Precipitation-hardening high-entropy alloys (PH-HEAs) with good strength-ductility balances are a promising candidate for advanced structural applications. However, current HEAs emphasize ...near-equiatomic initial compositions, which limit the increase of intermetallic precipitates that are closely related to the alloy strength. Here we present a strategy to design ultrastrong HEAs with high-content nanoprecipitates by phase separation, which can generate a near-equiatomic matrix in situ while forming strengthening phases, producing a PH-HEA regardless of the initial atomic ratio. Accordingly, we develop a non-equiatomic alloy that utilizes spinodal decomposition to create a low-misfit coherent nanostructure combining a near-equiatomic disordered face-centered-cubic (FCC) matrix with high-content ductile Ni
Al-type ordered nanoprecipitates. We find that this spinodal order-disorder nanostructure contributes to a strength increase of ~1.5 GPa (>560%) relative to the HEA without precipitation, achieving one of the highest tensile strength (1.9 GPa) among all bulk HEAs reported previously while retaining good ductility (>9%).
Both conductivity and mobility are essential to charge transfer by carrier transport layers (CTLs) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The defects derived from generally used ionic doping method lead ...to the degradation of carrier mobility and parasite recombinations. In this work, a novel molecular doping of NiOx hole transport layer (HTL) is realized successfully by 2,2′‐(perfluoronaphthalene‐2,6‐diylidene)dimalononitrile (F6TCNNQ). Determined by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, the Fermi level (EF) of NiOx HTLs is increased from −4.63 to −5.07 eV and valence band maximum (VBM)‐EF declines from 0.58 to 0.29 eV after F6TCNNQ doping. The energy level offset between the VBMs of NiOx and perovskites declines from 0.18 to 0.04 eV. Combining with first‐principle calculations, electrostatic force microscopy is applied for the first time to verify direct electron transfer from NiOx to F6TCNNQ. The average power conversion efficiency of CsFAMA mixed cation PSCs is boosted by ≈8% depending on F6TCNNQ‐doped NiOx HTLs. Strikingly, the champion cell conversion efficiency of CsFAMA mixed cations and MAPbI3‐based devices gets to 20.86% and 19.75%, respectively. Different from passivation effect, the results offer an extremely promising molecular doping method for inorganic CTLs in PSCs. This methodology definitely paves a novel way to modulate the doping in hybrid electronics more than perovskite and organic solar cells.
A novel molecular doping of NiOx hole‐transport layers by 2,2′‐(perfluoronaphthalene‐2,6‐diylidene)dimalononitrile is directly verified by first‐principles calculations and electrostatic‐force microscopy. The energy level offset between the valence band maxima of NiOx and perovskite declines from 0.18 to 0.04 eV along with a remarkable increase of its work function. Strikingly, the best mixed‐cations perovskite‐based device achieves 20.86% conversion efficiency.
The heterostructures of the ferromagnet (Cr2Te3) and topological insulator (Bi2Te3) have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The topological Hall effect as evidence of the existence of magnetic ...skyrmions has been observed in the samples in which Cr2Te3 was grown on top of Bi2Te3. Detailed structural characterizations have unambiguously revealed the presence of intercalated Bi bilayer nanosheets right at the interface of those samples. The atomistic spin-dynamics simulations have further confirmed the existence of magnetic skyrmions in such systems. The heterostructures of ferromagnet and topological insulator that host magnetic skyrmions may provide an important building block for next generation of spintronics devices.
The issue of biological invasions in aquatic ecosystems is becoming increasingly severe in the contemporary world. Due to the lack of monitoring and management systems for aquatic invasive species, ...the difficulty in identifying aquatic invasive species, and the limited effectiveness of conventional control methods in aquatic environments, biological control in water bodies is comparatively more challenging than other types of interventions. In recent years, environmental DNA (eDNA) survey methods have rapidly developed in various fields, such as biological monitoring, community ecology, paleoenvironmental research, conservation biology, and invasion ecology, due to their unique advantages of being rapid, sensitive, efficient, and non-invasive. Because of these characteristics, this innovative molecular approach has gained wider acceptance and is being increasingly utilized for the detection of biological diversity in aquatic environments. Furthermore, it has emerged as a novel technology to address the pressing and significant issue of aquatic invasive species in the vast freshwater and marine resources of the East Asian region. This paper summarizes a variety of literature sources to summarize the major aquatic invasive species in East Asian countries and the current application status of eDNA technology in their survey processes. Using China as a case study, it expounds on the prospective incorporation of the 4E strategy with eDNA technology for the surveillance of biological invasions. Furthermore, it explores the potential prospects of eDNA technology in species diversity management and policy formulation, offering theoretical guidance for establishing aquatic invasive species monitoring systems. From a technological standpoint, the integration of eDNA technology with the 4E strategy holds significant potential for application, thereby offering a promising reference for the formulation of policies related to the management of aquatic biological invasions and biodiversity.
