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The exploitation of fatigue life prediction methods based on fatigue indicator parameters revealed the influence of the defect size, position, and morphology on the fatigue life and fatigue behavior of additively manufactured metals. Meanwhile, Data‐driven life prediction methods are time‐efficient but inexplainable. Current machine learning‐based fatigue life prediction methods call for not only the accuracy but also the interpretability and stability of prediction results. Thus, the fusion of physical methods and machine learning methods has been a prevailing research topic in fatigue life prediction. In this study, a novel physics‐informed neural network framework is proposed by integrating a fatigue indicator parameter based on defects into the physical constraints term of a loss function. This method outperforms conventional machine learning methods in high‐cycle and very high‐cycle regimes, exhibiting superior prediction performance and generalization ability. Furthermore, the prediction results can be explained from a physical standpoint, correlating with the applicability range of the introduced physical equation describing defect positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst the rapid advancements in the fields of photovoltaics and optoelectronic devices, CsPbBr3 nanosheets (NSs) have emerged as a focal point of research due to their exceptional optical and electronic properties. This work explores the application potential of CsPbBr3 NSs in photonic and catalytic domains. Utilizing an optimized hot-injection method and a ZnBr2-assisted in situ passivation strategy, we successfully synthesized CsPbBr3 NSs with controlled dimensions and optical characteristics. Comprehensive characterization revealed that the nucleation environment and thickness significantly influenced the structure and optical performance of the materials. The results indicate that the optimized synthesis method enables control over the lateral dimensions of the nanoparticles, ranging from 9.1 ± 0.06 nm to 334.5 ± 4.40 nm, facilitating the tuning of the excitation wavelength from 460 nm (blue) to 510 nm (green). Further analyses involving photoresponse and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy demonstrated the substantial potential of these NSs in applications such as photocatalysis and energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal halide perovskite semiconductors have emerged as promising materials for various optoelectronic applications due to their unique crystal structure and outstanding properties. Among different forms, perovskite nanowires (NWs) offer distinct advantages, including a high aspect ratio, superior crystallinity, excellent light absorption, and carrier transport properties, as well as unique anisotropic luminescence properties. Understanding the formation mechanism and structure–property relationship of perovskite NWs is crucial for exploring their potential in optoelectronic devices. In this study, we successfully synthesized all-inorganic halide perovskite NWs with high aspect ratios and an orthorhombic crystal phase using the hot-injection method with controlled reaction conditions and surface ligands. These NWs exhibit excellent optical and electrical properties. Moreover, precise control over the halogen composition through a simple anion exchange process enables the tuning of the bandgap, leading to fluorescence emission, covering a wide range of colors across the visible spectrum. Consequently, these perovskite NWs hold great potential for efficient energy conversion and catalytic applications in photoelectrocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of image dehazing techniques depend on the estimation of atmospheric light intensity. The majority of dehazing algorithms do not incorporate a physical model to estimate atmospheric light, leading to reduced accuracy and significantly impacting the effectiveness of dehazing. This article presents a novel approach for estimating atmospheric light using the polarization state and polarization degree gradient of the sky. We utilize this approach to enhance the outcomes of image dehazing by applying it to pre-existing dehazing algorithms. Our study and development of a real-time dehazing system has shown that the approach we propose has a clear advantage over previous methods for estimating ambient light. After incorporating the proposed approach into existing defogging methods, a significant improvement in the effectiveness of defogging was noted through the assessment of various criteria such as contrast, PSNR, and SSIM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous Zn‐ion batteries with mild acidic electrolytes are considered the promising energy storage solutions due to their outstanding merits of high energy density and cost‐effectiveness. However, the rampant dendrite growth and severe parasitic reactions caused by a series of factors such as irregular Zn2+ transport pathway and pH variation would result in poor cycling stability. Herein, a self‐regulated interface strategy implemented by ammonium persulfate ((NH4)2S2O8, denoted as APS) multifunctional additive is proposed to simultaneously address the above issues. The zincophilic NH4+ preferentially adsorbs on the Zn protuberance to exclude water molecules and shield the "tip effect," thus inhibiting side‐reactions and inducing uniform Zn deposition. Moreover, NH4+ and S2O82− can dynamically adjust H+ and OH− concentrations in a pH self‐buffer manner, thus effectively mitigating hydrogen evolution reaction and formation of by‐products. Consequently, with the existence of APS additive, Zn anode exhibits ultrahigh coulombic efficiency (CE) of 99.9% over 9000 cycles and ultra‐long lifespan of 4300 h at 5 mA cm−2. Furthermore, even under high NH4V4O10 mass loading (9.4 mg cm−2) and thin zinc foil (10 µm), the assembled NH4V4O10//Zn pouch cell with APS additive can still maintain stably over 210 cycles, demonstrating its excellent value for application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space charge transfer, which can be provided by heterogeneous structure, is the key to efficient electrocatalytic processes. However, difficulty in controlling the relative atomic diffusion rates due to different atomic radii and affinity makes heterogeneous nanostructures difficult to be accurately designed. Herein, an induced diffusion strategy based on affinity differences between elements is proposed to direct the separation/aggregation of different components in the precursor. The key to strategy in this study is the different affinity of Cu and Co to S/P in the precursor of CuCo Prussian blue analogue (PBA). By controlling the molar ratio of S and P during the phosphorization/vulcanization process, induced diffusion can be achieved and leads to directional separation/aggregation of Cu and Co species. As a result, a heterogeneous yolk‐shell Cu2S@CoP2‐C‐N‐S structure is successfully synthesized with a reticular CoP2‐C‐N‐Cu‐S as the shell and a Cu2S nanocrystal as the core. The space charge effect of the semiconductor heterojunction resulting from component separation/aggregation significantly promotes oxygen evolution reaction, resulting in an ultralow overpotential of 180 mV at 10 mA·cm−2. This work not only provides a simple method for efficient separation of key components in gas‐solid systems but also provides a method for fine‐tuning the active site in an active‐site‐engineering approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction waste slurry is used as backfill in construction engineering as a type of solid waste. However, the initial water content of the waste slurry is high and must be dewatered beforehand to realize its resource utilization. This study proposes a staged vacuum preloading (VP) method with prefabricated horizontal drain (PHD)-prefabricated vertical drain (PVD) to treat waste slurry considering the advantages of VP with PHD in waste slurry disposal. The effect of different vacuum loading modes on PHD-PVD on waste slurry treatment is analyzed through four groups of large-scale experimental model tests. The test results indicate that the staged VP with PHD-PVD can effectively alleviate the clogging compared to the effect of synchronous VP with PHD-PVD, and the effect of the soil drainage consolidation is improved. The apparent clogging is alleviated by the gradually increasing vacuum pressure applied to PHD and PVD, when combined with the results of the microstructure analysis. These findings can provide design criteria for waste slurry disposal in similar applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking the Midpoint Injection type Bearingless Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (MPI-BL-PMSM) as an object, to solve its problems of large torque pulsation and insufficient suspension force when adopting Midpoint Suspension Current Unilateral Injection (MPSC-UI), a Midpoint Suspension Current Bilateral Injection (MPSC-BI) solution is proposed. Based on the half-winding structure of MPI-BL-PMSM, and from the electromechanical energy conversion principle, the torque model for MPSC-BI solution is established. On this basis, the torque model for MPSC-UI method