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Terahertz (THz) quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are technologically important laser sources for the THz range but are complex to model. An efficient extended rate equation model is developed here by incorporating the resonant tunneling mechanism from the density matrix formalism, which permits to simulate THz QCLs with thick carrier injection barriers within the semi-classical formalism. A self-consistent solution is obtained by iteratively solving the Schrödinger–Poisson equation with this transport model. Carrier–light coupling is also included to simulate the current behavior arising from stimulated emission. As a quasi-ab initio model, intermediate parameters, such as pure dephasing time and optical linewidth, are dynamically calculated in the convergence process, and the only fitting parameters are the interface roughness correlation length and height. Good agreement has been achieved by comparing the simulation results of various designs with experiments, and other models such as density matrix Monte Carlo and non-equilibrium Green's function method that, unlike here, require important computational resources. The accuracy, compatibility, and computational efficiency of our model enable many application scenarios, such as design optimization and quantitative insights into THz QCLs. Finally, the source code of the model is also provided in the supplementary material of this article for readers to repeat the results presented here, investigate, and optimize new designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crossing of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) for conventional anticancer drugs is still a big challenge in treating glioma. The biomimetic nanoparticle delivery system has attracted increasing attention and has a promising future for crossing the BBB. Herein, we construct a multifunctional biomimetic nanoplatform using the erythrocyte membrane (EM) with the tumor-penetrating peptide iRGD (CRGDK/RGPD/EC) as a delivery, and the inner core loaded with the chemotherapeutic drug temozolomide (TMZ). The resulting biomimetic nanoparticle has perfect biocompatibility and stealth ability, which will provide more chances to escape the reticuloendothelial system (RES) entrapment, and increase the opportunity to enter the tumor site. Moreover, the decorated iRGD has been extensively used to actively targeting and deliver therapeutic agents across the BBB into glioma tissue. We show that this biomimetic delivery of TMZ with a diameter of 22 nm efficiently slowed the growth of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and increased the survival rate of the 30 d from 0% to 100%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyroptosis, a non-apoptotic programmed cellular inflammatory death mechanism characterized by gasdermin (GSDM) family proteins, has gathered significant attention in the cancer treatment. However, the alarming clinical trial data indicates that pyroptosis-mediated cancer therapeutic efficiency is still unsatisfactory. It is essential to integrate the burgeoning biomedical findings and innovations with potent technology to hasten the development of pyroptosis-based antitumor drugs. Considering the rapid development of pyroptosis-driven cancer nanotherapeutics, here we aim to summarize the recent advances in this field at the intersection of pyroptosis and nanotechnology. First, the foundation of pyroptosis-based nanomedicines (NMs) is outlined to illustrate the reliability and effectiveness for the treatment of tumor. Next, the emerging nanotherapeutics designed to induce pyroptosis are overviewed. Moreover, the cross-talk between pyroptosis and other cell death modalities are discussed, aiming to explore the mechanistic level relationships to provide guidance strategies for the combination of different types of antitumor drugs. Last but not least, the opportunities and challenges of employing pyroptosis-based NMs in potential clinical cancer therapy are highlighted. This abstract graphic takes concerted action with abstract section and illustrates the development status of pyroptosis-based nanomedicines for cancer treatment. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypersonic vehicles as next-generation aircraft have broad applications, but existing technologies of onboard power generation are hardly applicable due to the change of engines. In this research, a catalytic steam reforming enhanced closed-Brayton-cycle power generation system based on is developed. This system combines the closed Brayton cycle (CBC) and catalytic steam reformed fuel vapor turbine (CSRFVT) to supply electric power. The zero-dimensional models of CBC and the CSRFVT are established to evaluate system performance. Results indicate the products with a water content of 30% have the strongest working ability, which can reach 330 kJ/kg. Moreover, the thermal efficiency and electric power of the parallel arrangement are higher than that of the series arrangement. Besides, the lower pressure of water is beneficial to the electric power. However, the difference in electric power between various pressures is less than 1 kW. In addition, under the same heat absorption, the total electric power of the system based on fuel and water is higher, and the former's outlet temperature of cooling channels is lower. The maximum total electric power of the novel system is about 120 kW. This research provides an innovative technical solution for the power generation of hypersonic vehicles. • A novel power generation system based on hydrocarbon fuel and water is proposed. • A zero-dimensional model of the system performance is established. • The products with a water content of 30% have the strongest working ability. • The maximum total electric power of this system is 120 kW at Ma 6. Abstract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the mutation invariants of cluster algebras of rank 2. We characterize the mutation invariants of finite type. Two examples are provided for the affine type and we prove the non-existence of Laurent mutation invariants of non-affine type. As an application, a class of Diophantine equations encoded with cluster algebras are studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diseases of tomato leaves can seriously damage crop yield and financial rewards. The timely and accurate detection of tomato diseases is a major challenge in agriculture. Hence, the early and accurate diagnosis of tomato diseases is crucial. The emergence of deep learning has dramatically helped in plant disease detection. However, the accuracy of deep learning models largely depends on the quantity and quality of training data. To solve the inter-class imbalance problem and improve the generalization ability of the classification model, this paper proposes a cycle-consistent generative-adversarial-network-based Transformer model to generate diseased tomato leaf images for data augmentation. In addition, this paper uses a Transformer model and densely connected CNN architecture to extract multilevel local features. The Transformer module is utilized to capture global dependencies and contextual information accurately to expand the sensory field of the model. Experiments show that the proposed model achieved 99.45% accuracy on the PlantVillage dataset. The 2018 Artificial Intelligence Challenger dataset and the private dataset attained accuracies of 98.30% and 95.4%, and the proposed classification model achieved a higher accuracy and smaller model size compared to previous deep learning models. The classification model is generalizable and robust and can provide a stable theoretical framework for crop disease prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tea industry, as one of the most globally important agricultural products, is characterized by pests and diseases that pose a serious threat to yield and quality. These diseases and pests often present different scales and morphologies, and some pest and disease target sizes can be tiny and difficult to detect. To solve these problems, we propose TeaViTNet, a multi-scale attention-based tea pest and disease detection model that combines CNNs and Transformers. First, MobileViT is used as the feature extraction backbone network. MobileViT captures and analyzes the tiny pest and disease features in the image via a self-attention mechanism and global feature extraction. Second, the EMA-PANet network is introduced to optimize the model's learning and attention to the Apolygus lucorum and leaf blight regions via an efficient multi-scale attention module with cross-space learning, which improves the model's ability to understand multi-scale information. In addition, RFBNet is embedded in the module to further expand the perceptual range and effectively capture the information of tiny features in tea leaf images. Finally, the ODCSPLayer convolutional block is introduced, aiming to focus on acquiring richer gradient flow information. The experimental results show that the TeaViTNet model proposed in this paper has an average accuracy of 89.1%, which is a significant improvement over the baseline network MobileViT and is capable of accurately detecting Apolygus lucorum and leaf blight of different scales and complexities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible spatio-temporal data fusion (FSDAF) is usually used to fuse high spatial resolution images with ordinary up-sampling methods processed low spatial resolution images. However, ordinary up-sampling methods lead to spatial inconsistency between high and low spatial resolution images, as well as the presence of many mixed pixels in the low spatial resolution images, which reduces the fusion accuracy. In this study, a novel method by combining deep learning downscaling and the FSDAF is proposed. This method (RCAN-FSDAF) firstly downscales low spatial resolution images by using residual channel attention network (RCAN), and then fuses the high spatial resolution images and the downscaled low spatial resolution images by using FSDAF to finally obtain high spatio-temporal resolution data. The results show that RCAN-FSDAF