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• Considered the significant impact of the COVID-19 on electricity load of metropolitan, ISOs and countries. • Developed a novel method based on multi-task learning, temporal convolutional network and long-short-term memory network. • Used the real mobility data from Google and Apple and load data from large power enterprises and public institutions. • Provides a feasible solution for reliable load forecasting model training and forecasting in long-sequence input scenarios. • Implemented the Shapley additive explanations technology to enhance interpretability by visualizing the Shapley values. The spread of the global COVID-19 epidemic has resulted in significant shifts in electricity consumption compared to regular days. It is unknown if standard single-task, single-indicator load forecasting algorithms can accurately reflect COVID-19 load patterns. Power practitioners urgently want a simple, efficient, and accurate solution for anticipating reliable load. In this paper, we first propose a unique collaborative TCN-LSTM-MTL short-term load forecasting model based on mobility data, temporal convolutional networks, and multi-task learning. The addition of the parameter sharing layers and the structure with residual convolution improves the data input diversity of the forecasting model and enables the model to obtain a wider time series receptive field. Then, to demonstrate the usefulness of the mobility optimized TCN-LSTM-MTL, tests were conducted in three levels and twelve base regions using 19 different benchmark models. It is capable of controlling predicting mistakes to within 1 % in the majority of tasks. Finally, to rigorously explain the model, the Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) visual model interpretation technology based on game theory is introduced. It examines the TCN-LSTM-MTL model's internal mechanism at various time periods and establishes the validity of the mobility indicators as well as the asynchronous relationship between indicator significance and real contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Functional relationship between stress cycles number and fatigue cumulative damage is derived. • Distribution law of the number of intersections between Wiener process and zero-boundary is obtained. • Random fatigue failure analysis method based on the number of zero-crossing of stochastic process is proposed. • A practical example is employed for the fatigue reliability assessment of Metro Bogie. Structural fatigue failure is closely related to the number of stress cycles. Therefore, the number of the intersections between stochastic response process and zero-boundary is a key problem in structural fatigue reliability analysis. In this paper, the relationship between the number of the multiple intersections and the fatigue cumulative damage index is derived according to the Miner rule-based high cycle fatigue random cumulative damage index. Then, use random walk to approximately simulate Wiener process, and get the first intersection probability between Wiener process and the zero-boundary. Next, further utilize the renewal process to solve the distribution law of the number of intersections between the Wiener process and the zero-boundary in a period of time. Finally, based on the fatigue failure criterion considering the randomness of the failure threshold, the calculation formula the structural fatigue reliability is derived. As a practical example, the fatigue reliabilities of the key part of Metro Bogie under different operation periods are analyzed using the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, hydrogen plasma etching of surface oxides was successfully accomplished on thin (∼100 µm) planar n-type Czochralski silicon wafers prior to intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon [a-Si:H(i)] deposition for heterojunction solar cells, using an industrial inductively coupled plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (ICPECVD) platform. The plasma etching process is intended as a dry alternative to the conventional wet-chemical hydrofluoric acid (HF) dip for solar cell processing. After symmetrical deposition of an a-Si:H(i) passivation layer, high effective carrier lifetimes of up to 3.7 ms are obtained, which are equivalent to effective surface recombination velocities of 1.3 cm s-1 and an implied open-circuit voltage ( Voc) of 741 mV. The passivation quality is excellent and comparable to other high quality a-Si:H(i) passivation. