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Abstract Carbaporphyrin dimers, investigated for their distinctive electronic structures and exceptional properties, have predominantly consisted of systems containing identical subunits. This study addresses the associated knowledge gap by focusing on asymmetric carbaporphyrin dimers with Janus-like characteristics. The synthesis of a Janus-type carbaporphyrin pseudo-dimer 5 is presented. It displays antiaromatic characteristics on the fused side and nonaromatic behavior on the unfused side. A newly synthesized tetraphenylene (TPE) linked bis-dibenzihomoporphyrin 8 and a previously reported dibenzo[g,p]chrysene (DBC) linked bis-dicarbacorrole 9 were prepared as controls. Comprehensive analyses, including 1H NMR spectral studies, single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses, and DFT calculations, validate the mixed character of 5. A further feature of the Janus pseudo-dimer 5 is that it may be transformed into a heterometallic complex, with one side coordinating a Cu(III) center and the other stabilizing a BODIPY complex. This disparate regiochemical reactivity underscores the potential of carbaporphyrin dimers as versatile frameworks, with electronic features and site-specific coordination chemistry controlled through asymmetry. These findings position carbaporphyrin dimers as promising candidates for advances in electronic structure studies, coordination chemistry, materials science, and beyond.

Remotely sensed products are often used in watershed modeling as additional constraints to improve model predictions and reduce model uncertainty. Remotely sensed products also enabled the spatial evaluation of model simulations due to their spatial and temporal coverage. However, their usability is not extensively explored in various regions. This study evaluates the effectiveness of incorporating remotely sensed evapotranspiration (RS-ET) and leaf area index (RS-LAI) products to enhance watershed modeling predictions. The objectives include reducing parameter uncertainty at the watershed scale and refining the model's capability to predict the spatial distribution of ET and LAI at sub-watershed scale. Using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, a systematic calibration procedure was applied. Initially, solely streamflow data was employed as a constraint, gradually incorporating RS-ET and RS-LAI thereafter. The results showed that while 14 parameter sets exhibit satisfactory performance for streamflow and RS-ET, this number diminishes to six with the inclusion of RS-LAI as an additional constraint. Furthermore, among these six sets, only three effectively captured the spatial patterns of ET and LAI at the sub-watershed level. Our findings showed that leveraging multiple remotely sensed products has the potential to diminish parameter uncertainty and increase the credibility of intra-watershed process simulations. These results contributed to broadening the applicability of remotely sensed products in watershed modeling, enhancing their usefulness in this field.

There is a growing need for systems that can be used to effectively detect and classify intrusions in extensive network data exchanges. To this end, we propose Hi-MLIC, a hierarchical multilayer lightweight intrusion classification model that has been designed to address various intrusion types. This study highlights the challenges involved in classifying intrusions due to data imbalance across different types of intrusion data along with the complex nature of consolidating multiple benchmark datasets into cohesive datasets for real-time detection. To address these issues, we consolidated packet capture data from two widely used benchmark datasets, CIC-IDS2017 and UNSW-NB15, into two newer and more comprehensive datasets, CM-CIC-IDS2017 and CM-UNSW-NB15, respectively. This consolidation enables the identification and classification of a broader range of intrusion types. Our hierarchical approach achieves improved classification accuracy by effectively addressing the class imbalance that is inherent in non-hierarchical models. Layer-1 separates network traffic into benign and malicious categories. Layer-2 further classifies malicious traffic into four groups, while Layer-3 identifies 23 specific intrusion types. We reduced the model complexity and processing time by performing misclassification analysis and eliminating unnecessary features. Our model ultimately achieved a recall metric of up to 98.8%, thus demonstrating its effectiveness and efficiency in intrusion detection and classification. Altogether, the proposed Hi-MLIC represents a significant advancement in addressing the challenges of real-time network intrusion detection.

The importance of a high-quality dataset availability in 3D human action analysis research cannot be overstated. This paper introduces DGU-HAO (Human Action analysis dataset with daily life Objects). This novel 3D human action multi-modality dataset encompasses four distinct data modalities accompanied by annotation data, including motion capture, RGB video, image, and 3D object modeling data. It features 63 action classes involving interactions with 60 common furniture and electronic devices. Each action class comprises approximately 1,000 motion capture data representing 3D skeleton data and corresponding RGB video and 3D object modeling data, resulting in 67,505 motion capture data samples. It offers comprehensive 3D structural information of the human, RGB images and videos, and point cloud data for 60 objects, collected through the participation of 126 subjects to ensure inclusivity and account for diverse human body types. To validate our dataset, we leveraged MMNet, a 3D human action recognition model, achieving Top-1 accuracy of 91.51% and 92.29% using the skeleton joint and bone methods, respectively. Beyond human action recognition, our versatile dataset is valuable for various 3D human action analysis research endeavors.

Abstract We propose a Fabry–Perot cavity (FPC) antenna to suppress a sidelobe level (SLL) while maintaining a reasonably high gain. Generally, conventional FPC antennas (FPCAs) produce a high SLL because waves in their FPC leak considerably through lateral openings, which is a primary reason for lowering antenna gains. We propose two design approaches to solve this problem: the reflection magnitude tapering of a partially reflective surface (PRS) and considering different incident modes for the PRS design. First, the proposed tapering can remarkably reduce an SLL by providing the PRS with more radiation opportunities. Second, the different incident modes of transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) can increase an antenna gain by considering a more realistic illumination environment of the PRS. We have proven that our antenna provides 19.8 dBi realized gain with high sidelobe suppression (SLS) of more than 23 dB. Consequently, the proposed FPCA can suppress sidelobes significantly while maintaining a high gain. Good agreement between simulations and experiments demonstrates the usefulness of our proposal.

