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Abstract Contemporary China is increasingly open in its interaction with the global cultural community, generating one of the most prestigious projects—the Royal Shakespeare Company’s “Chinese Classics Translation Projects” (2015–2023). This article examines this project’s first production Snow in Midsummer, a performance based on a new translation of the Chinese classic Dou E Yuan (窦娥冤, The Injustice to Dou E That Moved Heaven and Earth). Through exploring the multiple agents involved in the RSC’s re-staging of the play, this article traces the processes of translation and performance characterised by an oft-hidden collaborative agency. It uncovers the collaborative agency at work and argues that the agency in this theatre production aims to set the conditions to make the original Chinese classic new, so as to enable its rejuvenation and transformation. Key finding of this article is that the collaborative agency of the translator, playwright, director, stage designer, and actors/actresses in re-staging has enlivened the 13th-century Chinese classic with enriched narratives and produced a performance that is nuanced and relevant to the contemporary world. This article makes a case for the paradigmatic shift from a product-based approach to theatre translation to a process-based one. It opens new avenues to future research into the question of complexity of collaborative agency in restaging the foreign classic to the contemporary English-speaking audiences for both areas of theatre translation for performance and transnational theatre production.

Abstract The tolerance of pedestrians to red light signals is a crucial factor in urban residents’ travel experiences and road traffic safety. To address the current lack of research on methods for measuring pedestrian red light tolerance time at crossings, this paper proposes a stacking model for predicting the red light tolerance time of individual pedestrians. The model employs the XGBoost (XGB), random forest (RF), support vector machine regression (SVR), and multilayer perceptron (MLP) models as primary models, with a multiple linear regression model as the secondary-layer meta-model, as well as Bayesian hyperparameter tuning. Using random survival forest (RSF) and K-means clustering methods, the dataset was divided into three categories: the low, medium, and high tolerance groups. The feature variables influencing the red light tolerance time were grouped accordingly. Stacking models were established for each tolerance and feature group. The experimental results demonstrated that the feature group voted on by multiple machine learning models performed the best in all three tolerance groups. In the low tolerance group, the mean squared error (MSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) were 6.58, 1.91, and 19.78%, respectively. For the medium tolerant group, the MSE, MAE, and MAPE were 4.82, 1.53, and 7.63%, respectively. For the high tolerance group, the MSE, MAE, and MAPE were 33.32, 3.89, and 10.14%, respectively. Individual XGB, RF, SVR, MLP, and ungrouped stacking models were established for comparative analysis of the test set. The results indicated that the proposed grouped stacking model outperformed the other models overall. The method provides a means of obtaining the probability distribution function of the length of the waiting crowd’s tolerance time for each red light range and thus determining the duration of the red light at the crossing signal for different personnel compositions.

Abstract In cross-regional cultural interactions, the frequent and controversial practice of cultural borrowing has attracted attention. According to the different relative statuses and comparative directions of the cultural subjects, cultural borrowing can be divided into strong-to-weak (weak-to-strong) cultural borrowing between subjects with strong (weak) status and subjects with weak (strong) status in cultural interactions, as well as equal cultural borrowing between subjects with equal status in cultural interactions. After the concept and types of cultural borrowing are defined, a multisituation experimental method is used to confirm the internal mechanisms and effect boundaries of consumers’ cultural borrowing acceptance. The results of five experiments based on over a thousand subjects indicate that different types of cultural borrowing (strong-to-weak, equal, weak-to-strong) arouse consumers’ perceived cultural threat, thereby reducing their acceptance of cultural borrowing to varying degrees. The influence of different types of cultural borrowing on perceived cultural threat is moderated by the degree of incongruent use and reality of the presentation of the borrowed culture; the influence of perceived cultural threat on cultural borrowing acceptance is moderated by the positioning of the borrowing subjects and the degree of identity in the relationship. By exploring cultural borrowing and consumer acceptance issues in the field of consumption through a series of experiments, this study effectively reveals the differentiated impacts and underlying mechanisms of different types of cultural borrowing on consumers’ acceptance responses.

Abstract This study explores the factors influencing university students’ social entrepreneurial intentions based on the values-beliefs-norms theory. Data were collected from 769 Chinese university students through online surveys. The hypotheses were tested using partial least squares-structural equation modeling. The results confirmed the positive influence of altruistic and traditional values on normative beliefs. Awareness of the consequences and attribution of responsibility had no significant effect on personal norms among university students, which have been discussed in-depth in relation to the phenomenon of inadequate student socialization due to closed-loop management policies at Chinese universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the findings verified the positive and significant effects of personal, injunctive, and descriptive social norms on social entrepreneurship intentions. With the aim of promoting social entrepreneurship among university students and broadening the understanding of the phenomenon of social entrepreneurs, this study provides a favorable direction and expands the discussion on the topic. The results will help the government and universities foster more effective prosocial behaviors among university students.

Abstract Friction is not an inherent attribute in natural science. Indeed, there are various friction phenomena present in social systems. In this study, the researchers developed the general concept of social friction and distinguished the two-dimensional structure of explicit-implicit social friction phenomena. Specifically, explicit friction includes institutional friction, economic friction, behavioral friction, and migration friction. Implicit friction includes cultural friction, cognitive friction, interpersonal friction, technological friction, and information friction. Physical theories such as friction force, classical mechanics, and functional principles have been introduced to construct a social friction force model. This paper describes the emergence and evolution of social friction phenomena from the mechanics perspective and clarifies the various characteristics of social friction force in different areas. This study also provides a new theoretical perspective for examining social friction phenomena and adds innovative content to intersection studies in physics and the social sciences.

Abstract Carbon emission reduction is an important means of achieving climate policy goals. However, the literature has neglected consideration of the carbon emission reduction mechanism from the perspective of technology risk spillovers in international trade. To explore this mechanism, this paper expands the classical linear model of foreign trade technology risk spillovers into a nonlinear spatial Durbin model. We construct a novel technology risk spillover index to forecast the magnitude of carbon emissions in agricultural trade across different regions. To validate our model, we consider the dual connotation of the spatial diffusion of disembodied technology communication (DTC) to map the relationships between different geographic and economic regions that are adjacent. The results suggest that disembodied technology risk spillover could promote carbon emission reductions. Specifically, technology risk spillovers from agricultural trade reduce agricultural carbon emissions by 0.79–1.16% in the local region. Disembodied technology risk spillovers also reduce agricultural carbon emissions by 2.85–11.57% in geographically adjacent regions and 4.9% in economically adjacent regions. Based on these conclusions, this paper proposes improving the closed and backward situation of rural areas in China’s central and western regions, promoting the transition toward the high end of the global agricultural industry chain and developing productive agricultural services and the rural cultural tourism industry to expand rural employment channels and stabilize farmers’ income.

