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Likelihood-based inference under nonconvex constraints on model parameters has become increasingly common in biomedical research. In this paper, we establish large-sample properties of the maximum likelihood estimator when the true parameter value lies at the boundary of a nonconvex parameter space. We further derive the asymptotic distribution of the likelihood ratio test statistic under nonconvex constraints on model parameters. A general Monte Carlo procedure for generating the limiting distribution is provided. The theoretical results are demonstrated by five examples in Anderson's stereotype logistic regression model, genetic association studies, gene-environment interaction tests, cost-constrained linear regression and fairness-constrained linear regression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our aim was to conduct a population-based projection to estimate the number of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cases in Germany until 2040. Data obtained from a report published in 2017 (doi:10.20364/VA-17.08) were used for future prediction analysis. The data were originally collected by the German Central Institute for Statutory Health Insurance. We used the illness–death model to estimate future numbers of RA cases, considering nine possible scenarios based on different incidence and mortality rates. In the baseline scenario, the number of women with RA is projected to increase by 417 000 cases and men by 179 000 cases by 2040, compared with 2015. Peak numbers of cases are concentrated in the 70–80-year-old age group, particularly among women. In the most favourable scenario (scenario 2), assuming a decreasing incidence, the total number of RA cases is projected to rise by 284 000 by 2040, reflecting a 38% relative increase from 2015 to 2040. The least favourable scenario (scenario 9), assuming an increasing incidence, projects a significant burden on the healthcare system. The total number of RA cases is expected to rise by 1.16 million by 2040, marking a substantial 158% relative increase from 2015 to 2040. Our research emphasizes a discernible trend: with an ageing society, improving treatment effectiveness, and declining all-cause mortality, we anticipate a rise in the absolute numbers of RA cases in Germany in the coming years. Our models robustly support this viewpoint, underscoring impending challenges for healthcare systems. Addressing these challenges demands multifaceted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vibration of the leveling mill is common in metallurgical enterprises, which causes vibration marks on the surface of the support rolls and affects the surface quality of the strip. This paper establishes a bearing-rotor system model for a leveling mill, and finds that reducing the bearing clearance helps to improve the stability of the mill. The study of different speeds under the amplitude of the change, the work of the roll system gap changes on the vibration of the mill. Finally, the results of the study can provide reference for the theory of vibration suppression of rolling mills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The following study addressed the problem of small duck eggs as challenging to detect and identify for pick up in complex free-range duck farm environments. It introduces improvements to the YOLOv4 convolutional neural network target detection algorithm, based on the working conditions of egg-picking robots. 2. Specifically, one scale of anchor boxes was removed from the prediction network, and a duck egg labelling dataset was established to make the improved algorithm YOLOv4-ours better match the working state of egg-picking robots and enhance detection performance. 3. Through multiple comparative experiments, the YOLOv4-ours object detection algorithm exhibited superior overall performance, achieving a precision of 98.85%, recall of 96.67%, and an average precision of 98.60% and F1 score increased to 97%. Compared to the original YOLOv4 model, these improvements represented increases of 1.89%, 3.41%, 1.32%, and 1.04%, respectively. Furthermore, detection time was reduced from 0.26 seconds per image to 0.20 seconds. 4. The enhanced model accurately detected duck eggs in free-range duck housing, effectively meeting the real-time egg identification and picking requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct and resonant photoionization of Al-like W61+ ions from their ground state 1 s 2 2 s 2 2 p 6 3 s 2 3 p 2 P 1 / 2 and four lowly excited states 1 s 2 2 s 2 2 p 6 3 s 2 3 p 2 P 3 / 2 , 1 s 2 2 s 2 2 p 6 3 s 3 p 2 4 P 1 / 2 , 3 / 2 , and 1 s 2 2 s 2 2 p 6 3 s 3 p 2 2 D 5 / 2 is studied by using the multiconfigurational Dirac–Fock method and the relativistic R-matrix method. Emphasis is placed upon exploring direct and resonant ionization limits and also upon identifying possible resonance channels of W61+ ions. To do so, the photoionization cross sections are calculated with the use of the Dirac Atomic R-matrix Code. For the ground-state photoionization, the direct and resonant ionization limits are obtained, and the identified resonance peaks are found to be associated with the resonances 1 s 2 2 s 2 2 p 6 3 s 3 l n l ′ and 1 s 2 2 s 2 2 p 6 3 p 3 l n l ′ (l , l ′ = p , d) at a level of fine-structure energy level or configuration. For the excited-state photoionization, however, although the respective direct ionization limits are obtained, the resonant ionization limits and resonance peaks are hardly distinguishable due to much more densely spaced resonance peaks and complex resonance structure. It is expected that the present work could fill the vacancy of studies on the photoionization of W61+ ions and be helpful to the diagnosis and simulation of the thermonuclear fusion plasmas together with other available photoionization data of tungsten ions with other charge states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop a radiomics signature applied to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-images to predict cytogenetic abnormalities in multiple myeloma (MM). Patients with newly diagnosed MM were enrolled retrospectively from March 2019 to September 2022. They were categorised into the high-risk cytogenetics (HRC) group and standard-risk cytogenetics (SRC) group. The patients were allocated randomly at a ratio of 7:3 into training and validation cohorts. Volumes of interest (VOI) was drawn manually on fat suppression T2-weighted imaging (FS-T2WI) and copied to the same location of the T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) sequence. Radiomics features were extracted from two sequences and selected by reproducibility and redundant analysis. The least absolute shrinkage selection operation (LASSO) algorithm was applied to build the radiomics signatures. The performance of the radiomics signatures to distinguish HRC with SRC was evaluated by ROC curves. The area under the curve (AUC), specificity, and sensitivity were also calculated. A total of 105 MM patients were enrolled in this study. The four and 11 most significant and relevant features were selected separately from T1WI and FS-T2WI sequences to build the radiomics signatures based on the training cohort. Compared to the T1WI sequence, the radiomics signature based on the FS-T2WI sequence achieved better performance with AUCs of 0.896 and 0.729 in the training and validation cohorts respectively. A sensitivity of 0.833, specificity of 0.667, and Youden index of 0.500 were achieved for the FS-T2WI radiomics signature in the validation cohort. The radiomics signature based on MRI provides a non-invasive and convenient tool to predict cytogenetic abnormalities in MM patients. • CAs is the most predictive of outcomes among all prognostic factors in MM. • Although FISH is the standard approach for identifying CAs, it suffers drawbacks. • The radiomic signature provides a noninvasive tool to predict HRC in MM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MgZnO barriers are commonly applied to passivate wurtzite ZnO films to enhance electron mobility, while the Mg mole fraction x is usually controlled below 0.4 to avoid phase separation. Few theoretical analyses have focused on electron mobility at large x since the phase separation leads to a complex scattering mechanism. This work investigates the effects of asymmetric MgZnO barriers on electron mobility, which is one source of complexity. Four asymmetric quantum wells simultaneously contribute to the electron mobility in proportions when the wurtzite and rock salt coexist in the mixed-phase MgZnO barriers with large Mg mole fractions. Besides, built-in electric fields also contribute to the asymmetry by tilting the bands. The polar optical phonon-limited electron mobility in asymmetric MgxZn1−xO/ZnO/Mg0.45Zn0.55O quantum wells is simulated between 176 and 333 cm2/V s as x ranges from 0.1 to 1. Our calculations show that confined optical phonons play a leading role in the quantum well with wurtzite barriers. Interface optical phonons are primary in the wells with rock salt barriers since most electrons are pushed close to the interface by the strong built-in electric field. The results indicate that wurtzite barriers are more favorable to achieving stable high mobility above 238 cm2/V s as the Mg mole fraction ranges from 0.14 to 0.33, which is commonly applied in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermecmaster-Z thermal simulator was used to carry out hot compression experiments on the metal material TB6 titanium alloy of exoskeleton robot