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Background Objectives Methods Results Conclusion Painful temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is the common cause of chronic oro‐facial pain, which may interfere with sleep. Previous studies have documented an association between sleep and TMD.This study aimed to further explore the association of night‐time sleep and daytime napping with painful TMD.A total of 419 patients (aged 31.88 ± 11.54 years with women forming 85.4%) from a TMD/Orofacial Pain center were enrolled. Patients' sleep conditions were evaluated with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire, and information on night‐time sleep duration, napping duration and napping frequency was interviewed. TMD was diagnosed according to the Diagnostic Criteria for TMD protocol and stratified into myalgia (muscle pain), arthralgia (joint pain) and combined (muscle and joint pain) subgroups. The severity of TMD was measured with the Fonseca Anamnestic Index (FAI) questionnaire. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression models were established to explore relationships between sleep and painful TMD subgroups.Patients with poor sleep quality (PSQI≥6) had higher FAI scores (median 60, p < .001) and higher proportions of painful TMDs. The myalgia subgroup had higher PSQI scores (median 8, p < .001) than the arthralgia subgroup. The RCS models indicated a non‐linear relationship between night‐time sleep duration and myalgia (p < .001), which was not observed in arthralgia. However, there were no significant findings concerning napping and painful TMD subgroups.This study found that the association between sleep and TMD is mainly related to painful TMD conditions, which are associated with night‐time sleep duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of hybrid fiber structures on the ballistic performance of columnar ceramic/interlayer hybrid fiber composites. Three hybrid fiber composites and one single fiber‐component composite were fabricated. The accuracy of the numerical model was validated through quantitative analysis of matching micro‐CT images with simulation results. The error of the back convex height (BCH) values between the numerical simulation and the micro‐CT was only 2.8%. The error of delamination area at four thickness positions is only 0.7%, 14.7%, 0.3%, and 5.3%, respectively. The quantitative study on the ballistic performance of ceramic/fiber composites indicates that all hybrid fiber composites provide enhanced penetration resistance, with the sandwich structure outperforming the rest. Compared with the C‐U sample, the bullet's remaining velocity and the BCH in the C‐(A/U/A) sample were significantly improved, with reductions of 195 m∙s−1 and 16.6 mm, respectively. During the penetration process, the ceramic/fiber composites mainly exhibited damage failure mechanisms such as ceramic crushing to form ceramic cones, shear failure, and shear‐tensile‐delamination mixed failure. The energy absorption rate (EAR) of ceramic failure was 54.1%–60.2%, the EAR of tension was 12.5%–20.9%, and the EAR of the tension‐delamination‐shearing mixed model was 21.9%–32.8%. Highlights: The numerical model is quantitatively validated with micro‐CT results.Ballistic resistance and EARs in six stages are quantitatively analyzed.C‐(A/U/A) composite has superior ballistic resistance compared to C‐U. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Mey.) is an important and valuable medicinal plant species used in traditional Chinese medicine, and its metabolite ginsenoside is the primary active ingredient. The FAR1/FHY3 gene family members play critical roles in plant growth and development as well as participate in a variety of physiological processes, including plant development and signaling of hormones. Studies have indicated that methyl jasmonate treatment of ginseng adventitious roots resulted in a significant increase in the content of protopanaxadiol ginsenosides. Therefore, it is highly significant to screen the FAR1/FHY3 gene family members in ginseng and preliminarily investigate their expression patterns in response to methyl jasmonic acid signaling. In this study, we screened and identified the FAR1/FHY3 family genes in the ginseng transcriptome databases. And then, we analyzed their gene structure and phylogeny, chromosomal localization and expression patterns, and promoter cis-acting elements, and made GO functional annotations on the members of this family. After that, we treated the ginseng adventitious roots with 200 mM methyl jasmonate and investigated the trend of the expression of four genes containing the largest number of methyl jasmonate cis-acting elements at different treatment times. All four genes were able to respond to methyl jasmonate, the most significant change was in the PgFAR40 gene. This study provides data support for subsequent studies of this family member in ginseng and provides experimental reference for subsequent validation of the function of this family member under methyl jasmonic acid signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, high threshold voltage and breakdown voltage E-mode GaN HEMTs using an Al:HfOx-based charge trapping layer (CTL) are presented. The developed GaN HEMTs exhibit a wide threshold modulation range of ΔVTH ∼ 17.8 V, which enables the achievement of enhancement-mode (E-mode) operation after initialization process owing to the high charge storage capacity of the Al:HfOx layer. The E-mode GaN HEMTs exhibit a high positive VTH of 8.4 V, a high IDS,max of 466 mA/mm, a low RON of 10.49 Ω mm, and a high on/off ratio of ∼109. Moreover, the off-state breakdown voltage reaches up to 1100 V, which is primarily attributed to in situ O3 pretreatment effectively suppressing and blocking leakage current. Furthermore, thanks to the VTH of GaN HEMTs being tunable by initialization voltage using the proposed CTL scheme, we prove that the direct-coupled FET logic-integrated GaN inverters can operate under a variety of conditions (β = 10–40 and VDD = 3–15 V) with commendable output swing and noise margins. These results present a promising approach toward realizing the monolithic integration of GaN devices for power IC applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Civil engineering structures under ambient excitations are essentially time-varying and nonlinear structural systems and the resultant response signals exhibit non-stationarity. To reveal the time-varying characteristics of non-stationary signals, time frequency analysis methods with high resolutions are required. Although synchroextracting short time Fourier transform (SESTFT) is able to generate more energy concentrated time frequency representations and allow signal reconstruction, its major disadvantage is the window function is fixed. To address this issue, an enhanced synchroextracting wavelet transform (ESEWT) method is proposed to refine frequency bands by combing synchroextracting and continuous wavelet transform. After that, dynamic optimization (DO) is used to extract instantaneous frequency (IF) curves within the refined frequency bands. Two numerical examples and an experimental study case are investigated to illustrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method. The results demonstrate that the proposed ESEWT is capable of extracting frequency bands more accurately and its combination with DO identifies IFs of non-stationary signals better than current time frequency analysis methods such as SESTFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn the past five years, the textile industry has undergone significant transformations in response to evolving fashion trends and increased consumer garment turnover. To address the environmental impacts of fast fashion, the industry is embracing artificial intelligence (AI) and immersive technologies, particularly leveraging conversational agents as personalized guides for sustainable fashion practices. In this research article, we conduct a systematic literature review to categorize techniques, platforms, and applications of conversational agents in promoting sustainability within the fashion industry. Additionally, the review aims to scrutinize the solutions offered, identify gaps in the existing literature, and provide insights into the effectiveness and limitations of these conversational agents. Utilizing a predefined search strategy on IEEE Xplore, Google Scholar, SCOPUS, and Web of Science, 15 relevant articles were selected through a step-by-step procedure based on the guidelines of the PRISMA framework. The findings reveal a notable global interest in AI-powered conversational agents, with Italy emerging as a significant center for research in this domain. The studies predominantly focus on consumer perceptions and intentions regarding the adoption of AI technologies, indicating a broader curiosity about how individuals incorporate such innovations into their daily lives. Moreover, a substantial proportion of the studies employ diverse methods, reflecting a comprehensive approach to understanding the functionality and performance of conversational agents in various contexts. While acknowledging the historical precedence of text-based agents, the review highlights a research gap related to embodied agents. The conclusion emphasizes the need for continued exploration, particularly in understanding the broader impact of these technologies on creating sustainable and environmentally friendly business models in the e-retail sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the relationship between sleep duration and cognitive functions in older adults using NHANES, a national US population study dataset, and to explore the causal association with Mendelian randomization (MR) using the UK Biobank. Methods: First, an observational study was conducted with the NHANES database with participants ≥60 years. Sleep duration was measured with accelerometers for 7 consecutive days. Participants were divided into habitual short sleep (<7 h) and long sleep (>9 h) groups. Cognitive functions were measured with the CERAD Word Learning sub-set, Animal Fluency, and Digit Symbol Substitution test (DSST). Multivariate regression models were used to explore relationships between sleep duration and cognitive functions. Second, bidirectional MR was conducted with data for self-reported sleep duration, which came from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) comprising 446,118 adults from the UK Biobank, and general cognitive performance, which was obtained from a recent GWAS study (N = 257,841). Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) was used as the primary estimation of the outcome. Results: In the observational study, 2687 participants were included. Sleep duration was associated with cognitive functions in a non-linear way. Habitual long sleep (>9°h) was associated with lower scores on DSST (OR = 0.01, p =.003) in the fully-adjusted model. The association between habitual short sleep and cognitive functions was insignificant. For the MR, genetically predicted lower general cognitive performance was causally associated with a higher prevalence of habitual short sleep (OR = 0.97, p = 5.1 × 10−7) and long sleep (OR = 0.97, p = 8.87 × 10−16). Discussion: Short and long sleep duration might be both causally associated with worse outcomes of cognitive functions in older adults, highlighting the importance of maintaining sleep health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel class of protein misfolding characterized by either the formation of non-native noncovalent lasso entanglements in the misfolded structure or loss of native entanglements has been predicted to exist and found circumstantial support through biochemical assays and limited-proteolysis mass spectrometry data. Here, we examine whether it is possible to design small molecule compounds that can bind to specific folding intermediates and thereby avoid these misfolded states in computer simulations under idealized conditions (perfect drug-binding specificity, zero promiscuity, and a smooth energy landscape). Studying two proteins, type III chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT-III) and D-alanyl-D-alanine ligase B (DDLB), that were previously suggested to form soluble misfolded states through a mechanism involving a failure-to-form of native entanglements, we explore two different drug design strategies using coarse-grained structure-based models. The first strategy, in which the native entanglement is stabilized by drug binding, failed to decrease misfolding because it formed an alternative entanglement at a nearby region. The second strategy, in which a small molecule was designed to bind to a non-native tertiary structure and thereby destabilize the native entanglement, succeeded in decreasing misfolding and increasing the native state population. This strategy worked because destabilizing the entanglement loop provided more time for the threading segment to position itself correctly to be wrapped by the loop to form the native entanglement. Further, we computationally identified several FDA-approved drugs with the potential to bind these intermediate states and rescue misfolding in these proteins. This study suggests it is possible for small molecule drugs to prevent protein misfolding of this type. Author summary: A variety of diseases are caused by protein misfolding. Therefore, the recent evidence suggesting there is an entire unexplored class of protein misfolding that may be widespread opens the possibility they contribute to disease and may be therapeutic targets. Here, we bypass the question of what diseases such misfolding may contribute to and ask whether it is even possible to restore proper folding and function to proteins that misfold in this manner. We tried the most obvious strategy first: in the computer simulations we created a drug that binds to the folded, native entanglement. The rationale being that this would thermodynamically stabilize the native state relative to misfolded states, and thereby shift the population of molecules to the folded states. But thermodynamic reasoning neglects the folding pathways and kinetics connecting metastable states on the energy landscape, and this strategy had the unintended consequence of slowing down native state formation by stabilizing the entanglement loop without the threading segment piercing it, resulting in the loss of the native entanglement and formation of a non-native entanglement. Building on this observation, we took a different route, and designed a drug that would delay formation of the entanglement loop allowing more time for the threading segment to position itself and allow proper folding of the native entanglement. While this study was carried out using coarse-grained structure-based models, the results indicate it is possible in principle for drugs to be designed to avoid such misfolding and suggest our second design strategy is more likely to work in future experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal evaporation can significantly facilitate scalable, uniform, and conformal perovskite film, particularly well‐suited for the preparation of perovskite/silicon (Si) tandem solar cells. However, the perovskite material easily induces a phase transition from a photoactive phase to a photoinactive phase, limiting the development of the stability and efficiency of tandem cells. Introducing lead chloride (PbCl2) into wide‐bandgap perovskite materials is beneficial for the fabrication of efficient and stable light‐absorbing materials, but the microscopic mechanism of the effect of PbCl2 on perovskite is still unclear. The study here reports evidences that the addition of PbCl2 to improve perovskite film stability and optoelectronic performance is due to the minor octahedral tilting of the perovskite structure are reported. It also demonstrates that this strategy accelerates interfacial charge transfer and carrier diffusion in the perovskite bulk and heterojunction interfaces. Therefore, the wide‐bandgap perovskite solar cells (PSCs) prepared by adding PbCl2 exhibit a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17.80%. The PSCs retain 97% of their performance following 200 h of operation at the maximum power point under full 1‐sun illumination. Finally, monolithic perovskite/Si tandem cells with record PCEs of 27.43% and an open‐circuit voltage of 1.817 V are fabricated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is a perennial herb belonging to the family Araliaceae and has been used for thousands of years in East Asia as an essential traditional medicine with a wide range of pharmacological activities of its main active ingredient, ginsenosides. The AP2/ERF gene family, widely present in plants, is a class of transcription factors capable of responding to ethylene regulation that has an influential role in regulating the synthesis of major active ingredients in medicinal plants and in response to biotic and abiotic stresses, which have not been reported in Panax ginseng. In this study, the AP2/ERF gene was localized on the ginseng chromosome, and an AP2/ERF gene duplication event was also discovered in Panax ginseng. The expression of seven ERF genes and three key enzyme genes related to saponin synthesis was measured by fluorescence quantitative PCR using ethylene treatment of ginseng hairy roots, and it was observed that ethylene promoted the expression of genes related to the synthesis of ginsenosides, among which the PgERF120 gene was the most sensitive to ethylene. We analyzed the sequence features and expression patterns of the PgERF120 gene and found that the expression of the PgERF120 gene was specific in time and space. The PgERF120 gene was subsequently cloned, and plant overexpression and RNA interference vectors were constructed. Ginseng adventitious roots were transformed using the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated method to obtain transgenic ginseng hairy roots, and the gene expression, ginsenoside content and malondialdehyde content in overexpression-positive hairy roots were also analyzed. This study preliminarily verified that the PgERF120 gene can be involved in the regulation of ginsenoside synthesis, which provides a theoretical basis for the study of functional genes in ginseng and a genetic resource for the subsequent use of synthetic biology methods to improve the yield of ginsenosides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Phyllosticta has been reported worldwide and contains many pathogenic and endophytic species isolated from a wide range of plant hosts. A multipoint phylogeny based on gene coding combinatorial data sets for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large subunit of ribosomal RNA (LSU rDNA), translation elongation factor 1α (TEF1α), actin (ACT), and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), combined with morphological characteristics, was performed. We describe three new species, P. fujianensis sp. nov., P. saprophytica sp. nov., and P. turpiniae sp. nov., and annotate and discusse their similarities and differences in morphological relationships and phylogenetic phases with closely related species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The therapeutic potential of Caulis Spatholobi (CS) extracts against various cancers has been well documented, yet its impact and mechanism in osteosarcoma (OS) remain unexplored. This study aims to elucidate the effects of CS extracts on the growth and metastasis of OS, along with its underlying molecular mechanism. Methods: The impact of CS extracts on the proliferative potential of two OS cell lines (Saos-2 and U2OS) was assessed using MTT and colony-formation assays. Additionally, the migratory and invasive capacities of OS cells were investigated through Transwell assays. The modulation of CXCR4 expression by CS extracts was evaluated using qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Furthermore, the influence of CS extracts on the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling was determined through Western blotting. Results: CS extracts exhibited a dose- and time-dependent inhibition of proliferation and colony formation in OS cells. Notably, CXCR4 expression was prominently observed in Saos-2 and U2OS, and treatment with CS extracts led to a dose-dependently reduction in CXCR4 levels. Silencing CXCR4 or inhibiting its function diminished the migratory and invasive capacities of OS cells. Conversely, the CS extracts induced suppression of OS cell migration and invasion was counteracted by CXCR4 overexpression. Mechanistically, CS extracts repressed PI3K/AKT signaling in OS cells by downregulating CXCR4 expression. Conclusions: CS extracts mitigate the CXCR4/PI3K/AKT signaling-mediated growth and metastasis