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Two simultaneous quantum teleportation schemes are proposed by utilizing the four-qubit cluster state as quantum channels. In each scheme, there are three legitimate participants, that is one sender Alice and two receivers Bob and Chris. Taking advantage of the pre-shared quantum entanglement resources and some necessary local quantum operations as well as classical communication, Alice can concurrently transmit two independent unknown target quantum states to Bob and Chris, respectively. In the first scheme, the target states are two arbitrary single-qubit states, while in the second scheme they are two unknown multi-qubit entangled states. The proposed schemes are simply to implement because of requiring only single-qubit measurements and Pauli operations as well as two-qubit unitary operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is designed to investigate the vibrational characteristics of a sandwich cylindrical shell structure with an elastic-porous metal–rubber core in the thermal environment by the power flow method. The finite element models of the homogeneous and sandwich cylindrical shell structures are established for harmonic response analysis completed by the mode superposition method. Further, the structural power flow is calculated and visualized based on the results of the finite element analysis. A comparison is made with the results for a plate available in the literature validating the effectiveness of the power flow visualization method. The effects of some key factors, such as the frequency, the metal–rubber core, the length-to-radius ratio, and the temperature on the power flow of the sandwich cylindrical shell structure, are analyzed using power flow cloud pictures and vector diagrams. The results reveal that the frequency affects the distribution of power flow, and the metal–rubber core can dissipate energy, whereas the length-to-radius ratio and temperature do not have a significant influence on the power flow of the sandwich cylindrical shell structure with a metal–rubber core (SCSMR). This work should be valuable for the noise and vibration control application of the SCS-MR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequent occurrence of dry and hot (DH) days in South China in summer has a negative impact on social development and human health. This study explored the variation characteristics of DH days and the possible reasons for this knotty problem. The findings revealed a notable increase in the number of DH days across most stations, indicating a significant upward trend. Additionally, DH events were observed to occur frequently. The number of DH days increased during 1970–1990, decreased from 1991 to 1997, and stayed stable after 1997. The key climate factors affecting the interannual variability of the number of DH days were the Indian Ocean Basin warming (IOBW) in spring and the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM). Compared with the negative phase of IOBW, in the positive phase of IOBW, 500 hPa and 850 hPa geopotential height enhanced, the West Pacific subtropical high strengthened and extended abnormally to the west, more solar radiation reached the surface, surface outgoing longwave radiation increased, and there was an anomalous anticyclone in eastern South China. The atmospheric circulation characteristics of the positive and negative phases of ESAM were opposite to those of IOBW, and the abnormal circulation of the positive (negative) phases of ESAM was unfavorable (favorable) for the increase in the number of DH days. A long-term prediction model for the number of summer DH days was established using multiple linear regression, incorporating the key climate factors. The correlation coefficient between the observed and predicted number of DH days was 0.65, and the root-mean-square error was 2.8. In addition, independent forecasts for 2019 showed a deviation of just 1 day. The results of the independent recovery test confirmed the stability of the model, providing evidence that climatic factors did have an impact on DH days in South China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular crystals with the ability to transform light energy into macroscopic mechanical motions are a promising class of materials with potential applications in actuating and photonic devices. In regard to such materials, coordination polymers that exhibit dynamic photomechanical motion, associated with a phase transition, are unknown. Herein, we report an intriguing photoactive, one‐dimensional ZnII coordination polymer, 1, derived from 1,3,5‐tri‐4‐pyridyl‐1,2‐ethenylbenzene and 3,5‐difluorobenzoate. Single crystals of 1 under UV light irradiation exhibit rapid shrinking and bending, violent bursting‐jumping, splitting, and cracking behavior. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis and 1H NMR spectroscopy reveal an unusual photoinduced phase transition involving a single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal [2+2] cycloaddition reaction that results in photomechanical responses. Interestingly, crystals of 1, which are triclinic with space group P1‾ ${P\bar{1}}$ , are transformed into a higher symmetry, monoclinic cell with space group C2/c. This process represents a rare example of symmetry enhancement upon photoirradiation. The photomechanical activity is likely due to the sudden release of stress associated with strained molecular geometries and significant solid‐state molecular movement arising from cleavage and formation of chemical bonds. A composite membrane fabricated from 1 and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) also displays interesting photomechanical behavior under UV light illumination, indicating the material's potential as a photoactuator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular crystals with the ability to transform light energy into macroscopic mechanical motions are a promising class of materials with potential applications in actuating and photonic devices. In regard to such materials, coordination polymers that exhibit dynamic photomechanical motion, associated with a phase transition, are unknown. Herein, we report an intriguing photoactive, one‐dimensional ZnII coordination polymer, 1, derived from 1,3,5‐tri‐4‐pyridyl‐1,2‐ethenylbenzene and 3,5‐difluorobenzoate. Single crystals of 1 under UV light irradiation exhibit rapid shrinking and bending, violent bursting‐jumping, splitting, and cracking behavior. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis and 1H NMR spectroscopy reveal an unusual photoinduced phase transition involving a single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal [2+2] cycloaddition reaction that results in photomechanical responses. Interestingly, crystals of 1, which are triclinic with space group P1‾ ${P\bar{1}}$ , are transformed into a higher symmetry, monoclinic cell with space group C2/c. This process represents a rare example of symmetry enhancement upon photoirradiation. The photomechanical activity is likely due to the sudden release of stress associated with strained molecular geometries and significant solid‐state molecular movement arising from cleavage and formation of chemical bonds. A composite membrane fabricated from 1 and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) also displays interesting photomechanical behavior under UV light illumination, indicating the material's potential as a photoactuator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF), as an innate immune defense molecule, functions through binding to TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) or TNF receptor 2 (TNFR2). Peripheral levels of soluble TNFR1 (sTNFR1) and soluble TNFR2 (sTNFR2) were widely measured in severe mental illnesses (SMIs) including schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) but inconsistencies existed. Hence, the present meta-analysis was conducted to identify the overall association between plasma/serum sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 levels and SMIs. Published studies were searched using Pubmed and Scopus. Data were analysed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 2. Hedges's g effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals were pooled using fixed-effect or random-effects models. Heterogeneity, publication bias and study quality were assessed. Sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis were performed. Our findings revealed that sTNFR1 level was significantly higher in SMI, particularly in BD. The sTNFR2 level significantly elevated in SMI but with smaller effect size. These findings further support the association between altered immune system and inflammatory abnormalities in SMI, especially in patients with BD. Subgroup analysis showed that younger age of onset, longer illness duration and psychotropic medication raised both sTNFR levels, especially sTNFR1, as these factors may contribute to the activation of inflammation. Future studies were suggested to identify the causality between TNFR pathway and SCZ, BD and MDD respectively using homogenous group of each SMI, and to determine the longitudinal effect of each psychotropic medication on TNFR pathway. • The sTNFR1 level was significantly higher in SMI, particularly in BD. • The sTNFR2 level also significantly increased in SMI but with smaller effect size. • Onset age, illness duration and psychotropic medication may influence sTNFR levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The taeniaticornis-group of genus