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Baijiu (a Chinese liquor), one of the six world-renowned distilled liquors, is popular among consumers, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae plays the most important role. However, the diversity and metabolic differences of S. cerevisiae Baijiu yeasts remain unclear. Here, we first studied S. cerevisiae strains isolated from fermentative agents and then analyzed the environmental tolerance and metabolomic differences among different S. cerevisiae strains. The 29 S. cerevisiae strains were classified into 14 genotypes based on DNA fingerprints. Environmental tolerance analysis revealed differences among yeasts. A total of 88 classes of 854 secondary metabolites were detected via liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC‒MS/MS), 15 of which accounted for more than 1%, and carboxylic acids and their derivatives accounted for the highest percentage (20.73%), followed by benzene and substituted derivatives (12.76%). Both OPLS-DA and differentially abundant metabolite analysis revealed that the metabolites of the 14 S. cerevisiae genotypes were significantly different, and the differentially abundant metabolites l-erythrulose, 5(s)-HpETE, kaempferide, and cellobiose were obtained. Metabolic pathway analysis revealed that the metabolism of glycine, serine, and threonine differed significantly (p < 0.05). These results revealed the phenotypic diversity of industrial Baijiu yeasts and provided additional options for the utilization of S. cerevisiae yeasts in the brewing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a four-port multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) magneto-electric dipole antenna array with high gain and high isolation for 5G millimeter-wave communications. Each antenna contains an eight-way power divider, an eight-element magneto-electric dipole antenna array, a metal rectangular ring, and a dielectric slab. The proposed magneto-electric dipole antenna array has high radiation gain. The metal rectangular ring is applied to not only support the dielectric slab but suppress the surface wave propagation and thus the mutual coupling can be reduced. A further increase in the isolation performance can be realized based on the polarization diversity. The simulated and measured impedance bandwidths at 10 dB return losses are 24–31.86 GHz (28.1%) and 24.12–32 GHz (28.1%), respectively. The simulated and measured isolation levels are larger than 25 and 20 dB, respectively. The simulated and measured realized peak gains at 30 GHz are 20.5 and 19.2 dBi, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper simulates the launching dynamics of the Terminal-guidance projectile considering the barrel thermo-chemical erosion wear and mechanical wear. A thermochemical erosive material degradation model that considers the rise in friction temperature is first introduced. Moreover, the wear state of barrel rifling at different periods is calculated using the erosion wear model. A three-dimensional model of the worn barrel is established, and the coupled barrel– terminal-guidance projectile launch dynamics are simulated for different wear periods. Finally, the projectile's bore overload and attitude are analyzed to explore the effect of barrel wear on launch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the aging mechanisms and effects of outdoor natural exposure aging (NEA) on bitumen in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. Unmodified bitumen (No. 90) and styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS)-modified bitumen were exposed to natural weathering for 0, 4, and 8 months, and their aged samples were collected and analyzed. Dynamic shear rheology (DSR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were employed to examine the changes in rheological properties and chemical composition of the samples during NEA. The study also assessed the aging extent of bitumen using the complex modulus aging index (CMI), phase angle aging index (PAI), and rutting factor growth rate. FTIR was utilized to quantitatively evaluate the variations in functional group indices with NEA time. The correlation analysis between the conventional binder properties and functional group indices facilitated a deeper understanding of the aging behavior. The results revealed the differences in temperature sensitivity and aging resistance between unmodified bitumen (No. 90) and SBS-modified bitumen under NEA. This research offers insights into bitumen aging in high-altitude regions and emphasizes the intrinsic role of chemical functional group changes in inducing macroscopic indicator changes during NEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel anti-reduction mechanism was put up by substituting (Mg 1/3 Ta 2/3)4+ complex ion for Ti4+ ion in Ba 4.2 Sm 9.2 Ti 18-x (Mg 1/3 Ta 2/3) x O 54 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1) ceramics. The influence of (Mg 1/3 Ta 2/3)4+ complex ion on the sintering behavior, crystal structure, anti-reduction mechanism and microwave dielectric properties of Ba 4.2 Sm 9.2 Ti 18-x (Mg 1/3 Ta 2/3) x O 54 ceramics was investigated. The results indicated that Ba 4.2 Sm 9.2 Ti 18-x (Mg 1/3 Ta 2/3) x O 54 ceramics maintained a typical single-phase tungsten bronze structure. After doping, the ceramic exhibited dense structure and typical columnar grains. Raman spectroscopy and XPS analysis confirmed the reduction of oxygen vacancies and obtained a 7.86 % decrease of Ti3+ ions. Due to the anti-reduction of Ti4+ ions, Ba 4.2 Sm 9.2 Ti 18-x (Mg 1/3 Ta 2/3) x O 54 ceramics possessed an improvement in microwave dielectric properties. In Ba 4.2 Sm 9.2 Ti 18-x (Mg 1/3 Ta 2/3) x O 54 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1) ceramics, the Ba 4.2 Sm 9.2 Ti 17·95 (Mg 1/3 Ta 2/3) 0.05 O 54 (x = 0.05) ceramic sintered at 1350 °C for 4 h showed the best integrated microwave dielectric properties with ε r = 79.62, Q f = 10,450 GHz and τ f = −10.66 ppm/°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focuses on controller design for high-order fully actuated systems that experience input saturation and are affected by bounded disturbances, such as nonlinear uncertainties and time-varying unknown parameters. A saturated adaptive controller is developed via the fully actuated system approach and the Lyapunov stability theory to achieve output control and reject disturbances. The disturbances are treated as an extended state and then estimated by introducing an extended state observer. An adaptive variable is used to handle the estimation error between the actual and estimated values of the disturbances. An auxiliary system is designed to mitigate the saturation effect. Lyapunov's direct method verifies that the estimation error, the tracking error, the adaptive state, and the auxiliary system state will eventually stabilise within a bounded ellipsoid. An illustration of spacecraft attitude control demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed controller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the scenario of a pure quark star which is completely composed of quarks in the pseudo-Wigner phase. The equation of state (EoS) of deconfined quark stars is studied in the framework of the two-flavor NJL model, and the self-consistent mean field approximation is employed by introducing a parameter α combining the original Lagrangian and the Fierz-transformed Lagrangian, L R = (1 − α) L + α L F , to measure the weights of different interaction channels. We assume deconfinement phase transition happens along with the chiral phase transition. Thus, due to the lack of description of confinement in the NJL model, the vacuum pressure is set to confine quarks at low densities, which is the pressure corresponding to the critical point of chiral phase transition. We find that the bag constant shifts from (130 MeV) 4 to (150 MeV) 4 as α grows. When α is around 0.9, the mass-radius relations of deconfined quark stars can meet the requirement of pulsar observations. In addition, the tidal deformability Λ is found to range in 253 – 482, which satisfies the astronomical constraint of Λ < 800 for 1.4-solar-mass neutron stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The rapid global spread of COVID-19 has seriously impacted people's daily lives and the social economy while also posing a threat to their lives. The analysis of infectious disease transmission is of significant importance for the rational allocation of epidemic prevention and control resources, the management of public health emergencies, and the improvement of future public health systems. Methods: We propose a spatiotemporal COVID-19 transmission model with a neighborhood as an agent unit and an urban spatial network with long and short edge connections. The spreading model includes a network of defined agent attributes, transformation rules, and social relations and a small world network representing agents' social relations. Parameters for each stage are fitted by the Runge-Kutta method combined with the SEIR model. Using the NetLogo development platform, accurate dynamic simulations of the spatial and temporal evolution of the early epidemic were achieved. Results: Experimental results demonstrate that the fitted curves from the four stages agree with actual data, with only a 12.27% difference between the average number of infected agents and the actual number of infected agents after simulating 1 hundred times. Additionally, the model simulates and compares different "city closure" scenarios. The results showed that implementing a 'lockdown' 10 days earlier would lead to the peak number of infections occurring 7 days earlier than in the normal scenario, with a reduction of 40.35% in the total number of infections. Discussion: Our methodology emphasizes the crucial role of timely epidemic interventions in curbing the spread of infectious diseases, notably in the predictive assessment and evaluation of lockdown strategies. Furthermore, this approach adeptly forecasts the influence of varying intervention timings on peak infection rates and total case numbers, accurately reflecting real-world virus transmission patterns. This highlights the importance of proactive measures in diminishing epidemic impacts. It furnishes