presents several advantages comparing with the conventional FSDAF method. Firstly, the band reflectance predicted by RCAN-FSDAF is closer to the base reflectance than that predicted by FSDAF, suggests its higher correlation and smaller errors. Secondly, RCAN-FSDAF is superior in decomposing image into different features, accurately identifying boundaries between different features, and detecting changes in land cover types. Lastly, the high spatio-temporal resolution NDVI data, obtained from the prediction results of RCAN-FSDAF, has higher accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Leaf Area Index (LAI) is a crucial indicator of crop photosynthetic potential, which is of great significance in farmland monitoring and precision management. This study aimed to predict potato plant LAI for potato plant growth monitoring, integrating spectral, textural, and morphological data through UAV images and machine learning. A new texture index named VITs was established by fusing multi-channel information. Vegetation growth features (Vis and plant height Hdsm) and texture features (TIs and VITs) were obtained from drone digital images. Various feature combinations (VIs, VIs + TIs, VIs + VITs, VIs + VITs + Hdsm) in three growth stages were adopted to monitor potato plant LAI using Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR), Support Vector Regression (SVR), random forest (RF), and eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), so as to find the best feature combinations and machine learning method. The performance of the newly built VITs was tested. Compared with traditional TIs, the estimation accuracy was obviously improved for all the growth stages and methods, especially in the tuber-growth stage using the RF method with 13.6% of R2 increase. The performance of Hdsm was verified by including it either as one input feature or not. Results showed that Hdsm could raise LAI estimation accuracy in every growth stage, whichever method is used. The most significant improvement appeared in the tuber-formation stage using SVR, with an 11.3% increase of R2. Considering both the feature combinations and the monitoring methods, the combination of VIs + VITs + Hdsm achieved the best results for all the growth stages and simulation methods. The best fitting of LAI in tuber-formation, tuber-growth, and starch-accumulation stages had an R2 of 0.92, 0.83, and 0.93, respectively, using the XGBoost method. This study showed that the combination of different features enhanced the simulation of LAI for multiple growth stages of potato plants by improving the monitoring accuracy. The method presented in this study can provide important references for potato plant growth monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a growing interest in the role of immune and inflammatory responses in mental disorders (MDs). Mean platelet volume (MPV) is an extensively utilized hemogram parameter that reflects systemic inflammation and immune function. Our research sought to determine whether a connection exists between MPV and various types of MDs. Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, PsychINFO, and Web of Science for eligible studies from inception to 15 February 2023, supplemented by manual searching the references from relevant articles. We applied standardized mean difference (SMD) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) to estimate the differences in MPV values in patients with MDs compared to controls. Results: We analyzed data from 24 surveys with 4843 participants (2450 patients with MDs and 2393 healthy controls). Two‐step meta‐analyses were conducted to estimate the SMD in MPV value between individuals with and without MDs. Higher MPV values were substantially linked to MDs (i.e., depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia). Moderator and stratified analyses revealed that the aggregate effects were more robust in specific populations, such as younger patients and those who had not taken antipsychotic medication within the previous month. Conclusions: Our findings corroborate the role of inflammatory response in the pathogenesis of MDs and the pharmacological treatment of these conditions. Regarding the considerable heterogeneity among studies, the level of evidence was very low to moderate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretical investigation of electro-absorption modulators in the mid-infrared range (>∼2 μm) is performed using asymmetric intra-step quantum wells based on Ge1−η1Snη1/Ge1−η2Snη2 heterostructures with SiGeSn outer barriers. After exploring the parameter space of the Sn content difference and width ratio of the intra-layers, a linear and much larger Stark shift is realized, compared to that of a square quantum well, without an increase of the total structure width. A modulator based on an optimized intra-step quantum well structure with a total well width of 12 nm is theoretically predicted to have both a larger peak shift per unit applied field and a larger absorption change than a 12 nm square quantum well device. By analyzing the device performance based on the two figures of merit: (1) absorption change per applied field and (2) absorption change per applied field squared, and taking 10 dB extinction ratio, a 44% higher bandwidth per volt and 46% lower power consumption per bit are achieved in intra-step than in a square well. Although the swing voltage for a square quantum well can be reduced by using a larger on-set applied field and performance could be improved, we found that the intra-step quantum well using zero on-set still retains its advantages when compared to the square quantum well which uses a 0.5 V on-set voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fast and facile protocol for the sulfenylative spirocyclization of biaryl ynones employing PIFA under mild conditions is reported. A range of sulfenylated spiro[5.5]trienones were obtained in moderate to good yields. This transformation involves a radical process via a 6‐exo‐trig dearomative spirocyclization procedure. This method can be extended to the synthesis of selenium or tellurium‐substituted spiro[5.5]trienone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effect of stress on Graves' disease (GD) is controversial. Our purpose was to quantify the impacts of stress on patients with Graves' disease. Methods: Systematic searches of PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library and PsycInfo were conducted from inception to 1 January 2023. Studies comparing the incidence of stressful life events (SLEs) that occurred before diagnosis and during drug therapy in cases diagnosed with GD and controls were included in the final analysis. Results: Nine case-control studies and four cohort studies enrolling 2892 participants (1685 [58%] patients) were included. Meta-analysis revealed a high and significant effect-size index in a random effect model (d = 1.81, P = 0.01), indicating that stress is an important factor in the onset of GD. The relationship between SLEs and GD was stronger in studies with higher proportions of female patients (β = 0.22, P < 0.01) and weaker in studies with older patients with GD (β =−0.62, P < 0.01). However, stress did not significantly affect the outcome of antithyroid drug therapy for GD (d = 0.32, P = 0.09). Conclusions: The results of this meta-analysis suggest that stress is one of the environmental triggers for the onset of GD. Therefore, we recommend stress management assistance for individuals genetically susceptible to GD, especially for young females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to establish a highly sensitive and specific method for single cell screening and identification of KRAS+/epithelial cell adhesion molecules (EpCAMs)/vimentin+/pancreatic cancer circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and to explore the clinical implications in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. A single cell separation and identification system for pancreatic cancer CTCs was constructed based on the preparation of KRAS immunolipid magnetic spheres. The function of the system was evaluated, the physical parameters of the immunoliposomes (IMLs) were characterized, and the isolation effect of the IMLs on CTCs was studied and compared with EpCAM and vimentin phenotypic CTCs. CTCs in the peripheral blood of 50 patients with pancreatic cancer confirmed by preoperative CT diagnosis and postoperative pathology were isolated and identified. The isolated CTCs were stained with CK immune antibody, observed, and identified, the number of CTCs was counted, and the relationship between the CTC count and the clinical malignant grade markers and grade indicators was examined. The consistency of the KRAS mutation rate between CTCs and tissues was analyzed and compared. It was found that the circulating tumor cell sorting system with a high expression of KRAS-ML could effectively enrich the circulating tumor cells with a positive expression of KRAS in pancreatic cancer. The pancreatic cancer CTC sorting and single-cell gene detection system can be used as a new detection technology of peripheral blood CTCs in patients with pancreatic cancer. As a minimally invasive liquid biopsy method, this technology has significant clinical practice implications for pancreatic cancer detection and effectiveness assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomic oxygen ions, O+, created by photoexcitation of a cold supersonic beam of O2 by the output of a free-electron laser operating in the 128–122 nm region are detected by sliced velocity map imaging. Analysis of the richly structured high resolution kinetic energy and angular distributions obtained show that O+ production is due to the second and third harmonics present in the laser output. Excellent slicing and optimal velocity mapping allows separation of overlapping signal from dissociative photoionisation processes driven by 20 eV versus 30 eV photons. A two-colour experiment combining the free electron laser and a nanosecond dye laser output at 225.6 nm allowed detection of direct photodissociation of the metastable O2 + b4Σg- (v = 0–4) state is observed and