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Organic photodetectors (OPDs) have experienced remarkable performance improvements over the past decade thanks to significant advancements in organic material synthesis and device architecture engineering. In this study, high‐performance near‐infrared (NIR) OPDs with versatile advanced properties, including large detection areas, mechanical flexibility, and high transparency are realized. By incorporating a thin photo‐absorbing layer, functional blocking layers with a large energy gap, and semitransparent electrodes, the OPDs achieve an average visible transmittance (AVT) of up to 53.4% and color rendering index (CRI) of up to 95 within the human vision photopic response window of 380–780 nm. Both the small (6.44 mm2) and large (256 mm2) detection‐area semitransparent OPDs demonstrate an impressive external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 34% and 36%, and specific detectivity (D*) of 1.4 × 1013 and 1.1 × 1012 Jones, respectively, comparable to silicon‐based inorganic photodetectors. As application demonstrations, OPDs with rigid and flexible substrates are employed for NIR imaging and biosensing, respectively. Notably, the flexible semitransparent OPDs are utilized as signal receivers in conjunction with semitransparent NIR organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) operating as signal producers, demonstrating the feasibility of invisible optical communication. These OPDs represent the best‐performing see‐through devices with flexibility, making them promising candidates for integratable, bio‐compatible, and invisible optical‐sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human face is one of the most salient regions of the body surface. Ratings of facial attractiveness, as well as judgements of a person's age, are influenced by the appearance of facial skin (not to mention the presence/absence of wrinkles). Unsurprisingly, many consumers spend huge amounts of money on trying to protect, maintain, and/or enhance their facial appearance. As highlighted by the evidence presented in this narrative review, both the skin and the cosmetic products that many consumers use are fundamentally multisensory in nature. The complex interaction between the particular skin site stimulated and the multisensory attributes of the product (e.g., when it is applied) can exert a number of effects on an individual's mood, their emotions, as well as on their self‐perception (and self‐confidence), over‐and‐above any functional effects that the cream or lotion may have on the skin itself. In this narrative historical review, the literature on the multisensory perception of facial skin is summarized and critically evaluated. Multisensory interactions taking place between the cosmetic product, its packaging, as well as its use/application at the sensory, cognitive, and emotional levels are all discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid method that uses super-resolution magnetic array data is proposed to localize an unknown number of magnets in a magnetic array. A magnetic data super-resolution (SR) neural network was developed to improve the resolution of a magnetic sensor array. The approximate 3D positions of multiple targets were then obtained based on the normalized source strength (NSS) and magnetic gradient tensor (MGT) inversion. Finally, refined inversion of the position and magnetic moment was performed using a trust region reflective algorithm (TRR). The effectiveness of the proposed method was examined using experimental field data collected from a magnetic sensor array. The experimental results showed that all the targets were successfully captured in multiple trials with three to five targets with an average positioning error of less than 3 mm and an average time of less than 300 ms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narrowband near-infrared (NIR) detectors are key components for various modern biomedical, agricultural, astronomical sensing as well as monitoring applications. Typically, a narrowband organic photodetector (OPD) requires thick junctions or additional optical elements, which are either tedious or cost-ineffective. Here, we adopt the low-donor content strategy in our thin-film device to realize narrowband spectral features. The much-mitigated aggregation drastically improves shunt resistance and dark current while maintaining decent photocurrent. Upon further dilution, a thinner electron transporting layer can effectively shorten the transient response to reach fast speed. n-i-p and p-i-n device configurations are also compared, which exhibits drastic changes for low-donor content OPDs. The 5 wt% D:A thin-film bulk-heterojunction OPD presents an external quantum efficiency of 49.3% at 770 nm with zero bias, and a high thermal-noise calculated specific detectivity (D*) of 1.0 × 1013 Jones (7.1 × 1012 Jones based on noise spectral density) at 0 V. Such narrowband OPD also shows a fast NIR response of 530 ns/840 ns (rise/fall) when operated at 10 kHz. The results reveal the potential for low-donor-content blend in realizing narrowband photodetection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroimaging and other neurobiological evidences are increasingly introduced in criminal litigation, especially when a neuropsychiatric disorder is suspected. Evaluations of criminal competencies are the most common type of criminal forensic assessment in forensic psychiatry and psychology. Given this, it is critical for forensic evaluators to understand how neuropsychiatric disorders may affect a defendant's criminal competencies and how neurobiological data may be used in competency determinations. This paper reviews the use of neurobiological data, particularly neuroimaging, while considering the limitations and potential misuse of such data in criminal competency evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering electronic bandgaps is crucial for applications in information technology, sensing, and renewable energy. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) offer a versatile platform for bandgap modulation through alloying, doping, and heterostructure formation. Here, the synthesis of a 2D MoxW1‐xS2 graded alloy is reported, featuring a Mo‐rich center that transitions to W‐rich edges, achieving a tunable bandgap of 1.85 to 1.95 eV when moving from the center to the edge of the flake. Aberration‐corrected high‐angle annular dark‐field scanning transmission electron microscopy showed the presence of sulfur monovacancy, VS, whose concentration varied across the graded MoxW1‐xS2 layer as a function of Mo content with the highest value in the Mo‐rich center region. Optical spectroscopy measurements supported by ab initio calculations reveal a doublet electronic state of VS, which is split due to the spin‐orbit interaction, with energy levels close to the conduction band or deep in the bandgap depending on whether the vacancy is surrounded by W atoms or Mo atoms. This unique electronic configuration of VS in the alloy gave rise to four spin‐allowed optical transitions between the VS levels and the valence bands. The study demonstrates the potential of defect and optical engineering in 2D monolayers for advanced device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rhubarb is one of common traditional Chinese medicine with a diverse array of therapeutic efficacies. Despite its widespread use, molecular research into rhubarb remains limited, constraining our comprehension of the geoherbalism. Results: We assembled the genome of Rheum palmatum L., one of the source plants of rhubarb, to elucidate its genome evolution and unpack the biosynthetic pathways of its bioactive compounds using a combination of PacBio HiFi, Oxford Nanopore, Illumina, and Hi-C scaffolding approaches. Around 2.8 Gb genome was obtained after assembly with more than 99.9% sequences anchored to 11 pseudochromosomes (scaffold N50 = 259.19 Mb). Transposable elements (TE) with a continuous expansion of long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTRs) is predominant in genome size, contributing to the genome expansion of R. palmatum. Totally 30,480 genes were predicted to be protein-coding genes with 473 significantly expanded gene families enriched in diverse pathways associated with high-altitude adaptation for this species. Two successive rounds of whole genome duplication event (WGD) shared by Fagopyrum tataricum and R. palmatum were confirmed. We also identified 54 genes involved in anthraquinone biosynthesis and other 97 genes entangled in flavonoid biosynthesis. Notably, RpALS emerged as a compelling candidate gene