capacities of OS cells, thus might play an anti-tumor role in OS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of efficient photocathodes is of critical importance for the constructions of promising tandem photo‐electrochemical cells. Most known dye‐sensitized photocathodes are prepared with the conventional carboxylic or phosphonic acid anchors and require the presence of other terminal linking groups to connect catalysts; they suffer from high synthetic difficulty and low adsorption stability in aqueous media. Here, a compact bilayer photocathode has been prepared by using a pyrene‐based photosensitizer with multiple terminal pyridine moieties as both the anchoring and linking groups to connect a Co hydrogen‐evolution catalyst to the NiO substrate. The catalyst and dye molecule are assembled in a layer‐by‐layer manner on NiO through the metal‐pyridine coordination. This photocathode exhibits good dye adsorption stability in aqueous media. A stable cathodic photocurrent of 70 μA cm−2 was achieved, with H2 being generated at the photocathode under the visible‐light irradiation. The Faraday efficiency of H2 evolution was estimated to be 9.1 %. Transient absorption spectral studies suggest that the interfacial hole transfer occurs within a few picoseconds. The integration of the organic photosensitizer with pyridine anchoring and linking groups is expected to provide a simple method for the fabrication of stable and efficient photocathodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper employs the WITS-SMART model to analyze the potential impacts of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) on specific industries in Malaysia and China. By modifying the Armington elasticity and the parameter ‘a’ in the Swiss formula, five distinct scenarios are established to simulate the effects of various tariff reduction schemes. The analysis reveals positive and significant overall trade effects. In a scenario of complete tariff elimination, Malaysia experiences higher trade and welfare effects compared to China, addressing the longstanding trade deficit between the two countries. Finally, recommendations are made to gradually reduce tariffs in stages and sectors, prioritize tariff reduction on specific goods, implement zero tariffs in China first, focus on products with international competitiveness, and address potential asymmetric industrial output effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of new vertebral fractures (NVFs) after vertebral augmentation (VA) procedures is common in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs), leading to painful experiences and financial burdens. We aim to develop a radiomics nomogram for the preoperative prediction of NVFs after VA. Data from center 1 (training set: n = 153; internal validation set: n = 66) and center 2 (external validation set: n = 44) were retrospectively collected. Radiomics features were extracted from MRI images and radiomics scores (radscores) were constructed for each level-specific vertebra based on least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). The radiomics nomogram, integrating radiomics signature with presence of intravertebral cleft and number of previous vertebral fractures, was developed by multivariable logistic regression analysis. The predictive performance of the vertebrae was level-specific based on radscores and was generally superior to clinical variables. RadscoreL2 had the optimal discrimination (AUC ≥ 0.751). The nomogram provided good predictive performance (AUC ≥ 0.834), favorable calibration, and large clinical net benefits in each set. It was used successfully to categorize patients into high- or low-risk subgroups. As a noninvasive preoperative prediction tool, the MRI-based radiomics nomogram holds great promise for individualized prediction of NVFs following VA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silica dispersion and silica–natural rubber (NR) interaction are two major issues in determining the performance of a NR/silica composite in tire industry. In our research, the reaction product of 3-isocyanatopropyltrimethoxysilane and a crosslinking agent, poly(tert-butylphenol) disulphide, was used to modify silica. Then, the modified silica was added into NR by mechanical blending. The modification of silica can promote the silica dispersion and enhance silica–NR interaction. At silica loading of 50 phr, compared with the NR/pure silica composite containing 5 phr bis-(γ-triethoxysilylpropyl)-tetrasulfide, the NR/modified silica composite exhibits 18% shorter curing time, 16% higher 300% modulus, 9% higher crosslink density and 6% lower rolling resistance with comparable abrasion resistance even reducing the amount of silane coupling agent to 2 phr. This modification of silica by using the derivative of poly(tert-butylphenol) disulphide provides a novel approach to the preparation of the high-performance NR/silica composites and the reduction of the amount of bis-(γ-triethoxysilylpropyl)-tetrasulfide in tire tread formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate intrinsic structural model is essential to describing the high-temperature deformation behavior of metal materials. Support Vector Regression (SVR) has strong regression analysis capabilities, but its application research in constructing constitutive models of 25CrMo4 steel still needs to be improved. In this study, we use grid search, particle swarm optimization, improved genetic algorithm, and improved gray wolf optimization to optimize SVR parameters. A constitutive relationship model for 25CrMo4 steel under high-temperature compression based on SVR was established through training using experimental data models. The predicted data of SVR constitutive models with different optimization algorithms were compared with experimental data. Statistical values, such as average absolute percentage error (AAPE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and correlation coefficient (R2), were introduced to evaluate the accuracy of each model. The particle swarm optimization-SVR model achieved the best performance, with an AAPE of 0.455 38, MAPE of 0.489 09%, and R2 of 0.999 74. Furthermore, compared to other models, it requires the least time. This model has a higher accuracy than other commonly used instantaneous models. These findings can provide a basis for selecting appropriate deformation parameters and preventing hot working defects of 25CrMo4 steel, thus helping to improve the manufacturing process and material properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keloids (KD) are benign fibroproliferative tumors and circular RNAs (circRNAs) may participate in KD progression. At present, whether circ_0008450 regulates keloid-derived fibroblast phenotypes remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the functions of circ_0008450 in keloid (KD)-derived fibroblast phenotypes and the underlying mechanism. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) or western blot assay was performed to determine the expression of circ_0008450, miR-1224-5p, insulin like growth factor binding protein 5 (IGFBP5) and extracellular matrix (ECM)-related markers. 5-Ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay was conducted to assess cell proliferation ability. Flow cytometry analysis was used to analyze cell cycle and cell apoptosis. Scratch assay and transwell assay were utilized to examine cell migration and invasion. Mechanism assays were executed to verify the relations of circ_0008450, miR-1224-5p and IGFBP5. Circ_0008450 was highly expressed in KD tissues and KD-derived fibroblasts. Circ_0008450 silencing inhibited KD-derived fibroblast proliferation, cell cycle, and motility and promoted apoptosis. The effect of circ_0008450 knockdown on KD-derived fibroblast processes was ameliorated by miR-1224-5p downregulation. IGFBP5 was a target gene of miR-1224-5p. IGFBP5 upregulation abated miR-1224-5p-mediated effects on KD-derived fibroblast processes. Circ_0008450 promoted KD-derived fibroblast proliferation, migration, and invasion and repressed apoptosis via sponging miR-1224-5p and elevating IGFBP5. • Circ_0008450 is upregulated in keloid tissues and keloid-derived fibroblasts. • Circ_0008450 knockdown inhibits cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and promotes apoptosis in keloid-derived fibroblasts. • Circ_0008450 sponges miR-1224-5p and miR-1224-5p directly targets IGFBP5. • Circ_0008450 regulates keloid-derived fibroblast phenotypes through the miR-1224-5p/IGFBP5 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrinsic plasticity of neurons, such as spontaneous threshold lowering (STL) to modulate neuronal excitability, is key to spatial attention of biological neural systems. In‐memory computing with emerging memristors is expected to solve the memory bottleneck of the von Neumann architecture commonly used in conventional digital computers and is deemed a promising solution to this bioinspired computing paradigm. Nonetheless, conventional memristors are incapable of implementing the STL plasticity of neurons due to their first‐order dynamics. Here, a second‐order memristor is experimentally demonstrated using yttria‐stabilized zirconia with Ag doping (YSZ:Ag) that exhibits STL functionality. The physical origin of the second‐order dynamics, i.e., the size evolution of Ag nanoclusters, is uncovered through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which is leveraged to model the STL neuron. STL‐based spatial attention in a spiking convolutional neural network (SCNN) is demonstrated, improving the accuracy of a multiobject detection task from 70% (20%) to 90% (80%) for the object within (outside) the area receiving attention. This second‐order memristor with intrinsic STL dynamics paves the way for future machine intelligence, enabling high‐efficiency, compact footprint, and hardware‐encoded plasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background--With the implementation of "The Opinions on Establishing and Improving the Value Realization Mechanism of Ecological Products" in 2021, the value realization of the ecological products is a bridge connecting the ecological protection and economic construction of the forest areas after the reform of the state-owned forest areas in Northeast China. (2) Methods--Based on the ecological niche theory, this paper took the understory ecological products in the