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We investigate the quantum interference of the electron–hole conversions from the two interfaces in a Weyl semimetal (WSM)-based hybrid structure, in which a superconducting WSM is sandwiched in between two normal ones. The quantum interference is characterized by the chirality-anomaly-manipulation (CAM). It is found that only low energy is in favor for s -wave BCS pairing states. The Andreev reflection (AR) chirality blockade can be tuned by the stagger angle α for the relative orientation of paired Weyl points, accompanied by an AR bipolar chirality diode. Thus, a strong CAM is indicated for the electron–hole conversion. However, the Fulde–Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov (FFLO) pairing states have no energy preference, with the weak and strong CAMs being near and far away from the zero energy, respectively. More interestingly, a perfect AR with the normal reflection suppressed thoroughly can be obtained at any α as a result of the FFLO paring with the same chirality. In addition, the conductance or noise power, which incorporates the contributions of the two paired Weyl nodes, not only, in turn, embodies the respective features of their contributions but also can be experimentally measured to discern between the BCS and FFLO paring states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric adenocarcinoma with enteroblastic differentiation is a specific subtype of gastric cancer that is rare and highly malignant, usually presenting at an early stage with lymphovascular invasion, lymph node, and distant metastases, resulting in a poor prognosis. The pathology of this patient showed a classic tubular adenocarcinoma infiltrating into the mucosal layer, with the presence of cytoplasmic translucent tumor cells below the mucosal layer. It is noteworthy that this patient did not exhibit lymphovascular invasion, lymph node, and distant metastasis. Additionally, a large amount of calcification was observed; therefore, it remains unclear whether there exists any correlation between the two factors. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report demonstrating massive calcification in gastric adenocarcinoma with enteroblastic differentiation, which may have implications for future diagnosis of this rare subtype of gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin macrophages are critical to maintain and restore skin homeostasis. They serve as major producers of cytokines and chemokines in the skin, participating in diverse biological processes such as wound healing and psoriasis. The heterogeneity and functional diversity of macrophage subpopulations endow them with multifaceted roles in psoriasis development. A distinct subpopulation of skin macrophages, characterized by high expression of CD169, has been reported to exist in both mouse and human skin. However, its role in psoriasis remains unknown. Here, we report that CD169+ macrophages exhibit increased abundance in imiquimod (IMQ) induced psoriasis-like skin lesions. Specific depletion of CD169+ macrophages in CD169-ditheria toxin receptor (CD169-DTR) mice inhibits IMQ-induced psoriasis, resulting in milder symptoms, diminished proinflammatory cytokine levels and reduced proportion of Th17 cells within the skin lesions. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis uncovers enhanced activity in CD169+ macrophages when compared with CD169− macrophages, characterized by upregulated genes that are associated with cell activation and cell metabolism. Mechanistically, CD169+ macrophages isolated from IMQ-induced skin lesions produce more proinflammatory cytokines and exhibit enhanced ability to promote Th17 cell differentiation in vitro. Collectively, our findings highlight the crucial involvement of CD169+ macrophages in psoriasis development and offer novel insights into the heterogeneity of skin macrophages in the context of psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research examined the psychological processes underlying engagement in non‐normative forms of resistance and the role of repression. We conducted two studies in the contexts of two distinct social movements, both characterized by high levels of repression— the Anti‐Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement in Hong Kong and the "Chilean Spring" protests of 2019–2020. First, we tested whether non‐normative resistance was motivated by (1) moralization of non‐normative actions (moralization hypothesis), (2) perceived low efficacy of normative actions and lack of hope (nothing‐to‐lose hypothesis), or (3) perceived efficacy of non‐normative actions in achieving movement goals (strategic choice hypothesis). Our results provided converging evidence for the moralization and strategic choice hypotheses, but not the nothing‐to‐lose hypothesis. Furthermore, we proposed and provided evidence for a model of movement escalation, whereby experiences of police violence predicted stronger willingness to engage in future non‐normative actions via heightened motivations for non‐normative resistance and increased risk perceptions. Taken together, these findings illuminate that repression in the form of coercive police violence may be ineffective in quelling social unrest. Rather, it can contribute to the radicalization of protesters. Potential boundary conditions and cross‐contextual generalizability of the current results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs), which have been widely recognized as nontoxic and green energy conversion devices, show attractive application prospects for liquid hydrogen-carriers, due to the higher specific energy and lower toxicity of ethanol. Pt-based catalysts are widely used in DEFCs, while their poor poisoning resistance highlights the importance of composition and structure optimization. Herein, we synthesized a series of reduced graphene oxide supported ternary alloy AuxPt1−xCu3/rGO (x = 0-1) catalysts with excellent ethanol oxidation performance and a composition-dependent volcano plot trend of the ordering degree was observed and rationalized. The highest Pt-normalized mass activity of Au0.8Pt0.2Cu3/rGO is attributed to the optimized CO binding energy according to DFT calculations. This work not only provides an efficient EOR catalyst based on ordered alloys AuxPt1−xCu3 (x = 0-1), but also offers valuable insight into the role of a third metal in tuning the structure and function of alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, an approach to achieve perfect absorption and microwave absorption enhancement is proposed by combining traditional wave‐absorbing materials with metamaterials. Specifically, an absorbing basement membrane (BM) is integrated with 3D woodpile (WP) photonic crystals, both of which are composed of flexible silicon materials as matrix and carbonyl iron powder (CIP) as absorbent. Direct ink writing (DIW) is used to fabricate the 3D photonic crystals with either single or coupled concentrations of absorbent. Experiments show that the 10‐dB bandwidth of the integrated absorber can reach 10 GHz with a wide elevation angle of incidence. The absorber composed of BM and WP with coupled concentrations of absorbent leads to perfect absorption with a maximum absorption of over 100 dB at an elevation angle of 30°. By changing the concentration of absorbent in BM, the frequency of perfect absorption can be engineered in the range of 6–16 GHz. Such absorption singularity reveals an experimentally observable topological charge that confirms the robustness of the singularity of perfect absorption. The topologically protected flexible 3D microwave absorber offers exceptional performance for versatile scenarios and enriches the studies on topology arising from scattering singularity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous zinc–iodine batteries are considered to be one of the most promising devices for future electrical energy storage due to their low cost, high safety, high theoretical specific capacity, and multivalent properties. However, the shuttle effect currently faced by zinc–iodine batteries causes the loss of cathode active material and corrosion of the zinc anodes, limiting the large-scale application of zinc–iodine batteries. In this paper, the electrochemical processes of iodine conversion and the zinc anode, as well as the induced mechanism of the shuttle effect, are introduced from the basic configuration of the aqueous zinc–iodine battery. Then, the inhibition strategy of the shuttle effect is summarized from four aspects: the design of cathode materials, electrolyte regulation, the modification of the separator, and anode protection. Finally, the current status of aqueous zinc–iodine batteries is analyzed and recommendations and perspectives are presented. This review is expected to deepen the understanding of aqueous zinc–iodide batteries and is expected to guide the design of high-performance aqueous zinc–iodide batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex and integrated system containing a variety of tumor-infiltrating immune cells and stromal cells. They are closely connected with cancer cells and influence the development and progression of cancer. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an important complementary therapy for cancer treatment in China. It mainly eliminates cancer cells by regulating TME. The aim of this review is to systematically summarize the crosstalk between tumor cells and TME, and to summarize the research progress of TCM in regulating TME. The review is of great significance in revealing the therapeutic mechanism of action of TCM, and provides an opportunity for the combined application of TCM and immunotherapy in cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, bismuth telluride-based zone-melted ingots dominate the commercial thermoelectric (TE) market. However, bismuth telluride-based zone-melted ingots with a layered lattice structure are brittle, posing challenges for their application in miniature devices. Their polycrystalline alloys have robust mechanical strength. However, the electrical conductivity of a p -type polycrystalline BiSbTe alloy bulk deteriorates. In the current study, the Bi 0.46 Sb 1.54 Te 3 powder was from crushed zone-melted ingots. Large-sized polycrystalline (CuO) x Bi 0.46 Sb 1.54 Te 3 (x = 0, 0.003, 0.01, 0.03 and 0.1) bulks were prepared via the hot-pressing method under 65 MPa at 510°C for 15 min. The electrical conductivity was improved remarkably by the acceptor doping effect. The bipolar effect of the Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity at high temperatures was suppressed significantly due to increased majority carrier centration and enlarged bandgaps. Consequently, their TE performance (the dimensionless TE figure of merit, ZT) was significantly improved and the ZT max and ZT ave reached 1.4 and 1.27, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi 2 Te 3 -based crystal ingots produced by zone melting (ZM) are the most widely used materials to manufacture commercial thermoelectric (TE) devices. However, the poor mechanical properties of such crystalline materials limit the production of small-scale devices. While processability can be improved by powder metallurgy (PM), it also leads to the deterioration of the TE properties due to the donor-like effect of the introduced defects and grain boundaries. Thus, additional efforts towards re-optimizing doping are required. Here, we report a PM method to improve the mechanical properties of Bi 2 Te 3 -based TE materials through the crushing and hot pressing of Bi 2 Te 3 ingots obtained by ZM. Besides, we demonstrate the TE properties of n-type Bi 2 Te 2.7 Se 0.3 (BTS) to be remarkably improved by Cu doping, which enables optimization of the carrier concentration and enhances phonon scattering at heterointerphases thus increasing the Seebeck coefficient and reducing thermal conductivity. Overall, optimized materials reach dimensionless TE figures of merit (ZT) up to 1.16 at 408 K, i.e. 45% higher than that of state-of-the-art BTS, and an average ZT value of 1.08 in the temperature range of 300–473 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neural circuits underlying sleep-wakefulness and general anesthesia have not been fully investigated. The GABAergic neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) play a critical role in stress and fear that relied on heightened arousal. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether BNST GABAergic neurons are involved in the regulation of sleep-wakefulness and anesthesia. Here, using in vivo fiber photometry combined with electroencephalography, electromyography, and video recordings, we found that BNST GABAergic neurons exhibited arousal-state-dependent alterations, with high activities in both wakefulness and rapid-eye movement sleep, but suppressed during anesthesia. Optogenetic activation of these neurons could initiate and maintain wakefulness, and even induce arousal from anesthesia. However, chronic lesion of BNST GABAergic neurons altered spontaneous sleep-wakefulness architecture during the dark phase, but not induction and emergence from anesthesia. Furthermore, we also discovered that the BNST-ventral tegmental area pathway might participate in promoting wakefulness and reanimation from steady-state anesthesia. Collectively, our study explores new elements in neural circuit mechanisms underlying sleep-wakefulness and anesthesia, which may contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of consciousness and the development of innovative anesthetics. A new study indicates that BNST GABAergic neurons modulate wakefulness over sleep and anesthesia, possibly in part through the ventral tegmental area descending pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lavender is an oil-bearing plant, which has long been cultivated for oil, fresh flowers, dried products, and food. Leaf blight disease was observed on 'Bandera Pink', which belongs to Lavandula stoechas in Yining County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. The causal agent of this disease was isolated, and Koch's postulates were assessed to confirm its pathogenicity. The morphological characteristics of the pathogen were observed, and the LSU, ITS, tef1, and tub2 loci were combined and analyzed. Based on morphological characterization and phylogenetic analyses, the causal agent was identified as a fungal species named Dothiorella sarmentorum. Pathogenicity tests revealed that D. sarmentorum can infect seven varieties of three lavender species. This is the first report of D. sarmentorum causing lavender leaf blight. This study provides a theoretical basis for the diagnosis of disease and the monitoring of disease occurrence and epidemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal stealth and camouflage technologies have been developed to blend objects with surroundings to counter infrared detection, and the emissivity modulation engineering for this purpose is more effective than the temperature control alone. Vanadium oxide (VO 2) had abrupt changes of infrared (IR) transmission and IR emissivity across the metal-insulator transition at the temperature (T c) of 68 °C. However, relatively high T c and wide temperature hysteresis range, moderate IR emissivity modulation, and weak antioxidant ability for VO 2 limited its practical applications. Herein, we reported a method for the synthesis of W/Al co-doped VO 2 powders by sol-gel method combining with post-annealing, and then VO 2 based thin films were obtained by vacuum filtration process. These results showed that W/Al co-doping successfully reduced the T c and temperature hysteresis range to 43.8 °C and 7.5 °C, respectively. In addition, the IR emissivity decreased from 0.99 (room temperature) to 0.51 (90 °C) for W/Al co-doped VO 2 films, and the emissivity modulation was effectively improved. Furthermore, the antioxidant ability of as-prepared VO 2 nanoparticles was enhanced obviously by Al doping due to the generation of inert Al 2 O 3 on its surface. Therefore, this work provided a novel route for preparing VO 2 based infrared stealth materials which can be applied in infrared camouflage, sensors and smart windows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal stealth and camouflage technologies have been developed to blend objects with surroundings to counter infrared detection, and the emissivity modulation engineering for this purpose is more effective than the temperature control alone. Vanadium oxide (VO 2) had abrupt changes of infrared (IR) transmission and IR emissivity across the metal-insulator transition at the temperature (T c) of 68 °C. However, relatively high T c and wide temperature hysteresis range, moderate IR emissivity modulation, and weak antioxidant ability for VO 2 limited its practical applications. Herein, we reported a method for the synthesis of W/Al co-doped VO 2 powders by sol-gel method combining with post-annealing, and then VO 2 based thin films were obtained by vacuum filtration process. These results showed that W/Al co-doping successfully reduced the T c and temperature hysteresis range to 43.8 °C and 7.5 °C, respectively. In addition, the IR emissivity decreased from 0.99 (room temperature) to 0.51 (90 °C) for W/Al co-doped VO 2 films, and the emissivity modulation was effectively improved. Furthermore, the antioxidant ability of as-prepared VO 2 nanoparticles was enhanced obviously by Al doping due to the generation of inert Al 2 O 3 on its surface. Therefore, this work provided a novel route for preparing VO 2 based infrared stealth materials which can be applied in infrared camouflage, sensors and smart windows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To investigate the association between glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) incidents in the general population, and the association between HbA1c levels and mortality in patients with COPD. Materials and Methods: We investigated the association of HbA1c levels with COPD risk in the general population in the UK Biobank, using data from 420 065 participants. Survival analysis was conducted for 18 854 patients with COPD. We used restricted cubic spline analysis to assess the dose‐response relationship between HbA1c levels and COPD risk and survival. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: During a median follow‐up of 12.3 years, 11 556 COPD cases were recorded. HbA1c had a non‐linear relationship with COPD risk (p for non‐linearity <.05). Compared with the quintile 2 (32.2‐<34.3 mmol/mol), those with HbA1c levels above 38.7 mmol/mol (quintile 5) had a 22% (HR, 1.22, 95% CI: 1.15‐1.30) higher risk of COPD. Compared with the HbA1c decile 2 (30.5‐<32.2 mmol/mol), the HRs (95% CI) of COPD risk were 1.16 (1.03‐1.30) and 1.36 (1.24‐1.50) in the lowest HbA1c decile (<30.5 mmol/mol) and highest decile (≥41.0 mmol/mol), respectively. The increased COPD risk associated with HbA1c was more pronounced in younger, current smokers, passive smokers, and participants with a higher Townsend deprivation index (all p for interaction <.05). Among patients with COPD, 4569 COPD cases died (488 because of COPD) during a median follow‐up of 5.4 years. Regarding COPD survival, HbA1c had a non‐linear relationship with all‐cause death (p for non‐linearity <.05). Those with HbA1c quintile 5 (≥38.7 mmol/mol) had a 23% (HR, 1.23, 95% CI: 1.10‐1.37) higher risk of all‐cause death compared with the quintile 2 (32.2‐<34.3 mmol/mol). Compared with the HbA1c decile 4 (33.3‐<34.3 mmol/mol), those in the lowest HbA1c decile (<30.5 mmol/mol) and highest HbA1c decile (≥41.0 mmol/mol) had 22% (HR, 1.22; 95% CI: 1.01‐1.47) and 28% (HR, 1.28; 95% CI: 1.11‐1.48) higher risk for overall death. However, no significant association was observed between HbA1c levels and the risk of COPD‐specific death. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that lower and higher HbA1c levels were associated with a higher risk of COPD. In COPD cases, lower and higher HbA1c levels were associated with a higher COPD all‐cause death risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GR24, a synthetic strigolactone analogue, plays a crucial role in a wide range of life processes. Studying the effects of the pre-harvest application of GR24 on strawberry ripening and fruit quality provides a scientific basis for the application of GR24 in horticultural crop production. GR24 solutions at concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1 and 2 µmol/L were applied to strawberries at the de-greening stage. The results showed that pre-harvest treatment with 1 µmol/L GR24 increased fruit weight and size; promoted fruit softening; increased the content of sugars, total flavonoids, total phenolics, and anthocyanins, and increased antioxidant activity. These results proved that GR24 effectively accelerated fruit ripening and improved fruit quality. In addition, to gain more insight into the biological mechanism of GR24 in fruit ripening, we conducted a combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis. It was found that the differences were related to sugar and flavonoid biosynthesis, particularly in the later stage of fruit ripening. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that GR24 increased gene expression activity and metabolite accumulation in the anthocyanin and sugar biosynthetic pathway, thereby promoting strawberry color and flavor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Apium, belonging to the family Apiaceae, comprises roughly 20 species. Only two species, Apium graveolens and Apium leptophyllum, are available in China and are both rich in nutrients and have favorable medicinal properties. However, the lack of genomic data has severely constrained the study of genetics and evolution in Apium plants. In this study, Illumina NovaSeq 6000 and Nanopore sequencing platforms were employed to identify the mitochondrial genomes of A. graveolens and A. leptophyllum. The complete lengths of the mitochondrial genomes of A. graveolens and A. leptophyllum were 263,017 bp and 260,164 bp, respectively, and contained 39 and 36 protein-coding genes, five and six rRNA genes, and 19 and 20 tRNA genes. Consistent with most angiosperms, both A. graveolens and A. leptophyllum showed a preference for codons encoding leucine (Leu). In the mitochondrial genome of A. graveolens, 335 SSRs were detected, which is higher than the 196 SSRs found in the mitochondrial genome of A. leptophyllum. Studies have shown that the most common RNA editing type is C-to-U, but, in our study, both A. graveolens and A. leptophyllum exhibited the U-C editing type. Furthermore, the transfer of the mitochondrial genomes of A. graveolens and A. leptophyllum into the chloroplast genomes revealed homologous sequences, accounting for 8.14% and 4.89% of the mitochondrial genome, respectively. Lastly, in comparing the mitochondrial genomes of 29 species, it was found that A. graveolens, A. leptophyllum, and Daucus carota form a sister group with a support rate of 100%. Overall, this investigation furnishes extensive insights into the mitochondrial genomes of A. graveolens and A. leptophyllum, thereby enhancing comprehension of the traits and evolutionary patterns within the Apium genus. Additionally, it offers supplementary data for evolutionary and comparative genomic analyses of other species within the Apiaceae family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For female breast cancer patients, the psychological status after surgery, especially the social and family psychological-related factors, deserves more attention. This study analyzed the influence of social constraints, social support, social isolation, family conflict, and family emotion expression on depression. At the same time, this study conducted the relationship between the variables and the mechanism of action. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study and 522 breast cancer patients finished questionnaires consisting of Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Social Constraints Scale-5 (SCS-5), Family Environment Scale (FES), and Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6). Multivariable logical regression was used to explore influencing factors. Pearson’s correlation, hierarchical regression, and simple slope analysis were conducted to verify the role of self-efficacy. Results: 71.6% of patients had depressive symptoms. Family contradiction (OR = 10.086), social constraints (OR = 2.522), social isolation (OR = 2.507), and high blood glucose (OR = 2.156) were risk factors of depressive symptoms. Family emotional expression (OR = 0.480), family intimacy (OR = 0.235), and self-efficacy (OR = 0.246) were protective factors against depressive symptoms. The interactive items interpretation quantity were as follows: Contradiction*Self-efficacy (ΔR2 = 2.3%, P < 0.001), Emotional expression*Self-efficacy (ΔR2 = 2.6%, P < 0.001), Intimacy*Self-efficacy (ΔR2 = 1.0%, P = 0.018), Social constraints*Self-efficacy (ΔR2 = 1.0%, P = 0.008), Social networks*Self-efficacy (ΔR2 = 1.0%, P = 0.010), Blood Glucose*Self-efficacy (ΔR2 = 0.6%, P = 0.023). The influence of independent variables on depressive symptoms was gradually decreased in the low, mean, and high groups of self-efficacy. Conclusion: Postoperative Chinese breast cancer survivors reported higher depressive symptoms. Social, family, and physiological factors could affect depressive symptoms, in which self-factor played moderator roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Celery (Apium graveolens L.) is an important vegetable crop cultivated worldwide for its medicinal properties and distinctive flavor. Volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis is a valuable tool for the identification and classification of species. Currently, less research has been conducted on aroma compounds in different celery varieties and colors. In this study, five different colored celery were quantitatively analyzed for VOCs using HS-SPME, GC-MS determination, and stoichiometry methods. The result revealed that γ-terpinene, d-limonene, 2-hexenal,-(E)-, and β-myrcene contributed primarily to the celery aroma. The composition of compounds in celery exhibited a correlation not only with the color of the variety, with green celery displaying a higher concentration compared with other varieties, but also with the specific organ, whereby the content and distribution of volatile compounds were primarily influenced by the leaf rather than the petiole. Seven key genes influencing terpenoid synthesis were screened to detect expression levels. Most of the genes exhibited higher expression in leaves than petioles. In addition, some genes, particularly AgDXS and AgIDI, have higher expression levels in celery than other genes, thereby influencing the regulation of terpenoid synthesis through the MEP and MVA pathways, such as hydrocarbon monoterpenes. This study identified the characteristics of flavor compounds and key aroma components in different colored celery varieties and explored key genes involved in the regulation of terpenoid synthesis, laying a theoretical foundation for understanding flavor chemistry and improving its quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the associations of diabetes, prediabetes and diabetes duration with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk and survival in the UK Biobank. