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Light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) based on perovskite quantum dots (QDs), abbreviated as P‐QLEDs have been regarded as significantly crucial emitters for lighting and displays. Efficient and stable P‐QLEDs still lack ideal electron transport materials (ETM), which could efficiently block hole, transport electron, reduce interface non‐radiative recombination and possess high thermal stability. Here, we report 2,4,6‐Tris(3′‐(pyridine‐3‐yl) biphenyl‐3‐yl)‐1,3,5‐triazine (TmPPPyTz, 3P) with strong electron‐withdrawing moieties of pyridine and triazine to modulate the performance of P‐QLEDs. Compared with commonly used 1,3,5‐Tris(1‐phenyl‐1H‐benzimidazol‐2‐yl)benzene (TPBi), the pyridine in 3P have a strong interaction with perovskites, which can effectively suppress the interface non‐radiative recombination caused by the Pb2+ defects on the surface of QDs. In addition, 3P have deep highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) (enhancing hole‐blocking properties), matched lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and excellent electron mobility (enhancing electron transport properties), realizing the carrier balance and maximizing the exciton recombination. Furthermore, high thermal resistance of 3P obviously improves the stability of QDs under variable temperature, continuous UV illumination, and electric field excitation. Resultantly, the P‐QLEDs using the 3P as ETM achieved an outstanding performance with a champion EQE of 30.2 % and an operational lifetime T50 of 3220 hours at an initial luminance of 100 cd m−2, which is 151 % and about 11‐fold improvement compared to control devices (EQE=20 %, T50=297 hours), respectively. These results provide a new concept for constructing the efficient and stable P‐QLEDs from the perspective of selective ETM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is intricately linked to cellular fates such as senescence, apoptosis, and impaired granulosa cell (GC) differentiation, each of which contributes to ovarian dysfunction and follicular depletion. Autophagy is essential in preventing POF by maintaining cellular homeostasis through the degradation and recycling of damaged organelles and proteins, thereby preserving ovarian function and preventing follicular depletion. Recent studies have revealed that the targeted regulation and disruption of autophagy through various molecular mechanisms ultimately lead to the pathogenesis of POF. In this review, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the disruption in regulatory mechanisms of autophagy contributing to POF. Specifically, we elucidate the molecular mechanisms that can be targeted to restore autophagy homeostasis, offering therapeutic potential for the treatment of POF. Significance Statement: This review investigates the critical role of autophagy in preventing POF, a condition causing infertility and other health issues in women. The purpose is to understand how disruptions in autophagy contribute to POF by examining its impact on several types of cells during follicle development. Autophagy dysregulation leads to compromised germ cell viability, disrupted oogonia‐to‐oocyte transformation, and impaired differentiation, which are central to POF pathogenesis. This work highlights the potential of targeting autophagy for developing new treatments, offering valuable insights for future research aimed at preserving ovarian function and fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic manipulation of an object's infrared radiation characteristics is a burgeoning technology with significant implications for energy and information fields. However, exploring efficient stimulus–spectral response mechanism and realizing simple device structures remains a formidable challenge. Here, a novel dynamic infrared emissivity regulation mechanism is proposed by controlling the localized surface plasmon resonance absorption of aluminum‐doped zinc oxide (AZO) nanocrystals through ultraviolet photocharging/oxidative discharging. A straightforward device architecture that integrates an AZO nanocrystal film with an infrared reflective layer and a substrate, functioning as a photo‐induced dynamic infrared emissivity modulator, which can be triggered by weak ultraviolet light in sunlight, is engineered. The modulator exhibits emissivity regulation amount of 0.72 and 0.61 in the 3–5 and 8–13 µm ranges, respectively. Furthermore, the modulator demonstrates efficient light triggering characteristic, broad spectral range, angular‐independent emissivity, and long cyclic lifespan. The modulator allows for self‐adaptive daytime radiative cooling and nighttime heating depending on the ultraviolet light in sunlight and O2 in air, thereby achieving smart thermal management for buildings with zero‐energy expenditure. Moreover, the potential applications of this modulator can extend to rewritable infrared displays and deceptive infrared camouflage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non‐contact intelligent sensing technology is a key player in the data acquisition and environmental monitoring framework of the Internet of Everything, laying the groundwork for the realization of highly integrated intelligent network systems. However, environmental factors continue to be a major challenge in the process of real‐time monitoring and feedback of objects, constraining the stability and accuracy of the sensing signals. In this study, a hierarchical spatial assembly strategy is implemented to effectively integrate an intermediate energy storage layer with superhydrophobic surfaces (CA = 162 ± 2.5°), resulting in the development of a moisture‐resistant triboelectric structural materials with stable monitoring and tracking capabilities. The moisture‐resistant self‐powered sensor constructed from this triboelectric structural material operates effectively in extreme humidity conditions (99% RH) with a full‐scale output retention rate of 95.2%, and is capable of accurately sensing human activity from the distance of 3 m. Importantly, the sensor can also effectively detect vehicle states during operation and perform real‐time monitoring of the vehicle's surrounding environment. This study not only overcomes the long‐standing challenges of accuracy and stability in high humidity for sensors but also advances the development of sustainable, interconnected intelligent systems for the Internet of Everything in extreme environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Rice dregs, a by‐product of the process of making sugar from broken rice, have a protein content of up to 70%. However, rice dreg protein (RDP) has not yet been fully utilized due to its high‐temperature liquefaction denaturation during sugar production. In this study, the structural, functional, and in vitro digestive properties of rice protein (RP) extracted from broken rice and RDP derived from rice dregs were compared, with a view to providing a basis for further utilization of RDP. Findings: Although RDP was a heat‐denatured protein, it was found to have relatively better functional properties and a well‐balanced amino acid composition. Structural analysis results revealed that RDP showed a looser and disordered structure. However, SDS‐PAGE results showed that the subunit composition of the two proteins was similar. The in vitro simulated digestion results showed that the digests of RDP had higher antioxidant and ACE inhibitory activity, but RDP showed significantly lower digestibility than RP. Conclusions: Through relevant modifications of RDP, RDP has the potential to be a good source of high‐quality protein in the human diet as the demand for plant‐based protein increases. Significance and Novelty: This study can provide a basic theoretical basis for further development and utilization of RDP, which is also of great practical significance for seeking new plant protein resources and increasing the added value of broken rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low gain in the presence of a single transverse external electric field limits the application of metal‐semiconductor‐metal (MSM) photodetectors. Here, a longitudinal built‐in electric field by spin‐coating CH3NH3PbI3:PC61BM on the electrode region of an Au/ZnO MSM photodetector, which constitutes a vertically crossed composite electric field with a transverse external electric field, is constructed. In this case, the transverse electric field collects the electrons, and the longitudinal electric field separates them. Based on this novel electric field structure, carrier multiplication at lower voltage conditions is achieved. Compared to the low voltage, there is a significant amplification effect when the voltage reaches 7 V. The responsivity is increased ≈270 times for UV–vis wavelengths, escalating from ≈0.02 to ≈5.4 A W−1. This study provides a novel carrier transport control scheme for high‐gain perovskite‐based photodetectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Mitochondria‐associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes (MAMs) serve as a crucial bridge connecting the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria within cells. Vesicle‐associated membrane protein‐associated protein B (VAPB) and protein tyrosine phosphatase interacting protein 51 (PTPIP51) are responsible for the formation and stability of MAMs, which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases. However, the role of MAMs in ischemic stroke (IS) remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the role of MAMs tethering protein VAPB‐PTPIP51 in experimental cerebral ischemia. Methods: We simulated cerebral ischemia–reperfusion injury (CIRI) by using a mouse middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model. Results: We observed a decrease in VAPB‐PTPIP51 expression in the brain tissue. Our findings suggested compromised MAMs after MCAO, as a decreased mitochondria–ER contact (MERC) coverage and an increased distance were observed through the transmission electron microscope (TEM). Upon VAPB or PTPIP51 knockdown, the damage to MAMs was exacerbated, accompanied by excessive autophagy activation and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, resulting in an enlarged infarct area and exacerbated neurological deficits. Notably, we observed that this damage was concomitant with the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and was successfully mitigated by the treatment with the PI3K activator. