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Thermal transport in wurtzite aluminum nitride (w-AlN) significantly affects the performance and reliability of corresponding electronic devices, particularly when lattice strains inevitably impact the thermal properties of w-AlN in practical applications. To accurately model the thermal properties of w-AlN with high efficiency, we develop a machine learning interatomic potential based on the atomic cluster expansion (ACE) framework. The predictive power of the ACE potential against density functional theory (DFT) is demonstrated across a broad range of properties of w-AlN, including ground-state lattice parameters, specific heat capacity, coefficients of thermal expansion, bulk modulus, and harmonic phonon dispersions. Validation of lattice thermal conductivity is further carried out by comparing the ACE-predicted values to the DFT calculations and experiments, exhibiting the overall capability of our ACE potential in sufficiently describing anharmonic phonon interactions. As a practical application, we perform a lattice dynamics analysis using the potential to unravel the effects of biaxial strains on thermal conductivity and phonon properties of w-AlN, which is identified as a significant tuning factor for near-junction thermal design of w-AlN-based electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares the fatigue life of a 7475-T7351 aluminum alloy lower wall plate in an aircraft beam structure under alternating corrosion and fatigue conditions to universal fatigue life. It incorporates a corrosive environment and variable amplitude fatigue loads. The current study uses the "beach marking" technique and visual inspection to monitor crack propagation and evaluate the corrosive environment's impact on fatigue life and damage tolerance. The experimental results indicate that during the fatigue crack initiation and penetration stages, the corrosion environment does not significantly impact the fatigue life of the beam structure because of the protection from uniform oxide films, epoxy primer, and sealants at joints. In the crack propagation stage, the corrosive environment speeds up crack growth compared to universal fatigue tests. Additionally, a "hysteresis effect" in alternating corrosion and fatigue tests shows the fatigue crack growth rate changing discontinuously, caused mainly by corrosion dissolving slip bands at the crack tip. Altogether, this study provides new insights into the influence of alternating corrosion and variable amplitude load on an aircraft beam structure's fatigue life and damage tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a novel framework for the analysis of medical imaging data, including magnetic resonance imaging, functional magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography and more. Medical imaging data differ from general images in two main aspects: (i) the sample size is often considerably smaller and (ii) the interpretation of the model is usually more crucial than predicting the outcome. As a result, standard methods such as convolutional neural networks cannot be directly applied to medical imaging analysis. Therefore, we propose the deep Kronecker network , which can adapt to the low sample size constraint and offer the desired model interpretation. Our approach is versatile, as it works for both matrix- and tensor-represented image data and can be applied to discrete and continuous outcomes. The deep Kronecker network is built upon a Kronecker product structure, which implicitly enforces a piecewise smooth property on coefficients. Moreover, our approach resembles a fully convolutional network as the Kronecker structure can be expressed in a convolutional form. Interestingly, our approach also has strong connections to the tensor regression framework proposed by Zhou et al. (2013) , which imposes a canonical low-rank structure on tensor coefficients. We conduct both classification and regression analyses using real magnetic resonance imaging data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Drought is one of the major environmental constraints for wheat production world‐wide. As the progenitor and genetic reservoir of common wheat, emmer wheat is considered as an invaluable gene pool for breeding drought‐tolerant wheat.Combining GWAS and eGWAS analysis of 107 accessions, we identified 86 QTLs, 105 462 eQTLs as well as 68 eQTL hotspots associating with drought tolerance (DT) in emmer wheat.A complex regulatory network composed of 185 upstream regulator and 2432 downstream drought‐responsive candidates was developed, of which TtOTS1 was found to play a negative effect in determining DT through affecting root development.This study sheds light on revealing the genetic basis underlying DT, which will provide the indispensable genes and germplasm resources for elite drought tolerance wheat improvement and breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a vital step to recognize cyanobacteria promoters on a genome-wide scale. Computational methods are promising to assist in difficult biological identification. When building recognition models, these methods rely on non-promoter generation to cope with the lack of real non-promoters. Nevertheless, the factitious significant difference between promoters and non-promoters causes over-optimistic prediction. Moreover, designed for E. coli or B. subtilis , existing methods cannot uncover novel, distinct motifs among cyanobacterial promoters. To address these issues, this work first proposes a novel non-promoter generation strategy called phantom sampling, which can eliminate the factitious difference between promoters and generated non-promoters. Furthermore, it elaborates a novel promoter prediction model based on the Siamese network (SiamProm), which can amplify the hidden difference between promoters and non-promoters through a joint characterization of global associations, upstream and downstream contexts, and neighboring associations w.r.t. k-mer tokens. The comparison with state-of-the-art methods demonstrates the superiority of our phantom sampling and SiamProm. Both comprehensive ablation studies and feature space illustrations also validate the effectiveness of the Siamese network and its components. More importantly, SiamProm, upon our phantom sampling, finds a novel cyanobacterial promoter motif ('GCGATCGC'), which is palindrome-patterned, content-conserved, but position-shifted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to examine the volumes of thalamic nuclei and the intrinsic thalamic network in patients with Wilson's disease (WDs), and to explore the correlation between these volumes and the severity of neurological symptoms. Methods: A total of 61 WDs and 33 healthy controls (HCs) were included in the study. The volumes of 25 bilateral thalamic nuclei were measured using structural imaging analysis with Freesurfer, and the intrinsic thalamic network was evaluated through structural covariance network (SCN) analysis. Results: The results indicated that multiple thalamic nuclei were smaller in WDs compared to HCs, including mediodorsal medial magnocellular (MDm), anterior ventral (AV), central median (CeM), centromedian (CM), lateral geniculate (LGN), limitans-suprageniculate (L-Sg), reuniens-medial ventral (MV), paracentral (Pc), parafascicular (Pf), paratenial (Pt), pulvinar anterior (PuA), pulvinar inferior (PuI), pulvinar medial (PuM), ventral anterior (VA), ventral anterior magnocellular (VAmc), ventral lateral anterior (VLa), ventral lateral posterior (VLp), ventromedial (VM), ventral posterolateral (VPL), and right middle dorsal intralaminar (MDI). The study also found a negative correlation between the UWDRS scores and the volume of the right MDm. The intrinsic thalamic network analysis showed abnormal topological properties in WDs, including increased mean local efficiency, modularity, normalized clustering coefficient, small-world index, and characteristic path length, and a corresponding decrease in mean node betweenness centrality. WDs with cerebral involvement had a lower modularity compared to HCs. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the majority of thalamic nuclei in WDs exhibit significant volume reduction, and the atrophy of the right MDm is closely related to the severity of neurological symptoms. The intrinsic thalamic network in WDs demonstrated abnormal topological properties, indicating a close relationship with neurological impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effect of micro-crystallization (based on annealing time and temperature) on near-infrared (NIR)-shielding properties of Li 0.09 K 0.23 WO 3 doped glass was investigated. The tungsten bronze doped glass was prepared by a facile melt-quenching technique. Structure and optical properties of the glass and glass-ceramics were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Raman, and UV–Vis–NIR spectrophotometry, respectively. Increasing the annealing temperature increases in the range from 400 °C to 500 °C, the tungsten-functional unit Li 0.09 K 0.23 WO 3 structure, which is responsible for NIR-shielding, changes the structural state from amorphous state to crystalline state gradually. Thus, the NIR-shielding properties of glass are significantly enhanced. Furthermore, annealing glass samples at 450 °C, during timeframe from 2 h to 8 h, causes crystallization and grain growth of the functional units, thus NIR-shielding property of the glasses is enhancing. It worth to be mentioned, that the increase of annealing temperature and time duration causes excessive grain growth in the glass matrix, which leads to decreasing of the optical transmittance in the visible light wavelength region. We have found, that the glass sample annealing temperature is at 450 °C with treatment time of 6 h yields the best results. In such manner the optical transmittance at λ = 1500 nm wavelength is 16.5 % and the highest transmittance of visible light wavelength region reaches 65 %. We conclude, that the NIR-shielding properties are adjustable and can be tailored by annealing temperature and time duration, which is expected to enhance the design and vary visual aspects of energy-saving windows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19 has been shown to increase the risk of extracorporeal coagulation during hemodialysis in patients, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of COVID-19 on the risk of extracorporeal coagulation in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the extracorporeal coagulation status of 339 hemodialysis patients at our center before and after COVID-19 infection was performed, including subgroup analyses. Post-infection blood composition was analyzed by protein spectrometry and ELISA. Results: Compared to the pre-COVID-19 infection period, COVID-19-induced extracorporeal coagulation predominantly occurred in patients with severe/critical symptoms. Further proteomic analysis demonstrated that in patients with severe/critical symptoms, the coagulation cascade reaction, platelet activation, inflammation, and oxidative stress-related pathways were significantly amplified compared to those in patients with no/mild symptoms. Notably, the vWF/FBLN5 pathway, which is associated with inflammation, vascular injury, and coagulation, was significantly upregulated. Conclusions: Patients with severe/critical COVID-19 symptoms are at a higher risk of extracorporeal coagulation during hemodialysis, which is associated with the upregulation of the vWF/FBLN5 signaling pathway. These findings highlight the importance of early anticoagulant therapy initiation in COVID-19 patients with severe/critical symptoms, particularly those undergoing hemodialysis. Additionally, vWF/FBLN5 upregulation may be a novel mechanism for virus-associated thrombosis/coagulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a facile strategy was established to build mechanoresponsive luminogens with high sensitivity to substituents and positional effects. Even in slightly different structures, distinct optical phenomena, including fluorescence efficiency and mechano-responsive properties, were clearly present. Outstanding mechanical-induced emission enhancement (5–100 times) properties and reversibility makes for promising applications in pressure sensors and OLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the widespread use of low-dose spiral computed tomography (LDCT) and increasing awareness of personal health, the detection rate of pulmonary nodules is steadily rising. To evaluate the success rate and safety of two different models of Hook-Wire needle localization procedures for pulmonary small nodule biopsy. Ninety-four cases with a total of 97 pulmonary small nodules undergoing needle localization biopsy were retrospectively analyzed. The cases were divided into two groups: Group A, using breast localization needle steel wire (Bard Healthcare Science Co., Ltd.); Group B, using disposable pulmonary nodule puncture needle (SensCure Biotechnology Co., Ltd.). All patients underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for nodule removal on the same day after localization and biopsy. The puncture localization operation time, success rate, complications such as pulmonary hemorrhage, pneumothorax, hemoptysis, and postoperative comfort were observed and compared. In Group A, the average localization operation time for 97 nodules was 15.47 ± 5.31 minutes, with a success rate of 94.34%. The complication rate was 71.69% (12 cases of pneumothorax, 35 cases of pulmonary hemorrhage, 2 cases of hemoptysis), and 40 cases of post-localization discomfort were reported. In Group B, the average localization operation time was 25.32 ± 7.83 minutes, with a 100% success rate. The complication rate was 29.55% (3 cases of pneumothorax, 15 cases of pulmonary hemorrhage, 0 cases of hemoptysis), and 3 cases reported postoperative discomfort. According to the data analysis in this study, Group B had a lower incidence of puncture-related complications than Group A, along with a higher success rate and significantly greater postoperative comfort.The disposable pulmonary nodule puncture needle is safer and more effective in pulmonary small nodule localization biopsy, exhibiting increased comfort compared to the breast localization needle. Additionally, the incidence of complications is significantly lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When benthic fish engage in predation, they often swim near the riverbank or close to hard rocks, where they are subjected to the combined effects of side and benthic walls. This study focuses on the brown trout and employs a three-dimensional numerical model to simulate the process of brown trout accelerating from a stationary state to a cruising state under the influence of wall effects. A self-developed subroutine algorithm is applied to solve the various hydrodynamic parameters of brown trout swimming. By varying the distance between the fish's center of gravity and the wall, this study explores the self-propelled performance and efficiency of fish swimming affected by the sidewall as well as the combined influence of the side and benthic walls. This study also reveals the hydrodynamic mechanism of wall effects that impact the performance of fish swimming in the body/caudal fin (BCF) mode. The results demonstrate that when the distance is less than 0.5 times the body length of the fish, swimming near the sidewall can enhance speed and thrust, but the swimming efficiency will reduce. Closer proximity to the benthic wall leads to increased power consumption and decreased efficiency, which is disadvantageous for fish swimming. The findings of this study reveal the unstable wall effects experienced by fish and offer insights for designing biomimetic underwater vehicles that leverage wall effects as well as for creating habitats that support fish swimming in the BCF mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumors are characterized by abnormal cell growth, which leads to uncontrolled cell proliferation, invasion of surrounding tissues, and potential metastasis to other parts of the body. Current treatments for tumors include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and biological therapy. However, many tumors are detected at advanced stages, limiting the effectiveness of these treatments. Therefore, there is a need to develop more sensitive and efficient techniques to improve patient survival rates. Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology is a highly sensitive molecular detection and characterization technique. It can be combined with histomorphology, immunolabeling assays, and molecular hybridization to achieve quantitative diagnosis at morphological, molecular, and genetic levels. SERS offers advantages such as objectivity, reproducibility, and comparability. However, there are challenges to address, including complex substrate or probe preparation, cumbersome data analysis, and signal reproducibility and reliability. To fully utilize the potential of SERS in the biomedical field and for clinical translation, it is important to optimize the technology and develop more sensitive, accurate, and reliable substrate or probe preparation and analysis methods. This review aims to comprehensively explain the mechanism and unique advantages of SERS technology and discuss its current status, challenges, and prospects in tumor‐related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud storage service can provide a lot convenience for users to collect, store and share data within a group. However, there are some secure issues, one of which is that the cloud server may cheat users for a good reputation when the data is lost. A classical solution to deal with it is provable data possession (PDP) protocols. Most of PDP protocols are relied on either the public key infrastructure or identity-based cryptography. However, certificate management and key escrow issues place a significant burden on this. Furthermore, revoking the group's illegal users is a critical issue for PDP schemes. To address these problems, we