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We have proposed a fruitful design principle targeting a concentration ratio (CR) >1000× for a typical high concentrating photovoltaics (HCPV) system, on account of a two-concentrator system + homogenizer. The principle of a primary dual-lens concentrator unit, completely analogous basic optics seen in the superposition compound eyes, is a trend not hitherto reported for solar concentrators to our knowledge. Such a concentrator unit, consisting of two aspherical lenses, can be applied to minify the sunlight and reveal useful effects. We underline that, at this stage, the CR can be attained by two orders of magnitude simply by varying the radius ratio of such two lenses known from the optics side. The output beam is spatially minimized and nearly parallel, exactly as occurs in the superposition compound eye. In our scheme, thanks to such an array of dual-lens design, a sequence of equidistant focal points is formed. The secondary concentrator consists of a multi-reflective channel, which can collect all concentrated beams from the primary concentrator to a small area where a solar cell is placed. The secondary concentrator is located right underneath the primary concentrator. The optical characteristics are substantiated by optical simulations that confirm the applicability of thousands-fold gain in CR value, ~1100×. This, however, also reduced the uniformity of the illumination area. To regain the uniformity, we devise a fully new homogenizer, hinging on the scattering principle. A calculated optical efficiency for the entire system is ~75%. Experimentally, a prototype of such a dual-lens concentrator is implemented to evaluate the converging features. As a final note, we mention that the approach may be extended to implement an even higher CR, be it simply by taking an extra concentrator unit. With simple design of the concentrator part, which may allow the fabrication process by modeling method and large acceptant angle (0.6°), we assess its large potential as part of a general strategy to implement a highly efficient CPV system, with minimal critical elaboration steps and large flexibility.

INTRODUCTION Incorporating blood‐based Alzheimer's disease biomarkers such as tau and amyloid beta (Aβ) into screening algorithms may improve screening efficiency. METHODS Plasma Aβ, phosphorylated tau (p‐tau)181, and p‐tau217 concentration levels from AHEAD 3–45 study participants were measured using mass spectrometry. Tau concentration ratios for each proteoform were calculated to normalize for inter‐individual differences. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed for each biomarker against amyloid positivity, defined by > 20 Centiloids. Mixture of experts analysis assessed the value of including tau concentration ratios into the existing predictive algorithm for amyloid positron emission tomography status. RESULTS The area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) was 0.87 for Aβ42/Aβ40, 0.74 for phosphorylated variant p‐tau181 ratio (p‐tau181/np‐tau181), and 0.92 for phosphorylated variant p‐tau217 ratio (p‐tau217/np‐tau217). The Plasma Predicted Centiloid (PPC), a predictive model including p‐tau217/np‐tau217, Aβ42/Aβ40, age, and apolipoprotein E improved AUC to 0.95. DISCUSSION Including plasma p‐tau217/np‐tau217 along with Aβ42/Aβ40 in predictive algorithms may streamline screening preclinical individuals into anti‐amyloid clinical trials. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04468659 Highlights The addition of plasma phosphorylated variant p‐tau217 ratio (p‐tau217/np‐tau217) significantly improved plasma biomarker algorithms for identifying preclinical amyloid positron emission tomography positivity. Prediction performance at higher NAV Centiloid levels was improved with p‐tau217/np‐tau217. All models generated for this study are incorporated into the Plasma Predicted Centiloid (PPC) app for public use.

A major update to the mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) software MSiReader is presented, offering a multitude of newly added features critical to MSI analyses. MSiReader is a free, open-source, and vendor-neutral software written in the MATLAB platform and is capable of analyzing most common MSI data formats. A standalone version of the software, which does not require a MATLAB license, is also distributed. The newly incorporated data analysis features expand the utility of MSiReader beyond simple visualization of molecular distributions. The MSiQuantification tool allows researchers to calculate absolute concentrations from quantification MSI experiments exclusively through MSiReader software, significantly reducing data analysis time. An image overlay feature allows the incorporation of complementary imaging modalities to be displayed with the MSI data. A polarity filter has also been incorporated into the data loading step, allowing the facile analysis of polarity switching experiments without the need for data parsing prior to loading the data file into MSiReader. A quality assurance feature to generate a mass measurement accuracy (MMA) heatmap for an analyte of interest has also been added to allow for the investigation of MMA across the imaging experiment. Most importantly, as new features have been added performance has not degraded, in fact it has been dramatically improved. These new tools and the improvements to the performance in MSiReader v1.0 enable the MSI community to evaluate their data in greater depth and in less time. Graphical Abstract ᅟ

