Recent publications
Enhancing carrier injection balance in near-infrared (NIR) to visible upconversion devices (UCDs) is crucial for improving efficiency and stability. This study presents the incorporation of an insulating polymer (polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)) between an aluminum cathode and an electron transport layer to reduce excess electrons in a light-emitting layer, thus balancing electrode-injected electrons and NIR-generated holes. The optimized device achieved a fivefold increase in maximum luminance and upconversion efficiency compared to the control. Additionally, it demonstrated a fast optical response, a broad optical modulation range, and significant potential for bioimaging applications, achieving a maximum resolution of 1693 dpi. This approach provides an effective solution for enhancing carrier injection balance in UCDs.
BACKGROUND
Silkworm pupae (SP), the pupal stage of an edible insect, have strong potential in the food, medicine, and cosmetic industries. Sex sorting is essential to enhance nutritional content and genetic traits in SP crossbreeding but it remains labor intensive and time consuming. An intelligent method is needed urgently to improve efficiency and productivity.
RESULTS
To address the problem, an automatic SP sex‐separation system was developed based on computer vision and deep learning. Specifically, based on gonad features, a novel real‐time SP sex identification model with cascaded spatial channel attention (CSCA) and G‐GhostNet (GPU‐Ghost Network) was developed, which can capture regions of interest and achieve feature diversity efficiently. A new loss function was proposed to reduce model complexity and avoid overfitting in the training. In comparison with benchmark methods on the test set, the new model achieved superior performance with an accuracy of 96.48%. The experimental sorting accuracy for SP reached 95.59%, validating the effectiveness of the novel gender‐separation strategy.
CONCLUSION
This research presents a practical method for online SP gender separation, potentially aiding the production of high‐quality SP. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.
In order to further develop a comprehensive understanding of the weak interactions between elemental sulfur (S8) and solvent molecules (carbon disulfide(CS2), dimethyl disulfide(DMDS), dimethylformamide(DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO)), we have investigated the intermolecular interactions between elemental sulfur and solvents based on density functional theory (DFT). Through electrostatic potential (ESP), frontier molecular orbitals (FMO), independent gradient model based on the hirshfeld (IGMH) analysis, atoms in molecules (AIM) topological analysis, and energy decomposition analysis (EDA), the results show that there are extensive van der Waals interactions between elemental sulfur and solvent molecules. IGMH method, AIM topological analysis and EDA results indicate that van der Waals dispersion attraction is a significant contributor to the total interaction energy of elemental sulfur with the solvent. The combination of various intermolecular non‐bonding forces determines the strength of the interaction between S8 and the solvent. In addition, the difference in the interaction between solvent and elemental sulfur is mainly due to the unsaturated/polar functional group structure. Considering the structural properties of the S8 molecule, avoiding substituents in the solvent molecule that have spatial site‐barrier and electron‐withdrawal effects is a feasible way to develop new efficient sulfur solvent systems.
Rare earth (RE) borides have garnered significant attention due to their high mechanical strength, superconductivity, and novel electronic properties. In this study, we systematically investigate the structural, electronic, and mechanical properties of RE neodymium borides across a wide range of pressures. Various stoichiometries of Nd–B compounds are predicted using the unbiased CALYPSO structure search method and density functional theory calculations. Our findings indicate that the newly predicted NdB5, NdB7, and NdB8 compounds are thermodynamically and mechanically stable at high pressures. Detailed analyses of the electronic band structure and density of states reveal that all neodymium borides exhibit metallic behaviour. The hardness of the stable phases has been evaluated using an empirical model. Notably, NdB5 compound could also be dynamically and mechanically stable at ambient pressure with an estimated hardness of approximately 24.82 GPa, suggesting that NdB5 is a potential hard metal boride. Our results provide valuable insights into the structural, electronic, and mechanical properties of Nd–B compounds, enhancing our understanding of their potential applications in various fields.
Background
Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) has been widely used in several surgical fields. This meta-analysis compared the clinical outcomes of the ERAS protocol and standard care (SC) in patients who underwent lumbar interbody fusion surgery.
Materials and methods
The PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were systematically searched to identify studies reporting the effects of the ERAS protocol on clinical outcomes in patients who underwent lumbar interbody fusion surgery.