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective analysis among 452 680 participants without COPD at baseline using UK Biobank data. Multivariable‐adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated from Cox regression models. The dose–response relationship was explored using restricted cubic splines. A separate survival analysis was conducted for 12 595 patients with incident COPD. Results: Over a median follow‐up of 12.3 years, 12 595 cases of COPD were documented. Compared with the reference group, those with prediabetes and diabetes were associated with an 18% (HR 1.18 [95% CI: 1.13‐1.24]) and 35% (HR 1.35 [95% CI: 1.24‐1.47]) higher risk of COPD, respectively. Diabetes duration was associated with COPD risk, with multivariable HRs (95% CIs) of 1.23 (1.05‐1.44), 1.20 (1.04‐1.39) and 1.18 (1.01‐1.37) for diabetes duration of 7 years or longer, 3 to less than 7 years, and 1 to less than 3 years versus less than 1 year, respectively. Dose–response analysis revealed a non‐linear relationship between diabetes duration and COPD risk. Regarding COPD survival, COPD patients with prediabetes and diabetes had a 9% (HR 1.09 [95% CI: 1.00‐1.19]) and 21% (HR 1.21 [95% CI: 1.05‐1.41]) higher risk of overall death, respectively. Compared with the cases with a diabetes duration of less than 1 year, those with a diabetes duration of 7 years or longer were associated with a 46% higher risk of overall death (HR 1.46 [95% CI: 1.11‐1.92]). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that diabetes, prediabetes and a longer diabetes duration are associated with a higher risk of and worse survival for COPD. Future studies are warranted to determine the optimal way of diabetes control that might reduce COPD risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the basis for guiding business process decisions, flowcharts contain sensitive information pertaining to process-related concepts. Therefore, it is necessary to encrypt them to protect the privacy or security of stakeholders. Using the principles of image singular value decomposition, chaotic system randomness, and neural network camouflage, a business flow chart encryption method based on dynamic selection chaotic system and singular value decomposition is proposed. Specifically, a dynamic selected chaotic system is constructed based on the nonlinear combination of one-dimensional chaotic system Logistics and Sine, and its randomness is verified. Next, using the neural network, the process image is merged into a gray matrix. The double-bit unitary matrix scrambling based on singular value decomposition is then proposed. Subsequently, using the dynamic selected chaotic system, a new sub-division diffusion method is proposed, which combines, diffuses, and performs weighted superposition to generate a matrix after diffusion and compression. Finally, the asymmetric encryption method encrypts the color image and reduces its dimensionality into a single grayscale ciphertext, and the decryption process is not the reverse of the encryption process. Simulation results and performance analysis show that the proposed image encryption scheme has good encryption performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excellent performance of bolometers in the infrared and terahertz regions has attracted great attention. Understanding the transport process of charged particles is an efficient approach to determine detector performance. However, the lack of studies on the fine‐scale spatial motion of microscopic particles in bolometers has prevented a full understanding of the physical process. Herein, using micro‐nano‐scale optoelectronic performance correlation measurements, it is described how prevalent defect states at the grain boundaries (GBs) decrease current responses. Ions at the GBs of the polycrystalline perovskite bolometer contribute to the photocurrent via thermal excitons. In addition, the built‐in electric field established by ion migration fluctuates periodically with the strength of the light‐heating process due to the interaction between the bolometric effect and the Coulomb force. Additionally, the first ion‐bolometric detector is demonstrated with a significant photovoltage response to infrared and THz waves (75.3 kV W−1 at 1064 nm and 2.3 kV W−1 at 0.22 THz). An examination of the THz images shows the potential for large‐area THz imaging applications. The ion‐bolometric effect combines the broad spectral characteristics of the bolometer effect with the temperature sensitivity due to ion migration and provides a unique perspective on detector technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an ultrasensitive electrochemical miRNA-21 biosensor is described. Manganese dioxide-gold nanoparticle (MnO2-Au NP) nanoconjugates were employed as sensing base materials, miRNA-21 was selected as a model analyte, and hybridization chain reaction (HCR) was employed to form long DNA concatemers using two different oligonucleotides with a complementary sequence. Thus, lots of biotin were loaded on DNA concatemers and one of them was labelled with biotin at its 3′ terminal. The biosensor was designed as follows: a sulfhydryl-hairpin probe (HP) was first dropped on the surface of the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with MnO2-Au NP nanoconjugates (HP/MnO2-AuNPs/GCE). After it was treated with MCH, the modified electrode was hybridized with miRNA-21, resulting in the loop of HP being opened to form a vertical structure. Subsequently, the modified electrode (miRNA-21/HP/MCH/MnO2-AuNPs/GCE) was incubated with DNA concatemers to form a sandwich structure of HP-miRNA-21-DNA concatemers on the modified electrode surface. Finally, the streptavidin-HRP conjugates were linked to the sandwich structure by specific recognition interaction between biotin and avidin. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was used to measure the electrochemical response of the biosensor in the phosphate-buffered solution (0.10 M PBS, pH 7.0) containing 2.0 mM hydroquinone (HQ) and 1.8 mM H2O2. As a result, a larger reductive signal was obtained at a potential of −0.17 V (vs. SCE). Various experimental conditions were optimized, including solution pH, incubation time, and the amount of DNA concatemers. Under optimal conditions, the biosensor showed good sensing performance, such as a wide linear response range (0.1 fM and 100 nM) and low detection limit (0.063 fM, at S/N = 3). Meanwhile, the biosensor can discriminate single base matched miRNA-21, indicating that the biosensor had good selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Human-AI conversation provides a natural, unobtrusive, yet under-explored way to investigate trust dynamics in human-AI teams (HATs). In this paper, we modeled dynamic trust evolution in conversations using a novel method, trajectory epistemic network analysis (T-ENA). T-ENA captures the multidimensional aspect of trust (i.e., analytic and affective), and trajectory analysis segments conversations to capture temporal changes of trust over time. Twenty-four participants performed a habitat maintenance task assisted by a conversational agent and verbalized their experiences and feelings after each task. T-ENA showed that agent reliability significantly affected people’s conversations in the analytic process of trust, t ( 38.88 ) = 15.18 , p < 0.001 , Cohen ′ s   d = 4.72 , such as discussing agents’ errors. The trajectory analysis showed that trust dynamics manifested through conversation topic diversity and flow. These results showed trust dimensions and dynamics in conversation should be considered interdependently and suggested that an adaptive conversational strategy for managing trust in HATs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on national identity distinguishes between national glorification and attachment. We tested whether glorification and attachment differentially predicted support for military and diplomatic conflict resolution strategies (CRS) in response to international conflicts. Using data collected in seven countries (Australia, United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Israel, China; total N = 1784), we investigated whether glorification and attachment can be equivalently measured (using tests of measurement invariance) and whether their relationships with CRS were generalizable across countries. The results revealed metric, but not scalar, measurement invariance of the two‐factor structure of national identification across six countries, excluding China. Among these six countries, glorification predicted more support for military CRS, whereas attachment predicted more support for diplomatic CRS. Our study is novel in scrutinizing the cross‐cultural generalizability of the bi‐dimensional model of national identification. Implications for studying national identification and intergroup conflict cross‐culturally are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edge computing enables portable devices to provide smart applications, and the indoor positioning technique offers accurate location-based indoor navigation and personalized smart services. To achieve the high positioning accuracy, an indoor positioning algorithm based on particle filter requires a large number of sample particles to approximate the probability density function, which leads to the additional computational cost and high fusion delay. Focusing on real-time and accurate positioning, an edge computing-enabled green multi-source fusion indoor positioning algorithm called APFP is proposed based on adaptive particle filter in this paper. APFP considers both pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) signals in mobile terminals and the received signal strength indication (RSSI) of Bluetooth, and effectively merges the error-free accumulation of trilateral positioning and the accurate short-range positioning of PDR, which enables mobile terminals adaptively perform particle filter to reduce the