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On 6 February 2023, the destructive earthquakes (EQs) occurred in Kahramanmaras Turkey with the maximum magnitude 7.8. In this paper, based on multi-source satellite observations, we investigated the pre-seismic anomalies of infrared radiation and ionosphere, and analyzed the coupling features of multi-parameter anomalies in temporal evolution and spatial distribution. Analysis results indicated that in the vicinity of the epicenter, the outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) anomalies observed from NOAA-18 satellite were very obvious in January 2023, and the ionospheric plasma anomalies observed from CSES and SWARM satellites were significantly detected on 30 January 2023, which were probably the precursor signals of the impending main shock. Combined with the analysis results of crustal deformation and atmospheric compositions for the Turkey EQs in published articles, we believed that crustal stress changes and rock ruptures in the boundaries between the Arabian and African plates and the Anatolian block were more likely to cause the pre-seismic anomalies in infrared radiation, atmosphere and ionosphere. The observed anomalies had a clear coupling relationship, and represented the stage changes of seismogenic process for the Turkey EQs. In addition, the satellite remote sensing technology is very helpful for us to monitor the multi-parameter variations in lithosphere, atmosphere and ionosphere, better verify the correlation of pre-seismic anomalies in Earth's multi-sphere structures, and further promote the research on the multi-sphere anomaly coupling mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromitites or chromite mineralization of varying degrees has been discovered in the various ophiolites along the east–west trending Yarlung-Zangbo Suture Zone (YZSZ) in Tibet, China. The high-Cr variety dominates the Yarlung-Zangbo chromitites, with rare high-Al chromitites reported in the Zedang, Dongbo, and Purang ophiolites. Using empirical equations, the calculated parental magmas that formed the high-Cr YZSZ chromitites are similar to boninitic melts. 187Os/188Os ratios of chromites from the YZSZ chromitites range from 0.12525 to 0.12933, lower than the proposed present-day 187Os/188Os values for the primitive upper mantle. The TRD age variation of the YZSZ chromitites from late Neo-Proterozoic to early Triassic thus reflects that their parental magmas are derived from depleted mantle sources mixed with diachronous ancient mantle domains. The light Zn isotopic compositions of the YZSZ chromitites indicate that subducted materials (e.g., serpentinites and sediments) have contributed to the parental magma of the YZSZ chromitites. By compiling previously published data on mantle peridotites of the YZSZ ophiolites, we concluded that the YZSZ ophiolites may either have formed initially in an ultraslow-slow mid-ocean ridge environment and were then trapped in a supra-subduction zone environment, or have formed in an ultraslow-slow forearc spreading center in a supra-subduction zone environment. The Luobusa ophiolite hosting the largest chromite deposits is discriminated from the other ophiolites in the YZSZ by a thick dunitic transition zone. Previous theoretical modeling indicates that relative to olivine, only a small amount of cumulus chromites crystallize in cotectic volume ratios of around 100:1 to 100:2 of olivine to chromite, which means that large chromite bodies should always be accompanied by a significantly larger mass of dunites. Therefore, we concluded that a thick dunite transition zone or large masses of dunite of boninitic affinity is an indicator for chromitite prospecting in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification and detection of various types of explosives are essential for human health and environmental monitoring. Array-based sensing approach offers significant advantages in detecting multi-analytes simultaneously, thereby holding great potential in identifying multiple explosives. Here, we report a tri-channel fluorescence array composed of three distinct fluorescence probes based on gold nanoclusters and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide with well-separated emission colors. Through the specific interactions of explosives with different fluorescent probes and the yielded response patterns, seven explosives can be successfully distinguished with 100% accuracy. In particular, the sensor array exhibits excellent performance in the quantitative analysis of individual explosive and the differentiation of multiple explosive mixtures. To facilitate the field detection towards practical application, the tri-channel fluorescence array was further integrated with polymer hydrogels. The fabricated portable hydrogel-based array sensors can not only visually identify seven different explosives by their distinct fluorescence color change, but also enable quantitative detection based on linear discriminant analysis (LDA) together with a smartphone. This study illustrates the great potential of hydrogel-based fluorescence sensor array as robust sensors for explosives, which also holds significant promise for the development of portable explosive devices towards practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The twenty-first century has seen an increase in stakeholders, highlighting the need to discuss the role of corporate social responsibility in technological innovation. The objective of the current research is to examine the role that corporate social responsibility in technological innovation plays in enhancing the sustainable competitive performance of firms. The idea that digital transformation mediates the relationship between corporate social responsibility in technological innovation and sustainable competitive performance is proposed in this study. Additionally, the mastery climate may act as a boundary condition that strengthens the positive relationship between CSR and digital transformation. The data were collected in Chinese firms through a questionnaire. The results supported the mediation and moderation hypotheses, confirming that digital transformation mediates the relationship between corporate social responsibility in technological innovation and sustainable competitive performance. The mastery climate moderates the relationship between corporate social responsibility in technological innovation and digital transformation. The results have implications for theory and practice. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the flexural behavior of glass fiber (GFRP) bars and steel bars hybrid reinforced polypropylene fiber concrete (Hybrid-PFRC) beams, one GFRP-PFRC beam, one Steel-PFRC beam, and five Hybrid-PFRC beams were designed and fabricated. The effects of the different area ratio ( A f / A s ) of GFRP to steel bars and polypropylene fiber (PP) volume fraction on the flexural behavior of Hybrid-PFRC beams were investigated through experiments. The research results indicated that the Hybrid-PFRC beams' load–deflection curves exhibited trilinear characteristics with specimen cracking and steel bars yielding as turning points. As A f / A s increased, the flexural bearing capacity of Hybrid-PFRC beams increased, the deflection decreased, the crack spacing and width decreased, and the ductility decreased. The addition of PP did not significantly improve the flexural bearing capacity and cracking moment of Hybrid-PFRC beams, but it greatly enhanced the ductility of the beam. Moreover, PP had good advantages in controlling crack propagation in the beam. The article also used the theoretical model to predict and analyze the flexural behavior of Hybrid-PFRC beams. When predicting the maximum crack width of Hybrid-PFRC beams, when PP is not added to the beam, the bonding coefficient kb should be greater than 1.4; When PP is added to the beam, it is recommended that the bonding coefficient kb should not exceed 1.4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have already made a few outcomes regarding the effect of environmental corporate social responsibility (ECSR) on employees' workplace behaviors. However, research on how perceived ECSR influences employee innovation remains largely unexplored. Drawing from the social identity theory (SIT) and stakeholder theory, this research fills this gap by examining: (a) the influence of perceived ECSR on idea generation (IG). (b) the influence of perceived ECSR on idea implementation (II). (c) the moderating effects of psychological capital (PsyCap) on these relationships. Using data on 348 employees from Chinese firms, the results demonstrate that perceived ECSR effectively fosters IG and II, yet when PsyCap is high, the positive influence of perceived ECSR is stronger. Our findings offer new insights for understanding the role of ECSR perception in the employee innovation domain by revealing that perceived ECSR can generate IG and promote II, and delimiting their boundaries from a psychological perspective. In addition, our findings make several practical implications for firms to cultivate their employees' ECSR perception and improve employees' IG and II to achieve sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infectious etiologies of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) by the conventional microbiology tests (CMTs) can be challenging. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has great potential in clinical use for its comprehensiveness in identifying pathogens, particularly those difficult-to-culture organisms. Methods: We analyzed a total of 205 clinical samples from 201 patients with suspected LRTIs using mNGS in parallel with CMTs. mNGS results were used to guide treatment adjustments for patients who had negative CMT results. The efficacy of treatment was subsequently evaluated in these patients. Results: mNGS-detected microorganisms in 91.7% (188/205) of the clinical samples, whereas CMTs demonstrated a lower detection rate, identifying microorganisms in only 37.6% (77/205) of samples. Compared to CMT results, mNGS exhibited a detection sensitivity of 93.5% and 95.4% in all 205 clinical samples and 180 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples, respectively. A total of 114 patients (114/201; 56.7%) showed negative CMT results, among which 92 received treatment adjustments guided by their positive mNGS results. Notably, 67.4% (62/92) of patients demonstrated effective treatment, while 25% (23/92) experienced a stabilized condition. Subgroup analysis of cancer patients revealed that 41.9% (13/31) exhibited an effective response to treatment, and 35.5% (11/31) maintained a stable condition following medication adjustments guided by mNGS. Conclusion: mNGS demonstrated great potential in identifying microorganisms of clinical significance in LRTIs. The rapid turnaround time and reduced susceptibility to the impact of antimicrobial administration make mNGS a valuable supplementary tool for diagnosis and treatment decision-making for suspected LRTIs in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an inevitable part of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, muck has a dreadful environmental impact due its inadequate management by the traditional governance process. This paper therefore focuses on the management of muck generated from C&D waste by utilizing platform governance as an alternative process, which should more effectively contribute to China's circular economy. The study explores the feasibility of providing such a platform governance mode by using Petri net to compare the traditional governance process and platform governance process for the management of muck trucks, and by using Nanjing's muck smart supervision platform as a case study to assess the effectiveness of the platform governance mode. Results from Petri net simulation modeling reveal that the platform governance mode is more effective than the traditional mode, and from the case study it is found that the success of Nanjing's muck waste management can be attributed to the platform governance mode. The platform management approach can therefore contribute to the sustainability of muck waste governance, and is suitable as an integrated and effective management mode for current practices of muck waste management and resource recovery in China. The main finding from the study is that the platform governance mode significantly improves the efficiency of muck waste management as compared with the traditional governance mode and can therefore provide greater economic and environmental benefits as part of a circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the effects of environmental corporate social responsibility on the two dimensions of firms' technological innovation: process innovation and product innovation. This study also investigates whether such an impact depends on green intellectual capital and green entrepreneurial orientation. Relying on dynamic capability theory and resource dependence theory, we hypothesize the mediating role of green entrepreneurial orientation and the moderating role of green intellectual capital in the indirect relationships between environmental corporate social responsibility and process and product innovations. Based on a sample of 241 Chinese firms, the results reveal that environmental corporate social responsibility positively affects process and product innovations, and that these relationships are mediated by green entrepreneurial orientation. Additionally, green intellectual capital positively moderates the mediating effects of green entrepreneurial orientation. The findings provide a better theoretical understanding of the role of environmental corporate social responsibility in the technological innovation domain by indicating that environmental corporate social responsibility can promote process and product innovations through green entrepreneurial orientation. Theoretically, the findings also shed new light on the boundaries of environmental corporate social responsibility from the perspective of intellectual capital. Additionally, the findings provide important practical implications for managing firms' environmental behaviors to promote green entrepreneurial orientation and foster technological innovation to gain sustainable competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biosafety laboratories are specialized in handling dangerous microorganisms, but there are cases where contaminants are leaked due to improper handling and other reasons. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the pattern of infection after a laboratory spill can help laboratory personnel get out of danger as soon as possible and avoid the occurrence of infection events. In this paper, we take the COVID-19 virus outbreak in recent years as an example to explore the probability of infection of laboratory personnel under different circumstances. The study used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to predict the change of contaminant concentration over time in a typical laboratory, and then analyzed the relationship between contaminant concentration and infection probability by using a metrological response model, and calculated the infection probability of indoor personnel over time in the presence or absence of obstacles in the laboratory and the different locations of contaminant leakage, respectively. The results showed that the probability of personnel infection remained basically stable after 8 min of contaminant leakage; at the same time, the probability of infection was higher when the contaminant source was located below the exhaust vent than in other locations; and the probability of illness was lower in laboratories with obstacles than in laboratories without obstacles under the same conditions. This finding is helpful for laboratory layout design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-device training for deep neural networks (DNN) has become a trend due to various user preferences and scenarios. The DNN training process consists of three phases, feedforward (FF), backpropagation (BP), and weight gradient (WG) update. WG takes about one-third of the computation in the whole training process. Current training accelerators usually ignore the special computation property of WG and process it in a way similar to FF/BP. Besides, the extensive data sparsity existing in WG, which brings opportunities to save computation, is not well explored. Nevertheless, exploiting the optimization opportunities would meet three underutilization problems, which are caused by (1) the mismatch between WG data dimensions and hardware parallelism, (2) the full sparsity, i.e., the sparsity of feature map (Fmap), error map (Emap), and gradient, and (3) the workload imbalance resulting from irregular sparsity. In this paper, we propose a specific architecture for sparse weight gradient (SWG) computation. The architecture is designed based on hierarchical unrolling and sparsity-aware (HUSA) dataflow to exploit the optimization opportunities of the special computation property and full data sparsity. In HUSA dataflow, the data dimensions are unrolled hierarchically on the hardware architecture. A valid-data trace (VDT) mechanism is embedded in the dataflow to avoid the underutilization caused by the two-sided input sparsity. The gradient is unrolled in PE to alleviate the underutilization induced by output sparsity while maintaining the data reuse opportunities. Besides, we design an intra- and inter-column balancer (IIBLC) to dynamically tackle the workload imbalance problem resulting from the irregular sparsity. Experimental results show that with HUSA dataflow exploiting the full sparsity, SWG achieves a speedup of 12.23× over state-of-the-art gradient computation architecture, TrainWare. SWG helps to improve the energy efficiency of the state-of-the-art training accelerator LNPU from 7.56 to 10.58 TOPS/W. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: A novel fluoro-methoxylated end group for Y-series acceptors is produced, and asymmetric substitution strategy is applied as a step-by-step optimization. 19.24% power conversion efficiency is achieved for industrially compatible solvent ortho-xylene processed organic solar cells. Underlying morphological and photo-physical variation is revealed for device performance difference brought by solvent selection, which could set up a template for future research on similar topics. With plenty of popular and effective ternary organic solar cells (OSCs) construction strategies proposed and applied, its power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) have come to a new level of over 19% in single-junction devices. However, previous studies are heavily based in chloroform (CF) leaving behind substantial knowledge deficiencies in understanding the influence of solvent choice when introducing a third component. Herein, we present a case where a newly designed asymmetric small molecular acceptor using fluoro-methoxylated end-group modification strategy, named BTP-BO-3FO with enlarged bandgap, brings different morphological evolution and performance improvement effect on host system PM6:BTP-eC9, processed by CF and ortho-xylene (o-XY). With detailed analyses supported by a series of experiments, the best PCE of 19.24% for green solvent-processed OSCs is found to be a fruit of finely tuned crystalline ordering and general aggregation motif, which furthermore nourishes a favorable charge generation and recombination behavior. Likewise, over 19% PCE can be achieved by replacing spin-coating with blade coating for active layer deposition. This work focuses on understanding the commonly met yet frequently ignored issues when building ternary blends to demonstrate cutting-edge device performance, hence, will be instructive to other ternary OSC works in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric turbulence removal remains a challenging task, because it is very difficult to mitigate geometric distortion and remove spatially and temporally variant blur. This paper presents a novel strategy for atmospheric turbulence removal by characterizing local smoothness, nonlocal similarity and low-rank property of natural images. The main contributions are three folds. First, a joint regularization model is made which combines nonlocal total variation regularization and steering kernel regression total variation regularization in order that reference image enhancement and image registration are jointly implemented on geometric distortion reduction. Secondly, a fast split Bregman iteration algorithm is designed to address the joint variation optimization problem. Finally, a weighted nuclear norm is introduced to constrain the low-rank optimization problem to reduce blur variation and generate a fusion image. Extensive experimental results show that our method can effectively mitigate geometric deformation as well as blur variations and that it outperforms several other state-of-the-art turbulence removal methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have become one of the most attractive frontier research fields in catalysis and energy conversion. However, due to the atomic heterogeneity of SACs and limitations of ensemble-averaged measurements, the essential active sites responsible for governing specific catalytic properties and mechanisms remain largely concealed. In this study, we develop a quantitative method of single-atom catalysis–fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (SAC-FCS), leveraging the atomic structure-dependent catalysis kinetics and single-turnover resolution of single-molecule fluorescence microscopy. This method enables us to investigate the oxidase-like single-molecule catalysis on unidentical iron-nitrogen (Fe-N) coordinated SACs, quantifying the active sites and their kinetic parameters. The findings reveal the significant differences of single sites from the average behaviors and corroborate the oxidase-like catalytic mechanism of the Fe-N active sites. We anticipate that the method will give essential insights into the rational design and application of SACs. Intrinsic active sites of single-atom catalysts are often obscured in ensemble-averaged measurements. Here, the authors successfully quantified Fe-N active sites by employing single-molecule fluorescence microscopy combined with the atomic structure-dependent oxidase-like catalysis model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catch-up of latecomer firms has been a topic of interest because it is closely related to the changes in industry leadership. The reason why some countries are more successful in catch-up is because of their increasing mastery of technology management (TM). Therefore, to ensure successful catch-up, it is imperative for latecomer firms to understand the TM practices and TM modes across national boundaries. This paper aims to reveal the differences in TM practices and TM modes between latecomer firms and forerunner firms. This paper collected data from Chinese firms and Korean firms as latecomers and forerunners, respectively, to examine the differences in TM practices and TM modes. The results show that latecomer firms place more emphasis on grasping the condition of firms' equipment, understanding technology talents required by business, and completing files on technology information. While forerunner firms stress learning from other competitors, effective training, and constructing detailed technology information management system most. Furthermore, the relationship between TM and product innovation performance is more integrated for forerunner firms compared to latecomer firms. A key contribution of this paper is to reveal the differences in TM practices and TM modes between latecomer firms and forerunner firms, which enriches the catch-up literature from an international comparative perspective. As such, this paper is of great importance in broadening the understanding of how latecomer firms transform into global leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the creation of polymers with attractive dynamic properties, herein, rotaxane-branched dendronized polymers (DPs) with rotaxane-branched dendrons attached onto the polymer chains are proposed. Starting from macromonomers with both rotaxane-branched dendrons and polymerization site, targeted rotaxane-branched DPs are successfully synthesized through ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). Interestingly, due to the existence of multiple switchable [2]rotaxane branches within the attached dendrons, anion-induced reversible thickness modulation of the resultant rotaxane-branched DPs is achieved, which further lead to tunable thermal and rheological properties, making them attractive platform for the construction of smart polymeric materials. Enriching the toolbox of polymers, the design and construction of novel polymers with desired properties and functions remains an attractive topic in polymer chemistry. Here the authors demonstrate rotaxane-branched dendronized polymers with rotaxane-branched dendrons attached onto the polymer chains as polymers with attractive dynamic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of novel nanozymes for environmental contamination remediation is a worthwhile research direction. However, most of the reported nanozymes cannot degrade efficiently due to the limitation of the internal active sites not being able to come into direct contact with contaminants. Therefore, we reported Fe-N-C single-atom nanozymes (SAzymes) with atomically dispersed FeN4 active sites anchored on a three-dimensional hierarchically ordered microporous-mesoporous-macroporous nitrogen doped carbon matrix (3DOM Fe-N-C) for the degradation of a targeted environmental pollutant (rhodamine B (RhB)). The three-dimensional (3D) hierarchically ordered porous structure may accelerate mass transfer and improve the accessibility of active sites. This structure and high metal atom utilization endow Fe-N-C SAzyme with enhanced tri-enzyme-mimic activities, comprising oxidase-mimic, peroxidase-mimic, and catalase-mimic activities. Based on its excellent peroxidase-mimic activity, 3DOM Fe-N-C can degrade RhB by hydroxyl radicals (·OH) generated in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. This study provides a new idea for designing porous Fe-N-C SAzymes for environmental contamination remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radical innovation is necessary