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Background: Observational studies have elucidated the associations between dietary factors and hypertension. Nevertheless, the exploration of these relationships using Mendelian randomization remains scarce currently. Methods: The Mendelian randomization approach investigated the potential causal relationships between 16 dietary factors and hypertension. To achieve this, we identified genetic variants associated with these dietary factors by utilizing data from European-descent genome-wide association studies with a stringent significance threshold (P < 5 × 10 − 8). Subsequently, we obtained genetic associations with hypertension from the extensive FinnGen Study, encompassing 92,462 cases and 265,626 controls. Our primary analytical method was the inverse variance weighted method, and we also conducted assessments for heterogeneity and pleiotropy to ensure the robustness and reliability of our findings. Results: The study revealed significant associations with hypertension risk for various dietary factors. Specifically, higher weekly alcohol consumption (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.19–1.96) and more frequent alcohol intake (OR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.08–1.33) were positively correlated with an increased risk of hypertension. Likewise, increased poultry intake (OR: 3.25, 95% CI: 1.83–5.78) and beef intake (OR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.09–2.97) were also linked to a higher risk of hypertension. Conversely, there were protective factors associated with a decreased risk of hypertension. These included consuming salad and raw vegetables, dried fruits, cheese, and cereals. It is important to note that no evidence of pleiotropy was detected, underscoring the robustness of these findings. Conclusions: This study uncovered causal relationships between various dietary factors and hypertension risk. Specifically, alcohol consumption in terms of drinks per week and intake frequency, as well as poultry and beef intake, were causally associated with an elevated risk of hypertension. In contrast, consuming salad/raw vegetables, dried fruits, cheese, and cereals demonstrated an inverse causal association with hypertension, suggesting a potential protective effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Highly stable perovskite nanocrystals in water were obtained by modifing wool keratin (WK) and crosslinking agent (PAPI). • CPB/WK-PAPI nanocrystals show excellent photoluminescence retention over time even after 512 days (>40 %). • Portable, low cost, and visualize test strips for amines were successfully made from these nanocrystals. Perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) have emerged as promising candidates for fluorescent probes owing to their outstanding photoelectric properties. However, the conventional CsPbBr 3 (CPB) NCs are extremely unstable in water, which has seriously limited their sensing applications in water environment. Herein, we present a powerful ligand engineering strategy for fabricating highly water-stable CPB NCs by using a biopolymer of wool keratin (WK) as the passivator and the polyaryl polymethylene isocyanate (PAPI) as the cross-linking agent. In particular, WK with multi-functional groups can serve as a polydentate ligand to firmly passivate CPB NCs by the ligand exchange process in hot toluene; and then the addition of PAPI can further encapsulate CPB NCs by the crosslinking reaction between PAPI and WK. Consequently, the as-prepared CPB/WK-PAPI NCs can maintain ∼ 80 % of their relative photoluminescence (PL) intensity after 60 days in water, and they still maintain ∼ 40 % of their relative PL intensity even after 512 days in the same environment, which is one of the best water stabilities compared previously reported polymer passivation methods. As a proof-of their application, the portable CPB/WK-PAPI NCs-based test strips are further developed as a fluorescent nanoprobe for real-time and visual monitoring amines and food freshness. Among various amine analytes, the as-prepared test strips exhibit higher sensitivity towards conjugated amines, achieving a remarkable detection limit of 18.3 nM for pyrrole. Our research not only introduces an innovative strategy involving natural biopolymers to enhance the water stability of PNCs, but also highlights the promising potential of PNCs for visually and portably detecting amines and assessing food freshness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel design of carbon materials with stable nanoarchitecture and optimized electrical properties featuring simultaneous intercalation of lithium ions (Li+) and sodium ions (Na+) is of great significance for the superb lithium–sodium storage capacities. Biomass‐derived carbon materials with affluent porosity have been widely studied as anodes for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs). However, it remains unexplored to further enhance the stability and utilization of the porous carbon skeleton during cycles. Here, a lotus stems derived porous carbon (LPC) with graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and intrinsic carbon nanowires framework (CNF) is successfully fabricated by a self‐template method. The LPC anodes show remarkable Li+ and Na+ storage performance with ultrahigh capacity (738 mA h g−1 for LIBs and 460 mA h g−1 for SIBs at 0.2 C after 300 cycles, 1C≈372 mA h g−1) and excellent long‐term stability. Structural analysis indicates that the CNFs‐supported porous structure and internal GQDs with excellent electrical conductivity contribute significantly to the dominant capacitive storage mechanism in LPC. This work provides new perspectives for developing advanced carbon‐based materials for multifunctional batteries with improved stability and utilization of porous carbon frameworks during cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new magnetohydrodynamic-particle-in-cell (MHD-PIC) code integrated into the athena++ framework. It treats energetic particles as in conventional PIC codes, while the rest of thermal plasmas are treated as background fluid described by MHD, thus primarily targeting at multiscale astrophysical problems involving the kinetic physics of the cosmic rays (CRs). The code is optimized towards efficient vectorization in interpolation and particle deposits, with excellent parallel scaling. The code is also compatible with static/adaptive mesh refinement, with dynamic load balancing to further enhance multiscale simulations. In addition, we have implemented a compressing/expanding box framework that allows adiabatic driving of CR pressure anisotropy, as well as the δ f method that can dramatically reduce Poisson noise in problems where distribution function f is only expected to slightly deviate from the background. The code performance is demonstrated over a series of benchmark test problems, including particle acceleration in non-relativistic parallel shocks. In particular, we reproduce the linear growth of the CR gyro-resonant (streaming and pressure anisotropy) instabilities, under both the periodic and expanding/compressing box settings. We anticipate the code to open up the avenue for a wide range of astrophysical and plasma physics applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• LDI-MVFNet fuses three electrode arrays to improve precision of leachate imaging. • Field salt tracer experiments simulate media changes caused by pollutant diffusion. • The proposed algorithm compensates the deficiencies of single-ERT imaging. • Distribution of contaminant plumes was more accurately delimited. • The method provides guidance for site risk assessment and efficient remediation. The accurate monitoring and early warning of groundwater pollution caused by the concealed leakage of landfills is a major challenge globally in the field of solid waste management and groundwater protection. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) represents a potential solution with advantages, owing to its fast and nondestructive characteristics. However, traditional ERT based on a single array cannot reveal the distribution and dynamics of pollution in complex underground media owing to the limited information it carries. We designed a novel deep network for multi-view fusion to invert the real resistivity distribution of the medium caused by leachate (named LDI-MVFNet) so as to infer the distribution of leachate. To support model establishment and validation, ERT instances collected from synthetic models and a salt tracer experiment were inverted. We compared the inversion results of the LDI-MVFNet with those of single arrays and found that the LDI-MVFNet performed the best overall. The average root mean square error (RMSE) of synthetic models reached 0.98, performing better than Dipole–Dipole (3.86), Wenner–Schlumberger (3.37), and Pole–Pole (6.61), which were inverted separately. The resultant inverted subsurface true resistivity data were presented in the form of two-dimensional (2D) cross sections. The imaging results of 2D cross sections showed that LDI-MVFNet was superior to others in data noise suppression and inversion accuracy. The results of this study indicate that the data fusion of multiple views can more accurately reflect the real resistivity than the inversion of a single array can. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One effective treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis is to inhibit osteoclasts and subsequent bone resorption. In our study, we demonstrated that acacetin, a flavone with potential therapeutic effects in infections, cancers, and several metabolic disorders, inhibited osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption in vitro. For improving the efficacy of acacetin in vivo, we developed an acid-sensitive bone-targeting delivery system composed of an acid-sensitive linker (N-ε-maleimidocaproic acid hydrazide, EMCH) for ensuring an effective release of acacetin at the site of action and a hydrophilic aspartic acid hexapeptide ((Asp)6, D6) as the effective bone targeting agent. Our results revealed that Acacetin-EMCH-D6 specifically bound to the bone surface once administrated in vivo, prolonged the retention time in bone and released acacetin at the osteoclastic bone resorption sites where the acidity is higher. We further demonstrated that, in ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis mice, treatment with Acacetin-EMCH-D6 inhibited osteoclast formation and increased trabecular bone mass. On the contrary, neither acacetin nor EMCH-D6 with the same dosage alone showed significant anti-osteoporosis effects in vivo. Mechanistically, targeted delivery of acacetin to the bone resorption sites by Acacetin-EMCH-D6 inhibited autophagy through activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in osteoclasts, while the activation of autophagy by rapamycin partially reversed the inhibitory effects of acacetin in vitro and in vivo. In summary, our study, for the first time, showed that the acid-sensitive bone-targeting delivery system carrying acacetin was effective for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Thus, targeted delivery of acacetin using Acacetin-EMCH-D6 to bone resorption sites is a promising therapy for osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acacia catechu (L.f.) Willd, a leguminous plant, is included in the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and is mainly used to treat eczema, mouth ulcers, diarrhea, bruising, and traumatic hemorrhage. However, there are imported and domestic Acacia catechu samples available in China, and their quality and price are very different, which seriously affects the safety and stability of their clinical application. Importantly, there is no simple and effective method for identifying or classifying grades of Acacia catechu. In this study, 47 batches of commercial Acacia catechu were used for identifying or classifying grades of Acacia catechu using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with chemometric analysis. Firstly, gradient elution was adopted with 0.05% phosphoric acid water (A)-methanol (B) as the mobile phase to establish chromatographic conditions. The HPLC chromatograms of 47 batches of Acacia catechu samples were analyzed by the "Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of TCM" software (version 2012A). The common peaks of Acacia catechu were identified to evaluate the similarity. Based on the determination results of fingerprint chromatographic peak area, the quality of the collected Acacia catechu was evaluated by chemometric methods such as CA, PCA, and OPLS-DA. The results showed that the collected Acacia catechu samples were significantly divided into three categories. The first-class samples were all imported Acacia catechu except S9 sample, which was domestic Acacia catechu; the second-class samples were partly domestic Acacia catechu and partly imported Acacia catechu; and the third-class samples were all domestic Acacia catechu. Moreover, OPLS-DA of 47 batches of samples showed that the contents of catechin and the total contents of catechin and epicatechin could be used as key indicators for assessing the quality of Acacia catechu. The developed HPLC fingerprint and quantitative analysis method of multi-indicator components can be used for classification and quality evaluation of market Acacia catechu, which has a significant reference value for developing Acacia catechu grade quality standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification is a conserved mechanism to regulate gene expression that plays vital roles in the development of plants. However, the m6A RNA modification in forest trees remains limited. Here, we performed a complete analysis of m6A writers, erasers and readers in Poplar 84K, including gene location, gene structures, conserved motifs, phylogenetic relationships, promoter analysis, expression profiles and the homology modeling. We have identified 61 m6A pathway genes in Poplar 84K (Populus alba × Populus glandulosa), including 14 m6A writers, 14 m6A erasers and 33 m6A readers. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the m6A writers and erasers were clustered into four groups and m6A readers were clustered into two groups. Promoter analysis showed that m6A pathway genes were mainly responsive to low oxygen followed by ABA and ethylene. The expression of the identified m6A pathway genes showed tissue-specific expression patterns in leaves, xylem, phloem and roots. Moreover, 17 genes were significantly up-regulated and 13 genes were significantly down-regulated in poplar overexpressing the transcription factor LBD15. Homology modeling and molecular docking results suggested that PagFIP37b was most likely to be regulated by LBD15, and the qPCRshowed that PagFIP37b were up-regulated in the LBD15-oe plants. The results provide insights that aid in the future elucidation of the functions of these m6A pathway genes and the epigenetic regulation mechanism of these genes in Poplar 84K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study a green product dual-channel supply chain with a manufacturer and a retailer. The service free-riding is considered, and the channel price difference is also introduced as a strategic tool to adjust the channel conflict. In centralized and decentralized models, we give the optimal decisions of the supply chain members and analyse the effects of the service free-riding and the price difference on the related decisions. In order to coordinate the dual-channel green supply chain, we also design a two-part tariff contract coordination model, which allows both the manufacturer and the retailer to obtain a win–win result. From the analytical and numerical results, we find that the proper service free-riding degree and price difference are beneficial to the decision makers and the greening of supply chain. And in the centralized model, when the degree of service free-riding is small, the increase of the channel price difference can stimulate the manufacturer to provide the lower price product with lower service and green degree, otherwise, it is the opposite. Besides, the result also shows that, except for consumers, the centralized model always performs better than the decentralized model in the profit and social welfare aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies alternative procurement modes for emergency supplies in the presence of a public sector and a private supplier. A key feature of such a supply chain is that the private supplier must consider commercial demand in addition to disaster demand. Three procurement modes are analysed: an option mode (OM), an order-before-disaster mode (OBDM) and a procurement-after-disaster mode (PADM). We provide the optimal decisions associated with these three modes. Theoretical results in the OM show that a large order is not always better for the private supplier. From theoretical and numerical comparative analyses, no mode is absolutely superior. For the public sector, there are two thresholds. When the disaster probability is less than the low threshold, the revenues of all procurement modes are the same; when the disaster probability is larger than the high threshold, the OBDM has the highest revenue; otherwise, the OM has the highest revenue. However, for the private supplier, the PADM always has the highest revenue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, supercapacitors (SCs) have emerged as one of the most promising energy storage devices, which can be attributed to their exceptional power density, rapid charge–discharge rate, and superior cycling stability. Despite the progress made in the signal metal oxide of SCs, several challenges still need to be addressed, including the poor electrical conductivity, unsatisfactory cyclic stability, and low energy density. It is crucial to develop innovative composite materials with synergistic effects to address these issues. In this study, the cobalt oxide and Co3O4@NiCo2O4 composite were successfully synthesized on Ni foams by a hydrothermal method. Composite electrodes featured by the hierarchical core–shell structures were identified as an effective approach for improving the electrochemical performance of SCs. Noteworthily, the as-fabricated core–shell structures demonstrated excellent specific capacitance of 1514 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1, a stable operating voltage of 0–0.5 V and outstanding cycling stability (with almost no attenuation after 2000 cycles at a charge–discharge current density of 10 A g−1). The enhanced electrochemical behavior can be attributed to the synergistic effect between two electrode active materials and the presence of more electron and ion transport pathways. The as-prepared composite electrodes can be