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Hyperspectral images are easily contaminated by multi-modal noise in the process of data acquisition. Generally, hyperspectral signatures and noise appear unexpectedly scattered in the spatial-spectral domain. Conversely, in the transform domain, the principle components of an image are gathered in the low-frequency bands, while the details and noise often occur in high-frequency parts. The existing denoising methods usually divide the whole frequency domain into two parts, that is, high frequency and low frequency, which can not make the most of the knowledge contained at different frequencies or scales, especially in the multiscale transform domain. Furthermore, aiming to restore a clean image from the noise-corrupted data, hyperspectral image denoising often amounts to an ill-posed problem, in which reshaping cubic data into matrix form results in the loss of structure information. To address the aforementioned issues, this paper incorporates the reweighted smoothing regularization in the transform domain into the noise-perturbed degradation model to reformulate a novel optimization problem. First, the multiscale curvelet is leveraged to transform the spatial matrix into frequency domain, where the coefficients are carefully designed to weight the components at different scales and orientations. Second, ${l_1}$ l 1 -norm is imposed on the abundance term to promote sparsity in the transform domain for performance enhancement. Finally, using proximal alternating optimization, an efficient algorithm is well developed to obtain the closed-form solutions to the proposed denoising problem. The experimental results on several synthetic and real datasets, illustrate that the proposed method improves PSNR by at least 1.5 dB and reduces ERGAS error by more than 35% than the state-of-the-art approaches under the multi-modal noise mixed environments, which verifies the validity of regularization terms in hyperspectral images denoising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights Multifunctional composite coatings exposed to environmental conditions are prone to aging and potential functional failure due to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This study investigates the impact of UV radiation on the structure and properties of low infrared emissivity composite coatings, comprising ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) as the matrix and antistatic carbon fiber (CF) and flaky floating aluminum powder as fillers. In addition to analyzing the photochemical degradation reactions of the composite coating under UV irradiation, the role of fillers in resisting UV aging is elucidated. The performance parameters examined include infrared (IR) emissivity, surface resistivity, mechanical properties, and dielectric properties. The results indicate that after UV aging, EPDM undergoes the most significant changes, leading to the formation of carbonyl groups. CFs experience mild UV aging and an increase in resistivity. Aluminum powder, on the other hand, remains largely unchanged after UV aging and its addition significantly reduces the UV aging rate of the composite coating, resulting in a low IR emissivity of as low as 0.2 after UV aging. Among them, Coating 4 exhibits the best overall performance after UV aging. The UV aging mechanism of EPDM and the role of fillers were revealed. The UV aging of the coating significantly reduced the infrared emissivity (Reduced from 0.5 to 0.2). Al powder effectively reduced the UV degradation rate of the coating by reflecting UV light. The properties of the double‐formulated coating perform best after UV aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the commercial development of perovskite solar cells, the main challenge lies in achieving efficient devices with high stability. Additive engineering in polycrystalline perovskites is considered as an effective approach to address this challenge by passivating surface defects and reducing carrier losses associated with these defects. In this work, the passivation effect of molecules with different side chain groups on perovskites and the role of binding energy in mitigating carrier loss are studied. The findings reveal that the thiophene group is particularly effective in passivating defects and enhancing hole transport. Consequently, devices treated with 2‐thienylmethylamine hydrochloride (TMAC) demonstrate a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.63%. Furthermore, these TMAC‐treated devices exhibit remarkable stability, maintaining over 93.13% of their initial efficiencies after 1200 h of continuous illumination under maximum power point tracking (MPPT). This research presents a pathway to enhance the optoelectronic performance and stability of perovskite solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diamane superlattice generated by the interlayer bonding of twisted bilayer graphene (IB-TBG) has attracted much attention thanks to its excellent properties inherited from bulk diamond, as well as the versatile modulation of physical and mechanical properties, which may open up novel electronic applications. In this work, we have systematically studied the in-plane and interlayer mechanical behaviors of IB-TBG through molecular dynamics simulations and theoretical analysis by considering different structural parameters, such as the twisted angle, stack pattern, and interlayer bonding density. It is found that interlayer bonding density plays a crucial role in determining the in-plane and interlayer shear mechanical properties of IB-TBG. Both the in-plane tensile modulus and strength follow the same linear attenuation relationship with interlayer bonding density for different twisted angles and stacked patterns, while the interlayer shear modulus increases with interlayer bonding density following the same power law, and the critical shear strain of failure linearly decreases with interlayer bonding density. Furthermore, two failure modes are observed under shear deformation, i.e., the failure of interlayer bonding (mode I) and fracture of graphene sheets (mode G). Then, theoretical prediction is carried out by considering the balance of in-plane tension and interlayer shear, which can identify the two failure modes well. The results presented herein yield useful insights for designing and tuning the mechanical properties of IB-TBG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the difficulty in recovering powder materials and the low photocatalytic efficiency, we have developed a series of Fe-MOFs (MIL-53(Fe), NH2-MIL-53(Fe), MIL-101(Fe), NH2-MIL-101(Fe) and MIL-100(Fe)) on pure iron mesh. In this study, the growth of Fe@MILs on the iron mesh was confirmed through SEM, XRD, and FT-IR characterizations. Among the photocatalytic experiments, Fe@NH2-MIL-53(Fe) and Fe@NH2-MIL-101(Fe), which are amine-functionalized, showed improved photocatalytic activity. This improvement is believed to be due to the combination of NH2 functionality and electron transfer to the Fe–O cluster centre, resulting in dual excitation pathways. Furthermore, Fe@MIL-100(Fe) showed the highest performance for the removal of Cr(VI), with over 92% of Cr(VI) being removed in the fifth photocatalytic cycle. The mechanism indicated the close connection between the compact structure of Fe-MOFs and effective electron migration. Additionally, sacrificial reagent experiments identified two important species for Cr(VI) reduction: electrons (e−) and superoxide radicals (˙O2−). The photocatalytic recovery tests showed a 97% recovery rate of Cr(VI). This work offers a novel solution for the treatment of water sources contaminated with Cr(VI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemistry of hypercoordination has been a subject of fundamental interest, especially for understanding structures that challenge conventional wisdom. The small ionic radii of Fe ions typically result in coordination numbers of 4 or 6 in stable Fe‐bearing ionic compounds. While 8‐coordinated Fe has been observed in highly compressed oxides, the pursuit of hypercoordinated Fe still faces significant challenges due to the complexity of synthesizing the anticipated compound with another suitable anion. Through first‐principles simulation and advanced crystal structure prediction methods, we predict that an orthorhombic phase of FeF3 with exclusively 8‐coordinated Fe is energetically stable above 18 GPa—a pressure more feasibly achieved compared to oxides. Inspired by this theoretical result, we conducted extensive experiments using a laser‐heated diamond anvil cell technique to investigate the crystal structures of FeF3 at high‐pressure conditions. We successfully synthesized the predicted orthorhombic phase of FeF3 at 46 GPa, as confirmed by in situ experimental X‐ray diffraction data. This work establishes a new ionic compound featuring rare 8‐coordinated Fe in a simple binary Fe‐bearing system and paves the way for discovering Fe hypercoordination in similar systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemistry of hypercoordination has been a subject of fundamental interest, especially for understanding structures that challenge conventional wisdom. The small ionic radii of Fe ions typically result in coordination numbers of 4 or 6 in stable Fe‐bearing ionic compounds. While 8‐coordinated Fe has been observed in highly compressed oxides, the pursuit of hypercoordinated Fe still faces significant challenges due to the complexity of synthesizing the anticipated compound with another suitable anion. Through