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Objective: With the improvement of medical level, the number of elderly patients is increasing, and the postoperative outcome of the patients cannot be ignored. However, there have been no studies on the relationship between preoperative heart rate variability (HRV) and Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorders (PND). The purpose of this study was to explore the correlation between (HRV) and (PND), postoperative intensive care unit (ICU), and hospital stay in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. Method: This retrospective analysis included 687 inpatients who underwent 24-hour dynamic electrocardiogram examination in our six departments from January 2021 to January 2022. Patients were divided into two groups based on heart rate variability (HRV): high and low. Possible risk factors of perioperative outcomes were screened using univariate analysis, and risk factors were included in multivariate logistic regression to screen for independent risk factors. The subgroup analysis was carried out to evaluate the robustness of the results. The nomogram of PND multi-factor logistic prediction model was constructed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn, and the calibration curve was drawn by bootstrap resampling 1000 times for internal verification to evaluate the prediction ability of nomogram. Result: A total of 687 eligible patients were included. The incidence of low HRV was 36.7% and the incidence of PND was 7.6%. The incidence of PND in the low HRV group was higher than that in the high HRV group (11.8% vs 5.2%), the postoperative ICU transfer rate was higher (15.9% than 9.3%P = 0.009), and the hospital stay was longer [15 (11, 19) vs (13), 0.015]. The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for other factors, decreased low HRV was identified as an independent risk factor for the occurrence of PND (Adjusted Odds Ratio = 2.095; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.160–3.784; P = 0.014) and postoperative ICU admission (Adjusted Odds Ratio = 1.925; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.128–3.286; P = 0.016). This study drew a nomogram column chart for a multivariate logistic regression model, incorporating age and HRV. The calibration curve shows that the predicted value of the model for the occurrence of cardio-cerebrovascular events is in good agreement with the actual observed value, with C-index of 0.696 (95% CI: 0.626 ~ 0.766). Subgroup analysis showed that low HRV was an independent risk factor for PND in patients with gastrointestinal surgery and ASA Ⅲ, aged ≥ 65 years. Conclusion: In patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery, the low HRV was an independent risk factor for PND and postoperative transfer to the ICU, and the hospitalization time of patients with low HRV was prolonged. Through establishing a risk prediction model for the occurrence of PND, high-risk patients can be identified during the perioperative period for early intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the insufficient ability of the current Thermal InfraRed (TIR) tracking methods to resist occlusion and interference from similar targets, we propose a TIR tracking method based on efficient global information perception. In order to efficiently obtain the global semantic information of images, we use the Transformer structure for feature extraction and fusion. In the feature extraction process, the Focal Transformer structure is used to improve the efficiency of remote information modeling, which is highly similar to the human attention mechanism. The feature fusion process supplements the relative position encoding to the standard Transformer structure, which allows the model to continuously consider the influence of positional relationships during the learning process. It can also generalize to capture the different positional information for different input sequences. Thus, it makes the Transformer structure model the semantic information contained in images more efficiently. To further improve the tracking accuracy and robustness, the heterogeneous bi-prediction head is utilized in the object prediction process. The fully connected sub-network is responsible for the classification prediction of the foreground or background. The convolutional sub-network is responsible for the regression prediction of the object bounding box. In order to alleviate the contradiction between the vast demand for training data of the Transformer model and the insufficient scale of the TIR tracking dataset, the LaSOT-TIR dataset is generated with the generative adversarial network for network training. Our method achieves the best performance compared with other state-of-the-art trackers on the VOT2015-TIR, VOT2017-TIR, PTB-TIR and LSOTB-TIR datasets, and performs outstandingly especially when dealing with severe occlusion or interference from similar objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sharp increase in infections associated with multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens that have seriously compromised traditional chemotherapeutics is becoming a devastating public health threat worldwide. Thus, there is an urgent unmet demand to pursue alternative intervention strategies to circumvent this problem. Advances in host-acting antibacterial compounds (HACs) have provided promising, emerging approaches to reduce or eliminate internalized bacteria. In this review we focus mainly on the interactions between host cells and facultative intracellular bacteria to explore potential targets for the discovery and development of HACs. Additionally, we summarize the targets of recently described HACs and their modes of action and pharmacological activities against diverse pathogenic bacteria-associated infections. This overview of HACs sheds light on alternative strategies to treat clinical infections associated with cytosolic bacteria and the development of novel antibacterial agents. Facultative cytosolic bacterial pathogens often invade host cells to paralyze antibacterial therapies, leading to persistent and/or recurrent infections in the clinic. The spatiotemporal dynamics of cytosolic bacteria invading host cells provide systematic road maps to identify potential targets for host-acting antibacterial compounds (HACs). The elucidation of bacteria–host interactions will accelerate the discovery and development of new HACs. The broad-spectrum activities of HACs ideally serve as alternative strategies to treat unknown infections, with less selective pressures on bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous fin (PF) has obvious advantages in heat dissipation, so it is necessary to analyze and optimize its performance. In this paper, a multi-scale cylindrical porous fin (PF) model is built. Firstly, the fin length and height