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With the energy structure transition and the development of the green power market, the role of electricity retailers in multi-market green power trading has become more and more important. Particularly in China, where aggressive green energy policies and rapid market transformations provide a distinct context for such studies, the challenges are pronounced. Under demand-side response, electricity retailers face the uncertainty of users' electricity consumption and incentives, which complicates decision-making processes. The purpose of this paper is to explore the optimization decision-making problem of multi-market green power trading for electricity retailers under demand-side response, with a special focus on the Chinese market due to its leadership in implementing substantial green energy initiatives and its potential to set precedents for global practices. We first construct a two-party benefit optimization model, which comprehensively considers the profit objectives for electricity retailers and utility maximization for users. Then, the model is solved by the Lagrange multiplier method and distributed subgradient algorithm to obtain the optimal solution. Finally, the effectiveness of the incentive optimization strategy under the multi-market to promote green power consumption and improve the profit of electricity retailers is verified by arithmetic simulation. The results of this study show that the incentive optimization strategy under multi-market, particularly within the Chinese context, is expected to provide a reference for electricity retailers to develop more flexible and effective trading strategies in the green power market and to contribute to the process of promoting green power consumption globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple method for the preparation of N-phenylbenzamides from azidobenzenes and 1,3-diphenylpropane-1,3-diones is described. In this reaction, N-phenylbenzamides were generated by [3+2] cycloaddition and intramolecular ring opening. The products were afforded in yields of 35–84% under mild conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the problem of fixed-time synchronization of time-varying coupled competitive neural networks with impulsive effects. Synchronizing impulses and desynchronizing impulses are each taken into account. The innovative pure power-law control is designed in this paper to avoid vibratory behaviors, which is more straightforward and effective than the common design including the linear and power-law terms. Note that the key difficulty is determining how to ensure fixed-time synchronization and estimate the settling time in an impulsive sense since the impulsive influences may lead to the discontinuity of the states. However, the theoretical framework of fixed-time synchronization under desynchronizing impulses has not been constructed much in the existing literature, which deeply motivated us to contribute to this analysis. By using the average impulsive intervals method, graph theory, and the Lyapunov method, two cases of the settling time along with the fixed-time synchronization criteria regarding the synchronizing and desynchronizing impulses are given. Lastly, a numerical example is provided to show the viability and accuracy of the discovered theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Itch is the most common symptom of atopic dermatitis (AD) and significantly decreases the quality of life. Skin microbiome is involved in AD pathogenesis, whereas its role in the regulation of itch remains elusive. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of skin microbial metabolite propionate on acute and chronic pruritus and to explore the mechanism. Methods: Using various mouse models of itch, the roles of propionate were explored by behavioral tests and histopathology/immunofluorescent analysis. Primary‐cultured dorsal root ganglion neurons and HEK293 cells expressing recombinant human TRP channels were utilized for in vitro calcium imaging/in vivo miniature two‐photon imaging in combination with electrophysiology and molecular docking approaches for investigation of the mechanism. Results: Propionate significantly alleviated itch and alloknesis in various mouse models of pruritus and AD and decreased the density of intraepidermal nerve fibers. Propionate reduced the responsiveness of dorsal root ganglion neurons to pruritogens in vitro, attenuated the hyper‐excitability in sensory neurons in MC903‐induced AD model, and inhibited capsaicin‐evoked hTRPV1 currents (IC50 = 20.08 ± 1.11 μM) via interacting with the vanilloid binding site. Propionate also decreased the secretion of calcitonin gene‐related peptide by nerves in MC903‐induced AD mouse model, which further attenuated itch and skin inflammation. Conclusion: Our study revealed a protective effect of propionate against persistent itch through direct modulation of sensory TRP channels and neuropeptide production in neurons. Regulation of itch via the skin microbiome might be a novel strategy for the treatment of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of imidazolium-functionalized poly(phenylene oxide) (QPPO) cross-linked with polybenzimidazole (PBI) (cQPPOx-PBI) membranes were prepared. Compared to the pure PBI membrane without a cross-linked structure nor imidazolium groups, the cQPPOx-PBI membranes showed enhanced toughness, phosphoric acid (PA) retention, and chemical stability. The cQPPOx-PBI membranes showed a enhanced PA uptake than that of PBI membranes, and the cQPPO35-PBI membrane achieves a high conductivity of 139 mS cm−1 at 160 °C, which is much higher than that of PBI membrane under the same conditions (26 mS cm−1). The performance of the single fuel cell assembled with the obtained membranes showed a similar trend as their conductivity, and the cell with cQPPO35-PBI showed a maximum power density of 344 mW cm−2 at 140 °C, while the value for PBI membrane was only 175 mW cm−2 under the same conditions. Herein, a straightforward method was developed for introducing imidazolium groups and cross-linked structures, which can be employed to prepare PEMs with enhanced performance for HT-PEMFCs application. [Display omitted] • Poly(phenylene oxide) crosslinked with polybenzimidazole was designed and prepared. • The cross-linked membranes showed enhanced toughness, PA retention, and chemical stability. • The fuel cell comprising cQPPO35-PBI exhibited a maximum power density of 344 mW cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wastewater containing organic dyes has become one of the important challenges in water treatment due to its high salt content and resistance to natural degradation. In this work, a novelty adsorbent, PEI-SMA, was prepared by grafting polyethyleneimine (PEI) onto styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer (SMA) through an amidation reaction. The various factors, such as pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, dye concentration, and temperature, which may affect the adsorption of PEI-SMA for Reactive Black 5 (RB5), were systematically investigated by static adsorption experiments. The adsorption process of PEI-SMA for RB5 was more consistent with the Langmuir isotherm model and the pseudo-second-order model, suggesting a single-layer chemisorption. PEI-SMA exhibits excellent adsorption performance for RB5 dye, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 1749.19 mg g–1 at pH = 2. Additionally, PEI-SMA exhibited highly efficient RB5 competitive adsorption against coexisting Cl− and SO42− ions and cationic dyes. The adsorption mechanism was explored, and it can be explained as the synergistic effect of electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding and π–π interaction. This study demonstrates that PEI-SMA could act as a high performance and promising candidate for the effective adsorption of anionic dyes from aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pandemics refract sociopolitical tensions within societies and highlight how national belonging hinges on informal performances as much as