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Background: Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are closely related protozoan parasites that are considered important causes of abortion in livestock, causing huge economic losses. Hunan Province ranks 12th in the production of beef and mutton in China. However, limited data are available on the seroprevalence, risk factors and molecular characterization of T. gondii and N. caninum in beef cattle and goats in Hunan province, China. Methods: Sera of 985 beef cattle and 1147 goats were examined for the presence of specific antibodies against T. gondii using indirect hemagglutination test (IHAT) and anti-N. caninum IgG using competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunoassay assay (cELISA). Statistical analysis of possible risk factors was performed using PASW Statistics. Muscle samples of 160 beef cattle and 160 goats were examined for the presence of T. gondii DNA (B1 gene) and N. caninum DNA (Nc-5 gene) by nested PCR. The B1 gene-positive samples were genotyped at 10 genetic markers using the multilocus nested PCR-RFLP (Mn-PCR-RFLP). Results: Specific IgG against T. gondii were detected in 8.3% (82/985) and 13.3% (153/1147) and against N. caninum in 2.1% (21/985) and 2.0% (23/1147) of the beef cattle and goats, respectively. Based on statistical analysis, the presence of cats, semi-intensive management mode and gender were identified as significant risk factors for T. gondii infection in beef cattle. Age was a significant risk factor for T. gondii infection in goats (P < 0.05), and age > 3 years was a significant risk factor for N. caninum infection in beef cattle (P < 0.05). PCR positivity for T. gondii was observed in three beef samples (1.9%; 3/160) and seven chevon samples (4.4%; 7/160). Genotyping of PCR positive samples identified one to be ToxoDB#10. The N. caninum DNA was observed in one beef sample (0.6%; 1/160) but was negative in all chevon samples. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first large-scale serological and molecular investigation of T. gondii and N. caninum and assessment of related risk factors in beef cattle and goats in Hunan Province, China. The findings provide baseline data for executing prevention and control of these two important parasites in beef cattle and goats in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: What are the main findings? Doping can improve TCO's electrical conductivity whilst minimizing any significant loss in their optical transmission. Further modification techniques increase the surface energy of TCO, reduce particles and defects, and improve electrical conductivity. What is the implication of the main finding? TCO materials show promise for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of photoelectrochemical devices. Advancements for TCO materials lead to the development of photoelectrochemical conversion technology. Photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) are an important technology for converting solar energy, which has experienced rapid development in recent decades. Transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) are also gaining increasing attention due to their crucial role in PEC reactions. This review comprehensively delves into the significance of TCO materials in PEC devices. Starting from an in-depth analysis of various TCO materials, this review discusses the properties, fabrication techniques, and challenges associated with these TCO materials. Next, we highlight several cost-effective, simple, and environmentally friendly methods, such as element doping, plasma treatment, hot isostatic pressing, and carbon nanotube modification, to enhance the transparency and conductivity of TCO materials. Despite significant progress in the development of TCO materials for PEC applications, we at last point out that the future research should focus on enhancing transparency and conductivity, formulating advanced theories to understand structure–property relationships, and integrating multiple modification strategies to further improve the performance of TCO materials in PEC devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Left bundle branch block (LBBB) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are commonly coexisting conditions. The impact of LBBB on catheter ablation of AF has not been well determined. This study aims to explore the long‐term outcomes of patients with AF and LBBB after catheter ablation. Methods: Forty‐two patients with LBBB of 11,752 patients who underwent catheter ablation of AF from 2011 to 2020 were enrolled as LBBB group. After propensity score matching in a 1:4 ratio, 168 AF patients without LBBB were enrolled as non‐LBBB group. Late recurrence and a composite endpoint of stroke, all‐cause mortality, and cardiovascular hospitalization were compared between the two groups. Results: Late recurrence rate was significantly higher in the LBBB group than that in the non‐LBBB group (54.8% vs. 31.5%, p =.034). Multivariate analysis showed that LBBB was an independent risk factor for late recurrence after catheter ablation of AF (hazard ratio [HR] 2.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09–4.40, p =.031). LBBB group was also associated with a significantly higher incidence of the composite endpoint (21.4% vs. 6.5%, HR 3.98, 95% CI 1.64–9.64, p =.002). Conclusions: LBBB was associated with a higher risk for late recurrence and a higher incidence of composite endpoint in the patients underwent catheter ablation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the transient process of gas drilling conditions, the monitoring data often has obvious nonlinear fluctuation features, which leads to large classification errors and time delays in the commonly used intelligent classification models. Combined with the structural features of data samples obtained from monitoring while drilling, this paper uses convolution algorithm to extract the correlation features of multiple monitoring while drilling parameters changing with time, and applies RBF network with nonlinear classification ability to classify the features. In the training process, the loss function component based on distance mean square error is used to effectively adjust the best clustering center in RBF. Many field applications show that, the recognition accuracy of the above nonlinear classification network model for gas production, water production and drill sticking is 97.32%, 95.25% and 93.78%. Compared with the traditional convolutional neural network (CNN) model, the network structure not only improves the classification accuracy of conditions in the transition stage of conditions, but also greatly advances the time points of risk identification, especially for the three common risk identification points of gas production, water production and drill sticking, which are advanced by 56, 16 and 8 s. It has won valuable time for the site to take correct risk disposal measures in time, and fully demonstrated the applicability of nonlinear classification neural network in oil and gas field exploration and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Papuloerythroderma of Ofuji (PEO) is an uncommon disease characterised by widespread erythroderma composed of intensely pruritic solid papules coalescing into plaques sparing the skin folds (deck‐chair sign). The pathogenesis of PEO remains unclear, although T helper (Th) 2 and Th22 cells may play an important role. Dupilumab is an interleukin (IL)‐4 receptor α‐antagonist that effectively reduces Th2 responses, which has drawn increasing attention in the treatment of PEO patients. Here, we reported a successful case of dupilumab treatment in combination with ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation therapy, which is well known and effective for chronic itch. The patient had a significant decrease in visual analogue scale (VAS) score and eosinophil after only 1 week of treatment, which may be due to the combination effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing concern about the environmental consequences of anthropogenic CO2 emissions significantly stimulated the research of low-cost, efficient, and recyclable solid adsorbents of CO2 capture. