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In the field of reliability engineering, covariate information shared among product units within a specific group (e.g., a manufacturing batch, an operating region), such as operating conditions and design settings, exerts substantial influence on product lifetime prediction. The covariates shared within each group may be missing due to sensing limitations and data privacy issues. The missing covariates shared within the same group commonly encompass a variety of attribute types, such as discrete types, continuous types, or mixed types. Existing studies have mainly considered single-type missing covariates at the individual level, and they have failed to thoroughly investigate the influence of multi-type group-shared missing covariates. Ignoring the multi-type group-shared missing covariates may result in biased estimates and inaccurate predictions of product lifetime, subsequently leading to suboptimal maintenance decisions with increased costs. To account for the influence of the group-shared missing covariates with different structures, a new flexible lifetime model with multi-type group-shared latent heterogeneity is proposed. We further develop a Bayesian estimation algorithm with data augmentation that jointly quantifies the influence of both observed and multi-type group-shared missing covariates on lifetime prediction. A tripartite method is then developed to examine the existence, identify the correct type, and quantify the influence of group-shared missing covariates. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a comprehensive simulation study is carried out. A real case study involving tensile testing of molding material units is conducted to validate the proposed approach and demonstrate its practical applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, dispersion properties of guided waves in multilayer composite cylindrical shells are studied, which is composed of the inner and outer hybrid nanocomposite (MHC) layers and the middle composite core layer reinforced with shape memory alloy (SMA) fibers. According to the Hamiltonian principle and the thermoelastic theory, wave equations of the composite structure at different ambient temperatures are derived and discretized with spectral elements. By combing the thermal effects and the acoustoelastic effects, the modified semi-analytical finite element method is proposed here for the thermo-acoustoelastic effects of wave characteristics in laminated composite shells. The influence of important parameters on the dispersion characteristics of the structure is explored. The results show that the coupling of SMA fiber reinforced composite layer and MHC layers can significantly improve wave propagation characteristics of the composite cylindrical shells. The frequency of modal conversion increases with the increase of CNT volume fraction. Smaller radius-to-thickness ratios are favorable for internal wave propagation in the structure. This work is of great significance for the regulation of elastic wave propagation in multilayered cylindrical shell structures, and provides a valuable guide for the design and optimization of shell structures in engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The dual S-scheme Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 /Bi 2 WO 6 /C 3 N 4 heterojunction with interlaced lattice was constructed. • Efficient removal of ciprofloxacin was achieved in Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 /Bi 2 WO 6 /C 3 N 4 heterojunction. • The fully blossomed flower-like structure promoted light harvesting and charge transfer. • The role of the interlaced lattice interface in the charge transfer mechanism was revealed. The internal electric field induced by the lattice interfaces in a heterojunction can facilitate charge transfer, thereby improving the photocatalytic performance. However, the details of the relationship between the lattice interfaces and the charge transfer mechanism in heterojunctions remain unclear. In this study, a Bi 2 WO 6 /Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 /C 3 N 4 heterojunction (BBC) with an interlaced lattice was prepared, and the role of the interlaced lattice in charge transfer was revealed. Compared to pristine Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 , Bi 2 WO 6, and C 3 N 4 , BBC exhibited an increased ciprofloxacin degradation rate constant (0.0573 min−1). A series of experiments were performed to reveal the role of the interlaced lattice interface in the enhanced photocatalytic performance. The results show that the driving force provided by the interlaced lattice interface changes the charge transfer mechanism from a dual Ⅱ-scheme to a dual S-scheme. This work provides profound insights into the effects of lattice interfaces in heterojunctions and the design of efficient photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-component droplet evaporation has received significant attention in recent years due to the broad range of applications such as material science, environmental monitoring, and pharmaceuticals. The selective evaporation induced by the different physicochemical properties of components is expected to influence the concentration distributions and the separation of mixtures, thereby leading to rich interfacial phenomena and phase interactions. A ternary mixture system containing hexadecane, ethanol, and diethyl ether is investigated in this study. The diethyl ether exhibits both surfactant-like and co-solvent properties. Systematic experiments were performed using acoustic levitation technique to achieve a contact-less evaporation condition. The evaporation dynamics and temperature information are acquired in the experiments, using high-speed photography and infrared thermography technologies. Three distinct stages, namely, 'Ouzo state', 'Janus state', and 'Encapsulating state', are identified for the evaporating ternary droplet in acoustic levitation. A self-sustaining periodic freezing & melting evaporation mode is reported. A theoretical model is developed to characterize the multi-stage evaporating behaviors. We demonstrate the capability to tune the evaporating behaviors by varying the initial droplet composition. This work provides a deeper understanding of the interfacial dynamics and phase transitions involved in multi-component droplets and proposes novel strategies for the design and control of droplet-based systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Copper and copper-binding proteins are key components of tumor progression as they play important roles in tumor invasion and migration, but their associations in gliomas remain unclear. Methods: Transcriptomic datasets of glioblastoma, low-grade glioma, and normal brain cortex were derived from the TCGA and GTEX databases. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of copper-binding proteins were screened and used to construct a prognostic model based on COX and LASSO regression, which was further validated by the CGGA datasets. The expressions of risk-model genes were selectively confirmed via anatomic feature-based expression analysis and immunohistochemistry. The risk score was stratified by age, gender, WHO grade, IDH1 mutation, MGMT promoter methylation, and 1p/19q codeletion status, and a nomogram was constructed and validated. Results: A total of 21 DEGs of copper-binding proteins were identified and a six-gene risk-score model was constructed, consisting of ANG, F5, IL1A, LOXL1, LOXL2, and STEAP3, which accurately predicted 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates, with the AUC values of 0.87, 0.88, and 0.82, respectively. The high-risk group had a significantly shorter OS (p < 0.0001) and was associated with old age, wild-type IDH1, a high WHO grade, an unmethylated MGMT promoter, and 1p/19q non-codeletion and had higher levels of immune cell infiltration, cancer-immunity suppressor, and immune checkpoint gene expression as well as a higher TMB. Conclusions: The model based on the genes of copper-binding proteins could contribute to prognosis prediction and provide potential targets against gliomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a novel method to model shapes using a small set of discrete equivalence classes of planar quads. Unlike previous modular modeling methods that only optimize vertex positions of an input quad mesh without modifying the mesh connectivity, we first generate a quadrilateral mesh considering the equivalence requirement and then optimize the geometry to be modular. Our meshing approach is field-driven, and the key is to transform the requirements of the quad mesh into those of the field. Specifically, the frame field is required to belong to a small set of discrete equivalence classes while being smooth, integrable, and nearly conjugate. After alternately optimizing the requirements to obtain the desired field, we use it to generate a quad mesh, which is further improved to be modeled with a small set of template planar quads. We demonstrate the practicability and effectiveness of our algorithm over various examples. [Display omitted] • A novel alternating method to design frame fields for modular quad modeling problems. • We innovatively use the difference between parallelograms under a rigid transformation as the error between frames. • After using the generated field to generate a quad mesh, we improve the mesh to be modeled with a small set of template planar quads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Total-body PET imaging