legal status. While return migration has become a common practice and institutionalized strategy of state development, little scholarly work has probed how domestic populations view returnees and their claims to national membership. Using a large-scale, pre-registered online survey experiment deploying a give-or-take Dictator Game, this paper leverages the dynamics of COVID-19 to explore how Chinese nationals envision and treat returnees. First, our results illustrate that the Chinese population imagines returnees as a group of elites with substantial social and financial capital, even though returnees are a socio-economically diverse population. Next, by applying information priming, we demonstrate that Chinese nationals discriminated against overseas returnees during the pandemic and that this behavior was not primarily driven by fears of viral contagion. Finally, using mediation analysis, we show that participants’ differential behavior towards returnees can largely be explained by participants’ perceptions of returnees’ class status and adherence to key markers of national membership. Ultimately, this paper broadens our understanding of the informal dynamics of national membership and intergroup relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the effect of plant spacing on the growth, yield formation, and quality of sugar beet taproot. We designed field experiments in 2021–2022, and sugar beet variety KWS1176 was used as experimental material, and 9 plant spacing treatments from 8 to 32 cm were set up. The morphological indicators, photosynthetic characteristics, and the nutrient contents were determined at the stages of the leafage growing period (V1), sugar increase period of taproot (V2), sugar accumulation period I of taproot (V3), and sugar accumulation period II of taproot (V4), and the root yield and quality parameters were measured at the harvest. The results showed that in the plant spacing treatments of 11 and 14 cm, sugar beet had a suitable canopy structure and space for taproot growing. The canopy photosynthetic activity was higher, which provided sufficient photosynthetic products for root growth, and appropriate root size could balance root growth and sucrose accumulation. The highest root yield and sugar content were also obtained in the treatment of 14 cm plant spacing. With the increase of plant spacing, the yield of sugar beet decreased, and the content of α-amino N, K+, and Na+ in the root increased, which had a disadvantageous influence on the processing quality of the root. It was found that the number of cambial rings and the average distance between cambial rings could be used as qualitative indicators of the sugar content of taproot and the processing quality. Therefore, 11-14 cm was recommended as a reasonable planting spacing to obtain higher taproot and sugar yield with better quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of polymeric materials for the repair and reinforcement of damaged sites in water has many practical applications, especially in ocean engineering. However, it is difficult to construct an anticorrosion coating in water. In addition, curing kinetics, which are the key to enhance the performance of coatings, seem to hardly be observed and regulated in an underwater condition. Herein, a novel underwater in situ repairing coating was prepared. Meanwhile, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was applied to observe its curing behavior underwater. Adhesion tests showed that the coatings cured underwater had good adhesion to different substrate surfaces and the ideal ratio of curing agent to epoxy resin was 0.6. Long-term anticorrosive tests demonstrated that the coatings had an excellent anti-corrosion performance. The viscosity changes in different curing stages were well reflected by frequency response characteristics from Bode and Nyquist curves by EIS. Two equivalent electrical circuits were selected to simulate the impedance date at the initial and final curing stage. A formula was put forward to evaluate the curing degree during the curing process. Finally, the effects of temperature and the ingredient ratio on the reaction rate and curing degree were also investigated here. This underwater in situ repairing coating may find applications in many offshore engineering structures in marine environments, and the EIS technique has attractive development and application prospects when observing the curing information of thermosetting resin systems under special circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have been extensively investigated as non-viral carriers of nucleic acid vaccines due to their high transport efficiency, safety, and straightforward production and scalability. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the interactions between nucleic acids and phospholipid bilayers within LNPs remains elusive. In this study, we employed the all-atom molecular dynamics simulation to investigate the interactions between single-stranded nucleic acids and a phospholipid bilayer. Our findings revealed that hydrophilic bases, specifically G in single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), displayed a higher propensity to form hydrogen bonds with phospholipid head groups. Notably, ssRNA exhibited stronger binding energy than ssDNA. Furthermore, divalent ions, particularly Ca2+, facilitated the binding of ssRNA to phospholipids due to their higher binding energy and lower dissociation rate from phospholipids. Overall, our study provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying nucleic acid-phospholipid interactions, with potential implications for the nucleic acids in biotherapies, particularly in the context of lipid carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) has attracted lots of attention in preventing the clearance of plasma low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C). PCSK9 inhibitors are developed to primarily reduce the cardiovascular risk by lowering LDL‐C level. Recently, a number of pleiotropic extrahepatic functions of PCSK9 beyond the regulation of cholesterol metabolism, particularly its effects on central nervous system (CNS) diseases have been increasingly identified. Emerging clinical evidence have revealed that PCSK9 may play a significant role in neurocognition, depression, Alzheimer's disease, and stroke. The focus of this review is to elucidate the functions of PCSK9 and highlight the effects of PCSK9 in CNS diseases, with the aim of identifying the potential risks that may arise from low PCSK9 level (variant or inhibitor) in the clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the association between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) without subsequent overt diabetes and long-term all-cause and cardiac mortality. Methods: This prospective cohort study included 10,327 women (weighted population: 132,332,187) with a pregnancy history from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007 to 2018). Participants were divided into three groups (GDM alone, overt diabetes, and no diabetes). Mortality data was linked from the National Death Index up to December 31, 2019. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to examine the association between GDM alone and overt diabetes with all-cause mortality and cardiac mortality. Data analysis was performed from October 2022 to April 2023. Results: Among the participants, 510 (weighted 5.3%) had GDM alone and 1862 (weighted 14.1%) had overt diabetes. Over a median follow-up period of 6.7 years (69,063 person-years), there were 758 deaths. The GDM group did not show an increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.67; 95% CI, 0.25–1.84), while the overt diabetes group had a significantly higher risk (HR 1.95; 95% CI, 1.62–2.35). Similarly, the GDM group did not exhibit an elevated risk of cardiac mortality (HR 1.48; 95% CI, 0.50–4.39), whereas the overt diabetes group had a significantly higher risk (HR 2.37; 95% CI, 1.69–3.32). Furthermore, sensitivity analysis focusing on women aged 50 or above showed that the HR of GDM history for all-cause mortality was 1.14 (95% CI, 0.33–3.95) and the HR for cardiac mortality was 1.74 (95% CI, 0.49–6.20). Conclusions: GDM alone was not associated with an increased risk of all-cause and cardiac mortality, while overt diabetes was significantly associated with both types of mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple method for the preparation of 2-aryl-3-(2-aminoaryl)quinoxalines from 2-alkynylnitrobenzenes and 1,2-diaminoarenes was described. The reactions could proceed under mild conditions. The 1-nitro-2-(phenylethynyl)benzenes, simple starting materials, could generate the key intermediate 3H-indole-3-ones in situ in the presence of PPh3. After a cyclization with 1,2-diaminobenzenes, the 3H-indole-3-ones were then transformed into biologically valuable quinoxalines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mortise and tenon are very important parts of gas turbine dealing operation safety. Additionally, the temperature distribution of the turbine blade and disk is affected by the heat transfer characteristics in its gap. Then, the S-shaped mortise and tenon gap were numerically studied under rotating conditions, and the flow and heat transfer characteristics were analyzed. First, the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of the mortise and tenon surfaces was measured with thermochromic liquid crystal. Then, the numerical method was verified using the test results, and the grid independence analysis was conducted. Finally, the flow and heat transfer characteristics of the gap under static and rotating conditions were numerically studied, five different Reynolds numbers (Re = 15,000, 20,000, 25,000, 30,000, 35,000) and five gap widths (d = 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm) were conducted and analyzed in detail. The results show that, under the rotating condition, the pressure distribution in the gap is different from that of the static condition; the pressure increases along the radial direction due to the action of centrifugal force and reaches its maximum value at the corner of the "S" shaped structure. With the increase in Re, the heat transfer intensity of the gap increases gradually. Additionally, the heat transfer intensity of the gap increases with an increase in its width. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the emergence of "machine language," a new form of representation that combines deep neural networks with symbolic intelligence. The authors propose three essential properties that machine language should possess: spontaneity, flexibility, and semantics. They simulate the process of language emergence through a collaborative game between two agents, where one describes an image using machine language and the other interprets and draws the image based on the description. The article also compares machine language with discrete language and continuous features in terms of interpretability, generalization, and robustness. The authors argue that machine language, which emphasizes visual information, can lead to significant progress in AI capability. [Extracted from the article]

Immune response plays a crucial role in post-myocardial infarction (MI) myocardial remodeling. Neogenin (Neo1), a multifunctional transmembrane receptor, plays a critical role in the immune response; however, whether Neo1 participates in pathological myocardial remodeling after MI is unclear. Our study found that Neo1 expression changed significantly after MI in vivo and after LPS + IFN-γ stimulation in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) in vitro. Neo1 functional deficiency (using a neutralizing antibody) and macrophage-specific Neo1 deficiency (induced by Neo1flox/flox;Cx3cr1cre mice) increased infarction size, enhanced cardiac fibrosis and cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and exacerbated left ventricular dysfunction post-MI in mice. Mechanistically, Neo1 deficiency promoted macrophage infiltration into the ischemic myocardium and transformation to a proinflammatory phenotype, subsequently exacerbating the inflammatory response and impairing inflammation resolution post-MI. Neo1 deficiency regulated macrophage phenotype and function, possibly through the JAK1-STAT1 pathway, as confirmed in BMDMs in vitro. Blocking the JAK1-STAT1 pathway with fludarabine phosphate abolished the impact of Neo1 on macrophage phenotype and function, inflammatory response, inflammation resolution, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, cardiac fibrosis, infarction size and cardiac function. In conclusion, Neo1 deficiency aggravates inflammation and left ventricular remodeling post-MI by modulating macrophage phenotypes and functions via the JAK1-STAT1 signaling pathway. These findings highlight the anti-inflammatory potential of Neo1, offering new perspectives for therapeutic targets in MI treatment. Neo1 deficiency aggravated inflammation and left ventricular remodeling after MI by modulating macrophage phenotypes and functions via the JAK1-STAT1 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By resorting to the principle of remote activation, we herein demonstrate the first photoredox catalyzed (3+3) dipolar cycloaddition of nitrones with aryl cyclopropanes. Key to the fidelity of the reaction resides in a facile manner of substrate activation by single‐electron transfer (SET) oxidation with photoredox catalysis, and the reaction takes place through a stepwise cascade encompassing a three‐electron‐type nucleophilic substitution triggered cyclopropane ring‐opening and a diastereoselective 6‐endo‐trig radical cyclization manifold. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions with excellent regio‐ and stereoselectivity, nicely complementing the well‐developed Lewis acid catalyzed cycloaddition of donor‐acceptor cyclopropanes. Other merits of the protocol include wide scope of aryl cyclopropanes with diversified substitution patterns and good functional‐group compatibility. A mechanism involving an aryl radical cation promoted remote activation mode was also proposed and supported by mechanistic experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By resorting to the principle of remote activation, we herein demonstrate the first photoredox catalyzed (3+3) dipolar cycloaddition of nitrones with aryl cyclopropanes. Key to the fidelity of the reaction resides in a facile manner of substrate activation by single‐electron transfer (SET) oxidation with photoredox catalysis, and the reaction takes place through a stepwise cascade encompassing a three‐electron‐type nucleophilic substitution triggered cyclopropane ring‐opening and a diastereoselective 6‐endo‐trig radical cyclization manifold. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions with excellent regio‐ and stereoselectivity, nicely complementing the well‐developed Lewis acid catalyzed cycloaddition of donor‐acceptor cyclopropanes. Other merits of the protocol include wide scope of aryl cyclopropanes with diversified substitution patterns and good functional‐group compatibility. A mechanism involving an aryl radical cation promoted remote activation mode was also proposed and supported by mechanistic experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study the quantitative homogenization of second-order parabolic systems with locally periodic (in both space and time) coefficients. The O (ε) scale-invariant error estimate in L 2 (0 , T ; L 2 d d − 1 (Ω)) is established in C 1 , 1 cylinders under minimum smoothness conditions on the coefficients. This process relies on critical estimates of smoothing operators. We also develop a new construction of flux correctors in the parabolic manner and a sharp estimate for temporal boundary layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the synchronization control problem for neural networks (NNs) subject to stochastic cyber-attacks. Firstly, an adaptive event-triggered scheme (AETS) is adopted to improve the utilization rate of network resources, and an output feedback controller is constructed for improving the performance of the system subject to the conventional deception attack and accumulated