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy shows evidence of plasma-silicon interactions and a sub-nanometre interfacial layer. Using electron energy-loss spectroscopy, this layer is further investigated and confirmed to be hydrogenated suboxide layers. (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Considered the significant impact of the COVID-19 on electricity load. • Developed a novel method based on multi-task learning using parameters sharing layers. • Used the real mobility data from Google and Apple and load data from large power enterprises and public institutions. • The universally adaptable model can control the forecasting error at a low level in the COVID-19. • Implemented the Shapley additive explanations technology to enhance interpretability. Affected by the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, global energy production and consumption have changed a lot. It is unknown whether conventional short-term load forecasting methods based on single-task, single-region, and conventional indicators can accurately capture the load pattern during the COVID-19 and should be carefully studied. In this paper, we make the following contributions: 1) A mobility-optimized load forecasting method based on multi-task learning and long short-term memory network is innovatively proposed to alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 on short-term load forecasting. The incorporation of mobility data and data sharing layers potentially reduces the difficulty of capturing the load patterns and improves the generalization of the load forecasting models. 2) The real public data collected from multiple agencies and companies in the United States and European countries are used to conduct horizontal and vertical tests. These tests prove the failure of the conventional models and methods in the COVID-19 and demonstrate the high accuracy (error mostly less than 1%) and robustness of the proposed model. 3) The Shapley additive explanations technology based on game theory is innovatively introduced to improve the objectivity of the models. It visualizes that mobility indicators are of great help to the accurate load forecasting. Besides, the non-synchronous relationships between the indicators' correlations and contributions to the load have been proved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteosarcoma is a malignant bone tumor that usually affects adolescents aged 15–19 y. The DNA damage response (DDR) is significantly enhanced in osteosarcoma, impairing the effect of systemic chemotherapy. Targeting the DDR process was considered a feasible strategy benefitting osteosarcoma patients. However, the clinical application of DDR inhibitors is not impressive because of their side effects. Chinese herbal medicines with high anti-tumor effects and low toxicity in the human body have gradually gained attention. 2-Hydroxy-3-methylanthraquinone (HMA), a Chinese medicine monomer found in the extract of Oldenlandia diffusa, exerts significant inhibitory effects on various tumors. However, its anti-osteosarcoma effects and defined molecular mechanisms have not been reported. Methods: After HMA treatment, the proliferation and metastasis capacity of osteosarcoma cells was detected by CCK-8, colony formation, transwell assays and Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide staining. RNA-sequence, plasmid infection, RNA interference, Western blotting and immunofluorescence assay were used to investigate the molecular mechanism and effects of HMA inhibiting osteosarcoma. Rescue assay and CHIP assay was used to further verified the relationship between MYC, CHK1 and RAD51. Results: HMA regulate MYC to inhibit osteosarcoma proliferation and DNA damage repair through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. The results of RNA-seq, IHC, Western boltting etc. showed relationship between MYC, CHK1 and RAD51. Rescue assay and CHIP assay further verified HMA can impair homologous recombination repair through the MYC-CHK1-RAD51 pathway. Conclusion: HMA significantly inhibits osteosarcoma proliferation and homologous recombination repair through the MYC-CHK1-RAD51 pathway, which is mediated by the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. This study investigated the exact mechanism of the anti-osteosarcoma effect of HMA and provided a potential feasible strategy for the clinical treatment of human osteosarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background : Left ventricular hypertrabeculation (LVHT) is a heterogeneous entity with life-threatening complications and variable prognosis. However, there are limited prediction models available to identify individuals at high risk of adverse outcomes, and the current risk score in LVHT is comparatively complex for clinical practice. This study aimed to develop and validate a simplified risk score to predict major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in LVHT. Methods: This multicenter longitudinal cohort study consecutively enrolled morphologically diagnosed LVHT patients between January 2009 and December 2020 at Fuwai Hospital (derivation cohort, n = 300; internal validation cohort, n = 129), and between January 2014 and December 2022 at two national-level medical centers (external validation cohort, n = 95). The derivation/internal validation cohorts and the external validation cohort were followed annually until December 2022 and December 2023, respectively. MACE was defined as a composite of all-cause mortality, heart transplantation/left ventricular assist device implantation, cardiac resynchronization therapy, malignant ventricular arrhythmia, and thromboembolism. A simplified risk score, the ABLE-SCORE, was developed based on independent risk factors in the multivariable Cox regression predictive model for MACE, and underwent both internal and external validations to confirm its discrimination, calibration, and