first‐principles simulation and advanced crystal structure prediction methods, we predict that an orthorhombic phase of FeF3 with exclusively 8‐coordinated Fe is energetically stable above 18 GPa—a pressure more feasibly achieved compared to oxides. Inspired by this theoretical result, we conducted extensive experiments using a laser‐heated diamond anvil cell technique to investigate the crystal structures of FeF3 at high‐pressure conditions. We successfully synthesized the predicted orthorhombic phase of FeF3 at 46 GPa, as confirmed by in situ experimental X‐ray diffraction data. This work establishes a new ionic compound featuring rare 8‐coordinated Fe in a simple binary Fe‐bearing system and paves the way for discovering Fe hypercoordination in similar systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glaesserella parasuis, an important respiratory bacterial pathogen, causes Glässer's disease in piglets, with potential immunosuppression. We established a piglet infection model and explored the immunosuppression mechanism to improve our understanding of the host immune response to G. parasuis. Twenty piglets were randomly divided into two groups (n = 10). The infection group was intraperitoneally challenged with 2 × 108 CFU of G. parasuis in 2 mL TSB. The control group was intraperitoneally injected with equivalent TSB. After 72 h, the piglets were sacrificed, and spleen tissue was collected. PD-1/PD-L1 expression was determined. The splenocytes were isolated to detect CD3+ T, CD3+CD4+ T, CD3+CD8+ T and CD3−CD21+cell differentiation. Via data-independent acquisition (DIA), we compared the proteomics of healthy and infected spleen tissues. Glaesserella parasuis modified CD3+ T, CD3+CD4+ T, CD3+CD8+ T and CD3−CD21+ cell differentiation and PD-1/PD-L1 expression in the spleen. The infection group had 596 proteins with significant differences in expression, of which 301 were significantly upregulated and 295 downregulated. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were mainly related to immune responses. This is the first study on PD-1/PD-L1 expression in the spleen associated with immunosuppression in a piglet model to explore the protein changes related to immune responses via DIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural evolution of lone-pair compounds under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions has been a subject of fundamental interest in revealing modulated polymorphs. As one of the archetypal lone-pair compounds, selenium dioxide (SeO2) has attracted much attention due to the pressure modulation of its one-dimensional infinite W-shaped chain arrangement. Here, through swarm intelligence algorithm in conjunction with the first-principles simulation, we propose the existence of an orthorhombic Pnma-SeO2 structure, characterized by V-shaped chains interconnected via vertex-sharing SeO3 pyramids. These V-shaped chains demonstrate reduced compressibility along their chain direction compared to the W-shaped chains. Calculations indicate that Pnma-SeO2 is a semiconductor with a large indirect bandgap of 2.39 eV. Remarkably, we synthesized the predicted Pnma-SeO2 in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell at a pressure of 48.5 or 87 GPa as identified by in situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction data. Our findings lead to a significant extension of the phase diagram and transition path of SeO2 and provide key insights into understanding the pressure modulation in lone-pair compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Orbital tumors are an interdisciplinary disease, and surgery is one of the main treatment methods. The oculocardiac reflex (OCR) is a condition of surgery for orbital tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is an association between many surgical factors and the incidence of OCR in orbital tumor surgery. Methods: Comparisons were made between patients with and without OCR using the Mann–Whitney test, Fisher's exact test, and Chi-square test. When comparing multiple groups (groups > 2), to explain which two groups had differences, post hoc testing was used for analysis, and the differences between groups were judged according to the adjusted standardized residuals. Results: The results showed that the incidence of intraoperative OCR was different based on the different exposed operative field locations (p = 0.021). The OCR incidence in those with lesions involving the orbital apex and lesions adhering to extraocular muscles was higher than that of others (p < 0.001 and p = 0.003). In addition, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that orbital apex involvement and extraocular muscle adhesion were highly associated with a higher incidence of OCR (p < 0.001 and p = 0.013), while the operative field located in the lateral-superior orbit was highly associated with a lower incidence of OCR (p = 0.029). Conclusion: In orbital tumor surgery under general anesthesia, lesions involving the orbital apex and lesion adhesion to the extraocular muscles were independent risk factors for OCR, and an operative field located in the lateral-superior orbit was a protective factor for OCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oats (Avena sativa) are an important cereal crop and cool-season forage worldwide. Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is a protein ubiquitously expressed in response to heat stress in almost all plants. To date, the HSP90 gene family has not been comprehensively reported in oats. Herein, we have identified twenty HSP90 genes in oats and elucidated their evolutionary pathways and responses to five abiotic stresses. The gene structure and motif analyses demonstrated consistency across the phylogenetic tree branches, and the groups exhibited relative structural conservation. Additionally, we identified ten pairs of segmentally duplicated genes in oats. Interspecies synteny analysis and orthologous gene identification indicated that oats share a significant number of orthologous genes with their ancestral species; this implies that the expansion of the oat HSP90 gene family may have occurred through oat polyploidization and large fragment duplication. The analysis of cis-acting elements revealed their influential role in the expression pattern of HSP90 genes under abiotic stresses. Analysis of oat gene expression under high-temperature, salt, cadmium (Cd), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and abscisic acid (ABA) stresses demonstrated that most AsHSP90 genes were significantly up-regulated by heat stress, particularly AsHSP90-7, AsHSP90-8, and AsHSP90-9. This study offers new insights into the amplification and evolutionary processes of the AsHSP90 protein, as well as its potential role in response to abiotic stresses. Furthermore, it lays the groundwork for understanding oat adaptation to abiotic stress, contributing to research and applications in plant breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lilium brownii var. viridulum (BB) and L. davidii var. unicolor (AdAd) are grown for edible in China, but their breeding lags far more than other ornamental lily breeding. To improve the situation, F1 BA hybrids were used as seed parents to cross with AdAd and other diploid Asiatic lilies (AA). The results showed that the F1 BA hybrids could produce BC1 progenies. The average seedlings obtained from the combinations per fruit were very variable from 1.7 to 22.5, indicating that their compatibilities were different depending on their males. Among the 18 progenies with genomic in situ hybridization (GISH), ten of them were diploid (2n = 2x = 24), two are aneuploid-near diploid (2n = 2x ± 1), and other six were allotriploid (2n = 3x = 36); and all of them contain much more recombinant chromosomes and breakpoints than other distant lily hybrids. We concluded that F1 LA hybrids produced much more n functional egg cells than 2n functional egg cells and this would pay a new way to realize lily ingression breeding at diploid ploidy level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northern Sea Route (NSR) has attracted much attention from the academia. However, the relevant issues, namely, the seasonal variation of sea ice coverage, the possibility and delay of ice besetting events (IBEs), formulation of ice-breaker escort fee and rescue fee, and the internalization of environmental costs, are considered in past models, but not in a systematic manner. To break through the limitations of previous studies, this paper investigates the economic and environmental feasibility of the NSR for container service, and clarifies the said issues using the latest survey data on a business case. Specifically, a novel evaluation model was developed to estimate the required freight rate (RFR) comprehensively, from the perspective of economic and environmental costs. Based on the modeling results, the optimal scheme was designed for all-season commercial liner transportation via the NSR. Besides, the RFR-based logit competitiveness model was adopted to evaluate how the NSR as an alternative to the Suez Canal Route (SCR) is affected by multiple factors: the delay induced by the IBEs, carbon tax rate, loading factor of eastbound containerships, and fuel price. The research results provide reference for decision-makers to formulate operations plans for ice class, navigation speed, and ship type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The commercialization of lithium–sulfur batteries is facing great challenges, such as the "shuttle effect" and the poor conductivity of sulfur and