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Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) is widely used as a membrane material for applications such as filtration and water treatment due to its unique properties such as high mechanical strength, chemical resistance, ease of electrospinning, thermal stability, and high hydrophobicity. Using embedded organic and/or inorganic fillers, excellent separation efficiency and antifouling performance can be readily achieved. Among these fillers, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) materials have drawn a lot of attention from researchers due to their variety and unique structures. These properties are further amplified when MOFs are at nanoscale. The synthesis of particles at this scale is challenging and only limited research has been published. With the help of electrospinning, nano-scaled ZIF-67 particles were grown on the surface of the PVDF fibers. In this work, the influence of solvents and ligand concentration on the morphology of the particles formed were evaluated. The morphology of the fibers was analyzed through SEM and the structural characterization was confirmed by XRD and FTIR, while the mass concentration of ZIF-67 was estimated by TGA. These materials are excellent candidates for applications such as textiles, filtration, and gas separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The efficacy and safety of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with impaired liver function (ILF) have not been sufficiently studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of DOACs for stroke prevention in patients with AF and ILF. Method: This study was based on data from 15 centers in China, including 4,982 AF patients. The patients were divided into 2 subgroups based on their liver function status: patients with normal liver function (NLF)(n = 4213) and patients with ILF (n = 769). Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk of total bleeding, major bleeding, thromboembolism, and all-cause deaths in AF patients with NLF and ILF after taking dabigatran or rivaroxaban, respectively. Results: Among AF patients treated with dabigatran or rivaroxaban, patients with ILF were associated with significantly higher major bleeding, compared with NLF patients (aOR: 4.797; 95% CI: 2.224–10.256; P < 0.001). In patients with NLF, dabigatran (n = 2011) had considerably lower risk of total bleeding than rivaroxaban (n = 2202) (aOR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.002–1.513; P = 0.049). In patients with ILF, dabigatran (n = 321) significantly favored lower risks of major bleeding compared with rivaroxaban(n = 448) (aOR: 5.484; 95% CI: 1.508–35.269; P = 0.026). Conclusion: After using dabigatran or rivaroxaban, patients with ILF had remarkably increased risk of major bleeding compared with patients with NLF. In AF patients with NLF, dabigatran had the distinct strength of significantly reduced risk of total bleeding compared with rivaroxaban. In patients with AF and ILF, dabigatran use was associated with lower risk for major bleeding compared with rivaroxaban. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feeling distrusted is a crucial element in trust research. However, previous studies have primarily focused on its negative impact on employees, overlooking its potential positive effects. Drawing on self-regulation theory, we examine how feeling ability-distrusted by supervisors influences employees' knowledge hiding and deviant innovation. When employees feel ability-distrusted by their supervisors, it can trigger shame, which, in turn, can lead to different behaviors under the motives of repair or protection. Survey data collected from 457 employees in China indicated that shame mediated the relationship between feeling ability-distrusted by supervisors and deviant innovation and knowledge hiding. Furthermore, leader-member exchange positively moderated the association between feeling ability-distrusted by supervisors and shame. This research contributes to the literature on distrust, shame, deviant innovation, knowledge hiding, and LMX and offers practical benefits for trust strategies and employee emotion management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to genetic mutations, biomechanical factors also affect the structures and functions of the tumors during tumor growth, including solid stress, interstitial fluid pressure, stiffness, and microarchitecture. Solid stress affects tumors by compressing cancer and stromal cells and deforming blood and lymphatic vessels which reduce supply of oxygen, nutrients and drug delivery, making resistant to treatment. Researchers simulate the stress by creating mechanical models both in vitro and in vivo. Cell models in vitro are divided into two dimensions (2D) and three dimensions (3D). 2D models are simple to operate but exert pressure on apical surface of the cells. 3D models, the multicellular tumor spheres, are more consistent with the actual pathological state in human body. However, the models are more difficult to establish compared with the 2D models. Besides, the procedure of the animal models in vivo is even more complex and tougher to operate. Then, researchers challenged to quantify the solid stress through some measurement methods. We compared the advantages and limitations of these models and methods, which may help to explore new therapeutic targets for normalizing the tumor's physical microenvironment. Key points: •This is the first review to conclude the mechanical models and measurement methods in tumors. •The merit and demerit of these models and methods are compared. •Insights into further models are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thymoma is frequently correlated with various autoimmune diseases. However, unequivocal therapeutic targets for thymoma remain undefined, and the role of immune checkpoints in the development of thymoma-related autoimmune illnesses is unclear. We examined 39 thymoma samples and 44 normal control samples from the GEO database. Following batch correction, we identified 224 Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs) using the Limma package. We employed Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses to enrich for functional pathways of DEGs. We utilized a Protein–Protein Interaction (PPI) network to identify hub genes and determine their correlation with immune cell infiltration using CIBERSORT. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), western blot, and immunohistochemical staining were implemented to verify identified hub genes in vivo. Simultaneously, we evaluated the prognostic relevance of the hub gene using clinical data. We determined COL1A1, COL1A2, and BGN to be the central hub genes in thymoma. Validation via RT-qPCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemical staining established significant statistical divergence between thymoma tissue and the normal thymus for only BGN. Expression levels of BGN showed strong negative correlation with the infiltration level of B cells and CD4+ T cells, yet a significant positive correlation with the level of neutrophil infiltration. We found high immune infiltration levels of macrophages, NK cells, and Th1 cells in the thymoma microenvironment in patients with a high expression of BGN. Co-localization of BGN and macrophages within thymoma tissue was discerned via tissue staining. Clinical data dictated that thymoma patients exhibiting elevated BGN expression underwent longer hospital stays, longer lengths in intensive care units, greater hospitalization costs, and extended ventilator usage; our study, augmented by clinical information, recognized BGN as possessive of diagnostic and prognostic significance in thymoma through in silico and molecular verification experiments. Our findings offered an important objective for thymoma-treated autoimmune disease comprehension, supplemented by the strong association with immune infiltration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of inherent defect insurance (IDI) can transfer housing quality risks to insurance companies, alleviate conflicts of interest between consumers and developers and protect consumer welfare. However, the level of IDI penetration is still low in China. Developers, as buyers of IDI, and consumers, as buyers of insured houses, can influence market trends. An analysis is needed with respect to government subsidy mechanisms for developers and consumers to theoretically derive the optimal subsidy end time, amount and order to boost their investment. Therefore, an evolutionary game model is established between developers and consumers to analyse the strategy selection of stakeholders and system equilibrium stability. Then, the game trajectory of IDI market participants is simulated by MATLAB to analyse the effects of government subsidies on the evolution process and results. The results show that the government can set the subsidy end time based on the proportion of developers purchasing IDI and of consumers purchasing insured houses. The government should first subsidize developers to boost the market share of insured houses, thereby avoiding a situation in which insured houses are in short supply. Until developers' purchase probability increases, the government should subsidize consumers to increase their probability of purchasing insured houses. The government can also determine the subsidy amount based on the cost and income of developers purchasing IDI and consumers purchasing insured houses. This research can help the government rationalize and optimize its subsidy policies to encourage developers to purchase IDI and consumers to purchase insured houses and speed up IDI penetration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cumulus granulosa cells (CGCs) play a crucial role in follicular development, but so far, no research has explored the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on ovarian function from the perspective of CGCs. In the present study, we compared the cycle outcomes between infected and uninfected female patients undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation, performed bulk RNA-sequencing of collected CGCs, and used bioinformatic methods to explore transcriptomic changes. The results showed that women with SARS-CoV-2 infection during stimulation had significantly lower number of oocytes retrieved and follicle-oocyte index, while subsequent fertilization and embryo development were similar. CGCs were not directly infected by SARS-CoV-2, but exhibited dramatic differences in gene expression (156 up-regulated and 65 down-regulated). Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses demonstrated a high enrichment in antiviral, immune and inflammatory responses with necroptosis. In addition, the pathways related to telomere organization and double strand break repair were significantly affected by infection in gene set enrichment analysis. Further weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified a key module associated with ovarian response traits, which was mainly enriched as a decrease of leukocyte chemotaxis and migration in CGCs. For the first time, our study describes how SARS-CoV-2 infection indirectly affects CGCs at the transcriptional level, which may impair oocyte-CGC crosstalk and consequently lead to poor ovarian response during fertility treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unstable environments intensify the frequency of extreme disasters. Long-term climate changes can lead to agricultural and ecological degradation that threatens population sustainability. To better understand past climatic events and consequences, here we present a reconstruction of the self-calibrating Palmer drought severity index (scPDSI) from September to August for the desert margins of northern China, dating back to 1742. The reconstruction accounts for 42.9% of the variation of meteorological data between 1951 and 2020. Our spatial correlation analyses showed significant correlations between scPDSI, runoff, and precipitation. Over the past 279 years, the study area has undergone nine dry and eight wet periods, with the most severe climate extremes between the 1850s and 1890s. This period of prolonged drought in northeastern China coincided with the combined impacts of climatic factors and human influences, contributing to the fall of the Qing Dynasty. Analysis of periodicity and anomalies in sea surface temperatures indicate a strong association between wet and dry cycles and El Niño-Southern Oscillations. Our findings offer insights into long-term dry and wet fluctuations at the desert margins in northern China and elucidate the relationship between drought and the dynamics of civilizations. They also highlight the potential impact of extremes in climate on modern society, especially under the four projected shared socioeconomic pathways climatic scenarios, which predict worsening droughts in northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present analytical results on the effective capacity (EC) for a dual-hop cooperative network employing non-orthogonal multiple access and the decode-and-forward half-duplex relaying protocol. Assuming that wireless propagation is modelled by the Nakagami-m distribution, novel analytical results for the EC are deduced. These analytical results are further extended to the generalized fading channels, modeled by a mixture gamma distribution. Our proposed analysis is validated by numerical results and Monte-Carlo simulations. Besides, the numerically evaluated results have demonstrated the impact of various system-level parameters on the performance of the considered system, including the impact of fading, the power allocation coefficient and the delay constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave expansion pretreatment (MEP) is a promising approach to effectively disrupt the intricate network structure of bagasse for enhanced hemicellulose extraction. A synergistic strategy combined MEP and microwave-assisted alkaline extraction (MAAE) of hemicellulose with the aim of maximizing the hemicellulose extraction yield. The effect of microwave expansion pretreatment on the structural characteristics of the bagasse hemicellulose was studied with optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy, and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. The results showed that the pressure generated from the gases after radiation is quickly released, disrupts the highly organized structure of the cell wall, and increases the specific surface area, making more "pathways" for alkaline solution diffusion. In the comparison of the raw material, the microwave-assisted alkaline extraction of MEP treated the sample for 50 min, utilizing 4% NaOH solution as an extraction agent, resulting in a distinct enhancement in the yield of the hemicellulose, increasing from 62.59 to 82.75%. Additionally, the MEP also presented a favorable contribution to decreasing sodium hydroxide consumption; the yield obtained by the 50-min synergistic process (employing 4% NaOH solution as extraction agent) is 82.75%, which was much higher than by the 50-min MAAE process (employing 8% NaOH solution as extraction agent). Meanwhile, the higher yield of hemicellulose (more than 85%) with higher molecular weight indicated the potential advantages of MEP strategy for hemicellulose extraction. In general, MEP was beneficial for the extraction of hemicellulose from bagasse using MAAE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a complex disease that remains a major public health concern worldwide. One promising avenue for NSCLC treatment is the targeting of transcription factors that regulate key pathways involved in cancer progression. In this study, we investigated the role of the transcription factor ZNF263 in NSCLC and its impact on the regulation of IL33, apoptosis, and autophagy. Methods: Levels of ZNF263 in tissues and cell lines were identified, after which the effects of its knockdown on cellular malignant behaviors, apoptosis and autophagy were assessed. Based on bioinformatics analysis, ZNF263 was found to bind to IL33 promoter, their mutual relationship was confirmed, as well as the role of IL33 in the regulation of ZNF263. The involvement of ZNF263 in the growth of xenograft tumors was assessed using tumor-bearing nude mouse models. Results: Experimental results revealed that ZNF263 was upregulated in NSCLC tissue samples and cell lines. Its expression level is positively correlated with cellular malignant behaviors. We further demonstrated that ZNF263 upregulated IL33 expression, which, in turn, promoted the proliferation and migration, inhibited apoptosis and autophagy in NSCLC cells. Furthermore, ZNF263 knockdown reduced the growth of xenograft tumors in nude mice. Conclusion: This finding suggests that the inhibition of ZNF263 or IL33 may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for NSCLC. Importantly, our results highlight the crucial role of transcription factors in NSCLC and their potential as therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The architectural design of smart cities should prioritize the provision of critical medical services. This involves establishing improved connectivity and leveraging supercomputing capabilities to enhance the quality of services (QoS) offered to residents. Edge computing is vital in healthcare applications by enabling low network latencies necessary for real-time data processing. By implementing edge computing, smart cities can benefit from reduced latency, increased bandwidth, and improved power consumption efficiency. In the context of Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), the study proposes a novel approach called the Markovian Decision Process with Federated Deep Recurrent Neural Network (MDP-FDRNN) as the primary algorithm for managing resource allocation. MEC focuses on utilizing edge computing capabilities to process data and perform computations at the network's edges. The conducted tests demonstrate that the MDP-FDRNN algorithm is superior and well-suited for effectively resolving high-processing traffic at the network's edges. It significantly reduces processing time, particularly crucial for healthcare operations related to patients' health problems. By employing the MDP-FDRNN algorithm in resource allocation management, smart cities can efficiently utilize their edge computing infrastructure to handle complex processing tasks. The superior performance of this algorithm in reducing processing time showcases its