ratio are chosen as the optimization variables, constructal design is conducted with the objective of complex function (CF) composed of maximum temperature difference (MTD) and pumping power consumption (PPC). Then, an artificial neural network (ANN) model is established by using data samples, and multi-objective optimization (MOO) is performed using the NSGA-II method. The findings indicated that the optimal length and height ratio of the fin are 4.763 mm and 1.017 under the conditions that the total PF envelope volume and PF-material volume are fixed. The CF is reduced by 51.0% compared with that before optimization. The multi-scale cylindrical porous fin with different heights is superior to the single-scale one with equal height. For MOO, the lowest deviation index obtained by TOPSIS or LINMAP decision-making strategy (DMS) is 0.258. For this case, the MTD is reduced by 81.9%, and the PPC is reduced by 18.7%. Therefore, the relevant optimal structure herein can be used as the optimal design solution for the multi-scale cylindrical porous fin. • Multi-scale cylindrical porous fin heat dissipation model is built based on constructal theory. • Linear weighted sum of maximum temperature difference and power consumption is minimized. • Multi-objective optimization based on artificial neural network and NSGA-II is also conducted. • Optimal structure of for multiple requirements is gained by three decision-making strategies. • Hot point temperature and pumping power consumption are reduced by 81.9% and 18.7%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method was developed for repairing Pd/Al 2 O 3 membranes with macro defects without the need of disassembling the membrane from the module. In order to target and fill the membrane defect automatically with solid particles, a TiO 2 powder was firstly tested by flowing high-pressure nitrogen as a carrier gas, followed by a heat treatment. A filter cake was found on the membrane defect but still porous. A glass powder was selected instead of TiO 2 , and the membrane defect was successfully sealed by glazing. The in-situ repair of a waste commercial Pd/Al 2 O 3 membrane separator was carried out with the glass powder, and the hydrogen flux and H 2 /N 2 selectivity of the membrane separator at 450 °C under 100 kPa reached 12.6 m3m−2h−1 and 1600, respectively. [Display omitted] • Pd/Al 2 O 3 membrane with macro defect can be repaired without membrane disassembling. • Solid particles can automatically fill and sinter on the membrane defect under nitrogen flowing. • A Li–B–Si–O glass powder can glaze and seal the membrane defect. • A waste commercial membrane separator showed high selectivity after repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotic therapy and host cells frequently fail to eliminate invasive bacterial pathogens due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance, resulting in the relapse and recurrence of infections. Bacteria evolve various strategies to persist and survive in epithelial cells, a front‐line barrier of host tissues counteracting invasion; however, it remains unclear how bacteria hijack cellular responses to promote cytoplasmic survival under antibiotic therapy. Here, it is demonstrated that extracellular bacteria show invasive behavior and survive in epithelial cells in both in vivo and in vitro models, to increase antibiotic tolerance. In turn, sublethal levels of antibiotics increase bacterial invasion through promoting the production of bacterial virulence factors. Furthermore, antibiotic treatments interrupt lysosomal acidification in autophagy due to the internalized bacteria, using Bacillus cereus and ciprofloxacin as a model. In addition, it is found that sublethal levels of ciprofloxacin cause mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation to impair lysosomal vascular tape ATPase (V‐ATPase) to further promote bacterial persistence. Collectively, these results highlight the potential of host cells mediated antibiotic tolerance, which markedly compromises antibiotic efficacy and worsens the outcomes of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A certain level of disagreement between the chemical analysis of androstenone and skatole and the human perception of boar taint has been found in many studies. Here we analyze whether the fatty acid composition can explain such inconsistency between sensory evaluation and chemical analysis of boar taint compounds. Therefore, back fat samples ( n = 143) were selected according to their sensory evaluation by a 10-person sensory panel, and the chemical analysis (stable isotope dilution analysis with headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) of androstenone and skatole. Subsequently a quantification of fatty acids using gas chromatography-flame ionization detection was conducted. The correlation analyses revealed that several fatty acids are significantly correlated with androstenone, skatole, and the sensory rating. However, multivariate analyses (principal component analysis) revealed no explanation of the fatty acid composition with respect to the (dis-)agreement between sensory and chemical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus cereus is an opportunistic pathogen that often causes foodborne infectious diseases and food poisoning. Non-hemolytic enterotoxin (Nhe) is the major toxin found in almost all enteropathogenic B. cereus and B. thuringiensis isolates. However, little is known about the cellular response after Nhe triggered pore formation on cell membrane. Here, we demonstrate that Nhe induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase and provoked apoptosis in Vero cells, most likely associated with mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and death receptor pathways. The influx of extracellular calcium ions and increased level of reactive oxygen species in cytoplasm were sensed by apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) and p38 MAPK. Extrinsic death receptor Fas could also promote the activation of p38 MAPK. Subsequently, ASK1 and p38 MAPK triggered downstream caspase-8 and 3 to initiate apoptosis. Our results clearly demonstrate that ASK1, and Fas-p38 MAPK-mediated caspase-8 dependent pathways are involved in apoptotic cell death provoked by the pore-forming enterotoxin Nhe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NaxCu9S5 (x = 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.15, 0.25) nanopowders with an average size of 3 nm are prepared by ball milling and are then sintered with spark plasma. Due to the small size of the nanopowders, the bulk materials possess very fine grains after sintering. The highest ZT value is about 1.1 at 773 K and is obtained for Na0.05Cu9S5 sample that is nearly threefold higher than that of pristine Cu9S5 and comparable to the modified PbS materials (ZT ≈ 1.2 at 923 K). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feasibility of Raman spectroscopy for boar taint detection and classification was investigated using tainted and untainted backfat samples of 46 boars. For this exploratory study, backfat samples were selected according to their levels of androstenone and skatole as determined by gas chromatography and their sensory score by a trained panel. Raman spectra were collected with a portable device at freshly cut surfaces of frozen–thawed samples. Both inner and outer layers of subcutaneous fat were studied. Their varying level of unsaturation was reflected in the Raman spectra. Partial least squares regression discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was applied to the spectra together with various pre-processing methods. A model using only spectra obtained at the inner layer resulted in the highest classification accuracy for boar taint (81% of samples correctly classified). The discrimination is shown to reflect differences in the degree of fatty acid saturation between tainted and untainted boars. In conclusion, the findings suggest that with further development Raman spectroscopy may be used to classify boar taint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen-doped bamboo-like carbon nanotubes with embedded Fe/Fe 3 C nanoparticles (NPs) (Fe/Fe 3 C@NCNTs) were successfully fabricated by the pyrolysis of the metal organic framework. When the pyrolysis temperature was 800 °C, the length and diameter of NCNTs were in the ranges 8–20 µm and 17–130 nm, respectively. Remarkably, the wall thickness of the NCNTs was merely 5.0 nm. The Fe/Fe 3 C@NCNTs-800 exhibits enhanced dielectric and magnetic loss performance attributing to its excellent electrical conductivity, massive interfaces between Fe/Fe 3 C and NCNTs, and a large number of defects and void spaces between bamboo joints. In addition, the Fe/Fe 3 C@NCNTs-800 also has outstanding impedance matching characteristic, and thus its minimal reflection loss and effective absorption bandwidth reached −50.8 dB with a thickness of 1.6 mm and 4.3 GHz with a thickness of 1.4 mm, respectively. The results of this study demonstrate the Fe/Fe 3 C@NCNTs-800 as a promising candidate for electromagnetic wave absorption. [Display omitted] • Fe/Fe 3 C@NCNTs are fabricated by pyrolysis of the metal-organic framework. • The NCNTs have 5 nm walll thicknes and numerous void spaces. • The Fe/Fe 3 C@NCNTs exhibit excellent electromagnetic wave absorption property. • The effective absorption bandwidth reaches 4.3 GHz with thickness of merely 1.4 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree species identification and forest type classification are critical for sustainable forest management and native forest conservation. Recent success in forest classification and tree species identification using LiDAR (light detection and ranging)-derived variables has been reported in many studies. However, there is still considerable scope for further improvement in classification accuracy. It has driven research into more efficient classifiers such as support vector machines (SVMs) to take maximum advantage of the information extracted from LiDAR data for potential increases in the accuracy of tree species classification. This study demonstrated the success of the SVMs for the identification of the Myrtle Beech (the dominant species of the Australian cool temperate rainforest in the study area) and adjacent tree species – notably, the Silver Wattle at individual tree level using LiDAR-derived structure and intensity variables. An overall accuracy of 92.8% was achieved from the SVM approach, showing significant advantages of the SVMs over the traditional classification methods such as linear discriminant analysis in terms of classification accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: Side overlap with fundoplication by Yamashita (SOFY) is an anti-reflux form of esophagogastrostomy. We compared the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy (PG) with SOFY to that of laparoscopic total gastrectomy (TG) with Roux-en-Y for treating cT1-2 Siewert II/III adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction. Methods: Fifty-two patients who underwent PG (n = 28) or TG (n = 24), without conversion to laparotomy, were included. Surgical outcomes, complications, reflux symptoms, quality of life, and nutritional status of both groups were compared. Results: Significant differences between PG and TG groups regarding operative time (245.7 versus 294.6 min, P = 0.005), reconstruction time (22.1 versus 28.5 min, P < 0.001), time to pass gas (3 versus 4 days, P = 0.021), time to oral intake (4.5 versus 5 days, P = 0.043), and gastroesophageal reflux (60.7% versus 4.2%, P < 0.001) were observed. Reflux esophagitis for the PG group was 42.9% (12/28). The incidence of Los Angeles grade B and above was 10.7%. Between-group differences in terms of global health status, diarrhea, reflux, and eating were observed. Body weight maintenance was better in the PG group than in the TG group 6 months and 1 year postoperatively. Conclusion: SOFY is simple and more advantageous than TG in terms of postoperative recovery, body weight, eating, and diarrhea. However, the occurrence of postoperative reflux after SOFY was high. The limitations of this study are the significant differences in pathological T stage of patients in the two groups and the small sample size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional methods of forest classification, based on the interpretation of aerial photographs and processing of multi-spectral and/or hyper-spectral remote sensing data are limited in their ability to capture the structural complexity of the forests compared with analysis of airborne LiDAR (light detection and ranging) data. This is because of LiDAR's penetration of forest canopies such that detailed and three-dimensional forest structure descriptions can be derived. This study applied airborne LiDAR data for the classification of cool temperate rainforest and adjacent forests in the Strzelecki Ranges, Victoria, Australia. Using normalised LiDAR point data, the forest vertical structure was stratified into three layers. Variables characterising the height distribution and density of forest components were derived from LiDAR data within each of these layers. The statistical analyses, which included one-way analysis of variance with post hoc tests, identified effective variables for forest-type classifications. The results showed that using linear discriminant analysis, an overall classification accuracy of 91.4% (as verified by the cross-validation) was achieved in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathogenic bacteria evolve multiple strategies to hijack host cells for intracellular survival and persistent infections. Previous studies have revealed the intricate interactions between bacteria and host