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Fracture propagation coupled with fluid flow in porous media has very important applications in fracking in oil and gas reservoirs, corrosion in ceramics, and degradation of human bones. Modeling fracture failure in porous media governed by the coupled solid and fluid field equations is challenging and time-consuming. This paper extends discontinuous Galerkin (DG) finite element methods to model crack openings in porous media through exploiting an easy construction of interfaces for potential crack paths by locally breaking continuous elements. Consequently, a finite element mesh for fracture apertures is completely and gracefully constructed using DG interface objects as well as the definitions of jumps of displacements across the DG interfaces defined for bulk matrices. Furthermore, rigid cohesive laws often adopted for crack openings can be naturally implemented in DG formulations without introducing artificial stiffness, which may eventually improve the performance for implicit formulations in handling crack openings in porous media. In this work, we perform a consistent, fully implicit, and fully coupled hybrid DG/continuous finite element formulation for three field equations including the solid, bulk fluid, and fluid in fracture apertures resulting from crack openings. We verify our DG formulation and implementation using the Khristianovich-Geertsma-DeKlerk analytical solutions. Finally, we further demonstrate a good performance of the proposed DG method by modeling fracking in an oil reservoir containing two nature fractures. • A fully implicit and fully coupled hybrid IIPG/CG formulations. • Easy incorporatation of rigid cohesive laws in DG methods. • Verification of DG formulation using KGD benchmark. • A two-fracture propagation in porous media simulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prism coupling and reflection spectroscopy are used to characterize bound modes within composite right/left handed terahertz metamaterial waveguides. The cavity antenna model is used to understand the polarization dependence of the radiative coupling to TM00 and TM01 waveguide modes. Furthermore, the cavity model along with transmission-line theory is used to derive a surface impedance model for a waveguide array metasurface. Qualitative agreement with the experiment is observed, including a mode splitting for p-polarized surface waves at the light line and the existence of s-polarized magnetic spoof surface plasmons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate an asymmetric multipass cavity with meter-scale optical path lengths in a volume of 68 cm3 and diameter of 5.24 cm. The cavity is machined from copper and coated with gold. For the characterization of the optical path length in the cavity, we perform a pulse-delay experiment by measuring the time delay between a laser pulse coupled into and out of the cavity. A midinfrared quantum cascade laser is employed as the source. By rotating the cavity, a variety of reentrant patterns and path lengths ranging from 2.0 to 6.0 m can be obtained with straightforward optical alignment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new numerical manifold method is proposed based on the Hermitian interpolation and adoption of rectangular meshes. • C 1 continuity is obtained in the proposed Hermitian numerical manifold method, and the convergence, accuracy and efficiency are considerably improved. • Strains at mathematical nodes inside the physical domain are directly available without extra postprocessing. • The linear dependence problems in most high-order numerical manifold methods are circumvented. Numerous approaches have been proposed to enhance the accuracy and convergence of the numerical manifold method (NMM) in recent years, but most, if not all, of these approaches cannot ensure C 1 continuity. Hermitian interpolation is an effective approach for obtaining high-order approximations. However, the requirement of rectangular meshes hinders the application of this approach in the finite element method. Taking advantage of the freedom in meshing in NMM, Hermitian interpolation is incorporated into NMM to obtain the C 1 approximation. In contrast to the common high-order NMM, the Hermitian NMM (HNMM) improves the accuracy and convergence without causing the linear dependence problem. Moreover, the degrees of freedom (DOFs) of the mathematical nodes inside the physical domain have physical meanings, and the strains at nodes can be obtained directly without the need for extra postprocessing. The proposed HNMM is verified by solving numerous benchmark linear elastic problems, and the results are compared against those of linear and cubic Lagrangian NMMs. The numerical solutions for these examples confirm the remarkable superiority of the HNMM over the Lagrangian NMMs in terms of accuracy, convergence and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Various interactions between glass powder and black phosphene. • An efficient strategy to fabricate EP/GBP composite materials. • Significant enhancement multiple properties of composite materials. • The corresponding flame retardancy parameters reduced remarkably. • The synergistic effect of glass powder and black phosphene. Black phosphorene (BP) has caused widespread attention for excellent dimension effects and thermal stability. Herein, glass powder (GP), a waste from ceramic production, is blended with black phosphorene (GBP) for reducing the fire hazard of epoxy resin (EP) matrix. Density functional theory (DFT) reveals that the adsorption energy between BP and SiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 are −3.55 and −4.27 eV, respectively, indicating a strong interaction between BP and GP. The results of cone calorimetry test (CCT) indicate that the flame retardant performance of EP can tremendously promote through adding 1.5 wt% GBP nanosheets, for instance, the peak heat release rate (pHRR) and the total heat release (THR) are decreased by 27.76 % and 31.42 %, respectively. Epoxy composites with only 1.5 wt% GBP nanosheets can reach UL-94 V-0 rating level with a limit oxygen index (LOI) of 29.7. These positive results are attributed to the collaborative function of physical obstacle, free radicals capturing and catalytic char formation between BP and GP components. In addition, the thermal conductivity decreased by 8.91 %, and the tensile strength increased by 39.99 % with the 1.5 wt% addition amount of GBP nanosheets. This work has a promising foreground for exploiting the resue of waste to satisfy the requirement of sustainable practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of coatings with high thermal resistance and strong adhesion is desirable and challenging. Herein, we firstly reported a novel bismaleimide silicone (PMI-HSi) oligomer as well as the matching titanium-containing phthalate curing agent (PAEs). Subsequently, PMI-HSi and PAEs are semi-cured by a de-ethanolization reaction in humid ambient atmosphere. Resultant prepolymer molecular skeletons comprise acylimine bonds yielding strong hydrogen bonds, benzene rings, and titanium atoms, which facilitates the stability of the prepared coatings in high-temperature conditions. Ultimately, the final coating was successfully obtained via thermal initiated radical polymerization. The DTG results indicated that the residual carbon content of PMI-HSi@PAEs50% is as high as 63.9 %. And the T d5% , T d30% and T HRI of PMI-HSi@PAEs50% were separately increased by 142.2 %, 29.2 % and 47.9 % compared with the control group. It is worth noting that PMI-HSi@PAEs50% can remain stable at a high temperature up to 600 °C, and no color changes and cracks appeared on the coating surface. All these results indicate that the as-prepared coatings exhibited excellent high temperature stability. In addition, due to the introduction of PAEs, the adhesion of PMI-HSi@PAEs50% reaches the highest grade of 0 and the hardness reaches 5H. Meanwhile, the reinforcement mechanisms were elucidated in detail. Overall, the as-prepared coating possesses high temperature resistance, strong adhesion, and great hardness, which possesses enormous potential for applications in the field of high-temperature protection. • A titanium atomic modification polyimide-silicone coatings was successfully prepared by moisture/thermal dual curing. • We synthesized a novel bismaleimide silicone oligomer and matched titanium-containing phthalate curing agents. • Titanium is introduced into the coating by moisture curingand thermal curing. • The as-prepared coating possess high temperature resistance, strong adhesion, and great hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A four‐step synthetic process has been developed to prepare 1,3,5,8‐tetrahydroxyxanthone (2a) and its isomer 1,3,7,8‐tetrahydroxyxanthone (2b). 