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Development of molecular diagnostic methods to distinguish acerola species for quality assurance of food, dietary supplements and natural health products
Embracing nonlinearity and geometry: a dimensional analysis guided design of shock absorbing materials
Slip and tractive efficiency of an electric tractor with a 4WID E-axle system
Molecular manipulation of polyamide nanostructures reconciles the permeance-selectivity threshold for precise ion separation
Intramolecular Dual Donor‐Acceptor Featured Covalent Organic Frameworks Enabled by Gating Effects for Ultra‐Stable Na‐Metal Batteries
Abstract Sodium metal batteries (SMBs) face severe challenges of uncontrolled sodium dendrite growth and interfacial instability. Herein, guided by theoretical predictions, a distinct locally polarized covalent organic framework (TB‐Br‐COF) was synthesized and employed as a Na⁺ transport accelerator to promote uniform Na deposition. TB‐Br‐COF excited the gating effect (a high gating ratio of 23.1) through electronic response to accomplish the separation of Na + from the electrolyte solvent via the sodiophilic sites (‐O‐C═C units, C═N linkages, C─Br bonds, and aromatic rings). Simultaneously, it synergistically induced two electron migration routes based on the dual donor‐acceptor (linkages and linkers) structures, thereby enhancing both electron separation efficiency and Na + cations’ transport. Benefiting from that, the TB‐Br‐COF‐based symmetric battery achieved an ultra‐stable operating time of 1000 h at 1 mA cm −2 with 1 mAh cm −2 . Moreover, the full battery based on the modified Na@TB‐Br‐COF electrode and the carbon‐coated Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C (NVP/C) demonstrated high compatibility and good cycling stability. Theoretical calculation and in situ spectra measurements have jointly proved the molecular stability and mechanical robustness. Therefore, this investigation unveils an unconventional method for creating COF‐based protective layers for the practical SMBs.
Investigation of the temperature influence on the catalytic hydrogenation upgrading of bio-oil using industrial nickel based catalyst RZ409
A multimodal dataset for precision oncology in head and neck cancer
Abstract Head and neck cancer is a common disease and is associated with a poor prognosis. A promising approach to improving patient outcomes is personalized treatment, which uses information from a variety of modalities. However, only little progress has been made due to the lack of large public datasets. We present a multimodal dataset, HANCOCK, that comprises monocentric, real-world data of 763 head and neck cancer patients. Our dataset contains demographical, pathological, and blood data as well as surgery reports and histologic images, that can be explored in a low-dimensional representation. We can show that combining these modalities using machine learning is superior to a single modality and the integration of imaging data using foundation models helps in endpoint prediction. We believe that HANCOCK will not only open new insights into head and neck cancer pathology but also serve as a major source for researching multimodal machine-learning methodologies in precision oncology.
Experimental study on dynamic response of existing tunnel lining structure by adjacent tunnel blasting load
Unveiling genetic signatures of immune response in immune-related diseases through single-cell eQTL analysis across diverse conditions
Abstract Deciphering the intricate regulatory mechanisms underlying biological processes holds promise for elucidating how genetic variants contribute to immune-related disorders. We map genetic effects on gene expression (expression quantitative trait locus, eQTL) using single-cell transcriptomes of 152 samples from 38 healthy individuals, covering baseline state and lipopolysaccharide challenge either before or after Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccination. Interestingly, we uncover a monocyte eQTL linked to the LCP1, shedding light on inter-individual variations in trained immunity. Furthermore, we elucidate genetic and epigenetic regulatory networks of CD55 and SLFN5. Of note, our results support the pivotal roles of SLFN5 in COVID-19 pathogenesis by incorporating disease-associated loci, chromatin accessibility, and transcription factor binding affinities, aligning with the established functions of SLFN5 in restricting virus replication during viral infection. Our study provides a paradigm to decipher genetic underpinnings of complex traits by integrating single-cell eQTLs with multi-omics data from patients and public databases.