cells at genetic, biochemical and even single molecular levels. Mechanical interactions and mechanotransduction exert a crucial impact on the behaviors and functions of pathogenic bacteria and host cells, owing to the ubiquitous mechanical microenvironments like extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether and how ECM stiffness modulates bacterial infections and the sequential outcome of antibacterial therapy. Here we show that bacteria tend to adhere to and invade epithelial cells located on the regions with relatively high traction forces. ECM stiffness regulates spatial distributions of bacteria during the invasion through arrangements of F-actin cytoskeletons in host cells. Depolymerization of cytoskeletons in the host cells induced by bacterial infection decreases intracellular accumulation of antibiotics, thus preventing the eradication of invaded bacterial pathogens. These findings not only reveal the key regulatory role of ECM stiffness, but suggest that the coordination of cytoskeletons may provide alternative approaches to improve antibiotic therapy against multidrug resistant bacteria in clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orthophotos (or orthoimages if in digital form) have long been recognised as a supplement or alternative to standard maps. The increasing applications of orthoimages require efforts to ensure the accuracy of produced orthoimages. As digital photogrammetry technology has reached a stage of relative maturity and stability, the availability of high quality ground control points (GCPs) and digital elevation models (DEMs) becomes the central issue for successfully implementing an image orthorectification project. Concerns with the impacts of the quality of GCPs and DEMs on the quality of orthoimages inspire researchers to look for more reliable approaches to acquire high quality GCPs and DEMs for orthorectification. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), an emerging technology, offers capability of capturing high density three dimensional points and generating high accuracy DEMs in a fast and cost-effective way. Nowadays, highly developed computer technologies enable rapid processing of huge volumes of LiDAR data. This leads to a great potential to use LiDAR data to get high quality GCPs and DEMs to improve the accuracy of orthoimages. This paper presents methods for utilizing LiDAR intensity images to collect high accuracy ground coordinates of GCPs and for utilizing LiDAR data to generate a high quality DEM for digital photogrammetry and orthorectification processes. A comparative analysis is also presented to assess the performance of proposed methods. The results demonstrated the feasibility of using LiDAR intensity image-based GCPs and the LiDAR-derived DEM to produce high quality orthoimages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How the financial structure promotes the development of real economy has always been a research topic in academia. By analyzing the characteristics of China's financial system, this paper constructs the Finance Structure Index (FSI) from the perspectives of structural efficiency, financing structure and industry structure, and interprets the trend of the FSI. Based on the quarterly data of China from 2004 to 2020, this paper constructs a time-varying parameter-vector autoregression (TVP-VAR) model to study the dynamic impact of finance structure on the growth and optimization of the structure of the real economy. The empirical analysis results show that the response of the real economy has time-varying characteristics. Early on, financial structure has a promotion effect on the scale of the real economy, but the impact on the structure is not clear. In the middle, the effect of promoting the scale decreases slightly and then rebounds rapidly, while the optimization of the structure is inhibited. Later, it has a significant promoting effect and an obvious time-lag effect. Moreover, the impact of the financial structure is unstable. It is necessary to improve the efficiency and quality of the transmission of the optimization of the financial structure to the real economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study examined the use of a probiotic called Probio-M9 in treating mastitis and improving antibiotic treatment. The researchers found that Probio-M9 effectively reduced mastitis symptoms, decreased inflammation, and enhanced the response to antibiotics. It also had an impact on the gut microbiome and the immune system. The study suggests that Probio-M9 can move from the gut to the mammary tissue during bacterial mastitis and lactation. These findings provide insight into the connection between the gut and mammary glands and the potential benefits of probiotics. [Extracted from the article]

Common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) is one of the most widely cultivated fish in China. Spring viraemia of carp virus (SVCV) is a highly pathogenic virus and has often caused excessive losses in carp pond fisheries. Innate immune play important roles against virus infection. To better understand the immune response of common carp against SVCV infection, transcriptome analysis was performed using the Illumina Novaseq 6000 platform. It was showed that a total of 3953 differentially expressed unigenes were identified, and the RLR signaling pathway were significantly enriched after SVCV infection. Subsequently, the role of RLR signaling pathway in SVCV infection was studied. The results showed that common carp RIG-I (Cc RIG-I) and TRIM25 (Cc TRIM25) significantly decreased the replication of SVCV by inducing the phosphorylation of TBK1, IRF3 and p65 and the expression of ifn-1 , viperin , isg15 and mx. Further studies illustrated that Cc TRIM25 could positive regulate Cc RIG-I mediated downstream signaling pathway. Finally, the mechanism of Cc TRIM25 promoting Cc RIG-I-mediated signaling was investigated. Cc TRIM25 could interact with the caspase activation and recruitment domain (CARD) of Cc RIG-I and promoted K63-linked polyubiquitination of Cc RIG-I. Altogether, the study revealed a mechanism of Cc TRIM25 regulating Cc RIG-I mediated immune response in SVCV infection. • Comparative transcriptome analysis of common carp was performed with and without SVCV-infected. • RLRs signaling pathway were significantly enriched. • Cc RIG-I and Cc TRIM25 participated in immune processes against SVCV infection. • Cc TRIM25 positively regulated Cc RIG-I mediated signal pathway through promoting its K63-linked polyubiquitination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Immune defense against bacterial infection involves a fierce struggle between bacteria and immune cells. Neutrophils, as the first line of defense, must cross the epithelial barrier to reach the infected site. During this process, communication between neutrophils and endothelial cells