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Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) and cognitive dysfunction (POCD) are common complications following thoracic surgery, particularly in patients aged 65 years and above. These complications can significantly affect recovery and increase healthcare costs. This study investigates the effects of low-dose S-ketamine on reducing POD and POCD in this patient demographic. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, medical records of patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent elective thoracic surgery from January 2019 to August 2023 were reviewed. Patients were categorized into S-ketamine and Control groups based on intraoperative S-ketamine exposure. POD was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM), while cognitive function was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) at baseline, 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months post-surgery. Intraoperative and postoperative parameters, including hemodynamic stability, blood loss, pain scores, and ICU stay length, were also recorded. Results: The study comprised 140 participants, with 70 in each group. The S-ketamine group demonstrated a significantly lower incidence of POD at 7 days post-surgery (12.0% vs. 26.7%, P < 0.001), and reduced POCD at 1 month (18.7% vs. 36.0%, P < 0.05) and 6 months (10.7% vs. 21.3%, P < 0.05). The Ketamine group had a significantly higher median MoCA score compared to the Control group both at 1 month (P = 0.021) and 6 months (P = 0.007). Adverse events, such as infection, bleeding, and respiratory failure, showed no significant differences between the groups, suggesting a safe profile for S-ketamine. Conclusion: Administering low-dose S-ketamine during thoracic surgery in patients aged 65 years and above significantly reduces the incidence of POD and POCD, highlighting its neuroprotective potential. These findings advocate for the inclusion of S-ketamine in anesthetic protocols to improve postoperative outcomes and reduce healthcare costs in this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of oxygen defects in semiconductor electronic structures is considered to be an effective strategy to improve their photocatalytic activity. In this work, rare-earth Er3+−doped BiOBr (Er/BiOBr) with oxygen-rich vacancies (OVs) was prepared via simple hydrothermal method. Compared with pure BiOBr, Er/BiOBr has a narrower band gap and more abundant OVs, which together improve the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers. The introduction of Er not only creates impurity states between conduction band (CB) and valence band (VB), but also produces more OVs as electron traps. Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were used as evaluation systems for these materials with different Er3+ doping contents. The results showed that under the combined action of ·O 2 − and H 2 O 2 , 2.0% EBB samples with Er3+ doping content of BiOBr showed the best broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, and E. coli and S. aureus were completely inactivated at 0.03 mg ml−1 and 0.05 mg ml−1 concentrations. The surface and interfacial structures of Er/BiOBr samples were studied by XRD, brunauer-emmet-teller method, SEM, TEM and EDX. OVs and photogenerated carrier separation in Er/BiOBr were determined by ESR, PL and photochemical detection methods. More importantly, through the detection of lipid peroxidation and bacterial respiratory chain dehydrogenase activities, the internal and external processes of ROS on bacterial inactivation were determined, and the photocatalytic antibacterial mechanism was summarized. This study for the antimicrobial properties of rare earth ions doped improve photocatalytic materials provides a new train of thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium silicon molecular zeolite (TS-1) plays an important role in catalytic reactions due to its unique nanostructure. The straight channel on TS-1 was parallel to the orientation of the short b-axis and directly exposed to the aperture of the 10-member ring with a diameter of 0.54 nm × 0.56 nm. This structure could effectively reduce the diffuse restriction of bulk organic compounds during the oxidative desulfurization process. As a kind of cationic polymer electrolyte, polydimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride (PDDA) contains continuous [C8H16N+Cl−] chain segments, in which the Cl− could function as an effective structure-directing agent in the synthesis of nanomaterials. The chain of PDDA could adequately interact with the [0 1 0] plane in the preparation process of zeolite, and then the TS-1 nanosheet with short b-axis thickness (6 nm) could be obtained. The pore structure of the TS-1 nanosheet is controlled by regulating the content of PDDA. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), N2 physical adsorption analysis, infrared absorption spectrum and ultraviolet–visible spectrum were used to determine the TS-1. The thinner nanosheets exhibit excellent catalytic performance in oxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT), in which the removal rate could remain at 100% after three recycles. Here, the TS-1 nanosheet with short b-axis thickness has a promising future in catalytic reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

\nHIGHLIGHTSThe resource utilization of coal gasification fine slag (FS) and the harmless treatment of dyeing wastewater are crucial for establishing a zero-emission industrial system and a circular economy. This study used FS as raw material and divided it into two particle sizes through ultrasonic pretreatment enhanced wet sieving. The composite materials were synthesized via an alkaline hydrothermal process from different components in FS was compared, and applied as adsorbents for the removal of methylene blue from printing and dyeing wastewater. Finally, the kinetic and thermodynamic model developed for MB from printing and dyeing wastewater. The maximum adsorption of MB by the composite material prepared from low carbon component (<0.125 mm) could reach more than 180 mg·g−1. The research results have important theoretical and practical value for guiding the high-value utilization of FS and its application in dye wastewater treatment. The alkali-soluble hydrothermal technique synthesized the composites.Methylene blue maximum adsorption capacity of 180 mg·g−1.The composites’ kinetic and thermodynamic adsorption properties on MB were clarified.The reaction mechanisms of different components in FS were elucidated.The alkali-soluble hydrothermal technique synthesized the composites.Methylene blue maximum adsorption capacity of 180 mg·g−1.The composites’ kinetic and thermodynamic adsorption properties on MB were clarified.The reaction mechanisms of different components in FS were elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grounded in the cultural context of Chinese filial piety, this study employs structural equation model to analyze survey data from elderly participants. It explores the effect and path of progeny–parents family travel on the elderly's sense of well-being and examines the mediating roles of generational interaction, optimistic emotion, and psychological resilience. The findings indicate that progeny–parents family travel positively influences the well-being of the elderly, with generational interaction, optimistic emotion, and psychological resilience serving as intermediary roles. Theoretically, this study enriches the localized perspective of family travel's psychological and behavioral impact on the elderly. It elucidates the spillover effects of family travel within the framework of filial piety culture, delineates the mechanisms by which family travel enhances elderly well-being, and offers theoretical insights for businesses to develop customized family travel products and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing efficient antimicrobials for the rapid disinfection of water is increasingly critical owing to the rising threat of pathogenic microorganisms. In this study, direct Z-scheme Bi 2 WO 6 /TiO 2 heterojunctions were constructed using a simple in situ hydrothermal method. The optimal Bi 2 WO 6 /TiO 2 Z-scheme heterojunction inhibited 98.80 % of Escherichia coli (5 × 108 CFU mL−1) at 0.35 mg mL−1 and 99.33 % of Staphylococcus aureus (5 × 108 CFU mL−1) at 0.5 mg mL−1 after 10 min of light-emitting diode (LED) light irradiation. Furthermore, in antibiotic degradation experiments, Bi 2 WO 6 /TiO 2 had a 92.91 % removal rate for ciprofloxacin with a pseudo-second-order degradation rate constant (k) of 0.056 min−1 after 240 min of irradiation. The antibacterial mechanism of Bi 2 WO 6 /TiO 2 was systematically investigated and confirmed to occur by LED light-driven surface activation and efficient charge transfer. The surface and interfacial structures of the Bi 2 WO 6 /TiO 2 samples were studied by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The antibacterial mechanism was studied by controlled experiments and electron spin resonance analyses, which revealed that the primary antibacterial mechanism of Bi 2 WO 6 /TiO 2 is oxidative sterilisation via generated reactive oxygen species. Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy was used to analyse the charge-transfer pathway in Bi 2 WO 6 /TiO 2 , which demonstrated that the spatial separation of the redox-active sites extended the lifetimes of the photogenerated carriers, enhancing the oxidative destruction of bacteria. This comprehensive understanding paves the way for the design of new Z-type heterojunction photocatalytic materials for antimicrobial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cholesterol is an indispensable component of most liposomes, heavily influencing their physical and surface properties. In this study, cholesterol in non-PEGylated liposomes was replaced by its analog, asiatic acid (AA), to generate liposomes with an alternative composition. These AA liposomes are generally smaller and more rigid than conventional liposomes, circulate longer in the body, and accumulate more in primary tumors and lung metastases in vivo. On the other hand, as an active ingredient, AA can decrease TGF-β secretion to inhibit the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, increase the sensitivity of tumor cells to doxorubicin (DOX), and synergize with DOX to enhance the immune response, thus improving their antitumor and anti-metastasis efficiency. Based on this rationale, DOX-loaded AA liposomes were fabricated and tested against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Results showed that compared with conventional liposomes, the DOX-AALip provided approximately 28.4% higher tumor volume reduction with almost no metastatic nodules in the mouse model. Our data demonstrate that AA liposomes are safe, simple, and efficient, and thus in many situations may be used instead of conventional liposomes, having good potential for further clinical translational development. (A) Structure of AA and cholesterol. (B) Schematic diagram of the preparation process of DOX-Lip and DOX-AALip. (C) Schematic illustration of the suppression of tumor development and metastasis by DOX-AALip in a TNBC mouse model [Display omitted] • Asiatic acid (AA) may both work as a cholesterol replacement and as an anti-tumor agent. • These AA liposomescould achieve simultaneous targeting of primary tumors and metastatic lesions. • DOX-AALip is prepared in the same way as conventional liposomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: LncRNAs are involved in HNSCC carcinogenesis, progression, and metastasis. In this study, we identified a novel lncRNA, named MASCC1 (Metastasis-Associated Squamous Cell Carcinoma 1), which was highly expressed in metastatic HNSCC and correlated with poor prognosis. In vitro, MASCC1 knockdown (KD) inhibited HNSCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumor sphere formation while promoting apoptosis. In vivo, MASCC1 KD suppressed HNSCC tumor formation and lymph node metastasis. Mechanistically, MASCC1 acted as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to sponge miR-195, regulating Cyclin D1, BCL-2, and YAP1 expression. Moreover, miR-195 overexpression rescued the effects of MASCC1 overexpression on the biological behaviors of HNSCC in vitro and in vivo. Our results show that lncRNA MASCC1 functions as an oncogene and is involved in HNSCC progression and metastasis, providing a potential target for HNSCC treatment. The altered expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) is associated with human carcinogenesis. We performed a high-throughput analysis of lncRNA expression in strictly selected pairs of metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and non-metastatic HNSCC samples. We identified a novel lncRNA, which was highly expressed in metastatic HNSCC, named Metastasis Associated Squamous Cell Carcinoma 1 (MASCC1), for further study. Using qRT-PCR, we further compared MASCC1 expression in 60 HNSCC samples. The results show that high expression of MASCC1 in patients with HNSCC was related to poor prognosis. In vitro, MASCC1 knockdown (KD) inhibited HNSCC proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumor sphere formation, while promoting apoptosis. In vivo, MASCC1 KD inhibited HNSCC growth and lymph node metastasis. Mechanistically, MASCC1 acted as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by binding to miR-195, subsequently regulating the expression of Cyclin D1, BCL-2, and YAP1. Moreover, miR-195 overexpression rescued the effects of MASCC1 on the biological behaviors of HNSCC. Taken together, our results suggest that MASCC1 is a novel oncogene that can predict the prognosis of patients with HNSCC and is a potential therapeutic target for HNSCC intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Extraction of impacted mandibular third molars (IMTMs) is the most common surgery performed in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) injury is a rare but severe complication, and the risk is significantly higher in cases of IMTM near the inferior alveolar canal (IAC). The existing surgical method to extract such IMTMs is either not safe enough or is time-consuming. A better surgical design is needed. Materials and methods: From August 2019 to June 2022, 23 patients underwent IMTM extraction by Dr. Zhao at Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, and were found to have IMTMs in close proximity to the IAC. Due to high IAN injury risk, these patients underwent coronectomy-miniscrew traction to extract their IMTMs. Results: The time between coronectomy-miniscrew insertion and complete removal of the IMTM was 32.65 ± 2.110 days, which was significantly shorter than that of traditional orthodontic traction. Two-point discrimination testing revealed no IAN injury, and no injury was reported by patients during follow-up. Other complications, such as severe swelling, severe bleeding, dry socket, and limited mouth opening, were not observed. Postoperative pain levels were not significantly higher in the coronectomy-miniscrew traction group than in the traditional IMTM extraction group. Clinical relevance: For IMTMs that are in close proximity to the IAC and must be extracted, coronectomy-miniscrew traction is a novel approach to minimize the risk of IAN injury in a less time-consuming way with a lower possibility of complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superhydrophobic metal materials are promising candidates for preparing the precision blood-contacting medical devices. Finding a metal material with excellent biocompatibility and superplastic forming ability to fabricate superhydrophobic surface is of great practical significance. Zr-based bulk metallic glass with high glass-forming ability was selected as the experimental sample. Micro-nano hierarchical structure was etched by electrochemical method in the ultrasonic environment, and the superhydrophobic surface with good biocompatibility was obtained after further modification. Electrochemical polarization tests show that the superhydrophobic surface can maintain long-term corrosion resistance in simulated body fluids. Blood and cell tests indicate that the superhydrophobic sample has an extremely rate of hemolysis and exhibits the ability to effectively inhibit the adhesion of platelets and smooth muscle cells. In addition, the superhydrophobic sample surface also exhibits good mechanical durability and chemical stability. This study offers a new perspective on the application of Zr-based bulk metallic glass in blood-contacting medical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) is often iatrogenic and potentially preventable. Reduced renal nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is reported to increase the susceptibility of AKI. The present study explored the predictive value of urinary de novo NAD+ synthetic metabolites for AKI using two independent cohorts. Methods The expression of de novo NAD+ synthetic enzymes in human kidney was examined by immunohistochemistry and single-cell transcriptomes. Urine samples were collected from two independent cohorts: the methotrexate (MTX) cohort with high-dose MTX treatment for lymphoma (n  = 189) and the liver transplantation cohort with orthotopic liver transplantation (n  = 49). Urinary metabolomics study of NAD+ de novo synthesis was performed by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry, screening for AKI predictive biomarkers. Nephroseq database and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze kidney de novo NAD+ synthetic enzymes expression in AKI-susceptible conditions. Results Human proximal tubule was the main structure in the kidney that expressed the necessary enzymes for NAD+ de novo synthesis. In the MTX cohort, the urinary quinolinic acid (QA)/3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-OH AA) ratio before chemotherapy was significantly lower in those who developed AKI after chemotherapy compared with those who did not. This finding was consistent in the liver transplantation cohort. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) of urinary QA/3-OH AA for AKI prediction was 0.749 and 0.729 in two cohorts, respectively. 