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the downregulation of VAPB‐PTPIP51 expression after IS mediates structural damage to MAMs. This may exacerbate CIRI by inhibiting the PI3K pathway and activating autophagy, thus providing new therapeutic targets for IS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of new media has greatly changed the lifestyles, leading to increased time on these platforms and less time spent reading. This shift has particularly profound impacts on early adolescents, who are in a critical stage of brain development. Previous studies have found associations between screen use and mental health, but it remains unclear whether screen use is the direct cause of the outcomes. Here, the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) dataset is utlized to examine the causal relationships between screen use and brain development. The results revealed adverse causal effects of screen use on language ability and specific behaviors in early adolescents, while reading has positive causal effects on their language ability and brain volume in the frontal and temporal regions. Interestingly, increased screen use is identified as a result, rather than a cause, of certain behaviors such as rule‐breaking and aggressive behaviors. Furthermore, the analysis uncovered an indirect influence of screen use, mediated by changes in reading habits, on brain development. These findings provide new evidence for the causal influences of screen use on brain development and highlight the importance of monitoring media use and related habit change in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic positioning (DP) system is an advanced positioning system widely used in various special operation ships, and the design of control strategies to cope with different constraint conditions is the core technology of DP system research. In this study, a novel dual‐loop control law is proposed to effectively tackle the control challenges encountered by DP ships, particularly in the presence of input saturation and error constraints. Firstly, a saturation handling model is designed to avoid input saturation in the system. Subsequently, a dual‐loop DP control scheme is developed. The outer‐loop is responsible for the ship's position and heading control, while concurrently providing the command velocity signal essential for the inner‐loop. Specifically, a prescribed performance control strategy is designed in the outer‐loop to ensure precise control over positioning errors within predefined ranges and achieve desirable transient and steady‐state performance. The inner‐loop controls the ship's velocity signal, in which a feedback control law is designed based on Hamilton‐Jacobi‐Issacs (HJI) inequality to estimate generalized faults of the DP system. Finally, the proposed control law is validated through numerical simulations on a 76.2 m supply ship, demonstrating superior transient and steady‐state performance compared to existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pore‐fracture structure distribution heterogeneity (PFSH) affects dynamic variation of porosity‐permeability of tight sandstone reservoirs, then restricting gas production performance. A fractal model by low‐field nuclear magnetic resonance technology (LF‐NMR) has been used in the quantitative characterization of PFSH. Among some literature, PFSH was studied by using a saturated T2 spectrum. However, there are few studies on fractal characteristics of T2 spectral morphology in a centrifugal state and its influence on porosity‐permeability parameters. In this paper, 30 tight sandstone samples were collected from Taiyuan Formation in Qinshui Basin. Then LF‐NMR technology was used to analyze PFSH, and sample types were divided by using T2 spectra difference under saturated and centrifugal conditions. Meanwhile, single (model 1 and 2) and multi‐fractal model are adopted to calculate fractal parameters of saturated and centrifugal T2 spectra, and then a difference in fractal parameters under different water conditions was compared. Correlation between different fractal parameters, pore structure and T2 cut‐off value are studied, and a mathematical prediction model for T2 cut‐off value by using fractal and pore structure parameters are established. The results are as follows. (1) All the samples are divided into four types A/B/C/D. For example, the type A sample is characterized by a single peak of T2 spectrum and T2 value is less than 10 ms, which indicates that this type belongs a smaller‐pore developed. Type B sample is characterized by a single peak of T2 spectrum and T2 value is10–100 ms, which indicates that this type belongs to mesopore developed. (2) In saturated state (DS), PFSH of type A sample by using model 1 and 2 is stronger than that of type B, followed by type C and D. Then the multifractal model shows that PFSH of type B sample is stronger than that of other sample types. Correlation between fractal dimension calculated by using single fractal and pore structure parameters is stronger than that of multifractal dimension. (3) T2 spectrum in centrifugal state has fractal characteristics (Di), and there are certain correlation Di with Ds. Therefore, a mathematical prediction model for T2 cut‐off value by using fractal and pore structure parameters is established. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although significant progress has been made in improving the external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of perovskite quantum dot (QD) light‐emitting diodes (QLEDs), understanding the degradation mechanism and enhancing stability remain a challenge. Herein, increasing the content of Br‐based passivation ligands is shown to enhance the EQE up to 16.1% by reducing the defects of CsPbBr3 QDs in a Br‐rich environment. However, the operational lifetimes of perovskite QLEDs gradually decrease with the increase of halide content, owing to the intensified ion migration under continuous electric field confirmed by the current behavior of QLEDs and time‐of‐flight secondary‐ion mass spectrometry. Furthermore, a thorough analysis of the relationship between electricity and luminance of QLEDs suggests that a small amount of residue oleic acid ligands could weaken ion migration. Accordingly, a halide‐ and acid‐hybrid (HAH) co‐passivation strategy is proposed to optimize the content of Br‐ and acid‐based ligands, and achieve a maximum EQE of 18.6% and an operational lifetime (T50, extrapolated) of 213 h for CsPbBr3 QLEDs. This approach for passivating QDs combines the high efficiency of Br‐based ligands with the improved stability of acid‐based ligands. The study elucidates the correlation between ligands and device performance, highlighting the significance of two or even multiple ligands for efficient and stable perovskite QLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) status plays an important role in treatment decision‐making in rectal cancer (RC). Intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) imaging has been shown to detect LVI; however, making better use of IVIM data remains an important issue that needs to be discussed. Purpose: We proposed to explore the best way to use IVIM quantitative parameters and images to construct radiomics models for the noninvasive detection of LVI in RC. Methods: A total of 83 patients (LVI negative (LVI‐): LVI positive (LVI+) = 51:32) with postoperative pathology‐confirmed LVI status in RC were divided into a training group (n = 58) and a validation group (n = 25). Images were acquired from a 3.0 Tesla machine, including oblique axial T2 weighted imaging (T2WI) and IVIM with 11 b values. The ADC, D, D* and f values were measured on IVIM maps. The ROIs of tumors were delineated on T2WI, DWI, ADCmap, and Dmap images, and three mapping methods were used: ROIs_mapping from DWI, ROIs_mapping from ADCmap, and ROIs_mapping from Dmap. Three‐dimensional radiomics features were extracted from the delineated ROIs. Multivariate logistic regression was used for radiomics feature selection. Radiomics models based on different mapping methods were developed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration, and decision curve analyses (DCA) were