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Background: Spinocerebellar ataxia 2 (SCA2) with a low range of CAG repeat expansion of ATXN2 gene can present with predominant or isolated parkinsonism that closely resembles Parkinson's disease (PD). This study is aimed at comparing clinical features, disease progression, and nuclear imaging between ATXN2-related parkinsonism (ATXN2-P) and PD. Methods: Three hundred and seventy-seven clinically diagnosed PD with family history were screened by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification, whole-exome sequencing or target sequencing, and dynamic mutation testing of 10 SCA subtypes. The baseline and longitudinal clinical features as well as the dual-tracer positron emission tomography (PET) imaging were compared between ATXN2-P and genetically undefined familial PD (GU-fPD). Results: Fifteen ATXN2-P patients from 7 families and 50 randomly selected GU-fPD patients were evaluated. Significantly less resting tremor and more symmetric signs were observed in ATXN2-P than GU-fPD. No significant difference was found in motor progression and duration from onset to occurrence of fluctuation, dyskinesia, and recurrent falls between the two groups. Cognitive impairment and rapid-eye-movement sleep behavior disorder were more common in ATXN2-P. During follow-up, olfaction was relatively spared, and no obvious progression of cognition dysfunction evaluated by Mini-Mental State Examination scores was found in ATXN2-P. PET results of ATXN2-P demonstrated a symmetric, diffuse, and homogenous dopamine transporter loss of bilateral striatum and a glucose metabolism pattern inconsistent with that in PD. Conclusions: Symmetric motor signs and unique nuclear imaging might be the clues to distinguish ATXN2-P from GU-fPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, deep learning has been widely used in vulnerability detection with remarkable results. These studies often apply natural language processing (NLP) technologies due to the natural similarity between code and language. Since NLP usually consumes a lot of computing resources, its combination with quantum computing is becoming a valuable research direction. In this paper, we present a Recurrent Quantum Embedding Neural Network (RQENN) for vulnerability detection. It aims to reduce the memory consumption of classical models for vulnerability detection tasks and improve the performance of quantum natural language processing (QNLP) methods. We show that the performance of RQENN achieves the above goals. Compared with the classic model, the space complexity of each stage of its execution is exponentially reduced, and the number of parameters used and the number of bits consumed are significantly reduced. Compared with other QNLP methods, RQENN uses fewer qubit resources and achieves a 15.7% higher accuracy in vulnerability detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

“Shift To Left” is the cornerstone of the successful implementation of DevSecOps. By testing projects for vulnerabilities in the early stages of development, teams can save overall costs before security issues reach the build phase. As one of the popular practices in “Shift To Left,” the Software Composition Analysis (SCA) system aims to leverage the Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) to enhance software supply chain security. However, the SBOM lacks mature generation and distribution mechanisms, requiring incentive measures to drive industry consensus. Additionally, the data and tools associated with the SBOM lack effective record‐keeping and monitoring, making it challenging to ensure data integrity and tool security. Traditional SCA systems treat SBOM as a regular data format for external service provision, yet fail to solve problems such as lack of shared platforms, inability to guarantee data integrity and tool security, as well as issues with poor interoperation compatibility. This paper introduces blockchain technology into the SCA system, utilizing smart contracts to provide core SBOM tool services and microservices to improve the operational efficiency of smart contract deployment and maintenance. The proposed SCA system effectively provides a shared platform for SBOM with reliable data integrity, guaranteed tool security, and good interoperability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many previous studies have examined the influence of Arctic sea ice on the weather/climate of the Northern Hemisphere. However, the precursor signals of Arctic sea ice regarding East Asian winter low temperatures, which are important for climate prediction, have received little attention. This study identified an out‐of‐phase relationship between the autumn sea ice area of the Kara Sea (SICK) and subsequent winter minimum temperature in Northeast China (NEC) during 1979–2019, that is, diminished SICK facilitates cooling anomalies at NEC. Further results showed that the Arctic Oscillation (AO) acts as a bridge in the linkage between the autumn SICK and minimum temperature in NEC. Diminished autumn SICK leads to a weakened polar vortex in both the troposphere and the stratosphere in the subsequent winter through vertical propagation of planetary waves, contributing to a negative phase of the AO. Accordingly, the SICK is followed by anomalous Rossby wave train that originates from Mediterranean Sea and propagates eastward to Northeast Asia. Thus, the SICK has substantially influences on the Mongolia cyclone and minimum temperature in NEC by modulation of the AO. Moreover, the shrinking SICK could lead to the upper‐level decelerated westerly anomalies at East Asia through altering the equator‐to‐pole temperature gradient and induce negative minimum temperature anomalies at NEC. The results of this study have importance regarding the prediction of low temperature anomalies over NEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the viability of using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology for nondestructive detection of moisture content in oilseed rape leaves. Besides, a method (IVISSA-iPLS) coupling interval variable iterative space shrinkage approach (IVISSA) with interval partial least square (iPLS) was introduced to identify characteristic wavelengths. The IVISSA-iPLS algorithm changed the selection target from wavelength points to spectral intervals, reducing the computational burden while increasing the continuity between the selected wavelengths. Subsequently, the characteristic wavelengths selected by the IVISSA-iPLS were used as the input of the least square support vector regression (LSSVR) model to predict the moisture content of oilseed rape leaves. Additionally, the competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS), the successive projections algorithm (SPA), the IVISSA, and the iPLS were investigated as wavelength selection algorithms for comparison. The results indicated that the LSSVR models based on the characteristic wavelengths acquired from the IVISSA-iPLS using divided wavelength intervals of 30, demonstrated the highest performance, with R p 2 of 0.9555, RMSEP of 0.0065, and RPD of 4.715. Finally, the optimal prediction model was used to visualize the moisture content of oilseed rape leaves, which offered a more intuitive and effective method for the evaluation of moisture content. The results ascertained the significant possibility of combining HSI with combinatorial algorithms in detecting, quantifying, and visualizing the moisture content of oilseed rape leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature has witnessed an upsurge of interest in model selection in diverse fields and optimization applications. Despite the substantial progress, model selection remains a significant challenge when covariates are highly correlated, particularly within economic and financial datasets that exhibit cross‐sectional and serial dependency. In this paper, we introduce a novel methodology named factor augmented regularized model selection with weak factors (WeakFARM) for generalized linear models in the presence of correlated covariates with weak latent factor structure. By identifying weak latent factors and idiosyncratic components and employing them as predictors, WeakFARM converts the challenge from model selection with highly correlated covariates to that with weakly correlated ones. Furthermore, we develop a variable screening method based on the proposed WeakFARM method. Comprehensive theoretical guarantees including estimation consistency, model selection consistency and sure screening property are also provided. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach by extensive simulation studies and a real data application in economic forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To efficiently establish a finite element model that is highly compatible with the intricate microstructure of foam materials, this study carries out simulation and experimental investigations into open cell foams and explores their compression behavior assuming isotropy. Using an in-house algorithm, we optimize the traditional power diagram model, which is widely used in foam finite element simulation. Specifically, a parameterized geometric foam model is developed based on the centroidal and capacity constrained power diagram (CCCPD), which accurately reflects the internal meso-structure of foam materials. The optimized foam model can restore the typical deformation process of foams under compressive load, thus addressing the limitations of existing foam models. The accuracy of the optimized model is validated by conducting uniaxial Quasi-static compression experiments on foamed thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material and comparing the experimental results of the 3D printing model with the simulation results of the optimized model. The improved foam model serves as a basis for future research on open cell foam materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Methods Results Conclusion The objective of this study is to improve the efficiency of daytime surgery for gastrointestinal polyp and ensure the safety of patients. We tried an information management method based on WeChat platform in patients undergoing daytime gastrointestinal polypectomy and to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of a full management model.Five hundred and ninety‐three patients were randomly divided into two groups: the control group was treated with traditional management methods and the experimental group was treated with the whole‐process management mode based on the WeChat platform. The WeChat platform‐based full management model included establishing a day surgery management WeChat group, developing multidisciplinary, full‐management protocols and processes for day surgery, establishing an information‐based surgical scheduling system and adopting diverse forms of day surgery education and continuity of care. This feature included illustrated brochures, vivid verbal presentations, WeChat public numbers and Internet management platforms. The treatment time, hospitalization cost and patient satisfaction of the two groups were counted.In the experimental group, 408 patients were enrolled. The preoperative waiting time and patients’ length of stay were 3 days and 1 day, respectively. The medical and nursing intake time was 7 min. The procedure cancellation rate and postoperative complications rate was 0.07% and 0.02%. In the control group, 185 patients were enrolled in the study, The preoperative waiting time and patients’ length of stay was 7 days and 3 days. The medical and nursing intake time was 28 min. The procedure cancellation rate and postoperative complications rate were 0.13% and 0.05%, respectively. The hospitalization costs were reduced by an average of $140/person and the satisfaction scores were higher than the control group. In summary, the preoperative waiting time, medical reception time, surgical cancellation rate, length of hospital stay and hospitalization cost in the observation group were less than those in the control group (p < 0.05). Patient satisfaction scores were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05).Through the full management model based on WeChat, the preoperative waiting time, medical reception time, surgical cancellation rate, length of hospital stay and hospitalization cost in the experimental group were less than those in the control group. Patient satisfaction scores were significantly higher than those in the control group and the difference was statistically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspartate β-hydroxylase (ASPH) is a protein associated with malignancy in a wide range of tumors. We hypothesize that inhibition of ASPH activity could have anti-tumor properties in patients with head and neck cancer. In this study, we screened tumor tissues of 155 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients for the expression of ASPH using immunohistochemistry. We used an ASPH inhibitor, MO-I-1151, known to inhibit the catalytic activity of ASPH in the endoplasmic reticulum, to show its inhibitory effect on the migration of SCC35 head and neck cancer cells in cell monolayers and in matrix-embedded spheroid co-cultures with primary cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) CAF 61137 of head and neck origin. We also studied a combined effect of MO-I-1151 and HfFucCS, an inhibitor of invasion-blocking heparan 6-O-endosulfatase activity. We found ASPH was upregulated in HNSCC tumors compared to the adjacent normal tissues. ASPH was uniformly high in expression, irrespective of tumor stage. High expression of ASPH in tumors led us to consider it as a therapeutic target in cell line models. ASPH inhibitor MO-I-1151 had significant effects on reducing migration and invasion of head and neck cancer cells, both in monolayers and matrix-embedded spheroids. The combination of the two enzyme inhibitors showed an additive effect on restricting invasion in the HNSCC cell monolayers and in the CAF-containing co-culture spheroids. We identify ASPH as an abundant protein in HNSCC tumors. Targeting ASPH with inhibitor MO-I-1151 effectively reduces CAF-mediated cellular invasion in cancer cell models. We propose that the additive effect of MO-I-1151 with HfFucCS, an inhibitor of heparan 6-O-endosulfatases, on HNSCC cells could improve interventions and needs to be further explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cistanche deserticola is a precious Chinese medicinal material with extremely high health care and medicinal value. In recent years, the frequent occurrence of stem rot has led to reduced or even no harvests of C. deserticola. The unstandardized use of farm chemicals in the prevention and control processes has resulted in excessive chemical residues, threatening the fragile desert ecological environment. Therefore, it is urgent to explore safe and efficient prevention and control technologies. Biocontrol agents, with the advantages of safety and environment-friendliness, would be an important idea. The isolation, screening and identification of pathogens and antagonistic endophytic bacteria are always the primary basis. In this study, three novel pathogens causing C. deserticola stem rot were isolated, identified and pathogenicity tested, namely Fusarium solani CPF1, F. proliferatum CPF2, and F. oxysporum CPF3. For the first time, the endophytic bacteria in C. deserticola were isolated and identified, of which 37 strains were obtained. Through dual culture assay, evaluation experiment and tissue culture verification, a biocontrol candidate strain Bacillus atrophaeus CE6 with outstanding control effect on the stem rot was screened out. In the tissue culture system, CE6 showed excellent control effect against F. solani and F. oxysporum, with the control efficacies reaching 97.2% and 95.8%, respectively, indicating its great potential for application in the production. This study is of great significance for the biocontrol of plant stem rot and improvement of the yield and quality of C. deserticola. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Nonaqueous Li − O 2 battery (LOB) is considered one of the most promising energy storage system due to its ultrahigh theoretical specific capacity (3500 Wh kg−1). Introducing vacancies in CoMn 2 O 4 catalysts is regarded as an effective strategy to enhance the electrochemical performances of LOB. However, the relation between vacancy types in CoMn 2 O 4 and catalytic performances in the LOB remains ambiguous. Herein, ordered porous CoMn 2 O 4 with oxygen and metal vacancies is obtained via solvothermal reaction followed by temperature-controlled calcination using polystyrene spheres as templates. The increase in treatment temperature reduces the content of oxygen vacancies while increasing that of the metal vacancies. Notably, experimental results and theoretical calculations show that oxygen vacancies in CoMn 2 O 4 have a greater influence than metal vacancies in modulating the LiO 2 adsorption during the reaction processes and reducing the overpotential. CoMn 2 O 4 synthesized at 500 ℃ (CoMnO-500) with higher oxygen vacancies exhibits stronger adsorption onto the LiO 2 , facilitating the formation of film-like Li 2 O 2. Therefore, an LOB with the CoMnO-500 catalyst presents the lowest overpotential of 1.2 V and longest cycle lifespan of 286 cycles at a current density of 200 mA g−1. This study offers insights into the effect of CoMn 2 O 4 vacancies on the formation pathway of Li 2 O 2 discharge products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐voltage electric pulse drilling technology has the advantages of high rock‐breaking efficiency, and low rock‐breaking energy consumption, which is one of the most promising rock‐breaking methods in geothermal drilling. However, there is insufficient understanding of the mechanism of high‐voltage electric pulse breaking of HDR under high‐temperature and high‐pressure environments (HTHP). In this paper, a numerical simulation model of electric breakdown under HTHP is constructed, and the whole process of high voltage electric pulse rock‐breaking and plasma channel generation is realized from the seven‐field coupling of circuit field, current field, magnetic field, breakdown field, heat transfer field, solid mechanics field and flow field. The temperature changes in the rock during the electric pulse rock‐breaking process were comprehensively analyzed, and the effects of different initial rock temperatures (200°C, 300°C, 400°C) and surrounding pressure conditions (30, 60, 90 MPa) on the high‐voltage electric pulse rock breaking law were considered. It is found that the thermal conductivity of the rock shows an increasing and then decreasing trend as the initial temperature of the rock increases, and that the thermal conductivity has a tendency to guide the development of plasma channels, and the radius of the plasma channels increases with the increase of the initial temperature of the rock. The heat transfer generated by high‐voltage electric pulse rock breaking is mainly in conduction, and the distribution shape of conduction heat is similar to the shape of the breakdown channel. The research in this paper can provide theoretical and technical guidance for developing electric pulse rock‐breaking technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The January 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai (HTHH) injected a huge amount (∼150 Tg) of water vapor (H2O) into the stratosphere, along