considered as the potential electrode materials for energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dissolution of silica and transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) can deposit on the membrane surface and cause serious membrane fouling in reverse osmosis (RO) technology. Coagulation, as a common pretreatment process for RO, can effectively intercept pollutants and alleviate membrane fouling. In this study, FeCl 3 and AlCl 3 coagulants and polyacrylamide (PAM) flocculants were used to explore the optimal coagulation conditions to reduce the concentration of silica and TEP in the RO process. The results showed that the two coagulants had the best removal effect on pollutants when the pH was 7 and the dosage was 50 mg/L. Considering the proportion of reversible fouling after coagulation, the removal rate of pollutants, and the residual amount of coagulation metal ions, the best PAM dosage was 5 mg/L for FeCl 3 and 1 mg/L for AlCl 3. After coagulation pretreatment, the Zeta potential decreased, and the particle size distribution increased, making pollutants tend to aggregate, thus effectively removing foulants. The removal mechanisms of pollutants by coagulation pretreatment were determined to be adsorption, electric neutralization and co-precipitation. This study determined the best removal conditions of silica and TEP by coagulation and explored the removal mechanism. • The removal mechanism of silica and transparent extracellular polymeric particles by coagulation was explored. • The optimal conditions for coagulation to mitigate membrane fouling caused by silica and transparent extracellular polymeric particles was determined. • FeCl 3 demonstrates a more effective membrane fouling mitigation compared to AlCl 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolved silica and transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) are the primary foulants in reverse osmosis (RO) desalinated brackish water and wastewater. In this study, we investigated the fouling properties of varying silica concentrations with TEP on the membrane surface and discovered a synergistic fouling effect between the silanol group (Si–OH) and the TEP carboxyl group (-COOH). The membrane fouling experiments showed that silica fouling approached saturation at 6 mM, with little variation in membrane flux as the silica concentration increased. Furthermore, the –OH functional group of the monosilicate molecule can chemically react with the -COO- functional group on the membrane surface to create hydrogen bonds, allowing monosilicate deposition directly on the membrane. Silica-silica interactions reacted with aggregates at high silica concentrations and joined with TEP to create a more substantial, more complex cross-linked network, resulting in severe membrane fouling. At pH 9, silica fouling was most severe due to the dramatic increase in the solubility of monosilicic acid dissolution in solution and the decreased polymerization rate. This work reveals the essential process of membrane fouling induced by silica and TEP, significantly increasing knowledge on silica-TEP fouling. The contamination of reverse osmosis membranes by silica and transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) was investigated using a laboratory-scale reverse osmosis plant. The mechanism of interaction was also mapped through multiple characterisations to explain the complexation mechanism of the two contaminants causing membrane fouling. [Display omitted] • At 6 mM, silica saturated the reverse osmosis membrane fouling. • The TEP was easily transformed from colloid to particles when silica levels increased. • The silane alcohol group (Si–OH) and the carboxyl group (-COOH) of TEP have a synergistic impact. • The solubility of silica solution was greatest at pH 9, and membrane fouling was the most severe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone is the most common late metastasis of breast cancer. Bone metastasis causes not only severe bone pain, but also bone-related diseases such as pathological fractures, which are closely related to osteoclasts. The effects of demethoxycurcumin (DMC) on osteoclast biology has not been investigated. In this study, we explored the effects of DMC on MDA-MB-231 cells, MCF-7 cells, and osteoclasts induced by RANKL in vitro, as well as the protective effect on bone destruction of tumor bone metastasis in vivo. DMC showed inhibitory effect on the migration and promotes the apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells. At the same time, DMC inhibited osteoclast maturation and mature osteoclast bone resorption in a dose-dependent manner, and suppressed the expression of osteoclast marker genes TRAP, CTSK, MMP9, V-ATPase-d2 and DC-STAMP significantly. Biochemical data showed that DMC inhibited tumor cells and osteoclasts by inhibiting the early activation of ERK and JNK MAPK pathway. Consistent with the results in vitro, we confirmed that DMC protects bone destruction caused by tumor metastasis in vivo. In short, our study confirmed that DMC could be used as a potential drug for the treatment of tumor bone destruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2-(2-phenethyl)chromones (PECs) are the signature constituents responsible for the fragrance and pharmacological properties of agarwood. O -Methyltransferases (OMTs) are necessary for the biosynthesis of methylated PECs, but there is little known about OMTs in Aquilaria sinensis. In this study, we identified 29 OMT genes from the A. sinensis genome. Expression analysis showed they were differentially expressed in different tissues and responded to drill wounding. Comprehensive analysis of the gene expression and methylated PEC content revealed that AsOMT2 , AsOMT8 , AsOMT11 , AsOMT16 , and AsOMT28 could potentially be involved in methylated PECs biosynthesis. In vitro enzyme assays and functional analysis in Nicotiana benthamiana demonstrated that AsOMT11 and AsOMT16 could methylate 6-hydroxy-2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone to form 6-methoxy-2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone. A transient overexpression experiment in the variety 'Qi-Nan' revealed that AsOMT11 and AsOMT16 could significantly promote the accumulation of three major methylated PECs. Our results provide candidate genes for the mass production of methylated PECs using synthetic biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the commercial detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) are introduced to the anodes of lithium ion battery (LIBs) consisting of anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2) and synthesized graphite by a microwave treatment process. The compound TiO2/DND/graphite anodes are favorable for improving the LIB performance, where the LIBs have lithium storage capacities of 540 mA h g−1 at 0.5 C after 100 cycles and 300 mA h g−1 at 5 C after 1000 cycles, which are greatly higher than the theoretical data (168 mA h g−1) from TiO2 anode alone. The high capacity, as well as excellent cycling performance and stability of the LIBs, are attributed to the synergistic effect of DND (larger surface area, low expansion, high lithium adsorption capacity, chemical inertness), TiO2 (high Li+ insertion/extraction voltage, robust structural stability, lower volumetric expansion) and the improved ionic conductivity of the anode with additional fabricated graphitic powders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The appropriate depth of right internal jugular venous (RIJV) catheterization is still under debated. In this study, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is used to develop a prediction formula for fixed RIJV catheter depth. Methods: Eighty patients with indications for intraoperative TEE and central line placement were enrolled. After intubation, a RIJV catheter was inserted via the middle approach using the Seldinger technique. When the J‐tip of the guide wire appeared at the junction of the superior vena cava and the right atrium under TEE guidance, the guide wire was pulled back by approximately 2‐3 cm, until its tip was out of the pericardial fold. This depth was regarded as the insertion depth of the central venous catheter. Body landmark distance was measured, and the prediction formula was generated. Results: The mean central line depth after TEE‐guided placement was 15.1 ± 1.7 cm. The prediction formula developed is as follows: Insertion depth = (Height ÷ 20) + (D ÷ 2), where D equals the distance from the insertion point to the sternal angle via the right sternoclavicular joint (r = 0.595, r2 = 0.354, P < 0.01). Conclusions: TEE is an effective method for determining the appropriate insertion depth for an RIJV catheter. The prediction formula can be used as a reference for future RIJV catheterizations via the middle approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kiwifruit has a high decay rate, in part because quality changes during storage cannot be easily monitored in real time. In order to better monitor the shelf life of kiwifruit and understand the quality changing process during storage, internal quality indexes such as hardness, respiratory intensity and TSS(Total Soluble Solid) were considered into the prediction models. The prediction models were constructed based on BPNN (Back Propagation Neural Network), Random Forest (RF) and XGBoost (eXtreme Gradient Boosting) respectively. And