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In the past years, network meta-analysis (NMA) has been widely used among clinicians, guideline makers, and health technology assessment agencies and has played an important role in clinical decision-making and guideline development. To inform further development of NMAs, we conducted a bibliometric analysis to assess the current status of published NMA methodological studies, summarized the methodological progress of seven types of NMAs, and discussed the current challenges of NMAs.

Deep narrow slot (DNS) structures are commonly used in slots for inserts in tire molds, die-casting molds of heat-dissipating fins, grooves in flexible joints of gyros, and seal slots in turbine blades. Electrical discharge machining (EDM) of DNSs is a time-consuming process, because traditional EDM machines adopt a vertical downward feed direction to remove materials, resulting in debris deposition in the gap by means of gravity. In this paper, systematic experiments are carried out to investigate the effect of different feed directions on the machining efficiency of EDM DNS structures. Thirteen feed directions with an incremental angle of 15° from −90 to 90° have been tested without electrode jumps. Among them, the feed directions of 0° and 15° have the highest machining efficiency, which even exceeds the machining efficiency achieved with electrode jumps. A machining efficiency model with respect to feed direction is built based on experimental results. The gap discharge state is acquired by an FPGA circuit based on discharge state analyzer, associated with machining efficiency curves. For most feed directions, the discharge rate drops significantly after the machining depth around 4 mm, leading to an obvious turning point in the machining efficiency curve. To explore the reasons for machining efficiency changes during the machining of DNS, the movements of bubbles are observed by a high-speed camera for calculating their speeds and sizes.

With the rapid development of social networks, the problem of information overload is increasingly serious. The recommendation system can deal with the problem of information overload effectively and provide users with personalized recommendation services. In the process of recommendation, the traditional recommendation algorithms do not take the social relationship of users as the basis of recommendation; at the same time, they do not take for the dynamic change of user’s interest and think that it is immutable. About these problems, the paper proposes a personalized recommendation algorithm with social information and dynamic time windows. Firstly, a collaborative filtering algorithm is proposed which integrates social information and user interest in the process of searching the nearest neighbor. Secondly, the time windows are dynamically adjusted to obtain a stable increment and better reflect the short-term interests of users. Then, the concept of time function is introduced to allocate corresponding time weights for users’ interests in different periods. Finally, we conduct a series of experiments to verify the practicability and effectiveness of our algorithm. Experimental results show that the performance of the proposed algorithm is better than the traditional collaborative filtering recommendation algorithm.

In conventional railway planning processes, stop-skipping decisions are often made at the line planning stage, which is executed prior to train timetabling and platform assignment. However, stop-skipping can shorten passenger journey time and also save on train operating costs. Hence, integrating train timetabling, stop-skipping, and platform choice decisions can help generate train timetables with improved passenger convenience and higher train operating efficiency. Integrating these decisions is a challenging task, as these decisions affect passenger train transfer behavior, which in turn affects the entire passenger flow. This study is a first attempt at integrating these decisions while simultaneously taking into account the passenger flow. We consider a train timetabling problem on a single, one-way track with stop-skipping, platform choice, and passenger flow considerations, and we formulate it as a constrained minimum-cost multi-commodity network flow problem on a time–space network. We analyze the problem’s complexity and develop a Lagrangian relaxation heuristic to solve the problem. We conduct a computational study with randomly generated data that captures the characteristics of the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway line. The computational results report the effectiveness of our Lagrangian relaxation heuristic and how the railway’s service capacity and passenger traffic intensity affect the solution.

