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Unconventional (anti)ferroelectricity in van der Waals group-IV monochalcogenides
Microbial effects of cold-pressed Sacha inchi oil supplementation in rats
Oil supplements have various benefits for metabolism, particularly Sacha inchi oil (SI), which is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as ω-3 and fat-soluble vitamins. However, the impacts of oil supplements on gut health remain unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of an SI supplement with those of lard oil (LO), known for its high saturated fatty acid content, and a normal diet on gut health in male Sprague Dawley rats for 12 consecutive weeks. Fecal DNA was used to assess gut microbiota diversity and species abundance, diversity, and function prediction. Colon tissue from each rat was examined for colon crypt depth and histology. Rats administered the LO supplement exhibited higher dysbiosis than those administered the SI supplement, with the LO supplement influencing the relative abundance of various bacteria at the genus level. A KEGG analysis was conducted to examine the effects on metabolic pathways, revealing that the SI supplement promoted carbohydrate metabolism while reducing immune system activity. In contrast, the LO supplement increased replication, repair, and translation activities. A histological analysis of the colon tissues showed no significant alterations in crypt depth or lesions in all groups, indicating that neither supplement induced adverse structural changes in the gut. The results of this study suggest that SI supplementation modulates the gut microbiota, thereby enhancing gut health and metabolic function.
Reinforcement-based leveraging transfer learning for multiclass optical coherence tomography images classification
Fc-engineered large molecules targeting blood-brain barrier transferrin receptor and CD98hc have distinct central nervous system and peripheral biodistribution
Coal and gas outburst prediction based on data augmentation and neuroevolution
Coal and gas outburst (CGO) is a complicated natural disaster in underground coal mine production. In constructing smart mines, predicting CGO risks efficiently and accurately is necessary. This paper proposes a CGO risk prediction method based on data augmentation and a neuroevolution algorithm, denoted as ANEAT. First, sample features are applied to the transfer function using a pointwise intensity transformation to obtain new feature samples. It solves the problems of imbalanced data samples and insufficient diversity. Second, the feature importance score sorting and Sparse PCA dimensionality reduction are performed on the data-augmented samples. It provides the initial genome code for the evolutionary neural network. Finally, an evolutionary neural network for CGO prediction is constructed through population initialization, fitness evaluation, species differentiation, genome mutation, and recombination. The optimal phenotype is obtained in the evolutionary generations. In the experiment, we verify the effectiveness of ANEAT from multiple aspects such as data augmentation effectiveness analysis, deep learning model comparison, swarm intelligence optimization algorithm comparison, and other method comparisons. The results show that the MAE, RMSE, and EVAR indexes of ANEAT on the test set are 0.0816, 0.1322, and 0.8972, respectively. It has the optimal CGO prediction effect. ANEAT realizes the high-precision mapping of feature parameters and outburst risk with a lightweight network architecture, which can be well applied to CGO prediction.
Neurocognitive and brain structure correlates of reading and television habits in early adolescence
Abstract Results of the impact of reading books and viewing television on neurodevelopment have been mixed, without definitive evaluation to date. Using data from 11,875 US adolescents in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, we investigated the associations between reading and television viewing on brain morphology and neurocognitive performance. After quality control, 8,125 participants’ MRI scans and cognitive tests were analyzed in relation to their reading and TV habits. Greater reading time was associated with higher cognitive performance and regionally-selective increases in cortical area, while greater TV viewing had a much smaller association with lower cognitive performance and decreased cortical area. Regionally, areas of spatial overlap in associations included the lateral temporal, inferior parietal, and inferior frontal lobes, while significant associations in the ventral and inferior temporal cortex and cingulate cortex were unique to reading habits. These relationships persisted after adjusting for demographics, socioeconomic factors, genetic ancestry, and imaging factors. The magnitude of reading associations exceeded those of TV viewing and was similar to established contributions of parental income and education on neurodevelopment. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of how these behaviors correlate with early adolescent brain development across a large diverse population.