Markus D. Kärkäs
A Mendelian randomization study of the gut microbiota and risk of knee osteoarthritis and the mediating role of immune cells
Revealing the interplay between decarbonisation, circularity, and cost-effectiveness in building energy renovation
Twist‐Promoted Photoredox Catalysis in Metal‐Organic Framework for Defluorination Reactions
Abstract The relatively short excited‐state lifetime is one main drawback of organic photosensitizers, resulting in their restricted catalytic capability and high catalyst loadings. We herein report the design of a twisted ligand N 9 ,N 9 ,N 10 ,N 10 ‐tetrakis[(1,1′‐biphenyl)‐4‐carboxylic acid]‐9,10‐anthracene diamine (H 4 TCPDA). Its twisted geometry significantly elongates the lifetime of charge‐transfer state as substantiated by detailed ultrafast transient absorption (TA) spectroscopic and electrochemical studies. Moreover, its rigid structure benefits the formation of highly crystalline Y‐TCPDA metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) with excellent stability toward F − solutions. Therefore, Y‐TCPDA competently catalyzes chemoselective defluorinative modifications, a challenge remained in MOF catalysis, and olefin reductive cross‐coupling with high turnover numbers of up to 9000. Control experiments underscore the protection of organic photocatalytic centers by the MOF platform, while similar organic catalysts are found to be decomposed in a homogeneous catalytic system.
Accelerating RRT* convergence with novel nonuniform and uniform sampling approach
Abstract Path planning plays a crucial role in autonomous mobile robotics. Sampling-based path planners are widely and frequently employed to generate collision-free paths between a start and goal location. Due to its asymptotic optimality, the optimal rapidly-exploring random tree (RRT*) algorithm is the most widely used among these. However, its reliance on uniform sampling often results in slow convergence. To address this issue, this work proposes a novel hybrid sampling method called RRT*-NUS (nonuniform–uniform sampler), which combines both uniform and nonuniform sampling to improve exploration efficiency. The proposed RRT*-NUS method is evaluated against six baseline algorithms: RRT*, Informed RRT*, RRT*-N (normal sampling RRT*), GS-RRT* (goal-oriented sampling RRT*), DR-RRT* (directional random sampling RRT*), and hybrid-RRT* in three different 384*384 2D simulation scenarios. The numerical simulation results indicate that the proposed RRT*-NUS surpasses the baseline RRT* algorithms in terms of planning time and convergence. It outperforms RRT* by 67.5% and Hybrid RRT* by 54% in time performance. Additionally, it achieves a convergence rate of 0.41 units/s, which is 3× faster than RRT* and almost 2× faster than Hybrid RRT*.
Miocene African topography induces decoupling of Somali Jet and South Asian summer monsoon rainfall
Abstract The Miocene epoch, marked by significant tectonic and climatic shifts, presents a unique period to study the evolution of South Asian summer monsoon (SASM) dynamics. Previous studies have shown conflicting evidence: wind proxies from the western Arabian Sea suggest a weaker Somali Jet during the Middle Miocene compared to the Late Miocene, while rain-related records indicate increased SASM rainfall. This apparent decoupling of monsoonal winds and rainfall has challenged our understanding of SASM variability. Here, using the fully coupled EC-Earth3 model, we identify a key driver of this decoupling: changes in African topography rather than other external forcings such as CO2 change. Our simulations reveal that changes in Miocene African topography weakened the cross-equatorial Somali Jet and reduced upwelling in the western Arabian Sea, while simultaneously enhancing monsoonal rainfall by inducing atmospheric circulation anomalies over the Arabian Sea. The weakened Somali Jet fostered a positive Indian Ocean Dipole-like warming pattern, further amplifying the monsoonal rainfall through ocean-atmosphere feedbacks. In contrast, CO2 forcing enhances both Somali Jet and rainfall simultaneously, showing no decoupling effect. These findings reconcile the discrepancies between wind and rainfall proxies and highlight the critical role of African topography in shaping the multi-stage evolution of the SASM system.