was derived. The correctness of the established torque mathematical models based on half-winding structure was verified through the finite element method (FEM), and the "dual-frequency" electromagnetic coupling characteristics of suspension current on electromagnetic torque were compared and analyzed from the perspectives of theoretical model and FEM simulation. The results indicate that the MPSC-BI method can effectively suppress or avoid the torque pulsation coupled by suspension current and can obtain about 1-time increase of controllable suspension force; the advantages of MPSC-BI solution in dynamic torque decoupling characteristics are demonstrated, while the only downside is that the coupling effect of torque current on radial suspension force is slightly greater than that of the MPSC-UI method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐coverage mass spectrometry analysis of single‐cell metabolomics remains challenging due to the extremely low abundance and wide polarity of metabolites and ultra‐small volume in single cells. Herein, a novel concentric hybrid ionization source, nanoelectrospray ionization‐atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (nanoESI‐APCI), is ingeniously designed to detect polar and nonpolar metabolites simultaneously in single cells. The source is constructed by inserting a pulled glass capillary coaxially into a glass tube that acts as a dielectric barrier layer. Benefitting from the integrated advantages of nanoESI and APCI, its limit of detection is improved by one order of magnitude to 10 pg mL−1. After the operational parameter optimization, 254 metabolites detected in nanoESI‐APCI are tentatively identified from a single cell, and 82 more than those in nanoESI. The developed nanoESI‐APCI is successively applied to study the metabolic heterogeneity of human hepatocellular carcinoma tissue microenvironment united with laser capture microdissection (LCM), the discrimination of cancer cell types and subtypes, the metabolic perturbations to glucose starvation in MCF7 cells and the metabolic regulation of cancer stem cells. These results demonstrated that the nanoESI‐APCI not only opens a new avenue for high‐coverage and high‐sensitivity metabolomics analysis of single cell, but also facilitates spatially resolved metabolomics study coupled with LCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteoarthritis and lipid metabolism are strongly associated, although the precise targets and regulatory mechanisms are unknown. Methods: Osteoarthritis gene expression profiles were acquired from the GEO database, while lipid metabolism-related genes (LMRGs) were sourced from the MigSB database. An intersection was conducted between these datasets to extract gene expression for subsequent differential analysis. Following this, functional analyses were performed on the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Subsequently, machine learning was applied to identify hub genes associated with lipid metabolism in osteoarthritis. Immune-infiltration analysis was performed using CIBERSORT, and external datasets were employed to validate the expression of these hub genes. Results: Nine DEGs associated with lipid metabolism in osteoarthritis were identified. UGCG and ESYT1, which are hub genes involved in lipid metabolism in osteoarthritis, were identified through the utilization of three machine learning algorithms. Analysis of the validation dataset revealed downregulation of UGCG in the experimental group compared to the normal group and upregulation of ESYT1 in the experimental group compared to the normal group. Conclusions: UGCG and ESYT1 were considered as hub LMRGs in the development of osteoarthritis, which were regarded as candidate diagnostic markers. The effects are worth expected in the early diagnosis and treatment of osteoarthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) results in notable clinical symptoms and breast deformity. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical feasibility of microwave ablation (MWA) for the treatment of IGM through comparison with surgical excision. Methods: From June 2016 to December 2020, a total of 234 consecutive patients admitted to the hospital were retrospectively included in this study. IGM was pathologically confirmed via breast biopsy in all included patients. These patients were divided into the MWA group (n = 91) and surgical group (n = 143) based on the type of treatment. Patients in both groups received oral prednisone prior to intervention. The clinical remission rate, recurrence rate, operative pain, complications, and BREAST Q score were compared between the two groups. Results: There were 340 lesions in the MWA group, and 201 lesions in the surgical group were ultimately included. Significant differences in the complete remission rate (96.7% vs. 86.7%, p = 0.020), recurrence rate (3.3% vs. 13.3%, p = 0.020), operation time (48.7±14.6 min vs. 68.1±36.4 min, p < 0.001), postoperative pain (p < 0.001) and postoperative BREAST Q score (p < 0.001) were observed between the MWA and surgical groups. Conclusions: Microwave ablation is feasible for the treatment of IGM, due to its high curative rate and low recurrence rate. Because of the minimal invasiveness of MWA and sufficient preservation of the gland and contour of the breast, patients are more satisfied with the appearance of the breast. Therefore, for patients with complex conditions requiring surgery, MWA is a good alternative treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dedicated to synchronously acquiring large-area, high-precision, and multi-scale ocean wind and wave information, a novel concept of a spaceborne ocean microwave dual-function integrated sensor is proposed in this paper. It integrates the functions of a scatterometer and SAR by sharing a single phased-array antenna. An overview of the scientific requirements and motivations for the sensor are outlined firstly. In order to fulfill the observation requirements of both the functions, the constraints on the system parameters such as frequency, antenna size, and incidence angle are analyzed. Then, the selection principles of these parameters are discussed within the limitations of antenna area, bandwidth, available time, and cost. Additionally, the constraints on the time sequence of transmitting and receiving pulses are derived to ensure that there is no conflict when the two functions operate simultaneously. Subsequently, a method for jointly designing the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of both the functions is introduced, along with zebra maps to verify its effectiveness. At the end of the paper, the system and performance parameters of the sensor are given for further insight into it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, extensive works have focused on increasing the dissymmetry factors (glum) of various circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) materials, which is one of the most important factors for future applications of CPL. Herein, we designed a chiral co‐assembled liquid crystal polymer (LCP) PTZ@R/S‐PB2, which was prepared by chiral binary co‐polymer (R/S‐PB2) doped with achiral phenothiazine derivation dye (PTZ). For comparison, ternary co‐polymerized LCP (R/S‐PT) was synthesized by co‐polymerizing with mesogenic monomer, chiral monomer and emissive monomer. Both PTZ@R/S‐PB2 and R/S‐PT showed aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) properties. Interestingly, the CPL signals of both PTZ@R/S‐PB2 and R/S‐PT were reversed and amplified after thermal annealing treatment. The |glum| values of the co‐assembled PTZ@R/S‐PB2 were up to 0.13 at a 32 nm thickness, which was 5.4 times that of R/S‐PT (|glum|=0.024). This is due to PTZ@R/S‐PB2 could form more orderly chiral co‐assembly structures. Noticeably, increasing the LCP film thickness could further improve the glum value, and the maximum glum of PTZ@R/S‐PB2 could be enhanced to +0.91/−0.82 at a 220 nm thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a direct band gap semiconductor, perovskite has the advantages of high carrier mobility, long charge diffusion distance, high defect tolerance and low-cost solution preparation technology. Compared with traditional metal halide perovskites, which regulate energy band and luminescence by changing halogen, perovskite quantum dots (QDs) have a surface effect and quantum confinement effect. Based on the LaMer nucleation growth theory, we have synthesized CsPbBr3 QDs with high dimensional homogeneity by creating an environment rich in Br− ions based on the general thermal injection method. Moreover, the size of the quantum dots can be adjusted by simply changing the reaction temperature and the concentration of Br− ions in the system, and the blue emission of strongly confined pure CsPbBr3 perovskite is realized. Finally, optical and electrochemical tests suggested that the synthesized quantum dots have the potential to be used in the field of photocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hyaluronic acid liquid‐core hydrogel beads (HA‐LHB) is a good way for oral intake of HA. However, HA may affect the reaction–diffusion of sodium alginate (SA) and Ca2+ leading to poor mechanical properties, since HA is a polyanionic electrolyte having electrostatic effect and a certain spatial site‐blocking effect. Results: The mechanical properties of HA‐LHB were modified from bathing solution, core solution and secondary calcium bath time. The mechanical properties varied with the SA structure and concentration in bathing solution, where SA with high G (guluronic acid) segment compounded with SA with high M (mannuronic acid) segment at a mass ratio of 7:3 with a 11 g kg−1 concentration showed the best mechanical properties. The secondary calcium bath can greatly improve the mechanical properties due to the tight network formed by bidirectional crosslinking, and 15 min reaction reached the plateau if Ca2+ is sufficient. And the mechanical properties were positively correlated with calcium lactate concentration only at <70 g kg−1 in core solution, but the diffusion of Ca2+ was hindered by the tight gel network at higher concentrations. Moreover, the mechanical properties can be maintained during heat treatment, due to the rearrangement of alginate network structure. Conclusion: Our results suggested that the problem of poor mechanical properties of LHB in the presence of high HA concentration can be avoided by process control, which may broaden the development of HA and popping boba market. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charging behaviours of electric vehicles (EVs) exhibit substantial randomness, making accurate prediction or modelling challenging. Furthermore, as the number of EVs continues to increase, charging stations are diversifying their offerings to accommodate distinct charging characteristics, addressing a wide spectrum of EV charging needs. Previous research mostly focused on the randomness of EVs while neglecting the heterogeneity in charging infrastructure. Therefore, this paper introduces a decentralized collaborative optimal method for EV charging stations, taking into account the varying facility types and the power limitations. First, a decentralized collaborative framework is proposed. The energy boundary model and the average laxity of EVs contribute to transforming the optimization problem into a Markov Decision Process (MDP) with uncertain transitions. Then, multi‐agent deep deterministic policy gradient multi‐individuals (MADDPG‐MI) algorithm is developed to train several heterogeneous agents presenting different types of charging facilities. Each agent makes decisions for multiple homogenous charging piles. Numerous simulation studies validate that the proposed method can effectively reduce charging costs and manages in scenarios involving either homogeneous or multiple heterogeneous charging facilities. Moreover, the MADDPG‐MI algorithm demonstrates performance consistency among multiple decision‐making units while consuming lower training resources offering enhanced scalability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate whether T2-weighted imaging (T2WI)-based intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics can predict extranodal extension (ENE) and prognosis in patients with resectable rectal cancer. Methods: One hundred sixty-seven patients with resectable rectal cancer including T3T4N + cases were prospectively included. Radiomics features were extracted from intratumoral, peritumoral 3 mm, and peritumoral-mesorectal fat on T2WI images. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression were used for feature selection. A radiomics signature score (Radscore) was built with logistic regression analysis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of each Radscore. A clinical-radiomics nomogram was constructed by the most predictive radiomics signature and clinical risk factors. A prognostic model was constructed by Cox regression analysis to identify 3-year recurrence-free survival (RFS). Results: Age, cT stage, and lymph node-irregular border and/or adjacent fat invasion were identified as independent clinical risk factors to construct a clinical model. The nomogram incorporating intratumoral and peritumoral 3 mm Radscore and independent clinical risk factors achieved a better AUC than the clinical model in the training (0.799 vs. 0.736) and validation cohorts (0.723 vs. 0.667). Nomogram-based ENE (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.625, 95% CI = 1.233–5.586, p = 0.012) and extramural vascular invasion (EMVI) (HR = 2.523, 95% CI = 1.247–5.106, p = 0.010) were independent risk factors for predicting 3-year RFS. The prognostic model constructed by these two indicators showed good performance for predicting 3-year RFS in the training (AUC = 0.761) and validation cohorts (AUC = 0.710). Conclusion: The nomogram incorporating intratumoral and peritumoral 3 mm Radscore and clinical risk factors could predict preoperative ENE. Combining nomogram-based ENE and MRI-reported EMVI may be useful in predicting 3-year RFS. Critical relevance statement: A clinical-radiomics nomogram could help preoperative predict ENE, and a prognostic model constructed by the nomogram-based ENE and MRI-reported EMVI could predict 3-year RFS in patients with resectable rectal cancer. Key points: • Intratumoral and peritumoral 3 mm Radscore showed the most capability for predicting ENE. • Clinical-radiomics nomogram achieved the best predictive performance for predicting ENE. • Combining clinical-radiomics based-ENE and EMVI showed good performance for 3-year RFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of complex oxides with a wide range of functionalities on conventional semiconductor platforms is highly demanded for functional applications. Despite continuous efforts to integrate complex oxides on Si, it is still challenging to harvest epitaxial layers using standard deposition processes. Here, a novel method is demonstrated to create high‐quality complex heterostructures on Si integrated with SrTiO3 membranes as a universal platform. The STO membrane successfully bridges a broad spectrum of complex heterostructures such as SrNbO3, SrVO3, TiO2, and dichalcogenide 2D superconducting FeSe toward semiconducting wafers (Si). Through electronic structures measured by angle‐resolved photoemission spectroscopy, the high quality and functionality of the heterostructures are verified. This study demonstrated a new pathway toward realizing electronic devices with multifunctional physical properties incorporated into Si. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate whether letrozole pre‐treatment is non‐inferior to mifepristone pre‐treatment, followed by misoprostol, for complete evacuation in the medical treatment of first‐trimester missed miscarriage. Design: Prospective open‐label non‐inferiority randomised controlled trial. Setting: A university‐affiliated hospital. Population: We recruited 294 women diagnosed with first‐trimester missed miscarriage who opted for medical treatment. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to: (i) the mifepristone group, who received 200 mg mifepristone orally followed 24–48 h later by 800 μg misoprostol vaginally; or (ii) the letrozole group, who received 10 mg letrozole orally once‐a‐day for 3 days, followed by 800 μg misoprostol vaginally on the third (i.e. last) day of letrozole administration. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was the rate of complete evacuation without surgical intervention at 42 days post‐treatment. Secondary outcomes included induction‐to‐expulsion interval, adverse effects, women's satisfaction, number of doses of misoprostol required, duration of vaginal bleeding, pain score on the day of misoprostol administration and other adverse events. Results: The complete evacuation rates were 97.8% (95% CI 95.1%–100%) and 97.2% (95% CI 94.4%–99.9%) in the letrozole and mifepristone groups, respectively (p ≤ 0.001 for non‐inferiority). The mean induction‐to‐tissue expulsion interval in the letrozole group was longer compared with the mifepristone group (15.4 vs 9.0 h) (p = 0.03). The letrozole group had less heavy post‐treatment bleeding and an earlier return of menses. There were no statistically significant differences in the number of doses of misoprostol required, the duration of vaginal bleeding, the pain score on the day of misoprostol administration and the rate of other adverse events between the two groups. The majority of the women (91.2% and 93.9% in the letrozole and mifepristone groups, respectively) were satisfied with their treatment option. Conclusions: Letrozole is non‐inferior to mifepristone as a pre‐treatment, followed by misoprostol, for the medical treatment of first‐trimester missed miscarriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Procyanidins (PC) are formed by the polymerisation of flavan-3-ol monomers, which have excellent bioactivity and present great health benefits. However, the application range of the PC is greatly limited due to their poor stability. Therefore, in this study, starch aerogels were used as carriers to encapsulate PC. After screening, wheat starch aerogel (WSA) was finally chosen to encapsulate PC. Afterward, characterization (SEM, XRD, FT-IR, TGA and BET), stability testing, investigations on antioxidant activity, and in vitro tests simulating digestion were carried out. The results of relevant characterization