dynamic cyber-attack. Secondly, the synchronization problem of master–slave NNs is transformed into the stability analysis problem of the synchronization error system. Thirdly, by constructing a customized Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional (LKF), the adaptive event-triggered output feedback controller is designed to ensure the synchronization error system is asymptotically stable with a given H ∞ performance index. Lastly, in the simulation part, two examples, including Chua's circuit, illustrate the feasibility and universality of the related technologies in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern data analytics applications are increasingly characterized by exceedingly large and multidimensional data sources. This represents a challenge for traditional machine learning models, as the number of model parameters needed to process such data grows exponentially with the data dimensions, an effect known as the curse of dimensionality. Recently, tensor decomposition (TD) techniques have shown promising results in reducing the computational costs associated with large-dimensional models while achieving comparable performance. However, such tensor models are often unable to incorporate the underlying domain knowledge when compressing high-dimensional models. To this end, we introduce a novel graph-regularized tensor regression (GRTR) framework, whereby domain knowledge about intramodal relations is incorporated into the model in the form of a graph Laplacian matrix. This is then used as a regularization tool to promote a physically meaningful structure within the model parameters. By virtue of tensor algebra, the proposed framework is shown to be fully interpretable, both coefficient-wise and dimension-wise. The GRTR model is validated in a multiway regression setting and compared against competing models and is shown to achieve improved performance at reduced computational costs. Detailed visualizations are provided to help readers gain an intuitive understanding of the employed tensor operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the problem of finite-time H ∞ stabilisation for neural networks (NNs) subject to mixed-type communication attacks via an improved dynamic event-triggered scheme (DETS). The complex cyber-attacks considered consist of three common types of attacks: replay attacks, deception attacks, and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. Different from most articles which use independent Bernoulli variables to model the cyber-attacks, this paper considers these attacks into a unified Markovian jump framework for modelling. In order to save the limited network communication resources, the improved DETS is adopted. An appropriate Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional (LKF) containing the proposed improved DETS condition is constructed, and sufficient conditions are obtained to guarantee finite-time H ∞ stabilisation of the system. Then, according to a set of feasible linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), the co-design of event-trigger and H ∞ controller is given. Finally, two numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The comparable property (or inclusion property) is the basic property of rough set theory. Unfortunately, the well-known granular variable precision fuzzy rough set does not satisfy the comparable property. To remedy this gap, a novel granular variable precision fuzzy rough set model with comparable property is proposed and discussed. Firstly, by analyzing the existing granular precision fuzzy rough set models, we find the reason that they do not satisfy the comparable property. Then, we give a new granular precision fuzzy rough set model with the comparable property. Secondly, we study the basic properties, characterization theorem and accuracy measure of the new model. Thirdly, we apply the novel model in the study of fuzzy decision system. An attribute reduction method is developed, and the corresponding attribute reduction algorithm is designed. Finally, by using public accessible datasets, we make a series of experiments to verify the effectiveness and reliability of our method and make comparisons with some existing attribute reduction methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, nanoscale thermometry has attracted extensive attention. Here, we present an innovative approach to enhance the sensitivity of upconversion nanoparticles for thermometry through near-field manipulation. This method involves a composite structure consisting of photonic crystals and upconversion nanoparticles, with the near-field of the nanoparticles manipulated by tuning the absorption of the photonic crystals. The fluorescence intensity ratio (540nm/520 nm) of 4H 11/2 and4S 3/2 states of upconversion nanoparticles doped with Er3+ ions is sensitive to temperature change and employed as a temperature indicator that satisfies Boltzmann thermal equilibrium. The composite structure exhibited a relative thermometry sensitivity of 21.9 × 10−3 K−1 at 298 K, representing a significant improvement over pure core-shell upconversion nanoparticles with a 63.43% increase in relative sensitivity and a 675% increase in absolute sensitivity. This finding demonstrates the potential of our approach for advancing nanoscale thermometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of chemotherapy among intermediate-risk (stage II/T3N0) nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients receiving radiotherapy (RT). Methods: We identified stage II/T3N0 NPC patients who received radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database (2004–2019). Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were assessed using the Kaplan–Meier method with log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards models to evaluate the efficacy of chemotherapy. Subgroup analysis was also conducted based on the baseline characteristics. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance the intergroup covariates. Results: A total of 1623 patients were enrolled in the study, 1444 received chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and 179 received RT alone. CRT, compared to RT alone, was independently associated with a better OS (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.45–0.71) and CSS (HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.39–0.79). After PSM, similar results were obtained, and CRT was superior to RT alone in terms of OS (HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.39–0.92) and CSS (HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.40–0.91). Subgroup analysis revealed that OS benefits from CRT were mainly observed in T0-2N1(HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.38–0.70) and T3N0 (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.42–0.98) rather than T2N0 (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.51–1.94). Interestingly, after PSM, OS benefits were still seen in T0-2N1 (HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.24–0.82), while not seen in T2N0 (HR 1.83, 95% CI 0.56–5.97) and T3N0 (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.28–1.12). Conclusion: For T0-2N1 NPC patients, CRT was superior to RT alone with better survival, whereas, for T2-3N0 patients, CRT was comparable to RT alone. Prospective large studies should be encouraged to verify the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water in municipal sludge has an electric double layer (EDL), and can be rapidly removed via electroosmosis. However, the understanding of the physical mechanisms of electroosmosis is limited owing to the complex pore structure of sludge porous media, which may restrict the development of electric dewatering (EDW) technology. In this study, the sludge microstructure was measured using the computerized tomography technique and quantitatively characterized using fractal geometry. A new pore-scale physical model for the electroosmotic flow through sludge porous media was developed based on the EDL theory, and the analytical expressions for the electroosmotic flow rate and permeability