Crystal symmetry modification enables high-ranged in-plane thermoelectric performance in n-type SnSe crystals
Abstract SnSe crystal has witnessed significant advancements as a promising thermoelectric material over the past decade. Its in-plane direction shows robust mechanical strength for practical thermoelectric applications. Herein, we optimize the in-plane thermoelectric performance of n-type SnSe by crystal symmetry modification. In particular, we find that Te and Mo alloying continuously enhances the crystal symmetry, thereby increasing the carrier mobility to ~ 422 cm2 V−1 s−1. Simultaneously, the conduction bands converge with the symmetry modification, further improving the electrical transport. Additionally, the lattice thermal conductivity is limited to ~ 1.1 W m−1 K−1 due to the softness of both acoustic and optical branches. Consequently, we achieve a power factor of ~ 28 μW cm−1 K−2 and ZT of ~ 0.6 in n-type SnSe at 300 K. The average ZT reaches ~ 0.89 at 300−723 K. The single-leg device based on the obtained n-type SnSe shows a remarkable efficiency of ~ 5.3% under the ΔT of ~ 300 K, which is the highest reported in n-type SnSe. This work demonstrates the substantial potential of SnSe for practical applications of power generation and waste heat recovery.
The effectiveness of Evodia rutaecarpa hot compress on the recovery of gastrointestinal function after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer: A propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study
Background Although the use of hot compresses with the herbal medicine Evodia rutaecarpa (ER) as a complementary and alternative therapy to promote recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function is gradually increasing in clinical practice, there is still a lack of relevant empirical studies. Particularly, the role of ER hot compress therapy on gastrointestinal recovery post-laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer has not been well investigated. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and applicability of ER hot compress therapy for the recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study. Patients were divided into two cohorts, the ER group and the non-ER group. Propensity score matching(PSM) was introduced to limit confounding, and independent samples t-tests, non-parametric tests, or Chi-squared tests were used to compare these two cohorts. Results A total of 454 patients were included, with 267 (59%) receiving ER hot compress therapy and 187 (41%) not. After 1:1 PSM, 320 patients were analyzed (160 in each group). Compared to the ER group, patients in the non-ER group had shorter times to return to a semi-liquid diet (p = 0.030) and hospital stay (p<0.001), as well as lower hospital costs (p<0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed no statistically significant differences in the length of hospital stay, hospital costs, postoperative time to return to full-liquid diet, or time to return to semi-liquid diet among stage I and II tumor patients. However, except for hospital costs, the means and standard deviations of the other indicators were generally lower in the ER group. Complication incidence showed no significant difference between the two cohorts before and after PSM. Conclusions The use of ER hot packs after laparoscopic surgery in patients with colorectal cancer has a non-significant effect on the recovery of the gastrointestinal function and, given the results of the study, it is likely that patients with early-stage tumors may benefit more. Therefore, healthcare providers need to consider the individualization, practicality, and economics of treatment options.
Error performance analysis of generalized quadrature spatial modulation with labelling diversity
Organelle-like structural evolution of coacervate droplets induced by photopolymerization
A novel prediction method for intracerebral hemorrhage-associated pneumonia: A single center analysis
Stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) is a common complication leading to death and disability after a stroke. Currently, more studies tend to focus on stroke-associated pneumonia in patients with ischemic stroke, while there are few studies on predictors of intracerebral hemorrhage-associated pneumonia (ICHAP). It is necessary to discover new predictors to build more accurate prediction models for ICHAP. We continuously collected 498 patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage and then divided them into ICHAP and non-ICHAP groups. Then we conducted univariate analyses and multivariate regression analyses on the collected data. Afterward, the new predictors of ICHAP were found and the predictive model was designed. Of the 498 patients, 158 were diagnosed with ICHAP. Advanced age (odds ratio = 1.031; 95% confidence interval, 1.015–1.047; P < 0.001), high NIHSS score (odds ratio = 1.081; 95% confidence interval, 1.038–1.126; P < 0.001), dysphagia (odds ratio = 4.191; 95% confidence interval, 2.240–7.841 P < 0.001), and fast pulse (odds ratio = 1.038; 95% confidence interval, 1.019–1.057; P < 0.001) were risk factors for ICHAP. The predictive model (P < 0.001) included age, NIHSS, dysphagia, and pulse. After that, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the corresponding area under the curve (AUC) were used to measure their predictive accuracy. The prediction ability of the model (AUC: 0.819) which contained age, NIHSS, dysphagia, and pulse was higher than that of advanced age (AUC = 0.670), high NIHSS score (AUC = 0.761), and fast pulse (AUC = 0.609). The predictive accuracy of the model was 81.5%. These findings might help identify high-risk patients for ICHAP and provide a reference for the timely preventive use of antibiotics.