for the octaketide biosynthesis after the key residual screening. Conclusion: Overall, our findings offer not only an enhanced understanding of this remarkable medicinal plant but also pave the way for future innovations in its genetic breeding, molecular design, and functional genomic studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study an innovative parameterized water-bomb wheel modeling method based on recursive solving are introduced, significantly reducing the modeling workload compared to traditional methods. A multi-link supporting structure is designed upon the foundation of the water-bomb wheel model. The effectiveness of the supporting structure is verified through simulations and experiments. For robots equipped with this water-bomb wheel featuring the multi-link support, base on the kinematic model of multi-link structure, a mapping algorithm that incorporates parameterized kinematic solutions and IMU-fused parameterized odometry is proposed. Based on this algorithm, SLAM and autonomous navigation experiments are carried out in simulation environment and real environment respectively. Compared with the traditional algorithm, this algorithm the precision of SLAM is enhanced, achieving high-precision SLAM and autonomous navigation with a robot error rate below 5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China produces and consumes the largest amount of cotton, playing a critical role in the world's fiber and textile industries. Theoretically, an increase in temperature poses a complex set of impacts on both cotton and pathogen diseases. However, empirical evidence regarding the overall effect on regional cotton yield in China is currently lacking. In this study, we employ county-level cotton statistics and degree-day indices (n = 30,502) to demonstrate a temperature effect on cotton yield, influenced by both direct temperature effects and indirect effects on verticillium wilt infection in China. Our findings indicate that temperatures between the base growing temperature (15 °C) and the optimal infection threshold for cotton wilt disease (25 °C) reduce cotton yield. However, beyond this threshold, when disease infection is significantly limited, higher temperatures become beneficial. Temperatures exceeding 32 °C causes heat stress, which dominates and drives a decline in yield. Furthermore, we provide a risk assessment of warming on cotton in future climate scenarios. Our model projections reveal an overall decrease in cotton yield ranging from 6.2 to 30.6%, accompanied by amplified heat stress (resulting in a yield decrease of 11.6 to 48.7%) but a reduced threat of verticillium wilt (yield increase of 8.2 to 23.6%) in future. Particularly, the Northwest Region, currently responsible for 80% of cotton production, is expected to be particularly vulnerable. This study emphasizes the importance of investing in long-term technological advancements such as cotton heat-tolerance breeding and redistributing cotton growing areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern image sensors necessitate three color‐selective photodetectors: red, green, and blue (RGB) sensing units. Among those, blue light‐specific photodetectors are comparably much less reported. Here, a fully thermal‐evaporated organic photodetector (OPD) with narrowband blue detection based on exploring the dual role of the hole‐transporting layer is elegantly demonstrated. By incorporating a MoO3‐doped underlayer, the narrowband OPD achieves high external quantum efficiency up to 50% at 0 V with thin‐film devices. By adopting an intrinsic underlayer in planar junction configuration along with efficient hole and electron blocking layers, an ultralow dark current (2.46 × 10−12 A cm−2 at −0.1 V) is achieved. The device has a calculated specific detectivity (D*) reaching a record‐high value of 6.35 × 1014 Jones, outperforming commercial silicon photodetectors, and an ultrahigh linear dynamic range of 205 dB. This work paves the way for high‐sensitivity narrowband organic photodetectors in the visible spectral region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Chinese central government launched the third phase of health system reforms in 2009. After a decade since the initiation of the reform, the health system has witnessed noteworthy gains. However, there is no concurrent improvement in public satisfaction with the health system. This study analysed various factors that influence public satisfaction with the system and examined whether perceived quality of care affects public satisfaction. Methods: A longitudinal nationally representative survey was used for this study. We used five waves of China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) survey data. The final sample consisted of 145 843 observations. A two-way fixed-effects ordered logistic model was used for the analysis. Results: The results indicate that perceived good quality of care was positively associated with public satisfaction in health system regardless of rural–urban residence. Older adults and individuals with more than 3 years of college education were less likely to be satisfied with the system in rural areas. Personal income and the density of medical professionals in the geographic area tend to improve public satisfaction in rural areas. Having medical insurance coverage and fair or good self-rated health improved the probability of reporting public satisfaction in urban areas. Married people and individuals who lived in the West region were less likely to be satisfied with the health system in urban areas. Conclusions: Knowledge and skills of healthcare providers or physical quality of facilities are not sufficient in improving public satisfaction in the health system. Policymakers need to identify options to influence the important factors that affect public perception of the system. This analysis identified several policy-amenable factors to improve public perception of the health system in rural and urban China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a novel architecture for the design of single-photon detecting arrays that captures relative intensity or timing information from a scene, rather than absolute. The proposed method for capturing relative information between pixels or groups of pixels requires very little circuitry, and thus allows for a significantly higher pixel packing factor than is possible with per-pixel TDC approaches. The inherently compressive nature of the differential measurements also reduces data throughput and lends itself to physical implementations of compressed sensing, such as Haar wavelets. We demonstrate this technique for HDR imaging and LiDAR, and describe possible future applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical students lack opportunities to have authentic conversations with patients with cancer in busy hospitals. An improved understanding of what such communication might look like may provide a framework for end-of-life curricula. The authors performed thematic analysis using written correspondence between patient and student participants in the University of California, San Francisco's Firefly Program whose letters discussed death or dying. Four themes emerged: (1) turmoil, (2) grief, (3) making peace, and (4) past, present, and future. Medical students expressed a fifth theme: unmet student expectations. The study provides educators with a unique perspective to help inform curriculum development and patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of big data, making full use of remote sensing images to automatically extract surface water bodies (WBs) in complex environments is extremely challenging. Due to the weak capability of existing algorithms in extracting small WBs and WB edge information from remote sensing images, we proposed a new method—Multiscale Fusion SegFormer (MF-SegFormer)—for WB extraction in the Weihe River Basin of China using Landsat 8 OLI images. The MF-SegFormer method adopts a cascading approach to fuse features output by the SegFormer encoder at multiple scales. A feature fusion (FF) module is proposed to enhance the extraction of WB edge information, while an Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling (ASPP) module is employed to enhance the extraction of small WBs. Furthermore, we analyzed the impact of four kinds of band combinations on WB extraction by the MF-SegFormer model, including true color composite images, false color images, true color images, and false color images enhanced by Gaussian stretch. We also compared our proposed method with several different approaches. The results suggested that false color composite images enhanced