is crucial for regulating immune defense, cascade reactions, and inflammation. Therefore, we present the detailed steps of neutrophil–endothelial cell interactions and the principles of neutrophil biology. The overview of the research progress focuses on transendothelial neutrophil killing and how endothelial dysfunction affects inflammatory cascade reactions. These summaries of neutrophil activation and endothelial dysfunction provide potential therapeutic targets for discovering and developing antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs. The endothelial barrier plays a critical role in immune defense against bacterial infection. Efficient interactions between neutrophils and endothelial cells facilitate the activation of both cell types. However, neutrophil activation can have dual effects, promoting bacterial clearance on one hand while triggering inflammation on the other. In this review, we provide a detailed overview of the cellular defense progression when neutrophils encounter bacteria, focusing specifically on neutrophil–endothelial interactions and endothelial activation or dysfunction. By elucidating the underlying mechanisms of inflammatory pathways, potential therapeutic targets for inflammation caused by endothelial dysfunction may be identified. Overall, our comprehensive understanding of neutrophil–endothelial interactions in modulating innate immunity provides deeper insights into therapeutic strategies for infectious diseases and further promotes the development of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crowdsourced data (CSD) generated by citizens is becoming more popular as its potential utilization in many applications increases due to its currency and availability. However, the quality of CSD, including its relevance, is often questioned as the data is not generated by professionals nor follows standard data-collection procedures. The quality of CSD can be assessed according to a range of characteristics including its relevance. In this paper, information relevance has been explored through using geographic information retrieval (GIR) techniques to identify the most highly relevant information from a set of crowdsourced data. This research tested a relevance assessment approach for CSD by adapting relevance assessment techniques available in the GIR domain. Thematic and geographic relevance were assessed by analyzing the frequency of selected terms which appeared in CSD reports using natural language processing techniques. The study analyzed crowdsourced reports from the 2011 Australian flood’s Crowdmap to examine a proof of concept on relevance assessment using a subset of this dataset based on a defined set of queries. The results determined that the thematic and geographic specificities of the queries were 0.44 and 0.67, respectively, which indicated the queries used were more geographically specific than thematically specific. The Spearman’s rho value of 0.62 indicated that the final ranked relevance lists showed reasonable agreement with a manually classified list and confirmed the potential of the approach for CSD relevance assessment. In particular, this research has contributed to the field of CSD relevance assessment through an integrated thematic and geographic relevance ranking process by using a user-query specificity approach to improve the final ranking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional (3D) graphene-based structures have attracted much attention due to their unique physicochemical properties and potential applications in various fields. In this work, we develop a facile strategy for growing Co and Zn-contained nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes on the graphene sheets for the absorption of electromagnetic wave (EMW). The as-fabricated 3D structures with a larger surface area have high electrical conductivities, abundant defects, numerous interfaces and porous feature, endowing them to excellent EMW absorption performance. The minimal reflection loss and efficient absorption bandwidth of the optimized 3D structure can reach to −47.31 dB and 4.01 GHz at a low thickness of merely 1.5 mm, respectively. Even at the thickness of 1.2–1.5 mm, the minimal reflection losses are less than −10 dB. Furthermore, the filler mass loading of the 3D structures is only 6 wt%, lower than those of most of the reported absorbers. Our results highlight the importance of 3D structures composed of graphene and nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes to high-efficiency EMW absorption. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biological function of RNA can be modulated by base modifications. Here, we unveiled the occurrence of N4-acetylation of cytidine in plant RNA, including mRNA, by employing LC-MS/MS and acRIP-seq. We identified 325 acetylated transcripts from the leaves of 4-week-old Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants and determined that 2 partially redundant N-ACETYLTRANSFERASEs FOR CYTIDINE IN RNA (ACYR1 and ACYR2), which are homologous to mammalian NAT10, are required for acetylating RNA in vivo. A double-null mutant was embryo lethal, while eliminating 3 of the 4 ACYR alleles led to defects in leaf development. These phenotypes could be traced back to the reduced acetylation and concomitant destabilization of the transcript of TOUGH, which is required for miRNA processing. These findings indicate that N4-acetylation of cytidine is a modulator of RNA function with a critical role in plant development and likely many other processes. The base modification N4-acetylation of cytidine in RNA is essential for microRNA biogenesis as well as leaf and embryo development in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this meta-analysis is to systematically review the diagnostic performance of radiomic techniques in predicting peritoneal metastasis in patients with gastric cancer, and to evaluate the quality of current research. Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, Embase, and Cochrane databases for relevant studies up to April 3, 2023. Data extraction and quality evaluation were performed by two independent reviewers. Then we performed statistical analysis, including plotting the forest plot and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve, and source of heterogeneity analysis, through the MIDAS module in Stata 15. We performed meta-regression and subgroup analyses to analyze the sources of heterogeneity. Using the QUADAS-2 scale and the RQS scale to assess the quality of retrieved studies. Results: Ten studies with 6199 patients were finally included in our meta-analysis. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.77 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.66, 0.86), and 0.88 (95% CI 0.80, 0.93), respectively. The overall AUC was 0.89 (95% CI 0.86, 0.92). The heterogeneity of this meta-analysis was high, with I2 = 88% (95% CI 75,100). The result of meta-regression showed that QUADAS-2 results, RQS results and machine learning method led to heterogeneity in sensitivity and specificity (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the image segmentation area and the presence or absence of combined clinical factors were associated with sensitivity heterogeneity and specificity heterogeneity, respectively. Conclusion: Undoubtedly, radiomics has potential value in diagnosing peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer, but the quality of current research is inconsistent, and more standardized and high-quality research is still needed in the future to achieve the transformation of radiomics results into clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High moisture herbaceous residues (HR) cause a series of environment problems. Torrefaction has proven to be a promising technology for upgrading the fuel properties of biomass. In this study, a typical HR, Licorice residue (LR), was torrefied in a tubular reactor under nitrogen at 210, 240 and 280 °C. The effect of temperature on the fuel properties and the decomposition characteristic of the torrefied samples, as well as the pyrolysis products, were investigated. The mass and energy yield were altered in the range of 91.8–52.3% and 99.3–72.9%, respectively. The higher heating value (HHV) value of the torrefied sample increased by 8.1–39.5% from light to severe torrefaction, compared to untorrefied LR, and reached up to 23.3 MJ/kg at 280 °C. Torrefaction decreased the content of oxygenated organic compounds and the acidity of bio-oil from pyrolysis. The increase in alkanes from torrefied sample pyrolysis implies that torrefied LR has the potential for use in liquid fuel production. The present findings revealed that torrefaction turns industrial LR with poor energy content into a more easily exploitable solid fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volunteered geographic information (VGI) can be considered a subset of crowdsourced data (CSD) and its popularity has recently increased in a number of application areas. Disaster management is one of its key application areas in which the benefits of VGI and CSD are potentially very high. However, quality issues such as credibility, reliability and relevance are limiting many of the advantages of utilising CSD. Credibility issues arise as CSD come from a variety of heterogeneous sources including both professionals and untrained citizens. VGI and CSD are also highly unstructured and the quality and metadata are often undocumented. In the 2011 Australian floods, the general public and disaster management administrators used the Ushahidi Crowd-mapping platform to extensively communicate flood-related information including hazards, evacuations, emergency services, road closures and property damage. This study assessed the credibility of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Ushahidi CrowdMap dataset using a Naïve Bayesian network approach based on models commonly used in spam email detection systems. The results of the study reveal that the spam email detection approach is potentially useful for CSD credibility detection with an accuracy of over 90% using a forced classification methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of augmented-rectangle technique (ART) versus delta-shaped anastomosis (DA) for treating gastric cancer in total laparoscopic distal gastrectomy. Methods: In total, 99 patients with distal gastric cancer who underwent ART (n = 60) or DA (n = 39) were considered. Operative data, postoperative recovery, complications, quality of life, and endoscopic findings of both groups were compared. Results: The ART group had faster postoperative recovery than the DA group, and was better than DA regarding complications. The mode of reconstruction remained an independent predictor of complications, but not postoperative recovery. Dumping syndrome occurred in 3 (5.0%) and 2 patients (5.1%) of ART and DA groups within 30 days after surgery, and 3 (5.0%) and 2 patients (5.1%) 1 year after surgery. Regarding global health status on the EORTC-QLQ-C30 scale, the ART group had better outcomes than the DA group. Gastritis occurred in 38 (63.3%) and 27 (69.3%) patients of ART and DA groups, respectively. Residual food occurred in 8 (13.3%) and 11 (28.2%) patients of ART and DA groups. Reflux esophagitis occurred in 5 (8.3%) and 4 (10.3%) patients of ART and DA groups. Further, bile reflux occurred in 8 (13.3%) and 4 (10.3%) patients of ART and DA groups. Conclusions: ART has similar advantages to DA for total laparoscopic reconstruction and is superior to DA regarding the incidence of complications, complication grade, and global health status. Furthermore, ART may have potential advantages in postoperative recovery and anastomotic stenosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Microglia plays crucial roles in Alzheimer's disease (AD) development. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) in association with DAP12 mediates signaling affecting microglia function. Here we study the negative regulation of TREM2 functions by leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor subfamily B member 2 (LILRB2), an inhibitory receptor bearing ITIM motifs. Methods: To specifically interrogate LILRB2-ligand (oAβ and PS) interactions and microglia functions, we generated potent antagonistic LILRB2 antibodies with sub-nanomolar level activities. The biological effects of LILRB2 antagonist antibody (Ab29) were studied in human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)–derived microglia (hMGLs) for migration, oAβ phagocytosis, and upregulation of inflammatory cytokines. Effects of the LILRB2 antagonist antibody on microglial responses to amyloid plaques were further studied in vivo using stereotaxic grafted microglia in 5XFAD mice. Results: We confirmed the expression of both LILRB2 and TREM2 in human brain microglia using immunofluorescence. Upon co-ligation of the LILRB2 and TREM2 by shared ligands oAβ or PS, TREM2 signaling was significantly inhibited. We identified a monoclonal antibody (Ab29) that blocks LILRB2/ligand interactions and prevents TREM2 signaling inhibition mediated by LILRB2. Further, Ab29 enhanced microglia phagocytosis, TREM2 signaling, migration, and cytokine responses to the oAβ-lipoprotein complex in hMGL and microglia cell line HMC3. In vivo studies showed significantly enhanced clustering of microglia around plaques with a prominent increase in microglial amyloid plaque phagocytosis when 5XFAD mice were treated with Ab29. Conclusions: This study revealed for the first time the molecular mechanisms of LILRB2-mediated inhibition of TREM2 signaling in microglia and demonstrated a novel approach of enhancing TREM2-mediated microglia functions by blocking LILRB2-ligand