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Terahertz (THz) single-pixel imaging has received major research attention because of the lack of a suitable high-resolution array detector for THz imaging applications. Improving both imaging speed and quality has become a research hotspot for this field in recent years. In this study, a terahertz single-pixel imaging system with Hadamard spatial encoding was constructed by using optically induced semiconductor materials to perform THz wave modulation. Sparse coding was added to the system's reconstruction algorithm to enhance imaging quality. Numerous image patches were then collected from a natural image set to train an overcomplete dictionary and each patch in the measured image was reconstructed through sparse representation. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, the reconstruction performances of different algorithms were compared under various conditions (i.e., with sampling rates varying from 5 to 100% and with noise levels within a signal-to-noise ratio range of 10–50 dB). The proposed algorithm, in combination with sparse representation of an overcomplete dictionary, showed a higher peak signal-to-noise ratio and a lower mean square error than both the inverse Hadamard transform (IHT) and TVAL3 algorithms. Finally, THz imaging experiments were performed to validate the algorithm's reconstruction performance at sub-Nyquist sampling rates. The experimental and simulation results coincided closely, thus indicating that the use of the proposed algorithm enhances the signal-to-noise ratio of the reconstructed image, reduces its mean square error, and retains greater image detail. The proposed algorithm was demonstrated to be the preferred choice for THz single-pixel imaging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new coordination polymers [Zn(L)(Bpa)·H2O]n (I) and [Zn(L)(Bip)]n (II) (H2L is 4‑hydroxyisophthalic acid, Bpa is 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane, Bip is 3,5-bis(imidazole-1-yl)pyridine) have been prepared and characterized by element analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (CCDC nos. 2073592 (I), 2073594 (II)). The single crystal X-ray diffraction studies reveal that compound I is a 1D chain structure, in which zinc(II) is four-coordinated with a tetrahedral geometry. Complex II is a 2D layer structure, in which zinc(II) is four-coordinated. Complexes I and II are further extended into three-dimensional supramolecular network via hydrogen bonds and π···π interactions. The solid-state luminescent properties of compounds I and II have been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T8 treatment includes solution treatment, cold working and artificial aging treatment. T8 treatment can greatly improve the hardness and strength of 2024 aluminum alloy without reducing the corrosion resistance. The effect of 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4% cold-drawing deformation on the microstructures of the alloy was observed by transmission electron microscopy, and properties of the alloy was investigated by hardness tests, tensile tests and electrochemical corrosion tests. The results show that the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of cold-drawing deformed 2024 aluminum alloy are better than those of non-deformed alloy. Compared with AA2024-T6, AA2024-T8 with 2% cold-drawing deformation has a higher hardness by 11.3%, and a higher tensile strength by 10.8%. The improvement of the properties of AA2024-T8 is mainly due to the interaction between dislocations and precipitates. With the increase in cold-drawing deformation, the nucleation points of precipitates in AA2024-T8 gradually increase, and precipitates are gradually coarsened under the same artificial aging treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a super sub-Nyquist Hadamard single-pixel terahertz (THz) imaging system in which the THz waves are modulated by a digital micromirror device and a laser driver. Spatial coding of the THz radiation is performed using the cake-cutting (CC)-order Hadamard basis. THz images are reconstructed from a series of coding sequences of the measurement intensity. We prove that with the use of super sub-Nyquist sampling, single-pixel THz imaging with 87% fidelity and a signal-to-noise ratio of more than 23 dB can be achieved using 10% of the CC-order Hadamard basis patterns. The total variation regularization algorithm is shown to have higher robustness to noise than the Hadamard transform and thus offers a good technical solution for single-pixel THz imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new coordination polymers, {[Mn2(L)(H2O)2]·H2O}n (1) and {[Co2(L)(H2O)2]·H2O}n (2) (H4L = 2-(2,4,6-tricarboxylphenyl)-6-carbxoylbenzimi-dazole), have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by element analysis, powder XRD and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The results indicate complex 1 as a 2D carboxylate layer structure, which is extended by hydrogen bonds resulting in a three-dimensional supramolecular network. The structure of 2 is isomorphic to that of 1. Magnetic measurements demonstrate weak antiferromagnetic interactions between the neighbouring Mn(II) ions in 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new coordination polymers, {[Zn(3-Nbdc)(bip)]·2H2O}n (1) and {[Co(3-Nbdc)(bip)(H2O)]0.25H2O}n (2) (H23-Nbdc = 3-nitrobenzene-1,2-dicarboxylic acid, bip = 3,5-bis(1-imidazolyl)pyridine) were synthesized under the hydrothermal conditions and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis. In 1, the Zn(II) ion forms a slightly distorted [ZnO2N2] tetrahedron by two carboxylate oxygen atoms and two nitrogen atoms. Adjacent Zn(II) neighbors are linked by 3-Nbdc dianions adopting monodentate coordination mode to form 1D Zn-carboxylate chain, which is further extended by bip molecules to produce a two-dimensional thick layer. For complex 2, two six-coordinated Co(II) ions with different coordination environments are alternately connected by 3-Nbdc dianions and bip ligands along different directions to generate a two-dimensional grid layer. Furthermore, Powder X-ray diffractions, FTIR spectra and thermogravimetric analyses are also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the possibility of using the methylation level of PAX1/ZNF582 gene as molecular marker to differentiate the progression of cervical cancer. Methods: From January 2016 to March 2018, 150 patients, who were admitted to Cervical Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Xuzhu Maternity and Child Care Hospital, were enrolled in this study. Patients were classified into chronic cervicitis (for 19 cases), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) (18 cases), high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) (37 cases) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (31 cases). All patients underwent several tests including Thin-prep cytology test (TCT), HPV DNA detection and detection of methylation level of PAX1/ZNF582 genes. Results: For diagnosis of HSIL, the area under curve (AUC) was 0.878 (95% CI 0.806 ~ 0.950); the threshold for PAX1 was 12.285, the sensitivity and specificity were 91.9% and 72.8%, respectively. The AUC of ZNF582 gene detection was 0.900 (95% CI 0.842 ~ 0.959), the threshold was 11.56, while the sensitivity and specificity were 97.3% and 76.7%, respectively. Among various tests we conducted, PAX gene detection methods showed the highest specificity (97.30%). PAX1/ZNF582 gene detection method demonstrated the highest accuracy. Conclusions: For patients with high-grade cervical lesion and cervical cancer, the methylation level of PAX1/ZNF582 gene could be applied as a noteworthy biomarker for diagnosis and for cervical cancer classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two Mn(II) coordination polymers, {[Mn3 (Pfca)6(Phen)2] · 2DMF}n (I) and [Mn(Pfca)2(Phen)(H2O)]n (II) (HPfca = 4-fluorocinnamic acid, Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and singlecrystal X-ray diffraction (CIF files CCDC nos. 967513 (I), 1542972 (II)). Complex I crystallizes in the triclinic crystal system, space group Pī with a = 11.0821(11), b = 12.2632(12), c = 15.0288(15) Å, α = 87.3760(10)°, β = 88.4610(10)°, γ = 81.2220(10)°, V = 2016.0(3) Å3, ρc = 1.369 g/cm3, Mr = 1662.25, Z = 1, F(000) = 853, μ = 0.543 mm-1, the final R = 0.0592 and wR = 0.1681 for 15498 observed reflections with I > 2σ(I). Complex II is of monoclinic system, space group P21/c with a = 18.0539(19), b = 8.5806(9), c = 18.758(2) Å, β = 116.5700(10)°, V = 2599.0(5) Å3, ρc = 1.491 g/cm3, Mr = 583.44, Z = 4, F(000) = 1196, μ = 0.567 mm-1, the final R = 0.0337 and wR = 0.0853 for 18139 observed reflections with I > 2σ(I). Complex I features linear Mn(II)-trinuclear units, which form 1D chain structure through F···F weak interactions, and complex II is 1D polymeric Mn(II)-chains. Antiferromagnetic coupling interactions exist within Mn(II)- carboxylate trinuclear in I (J =-0.40 cm-1) and Mn(II)-carboxylate chain in II (J =-0.45 cm-1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new coordination polymers, {[Cd(Hmph)(Itmb)] ∙ H2O}n (I) and [Zn(Hmph)(Bpt)2]n (II) (H2Hmph = homophthalic acid, Itmb = 1-(imidazo-1-yl)-4-(1,2,4-triazole-1-ylmethyl)benzene, Bpt = 3,5-bis(4-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole) have been prepared and then characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction (CIF files CCDC nos. 1842595 (I), 1842591 (II)). Complex I shows a 2D layer structure containing Cd-carboxylate chains linked further by itmb coligands, and the ultimate 3D supramolecular structure is stacked through significant π–π interactions. Complex II displays a zigzag Zn-carboxylate chain structure, which is further extended to the final 3D supramolecular structure by hydrogen-bonding and π–π interactions. TGA experiments indicate that complex I and II have high thermal stabilities because they can maintain framework integrity until 275 and 315°C, respectively. And in comparison, with the free ligands, the fluorescent properties of both CPs show significant blue-shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new coordination polymers {[Zn(HL)(HBpp)] · H2O}n (I) and [Cd(HL)(HBpe)]n (II) (H4L = 5-(2,3-dicarboxy phenoxy) isophthalic acid, Bpp = 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane, Bpe = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene) were prepared and characterize by element analysis, powder XRD and single crystal X-ray diffraction (CCDC nos. 1836060 (I), 1844999 (II)). The single-crystal X-ray diffractions reveal that the complex I is a 2D carboxylate layer with the HBpp suspension arms, in which the zinc(II) is four-coordinated with a tetrahedral geometry. Compound II is a 1D Cd(II)-carboxylate chains, in which the cadmium(II) is seven-coordinated with a distorted pentagonal bipyramidal geometry. Complexes I and II are further extended into three-dimensional supramolecular framework via hydrogen bonds. The solid state luminescent properties of compounds I and II have been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea plant (Camellia sinensis [L.] O. Kuntze) is a woody crop of high economic importance worldwide; however, information on the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of flower development in this species is limited. In the present study, two GLOBOSA (GLO)-like MADS-box genes, CsGLO1 and CsGLO2, were isolated from C. sinensis 'Ziyangzhong' and were characterized to elucidate their roles in flower development. We found that CsGLO1 and CsGLO2 are nuclear-localized transcription factors without transactivation ability but with a robust interaction. They have similar patterns of expression, both mainly restricted to petals and stamens. Moreover, ectopic expression of either CsGLO1 or CsGLO2 in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in a partial conversion of sepals to petals, suggesting full GLOBOSA functional activity. Our results indicate that CsGLO1 and CsGLO2 paralogs might redundantly contribute to petal and stamen, providing the first insight into their role in tea plant flower development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new complexes {[Zn(H2L)(Bpp)] . H2O}n (I) and {[Ag(H3L)(Bpp)] . 0.25H2O}n (II) (H4L = 5-(2,3-dicarboxy phenoxy) isophthalic acid, Bpp = 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane) were prepared and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) (CCDC nos. 1578523 (I), 1578529 (II)), element analysis and powder XRD. Compound I showed a one-dimensional chain structure, in which the zinc(II) ion is fourcoordinated with a tetrahedral geometry. Compound II is a 1D chain structure with the H3L- suspension arms. Complexes I and II are further extended into three-dimensional supramolecular framework via hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions. The solid state luminescent properties of compounds I and II have been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The g factors for Cu in meta-zeunerite (Cu(UO)(AsO)·3HO), kroehnkite (NaCu(SO)·2HO), copper benzoate (Cu(PhCO)·3HO) and diaboleite (PbCu(OH)Cl) of the tetragonal phase are uniformly treated by high order perturbation formulas for 3 d ions in tetragonally elongated octahedra. The calculation results are in good agreement with the observed values and systematically analyzed in view of the local structures around Cu. The g anisotropies Δ g (= g − g ) are largely ascribed to the local tetragonal elongations of the Cu sites, characterized by the relative elongation ratios ( R − R )/ R̅ ≈ 19%, 21%, 27% and 30% for metazeunertie, kroehnkite, copper benzoate and diaboletie, respectively. The anomalous valley (minimum) of relative g anisotropy for copper benzoate is attributed to the modification of the Cu electronic states due to the phenyl ring. The ligand orbital contributions are found to be significant due to covalency, and should be taken into account. The present study would be helpful to the unified investigations of structures and properties of the copper oxygen compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spin Hamiltonian parameters ( g factors, hyperfine structure constants and superhyperfine parameters) and local structures for Ag centers in AgCl and KCl crystals are theoretically studied using the high-order perturbation formulas for a tetragonally elongated 4 d cluster. The impurity centers undergo relative elongations (≈0.05 Å and 0.23 Å for Ag in AgCl and KCl, respectively) along the C axis owing to the Jahn-Teller effect. All the calculated spin Hamiltonian parameters show good agreement with the experimental data, and the ligand contributions to the spin Hamiltonian parameters are important and should be taken into account. The unpaired spin densities in the superhyperfine parameters are determined from molecular orbital coefficients based on the cluster approach, instead of being taken as the adjustable parameters in the previous treatments. Increasing tetragonal elongation from AgCl to KCl is attributed to a decrease in chemical bonding (or lower force constant) with increasing Ag-Cl distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the perturbation treatments for a tetragonally distorted tetrahedral 3d cluster, the g factors and local angular distortions are calculated for ZnO:Cu nanocrystals with various Cu concentrations in different systems I and II under dissimilar experimental conditions. Because of the dynamic Jahn-Teller effect, the bond angles θ between the four equivalent Cu-O bonds and the C4 axis are about 1.5 larger than that (θ0 ≈ 54.736) of an ideal tetrahedron. Consequently, the original slightly trigonally distorted oxygen tetrahedron of the host Zn2+ site is transformed into a tetragonally compressed one. The isotropy of g factors may be attributed to the appropriate angular distortions Δθ = θ - θ due to the dynamic Jahn-Teller effect. The slightly increasing (or decreasing) g factors with concentration x can be illustrated as the delicate increases (or decreases) of the angular distortions (Δθ) and the covalency factors (N) for system I (or II), respectively, under almost equivalent crystal-fi eld strengths (Dq). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) parameters (g factors and hyperfine structure constants) for Cu in [Cu(ipt)(dap)HO]• nHO (ipt is isophthalic acid, dap-1,3-diaminopropane) are theoretically investigated from the high order perturbation formulas of these parameters for a 3 d ion in a rhombically elongated octahedron. The ligand orbital and spin-orbit coupling contributions are included from the cluster approach because of strong covalency of the system. The nearly axial anisotropies of the g factors and hyperfine structure constants are correlated to the significant elongation distortion of the five-fold coordinated Cu (in a distorted square pyramidal [CuNO] group). Nevertheless, the perpendicular anisotropies arising from the nonequivalent planar ligands are largely concealed by the experimental uncertainties. The theoretical analysis of the EPR behaviours for [Cu(ipt)(dap)HO]• nHO would be helpful to understand the local structures and properties of this and relevant systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fall nutrient loading of deciduous forest nursery seedlings is of special interest because of foliage abscission and varied translocation patterns. For non-deciduous seedlings in the nursery, fall fertilization typically can reverse nutrient dilution and possibly increase nutrient reserves; however, this technique has received little attention with deciduous conifer trees that translocate nutrients before abscising foliage. We evaluated how fall nitrogen (N) fertilization affected N storage and translocation in the deciduous conifer Olga Bay larch ( Larix olgensis Henry) seedlings during the hardening period. Seedlings were supplied with 25 mg N seedling −1 for 15 weeks before hardening and fall fertilization treatments began with a three week application period of K 15NO 3 at 0, 5, 10 and 15 mg N seedling −1. During the hardening period, fall N fertilization had little effect on seedling morphology. The N concentration and content of needles decreased dramatically as needles abscised, while that of stems and roots increased. Six weeks after fall N fertilization ceased, all seedlings translocated similar net N from their needles. For the control seedlings, this accounted for 84 % of the N stored in stems and roots. For fall fertilized seedlings, however, the proportion of N stored in stems and roots translocated from needles accounted for only 41–61 % of the total because of absorption of fall fertilizer that was translocated directly to stems and roots. Six weeks after fall fertilization, the distribution pattern of N concentration and content in seedlings was found in this order: stems > fine roots > coarse roots > needles. Our results suggest that providing deciduous conifer seedlings N during hardening, in this case Olga Bay larch, is a way to promote nutrient loading during nursery production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nuclear effects in the neutrino–nucleus charged-current inelastic scattering process is studied by analyzing the CCFR and NuTeV data. The structure functions F2(x,Q2) and xF3(x,Q2) as well as differential cross sections are calculated by using CTEQ parton distribution functions and the EKRS and HKN nuclear parton distribution functions, and these are compared with the CCFR and NuTeV data. It is found that the corrections of the nuclear effect to the differential cross section for the charged-current antineutrino scattering on the nucleus are negligible, the EMC effect exists in the neutrino structure function F2(x,Q2) in the large x region, the shadowing and anti-shadowing effect occur in the distribution functions of valence quarks in the small and medium x region, respectively. It is also found that shadowing effects on F2(x,Q2) in the small x region in the neutrino–nucleus and the charged-lepton–nucleus deep inelastic scattering processes are different. It is clear that the neutrino–nucleus deep inelastic scattering data should further be employed in restricting the nuclear parton distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy-loss effect in nuclear matter is another nuclear effect apart from the nuclear effects on the parton distribution as in deep inelastic scattering process. The quark energy loss can be measured best by the nuclear dependence of the high energy nuclear Drell-Yan process. By means of two typical kinds of quark energy-loss parametrization and the different sets of nuclear parton distribution functions, we present an analysis of the E866 experiments on the nuclear dependence of Drell-Yan lepton pair production resulting from the bombardment of Be, Fe and W targets by 800 GeV protons at Fermilab. It is found that the quark energy loss in cold nuclei is strongly dependent on the used nuclear parton distribution functions. The further prospects of using relatively low energy protons incident on nuclear targets are presented by combining