3-Hydroxyanthranilic acid dioxygenase (HAAO), the enzyme catalyzing QA synthesis from 3-OH AA, decreased in AKI-susceptible diabetic kidneys. Conclusions The human proximal tubules were important source of NAD+ from the de novo pathway. Reduced urinary QA/3-OH AA ratio, which possibly suggested decreased HAAO activity, could be a potential AKI predictive biomarker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early identification of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease (AD), in an early stage of AD can expand the AD warning window. We propose a new capability index evaluating the spatial execution process (SEP), which can dynamically evaluate the execution process in the space navigation task. The hypothesis is proposed that there are neurobehavioral differences between normal cognitive (NC) elderly and AD patients with MCI reflected in digital biomarkers captured during SEP. According to this, we designed a new smart 2-min mobile alerting method for MCI due to AD, for community screening. Two digital biomarkers, total mission execution distance ( M E T R t o t a l ) and execution distance above the transverse obstacle ( E D a b o v e ), were selected by step-up regression analysis. For the participants with more than 9 years of education, the alerting efficiency of the combination of the two digital biomarkers for MCI due to AD could reach 0.83. This method has the advantages of fast speed, high alerting efficiency, low cost and high intelligence and thus has a high application value for community screening in developing countries. It also provides a new intelligent alerting approach based on the human–computer interaction (HCI) paradigm for MCI due to AD in community screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many free-floating bicycle-sharing (FFBS) operators in cold region cities will put bicycles in warehouses and suspend services in winter due to factors such as safety and maintenance costs, resulting in the corresponding travel demand no longer be met. Considering the short-distance and green travel characteristics of FFBS, the flexible bus, as a sustainable demand-responsive transit service, is a suitable alternative transportation mode. To operate such a flexible bus system, service area and operation time planning is a key stage, however, the planning methods in relevant studies are not suitable for this research scenario. In view of the above, this paper proposed a data-driven method to determine the service area and operation time of flexible buses based on FFBS data. Firstly, an FFBS trip path reconstruction algorithm consists of fine-grained road network modelling and trajectory matching is proposed. Then, in the defined time slice, incorporating the idea of ride-sharing routes generation, according to the density-based clustering principle and considering topology between trajectories, a path clustering algorithm PATHSCAN is developed to generate the one-day path clusters. After that, a frequent pattern mining algorithm is applied to the multiday path clusters, and frequent pattern results with spatio-temporal correlation will be merged into the final service area. The generated planning results will cover ride-matching trips and high-frequency riding paths. Detailed application analysis and verification are carried out by using the real data from Tianjin, China. Through the evaluation and verification under the relatively limited experimental data set, the proposed data-driven method shows ideal planning results. Flexible bus service can supplement the green short-distance travel mode after the suspension of FFBS and can avoid FFBS travel demands switched to unsustainable transportation modes to a large extent. This study will contribute to urban sustainable transportation development and improving greenness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Competency-oriented medical education has become a global trend. However, most current studies focus on the independent effects of various competencies and lack an examination of the combined effects. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the competency configurations of excellent pediatric residents and general pediatric residents and to provide a scientific reference for the talent training and career development of pediatric residents. Methods: Behavioral event interviews were conducted with 23 pediatric residents at a children's hospital in Beijing in July and August 2019. Two researchers coded the interview data to summarize the competency of pediatric residents. The research group scored the performance of 23 pediatric residents in various aspects of competency and used the crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis method to explore the competency configurations of excellent pediatric residents and general pediatric residents. Results: This study concludes that pediatric residents should have six core competencies: professional spirit, clinical skills, communication ability, learning ability, mental capacity and research ability. There are 4 combinations of competencies for becoming an excellent pediatric resident: the clinical type, scientific research type, all-around development type and high emotional intelligence type. In addition, there are 3 combinations of competencies for becoming a general pediatric resident: the comprehensive ability deficiency type, lack of professionalism and mental capacity type, lack of communication ability type. Conclusions: There are differences in competence between excellent and general pediatric residents. Excellent pediatric residents do not need to possess all competencies but should specialize in clinical practice, scientific research or communication skills. This study suggests that training in mental capacity, professional spirit and communication ability should be strengthened during pediatric resident training. Pediatric residents should make career development plans according to their actual situation, and hospitals should arrange suitable positions according to the characteristics of pediatric residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the tracking control problem of a three degrees of freedom (3-DOF) helicopter with unknown actuator faults, model uncertainties and external time-varying disturbances is solved by using the proposed adaptive neural network-based fault-tolerant control (FTC) strategy. Firstly, the mathematical model of the 3-DOF helicopter is established. Then, neural networks (NNs) are utilised to approximate and compensate the unknown functions in the presence of the controlled system. It should be stressed that hyperbolic tangent functions are introduced to reduce the negative effects caused by NN approximation errors and external time-varying disturbances. Moreover, auxiliary functions are designed to compensate filter errors, which further enhance the tracking performance of the closed-loop system. Finally, simulation results are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed FTC scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We adopt the method of bibliometrics to analyze the annual volume of papers and author distribution in the field of campus emergency management in the past 43 years, to evaluate the main population and types of emergency in this study of campus emergency management, and to discuss the existing management methods. Thus, we explore the research hotspot, research gaps and provide reference for future research. Method: We made a statistical analysis of published literature through bibliometrics, searched relevant papers on campus emergency management in PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases and included 364 valid literature works after screening. The characteristics were analyzed from multiple perspectives. Results: The research on campus emergency management is divided into three stages: "incubation period", "fluctuating growth period" and "rapid development period". Studies vary widely from continent to continent. There are many differences in the focus groups of different school types in the literature. The proportion of emergencies is divided into wound, disaster, school violence, illness and bombshell and others, accounting for 34.17%, 16.94%, 16.11%, 12.78%, 4.44% and 15.56%, respectively. Conclusion: Through the statistical analysis of English literature on campus emergency management from 1977 to 2020, it can be seen that the uneven distribution of research areas is very serious, and there is not much attention to special types of schools. The subdivision and management of the population are in continuous improvement. The research on campus emergency management has been continuously carried out and improved, with a promising prospect. Practical applications: This study can help explain the current situation and development trend of international campus emergency management, and provide reference for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although human society has developed to an unprecedented height in terms of politics, economy and culture, it is still impossible to avoid local wars, epidemics, earthquakes, fires, floods, snow disasters, mudslides, mine accidents, major traffic accidents, building collapses, and other disasters, causing heavy casualties and property losses. In the face of a sudden disaster, external support is impossible to arrive immediately, and the government rescue department is relatively short of manpower, requiring social rescue forces as an important supplement. Therefore, this paper will analyze the current situation of socialized emergency rescue organizations at home and abroad, and put forward some suggestions on the management policies of socialized emergency rescue organizations in Shanghai. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uncertainty, immediate hazards, severe consequences and broad impact of medical emergencies are far beyond the scope of ordinary medical treatment, calling for special attention. The importance of constructing hospital emergency management system has been increasingly reflected. The system not only needs the practical solution of hospital management at the present stage, but also the working direction of the hospital management in the future. In this paper, the emergency satisfaction survey was conducted on the patients in two first-class tertiary hospitals in Shanghai. The service satisfaction scores of a hospital with integrated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine as well as a general hospital were 4. 9 4 ± 0. 3 2 and 4. 9 9 ± 0. 1 4 , respectively. There was a significant difference in the service satisfaction scores between the two hospitals (p < 0. 0 0 0 1). Poor network signal was a vulnerability problem in the dimension of medical auxiliary facilities in both hospitals, accounting for the highest proportion. For the dimension of medical building, the main vulnerability problems were wall cracking and uneven ground, accounting for a high proportion. In the dimension of medical process, the parking inconvenience of a hospital with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine was particularly serious, accounting for 81.7%. In the dimension of medical service, the vulnerability of "medical staff overwork" in a general hospital was more prominent, accounting for 39.10%, which was significantly higher than that in a hospital with integrated TCM and Western medicine. In terms of service attitude, the vulnerability of the two hospitals was represented as the poor service attitude of doctors, nurses and managers. In the medical safety dimension of the two hospitals, "lack of assistance in emergencies" and "hospital equipment failures" were the main vulnerability issues. From the perspective of patients, this paper analyzed the current vulnerability problems of the hospital, identified the actual and potential risks of hospital emergency management and put forward suggestions on adjusting the spatial layout, strengthening internal management and comprehensively improving employees' emergency awareness and skills. This will provide a reference for the hospital's emergency management system to make necessary adjustments to meet the practical needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liver is an essential multifunctional organ and constantly communicates with nearly all the tissues in the body. Spaceflight or simulated microgravity has a significant impact on the livers of rodent models, including lipid accumulation and inflammatory cell infiltration. Whether similar liver lipotoxicity could occur in humans is not known, even though altered circulating cholesterol profile has been reported in astronauts. Using a 42‐day head‐down bed rest (HDBR) model in rhesus macaques, the present study investigated whether simulated microgravity alters the liver of non‐human primates at the transcriptome and metabolome levels. Its association with stress and intestinal changes was also explored. Compared to the controls, the HDBR monkeys showed mild liver injury, elevated ANGPTL3 level in the plasma, and accumulation of fat vacuoles and inflammatory cells in the liver. Altered transcriptome signatures with up‐regulation of genes in lipid metabolisms and down‐regulation of genes in innate immune defense were also found in HDBR group‐derived liver samples. The metabolic profiling of the liver revealed mildly disturbed fatty acid metabolism in the liver of HDBR monkeys. The intestinal dysbiosis, its associated endotoxemia and changes in the composition of bile acids, and elevated stress hormone in HDBR monkeys may contribute to the altered lipid metabolisms in the liver. These data indicate that liver metabolic functions and gut‐liver axis should be closely monitored in prolonged spaceflight to facilitate strategy design to improve and maintain metabolic homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Context: Abnormal energy metabolism such as lower body weight and body mass index (BMI) and less fat mass is widely reported in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and has been implicated in deformity development. However, the underlying mechanism is largely unclear. LBX1 is one of the promising AIS predisposing genes validated by multicenter studies.Purpose: This study aimed to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) relating to energy metabolism in AIS by using proteomic and metabolic analysis and to explore if the expression of these DEPs is associated with clinical parameters and modulated by LBX1.Study Design: This is a cross-sectional study using clinical data and biological samples followed by basic study using a cellular model.Patient Sample: Plasma samples were collected from Chinese girls with nonprogressive and progressive AIS (N=7 and 8, respectively) and age-matched healthy girls (N=50). Paraspinal muscle tissues were collected intraoperatively from concave and convex side of the apex of the major spinal curve in AIS (N=24) and either side from nonscoliosis patients (N=14).Outcome Measures: Radiological Cobb angle and basic anthropometric data of recruited subjects were measured. The DEPs and metabolites were compared in plasma using proteomics and metabolomics technique. The relative expression of selected genes was measured in muscles.Methods: Plasma samples from AIS were collected at first clinical visit and were further divided into nonprogressive or progressive groups according to Cobb angle changes in 6-year follow-up. Age-matched healthy girls were recruited as control. High-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry based proteomic analysis was carried out in three groups to identify DEPs and their annotated metabolic pathways. An independent cohort was used for validation by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry based metabolomic analysis. Paraspinal muscles were subjected to quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) followed by correlation analysis. Human skeletal muscle myoblast (HSMM) was used as the cellular model.Results: The likelihood of aberrant galactose metabolism and glycolysis was found to be associated with AIS curve progression as evidenced by the thirteen DEPs and seven related metabolites according to proteomic and metabolomic analysis. Some of the DEPs showed significantly altered expression in AIS concave and convex sides paraspinal muscles compared with those in nonscoliosis control. Four DEPs were found significantly and negatively correlated with LBX1 in AIS convex side paraspinal muscles. Overexpressing LBX1 in HSMM cells led to increased expression of three DEPs and decreased expression of three DEPs, respectively.Conclusions: This is the first integrated proteomic and metabolomic analysis on AIS. Our findings show dysregulated galactose metabolism and glycolysis pathways in progressive group of AIS, suggesting the presence of abnormal energy metabolism at early stage of this disease, and their association with higher risk of progressing into more severe curvature. Evidence from ex vivo study with human muscle biopsies and in vitro study with human myoblast cells propose the possible effect of LBX1 on these two pathways in skeletal muscles. The present study provides new evidence of LBX1 function in AIS via modulating effect on the expression of energy metabolism related genes. This study might provide new insights into etiopathogenesis and development of novel treatment strategy targeting on abnormal body weight and BMI in patients with AIS. Additionally, the plasma proteomic and metabolomic studies suggested new candidates as biomarkers for establishing predictive model for AIS onset/progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The green total factor productivity (GTFP) has become an important index of balancing the energy consumptions, economic development, and environmental protections. This study extends the slacks‐based directional distance function (SDDF) of Fare and Grosskopf into the framework of the Malmquist–Luenberger productivity index to estimate the slack‐based GTFP. This SDDF can allow decision‐making units to explore the optimal direction and measure a more precise productivity index. For the empirical study, we employ the new model to measure the slack‐based GTFP for Chinese 30 provinces over the period of 2005–2017. Furthermore, we investigate the effect of the regional differences on the GTFP and the convergence of the Chinese GTFP with β‐converge and σ‐convergence. Our results show that there is a rapid improvement in the GTFP in China, which is attributed to the technical change. However, there exists a significant difference in GTFP for three regions of China. The eastern region performs significantly better than the others. Finally, we find there is a strong convergence in China, and the eastern region has a faster convergence than the other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yttria‐doping strategies of strontium cobaltite (SrCoO3‐δ) have been systematically investigated as high‐performance cathode materials for anode‐supported solid oxide fuel cells. Sr0.95Y0.05CoO3‐δ(SYC), SrCo0.95Y0.05O3‐δ(SCY), and Sr0.95Y0.05Co0.95Y0.05O3‐δ(SYCY) were prepared by the citrate complexation sol–gel method. The crystal structures, oxygen desorption characterizations, electronic conductivities, and electrochemical performances were studied. The research result suggested that yttria doping into the A‐site of SrCoO3‐δ(SYC) exhibited