potential to support critical healthcare operations within smart cities, thereby enhancing the overall quality of healthcare services provided to residents. This article underscores the significance of implementing appropriate technology, including edge computing and the IoM, in developing prosperous smart cities. It also highlights the effectiveness of the MDP-FDRNN algorithm in managing resource allocation and addressing processing challenges at the network's edges, particularly in healthcare operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Block copolymers (BCPs) with high Flory-Huggins parameter (χ) and balanced surface energy have aroused tremendous interest for ultra-small nanopatterns processing. However, high χ and balanced surface energy are generally contradicted. The fine tune of chain structure might be a useful way to achieve high χ and balanced surface energy. To realize this, the block copolymer with exactly uniform chain structure, i.e., defined molecular structure, is highly desirable for accurately evaluating the phase behavior. Herein, two kinds of discrete oligo ester-b-oligo olefin block copolymers with different chemical structures (oligo lactic acid-b-oligo olefin BCP, oLAn-b-Cm; oligo phenyl lactic acid-b-oligo olefin BCP, oPLn-b-Cm) were modularly synthesized through iterative growth methods. The effect of chain structure on segregation strength and surface properties was quantitatively investigated using the discrete BCPs as precise models. On the one hand, introducing rigid and nonpolar phenyl groups into oligo ester block has a negligible effect on the chemical incompatibility, as confirmed by the identical high χ values of oLAn-b-Cm and oPLn-b-Cm (χoLA/C = 0.21 and χoPL/C = 0.19). On the other hand, the incorporation of nonpolar phenyl groups creates balanced surface energy, that is, the high χ and balanced surface energy were simultaneously achieved by oPLn-b-Cm. Therefore, sub −10 nm perpendicular nanopatterns can be easily produced upon brief thermal treatment, demonstrating its potential application in semiconductor manufacturing with ultra-small feature size. The discrete BCP can serve as a quantitative and exquisite model to study the critical contribution of chain structures on phase separation behavior, providing insightful understanding to facilitate the potential application in the chip process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless and battery-free radio-frequency (RF) sensors can be used to create physical spaces that ambiently sense and respond to human activities. Making such sensors ultra-flexible and transparent is important to preserve the aesthetics of living environments, accommodate daily activities, and functionally integrate with objects. However, existing RF sensors are unable to simultaneously achieve high transparency, flexibility, and the electrical conductivity required for remote room-scale operation. Here, we report 4.5 µm RF tag sensors achieving transparency exceeding 90% that provide capabilities in room-scale ambient wireless sensing. We develop a laser-assisted water-based adhesion-reversion process to digitally realize computer-aided RF design at scale. By individually tagging multiple objects and regions of the human body, we demonstrate multiplexed wireless tracking of human-environment interactions and physiological signals at a range of up to 8 m. These radio-frequency identification sensors open opportunities for non-intrusive wireless sensing of daily living spaces for applications in health monitoring and elderly care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B-cell subsets in peripheral blood (PB) and tumor microenvironment (TME) were evaluated to determine myasthenia gravis (MG) severity in patients with thymoma-associated MG (TMG) and the distribution of B cells in type B TMG. The distribution of mature B cells, including Bm1–Bm5, CD19+ and CD20+ B cells and non-switched (NSMBCs) and switched (SMBCs) memory B cells, were determined in 79 patients with thymoma or TMG. Quantitative relationships between the T and TMG groups and the TMG-low and TMG-high subgroups were determined. NSMBCs and SMBCs were compared in TME and PB. Type B thymoma was more likely to develop into MG, with types B2 and B3 being especially associated with MG worsening. The percentage of CD19+ B cells in PB gradually increased, whereas the percentage of CD20+ B cells and the CD19/CD20 ratio were not altered. The (Bm2 + Bm2′)/(eBm5 + Bm5) index was significantly higher in the TMG-high than in thymoma group. The difference between SMBC/CD19+ and NSMBC/CD19+ B cell ratios was significantly lower in the thymoma than TMG group. NSMBCs assembled around tertiary lymphoid tissue in thymomas of patients with TMG. Few NSMBCs were observed in patients with thymoma alone, with these cells being diffusely distributed. MG severity in patients with TMG can be determined by measuring CD19+ B cells and Bm1-Bm5 in PB. The CD19/CD20 ratio is a marker of disease severity in TMG patients. Differences between NSMBCs and SMBCs in PB and TME of thymomas can synergistically determine MG severity in patients with TMG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Counterfeiting has become a serious global problem, causing worldwide losses and disrupting the normal order of society. Physical unclonable functions are promising hardware-based cryptographic primitives, especially those generated by chemical processes showing a massive challenge-response pair space. However, current chemical-based physical unclonable function devices typically require complex fabrication processes or sophisticated characterization methods with only binary (bit) keys, limiting their practical applications and security properties. Here, we report a flexible laser printing method to synthesize unclonable electronics with high randomness, uniqueness, and repeatability. Hexadecimal resistive keys and binary optical keys can be obtained by the challenge with an ohmmeter and an optical microscope. These readout methods not only make the identification process available to general end users without professional expertise, but also guarantee device complexity and data capacity. An adopted open-source deep learning model guarantees precise identification with high reliability. The electrodes and connection wires are directly printed during laser writing, which allows electronics with different structures to be realized through free design. Meanwhile, the electronics exhibit excellent mechanical and thermal stability. The high physical unclonable function performance and the widely accessible readout methods, together with the flexibility and stability, make this synthesis strategy extremely attractive for practical applications. The authors introduce a flexible laser printing method for synthesizing integrated optical and electric Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs). The PUF devices can be read out by simple household equipment and show high uniqueness and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinically, thymoma patients are often complicated with myasthenia gravis (MG). Dexamethasone, a glucocorticoid with anti-inflammatory effects, could be used as an immunosuppressant for thymoma-associated MG, but the mechanism of action remains to be explored. In this study, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) of potential targets was performed by screening the intersection targets of dexamethasone and thymoma-associated MG from the database. Furthermore, the key targets and core active components were identified by topological analysis of the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. Molecular docking technology was applied to screen the complexes with stable binding of dexamethasone and core targets. Patients with thymoma were divided into two groups according to whether they received dexamethasone before operation, and immunohistochemistry and western blot were used to verify the selected target of dexamethasone in treating thymoma-associated MG. The results showed that the action pathway of dexamethasone on the disease was closely enriched to phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (PKB/AKT), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathways. The expressions of AKT1 and its downstream molecule mTOR in the thymoma microenvironment of thymoma-associated MG patients who did not receive dexamethasone before operation were higher than those in the group receiving dexamethasone before operation. This study demonstrates that dexamethasone can promote apoptosis through the AKT-mTOR pathway for the treatment of thymoma-associated MG, as validated by network pharmacology predictions and clinical specimen experiments, and can be verified by large-scale clinical trials in the future. This study also provides theoretical support and new research perspectives for this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Incorporated residue cover and surface residue cover are strongly recommended in field management to control soil erosion. However, quantitative investigations on the use of incorporated residue cover for soil and water conservation were relatively fewer in the black soil region of Northeast China. Methods: Simulated rainfall experiments were conducted to compare the