the quark energy-loss rate determined from a fit to the E866 nuclear-dependent ratios versusx1, with the nuclear parton distribution functions given from lA deep inelastic scattering (DIS) data. The experimental study of the relatively low energy nuclear Drell-Yan process can give valuable insight in the energy loss of the fast quark propagating through cold nuclei and help to pin down nuclear parton distribution functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy loss effect in nuclear matter, which is a nuclear effect apart from the nuclear effect on the parton distribution as in deep-inelastic scattering process, can be measured best by the nuclear dependence of the high energy nuclear Drell-Yan process. By means of the nuclear parton distribution studied only with lepton deep-inelastic scattering experimental data, the measured Drell-Yan production cross sections for 800 GeV proton incident on a variety of nuclear targets are analyzed within the Glauber framework which takes into account the energy loss of the beam proton. It is shown that the theoretical results with considering the energy loss effect are in good agreement with the FNAL E866 data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This immunohistochemical study evaluated Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) in the rat nervous system and their changes in the spinal cord subjected to compression. Normal spinal cord showed a low level of Fas and FasL immunoreactivity in the white matter except in the corticospinal tracts. Fas and FasL immunoreactivity seemed to be located in axons and their myelin sheaths. Other regions of the nervous system did not show immunoreactivity to Fas and FasL. Moderate and severe compression injury of the spinal cord resulted in a reduction of Fas and FasL immunoreactivity in the white matter of injured T8–9 segments at 4 h and a complete loss at 1 day after trauma. This was seen even in the remaining white matter. In contrast, increased immunoreactivity to Fas and FasL was present in the cranial T7, caudal T10 (moderate injury) and T12 (severe injury) segments at day 4 with most intense staining were seen at day 9 after trauma. Increased Fas and FasL immunoreactivity may have pathophysiological implications for the development of secondary injuries after trauma to the spinal cord. Fas-FasL interactions may for instance be involved in apoptosis of oligodendrocytes which occurs as a delayed phenomenon after trauma to the spinal cord. The integrity of myelin sheaths may in this way be jeopardized by apoptosis of oligodendrocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing piezoelectret based on foamed plastic garbage is an advisable strategy for obtaining self-powered flexible electromechanical sensors with good performances. Herein, a self-powered piezoelectret sensor with basic material of low density polyethylene (LDPE) foamed plastic garbage is proposed, with characteristics of easy fabrication, excellent flexibility, and high equivalent piezoelectric coefficient d33 value up to ∼ 1,100 pC/N. The output stability is verified by continuously stimulating a sensor for ∼ 180,000 cycles under low and high applied pressure, and the variations of peak outputs are less than 5.5%. Applications for measuring low- and high-pressure signals from human body are achieved. Assembled with a wristband, a sensor is demonstrated for detecting the human pulse waves. Moreover, real time human sitting information is wirelessly monitored with a smart chair based on 4 pixels sensors array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of wearable neural interfaces (WNIs) with the human nervous system has marked a significant progression, enabling progress in medical treatments and technology integration. Hydrogels, distinguished by their high-water content, low interfacial impedance, conductivity, adhesion, and mechanical compliance, effectively address the rigidity and biocompatibility issues common in traditional materials. This review highlights their important parameters—biocompatibility, interfacial impedance, conductivity, and adhesiveness—that are integral to their function in WNIs. The applications of hydrogels in wearable neural recording and neurostimulation are discussed in detail. Finally, the opportunities and challenges faced by hydrogels for WNIs are summarized and prospected. This review aims to offer a thorough examination of hydrogel technology's present landscape and to encourage continued exploration and innovation. As developments progress, hydrogels are poised to revolutionize wearable neural interfaces, offering significant enhancements in healthcare and technological applications. Highlights: • The biocompatibility, interfacial impedance and conductivity, and adhesion of hydrogel are critical to the functionality of hydrogels in wearable neural interfaces. • Hydrogels can effectively support the requirements for wearable neural recording and neurostimulation applications. • This review discusses the opportunities and challenges of using hydrogels in wearable neural interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometrial cancer (EC) rates are continuing to rise and it remains the most common gynecologic cancer in the US. Existing diagnostic methods are invasive and can cause pain and anxiety. Hence, there is a need for less invasive diagnostics for early EC detection. The study objective was to evaluate the utility of growth factors collected through minimally invasive cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) sampling as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for EC. CVL samples from 192 individuals undergoing hysterectomy for benign or malignant conditions were collected and used to quantify the concentrations of 19 growth and angiogenic factors using multiplex immunoassays. Patients were categorized based on disease groups: benign conditions (n = 108), endometrial hyperplasia (n = 18), and EC (n = 66). EC group was stratified into grade 1/2 endometrial endometrioid cancer (n = 53) and other EC subtypes (n = 13). Statistical associations were assessed using receiver operating characteristics, Spearman correlations and hierarchical clustering. Growth and angiogenic factors: angiopoietin-2, endoglin, fibroblast activation protein (FAP), melanoma inhibitory activity, and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) were significantly (p < 0.0001) elevated in EC patients. A multivariate model combining 11 proteins with patient age and body mass index exhibited excellent discriminatory potential (area under curve = 0.918) for EC, with a specificity of 90.7% and a sensitivity of 87.8%. Moreover, angiopoietin-2, FAP and VEGF-A significantly (p < 0.05–0.001) associated with tumor grade, size, myometrial invasion, and mismatch repair status. Our results highlight the innovative use of growth and angiogenic factors collected through CVL sampling for the detecting endometrial cancer, showcasing not only their diagnostic potential but also their prognostic