A new approach for improving dynamic fault ride through capability of gridctied based wind turbines
Abstract The Doubly-Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) is preferred for wind turbines (WTs) due to their variable speed capability, reinforcing energy capture efficiency. Despite its advantages, researchers continually face challenges in managing the DFIG, including overshooting, rising time, and stability under fault conditions. The faults in WTs may stem from the grid or different operational disturbances. The crowbar protection mechanism is an efficient strategy to reduce fault impacts on DFIGs. However, the traditional hysteresis-based methods to detect faults and crowbar activation are prone to false triggering, and to address the challenges posed, this paper presents a novel control strategy that increases the low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) capability of the grid-connected DFIG systems by incorporating Fuzzy Logic Control (FLC) to enhance accuracy in fault detection and employs the Salp Swarm Optimization Algorithm (SSA) to refine controller parameters. The SSA algorithm shows a superior dynamic response and stabilizes the DFIG system efficiently. Besides, the SSA algorithm precisely calibrates the proportional-integral (PI) controller gains and DC-link capacitance values to achieve the optimal transient response between Distributed Generation (DG) integration and fluctuating loads. It is evident by the results that the power quality is improved, and the active power overshoot value is decreased from 10.12 × 106 to 3.78 × 106. Moreover, by implementing the SSA algorithm in which the overshoot value is also decreased from 15.01 × 106 to 6.10 × 106, the best results are achieved. The proposed method is validated by comparative analyses with recent studies that showcase its superiority in refining machine dynamics and decreasing overshoots and transients. Henceforth, the obtained results validate the proposed method’s ability to compete against other conventional methods.
Polymer-like tetramer acceptor enables stable and 19.75% efficiency binary organic solar cells
Abstract Limited by large batch differences and inferior polymerization degree of current polymer acceptors, the potential high efficiency and stability advantages of all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) cannot be fully utilized. Alternatively, largely π-extended and structurally definite oligomer acceptors are effective strategies to realize the overall performance of polymer acceptors. Herein, we report a linear tetramer acceptor namely 4Y-BO with identical molecular skeleton and comparable molecular-weight relative to the control polymer acceptor PY-BO. The structurally definite tetramer shows refined film-forming kinetics and improved molecular ordering, offering uniform crystallinity with polymer donor and hence well-defined fibrous heterojunction textures. Encouragingly, the PM6:4Y-BO devices achieve an efficiency up to 19.75% (certified efficiency:19.58%), largely surpassing that of the control PM6:PY-BO device (15.66%) and ranks the highest among solar cells based on oligomer and polymer acceptors. More noticeably, thermal stability, photostability and mechanical flexibility are collectively enhanced for PM6:4Y-BO devices. Our study provides an important approach for fabricating high performance and stable organic photovoltaics.