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a promising porous material for CO2 adsorption. Hybrid materials consisting in copper benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (Cu-BTC) and Cu doped graphitic-carbon nitride (Cu-g-C3N4) were prepared through solvothermal method as CO2 adsorbent. The size range of Cu-BTC@1.8%Cu-g-C3N4 was 9.0 ~ 19.4 μm, which was lower than the size range of Cu-BTC (14.6 ~ 29.6 μm). The hybrid adsorbents had lower Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface areas and pole volume due to the combination with Cu-g-C3N4. The CO2 adsorption capacity of Cu-BTC@1.8%Cu-g-C3N4 increased by 49.5% compared with that of pure Cu-BTC because of more adsorption sites including unsaturated metal centers and N atoms. Moreover, the Cu-BTC@1.8%Cu-g-C3N4 had good stability in CO2 adsorption capacity after multiple adsorption cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The letter to the editor was written in response to "The effect of ultrasound-guided intercostal nerve block on postoperative analgesia in thoracoscopic surgery: a randomized, double-blinded, clinical trial", which was recently published by Li et al. (J Cardiothorac Surg 18(1):128, 2023). In this article, Li et al. showed that addition of a preoperative intercostal nerve block to the multimodal analgesic strategy significantly reduced the pain scores within 48 h after surgery. However, we noted several issues in this study that were not well addressed. They were no use of a standard opioid-sparing multimodal analgesic strategy recommended in the current Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols for thoracic surgery, the lack of clear description for reasonable selection of rescue analgesics, the interpretion of between-group differences in the postoperative pain scores based on only statistical differences rather than clinically meaningful differences, inclusion of patients who were not blinded to study intervention, not reporting cumulative opioid consumption and complications of intercostal nerve block. We believe that clarification of these issues is not only useful for improving design quality of randomized clinical trials which assess postoperative analgesic efficacy of nerve blocks, but also is helpful for the readers who want to use an opioid-sparing multimodal protocol including a nerve block in patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal comfort and air-conditioning energy consumption of vehicles or trains are dependent on the thermal resistance of its envelopes, which could be enhanced by improving the radiation characteristics of the narrow cavities scattered in their envelopes. However, the study for a feasible method and its effectiveness has been given little attention. This paper introduces a method that involves pasting aluminum foil on the inner wall to change the radiation characteristics of the narrow cavity and analyzed its effects on narrow-cavity heat transfer by experimental and numerical methods. The results indicate that the radiation effect on heat transfer in a narrow cavity made of conventional material is dominant, with a rate larger than 75%, and that pasting aluminum foil is an effective and feasible method of weakening the radiation rate in narrow-cavity heat transfer, decreasing it to less than 10%. This paper will provide a reference to improve the insulation characteristics of vehicle enclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous improvement of radar resolution, distributed characteristics are presented with regard to maritime moving targets, which occupy multi-resolution cells in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image domain. However, the current constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection algorithms rarely consider the impact of distributed characteristics on target detection performance, and thus the corresponding performance evaluation methods could not be applicable to this issue. In this paper, a multi-station fusion detection method for maritime moving target (MMT) is presented based on three-dimensional (3D) sliding window. Firstly, the multi-station echoes in Cartesian-Doppler frequency rate (DFR) domain are obtained under the simple-transmitting and multiple-receiving operation configuration, and the 3D sliding window is designed to achieve the optimal matching for a specified target with any moving direction in terms of its prior information, i.e. Radar Cross Section (RCS), radar resolution and target size. Then, the target cells within the sliding window are directly processed by means of the M/N criterion, and thus to avoid target detection performance loss caused by the artificial construction of extended detection statistics. Finally, a novel quantitative evaluation method in regards to a high-resolution radar is designed by mining the relationship between the target detection performance and the occupied cell number, which could greatly improve detection probability of distributed targets on the premise of a constant false alarm rate. The proposed algorithm does not need to design complex extended detection statistics, which provides a feasible way for robust detection and performance evaluation for a high-resolution radar. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual coal seams formed in paleo‐peatlands represent sustained periods of terrestrial carbon accumulation and a key environmental indicator attributed to this record is the rate of carbon accumulation. Determining the rate of carbon accumulation requires a measure of time contained within the coal. This study aimed to determine this rate via the identification of Milankovitch orbital cycles in the coals. The geophysical log is an ideal paleoclimate proxy and has been widely used in the study of sedimentary records using spectral analysis. Spectral analyses of geophysical log from thick coal seams can be used to identify the Milankovitch cycles and to calculate the period of the coal deposition. By considering the carbon loss during coalification, the long‐term average carbon accumulation rate and net primary productivity (NPP) of paleo‐peatlands in coal seams can be obtained. This review paper presents the procedures of analysis, assessment of results and interpretation of geophysical logs in determining the NPP of paleo‐peatlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The angles-only navigation and closed-loop guidance control for spacecraft autonomous noncooperative rendezvous are studied, and a multi-objective optimization model is established considering various constraints. • The closed-loop guidance control covariance is analyzed, and the navigation and control covariance analysis models are established. • A crowding mechanism based on vector space model (VSM) is proposed to improve the NSGA-II, and a VSM-NSGA-II is constructed to solve the proposed multi-objective optimization model. • A set of Pareto optimal solutions are simulated