the highest electronic conductivity (~580 S cm−1), and the suppression of the oxygen vacancies results in the poor performance of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity. The yttria doping into the B‐site of SrCoO3‐δ(SCY) inhibits the oxygen desorption related to the Co3+to Co2+and electronic conductivity. The co‐doping yttria of SrCoO3‐δ(SYCY) shows the lowest area‐specific resistances (0.147 Ω cm2at 600°C) and lowest activation energy (103.8 KJ mol−1). The ORR processes of SYC, SCY, and SYCY electrodes were analyzed by the distribution of relaxation time (DRT) technique. The I‐V and I‐P performances of SYCY cathode based on the anode‐supported single fuel cell were also being exploited, and the peak power density of this cell is 1005 mW cm−2at 650°C. The encouraging results suggest that SYCY is a candidate reduction electrode for solid oxide fuel cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) is a noninvasive index of vascular aging. However, the metabolic profile underlying vascular aging has not yet been fully elucidated. The current study aimed to identify circulating markers of vascular aging as assessed by baPWV and to elucidate its mechanism from a metabolomic perspective in older adults. A total of 60 and 61 Chinese male participants aged ≥80 years were recruited to the metabolome and validation cohorts, respectively. The baPWV of participants was measured using an automatic waveform analyzer. Plasma metabolic profile was investigated using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry. Orthogonal partial least squares (OPLS) regression modeling established the association between metabolic profile and baPWV to determine important metabolites predictive of vascular aging. Additionally, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to validate the metabolites in plasma and culture media of vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro. OPLS modeling identified 14 and 22 metabolites inversely and positively associated with baPWV, respectively. These 36 biomarkers were significantly enriched in seven metabolite sets, especially in cysteine and methionine metabolism (p <0.05). Notably, among metabolites involved in cysteine and methionine metabolism, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) level was inversely related to baPWV, with a significant correlation coefficient in the OPLS model (p <0.05). Furthermore, the relationship between SAM and vascular aging was reconfirmed in an independent cohort and at the cellular level in vitro. SAM was independently associated with baPWV after adjustments for clinical covariates (β = −0.448, p <0.001) in the validation cohort. In summary , plasma metabolomics identified an inverse correlation between SAM and baPWV in older males. SAM has the potential to be a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for vascular aging. • High-throughput targeted metabolomics of vascular aging. • OPLS regression analysis associate plasma metabolic profile to baPWV. • S-Adenosylmethionine strongly associated with vascular aging. • Cysteine and methionine metabolism is crucial in vascular aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer emulsion impregnation is a common method for strengthening recycled fine aggregate (RFA). By mixing Nano carbon black (NCB) into the polymer emulsion, highly conductive modified RFA (MRFA) can be simultaneously obtained. In this paper, highly conductive and self-sensing concrete was prepared by using the MRFA impregnated with the NCB and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) solution. The microstructure of MRFA and MRFA concrete physico-mechanical properties were studied. The effects of replacement ratio of MRFA, temperature, water content, and loading rate on the conductivity and self-sensing of prepared MRFA concrete was explored. The results show that the PDMS fills the pores of the RFA surface. The water absorption decreases by 2.53%, the apparent density and fineness modulus increased by 1.5% and 8.3%, respectively. With the increase of MRFA replacement ratio, the resistivity of concrete gradually decreases, and a sharp decline appears from 60% to 70%. The percolation threshold of concrete is calculated to be 3.37 vol% of NCB. Meanwhile, the MRFA concrete has good temperature sensitivity and humidity adaptability. Under the stress cycle loading, the stress sensitivity of the MRFA concrete with 70% replacement ratio MRFA is as high as 4.45%/MPa. Besides, the stress sensitivity of MRFA concrete decreases as the loading rate increases. • Recycled fine aggregate was treated with carbon black and polydimethylsiloxane. • Self-sensing concrete resistivity was measured by four-electrode method. • Self-sensing concrete piezoresistivity was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of TACE combined with microwave ablation (MWA) and TACE combined with cryoablation (CRA) in the treatment of large hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods. A retrospective analysis was performed on 81 patients with large hepatocellular carcinoma (tumor diameter 5～8 cm cm) who received TACE combined with ablation in our hospital from February 2015 to February 2019. The study patients were divided into TACE combined with MWA group (T-MWA, n = 41) and TACE combined with CRA group (T-CRA, n = 40) according to the treatment plan. Overall survival (OS) and progress free survival (PFS) were compared between the two groups, and complications were observed. Survival curves for OS and PFS were constructed by the Kaplan–Meier method. Differences in overall survival were compared using the log-rank test. Results. There was no statistical difference in general conditions between the two groups of patients. The results showed that 30 (73.2%) patients in T-MWA group achieved objective response (OR) and 39 (95.1%) patients achieved disease control (DC), compared with 24 (60.0%) patients in T-CRA group who achieved objective response (OR) and 37 (92.5%) patients who achieved disease control (DC). The median OS was 19.2 months in the T-MWA group and 18.6 months in the T-CRA group (P = 0.64). The median PFS was 9.3 months in the T-MWA group and 12.3 months in the T-CRA group (P = 0.6). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT), intrahepatic tumor diameter, and the number of tumor lesions were common prognostic factors for OS and PFS. In terms of surgery-related complications and adverse reactions, abdominal pain and gastrointestinal reactions were observed in 13 (31.7%) and 11(26.8%) cases in the T-MWA group, while we observed 4 (10.0%) and 2 (5.0%) cases in the T-CRA group, respectively. The difference between the two was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion. TACE combined with MWA and TACE combined with CRA were equally effective in the treatment of large hepatocellular carcinoma. TACE-CRA can effectively reduce the incidence of abdominal pain and gastrointestinal reactions in patients. However, compared with TACE-MWA, TACE-CRA is more likely to cause thrombocytopenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a single reaction-diffusion population model with memory effect and the heterogeneity of the environment, equipped with the Neumann boundary, is considered. The global existence of a spatial nonhomogeneous steady state is proved by the method of super and subsolutions, which is linearly stable for relatively small memory-induced diffusion. However, after the memory-induced diffusion rate exceeding a critical value, spatial inhomogeneous periodic solution can be generated through Hopf bifurcation, if the integral of intrinsic growth rate over the domain is negative. Such phenomenon will never happen, if only memory-induced diffusion or spatially heterogeneity is presented, and therefore must be induced by their joint effects. This indicates that the memory-induced diffusion will bring about spatial-temporal patterns in the overall hostile environment. When the integral of intrinsic growth rate over the domain is positive, it turns out that the steady state is still linearly stable. Finally, the possible dynamics of the model is also discussed, if the boundary condition is replaced by Dirichlet condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the tracking control problem for a family of fractional-order systems with unknown drift functions and unknown time delays. By employing fuzzy logic systems (FLSs), the unknown functions are approximated and compensated. Meanwhile, with the help of a hyperbolic tangent function and a sign function, the adverse effects of time-varying delays and FLSs approximation error are mitigated simultaneously. It should be stressed that the proposed method eliminates the assumption that the time delay is bounded by a known function. The stability analysis shows that the tracking error can converge to a small neighborhood of the origin. Finally, simulation is conducted to confirm the effectiveness of the presented control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of eco-friendly reduced graphene oxide (RGO) fabric electrodes with high performance and low cost has attracted much attention. Here, a highly conductive RGO silk fabric for supercapacitors and sensors was prepared by pretreating silk fabric with ternary solvent (CaCl 2 /C 2 H 5 OH/H 2 O) and then followed by ultrasound-assisted cycle drying. Instead of using crosslinking agent, the method is eco-friendly and it can increase