interactions. Translationally, a LILRB2 antagonist antibody completely rescued the inhibition of TREM2 signaling by LILRB2, suggesting a novel therapeutic strategy for improving microglial functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructal theory is used to build a hybrid heat-sink model with rectangular microchannel and porous fin in a 3D electronic device. Firstly, constructal design is conducted with objective of minimizing linear weighted sum of maximum temperature-difference and pump power consumption with fixed total volumes of 3D electronic device, porous fin and microchannel. The optimal microchannel aspect ratio and elemental number are gained. Secondly, multi-objective-optimization is conducted based on NSGA-II, which uses the "gamultiobj" function of Matlab's artificial neural-network toolbox. The findings indicate that when microchannel aspect ratio and elemental number are 0.29 and 38, respectively, complex function achieves its double minimum of 0.810, which is decreased by 19.0% compared to its original value. Therefore, optimizing microchannel aspect ratio and elemental number simultaneously contributes to improving the comprehensive performance of 3D electronic device. Based on LINMAP, TOPSIS and Shannon Entropy decision-making strategies, the multi-objective solution set is compared. The third decision-making method has the smallest deviation index. The corresponding optimal microchannel aspect ratio and elemental number are 0.35 and 32, respectively, which can be used as the optional structure design scheme. The research findings can serve as a new theoretical reference for designing hybrid cooling system in a 3D electronic device. • Hybrid heat-sink model with rectangular microchannel and porous fin in a 3D electronic device. • Constructal designs with fixed total volumes of 3D electronic device, porous fin and microchannel. • It is to minimize maximum temperature-difference and pump power consumption objectives. • The first is to minimize linear weighted sum of two optimization objectives. • Then to minimize two objectives with ANN, NSGA-II and three decision-making methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probiotics have been used to ameliorate ailments by modulating gut microbiota. However, to date, the effects of probiotic supplementation on the composition of fecal microbiota in healthy adults remain obscure. In this study, nine healthy volunteers were recruited to take probiotics (a mixture of Lactobacillus casei Zhang, L. plantarum P‐8, and Bifidobacterium lactis V9, 2:2:3, 1 × 1010 CFU/day) for 28 days. The fecal samples were collected at 0 and 28 days, and V4 of the 16S rRNA gene sequenced by Illumina MiSeq was used to analyze the fecal microbiota. The enterotype has been used to characterize the composition of gut microbiota. Nine adults were divided into Type P (fecal microbiota dominated by Prevotella, 4 adults) and Type B (fecal microbiota dominated by Bacteroides, 5 adults) based on an enterotype analysis. The responses of variation had been found in two enterotypes. The α‐diversity was not changed significantly after the administration of probiotics in both Type P and B. However, the community structure in Type B was substantially influenced. After the administration of probiotics, Weissella and Leuconostoc were significantly higher in Type P, while Collinsella significantly increased in Type B. The different pathways involving pathogen infections were downregulated at 28 days. The Type VI secretion system and the EHEC/EPEC pathogenicity signature were downregulated in Type B and Type P, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria infected cells acting as "Trojan horses" not only protect bacteria from antibiotic therapies and immune clearance, but also increase the dissemination of pathogens from the initial sites of infection. Antibiotics are hard and insufficient to treat such hidden internalized bacteria, especially multidrug‐resistant (MDR) bacteria. Herein, aggregation‐induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) such as N,N‐diphenyl‐4‐(7‐(pyridin‐4‐yl) benzo [c] [1,2,5] thiadiazol‐4‐yl) aniline functionalized with 1‐bromoethane (TBP‐1) and (3‐bromopropyl) trimethylammonium bromide (TBP‐2) (TBPs) show potent broad‐spectrum bactericidal activity against both extracellular and internalized Gram‐positive pathogens. TBPs trigger reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐mediated membrane damage to kill bacteria, regardless of light irradiation. TBPs effectively kill bacteria without the development of resistance. Additionally, such AIEgens activate mitochondria dependent autophagy to eliminate internalized bacteria in host cells. Compared to the routinely used vancomycin in clinic, TBPs demonstrate comparable efficacy against methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in vivo. The studies suggest that AIEgens are promising new agents for the treatment of MDR bacteria associated infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Herbal medicine waste was torrefied under different conditions. • Temperature shows a greater effect on the torrefaction process than the agents. • The HMW samples torrefied under different conditions are easy to ignite. • The combustion properties of the HMW were enhanced significantly after torrefaction. • The torrefied HMW has the potential for solid fuel production. To explore the feasibility of using herbal medicine waste (HMW) as solid fuel, HMW was torrefied under different temperatures and atmospheres. The physicochemical properties and combustion behaviors of the torrefied HMW were investigated. Temperature was found to be the most influential factor affecting the torrefaction. Torrefaction improved the hydrophobicity of HMW and decreased the equilibrated moisture uptake from 24.48(0.083) % to 15.22(0.054) %. The HMW samples torrefied under different conditions are easy to ignite. The comprehensive combustibility index (S) of the torrefied HMW increased by 3–5 folds compared to that of the raw sample. In general, the HMW torrefied under lower temperatures and under CO 2 and O 2 have better flammability. The present results revealed that the torrefied HMW exhibited good combustion characteristics and can thus be used for solid fuel production, such as fuels for co-combustion or raw materials for pelletization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leukemia-initiating cells (LICs) are responsible for the initiation, development, and relapse of leukemia. The identification of novel therapeutic LIC targets is critical to curing leukemia. In this report, we reveal that junctional adhesion molecule 3 (JAM3) is highly enriched in both mouse and human LICs. Leukemogenesis is almost completely abrogated upon Jam3 deletion during serial transplantations in an MLL-AF9-induced murine acute myeloid leukemia model. In contrast, Jam3 deletion does