transfer learning algorithm was used to construct the quality prediction models with BPNN, RF, and XGBoost algorithms as the base learner. In the experiments, sample data were augmented by adding Gaussian noise, which effectively prevented the model from over-fitting. The experimental results showed that the prediction accuracy of each index based on transfer learning was better than that of individual BPNN, RF and XGBoost. Moreover, the average prediction accuracy of the models based on transfer learning was 96.2%, and that of respiratory intensity was as high as 99.4%. Therefore transfer learning can be used to effectively analyze and predict changes of kiwifruit quality indexes during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu doped chalcogenide (ChG) glassy films in the As–Se–Te glass system have been prepared using thermal evaporation techniques. Single-source evaporation from bulk (1-x) As0.40Se0.35Te0.25+x Cu glasses with x=0.05, 0.075, 0.10, 0.125, and 0.15, as well as dual-source coevaporation from As-chalcogenide and Cu-chalcogenide binary glasses as source materials, has been explored. We have shown that it is not possible to deposit high concentration Cu doped ChG glassy films, from the Cu doped bulk samples using single-source evaporation. However, using the dual-source coevaporation technique, we have demonstrated that the films can be doped with high concentrations of Cu. Micro-Raman spectroscopy has been utilized to verify that Cu is introduced into the glass network without disrupting the basic As-chalcogen units. Optical measurements have shown that introduction of Cu decreases the band gap of As–Se–Te glasses. The electrical properties of the investigated films have been measured at different temperatures and it has been shown that Cu incorporation in the As–Se–Te glass system vastly improves electrical conductivity. Moreover, we have shown that the temperature dependence of electrical conductivity can be fitted assuming variable range hopping between states near the Fermi level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Essential hypertension (EH) is a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Fructus Tribuli (FT), as a traditional medicine, has been frequently used for thousands of years. The crude Fructus Tribuli (CFT), decoction pieces being processed to remove impurities, have been listed as an important medicine for the treatment of hypertension in the elderly. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, the CFT can enhance the EH treatment after being stir-fried into stir-fried Fructus Tribuli (SFT). At present, whether the SFT can enhance the EH treatment and its potential pharmacodynamic substances and mechanism are unknown. In this study, an integrated "spectrum-effect relationship-network pharmacology-metabolomics" strategy was used. Using male spontaneously hypertensive rats as an experimental model, we compared the therapeutic effects of CFT and SFT on EH. Subsequently, to define the pharmacodynamic material basis of SFT in enhancing the EH treatment, the steroidal saponins (main active components of FT) were selected for spectrum-effect relationship analysis. Furthermore, we applied the joint pathway analysis of network pharmacology and metabolomics to explore the underlying mechanism of SFT in enhancing the EH treatment. Results showed that SFT was better than CFT in the EH treatment. The steroidal saponins transformed by stir-frying were the potential pharmacodynamic substances that SFT could enhance the EH treatment. And the mechanism of action might be associated with regulating glycerophospholipid metabolism and arachidonic acid metabolism, especially arachidonic acid metabolism. This study provided a scientific basis for the clinical use of SFT as an important medicine for the EH treatment. [Display omitted] • Providing a basis for treating essential hypertension by stir-fried Fructus Tribuli. • Pharmacodynamic substances were steroidal saponins transformed by stir-frying. • Combined network pharmacology and metabolomics to explore the underlying mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasound-guided costal margin block (CMB) is a superficial and easily applicable technique. The current study aims to investigate its analgesic efficacy in patients undergoing laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy and describe its feasibility. Forty-two patients undergoing laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy were enrolled in this prospective, double-blind, randomized clinical trial. Patients were randomized to receive standard general anesthesia with (block group, n = 21) or without (control group, n = 21) ultrasound-guided bilateral CMB. The primary outcome was 24-h intravenous morphine equivalents after surgery. Secondary outcomes included consumption of titrated morphine, 24–48 h morphine equivalents, consumption of intraoperative remifentanil, numerical pain rating scale scores, time to first opioid dose, patient satisfaction, adverse effects, and recovery events. The postoperative 24-h morphine equivalents in the block group were significantly reduced compared to the control group (14.4 ± 7.4 mg vs. 29.9 ± 9.8 mg, p < 0.001). Both the titrated morphine consumption in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and intraoperative remifentanil consumption were lower in the block group than in the control group. Patients in the block group had relatively lower average pain scores in PACU and reported more satisfaction with pain relief. Adverse effects and hospital length of stay after surgery were comparable between the two groups (p > 0.05). As a novel and easily-performed technique, ultrasound-guided bilateral CMB can reduce opioid consumption in patients undergoing laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report a new type of anode consisting of mixed detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) hollow nanospheres (HNSs) for improving the specific capacity of lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Benefiting from the unique characteristics (high lithium adsorption capacity, large specific surface area and chemical inertness) of DNDs and the porous structure of TiO2 HNSs, the anode plays an important role in realizing remarkable capacity performances (with a capacity of 348.8 mA h g−1 at 0.5C after 100 cycles) and superior long-term cycle stability (with a capacity of 246.3 mA h g−1 at 5C after 800 cycles) of LIBs, which are significantly better than those of the battery with the TiO2 anode alone. The improvement can be attributed to the enhanced Li+ storing capacity and stability of the anode consisting of DNDs and TiO2 HNS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have successfully synthesized 3D carbon nanotube foams through a simple self-assembly method. Taking these carbon nanotube foams as substrates, we have fabricated a novel core-shell structure of CNTF@CoO through a simple heat treatment process. The electrochemical measurements suggest that the composite has excellent electrochemical performances. It shows excellent rate properties and long-term cycling stability with a reversible capacity of about 820 mAh g−1 at the charge-discharge current density of 100 mA g−1. The capacity is as large as 448 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles at 5000 mA g−1. The excellent performance can be attributed to the high capacity of CoO, the porous structure, and high conductivity of the carbon materials that provides fast ion transport pathways and relieves the strain during charge-discharge process.Schematic exhibition of the preparation process of the CNTF@CoO core-shell nanostructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Assisted with nanodiamonds (NDs), high concentration H 2 O in electrolyte significantly improves the performances of LIBs. • High concentration H 2 O is helpful for increasing the ionic conductivity and separator wettability of the electrolyte. • Highly conductive ND-rich SEI is formed to reduce the corrosion of graphite and provide more ion storage sites. Commercial lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are usually required to avoid the presence of H 2 O, as the intercalation of H 2 O molecules would lead to the degradation of both electrolyte and graphite anode, resulting in irreversible failure of the batteries. In this work, we demonstrate that assisted with introducing nanodiamonds (NDs), high concentration H 2 O in electrolyte (higher than 3000 ppm) can improve the performances of LIBs. For the electrolyte with 5000 ppm H 2 O and a small amount of NDs, the long-cycle stability and superior reversible capacities of 950 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 after 100 cycles (130 mA h g−1 at 5 A g−1 after 10,000 cycles) have been realized, which are significantly improved in comparison with the case of sole H 2 O introduced in the electrolyte. The improvements can be attributed to the synergistic effect of NDs and H 2 O achieving highly conductive SEI network, enhanced ionic conductivity and separator wettability of electrolyte, mitigated erosion of graphite anode, and increased storage sites for Li+. This work provides an efficient method to not only boost the performances of LIBs but also reduce the cost of production in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzing customers' characteristics and giving the early warning of customer churn