for firms to transform existing markets or create new ones, which has critical impact on firm performance. Therefore, there is a need to explore how radical innovation can be successfully achieved. Entrepreneurial orientation reflects a firm's willingness to be innovative, proactive and risk-taking, which has been recognized as a key factor contributing to firm innovation. However, the specific focus on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and radical innovation is very limited. This paper therefore investigates how entrepreneurial orientation affects radical innovation by considering the contingency effects of board characteristics. Using the panel data of listed manufacturing firms in China from 2013 to 2019, this paper found that entrepreneurial orientation has a significant positive impact on radical innovation. Furthermore, different board characteristics play asymmetric moderating roles in that relationship in such a way that CEO duality and board independence play positive moderating roles, while board ownership and board size play negative moderating roles. This paper contributes to the entrepreneurial orientation literature by providing a finer-grained understanding of the role of entrepreneurial orientation on radical innovation. This paper also contributes to the corporate governance literature by revealing the asymmetric contingency effects of different board characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher-order error terms (HOET) occur inevitably during the geometric error modelling and compensation of a machine tool using both screw theory and multi-body system (MBS) theory. Though the HOET has little influence on machining accuracy, it will make analysis and compensation of geometric errors complicated and tedious. Especially, it is necessary to eliminate the higher-order error terms artificially when deriving the analytical expressions for geometric error compensation. Hence, a novel geometric error modelling and compensation algorithm without the interference of HOET is proposed in this paper. Taking a three-axis CNC machine tool as an example. A new summation operation rule for geometric error modelling was defined according to the homogeneous transformation matrix (HTM) method, which has no multiplication between error matrices. And the analytical expressions of motion-axis commands for error compensation could be calculated directly according to the new modelling algorithm without manual deletion of HOET. Active elimination of HOET can simplify the process of geometric error modelling and compensation and can significantly improve efficiency. The results show that the acquisition efficiency of symbolic compensation expressions can be improved by at least 70% compared to the traditional actual inverse kinematics. Moreover, the HOET are automatically eliminated and has a small influence on the compensation accuracy. Finally, a cutting experiment was conducted and analyzed to verify the high efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though amino acid derivatives are always used as the building blocks to construct gels in supramolecular chemistry, there is still no report about N-alpha-Fmoc-L-valine (Fmoc-V) hydrogel induced by metal ions. Herein, a novel green Fmoc-V hydrogel with stimuli responsiveness was reported. A total of eight metal ions are applied to fabricate gels, but only Zn2+ and Cu2+ can induce Fmoc-V hydrogel formation. The formation of Fmoc-V hydrogel is verified by rheometer detection. FT-IR, UV–vis, and SAXS detections are used to study the formation mechanism of Fmoc-V hydrogel, implying hydrogen bond, metal–ligand, and π-π stacking interactions are the driving forces to gel formation. Moreover, this novel green hydrogel with high electrical conductivity performs multiple stimulus responsiveness to temperature, metal ion, and acid, illustrating its great potential applications in various areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomically dispersed catalysts have been widely studied due to their high catalytic activity and atom utilization. Single-atom catalysts have achieved breakthrough progress in the degradation of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS). However, the construction of atomically dispersed catalysts with diatomic/multiatomic metal active sites by activating PMS to degrade pollutants is still seldom reported, despite the unique merits of atom-pair in synergistic electronic modulation and breaking stubborn restriction of scaling relations on catalytic activity. We have synthesized Fe1−N−C, Fe2−N−C, and Fe3−N−C catalysts with monoatomic iron, diatomic iron, and triatomic iron active center, respectively. The results show that the catalytic degradation activity of Fe2−N−C is twice that of Fe1−N−C and Fe3−N−C due to its unique Fe2N6 coordination structure, which fulfilled the complete degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), bisphenol A (BPA), and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DP) within 2 min. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and radical quenching experiments confirmed that the reaction was a nonradical reaction on the catalyst surface. And singlet oxygen and Fe(IV) are the key active species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME) is a cancer/testis antigen (CTA) that is predominantly expressed in normal male gonad tissues and a variety of tumors. PRAME proteins are present in the acrosome and sperm tail, but their role in sperm function is unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the function of the bovine Y-linked PRAME (PRAMEY) during spermatozoal capacitation, the acrosome reaction (AR), and fertilization. Freshly ejaculated spermatozoa were induced to capacitate and undergo AR in vitro. Western blotting results revealed a decrease in the PRAMEY protein in capacitated spermatozoa, and the release of the PRAMEY protein from the acrosome during the AR, suggesting its involvement in sperm capacitation and AR. IVF was performed using in vitro matured bovine oocytes and cauda epididymal spermatozoa either treated with PRAMEY antibody, rabbit IgG, or DPBS. Sperm-egg binding and early embryos were examined at 6 and 45 h post IVF, respectively. The number of spermatozoa that bound per oocyte was nearly two-fold greater in the PRAMEY antibody treatment group (34.4) when compared to both the rabbit IgG (17.6) and DPBS (18.1) controls (P < 0.01). Polyspermy rate in the antibody-treated group (18.9%) was three-fold greater than the rabbit IgG control (6.0%) (P < 0.01). The results indicate that PRAMEY may play a role in anti-polyspermy defense. This study thus provides the initial evidence for the involvement of the PRAME protein family in sperm function and fertilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with the steady worsening of environmental contamination, improving environmental governance performance (EGP) is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed. This study adopts panel data from 275 Chinese cities to examine the holistic relationship between the digital economy (DE) and urban EGP in multiple dimensions. The relationship is tested using fixed-effects models, mediated effects models, panel threshold models, and the spatial Durbin models. Results indicated that (1) the DE can effectively improve urban EGP. The findings still hold after robustness tests using instrumental variable estimation and the introduction of exogenous policy shocks. (2) The analysis of mediating effects shows that green technology innovation and industrial structure optimization are critical transmissions. (3) The panel threshold regression results indicate a nonlinear incremental phenomenon of the significant impact of the DE on urban EGP when nighttime lighting data is used as the threshold. (4) Spatial spillover analysis shows a positive spatial spillover effect of DE development on EGP in the surrounding cities. (5) Spatial heterogeneity analysis states that the enhancement effect of DE development on EGP is more significant in eastern China. Furthermore, areas located within urban agglomerations are more influenced by the DE. These findings provide a policy reference for fully exploiting the environmental enhancement effects of the DE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global environmental issues arise because certain companies pursue rapid growth at the cost of significant resource use and degrading the environment. Under these circumstances, the stakeholders rapidly required companies to adopt green-friendly practices. This study investigates how green-friendly practices and environmental disclosure supported technological capability, and then further discusses the moderating effect of environmental disclosure on the relationship among green-friendly practices and technological capability. From 