Environmental factors, such as climate change and land use changes, affect water quality drastically. To consider these, various predictive models, both process-based and data-driven, have been used. However, each model has distinct limitations. In this study, a hybrid model combining the soil and water assessment tool and the reverse time attention mechanism (SWAT–RETAIN) was proposed for predicting daily streamflow and total phosphorus (TP) load of a watershed. SWAT–RETAIN was applied to Hwangryong River, South Korea. The hybrid model uses the SWAT output as input data for the RETAIN. Spatial, meteorological, and hydrological data were collected to develop the SWAT to generate high temporal resolution data. RETAIN facilitated effective simultaneous prediction. The SWAT–RETAIN exhibited high accuracy in predicting streamflow (Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE): 0.45, root mean square error (RMSE): 27.74, percent bias (PBIAS): 22.63 for test sets), and TP load (NSE: 0.50, RMSE: 423.93, PBIAS: 22.09 for test sets). This result was evident in the performance evaluation using flow duration and load duration curves. The SWAT–RETAIN provides enhanced temporal resolution and performance, enabling the simultaneous prediction of multiple variables. It can be applied to predict various water quality variables in larger watersheds. HIGHLIGHTS Process-based and data-driven models combined for improved prediction accuracy.; Output of SWAT was used as input data for RETAIN.; SWAT–RETAIN yielded superior predictive power over standalone SWAT.; Trends in observed values were accurately captured.; Applicable to time-series prediction of other water quality variables.;

The color conversion efficiency of phosphor films can be significantly improved by producing them in the shape of photonic crystals (PhCs). When light with photonic band‐edge wavelengths is incident on a PhCs phosphor film, the excitation photons are resonantly absorbed, enhancing the emission intensity. This study develops three‐dimensional PhC phosphor films based on self‐assembled inverse opal structures. PhC phosphors are constructed using a silk fibroin polymer and red organic fluorescent dyes (λpeak ≈ 610 nm) doped into it. The photonic structures are designed using electromagnetic wave simulations and photonic band structure analyses. The fabricated PhC phosphor films are integrated with blue micro‐light‐emitting diode (micro‐LED) chips (λpeak ≈ 452 nm), resulting in a color conversion efficiency increase of more than 1.5 times that of bulk phosphor films. Additionally, experiments are performed using various micro‐LED chips with a size of less than 100 μm. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate the potential of PhC phosphor films in future micro‐LED‐based devices and applications, including displays and communication systems.

Background: Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) is an exact method of measurement. Objectives: We conducted this study to identify the prognostic factors for successful treatment-free remission in patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia who discontinued tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). We also aimed to validate ddPCR for predicting molecular relapse. Design: This is a prospective, multicenter study. Methods: We enrolled patients treated with TKIs for at least 3 years with a confirmed sustained deep molecular response (DMR) for at least 1 year. TKI was re-administered in patients who experienced the loss of major molecular response (MMR). Results: A total of 66 patients from five institutions in South Korea were enrolled. During a median follow-up period of 16.5 months, 29/66 (43.9%) patients experienced molecular relapse; the probability of molecular relapse-free survival (RFS) at 6 or 12 months after TKI discontinuation was 65.6% or 57.8%, respectively, with most molecular relapses occurring within the first 7 months. All patients who lost MMR were re-treated with TKI, and all re-achieved MMR at a median of 2.8 months. E14a2 transcript type ( p = 0.005) and longer DMR duration (⩾48 months) prior to TKI discontinuation ( p = 0.002) were associated with prolonged molecular RFS and with sustained DMR. Patients with both e13a2 transcript type and detectable BCR::ABL1 (⩾MR 5.0 ) by ddPCR at the time of TKI discontinuation showed shorter duration of molecular RFS ( p = 0.015). Conclusion: Our data suggest that transcript type and BCR::ABL1 transcript levels on ddPCR should be taken into consideration when deciding whether to discontinue TKI therapy.

Abstract Background Capsular contracture is a critical complication of silicone implantation caused by fibrotic tissue formation from excessive foreign body responses. Various approaches have been applied, but targeting the mechanisms of capsule formation has not been completely solved. Myofibroblast differentiation through the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)/p-SMADs signaling is one of the key factors for capsular contracture development. In addition, biofilm formation on implants may result chronic inflammation promoting capsular fibrosis formation with subsequent contraction. To date, there have been no approaches targeting multi-facted mechanisms of capsular contracture development. Methods In this study, we developed a multi-targeting nitric oxide (NO) releasing bionanomatrix coating to reduce capsular contracture formation by targeting myofibroblast differentiation, inflammatory responses, and infections. First, we characterized the bionanomatrix coating on silicon implants by conducting rheology test, scanning electron microcsopy analysis, nanoindentation analysis, and NO release kinetics evaluation. In addition, differentiated monocyte adhesion and S. epidermidis biofilm formation on bionanomatrix coated silicone implants were evaluated in vitro. Bionanomatrix coated silicone and uncoated silicone groups were subcutaneously implanted into a mouse model for evaluation of capsular contracture development for a month. Fibrosis formation, capsule thickness, TGF-β/SMAD 2/3 signaling cascade, NO production, and inflammatory cytokine production were evaluated using histology, immunofluorescent imaging analysis, and gene and protein expression assays. Results The bionanomatrix coating maintained a uniform and smooth surface on the silicone even after mechanical stress conditions. In addition, the bionanomatrix coating showed sustained NO release for at least one month and reduction of differentiated monocyte adhesion and S. epidermidis biofilm formation on the silicone implants in vitro. In in vivo implantation studies, the bionanomatrix coated groups demonstrated significant reduction of capsule thickness surrounding the implants. This result was due to a decrease of myofibroblast differentiation and fibrous extracellular matrix production through inhibition of the TGF-β/p-SMADs signaling. Also, the bionanomatrix coated groups reduced gene expression of M1 macrophage markers and promoted M2 macrophage markers which indicated the bionanomatrix could reduce inflammation but promote healing process. Conclusions In conclusion, the bionanomatrix coating significantly reduced capsular contracture formation and promoted healing process on silicone implants by reducing myfibroblast differentiation, fibrotic tissue formation, and inflammation. Graphical Abstract A multi-targeting nitric oxide releasing bionanomatrix coating for silicone implant can reduce capsular contracture and improve healing process. The bionanomatrix coating reduces capsule thickness, α-smooth muscle actin and collagen synthesis, and myofibroblast differentiation through inhibition of TGF-β/SMADs signaling cascades in the subcutaneous mouse models for a month.