with ultra-high sensitivity makes high-temporal-resolution framing protocols possible for the first time, which allows to capture rapid tracer dynamic changes. However, whether protocols with higher number of temporal frames can justify the efficacy with substantially added computation burden for clinical application remains unclear. We have developed a kinetic modeling software package (uKinetics) with the advantage of practical, fast, and automatic workflow for dynamic total-body studies. The aim of this work is to verify the uKinetics with PMOD and to perform framing protocol optimization for the oncological Patlak parametric imaging. Methods: Six different protocols with 100, 61, 48, 29, 19 and 12 temporal frames were applied to analyze 60-min dynamic 18F-FDG PET scans of 10 patients, respectively. Voxel-based Patlak analysis coupled with automatically extracted image-derived input function was applied to generate parametric images. Normal tissues and lesions were segmented manually or automatically to perform correlation analysis and Bland–Altman plots. Different protocols were compared with the protocol of 100 frames as reference. Results: Minor differences were found between uKinetics and PMOD in the Patlak parametric imaging. Compared with the protocol with 100 frames, the relative difference of the input function and quantitative kinetic parameters remained low for protocols with at least 29 frames, but increased for the protocols with 19 and 12 frames. Significant difference of lesion Ki values was found between the protocols with 100 frames and 12 frames. Conclusion: uKinetics was proved providing equivalent oncological Patlak parametric imaging comparing to PMOD. Minor differences were found between protocols with 100 and 29 frames, which indicated that 29-frame protocol is sufficient and efficient for the oncological 18F-FDG Patlak applications, and the protocols with more frames are not needed. The protocol with 19 frames yielded acceptable results, while that with 12 frames is not recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, fluid viscosity effects on LSP performance in terms of boosting pressure were numerically investigated. A water–glycerin mixture with different concentrations corresponding to varying apparent viscosities was flowed through an in-house manufactured LSP under various flow conditions, e.g., changing flow rates, rotational speeds, and fluid viscosities. The pressure increment between the intake and discharge of the LSP was recorded using the differential pressure transducer. The same pump geometries, fluid properties and flow conditions were incorporated into the numerical configurations, where three-dimensional (3D), steady-state, Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations with a standard SST (shear stress transport) turbulence model were solved by a commercial CFD code. With the high-quality poly-hexcore grids, the simulated pressure increment was compared with the corresponding experimental measurement. The internal flow structures and characteristics within the cavities contained by the LSP impeller and diffuser were also analyzed. The good agreement between the numerical results against the experimental data verified the methodology adopted in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advancements in radiotherapy (RT) in recent years, several studies have shown that RT can significantly prolong the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As a noninvasive treatment option, the application of RT for the treatment of HCC is garnering increasing attention. In this retrospective study, we included data from 13,878 patients with HCC from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2000 and 2019 and 325 patients with HCC treated in three tertiary hospitals in China between 2015 and 2021. Patient data were divided into RT and non-RT groups based on whether the patients underwent RT. Propensity score matching analysis was performed to minimize the deviation between the RT and non-RT groups, and the Kaplan–Meier method, Cox proportional hazard model, and nomogram were used to assess the efficacy of undergoing RT. The median overall survival (mOS) of the RT group was significantly longer compared with that of the non-RT group for the SEER data (16 months versus 9 months, p < 0.01). Similarly, the survival benefit was more significant in the RT group than in the non-RT group at our hospitals (34.1 months versus 15.4 months, p < 0.01). Furthermore, multivariate Cox analysis revealed that factors, including tumor (T) stage, patient age, tumor grade, serum AFP level, and chemotherapy, also affected patient survival. Moreover, these factors were also used to construct a nomogram. Subgroup analysis of these factors showed that RT was effective in prolonging patient survival in different populations. RT significantly improves the survival time of patients with inoperable HCC, thereby providing a basis for selecting HCC patients who can benefit from RT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work demonstrated that Enteromorpha biochar with introduced iron (SFB900-3) could activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) efficiently for NTP remediation. It removed 83.9%–95.1% of NTP in 60 min under a wide pH range from 3.15 to 8.95. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed the synergistic relationship between internal Fe single atoms and introduced Fe compounds—Fe3C. The adsorption capacity of SFB900-3 for persulfate improved from −0.953 eV to −4.214 eV, and the Bader charge analysis showed that Fe atoms as active sites (0.658 e) enhanced the adsorption capacity more than carbon (0.050 e). Moreover, the energy barrier for PMS dissociation reduced from 0.072 eV to −5.372 eV due to the longer length of O–O bond under the synergistic effect of Fe single atom and Fe3C which increased from 1.467 Å to 3.890 Å. The quenching experiment confirmed that 1O2 was the main active substance in NTP degradation and its contribution rate was 88.2%, which was further verified by EPR detection. The effect factor experiments proved that the SFB900-3/PMS system had stable and efficient activity for NTP removal, which remained at 73.6% removal rate after three rounds of tests. This work provided novel guidance for constructing efficient and stable biochar-based materials for organic pollutant remediation. Highlights: Improved PMS activation by synergy of single Fe atom and Fe3C was proposed. Variations in electron distribution and energy barrier enhance PMS activation The prepared SFB900 exhibited excellent stability. The degradation pathways of nitenpyram were explained in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We compared endoscopic "calabash" ligation and resection (ECLR) and endoscopic submucosal excision (ESE) in treating endophytic gastric stromal tumors (GSTs) ≤15 mm in diameter originating from the muscularis propria. Methods: We performed a retrospective study and included patients who visited our hospital for removal of small endophytic GSTs (diameter ≤ 15 mm) confirmed by postoperative pathological reports between February 2019 and December 2020. Patients were assigned to the study (received ECLR) or control (accepted ESE) groups, and their medical records were reviewed. Age, sex, GST size, resection outcomes, procedure measurements, lengths of hospital stays, medical expenses, intraoperative and postoperative complications, and follow‐up outcomes were documented and compared between the two groups. Propensity score matching was used to avoid retrospective biases. Results: A total of 277 patients were included in the analysis, with 135 in the study group and 142 in the control group. After propensity score matching, 119 cases in each group were finally included in the study. Compared to the control group, the study group had significantly shorter procedure durations and lengths of hospital stays, as well as reduced medical expenses. Compared to the control group, the study group also had significantly lower incidence rates of intraoperative stomach perforation, postoperative intraperitoneal infection, and postoperative electrocoagulation syndrome, as well as a lower intensity of postoperative pain. There were no significant differences in the other measurements between the two groups. Conclusion: ECLR is an effective and safe procedure for treating patients with endophytic GSTs ≤15 mm in diameter originating from the muscularis propria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing demand for manned lunar exploration and deep-space exploration missions, the application value of the three-body orbit in cislunar space becomes increasingly prominent due to its special orbital characteristic. The efficient round-trip versions for manned missions of both the nominal fuel-optimal and emergency transfers between NRHO and the Moon are exploited deeply. The collocation method and indirect optimization technique with constraint gradients are utilized in conjunction with the features of the NRHO configuration to increase the algorithm's accuracy and speed. The required initial value and suitable collocation point can be determined quickly based on a global search strategy and Lambert algorithm. To highlight the effectivity of the design scheme and aim at global lunar surface exploration, typical scenarios of lunar sites at different latitudes and longitudes are investigated with various time of flight, which show that the difference of fuel consumption varies from a few kilograms to hundreds of kilograms. Meanwhile, the relations