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Background: Malaria transmission-blocking vaccines (TBVs) aim to inhibit malaria parasite development in mosquitoes and prevent further transmission to the human host. The putative-secreted ookinete protein 25 (PSOP25), highly conserved in Plasmodium spp., is a promising TBV target. Here, we investigated PvPSOP25 from P. vivax as a TBV candidate using transgenic murine parasite P. berghei and clinical P. vivax isolates. Methods and findings: A transgenic P. berghei line expressing PvPSOP25 (TrPvPSOP25Pb) was generated. Full-length PvPSOP25 was expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris and used to immunize mice to obtain anti-rPvPSOP25 sera. The transmission-blocking activity of the anti-rPvPSOP25 sera was evaluated through in vitro assays and mosquito-feeding experiments. The antisera generated by immunization with rPvPSOP25 specifically recognized the native PvPSOP25 antigen expressed in TrPvPSOP25Pb ookinetes. In vitro assays showed that the immune sera significantly inhibited exflagellation and ookinete formation of the TrPvPSOP25Pb parasite. Mosquitoes feeding on mice infected with the transgenic parasite and passively transferred with the anti-rPvPSOP25 sera showed a 70.7% reduction in oocyst density compared to the control group. In a direct membrane feeding assay conducted with five clinical P. vivax isolates, the mouse anti-rPvPSOP25 antibodies significantly reduced the oocyst density while showing a negligible influence on mosquito infection prevalence. Conclusions: This study supported the feasibility of transgenic murine malaria parasites expressing P. vivax antigens as a useful tool for evaluating P. vivax TBV candidates. Meanwhile, the moderate transmission-reducing activity of the generated anti-rPvPSOP25 sera necessitates further research to optimize its efficacy. Author summary: The persistence of Plasmodium vivax poses a significant public health concern in certain regions, particularly Southeast Asia. The distinctive biology of Plasmodium vivax presents challenges for its control and eradication efforts. The development of a transmission-blocking vaccine is considered an essential strategy for malaria elimination, while the identification of antigen candidates plays a critical role in vaccine development. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential of PvPSOP25 as a transmission-blocking vaccine candidate using the transgenic murine parasite P. berghei. The transmission-reducing activity of anti-rPvPSOP25 sera was evaluated by both in vitro and mosquito-feeding experiments. Additionally, a direct membrane feeding assay using clinical P. vivax isolates from Thailand further validated the moderate transmission-reducing activity exhibited by the anti-rPvPSOP25 antisera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural, electronic, magnetic, and optical properties of Co-doped 10–20-atom silver clusters are investigated by GGA/PBE via the density functional theory. The Ag–Co clusters form core–shell structures with a Co atom in the center. Co atom doping modulates electronic properties like energy gap, molecular softness, global hardness, electronegativity, and electrophilicity index. For the optical spectra of the Ag–Co clusters, the energy of their spectra overall exhibits little change with increasing numbers of atoms; the strongest peaks are roughly distributed at 3.5 eV, and the intensity of their spectra overall is strengthened. Raman and vibrational spectra reflect structural changes with Co atom addition. The addition of the Co atom alters magnetic moments of specific Ag–Co clusters, while others remain unchanged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment methods for high-salt wastewater mainly consist of physical methods, chemical methods and biological methods. However, there are some problems, such as slow treatment speed, high investment costs and low treatment efficiency. To address NaCl solutions, in this study, a circulatory flash system was designed based on gas–liquid equilibrium, mass conservation equation and energy conservation equation. A circulatory flash evaporation simulation and a static flash evaporation experiment were conducted on NaCl solutions under various operating conditions to investigate the effects of heating temperature, flash pressure and initial NaCl concentration on the circulatory flash evaporation system. The significance of each factor's influence on the evaporation fraction and energy consumption was examined through static flash experiments. The simulation results demonstrated that increasing the heating temperature, decreasing the flash pressure and having a higher initial NaCl concentration could enhance the treatment capacity of high-salt wastewater. The flow rate of vapor outlets increased with higher heating temperature but decreased as the flash pressure rose. The experimental results demonstrated that flash evaporation pressure was the primary factor influencing both the evaporation fraction and the energy consumption per unit mass of vapor produced. It was observed that with an increase in heating temperature, the flash pressure decreased and there was a corresponding decrease in energy consumption per unit mass of vapor produced. The optimal experimental conditions were achieved at a heating temperature of 99 °C, a flash pressure of 15 kPa, and an initial NaCl concentration of 20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-precision ages of Cenozoic volcanic rocks in northeast China are widely reported recently. However, the systematic analysis of spatio-temporal distribution of Cenozoic volcanism, which is important for reconstructing and constraining regional tectonic evolution, is still limited. Here, we collected published geochronological data from more than 400 Cenozoic volcanic samples in northeast China. Combined with field observations of volcanic rock samples and three valid 40Ar-39Ar geochronological data obtained in this study, we compile geochronological data in northeast China and explore a new spatio-temporal distribution pattern for the Cenozoic volcanism in order to constrain geodynamic models for northeast China. Our results show that the Cenozoic volcanism in northeast China has a horseshoe-shaped distribution, and the volcanism almost existed from Paleocene to Quaternary, which can be roughly divided into six volcanic belts. Our results suggest that the volcanism in this region is centred on around the Songliao Basin, then migrates eastward, and eventually has end up with a series of intense activity around the Songliao Basin. This may be related to the upwelling of the asthenosphere caused by the subduction of the Pacific plate and the opening of the Japan Sea. Our study also reveals that Chuandishan basalt in Dunhua area formed by Early Oligocene volcanic activity, which differs from the Pliocene or Miocene stratigraphic ages assumed before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐nitrogen stainless bearing steel (HNSBS) is the most representative third‐generation aviation bearing steel, and the cleanliness and microstructure characteristics of bearing steel are crucial to its high performance and long service life. In this work, the effect of cerium addition on the cleanliness and microstructure characteristics of as‐cast HNSBS was systematically studied by combining microstructural characterization and thermodynamic analysis methods. The results show that with increasing Ce content, the cleanliness of steel first improved and then decreased, and Ce2O2S, Ce2O3 and CeN inclusions were generated successively. The Ce content should be controlled to ≈0.012 wt% to ensure that all Al2O3, MgO · Al2O3, and MnS inclusions were modified, and minimize the formation of large‐size Ce‐bearing inclusions. Furthermore, cerium addition refined the dendrite structure due to more nucleation sites for γ‐Fe and the enrichment of Ce in the liquid phase at solidifying front. The finer and more dispersed distribution in precipitates was ascribed to the reduction of growth space and Cr segregation, as well as the increase in effective nucleation sites. These results can offer theoretical guidance for inhibiting the formation of harmful inclusions in high‐nitrogen alloy systems and refining the microstructure of alloy systems containing M23(C, N)6 and M2(C, N) precipitates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semantic communication technology in the 6G wireless system focuses on semantic extraction in communication, that is, only the inherent meaning of the intention in the information. Existing technologies still have challenges in extracting emotional perception in the information, high compression rates, and privacy leakage due to knowledge sharing in communication. Large-scale generative-model technology could rapidly generate multimodal information according to user requirements. This paper proposes an approach that leverages large-scale generative models to create animated short films that are semantically and emotionally similar to real scenes and characters. The visual content of the data source is converted into text expression through semantic understanding technology; emotional clues from the data source media are added to the text form through reinforcement learning technology; and finally, a large-scale generative model is used to generate visual media, which is consistent with the semantics of the data source. This paper develops a semantic communication process with distinct modules and assesses the