In view of the complexity of tire structure and working conditions, tire models are often based on complete and accurate test data. In combined with the theory of tire dynamics, the empirical and semi-empirical tire models are built. In order to accurately measure the tire mechanical properties, it is necessary to strictly control the wear state of the tire tread during the tire test. But there is still a certain amount of wear, which does not guarantee the consistency of the data. In order to study the influence of wear on the mechanical properties of the tire, based on the tire footprint pressure distribution model and brush model theory, combined with the brush model theory and the rubber block shear stiffness deformation theory, the tire cornering stiffness model under different wear conditions is established. The footprint pressure distribution model is built based on the results of footprint test under different wear conditions. And combined the test result with different tread wear conditions and the theory of brush model, the tire brush model considering tread wear conditions is built. Based on the above theoretical model, the UniTire tire cornering slip model considering the tread wear state is established. To verify the accuracy of the model, the UniTire cornering slip model is obtained by using the cornering slip data in three tread wear states, and the tire mechanical properties of the other tread wear conditions are predicted. The error between the simulation results of the model and the experimental results is small, which effectively prove the predictive ability of UniTire cornering slip model considering tread wear. This study will help to improve the UniTire tire model and provide theoretical and technical support for the UniTire indoor and outdoor expansion applications.

Carrier mobility and density are intrinsically important in nanophoto/electronic devices. High-dielectric-constant coupled polarization-field gate ferroelectrics are frequently studied and partially capable in achieving large-scale tuning of photoresponse, but their light absorption and carrier density seem generally ineffective. This raises questions about whether a similarly high-dielectric-constant paraelectric gate dielectric could enable tuning and how the principles involved could be established. In this study, by deliberately introducing lattice defects in high-dielectric-constant paraelectric, cubic BaTiO3 (c-BTO) was explored to fabricate MoS2 photodetectors with ultrahigh detection ability and outstanding field-effect traits. An organic-metal-based spin-coating cum annealing method was used for the c-BTO synthesis, with an optimized thickness (300 nm), by introducing lattice defects properly but maintaining a large dielectric constant (55 at 1k Hz) and low dielectric loss (0.06 at 1k Hz), which renders the enhanced visible-light region absorption. As a result of the synergistically enhanced mobility and photoabsorption, the MoS2/BTO FET exhibits promising merits, for example, on/off ratio, subthreshold swing, and mobilities for high-performance photodetectors with excellent responsivity (600 AW-1) and detectivity (1.25 × 1012 Jones). Thus, this work facilitates the establishment of a lattice defect induced sub-bandgap absorption landmap for synergistically enhanced photoresponse for high-performance photodetector exploration.

Background and Objectives As attention to positive caregiving experience increases, there is growing evidence concerning how the identification of the positive aspects of caregiving can be beneficial in supporting caregivers. The purpose of the current study is to review the literature where the Positive Aspects of Caregiving Scale (PACS) was used, identify the ways studies have used the PACS, and summarize the relationship between PACS and the contextual factors as well as outcomes of caregiving. Research Design and Methods A systematic literature review was conducted. Electronic databases were searched, and empirical research studies written in English that were published in a peer-reviewed journal after 2004 were identified. After a careful review of the 194 abstracts yielded from the databases and the reference lists of the associated articles, 52 eligible studies were identified, and relevant findings were extracted. Results Some commonality in terms of how studies have used the PACS emerged. The literature reviewed was further grouped into 3 categories depending on whether the study tested the PACS as a valid and reliable measurement, examined the PACS as outcomes of caregiving, or as a predictor of certain outcomes. Discussion and Implications This review suggests that PACS is utilized for multiple purposes and yields considerable evidence supporting the importance of understanding the positive experience of caregiving. However, there is limited adaptation of the PACS in a large survey, and studies were heavily focused in the United States with little evidence from other countries. Further studies to address these limitations will be needed.

Connected vehicles (CVs) are getting increasing attention in intelligent transportation systems (ITSs). In terms of the stringent security and anonymity issues, a novel anonymous and decentralized payment platform is demanded. Bitcoin is regarded as a potential solution. But the existing Bitcoin and its various improvements lack a beforehand anti-fraud Bitcoin deposit scheme, which is necessary to prevent potential fraud risks from Bitcoin to CVs. This paper aims to build a novel anti-fraud deposit scheme as a seamless bridge between CV networks and the Bitcoin payment platform. We propose a Bitcoin-to-Connected-Vehicle deposit scheme (Bit2CV) with an outsourcing endorsement in order to build an anti-fraud deposit transaction ( dtr ). Firstly, Bit2CV leverages a special Bitcoin-opcode-OP_RETURN based method to record the dtr , the CV’s request, and the endorsement together on Blockchain ledger. This method can achieve security features, including non-repudiation, privacy-friendly endorsement, future audit, and anti-fraud. Meanwhile, Bit2CV is fully decentralized without any involvement of centralized authorities and fully compatible with the current Bitcoin network. We conduct the security analysis and also simulations for performance evaluation. In a typical scenario of our simulation, Bit2CV total time cost is less than 477.03 ms, and the size of the endorsement is 1,732 bytes, which is much less and smaller than transaction confirmation time and the average block size, respectively. These designs and results demonstrate that Bit2CV is feasible and practical.

