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Abstract Based on investment data from 214 sustainable universities in the United States, a study on the characteristics and affordability of universities with a willingness to invest in sustainability was conducted. First, according to the concept of ESG, the related factors of sustainability are classified. Then, the important variables are selected by the Cp method. Finally, the main characteristics and maximum affordability of universities with investment willingness for sustainability are quantitatively studied through the logit regression model. The findings are as follows: (1) Most universities take sustainable industries as their investment objective, promoting investment through a series of sustainable policies. (2) The characteristics of universities are as follows: (a) the size of the campus within a certain range; (b) sustainability instruction training for new employees; (c) the encouragement of employees for community service; and (d) the establishment of CIR (Committees on Investor Responsibility). (3) The maximum affordability is 30.3% of the total investment, and approximately 94% of universities do not actually invest as much in sustainability as in willingness. The study defines the identification factors of universities to provide an important basis for the formulation and implementation of guiding policies related to investment in the sustainability of universities in the future.

The newly identified estrogen receptor, G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30), is prevalent in the brain and has been shown to provide significant neuroprotection. Recent studies have linked ferroptosis, a newly characterized form of programmed cell death, closely with cerebral ischemia–reperfusion injury (CIRI), highlighting it as a major contributing factor. Consequently, our research aimed to explore the potential of GPR30 targeting in controlling neuronal ferroptosis and lessening CIRI impacts. Results indicated that GPR30 activation not only improved neurological outcomes and decreased infarct size in a mouse model but also lessened iron accumulation and malondialdehyde formation post-middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). This protective effect extended to increased levels of Nrf2 and GPX4 proteins. Similar protective results were replicated in PC12 cells subjected to Oxygen Glucose Deprivation and Reoxygenation (OGD/R) using the GPR30-specific agonist G1. Importantly, inhibition of Nrf2 with ML385 curtailed the neuroprotective effects of GPR30 activation, suggesting that GPR30 mitigates CIRI primarily through inhibition of neuronal ferroptosis via upregulation of Nrf2 and GPX4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: Pregnancy-induced preeclampsia is a severe pregnancy complication and preeclampsia has been associated with an increased risk of chronic hypertension for offspring. However, the magnitude of the overall effect of exposure to preeclampsia in pregnancy on blood pressure (BP) in offspring is unknown. This systematic review and meta-analysis was sought to systematically assess the effects of preeclampsia on the BP of the offspring. Recent Findings: Of 2550 publications identified, 23 studies were included. The meta-analysis indicated that preeclampsia increases the potential risk of hypertension in offspring. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 2.0 mm Hg (95% CI: 1.2, 2.8) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was 1.4 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.9, 1.9) higher in offspring exposed to pre-eclampsia in utero, compared to those born to normotensive mothers. The correlations were similar in stratified analyses of children and adolescents by sex, geographic area, ages, and gestational age. Summary: During childhood and young adulthood, the offspring of pregnant women with preeclampsia are at an increased risk of high BP. It is crucial to monitor their BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While strategies to enhance the quantum coherence of plasmonic resonances have attracted a lot of attention in the past, the advent of non-Hermitian optics carries promising possibilities in this direction, mostly of which are still unexplored. In this work, we show that the quantum coherence of plasmonic resonances can be enhanced by integrating a plasmonic antenna in a photonic cavity operated at a chiral exceptional point (CEP), where the phase of light offers an additional degree of freedom for flexibly manipulating the quantum dynamics. The few-mode quantization theory is employed to demonstrate the advantages and related quantum-optics applications of the proposed hybrid cavity in both off- and on-resonance plasmon-photon coupling. For the former case, the local density of states evolves into sub-Lorentzian lineshape, resulting in reduced dissipation of polaritonic states. On resonance, we identify two mechanisms improving the quantum yield by two orders of magnitude at room temperature: the reduction of plasmonic absorption through Fano interference and the enhancement of cavity radiation through superscattering. Our results establish CEP-engineered plasmonic resonances as a promising platform for controlling quantum states and building high-performance quantum devices. The advent of non-Hermitian optics carries new possibilities in manipulating optical response, offering alternative ways to enhance the quantum coherence of plasmonic resonances. Based on a theoretical model, the authors calculate a quantum yield enhanced by two orders of magnitude at room temperature, achieved by integration of a plasmonic antenna in a photonic cavity operated at a chiral exceptional point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental realization of strong coupling between a single exciton and plasmons remains challenging as it requires deterministic positioning of the single exciton and alignment of its dipole moment with the plasmonic fields. This study aims to combine the host–guest chemistry approach with the cucurbit[7]uril-mediated active self-assembly to precisely integrate a single methylene blue molecule in an Au nanodimer at the deterministic position (gap center of the nanodimer) with the maximum electric field (EFmax) and perfectly align its transition dipole moment with the EFmax, yielding a large spectral Rabi splitting of 116 meV for a single-molecule exciton—matching the analytical model and numerical simulations. Statistical analysis of vibrational spectroscopy and dark-field scattering spectra confirm the realization of the single exciton strong coupling at room temperature. Our work may suggest an approach for achieving the strong coupling between a deterministic single exciton and plasmons, contributing to the development of room-temperature single-qubit quantum devices. Realising single molecule strong coupling with plasmons achieving both deterministic molecule positioning and dipole alignment with the mode field has proven challenging so far. Here, the authors fill this gap by placing a single molecular emitter in the gap centre of an Au nanodimer system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let p, q ∈ ℝ with p − q ≽ 0, σ = 1 2 (p + q − 1) and s = 1 2 (1 − p + q) , and let D m (x ; p , q) = D 0 (x ; p , q) + ∑ k = 1 m B 