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AbstractA series of cyclic triaxial tests were conducted on marine soft clay deposits to establish and validate a predictive model for cumulative plastic strain. Additionally, a numerical model of particle flow code in cyclic triaxial tests was developed. The effects of confining pressure, moisture content, and dynamic stress ratio on the dynamic properties of marine soft clay were examined, considering factors such as volume deformation and microscopic failure patterns. The results indicated that both the predictive model and numerical model showed strong consistency with the experimental data. The plastic strain of marine soft clay was influenced by moisture content, stress ratio, and confining pressure in a consistent manner, with moisture content being the primary factor. A predictive model for the cumulative plastic strain of marine soft clay was successfully established, allowing for the evaluation of dynamic properties from the perspective of cumulative plastic strain. During the loading process in the numerical model, microcracks within the soil structure gradually compacted, and the main displacement of the specimen extended from the vertical center axis to the sides, ultimately resulting in shear damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is an infiltrative malignancy characterized by a significantly elevated recurrence rate. Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1), which plays an oncogene role in many cancers, acts as an inhibitor of the Wingless protein (Wnt) signaling pathway. Currently, there is a lack of consensus regarding the role of DKK1 in OSCC or its clinical significance. OBJECTIVE: To examine the role and effect of DKK1 in OSCC. METHODS: The identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in OSCC was conducted by utilizing databases such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). A comprehensive analysis of gene expression profile interactions (GEPIA) and Kaplan-Meier curve were conducted to investigate the associations among DEGs, patient survival and prognosis in individuals with OSCC. The biological function of DKK1 in OSCC was investigated by using molecular biology approaches. RESULTS: The expression of DKK1 was found to be upregulated in OSCC tissues at various stages. High levels of DKK1 expression exhibited a positive correlation with the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates among OSCC patients. DKK1 knockdown suppressed the proliferation and induced apoptotic response in OSCC cells. Moreover, DKK1 exerted a positive regulatory effect on HMGA2 expression, thereby modulating cell growth and apoptosis in OSCC. The expression of DKK1 was found to be positively correlated with the infiltration of immune cells in patients with OSCC. Additionally, higher levels of CD4 + T cells were associated with improved 5-year survival rates. CONCLUSION: DKK1 is a prognostic biomarker for patients with OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular weight (MW) of an enzyme is a critical parameter in enzyme-constrained models (ecModels). It is determined by two factors: the presence of subunits and the abundance of each subunit. Although the number of subunits (NS) can potentially be obtained from UniProt, this information is not readily available for most proteins. In this study, we addressed this gap by extracting and curating subunit information from the UniProt database to establish a robust benchmark dataset. Subsequently, we propose a novel model named DeepSub, which leverages the protein language model and Bi-directional Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), to predict NS in homo-oligomers solely based on protein sequences. DeepSub demonstrates remarkable accuracy, achieving an accuracy rate as high as 0.967, surpassing the performance of QUEEN. To validate the effectiveness of DeepSub, we performed predictions for protein homo-oligomers that have been reported in the literature but are not documented in the UniProt database. Examples include homoserine dehydrogenase from Corynebacterium glutamicum, Matrilin-4 from Mus musculus and Homo sapiens, and the Multimerins protein family from M. musculus and H. sapiens. The predicted results align closely with the reported findings in the literature, underscoring the reliability and utility of DeepSub. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The death of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is primarily due to from critically ill patients, especially from ARDS complications caused by SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, it is essential to contribute an in-depth understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease and to identify biomarkers for predicting critically ill patients at the molecular level. Immunogenic cell death (ICD), as a specific variant of regulatory cell death driven by stress, can induce adaptive immune responses against cell death antigens in the host. Studies have confirmed that both innate and adaptive immune pathways are involved in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the role of ICD in the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19 has rarely been explored. In this study, we systematically evaluated the role of ICD-related genes in COVID-19. We conducted consensus clustering, immune infiltration analysis, and functional enrichment analysis based on ICD differentially expressed genes. The results showed that immune infiltration characteristics were altered in severe and non-severe COVID-19. In addition, we used multiple machine learning methods to screen for five risk genes (KLF5, NSUN7, APH1B, GRB10 and CD4), which are used to predict COVID-19 severity. Finally, we constructed a nomogram to predict the risk of severe COVID-19 based on the classification and recognition model, and validated the model with external data sets. This study provides a valuable direction for the exploration of the pathogenesis and progress of COVID-19, and helps in the early identification of severe cases of COVID-19 to reduce mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The death of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is primarily due to from critically ill patients, especially from ARDS complications caused by SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, it is essential to contribute an in-depth understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease and to identify biomarkers for predicting critically ill patients at the molecular level. Immunogenic cell death (ICD), as a specific variant of regulatory cell death driven by stress, can induce adaptive immune responses against cell death antigens in the host. Studies have confirmed that both innate and adaptive immune pathways are involved in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the role of ICD in the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19 has rarely been explored. In this study, we systematically evaluated the role of ICD-related genes in COVID-19. We conducted consensus clustering, immune infiltration analysis, and functional enrichment analysis based on ICD differentially expressed genes. The results showed that immune infiltration characteristics were altered in severe and non-severe COVID-19. In addition, we used multiple machine learning methods to screen for five risk genes (KLF5, NSUN7, APH1B, GRB10 and CD4), which are used to predict COVID-19 severity. Finally, we constructed a nomogram to predict the risk of severe COVID-19 based on the classification and recognition model, and validated the model with external data sets. This study provides a valuable direction for the exploration of the pathogenesis and progress of COVID-19, and helps in the early identification of severe cases of COVID-19 to reduce mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To characterize the phenotype spectrum, diagnosis, and response to growth‐promoting therapy in patients with ACAN variants causing familial short stature. Methods: Three families with ACAN variants causing short stature were reported. Similar cases in the literature were summarized, and the genotype and phenotype were analyzed. Results: Three novel heterozygous variants, c.757+1G>A, (splicing), c.6229delG, p.(Asp2078Tfs*1), and c.6679C>T, p.(Gln2227*) in the ACAN gene were identified. A total of 314 individuals with heterozygous variants from 105 families and 8 individuals with homozygous variants from 4 families were confirmed to have ACAN variants from literature and our 3 cases. Including our 3 cases, the variants reported comprised 33 frameshift, 39 missense, 23 nonsense, 5 splicing, 4 deletion, and 1 translocation variants. Variation points are scattered throughout the gene, while exons 12, 15, and 10 were most common (25/105, 11/105, and 10/105, respectively). Some identical variants existing in different families could be hot variants, c.532A>T, p.