showed that the micro surface structure of the procyanidin wheat starch aerogel (PC-WSA) presented a network structure, and PC were encapsulated in WSA. In addition, PC-WSA allows PC to be released in the final stage of simulated digestion. Meanwhile, the results of antioxidant experiments indicate that PC-WSA exhibits antioxidant activity after encapsulating PC. Moreover, the retention of PC in PC-WSA was still 53.63 ± 3.23% when stored at 70 °C for 20 days. After 6 days of light exposure, the retention of PC in PC-WSA under different light sources was all above 85%, which was higher than that of PC. In conclusion, the wheat starch aerogel could improve the stability of PC and has great potential for application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractOver the past decade, a remarkable surge in the development of functional nano-delivery systems loaded with bioactive compounds for healthcare has been witnessed. Notably, the demanding requirements of high solubility, prolonged circulation, high tissue penetration capability, and strong targeting ability of nanocarriers have posed interdisciplinary research challenges to the community. While extensive experimental studies have been conducted to understand the construction of nano-delivery systems and their metabolic behavior in vivo, less is known about these molecular mechanisms and kinetic pathways during their metabolic process in vivo, and lacking effective means for high-throughput screening. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation techniques provide a reliable tool for investigating the design of nano-delivery carriers encapsulating these functional ingredients, elucidating the synthesis, translocation, and delivery of nanocarriers. This review introduces the basic MD principles, discusses how to apply MD simulation to design nanocarriers, evaluates the ability of nanocarriers to adhere to or cross gastrointestinal mucosa, and regulates plasma proteins in vivo. Moreover, we presented the critical role of MD simulation in developing delivery systems for precise nutrition and prospects for the future. This review aims to provide insights into the implications of MD simulation techniques for designing and optimizing nano-delivery systems in the healthcare food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraction of community-scale green infrastructure (CSGI) poses challenges due to limited training data and the diverse scales of the targets. In this paper, we reannotate a training dataset of CSGI and propose a three-stage transfer learning method employing a novel hybrid architecture, MPViT-DeepLab, to help us focus on CSGI extraction and improve its accuracy. In MPViT-DeepLab, a Multi-path Vision Transformer (MPViT) serves as the feature extractor, feeding both coarse and fine features into the decoder and encoder of DeepLabv3+, respectively, which enables pixel-level segmentation of CSGI in remote sensing images. Our method achieves state-of-the-art results on the reannotated dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Inner Mongolia segment of the Yellow River basin (IMYRB) is a typical area for ecological restoration in China. At the end of the 20th century, influenced by climate and human activities, such as mining, grazing, and farmland abandonment, the ecological security of the IMYRB was under more significant pressure. To alleviate the pressure on natural ecosystems and improve the fragile ecological situation, China implemented the "Grain-for-Green" (GFG) project in 1999. However, the evolutionary characteristics of the ecological security of the IMYRB in the first two decades of the 21st century are still lacking. Quantitative and long-term ecological security information of "Grain-for-Green" is needed. Based on this, this study used the "Pressure (P)-State (S)-Response (R)" method and proposed an ecological security assessment and early warning system based on multi-source remote sensing data. The evaluation results indicated a significant improvement in ecological security in the IMYRB from 2000 to 2020. Compared to 2000, the ecological security of the IMYRB had improved significantly in 2020, with an increase of 11.02% (ES > 0.65) and a decrease of 8.89% (ES < 0.35). For the early warning aspect of ecological security, there was a 26.31% growth in non-warning areas, with a 5% decrease in warning areas. Based on the analysis of ecologically critical factors, we proposed the implications for future ecological management as follows. (1) In ecologically fragile areas such as the IMYRB, continued implementation of the GFG was necessary. (2) Vegetation restoration should be scientific and tailored adaptive. (3) The protection of arable land also showed necessity. (4) The grazing management skills should be upgraded. Our study demonstrated that the ecological benefits derived from the "GFG" project are not immediate but cumulative and persistent. The continuous implementation of "GFG" will likely alleviate the pressure exerted by human activities on the natural environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrodeoxygenation transformation of lignin-derived phenols provides an attractive pathway for the production of renewable biofuels; however, harsh process conditions strongly hinder its practical application. Herein, we report a porous metal silicate (PMS) material, PMS-36, which consists of metallic nickel and Lewis acid AlIII sites inside the pores, demonstrating high efficiency in catalyzing the hydrodeoxygenation transformation of guaiacol under mild conditions. PMS-36 also exhibits robust stability, which can be attributed to the strong interaction and charge transfer between metallic Ni and AlIII Lewis acid sites inside the confined pores. This study shows the importance of synergistic and confinement effects in developing high-performance and stable heterogeneous catalysts for the chemical transformation of biomass and its derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The treatment of Dubberley type B capitellar fractures, which are frequently complicated, is widely debated. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic factors and clinical outcomes of Dubberley type B capitellar fractures treated with Herbert screws combined with posterior buttress plates. Methods: Seven men and nine women (aged 30–68 years) with Dubberley type B capitellar fractures were operated on with Herbert screws combined with posterior buttress plates. The patients were classified into Dubberley types IB (seven), IIB (four), and IIIB (five). Complications and bone union were observed, and functional outcomes were evaluated by the Mayo Elbow Performance Index (MEPI). Results: All patients were followed up for a mean period of 23.5 months (12–30 months). All fractures healed in 8–14 weeks (mean, 10.5 weeks). No cases of non-union, elbow instability, or avascular necrosis occurred. Degenerative arthritis occurred in 7 (44%) and heterotopic ossification in 11 (69%) patients. The median MEPI score was 92.5 (interquartile range, 85–100) points, with 11 reporting excellent, 3 good, and 2 fair outcomes. The MEPI scores of type IIIB fractures were significantly lower than those of types IB and IIB fractures, while the MEPI scores of type IB and IIB fractures did not differ significantly. Conclusions: Dubberley type IIIB capitellar fractures with multiple articular fragments have a poorer prognosis than type IB and IIB fractures. However, Herbert screw fixation combined with posterior metacarpal locking plates is feasible, providing satisfactory recovery of elbow joint function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When circulating degassing or emergency blowout is required during oil and natural gas drilling, it is necessary to use separation equipment to separate waste gas, waste liquid, natural gas, or other impurities to avoid environmental pollution caused by the combustion of mixed fluids. In this paper, a structural scheme of spindle-shaped axial gas–liquid cyclone separator is proposed, and the Reynolds stress model (RSM) and DPM model are used to numerically simulate the gas–liquid two-phase flow, the flow field distribution law of the separator is obtained, the influence of structural parameters on the flow field is analyzed, and the multiobjective and multiparameter structure optimization research of the separator is carried out by orthogonal test method. Through the extreme difference analysis and ANOVA, the optimal level of separation performance of the separator was obtained by the combination of parameters B3A3C2, i.e., the combination of parameters with the outlet angle of 60°, the number of blades of 6, and the ratio of the length of the separation chamber to the depth of the overflow pipe M of 0.4, and the design and optimized structure were verified by the field experiments. The results show that the velocity in the cyclone separator is approximately "M" type distribution, and the velocity decays gradually along the axial direction due to energy loss. With the increase of the inlet gas velocity, the tangential velocity in the separator increases, and the separation efficiency and pressure drop increase. At the same time, with the increase of particle diameter, the centrifugal force of