Estimation of genetic parameters and genetic trends for growth, reproductive, and survival traits of Bonga sheep using multi-variate animal model
The community-based breeding program was introduced to enhance the productivity of Bonga sheep. Data evaluating animals’ potential regarding key traits was gathered from 2009–2021. This study estimated covariance components and genetic parameters for growth (birth, weaning, and six-months weight), reproductive (lambing interval, annual reproductive rate, litter size at birth and weaning, litter weight at birth and weaning), and survival (0–3, 3–6, and 0–6 months) traits using a multivariate animal model. The Average Information Restricted Maximum Likelihood method in WOMBAT was used for growth and reproductive traits, while Derivative-free MUltivariate analysis was employed for survival traits. The results revealed that the additive heritability for growth, reproductive, and survival traits ranged from 0.15–0.26, 0.06–0.08, and 0.10–0.17, respectively. The variance ratio of maternal permanent environment for growth traits ranged from 0.07–0.25, while that of animal environment for reproductive traits ranged from 0.33–0.45. Maternal genetic heritability for birth, weaning, and six-months weights were 0.14, 0.19, and 0.19, respectively, while it ranged from 0.01–0.14 for reproductive traits. Additive genetic correlations among growth traits ranged from 0.04–0.79, and from 0.36–0.62 between growth and reproductive traits. Low to high additive genetic correlations (0.002–0.537) were recorded between growth and survival traits. Significant (P<0.001) and positive genetic trends were observed for most reproductive traits, though annual genetic trends were low. Moderate additive heritability for growth traits indicates potential for genetic improvement via selection, while the pronounced environmental impact on reproductive and survival traits suggests the need for improved management practices in addition to selection. The presence of positive genetic correlations of growth traits with reproductive and with survival traits suggests that selecting for improved weaning/six-month weight has the potential to enhance ewe productivity and lamb survival. This highlights the importance of considering both growth and reproductive/survival traits in breeding programs to achieve optimal outcomes in sheep production.
Predictive roles of Asprosin and Gremlin-1 expression in Egyptian pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes
Abstract Diabetes mellitus type 1 (insulin-dependent) (T1DM) is characterized by the selective destruction of the insulin-producing pancreatic beta. Asprosin and Gremlin-1 may have roles in T1DM, however these roles are not fully established. The expression of Asprosin and Gremlin-1 genes and their protein levels, was considerably higher in T1DM patients’ blood compared to the control group (P < 0.001). The area under the curve of 50 age- and sex-matched control persons was compared to that of serum T1DM patients. Gremlin-1 and Asprosin serum quantities were measured by ELISA, and real-time PCR was used to evaluate the expression of their genes in peripheral blood. Serum Asprosin concentration, Asprosin expression, serum Gremlin-1 concentration, and Gremlin-1 expression were 0.87, 0.997, 0.912, and 0.949, respectively. The Asprosin expression was the best marker for T1DM diagnosis with 96% sensitivity, 92% specificity, and 94% accuracy. Asprosin expression can significantly increase the risk of T1DM by 276 folds, followed by Gremlin-1 expression by 84.33 folds. The best diagnostic for T1DM diagnosis was Asprosin expression, which had 96% sensitivity, 92% specificity, and 94% accuracy. The risk of type 1 diabetes can be raised by 276 times when asprosin expression is present, and by 84.33 times when Gremlin-1 expression is present.
Poetry on Mars and robots on Earth: Books in brief
A nanotwinned-alloy strategy enables fast sodium deposition dynamics
Abstract Sodium (Na) metal batteries are considered promising solutions for next-generation electrochemical energy storage because of their low costs and high energy densities. However, the slow Na dynamics result in unfavorable Na deposition and dendrite growth, which compromise cycling performance. Here we propose a nanotwinned alloy strategy prepared by high-pressure solid solution followed by Joule-heating treatment to address sluggish Na dynamics, achieving homogeneous Na deposition. By employing cost-effective Al-Si alloys for validation, Si solubility of 10 wt.% is extended through a high-pressure solid solution, and nanotwinned-Si particles, with a volume fraction of 82.7%, are subsequently formed through Joule-heating treatment. The sodiophilic nanotwinned-Si sites exhibit a high diffusion rate, which reduces the nondimensional electrochemical Damköhler number to far below 1, shifting the diffusion-controlled deposition behavior to reaction-controlled deposition. This transition facilitates spherical Na deposition and dendrite-free growth, allowing a symmetric cell to achieve stable Na plating/stripping over 5300 h at 5 mA cm−2 with a cumulative capacity of 13.25 Ah cm−2. This strategy is also demonstrated in another CuAg system with nanotwinned Ag structures.