computing time and power consumption while ensuring positioning accuracy simultaneously. Detailed experimental results show that, compared with the traditional particle filter algorithm and the map-constrained algorithm, the proposed APFP reduces fusion computing cost by 59.89% and 54.37%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collective memories of trauma can have profound impact on the affected individuals and communities. In the context of intergroup conflict, in the present article, we propose a novel theoretical framework to understand the long-term impact of historical trauma on contemporary intergroup relations from both victim and perpetrator perspectives. Integrating past research on intergroup conflict and the biopsychosocial model of threat and challenge, we argue that people appraise their group's past victimization and perpetration differently, either as a threat or as a challenge. Shaped by contextual factors and individual differences, these differential appraisals will subsequently influence how group members respond to contemporary intergroup conflict, with both adaptive and maladaptive consequences. This model contributes to unifying the previous research that has shown diverse effects of historical trauma on present-day intergroup dynamics. We present preliminary empirical evidence in support of the framework and discuss its theoretical and practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sequenced and assembled the chloroplast (cp) genome of Brasenia schreberi cv. 'Mahu Chuncai', a novel variety of B. schreberi rich in nutrients with distinctive characteristics, unlike other varieties in China. The cpDNA genome of 'Mahu Chuncai' has a typical quadripartite structure, with a full length of 158,973 bp, including 88 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that all species can be divided into three main clades. Results from inverted repeats (IR) boundary analysis revealed substantial differences between Brasenia and Cabomba species. The cpDNA genome of B. schreberi identified was strongly related to Brasenia species but appeared to be a distant relative of Cabomba aquatica more than other species in Cabombaceae. In contrast with the species from Cabombaceae, 'Mahu Chuncai' was a close relative of B. schreberi MN315507.1, which was a distant relative of C. aquatica MG720559.1. Furthermore, we found four potential molecular markers, i.e., ycf1 in the IR region, psbT in the LSC region, and ndhF and rps15 in the SSC region. Collectively, our findings confirm the phylogenetic evolution and cultivation origin of B. schreberi. We identified genetic characteristics and nucleotide diversity hotspots, which provides a theoretical basis for additional research on variety identification, germplasm resources, and molecular breeding of the precious vegetable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a serious threat among children in China. Some studies have found that air pollution is associated with HFMD incidence, but the results showed heterogeneity. In this study, we aimed to explore the heterogeneity of associations between air pollutants and the number of HFMD cases and to identify significant socioeconomic effect modifiers. Methods: We collected daily surveillance data on HFMD cases in those aged less than 15 years, air pollution variables and meteorological variables from 2015 to 2017 in the basin area of Sichuan Province. We also collected socioeconomic indicator data. We conducted a two-stage multicity time-series analysis. In the first stage, we constructed a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) to obtain cumulative exposure-response curves between each air pollutant and the numbers of HFMD cases for every city. In the second stage, we carried out a multivariable meta-regression to merge the estimations in the first stage and to identify significant socioeconomic effect modifiers. Results: We found that PM10, NO2 and O3 concentrations were associated with the number of HFMD cases. An inverted V-shaped association between PM10 and the number of HFMD cases was observed. The overall NO2-HFMD association was a hockey-stick shape. For the relationships of PM10, SO2, NO2, O3 and CO with HFMD counts, approximately 58.5%, 48.4%, 51.0%, 55.6% and 52.5% of the heterogeneity could be explained, respectively. The proportion of primary school students, population density, urbanization rate, number of licensed physicians and number of hospital beds explained part of the heterogeneity and modified the relationships. Conclusion: Our study explored the heterogeneity of associations between air pollutants and HFMD counts. The proportion of primary school students, population density, urbanization rate, number of licensed physicians and number of hospital beds could modify the relationships. The results can serve as a reference for relevant public health decision making. Author summary: This study constructed a two-stage multi-city time-series analysis to explore the heterogeneity of air pollutants-HFMD associations and identify significant socioeconomic effect modifiers, which may lead to heterogeneity. In the results, we found that PM10, NO2 and O3 concentrations were associated with HFMD. For each air pollutant-HFMD associations between cities, the heterogeneity was found. The proportion of primary school students, population density, urbanization rate, number of licensed physicians and number of hospital beds explained part of the heterogeneity. The results showed that demographic factors, economic factors, and health resource factors may influence the effect of air pollutants on HFMD, which could further the understanding of the associations between air pollutants and HFMD and could be as evidence for relevant public health decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper phthalocyanine on carbon (CuPc/C) after pyrolysis exhibits a C2H4 Faradaic efficiency (FEC2H4) of 42.6 ± 0.5% at an extremely low potential of −0.4 V vs. RHE toward the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), significantly boosted by the in situ oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mortar–concrete expanded piles are a new type of composite pile. Understanding the shear transfer characteristics of the mortar–concrete bonded interface plays an important role in the design and analysis of mortar–concrete expanded piles. The direct shear test study mainly focuses on the influence of different cement mortar strengths and normal stresses on the shear behaviors of the cement mortar–concrete interface. The experimental results showed that the peak shear stress at the mortar–concrete interface is strongly related to the bond strength of the interface. The interface residual shear stress is essentially the frictional stress, which is related to the normal stress and interface friction coefficient. Before the peak stress is reached, the influence of the normal stress on the interface behaviors is not substantial. In addition, sudden bond failure of the interface can occur. A calculation model of the cement mortar–concrete interface is proposed to simulate the experimental behaviors, including the trends of the variation in the shear stress with the change in the shear displacement and the behaviors of the shear stiffness, peak shear stress, and residual shear stress. The comparison of the estimated curve with the experimental curve indicated that the model can describe the load-transfer mechanism with sufficient accuracy. This study is of great significance to the wider application and development of mortar–concrete expanded piles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This article describes innovative experiences of nurses during clinical work and identifies the factors promoting and hindering clinical innovation. Background: The nursing staff is replete with innovations in providing medical and healthcare that can help nurses solve clinical problems. Nurses need to understand their experiences in the creation and identify the factors that facilitate or hinder clinical innovation. Methods: A semi‐structured interview question framework was used to explore nurses' innovation patents, particularly the development of innovative ideas and the difficulties encountered in innovation. From 15 December 2021 to 17 February 2022, 14 nurses with innovation experiences were recruited in Shanghai, China, using a snowball sampling method. Interviews were conducted in the participants' native language, Chinese, and the interview records were analysed using Colaizzi phenomenological analysis. Results: This study has formed three main themes which are facilitators (including seven sub‐themes), barriers (including two sub‐themes) and results of the innovation. Position characteristics, the ability to resolve obstacles in clinical work, peer motivation and pressure urge nurses to have innovative ideas. Self‐support and external support helped nurses overcome difficulties in the process of innovation. Technical translation and seeking professional assistance help realize innovative ideas for nurses. However, busy clinical work and limited resources are important barriers to nurse innovation. Conclusion: Innovation in nursing comes from clinical problems, and nurses' creativity in healthcare organizations can promote positive changes in nursing practice. Nurses have carried