assigned to a parallel b4Σg- – (c4Σu-)4s Rydberg transition followed by dissociation to O+ (4S) + O(3P2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile and practical silver-mediated radical cascade cyclization of N-allylamides with sodium sulfinates is developed, giving a series of sulfonated oxazolines in moderate to good yields. This transformation involves a radical process via intermolecular sulfonylation of alkenes and intramolecular cyclization. This reaction system could be also applied to access sulfonated dihydrofurans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To synthesize the evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of antihypertensive treatment for mild pregnancy hypertension. Methods: We searched various databases from inception to June 2022, using keywords including hypertension; pregnancy; therapy; treatment; pregnancy outcomes; maternal outcomes; and perinatal outcomes. Only RCTs of antihypertensive treatment for mild hypertension in pregnancy comparing placebo/no therapy were included. We used Review Manager version 5.3 for statistical analyses. Results: In all, eight studies were eligible, with a total of 4211 participants. Compared with control, the active treatment significantly prevented preeclampsia (OR 0.55; 95%CI, 0.39–0.78), placental abruption (OR 0.39; 95%CI, 0.17–0.91), severe hypertension (OR 0.35; 95%CI, 0.17–0.71), end–organ dysfunction (OR 0.34; 95%CI, 0.19–0.62) and preterm birth (OR 0.69; 95%CI, 0.59–0.82), with no increased risk of small for gestational age (SGA) (OR 1.25; 95%CI, 0.78–2.00), or admission to the NICU (OR 0.83; 95%CI, 0.54–1.28). Subgroup analyses demonstrated that the tight control group did not show an advantage over the less‐tight control group in improving pregnancy outcomes. Conclusion: In pregnant women with mild pregnancy‐induced hypertension or chronic hypertension, antihypertensive treatment still provided precise benefits of improving pregnancy outcomes without increased risk in fetal outcomes. Synopsis: Antihypertensive treatment provided precise benefits of improving pregnancy outcomes without increased risk in fetal outcomes for pregnant women with mild hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate and categorize all inequivalent and irreducible Z + -modules of a commutative unit Z + -ring A , equipped with set {1, x, y, x y } satisfying x 2 = 1 , y 2 = 1 as a Z + -basis by using matrix equations, which was part of a call for a Special Issue about matrix inequalities and equations by Symmetry. If the rank of the Z + -module n ≤ 2 , we prove that there are finitely many inequivalent and irreducible Z + -modules, respectively, one and three. However, if n ≥ 3 , there is no irreducible Z + -module. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platinum (Pt)-based chemotherapy has been necessary for clinical cancer treatment. However, traditional bivalent drugs are hindered by poor physicochemical properties, severe toxic side effects, and drug resistance. Currently, elemental Pt(0) nanotherapeutics (NTs) have emerged to tackle the dilemma. The inherent acid-responsiveness of Pt(0) NTs could help to improve tumor selectivity and alleviate toxic effects. Moreover, the metal nature of Pt facilitates the great combination of Pt(0) NTs with photothermal and photodynamic therapy and imaging-guided diagnosis. Based on recent important researches, this review provides an updated introduction to Pt(0) NTs. First, the challenges of traditional Pt-based chemotherapy have been outlined. Then, Pt(0) NTs with multiple applications of tumor theranostics have been overviewed. Furthermore, the combinations of Pt(0) NTs with other therapeutical modalities are introduced. Last but not least, we envision the possible challenges and prospects associated with Pt(0) NTs. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lewy body dementia is the second most common neurodegenerative dementia, but data concerning the onset age and clinical features in the prodromal stage remain limited in China.Objective: To investigate the associations between onset age and clinical manifestations of cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies in a large-sample cohort.Methods: We included 74 patients with mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies (MCI-LB), 533 patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), 118 patients with Parkinson's disease with MCI (PD-MCI), and 313 patients with Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) in this multicenter cohort from 22 memory clinics of China from 1 January 2018 to 31 March 2022. The onset age, clinical manifestations, and neuropsychological assessments were recorded and analyzed after reviewing the medical records.Results: The average onset age of memory loss was 68.28 (±7.00) years, and parkinsonism happened 2.00 (±1.24) years later for patients with MCI-LB. The average onset age of parkinsonism was 60.56 (±8.96) years, and the memory loss happened 3.49 (±3.02) years later for patients with PD-MCI. Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder and visual hallucinations were frequently reported in MCI-LB, DLB, and PDD, while visual hallucinations were least frequently reported in PD-MCI. Lower scores of MMSE and depression, and higher scores of activities of daily living and delusions, were independently associated with older onset age in DLB.Conclusion: The onset of PD-MCI precedes MCI-LB, and memory loss occurs 3 years after parkinsonism. The onset age is associated with cognition and neuropsychiatric symptoms in process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research on sex ratios of Lewy body dementia is controversial, established in small samples, and rarely focused on prodromal stage. The objective is to investigate the clinical sex ratios (men/women) and their associations with clinical features among individuals with mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies (MCI-LB), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI), and Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD) in China. Methods: We conducted a multicenter cohort study, including 1038 individuals with probable MCI-LB, DLB, PD-MCI, or PDD diagnosis from 22 memory clinics in China from January 2018 to March 2022, and recorded their demographic and clinical data by reviewing medical records. Descriptive and regression analyses were used to calculate the sex ratio (men/women), and its associations with demographic and clinical data. Results: In this study, men comprised 35.14% (men/women sex ratio = 0.54) for MCI-LB, 46.72% (men/women sex ratio = 0.88) for DLB, 63.56% (men/women sex ratio = 1.74) for PD-MCI, and 52.40% (men/women sex ratio = 1.10) for PDD. Sex ratios roughly increased with age. Men had more parkinsonism (p = 0.000) and less fluctuating cognition (p = 0.024) in MCI-LB, and those with PD-MCI had more RBD (p = 0.001). Women with PD-MCI had lower MMSE scores (β ± standard error = − 1.24 ± 0.58, p = 0.04), more irritability (0.95 ± 0.46, p = 0.04) and fluctuating cognition (− 3.41 ± 1.31, p = 0.01), and less parkinsonism (− 2.10 ± 0.97, p = 0.03) than men after adjusting for demographic and cardiometabolic conditions. Conclusion: There were more women in DLB and MCI-LB, and more men in PD-MCI and PDD. The sex distribution, demographic, and clinical characteristics differed, which strengthened the independence and heterogeneity of the four diseases, and indicated sex-sensitive strategies for management of dementia necessary. Highlights: There are significant sex differences in Chinese population with cognitive impairment in Lewy body disease. Women were more common in dementia with Lewy bodies and mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies cases, had more frequent and severe neuropsychiatric symptoms, and poorer cognition than men. Men predominant in Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment and Parkinson's disease with dementia cases, and performed more frequent RBD and parkinsonism than women. Dementia with Lewy bodies vs. Parkinson's disease with dementia, and mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies vs. Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment are distinct disease forms and should not be confused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different types of partial discharge (PD) in gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) cause different damage to GIS insulation, correctly identifying the PD type is very important for evaluating the insulation status of GIS. This paper proposes a PD pattern recognition method based on an improved feature fusion convolutional neural network (IFCNN) to fully use the time-frequency features of PD pulses to realize PD pattern recognition. Firstly, the one-dimensional time-domain feature sequence of the PD pulse and the corresponding wavelet time-frequency diagram are applied as inputs. Secondly, the convolutional neural network (CNN) with two parallel channels is used for feature extraction, the extracted fault information is fused, and the shallow features of the wavelet time-frequency diagram are fused to prevent feature loss caused by pooling operation. Finally, the extracted features are sent to the classifier to recognize different types of PD. The discharge data of different types of PD are obtained for testing by experiments and simulation. Compared with 1-D CNN and 2-D CNN under the same specification, the proposed method can mine more potential local features of discharge pulses by fusing the time-frequency features of PD pulses in different dimensions, and improves the recognition accuracy to 95.