at deformation temperature of 1 013 ~ 1 073 K and strain rate of 0,001 ~ 1 s-1, and the influence of deformation conditions on the flow stress of TB6 titanium alloy was studied. The multivariate linear regression constitutive model of TB6 titanium alloy was established by Arrhenius hyperbolic sine equation. The results show that the flow stress is significantly affected by the strain rate, and the influence of deformation temperature on the flow stress is related to the strain rate. The theoretical value of the peak stress obtained by the multiple linear regression constitutive model of TB6 titanium alloy is well fitted with the actual value, and the correlation reaches 98,11 %, which proves that the model has high prediction accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence on the association between garden work and risk of incident dementia in the older Chinese population is limited. This study aimed to explore the association between the frequency of garden work and risk of incident dementia in an older population in China. This was a national cohort study. This study analysed data from 8676 participants (median age: 86 years) from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between the frequency of garden work and risk of incident dementia using hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Multiplicative and additive interaction effects were calculated between the frequency of garden work and age, sex or residence on incident dementia; subgroup analyses of the association were also conducted by age, sex and residence. In addition, sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the results. During 4.31 years (median) of follow-up, 633 participants developed dementia. Compared with participants who did not engage in garden work, the adjusted risk of incident dementia for those who regularly or almost daily engaged in garden work decreased by 28% (HR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.57−0.93). An additive interaction effect between frequency of garden work and age on incident dementia was observed, with subgroup analyses demonstrating similar statistically significant associations among participants aged ≥85 years, women and city or town residents. Sensitivity analyses were consistent with the primary analysis in the present study. Frequent engagement in garden work may be associated with a reduced risk of dementia and may be an effective measure to prevent incident dementia in the older population in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theory of maximum entropy production (MEP) for electromagnetic wave propagation in dielectric materials is proposed and applied to simultaneously retrieving soil moisture (SM) and vegetation water content (VWC) from L‐band microwave brightness temperature (TB). One representation of the MEP principle states that a non‐equilibrium system corresponds to such a configuration of energy fluxes that minimizes a dissipation function under the constraint of energy conservation. The dissipation function for radiative transfer is formulated as an analogy of that for heat transfer. A new physical parameter, radiative inertia as an analogy of thermal inertia, is introduced to characterize radiative attenuation in dielectric media. The radiative inertia is parameterized in terms of the penetration depth of electromagnetic waves as a function of the complex dielectric constant. The MEP based retrieval algorithm predicts SM and VWC by minimizing the dissipation function under the constraint of the conservation of radiative energy. The retrievals of SM and VWC based on the MEP theory were validated against field observations in tropical and temperate forested regions of the Amazon and North America. The proof‐of‐concept analysis demonstrates the capability of the MEP algorithm for simultaneous retrievals of SM and VWC even for dense canopy (e.g., VWC > 5 kg m−2). The MEP method is a new theoretical framework for developing innovative remote sensing algorithms of the Earth system not limited to microwave observations. Plain Language Summary: Satellite remote sensing using microwave radiometers provides global soil moisture data for studying the Earth's water, energy, and carbon cycles. However, measuring soil moisture over areas with dense canopy covering about 30% of global land can be challenging due to the attenuation of microwave signals through plants. Currently available soil moisture products offer reliable retrievals of soil moisture only for the areas of low to moderate vegetation water content (less than 5 kg m−2). We developed a novel algorithm based on a new theory of radiative transfer that can help the development of soil moisture product for areas with dense canopy, such as tropical and temperate forests with high vegetation water content. The algorithm uses satellite observations of microwave brightness temperature, surface temperature, and vegetation and soil physical parameters. Initial validation of the proposed theory and algorithm yields promising results. Key Points: A theory of maximum entropy production (MEP) for radiative transfer in dielectric materials is proposed and applied to L‐band microwave brightness temperature remote sensing dataSimultaneous retrievals of soil moisture and vegetation water content combined with physical temperature of canopy and soil are possible using the MEP methodThe proposed methodology produced satisfactory results even for dense forests [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their cost, experiments for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) heavily rely on numerical simulations to guide design. As simulation technology progresses, so too can the fidelity of models used to plan for new experiments. However, these high-fidelity models are by themselves insufficient for optimal experimental design, because their computational cost remains too high to efficiently and effectively explore the numerous parameters required to describe a typical experiment. Therefore, traditionally, ICF design has relied on low-fidelity modeling to initially identify potentially interesting design regions, which are then subsequently explored via selected high-fidelity modeling. In this paper, we demonstrate that this two-step approach can be insufficient: even for simple design problems, a two-step optimization strategy can lead high-fidelity searching toward incorrect regions and consequently waste computational resources on parameter regimes far away from the true optimal solution. We reveal that a primary cause of this behavior in ICF design problems is the presence of low-fidelity optima in different regions of the parameter space far away from high-fidelity optima. To address this issue, we propose an iterative multifidelity Bayesian optimization method based on Gaussian Process Regression that leverages both low- and high-fidelity models simultaneously. We demonstrate, using both two- and eight-dimensional ICF test problems, that our algorithm can effectively utilize both low-fidelity and high-fidelity models to refine the designs. This approach proves to be more efficient than relying solely on high-fidelity modeling for optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore novel terpenoid repellents, 22 candidate terpenoid derivatives were synthesized and tested for their electroantennogram (EAG) responses and repellent activities against Aedes albopictus. The results from the EAG experiments revealed that 5-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-2-methylcyclohex-2-en-1-yl formate (compound 1) induced distinct EAG responses in female Aedes albopictus. At concentrations of 0.1, 1, 10, 100, and 1000 mg/L, the EAG response values for compound 1 were 179.59, 183.99, 190.38, 193.80, and 196.66 mV, demonstrating comparable or superior effectiveness to DEET. Repellent activity analysis indicated significant repellent activity for compound 1, closest to the positive control DEET. The in silico assessment of the ADMET profile of compound 1 indicates that it successfully passed the ADMET evaluation. Molecular docking studies exhibited favourable binding of compound 1 to the active site of the odorant binding protein (OBP) of Aedes albopictus, involving hydrophobic forces and hydrogen bond interactions with residues in the OBP pocket. The QSAR model highlighted the influential role of hydrogen-bonding receptors, positively charged surface area of weighted atoms, polarity parameters of molecules, and maximum nuclear-nuclear repulsion force of carbon-carbon bonds on the relative EAG response values of the tested compounds. This study holds substantial significance for the advancement of new terpenoid repellents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transport of energetic charged particles through magnetized plasmas is ubiquitous in interplanetary space and astrophysics, and the important physical quantities are the parallel and perpendicular diffusion coefficients of energetic charged particles. In this paper, the influence of solar wind on particle transport is investigated. Using the focusing equation, we obtain parallel and perpendicular diffusion coefficients, accounting for the solar wind effect. For different conditions, the relative importance of the solar wind effect to diffusion is investigated. It is shown that, when energetic charged particles are close to the Sun, for parallel diffusion, the solar wind effect needs to be taken into account. These results are important for studying energetic charged particle transport processes in the vicinity of the Sun. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hyperpigmented spots are common issues in all ethnicities with a hallmark characteristic of increased melanocyte dendricity. Objectives: To determine (1) potential receptors and/or cytokines that are involved in increased melanocyte dendricity in multiple facial spot types; (2) treatment effects of skin-lightening compounds on identified cytokine release from keratinocytes and on dendricity in melanocytes. Methods: Facial spots (melasma, solar lentigo, acne-induced post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) and adjacent non-spot skin biopsies were collected from Chinese women (age 20-70). The epidermal supra and basal layers were laser dissected to enrich keratinocyte or melanocyte biology respectively for transcriptome analysis. Melanocyte dendricity was assessed histologically by immunofluorescent staining. Effect of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) on melanocyte dendricity and melanosome transfer were assessed in human melanocytes or melanocyte-keratinocyte co-culture models. Treatment effects of skin-lightening compounds (niacinamide, tranexamic acid [TxA], sucrose laurate/dilaurate mixture [SDL]) were assessed on IL-6 or ET-1 release from keratinocytes and on dendricity in melanocytes. Results: Transcriptome analysis revealed IL-6 receptor and ET-1 receptor were significantly upregulated compared to the adjacent normal skin, visually confirmed at the protein level through immunostaining. Melanocytes in spot areas are more dendritic than melanocytes in adjacent non-spot skin. The addition of IL-6 and ET-1 to cell culture models increased melanocyte dendricity and melanosome transfer. IL-6 release was significantly suppressed by niacinamide and its combination, while ET-1 release was significantly reduced by both niacinamide and TxA. In contrast, SDL acted directly upon melanocytes to reduce dendricity. Conclusion: Interleukin-6 and ET-1 receptors are significantly upregulated in multiple facial spot types. The in vitro testing demonstrated their respective ligands increased melanocyte dendricity. Tested skin-lightening compounds showed reduction in release of IL-6/ET-1 from epidermal keratinocytes and/or inhibition of melanocyte dendricity. This work sheds light on pathophysiological mechanism of facial spots and potential new mechanisms of these skin-lightening compounds which warrant further human clinical validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hyperpigmented spots are common issues in all ethnicities with a hallmark characteristic of increased melanocyte dendricity. Objectives: To determine (1) potential receptors and/or cytokines that are involved in increased melanocyte dendricity in multiple facial spot types; (2) treatment effects of skin‐lightening compounds on identified cytokine release from keratinocytes and on dendricity in melanocytes. Methods: Facial spots (melasma, solar lentigo, acne‐induced post‐inflammatory hyperpigmentation) and adjacent non‐spot skin biopsies were collected from Chinese women (age 20–70). The epidermal supra and basal layers were laser dissected to enrich keratinocyte or melanocyte biology respectively for transcriptome analysis. Melanocyte dendricity was assessed histologically by immunofluorescent staining. Effect of interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) on melanocyte dendricity and melanosome transfer were assessed in human melanocytes or melanocyte‐keratinocyte co‐culture models. Treatment effects of skin‐lightening compounds (niacinamide, tranexamic acid [TxA], sucrose laurate/dilaurate mixture [SDL]) were assessed on IL‐6 or ET‐1 release from keratinocytes and on dendricity in melanocytes. Results: Transcriptome analysis revealed IL‐6 receptor and ET‐1 receptor were significantly upregulated compared to the adjacent normal skin, visually confirmed at the protein level through immunostaining. Melanocytes in spot areas are more dendritic than melanocytes in adjacent non‐spot skin. The addition of IL‐6 and ET‐1 to cell culture models increased melanocyte dendricity and melanosome transfer. IL‐6 release was significantly suppressed by niacinamide and its combination, while ET‐1 release was significantly reduced by both niacinamide and TxA. In contrast, SDL acted directly upon melanocytes to reduce dendricity. Conclusion: Interleukin‐6 and ET‐1 receptors are significantly upregulated in multiple facial spot types. The in vitro testing demonstrated their respective ligands increased melanocyte dendricity. Tested skin‐lightening compounds showed reduction in release of IL‐6/ET‐1 from epidermal keratinocytes and/or inhibition of melanocyte dendricity. This work sheds light on pathophysiological mechanism of facial spots and potential new mechanisms of these skin‐lightening compounds which warrant further human clinical validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic topological semimetals have been at the forefront of condensed matter physics due to their ability to exhibit exotic transport phenomena. Investigating the interplay between magnetic and topological orders in systems with broken time-reversal symmetry is crucial for realizing non-trivial quantum effects. We delve into the electronic structure of the rare-earth-based antiferromagnetic Dirac semimetal EuMg2Bi2 using first-principles calculations and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our calculations reveal that the spin–orbit coupling (SOC) in EuMg2Bi2 prompts an insulator to topological semimetal transition, with the Dirac bands protected by crystal symmetries. The linearly dispersive states near the Fermi level, primarily originating from Bi 6 p orbitals, are observed on both the (001) and (100) surfaces, confirming that EuMg2Bi2 is a three-dimensional topological Dirac semimetal. This research offers pivotal insights into the interplay between magnetism, SOC and topological phase transitions in spintronics applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In water flooding, residual oil is displaced by injecting water into the reservoir formation. Oil displaced from injection wells is physically swept to adjacent production wells by water. Compared to conventional oil fields, offshore heavy oil fields have low oil recovery using water flooding. If we had a better knowledge of the flow characteristics of the water and oil phases, it would be very useful to improve the oil recovery of the heavy oil reservoir. In developing oil fields, it is important to study the patterns of changes in the flow characteristics of the oil and water phases. This will guide the development of numerical simulation models. This study considered the geological characteristics, fluid properties, and construction technology of an offshore oil field with heavy oil. The relative permeabilities of water and oil were investigated using steady-state and unsteady-state methods. With the unsteady state method, the effect of core permeability, water washout, and oil viscosity on the relative permeability curve and oil displacement efficiency of water flooding has been investigated. Artificial cores were utilized in the experiments. The artificial cores were developed to simulate the structure of unconsolidated sandstone in an offshore oil field. Computed tomography and mercury pressure testing are used to demonstrate the change in the internal structure of the core. Water washout forms the “cleaning” and “erosion” function, which affects core pore structure, increases the radius of the core pore throat, and increases the core permeability. It has the same effect on relative permeability curves and oil displacement efficiency as it does on increased permeability. The total oil recovery decreases with increasing oil viscosity since the ability to control water mobility weakens during the flooding process. Moreover, the coverage volume of the displacing water phase decreases, and the two-phase flow range narrows Water sweeps expand as core permeability increases, resulting in a wider twophase flow as the relative permeability of the water phase increases. In turn, this enhances oil efficiency displacement and total oil recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify factors that may be associated with fumarate detection rate in 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in fumarate hydratase-deficient renal cell carcinoma (FH-RCC). Between February 2018 and March 2022, 16 FH-RCC patients with 30 lesions underwent 1H-MRS. Detection results were classified as having a detected fumarate peak (n= 12), undetected peak (n= 10), or technical failure (n= 8). Factors including tumour size, tumour location, treatment history, and metastasis status were collected and analysed. A Bayesian logistic regression model was applied to evaluate the association between these factors and the detection result. Bayesian analysis demonstrated significant associations between fumarate detection results and the following factors: long-axis diameter (odds ratio [OR] of 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI] of 1.07–2.53), short-axis diameter (OR of 1.90; 95% CI of 1.19–3.06), voxel size (OR of 2.85; 95% CI of 1.70–4.75), treatment history (OR of 0.35; 95% CI of 0.21–0.58), non-metastatic state (OR of 2.45; 95% CI of 1.48–4.06), and lymph node metastasis (OR of 0.35; 95% CI of 0.21–0.58). Technical failure results were associated with factors such as treatment history (OR of 2.59; 95% CI of 1.37–4.66), non-metastatic state (OR of 0.36; 95% CI of 0.19–0.66), and lymph node metastasis (OR of 2.61; 95% CI of 1.39–4.74). Tumour