particles increases, the number of particle "escapes" decreases, and the separation efficiency increases, but the particle diameter has little effect on pressure drop. After the optimization of the structure, the separation efficiency is improved, the pressure drop is also reduced, and the comprehensive working performance of the separator is significantly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) are constantly evolving to improve their electrochemical performance and safety. In the past decade, research on electrode and electrolyte materials has significantly promoted the development of conventional LIBs. However, the current collector (CC) in conventional LIBs has not received sufficient attention. As a transfer unit that collects and disperses electrons from electrodes and transports them to the load, the performance of the CC significantly affects the performance of LIBs. This article reviews the impact of the CC on the electrochemical performance and safety of conventional LIBs in four aspects: CC requirements, manufacturing process, surface coating modification, and multifunctionalized CCs. Meanwhile, this review provides an objective summary and prospect on the transition from single‐functionality to multifunctionality requirements for CC, as well as the future needs for CC development and the technical hurdles that should be overcome. The article focuses on providing a detailed insight into the important impact of CCs on conventional LIBs, which has not received enough attention in the past. It emphasizes the need and urgency for the development of multifunctional CCs to provide new ideas for improving the performance of conventional LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, two semidiscrete low regularity exponential-type integrators are proposed and analyzed for the "good" Boussinesq equation, including a first-order integrator and a second-order one. Compared to the existing numerical methods, the convergence rate can be achieved under weaker regularity assumptions on the exact solution. Specifically, the first-order integrator is convergent linearly in $H^r$ for solutions in $H^{r+1}$ if $r>1/2$ , i.e., the boundedness of one additional derivative of the solution is required to achieve the first-order convergence. When $r>7/6$ , we can even prove linear convergence in $H^r$ for solutions in $H^{r+2/3}$. What's more, half-order convergence is established in $H^{r}(r>3/2)$ for any solutions in $H^r$ , i.e., no additional smoothness assumptions are needed. For the second-order integrator, the quadratic convergence in $H^{r}$ $(r>1/2)$ (or $L^2$) is demonstrated, when the solutions belong to $H^{r+2}$ (or $H^{9/4}$). Numerical examples illustrating the convergence analysis are included. A comparison with other methods demonstrates the superiority of the newly proposed exponential-type integrators for rough data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An explanation using nonlocal quantum electrodynamics (QED) for lepton g − 2 anomalies is provided that is a simple extension of the standard model. This solution is based on the same gauge symmetry as QED without introducing any new particles and interactions. The correlation functions in the nonlocal strength tension and lepton–photon interaction make it possible to explain the discrepancies of both Δ a μ and Δ a e . With the same approach, the discrepancy of the anomalous magnetic moment of τ leptons from the standard model is estimated in the range from 1.19 × 10−5 to 3.21 × 10−3, which is covered by the current experimental uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To build T2WI-based multiregional radiomics for predicting tumor deposit (TD) and prognosis in patients with resectable rectal cancer. Materials and methods: A total of 208 patients with pathologically confirmed rectal cancer from two hospitals were prospectively enrolled. Intra- and peritumoral features were extracted separately from T2WI images and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator was used to screen the most valuable radiomics features. Clinical-radiomics nomogram was developed by radiomics signatures and the most predictive clinical parameters. Prognostic model for 3-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) was constructed using univariate and multivariate Cox analysis. Results: For TD, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for intratumoral radiomics model was 0.956, 0.823, and 0.860 in the training cohort, test cohort, and external validation cohort, respectively. AUC for the peritumoral radiomics model was 0.929, 0.906, and 0.773 in the training cohort, test cohort, and external validation cohort, respectively. The AUC for combined intra- and peritumoral radiomics model was 0.976, 0.918, and 0.874 in the training cohort, test cohort, and external validation cohort, respectively. The AUC for clinical-radiomics nomogram was 0.989, 0.777, and 0.870 in the training cohort, test cohort, and external validation cohort, respectively. The prognostic model constructed by combining intra- and peritumoral radiomics signature score (radscore)–based TD and MRI-reported lymph nodes metastasis (LNM) indicated good performance for predicting 3-year RFS, with AUC of 0.824, 0.865, and 0.738 in the training cohort, test cohort and external validation cohort, respectively. Conclusion: Combined intra- and peritumoral radiomics model showed good performance for predicting TD. Combining intra- and peritumoral radscore-based TD and MRI-reported LNM indicated the recurrence risk. Clinical relevance statement: Combined intra- and peritumoral radiomics model could help accurately predict tumor deposits. Combining this predictive model-based tumor deposits with MRI-reported lymph node metastasis was associated with relapse risk of rectal cancer after surgery. Key Points: • Combined intra- and peritumoral radiomics model provided better diagnostic performance than that of intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics model alone for predicting TD in rectal cancer. • The predictive performance of the clinical-radiomics nomogram was not improved compared with the combined intra- and peritumoral radiomics model for predicting TD. • The prognostic model constructed by combining intra- and peritumoral radscore-based TD and MRI-reported LNM showed good performance for assessing 3-year RFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unified strength theory (UST) has been widely applied in engineering. It includes many well-known strength criteria as its special or asymptotic cases. However, the UST predicts the same strength at σ2 = σ3 and σ2 = σ1, which contradicts with the test results of some rock types and limits its application. In this study, the effect of σ2 on rock strength is investigated. The contribution of σ2 in the UST is identified and re-interpreted. By introducing a mobilized factor χ to characterize the weakening effect of σ2 on rock strength at high σ2 values, a generalized unified strength theory (GUST) is proposed. The proposed criterion is validated using the true triaxial test data of the fourteen rock types reported in the literature. The results show that the GUST achieves better fits to all rocks than the UST. Some existing three-dimensional strength criteria are piecewise linear approximations of the proposed criterion, implying that the GUST is more versatile. A substantial relationship between the intermediate principal stress coefficient and the unconfined compressive strength is obtained and approximated by a hyperbola function, ensuring that the GUST can still function effectively even in the absence of true triaxial test data. Highlights: The reason for the 'increasing-then-decreasing' or 'monotonically increasing' trend in rock strength with σ2 is identified. The unified strength theory is generalized by introducing a factor to characterize the mobilization of the weakening effect of σ2. The proposed criterion can reproduce the strength trend of different rock types. The proposed criterion can approximate a wide range of well-known criteria due to its adaptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the influence of Si concentration on the microstructure and growth of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) coatings on two types of Al–Si–Mg aluminum alloys were investigated. we utilized a multiscale correlative methodology to analyze the microstructure and micro-defect characteristics of the PEO coatings formed on A357 and 6082 aluminum alloys. The results demonstrate that both coatings exhibit a porous structure and are primarily composed of alumina and amorphous phases. Notably, the PEO coating formed on A357 alloy exhibits lower thickness, higher porosity, and more non-uniform barrier layer compared to that on 6082 alloy due to a higher concentration of Si in the substrate. Advanced X-ray computed tomography effectively characterizes micro-defects with different morphologies within the two coatings. Through microstructural observation and micro-defect characterization, we elucidate the influence of Si on the coating growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new prompt gamma activation analysis facility has been established using the China Mianyang