out many innovative activities during their work, including quite a few aspects of promotion in this process. Some factors have hindered or promoted this innovation process, which is more extensive than in previous studies. Therefore, policymakers, nurse educators and hospital managers should establish an environment conducive to innovation and provide nurses with job flexibility and resources to foster innovation. Implications for Nursing Management: This study suggests that nursing managers should take the initiative to care for nurses, pay attention to their contributions to hospitals and provide them with abundant resources. In addition, managers should try their best to allow every nurse to participate in exchanges and learn continuously. In doing so, the innovation level of nurses can be greatly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melatonin (MT) is crucial in plant growth, development, and response to stress. Celery is a vegetable that grows in a cool climate, and a hot climate can deteriorate its growth, yield, and quality. This study investigates the effect of exogenous melatonin on celery physiology. Transcriptional levels were analyzed by spraying celery with exogenous MT before exposing it to high temperatures. The regulatory mechanism of exogenous MT-mediated heat tolerance was examined. The results show that the exogenous MT reduced the thermal damage state of celery seedlings, as well as the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and relative conductivity (REC), increasing the oxidase activity, the osmotic regulatory substances, and chlorophyll, enhancing the leaf transpiration and the light energy utilization efficiency. We examined the mechanism of exogenous MT in mitigating high-temperature damage using the transcriptome sequencing method. A total of 134 genes were expressed differently at high temperature in the celery treated with MT compared with the untreated celery. Functional annotation analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes were abundant in the "pyruvate metabolism" pathway and the "peroxidase activity" pathway. According to the pathway-based gene expression analysis, exogenous MT can inhibit the upregulation of pyruvate synthesis genes and the downregulation of pyruvate consumption genes, preventing the accumulated pyruvate from rapidly upregulating the expression of peroxidase genes, and thereby enhancing peroxidase activity. RT-qPCR verification showed a rising encoding peroxidase gene expression under MT treatment. The gene expression pattern involved in pyruvate anabolism and metabolism agreed with the abundant transcriptome expression, validating the physiological index results. These results indicate that the application of exogenous MT to celery significantly enhances the ability of plant to remove reactive oxygen species (ROS) in response to heat stress, thereby improving the ability of plant to resist heat stress. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the use of MT to alleviate the damage caused by heat stress in plant growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although photothermal therapy (PTT) can effectively eliminate tumors, the normal tissues near tumors are inevitably damaged by heat and infected by bacteria, which greatly limits the therapeutic effect. In this work, an injectable thermosensitive hydrogel based on iodine‐loaded starch‐g‐poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNSI) is developed to overcome this problem. FTIR, 1H NMR, and UV–vis spectra confirm the graft copolymerization of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) with starch and the formation of "iodine−starch" complex. Transmission electron microscope images show PNSI polymer self‐assembles into regular spherical nanogel with a size of ≈50 nm. The concentrated nanogel dispersion is a sol at room temperature and transforms to hydrogel at body temperature. Under NIR laser irradiation for 10 min, the ΔT of the nanogel dispersion approachs about 20 °C with excellent thermal stability and high cytotoxicity due to the photothermal effect of the "iodine−starch" complex. After intratumor injection, this injectable hydrogel efficiently inhibites the tumor growth under 808 nm laser irradiation. Furthermore, it can also suppress Staphylococcus aureus infection in the wound post‐PTT due to the release of iodine, which promotes wound healing. Therefore, this injectable thermosensitive "iodine−starch" composite hydrogel with advantages of good biocompatible and easy preparation possesses potential application for tumor photothermal therapy and antibacterial infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important part of the Earth's environmental system, sandy soils are particularly sensitive to changes in the climatic environment. As one of the four major desert regions in China, the MuUs desert has transformed from a desert to an oasis after more than half a century of ecological management. In this paper, we analyzed the spatial and temporal patterns of surface albedo, evapotranspiration, and fraction vegetation cover in the MuUs desert based on the Global Land Surface Satellite (GLASS) product with high spatial and temporal resolution and assessed the relationships between their variability and snow cover, air temperature, and precipitation. It is of great significance to understand the effect of desertification control and climate change after the conversion of land surface types in the MuUs region. The results show that the desertification control in the MuUs area has achieved remarkable results since 1982. The fraction vegetation coverage of the MuUs desert showed a significant increasing trend, with an interannual change rate of 1.32% each decade−1. The surface albedo of MuUs desert decreased significantly. Affected by vegetation and snow cover, it was lower in summer and higher in winter. The evapotranspiration showed a significant upward trend, higher in summer and lower in winter, which is significantly correlated with the changes in surface albedo, air temperature, and vegetation. In addition, the local-scale biophysical effects caused by vegetation change have influenced the climate of the MuUs region, manifested as the increase in precipitation and air temperature. In general, with the support of relevant policies and human construction projects, the overall ecological environment in the MuUs desert is developing in a good way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bradysia cellarum (Diptera: Sciaridae) is a destructive vegetable insect pest infesting more than 30 species of host plants from seven families in Asia and Europe. B. cellarum causes grave problems in Chinese chive, which originated in China and is cultivated widely in East Asia. The B. cellarum infestation results in economic losses and subsequent severe food safety problems in farm productions, insecticide resistance and environmental pollution. The genomic and molecular information of B. cellarum to delineate the biological features, insecticide resistance, evolution remains poorly understood. Herein, we decode the whole genome of B. cellarum to delineate the underlying molecular mechanisms causing insecticide resistance. We constructed a highly reliable genome for B. cellarum using PacBio, Illumina and 10X Genomics sequencing platforms. The genome size of B. cellarum was 375.91 Mb with a contig N50 of 1.57 Mb. A total of 16,231 genes were identified, among which 93.8% were functionally annotated, and 42.06% were repeat sequences. According to phylogenetic analysis, B. cellarum diverged from the common ancestor of Drosophila melanogaster and Musca domestica ~139.3–191.0 million years ago. Moreover, some important genes responsible for significant insecticide resistance, such as cytochrome P450s, ABC transporters and those involved in glutathione metabolism, were expanded in B. cellarum. We assembled a high‐quality B. cellarum genome to provide valuable insights into their life history strategies, insecticide resistance and biological behaviours. It also lays the foundation for exploring gene structure and functional evolution, as well as comparative genomics of B. cellarum and other model insect species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ternary copolymerized polyimide (BBO-PI-OH) was successfully synthesized by copolymerization of 4,4'-oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA) and 3,3',4,4'-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) with 2,2-bis (3-amino-4-hydroxyphenyl) propane (BAP). Using BBO-PI-OH as raw materials, a novel photosensitive polyimide (BBO-PI-CA) was synthesized by esterification with cinnamate chloride. BBO-PI-CA films show great transmittance in visible region (400–700 nm) and the transmittance at 400 nm is 84.67%. It can induce parallel alignment of liquid crystals (LCs) with the pretilt angle at 0.3° after irradiated by non-polarized ultraviolet light (NPUVL) for 10 min. Its alignment performance remains unchanged after 8 h at 120 °C. BBO-PI-CA displays excellent solubility and thermal properties, which initial thermal decomposition temperature (Td5) is 344 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The convergence-confinement method (CCM) is an important approach to analysis the rock-support interaction and to design tunnel and its support. To make