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Geriatric symptoms are common in dementia cases, while few studies have focused on these symptoms in Lewy body dementia (LBD). The purpose of this study is to investigate the distributions of Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 and geriatric symptoms, and explore their associaitons in Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD).Methods: A retrospective study with 185 mild-moderate probable DLB (n = 93) and PDD (n = 92) patients was assigned. Demographic and clinical characteristics, neuropsychological assessments, and APOE genotypes were recorded. Description, correlation and logistic regression models were used to analyze the presence of geriatric symptom complaints and their associations with APOE ε4.Results: DLB patients displayed more frequency of fluctuating cognition, visual hallucination, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, delusion, depression, anxiety, apathy, and loss of appetite, whereas the PDD cases had constipation, fear of falling, and insomnia more frequently. The APOE ε4 allele was more common in DLB than PDD (29.9% vs. 7.0%, p < 0.001), and the patients with DLB + APOE ε4 (+) were presented more delusions (p = 0.005) and apathy (p = 0.007) than patients with PDD + APOE ε4 (+). We also found that the APOE ε4 allele was significantly associated with hyperhidrosis (OR = 3.472, 95%CI: 1.082-11.144, p = 0.036) and depression (OR = 3.002, 95%CI: 1.079-8.353, p = 0.035) in DLB patients, while there were no significant associations between APOE ε4 allele and the age at visit, the age at onset, scores of MDS-UPDRS III, H&Y stage, ADL, MMSE, MOCA and NPI, as well as the presences of fluctuating cognition, VH, parkinsonism and RBD in both groups.Conclusion: The presence and co-incidence of geriatric symptoms are common in patients with mild-moderate LBD. The presence of APOE ε4 allele is associated with hyperhidrosis and depression, but not global cognition, activitives of daily life, motor function and other neuropsychitric symptoms in DLB. These findings improve the awareness of geriatric symptoms, and contribute to the healthcare management of mild-moderate DLB and PDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow field structure has important influences on the mass and heat transfer and the distribution uniformity in the proton exchange membrane electrolysis cell (PEMEC). In this paper, the application and operation modes and the structural parameters of the new interdigitated-jet hole flow field (JHFF) are explored, to guide the processing of the JHFF and provide references for experimental testing. A three-dimensional and two-phase model is established to simulate the effect of JHFF on the performance of PEMEC. The results demonstrate that compared with the application of JHFF only on the anode side, the application of JHFF on both sides of the anode and cathode can increase the temperature distribution uniformity and polarization performance by 41.78% and 16.25%, respectively. By increasing the number of inlet flow channels and using the counter-flow water supply mode, the temperature distribution can be more uniform. The lower the height of jet holes, the better the normal mass transfer and polarization performance, while the worse the temperature distribution uniformity. Reducing the diameter of the inlet jet holes can improve the normal mass transfer performance in the porous electrode. Synthetically, the hole height of 0.2 mm and the hole diameter of 0.4 mm are recommended. The findings provide theoretical guidance for the practical application of JHFF in PEMEC so that the positive role of JHFF in improving electrolysis performance can be fully realized. • The application modes and structural parameters of the new JHFF are numerically investigated. • The bilateral application of the JHFF improves temperature distribution uniformity and polarization performance. • More inlet channels and counter-flow water supply make the temperature evenly distributed. • For the jet holes, the height of 0.2 mm and the diameter of 0.4 mm are recommended. • The results guide the processing of the JHFF and provide references for experimental testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fast and batch of settling mud flocs measurement and 3D reconstruction. • Volumetric floc reconstruction improves the accuracy of irregular mud floc sizes. • Stable bimodal volumetric floc size distribution forms in equilibrium flocculation. • Settling velocity keeps stable and low variability between 1 and 2 mm·s−1 in >200 μm. • High Volumetric- but low Mass- Settling Flux in flocs>200 μm due to bio-components. Mud flocculation and settling play key role in understanding sediment transport cycle and affect water quality in estuaries and coastal seas. However, the morphological irregularity and structural instability of fragile mud flocs set huge obstacles for quantifying geometric property accurately and establishing reliable predicting tools in settling dynamics via previous observing strategies based on instant measured and 2-dimensional imagery floc parameterizations. Here we designed a multi-camera apparatus targeting capturing multiple angles of individual flocs, and developed a multi-view segmentation algorithm on floc images analysis. We finally accomplished batch of 3-dimensional reconstruction obtaining each settling floc's volumetric size in equilibrium flocculation. The results indicate a stable bimodal floc size distribution in equilibrium flocculation with a dominant peak of microflocs (<200 μm) and a secondary smaller peak of macroflocs (> 200 μm). The flocculi (<50 μm) shows more spherical outlines with dense structure while the larger-sized macroflocs (>200 μm) have high irregular morphologies with high porosity and visible biological debris attaching, and the microflocs (50–200 μm) tend to be irregular in shape and dense inside. The terminal settling velocity of mud flocs shows increasing with floc size in <200 μm but keeps stable around 1–2 mm s−1 after >200 μm due to the increase in size being compensated by the decrease of density according to the fractal theory on floc geometry. The higher organic matter content within larger porous flocs reduces the macroflocs effective density. These lead to high volumetric settling flux but low mass settling flux of macroflocs in natural water systems. This work provides new insight to reveal more accurate mud floc geometric parameterizations in volumetric aspect and reliable characterizations of equilibrium flocculation using a fast and sound batch of direct measuring approach. This may importantly improve the predictions of suspended mud dynamics in nature. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the solid waste challenges associated with coal gasification fine ash, this study conducted a low-temperature alkali fusion de-ashing treatment to transform coal gasification fine ash into mineral-carbon adsorbent. The preparation process was simplified without grinding, carbonization and high-temperature (500–800 °C) activation treatment. The results demonstrate a positive linear correlation between the ash removal rate of the samples (measured during the preparation process, i.e., low-temperature alkaline fusion treatment of coal gasification fine ash) and their maximum equilibrium adsorption capacity for methylene blue. For the samples with an ash removal rate of 95.71 %, which exhibit a maximum adsorption capacity of 161.36 mg/g for methylene blue. The adsorption behavior of methylene blue on mineral-carbon adsorbent was a monolayer adsorption on the surface of homogeneous medium, involving both physical and chemical adsorption. The main adsorb rate-controlling steps for the samples with ash removal rates of 27.91–59.33 % and 95.71 % were the intra particle diffusion process and the liquid film diffusion process, respectively. The adsorption mechanism of methylene blue on the surface of mineral-carbon adsorbent involved electrostatic attraction and hydrogen bonding. The aforementioned results demonstrated the potential of coal gasification fine ash as an adsorbent material, providing new options for promoting the resource utilization and high-value applications of coal gasification fine ash. [Display omitted] • CGFA-derived mineral-carbon adsorbent was prepared via low-temperature alkali fusion. • Adsorption capacity correlates to the ash removal rate of mineral-carbon adsorbent. • The adsorption mechanism involves electrostatic adsorption and hydrogen bonding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since there is still controversy about the comparison of the efficacy and safety of RH and RFA in the treatment of recurrent liver cancer, we conducted a meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety, in order to provide evidence-based evidence for future research and clinical treatment. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library from the establishment of the database to Feb 2021. We included studies that reported liver cancer patients underwent repeated hepatectomy (RH) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and we excluded duplicate publications, research without full text, incomplete information, or inability to conduct data extraction, animal experiments, reviews, and systematic reviews. The STATA 15.1 was used to analyze the data. Results: The pooled results show that the 3-year and 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of the repeated hepatectomy group was significantly higher than the radiofrequency ablation group (odds ratio (OR) = 1.95, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.47–2.60, P ≤ 0.001; OR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.12–2.43, P = 0.012). Similarly, the pooled results show that the 3-year and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate of the repeated hepatectomy group was significantly higher than the radiofrequency ablation group (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.30–2.31, P ≤ 0.001; OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.38–2.49, P ≤ 0.001). However, there is no significant difference in the 1-year OS and DFS rate of repeated hepatectomy group and radiofrequency ablation group. Additionally, the pooled results show that the postoperative Clavien-Dindo (CD) grade II or higher complication rate of the repeated hepatectomy group was significantly higher than the radiofrequency ablation group (OR = 2.80, 95% CI: 1.37–5.75, P = 0.005). Conclusion: Based on the pooled results of 8 existing retrospective studies, RH has a higher OS rate and DFS rate in the treatment of recurrent liver cancer, while the postoperative complication rate of RFA is