Bosentan is the first approved oral medication for pulmonary arterial hypertension, yet the black‐box warning on its labeling implies a substantial risk of liver injury associated with bosentan exposure. The risk assessment of bosentan‐induced liver injury requires a thorough understanding of the underlying mechanisms, for which there is accumulating evidence. Integrating these mechanisms with clinical liver bosentan concentration would enable a more dynamic and relevant risk assessment. This study designed a workflow of physiologically−based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model development to capture bosentan's hepatic disposition and predict the (intra)hepatic bosentan exposure. Specifically, clinical plasma and excretion data of bosentan were used to minimize the uncertainty in estimating the hepatic clearance. The model predictions were well overlapped with observations in the systemic circulation and excretion. Furthermore, the model‐derived intrinsic hepatic clearance was comparable with the one derived from a clinical study. These results reflected confidence in the model's capability to predict hepatic bosentan exposure. The model‐simulated steady‐state unbound exposure to bosentan in hepatocytes and liver tissue ranged from 1.65 to 34.1 ng/mL following twice‐daily 125‐mg oral doses. The ratio of the simulated unbound concentration between the liver matrices and systemic plasma was between 0.80 and 2.93 across the therapeutic dosing regimens. In summary, a bosentan PBPK model was successfully developed with the designed workflow and was able to predict the hepatic disposition of bosentan. The developed model can be applied to generate hepatic bosentan exposure that bridges the toxicological mechanistic findings from in vitro to in vivo, assisting in risk assessment.

Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) technology, by using efficient optical elements, small sizes and high efficiency multi-junction solar cells, can be seen as a bright energy source to produce more cost-effective electricity. The main and basic idea is to replace the use of expensive solar cells with less expensive optical elements made from different materials. This paper aims to give to the readers a rapid and concise overview of CPV and the main characteristics to be considered when designing a CPV system. It reviews the main optical configurations presented in the literature, their advantages and drawbacks, as well as the recent progress in the concentration ratio and the major performances achieved in the field. The paper considers the more recent works, their optical designs, as well as their optical and electrical performances. It also relates the major achievements on the industrial side with the major milestones in CPV developments.

This numerical investigation examines the performance and exergy analysis of parabolic trough solar collectors, focusing on the substitution of the conventional circular absorber with a rhombus-shaped absorber. By evaluating the thermal and fluid dynamics properties, this study aims to identify improvements in overall system performance and efficiency. This numerical study conducts a comprehensive thermal analysis of parabolic trough solar collectors by comparing a rhombus-shaped absorber with a conventional circular absorber. The analysis considers two rim angles of the parabolic trough, specifically 80° and 90°. Fluid flow rates ranging from 200 to 600 L per minute and inlet fluid temperatures spanning from 400 to 650 K are evaluated for each configuration. The objective is to determine the impact of absorber shape, rim angle, flow rate, and inlet temperature on the thermal performance and exergy efficiency of the system. Additionally, a slope error range of 0 to 2.5 mrad is incorporated into the study. The optical efficiency, thermal efficiency, exergy efficiency, and overall efficiency of the parabolic trough solar collector are estimated and compared for both absorber shapes. Results indicate that the thermal performance of the collector improves significantly with the rhombus-shaped absorber, showing maximum increases of 2.88% in thermal efficiency, 1.45% in exergy efficiency, and 1.4% in overall efficiency compared to the conventional circular absorber. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing the design of parabolic trough solar collectors to enhance their overall efficiency and energy conversion effectiveness.

Exploitation of groundwater has greatly increased since the 1970s to meet the increased water demand due to fast economic development in China. Correspondingly, the regional groundwater level has declined substantially in many areas of China. Water sources are scarce in northern and northwestern China, and the anthropogenic pollution of groundwater has worsened the situation. Groundwater containing high concentrations of geogenic arsenic, fluoride, iodine, and salinity is widely distributed across China, which has negatively affected safe supply of water for drinking and other purposes. In addition to anthropogenic contamination, the interactions between surface water and groundwater, including seawater intrusion, have caused deterioration of groundwater quality. The ecosystem and geo-environment have been severely affected by the depletion of groundwater resources. Land subsidence due to excessive groundwater withdrawal has been observed in more than 50 cities in China, with a maximum accumulated subsidence of 2–3 m. Groundwater-dependent ecosystems are being degraded due to changes in the water table or poor groundwater quality. This paper reviews these changes in China, which have occurred under the impact of rapid economic development. The effects of economic growth on groundwater systems should be monitored, understood and predicted to better protect and manage groundwater resources for the future.