Abstract Background To understand the molecular mechanisms involved in regulation of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) by metformin in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Methods Expression levels of DNMTs in response to metformin were analyzed in NSCLC cells. MicroRNAs regulating expression of DNMTs at the post-transcriptional level were searched using miRNA-target databases (miRDB and miRTarBase), TCGA RNASeqV2 lung cancer data, and miRNA-seq. Results Metformin dose-dependently downregulated expression of DNMT1 and DNMT3a at the post-transcriptional level and expression of DNMT3b at the transcriptional level in A549 lung cancer cells. Activity of DNMTs was reduced by about 2.6-fold in A549 cells treated with 10 mM metformin for 72 h. miR-148/-152 family members (miR-148a, miR-148b, and miR-152) targeting the 3′UTR of DNMTs were associated with post-transcriptional regulation of DNMTs by metformin. Metformin upregulated expression of miR-148a, miR-148b, and miR-152 in A549 and H1650 cells. Transfection with an miR-148b plasmid or a mimic suppressed expression of DNMT1 and DNMT3b in A549 cells. Transfection with the miR-148a mimic in A549 and H1650 cells decreased the luciferase activity of DNMT1 3′UTR. A combination of metformin and cisplatin synergistically increased expression levels of miR-148/-152 family members but decreased expression of DNMTs in A549 cells. Low expression of miR-148b was associated with poor overall survival (HR = 2.56, 95% CI 1.09—6.47; P = 0.04) but not with recurrence-free survival. Conclusions The present study suggests that metformin inhibits expression of DNMTs by upregulating miR-148/-152 family members in NSCLC cells.

Symmetry breaking charge separations have been found to be important for charge transfer in bacteriochlorophyll pairs in photosynthetic reaction centers, but engineering symmetry breaking charge separations in artificial dimers of related chromophores is challenging. Here, the authors report the design and synthesis of aromatic-bridged as well as meso-meso-linked BF2-smaragdyrin dimers that exhibit symmetry-breaking charge transfer properties.

Objectives This study aims to assess the applicability of the SWAT-C water quality model recently developed to predict in-stream Total Organic Carbon (TOC) in a watershed within South Korea. Methods The SWAT-C model was tested in the Hwangryong River Watershed. SWAT-C is an advanced version of Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to simulate carbon cycling at the watershed scale. The model was simulated for 11 years (2010-2020) consisting of 2-year warm-up (2010-2011), 6-year calibration (2012-2017), and 3-year validation (2018-2020) periods. SWAT-C was calibrated and validated against monthly streamflow and TOC loads. The model performance was evaluated using NSE (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency), KGE (Kling-Gupta efficiency), and PBIAS (percent bias) Simulated Dissolve Organic Carbon (DOC) and Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) loads were also presented to see the major caron type loaded to the downstream. Results and Discussion The calibration results showed that SWAT-C could depict streamflow and TOC loads with acceptance model performances (NSE > 0.5, KGE > 0.5 and PBIAS =< 25%). Especially, the seasonal variations of TOC loads were well simulated by SWAT-C. The TOC load was predicted to increase in the summer season with high precipitation and slightly lower in the other seasons. This seasonal pattern is likely caused by frequent heavy rainfall events in summer. Conclusion This study demonstrated that SWAT-C model is applicable in South Korea with sufficient prediction accuracy. Thus, SWAT-C would serve as an efficient tool to monitor TOC loads in South Korea.

Understanding structure-property relationship of dye arrays is of great importance for designing organic photonic and photovoltaic materials. Here, authors present a slip-stacked perylene bisimide array as a model system to investigate singlet fission mechanisms by depending upon interchromophoric interaction.

Herein, we present a new method for the calculation of the specific absorption rate (SAR) of rats (named time-weighted SAR) to practically consider the effect of the ever-changing movements of rats on their SARs. First, nine rats in separate cages were recorded for approximately 22 h, and the footage every 1 min was collected to obtain 1,307 still shots per rat. Next, five representative postures, which were classified according to the similarity of the still shots, were selected. Subsequently, the percentage of each posture was calculated by computing the number of still shots classified into the corresponding representative postures. Lastly, we demonstrated that although each rat exhibited relatively different and diverse movements during the observation period, the application of this percentage to the SARs of each posture resulted in very similar SAR levels among the rats. This indicates that the time-weighted SAR can be a suitable parameter for accounting for various behavior patterns of rats, as it can measure the total amount of real RF exposure more precisely and practically.

