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Remote photoplethysmography (rPPG) realizes contactless heart rate estimation by analyzing the color changes of facial video. However, the color changes in the facial video are not obvious, and the noise introduced by factors such as head movement and illumination changes is also not conducive to the extraction of rPPG signals. To address these challenges, we construct an end-to-end multi-task model called rPPGTR, which is based on the multi-head self-attention mechanism. rPPGTR captures local features and global dependencies by combining the convolution block and divided space-time attention, and fuses these two kinds of information. This paper takes the face sequences as the input of rPPGTR. rPPGTR first uses the convolution blocks to extract local features and process the face images into sequences of image patches. Then, the divided space-time attention is used to assign corresponding weights to image patches in different spatiotemporal positions and capture their long-range dependencies. The captured global dependencies will be fused with local features to enrich the extracted rPPG features. Finally, the features are decoded into rPPG signals and average heart rate values, and their relationship is used for multi-task learning. The experimental results on four public datasets show that the prediction accuracy of rPPGTR is better than the comparison methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clustering enzymes in the same metabolic pathway is a natural strategy to enhance productivity. Synthetic protein, RNA and DNA scaffolds have been designed to artificially cluster multiple enzymes in the cell, which require complex construction processes and possess limited slots for target enzymes. We utilized the Escherichia coli inner cell membrane as a native scaffold to cluster four fatty acid synthases (FAS) and achieved to improve the efficiency of fatty acid synthesis in vivo. The construction strategy is as simple as fusing target enzymes to the N‐terminus or C‐terminus of the membrane anchor protein (Lgt), and the number of anchored enzymes is not restricted. This novel device not only presents a similar efficiency in clustering multiple enzymes to that of other artificial scaffolds but also promotes the product secretion, driving the entire metabolic flux forward and further increasing the gross yield compared with that in a cytoplasmic scaffold system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer electrolytes (PEs) synthesized from an in situ polymerization strategy are considered as promising candidates to improve interfacial compatibility. However, most in situ formed PEs still suffer from problems such as low lithium-ion transference number (tLi+) and insufficient ionic conductivity at room temperature (RT). Herein, a series of copolymer electrolytes (CPEs) consisting of 1,3-dioxolane (DOL) and 1,3,5-trioxane (TXE) monomers are synthesized. Due to the additive of succinonitrile (SN), and the promoted dissociation of lithium salt, the obtained polymer electrolyte (SN-CPE) exhibits an excellent ionic conductivity (4.06 × 10−4 S cm−1) and a high lithium-ion transference number (tLi+ = 0.881) at RT, as well as a high voltage oxidation window of 5.1 V. Thanks to the in situ formed intimate contacted electrode/electrolyte interface, the symmetric Li/Li cell can achieve long-term cycling stability over 1500 h without a short circuit. A LiF-rich organic–inorganic composite layer is formed on both the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) as demonstrated by XPS, TEM, and SEM analyses. Thereafter, the LiFePO4/Li cell has a high capacity retention of 84.1% after 900 cycles at RT, and it can still work effectively at high temperatures (e.g. 80 °C). Furthermore, SN-CPE exhibits excellent electrochemical performance and safety in the LiCoO2/Li cell and LiFePO4/graphite pouch cell, which again supports the promising application of SN-CPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rather than just focusing on the catalyst itself in the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (eCO2RR), as previously reviewed elsewhere, we herein extend the discussion to the special topic of the microenvironment around the electrocatalytic center and present a comprehensive overview of recent research progress. We categorize the microenvironment based on the components relevant to electrocatalytic active sites, i.e. the catalyst surface, substrate, co‐reactants, electrolyte, membrane, and reactor. Supported by most of the reported articles, the relevant factors affecting the catalytic performance of eCO2RR are then discussed in detail, and existing challenges and potential solutions are mentioned. Perspectives for the future research on eCO2RR, including the integration of different microenvironment factors, the extension to industrial application by coupling with carbon capture and conversion, and separation of products, are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First-principles studies of the crystal structures, electronic structures and optical properties of noncentrosymmetrical (NCS) K3AsS4, Li3AsS3, Pb9As4S15 and Ag3AsS3 have been performed by means of density functional theory. Via a theoretical method to compute the intensity of the lone pair stereochemical activity of an As–S group, the correlated mechanism among the crystal structures, the stereo-chemical activity of lone pairs on As and the second harmonic generation (SHG) response has been clarified. The results prove that the SHG response is not only attributed to the lone pair stereochemical activity of the As–S group but also related to the direction of the forming layers in the crystal structure arrangement. Besides, the quantitative method for the stereo-chemical activity of lone pairs is universal, which is valid for other lone pair systems like those containing Pb2+, Bi3+, Sn2+, etc. The findings facilitate the exploration of materials that may exhibit a relatively large second order NLO reaction and can be used in infrared applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research interest of the section I New Functional Organic Materials and Their Photoelectric Applications i not only includes the design and fabrication of organic optoelectronic materials, but also studies the applications of organic optoelectronic materials in other fields and further explores the materials in practical optoelectronic devices. I New Functional Organic Materials and Their Photoelectric Applications i is a new open Special Issue of I Materials i , which focuses on designing and fabricating advanced functional organic optoelectronic materials and makes great contributions to investigating their properties, related applications, and underlying mechanisms. [Extracted from the article]

Summary: Patients with EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinomas (LUADs) who initially respond to first-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) develop resistance to these drugs. A combination of the irreversible TKI afatinib and the EGFR antibody cetuximab can be used to overcome resistance to first-generation TKIs; however, resistance to this drug combination eventually emerges. We identified activation of the mTORC1 signaling pathway as a mechanism of resistance to dual inhibition of EGFR in mouse models. The addition of rapamycin reversed resistance in vivo. Analysis of afatinib-plus-cetuximab-resistant biopsy specimens revealed the presence of genomic alterations in genes that modulate mTORC1 signaling, including NF2 and TSC1. These findings pinpoint enhanced mTORC1 activation as a mechanism of resistance to afatinib plus cetuximab and identify genomic mechanisms that lead to activation of this pathway, revealing a potential therapeutic strategy for treating patients with resistance to these drugs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary Induction of beige cells causes the browning of white fat and improves energy metabolism. However, the central mechanism that controls adipose tissue browning and its physiological relevance are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that fasting and chemical-genetic activation of orexigenic AgRP neurons in the hypothalamus suppress the browning of white fat. O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification of cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins regulates fundamental cellular processes. The levels of O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAc modification are enriched in AgRP neurons and are elevated by fasting. Genetic ablation of OGT in AgRP neurons inhibits neuronal excitability through the voltage-dependent potassium channel, promotes white adipose tissue browning, and protects mice against diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. These data reveal adipose tissue browning as a highly dynamic physiological process under central control, in which O-GlcNAc signaling in AgRP neurons is essential for suppressing thermogenesis to conserve energy in response to fasting. PaperClip [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]