Objective
This study aimed to evaluate the quality of locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) radiotherapy plans generated by the automated planning module of a commercial treatment planning ...system (TPS).
Methods
Data of 30 patients with locally advanced NPC were retrospectively investigated. For each patient, volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans with double arcs were generated manually by experienced physicists and automatically in the Pinnacle
3
Auto-Planning module (Philips Medical Systems, Fitchburg, WI, USA). The anatomic distance between the second clinical target volume (CTV
2
) and the pons of the brainstem, and the T category of disease were factored into the evaluation. Dosimetric verification was evaluated in terms of gamma pass rate. Target coverage, sparing of organs at risk (OARs), and monitor units were evaluated and compared between the manual and automatic VMAT plans.
Results
Not all treatment plans fully met the dose objectives for planning target volumes (PTVs) and OARs, particularly in T4 patients. Overall, automatic VMAT provides a comparable or superior plan quality to manual VMAT in most cases. In stratified analysis, plan quality is mainly independent on T category but is also affected by anatomic distance. If the anatomic distance is less than 5 mm, the automatic VMAT plan quality is equal or even inferior to manual VMAT performed by experienced physicists. Conversely, if the anatomic distance is greater than 5 mm, the automatic VMAT plan quality is superior to manual VMAT. Gamma pass rates for quality assurance are similar between manual and automatic VMAT plans for the former case, but significantly higher in automatic VMAT for the latter.
Conclusion
The selection of manual versus automatic VMAT planning in locally advanced NPC should be made individually based on the anatomic distance, rather than blindly and habitually, since automatic VMAT is not good enough to completely replace manual VMAT.
Background
The efficacy of traditional Chinese exercise (TCE)-based intervention in the improvement of motor function in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) is controversial. The present study ...aimed to assess the effects of TCE on balance and gait outcomes, as well as motor symptoms in individuals with PD, and evaluate potential discrete moderators such as TCE dosage-related variables.
Method
PubMed, Embase, Cochrane's Library, Web of Science, Medline, and Scopus were systematically searched from their dates of inception to February 2022. All studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of TCE-based interventions for PD. The treatment effects were estimated using a random-effect meta-analysis model with standardized mean differences (Hedges' g). The Physiotherapy Evidence Database was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the study.
Result
Fifteen studies involving a total of 873 participants were included in the final analysis. The meta-analytic findings revealed significant improvements in balance outcomes Berg Balance Scales (BBS) (
g
= 0.83, 95% CI = 0.37–1.29,
p
= 0.000, I
2
= 84%), time up and go (TUG) (
g
= −0.80, 95% CI = −1.13– −0.47,
p
= 0.000, I
2
= 81%), and the one legged blind balance test (
g
= 0.49, 95% CI = 0.13–0.86,
p
= 0.01, I
2
= 10%), as well as gait outcomes gait velocity (
g
= 0.28, 95% CI = 0.02–0.54,
p
= 0.04, I
2
= 64%), 6-min walking test (6MWT) (
g
= 0.32, 95% CI 0.01–0.62,
p
= 0.04,
I
2
= 15%), stride length (
g
= 0.25, 95% CI = 0.08–0.41,
p
= 0.003, I
2
= 42%), and motor symptoms Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III (UPDRS-III) (
g
= −0.77, 95% CI = −1.06– −0.48,
p
= 0.000, I
2
= 76%). However, cadence (
g
= −0.03) and step length (
g
= 0.02) did not differ significantly. The moderator shows that the effects of TCE on BBS and gait velocity were moderated by Pedro score, exercise type, control group type, and number of sessions. Meta-regression found that TCE (exercise duration, number of sessions, and session duration) was significantly associated with improved UPDRS-III and BBS scores.
Conclusion
These findings provide evidence for the therapeutic benefits of TCE as an adjunct therapy for patients with PD. TEC dosage (high-intensity long sessions) may moderate some favorable effects.
Systematic Review Registration
PROSPERO, identifier CRD42022314686.
Purpose
To design and construct a three‐dimensional (3D) anthropomorphic abdominal phantom for geometric accuracy and dose summation accuracy evaluations of deformable image registration (DIR) ...algorithms for adaptive radiation therapy (ART).