lower. When survival is the primary goal, RH should be the first choice for recurrent liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE) technology is of interest in the context of electrocatalytic hydrogen generation from renewable energies. It has the benefits of immediate response, higher proton conductivity, lower ohmic losses, and gas crossover rate. One key step toward to large‐scale application, is the development of highly efficient, durable, and compatible anodic oxygen evolution electrocatalysts in acidic media to decrease the usage of expensive and scarce precious metals. Within this scenario, an in‐depth understanding of oxygen evolution reaction mechanisms including the adsorption evolution mechanism and lattice oxygen evolution mechanism is first provided to aid development of innovative materials and elucidate the origin of catalyst degradation. Second, recent progress in the development of oxygen evolution electrocatalysts in acid media is reviewed with an emphasis on the underlying structure–performance relationships. Third, the current application status and research progress in PEMWEs along with representative examples are discussed. Last, the remaining challenges and promising insights are proposed to inspire future studies on the development of hydrogen production technology from renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Reliability of URTNs considering the traffic congestion diffusion is studied. • An improved NLC model under different attack strategies is proposed to simulate cascading failures. • A load redistribution method with the impedance function is provided. • Formation time, diffusion speed, and scale of cascading failures are analyzed. The cascading failures caused by traffic congestion diffusion may deteriorate traffic network reliability. Comprehending urban traffic congestion mechanisms is essential for road network planning and traffic management against cascading failures. To uncover this, the reliability of urban road traffic network (URTN) under cascading failure considering different attack strategies is analyzed. The cascading failure model is established based on the improved nonlinear load-capacity relationship. Five kinds of attack strategies including Strength Attack (SA), Betweenness Centrality Attack (BCA), Eigenvector Centrality Attack (ECA), Closeness Centrality Attack (CCA), and Random Attack (RA) are selected. In particular, the capacity affected by traffic congestion is considered, providing a new perspective for the study of traffic congestion diffusion. A state update equation for networks is proposed to simulate the network congestion diffusion. Finally, a case study is conducted by using the URTN of Shanghai as the background. The results show that the network will experience large-scale congestion when high-importance nodes are attacked. The congestion degree is the highest under CCA strategy, network efficiency is the lowest under ECA strategy, and traffic quality is the poorest under CCA strategy. As the congestion critical failure threshold decreases, the speed and scale of cascading failures caused by traffic congestion diffusion are greater. Maintaining proper traffic management and control capability can largely reduce the cascading effect to a great extent and improve the reliability of the network. The results can provide a research basis for traffic management to improve network reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The pickling method increased the carbon content of the sample to 89.97%. • The CGFA of acid treatment method can be the precursor of activated carbon. • The flotation method has poor effect on the separation of water-containing CGFA. • Both methods of flotation and acid treatent improve the reactivity of CGFA. The high carbon content (20–60%) in coal gasification fine ash (CGFA) makes CGFA unable to be directly used in the building materials and ceramic industries, and can only be dissipated in landfills, which brings serious environmental safety problems. This paper uses physical (flotation method) and chemical (multi-stage pickling method) methods to treat CGFA, analyze the separated carbon, and evaluate its application. The carbon content of the filter cake ash (FCA) residual carbon recovered by the flotation method is slightly increased, and the carbon ash separation effect for the water-containing CGFA is poor. The carbon content of dry ash (DA) recovered carbon in acid treatment increased from 16.33% to 89.97%. The specific surface area of the acid-washed recovered carbon is 6–34 times that of the original sample, and the specific surface area of dry ash-HCl/HF/HCl (DA-CFC) is as high as 425.31 m2/g, and its pore structure network is more developed than before deashing. After pickling treatment, the microcrystalline structure changes, the carbon skeleton becomes looser, the degree of crosslinking decreases, and the reaction activity increases. The relative content of C C in the acid-washed recovered carbon increased by 6.4–46.3%, and the relative content of functional group C H bonds increased by 48.5–89.5%. Compared with the activation energy of the original sample, the activation energy E of the sample after flotation and acid treatment is reduced, and the reaction activity is enhanced. Flotation and pickling methods can improve the grade of fuel, and multi-stage pickling methods to obtain high specific surface area carbon can be used as a precursor for the preparation of activated carbon. Carbon-ash separation of DA by flotation method can be applied to fuel combustion, fine chemical industry, and road filling. However, for FCA, it is necessary to use a pickling scheme for carbon-ash separation to realize resource utilization and harmlessness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid and accurate monitoring of biodiversity is a major challenge in biodiversity conservation. Obtaining data using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) provides a new direction for biodiversity monitoring. However, studies on the relationship between UAV data and biodiversity are limited. In this study, we used a machine learning algorithm to evaluate the effectiveness of UAV-light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and UAV multispectral data for estimating three α-diversity indices in tropical forests located in Hainan, China. We obtained 126 biodiversity-related metrics (68 from multispectral and 58 from LiDAR) based on the UAV data and three α-diversity indices from 62 sample plots at two sites. We used the recursive feature elimination algorithm to filter significant metrics. We found that both multispectral and LiDAR data can be used to predict α-diversity. The coefficient of determination (R2) values of multispectral data (LiDAR data) for the species richness, Shannon index, and Simpson index were 0.69, 0.70, and 0.57 (0.72, 0.63, 0.44), respectively. LiDAR data were more accurate than multispectral data for predicting species richness, whereas multispectral data were more accurate than LiDAR data for predicting the Shannon and Simpson indices. Given the best result obtained with a single datum, the accuracy (R2) of the combination of the two data types for species richness and Shannon and Simpson indices increased by 0.05, 0.05, and 0.06, respectively, indicating that the prediction accuracy of the α-diversity index can be improved by integrating different remote sensing data. Additionally, the most important multispectral metrics used to predict α-diversity were related to vegetation index and texture metrics, whereas the most important LiDAR metrics were related to canopy height characteristics. Our research results indicate that UAV data are effective for predicting the α-diversity index of Hainan tropical forest on a fine scale. UAV data may help local biodiversity workers to identify vulnerable areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An understanding of the radial air staging method for PC utilization is improved and the key parameter (OFA distribution) is optimized. • Compared to the traditional axial air staging method, for the radial air staging method, the OFA distribution has a greater effect on the heat release from PC particles. • The increased R IO is not conducive to the rapid devolatilization from PC particles, resulting in poorer combustion stability of the boiler. • The increased R IO promotes the oxidation reaction of N released from PC particles, which is detrimental to boiler NO x emission reduction. • The advanced mixture of the OFA with the main airflow facilitates the burnout of the PC particles as the R IO increases. Radial air staging is an innovative method for reducing NO x emissions from coal-fired boilers compared to conventional axial air staging. However, an important issue in using this method is to set the over-fired air (OFA) distribution rationally to achieve good boiler performance. This paper aims to optimize the OFA distribution by evaluating important gas-particle (GP) parameters that influence the pulverized coal (PC) combustion performance. The GP flow experiment is conducted in a laboratory furnace model of a coal-fired boiler with different OFA distributions. The experimental results show that as R IO (Two-level OFA distribution ratio) changes from 0:1 to 1:0, the mixture of the OFA jet and airflow in the main combustion zone is advanced, which is conducive to PC burnout. Meanwhile, the size of the central recirculation zone decreases, resulting in poor PC ignition. It is worth noting that at R IO of 1:0, the central recirculation zone disappears at section y/d = 2.5, indicating that there is no high-temperature flue gas downstream to heat the fresh PC particles, which is extremely unfavorable for the stable combustion of the PC. In addition, at R IO of 0:1, compared to other cases, there are more particles in the central recirculation zone, which promotes the reduction reaction of N element released from PC particles, thus reducing NO x emission. According to the comprehensive evaluation, it is recommended that the R IO of the two-level OFA be set to 1:1 when using radial air staging in a coal-fired boiler. The results provide new