by Gaussian stretching are beneficial for extracting WBs, and the MF-SegFormer model achieves the highest accuracy across the study area with a precision of 77.6%, recall of 84.4%, F1-score of 80.9%, and mean intersection over union (mIoU) of 83.9%. In addition, we used the determination coefficient (R2) and root-mean-square error (RMSE) to evaluate the performance of river width extraction. Our extraction results in an overall R2 of 0.946 and an RMSE of 28.21 m for the mainstream width in the "Xi'an-Xianyang" section of the Weihe River. The proposed MF-SegFormer method used in this study outperformed other methods and was found to be more robust for WB extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With stereo cameras becoming widely used in invasive surgery systems, stereo endoscopic images provide important depth information for delicate surgical tasks. However, the small size of sensors and their limited lighting conditions lead to low-quality and low-resolution endoscopic images and videos. In this paper, we propose a stereo endoscopic video super-resolution method using transformer with a hybrid attention mechanism named HA-VSR. Stereo video SR aims to reconstruct high-resolution (HR) images from corresponding low-resolution (LR) videos. In our method, the stereo correspondence and temporal correspondence are incorporated into the HA-VSR model. Specifically, the Swin transformer architecture is utilized in proposed framework with hybrid attention mechanisms. The parallel attention mechanism is utilized by using the symmetry and consistency of left and right images, and the temporal attention mechanism is utilized by using the consistency of consecutive frames. Detailed quantitative evaluation and experiments on two datasets show the proposed model achieves advanced SR reconstruction performance, showing that the proposed stereo VSR framework outperforms alternative approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing agricultural nitrogen datasets in China are mostly developed using coarse national or provincial statistics. A crop‐specific nitrogen rate dataset based on the finest‐scale agricultural nitrogen statistics at the county level remains lacking. Here, we constructed a new dataset (CN‐N), which provides annual nitrogen rates for rice, wheat and maize in China at a 1‐km spatial resolution from 2004 to 2016. This dataset was developed by harmonizing county‐level and provincial agricultural nitrogen statistics with gridded crop distribution maps, resulting in 13 years of nitrogen rate maps for each crop covering 2004–2016. Validation against farmers' surveys by crop indicates CN‐N reliably quantifies average nitrogen rates and trends for each crop over 2004–2016, demonstrating improved spatial heterogeneity compared to previous datasets rasterized using only provincial statistics. Our study provides a crop‐specific, temporally consistent, gridded nitrogen rate dataset based on the finest‐scale county‐level agricultural nitrogen statistics. This can support future process‐based modelling for sustainable agricultural nitrogen management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through analyzing the triggering factors and activity characteristics of avalanches in Aerxiangou in the Western Tianshan Mountains, the formation and disaster-causing process of avalanches were studied to provide theoretical support and a scientific basis for avalanche disaster prevention. In this paper, based on remote sensing interpretation and field investigation, a spatial distribution map of avalanches was established, and the induced and triggering factors in disaster-prone environments were analyzed using the certainty factor model. The degree of influence (E) of the disaster-causing factors on avalanche triggering was quantified, and the main control conditions conducive to avalanche occurrence in different periods were obtained. The RAMMS-avalanche model was used to analyze the activity characteristics at points where multiple avalanches occurred. Research results: (1) The E values of the average temperature, average snowfall, and surface roughness in February were significantly higher than those of other hazard-causing factors, reaching 1.83 and 1.71, respectively, indicating strong control. The E values of the surface cutting degree, average temperature, and average snow depth in March were all higher than 1.8, indicating that these control factors were more prominent than the other factors. In contrast, there were four hazard-causing factors with E values higher than 1.5 in April: the mean temperature, slope, surface roughness, and mean wind speed, with clear control. (2) Under the influence of the different hazard-causing factors, the types of avalanches from February–April mainly included new full-layer avalanches, surface avalanches, and full-layer wet avalanches. (3) In the RAMMS-avalanche simulation test, considering the deposition effect, compared to the previous avalanche movement path, the secondary avalanche flow accumulation area impact range changes were slight, while the movement area within the avalanche path changes was large, as were the different categories of avalanches and their different movement characteristic values. Overall, wet snow avalanches are more hazardous, and the impact force is larger. The new snow avalanches start in a short period, the sliding rate is fast, and the avalanche sliding surface (full-snow surface and face-snow) of the difference is mainly manifested in the differences in the value of the flow height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore the origins of the marked improvement in enantioselectivity in the inner-sphere (PHOX)Pd-catalyzed allylic alkylation of N-benzoyl lactam nucleophiles over their carbocyclic counterparts. We employ density functional theory calculations to aid in the interpretation of experimental results. Ultimately, we propose that the enhancement in enantioselectivity arises primarily from noncovalent interactions between the substrate and ligand rather than secondary substrate chelation, as previously hypothesized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellular-connected unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) present a viable solution to address communication and navigation limitations by leveraging base stations for air–ground communication. However, in complex urban scenarios with stringent communication requirements, achieving asymmetrical control becomes crucial to strike a balance between communication reliability and flight safety. Moreover, existing cellular-connected UAV trajectory planning algorithms often struggle to handle real scenes with sudden and intricate obstacles. To address the aforementioned challenges, this paper presents the multi-tier trajectory planning method (MTTP), which takes into account air–ground communication service assurance and collision avoidance in intricate urban environments. The proposed approach establishes a flight risk model that accounts for both the outage probability of UAV-ground base station (GBS) communication and the complexity of flight environments, and transforms the inherently complex three-dimensional (3D) trajectory optimization problem into a risk distance minimization model. To optimize the flight trajectory, a hierarchical progressive solution approach is proposed, which combines the strengths of the heuristic search algorithm (HSA) and deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithm. This innovative fusion of techniques empowers MTTP to efficiently navigate complex scenarios with sudden obstacles and communication challenges. Simulations show that the proposed MTTP method achieves a more superior performance of trajectory planning than the conventional communication-based solution, which yields a substantial reduction in flight distance of at least 8.49% and an impressive 10% increase in the mission success rate. Furthermore, a real-world scenario is chosen from the Yuhang District, Hangzhou (a southern Chinese city), to validate the practical applicability of the MTTP method in highly complex operating scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the emergence and development of the new generation of smart portable, flexible wearable electrons devices and smart fabrics, people's requirements for the performance of functional fibers are getting higher. As a new two-dimensional transition metal carbon/nitride (MXene), due to tis excellent conductivity, high mechanical strength and large specific surface area, t is often used as a functional component to construct macro-composites, showing great application potential in the