and analyzed by using closed-loop guidance control covariance analysis and Monte Carlo simulation, thereby proving the effectiveness of the multi-objective optimization model proposed in this paper. In this paper, the angles-only navigation and closed-loop guidance control for spacecraft autonomous noncooperative rendezvous in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) are studied, and a multi-objective optimization model is established considering various constraints. The optimization objectives include the total flight time, the total fuel cost, and the observability of angles-only navigation. First of all, the angles-only navigation model is established, including relative dynamics and Line-of-Sight (LoS) measurement models. Then, the closed-loop guidance control covariance is analyzed, and the navigation and control covariance analysis models are established. And then, a multi-objective optimization model is established, including the objective functions, optimization variables, constraints, and the mathematical model. After that, a crowding mechanism based on vector space model (VSM) is proposed to improve the fast elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm for multi-objective optimization: NSGA-II, and a VSM-NSGA-II is constructed to solve the proposed multi-objective optimization model. Finally, a set of Pareto optimal solutions are simulated and analyzed by using closed-loop guidance control covariance analysis and Monte Carlo simulation, thereby proving the effectiveness of the multi-objective optimization model proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is a common polymer electrolyte matrix material whose pyrolysis characteristics are vital factors affecting the development of PMMA-based polymer electrolytes. In this study, four polymer electrolytes based on PMMA were prepared. Electrochemical workstation was used to verify the electrochemical performance of PMMA-based polymer electrolytes Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was adopted to assess the changes of pure polymer and polymer electrolyte groups, and the synchronous thermal analyzer was used to analyze the pyrolysis characteristics of PMMA-based polymer electrolytes. The apparent activation energy of PMMA-based polymer electrolyte was calculated by Kissinger method and FWO method, and the integral method Coats–Redfern was used to determine the pyrolysis mechanism function of the main pyrolysis stage. The results revealed that PMMA-based polymer electrolytes had two or three pyrolysis stages at high temperature. The PMMA composite gel polymer electrolyte had the highest thermal stability, whereas the gel polymer electrolyte had the lowest apparent activation energy. The apparent activation energy was 235.9 and 127.8 kJ mol−1 for PMMA composite electrolyte and PMMA gel polymer electrolyte, respectively. The main pyrolysis mechanism of PMMA-based polymer electrolytes was third-order reaction and three-dimensional diffusion reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study that assessed the postoperative analgesic efficacy of a regional block called serratus posterior superior intercostal plane block (SPSIPB) for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. The authors raise concerns about the study's methodology, including the lack of a control group in the pilot study and the non-standard application of non-opioid analgesics in the comparator groups. They also argue that the study's use of an opioid-dominated analgesic strategy is not in line with recommended protocols for thoracic surgery. Additionally, the authors question why the target of postoperative analgesia was not achieved in the control group. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses a study comparing the analgesic efficacy of two different regional blocks, continuous erector spinae plane block (ESPB) and thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB), in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy. The authors raise concerns about the study's research design, specifically regarding the non-inferiority margin and the selection of an effect size of zero. They also question the post-operative analgesic strategies used in the study. The article emphasizes the importance of using appropriate research design and analgesic strategies in comparing regional blocks for post-operative pain management. [Extracted from the article]

A study published in the Asian Journal of Endoscopic Surgery compared the effectiveness of continuous thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) and single-shot rectus sheath block (RSB) in managing postoperative pain in patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery. The study found that TEA was superior to RSB in terms of pain control. However, the authors of the article raised several questions about the methodology and results of the study, including concerns about the selection of the non-inferiority margin, the choice of primary endpoint, and the definition of adequate postoperative analgesia. The authors of the article did not receive any funding for their work and declared no conflicts of interest. [Extracted from the article]

The light-sensitive (LS) albino tea plant grows albinic shoots lacking chlorophylls (Chls) under high-light (HL) conditions, and the albinic shoots re-green under low light (LL) conditions. The albinic shoots contain a high level of amino acids and are preferential materials for processing quality green tea. The young plants of the albino tea cultivars are difficult to be cultivated owing to lacking Chls. The mechanisms of the tea leaf bleaching and re-greening are unknown. We detected the activity and composition of photosystem II (PSII) subunits in LS albino tea cultivar "Huangjinya" (HJY), with a normal green-leaf cultivar "Jinxuan" (JX) as control so as to find the relationship of PSII impairment to the albino phenotype in tea. The PSII of HJY is more vulnerable to HL-stress than JX. HL-induced degradation of PSII subunits CP43, CP47, PsbP, PsbR. and light-harvest chlorophyll–protein complexes led to the exposure and degradation of D1 and D2, in which partial fragments of the degraded subunits were crosslinked to form larger aggregates. Two copies of subunits PsbO, psbN, and Lhcb1 were expressed in response to HL stress. The cDNA sequencing of CP43 shows that there is no difference in sequences of PsbC cDNA and putative amino acids of CP43 between HJY and JX. The de novo synthesis and/or repair of PSII subunits is considered to be involved in the impairment of PSII complexes, and the latter played a predominant role in the albino phenotype in the LS albino tea plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on the subject of frequency estimation algorithms has discussed the use of interpolated discrete Fourier transform (IpDFT) for the unbalanced/balanced three-phase voltage signal in a power system. It is diffcult to estimate frequency of the unbalanced signal with high accuracy since the unknown parameters of the unbalanced signal make the spectrum different from the real-valued sinusoid signal. Moreover, the spectral leakage of the spectrum of the unbalanced signal also brings large estimation errors when the acquired signal cycles become very small. In this paper, we propose a two-point iterative IpDFT algorithm for frequency estimation of the unbalanced/balanced three-phase voltage signal. We decompose the unbalanced signal into a real-valued sinusoid signal, and then search the system frequency iteratively with the minimum error by a bisection method. Both long- and short- range leakages are compensated to estimate the frequency accurately. Simulation results prove the effectiveness of our method, compared with other iterative/noniterative IpDFT methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor of the European Spine Journal raises questions about a study conducted by Stewart et al. on the benefits of adding bilateral erector spinae plane blocks (ESPBs) to postoperative pain management after open lumbar laminectomy. The letter highlights concerns about the methodology and results of the study, including the use of standardized anesthetic and analgesic management, the assessment of postoperative pain levels, the achievement of pain control goals, and discrepancies in the reported results. The authors of the letter request clarification and responses from the original study authors. [Extracted from the article]

