Large Magnetoresistance in Compensated Semimetals TaAs2_2 and NbAs2_2

We report large magnetoresistance (MR) at low temperatures in single-crystalline nonmagnetic compounds TaAs$_2$ and NbAs$_2$. Both compounds exhibit parabolic-field-dependent MR larger than $5\times10^3$ in a magnetic field of 9 Tesla at 2 K. The MR starts to deviate from parabolic dependence above 10 T and intends to be saturated in 45 T for TaAs$_2$ at 4.2 K. The Hall resistance measurements and band structural calculations reveal their compensated semimetal characteristics. The large MR at low temperatures is ascribed to a resonance effect of the balanced electrons and holes with large mobilities. We also discuss the relation of the MR and samples' quality for TaAs$_2$ and other semimetals. We found that the magnitudes of MR are strongly dependent on the samples' quality for different compounds.Comment: 26 pages, 11 figures, 2 table

miRNA-223 expression in patient-derived eutopic and ectopic endometrial stromal cells and its effect on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in endometriosis

Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the expression of microRNA-223 (miRNA-223) in patient-derived eutopic and ectopic endometrial stromal cells (SCs). Given the fact that miRNA-223 was previously shown to be upregulated in these cells and that this upregulation has been linked to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) during endometriosis, this study aimed to further explore the expression of miRNA-223, its effect in endometriosis, and the mechanisms underlying its effects. Methods: Endometrial tissue was collected from 26 patients with endometriosis and 14 patients with hysteromyoma (control group). Primary endometrial SCs were isolated and cultured from several endometrial samples and miRNA-223 expression was evaluated using qRT-PCR. Cells were then transfected with a miRNA-223 overexpression lentiviral vector (sh-miR-223 cells) or an empty control (sh-NC cells) and then used to monitor the effects of miRNA-223 on the expression of several EMT-associated proteins, including N-cadherin, vimentin, and Slug, using western blot. Cellular migration, invasion, and proliferation were then evaluated using a wound healing, Transwell, and CCK-8 assay, respectively. Flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis. Results: There was a significant decrease in the expression of miRNA-223 in both eutopic and ectopic endometrial SCs (p < 0.05) whereas upregulation of miRNA-223 inhibited the expression of EMT-related molecules and reduced cell migration, invasion, and proliferation. High levels of miRNA-223 also promoted apoptosis. Conclusion: miRNA-223 expression decreased in endometrial SCs from endometriosis patients, which may facilitate the differential regulation of EMT during endometriosis. Clinical Trial registration number: SWYX2020-211

Analysis of overburden movement and side abutment pressure distribution in deep stope with varying coal seam thickness

To investigate the overburden movement and the side abutment pressure distribution concerning the variation in deep mines with varying coal seam thickness, this study focused on the No. 72 mining area of Tianchen Coal Mine and obtained the following results: Variations in coal seam thickness within a stope lead to increased immediate roof thickness. When the coal seam thickness is 8 m, the maximum immediate roof thickness reaches 18 m. The roof is composed of a “Combined short cantilever-Voussoir beam” structure. Displacement curves of overburden in coal seam thickness-varying stopes exhibit asymmetry, with the overburden closer to the coal seam being more asymmetric. After post-goaf stabilization, the peak side abutment pressure decreases with increasing coal seam thickness and shifts deeper into the coal wall. Concurrently, the ultimate equilibrium area width expands. With an increase in coal seam thickness from 4 m to 8 m, the peak side abutment pressures decreased from 44.98 MPa to 41.04 MPa. The peak position shifted from a distance of 9 m from the coal wall to 14 m, while the stress-relaxation area expanded from 3 m to 5 m. This research provides essential insights for safe and efficient mining in similar conditions

Identification of Perilla Based on Three-Dimensional Fluorescence Spectra Using Wavelet Packet Decomposition, Fisher Discriminant Analysis and Support Vector Machine

In order to rapidly identify perilla species and avoid passing off, three-dimensional (3D) fluorescence spectral data of perilla from four regions in China were acquired. A feature selection strategy of fluorescence data based on wavelet packet decomposition fused with Fisher discriminant analysis (FDA) was proposed, and effective identification of the four species of perilla was implemented. First, the 3D fluorescence data were preprocessed by using Delaunay triangle interpolation to remove the adverse influence of Rayleigh scattering and Raman scattering; Savitzky-Golar (SG) convolutional smoothing was applied to smooth the data for the purpose of reducing the interference of noise. At the same time, the 3D fluorescence data were initially screened to remove emission wavelengths with fluorescence intensity less than 0.01. Second, the 3-layer sym4 wavelet packet decomposition of the emission spectrum corresponding to each excitation wavelength was performed, and the wavelet packet energy value of the lowest frequency band was calculated as the amount of spectral data characterization for each excitation wavelength. Third, FDA was used for discriminant analysis of these wavelet packet energy values, and the discrepancy information contained in them was fused to obtain the new variables generated by FDA; the first three FD variables with 99% cumulative discriminative power were selected as variables for the characterization of the discrepancy information of different species, and then a characterization strategy for the 3D fluorescence data was proposed. Finally, two pattern recognition algorithms, back propagation neural network (BPNN) and support vector machine (SVM), were used to analyze the characterization variables, and identification results were obtained with FDA + BPNN and FDA + SVM. A correct rate of 97.5% for the training set and 95% for the test set was observed with FDA + BPNN, and the correct rate obtained with FDA + SVM for both the training and test sets was 98.33%. These results showed that 3D fluorescence spectroscopy combined with wavelet packet decomposition, FDA and SVM algorithms could basically identify perilla from different regions, which will provide a basis for further research on perilla, such as quantitative detection of some active components

Nanoscale hyperthermia mesostructures for sustainable antimicrobial design.

Sustainability is critical in addressing global challenges posed by prolonged pandemics that impact health, economies, and the environment. Here, we introduce a molecular engineering approach for thermoregulated antimicrobial management inspired by firewalking rituals. The study uses in situ spectroscopy and multi-scale modeling to validate a hierarchical design. Efficient light-to-thermal energy conversion is achieved by engineering the molecular band structure. Rapid nanoscale hyperthermia is facilitated through thermal engineering. This approach significantly reduces the half-life of pathogens such as Escherichia coli, influenza A, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to 1.4 min while maintaining a low perceived temperature on human skin. Standard disease infection and epidemic models show this technologys potential to flatten outbreak curves and delay peak infection rates, which is crucial during the early stages of pandemics when developing vaccines and antiviral drugs takes time. The scalable manufacturing and broad antimicrobial applicability hold great promise for controlling emerging infectious diseases and diverse bioprotective applications

Flexural Properties of ECC-Concrete Composite Beam

Rebar corrosion-induced durability issue is a major concern for bridges. The ECC cover was employed to prevent the intrusion of the corrosive agent. This paper studied the flexural behavior of ECC-concrete composite beam. The effects of bonding at the interface and fiber mesh reinforcement on the flexural properties and cracking pattern were investigated. The strain distribution and midspan deflection were evaluated. Test results show that the bonded composite beam had a higher loading capacity. But the unbonded composite beam showed better postcrack energy absorption capacity with higher midspan deflection. The fiber mesh reinforcement could further improve the flexural properties regardless of the bonding condition. The strain at the bottom of the unbonded beam was much smaller than that of the bonded beam. The penetrated cracks were observed at the ECC layer of the bonded composited beam