state-owned forest areas of Northeast China as the research object, firstly sorted out and summarized the previous literature studies and relevant data, analyzed the current situation of the value realization of the understory ecological products from four aspects of resources, environments, demands and technologies ecological niches, then found out the dilemmas faced in the value realization of the understory ecological products, and finally innovatively put forward a new model to realize the value of the understory ecological products. (3) Results--From the perspective of ecological niche, this paper innovatively combines the ecological niche theory with the value realization of the understory ecological products in the state-owned forest areas of Northeast China, and analyzes the dilemmas encountered in the value realization of the understory ecological products from four aspects: resource niche, environment niche, demand niche and technology niche: the narrow resource niche and inadequate exploitation and utilization of the ecological product resources, environment niche to be improved and lack of specific development policies for the understory ecological products, inaccurate grasp of demand niche and uncoordinated value realization of the ecological products with economic development needs, few technology niche levels and lagging technological innovation of the ecological products in the stateowned forest areas, and then puts forward the new model of realizing the value of the understory ecological products in the state-owned forest areas of Northeast China. (4) Conclusions and Discussions--First, expand the width of resource niche and adopt the resource development model of "original ecological breeding + forest X". Develop the original ecological breeding model according to local conditions and strengthen the construction of hardware and software. Second, optimize the environment niche and gradually form the market transformation model of "EODF+ understory ecological products". Reconstruct the ecological network of the state-owned forest areas in Northeast China, establish a good ecological foundation, use EODF mode to bundle ecological environmental protection and restoration of the forest areas and management of the understory ecological products, improve the efficiency of market transformation of the understory ecological products, comprehensively calculate the joint development projects and implement internal regurgitation-feeding of the projects. Third, obtain the demand niche advantage and accurately adopt the demand expansion model of "scenic areas and cities integration + multi-core attraction". With the scenic areas in the forest areas as the core, form the scenic areas and cities integration system, implement cross-border linkage and multicore attraction to create the demand for the understory ecological products and avoid the phenomenon of ecological niche overlap based on the real market demand. Fourth, improve the level of technology niche and adopt the value realization model of "blockchain + understory ecological products". Manage and record the whole process of the understory ecological products from the forest areas to production in real time by using blockchain technology to ensure product quality and safety, and carry out the digital management of the understory ecological products in the state-owned forest areas of Northeast China by using blockchain technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurately predicting the occurrence of imminent new vertebral fractures (NVFs) in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) undergoing vertebral augmentation (VA) is challenging with yet no effective approach. This study aim to examine a machine learning model based on radiomics signature and clinical factors in predicting imminent new vertebral fractures after vertebral augmentation. Methods: A total of 235 eligible patients with OVCFs who underwent VA procedures were recruited from two independent institutions and categorized into three groups, including training set (n = 138), internal validation set (n = 59), and external validation set (n = 38). In the training set, radiomics features were computationally retrieved from L1 or adjacent vertebral body (T12 or L2) on T1-w MRI images, and a radiomics signature was constructed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm (LASSO). Predictive radiomics signature and clinical factors were fitted into two final prediction models using the random survival forest (RSF) algorithm or COX proportional hazard (CPH) analysis. Independent internal and external validation sets were used to validate the prediction models. Results: The two prediction models were integrated with radiomics signature and intravertebral cleft (IVC). The RSF model with C-indices of 0.763, 0.773, and 0.731 and time-dependent AUC (2 years) of 0.855, 0.907, and 0.839 (p < 0.001 for all) was found to be better predictive than the CPH model in training, internal and external validation sets. The RSF model provided better calibration, larger net benefits (determined by decision curve analysis), and lower prediction error (time-dependent brier score of 0.156, 0.151, and 0.146, respectively) than the CPH model. Conclusions: The integrated RSF model showed the potential to predict imminent NVFs following vertebral augmentation, which will aid in postoperative follow-up and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few years, organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites (OIHPs) have attracted immense research and industry attention for their application as light absorbers in solar cells and light-emitting diodes. Characterizing OIHP materials and optoelectronic devices using transmission electron microscopy (TEM)-based techniques has played a large role in understanding their structural, compositional, and electronic properties. However, the highly energetic and electrically charged electron beam radiation used in TEM can result in damage to the pristine structure, as OIHPs are unstable and highly sensitive to electron beams. This damage potentially obscures intrinsic information and leads to a serious misunderstanding of the microscopic structure–property–performance relationship for OIHP optoelectronic devices. To address this issue, we first review the electron and ion beam-induced degradation mechanism of OIHPs, followed by a review of the development of ultra-low-dose TEM techniques that can able to minimize this damage, thus can able to obtain reliable, intrinsic structural information about OIHPs from the atomic to micrometer length scales. Finally, we suggest a protocol for appropriate TEM specimen preparation and characterization techniques. This protocol can help ensure that future TEM studies of OIHPs give reliable information, thereby enabling a deeper understanding and optimization of the performance and long-term stability of OIHP optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambiguity resolution based on smartphone GNSS measurements can enable various potential applications that currently remain difficult due to ambiguity biases, especially under kinematic conditions. This study proposes an improved ambiguity resolution algorithm, which uses the search-and-shrink procedure coupled with the methods of the multi-epoch double-differenced residual test and the ambiguity majority tests for candidate vectors and ambiguities. By performing a static experiment with Xiaomi Mi 8, the AR efficiency of the proposed method is evaluated. Furthermore, a kinematic test with Google Pixel 5 verifies the effectiveness of the proposed method with improved positioning performance. In conclusion, centimeter-level smartphone positioning accuracy is achieved in both experiments, which is greatly improved compared with the float and traditional AR solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiO2 photoelectrodes modified with organic dyes with pyridine anchoring groups are prepared, which are used as photoanodes of dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells for efficient water reduction with high photocurrent density and stability in aqueous solutions. Vigorous H2 generation with a production rate of around 250 μmol h−1 is realized with a photoanode of an active area of 5 × 5 cm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurately predicting the occurrence of imminent new vertebral fractures (NVFs) in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) undergoing vertebral augmentation (VA) is challenging with yet no effective approach. This study aim to examine a machine learning model based on radiomics signature and clinical factors in predicting imminent new vertebral fractures after vertebral augmentation. Methods: A total of 235 eligible patients with OVCFs who underwent VA procedures were recruited from two independent institutions and categorized into three groups, including training set (n = 138), internal validation set (n = 59), and external validation set (n = 38). In the training set, radiomics features were computationally retrieved from L1 or adjacent vertebral body (T12 or L2) on T1-w MRI images, and a radiomics signature was constructed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm (LASSO). Predictive radiomics signature and clinical factors were fitted into two final prediction models using the random survival forest (RSF) algorithm or COX proportional hazard (CPH) analysis. Independent internal and external validation sets were used to validate the prediction models. Results: The two prediction models were integrated with radiomics signature and intravertebral cleft (IVC). The RSF model with C-indices of 0.763, 0.773, and 0.731 and time-dependent AUC (2 years) of 0.855, 0.907, and 0.839 (p < 0.001 for all) was found to be better predictive than the CPH model in training, internal and external validation sets. The RSF model provided better calibration, larger net benefits (determined by decision curve analysis), and lower prediction error (time-dependent brier score of 0.156, 0.151, and 0.146, respectively) than the CPH model. Conclusions: The integrated RSF model showed the potential to predict imminent NVFs following vertebral augmentation, which will aid in postoperative follow-up and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of ring polymer length N and the influence of interchain and intrachain interactions on the size and