Spectrogram of carrier transient in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA) is of great significance for its input conditions and ensuring the quality of the output signal. As the carrier transient process usually happens in picosecond time scale, sub-picosecond temporal resolution is required to resolve this dynamic process. Therefore, the ultrafast pump-probe technology is introduced, and it requires this transient process to be repetitive and stable for a long time, to retrieve the intensity profile with high temporal resolution. To further capture the ultrafast spectrogram with identical temporal resolution, a spectroscopy is required to cascade to the pump-probe technology, which means the acquisition frame rate of the spectroscopy should be equivalent to that of the pump/probe pulses. Although it is challenging for the conventional spectroscopy, the recently developed dispersive time-stretch spectroscopy can realize this megahertz range acquisition frame rate. As a result, a dispersive pump-probe spectroscopy is demonstrated with 1.35-ps temporal resolution and 91.86-MHz spectral frame rate. Therefore, the entire carrier transient process in SOA is captured within 0.2 ms, which makes it robust for most of the low frequency environmental interferences. Moreover, the spectral dependence of carrier recovery process is analyzed in detail, and an abnormal overshoot is observed, which can essentially accelerate the carrier recovery time.

Based on the results of tire handling test, the cornering properties of the tire at small side slip under different temperature are obtained, and the variation law of the parameters of tire cornering characteristic with the temperature is obtained. By establishing a tread temperature model and finite element tire model considering the influence of temperature, the mechanism of tire mechanical properties with temperature is clarified, and the expression of tread stiffness and aligning stiffness considering temperature is obtained. Then, based on the above expression and the tire mechanical characteristics with temperature, a complex brush model is established and the relationship between the temperature and the tire cornering properties is obtained. The relationship is used as the basic expression formula to establish the UniTire cornering model considering tire temperature. In order to verify the correctness of the model, four kinds of temperature state cornering data are used for parameter identification, and the tire cornering properties in the other two temperature states is predicted. The error between the simulation results of the prediction model and the experimental results is very small, which effectively proves the predictive ability of the UniTire cornering model considering tire temperature. This research is helpful to improve the application of UniTire model under different temperature condition.

During the refining of Si deoxidized spring steel by low-basicity slag, with the addition of BaCO3 to refining slag, many BaO-containing CaO-SiO2-Al2O3 inclusions existed in steel, which were with approximate chemical compositions to other CaO-SiO2-Al2O3 inclusions. Thermodynamic calculation revealed that (BaO) in slag can be hardly reduced by [Si] in steel, which meant that CaO-SiO2-Al2O3-BaO inclusions in Si-deoxidized spring steel cannot be produced by chemical reactions among slag-steel-inclusion, viz., they were originated from entrapped slag.

This project presents a new three-dimensional lithospheric structure of seismic velocity and radial anisotropy under west Tibet constructed from Rayleigh and Love wave phase velocity maps at periods of 20-167 s.

Background Performance evaluation is vital for IRB operations. As the number of IRBs and their responsibilities in reviewing and supervising clinical research grow in China, there is a significant need to evaluate their performances. To date, little research has examined IRB performance within China. The aim of this study was to ascertain the perspectives and experiences of IRB employees and researchers to (1) understand the current status of IRBs; (2) compare collected results with those of other countries; and (3) identify shortcomings to improve IRB performance. Methods This study was conducted in China from October 2020 to September 2021, using an online survey with the IRB-researcher assessment tool-Chinese version. Results 757 respondents were included in the analysis and classified into IRB employees, researchers, or those who are both IRB employees and researchers. Overall, the score for an ideal IRB was significantly higher than that of an actual IRB. Compared to the US National Validation study, Chinese participants and American participants both agree and differ in their perspectives on the most and least important ideal items. Conclusion This investigation provides a benchmark of the perceived performance of actual IRBs in China. IRBs in China can be precisely adjusted by targeting identified areas of weakness to improve their performances.