a robust framework, empowering policymakers to refine epidemic response strategies based on a synthesis of predictive modeling and empirical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subduction leads to voluminous arc magmatism at active continental margins; however, the potential far‐field geodynamic connections with coeval magmatism along opposing passive margins, are rarely investigated. Here we report large‐scale and parallel mafic dike swarms on the South Qinling passive margin, whose geochemical features record the thick and cold subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath passive margin was gradually replaced by thin and hot one during the early Paleozoic. The subduction of the Proto‐Tethys oceanic lithosphere led to arc magmatism along the active margin, shortly after the rift‐related mafic dike swarms occurred along the passive margin. Subsequent to the continuous oceanic subduction including the ridge‐margin collision, mantle upwelling and slab rollback eventually triggered large‐scale rift‐related magmatism and the opening of new ocean basin at passive margin, and also back‐arc magmatism on the active margin. We highlight slab subduction and pull link the geodynamic processes at active and passive continental margins, which improves our understanding of plate tectonics. Plain Language Summary: Large‐scale alkali mafic dike swarms on the South Qinling passive continental margin are associated with a series of parallel faults. Based on the estimated pressures and temperatures of the mantle sources of these dike swarms, we found that the thick and cold subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath the passive continental margin was gradually replaced by thin and hot one during the early Paleozoic. In addition, arc magmatism on the active margin would slightly precede the dike swarms in passive continental margin. We suggest that the subduction of the Proto‐Tethys oceanic lithosphere led to arc magmatism along the active margin, while rift‐related magmatism occurred along the passive margin of South Qinling. Subsequent to the continuous oceanic subduction including the ridge‐margin collision, mantle upwelling and slab rollback increased the tensional forces on the passive margin, eventually triggering large‐scale rift‐related magmatism and the opening of the ocean. Thus, we suggest the slab pull associated with subduction, and mantle upwelling geodynamicaly link the active and passive continental margin magmatism and leading to the opening of new ocean basins at passive margin. Key Points: Large‐scale parallel mafic dike swarms on South Qinling passive continental margin record thinning of the SCLM during PaleozoicArc magmatism on the active margin of North Qinling and Erlangping Arc slightly precede the dike swarms in South QinlingSlab subduction, pull and mantle upwelling geodynamicaly link the active and passive continental margins [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new method of microwave-enhanced hydrogen reduction was developed to carry out isothermal reduction experiments. The effects and mechanisms of different hydrogen volume fractions on the direct reduction behavior of a vanadium titanium magnetite concentrate (VTM) were investigated. The experimental results and theoretical analysis proved that combining the advantages of microwaves and hydrogen to reduce the VTM is feasible. The thermodynamics of the non-microwave field indicated that the hydrogen reduction of iron titanium oxides was more difficult than that of iron oxides and required a higher reaction temperature. Under microwave heating conditions, with an increase in hydrogen volume fraction, the metallization rate and reduction degree increased, the microscopic morphology developed into a porous sponge-like structure, the size of the internal pores increased, and the migration of metallic iron to the edges of the particles became obvious. When the hydrogen volume fractions exceeded 60%, the products did not contain TiO 2 , and the final products consisted of metallic iron containing a small amount of dissolved Ti. The reduction reaction was controlled by gas phase diffusion, and the average apparent activation energy was calculated to be 84.05 kJ/mol using a new kinetic model. Moreover, increased hydrogen volume fraction weakened the gas phase diffusion and was converted into internal diffusion. • It is feasible to reduce vanadium-titanium magnetite by microwave hydrogenation of hydrogen. • With the increase of hydrogen volume fraction, the microstructure develops to porous sponge structure. • The volume fraction of H 2 is 40%, which is the transition point of the product phase composition. • Gas diffusion control is the limiting link of the reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing for highly active and stable electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is of significant importance for some renewable energy conversion and storage systems. While, the prerequisite for further optimizing the activity of electrocatalysts is whether their original composition has potential for development. Herein, we firstly managed to combine theoretical and experimental efforts to establish Ru 0.4 Sn 0.3 Ce 0.3 O 2 (RSCO) as a promising electrocatalyst for acidic OER. The X-ray absorption and density functional theory studies reveal that the local coordination environment and electronic structure of Ru sites in RSCO is optimized by the oxygen atom bridged Sn and Ce at heterogeneous interfaces, thereby resulting in a low energy barrier. In addition, the electrochemical results indicate that the activity and stability of RSCO obviously surpasses that of the RuO 2 prepared by same method as RSCO. Most encouragingly, the OER activity of RSCO can be substantially enhanced only by optimizing the calcination temperature, meaning the possibility of further improvement the intrinsic activity of such oxygen atom bridged Ru based complex by proper surface or interfacial engineering. • RSCO electrocatalyst is synthesized with low content of Ru and abundant interface sites. • Oxygen atom assist the redistribution of electron around Ru sites at heterogeneous interfaces. • Tuning the species of metal precursor and calcination temperature allows the optimization of the synergistic effect between different atoms. • The low Gibbs free energy endows RSCO electrocatalyst with great potential in acidic OER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to enhance resource allocation in fog computing networks and establish an energy-aware service, this paper proposes a user satisfaction-based energy-saving computation offloading mechanism that jointly optimizes service decision, task offloading ratio, uplink bandwidth resource ratio, and computing resource ratio. Specifically, the proposed mechanism takes user satisfaction as a priority. It constructs a novel satisfaction function that considers the historical energy consumption distribution to capture the user's subjective perception of the service quality. Then, we develop a user satisfaction-based service decision (US-SD) algorithm to select unique service nodes for the users. Furthermore, to minimize the processing energy consumption, a subtask partition and resource allocation-based intelligent computation offloading (SPRA-ICO) algorithm is proposed. In such an algorithm, we design an innovative actor-critic network structure and add noise to the continuous output action to guarantee the randomness of deterministic policy exploration. Meanwhile, the experience replay buffer mechanism and parameter soft update operation are comprehensively employed to reduce the mutual guidance of training samples and improve the function convergence performance. Finally, the simulation results show that compared with other benchmark schemes, the proposed mechanism can realize good convergence speed and user retention rate while effectively mitigating the total energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high density of two‐dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in InAlN/AlN/GaN heterostructures results in significant occupation of higher subbands, it is thus imperative to consider multi‐subband occupation and inter‐subband scattering in the calculations of polar optical phonon (POP) scattering. The physical parameters, such as subband energies, wave functions of the four lowest subbands, and Fermi level of InAlN/AlN/GaN heterostructures, are calculated by solving the Schrödinger–Poisson equations and applied to the multi‐subband POP scattering model. The dependence of mobility, which is limited by multi‐subband POP scattering, on temperature and 2DEG density is studied. The results show that multi‐subband occupation and inter‐subband scattering play important roles in electron transport. The higher subbands contribute 26% to room‐temperature electron mobility. Two simplified POP scattering models, which either ignore multi‐subband occupation or simplify the in‐scattering processes are evaluated. The results show that both simplified models introduce significant deviations in the mobilities that are limited by POP scattering. The relative magnitudes of mobility in each subband depend on the energy dependence of momentum relaxation time and the energy distribution of each subband. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Enhancers play a crucial role in gene regulation, and some active enhancers produce noncoding RNAs known as enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) bi-directionally. The most commonly used method for detecting eRNAs is CAGE-seq, but the instability of eRNAs in vivo leads to data noise in sequencing results. Unfortunately, there is currently a lack of research focused on the noise inherent in CAGE-seq data, and few approaches have been developed for predicting eRNAs. Bridging this gap and developing widely applicable eRNA prediction models is of utmost importance. Results: In this study, we proposed a method to reduce false positives in the identification of eRNAs by adjusting the statistical distribution of expression levels. We also developed eRNA prediction models using joint gene expressions, DNA methylation, and histone modification. These models achieved impressive performance with an AUC value of approximately 0.95 for intra-cell prediction and 0.9 for cross-cell prediction. Conclusions: Our method effectively attenuates the noise generated by stochastic RNA production, resulting in more accurate detection of eRNAs. Furthermore, our eRNA prediction model exhibited significant accuracy in both intra-cell and cross-cell validation, highlighting its robustness and potential application in various cellular contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osthole is the prominent active ingredient isolated from Cnidium. The role of osthole in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was investigated herein. Bronchial epithelial 16HBE cells were exposed to cigarette smoke extract (CSE) to generate injury models. The concentration of CSE had an inverse correlation with cell viability. Osthole suppressed inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and pyroptosis in 16HBE cells, along with a decrease in RIPK2 level. RIPK2 overexpression reversed the effects of osthole on the abovementioned aspects. This study found that the osthole could reduce RIPK2 level, inhibit pyroptosis, and alleviate the damage in 16HBE cells under CSE stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients who have undergone surgery in early life may be at elevated risk for suffering neuropathic pain in later life. The risk factors for this susceptibility are not fully understood. Here, we used a mouse chronic pain model to test the hypothesis that early exposure to the general anesthetic (GA) Isoflurane causes cellular and molecular alterations in dorsal spinal cord (DSC) and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) that produces a predisposition to neuropathic pain via an upregulation of the mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. Mice were exposed to isoflurane at postnatal day 7 (P7) and underwent spared nerve injury at P28 which causes chronic pain. Selected groups were treated with rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor, for eight weeks. Behavioral tests showed that early isoflurane exposure enhanced susceptibility to chronic pain, and rapamycin treatment improved outcomes. Immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and q-PCR indicated that isoflurane upregulated mTOR expression and neural activity in DSC and DRG. Accompanying upregulation of mTOR and rapamycin-reversible changes in chronic pain-associated markers, including N-cadherin, cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), purinergic P2Y12 receptor, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in DSC; and connexin 43, phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK), GFAP, Iba1 in DRG, were observed. We concluded that early GA exposure, at least with isoflurane, alters the development of pain circuits such that mice are subsequently more vulnerable to chronic neuropathic pain states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and porcine delta-coronavirus (PDCoV) are economically important pathogens that cause diarrhea in sows and acute death of newborn piglets. Moreover, the emerging PDCoV was reported to infect children. The current situation is that vaccine prevention has not met expectations, and emergency containment strategies following outbreaks cannot prevent the damages and losses already incurred. Therefore, a more sensitive detection method, that is both convenient and enables accurate and effective sequencing, that will provide early warning of PEDV and PDCoV is necessary. This will enable active, effective, and comprehensive prevention and control, which will possibly reduce disease occurrences. Results: Duplex nested RT-PCR (dnRT-PCR) is an ideal method to achieve early warning and monitoring of PEDV and PDCoV diseases, and to additionally investigate any molecular epidemiological characteristics. In this study, two pairs of primers were designed for each virus based upon the highly conserved N protein sequences of both PEDV and PDCoV strains retrieved from the NCBI Genbank. After optimization of the reaction conditions, the dnRT-PCR assay amplified a 749-bp fragment specific to PEDV and a 344-bp fragment specific to PDCoV. Meanwhile, the specificity and sensitivity of the primers and clinical samples were tested to verify and establish this dnRT-PCR method. The limit of detection (LoD)for both PEDV and PDCoV was 10 copies/µL. The results showed that among 251 samples, 1 sample contained PEDV infection, 19 samples contained a PDCoV infection, and 8 samples were infected with both viruses, following the use of dnRT-PCR. Subsequently, the positive samples were sent for sequencing, and the sequencing results confirmed that they were all positive for the viruses detected using dnRT-PCR, and conventional RT-PCR detection was conducted again after the onset of disease. As these results were consistent with previous results, a detection method for PEDV and PDCoV using dnRT-PCR was successfully established. In conclusion, the dnRT-PCR method established in this study was able to detect both PEDV and PDCoV, concomitantly. Conclusions: The duplex nested RT-PCR method represents a convenient, reliable, specific, sensitive and anti-interference technique for detecting PEDV and PDCoV, and can additionally be used to simultaneously determine the molecular epidemiological background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact substrate‐integrated waveguide (SIW) filtering multiple‐input multiple‐output magnetic dipole antenna with high selectivity and high isolation is proposed. Each filtering antenna element contains a SIW cavity, a half‐mode SIW cavity, and a magnetic dipole antenna with backed ground. Meanwhile, the SIW cavity and the half‐mode SIW cavity are vertically connected through magnetic coupling, and second‐order filtering frequency responses can be obtained. Owing to the cross‐coupling between the feeding line and antenna, two radiation nulls can be created to realize high selectivity. Based on the radiation mechanism of the magnetic dipole antenna and polarization diversity, high isolation can be obtained. The measured isolation and the envelope correlation coefficient are greater than 24 dB and less than 0.004, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attitude control is an essential operation for spacecraft to perform space missions, and control strategies play a decisive role. In this paper, a second-order quaternion system of rigid spacecraft attitude dynamics is derived based on the fully actuated system approach. The quaternion system has two constraints that lead it to be a fully actuated system. Two closed-loop control strategies are proposed to achieve attitude tracking and stabilization for the fully actuated system. The stabilization strategy can control the scalar quaternion to reach the desired value and be used to deal with the unwinding phenomenon. Numerical simulations demonstrate the second-order quaternion system's validity and the control strategies' effectiveness. • A second-order quaternion system is derived from an intuitive perspective. • The control laws are much easier to design than the first-order system. • Arbitrary three quaternions can be employed as the controlled variables. • The unwinding phenomenon is handled in a simple way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality activities including quality assurance and quality improvement are an integral part of safety and quality governance for hospitals. Previous studies identified that (i) majority are for quality assurance and knowledge-acquiring purposes and (ii) adherence to the quality cycle as well as impact on patient-related outcomes at the hospital level are unclear, neither associated with costs. This study aims to (i) assess adherence to the quality cycle for quality activities in a large Australian tertiary hospital; (ii) report outcomes of quality activities at the hospital level, including impact on patient-related outcomes measured by the occurrence of hospital-acquired complications; and (iii) estimate time and costs for data collection. This quantitative study utilized three data sources. First is the hospital's electronic quality management system, Governance, Evidence, Knowledge and Outcome that identifies completed quality activities over a 5-year period; second is Tableau dashboards for hospital-acquired complication performance; third is Microsoft Teams Forms used to capture time of data collection for bedside observations and retrospective notes reviews. Median sample size and median hourly rates in 2018 were used for calculations. A total of 1768 quality activities were completed over a 5-year period representing an average of 353 quality activities per year, of which 87.8% were initiated by clinicians and 12.2% planned and coordinated by safety and quality or equivalent. The activity reports indicated that less than a fifth (17.1%) brought about improvement in process measures and only 7.1% improved outcome measures. Two-thirds of the quality activities (66.3%) provided recommendations based on their findings, but evidence of action plan was available in 14.1% of the reports only. No association was found between the number of activities completed and overall hospital-acquired complication performance. Retrospective data collection (64.7%) was common. The estimated time and cost for data collection averaged at 3490 h/year, equivalent to 1.8 full-time employees, for a cost of $171 000 at the nursing rate (A$49.0), $280 000 at the medical rate (A$79.5), and $200 000 at the Health Service Union rate (A$58.9). Most quality activities were clinician-initiated. Implementing change and achieving and sustaining improvement were the two challenging stages in the quality cycle. No clear association was observed between activities completed and improvement in patient-related outcomes although some improvement in processes. A paradigm shift may be needed to engineer quality activities in hospitals to be more outcome-oriented. Opportunities exist for hospitals to consider how quality activities can be organized to maximize returns from investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the algorithm and error estimates for solving space inhomogeneous semiconductor Boltzmann equations with multi-valley, which describe the transport properties of carriers in semiconductor materials and devices. The high-dimensional feature and the singularity of the collision terms make the numerical approximation of these equations difficult. The new contributions presented in this study are the presentation of an efficient direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method and the convergence results for solving space inhomogeneous semiconductor Boltzmann equations with multi-valley. Numerical tests and typical applications are carried out to demonstrate that the proposed method has a competitive advantage for solving this kind of problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Menstrual lifespan (ML) is an important biological characteristic for women. Rare evidence has established the associations between menopause age (MI), geriatric depression and healthy longevity. This study aimed to address these associations in Chinese oldest-old and centenarian women, and explore their related factors in order to provide strategy support for healthy aging. The China Hainan Centenarian Cohort Study provides a population-based sample in Hainan, China. A total of 723 women including 318 centenarian women and 405 oldest-old women aged 80–99 years were included in this study. Data on demographic information were collected using a structured questionnaire. Physical examination and blood samples were obtained following standard procedure. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) was used to evaluate depressive symptoms for all participants. The proportions of participants with depression and longevity were 19.78 % (143 older adults) and 43.98 % (318 older adults), respectively. After adjusting for a wide range of other covariates in multiple logistic regression analyses, ML was positively and significantly associated with depression and longevity [Exp(β) 1.076 and 1.121; P < 0.05 for all]. In multiple linear regression analyses, there were significantly positive associations of ML with GDS-15 (β = 0.061) and age (β = 0.238, p < 0.05 for all) after adjusting for all covariates. This study provides epidemiological evidence that menstrual lifespan has positive associations with geriatric depression and healthy longevity in Chinese oldest-old and centenarian women. Future researches should focus on the effects of intervening MI on psychological health and successful longevity. • Rare evidence has established the associations between menopause age, geriatric depression and healthy longevity. • Menstrual lifespan was shown to have positive associations with geriatric depression and healthy longevity in older women. • Researches should focus on the effects of intervening menstrual lifespan on psychological health and successful longevity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the relationship between filling defects in the left atrial appendage restricted to the early phase of cardiac computed tomography (CCT), and ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). A total of 152 patients with non-valvular AF were retrospectively enrolled and divided into two groups according to the stroke history, as confirmed by brain computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as the non-stroke group (n = 89) and stroke group (n = 63), respectively. The numbers of patients with filling defects in the early phase of CCT images without thrombi were recorded. Morphological parameters of the LAA were measured for all participants. All patients with early-phase filling defects (n = 44) were assigned to two groups according to ischemic stroke history: the filling defects with stroke group (n = 28) and the filling defects without stroke group (n = 16). The clinical characteristics and LAA morphological parameters were compared. Univariate analysis showed that compared with the non-stroke group，LAA volume index and age were higher in the stroke group, and the ratio of early phase filling defect in LAA, hypertension and diabetes were also higher, in the meanwhile the LVEF and BMI were lower (P < 0.05).After adjusting confounding factors by the multivariate logistic regression analysis, filling defect was significantly related with stroke [odds ratio (OR): 4.339, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.951–9.653, P = 0.000]. LAA morphological parameters were not significantly different between the filling defects with stroke group and the group without stroke. AF patients with LAA non-thrombotic filling defects in the early-phase of CCT had an increased risk of ischemic stroke compared to those without filling defects. This finding may help to optimize stroke risk stratification in patients with AF. • Early filling defect in LAA, age and diabetes are independent risk factors for stroke in AF. • AF patients with LAA non-thrombotic filling defects on the early-phase of cardiac CT increased ischemic stroke risk. • The occurrence of stroke in patients with filling defect may not be related to LAA morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A semi-analytical method is proposed for free and forced vibrations of a thin square binary material configuration plate containing circular plate-type resonators. The resonator embedded in the host plate consists of a rigid mass and a circular plate made of soft material. Based on the classical plate theory, the host plate and the resonator are modelled separately and then coupled by the condition of displacement compatibility. A set of local admissible functions is incorporated into the global admissible functions in the circular plate domain, to describe the non-smoothness and vibration localization of the displacement caused by the material difference between the host plate and the resonator. The resulting global admissible functions promote the capabilities of the Ritz method in predicting accurately the vibration characteristics of the plate with binary material configuration. The Ritz method with the constructed admissible functions is developed to extract frequencies and analytic mode functions of the plate under different boundary conditions. The plate subjected to a transverse harmonic excitation is discretized into a multi-degree-of-freedom system by the Lagrange approach with the analytic mode functions. The effects of boundary conditions, locations of the mass, and material properties on the vibration are explored. It is demonstrated that the mass location in the circular plate only affects the frequencies of the resonator and has almost no effect on the frequencies and the modes of global vibration, and the resonator with the appropriate material parameters reduces significantly the multi-mode plate vibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the outstanding advantages in light alloy material processing, friction stir welding technology is of great significance for obtaining high-quality welding products and accelerating aerospace lightweight. At present, most related studies predict joint quality before welding through computer technology. However, due to the complex thermo-mechanical coupling in the welding process, there may be a large deviation between the predicted results and the actual results, resulting in energy waste. In addition, these prediction models have poor real-time and versatility. Therefore, a new joint quality prediction method based on entropy production analysis is proposed in this paper. Firstly, based on non-equilibrium thermodynamics and extrusion theory, the entropy generation analysis model of the friction stir welding system is deduced. Using Liouvile's Formula, the analytic solution of the entropy generation analysis model with unknown parameters is obtained. Secondly, combined with numerical simulation and multiple regression, the unknown parameters of the entropy generation analysis model are determined. Finally, multiple sets of welding experiments are designed to verify the effectiveness of the entropy generation analysis model. The welding process is analyzed by the proposed entropy generation analysis model to achieve the quality prediction of friction stir welded joint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes and impaired glucose regulation are very common in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). In this study, we aim to investigate the prevalence of abnormal glucose regulation in men and women in Chinese CAD patients.Methods: In this retrospective study, 4100 patients (male, n = 2873; female, n = 1227)with CAD were enrolled. The mean age of these patients was 63 years. The demographic data, medical history, echocardiography findings and blood investigations were collected and analyzed.Results: In this population, 953 (24%) patients had definite diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus, including 636 males (23%) and 317 females (27%). There was a higher prevalence of diabetes in females than men (p < 0.05). For the remaining patients, 48% (n = 959) undergone an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), which revealed that 83 male patients (12%) and 41 female patients (16%) suffered from the type 2 diabetes (p > 0.05). 283 men (40%) and 105 women (41%) had impaired glucose regulation (IGR) (p > 0.05). Only 338 men (25%) and 109 women (19%) showed the normal glucose regulation, implying a higher prevalence of abnormal glucose regulation in females (p < 0.01). The odd ratio (OR) showed that women were more prone to have diabetes mellitus or IGT than men and the OR was 1.44 and 1.43 respectively.Conclusion: Abnormal glucose regulation is highly prevalent in CAD patients. The women are more prone to have diabetes mellitus or IGT than men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preliminary studies have suggested that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is effective for bipolar depression, However, brain correlates of the depression alleviating are unclear. To determine the efficacy and safety of tDCS as an add-on treatment for patients with bipolar depression and further to identify the effect of tDCS on the resting-state brain activities, we recruited fifty patients with bipolar depression to complete the double-blind, sham-controlled and randomized clinical trial. Fourteen sessions of tDCS were performed once a day for 14 days. The anode was placed over F3 with return electrodes placed at FP1, FZ, C3 and F7. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) was examined on 50 patients with bipolar depression before and after 14-day active or sham tDCS. Patients in the active group showed significantly superior alleviating the depression symptoms compared with those receiving sham. The active group after 14-day active tDCS showed increased ReHo values in the orbitofrontal cortex and middle frontal gyrus and decreased ReHo values in subcortical structures including hippocampus, parahippocampa gyrus, amygdala, putamen and lentiform nucleus. The reduction of depression severity showed positive correlation of increased ReHo values in the orbitofrontal cortex and middle frontal gyrus and negative correlation of altered ReHo values in the putamen and lentiform. TDCS was an effective and safe add-on intervention for this small bipolar depression sample. The reduction of depression induced by tDCS is associated with a modulation of neural synchronization in the cortical and subcortical structures (ReHo values) within an emotion-related brain network. • To determine the efficacy and safety of HD-tDCS as an add-on treatment for patients with bipolar depression, the study used a random, double-blind and sham-controlled design. Each participant attended 14 consecutive sessions of HD-tDCS intervention, The anode was placed over F3 with return electrodes placed at FP1, FZ, C3 and F7. • Active tDCS significantly alleviated depression symptoms. Additionally, active tDCS significantly increased ReHo values in the orbitofrontal cortex and middle frontal gyrus and reduced ReHo values of some subcortical structures including hippocampus, parahippocampa gyrus, amygdala, putamen and lentiform nucleus. • Furthermore, the improvement of depression showed positive correlation of increased ReHo values in the orbitofrontal cortex and middle frontal gyrus and negative correlation of altered ReHo values in the putamen and lentiform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of complex biological sample-compatible fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with improved performances is highly important for their real-world bioanalytical and biomedical applications. Herein, we report on the first hydrophilic "turn-on"-type fluorescent hollow MIP microparticles capable of directly, highly selectively, and rapidly optosensing hippuric acid (HA) in the undiluted human urine samples. These fluorescent hollow MIP microparticles were readily obtained through first the synthesis of core-shell-corona-structured nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD)-labeled hydrophilic fluorescent MIP microspheres by performing one-pot surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization on the preformed "living" silica particles and subsequent removal of their silica core via hydrofluoric acid etching. They showed "turn-on" fluorescence and high optosensing selectivity and sensitivity toward HA in the artificial urine (the limit of detection = 0.097 μM) as well as outstanding photostability and reusability. Particularly, they exhibited much more stable aqueous dispersion ability, significantly faster optosensing kinetics, and higher optosensing sensitivity than their solid counterparts. They were also directly used for quantifying HA in the undiluted human urine with good recoveries (96.0%–102.0%) and high accuracy (RSD ≤ 4.0%), even in the presence of several analogues of HA. Such fluorescent hollow MIP microparticles hold much promise for rapid and accurate HA detection in the clinical diagnostic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to abstract away a network model from some real-world networks, such as navigation satellite networks and mobile call networks, we proposed an Isochronal-Evolution Random Matching Network (IERMN) model. An IERMN is a dynamic network that evolves isochronally and has a collection of edges that are pairwise disjoint at any point in time. We then investigated the traffic dynamics in IERMNs whose main research topic is packet transmission. When a vertex of an IERMN plans a path for a packet, it is permitted to delay the sending of the packet to make the path shorter. We designed a routing decision-making algorithm for vertices based on replanning. Since the IERMN has a specific topology, we developed two suitable routing strategies: the Least Delay Path with Minimum Hop (LDPMH) routing strategy and the Least Hop Path with Minimum Delay (LHPMD) routing strategy. An LDPMH is planned by a binary search tree and an LHPMD is planned by an ordered tree. The simulation results show that the LHPMD routing strategy outperformed the LDPMH routing strategy in terms of the critical packet generation rate, number of delivered packets, packet delivery ratio, and average posterior path lengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although high-Mg andesites (HMA) have attracted increasing attention due to their unique geochemical composition and important geological significance, there is no consensus on their petrogenesis. The present study indicates that the subducting terrigenous sediment-derived hydrous melts were incorporated into the mantle source of Paleozoic HMA in northwestern Tianshan, western China. These HMA are composed of basaltic andesite and andesite. They generally exhibit arc-type trace element distribution patterns and weakly enriched Sr-Nd-Hf isotope compositions. Some of them show remarkably higher Ba/La, Ba/Th, Rb/Nb, and U/Th ratios than normal mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB). Furthermore, most of them are characterized by higher Th/Nb, Th/Yb, and Th/Nd ratios but lower Nb/U ratios relative to normal MORB, similar to those of terrigenous sediments. Whole-rock Nd isotopes covary with Rb/Nb and Th/Yb ratios, indicating contributions from both oceanic crust-derived aqueous solutions and terrigenous sediment-derived hydrous melts. Together with their high zircon δ18O values, it appears that the mantle source of the target HMA contains terrigenous sediment-derived hydrous melts in addition to subducting oceanic crust-derived aqueous solutions. In the studied HMA, the andesite generally exhibits higher contents of large-ion lithophile elements and light rare earth elements and more enrichments in Sr-Nd-Hf isotopes than the basaltic andesite. These differences indicate that the mantle source of andesite would contain more subducting sediment-derived hydrous melts than that of basaltic andesite. As a consequence, relatively Si-rich and Si-poor pyroxenite sources were respectively generated as the mantle sources of the andesite and basaltic andesite. This qualitative interpretation is verified by quantitative modeling of the geochemical transfer from subducting oceanic crust into the mantle wedge. Model calculations indicate that the addition of ~3% oceanic crust-derived aqueous solutions and 4%-12% terrigenous sediment-derived hydrous melts into the mantle wedge peridotite can account for the geochemical compositions of the target HMA. Therefore, the HMA in northwestern Tianshan provide the geochemical evidence for the crust-mantle interaction during the oceanic subduction in the Paleozoic. As such, the subducting terrigenous sediment-derived hydrous melts play a dominant role in the composition of the lithochemically fertile, geochemically enriched mantle sources and thus in the origin of HMA above oceanic subduction zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literacy development of d/Deaf and hard of hearing (d/Dhh) children has always been a matter of grave concern among educators, and grammatical knowledge is said to constitute a major component such development. The present article reports on a study that examined the development of Chinese grammar among groups of d/Dhh and hearing children who received education through a sign bilingualism and coenrollment (SLCO) approach. Findings from administration of a prestandardized assessment tool showed that while the d/Dhh children generally lagged behind their hearing peers at all levels, the gap began to narrow from Primary 2 onward, and they caught up with their hearing peers in most except for a few grammatical constructions by Primary 4. Qualitative analysis revealed a similar developmental profile and similar degrees of difficulty in mastering the more complex constructions in written Chinese between the two groups of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to pressure gain characteristics, the rotating detonation combustor (RDC) can be integrated into gas turbines by further improving the system's performance. The matching of unsteady flows in the RDC and turbine is a key challenge. Here, interactions in an RDC and planar turbine cascade are investigated using the unsteady Reynolds time‐averaged Navier‐Stokes method. The effects of the blade profiles on interactions between the oblique shock wave (OSW) and turbine cascade are analyzed, and the suppression effect of the turbine cascade on high‐frequency pressure oscillations is evaluated. The results show that the OSW interacts with the leading edge, pressure side, suction side, and trailing edge of the turbine stator and rotor blades, which generates complex wave systems in the cascade passage. The opposite propagation direction causes the OSW to be aligned or misaligned with the stator blade. The position of the OSW that operates on the turbine cascade changes, and two different wave system structures appear. The various pitches of the turbine cascade at different blade heights cause differing intensities and propagation directions in the reflected wave as generated by the action of the OSW and turbine cascade and the variable flow fields at different blade heights. The turbine cascade can significantly suppress the high‐frequency pressure oscillations, while the pressure amplitude attenuation rate can reach over 80% when the OSW propagates through the turbine cascade. These findings expound on the interaction mechanism between the rotating detonation wave complex and the turbine stator and rotor blades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arc volcanic rocks erupted above oceanic subduction zones generally have heavy molybdenum (Mo) isotopic compositions, which are attributed to contributions