with small amount of SO2. An off‐line 3‐D chemical transport model (CTM) successfully reproduces the spread of the injected H2O through October 2023 as observed by the Microwave Limb Sounder. Dehydration in the 2023 Antarctic polar vortex caused the first substantial (∼20 Tg) removal of HTHH H2O from the stratosphere. The CTM indicates that this process will dominate removal of HTHH H2O for the coming years, giving an overall e‐folding timescale of 4 years; around 25 Tg of the injected H2O is predicted to still remain in the stratosphere by 2030. Following relatively low Antarctic column ozone in midwinter 2023 due to transport effects, additional springtime depletion due to H2O‐related chemistry was small and maximized at the vortex edge (10 DU in column). Plain Language Summary: Around 150 Tg (150 million tons) of water vapor was injected into the stratosphere during the eruption of Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai. Water vapor is a greenhouse gas and this increase is expected to have a warming effect in the troposphere, as well causing perturbations in stratospheric chemistry and aerosols. We use an atmospheric model to study the residence time of this excess water vapor and its impact on the recent Antarctic ozone hole. The model performance is evaluated by comparison with satellite measurements. Wintertime dehydration in the Antarctic stratosphere in 2023 is found to be an important mechanism for removal of the volcanic water from the stratosphere. However, the overall removal rate is predicted to be slow; around 25 Tg (17%) is still present in 2030. The direct impact of the excess water vapor on ozone via chemical processes in the Antarctic ozone hole in 2023 is small. Key Points: Antarctic dehydration is a major removal pathway of stratospheric H2O injected from Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai (HTHH) eruptionHTHH H2O caused small (up to 10 DU) additional chemical ozone depletion in 2023 Antarctic springModel indicates e‐folding timescale of 4 years for removal of HTHH H2O from stratosphere [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop classification is indispensable for agricultural monitoring and food security, but early-season mapping has remained challenging. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR), such as RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) and Sentinel-1, can meet higher requirements on the reliability of satellite data acquisition with all-weather and all-day imaging capability to supply dense observations in the early crop season. This study applied the local window attention transformer (LWAT) to time-series SAR data, including RCM and Sentinel-1, for early-season crop classification. The performance of this integration was evaluated over crop-dominated regions (corn, soybean and wheat) in southwest Ontario, Canada. Comparative analyses against several machine learning and deep learning methods revealed the superiority of the LWAT, achieving an impressive F1-score of 97.96% and a Kappa coefficient of 97.08% for the northern crop region and F1-scores of 98.07% and 97.02% for the southern crop region when leveraging time-series data from RCM and Sentinel-1, respectively. Additionally, by the incremental procedure, the evolution of accuracy determined by RCM and Sentinel-1 was analyzed, which demonstrated that RCM performed better at the beginning of the season and could achieve comparable accuracy to that achieved by utilizing both datasets. Moreover, the beginning of stem elongation of corn was identified as a crucial phenological stage to acquire acceptable crop maps in the early season. This study explores the potential of RCM to provide reliable prior information early enough to assist with in-season production forecasting and decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the in-situ bimetallic co-gelation process, the high dispersion of Cu in the Cu/Fe 3 O 4 -BMMA was realized, providing conditions for the efficient elimination of I 2. The adsorption experiments showed that Cu/Fe 3 O 4 -BMMA has good I 2 adsorption capacity (631.3 mg/g) and fast capture kinetics (equilibrium time <30 min). In addition, Cu/Fe 3 O 4 -BMMA was able to effectively remove trace I 2 in the solution from ppm level (1.0 ppm) down to ppb level (≤30 ppb). The adsorbed I 2 was converted into stable CuI, avoiding secondary pollution due to desorption. Notably, the used Cu/Fe 3 O 4 -BMMA was able to be separated from the solution by simple magnetic suction, which greatly improved the efficiency and reduced the recovery cost. Overall, this study provides a potentially efficient iodine capture material for long-term decay storage of radioactive iodine. [Display omitted] • The Cu in Cu/Fe 3 O 4 -BMMA exhibited high reactivity and utilization. • Cu/Fe 3 O 4 -BMMA can effectively reduce I 2 and adsorb it to generate stable CuI. • Cu/Fe 3 O 4 -BMMA exhibited a high removal rate of trace I 2 in actual environments. • The used adsorbents can be rapidly recovered by magnetic adsorption. Adsorption is considered to be one of the most effective methods to remove radioiodine from the solution. However, developing highly efficient adsorbents and the rapid recovery of the used adsorbents is still a challenge. Here, a series of Cu/Fe 3 O 4 bimetallic mutual-doping magnetic aerogels (Cu/Fe 3 O 4 -BMMA) were synthesized. Based on the in-situ bimetallic co-gelation process, the high dispersion of Cu in the aerogel was realized, providing conditions for the efficient elimination of I 2. The Fe3+ in the initial gel was reduced to magnetic Fe 3 O 4 during the preparation process, allowing for the quick recovery of the adsorbent through the application of a magnetic field. The adsorption experiments showed that Cu/Fe 3 O 4 -BMMA has good I 2 adsorption capacity (631.3 mg/g) and fast capture kinetics (equilibrium time < 30 min). In addition, Cu/Fe 3 O 4 -BMMA was able to effectively remove trace I 2 in the solution from ppm level (1.0 ppm) down to ppb level (≤30 ppb). The adsorbed I 2 was converted into stable CuI, avoiding secondary pollution due to desorption. Overall, this study provides a potentially efficient iodine capture material for long-term decay storage of radioactive iodine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emitter 9,9′,9′'‐(5‐(4,6‐diphenyl‐1,3,5‐triazin‐2‐yl)benzene‐1,2,3‐triyl)tris(9H‐carbazole) (3CzTRZ) seems an ideal candidate for efficient single‐layer blue organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs). It combines trap‐free electron and hole transport with thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) for triplet harvesting. However, in spite of the absence of charge trapping defects, neat films of 3CzTRZ suffer from a low photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of only 40%. Time‐resolved photoluminescence measurements reveal that the low PLQY results from the fact that next to fast intersystem crossing the rate for reverse intersystem crossing is very slow and nearly similar to the rate of non‐radiative recombination of triplet excitons to the ground state. This loss process of non‐radiative triplet decay is even more pronounced in OLEDs due to the 75% direct triplet‐exciton formation, resulting in a low external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 4.5%. By diluting 3CzTRZ in a large bandgap host, the triplet lifetime is increased by at least an order of magnitude, resulting in an enhanced PLQY of 70% and a more than three‐fold enhancement of the EQE to 15% in a single‐layer blue OLED. Device simulations confirm that the increased EQE can be ascribed to an elongated triplet lifetime upon dilution of the emitter in a host matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignocellulose nanofibrils (LCNFs), as an emerging member of the green nanofibril family, have tremendous potential in improving the dispersibility, adsorption and photogenerated carrier separation efficiency of BiOBr because of the combination of the advantages of nanocellulose (NC) and nanolignins. Herein, sulfated lignocellulose nanofibrils (SLCNFs) were obtained from the poplar alkaline peroxide mechanical pulp (APMP) using a deep eutectic solvent (DES) and a mechanical defibrillation strategy, and flower-like BiOBr/SLCNF composites with oxygen vacancies were prepared by in situ synthesis. Due to the well-preserved lignin structure, abundant oxygen-containing functional groups, and the interconnected three-dimensional mesh structure in SLCNFs, the composites exhibited flower-like morphology, good dispersion and excellent adsorption performance after the introduction of SLCNFs. EPR analysis showed that the introduction of SLCNFs increased the number of oxygen vacancies in BiOBr, which improved the visible light absorption and reduced the recombination of photogenerated carriers. In addition, the photocatalytic activity improved with interfacial interaction between BiOBr and SLCNFs promoting the separation of electrons and holes. Therefore, BiOBr/SLCNF can effectively remove RhB in the dynamic continuous process of adsorption enrichment and photocatalytic oxidation. Under visible light, 99% of RhB was degraded within 30 min and 88.5% of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) was degraded within 60 min. Importantly, the main active species which removed RhB by BiOBr/SLCNF were ˙O2− and h+, and the BiOBr/SLCNF composites still have good stability and recyclability after 5 times of repeated use. Overall, the BiOBr/SLCNF composite photocatalyst has great potential for the purification of organic wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma (HPC) have a poor prognosis mainly because of lymphatic metastasis. This research aimed to determine the PKM2 role in lymphatic metastasis in HPC and the underlying molecular mechanism contributing to this phenomenon. Methods: PKM2 in HPC was studied for its expression and its likelihood of overall survival using TCGA dataset. Western blotting, qRT-PCR, and IHC were employed to confirm PKM2 expression. Methods including gain- and loss-of-function were used to examine the PKM2 role in HPC metastasis in vitro and in vivo. In vitro and in vivo studies also confirmed lymphatic metastasis's mechanism. Results: Prominent PKM2 overexpression was seen in patients with lymphatic metastasis of HPC, and there was an inherent relationship between a high PKM2 level and poor prognosis. In vitro research showed that knocking down PKM2 decreased tumor cell invasion, migration, and proliferation while promoting apoptosis and inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition, but overexpressing PKM2 had the reverse effect. Animal studies suggested that PKM2 may facilitate tumor development and lymphatic metastasis. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that PKM2 may be a tumor's promoter gene of lymphatic metastasis, which may promote lymphatic metastasis of HPC by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition. PKM2 may be a biomarker of metastatic potential, ultimately providing a basis for exploring new therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold-season windstorms represent an important, and potentially changing, geophysical hazard in the Northeastern United States. Here we employ an integrated research methodology including both a storyline approach, where three intense windstorms from the current climate are subjected to pseudo-global warming (PGW) experiments, and a long-term transient simulation using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. An ensemble of WRF simulations is built for each windstorm using different planetary boundary layer and microphysical parameterizations. The fidelity assessment suggests all ensemble members capture the windstorm evolution in contemporary climate. The configuration with highest fidelity is used in the PGW experiments performed with perturbed temperature fields, constant relative humidity, and deiced Great Lakes. These perturbation simulations indicate some evidence for a reduction of sea level pressure and increases in wind speed over and downwind of the Great Lakes and over the Atlantic Ocean plus an increase in precipitation accumulation but a reduction in snow coverage. These changes are spatially inhomogeneous in terms of magnitude and sign but are consistent with changes in potential vorticity. Alberta Clippers and Colorado Lows dominate the cyclones responsible for historical windstorms and thus are sampled in the PGW simulations. However, the transient simulation suggests an increasing role for tropical cyclones that undergo transition to extratropical cyclones. This reinforces the value of combining information from both PGW perturbation experiments within a storyline context and transient simulations when seeking to quantify the future risk associated with cold-season windstorms under changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce the energy consumption of domestic hot water (DHW) production, it is necessary to reasonably select a water supply plan through early predictions of DHW consumption to optimize energy consumption. However, the fluctuations and intermittence of DHW consumption bring great challenges to the prediction of water consumption. In this paper, an ANN-LSTM-A water quantity prediction model based on attention mechanism (AM) enhancement is improved. The model includes an input layer, an AM layer, a hidden layer, and an output layer. Based on the combination of artificial neural network (ANN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) models, an AM is incorporated to address the issue of the traditional ANN model having difficulty capturing the long-term dependencies, such as lags and trends in time series, to improve the accuracy of the DHW consumption prediction. Through comparative experiments, it was found that the root mean square error of the ANN-LSTM-A model was 15.4%, 13.2%, and 13.2% lower than those of the ANN, LSTM, and ANN-LSTM models, respectively. The corresponding mean absolute error was 17.9%, 11.5%, and 8% lower than those of the ANN, LSTM, and ANN-LSTM models, respectively. The results showed that the proposed ANN-LSTM-A model yielded better performances in predicting DHW consumption than the ANN, LSTM, and ANN-LSTM models. This work provides an effective reference for the reasonable selection of the water supply plan and optimization of energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tinea of vellus hair is a dermatophyte infection with or without localised infection of adjacent skin. The epidemiology and pathogenesis of this disorder have insufficiently been established. Objectives: To gain insight into the epidemiology and analysis dissection of patterns of vellus hair infection. Methods: A comprehensive examination of our series of cases and existing literature, clinical information was performed. Microsporum species were assayed for levels of keratinase and SUB1‐3 level after different keratin‐induced cultures. Results: The infection affects both children and adults, with a male‐to‐female ratio of 1:1.3. The most afflicted areas are the face, neck and upper limbs. Both typical (ringworm‐like) and atypical (tinea incognito) tinea lesions can be observed. The disorder is caused primarily by the zoophilic Microsporum canis (40.39%). Topical antifungal drugs alone are ineffective; mycological cure is achieved in combination with systemic antifungal therapy for 4–8 weeks. In vitro, M. canis exhibited significantly elevated levels of secreted protease and SUB1 and SUB3 transcripts in cat hair cultures. Conversely, the findings of anthropophilic dermatophytes M. audouinii and M. ferrugineum demonstrated the opposite trend, suggesting that there are associations between keratinase activity and expression of SUB1 and SUB3 induced by different keratin substrates among M. canis complex members. Conclusions: The epidemiological characteristics of tinea of vellus hair help us to understand its transmission patterns and develop effective prevention strategies. There are associations between keratinase activity and expression of SUB1‐3 induced by different substrates, which may explain the host shift and adaptation from pet animals to particular micro‐habitats on the human host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-temperature sintered La 2−x Y x Mo 2 O 9 ceramics (x = 0–0.12) were synthesized by solid-state method. XRD analysis confirmed pure La 2 Mo 2 O 9 with a cubic structure (space group P 21 3). Sintering at 925 °C resulted in La 2 Mo 2 O 9 ceramic with favorable microwave dielectric properties: ε r = 17.8, Q × f = 24300 GHz, τ f = −35.1 ppm/°C. Notably, adding Y3+ greatly improved Q × f and τ f. Sintering La 1.88 Y 0.12 Mo 2 O 9 at 900 °C significantly enhanced microwave dielectric properties: ε r = 17.4, Q × f = 34100 GHz, τ f = −5.5 ppm/°C. ε r was primarily influenced by ionic polarizability, while Q × f correlated positively with packing fraction. Analysis based on P-V-L theory showed that increased ionicity, lattice energy, and bond energy led to higher ε r , Q × f , and τ f values. Raman spectroscopy revealed that most observed peaks were associated with Mo-O bond vibrations. These findings highlight La 2−x Y x Mo 2 O 9 ceramics as promising candidates for LTCC materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐voltage electric pulse drilling technology has the advantages of high rock‐breaking efficiency, low energy consumption for rock breaking, and good quality of well wall, which is a new and efficient potential rock‐breaking method. In this paper, we constructed a numerical simulation model of rock electric breakdown and realized the whole process of rock breaking and plasma channel generation by high‐voltage electric pulse. The results of the study showed that the change of magnetic field has a large influence on the formation of plasma channels inside the rock, and under the self‐magnetic field environment, the plasma channels inside the rock show branching, and the maximum penetration depth and maximum damage depth are higher than those under the non‐magnetic field environment. In the external magnetic field environment, the plasma channels gradually tend to develop "downward" (inside the rock), and the temperature distribution of the plasma channels inside the rock is more concentrated. In the presence of a magnetic field, the speed and degree of freedom of charged particles are limited. In an external magnetic field environment, the charged particles cause fewer particles to deviate, and the particles show a "downward" accumulation phenomenon. The research in this paper can provide certain theoretical and technical guidance for the development of electric pulse rock‐breaking technology and provide reference for the development and parameter optimization of electric pulse rock‐breaking tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate forecast of Global Horizontal solar Irradiance (GHI) and Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) in cloudy conditions remains a major challenge in the solar energy industry. This study focuses on the impact of cloud microphysics on GHI and its partition into DNI and Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance (DHI) using the Weather Research and Forecasting model specifically designed for solar radiation applications (WRF-Solar) and seven microphysical schemes. Three stratocumulus (Sc) and five shallow cumulus (Cu) cases are simulated and evaluated against measurements at the US Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility, Southern Great Plains (SGP) site. Results show that different microphysical schemes lead to spreads in simulated solar irradiance components up to 75% and 350% from their ensemble means in the Cu and Sc cases, respectively. The Cu cases have smaller microphysical sensitivity due to a limited cloud fraction and smaller domain-averaged cloud water mixing ratio compared to Sc cases. Cloud properties also influence the partition of GHI into DNI and DHI, and the model simulates better GHI than DNI and DHI due to a non-physical error compensation between DNI and DHI. The microphysical schemes that produce more accurate liquid water paths and effective radii of cloud droplets have a better overall performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The speech register that adults especially caregivers use when interacting with infants and toddlers, that is, infant‐directed speech (IDS) or baby talk, has been reported to facilitate language development throughout the early years. However, the neural mechanisms as well as why IDS results in such a developmental faciliatory effect remain to be investigated. The current study uses functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to evaluate two alternative hypotheses of such a facilitative effect, that IDS serves to enhance linguistic contrastiveness or to attract the child's attention. Behavioral and fNIRS data were acquired from twenty‐seven Cantonese‐learning toddlers 15–20 months of age when their parents spoke to them in either an IDS or adult‐directed speech (ADS) register in a naturalistic task in which the child learned four disyllabic pseudowords. fNIRS results showed significantly greater neural responses to IDS than ADS register in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L‐dlPFC), but opposite response patterns in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). The differences in fNIRS responses to IDS and to ADS in the L‐dlPFC and the left parietal cortex (L‐PC) showed significantly positive correlations with the differences in the behavioral word‐learning performance of toddlers. The same fNIRS measures in the L‐dlPFC and right PC (R‐PC) of toddlers were significantly correlated with pitch range differences of parents between the two speech conditions. Together, our results suggest that the dynamic prosody in IDS increased toddlers' attention through greater involvement of the left frontoparietal network that facilitated word learning, compared to ADS. Research Highlights: This study for the first time examined the neural mechanisms of how infant‐directed speech (IDS) facilitates word learning in toddlers.Using fNIRS, we identified the cortical regions that were directly involved in IDS processing.Our results suggest that IDS facilitates word learning by engaging a right‐lateralized prosody processing and top‐down attentional mechanisms in the left frontoparietal networks.The language network including the inferior frontal gyrus and temporal cortex was not directly involved in IDS processing to support word learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron graphite (FeGr) composite is a potential design material for machine tools to increase vibration damping without additional energy. Previous studies focused on the isolated composite's properties rather than their damping effect as a passive damper to assembled components. There is currently no effective model using real mode superposition (RMS) method for demonstrating the damping behavior of FeGr composites in a multi-material structure. This paper presents a local damping description for a finite element model with RMS assuming constant loss factor for all modes to simulate the damping behavior of FeGr composites and their contribution to system damping and a test rig to identify the model parameters for typical machine tool boundary conditions. The influence of FeGr spacers with 0, 20%, 40%, and 60% graphite content on eigenfrequency and on damping of the test rig was measured, and the results were used to identify the damping model. The agreement of eigenfrequencies and damping ratio between measurement and simulation proves the effectiveness of the parameterized damping model predicting the mode-dependent damping behavior of FeGr in machine tool joints. The material analysis indicates that increasing the graphite content of FeGr composites from 0 to 60% amplifies the system damping from 0.03% to 0.6% at first bending mode. The interface pressure in a tightly fastened FeGr joint affects the system damping significantly. When designing machine tools, the surface condition of FeGr composite cannot be overlooked. FeGr dominates system damping and shows better damping performance at high vibration amplitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common malignant tumours affecting the female reproductive organs. CD147 (BSG) and CD98hc (SLC3A2) are oncogenes that form the CD98hc-CD147 complex, which regulates the proliferation, metastasis, metabolism, and cell cycle of cancer cells. The roles of the CD98hc-CD147 complex in ovarian cancer remain unclear. We analysed the expression and prognostic value of CD147 and CD98hc in ovarian cancer using the TCGA and ICGC databases. The effect of CD147 and CD98hc on the tumour immune response was analysed using the TIMER database. CD98hc was more highly expressed in normal tissues than primary tumour tissues, while CD147 was more highly expressed in primary tumour tissues than normal tissues. CD98hc expression was significantly associated with neutrophil and dendritic cell levels. CD147 and CD98hc were correlated with DNA repair, the cell cycle, and DNA replication. The CD98hc-CD147 complex could serve as a target for ovarian cancer treatment. What is already known on this subject? CD98hc and CD147 are oncogenes that induce the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells. The CD98hc-CD147 complex has been identified as a risk factor for cancer patients and causes resistance to cancer treatment. What do the results of this study add? We confirmed the expression levels of CD98hc and CD147 in ovarian cancer tissues and the effects of these oncogenes on the tumour immune response. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? The CD98hc-CD147 complex may serve as a new target for ovarian cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep coal is highly susceptible to dynamic disasters such as rock bursts under the influence of mining. Further exploration of the damage mechanism of coal specimens subjected to cyclic disturbance under different stress conditions is necessary. This study conducted cyclic disturbance failure experiments with coal specimens under different confining pressures, and the acoustic emission (AE) and electromagnetic radiation (EMR) signals were collected. The results show that, under the coupling effect of high stress and disturbance loading, the higher the confining pressure, the greater the disturbance the coal specimen can bear, and most of the specimens are fractured in the loading and unloading stage. Compared with uniaxial loading, the EMR response of coal specimens in the compaction stage is weakened after applying confining pressure. It can also be observed that the greater the confining pressure, the more intense the AE and EMR changes during the rupture of the coal specimen. The confining pressure is positively correlated with the degree of coal fragmentation. This correlation implies that the larger the confining pressure, the smaller the fractal dimension of coal fragments. The intrinsic driving mechanism of coal fracturing was analyzed from an energy perspective. The effects of confining pressure and disturbance loading and unloading cause coal specimens to accumulate more elastic strain energy before fracture, decreasing the post-peak fracture energy and residual strain energy. This study has theoretical reference in preventing and controlling dynamic disasters induced by a disturbance in deep coal mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-time monitoring of mitochondrial dynamic changes plays a key role in the development of mitochondria-targeted anticancer theranostic agents. In this work, a pH-responsive and mitochondria-targeted cyclometalated iridium(III) complex MitoIr-NH has been explored as a novel anticancer agent. MitoIr-NH displayed pH-responsive phosphorescence intensity and lifetime, accumulated in mitochondria, showed higher antiproliferative activity and induced a series of mitochondria-related events. Moreover, MitoIr-NH could simultaneously induce mitophagy and quantitatively monitor mitochondrial pH changes through two-photon phosphorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (TPPLIM) in a real-time manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) negatively affects the quality of life of pregnant women and is influenced by several factors. Research to date treats pregnant women with gestational diabetes as a homogeneous group based on their quality of life. We attempted to identify subgroups based on self-reported quality of life and explored variables associated with subgroups. Methods: From September 1, 2020 to November 29, 2020, pregnant women with GDM from two hospitals in Guangdong Province were selected as subjects by convenience sampling method. Medical records provided sociodemographic data, duration of GDM, pregnancy status, and family history of diabetes. Participants completed validated questionnaires for quality of life, anxiety and depression. Latent profile analysis was used to identify profiles of quality of life in pregnant women with GDM, and then a mixed regression method was used to analyze the influencing factors of different profiles. Results: A total of 279 valid questionnaires