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To determine whether blastocyst quality affects the sex ratio at birth through a single blastocyst frozen - thawed embryo transfer (SBFET) cycle. In this retrospective analysis, we examined 3,041 singleton infants born following SBFET between 2017 and 2020 at a single institution. We compared the sex ratios of these infants with respect to the blastocyst quality, embryo growth rate, and morphology. The main outcomes of this study were that the sex ratio (M/F) at birth of SBFET was 1.24. Mothers >40 years old had a considerably lower sex ratio than mothers <40 years old (0.39 vs. 1.23–1.28, p <.05). Transplanting high-quality blastocysts significantly increased the proportion of boys born (1.29 vs. 0.88, p <.05). There were no significant differences in the sex ratio with respect to the inner cell mass (ICM) score and expansion degree. Additionally, a high trophoblastic cell (TE) score resulted in a significantly higher sex ratio than the TE score with C (1.62 vs. 1.15 vs. 0.85, p <.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine which variables were significant factors affecting sex ratio, and the outcomes were consistent with previous findings. Our study indicated that high-quality, especially good TE score, had a higher chance of resulting in a male infant than a female infant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aromatic ketones are important pharmaceutical intermediates, especially the pyridin-2-yl-methanone motifs. Thus, synthetic methods for these compounds have gained extensive attention in the last few years. Transition metals catalyze the oxidation of Csp3-H for the synthesis of aromatic ketones, which is arresting. Here, we describe an efficient copper-catalyzed synthesis of pyridin-2-yl-methanones from pyridin-2-yl-methanes through a direct Csp3-H oxidation approach with water under mild conditions. Pyridin-2-yl-methanes with aromatic rings, such as substituted benzene, thiophene, thiazole, pyridine, and triazine, undergo the reaction well to obtain the corresponding products in moderate to good yields. Several controlled experiments are operated for the mechanism exploration, indicating that water participates in the oxidation process, and it is the single oxygen source in this transformation. The current work provides new insights for water-involving oxidation reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the effects of aquatic strength training on the postural balance and walking function of stroke patients. A total of 56 chronic stroke patients more than 6 months post-stroke with walking and balance impairments were included in this study. After baseline evaluations, patients were randomly assigned to either the experiment group (n = 29) or control group (n = 27). Patients in the control group underwent conventional hydrotherapy, whereas patients in the experiment group received conventional hydrotherapy combined with aquatic lower extremity strength training. After six weeks of rehabilitation, all patients were evaluated by a blinded assessor, and the functional assessments including: Berg Balance Scale (BBS); Timed Up and Go Test (TUG and mTUG); 2 Minute Walk Test (2MWMT); and Gait analysis. There were no significant differences (P >.05) between the two groups in all evaluation indexes before rehabilitation. Six weeks after treatments, the results from both groups showed significant improvements compared with those in the baseline evaluations (P <.05). Notably, compared with the control group, BBS, TUG and mTUG, 2MWMT, and Gait analysis including stride length in the non-hemiplegic side, stride length, as well as walking speed and stride frequency in the hemiplegic side in experiment group were markedly improved (P <.05) Aquatic strength training can improve postural balance and lower extremity motor functions in chronic stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a mesoscopic numerical method for evaluating the fracture energy of concrete. In this method, concrete is modeled as a three‐phase composite material, composed of mortar, coarse aggregate, and the interface between them. The actual mixed‐mode I–II crack growth path in mode I fracture tests is traced by applying crack propagation criteria. After verifying the numerical method by a series of three‐point bending tests, the effects of aggregate location, aggregate size, and crack propagation path on the fracture energy of concrete are evaluated. It is found that for the fracture mode of crack bypassing aggregates, the actual fracture energy of concrete is significantly affected by the aggregate location but independent of the aggregate size and the crack propagation path. Highlights: A mesoscopic numerical method is proposed for the fracture energy of concrete.The actual mixed‐mode I–II crack growth path is traced by applying crack growth criteria.The actual fracture energy of concrete is significantly affected by aggregate location.The actual fracture energy of concrete is independent of crack growth path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1,3,5 triazines, especially indole functionalized triazine derivatives, exhibit excellent activities, such as anti-tumor, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities. Traditional methods for the synthesis of N-(2-triazine) indoles suffer from unstable materials and tedious operations. Transition-metal-catalyzed C-C/C-N coupling provides a powerful protocol for the synthesis of indoles by the C-H activation strategy. Here, we report the efficient ruthenium-catalyzed oxidative synthesis of N-(2-triazine) indoles by C-H activation from alkynes and various substituted triazine derivatives in a moderate to good yield, and all of the N-(2-triazine) indoles were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS. This protocol can apply to the gram-scale synthesis of the N-(2-triazine) indole in a moderate yield. Moreover, the reaction is proposed to be performed via a six-membered ruthenacycle (II) intermediate, which suggests that the triazine ring could offer chelation assistance for the formation of N-(2-triazine) indoles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Many stroke victims have severe swallowing problems. Previous neuroimaging studies have found that several brain regions scattered in the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes, such as Brodmann's areas (BA) 6, 21, and 40, are associated with swallowing function. This study sought to investigate changes in swallowing function and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) in stroke patients with dysphagia following action observation treatment. It also sought to detect changes in brain regions associated with swallowing in stroke patients. Methods. In this study, 12 healthy controls (HCs) and 12 stroke patients were recruited. Stroke patients were given 4 weeks of action observation therapy. In order to assess the differences in mfALFF values between patients before treatment and HCs, the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) in three frequency bands (conventional frequency band, slow-4, and slow-5) were calculated for fMRI data. The significant brain regions were selected as regions of interest (ROIs) for subsequent analysis. The mfALFF values were extracted from ROIs of the three groups (patients before and after treatment and HCs) and compared to assess the therapeutic efficacy. Results. In the conventional band, stroke patients before treatment had higher mfALFF in the inferior temporal gyrus and lower mfALFF in the calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex and thalamus compared to HCs. In the slow-4 band, there was no significant difference in related brain regions between stroke patients before treatment and HCs. In the slow-5 band, stroke patients before treatment had higher mfALFF in inferior cerebellum, inferior temporal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and lower mfALFF in calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex compared to HCs. We also assessed changes in aberrant brain activity that occurred both before and after action observation therapy. The mfALFF between stroke patients after therapy was closed to HCs in comparison to the patients before treatment. Conclusion. Action observation therapy can affect the excitability of certain brain regions. The changes in brain function brought about by this treatment may help to further understand the potential