2 k (s) 2 k (x + σ) 2 k , where D 0 (x ; p , q) = ψ (x + p) + ψ (x + q) 2 − ln (x + σ). We establish the asymptotic expansion D 0 (x ; p , q) ∼ − ∑ n = 1 ∞ B 2 n (s) 2 n (x + σ) 2 n a s x → ∞ , where B2n(s) stands for the Bernoulli polynomials. Further, we prove that the functions (− 1) m D m (x ; p , q) and (− 1) m + 1 D m (x ; p , q) are completely monotonic in x on (−σ, ∞) for every m ∈ ℕ0 if and only if p − q ∈ [ 0 , 1 2 ] and p − q = 1, respectively. This not only unifies the two known results but also yields some new results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The AHA has recently introduced a novel metric, Life's Essential 8, to assess cardiovascular health (CVH). Nevertheless, the association between varying levels of LE8 and the propensity for CKD is still unclear from a large prospective cohort. Our objective is to meticulously examine the relationship between LE8 and its associated susceptibilities to CKD. Methods: A total of 251,825 participants free of CKD from the UK Biobank were included. Cardiovascular health was scored using LE8 and categorized as low, moderate, and high. Cox proportional hazard models were employed to evaluate the associations of LE8 scores with new-onset CKD. The genetic risk score for CKD was calculated by a weighted method. Results: Over a median follow-up of 12.8 years, we meticulously documented 10,124 incident cases of CKD. Remarkably, an increased LE8 score correlated with a significant reduction of risk in new-onset CKD (high LE8 score vs. low LE8 score: HR = 0.300, 95% CI 0.270–0.330, p < 0.001; median LE8 score vs. low LE8 score: HR = 0.531, 95% CI 0.487–0.580, p < 0.001). This strong LE8–CKD association remained robust in extensive subgroup assessments and sensitivity analysis. Additionally, these noteworthy associations between LE8 scores and CKD remained unaffected by genetic predispositions to CKD. Conclusions: An elevated degree of CVH, as delineated by the discerning metric LE8, exhibited a pronounced and statistically significant correlation with a marked reduction in the likelihood of CKD occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric field-induced second harmonic generation allows electrically controlling nonlinear light-matter interactions crucial for emerging integrated photonics applications. Despite its wide presence in materials, the figures-of-merit of electric field-induced second harmonic generation are yet to be elevated to enable novel device functionalities. Here, we show that the polar skyrmions, a topological phase spontaneously formed in PbTiO3/SrTiO3 ferroelectric superlattices, exhibit a high comprehensive electric field-induced second harmonic generation performance. The second-order nonlinear susceptibility and modulation depth, measured under non-resonant 800 nm excitation, reach ~54.2 pm V−1 and ~664% V−1, respectively, and high response bandwidth (higher than 10 MHz), wide operating temperature range (up to ~400 K) and good fatigue resistance (>1010 cycles) are also demonstrated. Through combined in-situ experiments and phase-field simulations, we establish the microscopic links between the exotic polarization configuration and field-induced transition paths of the skyrmions and their electric field-induced second harmonic generation response. Our study not only presents a highly competitive thin-film material ready for constructing on-chip devices, but opens up new avenues of utilizing topological polar structures in the fields of photonics and optoelectronics. Electric modulation of second harmonic generation finds applications in integrated photonics. Here, authors introduce electric field-induced second harmonic generation by polar skyrmions in PbTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices with giant modulation depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Colchicine, a multipotent anti-inflammatory drug, has been reported to alleviate cardiac remodeling and improve cardiac function after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, the underlying mechanism remains incompletely understood. Because neutrophils extracellular traps (NETs) enhance inflammation and participate in myocardial ischemia injury, and colchicine can inhibit NETosis, we thus aimed to determine whether colchicine exerts cardioprotective effects on AMI via suppressing NETs. Methods: Adult C57BL/6 mice were subjected to permanent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery and treated with colchicine (0.1 mg/kg/day) or Cl-amidine (10 mg/kg/day) for 7 or 28 days after AMI. Cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography, and NETs detected by immunofluorescence. ROS production was detected using 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetates (DCFH-DA) fluorometry. Intracellular Ca2+ concentration was assessed by a fluorometric ratio technique. Results: We found that colchicine treatment significantly increased mice survival (89.8% in the colchicine group versus 67.9% in control, n = 32 per group; log-rank test, p < 0.05) and improved cardiac function at day 7 (left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF): 28.0 ± 9.2% versus 12.6 ± 3.9%, n = 8 per group; p < 0.001) and at day 28 (LVEF: 26.2 ± 7.2% versus 14.8 ± 6.7%, n = 8 per group; p < 0.001) post-AMI. In addition, the administration of colchicine inhibited NETs formation and inflammation. Furthermore, colchicine inhibited NETs formation by reducing NOX2/ROS production and Ca2+ influx. Moreover, prevention of NETs formation with Cl-amidine significantly alleviated AMI-induced cardiac remodeling. Conclusions: Colchicine inhibited NETs and cardiac inflammation, and alleviated cardiac remodeling after acute myocardial infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: An asymmetric membrane electrode based on phosphorene/MXene heterostructure-textured nanopiezocomposite was fabricated via a polar urea-assisted self-assembly strategy and additive manufacturing of the heterostructure beyond the skin effect. The merits of this novel asymmetric heterostructure-textured electrode and its intrinsic piezoelectricity were detailedly discussed. The stepwise lithiation process of phosphorene was revealed, and the enhanced electrochemical properties of this phosphorene-based nanopiezocomposite textured electrode were verified by the improved cycling stability and kinetics. Black phosphorus with a superior theoretical capacity (2596 mAh g−1) and high conductivity is regarded as one of the powerful candidates for lithium-ion battery (LIB) anode materials, whereas the severe volume expansion and sluggish kinetics still impede its applications in LIBs. By contrast, the exfoliated two-dimensional phosphorene owns negligible volume variation, and its intrinsic piezoelectricity is considered to be beneficial to the Li-ion transfer kinetics, while its positive influence has not been discussed yet. Herein, a phosphorene/MXene heterostructure-textured nanopiezocomposite is proposed with even phosphorene distribution and enhanced piezo-electrochemical coupling as an applicable free-standing asymmetric membrane electrode beyond the skin effect for enhanced Li-ion storage. The experimental and simulation analysis reveals that the embedded phosphorene nanosheets not only provide abundant active sites for Li-ions, but also endow the nanocomposite