Li2S2/Li2S, so it is extremely important to design new separator-modified materials with fast charge transfer capability and effective immobilization of polysulfides (LiPSs) to facilitate their conversion to address these challenges. In this paper, we propose a simple way to synthesize NiCo2O4 nanospheres containing oxygen vacancies (OV-NiCo2O4 NSs) and thus modify the separator. The synthesized OV-NiCo2O4 NSs accelerated the conversion of LiPSs through strong chemical interactions. In addition, the introduction of oxygen vacancies provided more active sites for LiPSs, which improved the electron conduction rate and accelerated the ion transport. Based on the above advantages, the battery with an OV-NiCo2O4 modified separator showed excellent electrochemical performance (the initial capacity of the battery was 801 mA h g−1 at 0.5 C, the specific capacity of discharge was maintained at 695 mA h g−1 after 500 cycles, and the capacity retention rate was as high as 87%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although a quadruple mass analyzer and an ion trap mass analyzer have complementary analytical features, they usually have different geometries, operational modes, and electronic control systems. As a continuous effort to extend its coverage, both quadrupole and ion trap operation modes were realized on a "brick" miniature mass spectrometer with a single mass analyzer. In the quadrupole operation mode, low-mass ions ranging from 31 to 502 Th can be analyzed. On the other hand, the ion trap mode can be utilized to cover ions with higher mass to charge ratios (up to 922 Th), as well as performing tandem mass spectrometry. To realize the multiplexing of both operation modes, a printed circuit board (PCB)-based multi-electrode quadrupole–ion trap mass analyzer was designed and integrated in the system. To cover both volatile and non-volatile molecules, two ionization sources were also implemented, including a nano electrospray ionization source and an in-vacuum plasma ionization source. Performances of the instrument operated in these two modes were characterized, such as mass resolution, sensitivity, and mass range. Results demonstrate that the combination of the quadrupole and ion trap operation modes can provide new capabilities when solving analytical problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on Carol Bacchi's post-structural analytical approach, this study examines the nature of recent policy reforms in China in relation to vocational education (VE). The article reveals key problem representations that characterise the Implementation Plan of National Vocational Education Reform (IPNVER) issued by the State Council of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 2019, and how these have arisen in light of previous reforms. These previous reforms relate to China's policies, laws and regulations with respect to the higher vocational education system since the 'opening up' in 1978. The study reveals that the VE policy in China is strongly governed by 'economic logics' in the context of neoliberal globalisation, even as it exhibits various 'Chinese characteristics', and that developing VE is seen as a solution to promoting Chinese economic and social development. However, at the same time, important issues are also 'silenced' as a result of the dominance of more economic logics in national VE policy. The article suggests policymakers need to pay more attention to developments in regional education, the social welfare issues of poorer working urban and rural peoples, and the mental health of citizens, while developing the national economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let Q, K be connected open subsets of R m and A(X), A(Y) be some kind of function spaces. We will study the 2-local isometries between the vector-valued differentiable function spaces C 0 p (Q , A (X)) and C 0 p (K , A (Y)) , and show that they can be written as weighted composition operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen is a kind of renewable energy for a friendly environment and can promote carbon emission reduction. The Platinum catalytic electrode is widely applied in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) of water due to its low overpotential. However, it has affected its commercial application because of its high cost. Therefore, developing heterojunction catalysts with Platinum for HER is an effective way to achieve large-scale hydrogen production. In this work, we present a novel PtNBs/NiNRs heterojunction catalyst via the Pt nanoballs in-situ deposition on Ni nanorods array. The results demonstrate that the PtNBs/NiNRs electrodes have superior catalytic activity for HER in an alkaline condition. The hydrogen overpotential of PtNBs/NiNRs is −61.6 mV (RHE) in the alkaline solution, which is lower than the Pt electrode of −184mV. The Tafel plots and EIS were employed to investigate the mechanism and kinetics of the PtNBs/NiNRs in the alkaline solution. The nanostructures of Ni nanorobs and the Pt nanoballs active sites decrease the charge transfer resistance and increase the charge capacitance for the HER process compared to the Pt electrode. The PtNBs/NiNRs heterojunction catalyst electrodes demonstrate promising applications in HER because of their facile preparation, high efficiency, and low value. [Display omitted] • A new HER electrode of PtNBs/NiNRs heterojunction catalyst was prepare. • The PtNBs/NiNRs electrode had a high catalytic activity for HER. • The HER mechanism by Tafel graphs and charge transfer kinetics by EIS were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress impedes viticultural plant growth and development by modifying various metabolic pathways. However, the regulatory network response underlying drought stress is not yet clear. In this study, the leaves and roots of "Shine Muscat" ("SM," Vitis labruscana × Vitis vinifera) and "Thompson Seedless" ("TS," V. vinifera L. cv.) were subjected to drought stress to study the regulatory network used by drought stress. Morphophysiological results showed that the malondialdehyde content after 28 days of drought stress increased more significantly in "TS" than "SM." Furthermore, the multiomics analysis studies showed that a total of 3036–6714 differentially expressed genes and 379–385 differentially abundant metabolites were identified in "SM" and "TS" grapevine cultivars under drought stress. Furthermore, the retained intron was the major form of differential alternative splicing event under drought stress. The photosynthesis pathway, antioxidant system, plant hormone signal transduction, and osmotic adjustment were the primary response systems in the two grapevine cultivars under drought stress. We have identified GRIK1, RFS2, and LKR/SDH as the hub genes in the coexpression network of drought stress. In addition, the difference in the accumulation of pheophorbide‐a reveals different drought resistance mechanisms in the two grapevine cultivars. Our study explained the difference in drought response between cultivars and tissues and identified drought stress‐responsive genes, which provides reference data for further understanding the regulatory network of drought tolerance in grapevine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CsPbI3 nanocrystals (CPI NCs) have become a trending research topic due to their impressive potential in functional optoelectronic devices and optical gain applications. Their optical responses are governed by carrier dynamics, which is greatly influenced by temperature and corresponding phase structure due to the effects of inherently electron‐phonon coupling. Notably, CPI NCs have been identified to adopt an unexpectedly stable cubic phase from room temperature to liquid helium temperature. Here, using in situ cryogenic electron diffraction measurements, it is unambiguously demonstrated that CPI NCs undergo consecutive cubic‐tetragonal‐orthorhombic phase transitions from 298 to 100 K. The corresponding temperature‐dependent multiexcitonic dynamics are investigated in each phase by combining time‐resolved photoluminescence and transient absorption spectroscopy. In addition to the temperature dependency, the lifetime of both excitons and biexcitons evidently depends on the phase structures of the CPI NCs, highlighting the crucial effect of crystal structure on the carrier dynamics. Moreover, the biexciton binding energy increases with higher crystal symmetry due to the decrease of the dielectric constant. The findings shed light on the structural phase transition and its relationship to the carrier dynamics in all‐inorganic perovskite NCs, which provides critical insight into the structure‐performance relationship in CPI NCs for promising applications in optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress impedes viticultural plant growth and development by modifying various metabolic pathways. However, the regulatory network response underlying drought stress is not yet clear. In this study, the leaves and roots of "Shine Muscat" ("SM," Vitis labruscana × Vitis vinifera) and "Thompson Seedless" ("TS," V. vinifera L. cv.) were subjected to drought stress to study the regulatory network used by drought stress. Morphophysiological results showed that the malondialdehyde content after 28 days of drought stress increased more significantly in "TS" than "SM." Furthermore, the multiomics analysis studies showed that a total of 3036–6714 differentially expressed genes and 379–385 differentially abundant metabolites were identified in "SM" and "TS" grapevine cultivars under drought