size, treatment history, and metastasis character were associated with the detection of abnormal fumarate accumulation. This finding will serve as a reference for interpreting 1H-MRS results and for selecting suitable scenarios to evaluate FH-RCC. • Fumarate is more likely to be detected with MRS in larger FH-RCC lesions. • MRS is potential to predict FH deficiency in primary renal tumours. • Treatment may affect the detection of fumarate accumulation at the metabolite level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amivantamab plus carboplatin–pemetrexed (chemotherapy) with and without lazertinib demonstrated antitumor activity in patients with refractory epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in phase I studies. These combinations were evaluated in a global phase III trial. A total of 657 patients with EGFR -mutated (exon 19 deletions or L858R) locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC after disease progression on osimertinib were randomized 2 : 2 : 1 to receive amivantamab–lazertinib–chemotherapy, chemotherapy, or amivantamab–chemotherapy. The dual primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) of amivantamab–chemotherapy and amivantamab–lazertinib–chemotherapy versus chemotherapy. During the study, hematologic toxicities observed in the amivantamab–lazertinib–chemotherapy arm necessitated a regimen change to start lazertinib after carboplatin completion. All baseline characteristics were well balanced across the three arms, including by history of brain metastases and prior brain radiation. PFS was significantly longer for amivantamab–chemotherapy and amivantamab–lazertinib–chemotherapy versus chemotherapy [hazard ratio (HR) for disease progression or death 0.48 and 0.44, respectively; P < 0.001 for both; median of 6.3 and 8.3 versus 4.2 months, respectively]. Consistent PFS results were seen by investigator assessment (HR for disease progression or death 0.41 and 0.38 for amivantamab–chemotherapy and amivantamab–lazertinib–chemotherapy, respectively; P < 0.001 for both; median of 8.2 and 8.3 versus 4.2 months, respectively). Objective response rate was significantly higher for amivantamab–chemotherapy and amivantamab–lazertinib–chemotherapy versus chemotherapy (64% and 63% versus 36%, respectively; P < 0.001 for both). Median intracranial PFS was 12.5 and 12.8 versus 8.3 months for amivantamab–chemotherapy and amivantamab–lazertinib–chemotherapy versus chemotherapy (HR for intracranial disease progression or death 0.55 and 0.58, respectively). Predominant adverse events (AEs) in the amivantamab-containing regimens were hematologic, EGFR- , and MET -related toxicities. Amivantamab–chemotherapy had lower rates of hematologic AEs than amivantamab–lazertinib–chemotherapy. Amivantamab–chemotherapy and amivantamab–lazertinib–chemotherapy improved PFS and intracranial PFS versus chemotherapy in a population with limited options after disease progression on osimertinib. Longer follow-up is needed for the modified amivantamab–lazertinib–chemotherapy regimen. [Display omitted] • Amivantamab–chemotherapy improved PFS and intracranial PFS versus chemotherapy. • Amivantamab–lazertinib–chemotherapy improved PFS and intracranial PFS versus chemotherapy. • Predominant AEs in the amivantamab-containing arms were hematologic, EGFR , and MET related. • MARIPOSA-2 is the first study to demonstrate improved PFS versus chemotherapy after disease progression on osimertinib. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the behaviours of post-grouted piles installed in an uneven pebble bearing layer overlaid deep and soft soil layer in Wenzhou, China, static loading field tests of three bored post-grouted piles were conducted, considering the key design parameters of post-grouting including the grout volume, grout pressure, and bearing capacity. According to the on-site geological conditions in the region, the theoretical values were calculated through applying different calculation equations for these three parameters, and the actual values obtained from the field tests were investigated to assess the improvement effect of load-bearing performance of grouted piles installed in these geological conditions as an extremely uneven pebble-bearing layer overlaid by the deep and soft soil layer. The calculation equations of key design parameters of post-grouting in this type of soil layers were then proposed. This study could provide a reference to evaluate the performance of post-grouted piles under various grouting parameters in analogical soil layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PbTiO3 nanowires is produced by stainless steel reaction kettle with Teflon lined. The crystal structure of nanowire was analyzed by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). At present, EBSD is seldom used to analyze these powder materials with fine crystalline grain and nanosized materials. An attempt is carried out to analyze the powder materials with fine crystalline grain by EBSD. PbTiO3 nanowires is investigated by EBSD, and then analyzed by X-ray diffraction and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The crystal structure of PbTiO3 is P4mm(99), and the cell parameter is cell = 3,905 x 4,156 Å. Experimental results of EBSD are accordant with that of XRD, which illuminates that surface EBSD analysis technique is feasible to determine crystal structure and orientation of powder material with new structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in almost all biological processes. However, there is little research on the effects of lncRNAs on estrus and early fetal development. In this study, 12 lncRNA libraries were constructed by high-throughput sequencing using sheep ovaries at luteal phase, follicular phase, 30, and 45 days of pregnancy. The target genes of DElncRNAs were predicted as cis or trans, to which functional and pathway analysis were performed. A total of 21 125 mRNAs and 5084 lncRNAs were identified in 12 samples from Dolang sheep. Among these, 418 mRNAs and 49 lncRNAs were differentially expressed. 341 target genes of differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) were obtained for enrichment analyses using the GO and KEGG. GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis showed that differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNA target genes were mainly involved in signal transduction, metabolic pathways, immune system, endocrine, AMPK signaling pathway, etc. It was realized that LOC105612389, BGIG9940_27655, RPS28, BGIG9940_27548 and BGIG9940_27563 lncRNA were significantly elevated at 30 and 45 days of gestation and were involved in early fetal development, which had a significant prognosis value for early pregnancy. Our study highlighted the putative contributions of lncRNAs in regulating expression of genes associated with early fetal development and regulation in sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the trade-off between computational efficiency and estimation efficiency in the statistical analysis of correlated streaming data. The authors compare the use of subsampling and ignoring correlation in the analysis of massive data and find that subsampling can be more effective for correlated data. They provide numerical illustrations to demonstrate the effectiveness of subsampling with correlated data streams. The article also discusses the implementation of ordinary least squares (OLS) and weighted least squares (WLS) estimators for data analysis, showing that there is some efficiency loss with the OLS estimator compared to the WLS estimator. The use of subsampling methods, such as uniform subsampling, can achieve good estimation results with a small fraction of the full data. The text also discusses the bias-variance trade-off in weighting methods for estimation and the convergence properties of a statistical estimator in the context of batch learning. The authors conclude by mentioning that the efficiency of their proposed methods might not be fully demonstrated in previous studies and suggest that adjusting the bias for inference is an open question. The work was supported by the National Science Foundation, and supplementary material with detailed derivations of equations is provided by the authors. [Extracted from the article]