from oceanic slab-derived fluids with isotopically heavy Mo at subarc depths. Given that mafic igneous rocks with light Mo isotopic compositions have been rarely identified, it is unclear where light Mo isotope reservoirs reside, as these must exist due to oceanic subduction through geologic time. We present Mo isotope data from Mesozoic-Cenozoic mafic igneous rocks from the eastern North China craton, which were affected by continuous subduction of the oceanic slab. The Mesozoic mafic igneous rocks have island-arc basalt (IAB)-like features and high -98Mo values of -0.15- to +0.09-. In contrast, the Cenozoic mafic igneous rocks have ocean-island basalt (OIB)-like features and low -98Mo values of -0.53- to -0.19. In addition, these two suites of rocks exhibit systematic differences in Sr-Nd isotopic compositions and fluid- and melt-mobile element contents, indicating that their mantle sources contained crustal components derived from different depths. The heavy Mo and weakly enriched Sr-Nd isotopic compositions and IAB-like trace-element signatures were inherited from slab fluids (including oceanic crust-derived aqueous solutions and seafloor sediment-derived hydrous melts) liberated at subarc depths. The light Mo and depleted Sr-Nd isotopic compositions and OIB-like trace-element signatures were inherited from dehydrated slab-derived melts (with rutile breakdown) at postarc depths. Therefore, Mo isotope systematics of mafic igneous rocks are a powerful means with which to trace the geochemical fluxes from subducting oceanic slabs to the mantle wedge at different depths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bonds between people and place are an important predictor of a tourist's environmentally responsible behaviour (ERB). From a holistic perspective, the connection between people and place can be divided into bonds formed before the visit and those formed after the visit. However, insufficient research has been carried out on the bond formed between visitors and destination before the visit. This relationship between before visit and after visit people-place bonds, as well as how this relationship impacts visitor experience and environmentally responsible behaviour brings new understanding to the tourist experience. The origin site of the famous Chinese geographical indication (GI) product, Hangzhou Xihu Longjing Tea, is a place where such a people-place bond is formed before the visit and site involvement. Based on a sample of 371 questionnaires, it is verified that the people-place bond formed before the visit is worthy of attention. As when tourists form a strong connection between people and place through GI products before visiting the destination, they have better experience, stronger attachment to the place, and easier implementation of environmental protection behaviours. It also suggests that managers should make good use of GI resources to promote sustainable tourism and extend the scope of destination management to the stage before tourists visit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An inter-satellite communication network of satellite swarm (ICNS) is created if the members of a satellite swarm communicate with each other via inter-satellite links (ISLs). ICNS can be constructed using the theory of complex networks. A link community is defined as two satellites between which the ISL has been established. The satellite swarm, whose members have not established ISLs, is modeled as a pre-link network (PLN). The edge of a PLN is described as a candidate for the link community. Consequently, an ICNS can be constructed by collecting combinations of candidates for link communities (CCLC) based on PLN and then by selecting one of these. An algorithm is designed to take a sample of all CCLCs. A new structural entropy of networks is developed to evaluate a CCLC. The CCLC with a maximum structural entropy in the CCLC sample will be selected to become the edge set of the ICNS. An improvement method was proposed to ensure that the ICNS remains a dynamic connected network by preventing each satellite from establishing an ISL with the same satellite. The simulations demonstrated that the proposed method outperformed the benchmark methods, and it is necessary to adopt the improvement method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient preparation of ratiometric fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) microspheres that can directly and selectively optosense a herbicide (i.e., 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2,4-D) in undiluted pure milk is described. The dual fluorescent MIP microparticles were readily obtained through grafting a green 4-nitrobenzo[c][1,2,5]oxadiazole (NBD)-labeled 2,4-D-MIP layer with hydrophilic polymer brushes onto the preformed uniform "living" red CdTe quantum dot (QD)-labeled SiO2 microspheres via one-pot surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) in the presence of a polyethylene glycol macro-ATRP initiator. They proved to be highly promising "turn-on"-type fluorescent chemosensors with red CdTe QD (the maximum emission wavelength λe,max around 710 nm) and green NBD (λe,max around 515 nm) as the reference fluorophore and "turn-on"-type responsive fluorophore, respectively. The sensors showed excellent photostability and reusability, high 2,4-D selectivity and sensitivity (the limit of detection = 0.12 μM), and direct visual detection ability (a fluorescent color change occurs from red to blue-green with the concentration of 2,4-D increasing from 0 to 100 μM) in pure bovine milk. The sensors were used for 2,4-D detection with high recoveries (96.0–104.0%) and accuracy (RSD ≤ 4.0%) in pure goat milk at three spiking levels of both 2,4-D and its mixtures with several analogues. This new strategy lays the foundation for efficiently developing diverse complex biological sample-compatible ratiometric fluorescent MIPs highly useful for real-world bioanalyses and diagnostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Drug resistance testing in HIV-1 low-level viremia (LLV) samples is challenging yet critical. Our study is aimed at assessing the performance of lentivirus concentration reagent (LCR) in combination with a validated Sanger sequencing (SS) for monitoring drug resistance mutations (DRMs) in LLV samples. Methods. A series of clinical samples were diluted and amplified for genotypic resistance testing (GRT) to prove the performance of the LCR. The Stanford HIV-1 drug resistance database (HIVdb version 8.9) was used to analyze the mutations. HIV-1 subtypes and CRFs were determined using the COMET online tool. The overall success rate of genotyping was compared with ultracentrifugation combined with SS. Furthermore, the success rates at varied VL of the two concentration methods were evaluated, and the DRMs of diluted samples were compared with those undiluted samples. Results. When LCR was used, the overall success rate was 90% (72/80) in the PR and RT regions and 60% (48/80) in the IN region. In addition, when HIV RNA was 1000 copies/ml, 400 copies/ml, 200 copies/ml, and 100 copies/ml, the success rates of PR and RT regions were 100%, 100%, 95%, and 65%, respectively, while the success rates of IN region were 85%, 60%, 45%, and 50%, respectively. We found that the sample DR-387A2 missed the E138A mutation, and mutations in other samples were consistent with undiluted samples using LCR. Conclusions. LCR will support monitoring DRMs in HIV-1 patients with LLV and can be an effective alternative for small- and medium-sized laboratories that cannot afford an ultracentrifuge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mantle heterogeneity is caused by recycling of crustal materials into the mantle, and mafic arc magmatism provides important imformation on the nature of crust–mantle interaction. Here we undertake an integrated study of whole rock major-trace elements and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopes, in-situ zircon U–Pb ages and Hf–O isotopes as well as mineral major-trace elements and clinopyroxene Sr isotopes for mafic intrusives in the Qilian orogen. The studied Jinyuan and Jishishan mafic igneous rocks show consistent zircon U–Pb ages of ca. 448–450 Ma. They all display arc-like trace element distribution patterns, relatively depleted Sr–Nd isotope compositions, and variably high zircon O isotopes. In comparison, the Jinyuan mafic igneous rocks have less depleted Sr–Nd–Hf and higher O isotope compositions than the Jishishan mafic rocks. These geochemicial features indicate they originated from a heterogeneous orogenic lithospheric mantle source, which resulted from the incorporation of variable crustal materials into the mantle. Model calculations confirm that the heterogeneous mantle source would be generated by reaction of the mantle wedge peridotite with different proportions of the subducting Proto–Tethyan oceanic crust-derived aqueous solutions and sediment-derived hydrous melts. Partial melting of the heterogeneous mantle source would generate different batches of mafic melts, which led to magma mixing and recharge processes prior to emplacement as evidenced by mineral compositional zonings. Therefore, in addition to heterogeneous crust–mantle interaction during oceanic subduction, magmatic processes such as magma recharge and mixing may also contribute to the petrogenesis of arc igneous rocks above the oceanic subduction zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specific properties of easy manufacturing, open frameworks, and high specific surface area endow prussian blue analogues (PBAs) as promising electrode materials for water splitting. Herein, we reported the successful application of interface engineering strategy to introduce low content of Pt species to boost the electrocatalytic activity of FeCo PBAs by ammonia etching and subsequent calcination. The resulting PtCo alloy modified FeCo PBAs (PtCo–FeCo PBAs) complex reveals modest electrocatalytic activity with low overpotentials (η) of 139 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and 310 mV for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at 10 mA cm−2 in alkaline electrolyte. Remarkably, the PtCo–FeCo PBAs only required small cell voltage of 1.68 V to drive 10 mA cm−2 for overall water splitting