stress. Furthermore, the retained intron was the major form of differential alternative splicing event under drought stress. The photosynthesis pathway, antioxidant system, plant hormone signal transduction, and osmotic adjustment were the primary response systems in the two grapevine cultivars under drought stress. We have identified GRIK1, RFS2, and LKR/SDH as the hub genes in the coexpression network of drought stress. In addition, the difference in the accumulation of pheophorbide‐a reveals different drought resistance mechanisms in the two grapevine cultivars. Our study explained the difference in drought response between cultivars and tissues and identified drought stress‐responsive genes, which provides reference data for further understanding the regulatory network of drought tolerance in grapevine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron is considered extremely depleted inside Earth's mantle. It is therefore a great challenge to elucidate the prevalence of boron impurity seen in sublithospheric diamonds, especially in identifying the boron source and the mechanism for its incorporation into these enigmatic diamonds. Here, we unveil a pathway for the crystallization of boron-bearing diamonds via redox reactions of carbonates and borides at pressure–temperature conditions relevant to the Earth's lower mantle. We present computational results along with pertinent experimental evidence for a genesis of boron-bearing diamonds via the redox reaction of CaCO 3 and FeB at 22.5 GPa and 2100 K, corresponding to the geological conditions at the top of the lower mantle. The present findings offer a viable mechanism for the formation of boron-bearing diamonds deep inside the Earth's mantle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer with poor prognosis. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify prognostic markers to improve current treatment and therapeutic strategies. The transcriptional factor ZNF503 has been reported to promote aggressive breast cancer development through the down-regulation of GATA3 expression and has been identified as a candidate predictive marker. In this study, we explored whether ZNF503 and GATA3 could serve as prognostic markers independently or in combination. We performed a survival analysis of 989 breast cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and validated the findings in 202 breast cancer patients from tissue microarray (TMA). In TCGA database, the mRNA expression of GATA3 and ZNF503 could not predict TNBC prognosis alone, though the ratio index, ZNF503/GATA3 could be a novel prognostic biomarker in TNBC patients. In TMA database, we detected the protein expression of ZNF503 and GATA3 and found that the combination of the two genes, ZNF503-GATA3, significantly improved the predictive ability of clinical outcomes. The results indicated that the binding index of ZNF503 and GATA3 could be used as a prognostic biomarker in TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biocultural diversity is an important result and outstanding representation of human-land relationship. This study established a novel framework for evaluating the coupling mechanism of biocultural diversity beyond the nature-culture dualism. Taking the Beichuan-River-Source National Nature Reserve (BRSNNR) as an example, combined with regional characteristics, Coupling Coordination Degree Model (CCDM) and Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) were used to explore the correlation mechanism between natural systems and cultural systems in protected areas. The research results indicated that BRSNNR had five types of landscape character areas with outstanding natural and cultural characteristics; the spatial distribution of biodiversity and cultural diversity was highly overlapping, forming a 'high-medium-low' three-level biocultural diversity area. Analysis demonstrated that positive or negative feedback patterns between natural and cultural systems contributed to the formation of representations of biocultural diversity. Altitude, animals, and traffic conditions are important drivers for the biological and cultural diversity in protected areas. At the same time, residents' emotions and behaviors have a direct impact on the formation of biocultural diversity. The research suggests that the priority protection areas and functional divisions of protected areas should be delineated according to the evaluation results of biocultural diversity, and thresholds should be calculated and set for the constraints. This method is conducive to the improvement of the system's ability to deal with risks and the formation of the action mechanism of 'factor interaction-system interaction-biocultural diversity representation' in protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prospective applications of chitosan-based hydrogels (CBHs), a category of biocompatible and biodegradable materials, in biomedical disciplines such as tissue engineering, wound healing, drug delivery, and biosensing have garnered great interest. The synthesis and characterization processes used to create CBHs play a significant role in determining their characteristics and effectiveness. The qualities of CBHs might be greatly influenced by tailoring the manufacturing method to get certain traits, including porosity, swelling, mechanical strength, and bioactivity. Additionally, characterization methods aid in gaining access to the microstructures and properties of CBHs. Herein, this review provides a comprehensive assessment of the state-of-the-art with a focus on the affiliation between particular properties and domains in biomedicine. Moreover, this review highlights the beneficial properties and wide application of stimuli-responsive CBHs. The main obstacles and prospects for the future of CBH development for biomedical applications are also covered in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Modulating the structure and morphology is essential in fabricating high-performance electromagnetic absorbing materials. Herein, we obtained porous Fe 3 O 4 /carbon hollow microspheres and porous Fe 4 N/carbon hollow microspheres derived from Fe-glycerol hollow microspheres. Through structure and morphology analysis, we proved the existence of porous and hollow features. By comparison, it can be found that the porous Fe 4 N/carbon hollow microspheres have electromagnetic wave absorption performance superior to that of porous Fe 3 O 4 /carbon hollow microspheres. The reflection loss value of porous Fe 4 N/carbon hollow microspheres reaches −42.2 dB at a matching thickness of merely 1.4 mm, and its effective absorbing bandwidth approaches 4.5 GHz, whereas the reflection loss of porous Fe 3 O 4 /carbon hollow microspheres in the 2–18 GHz range is over −10 dB. Reasons for the better electromagnetic wave absorption performance are revealed to be that the magnetic Fe 4 N has higher complex permittivity and complex permeability, and the porous hollow microspherical structure increases the multiple scattering and reflection of electromagnetic waves. Meanwhile, the impedance matching and attenuation constant are optimized together through the synergy of dielectric and magnetic loss. This research can provide instructive findings for thin-thickness electromagnetic wave absorbing materials based on Fe 4 N with an appropriate microstructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transferrin receptor (TfR)-mediated transcytosis is an attractive pathway for delivering large-molecule therapeutics to the central nervous system across the blood-brain barrier. Despite the clinical success of some drugs conjugated with TfR-binder, the desired drug profile for efficient TfR-mediated delivery to the targeted compartment within the brain, especially considering the species-related differences, has not been fully elucidated. To provide a prospective direction in the TfR-mediated drug delivery system, we developed an advanced physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model. The model addresses TfR-mediated trans- and intracellular disposition of anti-TfR antibodies from brain capillary blood, endothelial cells, extracellular fluid (ECF), and eventually to brain parenchymal cells (BPCs), which correspond to pharmacological target sites of interest. The PBPK model is applicable in rats, monkeys, and human TfR knock-in (hTfR-KI) mice with satisfactory prediction accuracy through model calibration using the brain and plasma PK data of anti-TfR monoclonal antibodies, including their fused protein, with diverse binding affinity to TfR (TfR-K d). The sensitivity analysis to determine drug properties required for the optimal brain delivery revealed 1) a bell-shaped relationship between TfR-K d and brain exposure; 2) a minimum species difference between monkeys and hTfR-KI mice in the optimal TfR-K d range, but not with rats; 3) a low TfR-K d range to be preferably targeted for BPCs compared with ECF; and 4) an increase in brain exposure when using the pH-sensitive antibody. This may advance model-informed drug development, improve molecular design optimization, and provide precise human dose projection of drugs leveraging TfR-mediated shuttle technology into the brain. [Display omitted] • A PBPK model for TfR-mediated drug delivery into the brain was developed. • The model describes a bell-shaped relationship between TfR-K d and brain exposure. • The optimal TfR-K d range would be close between monkeys and hTfR-KI mice. • A low TfR-K d range would be required when targeting BPCs compared with ECF. • A pH-sensitive TfRmAb would be more efficient to target BPCs than ECF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of Sr doping on the tribocatalytic performance of BaTiO3 in degrading organic pollutants. Ba1-xSrxTiO3 (x = 0–0.3) nanopowders are synthesized and their tribocatalytic performance evaluated. By doping Sr into BaTiO3, the tribocatalytic performance was enhanced, resulting in an approximately 35% improvement in the degradation efficiency of Rhodamine B using Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3. Factors such as the friction contact area, stirring speed, and materials of the friction pairs also influenced the dye degradation. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that Sr doping improved BaTiO3's charge transfer efficiency, thereby boosting its tribocatalytic performance. These findings indicate potential applications for Ba1-xSrxTiO3 in dye degradation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phasor field technique has been demonstrated as a powerful tool to improve imaging performance and reduce computational complexity in time of flight imaging. In this work, we show a similar description and propose phasor field photoacoustics (PAs), a framework for forward acoustic propagation and backward source reconstruction, using phasor representations of acoustic pressure and back projection events. Based on the linear propagation mechanism, this method employs complex phasor filters to decompose the photoacoustic wave into pairs of orthogonal virtual waves, wherein each pair of orthogonal waves corresponds to the real and imaginary parts of the quasi-monochromatic phasor field contribution. By performing phasor field projection (PFP) and thereafter conjugated multiplication in the spatial domain, the complex envelope containing local amplitude and phase information can be faithfully retrieved, attaining rigorous "unipolar" photoacoustic images without ambiguous negative absorption artifacts. Theoretical and experimental results demonstrate that the orthogonal virtual wave based phasor field photoacoustic method can effectively eliminate negative artifacts and improve imaging signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) without excessively increasing computational complexity. This work may pave the way for high-fidelity quantitative imaging, e.g., multispectral and molecular imaging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zirconia based ceramics are giving new hope in hard tissues replacement and implants application. Among the three forms of zirconia (ZrO2), tetragonal form (t -ZrO2) possess high mechanical stability in comparison with the other two which makes it suitable for fabricating biomedical implants with enhanced osteo activity. Here, tetragonal phase nanospheres consisting of silica stabilised zirconia (1:1) were prepared via sol gel method. The nanospheres exhibit sea urchin type morphology as observed from FESEM analysis. XRD patterns confirm the formation of t -SiO2-ZrO2 binary phase after high temperature calcination at 650°C. The immersion studies in SBF help in the formation of a layer of apatite in a gradual manner over the pallets for the period of 7, 14, 21 and 28 days which was confirmed by XRD, FTIR analysis. Moreover, t- SiO2 – ZrO2 samples were subjected to cytotoxicity tests through MTT assay on MG-63 cell lines. Antibacterial properties were investigated quantitatively using colony forming unit method against both gram positive as well as gram-negative bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein-surfactant interactions have a significant influence on food functionality, which has attracted increasing attention. Herein, the effect of glycolipid mannosylerythritol lipid-A (MEL-A) on the heat-induced soy glycinin (11S) aggregates was investigated by measuring the structure, binding properties, interfacial behaviors, and emulsification characteristics of the aggregates. The results showed that MEL-A led to a decrease in the surface tension, viscoelasticity, and foaming ability of the 11S aggregates. In addition, MEL-A with a concentration above critical micelle concentration (CMC) reduced the random aggregation of 11S protein after heat treatment, thus facilitating the formation of self-assembling core-shell particles composed of a core of 11S aggregates covered by MEL-A shells. Infrared spectroscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and isothermal titration calorimetry also confirmed that the interaction forces between MEL-A and 11S were driven by hydrophobic interactions between the exposed hydrophobic groups of the protein and the fatty acid chains or acetyl groups of MEL-A, as well as the hydrogen bonding between mannosyl-D-erythritol groups of MEL-A and amino acids of 11S. The findings of this study indicated that such molecular interactions are responsible for the change in surface behavior and the enhancement of foaming stability and emulsifying property of 11S aggregates upon heat treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to DNA double strand breaks (DSB), repair proteins accumulate at damaged sites, forming membrane-less condensates or "foci". The formation of these foci and their disassembly within the proper time window are essential for genome integrity. However, how these membrane-less sub-compartments are formed, maintained and disassembled remains unclear. Recently, several studies across different model organisms proposed that DNA repair foci form via liquid phase separation. In this review, we discuss the current research investigating the physical nature of repair foci. First, we present the different models of condensates proposed in the literature, highlighting the criteria to differentiate them. Second, we discuss evidence of liquid phase separation at DNA repair sites and the limitations of this model to fully describe structures formed in response to DNA damage. Finally, we discuss the origin and possible function of liquid phase separation for DNA repair processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), a lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of AFP (AFP-L3), is a protein that is induced by vitamin K deficiency or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) that has been clinically used as a serum biomarker for early detection and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Diagnostic performance of each serum biomarker alone, or their combinations for the detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated HCC were compared. Methods: Serum AFP, AFP-L3, and PIVKA-II levels were evaluated in patients with HCV-associated HCC, and those with chronic HCV infection without HCC (HCV-controls). The areas under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were compared to identify the diagnostic performance of each serum HCC biomarker alone or in combination. Results: Overall, 172 HCV controls and 105 patients with HCV-associated HCC were enrolled. The AFP, AFP-L3, and PIVKA-II levels were significantly increased among patients with HCV-associated HCC when compared with HCV patients without HCC (p < 0.001). When these biomarkers were analyzed individually, PIVKA-II revealed the best predictive performance (AUC: PIVKA-II 0.90 vs. AFP 0.80 vs. AFP-L3 0.69, p < 0.001). In evaluating the combinations of any two biomarkers, the best predictive performance was found in PIVKA-II + AFP (0.93 vs. AFP + AFP-L3 0.78, p = 0.001; and PIVKA-II + AFP-L3 0.89, p < 0.001), which had no difference compared to the predictive performance of the combination of all three serum biomarkers (AFP + AFP-L3 + PIVKA-II 0.93, p = 0.277). Similar results were identified in the subgroups of patients with HCV-induced cirrhosis, and among patients with early-stage HCC defined by BCLC and TNM staging. Conclusions: The addition of the PIVKA-II test to routine AFP test maybe provide a more suitable biomarker approach to detect HCV-induced HCC in patients with HCV infection undergoing HCC surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study a free boundary problem of the diffusive competition model with different habitats. It is assumed that the habitats of the two species u and v are (- ∞ , g (t)) and (h (t) , ∞) , respectively, and g (0) < h (0) . In their separate habitats, the two species obey the diffusive logistic equations. In their common habitat, they are in competition. We investigate the existence, uniqueness, regularity, uniform estimates and long time behavior of the global solution. Some sufficient conditions for the spreading and vanishing are also established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective·To explore the value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in pre-surgical planning of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP). Methods·The cases with DFSP in Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from May 2018 to March 2022 were enrolled. CT and MRI were conducted before surgery as a routine procedure. All the patients were randomly divided into MRI functional imaging group (CT plain scan and enhanced scan, MRI plain scan and enhanced scan, and DWI) and MRI conventional imaging group (CT plain scan and enhanced scan, and MRI plain scan and enhanced scan). The tumor boundaries of the two groups were outlined respectively by aligning CT with corresponding MRI images with computeraided design software Medraw [alignment of CT images with DWI images in MRI functional imaging group and alignment of CT images with dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE) images in MRI conventional imaging group] in order to complete the DFSP 3D