mechanism of network remodeling of swallowing function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermoplastic polyphenylene oxide (PPO) with excellent dielectric properties has been applied as matrix resin in telecommunications. However, developing PPO based thermosetting resin with good processing, thermal, and dielectric properties remain challenging. Herein, we propose an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) structure design for the preparation of benzoxazine/oligo(phenylene oxide) thermosetting resins with good comprehensive properties. A novel 2,2′-diallyl bisphenol A/furfurylamine (D-f) benzoxazine is synthesized and then blended with commercialized PPO oligomer (SA9000) to form a series of IPN prepolymers. Then the novel IPN films are prepared by the programmed temperature rising method with simultaneous polymerization of oxazine ring and diallyl group of benzoxazine and olefinic bond of SA9000. The polymerization temperature of D-f can be lowered significantly by blending with SA9000 via the intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Attributing to good miscibility and strong intermolecular interaction between cross-linked SA9000 and benzoxazine, the D-f/SA9000 IPN films have relatively high glass transition temperatures (198–245 °C). In particular, the D-f/SA9000 IPN films possess the advantages of low dielectric constants (2.530–2.631, 10 GHz) and low-loss grade dielectric losses (0.00615–0.00717, 10 GHz). This work provides a facile and effective strategy for the development of high-performance thermosetting PPO resins based on benzoxazine chemistry and IPN design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethylene (ET) controls many facets of plant growth and development under abiotic and biotic stresses. MtEIN2, as a critical element of the ET signaling pathway, is essential in biotic interactions. However, the role of MtEIN2 in responding to abiotic stress, such as combined nutrient deficiency, is less known. To assess the role of ethylene signaling in nutrient uptake, we manipulated nitrate (NO3−) and phosphate (Pi) availability for wild‐type (WT) and the ethylene‐insensitive (MtEIN2‐defective) mutant, sickle, in Medicago truncatula. We measured leaf biomass and photosynthetic pigments in WT and sickle to identify conditions leading to different responses in both genotypes. Under combined NO3− and Pi deficiency, sickle plants had higher chlorophyll and carotenoid contents than WT plants. Under these conditions, nitrate content and gene expression levels of nitrate transporters were higher in the sickle mutant than in the WT. This led to the conclusion that MtEIN2 is associated with nitrate uptake and the content of photosynthetic pigments under combined Pi and NO3−deficiency in M. truncatula. We conclude that ethylene perception plays a critical role in regulating the nutrient status of plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Species of Sarcoscyphaceae are saprobic on branches, stumps, trunks, or twigs. The majority of members in this family are widespread in tropical areas, with only a fraction of the known species found in temperate areas. All species have typical disc- or cup-shaped fruiting bodies in a variety of colours ranging from white, grey, orange, red to brown. A high diversity of Sarcoscyphaceae has been reported in southwestern China and Thailand. In this study, we provide redescriptions of five known species and establish three new species in Sarcoscyphaceae from these regions based on morphology and phylogeny. We also propose an amendment for Phillipsia gelatinosa. Cookeina sinensis, a common species in China, is reported from Thailand for the first time. Sarcoscyphaceae (Pezizales) is distinguished by small to large, vividly-coloured sessile to stipitate apothecia, plurinucleate and pigmented paraphyses, operculate asci with thick walls, and plurinucleate, uniguttulate to multiguttulate ascospores with smooth walls or ornamentations. We collected more than 40 Sarcoscyphaceae specimens from dead twigs or wood. Based on morphology and phylogeny, these species belong to Cookeina, Nanoscypha, Phillipsia, Pithya, and Sarcoscypha. Among these, we introduce three new species–Nanoscypha aequispora, Pithya villosa, and Sarcoscypha longitudinalis. Phylogenetic analyses based on ITS, LSU, SSU, rpb2, and tef-1α gene regions indicate the relationships of these species within Sarcoscyphaceae. Meanwhile, we propose Ph. gelatinosa as a synonym of Ph. domingensis. One new record of C. sinensis is reported from Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis modulates plant‐herbivore interactions. Still, how it shapes the overall plant defence strategy and the mechanisms involved remain unclear. We investigated how AM symbiosis simultaneously modulates plant resistance and tolerance to a shoot herbivore, and explored the underlying mechanisms. Bioassays with Medicago truncatula plants were used to study the effect of the AM fungus Rhizophagus irregularis on plant resistance and tolerance to Spodoptera exigua herbivory. By performing molecular and chemical analyses, we assessed the impact of AM symbiosis on herbivore‐triggered phosphate (Pi)‐ and jasmonate (JA)‐related responses. Upon herbivory, AM symbiosis led to an increased leaf Pi content by boosting the mycorrhizal Pi‐uptake pathway. This enhanced both plant tolerance and herbivore performance. AM symbiosis counteracted the herbivore‐triggered JA burst, reducing plant resistance. To disentangle the role of the mycorrhizal Pi‐uptake pathway in the plant's response to herbivory, we used the mutant line ha1‐2, impaired in the H+‐ATPase gene HA1, which is essential for Pi‐uptake via the mycorrhizal pathway. We found that mycorrhiza‐triggered enhancement of herbivore performance was compromised in ha1‐2 plants. AM symbiosis thus affects the defence pattern of M. truncatula by altering resistance and tolerance simultaneously. We propose that the mycorrhizal Pi‐uptake pathway is involved in the modulation of the plant defence strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an efficient metal (Cu or Ni)-catalysed α-methylenation of triazines to terminal olefins using DMA as a one-carbon source. Various substituted triazine derivatives are suitable for this reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the potential role of Long Non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the progression of osteosarcoma.Methods: The candidate lncRNAs were screened with RNA-seq and confirmed with quantitative real-time PCR. Using MTS, transwell assay, and flow cytometric analysis, the effects of overexpressed lnc-SELPLG-2:1 on cell functions were determined. Immunohistochemical staining, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and luciferase reporter assay were used to evaluate the potential mechanism of lnc-SELPLG-2:1 in vivo and in vitro using a tumor model. Moreover, the effects of overexpression of hsa-miR-10a-5p on the functions of SaOS2 cells were determined using functional cell analysis. A response test was used to confirm the mechanism by which lnc-SELPLG-2:1 sponge hsa-miR-10a-5p promotes the expression of BTRC to regulate osteosarcoma.Results: Lnc-SELPLG-2:1 was highly expressed in osteosarcoma compared to normal cells and bone and marrow samples. Inhibition of lnc-SELPLG-2:1 accelerated cell apoptosis and suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, whereas lnc-SELPLG-2:1 overexpression had the opposite effect. Moreover, inhibiting lnc-SELPLG-2:1 in an in vivo model decreased tumor size and suppressed the expression of cell migration-related proteins. The prediction, dual luciferase assay, and response test results indicated that hsa-miR-10-5p and BTRC were involved in the lnc-SELPLG-2:1 cascade. Unlike lnc-SELPLG-2:1, hsa-hsa-miR-10a-5p had opposite expression and function. Competitive binding of lnc-SELPLG-2:1 to hsa-hsa-miR-10a-5p prevented BTRC from miRNA-mediated degradation, thereby activating the expression of VIM, MMP9, and MMP2, promoting osteosarcoma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and inhibiting apoptosis.Conclusion: Lnc-SELPLG-2:1 is an oncogenesis activator in osteosarcoma, and its functions are performed via hsa-miR-10a-5p /BTRC cascade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In future wireless communication systems, intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) plays an important role since it is capable of dynamically reconfiguring the