insights into the application of the air staging method for efficient and clean PC utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste tire carbon black particles (CBp) are the main pyrolysis products of waste tires (WT), and CBp is difficult to use directly. This work mainly focuses on the physicochemical and combustion characteristics of demineralized CBp (DCBp) to explore the resourceful utilization of CBp resources in large quantities. This work also provides a comprehensive comparison with CBp and other carbon-based solid fuels. The results show that most of the minerals in CBp can be removed by chemical demineralization treatment (Ash content of DCBp <0.11 %). DCBp has a more developed pore structure than CBp. The deashing process affects the degree of loosening and stacking of the graphitic carbon microcrystalline structure, and the relative content of oxygen-containing functional groups in CBp to a minor extent. The deashing process leads to a decrease in the relative strength of the cross-linked stable structure and an increase in the disordered structure of carbon in CBp. The volatile fraction to fixed carbon ratio of DCBp is only 0.0467, and a large number of catalytic alkali metal elements and alkaline earth metal elements are removed in the demineralization process, which makes the early combustion of DCBp more difficult. As the combustion reaction proceeds, the internal pores of the particles are opened, and the micropores and mesopores in DCBp provide a larger surface area for the reaction. In addition, the decrease in the relative strength of the cross-linked stable structure and increases in the disordered structure of carbon can increase the intermolecular collision frequency during the combustion process, thus improving the burnout characteristics of DCBp. The above results indicate that DCBp has the potential to be used as fuel for large-scale resource utilization. [Display omitted] • The chemical demineralization process has little effect on crystal lattice of CBp. • The chemical demineralization process can increase disordered structure of CBp. • The E of DCBp is lower due to the removal of catalytic alkali metal elements. • The A of DCBp is higher than that of CBp. • A and E of demineralized carbon-based solid fuel have kinetic compensation effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve low-NO x emission in the coal-fired industrial boiler, the radial air staging method is proposed. The location of the over-fired air (OFA) is an essential parameter as it affects the combustion stability, NO x generation, burnout, and slagging trend. These are related to the gas-particle flow such as the recirculation region, gas mixture, and gas-particle mixture. Therefore, in this paper, taking a coal-fired industrial boiler with radial air staging method as an object, in a cold-modeling furnace, the gas-particle flow characteristics under various OFA locations (L D of 1.29, 1.43, 1.72, and 2.00) are studied. When OFA is radially arranged, the OFA jet diffuses towards the furnace center. As the L D increases, the size of the central recirculation region increases, thereby improving combustion stability. When the L D is 2.00, the mixing of the OFA jet and PCC jet obviously is delayed. Moreover, an increase in L D leads to more returned particles in the furnace center, promoting the reduction reaction of NO x. In addition, as the L D increases from 1.29 to 1.72, the gas-particle mixing uniformity is enhanced, which is beneficial to the uniform temperature distribution. Comprehensively, the L D of 1.43–1.72 is recommended when radial air staging is adopted in coal-fired industrial boilers. • The radial air staging method accelerates the mixing of OFA and the main airflow while reducing the mixing intensity. • With the increase of L D , the obstructing effect by radial OFA on the diffusion of the swirling main airflow is weakened. • The increased L D facilitates gas recirculation in the main combustion zone, which is conducive to stable combustion. • The mixing uniformity of GPF increases with L D in general, promoting the uniformity of temperature distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal gasification fine ash (CGFA) is characterized by high yield, high carbon content, and difficult recovery. This results in waste of coal resources and serious environmental pollution. To address this issue, a novel green deashing process is proposed in this study to modify CGFA into deashed carbon (DAC) with a high calorific value and an ash content of less than 5% through a low-temperature alkaline fusion process. Compared with traditional alkaline fusion (which is carried out at 600–1000 °C), low-temperature alkaline fusion treatment can efficiently remove ash minerals in the temperature range of 300–450 °C, which is beneficial to the efficient recovery of residual carbon in DA, while simultaneously improving the physicochemical properties and energy characteristics of DAC, thereby improving its combustion performance. At an alkali fusion temperature of 350 °C, a NaOH:DA ratio of 4.5:1, and a reaction time of 40 min, the resulting DAC product had ash content of 2.28%, combustible material recovery (CMR) of 82.03%, higher heating value (HHV) of 31.07 MJ kg−1, and S BET of 445.43 m2 g−1. In comparison, it was found that low-temperature alkali fusion significantly improved the deashing of CGFA when compared to existing deashing technologies. These results strongly suggest that this innovative deashing method can modify CGFA into a high-calorific value and low-N and S fuel, thereby providing a cost-effective and sustainable utilization method for CGFA. [Display omitted] • Low-temperature alkaline fusion can achieve green and efficient deashing of CGFA. • The combustible recovery rate of DAC is up to 82.03% and the ash content is 2.28%. • CGFA can be modified into high-calorific value and low-N and S content fuel. • Low-temperature alkali fusion is beneficial to the sustainable treatment of CGFA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To segment railway track regions in real-time for intrusion detection and improving security, this paper proposes an efficient railway track region segmentation network (ERTNet) based on the encoder–decoder architecture. Firstly, to ensure the lightweight of the encoder, depthwise convolution and the channel shuffle are utilized to construct sandglass-type feature extraction unit. Secondly, a feature-matching-based cross-fusion decoder is utilized to fuse deep and shallow feature maps. Thirdly, the knowledge distillation is employed with large-scale Deeplab v3+ as the teacher model to improve performance. Additionally, a loss function is proposed to penalize pixel points with large offsets. Finally, the ERTNet is validated on the self-built dataset, achieving an MIoU (Mean Intersection over Union) of 92.4% , which is 5.22% improvement over the benchmark model. ERTNet achieves a balance between segmentation accuracy and computational efficiency, requiring only 0.5 M parameters and 0.92 G FLOPs (Floating Point Operations). [Display omitted] • Visual perception is utilized to identify foreign object intrusion into railroad. • Deep learning based ERTNet model is proposed for track region pixel extraction. • ERTNet is built with lightweight neural network and cross-fusion decoder. • Optimizing training modes with knowledge distillation and new loss function. • ERTNet fits real-time needs and helps to improve the safety of rail construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: Introducing mechanisms of antitumor activation produced by bacteria-mediated bio-therapy in detail. Comprehensively reviewing multiple administration routes of bacterial bio-therapy in combination with different traditional anticancer therapeutic modalities over the recent 5 years. Discussing the potential benefits and challenges of this anticancer approach, and conveying the development tendency and the application prospect of this field.The use of bacteria to specifically migrate to cancerous tissue and elicit an antitumor immune response provides a promising platform against cancer with significantly high potency. With dozens of clinical trials underway, some researchers hold the following views: “humans are nearing the first commercial live bacteria therapeutic.” However, the facultative anaerobe Salmonella typhimurium VNP20009, which is particularly safe and shows anticancer effects in preclinical studies, had failed in a phase I clinical trial due to low tumor regression and undesired dose-dependent side effects. This is almost certain to disappoint people’s inflated expectations, but it is noted that recent state-of-the-art research has turned attention to bacteria-mediated synergistic cancer therapy (BMSCT). In this review, the foundation of bacteria-mediated bio-therapy is outlined. Then, we summarize the potential benefits and challenges of bacterial bio-therapy in combination with different traditional anticancer therapeutic modalities (chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species therapy, immunotherapy, or prodrug-activating therapy) in the past 5 years. Next, we discuss multiple administration routes of BMSCT, highlighting potentiated antitumor responses and avoidance of potential side effects. Finally, we envision the opportunities and challenges for BMSCT development, with the purpose of inspiring medicinal scientists to widely utilize the microbiome approach in patient populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel low-NO x technology is proposed for a down-fired boiler with swirl burners. • Gas/particle flow characteristics are studied under two combustion technologies. • Downward depth of gas/particle flows improves for the improved boiler. • Primary air is effectively ejected by burner secondary air for the novel technology. • Turbulent intensity in the recirculation region increases for the improved boiler. To confirm the validity and progressiveness of the eccentric-swirl-secondary-air combustion technology (ESSACT) in improving the economic and environmental performance of the down-fired boiler (DFB) with swirl burners, the gas/particle (GP) cold-modelling