fields of intelligent sensing, electromagnetic shedding and thermal energy conversion. In this paper, the preparation methods of MXene and as functional fibers are reviewed and the applications of MXene-based functional fibers were expounded. Finally, the key scientific problems and challenges of MXene functional fibers were summarized, and tis future development and prospects were prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lung cancer is reported to be the leading cause of death in males and females, globally. Increasing evidence highlights the paramount importance of Lactate dehydrogenase D (LDHD) in different types of cancers, though it's role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is still inadequately explored. In this study, we aimed to investigate and determine the relationship between LDHD and LUAD. Methods: The collection of the samples was guided by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). To ascertain various aspects around LDHD function, we analyzed different expression genes (DEGs), functional enrichment, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks. The predictive values for LDHD were collectively determined using the Kaplan–Meier method, Cox regression analysis, and a nomogram. Evaluation of the immune infiltration analysis was completed using Estimate and ssGSEA. The prediction of the immunotherapy response was based on TIDE and IPS. The LDHD expression levels in LUAD were validated through Western blot, qPCR, and immunohistochemistry methods. Wound healing and transwell assays were also performed to illustrate the aggressive features in LUAD cell lines. Results: The results showed that LDHD was generally downregulated in LUAD patients, with the low LDHD group presenting a decline in OS, DSS, and PFI. Enriched pathways, which include pyruvate metabolism, central carbon metabolism, and oxidative phosphorylation were observed through KEGG analysis. It was also noted that the expression of LDHD expression was inversely related to immune cell infiltration and typical checkpoints. The high LDHD group's response to immunotherapy was remarkable, particularly in CTAL4 + /PD1- therapy. In vitro studies revealed that the overexpression of LDHD caused tumor migration and invasion to be suppressed. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study revealed that LDHD might be an effective predictor of prognosis and immune filtration, possibly leading to better choices for immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeding is an important adaptation strategy to sustain rice production in China. However, the breeding priorities for ideal adaptation to future climate stress remain unknown. Here, we established 15 scenarios representing the high-median-low levels of chilling sensitivity, heat sensitivity, and maturity type attributes based on 140 existing rice varieties and assessed the performance of these scenarios for climate change adaptation in Northeast China. Results showed that the average yield of low-chilling-sensitivity varieties will decline by 10.8–47.5% in the 2100s, depending on SSPs. If the increase in warming is greater than 1.7 °C, low-heat-sensitivity varieties show higher yields than low-chilling-sensitivity ones, but the average yield will decline by 10.4–33.5% in the 2100s than that under baseline climate. Comparably, the contribution of varieties with an extended whole growth duration was at least 5 times greater than that of low-sensitivity varieties, resulting in a 50% yield increase relative to that at the baseline climate. Our study suggests that late-maturing varieties have considerable breeding potential relative to the varieties with low sensitivity to cold and heat stresses, and late maturity is thus recommended as the primary breeding target for adaptation to climate change in Northeast China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a model predictive controller (MPC) design based on the optimal tip-speed ratio method for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of a direct-driven permanent magnet synchronous generator (D-PMSG)-based wind energy conversion system (WECS). To eliminate system nonlinearity and time-varying characteristics, a control variable was added at the wind turbine and the system model was feedback-linearized to create a linear time-invariant system, reducing the computational burden of the MPC and improving system performance. MATLAB/Simulink simulations were performed and the results show that the linearized system has high fidelity. Compared to traditional MPC that use an operating point to linearize the system, it has better adaptability to turbulent wind speeds, improving the stability and rapidity of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a traditional Chinese medicine, rhubarb is used to treat several diseases such as severe acute pancreatitis, sepsis and chronic renal failure. However, few studies focused on the authentication of germplasm for the Rheum palmatum complex, and no studies have been conducted to elucidate the evolutionary history of the R. palmatum complex using plastome datasets. Hence, we aim to develop the potential molecular markers to identify the elite germplasms of rhubarb and explore the divergence and biogeographic history of the R. palmatum complex based on the newly sequenced chloroplast genome datasets. Chloroplast genomes of thirty-five the R. palmatum complex germplasms were sequenced, and the length ranged from 160,858 to 161,204 bp. The structure, gene content and gene order were highly conserved across all genomes. Eight InDels and sixty-one SNPs loci could be used to authenticate the high-quality germplasms of rhubarb in specific areas. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all rhubarb germplasms were clustered in the same clade with high bootstrap support values and Bayesian posterior probabilities. According to the molecular dating result, the intraspecific divergence of the complex occurred in the Quaternary, which might be affected by climatic fluctuation. The biogeography reconstruction indicated that the ancestor of the R. palmatum complex might originate from the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains or/and Bashan-Qinling Mountains, and then spread to surrounding areas. Several useful molecular markers were developed to identify rhubarb germplasms, and our study will provide further understanding on speciation, divergence and biogeography of the R. palmatum complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice is currently benefiting from climate warming in Northeast China, but whether such positive effect will continue in the future remains unknown. Here, we evaluate the impacts of individual and combined climate variables on rice yields in Northeast China during 1980–2015. Results show that there is 10% yield increase induced by climate change in Northeast China since 1980. At present, the reduced chilling results in 5.4% yield increase (approximately 28,000 tons) and the higher growing degree-day contributes to 4.6% yield increase (approximately 24,000 tons), while the high-temperature extreme reduced yield by 0.054% (approximately 280 tons). However, with continuous warming, the harmful impact of such high-temperature extreme will outweigh other positive climate effects when the temperature increases by 3.36 °C. Therefore, high-temperature extremes cannot be ignored despite their influence on rice yield being quite limited at present in Northeast China. Climate change mitigation and heat tolerance breeding are thus necessary for rice production in Northeast China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal resonance between different vibration modes in micromechanical devices has been widely studied due to its promising application prospects in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonators and oscillators. In this paper, we investigated the 2:1 internal resonance between the extensional and flexural modes in a micromechanical cantilever beam resonator using open and closed loop testing methods. In the open loop test, energy transfer from the extensional mode to the flexural mode induced by internal resonance is directly observed. Amplitude saturation and internal resonance bandwidth change in the extensional mode are experimentally studied and theoretically verified with numerical simulation. In the closed loop system, internal resonance produces a bistable self-oscillation frequency. The oscillation frequency of the extensional mode will be locked to one of the two peaks induced by internal resonance. In addition, obvious improvement in short-term frequency stability of the