To evaluate the diagnostic and differential efficacy of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) histogram analysis for different motor subtypes of Parkinson's disease (PD). Seventy PD patients including 40 with postural instability and gait disorder (PIGD) and 30 with tremor-dominant (TD) and 36 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled prospectively and underwent MRI examinations. The regions of interest (ROI) in the deep brain nuclei were delineated and features were extracted on the map of mean kurtosis (MK), axial kurtosis (Ka), and radial kurtosis (Kr), respectively. The differences in histogram features between PD patients and HC and between patients with PIGD and TD were compared. The areas under the curve (AUCs) were calculated to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of all histogram features. The correlations between histogram features and clinical indicators were evaluated. Some DKI histogram features were significantly different between PD patients and HC, and also different between patients with PIGD and TD (all p< 0.05). MK of the substantia nigra pars reticulate (SNpr kurtosis), Ka of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) 50 percentile (SNpc P50), and Kr of SNpc 90th percentile showed the highest AUC for distinguishing patients with PIGD from HC. MK-SNpc 10th percentile, Ka-SNpc 25th percentile, and Kr of the head of the caudate nucleus (CN) 90th percentile had the highest AUC for distinguishing patients with TD from HC. MK of the putamen 10th percentile combined with Ka of the bilateral red nucleus RN kurtosis yielded the highest diagnostic performance with an AUC of 0.762 for distinguishing patients with PIGD from TD. Certain DKI histogram features were correlated with Hoehn–Yahr (H&Y) stage, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score, tremor score, and PIGD score (all p< 0.05). DKI histogram analysis was useful to diagnose and discriminate different motor subtypes of PD. Certain DKI histogram features correlated with clinical indicators. • The combination of DKI and histogram analysis is more valuable than the mean value. • DKI was more sensitive than conventional diffusion-weighted imaging. • Ka might have a greater diagnostic value among MK, Ka and Kr. • DKI histogram is helpful to distinguish different motor subtypes in PD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change-induced variabilities in the environment and fishing pressure affect the distribution and abundance of bigeye tuna in the Pacific Ocean. Understanding the causal relationships among these factors is complicated and challenging. We constructed a multi-output neural network model based on data from four types of bigeye tuna fisheries (longline and purse seine in the west-central and eastern Pacific Ocean, respectively) and marine environmental data, aiming to analyse the response of bigeye tuna to natural and anthropogenic factors from 1995 to 2019 in the Pacific Ocean. The input layer weights were used to explore the importance of environmental variable, while the output layer weights evaluated the contribution of fishing operations. These factors determined the final spatiotemporal distribution and abundance dynamics for bigeye tuna. The optimal model predicted a strong correlation between the locations of major habitats and El Niño southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, indicating that bigeye tuna abundance dynamics respond to the intensity of climate variability. During El Niño events, suitable conditions lead to an expansion of the main habitats east of 170°W, while during La Niña events, the strengthening of the westward advection leads to the contraction of major habitats west of 170°W. Furthermore, the resource abundance of bigeye tuna is predicted to be higher during moderate to weak El Niño events than during strong El Niño events. The abundances in purse seine and longline-dependent fisheries demonstrate significant different distribution patterns under different ENSO events, reflecting the unique environmental preferences at different life stages of bigeye tuna. Given the increasing frequency of climate variability and escalating fishing pressures, our findings provide beneficial insights for the sustainable development of bigeye tuna resource in the Pacific Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delamination is one of the failure modes of functionally graded materials (FGM), resulting in the critical change of vibration characteristics. The Chebyshev polynomials are commonly used as admissible functions to improve the computational efficiency of numerical algorithms and avoid the occurrence of ill-conditioned problems. This paper extends the Chebyshev–Ritz method to the free vibration analysis of delaminated FGM plates, in which the material variation through the plate thickness follows the exponential-law distribution. A plane crack that is considered to be perpendicular to the thickness direction penetrates through the width direction. Based on the region approach, the analysis of FGM plates with a mid-plane delamination is divided into four sub-regions. The kinetic energy and potential energy of each sub-region are derived by the thin plate theory and von Kármán nonlinear strain–displacement relation. The modal functions of the displacement fields of FGM plates can be constructed in accordance with the displacement continuity conditions of the delamination interface and the boundary conditions of such plates. The effects of asymmetric material distribution, delamination length ratio, Young's modulus ratio, and boundary support on the vibration behavior of FGM plates are investigated. This semi-analytical study provides a reasonable theoretical basis for the behavior prediction and delamination identification of composite structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congestion on expressways usually occurs during the peak hours of urban traffic flow, mainly in the bottleneck area of expressways with reduced capacity, the congestion leads to vehicle queuing, and the traffic flow forms a "stop and go" wave, resulting in frequent vehicle starts, which further reduces the traffic efficiency in the bottleneck area and forms a vicious circle. Aiming at the congestion in the bottleneck area of expressway during peak hours, based on the simulation of expressway traffic flow using the cellular transmission model, an optimization model of variable speed limit control based on the cellular transmission model is established. First, use python programming to complete the realization of the basic traffic flow simulation function and speed limit control function of the CTM model, and build the simulation model with the Chengdu Riyue Avenue Expressway as an example. Then, the closed-loop control method is used in the simulation model to realize the variable speed limit control of the traffic flow system. Finally, the two evaluation indexes of the total delay time and the total ideal vehicle speed difference are used to evaluate the implementation effect of the optimal control plan of the speed limit control strategy. The results show that the variable speed limit control has an obvious optimization effect on reducing the total delay time (TTD) and the total ideal speed difference (TVD) of the system during congestion: using the variable speed limit control optimization strategy and infinite speed control conditions in comparison, the total delay time has been reduced by 35.8%, and the total ideal speed difference has been reduced by 10.7%. When the traffic density is in the critical state of congestion, the implementation of variable speed limit control on the upstream of the bottleneck area can effectively alleviate the overall congestion of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for a weighted weak-type inequality of the form ∫ M g + f > λ φ ~ λ ω 3 x ω 4 x ω 4 x d x ≤ C 1 ∫ + ∞ - ∞ φ ~ f x ω 1 x ω 2 x ω 2 x d x to be true, which generalize some known results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the predictive value of ischaemic time and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) T1 mapping in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 127 patients with STEMI treated by primary PCI were studied. All patients underwent CMRI with native T1 and extracellular volume (ECV) measurement, 61 of whom also had 4-month follow-up data. The total ischaemic (symptom onset to balloon, S2B) time expressed in minutes was recorded. CMRI cine, T1 mapping, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) images were analysed to evaluate left ventricular (LV) function, T1 value, ECV, and myocardial infract (MI) scar characteristics, respectively. The correlation between S2B time and T1 mapping was evaluated. The predictive values of S2B time and T1 mapping for large final infarct size were estimated. The incidence of microvascular obstruction (MVO) increased with the prolongation of ischaemia time. Regardless of MVO or not, ECV in myocardial infarction (ECV MI) was significantly correlated with S2B time (r= 0.61, p< 0.001), while native T1 in MI (T1 MI) was not (r= –0.19, p= 0.029). In the 4-month follow-up, native T1 MI was improved (1385.1 ± 90.4 versus 1288.6 ± 74 ms, p< 0.001). Furthermore, ECV MI was independently associated with final larger infarct size (AUC = 0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.81–0.98, p< 0.001) in multivariable regression analysis. ECV MI was correlated with total ischaemic time and was an independent predictor of final larger infarct size. • ECV in myocardial infarction was significantly correlated with S2B time. • In the 4-month follow-up, native T1 MI was improved. • ECV MI was an independent predictor of large final infarct size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MnBi2Te4 is the first discovered intrinsic magnetic topological insulator. It has great research significance and is related to new phenomena such as topological magneto-electric effect and quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE). We report first doping of rare-earth elements in MnBi2Te4 crystals. MnBi2Te4 crystalline samples with different Sm doping ratios were synthesized, and Sm atoms may enter the lattice and replace Mn atoms. Low-temperature magnetization measurements show that, in addition to the antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition of MnBi2Te4, some doped samples undergo small-scale ferromagnetic transitions at around 15 K. Doping furthermore reduces the magnetic field required for the transition to the canted AFM (CAFM) state and slightly increases the Néel temperature of the crystal. Our results suggest that doping rare-earth elements may be a feasible method for tuning the magnetism of MnBi2Te4 and for future applications of magnetic topological insulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic flux