Abstract Revealing spatio-temporal evolution regularity in the spatial diffusion of epidemics is helpful for preventing and controlling the spread of epidemics. Based on the real-time COVID-19 datasets by prefecture-level cities, this paper is devoted to exploring the multifractal scaling in spatial diffusion pattern of COVID-19 pandemic and its evolution characteristics in Chinese mainland. The ArcGIS technology and box-counting method are employed to extract spatial data and the least square regression based on rescaling probability (μ-weight method) is used to calculate fractal parameters. The results show multifractal distribution of COVID-19 pandemic in China. The generalized correlation dimension spectrums are inverse S-shaped curves, but the fractal dimension values significantly exceed the Euclidean dimension of embedding space when moment order q«0. The local singularity spectrums are asymmetric unimodal curves, which slant to right. The fractal dimension growth curves are shown as quasi S-shaped curves. From these spectrums and growth curves, the main conclusions can be drawn as follows: First, self-similar patterns developed in the process of COVID-19 pandemic, which seems to be dominated by multifractal scaling law. Second, the spatial pattern of COVID-19 across China can be characterized by global clustering with local disordered diffusion. Third, the spatial diffusion process of COVID-19 in China experienced four stages, i.e., initial stage, the rapid diffusion stage, the hierarchical diffusion stage, and finally the contraction stage. This study suggests that multifractal theory can be utilized to characterize spatio-temporal diffusion of COVID-19 pandemic, and the case analyses may be instructive for further exploring natural laws of spatial diffusion.

Abstract There is often a vicious cycle that occurs in China encompassing ecological vulnerability, low productivity, and poverty. Existing research has not applied multiagent modelling and simulation (MAMS), which is a method suitable for analysing such complex systems. Therefore, the MAMS is here used to explore potential strategies for breaking this cycle. The MAMS method is based on complex adaptive systems and computer programs, and it includes both theoretical and simulation models, which can be used to simulate different scenarios and obtain visualized results. To sample representative poverty-stricken areas in China, the authors designed five breakthrough policy scenarios. The simulation results of these scenarios indicate that increasing the amount of arable land decreases the number of poor people. However, increasing the direct interventions of government does not reduce the number of the poor, nor does it change the Gini coefficient. On the other hand, increasing the number and variety of poverty alleviation opportunities available to the poor leads to a decrease in both the number of poor people and the Gini coefficient. These results of our five scenarios indicate that the optimal policy portfolio could be obtained by increasing the amount of arable land and providing more varied opportunities to help the poor participate in market activities while reducing direct government intervention. The combined design of these policies is conducive to breaking the vicious cycle of poverty.

Abstract As individuals are involved in self-quantification, increasing fields are applying self-quantification with technical support, and a clear understanding of the influencing mechanism and effect boundary of self-quantification is indispensable. Focusing on the field of physical fitness, under different goal settings, the influencing mechanisms of self-quantification on an individual’s participation performance (outcome, experience, persistence intention) and behavioral decision-making (category selection, novelty-seeking) are analyzed and confirmed. The results show that when there is no goal, self-quantification will enhance outcome salience, thus enhancing the individual’s participation outcome and selection for highly healthy categories; self-quantification will reduce perceived enjoyment, thus damaging participation experience and novelty-seeking, but does not affect the persistence intention. When there is a goal, self-quantification will enhance perceived certainty, thus reducing the individual’s participation outcome and selection for highly healthy categories; self-quantification will enhance perceived enjoyment, thus improving the participation experience, persistence intention, and novelty-seeking. Compared to descriptive analysis of phenomena, through laboratory and field experiments, this research confirms the influencing mechanism and effect boundary of self-quantification on an individual’s activity participation performance in real situations. This provides a theoretical basis for understanding the targeted behavioral decision-making patterns of individuals in different types of self-quantification activities.

Abstract The emergence of mega-journals (MJs) has influenced scholarly communication. One concrete manifestation of this impact is that more citations have been generated. Citations are the foundation of many evaluation metrics to assess the scientific impact of journals, disciplines, and regions. We focused on searching for citation beneficiaries and quantifying the relative benefit at the journal, discipline and region levels. More specifically, we examined the distribution and contribution to citation-based metrics of citations generated by the five discipline-specific mega-journals (DSMJs) categorized as Environmental Sciences (ES) on Web of Science (WoS) from Clarivate Analytics in 2021: Sustainability, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Journal of Cleaner Production and Science of the Total Environment. Analysis of the distribution of citing data of the five DSMJs shows a pattern with wide coverage but skewness by region and the WoS category; that is, papers in the five DSMJs contributed 26.66% of their citations in 2021 to Mainland China and 22.48% to the ES. Moreover, 15 journals within the ES had their JIFs boosted by more than 20%, benefitting from the high citing rates of the five DSMJs. More importantly, the analysis provides clear evidence that DSMJs can contribute to JIF scores throughout a discipline through their volume of references. Overall, DSMJs can widely impact scholarly evaluation because they contribute citation benefits and improve the evaluation index performance of different scientific entities at different levels. Considering the important application of citation indicators in the academic evaluation system and the increase in citations, it is important to reconsider the real research impact that citations can reflect.

Carrollian amplitude is the natural object that defines the correlator of the boundary Carrollian field theory. In this work, we will elaborate on its proper definition in general dimensions. We use the vielbein field on the unit sphere to define the fundamental field with non-vanishing helicity in the local Cartesian frame which is the building block of the Carrollian amplitude. In general dimensions, the Carrollian amplitude is related to the momentum space scattering matrix by a modified Fourier transform. The Poincaré transformation law of the Carrollian amplitude in this definition has been discussed. We also find an isomorphism between the local rotation of the vielbein field and the superduality transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emission of CO in sintering flue gas contributes to environmental pollution and energy wastage. Achieving full oxidation of CO presents a viable strategy for elevating the sintering flue gas temperature by over 50°C, thereby significantly reducing energy consumption during the heating of flue gas in NH3-SCR denitrification systems. In this work, MnCeOx catalysts were synthesized under various conditions, including different calcination temperatures, durations, and molar ratios. Their catalytic activity and resistance to H2O were evaluated under simulated sintering flue gas conditions at different temperatures. Our findings indicated that the M8C1 catalyst exhibited exceptional activity, achieving CO conversion rates exceeding 95% within 125–250°C. However, the catalytic activity experienced a notable decline during the H2O resistance test at 150°C, while remaining unaffected at 250°C. Investigating the inhibition mechanism of H2O on CO oxidation at varying temperatures through H2-TPR, O2-TPD, and in situ DRIFTS. At lower temperatures (150°C), CO and O2 adsorption on the catalyst surface led to the formation of CO2, with O2 adsorption exerting a more significant influence on activity, consistent with the Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism. Introduction of H2O into the flue gas resulted in the formation of OH−, which competed with CO and O2 for adsorption on the catalyst surface, thereby diminishing catalyst oxidation activity due to competitive adsorption hindering CO and O2 adsorption. Conversely, at higher temperatures (250°C), the reaction process between CO and lattice oxygen to produce CO2 followed the Mars-van Krevelen mechanism. Notably, at these temperatures, no adsorbed OH− were detected on the catalyst surface, leaving the activity unaffected. Based on our research, employing the MnCeOx catalyst during the high-temperature stage in conjunction with the NH3-SCR catalyst is recommended for enhanced CO oxidation efficiency in sintering flue gas treatment processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The separation of radionuclides is critical for the sustainable development of nuclear energy. It is urgent to design and prepare functionalized materials for efficient radionuclides separation. Porous materials are considered excellent candidates for the separation of radionuclides under complex conditions due to their high specific surface areas, tunable pore structures and controllable functionalities. In this review, we summarized the design, preparation and functionalization of porous materials and their application for separation of radionuclides in the past five years, discussed the separation performance and analyzed the structure-activity relationship between various radionuclides and porous materials, and systematically clarified their characterization and mechanism of different type porous materials. We also introduced the detection, irradiation and chemical toxicity of different reflective radionuclides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translation elongation factor P, expressed by the efp gene, is a conserved protein closely related to bacterial virulence and environmental stress regulation responses, however, little is known about the efp gene expression regulations. Here, the strain of Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus NCTC 8325 was taken as the research object and cultured under different conditions, including different culture temperatures, pH, and antibiotics, to study the expression of the efp gene in S. aureus by qRT-PCR, the results showed that the expression of the efp gene is upregulated under high temperature (40 °C), acidic (pH 5.4) or alkaline (pH 9.4) culture conditions, but upregulated early and downregulated later under the conditions of 0.5 MIC antibiotics (chloramphenicol at the final concentration of 2 μg/mL and vancomycin at the final concentration of 0.25 μg/mL), indicating that the efp promoter in S. aureus is inducible. The efp promoter sequence and structure in S. aureus were predicted by bioinformatics methods, and the predicted promoter was validated by constructing a promoter-probe vector and a series of promoter mutants, the results showed that the efp promoter sequence in S. aureus, named Pro, located in 1,548,179–1,548,250 of the S. aureus genome (NC_007795.1), and the sequence of − 10 element is CCTTATAGT, − 35 element is TTTACT. The results above could lay a foundation for screening transcription factors involved in the expression of the efp gene and then exploring the transcriptional regulation mechanism of EF-P in S. aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, and various molecules associated with PANoptosis are involved in neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. This work aims to identify key genes, and characterize PANoptosis-related molecular subtypes in AD. Moreover, we establish a scoring system for distinguishing PANoptosis molecular subtypes and constructing diagnostic models for AD differentiation. A total of 5 hippocampal datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. In total, 1324 protein-encoding genes associated with PANoptosis (1313 apoptosis genes, 11 necroptosis genes, and 31 pyroptosis genes) were extracted from the GeneCards database. The Limma package was used to identify differentially expressed genes. Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) was conducted to identify gene modules significantly associated with AD. The ConsensusClusterPlus algorithm was used to identify AD subtypes. Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) was used to assess functional and pathway differences among the subtypes. The Boruta, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine Recursive Feature Elimination (SVM-RFE) algorithms were used to select the three PANoptosis-related Key AD genes (PKADg). A scoring model was constructed based on the Boruta algorithm. PANoptosis diagnostic models were developed using the RF, SVM-RFE, and Logistic Regression (LR) algorithms. The ROC curves were used to assess the model performance. A total of 48 important genes were identified by intersecting 725 differentially expressed genes and 2127 highly correlated module genes from WGCNA with 1324 protein-encoding genes related to PANoptosis. Machine learning algorithms identified 3 key AD genes related to PANoptosis, including ANGPT1, STEAP3, and TNFRSF11B. These genes had strong discriminatory capacities among samples, with Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROC) analysis indicating Area Under the Curve (AUC) values of 0.839, 0.8, and 0.868, respectively. Using the 48 important genes, the ConsensusClusterPlus algorithm identified 2 PANoptosis subtypes among AD patients, i.e., apoptosis subtype and mild subtype. Apoptosis subtype patients displayed evident cellular apoptosis and severe functionality damage in the hippocampal tissue. Meanwhile, mild subtype patients showed milder functionality damage. These two subtypes had significant differences in apoptosis and necroptosis; however, there was no apparent variation in pyroptosis functionality. The scoring model achieved an AUC of 100% for sample differentiation. The RF PANoptosis diagnostic model demonstrated an AUC of 100% in the training set and 85.85% in the validation set for distinguishing AD. This study identified two PANoptosis-related hippocampal molecular subtypes of AD, identified key genes, and established machine learning models for subtype differentiation and discrimination of AD. We found that in the context of AD, PANoptosis may influence disease progression through the modulation of apoptosis and necrotic apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrons and holes, fundamental charge carriers in semiconductors, dominate optical transitions and detection processes. Twisted van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures offer an effective approach to manipulate radiation, separation, and collection processes of electron-hole pairs by creating an atomically sharp interface. Here, we demonstrate that twisted interfaces in vdW layered black phosphorus (BP), an infrared semiconductor with highly anisotropic crystalline structure and properties, can significantly alter both recombination and separation processes of electron-hole pairs. On the one hand, the twisted interface breaks the symmetry of optical transition states resulting in infrared light emission of originally symmetry-forbidden optical states along the zigzag direction. On the other hand, spontaneous electronic polarization/bulk photovoltaic effect is generated at the twisted interface enabling effective separation of electron-hole pairs without external voltage bias. This is supported by first-principles calculations and repeated experiments at various twisted angles from 0 to 90°. Importantly, these phenomena can be observed in twisted heterostructures with thickness beyond two-dimensional. Our results suggest that the engineering of vdW twisted interfaces is an effective strategy for manipulating the optoelectronic properties of materials and constructing functional devices. Here, the authors report a study of the infrared optoelectronic properties of twisted 2D black phosphorus (BP), showing photoluminescence emission from optical transitions that are symmetry-forbidden in BP and spontaneous electronic polarization generating interfacial bulk photovoltaic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rupture mechanism of a seismic source governs the spatiotemporal distribution and intensity characteristics of the radiated stress-wave field and significantly affects the dynamic disasters of roadways triggered by seismic disturbances. In this study, we propose a method to simulate seismic sources with arbitrary rupture mechanisms based on moment-tensor theory. Subsequently, using the dynamic instability of tailentry at the 63upper06 working face Dongtan Coal Mine induced by an "8.30" strong mining-induced tremor as the engineering context, we calibrate the characteristics of the seismic source via moment-tensor inversion. The entire process from the excitation of the strong seismic source, the propagation of stress waves, and the eventual triggering of roadway failure and instability is simulated. Concurrently, variables representing P- and S-waves are formulated based on the relationship between the vibration and propagation directions, and the roles of both waves in the dynamic instability of the tailentry are investigated. The results indicate that (1) during the mining at the 63upper06 working face, concentrated stress is transferred to