the load of active substance, fabricating the high-performance RGO silk fabric electrode with lower cost. The effects of different treatment methods and treatment times on the morphology and properties of the electrodes were investigated. The area capacitance can be increased by 988.31%, 375.86% and 175.76% respectively by different ways of cyclic drying, ultrasonic treatment and ternary solvent pretreatment. The electrode prepared by this method has excellent conductivity and capacitance. Impressively, it has ultrahigh capacitance retention of 148% at 10000 charge-discharge cycles and excellent electrochemical stability. Meanwhile, it also has deformation response and excellent ultraviolet performance (UPF = 2182.63). This fabricated RGO silk fabric can be used as a sensor to monitor human motion (excellent mechanical stability), and it has a great potential for application in the field of wearable electronic products. [Display omitted] • High performance RGO fabric without crosslinking agent was designed. • The effect of preparation method on RGO fabric electrode was discussed. • RGO fabric electrode has good area capacitance and ultra-high capacitance retention. • RGO fabric electrode has an ultra-high UV resistance (UPF = 2182.63). • RGO fabric electrode can be used as a flexible sensor to monitor human behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning-based model predictive control (ML-MPC) has been developed to control nonlinear processes with unknown first-principles models. While ML models can capture nonlinear dynamics of complex systems, the complexity of ML models leads to increased computation time for real-time implementation of ML-MPC. To address this issue, in this work, we propose an explicit ML-MPC framework for nonlinear processes using multi-parametric programming. Specifically, a self-adaptive approximation algorithm is first developed to obtain a piecewise linear affine function that approximates the behaviors of ML models. Then, multi-parametric quadratic programming (mpQP) problems are formulated to generate the solution map for states in discretized state–space. Furthermore, to accelerate the implementation of explicit ML-MPC, a neighbor-first search algorithm is developed. Finally, an example of a chemical reactor is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the explicit ML-MPC. • An explicit MPC framework for MPCs using a general class of ML models. • A self-adaptive algorithm for approximating ML models with the desired accuracy. • Neighbor-first search algorithm for accelerating implementation of explicit ML-MPC. • Improvement of computational efficiency demonstrated in a chemical process example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terahertz-infrared (THz-infrared) absorption spectroscopy comprises distinctive spectroscopic data that serves as a potent method for the detection and analysis of biomolecules, owing to its capability to capture unique fingerprint spectral patterns associated with different structural substances. Nonetheless, the extraction of molecular characterization data with utmost sensitivity for substances present in low concentrations remains a formidable task that necessitates resolution, especially for the micro detection of neurotransmitters such as L-glutamate intricately linked to neurological disorders. Here, we construct Fano resonant modes with strong near-field by breaking the symmetry of the metallic split ring in the meta-atom, benefiting the susceptible substance detection. By scaling the structural parameters, a metasurface-based sensor working at the range of 1.15 to 2.69 THz was fabricated, which consisted of 15 metasurfaces operating at different resonance frequencies. And in agreement with results obtained by typical transmission absorption spectroscopy analysis of 0.1 mg tablets, the molecular fingerprint information of L-glutamate has been experimentally identified by comparing the resonance intensity changes with/without covering 5 μ g of L-glutamate, implying an increased detection sensitivity to 1/20. the proposed metasurface-based sensors with broadband Fano resonances are deemed to provide a new paradigm for enabling low-concentration, easy-to-use, and label-free biomolecule research and promise to drive the development of integrated non-destructive testing medical devices. • Symmetry-breaking Fano resonant metasurface-based sensors. • Fingerprint spectrum information extraction for ultra-low concentration of L glutamic(5 ug/mL). • Detection concentration is reduced to one-twentieth compared with conventional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main observation and conclusion: A new cyclic thiopeptide, berninamycin F (3), three new linear thiopeptides, berninamycins G—I (4—6), and two known berninamycin derivatives, berninamycins C and D (1 and 2) were isolated from Streptomyces sp. CPCC 203702. Their structures were elucidated through HRESIMS and one‐ and two‐dimensional NMR data, and the absolute configurations were assigned using Marfey's method. Compounds 4—6 are the first examples of linear berninamycin analogs. Notably, compound 4 is the first example of linear thiopeptide with a 1‐(oxazol‐2‐yl)ethan‐1‐one group, compound 6 is the first linear thiopeptide derivative with methylated oxoacetate moiety. Compounds 1—6 exhibited excellent anti‐Zika virus activities with IC50 values in the range of 4.4—10.5 μmol/L, which were superior to that of the positive control ribavirin (IC50 = 49.2 μmol/L). Compounds 1 and 3 showed strong anti‐influenza A virus activities with the IC50 values of 15.6 and 3.2 μmol/L, respectively. Compound 1 exhibited good antibacterial activities against methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin‐resistant Enterococcus spp. pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amyloid light‐chain (AL) is characterized by the presence of small, poorly proliferating plasma cell clones with the production and deposition of light chains into tissues. T cell changes within the tumour microenvironment in AL are poorly understood. By sequencing at a single‐cell level of CD3+ T cells purified from bone marrow (BM) and blood of newly diagnosed AL patients before and after a combination of daratumumab with cyclophosphamide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (Dara‐BCD), we analysed the transcriptomic features of T cells and found an expansion, activation and type I cytokine upregulation in BM and circulating T cells after the treatment. More prominent changes were shown in CD8+ T cells. In particular, we found the presence of CD8+ BM resident memory T cells (TRM) with high expression of inhibitory molecules in AL patients at diagnosis. After Dara‐BCD, these TRM cells were quickly activated with downregulation of suppressive molecules and upregulation of IFNG expression. These data collectively demonstrate that Dara‐based therapy in patients with AL amyloidosis promotes anti‐tumour T cell responses. The similar transcriptomic features of BM and circulating T cells before and after therapy further provide a less invasive approach for molecular monitoring of T cell response in AL amyloidosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a population of p63+/Krt5+ distal airway stem cells (DASCs) quiescently located in the airway basal epithelium of mammals, responding to injury and airway epithelial regeneration. They hold the ability to differentiate into multiple pulmonary cell types and can repopulate the epithelium after damage. The current study aims at gaining further insights into the behavior and characteristics of the DASCs isolated from the patient lung and exploring their clinical translational potential. Human DASCs were brushed off through the bronchoscopic procedure and expanded under the pharmaceutical-grade condition. Their phenotype stability in long-term cell culture was analyzed, followed by safety evaluation and tumorigenic analysis using multiple animal models including rodents and nonhuman primate. The chimerism of the human-mouse lung model indicated that DASC pedigrees could give rise to multiple epithelial types, including type I alveolar cells as well as bronchiolar secretory cells, to regenerate the distal lung. Taken together, the results suggested that DASC transplantation could be a promising therapeutic approach for unmet needs in respiratory medicine including the COVID-19-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this article, a decentralized optimal tracking control strategy is proposed for a class of nonlinear systems with tracking error constraints by utilizing adaptive dynamic programming (ADP). It should be noted that ADP technology cannot be directly used to solve decentralized optimal tracking problem of large‐scale interconnected nonlinear system with nonzero equilibrium points, since that an infinite domain performance index function may result in an unsolvable solution. In addition, by introducing a smooth function, the constrained tracking error is transformed into an unconstrained one. Then, the error dynamics and a new infinite domain performance index function are designed, such that ADP technology can be used. Following the designed performance index function, the tracking error can be ensured within a small neighborhood of zero. Finally, the feasibility and the effectiveness of the proposed decentralized optimal control scheme are verified through two simulation examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a predator–prey model with age structure, Beddington–DeAngelis functional response and time delays is considered. Using a geometric method for studying transcendental equation with two delays, we conduct detailed analysis on the distribution of the roots for the characteristic equation of the model. Then, applying the integrated semigroup theory and the Hopf bifurcation theorem for an abstract Cauchy problem within a nondense domain, we proved the existence of Hopf bifurcation for the model. Stability switches can also occur, as the two time delays pass through a continuous curve in the parameter plane. To illustrate the theoretical results, numerical simulations are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to investigate the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) occurring after high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) administration and the role of type 2 diabetes (T2D) playing in the occurrence of AKI. We assessed associations between T2D along with other confounding factors mainly including baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), methotrexate (MTX) elimination and urine pH, and AKI occurrence. Patients who were diagnosed as primary central nervous system lymphoma with treatment of HDMTX and with eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2 were enrolled in this study. Of the 507 courses enrolled in this study, 132 courses have T2D. Lower baseline eGFR, delayed MTX elimination, lower urine pH, and higher incidence of AKI were observed in T2D group. Using univariate logistic regression, several confounding factors including baseline eGFR, hypertension, MTX elimination, and urine alkalinization statistically and clinically important were screened out. After adjusting for these factors, T2D remained an independent association with AKI occurrence. AKI outcome had no significant relationship with severe hematological toxicity or hepatotoxicity. AKI was associated with faster eGFR decline after a series of HDMTX treatment courses. Patients with T2D have a higher sensitivity to AKI when administrated with HDMTX. This conclusion addresses safety concerns for making chemotherapy regimen for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Estimating head pose with a Coarse-to-Fine neural network. • The network is achieved by joint learning, and thus are computationally efficient. • Design a rendering pipeline to synthesize realistic head images with annotations. • The generated head pose dataset contains 310k images. Various applications of human-computer interaction are based on the estimation of head pose, which is challenging due to different facial appearance, inhomogeneous illumination, partial occlusion, etc. In this paper, we propose a deep neural network following the Coarse-to-Fine strategy to estimate head poses. The scheme includes two branches: Coarse classification phase classifying the input image into four categories, and Fine Regression phase estimating the accurate pose parameters. The two sub-networks are trained jointly. To tackle the problem of insufficient annotated data in training process, we design a rendering pipeline to synthesize realistic head images and generate an annotated dataset with a collection of 310 k head poses. The results on benchmark datasets and synthetic dataset validate the effectiveness of our approach, as well as the results on images with diverse illumination, occlusion, and motion blur. Moreover, our method can be easily extended to estimate head poses on depth images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant threat to the recent, wide deployment of machine learning–based systems, including deep neural networks (DNNs), is adversarial learning attacks. The main focus here is on evasion attacks against DNN-based classifiers at test time. While much work has focused on devising attacks that make small perturbations to a test pattern (e.g., an image) that induce a change in the classifier's decision, until recently there has been a relative paucity of work defending against such attacks. Some works robustify the classifier to make correct decisions on perturbed patterns. This is an important objective for some applications and for natural adversary scenarios. However, we analyze the possible digital evasion attack mechanisms and show that in some important cases, when the pattern (image) has been attacked, correctly classifying it has no utility---when the image to be attacked is (even arbitrarily) selected from the attacker's cache and when the sole recipient of the classifier's decision is the attacker. Moreover, in some application domains and scenarios, it is highly actionable to detect the attack irrespective of correctly classifying in the face of it (with classification still performed if no attack is detected). We hypothesize that adversarial perturbations are machine detectable even if they are small. We propose a purely unsupervised anomaly detector (AD) that, unlike previous works, (1) models the joint density of a deep layer using highly suitable null hypothesis density models (matched in particular to the nonnegative support for rectified linear unit (ReLU) layers); (2) exploits multiple DNN layers; and (3) leverages a source and destination class concept, source class uncertainty, the class confusion matrix, and DNN weight information in constructing a novel decision statistic grounded in the Kullback-Leibler divergence. Tested on MNIST and CIFAR image databases under three prominent attack strategies, our approach outperforms previous detection methods, achieving strong receiver operating characteristic area under the curve detection accuracy on two attacks and better accuracy than recently reported for a variety of methods on the strongest (CW) attack. We also evaluate a fully white box attack on our system and demonstrate that our method can be leveraged to strong effect in detecting reverse engineering attacks. Finally, we evaluate other important performance measures such as classification accuracy versus true detection rate and multiple measures versus attack strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose and analyze a diffusive predator–prey model with memory-based diffusion, which is described by a delayed predator-taxis term. We first obtain the existence and uniform boundedness of solutions. Then we study the stability of positive constant equilibria. We find that the memory delay may induce Hopf bifurcation, generating spatially inhomogeneous periodic solutions. This result implies that the memory-based diffusion is beneficial to pattern formations and is contrary to the conclusion on predator–prey model only with predator-taxis. The normal form of Hopf bifurcation is also derived. The theoretical results are demonstrated through the case with the Holling II functional response. Numerical simulations also suggest the phenomenon of stability switches and the occurrence of double Hopf bifurcation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Invasive tumour front played an important role in invasion and metastasis. • CAFs from the invasive front promoted tumour progression more significantly than CAFs from the superficial tumour in OSCC. • Invasive tumour front CAFs promoted the OSCC progression through MFAP5. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are widely involved in the development and progression of tumours. As a direct junction between tumour and normal host tissue, the invasive tumour front can remodel host tissue to generate a microenvironment more suitable for tumour invasion. However, whether CAFs derived from the invasive front (CAFs-F) have a greater ability to promote tumour invasion than CAFs derived from the superficial tumour (CAFs-S) is unclear. In this study, we characterized primary CAFs from different spatial locations of tumours. We demonstrated that CAFs-F had an increased ability to promote oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) proliferation and invasion in vitro and significantly enhanced tumour growth in vivo compared to CAFs-S. Mechanistically, transcriptome profiling analysis revealed that the expression of MFAP5, encoding microfibril associated protein 5, was dramatically increased in CAFs-F compared to CAFs-S, which further confirmed that the MFAP5 protein level was elevated in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and that this increase was correlated with poor survival. Genetic ablation of MFAP5 impaired the preinvasive capabilities of CAFs-F. Together, our findings demonstrated that CAFs-F had a greater ability to promote tumour invasion than CAFs-S and that MFAP5 might be involved in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. This study is aimed at characterizing the human distal airway stem cells (DASCs) and assessing their therapeutic potential in patients with chronic, degenerative lung diseases. These findings will provide a comprehensive understanding for further clinical applications utilizing autologous airway stem cells as therapeutic intervention in respiratory diseases. Methods. DASCs were isolated from healthy subjects or patients diagnosed with bronchiectasis, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), or interstitial lung disease (ILD). Differentiation capacity, a key property of the stem cells, was studied using a novel monolayer differentiation system. The differentiated