enhancements garnered from incorporating an emotion enhancement module. This approach facilitates the expedited generation of broad media forms and volumes according to the user's intention, thereby enabling the creation of generated multimodal media within applications in the metaverse and in intelligent driving systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop leaf chlorophyll content (LCC) and fractional vegetation cover (FVC) are crucial indicators for assessing crop health, growth development, and maturity. In contrast to the traditional manual collection of crop trait parameters, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology rapidly generates LCC and FVC maps for breeding materials, facilitating prompt assessments of maturity information. This study addresses the following research questions: (1) Can image features based on pretrained deep learning networks and ensemble learning enhance the estimation of remote sensing LCC and FVC? (2) Can the proposed adaptive normal maturity detection (ANMD) algorithm effectively monitor maize maturity based on LCC and FVC maps? We conducted the following tasks: (1) Seven phases (tassel initiation to maturity) of maize canopy orthoimages and corresponding ground-truth data for LCC and six phases of FVC using UAVs were collected. (2) Three features, namely vegetation indices (VI), texture features (TF) based on Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix, and deep features (DF), were evaluated for LCC and FVC estimation. Moreover, the potential of four single-machine learning models and three ensemble models for LCC and FVC estimation was evaluated. (3) The estimated LCC and FVC were combined with the proposed ANMD to monitor maize maturity. The research findings indicate that (1) image features extracted from pretrained deep learning networks more accurately describe crop canopy structure information, effectively eliminating saturation effects and enhancing LCC and FVC estimation accuracy. (2) Ensemble models outperform single-machine learning models in estimating LCC and FVC, providing greater precision. Remarkably, the stacking + DF strategy achieved optimal performance in estimating LCC (coefficient of determination (R2): 0.930; root mean square error (RMSE): 3.974; average absolute error (MAE): 3.096); and FVC (R2: 0.716; RMSE: 0.057; and MAE: 0.044). (3) The proposed ANMD algorithm combined with LCC and FVC maps can be used to effectively monitor maize maturity. Establishing the maturity threshold for LCC based on the wax ripening period (P5) and successfully applying it to the wax ripening-mature period (P5–P7) achieved high monitoring accuracy (overall accuracy (OA): 0.9625–0.9875; user's accuracy: 0.9583–0.9933; and producer's accuracy: 0.9634–1). Similarly, utilizing the ANMD algorithm with FVC also attained elevated monitoring accuracy during P5–P7 (OA: 0.9125–0.9750; UA: 0.878–0.9778; and PA: 0.9362–0.9934). This study offers robust insights for future agricultural production and breeding, offering valuable insights for the further exploration of crop monitoring technologies and methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research is based on an engineering project to develop an efficient and energy-saving sludge drying apparatus. A heat and mass transfer model was developed to understand the drying mechanism in a turbine thin-layer dryer. Numerical simulation was performed to investigate the changes in sludge content, temperature, and moisture content under different paddle angles. The results showed that the paddle angle of 45° provided the optimal effect of water evaporation and sludge conveying. Subsequently, a turbine thin-layer drying system was established and drying experiments were conducted to explore the influence of different operating parameters on the drying efficiency. The experimental drying results were compared with the simulation results, which showed that the developed model could predict the experimental results. The residence time experiment showed that the developed dryer was efficient in treating highly viscous sludge. The results of the orthogonal experiments showed that the heat source temperature and the rotating speed were the main influencing factors of the moisture content and energy consumption, respectively. A sensitivity analysis determined the optimal operating parameters for the experimental apparatus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of offshore wind power, large‐capacity wind turbine generators have put forward higher electrical and mechanical performance requirements for the cable. In this paper, kaolin/ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) composites are prepared to investigate the effect of kaolin content on the electrical properties, mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of EPDM composites. The results show that appropriate amount of kaolin could synergistically improve the electrical‐thermal‐mechanical properties of EPDM. The composite with 30 wt% kaolin content achieves the best performance. The breakdown strength of kaolin/EPDM composites increases by 13.47%–72.19 kV/mm compared with that before modification, and the volume resistivity increases from 1013 to 1015 Ω·cm after modification. In addition, with the doping of kaolin, the tensile strength of composites significantly improves by over 500%–6.97 MPa, and the thermal conductivity of the composite is slightly improved. This work has important guiding significance for the development of insulation materials for cables. Highlights: Kaolin in EPDM scattered more uniform after modification.The addition of kaolin improves the electrical‐thermal‐mechanical properties of the composite.Kaolin/EPDM composites have promising applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore wind power is clean energy with rapid growth in recent years. As a key part of wind turbines, improving the combination performance of wind turbine cable insulation has a crucial impact on the development of wind power systems. In this paper, kaolin is selected to improve the tensile strength of Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer (EPDM) rubber, and Boron Nitride Nanosheeets (BNNSs) with good electrical insulation and thermal conductivity are co-doped into kaolin/EPDM to improve the breakdown strength and thermal conductivity of the composite. The results show that the properties of the composites are improved when the powders are doped into EPDM. When the kaolin doping amount is 30wt%, the dielectric properties and the mechanical properties are improved, but the breakdown strength has deteriorated. Based on 30wt% kaolin content, BNNSs are added to EPDM. The breakdown strength is improved. The breakdown strength of the 30wt% Kaolin/5wt%BNNSs co-doped EPDM is 83.33 kV/mm. In addition, due to the synergistic effect between the two powders, the tensile strength of the composite is increased to 8.06 MPa. Meanwhile, with the increase of BNNSs, the thermal conductivity of composite is improved. It increases to 1.247 W/(m⋅K) This work has important guiding significance for improving the combination performance of the wind turbine cable insulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the microstructural evolution of H13 hot‐work die steel during isothermal tempering at 500 ≈ 650 °C is evaluated, and kinetic equations and a neural network are constructed to describe the softening behavior. The results show that the softening behavior appears as a loss of hardness with increasing isothermal tempering temperature and time. The softening mechanism is ascribed to the decomposition of martensitic laths, annihilation and rearrangement of dislocations, formation of sub‐grains, and precipitation and coarsening of secondary carbides. The evolution of secondary carbides includes the coarsening of V‐rich MC nanoprecipitates, and the precipitation and coarsening of secondary phases (Cr‐rich M23C6 and Mo‐rich M6C carbides) during long‐term isothermal tempering. Regarding the applicability of the model in precipitation evolution and hardness prediction, the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami model is considered to be more suitable than the Hollomon–Jaffe, Lifshitz–Slyozov–Wagner, and back‐propagation neural network models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liquid-gas two-phase flow in rock fractures is of great significance for oil and gas field development, groundwater pollution control and underground nuclear waste disposal. In this study, liquid-gas two-phase flow experiments under different liquid and gas flow rates were carried out on a self-developed transparent-plate fracture apparatus with liquid-gas two-phase flow. Typical liquid-gas two-phase flow patterns, i.e., bubble flow, fingering flow and annular flow, were obtained. The relationship between the relative permeability and phase saturation indicates obvious inter-phase interference between the liquid and gas phases. The mesoscopic flow characteristics of bubbles under different flow patterns are obtained. With the change of flow pattern, the phenomena of bubble merging and dispersion occur, resulting in area fluctuation, and the actual flow velocity of the gas phase in the fracture is greater than the "nominal" flow velocity. Based on the generalized Darcy's Law, a surface tension model for liquid-gas two-phase flow in a smooth parallel-plate fracture was proposed, which can well reflect the effect of surface tension between the liquid and gas and the inter-phase interference. Based on the experimental data, it is verified that the surface tension model has a better description of the relative permeability variation compared with other classical two-phase flow models. Finally, the connection between mesoscopic and macroscopic flow characteristics is analyzed and discussed. Furthermore, surface tension correction factors are proposed to represent the effect of surface tension on the inter-phase interference in the fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endovascular recanalization in patients with symptomatic nonacute intracranial large artery occlusion (ILAO) has been reported to be feasible, but technically challenging. This study aimed to determine the predictors of successful endovascular recanalization in patients with symptomatic nonacute ILAO. Methods: The outcomes of endovascular recanalization attempts performed in 70 consecutive patients showing symptomatic nonacute ILAO with hemodynamic cerebral ischemia between January 2016 to December 2022 were reviewed. Potential variables, including clinical and radiological characteristics related to technical success, were collected. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were performed to identify predictors of successful recanalization for nonacute ILAO. Results: Technically successful recanalization was achieved in 57 patients (81.4%). The periprocedural complication rate was 21.4% (15 of 70), and the overall 30-day morbidity and mortality rates were 7.1% (5 of 70) and 2.9% (2 of 70), respectively. Univariate analysis showed that successful recanalization was associated with occlusion duration, stump morphology, occlusion length, slow distal antegrade flow sign, and the presence of bridging collateral vessels. Multivariate analysis showed that occlusion duration ≤ 3 months (odds ratio [OR]: 22.529; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.636-310.141), tapered stump (OR: 7.498; 95% CI: 1.533–36.671), and occlusion length < 10 mm (OR: 7.049; 95% CI: 1.402–35.441) were independent predictive factors for technical success of recanalization. Conclusions: Occlusion duration ≤ 3 months, tapered stump, and occlusion length < 10 mm were independent positive predictors of technical success of endovascular recanalization for symptomatic nonacute ILAO. These findings may help predict the likelihood of successful recanalization in patients with symptomatic nonacute ILAO and also provide a reference for the selection of appropriate patients. Further prospective and multicenter studies are required to validate our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the existing single‐step pressurized metallurgical manufacturing technologies of high nitrogen stainless steel (HNS), a promising pressurized duplex manufacturing route, i.e., pressurized induction melting (PIM) and pressurized electroslag remelting (PESR), is proposed. The PIM stage mainly carries on the nitrogen alloying, deoxidation and desulfurization, and the PESR process mainly takes responsibility for further desulfurization, removal of large‐size inclusion, and elevating solidification quality. During PIM, the deoxidation is achieved by vacuum carbon deoxidation combined with magnesium and rare‐earth compound treatment. Subsequently, the PESR is conducted under high nitrogen pressure without adding nitrided ferroalloys. To precisely control the nitrogen content and avoid segregation and escape of nitrogen, the three‐stage nitrogen pressure collocation is developed. The high nitrogen stainless bearing steel 30Cr15Mo1N (DIN 1.4108) is manufactured as an example by the duplex route, and a PIM–PESR ingot with high nitrogen content, high cleanliness, fine and dispersive inclusions, and compact solidification structure is obtained. Moreover, the steel possesses a homogeneous microstructure, slightly better mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance compared with that manufactured by the single‐step PESR process. Finally, a pressurized ladle refining and PESR duplex route are proposed for large‐scale industrial production of HNSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apple Valsa canker (AVC) has caused significant losses worldwide, especially in East Asia. Various fungal species from the genus Cytospora/Valsa can infect tree bark and cause tissue rot, and Valsa mali (Vm) is responsible for the most severe tree branch deaths and yield losses. Since AVC was first reported in Japan in 1903, the pathogen species, biological characteristics, infection and pathogenesis, spore dissemination, and disease cycle have been intensively investigated. Based on the new cognition of the disease dynamics, the disease control strategy has shifted from scraping diseased tissue to protecting the bark from infection. In this review, we summarize new knowledge of the Vm infection process mediated by various kinds of virulence factors, including cell wall degrading enzymes, toxins, effectors, microRNA-like RNAs, and pathogenic signaling regulators. We also introduce progress in evaluating germplasm resources and identifying disease response-related genes in apples. In addition, we elaborate current understanding of spore dissemination and disease cycles in orchards and disease prevention techniques. Finally, we provide recommendations for developing more cost-effective strategies for controlling AVC by applying genetic resistance and biological fungicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin aging is the most intuitive manifestation of aging. Skin aging inevitably leads to cosmetic and psychological problems, and even diseases. The present study aims to research the pathological and molecular mechanisms underlying skin aging and identify the therapeutic agents for reversing skin aging. Two available gene expression datasets (GSE55118 and GSE72264) for skin aging were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus, followed by bioinformatic analyses performed on the datasets. Firstly, 169 crucial mRNAs, 27 crucial miRNAs and 50 crucial lncRNAs closely related to skin aging were identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis. Then, function Enrichment Analysis performed by Metascape database showed that skin aging involves a variety of biological functions, such as detection of stimulus, response to steroid hormone and water channel activity, regulation of muscle contraction. Next, ten hub genes including AQP4, TRPM8, TBR1, NTSR2, MPPED1, BARHL2, PAX9, CPN1, CES3, and CHGB were screened out by the protein–protein interaction analysis. Next, the "lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA" network and the "lncRNA-miRNA-hub mRNA" network were constructed to explore the competing endogenous RNAs mechanism of skin aging. Finally, ten significant potential small molecules mitigating skin aging were screened using CMAP platform, including tretinoin, pifithrin, selamectin, entinostat, bretazenil, syringic-acid, BRD-K96475865, emedastine, abacavir, and rotenone, and their reliability was verified by molecular docking experiments. The present study provided basis for revealing the molecular mechanism of skin aging and identified the potential candidate drugs for mitigating skin aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In deep learning-based hyperspectral remote sensing image classification tasks, random sampling strategies are typically used to train model parameters for testing and evaluation. However, this approach leads to strong spatial autocorrelation between the training set samples and the surrounding test set samples, and some unlabeled test set data directly participate in the training of the network. This leaked information makes the model overly optimistic. Models trained under these conditions tend to overfit to a single dataset, which limits the range of practical applications. This paper analyzes the causes and effects of information leakage and summarizes the methods from existing models to mitigate the effects of information leakage. Specifically, this paper states the main issues in this area, where the issue of information leakage is addressed in detail. Second, some algorithms and related models used to mitigate information leakage are categorized, including reducing the number of training samples, using spatially disjoint sampling strategies, few-shot learning, and unsupervised learning. These models and methods are classified according to the sample-related phase and the feature extraction phase. Finally, several representative hyperspectral image classification models experiments are conducted on the common datasets and their effectiveness in mitigating information leakage is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of probiotics supplementation on glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) based on the data from the randomised clinical trials (RCTs). Methods: PubMed, Web of Sciences, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched from the inception to October 2022, and RCTs about probiotics and T2DM were collected. The standardised mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to estimate the effects of probiotics supplementation on glycaemic control related parameters, e.g. fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin, haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and homeostasis model of assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Results: Thirty RCTs including 1,827 T2MD patients were identified. Compared with the placebo group, the probiotics supplementation group had a significant decrease in the parameters of