used to evaluate the performance of the models. Results: Model B, which was constructed with radiomics features from ADCmap, Dmap and fmap by "ROIs_mapping from DWI" and T2WI (AUC 0.894), performed better than other models based on single sequence (AUC 0.600‐0.806) and even better than Model A, which was based on "ROIs_mapping from ADC" and T2WI (AUC 0.838). Furthermore, an integrated model was constructed with Model B and the IVIM parameter (f value) with an AUC of 0.920 (95% CI: 0.820‐1.000), which was higher than that of Model B, in the validation group. Conclusions: The integrated model incorporating the radiomics features and IVIM parameters accurately detected LVI of RC. The "ROIs_mapping from DWI" method provided the best results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigenetic reprogramming during fertilization and somatic cell nuclear transfer (NT) is required for cell plasticity and competent development. Here, we characterize the epigenetic modification pattern of H4K20me3, a repressive histone signature in heterochromatin, during fertilization and NT reprogramming. Importantly, the dynamic H4K20me3 signature identified during preimplantation development in fertilized embryos differed from NT and parthenogenetic activation (PA) embryos. In fertilized embryos, only maternal pronuclei carried the canonical H4K20me3 peripheral nucleolar ring‐like signature. H4K20me3 disappeared at the 2‐cell stage and reappeared in fertilized embryos at the 8‐cell stage and in NT and PA embryos at the 4‐cell stage. H4K20me3 intensity in 4‐cell, 8‐cell, and morula stages of fertilized embryos was significantly lower than in NT and PA embryos, suggesting aberrant regulation of H4K20me3 in PA and NT embryos. Indeed, RNA expression of the H4K20 methyltransferase Suv4‐20h2 in 4‐cell fertilized embryos was significantly lower than NT embryos. Knockdown of Suv4‐20h2 in NT embryos rescued the H4K20me3 pattern similar to fertilized embryos. Compared to control NT embryos, knockdown of Suv4‐20h2 in NT embryos improved blastocyst development ratios (11.1% vs. 30.5%) and full‐term cloning efficiencies (0.8% vs. 5.9%). Upregulation of reprogramming factors, including Kdm4b, Kdm4d, Kdm6a, and Kdm6b, as well as ZGA‐related factors, including Dux, Zscan4, and Hmgpi, was observed with Suv4‐20h2 knockdown in NT embryos. Collectively, these are the first findings to demonstrate that H4K20me3 is an epigenetic barrier of NT reprogramming and begin to unravel the epigenetic mechanisms of H4K20 trimethylation in cell plasticity during natural reproduction and NT reprogramming in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mutations in the hemoglobin subunit delta (HBD) gene (MIM#142000) are associated with decreased levels of the Hemoglobin A2 (Hb A2) fraction. We aimed to examine the prevalence of HBD gene mutations and summarize their characteristics in the Chinese population. Methods: Individuals who exhibited Hb A2 levels below 1.8%, with or without Hb A2 variant peaks, were chosen for further investigation. Hemoglobin analysis was conducted using capillary electrophoresis. Common α and β‐thalassemia in China were detected using gap‐PCR and reverse dot blot hybridization. The presence of HBD gene mutations was confirmed by DNA sequencing. Results: A total of 188 patients were identified as carriers of the HBD gene mutation, with a prevalence of approximately 0.46%. We discovered 36 types of mutations, 30 of which resulted in δ‐globin variants, while the remaining 6 resulted in δ‐thalassemia. The most common mutation was HBD:c.‐127 T > C, accounting for 87.2% of δ‐thalassemia cases. In addition, we identified 11 novel HBD gene mutations and found 10 cases compounded with other common thalassemias. Conclusion: We observed a high prevalence of HBD gene mutations in southern China. Our findings provide a genetic basis for screening for δ‐thalassemia and enrich the spectrum of HBD gene mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Prior observational studies have reported that levels of sex hormones constitute a risk factor for the fracture. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether there is a causal relationship between the levels of sex hormones and the risk of fracture through Mendelian randomization (MR). Methods: Single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with two indicators of sex hormone levels, circulating sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG) and bioavailable testosterone levels, as exposures were selected from a large genome‐wide association study (GWAS) from UK Biobank. The summary statistics for 11 different types of fracture as outcomes from the FinnGen consortium. This study employed the two‐sample MR approach. For the main analysis, the inverse‐variance‐weighted (IVW) method was utilized. To assess the heterogeneity of MR results, the IVW method and MR–Egger method were utilized. To evaluate potential pleiotropy, MR–Egger regression was conducted. Additionally, a leave‐one‐SNP‐out test was performed to assess the robustness of MR results to the exclusion of any individual SNP. Results: The MR analyses demonstrated a conspicuous impact of SHBG on the risk of pathological fracture with osteoporosis (OP). We found that an increase of one standard deviation (SD) in SHBG correspondingly increased the risk of pathological fracture with OP [odds ratio (OR) 2.42, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.52–3.85; p = 1.93 × 10−4]. The bioavailable testosterone showed the negative casual genetic associations with fractures of foot and forearm. An increase of one SD in the genetically predetermined bioavailable testosterone was associated with a reduction of 37% in the risk of fracture of foot (OR 0.63, 95% Cl 0.49 to 0.81; p = 3.37 × 10−4), as well as a 39% decrease in the risk of fracture of forearm (OR 0.61, 95% Cl 0.50 to 0.76; p = 5.40 × 10−6). Conclusions: Our study confirms that individuals experiencing elevated SHBG concentrations showed a major causal effect on pathological fracture with OP. High bioavailable testosterone levels play an important role in preventing the fractures of foot and forearm. Although increasing bioavailable testosterone and decreasing SHBG levels had no casual effect on most fractures in the general population, they are likely to have the most clinically relevant effect on certain fracture risk reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient, LiN(SiMe3)2‐mediated phosphorylation of terminal alkynes with chlorodiphenylphosphine oxide has been developed to synthesize alkynylphosphine oxides. This transition‐metal‐free protocol was featured with simple operation, mild reaction conditions, and broad substrate scope. The tolerance of halogen and ester substituents displayed the advantages of this new method over the traditional ones. In addition, the application potential was demonstrated by the gram‐scale reaction. When using diisopropyl chlorophosphate and chlorodiphenylphosphine, the corresponding alkynylphosphate and alkynylphosphine could also been produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful modeling of degradation data is of great importance for both accurate reliability assessment and effective maintenance decision‐making. Many of existing degradation performance modeling approaches either assume a homogeneous population of units or characterize a heterogeneous population with some restrictive assumptions, such as pre‐specifying the number of sub‐populations. This paper proposes a Bayesian heterogeneous degradation performance modeling framework to relax the conventional modeling assumptions. Specifically, a Bayesian non‐parametric model formulation and learning algorithm are proposed to characterize the historical degradation data of a heterogeneous population of units with an unknown number of homogeneous sub‐populations and allowing the joint model estimation and sub‐population number identification. Based on the off‐line population‐level model, an on‐line individual‐level degradation model with sequential model updating is further developed to improve remaining useful life prediction of individual units with sparse data. A real case study using the heterogeneous degradation data of deteriorating roads is provided to illustrate the proposed approach and demonstrate its validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In numerous observational studies, there has been an indication that educational attainment (EA) can impact the intensity of pain and disability resulting from chronic musculoskeletal disorders. Nonetheless, the association observed in these studies is not entirely conclusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic causal relationship between educational attainment and 12 musculoskeletal disorders using Mendelian randomization (MR). Methods: The meta‐analysis of genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) identified 3952 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with educational attainment (EA) from the Social Science Genetic Association Consortium (SSGAC). Genetic data for 12 musculoskeletal disorders, including osteonecrosis, osteoporosis, osteomyelitis, low back pain, gout, spinal stenosis, rheumatoid arthritis, meniscus derangement, rotator cuff syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis, cervicobrachial syndrome, and lateral