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Summary: Plant pathogenic fungi elaborate numerous detoxification strategies to suppress host reactive oxygen species (ROS), but their coordination is not well‐understood.Here, we show that Sirt5‐mediated protein desuccinylation in Magnaporthe oryzae is central to host ROS detoxification. SIRT5 encodes a desuccinylase important for virulence via adaptation to host oxidative stress. Quantitative proteomics analysis identified a large number of succinylated proteins targeted by Sirt5, most of which were mitochondrial proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation, TCA cycle, and fatty acid oxidation.Deletion of SIRT5 resulted in hypersuccinylation of detoxification‐related enzymes, and significant reduction in NADPH : NADP+ and GSH : GSSG ratios, disrupting redox balance and impeding invasive growth. Sirt5 desuccinylated thioredoxin Trx2 and glutathione peroxidase Hyr1 to activate their enzyme activity, likely by affecting proper folding.Altogether, this work demonstrates the importance of Sirt5‐mediated desuccinylation in controlling fungal process required for detoxifying host ROS during M. oryzae infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primulina hunanensis, a troglobitic plant within the Primulina genus of Gesneriaceae family, exhibits robust resilience to arid conditions and holds great horticultural potential as an ornamental plant. The work of chloroplast genome (cpDNA) has been recently accomplished, however, the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) that is crucial for plant evolution has not been reported. Results: In this study, we sequenced and assembled the P. hunanensis complete mtDNA, and elucidated its evolutionary and phylogenetic relationships. The assembled mtDNA spans 575,242 bp with 43.54% GC content, encompassing 60 genes, including 37 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 20 tRNA genes, and 3 rRNA genes. Notably, high number of repetitive sequences in the mtDNA and substantial sequence translocation from chloroplasts to mitochondria were observed. To determine the evolutionary and taxonomic positioning of P. hunanensis, a phylogenetic tree was constructed using mitochondrial PCGs from P. hunanensis and 32 other taxa. Furthermore, an exploration of PCGs relative synonymous codon usage, identification of RNA editing events, and an investigation of collinearity with closely related species were conducted. Conclusions: This study reports the initial assembly and annotation of P. hunanensis mtDNA, contributing to the limited mtDNA repository for Gesneriaceae plants and advancing our understanding of their evolution for improved utilization and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the interaction of the pseudoscalar meson octet and the baryon decuplet. In the continuum, it is observed that several J P = 3 2 - baryon resonances can be produced by the Weinberg-Tomozawa interaction in unitarized chiral perturbation theory, including the N(1875), Σ (1670) , Σ (1910) , Ξ (1820) and Ω (2012) . Among them, the Ξ (1820) and Σ (1670) may exhibit a potential two-pole structures. The unitarized chiral perturbation approach is then applied as the underlying theory to predict the energy levels of these systems in a finite volume. These energy levels are well described by the K-matrix parameterization constrained by flavor SU(3) symmetry. With the parameters from the best fits, the poles extracted from the K-matrix parameterization closely correspond to those derived from the underlying chiral effective field theory, as long as they are close to physical region and not significantly higher than the lowest relevant threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs play a crucial role in regulating the epithelial barrier and immune response, which are implicated in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). This study aimed to investigate the role and molecular mechanism of miR-30c in the pathogenesis of UC using a dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS)-induced colitis model, which is similar to ulcerative colitis. Wild-type (WT) and miR-30c knockout (KO) mice were assigned to either control or DSS-treated groups to evaluate the influence of aberrant miR-30c expression on UC pathogenesis. The disease activity index, inflammatory factors, and the extent of pathological and histological damage in colon tissues were analyzed. The effect of miR-30c on vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) gene expression was validated through luciferase reporter assay, qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. The results showed that miR-30c KO mice with DSS-induced colitis model showed more severe phenotypes: significantly higher disease activity indices, significant body weight loss, reduced length of the colon of mice, increased number of aberrant crypt structures, reduced mucus secretion, and significant differences in inflammatory factors. These findings suggested that the absence of miR-30c might promote DSS-induced colitis, and the targe-regulatory effect of miR-30c on VIP might play an important role in the development of colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we employed a two-step modification process to improve the properties of 2D bimetallic nanoplates M(OH)(OCH3) (M = Co, Ni), which were recently proven as a promising "nano-flame retardant". The nanoplates were in situ modified with metal-organic framework ZIF-67 first and then silanized with a coupling agent APTES. Epoxy resin (EP) nanocomposites were fabricated using the functionalized M(OH)(OCH3). We investigated the performance of the nanocomposites in flame retardance and thermal stability. The results showed that 3% of APTES@ZIF-67@M(OH)(OCH3) gave the EP nanocomposite the V-1 rating in UL-94 test and the highest limited oxygen index of 27.6%. Moreover, the pHRR value of EP/APTES@ZIF-67@M 3% was reduced by 20.0% and 9.6%, respectively, compared to neat EP and EP/ZIF-67@M 3%. Regarding the mechanical properties, the Tensile properties and energy storage modulus of EP nanocomposite were both improved with 3% of APTES@ZIF-67@M(OH)(OCH3). The GC-MS test results revealed that the functionalized M(OH)(OCH3) significantly increased the cross-linking propensity of the EP matrix upon combustion, leading to the formation of a dense char layer. This study demonstrates the great potential of M(OH)(OCH3) as a highly efficient "nano-flame retardant" with tunable functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To resolve the nonconvex optimization problem in partial wave analysis, this paper introduces a novel approach that incorporates fraction constraints into the likelihood function. This method offers significant improvements in the efficiency of pole searching within partial wave analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrode materials of copper oxide (CuO) nanospheres composite activated carbon (AC) (CuO/AC) were prepared by a hydrothermal method. CuO/AC and chitosan (CTS) were immobilized on the surface of the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to construct a non-enzymatic glucose electrochemical sensor (CuO/AC + CTS + GCE). The results show that an average particle size of spherical CuO is about 500 nm, which evenly distribute on the surface of AC. The nanocomposites have a large surface area, more active sites, and higher electron transfer ability. CuO/AC + CTS + GCE-2 with a Cu2+ and AC molar ratio of 1 : 2 enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of glucose in alkaline media. It displays a fast response to glucose with a high sensitivity of 2073.6 μA mM–1 cm–2, a good linear concentration range from 0.2 to 2400 μM, a low detection limit of 0.1 μΜ (S/N = 3), and fast current response of 5 s. The sensor is highly selective to glucose in the presence of commonly interfering species. CuO/AC as electrode materials has the potential application for a cost-effective, non-enzymatic