coefficient were determined. The proposed fractal pore-scale model for electroosmotic flow was validated by comparing it with the measured electroosmotic flow rate using a self-designed EDW device for municipal sludge composed of a hydraulic system and applied electric field. The results show that the electroosmotic flow rate of sludge porous media depends not only on the applied electric field, but also on the sludge microstructure including porosity, maximum pore size, and pore and tortuosity fractal dimensions. However, the correlation between the electroosmotic flow rate and the voltage gradient was usually nonlinear, and became linear only if the tortuosity fractal dimension equaled to one (straight flow path). The electroosmotic permeability coefficient increases with an increase in porosity; however, it is lowered by the increased pore and tortuosity fractal dimensions under a certain porosity. The electroosmosis phenomenon can effectively remove part of the interstitial water and surface water in sludge porous media, and the proposed electroosmotic physical model provides a useful theoretical basis for the development of EDW technology for municipal sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the exponential synchronization of fractional-order multi-links complex dynamical networks (CDNs) is studied based on non-periodically intermittent control. By means of the Lyapunov method and graph-theoretic approach, a Lyapunov-type theorem is provided based on the existence of vertex-Lyapunov functions. Then by giving the specific vertex-Lyapunov functions, a coefficients-type theorem is presented where the conditions of it are based on the coefficients of system. Moreover, to show the practicality of theoretical results, we give two applications to fractional-order chaotic CDNs with multiple links and fractional-order Hindmarsh–Rose neuron systems with multiple links, respectively. Meanwhile, two numerical examples are given to demonstrate the validity and feasibility of the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasshoppers can swarm in the millions and destroy crops over wide areas, posing a major economic threat to agriculture. A wide range of insect-related viruses has recently been reported in the metagenomics of grasshoppers. Here, we identified and isolated a novel reovirus from grasshoppers, named Acrididae reovirus (ARV). The complete genome of ARV was composed of nine dsRNA segments. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that ARV formed a monophyletic lineage with unclassified insect-associated reoviruses and was sufficiently distinct from known genera of Reoviridae. ARV could replicate in its host Locusta migratoria and result in host death. Lower-dose ARV infection affected ovary development and resulted in a significant reduction in fecundity. The identification and characterization of a novel pathogenic reovirus could potentially promote the development of new biological control agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The through-plane permeability is of great importance for understanding the transport phenomenon in anisotropic fibrous porous material. In this paper, a novel pore-scale model based on the equilateral triangle representative unit cell (RUC) and capillary bundle model is developed for the fluid flow through the anisotropic fibrous porous material according to fractal theory, and the effective through-plane permeability is presented accordingly. The digital structures of the fibrous porous material are generated by a fractal stochastic method (FSM), and the single-phase fluid flow through the 3D-reconstructed model is simulated by using the finite element method (FEM). It was found that the effective through-plane permeability depends on the fiber column size, porosity, and fractal dimensions for pore and tortuosity. The results show that the predicted through-plane permeability by the present fractal model indicates good agreement with numerical results and available experimental data as well as empirical formulas. The dimensionless through-plane permeability is positively correlated with the porosity and negatively correlated with the fractal dimensions for pore and tortuosity at certain porosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a high selectivity mm‐wave filter chip based on integrated passive devicies (IPD) technology is proposed. Two adjustable transmission zeros are introduced on both sides of the passband to achieve high roll‐off characteristic. The odd‐even equivalent circuits are used to analyze and calculate the S‐parameters, and the procedure to design a filter is given. Finally, two filter chips with different bandwidths are manufactured based on IPD technology. The measured results show that the minimum insertion losses of the two chips are 1.82 and 1.39 dB, respectively, and their return losses are better than 15 dB. In addition, their roll‐off and stopband suppression are of high level, and the chip sizes are only about 2.8 × 2 mm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vacuum flashover process can be influenced by various factors, such as gap length, applied voltage form, electric and magnetic field structures, and so on, leading to different flashover voltages and flashover times under a pulsed voltage. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation results in this paper show two typical vacuum flashover modes: (a) the area of high space charge density appears after electrons run across the gap and extends from the anode to cathode and (b) the area of high space charge density appears before electrons run across the gap and extends from the middle to both ends of the gap. In order to verify the PIC simulation results, a probe that measures the change in the electric field between the gap is embedded in the anode, the experimental waveform of which shows different features when the shape of insulator is different. Simulation results and experimental waveforms indicate that the flashover process of certain cylindrical insulators corresponds to the first mode, while the flashover process of certain conical insulators with an acute angle between the cathode and dielectric corresponds to the second mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mapping relationships between the conductivity properties are not only of great importance for understanding the transport phenomenon in porous material, but also benefit the prediction of transport parameters. Therefore, a fractal pore-scale model with capillary bundle is applied to study the fluid flow and heat conduction as well as gas diffusion through saturated porous material, and calculate the conductivity properties including effective permeability, thermal conductivity and diffusion coefficient. The results clearly show that the correlations between the conductivity properties of saturated porous material are prominent and depend on the way the pore structure changes. By comparing with available experimental results and 2D numerical simulation on Sierpinski carpet models, the proposed mapping relationships among transport properties are validated. The present mapping method provides a new window for understanding the transport processes through porous material, and sheds light on oil and gas resources, energy storage, carbon dioxide sequestration and storage as well as fuel cell etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article mainly discusses the problem for adaptive event‐triggered H∞$$ \infty $$ state estimation of semi‐Markovian jump neural networks (s‐MJNNs) subject to random sensor nonlinearity. To reduce the communication load, adaptive event‐triggered scheme (AETS) is introduced to decide whether to transmit sampled data or not. Also, considering the possible sensor nonlinearity, a new estimation error model is established under the framework of AETS. An appropriate Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional (LKF) containing the proposed adaptive event trigger condition is constructed, and sufficient conditions are obtained to guarantee the asymptotic stability of the estimation error