channel conditions. In this paper, we apply IRS to facilitate the communication of an uplink multiple-input multiple-output non-orthogonal multiple access system. The objective is to maximize the system energy-efficiency (EE), requiring a joint optimization of the active beamforming at the base station, passive beamforming at the IRS, and power allocation. An iterative method is proposed to solve the formulated multi-variable non-convex optimization problem. Moreover, a low-complexity user ordering method is provided. Numerical results verify the rapid convergence of the iterative optimization scheme and the effectiveness of the user ordering. In addition, a substantial gain can be obtained by employing the proposed scheme over the benchmark schemes without IRS and with orthogonal multiple access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1-methyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl) methanol (Hmbm) reacts with Mn(ClO4)2·6H2O to form heptanuclear disks [Mn7(mbm)12]·2(ClO4) (1) under ambient conditions. The heptanuclear cluster was previously described as a double calix unit with the hydroxides in the middle. The seven Mn(II) ions are essentially coplanar as expected for all edge-sharing octahedra, which can be intituled as a segment of Mg(OH)2 layer of brucite, so it is a symmetric disk. ESI–MS of crystals showed its stability in solution. Time-dependent mass spectrometry (MS) from solutions at different period of the assembly reveal a hierarchical sequence, [MnIII(mbm)2]+ → [MnII2(mbm)3]+ → [MnII4(mbm)6(ClO4)]+ → [MnIIIMnII6(mbm)12(ClO4)2]+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the purpose of skeletal muscle tissue engineering, different cell types have been investigated regarding their myogenic differentiation potential, including co-cultured myoblasts and adipogenic mesenchymal stromal cells (Mb/ADSC). As neural cells enhance synaptic junction formation, the aim of this study was to co-culture Schwann cells (SCs) with Mb/ADSC on biocompatible electrospun aligned poly-ε-polycaprolacton (PCL)-collagen I-nanofibers. It was hypothesized that SCs, as part of the peripheral nervous system, promote the myogenic differentiation of Mb/ADSC co-cultures. Mb/ADSC were compared to Mb/ADSC/SC regarding their capacity for myogenic differentiation via immunofluorescent staining and gene expression of myogenic markers. Mb/ADSC/SC showed more myotubes after 28 days of differentiation (p ≤ 0.05). After 28 days of differentiation on electrospun aligned PCL-collagen I-nanofibers, gene expression of myosin heavy chains (MYH2) and myogenin (MYOG) was upregulated in Mb/ADSC/SC compared to Mb/ADSC (p ≤ 0.01 and p ≤ 0.05, respectively). Immunofluorescent staining for MHC showed highly aligned multinucleated cells as possible myotube formation in Mb/ADSC/SC. In conclusion, SCs promote myogenic differentiation of Mb/ADSC. The co-culture of primary Mb/ADSC/SC on PCL-collagen I-nanofibers serves as a physiological model for skeletal muscle tissue engineering, applicable to future clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerial access networks (AANs) and mobile edge computing (MEC) have been considered as key enablers of future networks. In this article, we investigate the application of MEC-empowered AANs (also known as aerial computing) for federated learning (FL), a promising technology for providing private and distributed solutions to mobile edge networks. We first introduce the fundamentals of AANs and FL, and illustrate the potential benefits of aerial FL networks. On this basis, we present important applications of AANs for FL. It is shown that distinctive characteristics such as flexible deployment and high mobility, when exploited cleverly, can provide various benefits for FL-enabled networks. Finally, major challenges and potential directions are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel photosensitive bio-based benzoxazines are firstly synthesized from chalcone derivates and furfurylamine. The thermal and photo-thermal curing methods are applied to polymerize benzoxazine monomers. Both thermal and photo-thermal cured benzoxazine resins exhibit high glass transition temperatures and good thermal stability properties, resulting from the curing of double bond of chalcone moiety and substitution reaction of furan ring for the thermal cured resins, and photo-dimerization of chalcone structure and grafting reaction of furan ring for the photo-thermal cured samples. It is especially noteworthy that the photo-thermal curing method is good for the formation of cyclobutane ring upon irradiation, resulting in the improvement of cross-linking density and the reduction in the molecular polarity. Hence, the photo-thermal cured resins present higher glass transition temperatures and lower superhigh-frequency dielectric constants than those of the corresponding thermal cured samples. Therefore, this work not only provides an effective strategy for the design and preparation of high-heat-resistance bio-based benzoxzine resins with superhigh-frequency low dielectric constants, but also provides insight into the effects of photosensitive chalcone moiety and reactive furan ring as well as curing methods on the curing behavior, and thermal and superhigh-frequency dielectric properties of bio-based benzoxazine resins. Bio-based benzoxazine resins containing photosensitive chalcone moiety and furan ring exhibit high glass transition temperatures, high heat resistance and superhigh-frequency low dielectric constants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a highly heterogeneous disorder exhibiting considerable epidemiological, clinical and immunopathological variations across patients with distinct ethnic backgrounds and in different geographic locations. Asian CRS patients present less eosinophilic and type 2 (T2) inflammation, but more prominent neutrophilic inflammation compared with patients in Western countries. Although several biologics targeting important elements of T2 inflammation, such as IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐13 and IgE, demonstrate promising benefit for Caucasian patients with recurrent nasal polyps, their efficacy in Asian patients remains poorly defined. The distinct endotypes in Asian patients warrant the identification and selection of patients who would benefit from T2 biologics in Asian countries. Additionally, developing novel treatments targeting neutrophilic, type 1, and type 3 inflammation may benefit approximately 50% of Asian CRS patients with non‐T2 inflammation. In this review, we summarized and discussed recent progress in the study of Asian CRS endotypes in comparison with those in patients in Western countries, and the methods of identifying Asian patients with eosinophilic or T2 inflammation. T2 biologic treatment of Asian CRS patients, potential therapeutic candidates targeting non‐T2 inflammation in Asian CRS patients and the progress on developing other T2 biologics were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solubility is a significant physical and chemical property. The solubility of carbon dioxide(CO2) in polymers is an important application of green chemistry. Aimed at the problem of insufficient precision of the existing prediction model, a solubility prediction model based on the adaptive particle swarm optimization algorithm and the least‐squares support vector machine(APSO‐LSSVM) is proposed. Different from the traditional particle swarm algorithm, APSO algorithm improves the problem of easily falling into local optimal solution. The regularization parameters and kernel function tuning parameters of the LSSVM were optimized by APSO and then use this model to predict the solubility of CO2 in eight polymers within a wide range of temperatures and pressures. APSO‐LSSVM model has great prediction ability, with a good correlation between prediction data and experimental data, high prediction accuracy, short calculation time and strong stability. Compared with back propagation artificial neural network(BP ANN), back propagation‐particle swarm optimization algorithm artificial neural network(BP‐PSO ANN) and LSSVM, APSO‐LSSVM has better comprehensive performance. The average absolute relative deviation(AARD), root mean square error(RMSE), determination coefficient(R2) were respectively 0.2130, 0.0120, 0.9853. In addition, the model has good expansibility and can be applied to other fields such as chemistry and medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The