among Moon landing sites, transition time and fuel consumption are analyzed and the advantages and disadvantages of NRHO in lunar exploration are compared. The design results have some reference value for the lunar landing vehicle's deployment in the near-Moon space, as well as the round-trip transfer mission and key parameter selection. • Fuel-optimal round-trip transfers between NRHOs and LLOs of different sizes are deeply studied. • The benefits of the Lambert algorithm and a global search strategy are combined. • The indirect optimization method with incorporated analytical gradients is applied. • Trajectory characteristics between the sample NRHOs and LLOs with varied latitudes and longitudes are investigated. • The relations among moon landing sites, transition time and fuel consumption are analyzed. • The advantages and disadvantages of NRHO in lunar exploration are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking the external corner with equal lengths as the research object, two failure modes of the equilateral external corner are established, and the active earth pressure calculation formula of the equilateral external corner in the limit state is further deduced when the external angle is 90°. The comparison between the theoretical calculation results and Midas/GTS simulation results shows that when the ratio of the side length B to the depth H is large, the sliding wedge failure will occur at the external corner, and the active earth pressure of the external corner in the range of wedge-shaped slider will not change with the change of size B. When the ratio of the side length B to the depth H is small, the displaced soil is composed of two parts, and the earth pressure varies with the change of size B. In this paper, the magnitude and distribution law of the active earth pressure obtained by the horizontal micro-layered limit equilibrium analysis method is similar to the three-dimensional simulation value of the Midas/GTS software, which can prove the feasibility and rationality of the theoretical calculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial dysfunctions underlie the pathogenesis in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Comprehensive proteomic profiling of mitochondria-specific changes in human GBM is still insufficient. This study carried out a DIA-MS based proteomic analysis on the mitochondria isolated from human primary GBM and peritumoral tissue (as paired control), and further compared those findings with the transcriptomic datasets. A total of 538 mitochondrion-specific proteins were rigorously confirmed, among which 190 differentially expressed proteins were identified. Co-regulations of the mitochondrial dysfunction pathway networks were observed, including significant up-regulations of mitochondrial translation and apoptosis, as well as down-regulations of OXPHOS and mitochondrial dynamics. Proteins related to FA, AA metabolism and ROS also showed significant variations. Most of these alterations were consistent in trend when compared the proteomics findings with the RNA-Seq datasets, while the changes at protein levels appeared to be more dramatic. Potentially key proteins in GBM were identified, including up-regulated pro-apoptotic protein CASP3, BAX, fatty acid oxidation enzymes CPT1A, CPT2, ACADM, serine-glycine enzymes SHMT2, GATM, ROS-related protein SOD2, GPX1, and CAT; and down-regulated dynamin-related protein MFN1, MFN2, OPA1, and OXPHOS components; and also several differentially expressed ALDH isoforms. This study systematically profiled the mitochondrial dysfunctions by combining proteomic findings and mRNA datasets, which would be a valuable resource to the community for further thorough analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared stealth technology plays a vital role in improving the survivability of future aircraft. The exhaust system is the main source of infrared radiation on the rear side of the aircraft, and stealth coating is an effective measure to reduce the infrared radiation on the solid wall of the nozzle. Mature commercial computational fluid dynamics software was used to obtain and analyze accurate data of the flow field to study the infrared radiation characteristics of the stealth coating on the turbofan engine nozzle. Furthermore, infrared simulation software based on the reverse Monte Carlo method, line-by-line calculation technique, and database technology for high-temperature gas parameters of a narrowband model were used to numerically simulate the exhaust system of a turbofan engine with infrared suppression coating. Assuming that the damage percentage of the external adjusting plate is constant, the findings reveal that the overall infrared radiation intensity exhibits a steadily increasing trend with the increase in the number of damaged adjusting plates. The maximum change in the infrared radiation intensity between eight damaged adjusting plates and one damaged adjusting plate was 11.67%. Thus, regular inspection and maintenance are required for the stealth coating on the external adjusting plate of the aero-engine tail nozzle to maintain stealth integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing studies have shown that the unexpected information effect of monetary policy (IEOMP) would affect the fluctuation of stock prices. This paper tests the effect of unexpected IEOMP on stock prices in China. Taking Chinese listed military and defense enterprises, for example, the author further explored how the influence of unexpected IEOMP over stock price varies between industries. The empirical analysis reveals that, despite the industrial heterogeneity of the said influence in China, the stock price of Chinese listed military and defense enterprises is still affected by unexpected IEOMP. Our analysis enables Chinese military and defense enterprises to build a more robust market mechanism for the military and defense market, open more effective channels for the industrial chain, capital chain, and private capital, and drive the national economy with the sci-tech results of defense. In addition, policymakers are recommended to keep an eye on the price fluctuation in the stock market and important economic information from stock price fluctuation in order to effectively identify the potential risks in the future economy and to improve the predictability of the feedback mechanism of monetary policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using two different types of quantification for quantum steering, we study the influence of Hawking radiation on quantum steering for fermionic fields in Schwarzschild spacetime. The degradation for the steering between physically accessible observers and the generation for the steering between physically accessible and inaccessible observers induced by Hawking radiation are studied. We also reveal the difference between the two types of quantification for steering, and find some monogamy relations between steering and entanglement. Furthermore, we show the different properties between fermionic steering and bosonic steering in Schwarzschild spacetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Up to now, the correlation between soil evaporation and cracking within a multi-scale perspective remains unclear so far. For this purpose, X-ray computed tomography was used to dynamically capture the 3D cracking process of a compacted clayey soil with evaporation. The proposed image processing methods combining CT image segmentation and digital image correlation (DIC) allowed multi-scale quantitative analysis of the temporal evolution of soil water distribution, regional deformation and crack network upon evaporation. Different mechanisms are defined to explain the development of regional crack networks. Evaporation-mobilised tensile stress leads to cracking in the top part of the soil, with a single-peaked change along drying time in the cracking rate. A similar variation appears in the cracking process of the bottom soil, attributed to the basal friction activated by soil desiccation shrinkage. Besides, the cracking rate of this region is nearly independent of the regional evaporation. As for the middle part of the soil, a double-peaked pattern dominates the cracking rate, as the curling contributes to the formation of new inner cracks and the bottom soil cracks propagate upwards. Furthermore, desiccation cracks developing to a certain extent facilitate the water loss of neighbouring soil bodies, whereas this phenomenon is difficult to present over the whole soil scale. The current outcomes are expected to advance insights into the spatial–temporal cracking mechanism of soils under evaporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) by polymer carbon nitride (PCN) is hampered by the unpredictable movement and rapid recombination of photocarriers. In this study, niacin served as a beneficial modifier to help constructed the directional electron transfer pathway from the center to the edge in the synthesized PCN catalyst (UCNNA) for efficient PMS activation. The UCNNA/PMS/vis shows the highest kinetic constants (0.050 min−1), which is 2.9-fold increase over the PCN/PMS/vis. The experiments and theoretical calculations indicated that niacin as electron acceptor group prevents the recombination of photocarriers in-plane. Simultaneously, niacin can serve as PMS adsorption site, further facilitating electron transfer and the 1O 2 generation. Mass spectrometry analysis and Fukui index calculations confirm the priority of lateral chain oxidation (1O 2 attack site) during