glycaemic control, including FBG (SMD = − 0.331, 95% CI − 0.424 to − 0.238, Peffect < 0.001), insulin (SMD = − 0.185, 95% CI − 0.313 to − 0.056, Peffect = 0.005), HbA1c (SMD = − 0.421, 95% CI − 0.584 to − 0.258, Peffect < 0.001), and HOMA-IR (SMD = − 0.224, 95% CI − 0.342 to − 0.105, Peffect < 0.001). Further subgroup analyses showed that the effect was larger in the subgroups of Caucasians, high baseline body mass index (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2), Bifidobacterium and food-type probiotics (Psubgroup < 0.050). Conclusion: This study supported that probiotics supplementation had favourable effects on glycaemic control in T2DM patients. It may be a promising adjuvant therapy for patients with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low-profile broadband dual-polarized antenna is investigated for base station applications. It consists of two orthogonal dipoles, fork-shaped feeding lines, an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC), and parasitic strips. By utilizing the Brillouin dispersion diagram, the AMC is designed as the antenna reflector. It has a wide in-phase reflection bandwidth of 54.7% (1.54–2.70 GHz) and a surface-wave bound range of 0–2.65 GHz. This design effectively reduces the antenna profile by over 50% compared to traditional antennas without an AMC. For demonstration, a prototype is fabricated for 2G/3G/LTE base station applications. Good agreement between the simulations and measurements is observed. The measured −10-dB impedance bandwidth of our antenna is 55.4% (1.58–2.79 GHz), with a stable gain of 9.5 dBi and a high isolation of more than 30 dB across the impedance passband. As a result, this antenna is an excellent candidate for miniaturized base station antenna applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the effect of a sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) addition on the dispersion and hydration of pure calcium aluminate cement (PCAC) was investigated, and the corresponding mechanism of effect was studied. The effects of STPP on the dispersion, rheology, and hydration processes of PCAC and its adsorption capacity on the surface of cement particles were analysed by measuring the -potential on the surface of cement particles, the changes in the concentrations of elemental P and Ca2+ ions in a solution at different STPP additions. The experimental results show that STPP easily complexes with Ca2+ ions to produce the complex [CaP3O10]3− adsorbed on the surface of cement particles, which changes the potential on the surface of cement particles and increases the electrostatic repulsive force between cement particles, thus improving the dispersion and rheology of cement. At the same time, the contact area between cement particles and water is reduced, which hinders the hydration process and makes the time of hydration process longer. A comprehensive analysis shows that the best effect of STPP on pure calcium aluminate cements is achieved when the addition of STPP is 0.2%. This study can provide a reference for the addition of water-reducing agents in refractory castables as well as improving the quality of refractory materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary uptake is well known as the predominant pathway of heavy metal bioaccumulation in organisms. Our study used a typical tropical reservoir and fish as a modeling system to test the hypothesis that feeding habits and living habitats significantly affect heavy metal bioaccumulation in fish. Specifically, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb concentrations in water, sediment, and fish, and δ13C and δ15N in 13 fish species were detected in the Songtao Reservoir of Hainan Province, southern China. Our results indicated that Zn concentration in carnivorous fish was higher than in omnivorous fish. Principal components analysis visually differentiated pelagic, benthopelagic, and demersal fish groups. Moreover, we found that the fish feeding in the demersal habitat showed higher heavy metal levels than those in the pelagic habitat. Additionally, the heavy metal contents in demersal fish were significantly positively correlated with sediments, while no positive correlation was observed in pelagic-feeding fish. The δ15N and the concentration of Ni, Zn in fish had a significantly positive correlation, suggesting the potential biomagnification. In contrast, Ni, Fe, Cu, and Cd negatively correlated with fish body weight/length, indicating the growth dilution effects. Finally, the estimated daily intake (EDI) of the metals was far below the provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI), and target hazard quotients (THQ) were <1.0, indicating that the fish had no risk for consumption risks. Overall, our finding partially validated the hypothesis that the feeding habits and living habitats significantly influence heavy metal bioaccumulation in fish, which might be a broad generality for metal exposure scenarios in aquatic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the use of the elliptical Mohs layer technique in Mohs surgery to reduce the number of stages and increase clinical efficiency without compromising the effectiveness of the procedure. The technique involves taking the first Mohs layer in an elliptical fashion parallel to the resting skin tension lines, rather than in the traditional circular fashion. This allows for full margin clearance and expedited wound closure. The technique is most suitable for smaller, well-defined tumors in areas amenable to linear closure. However, it should not be used for larger tumors or in areas where optimal reconstruction requires modification. Overall, the elliptical Mohs layer technique offers advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness, clinical efficiency, and tissue conservation. [Extracted from the article]

Publicly available provider-level Medicare Part B data sets have been increasingly utilized for health services research in dermatology. Despite offering detailed insights, an important limitation of these data sets is suppression of services performed for < 11 Medicare beneficiaries at the level of each provider. This longitudinal review assesses the magnitude of this limitation by comparing service counts in provider-level Medicare data sets to those in aggregate data sets, ultimately identifying a concordance rate of 94.3% for dermatology services. However, facility-based visits (52.5%), inpatient evaluation and management visits (59.7%), phototherapy (62.9%), incision and drainage (61.1%), and nail procedures (38.0%) were less well-represented in the provider-level data sets. Provider-level data sets are most suitable for assessing dermatology services in aggregate and among specific high-volume procedure groups but alternative data sets should be considered when investigating inpatient services, facility-based services (more common in certain states), or rarely performed procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the Mn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S/NiCo 2 O 4 composite modified with Ni 2 P as a co-catalyst was fabricated via a simple two-step hydrothermal method. The as-prepared ternary Mn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S/NiCo 2 O 4 /Ni 2 P composite displayed excellent H 2 production performance. The ternary composite loaded with 5 wt% NiCo 2 O 4 and 2 wt% Ni 2 P obtained the optimal H 2 production performance of 24.47 mmol g−1 h−1 and a maximum AQE of 23.75%. The enhanced H 2 production activity was assigned firstly to efficient spatial charge separation through the p−n Mn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S/NiCo 2 O 4 heterojunction and secondly to sufficient surface active sites provided by Ni 2 P co-catalysts. This research provides a new approach to design effective ternary heterojunction. Mn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S/NiCo 2 O 4 /Ni 2 P ternary heterojunction was prepared and displayed a superior photocatalytic H 2 evolution activity under visible light illumination (λ ≥ 420 nm), which was attributed to the synergistic effect of p−n Mn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S/NiCo 2 O 4 heterojunction and modification with Ni 2 P co-catalyst. [Display omitted] • Mn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S/NiCo 2 O 4 /Ni 2 P was firstly designed and constructed. • Mn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S coupling with NiCo 2 O 4 formed a p–n heterojunction. • Ni 2 P acted as co-catalyst and provided abundant active sites. • The ternary composite exhibited an enhanced H 2 production activity. • H 2 production mechanism of ternary composite was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Source location is a constant issue of importance of both theoretical study and practical engineering. Many pioneers have put out the corresponding solutions for near- or far-field signals, and preferred contributions are suggested. To our best knowledge, there are currently few focused approaches to the complicated situation where both near- and far-field signals exist with an unknown number of sources. Additionally, the robustness of the method must be taken into account when the additive background noise does not follow Gaussian or super-Gaussian distribution. To solve these problems, a novel method based on phased fractional lower-order moment (PFLOM) is proposed to simultaneously better preserve the signal and suppress the noise. Secondly, the whole procedure of the method containing direction of arrival (DOA) estimation, range estimation, separation of near-and far-field sources, and crucial parameter settings are studied in detail. Finally, comprehensive Monte Carlo experiments are carried out in the simulation to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method compared to the existing competitive methods. Due to the novel method's effectiveness with an unknown number of sources and robustness against various noises, it is believed that it could be fully utilized in more fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Adoptive cellular therapy with tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) has demonstrated promising clinical benefits in several solid tumors, but the efficacy of this therapy might be compromised by the "prone‐to‐exhaustion" phenotype of TIL and poor persistence in vivo. This calls for a robust expansion process to produce a large number of cells for clinical usage while at the same time maintaining favorable anti‐tumor function and memory phenotype. Previous studies showed that the PI3K‐AKT signaling pathway plays a key role in the regulation of T cell activation, differentiation and memory formation. Method: We modulated the PI3K‐AKT pathway in TIL isolated from cervical and ovarian cancer by application of AKT or PI3K inhibitors or CRISPR knockout of AKT1 and/or AKT2, and characterized their effects on TIL phenotype and effector function. Mechanistic study was further performed with RNA‐seq analysis of AKT1/2 KO TIL in comparison to control TIL. Result: The inhibition of either PI3K or AKT led to an increase in the population of effector CD8+ T cells with upregulation of activation markers, elevated CD39−CD69− memory T cells, and significantly enhanced cytotoxicity when cocultured with tumor cell lines and patient‐derived tumor samples. Moreover, dual knockout of AKT1 and AKT2 largely phenocopies the functional impact of AKT or PI3K inhibition on TIL. This result was further validated by RNA‐seq analysis indicating that AKT1/2 ablation primarily regulates T cell differentiation and function‐related programs. Conclusion: Modulation of PI3K‐AKT signaling represents a promising strategy to enhance TIL stemness and cytotoxicity and improve the clinical outcome of current TIL‐based therapy to treat solid tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The development and progression of malignancies are closely linked to hypercoagulability. As an early type of lung adenocarcinoma, ground glass nodules (GGNs) have been detected increasingly. Blood Maximum amplitude (MA) and mean platelet volume (MPV) are related to various conditions of hypercoagulability. Therefore, the role of MA and MPV in diagnosing lung adenocarcinoma cancer featured with GGNs was investigated in this case-control study. Methods: The analyzed data of this study is derived from GGNs patients and healthy individuals in West China (Airport) Hospital Sichuan University. The differences between GGNs patients and healthy individuals were determined by one-way ANOVA, logistic regression or chi-squared test. The accuracy of diagnostic was performed by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). The relative mRNA expressions were studied by RT-qPCR. Results: 470 patients diagnosed with GGNs which benign lesions (BN group) are inflammatory and malignant lesions (LC group) are adenocarcinoma in stage IA, and 235 healthy subjects (HC group) were enrolled in this study. Levels of MA and MPV were increased in LC group compared with BN and HC group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001). When we combined MA and MPV, MA and MPV presented a sensitivity (SEN) of 0.809 and a specificity (SPE) of 0.774. And the area under the curve (AUC) increased to 0.871 (0.837–0.900) when confidence interval was 95%. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that there have been systemic changes in coagulation disorders in the pathogenesis of GGNs. The diagnostic ability to different lung adenocarcinoma cancer featured with GGNs from benign or healthy controls can be improved by the combination of MA and MPV. Maximum amplitude and MPV may be used as biomarkers to detect lung adenocarcinoma cancer featured with GGNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid dc-link capacitors serve a critical role in cascaded two-stage systems, such as the solid-state transformer (SST) units being developed for medium-voltage utility grids. The capacitors need to absorb ripple current in a wide spectrum, which induces aging stresses. This article presents a technique to combine lifetime extension in design with condition monitoring (CM). It is found that the excessive high-frequency ripple current typically flows through electrolytic capacitors (E-caps). A dedicated transformer-based sensor is then designed, and its primary-side inductance acts as an external impedance to reduce the high-frequency current in the E-cap loop. On the other hand, the voltage induced by high-frequency current measured on the secondary side of the sensor can be used as an indicator of equivalent series resistance (ESR) degradation for CM. The integrated design features low complexity, pure passivity, and versatility, and the universal gauging principle for the sensor is elaborated. In the end, a 5-kW prototype of an SST unit is built to verify the performance of the proposed solution. The experimental results indicate a noticeable reduction in thermal and electrical stress, corresponding to a 40% extension of the E-cap lifetime, and the CM model can accurately track the change of the ESR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a promising technology, microreactors have been regarded as a potential candidate for heterogeneous catalytic reactions as they inherently allow the superior advantages of precise flow control, efficient reactant transfer, flexible operation, etc. However, the wide market penetration of microreactors is still facing severe challenges. One of the most important reasons is the preparation of a high–performance catalytic layer in the microreactor because it can directly influence the catalytic activity and stability the reactor and thus the deployment the microreactor technology. Hence, significant progress in depositing nanocatalysts in microreactors has been made in the past decades. Herein, the methods, principles, recent advances, and challenges in the preparation of the catalyst layer in microreactors were presented. A general description of the physicochemical processes of heterogeneous catalytic reactions in microreactors were first introduced. Then, recent advances in catalyst layer preparation in microreactors were systematically summarized. Particular attention was focused on the most common sol–gel method and its latest developments. Some new strategies proposed recently, including bio–inspired electroless deposition and layer–by–layer self–assembly, were also comprehensively discussed. The remaining challenges and future directions of preparing the catalytic layer in microreactors with high performance and low cost were highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robotic excavators commonly are used in industrial and construction tasks to improve efficiency and shorten construction periods, but they have high energy consumption and vibration and shock problems, the greatest of which is impact phenomenon in contact with construction environment. A perfect construction task with low vibration and high precision can be achieved only by skilled operators, and requires very intense concentration. Due to the urgent labor shortage caused by the pandemic, tight schedules, and increasingly complex construction projects, it is important for construction management to have an intelligent control method that combines the force and position of excavators in the construction progress. This study developed an adaptive impedance control method to realize coordinated control of force and position. An adaptive impedance control was designed to adjust the impedance parameters indirectly. Three different simulations were conducted to compare the force tracking performance of the classic impedance control and the proposed adaptive impedance control, namely, environmental location changes, environmental stiffness changes, and dynamic force tracking. Blended contact surfaces were designed to validate the performance of the control algorithms. Results show that the proposed adaptive impedance control effectively improved the force tracking accuracy. This paper offers an original contribution to the intelligent control method of excavator construction, and will be of use to operators, especially in large ground, mine, earthquake, and other complex ground construction sites. In addition, the research also provides construction manager and other practitioners with an impedance control method in construction project management that can save labor cost, improve production efficiency, and accelerate the transformation to a digital and intelligent construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast-advancing single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology enables researchers to study the transcriptome of heterogeneous tissues at a single cell level. The initial important step of analyzing scRNA-seq data is usually to accurately annotate cells. The traditional approach of annotating cell types based on unsupervised clustering and marker genes is time-consuming and laborious. Taking advantage of the numerous existing scRNA-seq databases, many supervised label assignment