Benzoyl peroxide (BPO) is a common cross-linking agent and initiator that is widely used in the chemical industry. The instability of a substance may be influenced by the presence of impurities; therefore, the thermal hazard of organic peroxides under contamination has always been a topic of interest. In this study, the effects of hexanoic acid (HAA) on the thermal decomposition of BPO were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC; 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0, and 10.0 °C/min) experiments. By using the Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa kinetic models, the progress of the obtained DSC curve was fitted linearly, and the thermokinetic parameters of BPO in the presence of HAA were further calculated. The two apparent activation energy calculations consistently indicated that HAA increased the thermal hazard of BPO. In addition, the Coats-Redfern model was adopted to compute the decomposition mechanism function of each phase of the material, and Gaussian 16 was used to determine the atomic bonding levels between the molecules to discover the thermal decomposition reaction path of BPO under the effect of HAA. The study results can be used as a reference for the loss prevention and control of BPO in practical engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Variable load detection via hydro turbine monitoring parts' correlation analysis is complete. • Adaptive-K-Means algorithm studied for online anomalous sound detection. The hydro turbine is the critical component of hydropower stations. Sound analysis provides a versatile non-contact approach for detecting anomalies or faults of hydro turbines. However, sound analysis methods such as Fourier transform and AI-based pattern recognition algorithms have limitations in achieving online detection due to potential fault frequency aliasing, non-obvious fault characteristics, lack of anomalous samples, and irregular occurrence of anomalous sounds. To overcome these challenges, the proposed method initially employs online correlation analysis to distinguish variable load conditions, followed by the detection of anomalous sounds under stable load conditions using principal component analysis (PCA) and adaptive K-means clustering (K-means). In the method, time–frequency analysis and wavelet packet decomposition are incorporated to extract signal features, with PCA employed to highlight anomalous features. Subsequently, feature correlation analysis and online adaptive clustering are used to accurately detect variable load conditions and anomalous sounds. The proposed method does not rely on prior knowledge of anomalous data, making it flexible and applicable to most practical hydro turbines. Additionally, the method aims to establish a robust foundation for fault diagnosis utilizing sound signals in hydro turbines, providing real-time detection of variable load conditions or anomalous sounds every second. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, detection experiments are conducted in practical hydropower station. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypothyroidism is a common endocrine disease caused by a deficiency of thyroid hormones, which could affect the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and cause additional severe fertility problems. However, the pathogenesis of abnormal reproductive capacity caused by hypothyroidism and whether there are differences between females and males need more study. Here, we constructed a prolonged neo natal hypothyroid rat model using 6-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU). H&E staining and RNA-sequencing were performed to detect histopathological and transcriptome changes. Our results indicated that the numbers of ventromedial hypothalamus nuclei were increased, and the number of pituitary chromophobes was sharply increased, whereas the proportion of pituitary acidophils and pituitary basophils were obviously reduced. The differentially expressed genes of the HPG axis organs were identified, and different tissu es shared similar steroid hormone and oxidative stress-related terms in gene ontology analysis. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and differential expression analysis indicated oxidative stress, and apoptosis-related genes were more enriched in male hypothyroid pituitaries, whereas the serum levels of growth hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone that were detected by ELISA were also r educed more in male hypothyroid rats, suggesting that prolonged neonatal hypothyroidism may have a more significant impact on male pituitaries. Moreover, the multi-organ oxidative stress in hypothyroid rats was confirmed by the higher expression of oxidative stress-related genes, such as the Txnip. The increased level of oxidative stress may have contributed to the histopathological and transcriptome changes of HPG axis organs in the prolonged neonatal hypothyroidism rats, especially in male pituitaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The efficacy of allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is mainly depended on the tolerogenic immune responses elicited. Properly conjugated nano-vaccine has the advantages of both specific targeting and continuous and on-demand release of allergen. Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a dendritic cells (DCs)-targeting nano-vaccine for AIT. Methods: The nano-vaccine was produced by coupling polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA)-encapsulated ovalbumin (OVA) with mannan. Allergen capture, human monocytes-derived DCs (hMoDCs) activation, and T cells responses were assessed by flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, quantitative real-time PCR, ELISA, and Cytometric Bead Array. Balb/c mice were immunized with the nano-vaccines, and the immune responses were analyzed. Results: OVA-PLGA nanoparticle (NP) displayed favorable safety profile. OVA-mannan-PLGA NP was captured more efficiently by hMoDCs than OVA-PLGA NP, which was mediated mainly through DC-specific intercellular adhesion molecule 3-grabbing nonintegrin. A tolerogenic phenotype of hMoDCs was induced by OVA-mannan-PLGA NP, but not OVA-PLGA NP, and increased number of regulatory T (Treg) cells was generated subsequently in in vitro coculture. Immunization of Balb/c mice with OVA-mannan-PLGA NP resulted in lower serum level of OVA-specific immunoglobulins and less production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in splenocytes culture than the mice immunized with OVA-PLAG NP, PLGA NP, or OVA, while the number of splenic Treg cells was higher in OVA-mannan-PLGA group than in other groups. Moreover, preimmunization with OVA-mannan-PLGA NP