based on machine learning algorithms, can help enterprises provide targeted marketing strategies and personalized services, and save a lot of operating costs. Data cleaning, oversampling, data standardization and other preprocessing operations are done on 900,000 telecom customer personal characteristics and historical behavior data set based on Python language. Appropriate model parameters were selected to build BPNN (Back Propagation Neural Network). Random Forest (RF) and Adaboost, the two classic ensemble learning models were introduced, and the Adaboost dual-ensemble learning model with RF as the base learner was put forward. The four models and the other four classical machine learning models-decision tree, naive Bayes, K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM) were utilized respectively to analyze the customer churn data. The results show that the four models have better performance in terms of recall rate, precision rate, F1 score and other indicators, and the RF-Adaboost dual-ensemble model has the best performance. Among them, the recall rates of BPNN, RF, Adaboost and RF-Adaboost dual-ensemble model on positive samples are respectively 79%, 90%, 89%,93%, the precision rates are 97%, 99%, 98%, 99%, and the F1 scores are 87%, 95%, 94%, 96%. The RF-Adaboost dual-ensemble model has the best performance, and the three indicators are 10%, 1%, and 6% higher than the reference. The prediction results of customer churn provide strong data support for telecom companies to adopt appropriate retention strategies for pre-churn customers and reduce customer churn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intralaminar and interlaminar damages of U3160/3266 laminated composites toughened by polyamide nonwoven fabric (PNF) under low velocity impact are investigated through a numerical model which considers both the three-dimensional continuum damage mechanics (CDM) and the bilinear cohesive zone model (CZM). The analysis of the intralaminar damage is implemented by the ABAQUS/Explicit finite element code coupled with a user-defined subroutine VUMAT where the longitudinal failure, transverse matrix cracking, and nonlinear shear of the material are taken into account. Then the effects of the thickness and strength of PNF/3266 interlayer on the damage of composites are numerically analyzed. The results reveal that damage morphology can be simulated qualitatively compared to the experimental counterparts. With the decreasing interlayer thickness or the increasing interlayer strength, the damage area is effectively reduced. This work provides an effective model to predict the low velocity impact damage of composites, and is helpful for the optimization of interlayer toughened composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:1280-1291, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burn is one of the most common types of injuries worldwide, which remains a clinical challenge due to its progressive exacerbation caused by inflammation and edema that impede the growth and differentiation of fibroblast. To solve this problem, in this study, the anti-inflammatory Gelsvirine (Gs), as a specific STING inhibitor for rheumatoid arthritis pain, is used for inflammation control in burn wound healing. Meanwhile, to improve fibroblast migration, proliferation, and differentiation, the natural protein silk fibroin (SF) was used due to its demonstrated capacity to promote the proliferation of epidermal cells and fibroblasts, facilitate collagen synthesis and further improve wound repair. Through our rational design, a functional dressing for the co-delivery of Gs and SF is developed to improve burn wound healing. A multilayer composite dressing of Polycaprolactone(PCL)/Gs-loaded sodium alginate (SA)/SF-gelatin (Gs@SFD) was prepared using the combination of electrospinning and extrusion method, which contained four layers: PCL-dense barrier layer (to prevent infection), SA-hydrogel layer (to load Gs and keep wound moisture), PCL-loosen support layer (to prevent deformation of bioactive layer and to facilitate Gs release into trauma) and SF/gelatin bioactive layer (to contact with trauma and bioactively induce wound healing). Our data showed that the hydrogel layer realized the sustained release of Gs. As a specific inhibitor of STING signaling pathway, the released Gs inhibited the inflammatory response of macrophages and further reduced the fibroblast damage both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the bioactive layer promoted cell proliferation, facilitated collagen synthesis, and further improved wound healing in animal model of burn trauma. Therefore, this study provides a novel multilayer composite dressing (Gs@SFD) to facilitate burn wound healing via efficient inflammation control with the sustained release of Gs, and improvement on wound healing due to the bioactive components of silk fibroin, which could serve as a potential therapeutic approach in the future. In addition, our multilayer dressing design provides an advanced drug delivery strategy for burn wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVER ILLUSTRATION:ROBO1 polymorphisms, callosal connectivity, and reading skills. The microstructural integrity of the corpus callosum (measured by diffusion MRI) was found to mediate the effects of two ROBO1 (a famous axon ‐ guidance ‐ receptor gene) polymorphisms on Chinese reading performance in childrenwith typical development. For more details, please see Sun et al. 2017 in this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic effects on specific behavioral phenotypes are putatively mediated by specific neural functions. It remains unexplored how the axon-guidance-receptor gene ROBO1 influences reading performance through the neural system despite the identification of ROBO1 as a susceptibility gene for dyslexia. To address this issue, the present study recruited a group of children with a wide range of reading abilities. Two previously identified reading-related ROBO1 polymorphisms were genotyped, and diffusion and structural MRI were acquired to measure the fiber microstructure of the corpus callosum (CC), the major white-matter tract that connects inter-hemispheric cortical regions. The results confirmed the significant influence of the ROBO1 polymorphisms on reading scores. The fiber microstructures of the midline-CC segments around the genu and splenium were also affected by the ROBO1 polymorphisms. Moreover, a mediation analysis further revealed that the genu could significantly mediate the effects of the ROBO1 polymorphisms on word-list reading performance, which suggests a ROBO1-to-genu-to-reading pathway. The genu-linked cortical morphology, however, was not associated with either the ROBO1 polymorphisms or reading performance. These findings offer direct evidence supporting ROBO1-callosum association in humans and also provide valuable insight into the functions of ROBO1 and the gene-to-brain mechanisms that underlie human reading. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2616-2626, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ruthenium complex Ru(terpyridine)(2,6-pyridinedicarboxylate) was successfully grafted onto MCM-41 using a multi-step grafting method. The immobilized ruthenium complex was characterized thoroughly using Fourier transform infrared, Raman, UV-visible and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopies, X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption, scanning , thermogravimetric analysis and analysis. This immobilized ruthenium complex showed excellent performance in the oxidation of various secondary alcohols to their corresponding ketones with tert-butyl hydroperoxide as oxidant under solvent-free conditions, and had the advantages of easy recovery and good reusability. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the core components in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), upgraded separators are of great demand to further improve the performance of LIBs. This work designed two types of polypropylene (PP) separators modified by nanodiamonds (NDs) and NDs/ZnCO 3 (named DPP and DZPP separators, respectively) used to enhance the performance of LIBs. LIBs with the modified separators possess excellent cycling stabilities and high specific capacities at various current densities (739 mA h g−1 for DPP-LIBs and 910 mA h g−1 for DZPP-LIBs after 1000 cycling processes at a rate of 2 C), which are significantly superior as compared to LIBs with traditional PP separators (460 mA h g−1). NDs are favorable for building novel buffer layers on the modified separators during the cycling processes, resulting in uniform depositions of lithium-containing compounds. Furthermore, NDs migrate to graphite anodes and enhance the specific area of the anodes through forming few-layered graphene. The in-situ lithiation of ZnCO 3 creates an additional Li 2 CO 3 layer on the DZPP separators, which serves as a buffer layer to redistribute Li-ions during the cycling processes of DZPP-LIBs. It is demonstrated that the deposition of NDs and/or NDs/ZnCO 3 on PP separators provides a feasible, low-cost, and highly efficient method to improve the performance of LIBs. • Separators in LIBs were modified with nanodiamonds (NDs) andNDs/ZnCO 3 nanowires. • Modified separators are helpful for improving cycle stability and specific capacities of LIBs. • It is demonstrated that both NDs and NDs/ZnO