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In modern large-scale industrial processes, data are often high dimensional time-dependent due to the frequent sampling, dynamic nature and large number of variables. Appropriate monitoring of such processes allows for efficient decision-making that can improve the baseline of manufacturing companies either through decreasing production costs or enhancing production efficiency. Various latent variable-based control charts have been proposed for addressing high dimensional data; however, many of these methods assume that the data are independent and normally distributed. The violation of these assumptions results in an increased false alarm rate, in addition to the deterioration in the performance of such methods. In this study, we propose a Variational Autoencoder-Long Short Term Memory (VAE-LSTM) deep learning based $ {T^2} $ T 2 chart that integrates the unique features of both VAE and LSTM for intelligent fault detection of time-dependent high dimensional processes. The effectiveness and applicability of the proposed model are demonstrated through extensive simulations, an open-source online dataset, and a real case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machining tools are vital components of intelligent manufacturing systems whose state and remaining useful life (RUL) determine product quality. Specifically, the wearing of tool reduces its capability of production yield and diminishes product quality. Therefore, a capability-based RUL prediction approach is proposed in this paper to thoroughly evaluate the state and RUL of machining tools. First, the connotation of tool capability is discussed, and a framework for quality assurance capability-based RUL prediction is proposed. Product quality, which can be used to assess the capability of tool, is modelled and expanded to consider non-geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (non-GD&T) features based on the classic geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) system. Second, a physics-based model of process is developed to estimate the non-GD&T features and calculate tool wear. Third, a hybrid data-driven and physics-based model is developed to quantitatively assess the capability of tool based on the comprehensive quality estimation. Finally, a case study of rolling machining tool is carried out to verify the effectiveness and proactiveness of the proposed framework, and the final result highlights its rationality and accuracy in estimating the RUL of machining tools with better interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ion–molecule reaction is one of the most important pathways for the formation of new interstellar chemical species. Herein, infrared spectra of cationic binary clusters of acrylonitrile (AN) with methanethiol (CH3SH) and dimethyl sulfide (CH3SCH3) are measured and compared to those previous studies of AN and methanol (CH3OH) or dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3). The results suggest that the ion–molecular reactions of AN with CH3SH and CH3SCH3 only yield products with S...HN H-bonded or S∴N hemibond structures, rather than the cyclic products as observed in AN-CH3OH and AN-CH3OCH3 studied previously. The Michael addition-cyclization reaction between acrylonitrile and sulfur-containing molecules does not occur due to the weaker acidity of CH bonds in sulfur-containing molecules, which results from their weaker hyperconjugation effect compared to oxygen-containing molecules. The reduced propensity for the proton transfer from the CH bonds hinders the formation of the Michael addition-cyclization product that follows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To modernize public service delivery, U.S. communities increasingly rely on 311 systems for residents to request government services. Research on 311 systems is relatively new, and there is mixed evidence on whether 311 can help bridge the gap between disadvantaged communities and governments. This study draws from research on immigration, race/ethnicity, and differential engagement to explore the link between immigrant concentration and 311 usage. We use longitudinal data on 311 requests in Baltimore City, Maryland (2014–2019) and spatial panel regression analysis to show that neighborhood racial/ethnic structure and the national policy environment can significantly influence whether immigrant concentration is a barrier for 311 service-seeking. Specifically, we find that immigrant concentration reduces 311 requests in high-immigrant neighborhoods with Latino or Black concentration, but not in high-immigrant neighborhoods with White/Asian concentration. We also find that in Latino high-immigrant neighborhoods, the relationship between immigrant concentration and 311 requests appears mainly after 2017, when the federal government adopted hostile immigration policies. By establishing and contextualizing the relationship between immigrant concentration and 311 usage, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of civic participation and the connection between immigrant communities and government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TBI-223, a novel oxazolidinone for tuberculosis, is designed to provide improved efficacy and safety compared to linezolid in combination with bedaquiline and pretomanid (BPaL). We aim to optimize the dosing of TBI-223 within the BPaL regimen for enhanced therapeutic outcomes. TBI-223 is investigated in preclinical monotherapy, multidrug therapy, and lesion penetration experiments to describe its efficacy and safety versus linezolid. A translational platform incorporating linezolid and BPaL data from preclinical experiments and 4 clinical trials (NCT00396084, NCT02333799, NCT03086486, NCT00816426) is developed, enabling validation of the framework. TBI-223 preclinical and Phase 1 data (NCT03758612) are applied to the translational framework to predict clinical outcomes and optimize TBI-223 dosing in combination with bedaquiline and pretomanid. Results indicate that daily doses of 1200–2400 mg TBI-223 may achieve efficacy comparable to the BPaL regimen, with >90% of patients predicted to reach culture conversion by two months. In this work, authors aim to optimize the dosing of TBI-223, a novel oxazolidinone for tuberculosis, using a translational platform which incorporates preclinical and clinical trial data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of applying arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on maize root growth and yield formation under different soil conditions. This study was conducted under sandy soil (S) and saline–alkali soil (Y), with treatments of AMF application (AM) and no AMF application (CK). The root characteristics, yield, and quality of maize were measured. High-throughput sequencing technology was employed to assess the impact of AMF on the soil microbial community structure, and the correlation between soil microbes and soil physicochemical properties was elucidated. The results show that under both sandy and saline–alkali soil conditions, AMF application significantly enhanced maize root growth, yield, grain quality, and soil available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) contents compared to the CK treatment. Soil microbial Alpha diversity analysis indicated that AMF application effectively increased soil microbial diversity and richness. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and microbial community structure analysis revealed significant differences in bacterial communities between AM treatment in sandy soil (SAM) and CK in sandy soil (SCK), and significant differences in both bacterial and fungal communities between AM treatment in saline–alkali soil (YAM) and CK in saline–alkali soil (YCK). Furthermore, significant correlations between microbial communities and soil physicochemical properties were found, such as AN, AP, AK, soil salinity (SS), and organic matter (OM) content. AMF application had a greater impact on bacterial communities than on fungal communities. This study demonstrated that the use of AMF as a bio-fungal fertilizer was effective in improving spring maize yields, especially in terms of yield increase and quality stability in sandy and saline soils, thereby contributing to safe and sustainable cropping practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The failures of high-consequence systems can cause serious harm to humans, including loss of human health, life security, finance, and even social chaos. To protect high-consequence systems, both optimal system design and maintenance activities contribute to improving system reliability and social safety. The existing works generally optimize these two problems