effects of incorporated residues on soil and runoff production with those of surface cover measures. Five biomass amounts of corn residues according to the annual yield return in 1 year were designed under different rainfall events for the laboratory experiments. Results: A quantitative conversion relationship between the incorporated residue cover and biomass was derived based on the RUSLE. The values, representing the ratio of the area covered by a piece of residue to the mass of that residue (ha/kg) from the CROP data in RUSLE, were calibrated and compared to the given values in the model. Then, the soil loss factor of the incorporated residue cover compared with the surface cover was established. Finally, the observed runoff and soil loss for the two residue cover treatments were compared and the incorporated residue cover had a higher efficiency. Conclusion: Our findings calibrated the parameters from the CROP data in RUSLE by simulated rainfalls. Based on the efficiency of the incorporated residue cover and surface residue cover on soil and water conservation, combining natural field management for accurate evaluation is required for actual application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the theoretical mechanism of the impact of green technology progress on carbon emissions, this article constructs a theoretical mechanism of the impact of green technology progress on carbon emission growth. Explore the conditions for achieving carbon peak and carbon reduction. Based on the Cobb Douglas production function, construct a three sector model that includes capital, labor, and energy. Empirical methods were used to analyze the quantitative impact of green technology progress on carbon emission growth and the moderating effect of energy input share. This study mainly used provincial panel data from 1995 to 2020. Calculate carbon dioxide emissions based on energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission coefficients of various energy sources in different regions. Using the perpetual inventory method to calculate capital growth rate, green computing progress rate, etc., to provide data support for the green technology carbon reduction model. Empirical analysis of the impact of green technology progress on carbon emissions using the FGLS panel model. Theoretical and empirical analyses show that green technological progress promotes an increase in the carbon emission growth rate through the scale effect, with an impact coefficient of 0.607; it promotes a decrease in the carbon emission growth rate through the technological effect, with an impact coefficient of − 0.667; the combined effect promotes a decrease in growth rate of carbon emissions, with an impact coefficient of − 0.06. The share of energy inputs has a positive regulating effect on the scale effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anal cancer incidence is significantly higher in people living with HIV as HIV increases the oncogenic potential of human papillomavirus. The incidence of anal cancer in the United States has recently increased, with diagnosis and treatment hampered by high loss-to-follow-up rates. Novel methods for the automated, real-time diagnosis of AIN 2+ could enable "see and treat" strategies, reducing loss-to-follow-up rates. A previous retrospective study demonstrated that the accuracy of a high-resolution microendoscope (HRME) coupled with a deep learning model was comparable to expert clinical impression for diagnosis of AIN 2+ (sensitivity 0.92 [P = 0.68] and specificity 0.60 [P = 0.48]). However, motion artifacts and noise led to many images failing quality control (17%). Here, we present a high frame rate HRME (HF-HRME) with improved image quality, deployed in the clinic alongside a deep learning model and evaluated prospectively for detection of AIN 2+ in real-time. The HF-HRME reduced the fraction of images failing quality control to 4.6% by employing a high frame rate camera that enhances contrast and limits motion artifacts. The HF-HRME outperformed the previous HRME (P < 0.001) and clinical impression (P < 0.0001) in the detection of histopathologically confirmed AIN 2+ with a sensitivity of 0.91 and specificity of 0.87. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ischemic-reperfusion injury limits the time window of recanalization therapy in cerebral acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Brain vessel endothelial cells (BVECs) form the first layer of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and are thus the first sufferer of ischemic-reperfusion disorder. The current study demonstrates that melatonin can reduce infarct volume, alleviate brain edema, ameliorate neurological deficits, and protect BBB integrity in prolonged-stroke mice. Here, we demonstrate that endoplasmic reticulum (ER)–associated injury contributes to BVEC death in the dural phase of reperfusion after prolonged ischemia. When encountering ischemia, ER stress arises, specifically activating PERK-EIF2α signaling and the subsequent programmed cell death. Prolonged ischemia leads stress granules (SGs) to be refractory, which remain unresolved and accumulate in ER during recanalization. During reperfusion, refractory SGs activate PKR-EIF2α and further exacerbate BVEC injury. We report that melatonin treatment downregulates ER stress in the ischemic period and enhances dissociation of the refractory SGs during reperfusion, thus offering dual-phase protection to BVECs in prolonged cerebral stroke. Mechanistically, melatonin enhances autophagy in BVECs, which preserves ER function and resolves refractory SGs. We, therefore, propose that melatonin is a potential treatment to extend the time window of delayed recanalization therapy in AIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal flooding caused by tropical cyclones has long been a major threat to life, property, and infrastructure in coastal zones. This study assessed the risk of flooding in Chittagong, southeastern Bangladesh, under extreme sea level scenarios caused by high astronomical tides and storm surges. The Jelesnianski typhoon model and the ADvanced CIRCulation hydrodynamic model were used to simulate 91 typhoons that occurred in the Bay of Bengal between 1981 and 2017, and observational data were used for model validation. The inundation model was based on a digital elevation model and a seed spread algorithm, and a geographical information system was used to visualize the flood risk. Under four scenarios, the changes in flood levels caused by sea level rise had no significant influence on the extent of flooding in Chittagong. At flood levels of 8.82 m (50-year storm surge without sea level rise) and 8.89 m (50-year storm surge with sea level rise), the maximum estimated area of inundation was 11.35 km2. The western coastal and southeastern river coastal plain areas of Chittagong have the highest risk of inundation due to their low-lying terrain. At flood levels of 9.83 m (100-year storm surge without sea level rise) and 9.97m (100-year storm surge with sea level rise), the maximum simulated flood extent was 36.44 km2. Simulated floodwaters propagated in a south–north direction, and most of the northern areas of the city are at risk of inundation under these scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has long focused on the positive effect of contingent reward on employees' psychological states and outcomes. Recent studies show that contingent punishment can also positively impact employees' outcomes. Whether contingent reward can improve employees' compliance behavior more than punishment can, has not been adequately studied. Exploring this issue can help researchers understand contingent reward and punishment from the perspective of the relationship norms between leaders and employees. Drawing on the planned behavior theory and cognitive appraisal theory, we developed and tested a model specifying why and how contingent reward (relative to contingent punishment) increase employees' compliance behavior. Using a scenario-based experiment across two-stage surveys of 309 participants, we found that contingent reward (relative to contingent punishment) could influence compliance behavior by increasing and decreasing distinct types of affective attitudes (i.e., self-esteem and anxiety). Moreover, the perceived operational capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) moderated the effect of contingent reward on self-esteem and anxiety. High perceived operational capabilities of AI enhanced the positive effect of contingent reward (relative to contingent punishment) on self-esteem and its negative effect on anxiety as well. This research yields innovative insights for the improvement of compliance behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic semiconductors, such as carbon nitride, when employed as powders, show attractive photocatalytic properties, but their photoelectrochemical performance suffers from low charge transport capability, charge carrier recombination, and self-oxidation. High film-substrate affinity and well-designed heterojunction structures may address these issues, achieved through advanced film generation techniques. Here, we introduce a spin coating pretreatment of a conductive substrate with a multipurpose polymer and