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Here, we report the frequency-dependent spectrum of ice Ih in the range of 0.2–2 THz. We confirm the presence of a feature that blue-shifts from around 1.55–1.65 THz with a decreasing temperature from 260 to 160 K. There is also a change in the trend of the refractive index of ice corresponding to a dispersion, which is also around 1.6 THz. The features are reproduced in data acquired with three commercial terahertz time-domain spectrometers. Computer-simulated spectra assign the feature to lattice translations perpendicular to the 110 and 1 ̄ 10 planes of the ice Ih crystal. The feature's existence should be recognized in the terahertz measurements of frozen aqueous solution samples to avoid false interpretations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, a surge in anti-Chinese sentiment emerged as a pressing issue, with debates on how the pandemic exacerbated such sentiments. To explore this intricate relationship, we conducted two survey experiments, incorporating COVID-specific contextual inquiries in Australia and the United States during two phases (8–21 June 2021 and 28 July-12 August 2022). Our findings reveal that individuals' perceptions of the Chinese diaspora remained unaltered when presented with information regarding the Chinese government's initial management of COVID-19. However, when exposed to a message suggesting the Chinese government's influence over overseas Chinese communities, people's attitudes towards the Chinese diaspora significantly deteriorated. In addition, Australian respondents demonstrated heightened sensitivity to perceived foreign interference from China compared to their American counterparts. Our study underscores the role of suspicions and apprehensions surrounding China-related foreign interference in shaping anti-Chinese sentiment in the Western context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single‐metal atomic sites and vacancies can accelerate the transfer of photogenerated electrons and enhance photocatalytic performance in photocatalysis. In this study, a series of nickel hydroxide nanoboards (Ni(OH)x NBs) with different loadings of single‐atomic Ru sites (w‐SA‐Ru/Ni(OH)x) were synthesized via a photoreduction strategy. In such catalysts, single‐atomic Ru sites are anchored to the vacancies surrounding the pits. Notably, the SA‐Ru/Ni(OH)x with 0.60 wt % Ru loading (0.60‐SA‐Ru/Ni(OH)x) exhibits the highest catalytic performance (27.6 mmol g−1 h−1) during the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 (CO2RR). Either superfluous (0.64 wt %, 18.9 mmol g−1 h−1; 3.35 wt %, 9.4 mmol−1 h−1) or scarce (0.06 wt %, 15.8 mmol g−1 h−1; 0.29 wt %, 21.95 mmol g−1 h−1; 0.58 wt %, 23.4 mmol g−1 h−1) of Ru sites have negative effect on its catalytic properties. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations combined with experimental results revealed that CO2 can be adsorbed in the pits; single‐atomic Ru sites can help with the conversion of as‐adsorbed CO2 and lower the energy of *COOH formation accelerating the reaction; the excessive single‐atomic Ru sites occupy vacancies that retard the completion of CO2RR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single‐metal atomic sites and vacancies can accelerate the transfer of photogenerated electrons and enhance photocatalytic performance in photocatalysis. In this study, a series of nickel hydroxide nanoboards (Ni(OH)x NBs) with different loadings of single‐atomic Ru sites (w‐SA‐Ru/Ni(OH)x) were synthesized via a photoreduction strategy. In such catalysts, single‐atomic Ru sites are anchored to the vacancies surrounding the pits. Notably, the SA‐Ru/Ni(OH)x with 0.60 wt % Ru loading (0.60‐SA‐Ru/Ni(OH)x) exhibits the highest catalytic performance (27.6 mmol g−1 h−1) during the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 (CO2RR). Either superfluous (0.64 wt %, 18.9 mmol g−1 h−1; 3.35 wt %, 9.4 mmol−1 h−1) or scarce (0.06 wt %, 15.8 mmol g−1 h−1; 0.29 wt %, 21.95 mmol g−1 h−1; 0.58 wt %, 23.4 mmol g−1 h−1) of Ru sites have negative effect on its catalytic properties. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations combined with experimental results revealed that CO2 can be adsorbed in the pits; single‐atomic Ru sites can help with the conversion of as‐adsorbed CO2 and lower the energy of *COOH formation accelerating the reaction; the excessive single‐atomic Ru sites occupy vacancies that retard the completion of CO2RR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production process of precast components is labor-intensive, involving various manual tasks. The physically demanding tasks usually result in fatigue and overexertion of workers, leading to increased occupational health risks and reduced productivity. An appropriate work–rest strategy is recognized to effectively promote both workers' health and productivity, while it has rarely been studied in the field of the construction industry. To narrow this gap, this study developed a mixed-integer linear programming approach to optimize the work–rest schedule by integrating workers' overexertion. The objective is to maximize the productive time affected by the workers' accumulative fatigue and recovery. Also, the optimized work–rest strategy can be highly customized by considering personalized factors and task characteristics. Experimenting with a case study compared the default rest schedule provided by the superintendent onsite with the optimal solution solved from the developed model. Results suggested that up to 20% improvement in productive time can be achieved, especially for the task with a relatively higher workload. Computational experiments were conducted to evaluate the sensitivity of total productive time to various personalized and task-specific factors. The proposed method provides superintendents with an applicable strategy to improve workers' productivity and reduce their occupational risks resulting from overexertion. This study can promote the implementation of personalized occupational health management and support the improvement of regulations on the required rest with quantified evidence, thereby contributing to more reliable scheduling and sustainable workforce development for the construction industry. The research scope was limited to the precast production process, and further investigation on broader applications will be conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • FOx and HRP were co-immobilized in organic–inorganic hybrid nanoflower. • FOx@HRP showed good catalytic activity owing to spatial localization of enzymes. • FOx@HRP could be applied in the sensitive and colorimetric detection of formate. • FOx@HRP possessed ideal stability and reusability in the detection of formate. Formate is an important environmental pollutant, and meanwhile its concentration change is associated with a variety of diseases. Thus, rapid and sensitive detection of formate is critical for the biochemical analysis of complex samples and clinical diagnosis of multiple diseases. Herein, a colorimetric biosensor was constructed based on the cascade catalysis of formate oxidase (FOx) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP). These two enzymes were co-immobilized in Cu 3 (PO 4) 2 -based hybrid nanoflower with spatial localization, in which FOx and HRP were located in the shell and core of nanoflower, respectively (FOx@HRP). In this system, FOx could catalyze the oxidation of formate to generate H 2 O 2 , which was then utilized by HRP to oxidize 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid to yield blue product. Ideal linear correlation could be obtained between the absorbance at 420 nm and formate concentration. Meanwhile, FOx@HRP exhibited excellent detection performance with low limit of detection (6 μM), wide linear detection range (10–900 μM), and favorable specificity, stability and reusability. Moreover, it could be applied in the detection of formate in environmental, food and biological samples with high accuracy. Collectively, FOx@HRP provides a useful strategy for the simple and sensitive detection of formate and is potentially to be used in biochemical analysis and clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sirt2 is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)- dependent protein lysine deacylase that can remove both acetyl group and long- chain fatty acyl groups from lysine residues of many proteins. It was reported to affect inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) symptoms in a mouse model. However, conflicting roles were reported, with genetic knockout aggravating while pharmacological inhibition alleviating IBD symptoms. These seemingly conflicting reports cause confusion and deter further efforts in developing Sirt2 inhibitors as a potential treatment strategy for IBD. We investigated these conflicting reports and elucidated the role of Sirt2 in the mouse model of IBD. We essentially replicated these conflicting results and confirmed that Sirt2 inhibitors' protective effect is not through off- targets as two very different Sirt2 inhibitors (TM and AGK2) showed similar protection in the IBD mouse model. We believe