Apanteles Foerster from China is revised, in which a total of 3 species are recorded and illustrated. One new species, named, A. parectangular Liu & Chen, sp. nov. is described and illustrated, and a key to Chinese species of the taeniaticornis-group, is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the first highly enantioselective construction of silicon‐stereocenters by asymmetric enamine catalysis. An unprecedented desymmetric intramolecular aldolization of prochiral siladials was thus developed for the facile access of multifunctional silicon‐stereogenic silacycles in high to excellent enantioselectivity. With an enal moiety, these adducts could be readily elaborated for the diverse synthesis of silicon‐stereogenic compounds, and for late‐stage modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the first highly enantioselective construction of silicon‐stereocenters by asymmetric enamine catalysis. An unprecedented desymmetric intramolecular aldolization of prochiral siladials was thus developed for the facile access of multifunctional silicon‐stereogenic silacycles in high to excellent enantioselectivity. With an enal moiety, these adducts could be readily elaborated for the diverse synthesis of silicon‐stereogenic compounds, and for late‐stage modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) circuits are a kind of superconducting digital circuits, having properties of a natural gate-level pipelining synchronous sequential circuit, which demonstrates high energy efficiency and high throughput advantage. We find that the high-throughput and high-speed performance of RSFQ circuits can take the advantage of a hardware implementation of the encryption algorithm, whereas these are rarely applied to this field. Among the available encryption algorithms, the advanced encryption standard (AES) algorithm is an advanced encryption standard algorithm. It is currently the most widely used symmetric cryptography algorithm. In this work, we aim to demonstrate the SubByte operation of an AES-128 algorithm using RSFQ circuits based on the SIMIT Nb03 process. We design an AES S -box circuit in the RSFQ logic, and compare its operational frequency, power dissipation, and throughput with those of the CMOS-based circuit post-simulated in the same structure. The complete RSFQ S -box circuit costs a total of 42237 Josephson junctions with nearly 130 Gbps throughput under the maximum simulated frequency of 16.28 GHz. Our analysis shows that the frequency and throughput of the RSFQ-based S -box are about four times higher than those of the CMOS-based S -box. Further, we design and fabricate a few typical modules of the S -box. Subsequent measurements demonstrate the correct functioning of the modules in both low and high frequencies up to 28.8 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poor compatibility between the polymer matrix and complex modification processes greatly affects the excellent tribological properties of graphene in the polymer matrix. In this study, a covalent organic framework (COF)-coated graphene hybrid lubricating filler (G/COFs) was synthesized in situ using a sample one-step mechanochemical synthesis process. This was used to improve the tribological properties of bismaleimide (BMI) resin. The morphology and microstructure of the G/COFs hybrid were characterized, and the effect of the added amount on the tribological properties of the G/COFs/BMI composites was studied. The results showed that the G/COFs hybrid could improve the stability of the friction coefficient and decrease the volume wear rate of BMI composites. Compared to the neat BMI, the 0.6 wt% G/COFs/BMI composites showed optimal tribological performance, with the friction coefficient and volume wear rate decreasing from 0.35 to 0.14 and from 48 × 10−6 to 10.6 × 10−6 mm3/(N‧m), respectively. In addition, the G/COFs/BMI composites showed lower friction coefficient fluctuations and volume wear rates than G/BMI composites. This is mainly attributed to the fact that the deposition of COFs can not only effectively prevent the aggregation of graphene nanosheets, but can also significantly improve the compatibility and interfacial bond between the graphene and BMI matrix. Moreover, the good synergistic effect between the lamellar COFs and graphene nanosheets can generate high-quality self-lubricating transfer films during the friction process. The excellent dispersibility, efficient chemical functionalization, better friction reduction and wear-resistance properties, and facile preparation method make graphene/COFs hybrid nanoparticles promising as an excellent lubricating filler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The ant's nest-like Si/C composite anode enhances cyclic stability in micron-sized Si/C composites under high mass loading. • Different carbon materials significantly affect the independent charge–discharge behavior of Si within Si/C composites. • In-situ XRD reveals transitions of Si between crystalline and amorphous states during charge/discharge in Si/C anodes. • The use of hard carbon in Si/C composite anodes leads to improved conversion depth of amorphous Si-Li alloys. Due to the demand for high mass loading in industrial application, micron-sized Si/C composites are preferred compared to nanoparticles. Utilizing Al-Si alloy as the raw material, an ant's nest-like porous Si/C composite material was successfully constructed through carbon coating and acid etching techniques, leading to an improvement in the cyclic stability of micron-sized Si/C composites under high mass loading. Furthermore, notable observations were made regarding the influence of carbon material type on the independent charge–discharge behavior of Si within the Si/C composite material, especially during the plateau region of Si-Li conversion processes. In-situ XRD test revealed transitions of Si between crystalline and amorphous states in the Si/C composite material during charge and discharge processes. Additionally, in Si/C composite materials fabricated using hard carbon, the increased lithium-ion transport rate attributed to the highly disordered structure of hard carbon promotes the acquisition of charges during delithiation process. As a result, this decelerates the lithium de-alloying process in Si-Li alloys, leading to an improved conversion depth of amorphous Si-Li alloys and a reduction in electrode capacity decay. This study provides valuable insights into Si conversion processes within Si/C composite materials and offers rational strategies for future material optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A pyramid cylinder lattice truss structure with vibration attenuation is developed. • The impact of cell parameter on vibration transmission characteristics is explored. • The effectiveness of vibration attenuation capability is experimentally assessed. In this work, an innovative cylindrical metamaterial inspired by origami was developed. It featured arrays of pyramid units arranged both circumferentially and axially. The vibration transfer characteristics were determined using numerical method (Frequency Domain Frequency Response Solver of COMSOL) and dynamic testing (Scanning Vibrometer System). The results indicate that the structure effectively attenuates vibrations within the 0–6000 Hz range. Adjusting key geometric parameters can widen or shift vibration attenuation bands toward low–frequencies. Increasing the rod diameter weakens the vibration attenuation capability, while an increase in circumferential and axial angles has a positive impact on the frequency band for vibration attenuation. The significance of this work lies in providing an appropriate method to enhance vibration attenuation for the design and optimization of engineering structures. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sex difference that females are more vulnerable to depression than males has been recently replicated in an animal model of early-life stress (ES) called the limited bedding and nesting material (LBN) paradigm. Adopting this animal model, we have previously examined the effects of ES on monoamine transporter (MATs) expression in stress-related regions in adult female mice, and the reversal effects of a novel multimodal antidepressant, vortioxetine. In this study, replacing vortioxetine with a classical antidepressant, fluoxetine, we aimed to replicate the ES effects in adult female mice and to elucidate the commonality and differences between fluoxetine and vortioxetine. We found that systemic 30-day treatment with fluoxetine successfully reversed ES-induced depression-like behaviors (especially sucrose preference) in adult female mice. At the molecular level, we largely replicated the ES effects, such as reduced serotonin transporter (SERT) expression in the amygdala and increased norepinephrine transporter (NET) expression in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus. Similar reversal effects of fluoxetine and vortioxetine were observed, including SERT in the amygdala and NET in the mPFC, whereas different reversal effects were observed for NET in the hippocampus and vesicular monoamine transporters expression in the nucleus accumbens. Overall, these results demonstrate the validity of the LBN paradigm to induce depression-like behaviors in female mice, highlight the involvement of region-specific MATs in ES-induced depression-like behaviors, and provide insights for further investigation of neurobiological mechanisms, treatment, and prevention associated with depression in women. • Fluoxetine