were collected. The results of the latent profile analysis showed that the quality of life of pregnant women with GDM could be divided into two profiles: C1 "high worry-high support" group (75.6%) and C2 "low worry-low support" group (24.4%). Daily exercise duration and depression degree are negative influencing factors, making it easier to enter the C1 group (p < 0.05). Disease duration and family history of diabetes are positive influencing factors, making it easier to enter the C2 group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The quality of life of pregnant women with GDM had obvious classification characteristics. Pregnant women with exercise habits and depression are more likely to enter the "high worry-high support" group, and health care providers should guide their exercise according to exercise guidelines during pregnancy and strengthen psychological intervention. Pregnant women with a family history of diabetes and a longer duration of the disease are more likely to fall into the "low worry-low support" group. Healthcare providers can strengthen health education for them and improve their disease self-management abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Programmed cell death protein-1/ligand-1 (PD-1/L1) blockade has been a breakthrough in the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but there is still a lack of effective methods to screen patients. Here we report a novel 68 Ga-labeled nanobody [68 Ga]Ga-THP-APN09 for PET imaging of PD-L1 status in mouse models and a first-in-human study in NSCLC patients. Methods: [68 Ga]Ga-THP-APN09 was prepared by site-specific radiolabeling, with no further purification. Cell uptake assays were completed in the human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549, NSCLC cell line H1975 and human PD-L1 gene-transfected A549 cells (A549PD−L1). The imaging to image PD-L1 status and biodistribution were investigated in tumor-bearing mice of these three tumor cell types. The first-in-human clinical translational trial was registered as NCT05156515. The safety, radiation dosimetry, biodistribution, and correlations of tracer uptake with immunohistochemical staining and major pathologic response (MPR) were evaluated in NSCLC patients who underwent adjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy. Results: Radiosynthesis of [68 Ga]Ga-THP-APN09 was achieved at room temperature and a pH of 6.0–6.5 in 10 min with a high radiochemical yield (> 99%) and 13.9–27.8 GBq/μmol molar activity. The results of the cell uptake study reflected variable levels of surface PD-L1 expression observed by flow cytometry in the order A549PD−L1 > H1975 > A549. In small-animal PET/CT imaging, H1975 and A549PD−L1 tumors were clearly visualized in an 8.3:1 and 2.2:1 ratios over PD-L1-negative A549 tumors. Ex vivo biodistribution studies showed that tumor uptake was consistent with the PET results, with the highest A549PD−L1 being taken up the most (8.20 ± 0.87%ID/g), followed by H1975 (3.69 ± 0.50%ID/g) and A549 (0.90 ± 0.16%ID/g). Nine resectable NSCLC patients were enrolled in the clinical study. Uptake of [68 Ga]Ga-THP-APN09 was mainly observed in the kidneys and spleen, followed by low uptake in bone marrow. The radiation dose is within a reliable range. Tumor uptake was positively correlated with PD-L1 expression TPS (rs = 0.8763, P = 0.019). Tumor uptake of [68 Ga]Ga-THP-APN09 (SUVmax) in MPR patients was higher than that in non-MPR patients (median SUVmax 2.73 vs. 2.10, P = 0.036, determined with Mann–Whitney U-test). Conclusion: [68 Ga]Ga-THP-APN09 has the potential to be transformed into a kit-based radiotracer for rapid, simple, one-step, room temperature radiolabeling. The tracer can detect PD-L1 expression levels in tumors, and it may make it possibility to predict the response of PD-1 immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy. Confirmation in a large number of cases is needed. Trial registration: Clinical Trial (NCT05156515). Registered 12 December 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influences of stocking density on stereotypic behavior, fecal cortisol and the musk secretion of captive Alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster) were studied in the Xinglongshan Musk Deer Farm (XMDF) of Xinglongshan National Nature Reserve in Gansu Province of Northwest China from the 1st November to the 30th December 2020. The behavior of 26 captive male musk deer was recorded using focal animal sampling and all-occurrence recording, while radioimmunoassay was used to determine fecal cortisol and testosterone levels, and the muscone content was determined by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). The results showed that the stereotypy behavior of individuals in high stocking density group (HDG) was more frequent (88.89%) and lasted longer (8.4 ± 1.0%) than of individuals in low density group (LDG) (50% and 4.2 ± 1.7%, respectively) (p < 0.05). The fecal cortisol level of HDG individuals (60.19 ± 5.83 ng g− 1) was significantly higher than that of LDG musk deer (36.34 ± 4.77 ng g− 1) (p < 0.05). There was no difference in muscone content, musk secretion and testosterone level between HDG and LDG individuals (p > 0.05). In musk deer farming of XMDF, the stocking density significantly influenced the health of captive Alpine musk deer, but had no significant impact on the musk secretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to study the corrosion inhibition behavior of imidazopyridine and its three derivatives on brass. Design/methodology/approach: The authors performed weight loss experiments, electrochemical experiments including the polarization curve and electrochemical impedance spectrum, corrosion morphology observation using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) and surface composition analysis via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to analyze the corrosion inhibition behavior of imidazopyridine and its three derivatives on brass by using quantum chemical calculation (Gaussian 09), molecular dynamics simulation (M-S) and Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Findings: According to the results, imidazole-pyridine and its derivatives were found to be modest or moderately mixed corrosion inhibitors; moreover, they were spontaneously adsorbed on the metal surface in a single-layer, mixed adsorption mode. Originality/value: The corrosion inhibition properties of pyrazolo-[1,2-a]pyridine and its derivatives on brass in sulfuric acid solution were analyzed through weight loss and electrochemical experiments. Moreover, SEM and AFM were simultaneously used to observe the corrosion appearance. Furthermore, XPS was used to analyze the surface. Then, Gaussian 09 and M-S were combined along with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm to investigate the corrosion inhibition mechanism of imidazole-[1,2-a]pyridine and its derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove the existence of branched immersed constant mean curvature (CMC) 2‐spheres in an arbitrary Riemannian 3‐sphere for almost every prescribed mean curvature, and moreover for all prescribed mean curvatures when the 3‐sphere is positively curved. To achieve this, we develop a min‐max scheme for a weighted Dirichlet energy functional. There are three main ingredients in our approach: a bi‐harmonic approximation procedure to obtain compactness of the new functional, a derivative estimate of the min‐max values to gain energy upper bounds for min‐max sequences for almost every choice of mean curvature, and a Morse index estimate to obtain another uniform energy bound required to reach the remaining constant mean curvatures in the presence of positive curvature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pilot's control behavior has a direct impact on aviation safety. To adapt to new flight training reforms, a competency-based assessment method is proposed in this paper. First, assessment scenarios, key competencies and observable behaviours were determined. Then, observable behavior assessment indexes were developed based on standard operating procedures and practical examination standards. Flight training data were analyzed based on curve similarity theory and a time series fast retrieval algorithm, and the assessment indexes were scored. The competency assessment method was established by quantifying "HOW MANY" and "HOW OFTEN" observable behaviors according to the assessment indexes score results. Finally, the fuzzy C-means clustering algorithm was used to classify the assessment values, and assessment results were obtained. A teardrop pattern procedure was used to test the reliability of the assessment method. The results indicate that the correlation coefficient between the model evaluation and the expert evaluation is 0.947 with a significance level of 0.01, reliably and objectively quantifying manual flight performance and improving the scientific nature of manual flight performance assessment methods. Flight training institutions can use this method to establish diverse assessment scenarios and formulate corresponding assessment indexes based on the characteristics of each pilot to reasonably evaluate the manual flight performance of pilot. Targeted training methods can then be adopted for pilot with different performance levels to improve their competency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Local invasion of cancer cells is an early step in the cascade of metastasis that requires cooperation of multiple factors and cell types in the tumor microenvironment (TME). One important factor is the crosstalk of cancer cells with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Here we explore the impact of a secretory enzyme, heparan-6-O-endosulfatase 