that the differential effects of inhibitors and knockout are due to the fact that the Sirt2 inhibitors only inhibit some but not all the activities of Sirt2. This hypothesis is confirmed by the observation that a PROTAC degrader of Sirt2 did not protect mice in the IBD model, similar to Sirt2 knockout. Our study provides an interesting example where genetic knockout and pharmacological inhibition do not align and emphasizes the importance of developing substrate- dependent inhibitors. Importantly, we showed that the effect of Sirt2 inhibition in IBD is through regulating the gut epithelium barrier by inhibiting Arf6- mediated endocytosis of E- cadherin, a protein important for the intestinal epithelial integrity. This mechanistic understanding further supports Sirt2 as a promising therapeutic target for treating IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper systematically examines how COVID has shaped an essential craft industry in Jingdezhen, China's “Porcelain Capital”, providing a typical case reflecting COVID’s structural effects on the cultural and creative sectors. Drawing upon primary data collected through four field trips between September 2018 and March 2023, this paper reveals the enormous challenges craft practitioners and businesses face amid COVID, including financial losses, business closures, and diminished international trade. Despite easing restrictions since 2023, there is little sign that the industry will return to pre-pandemic status soon. Moreover, although COVID and the “digital pivot” triggered by it introduced new opportunities for some craft practitioners, they predominantly exposed and exacerbated existing inequalities in the craft industry, including among private businesses and individual practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In traditional tunnel monitoring, the characteristic points of an object within a tunnel are measured to obtain information about the object. Considering the limitations of the traditional method in measuring the complex surface structure of tunnels, such as limited monitoring points, a long measurement period, and low precision, this study introduces an approach that uses three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning for monitoring tunnel cross-section deformation. Using this approach, the soft surrounding rock of a high-altitude ultralong tunnel was taken as the monitoring object. The test tunnel was first scanned using a 3D laser scanner, and the collected data were processed. The internal structural data of the tunnel were subsequently compared with its actual contour lines and the data of its primary branch and secondary lining on different dates. The results indicate that the arch roof of the tunnel tended to be stable within a certain time range when the positions of the primary branch and secondary lining were at different measuring points with different pile numbers. The deformation of the pile number on the left and right sides did not generally exceed 0.02 m, except at a few measuring points. A comparison between the actual cross section of the initial branch and that of the designed section showed that the actual elevation of the arch of the initial branch of the tunnel was greater than its designed elevation by no more than 0.3 m. Hence, through this study, a convenient and practical method is presented for monitoring deformation in complex curved tunnel structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple testing has been a prominent topic in statistical research. Despite extensive work in this area, controlling false discoveries remains a challenging task, especially when the test statistics exhibit dependence. Various methods have been proposed to estimate the false discovery proportion (FDP) under arbitrary dependencies among the test statistics. One key approach is to transform arbitrary dependence into weak dependence and subsequently establish the strong consistency of FDP and false discovery rate under weak dependence. As a result, FDPs converge to the same asymptotic limit within the framework of weak dependence. However, we have observed that the asymptotic variance of FDP can be significantly influenced by the dependence structure of the test statistics, even when they exhibit only weak dependence. Quantifying this variability is of great practical importance, as it serves as an indicator of the quality of FDP estimation from the data. To the best of our knowledge, there is limited research on this aspect in the literature. In this paper, we aim to fill in this gap by quantifying the variation of FDP, assuming that the test statistics exhibit weak dependence and follow normal distributions. We begin by deriving the asymptotic expansion of the FDP and subsequently investigate how the asymptotic variance of the FDP is influenced by different dependence structures. Based on the insights gained from this study, we recommend that in multiple testing procedures utilizing FDP, reporting both the mean and variance estimates of FDP can provide a more comprehensive assessment of the study's outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of ultrasound and microreactors for the synthesis of nanomaterials is becoming increasingly popular, but effectively altering the ultrasonic field at the microscale to control the crystallization process remains a challenge. Herein, we investigated numerically and experimentally the effects of the ultrasonic field on the synthesis of boron-doped carbon nitride supported silver nanoparticles based on our homemade ultrasound-assisted coiled flow inverter microreactor (UCFIR). Specifically, the ultrasound promotes the radial mixing in the coiled flow inverter microreactor, even under low Reynolds number 10, resulting in better control over the crystallization process. The effects of key parameters, such as ultrasonic field distribution and ultrasonic power, on the particle size and size distribution of Ag/B-g-C3N4 have been demonstrated. The results show that when the ultrasound transducer is positioned on the 'abc' sides, the Ag/B-g-C3N4 with small and uniform Ag particles (4.12 ± 1.12 nm) can be obtained. As ultrasound power increased (0–176 W) and residence time decreased (17.5–140 s), the size of silver nanoparticles decreased, and their distribution narrowed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the value of the combined test of seven blood coagulation indexes, lipids and platelet agglutination on the evaluation of the hypercoagulable state of blood in parturient women. Methods: This is a retrospective study. Total 50 high risk parturient women who underwent an antenatal examination in Baoding Maternal and Child Health Hospital from June 2021 to January 2023 were selected as the observation group, while 50 normal parturient women who underwent antenatal examination without comorbidities and complications were randomly collected in a ratio of 1:1 as the control group. All subjects had venous blood drawn for testing of seven blood coagulation indexes, lipids and platelet agglutination before delivery, and their general data were recorded. Results: The activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT) in the observation group was lower than that in the control group, while thrombin time(TT) and D-dimer(DD) were both higher than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences(p<0.05); total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) in the observation group were both higher than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences (p<0.05); adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and arachidonic acid (AA) in the observation group were both higher than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences (p<0.05). Moreover, the overall incidence of adverse pregnancy was higher in the observation group than in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (p<0.05). Conclusions: The combined test of seven blood coagulation indexes, lipids and platelet agglutination results in excellent performance in predicting and judging the presence or absence of the hypercoagulable state of blood in parturient women, with the combination of APTT+TT+DD+TG+ADP+AA being the preferred test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Perovskite‐based solar cell is getting great attention as a promising candidate for future solar cell technology, since high power conversion efficiency above 25.5% have been demonstrated for small scale PSCs from films prepared mainly by spin‐coating method, which is not feasible for large area film preparation. Scalable and cost‐effective film fabrication techniques are urgently needed for the commercialization of perovskite solar cells. Objective: To develop a process from which large‐area, high quality and unifoem perovskite films, as well as the hole‐transporting layer films, can be prepared in a simple and cheap way for the practical application and mass production of perovskite solar cells. Methods: Large‐area electron‐transporting layer layers of mp‐TiO2 and c‐TiO2 were prepared on the FTO substrate by the solution‐shearing method. Then the 10 × 10 cm2 perovskite film was prepared by using a