significantly inhibited the Th2 immune response induced by OVA sensitization. Conclusions: The biocompatible PLGA-encapsulated OVA coupling with mannan has augmented ability for tolerance induction and could be developed as a novel vaccine for AIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper compares the accuracy of two different three points Interpolated Discrete Fourier Transform (M3IpDFT and C3IpDFT) algorithms in the presence of Gaussian white noise. The above two algorithms use the magnitude and the complex value of spectrum line for interpolation, respectively. The theoretical expressions of variances of frequency estimation due to noise are derived and then verified by simulations. From the theoretical and simulation results, the variances of frequency estimation are inversely proportional to the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the length of DFT. Simulation shows that the C3IpDFT outperforms the M3IpDFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metering data from the advanced metering infrastructure can be used to find abnormal electricity behavior for the detection of electricity theft, which causes huge financial losses to electric companies every year. This article proposes an electricity theft detector using metering data based on extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). The metering data are preprocessed, including recover missing and erroneous values and normalization. The classification model based on XGBoost is trained using both benign and malicious samples. Simulations are done by using the Irish Smart Energy Trails data set with six certain attack types. Compared with the support vector machine, decision tree, and other eight machine learning methods, the proposed method can detect electricity theft with either higher accuracy or lower false-positive rate. Experiment results also demonstrate that the proposed method is robust when the data are imbalanced. Our codes are available at https://github.com/WenHe-Hnu/Electric_Theft_XGBoost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the system performance, such as suppress the system harmonics, restrain the system resonance, etc., the bus voltage feed-forward (BVF) is often added in the control of three-phase inverter. Specially, under harmonic and unbalance condition, the band pass filter (BPF) is embedded in the path of BVF to control the selected frequency components. While, the influence of Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) on this control is ignored in the prior. In this letter, the multi-frequency model of the BVF with BPF considering the time-periodic trajectory of PLL is proposed. Afterwards, the adverse effect of PLL on BVF with BPF under harmonic and unbalance condition is explored and some new finds are given. Lastly, the theoretical analysis is verified by experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GDF15 has been recently recognized as a tumor-suppressive gene. However, the underlying mechanism by which GDF15 affects breast carcinogenesis is not well understood. Here, we showed that the inhibitory effect of GDF15 on cell proliferation was dependent on the nuclear localization of the protein. Dynamic translocation of GDF15 into the nucleus altered expression of a number of genes, including KISS-1, and resulted in inhibition of cell growth and invasive behavior. Using KISS-1 promoter-driven luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, we demonstrated that, in highly malignant breast cancer cells, GDF15 directly interacts with specific protein-1 (Sp1) at the Sp1-binding sites of the KISS-1 promoter, leading to upregulated KISS-1 expression. Our study indicates that nuclear GDF15 could serve as a transcriptional coactivator to mediate the expression of particular genes to reduce cell proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• rGO-supported ultrasmall Ni 2 B nanoparticles are synthesized by ice melting-controlled chemical reduction. • Ni 2 B possesses higher activity for N 2 H 4 electrooxidation and lower activity for N 2 H 4 decomposition than Ni. • Ni 2 B/rGO/NF shows an unprecedent stability towards N 2 H 4 electrooxidation under alkaline condition. The direct hydrazine fuel cell is an attractive power generation technology for automotive applications. However, existing anode electrocatalysts generally suffer from low stability and problematic selectivity towards the non-Faradaic hydrazine (N 2 H 4) decomposition. Herein, we report the fabrication of reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-supported nickel boride (Ni 2 B) nanocatalyst with a narrow size distribution around 1.5 nm by an ice-melting controlled NaBH 4 reduction of Ni salt and graphene oxide. The chemical combination of Ni with B improves the intrinsic activity for N 2 H 4 electrooxidation while suppressing the non-Faradaic N 2 H 4 decomposition concurrently. Furthermore, Ni 2 B/rGO exhibits excellent stability with 91.4 % activity retention after 3000 cycles and a potential increment of only 13 mV after 50 h of constant-current measurement at 100 mA cm–2. Such stable performance is unprecedented for HzOR electrocatalysts. Our study presents the prospect of transition metal borides as high-performance HzOR electrocatalysts and may encourage further studies to explore their electrocatalytic applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ni-W solid solution alloy is synthesized by solvothermal and reductive calcination. • Solid solution alloy formation enhances activity and selectivity simultaneously. • Ni 95 W 5 (SSA)/NF shows high and stable activity towards the 4-electron N 2 H 4 electrooxidation. In the development of earth-abundant anodic electrocatalysts for direct hydrazine fuel cells (DHzFCs), one of the daunting challenges is to improve the electrocatalytic activity for the hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) while effectively suppressing the non-faradaic decomposition of hydrazine. Herein, we present the synthesis of a Ni foam-supported Ni-W solid solution alloy (SSA) catalyst through a solvothermal approach followed by reductive calcination. Our study demonstrates that the Ni-W solid solution alloy outperforms intermetallic compound in simultaneously enhancing the electrocatalytic activity and inhibiting the non-faradaic hydrazine decomposition under alkaline conditions. Benefiting from its enhanced intrinsic activity, the open porous architecture, and good electrical conductivity, the Ni 95 W 5 (SSA)/NF catalyst has exhibited remarkable activity, good stability, and an impressive selectivity nearing 100 % towards the 4-electron hydrazine electrooxidation, surpassing most reported Ni-based alloy catalysts. Inspired by the exceptional catalytic performance, we have subsequently constructed a DHzFC utilizing Ni 95 W 5 (SSA) as the anode catalyst, and evaluated its performance under ambient temperature. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For patients undergoing gynecological oncology surgery, postoperative pain is actually more severe during movement than in a resting state.[2] We are concerned that this issue would have biased their results of pain assessment. In a randomized controlled trial including 99 patients who underwent gynecological oncology surgery in the context of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols, Ben-Arye and colleagues[1] assessed the effects of integrative therapies on postoperative pain and anxiety. [Extracted from the article]