methods have been developed. One feature that many label assignment methods shares is to label cells with low confidence as "unassigned." These unassigned cells can be the result of assignment difficulties due to highly similar cell types or caused by the presence of unknown cell types. However, when unknown cell types are not expected, existing methods still label a considerable number of cells as unassigned, which is not desirable. In this work, we develop a neural network-based cell annotation method called NeuCA (Neural network-based Cell Annotation) for scRNA-seq data obtained from well-studied tissues. NeuCA can utilize the hierarchical structure information of the cell types to improve the annotation accuracy, which is especially helpful when data contain closely correlated cell types. We show that NeuCA can achieve more accurate cell annotation results compared with existing methods. Additionally, the applications on eight real datasets show that NeuCA has stable performance for intra- and inter-study annotation, as well as cross-condition annotation. NeuCA is freely available as an R/Bioconductor package at https://bioconductor.org/packages/NeuCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) has been widely applied in oil spill detection on the sea surface due to the advantages of wide area coverage, all-weather operation, and multi-polarization characteristics. Sentinel-1 satellites can provide dual-polarized SAR data, and they have high potential for successful application to oil spill detection. However, the characteristics of the sea surface and oil film on different images are not the same when imaging at different locations and in different conditions, which leads to the inconsistent accuracy of these images with the application of the current oil spill detection methods. In order to avoid the above limitation, we propose an oil spill detection method using image stretching based on superpixels and a convolutional neural network. Experiments were carried out on eight Sentinel-1 dual-pol data, and the optimal superpixel number and image stretching parameters are discussed. Mean intersection over union (MIoU) was used to evaluate classification accuracy. The proposed method could effectively improve the classification accuracy; when the expansion and inhibition coefficients of image stretching were set to 1.6 and 1.2 respectively, the experiments achieved a maximum MIoU of 85.4%, 7.3% higher than that without image stretching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tumor microenvironment is a dynamic cellular milieu that interacts with cancer cells and promotes tumor progression and metastasis. However, the specific mechanisms by which the tumor microenvironment impacts cancer cells' behaviors remain poorly understood. In this study, enriched cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) were observed in tumor tissues isolated from epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR TKIs) resistant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. CAFs isolated from tumor tissues were capable of producing tryptophan metabolite kynurenine (Kyn), which significantly increased the proliferation and EGFR TKIs resistance of NSCLC cells. In this study, it was further observed that the activation of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) in CAFs, resulted in the enhanced capability of tryptophan metabolism in them compared to normal fibroblasts. As a result, Kyn produced by CAFs facilitated the up-regulation of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) signals in NSCLC, thereby resulting in the downstream ATK and ERK signaling pathways activation. Finally, inhibition of AhR signals efficiently prevented tumor growth and development of EGFR TKIs resistance, eventually improved the outcome of EGFR TKIs, and described a promising therapeutic strategy for NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Zn 2 In 2 S 5 shell effectively inhibits oxidation of oxygen vacancies on MoO 3-x. • Zn 2 In 2 S 5 can effectively regulate oxygen defect concentration of MoO 3-x. • MoO 3-x /Zn 2 In 2 S 5 heterojunction exhibits superior CIP removal and ABR inactivation. • The correlation between pollutant active sites and degradation path was revealed. Water pollution caused by organic pollutants and water-borne pathogens has posed a serious threat to human health. Herein, a fully encapsulated core–shell MoO 3-x @Zn 2 In 2 S 5 S-scheme heterojunction was constructed for efficient removal of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and disinfection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (TC- E. coli). The excellent catalytic performance is attributed to the synergistic advantages of optimized oxygen defect concentration, the protection of oxygen vacancy and enhanced photogenerated carrier separation efficiency. The MO@ZIS-15 with optimum defect density can remove 92.6 % of CIP in 120 min and inactivate 7.7 log TC- E. coli in 75 min. Furthermore, the developed MO@ZIS-15 system has excellent anti-anion and organic matter interference ability, and also exhibit good utilization potentiality in practical water. Combining theoretical calculations and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), the structure–function correlation between different CIP active sites and degradation pathway are revealed. Toxicity prediction and cytotoxicity experiments demonstrated that photocatalytic treatment can effectively reduce the ecotoxicity of degradation products. This work provideds a novel vision to design high-efficiency plasma-based photocatalysts for the removal of organic contaminants and disinfection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the effect of isothermal tempering time and temperature on microstructure and hardness of 3Cr5Mo2SiVN hot-work die steel was studied. The results indicated that with the increase of isothermal tempering time and temperature, the hardness significantly decreased, which corresponded to the microstructural recovery including the transformation of high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs), the precipitation and coarsening of precipitates, the annihilation and rearrangement of dislocations, the formation and coarsening of sub-grains, and the coarsening and coalescence of laths. The driving force of grain boundary transformation was provided by the dislocation- and heat-induced boundary migration. The increased density of HAGBs was induced by the coalescence of low-angle lath boundaries and low-angle sub-boundaries that continuously absorbed dislocations. In addition, the formation and coarsening of sub-grains were the results of dislocation rearrangement with dislocation cells acting as the core. Moreover, the V-rich M(C, N), Fe-rich M 3 C, (Fe, Cr)-rich M 7 C 3 and M 23 C 6 formed by the desolvation of alloying elements exhibited an obvious coarsening, decreasing the pinning effect of dislocations and then resulting in the hardness loss. This study offered a systematically revelation into the softening mechanism of hot-work die steel. • Dislocation- and heat-induced boundary migration transformed grain boundaries. • Sub-boundaries absorbed adjacent dislocations and transformed into HAGBs. • The coalescence of low-angle lath boundaries increased HAGBs density. • V-rich M(C, N) carbonitride exhibited an obvious Ostwald ripening law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The overall GLE of the BRI partner countries remains relatively low while there is a discernible upward trend annually. • The BRI exerts a considerable influence on the enhancement of GLE in partner countries. • The effect of efficiency improvement in middle-income countries is markedly greater than in high-income countries. • A time-varying DID model is utilized to mitigate biases from varied join times of partner countries in the BRI. As a crucial event in the process of China's trade cooperation and openness, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) relies on the logistics as the foundational industry for its sustainable development. This study measures the green logistics efficiency (GLE) of BRI partner countries using panel data from 2013 to 2019 and evaluates the BRI's impact on their GLE. We find that: (1) The GLE of BRI partner countries is generally low, with only 15.9% achieving effectiveness. High-income countries have notably higher GLE than middle-income ones. (2) The GLE of BRI partner countries shows an upward trend annually, especially in middle-income countries, which are closing the gap with high-income countries. (3) The BRI has a significant positive impact on the GLE growth of partner countries. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that this growth effect is more pronounced in middle-income countries. These results indicate and enhance the understanding of GLE among BRI partner countries and addresses some skepticism regarding BRI's sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Cavitation-assisted Maillard facilitated the grafting of protein: sugar mixtures. • Functional properties improved after conjugation of hemp protein. • Curcumin storage stability improved by complexation with conjugates. • Higher molecular weights in SDS-PAGE patterns proved conjugates. • Enhanced unordered forms after conjugation was observed. The Maillard conjugation of hemp protein with d -xylose was studied, focusing on the influence of ultrasonic waves, processing time, and pressure. Cavitation-driven processes, including ultrasonication (US) and manothermosonication (MTS), were found to impact the degree of grafting, functional characteristics, and structural alterations, affecting conjugation efficiency. The glycation of hemp protein with xylose assisted with US and MTS was investigated under varying pressures. MTS- and US-assisted glycation processes result in 4.22- and 1.64-fold higher degrees of grafting compared to the classical method within a short time frame. The MTS procedures also improved solubility (+3.6-fold), emulsion (+15-fold), and foaming (+1.7-fold) properties, especially at optimized pressure levels, compared to classical conjugates. Furthermore, the complexation of MTS-assisted conjugates with curcumin (Cur) enhanced Cur stability by more than 1.4-fold compared to the classical procedure during 20-day storage at 4 oC. The findings suggest potential applications in the pharmaceutical industry, active dairy/meat analog development, and gel formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Prostate cancer causes numerous male deaths annually. Although great progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer during the past several decades, much about this disease remains unknown, especially its pathobiology. The kinesin superfamily is a pivotal group of motor proteins, that contains a microtubule-based motor domain and features an adenosine triphosphatase activity and motility characteristics. Large-scale sequencing analyses based on clinical samples and animal models have shown that several members of the kinesin family are dysregulated in prostate cancer. Abnormal expression of kinesins could be linked to uncontrolled cell growth, inhibited apoptosis and increased metastasis ability. Additionally, kinesins may be implicated in chemotherapy resistance and escape immunologic cytotoxicity, which creates a barrier to cancer treatment. Here we cover the recent advances in understanding how kinesins may drive prostate cancer progression and how targeting their function may be a therapeutic strategy. A better understanding of kinesins in prostate cancer tumorigenesis may be pivotal for improving disease outcomes in prostate cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Physics-based neural network model combining ECAC model and PSO-BPNN model. • A complete process of data-driven aircraft noise assessment. • Feasible solution to aircraft noise assessment for airports. • Improved performance in stability and flexibility. With the increasingly severe problem of aircraft noise pollution around airports, it is urgent to explore accurate and effective aircraft noise assessment methods. This article proposes a physics-based PSO-BPNN model based on the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) best practice model, backpropagation neural network (BPNN), and particle swarm optimization (PSO) to enrich the methodology system of aircraft noise assessment. The primary modeling process is as follows. Firstly, based on airport parameters, flight information, and other data, the theoretical noise levels of ground monitoring point are calculated using the ECAC dynamic model. Then, a dataset containing measured noise values, theoretical noise values, trajectory data, and meteorological data is constructed to train the physics-based BPNN model, in order to correct the theoretical noise level. Finally, the PSO algorithm is introduced to optimize the parameters of the BPNN model and the construction of the physics-based PSO-BPNN model is completed. By taking Hefei Xinqiao International Airport (HFE) as a research case, the experimental results show that the physics-based PSO-BPNN model, which combines best practice model and machine learning model, demonstrates better performance than the ECAC model and physics-based BPNN model because of its balance between stability and flexibility. In the validation set, the error of 74.77 % of the predicted results was within ±3 dB(A), and the coefficient of determination R2 between all predicted values and measured values reached 0.9450, which indicates the physics-based PSO-BPNN model a potential aircraft noise assessment solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel Fe-6.5Si-2Cr-12Ni high silicon steel undergoes thermomechanical processing. • Static recovery is changed to static recrystallization at annealing from 400 to 700 °C. • Textures of annealed FeSiCrNi alloy mainly are composed of γ-fiber and λ-fiber ones. • Intensity of {1 1 1} 〈1 1 2〉 texture reaches the maximum in FeSiCrNi annealed at 700 °C. Fe-6.5 wt% Si high silicon steel alloy presents excellent soft magnetic performances, but a poor plasticity limits its industrial application seriously. In this work, a novel FeSiCrNi alloy with the chemical composition of Fe-6.5Si-2Cr-12Ni (wt%) is designed and subjected to thermomechanical processing including local canning compression at room temperature and annealing at elevated temperatures. It is observed that microstructures of FeSiCrNi specimens with a compression degree of 70 % are dominated by dislocation cells. The microstructural evolution is transformed from static recovery to static recrystallization when FeSiCrNi specimens are annealed from 400 to 700 °C. Grains with high strain energy are successively nucleated via the integration of subgrain boundaries at 600 °C and a pronounced growth of recrystallized grains occurs at 700 °C. In particular, microtextures of the FeSiCrNi alloy essentially consist of γ -fiber ({1 1 1}∥ND) and λ -fiber ({1 0 0}∥ND) textures during recovery and recrystallization. The intensity of λ -fiber texture is weakened with increasing annealing temperature, while the intensity of γ -fiber which is composed of {1 1 1} 〈1 1 2〉 and {1 1 1} 〈1 1 0〉 textures is strengthened. The intensity of {1 1 1} 〈1 1 2〉 texture within the recrystallized FeSiCrNi grains reaches the maximum value at 700 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of high nitrogen hot-work die steel 3Cr5Mo2SiVN based on the idea of substituting C with N, proper Mo addition, and proper Si and V subtraction was designed, exhibiting higher microstructure and hardness stability than the frequently-used H13 steel. The results showed that the softening mechanism consisted of the coarsening and decomposition of laths, the formation and coarsening of precipitates, the annihilation and rearrangement of dislocations and the formation of sub-grains. The superior thermal stability of 3Cr5Mo2SiVN steel could be attributed to the low precipitate and dislocation recovery. First, the higher activation energy inhibited the diffusion of alloying elements, thus delaying the formation and coarsening of precipitates. Second, the undissolved M(C, N) exhibited a higher solid solution temperature than the undissolved MC, and M 3 C had a stronger heat absorption ability. In addition, the nano‑carbonitride M(C, N) exhibited lower lattice disregistry and interface energy than the nano-carbide MC. Hence, the undissolved M(C, N), M 3 C and nano‑carbonitride M(C, N) showed a higher precipitate stability. Third, in terms of dislocation evolution, the higher stability of lattice constant and solid solution of interstitial atoms as well as the smaller carbide size and lower precipitation content significantly inhibited the dislocation recovery. The preservation of prior austenite grain boundaries and lath boundaries effectively hindered the dislocation migration. After isothermal tempering at 580, 600 and 620 °C for 96 h, the hardness decreased to 41.1, 35.4 and 31.7 HRC with softening rate 4.6, 8.5 and 10.0 for 3Cr5Mo2SiVN steel, and 35.2, 29.3 and 28.1 HRC with softening rate 7.2, 11.2 and 11.5 for H13 steel. The difference in hardness and softening rate at 600 °C was the most prominent, attaining respective values of 6.1 HRC and 2.7, respectively. • 3Cr5Mo2SiVN steel achieves excellent microstructure and hardness stability. • The lath, precipitate, dislocation and sub-grain recovery affect stability. • M 3 C, undissolved and nano-scale M(C, N) exhibit high thermal stability. • High C, N contents in matrix and small carbides inhibit dislocation recovery. • Preservation of austenite and lath boundaries hinder dislocation migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photoelectrochemical redox battery (PRB) has been regarded as an alternative candidate for large‐scale solar energy capture, conversion, and storage as it combines the superior advantages of photoelectrochemical devices and redox batteries. As an emerging solar energy utilization technology, significant progress has been made towards promoting and proliferating the practical applications of PRBs. However, wide market penetration of PRBs is still being significantly inhibited by limited photocatalytic activity, low efficiency, among other critical issues. Furthermore, the integration of each component, including solar materials, redox couples, and membranes and their interaction in PRBs play vital roles towards achieving smooth operation and high performance. Herein, the materials, mechanisms, recent advances, and challenges in the use of PRBs are presented. The crucial influence of redox couples, photoelectrode materials, membranes on the performance of the system including how they affect solar energy capture, reaction kinetics, and internal losses are systematically discussed. In addition, the recent advances of a single‐battery of photoelectrode mode and an integrated device of solar cell mode are summarized. Furthermore, the state of the art performance of PRBs and their upscaling progress are also discussed. Finally, the challenges and perspectives