2008 to 2017, using a dataset of 1487 observations from Pakistan's listed manufacturing firms, the findings found that green-friendly practices and environmental disclosure had a positive effect on technological capability and also that the interaction of green-friendly practices and environmental disclosure had a positive effect on the degree to which the green-friendly practices of the firm could achieve its maximum potential for technological capability. According to our empirical results, the variables are positively and significantly correlated in the long run. The results suggested that green-friendly practices positively impact the firm's technological capability. The findings also indicate that environmental disclosure has a positive influence on green-friendly practices and moderates the relationship between green-friendly practices and the firm's technological capability. Green-friendly practices can also help improve environmental quality by promoting investment in energy-efficient technology to boost domestic manufacturing while minimizing environmental degradation. The results of this study will advance the research on environmental governance and provide a new route for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High rates of relapse and poor prognosis confer an urgent need for novel therapeutic agents for B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHLs). Herein, we describe a human IgG-like anti-CD79b/CD3 bispecific antibody (IBI38D9-L) that selectively depletes antigen-positive malignant B cells as an alternative treatment option for relapsed or refractory NHL patients. The antitumor activity and mechanism of action of IBI38D9-L were investigated in vitro using B-NHL cell lines and human primary effector cells and in vivo using xenograft models reconstituted with human PBMCs (peripheral blood mononuclear cells). Pharmacokinetic (PK) properties and preclinical toxicology were evaluated in cynomolgus monkeys and HSC-NPG mice. IBI38D9-L exerted potent B cell killing as well as T cell activation and proliferation in a tumor cell-dependent manner in vitro and was active against B-NHL cell lines with various CD79b expression levels. Subcutaneous xenograft tumors in NOG mice engrafted with human PBMCs were eradicated by IBI38D9-L treatment. Moreover, IBI38D9-L-treated mice showed a strong infiltration of activated T cells. In HSC-NPG mice, IBI38D9-L resulted in potent B cell depletion in peripheral blood and induced only slight body weight loss and cytokine release syndrome without significant toxicological findings. In cynomolgus monkeys, IBI38D9-L was well tolerated with good pharmacokinetic profiles. Collectively, these preclinical efficacy and safety data provide strong scientific rationales for using anti-CD79b/CD3 bispecific antibody as a promising therapeutic agent for B cell malignancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal phosphides (TMPs) are essential catalysts for some general catalytic reactions. However, their potentials for biological catalysis have seldom been explored. Herein, we investigated the enzyme-like properties of four TMPs (FeP, CoP, Ni2P, and Cu3P) towards two sugar-related reactions. Among the four TMPs, Cu3P nanoparticles (NPs) efficiently catalyzed the hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds as glycoside hydrolase mimics, and FeP NPs possessed both glucose oxidase-like (GOx-like) and peroxidase-like activities, which combined into a cascade reaction for glucose's simple and one-step colorimetric biosensor without GOx. Cu3P and FeP NPs with distinctive enzyme-like activities have shown unique biological catalysis potentials for further applications with an attractive and challenging goal of developing nanomaterials to mimic natural enzymes, which encourages more efforts to reveal TMP's capabilities towards biocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reprogramming Müller glia (MG) into functional cells is considered a promising therapeutic strategy to treat ocular diseases and vision loss. However, current AAV-based system for MG-tracing was reported to have high leakage in recent studies. Here, we focused on reducing the leakage of AAV-based labeling systems and found that different AAV serotypes showed a range of efficiency and specificity in labeling MG, leading us to optimize a human GFAP-Cre reporter system packaged in the AAV9 serotype with the woodchuck hepatitis virus post-transcriptional regulatory element (WPRE) removed. The leakage ratio of the AAV9-hGFAP-Cre-ΔWPRE decreased by an approximate 40-fold compared with the AAV9-hGFAP-Cre-WPRE labeling system. In addition, we validated the specificity of the AAV-ΔWPRE system for tracing MG reprogramming under Ptbp1-suppression and observed strict non-MG-conversion, similar to previous studies using genetic lineage tracking mouse models. Thus, the AAV9-hGFAP-Cre-ΔWPRE system showed high efficiency and specificity for MG labeling, providing a promising tool for tracing cell fate in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring genome safety during gene editing is crucial for clinical translation of the high-efficient CRISPR-Cas9 toolbox. Therefore, the undesired events including chromosomal translocations, vector integrations, and large deletions arising during therapeutic gene editing remain to be adequately addressed or tackled in vivo. Here, we apply CRISPR-Cas9TX in comparison to CRISPR-Cas9 to target Vegfa for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) disease in a mouse model. AAV delivery of both CRISPR-Cas9 and CRISPR-Cas9TX can efficiently inhibit laser-induced neovascularization. Importantly, Cas9TX almost eliminates chromosomal translocations that occur at a frequency of approximately 1% in Cas9-edited mouse retinal cells. Strikingly, the widely observed AAV integration at the target Vegfa site is also greatly reduced from nearly 50% of edited events to the background level during Cas9TX editing. Our findings reveal that chromosomal structural variations routinely occur during in vivo genome editing and highlight Cas9TX as a superior form of Cas9 for in vivo gene disruption. Undesired chromosomal translocations, vector integrations, and large deletions remain a problem for therapeutic gene editing in vivo. Here, the authors compare the CRISPR-Cas9TX variant with CRISPR-Cas9 and show elimination of chromosomal translocations and reduction of AVV integration when targeting Vegfa for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration in a mouse model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Dissimilatory arsenate[As(V)]-respiring prokaryotes (DARPs) were consider to be the major player driving the reductive mobilization of As from solid phase. Mn(II) commonly coexists with DARPs in the environment. However, little is known about how Mn(II) affects the DARPs-mediated reductive mobilization of arsenic so far. This work aimed to address this issue. Method: Three As-contaminated samples were collected from the arsenic-contaminated shallow soils. We examined the diversity and activity of the DARP population in the soils, and detected how Mn(II) affected the DARPs-mediated reductive mobilization. We also investigated how Mn(II) affected the arrA gene abundances and bacterial As(V)-respiring activities. Results: We observed that a unique diversity of genes encoding As(V)-respiratory reductase were widely present in the shallow soils. The soils possessed high As(V)-respiring activities by using multiple electron donors. Microcosm assays indicated that compared to the microcosms without excessive Mn(II), addition of additional 10.0 mM Mn(II) to the microcosms led to 140.2%, 121.3%, and 257.8% increases of the microbial community-mediated As(III) release from the three soil samples. To further confirm this finding, a novel DARP, Bacillus sp. RM19 was ioslated from the samples. Microcosm assays with this cultivable DARP showed that the presence of additional 10.0 mM Mn(II) resulted in a 23.9% increase of the RM19-catalyzed As(III) release from the soils. Taken together, Mn(II) greatly enhances the As(V)-respiring prokaryotes-catalyzed reductive mobilization of As from soils. Conclusion: This work provided new knowledge about the relationship between the biogeochemical cycles of As and Mn, and gained a new insight into the mechanism for the dynamic changes of As concentrations in contaminated groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the problem of "bridgehead bumping" in the transition section between the road and bridge of an expressway in a collapsible loess area, a lime–soil compaction pile composite foundation is used for the first time in the transition section between the road and bridge of an expressway in China; the loess subgrade is improved by adding lime, and the subgrade is arranged in a multilayer