closed loop system is observed with the help of internal resonance. The dynamic characteristics studied in this research can be potentially used to enhance the performance of MEMS vibration devices by internal resonance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Chronic alcohol misuse could cause alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM), and the specific mechanisms remained largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to explore the effects of endogenous ceramides on chronic ethanol-induced myocardial injury or cell loss (e.g. necroptosis). Methods We established chronic alcohol intoxication models in vivo (male C57BL/6 mice) and in vitro (H9c2 cardiomyoblasts). The ceramide profiles were analyzed in mice myocardium and cultured cardiomyocytes. Further research on the role of ceramides and underlying signaling pathways was carried out in H9c2 cells. Results and conclusions The ceramide profiles analysis revealed increased long and very long–chain ceramides in alcoholic myocardium and ethanol-treated cardiomyocytes. Next, we proved that endogenous ceramide inhibition could reduce necroptosis and alleviate cardiomyocytes injury as suggested by decreased levels of p-RIPK1, p-RIPK3 and p-MLKL proteins and cardiac injury factors expression. Furthermore, we found that lysosomal dysfunction also contributed to alcohol-induced cardiac damage and inhibiting ceramide biosynthesis could repaired this to some extent. Cells studies with exogenous C6 ceramide confirmed the pleotropic roles of ceramide in myocardial damage by causing both necroptosis and lysosomal dysfunction. Finally, our data suggested that lysosomal dysfunction could sensitize cardiomyocytes to induction of necroptosis due to the restriction on degradation of RIPK1/RIPK3 proteins. In conclusion, chronic ethanol treatment boosted myocardial ceramide synthesis in animal hearts and cultured cardiomyocytes. Moreover, ceramides exerted crucial roles in the intrinsic signaling pathways of alcohol-induced cardiotoxicity. Targeting ceramide biosynthesis to simultaneously attenuate necroptosis and lysosomal dysfunction might be a novel strategy for preventing alcoholic cardiotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online health monitoring of thyristor converter valve is very important for the stable operation of high voltage direct current (HVDC) system. However, in practical projects, only offline annual maintenance can be realized. This paper proposes a method for parameter identification of thyristor valve based on wavelet packet key feature extraction and Elman neural network. By preprocessing the measurable characteristic parameters of thyristor valve in practical engineering, such as wavelet packet time‐frequency domain feature extraction, variation coefficient optimization and so on, the characteristic vector that can characterize the health state of thyristor valve is obtained and sent to Elman neural network for training, which realizes the rapid online identification of multiple electrical parameters of thyristor modules in converter valve. Simulation and comparative experiments show that the key feature extraction method proposed in this paper has significant advantages in identification accuracy, and can better identify the damping capacitance and leakage resistance of all thyristor modules. Among them, the deterioration of the damping capacitance is more easily identified, the identification accuracy is the highest and the relative identification error is less than 5%. The parameter identification method proposed in this paper has the advantages of fast identification speed, strong model generalization ability and wide application. This provides a new idea for the online condition monitoring of thyristor valves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is one of the high-risk litigated medical specialties. Further elucidating the causes behind these malpractice claims can help physicians avoid patient injury. This study analyzed CABG litigations occurred in different level hospitals to outline the basic characteristics, as well as present a analysis on the medical malpractice that result in lawsuits. Methods: This study utilized the "China Judgments Online" database to compile litigations from 2012 to 2021 across China. 109 cases related to the CABG were included in the study, and were analyzed for demographic, patient outcomes and verdict characteristics in different levels of hospitals. Results: The median age of plaintiff patient was 62 years, the median length of stay was 25 days, and the median responsibility ratio of the litigation cases was 30%. The average proportion of responsibility of national, provincial and municipal hospitals were 29.6%, 28.4% and 39.5% respectively, and the median days after surgery to death of that were 15, 9 and 5 separately. The top 5 postoperative complications in dispute cases were: low cardiac output syndrome, postoperative hemorrhage, non-surgical site infections, surgical site infections and arrhythmia. Conclusions: The diagnosis and treatment capabilities of coronary artery bypass grafting in different levels of hospitals in China were inconsistent, and the treatment capabilities in prefecture-level hospitals were lower than that in national hospitals. The procedural error, failure to properly monitor the patient and diagnostic errors were common in CABG litigations. Postoperative complications related to surgical injuries and insufficient basic postoperative management lead to a higher responsibility proportion. Key Points: The procedural error was the most common reason in CABG malpractice claims. Malpractice occurred most in postoperative management procedure. CABG claims caused by surgical injuries have a higher proportion of liability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To realize multi-purpose exploration of marine resources, a novel design consisting of a monopile offshore wind turbine and steel aquaculture cage in an integrated structure is proposed in this paper; the structure is denoted as MOWTAC. Based on the theories of the screen model, a hydrodynamic analysis module is developed in the OWT simulation tool FASTv8. Then, in combination with a seismic analysis module, the fully coupled analysis model of the MOWTAC is established in the updated FAST v8. Based on the coupled model, the dynamic characteristics and coupling mechanisms of the MOWTAC under earthquake, wind, and wave loads are investigated. A tuned mass damper (TMD) is applied to the MOWTAC under earthquakes, and the influence of the TMD parameters on the mitigation effects is studied. Furthermore, a multiple tuned mass damper (MTMD) with various tuning frequencies is applied, and comparisons with the TMD are carried out. Based on the reduction of seismic responses using the TMD and MTMD, vibration control methods and related design parameters are recommended for the MOWTAC under earthquake, wind, and wave loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Procrastination (the intentional delay of action despite knowing that one will be worse off due to the delay) is a widespread phenomenon with various negative consequences, especially among adolescents. Based on relevant evidence, this study examined the relation between negative life events and adolescents' procrastination, as well as the underlying mechanisms—specifically, the effects of negative emotions and rumination, as well as the potential gender differences. A total of 780 adolescents (Mage = 12.92 years old; 52.2% females) were recruited to complete a set of questionnaires assessing negative life events, procrastination, depression-anxiety-stress symptoms and rumination. Results showed that negative life events were positively associated with procrastination, and negative emotions significantly mediated the relation; rumination played a moderating role in this mediation model, specifically, both the direct and indirect effects in this mediation model were stronger for adolescents with higher rumination. Besides this, gender differences in this moderated mediation model were also found—the indirect effect of negative emotions was stronger for girls, and this mediating effect could be moderated by rumination only for boys. These results expanded our understanding of how negative life events influence procrastination and when (or for whom) negative life events influence procrastination the most. The findings also have significant implications for the prevention and intervention of adolescents' procrastination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introducing a second phase into steel to improve the wear resistance has become