atrazine degradation. These results provide new insights into rational design of metal-free catalysts/PMS/vis system, as well as providing guidance and theoretical support for atrazine degradation mechanisms. [Display omitted] • The electron acceptor grafted PCN has been constructed by facile one-step thermopolymerization. • The electron acceptor nicotinic acid groups server as adsorption sites for PMS. • Electron transfer and 1O 2 in this system facilitate efficient degradation of ATZ. • The UCNNA/PMS/vis system has strong anti-interference ability. • The side chain of ATZ is preferentially attacked in this system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid repair of engineering structures damaged due to explosions can enhance the structural impact resistance after an explosion, thereby reducing the potential for casualties and property losses. A novel concrete canvas was firstly proposed based on G-HPC (geopolymer-based high performance concrete), UHMWPEWF（ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene woven fabric), and 3D BFG (basalt fiber grid) to rapidly repair engineering structures and render their blast resistance. A sequence of contact blast tests was systematically conducted to verify the feasibility of the proposed G-HPC canvas. A normal reinforced concrete slab and a steel-wire mesh (SWM) reinforced G-HPC slab were initially damaged by the contact blast loading, afterwards, the damaged concrete slabs were rapidly repaired by G-UHPC (geopolymer-based ultra-high-performance concrete) and the novel G-HPC canvas. The rapidly repaired concrete slabs were subsequently tested by contact blast loading. A precise 3D finite element model was then developed and calibrated based on the experimental results. Eventually, numerical simulations were performed to better understand the contribution of main parameters including repair materials filling the internal slab, steel-wire mesh, G-HPC canvas location and its thickness towards the improvement of the rapidly repaired slabs against the contact blast loading. The experimental and numerical results indicated that the SWM reinforced G-HPC slab has superior blast-resistance compared with the RC slab and the proposed method to rapidly repair the damaged slabs was feasible. The G-HPC canvas should be placed properly since the location of the G-HPC canvas is related to whether fragments are produced on the rear surface of the damaged slab. Increasing the G-HPC canvas thickness and the layers of SWM could significantly reduce the damage area of the repaired slab. • A novel G-HPC canvas was first proposed to rapidly repair engineering structures damage in the explosion event. • The damaged RC and SWM reinforced G-HPC slab were further tested after being rapidly repaired. • The experimental results proved the feasibility of the proposed method to rapidly repair the damaged slabs. • A precise 3D finite element model was developed and calibrated based on the experimental results. • The effects of repair materials, SWM, G-HPC canvas location and its thickness were revealed by numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the acceleration effect on the genuine tripartite entanglement for one or two accelerated detector(s) coupled to the vacuum field. Surprisingly, we find that the increase and decrease in entanglement have no definite correspondence with the Unruh and anti-Unruh effects. Specifically, Unruh effect can not only decrease but also enhance the tripartite entanglement between detectors; also, anti-Unruh effect can not only enhance but also decrease the tripartite entanglement. We give an explanation of this phenomenon. Finally, we extend the discussion from tripartite to N -partite systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the oil shale in situ conversion project, it is urgent to solve the problem that the reaction degree of organic matter cannot be determined. The yield and composition of organic products in each stage of the oil shale pyrolysis reaction change regularly, so it is very important to master the process of the pyrolysis reaction and reservoir change for oil shale in situ conversion project. In the in situ conversion project, it is difficult to directly obtain cores through drilling for kerogen maturity testing, and the research on judging the reaction process of subsurface pyrolysis based on the maturity of oil products has not been carried out in-depth. The simulation experiments and geochemical analysis carried out in this study are based on the oil shale of the Nenjiang Formation in the Songliao Basin and the pyrolysis oil samples produced by the in situ conversion project. Additionally, this study aims to clarify the evolution characteristics of maturity parameters such as effective biomarker compounds during the evolution of oil shale pyrolysis hydrocarbon products and fit it with the kerogen maturity in the Nenjiang formation. The response relationship with the pyrolysis process of oil shale is established, and it lays a theoretical foundation for the efficient, economical and stable operation of oil shale in situ conversion projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovalbumin (OVA), a major allergen in egg-induced food allergy, is widely used in the food industry. This study investigated the structural and antigenic changes of OVA after covalent conjugation with rosmarinic acid (RA). The SDS-PAGE and RA binding equivalent analysis confirmed that both the radical and alkaline methods successfully prepared the OVA-RA conjugates. LC-MS/MS assay identified 20 and 15 modified sites of RA on OVA in the radical and alkaline OVA-RA conjugates, respectively. The structural changes of OVA were indicated by fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), and ultraviolet absorption (UV) spectrometry. Following conjugation with RA, the antioxidant capacities of OVA for scavenging DPPH• and ABTS•+ showed significant enhancement. Subsequently, the impact of RA on the antigenicity of OVA was assessed both in vitro and in vivo. The ELISA analysis revealed a notable reduction in the binding capacity of OVA to IgG and IgE after covalent conjugation with RA. Additionally, the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) assay demonstrated lower allergenicity in radical and alkaline OVA-RA conjugates compared to native OVA. These findings collectively suggest that OVA-RA conjugates hold promise for the development of hypoallergenic food. • The covalent interaction between rosmarinic acid and ovalbumin was investigated. • The protein structure of ovalbumin underwent changes following covalent conjugation with rosmarinic acid. • The allergenicity of ovalbumin was diminished following covalent conjugation with rosmarinic acid. • The functional properties of ovalbumin were extended following covalent conjugation with rosmarinic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modeling the pollutant removal performance of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) plays a crucial role in regulating their operation, mitigating effluent anomalies and reducing operating costs. Pollutants removal in WWTPs is closely related to microbial activity. However, there is extremely limited knowledge on the models accurately characterizing pollutants removal performance by microbial activity indicators. This study proposed a novel specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR ATP) with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as biomass. Firstly, it was found that SOUR ATP and total nitrogen (TN) removal rate showed similar fluctuated trends, and their correlation was stronger than that of TN removal rate and common SOUR MLSS with mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) as biomass. Then, support vector regressor (SVR), K-nearest neighbor regressor (KNR), linear regressor (LR), and random forest (RF) models were developed to predict TN removal rate only with microbial activity as features. Models utilizing the novel SOUR ATP resulted in better performance than those based on SOUR MLSS. A model fusion (MF) algorithm based on the above four models was proposed to enhance the accuracy with lower root mean square error (RMSE) of 2.25 mg/L/h and explained 75% of the variation in the test data with SOUR ATP as features as opposed to other base learners. Furthermore, the interpretation of predictive results was explored through microbial community structure and metabolic pathway. Strong correlations were found between SOUR ATP and the proportion of nitrifiers in aerobic pool, as well as between heterotrophic bacteria respiratory activity (SOUR ATP_HB) and the proportion of denitrifies in anoxic pool. SOUR ATP also displayed consistent positive responses with most key enzymes in Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway (EMP), tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) and oxidative phosphorylation cycle. In this study, SOUR ATP provides a reliable indication of the composition and metabolic activity of nitrogen removal bacteria, revealing the potential reasons underlying the accurate predictive result of nitrogen removal rates based on novel microbial activity indicators. This study offers new insights for the prediction and further optimization operation of WWTPs from the perspective of microbial activity regulation. [Display omitted] • A novel microbial activity indicator SOUR ATP with ATP as biomass was proposed. • Predictive model of nitrogen removal rate based on microbial activity was conducted. • The SOUR computed by ATP instead of MLSS can obtained