not affect the functions of mouse hematopoietic stem cells. Moreover, knockdown of JAM3 leads to a dramatic decrease in the proliferation of both human leukemia cell lines and primary LICs. JAM3 directly associates with LRP5 to activate the downstream PDK1/AKT pathway, followed by the downregulation of GSK3β and activation of β-catenin/CCND1 signaling, to maintain the self-renewal ability and cell cycle entry of LICs. Thus, JAM3 may serve as a functional LIC marker and play an important role in the maintenance of LIC stemness through unexpected LRP5/PDK1/AKT/GSK3β/β-catenin/CCND1 signaling pathways but not via its canonical role in cell junctions and migration. JAM3 may be an ideal therapeutic target for the eradication of LICs without influencing normal hematopoiesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of torrefaction pretreatment and catalytic pyrolysis of herbaceous medicine waste (HMW) was performed. The effects of torrefaction, pyrolysis temperature, SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 atomic ratio (SAR) and catalyst-to-feedstock (C/F) ratio on the distribution of aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs) was investigated. The formation of coke and its effects on the catalytic performance of the catalyst were evaluated. The results demonstrated that zeolite can effectively convert the torrefied HMW into AHs. The liquid products were dominated by monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs), in which toluene and xylene were formed preferentially over other aromatics. The total content of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, and naphthalene (BTEXN) reached 49.23–76.31%. Temperature, SAR and C/F ratio exhibit a greater influence on AHs formation than the torrefaction agents. A higher pyrolysis temperature and C/F ratio can inhibit coke formation, while higher SAR is beneficial to coke formation. The catalyst with a lower SAR yield more AHs and less coke. Coke was initially formed on the surface of the catalyst at low temperature, but it was more likely to form in the pores of the catalyst at high temperatures. The results show that the combination of torrefaction and catalytic pyrolysis is a potential approach for converting HMW into valuable bio-oils. [Display omitted] • Torrefaction and catalytic pyrolysis of herbaceous medicine waste was performed. • Zeolite can effectively convert the torrefied HMW into aromatic hydrocarbons. • Lower pyrolysis temperature and SAR of catalyst was beneficial to BTEXN formation. • Coke deposition during pyrolysis decreases the activity of zeolite catalyst. • Oxygenated compounds were the coke precursors during catalytic pyrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Catalytic fast pyrolysis of herbal medicine wastes was performed. • ZSM-5 effectively converts oxygenates into aromatic hydrocarbons. • Temperature and acidity of zeolite exert great influence on BTEXN formation. • The maximum content of BTEXN was 73.45 % at 500 °C and 72.21 % at lower SARs. • The oxygenates and aliphatic hydrocarbons was the precursors of coke during CFP. Catalytic pyrolysis is an effective method to upgrade biomass pyrolytic bio-oil. In this study, catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) of licorice residue (LR) over ZSM-5 was conducted using pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The effects of temperature, Si/Al atomic ratio (SAR) and catalyst to feedstock (C/F) ratio on the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs) were investigated. The results indicated that ZSM-5 effectively converts oxygenates into AHs. Specifically, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene and naphthalene (BTEXN) were the dominant components. The pyrolysis temperature and acidity of zeolite exert a greater influence on the formation of BTEXN. The maximum content of BTEXN was 73.45 % at 500 °C and 72.21 % at lower SARs (27 and 36). Coke can be formed and deposited on the zeolite during CFP of LR, which cause the deactivation of catalyst. A higher pyrolysis temperature and C/F ratios inhibits the coke formation, while a higher SAR is beneficial to coke formation. The large oxygenated molecules and aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHCs) was the precursors of coke during catalytic pyrolysis. The coke was tended to disperse on the surface of catalyst at low temperature. However, it was largely deposited in the channels of zeolite catalyst at high temperatures. This study reveals that ZSM-5 is an effective catalyst for the utilization of herbal medicine wastes. The pyrolytic bio-oil has high potential for use in fuels or renewable chemical production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid emergence of bacterial coinfection caused by cytosolic bacteria has become a huge threat to public health worldwide. Past efforts have been devoted to discover the broad-spectrum antibiotics, while the emergence of antibiotic resistance encourages the development of antibacterial agents. In essence, bacterial virulence is a factor in antibiotic tolerance. However, the discovery and development of new antibacterial drugs and special antitoxin drugs is much more difficult in the antibiotic resistance era. Herein, we hypothesize that antitoxin hemolytic activity can serve as a screening principle to select antibacterial drugs to combat coinfection from natural products. Being the most abundant natural drug of plant origins, flavonoids were selected to assess the ability of antibacterial coinfections in this paper. Firstly, we note that four flavonoids, namely, baicalin, catechin, kaempferol, and quercetin, have previously exhibited antibacterial abilities. Then, we found that baicalin, kaempferol, and quercetin have better inhibitions of hemolytic activity of Hla than catechin. In addition, kaempferol and quercetin, have therapeutic effectivity for the coinfections of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro and in vivo. Finally, our results indicated that kaempferol and quercetin therapied the bacterial coinfection by inhibiting S. aureus α-hemolysin (Hla) and reduced the host inflammatory response. These results suggest that antitoxins may play a promising role as a potential target for screening flavonoids to combat bacterial coinfection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intriguingly, TBPs promote mitochondria dependent autophagy to eliminate such bacteria in host cells. In article number 2001750, Kui Zhu, Ben Zhong Tang and co-workers demonstrate that aggregationinduced emission luminogens such as TBPs trigger ROS-mediated membrane damage to effectively kill internalized bacteria without resistance development. Targeting Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria: Efficient Killing of Multidrug-Resistant Internalized Bacteria by AIEgens In Vivo (Adv. Sci. 9/2021). [Extracted from the article]