tumor models and the 3D visualization reports, and to design surgical plans. The clinical characteristics of the two groups were completely collected. The recurrence rate and postoperative satisfaction evaluation of the two groups were compared. Results·A total of 34 cases with DFSP having completed clinical and imaging information were enrolled in this research with an average age of (36.56±13.07) years. The tumor location of occurrence included 10 cases in the abdominal walls, 9 cases in the chest walls, 4 cases in the maxillofacial regions, 3 cases in the thighs, 3 cases in the shoulders, 2 cases in the hips, 2 cases in the waists, and 1 case in the feet. The average tumor diameter was (2.25±0.92) cm. Seventeen patients were included in the MRI functional imaging group and MRI conventional imaging group respectively with an average follow-up of (9.97±7.82) months. There were no significant differences in the basic clinical information between the two groups (P>0.05). The recurrence rate of the MRI functional imaging group (0) was lower than that of the MRI conventional imaging group (29.4%), and the postoperative aesthetic satisfaction rate in the former group (100%) was higher than that in the latter group (70.6%). There were statistically significant differences in these results between the two groups (P<0.05). Conclusion·DWI is more advantageous for tumor boundary determination compared with conventional MRI; DWI-based preoperative image planning can reduce DFSP recurrence rate and improve aesthetics of the operative area to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Theoretical calculations predict the easy combination of spinel and cobalt-pentlandite phases of nickel–cobalt sulfides at the (1 1 1) plane. • A novel NiCo 2 S 4 /[Ni, Co] 9 S 8 heterostructure is synthesized by a facile one-step hydrothermal strategy. • This heterostructure exhibits the nanosheet structures and well-defined heterointerfaces along the [1 1 1] crystal direction. • The adsorption energies of OH− species at the NiCo 2 S 4 /[Ni, Co] 9 S 8 heterointerfaces are more negative than those at other sites. • The NiCo 2 S 4 /[Ni, Co] 9 S 8 heterostructure delivers excellent electrochemical performance as a redox electrode for supercapacitors. Transition metal sulfides (TMS) with multicomponent heterostructure have been widely used as electrodes in electrochemical energy storage devices due to their abundant electroactive sites and fast charge transfer across the interfaces. Different kinds of heterostructures with specific TMS are fabricated by various routes to date, but it is still poorly understood how specific thermodynamic interfaces can be designed and easily coupled. Herein, the spinel and cobalt-pentlandite crystal phases of nickel–cobalt sulfides were chosen as models to demonstrate the formation of epitaxial heterointerface. The density functional theory calculations revealed the easy combination and high compatibility of these two crystal phases at the (1 1 1) plane. Along this guideline, a novel NiCo 2 S 4 /[Ni, Co] 9 S 8 heterostructure was synthesized by a facile one-step hydrothermal strategy, with nanosheet-like shapes and well-defined heterointerfaces along the [1 1 1] crystal direction. The formation mechanism of the epitaxial heterointerface was proposed through the combination of solid and liquid phase reaction fields. As a proof-of-concept application, the obtained NiCo 2 S 4 /[Ni, Co] 9 S 8 heterostructure as redox electrode for supercapacitor exhibits an enhanced specific capacitance of 1780F g−1 at 1 A/g and high capacitance retention of 70 % at 20 A/g. Moreover, the assembled aqueous hybrid supercapacitor of NiCo 2 S 4 /[Ni, Co] 9 S 8 //activated carbon delivers a high energy density of 62.8 Wh kg−1 at 0.4 kW kg−1 and excellent electrochemical stability after 3000 cycles. This work provides a new perspective on the epitaxial design of nickel–cobalt sulfide heterostructure with good lattice match as a promising electrode in energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) modifies the heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) and heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1) affect the levels of pathological markers such as Aβ oligomers (Aβo) and Tau phosphorylation (p-Tau) in APP/PS1 double transgenic mice hippocampal tissues or HT22 neurons as well as the changes in cognitive behavioral functions of mice. (1) APP/PS1 transgenic mice (6 months old, 25 ~ 30 g) were randomly assigned to 5 experimental groups, C57BL/6J mice (6 months old, 25 ~ 30 g) were used as 4 control groups, with 8 mice in each group. All mice underwent intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) cannulation, and the experimental groups were administered with normal saline (APP + NS group), HDAC6 agonist tubastatin A hydrochloride (TSA) (APP + TSA group) or HDAC6 agonist theophylline (Theo) (APP + Theo group), HSP90 inhibitor Ganetespib (Gane) (APP + Gane group), or a combination of pre-injected Gane by TSA (APP + Gane + TSA group); the control group received i.c.v. injections of Gane (Gane group), TSA (TSA group), Theo (Theo group) or NS (NS group), respectively. (2) Mouse hippocampal neurons HT22 were randomly divided into a control group (Control) and an Aβ1−42 intervention group (Aβ). Within the Aβ group, further divisions were made for knockdown HSP90 (Aβ + siHSP90 group), overexpression HSP90 (Aβ + OE-HSP90 group), knockdown HSF1(Aβ + siHSF1 group) and knockdown HSF1 followed by overexpression HSP90 (Aβ + siHSF1 + OE-HSP90 group), resulting in a total of 6 groups. Morris water maze test was used to evaluate the cognitive behavior of the mice. Western blot and immunohistochemistry or immunofluorescence were performed to detect the levels of HDAC6, HSP90, HSF1, Aβ1−42, Tau protein, and p-Tau in the hippocampal tissue or HT22 cells. qRT-PCR was used to measure the levels of hdac6, hsp90, and hsf1 mRNA in the hippocampus or nerve cells. (1) The levels of HDAC6, Aβ1−42 and p-Tau were elevated, while HSP90 and HSF1 were decreased in the hippocampal tissue of APP/PS1 transgenic mice (all P < 0.01). Inhibiting HDAC6 upregulated the expressions of HSP90 and HSF1 in the hippocampal tissue of APP/PS1 mice, while decreasing the levels of Aβ1−42 and p-Tau as well as improving the spatial cognitive behavior in mice (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The opposite effects were observed upon HDAC6 activation. However, inhibiting HSP90 reduced the expression of HSF1 (P < 0.01) and increased the levels of Aβ1−42 and p-Tau (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) but did not significantly affect the expression of HDAC6 (P > 0.05). No significant changes were observed in the aforementioned indicators in the 4 control groups (P > 0.05). (2) In the Aβ1−42 intervention group, HDAC6 and Aβ1−42, p-Tau expression levels were elevated, while HSP90 and HSF1 expressions were all decreased, and cell viability was reduced (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Overexpression of HSP90 upregulated HSF1 expression, decreased the levels of Aβ1−42 and p-Tau, and increased cell viability (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Knocking down HSP90 had the opposite effect; and knocking down HSF1 increased the levels of Aβ1−42 and p-Tau and decreased cells viability (all P < 0.01), but did not result in significant changes in the expression levels of HSP90 (P > 0.05). Inhibiting HDAC6 can upregulate the expressions of HSP90 and HSF1 but reduce the levels of Aβ1−42 and p-Tau in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice and improvement of cognitive behavioral function in mice; Overexpression of HSP90 can increase HSF1 but decrease Aβ1−42 and p-Tau levels in the hippocampal neurons and increase cell activity. It is suggested that HDAC6 may affect the formation of Aβ oligomers and the changes in Tau protein phosphorylation levels in the hippocampus of AD transgenic mouse as well as the alterations in cognitive behavioral functions by regulating the HSP90-HSF1 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development has always been given priority by economic authorities, therefore pursuing both environmental emissions reduction and economic growth at the same time is required. However, energy structure is often disregarded in existing performance evaluation methodologies, despite its essential function in determining environmental efficiency or productivity. This study shows how ignoring the energy structure can lead to distorted policy recommendations as well as evaluation results. The present study provides a non-parametric estimating approach to quantify the difference between the optimal (theoretical) energy structure required to achieve sustainable development and the actual (observed) energy structure. This method may assess the energy transition process and evaluate the observed and optimal energy structure of a country or region. We demonstrate that using the countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development as an example, that only a limited number of countries are able to meet their objectives for carbon reduction and economic development simultaneously without transforming their energy structure. The relationship between energy structure and green total factor productivity (GTFP) was further studied using a two-stage least squares regression on the observed energy structure and GTFP. The findings indicate that most countries need to increase their share of renewable energy in order to achieve green growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• NaOH and trisilanolphenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (TPOSS) were used as catalysts to synthesize a novel boron-containing phenolic resin (TBPR). • NaOH/TPOSS results in more para -methylene linkage in TBPR structure, which is the key to the remarkable initial decomposition temperature. • The morphological transformation of TBPR at different temperatures was studied to verify the role of Si and B on the thermal pyrolysis stability. • CF/TBPR shows an outstanding ablative resistance due to the remakable thermal stability of TBPR. The heat resistance of existing phenolic resins cannot meet the requirements of the increasingly harsh spaceflight environment. Boron and silicon have been added to phenolic resins to improve the char yields. However, achieving both a high initial decomposition temperature and an outstanding char yield remains challenging. This study presented a strategy to regulate the methylene types of boron-containing phenolic resin (TBPR) by trisilanolphenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (TPOSS) and NaOH. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in nitrogen of cured TBPR displayed remarkable thermal stability with an initial decomposition temperature of 450.0 °C and a char yield of 75.8 %. The effect of TPOSS and NaOH on the TBPR structure were further investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The results indicated that TPOSS could attract sodium phenate and formaldehyde through hydrogen bonds, and greatly reduced the energy barrier of the phenol–formaldehyde resin para -addition. The formation of more p-p' type methylene structures of phenolic resin profoundly contributed to the outstanding initial decomposition temperatures and char yield. TBPR matrix transformed into a stronger protective char layer, forming an effective thermal protection barrier. As a result, the mechanical strength and ablative resistance of the fiber-reinforced CF/TBPR composites were enhanced by the excellent thermal stability of TBPR matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicone rubber (SR) has excellent resistance to high temperatures, and carbon fiber (CF) is a commonly reinforced material. However, the application of carbon fiber in SR composites is limited by the large difference in modulus between the two materials. In order to improve the interfacial bonding of the composites and to exert the reinforcement of carbon fibers, a modulus transition interface, a "flexible-rigid" structure was constructed between CF and SR by coating polydopamine-polyethyleneimine@silica (PDA-PEI@SiO 2) on the carbon fiber surface. The results show that the "flexible-rigid" structure of the PDA-PEI@SiO 2 layer not only enhanced the mechanical properties but also improved the thermal resistance and wave-transmission properties of the CF/SR composites. Surface microscopy and structural analysis showed that the "flexible-rigid" structure was successfully coated on the fiber surface, and significantly improved the roughness of the fiber surface. It provided the mechanical meshing between the fiber and matrix when the CF/SR composites were subjected to the tensile loads. The tensile strength and elongation of the SR composite with CF-A-E@8SiO 2 were 37.16 % and 27.46 % higher than that with unmodified CF, respectively. The electrical test showed that the "flexible-rigid" structure could reduce the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of CF/SR composites, thereby improving the wave-transmission properties. Further mechanism analysis of the interfacial bonding showed that abundant hydrogen bonds in the "flexible-rigid" structure at the interface promoted stress dissipation and avoided stress concentration. Meanwhile, the formation of Si-O-Si with high bonding energy also protected the interface from destruction. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) found that the introduction of Si-O-Si bonds could significantly improve the thermal resistance of the CF/SR composites at 350 °C for 2 h. It provides guidance for the improvement of the interface bonding in the fiber/rubber composite as well as its functionality. • The "flexible-rigid" structure was successfully constructed between CFs and SR by coating polydopamine-polyethyleneimine@silica on the fiber surface. • It improved the mechanical properties attributed to the mechanical meshing, hydrogen bonds, and chemical Si-O-Si bonds. • The "flexible-rigid" structure improved the dielectric properties and the thermal resistance of the CF/SR composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A "stretch-crosslink-release" strategy was proposed to generate diverse and tunable wrinkle patterns in interlayer bonding strained bilayer graphene (IB-SBG). • Three energetically favorable patterns were identified, including herringbone, irregular hexagon and honeycomb patterns. • A phase diagram of wrinkle patterns corresponding to pre-strain and the portion of interface with interlayer bonding was established. • Strain engineering was employed to generate a series of new patterns by precisely adjusting the biaxial strain. Moiré patterns are important structures in two-dimensional (2D) materials, showcasing unique electronic correlated states, which have garnered considerable research interests in recent years. However, current researches on moiré patterns primarily focus on honeycomb patterns induced by lattice mismatches at 2D material hetero-interfaces. In this work, we have demonstrated the ability to generate diverse and tunable wrinkle patterns in interlayer bonding strained bilayer graphene (IB-SBG) through a "stretch-crosslink-release" strategy, facilitated by the interlayer bonding that provides effective in-plane load transfer and interlayer constraint. Three energetically favorable wrinkle patterns are identified, including herringbone, irregular hexagon and honeycomb patterns. In general, wrinkle patterns are determined by two parameters, i.e., pre-strain and the portion of interface with interlayer bonding, and the phase diagram of wrinkle patterns corresponding to the two parameters is provided. Furthermore, strain engineering can be employed in IB-SBG to generate a series of new patterns by precisely adjusting the biaxial strain applied to IB-SBG. The present strategy to achieve tunable wrinkle patterns holds the potential to open new avenues for novel electronic applications based on bilayer graphene systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate brain tumor segmentation with multi-modal MRI images is crucial, but missing modalities in clinical practice often reduce accuracy. The aim of this study is to propose a mixture-of-experts and semantic-guided network to tackle the issue of missing modalities in brain tumor segmentation. We introduce a transformer-based encoder with novel mixture-of-experts blocks. In each block, four modality experts aim for modality-specific feature learning. Learnable modality embeddings are employed to alleviate the negative effect of missing modalities. We also introduce a decoder guided by semantic information, designed to pay higher attention to various tumor regions. Finally, we conduct extensive comparison experiments with other models as well as ablation experiments to validate the performance of the proposed model on the BraTS2018 dataset. The proposed model can accurately segment brain tumor sub-regions even with missing modalities. It achieves an average Dice score of 0.81 for the whole tumor, 0.66 for the tumor core, and 0.52 for the enhanced tumor across the 15 modality combinations, achieving top or near-top results in most cases, while also exhibiting a lower computational cost. Our mixture-of-experts and sematic-guided network achieves accurate and reliable brain tumor segmentation results with missing modalities, indicating its significant potential for clinical applications. Our source code is already available at https://github.com/MaggieLSY/MESG-Net.Graphical Abstract: Accurate brain tumor segmentation with multi-modal MRI images is crucial, but missing modalities in clinical practice often reduce accuracy. The aim of this study is to propose a mixture-of-experts and semantic-guided network to tackle the issue of missing modalities in brain tumor segmentation. We introduce a transformer-based encoder with novel mixture-of-experts blocks. In each block, four modality experts aim for modality-specific feature learning. Learnable modality embeddings are employed to alleviate the negative effect of missing modalities. We also introduce a decoder guided by semantic information, designed to pay higher attention to various tumor regions. Finally, we conduct extensive comparison experiments with other models as well as ablation experiments to validate the performance of the proposed model on the BraTS2018 dataset. The proposed model can accurately segment brain tumor sub-regions even with missing modalities. It achieves an average Dice score of 0.81 for the whole tumor, 0.66 for the tumor core, and 0.52 for the enhanced tumor across the 15 modality combinations, achieving top or near-top results in most cases, while also exhibiting a lower computational cost. Our mixture-of-experts and sematic-guided network achieves accurate and reliable brain tumor segmentation results with missing modalities, indicating its significant potential for clinical applications. Our source code is already available at https://github.com/MaggieLSY/MESG-Net. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The mystery of anisotropic strength of defective 2D materials is explored from the viewpoint of bond fracture. • The strength-orientation relation of 2D materials are consisted of complex multi-curves due to the fracture of different bonds. • A strength criterion is developed by considering the balance between bond stretch resulting from external loading and bond strength. Defects are inevitable in two-dimensional (2D) materials, which is widely recognized to affect the strength of 2D materials. It is known the uniaxial tension strength is significantly different along different directions of defective 2D materials. The defect induced strength anisotropy should have equal importance to defect strength, but unfortunately the mechanism and quantitative description of defect induced anisotropic strength are still unknown. In principle, the atomic origin of materials failure can be attributed to bond fracture, especially for 2D materials comprised of covalent bonds. From the viewpoint of bond fracture, the mystery of anisotropic strength of defective 2D materials is explored, that strength-orientation relations are consisted of complex multi-curves and each curve corresponds to the fracture of same bond. By considering the balance between bond stretch resulting from external loading and bond strength, a strength theory is developed, which can describe the anisotropic strength of graphene and h-BN with vast types of defects, like grain boundary, void, crack. This work deepens the understanding of defect induced anisotropic mechanical properties in 2D materials, which may facilitate defect engineering in 2D materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcumin is the most important active component in turmeric extracts. Curcumin, a natural monomer from plants has received a considerable attention as a dietary supplement, exhibiting evident activity in a wide range of human pathological conditions. In general, curcumin is beneficial to human health, demonstrating pharmacological activities of anti-inflammation and antioxidation, as well as antitumor and immune regulation activities. Curcumin also presents therapeutic potential in neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In this review article, we summarize the advancements made in recent years with respect to curcumin as a biologically active agent in malignant tumors, Alzheimer's disease (AD), hematological diseases and viral infectious diseases. We also focus on problems associated with curcumin from basic research to clinical translation, such as its low solubility, leading to poor bioavailability, as well as the controversy surrounding the association between curcumin purity and effect. Through a review and summary of the clinical research on curcumin and case reports of adverse effects, we found that the clinical transformation of curcumin is not successful, and excessive intake of curcumin may have adverse effects on the kidneys, heart, liver, blood and immune system, which leads us to warn that curcumin has a long way to go from basic research to application transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims at investigating the nonlinear transient response of fluid-conveying pipes made of graphene nanoplatelet (GPL)-reinforced composite (GPLRC) under blast loads and in a thermal environment. A modified Halpin–Tsai model is used to approximate the effective Young's modulus of the GPLRC pipes conveying fluid; the mass density and Poisson's ratio are determined by using the Voigt model. A slender Euler–Bernoulli beam is considered for modeling the pipes conveying fluid. The vibration control equation of the GPLRC pipes conveying fluid under blast loads is obtained by using Hamilton's principle. A set of second-order ordinary differential equations are obtained by using the second-order Galerkin discrete method and are solved by using the adaptive Runge–Kutta method. Numerical experiments show that GPL distribution and temperature; GPL weight fraction; pipe length-to-thickness ratio; flow velocity; and blast load parameters have important effects on the nonlinear transient response of the GPLRC pipes conveying fluid. The numerical results also show that due to the fluid–structure interaction, the vibration amplitudes of the GPLRC pipes conveying fluid decay after the impact of blast loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suppression motions are the means by which defendants challenge the constitutionality of stops, searches, and seizures, and move the court to exclude illegally recovered evidence. However, defendants face insurmountable obstacles in challenging police credibility in these motions. Using 31 motions with factual disputes from a northeastern state, we dissect the types of defense challenges related to stops, searches, seizures, and arrests, as well as the prevalence and types of corroborating evidence presented by the defense. We find that most defense challenges to police credibility are not corroborated, and evidence of prior police misconduct is not presented. Furthermore, judges typically rule in favor of the police when adjudicating uncorroborated factual disputes between police officers and defendants. As a result, suppression motions generally fail to serve as an accountability structure for police conduct and rarely provide defendants with a viable remedy to address rights violations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing, also known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, relates to several rapid prototyping (RP) technologies, and has shown great potential in the manufacture of organoids and even complex bioartificial organs. A major challenge for 3D bioprinting complex org unit ans is the competitive requirements with respect to structural biomimeticability, material integrability, and functional manufacturability. Over the past several years, 3D bioprinting based on sacrificial templates has shown its unique advantages in building hierarchical vascular networks in complex organs. Sacrificial biomaterials as supporting structures have been used widely in the construction of tubular tissues. The advent of suspension printing has enabled the precise printing of some soft biomaterials (e.g., collagen and fibrinogen), which were previously considered unprintable singly with cells. In addition, the introduction of sacrificial biomaterials can improve the porosity of biomaterials, making the printed structures more favorable for cell proliferation, migration and connection. In this review, we mainly consider the latest developments and applications of 3D bioprinting based on the strategy of sacrificial biomaterials, discuss the basic principles of sacrificial templates, and look forward to the broad prospects of this approach for complex organ engineering or manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing productivity models of staged fractured horizontal wells in tight oil reservoir are mainly linear flow models based on the idealized dual-medium fracture network structure, which have a certain limitation when applied to the production prediction. Aiming at the difficulty in describing the shape of the complex fractal fracture network, a two-dimensional heterogeneous structure model of the fracture network is proposed in this paper. Considering the deformation characteristics of porous media and the characteristic of non-Darcy fluid flow, a three-zone steady-state productivity model with the combination of radial and linear flow is established. To eliminate strong nonlinear characteristics of the mathematical model, a fractional step method is employed to deduce the production formulas of staged fractured horizontal wells under infinite and finite conductivity fractures. The established productivity model is verified with the actual data of three horizontal wells in different blocks of S oilfield, and the error between the model calculation results and the actual production data is less than 4%. The analysis results of productivity sensitive factors show that production of horizontal wells is primarily influenced by the reservoir physical properties and fracturing parameters. The steady-state productivity model established in this study can be applied to effectively predict the average production of a horizontal well in stable stage of production, and it has theoretical and practical application value for improving the development effect of tight oil reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The amount of sulfur in SO 2 discharged in volcanic eruptions exceeds that available for degassing from the erupted magma. This geological conundrum, known as the "sulfur excess", has been the subject of considerable interests but remains an open question. Here, in a systematic computational investigation of sulfur-oxygen compounds under pressure, a hitherto unknown S 3 O 4 compound containing a mixture of sulfur oxidation states +II and +IV is predicted to be stable at pressures above 79 GPa. We speculate that S 3 O 4 may be produced via redox reactions involving subducted S-bearing minerals (e.g., sulfates and sulfides) with iron and goethite under high-pressure conditions of the deep lower mantle, decomposing to SO 2 and S at shallow depths. S 3 O 4 may thus be a key intermediate in promoting decomposition of sulfates to release SO 2 , offering an alternative source of excess sulfur released during explosive eruptions. These findings provide a possible resolution of the "excess sulfur degassing" paradox and a viable mechanism for the exchange of S between Earth's surface and the lower mantle in the deep sulfur cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]