25 more xanthones were also synthesized by a modified scheme. Xanthone 2a was identified as the most active inhibitor against both α‐glucosidase and aldose reductase (ALR2), with IC50 values of 7.8 ± 0.5 μM and 63.2 ± 0.6 nM, respectively, which was far active than acarbose (35.0 ± 0.1 μM), and a little more active than epalrestat (67.0 ± 3.0 nM). 2a was also confirmed as the most active antioxidant in vitro with EC50 value of 8.9 ± 0.1 μM. Any structural modification including methylation, deletion, and position change of hydroxyl group in 2a will cause an activity loss in inhibitory and antioxidation. By applying a H2O2‐induced oxidative stress nematode model, it was confirmed that xanthone 2a can be absorbed by Caenorhabditis elegans and is bioavailable to attenuate in vivo oxidative stress, including the effects on lifespan, superoxide dismutase, Catalase, and malondialdehyde. 2a was verified with in vivo hypoglycemic effect and mitigation of embryo malformations in high glucose. All our data support that xanthone 2a behaves triple roles and is a potential agent to treat diabetic mellitus, gestational diabetes mellitus, and diabetic complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combined prescriptions of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and other drugs are limited due to potential drug-drug interactions, so therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) becomes particularly important. In this study, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was established for determination of the nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in plasma of patients with COVID-19, providing technical and theoretical support for the TDM. Plasma samples were processed by protein precipitation using acetonitrile, and analytes were separated on an Agilent Poroshell 120 SB-C18 (2.1 × 75 mm, 2.7 μm) column at 35°C. Acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid in water (52 : 48) were utilized as the mobile phases at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. In the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir were monitored using precursor/product ions: m/z 500.2/110.1 and 721.3/296.1, respectively, with selinexor as the internal standard. The linear range of both analytes was 2.0 ng/mL to 5000 ng/mL with good inter- and intraday precision and accuracy, and the recovery was 92.0%–107% for nirmatrelvir and 85.7%–106% for ritonavir. Finally, this method was successfully applied to monitor the exposure levels of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in plasma samples from hemodialysis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the deepening of medical system reform, there are unprecedented challenges for China's medical industry. In order to promote hospital core competitiveness, medical enterprises urgently need to be based on industry demand. The establishment of a unified data platform is an important aspect of this process, however the hospital's data inherent characteristics, makes the effective management a difficult task. This difficulty creates a hurdle for the implementation of an integrated information technology. Considering these obstacles, opting an effective method of data collection, data analysis and data management has become a concern for hospital staff. The hospital data analysis and decision support system make full use of the massive data deposited in the existing digital information system of the hospital. This cannot only facilitate the manager to monitor the operation and management of the hospital, but also predict its future development direction based on the historical data. This article mainly focuses on the characteristics of hospital data analysis and decision support, and application. We studied the hospital's data analysis and decision support system for advanced technology as our guide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent chronic liver condition that can have multiple underlying causes. There are no satisfactory chemical or biological drugs for the treatment of NAFLD. Longyasongmu , the bark and root of Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem, is used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and has been used in treating diverse liver diseases including NAFLD. Based on Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem as the main ingredient, Longya Gantai Capsules have been approved for use in China for the treatment of acute hepatitis and chronic hepatitis. Calenduloside E (CE), a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid saponin, is a significant component of saponin isolated from the bark and root of Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem. However, the role and mechanism of anti-NAFLD effects of CE is still unclear. The objective of this study was to examine the potential mechanisms underlying the protective effect of CE on NAFLD. In this study, an NAFLD model was established by Western diet in apoE−/− mice, followed by treatment with various doses of CE (5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg). The anti-NAFLD effect of CE was assessed by the liver injury, lipid accumulation, inflammation, and pro-fibrotic phenotype. The mechanism of CE in ameliorating NAFLD was studied through transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq). In vitro , the mouse hepatocytes (AML-12) were stimulated in lipid mixtures with CE and performed the exploration and validation of the relevant pathways using Western blot, immunofluorescence, etc. The findings revealed a significant improvement in liver injury, lipid accumulation, inflammation, and pro-fibrotic phenotype upon CE administration. Furthermore, RNAseq analysis indicated that the primary pathway through which CE alleviates NAFLD involves pyroptosis-related inflammatory cascade pathways. Furthermore, it was observed that CE effectively suppressed inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis both in vivo and in vitro. Remarkably, the functional enrichment analysis of RNA-seq data revealed that the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway is the primarily Signaling transduction pathway modulated by CE treatment. Subsequent experimental outcomes provided further validation of CE's ability to hinder inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis through the inhibition of PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway. These findings present a novel pharmacological role of CE in exerting anti-NAFLD effects by inhibiting pyroptosis signaling pathways. [Display omitted] • Calenduloside E (CE) could effectively improve NAFLD in mice fed with Western diet. • The pyroptosis-related pathway may be the pharmacodynamic targets of CE. • CE mainly reduces pyroptosis through the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Screen time and physical activity behaviors undergo development during early childhood and impact mental health. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the associations between physical activity, screen time, and mental health problems (MHP) in preschoolers. This study examines these associations using a large sample size and brief measures. Methods: A multistage cluster stratified sampling method was used to conduct an observational cross-sectional study of 19,015 Chinese preschoolers in 2020. Information on physical activity, and screen time was collected by a self-administered questionnaire; MHP was assessed by the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Logistic regression models were used to obtain the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of preschoolers' MHP associated with screen time, total physical activities, moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and outdoor physical activities. Results: A total of 19,015 participants from the 19,548 recruited population were included in the analyses (missing rate: 2.73%), 52.60% were boys. 64.01%, 57.96%, 35.98%, and 82.64% of preschoolers were reported to meet total physical activities, MVPA, and outdoor activities with screen time recommendations level. The results of multivariable-adjusted ORs (95% CIs) of preschoolers' MHP for comparisons of different levels of screen time (< 2 h/day, 2–4 h/day,≥4 h/day) show that screen time positively associated with MHP after adjusting for confounders (P < 0.05), but the association was not significant among girls with screen time ≥ 4 h/day. In addition, increased engagement in physical activity was reversely linked to MHP (P < 0.05). A stronger association between MHP and MVPA was observed in boys, however, this association