system. Then, through a set of feasible linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), the co‐design method of estimator and AETS is proposed. Finally, the feasibility of this paper is proved by three numerical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is one of the most important pathogens causing serious diseases and leads to huge economic losses in the global swine industry. With the continuous emergence of PRV variants and the increasing number of cases of human infection, there is an urgent need to develop antiviral drugs. In this study, we discover that Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide (GCP) has anti-PRV infection activity in vitro, and 600 μg/mL GCP can completely block viral infection. The addition of GCP simultaneously with or after PRV infection had a significant inhibitory effect on PRV. Addition of GCP at different times of the virus life cycle mainly led to the inhibition of the attachment and internalization of PRV but does not affect viral replication and release. Our findings suggest that GCP has potential as a drug against PRV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A synthetic strategy for the construction of 2,2‐disubstituted indolin‐3‐ones from 2‐alkynylnitroarenes and ketones has been described. The corresponding indolin‐3‐one derivatives were afforded in moderate to excellent product yields by using mild conditions. After a Wittig‐like process, the key intermediates 3H‐indol‐3‐ones were generated from 2‐alkynylnitroarenes, which could be further transformed to the desired products through a Mannich addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subduction of the Pacific slab has been widely credited for the destruction of the eastern North China Craton (NCC). However, the nature of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) beneath the central and western NCC is less well constrained, which has hindered the understanding of cratonic responses to repeated Phanerozoic circum-craton subductions. Here, we report the in situ major- and trace-element contents and Sr isotopic compositions of minerals from 27 peridotite xenoliths obtained from Cenozoic basalts from Xiyang‒Pingding, central NCC, to gain new insights into how plate subduction affected the Archean lithospheric keel. On the basis of olivine major-element and clinopyroxene trace-element contents, as well as clinopyroxene Sr isotopic compositions, we divide the xenoliths into four types. The high-Mg# types 1 and 2 peridotites show high olivine forsterite (Fo) contents, convex-upward rare-earth element patterns, and high 87Sr/86Sr (0.7053‒0.7062) in clinopyroxene, and they could be relicts of an old cratonic root. The high-Mg# type 3 peridotites exhibit high (La/Yb)N and low Ti/Eu and 87Sr/86Sr (0.7038‒0.7044), and they are interpreted as reaction products of Archean SCLM and carbonatitic melts from the asthenosphere with a contribution of recycled oceanic components. The low-Mg# type 4 peridotites display low 87Sr/86Sr (0.7029‒0.7033) and represent fragments of modified SCLM that has been recently refertilized by asthenospheric melts. Complex architectures of the SCLM underneath Xiyang‒Pingding reflect multistage overprinting of mantle metasomatism. Recent influxes of asthenospheric melts played a critical role in transforming refractory SCLM to fertile SCLM. Combined with previous studies, our findings suggest that the SCLM beneath the central NCC became progressively more refertilized from the center toward both the northern and southern margins, a spatial pattern that was likely generated by N‒S-trending subductions of the circum-craton plates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 3D hierarchical flowerball-like CoSe 2 /MnSe nanosheet arrays (CoSe 2 /MnSe FNSAs) derived from CoMn-LDH and cobalt glycerate spheres precursor acts as an electrode has excellent sensing performance for hydrazine with a wide detection range of 0.001–7.45 mM and the low detection limit of 0.4 μM at S/N=3, respectively. [Display omitted] • Flowerball-like CoSe 2 /MnSe nanosheet arrays (CoSe 2 /MnSe FNSAs) was prepared by hydrothermal and selenization method. • The unique "flowerball" heterostructure nanostructure provide abundant active sites. • CoSe 2 /MnSe FNSAs acts an efficient catalyst electrode for hydrazine oxidation. • CoSe 2 /MnSe FNSAs displays high sensing performance for hydrazine detection. • CoSe 2 /MnSe FNSAs operates efficiently for hydrazine in environmental water samples. Hydrazine (N 2 H 4) is considered to be a highly toxic substance harmful to human body and environment, and has received much attention in the field of electrochemical detection in recent years. In this study, 3D hierarchical flowerball-like CoSe 2 /MnSe nanosheet arrays (CoSe 2 /MnSe FNSAs) were obtained using CoMn-LDH as precursor and cobalt glycerate spheres as the sacrificial template by simple hydrothermal reaction and selenization method. Bimetal selenides have more active electrochemical activity and more abundant electrochemical redox reactions. The unique hierarchical flowerball-like nanosheet array heterostructure can accelerate ionic diffusion kinetics and improve electron transfer. As a hydrazine electrochemical sensor, CoSe 2 /MnSe FNSAs exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performance with a wide detection range of 0.001–7.45 mM and a low detection limit of 0.4 μM. This strategy provides a new choice for the detection of environmental organic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Adopt the strategy of splitting Cas12a activator to achieve dual target detection. • First combination of cleaved Cas12a activator and three-way junction structure. • The strategy of capturing targets with double binding sites is adopted. • Direct detection of RNA without reverse transcription. • Detection range was 1 pM–10 nM, and the detection limit was 205 fm. We developed a novel CRISPR/Cas12a fluorescence biosensor to specifically detect the H1N1 virus based on splitting single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) activators. Specifically, activators 1 and 2 were generated from dual target nucleic acid sites to induce a three-way junction (3WJ) isothermal amplification process. Two specific H1N1 RNA nucleic acid sites were bound to a set of probes to form a 3WJ, which facilitated repeated extension and nicking reactions to produce high levels of split ssDNA activators via DNA polymerase and nicking endonuclease activity. Amplified activators 1 and 2 fully assembled with Cas12a/crRNA to form complexes. Activated Cas12a trans -cleaved ssDNA reporter molecules to generate fluorescence signals. Under optimal conditions, biosensor dynamic detection range was 1 pM–10 nM, and the detection limit was 205 fM. Thus, our biosensor showed high specificity, reliability, and robustness, which highlights its potential use for H1N1 diagnostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ancient Chinese character recognition is a challenging problem in the field of pattern recognition. It is difficult to collect all character classes during the training stage due to the numerous classes of ancient Chinese characters and the likelihood of discovering new characters over time. A solution to address this problem is continual learning. However, most continual learning methods are not well-suited for large-scale applications, making them insufficient for solving the problem of ancient Chinese character recognition. Although saving raw data for old classes is a good approach for continual learning to address large-scale problems, it is often infeasible due to the lack of data accessibility in reality. To solve these problems, we propose a large-scale continual learning framework based on the convolutional prototype network (CPN), which does not save raw data for old classes. In this paper, several basic strategies have been proposed for the initial training stage to enhance the feature extraction ability and robustness of the network, which can improve the performance of the model in continual learning. In addition, we propose two practical methods in varying