bar‐coater from perovskite precursor solution in ACN/MA solvent system under optimized conditions. The spiro‐OMeTAD film was also prepared by bar‐coating process. Standard‐sized pieces (1.5 × 1.8 cm2) were cut and the Ag metal electrode (80 nm) was deposited through a shadow mask in a thermal evaporation system for device evaluation. Results: The large crystalline grains and pinhole‐free perovskite film obtained were fully characterized to show better film properties compared to that from the spin‐coated film, and appeared less sensitive to moisture. A higher PCE of 19.72% was achieved for standard‐sized devices fabricated from the bar‐coated perovskite film with spiro‐OMeRAD film spin‐coated on top, or an excellent PCE of 18.10% was obtained with bar‐coated spiro‐OMeTAD layer on top. Conclusions: This work demonstrates that the simple and scalable process of bar‐coating can offer high quality and homogeneous films of perovskite and spiro‐OMeTAD respectively. It is compatible with the R2R process and useful in realizing the commercialization of PSC technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Objective: Sedation is often required in outpatient surgical procedures, performed under local analgesia, to allay the anxiety of the patient, which may lead to involuntary movements of the patient, thus interfering in the smooth course of the surgery. Various sedative drugs have been used by the anesthetists. We compared the effects of mild sedation techniques induced by remifentanil combined with propofol and esketamine combined with propofol on the cardiopulmonary indices of intraoperative patients, and to explore the application of mild sedation techniques in oral outpatient surgery. Methodology: A total of 62 patients undergoing oral surgery were randomly divided into a control group (31 cases, receiving remifentanil combined with propofol) and an observation group (31 cases, receiving esketamine combined with propofol). The vital signs of the patients were monitored at five time points: admission (T0), anesthesia induction (T1), local anesthesia (T2), the beginning of surgery (T3), and the end of surgery (T4), including heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure(MAP), bispectral index (BIS), respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation(SPO2). Postoperative memory of each step was recorded, and the sedative effect was evaluated by physician and patient using the visual analogue scale (VAS). Results: During surgery, 6 patients in the control group had SpO2 < 90%, and 8 patients experienced coughing or tongue fall, while 1 patient in the observation group had a transient increase in blood pressure. After intravenous administration, all patients had a decrease in HR, and the decrease in the observation group was significantly less than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The BIS values in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group during T2 and T3. Conclusion: In oral outpatient surgery, the combination of propofol and esketamine-induced mild sedation can stabilize the hemodynamic indices of patients during surgery, reduce the incidence of complications, and improve patient satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fucoxanthin, a natural carotenoid, contains special ene bonds and 5, 6-mono-epoxide compounds in its molecule, which has physiological activities such as anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiobesity, and antidiabetic. However, the anticancer actions and underlying mechanisms of fucoxanthin on oral cancer remain to be assessed. In this study, we used tongue carcinoma (CAL-27) cells to examine the effects and underlying mechanisms of fucoxanthin derived from Hizikia fusiforme on CAL-27 proliferation. MTT assays were used to estimate fucoxanthin's effect on the proliferative capacity of CAL-27 cells. Flow cytometry was used to examine how fucoxanthin affects apoptosis initiation and alters cell cycle progression in CAL-27 cells. Spectrophotometry was used to assess the impact of fucoxanthin on adenosine triphosphate (ATP) generation, glucose uptake, lactate production, and the enzymatic activities of pyruvate kinase and hexokinase in CAL-27 cells. Western blotting was used to investigate fucoxanthin's impact on the protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and glycolysis-related protein expression levels in CAL-27 cells. Fucoxanthin significantly inhibited CAL-27 cell viability time- and dose-dependently p < 0.01 . Administration of fucoxanthin induced CAL-27 cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase p < 0.05 . Furthermore, fucoxanthin significantly decreased glucose uptake, lactate production, and ATP production in CAL-27 cells p < 0.01 and significantly inhibited glycolysis-related enzyme activities and protein expression levels p < 0.05 . Fucoxanthin also substantially decreased the expression levels of phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6, phosphorylated AKT, and phosphorylated mTOR p < 0.05 . In conclusion, fucoxanthin inhibited CAL-27 cell proliferation, and this mechanism may be associated with the AKT/mTOR-mediated glycolysis pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex pheromones are considered to play critical roles in partner communication of most parasitic Hymenoptera. However, the identification of sex pheromone components remains limited to a few families of parasitoid wasps. In this study, we functionally characterized a candidate sex pheromone component in Microplitis mediator (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a solitary parasitoid of Noctuidae insects. We found that the body surface extract from female wasps could significantly stimulate courtship behavior of males. Gas chromatography‐electroantennographic detection (GC‐EAD) analysis revealed that a candidate semiochemical from extract triggered significant electrophysiological response of antennae of males. By performing gas chromatography‐mass spectrometer (GC‐MS) measurement, GC‐EAD active compound was identified as n‐octyl acrylate, a candidate sex pheromone component in female M. mediator. In electroantennogram (EAG) tests, antennae of male wasps showed significantly higher electrophysiological responses to n‐octyl acrylate than those of females. Y‐tube olfactometer assays indicated that male wasps significantly chose n‐octyl acrylate compared with the control. Furthermore, male wasps showed a remarkable preference for n‐octyl acrylate in a simulated field condition behavioral trial; simultaneously, n‐octyl acrylate standard could also trigger significant courtship behavior in males. We propose that n‐octyl acrylate, as a candidate vital sex pheromone component, could be utilized to design behavioral regulators of M. mediator to implement the protection and utilization of natural enemies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stereochemical expression of the 6s2 lone pair on the lead atom has a significant impact on the crystal structures and physical properties of lead halide perovskites. Two-dimensional (2D) lead bromide perovskites often exhibit a broadband emission, yet the structural origin of the broadband emission has been under debate. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of a 2D lead bromide hybrid (4-chlorophenylammonium)2PbBr4 that consists of a combination of the octahedral unit PbBr6 and the rarely observed capped octahedral unit PbBr7 through corner-sharing and edge-sharing linkages. The seven-coordination geometry indicates a strong stereo-active lone pair on the Pb2+ cation. By comparing this structure with two representative 2D perovskites, (benzylammonium)2PbBr4 and (4-aminotetrahydropyran)2PbBr4, we establish how the lone pair expression affects the local coordination geometry of the Pb2+ cation and the resulting optical and electronic properties. As the Pb–Br bond length increases, the lone pair expression leads to off-centering displacement of Pb2+ within the octahedra and then the formation of seven-coordination capped octahedra. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the off-centering distorted octahedra and capped octahedra are due to the asymmetric distribution of the Pb electrons that have both s and p orbital characteristics. Spectroscopic studies show the photoluminescence spectra evolving from narrowband emission to broadband emission with increasing LPE, as well as softer and more anharmonic lattice vibrations that facilitate exciton self-trapping. Our results demonstrate that lone pairs could be a powerful design rule for developing light emitting materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance of electrocatalytic reactions depends on not only the composition and structure of the active sites, but also their local environment, including the surrounding electrolyte. In this work, we demonstrate that BF2(OH)2− anion is the key fluoroborate species formed in the mixed KBi/KF (KBi=potassium borate) electrolyte to enhance the rate of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at near‐neutral pH. Through a combination of electrokinetic and in situ spectroscopic studies, we show that the mixed KBi/KF electrolyte promotes the OER via two pathways: 1) stabilizing the interfacial pH during the proton‐producing reaction with its high buffering capacity; and 2) activating the interfacial water via strong hydrogen bonds with F‐containing species. With the KBi/KF electrolyte, electrodeposited Co(OH)2 is able to achieve 100 mA/cm2 at 1.74 V, which is among the highest reported activities with earth‐abundant electrocatalysts at near neutral conditions. These findings highlight the potential of leveraging electrolyte‐engineering for improving the electrochemical performance of the OER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance of electrocatalytic reactions depends on not only the composition and structure of the active sites, but also their local environment, including the surrounding electrolyte. In this work, we demonstrate that BF2(OH)2− anion is the key fluoroborate species formed in the mixed KBi/KF (KBi=potassium borate) electrolyte to enhance the rate of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at near‐neutral pH. Through a combination of electrokinetic and in situ spectroscopic studies, we show that the mixed KBi/KF electrolyte promotes the OER via two pathways: 1) stabilizing the interfacial pH during the proton‐producing reaction with its high buffering capacity; and 2) activating the interfacial water via strong hydrogen bonds with F‐containing species. With the KBi/KF electrolyte, electrodeposited Co(OH)2 is able to achieve 100 mA/cm2 at 1.74 V, which is among the highest reported activities with earth‐abundant electrocatalysts at near neutral conditions. These findings highlight the potential of leveraging electrolyte‐engineering for improving the electrochemical performance of the OER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate the capabilities of a published MADNet monocular height estimation network in producing a refined digital terrain model (DTM) mosaic at 50 cm/pixel resolution for the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover landing site in Jezero crater on Mars. Our approach utilizes the publicly available Mars 2020 Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) High‐Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) Digital Terrain Model (DTM) mosaic, which was originally created by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Astrogeology Science Centre. Our resultant HiRISE MADNet DTM mosaic is strictly matched with the original HiRISE TRN DTM and orthoimage mosaics. These mosaics are themselves co‐aligned with the USGS TRN Context Camera (CTX) based DTM and orthoimage mosaics, as well as the ESA/DLR/FUB (European Space Agency/German Aerospace Center/Free University Berlin) High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) level 5 DTM and orthoimage mosaics. In this paper, we provide a brief description of the technical details, and present both visual and quantitative assessments of the refined MADNet HiRISE Jezero DTM mosaic product. This DTM product is now publicly available at http://dx.doi.org/10.17169/refubium-38359. Key Points: We demonstrate the capabilities of a published MADNet monocular height estimation network in producing a refined digital terrain model mosaic at 50 cm/pixel resolution for the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover landing site in Jezero crater on MarsThe resultant 50 cm/pixel digital terrain model mosaic demonstrates significant improvements in effective resolution and artifact elimination compared to the publicly available Mars 2020 Terrain Relative Navigation TRN High‐Resolution Imaging Science Experiment digital terrain modelThe resultant digital terrain model mosaic has been made publicly available at http://dx.doi.org/10.17169/refubium-38359 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two‐dimensional (2D) lead halide perovskites (LHPs) have shown great promises for light‐emitting applications and excitonic devices. Fulfilling these promises demands an in‐depth understanding on the relationships between the structural dynamics and exciton‐phonon interactions that govern the optical properties. Here, we unveil the structural dynamics of 2D lead iodide perovskites with different spacer cations. Loose packing of an undersized spacer cation leads to out‐of‐plane octahedral tilting, whereas compact packing of an oversized spacer cation stretches Pb−I bond length, resulting in Pb2+ off‐center displacement driven by stereochemical expression of the Pb2+ 6s2 lone pair electrons. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the Pb2+ cation is off‐center displaced mainly along the direction where the octahedra are stretched the most by the spacer cation. We find dynamic structural distortions associated with either octahedral tilting or Pb2+ off‐centering lead to a broad Raman central peak background and phonon softening, which increase the non‐radiative recombination loss via exciton‐phonon interactions and quench the photoluminescence intensity. The correlations between the structural, phonon, and optical properties are further confirmed by the pressure tuning of the 2D LHPs. Our results demonstrate that minimizing the dynamic structural distortions via a judicious selection of the spacer cations is essential to realize high luminescence properties in 2D LHPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two‐dimensional (2D) lead halide perovskites (LHPs) have shown great promises for light‐emitting applications and excitonic devices. Fulfilling these promises demands an in‐depth understanding on the relationships between the structural dynamics and exciton‐phonon interactions that govern the optical properties. Here, we unveil the structural dynamics of 2D lead iodide perovskites with different spacer cations. Loose packing of an undersized spacer cation leads to out‐of‐plane octahedral tilting, whereas compact packing of an oversized spacer cation stretches Pb−I bond length, resulting in Pb2+ off‐center displacement driven by stereochemical expression of the Pb2+ 6s2 lone pair electrons. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the Pb2+ cation is off‐center displaced mainly along the direction where the octahedra are stretched the most by the spacer cation. We find dynamic structural distortions associated with either octahedral tilting or Pb2+ off‐centering lead to a broad Raman central peak background and phonon softening, which increase the non‐radiative recombination loss via exciton‐phonon interactions and quench the photoluminescence intensity. The correlations between the structural, phonon, and optical properties are further confirmed by the pressure tuning of the 2D LHPs. Our results demonstrate that minimizing the dynamic structural distortions via a judicious selection of the spacer cations is essential to realize high luminescence properties in 2D LHPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) columns have been widely used in residential buildings due to their high bearing capacity, good ductility, and reliable seismic performance. However, conventional circular, square, or rectangular CFST columns may protrude from the adjacent walls, resulting in inconvenience in terms of the arrangement of furniture in a room. In order to solve the problem, special-shaped CFST columns, such as cross-shaped, L-shaped, and T-shaped columns, have been suggested and adopted in engineering practice. These special-shaped CFST columns have limbs with the same width as the adjacent walls. However, compared with conventional CFST columns, the special-shaped steel tube provides weaker confinement to the infilled concrete under axial compressive load, especially at concave corners. The parting at concave corners is the key factor affecting the bearing capacity and ductility of the members. Therefore, a cross-shaped CFST column with steel bar truss stiffening is suggested. In this paper, 12 cross-shaped CFST stub columns were designed and tested under axial compression loading. The effects of steel bar truss node spacing and column–steel ratio on the failure mode, bearing capacity, and ductility were discussed in detail. The results indicate that the columns with steel bar truss stiffening can change the final deformation mode of the steel plate from single-wave buckling to multiple-wave buckling, and the failure modes of columns also subsequently change from single-section concrete crushing failure to multiple-section concrete crushing failure. The steel bar truss stiffening shows no obvious effect on the axial bearing capacity of the member but significantly improves the ductility. The columns with a steel bar truss node spacing of 140 mm can only increase the bearing capacity by 6.8% while nearly doubling the ductility coefficient from 2.31 to 4.40. The experimental results are compared with those of six design codes worldwide. The results show that the Eurocode 4 (2004) and the Chinese code CECS159-2018 can be safely used to predict the axial bearing capacity of cross-shaped CFST stub columns with steel bar truss stiffening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workplaces are a primary setting for many people's political learning and participation. It is, therefore, academically