Humans can recognize or infer unseen classes of objects using descriptions explaining the characteristics (semantic information) of the classes. However, conventional deep learning models trained in a supervised manner cannot classify classes that were unseen during training. Hence, many studies have been conducted into generalized zero-shot learning (GZSL), which aims to produce system which can recognize both seen and unseen classes, by transferring learned knowledge from seen to unseen classes. Since seen and unseen classes share a common semantic space, extracting appropriate semantic information from images is essential for GZSL. In addition to semantic-related information (attributes), images also contain semantic-unrelated information (contents), which can degrade the classification performance of the model. Therefore, we propose a content-attribute disentanglement architecture which separates the content and attribute information of images. The proposed method is comprised of three major components: 1) a feature generation module for synthesizing unseen visual features; 2) a content-attribute disentanglement module for discriminating content and attribute codes from images; and 3) an attribute comparator module for measuring the compatibility between the attribute codes and the class prototypes which act as the ground truth. With extensive experiments, we show that our method achieves state-of-the-art and competitive results on four benchmark datasets in GZSL. Our method also outperforms the existing zero-shot learning methods in all of the datasets. Moreover, our method has the best accuracy as well in a zero-shot retrieval task. Our code is available at https://github.com/anyoojin1996/CA-GZSL.

Composite development indices show an exponential movement of major economic indicators to identify and predict the overall trend of the national economy. However, the existing method of writing composite development indices is based on simple statistical methods using macroscopic data. Therefore, it presents limitations when grasping regional economic trends late. It is because the time of announcement of composite development indices is concentrated at the end of each month, quarter, and year. This study used the floating population estimated from smartphone data that can be collected in real-time to analyze how floating population patterns affect regional economic situations to compensate for these limitations. The primary purpose was to present a prompt development prediction methodology that reflects this meaningful relationship. A correlation and cross-correlation analysis was performed to exhibit a clear relationship between composite development indices and floating population value. In addition, a time series model and a multiple regression model analyses were applied to predict regional development indices. The results obtained facilitated the prompt selection of regional composite indices after choosing a model that exhibits high prediction accuracy and efficiency of the application. The selected regional development composite indices are expected to be used as a faster and more reliable prediction criterion than the existing development composite indices used to predict a specific city’s economic situation.

The proposed design approach improves the circularly polarized Fabry-Perot cavity antenna (CP-FPCA) by increasing gain and sidelobe suppression (SLS) while reducing the axial ratio (AR) and cross-polarization levels. Conventional CP-FPC antennas have a high AR due to the lack of independent control over circular polarization conditions. The solution proposes a double-layered circularly polarized partially reflecting surface (CP-PRS) that independently controls the circular polarization conditions at the design frequency f0 (10 GHz) for equal magnitudes and at a ±90° phase difference between orthogonal components of the transmitted waves. The PRS and artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) unit cells are employed to satisfy Trentini’s beamforming condition, leading to increased gain and SLS and lowered AR and cross-polarization levels. Consequently, the proposed CP-FPCA provides a 15.4 dBi high gain with 25.3% aperture efficiency and more than 23.5 dB high SLS in each plane. Moreover, it achieves an AR lowered by 0.12 dB and a cross-polarization level below −42 dB. A strong correlation between the simulations and experiments proves the practicality of our proposal.

We investigate the whole-body average specific absorption rate (WBA-SAR) of rats under various plane wave exposure characteristics, including different polarizations, incidence angles, distances between rats, and total number of rats. Unlike many other studies, we start our SAR analysis from one rat and expand it to 27 rats facing random directions in a three-dimensional area. In a one-rat analysis, we examine how the incidence direction and polarization affect the SAR of a single rat. Moreover, we look into how various incidence polarizations behave differently after they are transmited through a rat, the information of which is then used to analyze the effect of spacing among 27 randomly arranged rats. Next, we analyze the effect on spacing of the 27 rats deployed under a 52-plane-wave exposure, which is introduced to mimic a realistic reverberation chamber (RC) environment. We show the deviation in WBA-SAR according to the distance between rats, which provides guidelines for selecting the appropriate rat distance based on the number of animals and the exposure deviation within a limited working volume in an RC for large-scale experiments.

Abstract A family of tunable halochromic switches is developed using a naphthalimide‐fused dipyrrin as the core π‐conjugated motif. Electronic properties of these dipyrrins are tuned by substitution of their alpha and meso positions with aryl groups of variable donor–acceptor strength. The first protonation results in a conformational change that enhances electronic coupling between the dipyrrin chromophore and the meso substituent, leading to halochromic effects that occasionally exceed 200 nm and switch the absorption between the near‐infrared (NIR)‐I and NIR‐II ranges. A NIR‐II photothermal effect, switchable by acid–base chemistry is demonstrated for selected dipyrrins. Further protonation is possible for derivatives bearing additional amino groups, leading to up to four halochromic switching step. The most electron‐rich dipyrrins are also susceptible to chemical oxidation, yielding NIR‐absorbing radical cations and closed‐shell dications.

Magic size clusters have often been identified as intermediates in the formation of quantum dots from molecular precursors. Here, the authors report the syntheses of two families of chlorine- or zinc-doped indium phosphide magic size clusters and study their evolution from precursor to colloidal quantum dot.