a supramolecular precursor, followed by chemical vapor deposition for the synthesis of dual-layer carbon nitride photoelectrodes. These photoelectrodes are composed of a porous microtubular top layer and an interlayer between the porous film and the conductive substrate. The polymer improves the polymerization degree of carbon nitride and introduces C-C bonds to increase its electrical conductivity. These carbon nitride photoelectrodes exhibit state-of-the-art photoelectrochemical performance and achieve high yield in C-H functionalization. This carbon nitride photoelectrode synthesis strategy may be readily adapted to other reported processes to optimize their performance. The photoelectrochemical performance of carbon nitride is still insufficient for organic transformations. Here, the authors introduce a spin coating strategy for the synthesis of carbon nitride photoelectrodes, enabling high yields in C-H functionalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aims to understand the antecedent of leadership emergence from an event perspective. Drawing on event system theory and leadership literature, we examine the unique role of extracurricular activity event strength in predicting leadership self-efficacy and leadership emergence with the data from 300 undergraduates in China. Our results based on two time-lagged survey studies indicate that extracurricular activity event disruption and criticality are positively (but novelty is negatively) related to leadership self-efficacy, which in turn is positively related to leadership emergence. Moreover, leader position intensifies the effects of extracurricular activity event disruption and criticality (but not novelty) on leadership self-efficacy. The implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of ferrous minerals has been demonstrated to have a significant impact on the destiny, migration, and availability of uranyl (U(VI)) in natural surroundings. The iron oxide/Fe(II) system is a multifaceted iron reduction system anchored to surfaces, encompassing various forms of iron and ferrous ions. Several studies have investigated the effectiveness of adsorbed ferrous iron on iron-based minerals to facilitate the reduction of heavy metal ions and radioactive nuclides. A range of techniques for characterization, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Mössbauer spectroscopy, were employed to explore the process of U(VI) adsorption and deposition, focusing on the limited region containing ferrous iron on the exposed crystalline surface of hematite. In this specific investigation, two kinds of hematite nanocrystals primarily exposing {001} and {012} crystal facets, referred to as HNPs and HNCs, were synthesized. Their ability to remove U(VI) was examined. Ferrous ions (Fe(II)) adsorbed onto the surface of hematite nanocrystals significantly enhanced the efficiency of U(VI) remediation. Furthermore, the HNCs/Fe(II) system showed better U(VI) reduction ability than the HNPs/Fe(II) system. Remarkably, HNCs produced and consumed more electrons and hydroxyl radicals, indicating a more intense response. This finding serves to highlight the significance of their role in interfacial effects and in predicting the spatial distribution of U(VI) in aqueous systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To search for human protein-coding genes related to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the context of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and perform prognosis risk assessment. Methods: Genes related to HBV-HCC were selected through literature screening and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network database analysis. Prognosis potential genes (PPGs) were identified using Cox regression analysis. Patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups based on PPGs, and risk scores were calculated. Kaplan–Meier plots were used to analyze overall survival rates, and the results were predicted based on clinicopathological variables. Association analysis was also conducted with immune infiltration, immune therapy, and drug sensitivity. Experimental verification of the expression of PPGs was done in patient liver cancer tissue and normal liver tissue adjacent to tumors. Results: The use of a prognosis potential genes risk assessment model can reliably predict the prognosis risk of patients, demonstrating strong predictive ability. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that the overall survival rate of the low-risk group was significantly higher than that of the high-risk group. There were significant differences between the two subgroups in terms of immune infiltration and IC50 association analysis. Experimental verification revealed that CYP2C19, FLNC, and HNRNPC were highly expressed in liver cancer tissue, while UBE3A was expressed at a lower level. Conclusion: PPGs can be used to predict the prognosis risk of HBV-HCC patients and play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer. They also reveal their potential role in the tumor immune microenvironment, clinical-pathological characteristics, and prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have shown that patients with COVID-19 have a high incidence of renal dysfunction. However, the dialysis supplies, including dialysates, are also severely inadequate in hospitals at the pandemic centers. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop materials that can efficiently and rapidly remove toxins and thus regenerate dialysate to make this vital resource remains readily available. In this work, by simple carbonization and activation treatment, the porous activated carbon from waste rubber seed shell (RAC) was prepared. The adsorption results showed that the maximum adsorption capacities of the obtained RAC for creatinine and uric acid were 430 mg/g and 504 mg/g, respectively. Significantly, the adsorption process can be close to the equilibrium state within 0.5 h, which proved the ultra-fast adsorption response capacity of RAC. Further, the thermodynamics analysis results showed that both the creatinine and uric acid adsorption processes were monolayer, exothermic, and spontaneous. The adsorption kinetics results indicated that the adsorption process of the two uremic toxins followed the pseudo-second-order rate model and was dominated by chemisorption. The instrument analysis results reflected the efficient adsorption of the RAC for the above uremic toxins which might be due to the dipole–dipole interaction between the dipolar oxygen-containing groups of the surface of RAC and the dipoles of the toxins. Moreover, the formed hydrogen bonds between the oxygen groups and the toxins also played an important role. In all, the as-prepared RAC has the potential to efficiently remove major toxins from the dialysate and can be used in in vitro dialysis of numerous patients during the current COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop a risk stratification model based on the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging combined with squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) for the classification of patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) into different risk groups. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 664 women with stage IIA–IVB CSCC according to the 2018 FIGO staging system who received definitive radiotherapy from March 2013 to December 2017 at the department of radiation oncology of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. Cutoff values for continuous variables were estimated using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Using recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) modeling, overall survival was predicted based on the prognostic factors determined via Cox regression analysis. The predictive performance of the RPA model was assessed using the consistency index (C-index). Intergroup survival differences were determined and compared using Kaplan–Meier analysis and the log-rank test. Results: Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified post-treatment SCC-Ag (< 1.35 ng/mL and > 1.35 ng/mL; hazard ratio (HR), 4.000; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.911–5.496; P < 0.0001) and FIGO stage (II, III, and IV; HR, 2.582, 95% CI, 1.947–3.426; P < 0.0001) as the independent outcome predictors for overall survival. The RPA model based on the above prognostic factors divided the patients into high-, intermediate-, and low-risk groups. Significant differences in overall survival were observed among the three groups (5-year overall survival: low vs. intermediate vs. high, 91.3% vs. 76.7% vs. 29.5%, P < 0.0001). The predictive performance of the RPA model (C-index, 0.732; 95% CI, 0.701–0.763) was prominently superior to that of post-treatment SCC-Ag (C-index, 0.668; 95% CI, 0.635–0.702; P < 0.0001) and FIGO stage (C-index, 0.663; 95% CI, 0.631–0.695; P < 0.0001). Conclusions: The RPA model based on FIGO staging and post-treatment SCC-Ag can predict the overall survival of patients with CSCC, thereby providing a guide for the formulation of risk-adaptive treatment and individualized follow-up strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We conducted a multicenter real-world study in China to assess the association between