first clinical manifestation of the Gardner syndrome proband was odontoma, which preceded the discovery of gastrointestinal polyps, making it possible to diagnose early. • A novel pathogenic locus NM_001127511: c.4266dupA in APC gene was identified by Whole exome and Sanger sequencing. • The mutation site can cause the premature production of the termination codon, resulting in the deletion of 1407 amino acids, which makes the APC protein truncated. Gardner syndrome (GS) is a specific form of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), which manifests as colorectal polyps, multiple osteomas and soft tissue tumors, and in the oral cavity as osteomas of the jaws, odontomas, and abnormal tooth counts. The underlying cause of GS is attributed to mutations in the APC gene. Mutations in this gene disrupt the normal functioning of the protein and lead to the development of GS. To further investigate GS, a family affected by the syndrome was selected from Dongguan, Guangdong Province. The family members underwent a comprehensive survey, which involved collecting clinical data and peripheral venous blood samples. The samples were then used for genetic analysis. Whole exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing techniques were utilized to screen and identify specific mutation sites in the APC gene. The clinical findings for the GS family included the presence of gastrointestinal polyps and odontomas. After analyzing the genetic sequencing results, a novel mutation site c.4266dupA on the APC gene was found in the patients, which leading to the APC protein truncation. As a result of this study, it is suggested that odontoma may be an early indicator of GS. Additionally, the identification of this novel mutation site in the APC gene expands the known spectrum of genetic mutations associated with the disease. This discovery has significant implications for the early diagnosis of GS, thus enabling timely intervention to reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and other related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Meso-crack growth in concrete is numerically studied based on macro-parameters. • The parameters required for calculations can be easily obtained by basic experiments. • Both interfacial crack propagation and aggregate penetration are considered. • The numerical predictions are verified with experimental results. Formation and propagation of cracks along mortar-aggregate interfaces or penetration of cracks into aggregates highly influences the mechanical performance of concrete composites. This paper presents a numerical model to calculate the meso -crack propagation process of concrete based on the macro-material and interfacial parameters that can be directly measured by basic mechanical experiments. In the model, the issue of aggregate crack penetration versus interface crack propagation has been addressed by employing the stress intensity factor (SIF)-based criteria for crack propagation. After the validity of the numerical model is verified by test results on three-point bending concrete beams with single embedded cylindrical aggregate, the applicability of the model to meso -crack propagation in concrete with various geometrical dimensions, interfacial properties, and aggregate gradations is discussed through a series of numerical experiments. The results show that the proposed numerical model is capable of predicting the meso -crack propagation process of concrete with reasonable accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The explosively increasing traffic demand in the fifth generation (5 G) mobile communication system has made the limited licensed spectrum quite competitive. Such status quo motivates the development of new radio (NR) based access to the unlicensed band, which is a promising solution for system performance enhancement. In this paper, we focus on the coexistence between the NR system and the WiFi system based on the duty cycle mechanism. Firstly, an optimization model is formulated to maximize the throughput of the NR system in the unlicensed band (NR-U) via the joint bandwidth and transmission opportunity allocation under the fairness requirement. Then, to solve this optimization problem, we convert it into a Markov decision process with continuous action space, based on which a deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) based coexistence algorithm is proposed. At last, simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can ensure the coexistence between the NR-U system and the WiFi system from three aspects. Firstly, the throughput improvements of the NR-U system under different fairness thresholds and different number of user equipments and access points are illustrated. Secondly, the proposed algorithm adapts to the dynamic situations of varying fairness thresholds and channel conditions. Thirdly, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is validated with at least 5.01% throughput improvement by comparing with proportional scheme, average scheme and Q-learning scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Endometriosis is a common chronic gynecological disease greatly affecting women health. Prior studies have implicated that dysferlin (DYSF) aberration might be involved in the pathogenesis of ovarian endometriosis. In the present study, we explore the potential presence of DYSF mutations in a total of 152 Han Chinese samples with ovarian endometriosis. Methods: We analyze the potential presence of DYSF mutations by direct DNA sequencing. Results: A total of seven rare variants/mutations in the DYSF gene in 10 out of 152 samples (6.6%) were identified, including 5 rare variants and 2 novel mutations. For the 5 rare variants, p.R334W and p.G941S existed in 2 samples, p.R865W, p.R1173H and p.G1531S existed in single sample, respectively; for the two novel mutations, p.W352* and p.I1642F, they were identified in three patients. These rare variants/mutations were absent or existed at extremely low frequency either in our 1006 local control women without endometriosis, or in the China Metabolic Analytics Project (ChinaMAP) and Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD) databases. Evolutionary conservation analysis results suggested that all of these rare variants/mutations were evolutionarily conserved among 11 vertebrate species from Human to Fox. Furthermore, in silico analysis results suggested these rare variants/mutations were disease-causing. Nevertheless, we find no significant association between DYSF rare variants/mutations and the clinical features in our patients. To our knowledge, this is the first report revealing frequent DYSF mutations in ovarian endometriosis. Conclusion: We identified a high frequency of DYSF rare variants/mutations in ovarian endometriosis for the first time. This study suggests a new correlation between DYSF rare variants/mutations and ovarian endometriosis, implicating DYSF rare variants/mutations might be positively involved in the pathogenesis of ovarian endometriosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Previous studies have indicated that cerebral arterial morphology is linked to aging and some cerebrovascular diseases. However, the mechanisms of morphological changes remain unclear. This study evaluated age-related positional changes in the basilar artery (BA) bifurcation based on longitudinal computed tomography angiography (CTA) data. Methods: This retrospective study evaluated clinical and imaging data from 72 subjects who underwent two CTA scans between July 2011 and August 2019. Three-dimensional (3D) models were reconstructed for each subject based on the two CTA scans with the longest separating interval. Skull landmarks were used to fuse the two models, and the fused model was used to evaluate positional changes in the BA bifurcation. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to identify variables that were correlated to BA bifurcation shifting. Pearson's correlation test was used to analyze the correlation between the shifting distance and change in the BA bifurcation angle. Results: Significant differences between aneurysm and non-aneurysm cases were observed in terms of sex (p = 0.004), CTA scan interval (p = 0.023), and BA bifurcation shifting distance (p = 0.007). Multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that the BA bifurcation shifting distance was significantly correlated with the CTA scan interval (p = 0.038) and the presence of aneurysms (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the shifting distance was positively correlated with widening of the BA bifurcation angle (p = 0.002). Conclusions: Aging-related widening of the BA bifurcation angle may be related to distal shifting of the BA bifurcation's position, and larger distal shifting of the BA bifurcation may be associated with the risk of aneurysm formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A classical model of radiation reaction for the betatron oscillation of an electron in a plasma wakefield accelerator is presented. The maximum energy of the electron due to the longitudinal radiation reaction is found, and the betatron oscillation damping due to both the longitudinal and transverse radiation reaction effects is analyzed. Both theoretical and numerical solutions are shown with good agreements. The regime that the quantum radiation takes effect is also discussed. This model is important for designing future plasma based super accelerators or colliders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unstructured road vanishing point (VP) detection is a challenging problem, especially in the field of autonomous driving. In this article, we proposed a novel solution combining the convolutional neural network (CNN) and heatmap regression to detect unstructured road VP. The proposed algorithm first adopted a lightweight backbone, i.e., depthwise convolution-modified HRNet, to extract hierarchical features of the unstructured road image. Then, three advanced strategies, i.e., multiscale supervised learning, heatmap superresolution, and coordinate regression techniques were utilized to carry out fast and high-precision unstructured road VP detection. The empirical results on Kong’s data set showed that our proposed approach had the highest detection accuracy in real-time compared with the state-of-the-art methods under various conditions, and achieved the highest speed of 33 fps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is a fatal fungal central nervous system (CNS) infection caused by Cryptococcus infecting the meninges and/or brain parenchyma, with fever, headache, neck stiffness, and visual disturbances as the primary clinical manifestations. Immunocompromised individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or who have undergone organ transplantation, as well as immunocompetent people can both be susceptible to CM. Without treatment, patients with CM may have a mortality rate of up to 100% after hospital admission. Even after receiving therapy, CM patients may still suffer from problems such as difficulty to cure, poor prognosis, and high mortality. Therefore, timely and effective treatment is essential to improve the mortality and prognosis of CM patients. Currently, the clinical outcomes of CM are frequently unsatisfactory due to limited drug choices, severe adverse reactions, drug resistance, etc. Here, we review the research progress of CM treatment strategies and discuss the suitable options for managing CM, hoping to provide a reference for physicians to select the most appropriate treatment regimens for CM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concrete composition of different pipelines varies greatly, and a comprehensive analysis of the impact of concrete design on pipeline corrosion is required. Developed an integrated model based on Scikit-Optimize, XGBoost and SHAP to analyze concrete’s carbonation and sulfuric acid resistance from five aspects: binder type, supplementary cementitious material (SCM’s), aggregate, admixture and w/b. Choose Scikit-Optimize for parameter optimization. As an explanation model, the SHAP model can perform analysis well and explain the analysis basis of the XGBoost training model. The established model can accurately predict the corrosion effect (R2 >0.987) without overfitting. Binder should be maintained at 380 to 400 (kg/m3). Water/binder and coarse aggregate/binder are the two main factors that influence the binder, and they should be maintained at a ratio of around 0.4 to 0.6 and 2.5, respectively. Fly ash (FA) should be SCM’s used as at a range of 300 to 350 (kg/m3) to improve corrosion resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Adenomyosis is a diffuse or localized disease. Our previous study has indicated that tanshinone IIA (TSIIA) inhibits the proliferation, migration, and induces apoptosis of ectopic endometrial stromal cells (EESCs) of adenomyosis. However, the complex molecular mechanism of TSIIA in adenomyosis remains unclear. The objective of this study was to explore the complex molecular mechanism of TSIIA on EESCs. Methods: In our present study, we used the proteomics approach iTRAQ (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation) combined with LC–MS/MS (liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry) to investigate changes in the protein profile of EESCs treated with TSIIA. Differential proteins were analyzed by employing bioinformatics tools and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. In TSIIA treated EESCs, the protein expression levels of TNFRSF10D, PLEKHM1, FECH, and TPM1A were detected by western blotting. Results: Quantitative results revealed 267 significantly differential proteins in TSIIA pretreated EESCs. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis presented an overview of dysregulated proteins in the biological process (BP), cell component (CC), and molecular function (MF) categories. Interestingly, we observed that differential proteins in the extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction pathway and estrogen signaling pathway were all involved in the focal adhesion pathway, which plays essential roles in the TSIIA-mediated inhibition of EESC proliferation and migration. Furthermore, some significantly differential proteins, which may be potential targets for the treatment of adenomyosis in the future, were validated by western blotting. Conclusions: Our study provides a useful method to detect the detailed mechanism underlying the efficacy of TSIIA on EESCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common medical complication of pregnancy. CircRNA polyribonucleotide nucleotidyltransferase 1 (circ-PNPT1) has been found to be abnormally expressed in GDM patients. However, function and mechanism of circ-PNPT1 in GDM remain largely undefined. Methods: Levels of circ-PNPT1, microRNA (miR)-889-3p and PAK1 (p21 (RAC1) activated kinase 1) were detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot assays. Cell viability, apoptosis, migration and invasion were determined using cell counting kit-8 assay, flow cytometry, transwell and wound healing assays, respectively. The binding interaction between miR-889-3p and circ-PNPT1 or PAK1 was verified using dual-luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and RNA pull-down assays. Exosomes were obtained from culture media by the use of commercial kits and qualified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results: Circ-PNPT1 was highly expressed in the placental tissues of GDM and high glucose (HG)-induced trophoblast cells. Knockdown of circ-PNPT1 reversed HG-induced arrest of trophoblast cell viability, migration, invasion and the promotion of cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, we confirmed circ-PNPT1 could promote the expression of PAK1, the target of miR-889-3p, by directly sponging miR-889-3p, and circ-PNPT1 regulated HG-induced trophoblast cell dysfunction by miR-889-3p/PAK1 axis. Further studies showed circ-PNPT1 was packaged into exosomes and could be internalized by surrounding trophoblast cells. Conclusion: Circ-PNPT1 promoted HG-induced trophoblast cell biological dysfunction through miR-889-3p/PAK1 axis. Meanwhile, it could be transferred from HG-induced trophoblast cells to surrounding untreated cells via exosomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Federated learning (FL), invented by Google in 2016, has become a hot research trend. However, enabling FL in wireless networks has to overcome the limited battery challenge of mobile users. In this regard, we propose to apply unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-empowered wireless power transfer to enable sustainable FL-based wireless networks. The objective is to maximize the UAV transmit power efficiency, via a joint optimization of transmission time and bandwidth allocation, power control, and the UAV placement. Directly solving