Summary: To approach the theoretical efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the defects in perovskites should be managed. Among different types of defects, halide vacancies easily form on the surface of perovskite grains (PGs), hindering perovskite stability and the charge-transport process by trapping charge carriers. In this work, oxidized black phosphorus quantum dots (O-BPQDs) are incorporated into a perovskite to resolve these issues. Oxygen atoms of the O-BPQDs interact with uncoordinated Pb (halide vacancies), forming grain interconnections. These interactions reduce halide vacancies and suppress the overall recombination kinetics. Along with defect reduction, the O-BPQDs offer an efficient charge-transport channel across individual PGs. We achieve a best power-conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.34% for SnO2-based PSCs and of 23.1% for TiO2-based PSCs. These PSCs exhibit moisture stability in a relative humidity (RH) 40% environment comparable to 3D/2D perovskites. Our strategy provides practical applicability and versatility for PSCs to approach the theoretical PCE value.

Surface passivation is a critical aspect of preventing surface oxidation and improving the emission properties of nanocrystal quantum dots (QDs). Recent studies have demonstrated the critical role of surface ligands in determining the performance of QD-based light-emitting diodes (QD-LEDs). Herein, the underlying mechanism by which the capping ligands of InP/ZnSe/ZnS QDs influence the brightness and lifetime of the QD-LEDs is investigated. The electrochemical results demonstrate that highly luminescent InP/ZnSe/ZnS QDs exhibit modulated charge injection depending on the length of the surface ligand chains: short alkyl chains on the ligands are favorable for charge transport to the QDs. In addition, the correlation between the spectroscopic and XRD analyses suggests that the length of the ligand chain tunes the ligand–ligand coupling strength, thereby controlling the inter-QD energy transfer dynamics. The present findings shed new light on the crucial role of surface ligands for InP/ZnSe/ZnS QD-LED applications.

Excited state aromaticity gives rise to unique photophysical properties which may aid the design of functional photoactive materials. Here, the authors spectroscopically characterize an acceptor-donor-acceptor system featuring a two-electron transfer process stabilized by aromatization in the lower energy excited state.

Little is known about interactions between two antiaromatic molecules. Here, the authors synthesised a cyclophane, in which two antiaromatic porphyrin moieties adopt a stacked face-to-face geometry with a distance shorter than the sum of the van der Waals radii of the atoms involved.

Background and Purpose We aimed to assess whether early resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) changes measured via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) could predict recovery from visual field defect (VFD) in acute stroke patients. Methods Patients with VFD due to acute ischemic stroke in the visual cortex and age-matched healthy controls were prospectively enrolled. Serial resting-state (RS)-fMRI and Humphrey visual field (VF) tests were performed within 1 week and at 1 and 3 months (additional VF test at 6 months) after stroke onset in the patient group. The control group also underwent RS-fMRI and a Humphrey VF test. The changes in RSFCs and VF scores (VFSs) over time and their correlations were investigated. Results In 32 patients (65±10 years, 25 men), the VFSs were lower and the interhemispheric RSFC in the visual cortices was decreased compared to the control group (n=15, 62±6 years, seven men). The VFSs and interhemispheric RSFC in the visual cortex increased mainly within the first month after stroke onset. The interhemispheric RSFC and VFSs were positively correlated at 1 month after stroke onset. Moreover, the interhemispheric RSFCs in the visual cortex within 1 week were positively correlated with the follow-up VFSs. Conclusions Interhemispheric RSFCs in the visual cortices within 1 week after stroke onset may be a useful biomarker to predict long-term VFD recovery.

Although research on schema has been widely investigated for the past decades, little research has addressed the development of a systematic instructional design theory using schema principles and processes. This study proposes a systematic schema-based instructional design model, including general and schema analysis, schema-based design, and development processes and techniques for evaluating a learner’s acquired schema. By synthesizing empirical studies, this study comprehensively reviews literature on schema and foundational principles for learning. The goal of the study is to enrich the knowledge base of schema-based instructional design for different learning environments. Thus, the study is concluded by a discussion on how to utilize a schema-based instructional design for self-paced learning environments with additional implications and further recommendations.

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to discover DNA methylation biomarkers for detecting non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) in bronchial washings and understanding the association between DNA methylation and smoking cessation. Methods DNA methylation was analyzed in bronchial washing samples from 70 NSCLCs and 53 hospital-based controls using Illumina HumanMethylation450K BeadChip. Methylation levels in these bronchial washings were compared to those in 897 primary lung tissues of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data. Results Twenty-four CpGs (p

This study examined the effects of an integrated approach that combines segmentation and self-explanation designs on learner achievement for meaningful video-based learning. This was a pretest-posttest research design with a sample size of 121 participants randomly assigned to one of four different types of video instructions (continuous, segmentation, self-explanation, or the combination of segmentation and self-explanation). Participants engaged in video instruction that used either a continuous video or segmented video clips and incorporated either self-explanation prompts or no self-explanation prompts. The results showed that participants in the combination and segmentation conditions outperformed those in the continuous condition in evaluation ability, and participants in the combination condition outperformed those in the continuous condition in the overall performance after controlling for prior knowledge. The current study indicates that the combined design can effectively facilitate student learning by engaging them in meaningful video-based learning.