Analysis of polished surface texture features has been the subject of many classic studies in surface polishing technology and is a key indicator for evaluating the polishing path. In this paper, a new method to analyze the texture features of polishing based on co-occurrence matrix is proposed. It extends the previous approach termed the residual level co-occurrence matrix (RLCM) focusing on the distribution of surface polishing residues, leading to more targeted and stabilized evaluation results. This method can be used in the path planning stage to estimate the polishing quality of the planned path without physical processing, which can avoid resource waste in the physical world. Furthermore, in this method the usage of images is avoided, which can ensure that the results are not affected by the light and image quality. Simulation experiments as well as empirical investigations were conducted to verify the feasibility of the method. The results of both consistently reveal that the proposed method is able to accurately describe the texture feature and correctly analyze the texture feature.

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a catastrophic complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD) with high mortality. Our aim is to develop a novel noninvasive microRNA (miRNA) test for EPS.We collected 142 PD effluents (EPS: 62 and non-EPS:80). MiRNA profiles of PD effluents were examined by a high-throughput real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array to first screen. Candidate miRNAs were verified by single real-time PCR. The model for EPS prediction was evaluated by multiple logistic regression and machine learning.Seven candidate miRNAs were identified from the screening of PCR-array of 377 miRNAs. The top five area under the curve (AUC) values with 5 miRNA-ratios were selected using 127 samples (EPS: 56 vs non-EPS: 71) to produce a receiver operating characteristic curve. After considering clinical characteristics and 5 miRNA-ratios, the accuracies of the machine learning model of Random Forest and multiple logistic regression were boosted to AUC 0.97 and 0.99, respectively. Furthermore, the pathway analysis of miRNA associated targeting genes and miRNA-compound interaction network revealed that these five miRNAs played the roles in TGF-β signaling pathway.The model-based miRNA expressions in PD effluents may help determine the probability of EPS and provide further therapeutic opinion for EPS.

Background: Chromosome 5 open reading frame 46 (C5ORF46), also known as antimicrobial peptide with 64 amino acid residues (AP-64) and skin and saliva-secreted protein 1 (SSSP1), belongs to the family of open reading frame genes and encodes a small exosomal protein. C5ORF46 has been implicated in antibacterial activity and associated with patient prognosis in pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, and stomach cancer. These findings highlight the importance of C5ORF46 in gastrointestinal (GI) tumor inception and development. However, the prognostic and immunological value of C5ORF46 in human GI tumors remains largely unknown. In this study, we sought to explore the potential value of C5ORF46 in GI tumor prognosis and immunology.Method: RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on the tumor and tumor-adjacent normal samples we collected to identify potential target genes for GI tumors. Apart from our RNA-seq data, all original data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and integrated via Strawberry Perl (v 5.32.0) and R (v 4.1.1). The differential expression of C5ORF46 was examined with Oncomine, Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) and TCGA databases. The c-BioPortal database was used to investigate the genomic alterations of C5ORF46. The effect of C5ORF46 on prognosis and clinical phenotypes was explored via bioinformatics analyses on the TCGA and GEPIA databases. We used the bioinformatics analyses based on the TCGA database to analyze tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), tumor immune cell infiltration, and the correlations between C5ORF46 expression and several immune-related genes. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis was carried out via the DAVID website and presented as bubble charts using ShengXinRen online tools. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed using R scripts based on data downloaded from the GSEA website. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to validate the expression of C5ORF46 in GI tumors.Results: The results of our RNA-seq data indicated a critical role for C5ORF46 in colon carcinogenesis. Consistently, we demonstrated that C5ORF46 was highly expressed in tumor tissues compared to normal tissues in human GI tumors. Moreover, a strong correlation was observed between C5ORF46 expression levels and patient prognosis, staging, TMB, MSI, and immune cell infiltration. Further, C5ORF46 presented as an important regulator in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and was active in the regulation of cancer immune functions. C5ORF46 is significantly correlated with genes regulating inflammation and immune responses.Conclusion:C5ORF46 may serve as a biomarker for GI tumor prognosis and immunology. C5ORF46 could be a novel target for GI tumor immunotherapy.