epicondylitis, were obtained from the FinnGen consortium. We conducted a two‐sample Mendelian randomization analysis to examine the causal effect of EA on the risk of these musculoskeletal disorders using the TwoSampleMR package in R. Results: Based on the inverse‐variance weighted (IVW) method, we found that a genetically predicted per standard deviation (SD) increase in EA was inversely associated with low back pain [odds ratio (OR) 0.46, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 0.51–0.61, p < 0.001], spinal stenosis (OR 0.62, 95% Cl 0.54–0.71, p < 0.001), rheumatoid arthritis (OR 0.65, 95% Cl 0.55–0.76, p < 0.001), meniscus derangement (OR 0.73, 95% Cl 0.65–0.82, p < 0.001), rotator cuff syndrome (OR 0.55, 95% Cl 0.49–0.61, p < 0.001), cervicobrachial syndrome (OR 0.50, 95% Cl 0.42–0.60, p < 0.001), and lateral epicondylitis (OR 0.30, 95% Cl 0.24–0.37, p < 0.001). There was no causal association between EA and osteonecrosis (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.76–1.72, p = 0.60), osteoporosis (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.65–1.27, p = 0.59), or osteomyelitis (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.75–1.01, p = 0.22). Genetic predisposition to EA had a suggestive causal association with gout (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.68–0.95, p = 0.01) and ankylosing spondylitis (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.45–0.91, p = 0.01) after Bonferroni correction. None of the analyses revealed any horizontal pleiotropy or heterogeneity. Conclusion: In our investigation, we have uncovered evidence supporting a causal relationship between low level of EA and the incidence of certain musculoskeletal disorders. In the future, it is imperative to ascertain risk factors such as lifestyle patterns linked with EA to uncover the underlying causal relationship and offer informed interventions for individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposed a hybrid feature extraction algorithm based on local mean decomposition (LMD), which has better solved the existing problems of low classification performance and adaptability limitation. LMD is employed to decompose the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal into multiple components, and then, the hybrid features based on instantaneous energy, fuzzy entropy, and mathematical morphological features are extracted on specific components, and the optimal feature combination is selected by analysis of variance (ANOVA). Finally, the classification result is output by the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifier. The results show that the maximum accuracy of the subjects in Data Set III of BCI‐II by the method in this paper is 92.14%, and the maximum mutual information value is 0.8. The number of novel features used in this paper is small, and the complexity of the algorithm is reduced. It can adaptively select effective features according to individual differences and has good robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Perioperative enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols can improve the quality of healthcare and reduce hospitalization for patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA). The interval of staged bilateral THA under ERAS is still unclear. We attempt to ascertain the optimal interval of staged bilateral THA for reducing the perioperative complications and the cost of hospitalization. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients who received staged bilateral THA under ERAS performed at West China Hospital of Sichuan University from 2018 to 2021. The staged time was divided into two groups using four different cutoff points: (1) ≤3 months versus >3 months, (2) ≤4 months versus >4 months, (3) ≤5 months versus >5 months and (4) ≤6 months versus >6 months. Primary outcomes included the rate of perioperative complications and the cost of hospitalization. The secondary outcomes were the length of hospital stay (LOS), the rates of transfusion and albumin (Alb) administration, hemoglobin (Hb) decrease and serum Alb decrease. The categorical variables were compared using chi‐squared and/or two‐tailed Fisher's exact tests, whereas continuous variables were compared using two‐tailed independent t‐tests, the continuous variables which were asymmetrical distributions used a Kruskal–Wallis test. Results: With the application of ERAS, the rate of perioperative complications in the >5 months group was significantly lower than that in the ≤5 months group (13/195 vs. 45/307, p < 0.05). Concerning the cost of hospitalization, the >5 monthly intervals spent significantly less than the ≤5 monthly intervals ($ 8695.91 vs. $ 8919.71, p < 0.05). However, no significant difference was found for secondary outcomes such as the rate of transfusions and Alb administrations or decreases of Hb and Alb in the 5 months threshold. Conclusions: More than 5 months maybe a reasonable period to perform the first contralateral THA under ERAS regarding the rate of perioperative complications and the cost of hospitalization. However, more high‐quality research will include a larger sample size in the future to validate the appropriate time of staged bilateral THA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The implications of the interval of staged bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures for postoperative complications and costs are not clear. We aimed to determine the optimal time interval between the two stages of bilateral TKA procedures under the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol. Methods: This retrospective study of collected data included bilateral TKA cases under the ERAS protocol performed between 2018 and 2021 at the West China Hospital of Sichuan University. The staged time was subdivided into three groups according to the interval between the first TKA and second contralateral TKA: group 1: 2‐ to 6‐month, group 2: 6‐ to 12‐month, and group 3: >12 months. The primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative complications. The secondary outcomes were the length of hospital stay (LOS), hemoglobin (Hb) decrease, hematocrit (Hct) decrease, and albumin (Alb) decrease. Results: We analyzed 281 patients who underwent staged bilateral TKAs between 2018 and 2021 at the West China Hospital of Sichuan University. Regarding postoperative complications, there were no statistically significant differences among the three groups (P = 0.21). For the mean LOS, the 6‐ to 12‐month group had a significantly shorter LOS compared with the 2‐ to 6‐month group (P < 0.01). There was also a significant decrease in Hct of the 2‐ to 6‐month group compared with the 6‐ to 12‐month group and the >12 months group (P = 0.02; P < 0.05, respectively). Conclusion: Staging the second arthroplasty for more than a half year seems to offer a reduction in the rate of postoperative complications and LOS under ERAS protocol. ERAS shortens the interval of staged bilateral TKA by at least 6 months for patients who might receive their second surgery without the need to wait for an extended period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The optimal dose and efficacy of tranexamic acid (TXA) and epsilon‐aminocaproic acid (EACA) in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) were under controversial, and we aimed to make comparisons between different doses of TXA and EACA in intravenous (IV) or intra‐articular (IA) applications in patients undergoing TKA. Methods: This network meta‐analysis was guided by the Priority Reporting Initiative for Systematic Assessment and Meta‐Analysis (PRISMA). According to the administrations of antifibrinolytic agents, patients in eligible studies were divided into three subgroups: (i) IA applications of TXA and EACA; (ii) IV applications (g) of TXA and EACA; (iii) IV applications (mg/kg) of TXA and EACA. Total blood loss (TBL), hemoglobin (HB) drops and transfusion rates were the primary outcomes, while drainage volume, pulmonary embolism (PE) or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) risk were the secondary outcomes. A multivariate Bayesian random‐effects model was adopted in the network analysis. Results: A total of 38 eligible trials with different regimens were assessed. Overall inconsistency and heterogeneity were acceptable. Taking all primary outcomes into account, 1.0–3.0 g TXA were most effective in IA applications, 1–6 g TXA and 10–14 g EACA were most effective in IV applications (g), while 30 mg/kg TXA and 150 mg/kg EACA were most effective in IV applications (mg/kg). None of the regimens showed increasing risk for pulmonary embolism (PE) or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) compared with placebo. Conclusion: 0 g IA TXA, 1.0 g IV TXA or 10.0 g IV EACA, as well as 30 mg/kg IV TXA or 150 mg/kg IV EACA were most effective and enough to control bleeding for patients after TKA. TXA was at least 5 times more potent than EACA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: There were limited randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of epsilon‐aminocaproic acid (EACA) versus tranexamic acid (TXA) in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy and safety of TXA and EACA in the combination of intravenous (IV) and intra‐articular (IA) administration on reducing blood loss in patients following