(Asn178Tyr), c.1411C>T, p.(Gln471*), c.1608C>A, p.(Tyr536*), c.2026+1G>A, (splicing), and c.7276G>T, p.(Glu2426*). Short stature, early‐onset osteoarthritis, brachydactyly, midfacial hypoplasia, and early growth cessation were the common phenotypic features. The 48 children who received rhGH (and GnRHa) treatment had a significant height improvement compared with before (−2.18 ± 1.06 SD vs. −2.69 ± 0.95 SD, p < 0.001). The heights of children who received rhGH (and GnRHa) treatment were significantly improved compared with those of untreated adults (−2.20 ± 1.10 SD vs. −3.24 ± 1.14 SD, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our study achieves a new understanding of the phenotypic spectrum, diagnosis, and management of individuals with ACAN variants. No clear genotype–phenotype relationship of patients with ACAN variants was found. Gene sequencing is necessary to diagnose ACAN variants that cause short stature. In general, appropriate rhGH and/or GnRHa therapy can improve the adult height of affected pediatric patients caused by ACAN variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Heat stress (HS) constantly happens to dry lot feeding sheep during the summer, inevitably causing substantial losses to animal production due to its unfavorable effects on health, welfare and production performance. In the current study, HS played disadvantageous roles in growth performance, physiological indices, antioxidative capacity, immunomodulation, ruminal fermentation and microbial composition. Dietary supplementation with folic acid and taurine can effectively ameliorate adverse effects of HS by improving the proportion of beneficial bacteria such as Quinella and Succinivibrio and decreasing the abundance of harmful bacteria such as Asteroleplasma. This study provides a practical approach for the application of folic acid and taurine in HS-challenged sheep. The aim of this study was to investigate if the supplementation of folic acid and taurine can relieve the adverse effects of different levels of heat stress (HS) on growth performance, physiological indices, antioxidative capacity, immunity, rumen fermentation and microbiota. A total of 24 Dorper × Hu crossbred lambs (27.51 ± 0.96 kg) were divided into four groups: control group (C, 25 °C), moderate HS group (MHS, 35 °C), severe HS group (SHS, 40 °C), and the treatment group, under severe HS (RHS, 40 °C, 4 and 40 mg/kg BW/d coated folic acid and taurine, respectively). Results showed that, compared with Group C, HS significantly decreased the ADG of lambs (p < 0.05), and the ADG in the RHS group was markedly higher than in the MHS and SHS group (p < 0.05). HS had significant detrimental effects on physiological indices, antioxidative indices and immune status on the 4th day (p < 0.05). The physiological indices, such as RR and ST, increased significantly (p < 0.05) with the HS level and were significantly decreased in the RHS group, compared to the SHS group (p < 0.05). HS induced the significant increase of MDA, TNF-α, and IL-β, and the decrease of T-AOC, SOD, GPx, IL-10, IL-13, IgA, IgG, and IgM (p < 0.05). However, there was a significant improvement in these indices after the supplementation of folic acid and taurine under HS. Moreover, there were a significant increase in Quinella and Succinivibrio, and an evident decrease of the genera Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group and Asteroleplasma under HS (p < 0.05). The LEfSe analysis showed that the genera Butyrivibrio, Eubacterium_ventriosum_group, and f_Bifidobacteriaceae were enriched in the MHS, SHS and RHS groups, respectively. Correlated analysis indicated that the genus Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group was positively associated with MDA, while it was negatively involved in IL-10, IgA, IgM, and SOD (p < 0.05); The genus Anaeroplasma was positively associated with the propionate and valerate, while the genus Succinivibrio was negatively involved in TNF-α (p < 0.05). In conclusion, folic acid and taurine may alleviate the adverse effects of HS on antioxidant capacity, immunomodulation, and rumen fermentation of lambs by inducing changes in the microbiome that improve animal growth performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for about 2% of cancer diagnoses and deaths worldwide. Recent studies emphasized the critical involvement of microbial populations in RCC from oncogenesis, tumor growth, and response to anticancer therapy. Microorganisms have been shown to be involved in various renal physiological and pathological processes by influencing the immune system function, metabolism of the host and pharmaceutical reactions. These findings have extended our understanding and provided more possibilities for the diagnostic or therapeutic development of microbiota, which could function as screening, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers, or be manipulated to prevent RCC progression, boost anticancer drug efficacy and lessen the side effects of therapy. This review aims to present an overview of the roles of microbiota in RCC, including pertinent mechanisms in microbiota-related carcinogenesis, the potential use of the microbiota as RCC biomarkers, and the possibility of modifying the microbiota for RCC prevention or treatment. According to these scientific findings, the clinical translation of microbiota is expected to improve the diagnosis and treatment of RCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of pulse compression capability in hybrid and gyromagnetic non-linear transmission lines (NLTLs). The corresponding theoretical analysis in the hybrid NLTLs is derived and discussed in detail with the generation and sharpening aspects of leading and trailing pulse edges. The parameters responsible for pulse sharpening are examined and their corresponding pulse compression capability is modelled by providing the output waveform while varying these parameters. A holistic overview and mathematical development of gyromagnetic NLTLs are also conducted, which are modeled and validated through an equivalent lumped element model. Important parameters such as saturation magnetization, gyromagnetic NLTL sections, and damping parameter are elaborated and their influences on pulse sharpening and compression capability are studied. Validation of the theoretical and parametric analysis is performed by an experimental demonstration. The results achieved from hybrid and gyromagnetic NLTLs are briefly summarized, and their corresponding advantages and disadvantages are highlighted. This research is set to provide a fresh and successful debut for investigating gyromagnetic and hybrid NLTLs and their inherent effects on pulse compression for future ultrafast electronic systems and interconnects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

In this paper, we generalize the index of impulsive periodic orbits defined in planar systems to n-dimensional impulsive switched systems. The moving Poincaré section is applied, which extends the classical Poincaré section and makes it possible to always preserve the transversal property at the corresponding time t with the help of reparametrization. Further, we combine it with the implicit function theorem and linear approximation to rewrite the original n-dimensional differential equation, which contributes to the definitions of indexes of impulsive periodic orbits of arbitrary finite order m. Based on these indexes, we further obtain sufficient conditions to judge the Zhukovskiǐ quasi-stability, which permits a time lag and focuses on the study of approximate synchronization between orbits with the existence of impulsive switchings. At last, an example of harvesting fishery model with mutual impacts of infection and abrupt harvesting firstly is presented and some sufficient criteria based on model parameters are obtained to illustrate our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Because of lack of an appropriate surgical approach, laparoscopic surgery in patients with left/right Glisson pedicle involvement is still rarely conducted. This study aimed to discusses the methods of intrahepatic Glisson intrathecal dissection via a hepatic parenchymal transection-first approach for laparoscopic hemihepatectomy in patients with left/right Glisson pedicle involvement. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 21 patients who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy in the Second Affiliated Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University) from March 2021 to May 2022. Results: The mean age of the patients was 53.1 ± 11.6 years; mean operation time, 191.9 ± 22.3 minutes; median intraoperative blood loss, 205 mL (160–300 mL); and median length of hospital stay, 8 days (7–9 days). None of the patients underwent conversion to open procedure. Thirteen patients had pathologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal tumor thrombi (PVTT), and 8 was confirmed hepatolithiasis. Intraoperative frozen pathology and final pathology showed tumor free surgical margins in HCC with PVTT patients. After conservative treatment, all the complications such as postoperative liver section effusion, pleural effusion, pneumonia, intra-abdomen bleeding, and bile leak were cured. During outpatient follow-up examination, no other abnormality was detected. All HCC with PVTT patients were treated with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor after the operation and survived tumor-free. Conclusions: Proposed here is a more safe and feasible method of laparoscopic hemihepatectomy in patients with left/right Glisson pedicle involvement, but many problems still needs further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new phosphine‐catalyzed reaction of α‐substituted allenes with aryl imines, in stark contrast to classic cycloaddition reactions, has been developed. This reaction delivers valuable highly functionalized itaconimides with excellent stereoselectivities by a new «un‐cyclizing» reaction mode involving β′‐carbon of α‐substituted allenes. Moreover, the present «un‐cyclizing» reaction can also be carried out in a one‐pot fashion and scaled up to the gram scale by using aryl aldehydes, without the need to isolate the aryl imines. Mechanistic studies and control experiments reveal the crucial role of H2CO3 for the present reaction mode. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to understand the possible mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new phosphine‐catalyzed reaction of α‐substituted allenes with aryl imines, in stark contrast to classic cycloaddition reactions, has been developed. This reaction delivers valuable highly functionalized itaconimides with excellent stereoselectivities by a new «un‐cyclizing» reaction mode involving β′‐carbon of α‐substituted allenes. Moreover, the present «un‐cyclizing» reaction can also be carried out in a one‐pot fashion and scaled up to the gram scale by using aryl aldehydes, without the need to isolate the aryl imines. Mechanistic studies and control experiments reveal the crucial role of H2CO3 for the present reaction mode. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to understand the possible mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Laparoscopic access to liver segment 7 (S7) is difficult for deep surgical situations and bleeding control. Herein, our proposed laparoscopic technique for S7 lesions using a self-designed tube method is introduced. Methods: Clinical data of patients who underwent laparoscopic anatomical liver resection of S7 (LALR-S7) with the help of our self-designed tube to improve the exposure of S7 and bleeding control in the Second Affiliated Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University) from April 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate feasibility and safety. Results: Nineteen patients were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age was 51.3 ± 10.3 years; mean operation time, 194.5 ± 22.7 min; median blood loss, 160.0 ml (150.0–205.0 ml); and median length of hospital stay, 8.0 days (7.0–9.0 days). There was no case conversion to open surgery. Postoperative pathology revealed all cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Free surgical margins were achieved in all patients. No major postoperative complications were observed. Patients with postoperative complications recovered after conservative treatment. During outpatient follow-up examination, no other abnormality was presented. All patients survived without tumor recurrence. Conclusions: The preliminary clinical effect of our method was safe, reproducible and effective for LALR-S7. Further research is needed due to some limitations of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) is one of the most common metrics in assessing the image quality of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Among a host of technological developments, various wireless devices, including metamaterials and volumetric wireless resonators have been reported to enhance SNR by redistributing the radio frequency magnetic field in the near field region. While theoretically feasible, their widespread clinical adoption has been limited by their field inhomogeneity, limited spatial coverage and challenges in their applications to higher field (≥3.0T) MRI systems. In this study, a Helmholtz coil‐inspired volumetric wireless resonator (HVWR) featuring a uniform magnetic field enhancement within the resonator volume is reported. The HVWR is free from cables, adapters and interface boxes, allowing for ease of fabrication and straightforward installation. The resonator allows for resonance frequency tunability and adaptivity, enabling for passive detuning during the MRI transmission phase. Experimental validation using a 3.0T MRI system demonstrate a substantial SNR boost (5× or higher) being achieved in a region covering the average size of the human knee. This study offers an efficient and practical wireless solution for improved MRI image quality that may be applicable across a range of imaging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, based on distributed transfer function method (DTFM), the closed-form analytical solutions for vibrations of Euler–Bernoulli beam and frame structures with arbitrary number of cracks are studied. First, generalized DTFM is employed to characterize the dynamical model for a single cracked beam and its analytical solutions for eigenvalue problem and frequency response are obtained. Then, a new DTFM cracked element that encapsulates one crack of arbitrary location inside the beam is proposed. Using the DTFM cracked element and global dynamic stiffness matrix assembly technique, damaged frame structures of arbitrary form can be modeled for vibration analysis. Previous analytical methods only addressed low-frequency vibration of simple cracked beam structures, the proposed method can yield analytical solutions in the medium- and high-frequency regions, which is critical for the small crack detection in complex frames. Lastly, three numerical examples are given to illustrate the correctness and effectiveness of the DTFM in analyzing natural frequencies, modal shapes and frequency responses for cracked structures. By comparing with the Finite Element Method (FEM) and benchmarks from literatures, we proved that the DTFM has better performances in terms of accuracy and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malignant melanoma is a highly heterogeneous skin cancer with the highest mortality rate among dermatological cancers. Catenins form functional networks in the nucleus to regulate gene expression and determine cell fate. Dysregulation of catenin expression correlates with the malignant characteristics of the tumor. We aimed to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of catenins in melanoma and to further define the function of catenin-related molecular signaling in the tumor microenvironment. Methods: In this study, a bioinformatics approach combined with experimental validation was used to explore the potential tumor biology mechanisms of catenin-related signaling. Results: Melanoma patients can be divided into two catenin clusters. Patients defined by high Junction Plakoglobin (JUP), Plakophilin 1 (PKP1), Plakophilin 3 (PKP3) levels (C2) had shorter survival time than other patients (C1). We demonstrated that JUP regulates Anterior Gradient 2 (AGR2)/LY6/PLAUR Domain Containing 3 (LYPD3) to maintain melanoma stemness and promotes glycolysis. We also found that LYPD3 was co-expressed with S100A9 and associated with immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Conclusion: The JUP/AGR2/LYPD3 signaling axis plays an important role in the malignant features of melanoma. Targeting the JUP/AGR2/LYPD3 signaling axis can help develop promising drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human herpes simplex virus (HSV), a double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the Herpesviridae family and alpha herpesvirus subfamily, is one of the most epidemic pathogens in the population. Cell-to-cell spread is a special intercellular transmission mechanism of HSV that indicates the virulence of this virus. Through numerous studies on mutant HSV strains, many viral and host proteins involved in this process have been identified; however, the mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we evaluated the effect of the membrane protein genes US7 and UL56 on cell-to-cell spread in vitro between two HSV-1 (HB94 and HN19) strains using a plaque assay, syncytium formation assay, and the CRISPR/Cas9 technique. US7 knockout resulted in the inhibition of viral cell-to-cell spread; additionally, glycoprotein I (US7) of the HB94 strain was found to promote cell-to-cell spread compared to that of the HN19 strain. UL56 knockout did not affect plaque size and syncytium formation; however, the