clinical applicability. Results: A total of 524 LVHT patients (43.5 ± 16.6 years, 65.8% male) were included in the study. The ABLE-SCORE was established using four easily accessible clinical variables: age at diagnosis, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels, left atrium enlargement, and left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 40% measured by echocardiography. The risk score showed excellent performance in discrimination, with Harrell's C-index of 0.821 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.772–0.869], 0.786 (95%CI, 0.703–0.869), and 0.750 (95%CI, 0.644–0.856) in the derivation, internal validation, and external validation cohort, respectively. Calibration plots of the three datasets suggested accurate agreement between the predicted and observed 5-year risk of MACE in LVHT. According to decision curve analysis, the ABLE-SCORE displayed greater net benefits than the existing risk score for LVHT, indicating its strength in clinical applicability. Conclusions: A simplified and efficient risk score for MACE was developed and validated using a large LVHT cohort, making it a reliable and convenient tool for the risk stratification and clinical management of patients with LVHT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: During deep learning model training, it is essential to consider the balance among the effects of sample size, actual resources, and time constraints. Single-arm objective performance criteria (OPC) was proposed to determine the optimal positive sample size for training deep learning models in caries recognition. Methods: An expected sensitivity (PT) of 0.6 and a clinically acceptable sensitivity (P0) of 0.5 were applied to the single-arm OPC calculation formula, yielding an optimal training set comprising 263 carious teeth. U-Net, YOLOv5n, and CariesDetectNet were trained and validated using clinically self-collected cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images that included varying quantities of carious teeth. To assess performance, an additional dataset was utilized to evaluate the accuracy of caries detection by both the models and two dental radiologists. Results: When the number of carious teeth reached approximately 250, the models reached the optimal performance levels. U-Net demonstrated superior performance, achieving accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, F1-Score, and Dice similarity coefficients of 0.9929, 0.9307, 0.9989, 0.9590, and 0.9435, respectively. The three models exhibited greater accuracy in caries recognition compared to dental radiologists. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the positive sample size of CBCT images containing caries was predictable and could be calculated using single-arm OPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a promising electrolyte material for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), BaZr 0.1 Ce 0.7 Y 0.1 Yb 0.1 O 3-δ (BZCYYb) often surfers from its high sintering temperature, which causes Ba evaporation and sluggish grain growth, thus reducing the electrical conductivity. In this work, densified BZCYYb electrolytes were fabricated at temperatures as low as 1400 °C using the microwave sintering technique. Comparing with the conventional sintered ones, a temperature decrease of 150 °C is achieved. The Ba evaporation is effectively suppressed, and large grain sizes of ∼4 μm are obtained. The total conductivity for microwave sintered symmetric cell measured in wet air at 700 °C is 3.8 × 10−2 S cm−1, benefiting from both enhanced bulk conductivities by 1–2 times and grain boundary conductivities by 50 times. With the microwave sintered BZCYYb as electrolyte, an anode-supported cell reaches a maximum power density of 0.64 W cm−2 at 700 °C. • Densified BZCYYb electrolytes are fabricated by microwave sintering at 1400 °C. • The evaporation of Ba is effectively suppressed. • Large grain sizes of ∼4 μm are obtained. • Both bulk and grain boundary conductivities are dramatically enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bi 0.7 Sr 0.3 FeO 3-δ (BSFO)-Ag composite cathode is prepared by modifying BSFO with in-situ chemical plating of Ag. The plated Ag effectively reduces the polarization resistance (R p) of BSFO. At the Ag loading of 20 wt%, the optimized R p of BSFO at 650 °C in air condition is 0.35 Ω cm2, which is only 18.6 % of that of BSFO cathode (1.88 Ω cm2). The electrochemical performance improvement is primarily attributed to the low oxygen adsorption energy (E ads) domain at the interfaces of BSFO-Ag, as indicated by the first-principles calculations (E ads , −0.81eV). Thus, the addition of Ag changes the cathodic reaction rate control step from the molecular oxygen on the cathode surface adsorption and diffusion to charge transfer on the cathode. The maximum power density (P max) of the prepared single cell at 650 °C is 450.98 mW cm−2 using H 2 (∼3 vol% H 2 O) as fuels. The open-circuit voltage (OCV) does not decay significantly (around 0.66 V) after 50 h at the current density of 400 mA cm−2, showing good long-term stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we investigate a new form of automated public transportation, named 'modular