) and A3R (MRS1523, 200 nM) augmented C-LFP in SNI-t rats (DPCPX: 1.39 [0.18] vs vehicle: 0.98 [0.05], P =0.046; MRS1523: 1.21 [0.07] vs vehicle: 0.91 [0.03], P =0.002). Both drugs also blocked inhibition of C-LFP by SCS. Conversely, dCF (0.1 mM) enhanced SCS-induced C-LFP inhibition (dCF: 0.60 [0.04] vs vehicle: 0.85 [0.02], P <0.001). In the behaviour study, dCF (100 nmol 15 μl−1, intrathecal) also enhanced inhibition of mechanical hypersensitivity by SCS in SNI-t rats. Spinal A1R and A3R signalling can exert tonic suppression and also contribute to SCS-induced inhibition of spinal nociceptive transmission after nerve injury. Inhibition of adenosine deaminase may represent a novel adjuvant pharmacotherapy to enhance SCS-induced analgesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Novel sulfates supported binary RuIrO x be synthesized. • A strong catalyst-support interaction between RuIrO x and BaSrSO 4. • The RuIrO x /BSS exhibits a high OER mass activity of only 324 mV overpotential at 1000 A/g Ru + Ir. • It shows outstanding CER activity and stability. Electrolysis for producing hydrogen powered by renewable electricity can be dramatically expanded by adapting different electrolytes (brine, seawater or pure water), which means the anode materials must stand up to complex electrolyte conditions. Here, a novel catalyst/support hybrid of binary Ru 3.5 Ir 1 O x supported by barium strontium sulfate (BaSrSO 4) was synthesized (RuIrO x /BSS) by exchanging the anion ligands of support. The as-synthesized RuIrO x /BSS exhibits compelling oxygen evolution (OER) and chlorine evolution (CER) performances, which affords to 10 mA cm−2 with only overpotential of 244 mV and 38 mV, respectively. The performed X-ray adsorption spectra clearly indicate the presence of an interface charge transfer effect, which results in the assignment of more electrons to the d orbitals of the Ru and Ir sites. The theoretical calculations demonstrated that the electronic structures of the catalytic active sites were modulated to give a lower overpotential, confirming the intrinsically high OER and CER catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]