gene product of UL56 from the HN19 strain inhibited plaque formation and membrane infusion. This study presents preliminary evidence of the functions of US7 and UL56 in the cell-to-cell spread of HSV-1, which will provide important clues to reveal the mechanisms of cell-to-cell spread, and contributes to the clinical drugs development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a theoretical and experimental analysis of nonlinear magnetic transmission lines and demonstrates the phenomenon and capability of a simultaneous rise and fall time compression. A theoretical approach is formulated in which a new version of the modified Korteweg–de Vries equation is developed utilizing the Gardner–Morikawa transformation, continuum limit approximation, Toda-lattice approximation, and Mei theory of Maxwellian circuits. The proposed theoretical foundation work is validated through experimental demonstration. The pulse generation in a nonlinear magnetic transmission line is then studied in detail, and the output pulse characteristics are explored under different magnetic field strengths and arbitrary magnetization directions. In particular, output waveforms are analyzed in terms of pulse amplitude, full width half maximum, detailed ringing level, and figure of merit. Magnetic losses that arise in the ferrite material are modeled. It is shown that these losses are responsible for originating dissipative effects, which in turn deteriorate pulse shaping and increase ringing level. The localized disturbance within ferrimagnetic materials is also studied, and its impact on the output waveforms is also discussed. This study can potentially open up a new and fruitful entry to explore magnetic materials and their impacts in the field of ultrafast electronics in parallel with nonlinear electrical transmission lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem of differential settlement of pavement after the backfilling of urban underground comprehensive pipe corridors based on a pipe gallery project in Xiong'an New Area, the mechanical calculation model of the pipe gallery foundation pit backfilling process was simulated by ABAQUS, and the pavement settlement and the change of the pipe gallery model under different construction conditions were simulated and verified. The results show that many external environmental factors have an impact on pavement settlement, and methods such as increasing the compaction degree of backfill soil and the slope of the foundation pit, reducing the width of the pit floor, and controlling the vehicle load after work can avoid the pavement damage caused by uneven settlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• DSS-induced colitis provokes ACCGlu neuronal activation, resulting in persistent visceral hypersensitivity. • The dual nature of microglia in ACC modulates visceral hypersensitivity and depressive-like behaviors following colitis. • TREM-1 deficiency blocks increased microglia activity and attenuates visceral hypersensitivity in the inflammatory phase. • TREM-2 deficiency decreases the phagocytosis of microglia and prevents the emergence of depression in the remission phase. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic condition with a high recurrence rate. To date, the clinical treatment of IBD mainly focuses on inflammation and gastrointestinal symptoms while ignoring the accompanying visceral pain, anxiety, depression, and other emotional symptoms. Evidence is accumulating that bi-directional communication between the gut and the brain is indispensable in the pathophysiology of IBD and its comorbidities. Increasing efforts have been focused on elucidating the central immune mechanisms in visceral hypersensitivity and depression following colitis. The triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cells-1/2 (TREM-1/2) are newly identified receptors that can be expressed on microglia. In particular, TREM-1 acts as an immune and inflammatory response amplifier, while TREM-2 may function as a molecule with a putative antagonist role to TREM-1. In the present study, using the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model, we found that peripheral inflammation induced microglial and glutamatergic neuronal activation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Microglial ablation mitigated visceral hypersensitivity in the inflammation phase rather than in the remission phase, subsequently preventing the emergence of depressive-like behaviors in the remission phase. Moreover, a further mechanistic study revealed that overexpression of TREM-1 and TREM-2 remarkably aggravated DSS-induced neuropathology. The improved outcome was achieved by modifying the balance of TREM-1 and TREM-2 via genetic and pharmacological means. Specifically, a deficiency of TREM-1 attenuated visceral hyperpathia in the inflammatory phase, and a TREM-2 deficiency improved depression-like symptoms in the remission phase. Taken together, our findings provide insights into mechanism-based therapy for inflammatory disorders and establish that microglial innate immune receptors TREM-1 and TREM-2 may represent a therapeutic target for the treatment of pain and psychological comorbidities associated with chronic inflammatory diseases by modulating neuroinflammatory responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sunscald in kiwifruit, an environmental stress caused by solar radiation during the summer, reduces fruit quality and yields and causes economic losses. The efficient and timely detection of sunscald and similar diseases is a challenging task but helps to implement measures to control stress. This study provides high-precision detection models and relevant spectral information on kiwifruit physiology for similar statuses, including early-stage sunscald, late-stage sunscald, anthracnose, and healthy. Primarily, in the laboratory, 429 groups of spectral reflectance data for leaves of four statuses were collected and analyzed using a hyperspectral reflection acquisition system. Then, multiple modeling approaches, including combined preprocessing methods, feature extraction algorithms, and classification algorithms, were designed to extract bands and evaluate the performance of the models to detect the statuses of kiwifruit. Finally, the detection of different stages of kiwifruit sunscald under anthracnose interference was accomplished. As influential bands, 694–713 nm, 758–777 nm, 780–799 nm, and 1303–1322 nm were extracted. The overall accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score values of the models reached 100%, demonstrating an ability to detect all statuses with 100% accuracy. It was concluded that the combined processing of moving average and standard normal variable transformations (MS) could significantly improve the data; the near-infrared support vector machine and visible convolutional neural network with MS (NIR-MS-SVM and VIS-MS-CNN) were established as high-precision detection techniques for the classification of similar kiwifruit statuses, demonstrating 25.58% higher accuracy than the single support vector machine. The VIS-MS-CNN model reached convergence with a stable cross-entropy loss of 0.75 in training and 0.77 in validation. The techniques developed in this study will improve orchard management efficiency and yields and increase researchers' understanding of kiwifruit physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a novel fast synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image simulation method based on the echo matrix cell algorithm including multiple scattering. To improve the efficiency of SAR image simulation while ensuring the fidelity of the simulated results, we first discretized the target facets set in the SAR beams footprint into lattice targets using the range-Doppler (RD) imaging geometry model and provided the basis for simulating electromagnetic wave transmission. Based on the simulation of electromagnetic waves transmission, we used the ray tracing algorithm to calculate the multiple backscattering field including multi-polarimetric information and various material properties. Then, based on the echo matrix cell algorithm, we set the echo matrix cell as the subfield of the target backscattering field and designed the CUDA kernel function to implement a computation parallelization for SAR echo generation. All the echo matrix cells are traversed in parallel to obtain the total backscattering field of the target, reproducing the time-varying characteristic of the backscatter coefficient for each lattice target within the synthetic aperture time. The echo signal is processed using the RD imaging algorithm to obtain the simulated SAR image. Finally, we select some targets including aircraft carrier and airplane models for simulation tests. The computation efficiency is improved over 170-fold by comparing the computations of the proposed method and CPU single-thread. We also performed some qualitative and quantitative evaluations on the fidelity of the simulated SAR images. The experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In large equivalent explosion tests, the method of calculating blast wave parameters by the plastic deformation angle of a cantilever beam can effectively avoid the problem of power supply, storage, communication, and low survival rate of conventional blast wave sensors. In this paper, by means of theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, the deformation response of a pure aluminum cantilever beam with different scaled distances is calculated, and the relationship between the plastic bending angle and blast wave parameters is obtained, which provides a novel and effective method for the measurement of blast wave parameters. The experimental results show that the deformation of the cantilever beam is mainly dominated by the impulse load and the error of this measurement method is within 15%. This method can provide a complementary approach to more precise but complex sensor measurement and can effectively evaluate the impulse in the explosion accident outside. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study symmetry and monotonicity properties of nonnegative solutions of semilinear elliptic equations with mixed boundary conditions in a half cylinder. We will prove that under suitable conditions, every bounded nonnegative solution of the equation has one-dimensional symmetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract One of the novel applications of nano-scale structure is in the field of sensors in supersonic flow conditions. In this regard, a cylindrical nano-scale structure made of two-dimensional functionally graded (2D-FG) material in two-phase supersonic flow condition is considered in this study to explore the state of instability and flutter. It is obvious from the problem definition that several aspects from different fields have to be incorporated into the formulation of the problem. First, the small scale of the structure enforced the utilization of size-dependent theories of elasticity. Here, the nonlocal strain gradient theory is utilized to relate the stress and strain fields together. Moreover, the strain field of the cylindrical structure is computed from assumed displacement fields from higher-order shear deformation theory (HSDT). On the other hand, the equations of motion and boundary conditions are obtained using Hamilton’s principle considering the variational of all the work and energy components. The external energy of the system comes from the pressure loading from the aerodynamic supersonic flow. The validation and convergence examination of the presented method is conducted and a detailed parametric study is performed to find the most important parameter affecting the stability of the nanopipe structure. It is revealed that the Mach number and gas volume fraction of two-phase supersonic flow is extremely influential in determining flutter in the nanopipes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogels are promising materials for electronic skin due to their flexibility and modifiability. Reported hydrogel electronic skins can recognize stimulations and output signals, but the single output signal and the requirement of external power source limit their further applications. In this study, inspired by the neuron system, the self‐powered neuron system‐like hydrogels based on gelatin, water/glycerin and ionic liquid modified metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are prepared. The optimized hydrogel exhibits excellent adhesion (40 kPa), stretchability (0%–100%), water retention (>92% at 0% relative humidity (RH) atmosphere), ionic conductivity (>10−3 S m−1) and stability (>30 days). Besides, the neuron system‐like hydrogels are highly sensitive to pressure (0—10 N) and humidity (0%–75% RH) with dual‐modal output, without external power source. Finally, the optimized hydrogel ionic skin is applied in human motion detection, energy harvesting, and low humidity sensing. This study provides a preliminary exploration of self‐powered ionic skin for multi‐application scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the other hand, the accessible multiple oxidation states of reactive Cu elements (Cu SP 0 sp , Cu SP I sp , Cu SP II sp , and Cu SP III sp ) within Cu-based catalysts can enable targeted catalytic reactions that proceed via both single- and multi-electron transfer. Dang et al. [[5]] synthesized self-supported Cu/Cu SB 3 sb P nanoarrays through a low-temperature phosphidation process, which were directly grown on the surfaces of Cu nanosheets from Cu/CuO nanoarrays precursor. Compared with the Cu(111) surface, the Cu-skin Cu SB 3 sb Au(111) surface showed higher stability of O SB 2 sb adsorption and a lower dissociation energy barrier of the adsorbed O SB 2 sb . [Extracted from the article]

Organic peroxides combined with ionic liquids had a high application value in the desulfurization process. However, thermal stability between organic peroxides and ionic liquids displayed a significant difference. Moreover, it was of great significance to investigate the thermal hazard of organic peroxides due to the influence of ionic liquids. In this study, a common organic peroxide cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) and two imidazole ionic liquids, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide ([Bmim]BF4 and Bmim[NTf2]), with good desulfurization performance were selected for experiments. The thermal stability of [Bmim]BF4 and Bmim[NTf2], respectively, mixed with cumene hydroperoxide in air and nitrogen conditions was studied by thermogravimetry (TG) analysis. The kinetic data of CHP which was mixed with two ionic liquids were evaluated using two different isoconversional methods: Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO) and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS). Furthermore, their gas decomposition products were investigated by thermogravimetry coupled with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR) analysis. The experimental and calculated results demonstrated that the apparent activation energy was decreased after CHP was mixed with the two ionic liquids. The main decomposition stage ranged from 350.0 to 480.0 K with a mass loss of CHP under air and nitrogen conditions. The thermal decomposition behavior of the CHP under air conditions displayed higher apparent activation energy compared with that in nitrogen atmosphere. The experimental results provide an important reference for organic peroxides combined with ionic liquids applicated in the desulfurization process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic water splitting provides a green method to solve the energy shortage issue. Combine two-dimensional carbon nitride nano sheets with other two-dimensional semiconductors can effectively increase the construct area and improve the utilization of photogenerated charges. Herein, 2D-2D NiCo-LDH/g-C 3 N 4 composites were successfully prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The lamellar NiCo-LDH was grown in situ on g-C 3 N 4 , in which way the hydrogen production rate was enhanced by about 21 times, reaching 755 μmol·g−1·h−1. According to the results of density functional theory （DFT） calculations, an S-type heterojunction is successfully constructed, which achieves the spatial separation of semiconductor photogenerated electron-hole with guaranteed strong redox capability. This work emphasizes that effective transport channels for transfer and separation of photogenerated charges can be created through efficient interfacial regulation strategy. • The 2D-2D S-type heterojunction increases the charge transfer channel. • The hydrogen production rate of 20 LDH/CN is 21 times than that of g-C 3 N 4. • The Gibbs free energy of hydrogen adsorption of 20 LDH/CN is close zero. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a simple, noninvasive, and reproducible test, and FeNO (50 ml/s) is often used to reflect airway inflammation. The peripheral small airway/alveolar nitric oxide (NO) concentration is derived from the output of NO at multiple flow rates. Concentration of alveolar NO (CANO), which has been reported to reflect peripheral small airway inflammation, may be related to parameters that reflect abnormal small airway function. Aim: This study aims to investigate the relationship among CANO levels, clinical features, and small airway function‐related indicators in patients with stable asthma and to provide a simple method for monitoring small airway function in asthma. Design and Methods: We recruited 144 patients with well‐controlled, stable asthma, including 69 patients with normal small airway function (normal group) and 75 patients with small airway dysfunction (abnormal group). CANO and pulmonary function were measured. Results: CANO was significantly higher in the abnormal group ([7.28 ± 3.25] ppb) than the normal group CANO ([2.87 ± 1.50] ppb). FEF25–75%pred ([55.0 ± 16.5]%), FEF50%pred ([46.4 ± 13.2]%), and FEF75%pred ([41.9 ± 13.1]%) in abnormal group were significantly lower compared with normal group ([89.9 ± 7.5]%), ([80.9 ± 6.8]%), and ([73.8 ± 5.0]%). CANO was negatively correlated and FEF25–75%pred, FEF50%pred, and FEF75%pred (r = −0.87, P < 0.001; r = −0.82, P < 0.001; r = −0.78, P < 0.001). CANO was positively correlated with age (r = 0.27, P = 0.001). The area under the ROC curve was 0.875 for CANO. The optimal cutoff point of 5.3 ppb had sensitivity and specificity values of 72% and 92% in diagnosing small airway dysfunction. Conclusion: CANO has diagnostic value for small airway dysfunction, and the optimal cutoff value is 5.3 ppb. However, the diagnostic evidence is still insufficient, so it still needs further exploration for its value in detecting small airway dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider 3D Young diagrams with at most N layers in z-axis direction, which can be constructed by N 2D Young diagrams on slice z = j, j = 1, 2, · · · , N from the Yang-Baxter equation. Using 2D Bosons {aj,m, m ∈ ℤ} associated to 2D Young diagrams on the slice z = j, we constructed 3D Bosons. Then we show the 3D Boson representation of W1+∞ algebra, and give the method to calculate the Littlewood-Richardson rule for 3-Jack polynomials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D (3 dimensional) Young diagrams are a generalization of 2D Young diagrams. In this paper, We consider 3D Bosons and 3-Jack polynomials. We associate three parameters h1, h2, h3 to y, x, z-axis respectively. 3-Jack polynomials are polynomials of Pn,j, n ≥ j with coefficients in ℂ(h1, h2, h3), which are the generalization of Schur functions and Jack polynomials to 3D case. Similar to Schur functions, 3-Jack polynomials can also be determined by the vertex operators and the Pieri formulas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of high-performance cathodes with low polarization resistance and good tolerance to CO 2 are important issues for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). In this work, we synthesized LaSrCoO 4 –Ce 0.9 Mn 0.1 O 2 (LSCO4-CMO) composite cathode materials by the citric acid-nitrate method. The composite cathode sintered at 950 °C for 4 h shows large porous morphology and superior electrochemical activity of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Electrochemical properties analysis suggests that LSCO4-35 wt% CMO (L-35C) exhibits the lowest polarization resistance (R p) at 800 °C and the value of R p is 0.14 Ω cm2 which is far lower than that of pure LSCO4 (0.77 Ω cm2). It is found that the LSCO4-CMO has unique microstructure and more active sites for ORR. Moreover, the doping of CMO offers more oxygen ions transport channels as the concentration of oxygen vacancies increases. The study of the effect of oxygen partial pressure on R p reveals that as the temperature rises, the rate of dissociation of oxygen molecules is significantly accelerated, indicating that the charge transfer of oxygen atoms becomes the main rate-limiting step. A high oxygen reduction catalytic activity and excellent CO 2 tolerance were demonstrated in L-35C by O 2 -TPD and CO 2 -TPD tests, making LSCO4-CMO a potential candidate for SOFC cathode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrate is a prominent pollutant in water bodies around the world. The isotopes in nitrate provide an effective approach to trace the sources and transformations of nitrate in water bodies. However, determination of isotopic composition by conventional analytical techniques is time-consuming, laborious, and expensive, and alternative methods are urgently needed. In this study, the rapid determination of 15NO3− in water bodies using Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) coupled with a deconvolution algorithm and a partial least squares regression (PLSR) model was explored. The results indicated that the characteristic peaks of 14NO3−/15NO3− mixtures with varied 14N/15N ratios were observed, and the proportion of 15NO3− was negatively correlated with the wavenumber of absorption peaks. The PLSR models for nitrate prediction of 14NO3−/15NO3− mixtures with different proportions were established based on deconvoluted spectra, which exhibited good performance with the ratio of prediction to deviation (RPD) values of more than 2.0 and the correlation coefficients (R2) of more than 0.84. Overall, the spectra pretreatment by the deconvolution algorithm dramatically improved the prediction models. Therefore, FTIR-ATR combined with deconvolution and PLSR provided a rapid, simple, and affordable method for determination of 15NO3− content in water bodies, which would facilitate and enhance the study of nitrate sources and water environment quality management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fault fracture zones are characterized by low strength, loose rock, and poor self-stability. The lining at the contact position is prone to shear and torsion damage. During tunnel operation, shear failure of the lining under earthquake action has attracted widespread attention from researchers. However, there is a lack of clear understanding of the deformation model when a subsea tunnel crosses a fault zone under the condition of high water pressure. In this study, a 3 D-FEM model and theoretical solutions are employed to analyze the characteristics of the lining deformation and evaluate the effectiveness of different pre-reinforcement measures. The models can effectively simulate the construction process of the earth pressure balance shield (EPBS), such as the face pressure, jack force, EPBS gravity, grouting and hardening of the tail void, and they can also accurately simulate different pre-reinforcement measures, such as the umbrella arch method. The results show that the position of damage to the lining is related to the inclination angle of the fault, and the slippage of the fault causes local shear and torsion deformation of the lining. Different pre-reinforcement methods (UAM; Radial grouting; Vertical grouting) have different effects on the slippage of the fault fracture zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, diabetes-associated breast cancer has become a significant clinical challenge. Diabetes is not only a risk factor for breast cancer but also worsens its prognosis. Patients with diabetes usually show hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, which are accompanied by different glucose, protein, and lipid metabolism disorders. Metabolic abnormalities observed in diabetes can induce the occurrence and development of breast cancer. The changes in substrate availability and hormone environment not only create a favorable metabolic environment for tumorigenesis but also induce metabolic reprogramming events required for breast cancer cell transformation. Metabolic reprogramming is the basis for the development, swift proliferation, and survival of cancer cells. Metabolism must also be reprogrammed to support the energy requirements of the biosynthetic processes in cancer cells. In addition, metabolic reprogramming is essential to enable cancer cells to overcome apoptosis signals and promote invasion and metastasis. This review aims to describe the major metabolic changes in diabetes and outline how cancer cells can use cellular metabolic changes to drive abnormal growth and proliferation. We will specifically examine the mechanism of metabolic reprogramming by which diabetes may promote the development of breast cancer, focusing on the role of glucose metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and lipid metabolism in this process and potential therapeutic targets. Although diabetes-associated breast cancer has always been a common health problem, research focused on finding treatments suitable for the specific needs of patients with concurrent conditions is still limited. Most studies are still currently in the pre-clinical stage and mainly focus on reprogramming the glucose metabolism. More research targeting the amino acid and lipid metabolism is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humidity sensors are important in industrial fields and human activities. Metal−organic frameworks (MOFs) and their derivatives are a class of promising humidity−sensing materials with the characteristics of a large specific surface area, high porosity, modifiable frameworks, and high stability. The drawbacks of MOFs, such as poor film formation, low electrical conductivity, and limited hydrophilicity, have been gradually overcome with the development of material science. Currently, it is moving towards a critical development stage of MOF−based humidity sensors from usability to ease of use, of which great challenges remain unsolved. In order to better understand the related challenges and point out the direction for the future development of MOF−based