A new beam scanning method of a Fabry–Perot cavity (FPC) antenna is proposed. To obtain high gain in a target direction with a reduced sidelobe level (SLL), we devised a tapered partially reflective surface (PRS) as a superstrate. Moreover, to attain various beam scanning directions, a phase-controllable artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) ground plane with a broad reflection phase range and high reflection magnitudes was introduced. In the proposed method, a new formula to satisfy an FP resonance condition in a cavity for a scanned beam is also suggested. According to the formula, the FPC antenna can precisely scan the main beam in designed target directions with well-maintained high gain, which has been hardly achievable. In addition, our method demonstrates the potential of electrical beam-scanning antennas by employing active RF chips on the AMC cells. To validate the method, we fabricated a prototype FPC antenna for a scanned beam at θ = 30°. Furthermore, we conducted an additional simulation for a different beam scanning angle as well. Good agreement between the expected and experimental results verifies our design approach.

Background: While the effectiveness of tutoring-style videos has been reported in previous studies conducted in laboratories, how these types of videos facilitate students' learning experiences and achievement has not been much explored in prior studies, which prevents discussion on how to design such tutoring-style videos. Objectives: In this study, we addressed the limitations reported in studies conducted in authentic classes and attempted to explore students' learning patterns and experiences with tutoring-style videos involving interactions between the instructor and agents. In addition, we attempted to reveal what instructional strategies can be used in tutoring-style videos to enhance students' engagement and achievement. Methods: The study took place in an undergraduate introductory biology class offered at a university located in the Midwest of the United States. The same instructor taught two sections of this course which lasted for 15 weeks during a Spring semester. The two sections were randomly assigned to an experimental group in which participants watched tutoring-style videos and a control group with participants watching traditional videos. The experiment was administered in a module lasting two and a half weeks focused on microbiology. Surveys and tests were conducted to determine whether the tutoring-style videos had a positive impact on student engagement and achievement. In addition, a video content analysis was carried out to elicit insights on how to design effective tutoring-style videos. Results: For students' emotional engagement and perceived usefulness, no significant difference was found between the two groups, even though the descriptive statistics indicated slightly higher scores from the experimental group than the control group on both subscales. In terms of achievement, the participants reported significantly more learned concepts from watching rich-interactions in the tutoring-style videos than the participants in the control group; and they also reported a significantly smaller number of learned concepts from watching one-interactions in the videos than the control group participants. We also found that instruction in the tutoring-style videos used effective strategies for facilitating students' participation and cognitive processing. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that tutoring-style videos can be effective learning materials by allowing students to engage in interactions between instructors and agents in the videos. The more instructional strategies used to facilitate the interactions between the instructor and the agents, the higher engagement can be expected from viewers. Our study would inform the design and development of effective tutoring-style videos.

Abstract Background This study was aimed at understanding whether bronchial biopsy specimen can be used as a surrogate for DNA methylation analysis in surgically resected lung cancer. Methods A genome-wide methylation was analyzed in 42 surgically resected tumor tissues, 136 bronchial washing, 12 sputum, and 8 bronchial biopsy specimens using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip, and models for prediction of lung cancer were evaluated using TCGA lung cancer data. Results Four thousand seven hundred and twenty-six CpGs (P 0.05, Wilcoxon rank-sum test). However, their methylation levels were significantly different between paired bronchial biopsy and washing (P

Baird’s rule applies to cyclic π-conjugated molecules in their excited state, yet a quantification of the involved energetics is elusive. Here, the authors show the ring inversion kinetics of two nonplanar and chiral [4n]annulenes to support Baird’s rule from an energetic point of view.

For H-aggregates of perylene bisimide (PBI), it has been reported that upon photoexcitation, an initially delocalized Frenkel exciton is localized by excimer formation. However, in recent studies, the beforehand exciton dynamics preceding the excimer formation was suggested in larger aggregates consisting of at least more than 10-PBI subunits, which was not observed in small aggregates comprising less than four-PBI subunits. This feature implies that the size of molecular aggregates plays a crucial role in the initial exciton dynamics. In this regard, we have tried to unveil the initial exciton dynamics in PBI H-aggregates by tracking down the transient reorientations of electronic transition dipoles formed by interactions between the PBI subunits in systematically size-controlled PBI H-aggregates. The ultrafast coherent exciton dynamics depending on the molecular aggregate sizes can be distinguished using polarization-dependent femtosecond-transient absorption anisotropy spectroscopic measurements with a time resolution of ∼40 fs. The ultrafast decay profiles of the anisotropy values are unaffected by vibrational relaxation and rotational diffusion processes; hence, the coherent exciton dynamics of the PBI H-aggregates prior to the excimer formation can be directly revealed as the energy migration processes along the PBI H-aggregates.

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22007-4

Source enumeration is an important procedure for radio direction-of-arrival finding in the multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm. The most widely used source enumeration approaches are based on the eigenvalues themselves of the covariance matrix obtained from the received signal. However, they have shortcomings such as the imperfect accuracy even at a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the poor performance at low SNR, and the limited detection number of sources. This paper proposestwo source enumeration approaches using the ratio of eigenvalue gaps and the threshold trained by a machine learning based clustering algorithm for gaps of normalized eigenvalues, respectively. In the first approach, a criterion formula derived with eigenvalue gaps is used to determine the number of sources, where the formula has maximum value. In the second approach, datasets of normalized eigenvalue gaps are generated for the machine learning based clustering algorithm and the optimal threshold for estimation of the number of sources are derived, which minimizes source enumeration error probability. Simulation results show that our proposed approaches are superior to the conventional approaches from both the estimation accuracy and numerical detectability extent points of view. The results demonstrate that the second proposed approach has the feasibility to improve source enumeration performance if appropriate learning datasets are sufficiently provided.

It has been proposed that stacking antiaromatic molecules can build three-dimensional aromaticity, but this claim has lacked experimental validation. Here the authors report that π–π stacked antiaromatic porphyrins display significantly reduced antiaromaticity in solid state and in solution.

