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The concept of $ C_{\pi }^R $ C π R -matrix is extended to $ C_{\pi }^R $ C π R -tensor, which also generalizes the concept of C-tensor. A necessary and sufficient condition for a tensor to be a $ C_{\pi }^R $ C π R -tensor is provided. We analyse decompositions of $ C_{\pi }^R $ C π R -tensors and prove that $ C_{\pi }^R $ C π R -tensors are nonsingular. Positive linear combinations and Hadamard product of two $ C_{\pi }^R $ C π R -tensors are also discussed. Finally, some properties of $ B_{\pi }^R $ B π R -tensor are given to localize real eigenvalues of a tensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately assessing the state of health (SOH) of lithium batteries is of great significance for improving battery safety performance. However, the current assessment for SOH suffers from the difficulty of selecting health features and the lack of uncertainty using data-driven methods. To this end, this paper proposes a health state assessment method for lithium-ion batteries based on health feature extraction and an improved Informer model. First, multiple features that can reflect the SOH of lithium-ion batteries were extracted from the charging and discharging time, the peak value of incremental capacity curve (ICC), and the inflection point value of differential voltage curve, etc., and the correlation between multiple health features and the health state was evaluated by gray correlation analysis. Then, an improved Informer model is proposed to establish a health state estimation method for lithium-ion batteries. Finally, the proposed algorithm is tested and validated using publicly available battery charge/discharge datasets and compared with other algorithms. The results show that the method in this paper can realize high-precision SOH prediction with a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 0.011, and the model fit reaches more than 98%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beam position is the most important reference basis for the operation of synchrotron radiation light sources, particularly for commissioning the first-turn injection of fourth-generation light sources. To improve the accuracy of the beam position measurement, we analyzed methods for calculating the beam position, and a finite element calculation and the stretched wire calibration system were used to demonstrate the procedure. We proved the relationship between the coverage range, fitting order, scanning step size, and accuracy both theoretically and experimentally, which can provide a basis for selecting the appropriate fitting order for different operation stages of the accelerator. It was proved that the accuracy of beam position calculations using simplified polynomial coefficients is comparable to those without a simplified one, which can save resources for reading electronic processing. The testing results of a batch of beam position monitors (BPMs) were in good agreement with the finite element calculation results, and the small difference between the manufactured BPMs also proved that quality control was performed well, and it benefited from button sorting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are clonal hematopoietic disorders characterized by morphological abnormalities and peripheral blood cytopenias, carrying a risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia. Although ferroptosis is a promising target for MDS treatment, the specific roles of ferroptosis‐related genes (FRGs) in MDS diagnosis have not been elucidated. Methods: MDS‐related microarray data were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. A comprehensive analysis of FRG expression levels in patients with MDS and controls was conducted, followed by the use of multiple machine learning methods to establish prediction models. The predictive ability of the optimal model was evaluated using nomogram analysis and an external data set. Functional analysis was applied to explore the underlying mechanisms. The mRNA levels of the model genes were verified in MDS clinical samples by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). Results: The extreme gradient boosting model demonstrated the best performance, leading to the identification of a panel of six signature genes: SREBF1, PTPN6, PARP9, MAP3K11, MDM4, and EZH2. Receiver operating characteristic curves indicated that the model exhibited high accuracy in predicting MDS diagnosis, with area under the curve values of 0.989 and 0.962 for the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Functional analysis revealed significant associations between these genes and the infiltrating immune cells. The expression levels of these genes were successfully verified in MDS clinical samples. Conclusion: Our study is the first to identify a novel model using FRGs to predict the risk of developing MDS. FRGs may be implicated in MDS pathogenesis through immune‐related pathways. These findings highlight the intricate correlation between ferroptosis and MDS, offering insights that may aid in identifying potential therapeutic targets for this debilitating disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The locus coeruleus‐norepinephrine (LC‐NE) system, which regulates arousal levels, is important for cognitive control, including emotional conflict resolution. Additionally, the LC‐NE system is implicated in P300 generation. If the P300 is mediated by the LC‐NE system, and considering the established correlations between LC activity and pupil dilation, P300 amplitude should correlate with task‐evoked (phasic) pupil dilation on a trial‐by‐trial basis. However, prior studies, predominantly utilizing oddball‐type paradigms, have not demonstrated correlations between concurrently recorded task‐evoked pupil dilation and P300 responses. Using a recently developed emotional face‐word Stroop task that links pupil dilation to the LC‐NE system, here, we examined both intra‐ and inter‐individual correlations between task‐evoked pupil dilation and P300 amplitude. We found that lower accuracy, slower reaction times, and larger task‐evoked pupil dilation were obtained in the incongruent compared to the congruent condition. Furthermore, we observed intra‐individual correlations between task‐evoked pupil dilation and P300 amplitude, with larger pupil dilation correlating with a greater P300 amplitude. In contrast, pupil dilation did not exhibit consistent correlations with N450 and N170 amplitudes. Baseline (tonic) pupil size also showed correlations with P300 and N170 amplitudes, with smaller pupil size corresponding to larger amplitude. Moreover, inter‐individual differences in task‐evoked pupil dilation between the congruent and incongruent conditions correlated with differences in reaction time and P300 amplitude, though these effects only approached significance. To summarize, our study provides evidence for a connection between task‐evoked pupil dilation and P300 amplitude at the single‐trial level, suggesting the involvement of the LC‐NE system in P300 generation. The locus coeruleus‐norepinephrine system is implicated in the generation of the P300. Using pupillometry as an indirect measure of locus coeruleus‐norepinephrine activity, we demonstrated intra‐individual trial‐to‐trial correlations between concurrently recorded task‐evoked pupil dilation and P300 responses in the emotional face‐word Stroop task, with larger pupil dilation correlating with a greater P300 amplitude, suggesting the involvement of the locus coeruleus‐norepinephrine system in P300 generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has provided strong policy support for Farmers' Cooperatives (FCs) in a bid to achieve its agricultural ambitions; however, scholars are divided on their contribution. Based upon three in-depth case studies, we interrogate the simple dichotomies used to describe FCs in China – authentic/inauthentic and failed/successful – arguing that FCs can have beneficial implications for smallholder livelihoods regardless of their organisation, operation and viability. Our research finds that local leadership and smallholder-led initiatives are more important than the authenticity and success of local FCs. We therefore call for a more nuanced understanding of the value of FCs and propose that resources should be diverted to other smallholder-led avenues to sustain China's rural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Scrapped PV panels are recovered comprehensively. • Leaching efficiency of Ag is over 96% by HNO 3. • The impurities in solar cells are removed efficiently. • Cu strips are purified and recovered by replacement reaction. • The proposed method for PV panels recycling is profitable. The increasing scrapped Si-based photovoltaic (PV) panels has become an urgent problem, and their disposal is essential for resources utilization and environment issues. This paper proposes a comprehensive process for recycling of discarded silicon-based PV panels economically, environmentally, and efficiently. Based on the thermal properties of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), they are removed from the discarded PV panels at 600 °C with heating rate of 5 °C/min and maintain for one hour. The glass, solar cells, and copper strips were separated after heat treatment. Simultaneously, the solar cells were crushed into powder. Nitric acid was used to recover silver from the solar cell powder, while most of the metal impurities such as Mg, Ti and Al, were removed as well. The leaching efficiency of silver was over 96 % under the optimized conditions: HNO 3 of 4.0 mol/L, liquid-to-solid ratio of 10:1, temperature of 50 °C for 80 min. Regarding the copper strips, they were sequentially treated with 0.5 mol/L CH 3 COOH and NaOH solution to remove the oxides of Pb and Sn on their surface. Subsequently, they were placed into the solution of 1.0 mol/L CuSO 4 with pH of 2 ∼ 3 to eliminate Pb and Sn. This article provides significant reference for the recycling of Si-based PV panels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The LPS-induced tree shrews exhibited severe shortness of breath, resulting in hypoxemia. • The induced group of animals exhibited 72 ∼ 120 h endpoints, and none of them recover. • Diffuse alveolar damage was observed in the lungs of the tree shrew, which is the histological hallmark for the acute phase of ARDS. • 3D reconstruction of the lung CT images was used to accurately measure the extent and distribution of the whole lung injury in LPS-induced tree shrews. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a leading cause of respiratory failure, with substantial attributable morbidity and mortality. The small animal models that are currently used for ARDS do not fully manifest all of the pathological hallmarks of human patients, which hampers both the studies of disease mechanism and drug development. To examine whether the phenotypic changes of primate-like tree shrews in response to a one-hit lipopolysaccharides (LPS) injury resemble human ARDS features. LPS was administered to tree shrews through intratracheal instillation; then, the animals underwent CT or PET/CT imaging to examine the changes in the structure and function of the whole lung. The lung histology was analyzed by H&E staining and immunohistochemical staining of inflammatory cells. Results demonstrated that tree shrews exhibited an average survival time of 3–5 days after LPS insult, as well as an obvious symptom of dyspnea before death. The ratios of PaO 2 to FiO 2 (P/F ratio) were close to those of moderate ARDS in humans. CT imaging showed that the scope of the lung injury in tree shrews after LPS treatment were extensive. PET/CT imaging with 18F-FDG displayed an obvious inflammatory infiltration. Histological analysis detected the formation of a hyaline membrane, which is usually present in human ARDS. This study established a lung injury model with a primate-like small animal model and confirmed that they have similar features to human ARDS, which might provide a valuable tool for translational research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a kinematics modeling and hybrid motion planning framework for wheeled-legged rovers. It is a unified solution for wheeled-legged rovers to traverse multiple challenging terrains using hybrid locomotion. A kinematic model is first established to describe the rover's motions. Then, a hybrid motion planning framework is proposed to determine the rover's gait patterns and parameterize the legs' and the body's trajectories. Furthermore, an optimization algorithm based on B-spline is utilized to minimize the motors' energy dissipation and generate smooth trajectories. The wheeled and legged hybridization allows the rover for faster locomotion while maintaining high stability. Besides, it also improves the rover's ability to overcome obstacles. Prototype experiments are carried out in more complex environments to verify the rover's flexibility and maneuverability to traverse irregular terrains. The proposed algorithm reduces the swing amplitude by 83.3% compared to purely legged locomotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with abdominopelvic cancer undergoing radiotherapy commonly develop radiation-induced intestinal injury (RIII); however, its underlying pathogenesis remains elusive. The von Willebrand factor (vWF)/a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13 (ADAMTS13) axis has been implicated in thrombosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress. However, its role in RIII remains unclear. In this study, the effect of radiation on vWF and ADAMTS13 expression was firstly evaluated in patients with cervical cancer undergoing radiotherapy and C57BL/6J mice exposed to different doses of total abdominal irradiation. Then, mice with the specific deletion of vWF in the platelets and endothelium were established to demonstrate the contribution of vWF to RIII. Additionally, the radioprotective effect of recombinant human (rh) ADAMTS13 against RIII was assessed. Results showed that both the patients with cervical cancer undergoing radiotherapy and RIII mouse model exhibited increased vWF levels and decreased ADAMTS13 levels. The knockout of platelet- and endothelium-derived vWF rectified the vWF/ADAMTS13 axis imbalance; improved intestinal structural damage; increased crypt epithelial cell proliferation; and reduced radiation-induced apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress, thereby alleviating RIII. Administration of rhADAMTS13 could equally alleviate RIII. Our results demonstrated that abdominal irradiation affected the balance of the vWF/ADAMTS13 axis. vWF exerted a deleterious role and ADAMTS13 exhibited a protective role in RIII progression. rhADAMTS13 has the potential to be developed into a radioprotective agent. [Display omitted] • The severity of RIII was associated with increased vWF antigen levels and decreased ADAMTS13 antigen levels. • Deletion of vWF in platelets and endothelial cells alleviated RIII by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. • rhADAMTS13 administration decreased RIII severity by reversing vWF/ADAMTS13 axis imbalance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial use of wildlife is booming. However, knowledge of trade, price structure and benefit distribution mechanisms remain limited for many endemic, threatened and economically valuable species, impeding efforts to develop conservation intervention schemes in line with sustainable objectives. We illustrate the nature of commercialization of the caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis , collected in a high-altitude Tibetan region. Using the value-chain approach, we document how caterpillar fungus is collected in a remote mountainous region and traded across a wide range of middlemen until it finally reaches high-end markets in urban centres. Mapping the caterpillar fungus value chain helps identify the actors involved and the social institutions (i.e. the rules, norms and arrangements that shape people's behaviours) facilitating access to markets and influencing profit distribution and price structure. We present the complex dynamics of this commercialization process, providing a holistic value-chain analysis that encompasses actors, profits and institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to present an accessible C-shaped partial stapled hemorrhoidopexy (C-PSH) in the treatment of grade IV hemorrhoids and to assess long-term outcomes of this technique compared with circular stapled hemorrhoidopexy (CSH). Methods: Conventional CSH kits combined with an intestinal spatula were used for performing C-PSH. A total of 256 patients with grade IV hemorrhoids referred to Hangzhou Third People's Hospital between January 2016 and June 2017 were obtained: 122 (47.7%) with C-PSH, and 134 (52.3%) with CSH. After propensity score matching, 222 patients (111 in C-PSH group and 111 in CSH group) were ultimately analyzed. The primary outcome was the five-year recurrence rate of hemorrhoids. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative outcomes, postoperative outcomes and complications. Results: The operative time in the C-PSH group was slightly longer than that in the CSH group (p < 0.01). The vertical length of rectal mucosa specimen in the C-PSH group was shorter than that in the CSH group (p < 0.01). Compared with the CSH group, fecal urgency incidence and numeric rating scale (NRS) score at first defecation were lower in the C-PSH group (p < 0.05). Major complication rate in the CSH group was higher than that in the C-PSH group (p = 0.03). Five-year recurrence rate between the C-PSH group and CSH group was comparable (p > 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that constipation was an independent prognostic factor for hemorrhoidal recurrence. Conclusions: The accessible C-PSH seems to be a safe and effective technique in managing grade IV hemorrhoids. It has advantages in alleviating postoperative pain at first defecation, fecal urgency and major complications compared with CSH. It could be an alternative technique in the treatment of grade IV hemorrhoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tormentic acid (TA), an effective triterpenoid isolated from Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai (Rosaceae) fruits, exerts an effective treatment for gastric damage. To investigate the gastroprotective effect of TA on indomethacin (IND) damaged GES-1 cells and rats, and explore potential mechanisms. TA concentrations of 1.563–25 µM were used. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration were performed using MTT, colony formation, wound healing, migration, Hoechst staining assays. SD rats were divided into control, IND, TA (1, 2 and 4 mg/kg) + IND groups, once a day for 21 continuous days. Twenty-four hours after the last administration, all groups except the control group were given IND (100 mg/kg) by gavage. Gastric juice parameters, gastric ulcer, gastric blood flow (GBF), blood biochemical parameters and cytokine analysis and gastric mucosal histopathology were detected for 2 h and 6 h after IND oral administration. The mRNA and protein expression of miR-139 and the CXCR4/CXCL12/PLC/PKC/Rho A/MLC pathway were analyzed in the IND-damaged GES-1 cells and gastric tissue of rats. TA might ameliorate the gastric mucosal injury by accelerating the IND-damaged GES-1 cell proliferation and migration, ameliorating GBF, ulcer area and pathologic changes, the redox system and cytokine levels, the gastric juice parameters, elevating the gastric pH in IND damaged rats; suppressed miR-139 mRNA expression, elevated CXCR4 and CXCL12 mRNA and protein expression, p-PLC, p-PKC, Rho A, MLCK and p-MLC protein expression. TA may have potential use as a clinical drug candidate for gastric mucosal lesion treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let X be a Banach space and $ B(X) $ B (X) be the algebra of all bounded linear operators on X. Firstly, we prove that every derivable mapping at a nonzero element in $ B(X) $ B (X) is a derivation. As a corollary, we show that every generalized derivable mapping on $ B(X) $ B (X) is a general derivation. Secondly, we prove that every centralizable mapping on $ B(X) $ B (X) is a centralizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The long‐term results of cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) for noncontiguous cervical degenerative disc disease (CDDD) are still uncertain. Moreover, it is unclear whether CDA delays or avoids the degeneration of the intermediate segment (IS), leading to controversy in the field. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the mid‐ to long‐term clinical and radiographic outcomes of CDA in treating noncontiguous CDDD and to explore whether the IS degenerated faster after CDA than other non‐surgically treated adjacent segments. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with noncontiguous CDDD who underwent CDA in our department between January 2008 and July 2018. The patients were divided into the CDA and hybrid surgery (HS) groups, and clinical and radiographic outcomes were evaluated at routine postoperative intervals. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA), neck disability index (NDI), and visual analogue scale (VAS), while radiographic outcomes included cervical lordosis (CL), C2‐C7 range of motion (ROM), segmental ROM, and disc angle (DA) at the arthroplasty level. Complications were also evaluated.Pre‐ and postoperative values were compared using paired t‐tests or Wilcoxon rank‐sum tests. Independent Student t‐tests or Mann–Whitney U tests analyzed continuous data between CDA and HS groups, while chi‐square or Fisher exact tests assessed categorical data. Results: Sixty‐four patients with noncontiguous CDDD, with 31 in the CDA group and 33 in the HS group, were evaluated. The mean follow‐up time was over 70 months. The most frequently involved levels were C4/5 and C5/6. Both groups showed significant improvements in JOA, NDI, and VAS values after surgery. Although CL was maintained, the CL in the CDA group was consistently lower than that in the HS group (p < 0.05). There was a significant decrease in C2‐C7 ROM (p < 0.05), but at the last follow‐up, the C2‐C7 ROM in the CDA group was greater than that in the HS group (p < 0.05). At the last follow‐up, 44.3% of arthroplasty levels had developed heterotopic ossification (HO), and 48.45% had developed anterior bone loss (ABL). In addition, adjacent segment degeneration (ASDeg) was observed in the IS (22.7%), superior adjacent segment (20.6%)and inferior adjacent segment (21.9%). Conclusion: CDA or CDA combined with fusion are viable treatments for noncontiguous CDDD, with satisfactory outcomes after mid‐to‐long‐term follow‐up. ASDeg is similar in non‐surgical segments after 70 months of follow‐up. ROM of the IS issimilar to preoperative levels, indicating CDA does not increase the risk of IS degeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a study of the D s D ¯ s interaction and its couplings to the channels D D ¯ and J / ψ ϕ is performed in a quasipotential Bethe–Salpeter equation approach. The D s + D s - and D + D - invariant mass spectra in three-body B decays are investigated in order to understand the origin of X(3960), χ c 0 (3930) , and X 0 (4140) structures reported at LHCb. With the help of effective Lagrangians, the potential kernel can be constructed with meson exchanges, from which the scattering amplitudes can be obtained. By inserting it into the three-body decay processes, the invariant mass spectra can be calculated with an additional Breit–Wigner resonance introduced. The D s + D s - invariant mass spectrum in the decay process B + → D s + D s - K + is well reproduced, and the X(3960) structure can be explained as a molecular state from the D s D ¯ s interaction. The state also exhibits as a peak in the D + D - invariant mass spectrum in the decay B + → D + D - K + , however, it is too narrow to reproduce the experimental structure around 3930 MeV. The dip around 4140 MeV in the D s + D s - invariant mass spectrum can be reproduced by the additional resonance with interference effect. However, a small bump instead of a dip is produced from the D s D ¯ s - J / ψ ϕ coupled-channel effect, which suggests that the X 0 (4140) cannot be interpreted as the D s D ¯ s - J / ψ ϕ coupling in the current model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing literature mainly examines the impact of academic self‐efficacy on academic achievement in educational psychology. Much less is known about the relationship between outcome expectations and adolescent academic achievement. This article applies the random intercept model to investigate the association between Chinese adolescent perceived value of effort as outcome expectations and academic achievement and employs the Karlson, Holm, and Breen (KHB) method to examine the underlying mechanisms. Additionally, this paper uses the random coefficient model to explore the heterogeneous association between the perceived value of effort and adolescent academic achievement across families and schools. Based on the Programme for International Students Assessment 2018 (N = 11751; 48.07% females), we found that the adolescent perceived value of effort was significantly and positively correlated with academic achievement. Adolescent educational expectations and academic engagement partially mediated the relationship between the perceived value of effort and academic achievement. Adolescents from disadvantaged families and schools benefited more from the perceived value of effort. These findings enhance existing literature by revealing how the adolescent outcome expectations contribute to academic achievement and provide a scientific basis for bridging the gap in academic achievement between families and schools to promote equity in education. Practitioner points: Adolescent perceived value of effort is positively associated with academic achievement.Adolescent educational expectations and academic engagement partially mediate the relationship between the perceived value of effort and academic achievement.Adolescents from disadvantaged families and schools benefit more from the perceived value of effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant defense responses against insect pests are intricately regulated by highly complex regulatory networks. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histones modulate the expression of genes involved in various biological processes. However, the role of PTMs in conferring insect resistance remains unclear. Through the screening of a T-DNA insertion activation-tagged mutant collection in rice, we identified the mutant planthopper susceptible 1 (phs1), which exhibits heightened expression of SET domain group 703 (SDG703). This overexpression is associated with increased susceptibility to the small brown planthopper (SBPH), an economically significant insect pest affecting rice crops. SDG703 is constitutively expressed in multiple tissues and shows substantial upregulation in response to SBPH feeding. SDG703 demonstrates the activity of histone H3K9 methyltransferase. Transcriptomic analysis revealed the downregulation of genes involved in effector-triggered immunity (ETI) and pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) in plants overexpressing SDG703. Among the downregulated genes, the overexpression of SDG703 in plants resulted in a higher level of histone H3K9 methylation compared to control plants. Collectively, these findings indicate that SDG703 suppresses the expression of defense-related genes through the promotion of histone methylation, consequently leading to reduced resistance against SBPH. The defense-related genes regulated by histone methylation present valuable targets for developing effective pest management strategies in future studies. Furthermore, our study provides novel insight into the epigenetic regulation involved in plant-insect resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phased array laser ultrasonic technology is suitable for non-destructive testing (NDT) of coating/substrate structure due to its excellent ability to generate ultrasonic waves with a high signal-to-noise ratio and flexible regulation. This research focuses on the propagation characteristics of ultrasonic waves generated by phased array laser in the coating/substrate (Ni/Al) structure. Considering the spatiotemporal distribution of phased array laser energy and the boundary conditions at the interface, the finite element model of phased array laser-generated ultrasonic waves in the coating/substrate structure was established. Furthermore, the propagation characteristics of bulk wave and Rayleigh wave were investigated, and the influences of element spacing and time delay of phased array laser on the steering characteristics of bulk wave and tuning characteristics of Rayleigh wave were analyzed. Finally, the accuracy of the simulation was verified through experiments based on the laser ultrasonic detection system. The simulation and experimental results indicate that the phased array laser can enhance the bulk wave at the steering direction, with the best enhancement effect occurring when the steering direction coincides with the maximum radiation direction in the directivity pattern of the laser-generated bulk wave. Besides, phased array laser can enhance certain frequency components of tuned Rayleigh waves by adjusting element spacing or time delay. The enhancement effect on low-frequency components is more significant with a short time delay or large element spacing. In contrast, the enhancement effect on high-frequency components is more significant with a long time delay or small element spacing. The research work in this paper has clarified the propagation characteristics for different modes of ultrasonic waves generated by phased array laser in the coating/substrate structure, which can provide a theoretical basis for subsequent defect detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate wind power data prediction is crucial to increase wind energy usage since wind power data are characterized by uncertainty and randomness, which present significant obstacles to the scheduling of power grids. This paper proposes a hybrid model for wind power prediction based on complementary ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN), sample entropy (SE), bidirectional long short-term memory network (BiLSTM), and Markov chain (MC). First, CEEMDAN is used to decompose the wind power series into a series of subsequences at various frequencies, and then SE is employed to reconstruct the wind power series subsequences to reduce the model's complexity. Second, the long short-term memory (LSTM) network is optimized, the BiLSTM neural network prediction method is used to predict each reconstruction component, and the results of the different component predictions are superimposed to acquire the total prediction results. Finally, MC is used to correct the model's total prediction results to increase the accuracy of the predictions. Experimental validation with measured data from wind farms in a region of Xinjiang, and computational results demonstrate that the proposed model can better fit wind power data than other prediction models and has greater prediction accuracy and generalizability for enhancing wind power prediction performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the quasi-static testing and analytical modelling of the hysteretic behavior of aluminum alloy rigid bus-flexible connectors of 220 kV electrical substations. The main objective of the study is to experimentally investigate the hysteretic behavior of six different types of rigid bus-flexible connectors 220 kV electrical substations when subjected to cyclic loading. Another objective is to theoretically study the flexibility and effectiveness of a previously proposed analytical model in fitting the experimental hysteresis loops of the tested rigid bus-flexible connectors. The experimental investigation indicates that the tested rigid bus-flexible connectors exhibit highly asymmetric hysteresis behavior along with tension stiffening effect. The theoretical study demonstrates that the generalized Bouc-Wen model has high flexibility and is effective in fitting the experimental hysteresis resisting force-displacement curves of the six tested rigid bus-flexible connectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A capacitive voltage transformer (CVT) is one of the electrical quantities measurement devices, and the state of its internal insulation is the key factor for ensuring the accuracy of its measurement of electrical energy. In view of the fact that the traditional real-time evaluation method of a CVT internal insulation anomaly mainly relies on empirical rules and prior knowledge and lacks the ability to independently mine effective features, an online evaluation method of a CVT internal insulation anomaly based on self-supervised learning is proposed. Firstly, an autoencoder is constructed to extract the residual sequence of the CVT secondary voltage and eliminate the influence of primary voltage fluctuation and power system voltage regulation. Without any prior knowledge, the complex dependence of the residual sequences in time and feature dimensions is learned by using a parallel graph attention layer (GATv2). Finally, a joint optimization based on the prediction and reconstruction model is introduced to obtain the abnormal inference score at each timestamp and realize the evaluation of the CVT internal insulation status. Experimental analysis shows that this method can effectively eliminate the influence of primary voltage fluctuation and power system voltage regulation on the online evaluation of the CVT internal insulation status and independently excavate the abnormal characteristics of the CVT secondary voltage to realize real-time monitoring and early warning of the CVT internal insulation status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountains are an important research object for surveying, mapping, cartography, space science, and ecological remote sensing. Automatic mountain segmentation is one of the most critical techniques in large-scale mountain analyses. However, several factors limit the segmentation accuracy, such as the complexity of mountains, the noise of geospatial data, and the confusion in distinguishing non-mountainous objects with similar features. In order to improve the accuracy of mountain segmentation against these limiting factors, we impose the cloth constraint over the digital elevation model (DEM) with the underlying assumption that the mountain has a sizeable relative elevation and slope. We propose a robust mountain segmentation method with the cloth simulation constraint. The core algorithm extracts the relative elevation of the region using a cloth simulation filtering algorithm by transforming the mountain segmentation problem into an optimization problem based on the global energy function consisting of the relative elevation and slope. Experiments on a wide range of Earth and lunar elevation datasets with some of the aforementioned limitations show that the proposed method can extract complex mountain baselines, avoid the misclassification of lunar craters, and significantly improve the robustness and accuracy of mountain segmentation. Compared to three state-of-the-art methods (the Lunar Mountain Detection Method, the Landform Mask Method in SNAP™ from European Space Agency (located in Paris, France), and the Multiscale Segmentation Method in eCognition™ from Definiens Imaging (located in Munich, Germany), the F1 and IoU improved by 14.70% and 20.46% on average and 29.07% and 38.94% at most, respectively, which validates that the proposed method has a better all-around performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α‐phase formamidine lead iodine (α‐FAPbI3) as a competitive candidate to pursue high‐performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs) suffers from the weakness of random nucleation and disordered growth in chasing high‐grade polycrystalline films. Here, single‐crystal seeds crystallization (SCSC) method is proposed to obtain high‐quality α‐FAPbI3 perovskite films for the first time. Six single‐crystals seeds (CsPbBr3, CsPbI3, FAPbBr3, FAPbI3, MAPbBr3, and MAPbI3) are employed to regulate α‐FAPbI3 perovskite crystallization. These seeds act as nucleation sites and allow the perovskite to grow directly. The rapid crystallization significantly improves the crystallinity of perovskite films with uniform morphology, large grain size, and less defects. Of particular note, FAPbBr3 seed prefers to grow α‐FAPbI3 epitaxially from FAPbBr3@PbI2 heterostructure through a halogen anion exchange process. The