dynamic behaviors of ring polymers, including the structural relaxation time τR and self-diffusion coefficient D, remain poorly understood at present due to a lack of systematic studies with relatively large N values. This work addressed this issue by applying dynamic Monte Carlo simulations with independently tuned interchain and intrachain interactions to investigate the size and dynamics of the ring melts with chain lengths over a wide range of 0.2Ne≤ N≤80Ne (Ne is the entanglement length of corresponding linear chains) under different topological constraints, including all-crossing and intercrossing systems. We found that it was inappropriate to treat the unknotting constraint free energy of the ring chains in the melts as the free energy contributed by the excluded volume interactions of polymers in a good solvent. Scaling exponents of 2.5 and 1.5 reflecting the N-dependence of τR were obtained for long ring chains in non-crossing and intra-crossing systems, respectively, suggesting that the ring chains behaved as individual clusters and exhibited Zimm-like dynamics in intra-crossing systems. A single scaling exponent of −2 reflecting the N-dependence of D was obtained for ring chains in non-crossing and intra-crossing systems, indicating that the intrachain constraints affected only the value of D, and had little influence on the scaling relationship between D and N. Furthermore, the extended Stokes-Einstein relation broke down for the ring chains in the non-crossing and intra-crossing systems because the structural relaxation and translational diffusion were decoupled for the short ring systems, while both the translational diffusion and rotational relaxations, as well as diffusion at short and long time scales, were decoupled for long ring systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to investigate and develop imaging biomarkers for the diagnosis of cancer-associated cachexia based on the organ and tissue-specific abnormal metabolisms measured by fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT. Methods: FDG PET/CT data from 390 cancer patients were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into a development cohort and a validation cohort. Cachexia was defined as weight loss > 5% in 6 months or BMI < 20 and weight loss > 2%. According to the above definitions, patients were divided into cachexia and non-cachexia groups. Results of the clinical laboratory tests for metabolic levels and organ and tissue-specific FDG uptake obtained from the cachexia and non-cachexia groups were compared statistically. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent variables associated with cachexia in the development cohort for generating the regression model. The performance of the model was tested using the data from a validation cohort and evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: Based on the data from the development cohort of 286 patients and a validation cohort of 104 patients, it is found that age, white blood cell count, peak standardized uptake value (SUV) of the liver, and minimum SUV of lean body mass of visceral fat and subcutaneous fat were independently associated with cachexia. The model incorporating these variables reached an AUC of 0.777 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.721, 0.833) in the development cohort and an AUC of 0.729 (95% CI: 0.629, 0.829) in the validation cohort. Conclusion: Organ and tissue-specific abnormal glucose metabolism as measured by PET/CT can be used as a biomarker for cancer-associated cachexia. Key Points: • Patients with cancer-associated cachexia have reduced FDG uptake in the liver and increased FDG uptake in visceral fat and subcutaneous fat. • FDG uptake of the liver, visceral fat, and subcutaneous fat can be independent risk factors for identifying cancer-associated cachexia. • Cancer-associated cachexia can be classified using the model that incorporates age, white blood cell count, FDG uptake of the liver, and visceral and subcutaneous fat can diagnose with an AUC of 0.729. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with traditional crops, microalgae has the advantages of rich nutrition, small planting area, not affected by seasons, strong environmental adaptability, high photosynthesis rate and fast reproduction. Microalgae are rich in many nutrients such as carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, amino acids and vitamins, which can meet the nutritional needs of livestock. Moreover, unsaturated fatty acids in microalgae can inhibit methane production by affecting the structure of rumen microflora and the hydrogenation of fatty acids. Microalgae is safe, non-toxic and has high utilization value, which is an ideal green feed additive. The paper introduces the nutritional composition of microalgae and the effect of microalgae on growth performance, meat quality, lactation performance, immune function, antioxidant capacity and rumen fermentation of ruminants, prospects the application prospect of microalgae in ruminant feed, in order to provide reference for the development and application of microalgae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The filler-rubber interaction and filler dispersion in natural rubber composites are important factors in determining the properties. Herein, an inorganic–organic hybrid filler was synthesized by attachment of styrene oxide to the surface of alpha zirconium phosphate nanoplatelets, and then it was incorporated in natural rubber/carbon black composites. The effect of surface modified zirconium phosphate on the morphology, thermal and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated using the scanning electron microscope, thermal gravimetric analysis, tensile tests and dynamic mechanical analysis. The scanning electron microscope analysis indicates that surface modified zirconium phosphate greatly improved the dispersion of carbon black in the composites. The addition of surface modified zirconium phosphate leads to the improvement of the abrasion resistance, tensile strength, elongation at break and dynamic mechanical properties of the composites. Furthermore, the low content of surface modified zirconium phosphate significantly improved the abrasion resistance, wet grip resistance and decreased rolling resistance of the composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cosmetic adverse reactions (CARs) are becoming widespread in China. However, a comprehensive analysis of data is lacking. Objective: To analyse the clinical characteristics of patients with reported adverse reactions to cosmetics in Chongqing, China. Methods: Cases with CARs reported to the Chongqing Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Centre System from 2017 to 2021 were analysed. Results: A total of 23 245 cases were identified, of which 94.5% were women. Contact dermatitis (84.3%) was the most common diagnosis of CARs, followed by acne (3.1%). The most frequently reported clinical signs were erythema (70.1%), followed by papules (35.5%). The majority of CARs were reported to be due to ordinary cosmetics (87.9%), of which 81.0% were skin care products and 7.1% were makeup products. Cosmetics with special functions constituted 12.2%, of these, skin whitening (54.0%) and sunscreen (28.0%) products were most frequently reported. Conclusion: Our results suggest that adverse reactions to cosmetics are of concern in China, and dermatologists should actively identify and diagnose CARs. In addition, we should establish a convenient and effective model for collecting, reporting, and evaluating CARs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise position information available from smartphones can play an important role in developing new location-based service (LBS) applications. Starting from 2016, and after the release of Nougat version (Version 7) by Google, developers have had access to the GNSS raw measurements through the new application programming interface (API), namely android.location (API level 24). However, the new API does not provide the typical GNSS observations directly (e.g., pseudorange, carrier-phase and Doppler observations) which have to be generated by the users themselves. Although several Apps have been developed for the GNSS observations generation, various data analyses indicate quality concerns, from biases to observation inconsistency in the generated GNSS observations output from those Apps. The quality concerns would subsequently affect GNSS data processing such as cycle slip detection, code smoothing and ultimately positioning performance. In this study, we first investigate algorithms for GNSS observations generation from the android.location API output. We then evaluate the performances of two widely used Apps (Geo++RINEX logger and GnssLogger Apps), as well as our newly developed one (namely UofC CSV2RINEX tool) which converts the CSV file to a Receiver INdependent Exchange (RINEX) file. Positioning performance analysis is also provided which indicates improved positioning accuracy using our newly developed tool. Future work finding out the potential reasons for the identified misbehavior in the generated GNSS observations is recommended; it will require a joint effort with the App developers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with dyslipidemia are at increased risk for suicide, especially those with major depressive disorder (MDD). Few studies have investigated the independent effects of suicide attempts on comorbid dyslipidemia in patients with MDD. Moreover, there are no comparisons of differences in factors associated with suicide attempts among patients with MDD with dyslipidemia at different ages of onset. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of suicide attempts and associated variables in first episode and untreated patients with MDD with comorbid dyslipidemia at different ages of onset. Methods: We recruited 1718 patients with first-episode untreated MDD in this study. Demographical and clinical data were collected, and lipid profiles, thyroid function, and blood glucose levels were measured. The Hamilton Depression Scale 17 (HAMD-17), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Clinical Global Impression Severity Scale (CGI), and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) positive subscale were assessed for depression, anxiety and illness severity, as well as psychotic symptoms, respectively. Results: The percentage of patients with MDD with comorbid dyslipidemia was 61% (1048/1718). Among patients with MDD with comorbid dyslipidemia, the incidence of suicide attempts was 22.2% (170/765) for early adulthood onset and 26.5% (75/283) for mid-adulthood onset. Independent factors associated with suicide attempts in early adulthood onset patients with MDD with dyslipidemia were as follows: HAMA score (B = 0.328, P < 0.0001, OR = 1.388), Suspicion /persecution (B = -0.554, P = 0.006, OR = 0.575), CGI (B = 0.878, P < 0.0001, OR = 2.406), systolic blood pressure (B = 0.048, P = 0.004, OR = 1.049), hallucinatory behavior (B = 0.334, P = 0.025, OR = 1.397), and TPOAb (B = 0.003, p < 0.0001, OR = 1.003). Independent factors associated with suicide attempts in mid-adulthood onset patients with MDD with comorbid dyslipidemia were as follows: HAMA score (B = 0.182, P < 0.0001, OR = 1.200), CGI (B = 1.022, P < 0.0001, OR = 2.778), and TPOAb (B = 0.002, P = 0.009, OR = 1.002). Conclusion: Our findings suggest an elevated risk of suicide attempts in patients with MDD with comorbid dyslipidemia. The incidence of suicide attempts was similar in the early- and mid-adulthood onset subgroups among patients with MDD with dyslipidemia, but the factors associated with suicide attempts were different in these two subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The weak or brittle mechanical properties, icing and water evaporation under very low or high temperatures, the complex preparation process and high costs limited the application of ionic hydrogels and ionogels. Here, we designed and prepared stretchable and multifunctional ionic gels via frontal polymerization (FP) of polymerizable ternary deep eutectic monomers (DEMs) with a long pot life. The highly stretchable ionic gels can be obtained by altering the molar ratio of polymerizable and non-polymerizable hydrogen bond donors (HBDs), acrylamide (AM) and urea (U), together with hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA), choline chloride (ChCl), respectively. FTIR and 1H-NMR spectra were used to characterize the chemical structure of DEM. Preliminary experiment indicated the pot lives of ternary DEM were much longer than that of the corresponding binary DEM without U. The obtained DEMs were investigated for preparing multifunctional ionic gels by FP. As the molar ratio of U to M changed from 0.7:1.3 to 1.3:0.7, the tensile and compressive strength of ionic gel decreased from 225 KPa and 3129 KPa to 24.7 KPa and 210 KPa, respectively. However, the elongation at break of the ionic gel increased from 283% to 680%. After FP, the DES composed of U and ChCl embedded in the cross-linked PAM not only acted as a plasticizer, but also as a conductive and anti-freezing agent of ionic gels. This work provides a rapid, green and low energy consumption method to construct stretchable, conductive, self-healing and anti-freezing ionic gels, which can be used in flexible bio-electronic devices in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic response characteristics of the innovative marine wind power hybrid foundation under combined action of wind, wave and seismic loading are studied in this article. Taking the monopile foundation as reference group, the shearing strain-volumetric strain coupled pore pressure incremental constitutive model was utilized to simulate the kinetic behavior of seabed’s saturated soil. The pressure distribution and variation characteristics of residual pore water pressure around pile foundation due to the interactions of upper structure, foundation and saturated soil are illustrated. The results indicate that: (a) the cylindrical platform changes the residual pore water pressure and accelerates the pressure accumulation area, which converts from surrounding the monopile to nearby the cylindrical platform; (b) compared to the hybrid foundation, the peak value of residual pore water accumulation of the monopile foundation is smaller only under seismic loading, which is due to that the monopole with smaller stiffness is more vulnerable to deform with soil synergistically; (c) the cylindrical platform structure can significantly reduce the horizontal placement extreme of pile foundation under the action of dynamic load, and can also change the distribution characteristics of bending moment of middle pile of the hybrid foundation. It is manifested by a lower bending moment extreme of the middle pile near the mudline under the action of wind and wave loading, while the seismic loading could increase the bending moment extreme of middle pile near the mudline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is a molecularly heterogeneous disease with poor prognosis that is rising rapidly in incidence. We aimed to demonstrate specific binding by a peptide heterodimer to Barrett's neoplasia in human subjects.Methods: Peptide monomers specific for EGFR and ErbB2 were arranged in a heterodimer configuration and labeled with IRDye800. This near-infrared (NIR) contrast agent was topically administered to patients with Barrett's esophagus (BE) undergoing either endoscopic therapy or surveillance. Fluorescence images were collected using a flexible fiber accessory passed through the instrument channel of an upper gastrointestinal endoscope. Fluorescence images were collected from 31 BE patients. A deep learning model was used to segment the target (T) and background (B) regions.Results: The mean target-to-background (T/B) ratio was significantly greater for high grade dysplasia (HGD) and EAC versus BE, low grade dysplasia (LGD), and squamous epithelium. At a T/B ratio of 1.5, sensitivity and specificity of 94.1 % and 92.6 %, respectively, were achieved for the detection of Barrett's neoplasia with an area under the curve of 0.95. No adverse events attributed to the heterodimer were found. EGFR and ErbB2 expression were validated in the resected specimens.Conclusions: This "first-in-human" clinical study demonstrates the feasibility of detection of early Barrett's neoplasia using a NIR-labeled peptide heterodimer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we use Si/Tl5Al1/TiN for a source/drain ohmic contact to demonstrate an ultra-low contact resistance of 0.11 Ω mm (ρc = 2.62 × 10−7 Ω cm2) on non-recessed i-InAlN/GaN heterostructures. The Ti5Al1 alloy was used to suppress the out-diffusion of Al and extract N from the InAlN layer, which aided the formation of ohmic contact by improving the tunneling efficiency of electrons, as we have reported in the past work. A thin Si inter-layer combined with the Ti5Al1 alloy is proposed to further reduce contact resistance. A heavy n-type InAlN layer was obtained through doping with Si atoms to improve the tunneling transport of electrons. Furthermore, the TiN inclusions penetrated into the GaN channel because the in-diffused Si promoted the decomposition of GaN at a high annealing temperature and the in-diffused Ti reacted with GaN. These TiN inclusions provided direct contact with two-dimensional electron gas, offering an additional path for the injection of electrons into the channel. The tunneling and spike mechanism worked alternately to lower the contact resistance at different annealing temperatures (dividing at 900 °C), implying that the joint effect of tunneling and the spike mechanism was initially promoted in the formation of ohmic contact. The mechanism of this Si/Ti5Al1/TiN ohmic contact was fully understood through microscopic and thermodynamic analyses. These results shed light on the mechanism for the formation of ohmic contact in a gold-free metal stack for GaN-based HEMTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ferroptosis is a novel form of iron-dependent cell death and participates in the malignant progression of glioblastoma (GBM). Although circular RNAs (circRNAs) are found to play key roles in ferroptosis via several mechanisms, including regulating iron metabolism, glutathione metabolism, lipid peroxidation and mitochondrial-related proteins, there are many novel circRNAs regulating ferroptosis need to be found, and they may become a new molecular treatment target in GBM. Methods: The expression levels of circLRFN5, PRRX2 and GCH1 were detected by qPCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. Lentiviral-based infections were used to overexpress or knockdown these molecules in glioma stem cells (GSCs). The biological functions of these molecules on GSCs were detected by MTS (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H tetrazolium), the 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assay, transwell, neurosphere formation assays, Extreme Limiting Dilution Analysis (ELDA) and xenograft experiments. The content of ferroptosis levels in GSCs was detected by BODIPY 581/591 C11 assay, glutathione (GSH) assay and malondialdehyde (MDA) assay. The regulating mechanisms among these molecules were studied by RNA immunoprecipitation assay, RNA pull-down assay, ubiquitination assay, dual-luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Results: We found a novel circRNA circLRFN5 is downregulated in GBM and associated with GBM patients' poor prognosis. CircLRFN5 overexpression inhibits the cell viabilities, proliferation, neurospheres formation, stemness and tumorigenesis of GSCs via inducing ferroptosis. Mechanistically, circLRFN5 binds to PRRX2 protein and promotes its degradation via a ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal pathway. PRRX2 can transcriptionally upregulate GCH1 expression in GSCs, which is a ferroptosis suppressor via generating the antioxidant tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). Conclusions: Our study found circLRFN5 as a tumor-suppressive circRNA and identified its role in the progression of ferroptosis and GBM. CircLRFN5 can be used as a potential GBM biomarker and become a target for molecular therapies or ferroptosis-dependent therapy in GBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmentally friendly surfactant ethoxylated cardanol (EC) was investigated for dispersing copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) pigment nanoparticles into aqueous solution. The stability of the dispersion was investigated using UV-Vis spectra. The particle size was measured by optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The surface of the nanoparticles was characterised by measurements of the zeta potential and wettability. The