reversed ES-induced depression-like behaviors in adult female mice. • We confirmed ES-induced widespread alterations of MATs/VMAT2 expression. • Fluoxetine reversed amygdala SERT decreases and mPFC/hippocampal NET increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the fracture characteristics of laminated flattened-bamboo lumber (LFBL), a transverse mode I fracture test was carried out on a single-edge notched (SEN) specimen. The failure of the specimen was analyzed at the macroscopic and microscopic levels. According to the analysis of P-CMOD curves, it was found that the entire fracture process could be divided into a linear stage, a softening stage and a failure stage, showing nonlinear elastic characteristics. Therefore, the fracture toughness K IC and tensile strength f t of the specimens were calculated by the boundary effect model (BEM) based on the nonlinear elastic fracture mechanism (non-LEFM). According to the calculation results, the influence of size change on fracture toughness K IC was analyzed. On this basis, this paper recommended the specimen size conditions for testing the mode I fracture toughness K IC of SEN specimens of LFBL in LT plane, i.e., S/W ≥ 4 and B ≥ 25 mm, thereby reducing the data dispersion caused by the change of specimen size. Finally, the mode I fracture toughness was obtained: K IC = 429.490 MPa·mm1/2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic asymmetric isomerization of allylic or homoallylic alcohols into synthetically useful carbonyl compounds is a redox‐neutral and 100 % atom‐economic transformation, which is of great interest and has gained increasing attention from both academic and industry. This minireview summarizes the advances in catalytic enantioselective isomerization and it involved tandem reactions over the past five years, also discusses their advantages and limitations, and expounds the synthetic chances still open for further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe mental illness that has been affecting millions of people worldwide. The illness is associated with high morbidity and mortality compared to the general population, suggesting the patients may face accelerated aging with shorter telomere length. Previous studies suggested oxidative stress as a contributing factor for telomere shortening in SCZ. As there is no information regarding telomere shortening and oxidative stress in Malaysian patients with SCZ, this present study aimed to compare leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of the Malaysian patients with the healthy controls, and to investigate the relationship between LTL, TAC and other covariates. A total of 148 subjects (73 patients with SCZ and 75 healthy controls) were recruited. The collected blood was centrifuged to form fractions of buffy coat and serum. DNA was extracted from the buffy coat and used in the measurement of LTL. LTL was measured using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and relative LTL was calculated. Meanwhile, serum was used in the measurement of TAC using an assay kit. Data were analyzed using parametric or non-parametric tests based on normality test. Quade' test was used to analyze the effects of age, gender, race, smoking and body mass index (BMI) on LTL and TAC. To assess the relationship between variables, Pearson or Spearman's correlation analysis was used. Significant decreased relative LTL was observed in patients with SCZ compared to healthy controls (p=0.016), after adjusted for age (p=0.025), gender (p=0.036), race (p=0.009), smoking (p=0.026) and BMI (p=0.009). However, no significant difference in TAC was found between patients and controls (p=0.458), after adjusted for age (p=0.789), gender (p=0.578), race (p=0.962), smoking (p=0.400) and BMI (p=0.805). All patients were on medication with median dosage of antipsychotics at chlorpromazine equivalent to 300.30 (IQR 343.8) mg/day. No significant correlation was observed between the dosage of antipsychotics, and LTL (p=0.370) and TAC (p=0.372), respectively. Patients were categorized into three groups according to the types of antipsychotics they used (typical, atypical and combined antipsychotics). No significant difference in LTL (p=0.589) and TAC (p=0.176) was observed between these three groups. There was no significant correlation between LTL and TAC in patients with SCZ (p=0.265). The significantly shortened LTL after adjustment for covariates was in line with previous findings conducted in other countries. This shortened LTL may explain the higher mortality rate in patients with SCZ (0.5%) compared to that of the general population (0.001%) in Malaysia. It was suggested that LTL shortening may be linked with oxidative stress, inflammation, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and other comorbidities. The present study excluded the subjects with any comorbidity and found no significant association between LTL, and TAC and other covariates, suggesting that SCZ may be the cause of LTL shortening. In conclusion, LTL shortening was observed in Malaysian patients with SCZ compared to healthy controls, indicating the possibility of accelerating aging in the patients. SCZ is the most important reason in LTL shortening, compared with TAC and other covariates. Nevertheless, future studies should measure other variables such as inflammation, baseline LTL, lifestyle factors, genetic factors or comorbidities to identify the possible causes of LTL shortening in SCZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute kidney injury (AKI) can be caused by multiple etiologies and is characterized by a sudden and severe decrease in kidney function. Understanding the independent risk factors associated with the development of AKI and its early detection can refine the risk management and clinical decision-making of high-risk patients after cardiovascular surgery. A retrospective analysis was performed in a single teaching hospital between December 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. The diagnostic performance of novel biomarkers was assessed using random forest, support vector machine, and multivariate logistic regression. The nomogram from multivariate analysis of risk factors associated with AKI indicated that only LVEF, red blood cell input, and ICUmvat contribute to AKI differentiation and that the difference is statistically significant (P < 0.05). Seven radiomics biomarkers were found among 65 patients to be highly correlated with AKI-associated delirium. The importance of the variables was determined using the multilayer perceptron model; fivefold cross-validation was applied to determine the most important delirium risk factors in radiomics of the hippocampus. Finally, we established a radiomics-based machine learning framework to predict AKI-induced delirium in patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: GDF15 may be a potential biomarker for neurodegenerative diseases. In this analysis, we aimed to quantitative analysis the levels of GDF15 in patients with neurological diseases and in health control, and then to determine its potential diagnostic utility. Methods: Two researchers separately conducted a systematic search of the relevant studies up to January 2021 in Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science. Effect sizes were estimated to use the standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Sensitivity and specificity were calculated by the summary receiver operating characteristics curve (SROC) method. The sensitivity analysis was performed by the "one‐in/one‐out" approach. Considering the considerable heterogeneity among studies, random‐effects model was used for the meta‐analysis investigation. Results: A total of eight articles were included in this meta‐analysis and systematic review. The pooled results of the random effect model indicated GDF15 levels were significantly higher in patients with neurodegenerative disease than healthy people (SMD = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.44–1.40, Z = 3.75, p < 0.001). Sensitivity and specificity of biomarker of GDF15 were 0.90 (95% CI: 0.75–0.97), 0.77 (95% CI: 0.67–0.65), and AUC = 0.87 (95% CI: 0.84–0.90), respectively. Conclusions: GDF15 levels were higher in patients with neurodegenerative disease than healthy people. And serum levels of GDF15 were a better marker for diagnostic utility of neurodegenerative disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-rubber sandwich cylindrical shell displays a broad range of potential applications in the field of thermal insulation due to its advantages of lightweight, high-temperature stability, and superior high-temperature thermal insulation properties. To optimize the thermal insulation performance of a sandwich cylindrical shell with a metal-rubber core, this study proposes the idea of filling the pores of the metal-rubber with aerogel, thereby forming a composite structure of aerogel and metal-rubber (AMR). Through finite element analysis, the law of internal temperature changes in the AMR composite structure and the distribution laws of the velocity field, viscosity field, and pressure field of the sandwich cylindrical shell under varying wind speeds are investigated. These findings are further verified through heat transfer and forced convection tests. The results reveal that the thermal conductivity of the AMR composite structure at the same density is lower than that of the metal-rubber, and the thermal insulation performance of the AMR composite structure is directly proportional to its