the strong seismic-source area and the advanced area of the coal wall at the tailentry, thus providing static load conditions for the occurrence of strong seismic events and the dynamic instability of the tailentry. (2) P-waves primarily exert tensile and compressive stresses along the propagation direction in the medium, thereby resulting in localized stress variations, whereas S-waves induce shear effects between adjacent wave paths because of their opposing velocity directions. (3) The "8.30" strong mining-induced tremor is characterized by tensile failure, with P-waves exhibiting the greatest intensity in the horizontal and vertical directions, and S-waves exhibiting the highest intensity at an angle of 45 ° from the seismic source, thus contributing significantly to the damage and instability of the roadway owing to the relative spatial position between the roadway and seismic source. (4) The 100 m range ahead of the coal wall at the tailentry experiences significantly greater static and dynamic disturbances compared with other areas, thus resulting in the most severe damage. Highlights: A method that can simulate seismic sources with any rupture mechanism is proposed based on moment-tensor theory. Variables representing P- and S-waves are formulated based on the relationship between the vibration and propagation directions. The effect of seismic-source rupture characteristics on the stability of a disturbed roadway is elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Current research suggests that oxidative stress may decrease bone mineral density (BMD) by disrupting bone metabolism balance. However, no study investigated the relationship between systemic oxidative stress status and adult BMD. This study aims to investigate whether oxidative balance score (OBS) is associated with BMD in adults under 40. Methods: 3963 participants were selected from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) from 2011 to 2018. OBS is scored based on 20 dietary and lifestyle factors. Weighted multiple logistic regression and restricted cubic splines were used to assess the correlation between OBS and osteopenia. Results: After adjusting for confounding factors, the weighted logistic regression results showed that compared with the first tertile of OBS, the highest tertile had a 38% (OR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.47–0.82) lower risk of osteopenia. The restrictive cubic spline curve indicates a significant nonlinear correlation between OBS and the risk of osteopenia. Conclusion: The research findings emphasize the relationship between OBS and the risk of osteopenia in young adults. Adopting an antioxidant diet and lifestyle may help young adults to maintain bone mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To transmit high power very-low-frequency signals with low harmonic content, the high-frequency cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter (HF-MLI) usually has large number of levels and uses the selective harmonic elimination (SHE) technique for modulation. However, when the number of levels exceeds 25, the conventional SHE switching angle computation methods have a problem since the computed switching angles tend to be located at 0 and π/2, which makes the harmonic suppression effect worse. To realize a good harmonic suppression effect for HF-MLIs with a large number of levels, an interior-point-method-based switching angle computation method is proposed in this paper. With the aid of the interior point method (IPM), the constraints of switching angles are combined with the harmonic function in the objective function through a penalty function. The iteration is divided into the inner loop and the outer loop. The switching angles are computed in the inner loop and the weight of the penalty function is updated in the outer loop. The penalty function can keep the switching angles away from constraints. When compared with conventional methods, the proposed method has a higher accuracy, a shorter execution time and better harmonic suppression effect when computing the switching angles of MLIs with more than 25 levels. The harmonics from 9 to 19th-order of the proposed method are suppressed to less than 0.1%, which is experimentally verified on a single-phase 49-level HF-MLI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates challenging fully unsupervised defogging problems, i.e., how to remove fog by feeding only foggy images in deep neural networks rather than using paired or unpaired synthetic images, and how to overcome the problems of insufficient structure and detail recovery in existing unsupervised defogging methods. For this purpose, a zero-reference image defogging method (ZRDNet) is proposed to solve these two problems. Specifically, we develop an unsupervised defogging network consisting of a layer decomposition network and a perceptual fusion network, which are separately optimized by joint multiple-loss based on the stage-wise learning. The decomposition network guides the image decomposition–reconstruction process by rationally constructing loss functions. The fusion network further enhances the details and contrast of the defogged images by fusing the decomposition–reconstruction results. The joint multiple-loss optimization strategy based on the stage-wise learning guides decomposition and fusion tasks, which are completed stage-by-stage. Additionally, a non-reference loss is constructed to prevent artifacts and distortion induced by transmission value deviation. Our method is completely unsupervised, and training only relies on fog images and information derived from the fog images themselves. Experiments are conducted to demonstrate that our ZRDNet, which overcomes the problems of insufficient structure and detail recovery, and domain shift induced by using synthetic image, achieves favorable performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Re3+ ions (Re = Y, La, Gd)-doped MSi2O2N2:Eu2+ (M = Ca, Sr) phosphors were prepared by the solid-state reaction method. The effects of co-dopants (Y3+, La3+, Gd3+) and Eu2+ doping concentration on the luminescent performance of MSi2O2N2:Eu2+ have been investigated. The co-doping with Re3+ (Re = Y, La, Gd) significantly improved the luminescent performance of MSi2O2N2:Eu2+ (M = Ca, Sr) overall. Re3+ co-doping had a greater enhancing effect on higher Eu2+ concentration samples and the Re3+-doped CaSi2O2N2:Eu2+ phosphors exhibited better luminescence properties than Re3+-doped SrSi2O2N2:Eu2+ ones. In addition, incorporation of Y3+ ions to SrSi2O2N2:Eu2+ showed the strongest emission among the three dopants (Y3+, La3+, and Gd3+), while the Gd3+ doping ions in CaSi2O2N2:Eu2+ exhibited superior luminescence properties compared to Y3+ and La3+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adipose tissue plays critical roles in an individual's aging process. In this research, we use single-nucleus RNA sequencing to create highly detailed transcriptional maps of subcutaneous adipose tissue and visceral adipose tissue in young and aged mice. We comprehensively identify the various cell types within the white adipose tissue of mice, our study has elucidated seven distinct cell types within this tissue. Further analyses focus on adipocytes, fibro-adipogenic progenitors, and immune cells, revealing age-related declines in the synthetic metabolic activity of adipocytes, diminished immune regulation, and reduced maturation or proliferation of fibroblasts in undifferentiated adipocytes. We confirm the presence of distinct subpopulations of adipocytes, highlighting decreases in adipogenesis subgroups due to aging. Additionally, we uncover a reduction in immune cell subpopulations, driven by age-associated immune system dysregulation. Furthermore, pseudo-time analyses indicate that Adipocyte1 represents the 'nascent' phase of adipocyte development, while Adipocyte2 represents the 'mature' phase. We use cell–cell interaction to explore the age-dependent complexities of the interactions between FAPs and adipocytes, and observed increased expression of the inflammation-related Retn-Tlr4 interaction in older mice, while the anti-inflammatory Angpt1-Tek interaction was only detected in young mice. These transcriptional profiles serve as a valuable resource for understanding the functional genomics underlying metabolic disorders associated with aging in human adipose tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the effects of the variations in biodegradable and nonbiodegradable microplastic particles (MPs) on the absorption of lead (Pb) in maize. Materials and methods: Pot experiments were conducted using maize and two types of MPs, nonbiodegradable polyethylene (PE) and biodegradable polybutylene adipate/terephthalate (PBAT), at four different MP concentrations (0, 0.1, 1, and 10%). After one month of growth, the Pb content in aboveground and belowground parts of the maize seedlings, CaCl2-extracted Pb content, the proportion of different speciation of Pb within the soil, and soil properties were determined. We determined Pb uptake by maize seedlings, soil physicochemical properties, and Pb speciation in soil. Results: The addition of PE and PBAT particles led to the decrease in Pb content in maize root with the increase in concentration. The addition of 0.1% PBAT particles significantly increased the Pb content in the shoot of maize plants by 37.60% and Pb content in the root by 65.06% compared with 0.1% PE. The addition of PE and PBAT particles increased the proportion of residual Pb to 36.0% and 38.0%, respectively. The correlation analysis showed that the addition of MPs mainly affected the absorption of Pb by maize plants by affecting soil pH, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), free crystalline Mn (MnDCB), and amorphous Fe (FeTamm). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that biodegradable and nonbiodegradable MPs in soil inhibited Pb accumulation in maize seedling roots. FeDCB, MnDCB, and FeTamm may be the main control factors affecting the inhibition of lead uptake by PE in maize seedling roots. Additionally, FeTamm may be the main controlling factor influencing PBAT to reduce lead accumulation in maize seedling roots. The results of the present study could provide novel insights into the toxicity and bioavailability effects of MPs and Pb on maize, as well as a valuable reference for ongoing research on the ecological risk assessment of MPs and other pollutants in the soil environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmentally persistent free radicals are long-lived pollutants that maintain stability in air, soil, and water. They contribute to the production of reactive oxygen species in environmental media, leading to oxidative stress in biological organisms. This stress can provoke inflammation and damage to biological macromolecules, potentially resulting in cardiopulmonary dysfunction. In this review, we discuss the formation and classification of EPFRs. Typically, EPFRs form through electron transfer from organic compounds to transition metals during thermal processes. In metal-free environments, however, organic compounds can undergo bond cleavage, generating EPFRs under thermal conditions and light exposure. EPFRs are generally categorized into three types: oxygen-centered, carbon-centered, and those containing heteroatoms centered on either oxygen or carbon. We also provide a detailed summary of the fundamental characteristics of EPFRs in different environments such as air, soil, and water. Given their role as electron donors, EPFRs have potential applications in degrading organic pollutants in the environment. The review comprehensively addresses the deleterious impacts of EPFRs on organism health, highlighting risks to metabolic functions and cardiopulmonary health. Furthermore, it underscores the potential involvement of EPFRs as electron donors in atmospheric chemical reactions. The pivotal role of EPFRs in environmental pollutant transformation warrants more studies in future research endeavors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the coordination and analysis of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and tourism development is a key issue in advancing cultural heritage and conservation in Chinese society. This paper employs panel data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2013 to 2022, utilizing the coupled coordination degree model and the panel vector autoregression (PVAR) model. In terms of provinces and regions, the data investigates the development relationship between intangible cultural heritage and tourism. The results of the study are: 1. The degree of coupling coordination between the two has shown an increasing trend over the ten-year sample data period. In 2021 and 2022, COVID-19 will have a stronger negative impact on the coupling degree. 2. The eastern coastal provinces of China, as well as the municipal areas, have a higher level of coupling coordination. Inland provinces, such as those in central and western China, exhibit relatively lower levels of coordination. The PVAR model data reveals a positive correlation between the interactions generated by intangible cultural heritage. The development of intangible cultural heritage has a particular impact on tourism. Intangible cultural heritage, in turn, depends on its own development. We should strengthen the development of intangible cultural heritage in the future. The study's findings provide theoretical references for the coordinated development of intangible cultural heritage and tourism in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a generalized approach for rapid prediction of scallop height distributions. This methodology introduces the theory of mesh surface conformal mapping, effectively reducing the complexity of scallop height distributions prediction through dimension reduction from 3D space to a 2D parameter domain. It can predict scallop height distributions consistent with the order of cutter contact (CC) points, making it suitable for any type of toolpaths. Building upon this foundation, a novel method for generating supplemental machining toolpaths on intricate surfaces is further elaborated. This innovative method proficiently eliminates uncut regions that are often overlooked during toolpath generation, enhancing machining accuracy and efficiency without compromising on toolpath intervals. Finally, the validity and practicality of the proposed methods are rigorously verified through a combination of simulation and actual machining experiments. The experimental outcomes reveal that, when compared to prevalent commercial machining simulation software, the rapid prediction method introduced in this paper achieves a noteworthy improvement in calculation efficiency by approximately 50%. Furthermore, in contrast to the conventional strategy of enhancing toolpath accuracy by narrowing intervals, the supplementary toolpath generation method presented herein achieves a significant reduction in toolpath length by over 25%. This approach significantly augments the applicability and flexibility of toolpath optimization; it has important potential and value for improving the efficiency and accuracy of milling intricate surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food is Medicine (FIM) programs to improve the accessibility of fruits and vegetables (FVs) or other healthy foods among patients with low income and diet-related chronic diseases are promising to improve food and nutrition security in the United States (US). However, FIM programs are relatively new and implementation guidance for healthcare settings using an implementation science lens is lacking. We used a narrative review to describe the evidence base on barriers and facilitators to FIM program integration in US healthcare settings following the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) Framework. Evidence surrounding the EPIS Inner Context was a focus, including constructs Leadership, Organizational Characteristics, Quality and Fidelity Monitoring and Support, Organizational Staffing Processes, and Individual Characteristics. Peer-reviewed and grey literature about barriers and facilitators to FIM programs were of interest, defined as programs that screen and refer eligible patients with diet-related chronic disease experiencing food insecurity to healthy, unprepared foods. Thirty-one sources were included in the narrative review, including 22 peer-reviewed articles, four reports, four toolkits, and one thesis. Twenty-eight sources (90%) described EPIS Inner Context facilitators and 26 sources (84%) described FIM program barriers. The most common barriers and facilitators to FIM programs were regarding Quality and Fidelity Monitoring and Support (e.g., use of electronic medical records for tracking and evaluation, strategies to support implementation) and Organizational Staffing Processes (e.g., clear delineation of staff roles and capacity); although, barriers and facilitators to FIM programs were identified among all EPIS Inner Context constructs. We synthesized barriers and facilitators to create an EPIS-informed implementation checklist for healthcare settings for use among healthcare organizations/providers, partner organizations, and technical assistance personnel. We discuss future directions to align FIM efforts with implementation science terminology and theories, models, and frameworks to improve the implementation evidence base and support FIM researchers and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid stress, originating from rigid and elastic components of extracellular matrix and cells, is a typical physical hallmark of tumors. Mounting evidence indicates that elevated solid stress drives metastasis and affects prognosis. However, the molecular mechanism of how cancer cells sense solid stress, thereby exacerbating malignancy, remains elusive. In this study, our clinical data suggest that elevated stress in metastatic solid tumors is highly associated with the expression of cytoskeleton-associated protein 4 (CKAP4). Intriguingly, CKAP4, as a sensitive intracellular mechanosensor, responds specifically to solid stress in a subset of studied tumor micro-environmental elements through liquid–liquid phase separation. These micron-scaled CKAP4 puncta adhere tightly onto microtubules and dramatically reorchestrate their curvature and branching to enhance cell spreading, which, as a result, boosts cancer cell motility and facilitates distant metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, the intrinsically disordered region 1 (IDR1) of CKAP4 binds to microtubules, while IDR2 governs phase separation due to the Cav1.2-dependent calcium influx, which collectively remodels microtubules. These findings reveal an unprecedented mechanism of how cancer cells sense solid stress for cancer malignancy and bridge the gap between cancer physics and cancer cell biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PIK3CA gene encoding PI3K p110α is one of the most frequently mutated and overexpressed in majority of human cancers. Development of potent and selective novel inhibitors targeting PI3Kα was considered as the most promising approaches for cancer treatment. In this investigation, a virtual screening platform for PI3Kα inhibitors was established by employing machine learning methods, pharmacophore modeling, and molecular docking approaches. 