higher accuracy. • Biological interpretation was given for the predictive results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent efforts in stimuli‐responsive soft materials have enabled wirelessly controlled actuation with increasing degrees of freedom, yielding miniature robots capable of various locomotion in open environments such as on a plane or inside fluids. However, grand challenges remain in harnessing photomechanical deformation to induce locomotion and control of friction during the movement, especially for robotic actuations within constrained spaces. Here, the authors report a centimeter‐long polymer strip made of a liquid crystal network that is capable of versatile light‐fueled motions along a human hair. The soft polymer robot can translocate directionally upon temporally modulated excitation and climb vertically through friction control with light. A self‐oscillating strip is demonstrated to continuously translocate along the hair upon a constant light stimulus, and its gaiting is associated to the smoothness of the hair surface. The results offer new insights to small‐scale photo‐actuator, mechanical control, and automation in soft micro robotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the genuine tripartite nonlocality (GTN) and the genuine tripartite entanglement (GTE) of Dirac fields in the background of a Schwarzschild black hole. We find that the Hawking radiation degrades both the physically accessible GTN and the physically accessible GTE. The former suffers from "sudden death" at some critical Hawking temperature, and the latter approaches to the nonzero asymptotic value in the limit of infinite Hawking temperature. We also find that the Hawking effect cannot generate the physically inaccessible GTN, but can generate the physically inaccessible GTE for fermion fields in curved spacetime. These results show that on the one hand the GTN cannot pass through the event horizon of black hole, but the GTE do can, and on the other hand the surviving physically accessible GTE and the generated physically inaccessible GTE for fermions in curved spacetime are all not nonlocal. Some monogamy relations between the physically accessible GTE and the physically inaccessible GTE are found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal tuberculosis (STB), which accounts for half of musculoskeletal tuberculosis, is among the leading causes of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Guangxi Province, located in southern China, is among the most severely affected provinces in China. In this study, we collected and analyzed data from 2 Class-A tertiary teaching hospitals in Nanning City, Guangxi Province, from 2011 to 2019, with the aim of providing reference points for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis analysis of STB, using the epidemiological characteristics of 556 STB cases. Our results revealed that males had a slightly higher incidence (50.17%) compared to females (49.83%), with 64.93% of cases falling between the ages of 18 and 45 years. Cases from rural communities accounted for 63.49% of the reviewed cases. The average time between onset of symptoms and hospitalization was 18.0 months (range: 1 day-220 months). The most commonly reported symptoms were lower back pain (78.60%), radicular pain (51.98%), and systemic toxemia (43.53%). Additionally, 53.98% of the reviewed cases had varying degrees of neurological impairment. The main pathological lesion locations were the lumbar spine (43.53%) and thoracic spine (32.55%). Among them, 72.66% of cases involved at least 2 vertebral segments, and 62.77% of cases presented with paravertebral abscesses. Among the cases reviewed, 90.65% underwent antituberculosis chemotherapy prior to surgery. Following treatment, the cure rate was 78.41%, while 3.78% of patients had postoperative relapse. There were cases of concomitant illnesses among the cases reviewed, 40.65% of patients also had pulmonary tuberculosis, 15.29% had hepatitis B, 13.30% had diabetes, and 7.91% had hypertension. Our results still demonstrate that spinal tuberculosis remains a serious public health problem in Guangxi Province. Thus, preventive measures should be directed towards rural residents with comorbidities such as the elderly and diabetic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the cumulative damage and failure characteristics of long spiral belled pile under horizontal cyclic loading of offshore wind and waves, a series of indoor experiments on single piles under horizontal cyclic load were carried out. The cycle times as well as load amplitude at the same frequency were considered during the horizontal pseudo-static cyclic tests. On the basis of the distribution of pile deflection, bending moment, and Earth pressure around the pile, the pile-soil interaction was comprehensively discussed. The cumulative energy dissipation characteristics were introduced to describe the damage of test piles. Meanwhile, the effects of load amplitude and cycle times on the cumulative damage of long spiral belled piles were discussed. A power function model for energy dissipation coefficient prediction under multi-stage cyclic load was proposed. The results show that the horizontal peak bearing capacity of long spiral belled pile is increased by 57.2% and 40.4%, respectively, as compared with the straight pile and belled pile under the same conditions. The horizontal displacement mainly occurs at the upper part of the pile. Under the condition of limited cyclic times, the load amplitude has more significant effect on the bearing characteristics of the long spiral belled pile. In contrast to the straight pile and belled pile, the long spiral belled pile has better energy dissipation capacity, and the rank of the energy dissipation capacity of these three piles is long spiral belled pile > belled pile > straight pile. The power function model can well reflect the cumulative damage characteristics of long spiral belled pile under horizontal cyclic loading, and there is a good linear relationship between power function model parameters and load amplitude. The energy dissipation coefficient of long spiral belled pile with diverse cycle times at different mechanical stages of test pile is analysed. Then, the recommended power function model parameters according to different failure stages are proposed. The verification example indicates that the prediction results are close to the measured values with a calculation error of 22%. The prediction model can provide a certain reference for the application of long spiral belled pile in marine structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. This study is aimed at illustrating the bimaxillary basal bone contours, to clarify the match of the basal bone arches of the upper and lower, especially the posterior segments, including the second molar and retromolar region. Methods. Based on 100 cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images (50 males and 50 females), we obtained 100 pairs of basal bone arches, which were the horizontal inner cortex contours passing the furcation of the first molar paralleled to the lower occlusal plane. The Generalized Procrustes Analysis (GPA) was applied to depict average contours and calculate the ratio and difference width of both upper and lower dental arches in different positions. Variations of the basal bone morphology among individuals were revealed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results. The width discrepancy occurred at 7-7 segment (male: upper 65.62 mm and lower 68.81 mm and female: upper 62.98 mm and lower 68.38 mm) and the retromolar region (male: upper 64.67 mm and lower 71.96 mm and female: upper 62.34 mm and lower 71.44 mm). The ratio (p = 0.006) and difference value (p = 0.009) of 7-7 segment and the ratio of retromolar region (p = 0.044) differed in genders. Setting 2 mm overjet, the upper basal bone arch was wider than the lower by approximate 2 mm on both sides, except the second molar and retromolar region. According to PCA, the variation of basal bone arches appeared mainly at terminal segments. Conclusions. For both male and female, the bimaxillary basal bone matched except terminal segments. Mismatch of female bimaxillary posterior basal bone was more pronounced than male. The basal bone arches of male were wider and longer than that of female. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroptosis plays a critical role in different types of cancers, but the prognostic impact of ferroptosis in cutaneous melanoma remains lacking. Therefore, ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) were firstly obtained from the FerrDb database and the differentially expressed FRGs were identified by the "limma" algorithm. Next, the prognostic differentially expressed FRGs were screened out by univariate Cox regression, which were subsequently used to cluster melanomas into two subtypes (clusters A and B). Besides, the Boruta algorithm and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed to build a 15-FRGs indicator, which can robustly predict patients' overall survival (OS) and be considered as an independent prognostic factor in melanoma. The melanoma patients were further divided into high- and low-FRGs score groups. The high score group have a good prognosis, with higher T cell immune infiltrating and lower mutation frequencies in NRAS, KRAS, and NF1. Finally, we discovered that many immune processes and several chemotherapy drugs were closely associated with FRGs score. Thus, our study provides a novel ferroptosis-associated classifier and indicator to predict the prognosis of melanoma. Besides, we identified several potential chemotherapy drugs to induce ferroptosis and could supply additional effective treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Up to 10–20% of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) develop a severe pulmonary disease due to immune dysfunction and cytokine dysregulation. However, the extracellular proteomic characteristics in respiratory tract of these critical COVID‐19 patients still remain to be investigated. In the present study, we performed a quantitative proteomic analysis of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from patients with critical COVID‐19 and from non‐COVID‐19 controls. Our study identified 358 differentially expressed BALF proteins (P < 0.05), among which 41 were significantly changed after using the Benjamini–Hochberg correction (q < 0.05). The up‐regulated signaling was found to be mainly involved in inflammatory signaling and response to oxidative stress. A series of increased extracellular factors including Tenascin‐C (TNC), Mucin‐1 (KL‐6 or MUC1), Lipocalin‐2 (LCN2), periostin (POSTN), Chitinase 3‐like 1 (CHI3L1 or YKL40), and S100A12, and the antigens including lymphocyte antigen 6D/E48 antigen (LY6D), CD9 antigen, CD177 antigen, and prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) were identified, among which the proinflammatory factors TNC and KL‐6 were further validated in serum of another thirty‐nine COVID‐19 patients and healthy controls, showing high potentials of being biomarkers or therapeutic candidates for COVID‐19. This BALF proteome associated with COVID‐19 would also be a valuable resource for researches on anti‐inflammatory medication and understanding the molecular mechanisms of host response. Database: Proteomic raw data are available in ProteomeXchange (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org) under the accession number PXD022085, and in iProX (www.iprox.org) under the accession number IPX0002429000. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor (PMT) is classified into four histological subtypes: mixed connective tissue, osteoblast-like, non-ossifying fibroma-like, and ossifying fibroma-like. The ossifying fibroma-like subtype being extremely rare. Most PMTs are benign, with a minimal number becoming malignant after recurrence. In this study, we report a case of recurrence and malignant transformation of PMT-ossifying fibroma-like subtype in the left hip bone.Case Presentation: Here, we report the clinical manifestations, histology, pathological features, and treatment of a 57-year-old Chinese woman with a recurrent and malignant ossifying fibroma-like subtype PMT of the left iliac bone. The tumor was first discovered 3 years ago when the patient underwent surgery to remove the tumor. Precisely 2 years and 6 months after the operation, the pain in the left hip reappeared. After 6 months, the patient went to our hospital for treatment. After the tumor resection, the postoperative symptoms improved significantly, and the serum alkaline phosphatase level returned to normal. Based on clinical manifestations, evaluation of serum biochemical indicators, X-ray examination, computerized tomography scan of the pelvis, and histopathological examination of the two operations, the patient was finally diagnosed with a recurring and malignant transformation of the left iliac bone phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor-ossifying fibroma-like subtype. No tumor recurrence was found during the follow-up 15 months after the operation.Conclusions: This case increases the awareness of a rare malignant subtype of PMT and provides a valuable reference for the diagnosis of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenotype plasticity and evolution adaptations are the two main ways in which allow populations to deal with environmental changes, but the potential relationship between them remains controversial. Using a reciprocal transplant approach with cattle adapted to the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent lowlands, we aim to investigate the relative contributions of evolutionary processes and phenotypic plasticity in driving both phenotypic and transcriptomic changes under natural conditions. We observed that while numerous genetic transcriptomic changes were evident during the forward adaptation to highland environments, plastic changes predominantly facilitate the transformation of transcriptomes into a preferred state when Tibetan cattle are reintroduced to lowland habitats. Genes with ancestral plasticity are generally reversed by evolutionary adaptations and show a closer expression level to the ancestral stage in evolved Tibetan cattle. A similar trend was also observed at the phenotypes level, with a majority of biochemical and hemorheology phenotypes showing a tendency to revert to their ancestral patterns, suggesting the restoration of ancestral expression levels is a widespread evolutionary trend during adaptation. The findings of our study contribute to the debate regarding the relative contributions of plasticity and genetic changes in mammal environment adaptation. Furthermore, we highlight that the restoration of ancestral phenotypes represents a general pattern in cattle new environment adaptation. Our findings reveal that while numerous genetic transcriptomic changes were observed during the forward adaptation to highland environments, plastic changes predominantly facilitate the transformation of transcriptomes into a preferred state when Tibetan cattle are reintroduced to lowland habitats. Genes exhibiting ancestral plasticity generally undergo reversal through evolutionary adaptations, resulting in closer expression levels resembling their ancestral stage in evolved Tibetan cattle. A similar trend was also observed at the phenotype level, where a majority of biochemical and hemorheology traits displayed a tendency to revert to their ancestral patterns, suggesting that restoration of ancestral expression levels is a widespread evolutionary trend during adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Histopathological image features offer a quantitative measurement of cellular morphology, and probably help for better diagnosis and prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods: We first used histopathological image features and machine‐learning algorithms to predict molecular features of 212 HNSCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Next, we divided TCGA‐HNSCC cohort into training set (n = 149) and test set (n = 63), and obtained tissue microarrays as an external validation set (n = 126). We identified the gene expression profile correlated to image features by bioinformatics analysis. Results: Histopathological image features combined with random forest may predict five somatic mutations, transcriptional subtypes, and methylation subtypes, with area under curve (AUC) ranging from 0.828 to 0.968. The prediction model based on image features could predict overall survival, with 5‐year AUC of 0.831, 0.782, and 0.751 in training, test, and validation sets. We next established an integrative prognostic model of image features and gene expressions, which obtained better performance in training set (5‐year AUC = 0.860) and test set (5‐year AUC = 0.826). According to histopathological transcriptomics risk score (HTRS) generated by the model, high‐risk and low‐risk patients had different survival in training set (HR = 4.09, p < 0.001) and test set (HR=3.08, p = 0.019). Multivariate analysis suggested that HTRS was an independent predictor in training set (HR = 5.17, p < 0.001). The nomogram combining HTRS and clinical factors had higher net benefit than conventional clinical evaluation. Conclusions: Histopathological image features provided a promising approach to predict mutations, molecular subtypes, and prognosis of HNSCC. The integration of image features and gene expression data had potential for improving prognosis prediction in HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The attention to the periodic orbit in the Earth-Moon restricted three-body system continues to grow due to its special environment and locations. This research investigates the feasibility of constructing fuel-optimal single and multiple impulse transfers between unstable periodic orbits at L 1 and L 2 points. Invariant manifolds, which could provide the appropriate initial trajectories for optimization, are analyzed deeply to enable previously unknown orbit options and potentially to reduce mission cost. A global search strategy based on comparing the orbital state of the unstable and stable manifolds, incorporated with low-thrust techniques, is performed to seek a suitable matching point for maneuver application. Then the sequential quadratic programming (SQP) is adopted to further optimize the velocity increment and obtain the single/multiple impulse optimal transfers. The associated constraint gradients are derived to achieve higher accuracy and rapidity of the algorithm. To highlight the effectivity of the transfer scheme, three-dimensional low-energy transfers between different types and spatial regions of performing single and multiple impulses are explored. The total Delta-V required varies between a few meters per second and tens of meters per second, and the related flight time is about several weeks, mainly depending on the energy of periodic orbits and the invariant manifold structure. The results obtained in this paper can provide a useful reference