and the ideal electrocatalytic activity can be maintained for more than 50 h at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. The structural analysis unveils that the strong interaction between FeCo PBAs host and PtCo alloy resulting in charge redistribution and ultimately lead to high electrocatalytic activity and stability of PtCo–FeCo PBAs for both HER and OER. • PtCo–FeCo PBAs was synthesized by calcination of low content of Pt modified FeCo PBAs. • The PtCo alloy formed in situ on FeCo PBAs surface can enhance the structural stability of PtCo–FeCo PBAs. • Such PtCo–FeCo PBAs displays high electrocatalytic activity and stability for both HER and OER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly variable molybdenum (Mo) isotope compositions are common in mafic arc magmas above oceanic subduction zones, but Mo isotopes of mafic magmas related to continental deep subduction have not yet been documented. Here, we report for the first time the Mo isotope composition of mafic igneous rocks above a typical continental subduction zone in east-central China, where the North China Block was subducted by the South China Block in the Triassic. Continental basalts of Early Cretaceous age show negative δ98Mo values of −0.98 to −0.16 ‰, significantly lower than the normal mantle value of −0.20 ± 0.01 ‰. These basalts also exhibit arc-like trace element compositions, high (87Sr/86Sr) i ratios of 0.7050 to 0.7058, negative ε Nd (t) values of −15.2 to −10.4, and negative ε Hf (t) values of −18.7 to −7.9. The light Mo isotope signatures are associated with enrichments in not only radiogenic Sr-Nd-Hf isotopes but also melt-mobile incompatible elements in the basalts. This indicates that the mantle source of these basalts would be generated by metasomatic reaction of the mantle wedge peridotite with felsic melts derived from partial melting of the deeply subducted continental crust. Given that continental crust usually exhibits heavy Mo isotope compositions, it would be dehydrated during its subduction to subarc depths. While the dehydration would have released isotopically heavy Mo fluids from the subducting crust, it leaves isotopically light Mo in the residual crust. The dehydrated continental crust underwent partial melting at subarc depths to produce felsic melts with low δ98Mo values, transferring the light Mo isotope signature into the mantle source of the basalts. Therefore, Mo isotopes in mafic igneous rocks are a powerful means to decipher the recycling of crustal components at convergent plate margins. Our study provides the first insight into Mo isotope recycling in continental subduction zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive dysfunction is a high incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM). However, the relationship between DM-induced cognitive defect and neuronal network oscillations is still unknown. In this study, adult male C57BL/6 J mice were intraperitoneally injected with streptozotocin (STZ) to duplicate DM. After 12 weeks, local field potentials were recorded in the perforant fiber pathway (PP) and dentate gyrus (DG) regions. Data showed that mice in the STZ group exhibited impairment of spatial learning and memory by the Morris Water Maze test. The low gamma (LG) and high gamma (HG) power were increased in the PP and DG areas of the STZ group. Moreover, the phase synchronization and the information flow at theta and LG rhythms between the PP and DG areas were decreased, and the theta-LG phase-amplitude coupling strength was markedly reduced in the PP region, DG region, and the PP–DG pathway in the STZ group. Additionally, the concentration of glutamate was increased by the high-performance liquid chromatography. Moreover, the NR2B and PSD95 expressions were markedly reduced, and the Akt/GSK-3β pathway was inhibited. Interestingly, the expressions of mGluRIIs (mGluR2 and mGluR3) were significantly decreased. The reduction of mGluRIIs may limit their function, such as restricting presynaptic glutamate release and reversing the dysfunction of NR2B via Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway. In conclusion, our data suggest that DM alters the hippocampal neural network partly related to the dysfunction of mGluRIIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant sphingolipids are important membrane components and bioactive molecules in development and defense responses. However, the function of sphingolipids in plant defense, especially against herbivores, is not fully understood. Here, we report that Spodoptera exigua feeding affects sphingolipid metabolism in Arabidopsis, resulting in increased levels of sphingoid long-chain bases, ceramides, and hydroxyceramides. Insect-induced ceramide and hydroxyceramide accumulation is dependent on the jasmonate signaling pathway. Loss of the Arabidopsis alkaline ceramidase ACER increases ceramides and decreases long-chain base levels in plants; in this work, we found that loss of ACER enhances plant resistance to S. exigua and improves response to mechanical wounding. Moreover, acer-1 mutants exhibited more severe root-growth inhibition and higher anthocyanin accumulation than wild-type plants in response to methyl jasmonate treatment, indicating that loss of ACER increases sensitivity to jasmonate and that ACER functions in jasmonate-mediated root growth and secondary metabolism. Transcript levels of ACER were also negatively regulated by jasmonates, and this process involves the transcription factor MYC2. Thus, our findings reveal that ACER is involved in mediating jasmonate-related plant growth and defense and that jasmonates function in regulating the expression of ACER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The service life of piezoelectric devices is significantly affected by the electric fatigue load. The randomness of loads and nonuniformity of material properties caused by random distribution of internal defects in piezoelectric body will lead to the dispersion of the failure life of piezoelectric devices. Predicting failure probability of piezoelectric materials under electric fatigue load is essential for the reliability and life prediction of piezoelectric structures and devices. In this paper, the initial damage of piezoelectric materials is modeled as a random variable. Based on the methods of probability theory and statistics, the failure probability assessment model of piezoelectric materials under electric fatigue load is proposed. The probability density function of initial damage is obtained by observation and statistics of initial defect area. The failure probability assessment model of piezoelectric materials under electric fatigue load can be obtained by probability theory and integral method. Meanwhile, the failure probability evolution of piezoelectric materials under various electric fatigue loads is considered. The results show that the failure life and dispersion of piezoelectric materials is significantly affected by electric fatigue load, and the variation of failure probability under various electric loads is similar. Based on the proposed failure probability assessment models, the randomness of the electric load and randomly distributed initial defects of materials are considered in the damage evolution and performance prediction of piezoelectric structures, which is an important supplement to the reliability prediction and application of piezoelectric devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To discuss the clinical therapeutic effect of Fu's subcutaneous needling therapy combined with tui na in the treatment of chronic nonspecific low back pain in pattern of qi stagnation and blood stasis. Methods: 92 cases of chronic nonspecific low back pain patients in pattern of qi stagnation and blood stasis were divided into the treatment group and the control group, with 46 cases in each group (n = 46). The patients in the control group were given routine treatment of modern medicine. Based on the treatment of the control group, patients in the treatment group were treated with Fu's subcutaneous needling therapy combined with tui na. The therapeutic effect of the two groups was compared after treatment. The modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) was used to evaluate the patient's condition. The subjective pain degree of patients was evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS). The range of motion of extension, lateral flexion and flexion was compared between the two groups. The serum levels of Interleukin-1B (IL-1ß), substance P (SP) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were measured before and after treatment. Results: The total effective rate of the treatment group was 95.65%. The total effective rate of the control group was 80.43%. The total effective rate of the treatment group was higher than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The mJOA scores of the two groups increased significantly after treatment, especially in the treatment group (P < 0.05). The VAS scores of the two groups significantly reduced after treatment, especially in the treatment group (P < 0.05). The range of motion of extension, lateral flexion and flexion in the two groups significantly improved after treatment (P < 0.05). The range of motion of extension, lateral flexion and flexion in the treatment group was higher than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). After treatment, IL-1ß and SP in the two groups decreased significantly, and 5-HT increased significantly (P < 0.05). The IL-1ß and SP in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group, and 5-HT in the treatment group was higher than that in the control group. Moreover, the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Fu's subcutaneous needling therapy combined with tui na can improve the curative effect of chronic nonspecific low back pain in pattern of qi stagnation and blood stasis. The treatment helps to control the condition of disease, reduce the degree of pain and improve the range of activity of the waist. Moreover, it can regulate the level of cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A soft-hard template cooperative organization approach for simultaneous introduction of mesoporous and nitrogen defects into g-C 3 N 4. • The method greatly