28 potential PI3Kα inhibitors with different scaffolds were selected from the databases with 295,024 compounds. Among the 28 hits, hit15 exhibited the best inhibitory effect against PI3Kα with IC50 value less than 1.0 µM. The molecular dynamics simulation indicated that hit15 could stably bind to the active site of PI3Kα, interact with some residues by hydrophobic, electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions, and finally induced PI3Kα active pocket substantial conformation changes. Stable H-bond interactions were formed between hit15 and residues of Lys776, Asp810 and Asp933. The binding free energy of PI3Kα-hit15 was − 65.3 kJ/mol. The free energy decomposition indicated that key residues of Asp805, Ile848 and Ile932 contributed stronger energies to the binding free energy. The above results indicated that hit15 with novel scaffold was a potent PI3Kα inhibitor and considered as a promising candidate for further drug development to treat various cancers with PI3Kα over activated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For its outstanding aerodynamic capabilities, the integrated design of the waverider and inlet is widely accepted in hypersonic aircraft. Three aspects of the integrated design of the waverider and inlet since 2020 are mainly described in this paper. Firstly, the advantages and shortcomings of the conventional integrated design are examined. Then, different layouts of integrated design are proposed, and the aerodynamic performance optimization methods of the waverider, inlet, and their coupling are introduced. Besides, a series of methods for increasing the calculating accuracy of the waverider and inlet are presented, and the focus of attention is to consider the lateral flow problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly porous metal-organic framework (MOF) nanosheets have shown promising potential for efficient water sorption kinetics in atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) systems. However, the water uptake of single-component MOF absorbents remains limited due to their low water retention. To overcome this limitation, we present a strategy for fabricating vertically aligned MOF nanosheets on hydrogel membrane substrates (MOF-CT/PVA) to achieve ultrafast AWH with high water uptake. By employing directional growth of MOF nanosheets, we successfully create superhydrophilic MOF coating layer and pore channels for efficient water transportation to the crosslinked flexible hydrogel membrane. The designed composite water harvester exhibits ultrafast sorption kinetics, achieving 91.4% saturation within 15 min. Moreover, MOF-CT/PVA exhibits superior solar-driven water capture-release capacity even after 10 cycles of reuse. This construction approach significantly enhances the water vapor adsorption, offering a potential solution for the design of composite MOF-membrane harvesters to mitigate the freshwater crisis. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown promising potential in water harvesting, but the water uptake of single-component MOFs remains limited. Here, authors fabricate vertically aligned MOF nanosheets on hydrogel membranes to achieve ultrafast water harvesting with high water uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decade, display technology has been reimagined to meet the needs of the virtual world. By mapping information onto a scene through a transparent display, users can simultaneously visualize both the real world and layers of virtual elements. However, advances in augmented reality technology have primarily focused on wearable gear or personal devices. Here we present a single display capable of delivering visual information to observers positioned on either side of the transparent device. This dual-sided display system employs a polymer stabilized liquid crystal waveguide technology to achieve a transparency window of 65% while offering active-matrix control. An early-stage prototype exhibits full-color information via time-sequential processing of a red-green-blue light-emitting diode strip. The dual-sided display provides a perspective on transparent mediums as display devices for human-centric and service-related experiences that can support both enhanced bi-directional user interactions and new media platforms. The use of augmented reality as an in-person collaborative platform could unlock human-centric and service-related experiences. Here a dual-sided transparent display is prototyped, with a transparency of 65%, to display unique images on either side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerogels attract a lot of attention due to their high porosity, high specific surface area, low density, and low thermal conductivity. However, high cost, complex manufacturing process, and poor mechanical properties hinder their application in the industrial sector. Herein, we examined the effect of strengthening silica-based aerogels with short jute (Corchorus olitorius) fibers. Gels containing a commercial silica sol, water, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyethylene glycol (PEG) and jute fibers were prepared, then freeze-dried for 36 h to yield SiO2/PVA/PEG-Jute aerogels with different jute fiber contents. The aerogel prepared with a fiber content of 3 wt.% possessed excellent thermal insulation properties (thermal conductivity of 0.05355 W/m K), a linear elongation of 80%, and a compressive strength of 1.1 MPa (8 times higher than the aerogel prepared without jute fibers). The addition of low-cost jute fibers thus maintains the desirable thermal insulation properties of SiO2-based aerogels whilst significantly improving their mechanical properties (aerogel flexibility, compression performance and shrinkage resistance) for different end uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular calcification is a complication that is frequently encountered in patients affected by atherosclerosis, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease (CKD), and that is characterized by the osteogenic transdifferentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). At present, there remains a pressing lack of any effective therapies that can treat this condition. The sodium-glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor dapagliflozin (DAPA) has shown beneficial effects in cardiovascular disease. The role of this inhibitor in the context of vascular calcification, however, remains largely uncharacterized. Our findings revealed that DAPA treatment was sufficient to alleviate in vitro and in vivo osteogenic transdifferentiation and vascular calcification. Interestingly, our study demonstrated that DAPA exerts its anti-calcification effects on VSMCs by directly targeting SGLT2, with the overexpression of SGLT2 being sufficient to attenuate these beneficial effects. DAPA was also able to limit the glucose levels and NAD+/NADH ratio in calcified VSMCs, upregulating sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) in a caloric restriction (CR)-dependent manner. The SIRT1-specific siRNA and the SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 attenuated the anti-calcification effects of DAPA treatment. DAPA was also to drive SIRT1-mediated deacetylation and consequent degradation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). The use of cobalt chloride and proteasome inhibitor MG132 to preserve HIF-1α stability mitigated the anti-calcification activity of DAPA. These analyses revealed that the DAPA/SGLT2/SIRT1 axis may therefore represent a viable novel approach to treating vascular calcification, offering new insights into how SGLT2 inhibitors may help prevent and treat vascular calcification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an excellent solid lubricant in vacuum and inert gas