sequentially and assume that the degradation process of components is precisely known. However, sequential optimization often results in significant losses due to redundancies, and such a presumption usually cannot be guaranteed in practice, due to limited historical data or a lack of expert knowledge, referred to as epistemic uncertainty. To fill this gap, in this article, we consider an integrated optimization of system design and maintenance scheduling for multi-state high-consequence systems in which the component's degradation is known with limited distributional information. To address this issue, we utilize the framework of distributionally robust optimization to provide a risk-averse decision to decision-makers even under the worst realizations of random parameters, and develop a two-stage integer distributionally robust model with moment-based ambiguity set to determine the system design and maintenance scheduling simultaneously. The proposed model can be converted to a tractable approximation as an integer linear stochastic programming problem. In order to solve large-scale problems, we develop a sample-based adaptive large neighborhood search algorithm to find the optimal system designs. In the numerical experiments, we present a case study on feedwater heating systems in nuclear power plants and demonstrate that an integrated optimization consideration creates significant benefits in profitability. We also present the out-of-sample performance of the distributionally robust design to avoid extreme risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of China's "dual carbon" goal, emissions of air pollutants are expected to significantly decrease in the future. Thus, the direct climate effects of black carbon (BC) aerosols in East Asia are investigated under this goal using an updated regional climate and chemistry model. The simulated annual average BC concentration over East Asia is approximately 1.29 μg/m3 in the last decade. Compared to those in 2010–2020, both the BC column burden and instantaneous direct radiative forcing in East Asia decrease by more than 55% and 80%, respectively, in the carbon peak year (2030s) and the carbon neutrality year (2060s). Conversely, the BC effective radiative forcing (ERF) and regional climate responses to BC exhibit substantial nonlinearity to emission reduction, possibly resulting from different adjustments of thermal‐dynamic fields and clouds from BC‐radiation interactions. The regional mean BC ERF at the tropopause over East Asia is approximately +1.11 W/m2 in 2010–2020 while negative in the 2060s. BC‐radiation interactions in the present‐day impose a significant annual mean cooling of −0.2 to −0.5 K in central China but warming +0.3 K in the Tibetan Plateau. As China's BC emissions decline, surface temperature responses show a mixed picture compared to 2010–2020, with more cooling in eastern China and Tibet of −0.2 to −0.3 K in the 2030s, but more warming in central China of approximately +0.3 K by the 2060s. The Indian BC might play a more important role in East Asian climate with reduction of BC emissions in China. Plain Language Summary: Black carbon (BC) aerosols, which are among the air pollutants that will be reduced in China under the "dual carbon" goal, can have an impact on the regional climate by absorbing solar radiation. We use a regional climate model to simulate the climate effect of BC over East Asia under the "dual carbon" goal of China. The results showed that the BC concentration and column burden in East Asia, as well as the instantaneous direct radiative forcing, will decrease significantly under future regional emission reduction policies. However, the effective radiative forcing of BC and regional climate responses do not exhibit simple linear relationships with emissions. The BC‐induced atmospheric thermal‐dynamic anomalies are the main drivers of this nonlinearity. Similarly, BC emissions from India might also influence the East Asian climate. Key Points: The East Asian black carbon (BC) loadings and instantaneous direct radiative forcings significantly decrease under the "dual carbon" goal of ChinaThe BC induced regional climate changes show nonlinear responses to the BC emission reductionThe Indian BC might play an increasingly important role in East Asian climate with decreasing BC emissions in China [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the increase in environmental awareness, people have become more and more concerned about the effectiveness with which coal burns. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has become an important way of coal elemental analysis because of its uncomplicated sample handling, remote sensing capability, and superior sensitivity in identifying a wide range of elements, including both major and minor constituents, down to trace levels. However, the complexity of its mechanism of action, the experimental environmental factors, and the presence of matrix effects in its measurement spectrum have affected the measurement accuracy. In this paper, on the basis of introducing the experimental process and principle of LIBS, we summarize and analyze the influence of each factor on the LIBS detection medium, summarize the mainstream model analysis algorithms, and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each model. While summarizing the LIBS in media detection in recent years, it aims to provide strong support and guidance for subsequent more in-depth exploration and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate forming predictions for the third-generation Al–Cu–Li alloys challenged by anisotropic creep-aging (CA) behavior. The creep-aging anisotropic behavior of Al–Cu–Li alloys with different initial dislocation densities is not clear. The anisotropy of creep behavior and yield strength in Al–Cu–Li alloy under high dislocation density (T3) and low dislocation density (T4) conditions have been experimentally investigated. The results show that the in-plane anisotropy (IPA) of creep strain decreased from 59.3% and 50.2% to 7.2% and 8.3% for T4 and T3 samples, respectively. It is found that the T1 phase significantly suppresses the anisotropy of creep strain, the faster the precipitation rate of the T1 phase, the more diffuse the distribution of the inhibitory effect is more obvious, the T1 phase inhomogeneous coarsening of the creep strain inhibition effect is slightly weakened. The yield strength IPA of T4 and T3 samples decreased from 6.88% and 19.47% to 5.66% and 6.41%, respectively. The higher initial dislocation density promotes a uniform and diffuse distribution of the T1 phase, which greatly suppresses the yield strength anisotropy. Different initial dislocation densities lead to different precipitation behaviors of the T1 phase, which should be responsible for the difference in the anisotropy of CA behavior, as is the yield strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the limitations of current grinding robots' path planning for complex curved surface grinding, a novel path planning technology and post-processing method based on NX and Tecnomatix were proposed. Firstly, the equal chord height error algorithm is used to discretize the machining path, and the posture of the path point is confirmed according to the workpiece surface and the grinding path orientation, so as to obtain the complete grinding path position and posture information. Then, according to the pose of the grinding points, the position and posture planning for grinding the complex surface workpiece is carried out using the customized development method with NX. Finally, the virtual robot workstation and actual grinding system is built for experiments on the generated path. The experimental results show that the robot offline path planning technology of combining the NX customized development method and digital twin simulation technology can not only meeting the needs of more refined path planning tasks but also presenting a complete the grinding process of robot workstation based on logic control event-driven. Thus, the overall planning of robot grinding process can be effectively carried out, and the processing effect of robot grinding can be predicted, improving the machining accuracy and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endometriosis, a complex gynecological condition, involves inflammation and immune dysregulation. The vaginal microbiota, characterized by its diversity, is an integral part of the vaginal microecology—interacting with vaginal anatomy, the endocrine system, and local mucosal immunity. Imbalances in this microecology are known to precipitate various inflammatory diseases. Despite extensive research, the connection between vaginal microbiota dysbiosis and endometriosis