experiments are conducted by using a particle dynamic analyzer (PDA) measurement system in a 1:10 scale model of 300-MW e DFB applying original Babcock & Wilcox combustion technology (BWCT) and novel ESSACT, respectively. The distributions of average velocity, fluctuation velocity and particle size are compared and analyzed under the two combustion technologies in this study, in addition to the decay of particle volume flux and the jet trajectory of downward GP flows. In comparison with the BWCT, the rotation intensity of the burner secondary air is greatly weakened, and the vertical velocities of downward GP flows decay more slowly under the ESSACT. Although the recirculation regions are both formed below the arches under the two combustion technologies, the horizontal velocities and the horizontal fluctuation velocities of GP flows in the recirculation regions are both larger for the ESSACT, which benefits pulverized coal ignition. The particle size distributions under the two combustion technologies reveal that the mixing between the primary air and burner secondary air is obviously delayed and the burner secondary air effectively ejecting the primary air downward is realized by the ESSACT, which is advantageous to improve pulverized coal burnout and inhibit NO x formation. In addition, the maximum particle volume flux in the lower part of the lower furnace under the ESSACT is obviously higher than that under the BWCT, and the downward depth of GP flows and the space utilization ratio in the lower furnace increase for the original BW DFB retrofitted by the ESSACT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eccentric-swirl-secondary-air combustion technology has been confirmed to comprehensively solve high NO x emission and poor coal burnout for down-fired boilers with swirl burners. The influence of vent-air inclination angle (β v), a critical factor that affects coal burnout, on gas/particle flow characteristics is investigated to further decrease unburned combustible in fly ash. Gas/particle two-phase flow experiments under different β v (i.e., 10°, 20°, 28°, 40° and 50°) are performed by using a particle dynamic analyser in a 1:10-scale model of the full-scale improved boiler. With increasing β v , the under-arch recirculation zone and the recirculation velocities of gas/particle flows continuously increase. In the staged air region, the vertical velocities of gas/particle flows near water-cooled wall for β v of 40° and 50° are still as high as 2–4 m/s, however, the vertical velocities of gas/particle flows basically decay to negative values for smaller β v of 10° and 20°. At furnace section Y/Y 0 from 0.220 to 0.369, the vertical fluctuation velocities of gas/particle flows near water-cooled wall for β v of 40° and 50° are significantly higher than those with β v of 10°, 20° and 28°, and the particle volume flux at the same horizontal position X/X 0 constantly increases with increasing β v. Furthermore, the downward ejection ability of vent air to gas/particle flows from burners continuously improves, and the downward depth of gas/particle flows and the space utilization ratio of lower furnace both increase with increasing β v. The appropriate inclination angle of vent air for the improved boiler varies from 40° to 50°. Image 1 • A novel high-efficiency low-NO x technology is applied to a down-fired boiler with swirl burners. • Gas/particle flow characteristics at different vent-air inclination angles are investigated. • With increasing angle, recirculation zone and downward depth of gas/particle flows increase. • Primary air is more effectively ejected by under-arch air with increasing inclination angle. • The appropriate inclination angle of vent air for the improved boiler varies from 40° to 50°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eccentric-swirl-secondary-air combustion technology (ESSACT) is an innovative technology to comprehensively solve high NO x emission and unburned carbon content in fly ash of the down-fired boiler with swirl burners. In this study, a breakthrough idea (i.e. decreasing burner injection angle (θ b)) is proposed to further greatly improve coal burnout of the improved boiler. Using a laser particle dynamic analyzer, the distributions of average and fluctuation velocities of gas/solid (GS) flows, distribution and decay of particle volume flux and jet trajectory of burner primary air in a 1:10 scale model of full-scale furnace at different θ b of 0°, 8°, 15° and 25° are acquired. The effects of θ b on GS flow characteristics (i.e. downward depth of GS flows, recirculation zones below arches and air flow fullness in the lower furnace) in the furnace are intensively studied. As the θ b decreases, the maximum vertical velocity of GS flows increases in the whole lower furnace, and the vertical fluctuation velocity of GS flows and the turbulent intensity and diffusion also increase. With decreasing θ b , maximum recirculation velocity and dimension of recirculation zone below arches both increase continuously, which is conducive to improving ignition and burnout of pulverized coal. Especially, the maximum recirculation velocity with θ b decreasing from 25° to 15° and the dimension of recirculation zone below arches with θ b decreasing from 15° to 8° increase more obviously. With decreasing θ b , the ejection effects of vent air and staged air on GS flows from arches are more effective. In the region below staged air, the maximum particle volume flux for the θ b of 0° and 8° is more than twice that for the θ b of 15° and 25°. As a result, the downward depth of GS flows and air flow fullness in the lower furnace both increase with decreasing θ b. To improve coal burnout of the down-fired boiler applying ESSACT, the θ b is recommended to be set below 8°. Image 1 • A novel low-NO x technology is proposed for a down-fired boiler with swirl burners. • Gas/particle flow characteristics are studied at various burner injection angles. • Recirculation zone and downward depth of flows both increase with decreasing angle. • Particles are more effectively ejected by vent and staged air with decreasing angle. • The burner injection angle is recommended to be set below 8° for the boiler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baicalin is an active compound extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis with antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties. Bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs)‐derived exosomes have shown promise for the treatment of hepatic ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury. This study aims to investigate the role of Baicalin‐pretreated BMSCs‐derived exosomes in hepatic I/R injury and its mechanisms. BMSCs were pretreated with or without Baicalin, and their exosomes (Ba‐Exo and Exo) were collected and characterized. These exosomes were administered to mice via tail vein injection. Treatment with Exo and Ba‐Exo significantly suppressed the elevation of ALT and AST induced by hepatic injury. Additionally, both Exo and Ba‐Exo treatments resulted in a reduction in the liver weight‐to‐body weight ratio. RT‐PCR results revealed a significant downregulation of pro‐inflammatory cytokines with Exo and Ba‐Exo treatment. Both Exo and Ba‐Exo treatment improved the Th17/Treg cell imbalance induced by I/R and reduced hepatic injury. Additionally, exosomes were cocultured with normal liver cells, and the expression of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in liver cells was elevated through Ba‐Exo treatment. After treatment, the JAK2/STAT3 pathway was inhibited, and FOXO1 expression was upregulated. Finally, recombinant FGF21 was injected into mouse tail veins to assess its effects. Recombinant FGF21 injection further inhibited the JAK2/STAT3 pathway, increased FOXO1 expression, and improved the Th17/Treg cell imbalance. In conclusion, this study confirms the protective effects of Exo and Ba‐Exo against hepatic I/R injury. Ba‐Exo mitigates hepatic I/R injury, achieved through inducing FGF21 expression in liver cells, inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 pathway, and activating FOXO1 expression. Therefore, baicalin pretreatment emerges as a promising strategy to enhance the therapeutic capability of BMSCs‐derived exosomes for hepatic I/R. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like GaN-based LEDs, the further improvement of InGaN based near UV LED performance also faces a typical problem: the spatial separation of carrier wave functions caused by the polarization electric field in the active region. In this paper, a novel three-layer asymmetric staggered quantum well with special gradually changing In-component distribution is proposed and applied to InGaN/AlGaN near UV LED to change the carrier distribution and improve the probability of carrier radiation recombination. The proposed new quantum well structure improves its energy band by controlling the In-component, to enhance the carrier limiting effect and then improve the possibility of carrier wave function overlap. Increased radiation recombination in the MQWs region will undoubtedly result from increased carrier wave function overlap, which will then enhance the luminescence performance of the structure. In conclusion, the simulation results show that compared with the traditional structure, the light output power (LOP) of the new structure is increased by 12.87% under the current condition of 100 A/cm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Microwave absorbers were synthesized using an in situ semi-conversion strategy. • The maximum effective absorption bandwidth of the MOF derivative is 5.65 GHz. • Effect of micromorphology on microwave absorption properties was investigated. In the process of micro-designing metal organic frameworks (MOFs) to resist electromagnetic contamination, inappropriate parameter selection is likely to lead to skeleton collapse, thus rendering the microwave absorption (MA) performance failure. Herein, we propose an efficient in situ semi-conversion strategy. We etched and annealed the template FeNi-MOF-74 to finally obtain FeNi/graphite composites. Among them, the MOF derivative with