density. Meanwhile, through the analysis of forced convection heat transfer in the cylindrical shell, it is found that wind speed has a direct relationship with the pressure field, velocity field, and viscosity field. In addition, there is a relatively high viscosity and a low flow rate near the wall of the cylindrical shell, with a higher flow rate at the axis of the cylindrical shell. At the same wind speed, the temperature rise of the sandwich cylindrical shell shows a positive correlation with an increase in density, and the maximum stable temperature also increases correspondingly. Moreover, at the same density, the thermal conductivity demonstrates a negative correlation with increasing temperature. [Display omitted] • A novel composite structure of metal-rubber filled with aerogel (AMR) was proposed. • The thermal conductivity of AMR structures at different densities was analyzed. • Thermal insulation comparison between AMR and MR cylindrical shell were performed. • The forced convection heat transfer of cylindrical shell was explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Failure of pump shaft (P116-1) of high-pressure water pump occurred during coke removal. Shaft material (3Cr13) demonstrated yield and tensile strength of 737 and 910 MPa, respectively. Failure analysis was performed to determine the cause of failure, which was a fracture at the pump shaft located at the journal. Macroscopic, metallographic, chemical composition, hardness, SEM, and EDS analyses were used in the failure analysis. Metallographic and SEM analyses revealed that fatigue cracks are related to corrosion and geometrical shape. Fatigue crack initiation at the disconnected area of the chromium plating layer weakened fatigue resistance. Causes of incomplete chromium plating at the shaft journal and keyway should be investigated further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Statistics show that every year, 5.4 million people in the world suffer a stroke. Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) is one of the most common complications after stroke with a rate of 75%, which leads to decreased functions for independent living and reduced quality of life (QOL). Exercise training has been reported to be useful to improve the cognitive functions of post-stroke patients. Yijinjing, a traditional Chinese Qigong exercise characterized by an integration of mind and body in moderate exercise intensity, can improve cognitive functions of PSCI patients. This study aims to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of the Yijinjing exercise in this regard.Methods: A single-blind, superiority, randomized controlled trial will be employed with evaluations at 3 and 6 months. Seventy-two PSCI patients will be recruited and randomly assigned to the Yijinjing exercise intervention group or the control group (1:1). Participants in the control group will receive routine rehabilitation therapies, including occupational therapy, physical therapy, acupuncture therapy, and health education 5 times a week for 3 months. The intervention group will receive a 12-week routine rehabilitation therapy combined with the Yijinjing exercise intervention for 40 min each session and 3 sessions a week. The primary outcome of cognition will be measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale (MoCA). Secondary outcomes include executive function, memory function, visuospatial function, sleep quality, gait and motor function, activity of daily living (ADL), and quality of life (QOL).Discussion: Current evidence has reported the effectiveness of traditional Chinese exercise in improving the post-stroke population's motor functions. This research is a randomized controlled trial that evaluates traditional Chinese exercise's effectiveness for PSCI patients. It is expected to expand the traditional Chinese exercise scope and provide a new treatment approach for stroke populations with cognitive impairments.Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1900026532 . Registered on 13 October 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inside the cancer microenvironment, reduced O2 concentration, termed as hypoxia, is a common phenotype and leads to cancer progression. However, little is known about how and when those HIF members are dysregulated in distinct cancers. Here, by integrating a full range of data of thousands of patients, we comprehensively analyzed the genetics, epigenetics, and transcriptomic level of HIF genes and further defined pathways triggered by disrupted hypoxia-inducible factors. We reveal the expression landscape of HIF family genes and further demonstrate that copy number variations underlie such dysregulation. Further analysis indicates that HIF genes associate with cancer hallmarks such as cell cycle and DNA damage response. Drug resistance analysis showed that HIF globally impacts drug effectiveness such as docetaxel. In summary, the overall analysis reveals the landscape of HIF genes in pan-cancer and may assist mechanism research about hypoxia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enantioenriched fluorinated α‐ and β‐amino acids are often encountered in numerous pharmaceuticals and bioactive molecules, and also of great importance as probes in PET and NMR for studying the behavior of enzymes and for incorporation into peptides and drug candidates. Among various synthetic strategies developed, catalytic enantioselective synthesis proves to be one of the most facile and powerful protocols to construct such privileged structures. The past decade has witnessed considerable progress in the catalytic enantioselective construction of chiral fluorinated α‐ and β‐amino acid derivatives with structural diversity. In this review, we summarize these impressive achievements according to the bond‐forming way of fluorinated α‐ or β‐amino acids, respectively, and underline the remaining challenges. This information would provide important guidance and some inspiration for the researchers engaged in organic fluorine and medicinal chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coral-clustered CoNi 5 S 8 -Ni 2 P-FeP 2 three-phase heterostructure, which is anchored on nickel foam surface by a two-step gas-phase sulfurization/phosphorization strategy as free-standing multifunctional electrocatalysts, exhibits excellent HER/OER/UOR properties and shows great potential in water electrolysis applications. [Display omitted] Rational designing efficient transition metal-based multifunctional electrocatalysts is highly desirable for improving the efficiency of hydrogen production from water cracking. Herein, a self-supported three-phase heterostructure electrocatalyst of nickel–cobalt sulfide/nickel phosphide/iron phosphide (CoNi 5 S 8 -Ni 2 P-FeP 2) was prepared by a two-step gas-phase sulfurization/phosphorization strategy. The heterostructure in CoNi 5 S 8 -Ni 2 P-FeP 2 provides a favorable interfacial environment for electron transfer and synergistic interaction of multiphase active components, while the introduced electronegative P/S not only serves as a carrier for proton capture in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) process but also promotes the metal-electron outflow, which in turn accelerates the generation of high-valent Ni3+ species to enhance the catalytic activity of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and urea oxidation reaction (UOR). As expected, CoNi 5 S 8 -Ni 2 P-FeP 2 reveals excellent multifunctional electrocatalytic properties. An overpotential of 35/215 mV is required to reach 10 mA cm−2 for HER/OER. More encouragingly, a current of 100 mA cm−2 requires only 1.36 V for UOR with CoNi 5 S 8 -Ni 2 P-FeP 2 as anode, which is much lower as compared to the OER (1.50 V). Besides, a two-electrode water/urea electrolyzer assembled based on CoNi 5 S 8 -Ni 2 P-FeP 2 has a voltage of only 1.59/1.48 V when the system reaches 50 mA cm−2. This work provides a new idea for the design of energy-efficient water/urea-assisted water-splitting multifunctional catalysts with multi-component heterostructure synergistic interface engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The particle size and film thickness dependence of the photoinduced insulator-metal phase transition in VO2 films has been studied systematically by time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy at room temperature. It is found that the dynamical photoinduced phase transition from insulator to metal consists of two processes: a 1.7 ps fast process and a slow process with a typical time constant of 40 ps. Both of the two processes show particle size independence. The 40 ps slow process is revealed to arise from the longitudinal propagation of the metallic phase from the photoexcited surface to the interior of the VO2 film. A phase boundary propagation speed with a magnitude of ∼2400 m/s is obtained, which is close to the velocity of sound in solid materials and coincides with the prediction of diffusionless phase transformation. Our experimental results clearly establish the entire procedure of photoinduced phase change in the VO2 film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to identify ways for controlling forming-induced distortion of a dissimilar Ti6Al4V/AA1050 laminate prepared by a novel non-equal channel lateral co-extrusion process, which is a modified equal-channel angular pressing process (ECAP) and is characterized by stimulant diffusion bonding via a decrease in the activation energy. First, a thermo-mechanical model of non-equal channel lateral