Results
Overall, 15 studies involving 17 865 patients were included in the final analysis. With the ERAS protocol, the length of hospitalization (SMD: − 0.47, 95% CI − 0.56 to –0.38), postoperative complications (OR = 0.62; 95% CI 0.50 to 0.77), operation time (SMD = − 0.26; 95% CI − 0.44 to –0.09), postoperative pain (SMD = − 0.35; 95% CI − 0.64 to –0.07) and duration of ambulation (SMD = − 0.80; 95% CI − 1.02 to − 0.58) were significantly reduced. The rates of readmission (OR = 0.63; 95% CI 0.38 to 1.04), estimated blood loss (SMD = − 0.31; 95% CI − 0.69 to 0.06) and hospitalization costs (SMD: − 0.56, 95% CI − 1.27 to 0.14) did not significantly differ between the ERAS and SC groups.
Conclusions
The present meta-analysis indicated that the ERAS protocol could be safely and feasibly implemented in the perioperative management of patients receiving lumbar interbody fusion surgery. The protocol significantly reduced the length of hospitalization, incidence of postoperative complications, operation time, duration of 1st ambulation and duration of postoperative pain. However, no differences were observed in estimated blood loss, readmission rates or hospitalization costs.
The Hanging Temple, a representative of a traditional wooden structure in northern China, is affixed to the cliff and closely connected to the rock, complicating its structural analysis due to uneven foundation height and irregular lateral stiffness. This paper adopts a simplified simulation method based on shear plastic hinge Dougong (DG), modified mortise–tenon joint (MTJ), and compressive constitutive model of wood for the example of a Hanging Temple in northern China. A finite element model of the Hanging Temple was established based on field research and mapping results. Its structural dynamic response to rare earthquakes was studied in depth to assess the structure’s seismic performance. The results show that the simplified simulation method can accurately and effectively simulate the plastic behavior of DG and MTJ. Under 3D ground motion excitation, structural deformation, and stresses were mainly concentrated at the foundations’ embedded ends. In particular, the dynamic response of the bottom columns and cantilever beams is most significant. The Hanging Temple’s force situation differs from that of general wooden structures. The existence of cantilever beams leads to the vertical asymmetry of the structure, which causes the uneven distribution of stiffness (the Y-direction stiffness is much more minor than the X-direction stiffness), and the middle columns, which are connected to multiple beams and DG, become the primary distribution points of stiffness, and are subject to large eccentric loads and tensile stresses, especially at the top of the columns where they are connected to the DG, which bear more internal forces in transferring and dispersing seismic forces. Historical wooden structures are a significant part of the world’s architectural heritage. Establishing an accurate seismic performance assessment model to evaluate these historical buildings is still challenging. This study provides an effective method and basis for seismic performance assessment and modeling of ancient wooden structures.
The compressible non-isothermal biaxial nematic liquid crystal flow is a strongly coupled system between the full compressible Navier–Stokes system and the transported heat flows with two orientation fields. In this paper, we obtain the global existence and large-time behavior of classical solutions to the 3D exterior problem for such a model when the initial total energy is sufficiently small. The assumption on the initial data does not exclude that the initial density may vanish (i.e., vacuum states) in some regions and that it can be of a nontrivially compact support. Our result may be regarded as an extension of Guo–Xi–Xie (J Differ Equ 262(3):1413–1460, 2017) and Li–Tao (Commun Math Sci 21(6):1455–1486, 2023) to the exterior problem of biaxial flows. Some new techniques are developed in order to deal with surface integrals caused by the boundary condition.
Let [0;a1(z),a2(z),…] be the Hurwitz continued fraction expansion of a complex irrational number z∈F:={x+iy:x,y∈[−1/2,1/2)}, where an(z) are Gaussian integers and |an(z)|⩾2. This paper aims to study the growth rate of the product of consecutive partial quotients. Specifically, for any integer m⩾1, we provide a criterion for determining the Lebesgue measure of the set
{z∈F:|an+1(z)⋯an+m(z)|>ψ(n) for infinitely many n}, where ψ:N→R+ is a positive function. Let h be a positive and continuous function on the compact set F―. We further obtain the Hausdorff dimension of the set {z∈F:|an+1(z)⋯an+m(z)|>eh(z)+⋯+h(Tn−1z) for infinitely many n} and show that this set has large intersection property, where T:F→F is the Hurwitz map induced by Hurwitz continued fractions. This extends the main result of Bugeaud et al (2023 arXiv:2306.08254).
Background
Breast cancer (BC) has become the main malignant tumor threatening the health of women worldwide. Previous studies have reported that Lactate dehydrogenase-A (LDHA) has critical roles in cancer development and progression. We aimed to explore the roles of LDHA and LDH5 isoenzyme activity in BC, which provides a new insight into LDHA for the treatment of BC.