glucose electrochemical sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two sets of 1D/2D lanthanide coordination polymers with formulas of Ln(oqa)3·2H2O [Hoqa = 2-(4-oxoquinolin-1(4H)-yl) acetic acid, Ln = Dy (1), Yb (2)] and Ln(oaa)2(HCOO)(H2O) [Hoaa = 2-(9-oxoacridin-10(9H)-yl) acetic acid, Ln = Dy (3), Yb (4)] have been synthesized and their physical properties were investigated. All four complexes are constructed from seven-coordinate lanthanide ions and corresponding organic linkers. The lanthanide ions in 1 and 2 adopt a pentagonal bipyramid coordination geometry, whereas the coordination geometry of lanthanide ions in 3 and 4 can be described as a capped octahedron. Slow magnetic relaxation behaviors were observed in these four products at a zero/non-zero static magnetic field. Complexes 1, 2 and 4 exhibit the characteristic emission of Ln(III) ions, whereas complex 3 shows ligand-based emission. Bright yellow light emission was also observed when a voltage was applied, demonstrating the potential of 1 for application in light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Compounds 3 and 4 are the first examples of lanthanide complexes based on Hoaa ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wind tunnel balance signal detection system is widely employed in aerospace applications for the accurate and automated measurement of aerodynamic forces and moments. However, measurement errors arise under different environmental temperature. This paper addresses the issue of measurement accuracy under different temperature conditions by proposing a temperature compensation method based on an improved gray wolf optimization (IGWO) algorithm and optimized extreme learning machine (ELM). The IGWO algorithm is enhanced by improving the initial population position, convergence factor, and iteration weights of the gray wolf optimization algorithm. Subsequently, the IGWO algorithm is employed to determine the optimal network parameters for the ELM. The calibration decoupling experiment and high-low temperature experiment are designed and carried out. On this basis, ELM, GWO-ELM, PSO-ELM, GWO-RBFNN and IGWO-ELM are used for temperature compensation experiments. The experimental results show that IGWO-ELM has a good temperature compensation effect, reducing the measurement error from 20 % F S to within 0.04 % F S . Consequently, the accuracy and stability of the wind tunnel balance signal detection system under different temperature environments are enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the problem of path following and dynamic obstacle avoidance for an underwater biomimetic vehicle-manipulator system (UBVMS). Firstly, the general kinematic and dynamic models of underwater vehicles are presented; then, a nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) scheme is employed to track a reference path and collision avoidance simultaneously. Moreover, to minimize the tracking error and for a higher degree of robustness, improved extended state observers are used to estimate model uncertainties and disturbances to be fed into the NMPC prediction model. On top of this, the proposed method also considers the uncertainty of the state estimator, while combining a priori estimation of the Kalman filter to reasonably predict the position of dynamic obstacles during short periods. Finally, simulations and experimental results are carried out to assess the validity of the proposed method in case of disturbances and constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, the realm of remote sensing has witnessed a remarkable surge in the area of deep learning, specifically in the domain of target recognition within synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. However, prevailing deep learning models have often placed undue emphasis on network depth and width while disregarding the imperative requirement for a harmonious equilibrium between accuracy and speed. To address this concern, this paper presents FCCD-SAR, a SAR target recognition algorithm based on the lightweight FasterNet network. Initially, a lightweight and SAR-specific feature extraction backbone is meticulously crafted to better align with SAR image data. Subsequently, an agile upsampling operator named CARAFE is introduced, augmenting the extraction of scattering information and fortifying target recognition precision. Moreover, the inclusion of a rapid, lightweight module, denoted as C3-Faster, serves to heighten both recognition accuracy and computational efficiency. Finally, in cognizance of the diverse scales and vast variations exhibited by SAR targets, a detection head employing DyHead's attention mechanism is implemented to adeptly capture feature information across multiple scales, elevating recognition performance on SAR targets. Exhaustive experimentation on the MSTAR dataset unequivocally demonstrates the exceptional prowess of our FCCD-SAR algorithm, boasting a mere 2.72 M parameters and 6.11 G FLOPs, culminating in an awe-inspiring 99.5% mean Average Precision (mAP) and epitomizing its unparalleled proficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to analyze the impact of the Earth-Space link on the Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals of ships. To achieve this, we established a simulation system that measures the receiving power of AIS signals via satellite platforms. We validated the system by utilizing observation data from Tiantuo-5. Through this simulation, we quantitatively analyzed the effects of ionospheric TEC (Total Electron Content) and space loss on the received power. During the processing of observation data, we construct a geometric propagation model utilizing the measured positions of both the satellite and the ship. We then calculate the antenna gain and remove any system errors. Additionally, we eliminate the deviation of elevation and azimuth angles caused by satellite motion. This allows us to determine the actual power of different ships reaching the receiving platform. Upon comparing the measured power data with the simulated power, it was noted that both exhibited an increasing trend as the elevation angle increased. This led to an RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) result of approximately one, indicating the accuracy of the simulation system. These findings hold significant implications for analyzing interference factors in satellite-ground links. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermented cottonseed meal is a kind of high quality protein feed made from common cottonseed meal by screening one or several microbial strains. Microbial fermentation treatment can effectively improve nutritional level and utilization efficiency of feed, eliminate or reduce anti-nutritional factors in feed, improve palatability of feed, and enhance production performance and health level of animals. In the paper, the nutritional characteristics of fermented cotton meal and its application in ruminant production are reviewed, in order to provide reference for further application of fermented cotton meal in ruminant production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broadcast automatic dependent surveillance (ADS-B) system is a new-generation air traffic control system designed to avoid the waste of resources in secondary radars. The establishment of the spaceborne ADS-B system provides a broad prospect for ionospheric tomography. In this paper, the external observation information of the ionosphere is obtained by measuring the Faraday rotation angle, that is, the total electron content (TEC). Tomography research can be carried out all over the world to conduct large-scale ionospheric electron density research. The experiment selected two different regions and had a time resolution of two hours, a height resolution of 200 km, a latitude resolution of 2°, and a longitude resolution of 5°. Based on the simulated spaceborne ADS-B signal to invert the regional ionospheric electron