transit', configured to overcome the shortcomings of the traditional bus, including the first- and last-mile problem, low occupancy, and low levels of comfort, accessibility, and flexibility. The modular transit system consists of a set of trailer modules who can travel locally to serve demand and connect travelers to main modules for long-distance trips. We mathematically model this system on a time-expanded network, thereby reducing the size of the optimization problem and rendering the problem amenable to being solved with commercial optimization engines. We conduct extensive numerical experiments and sensitivity analyses to study the performance of modular buses under various configurations. Finally, we compare the modular transit service with a door-to-door shuttle service as benchmark to showcase the benefits of modular transit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Explicit expression of PDF of the time interval in the Wiener process is derived. • The accurate PDF of the second-passage time of the Wiener process is derived. • Accurate distribution of the interval between two adjacent upcrossings is analyzed. • Time interval-based failure criterion is introduced and applied in engineering. In analyzing the practical engineering problems involving stochastic processes, a key component is the estimation of time intervals between the crossings across a specified threshold. However, the former research works are mainly focusing on first-passage problem, the multiple-passage problem, more importantly, have not been investigated in details. In this paper, the multiple-passage problem associated with the Wiener process is studied. The work is focusing on the derivation of probability distribution for the time interval between two adjacent crossings of a Wiener process. First, it is demonstrated that the time intervals of any two adjacent crossings of the Wiener process are identically distributed. The probability density function of the second-passage time of a Wiener process across a threshold is derived. This is then implemented in the derivation of distribution of the time interval between the first-passage time and the second-passage time. Based on the derivation of the joint probability density function of the two-dimensional random vector consisting of the first-passage time and the second-passage time, the explicit analytical expression of the probability distribution function of the time interval between the first-passage time and the second-passage time are obtained finally. Since the probability distribution of each time interval is identical, the probability density function of each time interval is thus generalized. To demonstrate the proposed distribution model, the theoretical result is applied in the analysis of road surface unevenness beyond a limit and the failure probability analysis of electronic products under noice jamming, which shows that the developed approach has important applications in different fields of engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CPAPhosAuCl bifunctional complexes catalyse the enantioselective tandem cycloisomerization‐nucleophilic addition reactions between 2‐alkynylenones and naphthols, where naphthols behave mainly as O‐nucleophiles. The inherent acidity of the catalysts induces then the isomerization of the O‐addition‐ into the C‐addition products with concomitant decrease of their enantiomeric excesses. In depth mechanistic studies have provided insights into these processes. Subsequently, the undesired racemization pathways could be suppressed by using substituted naphthols as nucleophiles, which delivered a large series of chiral bicyclic furanes in high enantioselectivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to enhance the electrochemical performance of cobalt-free Bi 0.7 Sr 0.3 FeO 3-δ (BSFO) cathodes for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs), a composite cathode consisting of BSFO and La 0.8 Sr 0.2 MnO 3-δ (LSM) is developed. The optimized polarization resistance of the composite cathode (0.11 Ω cm2 at 800 °C) is found to be only 61 % that of pure BSFO (0.18 Ω cm2 at 800 °C), indicating a significant improvement in performance. The first-principles calculation indicates that the enhanced electrochemical performance is mainly due to the domain of low oxygen vacancy formation energies of BSFO-LSM-L interfaces (E vac , −3.63 eV) and LSM (E vac , −3.11 eV). The anode-supported single cell of NiO-SDC/SDC/BSFO－LSM shows a peak power density of 825.83 mW cm−2 at 800 °C using wet H 2 (∼3 vol% H 2 O) as fuels and ambient air as oxidants. In addition, the single cell exhibits a good stability at the electric current density 400 mA cm−2 for 50 h measured at 650 °C. • BSFO-LSM composite cathode is developed for IT-SOFCs application. • The polarization resistance of BSFO dramatically decreases by introducing LSM. • The electrochemical property is explained by the first-principles calculation. • The single cell shows a peak power density of 825.83 mW cm−2 at 800 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the crystalline arrangement of the alloy and the processes involving iron (Fe) precipitation, we employed molecular dynamics simulation with a