SummaryHaplotype network is becoming popular due to its increasing use in analyzing genealogical relationships of closely related genomes. We newly proposed McAN, a minimum-cost arborescence based haplotype network construction algorithm, by considering mutation spectrum history (mutations in ancestry haplotype should be contained in descendant haplotype), node size (corresponding to sample count for a given node) and sampling time. McAN is two orders of magnitude faster than the state-of-the-art algorithms, making it suitable for analyzation of massive sequences.AvailabilitySource code is written in C/C++ and available athttps://github.com/Theory-Lun/McANandhttps://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/biocode/tools/BT007301under the MIT license. The online web service of McAN is available athttps://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/ncov/online/tool/haplotype. SARS-CoV-2 dataset are available athttps://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/ncov/.

BackgroundFulminant myocarditis (FM) is a serious non-specific inflammatory disease of the myocardium. FM tends to occur in adolescents and the course of the disease progresses rapidly. It is prone to cardiogenic shock (CGS) and multiple organ failure (MOF) with high mortality. We report a case of FM with CGS and MOF in a young male who was successfully treated with intra-aortic balloon pump counterpulsation (IABP) combined with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and glucocorticoid (GC).Case summaryA 21-year-old previously healthy man presented with fever, headache, and chest tightness. He came to the hospital for emergency treatment. The laboratory data showed that the levels of serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI), N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), myocardial zymogram, and neutrophils increased. Echocardiography showed pericardial effusion and decreased left ventricular systolic function. ECG showed diffuse ST-segment elevation. He was clinically diagnosed with FM and admitted to the intensive care unit for treatment. Within 48 h of admission, the clinical course of the patient deteriorated rapidly, with CGS accompanied by MOF, high atrioventricular block (AVB), and ventricular tachycardia (VT). After using mechanical circulatory support (MCS) therapy with IABP, IVIG, GC, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), and mechanical ventilation complicated with a temporary cardiac pacemaker, he recovered normal cardiac function. He made a full recovery and was discharged home on day 21.DiscussionFor patients with FM, early diagnosis, close monitoring, timely use of MCS devices, and active comprehensive treatment are very important. MCS devices such as IABP can become lifesaving tools for the treatment of FM.

Context.— Whether androgen receptor (AR) expression can predict prognosis in breast cancer is under debate. Objective.— To analyze, retrospectively, the prognostic and treatment predictive ability of AR status in breast cancer. Design.— A total of 5765 patients diagnosed with primary invasive breast cancer without distant metastasis in the adjuvant setting were analyzed. The propensity score matching method was used to develop a new cohort of 3978 patients (1989 patients each) in which important prognostic factors were balanced. Results.— Positive AR expression is an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival and overall survival. Estrogen receptor (ER)+ and progesterone receptor (PR)+ AR+ breast cancer patients were associated with the longest survival, whereas ER−PR−AR− breast cancer patients were associated with the shortest survival. The ER/PR/AR combinations could not predict the treatment effects for adjuvant trastuzumab but could be used for adjuvant chemotherapy and endocrine therapy selection. The worst survival was found in ER+PR−AR− patients receiving toremifene, ER+PR−AR+ patients receiving exemestane, ER+PR+AR− patients receiving anthracycline, and ER−PR−AR+ patients receiving taxanes. ER+PR−AR−, ER−PR−AR+, and ER−PR−AR− patients were associated with the worst survival among those who received radiotherapy and anthracycline plus taxanes. Conclusions.— AR in combination with ER and PR could predict the prognosis and treatment effects of chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, and radiotherapy in the adjuvant setting.