with favorable piezoelectricity, thus promoting the Li-ion transfer kinetics by generating the piezoelectric field serving as an extra accelerator. By waltzing with the MXene framework, the optimized electrode exhibits enhanced kinetics and stability, achieving stable cycling performances for 1,000 cycles at 2 A g−1, and delivering a high reversible capacity of 524 mAh g−1 at − 20 ℃, indicating the positive influence of the structural merits of self-assembled nanopiezocomposites on promoting stability and kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monotonicity rules for the quotient of two functions play foundational roles in the fields of mathematics and applied mathematics. In this paper, we establish monotonicity rules for the L'Hospital type, the quotient of two Laplace transforms, and the quotient of two variable limit integrals with delta derivatives and delta integrals on time scales. Some generalized forms for these monotonicity rules are also considered in detail. As an application, we utilize monotonicity rules to demonstrate that a function is strictly decreasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variance of quantum channels involving a mixed state gives a hybrid of classical and quantum uncertainties. We seek certain decomposition of variance into classical and quantum parts in terms of the Wigner–Yanase skew information. Generalizing the uncertainty relations for quantum observables to quantum channels, we introduce a new quantity with better quantum mechanical nature to describe the uncertainty relations for quantum channels. We derive several uncertainty relations for quantum channels via variances and the Wigner–Yanase skew information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrophobic SiO2 aerogels show great promise for diverse smart applications due to their superhydrophobic surfaces combined with low thermal conductivity property. Hydrophobic tetraethoxysilane (TEOS)/methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) (TM) and TEOS/methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) (TE) gels were prepared by in-situ technique, and dried by ambient pressure drying (APD). The evolution of microstructure and chemical-physical properties of the TM and TE aerogels treated by different temperatures were investigated. Under the ultra-low and high temperature treatment, the TM and TE aerogels showed the low thermal conductivity (0.020 ~ 0.031 W m− 1 K− 1), high specific surface area (410.85 ~ 830.10 m2 g− 1) and good hydrophobicity with the water contact value from 124.2 ~ 155.7°. This work provided an effective method to prepare hydrophobic SiO2 aerogels with excellent ultra-low, high temperature resistant using double silicon sources as co-precursors, which could be an appropriate candidate for thermal insulation, catalysis and environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we determine the monotonicity of three classes of functions involving modified Bessel functions of the second kind. We also presented some inequalities and bounds for modified Bessel functions of the second kind. In particular, our results derive bounds for the Airy function and its derivative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let I ν x be the modified Bessel function of the first kind of order ν . Motivated by a conjecture on the convexity of the ratio W ν x = x I ν x / I ν + 1 x for ν > - 2 , using the monotonicity rules for a ratio of two power series and an elementary technique, we present fully the convexity of the functions W ν x , W ν x - x 2 / 2 ν + 4 and W ν x 1 / θ for θ ≥ 2 on 0 , ∞ in different value ranges of ν , which give an answer to the conjecture and extend known results. As consequences, some monotonicity results and new functional inequalities for W ν x are established. As applications, an open problem and a conjectures are settled. Finally, a conjecture on the complete monotonicity of W ν x 1 / θ for θ ≥ 2 is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously presented day 29 interim safety and immunogenicity results from a phase 2/3 study (NCT04927065) comparing the Omicron-BA.1-containing bivalent vaccine mRNA-1273.214 (50-µg) to the 50-µg mRNA-1273 booster in adults who previously received the mRNA-1273 primary series (100-µg) and mRNA-1273 first booster (50-µg) dose. Primary endpoints were safety, non-inferiority of the neutralizing antibody (nAb) and seroresponse against Omicron BA.1, superiority of the nAb response against Omicron-BA.1, and non-inferiority of the nAb response against ancestral SARS-CoV-2 for second boosters of mRNA-1273.214 versus mRNA-1273 at days 29 and 91. The key secondary endpoint was the seroresponse difference of mRNA-1273.214 versus mRNA-1273 against ancestral SARS-CoV-2 at days 29 and day 91. Participants were sequentially enrolled and dosed with 50-µg of mRNA-1273 (n = 376) or mRNA-1273.214 (n = 437) as second booster doses. Here we present day 91 post-booster results. In participants with no pre-booster, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-infection (SARS-CoV-2), mRNA-1273.214 elicited Omicron-BA.1-nAb titers (95% confidence interval [CI]) that were significantly higher (964.4 [834.4-1114.7]) than those of mRNA-1273 (624.2 [533.1-730.9]) and similar to those of mRNA-1273 against ancestral SARS-CoV-2 at day 91. mRNA-1273.214 also induced higher binding antibody responses against Omicron BA.1 and alpha, gamma and delta variants than mRNA-1273. Safety profiles were similar for both vaccines. The Omicron-BA.1 bivalent vaccine improved antibody responses compared to mRNA-1273 through 90 days post-booster. Authors study antibody responses elicited against Omicron BA.1 and variants, by Omicron BA.1-bivalent mRNA-1273.214 vaccine compared with mRNA-1273 vaccination, when administered as a second booster, 90 days post-administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Since a reliable model for predicting infliximab (IFX) benefits in bio-naïve Crohn's disease (CD) is still lacking, we constructed a magnetic resonance enterography (MRE)-based model to predict the risk of loss of response to IFX in bio-naïve patients with CD. Methods: This retrospective multicenter study enrolled 188 bio-naïve patients with CD who underwent MRE before IFX therapy. Therapeutic outcomes were determined based on clinical symptoms and endoscopic findings within 52 weeks. The areas of bowel wall segmentation were decided by two experienced radiologists in consensus. Texture features were extracted using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and a radiomic model was built using multivariate logistic regression. The model performance was validated by receiver operating characteristic, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis. Results: The area under the curve of radiomic model was 0.88 (95% confidence interval: 0.82–0.95), and the model provided clinical net benefit in identifying the loss of response to IFX and exhibited remarkable robustness among centers, scanners, and disease characteristics. The high-risk patients defined by the radiomic model were more likely to develop IFX nonresponse than low-risk patients (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: This novel pretreatment MRE-based model could act as an effective tool for the early estimation of loss of