cooling rate of 2 × 1010 for Cu100-XFeX (where X represents 1%, 3%, 5%, and 10%) alloy. The results reveal that when the Fe content was 1%, Fe atoms consistently remained uniformly distributed as the temperature of the alloy decreased. Further, there was no Fe atom aggregation phenomenon. The crystal structure was identified as an FCC-based Cu crystal, and Fe atoms existed in the matrix in solid solution form. When the Fe content was 3%, Fe atoms tended to aggregate with the decreasing temperature of the alloy. Moreover, the proportion of BCC crystal structure exhibited no obvious changes, and the crystal structure remained FCC-based Cu crystal. When the Fe content was between 5% and 10%, the Fe atoms exhibited obvious aggregation with the decreasing temperature of the alloy. At the same time, the aggregation phenomenon was found to be more significant with a higher Fe content. Fe atom precipitation behaviour can be delineated into three distinct stages. The initial stage involves the gradual accumulation of Fe clusters, characterised by a progressively stable cluster size. This phenomenon arises due to the interplay between atomic attraction and the thermal motion of Fe-Fe atoms. In the second stage, small Fe clusters undergo amalgamation and growth. This growth is facilitated by non-diffusive local structural rearrangements of atoms within the alloy. The third and final stage represents a phase of equilibrium where both the size and quantity of Fe clusters remain essentially constant following the crystallisation of the alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High-sensitivity C-reaction protein (hsCRP), a biomarker of residual inflammatory risk, has been demonstrated with poor cardiovascular outcomes. We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of hsCRP in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with or without diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: In this large-scale, prospective cohort study, we enrolled 8050 consecutive patients who underwent PCI for coronary artery stenosis. All subjects were stratified as high hsCRP (> 3 mg/L) and low hsCRP (≤ 3 mg/L) and were divided into four groups (hsCRP-L/non-DM, hsCRP-H/non-DM, hsCRP-L/DM, hsCRP-H/DM). The primary endpoint of the study was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, and unplanned vessel revascularization, evaluated at a 3 year follow-up. Results: After 35.7 months (interquartile range: 33.2 to 36.0 months) of median follow-up time, 674 patients suffered from MACEs. We found elevated hsCRP was highly associated with an increased risk of MACEs in both diabetic (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.68, 95% confidence interval CI 1.29–2.19, P < 0.001) and non-diabetic patients (HR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.05–1.62, P = 0.007) after adjustment for other confounding factors. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed the highest incidence of MACEs in hsCRP-H/DM (P < 0.001). In addition, the results of the restricted cubic spline analysis suggested a positive linear relationship between hsCRP and MACEs. Conclusion: Elevated hsCRP is an independent risk factors of MACEs in patients undergoing PCI irrespective of glycemic metabolism status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) has demonstrated a noteworthy association with unfavorable cardiovascular clinical outcomes and heightened in-hospital mortality. Nonetheless, this relationship in critically ill patients remains uncertain. This study aims to elucidate the correlation between SHR and patient prognosis within the critical care setting. Methods: A total of 8978 patients admitted in intensive care unit (ICU) were included in this study. We categorized SHR into uniform groups and assessed its relationship with mortality using logistic or Cox regression analysis. Additionally, we employed the restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis method to further evaluate the correlation between SHR as a continuous variable and mortality. The outcomes of interest in this study were in-hospital and 1-year all-cause mortality. Results: In this investigation, a total of 825 (9.2%) patients experienced in-hospital mortality, while 3,130 (34.9%) individuals died within the 1-year follow-up period. After adjusting for confounding variables, we identified a U-shaped correlation between SHR and both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. Specifically, within the SHR range of 0.75–0.99, the incidence of adverse events was minimized. For each 0.25 increase in the SHR level within this range, the risk of in-hospital mortality rose by 1.34-fold (odds ratio [OR]: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.25–1.44), while a 0.25 decrease in SHR within 0.75–0.99 range increased risk by 1.38-fold (OR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.10–1.75). Conclusion: There was a U-shaped association between SHR and short- and long-term mortality in critical ill patients, and the inflection point of SHR for poor prognosis was identified at an SHR value of 0.96. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Observational studies have suggested a close association between atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF), yet the causal effect remains uncertain. In this study, we employed a bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis to investigate the causal effect of one disease on the other. Methods: Genetic instrumental variables were obtained from large-scale summary-level genome-wide association studies of AF (n = 1,030,836) and HF(n = 1,665,481), respectively. Two-sample Mendelian randomization was conducted to establish causal inferences. Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) was the primary estimate, while additional analyses including MR Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier (MR-PRESSO), MR-Egger, and Weighted median were performed to validate robustness and identify pleiotropy. Results: After accounting for confounding variables, MR analysis suggested a potential causal relationship between AF and HF. An augmented genetic predisposition to atrial fibrillation was associated with an elevated risk of heart failure (odds ratio (OR) = 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.14–1.22). Likewise, genetically determined heart failure also increased the risk of heart failure (OR = 1.44, 95%CI:1.23–1.68). The robustness of the findings was corroborated through MR sensitivity analyses, and the causal estimates remained consistent when the instrument P-value threshold was tightened. Conclusions: Our bidirectional Mendelian randomization study supports a reciprocal causal relationship between AF and HF. The shared genetic profile of these conditions may provide crucial insights into potential therapeutic targets for the prevention and progression of both disorders. These findings underscore the necessity for further investigation into the underlying molecular mechanisms linking AF and HF, as well as the potential for personalized treatment strategies grounded in genetic profiling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc-air battery receives continuous attention as an environment-friendly energy storage device, whose potential commercialization is calling for alternative separators, as traditional ones (such as Celgard 5550) often require complex preparation and induce less competitive cost-effectiveness. Moreover, higher electrolyte-uptake is needed for the separators to extend the service life of the batteries. In this paper, separators based on hybrid PVA fibers are prepared through a facile wet-laid nonwoven process within just 25 min. The insoluble PVA fibers work as the skeleton, while the water soluble PVA fibers function as the adhesive in the prepared separators. Microstructure, pore distribution, and electrochemical performance of the wet-laid separators are measured. Results show that the wet-laid separators possess superior electrolyte wettability compared with commercial ones, sufficient porosity, as well as uniform sub-micron pore size distribution. Lower bulk resistance and charge–discharge polarization are achieved. The zinc-air batteries employing the wet-laid separators exhibit comparable cyclic performance with the commercial ones. The key to achieve the better performance of the separators are deemed to be the highly hydrophilic raw materials along with the proper porosity induced by the wet-laid method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dy 2 TiO 5 ceramics with small grain size range of 1.5–3 μm were successfully prepared by microwave sintering method. The phase composition, microstructure, thermal expansion, stability, corrosion resistance and neutron absorption properties of Dy 2 TiO 5 ceramics were investigated. The results show that Dy 2 TiO 5 ceramics possess high mechanical properties due to the small grain size, with a microhardness of 12.26 GPa. The addition of Mo significantly reduces the thermal expansion phenomenon of the sample. The oxide film formed on the surface of the Dy 2 TiO 5 ceramic enhances its excellent corrosion resistance. In addition, the Dy 2 TiO 5 ceramic shows excellent neutron absorption with 87.34% neutron absorption and over 94% thermal neutron absorption in 8 cm thick particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The toxicity and stress caused by heavy metal contamination has become an important constraint to the growth and flourishing of trees. In particular, species belonging to the genus Taxus , which are the only natural source for the anti-tumor medicine paclitaxel, are known to be highly sensitive to environmental changes. To investigate the response of Taxus spp. to heavy metal stress, we analyzed the transcriptomic profiles of Taxus media trees exposed to cadmium (Cd2+). In total, six putative genes from the metal tolerance protein (MTP) family were identified in T. media , including two Cd2+ stress inducible TMP genes (TmMTP1 , TmMTP11 and Taxus media). Secondary structure analyses predicted that TmMTP1 and TmMTP11, which are members of the Zn-CDF and Mn-CDF subfamily proteins, respectively, contained six and four classic transmembrane domains, respectively. The introduction of TmMTP1/11 into the ∆ycf1 yeast cadmium-sensitive mutant strain showed that TmMTP1/11 might regulate the accumulation of Cd2+ to yeast cells. To screen the upstream regulators, partial promoter