put forward a certificateless PDP scheme for shared data with user revocation. Our proposed scheme not only achieves efficient user revocation but also withstands collusion attack. We also give a formal proof of security of our proposed scheme without random oracle model. Experimental results and analysis show that our scheme is quite effective in data auditing, verification, and user revocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid heterostructures composed of substrates and epitaxial films are extensively used in advanced technologies, and their thermophysical properties fundamentally determine the performance, efficiency, and reliability of the corresponding devices. However, an experimental method that is truly appropriate for the thermophysical property measurement of solid heterostructures is still lacking. To this end, a three-sensor 3ω-2ω method is proposed, which can simultaneously measure the thermal conductivities of the film and the substrate, along with the film-substrate thermal boundary resistance (TBR) in a single solid heterostructure without any reference samples, showing broad applicability for miscellaneous heterostructures with film thickness ranging from 100 nm to 10 μm. In this method, three parallel metal sensors with unequal widths and distances conforming to guidelines for the three-sensor layout design are fabricated on the sample surface, in which the two outer sensors serve as heaters and the middle sensor as a detector. The respective 3ω signals of the two heaters and the 2ω signal of the detector are measured, and then the thermophysical properties of the sample are fitted within 3D finite element simulations. To verify this method, two typical wide bandgap semiconductor heterojunctions, i.e., GaN on SiC (#SiC) and GaN on Si (#Si) with ∼2.3 μm GaN epilayers, are measured. The thermal conductivity of the GaN film, the thermal conductivities of the SiC and Si substrates, and the GaN/substrate TBRs are derived, exhibiting good agreement with the literature. The proposed method will provide a comprehensive solution for the thermophysical property measurements of various solid heterostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Target encirclement is widely used in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs), which can effectively monitor and intercept external threats. However, the integration from target detection, localization to final tracking is difficult or costly. This article proposes a complete and inexpensive framework of the target encirclement for multiple quadrotors. The framework consists of three modules: object detection, target localization and formation tracking. Firstly, a one-stage object detector based on a convolutional neural network is used to achieve fast and accurate object detection. Then, combined with the position and attitude states of the quadrotor, a 3D target localization scheme to locate the target position is proposed. Based on consensus theory, a time-varying formation tracking control protocol is proposed. Finally, a multiple quadrotor platform composed of one reconnaissance quadrotor and four hunter quadrotors is built with self-organizing network communication, which avoids the expensive cost of deploying object detection modules on each quadrotor platform. We deployed the framework on the multiple quadrotor platform and conducted static and dynamic localization and encirclement experiments with a minibus as the target. The result shows that the reconnaissance quadrotors can detect and accurately locate targets over 30 fps, and the average deviation of locating the target minibus could reach a minimum of 0.0712 m. The hunter quadrotors could track and encircle the dynamic moving target minibus in a time-varying formation. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed framework of the target encirclement for multiple quadrotors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reperfusion injury of ischemic stroke, characterized by the uncontrolled production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammatory reactions, continues to present a major problem in clinical treatment. Neutrophils are forerunners to infiltrate cerebral ischemic regions and contribute to reperfusion injury. Herein, this study reports a tailored “burning the bridges” strategy by designing biomimetic nanozymes (D@HPB@SPM NPs) to diminish reperfusion injury of ischemic stroke. D@HPB@SPM NPs are composed of a sialic acid (SA)‐modified platelet membrane shell and a hollow Prussian blue nanoparticle core loaded with Deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I). Due to the unique binding affinity of SA to L‐selectin, which is abundantly expressed in circulating neutrophils, D@HPB@SPM NPs can effectively hitchhike on neutrophils across the blood‐brain barrier into the injured brain parenchyma after intravenous injection. Following this, neutrophils are activated and unleash D@HPB@SPM NPs through producing neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). D@HPB@SPM NPs not only relieve oxidative stress injury by efficiently scavenging ROS, but also mitigate neutrophil‐induced reperfusion injury by degrading NETs in a manner similar to “burning the bridges”. The encouraging accumulation of D@HPB@SPM NPs to cerebral ischemic regions and their efficient therapeutic efficacy are systematically validated in ischemic stroke rats. This work offers a fresh insight for ischemic stroke treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) has been widely used to image the three-dimensional (3D) structures and functions of various millimeter-size bio-specimen such as zebrafish. However, the sample adsorption and scattering cause shading of the light-sheet illumination, preventing the even 3D image of thick samples. Herein, we report a continuous-rotational light-sheet microscope (CR-LSM) that enables simultaneous 3D bright-field and fluorescence imaging. With a high-accuracy rotational stage, CR-LSM records the outline projections and the fluorescent images of the sample at multiple rotation angles. Then, 3D morphology and fluorescent structure were reconstructed with a developed algorithm. Using CR-LSM, zebrafish's whole-fish contour and blood vessel structures were obtained simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upon reevaluating the influence of residual stresses generated by thermal mismatches in fibrous composites during the curing process, we introduce a modified model for the extraction of a single fiber from an elastic matrix. In contrast to previous models, which solely factored residual stress effects into the boundary conditions at the fiber–matrix interface while omitting them from the constitutive relations, our current model acknowledges bulk residual stress as finite values. Consequently, it yields non-conventional constitutive relations to describe the incremental deformation caused by external pulling forces. We have developed a practical semi-analytical series solution for the radial displacement of the matrix and an exact solution for the radial displacement of the fiber. To validate our modified model, we simplify it to a scenario where the influence of residual stress on the stress–strain relationship is excluded and compare it with results from existing literature. This comparison underscores the soundness of our modified model. We present a phase diagram to illustrate how the impact of residual stress on stress field prediction varies based on the ratio of the fiber modulus to the matrix modulus. This phase diagram serves as a valuable tool for evaluating whether it is advisable to transition from the previous mechanical model, which disregards the influence of residual stress on the stress–strain relationship, to the new model, which takes this influence into account within the stress–strain relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultralow dispersion gradient refractive index (GRIN) microlens arrays (MLAs) covering the visible to mid-infrared wavelength range are imprinted in GeS 2 -Ga 2 S 3 -CsI chalcohalide glass by an efficient and economical microthermal poling process. The effect of poling voltage on GRIN microstructure, structural rearrangement, optical properties of the poled glasses, and imaging of the imprinted MLAs have been investigated. Optical focal length of the GRIN MLAs decreases from 353 to 63 μm with increasing the poling voltage from 200 to 1000 V, which is in accordance with imprinting-induced phase difference increase from 0.57 λ to 1.19 λ. Optimal chromatic aberration (between 520 and 850 nm) as low as 5% is achieved in the GRIN MLAs. Formation mechanism of GRIN MLAs is mainly associated with an enhanced transverse migration of Cs+ ions within mesh square area, which is provided by an improved anode of microthermal poling setup. Thus, an efficient and inexpensive process developed can produce broadband and ultralow dispersion GRIN MLAs for imaging, display, and photovoltaic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rice endophytic P. putida ARS1 is efficient