Methods
The expression of LDHA in BC and its relationship with clinicopathological features were obtained from various databases including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Human Protein Atlas (HPA), Breast Cancer-Gene Expression Miner (bc-GenExMiner), TNMplot, UALCAN. The Kaplan‒Meier Plotter was used to evaluate the prognostic value of LDHA. Western blot was performed to detect LDHA expression. Agarose gel electrophoresis was performed to detect the activities of LDH isoenzymes. The in vitro proliferation, migration and invasion potentials of BC cells were evaluated using MTT assays, colony formation, wound-healing assay, matrix metalloproteinase assays and transwell assays, respectively. The activities of LDH isoenzymes in serum and tissues were measured in patients with BC and healthy controls.
Results
Compared to normal tissues, LDHA expression was significantly higher in BC tissues. Patients’ nodal status, histological types, TP53 mutation status and PAM50 subtypes were significant factors influencing the LDHA expression. By overexpressing or silencing LDHA gene in BT549 cells, it was confirmed that LDHA promoted cell proliferation, migration and invasion. LDH5 isoenzyme activity in patients with BC was higher than healthy controls. The increased activity of LDH5 isoenzymes was induced by overexpression of LDHA in BC. High expression of LDHA was found to be associated with poor prognosis in BC.
Conclusion
LDHA plays a critical role in the progression of BC through the regulation of the activity of LDH5 isoenzyme, indicating that LDHA may serve as a valuable target for BC treatment.
We have theoretically investigated surface magnetoplasmons (SMPs) in an yttrium-iron-garnet (YIG) sandwiched waveguide. The dispersion demonstrated that this waveguide can support topological unidirectional SMPs. Based on unidirectional SMPs, magnetically controllable multimode interference (MMI) is verified in both symmetric and asymmetric waveguides. Due to the coupling between the modes along two YIG–air interfaces, the asymmetric waveguide supports a unidirectional even mode within a single-mode frequency range. Moreover, these modes are topologically protected when a disorder is introduced. Utilizing robust unidirectional SMP MMI (USMMI), tunable splitters have been achieved. It has been demonstrated that mode conversion between different modes can be realized. These results provide many degrees of freedom to manipulate topological waves.
Currently, mountainous wind farm layout optimization generally does not take fatigue loads into account. However, due to the complexity of the mountainous flow characteristics, layout optimization focusing solely on power generation may lead to excessive fatigue loads on certain turbines, which could affect the long-term profitability of the entire wind farm. To address this issue, this study proposes a wind farm layout optimization approach for complex terrain considering wind turbine fatigue load constraint. This approach consists of three basic parts, i.e., computational fluid dynamics, complex-terrain wake model, and fatigue load surrogate model. These basic parts are used to obtain a wind resource map for complex terrain, calculate wake effects, and rapidly predict fatigue loads of wind turbines, respectively. After that, an optimization framework in complex terrain is presented in which the objective function and load constraint are involved. The core of the optimization framework is that only solutions that satisfy the fatigue load constraint will be further optimized. Finally, a case study was utilized to validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The results showed that neglecting load constraint in the layout optimization of wind farm in complex terrain can lead to significant load increases of some wind turbines. By incorporating a reasonable load constraint, a substantial increase in power generation can be achieved while controlling turbine loads within acceptable ranges. However, this approach may sacrifice power generation if the constraints are prescribed to be too strict.
The characteristics of coal-bearing source rocks in the continuous sedimentary environment of the Xujiahe Formation are discussed in the Southwest Sichuan through the thermal simulation and organic geochemical experiments, and the quantitative relationships are determined between carbon isotopes, maturity, and distinct organic matter (OM) types. The results show that the source rocks of the first member and third member of the Xujiahe Formation are mainly formed in the transitional sedimentary environment, while the source rocks of the fifth member of the Xujiahe Formation are primarily developed in the continental sedimentary environment, controlled by the continuous sedimentary environment of the Xujiahe Formation. The vitrinite and inertinite content increases with the liptinite content decreasing from the first member to the fifth member of the Xujiahe Formation. Moreover, the OM of the source rocks is typed II2 in the first member of the Xujiahe Formation, with the III OM in the third member and fifth member of the Xujiahe Formation. Additionally, the quantitative relationship is identified between methane carbon isotopes and maturities of the humic and mixed gas. The quantitative relationship is presented at δ ¹³C1 = 12.21 ln Ro – 39.72 (humic gas) and δ ¹³C1 = 8.07 ln Ro – 38.3 (mixed gas). The ethane carbon isotopes range from −24.93 to −21.07‰ in the first member and the third member of the Xujiahe source rocks, and are between −29.31 and −26.78‰ in the fifth member of the Xujiahe source rocks, which can effectively distinguish the OM type by ethane carbon isotopes. The emergence of new recombined heavy hydrocarbons leads to the carbon isotope inversion of heavy hydrocarbon in the high thermal evolution stage. This study has contributed to the hydrocarbon-generating characteristics of source rocks in the continuous sedimentary environment and the fine gas source correlation.