sequences of the TmMTP1/11 genes were isolated using the chromosome walking method. Several myeloblastosis (MYB) recognition elements were identified in the promoters of these genes. Furthermore, two Cd2+-induced R2R3-MYB TFs, TmMYB16 and TmMYB123, were identified. Both in vitro and in vivo assays confirmed that TmMTB16/123 play a role in Cd2+ tolerance by activating and repressing the expression of TmMTP1/11 genes. The present study elucidated new regulatory mechanisms underlying the response to Cd stress and can contribute to the breeding of Taxus species with high environmental adaptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female patients are underrepresented in randomized controlled clinical trials and registries of ventricular arrhythmia (VA). Personalized prevention and therapies require an understanding of sex differences in risk factors and prognosis of VA. We aimed to assess sex differences in the incidence, risk factors, and mortality of VA in congestive heart failure (HF) patients. This study included 10,889 patients (mean [SD] age, 73.8 [13.4] years; 5917 [53.8%] male) with congestive HF, of which 1555 (14.3%) patients developed VA during hospitalization. VA incidence, potential risk factors, and in-hospital mortality were evaluated in both sexes. Men were more strongly associated with incident VA compared with women (odds ratio [OR]: 2.006, 95% CI: 1.790–2.248, p < 0.001). Thirteen potential predictors, which accounted for 91.0% of the risk of VA in men and 88.2% in women, were included in this study. There were significant interactions by sex in the association between incident VA, atrial fibrillation (AF) (relative risk ratio = 0.730, 95% CI: 0.571–0.933, interaction p = 0.012), and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) (relative risk ratio = 1.391, 95% CI: 1.029–1.872, interaction p = 0.030). Congestive HF patients developed with VA had an approximately 1.5-fold risk of in-hospital mortality, which was not affected by sex. In congestive HF patients, incident VA was an independent risk factor of in-hospital mortality, and male sex was strongly associated with an increased risk of VA. Awareness of sex differences in the association of AF and NICM with VA may enhance therapeutic decisions, thus improving their clinical outcomes. • Men developed VA a decade earlier in congestive HF. • Sex interactions were seen for risk associations of AF and NICM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a work to define four fundamental concepts, namely, buoyant force, submerged unit weight, seepage force, and critical hydraulic gradients, for saturated geomaterials including soils, rocks, and concrete under normal and high pressures using the general effective stress (GES) concept along with Terzaghi's effective stress. In particular, four typical GES expressions are used for this purpose, and their impacts on the definition of the four concepts are compared based on available experimental evidence in the literature. The results suggest that (1) Terzaghi's effective stress can be physically validated in the context of Archimedes' principle for soils under normal conditions; (2) the generalized buoyant force on the unit volume of saturated geomaterials is the product of the unit weight of pore fluid and the GES coefficient tensor; and (3) the generalized seepage force theoretically acts in the direction of pore fluid flow only when the GES coefficient tensor is proportional to the permeability coefficient tensor. These four fundamental concepts have a profound significance for geotechnical applications with GES and thus merit further validation with adequate laboratory and in situ observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) can produce a large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the radiation field to kill tumor cells. However, the sustainable anti-tumor efficacy of PDT is limited due to the hypoxic microenvironment of tumor. In this study, classic PDT agent indocyanine green (ICG) and hypoxia-activated chemotherapeutic drug tirapazamine (TPZ) were loaded on mesoporous polydopamine (PDA) to construct PDA@ICG-TPZ nanoparticles (PIT). Then, PIT was camouflaged with cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartate (cRGD) modified tumor cell membranes to obtain the engineered membrane-coated nanoreactor (cRGD-mPIT). The nanoreactor cRGD-mPIT could achieve the dual-targeting ability via tumor cell membrane mediated homologous targeting and cRGD mediated active targeting. With the enhanced tumor-targeting and penetrating delivery system, PIT could efficiently accumulate in hypoxic tumor cells and the loaded drugs were quickly released in response to near-infrared (NIR) laser. The nanoreactor might produce cytotoxic ROS under NIR and further enhance hypoxia within tumor to activate TPZ, which efficiently inhibited hypoxic tumor by synergistic photodynamic-chemotherapy. Mechanically, hypoxia-inhibitory factor-1α (HIF-1α) was down-regulated by the synergistic therapy. Accordingly, the cRGD-mPIT nanoreactor with sustainable and cascade anti-tumor effects and satisfied biosafety might be a promising strategy in hypoxic tumor therapy. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]