value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed analysis of the Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) sensor for the detection of gaseous analytes within the detection range (1 - 1.04) RIU was carried out. The proposed sensor is composed of a multilayer structure of prism, plasmonic metal, and 2D materials. The impact of different prisms (KF, LiF, SF-11, BK-7), metals (silver, copper, gold, aluminum), and a heterostructured layer of graphene, black phosphorous, M o S 2 demonstrated to achieve high-performance gas sensor. To achieve minimum reflectance and large shift, thickness optimization of each layer was carried out. A transfer matrix method for the N-Layer model with an angular interrogation method was used for the simulation at 633 nm wavelength. Field intensity demonstrates that the addition of each 2D layer plays an important role in the enhancement of the performance of the sensor. The sensitivity (S) and Figure of Merit (FOM) of the proposed sensor were obtained at 236.64°/RIU, and 24.5 R I U - 1 respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supramolecular polymer networks (SPNs) are celebrated for their dynamic nature, yet they often exhibit inadequate mechanical properties. Thus far, the quest to bolster the mechanical resilience of SPNs while preserving their dynamic character presents a formidable challenge. Herein, we introduce [2]rotaxane into SPN to serve as another cross-link, which could effectively enhance the mechanical robustness of the polymer network without losing the dynamic properties. Compared with SPN, the dually cross-linked network (DPN) demonstrates superior breaking strength, Young's modulus, puncture force and toughness, underscoring its superior robustness. Furthermore, the cyclic tensile tests reveal that the energy dissipation capacity of DPN rivals, and in some cases surpasses, that of SPN, owing to the efficient energy dissipation pathway facilitated by [2]rotaxane. In addition, benefiting from stable topological structure of [2]rotaxane, DPN exhibits accelerated recovery from deformation, indicating superior elasticity compared to SPN. This strategy elevates the performance of SPNs across multiple metrics, presenting a promising avenue for the development of high-performance dynamic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elastomers with high mechanical toughness can guarantee their durability during service life. Self-healing ability, as well as recyclability, can also extend the life of materials and save the consuming cost of the materials. Many efforts have been dedicated to promoting the mechanical toughness as well as the self-healing capability of elastomers at the same time, while it remains a challenge to balance the trade-off between the above properties in one system. Herein we proposed a molecular design driven by dual interactions of acylsemicarbazide hydrogen bonding and Cu2+-neocuproine coordination simultaneously. By introducing the reversible multiple hydrogen bonds and strong coordination bonds, we successfully fabricated an extremely tough and self-healing elastomer. The elastomer can achieve an impressive top-notch toughness of 491 MJ/m3. Furthermore, it boasted rapid elastic restorability within 10 min and outstanding crack tolerance with high fracture energy (152.6 kJ/m2). Benefiting from the combination of dynamic interactions, the material was able to self-repair under 80 °C conveniently and could be reprocessed to restore the exceptional mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is threatening public health as there are at least one million new cases reported each year. Rhomboid domain-containing protein 1 (SEC61G) has been identified to regulate tumor cell survival, metastasis and cellular response by regulating glycolysis. However, the function of SEC61G in gastric cancer is not fully understood. Objectives: To investigate the effect of SEC61G on proliferation, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and glycolysis levels on GC, as well as the sensitivity of GC to etoposide. Results: SEC61G is highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues and gastric cell lines. SEC61G knockdown suppresses the cell viability and EdU incorporation. Meanwhile, SEC61G knockdown attenuated the phosphorylation of EGFR and AKT. SEC61G knockdown suppressed the migration, invasion, glucose uptake, lactate release and ATP production, while elevated oxygen consumption rate (OCR), promoting the sensitivity of gastric cancer to etoposide. Conclusions: SEC61G knockdown weakened the proliferation, EGFR phosphorylation and glycolysis of gastric cancer cells, as well as increased the sensitivity of gastric cancer to etoposide, which make SEC61G a promising therapeutic target for gastric cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have various applications in both military and civilian fields. A wider operation area and more complex tasks require better overall range performance of AUVs. However, until recently, there have been few unified criteria for evaluating the range performance of AUVs. In the present work, a unified range index, i.e., L*, considering the cruising speed, the sailing distance, and the volume of an AUV, is proposed for the first time, which can overcome the shortcomings of previous criteria using merely one single parameter, and provide a uniform criterion for the overall range performance of various AUVs. After constructing the expression of the L* index, the relevant data of 49 AUVs from 12 countries worldwide have been collected, and the characteristics of the L* range index in different countries and different categories were compared and discussed. Furthermore, by analyzing the complex factors affecting the range index, methods to enhance the L* range index value, such as efficiency enhancement and drag reduction, have been introduced and discussed. Under this condition, the work proposes a unified and scientific criterion for evaluating the range performance of AUVs for the first time, provides valuable theoretical insight for the development of AUVs with higher performance, and then arouses more attention to the application of the cutting-edge superlubricity technology to the field of underwater vehicles, which might greatly help to accelerate the coming of the era of the superlubricitive engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to climate change and human activity, the Qingshuigou of the Yellow River Delta (YRD) has undergone dynamic changes in erosion and deposition. Therefore, studying these changes is important to ensure ecological protection and sustainable development. In this study, the trend of erosion-deposition evolution in the Qingshuigou was investigated based on 38 coastline phases extracted from Landsat series images of the YRD at one-year intervals from 1984 to 2021. The periodicity of the scouring and deposition evolution was also analyzed using wavelet analysis. Results showed that the total area of the Qingshuigou was affected by deposition and erosion and that the fluctuation first