and practically meaningful to assess how workplace experience shapes employees' political efficacy. This article employs multiple linear regression models to empirically analyse the relationship between perceived workplace autonomy and political efficacy based on representative national survey data from China. It then addresses potential self-selection bias and endogeneity problems through various approaches, including propensity score matching (PSM) and two-stage instrumental variable (IV) estimations. The findings reveal that the extent of perceived workplace autonomy has a significantly positive correlation with both internal and external political efficacy. Moreover, the results demonstrate that under contemporary China's sociopolitical circumstances, the correlation patterns between perceived workplace autonomy and external political efficacy differ significantly between the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, highlighting the moderation effects of job sectors. However, the moderation effect of job sectors does not apply to the correlation between perceived workplace autonomy and internal political efficacy, indicating that distinctions exist between internal and external political efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use and land cover (LULC) changes resulting from rapid urbanization are the foremost causes of increases in land surface temperature (LST) in urban areas. Exploring the impact of LULC changes on the spatiotemporal patterns of LST under future climate change scenarios is critical for sustainable urban development. This study aimed to project the LST of Nanjing for 2025 and 2030 under different climate change scenarios using simulated LULC and land coverage indicators. Thermal infrared data from Landsat images were used to derive spatiotemporal patterns of LST in Nanjing from 1990 to 2020. The patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) model was applied to simulate the LULC of Nanjing for 2025 and 2030 using historical LULC data and spatial driving factors. We simulated the corresponding land coverage indicators using simulated LULC data. We then generated LSTs for 2025 and 2030 under different climate change scenarios by applying regression relationships between LST and land coverage indicators. The results show that the LST of Nanjing has been increasing since 1990, with the mean LST increased from 23.44 °C in 1990 to 25.40 °C in 2020, and the mean LST estimated to reach 26.73 °C in 2030 (SSP585 scenario, integrated scenario of SSP5 and RCP5.8). There were significant differences in the LST under different climate scenarios, with increases in LST gradually decreasing under the SSP126 scenario (integrated scenario of SSP1 and RCP2.6). LST growth was similar to the historical trend under the SSP245 scenario (integrated scenario of SSP2 and RCP4.5), and an extreme increase in LST was observed under the SSP585 scenario. Our results suggest that the increase in impervious surface area is the main reason for the LST increase and urban heat island (UHI) effect. Overall, we proposed a method to project future LST considering land use change effects and provide reasonable LST scenarios for Nanjing, which may be useful for mitigating the UHI effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are the main causes of physical diseases of workers in the construction industry. The occurrence of WMSDs can result in project delays, cost overruns, workers' worsened health status, and even unanticipated safety risks. Ergonomic rules and instrument-based methods have enabled automatic postural ergonomic evaluation and intervention, while a research gap lies in how to consider more comprehensive personalized factors and how to integrate individual risks for project-level risk control. This study developed a two-hierarchy method to assess the ergonomic risk for both individual workers and the entire project. To alleviate the problems of data insufficiency and imprecision in real-life construction projects, experts' evaluations were incorporated with existing instrument-based methods. A methodology combining fuzzy theory, D-S evidence theory, and Bayesian network was employed to deal with fuzziness, uncertainty, and conflicting judgments, and to provide a probabilistic assessment. To measure the potential impact on projects from the perspectives both of cost and productivity, this study also developed a practical framework for project integration. A real-life case study was conducted to validate the approach and demonstrated its applicability. The results of sensitivity analysis indicate that previous WMSD records, age, working posture, and working intensity are the top critical risk factors that have the most significant impact on individuals' WMSD risk status. This study provides deeper insights into WMSD risk assessment, which can facilitate personalized instructions and intervention for individual WMSD risk control, and support managerial initiatives and decisions to mitigate the negative effects on construction projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate the creation of a large area of high-resolution (260 × 209 km2 at 1 m/pixel) DTM mosaic from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) images over the Chang'E-4 landing site at Von Kármán crater using an in-house deep learning-based 3D modelling system developed at University College London, called MADNet, trained with lunar orthorectified images and digital terrain models (DTMs). The resultant 1 m DTM mosaic is co-aligned with the Chang'E-2 (CE-2) and the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA)—SELenological and Engineering Explorer (SELENE) blended DTM product (SLDEM), providing high spatial and vertical congruence. In this paper, technical details are briefly discussed, along with visual and quantitative assessments of the resultant DTM mosaic product. The LROC NAC MADNet DTM mosaic was compared with three independent DTM datasets, and the mean differences and standard deviations are as follows: PDS photogrammetric DTM at 5 m grid-spacing had a mean difference of −0.019 ± 1.09 m, CE-2 DTM at 20 m had a mean difference of −0.048 ± 1.791 m, and SLDEM at 69 m had a mean difference of 0.577 ± 94.940 m. The resultant LROC NAC MADNet DTM mosaic, alongside a blended LROC NAC and CE-2 MADNet DTM mosaic and a separate LROC NAC, orthorectified image mosaic, are made publicly available via the ESA planetary science archive's guest storage facility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We extend our previously developed approach for finding the exact analytical form of ground state wave function of single‐electron Schrödinger equations to target arbitrary excited states of 1D model chemical systems of hydrogen atom and H2+ with soft Coulomb potential. Our representation of the wave functions is formally unified by a factorized formula involving a polynomial prefactor encoding the nodal information, a non‐integer power prefactor, and an exponentially decaying term modulated by a modulator function. We show that our method leads to faster energy convergence than the basis expansion method, and hence is a better way of representing the wave function. This conclusion is also validated in the real‐world H2+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by Treponema pallidum, and the infection source is syphilis patients. This study aimed to estimate the incidence, mortality rate, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of syphilis to improve the understanding of the current global situation of syphilis. Methods: This study collected data on syphilis incidence, mortality, and DALYs from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease database. Results: The global number of incident cases and age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) increased from 8,845,220 (95% UI: 6,562,510–11,588,860) in 1990 to 14,114,110 (95% UI: 10,648,490–18,415,970) in 2019 and 160.03/100,000 persons (95% UI: 120.66–208.1) to 178.48/100,000 persons (95% UI: 134.94–232.34), respectively. The estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) in the ASIR was 0.16 (95% CI: 0.07–0.26). The EAPC in the ASIR associated with high and high-middle sociodemographic indices increased. The ASIR increased among males but decreased among females, and the incidence peaked among males and females between the ages of 20 and 30 years. The EAPCs in the age-standardized death rate and age-standardized DALY rate decreased. Conclusions: The incidence and ASIR of syphilis increased worldwide from 1990 to 2019. Only the regions with high and high-middle sociodemographic indices showed an increase in the ASIR. Moreover, the ASIR increased among males but decreased among females. The age-standardized death rate and DALY rate both declined worldwide. The increase in the global ASIR of syphilis is a challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban traffic data records people's individual movement and behavioral histories, which implies underlying human mobility patterns. How to effectively mine this pattern is the key to the building of a smart city. Traditional visual analysis methods only support