geogrid for the joint treatment of various engineering measures. At the same time, a new type of precision differential pressure settlement meter is used to monitor the long-term settlement of a bridge–subgrade transition section with a small settlement magnitude after the joint treatment, and the distribution characteristics and variation laws of the settlement along the longitudinal direction of the line are obtained. The results show that the effect is better and the differential settlement is smaller when using a lime–soil compaction pile composite foundation; lime improves the loess subgrade backfill, and the multilayer geogrid addresses the bridge–subgrade transition in the collapsible loess area. The differential settlement and settlement rate of the subgrade and abutment increase with increased monitoring time, and the differential settlement increases gradually, while the growth rate decreases gradually and finally tends to be stable. The differential settlement of the transition section is predicted and analysed by using a hyperbolic curve, exponential curve and their combination in a prediction model, and the prediction analysis shows that the combined prediction model has the best prediction effect. These research results can provide guidance and reference for the design and construction of subgrade structures similar to the wet transition section between roads and bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various diseases increasingly challenge the health status and life quality of human beings. Volatolome emitted from patients has been considered as a potential family of markers, volatolomics, for diagnosis/screening. There are two fundamental issues of volatolomics in healthcare. On one hand, the solid relationship between the volatolome and specific diseases needs to be clarified and verified. On the other hand, effective methods should be explored for the precise detection of volatolome. Several comprehensive review articles had been published in this field. However, a timely and systematical summary and elaboration is still desired. In this review article, the research methodology of volatolomics in healthcare is critically considered and given out, at first. Then, the sets of volatolome according to specific diseases through different body sources and the analytical instruments for their identifications are systematically summarized. Thirdly, the advanced electronic nose and photonic nose technologies for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detection are well introduced. The existed obstacles and future perspectives are deeply thought and discussed. This article could give a good guidance to researchers in this interdisciplinary field, not only understanding the cutting-edge detection technologies for doctors (medicinal background), but also making reference to clarify the choice of aimed VOCs during the sensor research for chemists, materials scientists, electronics engineers, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a long-term challenging task to develop an intelligent agent that is able to navigate in 3D environment using only visual input in an end-to-end manner. In this paper, we introduce a goal-conditioned reinforcement learning framework for vision-based UAV navigation, and then develop a Memory Enhanced DRL agent with dynamic relative goal, extra action penalty and non-sparse reward to tackle the UAV navigation problem. This enables the agent to escape from the objective-obstacle dilemma. By performing experimental evaluations in high-fidelity visual environments simulated by Airsim, we show that our proposed memory-enhanced model can achieve higher success rate with less training steps compared to the DRL agents without memories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CD47 is a marker of self and a signaling receptor for thrombospondin-1 that is also a component of extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by various cell types. Previous studies identified CD47-dependent functional effects of T cell EVs on target cells, mediated by delivery of their RNA contents, and enrichment of specific subsets of coding and noncoding RNAs in CD47+ EVs. Mass spectrometry was employed here to identify potential mechanisms by which CD47 regulates the trafficking of specific RNAs to EVs. Specific interactions of CD47 and its cytoplasmic adapter ubiquilin-1 with components of the exportin-1/Ran nuclear export complex were identified and confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation. Exportin-1 is known to regulate nuclear to cytoplasmic trafficking of 5'-7-methylguanosine (m7G)-modified microRNAs and mRNAs that interact with its cargo protein EIF4E. Interaction with CD47 was inhibited following alkylation of exportin-1 at Cys528 by its covalent inhibitor leptomycin B. Leptomycin B increased levels of m7G-modified RNAs, and their association with exportin-1 in EVs released from wild type but not CD47-deficient cells. In addition to perturbing nuclear to cytoplasmic transport, transcriptomic analyses of EVs released by wild type and CD47-deficient Jurkat T cells revealed a global CD47-dependent enrichment of m7G-modified microRNAs and mRNAs in EVs released by CD47-deficient cells. Correspondingly, decreasing CD47 expression in wild type cells or treatment with thrombospondin-1 enhanced levels of specific m7G-modified RNAs released in EVs, and re-expressing CD47 in CD47-deficient T cells decreased their levels. Therefore, CD47 signaling limits the trafficking of m7G-modified RNAs to EVs through physical interactions with the exportin-1/Ran transport complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: With China's rapid urbanization and pressure to realize carbon neutrality, renovation waste minimization has become a vital issue. There have been a considerable number of studies focusing on renovation waste in terms of quantification, framework, and management problems, but few empirical studies have focused on the behavioural aspects of employees towards renovation waste minimization. This study aims to identify the critical factors determining employees' pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) towards renovation waste minimization (RWM). Methods: A conceptual model based on social cognitive theory was firstly developed. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to the employees of renovation projects in the city of Nanjing, China. 258 valid questionnaire was collected, representing a valid response rate of 32.3%. SPSS 25.0 was employed to conduct factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis and hierarchical regression analysis to test the proposed model. Results: The result of descriptive analysis showed that employees' altruistic value and PEB towards RWM held the highest scores among all the variables, while financial rewards and outcome expectations were ranked as the lowest. The analysis reveals that altruistic values, outcome expectations, and interpersonal influence are the critical factors in predicting employees' PEB towards RWM. Conclusion: The findings identified the significant determinants of PEB towards RWM and provide a valuable reference for renovation organizations and policymakers when designing guidelines and policies to promote renovation employees' PEB towards RWM. The moderating and mediating effect of financial rewards are suggested for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unprecedented growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) has led to a huge amount of wireless resource consumption in a network. Due to limited wireless resources, a network can only guarantee the quality of service (QoS) of authenticated users rather than that of all users. By acknowledging this limitation, we realise that user authentication would be a big issue in IoT networks. Although traditional authentication methods can enhance network security to a certain extent, their vulnerability to malicious attacks and the relevant complicated computations restrict IoT deployments. In this paper, a radio frequency (RF) fingerprinting based authentication scheme is proposed under the architecture of convolutional neural network (CNN). It can effectively prevent unauthenticated users from consuming valuable wireless resources and significantly improve QoS performance for legitimate users. By solving an NP-hard optimization problem with the objective of minimizing efficient energy density, we demonstrate an approximate optimal resource allocation scheme in consideration of an RF-fingerprinting based authentication process. The analytic results show that our proposed scheme can dramatically reduce the efficient energy density compared with traditional cryptography based authentication schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new monotypic diatom genus