primary TKA. Methods: From January 2020 to January 2021, a total of 181 patients undergoing a primary unilateral TKA were enrolled in this prospective randomized controlled trial. Patients in the TXA group (n = 90) received 20 mg/kg of intravenous TXA preoperatively, 1 g of intra‐articular TXA intraoperatively, and three doses of 20 mg/kg intravenous TXA at 0, 3, 6 h postoperatively. Patients in the EACA group (n = 91) received 120 mg/kg of intravenous EACA preoperatively, 2 g of intra‐articular EACA intraoperatively, and three doses of 40 mg/kg intravenous EACA at 0, 3, 6 h postoperatively. The primary outcomes were total blood loss (TBL), transfusion rates and drop of hemoglobin (HB) level. The secondary outcomes included postoperative hospital stays and postoperative complications. The chi‐square tests and Fisher's exact tests were utilized to compare categorical variables, while the independent‐samples t‐tests and Mann–Whitney tests were used to compare continuous variables. Results: The patients who received TXA averaged less TBL than the patients who received EACA (831.83 ml vs 1065.49 ml, P = 0.015), and HB drop in TXA group was generally less than that of EACA group on postoperative day 1 and 3 (20.84 ± 9.48 g/L vs 24.99 ± 9.40 g/L, P = 0.004; 31.28 ± 11.19 vs 35.46 ± 12.26 g/L, P = 0.047). The length of postoperative stays in EACA group was 3.66 ± 0.81 day, which is longer than 2.62 ± 0.68 day in TXA group (P < 0.001). No transfusions were required in either group. The risk of nausea and vomiting in TXA group was significantly higher than that in EACA group (11/90 vs 0/91, P < 0.01). Conclusion: Although the TBL and HB drop were slightly greater in EACA group, these results were not clinically important, given that no transfusions were required. EACA could be an alternative to TXA, especially for patients with severe nausea and vomiting after using TXA postoperatively. Further studies are needed to adjust dosage of EACA to make better comparison of the two drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infantile hemangioma (IH) is the most common benign tumor in infancy. Propranolol, a nonselective β‐adrenergic receptor blocker, is now the first‐line therapy for IH. Recently, low sensitivity to propranolol therapy has become one major reason for the failure of IH treatment. However, the exact underlying mechanisms are yet to be fully elucidated. Here, we reported that pyruvate kinase isoform M2 (PKM2), an essential glycolytic enzyme, played a critical role in regulating the progression of IH and the therapeutic resistance of propranolol treatment. Shikonin reversed the propranolol resistance in hemangioma‐derived endothelial cells and in hemangioma animal models. Moreover, shikonin combined with propranolol could induce excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and lead to autophagic dysfunction, which is essential for the enhanced therapeutic sensitivity of propranolol treatment. Taken together, our results indicated that PKM2 has a significant role in hemangiomas progression and therapeutic resistance; it could be a safe and effective therapeutic strategy for those hemangiomas with poor propranolol sensitivity combined with shikonin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rectal cancer (RC) accounts for approximately one‐third of colorectal cancer (CRC), with death rates increasing in patients younger than 50 years old. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is routinely performed for tumor evaluation. However, the semantic features from images alone remain insufficient to guide treatment decisions. Functional MRIs are useful for revealing microstructural and functional abnormalities and nevertheless have low or modest repeatability and reproducibility. Therefore, during the preoperative evaluation and follow‐up treatment of patients with RC, novel noninvasive imaging markers are needed to describe tumor characteristics to guide treatment strategies and achieve individualized diagnosis and treatment. In recent years, the development of artificial intelligence (AI) has created new tools for RC evaluation based on MRI. In this review, we summarize the research progress of AI in the evaluation of staging, prediction of high‐risk factors, genotyping, response to therapy, recurrence, metastasis, prognosis, and segmentation with RC. We further discuss the challenges of clinical application, including improvement in imaging, model performance, and the biological meaning of features, which may also be major development directions in the future. Evidence Level: 5 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dots (CDs) were paid more and more attention for detecting ferric ions (Fe3+) containing in the organism or environment. Thus, nitrogen and phosphorus co‐doping green CDs were synthesized using p‐Phenylenediamine as the carbon source and phosphoric acid as phosphorus source by the solvo‐thermal method. As‐prepared CDs were characterized by morphology, optical properties, and surface functional groups. The CDs can emit better green light peak at 511 nm excited by 380 nm UV light. Excitation independence property of N, P‐CDs was determined by measuring the photoluminescence (PL) spectra with different excitation wavelengths. The ions detection ability was investigated by analyzing the emission intensity of CDs in eight different kinds of ions solutions and different concentrations of Fe3+ ions solutions. The N, P‐CDs show high selectivity towards Fe3+ ions with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.11 μM in the concentration region of 300 to 450 μM. The results illuminated that this kind of CDs can be a candidate material for Fe3+ ions detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The density peaks clustering (DPC) algorithm can identify clusters with various shapes and densities in the underlying dataset. However, the DPC algorithm cannot exactly find the true quantity of clustering centers when computing the local density, and it is difficult to handle non‐convex datasets. Moreover, the DPC algorithm is difficult to identify boundary points and outliers without a reasonable allocation strategy when dealing with low‐density points. To solve these limitations, a novel deviation density peaks clustering (DeDPC) algorithm is proposed. First, the local deviation of the spatial distance of datasets with different structures is utilised to replace the local density to generate a more reasonable clustering center decision graph. Second, a threshold is defined to further divide and process low‐density points. Finally, outliers in low‐density points can be accurately found to accurately cluster the dataset. To evaluate the performance of the DeDPC algorithm, experiments are conducted on synthetic and real‐world datasets and the DeDPC is compared with other clustering methods. The DeDPC is also applied to medical image segmentation to further demonstrate its capability for medical image processing. The simulation results show that the DeDPC method has good validity and utility for both non‐convex datasets and medical image segmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a vegetable oil‐based polyol (ERD) with high hydroxyl value was obtained from ring‐opening reaction between the renewable epoxidized soybean oil and ricinoleic acid, and further esterified with 2,2‐bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid. To achieve anti‐smudge coating, the ERD polyol was utilized as the polyol component, hexamethylene diisocyanate trimer was employed as the curing agent, and mono‐hydroxy‐terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS‐OH) was introduced as the low surface energy component. In consequence, the biobased polyurethane anti‐smudge coatings are highly smooth and transparent. With the incorporation of 1 wt% of PDMS‐OH, the obtained coating exhibited superb anti‐ink and self‐cleaning performance. Droplets of water, soy sauce, carbon ink, hexadecane, rice bran oil, and pump oil could slide off the coating surface without leaving any wetting footprints. More importantly, the coating was mechanically robust. Even after the coating was subjected to 2000 writing and erasing cycles with an oil‐based marker pen, it still displayed good ink shrinkage ability and the ink traces could be easily erased. Besides, this anti‐smudge coating retained its good hydrophobicity after being soaked in aqueous solutions with different pH values for 24 h. Therefore, the application of this biobased anti‐smudge coating would offer a lower carbon footprint than its petroleum‐based counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: C‐reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), plasma fibrinogen and D‐Dimer are used as diagnostic biomarkers of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). The purpose of the study was to investigate the normal trajectory of CRP, ESR, plasma fibrinogen and D‐Dimer at different time points after two‐stage exchange arthroplasty for PJI. Methods: We studied 53 patients undergoing two‐stage exchange for PJI at five time points: preoperatively (T0), duration of hospital stays (T1), 30 days (T2), 30–90 days (T3), and 90–180 days (T4) after surgery. The medical records of all patients were well documented and carefully reviewed. The Shapiro–Wilk test was utilized to compare the normal distribution for