Background Wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA) is a serious and potentially life-threatening form of wheat allergy. Further episodes can only be prevented by avoiding wheat ingestion or avoiding exercise after wheat intake. Anaphylaxis may recur in some patients post-diagnosis. This study aimed to analyze the clinical features and management/outcomes of WDEIA in China. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics, and laboratory testing of 197 patients with WDEIA. After diagnosis, the patients were followed up as outpatients to evaluate dietary/exercise choice and clinical outcomes. Results Among the 197 WDEIA patients (median age, 37 years), 53.8% were male and 28.4% had other allergic disorders. The median duration of anaphylaxis before diagnosis was 16 months. Significant delays in diagnosis (> 1 years) were recorded in 52.7% of the patients, which has not decreased by years (P = 0.064). Exercise (83.8%), alcohol (12.2%), and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (7.1%) were the most common cofactors. The most common clinical features were urticaria (100%), loss of consciousness (82.7%), dyspnea (50.8%), and hypotension (47.2%). Of the 197 eligible patients, 155 responded (78.7%), and 124 (80.0%) of which had no anaphylaxis post-diagnosis. A wheat-free diet prevented future anaphylaxis in 91.7% of the patients, followed by the avoidance of wheat combined with exercise (87%) and reduced wheat intake combined with exercise avoidance (80.5%). Conclusion The diagnosis of WDEIA is frequently delayed. Therefore, when patients present with unexplained anaphylaxis, the possibility of WDEIA should be considered. A wheat-free diet or avoiding wheat combined with exercise or reduced wheat combined with exercise avoidance helps to significantly reduce the onset of future anaphylaxis. However, approximately one-fifth of patients continue to experience anaphylaxis post-diagnosis. Thus, these patients must always carry epinephrine autoinjectors.

The phosphate interphase of anisotropic amorphous vanadium oxide (VO-PO@CNPs) can prevent structural reorganization and enrich ion diffusion paths in cathode materials for aqueous zinc ion batteries. VO-PO@CNPs cathodes achieve a high initial capacity, the average capacity reduction rate is just 0.13% for each cycle, and durability is prolonged to 280 hours at 0.2 A g

The tire is the only part that connects the vehicle and the road surface. Many important properties of vehicles are related to the mechanical properties of tires, such as handling stability, braking safety, vertical vibration characteristics, and so on. Although a great deal of research on tire dynamics has been completed, mainly focusing on steady-state tire force and moment characteristics, as well as linear unsteady force characteristics, less research has been conducted on nonlinear unsteady characteristics, especially when the vertical load changes dynamically. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to improve the tire unsteady-state model and verify it by experiment. To achieve this goal, we first study the nonlinear unsteady tire cornering theoretical model and obtain clear force and torque frequency response functions. Then, based on the results of the theoretical model, a high-precision and high-efficiency semi-physical model is developed. Finally, model identification and accuracy verification are carried out based on the bench test data. The model developed in this paper has high accuracy, and it significantly improves the expression of the aligning torque, which helps to improve the virtual simulation of transient conditions, such as vehicle handling and dynamic load conditions.

In tumor research, the occurrence and origin of tumors are the fundamental problems. In the 1970s, the basic discussion of the developmental biology problem of tumors was proposed, and it was believed that tumorigenesis is closely related to developmental biology. Tumors are abnormal biological structures in organisms, and their biological behavior is very similar to that of the early embryo. Many tumor-related genes also serve regulatory roles in the normal development and differentiation of embryos. However, it remains unclear whether gene expression in early embryos has any similarities with tumor cells. In this study, to compare the similarities and differences in gene expression between early embryos and tumor cells, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was conducted to determine and compare the relative expression levels of nine tumor-related genes in the brain glioma cell line, T98G, and in the early embryo of

Enantioenriched N-alkylindole compounds, in which nitrogen is bound to a stereogenic sp3 carbon, are an important entity of target molecules in the fields of biological, medicinal, and organic chemistry. Despite considerable efforts aimed at inventing methods for stereoselective indole functionalization, straightforward access to a diverse range of chiral N-alkylindoles in an intermolecular catalytic fashion from readily available indole substrates remains an ongoing challenge. In sharp contrast to existing C–N bond-forming strategies, here, we describe a modular nickel-catalyzed C–C coupling protocol that couples a broad array of N-indolyl-substituted alkenes with aryl/alkenyl/alkynyl bromides to produce chiral N-alkylindole adducts in single regioisomeric form, in up to 91% yield and 97% ee. The process is amenable to proceed under mild conditions and exhibit broad scope and high functional group compatibility. Utility is highlighted through late-stage functionalization of natural products and drug molecules, preparation of chiral building blocks.