co-extrusion based on the DEFORM-3D software was established along with the introduction of modeling technology. Second, the forming-induced distortions of the dissimilar Ti6Al4V/AA1050 laminate were evaluated in terms of all designed extrusion parameters such as the stripping angle, average velocity relative deviation, average temperature relative deviation, and extrusion force. Third, the process optimization for the mitigation of co-extrusion distortions was performed by employing the orthogonal experimental design and signal-to-noise ratio method. Finally, the experimental validation of numerical model was carried out by using the optimal process configuration. The variable analysis of the results indicates that the pre-heating temperature and the ram speed have a considerable effect on forming-induced distortion modes. The influences of process parameters on the average temperature relative deviation are obviously greater than that on the stripping angle and average velocity relative deviation. In addition, the impact of process parameters on the extrusion force is similar to that of the average temperature relative deviation. The experimental forming-induced distortion of the co-extruded laminate is in good agreement with the simulation result. Thus, this work provides an alternative guideline for the manufacture and distortion control of dissimilar bimetal laminates prepared by co-extrusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies in neurophysiology have shown that neurons exhibit trial-by-trial correlated activity and that such noise correlations (NCs) greatly impact the accuracy of population codes. Meanwhile, multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) has become a mainstream approach in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), but it remains unclear how NCs between voxels influence MVPA performance. Here, we tackle this issue by combining voxel-encoding modeling and MVPA. We focus on a well-established form of NC, tuning-compatible noise correlation (TCNC), whose sign and magnitude are systematically related to the tuning similarity between two units. We show that this form of voxelwise NCs can improve MVPA performance if NCs are sufficiently strong. We also confirm these results using standard information-theoretic analyses in computational neuroscience. In the same theoretical framework, we further demonstrate that the effects of noise correlations at both the neuronal level and the voxel level may manifest differently in typical fMRI data, and their effects are modulated by tuning heterogeneity. Our results provide a theoretical foundation to understand the effect of correlated activity on population codes in macroscopic fMRI data. Our results also suggest that future fMRI research could benefit from a closer examination of the correlational structure of multivariate responses, which is not directly revealed by conventional MVPA approaches. Author summary: Noise correlation (NC) is the key component of multivariate response distributions and thus characterizing its effects on population codes is the cornerstone for understanding probabilistic computation in the brain. Despite extensive studies of NCs in neurophysiology, little is known with respect to their role in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We characterize the effect of voxelwise NC by building voxel-encoding models and directly quantifying the amount of information in simulated multivariate fMRI data. In contrast to the detrimental effects of NC implied in neurophysiological studies, we find that voxelwise NCs can enhance information codes if NC is sufficiently strong. Our work highlights the important role of noise correlations in decipher population codes using fMRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have recently proposed for advancing colorimetric sensing applications, owing to their excellent performance of sensitive color readout that generated from the oxidation of chromogenic substrates like 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by reactive oxygen species (ROS) of AOPs such as ·OH and ·O 2 − radicals. However, the efficiency of ROS generation and the related H 2 O 2 decomposition in most AOPs is quite low especially at neutral pH, which greatly hampered the practical sensing applications of the AOPs. We herein communicated that β -cyclodextrin (β -CD)-capped gold nanoparticles (β -CD@AuNPs) can promote catalysis at neutral pH for AOP as an excellent co-catalyst. In this strategy, inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) ions was first used to coordinate with Cu2+ and form Cu2+-PPi complex. In the presence of hydrogen peroxide, target inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPase) can hydrolyze PPi into inorganic phosphate (Pi) and release free Cu2+ simultaneously, resulting in a Cu2+-triggered Fenton-like AOP reaction. The introduced β -CD@AuNPs acts as a co-catalyst, analogous to mediators in the most co-catalyzed system, to enhance the rate-limiting step of Cu2+/Cu+ conversion in Cu2+/H 2 O 2 Fenton-like AOP and resulting in an efficient generation of ·OH and ·O 2 − radicals, which further producing an intense blue color by oxidizing TMB into its oxidation product (TMBox) within a short time. Finally, this reaction system was used to simply detecting target PPase with the colorimetric and photothermal readout based on the in-situ generated TMBox indicator. More significantly, we successfully demonstrated nanozyme can serve as a co-catalyst to promote the AOP catalysis at neutral pH, and inspire other strategies to overcome the pH limitation in the AOP catalysis and expand its colorimetric and photothermometric application. Image 1 • Gold nanozyme as a co-catalyst was explored for promoting H 2 O 2 decomposition in a Fenton-like AOP reaction. • The pH limitation of traditional Fenton-like oxidation was broken successfully by using the co-catalysis system. • A colorimetric and photothermal PPase activity detection based on β -CD@AuNPs co-catalytic AOP system was developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Queue forming behind a bus stop on an urban street is common and a traffic bottleneck usually occurs around the bus stop area. The bus stop failure means arriving buses cannot move into the bus stop due to limited capacity but have to wait for available loading areas. It is related with the transit operation level. Traditionally, the failure rate (FR), defined as the percentage of buses that arrives at the bus stop to find all loading areas occupied, is adopted in bus capacity analysis. However, the concept of FR is unable to quantitatively analyze failure characteristics in terms of its dispersion and uncertainty over time. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a new index called failure duration rate (FDR) to evaluate the bus stop failure, which can characterize waiting time for traffic delay calculation and capacity drop estimation. The automatic vehicle location data at eight bus stops in Wujiang District Suzhou, China, over 56 working days, are used to analyze the temporal characteristics of FR and FDR. We next examined the failed service duration characteristics during peak hours at the eight bus stops. Based on these characteristics analyses, we then proposed a Distribution Fitting and Cumulative Distribution Correlation (DF-CDC) approach to explore the correlation between FDR and FR at the same cumulative distribution function levels and validated the bus stop failure performance using the cross-validation method. The analysis results revealed that (i) FR fluctuates more significant than FDR, (ii) FDR is a more robust index than FR in describing the traffic characteristics incurred by bus stop failures, and (iii) FDR performs better in failure characteristics analysis than FR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Patients with high tumor mutational burden (TMB) levels do not consistently respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), possibly because a high TMB level does not necessarily result in adequate infiltration of CD8+ T cells. Using bulk ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNA-seq) data from 9311 tumor samples across 30 cancer types, we developed a novel tool called the modulator of TMB-associated immune infiltration (MOTIF), which comprises genes that can determine the extent of CD8+ T cell infiltration prompted by a certain TMB level. We confirmed that MOTIF can accurately reflect the integrity and defects of the cancer-immunity cycle. By analyzing 84 human single-cell RNA-seq datasets from 32 types of solid tumors, we revealed that MOTIF can provide insights into the diverse roles of various cell types in the modulation of CD8+ T cell infiltration. Using pretreatment RNA-seq data from 13 ICI-treated cohorts, we validated the use of MOTIF in predicting CD8+ T cell infiltration and ICI efficacy. Among the components of MOTIF, we identified EMC3 as a negative regulator of CD8+ T cell infiltration, which was validated via in vivo studies. Additionally, MOTIF provided guidance for the potential combinations of programmed death 1 blockade with certain immunostimulatory drugs to facilitate CD8+ T cell infiltration and improve ICI efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Neonatal stress disrupts brain development and increases the risk of neurological disorders later in life. However, the impact of neonatal stress on the development of the glymphatic system and susceptibility to Parkinson's disease (PD) remains largely unknown. Methods: Neonatal maternal deprivation (NMD) was performed on mice for 14 consecutive days to model chronic neonatal stress. Adeno‐associated virus expressing A53T‐α‐synuclein (α‐syn) was injected into the substantia nigra to establish PD model mice. Glymphatic activity was determined using in vivo magnetic resonance imaging, ex vivo fluorescence imaging and microplate assay. The transcription and expression of aquaporin‐4 (AQP4) and other molecules were evaluated by qPCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence. Animal's responses to NMD and α‐syn overexpression were observed using behavioral tests. Results: Glymphatic activity was impaired in adult NMD mice. AQP4 polarization and platelet‐derived growth factor B (PDGF‐B) signaling were reduced in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of both young and adult NMD mice. Furthermore, exogenous α‐syn accumulation was increased and PD‐like symptoms were aggravated in adult NMD mice. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that NMD could disrupt the development of the glymphatic system through PDGF‐B signaling and increase the risk of PD later in life, indicating that alleviating neonatal stress could be beneficial in protecting the glymphatic system and reducing susceptibility to neurodegeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron ions play a key role in many physiological processes, which can provide feedback for the evaluation of biological systems and environmental processes. New strategies for portable determination of Fe3+ therefore are still in urgent need. Here, through an in situ generation of prussian blue nanoparticles (PB NPs) in aqueous solution, we developed a bimodal method for photothermal and colorimetric detection of Fe3+. The sensing mechanism is based on the effective oxidation etching of Au–Cu core-shell nanocubes induced by Fe3+, accompanied by the in situ generation of PB NPs. It can be attributed to the specific reaction between ferrous ions (Fe2+) from the reduction of Fe3+ and potassium ferricyanide (K 3 [Fe(CN) 6 ]) in the reaction solution. The in situ produced PB NPs show distinct bare-eye-detectable readouts with highly sensitive colorimetric and photothermal responses and thus can be used for Fe3+ determination. Such colorimetric change signals of characteristic absorbance at 740 nm in the UV–vis spectra showed a sensitive response to Fe3+ with a LOD of 210 nM. Moreover, as a sensitive photothermal probe, PB NPs generated in our Fe3+-enabled reaction system also exhibited a sensitive response to Fe3+ with a LOD of 70 nM. In addition, the standard addition experiments demonstrate our photothermal and colorimetric probe has good applicability for Fe3+ detection in the river water sample. What's more, the proposed strategy opens a new horizon for affordable detection of metal ions using a common thermometer, and therefore has a great potential for analytical chemistry and some important applications such as environmental monitoring, disease diagnostics and food analysis. Photothermal and colorimetric dual mode detection of nanomolar ferric ions based on in situ generation of prussian blue nanoparticles. Image 1 • Photothermal and colorimetric dual mode iron ions sensor was explored. • Non-integration strategy of sensing elements was exploited for optical and thermal dual mode sensor. • Affordable detection of ferric ions was achieved by a common thermometer-based photothermal method. • A simple etching-based surface modulation of Au-Cu core-shell was successfully linked with metal ions detection event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between a waterproof curtain and withdrawal wells (or simply, the wall-well effect) is a key factor in controlling the environmental effects that occur during the dewatering of foundation pits. A series of laboratory investigations was conducted to study the changes in groundwater level during dewatering. The influence of the buried depth of the waterproof curtain placed in a dewatering confined aquifer (D), and the filter length of the pumping well (L), is investigated. Based on the laboratory test results, numerical simulations are used to analyse the ground settlement. The relationship between the approximate hydraulic gradients on both sides of the wall (Δi), or the ground settlement outside the excavation (S), using ratio RD (D divided by the thickness of the confined aquifer) or ratio RL (L divided by the thickness of the confined aquifer), can be simulated using a Boltzmann curve. The value of Δi increases while S decreases with an increase in RD, whereas Δi decreases while S increases with an increase in RL. The value of the contraflexure point of the Boltzmann curve is regarded as the effective value of RD or RL. Based on a comprehensive consideration, RD is suggested to be equal to or larger than the effective value, and RL is suggested to be equal to or lesser than the effective value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to estimate the incidence and risk factors of device-related thrombus (DRT) following percutaneous left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) in real-world practices. Between February 2012 and December 2016, 319 consecutive patients with atrial fibrillation underwent percutaneous LAAC using WATCHMAN, WATCHMAN Flx, Amplatzer cardiac plug, and Amulet devices. All patients underwent transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) at a minimum of three time points; periprocedurally, at 45 days, and at 6 months. Other clinical parameters were also evaluated, and a comparison between patients with DRT and those not suffering from DRT was done. The percutaneous LAAC was successfully performed in 97.8% of the patients. DRT was detected in 14 (4.49%) patients; of the 14 patients, DRT was detected in 3 patients at acute phase, 8 patients at subacute phase, 2 patients at late phase and 1 patient at very late phase. Most of the DRT originated from the central screw of device. In 6 out of 14 patients, DRT was successfully resolved by oral anticoagulation. Higher HAS-BLED score (4.1 ± 1.2 vs. 3.5 ± 1.1, p = 0.042) was more frequent in patients with DRT. Multivariable analysis showed that residual peri-device leak may result in a predisposition to DRT (p = 0.023). The incidence of DRT after percutaneous LAAC was acceptable, as a part of the DRT was resolved with oral anticoagulation. Residual peri-device leak was associated with DRT. Optimal implantation without peri-device gap, individual antithrombotic regimens, and careful monitoring with TEE follow-up could be conducive to the prevention of DRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Wulingsan has been used to cure disease about disorders related to fluid balance for thousands of years. The clinical practice of modern Chinese medicine has found that Wulingsan has the effect on reducing weight and fat, but its mechanism is not clear. This study investigated its effects on obesity rats and explored the underlying mechanisms by analyzing the plasma metabolic profiling. Methods: The effects of Wulingsan on obesity were evaluated with obesity rats induced by high‐fat diet. Ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC‐Q‐TOF/MS) was performed to discover potential biomarkers and evaluate whether Wulingsan could regulate these biomarkers. The levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high‐density lipoprotein (HDL‐C), and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL‐C) in serum were assessed by ELISA kits. Results: Remarkably, TG, TC, HDL‐C and LDL‐C in obesity rats were ameliorated after oral administration of Wulingsan. Further investigation indicated that the plasma metabolic profiles were clearly improved. Twelve potential biomarkers were identified. After intervention, these biomarkers turned back to normal level at some extent. Conclusion: The results showed that Wulingsan extract groups were normalized. Additionally, this study also showed that the metabonomics method was a promising tool to unravel how traditional Chinese medicines worked and these data can provide scientific basis for clinical application of Wulingsan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is postulated that high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) are diagnostic utilities for pleural effusion. This study was designed to explore the detection and significance of TNF-α and hs-CRP in the pleural effusion of patients with diabetes and pulmonary tuberculosis. A total of 60 patients with diabetes and pulmonary tuberculosis pleural effusion were selected as the study group, while 60 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis pleural effusion were considered as the control group. The expression of TNF-α and hs-CRP in the two groups was determined from pleural effusion by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression levels of TNF-α and hs-CRP in pleural effusion of the study group were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than the control group, and the sensitivity and specificity of the combined detection were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of the separate detection. The expression of TNF-α and hs-CRP in the pleural effusion of patients with diabetes and pulmonary tuberculosis increased remarkably, which plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment helping with differential diagnosis and evaluation of severity and prognosis by related detection of changes of these indexes, especially the combined