an effective approach for the design of wear‐resistant materials in recent years. However, efficient control of the precipitation behavior, morphology, and size of the second phase requires further research. Herein, a micrometer‐submicrometer dual‐scale TiC‐precipitated bainitic steel is prepared by treating titanium‐alloyed bainitic steel with a solid‐solution and forging (SSF) process. By comparing as‐cast sample (NSSFS) and SSF‐treated sample (SSFS) of titanium‐alloyed bainitic steel (HTBS) in terms of microstructure and TiC morphology, the regulation mechanism of the SSF process on the microstructure and the distribution of TiC is verified. The solid‐solution process places the matrix in the supersaturated state of Ti in the low‐temperature deformation zone. Subsequent forging treatment eliminates the grain boundary segregation of eutectic TiC and induces the precipitation of submicrometer TiC. The wear behaviors and mechanical properties of traditional forged ball mill liner steel (BMS) and SSFS samples are compared, and the wear performance strengthening mechanism of dual‐scale TiC is studied. The strength and wear resistance of SSFS are significantly higher than those of BMS, while its elongation and impact toughness do not decrease significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Increasing evidence reveals that airborne plastic particles will continue to degrade into nanoplastics which are then inhaled by humans, causing injury to the respiratory system with controversial molecular mechanisms. (2) Methods: We used polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) as the representative pollutants to explore the inhalation toxicology of nanoplastics and identified the potential mechanism through high-throughput sequencing. (3) Results: PS-NPs inhibited cell viability in a dose-dependent manner and 0 μg/cm2, 7.5 μg/cm2 and 30 μg/cm2 PS-NP-treated groups were selected for RNA-seq. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis suggested that lung injuries caused by PS-NPs were mediated via redox imbalance, which was verified by reactive oxygen species (ROS) staining. Additionally, we obtained ten key transcription factors (TFs) governing differentially expressed genes (DEGs), nine of which were involved in the regulation of oxidative stress. An oxidative stress-associated TF-mRNA regulatory network was constructed on account of the findings above. Further joint analysis with animal experiment data from the GEO database identified a crucial oxidative stress-related molecule, TNFRSF12A. qRT-PCR was performed to confirm the results of RNA-seq. (4) Conclusions: Our study indicates the potential role of oxidative stress in the mechanism of nanoplastics-induced lung injuries, with several key genes being promising targets to analyze in future investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex dynamic services and heterogeneous network environments make the asymmetrical control a curial issue to handle on the Internet. With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the fifth generation (5G), the emerging network applications lead to the explosive growth of mobile traffic while bringing forward more challenging service requirements to future radio access networks. Therefore, how to effectively allocate limited heterogeneous network resources to improve content delivery for massive application services to ensure network quality of service (QoS) becomes particularly urgent in heterogeneous network environments. To cope with the explosive mobile traffic caused by emerging Internet services, this paper designs an intelligent optimization strategy based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL) for resource allocation in heterogeneous cloud-edge-end collaboration environments. Meanwhile, the asymmetrical control problem caused by complex dynamic services and heterogeneous network environments is discussed and overcome by distributed cooperation among cloud-edge-end nodes in the system. Specifically, the multi-layer heterogeneous resource allocation problem is formulated as a maximal traffic offloading model, where content caching and request aggregation mechanisms are utilized. A novel DRL policy is proposed to improve content distribution by making cache replacement and task scheduling for arriving content requests in accordance with the information about users' history requests, in-network cache capacity, available link bandwidth and topology structure. The performance of our proposed solution and its similar counterparts are analyzed in different network conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triple-wire gas indirect arc welding (TW-GIA) is a new technology with the advantages of low heat input and high deposition rate. However, the humping bead restricts the improvement of welding efficiency. In this article, the high-speed cameras and infrared thermal imaging system were used to characterize the formation mechanism of the TW-GIA humping bead. The physical model was established to discuss the force mechanism of the weld poor. And the influence of process parameters on humping bead was studied. The results show that the increase of the welding angle reduced the arc pressure and droplet impact force in the opposite direction of welding, which was beneficial to eliminate the hump. When the welding height was lower than 3 mm, the excessive arc pressure led to the humping bead with arc crater. When the welding height was greater than 20 mm, the distance between the droplets of side wires was far, forming the humping bead with "double bead" defect. In addition, the flow distance of the liquid metal shortened as the welding current decreased, which could suppress the humping bead. When the ratio of the total wire feeding speed to the welding speed was 10, the critical current was 360 A, and the critical current increased as the ratio increased. The maximum TW-GIA welding speed of bead-on-plate was 4.2 m/min, which was 137% higher than that of high-speed GMAW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physicians spend much time observing the facial symmetry of patients and collecting various data to arrive at an accurate clinical judgment. This study presents a transfer learning method for evaluating the degree of facial symmetry. The contour map of a face is used as training data, and the training module then classifies and scores the degree of facial symmetry. Our method enables rapid and accurate clinical assessments. In the experiments, we divided 195 contour maps of patients' faces provided by physicians and then classified the data into four fractional levels based on the average scores of facial symmetry provided by doctors. Subsequently, the facial data were trimmed, ipped, and superimposed. After being processed, the extent of the contour overlap was used as the basis for learning. We used data augmentation to increase the amount of data. Finally, we applied fine-tuning and transfer learning to obtain prediction models, which showed excellent performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three novel series of derivatives by introducing a 1,2,3-triazoles moiety, 1,2,4-triazoles moiety or a nitroimidazoles ring to the ursolic acid (UA) nucleus were designed and synthesized. The biological activity of these compounds was evaluated to assess their hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitory activities along with HIF-1α inhibitory and anti-inflammatory effects. Compound 7e exhibited the highest activity of all the synthesized compounds, which was higher activity than observed for the positive control UA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel sample introduction and ionization method for trace explosives detection is proposed and investigated herein, taking into consideration real-world application requirements. A thermal desorption sampling method and dielectric barrier discharge ionization (DBDI) source, with air as the discharge gas, were developed. The counter flow method was adopted firstly into the DBDI source to remove the interference of ozone and other reactive nitrogen oxides. A separated reaction region with an ion guiding electric field was developed for ionization of the sample molecules. Coupled with a homemade miniature digital linear ion trap mass spectrometer, this compact and robust design, with further optimization, has the advantages of soft ionization, a low detection limit, is free of reagent and consumable gas, and is an easy sample introduction. A range of common nitro-based explosives including TNT, 2,4-DNT, NG, RDX, PETN, and HMX has been studied. A linear response in the range of two orders