Tungsten and its alloys with high strength, thermal conductivity, and plasma radiation resistance are highly desirable for applications in medical, electronic and also nuclear facilities. However, the high melting point and high ductile–brittle transition temperature limit the fabrication of complex parts by using traditional methods, such as powder metallurgy. As a kind of additive manufacturing technology, laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) was used to fabricate tungsten and its alloys in recent years because of its high energy density and low action time. This paper reviewed the recent progress of LPBF fabricated tungsten. Two main challenges, which are the lack of density and cracking problem, are focused. The methods to solve these problems are reviewed. In terms of improving the density, decreasing oxygen content, optimizing the process parameter, and adopting spherical powder were proved effective. In terms of cracking problem, the method of alloying, such as adding secondary phase nanoparticles and alloy elements, could significantly reduce the cracking density. However, the crack problem has not been completely solved up to now. Finally, future developments and potential new research directions for LPBF tungsten are proposed.

Large igneous provinces (LIPs) are commonly associated with mass extinctions. However, the precise relations between LIPs and their impacts on biodiversity is enigmatic, given that they can be asynchronous. It has been proposed that the environmental impacts are primarily related to sill emplacement. Therefore, the structure of LIPs' magma storage system is critical because it dictates the occurrence and timing of mass extinction. We use surface-wave tomography to image the lithosphere under the Permian Emeishan large igneous province (ELIP) in southwestern China. We find a northeast-trending zone of high shear-wave velocity (Vs) and negative radial anisotropy (Vsv > Vsh; v and h are vertically and horizontally polarized S waves, respectively) in the crust and lithosphere. We rule out the possibilities of rifting or orogenesis to explain these seismic characteristics and interpret the seismic anomaly as a mafic-ultramafic, dike-dominated magma storage system of the ELIP. We further propose that the anomaly represents a hidden hotspot track that was emplaced before the ELIP eruption. A zone of higher velocity but less-negative radial anisotropy, on the hotspot track but to the northeast of the eruption center in the Panxi region, reflects an elevated proportion of sills emplaced at the incipient stage of the ELIP. Liberation of poisonous gases by the early sill intrusions explains why the mid-Capitanian global biota crisis preceded the peak ELIP eruption by 2–3 m.y.

Family care-giving is associated with social isolation, which can lead to adverse health and wellbeing outcomes among family care-givers. The role of geographic distance in care-giver social isolation (CSI) is unclear and has received mixed research findings. Framed by the Ecological Model of Caregiver Isolation, this study examined the relationship between geographic distance and CSI, including the interaction between geographic distance and care-giving intensity for CSI. Linear regression and analysis of covariance were used to test these hypotheses using a sub-set of family care-givers from the 2012 Canadian General Social Survey (N = 2,881). Care-givers living a short distance from receivers reported lower levels of social isolation than co-resident, moderate-distance and long-distance care-givers. Being involved in higher-intensity care-giving as the primary care-giver, undertaking more care-giving tasks and providing care more frequently resulted in higher CSI scores. Long- and moderate-distance care-givers reported greater CSI than co-resident and short-distance care-givers only when providing higher-intensity care-giving. Employing a granulated measure of geographic distance positioned within an ecological framework facilitates an understanding of the nuanced association between geographic proximity and CSI. Furthermore, the identified interaction effects between geographic distance and care-giving intensity on CSI further explicate the complexity of care-giving experiences. The findings are relevant for programmes supporting care-givers in different contexts, especially distance care-givers.