ropes (MFRs) are significant regions for the production of energetic electrons in space and astrophysical plasmas. However, the research on electron heating and acceleration driven by turbulence in MFRs is still quite rare. Utilizing in‐situ measurements from MMS satellite, we study electron heating and associated electrostatic waves in an ion‐scale MFR within terrestrial super‐Alfvén plasma flow. Lower‐hybrid drift waves, generated locally in this MFR, can contribute to the perpendicular heating through their electrostatic potential accelerating electrons. The parallel heating is attributed to antiparallel propagating electron beams. These beams excite the broadband electrostatic waves that can interact with electrons and thermalize electrons. Our study promotes understanding of electron energization driven by plasma waves and wave‐particle interaction in MFRs. Plain Language Summary: Magnetic flux ropes (MFRs) are ubiquitous magnetic structures existing in space and astrophysical plasmas. They are produced by magnetic reconnection, and can in turn trigger small‐scale reconnection and modulate reconnection process. In addition, they are widely used to explain electron heating and acceleration, which is a long‐standing problem in space and astrophysical plasmas. Thus, they receive significant attention nowadays. However, there has been still lack of research on electron heating and acceleration driven by turbulence in MFRs. In our study, we find perpendicular electron heating is partly attributed to lower‐hybrid drift waves and parallel electron heating is closely related to antiparallel propagating electron beams, which excites strong broadband electrostatic waves that can result in thermalization of electrons. Key Points: Electron heating is detected inside an ion‐scale magnetic flux ropeLower‐hybrid drift waves can contribute to the perpendicular heating through their electrostatic potential accelerating electronsThe parallel heating is caused by electron beams, which excite the broadband electrostatic waves that can thermalize electrons [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicidal ideation and behaviour are potential outcomes of workplace bullying. This review aimed to determine the extent of the association between workplace bullying and suicidal ideation and behaviour. The study incorporated a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement was followed to conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. A combination of subject terms and free words was used to search nine electronic databases. Two reviewers independently screened articles and extracted information according to the inclusion criteria. A meta-analysis was performed with averaged weighted correlations across samples using the STATA software (version 16.0) from pooled estimates of the main results from all studies. In total, 25 articles of high or medium quality were included in the systematic review; 15 of these were included in the meta-analysis. The prevalence of suicidal ideation and behaviour was 18% and 4%, respectively. Individuals who experienced workplace bullying had 2.03-times and 2.67-times higher odds of reporting suicidal ideation and behaviour, respectively, after adjustment for confounding factors. Moderating and mediating factors may help reduce the risk of suicidal ideation and behaviour for individuals experiencing workplace bullying. This study indicated that exposure to workplace bullying significantly increased the risk of suicidal ideation and behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnolol is an active polyphenol extracted from the traditional Chinese herb Magnolia officinalis, which can be applied for expectorating phlegm and relieving cough. However, the role and molecular mechanism of Magnolol in the treatment of asthma was not fully explored. To comprehensively analyze the pharmacological targets of Magnolol, ovalbumin-induced asthmatic mice model was established, and subsequently conducted with Magnolol. The pathological changes of lung tissue were observed by Haematoxylin and Eosin, periodic acid-Schiff stain and Masson's trichrome staining. Network pharmacology combined with the transcriptomic analysis was applied to investigate the underlying mechanisms and targets. Potential targets were validated by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence in vivo. As a result, this study found that the inflammatory infiltrations in Magnolol-treated asthma mice were significantly ameliorated. Using network pharmacology, it was identified 33 asthma-related Magnolol targets, which obviously involved in positive regulation of cytokine production and Th17 cell differentiation pathways. Furthermore, the transcriptome analysis showed that the infiltration score of eosinophils, activated mast cells and M1 macrophages were significantly decreased in Magnolol-treated asthmatic mice. Meanwhile, Hallmark analysis exhibited that the enrichment scores of interferon gamma and alpha responses were remarkably enhanced in Magnolol treated ovalbumin-induced asthmatic mice. Moreover, the potential therapeutic targets, Arginase 1, Phosphodiesterase 4B, Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 and Matrix metallopeptidase 12 were screened out by using combined analysis of asthma targets, Magnolol targets and differential expressed genes. In particular, gene set enrichment analysis revealed that high Matrix metallopeptidase 12 expression was associated with asthma and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathways. The expression of Matrix metallopeptidase 12 was significantly decreased in asthma group and was restored after Magnolol treatment through quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence validation. Together, this study found that Magnolol might have a therapeutic effect on asthma by regulation of Matrix metallopeptidase 12 through cytokine mediated signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winter precipitation is a major cause of vehicle accidents, aviation delays, school and business closures, injuries through slips and falls, and adverse health impacts such as cardiac arrests and deaths. However, an improved ability to monitor and predict winter precipitation type (p-type) could significantly reduce and mitigate these adverse impacts. This study presents and evaluates a modified parcel thickness method to derive p-type from a microwave radiometer (MWR) every 10 min. The MWR-retrieved p-types from six selected New York State Mesonet (NYSM) profiler network sites are validated against reference observations from the Meteorological Phenomena Idenfication Near the Ground (mPING) and Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS). Between the two reference observations, the mPING reports are biased toward snow (SN) and sleet (SLT) and away from rain (RA) and freezing rain (FZR) compared to the ASOS. The MWR has the best Pierce skill score (PSS) for RA, followed by SN, FZR, and SLT, and consistently overforecasts FZR and underforecasts SLT compared to both mPING and ASOS. The MWR p-type retrievals are generally found to be in better agreement with ASOS than mPING. Continuous thermodynamic profiles and p-type estimates from across all 17 profiler sites are available at http://www.nysmesonet.org/networks/profiler. Having such thermodynamic information from across the state can be a valuable resource, with a significant advantage over twice daily NWS radiosondes, for monitoring and tracking hazardous winter weather in real time, for accurate forecasting, and for issuing timely warnings and alerts. Significance Statement: Accurate prediction and monitoring of winter precipitation type (p-type) is important due to the adverse economic and health impacts posed by winter weather. However, complexities in understanding and modeling the processes that govern p-type and inadequate observational data limit accurate monitoring and prediction. To address these issues, a ground-based microwave radiometer (MWR) that provides thermodynamic profiles up to 10 km every 2 min, as deployed at 17 sites in the New York State Mesonet (NYSM) profiler network, can be a valuable tool. This study evaluates the accuracy of p-type estimates based on the parcel thickness method from the MWR data and its implementation to the NYSM real-time operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elastic materials can be used to improve the impact sound insulation performance of the floating floor. In this study, the foam rubber damping pad and polyurethane foam board were used to improve the sound insulation performance in floating floors; the main performance parameters such as thickness, dynamic stiffness, resonance frequency and damping ratio of the foam rubber damping pad and the polyurethane foam board were tested and analyzed under different loading systems. Besides, a reinforced concrete residential compartment was used as experimental background, the foam rubber damping pad and polyurethane foam board were used as elastic damping materials to form the different structures of floating floors with different thicknesses; then the impact sound pressure level and its variation rule were tested under different conditions, and the influence of the reduction of impact sound pressure level on the floating floor was compared and analyzed. The results show that before the pavement, the thickness of the polyurethane foam board is 2 times the thickness of the foam rubber damping pad in the natural state; After pavement, under the action of the load, the thickness of the polyurethane foam board