density, the latitude, longitude, and height distributions of inversion result are basically consistent with those of the actual ionospheric electron density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underwater images tend to suffer from critical quality degradation, such as poor visibility, contrast reduction, and color deviation by virtue of the light absorption and scattering in water media. It is a challenging problem for these images to enhance visibility, improve contrast, and eliminate color cast. This paper proposes an effective and high-speed enhancement and restoration method based on the dark channel prior (DCP) for underwater images and video. Firstly, an improved background light (BL) estimation method is proposed to estimate BL accurately. Secondly, the R channel's transmission map (TM) based on the DCP is estimated sketchily, and a TM optimizer integrating the scene depth map and the adaptive saturation map (ASM) is designed to refine the afore-mentioned coarse TM. Later, the TMs of G–B channels are computed by their ratio to the attenuation coefficient of the red channel. Finally, an improved color correction algorithm is adopted to improve visibility and brightness. Several typical image-quality assessment indexes are employed to testify that the proposed method can restore underwater low-quality images more effectively than other advanced methods. An underwater video real-time measurement is also conducted on the flipper-propelled underwater vehicle-manipulator system to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method in the real scene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The combination of gemcitabine-based chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors has a good efficacy in advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). The multi-target TKI lenvatinib and NGS-guided targeted therapy are also promising in BTC treatment. This study aimed to explore the performance of GemOX plus sintilimab and TKI (either lenvatinib or by NGS-guided targeted therapy) for local advanced or metastatic BTCs. Methods: This prospective single-arm study included patients with local advanced or metastatic BTCs and applied intravenous infusion of standard GemOX plus sintilimab and lenvatinib (no targetable gene alterations) or targeted therapy based on NGS (olaparib for BRCA1/2 mutation, dasatinib for IDH1/2 mutation, afatinib for EGFR amplification, lenvatinib for PDGFR and KIT mutation, and lenvatinib for FGFR/KIT mutation). Results: From November 2020 to December 2021, 22 patients BTCs (6 GBC, 14 iCCA, 1 pCCA and 1 dCCA cases) were enrolled, with an average age of 58.4 years. Partial response (PR) was achieved in 10 cases, stable disease (SD) in 9 cases and progression disease (PD) in 3 cases (13.6%). The objective response rate (ORR) was 45.5%, and the disease control rate (DCR) was 86.4%. During the treatment, the incidence of adverse reactions was 81.8%, and the incidence of grade 3/4 adverse events was 9.09%. For 14 patients with NGS, 5 patients were treated by targeted therapy and there were 1 SD and 4 PR cases. For four patients with positive PD-L1 expression, the ORR was 100%. While among the three patients with super-progression markers such as RET, MDM2 and FGF14/STK24, there were two SD and one PD cases. Conclusion: In patients with advanced BTCs, the combination of GemOX plus sintilimab and lenvatinib or NGS-guided targeted therapy showed promising ORR and DCR, especially for the patients with positive PD-L1 expression and targetable gene alterations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] We propose that the X (3915) observed in the J / ψ ω channel is the same state as the χ c 2 (3930) , and the X (3960) , observed in the D s + D s - channel, is an S -wave D s + D s - hadronic molecule. In addition, the J PC = 0 + + component in the B + → D + D - K + assigned to the X (3915) in the current Review of Particle Physics has the same origin as the X (3960) , which has a mass around 3.94 GeV. To check the proposal, the available data in the D D ¯ and D s + D s - channels from both B decays and γ γ fusion reaction are analyzed considering both the D D ¯ - D s D ¯ s - D * D ¯ * - D s * D ¯ s * coupled channels with 0 + + and a 2 + + state introduced additionally. It is found that all the data in different processes can be simultaneously well reproduced, and the coupled-channel dynamics produce four hidden-charm scalar molecular states with masses around 3.73, 3.94, 3.99 and 4.23 GeV, respectively. The results may deepen our understanding of the spectrum of charmonia as well as of the interactions between charmed hadrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the peritumoral pseudocapsule (PC) status and identify the factors influencing PC status in small renal cell carcinoma (RCCs). Methods: A total of 147 patients with small RCC (≤4 cm) who had undergone tumor enucleation (TE) were assigned into three groups according to PC status: complete PC, PC absence, and PC invasion. Computed tomography (CT) imaging and clinicopathological features were compared among the three groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with incomplete PC. Results: The number of patients with complete PC, PC absence, and PC invasion was 87 (59%), 20 (14%), and 40 (27%), respectively. Compared with the other two groups, tumors with complete PC were most common in clear cell RCC (CCRCC) and showed a hyperenhancement pattern (92%) and clear boundary (63%) on CT scanning images (p < 0.001). PC absence was most common in female patients (50%), whereas PC invasion was more common in male patients (85%) (p = 0.017). The tumor diameter in the PC absence group (2.24 ± 0.93 cm) was shorter compared with that of the complete PC group (2.88 ± 0.76 cm) and PC invasion group (3.16 ± 0.64 cm) (p < 0.001). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that hypoenhancement pattern, unclear boundary, and non‐CCRCC subtype were independent risk factors of incomplete PC. Conclusions: Hypoenhancement pattern, unclear boundary, and non‐CCRCC subtype were significant predictors of incomplete PC in small RCCs. It remains to be established whether TE is an appropriate procedure for patients with incomplete PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we analyze the accuracy of the stellar occultation technique to detect the oxygen number density and temperature in near space. Based on the validation of the algorithm related to stellar occultation using a single wavelength of 762 nm, the simulation and inversion are performed using the oxygen absorption A-band, and the results are compared with SABER observations to calculate the deviation. Then, the distribution of the detection accuracy with wavelength, latitude, and altitude is analyzed. The results show that the radiant transmittance of the basic observation varies significantly with wavelength and altitude, and it is not sensitive to a change of latitude. The inversion results of each wavelength at different latitudes can be combined, and it can be seen that the 754–769 nm band is preferred for oxygen and temperature detection. Therefore, analyzing the accuracy results of the specific wavelength 757.84 nm at different latitudes, the temperature accuracy can reach 0.1 K in the stratosphere at both low and high latitudes and 0.6–34 K at middle latitudes. The temperature detection accuracy in the mesosphere at each latitude reaches about a dozen K. The deviation of the inversion results at middle latitudes is larger in the thermosphere, and at the other two latitudes, it is about a few dozen K. From the analysis of relative deviation, excluding the deviation of 95–100 km, the deviation of other altitudes is within the ideal range, and the minimum can reach 0. The accuracy of the oxygen number density increases with latitude, and the relative deviation of the middle and high latitudes is around 10–20%. Based on the above results, it is concluded that the technique