the formulated problem is challenging, due to the coupling of variables. Hence, we leverage the decomposition technique and a successive convex approximation approach to develop an efficient algorithm, namely UAV for sustainable FL (UAV-SFL). Finally, simulations illustrate the potential of our proposed UAV-SFL approach in providing a sustainable solution for FL-based wireless networks, and in reducing the UAV transmit power by 32.95%, 63.18%, and 78.81% compared with the benchmarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A number of studies have linked positive Ki-67 expression with the prognosis of osteosarcoma (OS) patients. However, the results have been conflicting. To address this controversy, we conducted an analysis using a meta-analysis and a TCGA dataset to estimate the value of Ki-67 expression in the prognosis of OS.Methods: A comprehensive search for relevant papers was conducted using NCBI PubMed, Embase, Springer, ISI Web of Knowledge, the Cochrane Library, and CNKI regardless of the publication year. The associations between Ki-67 expression and the clinical features and main prognostic outcomes of OS were measured. The TCGA dataset was also analyzed. The pooled odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidential intervals (CIs) were utilized for statistical analysis.Results: Overall, a total of 12 studies with 500 cases were included, and the results indicated that the expression of Ki-67 was significantly associated with Enneking stage (OR = 6.88, 95% CI: 2.92-16.22, p < 0.05), distant metastasis (OR = 3.04, 95% CI: 1.51-6.12, p < 0.05) and overall survival (OR = 8.82, 95% CI: 4.68-16.65, p < 0.05) in OS patients. Additionally, we observed no significant heterogeneity among all retrieved studies. Associations between Ki-67 expression and overall survival and disease-free survival of sarcoma were confirmed using the TCGA and Kaplan-Meier plotter datasets.Conclusion: The present study strongly suggests that positive Ki-67 expression was associated with Enneking stage, distant metastasis, and overall survival of OS, and it may be used as a potential biomarker to predict prognosis and guide clinical therapy for OS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The impacts of chronic airway diseases on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) are far from understood. Objective: To explore the influence of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) comorbidity on disease expression and outcomes, and the potential underlying mechanisms in COVID‐19 patients. Methods: A total of 961 hospitalized COVID‐19 patients with a definite clinical outcome (death or discharge) were retrospectively enrolled. Demographic and clinical information were extracted from the medical records. Lung tissue sections from patients suffering from lung cancer were used for immunohistochemistry study of angiotensin‐converting enzyme II (ACE2) expression. BEAS‐2B cell line was stimulated with various cytokines. Results: In this cohort, 21 subjects (2.2%) had COPD and 22 (2.3%) had asthma. After adjusting for confounding factors, COPD patients had higher risk of developing severe illness (OR: 23.433; 95% CI 1.525‐360.135; P <.01) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (OR: 19.762; 95% CI 1.461‐267.369; P =.025) than asthmatics. COPD patients, particularly those with severe COVID‐19, had lower counts of CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells and B cells and higher levels of TNF‐α, IL‐2 receptor, IL‐10, IL‐8, and IL‐6 than asthmatics. COPD patients had increased, whereas asthmatics had decreased ACE2 protein expression in lower airways, compared with that in control subjects without asthma and COPD. IL‐4 and IL‐13 downregulated, but TNF‐α, IL‐12, and IL‐17A upregulated ACE2 expression in BEAS‐2B cells. Conclusion: Patients with asthma and COPD likely have different risk of severe COVID‐19, which may be associated with different ACE2 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Based on the strategy of scaffold hopping, a serials of novel 2,4-disubstituted pyrimidine derivatives were synthesized; • Systematically SAR exploration afforded the desired compound HMC-H8 (F1) with potent HPK1 inhibition (IC 50 = 1.11 nM) and highly selectivity profile; • Compound HMC-H8 exhibited robust inhibition of p-SLP 76 (IC 50 = 283.0 nM) and IL-2 release promotion (EC 50 = 157.08 nM), as well as effective immune reversal response in vitro assays; • HMC-H8 shown acceptable in vitro /vivo PK properties with oral bioavailability F = 15.05% in rat. Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1), a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP4K) family, is a serine/threonine (SER/THR) kinase and has been demonstrated as a negative regulator of T cell receptor signaling. Targeting HPK1 has been considered as an attractive therapeutic strategy for immune-oncology. Here, we describe the discovery and structure–activity relationship (SAR) of potent HPK1 inhibitors based on the 2,4-disubstituted pyrimidine scaffold. Systematically SAR exploration afforded the desired compound HMC-H8 (F1) with potent HPK1 inhibition (IC 50 = 1.11 nM) and highly selectivity profile. Compound HMC-H8 also exhibited robust inhibition of p-SLP 76 (IC 50 = 283.0 nM) and promotion IL-2 release (EC 50 = 157.08 nM), and INF-γ production in a dose-dependent manner in vitro assays. Strikingly, HMC-H8 shown effective immune reversal response in immunesuppressive condition. Moreover, Compound HMC-H8 displayed acceptable metabolic stability (T 1/2 = 56.87 min), along with low CYP450 inhibition in human liver microsomes and good oral bioavailability (F = 15.05%) in rat. Furthermore, HMC-H8 was found to modulate the expression of c-Myc in Western blotting experiments. Taken together, this study provides new potent HPK1 inhibitors for further anticancer drug discovery based on immuno-oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose a single-shot deep CNN with FLPU to locate the dominant VP in natural scenes. • Our approach can process 115 fps on an RTX 2080 Ti GPU, which is several times faster than state-of-the-art methods. • We have created a manually labeled dataset including 5,776 natural scene images. As an important part of linear perspective, vanishing points (VPs) provide useful clues for mapping objects from 2D photos to 3D space. Existing methods are mainly focused on extracting structural features such as lines or contours and then clustering these features to detect VPs. However, these techniques suffer from ambiguous information due to the large number of line segments and contours detected in outdoor environments. In this paper, we present a new convolutional neural network (CNN) to detect dominant VPs in natural scenes, i.e., the Dominant Vanishing Point detection Network (D-VPnet). The key component of our method is the feature line-segment proposal unit (FLPU), which can be directly utilized to predict the location of the dominant VP. Moreover, the model also uses the two main parallel lines as an assistant to determine the position of the dominant VP. The proposed method was tested using a public dataset and a Parallel Line based Vanishing Point (PLVP) dataset. The experimental results suggest that the detection accuracy of our approach outperforms those of state-of-the-art methods under various conditions in real-time, achieving rates of 115 fps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An injection scheme is proposed to realize electron trapping in sub-relativistic plasma wakefield accelerators. A laser under oblique angle of incidence ionizes a dopant gas in plasma and ponderomotively accelerates the released electrons into the direction of wake propagation. This process enables electron trapping in the wakefield even for a wakefield potential below the trapping threshold. We study the scheme theoretically and by means of particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations to demonstrate high-quality beam formation and acceleration with sub-micrometer normalized emittances and sub-percent uncorrelated energy spreads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we investigate the integration of NOMA into cooperative relaying. We first introduce several fundamental cooperative NOMA network structures, and then classify them into two categories: user relaying and dedicated relaying. After that, we discuss the combination of cooperative NOMA with various advanced transmission