Research Reactor (CMRR) to enable high-precision measurement and analysis of elements. The efficiency calibration of detection system is a vital factor affecting the accuracy. In this work, Monte Carlo method with accurate modeling was utilized to simulate the absolute detection efficiency of HPGe γ spectrometer covering a wide energy range of 81 keV to 10 MeV. A combination of various standard radioactive sources and nuclear reactions on the cold neutron beams was employed to experimentally measure the absolute detection efficiency of HPGe and anti-Compton systems in a wide energy region. The results show that the experimental results are in good agreement with the simulation results, and the absolute detection efficiency curves of the three are consistent. The content of H element in NH4Cl and Zr alloy samples was accurately measured by the efficiency function, which further verifies the accuracy of the efficiency calibration. A method of combining Monte Carlo simulation and experiment was used to improve the measurement accuracy for samples with complex geometries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anatomic resection (AR) is a surgical method for treating hepatocellular carcinoma, and identifying intersegmental planes between segments 5 (S5) and 8 (S8) remains challenging. This study aims to find reliable intersegmental veins (IVs) between them as anatomical landmarks using 3D reconstruction analysis. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 57 patients who underwent multidetector-row CT scans from September 2021 to January 2023. The portal vein watershed of S5 and S8 and hepatic veins were reconstructed using 3D reconstruction analysis software. We counted and analyzed the IVs running within the intersegmental plane between S5 and S8, examined their features, and analyzed the location of the junctions between IVs and middle hepatic veins (MHVs). Results: Among the 57 patients, 43 patients (75.4%) had IVs between S5 and S8. Most patients (81.4%) had a single IV joining the MHV, while 13.9% had two IVs, one joining the MHV and the other joining the right hepatic vein (RHV). The majority of IV-MHV junctions were found in the lower part of the MHVs. The most clearly identifiable junctions between the IVs and MHVs occurred slightly below the midpoint of the horizontal planes of the second hepatic portal and the center of the gallbladder bed. Conclusion: Our study identified IVs between S5 and S8 in the liver as potential anatomical landmarks during AR for hepatocellular carcinoma surgery. We found three types of IVs and provided insights on how to locate their junctions with MHVs for easier surgical navigation. However, individual anatomical variations must be considered, and preoperative 3D reconstruction and personalized surgical planning are crucial for success. More research with larger sample sizes is needed to validate our findings and establish the clinical significance of these IVs as landmarks for AR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Theabrownin from dark tea markedly prevents and reverses NAFLD and obesity. • Serotonin-related molecular mechanisms are revealed. • Gut microbiota is related to serotonin level in liver and visceral adipose tissue. • Gut microbiota is pivotal for theabrownin to regulate target proteins in liver. • Interdependent relationships between theabrownin and gut microbiota are revealed. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with obesity seriously threats public health. Our previous studies showed that dark tea had more potential on regulating lipid metabolism than other teas, and theabrownin (TB) was considered to be a main contributor to the bioactivity of dark tea. This in vivo study aims to reveal the effects and molecular mechanisms of TB on NAFLD and obesity, and the role of the gut-liver axis is explored. The histopathological examinations, biochemical tests, and nuclear magnetic resonance were applied to evaluate the effects of TB on NAFLD and obesity. The untargeted metabolomics was used to find the key molecule for further exploration of molecular mechanisms. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to assess the changes in gut microbiota. The antibiotic cocktail and fecal microbiota transplant were used to clarify the role of gut microbiota. TB markedly reduced body weight gain (67.01%), body fat rate (62.81%), and hepatic TG level (51.35%) in the preventive experiment. Especially, TB decreased body weight (32.16%), body fat rate (42.56%), and hepatic TG level (42.86%) in the therapeutic experiment. The mechanisms of action could be the improvement of fatty acid oxidation, lipolysis, and oxidative stress via the regulation of serotonin-related signaling pathways. Also, TB increased the abundance of serotonin-related gut microbiota, such as Akkermansia , Bacteroides and Parabacteroides. Antibiotics-induced gut bacterial dysbiosis disrupted the regulation of TB on serotonin-related signaling pathways in liver, whereas the beneficial regulation of TB on target proteins was regained with the restoration of gut microbiota. We find that TB has markedly preventive and therapeutic effects on NAFLD and obesity by regulating serotonin level and related signaling pathways through gut microbiota. Furthermore, gut microbiota and TB co-contribute to alleviating NAFLD and obesity. TB could be a promising medicine for NAFLD and obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu-P-Sn-Ag quaternary alloy brazing material is prone to brittle fracture of wire during industrial production, which seriously affects product quality. To improve its mechanical properties, Cu-P-Sn-Ag quaternary alloy ingots and brazing materials with different P contents were prepared. The effects of P content on the microstructure, hardness, tensile strength, and elongation of the brazing material were systematically studied. The results show that when the P content is between 5.0% and 5.2%, the brittle phase Cu3 P structure in the alloy is small and short rod-shaped, with grain size less than 5 µm. When the P content is between 5.4% and 6.0%, some Cu3 P structures in the alloy gradually transform into coarse fishbone like structures, with grain sizes greater than 30 µm. When the P content ranges from 5.2% to 5.4%, the hardness of the solder increases significantly with the increase of P content, from 247.7 HV to 260.4 HV; Its tensile strength and elongation significantly decreased from 844.38 MPa and 3.60% to 815.08 MPa and 3.07% respectively. The evolution relationship between P content and microstructure is the main factor affecting the mechanical properties of brazing materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Altun orogenic belt is situated along the northern boundary of the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, we present an analysis of the ore deposit, mineral composition, and carbon isotope signatures of the Tugeman graphite deposit within the Altun orogenic belt. The graphite in the Tugeman graphite deposit occurs within graphite-bearing schists and marble. Graphite enrichment is observed in the ductile shear zone. The carbon isotope values of graphite range between −18.90‰ and −10.03‰ (with an average value of −12.70‰). These values differ significantly from those observed in organic matter and marine carbonates, suggesting the occurrence of a mixing process involving reduced carbon fluid derived from biological organic material during regional metamorphism as well as a potential influx of oxidized carbon fluid from external sources. In addition, the metamorphic temperature of Tugeman graphite calculated from Raman spectroscopy is between 494 °C and 570 °C, which indicates that the disordered material is transformed from greenschist-amphibolite facies metamorphism to moderate-crystalline graphite. Combining the geological and carbon isotope characteristics of the Tugeman graphite deposit, we argue that the Tugeman graphite deposit is a regional metamorphic graphite deposit of biogenic origin, and during the late stage of metamorphism, it underwent interaction with fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC)‐derived cAMP regulates various cellular processes; however, the regulatory landscape mediating sAC protein levels remains underexplored. We consistently observed a 85 kD (sAC85) or 75 kD (sAC75) sAC protein band under glucose‐sufficient or glucose‐deprived states, respectively, in H69 cholangiocytes by immunoblotting. Deglycosylation by PNGase‐F demonstrated that both sAC75 and sAC85 are N‐linked glycosylated proteins with the same polypeptide backbone. Deglycosylation with Endo‐H further revealed that sAC75 and sAC85 carry distinct sugar chains. We observed release of N‐linked glycosylated sAC (sACEV) in extracellular vesicles under conditions that support intracellular sAC85 (glucose‐sufficient) as opposed to sAC75 (glucose‐deprived) conditions. Consistently, disrupting the vesicular machinery affects the maturation of intracellular sAC and inhibits the release of sACEV into extracellular vesicles. The intracellular turnover of sAC85 is extremely short (t1/2 ~30 min) and release of sACEV in the medium was detected within 3 h. Our observations support the maturation and trafficking in cholangiocytes of