Background Pulmonary sequestration (PS) associated with massive hemoptysis, hemothorax, and elevated tumor markers or even lung malignancy has been reported in several studies. These clinical features combined with lung lesions on chest imaging are sometimes hard to differentiate from lung malignancies and often complicate the diagnostic procedure. Case presentation A 45-year-old man with PS presented with massive hemoptysis, hemothorax, and extremely elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in pleural effusion was initially misdiagnosed with advanced lung carcinoma, but was ultimately diagnosed with PS with Aspergillus infection. Conclusions PS is rarely concurrent with lung cancer; most of the time, it is misdiagnosed as a malignancy, especially when presenting with a fungal infection, which could remarkably elevate CEA in pleural effusion.

The high-quality grinding of the aviation blade components with the industry robot presents tremendous challenges because of the complexity of blade surface. The hybrid force/position anti-disturbance control strategy is developed base on fuzzy PID control to improve the quality of grinding aviation blades. Firstly, according to gravity compensation technology, the perception of contact force is discussed to solve the contact force between the blades and abrasive belt machine. Then, the hybrid force/position anti-disturbance control strategy is designed to ensure the stability of robot automatic grinding system. The speed gain loop and the dual fuzzy PID control are introduced to enhance the anti-disturbance ability of the control system. Meanwhile, the analysis of stability and steady-state error for force control loop are performed to prove the validation of the feasibility of control system. Eventually, the simulation and experiments are carried out on the robot automatic grinding system. The experimental results reveal that the proposed control strategy can achieve better control effect and grinding quality compared with the traditional PID control.

Background. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES) of small-vessel coronary artery disease (SVD) is related to an increased risk of in-stent restenosis (ISR) and stent thrombosis (ST). The application of the drug-coated balloon (DCB) for patients with SVD remains controversial. Objectives. Assess the outcomes of DCB in the treatment of SVD compared with DES in patients with SVD. Methods. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published up to June 2020, reporting the outcomes of DCB versus DES in the treatment of SVD, was performed. Results. Four RCTs with 1227 patients were included. The results indicated that DCB was associated with the decreased risk for myocardial infarction (MI) compared with the DES, but the difference showed no significance (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.24–1.03, P = 0.06 ). And, there was no significant difference in death (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.17–3.43, P = 0.72 ), cardiac death (OR 1.92, 95% CI 0.74–4.98, P = 0.18 ), target vessel revascularization (TVR) (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.51–1.28, P = 0.36 ), target lesion revascularization (TLR) (OR 1.29, 95% CI 0.66–2.52, P = 0.46 ), and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.61–1.38, P = 0.69 ) between the DCB group and DES group. Conclusion. Compared with DES, DCB was associated with a decreased risk of MI among patients with SVD, but the difference showed no significance. The application of DCB in SVD is associated with comparable outcomes of death, TVR, and MACE when compared with DES.

Tibetan Plateau vortices (TPVs) are important rainfall producers over the Tibetan Plateau in summer and can also influence wide areas east of the Tibetan Plateau when emigrating from the plateau. The Effects of the variations in air temperature over the Tibetan Plateau on the genesis frequency of TPVs at interannual timescales is explored in this work to understand the interannual variations in TPVs and the resultant precipitation. The results indicate that the interannual variations in the genesis frequency of TPVs are significantly related to that in the air temperature at 250 hPa over the Tibetan Plateau. The upper-level air temperature affects the genesis of TPVs by modulating the large-scale circulations at 200 hPa. In warm (cold) years, an anomalous high (low) at 200 hPa is observed over the eastern Tibetan Plateau and central China, and a strong (weak) westerly jet is found north of the Tibetan Plateau. The upper-level westerly jet is considered to have a direct influence on TPVs. Impact of 250-hPa air temperature over the Tibetan Plateau on the westerly jet is further explained from two perspectives. First, the air temperature at 250 hPa regulates the thermal wind between 250 and 200 hPa, thereby affecting the wind at 200 hPa. Second, the air temperature at 250 hPa changes the geopotential height gradient at 200 hPa north of the Tibetan Plateau, which results in variations in the westerly jet there. Consequently, more TPVs are generated over the Tibetan Plateau in warm years, and vice versa for cold years.