Chinia gen. nov. from estuarine mangrove habitats in Fujian, China is described. Light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy observations of its morphology show that this diatom differs from any established raphid diatom genus. The new genus is distinguished by a strongly undulate valve face, eccentric raphe canal, and perforated copulae. Its distinctly elevated and perforated raphe canal, classified as simonsenioid type, is supported by sparse infundibulum-like portulae, and the portulae are separated by large fenestrae. The valves of Chinia also have hymenate areolar occlusions and the raphe lacks a central nodule. However, unlike most Bacillariaceae with two plastids, including Simonsenia, Chinia has a single plastid similar to those in Entomoneis and Surirella. Despite the similarities to Simonsenia, Chinia features porous raphe canal and loose striation, which is different from those of Simonsenia that has a solid raphe canal and distinct rows of areolae. These distinctive cytological and morphological characters suggest an affinity of the new genus to the Bacillariaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corrosion environment of a steel truss bridge significantly shortens its service life, particularly the chemical pollution in the air. A linear corrosion prediction model is proposed based on Miner's linear cumulative damage concept to solve the difficulty of implementing accelerated corrosion tests. Moreover, an equivalent fatigue test is designed in combination with the corrosion prediction model. The results indicate that the bridge's fatigue resistance can meet the design requirements when the corrosion environment is not considered. When the corrosion effects are jointly considered, the fatigue durability of the bridge is insufficient. With the increase in fatigue cycles, stiffness degradation presents a three-stage trend. The intermediate stage is a gentle development stage from the fatigue test results, accounting for approximately 80% of the total life cycles. Finally, a fatigue damage prediction model considering corrosion factors is established, and the law of fatigue damage and stiffness degradation of the structure under a corrosive environment is determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ternary strategy is one of the most effective methods to further boost the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs). In terms of high-efficiency PM6:Y6 binary systems, there is still room to further reduce energy loss (Eloss) through regulating molecular packing and aggregation by introducing a third component in the construction of ternary OPVs. Here we introduce a simple molecule BR1 based on an acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) structure with a wide bandgap and high crystallinity into PM6:Y6-based OPVs. It is proved that BR1 can be selectively dispersed into the donor phase in the PM6:Y6 and reduce disorder in the ternary blends, thus resulting in lower Eloss, non-rad and Eloss. Furthermore, the mechanism study reveals well-develop phase separation morphology and complemented absorption spectra in the ternary blends, leading to higher charge mobility, suppressed recombination, which concurrently contributes to the significantly improved PCE of 17.23% for the ternary system compared with the binary ones (16.21%). This work provides an effective approach to improve the performance of the PM6:Y6-based OPVs by adopting a ternary strategy with a simple molecule as the third component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, an E-plane substrate is inserted into the W-band standard waveguide to construct a bandpass filter (BPF) with high selectivity. This E-plane waveguide BPF with three transmission zeroes (TZs) is developed by using a novel compact beeline resonant cell (CBRC) and uniform-impedance resonant cells (UIRCs). It is shown that the locations of the TZs can be designed. Three TZs, with two located in the upper stopband, and the other one located in the lower stopband, are produced by a novel CBRC and two UIRCs, respectively. For verification, the BPF prototype is designed, fabricated and measured, whose total length is just 3.21 mm, namely, less than 0.83 λg (λg is the waveguide wavelength at the center frequency). Moreover, the minimum insertion loss (IL) is only 1.02 dB, and the measured return loss (RL) of the proposed BPF is greater than 14 dB at the frequency range of 94 to 99.3 GHz. The 3-dB fractional bandwidth (FBW) is 6.5%, which is from 93.6 to 99.9 GHz. Good agreement between the simulations and measurements validates the design method. The proposed W-band E-plane waveguide BPF and the efficient design method used in their design are believed to be of importance for future filter device applications in millimeter wave systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the key challenges in scientific researches based on free-electron lasers (FELs) is the characterization of the coherence time of the ultra-fast hard x-ray pulse, which fundamentally influences the interaction process between x-rays and materials. Conventional optical methods, based on autocorrelation, are very difficult to realize due to the lack of mirrors. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a novel method which yields a coherence time of 174.7 attoseconds for the 6.92 keV FEL pulses at the Linac Coherent Light Source. In our experiment, a phase shifter is adopted to control the cross-correlation between x-ray and microbunched electrons. This approach provides critical diagnostics for the temporal coherence of x-ray FELs and is universal for general machine parameters; applicable for wide range of photon energy, radiation brightness, repetition rate and FEL pulse duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau is one of the most significant deforming regions in China, and even the world, leading to an urgent need to assess the potential earthquake hazard along its complex geological structures. The moment deficit estimate is a well-established way of assessing earthquake hazards in seismic zones. In this study, we derive an improved crustal deformation field for the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau by using a new Global Positioning System (GPS) dataset that includes both the published and latest observations from the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China from 1998 to 2020. We employ the new GPS velocities to estimate two-dimensional strain rates in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, including the derivatives of maximum shear strain rates. The geodetic strain rates are used to calculate the geodetic moment accumulation rates, which are then compared with the seismic moment release derived from historical earthquakes over the past hundreds of years at 14 seismic zones. Our results reveal that the crustal strain accumulation is substantially released by earthquakes occurring in the Xianshuihe, Xiaojiang, and Chuxiong–Jianshui zones. For the remaining seismogenic zones, the geodetic moment rates are found to be remarkably higher than the seismic rates, with ratios of around 2.1–7.8. In the Litang–Muli, Ganzi–Yushu, Songpan–Longmenshan, western Yunnan, and Anninghe zones, the seismic moment rate deficits are estimated to be 3.6 × 1017 Nm/year, 15.5 × 1017 Nm/year, 20.2 × 1017 Nm/year, 11.0 × 1017 Nm/year, and 21.8 × 1017 Nm/year, respectively, indicating a possible high level of seismic hazard in the future. However, aseismic processes such as creep and ductile deformation might modulate a large proportion of the total strain accumulation in the northwestern Yunnan zone, possibly accounting for the discrepancies between the estimated geodetic and seismic moments and thus making the assessment of earthquake potential quite vague. This study demonstrates that insightful comparison of geodetic and seismic moments could be beneficial for assessing earthquake hazards on the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clean-energy substitution technology for existing residential buildings in cities is an inevitable choice for sustainable development and low-carbon ecological city construction. In this paper, the current status of energy-saving renovation and renewable-energy applications for existing residential buildings in various cities in China was summarized by using statistical methods. The geographical distribution of clean-energy power generation in primary energy production in China was explored in depth. According to different climatic divisions for existing urban residences, clean-energy production and consumption were analyzed and predicted based on the STIRPAT model. The results show that the energy consumption of urban residential buildings in 2016 increased by 43.6% compared with 2009, and the percentage of clean energy also increased