an N‐linked glycosylated sAC isoform that is rapidly released into extracellular vesicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We do not fully grasp viral droplet transmission processes in ventilated interior environments. The core focus of our research is to investigate the effectiveness of the protected occupied zone ventilation (POV) through computational fluid dynamics models in a simplified office setting. The large-eddy simulation technique with the Eulerian–Lagrangian model was implemented to address complicated indoor processes such as turbulence, flow–aerosol interaction, and ventilation impact. We computationally investigated the effects of desk partitions and the POV on cough droplets in an office. The ventilation approach was tested using two distinct exhaust layouts and four different ventilation rates (1.0, 1.2, 1.5, and 1.8 m/s). A comparative analysis of the ventilation flow fields, topologies, and particle directions has been studied. The findings indicate that the plane jet's ventilation rates influence the protected occupied zone ventilation performance. The ventilation rates distributed the virus droplets around the room, but compared to the up-exhaust cases, the down-exhaust cases appeared to have better shielded the healthy person. This pattern could indicate that the placement of the exhaust outlet in ventilation systems significantly influences indoor aerosol dispersion. The results also show that substantial flow streams may carry tiny particles (≤70 μm) throughout their path. Large particles (≥100 μm) could not go far in cough gas clouds. Most viral particles deposit on solid surfaces in various work sites per specific ventilation rates. Office workers need to be very cautious around these hazardous areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) is a magnetic confinement fusion reactor independently designed and developed by China, which is based on the ITER design experience. As one of the candidates for the CFETR, the water cooled ceramic blanket (WCCB) mainly carries out many important tasks, such as tritium breeding and radiation shielding. The high tritium breeding ability is one of the most significant goals of the blanket. For the design of the CFETR, in addition to meeting the requirements of tritium breeding, the design of the blanket must also consider meeting relevant shielding limits. Due to the limited space of the blanket, the improvement in tritium breeding space will inevitably lead to the reduction in neutron shielding space behind the breeding area, and vice versa. Therefore, under the premise of meeting the requirements of neutron shielding, increasing the tritium breeding space as much as possible is the focus of research. In this work, a three-dimensional neutronics model containing the WCCB blanket is developed, and the neutronics performance is calculated based on 1.5 GW fusion power. A set of nuclear analyses are carried out by the MCNP code, including analysis of the neutron wall load, tritium breeding ratio (TBR), and fast neutron fluence of the TF coil. It is found that the shielding space of certain blanket modules could be optimized. After the shielding optimization, the global TBR increased from 1.168 to 1.186, an increase of 0.018 TBR. The current research has important guiding significance for the future design and optimization of the WCCB for the CFETR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of lidocaine patches in Chinese patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Methods: Patients were randomized to receive lidocaine patches or placebo every day for 4 weeks. Efficacy endpoints included the decrease of analogue scale score (VAS) value at week 4, 2 and 1 and the percentage of patients that achieved a 30% decrease of VAS value. Safety analyses were conducted as well. Results: Two hundred forty Chinese patients were randomized. At week 1, lidocaine patch-treated patients had a higher clinical response versus placebo, and at week 4, the mean (SD) decreases of VAS value compared to the baseline were 14.01 (14.35) in the treatment group and 9.36 (12.03) in the placebo group (p = 0.0088). Overall, the safety profile in the treatment group was consistent with that observed in the placebo group [adverse event (AE) incidence rate: 33.33% versus 37.29%, p = 0.5857]. Conclusions: Lidocaine patches resulted in improved clinical response versus placebo in the treatment of PHN patients and were well tolerated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

fac-Re(2,2'-bipyridine)(CO)3Cl] (denoted as ReCC) is an efficient molecule-catalyst with high selectivity in the photoreduction of CO2 to CO in a homogeneous system. However, the two major drawbacks of Re(I) complexes in the homogeneous system, easy degradation and difficult separation, seriously hinder its development in the field of industrial applications. In this paper, we designed and prepared two different Re-complex fixation systems (denoted as ReCC@TiO2-5 wt% and ReCC-TiO2-5 wt%) based on TiO2 gel via the sensitization method and sol–gel method, respectively. Compared with a pure ReCC complex, both of them exhibited excellent photocatalytic reduction activity. In particular, the sol–gel hybrid system (ReCC-TiO2-5 wt%) displayed outstanding positive synergistic effects on the photocatalytic activity and the long durability of the photocatalytic process. A series of characterizations were carried out to explore the probable photocatalytic reduction process mechanism, which provides the theoretical basis and technical support for the Re complex fixation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapeseed is one of China's major oil crops, and accurate yield forecasting is crucial to the growth of the rapeseed industry and the country's food security. In this study, the data on natural and socio-economic factors from 2001 to 2020 and the yield of rapeseed in China were used as the data basis. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the relationship between the influencing factors and the yield of rapeseed, and the prediction effect of four machine learning models (linear regression (LR), decision tree (DTR), random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM)) on the yield of rapeseed was compared in China's main rapeseed-producing area. The results demonstrate that the yield of rapeseed in China showed an increasing trend, but fluctuated greatly. Rural electricity consumption, gross agricultural production, the net amount of agricultural fertilizer application, effective irrigation area, total power of agricultural machinery, and consumption of agricultural plastic film had a positive effect on the increase in rapeseed yield. However, due to the impact of climate change and disasters, the yield of rapeseed has had significant fluctuations. A Pearson correlation analysis showed that socio-economic factors (rural electricity consumption, gross agricultural production, effective irrigation area, total power of agricultural machinery, consumption of agricultural plastic film, etc.) played a dominant role in rapeseed yield changes. The RF model had a good prediction effect on rapeseed yield, and natural factors and socio-economic factors had different effects on spring rapeseed and winter rapeseed. Winter rapeseed yield was mainly affected by socio-economic factors, accounting for as high as 89% of the importance. Among them, the sown area of rapeseed and the effective irrigation area had the greatest impact. The effects of natural factors and socio-economic factors on spring rapeseed yield were similar, accounting for 47% and 53%, respectively, and the mean annual precipitation, sunshine duration, and sown area of rapeseed were the most influential variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detailed China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) 22.5° computer aided design (CAD) model is very difficult to convert into Monte Carlo N Particle Transport Code (MCNP). Manually writing MCNP input data is complicated, which is not only time-consuming but also cannot guarantee accuracy. Therefore, in order to improve the efficiency and accuracy of model transformation, modeling with CAD using CATIA is introduced, and MCNP files are converted by ANSYS. This is because ANSYS has a function that converts CAD "stp" format to MCNP input in the geometry section. Meanwhile, ANSYS can also reverse the converted MCNP input file to inspect which module has the problem. Compared with the software platform that can automatically cut, although the CATIA-to-ANSYS method is inferior in terms of automatic operation, it has advantages in accuracy and quickly dealing with error modules. Moreover, it can also perform parametric modeling in CATIA, which facilitates the optimization of the blanket structure. In this paper, the detailed CFETR 22.5° model was developed, and then parametric modeling of the blanket based on CATIA was performed. Finally, a detailed neutronics model is obtained by ANSYS transformation and inspection. Some representative models were initially validated by comparing volume changes before and after conversion. Then, the final neutronics model was used to calculate the nuclear analyses, including the neutron wall loading, fast