of magnitude with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.01 ng for TNT has been demonstrated. Application to the detection of real explosives and simulated mixed samples has also been explored. The work paves the path to developing next generation mass spectrometry (MS) based explosive trace detectors (ETDs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this cohort of 217 bladder cancer patients and 484 healthy controls, we explored the association between CYP24A1 variants (rs2762934, rs1570669, rs6068816, rs2296241) and bladder cancer risk in the Chinese Han population. Utilizing the Agena MassARRAY system, we genotyped four selected CYP24A1 polymorphisms. Logistic regression revealed a significant association of rs2762934 and rs1570669 with elevated bladder cancer risk, while rs6068816 exhibited a protective effect. Bioinformatics analysis of CYP24A1 expression in normal and cancerous bladder tissues indicated higher expression in normal tissue. In conclusion, our findings highlight the potential role of CYP24A1 variants in bladder cancer susceptibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances demonstrate the efficacy of ternary strategy in organic solar cells. Such excitement is achieved by synergistic improvement in both charge dynamics and energetics. The third component serves as a bridging unit to systematically optimize the charge migration, exciton lifetime, recombination, and nanomorphology. Primarily focusing on the tactics for addressing energy transfer, charge transfer, and voltage losses, specific relationship between kinetics and energetics evolution has been thoroughly analyzed upon addition of the third component. We propose that the future design should be beyond simply complementing absorption, but rather focus on how the guest molecular could specifically address the charge and energy profile. With fine control of morphology, the maximum potential of ternary blends can be realized toward highly efficient organic solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrial importance of steel is reflected in the wear resistance, which is related to its changes of microstructure and temperature changes during heat treatment. Herein, C−Si−Mn−Cr steels are produced to understand the microstructure evolution and cooling characteristics during quenching in water and air. The samples of several feature points are selected along the radial direction from the treated steel, and the temperature distribution of steel is obtained via numerical simulations. The microstructures at different temperature feature points and the corresponding hardness are studied. The results show that the quenching processes with the water−air alternating cycle regulate the temperature distribution. Martensite and pearlite phases are primarily formed during water and air cooling, respectively. In the water−air alternating cycle quenching process, the microstructure includes bainite, martensite, and retained austenite. The obtained microstructure is more ideal and the value of hardness is 525.2 HV. The maximum hardness value is 695.3 HV for water quenching, while that for air cooling is 248.2 HV. The microstructure evolution of steel at different positions is closely related to the temperature change in varied quenching processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As narcotic control has become worse in the past decade and the death toll of drug abuse hits a record high, there is an increasing demand for on-site rapid detection of illegal drugs. This work developed a portable digital linear ion trap mass spectrometer based on separate-region corona discharge ionization source to meet this need. A separate design of discharge and reaction regions was adopted with filter air as both carrier gas for the analyte and protection of the corona discharge needle. The linear ion trap was driven by a digital waveform with a low voltage (±100 V) to cover a mass range of 50–500 Da with a unit resolution at a scan rate of 10,000 Da/s. Eighteen representative drugs were analyzed, demonstrating excellent qualitative analysis capability. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was also performed by ion isolation and collision-induced dissociation (CID) with air as a buffer gas. With cocaine as an example, over two orders of magnitude dynamic range and 10 pg of detection limit were achieved. A single analysis time of less than 10 s was obtained by comparing the information of characteristic ions and product ions with the built-in database. Analysis of a real-world sample further validated the feasibility of the instrument, with the results benchmarked by GC-MS. The developed system has powerful analytical capability without using consumables including solvent and inert gas, meeting the requirements of on-site rapid detection applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insoluble humic acid/tourmaline composite particles (IHA/TM) were prepared by combining inorganic tourmaline (TM) with the natural organic polymer humic acid (HA) and carbonizing them at 330 °C to study the removal characteristics and mechanism of Fe2+ and Mn2+. The results showed that the optimal ratio of TM to IHA is 2:3. When the temperature of the IHA/TM composite particles was 35 °C and the pH was 6, the adsorption of Fe2+ and Mn2+ by IHA/TM reached equilibrium at 240 min. The optimum dose of the adsorbent was 10 g/L, and the equilibrium adsorption capacities of Fe2+ and Mn2+ were 5.645 mg/g and 3.574 mg/g, respectively. The process of IHA/TM adsorption of Fe2+ and Mn2+ in water was spontaneous, endothermic and sustainable, and cooling was not conducive to adsorption. The pseudo-second order kinetic equation can well reflect the adsorption mechanism of IHA/TM on Fe2+ and Mn2+, and the Langmuir adsorption model better describes the isothermal adsorption behaviour. The material characterisation and adsorption experiments indicate that surface coordination and chemical precipitation are the main mechanisms of Fe2+ and Mn2+ removal by IHA/TM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the rapid development of medical industries, wastewater treatment plants have become sinks for residual antibiotics. However, the contribution of novel partial nitrification processes to the bioremediation of antibiotics remains unclear. In this study, the removal rate of a partial nitrification process on the biotransformation of sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) was evaluated. A biological aerated filter made from zeolite successfully achieved stable partial nitrification. A nitrite accumulation percentage (NAP) greater than 85% was obtained when the influent ammonium concentration was increased to 300 mg/L with a nitrogen loading rate of 1.24 kg/(m3 d). Batch tests were performed on support collected from different heights of the up-flow reactor at the end of the pilot monitoring experiment. The maximum ammonium oxidation rate of 5.63 mg/(g VSS·L) in one hour was recorded at a height of 0.32–0.48 m in the reactor, indicating nitrifying bacteria activity link between the free ammonia (FA) and biomass concentration was found. After the addition of SMZ (2.5 mg/L), the NAP declined to approximately 70%, and the abundance of Nitrosomonas (the main ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) genus in the zeolite biological aerated filter (ZBAF)) decreased 7.24–6.10%. Lower abundance and activity of AOB oxidized ineffectively the primary amine of SMZ, which led to lower than 19% of the SMZ removal efficiency. [Display omitted] • AOB was successfully enriched in a zeolite biological aerated filter. • Stable partial nitrification achieved with influent ammonium concentration of 300 mg/L. • The effect of FA inhibition on NOB was related to dose of FA and the biomass concentration. • Microbial analysis showed that SMZ reduced the abundance of AOB in the reactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micropumps are microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices that pump small quantities of liquids. They are used in many applications such as electronics cooling and drug delivery. Valveless fluid diode micropumps with no moving parts have recently attracted great interest in the MEMS community. In this paper, topology optimization is used to design two-dimensional, fixed-geometry, fluidic diodes of high diodicity, which is the ratio of pressure drops of forward to reverse flows. One of the fluidic diodes, of the Tesla type, shows a diodicity of over five. Another is of the nozzle-diffuser type. Both are experimentally and computationally demonstrated herein. Then the numerical simulation was applied to