increased and then decreased. The total area reached a maximum in 1993. The depositional area first increased and then decreased, whereas the overall erosion area decreased. Deposition and erosion areas showed periodic changes to some extent; however, the periodic signal intensity decreased. Furthermore, factors including channel morphological evolution and variations in water and sediment discharge affect the spatiotemporal dynamics of erosion and deposition processes. The application of nonconsistency tests finally revealed that deposition area and flushing magnitude exhibited non-stationarities, which are potentially attributed to impacts from climatic change drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments were carried out to study the effects of imperfect spatial resolution on turbulence measurements in the very near-wall region using hot wires of different lengths, l+ (in wall units). Previous works have indicated that the distributions of the longitudinal velocity rms value, skewness and flatness factors are independent of l+ in the buffer region and beyond provided l+<20–25. Our results obtained using l+=3, 6, and 22 in the viscous sublayer region show that generally the said distributions are dependent on l+ and attentuate in magnitude with increasing l+. Further experiments were also carried out at different Reynolds numbers ( Re c, based on centerline velocity and channel’s height) but with measurements made using hot wire of the same l+. The latter shows that the rms value and other higher order moments of longitudinal velocity fluctuations are independent of Re c, thereby extending similar findings by Johansson and Alfredsson (1983), valid in the buffer region into the viscous sublayer region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An authenticated reversible image hiding algorithm based on blockchain framework is presented in this paper. First, global eigenvalues of the plain image are extracted as plaintext keys. Meanwhile, a novel key transformation model is built, combining with public key cryptography RSA and random numbers to compute the initial values for Lorenz system. Thereby, chaotic sequences are produced. Secondly, a preprocessed model and an integer getting model are constructed to process these chaotic sequences and generate preprocessed sequences. The digital signature image and the plain image are then encrypted to obtain a cipher signature image and a cipher image. Thirdly, integer wavelet transform is executed on the carrier image to embed the cipher signature image and the cipher image in the frequency domain matrices by the least significant bit. Next, 2 k correction method is employed to correct these coefficient matrices. Finally, inverse integer wavelet transform is performed on the coefficient matrices to generate the carrier image containing secrets. Especially, cipher signature image is stored in an interplanetary file system, producing content identifier hash value. Then content identifier hash value is written into smart contract and saved on Ethereum blockchain. In the stages of decryption and authentication, the receiver inquires the corresponding transaction file from blockchain by the transaction address, obtaining content identifier hash value and downloading cipher signature image from interplanetary file system. Consequently, the receiver extracts cipher signature image from carrier image containing secrets to do decryption and authentication. Experimental results show that the proposed image hiding algorithm has strong sensitivity to both key and plaintext, can resist clipping attack, and etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the size of the aging population increasing worldwide, the effective diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) has become more important. Two-dimensional (2D) materials offer specific advantages for the diagnosis and treatment of NDDs due to their high sensitivity, selectivity, stability, and biocompatibility, as well as their excellent physical and chemical characteristics. As such, 2D materials offer a promising avenue for the development of highly sensitive, selective, and biocompatible theragnostics. This review provides an interdisciplinary overview of advanced 2D materials and their use in biosensors, drug delivery, and tissue engineering/regenerative medicine for the diagnosis and/or treatment of NDDs. The development of 2D material-based biosensors has enabled the early detection and monitoring of NDDs via the precise detection of biomarkers or biological changes, while 2D material-based drug delivery systems offer the targeted and controlled release of therapeutics to the brain, crossing the blood–brain barrier and enhancing treatment effectiveness. In addition, when used in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, 2D materials facilitate cell growth, differentiation, and tissue regeneration to restore neuronal functions and repair damaged neural networks. Overall, 2D materials show great promise for use in the advanced treatment of NDDs, thus improving the quality of life for patients in an aging population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Travel time estimation (TTE) is a fundamental task to build intelligent transportation systems. However, most existing TTE solutions design models upon simple homogeneous graphs and ignore the heterogeneity of traffic networks, where, e.g., main roads typically contribute differently from side roads. In terms of spatial dimension, few studies consider the dynamic spatial correlations across road segments, e.g., the traffic speed/volume on road segment A may correlate with the traffic speed/volume on road segment B, where A and B could be adjacent or non-adjacent, and such correlations may vary across time. In terms of temporal dimension, even fewer studies consider the dynamic temporal dependences, where, e.g., the historical states of road A may directly correlate with the recent state of A, and may also indirectly correlate with the recent state of road B. To track all aforementioned issues of existing TTE approaches, we provide HDTTE, a solution that employs heterogeneous and dynamic spatio-temporal predictive learning. Specifically, we first design a general multi-relational graph constructor that extracts hidden heterogeneous information of road segments, where we model road segments as nodes and model correlations as edges in the multi-relational graph. Next, we propose a dynamic graph attention convolution module that aggregates dynamic spatial dependence of neighbor roads to focal roads. We also present a novel correlation-augmented temporal convolution module to capture the influence of states at past time steps on current traffic states. Finally, in view of the periodic dependence of traffic, we develop a multi-scale adaptive fusion layer to enable HDTTE to exploit periodic patterns from recent, daily, and weekly traffic states. An experimental study using real-life highway and urban datasets demonstrates the validity of the approach and