an effort on efficient reliability analysis of tunnels integrated with CCM, of which performance functions are mostly highly nonlinear and implicit, a hybrid intelligent algorithm combing uniform design (UD) and Gaussian process regression (GPR) is proposed. Based on the generated UD samples, GPR-parameter metamodels to predict the important parameters of CCM and GPR-probability metamodels to approximate the real performance functions are constructed consequently. Then sensitivity analysis, determination of the optimal preliminary support timing and failure probabilities calculations can be performed in conjunction with Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) based on the constructed GPR-parameter metamodels and GPR-probability metamodels. To verify the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method, a typical circle tunnel is analyzed and good results are achieved. Finally, a practical hydraulic tunnel is analyzed using the proposed method and some beneficial conclusions are drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Celery is one of the mainly consumed leafy vegetables worldwide, however, its short postharvest freshness severely limits its storage and marketing. Studying the post-harvest biology and preservation techniques is important for storing celery products. This study investigated the effect of exogenous GR24 on the quality and flavor of celery during post-harvest storage. The results showed that GR24 can extend the storage life, reduce the decay and chlorophyll degradation, maintain the integrity of petiole cell morphology, and effectively maintain the contents of soluble protein, total phenols, Vc, and DPPH radical scavenging. The HS-SPME-GC/MS results showed that GR24 effectively maintained the levels of flavor compounds, especially D-Limonene, β-Pinene, beta-selinene, caryophyllene, and trans-β-Ocimene, which contribute to the special flavor of celery. Moreover, the application of an exogenous 2.0 µM GR24 solution resulted in elevated gene expression levels of AgGGPPS and AgTPS in the terpenoid pathway, thereby preserving the terpenoid content of D-Limonene, Terpinolene, and α-Copaene throughout the storage period. Consequently, spraying 2.0 µM GR24 was the most effective concentration for maintaining the sensory quality, nutritional quality, and flavor of celery during storage. [Display omitted] • Post-harvest application of GR24 improve the nutritional quality of celery products, with the 2.0 μM treatment being the most effective. • GR24 effectively maintained the levels of flavor compounds of celery during storage. • D-Limonene, β-Pinene, beta-selinene contribute to the special flavor of celery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Five COFs with aggregation-induced emission characteristics were synthesized. • The response sensitivity was adjusted by adjusting the component ratio. • The first COF based fluorescence sensor for ultra-trace water detection. • Test strips were prepared for visual detection of trace water in the field. Trace amount of H 2 O is difficult to eliminate in laboratory environments and chemical industries as impurities. In some chemical reactions, trace amount of H 2 O can alter final reaction products, yield, and selectivity. So, the detection of trace H 2 O is very important. Herein, a series of TFPT [X] -BMTH- covalent organic frameworks (COFs) (X = 0, 33, 50, 67, 100 %) with intramolecular charge transfer effect (ICT) and aggregate-induced emission (AIE) characteristics were synthesized by amino-aldehyde condensation reaction between 2,5-bis(2-methoxyethoxy)terephthalohydrazide (BMTH)/ 1,3,5-tris(p-formylphenyl)benzene (TFPB) and 4,4′,4′'-(1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triyl)tribenzaldehyde (TFPT). By changing TFPT' content in TFPT [X] -BMTH-COFs, the ICT and AIE of TFPT [X] -BMTH-COFs can be controlled, and accordingly the response to trace H 2 O can be adjusted. A H 2 O sensor based on TFPT [67] -BMTH-COF with a wide linear range from 0 wt% to 0.5 wt% was developed and the detection limit was 0.00007 wt%. In addition, a portable fluorescent test paper based on TFPT [67] -BMTH-COF for visual detection of trace H 2 O in honey samples and salt was constructed. This work has important guiding significance for the development of fluorescent probes for the visual detection of trace water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The myelin and lymphocyte protein (MAL) family is a novel gene family first identified and characterized in 2002. This family is comprised of seven members, including MAL, MAL2, plasmolipin, MALL, myeloid differentiation-associated marker (MYADM), MYADML2 and CMTM8, which are located on different chromosomes. In addition to exhibiting extensive activity during transcytosis, the MAL family plays a vital role in the neurological, digestive, respiratory, genitourinary and other physiological systems. Furthermore, the intimate association between MAL and the pathogenesis, progression and metastasis of malignancies, attributable to several mechanisms such as DNA methylation has also been elucidated. In the present review, an overview of the structural and functional properties of the MAL family and the latest research findings regarding the relationship between several MAL members and various cancers is provided. Furthermore, the potential clinical and scientific significance of MAL is discussed and directions for future research are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shuttling behavior and sluggish conversion kinetics of intermediate lithium polysulfides (LiPS) represent the main obstacles to the practical application of lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs). Herein, an innovative sulfur host is proposed, based on an iodine‐doped bismuth selenide (I‐Bi2Se3), able to solve these limitations by immobilizing the LiPS and catalytically activating the redox conversion at the cathode. The synthesis of I‐Bi2Se3 nanosheets is detailed here and their morphology, crystal structure, and composition are thoroughly. Density‐functional theory and experimental tools are used to demonstrate that I‐Bi2Se3 nanosheets are characterized by a proper composition and micro‐ and nano‐structure to facilitate Li+ diffusion and fast electron transportation, and to provide numerous surface sites with strong LiPS adsorbability and extraordinary catalytic activity. Overall, I‐Bi2Se3/S electrodes exhibit outstanding initial capacities up to 1500 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and cycling stability over 1000 cycles, with an average capacity decay rate of only 0.012% per cycle at 1 C. Besides, at a sulfur loading of 5.2 mg cm−2, a high areal capacity of 5.70 mAh cm−2 at 0.1 C is obtained with an electrolyte/sulfur ratio of 12 µL mg−1. This work demonstrated that doping is an effective way to optimize the metal selenide catalysts in LSBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal influenza can cause serious harm to children under five years of age, while caregivers are still hesitant to vaccinate children against influenza. This study aimed to investigate caregivers' hesitancy regarding influenza vaccination and assess the associated factors. From August to October 2019, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in ten provinces in China. The questionnaire collected information about sociodemographic characteristics and caregivers' knowledge, perceptions and attitudes toward influenza vaccination. Caregivers were identified as not hesitating, hesitating or refusing to vaccinate children. Multinomial logistic regression was adopted to determine factors related to vaccine hesitancy based on the 3C model with three dimensions namely complacency, convenience and confidence. A total of 6668 valid questionnaires were collected, among which 38.57% did not hesitate to vaccinate children against influenza, 56.03% were hesitant, and 5.40% refused. Multinomial logistic regression showed that caregivers perceiving high importance (AOR = 0.68 for hesitancy; 0.15 for refusal), safety (AOR = 0.42; 0.46) or efficacy (AOR = 0.73; 0.65) of influenza vaccination, knowing children as a priority group (AOR = 0.80; 0.48), and trusting vaccination advice from medical staff (AOR = 0.65; 0.51) had lower odds of hesitancy or refusal. Those considering price as a hindering factor had higher odds of hesitancy (AOR = 1.66) or refusal (AOR = 1.47), and those viewing time or distance as a hindering factor (AOR = 1.45) or having heard of vaccine-related negative information (AOR = 1.78) had higher odds of hesitancy. Sociodemographic characteristics were associated with vaccine hesitancy or refusal, and the associations varied for hesitators and refusers. A large proportion of caregivers in China reported their hesitancy for influenza vaccination, and the associated factors of such hesitancy were complicated. Health professionals are recommended to spread relevant scientific knowledge and give vaccine-related suggestions to caregivers in doctor visits to promote caregivers' trust in influenza vaccination and therefore expand childhood vaccine coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers during agricultural production causes water pollution, which is an important type of non-point source pollution (NSP). Large amounts of harmful