response to IFX in bio-naïve patients with CD. Key Points: • Magnetic resonance enterography model guides infliximab therapy in Crohn's disease. • The model presented significant discrimination and provided net clinical benefit. • Model divided patients into low- and high-risk groups for infliximab failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Some studies indicated that gender is associated with prognostic of cancer, However, currently the prognostic value of gender for gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA) survival is unclear. The aim of our study is to reveal the influence of gender on the prognosis of patients with GCA. Patients and methods: A total of 42,345 cases Chinese GCA patients were enrolled from our previously established GCA and esophageal cancer databases. The clinicopathological characteristics were retrieved from medical records in hospital. The follow-up was performed through letter, telephone or home interview. Among GCA patients, there were 32,544 (76.9%) male patients with the median age 62 years (range 17–97) and 9,801 (23.1%) female patients with the median age 61 years (range 17–95 years). The Chi-square test and Kaplan–Meier method were used to compare the continuous variables and survival. Cox proportional hazards model was used for competing risk analyses, hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were evaluated. Results: Men had shorter GCA-specific survival than women by multivariate analysis (HR 1.114; 95% CI 1.061 to 1.169; P < 0.001). Whether premenopausal, perimenopausal or postmenopausal, the survival of women was better than that of men (premenopausal vs. male, P < 0.001; perimenopausal vs. male, P < 0.001; postmenopausal vs. male, P = 0.035). It was worth noting that in patients with stages I, II, III, and IV, female patients survive longer than male patients (P = 0.049; P = 0.011; P < 0.001; P = 0.044, respectively). Conclusion: Gender is an independent prognostic factor for patients with GCA. In comparison with men, women have a significantly better outcome. Smoking and drinking may be protective factors for male GCA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theory of time scale was proposed to unite continuous and discrete statements. In this paper, we introduce the concepts of complete monotonicity, logarithmic complete monotonicity, and absolute monotonicity of multivariate functions on time scales utilizing the delta derivative. Following that, we investigate the properties of delta complete monotonicity on time scales and present some judgment rules. Using judgment rules, three functions are shown to be delta complete monotonicity on time scales. And then, in order to quantitatively measure two delta completely monotonic functions on time scales, we present the concept of completely monotonic degree of univariate and multivariate functions on time scales and explore some properties of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exchange rate prediction is a challenging task for investors and policymakers due to its nonstationary and nonlinear characteristics. This study develops a novel deep learning-based nonlinear ensemble approach with biphasic feature selection for multivariate exchange rate forecasting. The novel hybrid model has three modules, the preprocessing of target series, feature engineering, and forecasting module. The first module aims to extract more regular signals and reduce the dimension of the target series for better feeding into the forecasting module. The second part is the selection and reconstruction of twelve external variables, which outputs three sequences that contain the most important information. The forecasting part consists of Bi-directional long short-term memory and attention mechanism, which has better performance than the basic artificial intelligence algorithms. Three evaluation indicators are adopted to assess the hybrid model's performance. The results show that the new model performs better than other compared models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics and complexity of the stock market make it difficult for investors to form a stable and high-yield trading strategy. To meet such challenges, a novel stock trading strategy is proposed to help investors do better decisions in this paper. This strategy involves two main steps: turning point classification and reinforcement learning module. First, light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) is used to extract and classify turning points. Second, Deep Q Network (DQN) and its related models are used to train and form a set of reinforcement learning trading strategies. In order to obtain higher returns and effectively control risks, transaction trigger conditions are set to combine the above two parts. In the experimental study, this trading strategy can obtain higher returns in the back test process than long-term holding, using reinforcement learning alone and actor-critic strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the hot rolling industrial production process, strip width narrowing is the main quality problem of product. In this paper, it is obtained through experimental analysis that incoming material temperature, roll eccentricity and the control accuracy of looper equipment are the three main factors leading to strip width narrowing in the hot rolling finishing area. In order to deal with the multi-source data, a fault diagnosis model based on Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model and data fusion is proposed, and the diagnosis results are verified. The proposed model is a single LSTM model structure using data fusion twice. Compared with multiple LSTM integrated model structure using data fusion once and multiple Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) + LSTM integrated model structure that does not use data fusion technology, the model proposed in this paper makes a great improvement in the accuracy of fault detection. This model can be applied to hot strip finishing rolling to determine the causes of width narrowing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Biochar has been considered as a good soil amendment for reducing soil cadmium (Cd) bioavailability and decreasing Cd uptake by rice. However, it is unclear if biochar can affect soil microelement zinc (Zn) bioavailability and its uptake by crops, particularly under field conditions. Materials and methods: The experimental field was contaminated by Cd, located in Hunan Province. Biochar was added at the proportions of 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 t ha−1 on topsoil (0–17 cm) and then mixed before rice seedlings transplanted. Results: Increasing application rate of biochar improved the rice plant height, biomass, and soil electrical conductivity (EC). The DTPA extracted Zn (DTPA-Zn) concentration in the 0–17 cm of biochar treatments was decreased by 12.3–45.6% as compared to control. The increased EC played an important role in soil Zn immobilization. No remarkable difference was shown for DTPA-Zn concentration in the subsoil (17–29 cm) among biochar treatments. Increasing amount of biochar reduced the concentration and ratio of acid extractable Zn fraction, while increased the reducible and oxidizable fractions in the 0–17 cm. The reduction of concentration of DTPA-Zn in < 0.25-mm soil aggregates in biochar treatments was 29.0–72.2% and 54.3–87.9% respectively relative to control. The Zn concentration in rice was declined from 4.1 to 14.0% after biochar addition. The reduction of soil Zn availability and the improvement of rice growth made a greater contribution for the low accumulation in rice tissues. Conclusions: Biochar could immobilize more microelement Zn in soil and limit Zn uptake by rice. Biochar could limit the enrichment of DTPA-Zn in < 0.25-mm soil aggregates and enhance the transformation of soil acid extractable Zn into reducible and oxidizable fraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment explored the side effect of biochar application on the availability and distribution of the soil microelement copper (Cu) in cadmium (Cd) contaminated soil and its uptake in rice tissues. Biochar was added at 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 t ha−1 on topsoil. Results observed that both the concentration of available Cu in the topsoil and subsoil layer decreased by 16.3%–28.9% and 7.5%–59.3%, respectively, after biochar application. The Cu concentration in the < 0.053 mm and 1–2 mm soil aggregates increased as biochar application rate increased. Increasing application rate of biochar reduced the proportion of exchangeable Cu, carbonate bound Cu, and Fe/Mn oxide Cu fraction in the soil profile. However, the fraction of organic bound and residual Cu increased by 5.0%–178.4% and 7.0%–15.6%, respectively. Biochar could immobilize microelement Cu in the soil profile and limit Cu uptake by rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uncertainty principle is one of the fundamental features of quantum mechanics and plays an essential role in quantum information theory. We study uncertainty relations based on variance for arbitrary finite N quantum observables. We establish a series of parameterized uncertainty relations in terms of the parameterized norm inequalities, which improve the exiting variance-based uncertainty relations. The lower bounds of our uncertainty inequalities are non-zero unless the measured state is a common eigenvector of all the observables. Detailed examples are provided to illustrate the tightness of our uncertainty relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let n > 1 and let τ be an irreducible unitary supercuspidal representation of GL 2 n over a local non-archimedean field. Assuming the twisted symmetric square L-function of τ has a pole at s = 0 , we construct the local descent of τ to the corresponding quasi-split even general spin group GSpin 2 n . We prove this local descent is generic, unitary, supercuspidal and multiplicity free. Its irreducible quotients are “functorially related” to τ , in the analytic sense of a pole of a Rankin–Selberg type γ -function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uncertainty principle is one of the fundamental features of quantum mechanics and plays a vital role in quantum information processing. We study uncertainty relations based on metric-adjusted skew information for finite quantum observables. Motivated by the paper [Physical Review A 104, 052414 (2021)], we establish tighter uncertainty relations in terms of different norm inequalities. Naturally, we generalize the method to uncertainty relations of metric-adjusted skew information for quantum channels and unitary operators. As both the Wigner–Yanase–Dyson skew information and the quantum Fisher information are the special cases of the metric-adjusted skew information corresponding to different Morozova–Chentsov functions, our results generalize some existing uncertainty relations. Detailed examples are given to illustrate the advantages of our methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let K r be the complete elliptic integral of the first kind defined on 0 , 1 . By virtue of the auxiliary function H f , g = f ′ / g ′ g - f , we prove that the function Q p x = ln p / 1 - x K x is strictly convex on 0 , 1 if and only if 0 < p ≤ 4 , thus answering a conjecture. Moreover, we completely described the monotonicity of Q p x on 0 , 1 for different p ∈ 0 , ∞ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective separation and migration of photogenerated charge carriers in bulk and on the surface of photocatalysts will significantly promote photocatalytic efficiency. However, the synchronous regulation of photocharges on both counts is challenging. Herein, the simultaneous separation of bulk and surface photocharges is conducted to enhance photocatalytic activity by coupling the surface defects and lattice engineering of bismuth oxybromide. The depth-modulated Bi5O7Br ultrathin nanosheets with an abundance of bismuth in the crystal structure increased the internal electric field, which propelled the separation and migration of photocharges from bulk to the surface. Creation of oxygen vacancies (OVs) on the nanosheet surface forms local electric fields, which can stimulate the migration of charges to active sites on the catalyst surface. Therefore, the OV-assembled Bi5O7Br nanosheets demonstrated enhanced photocatalytic degradation efficiency under simulated solar-light illumination. This study proved the possibility of charge governing via electric field modulation based on an integrated strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most commonly, cyst excision and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy reconstruction are the optimal treatment for choledochal cysts (CC). Robotic surgery (RS) is being conducted with increasing frequency to treat CC. It is unclear whether RS can overcome the limitations of laparoscopic surgery (LS) and improve the prognosis of patients. In terms of efficacy, evidence concerning which minimally invasive surgery is preferred is, however, sparse. Our objective is to further compare the efficacy of RS and LS in children with CC and draw a useful clinical conclusion. Methods: Studies meeting inclusion criteria were identified from a series of databases, consisting of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library and their reference list of articles up to May 2022. Eligible articles comprised at least five objects that were younger than 18 years of age and the language was limited to English. Two authors independently evaluated selected studies and extracted data for analysis. Results: Forty studies were selected for analysis, with thirty-six reporting data on LS and eight containing data on RS. The pooled conversion rate and pooled postoperative complication rate of RS were lower than those of LS, but none of them was statistically significant. Moreover, comparisons of the following detailed postoperative complication rates were not statistically significant, such as intestinal obstruction or ileus, anastomotic bleeding, anastomotic or bile leakage, and anastomotic stenosis. However, the intraoperative blood loss and the postoperative hospital stay in RS group were significantly lower than those in LS group. Conclusions: RS is a safe and feasible option for children with CC. Further studies with more cases, long-term efficacy and health economics analysis are needed to confirm whether RS is more advantageous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GeTe is a promising mid-temperature thermoelectric compound but inevitably