increases the specific surface area of g-C 3 N 4 through mesopore connectivity. • The combination of soft and hard template creates a large number of nitrogen defects. • This material has excellent adsorption and catalytic properties. The mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) was prepared by a facile soft-hard template cooperative organization approach to creating pores, with the melamine used as the precursor, and the mixture of silica sol and F127 was employed as mesoporous templates. Nitrogen-deficient mesoporous g-C 3 N 4 samples were obtained by modifying the addition of F127. In addition, samples prepared with combined templates (FMCN-x) were compared with those using only soft (FCN) and hard (MCN) templates, and the results showed there was a significant increase in specific surface area and photocatalytic performance. Among them, sample FMCN-4 exhibited the maximum specific surface area of 104.18 m2/g and pore volume of 0.346 cm3/g. The presence of F127 enhances the pore formation effect of the silica sol, resulting in even higher specific surfaces with even smaller additions of silica sol. This situation reduces the amount of template etchant used subsequently and produces it in a more environmentally friendly cooperative organization. On the other hand, the soft-hard template cooperative organization approach introduced nitrogen defects in the g-C 3 N 4 material, and the C/N ratio increased to 1.09 for FMCN-4, which improved the photocatalytic performance. FMCN-4 exhibited 95.71 % degradation efficiency to methyl orange in 90 min under simulated visible light irradiation. FMCN-4 also exhibits excellent visible light photocatalytic properties and good cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new high-speed digital pulse signal acquisition and processing (SAQP) system based on micro telecommunications computing architecture (MTCA) is developed, and realizes the first application of MTCA on EAST. • The new SAQP system is capable to process and transfer data in real time. • Analyzed the characteristics of two trigger detection methods and applied them to baseline restoration, pulse processing and pile-up detection. • The real-time algorithm possesses the capability for real-time baseline restoration, n- γ discrimination, pulse amplitude analysis, pile-up event detection and dynamic pulse recording window for recording entire pulse waveform. Neutron emission spectroscopy (NES) diagnosis is an important technique in high-power thermonuclear fusion experiments for studying fast ions. In the fusion NES measurement on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), the liquid scintillator detector was employed. This selection was based on the detector's high sensitivity, fast time-response and superior n- γ discrimination properties. In order to meet the demands of high-parameter experiments and fully leverage the diagnostic capabilities, a new signal acquisition and processing (SAQP) system based on Micro-telecommunications computing architecture (MTCA) was developed equipped with real-time processing capabilities. The new SAQP system aims to perform real-time acquisition, processing and storage of neutron and gamma flux data from the NES system, allowing the possibility of maximum count rates of 2 Mcps during the EAST experiment. This paper presents the real-time algorithm implemented on field programmable gate array (FPGA). It possesses the capability for real-time baseline restoration, n- γ discrimination, pulse amplitude analysis, pile-up event detection and dynamic pulse recording window for recording entire pulse waveforms. The new SAQP system, including the integrated real-time algorithm, underwent detailed testing with both a signal generator and a neutron generator. The experimental results indicate that the real-time algorithm successfully achieve all expected functions, enhancing performance in n- γ discrimination and dynamically recording entire pulse waveforms at high count rates without data loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of medical image processing, due to the differences in tissues, organs, and imaging methods, obtained medical images have significant differences. With the development of intelligence in medicine, an increasing number of computing optimization algorithms based on AI technology have also been applied to the field of medicine. Because the image segmentation algorithm based on the semisupervised self-training algorithm solves initialization class center large randomness problem in the traditional cluster-based image segmentation algorithm, this article aims to integrate the artificial intelligence semisupervised self-training algorithm into the pathological tissue image segmentation problem. An experimental group is designed to collect sample images and the algorithm proposed in this article is used to perform image segmentation to achieve a better visual experience and images. Although there is no general image segmentation theory, many scholars have been committed to applying new concepts and new methods to image segmentation in recent years and combining specific theoretical image segmentation methods has achieved good application results in image segmentation. For example, wavelet analysis, wavelet transform, neural networks, and genetic algorithms can effectively improve the segmentation effect. The results of the Seg cutting method designed in this article show that, in retinal blood vessel segmentation results on a database of healthy people, the sensitivity value is 0.941633, the false-positive rate is 0.952933, the specificity is 0.956787, and the accuracy rate is 0.96182, which are all higher than those in other methods. Image cutting methods such as FNN, CNN, and AWN have addressed the case tissue image cutting problem. Using the Seg cutting method designed in this article to segment the retinal blood vessels on a diabetes patient database, the sensitivity value is 0.8106, the false-positive rate is 0.0511, the specificity is 0.9712, the accuracy is 0.9421, and the false-positive rate is omitted. The false-positive rate is lower than AWN, and other indicators are higher than FNN, CNN, AWN, and other image cutting methods. The application of artificial intelligence-based semisupervised self-training algorithms in pathological tissue image segmentation is realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palladium‐catalyzed decarboxylative cycloadditions have emerged as highly effective methods for constructing structurally diverse carbo‐ and heterocycles because of the formation of at least two carbon‐carbon or carbon‐heteroatom bonds in a single step. It is of great interest to chemists that this type of cycloaddition reactions possesses some special advantages such as high reactivity, exclusive regioselectivity, and good functional group compatibility. Based on these qualities, palladium‐catalyzed decarboxylative cycloadditions present strong ability in synthetic chemistry and have been flourished especially in the last five years. In this review, the achievements in palladium‐catalyzed decarboxylative cycloadditions involving cyclic carbonates, carbamates, and lactones for accessing oxacyclo‐, azacyclo‐ and carbocyclic compounds are addressed. Mechanistic insights and some synthetic applications toward the synthesis of natural products are discussed. The challenges and opportunities of this field are also outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some benthic Prorocentrum can produce okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxins (DTXs) that cause diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP) in humans. The diversity and toxin profiles (OA and DTXs) of benthic Prorocentrum were investigated in the Xisha Islands, South China Sea. The benthic Prorocentrum was identified by both morphological features and molecular phylogenies. Morphologies were examined by light, fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy, and phylogenetic analyses were based on partial large subunit (LSU) rDNA and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS) region. Seven Prorocentrum species including P. borbonicum, P. caipirignum, P. concavum, P. elegans, P. cf. emarginatum, P. lima complex, and P. rhathymum were identified in Xisha Islands. Among them, P. borbonicum and P. elegans were recorded in Chinese waters for the first time. OA and DTXs contents of seven benthic Prorocentrum species were evaluated based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). All Xisha Islands strains of P. lima complex produced OA at contents ranging from 1 663 to 3 816 fg/cell. P. caipirignum also generated OA at 407 fg/cell, but other five species had no detectable toxins. Besides, interestingly, two strains of P. lima complex produced DTX-1 only (74 and 183 fg/cell) and another two strains generated an isomer of OA and DTX-2. Our findings provided insight into the biodiversity of benthic Prorocentrum in the Xisha Islands and pointed out the potential risk of DSP in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of non-hydrostatic, non-linear numerical simulations were carried out to investigate the generation and evolution of internal solitary waves (ISWs) through the interaction of a barotropic tidal current with an ice keel in the Arctic Ocean. During the interaction process, the internal surge was generated at first, and then the wave gradually steepened due to non-linearity during its propagation away from the ice keel. The internal surge eventually disintegrated into multi-modal and rank-ordered ISW packets with the largest having an amplitude of O(10) m. Sensitivity experiments demonstrated that the ISWs' amplitudes and energy were proportional to the varying ice keel depths and barotropic tidal flow amplitudes, but were insensitive to the changing ice keel widths. Typical ISWs can enhance the turbulent dissipation rate of O(10-6) W/kg along their propagation path. Further, heat entrainment induced by the wave-ice interaction can reach O(10) MJ/m per tidal cycle. This study reveals a particular ISW generation mechanism and process in the polar ice environment, which could be important in impacting the energy transfer and heat balance in the Arctic Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]