continuous variables, and the nonnormally distributed data were used for Friedmann's one‐way repeat measures analysis of variances. Post hoc Dunnett's test was used to compare each pair of data to find differences from baseline. Results: Compare with T0 point, the levels of CRP and ESR increased significantly and reached peak values at T1 point (all P < 0.001), with median values of 56.40 mg/L (range, 5.54–161.0 mg/L) and 49.00 mm/h (range, 13.00–113.0 mm/h), respectively. In addition, the levels of plasma fibrinogen and D‐Dimer increased significantly and reached peak values at T1 point (all P < 0.001), with median values of 4.13g/L (range, 2.27–6.80 mg/L) and 4.00 mg/L (range, 0.19–14.01 mg/L), respectively. CRP and ESR rapidly declined at the T2 point with significantly compared with T0 point (P = 0.001 and P < 0.001). The levels of CRP, ESR, plasma fibrinogen and D‐Dimer returned to preoperative levels of 5.23 mg/L (range, 1.01–21.70 mg/L), 19.00 mm/h (range, 6.00–60.00 mm/h), 3.38g/L (range, 1.71–5.10 g/L) and 2.33 mm/h (range, 0.19–6.87 mg/L) at T4 point, and there was no significant difference compared with T0 point (all P > 0.05). Conclusions: The study demonstrated the normal trajectory of CRP, ESR, plasma fibrinogen and D‐Dimer at five time points in patients who underwent two‐stage exchange for PJI. Thus, the results have the possibility of providing signs of infection after the patient receives two‐stage exchange arthroplasty for PJI, which can benefit from early treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a key role in cellular communication both in physiological conditions and in pathologies such as cancer. Emerging evidence has shown that EVs are active carriers of molecular cargo (e.g. protein and nucleic acids) and a powerful source of biomarkers and targets. While recent studies on EV‐associated DNA (EV‐DNA) in human biofluids have generated a large amount of data, there is currently no database that catalogues information on EV‐DNA. To fill this gap, we have manually curated a database of EV‐DNA data derived from human biofluids (liquid biopsy) and in‐vitro studies, called the Extracellular Vesicle‐Associated DNA Database (EV‐ADD). This database contains validated experimental details and data extracted from peer‐reviewed published literature. It can be easily queried to search for EV isolation methods and characterization, EV‐DNA isolation techniques, quality validation, DNA fragment size, volume of starting material, gene names and disease context. Currently, our database contains samples representing 23 diseases, with 13 different types of EV isolation techniques applied on eight different human biofluids (e.g. blood, saliva). In addition, EV‐ADD encompasses EV‐DNA data both representing the whole genome and specifically including oncogenes, such as KRAS, EGFR, BRAF, MYC, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). An EV‐ADD data metric system was also integrated to assign a compliancy score to the MISEV guidelines based on experimental parameters reported in each study. While currently available databases document the presence of proteins, lipids, RNA and metabolites in EVs (e.g. Vesiclepedia, ExoCarta, ExoBCD, EVpedia, and EV‐TRACK), to the best of our knowledge, EV‐ADD is the first of its kind to compile all available EV‐DNA datasets derived from human biofluid samples. We believe that this database provides an important reference resource on EV‐DNA‐based liquid biopsy research, serving as a learning tool and to showcase the latest developments in the EV‐DNA field. EV‐ADD will be updated yearly as newly published EV‐DNA data becomes available and it is freely available at www.evdnadatabase.com. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elasmobranchs can sense the weak electric field signals of marine environment and other lives to adjust follow‐up activities by the jelly in their ampullae of Lorenzini, which provides a new research route for the development of ocean exploration, locating of underwater object, underwater navigation and communication. Inspired by such a characteristic of jelly, this paper presents a novel electric‐field‐sensitive hydrogel in response to weak electric field stimuli in surroundings. The hydrogel is made from I‐carrageenan (IC) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) by the way of blending. The effects of CNCs on the performances of hydrogels have been investigated via the characterization of both IC/CNC blending hydrogel and pure IC hydrogel. Swelling experiments show that the equilibrium swelling ratio of hydrogel is positively related to the mass ratio of IC to CNCs. Electric field sensitivity experiments indicates that the IC/CNC blending hydrogel has a higher sensitivity than the pure IC hydrogel by comparing the bending angles of hydrogels under different electric fields, and the maximum bending angle, 0.5°, of blending hydrogel remains under the 1 mV/cm electric field. The blending hydrogel sensitive to weak electric field stimuli in this paper may provide an alternative strategy to develop intelligent response‐type materials for applications of efficient underwater sensors and actuators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular characterization of nanocomposites is of great significance for the design, prediction, and understanding of the structure and properties of nanocomposites. Herein, a molecular dynamics simulation method is employed to investigate the structures, thermodynamical, and mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) composites, as well as the effects and mechanisms of CNTs on the structure and mechanical properties of PLA matrices. The concentration profile result suggests that the type of CNTs has a significant influence on the distribution of PLA molecular chains, with relative concentration profiles around CNTs in the order of PLA/CNTs‐COOH > PLA/CNTs‐OH > PLA/CNTs‐NH2 > PLA/CNTs. Incorporating CNTs into the PLA matrix decreases the FFV and mobility of the polymer, where the trend is PLA > PLA/CNTs > PLA/CNTs‐NH2 > PLA/CNTs‐OH > PLA/CNTs‐COOH. Meanwhile, the tensile properties of the PLA matrix increase with the incorporation of CNTs, and the trend agrees with the results of fractional free volume (FFV) and relative concentration distribution. Finally, the analysis results of interaction illustrate that hydrogen bond interactions between PLA molecular chains and the functional groups on CNTs surface are involved in the adsorption of the polymers on the CNTs surface, thus affecting their interfacial interaction, structure, and properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Controlled‐release urea (CRU) or fulvic acid (FA), when applied, have been shown to increase nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE) or to stimulate plant growth, yet their interactive effects are not well explored. The objective of this study was to investigate the synergistic mechanisms of CRU combined with FA (CRU + FA) on maize (Zea mays L.) growth. Through the experimental design with five treatments, the N metabolism through the transcriptomic analysis of maize leaf, endogenous hormones, photosynthesis enzymes in maize leaf and root, and maize yield and NUE were evaluated. RESULTS: Compared with CRU treatment, CRU + FA treatment significantly increased auxin, nitrate reductase, and glutamate dehydrogenase in leaf by 35.4%, 43.9%, 40.8% and 19.5%, respectively, as well as, the relative content of the leaf chlorophyll and photosynthetic rate by 14.8% and 45.6%, respectively, at 12‐leaf collar stage; the carbon/nitrogen (C/N) metabolic process was significantly enriched in CRU + FA treatment by 312 and 418 genes, according to transcriptome profiles of C/N metabolic in leaves from various fertilizer treated maize; maize yield and NUE of CRU + FA treatment were increased by 6.3% and 38.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated that CRU + FA is a viable fertilization scheme that can enhance maize growth, yield and NUE through their synergies in improving N uptake, promoting photosynthesis, increasing C/N metabolic processes, and enhancing enzyme activities. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Core–shell structure Mn2O3@MnO2 (MnOx) has been prepared using KMnO4 modifying spherical Mn2O3 assembled by nanoparticles, and applied for catalytic toluene oxidation. RESULTS: The MnOx sample calcined at 350 °C (MnOx‐1) exhibited much higher catalytic activity compared with Mn2O3 and MnOx‐2 (calcined at 450 °C), good activity stability with recyclability. Bulk structure, redox ability and surface properties were characterized using various techniques. The relationship between the catalytic activity and the surface Mn and oxygen species of these catalysts is discussed in terms of these characterizations. Especially, in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopic measurements were used to analyze in detail the role of the surface lattice oxygen in the enhanced catalytic performance of MnOx‐1. CONCLUSIONS: The excellent activity of the MnOx‐1 catalyst can be attributed to the more surface Mn4+ and many surface lattice oxygen species derived from the special core–shell structure, improving the oxidation of toluene. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerated life testing (ALT) is typically used to assess the reliability of material's lifetime under desired stress levels. Recent advances in material engineering have made a variety of material settings readily available. A critical question is how to efficiently conduct ALT to optimize reliability performance over different material settings. We propose a sequential selection approach to solve this problem. The proposed approach contains (1) a model updating mechanism to incorporate new experimental data in each step, and (2) a design criterion to guide new experiments that maximizes the potential to find the optimal material setting. To guarantee a tractable statistical mechanism for information collection, we develop explicit model parameter update formulas via approximate Bayesian inference. Theories show that our explicit update formulas give consistent parameter estimates. To guarantee that the design criterion in each step can make improvement on the identification of optimal material setting, this paper adopts an expected improvement‐based design criterion for optimizing the material setting under target stress factor levels. We also give a heuristic on this design criterion to justify the statistical consistency of approximate Bayesian estimates. Simulation studies and a case study show that the proposed sequential selection approach can significantly improve the probability of identifying the material alternative with best reliability performance compared to other design approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine a period in which the in‐principle prohibition of share repurchases was relaxed in 2018 to allow for the repurchase of shares whose prices dropped materially or were below book value. We find that share‐loan pledges by controlling shareholders are significantly and positively associated with share repurchases for a sample of 3,531 Chinese firms. This finding is robust using entropy and propensity score matched samples, 2SLS IV regressions, regression discontinuity design (RDD), and two exogenous shocks (the China–US trade war in 2018 and the COVID‐19 pandemic in 2020). The association remains robust but becomes less strong with state ownership and with above industry average firm agency problems, leverage ratios and financial constraints/distress (i.e., other share repurchase motives). Our findings highlight the importance of financial market regulations on share‐loan pledging and share repurchases in emerging markets during periods of heightened firm‐specific and systemic margin call risk and impending liquidation of share‐loan pledges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertension was one common comorbidity of knee osteoarthritis (KOA), but the effect of different types of antihypertensive drugs on pain and joint space width (JSW) was unclear and not compared. Four hundred ninety KOA patients using one of the beta‐blockers, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, Calcium channel blockers (CCBs), or thiazide diuretics were followed for four years. The blood pressure, cumulative knee replacement rate, Womac pain, and JSW were compared among groups. All data were from the Osteoarthritis Initiative project. The CCBs group has the highest systolic blood pressure, replacement rate, and pain score at most visit timepoints. At baseline, the CCBs group was with significantly higher pain score than the beta‐blockers group (3.3 vs 1.3, p <.05), the angiotensin receptor blockers group (3.3 vs 1.4, p <.05), and the thiazide diuretics group (3.3 vs 1.6, p <.05) in male; the CCBs group was with significantly higher pain score than the beta‐blockers group (3.8 vs 2.0, p <.01), and the angiotensin receptor blockers group (3.8 vs 2.2, p <.05) in female. The results of females at 36 months were similar to the baseline. Among the common antihypertensive drugs, CCBs were associated with high replacement rates, high pain scores, and less JSW in KOA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective Methods Results Conclusion Pseudo‐patella baja (PPB) was one of the complications after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This complication may be closely related to the occurrence of knee joint movement limitation and pain after TKA. This study aimed to investigate whether PPB affects clinical outcomes after TKA and to study the biomechanical effects of PPB after TKA.This study was a retrospective case series of 462 eligible patients (563 knees). Clinical evaluation was performed using the visual analogue scale (VAS), the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the Western Ontario McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scoring systems, the 5‐Level EuroQol Generic Health Index (EQ‐5D‐5L), the Forgotten Joint Score‐12 (FJS‐12), and patient satisfaction. CT and MRI scans of two healthy left knees and TKA prostheses were taken; 3D models including PPB, True patella baja (TPB), normal patella, and patella alta (PA) were created in FEA and applied load along the direction of quadriceps femoris. T‐test, Mann–Whitney U‐test, chi‐squared (χ2) test, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were performed using GraphPad Prism (Version 8, GraphPad Software, USA). A statistically significant difference was considered at p < 0.05 with bilateral α.The VAS, HSS, WOMAC, EQ‐5D‐5L, FJS‐12, and patient satisfaction scores in the PPB and TPB groups were significantly worse than those in the patella normal (PN) group (p < 0.05). The PPB group found a positive correlation between Blackburne–Peel index (BPI) and FJS‐12 score. PPB showed lower contact stress of patellofemoral joint compared to TPB when knee flexion was less than < 90° (p < 0.01), but no significant difference when flexion was more than > 90° (p > 0.05) in the finite element model with Patella baja (PB). The contact area of the patellofemoral joint tended to increase with the deepening of knee flexion, and decreased after reaching the peak value. The contact area of the patellofemoral joint tended to decrease with the increase in patellar height. There was no significant difference in the contact area of the patellofemoral joint among different patellar heights and different degrees of knee flexion (p > 0.05).PPB after TKA may increase patellofemoral joint stress and postoperative complications like anterior knee pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are widely expressed in mammals and act as regulatory targets in the atherogenesis. The objective of this study was to research the biological role and molecular mechanism of circ_0093887 in oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (ox‐LDL)‐induced atherosclerosis (AS) of human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). Cell viability detection was performed by CCK‐8 assay. Inflammatory molecules were examined using ELISA. Flow cytometry was used to measure cell‐cycle progression and cell apoptotic rate. Caspase 3 activity was determined using caspase 3 activity assay. The expression levels of circ_0093887, miR‐876‐3p, CCND2 and SUCNR1 were assayed by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). Dual‐luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and RNA pull‐down assays were used for the target analysis. EdU assay, wound healing assay/transwell assay and tube formation assay were, respectively, used to assess the effects of circ_0093887/miR‐876‐3p axis on cell proliferation, migration and tube formation. Oxidized low‐density lipoprotein inhibited cell viability and cell‐cycle progression but induced the inflammatory response and cell apoptosis. Circ_0093887 was downregulated and miR‐876‐3p was upregulated in AS patients and ox‐LDL‐treated HAECs. Functionally, the overexpression of circ_0093887 abrogated the cell injury of HAEC exposed to ox‐LDL. For the functional mechanism, we found that circ_0093887 was a sponge for miR‐876‐3p and miR‐876 targeted CCND2 or SUCNR1. The reverted experiment indicated that the function of circ_0093887 was achieved by sponging miR‐876‐3p. Meanwhile, miR‐876‐3p inhibitor relieved the inhibitory regulation of circ_0093887 knockdown in cell proliferation, migration and tube formation. Downregulation of miR‐876‐3p also alleviated the ox‐LDL‐induced cell injury by upregulating the expression of CCND2 or SUCNR1. Furthermore, circ_0093887 was validated to regulate the levels of CCND2 and SUCNR1 via the sponge effect on miR‐876‐3p. The protective effects of circ_0093887 on HAECs from ox‐LDL were also ​alleviated by repressing the CCND2 and SUCNR1 levels. These findings suggested that circ_0093887 protected HAEC against the ox‐LDL‐induced inflammatory and apoptotic damages by targeting the miR‐876‐3p/CCND2 or miR‐876/SUCNRA axis. Circ_0093887 could act as a potential therapeutic biomarker for AS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insufficient endometrial angiogenesis during peri‐implantation impairs endometrial receptivity (ER), which contributes to recurrent implantation failure (RIF) during in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF‐ET). Angiopoietin‐like protein 4 (ANGPTL4) acts as a multifunctional secretory protein and is involved in the regulation of lipid metabolism and angiogenesis in various tissues including the endometrium. Herein, we found decreased ANGPTL4 expression in endometrial tissue and serum during peri‐implantation period in 18 RIF‐affected women with elevated uterine arterial impedance (UAI) compared