contains excessive Ge vacancies hindering its performance maximization. This work reveals that significant enhancement in the dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) could be realized by defect structure engineering from point defects to line and plane defects of Ge vacancies. The evolved defects including dislocations and nanodomains enhance phonon scattering to reduce lattice thermal conductivity in GeTe. The accumulation of cationic vacancies toward the formation of dislocations and planar defects weakens the scattering against electronic carriers, securing the carrier mobility and power factor. This synergistic effect on electronic and thermal transport properties remarkably increases the quality factor. As a result, a maximum ZT > 2.3 at 648 K and a record-high average ZT (300-798 K) were obtained for Bi0.07Ge0.90Te in lead-free GeTe-based compounds. This work demonstrates an important strategy for maximizing the thermoelectric performance of GeTe-based materials by engineering the defect structures, which could also be applied to other thermoelectric materials. The intrinsic high-concentration Ge vacancies in GeTe-based thermoelectric materials hinder their performance maximization. Here, the authors find that defect structure engineering strategy is effective for performance enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Let K\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$\mathcal{K}$$\end{document}(r) and arctanh r for r ∈ (0, 1) be the complete elliptic integral of the first kind and the inverse tangent hyperbolic function, respectively. In this paper, we prove that the double inequalityΦpr′arctanhrr<2πKr<Φqr′arctanhrr\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$${\Phi }_{p}\left({r}{\prime}\right)\frac{\text{arctanh}r}{r}<\frac{2}{\pi }\mathcal{K}\left(r\right)<{\Phi }_{q}\left({r}{\prime}\right)\frac{\text{arctanh}r}{r}$$\end{document}holds for r ∈ (0, 1) if and only if q ⩽ 56 543/20 976 and 23(90π − 233)/(10(69π − 178)) ⩽ p ⩽ 3, where r′ 1-r2\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$\sqrt{1-{r}^{2}}$$\end{document} andΦqx=6017q-41x2+6qx+69-23q620q-1521x2+2580q-1079x+5359-1780q\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$${\Phi }_{q}\left(x\right)=60\frac{\left(17q-41\right){x}^{2}+6qx+69-23q}{\left(620q-1521\right){x}^{2}+2\left(580q-1079\right)x+5359-1780q}$$\end{document}for q ⩽ 3 and x ∈ (0, 1). This improves some known results and yields several new bounds for the Gauss arithmetic–geometric mean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "AHA Life's Essential 8 and new-onset CKD: a prospective cohort study from the UK Biobank" published in the journal Clinical & Experimental Nephrology. The correction states that Yong-Xiang Ruan, Mao-Xiong Wu, and Jing-Wei Gao have contributed equally to the work, instead of Huang, Wan-Bing He, and Yang-Xin Chen as previously stated. The original article has been corrected. The publisher, Springer Nature, remains neutral regarding jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. [Extracted from the article]

Examining the coexisting policies for mandatory and voluntary disclosure of environmental information, this paper focuses on the unique background for such disclosure in the context of domestic companies in heavy pollution industries (EHPIs), a topic thus far overlooked by the literature. We aim to identify, in regard to compulsory environmental information disclosure in financial reports, whether adding further voluntary information disclosure to corporate social responsibility (CSR) results in an extra discount from investors during an equity financing. We evaluate a sample of 4390 A-share listed companies in EHPIs operating in China between 2010 and 2018. Specifically, linguistic analysis and image recognition are conducted with Python, and a regression model is applied to test our hypotheses. The positive impact of the following variables on the cost reduction in equity capital is thus demonstrated: (a) CSR disclosure, (b) higher quality CSR reports, (c) increased environmental information disclosure in CSR reports (CSR_E), (d) more accurate environmental investment information, and (e) additional graphs and text. Moreover, the degree of CSR_E disclosure's reduction in the cost of equity is 30 times that of CSR disclosure, while charts have specific positive effects that text does not. Therefore, we identify a new path for remitting information asymmetry in a financial market by extending information manipulation research, especially studies of nonfinancial information. Overall, information disclosure should be taken seriously by both firms and supervisors. Hence, this study offers guidelines for regulatory authorities to explore the coordination effect of mandatory and voluntary disclosure policies, i.e., to achieve environmental governance and the sustainable development of enterprises by improving corporate governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we introduce phase change mechanisms in lead-free piezoceramics as a strategy to utilize attendant volume change for harvesting large electrostrain. In the newly developed (K,Na)NbO3 solid-solution at the polymorphic phase boundary we combine atomic mapping of the local polar vector with in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and density functional theory to uncover the phase change and interpret its underlying nature. We demonstrate that an electric field-induced phase transition between orthorhombic and tetragonal phases triggers a dramatic volume change and contributes to a huge effective piezoelectric coefficient of 1250 pm V−1 along specific crystallographic directions. The existence of the phase transition is validated by a significant volume change evidenced by the simultaneous recording of macroscopic longitudinal and transverse strain. The principle of using phase transition to promote electrostrain provides broader design flexibility in the development of high-performance piezoelectric materials and opens the door for the discovery of high-performance future functional oxides. Functional oxides with coexisting states of comparable energy typically exhibit extraordinary responses to external stimuli. Here, the authors demonstrate that coexisting phase structures provide large electric field-triggered volume change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let K r ( 0 < r < 1 ) be the complete elliptic integral of the first kind. In this paper, we investigate the absolute monotonicity of the functions f p x = K x p - ln 1 - x (p > 0) and g q x = 1 / f q x on 0 , 1 by recursive method, and prove that - f p ″ x , f p ′ x , - g q ″ x and - g q ′ x are absolutely monotonic on 0 , 1 if and only if p = 4 / 3 , p ≥ 2 , q ≥ 8 / 5 and q ≥ 2 , respectively. These results improve and extend some existing results, and yield some new functional inequalities involving K r and K r ′ , where r ′ = 1 - r 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic luminescent materials play an integral role in the optoelectronic applications of displays and solid-state lighting. Nevertheless, high-performance organic luminescent materials require the efficient combination of two or more kinds of materials, which is extremely difficult owing to the completely different self-assembly behaviors of multicomponent