humidity sensors, we reviewed the development of such sensors based on related published work, focusing on six primary types (impedance, capacitive, resistive, fluorescent, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and others) and analyzed the sensing mechanism, material design, and sensing performance involved, and presented our thoughts on the possible future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a novel echo-based synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image simulation method that comprehensively utilizes both SAR effective view and ray tracing algorithms. To improve the fidelity of simulated SAR images, we first design an SAR effective view algorithm to process the selected facet target model, with the purpose of discretizing the facets in the SAR effective view into lattice targets and ensuring that the interval of lattice targets is set strictly following the Nyquist sampling law. Then, we combine the ray tracing algorithm and SAR echo time-domain simulation and perform SAR echo time-domain simulation of lattice targets based on ray tracing. Various kinds of backscatter coefficient for each point target can be recorded, corresponding to the number of transmitted pulses within the synthetic aperture time. The echo matrixes of lattice targets are superimposed to generate the raw echo signal. Finally, the raw echo signal is processed by using the range-Doppler (RD) imaging algorithm to obtain the simulated SAR image. We conducted SAR image simulation tests on several facet target models, including car body, assault boat, and airplane, with different material properties. The simulated SAR images obtained by the proposed method were qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated. The experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of millimeter-wave and terahertz (THz) passive components such as couplers and filters is an intimidating task because of underlying ultrasensitivity of electrical performances to geometric dimensions and processing tolerances. It is a common practice for us to use an integrated optimizer of commercial electromagnetic (EM) software packages for the design and optimization of such geometric parameters. However, those optimizers may fail to achieve a desired performance if initial variables are not in a range close enough to the optimal solution. In this article, we introduce an homotopy approach to optimizing the geometric parameters of a $D$ -band cruciform coupler based on substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) technique in conjunction with an artificial neural network (ANN) model. Starting from a set of initial variables, a homotopy optimization is set to search for an optimum solution. The ANN technique is adopted as the surrogate in place of a usual time-consuming EM model to accelerate the homotopy optimization process of the cruciform coupler. We propose a feed-forward computational formulation inspired by the fundamental transmission line impedance equation. Such a transmission line knowledge-based feedforward network results in a faster convergence with better accuracy than its conventional counterpart. To demonstrate the homotopy optimization method based on the ANN model, an example of multiparameterized cruciform coupler design is detailed. This cruciform coupler with optimized geometric dimensions is simulated, fabricated, and measured. Measured and simulated results validate the combined ANN model and homotopy method. An equivalent lumped-element circuit model of the cruciform coupler is also proposed in this work. An ANN model development technique is described how to extract the equivalent circuit parameters for given coupler specifications. Extracted circuit parameters in connection with the desired coupler performance are then compared with published results which verify the ANN model development algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a capacity-oriented envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) that incorporates a preferred channel model for assessing a multiple antenna system of a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) mobile device is proposed. Originated from the rudimentary law of ergodic channel capacity, the ECC for multiple antennas (ECC-M) is proven to holistically reflect the impact of radiation patterns and total efficiencies of multiple antennas on channel capacity. The closed-form ECC-M expressions for Rayleigh fading channel model and ray-based spatial channel model are studied, leading to an easy-to-use ECC-M expression that approximately incorporates a realistic channel model. The correlation of the proposed ECC-M to the channel capacity is demonstrated through the Monte Carlo (MC) simulation of three four-element MIMO antenna testbeds in two channel models, showing that the antenna total efficiency and a realistic channel model involved in the ECC-M play an important role in assessing the performance of multiple antennas. It is justified that the difference in channel capacities of two multiple antenna systems is highly relevant to their ECC-Ms at high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). The proposed ECC-M is also experimentally validated through over-the-air (OTA) throughput measurement, revealing that the ECC-M can effectively assess the OTA performance of multiple antenna systems for MIMO terminal devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cost-effective and accurate method for predicting over-the-air (OTA) data throughput of multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) wireless devices in the antenna design stage is proposed. The method incorporates passive characteristics of MIMO antennas, realistic channel model, and conductive measurement results in a computer simulation framework. With extracted relation between received power and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a wireless device at antenna ports by a conductive test and measured passive characteristics of MIMO antennas, OTA throughput versus received power in a realistic channel model is obtained by the Monte Carlo simulation of Shannon’s law. The unique features of this method include: no channel emulator equipment is required; a wide variety of precoding schemes can be applied; passive characteristics of antennas are fully incorporated; and frequency-selective fading channel can be adopted. The method has been intensively validated by comparing the calculated OTA throughputs with those measured by a multiprobe anechoic chamber method under spatial channel model extension (SCME) in three aspects: spatial correlation, radiation efficiency, and mutual coupling, showing as low as 0.2–0.3 dB discrepancy in power level in most cases. The method can be used to evaluate a MIMO array antenna design of a wireless device with respect to OTA performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, H-plane cross-polarization (X-pol) radiation of probe-fed air-filled patch antennas is substantially suppressed by introducing two or more floating metal cylinders underneath the patch, respectively. The X-pol is canceled by the radiation of induced currents on metal cylinders. The working principle of the new X-pol suppressed patch (XSP) antenna is revealed by an approximate model. The X-pol level of a typical XSP antenna can be suppressed to lower than −49 and −37 dB theoretically and experimentally for $| \theta |\le 60^{\circ }$. Two $1\times $ 8-element arrays constructed by XSP antennas and conventional patch antennas are prototyped and measured at scanning beam angles of $\theta = 0^{\circ }$ , −40°, and −65°. The measured co-polarization (co-pol) gain of the XSP antenna array is 0.7 and 0.9 dB larger than that of the conventional patch array at $\theta = -40^{\circ }$ and −65°, respectively. Besides, the beam scanning angle with −30 dB X-pol level of the XSP antenna array can be as wide as $| \theta |\le 40^{\circ }$ , while that of the conventional patch array is about $| \theta |\le 12^{\circ }$. A wide-band dual-polarized XSP antenna is also presented. The measured maximum H-plane X-pol level can be lower than −29 dB within 8.7% fractional bandwidth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with positive classical solutions u of the biharmonic equation Δ 2 u + u p = 0 in the punctured ball B 2 ﹨ { 0 } of R n , where n ≥ 5 and p > (n + 1) / (n − 3). We classify the isolated singularities of positive solutions and describe the asymptotic behavior of positive singular solutions without the sign assumption for − Δ u. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reverse distribution of renewable energy resources and load centers makes exploring the optimal transmission mode of long-distance and large-scale renewable hydrogen the key to solving the bottleneck of renewable hydrogen development. This study incorporates hydrogen pipeline (HGP), natural gas pipeline (NGP), and Ultra High Voltage (UHV) into an optimal planning model framework and analyzes the optimal transmission mode, quantity, network, and cost of large-scale renewable hydrogen in China. Constructing a sensitivity analysis framework, this study also investigates the optimal transmission mode changes under different scenarios. The results show that the optimal mode of large-scale renewable hydrogen transmission in the province is NGP, and 5.4% of supply level is the critical point to export renewable hydrogen inter-provincially. It switches to the combination of NGP and HGP when the unit transmission costs of these elements decrease to a certain proportion simultaneously or switches to HGP when the unit transmission cost of HGP decreases more than that of NGP. The complementary transmission mode of NGP and UHV is the optimal mode for inter-provincial transmission, and the HGP can be put into use for inter-provincial transmission only when the unit transmission cost of which is reduced to less than 25%. Jilin is the key node in the NGP network, and Tibet and Gansu are the key nodes in UHV network, and the participation or absence of which will have significant impact on the renewable hydrogen transmission system. Only minor adjustments to the transmission technical parameters of NGP or HGP can promote the qualitative overflight of the optimal transmission volume of them so as to achieve the target optimization at the minimum cost. • Optimal planning model framework for renewable hydrogen transmission is proposed. • The optimal transmission mode, network, and cost of renewable hydrogen are analyzed. • Thresholds and spatial features of the optimal plan vary with hydrogen supply level. • Renewable hydrogen will be transmitted inter-provincially at 5.4% of supply level. • Multiple equilibria for modes selection are observed by cost sensitivity analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orifice plates, as a representative type of resistance grid, have been widely adopted in scaled ventilation models of tunnels, since they can cause equivalent pressure loss effectively to simulate the friction resistance of long tunnels and thus reduce the length of the scaled tunnel. In this work, a combined experimental–numerical investigation comprising the effects of porosity n (ranged within 0.2–0.8) and relative thickness t / d (within 0.03–1.17, t the plate thickness and d the hole diameter) is carried out, which aims to characterize the key design parameters, i.e. pressure loss coefficient ξ and affecting length l , of thin orifice plates applied in scaled tunnels. Results show that previous models of ξ established for thick plates are not applicable any more because of the flow pattern transition when t / d ≤ 0.2, and an improved model is established to account for the flow characteristics of thin orifice plates by modifying the contraction coefficient C c and thickness coefficient C 0 via experiments. The affecting length l is defined as the distance required for the axial jet velocity to decay to 1.05 times the inlet velocity u i n after benchmark tests on different criteria, and an innovative predictive formula of l is then constructed based on jet theory. Finally, a systematic design guideline is proposed by fully evaluating the effects of t , d and n on ξ and l of orifice plates, which would benefit the superior configuration of resistance grids utilized in scaled tunnels. • The depressurization mechanism of orifice-plate resistance grids is elaborated. • An improved formula is proposed to estimate the local pressure loss of orifice plates. • A novel model characterizing the affecting length of orifice plates is established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I Clostridium perfringens i toxinotype D strains are known to cause the most common form of clostridial enterotoxaemia in sheep, goats and occasionally cattle.[1],[2] As a member of the ABC-F family, the I optrA i gene codes for an ATP-binding cassette protein that confers resistance to both phenicols and oxazolidinones by protecting the ribosomes of the bacteria.[3] In recent years, the oxazolidinone/phenicol-resistant gene I optrA i has been reported to mediate high-level resistance to florfenicol and linezolid in isolates from animals, humans and the environment, posing a potential threat to public health.[[4], [6]] Tn I 6218 i variants have been reported as widespread in I Clostridioides difficile i isolates and occasionally I Enterococcus faecium i isolates;[7],[8] however, the transferable Tn I 6218 i -related transposons has not yet been reported in I C. perfringens i . Herein, we identified one I C. perfringens i toxinotype D strain, designated as 21-D-5, harbouring antibiotic resistance gene I optrA i and Tn I 6218 i -like transposons, and further analysed the Tn I 6218 i -like transposons and I optrA i -carrying plasmid p21-D-5b. [Extracted from the article]

The increasingly extensive socialization trend has led to the comprehensive innovation of sports. The development of Chinese basketball should be based on the successful experience of the development of professional basketball in the United States. The development of China's basketball has a solid cultural and mass foundation, but we should not be proud and arrogant. It is necessary to make full use of the critical and inherited attitude to learn and absorb the excellent and advanced knowledge of American basketball culture. At present, there are still some problems that need to be further explored. The purpose of this paper is to research and discuss the cultural differences of basketball between China and the United States and their concepts in basketball teaching based on the background of wireless network intelligence technology. This paper firstly analyzes and introduces the difference between the wireless network and wireless sensor network. The main design goal of traditional wireless networks is to improve service quality and efficiently use bandwidth and then consider energy saving, while the main design goal of sensor networks is to use energy efficiently, which is one of the most important differences between sensor networks and traditional networks, to analyze the differences between Chinese and American basketball cultures, to understand the impact of Chinese and American basketball cultural differences on basketball teaching concepts, and to compare and study the differences between Chinese and American basketball culture and their teaching philosophy in basketball. Using the method of this article, through the analysis of experimental data, we understand the impact of Chinese and American basketball cultural differences on basketball teaching concepts and find that Chinese and American basketball cultural differences play an important role in basketball teaching concepts, with a satisfaction rate of 66%. Through theory and experiments, based on the data, it is analyzed that the impact of the differences between Chinese and American basketball cultures on basketball teaching concepts reaches 50%. The research results show that the differences between Chinese and American basketball cultures play an important role in basketball teaching concepts and can be used to promote the development of basketball culture and skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stacking atomically thin films enables artificial construction of van der Waals heterostructures with exotic functionalities such as superconductivity, the quantum Hall effect, and engineered light-matter interactions. In particular, heterobilayers composed of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides have attracted significant interest due to their controllable interlayer coupling and trapped valley excitons in moiré superlattices. However, the identification of twist-angle-modulated optical transitions in heterobilayers is sometimes controversial since both momentum-direct (K–K) and -indirect excitons reside on the low energy side of the bright exciton in the monolayer constituents. Here, we attribute the optical transition at ∼1.35 eV in the WS2/WSe2 heterobilayer to an indirect Γ–K transition based on a systematic analysis and comparison of experimental photoluminescence spectra with theoretical calculations. The exciton wavefunction obtained by the state-of-the-art GW-Bethe-Salpeter equation approach indicates that both the electron and hole of the excitons are contributed by the WS2 layer. Polarization-resolved k -space imaging further confirms that the transition dipole moment of this optical transition is dominantly in-plane and is independent of the twist angle. The calculated absorption spectrum predicts that the so-called interlayer exciton peak coming from the K–K transition is located at 1.06 eV, but with a much weaker amplitude. Our work provides new insight into the steady-state and dynamic properties of twist-angle-dependent excitons in van der Waals heterostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]