average grain size of FAPbBr3‐perovskite film is boosted to 2.6 µm, and the trap density reduced by 11 times. The resultant FAPbBr3‐PSCs achieve a maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.84% with a high open‐circuit voltage of 1.18 V. The unencapsulated PSC retains 91% of the initial PCE after 3000 h of storage at ≈30–50% relative humidity and preserves 98.5% of the original value after 155 h illumination with maximum power point tracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitophagy is related to chondrocyte homeostasis and plays a key role in the progress of osteoarthritis (OA). Baicalin has a protective effect on OA chondrocytes, the aim of this study was to explore whether the effect of Baicalin on IL‐1β‐induced chondrocyte injury is related to the regulation of mitophagy. The expression of collagen II in chondrocytes was detected to identify chondrocytes. The effects of different concentrations of Baicalin (10, 20 and 40 μM), autophagy inhibitor (3‐Methyladenine), autophagy activator (rapamycin) and Baicalin combined with PI3K agonist (740Y‐P) on the viability (cell counting kit 8), apoptosis (flow cytometry), autophagy activation (Monodansylcadaverine staining) and mitochondrial membrane potential (JC‐1 kit) of IL‐1β‐induced chondrocytes were evaluated. The co‐localization of autophagosome and mitochondria was determined by immunofluorescence. Apoptosis‐, autophagy‐, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway‐ and mitophagy‐related proteins were detected by western blot. Our result revealed that Baicalin and rapamycin facilitated cell viability, autophagy and mitophagy, elevated mitochondrial membrane potential and suppressed apoptosis of IL‐1β‐induced rat chondrocytes. In addition, Baicalin and rapamycin upregulated the levels of Bcl‐2, Beclin 1, LC3‐II/LC3‐I, p‐Drp1, PINK1 and Parkin as well as downregulated the levels of Bax, cleaved caspase‐3, P62, p‐PI3K/PI3K, p‐mTOR/mTOR and Drp1 in IL‐1β‐induced rat chondrocytes. However, 3‐Methyladenine did the opposite effects of Baicalin and 740Y‐P reversed the effects of Baicalin on IL‐1β‐induced rat chondrocytes. In conclusion, Baicalin activated mitophagy in IL‐1β‐induced chondrocytes by inhibiting PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and activating PINK1/Parkin and PINK1/Drp‐1 pathway, thereby reducing the chondrocyte injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct oxidation of organosilanes is one of the most straightforward ways to access silanols. Herein, we describe a novel photo-induced strategy for oxidation of organosilanes to access silanols, promoted by a photoactive charge-transfer complex (CTC) between sodium benzenesulfinate and molecular O2. A streamlined sequence transformation of organosilanes to silyl ethers was also readily achieved. This developed protocol represents the first example of CTC-based oxidation of organosilanes, offering a facile approach to access a series of silanol and silyl ether products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was to study the structure and influencing factors of intestinal microflora of Procrayfish clarkii in pond and rice field. Three breeding ponds and three rice-breeding plots were selected. 4~5 g of crayfish (250~300 kg/hm²) were raised successively in ponds and rice fields. Samples of crayfish (25~32 g/person), surface sediment and bottom water were collected in ponds and rice fields. The 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing technology was used to compare and analyze the difference of gut microbiota structure of Procrayfish clarkii under two farming modes, which were pond and rice field. The experiment lasted for 90 d. The results showed that the intestinal microbial diversity of Procrayfish clarkii tended to decrease in rice field culture compared with pond culture. The microbial diversity of rice field water was significantly lower than that of pond water (P<0.05). Compared with pond, the relative abundance of Planktothrix in intestinal tract of Procrazii clarkii cultured in rice field was significantly increased (P<0.05). The relative abundance of uncultured Chthoniobacterales was significantly decreased (P<0.05). The results of correlation analysis showed that the gut microbiota of Procrayfish clarkii was significantly positively correlated with sediment and water microorganisms (P<0.05), the correlation with sediment microorganisms was stronger. The experiment indicates that there is a significant difference in the structure of gut microbiota of Procrayfish clarkii between pond and rice field. The gut microbial structure is positively regulated by the culture environment, which is more affected by sediment microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dredged soil was solidified with soda residue (SR), ground granulated blast furnace slag and carbide slag. Dynamic triaxial tests were conducted on solidified soil under different confining pressure, SR content and curing age. The accumulated strain (ɛp), critical dynamic stress (σdcr), dynamic strength and empirical formula were studied. The results revealed that increasing confining pressure, SR content and curing age reduced ɛp and increased σdcr and dynamic strength of solidified soil. The relationship between ɛp and loading cycles (N) of solidified soil conformed to an empirical model, and the fitting parameters A, B and C were obtained. The state of the ɛp vs. N curve could be judged according to A, B and C, and the discriminating standard was given. Based on the A × B fitting formula, a method for calculating σdcr was proposed. The values of σdcr for solidified soil were 93.56 kPa to 231.30 kPa, which were greater than clay subgrade filler and similar to solidified soil subgrade filler. The values of σdcr were greater than the dynamic stress level of the subgrade bed, indicating that solidified soil met the dynamic stability requirement. The dynamic cohesion (cd) and dynamic internal friction angle (φd) of solidified soil both decreased with the increase of the failure loading cycle. The cd varied greatly, ranging from 58.4 kPa to 85.35 kPa, and φd was about 11.96° to 13.05°. The solidified dredged soil can be used as filler in subgrade engineering from the viewpoint of accumulated strain and dynamic strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct pyrolysis of low‐cost and resource‐abundant pitch generally produces highly graphitized soft carbon, showing low reversible capacity and a negligible charge‐discharge plateau owing to its unsuitable microstructure for sodium storage. Herein, for the first time, an innovative dual‐interfering chemistry strategy is proposed to solve the soft‐hard carbon translation challenge. Multifunctional zinc gluconate generates dual‐mechanism interference upon decomposition and successfully regulates pitch pyrolysis: 1) the gas decomposition products (carbon oxides) may consume excess hydrogen to realize fusion‐to‐solid‐state pyrolysis of pitch, hindering microcrystalline ordering; 2) the solid compounds (i.e., organic zinc salt and ZnO nanoparticles) not only weakens strong π–π interactions between the aromatic chains of pitch but also introduces abundant closed pores into the carbon matrix. The optimized pitch‐derived hard carbon (PZHC 450–1200) shows an absorption‐insertion‐pore filling sodium storage mechanism after microstructure conversion from graphitic structure to a pore‐rich and turbostratic structure. As a result, the PZHC 450–1200 exhibits a high reversible capacity of 320 mAh g−1 at 30 mA g−1 with a more than twofold‐enhanced low‐voltage plateau capacity ratio, and outstanding rate capability that outperforms almost all previously reported pitch‐derived carbons. The concept of dual‐interfering chemistry contributes to achieving low‐cost and high‐performance hard carbon for fast and durable sodium storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thyroid cancer patients have a good prognosis, and their long survival increases the likelihood of developing a second primary tumor. Meanwhile, pancreatic cancer (PC) has a poor prognosis and therapeutic efficacy. However, the association between prior thyroid cancer and the subsequent PC prognosis is unknown. Herein, we selected pathologically diagnosed PC patients older than 17 between 2010 and 2015 from the SEER database. We used propensity score matching (PSM) to reduce confounding factors between groups and matched each PC patient with a history of thyroid cancer with 10 PC patients without a history of thyroid cancer. Finally, we selected 103 PC patients with prior thyroid cancer and 1030 PC patients without prior thyroid cancer. Then, we analyzed the factors influencing the overall survival (OS) and the cancer-specific survival (CSS) of PC patients. The median overall survival of PC patients with and without a history of thyroid cancer was 12 and 9 months, respectively. The history of thyroid cancer in PC patients reduced the PC-specific mortality (p < 0.05). Prior thyroid cancer might be a favorable prognostic factor for PC-specific mortality in PC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rubber products generally need to have high resistance to abrasion, tear, and cutting. Filling short fiber with strong mechanical properties and forming a net in the rubber matrix is a good method to realize the above aims. In this article, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) short fibers with a diameter of 20 μm and a length of 2 cm were filled into natural rubber (NR) to improve the tear strength of the NR. The influence of the short fiber mass fraction and vulcanization conditions on the mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. The results show that the milling process and vulcanization conditions are key factors in enhancing tear resistance performance. Double-roll milling and vulcanization at 143 °C for 40 min result in strong interfacial adhesion between the UHMWPE short fibers and the NR. The addition of 2 phr of UHMWPE fiber increases the tear strength of the composite material by up to 150.2% (from 17.1 kN/m to 42.8 kN/m) while also providing excellent comprehensive performance. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging confirmed that the UHMWPE short fibers are dispersed in the NR matrix homogeneously, and the interface is close and compact. As a control experiment, UHMWPE resin powder was directly filled into the NR, and then the composite was vulcanized using the same process as that used for the NR/UHMWPE short fiber composite. The results show that the mechanical strength of the NR/resin powder composite exhibits minor improvement compared with NR. As there is no complicated surface modification of the UHMWPE fiber, the results reported may be helpful in improving the tear resistance of the industrially prepared rubber conveyor belts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no consistent conclusion on the impact of improving the physical accessibility of medical facilities/resources on the utilisation of medical facilities and health outcomes, which may be due to neglecting the role of spatial cognition of physical facilities, which will be directly related to health behaviour and outcomes. This article uses China Migrants Dynamic Survey to examine the relationship between perceived accessibility of medical facilities and health and health behaviour. The results show that perceived accessibility is positively associated with health and related behaviour. The higher the perceived accessibility to the medical facilities, the better the subjective and objective health status of migrant residents. Similarly, the more positive the preventive and healthcare‐seeking behaviour is. This study suggests that public policymakers need to intervene in residents' spatial cognition of medical resources around their neighbourhoods to enhance the collective benefits of medical facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yangtze Block records Neoproterozoic magmatism and sedimentation related to the breakup of Rodinia and is an important piece in the reconstruction of the supercontinent. However, the tectonic setting and position of this block in Rodinia remain a subject of debate. In the present study, we report the zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotopic composition of zircon and geochemical and Nd-Pb isotopic compositions for meta-volcanic rocks exposed in the Zhangbaling uplift of the NE Yangtze Block. The volcanic rocks, dominated by rhyolite and dacite, belong to the calc-alkaline series and show geochemical characteristics of arc rocks. Zircon U-Pb isotopic ages show that volcanic rocks in the Xileng Formation formed at ca. 790 Ma and ca. 760–700 Ma peaking at ~740 Ma. The late-stage volcanism was widely exposed in the uplift, characterized by a temporal-spatial trend becoming younger southwards. The old volcanic rocks have low initial εNd (−11.0) and εHf (−19.7 to −8.2) values and low Pb isotopic ratios, likely indicating an origin from ancient basement rocks underneath the Yangtze Block. The younger ones, being similar to continental arc andesite in trace element compositions, have relatively high initial εNd (mostly −4.6 to 0.5) and εHf (−0.4 to 8.8) values and high Pb isotopic ratios. These isotopic features point to an origin from the partial melting of juvenile crustal rocks. Sedimentary rocks of the Xileng Formation and the overlying strata also contain numerous zircon grains of ~700 Ma to ~630 Ma. The volcanic rocks in the Zhangbaling uplift might demonstrate long-lasting subduction along the northeastern margin of the Yangtze Block, probably active until ca. 700 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is devoted to considering dynamic properties of an environmental protection expenditures model for protected areas (PAs) with two delays. It presents an improved understanding of relationship among tourism, environment, and capital stock in PAs and provides a sustainable strategy to keep the balance between them. The model considers the interactions among environmental resource E$$ E $$, visitors V$$ V $$, and capital stock K$$ K $$ in PAs. The tourism income is used partly to increase the capital stock and partly to protect the environment. In this paper, time delays τ1$$ {\tau}_1 $$ and τ2$$ {\tau}_2 $$ are introduced into the system. The technique of stability crossing curves for two delays is proposed to analyze the occurrence of Hopf bifurcation. Numerical simulations are performed for understanding the analytical results. The results show that under some parameter conditions, the share η$$ \eta $$ of total revenue generated by tourism user fees for environmental protection is related to delays τ1$$ {\tau}_1 $$ and τ2$$ {\tau}_2 $$. Moreover, the environment and the capital stock can be maintained persistently if time delay τ1$$ {\tau}_1 $$ is not too large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geometric measure of entanglement plays important role in quantum entanglement of multipartite cases. In this paper, with the eigenvalues of matrices, new Z-eigenvalue inclusion sets are given, some sufficient conditions for the positive definiteness of fourth-order tensors are presented based on the Z-eigenvalue inclusion sets, and then, upper and lower bounds of the geometric measure of entanglement for 4-qubit states are given. In addition, the upper bound of the geometric measure of entanglement is also applied to 4-qubit mixed state case. Finally, numerical experiments are reported to show the efficiency of the proposed new results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the problem of water injection in low–porosity and low–permeability coal seams, a new idea of liquid CO 2 cyclic cold soaking to improve the water absorption and wetting efficiency of coal is proposed. The evolution of the pore structure and mechanical properties of coal were studied using low–field nuclear magnetic resonance and uniaxial compression tests. The wettability and water absorption of coal before and after the experiment were determined using contact angle and water absorption tests. The results show that as the number of cycles increases, the effective porosity of coal increases significantly, the mechanical strength is weakened, and the compressive strength and elastic modulus decrease. The wettability and water absorption of coal samples were significantly improved by liquid CO 2 treatment, and the changes in porosity, mechanical strength, and water absorption wettability of coal samples in the saturated group were more obvious compared to dry coal. This paper lays a theoretical and experimental foundation for the development of a new technology for coal seam water injection dust prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmentally friendly preparation of sulfur-free expanded graphite (EG) remains a great challenge. A large amount of strong acids and strong oxidants were used to prepare expandable graphite, resulting in environmental pollution problems. Herein, a novel and green preparation method for EG has been developed. Sulfur-free EG was fabricated using natural flake graphite (NFG), sodium perchlorate (NaClO4), and oxalic acid (C2H2O4) as raw materials. The electrochemical oxidation method was applied to prepare sulfur-free expandable graphite, and microwave irradiation technology was adopted to prepare sulfur-free EG. Sulfur-free expandable graphite was heated to generate sulfur-free EG through microwave irradiation technology. The optimum weight ratio was as follows: NFG:NaClO4:C2H2O4 = 1.5:10:2. The anodic oxidation occurred under a constant current density of 47 mA/cm2, and the intercalation reaction lasted for 60 min at ambient temperature. The largest expanded volume (EV) of sulfur-free EG was 290 mL/g. The FTIR spectrum proved that the ClO4− and COO− groups had entered the graphite layers. The SEM images showed that the graphite layers were completely opened, and the pore structure was clearly observed. The sulfur-free EG prepared by the method does not cause environmental pollution and has broad application prospects. Natural flake graphite is composed of carbon atoms and has a layered structure. Oxidant oxidizes the edges of the graphite layer, causing the interplanar spacing to increase, and the intercalation agent molecules could enter the layers. The expandable graphite was synthesized, and microwave irradiation technology was adopted to prepare expanded