environment, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is easy to be oxidized in high temperature, which leads to serious deterioration or even failure of lubricating performance. The introduction of doped phase or composite can improve the high temperature lubricating performance of MoS2-based lubricating coating to some extent. In this work, the effect of nano-particles zinc oxide (ZnO) and layered graphene oxide (GO) on the high temperature (400, 450 and 500 °C) tribological properties of MoS2-based composite lubricating coatings were studied. It was found that the tribological performance of MoS2-ZnO composite coating were the best for almost all test conditions, and the average friction coefficient and wear rate were about 0.25 ~ 0.27 and 4 ~ 6 × 10−5 mm3/Nm, respectively. The promising tribological performance of MoS2-ZnO composite coating was attributed to the ZnO that mitigated the oxidation of MoS2, and the formation of ZnS. It is the formed ZnS, nano-ZnO and a small amount of MoS2 that provided synergistic lubrication. However, the introduction of layered GO deteriorated the tribological properties of the MoS2-based composite coating, due to the high-temperature decomposition of GO and the formation of hard abrasive particles. The results can provide reference for the design and preparation of MoS2-based composite lubricating coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of a novel clinical tool for distributing rehabilitation patients (DRP) for measuring a population of rehabilitation patients based on first-hand data from the field survey in China. A multi-stage sampling scheme was used to select 2512 rehabilitation outpatients from 21 medical institutions in seven cities in China. The evaluation indicators of the DRP tool consisted of five clinical indexes on multiple dysfunctions, self-care ability, vital signs, disease status, and disease course. The evaluation of rehabilitation ways of the DRP tool mainly included outpatient rehabilitation treatment, admission to primary healthcare, admission to secondary hospitals, and admission to tertiary hospitals. The mean age of participants was 54.22 years (SD:17.91), and nearly half (48.68%) were male. The majority (70.15%) were diagnosed with orthopaedic disorders. The Cronbach's alpha (0.66), the Kendall test (Kendall coefficient = 0.86; P < 0.001), and the Kappa test (Kappa = 0.83; Agreement: 90.48%; P < 0.001) reflected acceptable consistency reliability for the indexes on multiple dysfunctions, self-care ability, vital signs, disease status, and disease course in DRP tool. The modified confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed the indexes of multiple dysfunctions (β = 0.31; 95%CI = 0.20–0.43), self-care ability (β = 0.99; 95%CI = 0.65–1.33), disease status (β = 0.11; 95%CI = 0.06–0.16), disease course (β = 0.15; 95%CI = 0.09–0.21), and vital signs (β = 0.15; 95%CI = 0.08–0.21) had significantly factor loadings on the rehabilitation ways. The modified CFA exhibited a satisfactory model fit (RMSEA = 0.03; CFI = 0.99; TLI = 0.95; SRMR = 0.01; AIC = 8268.51; BIC = 8373.43). This is the first study to develop a DRP tool using a relatively large sample from seven cities in China. The DRP tool had acceptable reliability and validity in measuring the rehabilitation ways of patients. Our findings provide a starting point for developing a practical tool in rehabilitation clinical practices and could provide advice on building more effective strategies and tools for other low-and middle-income countries that struggle with integrated healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of serum glucose-to-potassium ratio (GPR) on cerebrovascular diseases has been previously validated. However, the value of the GPR in patients with severe intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) requiring ICU admission remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between the GPR and the clinical prognosis of critically ill patients with ICH. This study identified patients with severe ICH requiring ICU admission from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV) database and divided them into quartiles based on GPR levels. Outcomes included 30-day, 90-day, and 1-year mortality rates. The association between the GPR and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients with ICH was elucidated using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis and restricted cubic splines. In total, 2018 patients (53.8% male), with a median age of 70 years, were enrolled in the study. The 30-day, 90-day, and 1-year mortality rates were 23.9%, 30.1%, and 38.4%, respectively. Per multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis, an elevated GPR was significantly associated with all-cause mortality. After adjusting for age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index, white blood cell count, red blood cell count, platelet count, and Glasgow Coma Scale, patients with an elevated GPR had a higher 30-day mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22–1.42; P < 0.001), 90-day mortality (HR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.18–1.37; P < 0.001) and 1-year mortality (HR: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.14–1.31; P < 0.001) when analyzed as a continuous variable. Furthermore, analysis using restricted cubic splines demonstrated a consistent and progressive escalation in the risk of all-cause mortality with an elevated GPR. The GPR was significantly associated with short- and long-term all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with ICH. This finding demonstrates that GPR may be useful in identifying patients with ICH at a high risk of all-cause mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgical site infection (SSI) following lumbar disc herniation (LDH) surgery leads to prolonged hospital stays, increased costs and reoperations. Therefore, we aim to develop and validate a nomogram to predict the risk of SSI following LDH surgery, thereby helping spine surgeons design personalized prevention strategies and promote early recovery. Data from 647 patients with SSI who underwent LDH surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University (AFMU) from 2020 to 2023 were collected. Ultimately, 241 patients with SSI were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients were randomly divided into training and validation sets with a ratio of 7:3. LASSO regression, univariate, and multivariate logistic regression were utilized to identify target variables and establish the prediction model, which was subsequently validated. Six factors—Age, Body Mass Index (BMI), Postoperative Suction Drainage (PSD), Gelatin Sponge (GS), None-Preoperative Antibiotic (NPTA), and Thrombin Time (TT)—were selected to construct the nomogram model. In the training set, the area under the curve (AUC) for the nomogram was 0.818 (95% CI 0.779–0.857). In the validation set, the AUC was 0.782 (95% CI 0.717–0.846). Calibration curves for both sets showed satisfactory agreement between predicted and actual SSI probabilities. Decision curve analysis indicated that the nomogram is clinically useful with a threshold range of 1–90%. The Clinical Impact Curve (CIC) demonstrated an acceptable cost-benefit ratio. The developed nomogram model effectively predicts the risk of SSI following LDH surgery, enabling spine surgeons to formulate more professional and rational clinical prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioural time scale plasticity (BTSP) is non-Hebbian plasticity induced by integrating presynaptic and postsynaptic components separated by a behaviourally relevant time scale (seconds)1. BTSP in hippocampal CA1 neurons underlies place cell formation. However, the molecular mechanisms that enable synapse-specific plasticity on a behavioural time scale are unknown. Here we show that BTSP can be induced in a single dendritic spine using two-photon glutamate uncaging paired with postsynaptic current injection temporally separated by a behavioural time scale. Using an improved Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) sensor, we did not detect CaMKII activation during this BTSP induction. Instead, we observed dendritic, delayed and stochastic CaMKII activation (DDSC) associated with Ca2+ influx and plateau potentials 10–100 s after BTSP induction. DDSC required both presynaptic and postsynaptic activity, which suggests that CaMKII can integrate these two signals. Also, optogenetically blocking CaMKII 15–30 s after the BTSP protocol inhibited synaptic potentiation, which indicated that DDSC is an essential mechanism of BTSP. IP3-dependent intracellular Ca2+ release facilitated both DDSC and BTSP. Thus, our study suggests that non-synapse-specific CaMKII activation provides an instructive signal with an extensive time window over tens of seconds during BTSP.Induction of behavioural time scale plasticity leads to dendritic, delayed and stochastic Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II activation, findings that clarify the mechanisms that underlie place cell formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese Mars rover Zhurong successfully landed in southern Utopia Planitia on Mars in May 2021. Previous research suggested a Hesperian ocean may have existed in the northern lowland on Mars. Recent research observed water-related features at the Zhurong landing site from in situ data. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive geomorphological analysis of the landing area using remote sensing data, supplemented by in situ observations, and unveiled features consistent with the existence of a nearshore zone in southern Utopia. Different types of water-related geomorphological features were separated by specific topographic contours, suggesting different types of marine environments. The area was subdivided into a foreshore highland-lowland transition unit, a shallow marine unit and a deep marine unit. In situ observations including sedimentary deposit rocks, water-related lamination features, and subsurface sedimentary layers, also indicate past water activities. Results suggested an evolution scenario of the nearshore zone in southern Utopia: (1) Flooding of the Utopia Planitia in Late Noachian around 3.65–3.68 Ga reached the foreshore unit; (2) formation of the shallow and deep marine units after the flooding was completed by about 3.5 Ga and 3.42 Ga in Early Hesperian, respectively; (3) gradual loss of subsurface volatiles during the Amazonian epoch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delay-bandwidth product (DBP) is a key metric in slow light waveguides, requiring a balance between a large group index and broad bandwidth—two parameters that often involve a trade-off. Here, we propose and demonstrate a slow light waveguide with large DBP using a pseudospin-polarized transverse electromagnetic mode. This waveguide features a folded edge configuration that supports a 200% relative bandwidth from quasistatic limit (zero frequency) and an arbitrarily large group index. Owing to the pseudospin-polarized design, the dense folding would not introduce backscattering and the associated group velocity dispersion (GVD). The resulting gapless linear dispersion and pulse transmission behavior in folded edge waveguide are observed in microwave experiments. Our scheme provides a way to overcome the trade-off between group index and working bandwidth in slow light waveguide, which has potential applications in broadband optical buffering, light-matter interaction enhancement, terahertz radiation source and time domain processing. Delay-bandwidth product (DBP), which require a large group index and a wide bandwidth, is an important indicator in slow light waveguides. This work relaxes the trade-off between group velocity and working bandwidth in 200% relative bandwidth, and realizes a pseudospin-polarized slow-light waveguide with large DBP and low group velocity dispersion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Victims of explosive events frequently suffer from blast lung injuries. Immune system has been implicated in the pathogenesis of this disease. However, systemic immune responses underlying the progression and recovery of injury repair remain poorly understood. Here, we depict the systemic landscape of immune dysregulation during blast lung injury and uncover immune recovery patterns. Single-cell analyses reveal dramatic changes in neutrophils, macrophages, monocytes, dendritic cells, and eosinophils after a gas explosion, along with early involvement of CD4 T, CD8 T, and Th17 cells. We demonstrate that myeloid cells primarily exert functions during the acute phase, while the spleen serves as an alternative source of granulocytes. Granulopoiesis is initiated in the bone marrow at a later stage during blast lung injury recovery, rather than at the acute stage. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis and provide valuable insights for potential immune interventions in blast lung injury. Single-cell proteomics using mass cytometry reveals the systemic landscape of immune dysregulation during blast lung injury and uncovers patterns of immune recovery, offering valuable insights for potential interventions in blast lung injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a serious acute lung injury, and can develop into pulmonary fibrosis (PLF). Circular RNAs (circRNAs) regulatory network in ARDS is important. The study explored the role of hsa_circ_0006892 in the occurrence of ARDS and the development of PLF. Methods: Hsa_circ_0006892 levels were verified in serum samples of 203 ARDS patients with or without PLF, and the diagnostic value was evaluated through ROC. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify PLF-related factors. The downstream target genes were predicted online. The function and pathway of key genes were annotated through GO and KEGG pathway analysis. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis was performed for the examination of protein interactions. Results: qRT-PCR determined the downregulation of hsa_circ_0006892 in the serum of both ARDS and PLF patients. Hsa_circ_0006892 can differentiate ARDS from controls, and independently related to the development of PLF. Nine targeted related miRNAs were integrated with dysregulated miRNAs from GSE27430 dataset. Clinically, miR-486-3p was the only miRNA that was significantly different in both ARDS and PLF groups, and was determined to be the target of hsa_circ_0006892. 180 target genes of miR-486-3p were predicted, which were integrated with ARDS and PLF-related GSE84439 and GSE38958 datasets. Go and KEGG pathway analysis identified Ras signaling pathway as the most commonly enriched pathway in the overlapped genes. Conclusions: The present results identified the differentially expressed hsa_circ_0006892 in ARDS and PLF, and suggested a possible molecular mechanism of hsa_circ_0006892/miR-486-3p axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electron transfer process (ETP) is able to avoid the redox cycling of catalysts by capturing electrons from contaminants directly. However, the ETP usually leads to the formation of oligomers and the reduction of oxidants to anions. Herein, the charge-confined Fe single-atom catalyst (Fe/SCN) with Fe-N3S1 configuration was designed to achieve ETP-mediated contaminant activation of the oxidant by limiting the number of electrons gained by the oxidant to generate 1O2. The Fe/SCN-activate periodate (PI) system shows excellent contaminant degradation performance due to the combination of ETP and 1O2. Experiments and DFT calculations show that the Fe/SCN-PI* complex with strong oxidizing ability triggers the ETP, while the charge-confined effect allows the single-electronic activation of PI to generate 1O2. In the Fe/SCN + PI system, the 100% selectivity dechlorination of ETP and the ring-opening of 1O2 avoid the generation of oligomers and realize the transformation of large-molecule contaminants into small-molecule biodegradable products. Furthermore, the Fe/SCN + PI system shows excellent anti-interference ability and application potential. This work pioneers the generation of active species using ETP’s electron to activate oxidants, which provides a perspective on the design of single-atom catalysts via the charge-confined effect.In the electron transfer process, contaminants always form oligomers due to the lack of ROS. Here, the authors achieved electron transfer mediated activation of periodate by contaminants to generate 1O2 by charge confined single-atom catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spurred by the simultaneous need for data privacy protection and data sharing, federated learning (FL) has been proposed. However, it still poses a risk of privacy leakage in it. This paper, an improved Differential Privacy (DP) algorithm to protect the federated learning model. Additionally, the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is used in the computation of the privacy budget , to minimize the impact of limited arithmetic resources and numerous users on the effectiveness of training model. Moreover, instead of direct analyses of the privacy budget through various methods, Privacy Loss Distribution (PLD) and privacy curves are adopted, while the number of artificial assignments hyperparameters is reduced, and the grid parameters delineated for FFT use are improved. The improved algorithm tightens parameter bounds and minimizes human factors' influence with minimal efficiency impact. It decreases the errors caused by truncation and discreteness of PLDs while expanding the discreteness interval to reduce the calculation workload. Furthermore, an improved activation function using a temper sigmoid with only one parameter , smooths the accuracy curve and mitigates drastically fluctuating scenarios during model training. Finally, simulation results on real datasets show that our improved DP algorithm, which accounts for long trailing, facilitates a better balance between privacy and utility in federated learning models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]