its advantage over others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium (Mg) alloys are gaining great consideration as body implant materials due to their high biodegradability and biocompatibility. However, they suffer from low corrosion resistance and antibacterial activity. In this research, semi-powder metallurgy followed by hot extrusion was utilized to produce the magnesium oxide@graphene nanosheets/magnesium (MgO@GNS/Mg) composite to improve mechanical, corrosion and cytocompatibility characteristics. Investigations have revealed that the incorporation of MgO@GNS nanohybrids into Mg-based composite enhanced microhardness and compressive strength. In vitro, osteoblast cell culture tests show that using MgO@GNS nanohybrid fillers enhances osteoblast adhesion and apatite mineralization. The presence of MgO@GNS nanoparticles in the composites decreased the opening defects, micro-cracks and micro-pores of the composites thus preventing the penetration of the corrosive solution into the matrix. Studies demonstrated that the MgO@GNS/Mg composite possesses excellent antibacterial properties because of the combination of the release of MgO and physical damage to bacterium membranes caused by the sharp edges of graphene nanosheets that can effectively damage the cell wall thereby facilitating penetration into the bacterial lipid bilayer. Therefore, the MgO@GNS/Mg composite with high mechanical strength, antibacterial activity and corrosion resistance is considered to be a promising material for load-bearing implant applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient cooperative lubrication can be achieved via the introduction of core-shell structure lubricant additives with hard core and soft shell, for obtaining the expected anti-wear performance from the structural changes in the friction process. In this study, C@Ag microspheres with a core-shell structure were prepared by the redox method with carbon spheres as the core and Ag nanoparticles as the shell. Their tribological behaviors as base oil (G1830) additive with different concentrations were investigated in detail. Compared with base oil, the addition of C@Ag particles at 0.5 wt% can reduce the coefficient of friction (COF) and wear volume (Wv) up to 15.5% and 88%, respectively. More importantly, C@Ag particles provide superior lubrication performance to single additive (like carbon sphere (CS) and Ag nanoparticle). C@Ag core-shell particles contribute to the formation of tribo-film by melt bonding of flexible Ag and carbon sphere (CS) toward excellent self-repair performance and high-efficiency lubrication. Hence, core-shell structural nanoparticles with hard-core and soft-shell hold bright future for high-performance lubrication application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti-V-based alloys are proved of huge potential in storing hydrogen, but the incomplete reversible hydrogen storage capacity caused by overstability of V hydride has limited the large-scale application. In this study, Ti32V40+xFe23-xMn5 (x=0, 4, 8, 12, at.%) alloys were designed, and the effects of V/Fe ratio on phase constitution and hydrogen storage properties were investigated. The main phase of the alloys is body-centered cubic (BCC) phase, and the lattice constants of the BCC phase decrease with the decrease of V/Fe ratio. Moreover, C14 Laves phase exists in alloys with a Fe content of 19at.% to 23at.%. For hydrogenation, the C14 Laves phase can accelerate the hydrogen absorption rate, but the hydrogen absorption capacity is reduced. With the decrease of V/Fe ratio, the hydride gradually destabilizes. Owing to its large lattice constant and high hydrogen absorption phase content, the Ti32V52Fe11Mn5 alloy shows the most enhanced hydrogen storage properties with hydrogenation and dehydrogenation capacities of 3.588wt.% at 298 K and 1.688wt.% at 343 K, respectively. The hydrogen absorption capacity of this alloy can be reserved to 3.574wt.% after 20 cycles of hydrogen absorption and desorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the complex relationship between the factors causing safety accidents in metallurgical enterprises and predict the risk of accidents in enterprises, a correlation analysis model of the factors causing safety accidents in metallurgical enterprises based on grey Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory/Interpretative Structural Modeling (DEMATEL/ISM) was established, and a Bayesian network early warning model was constructed on this basis. The relationship and action path of accident-causing factors in metallurgical enterprises were clarified. The factors were hierarchically divided and a multi-layer hierarchical structure model was established to obtain the neighboring cause, transitional cause, and essential cause of the accident. The results showed that the employee violation rate, the hazardous substances reserves, the toxic gas and dust pollution control compliance rate, the pass rate for equipment maintenance, and the qualification rate of special equipment were the neighboring causes of the accident. The perfection of the safety production management system was the essential cause. The Bayesian network early warning model was applied to the Fuxin Jiuxing Titanium work site. The expected risk probability of an accident was 17.9%, which was in a comparatively safe state (State2). The results obtained by the Bayesian model are consistent with those obtained by AHP and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method, which proved the accuracy of the early warning model. The Bayesian model can give the risk probability value of the accident and the risk probability value of the accident cause factors at the same time, and include the causal relationship and conditional correlation relationship among the indicator variables in the reasoning process, which can provide targeted technical support for the construction of the emergency system of risk classification management and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on literature data, an analysis of the modes of bubble formation at orifices immersed into the working environment of bubblers was carried out. The limits of applicability of calculated dependencies for determining the average bubble diameter between different areas of bubble formation on single orifices under conditions of constant gas flow into the bubble and constant gas pressure in the resulting bubble are given. When comparing calculated and experimental data on the sizes of the formed bubbles, it was found that, for the jet mode, there is no single calculation dependence that can at the same time quite accurately reflect the influence of both the orifice diameter and the physical properties of the two-phase medium on the bubble sizes. Despite the fact that a number of studies have shown experimentally and theoretically that the movement of liquid caused by bubbles floating above has a significant effect on the size of the bubbles, there are no verified calculation dependencies at present in the literature