remains a subject of debate. Our study assesses the association between vaginal microecology dysbiosis and endometriosis. Methods: We systematically searched major electronic databases in English, including Embase, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE (Ovid), BIOSIS (Ovid), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang, up to August 15, 2023. Selected articles underwent screening based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Normal vaginal microecology was defined as a negative Amsel/Spiegel test or Nugent score of 0–3, or Lactobacillus predominance determined by 16S rRNA gene amplification sequencing. Deviations from this norm were classified as dysbiosis, further categorized into bacterial vaginosis (BV) and intermediate BV. Data analysis utilized Revman 5.4, with effect sizes presented as Odds Ratios (OR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI). Results: Out of 1081 articles, eight met the inclusion criteria. Utilizing fixed-effect models due to low heterogeneity, the analysis revealed a positive association between dysbiosis and endometriosis (OR = 1.17, 95% CI 0.81–1.70; I2 = 0%), but showed a slight negative association between normal vaginal microecology with endometriosis (OR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.55–1.46; I2 = 29%). However, the association was not significant. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses corroborated the stability of these associations. Conclusion: A positive correlation exists between vaginal microecology dysbiosis and endometriosis, notably with intermediate BV. However, the mechanisms underpinning this relationship remain elusive, highlighting the need for further research to overcome limitations. Trial registration: Registration number: CRD42023445163. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of antibiotic residues in food products due to the extensive use of antibiotics in animal farming poses significant risks to human health and contributes to antimicrobial resistance. Conventional methods for antibiotic residue detection, such as LC-MS/MS and immunoassays, have limitations in terms of cost, analysis time, and complexity. Graphene-based electrochemical sensors have emerged as promising alternatives for rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective detection of antibiotic residues in food. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in the development and application of graphene-based electrochemical sensors for antibiotic residue monitoring. We critically examine the strategies for graphene synthesis, modification, and integration with recognition elements, as well as the fabrication and performance characteristics of these sensors. The unique advantages of graphene, such as high surface area and electrical conductivity, are highlighted, along with the challenges and limitations in practical implementation. Furthermore, we discuss future perspectives and research directions, emphasizing the need for multi-residue detection, sensor miniaturization, and validation in real-world settings. The role of advanced nanomaterial composites, novel recognition elements, and data analysis techniques in improving sensor performance is also explored. By providing a critical assessment of the current state of knowledge and identifying key research gaps and opportunities, this review aims to serve as a valuable resource for researchers and stakeholders interested in developing graphene-based electrochemical sensors for antibiotic residue detection in food safety applications, ultimately contributing to the protection of consumer health and the fight against antimicrobial resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a study aimed at developing a rapid and nondestructive method for testing the quality of strawberries, spectral data from four strawberry varieties at different ripening stages were collected using a geophysical spectrometer, primarily focusing on the 350–1800 nm band. The spectra were preprocessed using Savitzky–Golay (SG) filtering, and characteristic bands were extracted using Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) analysis. Models for predicting strawberry quality were built using random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), partial least squares (PLS), and Gaussian regression (GPR). The results indicated that the SVM model exhibited relatively high accuracy in predicting anthocyanin, hardness, and soluble solids content in strawberries. For the test set, the SVM model achieved R2 and RMSE values of 0.81, 0.87, and 0.89, and 0.04 mg/g, 0.33 kg/cm2, and 0.72%, respectively. Additionally, the PLS model demonstrated relatively high accuracy in predicting the titratable acid content of strawberries, achieving R2 and RMSE values of 0.85 and 0.03%, respectively, for the test set. These findings provided a solid foundation for strawberry quality modeling and a veritable guide for non-destructive assessment of strawberry quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timely and accurate mapping of crop types is crucial for agricultural insurance, futures, and assessments of food security risks. However, crop mapping is currently focused on the post-harvest period, and less attention has been paid to early crop mapping. In this study, the feasibility of using Sentinel-1 (S1) and Sentinel-2 (S2) data for the earliest identifiable time (EIT) for major crops (sunflower, maize, spring wheat, and melon) was explored in the Hetao Irrigation District (HID) of China, based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. An early crop identification strategy based on the Random Forest (RF) model for HID was proposed, and the performance of the model transfer was evaluated. First, the median synthesis, linear shift interpolation, and the Savitzky–Golay (SG) filter methods were used to reconstruct the time series of S1 and S2. Subsequently, the sensitivity of different input features, time intervals, and data integration to different early crop identifications was evaluated based on the RF model. Finally, the model with optimal parameters was evaluated in terms of its transfer capacity and used for the early mapping of crops in the HID area. The results showed that the features extracted from S2 images synthesized at 10-day intervals performed well in obtaining crop EITs. Sunflower, maize, spring wheat, and melon could be identified 90, 90, 70, and 40 days earlier than the harvest date. The identification accuracy, measured by the F1-score, could reach 0.97, 0.95, 0.98, and 0.90, respectively. The performance of the model transfer is good, with the F1-score decreasing from 0 to 0.04 and no change in EIT for different crops. It was also found that the EIT of crops obtained using S1 data alone was 50–90 days later than that obtained using S2 data alone. Additionally, when S1 and S2 were used jointly, S1 data contributed little to early crop identification. This study highlights the potential of early crop mapping using satellite data, which provides a feasible solution for the early identification of crops in the HID area and valuable information for food security assurance in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Brucella abortus strain 19 vaccines, including A19 and S19 vaccines, are widely used to prevent bovine brucellosis. Vaccine-induced antibodies are usually considered to last for no more than 12 months. After this period, individuals testing positive are excluded because they are presumed to be infected with Brucella field strains. In Ningxia, China, immunization with the Brucella abortus strain A19 vaccine is being implemented as part of a brucellosis eradication program. We conducted a serological survey of cattle immunized with the A19 vaccine for over 12 months in Lingwu, Ningxia, from 2021 to 2023. It was found that there was a certain proportion of cows with a persistent antibody titer who were not infected with brucellosis. Therefore, cattle with positive antibodies cannot be eliminated through simple serological detection. Otherwise, a large number of healthy cattle would be mistakenly culled, resulting in significant economic losses. We have also developed a PCR method to distinguish Brucella strain 19 from non-19 Brucella strains and successfully detected 10 Brucella abortus field strains from five dairy farms. (1) Background: One method of eradicating brucellosis is to cull cattle that test positive for antibodies 12 months after being vaccinated with the 19-strain vaccine. Variations in immunization regimens and feeding practices may contribute to differences in the rate of persistent antibodies. We conducted this study to investigate the real positive rate of Brucella antibody in field strains of