are crucial to the improvements of LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanodiamonds (NDs) were dispersed into commercial LiPF 6 electrolyte and proposed to form a NDs-rich SEI near graphitic anode, which is helpful for significantly improving the capacity and circling stability of LIBs. This strategy provides a highly efficient way for developing high-performance LIBs. [Display omitted] • Nanodiamond (ND) with large surface area, chemical inertness and high lithium adsorption capacity, was uniformly dispersed in electrolyte and formed NDs-rich solid electrolyte interface (SEI) during charge-discharge processes. • The NDs-rich SEI is favorable for realizing high capacities of ∼ 400 mA h g-1 at 5C and ∼ 700 mA h g-1 at 0.2C with circling stability , which are nearly 2 times that for original electrolyte without NDs. • This work proposes a strategy based on ND-electrolyte with industry compatibility for achieving highly practical applications. Designing and synthesizing novel electrolyte and solid electrolyte interfaces (SEIs) are greatly desirable for improving the performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Taking into account the large surface area, chemical inertness, high lithium adsorption and surface modifiability, in this work, detonation nanodiamonds (NDs) with an average size of 5 nm were introduced to commercial LiPF 6 electrolyte and a NDs-rich SEI was formed on graphitic anodes surface during charge–discharge processes. The NDs-rich SEIs have low interfacial resistance, fast ion transport and additional Li+ storage sites, which are favorable to improve the capacity and rate performance of LIBs. The half cells with ND-electrolyte exhibit capacities of ∼ 400 mA h g−1 at 5C (1C ∼ 372 mA h g−1) after 1000 cycles and ∼ 700 mA h g−1 at 0.2C after 100 cycles, which are nearly 2 times that for original electrolyte without NDs performed under the same processes. Further considering the compatibility with industrial processes, the strategy of forming SEIs consisting of NDs from electrolytes is helpful for fabricating high-performance LIBs with high capacity and stability for practical industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For durable products, the high quality after-sales service has been playing an increasingly important role in consumers’ purchase behaviors. We mainly study a supply chain composed of a manufacturer and a retailer. In a process of products sales, the manufacturer will provide a basic free quality assurance service. On this basis, the retailer provides paid optional quality assurance service to consumers to promote sales. Users are divided into two categories in this paper: users with no optional service and users with optional services. We derive the equilibrium decisions between the manufacturer and the retailer under the following two cases: (i) the optional after-sales service level and the wholesale price determined by the manufacturer and the retail price determined by the retailer; (ii) the wholesale price determined by the manufacturer and the optional after-sales service level and the retail price determined by the retailer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the continuum damage mechanics (CDM) and the cohesive zone model (CZM), a numerical analysis method for the evaluation of damage in composite laminates under low-velocity impact is proposed. The intraply damage including matrix crack and fiber fracture is represented by the CDM which takes into account the progressive failure behavior in the ply, using the damage variable to describe the intraply damage state. The delamination is characterized by a special contact law including the CZM which takes into account the normal crack and the tangential slip. The effect of the interlaminar toughness on the impact damage is investigated, which is as yet seldom discussed in detail. The results reveal that as the interlaminar fracture toughness enhances, the delamination area and the dissipated energy caused by delamination decrease. The contribution of normal crack and tangential slip to delamination is evaluated numerically, and the later one is the dominant delamination type during the impact process. Meanwhile, the numerical prediction has a good agreement with the experimental results. The study is helpful for the optimal design and application of composite laminates, especially for the design of interlaminar toughness according to certain requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immediate-early genes (IEGs) are rapidly activated after sensory and behavioral experience and are believed to be crucial for converting experience into long-term memory. Neuronal PAS domain protein 4 ( Npas4 ), a recently discovered IEG, has several characteristics that make it likely to be a particularly important molecular link between neuronal activity and memory: it is among the most rapidly induced IEGs, is expressed only in neurons, and is selectively induced by neuronal activity. By orchestrating distinct activity-dependent gene programs in different neuronal populations, Npas4 affects synaptic connections in excitatory and inhibitory neurons, neural circuit plasticity, and memory formation. It may also be involved in circuit homeostasis through negative feedback and psychiatric disorders. We summarize these findings and discuss their implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of electronic skin (e-skin), multifunctional e-skin is approaching, and in some cases even surpassing, the capabilities of real human skin, which has garnered increasing attention. Especially, if e-skin processes eye's function, it will endow e-skins more powerful advantages, such as the vision reparation, enhanced security, improved adaptability and enhanced interactivity. Here, we first study the photodetector based on CsPbBr3 quantum dots film and the pressure sensor based on PEDOT: PSS-coated cellulose paper, respectively. On the base of these two kinds of sensors, a light/pressure bifunctional sensor was successfully fabricated. Finally, flexible bifunctional sensors were obtained by using a flexible interdigital electrode. They can simultaneously detect light and pressure stimulation. As e-skin, a high photosensitivity with a switching ratio of 168 under 405 nm light at a power of 40 mW/cm2 was obtained and they can also monitor human motions in the meantime. Our work showed that the strategy to introduce perovskite photodetectors into e-skins is feasible and may open a new way for the development of flexible multi-functional e-skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The (a) ZnO nanorods loaded with detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) can be spontaneously transfer to (b) ZnCO3 nanowires and nanoparticles of core–shell DND@Zn and Zn/DND exposed in humid environment, which are ascribed to the catalytic DNDs and participations of CO2 and H2O in air. [Display omitted] • Hybrid zinc oxide (ZnO)/detonation nanodiamond (DND) was hydrothermally synthesized. • A spontaneous structure evolution of ZnO/DND occurred in atmospheric environment. • The evolution is relating to catalytic DNDs and participations of CO2 and H2O in air. • The products include ZnCO3/ZnO naonowires and DND@Zn, Zn/DND nanoparticles. • The work offers a possibility for carbon neutral in ambient environment. Spontaneous growth in ambient environment has become an exciting topic issue for nanostructured materials. Here, hydrothermally synthesized zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods loaded with detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) enable a spontaneous structure evolution related to a catalytic reduction of solid phase carbon of DNDs, being different from the traditional carbonaceous carbon dioxide gas (CO 2). Exposed to ambient environment from days to weeks, the original ZnO nanorods placed on silicon substrate transfer to a concentric core–shell structure of ZnCO 3 /ZnO including abundant Zn/DND nanoparticles. A coaxial configuration with periodical multi-layered walls is formed, when the surrounding CO 2 concentration is increased arising from supporting amorphous carbon film beneath. Importantly, the ZnO/DND nanorods are directly dissociated into DND@Zn core–shell nanoparticles in CO 2 -rich environment. The structural evolution from ZnO nanorods is attributed to DND having catalytic, reducibility, and hydrophilic hierarchical porosity structure with the participations of CO 2 and H 2 O in air. This work demonstrates that based on the combination of ZnO and DNDs, a spontaneous growth process occurs, which provides a strategy for fabrication of novel nanostructures (not limited to ZnO nanorods). Furthermore, it offers a possibility for degradation of greenhouse gases by enhancing capture and decomposition of CO 2 in ambient environment for carbon neutral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As uncertainties increase in both the acquisition of used products and the demand of remanufactured products, balancing supply and demand has become more important for a remanufacturing firm. Therefore, the remanufacturing firm needs to combine acquisition management with remanufacturing planning. Used products are often collected from a large number of end users, and acquisition pricing is adopted to control the return quantity of the used product. In this paper, we study a multiperiod acquisition pricing and remanufacturing