The present investigation is aimed to investigate the effect of ratio of major alloying element Zinc (Zn) and Magnesium (Mg) and aging heat treatment on microstructure formation and micro-hardness properties of Al-Zn-Mg alloys. The Al-Zn-Mg alloys were fabricated through stir casting process by adding 10 weight percent pure Zn plus pure Mg into the molten pure Aluminium (Al). In the experimental work, total five different Zn/Mg ratios (1.06, 1.93, 3.04, 4.07 and 5.08) were taken to investigate the effect of wt.% concentration of Zinc and Magnesium alloying elements on the micrographs and micro-hardness of A-Zn-Mg alloys. All samples were fabricated by stir casting machine of bottom pouring type. The fabricated specimens were further heat treated by aging heat treatment process. Micrographs of fabricated AL-Zn-Mg alloys were observed by inverted metallurgical microscope. Micro-hardness of both before and after aging condition Al-Zn-Mg alloys were measured by semi-automatic micro-hardness tester. It is interestingly observed that in case of before aging condition the fish skeleton type secondary phases are formed and distributed at the grain boundaries of fabricated alloys irrespective of Zn/Mg ratios; however, the density of secondary phases increases with increase of Zn/Mg ratio up-to a certain value keeping wt.% of Zn plus Mg constant in every specimen. Such secondary phases are dissolved in the Al matrix when the Al-Zn-Mg alloys further processed through aging heat treatment. It is observed that the average hardness of Al-Zn-Mg alloys increases with increase of Zn/Mg ratio up-to a certain value then decreases. It is also interestingly observed that the microhardness increases with further heat treatment of fabricated alloys by aging process and it reaches maximum five times of the pure Aluminium. Such observation of micro-hardness properties of Al-Zn-Mg alloys under both before and after aging conditions is consistent with their microstructure and SEM observation.

This study aimed to examine the risk factors of augmented renal clearance (ARC) and the association between ARC and vancomycin pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) indices in Chinese adult patients. A prospective, observational, multicenter study was conducted, and 414 adult patients undergoing vancomycin therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) were enrolled. Clinical and PK/PD data were compared between ARC and non-ARC groups. Independent risk factors were examined using a multivariate logistic regression analysis. The ARC and augmented renal clearance in trauma intensive care (ARCTIC) scoring systems were evaluated. Eighty-eight of the enrolled patients (88/414, 21.3%) had ARC before vancomycin therapy. Patients with ARC were more likely to have subtherapeutic vancomycin PK/PD indices, including trough concentration (p = 0.003) and 24 h area under the concentration–time curve (AUC24) to minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) ratio (p < 0.001). Male sex (OR = 2.588), age < 50 years (OR = 2.713), overweight (OR = 2.072), receiving mechanical ventilation (OR = 1.785), enteral nutrition (OR = 2.317), neutrophil percentage (OR = 0.975), and cardiovascular diseases (OR = 0.281) were significantly associated with ARC. In conclusion, ARC is associated with subtherapeutic vancomycin trough concentration and AUC24/MIC; therefore, higher than routine doses may be needed. Risk factors and ARC risk scoring systems are valuable for early identification.

This paper examines the influence of CEO career horizon problems on corporate social responsibility (CSR). We assume that as CEOs are getting older, they tend to disengage in CSR due to their shorter career horizons. We further argue that high levels of industry-level discretion (ILD) and blockholder ownership amplify the negative effects of CEO age on CSR. Using a panel sample of US-based firms over 2004–2009, we do not find the main effect of CEO age on CSR, but find support for the moderating effects, such that CEO age is negatively associated with CSR when there are high levels of ILD and blockholder ownership. Therefore, results suggest that CEO career horizon problems matter for CSR when (1) CEOs have sufficient discretion over the firm's strategic decisions and (2) outside blockholders put more pressure on CEOs to engage in financial earning management.