in reducing As(V) and efflux As(III) • P. putida ARS1 contains two chromosomal arsenic resistance gene clusters (arsRCBH) • Co-culture with P. putida ARS1 increased As accumulation in W. globosa by 69% • P. putida ARS1 and W. globosa cooperation enhanced As removal from water • Combining P. putida ARS1 and W. globosa constitutes new As phytoremediation concept Arsenic is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant. Microbe-mediated arsenic bio-transformations significantly influence arsenic mobility and toxicity. Arsenic transformations by soil and aquatic organisms have been well documented, while little is known regarding effects due to endophytic bacteria. An endophyte Pseudomonas putida ARS1 was isolated from rice grown in arsenic contaminated soil. P. putida ARS1 shows high tolerance to arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)), and exhibits efficient As(V) reduction and As(III) efflux activities. When exposed to 0.6 mg/L As(V), As(V) in the medium was completely converted to As(III) by P. putida ARS1 within 4 hr. Genome sequencing showed that P. putida ARS1 has two chromosomal arsenic resistance gene clusters (arsRCBH) that contribute to efficient As(V) reduction and As(III) efflux, and result in high resistance to arsenicals. Wolffia globosa is a strong arsenic accumulator with high potential for arsenic phytoremediation, which takes up As(III) more efficiently than As(V). Co-culture of P. putida ARS1 and W. globosa enhanced arsenic accumulation in W. globosa by 69%, and resulted in 91% removal of arsenic (at initial concentration of 0.6 mg/L As(V)) from water within 3 days. This study provides a promising strategy for in situ arsenic phytoremediation through the cooperation of plant and endophytic bacterium. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demolding process of electroforming technology in fabricating microstructured optical-functional thin films produces the problem of excessive bonding between the metal substrate and the metal replica, which triggers the deformation of the microstructure and the reduction of precision, and the deposition of Cr–O–C discrete nuclei at the interface can play a good role in assisting the demolding effect. In this paper, the tensile deformation of polycrystalline Cu/Ni and Cu/Cr–O–C/Ni composites is investigated using molecular dynamics methods. The results show that the Cu/Ni model produces a large number of HCP structures during stretching, with holes at the interface and a large number of Cu atoms transferring to the Ni layer. The addition of the Cr–O–C layer reduces the yield strength of the Cu/Cr–O–C/Ni model by 26.41%, and at the same time, the dislocation proliferation at the interface is reduced, and the fracture is at the centralized interface, and the fracture time is reduced by 90.8%. The higher number of Cr–O–C atoms at the interface decreases the transfer of Cu atoms to the Ni layer. The results provide a possible explanation for the Cr–O–C layer-assisted precision electrodeposition debonding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning (ML) accurately predicts the shear bearing capacity of steel tube‐reinforced concrete (STRC) shear walls, aiding optimization design. However, creating a database for STRC shear walls experimentally is time‐consuming and costly. The aim of this study is to propose a method for high‐accuracy prediction of STRC shear wall shear bearing capacity using a small‐sample dataset. This study employs generative adversarial network (GAN) data augmentation techniques to address the issues of insufficient ML model training and low prediction accuracy in small‐sample databases. Based on the stacking framework, a fusion model (Stacking‐XRL) combining extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), random forest (RF), and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) is established to predict the shear bearing capacity of STRC shear walls. Results show that after augmenting the training set with GAN, the prediction performance of K‐nearest neighbors (KNN), backpropagation neural network (BPNN), RF, light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), XGBoost, and stacking‐XRL models significantly improve, with average increases of 10% in R2 and average decreases of 30% and 25% in MAE and RMSE, respectively. The proposed stacking‐XRL fusion model outperforms tested models, existing formulas, and Abaqus numerical simulations for the shear bearing capacity of STRC shear walls. Model interpretation reveals that the shear span ratios as the most important factors in predicting shear bearing capacity, followed by axial force ratio and whole section configuration steel tubular index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Poultry are influenced by environmental stimuli, which can impact their productivity and immune function. Exploring the mechanisms behind these effects is crucial for better animal husbandry. By examining previous research, we identified stress-related genes and used microarray technology to measure gene expression levels and pathway enrichment. Ultimately, we confirmed that certain immune genes are inhibited by environmental stress. These findings provide preliminary explanations for the decreased immune function in poultry under stress and offer a theoretical basis for improving actual production. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures and humidity can trigger heat stress in animals, leading to subsequent immune suppression. Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) act as upstream regulators closely linked to heat stress, contributing to their immunosuppressive effects. After an initial examination of transcriptome sequencing data from individual samples, 48 genes displaying interactions were found to potentially be associated with heat stress. Subsequently, to delve deeper into this association, we gathered chicken bone marrow dendritic cells (BMDCs). We combined heat stress with lipopolysaccharides and utilized a 48 × 48 Fluidigm IFC quantitative microarray to analyze the patterns of gene changes under various treatment conditions. The results of the study revealed that the combination of heat stress and LPSs in a coinfection led to reduced expressions of CRHR1, MEOX1, and MOV10L1. These differentially expressed genes triggered a pro-inflammatory response within cells via the MAPK and IL-17 signaling pathways. This response, in turn, affected the intensity and duration of inflammation when experiencing synergistic stimulation. Therefore, LPSs exacerbate the immunosuppressive effects of heat stress and prolong cellular adaptation to stress. The combination of heat stress and LPS stimulation induced a cellular inflammatory response through pathways involving cAMP, IL-17, MAPK, and others, consequently leading to decreased expression levels of CRHR1, MEOX1, and MOV10L1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial cystitis, a commonly occurring urinary tract infection (UTI), is renowned for its extensive prevalence and tendency to recur. Despite the extensive utilization of levofloxacin as a conventional therapeutic approach for bacterial cystitis, its effectiveness is impeded by adverse toxic effects, drug resistance concerns, and its influence on the gut microbiota. This study introduces Lev@PADM, a hydrogel with antibacterial properties that demonstrates efficacy in the treatment of bacterial cystitis. Lev@PADM is produced by combining levofloxacin with decellularized porcine acellular dermal matrix hydrogel and exhibits remarkable biocompatibility. Lev@PADM demonstrates excellent stability as a hydrogel at body temperature, enabling direct administration to the site of infection through intravesical injection. This localized delivery route circumvents the systemic circulation of levofloxacin, resulting in a swift and substantial elevation of the antimicrobial agent's concentration specifically at the site of infection. The in vivo experimental findings provide evidence that Lev@PADM effectively prolongs the duration of levofloxacin's action, impedes the retention and invasion of E.coli in the urinary tract, diminishes the infiltration of innate immune cells into infected tissues, and simultaneously preserves the composition of the intestinal microbiota. These results indicate that, in comparison to the exclusive administration of levofloxacin, Lev@PADM offers notable benefits in terms of preserving the integrity of the bladder epithelial barrier and suppressing the recurrence of urinary tract infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: The patient's vasospastic variant angina manifested as syncope with asymptomatic ischemic episodes, and repeated 24‐h dynamic electrocardiogram and coronary angiography examinations combined with coronary provocation spasm tests were necessary for its diagnosis and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-species spillover to humans of coronaviruses (CoVs) from wildlife animal reservoirs poses marked and global threats to human and animal health. Recently, sporadic