To enhance wind resistance safety for construction personnel and structural integrity, this study investigates the buffeting response and vibration damping measures of a steel truss stiffened arch bridge with a main span of 400 meters during its maximum cantilever construction state. A finite element model was developed, and a three-dimensional pulsating wind field was simulated using the harmonic synthesis method. Time-domain analysis was applied to compute buffeting displacement responses at the cantilever end of the arch rib and the top of the construction buckle tower. Numerical results were compared with wind tunnel tests of a full-bridge model under varying wind speeds, revealing similar buffeting response patterns. At the bridge reference wind speed, predicted peak buffeting displacements were 22.157 and 21.778 cm in the lateral and vertical directions of the arch rib cantilever end, and 16.994 cm laterally at the buckle tower top, with deviations from wind tunnel tests of 13.2%, 10.2%, and 6.9%, respectively. To mitigate these displacements, lateral wind-resistant cables and flexible connections were analyzed. Lateral cables reduced displacements by up to 84.8% at the arch rib cantilever end and 61.0% at the buckle tower top, while flexible cables further reduced responses by up to 76.8%, ensuring enhanced construction safety. The agreement between numerical and experimental results validates the proposed methods, providing a strong basis for wind-resistant design and vibration damping strategies in similar large-span bridges.
A deeper understanding of interaction dynamics between hydraulic and natural fractures remains essential, especially for finite-scale natural fractures. In this paper, a three-dimensional hydraulic fracturing model is developed by using the discrete lattice method, which can simulate meticulously the dynamic evolution of both hydraulic and natural fractures to offer a precise portrayal of their interaction and progression. The results show that hydraulic fractures often interact with finite-scale natural fractures in three distinct ways: bypassing, detour crossing, and crossing. Additionally, shorter interaction distances significantly bolster the likelihood of a hydraulic fracture successfully crossing a natural fracture. Furthermore, this research examines the impact of the magnitude of natural fractures on fracture interactions. A discernible positive correlation has emerged between the capability of hydraulic fractures to cross natural fractures and the length of their interaction with natural fractures. This work proposes the existence of two distinct interaction angles, α and β, between hydraulic and natural fractures. Notably, it underscores that only angles β significantly affect the fracture expansion capacity. This research presents valuable insights that facilitate the optimization of hydraulic fracturing in reservoirs with developed natural fractures.
The transient effect of downburst-like flow on the unsteadiness and non-stationarity of fluctuating lift force acting on a rectangular cylinder is an important aerodynamic issue. Using the multiple-fan active control wind tunnel, the transient aerodynamic characteristics of fluctuating lift force under downburst-like flow are studied. It is observed that the static force coefficient defined by time-varying mean wind is approximately kept constant, which is lower than that in uniform and stationary flows due to the transient effect. A time-varying two-dimensional aerodynamic admittance (2D AAF) is introduced to clarify the transient effect mechanism of downburst-like flow. Based on the uniform modulation random process assumption, the time-varying 2D AAF can be decoupled into a time-invariant normalized 2D AAF and a time-dependent influence factor to describe the unsteadiness and non-stationarity of fluctuating lift force. Notably, the uniqueness of the normalized 2D AAF is validated by the experiments conducted in two different types of downburst-like flow. Compared with the results obtained in stationary turbulence with similar turbulent parameters, the transient effect of downburst-like flow will amplify the low-frequency energy of fluctuating lift force, which is determined by the time-varying root mean square of wind speed acceleration.
This study gathered data from 661 authentic organizational contexts in China to explore the sense of power and structural power as distinct constructs within a moderated mediation framework, examining their impact on trait anxiety and empathy. Key findings reveal: (1) a robust positive correlation between the sense of power and both trait anxiety and empathy; (2) the intermediary role of trait anxiety in bridging the sense of power with empathy; (3) the moderating influence of administrative level on the predictive relationship between the sense of power and trait anxiety, with a marked effect among non-division-level officials as opposed to division-level counterparts; (4) gender-based disparities within the moderated mediation model, with men displaying a stronger predictive association between the sense of power and trait anxiety compared to women.