coating application was investigated by incorporating CuPc blue pigment into resin and inorganic filler, and the colour strength of the coating film was compared. The results show that the EC can effectively wet and disperse the CuPc particles. The stabilisation of the particles is achieved by a steric mechanism in which the hydrophobic chains of the surfactant are adsorbed onto the surfaces of the CuPc nanoparticles and the ethylene oxide chains are dispersed in the aqueous phase. At EC concentrations greater than 0.1%, the CuPc nanoparticles appear to deagglomerate. The colour strength of CuPc nanoparticles present as dispersed pigment in resin can be increased in the presence of the EC surfactant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partial ambiguity resolution has been widely used in real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning to provide accurate and continuous centimeter-level positioning solutions. Current PAR methods are concerned with the exclusion of ambiguities that otherwise would result in low rate of full ambiguity resolution (FAR). With an assumption of unbiased ambiguities, the traditional PAR methods use the ambiguity-domain test statistics and probability-domain quantitative evaluation to select and validate the ambiguity subset. Consequentially, they would degrade the performance using low-cost devices in challenging environments where ambiguity biases exist, causing high probabilities of false alarm and missed detection of PAR and subsequently poor availability and accuracy of PAR. To deal with this issue, in this study, we propose a new PAR method for application in challenging environments. The proposed method consists of two major steps. First, a global navigation satellite system epoch-differencing (GED) algorithm is applied to derive a prior ambiguity solution. Second, we use a modified solution separation (SS) method with the prior ambiguity solution as an external input to obtain more accurate ambiguity test statistics. Based on a dynamic road test under environments with significant signal blockages, the performance of the proposed method is analyzed by using a low-cost GNSS receiver. The proposed method provides ambiguity test statistics with higher accuracy and can achieve 73.19% and 50.55% improvement in the accuracy and availability of the fixed solution, compared with the traditional PAR methods. Besides, the RMS of positioning errors with fixed solution are 1.03 cm, 0.70 cm, and 1.50 cm for the proposed PAR method in the east, north, and upward directions, respectively, which are 1.06 cm, 0.72 cm, and 1.35 cm for SS-based PAR, and 5.29 cm, 0.86 cm, and 5.56 cm for ILS-based PAR. The proposed PAR method achieves 90.36% fixed epochs, versus 79.06%, and 88.28%, for ILS-based PAR and SS-based PAR, respectively. Highlights: Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) epoch differencing algorithm (GED) is used to derive a prior ambiguity solution. A modified solution separation (SS) method with the prior ambiguity solution as an external input is used to obtain more accurate ambiguity test statistics. We proposed a new partial ambiguity resolution (PAR) method based on SS and GED in realtime kinematic (RTK) positioning. A dynamic road test with a low-cost GNSS receiver shows that our method outperforms the significant improvements in both the accuracy and availability of RTK fixed solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ferroptosis is a novel form of iron-dependent cell death and participates in the malignant progression of glioblastoma (GBM). Although circular RNAs (circRNAs) are found to play key roles in ferroptosis via several mechanisms, including regulating iron metabolism, glutathione metabolism, lipid peroxidation and mitochondrial-related proteins, there are many novel circRNAs regulating ferroptosis need to be found, and they may become a new molecular treatment target in GBM. Methods: The expression levels of circLRFN5, PRRX2 and GCH1 were detected by qPCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. Lentiviral-based infections were used to overexpress or knockdown these molecules in glioma stem cells (GSCs). The biological functions of these molecules on GSCs were detected by MTS (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H tetrazolium), the 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assay, transwell, neurosphere formation assays, Extreme Limiting Dilution Analysis (ELDA) and xenograft experiments. The content of ferroptosis levels in GSCs was detected by BODIPY 581/591 C11 assay, glutathione (GSH) assay and malondialdehyde (MDA) assay. The regulating mechanisms among these molecules were studied by RNA immunoprecipitation assay, RNA pull-down assay, ubiquitination assay, dual-luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Results: We found a novel circRNA circLRFN5 is downregulated in GBM and associated with GBM patients' poor prognosis. CircLRFN5 overexpression inhibits the cell viabilities, proliferation, neurospheres formation, stemness and tumorigenesis of GSCs via inducing ferroptosis. Mechanistically, circLRFN5 binds to PRRX2 protein and promotes its degradation via a ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal pathway. PRRX2 can transcriptionally upregulate GCH1 expression in GSCs, which is a ferroptosis suppressor via generating the antioxidant tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). Conclusions: Our study found circLRFN5 as a tumor-suppressive circRNA and identified its role in the progression of ferroptosis and GBM. CircLRFN5 can be used as a potential GBM biomarker and become a target for molecular therapies or ferroptosis-dependent therapy in GBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrathin fluoroacrylic emulsion coating wrapped effective microporous non-woven air filtration membranes of 0.2 μm thickness were made for PPE masks with up to 99.9% filtration efficiencies for both 0.3 μm NaCl aerosol particles and oily DEHS aerosols. An ultrasonic dip-coating process was applied for the controllable formation of a nano-protrusion morphology on the fiber surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of big data, People's lives are filled with all kinds of information. Scientific and technological information is utilized for scholars to understand the current technology trends, and to think about the source of information for future development prospects. More and more scholars are no longer satisfied with single-modal retrieval methods. However, to get more intelligent cross-media retrieval results we should give higher requirements to the search engine. And how to span the semantic gap between different modalities is a key issue that needs to be solved. In response to the above problems, this paper proposes a Multi-feature Fusion based Cross-Media Retrieval (MFCMR) method. Our method is capable of integrating multiple features to promote semantic understanding, and adopting adversarial learning to further improve the accuracy of public subspace representation. Then we use similarity in the same space to sort the retrieval results. We conduct a lot of experiments on real datasets, and the results show that our method obtains better cross-media retrieval performance than other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of, and a poor prognosis for, postmenopausal (PM) breast cancer (BC). Our goal was to determine whether diet-induced obesity (DIO) promotes 1) shorter tumor latency, 2) an escape from tumor dormancy, and 3) an acceleration of tumor growth and to elucidate the underlying mechanism(s). We have developed in vitro assays and PM breast tumor models complemented by a noninvasive imaging system to detect vascular invasion of dormant tumors and have used them to determine whether obesity promotes the escape from breast tumor dormancy and tumor growth by facilitating the switch to the vascular phenotype (SVP) in PM BC. Obese mice had significantly higher tumor frequency, higher tumor volume, and lower overall survival compared with lean mice. We demonstrate that DIO exacerbates mammary gland hyperplasia and neoplasia, reduces tumor latency, and increases tumor frequency via an earlier acquisition of the SVP. DIO establishes a local and systemic proangiogenic and inflammatory environment via the up-regulation of lipocalin-2 (LCN2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) that may promote the escape from tumor dormancy and tumor progression. In addition, we show that targeting neovascularization via a multitargeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, sunitinib, can delay the acquisition of the SVP, thereby prolonging tumor latency, reducing tumor frequency, and increasing tumor-free survival, suggesting that targeting neovascularization may be a potential therapeutic strategy in obesity-associated PM BC progression. This study establishes the link between obesity and PM BC and, for the first time to our knowledge, bridges the dysfunctional neovascularization of obesity with the earliest stages of tumor development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a spreading addictive behaviour in recent years, internet gaming disorder (IGD) has been studied a lot and the overall research results indicate that IGD has a high prevalence among adolescents and young adults (AYAs). To update the status quo of prevalence, it is necessary to conduct comprehensive analyses. On the premise of following the PRISMA statement, the study conducted two systematic reviews and meta-analyses to assess the global prevalence of IGD among AYAs and identify its possible risk factors. To achieve the goals, PubMed and CNKI databases were used to select the concerned studies published up to May 31, 2021. Heterogeneity was assessed using a funnel plot, Begg's test, Egger's test, and trim-and-fil method, followed by sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis, and meta-regression analysis. For the meta-analysis of prevalence, 407,620 participants from 155 reports in 33 countries were included. The pooled prevalence of IGD among AYAs was 9.9% (95% CI: 8.6%–11.3%, P = 0.000, I 2 = 94.4%), including 8.8% (95% CI: 7.5%–10.0%) among adolescents and 10.4% (95% CI: 8.8%–11.9%) among young adults. The following 12 factors are the possible risk factors of IGD among AYAs, which are stress, long average game time, family dysfunction, poor academic performance, being