decision problem under random price-sensitive returns. First, the problem is formulated into a two-decision periodic review inventory model, the decomposition property of which is proved, and thus, the problem can be decomposed into two subproblems with single decision variable. Second, we acquire the solution structure of the optimal remanufacturing quantity, which is a basic inventory policy not influenced by random returns. Next, we analyze characteristics of the optimal acquisition price and derive a monotonic pricing policy depending on the starting level of the whole inventory in each period. Further, an algorithm is designed to calculate the optimal inventory level and acquisition price of each period, which holds a lower computational complexity. Finally, numerical examples are provided to show the effectiveness of the algorithm and to conduct managerial insights of main parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glaesserella australis , a newly described bacterial species, has been isolated from pig lungs that displayed lesions very similar to those caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae , prompting the need for a validated diagnostic tool. In this work, we have altered a multiplex PCR used for the identification of cultures of G. australis , A. pleuropneumoniae and Pasteurella multocida to be more sensitive and then evaluated the use of the altered diagnostic tool on cultures and directly on tissues. The altered multiplex PCR was validated using 47 related species, both type/reference strains and field isolates. The sensitivity was assessed by serial dilutions and used a mixture of target bacteria in different concentrations. Further, 166 lung samples from 54 farms from four Australian States were used to validate the ability of the multiplex PCR to detect bacteria in lung swabs. The multiplex PCR was specific for the three target species. The assay could detect a minimum of 40 colony forming units (CFU) of G. australis , 786 CFU of A. pleuropneumoniae and 238 CFU of P. multocida. The multiplex PCR yielded more positives than coventional bacteriological examination. From a total of 166 lung samples, 51.9%, 51.9% and 5.6% of farms were PCR positive for P. multocida , A. pleuropneumoniae and G. australis , respectively. The results suggested that the new multiplex PCR was specific, sensitive and out performed traditional culture. The prevalence of G. australis was not very high, but it was the dominant pathogen in infected pigs. • Improved multiplex PCR for G. australis performed better than traditional culture. • G. australis prevalence not very high, but dominant pathogen in infected pig herds. • Most prevalent on 54 farms were Pasteurella multocida L6 and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serovar 15. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forecasting of electricity sales is directly related to the power generation planning of power enterprises and the progress of the generation tasks. Aiming at the problem that traditional forecasting methods cannot properly deal with the actual data offset caused by external factors, such as the weather, season, and spatial attributes, this paper proposes a method of electricity sales forecasting based on a deep spatio-temporal residual network (ST-ResNet). The method not only relies on the temporal correlation of electricity sales data but also introduces the influence of external factors and spatial correlation, which greatly enhances the fitting degree of each parameter of the model. Moreover, the residual module and the convolution module are fused to effectively reduce the damage of the deep convolutional process to the training effectiveness. Finally, the three comparison experiments of the ultra-short term, short term and medium term show that the MAPE forecasted by the ST-ResNet model is at least 2.69% lower than that of the RNN and other classical Deep Learning models, that its RMSE is at least 36.2% lower, and that its MAD is at least 34.2% lower, which is more obvious than the traditional methods. The effectiveness and feasibility of the ST-ResNet model in the short-term forecasting of electricity sales are verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous complex systems display the multilayer feature rather than the single or isolated one. It is thus significant to study how these structures emerge and the mechanisms behind them. In this paper we propose a novel growing model to explain the formation of multilayer networks, where the network growth and strategy evolution in prisoner's dilemma game interact and coevolve. We introduce the growing rate to control the ratio of strategy evolution to network growth, and the coupling strength to adjust the connecting density between layers. The simulation results show that besides the scale-free property observed in the resulting networks, the coupling strength is significant to cooperative behaviors. Under the weak coupling strength, the role of network reciprocity works and the resulting networks can preserve a relatively high cooperation level; however, with the increase of coupling strength, the role of network reciprocity fades away or disappears. The strong coupling strength, denoting individuals can obtain more extra payoff from their external circumstance, induces a low cooperation level. In addition, the growing rate also influences cooperative behaviors and a fast growing rate is beneficial to cooperation. • A growing multilayer model incorporating strategy evolution is proposed. • The ratio of network growth to strategy evolution is adjusted by the growing rate. • The connecting density between layers is controlled by the coupling strength. • The structural properties of resulting networks are revealed. • The effects of growing rate and coupling strength on cooperation are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO nanorod arrays with peculiar morphologies were synthesized on (111)-oriented Si substrate and glass via a vapor phase growth. The morphology of the individual nanorod can be flat-headed bottle-like, and needle-like, which depends on the deposition positions relative to the source materials in the presence of a controlling element Se. In addition, the arrays of all the three morphologies exhibit good alignment and high coverage. This fabrication technique can be also used to direct the controllable growth of other nanomaterials with similar morphologies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study explores the application of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) in predicting the partitioned homogeneous properties (PHPs) of electronic product wiring structures, aiming to enhance the efficiency of reliability analysis through Finite Element Analysis (FEA). A systematic and novel method was developed to generate the input partitioned wiring diagram image sets that foster model generalization and universality. The performance of the CNN-based approach was assessed through regression analysis by employing a leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) approach across three PCBs. Additionally, the predicted PHPs of one of the PCBs were applied in product-level FEA to validate their reliability, further demonstrating the practical applicability of the CNN-based method. The results demonstrate that a well-trained CNN model can accurately predict the properties of previously unencountered wiring structures, thereby facilitating direct application in product-level reliability FEA and improving the efficiency of reliability assessment. Furthermore, efficiency evaluation revealed that the CNN-based method offers significant advantages in terms of time and cost economy compared to the mesoscopic FEA method in determining, highlighting its potential for broader application in electronic product reliability analysis. The findings provide preliminary insights and propose strategies to enhance the applicability of CNN methods in this domain, ultimately aiming to improve the efficiency and reduce costs in reliability assessments, thereby streamlining the overall product development process. • A CNN was trained to predict partitional homogeneous properties of conductive layer. • The CNN was trained using 2.25 million partitioned wiring diagram images as input. • The CNN's reliability and economic feasibility were assessed via regression and FEA. • Trained CNNs accurately and efficiently predict partitional homogeneous properties. • The innovations highlight potential to boost reliability analysis and cut R&D costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effects of two carbon regulations on manufacturers' production capacity and low-carbon technology level for new products with incomplete demand information. As objective functions are not concave, we use the recursive method to solve the optimization problems with/without constraints. The optimal decision rules for production capacity and low-carbon technology level are derived. The theoretical results show that carbon regulations can encourage manufacturers to improve low-carbon technology level, but they limit the manufacturers' production capacity. The benefits of carbon quotas and subsidies should be considered in conjunction with manufacturers' planned capacity, as inappropriate trade or subsidy incentives may discourage firms from low-carbon innovation. The carbon cap-and-subsidy regulation increases the