that take into account this effect over the entire range of gas flow through orifices of different diameters under different physical properties of the working environment. Based on the balance of forces acting at the moment of bubble separation, a model is proposed that also takes into account the dependence of the size of bubbles formed at the orifice by the movement of liquid caused by bubbles floating above. As a result of generalizing a large amount of experimental data available in the literature, a generalized dependence of the dimensionless average diameter of bubbles on the Bond, Froude, and Reynolds numbers was obtained for constant flow conditions for bubble and jet modes. The derived relationship is valid for orifices with different inner diameters and a wide range of physical properties of the working medium. The lower and upper limits of applicability of the formula for bubble and jet modes of bubble formation have been established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selecting the number of sensors to be actually used in acoustical signal beamformings that employ a given sensor array with a fixed number of elements is important for performance optimization in signal detection applications. Adding sensors to the beamforming computation might introduce excess noise into the measured signal, but selecting too few sensors reduces the beampattern resolution. Additionally, the sensor signals may be weighted to compensate for the background noise or known signal sources. In this paper, a maximum likelihood estimator is developed for the signal beamforming and the signal-to-noise ratio is used as a key performance indicator for determining the point at which adding sensors deteriorates the overall signal readout efficiency. As a case study, an experimental onshore passive sonar readout chain is analyzed through signal beamforming with a circular array with 32 sensors. The experimental results were supported by simulations and showed that the described method was able to calibrate the delay-and-sum algorithm for its best performance under noisy conditions. Good agreement has been obtained with a heuristic approximation from expert knowledge, and the method expands it to general applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neural wearables can enable life-saving drowsiness and health monitoring for pilots and drivers. While existing in-cabin sensors may provide alerts, wearables can enable monitoring across more environments. Current neural wearables are promising but most require wet-electrodes and bulky electronics. This work showcases in-ear, dry-electrode earpieces used to monitor drowsiness with compact hardware. The employed system integrates additive-manufacturing for dry, user-generic earpieces, existing wireless electronics, and offline classification algorithms. Thirty-five hours of electrophysiological data were recorded across nine subjects performing drowsiness-inducing tasks. Three classifier models were trained with user-specific, leave-one-trial-out, and leave-one-user-out splits. The support-vector-machine classifier achieved an accuracy of 93.2% while evaluating users it has seen before and 93.3% when evaluating a never-before-seen user. These results demonstrate wireless, dry, user-generic earpieces used to classify drowsiness with comparable accuracies to existing state-of-the-art, wet electrode in-ear and scalp systems. Further, this work illustrates the feasibility of population-trained classification in future electrophysiological applications. Neural wearables can enable life-saving drowsiness monitoring. This work showcases an in-ear, dry-electrode earpiece used to monitor drowsiness for 35 hours across 9 subjects. This data was used to train offline machine learning classifiers and achieve an average accuracy of >90% across all models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antioxidant N-isopropyl-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (4010NA) was dissolved in ethanol and impregnated into silica aerogel (SAG) via vacuum-pressure cycles, yielding composite particles (A-N) with enhanced sustained-release and reinforcing capabilities. The effect of A-N on the mechanical properties and thermal-oxidative aging resistance of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) vulcanizates was investigated. TGA and BET assessments indicated that the loading efficiency of 4010NA in SAG reached 14.26% within ethanol's solubility limit. Incorporating A-N into SBR vulcanizates significantly elevated tensile strength by 17.5% and elongation at break by 41.9% over those with fumed silica and free 4010NA. Furthermore, A-N notably enhanced the thermal-oxidative aging resistance of SBR. After aging for 96 h at 100 °C, the tensile strength and elongation at break of SBR with A-N sustained 70.09% and 58.61% of their initial values, respectively, with the retention rate of elongation at break being 62.8% higher than that of SBR with fumed silica and free antioxidant. The study revealed that A-N composite particles significantly inhibited the crosslinking in SBR's molecular chains, reducing hardening and embrittlement during later thermal-oxidative aging stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of macro continuous flow has a long history. Simultaneously, the exploration of heat and mass transfer in small systems with a particle number of several hundred or less has gained significant interest in the fields of statistical physics and nonlinear science. However, due to absence of suitable methods, the understanding of mesoscale behavior situated between the aforementioned two scenarios, which challenges the physical function of traditional continuous fluid theory and exceeds the simulation capability of microscopic molecular dynamics method, remains considerably deficient. This greatly restricts the evaluation of effects of mesoscale behavior and impedes the development of corresponding regulation techniques. To access the mesoscale behaviors, there are two ways: from large to small and from small to large. Given the necessity to interface with the prevailing macroscopic continuous modeling currently used in the mechanical engineering community, our study of mesoscale behavior begins from the side closer to the macroscopic continuum, that is from large to small. Focusing on some fundamental challenges encountered in modeling and analysis of near-continuous flows, we review the research progress of discrete Boltzmann method (DBM). The ideas and schemes of DBM in coarse-grained modeling and complex physical field analysis are introduced. The relationships, particularly the differences, between DBM and traditional fluid modeling as well as other kinetic methods are discussed. After verification and validation of the method, some applied researches including the development of various physical functions associated with discrete and non-equilibrium effects are illustrated. Future directions of DBM related studies are indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]