bullied, bullying, interpersonal problems, hyperactivity/inattention, anxiety, depression, emotional distress and low self-esteem. This study confirms the prevalence and possible risk factors for IGD among AYAs. It's valuable in understanding the threat of IGD and finding intervention strategies for IGD among AYAs. • Provides updated global prevalence of internet gaming disorder among adolescents and young adults in summary (9.9%) and separately (8.8% vs 10.4%). • Higher prevalence of internet gaming disorder among adolescents and young adults in males (15.4%) compared to females (6.4%). • Identify 12 possible risk factors for internet gaming disorder among adolescents and young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributed self-organization and self-management is an ideal way to achieve an autonomous and efficient operation of large-scale remote sensing satellite swarm. A distributed task allocation method based on the improved contract network algorithm is designed, orienting typical mission-level tasks. And the satellite swarm task allocation and planning model of potential target searching, moving target tracking, and sensitive target feature confirmation is given. The model is composed of observation requirement generation, observing area decomposition, and task allocation between different satellites. Simulation results confirm that the improved contract network algorithm can optimally solve the problem of mission-level task allocation autonomously in distributed swarm. This paper verifies that the self-organization method has the potential for engineering applications with simple realization theory and high calculation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is a deadly cancer that is rising rapidly in incidence. The early detection of EAC with curative intervention greatly improves the prognoses of patients. A scanning fiber endoscope (SFE) using fluorescence-labeled peptides that bind rapidly to epidermal growth factor receptors showed a promising performance for early EAC detection. Target-to-background (T/B) ratios were calculated to quantify the fluorescence images for neoplasia lesion classification. This T/B calculation is generally based on lesion segmentation with the Chan–Vese algorithm, which may require hyperparameter adjustment when segmenting frames with different brightness and contrasts, which impedes automation to real-time video. Deep learning models are more robust to these changes, while accurate pixel-level segmentation ground truth is challenging to establish in the medical field. Since within our dataset the ground truth contained only a frame-level diagnosis, we proposed a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system to calculate the T/B ratio in real time. A two-step process using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) was developed to achieve automatic suspicious frame selection and lesion segmentation for T/B calculation. In the segmentation model training for Step 2, the lesion labels were generated with a manually tuned Chan–Vese algorithm using the labeled and predicted suspicious frames from Step 1. In Step 1, we designed and trained deep CNNs to select suspicious frames using a diverse and representative set of 3427 SFE images collected from 25 patient videos from two clinical trials. We tested the models on 1039 images from 10 different SFE patient videos and achieved a sensitivity of 96.4%, a specificity of 96.6%, a precision of 95.5%, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.989. In Step 2, 1006 frames containing suspicious lesions were used for training for fluorescence target segmentation. The segmentation models were tested on two clinical datasets with 100 SFE frames each and achieved mean intersection-over-union values of 0.89 and 0.88, respectively. The T/B ratio calculations based on our segmentation results were similar to the manually tuned Chan–Vese algorithm, which were 1.71 ± 0.22 and 1.72 ± 0.28, respectively, with a p-value of 0.872. With the graphic processing unit (GPU), the proposed two-step CAD system achieved 50 fps for frame selection and 15 fps for segmentation and T/B calculation, which showed that the frame rejection in Step 1 improved the diagnostic efficiency. This CAD system with T/B ratio as the real-time indicator is designed to guide biopsies and surgeries and to serve as a reliable second observer to localize and outline suspicious lesions highlighted by fluorescence probes topically applied in organs where cancer originates in the epithelia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a full-wave partial element equivalent circuit (PEEC) model for 2-D periodic metallic structures is proposed. The mixed potential integral equations (MPIEs) with periodic Green’s function (GF) are interpreted as loop equations following Kirchhoff’s voltage law (KVL) in a circuit domain. The impact of gauge freedom in the MPIE on the corresponding PEEC model is discussed. A tailored gauge function is introduced to form a generalized PEEC model for periodic structures, which demonstrates superior passivity and frequency stability. With the proposed PEEC model, lumped and active elements can be easily integrated with conducting bodies for field-circuit co-simulation. Through the distributed circuit including coupling elements, the PEEC model provides a clear physical insight into the electromagnetic behavior of the physical models for design and optimization. Three numerical examples, including frequency-selective surface (FSS), array antenna, and pixelwise meta-atom, are given to illustrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed PEEC model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Coordination polymerization of renewable (E)‐4,8‐dimethyl‐1,3,7‐nonatriene (DMNT) has been performed using pyridyl‐methylene‐ fluorenyl scandium complex 1, half‐sandwich scandium complex 2, diiminophosphinato rare‐earth metal complexes 3a—3c and 4a—4b, bis(phosphino)carbazolide yttrium complex 5 and β‐diketiminato yttrium complex 6. Fluorenyl scandium complexes 1 and 2, activated by [Ph3C][B(C6F5)4] and AliBu3, are moderately active and show perfect 1,2‐regioselective (1,2 > 99%). Conversely, asymmetric diiminophophinato complexes 3a—3c promote the DMNT polymerization to produce high trans‐1,4 regulated products with the activity trend: Sc < Lu < Y. Complexes 4—6 are virtually inactive for the DMNT polymerization although they are highly active in isoprene polymerization. A diblock copolymer bearing 3,4‐polyisoprene block and trans‐1,4‐poly(DMNT) block is obtained using complex 3c in one‐pot reaction. Hydrogenation of trans‐1,4‐poly(DMNT) affords an elastomer with a Tg of –10°C. The epoxidation reaction of trans‐1,4‐poly(DMNT) with 3‐chloroperbenzoic acid transfers the pendant double bonds in the cis configuration into the epoxy groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) rank as the first leading cause of death globally. High dietary polyphenol (especially flavonoids) intake has strongly been associated with low incidence of the primary outcome, overall mortality, blood pressure, inflammatory biomarkers, onset of new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and obesity. Phytogenic flavonoids affect the physiological and pathological processes of CVDs by modulating various biochemical signaling pathways. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have attracted increasing attention as fundamental regulator of gene expression involved in CVDs. Among the different ncRNA subgroups, long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) have recently emerged as regulatory eukaryotic transcripts and therapeutic targets with important and diverse functions in health and diseases. lncRNAs may be associated with the initiation, development and progression of CVDs by modulating acute and chronic inflammation, adipogenesis and lipid metabolism, and cellular physiology. This review summarizes this research on the modulatory effects of lncRNAs and their roles in mediating cellular processes. The mechanisms of action of flavonoids underlying their therapeutic effects on CVDs are also discussed. Based on our review, flavonoids might facilitate a significant epigenetic modification as part (if not full) of their tissue-/cell-related biological effects. This finding may be attributed to their interaction with cellular signaling pathways involved in chronic diseases. Certain lncRNAs might be the target of specific flavonoids, and some critical signaling processes involved in the intervention of CVDs might mediate the therapeutic roles of flavonoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has emphasized proactive pharmacovigilance throughout the product life cycle in recent years. However, the safety-related withdrawal of drugs from the Chinese market has received less attention.Objectives: The primary aim of the study was to investigate the context of withdrawing a drug for safety reasons in China (between 1999 and 2021).Methods: Withdrawn drugs were first identified from the Chinese NMPA and United States (US) Food and Drug Administration websites and the World Health Organization's (WHO's) consolidated list of products, WHO Drug Information, and WHO Pharmaceuticals Newsletter. We then searched the China National Knowledge Internet database, Chongqing VIP information database, Wanfang database, PubMed, and Google Scholar for drug withdrawal details. We used the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine criteria to assess the levels of evidence that support withdrawing a drug.Results: A total of 30 drugs were withdrawn from the Chinese market between 1999 and 2021. The number of withdrawals increased during the stable Chinese drug surveillance period (2012-2021). Evidence from case-series or case-control studies was primarily used to determine the withdrawals of 16 drugs (53.3%). Fifteen drugs were withdrawn from the markets of China and the US, including five drugs (5/15, 33.3%) that were withdrawn in the same year in China and the US.Conclusions: The promulgation of regulations and development of advanced passive and active systems have enhanced pharmacovigilance in China. High-quality evidence, coordination with other regulatory authorities, and communication and information sharing should be strengthened to optimize drug safety surveillance and risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]