Purpose: Previously, we reported the presence of virus-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) in the urine of prostate cancer (CaP) patients. In this study, we investigated the expression of two herpes virus-encoded miRNAs in prostate tissue. Methods: A total of 175 tissue samples from noncancerous benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), 248 tissue samples from patients with CaP and BPH, and 50 samples from noncancerous surrounding tissues from these same patients were analyzed for the expression of two herpes virus-encoded miRNAs by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunocytochemistry using nanoparticles as molecular beacons. Results: Real-time reverse transcription-PCR results revealed significantly higher expression of hsv1-miR-H18 and hsv2-miRH9- 5p in surrounding noncancerous and CaP tissues than that in BPH tissue (each comparison, P

The formation of secondary phases of NiTe2 and NbTe2 in p-type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 thermoelectric alloys was investigated through in situ phase separation by using the melt spinning process. Adding stoichiometric Ni, Nb, and Te in a solid-state synthesis process of Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3, followed by rapid solidification by melt spinning, successfully segregated NiTe2 and NbTe2 in the Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 matrix. Since heterointerfaces of Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 with NiTe2 and NbTe2 form potential barriers of 0.26 and 0.08 eV, respectively, a low energy carrier filtering effect can be expected; higher Seebeck coefficients and power factors were achieved for Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3(NiTe2)0.01 (250 μV/K and 3.15 mW/mK2), compared to those of Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 (240 μV/K and 2.69 mW/mK2). However, there was no power factor increase for NbTe2 segregated samples. The decrease in thermal conductivity was seen due to the possible additional phonon scattering by the phase segregations. Consequently, zT at room temperature was enhanced to 0.98 and 0.94 for Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3(NiTe2)0.01 and Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3(NbTe2)0.01, respectively, compared to 0.79 for Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3. The carrier filtering effect induced by NiTe2 segregations with an interface potential barrier of 0.26 eV effectively increased the Seebeck coefficient and power factor, thus improving the zT of p-type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3, while the interface potential barrier of 0.08 eV of NbTe2 segregation appeared to be too small to induce an effective carrier filtering effect.

The demand for qualified teachers with sufficient pedagogical knowledge and skills is high. However, existing teacher education programs do not provide adequate experiences through which to develop pre-service teachers’ professional foundations. This study recognized Open Educational Resources (OER) as a means by which to address the issue of enhancing teacher education. The purpose of this study was to propose a framework to be used to integrate OER into lesson design activities for pre-service teachers. In this study, a focused literature review investigated the frameworks of distributed cognition and example-based learning. This review process resulted in a unified framework that provides a description of how pre-service teachers learn with OER at both the individual and cognitive system levels. Four principles and 10 guidelines are provided to guide the implementation of OER-based lesson design activities in real settings. The new framework has the potential to enhance pre-service teachers’ Web resource-based professional development.

Purpose: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in biological fluids are potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and assessment of urological diseases such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa). The aim of the study was to identify and validate urinary cell-free miRNAs that can segregate patients with PCa from those with BPH. Methods: In total, 1,052 urine, 150 serum, and 150 prostate tissue samples from patients with PCa or BPH were used in the study. A urine-based miRNA microarray analysis suggested the presence of differentially expressed urinary miRNAs in patients with PCa, and these were further validated in three independent PCa cohorts, using a quantitative reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction analysis. Results: The expression levels of hsa-miR-615-3p, hsv1-miR-H18, hsv2-miR-H9-5p, and hsa-miR-4316 were significantly higher in urine samples of patients with PCa than in those of BPH controls. In particular, herpes simplex virus (hsv)-derived hsv1-miR-H18 and hsv2-miR-H9-5p showed better diagnostic performance than did the serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test for patients in the PSA gray zone. Furthermore, a combination of urinary hsv2-miR-H9-5p with serum PSA showed high sensitivity and specificity, providing a potential clinical benefit by reducing unnecessary biopsies. Conclusions: Our findings showed that hsv-encoded hsv1-miR-H18 and hsv2-miR-H9-5p are significantly associated with PCa and can facilitate early diagnosis of PCa for patients within the serum PSA gray zone.

This paper describes the case study of applying projection-based augmented reality, especially for dynamic objects in live performing shows, such as plays, dancing, or musicals. Our study aims to project imagery correctly inside the silhouettes of flexible objects, in other words, live actors or the surface of actor’s costumes; the silhouette transforms its own shape frequently. To realize this work, we implemented a special projection system based on the real-time masking technique, that is to say real-time projection-based augmented reality system for dynamic objects in performing arts. We installed the sets on a stage for live performance, and rehearsed particular scenes of a musical. In live performance, using projection-based augmented reality technology enhances technical and theatrical aspects which were not possible with existing video projection techniques. The projected images on the surfaces of actor’s costume could not only express the particular scene of a performance more effectively, but also lead the audience to an extraordinary visual experience.

The Fusarium fungi produce toxic substances called mycotoxins, which can cause disease and harmful effects in grains, livestock, and humans. Deoxynivalenol (DON), also known as vomitoxin, is one of the Fusarium mycotoxins that is known to cause vomiting in livestock. This study shows the occurrence of deoxynivalenol in feedstuffs (compound feed and feed ingredients) between 2009 and 2016 in South Korea. A total of 653 domestic samples were collected at five time points, including 494 compound feed samples and 159 feed ingredient samples. DON contamination levels were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with pretreatment using an immunoaffinity column (IAC). The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) were estimated at 1–10 µg/kg and 3–35 µg/kg, respectively. Two compound feeds (two gestating sow feed samples) out of 160 pig feed samples exceeded the European Commission (EC) guidance value, while no feed ingredient samples exceeded the EC or South Korean guidance values. There were statistically significant differences in the mean contamination levels of compound feed and feed ingredients that indicated a decreasing trend over time.