was weakened when the total time spent engaging in MVPA exceeded two hours per day (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Less physical activity and more screen time positively relate to MHP, but the relationship differs by type of physical activity, total time, and gender. These findings provide novel insights and evidence supporting for guidelines on physical activity, screen time, and improvement of mental health for preschoolers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has achieved high clinical efficacy in treating malignancies in recent years and is thus gradually becoming an important therapy for patients with advanced tumor for its benefits in reducing side effects and improving patients' immune status. However, it has not been internationally recognized for cancer treatment because TCM's anti-tumor mechanism is not fully elucidated, limiting its clinical application and international promotion. This review traced the mechanism of the TCM-mediated tumor cell death pathway and its effect on remodeling the tumor immune microenvironment, its direct impact on the microenvironment, its anti-tumor effect in combination with immunotherapy, and the current status of clinical application of TCM on tumor treatment. TCM can induce tumor cell death in many regulatory cell death (RCD) pathways, including apoptosis, autophagy, pyroptosis, necroptosis, and ferroptosis. In addition, TCM-induced cell death could increase the immune cells' infiltration with an anti-tumor effect in the tumor tissue and elevate the proportion of these cells in the spleen or peripheral blood, enhancing the anti-tumor capacity of the tumor-bearing host. Moreover, TCM can directly affect immune function by increasing the population or activating the sub-type immune cells with an anti-tumor role. It was concluded that TCM could induce a pan-tumor death modality, remodeling the local TIME differently. It can also improve the systemic immune status of tumor-bearing hosts. This review aims to establish a theoretical basis for the clinical application of TCM in tumor treatment and to provide a reference for TCM's potential in combination with immunotherapy in cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Necroptosis has received increasing attention and is extensively studied as a recently discovered mode of cell death distinct from necrosis and apoptosis. It is a programmed cell death with a necrotic morphology that occurs in various biological processes, including inflammation, immune response, embryonic development, and metabolic abnormalities. Necroptosis is indispensable in maintaining tissue homeostasis in vivo and closely correlates with the occurrence and development of various diseases. First, we outlined the etiology of necroptosis and how it affects the onset and development of prevalent liver diseases in this review. Additionally, we reviewed the therapeutic strategy by targeting the necroptosis pathway in related liver diseases. We conclude that the necroptosis signaling pathway is critical in the physiological control of liver diseases' onset, progression, and prognosis. It will likely be used as a therapeutic target in the future. Further research is required to determine the mechanisms governing the necroptosis signaling pathway and the effector molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As it is very difficult to construct conforming plate elements and the solutions achieved with conforming elements yield inferior accuracy to those achieved with nonconforming elements on many occasions, nonconforming elements, especially Adini's element (ACM element), are often recommended for practical usage. However, the convergence, good numerical accuracy, and high computing efficiency of ACM element with irregular physical boundaries cannot be achieved using either the finite element method (FEM) or the numerical manifold method (NMM). The mixed-order NMM with background cells for integration was developed to analyze the bending of nonconforming thin plates with irregular physical boundaries. Regular meshes were selected to improve the convergence performance; background cells were used to improve the integration accuracy without increasing the degrees of freedom, retaining the efficiency as well; the mixed-order local displacement function was taken to improve the interpolation accuracy. With the penalized formulation fitted to the NMM for Kirchhoff's thin plate bending, a new scheme was proposed to deal with irregular domain boundaries. Based on the present computational framework, comparisons with other studies were performed by taking several typical examples. The results indicated that the solutions achieved with the proposed NMM rapidly converged to the analytical solutions and their accuracy was vastly superior to that achieved with the FEM and the traditional NMM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As it is very difficult to construct conforming plate elements and the solutions achieved with conforming elements yield inferior accuracy to those achieved with nonconforming elements on many occasions, nonconforming elements, especially Adini's element (ACM element), are often recommended for practical usage. However, the convergence, good numerical accuracy, and high computing efficiency of ACM element with irregular physical boundaries cannot be achieved using either the finite element method (FEM) or the numerical manifold method (NMM). The mixed-order NMM with background cells for integration was developed to analyze the bending of nonconforming thin plates with irregular physical boundaries. Regular meshes were selected to improve the convergence performance; background cells were used to improve the integration accuracy without increasing the degrees of freedom, retaining the efficiency as well; the mixed-order local displacement function was taken to improve the interpolation accuracy. With the penalized formulation fitted to the NMM for Kirchhoff's thin plate bending, a new scheme was proposed to deal with irregular domain boundaries. Based on the present computational framework, comparisons with other studies were performed by taking several typical examples. The results indicated that the solutions achieved with the proposed NMM rapidly converged to the analytical solutions and their accuracy was vastly superior to that achieved with the FEM and the traditional NMM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fatigue analysis on orthotropic steel bridge decks is a hot topic in bridge engineering field. This study provides one method for fatigue analysis under the combined actions of vehicle loads and pavement temperature. To be specific, taking the steel bridge deck of one cable-stayed bridge as a research object, this study proposes a method of calculating life-cycle fatigue damage of orthotropic steel deck under the combined actions of vehicle loads and pavement temperature. First, a finite element model of steel bridge deck with asphalt pavement is built to analyze the influence of pavement temperature on the fatigue stress of steel bridge deck. Second, a simulation method of fatigue stress caused by random vehicle loads is proposed. Finally, a method of calculating the life-cycle fatigue damage of welded joints under the combined actions of vehicle loads and temperature is proposed. The results show that temperature has a significant effect on fatigue damage, and the cumulative fatigue damage in the rib-to-rib welded joint is significantly greater than that in the deck-to-rib welded joint. The results can provide meaningful references for bridge engineers to carry out fatigue analysis on orthotropic steel bridge decks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of pore structure during in situ underground exploitation of oil shale directly affects the diffusion and permeability of pyrolysis products. In this study, on the basis of mineral analysis and thermogravimetric results, in combination with the low-pressure nitrogen adsorption (LPNA) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) technique, the evolution of pore structure from 23 to 650 °C is quantitatively analyzed by simulating in situ pyrolysis under pressure and temperature conditions. Furthermore, based on the experimental results, we analyze the mechanism of pore structure evolution. The results show the following: (1) The organic matter of Fushun oil shale has a degradation stage in the temperature range of 350–540 °C, and there is no obvious temperature gradient between decomposition of kerogen and the secondary decomposition of bitumen. The thermal response mechanisms of organic matter and minerals are different in each temperature stage, and influence the change of pore