2 (Sulf-2), on the CAF-assisted invasion of head and neck squamous carcinoma cells into Matrigel. We show that Sulf-2 knockout inhibits cancer cell invasion in a spheroid co-culture model and we identified a novel Sulf-2 inhibitor that, in the same model, limits cancer cell invasion. Local invasiveness of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a complex phenomenon supported by interaction of the cancer cells with the tumor microenvironment (TME). We and others have shown that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a component of the TME that can promote local invasion in HNSCC and other cancers. Here we report that the secretory enzyme heparan-6-O-endosulfatase 2 (Sulf-2) directly affects the CAF-supported invasion of the HNSCC cell lines SCC35 and Cal33 into Matrigel. The Sulf-2 knockout (KO) cells differ from their wild type counterparts in their spheroid growth and formation, and the Sulf-2-KO leads to decreased invasion in a spheroid co-culture model with the CAF. Next, we investigated whether a fucosylated chondroitin sulfate isolated from the sea cucumber Holothuria floridana (HfFucCS) affects the activity of the Sulf-2 enzyme. Our results show that HfFucCS not only efficiently inhibits the Sulf-2 enzymatic activity but, like the Sulf-2 knockout, inhibits Matrigel invasion of SCC35 and Cal33 cells co-cultured with primary HNSCC CAF. These findings suggest that the heparan-6-O-endosulfatases regulate local invasion and could be therapeutically targeted with the inhibitory activity of a marine glycosaminoglycan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the evolution and driving mechanisms of East Asian monsoon (EAM) precipitation during the past millennium has received considerable attention. Previous studies have focused on comparisons between relative mean dry/wet conditions and those linked to the Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies during the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and the Little Ice Age (LIA); however, uncertainties remain regarding the relationship between precipitation changes and Pacific SST anomalies under sub-cool internal conditions within the LIA. Herein, we present a composite high-resolution monsoon precipitation record (from 1400 CE to the present) based on chroma and median grain size data from Lake Nvshan sediments in the Jiang-Huai (JH) region, central eastern China. The results indicate that more (less) precipitation in the JH region could be associated with the warm (cold) Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) phase on inter-decadal scales. We also observed an enhanced modulating effect of the PDO on JH precipitation during the late LIA. These changes in the modulating effect were likely a response to enhanced PDO amplitudes induced by increased effective radiative forcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substantial and prolonged enhancements in stratospheric water vapor (SWV) have occurred after large‐magnitude explosive tropical volcanic eruptions, with modified tropopause entry caused by aerosol‐absorptive heating. Here, we analyze the timing and longevity of heating‐driven post‐eruption SWV changes within CMIP6‐VolMIP short‐term climate‐response experiments with the UK Earth System Model (UKESM1). We find aerosol‐absorptive heating causes peak SWV increases of 17% (∼1 ppmv) and 10% (0.5 ppmv) at 100 and 50 hPa, at ∼18 and ∼23 months after a Pinatubo‐like eruption, respectively. We track the temperature response in the tropical lower stratosphere and identify the main SWV increase occurs only after the descending aerosol heating reaches the tropopause, suggesting a key role for aerosol microphysical processes (sedimentation rate). We explore how El Niño–Southern Oscillation variability modulates this effect. Post‐eruption SWV increases are ∼80% stronger for the La Nina phase compared to the ensemble mean. Tropical upwelling strongly mediates this effect. Plain Language Summary: Strong volcanic eruptions, such as the 1991 eruption of Mt Pinatubo, inject a large amount of SO2 directly into the stratosphere, thereby enhancing the stratospheric aerosol layer and causing a short‐term climatic perturbation. Another substantial part of the climatic influence is the change in stratospheric water vapor (SWV), which affects the chemical processes and the radiative budget of the atmosphere. Along with near‐instantaneous injection of water vapor into the stratosphere, volcanic eruptions can indirectly enhance the entry of water vapor into the stratosphere through aerosol‐induced tropopause heating. This work analyses Earth system model experiments designed to explore how volcanic impacts combine with internal climate variability. We find that peak SWV entry mixing ratios occur only within the second post‐eruption year, consistent with the substantially lagged timing of SWV increase seen in post‐Pinatubo satellite measurements. This analysis provides a new perspective on the temporal evolution of the observed post‐Pinatubo SWV increase and an improved quantification of its impacts. Key Points: Aerosol‐induced absorptive‐heating increases stratospheric water vapor (SWV) by up to 17% at 18 months post‐eruption in a Pinatubo‐like experimentAnalyzing simulations by El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability show an 80% larger peak SWV increase occurs if an eruption is followed by a La Niña phaseThe timing of peak SWV increase occurs when volcanic‐aerosol‐induced heating reaches the tropopause, with ENSO modulation of tropical upwelling [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sonar images are inherently affected by speckle noise, which degrades image quality and hinders image exploitation. Despeckling is an important pre-processing task that aims to remove such noise so as to improve the accuracy of analysis tasks on sonar images. In this paper, we propose a novel transformer-based generative adversarial network named SID-TGAN for sonar image despeckling. In the SID-TGAN framework, transformer and convolutional blocks are used to extract global and local features, which are further integrated into the generator and discriminator networks for feature fusion and enhancement. By leveraging adversarial training, SID-TGAN learns more comprehensive representations of sonar images and shows outstanding performance in speckle denoising. Meanwhile, SID-TGAN introduces a new adversarial loss function that combines image content, local texture style, and global similarity to reduce image distortion and information loss during training. Finally, we compare SID-TGAN with state-of-the-art despeckling methods on one image dataset with synthetic optical noise and four real sonar image datasets. The results show that it achieves significantly better despeckling performance than existing methods on all five datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mechanical model for a human–machine interaction force based on the man–machine kinematic chain is established. This is combined with screw theory and a virtual rigid body model for the human–machine interaction force is proposed. This model interprets the basic principle model of the human–machine contact force. The deviation of the human–machine kinematic chain is calculated using the virtual model. In order to carry out the calibration simulation for the model, a 6-sps parallel mechanism is taken as an example to illustrate the construction principle of the human–machine interaction virtual rigid body model. This is calibrated by introducing finite element software. Finally, using the knee exoskeleton as an example, a numerical simulation is introduced. This illustrates the relationship between the driving force of the exoskeleton, the human–machine deviation as well as the virtual stiffness. The modeling method of this paper provides theoretical reference for controller design of human–machine interaction forces in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abnormal platelet activation is a key factor in the occurrence and development of thrombotic diseases. However, the physiological mechanisms that underlie platelet homeostasis remain unclear. Oleic acid, one of the most abundant lipids in the human diet, has potential antithrombotic effects. This study aimed to investigate the effects of oleic acid on platelet activation and thrombosis. Methods: Platelet aggregation, ATP release, and fibrinogen spread were evaluated to determine the role of oleic acid in platelet activation. A ferric chloride-induced carotid injury model was used to establish the effect of oleic acid on thrombus formation in vivo. Western blotting analysis and transfection experiments were performed to determine the mechanisms involved in this process. Results: Oleic acid inhibited platelet aggregation, granule release, and calcium mobilization. Furthermore, it inhibited the spread of platelets on fibrinogen. We also found that oleic acid delayed arterial thrombosis in mice, as demonstrated in a murine model of ferric chloride-induced carotid artery thrombosis. The molecular mechanism of its inhibition of platelet activity may be through the Syk-PLCγ2 and CaMKKβ/AMPKα/VASP pathways. In addition, we demonstrated that the phosphorylation of AMPK at Ser496 was an important mechanism of platelet activation. Conclusions: Our study showed that oleic acid inhibits platelet activation and reduces thrombogenesis by inhibiting the phosphorylation of multiple signaling molecules, offering new insights into the research and development of antiplatelet drugs. E5Xy1vH3DfoQAQBKnckQzx Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exercise is widely recognized as beneficial for tendon healing. Recently, it has been described that muscle‐derived molecules secreted