In this review, we explore how reward signals shape perceptual learning in animals and humans. Perceptual learning is the well-established phenomenon by which extensive practice elicits selective improvement in one’s perceptual discrimination of basic visual features, such as oriented lines or moving stimuli. While perceptual learning has long been thought to rely on ‘top-down’ processes, such as attention and decision-making, a wave of recent findings suggests that these higher-level processes are, in fact, not necessary. Rather, these recent findings indicate that reward signals alone, in the absence of the contribution of higher-level cognitive processes, are sufficient to drive the benefits of perceptual learning. Here, we will review the literature tying reward signals to perceptual learning. Based on these findings, we propose dual underlying mechanisms that give rise to perceptual learning: one mechanism that operates ‘automatically’ and is tied directly to reward signals, and another mechanism that involves more ‘top-down’, goal-directed computations.

Several plant pathogen Fusarium species produce fumonisins (FUMs); which can end up in food and feed and; when ingested; can exhibit harmful effects on humans and livestock. Mycotoxin intoxication by fumonisin B1 (FB1) and fumonisin B2 (FB2) can cause porcine pulmonary edema; leukoencephalomalacia in equines; esophageal cancer and birth defects by natural contamination. Herein; the occurrence of FB1 and FB2 in feedstuff (compound feed and feed ingredients) was investigated between 2011 and 2016 in South Korea. A total of 535 animal feed samples (425 compound feed samples and 110 feed ingredients) produced domestically were sampled four times between 2011 and 2016 (2011; 2012; 2014 and 2016) from feed factories in South Korea. The limit of detection (LOD) for FB1 and FB2 was 20 μg/kg and 25 μg/kg; respectively; and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 30 μg/kg and 35 μg/kg; respectively. The recovery range (%) was between 86.4% and 108.8%; and the relative standard deviation (RSD) (%) was 4.7–12.1%. Seven (swine feed samples) out of the 425 feed samples exceeded the European Union (EU) and South Korea commission regulations over the six-year test period; and no feed ingredients exceeded the guidelines.

Mycotoxins produced by Fusarium plant pathogen species have harmful effects on humans and livestock by natural contamination in food and feed. Zearalenone, one of the well-known Fusarium mycotoxins, causes hyperestrogenism and toxicosis resulting in reproductive dysfunction in animals. This study investigated the occurrence of zearalenone in feedstuffs (compound feeds, feed ingredients) between 2009 and 2016 in South Korea to obtain information on zearalenone contamination in feeds for management. A total of 653 animal feed samples (494 compound feeds, 159 feed ingredients) produced domestically were sampled five times from 2009 to 2016 (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016) from feed factories in South Korea. The levels of zearalenone were analyzed every year by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after pretreatment with an immunoaffinity column showing limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.1–3 μg/kg and 0.3–8 μg/kg, respectively. Four feed samples out of 494 compound feeds exceeded the EU and South Korea commission regulations over the eight-year test period, and no feed ingredients exceeded the guidelines.

Pathogenic microorganisms can lead to serious outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, particularly if fresh produce becomes contaminated and then happens to be inappropriately handled in a manner that can incubate pathogens. Pathogenic microbial contamination of produce can occur through a variety of pathways, such as from the excrement of domesticated and wild animals, biological soil amendment, agricultural water, worker health and hygiene, and field tools used during growth and harvest. The use of mature manure compost and preventative control of fecal contamination from wildlife and livestock are subject to safety standards to minimize the risk of foodborne illness associated with produce. However, in a field production environment, neither traces of animal feces nor the degree of maturity of manure compost can be identified by the naked eye. In this study, we investigated hyperspectral fluorescence imaging techniques to characterize fecal samples from bovine, swine, poultry, and sheep species, and to determine feasibilities for both detecting the presence of animal feces as well as identifying the species origin of the feces in mixtures of soil and feces. In addition, the imaging techniques were evaluated for assessing the maturity of manure compost. The animal feces exhibited dynamic and unique fluorescence emission features that allowed for the detection of the presence of feces and showed that identification of the species origin of fecal matter present in soil-feces mixtures is feasible. Furthermore, the results indicate that using simple single-band fluorescence imaging at the fluorescence emission maximum for animal feces, simpler than full-spectrum hyperspectral fluorescence imaging, can be used to assess the maturity of manure compost.

Visual perceptual learning (VPL) is defined as visual performance improvement after visual experiences. VPL is often highly specific for a visual feature presented during training. Such specificity is observed in behavioral tuning function changes with the highest improvement centered on the trained feature and was originally thought to be evidence for changes in the early visual system associated with VPL. However, results of neurophysiological studies have been highly controversial concerning whether the plasticity underlying VPL occurs within the visual cortex. The controversy may be partially due to the lack of observation of neural tuning function changes in multiple visual areas in association with VPL. Here using human subjects we systematically compared behavioral tuning function changes after global motion detection training with decoded tuning function changes for 8 visual areas using pattern classification analysis on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signals. We found that the behavioral tuning function changes were extremely highly correlated to decoded tuning function changes only in V3A, which is known to be highly responsive to global motion with human subjects. We conclude that VPL of a global motion detection task involves plasticity in a specific visual cortical area.