body mass index (BMI) and clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) taking direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Method: This is a retrospective multicenter cohort study conducted in 15 centers in China. We collected demographic information through the hospital information system and obtained clinical events through follow-up visits to patients or relatives. Clinical outcomes include major, minor, total bleeding, thromboembolism, and all-cause death. Result: A total of 6164 patients with non-valvular AF (NVAF) were included in this study. The incidence of major bleeding in patients with NVAF differed significantly by BMI category (P < 0.001), with 5.2% in the underweight group, 2.6% in the normal group, 1.4% in the overweight group, 1.1% in the obese I group, and 1.3% in the obese II group. There was no significant difference in minor, total bleeding, and thrombosis in the five groups (P = 0.493; P = 0.172; P = 0.663). All-cause death was significantly different among the five groups (P < 0.001), with 8.9% in the underweight group, 6.3% in the normal group, 4.8% in the overweight group, 2.2% in the obese I group, and 0.4% in the obese II group. High BMI was negatively associated with major bleeding (OR = 0.353, 95% CI 0.205–0.608), total bleeding (OR = 0.664, 95% CI 0.445–0.991), and all-cause death (OR = 0.370, 95% CI 0.260–0.527). Conclusion: In patients with NVAF treated with DOACs, higher BMI was associated with lower major bleeding and better survival. BMI was a negative correlate of total bleeding, but not minor bleeding and thrombosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulation of amyloid beta protein (Aβ) in brain vessels damages blood brain barrier (BBB) integrity in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Macrophage lineage cells scavenge Aβ and produce disease-modifying mediators. Herein, we report that Aβ40-induced macrophage-derived migrasomes are sticky to blood vessels in skin biopsy samples from CAA patients and brain tissue from CAA mouse models (Tg-SwDI/B and 5xFAD mice). We show that CD5L is packed in migrasomes and docked to blood vessels, and that enrichment of CD5L impairs the resistance to complement activation. Increased migrasome-producing capacity of macrophages and membrane attack complex (MAC) in blood are associated with disease severity in both patients and Tg-SwDI/B mice. Of note, complement inhibitory treatment protects against migrasomes-mediated blood-brain barrier injury in Tg-SwDI/B mice. We thus propose that macrophage-derived migrasomes and the consequent complement activation are potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in CAA. Migrasomes are recently discovered extracellular vesicles that are produced during cellular migration. Here, the authors show that macrophage-derived migrasomes are implicated in the progression of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) through increased complement signaling using skin biopsies from CAA patients and CAA mouse models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell specific-targeted therapy (CSTT) for acute ischemic stroke remains underdeveloped. Cerebrovascular endothelial cells (CECs) are key components of the blood–brain barrier and are the first brain cells affected by ischemic stroke. After stroke, CEC injury causes insufficient energy supply to neurons and leads to cytotoxic and vasogenic brain edema. Aptamers are short single-stranded RNA or DNA molecules that can bind to specific ligands for cell specific delivery. The expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) is increased on CECs after stroke. Herein, we report that an RNA-based VCAM-1-aptamer can specifically target CECs in stroke brains following transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice. Our data demonstrate the potential of an RNA-based aptamer as an effective delivery platform to target CECs after stroke. We believe this method will allow for the development of CSTT for treatment of patients with stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extant research has uniformly demonstrated that forming and maintaining workplace friendships benefits employees and organizations. Unfortunately, little is known about its potential downsides, especially the negative spillover effects of such dyadic relationships on organizations. Our purpose is to reveal that workplace friendship is a mixed blessing by investigating why, how and when workplace friendships are likely to simultaneously promote discretionary behavior (organizational citizenship behavior) and non-discretionary behavior (compulsory citizenship behavior). We propose that the double-edged effect of workplace friendship hinges on individual relationship motivation. On the one hand, when employees have autonomous relationship motivation, workplace friendship is positively related to employees' perceived insider status, enhancing organizational citizenship behavior. On the other hand, when employees have controlled relationship motivation, workplace friendship is positively related to employees' felt obligation, which triggers compulsory citizenship behavior. The results from the three-wave survey support our hypotheses. In conclusion, our findings reveal the pros and cons of workplace friendship and the importance of recognizing relationship motivation in maintaining the workplace friendship process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Bi/Bi2MoO6 nanocomposite is fabricated utilizing a simple one-pot solvothermal method, which shows great photodegradation ability to tetracycline (TC). The effect of Bi0 nanoparticles on the photodegradation of TC was investigated, and it is ascribed to the surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) effect. The light energy could be strongly absorbed by the Bi0 nanoparticles, and then transferred to the adjacent Bi2MoO6, to enhance the photocatalytic performance. The results of the sacrifice experiment and quantitative analysis of active radicals showed that the photoelectrons could react with soluble O2 and ·OH to form ·O2−, which finally dominates in the process of photocatalytic degradation of TC. This work proposed a way to construct a highly efficient photocatalyst based on SPR effect, which has great application potential in environmental treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure the safety of high-strength bolt materials in an ocean hydrogen-rich environment, this work first studies the H-effect on GS80A steel by mechanical tests and fracture surface observations. The experimental mechanical properties with/without the H-effect are compared with each other, showing a strong hydrogen-induced reduction of ductility, ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and full-cycle fatigue life. To reproduce the S-N curve based on the experimental fatigue life with/without the H-effect, a neural network model and a typical gray theory are used in this paper for the first time. Reasonable agreement is found between these two models. Finally, the H-affected P-S-N curves are obtained based on the Bootstrap method, indicating the fatigue life obtained by the same condition convergence to Weibull distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of ultrasonic treatment on the retrogradation behavior and structures of thermoplastic cassava starch (TPS)/silica (SiO2) composite were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, polarized light microscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, contact angle, tensile testing, dynamic mechanical analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance. The results indicated that the retrogradation degree and rate of TPS/SiO2 composite were higher, and the spherulites become clearer and denser after the ultrasonic treatment. Silica could be uniformly dispersion in the starch, and has better interfacial adhesion with the matrix. The contact angle and tensile strength of TPS/SiO2 composite enhanced after ultrasonic treatment, but there were decreases in the thermal degradation temperatures. The V type crystal of TPS/SiO2 composite increased, indicating that the single helical chain increased, and the amylopectin was destroyed by ultrasonic treatment to form more amylose. The ultrasonic treatment could promote the formations of singe helix structure and the ordered molecular structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to investigate how a new and long-lasting threat affects public risk perception and social distancing behavior, which is important for pandemic risk management and recovery of the tertiary industry. We have found that the mechanism that perception decides behavior changes over time. At the beginning of the pandemic, risk directly shapes people's willingness of going out. But under a persistent threat, perception no longer plays the direct role of shape people's willingness. Instead, perception indirectly influences the willingness by shaping people's judgment about the necessity of traveling. Switching from direct to indirect influence, perception's effect is enlarged, which partially prevents people from returning to normal life even if the governmental ban is removed in a zero-COVID community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attribute