in response to static exercise influence tendon healing. In this study, the optimal static loading intensity for tendon healing and the composition of secretome released by myoblasts in response to different intensities of static strain were investigated. In an in vitro coculture model, myoblasts were mechanically loaded using a Flexcell Tension System. Tenocytes were seeded on transwell inserts that allowed communication between the tenocytes and myoblasts without direct contact. Proliferation and migration assays, together with RNA sequencing, were used to determine potential cellular signaling pathways. The secretome from myoblasts exposed to 2% static loading increased the proliferation and migration of the cocultured tenocytes. RNA‐seq analysis revealed that this loading condition upregulated the expression of numerous genes encoding secretory proteins, including insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1). Confirmation of IGF‐1 expression and secretion was carried out using qPCR and enzyme‐linked immunosorbt assay (ELISA), revealing a statistically significant upregulation in response to 2% static loading in comparison to both control conditions and higher loading intensities of 5% and 10%. Addition of an inhibitor of the IGF‐1 receptor (PQ401) to the tenocytes significantly reduced myoblast secretome‐induced tenocyte proliferation. In conclusion, IGF‐1 may be an important molecule in the statically loaded myoblast secretome, which is responsible for influencing tenocytes during exercise‐induced healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analog circuit fault diagnosis is widely used to ensure normal operation and fault location electronic equipment. In this study, a new method for fault diagnosis of analog circuits based on classification of Gramian angular summation field and recurrence plot (GAF_RP) images is presented. The proposed method converts the time-response sequence signals of the analog circuit into a GAF_RP image through the Gramian angular summation field, the Gramian angular difference field and the recurrence plot methods. Therefore, more feature information about the time-response sequence signals can be obtained. And the bilinear interpolation method is used to compress the image, which improves the efficiency of neural network training and testing. Finally, an 18-layer residual neural network (ResNet-18) is used to perform feature extraction and learning on the GAF_RP images, to achieve accurate soft fault diagnosis of analog circuits. The simulation and actual experiment verify that this method can realize accurate and reliable soft fault diagnosis of the analog circuit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gd 2 Mo 3 O 12 ceramics were prepared using the traditional solid-phase reaction method. All samples were found to possess an orthorhombic crystal structure with a space group of Pba2, as revealed by refined XRD results. The ceramic sintered at 1000 °C exhibited a high relative density of 96.95 % and superior microwave dielectric properties, including ε r of 9.42 ± 0.05, × f of 49258 ± 1200 GHz, and τ f of −71.8 ± 0.7 ppm/°C. The results suggest a correlation between an increase in ε r and higher relative density, and a more compact and uniform microstructure can lead to higher × f value. Chemical bonding theories and Raman spectroscopy analysis reveal that Mo-O bonds, rather than Gd-O bonds, dominate the microwave dielectric properties. Furthermore, the ε r of Gd 2 Mo 3 O 12 ceramic was closely related to bond ionicity, while × f and τ f were mainly determined by lattice energy and bond energy, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating object counts within a single image or video frame represents a challenging yet pivotal task in the field of computer vision. Its increasing significance arises from its versatile applications across various domains, including public safety and urban planning. Among the various object counting tasks, crowd counting is particularly notable for its critical role in social security and urban planning. However, intricate backgrounds in images often lead to misidentifications, wherein the complex background is mistaken as the foreground, thereby inflating forecasting errors. Additionally, the uneven distribution of crowd density within the foreground further exacerbates predictive errors of the network. This paper introduces a novel architecture with a three-branch structure aimed at synergistically incorporating hierarchical foreground information and global scale information into density map estimation, thereby achieving more precise counting results. Hierarchical foreground information guides the network to perform distinct operations on regions with varying densities, while global scale information evaluates the overall density level of the image and adjusts the model's global predictions accordingly. We also systematically investigate and compare three potential locations for integrating hierarchical foreground information into the density estimation network, ultimately determining the most effective placement.Through extensive comparative experiments across three datasets, we demonstrate the superior performance of our proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study systematically investigated the causal relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and major depression (MD). Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with disorders of interest were screened via the genome-wide association study (GWAS) enrolling individuals of European descent. Summary-level data for GERD and MD were extracted from the UK Biobank. The inverse-variance-weighted (IVW) method was utilized as the primary analysis. Sensitivity analyses were performed using the MR-Egger method, the Maximum likelihood method, the MR-pleiotropy residual sum outlier (MR-PRESSO) method, and MR-robust adjusted profile score (MR-RAPS) method. MR-Egger regression, heterogeneity tests, pleiotropy tests, and leave-one-out tests were also performed to analyze sensitivity. The MR Steiger test was used to verify the directionality of the exposure to the outcome. An available website tool (https://shiny.cnsgenomics.com/mRnd/) was used to calculate the statistical power of MR analysis. Meta-analysis was applied to test MD's average genetically predicted effect on GERD. Our MR study showed a bidirectional causal association between MD and GERD. Regarding MD to GERD, there was a positive association between them; the ORs were 1.500 (95% CI = 1.320–1.704; P = 4.91E-10) and 2.058 (95% CI = 1.868–2.267; P = 2.20E-48) in the IVW method, respectively. In addition, the meta-analysis also showed a strong positive causal association between MD and GERD. When exposure and outcome were reversed, genetic predisposition to GERD was significantly associated with the overall Risk of advanced MD (ieu-a-1187, OR = 1.982, 95% CI = 1.694–2.319, P = 1.41E-17; ieu-b-102, OR = 1.612, 95% CI = 1.530–2.700, P = 1.15E-70). Our study provides 100% power to detect the causal effect of MD on GERD and vice versa. Genetically predicted MD was positively associated with higher GERD risk, and vice versa. Our study reminds clinicians to pay attention to screening for GERD when diagnosing and treating MD and vice versa. Moreover, there may be positive feedback between MD and GERD when treating and preventing one disorder may benefit the treatment and prevention of the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal species have dynamic genomes and often exhibit genomic plasticity in response to stress. This genome plasticity often comes with phenotypic consequences that affect fitness and resistance to stress. Fungal pathogens exhibit genome plasticity in both clinical and agricultural settings and often during adaptation to antifungal drugs, posing significant challenges to human health. Therefore, it is important to understand the rates, mechanisms, and impact of large genomic changes. This review addresses the prevalence of polyploidy, aneuploidy, and copy number variation across diverse fungal species, with special attention to prominent fungal pathogens and model species. We also explore the relationship between environmental stress and rates of genomic changes and highlight the mechanisms underlying genotypic and phenotypic changes. A comprehensive understanding of these dynamic fungal genomes is needed to identify novel solutions for the increase in antifungal drug resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop a C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR)-based nomogram for predicting the risk of in-hospital death in sepsis patients. Sepsis patients were selected from the MIMIC-IV database. Independent predictors were determined by multiple Cox analysis and then integrated to predict survival. The performance of the model was evaluated using the concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, and calibration curve. The risk stratifications analysis and subgroup analysis of the model in overall survival (OS) were assessed by Kaplan–Meier (K–M) curves. A total of 6414 sepsis patients were included. C-index of the CAR-based model was 0.917 [standard error (SE): 0.112] for the training set and 0.935 (SE: 0.010) for the validation set. The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of the nomogram was 0.881 in the training set and 0.801 in the validation set. And the calibration curve showed that the nomogram performs well in both the training and validation sets. K–M curves indicated that patients with high CAR had significantly higher in-hospital mortality than those with low CAR. The CAR-based model has considerably high accuracy for predicting the OS of sepsis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]