simplify the structures, and the two-dimensional geometry was converted into three-dimensional model for micropumps. Three-dimensional and unsteady numerical analyses of micropump fluid flow with optimized diodes were conducted for pumps of each of the two diode designs. The micropump with the Tesla-type fluidic diode reached a measured flow rate of 34 ml/h, consistent with the computed results and 2.2 times that of the nozzle-diffuser type micropump. The performance results show a high dependence on internal channel geometry. The two types show highest flow rates with an internal channel thickness of $200 ~\mu \text{m}$. Demonstrated good repeatability and precise flow control show positive prospects for application. [2021-0144] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radio frequency interference (RFI) mitigation is critical to the proper operation of ultrawideband (UWB) radar systems because RFI can severely degrade the radar imaging capability and target detection performance. In this article, we address the RFI mitigation problem for one-bit UWB radar systems. A one-bit UWB system obtains its signed measurements via a low-cost and high rate sampling scheme, referred to as the continuous time binary value (CTBV) technology. This sampling strategy compares the signal to a known threshold that varies with slow-time and can be used to achieve a high sampling rate and quantization resolution with simple and affordable hardware. This article establishes a proper data model for the RFI sources and proposes a novel RFI mitigation method for the one-bit UWB radar system that uses the CTBV sampling technique. Specifically, we model the RFI sources as a sum of sinusoids with frequencies fixed during the coherent processing interval (CPI) and we exploit the sparsity of the RFI spectrum. We use an extended majorization-minimization-based 1bRELAX algorithm, referred to as 1bMMRELAX, to estimate the RFI source parameters from the signed measurements obtained by using the CTBV sampling strategy. We also devise a new fast frequency initialization method for the extended 1bMMRELAX algorithm to improve its computational efficiency. Moreover, a sparse method is introduced to recover the desired radar echoes using the estimated RFI parameters. Both simulated and experimental results are presented to demonstrate that our proposed algorithm outperforms the existing digital integration method, especially for severe RFI cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein mediates target recognition, cellular entry, and ultimately the viral infection that leads to various levels of COVID-19 severities. Positive evolutionary selection of mutations within the spike protein has led to the genesis of new SARS-CoV-2 variants with greatly enhanced overall fitness. Given the trend of variants with increased fitness arising from spike protein alterations, it is critical that the scientific community understand the mechanisms by which these mutations alter viral functions. As of March 2022, five SARS-CoV-2 strains were labeled "variants of concern" by the World Health Organization: the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron variants. This review summarizes the potential mechanisms by which the common mutations on the spike protein that occur within these strains enhance the overall fitness of their respective variants. In addressing these mutations within the context of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein structure, spike/receptor binding interface, spike/antibody binding, and virus neutralization, we summarize the general paradigms that can be used to estimate the effects of future mutations along SARS-CoV-2 evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Glucosinolates (GSLs) play important roles in defending against exogenous damage and regulating physiological activities in plants. However, GSL accumulation patterns and molecular regulation mechanisms are largely unknown in Isatis indigotica Fort. Results: Ten GSLs were identified in I. indigotica, and the dominant GSLs were epiprogoitrin (EPI) and indole-3-methyl GSL (I3M), followed by progoitrin (PRO) and gluconapin (GNA). The total GSL content was highest (over 20 μmol/g) in reproductive organs, lowest (less than 1.0 μmol/g) in mature organs, and medium in fresh leaves (2.6 μmol/g) and stems (1.5 μmol/g). In the seed germination process, the total GSL content decreased from 27.2 μmol/g (of seeds) to 2.7 μmol/g (on the 120th day) and then increased to 4.0 μmol/g (180th day). However, the content of indole GSL increased rapidly in the first week after germination and fluctuated between 1.13 μmol/g (28th day) and 2.82 μmol/g (150th day). Under the different elicitor treatments, the total GSL content increased significantly, ranging from 2.9-fold (mechanical damage, 3 h) to 10.7-fold (MeJA, 6 h). Moreover, 132 genes were involved in GSL metabolic pathways. Among them, no homologs of AtCYP79F2 and AtMAM3 were identified, leading to a distinctive GSL profile in I. indigotica. Furthermore, most genes involved in the GSL metabolic pathway were derived from tandem duplication, followed by dispersed duplication and segmental duplication. Purifying selection was observed, although some genes underwent relaxed selection. In addition, three tandem-arrayed GSL-OH genes showed different expression patterns, suggesting possible subfunctionalization during evolution. Conclusions: Ten different GSLs with their accumulation patterns and 132 genes involved in the GSL metabolic pathway were explored, which laid a foundation for the study of GSL metabolism and regulatory mechanisms in I. indigotica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the problem of target parameter estimation in phase modulated continuous wave (PMCW) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar systems with quantized observations. We derive the Cramér-Rao bound (CRB) for jointly estimating targets’ amplitudes, time delays, Doppler shifts, and directions. The derived bound provides an efficient method to analyze the estimation performance achieved by different quantization schemes. We also devise the maximum likelihood (ML) estimator for the considered parameters, and a direct grid-based method (DGM) is introduced to obtain the ML estimates. To obtain the ML estimates more efficiently, a two-stage scheme is proposed. In the proposed scheme, we first formulate the estimation problem as a sparse signal recovery problem and modify the sparse learning via iterative minimization (SLIM) approach to solve it. Next, a RELAX-based iterative algorithm is proposed to refine the estimates. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme can approach the CRB. Simulation results also show that using quantized observations does not affect the estimation performance significantly when the targets’ amplitudes are similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crown dimensions data of deciduous teeth hold anthropological, forensic, and archaeological value. However, such information remains scarce for the Chinese population. This multi-center study aimed to collect a large sample of deciduous crown data from Chinese children using three-dimensional measurement methods and to analyze their dimensions. A total of 1592 children's deciduous dentition samples were included, and the sample size was distributed according to Northeast, North, East, Northwest, Southwest and South China. Digital dental models were reconstructed from plaster dental models. Independent sample t test, paired t test, principal component analysis (PCA), and factor analysis (FA) were used to analyze the tooth crown dimensions. 18,318 deciduous teeth from 1592 children were included. Males exhibited slightly larger values than females. The range of sexual dimorphism percentages for each measurement was as follows: mesiodistal diameter (0.40–2.08), buccolingual diameter (0.13–2.24), and maxillogingival diameter (0.48–3.37). The FA results showed that the main trend of crown dimensions changes was the simultaneous increase or decrease in mesiodistal diameter, buccolingual diameter and maxillogingival diameter in three directions. This is the first large-scale survey of deciduous tooth crown dimensions in China, which supplements the data of deciduous tooth measurement and provides a reference for clinical application. • First large-scale, nationwide survey of deciduous tooth crown dimensions in China. • Sexual dimorphism of deciduous tooth crown size was compared in Chinese children. • Left-right difference of deciduous tooth crown size was compared in Chinese children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]