cells were evaluated for alveolar and bronchial cell marker expression, and the quantified expression level of differentiated cells was further examined for their relationship with age and pulmonary function of the subjects. Results and Conclusions. Differentiation of DASCs and tracheal stem cells (TSCs) yielded an alveolus-like structure and a tube-shaped structure, respectively, with distinct marker gene expression. Additionally, single-cell-derived clones showed diverse differentiation fates, even if the clones arise from identical or different individuals. More importantly, the alveolar differentiation potency was higher in DASCs derived from patients than from healthy people. The differentiation efficiency of DASCs also correlates with age in patients with bronchiectasis and ILD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain engineering of transition metal oxides due to their desirable properties has long been a focal point in both physics and material sciences. Here, we investigate the strain dependence of electronic and optical properties of the high valence iron-based perovskite CaFeO3−δ. Using substrates with various lattice constants, we achieve a wide range of tunable epitaxial strain states in CaFeO3−δ thin films ranging from compressive −0.37% to tensile 3.58%. Electrical transport and optical absorption measurements demonstrate a distinct strain-dependent behavior, in which larger tensile strain leads to higher electrical resistivity and a larger optical bandgap. We attribute these modulations to tensile strain suppressed p-d hybridization in CaFeO3−δ, as evidenced by soft X-ray absorption spectra measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) in adult liver are promising for treatment of liver diseases. A biliary‐derived HPC population in adult mice has been characterized by co‐expression of stem cell marker Sry (sex determining region Y)‐box 9 (SOX9) and biliary marker cytokeratin 7 (CK7). However, isolation of these HPCs in adult healthy liver without any selection procedures remains a big challenge in this field. Here, by establishing a simple and efficient method to isolate and expand the CK7+SOX9+HPCs in vitro as clones, we acquired a stable and largely scalable cell source. The CK7+SOX9+ progenitor cells were then further induced to differentiate into hepatocyte‐like cells with expression of mature hepatocyte markers albumin (Alb) and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF4α), both in vitro and in vivo in the presence of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9). Furthermore, we found that the HPCs are highly responsive to transforming growth factor‐beta (TGF‐β) signals. Collectively, we identified and harvested a CK7+SOX9+ progenitor cell population from adult mouse liver by a simple and efficient approach. The exploration of this HPC population offers an alternative strategy of generating hepatocyte‐like cells for cell‐based therapies of acute and chronic liver disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sevoflurane has been shown to protect against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in animals, while its cardioprotection is lost if the ischemic insult is too long. In this study, we proposed a prevailing hypothesis that GSK-3β inhibitor-mediated activation of GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway provides additional cardioprotection in sevoflurane preconditioned rats following I/R injury. Methods: Rats were subjected to treatment with TDZD-8, a GSK-3β inhibitor, 5 minutes prior to sevoflurane preconditioning and 30-minute ischemia and 120-minute reperfusion. Furthermore, in order to find out whether this cardioprotection is linked with mitochondrial function and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), we isolated mitochondria from rat hearts perfused with TDZD-8 and determined the alternations of ERS markers. Results: Sevoflurane preconditioning or GSK-3β inhibitor treatment prevented cardiomyocyte apoptosis, phosphorylated GSK-3β and accelerated total β-catenin expression levels, reduced mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) activity, promoted the recovery of mitochondrial membrane potential and decreased the expression levels of GRP78, caspase-12 and C/EBP homology protein (CHOP) in rats under I/R condition, suggesting sevoflurane preconditioning or TDZD-8 activate the GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway, improve mitochondria function and suppress ERS occurrence. Conclusions: Taken together, the findings obtained from the study support the concept that sevoflurane preconditioning confers cardioprotection against myocardial I/R injury and GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling activation mediated by TDZD-8 as a novel target to prolong cardioprotection by sevoflurane anaesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil contamination has been an increasingly concerned environmental issue due to the large quantity of oily wastewater discharged by the industry. The extreme wettability-enabled single-channel separation strategy guarantees efficient separation of oil pollutant from wastewater. However, the ultra-high selective permeability forces the intercepted oil pollutant to form a blocking layer, which weakens the separation capability and slows the kinetics of permeable phase. As a consequence, the single-channel separation strategy fails to maintain a stable flux for a long-term separation process. Herein, we reported a brand-new water-oil dual-channels strategy for accomplishing an ultra-stable long-term separation of emulsified oil pollutant from oil-in-water nano-emulsion by engineering two drastically opposite extreme wettabilities (i.e. superhydrophilicity and superhydrophobicity) to build the water-oil dual-channels. The strategy established the superwetting transport channels to permit water and oil pollutant to permeate through their own channel. In this way, the generation of intercepted oil pollutant was prevented, which guaranteed an exceptional long-lasting (20 h) anti-fouling performance for successful achievement of an ultra-stable separation of oil contamination from oil-in-water nano-emulsion with high flux retention and high separation efficiency. Therefore, our investigations provided a new route for realizing ultra-stable long-term separation of emulsified oil pollutant from wastewater. [Display omitted] • Water-oil dual-channels were established. • Water and oil pollutant permeated through their own superwetting water-channel and oil-channel, respectively. • Long-lasting anti-fouling performances were guaranteed. • 20 h of ultra-stable long-term separation of emulsified oil was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A central challenge in the study of clinical medicine is to reduce the infection rate of implants without affecting cell adhesion and reproduction. For the first time, we prepared a robust and stable superhydrophobic Zn/pDop/SA coating on Zr 56 Al 16 Co 28 bulk metallic glass by electrodeposition that exhibits a maximum water contact angle of 158° and a sliding angle less than 1°. The growth of the coating micro-nano structure was controlled by changing the electrodeposition process parameters. The coating showed excellent antimicrobial adhesion properties in the environment to avoid bacteria adhesion and can transform from superhydrophobic to hydrophilic in body fluids to promote cell adhesion. The biodegradation of the Zn crystal structure was responsible for the hydrophobic transformation of the coating and the rough surface after biodegradation provided a point of adhesion for the cells. By designing a uniform crater structure on the substrate as an "armour" and co-depositing dopamine into the coating, the coating's wear resistance was greatly improved. The superhydrophobic coating can maintain stable superhydrophobicity in high temperature environment, air and UV irradiation. This study opens new horizons for the surface modification of bulk metallic glass and promotes its application in the medical field. [Display omitted] • The superhydrophobic coating was prepared by electrodeposition. • The superhydrophobic coating had good abrasion resistance. • The superhydrophobic coating had antimicrobial adhesion properties. • The superhydrophobic coating degraded to hydrophilic in body fluids and promoted cell adhesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work concerns the problem of resilient state estimation for unmanned surface vehicle systems subject to integrity attacks under peak-bounded perturbations. A novel resilient remote state estimation method is proposed based on zonotopic reachability analysis. The compromised sensors are identified based on the so-called predicted output set and zonotope support strip. Then, a resilient state reachable set is obtained by using the sensor data from the remaining benign measurements. For enhancing the performance of estimation, segment minimization is introduced to optimize the obtained state reachable set. Simulation results are provided to testify the effectiveness of the proposed method. • The presented approach does not require that the compromised channels are fixed. • The proposed method could achieve secure state estimation even under adversarial environment. • Based on segment optimization, the presented method offers high computational efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]