Brucella spp. after immunization over 12 months in dairy cows. This research aims to provide data to support the development of strategies for preventing, controlling, and eradicating brucellosis. (2) Method: We employed the baseline sampling method to collect samples from cows immunized with the A19 vaccine for over 12 months in Lingwu City from 2021 to 2023. Serological detection was conducted using the RBPT method. An established PCR method that could distinguish between 19 and non-19 strains of Brucella was utilized to investigate the field strains of Brucella on 10 dairy farms based on six samples mixed into one using the Mathematical Expectation strategy. (3) Results: We analyzed the rates of individual seropositivity and herd seropositive rates in dairy cattle in Lingwu City from 2021 to 2023 and revealed that antibodies induced by the Brucella abortus strain A19 vaccine persist in dairy herds for more than 12 months. We established a PCR method for identifying both Brucella A19 and non-A19 strains, resulting in the detection of 10 field strains of Brucella abortus from 1537 dairy cows. By employing a Mathematical Expectation strategy, we completed testing of 1537 samples after conducting only 306 tests, thereby reducing the workload by 80.1%. (4) Conclusions: There was a certain proportion of cows with a persistent antibody titer, but there was no evidence that all of these cattle were naturally infected with Brucella. The established PCR method for distinguishing between Brucella abortus strain 19 and non-19 strains can be specifically utilized for detecting natural Brucella infection in immunized cattle. We propose that relying solely on the detection of antibodies in cattle immunized with the A19 vaccine more than 12 months previously should not be solely relied upon as a diagnostic basis for brucellosis, and it is essential to complement this approach with PCR analysis to specifically identify field Brucella spp. Brucella abortus was the predominant strain identified in the field during this study. Detection based on the Mathematical Expectation strategy can significantly enhance detection efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P)‐hyperaccumulators for phytoextraction from P‐polluted areas generally show rapid growth and accumulate large amounts of P without any toxicity symptom, which depends on a range of physiological processes and gene expression patterns that have never been explored. We investigated growth, leaf element concentrations, P fractions, photosynthetic traits, and leaf metabolome and transcriptome response in amphibious P‐hyperaccumulators, Polygonum hydropiper and P. lapathifolium, to high‐P exposure (5 mmol L−1), with 0.05 mmol L−1 as the control. Under high‐P exposure, both species demonstrated good growth, allocating more P to metabolite P and inorganic P (Pi) accompanied by high potassium and calcium. The expression of a cluster of unigenes associated with photosynthesis was maintained or increased in P. lapathifolium, explaining the increase in net photosynthetic rate and the rapid growth under high‐P exposure. Metabolites of trehalose metabolism, including trehalose 6‐phosphate and trehalose, were sharply increased in both species by the high‐P exposure, in line with the enhanced expression of associated unigenes, indicating that trehalose metabolic pathway was closely related to high‐P tolerance. These findings elucidated the physiological and molecular responses involved in the photosynthesis and trehalose metabolism in P‐hyperaccumulators to high‐P exposure, and provides potential regulatory pathways to improve the P‐phytoextraction capability. Summary Statement: Amphibious Polygonum species upregulated genes expression associated with photosynthesis for rapid growth, allocated more metabolite P and Pi and changed trehalose metabolism for high‐P tolerance to achieve P‐hyperaccumulation and efficient P‐phytoextraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollen can serve as an effective ice‐nuclei (IN), altering cloud microphysical and radiative properties, thus precipitation and cloud life cycles. Here, a nationwide pollen emission inventory with a horizontal resolution of 5 km was established based on a parameterization scheme of mass balance of pollen grain fluxes surrounding the plant crowns, and using satellite observational data sets (including leaf area index and fractional vegetation cover) as well as pollen emission rates. The potential emission is then implemented in RegCM‐pollen model which treated pollen as aerosol tracers. Besides, pollen‐IN parameterization schemes were incorporated in RegCM‐pollen to simulate the interactions between pollen and ice clouds. Investigations show that the mean annual pollen emission in China is 2.65 × 107 grains m−2 yr−1, mainly distributed in the south and northeast of China. The IN magnitude is mainly determined by a combination of temperature and pollen concentration. Notably, an increasing number concentration of pollen grains produces opposite effects in Southern China (SC) and Northern China (NC). The weakened upward motion and vertical transport of water vapor in NC made ice clouds hardly form, resulting in cloud forcing (CF) of +0.86 W/m2. In contrast, it generates a CF of −0.84 W/m2 in SC mainly owing to expanded cloud cover. The changes in shortwave radiative forcing is more significant compared to longwave radiative forcing in the two regions. At the surface, the net radiative forcing in NC is +0.74 W/m2, while it is a −0.51 W/m2 in SC. Among them, downward shortwave radiative forcing is approximately twice that of upward longwave radiative forcing in SC and 1.4 times in NC. Surface temperature shows rising over NC, ranging from 0.05 to 0.25 K. In SC, it is primarily decreasing by −0.12 to −0.03 K. The pollen‐IN effect also causes a decline of precipitation in NC (−0.17 mm/day) and a rise in SC (0.09 mm/day). Our results suggest that the pollen effect on ice clouds is complex, yet significant in understanding its impact on radiation and climate of the atmosphere. Plain Language Summary: Bioaerosols such as pollen are emitted into the atmosphere from the terrestrial biosphere. They can affect cloud formation as ice nuclei, thus influencing radiation and climate. Whereas, up to now little is understood about the ice‐nucleating properties of pollen and how they impact cloud and precipitation formation. In this work, the RegCM‐pollen was utilized to quantitatively estimate vegetation pollen emissions in China and their induced radiative forcing and climate responses. We found that higher airborne pollen is chiefly concentrated in Southern China (SC) and Northern China (NC). The ice nucleation effect of pollen generates contrasting effects in the two areas. A positive effect on cloud forcing (CF) in NC is mainly owing to the inhibition of upward motion and reduced vertical transport of water vapor not conducive to the formation of ice clouds. On the opposite, the negative effect on CF in SC is mostly influenced by the enhanced water vapor, thus, expanding the coverage of the ice cloud. Key Points: Model simulations show that airborne pollen is mainly concentrated in Southern China (SC) and Northern China (NC) with seasonal variationsPollen‐induced IN concentrations decrease with altitude, exhibiting large gradient at a given height, particularly above 7 kmOpposite cloud forcing caused by pollen ice nuclei effect was found in SC (−0.84 W/m2) and NC (+0.86 W/m2) mainly due to water vapor difference in these two regions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The laying of power cables is a crucial aspect of developing and maintaining modern electrical infrastructure, which is vital for transmitting electricity reliably and efficiently. This review discusses the challenges and advancements in cable laying technologies, emphasizing the critical role of these techniques in meeting the increasing demands for power transmission in the backdrop of the global shift to renewable energy. Three main traditional cable laying methods are explored, including underground, overhead, and submarine, each suited to specific environmental and operational conditions. Then, the cable faults due to the impropriate laying process are discussed. Subsequently, the challenges and advancements encountered in cable laying processes are investigated, especially the difficulties of the cable laying of underground cable, submarine cable, and high-temperature superconductivity cable. This review also considers the impact of technological innovations on improving efficiency in cable laying processes, highlighting the advances driven by digitalization and automation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to quantitatively assess