neutron flux, and nuclear heating on the inboard side. The results show that the volume of the transformed model is basically consistent with the original model, and the error of results is small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Ta 1-x Mo x N films with varying Mo contents were deposited by reactive magnetrons sputter in mixed Ar/N 2 atmospheres at 350 °C. It's discovered that Ta 1-x Mo x N films at x = 0.13–0.86 maintains a NaCl type (B1) structure and a strong (200) preferred orientation. Besides, as Mo contents grow, the residual stress of films is attenuated from −3.24 GPa to −1.49 GPa, and the hardness of films first increases and then decreases. Specifically, with a nearly balanced Ta and Mo content (x = 0.57), the Ta 1-x Mo x N film exhibits higher hardness (39.5 ± 1.2 GPa) and elastic modulus (359.3 ± 8.8 GPa), up by 53.1% and 26.8% compared with TaN, higher fracture toughness, scratch critical load (91.5 N) and elasticity (76.7%). The Ta 1-x Mo x N film with x = 0.57 obtains lower coefficient of friction (0.417), and higher wear resistance (wear rate: 1.9 × 10−7 mm3/N*m). In addition, the density of states (DOS) in XPS valence band spectra from Ta 1-x Mo x N films is shifted toward lower binding energy with more Mo contents. Accordingly, the stronger metallic characteristics and the solid solution strengthening effect endow the Ta 1-x Mo x N films at x = 0.57 with higher hardness and toughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic–inorganic composites F70-TiO2, based on fullerene with carboxyl group derivatives and TiO2 semiconductor, have been designed and constructed to become an optical-functional photocatalyst via the facile sol–gel method. The composite photocatalyst obtained shows excellent photocatalytic activity for the high-efficiency conversion of benzylamine (BA) to N-benzylidene benzylamine (NBBA) with air pressure at a normal temperature under visible light irradiation. By optimizing the composition, the composites with the 1:15 mass ratio of F70 and TiO2, denoted as F70-TiO2(1:15), demonstrated the highest reaction efficiency for benzylamine (>98% conversion) to N-benzylidene benzylamine (>93% selectivity) in this study. However, pure TiO2 and fullerene derivatives (F70) exhibit decreased conversion (56.3% and 89.7%, respectively) and selectivity (83.8% and 86.0%, respectively). The UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) and Mott–Schottky experiment's results indicate that the introduction of fullerene derivatives into anatase TiO2 would greatly broaden the visible light response range and adjust the energy band positions of the composites, enhancing the sunlight utilization and promoting the photogenerated charge (e−-h+) separation and transfer. Specifically, a series of results on the in situ EPR tests and the photo-electrophysical experiment indicate that the separated charges from the hybrid could effectively activate benzylamine and O2 to accelerate the formation of active intermediates, and then couple with free BA molecules to form the desired production of N-BBA. The effective combination, on a molecular scale, between fullerene and titanium dioxide has provided a profound understanding of the photocatalysis mechanism. This work elaborates and makes clear the relationship between the structure and the performance of functional photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of Internet technology has formed a huge virtual information space. In the information space, information flow has become a link of communication between objects. Information flow is an alternative or supplement to the traditional physical flow for the study of the spatial interaction of geographical entities. The research uses toponym co-occurrence and search index as information flow data, verifies the geographical laws hidden in the information space by spatial autocorrelation analysis and gravity model fitting, and analyzes the spatial interaction patterns of provinces in China in the information space by complex network analysis methods. The results show that: (1) information flow in the information space obeys Tobler's first law of geography and Goodchild's second law of geography. The spatial interaction represented by information flow has a distance decay effect. The best distance decay coefficients for toponym co-occurrence and the search index are 0.189 and 0.186, respectively. (2) The inter-provincial spatial interaction network of China shows a hierarchical pattern of the triangular primary network and diamond secondary network, and the ranking of provinces in the centrality analysis is basically stable, but the network hierarchy is deepening. The gravity center of spatial interaction is located in the east-central region of China. (3) The information flow-based interaction network is of higher asymmetry than the population mobility network, and its spatial structure is also obvious. This research provides a new idea for studying the spatial interaction of geographical entities in the physical world from the perspective of information flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To identify whether parameters measured from diffusion kurtosis and intravoxel incoherent motion help diagnose placenta percreta. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 75 patients with PAS disorders including 13 patients with placenta percreta and 40 patients without PAS disorders. Each patients underwent diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM), and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI). The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), perfusion fraction (f), pure diffusion coefficient (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), mean diffusion kurtosis (MK) and mean diffusion coefficient (MD) were measured by the volumetric analysis and compared. MRI features were also analyzed and compared. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of different diffusion parameters and MRI features for distinguishing placental percreta. Results: D* was an independent risk factor from DWI for predicting placenta percreta with sensitivity of 73% and specificity of 76%. Focal exophytic mass remained as independent risk factor from MRI features for predicting placenta percreta with sensitivity of 72.7% and specificity of 88.1%. When the two risk factors were combined together, the AUC was the highest, 0.880 (95% CI 0.8–0.96). Conclusion: D* and focal exophytic mass were associated with placenta percreta. A combination of the 2 risk factors can be used to predict placenta percreta. Critical relevance statement: A combination of D* and focal exophytic mass can be used to differentiate placenta percreta. Key points: D* and focal exophytic mass were associated with placenta percreta. DWI parameters help quantify PAS. Placenta percreta can be differentiated with combination of risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing reliable methods for modulating the electronic structure of the 2D electron gas (2DEG) in SrTiO3 is crucial for utilizing its full potential and inducing novel properties. Herein, it is shown that relatively simple surface preparation reconstructs the 2DEG at the SrTiO3 (STO) surface, leading to a Lifshitz‐like transition. Combining experimental methods, such as angle‐resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy with ab initio calculations, that the modulation of the surface band structures can be effectively achieved via transforming the chemical composition at the atomic scale is found. In addition, ARPES experiments demonstrate that vacuum ultraviolet light can be efficiently employed to alter the band renormalization of the 2DEG system and control the electron‐phonon interaction. This study provides a robust and straightforward route to stabilize and tune the low‐dimensional electronic structure via the chemical degeneracy of the STO surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a simple and innovative approach for producing one-dimensional Mn5Si3 nanorods through a casting-extraction process. In this technique, the Mn5Si3 nanorods were synthesized by reacting Mn and Si during brass solidification and extracted by electrochemical etching of the brass matrix. The effect of the cooling rate during casting on the nanorods' dimension, morphology, and magnetic properties was investigated. The results demonstrate that the prepared high-purity Mn5Si3 nanorods had a single-crystal D88 structure and exhibited ferromagnetism at room temperature. The morphology of the nanorods was an elongated hexagonal prism, and their preferred growth was along the [0001] crystal direction. Increasing the cooling rate from 5 K/s to 50 K/s lead to a decrease in the dimension of the nanorods but an increase in their ferromagnetism. At the optimal cooling rate of 50 K/s, the nanorods had a diameter and length range of approximately 560 nm and 2~11 μm, respectively, with a highest saturation magnetization of 7.5 emu/g, and a maximum coercivity of 120 Oe. These properties make the fabricated Mn5Si3 nanorods potentially useful for magnetic storage applications, and this study also provides a new perspective on the preparation of one-dimensional nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]