a KOH etching concentration of 0.25 mol/L and an annealing temperature of 800 °C has excellent electromagnetic parameters and efficient MA performance, with an effective absorption bandwidth of 5.65 GHz and a minimum reflection loss of −64.11 dB at a thickness of only 1.8 mm. We controlled the electrical conductivity and polarization properties of the materials by varying the concentration of OH−, which effectively improved the impedance matching and enhanced the MA performance of the MOF derivatives. More importantly, this strategy closely related the microscopic nanostructure of MA materials to the macroscopic MA properties, providing unlimited possibilities for the preparation of high-performance MA materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Core-shell structured MOF derivatives with ideal heterogeneous interfaces were successfully synthesized. • The effective absorption bandwidth of MD-2 is 6.97 GHz and the minimum reflection loss is −75.61 dB. • We compare the electromagnetic synergistic loss mechanism to the "sun" and other loss mechanisms to "planets" revolving around a "star", and provide a vivid and systematic description of the microwave absorption mechanism of MOF derivatives. Microstructure design and genetic modification with metal–organic frameworks is one of the key strategies for combating electromagnetic pollution, albeit it continues to face constraints. Since inappropriate parameter selection during microstructure modification is extremely likely to result in pore collapse, metal agglomeration and other issues. Herein, we propose an efficient cation hybridization strategy where we etch the precursor MIL-53 by different etching concentrations and anneal it at various temperatures. Ultimately, light and efficient MOFs-derived microwave absorption materials are obtained. Notably, the magnetic heterogeneous atoms introduced by the cationic hybridization reaction not only provide perfect heterogeneous interfaces but improve the electromagnetic synergistic effect. Benefiting from the optimized impedance matching provided by electric–magnetic synergistic loss mechanism and the polarization effect generated by a large number of heterogeneous interfaces and defects, the MD-2 has shown ultra-high electromagnetic parameters and excellent microwave absorption performance with a qualified absorption bandwidth of 6.97 GHz (2.36 mm) and a minimum reflection loss of −75.61 dB. In addition to broadening the permittivity-magnetic synergistic mechanism of microwave absorption materials under the morphology-property relationship, the general approach inspired by this strategy also lays a solid foundation for the EMW absorption of artificial intelligence microdevices in the 5G era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No clear conclusions have yet been reached regarding the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics in distinguishing high-grade glioma (HGG) from low-grade glioma (LGG). In the present study, a meta-analysis was conducted to determine the diagnostic value of MRI radiomics in differentiating between HGG and LGG, in order to guide their clinical diagnosis. PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library databases were searched up to November 2022. The search included studies in which true positive, false positive, true negative and false negative values for the differentiation of HGG from LGG were reported or could be calculated by retrograde extrapolation. Duplicate publications, research without full text, studies with incomplete information or unextractable data, animal studies, reviews and systematic reviews were excluded. STATA 15.1 was used to analyze the data. The meta-analysis included 15 studies, which comprised a total of 1,124 patients, of which 701 had HGG and 423 had LGG. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of the studies overall were 0.92 (95% CI: 0.89–0.95) and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85–0.92), respectively. The positive and negative likelihood ratios of the studies overall were 7.89 (95% CI: 6.01–10.37) and 0.09 (95% CI: 0.07–0.12), respectively. The pooled diagnostic odds ratio of the studies was 85.20 (95% CI: 54.52–133.14). The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.91. These findings indicate that radiomics may be an accurate tool for the differentiation of glioma grades. However, further research is needed to verify the most appropriate of these technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The air cavity planing hull enables the feasibility of running at a low drag-to-lift ratio at high speeds by reducing the wetted area. During the voyage, the ventilation rate and heel are essential parameters for the performance of the air cavity ship (ACS). In this study, three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the volume of fluid method (RANS-VOF) are applied to examine the characteristics of the ACS across a wide range of ventilation rates (C q = 0–1.120) and heel angles (β = 0–5 deg). The drag reduction and cavity morphology of the ACS are well predicted by the numerical method. The difference between the predicted total resistance and the experiment is less than 5%. The air cavity gradually develops from the meniscus growth cavity (MGC) (C q ≤ 0.168) to the bottle neck stable cavity (BNSC) (C q ≥ 0.336) with increasing C q. Once a stable cavity form (i.e., BNSC) is established, the excessive ventilation would expand the tail air leakage opening in width and thickness. Under the effect of the heel, air coverage and drag reduction are diminished with a critical heel angle (β) of around 2 deg. When β ≥ 2 deg, the cavity shape gradually degenerates to the one-side branch cavity (OSBC). The air coverage also has a negative effect on the heeling stability, which means that the smaller heeling moment may cause a greater heel angle. More importantly, the restoring moment reduction monotonically decreases from 54.3% to 7.1% with the increment of heel angle, which deteriorates the heeling stability of the ACS. • The air cavity performance is studied with and without heel. • The cavity develops from BNSC to OSBC when heel above critical value. • Air coverage reduces heel restoring momemt by changing pressure distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-organic frames (MOFs) have been a suitable template for high-performance microwave absorbing materials. However, there has been a lack of effective solutions for the agglomeration and inadequate graphitization transformation of metal nanoparticles after annealing of MOFs. In this work, a simple and safe metal ion exchange method for the experimental process is proposed to etch the surface of Fe MOF (MIL-88) template using nickel metal salts, and the subsequent heat treatment to synthesize Fe-Ni/C nanorods. These fine and uniform metal particles and carefully designed phase engineering have excellent electromagnetic attenuation and good impedance matching. In particular, suitable defects and rich heterogeneous interfaces cause polarization loss to increase, and more obviously, hysteresis loss and natural resonance increase magnetic loss. The experimental results show that the materials have good broadband absorption (6.13 GHz) and high-efficiency loss (−35 dB) microwave absorbing (MA) performance. This work provides a generalized phase interface engineering approach for polymetallic nanorods and provides a useful reference for microwave absorbing materials. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ultrathin single crystalline nanoplates of Ni 12 P 5 are synthesized via a facile, template-free, wet chemical method. The thickness is about 6 nm with sizes tunable from 5 to 50 nm. The exposed plate surface is formed of { 2 ¯ 11 } lattice plane. Benefitting from the high electrical conductivity and the two dimensional (2D) nanostructures, the Ni 12 P 5 nanoplates exhibit excellent supercapacitor properties. The specific capacity is about 697 C/g at the current density of 1 A/g. Even at 20 A/g, it is measured as 446 C/g, with 64.0% retention indicating an outstanding rate capability. The charge storage mechanisms include a battery-type behavior related to the bulk redox processes and a double-layer capacitance arising from the 2D geometric morphology. In particular, the morphological effects accounts for about 63% of the total charge storage effects at the voltage sweep rate of 2 mV/s in the cyclic voltammetry measurement, and is even higher percentage-wise at a higher sweep rate. This is, by far, the best performance with facile synthesis techniques for single crystalline nickel phosphides. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Single-crystalline Ni 12 P 5 nanoplates by a facile, template-free wet chemical route. • Nanoplate surface is of { 2 ¯ 11 } crystal plane, and its thickness, about 7 nm. • The growth mechanism is by Kirkendall effect. • High specific capacity is 697 C/g at the current density of 1 A/g. • Surface term accounts for about 2/3 of the specific capacity, and the bulk, 1/3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel peroxidase-mimicking DNAzyme-based colorimetric homogenous bioassay is developed for kanamycin detection. Aptamer biorecognition triggers DNAzyme liberation from DNA duplexes for “off–on” signal transduction. The special hairpin structure of the aptamer–kanamycin biocomposite enables Exo III-assisted target recycling for signal amplification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elaborate design of highly active catalysts from earth-abundant elements is important for the development of water-splitting devices. We have synthesized {2̅ 1 1} high index-faceted Ni12P5 nanoplates and Ni12P5 spherical nanoparticles (SNPs) by the one-step solvothermal method. The Ni12P5 nanoplates show enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction activity with a lower overpotential of −128 mV and a smaller Tafel slope of 60.6 mV dec−1 compared to Ni12P5 SNPs. Stability tests reveal exceptional durability of the catalyst. This study offers an attractive catalytic material for large-scale hydrogen production technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]