structure. (2) Significant changes occur in pore shape at 350 °C, where thermal decomposition of kerogen begins. The ink-bottle pores are dominant when the temperature is less than 350 °C, whereas slit pores dominate when the temperature is greater than 350 °C. (3) The change in pore structure of oil shale is much less significant from 23 to 350 °C. The pore volume, porosity, and specific surface area (SSA) of samples increase rapidly with temperature varying from 350 to 600 °C. The variation of each parameter is dissimilated from 600 to 650 °C: the porosity and pore volume increases with a small gradient from 600 to 650 °C, and SSA decreases significantly. (4) The lithostatic pressure does not cause change in the evolution discipline of the pore structure, but the inhibitory effect on the pore development is significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information dissemination in mobile networks turns out to be a problem when the network is sparse. Mobile networks begin to establish a separate cluster attributable to the limited communication range of terminals. The multi-beam satellite communication systems can play a significant role in providing direct-to-user satellite mobile services and connecting the separated clusters. This paper focuses on how to efficiently schedule limited satellite-based radio resources to enhance transmission efficiency and meet the requested traffic with low complexity. Taking the inter-beam interference and resource utilization variance into consideration, we build a game-theoretic based model for bandwidth allocation in the forward link. As the size of satellite beams increases, the size of the action space for deep reinforcement learning based on a single agent becomes large, resulting in high time complexity. Thus, we extend the single-agent deep reinforcement learning to the multi-agent context and then propose a cooperative multi-agent deep reinforcement learning method to achieve the optimal bandwidth allocation strategy. Each beam works as a player who is willing to satisfy the request traffic with flexible payloads. We built a multi-beam satellite platform using real historical data. The experimental results show that this approach is capable of enhancing transmission efficiency and can be flexible to achieve the desired goal with low complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cryogenic grinding performance of scrap tire rubber modified by devulcanization treatment in supercritical carbon dioxide (ScCO 2) was studied with a fluidized-bed jet mill. Scrap tire rubbers devulcanized with various concentrations of devulcanizing reagents were ground to analyze the effect of the degree of devulcanization on the particle size distribution of the ground product. Population balance modeling based on selection and breakage functions was adopted to explore the evolution rule of the particle sizes in the grinding process. The results of the cryogenic grinding experiment show that the devulcanization treatment can promote particle size reduction and lead to the transformation of the grinding mechanism from abrasion to cleavage or fracture. Furthermore, Kapur function fitted by the population balance modeling was proposed with a cubic polynomial, and the calculation results agreed well with the experimental data. Unlabelled Image • Cryogenic grinding performance of tire rubber was promoted by devulcanization with ScCO 2. • Grinded product size decreases with the devulcanized degree. • The grind mechanism was revealed by selection and breakage functions. • The grind mechanism transformed from abrasion to cleavage or fracture with the devulcanized degree. • The proposed cubic function predicts the size distribution of ground rubber particles well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we use an Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process to describe the environmental stochasticity and propose a stochastic predator–prey model with modified Leslie–Gower and Holling-type II schemes. For each species, sharp sufficient conditions for persistence in the mean and extinction are respectively obtained. The results demonstrate that the persistence and extinction of the species have close relationships with the environmental stochasticity. In addition, the theoretical results are numerically illustrated by some simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs about 22 nucleotides in length, which play an important role in gene regulation of both eukaryotes and viruses. They can promote RNA cleavage and repress translation via base-pairing with complementary sequences within mRNA molecules. Main body: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encodes a large number of miRNAs that regulate transcriptions of both host cells and themselves to favor viral infection and inhibit the host's immune response. To date, ~ 26 mature HCMV miRNAs have been identified. Nevertheless, their roles in viral infection are ambiguous, and the mechanisms have not been fully revealed. Therefore, we discuss the methods used in HCMV miRNA research and summarize the important roles of HCMV miRNAs and their potential mechanisms in infection. Conclusions: To study the miRNAs encoded by viruses and their roles in viral replication, expression, and infection will not only contribute to the planning of effective antiviral therapies, but also provide new molecular targets for the development of antiviral drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of soft soil subjected to underwater vacuum preloading was explored using geotechnical centrifuge model tests at different g-levels. A vacuum generator system was developed in a centrifuge to model the behaviour of underwater soft soil subjected to vacuum preloading. Sand drains were partially penetrated in soft soil. Vacuum gauges, pore-water pressure transducers and pressure transducers were used to measure the response of pressures and total stresses in the soil, while linear variable differential transformers and particle image velocimetry analysis techniques were employed to measure and analyse the deformation behaviour of underwater soft soil. Observations showed that the magnitude of reduction of pore-water pressure increased in the soil with an increase in water depth on the membrane. Meanwhile, on application of vacuum, the measured pore-water pressure below the membrane may be larger with an increase in the depth of water above the membrane due to a larger vacuum loss. Inward lateral displacement can be induced by underwater vacuum preloading to a limited extent in the treated and untreated zones. The lateral displacement in the treated zone may be negligible when the distance from the edge is larger than the thickness of clay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structure-engineered silicon exhibits a wealth of unique optical properties below its bandgap, which holds promise for mid-infrared and terahertz applications such as photodetection, thermophotovoltaics, radiative cooling, and spectroscopy. In this paper, we investigate enhancement mechanisms of sub-bandgap absorption of black silicon fabricated into periodic pyramids. Our measurements indicate that the pyramid structure leads to an enhanced broadband absorption in the wavelength region from 1.5 to 13.07 μm with an efficiency of over 80%. The broadband absorption enhancement is shown to originate from the Rayleigh–Wood anomaly, localized magnetic plasmonic resonance, and graded-index effect, which together facilitate the interaction between light and free-carriers in silicon. These results are helpful for understanding the interaction between light and black silicon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exosomes (Exos) can safely and effectively deliver therapeutic substances to glioma cells; however, their blood–brain barrier (BBB) crossing capacity remains limited. Focused ultrasound (FUS) can transiently, reversibly, and locally open the BBB, while the effects of FUS combined with Exos-miRNA on the treatment of glioma have not been explored to date. Methods: Exos were extracted by differential centrifugation and the efficacy of miR-1208-loaded Exos combined with FUS in the treatment of glioma was detected by CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry, transwell and tumour xenografts assays. The METTL3-mediated regulation of IGF2BP2 on mRNA stability of NUP214 was determined by MeRIP-qPCR, half-life and RIP assays. Results: We used Exos secreted by mesenchymal stem cells as carriers for the tumour suppressor gene miR-1208, and following FUS irradiation, more Exos carrying miR-1208 were allowed to pass through the BBB, and the uptake of miR-1208 in Exos by glioma cells was promoted, thereby