detections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Blending effect on sooting tendencies of various alternative/conventional jet fuels. • Smoke point and Threshold Sooting Index measured to quantify soot inception. • Soot volume fractions measured in non-premixed counterflow flames. • Soot formation decreases with increasing blending ratio of alternative jet fuel. • Smoke point and Threshold Sooting Index correlate well with soot formation. Abstract In order to study the blending effect on sooting tendencies for practical alternative/conventional jet fuel blends, the present study has investigated soot formation in non-premixed flames of Jet-A blended with three alternative jet fuels (AJFs), i.e., Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids from camelina (HEFA-Camelina), Fischer-Tropsch Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (FT-SPK), and Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ). The smoke points of the AJF/Jet-A blends were measured in a wick lamp per ASTM D1322 standard, and their Threshold Sooting Indices were derived. Soot volume fraction profiles of the AJF/Jet-A fuel blends were also measured using the laser-induced incandescence diagnostics in the counterflow non-premixed flames. The effects of AJF blending ratio, strain rate, and reactant concentration on the soot formation were examined. The experimental results show that the Threshold Sooting Indices of the AJF/Jet-A blends exhibit a linear relationship with AJF mole fraction. While the maximum soot volume fractions of fuel blends show a fairly linear relationship with AJF blending ratio, the nonlinearity becomes prominent at high strain rates and low reactant concentrations. Comparing the three AJF/Jet-A fuel blends, the sooting tendencies are ranked as ATJ/Jet-A > FT-SPK/Jet-A > HEFA-Camelina/Jet-A. Correlations of the maximum soot volume fraction with aromatics content, hydrogen content, smoke point, and Threshold Sooting Index were all also examined. It is found that neither aromatics content nor hydrogen content can correlate with the maximum soot volume fraction for all the fuel blends at a given condition; conversely, smoke point shows a nonlinear correlation and Threshold Sooting Index shows an approximately linear correlation with the maximum soot volume fraction for all the fuel blends. It is suggested that the different sooting tendencies of AJF/Jet-A blends are mainly caused by the different sooting propensities of individual AJFs, which are strongly dependent on their distinct paraffinic compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parasitoid wasp family Braconidae is likely the second-most species-rich family in the animal kingdom. Braconid wasps are widely distributed and often encountered. They constitute one of the principal groups of natural enemies of phytophagous insects, of which many are serious pest species. The enormous biological diversification of braconid wasps has led to many homoplasies, which contributed widely to instabilities in historical classifications. Recent studies using combinations of genetic markers or total mitochondrial genomes allow for better founded groupings and will ultimately lead to a stable classification. We present the current status of the phylogenetics of the Braconidae in a historical perspective and our understanding of the effects on higher classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Relationship between pKa of organic acid and TOF of co-catalysis was explored. • Oxalic acid (pKa = 1.25) gave the maximum TOF value (6.26 h−1). • Furfural was synthesized from D- xylose with oxalic acid plus SO 4 2−/SnO 2 -argil. • High furfural yield (50.8%) from D- xylose (50 g/L) was achieved. • An effective approach for one-pot synthesis of FOL from D -xylose was demonstrated. Abstract In this study, organic acid could be used as co-catalyst for assisting solid acid SO 4 2−/SnO 2 -argil to convert hemicellulose-derived D -xylose into furfural. The relationship between pKa of organic acid and turnover frequency (TOF) of co-catalysis with organic acid plus SO 4 2−/SnO 2 -argil was explored on the conversion of D- xylose to furfural. Oxalic acid (pKa = 1.25) (0.35 wt%) was found to be the optimum co-catalyst for assisting SO 4 2−/SnO 2 -argil (3.6 wt%) to synthesize furfural from D- xylose (20 g/L) at 180 °C for 20 min, and the furfural yield and TOF could be obtained at 57.07% and 6.26 h−1, respectively. Finally, the obtained furfural (107.6 mM) could be completely biotransformed to furfuralcohol by recombinant Escherichia coli CCZU-K14 whole-cells at 30 °C and pH 6.5 in the presence of 1.5 mol glucose/mol furfural and 400 mM D -xylose. Clearly, this strategy shows high potential application for the effective synthesis of furfuralcohol from biomass-derived D -xylose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) is approximately twice as prevalent in women than in men. Synoviocytes are believed to play a critical role in joint inflammation. However, it is unknown whether synoviocytes from different genders possess sexual dimorphisms that contribute to female‐predominant TMJOA. Materials and Methods: Freund's complete adjuvant combined with monosodium iodoacetate was used to induce TMJOA in female and male rats. Histologic and radiographic features were used to evaluate TMJOA. The expression of CD68, MCP‐1, iNOS, and IL‐1β was detected by immunohistochemistry and real‐time PCR. Primary fibroblast‐like synoviocytes (FLSs) isolated from the synovial membrane of female and male rats were used for in vitro experiments. Results: Female rats showed aggravated TMJOA features as compared to male rats. Increased expression of iNOS and IL‐1β was detected in synovial membrane from female TMJOA rats as compared to male rats. Furthermore, greater amounts of CD68‐positive macrophage infiltration and increased MCP‐1 expression around the synovial membrane were detected in female TMJOA rats compared to males. Primary cultured FLSs from female rats showed higher sensitivity to TNF‐α treatment and recruited increased macrophage migration than male FLSs. More important, ovariectomy (OVX) by ablation in female rats repressed the sensitivity of female FLSs to TNF‐α treatment due to the loss of estrogen production. Blockage of the estrogen receptor repressed estrogen‐potentiated TNF‐α‐induced pro‐inflammatory cytokine expression in OVX‐FLSs. Moreover, the injection of estrogen receptor antagonists relieved the cartilage destruction and bone deterioration of TMJOA in female rats. Conclusion: Estrogen‐sensitized synoviocytes in female rats may contribute to gender differences in the incidence and progression of TMJOA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is high in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) has been recognized as an efficient alternative to oral anticoagulation for the prevention of thromboembolic events in patients with non-valvular AF (NVAF); however, the long-term safety and efficacy of LAAC in patients with CKD remain unclear. This study was designed to provide data regarding the safety and efficacy of LAAC in NVAF patients with CKD. A real-world analysis of the safety and efficacy of LAAC was performed on a cohort of 300 NVAF patients with or without CKD who underwent LAAC using the Watchman (WM) device at our center. The patients with CKD (n = 151) were significantly older (77.0 ± 7.2 vs. 73.2 ± 7.8 years, respectively, P < 0.0001) and had a higher CHA2DS2-VASc score (4.3 ± 1.5 vs. 3.4 ± 1.4, respectively, P < 0.0001) and HAS-BLED score (4.0 ± 1.0 vs. 3.0 ± 1.0, respectively, P < 0.0001) than the patients without CKD (n = 149). However, there were no differences between groups with respect to the device implant success rate (98.7 vs. 97.3%, respectively, P = 0.446) or severe periprocedural complications within 7 days. The patients were followed up for 637 ± 398 days, and all patients received repeat transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Thirteen (4.3%) device-related thrombi, 3 (1.0%) ischemic strokes, and 19 (6.3%) non-procedural major bleeding cases were documented, and there were no differences in these complications between groups. The observed rate of all thromboembolic events by Kaplan-Meier analysis decreased by 68.8% (CKD) and 48.6% (non-CKD); moreover, the observed annual rate of bleeding was reduced by 57.5% (CKD) and 11.4% (non-CKD). Our results indicate that LAAC with the WM device is safe and effective in preventing stroke in NVAF patients with and without CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative soot volume fraction measurements were conducted in a counterflow non-premixed flame configuration using ethylene/nitrogen as the fuel stream, oxygen/nitrogen as the oxidizer stream, and a pressure range of 1–8 atm. The laser-induced incandescence technique, calibrated using the light extinction method, was used to measure the soot volume fraction distributions. The variations of soot formation along the centerline of the counterflow flame with pressure were compared by keeping the density-weighted strain rate constant. Maintaining a constant density-weighted strain rate allows the overall flame thickness, as well as the reactant mass fluxes entering the flame, to remain unchanged for all pressures. As such, the effect of pressure on soot chemistry can be isolated from the effect of convective-diffusive transport. Based on the measured soot volume profiles, the soot layer thickness variation with pressure was determined. It was found that when keeping the density-weighted strain rate constant, the soot layer thickness remains similar over the pressure range investigated. However, the soot layer thickness was seen to decrease with increasing pressure when holding the strain rate fixed. In addition, the effects of fuel mole fraction and oxygen mole fraction on soot formation were investigated. Furthermore, the pressure scaling factors of soot formation under varying mixture conditions were deduced from experimental measurements. A literature gas-phase reaction mechanism including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) chemistry up to pyrene was also used to simulate the experimental counterflow flames. The pressure effect on PAH formation was presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression and anxiety are common comorbid diseases of constipation. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) significantly relieves gastrointestinal-related symptoms, but its impact on psychiatric symptoms remains uncharted. Methods: We collected fecal and serum samples before and after FMT from 4 functional constipation patients with psychiatric symptoms and corresponding donor stool samples. We categorized the samples into two groups: before FMT (Fb) and after FMT (Fa). Parameters associated with constipation, depression, and anxiety symptoms were evaluated. Metagenomics and targeted neurotransmitter metabolomics were performed to investigate the gut microbiota and metabolites. 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) biosynthesis was detected in patients' fecal supernatants exposed to the QGP-1 cell model in vitro. Results: Our study demonstrated that patient's constipation, depression, and anxiety were improved after FMT intervention. At the genus level, relative abundance of g_Bacteroides and g_Klebsiella decreased in the Fa group, while g_Lactobacillus, and g_Selenomonas content increased in the same group. These observations suggest a potential involvement of these genera in the pathogenesis of constipation with psychiatric symptoms. Metabolomics analysis showed that FMT intervention decreased serum 5-HT levels. Additionally, we found that species, including s_Klebsiella sp. 1_1_55, s_Odoribacter splanchnicus, and s_Ruminococcus gnavus CAG:126, were positively correlated with 5-HT levels. In contrast, s_Acetobacterium bakii, s_Enterococcus hermanniensis, s_Prevotella falsenii, s_Propionispira arboris, s_Schwartzia succinivorans, s_Selenomonas artemidis, and s_Selenomonas sp. FC4001 were negatively correlated with 5-HT levels. Furthermore, we observed that patients' fecal supernatants increased 5-HT biosynthesis in QGP-1 cells. Conclusion: FMT can relieve patients' constipation, depression, and anxiety symptoms by reshaping gut microbiota. The 5-HT level was associated with an altered abundance of specific bacteria or metabolites. This study provides specific evidence for FMT intervention in constipation patients with psychiatric symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bend-defect stirrups reduce the shear strength of an RC beam. • The reduction increases with the debonded length of stirrups' side-legs. • Nominal shear stress carried by bend-defect stirrups increases with section size. • Size effect of shear strength decreases with increasing stirrups' defect severity. • An approach proposed predicts reasonably the shear strength of such beam. The reactive expansion caused by alkali-aggregate reactions and severe corrosion in a saline environment may both lead to fracture or complete section loss at the lower bends of stirrups and localized debonding of side-legs nearby. The effects of such bend fracture and the debonded length on the shear performance of a reinforced concrete beam were explored in laboratory experiments and through a finite element simulation. Bend-defects in the stirrups reduced the beam's shear strength, and the reduction increased with the debonded length. And a parametric analysis indicated that the nominal shear stress carried by the stirrups with a given defect severity increased with section size, and the size effect of shear strength became less significant with increasing defect severity. An approach for predicting the shear strength of such defective beams was proposed based on a transparent and well-understood mechanical and physical model, and published test data confirm its accuracy and safety was confirmed by published test data on 35 beams of various sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing concerns over fuel cost, environmental pollutions, and energy security, the development of alternative fuels from renewable sources has gained considerable attention in the past decade. To evaluate the sooting propensities of representative conventional and alternative jet fuels, the present study has investigated soot formation in non-premixed combustion for three conventional reference jet fuels, i.e., Jet-A, JP-8, and JP-5, and three selected alternative jet fuels, i.e., Fischer-Tropsch Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (FT-SPK), Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids from camelina (HEFA-Camelina), and Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ). The soot volume fraction profiles of these jet fuels in the atmospheric-pressure counterflow non-premixed flame configuration were measured using Laser-Induced Incandescence technique. In addition, the effects of global strain rate and reactant concentration on soot formation were investigated. At the same stoichiometric mixture fraction, the experimental results show that the sooting level increases with increasing fuel and O 2 concentrations, while it decreases with increasing global strain rate, as expected. It is also worth noting that the three alternative jet fuels tested demonstrated greater sensitivity to variations in global strain rate and reactant concentration, as compared to the three conventional jet fuels. Based on the measured soot volume fractions, the sooting propensity of the six jet fuels are ranked as follows: JP-5 > Jet-A > JP-8 > ATJ > FT-SPK > HEFA-Camelina. The observed ranking is consistent with the aromatics content in each jet fuel except when comparing FT-SPK and ATJ. While ATJ has a lower aromatics content than FT-SPK, it contains much heavier hydrocarbon components, thereby leading to higher sooting propensity. Furthermore, the correlations of soot volume fraction with aromatics content and hydrogen content are examined for all six jet fuels. Although such correlations work well for the three conventional jet fuels, the present results suggest that they cannot be directly transferable to the alternative jet fuels, as these alternative fuels are composed of negligible amounts of aromatics, as well as composed of distinct chemical compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two- and three-dimensional morphological features of eutectic NiAl3in Al–Mg2Si were studied in detail. It is found that eutectic NiAl3transforms from enormous irregular shapes to fine regular rods, and the transition is related to (Al+Mg2Si) binary eutectic during the process of eutectic structural evolution. The explanation about the morphological change was discussed and analyzed in terms of the detailed microstructural observation of nucleation and growth patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perception of a stimulus can be characterized by two fundamental psychophysical measures: how well the stimulus can be discriminated from similar ones (discrimination threshold) and how strongly the perceived stimulus value deviates on average from the true stimulus value (perceptual bias). We demonstrate that perceptual bias and discriminability, as functions of the stimulus value, follow a surprisingly simple mathematical relation. The relation, which is derived from a theory combining optimal encoding and decoding, is well supported by a wide range of reported psychophysical data including perceptual changes induced by contextual modulation. The large empirical support indicates that the proposed relation may represent a psychophysical law in human perception. Our results imply that the computational processes of sensory encoding and perceptual decoding are matched and optimized based on identical assumptions about the statistical structure of the sensory environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wheelset maintenance cost is an important part of train maintenance cost. Researchers and railway operators have been closely concerned about the way to minimize residual stress at wheel tread and surface roughness during wheel reprofiling, thereby reducing the wheel damage during operation, extending the wheelset service life, and cutting down wheelset maintenance cost. The present study involves dynamic simulation of tread reprofiling process by building a finite element model of wheel reprofiling, taking the wheel steel as research object. This paper makes a comprehensive analysis of surface roughness and residual stress distribution of wheel tread under different milling parameters. The simulation results indicate that the increase in cutting speed and back cutting depth causes the chip morphology to change while impairing the machined surface quality. Once serrated chip occurs, it means wheel tread machining quality deteriorates remarkably. In this way, the paper associates macroscopic chip morphology with microcosmic surface roughness and internal residual stress to provide theoretical basis for optimization of wheel reprofiling process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]