with the pregnancy controls. ANGPTL4 and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) expression were up‐regulated upon decidualization on human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs). Rosiglitazone promoted the expression of ANGPTL4 in HESCs and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) via PPARγ. ANGPTL4 promoted the proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of HUVECs in vitro. Our results suggest that decreased abundance of ANGPTL4 in endometrial tissues impairs the endometrial receptivity via restraining endometrial angiogenesis during decidualization; while rosiglitazone‐induced ANGPTL4 up‐regulation in hESCs and HUVECs through PPARγ. Therefore, ANGPTL4 could be a potential therapeutic approach for some RIF‐affected women with elevated UAI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome the drawbacks of fast charge recombination and the limited visible‐light absorption of semiconductor photocatalysts, N ion irradiation is used to enhance photocatalytic performance of ZnO nanowires. Compared with as‐grown ZnO nanowires, the photocatalytic performance of ZnO under dose of 5 × 1015 cm−2 was efficiently improved because of the bandgap energy decreasing and the introduction of oxygen vacancies defects. On one hand, the reduced bandgap energy improves the easy transfer process of electrons and holes, thus improving the charge separation efficiency, and visible‐light absorption. On the other hand, N ion irradiation increases oxygen vacancy defects and hinders the recombination of photo‐excited electrons and holes. This study has certificated that ion irradiation is an efficient way and created a new insight on the enhancement of photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The formation of heterojunction is an effective mean for increasing the photocatalytic activity of single‐phase semiconductor photocatalyst. RESULTS: In this report, KNbO3/N‐defected g‐C3N4 (KNO/CNx) composites were prepared by an impregnation heat method. The optimized photocatalyst 3% KNO/CNx possesses excellent photocatalytic activity (100 mL, 10 mg/L; 84% degradation within 120 min) in the degradation of tetracycline (TC) under visible light (λ > 420 nm), and it can reach about 125, 10.71 and 3.75 times the degradation kinetic constants, compared with KNO, CN, and CNx, respectively. Furthermore, 3% KNO/CNx possesses relatively high stability during the entire photoreaction process. CONCLUSION: This enhanced photocatalytic activity of KNO/CNx is mainly ascribed to the synergistic effect between the heterojunction and defect engineering, which expand the visible‐light adsorption and accelerate the separation efficiency of photo‐induced electron–hole pairs. The research is expected to be used to improve the structure and properties of KNO‐based composites, which provides a possibility for practical application of environmental restoration. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To analyze the effects of high ovarian response on endometrial collagen synthesis and related gene expression during the peri‐implantation period in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization‐embryo transfer. Methods: Peripheral blood and endometrial biopsies were obtained from infertile women on day 6 after oocytes retrieval or ovulation in 16 stimulated cycles (SC) and 16 natural cycles (NC) respectively. Serum estrogen (E2), progesterone (P4), histological staging, endometrial collagen, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP2, 9) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP1, 3) were assayed. Results: Serum levels of both E2 and P4 were significantly higher in the SC group than those in the NC group. All endometrial samples were in the secretory phase. The collagen in the stroma of the SC group was more dense and higher than that in the NC group. MMP2 and MMP9 were detected significantly lower in the SC group than those in the NC group, while TIMP1 and TIMP3 were significantly higher. MMP2, 9 expressions are increased by estrogen and reduced by progesterone in dose‐dependent manner through estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor. Correspondingly, TIMP1, 3 expressions decreased by estrogen dose‐dependently while progesterone played the opposite role. Conclusion: High levels of P4 could stimulate excessive synthesis of collagen in peri‐implantation endometrium of women with high ovarian response, and the mechanisms may be related to the decrease of MMP2, 9 and the increase of TIMP1, 3 through P4 receptor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The lead oxide product recovered from spent lead‐acid battery paste via the hydrometallurgical route usually contains many impurity elements, i.e. Ba and Fe. In this paper, a facile lead acetate conversion process was proposed for synthesis of high‐purity alpha‐lead oxide (α‐PbO) derived from spent lead‐acid batteries. RESULTS: The desulfurized lead paste was leached with acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide to prepare lead acetate solution, which was then reacted with sodium hydroxide solution to synthesize high‐purity α‐PbO. The doses of acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide were the two key parameters for the removals of the impurities, due to their dominant effects on the pH and redox potential of the leaching step. Under the optimized conditions (the molar ratios of CH3COOH/Pb of 2.00, H2O2/PbO2 of 3.5, and NaOH/Pb of 2.5), the high‐purity α‐PbO product with impurities of 20.5 mg kg−1 Fe and 1.5 mg kg−1 Ba was prepared, which were the lowest impurities content in lead product recovered via a hydrometallurgical route compared with previous literature. The total removal efficiencies of impurities Ba and Fe reached 99.9 wt% and 99.0 wt%, respectively. The total recovery efficiency of Pb from the spent lead paste was 92.6 wt%. CONCLUSION: The proposed acetic acid leaching process was proved to be an effective strategy to remove the impurities via a hydrometallurgical route. The recovered high‐purity α‐PbO could be used as the positive active materials for lead‐acid battery. This study could provide insights into the impurities removal in the hydrometallurgical recovery of spent lead paste. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Design and synthesis of metal oxide‐based pseudocapacitive materials to simultaneously achieve high mass loading (e.g., up to 10 mg cm−2) and excellent rate capability for electrochemical capacitors is a long‐lasting challenge. These two characteristics are usually mutually exclusive due to the poor ion diffusion kinetics of most metal oxides. Here, a glucose‐assisted hydrothermal method to prepare thick hematite film (>1 µm) with engineerable mesopore size through controlled variation of glucose concentration is demonstrated. The capability of controlling the size of mesopores offers a unique opportunity to investigate for the first time the interplay between mesopore size and electrochemical performance of hematite films. The hematite film with an average mesopore size of 3 nm at an ultrahigh loading of 10 mg cm−2 exhibits an areal capacitance of 1502 mF cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2, and retains 871.2 mF cm−2 at 50 mA cm−2. Such performance, to the best of the authors' knowledge, is at the top of the reported hematite electrodes with comparable or even lower mass loadings. The strategy demonstrated herein may be extended to fabricate diverse types of mesoporous metal oxide architectures with improved ion diffusion kinetics, which is critical for a broad range of devices for energy storage and conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Carotid ultrasound is a noninvasive tool for risk assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD). There is no consensus on which carotid ultrasound parameter constitutes the best measurement of atherosclerosis. We investigated which model of carotid ultrasound parameters and clinical risk factors (CRF) has the highest predictive value for CAD. Materials and methods: We enrolled 2431 consecutive patients who have suspected CAD and underwent coronary angiography and carotid ultrasound with measurements of carotid intima‐media thickness (CIMT), total number of plaques and areas of different types of plaques classified by echogenicity. Results: Total number of plaques demonstrated the highest incremental prediction ability to predict CAD over CRF (area under the curve [AUC] 0.752 vs 0.701, net reclassification index [NRI] = 0.514, P < .001), followed by area of maximum mixed and soft plaques. CIMT had no significant incremental value over CRF (AUC 0.704 vs 0.701, P = .241; NRI = 0.062, P = .168). The model comprising total number of plaques, areas of maximum soft, hard and mixed plaques plus CRF had the highest discriminatory (AUC = 0.757) and reclassification value (NRI = 0.567) for CAD. A nomogram based on this model was developed to predict CAD. For subjects at low and intermediate risk, the model comprising total number of plaques plus CRF was the best. Conclusions: Total number of plaques, area of maximum soft, hard and mixed plaques showed significantly incremental prediction ability over CRF. A nomogram based on these factors provided an intuitive and practical method in detecting CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]