of starlight occultation exhibits high accuracy for detecting atmospheric parameters in the near space region, and the results lay the technical foundation for the independent development of stellar occultation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The genus Verbascum L. (Scrophulariaceae) is distributed in Africa, Europe, and parts of Asia, with the Mediterranean having the most species variety. Several researchers have already worked on the phylogenetic and taxonomic analysis of Verbascum by using ITS data and chloroplast genome fragments and have produced different conclusions. The taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships of this genus are unclear. Results: The complete plastomes (cp) lengths for V. chaixii, V. songaricum, V. phoeniceum, V. blattaria, V. sinaiticum, V. thapsus, and V. brevipedicellatum ranged from 153,014 to 153,481 bp. The cp coded 114 unique genes comprising of 80 protein-coding genes, four ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and 30 tRNA genes. We detected variations in the repeat structures, gene expansion on the inverted repeat, and single copy (IR/SC) boundary regions. The substitution rate analysis indicated that some genes were under purifying selection pressure. Phylogenetic analysis supported the sister relationship of (Lentibulariaceae + Acanthaceae + Bignoniaceae + Verbenaceae + Pedaliaceae) and (Lamiaceae + Phyrymaceae + Orobanchaceae + Paulowniaceae + Mazaceae) in Lamiales. Within Scrophulariaceae, Verbascum was sister to Scrophularia, while Buddleja formed a monophyletic clade from (Scrophularia + Verbascum) with high bootstrap support values. The relationship of the nine species within Verbascum was highly supported. Conclusion: Based on the phylogenetic results, we proposed to reinstate the species status of V. brevipedicellatum (Engl.) Hub.-Mor. Additionally, three genera (Mazus, Lancea, and Dodartia) placed in the Phyrymaceae family formed a separate clade within Lamiaceae. The classification of the three genera was supported by previous studies. Thus, the current study also suggests the circumscription of these genera as documented previously to be reinstated. The divergence time of Lamiales was approximated to be 86.28 million years ago (Ma) (95% highest posterior density (HPD), 85.12–89.91 Ma). The complete plastomes sequence data of the Verbascum species will be important for understanding the Verbascum phylogenetic relationships and evolution in order Lamiales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction for 'Single molecule magnet features in luminescent lanthanide coordination polymers with heptacoordinate Dy/Yb(III) ions as nodes' by Xiang-Tao Dong et al., Dalton Trans., 2023, 52, 12686–12694, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3DT02106H. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this study is to investigate hadronic molecules of K ⁎ K ¯ 1 (1270) using a one-boson-exchange model, which incorporates exchanges of vector and pseudoscalar mesons in the t -channel, as well as the pion exchange in the u -channel. Additionally, careful consideration is given to the three-body effects resulting from the on-shell pion originating from K 1 (1270) → K ⁎ π. Then the BESIII data of the J / ψ → ϕ η η ′ process is fitted using the K ⁎ K ¯ 1 (1270) scattering amplitude with J P C = 0 − − or 1 − −. The analysis reveals that both the J P C = 0 − − and 1 − − assumptions for K ⁎ K ¯ 1 (1270) scattering provide good descriptions of the data, with similar fit qualities. Notably, the parameters obtained from the best fits indicate the existence of K ⁎ K ¯ 1 (1270) bound states, denoted by ϕ (2100) and ϕ 0 (2100) for the 1 − − and 0 − − states, respectively. The current experimental data, including the η polar angular distribution, cannot distinguish which K ⁎ K ¯ 1 (1270) bound state contributes to the J / ψ → ϕ η η ′ process, or if both are involved. Therefore, we propose further explorations of this process, as well as other processes, in upcoming experiments with many more J / ψ events to disentangle the different possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As epoxy resin (EP) is widely used in the microelectronic field, it is essential to improve its electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption and flame retardancy simultaneously. In this work, we synthesized a novel nanohybrid, RMN (Fe 3 O 4 /NHS@M(OH)(OCH 3)@rGO (M = Co, Ni)), with petal-shaped anisotropic interfaces, by using graphene oxide as the core and the 2D nanosheets M(OH)(OCH 3) (M = Co, Ni) as the petal, with nickel hydroxystannate and ferrite as further modifications. The RMN combines carbon-based materials, ferrites and conductors, and represents the petal-like structure with rich nondirectional interfaces. The results show that EP composite containing 25 wt% RMN represented excellent EMW absorption, with a minimum reflection loss of −55.79 dB (with 7.4 mm thickness at 3.1 GHz). Moreover, the EP composite with 15 wt% RMN (EP/RMN700-3) had the lowest peak heat release rate of 470.9 kW m−2, which was 69.7 % lower than pure EP, showing a significantly improving in flame retardant. The thermal conductivity efficiency of EP/RMN700-3 increased to 128.4 % compared with the pure EP, which effectively reduces fire risk caused by heat accumulation. This study provides a valuable solution to overcome the challenges of EMW absorption and flame retardant for EP in the microelectronic materials field. [Display omitted] • The nonoriented petal-like structure provides rich interface. • Carbon materials, ferrites and conductors support the multiple absorbing mechanisms. • EMW absorption, flame retardant and thermal management suit for electronic packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This correction notice addresses an issue with the citation in a publication titled "Computerized Ionospheric Tomography Based on the ADS-B System." The work by Cushley et al. was not properly cited in the original publication, and the correction has now been made. The authors assure that this correction does not affect the scientific conclusions of the publication. The original publication has been updated to reflect this correction. [Extracted from the article]

The more efficient and hydrophobic modificated ammonium polyphosphate (M-APP) and charring agent (M-CA) were prepared based on sol–gel method, and they were used in the preparation of water-resistant and flame-retardant polypropylene (PP) composites. The results showed that the contact angles of M-APP and M-CA were 135.11° and 137.89°, respectively. The flame-retardant and thermal properties of the PP composites were also studied. The results showed that the flame retardancy of PP loaded with 30 mass% intumescent flame retardant (M-APP/M-CA = 3:1) was significantly increased. The limiting oxygen index (LOI) reached 36.8% and passed UL-94 V-0. The peak heat release rate and total heat release of the PP composite decreased from 1011.77 to 134.43 kW·m−2 and 100.58 to 6.86 MJ·m−2, respectively. The peak smoke production rate and total smoke release decreased from 0.13 to 0.0056 m2·s−1 and 1453.09 to 74.82 m2·m−2. The PP composite with M-APP/M-CA = 3:1 also exhibited excellent water resistance, and it could still reach UL-94 V-0 after soaking in 70 ℃ water for 168 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-Oxides can amplify the performance of a lanthanum aminobisphenolate catalyst in the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of rac-β-butyrolactone (rac-BBL) to unprecedented levels (TOF/Pm; At RT: 1900 h−1/0.73, At −30 °C: 200 h−1/0.82). Experiments and computations establish donor electronics control catalyst activity, while donor sterics control catalyst deactivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire alarm systems are essential for protecting lives and properties from fire hazards. However, most of the existing fire alarm nanopapers rely on the resistance reduction after heating, which requires direct contact with the flame. In this study, we present a novel fire alarm nanopaper (CMPA) based on heat-triggered shape recovery. The CMPA is composed of hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) as the matrix and 2D nanomaterials M(OH)(OCH 3) as fillers. When the temperature of CMPA exceeded the glass transition, the thrice-folded CMPA-1.0 flattened in 30s and connected to the alarm circuit based on its conductive surface. According to the results, the CMPA-1.0 with a thickness of about 0.2 mm had an efficient electromagnetic shielding of 42.1 dB. Moreover, the CMPA-1.0 self-extinguished rapidly after being ignited with its original shape preserved. The peak heat release rate of CMPA-1.0 was 108.9 W/g, which was 61.9 % lower than that of HPMC. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity of CMPA-1.0 reached to 0.317 W m−1 K−1, which was 40.8 % higher than that of HPMC, reducing the heat accumulation effectively. This work shows that CMPA is an ideal material for sensitive and safe early fire alarm, and the strategy based on heat-triggered shape recovery is promising in fire alarm application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a numerical simulation method is used to study the process of multiple droplets impact on the wall of a liquid droplet radiator in a space environment. The effects of droplet spacing, droplet velocity, wall properties and other factors on the evolution of droplet impact on the wall are analyzed. The results show that the critical Reynolds number of droplets without splashing decreases and then remains unchanged as the droplet spacing of silicone oil increases. Thin liquid film promotes droplet splashing, while thick liquid film inhibits droplet splashing. The larger the initial incident velocity of the droplets, the larger the number of splashing droplets and the smaller their diameters. The critical Reynolds number of silicone oil droplets decreases monotonously with the increase of the inclination angle between the wall and the vertical direction. Finally, a 15° frustum of a cone model is chosen to simulate the actual working process of the liquid droplet radiator to verify the conclusions. The results of the study can provide guidance for the optimal design of droplet collectors. • Studying how droplet features and wall properties affect droplet impact on surface. • Analyzing how liquid film thickness affects splashing type and droplet state. • Exploring how surface tension and viscosity impact splash formation. • Identifying droplet collector parameters based on dimensionless number variation. • Results offer theoretical support for optimal droplet collector design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic esters provides access to biodegradable polymers with materials properties that can be tailored through appropriate catalyst design. Introduction of neutral donor ligands has emerged as an attractive opportunity to tune catalyst performance in a rational, inexpensive, and operationally simple manner; however, broader application of these ligands has been limited by our mechanistic-level understanding of these additives. In this perspective, we highlight the versatile roles of neutral donor ligands in modulating catalyst performance in the ROP of cyclic esters, and identify several unifying concepts and trends that emerge across a diverse range of catalyst systems (group I, II, XII–XIV, and the rare-earths (group III and the lanthanides)), neutral donor ligands (ethers, crown-ethers, amines, guanidines, carbenes, phosphines, and phosphine-oxides), and cyclic esters (ε-caprolactone, lactide, β-lactones). Shared learnings in design strategies, bonding preferences, and mechanisms of action help solidify relationships between catalyst structure and function, and illuminate promising future directions to leverage these effects in the synthesis of sustainable polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new rearranged abietane diterpenoids (1 and 2), together with eleven previously described analogues (3-13), were obtained from the ethanolic extract of a traditional ethnological herb, Clerodendrum bungei. The structures with absolute configurations of the new compounds were unambiguously characterized via spectroscopic methods, and that of the formerly reported crolerodendrum B (3) was corrected in the present work. Biological assessment of these isolates revealed that diterpenoids 2, 4, 6 and 12 showed significant inhibition against α-glucosidase enzyme with IC50 values in the range of 17.0-25.7 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] In a recent measurement LHCb reported pronounced structures in the J / ψ J / ψ spectrum. One of the various possible explanations of those is that they emerge from non-perturbative interactions of vector charmonia. It is thus important to understand whether it is possible to form a bound state of two charmonia interacting through the exchange of gluons, which hadronise into two pions at the longest distance. In this paper, we demonstrate that, given our current understanding of hadron-hadron interactions, the exchange of correlated light mesons (pions and kaons) is able to provide sizeable attraction to the di- J / ψ system, and it is possible for two J / ψ mesons to form a bound state. As a side result we find from an analysis of the data for the ψ (2 S) → J / ψ π π transition including both π π and K K ¯ final state interactions an improved value for the ψ (2 S) → J / ψ transition chromo-electric polarisability: | α ψ (2 S) J / ψ | = (1.8 ± 0.1) GeV - 3 , where the uncertainty also includes the one induced by the final state interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a paucity of data concerning the morphological differences of resected distal femurs and proximal tibias in osteoarthritic (OA) and normal knees. The objective of this study was to determine whether morphometric differences in the surfaces of resected distal femurs and proximal tibias exist between OA and normal knees in a Chinese population.Methods: Ninety-four OA knees and ninety-five normal knees were evaluated in Chinese individuals. Computed tomography was used to measure the femoral mediolateral (fML), medial anteroposterior (fMAP), lateral anteroposterior (fLAP), medial condylar width (fMCW), lateral condylar width (fLCW), medial posterior condylar curvature radii (fMCR), lateral posterior condyle curvature radii (fLCR), fML/fMAP aspect ratio, tibial mediolateral (tML), middle anteroposterior (tAP), medial anteroposterior (tMAP), and lateral anteroposterior (tLAP) tML/tMAP aspect ratio to determine the morphologic differences between OA and normal knees.Results: The average fMCW and tMAP dimensions of OA knees were larger than those of normal knees in both male and female (p <0.05). The fMAP/fML aspect ratio and tMAP/tML aspect ratio were also significantly different in both sexs (p <0.05). OA knees have an oval-shaped distal femur with a wider ML length and more spherical-shaped proximal tibiae with relatively narrow ML dimensions.Conclusions: The study revealed the morphological differences in fMCW, tMAP, fMAP/fML and tMAP/tML between OA and normal knees in both males and females. These findings may provide guidelines that can be used to design better knee implants that are more size-matched for OA knees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the prognosis and adverse effects of induction or adjuvant chemotherapy (IC or AC) plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) versus CCRT alone in paediatric nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients in the intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) era. 549 patients diagnosed from 2005 to 2021 were enrolled. Our primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). The recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) was applied to derive a risk stratification system. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were used to assess the cumulative survival rates, and cox analysis was applied to evaluate the relationship between variables and endpoints. The RPA-based risk stratification identified three different risk groups. In the intermediate-risk (stage IVa and EBV<4000 copies/ml) group, patients who received IC followed by CCRT achieved a significantly better 3-year PFS rate than those treated with CCRT alone (87.35% versus 75.89%; P = 0.04). But survival benefit was not obtained from the additional IC or AC in the low-risk (stage II-III and EBV<4000 copies/ml) or high-risk (stage II-IVa and EBV≥4000 copies/ml) group. The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events in patients treated with CCRT, IC + CCRT, and CCRT + AC were neutropenia (8.1%, 33.0% versus 36.9%, respectively) and leukopenia (14.1%, 26.8% versus 32.3%, respectively) with statistically significant difference. Paediatric NPC patients in the intermediate-risk group treated with IC followed by CCRT had significantly better PFS compared with patients treated with CCRT alone. And the overall incidence of acute adverse events in patients treated with IC or AC plus CCRT was higher than in patients treated with CCRT alone. • EBV DNA was independently associated with risk stratification in paediatric NPC. • Paediatric NPC patients with intermediate-risk could benefit from the additional IC. • Overall incidence of AE in paediatrics receiving IC/AC + CCRT was significantly higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many candidates of the so-called exotic hadrons have been observed experimentally and most of them are located close to the threshold of a pair of hadrons. The general behavior of the near-threshold line shapes of invariant mass distributions is discussed. To be precise, the threshold cusp can show up as a peak only for channels with attractive interaction, and the width of the cusp is inversely proportional to the reduced mass relevant for the threshold. We argue that there should be (near-)threshold structures for any pair of heavy-quark and heavy-antiquark hadrons, which have attractive interaction at threshold, in the invariant mass distribution of a heavy quarkonium and light hadrons that couple to that open-flavor hadron pair. Predictions of the possible pairs that have near-threshold peaks are given for the ground state heavy hadrons based on the interaction saturated by vector mesons. We also give a survey of the possible hadronic molecules composed of a pair of charmed-anticharmed hadrons by solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation with constant interactions and the experimental candidates of hadronic molecules fit this spectrum well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many efforts have been made to reveal the nature of the overabundant resonant structures observed by the worldwide experiments in the last two decades. Hadronic molecules attract special attention because many of these seemingly unconventional resonances are located close to the threshold of a pair of hadrons. To give an overall feature of the spectrum of hadronic molecules composed of a pair of heavy-antiheavy hadrons, namely, which pairs are possible to form molecular states, we take charmed hadrons for example to investigate the interaction between them and search for poles by solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation. We consider all possible combinations of hadron pairs of the S-wave singly-charmed mesons and baryons as well as the narrow P-wave charmed mesons. The interactions, which are assumed to be meson-exchange saturated, are described by constant contact terms which are resummed to generate poles. It turns out that if a system is attractive near threshold by the light meson exchange, there is a pole close to threshold corresponding to a bound state or a virtual state, depending on the strength of interaction and the cutoff. In total, 229 molecular states are predicted. The observed near-threshold structures with hidden-charm, like the famous X(3872) and Pc states, fit into the spectrum we obtain. We also highlight a Λc ¯Λc bound state that has a pole consistent with the cross section of the e+e- → ...c...c precisely measured by the BESIII Collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stimulated by recent experimental observation of X 1 (2900) just below the D ¯ 1 K threshold, we extend our previous study of D ¯ 1 D S-wave bound state by vector meson exchange to D ¯ 1 K system as well as similar D ¯ K 1 , D 1 K and D K 1 systems to look for possible bound states. We find that the potential of D K 1 is attractive and strong enough to form bound states with mass around 3110 MeV for D K 1 (1270) and 3240 MeV for D K 1 (1400) . D 1 K is also attractive but weaker, hardly enough to form bound states. While D ¯ K 1 becomes further less attractive, the potential between D ¯ 1 K is the weakest, definitely too weak to form any bound state, which excludes the recently observed X 1 (2900) to be a D ¯ 1 K bound state. We also give the decay properties of the predicted D K 1 bound states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate whether robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) may provide better clinical and pathologic outcomes compared to its open counterpart. The Pubmed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched. Overall postoperative morbidity and resection margin involvement rate were the primary endpoints. Secondary endpoints included operating time, estimated blood loss (EBL), incisional surgical site infection (SSI) rate, length of hospital stay (LOS), and number of lymph nodes harvested. Twenty-four studies totaling 12,579 patients (2,175 robotic PD and 10,404 open PD were included. Overall postoperative mortality did not significantly differ [OR (95%CI) = 0.86 (0.74, 1.01); p = 0.06]. Resection margin involvement rate was significantly lower in robotic PD [15.6% vs. 19.9%; OR (95%CI) = 0.64 (0.41, 1.00); p = 0.05; NNT = 23]. Operating time was significantly longer in robotic PD [MD (95%CI) = 75.17 (48.05, 102.28); p < 0.00001]. EBL was significantly decreased in robotic PD [MD (95%CI) = − 191.35 (− 238.12, − 144.59); p < 0.00001]. Number of lymph nodes harvested was significantly higher in robotic PD [MD (95%CI) = 2.88 (1.12, 4.65); p = 0.001]. This meta-analysis found that robotic PD provides better histopathological outcomes as compared to open PD at the cost of longer operating time. Furthermore, robotic PD did not have any detrimental impact on clinical outcomes, with lower wound infection rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection has made widespread impact recently. We aim to investigate the clinical characteristics of COVID‐19 children with different severities and allergic status. Methods: Data extracted from the electronic medical records, including demographics, clinical manifestations, comorbidities, laboratory and immunological results, and radiological images of 182 hospitalized COVID‐19 children, were summarized and analyzed. Results: The median age was 6 years, ranging from 3 days to 15 years, and there were more boys (male‐female ratio about 2:1) within the studied 182 patients. Most of the children were infected by family members. Fever (43.4%) and dry cough (44.5%) were common symptoms, and gastrointestinal manifestations accounted for 11.0%, including diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, and vomiting. 