infection of canine coronavirus–human pneumonia-2018 (CCoV-HuPn-2018) in hospitalized patients with pneumonia genetically related to canine and feline coronavirus were identified. In addition, swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) had the capability of broad tropism to cultured cells including from humans. Together, the transmission of Alphacoronaviruses that originated in wildlife to humans via intermediate hosts was responsible for the high-impact emerging zoonosis. Entry of CoV is mainly mediated by Spike and formation of a typical six helix bundle (6-HB) structure in the postfusion state of Spike is pivotal. Here, we present the complete fusion core structures of CCoV-HuPn-2018 and SADS-CoV from Alphacoronavirus at 2.10 and 2.59 Å, respectively. The overall structure of the CCoV-HuPn-2018 fusion core is similar to Alphacoronavirus like HCoV-229E, while SADS-CoV is analogous to Betacoronavirus like SARS-CoV-2. Collectively, we provide a structural basis for the development of pan-CoV small molecules and polypeptides based on the HR1-HR2 complex, concerning CCoV-HuPn-2018 and SADS-CoV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing size and complexity of data provided by both ongoing and planned galaxy surveys greatly contribute to our understanding of galaxy evolution. Deep learning methods are particularly well suited for handling the complex and massive data. We train a convolutional neural network (CNN) to simultaneously predict the stellar populations in galaxies: age, metallicity, colour excess E (B − V), and central velocity dispersion (VD) using spectra with redshift ≤ 0.3 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. This is the first time to use spectra based on deep learning to derive the four galaxy properties. The testing results show that our CNN predictions of galaxy properties are in good consistent with values by the traditional stellar population synthesis method with little scatters (0.11 dex for age and metallicity, 0.018 mag for E (B − V), and 31 km s−1 for VD). In terms of the computational time, our method reduces by more than 10 times compared to traditional method. We further evaluate the performance of our CNN prediction model using spectra with different signal-to-noise ratios (S/Ns), redshifts, and spectral classes. We find that our model generally exhibits good performance, although the errors at different S/Ns, redshifts, and spectral classes vary slightly. Our well-trained CNN model and related codes are publicly available on https://github.com/sddzwll/CNNforStellarp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the coordination economic dispatch problem (EDP) for distributed energy resources. To minimise the total operating cost under various constraints, a switched distributed coordination algorithm is presented to solve the EDP over the unreliable communication network with the Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks. In this situation, the proposed algorithm integrates the normal mode and the attack mode. The attackers can make the communication network unconnected and destroy the convergence and optimality in the attack mode. In order to explore under what conditions the optimal solution can still be obtained, we model the attack modes by differential inclusions and use an average dwell-time automaton and time-ratio monitor to limit the DoS attacks. Then, the switched distributed algorithm is modelled as a hybrid dynamical system. Furthermore, some conditions are derived to guarantee the exponential convergence of the proposed algorithm under DoS attacks. Finally, simulation results tested on the IEEE 30-bus power system illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water molecule occurs in two nuclear-spin isomers that differ by the value of the total nuclear spin of the hydrogen atoms, i.e., I = 0 for para-H2O and I = 1 for ortho-H2O. Spectroscopic transitions between rovibrational states of ortho and para water are extremely weak due to the tiny hyperfine nuclear-spin–rotation interaction of only ∼30 kHz and, so far, have not been observed. We report the first comprehensive theoretical investigation of the hyperfine effects and ortho–para transitions in H 2 16 O due to nuclear-spin–rotation and spin–spin interactions. We also present the details of our newly developed general variational approach to the simulation of hyperfine effects in polyatomic molecules. Our results for water suggest that the strongest ortho–para transitions with room-temperature intensities on the order of 10−31 cm/molecule are about an order of magnitude larger than previously predicted values and should be detectable in the mid-infrared ν2 and near-infrared 2ν1 + ν2 and ν1 + ν2 + ν3 bands by current spectroscopy experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have indicated that boreal winter-to-spring sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) over the tropical Atlantic or Indian Ocean can trigger the central-Pacific (CP) type of ENSO in the following winter due to winds over the western Pacific. Here, with the aid of observational data and CMIP5 model simulations, we demonstrate that the ability of the winter-to-spring north tropical Atlantic (NTA) SSTA or Indian Ocean Basin (IOB) mode to initiate CP ENSO events in the following winter may strongly depend on each other. Most warming events of the IOB and NTA, which are followed by CP La Niña events, are concomitant. The synergistic effect of the IOB and NTA SSTA may produce greater CP ENSO events in the subsequent winter via Walker circulation adjustments. The impacts between warming and cooling events of the IOB and NTA SSTA are asymmetric. IOB and NTA warmings appear to contribute to the subsequent CP La Niña development, which is much greater than IOB and NTA cooling contributing to CP El Niño. Overall, a combination of the IOB and NTA SSTA precursors may improve predictions of La Niña events. Significance Statement: Although boreal winter-to-spring sea surface temperature anomalies over the tropical Atlantic or Indian Ocean can trigger central-Pacific (CP) ENSO in the following winter, it is not yet clear whether the effects of these two basins are independent. The purpose of this study is to better understand the joint effect of these two basins on CP ENSO events. We demonstrate that the ability of the north tropical Atlantic (NTA) SSTA to initiate CP ENSO events in the following winter may strongly depend on the state of the Indian Ocean Basin mode (IOB). The synergistic impact of these two basins may produce stronger CP ENSO events. These results highlight the role of three-ocean interactions in ENSO diversity and prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presented a platform of multiplex fluorescence detection of single-cell droplet microfluidics with demonstrative applications in quantifying protein expression levels. The platform of multiplex fluorescence detection mainly included optical paths adopted from conventional microscopy enabling the generation of three optical spots from three laser sources for multiple fluorescence excitation and capture of multiple fluorescence signals by four photomultiplier tubes. As to platform characterization, microscopic images of three optical spots were obtained where clear Gaussian distributions of intensities without skewness confirmed the functionality of the scanning lens, while the controllable distances among three optical spots validated the functionality of fiber collimators and the reflector lens. As to demonstration, this platform was used to quantify single-cell protein expression within droplets where four-type protein expression of α-tubulin, Ras, c-Myc, and β-tubulin of CAL 27 (Ncell = 1921) vs WSU-HN6 (Ncell = 1881) were quantitatively estimated, which were (2.85 ± 0.72) × 105 vs (4.83 ± 1.58) × 105, (3.69 ± 1.41) × 104 vs (5.07 ± 2.13) × 104, (5.90 ± 1.45) × 104 vs (9.57 ± 2.85) × 104, and (3.84 ± 1.28) × 105 vs (3.30 ± 1.10) × 105, respectively. Neural pattern recognition was utilized for the classification of cell types, achieving successful rates of 69.0% (α-tubulin), 75.4% (Ras), 89.1% (c-Myc), 65.8% (β-tubulin), and 99.1% in combination, validating the capability of this platform of multiplex fluorescence detection to quantify various types of single-cell proteins, which could provide comprehensive evaluations on cell status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Viral load assessment for people living with HIV is key for monitoring treatment and achieving the 95-95-95. In this study, we aimed to assess the degree of viral suppression at different thresholds and treatment duration after the introduction of dolutegravir-based therapy in ten public hospitals in Sierra Leone. Methods: We used a cross-sectional study design to recruits patients aged 18 years or older between August 2022 and January 2023. Statistical analyses were performed using R-software. Logistic regression was used to assess factors independently associated with viral suppression. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Of the 2,253 patients recruited, 1,720 (76%) were women and 1,705 (76%) were receiving a fixed dose combination of tenofovir, lamivudine and dolutegravir. The median age and duration of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) was 36.0 (IQR, 28.0–45.0) years and 40.9 (IQR, 14.4–79.6) months, respectively. Using a threshold of HIV RNA < 1000 copies/mL, 1,715 (88.4%) patients on ART for more than 6 months were virally suppressed. Viral suppression rates were higher with dolutegravir-based (1,277, 89.5%) than efavirenz-based (418, 86.2%) ART. HIV RNA was < 200 copies/mL in 1,643 (84.6%) patients or < 50 copies/mL in 1,487 (76.6%) patients or between 50 and 999 copies/mL in 228 (11.7%) patients. Viral suppression rates at different ART durations (months) were as follows: 84.2% (≤ 3), 88.8% (4–6), 90.9% (6–12), and 88.1% (> 12). Viral suppression rates were higher for patients aged 40 or older (40–50 years: aOR 2.05, 95%CI 1.41–3.04, P < 0.01; 50–60 years: aOR 2.51, 95%CI 1.53–4.35, P < 0.01; >60 years: aOR 2.69, 95%CI 1.28–6.63, P = 0.02). Men had 49% lower odds of viral suppression than women (aOR 0.50, 95% CI 0.38–0.67, P < 0.01). Conclusion: We report a viral suppression rate of 88.4% among patients on treatment for at least 6 months, with higher rate of suppression with dolutegravir than efavirenz. Factors associated with virological suppression were age and gender, emphasizing the need for innovative differentiated ART delivery models to optimize viral suppression and achieve the 95% target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although nondestructive ultrasonic technologies have been applied in laboratory and field tests in the field of heritage conservation, few studies have quantified the relationship among the real microstructures, micromechanical properties, and macroscopic acoustic responses of earthen-site soils. This paper develops a micromechanics-based multiscale model for quantitatively exploring the ultrasonic propagation characteristics of elastic waves in untreated and consolidated earthen-site soils. Scanning electron microscope images and image processing technology are integrated into the finite-element simulation. The effects of microstructure and wave features on the acoustic characteristics of soils are quantitatively investigated under pulsive loading. The simulation results of untreated and consolidated soils are efficiently compared to ultrasonic test data. It is demonstrated that the integration of microstructure image processing and multiscale modeling can predict the ultrasonic pulse velocity well, which improves the accuracy of laboratory testing and field monitoring and better serves the evaluation and implementation of engineering practice in the field of heritage conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spin crossover (SCO) materials with new architectures will expand and enrich the research in the SCO field. Here, we report two metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) containing tetradentate organic ligands and hexatopic linkers [Ag8X8(CN)6]6− (X=Br and I), which represents the first SCO MOF with clusters as building blocks. The silver halide cluster can be further removed after reacting with lithium tetracyanoquinodimethan (LiTCNQ). Such post‐synthetic modification (PSM) is realized via single‐crystal to single‐crystal (SCSC) transformation from urk to nbo topology. Accordingly, the spin state and fluorescence properties are greatly modified by cluster deconstruction. Therefore, these achievements will provide new ideas for the design of new SCO systems and the development of PSM methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spin crossover (SCO) materials with new architectures will expand and enrich the research in the SCO field. Here, we report two metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) containing tetradentate organic ligands and hexatopic linkers [Ag8X8(CN)6]6− (X=Br and I), which represents the first SCO MOF with clusters as building blocks. The silver halide cluster can be further removed after reacting with lithium tetracyanoquinodimethan (LiTCNQ). Such post‐synthetic modification (PSM) is realized via single‐crystal to single‐crystal (SCSC) transformation from urk to nbo topology. Accordingly, the spin state and fluorescence properties are greatly modified by cluster deconstruction. Therefore, these achievements will provide new ideas for the design of new SCO systems and the development of PSM methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) is related to renal insufficiency. The purpose of this study was to explore the correlation between PD and blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and proteinuria. Methods: The case-control study method was adopted in this study. In total, 200 patients with PD who were hospitalized in the Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University were selected as the PD group, and 110 healthy patients during the same period were selected as the control group. The differences in clinical data and laboratory results between the two groups were compared. Logistic regression analysis, ROC curve, and Spearman correlation analysis were used to determine the correlation between PD and blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and urine protein. Results: The levels of cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), and apolipoprotein B in the PD group were lower than those in the control group. The levels of creatinine, urea nitrogen, and proteinuria in the PD group were higher than those in the control group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that elevated blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and urine protein levels were risk factors for PD, and elevated LDL-C levels were protective factors for PD. The blood urea nitrogen level of patients with PD was positively correlated with the course of PD, Hoehn–Yahr staging, and UPDRS exercise score (r = 0.309, 0.434, and 0.540, respectively; P < 0.01). Serum creatinine level was positively correlated with the course of PD, Hoehn–Yahr staging, and UPDRS exercise score (r = 0.139, 0.320, and 0.290, respectively; P < 0.01). Conclusion: Blood urea nitrogen, creatinine levels, and proteinuria can be regarded as the onset of PD and a biomarker of disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teak is a rare tropical tree with high economic value, and it is one of the world's main afforestation trees. Low temperature is the main problem for introducing and planting this species in subtropical or temperate zones. Low-temperature acclimation can enhance the resistance of teak to low-temperature stress, but the mechanism for this is still unclear. We studied the gene expression of two-year-old teak seedlings under a rapid temperature drop from 20 °C to 4 °C using RNA-seq and WGCNA analyses. The leaves in the upper part of the plants developed chlorosis 3 h after the quick transition, and the grades of chlorosis were increased after 9 h, with the addition of water stains and necrotic spots. Meanwhile, the SOD and proline contents in teak leaves increased with the prolonged cold stress time. We also identified 36,901 differentially expressed genes, among which 1055 were novel. Notably, CBF2 and CBF4 were significantly induced by low temperatures, while CBF1 and CBF3 were not. Furthermore, WGCNA successfully identified a total of fourteen modules, which consist of three modules associated with cold stress response genes, two modules linked to CBF2 and CBF4, and one module correlated with the CBF-independent pathway gene HY5. The transformation experiments showed that TgCBF2 and TgCBF4 improved cold resistance in Arabidopsis plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thioredoxin pathway is an antioxidant system present in most organisms. Electrons flow from a thioredoxin reductase to thioredoxin at the expense of a specific electron donor. Most known thioredoxin reductases rely on NADPH as a reducing cofactor. Yet, in 2016, a new type of thioredoxin reductase was discovered in Archaea which utilize instead a reduced deazaflavin cofactor (F420H2). For this reason, the respective enzyme was named deazaflavin‐dependent flavin‐containing thioredoxin reductase (DFTR). To have a broader understanding of the biochemistry of DFTRs, we identified and characterized two other archaeal representatives. A detailed kinetic study, which included pre‐steady state kinetic analyses, revealed that these two DFTRs are highly specific for F420H2 while displaying marginal activity with NADPH. Nevertheless, they share mechanistic features with the canonical thioredoxin reductases that are dependent on NADPH (NTRs). A detailed structural analysis led to the identification of two key residues that tune cofactor specificity of DFTRs. This allowed us to propose a DFTR‐specific sequence motif that enabled for the first time the identification and experimental characterization of a bacterial DFTR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streamflow forecasts play