High-performance PTFE composites from industrial scrap with enhanced strength and wear resistance
Abstract Due to the high cost of raw materials, this work aims to utilize polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) scrap generated from industrial waste to produce composites possessing superior properties for potential use in various industrial applications. In this respect, PTFE-based composites reinforced with mono- and hybrid granite and boron carbide (B4C) nanoparticles are produced using powder metallurgy (PM) technology. The sintered composites’ physical, mechanical, tribological, and thermal properties and the phase composition and microstructure were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) techniques, respectively. The results indicated that the phase composition of the prepared composites did not change. Adding granite and/or B4C to the PTFE base increased the bulk density and the total porosity, while the relative density decreased. In addition, after adding 5 vol% granite/5 vol% B4C (PTFE6 sample), there was a clear improvement in mechanical properties, including microhardness, ultimate, and Young’s modulus, reaching 123.29%, 91.33%, and 74.17% compared with the unreinforced sample (PTFE0). Moreover, there was a noticeable improvement in the wear rate, fraction coefficient, and thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) value for the same sample, which decreased by approximately 37.17%, 36.50%, and 61.64%.
Adaptive-learning physics-assisted light-field microscopy enables day-long and millisecond-scale super-resolution imaging of 3D subcellular dynamics
Enhanced Cycling Performance of Li‐Rich Oxide Cathode via a Vaccine Effect
Abstract Multi‐component incorporation and its inoculated gradient disorder structure can greatly modify the properties of materials. However, the contribution of the inoculated surface gradient disorder structure on the Li‐rich cathodeswith distinctive integrated structure of LiMO 2 (M = Ni, Mn, Co) and Li 2 MnO 3 has been overlooked. Here, we reveal a vaccine effect of surface gradient disorder structure, demonstrating its significant improvement on the cycling performance of inoculated Li 1.2 Mn 0.6 Ni 0.2 O 2 . The inoculated Li 1.2 Mn 0.6 Ni 0.2 O 2 exhibits an initial coulombic efficiency of 85% and maintains ultra‐high stability with 100% capacity retention after 500 cycles. Furthermore, it delivers a capacity of 154.5 mAh g −1 with 84.2% retention after 900 cycles at current density of 200 mA g −1 . Through a combination of electrochemical analysis and theoretical simulations via the basic Nernst equations, we demonstrate that the inoculated gradient disorder structure changes the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters governing the lattice oxygen redox process, which follows three sequential steps O 2− →O 2 2− →O 2− →O 2 . This structural modification reconstructs the lattice oxygen redox, specially enhancing the electrode potential of the O 2− →O 2 step and reducing the reaction rate of O 2− →O 2 2− →O 2 − of Li 1.2 Mn 0.6 Ni 0.2 O 2 . These findings bring a novel perspective on the conventional foreign element incorporation strategy, providing valuable insights to support the continued development of Li‐ion batteries.
Influence of capping chemotherapy prescriptions on efficacy and tolerability in medium and high-risk early-stage breast cancer
Abstract Capping body surface area (BSA) at 2.0 m 2 is a common clinical practice. This empirical practice is intended to mitigate toxicities. In this context, the objective of this study was to investigate in curative situation whether capping chemotherapy prescriptions at 2.0 m 2 had an influence on the efficacy and tolerance of treatment in patients diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Data from patients with a body surface area (BSA) greater than 2.0 m² who received treatment for medium and high-risk early-stage breast cancer, either in (neo)adjuvant settings, from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2018, were examined. Patients were divided into four categories based on the percentage of chemotherapy capping throughout the treatment duration: [90–100]: the reference group, representing fully capped chemotherapy with capping exceeding 90%; [50–90[: capped chemotherapy ranging from 50 to 90%; [10–50[: capped chemotherapy between 10% and 50%; and [0–10[: representing non-capped chemotherapy. A total of 130 patients were included in the analysis, with a median age at diagnosis of 57 years (Interquartile range (IQR): 48–63) and a mean BSA of 2.07 m². Chemotherapy was provided as an adjuvant treatment to 86.9% of the participants. Depending on the capping group, the hematological toxicities were almost similar in all groups whereas non-hematological toxicities were slightly higher in the capped group between [10–50[. Similarly, chemotherapy dose reduction was also higher in capped group between [10–50[in comparison with other groups. A significant difference was observed in non-hematological toxicities of grade ≥ 2 between the reference group [90–100] and the capping group [10–50[(OR 3.59; 95% CI [1.26–10.22], p = 0.017). Prospective studies are needed to support the practice of capping, particularly in curative situations.