reduction is a paradigm covering both theories and techniques of selecting required attributes with constraints related to rough set. Currently, though various searching strategies have been developed for achieving such a purpose, few of them take the rewards of identifying attributes into account. In this study, inspired by the popular reinforcement learning mechanism, a Q-learning based procedure is designed to search qualified attributes and then construct the expected reduct. Specifically, state is regarded as the temporary result of selected attributes, action is regarded as variation of such a temporary result if random strategy is performed. Immediately, the reward can be obtained, which offers guidance on identifying attributes with the greatest reward. Moreover, considering the random factors emerge in our scheme, an ensemble device is also used to further improve classification performance of selected attributes in reduct. Finally, comprehensive experiments over a total of 15 UCI datasets clearly validates the superiorities of our study against 5 state-of-the-art approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of the rail transit industry, more attention has been paid to the passive safety of rail vehicles. Structural damage is one of the main failure behaviors in a rail vehicle collision, but it has been paid little attention to in past research. In this paper, the quasi-static fracture experiments of SUS301L-MT under different stress states were carried out. The mechanical fracture properties of this material were studied, and the corresponding finite element simulation accuracy was improved to guide the design of vehicle crashworthiness. Through the tests, the fracture behavior of materials with wide stress triaxiality was obtained, and each specimen's fracture locations and fracture strains were determined. Parameters of a generalized incremental stress state dependent damage model (GISSMO) of the material were calibrated, and the model's accuracy was verified with test results from a 45° shear specimen. The GISSMO failure model accurately reflected the fracture characteristics of the material. The mesh dependency of this model was modified and discussed. The results show that the simulation agrees well with experimental data for the force-displacement curve after correction, but the strain distribution needs to be further studied and improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vibration deterioration of discontinuities with different joint wall material (DDJM) plays a vital role in the seismic behavior of soft and hard interbedded rock slopes under earthquake; however, too little work has been devoted to the subject due to lack of attention. In the present study, the seismic behavior of soft and hard interbedded rock slopes considering the vibration deterioration of DDJM was studied by taking the Shaba slope in China as a study case. A mathematical model quantitatively describing the strength deterioration of DDJM under strong earthquakes was established based on the results of the cyclic shear test, and the deterioration process was implemented by the FISH programming language in numerical software 3DEC. The deformation characteristics and supporting effects of the Shaba slope with the deterioration model were analyzed under seismic loads with different intensities. The results show that the maximum permanent displacements of the Shaba slope without supports obviously rise with the enlargement of seismic loads. Compared with results without considering the vibration deterioration of DDJM, the difference of maximum permanent displacements increases from 15 to 39.7% under seismic loads with intensities from VI to VIII degree. The existing supporting measures on the Shaba slope can not withstand the seismic load with intensities above VI degree and need to be optimized to prevent earthquake-induced disasters in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impacts of the cavity leakage flow on the shrouded stator aerodynamic performance were investigated by modelling the annular cascade mainstream with the seal cavity flow path based on the validated numerical method. Meanwhile, the interactions between the cavity leakage and the mainstream were also determined in the current study. The development of hub corner separation under the action of leakage was discussed and the total pressure loss coefficient as well as the entropy-based loss coefficient was employed to evaluate the performance changes at different seal clearances and cavity rotational speeds. The results show that the cavity leakage flow induces a new vortex near the blade leading edge and plays an important role in the development of passage vortex and the size of concentrated shedding vortex. By increasing the seal clearance with more cavity leakage flow rate, an increase in the pitchwise extent of the separation region under 15% span is significant and the total pressure loss in the separation core increases. In addition, with the increase of cavity rotating speed, the starting point of corner separation moves backward, reducing the size and depth of the hub corner separation. The mainstream loss reduction in combination with the entropy increase in the seal cavity causes the entropy-based loss coefficient to perform a trend of decreasing first and then increasing with the cavity speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An industrial robot is a complex mechatronics system, whose failure is hard to diagnose based on monitoring data. Previous studies have reported various methods with deep network models to improve the accuracy of fault diagnosis, which can get an accurate prediction model when the amount of data sample is sufficient. However, the failure data is hard to obtain, which leads to the few-shot issue and the bad generalization ability of the model. Therefore, this paper proposes an attention enhanced dilated convolutional neural network (D-CNN) approach for the cross-axis industrial robotics fault diagnosis method. Firstly, key feature extraction and sliding window are adopted to pre-process the monitoring data of industrial robots before D-CNN is introduced to extract data features. And self-attention is used to enhance feature attention capability. Finally, the pre-trained model is used for transfer learning, and a small number of the dataset from another axis of the multi-axis industrial robot are used for fine-tuning experiments. The experimental results show that the proposed method can reach satisfactory fault diagnosis accuracy in both the source domain and target domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extant research has long investigated the individual antecedents of leadership emergence, but less research has explored the motivational factors. Drawing upon regulatory focus theory, the current research addresses the above issue by proposing a research model of the influence of regulatory focus on leadership emergence. Survey data collected from 426 undergraduate students in China indicated that both promotion focus and prevention focus were positively associated with leadership emergence. In addition, promotion focus contributed to leadership emergence via affective-identity motivation to lead (MTL), and prevention focus led to leadership emergence via social-normative MTL. Furthermore, undergraduate students' extracurricular activity participation strengthened both the link between affective-identity MTL and leadership emergence and the indirect link between promotion focus and leadership emergence via affective-identity MTL. Nevertheless, undergraduate students' extracurricular activity participation did not moderate both the link between social-normative MTL and leadership emergence and the indirect link between prevention focus and leadership emergence via social-normative MTL. This research contributes to the literature on leadership emergence, regulatory focus theory, and MTL and offers practical benefits for enhancing undergraduate students' leadership emergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attribute reduction has shown its effectiveness in improving the performance of classifiers. Different from widely studied supervised attribute reduction, unsupervised attribute reduction faces great challenges from two main aspects: performance requirement and computationally demanding. Therefore, both effectiveness of selected attributes and efficiency of searching qualified reduct are addressed in the problem solving of unsupervised attribute reduction. Firstly, an ensemble selector is introduced into forward greedy searching. The objective is to identify more suitable attribute for each iteration in the process of searching. Secondly, both sample and attribute based acceleration mechanisms are introduced into our ensemble selector. The first stage is used to derive reduct with better performance, and the second stage is used to speed up the procedure of searching. Finally, our approach is compared with several well-established attribute reductions over 16 UCI datasets. The comprehensive experiments clearly validate the superiorities of our study from the perspectives of both effectiveness and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the pandemic of COVID-19, there are exposed individuals