is 1.39–1.42 times that of the foam rubber damping pad. The sound insulation and damping performance of the polyurethane foam board are lower than that of the foam rubber damping pad. When the thickness of the floating plate is increased from 32 to 80 mm, the sound insulation performance of the floating floor structure made of polyurethane foam board and foam rubber damping pad has a deterioration tendency. This study provides a basic reference for the sound insulation of floating floors with the foam rubber damping pad or polyurethane foam board as the elastic damping cushion. Highlights: Under load, the cumulative thickness of polyurethane foam plate reached about 35% of its total thickness at 2 days. After 8–10 days, it tended to be stable, with a total deformation of about 45%. For the floating building sound insulation floor system made of foam rubber damping pad, the frequency varies from 69.8–145.3 Hz, the reduction of impact sound pressure level is 18.7–23.6 dB, the change of frequency is 51%, and the reduction range of impact sound pressure level is 27%; The floating floor of polyurethane foam board has a frequency change of 137.7–254.8 Hz, the reduction of impact sound pressure level is 11.1–17.3 dB, the frequency change is 46%, and the reduction range of impact sound insulation is 35%. The thickness of the polyurethane foam board is about 1 times the thickness of the foam rubber damping pad, but its sound insulation and vibration absorption performance is low. It can be seen that the insulation board used as sound insulation board, its sound insulation and vibration reduction performance can not achieve the expected effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese sulfate solution would be affected by various factors in electrolytic production of manganese. When different electrolysis time was controlled, the effects of current density on the growth law of cathode manganese, the current efficiency, cell voltage and energy consumption in the electrodeposition process were studied. The results showed that too low or too high current density was not conducive to the growth of manganese grains. When the current density was about 450 A/m2, the manganese grains grew uniformly with spherical morphology and the cathode manganese sheet had high density. The α-manganese with good crystallinity and high density was obtained after electrodeposition for 10 h. Under this current density, the current efficiency of manganese deposition was high, the cell voltage was stable, and the energy consumption was low. The average current efficiency was 71.656%, the cell voltage fluctuated between 3.89 and 3.95 V, and the average energy consumption was 5.33 kW h/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) on mood disorder symptoms for menopausal women. A total of 95 qualified Chinese participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 31 in the acupuncture combined with CHM group (combined group), 32 in the acupuncture combined with CHM placebo group (acupuncture group) and 32 in the CHM combined with sham acupuncture group (CHM group). The patients were treated for 8 weeks and followed up for 4 weeks. The data were collected using the Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS), self-rating depression scale (SDS), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and safety index. The three groups each showed significant decreases in the GCS, SDS and SAS after treatment (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the effect on the GCS total score and the anxiety domain lasted until the follow-up period in the combined group (p < 0.05). Within the three groups, there was no difference in GCS and SAS between the three groups after treatment (p > 0.05). However, the combined group showed significant improvement in the SDS, compared with both the acupuncture group and the CHM group at 8 weeks and 12 weeks (p < 0.05). No obvious abnormal cases were found in any of the safety indexes. The results suggest that either acupuncture, or CHM or combined therapy offer safe improvement of mood disorder symptoms for menopausal women. However, the combination therapy was associated with more stable effects in the follow-up period and a superior effect on improving depression symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, debonded high-strength rebar (DHSR) is used to reinforce a concrete encased-and-filled steel tubular (CEFST) column, reducing residual deformation through high elastic self-centering (SC). The experimental results confirm that the CEFST column with DHSR has a strong SC capacity. Owing to the simple and low-cost technology, the advantages of the standard CEFST columns, the resilient CEFST column is an ideal option for constructing bridge columns. A bridge archetype with four spans and two-column bents is designed to compare seismic responses and post-earthquake reparability. The steel-bond slip due to debonding is described using the softening of Young's modulus of DHSR, which is used to simulate the seismic behaviors of the CEFST columns with DHSR. The applicability is verified by comparing the hysteretic behaviors between the experimental and predicted results. An incremental dynamic analysis of bridge archetypes is performed, based on 20 ground motions to accumulate a database for fragility analysis. The results show that the yield and failed lateral drifts of the CEFST bridge column with DHSR are larger than that of other types of CEFST bridge columns. The seismic and fragility analyses of the residual lateral drift results indicate that DHSR can greatly improve seismic safety and post-earthquake reparability. Further refinement of the predictions of the residual lateral drift based on the JRA and FEMA codes is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the issue of convergence for inexact steepest descent algorithm (employing general step sizes) for multiobjective optimizations on general Riemannian manifolds (without curvature constraints). Under the assumption of the local convexity/quasi-convexity, local/global convergence results are established. Furthermore, without the assumption of the local convexity/quasi-convexity, but under an error bound-like condition, local/global convergence results and convergence rate estimates are presented, which are new even in the linear space setting. Our results improve/extend the corresponding ones in (Wang et al. in SIAM J Optim 31(1):172–199, 2021) for scalar optimization problems on Riemannian manifolds to multiobjective ones. Finally, for the special case when the inexact steepest descent algorithm employing Armijo rule, our results improve/extend the corresponding ones in (Ferreira et al. in J Optim Theory Appl 184:507–533, 2020) by relaxing curvature constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To build a nomogram model to improve the evaluation of revascularisation necessity using multi-parameter coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography (CCTA). In this retrospective study, 335 patients who underwent CCTA and required revascularisation within 1 month were selected and allocated to the revascularisation group; 208 patients who did not undergo revascularisation were allocated to the non-revascularisation group. CCTA parameters, including CCTA stenosis, plaque qualitative–quantitative characteristics, and fractional flow reserve derived from CT angiography (CT-FFR), for both groups were analysed and compared. Independent risk factors for evaluating revascularisation were obtained using univariate and multivariable regression analysis, after which multi-parameter models were built. Finally, a nomogram was created with these independent risk factors using the R programming language. Plaque analysis was performed successfully for 543 patients with 1,072 target plaques. The performance of the multi-parameter model (AUC 0.894, p <0.001) was significantly higher than that of models based on stenosis (AUC 0.804, p <0.001), plaque qualitative/quantitative characteristics (AUC 0.754/0.789, p <0.001), or CT-FFR (AUC 0.848, p <0.001) alone, to evaluate the necessity of revascularisation. The independent risk factors were CCTA stenosis (OR 1.004, p =0.04), positive remodelling (OR 2.474, p <0.001), total plaque volume (OR 1.001, p <0.001), non-calcified plaque volume proportion (OR 1.019, p <0.001), and CT-FFR (OR 0.001, p <0.001). Subsequently, a nomogram based on these factors was created. The multi-parameter CCTA model improved performance in evaluating revascularisation necessity. The nomogram based on these factors is shows promise in clinical settings. • The multi-parameter CCTA model has good performance for evaluting revascularization. • Nomogram we created is promising in the clinical setting. • ParaMeters in nomogram were CCTA stenosis, PR, TPV, NCPVP, and CT-FFR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine whether computed tomography (CT) texture analysis parameters can be used as quantitative biomarkers to help differentiate giant cell tumour of bones (GCTs), primary aneurysmal bone cysts (PABCs), and aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) secondary to giant cell tumours of bone (GABCs). One hundred and seven patients with 63 GCTs, 31 PABCs, and 13 GABCs were analysed retrospectively. All patients underwent preoperative CT. Two radiologists independently evaluated the qualitative features of the CT images and extracted texture parameters. Patient demographics, qualitative features, and texture parameters among GCTs, PABCs, and GABCs were compared statistically. Differences in these