achieving high-efficiency tumour-suppressive effects. Furthermore, the molecular mechanism underlying this effect was elucidated that miR-1208 downregulated the m6A methylation level of NUP214 mRNA by negatively regulating the expression of METTL3, thereby NUP214 expression and TGF-β pathway activity were suppressed. Conclusions: MiR-1208-loaded Exos combined with FUS is expected to become an effective glioma treatment and deserves further clinical evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pichia pastoris is the most widely used microorganism for the production of secreted industrial proteins and therapeutic proteins. Recently, this yeast has been repurposed as a cell factory for the production of chemicals and natural products. In this review, the general physiological properties of P. pastoris are summarized and the readily available genetic tools and elements are described, including strains, expression vectors, promoters, gene editing technology mediated by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9, and adaptive laboratory evolution. Moreover, the recent achievements in P. pastoris-based biosynthesis of proteins, natural products, and other compounds are highlighted. The existing issues and possible solutions are also discussed for the construction of efficient P. pastoris cell factories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the effective load transfer capacity of asphalt mixture skeletons, granular material mechanics and the discrete-element method (DEM) were introduced to analyze the morphological characteristics of skeleton main force chains (MFCs). Results indicate that the greater number of MFCs is not relevant to higher effective transfer load capacity for the skeleton. An increase in the relative ratio of the III type of force chain in MFC is not conducive to transferring external loading effectively. The MFC number gradually decreases with an increase in nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS), and the proportion of MFC increases for dense-graded asphalt concrete (AC). For stone matrix asphalt (SMA), the increase of NMAS will reduce the quasilinearity of MFC and be conducive to forming longer MFC, especially for the I type of force chain. An increase of content with aggregate size less than 2.36 mm can improve the number ratio of the III type of force chain. Therefore, an increase in the passing rate of 2.36 mm (P2.36) is not conducive to transferring external loading for AC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Leukodystrophies are a diverse group of rare inherited disorders that affect the white matter of the central nervous system with a wide phenotypic spectrum. We aimed to characterize the clinical and genetic features of leukodystrophies in a central‐southern Chinese cohort. Methods: A cohort of 16 Chinese probands with leukodystrophy was recruited and performed genetic analysis by targeted panels or whole‐exome sequencing. Further functional analysis of identified mutations in the colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) gene was explored. Results: A total of eight pathogenic variants (3 novel, 5 documented) were identified in genes including AARS2, ABCD1, CSF1R, and GALC. Common symptoms of leukodystrophy such as cognitive decline, behavioral symptoms, bradykinesia, and spasticity were observed in mutation carriers as well as other rare features (e.g., seizure, dysarthric, and vision impairment). Overexpressing CSF1R mutants p.M875I and p.F971Sfs*7 in vitro showed pronounced cleavage CSF1R and suppressed protein expression, respectively, and reduced transcripts of both mutants were observed. CSF1 treatment revealed deficient and suppressed CSF1R phospho‐activation with the mutants. In contrast to the plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) localized wild‐type CSF1R, M875I mutant showed much less membrane association and greater detainment in the ER, whereas F971Sfs*7 mutation led to aberrant non‐ER localization. Both mutations caused suppressed cell viability, which was partially resulted from deficient/suppressed CSF1R‐ERK signaling. Interpretation: In summary, our findings expand the mutation spectrum of these genes in leukodystrophies. Supported by in vitro validation of the pathogenicity of heterozygous CSF1R mutations, our data also provide insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of CSF1R‐related leukodystrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium cobalt phosphate (LiCoPO 4), a cathode material for 5 V high-voltage lithium-ion batteries, has limited its practical application due to its low conductivity and ionic diffusion. In this research, a pure-phase LiCoPO 4 with core-shell structure is successfully synthesized by oleylamine-assisted ethanol solvothermal method, and the influence of different solvothermal reaction times on the properties of the material is fully studied. The results show that pure-phase LiCoPO 4 can be prepared by calcination under pure N 2 , and carbon layers (3 nm ∼ 8 nm) with different thickness are formed on the surface of LiCoPO 4 particles synthesized under different solvothermal reaction times (1 h ∼ 18 h). The LiCoPO 4 prepared under the condition of solvothermal reaction time of 12 h has good crystallization properties and morphology characteristics, and the thickness of the carbon layer formed on the surface is about 6 nm. Electrochemical tests show that it has the largest initial discharge capacity, the best performance and the best cycle stability. Adjusting the reaction conditions enables the formation of a suitable thickness of carbon coating on the surface of LiCoPO 4 , which improves the conductivity, ion diffusion and stability of the material in high voltage environments, thereby improving the electrochemical performance of high-voltage LiCoPO 4. The thickness of the carbon layer on the surface of the high-voltage cathode material LiCoPO 4 is regulated by oleylamine, and the electrochemical performance of LiCoPO 4 is enhanced. [Display omitted] • The core-shell carbon-coated LiCoPO 4 is synthesized. • The pure phase LiCoPO 4 is prepared by adjusting the calcination atmosphere. • Uniformly distributed nanostructured LiCoPO 4 is prepared. • LiCoPO 4 particles with different thickness of carbon-layer are synthesized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Variables of overall damage and surface damage of coal samples. • The temperature difference of abnormal infrared point is positively correlated with moisture content. • AE signals of coal samples was earlier than that of abnormal infrared points. • Internal damage of coal samples earlier than their external damage. Abstract In order to explore warning signs of buckling failure of coal samples of bursting liability with different water contents in a process of damaging these coal samples, coal samples from a coal seam of bursting liability were collected as object of this study. Uniaxial compression tests of naturally watery, naturally water-absorbing and saturated coal samples were conducted respectively. Systems of acoustic emission (AE), average infrared radiation temperature (AIRT) and infrared thermography (IRT) were applied to monitoring. Variables of overall damage and surface damage of coal samples and their evolution law were determined by the accumulative AE energy count and infrared radiation energy respectively to reveal the internal relation between overall damage and surface damage of coal sample with different water contents in condition of uniaxial compression. Research results showed: the higher the water content of a coal sample was, the clearer the temperature difference of abnormal infrared points would be. This indicated that the higher the water content of a coal sample was, the earlier the appearance of its external buckling failure would be than its internal structural buckling failure. Appearance of AE signals of coal samples was earlier than that of abnormal infrared points, while appearance of abnormal infrared points was earlier than that of structural buckling failure. This indicated that internal damage of coal samples appeared earlier than their external damage and the internal buckling failure was earlier than the external buckling failure. Though the growth rate of surface damage was high, surface damage was lower than overall damage on the whole. Compared with surface damage, overall damage was in clear stages with early warning signs. Surface damage is consistent with overall damage. According to comprehensive comparative analysis, the combination of infrared and AE methods could reflect warning signs of structural buckling of coal samples. Appearance of AE signals was earlier than that of abnormal infrared points, indicating