who are infected but lack distinct clinical symptoms. In addition, the diffusion of related information drives aware individuals to spontaneously seek resources for protection. The special spreading characteristic and coevolution of different processes may induce unexpected spreading phenomena. Thus we construct a three-layered network framework to explore how information-driven resource allocation affects SEIS (susceptible–exposed–infected–susceptible) epidemic spreading. The analyses utilizing microscopic Markov chain approach reveal that the epidemic threshold depends on the topology structure of epidemic network and the processes of information diffusion and resource allocation. Conducting extensive Monte Carlo simulations, we find some crucial phenomena in the coevolution of information diffusion, resource allocation and epidemic spreading. Firstly, when E-state (exposed state, without symptoms) individuals are infectious, long incubation period results in more E-state individuals than I-state (infected state, with obvious symptoms) individuals. Besides, when E-state individuals have strong or weak infectious capacity, increasing incubation period has an opposite effect on epidemic propagation. Secondly, the short incubation period induces the first-order phase transition. But enhancing the efficacy of resources would convert the phase transition to a second-order type. Finally, comparing the coevolution in networks with different topologies, we find setting the epidemic layer as scale-free network can inhibit the spreading of the epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: As a cause of primary female infertility, oocyte maturation arrest (OMA) is characterized by failure to obtain mature oocytes due to abnormal meiosis. We aimed to identify pathogenic variants in two sisters with OMA phenotype from a non-consanguineous family.Whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were conducted to identify and validate the disease-causing gene variant. Additionally, we performed a minigene assay, quantitative reverse transcription PCR, and Western blotting to assess the effects of the variant.We identified a novel homozygous splicing variant (c.1021-11T>C) in TRIP13, which followed a recessive inheritance pattern. Minigene assay showed that the variant could disrupt the integrity of TRIP13 mRNA, as evidenced by the production of an alternative transcript with intron10 intermediate retention of 79 bp. Compared to normal controls, the expression of TRIP13 mRNA and abundance of TRIP13 protein were also significantly decreased in Epstein-Barr virus-immortalized lymphoblastoid cells derived from affected individuals.Our findings confirm the contribution of genetic factors to OMA and expand the mutation spectrum of TRIP13 in female infertility.Methods: As a cause of primary female infertility, oocyte maturation arrest (OMA) is characterized by failure to obtain mature oocytes due to abnormal meiosis. We aimed to identify pathogenic variants in two sisters with OMA phenotype from a non-consanguineous family.Whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were conducted to identify and validate the disease-causing gene variant. Additionally, we performed a minigene assay, quantitative reverse transcription PCR, and Western blotting to assess the effects of the variant.We identified a novel homozygous splicing variant (c.1021-11T>C) in TRIP13, which followed a recessive inheritance pattern. Minigene assay showed that the variant could disrupt the integrity of TRIP13 mRNA, as evidenced by the production of an alternative transcript with intron10 intermediate retention of 79 bp. Compared to normal controls, the expression of TRIP13 mRNA and abundance of TRIP13 protein were also significantly decreased in Epstein-Barr virus-immortalized lymphoblastoid cells derived from affected individuals.Our findings confirm the contribution of genetic factors to OMA and expand the mutation spectrum of TRIP13 in female infertility.Results: As a cause of primary female infertility, oocyte maturation arrest (OMA) is characterized by failure to obtain mature oocytes due to abnormal meiosis. We aimed to identify pathogenic variants in two sisters with OMA phenotype from a non-consanguineous family.Whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were conducted to identify and validate the disease-causing gene variant. Additionally, we performed a minigene assay, quantitative reverse transcription PCR, and Western blotting to assess the effects of the variant.We identified a novel homozygous splicing variant (c.1021-11T>C) in TRIP13, which followed a recessive inheritance pattern. Minigene assay showed that the variant could disrupt the integrity of TRIP13 mRNA, as evidenced by the production of an alternative transcript with intron10 intermediate retention of 79 bp. Compared to normal controls, the expression of TRIP13 mRNA and abundance of TRIP13 protein were also significantly decreased in Epstein-Barr virus-immortalized lymphoblastoid cells derived from affected individuals.Our findings confirm the contribution of genetic factors to OMA and expand the mutation spectrum of TRIP13 in female infertility.Conclusion: As a cause of primary female infertility, oocyte maturation arrest (OMA) is characterized by failure to obtain mature oocytes due to abnormal meiosis. We aimed to identify pathogenic variants in two sisters with OMA phenotype from a non-consanguineous family.Whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were conducted to identify and validate the disease-causing gene variant. Additionally, we performed a minigene assay, quantitative reverse transcription PCR, and Western blotting to assess the effects of the variant.We identified a novel homozygous splicing variant (c.1021-11T>C) in TRIP13, which followed a recessive inheritance pattern. Minigene assay showed that the variant could disrupt the integrity of TRIP13 mRNA, as evidenced by the production of an alternative transcript with intron10 intermediate retention of 79 bp. Compared to normal controls, the expression of TRIP13 mRNA and abundance of TRIP13 protein were also significantly decreased in Epstein-Barr virus-immortalized lymphoblastoid cells derived from affected individuals.Our findings confirm the contribution of genetic factors to OMA and expand the mutation spectrum of TRIP13 in female infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon graphite materials inevitably produce more internal microcracks and pores during the carbonization process, which makes the materials have lower mechanical properties and poor frictional properties, limiting their applications. In this paper, the modification of coal tar pitch using oleic acid modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) can increase the dispersion of MWCNTs, change the carbonization process of the pitch and optimize the microstructure of the composite. The results showed that the dispersibility of oleic acid modified MWCNTs was significantly improved, and they could act as nucleating agents in the carbonization process of coal tar pitch to improve the graphitization degree and carbonization yield of the pitch. When the content of oleic acid modified MWCNTs was 0.1%, the compressive and flexural strengths of the modified carbon graphite material reached the maximum, which increased by 54.81% and 64.43%, respectively, compared with the pristine material, and led to a 46.47% reduction in wear rate. This work provides a new idea for the development of higher performance electrical contact materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation can cause the differential expression of biological miRNA molecules. This research was based on the development of the laboratory red crucian carp (LRCC) to explore the feasibility of its application in the detection of low-dose ionizing radiation-induced biological damage in aquatic environments and the development of related molecular markers. Adult LRCC were irradiated with caesium-137 at 0.3 Gy, while RNA-seq and bioinformatics techniques were used to identify miRNAs that were differentially expressed relative to their levels in the nonirradiation group. Analysis of liver sections showed that liver cells in the radiation group showed nuclear pyknosis. In this study, 34 miRNAs differentially expressed in the liver of LRCC after irradiation were identified, among which seven were new crucian carp miRNAs; a total of 632 target genes were predicted in the prediction analysis. The results of comprehensive GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analyses showed that these target genes were mainly involved in energy transfer and material catabolism, especially malonyl-CoA biosynthesis, acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity, fatty acid biosynthesis and metabolism, and pyruvate metabolism; in addition, the AMPK signalling pathway was the most active pathway. This study shows that the LRCC is sensitive to radiation, or can be used as a candidate experimental animal to study the biological effects of radiation, and the screened miRNA can be used as a pre-selected biomarker for radiation damage detection and radiation biological environmental monitoring. Clinical Trials Registration: None. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]