molecules. Herein, based on a broad scale from the molecular, micro-/nano-scale, and macroscopic levels, we successfully demonstrate the multiscale construction of organic luminescent microwires of cocrystals, solid solutions, and core-shell microstructures. Through the wide selection of electron donor/acceptor pairs, a series of color-tunable charge-transfer (CT) cocrystals are formed via the intermolecular cooperative self-assembly process. On this basis, the high structural compatibility and perfect lattice mismatching (∼1.1%) of cocrystals are critical factors that facilitate the combination of dissimilar materials to form solid solutions and core/shell microwires. Significantly, because of the full-spectrum light transport from 400 to 800 nm, the nano-micro-scaled solid solution microwires act as microscale white-light sources [CIE (0.32, 0.36)]. Meanwhile, the macroscopic-scale core/shell organic-microwires demonstrate tunable white-light emission with a high color-rendering index (CRI) of 83, whose CIE coordinates span from (0.37,0.39) to (0.40,0.31). Therefore, our work provides a feasible approach to the multiscale synthesis of novel luminescent organic semiconductor materials, which could lay a solid foundation for organic optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of focal amplifications and extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) is unknown in gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA). Here, we identify frequent focal amplifications and ecDNAs in Chinese GCA patient samples, and find focal amplifications in the GCA cohort are associated with the chromothripsis process and may be induced by accumulated DNA damage due to local dietary habits. We observe diverse correlations between the presence of oncogene focal amplifications and prognosis, where ERBB2 focal amplifications positively correlate with prognosis and EGFR focal amplifications negatively correlate with prognosis. Large-scale ERBB2 immunohistochemistry results from 1668 GCA patients show survival probability of ERBB2 positive patients is lower than that of ERBB2 negative patients when their surviving time is under 2 years, however, the tendency is opposite when their surviving time is longer than 2 years. Our observations indicate that the ERBB2 focal amplifications may represent a good prognostic marker in GCA patients. The role of focal amplifications and extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) is unknown in gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA). Here, the authors identify frequent focal amplifications and ecDNAs in Chinese GCA patient samples, as well as the potential associations of these alterations with prognosis and dietary habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study explored the early predictive value of volume and mean CT density of necrosis for adverse outcomes in patients with acute necrotising pancreatitis (ANP). Methods: A total of 155 patients with ANP who underwent CECT within 7 days of symptom onset were included. The necrosis volume, mean CT density, and modified CT severity index (mCTSI) were calculated. C-reactive protein (CRP) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels both 48 h after symptom onset were reviewed. Adverse outcomes were recorded. The predictive value of each indicator was assessed using ROC curve analysis. Results: There were significant associations between necrosis volume and mean CT density and organ failure (OF), persistent OF (POF), and need for intervention (p < 0.001 for all). For predicting OF, the area under the curve (AUC) was significantly higher for necrosis volume than for mCTSI and BUN (AUC: 0.84 vs 0.67, p = 0.0011; 0.84 vs 0.71, p = 0.0193, respectively). For predicting POF and need for intervention, the AUCs for necrosis volume were significantly higher than those for mCTSI (AUC: 0.79 vs 0.66, p = 0.0045; 0.77 vs 0.61, p = 0.0019, respectively), but did not significantly differ from those for CRP and BUN. For predicting OF, a significantly better predictive value was achieved with mean CT density than with mCTSI (AUC: 0.79 vs 0.67, p = 0.0163). There were no significant differences in predictive value between mean CT density, CRP, and BUN. Conclusions: The volume and mean CT density of necrosis based on CECT can provide early prediction of OF, POF, and need for intervention. Key Points: • Compared to mCTSI, necrosis volume might be used to more accurately diagnose organ failure and persistent organ failure and might be better associated with the need for intervention. • Necrosis volume and mean CT density based on CECT are reliable quantitative predictors for organ failure, persistent organ failure, and intervention in acute pancreatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Zinc is considered protective against atherosclerosis; however, the association between dietary zinc intake and cardiovascular disease remains debated. We investigated whether dietary zinc intake was associated with coronary artery calcium (CAC) progression in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Methods: This analysis included 5186 participants aged 61.9 ± 10.2 years (48.8% men; 41.3% white, 25.0% black, 21.6% Hispanic, and 12.1% Chinese American) from the MESA. Dietary zinc intake was assessed by a self-administered, 120-item food frequency questionnaire at baseline (2000–2002). Baseline and follow-up CAC were measured by computed tomography. CAC progression was defined as CAC > 0 at follow-up for participants with CAC = 0 at baseline; and an annualized change of 10 or percent change of ≥ 10% for those with 0 < CAC < 100 or CAC ≥ 100 at baseline, respectively. Results: Dietary zinc intake was 8.4 ± 4.5 mg/day and 2537 (48.9%) of the included participants had CAC at baseline. Over a median follow-up of 3.4 years (25th–75th percentiles = 2.0–9.1 years), 2704 (52.1%) participants had CAC progression. In the fully adjusted model, higher dietary zinc was associated with a lower risk of CAC progression in both men (hazard ratio [HR] 0.697, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.553–0.878; p = 0.002) and women (HR 0.675; 95% CI 0.496–0.919; p = 0.012, both comparing extreme groups). Furthermore, such an inverse association was attributable to dietary zinc intake from non-red meat (p < 0.05), rather than red meat sources (p > 0.05). Conclusions: In this multiethnic population free of clinically apparent cardiovascular disease, higher dietary zinc intake from non-red meat sources was independently associated with a lower risk of CAC progression. Clinical trial registration number: The MESA trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00005487. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Central sensitization is considered a critical pathogenic mechanism of chronic migraine (CM). Activation of microglia in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC) contributes to this progression. Microglial glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) activation can alleviate pain; however, whether it is involved in the mechanism of CM has not been determined. Thus, this study aims to investigate the precise role of GLP-1R in the central sensitization of CM. Methods: Repeated nitroglycerin injection-treated mice were used as a CM animal model in the experiment. To identify the distribution and cell localization of GLP-1R in the TNC, we performed immunofluorescence staining. Changes in the expression of GLP-1R, Iba-1, PI3K and p-Akt in the TNC were examined by western blotting. To confirm the effect of GLP-1R and PI3K/Akt in CM, a GLP-1R selective agonist (liraglutide) and antagonist (exendin(9–39)) and a PI3K selective antagonist (LY294002) were administered. Mechanical hypersensitivity was measured through von Frey filaments. To investigate the role of GLP-1R in central sensitization, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and c-fos were determined using western blotting and immunofluorescence. To determine the changes in microglial activation, IL-1β and TNF-α were examined by western blotting, and the number and morphology of microglia were measured by immunofluorescence. We also confirmed the effect of GLP-1R on microglial activation in lipopolysaccharide-treated BV-2 microglia. Results: The protein expression of GLP-1R was increased in the TNC after nitroglycerin injection. GLP-1R was colocalized with microglia and astrocytes in the TNC and was fully expressed in BV-2 microglia. The GLP-1R agonist liraglutide alleviated basal allodynia and suppressed the upregulation of CGRP, c-fos and PI3K/p-Akt in the TNC. Similarly, the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 prevented nitroglycerin-induced hyperalgesia. In addition, activating GLP-1R reduced Iba-1, IL-1β and TNF-α release and inhibited TNC microglial number and morphological changes (process retraction) following nitroglycerin administration. In vitro, the protein levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated BV-2 microglia were also decreased by liraglutide. Conclusions: These findings suggest that microglial GLP-1R activation in the TNC may suppress the central sensitization of CM by regulating TNC microglial activation via the PI3K/Akt pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) can be leached from soil into the groundwater and exhibit its adverse effect on the health of animals and humans. While previous studies have studied the process of Cd transport in water-saturated sand columns, literature regarding Cd transport in soil is scarce. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the transport of Cd in soil columns and biochar application rate effects on the mobility and distribution of Cd in soil. The red paddy soil was collected from the paddy of Changsha County, Hunan Province in southern China. Batch sorption and column experiments were conducted to study the adsorption isotherms of Cd2+ and its mobility at different biochar application rate treatments (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2%) referenced here as A0, A10, A20, A30, and A40, respectively. The Cd concentration of in effluent samples and digestion solutions was measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES, Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA). After finishing the column experiment, columns were dissected into five layers (1-cm segments), the Cd fractions in soil were performed by the European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR). The amount of Cd sorption among treatments decreased in the order of A40 > A30 > A20 > A10 > A0, and the Langmuir model was more suitable to study the Cd2+ adsorption on biochar-amended soil than Freundlich model. Breakthrough curves showed that increasing biochar application rate increased the initial breakthrough time, whereas the pore-water velocity and dispersion coefficient were 81.0 and 99.8% lower in the A40 treatments than in the A0 treatments, respectively. Increasing biochar application rate enhanced the pH but reduced redox potential (Eh) in the most of effluents. Compared with A0, the concentration of Cd retained in soil columns increased by 86.6% in the A40 treatments. However, BCR sequential extractions showed that biochar addition in A40 treatments increased the acid soluble fraction but reduced the reducible fraction. In A40 treatments, compared with the 0–1-cm soil layer, the relative Cd concentration (N/Ni) in the 1–2-, 2–3-, 3–4-, and 4–5-cm soil layers increased by 5.4, 10.9, 14.3, and 21.9%, respectively. Biochar application in A40 treatments showed strong capacity for retarding Cd transport in soil, while the potential mobility of Cd in soil should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generation and manipulation of single photons are crucial in advanced quantum technologies, such as quantum communication and quantum computation devices. High-purity single photons can be generated from classical light using the single-photon blockade (1PB). However, the efficiency and purity are exclusive in 1PB, which hinders its practical applications. Here, we show that the resonantly coupled plasmonic-photonic cavity can boost the efficiency of single-photon generation by more than three orders of magnitude compared with that of all-dielectric microcavity. This significant improvement is attributed to two new mechanisms of atom-microcavity coupling after introducing the plasmonic cavity: the formation of a quasi-bound state and the transition to the nonreciprocal regime, due to the destructive interference between the coupling pathways and the nonzero relative phase of the closed-loop coupling, respectively. The quasi-bound state has a relatively small decaying, while its effective coupling strength is significantly enhanced. Suppressing the dissipative component of the effective atom-microcavity coupling in the nonreciprocal regime can further improve single-photon performance, particularly without temporal oscillations. Our study demonstrates the possibility of enhancing the intrinsically low efficiency of 1PB in low excitation regime, and unveils the novel light-matter interaction in hybrid cavities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ischemic stroke (IS) is a common cause of death from vascular diseases. Studies have found that smoking increases the risk of ischemic stroke, but the association of smoking with the outcome of IS remains unclear. This meta-analysis aims to investigate the effect of smoking on the prognosis of IS. Methods: We searched four electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library and Web of science for papers, published before January 2019. In this meta-analysis, Review Manager 5.3 software was used to calculate for the pooled estimate effect, as well as the inverse-variance method for pooled mean difference (MD) and odds ratio (OR) of incidence in two groups of population. Results: A total of 14,789 citations were identified during the literature search, 21 studies were included in the meta-analyses after screening. The full-adjusted OR of poor prognostic outcome in smoking and nonsmoking patients with stroke was pooled as 0.96 (95% CI 0.77–1.21), suggested that smoking or not has no impact on prognosis of IS. The pooled MD of onset age between smoking and nonsmoking IS patients was − 10.05 (− 12.91, − 7.19), indicated that smoking causes first onset of IS to occur 10 years earlier. Conclusions: This meta-analysis showed that smoking was not a protective factor for poor prognosis of IS. Smoking patients with IS are 10 years younger than nonsmoking patients at time of the first onset of stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]