warning signs of structural buckling of coal. Appearance of abnormal infrared points is an important basis for prediction of structural buckling of coal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zirconium alloys have been serving as primary structural materials for nuclear fuel claddings. Structural failure analysis under extreme conditions is critical to the assessment of the performance and safety of nuclear fuel claddings. This work focuses on simulating structural failure of Zircaloy tubes with multiple hydride defects through modeling explicit crack propagation in ductile media. First, we developed an integrated cladding failure model by taking into account both crack initiation induced by hydride/matrix interface separation and ligament tearing-off between activated hydride cracks. Second, to accommodate the initiation, propagation, and coalescence of multiple cracks in finite plastic media we incorporated this structural failure model into a coupled continuous/discontinuous Galerkin (DG) based finite element code, a traditionally preferred implicit numerical framework. Third, to improve the adaptive placement of DG interface elements for crack propagation and to identify potential coalescence of cracks due to the interaction between adjacent hydride cracks, we defined a special failure index for the assessment of potential failure zones using both true plastic strain developed and predicted failure strain based on the Johnson-Cook material failure criterion. Finally, by calibrating the proposed material failure model using a cluster of Zircaloy material experimental tests, we successfully simulated a complete failure process of a fuel cladding tube with multiple hydride cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective We aimed to analyze and predict the risk of white matter lesions (WMLs) in hypertensive patients with different traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes, and to explore the relationship and influencing factors between them. Methods From September 2019 to December 2021, 309 patients were enrolled from the cardiovascular departments of the Affiliated Hospital of Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and they were divided into four syndromes: phlegm and blood stasis syndrome, kidney qi deficiency syndrome, liver fire hyperactivity syndrome, and yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity syndrome. Diastolic blood pressure (DBP), homocysteine acid (Hcy), uric acid (UA), and serum cystatin C (Cys C) were measured. The ARWMC and Fazekas scales were used to assess the site, score, and the degree of WMLs (mild, moderate, or severe) in hypertensive patients with different syndromes, and the correlation between risk factors and different syndromes was summarized. Results There were significant differences in DBP, Hcy, UA, and Cys C among different TCM syndrome types (P<0. 05). WMLs were assessed by the Fazekas and ARWMC scales, and there was no significant difference in the distribution of WMLs sites among different syndrome types. There was no significant difference in the Fazekas scores of WMLs, but there was a significant difference in the ARWMC ratings among different syndrome types (P<0. 05). The WMLs Fazekas and ARWMC risk classification analysis of different TCM syndrome types were significantly different (P<0. 05). According to the Fazekas scale assessment, there were differences in WMLs among all of the syndrome types (P<0. 05). Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the WMLs degree was positively correlated with age, Hcy, Cys C, and UA in the phlegm and blood stasis syndrome group (rs =0. 22, 0. 23, 0. 18, 0. 24, P<0. 05). The WMLs degree was negatively correlated with HUA and HHcy (rs =-0. 19, -0. 21, P<0. 05). The degree of WMLs was positively correlated with UA (rs =0. 48, P<0. 05), and negatively correlated with HUA (rs = -0. 47, P<0. 05). The degree of WMLs in yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity syndrome group was positively correlated with age, HUA, and Cys C (rs = 0. 37, 0. 27, 0. 27, P <0. 05), and negatively correlated with UA (rs = -0. 32, P < 0. 05). The degree of WMLs in the kidney qi deficiency syndrome group was positively correlated with Hcy (rs = 0. 33, P <0. 05), but negatively correlated with HHcy and DBP (rs = -0. 32, -0. 30, P < 0. 05). The phlegm and blood stasis syndrome had more risk factors with a statistically significant difference (P < 0. 05) compared with the liver fire hyperactivity syndrome, yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity syndrome, and kidney qi deficiency syndrome. According to the ARWMC rating, there were differences in WMLs among all syndrome types (P<0. 05). Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the WMLs degree was positively correlated with UA (rs =0. 57, P<0. 05) and negatively correlated with HUA (rs =-0. 58, P<0. 05) in patients with hypertension and the ARWMC rating. The degree of WMLs was positively correlated with UA (rs = 0. 34, P <0. 05), and negatively correlated with HUA (rs =-0. 44, P<0. 05). The degree of WMLs in the kidney qi deficiency syndrome group was positively correlated with Cys C (rs =0. 26, P<0. 05), and negatively correlated with diabetes mellitus and HUA (rs =-0. 30, -0. 28, P<0. 05). There were more risk factors with statistically significant differences (P<0. 05) in the kidney qi deficiency syndrome compared with phlegm and blood stasis syndrome, liver fire hyperactivity syndrome, and yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity syndrome. Conclusion The phlegm and blood stasis syndrome and kidney qi deficiency syndrome may be TCM syndrome types with higher incidences of WMLs in hypertensive patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vitellogenesis process of crustacean includes endogenous vitellogenic stage and exogenous vitellogeneic stage because the major vitellogenesis sites of two stages are localized in ovary and hepatopancreas, respectively. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of different concentrations (0, 10 − 10 , 10 − 9 , 10 − 8 , 10 − 7 and 10 − 6 mol/L) of exogenous estradiol (E 2 ) on Vitellogenin (Vg)-mRNA expressions and Vg/Vitellin (Vn) levels in the ovaries and hepatopancreas for both endogenous and exogenous vitellogenic stage via in vitro experiment, and the oocyte diameters were further measured for the female swimming crab ( Portunus trituberculatus ). During endogenous vitellogenic stage, the Vg-mRNA expression level, Vn contents and the oocyte diameters of endogenous vitellogenic ovaries were significantly promoted in low concentration of E 2 treatment (10 − 9 mol/L and 10 − 8 mol/L). However, the Vg-mRNA level in hepatopancreas was not enhanced by increasing concentrations of exogenous E 2 and the hepatopancreatic Vg/Vn level was not detectable in this stage. During exogenous vitellogenic stage, only high-concentration of E 2 treatment (10 − 6 mol/L) could significantly improve the Vg-mRNA expression levels in ovary, while exogenous E 2 had no significant effect on Vn contents and oocyte diameters. Moreover, the higher Vg-mRNA expression and Vg/Vn level in the hepatopancreas were detected in the high-concentration E 2 treatment (10 − 7 mol/ L-10 − 6 mol/L). In conclusion, all results together indicated that exogenous E 2 had a significant effect on vitellogenesis in ovaries at endogenous vitellogenic stage and in hepatopancreas at exogenous vitellogenic stage, but the effects of E 2 were dose dependent and stage-specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogel composites based on pineapple peel carboxymethyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol and mesoporous silica SBA-15 were synthesized by an eco-friendly method of repeated freeze-thaw cycles for the application of papain immobilization. The experiment was optimized to obtain an efficient papain immobilization carrier. Simultaneously the immobilization conditions, including enzyme concentration, pH, crosslinker concentration and cross-linking time were optimized. The immobilized papain had maximum activity at low reaction temperature of 40 °C and showed pH-sensitivity by exhibiting a rapid decrease of activity within a narrow range from pH 7.0 to pH 7.5. Compared with the free papain, the immobilized papain revealed enhanced pH, thermal and storage stability. After 2 h incubation at 80 °C, the immobilized papain retained 56% of its initial activity while the free papain only retained 16%. After 10 days of storage, 79% of the initial activity was retained for the immobilized papain while only 27% for the free papain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A Ni/MgO/Ni-foam catalytic reformer and its kinetic model are