exploration based on mobility patterns with fixed granularity, which limits the possibility of knowledge discovery at the beginning of analysis. However, the methods based on multi-granularity mobility patterns proposed in recent years have varying degrees of deficiencies in human perception or analysis efficiency. To balance the above problems, we design a comprehensive visual analysis system that supports both adaptive granularity refinement and complex semantic exploration of human mobility patterns. We introduce a hierarchical topic model H-NMF to extract multi-granularity traffic topics to capture mobility patterns with different levels of detail. Then, we design a progressive granularity refinement visualization method based on interactive Sankey diagram, which is more in line with the top-down cognitive process in human perception. The user can follow the visual cues provided by our system and gradually make decisions to obtain the desired granularity of traffic topics even for dataset without any prior knowledge. We further optimize the analysis efficiency of the refining process by taking the complete visual analysis process of traffic topics into consideration. The tensor decomposition model is used to extract the general spatio-temporal features of traffic topics to help users quickly obtain the basic semantics of traffic topics, which effectively reduces the analysis cost of users in the refinement. Besides, we design rich detail analysis visualizations to help users fully explore the semantics of traffic topics. All the above designs are well integrated in our visual analysis system which contains clear visualizations and user-friendly interactions. Finally, we verify the effectiveness of our method on real-world dataset with two case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the wide use of social media and other online services, people are getting more concerned about online privacy. Social media platforms and other online companies are collecting users' information for various purposes, including targeted advertising. While these data are anonymous, it is possible to identify people through publicly available information and machine learning algorithms. Members of some groups are more vulnerable to such privacy attacks and more likely to be identified. This raises a concern regarding the fair or equitable protection of online privacy, or the protection of all online users' instead of most users' private information. This research addresses this relatively new topic from the sociological perspective and focuses on fair privacy protection in online datasets. Questionnaire data show that college students rate the current privacy protection in online datasets low, but they have great support for general privacy protection and greater support for fair privacy protection. Factors that affect their support for general and fair privacy protection include prior cautious online behavior and how essential they rate company practice and government policies that ensure fair privacy. When they perceive a lack of fair privacy in online datasets, most of them would reduce or stop using certain online services. Factors affecting such reactions include prior cautious online behavior, hours on social media, the perception of being included in online datasets, and perceived importance of fair privacy policies. The findings highlight the pivotal role of institutional privacy measures, namely fair privacy company practice and government policies, especially the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widespread use of the Internet means that online privacy, or how to protect one's private information while engaging in online activity, has become a concern for many individuals. Research has investigated people's online privacy experience, including online privacy attitudes, confidence, and behaviors. However, not much attention has been paid to how online privacy confidence could be misperceived and how educational tools can correct such overconfidence. Guided by the protection motivation theory, this research examines online privacy confidence and is composed of two studies: Study 1 reveals that online users misrepresent their online knowledge and may have overconfidence as a result. Inspired by this finding and previous research, Study 2 avoids self-reported measures of online knowledge and instead directly evaluates online privacy knowledge (using OPLIS) and its impact on online privacy confidence. Using a survey experiment, we find playing an online privacy educational game increases confidence overall and, importantly, corrects overconfidence. Despite this, we do not find any evidence that correction leads to increased information-seeking. The findings shed light on what online users themselves and organizations, such as universities, industry, and government agencies, can do to better educate individuals about online privacy while calling attention to the need for continued research regarding the underlying mechanisms and downstream behavioral consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study surveyed the current practice of surgical treatment of obstructive left-sided colon cancer (OLCC) in China. Methods: All colorectal surgery departments at tertiary or secondary hospitals in China were invited to complete a web-based questionnaire between August 27 and September 2, 2020. Results: Overall, completed questionnaire were received from 357 hospitals. Emergency surgery was the mainstay of treatment for OLCC, with the open approach accounting for up to 61.62%. The stoma rate of emergency surgery was up to 80%, mainly due to inadequate bowel preparation and severe edema of colon walls. Hartmann's procedure (61.62%) was the most preferred operation. A total of 243 hospitals (68.7%) reported that they would consider the use of a self-expanding metallic stent (SEMS) as a bridge for elective surgery. More than 50% of the hospitals participating in this study reported the success rate of SEMS placement, as well as the resolution rate of obstruction more than 80%, and the stent-related perforation rate was < 5%. A total of 126 hospitals considered carrying out a strategy of SEMS followed by neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to elective surgery and believed that it might further improve treatment outcomes. Conclusions: SEMS is a feasible option for the treatment of OLCC in addition to traditional emergency surgery, and its clinical benefits have been preliminarily recognized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was to examine sex and strain differences in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal blood flow (RBF) in C57BL6, 129/Sv, and C57BLKS/J mice, three commonly used mouse strains in renal research. GFR was measured by transdermal measurement of FITC‐sinitrin clearance in conscious mice. RBF was measured by a flow probe placed in the renal artery under an anesthetic state. In C57BL6 mice, there were no sex differences in both GFR and RBF. In 129/Sv mice, females had significantly greater GFR than males at age of 24 weeks, but not at 8 weeks. However, males had higher RBF and lower renal vascular resistance (RVR). Similar to 129/Sv, female C57BLKS/J had significantly greater GFR at both 8 and 24 weeks, lower RBF, and higher RVR than males. Across strains, male 129/Sv had lower GFR and higher RBF than male C57BL6, but no significant difference in GFR and greater RBF than male C57BLKS/J. No significant difference in GFR or RBF was observed between C57BL6 and C57BLKS/J mice. Deletion of eNOS in C57BLKS/J mice reduced GFR in both sexes, but decreased RBF in males. Furthermore, there were no sex differences in the severity of renal injury in eNOS−/−dbdb mice. Taken together, our study suggests that sex differences in renal hemodynamics in mice are strain and age dependent. eNOS was not involved in the sex differences in GFR, but in RBF. Furthermore, the sexual dimorphism did not impact the severity of renal injury in diabetic nephropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the signal transduction function of organophosphates in biological systems, bioactive organophosphates were utilized for the first time as chiral nodes to dictate the stereoselective assembly of hydrogen‐bonded anionic cages. Phosphonomycin (antibiotics), tenofovir (antivirals), adenosine monophosphate (natural product, AMP) and clindamycin phosphate (antibiotics) were assembled with an achiral bis‐monourea ligand, thereby leading to the stereoselective formation of quadruple or triple helicates. The extent of the stereoselectivity could be enhanced by either lowering the temperature or adding stronger‐binding cations as templates. With the chiral anionic cages as the host, some enantioselectivity was achieved when binding chiral quaternary ammonium cations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the signal transduction function of organophosphates in biological systems, bioactive organophosphates were utilized for the first time as chiral nodes to dictate the stereoselective assembly of hydrogen‐bonded anionic cages. Phosphonomycin (antibiotics), tenofovir (antivirals), adenosine monophosphate (natural product, AMP) and clindamycin phosphate (antibiotics) were assembled with an achiral bis‐monourea ligand, thereby leading to the stereoselective formation of quadruple or triple helicates. The extent of the stereoselectivity could be enhanced by either lowering the temperature or adding stronger‐binding cations as templates. With the chiral anionic cages as the host, some enantioselectivity was achieved when binding chiral quaternary ammonium cations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some collections from northern China are proposed as the new genus and species Villoboletus persicinus based on morphological assessments and molecular phylogenetic evidence. It is circumscribed by the pink pileus, white context turning pale blue to bule when exposed, yellow hymenophore surface turning blue when bruised, stipe covered with plenty of flocculent hairs, ellipsoid-fusiform to subfusiform smooth basidiospores, and the presence of hymenial cystidia. Phylogenetic analyses inferred from four gene fragments (28S, tef1, rpb1, and rpb2) revealed a distinct position of this new genus in Boletaceae, but no place to accommodate it at subfamily rank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggressive behavior is important for acquiring crucial resources in many animals. As such behavior is costly, selection favors contestants that can accurately gather information regarding the likely costs and benefits of conflict to enable appropriate tactical decisions. Mate choice based on relatedness is widespread among animals and has severe consequences. Theoretically, due to the potential costs of inbreeding, contestants may benefit from discriminating between relative and nonrelative mates and adjusting their behavior accordingly. If inbreeding results in fitness costs, related mates might be perceived as less valuable and individuals might be expected to invest less in costly aggression, and vice versa. However, the role of male–female relatedness in aggression has been less addressed. The egg parasitoid wasp Anastatus disparis, which exhibits extreme male–male aggressive behavior for mating opportunities, was used as an experimental model to explore the role of male–female relatedness in aggression. Inconsistent with our prediction, male–female relatedness had no significant effect on male–male fighting frequency or intensity in A. disparis. The ability of males to discriminate relative from nonrelative females is a prerequisite for male–female relatedness to affect males' aggression. However, A. disparis males did not exhibit any mating preferences for relative or nonrelative females. Besides, inbreeding did not result in depression in terms of longevity, fecundity or sex ratio in A. disparis. Our finding of no effect of male–female relatedness on male–male fights in A. disparis may be caused by a lack of kin discrimination ability or/and a lack of benefits from discriminating relatives from nonrelatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is a major cause of drug-resistant paediatric epilepsy and is amenable to successful neurosurgical resection. FCD ILAE Type IIb is the most common FCD subtype, and brain somatic mutations affecting the mTOR pathway play a major pathogenic role. The aim of this study was to comprehensively describe the genotype-phenotype association of 20 patients with histopathologically confirmed FCDIIb using next generation sequencing (NGS) of paired blood-brain samples. Methods: Clinical and neuropathological data were retrospectively reviewed from the hospital archive. The NGS panel included 11 mTOR-pathway-related genes with maximum coverage of 2000x. The detected variants were validated by digital droplet PCR. Results: Pathogenic MTOR variants were identified in 10 patients (50%). Further comparison with MTOR-wildtype FCDIIb suggested a profound genotype-phenotype association characterised by (1) a non-temporal lobe lesion on MRI, (2) a larger lesion volume occupying grey and white matter (3.032 ± 1.859 cm³ vs 1.110 ± 0.856 cm³, p = 0.014), (3) more balloon cells (50.20 ± 14.40 BC/mm² vs 31.64 ± 30.56 BC/mm², p = 0.099) and dysmorphic neurons (48.72 ± 19.47 DN/mm² vs 15.28 ± 13.95 DN/mm², p = 0.000) and (4) a positive correlation between VAF and the lesion volume (r = 0.802, p = 0.017). Conclusions: Our study identified frequent MTOR mutations in the cell-rich FCDIIb phenotype, clinically characterised by a non-temporal location and large lesion volume. Comprehensive genotype-phenotype associations will help us further explore and define the broad spectrum of FCD lesions to make more targeted therapies available in the realm of epileptology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging advances in the field of in vitro toxicity testing attempt to meet the need for reliable human-based safety assessment in drug development. Intrahepatic cholangiocyte organoids (ICOs) are described as a donor-derived in vitro model for disease modelling and regenerative medicine. Here, we explored the potential of hepatocyte-like ICOs (HL-ICOs) in in vitro toxicity testing by exploring the expression and activity of genes involved in drug metabolism, a key determinant in drug-induced toxicity, and the exposure of HL-ICOs to well-known hepatotoxicants. The current state of drug metabolism in HL-ICOs showed levels comparable to those of PHHs and HepaRGs for CYP3A4; however, other enzymes, such as CYP2B6 and CYP2D6, were expressed at lower levels. Additionally, EC50 values were determined in HL-ICOs for acetaminophen (24.0–26.8 mM), diclofenac (475.5–>500 µM), perhexiline (9.7–>31.5 µM), troglitazone (23.1–90.8 µM), and valproic acid (>10 mM). Exposure to the hepatotoxicants showed EC50s in HL-ICOs comparable to those in PHHs and HepaRGs; however, for acetaminophen exposure, HL-ICOs were less sensitive. Further elucidation of enzyme and transporter activity in drug metabolism in HL-ICOs and exposure to a more extensive compound set are needed to accurately define the potential of HL-ICOs in in vitro toxicity testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chilling is an important abiotic stress in plants. Sweet potato is sensitive to cold damage due to its tropical origin. In this study, we identified a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) gene, IbbHLH33, from our cold-tolerance-related transcriptomic data. Further analyses revealed that IbbHLH33 encoded a nuclear protein and was most closely related to AtbHLH33. RT-qPCR analysis showed that IbbHLH33 was expressed at the highest level in the roots, and its expression was strongly induced by low temperature (4 °C), H2O2 and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments. Transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing IbbHLH33 were obtained by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, which enhanced the chilling resistance of tobacco. At low temperatures, the proline content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content increased significantly, while the relative conductivity decreased significantly. At the same time, the expression of proline synthesis related genes and antioxidant activity related genes increased, while the expression of ABA synthesis related genes decreased. The results showed that IbbHLH33 is a transcription factor encoding a gene of the bHLH family that regulates chilling tolerance. In conclusion, these data suggest that IbbHLH33 has the potential to improve chilling tolerance in tobacco and other plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we characterize the operators which are unitarily equivalent to truncated Hankel operators. We show that every rank one operator and every 2 × 2 matrix is unitarily equivalent to a truncated Hankel operator. Furthermore, we get that certain sum of tenser products of truncated Hankel operators is unitarily equivalent to a truncated Hankel operator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fighting behaviour is important for acquiring crucial resources and is widely observed in the animal kingdom. Based on the conflict consequence, fighting behaviour is usually classified into non‐extreme and extreme fighting patterns. Numerous factors that influence aggression, such as resource value, resource‐holding potential, kinship, and prior experience, have been extensively studied, resulting in the emergence of many important theories.To secure mating opportunities, males of the quasi‐gregarious parasitoid, Anastatus disparis (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), exhibit extreme fighting behaviour. Inconsistent with the general kin selection theory prediction, there is no evidence that male A. disparis competitors alter their fighting behaviour in response to relatedness with resource presence or interacted with altering resource value.The results of our current study do not clearly indicate whether unchanged kin‐based aggression is caused by a lack of kin recognition ability or overriding by competition for resources, which A. disparis males rarely exhibit fighting behaviour under condition of resource female absence in the environment.However, significant decreases in the fighting frequency and intensity