substances, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, flow into surface water along with farmland runoff, leading to eutrophication and other problems. However, the pollutant discharge capacity of different types of cultivated land varies greatly. Areas sensitive to NSP are areas with rich crop types, large spatial differences in crop growth, and complex planting patterns. These factors can cause different amounts of fertilizer used in and absorbed by the crops to influence the emission intensity of pollutants. NSP intensity mapping can reflect the spatial distribution of lands' pollutant discharge capacity and it can provide a basis for pollution control. However, when estimating NSP intensity, existing methods generally treat cultivated land as a category and ignore how complex crop conditions impact pollution intensity. Remote sensing technology enables the classification and monitoring of ground objects, which can provide rich geographical data for NSP intensity mapping. In this study, we used a phenology–GPP (gross primary productivity) method to extract the spatial distribution of crops in the Yuecheng reservoir catchment area from Sentinel-2 remote sensing images and the overall accuracy reached 85%. Moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) GPP data were used to simulate the spatial distribution of crop growth. Finally, a new model that is more suitable for farmland was obtained by combining this large amount of remote sensing data with existing mapping models. The findings from this study highlight the differences in spatial distributions between total nitrogen and total phosphorous; they also provide the means to improve NSP intensity estimations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eliminating poverty is a worldwide problem, but China has recently made major achievements in poverty alleviation. By the end of 2020, 832 nationally designated poor counties had all been lifted out of poverty within five years. Why do some poor counties perform better in poverty alleviation? This paper leverages a unique county-level dataset of 832 nationally designated poor counties in China and uses discrete-time event history analysis to understand the relationship between political institutions and poverty alleviation. We find that the presence of a county party committee secretary concurrently holding a higher rank position above the county level significantly increases the odds ratio of accomplishing poverty alleviation tasks. Previous studies have emphasized the important role of empowering people in democracies for poverty reduction. This study shows that empowering key governmental actors in authoritarian regimes can help them increase their bargaining power and improve the performance of poverty alleviation. In addition, this paper echoes the research on political institutions of authoritarian systems and deepens the understanding of the importance of the higher-ranking institution of Chinese officials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on many plants have shown that mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are key proteins involved in regulating plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, their involvement in cultivated strawberry development and ripening remains unclear. In this study, 43 FaMAPK gene family members were identified in the genome of cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa), phylogenetic analysis indicated that FaMAPKs could be classified into four groups. Systematic analysis of the conserved motif, exon–intron structure showed that there were significant varieties between different groups in structure, but in the same group they were similar. Multiple cis-regulatory elements associated with phytohormone response, and abiotic and biotic stresses were predicted in the promoter regions of FaMAPK genes. Transcriptional analysis showed that all FaMAPK genes were expressed at all developmental stages. Meanwhile, the effect of exogenous ABA and sucrose on the expression profile of FaMAPKs was investigated. Exogenous ABA, sucrose, and ABA plus sucrose treatments upregulated the expression of FaMAPK genes and increased the content of endogenous ABA, sucrose, and anthocyanin in strawberry fruits, suggesting that ABA and sucrose might be involved in the FaMAPK-mediated regulation of strawberry fruit ripening. Based on the obtained results, MAPK genes closely related to the ripening of strawberries were screened to provide a theoretical basis and support for future research on strawberries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Celery is an important leafy vegetable that can grow during the cool season and does not tolerate high temperatures. Heat stress is widely acknowledged as one of the main abiotic stresses affecting the growth and yield of celery. The morphological and physiological indices of celery were investigated in the present study to explore the physiological mechanisms in response to high temperatures. Results showed that the antioxidant enzyme activity, proline, relative conductivity, and malondialdehyde were increased, while chlorophyll and the water content of leaves decreased under high-temperature conditions. Short-term heat treatment increased the stomatal conductance to cool off the leaves by transpiration; however, long-term heat treatment led to stomatal closure to prevent leaf dehydration. In addition, high temperature caused a disordered arrangement of palisade tissue and a loose arrangement of spongy tissue in celery leaves. Combined metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses were further used to reveal the regulatory mechanisms in response to heat stress at the molecular level in celery. A total of 1003 differential metabolites were identified and significantly enriched in amino acid metabolism and the tricarboxilic acid (TCA) cycle. Transcriptome sequencing detected 24,264 different genes, including multiple transcription factor families such as HSF, WRKY, MYB, AP2, bZIP, and bHLH family members that were significantly upregulated in response to heat stress, suggesting that these genes were involved in the response to heat stress. In addition, transcriptional and metabolic pathway analyses showed that heat stress inhibited the glycolysis pathway and delayed the TCA cycle but increased the expression of most amino acid synthesis pathways such as proline, arginine, and serine, consistent with the results of physiological indicators. qRT-PCR further showed that the expression pattern was similar to the expression abundance in the transcriptome. The important metabolites and genes in celery that significantly contributed to the response to high temperatures were identified in the present study, which provided the theoretical basis for breeding heat-resistant celery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assembly of colloidal particles to crystal structure on micrometer scale is attractive due to the unique and complex structure with stable physical and chemical properties, and even good anti-reflectivity. In this work, the pyramidal Al 2 O 3 film was prepared via the designed process combining the sol-gel method and hydrothermal reaction. We employed Al(NO 3) 3 and H 2 NCONH 2 as precursors and precipitant respectively on monocrystalline silicon wafer without etching. The bulk structure and components of the pyramidal Al 2 O 3 film were investigated and analyzed by scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometers, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, etc. The fabricated Al 2 O 3 films were composed of pyramidal structures, which mainly consisted of nanorods and nanospheres with both side length and thickness in micro scales. The surface reflectance and water contact angle results suggested that the surface of the film was hydrophilic and the average surface reflectance was 17.9%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a novel S-gate-assisted silicon-on-insulator n-channel metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (SGA SOI n-MOSFET) structure is proposed in order to suppress the total ionizing dose (TID) effect. The new structure settles the radiation-induced leakage current by isolating both the source and drain from the shallow trench isolation (STI) oxides and introducing two auxiliary gates. This work simulates the TID irradiation of three SOI n-MOSFET devices by Sentaurus TCAD and verifies the anti-TID irradiation characteristics of the proposed SGA SOI n-MOSFET. After the novel SGA SOI n-MOSFET was irradiated with 500 krad(Si), the OFF-state leakage current is only marginally increased, the ON-state leakage current is almost unchanged, the threshold voltage drift is 9.423%, and the transconductance degradation is only 7.453%. The simulation results demonstrated the proposed SGA SOI n-MOSFET resisted TID radiation doses up to 500 krad(Si). Meanwhile, the SGA SOI n-MOSFET is much more compact and saves tremendous cost compared with the H-gate-assisted (HGA) SOI n-MOSFET during very large scale integration (VLSI) fabrication and mass production. Moreover, the SGA SOI n-MOSFET solves the disadvantages of the ring-gate-assisted (RGA) SOI n-MOSFET complex aspect ratio ${W}/{L}$ design. The SGA SOI n-MOSFET offers a better alternative for nonultrahigh radiation dose environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]