technologies, such as full-duplex, cognitive radio, energy harvesting and multiple-input multiple-output. Following this, we focus on system evaluation and resource allocation of cooperative NOMA. Finally, major challenges and open issues are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air-breathing is known as a way to reduce the weight, volume, and the cost of PEMFCs. In this study, the thermal management of the high-powered air-breathing PEMFC stacks by applying different cathode flow channel configurations is carried out to improve the stack performance. In order to verify the thermal management results, numerical simulation is also performed. The research results show that a combination of the 50% and 58.3% opening ratios in the air-breathing stack reduces the stack temperature and enhances the temperature distribution uniformity, leading to a better and more stable stack performance. In addition, it is found that the stack performance is significantly improved under the assisted-air-breathing condition. Moreover, the simulation results and the experimental data are basically consistent. It is suggested to adopt the average temperature over the cross-sectional flow region from simulation as fitting the simulation results and the measured data. • The performance of air-breathing PEMFC stacks is improved by thermal management. • An innovative cathode channel configuration of the air-breathing PEMFC is adopted. • The new channel configuration reduces stack temperature and enhances its uniformity. • Simulation is performed to verify the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient ruthenium‐catalyzed divergent alkylation and olefination of methyl 1,3,5‐triazines with alcohols have been developed. The selectivity can be rationally tuned by the judicious choice of ruthenium catalyst, wherein Ru(PPh3)3Cl2 delivers alkylated 1,3,5‐triazines and RuCl3 gives olefinated 1,3,5‐triazines in up to 98 % yield. Following this simple, facile, and high atom economical protocol, a broad range of products was prepared in moderate to good yields and tolerated heterocyclic or benzylic alcohols containing functionalities. The overall transformation operates through dehydrogenation of primary alcohols under the reaction conditions to provide the corresponding aldehydes, which further undergo condensation with methyl 1,3,5‐triazines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high efficiency multi-staged plasma (HEMP) thruster, also known as the cusped field thruster, becomes a candidate microthruster of new generation space observation missions for its low complexity and potential long life over a wide range of thrust. Since there is a lack of relevant research of the wall material effects on the HEMP thruster, a low-power HEMP thruster with three different dielectric wall materials is tested to discover the effects on performance and discharge characteristics. A Faraday probe, a retarding potential analyzer, and a Langmuir probe are employed to diagnose the plume, and the plasma behavior differences in ionization and acceleration processes are indicated. The result shows that the secondary electron emission coefficient of the wall material has definite effects under a low mass flow rate, which is similar to the effects on the Hall thrusters, but no distinct difference is found in high flow rate conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cardiac valve calcification (CVC) is frequently occurred in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients and is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between risk factors and extent of CVC and further provide the treatment target in MHD patients. Methods: One hundred and forty-five patients who received MHD ≥3 months were enrolled. CVC was assessed by an echocardiographic, semi-quantitative manner called global cardiac calcium scoring system (GCCS), and demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters including mineral metabolism markers were collected. Results: The average age of the patients was 50 ± 12 years, and 54.5% were men. The mean GCCS was 1.8 ± 2.4; 57.2% of patients had GCCS ≥1. Age, dialysis vintage, serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and intact parathyroid hormone levels were positively correlated with CVC, whereas serum albumin levels were negatively related to CVC, based on univariate analysis. With multivariate linear regression analysis, serum ALP was the only bone-derived biomarker that showed significant correlation with CVC. Serum ALP ≥232 U/L was a robust predictor of CVC and was associated with the likelihood of GCCS ≥1 (OR 3.92, 95% CI 1.37–11.2, p = 0.011). The decision tree model was used to identify ALP ≥232 U/L and age ≥60 years as important determinative variables in the prediction of CVC in MHD patients. Conclusion: Serum ALP level is significantly associated with CVC in MHD patients. ALP is suggested to be a promising interventional target for cardiovascular calcification in MHD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile edge computing (MEC) has been envisioned as a promising technology for enhancing the computational capacities of mobile devices, by enabling computational task offloading. In this article, we employ massive multiple-input multiple-output methods to facilitate offloading in MEC. Our objective is to minimize the maximum delay for offloading and computing among the users, which requires a joint allocation of wireless and computational resources. Both perfect and imperfect channel state information (CSI) are considered. Under perfect CSI, we derive a semi-closed-form solution for the formulated problem. Under imperfect CSI, since the formulated problem is non-convex, we transform it into a convex one using a successive convex approximation technique and propose an iterative algorithm to solve it. Presented numerical results show the benefits of having a large number of antennas at the base station, and the necessity of performing joint radio and computational resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the impacts of wind field variations in the middle and lower troposphere on the development and structure of storms, we carried out numerical experiments on cases of severe convection in the Jianghuai area under the background of cold vortex on April 28, 2015. The results show that the structure and development of convective storms are highly sensitive to the changes of wind fields, and the adjustment of wind fields in the middle or lower troposphere will lead to significant changes in the development and structure of storms. When the wind field in the middle or lower troposphere is weakened, the development of convective storms attenuates to some extent compared with that in the control experiment, and the ways of attenuation in the two experiments are different. In the attenuation test of wind field at the middle level, convective storms obviously weaken at all stages in its development, while for the wind field at the low level, the convective storms weaken only in the initial stage of storm. On the contrary, the enhancement of the wind field in the middle or lower troposphere is conducive to the development of convection, especially the enhancement in the middle troposphere. In contrast, the convective storms develop rapidly in this test, as the most intensive one. The wind field variations have significant impacts on the structure and organization of the storm. The enhancement of wind field in the middle troposphere facilitates the intension of the middle-level rotation in convective storm, the reduction of the storm scale, and the organized evolution of convective storms. The strengthening of the wind field in the lower troposphere is conducive to the development of the low-level secondary circulation of the storm and the cyclonic vorticity at the middle and low levels on the inflowing side of the storms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite photovoltaics being a new type of green energy technology, the output of the photovoltaic industry has been declining year by year since 2018. Thus, China's photovoltaic industry must adapt to transformations from original extensive growth to the pursuit of high-quality energy. In order to accurately predict the installed capacity of photovoltaics in China, based on an extensive literature review and expert consultation, this paper is the first to construct a set of influencing factors that affect the photovoltaic industry, and we