The perioperative period is crucial for determining postoperative tumor recurrence and metastasis. Various factors in postoperative lesions can diminish the therapeutic effect of conventional chemoradiotherapy, while emerging immunotherapy is restricted. The combination use of inflammatory inhibitors during treatment is also controversial. Here, a modular microneedle prepared from engineered keratin proteins is reported, which spatially and temporally differentiates the microenvironment of immune cell activation required for immunotherapy from that of wound healing. The recombinant keratin‐84‐T‐based needle root layer, mainly retained in the epidermis, facilitated dendritic cell recruitment to achieve maximum antigen presentation of loaded vaccines. Meanwhile, the recombinant keratin‐81‐1Aα‐based needle tip layer, located within the dermis, rapidly mitigated inflammatory responses while promoting tissue repair and regeneration. Unlike simply mixing immunotherapy and wound treatment, this spatiotemporal segmentation approach maximized the efficacy of immune therapeutics while promoting wound healing, making it suitable for application throughout the perioperative period.
Carbon dots (CDs) have been recognized as promising candidates for cancer diagnosis and therapy, owing to their intrinsic fluorescence properties and facile functionalization pathways. However, such tiny‐sized CDs tend to be rapidly excreted by the kidney and/or hepatobiliary system before reaching the tumor site, which may significantly weaken their performance in tumor theranostics. Here, fluorescence switchable iron‐doped carbon dot assemblies (FCDDs) are developed with an average size of ≈120 nm for passive tumor targeting. After lesional enrichment, FCDDs can be dissembled into Fe‐doped CDs (FCDs) with fluorescence switched on, in response to the upregulated glutathione (GSH) in the tumor microenvironment. The ultrasmall FCDs are able to penetrate into the deep region of solid tumors and generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) through the Fenton reaction. Such ROS accumulation and GSH deprivation caused by FCDDs can effectively trigger the irreversible apoptosis and ferroptosis of tumor cells. Meanwhile, the resultant intracellular redox dyshomeostasis induces prominent immunogenic cell death to prevent metastasis. Tumor‐specific fluorescence imaging not only enables cancerous tissue probing but also assists in monitoring the treatment effectiveness. Taken together, this paradigm exemplifies a practical approach to improve the functionality of CDs toward clinical applications and may inspire more facile designs toward upcoming translational medicines.
Background
Although heart failure is a well‐known major global public health concern, the general understanding of the clinical status of pediatric heart failure (PHF) is inadequate. Therefore, this study aims to enhance the general understanding of clinical characteristics across different PHF age groups and provide references for improving PHF treatment strategies.
Methods
This multicenter retrospective cohort study involved patients from 20 Chinese provinces, primarily including hospitalized patients (aged ≤18 years) diagnosed with heart failure between January 2013 and December 2022. The study subjects were categorized into 4 groups: neonatal, infant and toddler, young children, and adolescent.
Results
Herein, 2903 hospitalized patients with PHF were included. Significant differences were observed across age groups in clinical characteristics, auxiliary examination results, comorbid diagnoses, and hospitalization outcomes. After adjusting for covariates, the odds of in‐hospital death were significantly lower in the infant and toddler (odds ratio [OR], 0.46 [95% CI, 0.25–0.85]), young children (OR, 0.39 [95% CI, 0.18–0.85]), and adolescent (OR, 0.34 [95% CI, 0.13–0.87]) groups compared with the neonatal group. Furthermore, the odds of cardiovascular adverse events were significantly higher in the young children (OR, 1.91 [95% CI, 1.62–2.88]) and adolescent (OR, 2.16 [95% CI, 1.15–4.06]) groups compared with the neonatal group. Additionally, regarding the odds of a bad Ross class, the adolescent group had 1.85 times higher odds (95% CI, 1.11–3.09) compared with the neonatal group, 2.36 times (95% CI, 1.67–3.35) higher odds compared with the infant and toddler group, and 1.45 times (95% CI, 1.05–2.02) higher odds compared with the young children group ( P <0.05).
Conclusions
This study emphasizes the importance of age‐specific stratification in PHF management, revealing distinct clinical and prognostic differences across various developmental stages.
Registration
URL: https://www.chictr.org.cn . Unique identifier: ChiCTR2300078262.
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