This research was designed to examine the potential influence of fluoride exposure on the expression of nitric oxide (NO) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in rabbit costal cartilage cells, as well as the effects of two inhibitors of iNOS, Lmonomethyl- arginine (L-NMMA) and N-(3-(aminomethyl)benzyl)acetamidine (1400W), on the toxicity induced by high levels of fluoride. Cultured chondrocytes were exposed to different concentrations (0.25-8.0 ppm) of fluoride (F-, prepared with NaF) with or without L-NMMA (0.02 ppm) or 1400W (0.05 ppm). The content of NO and iNOS activity in both the cells themselves and culture medium were determined by the nitrate reductase procedure and colorimetric method, respectively; the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cells by flow cytometry; and the expression of iNOS, collagen II and aggrecan proteins by Western blotting. The results showed that the exposure of chondrocytes to low and high levels of F resulted in significant elevations, in a dosedependent manner, in iNOS activity and protein, the content of NO, and the level of ROS, both in the cells themselves and in their culture medium. In contrast, F inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner, the synthesis of collagen II and aggrecan proteins. Interestingly, all of these effects were attenuated significantly by L-NMMA or 1400W. These findings indicate that the toxic effects of F on chondrocytes, including elevations of the NO content resulting in a high level of ROS, may be attenuated by inhibitors of iNOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The model of optical propagation in nonlocal parabolic law medium is described by nonlinear Schrödinger equation with high-order nonlinear terms. Exact optical propagation patterns are constructed by proposing a general complex trial equation method. These results show rich optical propagation patterns of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different from the fast Fourier transform-based method, the frequency shifting and filtering (FSF) algorithm employs only a few simple operations in the time domain for harmonic analysis. However, the systematic error of FSF caused by the imperfect performance of the low-pass filter is ignored. In this paper, a novel smoothing frequency shifting and filtering (SFSF) algorithm is proposed. First, the systematic error of FSF is modeled. Then, the SFSF-based harmonic analysis with systematic error compensation is presented. Finally, the features of the SFSF are discussed. Simulation shows good agreement with the theoretical results. Results of simulations and experiment confirm that the SFSF method can perform harmonic analysis accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new method to comprehensively predict the passive intermodulation (PIM) distortion in loose contact coaxial connectors by the time-domain reflectometry (TDR) test. The proposed approach treats the insulating film current and the electrothermal (ET) coupling as PIM sources. An ET coupling model is introduced to analyze the generating process of the PIM caused by the ET coupling in the loose contact coaxial connectors. The simulation and measurement results show good agreement. The proposed method is a cost-effective approach for the evaluation of the PIM distortion, because it uses a common TDR method to replace professional PIM test instruments. The proposed method can also be extended to all the loose metallic contact cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exact envelop patterns of nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) with perturbation terms are constructed to describe optical solitons in quadratic-cubic nonlinear medium by proposing a complex version of Liu's trial equation method. These four families of envelop solutions show various properties of patterns of amplitudes including singularity, periodicity and double periodicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A family of new TbIII and 3d–TbIII cluster complexes, namely [Tb(L)(CH3COCH3)] (1), [Tb2(μ-H2O)(L)2] (2), [Zn2Tb(L)2]·ClO4 (3) and [Ni2Tb(L)2]·ClO4 (4) (H3L = N,N′,N′′-tris(3,5-dimethyl-2-hydroxybenzyl)-1,4,7-triazacyclononane), have been synthesized through the reaction of H3L and metal salts. Structural analysis reveals that 1 and 2 exhibit mononuclear and binuclear structures, respectively, and both 3 and 4 exhibit trinuclear 3d–4f–3d structures. Interestingly, complex 1 could undergo reversible transformation to complex 2 by adjusting the reaction solvents. The alternating current (ac) magnetic susceptibilities of 3 reveal that out-of-phase (χ′′) is frequency- and temperature-dependent, which is a typical feature of field-induced slow magnetic relaxation with an energy barrier of 35.71 K. Moreover, complexes 1–3 show strong oxygen-sensitive luminescence, with typical narrow emission bands of lanthanide ions. The luminescence intensity and lifetime (5D4 of TbIII) of 3 are obviously stronger than those of 1 and 2. Therefore, complex 3 can be considered as a good candidate as a bi-functional magneto-luminescent molecular material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two multifunctional lanthanide complexes, namely [Dy(HL)]·CH3OH (1) and [Er(HL)]·CH3OH (2), [H4L = N,N′,N′′,N′′′‐tetra(3,5‐dimethyl‐2‐Hydroxybenzyl)‐1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane] were synthesized and structurally characterized. Complexes 1 and 2 are isomorphic and crystallize in the non‐centrosymmetric orthorhombic space group Pca21. Their structure consists of one seven‐coordinated LnIII ion with the coordination geometry of trigonal prism, one HL3– ligand and one lattice methanol molecule. They exhibit second‐harmonic generation (SHG) effect. Complex 1 displays strong fluorescent emissions, which are typical narrow emission bands of lanthanide ions. In addition, complex 1 features field‐induced slow magnetic relaxation behavior. Therefore, complex 1 may be a potential multifunctional molecular material. Two lanthanide (Dy and Er) complexes have been synthesized and the Dy complex may be a potential multifunctional molecular material with field‐induced slow magnetic relaxation, luminescent and SHG properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Cisplatin is an important chemotherapeutic agent against metastatic bladder cancer, but resistance often limits its usage. With the recent recognition of lipid metabolic alterations in bladder cancers, we studied the metabolic implications of cisplatin resistance using cisplatin-sensitive (T24S) and resistant (T24R) bladder cancer cells. Real-time live metabolomics revealed that T24R cells consume more glucose, leading to higher production of glucose-derived acetate and fatty acids. Along with the activation of general metabolic regulators, enzymes involved in acetate usage (ACSS2) and fatty acid synthesis (ACC) and a precursor for fatty acid synthesis (acetyl-CoA) were elevated in T24R cells. Consistently, metabolic analysis with 13C isotope revealed that T24R cells preferred glucose to acetate as the exogenous carbon source for the increased fatty acid synthesis, contrary to T24S cells. In addition, ACSS2, rather than the well-established ACLY, was the key enzyme that supplies acetyl-CoA in T24R cells through glucose-derived endogenous acetate. The relevance of ACSS2 in cisplatin resistance was further confirmed by the abrogation of resistance by an ACSS2 inhibitor and, finally, by the higher expression of ACSS2 in the patient tissues with cisplatin resistance. Our results may help improve the treatment options for chemoresistant bladder cancer patients and provide possible vulnerability targets to overcome the