71.4% had abnormal chest computed tomography (CT) scan images, and typical signs of pneumonia were ground‐glass opacity and local patchy shadowing on admission. Laboratory results were mostly within normal ranges, and only a small ratio of lymphopenia (3.9%) and eosinopenia (29.5%) were observed. The majority (97.8%) of infected children were not severe, and 24 (13.2%) of them had asymptomatic infections. Compared to children without pneumonia (manifested as asymptomatic and acute upper respiratory infection), children with pneumonia were associated with higher percentages of the comorbidity history, symptoms of fever and cough, and increased levels of serum procalcitonin, alkaline phosphatase, and serum interleukins (IL)‐2, IL‐4, IL‐6, IL‐10, and TNF‐α. There were no differences in treatments, duration of hospitalization, time from first positive to first negative nucleic acid testing, and outcomes between children with mild pneumonia and without pneumonia. All the hospitalized COVID‐19 children had recovered except one death due to intussusception and sepsis. In 43 allergic children with COVID‐19, allergic rhinitis (83.7%) was the major disease, followed by drug allergy, atopic dermatitis, food allergy, and asthma. Demographics and clinical features were not significantly different between allergic and nonallergic groups. Allergic patients showed less increase in acute phase reactants, procalcitonin, D‐dimer, and aspartate aminotransferase levels compared with all patients. Immunological profiles including circulating T, B, and NK lymphocyte subsets, total immunoglobulin and complement levels, and serum cytokines did not show any difference in allergic and pneumonia groups. Neither eosinophil counts nor serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels showed a significant correlation with other immunological measures, such as other immunoglobulins, complements, lymphocyte subset numbers, and serum cytokine levels. Conclusion: Pediatric COVID‐19 patients tended to have a mild clinical course. Patients with pneumonia had higher proportion of fever and cough and increased inflammatory biomarkers than those without pneumonia. There was no difference between allergic and nonallergic COVID‐19 children in disease incidence, clinical features, and laboratory and immunological findings. Allergy was not a risk factor for developing and severity of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and hardly influenced the disease course of COVID‐19 in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Identification of miRNA biomarkers in DCC and LC blood samples. • Accurate diagnosis of DCC using miRNA-based logistic regression model. • Potential of three microRNAs as DCC biomarkers and therapeutic targets. • Insights into molecular mechanisms underlying DCC progression from miRNA analysis. Decompensated cirrhosis (DCC) is a more advanced stage of liver cirrhosis (LC). It is important to identify biomarkers to predict DCC progression. The aim of this study was to analyze microRNA (miRNA) profiles of whole blood involved in the DCC process to gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying its development. RNA-Seq analysis of blood samples from a discovery set, including four DCC patients and four LC individuals, was performed to identify differentially expressed miRNAs. The selected differentially expressed miRNAs were validated by using an independent validation set. In this study, a total of 1,036 miRNAs were identified in whole blood samples. Forty differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, including 24 upregulated and 16 downregulated miRNAs. The expression levels of three upregulated miRNAs (hsa-miR-20b-5p, hsa-miR-421, and hsa-miR-1307-3p) and two downregulated miRNAs (hsa-miR-139-5p and hsa-miR-150-5p) were validated by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. The receiver operator characteristic curve for the logistic regression model based on hsa-miR-20b-5p, hsa-miR-421, and hsa-miR-150-5p could distinguish DCC patients with excellent diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve: 0.981, p < 0.01). The miRNA expression profiles in patients with DCC and LC controls suggested that miR-20b-5p, miR-421, and miR-150-5p could be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a method to construct the decay amplitudes in the orbital (L) and spin (S) coupling scheme for particles with arbitrary spins. For the 1 → 2 decay with only massive particles involved, the angular dependence is completely encoded in the angular momentum part, and the spins of daughter particles are coupled in the rest frame of the mother particle, which contributes only a constant factor. For the sequential decay, the total amplitude is constructed by the two 1 → 2 amplitudes evaluated in the rest frame of their own mother particles, and then they are transformed to the common frame, usually chosen as the laboratory frame, by certain Lorentz transformations. In this way, it is easy to add the amplitudes of possible different decay chains coherently. If massless particles show up in the final states, the polarizations are expressed in helicity basis and the amplitudes are modified correspondingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is one of the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract by activating mutations in the related receptor tyrosine kinases KIT and PDGFRA. Few reliable biomarkers have been established despite illustration of the molecular mechanisms of GISTs development. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs) plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (lncRNA PVT1) is a tumor regulator in many cancers. The goal of our research was to investigate the level and biological function of PVT1 in GIST-882 and GIST-T1 cells. The relative expression of PVT1 was higher in the GISTs cells. Down-regulation of PVT1 has shown that suppressed the proliferation and migration abilities of GISTs cells, and significantly stimulated cell apoptosis. Furthermore, western blot assay confirmed that knockdown of PVT1 obviously reduced the expression of CCND1, CCNB1, CDK6, PIK3CA, p-AKT, Rictor, mSIN1 and mLST8. The results implicated that PTV1 may regulate the progression of GISTs cells through PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. In conclusion, our study provides the evidence that PVT1 plays a vital oncogenic role in GISTs cells, and is a potential prognostic biomarker of recurrence after surgical procedures of GISTs. This highlights the possible of PVT1 serve as a therapeutic target for GISTs treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a passive radar system that detects flying targets is developed in order to solve the problems associated with traditional flying target detection systems (i.e., their large size, high power consumption, complex systems, and poor battlefield survivability). On the basis of target detection, the system uses the multipath signal (which is usually eliminated as an error term in navigation and positioning), enhances it by supporting information, and utilizes the multi-source characteristics of ordinary omnidirectional global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals. The results of a validation experiment showed that the system is able to locate a passenger airplane and obtain its flight trajectory using only one GNSS receiving antenna. The system is characterized by its light weight (less than 5 kg), low power consumption, simple system, good portability, low cost, and 24/7 and all-weather work. It can be installed in large quantities and has good prospects for development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection has been widely spread. We aim to investigate the clinical characteristic and allergy status of patients infected with SARS‐CoV‐2. Methods: Electronic medical records including demographics, clinical manifestation, comorbidities, laboratory data, and radiological materials of 140 hospitalized COVID‐19 patients, with confirmed result of SARS‐CoV‐2 viral infection, were extracted and analyzed. Results: An approximately 1:1 ratio of male (50.7%) and female COVID‐19 patients was found, with an overall median age of 57.0 years. All patients were community‐acquired cases. Fever (91.7%), cough (75.0%), fatigue (75.0%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (39.6%) were the most common clinical manifestations, whereas hypertension (30.0%) and diabetes mellitus (12.1%) were the most common comorbidities. Drug hypersensitivity (11.4%) and urticaria (1.4%) were self‐reported by several patients. Asthma or other allergic diseases were not reported by any of the patients. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, 1.4%) patients and current smokers (1.4%) were rare. Bilateral ground‐glass or patchy opacity (89.6%) was the most common sign of radiological finding. Lymphopenia (75.4%) and eosinopenia (52.9%) were observed in most patients. Blood eosinophil counts correlate positively with lymphocyte counts in severe (r =.486, P <.001) and nonsevere (r =.469, P <.001) patients after hospital admission. Significantly higher levels of D‐dimer, C‐reactive protein, and procalcitonin were associated with severe patients compared to nonsevere patients (all P <.001). Conclusion: Detailed clinical investigation of 140 hospitalized COVID‐19 cases suggests eosinopenia together with lymphopenia may be a potential indicator for diagnosis. Allergic diseases, asthma, and COPD are not risk factors for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Older age, high number of comorbidities, and more prominent laboratory abnormalities were associated with severe patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection has recently spread worldwide and been declared a pandemic. We aim to describe here the various clinical presentations of this disease by examining eleven cases. Methods: Electronic medical records of 11 patients with COVID‐19 were collected, and demographics, clinical manifestations, outcomes, key laboratory results, and radiological images are discussed. Results: The clinical course of the eleven cases demonstrated the complexity of the COVID‐19 profile with different clinical presentations. Clinical manifestations range from asymptomatic cases to patients with mild and severe symptoms, with or without pneumonia. Laboratory detection of the viral nucleic acid can yield false‐negative results, and serological testing of virus‐specific IgG and IgM antibodies should be used as an alternative for diagnosis. Patients with common allergic diseases did not develop distinct symptoms and severe courses. Cases with a pre‐existing condition of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or complicated with a secondary bacterial pneumonia were more severe. Conclusion: All different clinical characteristics of COVID‐19 should be taken into consideration to identify patients that need to be in strict quarantine for the efficient containment of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A unique method is adopted to fabricate high strength aligned SiC nanowire (SiCNWs) reinforced SiC porous ceramics. SiCNWs skeleton was printed through direct ink printing and SiC matrix was synthesized through chemical vapor infiltration. Unidirectional orientation of SiCNWs was realized due to shear flow through small nozzle. The skeleton structure and micron level pores in struts ensured effective SiC infiltration. Well-aligned SiCNWs were homogeneously distributed in SiC matrix without damage. The unidirectional oriented SiCNWs benefits load transfer from matrix to SiCNWs and load-bearing of SiCNWs. Therefore compressive strength reached 390 MPa with ~41.3% porosity while ~400 μm pore size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic structures, formation energy and optical properties of Cu-doped, C-doped, and (Cu, C)-codoped TiO 2 were investigated by the projector augmented wave (PAW) method within GGA + U approximation. The results show that the lattice distortion of the Cu@i1&C@i2 system is the largest in all doping systems. The optical absorption edges of the C@i system and the Cu@i1&C@i2 system appear a blue-shift, which is attributed to the band gap expansion and some deep states generation. The Cu@i system exhibits a reduction in band gap and a generation of the hole state, such as it emerges the highest optical absorption in all doping systems. The optical absorption spectra of pure TiO 2 system, C@i system, Cu@i system, Cu@i1&C@i2 system, Cu@O1&C@i2 system and Cu@Ti1&C@i1 system. Image 1 • There are twenty possible models of computational research. • The lattice distortion is very conducive to the separation of electron-hole pairs. • The Cu@i system exhibits the highest efficiency of the optical absorption in all-doped systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • This study introduces a testing method for recording movements of the knee joint. • A novel testing jig was developed to track the medial and lateral movements. • The test system developed in this study required many factors to be validated. • The system developed in this study is a direct and reliable in vitro test method. Abstract The primary intent of anatomical knee implants is to replicate the motions of a normal knee joint. In developing such designs, a preclinical evaluation of kinematic behavior is needed. This study introduces an in vitro testing method for recording movements of the knee joint. A novel testing jig was developed and incorporated into a knee simulator setup alongside a motion capture system to directly track the medial and lateral movements of a knee prosthesis. The test system developed in this study required a number of factors to be validated; (i) gait inputs to the knee simulator (result: 0.37–1.575% error), (ii) validity of global coordinate system in the motion capture system, (iii) the position of flexion facet centers (FFCs) detected by the motion capture system (result: a maximum error of 0.08 mm in AP direction and 0.3 mm in SI direction), (iv) local coordinate system in the motion capture system (result: 1.09% error for the measurement of flexion angle), (v) that FFC results were in good agreement with inputs. In conclusion, the system developed in this study for recording FFC is a direct and reliable in vitro test method for analyzing the kinematics of a knee prosthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the inversion accuracy of stellar occultation data and to provide a reference for the selection of inversion methods with higher accuracy in the future, this study compared and analyzed the inversion effects of two different methods on the same set of data, which are the effective cross-section method and the onion-peeling method, respectively. Firstly, the inversion principle of the effective cross-section method is introduced in detail. The regularisation parameters and screening conditions for the observation data in the inversion process were clarified based on the ozone observation characteristics. Second, the algorithm was applied to invert the GOMOS observational data from 1 December 2002. The atmospheric radiative transmittance obtained from the observations was filtered, and the inversion results were compared with those obtained using the onion-peeling method. Third, the errors in the height distribution obtained by both methods were calculated using the GOMOS secondary results from 1 December 2002 as the reference value. Finally, the inversion errors of other trace components were computed to further validate the accuracy of the two methods. The results demonstrate that the effective cross-sectional method is more accurate for the inversion of ozone, particularly in low-altitude regions affected by refraction. The method achieved a maximum error of 1.2%, with an apparent magnitude of 2, an effective temperature greater than 10,000 K, and a regularisation parameter of 1015. Furthermore, when applying the same method to the inversion of nitrogen trioxide and calculating the error, it was observed that the results of both methods were comparable at altitude of 30–60 km, with an error value ranging from 0 to 2%. However, at approximately 25 km, the inversion accuracy of the onion-peeling method surpassed that of the effective cross-sectional method. This research provides a theoretical foundation for further investigation of the stellar occultation inversion method and enhancing the accuracy of inversions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]