selected the main influencing factors as the predictive model's input through the grey correlation analysis method. Then, we provide a novel grid investment forecast named the CEEMD-ABC-LSSVM predictive model (a least squares support vector machine algorithm based on complete total empirical mode decomposition and an artificial bee colony algorithm). This algorithm is based on the traditional LSSVM algorithm. The ABC algorithm is used to optimize the parameters, while CEEMD decomposes the original time series to obtain multiple components. While maintaining the data information, the data are expanded and the training is fully carried out. Next, in the empirical analysis, by comparing the prediction results of LSSVM, ABC-LSSVM, and the EMD-ABC-LSSVM algorithm, we demonstrate that the CEEMD-ABC-LSSVM model has strong generalization capabilities and achieves good Chinese PV growth based on the predicted effects of the installed capacity. Finally, the CEEMD-ABC-LSSVM model was used to predict the installed PV capacity in China from 2019 to 2035. We find that China's installed PV capacity will surpass 4000 GW around 2035. As this installed capacity will increase year by year, China's PV industry development will maintain steady overall growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key to successful detection of a localized bearing fault lies in extracting fault-induced impulse responses. Unfortunately, these responses are often contaminated by background noise. The popular K-singular value decomposition (K-SVD) denoising algorithm can be used to extract impulse responses from noise, but it may obtain weak impulse responses against reliable fault detection. An SOSO boosting technique is proposed to improve the performance of the K-SVD denoising algorithm. Given an initial denoised signal, this paper proposes iteratively repeating the following SOSO boosting procedure: 1) Strengthen the underlying signal by adding the previous denoised signal to the noisy input signal; 2) Operate the K-SVD denoising algorithm on the strengthened signal; 3) Subtract the previous denoised signal from the restored signal-strengthened outcome; and 4) Operate the modified K-SVD denoising algorithm again on the resulting signal after the subtraction. The last step, i.e., the secondary denoising step, plays a crucial role in preventing the enhancement of the residual noise that originates from the first denoised result. The results of numerical and experimental studies show that the SOSO-based K-SVD denoising algorithm not only enhances weak impulse responses significantly but also reduces potential residual noise effectively compared to the SOS-based and the original K-SVD denoising algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing petawatt class laser beams to a variety of spot sizes for different applications is expensive in cost, labor, and space. In this paper, we propose a plasma lens to flexibly resize the laser beam by utilizing the self-focusing effect of laser in plasmas. Using a fixed conventional focusing system to focus the laser a short distance in front of the plasma, we can adjust the effective laser beam waist within a certain range, with the plasma lens acting as an adjustable eyepiece in a telescope. Such a setup is a powerful tool for laser wakefield accelerator experiments in state-of-the-art petawatt laser projects and allows for scanning focal spot parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the energy-efficient resource allocation problem in an uplink non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) millimeter wave system, where the fully-connected-based sparse radio frequency chain antenna structure is applied at the base station (BS). To relieve the pilot overhead for channel estimation, we propose a codebook-based analog beam design scheme, which only requires to obtain the equivalent channel gain. On this basis, users belonging to the same analog beam are served via NOMA. Meanwhile, an advanced NOMA decoding scheme is proposed by exploiting the global information available at the BS. Under predefined minimum rate and maximum transmit power constraints for each user, we formulate a max-min user energy efficiency (EE) optimization problem by jointly optimizing the detection matrix at the BS and transmit power at the users. We first transform the original fractional objective function into a subtractive one. Then, we propose a two-loop iterative algorithm to solve the reformulated problem. Specifically, the inner loop updates the detection matrix and transmit power iteratively, while the outer loop adopts the bi-section method. Meanwhile, to decrease the complexity of the inner loop, we propose a zero-forcing (ZF)-based iterative algorithm, where the detection matrix is designed via the ZF technique. Finally, simulation results show that the proposed schemes obtain a better performance in terms of spectral efficiency and EE than the conventional schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public key encryption with equality test (PKEET) allows a tester to know whether ciphertexts are the encryptions of a same message or not by using the trapdoors issued from their owners, which is a useful cryptographic primitive can be deployed in many applications, such as in the mechanism of searching over encrypted data. Based on Hash Proof System (HPS) introduced by Cramer and Shoup, this paper presents an oversimplified paradigm for constructing PKEET in the standard model. Compared with the previous works that use identity-based encryption, strongly unforgeable one-time signature or other strong cryptographic primitives, our paradigm requires only the universal 2 property of HPS and provides an efficient way to obtain concrete PKEET schemes based on different assumptions in the standard model, since HPS has been shown can be easily realized from a board range of NP languages (e.g., DLIN-based, DCR-based, Lattice-based and so on). Moreover, to demonstrate the practicality of the proposed paradigm, we instantiate it based on two kinds of NP languages respectively, one is based on the decisional Diffie-Hellman (DDH) assumption, the other one is based on the decisional composite residuosity (DCR) assumption, which results in the first concrete PKEET schemes that in the standard model without using pairing operations, and the schemes' security are also based on the standard DDH assumption and the standard DCR assumption respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Accurate preoperative parathyroid localization is important for successful parathyroidectomy (PTX). The aim of our study was to investigate whether SPECT/CT has enhanced effect in preoperative localization of parathyroids. Methods: In our retrospective cohort study, we evaluated the effects of technetium-99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile-single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (99mTc-MIBI SPECT/CT) on preoperative parathyroid localization for 645 secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) patients. Among them, 569 successful PTX patients were divided into group A (received 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy, n = 175) and group B (received 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy and SPECT/CT imaging, n = 394). Sensitivity, specificity, and consistency of two imaging methods in preoperative localization of parathyroids were compared. Results: Overall sensitivity and consistency were higher in group B, while there was no difference in specificity between the two groups. In group A, the sensitivity of 99mTc-MIBI was 50.00%, 77.11%, 61.76%, and 76.54% in the right upper gland (RU), right lower gland (RL), left upper gland (LU), and left lower gland (LL) subgroups, while the consistency was 52.00%, 76.57%, 61.71%, and 75.43%, respectively. In group B, the sensitivity of 99mTc-MIBI with SPECT/CT was 69.39%, 90.03%, 78.07%, and 84.27%, and the consistency was 69.54%, 88.32%, 78.43%, and 84.26%, respectively. The sensitivity and consistency in lower glands were higher than in upper glands in both groups. Sensitivity for eutopic parathyroid was higher in group B, while there was no difference for ectopic parathyroid. Conclusions:99mTc-MIBI SPECT/CT can increase the sensitivity and consistency of preoperative localization of eutopic parathyroid glands, and it can accurately locate ectopic parathyroid without sensitivity improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]