Method
Organ molds, including liver, kidney, spleen, stomach, vertebra, and two metastasis tumors, were 3D printed using contours from an ovarian cancer patient. The organ molds were molded with deformable gels made of different mixtures of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and the softener dioctyl terephthalate. Gels with different densities were obtained by a polynomial fitting curve that described the relation between the Hounsfield unit (HU) and PVC‐softener blending ratio. The rigid vertebras were constructed by molding of white cement and cellulose pulp. The final abdominal phantom was assembled by arranging all the fabricated organs inside a hollow dummy according to their anatomies, and sealed by deformable gel with averaged HU of muscle and fat. Fiducial landmarks were embedded inside the phantom for spatial accuracy and dose accumulation accuracy studies. Two channels were excavated to facilitate ionization chamber insertion for dosimetric measurements. Phantom properties such as deformable gel elasticity and HU stability were studied. The dosimetric measurement accuracy in the phantom was performed, and the DIR accuracies of three DIR algorithms available in the open source DIR toolkit‐DIRART were also validated.
Results
The constructed deformable gel showed elastic behavior and was stable in HU values over times, proving to be a practical material for the deformable phantom. The constructed abdominal phantom consisted of realistic anatomies in terms of both anatomical shapes and densities when compared with its reference patient. The dosimetric measurements showed a good agreement with the calculated doses from the treatment planning system. Fiducial‐based accuracy analysis conducted on the constructed phantom demonstrated the feasibility of applying the phantom for organ‐wise DIR accuracy assessment.
Conclusions
We have designed and constructed an anthropomorphic abdominal deformable phantom with satisfactory elastic property, realistic organ density, and anatomy. This physical phantom can be used for routine validations of DIR geometric accuracy and dose accumulation accuracy in ART.
, a group 1 carcinogen, colonizes the stomach and affects the development of stomach diseases. Progranulin (PGRN) is an autocrine growth factor that regulates multiple cellular processes and plays a ...tumorigenic role in many tissues. Nevertheless, the mechanism of action of PGRN in gastric cancer caused by
infection remains unclear. Here, we investigated the role of PGRN in cell cycle progression and the cell proliferation induced by
infection. We found that the increased PGRN was positively associated with CDK4 expression in gastric cancer tissue. PGRN was upregulated by
infection, thereby promoting cell proliferation, and that enhanced level of proliferation was reduced by PGRN inhibitor. CDK4, a target gene of PGRN, is a cyclin-dependent kinase that binds to cyclin D to promote cell cycle progression, which was upregulated by
infection. We also showed that knockdown of CDK4 reduced the higher cell cycle progression caused by upregulated PGRN. Moreover, when the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway (which is promoted by PGRN) was blocked, the upregulation of CDK4 mediated by PGRN was reduced. These results reveal the potential mechanism by which PGRN plays a major role through CDK4 in the pathological mechanism of
infection.
The utilization of functional cling films presents a promising approach to alleviate post-harvest spoilage caused by microbial activity, oxidative metabolism, and moisture loss in agricultural ...products. To overcome the environmental problems of conventional packaging materials, in this study, we developed functional fruit and vegetable cling films based on glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride and rosemarinic acid cross-linked gelatin (RQ-GEL). The results indicate that the prepared RQ-GEL film possesses excellent UV light barrier properties and mechanical performance. RQ-GEL inhibited
and
by 93.79% and 92.04%, respectively. DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging activities were as high as 87.69% and 84.6%. In the cherry tomato preservation experiment, when compared to uncovered samples, the RQ-GEL group had a 29.77% reduction in weight loss and a significant 26.92% reduction in hardness. Meanwhile, the RQ-GEL group delays the decline of fruit total soluble solids and titratable acidity content, and prolongs the preservation period of cherry tomatoes. Hence, RQ-GEL cling film is poised to emerge as a promising packaging material for the post-harvest preservation of agricultural products.
Localizing the brain regions affected by tasks is crucial to understanding the mechanisms of brain function. However, traditional statistical analysis does not accurately identify the brain regions ...of interest due to factors such as sample size, task design, and statistical effects. Here, we propose a hypergraph-based multitask feature selection framework, referred to as HMTFS, which we apply to a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) dataset to extract task-related brain regions. HMTFS is characterized by its ability to construct a hypergraph through correlations between subjects, treating each subject as a node to preserve high-order information of time-varying signals. Additionally, it manages feature selection across different time windows in fMRI data as multiple tasks, facilitating time-constrained group sparse learning with a smoothness constraint. We utilize a large fMRI dataset from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) to validate the performance of HMTFS in feature selection. Experimental results demonstrate that brain regions selected by HMTFS can provide higher accuracy for downstream classification tasks compared to other competing feature selection methods and align with findings from previous neuroscience studies.
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