in A. disparis were shown in males with early social experience, which was also not influenced by the kinship between the contestants.Our result suggests that in A. disparis, male aggression was likely mediated by early social experience rather than kinship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical image classification is a novel technology that presents a new challenge. It is essential that pathological images are automatically and correctly classified to enable doctors to provide precise treatment. Convolutional neural networks have demonstrated their effectiveness in classifying images in deep learning, which may have dozens or hundreds of layers, to illustrate the relationship between them in terms of their different neural network features. Convolutional layers consisting of small kernels take weights as input and guide them through an activation function as output. The main advantage of using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) instead of traditional neural networks is that they reduce the model parameters for greater accuracy. However, many studies have simply been focused on finding the best CNN model and classification results from a single medical image classification. Therefore, we applied a common deep learning network model in an attempt to identify the best model framework by training and validating different model parameters to classify medical images. After conducting experiments on six publicly available databases of pathological images, including colorectal cancer tissue, chest X-rays, common skin lesions, diabetic retinopathy, pediatric chest X-ray, and breast ultrasound image datasets, we were able to confirm that the recognition accuracy of the Inception V3 method was significantly better than that of other existing deep learning models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban road DEM is not only an important basic geographic information data of the city, but also an important element to describe and express the urban topography, and it is an indispensable part of the construction of the smart digital city, urban planning and urban surface process simulation. Previous methods for constructing urban road DEMs do not sufficiently consider the actual morphological characteristics of urban roads, and morphological distortion is evident in the expression of urban roads, seriously affecting the application of urban rainfall flood simulation and urban pipe network design. In response to these problems, this study proposed a considering morphological characteristics fine (CMCF) method of urban road DEM construction, selected a typical urban road area in the Jianye District of Nanjing City in China as the study area, used the 1:500 digital line graphic as data source, hierarchized roads in accordance with different morphological characteristics from the perspective of DEM construction, constructed the corresponding DEMs, and finally merged all levels of road DEMs to produce a complete high-precision urban road DEM. Results showed that the DEM constructed using the CMCF method not only exhibited higher elevation accuracy than the urban road DEM constructed using previous methods, i.e., inverse distance weighting (IDW) and triangulated irregular network (TIN) methods, with a mean error and a root-mean-square error of 0.015 and 0.060, respectively, but it can also accurately express the spatial element composition form and road morphological characteristics of urban roads, avoiding the distorted expression of road morphological characteristics. This study can provide a reference for a new DEM construction method and data support for smart digital city construction and urban surface simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, 20 Cu-20 Ni-54 NiFe2O4-6 NiO (wt%) cermets were prepared via the powder metallurgy process, and the electrolytic corrosion behavior of the cermets at 880 °C and 960 °C was studied through the microstructure analysis by SEM and EDS. Results show that the ceramic phase is seriously affected by chemical corrosion at 880 °C electrolysis, and it is difficult to form a dense ceramic surface layer. A dense ceramic surface layer is formed on the bottom of the anode electrolyzed at 960 °C, and the dense layer thickens with the extension of the electrolysis time. The formation of the dense surface layer is mainly caused by the oxidation of Ni. The oxidation rate of the metallic phase and the corrosion rate of the ceramic phase have an important effect on the formation of the dense layer. In the corrosion process of NiFe2O4 phase, preferential corrosion of Fe element occurs first, and then NiO phase is precipitated from NiFe2O4 phase. After the NiO is dissolved and corroded, the NiFe2O4 grains collapse and the ceramic phase peels off from the anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article documents and analyses the Chinese government's legislative and policy framework for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage (ICH). It summarises early Chinese ICH protection measures before analysing how systemic ICH legislation and policy frameworks were put into place after China joined the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2004. Since then, China has established a multilayered legislative framework for safeguarding ICH, with its capstone national ICH law passed in 2011. China currently embraces a production-based ICH-safeguarding paradigm, and it is implementing several practice-oriented policy initiatives that are discussed in this article. China's legislative and policy endeavours to safeguard ICH are impressive when compared to most other countries, but they are also hampered by significant challenges that are inherent in its state-centric nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reveals the contemporary Chinese state's active role in shaping the country's religion-related intangible cultural heritage (ICH) safeguarding, through a systematic review of China's official inventories of national representative ICH projects and extensive investigations of relevant local practices and initiatives. Although China is ruled by a political party officially embracing an atheist ideology, various elements of the contemporary Chinese state have been proactively involved in safeguarding religion-related ICH. The Chinese state's involvement in de facto religion-related ICH safeguarding predates its adoption of explicit ICH safeguarding narratives. Still, the Chinese state's practices and initiatives in safeguarding religion-related ICH flourished after ratifying the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2004. Since then, China's central government has established a nationwide framework to recognise representative ICH items, including religion-related ones. Beyond Beijing, various local state agencies have also developed noticeable enthusiasm for supporting the safeguarding of religion-related ICH. In addition to engaging directly with ICH safeguarding, the contemporary Chinese state has also shaped China's religion-related ICH by working closely with some academics and religious groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Named Data Networking (NDN) is a disruptive future architecture, in which content delivery can be significantly improved through named routing and distributed caching. However, distributed caching also leads to serious access control problems. Once a content is disseminated to the network, any entity can fetch it regardless of owning the access permission or not. To protect the authorized content, current solutions are mainly designed based on data packet encryption, but redundant in‐network traffic is still a challenge due to illegal interest‐data exchange. Focus on this problem, an Interest‐Based Access Control scheme via Edge Verification (IBAC‐EV) is proposed in this paper. In IBAC‐EV, the producer authorizes the user to sign interest packet. By checking the signature, the edge router can forbid unsubscribed users to enter network through discarding interest packets. Simulation results show that IBAC‐EV can effectively reduce the in‐network traffic. Moreover, by using proxy signature algorithm, it simplifies the complexity of key management and alleviates the storage overhead on the edge router. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, some studies have evaluated the epidemiologic factors associated with breast density. However, the variant and inconsistent results exist. In addition, breast density has been proved to be a significant risk factor associated with breast cancer. Our review summarized the published studies and emphasized the crucial factors including epidemiological factors associated with breast density. In addition, we also discussed the potential reasons for the discrepant results with risk factors. To decrease the incidence and mortality rates for breast cancer, in clinical practice, breast density should be included for clinical risk models in addition to epidemiological factors, and physicians should get more concentrate on those women with risk factors and provide risk-based breast cancer screening regimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]