decision complexity. In contrast, under the carbon cap-and-trade regulation, policymakers can consider fewer elements. Numerical results show, when the carbon trading price is low, the carbon emissions under the carbon cap-and-subsidy regulation is reduced, but there may be a high subsidy cost for policymakers. However, when the carbon trading price is above a certain threshold, the carbon cap-and-trade regulation is more beneficial for policymakers. Moreover, under the carbon cap-and-trade regulation, manufacturers' decisions and social welfare are less affected by fluctuations in market demand. • The effects of carbon regulations on manufacturers' production capacity and low-carbon technology level are investigated. • The decision on low-carbon technology level is introduced into the newsvendor model with incomplete demand information. • The recursive method is employed to solve joint optimization problems. • Decision rules on the production capacity and the low-carbon technology level are derived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topological phases of matter with robust edge states have revolutionized the fundamental intuitions for wave control. The recent development of higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs) realizes even lower dimensional topological states that enable versatile wave manipulations (e.g., light imaging). However, in conventional HOTIs, the topological states are usually protected by certain crystalline symmetries and therefore bounded at specific locations, hindering their applications in modern digital ears, which often prefer tunability and reconfigurability. Here, we report the reconfigurable light imaging based on topological corner states and anti-chiral edge states in a two-dimensional (2D) photonic HOTI with a honeycomb lattice of yttrium iron garnet (YIG, a ferrite material) rods. Sublattices A and B are applied with magnetic fields in opposite directions, which realize the so-called modified Haldane model that hosts anti-chiral edge modes. By further breaking the lattice's inversion symmetry via adjusting the radii of A and B rods, topological edge states with valley degrees of freedom emerge, which not only exhibit valley-dependence but also surprisingly show anti-chiral behaviors. In the valley edge gap, which is of nontrivial higher-order topology, corner states appear. With different combinations of corner states and anti-chiral edge states, versatile reconfigurable light imaging can be realized. As examples, a multiplexing waveguide-resonator device, a pine tree imaging that can be lit up or put out at will and selective imaging for partial objects in a two-heart pattern are demonstrated. The proposed HOTI shows high potential in future intelligent devices with exciting tunable and reconfigurable functions, which may inspire a wide range of applications such as topological switching, imaging processing, and nonreciprocal integrated photonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anomaly detection in a multivariate time series using unsupervised methods presents a formidable challenge. The existing strategies focused on delineating intrinsic patterns over a temporal dimension and outputting a better representation of the input series. Generally, anomaly detecting model derives a criterion, which is mostly the distance between the representations and the original data, for distinguishing anomalies. Anomaly Transformer is a recent model that achieves substantial advancements by introducing its proprietary criterion of association discrepancy. This new criterion leverages the fact that time points focus on their adjacent neighbors if normal; however, they lose this characteristic if they are anomalous. Anomaly Transformer focuses only on the association between time points and neglects the association between the sensors. In addition, the association discrepancy calculated by the attention score between time points and Gaussian distribution can sometimes be insufficient. To achieve better performance, we propose a spatial information enhanced transformer (SiET), which is a novel paradigm that integrates graph neural networks into the original Anomaly Transformer framework, engendering a high-dimensional association discrepancy. Theoretical proofs are provided to verify the reliability of our model. Further, SiET achieved results comparable to the state-of-the-art results on five unsupervised time-series anomaly detection benchmarks. • We propose SiET, a better performed Transformer-like model with graph attention network and two-dimensional gaussian kernel. • We provide the theoretical proof of the superiority of our model. In other words, we mathematically prove that SiET makes anomalies more distinguishable. • We achieve state-of-the-art results on five real-world datasets. Visualization and ablation were performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Memories are believed to be encoded by sparse ensembles of neurons in the brain. However, it remains unclear whether there is functional heterogeneity within individual memory engrams, i.e., if separate neuronal subpopulations encode distinct aspects of the memory and drive memory expression differently. Here, we show that contextual fear memory engrams in the mouse dentate gyrus contain functionally distinct neuronal ensembles, genetically defined by the Fos- or Npas4- dependent transcriptional pathways. The Fos -dependent ensemble promotes memory generalization and receives enhanced excitatory synaptic inputs from the medial entorhinal cortex, which we find itself also mediates generalization. The Npas4 -dependent ensemble promotes memory discrimination and receives enhanced inhibitory drive from local cholecystokinin-expressing interneurons, the activity of which is required for discrimination. Our study provides causal evidence for functional heterogeneity within the memory engram and reveals synaptic and circuit mechanisms used by each ensemble to regulate the memory discrimination-generalization balance. • Functionally distinct neuronal ensembles exist within a single memory engram • Fos - and Npas4 -dependent ensembles undergo distinct synaptic modifications after CFC • Fos - and Npas4 -dependent ensembles drive memory-guided behaviors in opposite directions • Memory generalization and discrimination, respectively, require MEC and CCK+ interneurons Two functionally distinct neuronal ensembles within a single memory engram undergo different learning-induced synaptic modifications and drive memory-guided behaviors in opposite directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Three dimensional nanosized ZnO/Si/porous-carbon were fabricated as anode material. • The anodes lead to improving the performances of corresponding lithium ion battery. • The mechanism of the novel anode for increasing the battery performances is studied. In this work, we report an anode material consisting of three-dimensional porous-carbon, nanometer-sized ZnO and Si nanoparticles to realize the high-performance lithium ion batteries. The composite powders are prepared following the processes of fabricating ZnO precursor by co-precipitation, hydrothermal reaction of mixed ZnO/SiO/porous-carbon powders, and subsequent neutralization and roast treatments. Using the hybrid anode material, the enhanced capacity performance (more than 900 mA h g−1 at 0.2 C after 300 cycles) and remarkable long-term cycle stability (more than 500 mA h g−1 at 2 C after 300 cycles) are achieved, which are significantly higher than that of using ZnO or graphite alone as anode. The improvement is ascribed to the synergistic effect of the highly conductive and large surface area porous-carbon, three-dimensional ZnO nanorods, and high adsorption of Li+ of Si particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different pollutants affect electrical characteristics of soil, e.g., electric resistivity and capacity. The most extensively used non-intrusive methods in mapping these physical characteristics are electrical method. To better understand the effect of different hydrogeological and environmental process on resistivity and phase of complex resistivity under water-saturated soil, we carried out a controlled laboratory experiment where the host material was simulated by sand soil and the hydrogeological and environmental processes by groundwater table rise, seawater intrusion and heavy metal contamination. The experiment measured the resistivity and phase of soil saturated and unsaturated, with different pollutants added, together with their time-lapse change in a well-controlled column. With the involvement of more measurement parameters, complex resistivity method can provide more information than resistivity method, thereby having better performance in the detection and monitoring of changes in electrical properties of complex contaminated sites. For example, it is capable of discriminating the different contamination process, in this case, e.g., seawater intrusion and heavy metal contamination. In addition, it is still sensitive to the change of pollutant concentration even in site with high added concentration. Furthermore, simulating the saltwater-intruded site contaminated by manganese, it was found that the change of resistivity (ρ) can hardly be observed, while the responses of phase (φ) are so obvious that can be clearly observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]