feature space (parameters of feature extractor are changeable) and fixed feature space (parameters of feature extractor are fixed), which enable the model to carry out large-scale continual learning. The proposed method does not save the raw data of old classes and enables simultaneous classification of all existing classes without knowing the incremental batch number. Experiments on the CASIA-AHCDB dataset with 5000 character classes demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method. • We propose a prototype-based framework for large-scale continual learning. • The proposed strategies in the initial stage are good for continual learning. • We propose two continual learning methods in varying and fixed feature space. • The proposed methods achieve SOTA results on the CASIA-AHCDB dataset with 5000 classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has demonstrated that the Pichia galeiformis (P. galeiformis) secreted protein PgSLP reduced citrus fruit postharvest green mold. It is unclear how the secreted protein PgSLP enhances citrus fruit resistance. This study was conducted to determine the effect of PgSLP on the control of blue mold and investigate the biocontrol mechanisms. With the transient overexpression of PgSLP, the incidence of blue mold in citrus was reduced. The majority of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in amino acid synthesis and metabolism pathways. Physiological and biochemical analyses showed that the activities of O-acetylserine (thiol)-lyase (OASTL), serine acetyltransferase (SAT), and glutathione reductase (GR) were increased when treated with PgSLP. The contents of phenylalanine, tyrosine, leucine, isoleucine, serine, phenylalanine, cysteine, and glutathione were increased. This study demonstrated that PgSLP could enhance the citrus fruit blue mold resistance by affecting amino acid synthesis and metabolism. • PgSLP belongs to the subtilisin-like protease family. • PgSLP reduced the disease incidence of blue mold in citrus. • The amino acid synthesis and metabolism were activated. • Amino acid metabolism-related key genes and enzyme activity were upregulated. • The contents of amino acids were increased in citrus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RIPK1, a receptor-interacting serine/threonine protein kinase, plays a crucial role in maintaining cellular and tissue homeostasis by integrating inflammatory responses and cell death signaling pathways including apoptosis and necroptosis, which have been implicated in diverse physiological and pathological processes. Suppression of RIPK1 activation is a promising strategy for restraining the pathological progression of many human diseases. Neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis are two pivotal factors in the pathogenesis of brain injury following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). In this study, we established in vivo and in vitro models of SAH to investigate the activation of RIPK1 kinase in both microglia and neurons. We observed the correlation between RIPK1 kinase activity and microglia-mediated inflammation as well as neuronal apoptosis. We then investigated whether inhibition of RIPK1 could alleviate neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis following SAH, thereby reducing brain edema and ameliorating neurobehavioral deficits. Additionally, the underlying mechanisms were also explored. Our research findings revealed the activation of RIPK1 kinase in both microglia and neurons following SAH, as marked by the phosphorylation of RIPK1 at serine 166. The upregulation of p-RIPK1(S166) resulted in a significant augmentation of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1α, CCL2, and CCL5, as well as neuronal apoptosis. The activation of RIPK1 in microglia and neurons following SAH could be effectively suppressed by administration of Nec-1 s, a specific inhibitor of RIPK1. Consequently, inhibition of RIPK1 resulted in a downregulation of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines and attenuation of neuronal apoptosis after SAH in vitro. Furthermore, the administration of Nec-1 s effectively mitigated neuroinflammation, neuronal apoptosis, brain edema, and neurobehavioral deficits in mice following SAH. Our findings suggest that inhibiting RIPK1 kinase represents a promising therapeutic strategy for mitigating brain injury after SAH by attenuating RIPK1-driven neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis. [Display omitted] • RIPK1 kinase is activated in microglia and neurons after SAH, resulting in its phosphorylation at serine 166. • The upregulation of p-RIPK1 in microglia and neurons leads to an increase in inflammatory factors and neuronal apoptosis. • Suppression of RIPK1 kinase activation reduces inflammation and neuronal apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo after SAH. • Suppression of RIPK1 kinase activation ameliorates brain edema and improves neurobehavioral deficits in mice after SAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Two stages of Cretaceous basalt erupted in the Jiurui district of the Yangtze Block. • The older basalts are Island arc basalt-like, forming from melts derived from an enriched lithospheric mantle. • The younger basalts are Oceanic island basalt-like, forming from melts derived from a depleted asthenospheric mantle. • The Cretaceous lithospheric mantle underneath the Yangtze Block was similar to EM I. The Cretaceous volcanic-sedimentary succession in the Jiurui district of the Yangtze Block contains basalts that are interlayered with fine clastic rocks, conglomerate and breccia strata. Here, we present data of whole-rock 40Ar–39Ar dating, major and trace elements, Sr–Nd–Pb isotopes, zircon U–Pb dating and Hf isotopes, and plagioclase trace element analyses to constrain the petrogenesis and tectonic background of these basaltic rocks,. Two episodic eruptions (ca. 126 Ma and ca. 91 Ma) are recognized, and the early basalts display evident enriched source characteristics such as high incompatible and low compatible elements, negative Nb, Ta, and Ti, slightly positive Pb anomaly, negative ε Nd (t) and ε Hf (t) values, higher (87Sr/86Sr) i , and high incompatible elements in plagioclase, indicating an island arc basalt-like nature. The younger basalts show low incompatible and high compatible elements, negative Rb, Pb, Nb, and Ta, positive Sr anomaly, positive ε Nd (t) values, lower (87Sr/86Sr) i , and low incompatible elements in the plagioclase, indicating an oceanic island basalt-like characteristic. The early ca. 126 Ma basalts were probably derived from a deeper and older enriched lithospheric mantle consisting of rutile-bearing garnet pyroxenite or eclogite, whereas the younger ca. 91 Ma basalts were derived from a shallower and younger depleted asthenospheric mantle constituting peridotite, with limited amounts of enriched lithospheric mantle component. The retreat and rollback of the paleo-Pacific slab and related lithospheric thinning and mantle composition transition processes probably occurred at ca. 126 Ma and ca. 91 Ma in this inland region of the Yangtze Block in northwestern Jiangxi province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a hybrid of the Parallel Two-stage Flowshop problem and the Multiple Knapsack problem, we investigate the scheduling of parallel two-stage flowshops under makespan constraint, which was motivated by applications in cloud computing and introduced by Chen et al. [3] recently. A set of two-stage jobs are selected and scheduled on parallel two-stage flowshops to achieve the maximum total profit while maintaining the given makespan constraint. We give a positive answer to an open question about its approximability proposed by Chen et al. [3]. More specifically, based on guessing strategies and rounding techniques for linear programs, we present a polynomial time approximation scheme (PTAS) for the case when the number of flowshops is a fixed constant. As the case with two flowshops is already strongly NP-hard, our PTAS achieves the best possible approximation ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic syndrome is a significant worldwide public health challenge and is inextricably linked to adverse renal and cardiovascular outcomes. The inhibition of the transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily C member 6 (TRPC6) has been found to ameliorate renal outcomes in the unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) of accelerated renal fibrosis. Therefore, the pharmacological inhibition of TPRC6 could be a promising therapeutic intervention in the progressive tubulo-interstitial fibrosis in hypertension and metabolic syndrome. In the present study, we hypothesized that the novel selective TRPC6 inhibitor SH045 (larixyl N-methylcarbamate) ameliorates UUO-accelerated renal fibrosis in a New Zealand obese (NZO) mouse model, which is a polygenic model of metabolic syndrome. The in vivo inhibition of TRPC6 by SH045 markedly decreased the mRNA expression of pro-fibrotic markers (Col1α1, Col3α1, Col4α1, Acta2, Ccn2, Fn1) and chemokines (Cxcl1, Ccl5, Ccr2) in UUO kidneys of NZO mice compared to kidneys of vehicle-treated animals. Renal expressions of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were diminished in SH045- versus vehicle-treated UUO mice. Furthermore, renal inflammatory cell infiltration (F4/80+ and CD4+) and tubulointerstitial fibrosis (Sirius red and fibronectin staining) were ameliorated in SH045-treated NZO mice. We conclude that the pharmacological inhibition of TRPC6 might be a promising antifibrotic therapeutic method to treat progressive tubulo-interstitial fibrosis in hypertension and metabolic syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A π-conjugated small molecule N, N'-bis(naphthalen-1-yl)-N, N'-bis(phenyl)benzidine (NPB) was introduced into poly(9-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) as a hole transport layer (HTL) in inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The NPB doping induces a better perovskite crystal growth, resulting in perovskite with a larger grain size and less defect density. Thus, the VOC, JSC, and FF of the PSC were all enhanced. Experimental results show that it can be ascribed to the reduction of surface roughness and improved hydrophilicity of the HTL. The effect of NPB on the aggregation of PVK was also discussed. This work demonstrates the great potential of PVK as the HTL of PSCs and provides an attractive alternative for HTL to realize high-efficiency PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is devoted to investigating the quasi-synchronization issue of fractional-order multi-layer networks with mismatched parameters under delay-dependent impulsive feedback control. It is worth highlighting that fractional-order multi-layer networks with mismatched parameters, as the extension model for single-layer or two-layer ones, are constructed in this paper. Simultaneously, the intra-layer and inter-layer couplings are taken into consideration, which is more general and rarely considered in discussions of network synchronization. An extended fractional differential inequality with impulsive effects is given to establish the grounded framework and theory on the quasi-synchronization problem under delay-dependent impulsive feedback control. Moreover, in the light of the Lyapunov method and graph theory, two criteria for achieving the quasi-synchronization of fractional-order multi-layer networks with mismatched parameters are derived. Furthermore, exponential convergence rates as well as the bounds of quasi-synchronization errors are successfully deduced. Ultimately, the theoretical results are applied in a practical power system, and some illustrative examples are proposed to show the effectiveness of theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the outcomes of postacute care between home health (HH) and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) following hospitalization among Medicare beneficiaries with a diagnosis of dementia. Data Sources: 100% MedPAR data, Minimum Data Set, and Outcome and Assessment Information Set assessment data from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2016. Study Design: Retrospective cohort analysis using an instrumental variable design to compare outcomes (30‐day readmission and mortality, 100‐day mortality) of HH versus SNF following acute hospitalization. We used the differential distance between patients' home and the closest HH agency and SNF to instrument for nonrandom allocation of patients. Data Collection/Extraction Methods: We identified hospital discharges followed by SNF and HH stays for Medicare fee‐for‐service beneficiaries with dementia. We excluded beneficiaries younger than age 65, admitted to the hospital from a nursing home, or enrolled in hospice. We identified dementia using validated diagnostic codes with a 3‐year look‐back. Principal Findings: Our sample included 977,946 beneficiaries with a diagnosis of dementia; 297,732 (30.4%) received HH, while 680,214 (69.6%) went to SNF. Overall, 16.8% were readmitted to the hospital and 6.1% died within 30 days, while 15.4% died within 100 days of hospital discharge. In the instrumental variable analysis, there were no differences in any outcome between the two postacute care settings. Conclusions: Medicare beneficiaries with a diagnosis of dementia receiving postacute care in HH or SNF experienced similar rates of readmission and mortality across settings. This finding raises important questions about current postacute care referral patterns, given 7 in 10 patients with a diagnosis of dementia in our sample were discharged to SNF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is an alpha herpesvirus that causes pseudorabies. After 2011, new and more pathogenic PRV variants have caused huge economic losses to the pig industry. In addition, people have been reported to be infected with PRV. Therefore, developing new anti-PRV drugs is of great significance. In this study, we investigated the anti-PRV activity of Hippophae rhamnoides polysaccharides (HRP) in vitro. We found that HRP could significantly inhibit the infectivity of the PRV XJ5 strain in PK15 cells. Addition of HRP at different times of the virus life cycle mainly led to the inhibition of the adsorption and entry of virus into the cells. Our results revealed that HRP can reduce the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in PRV-infected PK15 cells and increase the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. These results suggested that HRP can reduce PRV infection-induced oxidative stress. Therefore, HRP may act as an antiviral drug against newly emerging PRV variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the success of convolutional neural network (CNN) in conventional closed-set recognition (CSR), it still lacks robustness for dealing with unknowns (those out of known classes) in open environment. To improve the robustness of CNN in open-set recognition (OSR) and meanwhile maintain its high accuracy in CSR, we propose an alternative deep framework called convolutional prototype network (CPN), which keeps CNN for representation learning but replaces the closed-world assumed softmax with an open-world oriented and human-like prototype model. To equip CPN with discriminative ability for classifying known samples, we design several discriminative losses for training. Moreover, to increase the robustness of CPN for unknowns, we interpret CPN from the perspective of generative model and further propose a generative loss, which is essentially maximizing the log-likelihood of known samples and serves as a latent regularization for discriminative learning. The combination of discriminative and generative losses makes CPN a hybrid model with advantages for both CSR and OSR. Under the designed losses, the CPN is trained end-to-end for learning the convolutional network and prototypes jointly. For application of CPN in OSR, we propose two rejection rules for detecting different types of unknowns. Experiments on several datasets demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of CPN for both CSR and OSR tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]