parameters between ABCs and GCTs were also assessed. ROC curves were obtained to determine optimal parameter values. The best preoperative CT parameters to differentiate GCTs, PABCs, and GABCs included one qualitative feature (location around the knee) and four texture parameters (95th percentile, maximum intensity, skewness, and kurtosis). Age and three texture parameters (5th percentile, inhomogeneity, and kurtosis) enabled statistically significant differentiation between GCTs and ABCs. Combination of the above four parameters generated the largest area under the ROC curve (AUC) for the differentiation of GCTs and ABCs. CT texture analysis parameters can be used as quantitative biomarkers for preoperative differentiation among GCTs, PABCs, and GABCs. • The main method used in this study was CT texture analysis. • CT texture analysis can help enable more accurate preoperative differentiation. • Texture parameters may help guide the appropriate selection of treatment methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feedback from the accretion of central supermassive black holes (SMBHs) is a hot topic in the coevolution of SMBHs and their host galaxies. By tracing the large-scale outflow using the line profile and bulk velocity shift of [O iii ] λ 5007, the evolutionary role of outflow is studied here on a large sample of 221 type 2 quasars (QSO2s) extracted from Reyes et al. By following our previous study on local Seyfert 2 galaxies, the current spectral analysis on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectroscopic database enables us to arrive at the following results: (1) by using the Lick indices, we confirm that QSO2s are, on average, more frequently associated with younger stellar populations than Seyfert galaxies; (2) QSO2s with a stronger outflow tend to be associated with a younger stellar population, which implies a coevolution between the feedback from SMBHs and the host in QSO2s; (3) although occupied at the high L bol/ L Edd end, the QSO2s follow the L bol/ L Edd- D n (4000) sequence established from local, less-luminous Seyfert galaxies, which suggests a decrease of the accretion activity of SMBHs and also of feedback as the circumnuclear stellar population continuously ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discharge characteristics of coupled capacitively argon plasmas with change of pressure are studied. The mean electron temperature and electron density are calculated via Ar spectral lines at different pressures (10–80 mTorr) and at four frequencies (13.56, 40.68, 94.92, and 100 MHz). From 10–30 mTorr, the mean electron temperature and the electron density both decrease with the increase of pressure at certain frequency. From 30–80 mTorr, the mean electron temperature similarly first increase then decrease with pressure at 94.92 and 100 MHz, and decrease at 40.68 MHz and increase at 13.56 MHz with pressure. The largest mean electron temperature is found at 40.68 MHz. From 40–80 mTorr, the electron density both increase at 94.92 and 100 MHz. The electron density change little at 40.68 and 13.56 MHz with pressure increase. Particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collisions (PIC/MCC) method developed within the Vsim 8.0 simulation package is used to simulate the electron density, the potential distribution and the electron energy probability function (EEPF) under the experimental condition. Sheath width decrease with the pressure increase. The EEPF of 40.68 MHz is bi-Maxwellian and 100 MHz are nearly Maxwellian with a large population of low-energy electrons with the increase of pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A transition metal-free, visible light-induced intramolecular oxidative cylclization–detosylation–aromatization was discovered. This photocatalytic strategy generated potentially bioactive indolo[2,3-b]-quinoline derivatives in up to 97% yield. With a simple setup, this protocol works efficiently under mild conditions. The final products were obtained both in the presence and in the absence of Eosin Y sodium salt, but the reaction efficiency was largely improved with the use of a photosensitizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Testosterone has an anabolic effect on skeletal muscle. The testes produce most of the testosterone in vivo, while the adrenal glands contribute smaller amounts. When testis testosterone is deficient the adrenal gland increases steroid hormone synthesis, which is referred to as compensatory testicular adaptation (CTA). 2. To reveal the effects of testis testosterone deficiency on adrenal steroid hormones synthesis and skeletal muscle development, gene expression related to adrenal steroid hormones synthesis and skeletal muscle development were determined by RNA-seq. 3. The results showed that castrating male ducks had significant effects on their body weight but no significant impact on cross-sectional area (CSA) or density of pectoral muscle fibres. In skeletal muscle protein metabolism, expression levels of the catabolic gene atrogin1/MAFbx and the anabolic gene eEF2 were significantly higher, with concomitant increases after castration. The adrenal glands' alteration of the steroid hormone 11β-hydroxylase (CYP11B1) was significantly lower following castration. 4. Expression pattern analysis showed that the adrenal glands' glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1/GR) had a potential regulatory relationship with the skeletal muscle-related genes (Pax7, mTOR, FBXO32, FOXO3, and FOXO4). 5. The data showed that castration affected muscle protein metabolism, adrenal steroid and testosterone synthesis. In addition, it was speculated that, after castration, steroid hormones produced by the adrenal gland could have a compensatory effect, which might mediate the changes in skeletal muscle protein metabolism and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research studies observed that quark mass scalings typically neglect the inclusion of asymptotic freedom. However, we have introduced a Woods–Saxon-like factor to incorporate the effects of asymptotic freedom into our new mass scaling. Our findings indicate that the equation of state and sound velocity for strange quark matter exhibit different behaviors at zero temperature when using this new mass scaling. This suggests the presence of novel properties in the phase transition and structure of strange stars. Additionally, through numerical calculations, we have successfully obtained a strange star with a mass two times that of the Sun, aligning with astronomical observations. In a parameter group considering first-order perturbation effects, characterized by large C and small D, we have made an interesting discovery: the surface density of the strange star can be lower than that of normal nuclear matter. This observation serves as a possible signal of a phase transition from quark matter to nuclear matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this work, the wave propagation of Rayleigh type through a periodic elastic element covered with a T-plate is analyzed. Viscous-spring artificial boundaries are used to satisfy boundary conditions of a periodic structure. By using the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF), the various kinematics of the three-dimensional structure are consistently expressed and the propagation of waves within the model is obtained. Lagrange expansion is employed to generate the mathematical model of the structure. The numerical evaluation and the comparison with the results obtained by the analytical method and COMSOL involving different structures reveal that the results of this study are reliable and show that the model developed provides accurate results for the analysis of the periodic elastic structure of T-plates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Braille system is widely used worldwide for communication by visually impaired people. However, there are still some visually impaired people who are unable to learn Braille system due to various factors, such as the age (too young or too old), brain damage, etc. A wearable and low-cost Braille recognition system may substantially help these people recognize Braille or assist them in Braille learning. In this work, we fabricated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based flexible pressure sensors to construct an electronic skin (E-skin) for the application of Braille recognition. The E-skin mimics human touch sensing function for collecting Braille information. Braille recognition is realized with a neural network based on memristors. We utilize a binary neural network algorithm with only two bias layers and three fully connected layers. Such neural network design remarkably reduces the calculation burden and, thus, the system cost. Experiments show that the system can achieve a recognition accuracy of up to 91.25%. This work demonstrates the possibility of realizing a wearable and low-cost Braille recognition system and a Braille learning-assistance system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A k-uniform family F ⊂ [ n ] k is called non-trivial r-wise intersecting if F 1 ∩ F 2 ∩ ⋯ ∩ F r ≠ ∅ for every F 1 , F 2 , ... , F r ∈ F and ∩ F = ∅ . O'Neill and Verstraëte determined the maximum size of a non-trivial r-wise intersecting family for n sufficiently large. Actually, the Hilton–Milner–Frankl Theorem implies O'Neill–Verstraëte's result for n ≥ r (k - r + 2) . In the present paper, we show that the same result holds for a certain range when n is close to 2k. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]