an important role in water resources operation and management, and skillful seasonal forecasts can significantly facilitate the decision-making process. Streamflow variability is often associated with various large-scale, slowly evolving climate phenomena (e.g., El Nino Southern Oscillation), promoting the value of climate indices for streamflow forecast development, and has been investigated extensively. Separately, global climate models (GCMs), which provide climate forecasts out to 12 months globally, have been demonstrated to enhance seasonal streamflow predictability. However, neither the combination nor the interaction of these two sources of predictability has been given much attention. In this work, we propose a framework that can simultaneously account for antecedent climate indices and GCM forecasts in statistical streamflow forecasts and address how their interactions affect predictability. More specifically, we build a streamflow forecast framework combining statistical forecast models conditioned on climate indices with dynamical North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME) precipitation forecasts to generate streamflow forecast ensembles, and merge ensemble members with a Bayesian model averaging with bootstrap aggregating (BMA-bagging) approach. The framework is applied to streamflow on the Blue Nile River upstream of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Most NMME models tend to improve one-month-ahead GERD inflow forecasts; however, longer lead times prove challenging, and require specific NMME model selection. In contrast, although the value of climate indices varies with forecast lead time, their potential contribution grows at multimonth leads. The GERD inflow forecasts including NMME models and climate indices can simultaneously take advantage of both sources of predictability and prove superior across lead times as compared to including either source individually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphogypsum is a solid waste that is discharged in large quantities during the production of phosphoric acid. The hemihydrate phosphogypsum produced after dewatering has great potential for application in the field of construction materials; however, its poor water resistance and creep melting in a humid environment for a long period of time lead to a reduction in its mechanical properties, which greatly limits its large-scale industrial application in the field of functional building materials. In this study, long-carbon-chain/alkoxy polysiloxanes (PVD-L) were synthesized using a silica–hydrogen addition reaction, and reticulated long-carbon-chain polysiloxanes (PVD-C) were prepared via the catalytic reaction of organotin. The effects of the synthesis of the intermediate product PVD-L and the internal mixing of PVD-C on the physical properties, surface wettability, pore structure, and microstructure of the phosphogypsum-based materials were investigated. The results showed that the hydrophobically modified phosphogypsum-based material had a water absorption of 6.6%, a softening coefficient of 0.82, a contact angle of 112.9°, and a porosity of 37.86% when the PVD-C internal mixing was 1.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing the current complexities, costs, and adherence issues in the detection of forward head posture (FHP), our study conducted an exhaustive epidemiologic investigation, incorporating a comprehensive posture screening process for each participant in China. This research introduces an avant-garde, machine learning-based non-contact method for the accurate discernment of FHP. Our approach elevates detection accuracy by leveraging body landmarks identified from human images, followed by the application of a genetic algorithm for precise feature identification and posture estimation. Observational data corroborates the superior efficacy of the Extra Tree Classifier technique in FHP detection, attaining an accuracy of 82.4%, a specificity of 85.5%, and a positive predictive value of 90.2%. Our model affords a rapid, effective solution for FHP identification, spotlighting the transformative potential of the convergence of feature point recognition and genetic algorithms in non-contact posture detection. The expansive potential and paramount importance of these applications in this niche field are therefore underscored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilayer heterostructures composed of a substrate and an epitaxial film are widely utilized in advanced electronic devices. However, thermal bottlenecks constrain their performance and reliability, and efficient approaches to comprehensively measure the thermophysical properties of heterostructures are urgently needed. In this work, a pulsed thermoreflectance imaging (PTI) method is proposed, which combines the transient temperature mapping of thermoreflectance thermal imaging with transient pulsed excitation. By executing merely three transient tests, six thermophysical properties, including the film thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity, the substrate thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity, the film–substrate thermal boundary resistance, and the equivalent thermal conductivity of the insulating layer, can be simultaneously measured in a heterostructure sample. The proposed method applies a pulsed current excitation to a metal heater line on the sample surface and utilizes the thermoreflectance thermal imaging system to measure the temperature of different spatial regions on the sample surface at different time windows. The temporal and spatial variation information of the temperature field is then extracted and combined with finite element method inversion calculation to obtain the thermophysical properties of heterostructures. To validate the accuracy and reliability of this method, we conducted measurements on a GaN-on-SiC heterostructure sample and obtained thermophysical properties consistent with the representative literature data that have previously been reported. The proposed PTI method, characterized by its high sensitivity, demonstrates good efficiency and reliability in conducting comprehensive thermophysical property characterization of GaN epitaxial heterostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A previous 6-month report showed that adjunctive auricular acupoint stimulation (AAS) slowed myopia progression compared with 0.01% atropine (0.01% A) alone. This 12-month report was to determine whether the antimyopic effect of AAS, when added to 0.01% A, continued beyond treatment cessation, and explore the mode of action of AAS from the accommodative response. Design and Interventions: One hundred four children were randomly assigned to either a 0.01% A group or a 0.01% A + AAS group. Participants in the 0.01% A + AAS group received AAS in addition to 0.01% A for 6 months, and then kept using 0.01% A for the following 6 months. Participants in the 0.01% A group only used 0.01% A. The primary outcome was the difference in the mean cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction (SER) from the baseline to the 12-month visit. Secondary outcomes included axial length (AL) and accommodative lag assessments. Results: The adjusted mean change from baseline to month 12 in the SER was −0.62 D for 0.01% A and −0.46 D for 0.01% A + AAS (difference, 0.16 D; p = 0.01), with a respective mean increase of 0.37 and 0.31 mm in AL (difference, −0.05 mm; p = 0.05). For the 5D near target, there was a reduction in the accommodative lag in children receiving add-on AAS relative to 0.01% A alone at 1 and 6 months (both p = 0.002). Conclusions: AAS treatment produced additional benefits >0.01% A in slowing myopia progression over the 12-month period, where the efficacy was sustained after the cessation of AAS. An effect of add-on AAS on reducing accommodative lag in response to 5D stimulus was found, but its role in mediating therapeutic response remained unclear. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry number: ChiCTR1900021316 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemihydrate phosphogypsum, an industrial solid waste product of phosphoric acid production, is abundant and inexpensive. If the problem of poor water resistance is solved, this material could be substituted for cement and other traditional energy-consuming cementitious materials in the construction industry. This approach would confer important economic and environmental benefits while promoting the resource utilization of phosphogypsum (PG). In this study, hydrophobic and self-cleaning coatings of H-PDMS/PMHS/OTS hybrid nanosilica were prepared on a post-hydroxylated PG surface using sol–gel and impregnation methods. The water contact angle, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Three-dimensional surface morphology and roughness analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, surface abrasion tests, and tape adhesion tests were used to evaluate the hydrophobicity of the coatings. The results demonstrated that the in situ reaction produced a hydrophobic siloxane/nanosilica hybrid network that bonded to the PG surface via hydrogen bonding, making the otherwise completely hydrophilic PG hydrophobic (PGH-3, contact angle (CA) = 144.1°). The PGH-3 sample exhibited excellent chemical stability, maintaining a contact angle greater than 135° under strongly acidic or alkaline conditions. The contact angle remained at 123.7° after 50 tape-bonding tests. After 100 wear cycles, the contact angle remained at 121.9°. This study presents an environmentally friendly method and a straightforward application procedure to impart hydrophobicity to solid waste PG. Its potential is thus demonstrated in the field of PG-based construction materials and the comprehensive utilization of solid waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal cancer stem cells (RCSCs) derived from clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) tissues with higher microvessel density (MVD) have strong stemness and endothelial progenitor cells‐like (EPCs‐like) characteristics. A high level of lncRNA PVT1 expression is essential for simultaneously retaining strong RCSC stemness and EPCs‐like characteristics. PVT1 binds with TAZ protein and prevents its phosphorylation, which promotes RCSC stemness. Moreover, RCSCs support endothelial differentiation and angiogenesis, which are mediated via the PVT1/miR‐15b/KDR axis. This report provides insight into the determinants of RCSC impact on stemness and highlights the critical role of RCSC in angiogenesis. The presented findings suggest that targeting RCSC through PVT1 expression may be a new treatment strategy for ccRCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous work reported that galaxamide, a cyclopeptide extracted from the seaweed Galaxaura filamentosa, showed antiproliferative activity against HeLa cells by MTT assay. In this study, the growth‐inhibitory effects of galaxamide in HeLa cells and xenograft mouse models were investigated. It was found galaxamide significantly inhibited cell growth, colony formation, migration, and invasion and induced cell apoptosis by inhibiting the Wnt signaling pathway in HeLa cells. RNA sequencing revealed that galaxamide regulated stemness by Wnt6 signaling pathway in HeLa cells. By analyzing The Cancer Genome Atlas database, Wnt6 was found to be negatively/positively correlated with stemness‐ and apoptosis‐related genes in human cervical cancer. Cancer stem‐like cells (CSCs) isolated and enriched from HeLa cells demonstrated elevated Wnt6 and β‐catenin genes compared with nonstem HeLa cells. After galaxamide treatment, CSCs showed abrogation of sphere‐forming ability, along with inhibition of stemness‐related and Wnt pathway genes. Galaxamide treatment was also accompanied by the induction of apoptosis in HeLa cells, which was consistent with the results in BALB/c nude mice. Our results provide evidence that suppression of stemness by downregulating the Wnt signaling pathway is the molecular mechanism by which galaxamide effectively inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in cervical cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the problem that the deep learning‐based image matting algorithm cannot balance accuracy and model size, a lightweight image matting algorithm based on deep learning is proposed. Considering the limitation of memory and computing resources, and aiming at lightweight. We construct a network and gradually improved it. Firstly, apply deep detachable convolution to deep image matting networks to form faster and stronger encoder and decoder networks. The simultaneous use of depth‐separable convolution can also reduce the number of corresponding model parameters and computation. And then attention mechanism is integrated into the model and SE Block was used to assign different weights to feature channels to improve the accuracy of the model. Finally, knowledge distillation scheme is designed in part of the encoder‐decoder structure, the corresponding loss function is proposed, and the method of knowledge distillation is used to improve the feature learning ability of the lightweight neural network. Compared with the original deep image matting model, the number of parameters in the new model is greatly reduced without too much loss of accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal streamflow forecasts are becoming widely used to improve water reservoir operations, especially in areas where climate teleconnections enable predictability on medium and long lead times. Most existing studies have focused on the assimilation of forecasts into operational decision models, an approach that typically banks on predeveloped forecasts to optimize water release decisions. However, this approach may overlook the potential synergies that stand in co-developing forecast and decision-making models. In other words, the opportunities that lie in coupling both forecast and operational decision models have not yet been explored. Here, we address this gap and contribute a novel approach building on the Evolutionary Multi-Objective Direct Policy Search algorithm to design forecast and decision-making models together. The proposed approach is benchmarked against operating policies not informed by any forecast, as well as by forecast-informed policies relying on predeveloped forecasts (data-driven and perfect). Numerical experiments are conducted on the Angat-Umiray water resources system, Philippines, which is operated primarily for ensuring municipal water supply to Metro Manila and irrigation supply to a large agricultural district. Our results show that the integrated design of forecast models and control policies provides a performance gain with respect to policies informed by predesigned forecasts. This result is particularly interesting because the skill of the integrated forecast models is lower than that of the predeveloped ones, thus suggesting that more accurate forecasts do not necessarily produce better water system operations. Overall, our analysis represents a step towards a deeper integration of streamflow forecast and reservoir operation models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data analyses of long-term historical experiments using version 1.3 of the Community Earth System Model with 100 km resolution for both atmosphere and ocean (low-resolution, LR), and 25 km resolution for atmosphere and 10 km resolution for ocean (high-resolution, HR), were conducted to study the impact of model horizontal resolution on the simulation of East Asian precipitation. The features analyzed here include long-time mean spatial distribution, intra-seasonal variabilities, and probability of frequency and intensity. Due to the finer grid resolution, the better simulation of convection and water vapor transport conditions, the long-time mean spatial pattern of precipitation in the HR is much closer to the observation compared to the LR simulation, especially the rain belt along the south edge of the Tibetan Plateau associated with complex topography. Although the HR slightly improves the intra-seasonal evolution of East Asian precipitation, on the whole, the inaccurate simulation of circulation characteristics in the middle and upper troposphere amplifies the simulation bias of the rain belt position. The daily time scale precipitation was evaluated by intensity-frequency structure, indicating that the finer resolution makes the simulation more reasonable, especially in monsoon regions. Although there are aspects that need to be further improved in the HR simulation, the HR model bias in East Asian precipitation is overall smaller compared to that of the LR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dominant summertime disturbances along the subtropical Meiyu front are eastward-propagating synoptic-scale waves coupled with precipitation and moisture under a moderate background vertical shear. To what extent the intensity and structure of such synoptic disturbances would change under global warming is investigated by diagnosing 18 models from Phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). The model diagnosis reveals that there is a robust increase in the intensity of synoptic-scale motions along the Meiyu front, while the wavelength and phase speed remain unchanged. The cause of such changes of the synoptic-scale variability in the future warmer climate is investigated through the analysis of a moist baroclinic instability model. It is found that the growth rate of the most unstable mode strengthens in the future warmer climate, while the zonal wavenumber and phase speed of the most unstable mode remain unchanged, which is consistent with the CMIP6 projections. The enhanced synoptic-scale variability is primarily attributed to the increase of background meridional and vertical moisture gradients under a warmer climate through strengthened positive moisture-convection-circulation feedback, while the changes of background vertical shear and convective adjustment times are insignificant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]