for the selection of escape and capture site along the manifolds, maneuver magnitude and transfer time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, sulfur and sodium co-doped cyano-rich polymeric carbon nitride (NaCNS) have been designed to boost photocatalytic atrazine (ATZ) degradation with peroxymonosulfate (PMS) assistance. The NaCNS was fabricated via a two-step thermal condensation with the existence of sodium chloride and cysteine, and the ATZ degradation in the system was evaluated via batch experiments. Compared to pristine carbon nitride, the reaction rate constant of NaCNS was dramatically enhanced nearly sixfold (47.66 ×10−3·min−1). Given the experiments and theoretical calculation, the ATZ degradation in the system was mainly dominated by the electrophilic attack of O 2 1 , leading to the production of 11 intermediates with reduced ecotoxicity. The promoted photocatalytic performance was originating from the dual modulation of NaCNS, where the sodium act as a PMS activation site while the cyano and sulfur construct an electronic push-pull system for better photocarrier separation. Hopefully, this study can inspire the rational design of catalysts for efficient photocatalytic PMS activation. [Display omitted] • Dual modulation of PCN was achieved for photocatalytic PMS activation. • S and cyano group promoted charge separation via an electronic pull-push system. • Na boosted the mass transfer from catalyst to PMS for a reduced energy barrier. • ATZ can be effectively degraded with various influences of environmental factors. • Degradation of ATZ in this system can effectively reduce its ecological hazard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract To systematically investigate the effect of the non-polar spacer length of gemini surfactants on the adsorption characteristic of organo silica nanosheets (organo-SiNSs), a series of gemini surfactants with different non-polar spacer chain lengths (G 16-2-16 , G 16-3-16 , G 16-4-16 and G 16-6-16 ) were designed and introduced into silica nanosheets (SiNSs) for the removal of rhodamine B (RhB). Differences in the structure and surface properties of organo-SiNSs were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, TG, BET and zeta potential. Effects of concentration of modifiers and RhB, contact time, pH and temperature have been studied. The adsorption mechanism of different molecular speciation of RhB has been investigated in detail. Gemini surfactants with shorter spacer chain promote the modification process and easily intercalate into interlayer space. Suitable packing density of surfactants on the surface of organo-SiNSs is beneficial to RhB adsorption, and the adsorption capacities of organo-SiNSs decrease in the order G 16-3-16 -SiNSs (223.36 mg g−1) > G 16-4-16 -SiNSs (216.18 mg g−1) > G 16-6-16 -SiNSs (204.88 mg g−1) > G 16-2-16 -SiNSs (198.09 mg g−1). Hydrophobic interaction between surfactants and RhB plays a dominated role in RhB adsorption; molecular speciation of RhB, electrostatic interaction and competitive adsorption also affect the adsorption. Organo-SiNSs exhibited high adsorption capacity and rapid adsorption equilibrium toward RhB at a low modifier dosage (0.42 mmol for 1 g raw SiNSs). It has been demonstrated that organo-SiNSs can be regenerated at least for 5 cycles. Moreover, the adsorption isotherm data was proved in good agreement with the Redlich Peterson model and the kinetics data was fitted well with pseudo-second-order kinetic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To estimate the prognostic value of inflammatory markers in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC).Methods: A total of 361 resected LSCC patients were included. The preoperative and postoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and l actate dehydrogenase (LDH) were assessed. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were conducted on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).Results: Both Kaplan-Meier analysis and univariate analysis demonstrated significant prognostic value of preoperative and postoperative NLR, PLR and MLR. However, only preoperative ALP was predictive of OS and PFS, and LDH failed to be predictor of OS and PFS. The multivariate analysis showed that preoperative NLR (OS: HR = 1.64, 95%CI: 1.06-2.54, p = 0.026; PFS: HR = 1.52, 95%CI: 1.04-2.23, p = 0.029) and postoperative MLR (OS: HR = 2.02, 95%CI: 1.29-3.14, p = 0.002; PFS: HR = 1.57, 95%CI: 1.05-2.34, p = 0.026) were independently related with survival.Conclusions: The elevated preoperative NLR, PLR, MLR and ALP were significantly associated with worse survival and cancer progression. The preoperative NLR and postoperative MLR might be independent prognostic markers of OS and PFS in LSCC patients undergoing surgical resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDC‐P) is an aggressive subtype of prostate cancer characterized by the growth of tumor cells within the prostate ducts. It is often found alongside invasive carcinoma and is associated with poor prognosis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms driving IDC‐P is crucial for improved diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment strategies. This review summarizes the molecular characteristics of IDC‐P and their prognostic indications, comparing them to conventional prostate acinar adenocarcinoma, to gain insights into its unique behavior and identify potential therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surfactant-free microemulsion (SFME), an emerging phenomenology that occurs in the monophasic zone of a broad category of ternary mixtures 'hydrophobe/hydrotrope/water', has attracted extensive interests due to their unique physicochemical properties. The potential of this kind of ternary fluid for solubilization and drug delivery make them promising candidates in many industrial scenarios. Here the thermodynamic behavior of these multiscale nanodomains formed in the ternary trans -anethol/ethanol/water system over a wide range of temperatures is explored. The macroscopic physical properties of the ternary solutions are characterized, with revealing the temperature dependence of refractive index and dynamic viscosity. With increasing temperature, the ternary system shows extended areas in the monophasic zone. We demonstrate that the phase behavior and the multiscale nanodomains formed in the monophasic zone can be precisely and reversibly tuned by altering the temperature. Increasing temperature can destroy the stability of the multiscale nanodomains in equilibrium, with an exponential decay in the scattering light intensity. Nevertheless, molecular-scale aggregates and mesoscopic droplets exhibit significantly different response behaviors to temperature stimuli. The temperature-sensitive nature of the ternary SFME system provides a crucial step forward exploring and industrializing its stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Synergy of Co(IV) with piezoelectricity of BaTiO 3 was proposed. • DFT calculations are adopted for in-depth understanding of synergy. • Variation in energy barrier improve PMS activation. • Biochar as a supporting greatly reduced Co ion leaching. • The degradation pathway and toxicity of atrazine and intermediates are described. Co-based catalysts, especially the role of high-valent cobalt oxo species (Co(IV)) have made considerable progress in the field of the advanced oxidation process based on peroxymonosulfate. Nevertheless, the unsatisfactory efficiency drives to find of a suitable method to enhance the electron transfer for the improved performance of Co-based catalyst/PMS systems. Here, Enteromorpha-derived biochar modified with cobalt and barium titanate (CoBCBa) was prepared by pyrolysis. It can completely remove atrazine (10 mg/L) within 30 min under ultrasonic, and exhibited strong environmental tolerance. The superior performance of CoBCBa is attributed to the synergistic effect of Co(IV) and the piezoelectricity of BaTiO 3. The apparent reaction rate under the ultrasonic condition was 1.61 times higher than that non-ultrasonic condition. The density functional theory calculation indicates that the reduction of the energy barrier in the CoBCBa/PMS system is beneficial to the production of Co(IV). This work provides novel guidance for constructing piezoelectricity assisted high-valent cobalt oxo species to treat organic pollutants in environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low-thrust version of the fuel-optimal transfers between periodic orbits with different energies in the vicinity of five libration points is exploited deeply in the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem. Indirect optimization technique incorporated with constraint gradients is employed to further improve the computational efficiency and accuracy of the algorithm. The required optimal thrust magnitude and direction can be determined to create the bridging trajectory that connects the invariant manifolds. A hierarchical design strategy dividing the constraint set is proposed to seek the optimal solution when the problem cannot be solved directly. Meanwhile, the solution procedure and the value ranges of used variables are summarized. To highlight the effectivity of the transfer scheme and aim at different types of libration point orbits, transfer trajectories between some sample orbits, including Lyapunov orbits, planar orbits, halo orbits, axial orbits, vertical orbits and butterfly orbits for collinear and triangular libration points, are investigated with various time