resistance. Highlights • New metabolic phenotypes of cisplatin-resistant bladder cancer cells • Glucose-derived acetate for the fatty acid synthesis through ACSS2 • High ACSS2 expression observed in cisplatin-resistant patient tissues [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • A Ni-P nanowire grown on Ni foam is prepared via one-step phosphorization method. • The Ni-P nanowire shows high activity and stability for hydrazine electrooxidation. • A first-principle calculation was conducted to understand the catalytic mechanism. • The results may lay foundation for the practical application of hydrazine fuel cell. Abstract Synthesis of high-performance and cost-effective electrocatalysts towards hydrazine electrooxidation is vital to develop the direct hydrazine fuel cell (DHFC) as a viable energy conversion technology. Herein, we report a combined experimental and theoretical study of nickel phosphides (Ni x P) as promising catalysts for hydrazine electrooxidation. Ni x P nanowire array supported on a Ni foam (NF) was synthesized by a one-step phosphorization method using hypophosphite as a P-source. Ni 12 P 5 and Ni 2 P phases are observed as the products of the direct phosphorization of commercial NF under the applied conditions with Ni 2 P nanoparticles exclusively distributing on the surface of Ni 12 P 5. The Ni x P/NF catalyst exhibits a synergetic capabilities of exceptionally high activity, excellent durability and nearly 100% selectivity towards the complete electrooxidation of hydrazine in alkaline condition, which is among the best performance reported on hydrazine electrooxidation catalysts. First-principles calculations have been conducted to gain insight into the catalytic mechanism of Ni phosphides towards hydrazine electrooxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A sulfonated hollow covalent organic polymer (sh‐COP‐P) was prepared by post sulfonation of hollow covalent organic polymer (h‐COP‐P) synthesized through poly‐condensation of tetrabiphenylporphyrin (TBPP). In comparison with h‐COP‐P, sh‐COP‐P exhibits significantly enhanced adsorption capacity of organic cationic dyes in aqueous solutions accompanied with notably reduced adsorption capacity of anionic dyes. This gives sh‐COP‐P a satisfactory performance in selectively separating cationic organic dyes from anionic ones, mainly attributed to the electrostatic interaction between polymer backbone and the guest molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Explores human-automation conflict under five generalized cyber attacks on process system. • Explains the conflict with a proposed cooperative pareto paradigm based on game theory. • The study show that cyberattacks could cause conflicts significantly. • Conflict risk could be applied to distinguish a fault and an attack, then decision making. Human-automation conflict is a frontier subject to be vigilant against, and it may become even more elusive and confusing under cyberattacks. Conflicts due to cyberattacks are often beyond the expertise of the human operator, making the resolution much more difficult. Therefore, this study transforms common attacks into understandable representations with process variables, explores human-automation conflict under five generalized attacks, e.g., false data injection, denial of service, etc., and explains the conflict with a proposed cooperative Pareto paradigm based on game theory, then applies on a Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor. The results show that cyberattacks could cause conflicts significantly. It also highlights that attack strength determines the strength of action conflict. The control actions could buffer some impact of attacks within a limited range. The conflict risk could be applied to distinguish a fault and an attack, and measures could be taken accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new chiral mononuclear Dy(III) complex, [Dy((-)-pbipy)(pdtc) 3 ] ( 1 ) (pbipy = 4,5-pinene-2,2′-bipyridine, pdtc = pyrrolidine-dithiocarbamate) has been synthesized and structurally characterized. Magnetic studies show that complex 1 exhibits field-induced single-ion magnet behavior with τ 0  = 4.2 × 10 −7  s and U eff / k  = 56.7 K, which is the first example of homochiral complex derived from S-donor pyrrolidine-dithiocarboxylate with slow magnetic relaxation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the tumor angiogenesis in lung peripheral VX2 tumor model by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and to determine the correlation between CEUS parameters and microvessel density (MVD) calculated via CD31 and CD34 expression.Material and Methods: VX2 pulmonary tumors were created in eight Japanese white rabbits by implanting a VX2 sarcoma into the lower portion of the right lung through ultrasound guidance. Tumors were allowed to grow for 14-21 days to achieve a diameter of 7-15 mm, and were examined by CEUS using a SonoVue contrast agent. The results were recorded as digital video images, and the time-intensity curves and hemodynamic parameters were analyzed. Pathological tumor specimens were immediately obtained after the ultrasound examinations. Tumor specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and expressed as CD31 and CD34. The different endothelial cell markers were determined by immunohistochemical staining. MVD was calculated via CD 31 and CD34, and the relationship between CEUS parameters and MVD was analyzed.Results: Two distinct types of microvessels were identified in lung peripheral VX2 tumors: differentiated (CD34+) and undifferentiated (CD31+) vessels. A significant correlation was found between CEUS parameters and undifferentiated MVD (CD31+ vessels) in lung peripheral VX2 tumors (p<0.05). A reverse correlation was observed between different MVDs.Conclusions: Two different degrees of differentiation of vascular endothelial cells (CD31 and CD34) exist in the rabbit lung peripheral VX2 tumor model. CD31 MVD can more effectively evaluate tumor angiogenesis compared with CD34 MVD. CEUS, as a non-invasive imaging method, can effectively evaluate tumor angiogenesis in rabbit peripheral lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel bimetallic ternary composite (AuCu-P25-rGO) had been designed and prepared, and been used as a high-performance photocatalyst. The morphology, chemical composition, physical structure and photoelectric property were confirmed by XRD, TEM, BET analysis, FT-IR, Raman, XPS, UV-vis DRS, Photoluminscence spectra and transient photocurrent responses techniques. The photocatalysts possessed higher catalytic activity than P25, P25-rGO, AuCu-P25, Cu-P25-rGO, Au-P25-rGO for photodegradation of organic pollutant (2-nitrophenol) under UV–vis light. Importantly, the molar ratio of Au:Cu exhibited significant influence on the photocatalytic property, and AuCu-P25-rGO with Au/Cu molar ratio = 1:1 showed higher activity than these with Au/Cu molar ratio = 1:3 and 3:1. In addition, Au 1 Cu 1 -P25-rGO could excellently photodegradation of organic dyes (Rhodamine B and methylene blue). The enhanced photocatalytic performance of AuCu-P25-rGO composites can be attributed to three reasons as follows: (1) surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of AuCu bimetallic nanoparticles; (2) outstanding conductivity and adsorptivity of rGO; (3) the polymorphs junction formed by mixture of anatase and rutile of P25. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) have the potential to undergo fibrogenic endothelial–mesenchymal transition (EndMT), which results in matrix-producing fibroblasts and thereby contributes to the pathogenesis of cardiac fibrosis. Recently, the profibrotic cytokine transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is shown to be the crucial pathogenic driver which has been verified to induce EndMT. C-Ski is an important regulator of TGF-β signaling. However, the detailed role of c-Ski and the molecular mechanisms by which c-Ski affects TGF-β-induced EndMT in HCAECs are not largely elucidated. In the present study, we treated HCAECs with TGF-β of different concentrations to induce EndMT. We found that overexpression of c-Ski in HCAECs either blocked EndMT via hindering Vimentin, Snail, Slug, and Twist expression while enhancing CD31 expression, with or without TGF-β treatment. In contrast, suppression of c-Ski further enhanced EndMT. Currently, miRNA expression disorder has been frequently reported associating with cardiac fibrosis. By using online tools, we regarded miR-155 as a candidate miRNA that could target c-Ski, which was verified using luciferase assays. C-Ski expression was negatively regulated by miR-155. TGF-β-induced EndMT was inhibited by miR-155 silence; the effect of TGF-β on Vimentin, CD31, Snail, Slug, and Twist could be partially restored by miR-155. Altogether, these findings will shed light on the role and mechanism by which miR-155 regulates TGF-β-induced HCAECs EndMT via c-Ski to affect cardiac fibrosis, and miR-155/c-Ski may represent novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets in the treatment of cardiac fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myocardial remodeling serves an important role in the pathophysiology of coronary heart disease. The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)2-angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang (1-7)]-Mas receptor (MasR) axis is a key regulator in myocardial remodeling and development of heart failure. To investigate how ACE2-Ang-(1-7)-MasR axis function on myocardial remodeling and cardiac fibrosis in post-myocardial infarction (MI), male Sprague-Dawley rats (weight, 200±20 g) were used to establish the model of myocardial infarction by ligating the left coronary artery. The present study suggests that telmisartan (Tel) and olmesartan (Olm) (5 mg/kg/d) can inhibit myocardial remodeling of post-myocardial infarction through the ACE2-Ang (1-7)-MasR pathway. Administration of Tel or Olm was demonstrated to significantly inhibit collagen deposition using Masson staining. In addition, telmisartan and olmesartan was indicated to antagonize angiotensin II (Ang II) and upregulate ACE2, MasR, Ang (1-7) expression in myocardial tissue using immunoassay and ELISA test, and the effect of Olm was more marked than that of Tel at the same dosage. Simultaneously, compared with the MI or Sham group, the mRNA and protein expression of ACE2, Ang II and MasR in myocardial tissue demonstrated a remarkable increase in the Olm group, when compared with the Tel group. Taken together, our data demonstrated that ACE2-Ang (1-7)-MasR axis may present a potential protective role in the development of myocardial remodeling and may provide a new target for drug development of cardiac fibrosis. In conclusion, Olm is superior to Tel in inhibiting myocardial local Ang II level reducing myocardial collagen deposition and improving myocardial remodeling by upregulating the expression of ACE2, Ang (1-7) and MasR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel double-magnetic-source magnetic circuit (DMSMC) with pole shoes (PS) in order to achieve high and uniform air-gap magnetic field in an angular vibration exciter. First, the structure of the DMSMC with PS is proposed based on the demand of the angular displacement of 60°, in which the four pair of permanent magnets are adopted. After that, the DMSMC is modeled and analyzed theoretically by the equivalent circuit method, which has been verified that the magnetic circuit structure can realize high magnetic flux density (MFD) in the axial air-gap. To improve the uniformity of the MFD, the DMSMC with PS is proposed and the role of PS is analyzed by the principle of magnetic flux refraction. Then, the influence factors of the MFD in the air-gap, such as the permanent magnet with or without PS, the parameters of the magnet and the PS, are analyzed with the finite element method. The simulation results demonstrate that the optimized DMSMC with PS can obtain high and uniform MFD in the air-gap. Finally, the experimental results for the angular vibration exciter prototype prove to be well consistent with the simulation results, which further verify the validity of the proposed magnetic circuit structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined how group identification and intergroup anxiety jointly mediate the relationship between negative metastereotype and intergroup relations among rural-to-urban migrant children in China. Migrant children, who have both rural and urban identities, are sensitive to their uncertain status, which means that a negative metastereotype is easily activated. We recruited 105 migrant children who were randomly assigned to two groups. They received either a negative metastereotype or control manipulation. Intergroup anxiety, group identification, and intergroup relations were then assessed. Results showed that intergroup anxiety and urban identification could independently mediate the effects of a negative metastereotype on intergroup relations. Intergroup anxiety indirectly influenced intergroup relations through urban identification. These findings suggest that negative emotion and urban identification should be considered when studying the negative metastereotype of migrant children in China and should be included when planning interventions to improve intergroup relations of these children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The letter to the editor was written in response to "Plasma interleukin-6 is a potential predictive biomarker for postoperative delirium (POD) among acute type a aortic dissection patients treated with open surgical repair", which is recently published by Lv et al. (J Cardiothorac Surg 16(1):146, 2021). In this article, Lv et al. conclude that plasma IL-6 is a potential biomarker for prediction of POD. However, we note several issues in this study that would have made interpretation of their results questionable. Our main concerns include the use of a short POD assessment time, no providing the data of analgesics and sedatives used in the ICU, application of incorrect statistical methods when assessing predictive ability of plasma IL-6 for the development of POD, and incorrect interpretation for the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. We believe that addressing these issues will improve the transparency of this study and help the interpretation of findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new mononuclear Dy(III) complex, namely {[Dy(tbpy) 2 (NO 3 )(DMF)]⋅ DMF} ( 1 ) (tbpy = 6-(tetrazol-5-yl)-2,2′-bipyridine, DMF = N , N -dimethylformamide), has been synthesized and characterized. Structural measurements reveal that the Dy(III) ion displays a distorted tricapped trigonal prism with two mono-anionic tridentate chelating ligands, nitrate anion and N , N -dimethylformamide molecule. Magnetic investigation indicates that the title complex 1 exhibits field-induced single-ion magnet behavior. Moreover, the studies on photoluminescence properties show that complex 1 displays relatively strong fluorescent emission, which are typical narrow emission bands of lanthanide ion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]