for the future development of PRBs are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy storage in the form of chemical energy is considered a promising alternative for solar energy utilization. High-performance solar energy conversion and storage significantly rely on the sufficient active surface area and the efficient transport of both reactants and charge carriers. Herein, the structure evolution of titania nanotube photocatalyst during the photoanode fabrication and its effect on photoelectrochemical activity in a microfluidic all-vanadium photoelectrochemical cell was investigated. Experimental results have shown that there exist opposite variation trends for the pore structure and crystallinity of the photocatalyst. With the increase in calcination temperature, the active surface area and pore volume were gradually declined while the crystallinity was significantly improved. The trade-off between the gradually deteriorated sintering and optimized crystallinity of the photocatalyst then determined the photoelectrochemical reaction efficiency. The optimal average photocurrent density and vanadium ions conversion rate emerged at an appropriate calcination temperature, where both the plentiful pores and large active surface area, as well as good crystallinity, could be ensured to promote the photoelectrochemical activity. This work reveals the structure evolution of the nanostructured photocatalyst in influencing the solar energy conversion and storage, which is useful for the structural design of the photoelectrodes in real applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financing structure is an important and very complex issue in the financial theory and the rights and obligations of relevant stakeholders of enterprises are also concentrated in the financing structure. Therefore, the financing structure has a significant impact on the value of enterprises. A reasonable financing structure is conducive to standardizing the behavior of enterprises and improving the value of enterprises. The change of corporate financing structure is often used as a signal to external investors about the company's future income expectations, especially because the financing structure has a certain impact on the company's performance, which makes the problem of financing structure more valued by the theoretical and financial circles. For the empirical information about company financing, this paper explores the influencing elements of the company's running overall performance assisted with the aid of the blockchain, and the net of matters provides a chain model and constructs the operating performance indicators according to the comprehensive score. We select the commercial credit financing rate, short-term loan financing rate, long-term loan financing rate, debt financing rate, equity financing rate, and endogenous financing rate. The control variables are total capital, ownership concentration, and average age of the company. The conclusion is drawn by regression analysis. Commercial savings financing rate, fairness financing fee, and endogenous financing fee are positively correlated with the working performance; short-term loans and average age of the company are negatively correlated with the operating performance; and long-term loan financing rate, bond financing rate, and equity concentration are not significantly correlated with the operating performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intestinal lymphangiectasia (IL) is a rare disease characterized by dilation of lymphatic vessels and leakage of lymphatic fluids into the intestinal lumen, causing depletion of lymphocytes, protein, lipids, fat-soluble vitamins, and electrolytes. Hypomagnesemia can occur in IL patients but is seldom discussed.Case Presentation: A 30-year-old Tibetan woman who had chronic diarrhea, edema, tetany, and tingling was diagnosed with IL. Prominent hypomagnesemia was noticed. She was treated with a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) diet and nutrient supplementation with satisfactory results. We also present a systematic review of hypomagnesemia in IL cases from the published literature.Conclusions: Hypomagnesemia may be an overlooked complication of IL, thus monitoring serum magnesium concentrations in IL patients is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A retrospective study and a randomized controlled trial published in a high quality journal in late 2018 have shown that laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (RH) was associated with worse survival than abdominal RH among patients with early stage cervical cancer. Radical hysterectomy in cervical cancer has been a classic landmark surgery in gynecology, therefore this conclusion is pivotal. The current trial is designed to reconfirm whether there is a difference between laparoscopic RH and abdominal RH in cervical cancer (stage IA1 with LVSI, IA2) patient survival under stringent operation standards and consistent tumor-free technique. This paper reports the rationale, design, and implementation of the trial.Methods: This is an investigator-initiated, prospective, randomized, open, blinded endpoint (PROBE) controlled trial. A total of 690 patients with stage IA1 (with intravascular), and IA2 cervical cancer will be enrolled over a period of three years. Patients are randomized (1:1) to either the laparoscopic RH or the abdominal RH group. Patients will then be followed-up for at least five years. The primary endpoint will be 5-year progression-free survival. Secondary endpoints will include 5-year overall survival rates, recurrence rates, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, surgery-related complications, and quality of life.Discussion: The results of the trial will provide valuable evidence for guiding clinical decision of choosing appropriate treatment strategies for stage IA1 (LVSI) and stage IA2 cervical cancer patients.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT04934982 , Registered on 22 June 2021). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we introduce a controllable route for the efficient synthesis of Zn 0.6 Ni 0.3 Cu 0.1 Fe 2 O 4 ferrite glass-ceramic with enhanced electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing performance. By adding a certain amount of Zn, Ni, Cu and Fe oxides into the SiO 2 –Al 2 O 3 –B 2 O 3 –CaO-R 2 O glass system, the microstructure of three-dimensional dendritic ferrites combined with amorphous SiO 2 -rich phase is constructed through a high-temperature melt and quenching route. The good EMW absorption performance is attributed to the unique combination of amorphous glass and spinel ferrite, which improves the impedance matching of the material and absorbs EMW by the dielectric loss and magnetic loss. Moreover, the dendritic ferrite crystal phase is compounded with the SiO 2 -rich amorphous phase to form grain boundaries and crystal-amorphous interfaces, which enhances the interfacial polarization and builds multiple transmission-absorption mechanisms. The results show that the reflection loss peak value of the glass-ceramics containing 60 wt% Zn 0.6 Ni 0.3 Cu 0.1 Fe 2 O 4 spinel is −42.16 dB with the sample thickness of 2 mm, and the effective absorption band range (reflection loss ≤ -10 dB) is 3.76 GHz (13.6–17.36 GHz) at 1.5 mm. This approach presents a scalable and low-cost solution that may be applied to the design of high-efficiency EMW consumption components in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Microbes have been shown to contribute to gastric cancer (GC), gastric bacteria and viruses are associated with gastric carcinogenesis. However, the relationship between gastric fungi and GC is still unclear. Our aim was to evaluate the gastric fungal microbiota in the GC microenvironment.Methods: Gastric fungal microbiome profiling was performed with internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequencing in primary tumor and corresponding paired normal mucosal tissues from 61 GC patients. Differences in microbial composition, taxa diversity, and predicted function were further analyzed.Results: Dysbiosis of gastric mucosal fungal microbiome was observed between the tumor and normal groups in GC. The tumor group had a higher abundance of certain taxa than the normal group. In the taxa classification, the abundances of Pezizomycetes, Sordariales, Chaetomiaceae, and Rozellomycota were lower in the tumor group than in the normal group. At the genus level, Solicoccozyma (P = 0.033) was found in higher abundance and was differentially enriched in the tumor group with Lefse analysis. Additionally, Solicoccozyma accounted for 0.3% of gastric fungi in the GC microenvironment. Twenty-seven of the 61 GC patients showed positive Solicoccozyma expression in tumors. Solicoccozyma-positive expression in tumors was associated with the Bormann classification and nerve invasion. Solicoccozyma was considered a gastric fungal marker to classify stage I and stage II-IV GC patients with an area under the receiver-operating curve (AUC) of 0.7061, as well as to classify the nerve invasive and nonnerve invasive tumors from GC patients with an AUC of 0.6978. Functional prediction indicated that the positive expression of Solicoccozyma in tumors was associated with the amino acid- and carbohydrate-related metabolic pathways in GC.Conclusions: This study revealed a novel perspective on the role of Solicoccozyma in tumors and a theoretical basis for therapeutic targets against GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]