developed. • Ni-foam-based IIR-SOFC stack and DIR-SOFC stack are compared. • IIR-SOFC reduces the cell temperature uniformity index. • IIR-SOFC reduces the cell global and local temperature gradients. For solid oxide fuel cells, non-uniform temperature distribution has a large effect on the cell's efficiency over the long-term operation. A methane steam reformer with 10 %Ni/10 %MgO/Ni foam as a catalyst was designed, and the intrinsic kinetic model of the catalyst is developed based on the Langmuir-Hinshelwood theory. An indirect internal reforming (IIR)-SOFC stack is constructed by combing the reformer and the single SOFC stack to improve the uniform temperature distribution and reduce the cell temperature gradient under various operating conditions. The electrical performance and temperature distribution of the IIR-SOFC stack and direct internal reforming (DIR)-SOFC stack are comparatively studied by experiments and numerical simulations. The results show that the two SOFC stacks have almost identical polarization curves under different temperatures, fuel–air flow rates, or steam/methane (S/C). It indicates that the IIR-SOFC stack just changes the position of methane reforming, and the amount of hydrogen and carbon monoxide produced by methane reforming is almost the same. As compared to the DIR-SOFC stack, the IIR-SOFC stack observably lowers the cell temperature uniform index, and the cell global and local temperature gradient, making the cell temperature distribution more uniform. The maximum temperature difference and the maximum temperature gradient on the IIR-SOFC anode are 35.1 % and 307 % less than on the DIR-SOFC anode under the operating condition of 800 °C, S/C = 2.5 and 0.6 V. Overall, the Ni-foam-based IIR-SOFC stack can homogenize the cell temperature distribution, and reduce the cell carbon deposition and mechanical failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the study "Role of TCM for Cancer in China: A Semi-Structured Qualitative Interview of Cancer Patients, Family Members and Oncologists" by Xun Li, Zhijun Liu, Xinxue Li and Jianping Liu is presented.

The ocean's immense ability to store and release heat on centennial to millennial time scales modulates the impacts of climate perturbations. To gain a better understanding of past variations in mean ocean temperature (MOT), a noble gas‐based proxy measured from ancient air in ice cores has been developed. Here we assess non‐temperature effects that may influence the atmospheric noble gas ratios reconstructed from polar ice and how they impact the temperature signal with an intermediate complexity Earth system model. We find that changes in wind speed, sea‐ice extent, and ocean circulation have partially compensating effects on mean‐ocean noble gas saturation, leading to a slight reduction of noble gas undersaturation at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Taking these effects and ice core measurements into account, our model suggests a revised MOT difference between the LGM and pre‐industrial of −2.1 ± 0.7°C that is also in improved agreement with other independent temperature reconstructions. Plain Language Summary: Most of the heat added to the climate system by anthropogenic climate change is taken up by the oceans. To better understand how the ocean responds to climate change over hundreds to thousands of years, an indirect measure for the mean ocean temperature (MOT) based on the temperature‐dependent solubility of noble gases has been developed. Noble gas concentrations of the past atmosphere are archived in air bubbles in polar ice cores, which have been used to reconstruct the MOT of the past 20,000 years when Earth's climate was propelled out of the last ice age. However, uncertainties remain regarding critical parameters that are required to derive the correct MOT of the past. Here we make use of an Earth system model that explicitly simulates the noble gases and allows us to assess these parameters in detail under modern and past climate conditions. We find that changes in wind, sea‐ice, and ocean circulation all play important roles in the partitioning of noble gases between the atmosphere and ocean. By taking these effects into account our model suggests a revised best‐estimate MOT cooling of the last ice age to −2.1 ± 0.7°C, which is about 0.5°C warmer than previous estimates. Key Points: Revised implementation of noble gases in Bern3D model tuned to observations of saturation anomaliesComplex interplay between air‐sea gas exchange, overturning circulation, and noble gas saturationIncluding saturation effects noble gas‐based mean ocean temperature of the last glacial maximum is 2°C colder than the Holocene [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2021 Mw 7.4 Maduo (Madoi) earthquake that struck the northern Tibetan Plateau resulted in widespread coseismic deformation features, such as surface ruptures and soil liquefaction. By utilizing the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry technology, we accurately recognize and map 39,286 liquefaction sites within a 1.5 km wide zone along the coseismic surface rupture. We then systematically analyze the coseismic liquefaction distribution characteristics and the possible influencing factors. The coseismic liquefaction density remains on a higher level within 250 m from the surface rupture and decreases in a power law with the increasing distance. The amplification of the seismic waves in the vicinity of the rupture zone enhances the liquefaction effects near it. More than 90% of coseismic liquefaction occurs in the peak ground acceleration (PGA) > 0.50 g, and the liquefaction density is significantly higher in the region with seismic intensity > VIII. Combined with the sedimentary distribution along-strike of the surface rupture, the mapped liquefaction sites indicate that the differences in the sedimentary environments could cause more intense liquefaction on the western side of the epicenter, where loose Quaternary deposits are widely spread. The stronger coseismic liquefaction sites correspond to the Eling Lake section, the Yellow River floodplain, and the Heihe River floodplain, where the soil is mostly saturated with loose fine-grained sand and the groundwater level is high. Our results show that the massive liquefaction caused by the strong ground shaking during the Maduo (Madoi) earthquake was distributed as the specific local sedimentary environment and the groundwater level changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, media coverage would not be implemented unless the number of infected cases reaches some critical number. To reflect this feature, we incorporate the media effect and a critical number of infected cases into the disease transmission rate and consider an susceptible-infected-susceptible epidemic model with logistic growth. Our model analysis shows that early media alert and strong media effects are preferable to decrease the numbers of infected cases at endemic equilibria. Furthermore, we noticed that the model may have up to three endemic equilibria and bi-stability can occur in a threshold interval for the critical number. Note that the interval depends on parameters for the focal disease and the media effect. It is possible to roughly estimate the interval for re-emerging diseases in a given region. Therefore, the result could be useful to health policymakers. Global stability is also obtained when the model admits a unique endemic equilibrium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, media coverage would not be implemented unless the number of infected cases reaches some critical number. To reflect this feature, we incorporate the media effect and a critical number of infected cases into the disease transmission rate and consider an susceptible-infected-susceptible epidemic model with logistic growth. Our model analysis shows that early media alert and strong media effects are preferable to decrease the numbers of infected cases at endemic equilibria. Furthermore, we noticed that the model may have up to three endemic equilibria and bi-stability can occur in a threshold interval for the critical number. Note that the interval depends on parameters for the focal disease and the media effect. It is possible to roughly estimate the interval for re-emerging diseases in a given region. Therefore, the result could be useful to health policymakers. Global stability is also obtained when the model admits a unique endemic equilibrium. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, a nonautonomous stochastic food-chain system with functional response and impulsive perturbations is studied. By using Itô's formula, exponential martingale inequality, differential inequality and other mathematical skills, some sufficient conditions for the extinction, nonpersistence in the mean, persistence in the mean, and stochastic permanence of the system are established. Furthermore, some asymptotic properties of the solutions are also investigated. Finally, a series of numerical examples are presented to support the theoretical results, and effects of different intensities of white noises perturbations and impulsive effects are discussed by the simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the interplay between magnetic and optoelectronic properties and developing spin‐optoelectronic devices are promising research strategies to further study 2D materials and advance their applications. Here, the broadband photoresponse in the newly synthesized magnetic Fe0.75Ta0.5S2 single crystals is reported. Because the uncompensated magnetic moment of the spin glass state is pinned by the moment of the antiferromagnetic state, a large exchange bias field of ≈1.98 T is found at 2 K when cooled down at a field of 7 T. The as‐prepared samples show a large negative magnetoresistance (nMR). The field dependence of nMRs displays a similar trend up to 50 K, which is likely to originate from the significant dependence of the localization length on magnetic field. In addition, a photodetector prepared using Fe0.75Ta0.5S2 flakes exhibits a fast response time (121.7 ms), good stability, high responsivity of 26.1 A W−1, and broadband photodetection, showing application potentials in spin‐optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) that can operate on hydrocarbon fuels offer an efficient and cost‐effective solution for electricity generation. However, broader commercialization of SOFCs is hindered by inadequate performance and limited durability due to the sluggish hydrocarbon reforming/oxidation kinetics and coking on the SOFC anode. Here it has been reported that these findings in design, synthesis, and characterization of a novel anode catalyst Ba(Zr0.8Y0.2)0.9(Ni0.5Ru0.5)0.1O3‐δ (BZYNR) that overcomes the problems, enabling direct utilization of nearly dry hydrocarbon fuels (e.g., methane, ethanol, and iso‐octane with only 3 vol% H2O) with exceptional power output for over 1000 h on both button cells and tubular cells. The outstanding performance of BZYNR is attributed to the high activity of hydrocarbon reforming and the accelerated water‐mediated carbon cleaning process on Ni‐based SOFC anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of malignant tumors has always been one of the challenges that have plagued researchers and clinicians. The ideal status in cancer treatment is to eliminate tumor cells while avoiding damage to normal tissues. Different approaches have been investigated to achieve such a goal, and suicide gene therapy has emerged as a novel mode of cancer treatment. This approach involves the delivery of genes encoding enzymes that activate non-toxic prodrugs into cytotoxic metabolites that cause the death of transfected cancer cells. Despite promising results obtained both in vitro and in vivo, this innovative approach has long been stalled in the clinic due to the lack of a suitable delivery system to introduce the suicide gene into cancer cells. Ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) represents a valuable non-viral vector system for site-specific and noninvasive gene therapy. Ultrasound promotes intracellular uptake of therapeutic agents by increasing vascular and cell membrane permeability, especially in the presence of microbubbles. In this scenario, the true potential of suicide genes can be translated into clinically valuable treatments for patients. This review provides background information on suicide gene therapy and UTMD technology, summarizes the current state of knowledge about UTMD-mediated suicide gene delivery in cancer treatment, and presents an outlook on its future development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial infections significantly slow the wound healing process, thus severely threatening human health. Furthermore, traditional antibiotics may promote the development of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Therefore, developing novel bactericides and therapeutic strategies for bacterial infections is important to enhance wound healing. Herein, a three-in-one bactericidal flower-like nanocomposite was assembled using Ag nanoparticles/phosphotungstic acid-polydopamine nano-flowers (AgNPs/POM-PDA). The nanocomposite exhibited photothermal therapy (PTT) when exposed to NIR light via photothermal conversion by PDA. The resultant photothermal effect accelerated and controlled the Ag+ released from AgNPs. The chemodynamic therapy (CDT) was obtained via POM catalytic Fenton-like reaction. The combined PTT/CDT/Ag+ treatment achieved excellent synergistic anti-bacterial activity against both gram-negative E. coli and gram-positive S. aureus. A multifunctional wound dressing was then obtained by embedding the AgNPs/POM-PDA flower-like nanocomposite into the chitosan (CS)/gelatin (GE) biocomposite hydrogel. The synergy of AgNPs/POM-PDA nanocomposites and CS/GE hydrogel remarkably accelerated wound healing in vivo due to the excellent biocompatibility, hydroabsorptivity, and breathability of the hydrogel. In this study, a multifunctional agent was developed to synergistically combat bacterial infections and accelerate wound healing. • A multifunctional AgNPs/POM-PDA @ chitosan/gelatin hydrogel scaffolds were developed. • The scaffolds possess synergistic PTT/CDT/Ag NPs antibacterial effect. • The scaffolds presented a remarkable effect for accelerating wound healing in vivo. • The scaffolds showed outstanding biocompatibility and biosafety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vast tunable optical components are realized based on dynamic reconfigurations of the incident wavefronts, such as beam steering and tunable lens. However, the dominant paradigm of current wavefront reconfiguration technologies relies on complex control systems with degrees of freedom much larger than output wavefronts, e.g., beam steering based on spatial light modulator or phased array antennas. Here, a new paradigm for dynamic reconfiguration of arbitrary output wavefronts using control systems with the same degrees of freedom is proposed. As an example, a wavefront transformer is demonstrated using an in‐plane two‐degree‐of‐freedom (2DOF) mechanical actuation system of metasurface doublet for semi‐omnidirectional beam steering, which measures a 6‐kHz modulation speed and a 131.2° × 131.2° field of view. This paradigm can be applied to metasurface transformers for dynamic wavefront reconfiguration with any control system for vast applications, such as tunable lens, beam steering, and dynamic beam profiler, just to name a few. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, L1 (2‐(pyridin‐2‐yl)quinoxaline) and L2 ((1‐((1H‐pyrrol‐2‐yl)ethylidene)benzene‐1,2‐diamine) ⋅ (1‐(1H‐pyrrol‐2‐yl)ethanone)) were synthesized and reacted with CoCl2 ⋅ 6H2O and NiCl2 ⋅ 6H2O to produce complexes 1–4. We found several interesting pieces of crystal structure information. Firstly, ligands L1 and L2 with completely different molecular structures were obtained by reacting the precursors containing similar N‐heterocycles with 1,2‐diaminobenzene. Secondly, in methanol and DMF solvents, 1 showed two structures, the binuclear and mononuclear cobalt complexes 1 a and 1 b. Finally, the structure of 4 showed the formation of a new 2 : 1 type ligand at eutectic L2 in the presence of a Ni2+ template. Upon treatment with AIBN, 1–4 showed moderate to high activities for MMA polymerization, producing PMMA with low to high molecular weights (2.02∼73.03×104 g⋅mol‐1) and moderate dispersity indices (PDI: 1.72∼3.32). Moreover, 1 b displayed higher catalytic activities (up to 1.138×105 g mol−1 ⋅ h−1), which was 20 times higher than that of 3 and more than 7 times higher than that of 1 a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work studies the problem of robust finite-time sampled-data control of linear systems subject to random occurring delays and its application to Four-Tank system. The input time delays are described by Bernoulli distributed white sequences. By employing a newly augmented Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional with Jensen’s inequality, free-weighting matrix method and Wirtinger-based double integral inequality approach, some less conservative delay-dependent conditions for finite-time sampled-data control law are obtained. Finally, to reveal the proposed technique, an application to a Four-Tank system is addressed to illustrate the effectiveness of developed techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]