of flight. Numerical results show that the fuel consumption varies from a few kilograms to tens of kilograms, related to the locations and the types of mission orbits as well as the corresponding invariant manifold structures, and indicates that the low-thrust transfers may be a beneficial option for the extended science missions around different libration points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce the computational complexity and maintain the effect of video dehazing, a fast and accurate video dehazing method is presented. The preliminary transmission map is estimated by the minimum channel of each pixel. An adjustment parameter is designed to fix the transmission map to reduce color distortion in the sky area. We propose a new quad-tree method to estimate the atmospheric light. In video dehazing stage, we keep the atmospheric light unchanged in the same scene by a simple but efficient parameter, which describes the similarity of the interframe image content. By using this method, unexpected flickers are effectively eliminated. Experiments results show that the proposed algorithm greatly improved the efficiency of video dehazing and avoided halos and block effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endowing titanium implants with the capability of delivering dexamethasone in a sustained and controlled manner to promote osseointegration and osteogenesis has become an emerging field. However, most of the currently developed dexamethasone/titanium implants are far from satisfactory because of some inherent defects. In this work, we constructed a stable, effective, and sustained dexamethasone delivery platform on titanium disc by immobilizing dexamethasone@zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 nanoparticles into the micrometer-scale artificial etch pits on titanium substrate using methanol-induced regenerated silk fibroin membrane encapsulation. In addition, the titanium substrate was aminated and covalent interactions were established between the titanium substrate and the silk fibroin membrane through genipin crosslinking. Briefly, owing to the synergistic barrier effect of the zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 shell and the silk fibroin membrane, the silk fibroin-dexamethasone@zeolitic imidazolate framework-8-titanium could release dexamethasone in a controlled manner over 30 days. Moreover, the pit walls together with the silk fibroin membrane protected the nanoparticles from detaching from the titanium substrate in the case of mechanical wear. The covalent interactions between the silk fibroin membrane and the titanium substrate prevented the silk fibroin membrane from self-peeling from the titanium substrate in a moist environment. In vitro cell culture indicated that the as-prepared titanium disc had good cytocompatibility with MC3T3-E1 cells. Furthermore, the cells cultured on the titanium disc demonstrated higher differentiation, calcium deposition, and expression of osteogenic genes than the cells cultured on the silk fibroin-zeolitic imidazolate framework-8-titanium and pristine titanium. In this work, dexamethasone was utilized as a drug model and could be replaced by other osteogenic drugs or growth factors. Thus, we believed that our design philosophy could inspire future research work on the development of Ti implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical feasibility and efficacy of the Wiltse approach and TTIF in elderly patients with single-segment thoracic tuberculosis (SSTTB) complicated with osteoporosis and neurological dysfunction. Between January 2017 and January 2019, 20 elderly patients underwent the Wiltse TTIF approach at a single hospital. The follow-up time of these patients was 37.15±7.37 months (range, 24-48 months). The preoperative kyphosis angle was 35.41±6.71˚. The degree of neurological deficit in each patient was assessed using the Frankel spinal cord injury classification. In addition, TB activity was monitored using erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels, and the degree of osteoporosis was evaluated using femoral neck bone mineral density T-scores. The 20 patients with SSTTB were completely cured without recurrence. The postoperative kyphotic angle was 8.80±0.79˚, without significant loss of correction at the final follow-up. Bone graft fusion was observed within 6-9 months, with all patients reporting relief of their back pain. The neurological condition of all the patients improved postoperatively. The present study indicates that Wiltse TTIF surgery combined with anti-TB chemotherapy has satisfactory efficacy in elderly patients with SSTTB complicated by osteoporosis and neurological impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high coupling coefficient of a wireless charging coupler can improve the transmission efficiency. To obtain a higher coupling coefficient of double D (DD) coupler, the equivalent magnetic circuit and the expression of coupling coefficient are derived, giving some guidance for magnetic core optimization. A new core structure is designed and optimized for DD coils, and its performance is verified by 3-D finite element method simulation and experiments. Finally, a universal process is described to design and optimize core structures for different wireless charging couplers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Improved activity by synergy of Z-scheme and piezoelectricity was firstly proposed. • The promotion mechanism of piezoelectricity on dual Z-scheme is explained. • The prepared material has strong anti-interference ability. • The degradation path of nitenpyram is explained in detail. • The toxicity of NTP's intermediate products was also analyzed. A highly active catalyst AgI/Ag 3 PO 4 /BaTiO 3 with the synergistic effect of photocatalysis and piezoelectricity was prepared, which can remove 100 % of Nitenpyram (NTP) in a wide pH range within 10 min. This piezo-photocatalyst AgI/Ag 3 PO 4 /BaTiO 3 with dual Z-scheme shows a higher NTP degradation rate than their mono-material and binary composites. The apparent rate constant of AgI/Ag 3 PO 4 /BaTiO 3 in NTP removal is 2.12 times higher than the second-performing catalyst. In the quenching experiment, h+ and ·O 2 – were observed to be the main active substance in NTP degradation and the former contributes the most. The dual Z-scheme mechanism and the built-in electric field are both beneficial for the separation of electron-hole pairs, as well as the extension of the photo-generated carrier lifetime. At last, the effect factor experiments proved that the prepared AgI/Ag 3 PO 4 /BaTiO 3 catalyst owns stable and efficient activity. This work provides novel guidance for the construction of highly efficient and stable piezo-photocatalytic heterojunction catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Triazole and pyromellitic diimide modified carbon nitride (TACP) was fabricated; • The thin-walled vesicular TACP can effectively enhance the n → π* electron excitation; • The donor-π-acceptor electron structured TACP promoted the separation of photocarriers; • TACP significantly enhanced the photodegradation of atrazine to a 95% removal rate; • Two pathways and 14 intermediates were proposed during atrazine degradation in the system. Polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) as a competitive non-metal photocatalyst, has been widely applied in water treatment. However, the limited visible-light utilization and high photocarrier recombination rate restrict its photocatalytic efficiency. Herein, triazole and pyromellitic diimide were applied for the bimolecular decoration of polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) to fabricate TA-CN-PDI for the photodegradation of atrazine. The thin-walled vesicular morphology in TA-CN-PDI can enhance the n→π* electron excitation, and the donor-π-acceptor electronic structure can promote the directional movement of photogenerated electrons and holes. The theoretical and experimental results suggested that the vesicular structure and the donor-π-acceptor electronic structure synergistically promoted the photoactivity of the catalyst. Compared to the pristine PCN, the reaction rate constants of atrazine by TA-CN-PDI increased to 6.64-fold, achieving a 95 % removal rate. It was found that 1 O 2 , OH , h + , · O 2 - were contributed to the ATZ degradation. In addition, mainly 14 intermediates and two pathways were proposed according to the LC-MS analysis. Hopefully, this modification strategy of PCN and its application in ATZ degradation can pave a way for subsequent research on the modification of photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new thermoviscoelastic finite deformation model incorporating dual relaxation mechanisms to predict the complete thermo-mechanical response of amorphous shape memory polymers. The model is underpinned by the detailed microscopic molecular mechanism and effectively reflects the current understanding of the glass transition phenomenon. Novel evolution rules are obtained from the model to characterize the viscous flow, and a new theory named an internal stress model is introduced and combined with the dual relaxation mechanisms to capture the stress recovery. The rationality of the constitutive model is verified as the theoretical results agree well with the experimental data. Moreover, the constitutive model is further simplified to facilitate engineering applications, and it can roughly capture the characteristics of shape memory polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]