from 7.9% to 13.4%. Different climatic regions have different advantages regarding clean energy: nuclear power generation leads in the region that experiences hot summers and warm winters, whereas wind and solar power generation lead in the cold and severely cold regions. The present results provide basic data support for the planning and implementation of clean-energy upgrading and transformation systems in existing urban residences in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout their lifetime, fish maintain a high capacity for regenerating complex tissues after injury. We utilized a larval tail regeneration assay in the zebrafish Danio rerio, which serves as an ideal model of appendage regeneration due to its easy manipulation, relatively simple mixture of cell types, and superior imaging properties. Regeneration of the embryonic zebrafish tail requires development of a blastema, a mass of dedifferentiated cells capable of replacing lost tissue, a crucial step in all known examples of appendage regeneration. Using this model, we show that tail amputation triggers an obligate metabolic shift to promote glucose metabolism during early regeneration similar to the Warburg effect observed in tumor forming cells. Inhibition of glucose metabolism did not affect the overall health of the embryo but completely blocked the tail from regenerating after amputation due to the failure to form a functional blastema. We performed a time series of single-cell RNA sequencing on regenerating tails with and without inhibition of glucose metabolism. We demonstrated that metabolic reprogramming is required for sustained TGF-β signaling and blocking glucose metabolism largely mimicked inhibition of TGF-β receptors, both resulting in an aberrant blastema. Finally, we showed using genetic ablation of three possible metabolic pathways for glucose, that metabolic reprogramming is required to provide glucose specifically to the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway while neither glycolysis nor the pentose phosphate pathway were necessary for regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a growing public health problem worldwide and its etiology remains unclear. The pathophysiology of GDM is similar to that of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and insulin resistance (IR) is the main reason for the development of GDM. Carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A) is a candidate gene for metabolic disorders; however, the association of the CPT1A gene and GDM has not yet been studied. We aimed to explore whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the CPT1A gene could influence the risk of GDM. Methods: We examined 18 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CPT1A gene and the risk of GDM in a nested case-control study of 334 GDM patients and 334 controls. The controls who had no GDM were randomly selected through matching to cases by age and residence. Results: After adjusting the family history of diabetes, pre-pregnancy body mass index, and multiple comparison correction, the CPT1A rs2846194 and rs2602814 were associated with reduced GDM risk while rs59506005 was associated with elevated GDM risk. Moreover, the GGAC haplotype in the CPT1A gene (rs17399246 rs1016873 rs11228450 rs10896396) was associated with a reduced risk of GDM. Conclusion: Our study provides evidence for an association between genetic polymorphisms in the CPT1A and the risk of GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, biomimetic scaffold is one of the most promising strategies in the field of bone tissue engineering. Zirconia (ZrO2), as a kind of bioceramic material, has attracted much attention in biomimetic scaffolds due to its excellent biocompatibility, high mechanical strength and great chemical stability. A lot of work has been carried out to investigate the characteristics and applications of the zirconia-based biomimetic scaffolds. However, there is few work which can provide a systematic comparison and overview on the research progress of zirconia-based biomimetic scaffolds. This review focuses on the properties and preparations of ZrO2 and its composite materials. In addition, the roles of ZrO2 along with other materials as scaffolds for bone tissue repair applications are highlighted. Simultaneously, the limitations of materials and technology are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Au nanoparticles (NPs) have been found to be excellent glucose oxidase mimics, while the catalytic processes have rarely been studied. Here, we reveal that the process of glucose oxidation catalyzed by Au NPs is as the same as that of natural glucose oxidase, namely, a two-step reaction including the dehydrogenation of glucose and the subsequent reduction of O2 to H2O2 by two electrons. Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh, and Ir NPs can also catalyze the dehydrogenation of glucose, except that O2 is preferably reduced to H2O. By the electron transfer feature of noble metal NPs, we overcame the limitation that H2O2 must be produced in the traditional two-step glucose assay and realize the rapid colorimetric detections of glucose. Inspired by the electron transport pathway in the catalytic process of natural enzymes, noble metal NPs have also been found to mimic various enzymatic electron transfer reactions including cytochrome c, coenzymes as well as nitrobenzene reductions. Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with enzyme-like activities are useful glucose oxidase mimics, but the insights into the mechanism of this reaction are limited. Here, the authors show that the process of glucose oxidation by Au NPs is analogous to the one catalysed by glucose oxidase, involving dehydrogenation and oxygen reduction to H2O2; and that other noble metal NPs also catalyse glucose dehydrogenation, but oxygen is preferably reduced to water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working temperature, sensitivity, and selectivity are some of the characteristics of the applied gas sensors. How to design and fabricate an ideal gas sensor working at room temperature is still challenging and attracting lots of interest. Two-dimensional (2D) materials with ultra-thin structure have been demonstrated as a family of ideal candidates to achieve this goal. Among them, Ti3C2Tx MXene, a kind of layered sheet synthesized by selectively etching MAX phases materials, shows remarkable potential to be the sensitive materials solely or in a composite. However, their designing rules are still lacking critical thinking from the viewpoint of the intrinsic property of Ti3C2Tx MXene based materials. In this article, two critical features, i.e., the thickness of the sensitive materials, and the scope of the analytes, are elaborated towards Ti3C2Tx MXene based gas sensors after characterizing the performance of sensing reducing gases (NH3 and CO) and oxidizing gas (NO2). First, the thinner the Ti3C2Tx MXene sensitive layer, the better the sensitivity. Second, the Ti3C2Tx MXene based gas sensor is not suitable for strong and moderate oxidation gas due to its ease of oxidation. These two rules are demonstrated, and could be considered with priority both in the future researches and practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speed scaling problems consider energy-efficient job scheduling in processors by adjusting the speed to reduce energy consumption, where power consumption is a convex function of speed (usually, P(s)=sα,α=2,3). In this work, we study speed scaling problems considering memory/cache. Each job needs some time for memory operation when it is fetched from memory, and needs less time if fetched from the cache. The objective is to minimize energy consumption while satisfying the time constraints of the jobs. Two models are investigated, the non-cache model and the with-cache model. The non-cache model is a variant of the ideal model, where each job i needs a fixed ci time for its memory operation; the with-cache model further considers the cache, a memory device with much faster access time but limited space. The uniform with-cache model is a special case of the with-cache model in which all ci values are the same. We provide an O(n3) time algorithm and an improved O(n2logn) time algorithm to compute the optimal solution in the non-cache model. For the with-cache model, we prove that it is NP-complete to compute the optimal solution. For the uniform with-cache model with agreeable jobs (later-released jobs do not have earlier deadlines), we derive an O(n4) time algorithm to compute the optimal schedule, while for the general case we propose a (2αgg-1)α/2-approximation algorithm in a resource augmentation setting in which the memory operation time can accelerate by at most g times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]