graphite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beam position monitor (BPM) characterization has been widely studied at the synchrotron. The characteristic impedance of a stripline BPM was designed using a simulation and measured using the time-domain reflectometer method. The mechanical and electrical parameters of the feedthroughs with the buttons used for the BPMs were measured. Special care was taken in the analysis of the consistency of the four channels of the BPM. The feedthroughs were sorted based on their capacitance values. This paper presents the characterization results of the feedthroughs and BPMs. The electro-mechanical offsets were measured using the Lambertson method, and the calibration coefficients were measured using a stretched wire. The BPM differences introduced during mass production were determined by a statistical analysis of the measurement results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to have a crucial impact on the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Cuproptosis, a copper-triggered modality of mitochondrial cell death, might serve as a promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment and clinical outcome prediction. Nevertheless, the role of cuproptosis-related lncRNAs in AML is not fully understood. Methods: The RNA sequencing data and demographic characteristics of AML patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Pearson correlation analysis, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm, and univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses were applied to identify the cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature and determine its feasibility for AML prognosis prediction. The performance of the proposed signature was evaluated via Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, receiver operating characteristic curves, and principal component analysis. Functional analysis was implemented to uncover the potential prognostic mechanisms. Additionally, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was employed to validate the expression of the prognostic lncRNAs in AML samples. Results: A signature consisting of seven cuproptosis-related lncRNAs (namely NFE4, LINC00989, LINC02062, AC006460.2, AL353796.1, PSMB8-AS1, and AC000120.1) was proposed. Multivariable cox regression analysis revealed that the proposed signature was an independent prognostic factor for AML. Notably, the nomogram based on this signature showed excellent accuracy in predicting the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival (area under curve = 0.846, 0.801, and 0.895, respectively). Functional analysis results suggested the existence of a significant association between the prognostic signature and immune-related pathways. The expression pattern of the lncRNAs was validated in AML samples. Conclusion: Collectively, we constructed a prediction model based on seven cuproptosis-related lncRNAs for AML prognosis. The obtained risk score may reveal the immunotherapy response in patients with this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been found to be effective in neutralizing lipopolysaccharide (LPS) due to their cationic characteristics. LHH1 and LGH2 are two AMPs that we previously identified from the genome of Lactobacillus casei HZ1, which is originated from Chinese traditional fermented milk. In present study, the anti-inflammatory capacity of the two AMPs was investigated via a LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages inflammation model. Cell viability assay results showed that the AMPs showed a lower cytotoxicity on RAW264.7 cells at a concentration of lower than 32 μM. Compared to LGH2, LHH1 exhibited a good anti-inflammatory effect with a markedly declined release of nitric oxide (NO) from RAW264.7 cells. What’s more, LHH1 could effectively decrease the secretion of pro-inflammatory TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β. ITC data depicted that LHH1 could interact with LPS in an exothermic reaction. These data confirmed the efficacy of LHH1 from Lactobacillus casei HZ1 in exerting anti-inflammatory activity, which provided a novel AMP candidate in treating inflammation-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we derive some upper bounds for the dominant eigenvalue of a matrix with some negative entries, which possess the Perron–Frobenius property. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of our new upper bounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Chiral heteroatom‐containing bicyclic scaffolds are important pharmacophores and prevalent in bioactive natural products and drug molecules. Herein, we report a unified approach for the divergent synthesis of chiral heteroatom‐containing bicyclic derivatives by lanthanide (III)‐catalyzed asymmetric inverse‐electron‐demand Diels–Alder reactions of 2‐pyrones. These reactions occur with various readily available dihydropyrroles and dihydrofurans as dienophiles, providing a step‐economical synthetic platform for densely functionalized cis‐hydroindoles and cis‐hydrobenzofurans with excellent yields and enantioselectivities. The synthetic utility of this approach is demonstrated by the concise synthesis of (–)‐α‐lycorane and (–)‐lycorine alkaloids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastrointestinal (GI) tumors have increasing incidence worldwide with their underlying mechanisms still not being fully understood. The use of tumor-educated platelets (TEPs) in liquid biopsy is a newly-emerged blood-based cancer diagnostic method. Herein, we aimed to investigate the genomic changes of TEPs in GI tumor development and their potential functions using network-based meta-analysis combined with bioinformatic methods. We used a total of three eligible RNA-seq datasets, which were integrated using multiple meta-analysis methods on the NetworkAnalyst website, and identified 775 DEGs (differentially expressed genes; 51 up-regulated and 724 down-regulated genes) in GI tumor relative to healthy control (HC) samples. These TEP DEGs were mostly enriched in bone marrow-derived cell types and associated with gene ontology (GO) of "carcinoma" and could affect pathways of "Integrated Cancer Pathway" and "Generic transcription pathway" respectively for highly and lowly expressed DEGs. Combined network-based meta-analysis and protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis identified cyclin dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) and heat shock protein family A (Hsp70) member 5 (HSPA5) to be the hub genes with the highest degree centrality (DC), being up-regulated and down-regulated in TEPs, respectively. GO and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) results showed that the hub genes were primarily related to cell cycle and division, nucleobase-containing compound and carbohydrate transport, and endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response. Additionally, the nomogram model suggested that the two-gene signature owns extraordinary predictive power for GI tumor diagnosis. Further, the two-gene signature was demonstrated to have potential value for metastatic GI tumor diagnosis. The expression levels of CDK1 and HSPA5 in clinical platelet samples were verified to be consistent with the results from bioinformatic analysis. This study identified a two-gene signature encompassing CDK1 and HSPA5 that can be used as a biomarker for GI tumor diagnosis and maybe even cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT)-related prognosis. What is the context? Gastrointestinal (GI) tumors are now responsible for the majority of cancer-related mortalities worldwide.In the majority of cases of cancer, curative treatments are not recommended at the time of diagnosis. In this case, early screening and diagnosis is very important for overall tumor prognosis. Liquid biopsy emerged as a newly introduced minimally invasive approach for cancer diagnosis by detecting blood analytes as tumor-educated platelets (TEPs). Compared to tissue-based biopsies, liquid biopsies are less invasive, easy to access, convenient for serial tracking and better in eliminating intratumoral spatial heterogeneity. In recent years, specific gene signatures have been identified for cancer diagnosis, prognosis and prediction based on gene profiling data of TEPs. However, most of these studies were performed on the independent platelet profile datasets published on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, which may harbor enormous heterogeneity. Additionally, few study revealed TEP mRNA functions and roles in GI tumors. Therefore, there's the need of using an integrated method to re-analyze these data, so we can gain new insights for GI tumor diagnosis. What is new? Herein, through network-based RNA-seq meta-analysis, we identified the CDK1-HSPA5 signature in TEPs that has the potential as a biomarker for diagnosing GI tumors. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that a shared transcriptional signature of tumor-educated platelets has been identified in human GI tumor patients based on meta-analysis. Additionally, we found the two-gene signature has potential value for metastatic GI tumor diagnosis. We also demonstrated that HSPA5 may have different roles in blood and tumor cells, so its expression deregulation in distinct types of tissue may have opposing diagnostic and prognostic values. What is the impact? Our work provides a novel biomarker for platelet-based GI tumor prediction and diagnosis, which may also be used as novel targets for thrombosis prevention during cancer development in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The root restriction of protected cultivation has been widely used to increase productivity and sustainability in modern agriculture. However, there have been few studies of wolfberry (Lycium barbarum) root restriction, and it is cultivated mostly by clean tillage. In this study, we measured the growth of Lycium barbarum and the composition and diversity of the bacterial community and soil properties of L. barbarum under different cultivation methods with root restriction. The results showed that the X60 root-restriction treatment significantly increased the canopy size (east–west), leaf length, leaf width, the number and length of new branches, and the concentrations of chlorophyll and K in L. barbarum. The concentrations of N, P, and K in the root-restriction groups were all higher than those in CK. However, the ratio of N:P was greatest in the CK plants and least in X80, indicating that X80 had a relatively weak effect on the balance of N:P. In addition, root restriction improved fruit quality by increasing soil organic matter and organic carbon and also improved fertilization efficiency to promote plant growth. Moreover, high-throughput sequencing showed that the abundance of soil bacteria under root-restriction cultivation was significantly higher than that in CK. Furthermore, the total abundance of the top 10 bacterial genera was greatest in the X60 treatment. Redundancy analysis showed that total N, total P, total K, and total organic matter were the major soil factors that affected the bacterial community. A comprehensive comparison showed that root-restriction cultivation improved the growth of L. barbarum but reduced the abundance and diversity of the soil bacteria. The X60 treatment yielded the best results on plant growth. Our findings provide an empirical reference for root-restriction cultivation of L. barbarum of an appropriate width. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, it is proved that the weak convergence of the Lp Gaussian surface area measures implies the convergence of the corresponding convex bodies in the Hausdorff metric for p ≥ 1. Moreover, continuity of the solution to the Lp Gaussian Minkowski problem with respect to p is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The risk of venous thromboembolic events (VTE) increases in patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). However, there is no guidelines for prophylaxis. A decreased ratio of ADAMTS13 to VWF has been reported in patients with VTE. This study evaluates how TSA affects this ratio to better characterize timing of VTE risk and develop better guidelines for prophylactic treatment. Methods: Patients receiving TSA between 2016 and 2019 were recruited for this study following informed consent. Blood samples were collected at the clinic visit prior to surgery, postoperatively within one hour, at 24 h, 48 h, 2 and 6 weeks. Plasma levels of ADAMTS13 activity and VWF antigen were determined with a FRETS-VWF73 and an enzyme-linked immunoassay, respectively. Results: Of 22 patients included in the study, the mean age (± SD) was 68 ± 11 years. The most common diagnosis and surgery were osteoarthritis (68%) and reverse TSA (77%), respectively. Plasma ADAMTS13 activity was reduced immediately following surgery and remained lower than the baseline until postoperative day 2 (POD-2) (93.7 ± 28.5 IU/dL, p = 0.009). VWF antigen was the highest on POD-2 (253.2 ± 101.0%, p = 0.0034). The ADAMTS13/VWF ratio followed the same pattern, lowest on POD-2 (0.41 ± 0.20, p = 0.0016). All levels returned to baseline by two weeks. Conclusions: TSA resulted in low ADAMTS13 activity and high VWF acutely post-surgery day 2, suggesting that risk for VTE may be the highest during this period. ADAMTS13/VWF ratio is a useful marker to identify patients who may need proper anticoagulation after TSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the discovery of the first carbide cluster metallofullerene (CCMF) Sc2C2@C84 in 2001, CCMFs have attracted great concerns with variable structures and fascinating characteristics. To date, there are hundreds of studies on CCMFs. Crystallography studies on CCMFs are carried out by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Theoretical calculations can also be used to study CCMFs in detail without being limited by low experimental yields. This review analyzes the stability of CCMFs reported previously, and indicates that the C2 unit contributes a lot to their stability. At the same time, the relationship between the structures of inner carbide cluster and cage size is systematically discussed, and the four‐electron transfer always occurs. Furthermore, the possible transformation rule between di‐EMFs and CCMFs is indicated. Finally, an outlook regarding the future developments and applications of CCMFs is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For modern creep-resistant steels, ductility is primarily controlled by cavitation, since brittle rupture is dominating during long-term service. In recent years, the present authors have formulated fundamental models for nucleation and growth of cavities that have been verified to be able to describe experiments for austenitic stainless steels. These equations, together with models for dislocation creep, are used in this paper to present basic modelling results for the creep ductility of austenitic stainless steels for the first time. New results are also presented for ductile rupture, where the elongation values are mainly governed by plastic instability and necking. The Hart criterion is used to identify the strain where the instability forms. Modelling shows that the instability grows very slowly and that its size is not significant until close to rupture. These facts are used to demonstrate that ductility during ductile rupture can be predicted from necking behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous Si 3 N 4 ceramics are widely used in the aerospace field due to its lightweight, high-strength, and high wave transmission. Traditional manufacturing methods are difficult to fabricate complex structural and functional ceramic parts. In this paper, selective laser sintering (SLS) technology was applied to prepare porous Si 3 N 4 ceramics using AlN as an inorganic binder. And the effects of AlN content on the properties of the obtained ceramic samples were explored. As the AlN content increased, nano-Al 2 O 3 and nano-SiO 2 formed the eutectic liquid phase, enhancing the sintering densification and phase transformation of Si 3 N 4 poly-hollow microspheres (PHMs). The island-like partial densification structures in Si 3 N 4 green bodies increased. During the high-temperature sintering, the eutectic liquid phase partially transformed into the mullite phase or reacted with AlN and Si 3 N 4 to form the Sialon phase. With the increase of AlN content, the fracture mode of Si 3 N 4 ceramics changed from fracturing along PHMs to fracturing across PHMs. The bonding depth between PHMs increased and the connection between the grains was tighter, so the Si 3 N 4 ceramics became denser. With the increase of AlN addition, the total porosity of the porous Si 3 N 4 ceramics tended to decrease and the flexural strength gradually increased. When AlN content was 20 wt%, the total porosity and the flexural strength were 33.6% and 23.9 MPa, respectively. The addition of AlN inorganic binder was carried out to develop a novel way to prepare high-performance porous Si 3 N 4 ceramics by SLS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-legged robots with rigid-flexible coupling grippers have appealing applications to asteroid exploration with the microgravity. However, these robots usually have significantly complicated structures, which leads to a great challenge for the kinematic design.This paper proposes the kinematic design method for a novel multi-legged robot with the microspine gripper. First, the structure of the multi-legged asteroid exploration robot and the microspine gripper are demonstrated. Second, four performance evaluation indices, which are used to evaluate the stiffness, velocity, motion / force transfer efficiency and gripper attachment efficiency of the robot, are derived from the kinematic model. Non-dimensional design spaces of parameters to be optimized are drawn, and performance atlases are presented in design spaces. Third, the stiffness model of the microspine is derived. In addition, the constraint condition of the restoring spring is established, and the stiffness of restoring springs are optimized using the genetic algorithm. Several experiments are conducted to verify the stiffness model of the microspine. Finally, the prototype is developed and the experimental results validates the kinematic design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]