the impact of new large-scale industrial projects in Zhanjiang City on its air quality, the article estimated the emissions of major air pollutants from new large-scale industrial projects since 2015, and quantitatively evaluated the impacts of their emissions on PM2.5 and ozone concentrations by using WRF-CMAx. The results showed that total emissions of SO2, NOx, PM10, PM2.5 and VOCs of the new projects were 1 415.8, 7 436.1, 1 417.3, 629.5 and 2 469.6 tons respectively, mainly from iron making, crude oil processing and petroleum products manufacturing industries, and distributed in the Dongdao Island. The simulation results showed that under meteorological conditions in 2021, the contribution of new projects to the average annual PM2.5 concentration of each national control monitoring points for ambient air quality was 0.136~0.283 µ g/m³, and the city's average value was 0.210 µ g/m³, with the biggest impact in July. The contribution to the maximum 8-hour sliding average of ozone and the maximum hourly ozone concentration were 0.042~ 4.557 µ g/m³ and 1.274~3.484 µ g/m³, the city average were 0.092 and 5.463 µ g/m³, and with the largest contribution in April and July, respectively. Under meteorological conditions in September 2022, the contribution concentration of the new projects to the average annual PM2.5 of each national control monitoring points for ambient air quality was 0.384~ 0.693 µ g/m³, and the average value of the city is 0.538 µ g/m³. The contribution to the maximum 8-hour sliding average of ozone and the maximum hourly ozone concentration were -0.008~1.113 µ g/m³ and 0.003~8.354 µ g/m³, and the city average was 0.389 and 1.573 µ g/m³, respectively. This study can provide scientific basis for the prevention and control of air pollution in Zhanjiang City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As highlighted in Dawid (2000) and Pearl & Mackenzie (2018) , deducing the causes of given effects is a more challenging problem than evaluating the effects of causes in causal inference. Lu et al. (2023) proposed an approach for deducing causes of a single effect variable based on posterior causal effects. In many applications, there are multiple effect variables, and they can be used simultaneously to more accurately deduce the causes. To retrospectively deduce causes from multiple effects, we propose multivariate posterior total, intervention and direct causal effects conditional on the observed evidence. We describe the assumptions of no confounding and monotonicity, under which we prove identifiability of the multivariate posterior causal effects and provide their identification equations. The proposed approach can be applied for causal attributions, medical diagnosis, blame and responsibility in various studies with multiple effect or outcome variables. Two examples are used to illustrate the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In high-voltage transmission lines, the tension tower needs to withstand the tension load of the overhead power line for a long time, which is prone to damage, and it is an important part of the inspection in the circuit inspection. In the modern circuit inspection process, operation and maintenance personnel mostly use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to photograph various parts of the tension tower, obtain inspection images, and manually classify and name the massive inspection images, which is low in accuracy and efficiency. Based on the above problems, this paper collects a large number of real-life UAV inspection images of various parts of a tension tower, and proposes the Stower-13 inspection image dataset, which is used to train the classification model to achieve automatic classification and naming of inspection images. Based on this dataset, this paper also proposes an improved MobileViT model, in which the Scale-Correlated Pyramid Convolution Block Attention Block (SCPCbam) module is introduced, which adds the Convolution Block Attention Module (CBAM) to the four branches of the original Scale-Correlated Pyramid Convolution (SCPC) module, so as to strengthen the ability of image multi-scale information extraction and improve the classification accuracy. This paper discusses a number of experiments on the model, and the experimental results show that the dataset proposed in this paper helps the model to understand the feature information. At the same time, the improved MobileViT model has a strong ability to extract image spatial feature information, the classification accuracy is higher than that of other models of the same type, so it is able to cope with a wide range of problems that arise in the course of practice, and it meets the practical needs of automatically naming transmission line inspection images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Niclosamide (NIC) is a potent salicylanilide molluscicide/helminthicide commonly utilized for parasite and mollusc control in aquatic environments. Due to its persistent presence in water bodies, there is growing concern regarding its impact on aquatic organisms, yet this remains inadequately elucidated. Consequently, this study aims to assess the hepatotoxic effects and detoxification capacity of black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) in a semi-static system, employing various parameters for analysis. NIC was applied to juvenile black carp at three different concentrations (0, 10 and 50 μg/L) for 28 days in an environmentally realistic manner. Exposure to 50 μg/L NIC resulted in an increase in hepatic lysozyme (LYZ), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and complement 4 (C4) levels while simultaneously causing a decrease in peroxidase (POD) activity. Additionally, NIC exposure exhibited a dose-dependent effect on elevating serum levels of LYZ, ALP, complement 3 (C3), C4, and immunoglobulin T (IgT). Notably, the mRNA levels of immune-related genes tnfα, il8, and il6, as well as nramp and leap2, were upregulated in fish exposed to NIC. RNA-Seq analysis identified 219 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in M. piceus after NIC exposure, with 94 upregulated and 125 downregulated genes. KEGG and GO analyses showed enrichment in drug metabolism pathways and activities related to oxidoreductase, lip oprotein particles, and cholesterol transport at 50 μg/L NIC. Additionally, numerous genes associated with lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and innate immunity were upregulated in NIC-exposed M. piceus. Taken together, these findings indicate that NIC has the potential to cause hepatotoxicity and immunotoxicity in M. piceus. This research offers important insights for further understanding the impact of molluscicide/helminthicide aquatic toxicity in ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Networks have been widely employed to reflect the relationships of entities in complex systems. In a weighted network, each node corresponds to one entity while the edge weight between two nodes can represent the number of interactions between two associated entities. More and more schemes have been established to monitor the networks, which help identify the possible changes or anomalies in corresponding systems. However, limited works can comprehensively reflect the community structure, node heterogeneity, interaction sparsity and direction of weighted networks in the literature. This article proposes a log-linear stochastic block model with latent features of nodes based on the mixture of Bernoulli distribution and Poisson distribution to characterize the sparse directional interaction counts within network systems. Explicit matrices and vectors are designed to incorporate community structure and enable straightforward maximum likelihood estimation of parameters. We further construct a monitoring statistic based on the generalized likelihood ratio test for change detection of sparse weighted networks. Comparative studies based on simulations and real data are conducted to validate the high efficiency of proposed model and monitoring scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calmodulin (Calm), a crucial Ca2+ sensor, plays an important role in calcium-dependent signal transduction cascades. However, the expression and the relevance of Calm in stress and immune response have not been characterized in Megalobrama amblycephala. In this study, we identified the full-length cDNA of Calm (termed MaCalm) in blunt snout bream M. amblycephala, and analyzed MaCalm expression patterns in response to cadmium and Aeromonas hydrophila challenges. MaCalm was 1603 bp long, including a 5′-terminal untranslated region (UTR) of 97 bp, a 3′-terminal UTR of 1056 bp and an open reading frame (ORF) of 450 bp encoding a polypeptide of 149 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight (MW) of 16.84 kDa and an isoelectric point (pI) of 4.09. Usually, MaCalm contains four conservative EF hand motifs. The phylogenetic tree analysis indicated that the nucleotide sequence of MaCalm specifically clustered with Ctenopharyngodon idella with high identity (98.33%). Tissue distribution analysis demonstrated that the ubiquitous expression of MaCalm mRNA was found in all tested tissues, with the highest expression in the brain and the lowest expression in muscle. MaCalm showed significant upregulation at 14 d and 28 d post exposure to varying concentrations of cadmium in the liver; HSP70 transcripts in the liver significantly upregulated at 14 d post exposure to different concentrations of cadmium. Moreover, in response to the A. hydrophila challenge in vivo, MaCalm transcripts in the liver first increased and then decreased, but MaCalm transcripts in the kidney declined gradually with prolonged infection. After the A. hydrophila challenge, the expression level of HSP70 was significantly downregulated at 24 h in the liver and its expression level was notably downregulated at 12 h and at 24 h in the kidney. Collectively, our results suggest that MaCalm possesses vital roles in stress and immune response in M. amblycephala. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane (CH4) plays a crucial role in shaping terrestrial ecosystems due to its radiative effect and atmospheric photochemical reactions. In this study, we employed an enhanced regional climate‐chemistry‐ecosystem model (RegCM‐Chem‐YIBs) to comprehensively evaluate the impacts of both radiative and chemical effects of CH4 on terrestrial carbon fluxes across the East, South, and Southeast Asia (EA, SA, SEA) during the year 2010. Our findings showed that the radiative effects of CH4 yielded a positive influence on carbon fluxes. Specifically, the EA region experienced a significant increase in the gross primary production (GPP), reaching up to 0.515 Pg C Yr−1. In comparison, the SEA region exhibited a decrease in the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of approximately −0.066 Pg C Yr−1. Further analysis revealed that alterations in radiation and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) were dominant drivers. Conversely, the chemical effects of CH4 lead to heightened regional surface ozone (O3) concentrations (2.704–3.115 ppb) and generate a negative response in carbon fluxes. Within the SEA region, GPP observed a decrease of up to −0.144 Pg C Yr−1, while NEE displayed a significant increase of 0.022 Pg C Yr−1. Taken together, the combined radiative and chemical effects of CH4 indicated a positive impact on regional carbon fluxes, with GPP increasing by 0.632 Pg C Yr−1 and NEE decreasing by −0.09 Pg C Yr−1. This holistic perspective is crucial for comprehending the intricate interactions linking climate change, atmospheric pollution, and the global carbon cycle. Plain Language Summary: As the second‐largest greenhouse gas in our atmosphere, methane (CH4) is significantly influenced by human activities, and its emission sources are extensively distributed across East, South, and Southeast Asia (EA, SA, SEA). Moreover, the radiative and chemical effects of CH4 in the atmosphere have far‐reaching implications for terrestrial carbon fluxes. Our research demonstrates that the radiative effects of CH4 have a positive influence on terrestrial carbon fluxes, primarily driven by variations in radiation and vapor pressure deficit (VPD). Conversely, the chemical effects of CH4 result in increased regional surface ozone (O3) concentrations, negatively affecting terrestrial carbon fluxes. Overall, the total impact of CH4 is positive on regional terrestrial ecosystem carbon fluxes, leading to a rise in Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) by 0.632 Pg C Yr−1 and a reduction in net ecosystem exchangeby −0.09 Pg C Yr−1. Our comprehensive study encompasses both radiative and chemical aspects of CH4, providing a quantified evaluation of their distinct influences on terrestrial carbon fluxes. This research lays a critical scientific foundation for developing policies to mitigate methane emissions. Key Points: The improved model accurately captures atmospheric methane's spatiotemporal patterns, significantly influencing meteorology and radiationRadiative effects of methane enhance terrestrial carbon fluxes, mainly influenced by alterations in radiation and vapor pressure deficitChemical effects of methane amplify ozone production, which negatively affects terrestrial carbon fluxes but exhibits less influence [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interactions between the terrestrial biosphere, atmospheric chemistry, and climate involve complex feedbacks that have traditionally been modeled separately. We present a new framework that couples the Yale Interactive terrestrial Biosphere (YIBs) model, a dynamic plant-chemistry model, with the RegCM-Chem model. RegCM-Chem–YIBs integrates meteorological variables and atmospheric chemical composition from RegCM-Chem with land surface parameters from YIBs. The terrestrial carbon flux calculated by YIBs is fed back into RegCM-Chem interactively, thereby representing the interactions between fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), ozone (O 3), and carbon dioxide (CO 2). For testing purposes, we carry out a 1-year simulation (2016) at a 30 km horizontal resolution over East Asia with RegCM-Chem–YIBs. The model accurately captures the spatio-temporal distribution of climate, chemical composition, and ecological parameters. In particular, the estimated O 3 and PM 2.5 are consistent with ground observations, with correlation coefficients (R) of 0.74 and 0.65, respectively. The simulated CO 2 concentration is consistent with observations from six sites (R ranged from 0.89 to 0.97) and exhibits a similar spatial pattern when compared with carbon assimilation products. RegCM-Chem–YIBs produces reasonably good gross primary productivity (GPP) and net primary productivity (NPP), showing seasonal and spatial distributions consistent with satellite observations, and mean biases (MBs) of 0.13 and 0.05 kg C m -2 yr -1. This study illustrates that RegCM-Chem–YIBs is a valuable tool to investigate coupled interactions between the terrestrial carbon cycle, atmospheric chemistry, and climate change at a higher resolution on a regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly lethal malignant tumor, and the current non‐invasive diagnosis method based on serum markers, such as α‐fetoprotein (AFP), and des‐γ‐carboxy‐prothrombin (DCP), has limited efficacy in detecting it. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop novel biomarkers for HCC. Recent studies have highlighted the potential of exosomes as biomarkers. To enhance exosome enrichment, a silicon dioxide (SiO2) microsphere‐coated three‐dimensional (3D) hierarchical porous chip, named a SiO2‐chip is designed. The features of the chip, including its continuous porous 3D scaffold, large surface area, and nanopores between the SiO2 microspheres, synergistically improved the exosome capture efficiency. Exosomes from both non‐HCC and HCC subjects are enriched using an SiO2‐chip and performed RNA sequencing to identify HCC‐related long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the exosomes. This study analysis reveales that LUCAT‐1 and EGFR‐AS‐1 are two HCC‐related lncRNAs. To further detect dual lncRNAs in exosomes, quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) is employed. The integration of dual lncRNAs with AFP and DCP significantly improves the diagnostic accuracy. Furthermore, the integration of dual lncRNAs with DCP effectively monitors the prognosis of patients with HCC and detects disease progression. In this study, a liquid biopsy‐based approach for noninvasive and reliable HCC detection is developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parenting stress is the experience of discomfort or distress that results from the demands associated with the role of parenting. Although there are numerous parenting stress scales, relatively few scales have been developed with consideration of the Chinese cultural context. This study aimed to develop and validate the Chinese Parenting Stress Scale (CPSS) with a multidimensional and hierarchical structure for Mainland Chinese preschoolers' parents (N = 1,427, M age = 35.63 years, SD = 4.69). In Study 1, a theoretical model and an initial 118 items were developed, drawing on prior research and existing measures of parenting stress. Exploratory factor analysis yielded 15 first-order factors with 60 items. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analyses supported a higher order solution consisting of 15 first-order factors covering four domains: Child Development (12 items), Difficult Child (16 items), Parent–Child Interaction (12 items), and Parent's Readjustment to Life (20 items). Measurement invariance indicated no gender differences between parents for the scale scores. The convergent, discriminant, and criteria validity of the CPSS scores was supported by its association with related variables in the expected directions. Moreover, the CPSS scores added significant incremental variance in predicting somatization, anxiety, and child's emotional symptoms more so than the Parenting Stress Index–Short Form-15. The CPSS total and subscale scores all had acceptable Cronbach's αs in both samples. The overall findings support the CPSS as a psychometrically sound tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the risk factors for the development of portal hypertension in patients with decompensated cirrhosis and analyze their prognosis. Methods: Patients with decompensated cirrhosis who were admitted to our hospital and Qu fu People's Hospital from June 2022 to June 2023 were included in this study. Among them, there were 45 male and 15 female patients, with a median age of 56 (range: 35– 77) years. A comparative analysis was performed between Group A (hepatic venous pressure gradient, HVPG < 16 mmHg) and Group B (HVPG ≥ 16 mmHg) patients, along with various clinical outcomes. Multivariate analysis was conducted to explore the risk factors influencing the occurrence of portal hypertension and adverse prognosis in patients with cirrhosis. Results: In Group A patients with portal hypertension, we observed lower levels of aspartate aminotransferase, laminin, serum hyaluronic acid, type III procollagen N-terminal peptide, total bile acids, and cholylglycine acid compared to Group B. On the other hand, levels of alanine aminotransferase, white blood cells, and serum albumin were higher in Group A than in Group B. These differences between the groups were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis of the aforementioned risk factors indicated that low white blood cell count, high cholylglycine acid levels, and high serum hyaluronic acid levels were identified as independent risk factors for the occurrence of difficult-to-control complications in decompensated portal hypertension among patients with liver cirrhosis (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Liver cirrhosis patients with portal hypertension and multiple risk factors like low white blood cell count and high liver transaminase levels should be cautious regarding the progression of portal hypertension when combined with splenomegaly, liver fibrosis, and bile stasis, as it often indicates a poor prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate whether Mandarin fish developed oxidative stress after being domesticated with artificial feed, we conducted a series of experiments. Oxidative stress is an important factor leading to diseases and aging in the body. The liver integrates functions such as digestion, metabolism, detoxification, coagulation, and immune regulation, while the gills are important respiratory organs that are sensitive to changes in the water environment. Therefore, we used the liver and gills of Mandarin fish as research materials. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of short-term artificial feed domestication on the expression of oxidative stress genes and the changes in oxidative-stress-related enzyme activity in the liver and gills of Mandarin fish. We divided the Mandarin fish into two groups for treatment. The control group was fed with live bait continuously for 14 days, while the experimental group was fed with half artificial feed and half live bait from 0 to 7 days (T-7 d), followed by solely artificial feed from 7 to 14 days (T-14 d). The experimental results showed that there was no difference in the body weight, length, and standard growth rate of the Mandarin fish between the two groups of treatments; after two treatments, there were differences in the expression of genes related to oxidative stress in the gills (keap1, kappa, gsta, gstt1, gstk1, SOD, and CAT) and in the liver (GPx, keap1, kappa, gsta, gstt1, gr, and SOD). In the liver, GPx activity and the content of MDA were significantly upregulated after 7 days of domestication, while in the gills, SOD activity was significantly upregulated after 7 days of domestication and GPx activity was significantly downregulated after 14 days of domestication. These results suggest that artificial feed domestication is associated with oxidative stress. Moreover, these results provide experimental basic data for increasing the production of aquaculture feed for Mandarin fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of hot air drying on drying kinetics, quality and flavor changes of Fructus aurantii. The results showed that Midilli model (R2 = 0.9995, RMSE = 6.16 × 10−9, χ2 = 7.62 × 10−5) was the best model for hot air drying of Fructus aurantii, and the effective moisture diffusion coefficient (Deff) and activation energy (Ea) of hot air drying process was 2.63 × 10−5 - 6.61 × 10−4 m2/s and 42.36 KJ/moL, respectively. The HS-GC-MS and E-nose techniques were used to evaluate the changes in volatile components and aromatic characteristics. The results of HS-GC-MS showed that linalool content was 6.69%, 5.32% and 5.10% at 50°C, 60°C and 70°C respectively, showing a decreasing trend. Flavor radar fingerprint map showed that sensors S13, S12 and S2 have obviously higher response values, S11 , S5, S4 and S9 have higher response values, but other sensors have no obvious response values. PCA analysis showed that the first principal component (PC1) and the second principal component (PC2) accounted for 57.38% and 22.59% respectively, and the cumulative variance contribution rate was 87.1% (> 85%). The results of flavor radar fingerprint and PCA showed that the drying process obviously changed the aroma characteristics. The overall results showed that hot air drying at 50-60°C could effectively improve the final quality of dried Fructus Aurantii by maintaining flavor characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workpiece is composed of its profile and material. The non-geometric dimensioning interior features of products, such as residual stress, may determine the workpiece material properties and the product performance, which should be included into manufacture quality control. The influence of process parameter uncertainty and fluctuation on state of interior property could not be neglected. In this paper, a novel framework of monitoring workpiece quality considering interior features is presented. In this framework, product quality of interior property is considered. In this framework, a rapid simulation method is proposed to acquire the state of product interior features. According to actual process parameter measured by sensors, this simulation method could calculate simulation results of the workpiece's non-geometric dimensioning interior features. By extracting data from off-line database and creating an on-line simulation model, the proposed method can finish the simulation of workpiece interior features rapidly. This simulation algorithm is proposed and discussed mathematically based on the multi-subdomain coupling method, and the simulation error is estimated. With the simulation method, this framework could supplement production quality assessment and control criteria. A case study of a rolling production process shows that this method is effective and could be used to monitor workpiece quality in-process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To accurately and non-destructively monitor the growth of spring wheat in the Hetao irrigation area, UAV remote sensing was employed during various fertility stages. Digital image indices from diverse fertilization treatments were calculated and compared with physiological indices to identify the most sensitive digital image indices corresponding to these indices. The study underscored the critical importance of the flowering stage in the growth of spring wheat, thus highlighting the necessity of focusing on this stage. This finding reiterated that the flowering stage was pivotal for spring wheat development in the Hetao Irrigation Area. Several digital image indices, such as GLA, R, G, INT, g, GRVI, MGRVI, RGBVI, EXG, and GRRI, exhibited a high frequency of significant correlations with physiological indices during the four primary reproductive stages of wheat. Consequently, these sensitive digital image indices during the flowering stage can more effectively characterize the physiological indices of spring wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Treacher Collins Ι syndrome (TCS1, OMIM:154500) is an autosomal dominant disease with a series of clinical manifestations such as craniofacial dysplasia including eye and ear abnormalities, small jaw deformity, cleft lip, as well as repeated respiratory tract infection and conductive hearing loss. Two cases of Treacher Collins syndrome with TCOF1(OMIM:606847) gene variations were reported in the article, with clinical characteristics, gene variants and the etiology. Methods: The clinical data of two patients with Treacher Collins syndrome caused by TCOF1 gene variation were retrospectively analyzed. The whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed to detect the pathogenic variants of TCOF1 gene in the patients, and the verification of variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Results: Proband 1 presented with bilateral craniofacial deformities, conductive hearing loss and recurrent respiratory tract infection. Proband 2 showed bilateral craniofacial malformations with cleft palate, which harbored similar manifestations in her family. She died soon after birth due to dyspnea and feeding difficulties. WES identified two novel pathogenic variants of TCOF1 gene in two probands, each with one variant. According to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the heterozygous variation NM_001371623.1: c.877del (p. Ala293Profs*34) of TCOF1 gene was detected in Proband 1, which was evaluated as a likely pathogenic (LP) and de novo variant. Another variant found in Proband 2 was NM_001135243.1: c.1660_1661del (p. D554Qfs*3) heterozygous variation, which was evaluated as a pathogenic variation and the variant inherited from the mother. To date, the two variants have not been reported before. Conclusion: Our study found two novel pathogenic variants of TCOF1 gene and clarified the etiology of Treacher Collins syndrome. We also enriched the phenotypic spectrum of Treacher Collins syndrome and TCOF1 gene variation spectrum in the Chinese population, and provided the basis for clinical diagnosis, treatment and genetic counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: To clarify the allometric growth pattern and hunger tolerance of Hemibarbus maculatus Bleeker larvae, the morphological lengths of their functional organs were measured continuously and their primary feeding rates under a state of starvation were studied. A control group and starvation group were set up for this study, and 10 larvae were sampled from each group every day in order to study their allometric growth pattern and hunger tolerance. The results showed that the Hemibarbus maculatus larvae opened their mouths for feeding at 4 DAH (days after hatching), and the yolk sac disappeared completely at 11 DAH. The PNR (point of no return) of the Hemibarbus maculatus larvae was 12–13 DAH, and the ratio of the DAH in the mixed trophic period compared to the endotrophic period was 1.75, indicating that Hemibarbus maculatus larvae have strong starvation tolerance. Hemibarbus maculatus larvae preferentially developed their heads, fins, and eyes, related to the functions of feeding, balancing, and swimming, in order to cope with complex environments. Therefore, when considering a water temperature of 22.66 ± 1.56 °C, 4–5 DAH is the best time to cultivate in the pond, which should not be carried out later than 12 DAH. To clarify the allometric growth pattern and hunger tolerance of Hemibarbus maculatus Bleeker larvae, the morphological lengths of their functional organs were measured continuously and their primary feeding rates under a state of starvation were studied. A control group and starvation group were set up for this study, and 10 larvae were sampled from each group every day in order to study their allometric growth pattern and starvation tolerance. The results indicated that the Hemibarbus maculatus larvae opened their mouths for feeding at 4 days after hatching, and that the yolk sac disappeared completely at 11 days after hatching. The Hemibarbus maculatus larvae preferentially developed their heads, fins, and eyes, related to the functions of feeding, balancing, and swimming, in order to cope with complex environments. The growth inflection points for the head length, pectoral fin length, dorsal fin length, eye diameter, eye spacing, snout length, and body height were characterized by total lengths of 10.93 mm, 11.67 mm, 11.67 mm, 13.17 mm, 16.53 mm, 15.13 mm, and 15.13 mm, respectively. Prior to and following the inflection point, positive allometric growth was observed in all organs. After the inflection point, the dorsal fin continued to maintain positive allometric growth, while the others changed to isometric allometric growth. A growth inflection point was not observed for trunk length or the lengths of the tail and anal fins. The trunk length always maintained negative allometry, while the tail and anal fin lengths were reversed. The growth inflection point of the tail length was at a total length of 13.68 mm. Before and after the growth inflection point, negative and isometric allometric growths were observed, respectively. According to the relationship between the total length and number of days after hatching, the growth inflection point of the Hemibarbus maculatus larvae was concentrated at TL = 10.93–16.53 mm, which was observed 14–20 days after hatching. The point of no return for the Hemibarbus maculatus larvae was 12–13 days after hatching, and the ratio of days after hatching in the mixed trophic period to the endotrophic period was 1.75, indicating that the larvae had strong hunger tolerance. Therefore, when considering a water temperature of 22.66 ± 1.56 °C, 4–5 days after hatching is the best time to cultivate in the pond, and it should not be carried out later than 12 days after hatching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a traditional Chinese medicine with the dual use of medicine and food, vine tea has been utilized for centuries as a daily health beverage due to its various health benefits. The primary component responsible for its biological activity is its total flavonoid content. While numerous studies have been conducted on the extracts of vine tea, research has primarily centered on its ingredients and effects, with limited focus on its sensory characteristics. As it has the problems of the undesirable flavor of bitterness and astringency, the development of the vine tea industry is limited. Furthermore, there is currently no standardized brewing process for vine tea. Therefore, it is essential to find a brewing method that is universally applicable and balances a high level of active ingredients with a rich sensory experience. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive investigation into the impact of various water qualities, tea-water ratios, brewing temperatures, steeping times, and frequencies on the total flavonoid content. To investigate the differences between samples from different brewing methods, one-factor experiments (n = 20) and orthogonal experiments were conducted. The total flavonoid content was measured using UV spectrophotometry. To thoroughly examine the flavor compounds, we employed mathematical relationship analysis, radar-gram analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and odor fingerprinting. By integrating these methods with the electronic tongue and electronic nose, we were able to compare the flavor variances between samples and offer a concise analysis of the flavor compounds. The brewing process is influenced by several factors, with the tea-to-water ratio having the most significant impact, followed by brewing temperature and then brewing time. Electronic tongues and electronic noses can distinguish vine tea samples with different brewing processes to a certain extent. The optimal brewing conditions determined in this study were pure water, a 1 : 50 tea-to-water ratio, an 85°C brewing temperature, an 8-minute brewing time, and a single brew cycle. These conditions produced the highest total flavonoid content in the vine tea, at 326.8 mg/g, and the best flavor quality. This study offers novel approaches to standardize the brewing process of vine tea, along with valuable perspectives for enhancing the sensory attributes of the tea. It can serve as a benchmark for the industry's future growth in the canning of vine tea, facilitating the creation of diverse vine tea drinks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wine grape quality is influenced by the variety and growing environment, and the quality of the grapes has a significant impact on the quality of the wine. Tannins are a crucial indicator of wine grape quality, and, therefore, rapid and non-destructive methods for detecting tannin content are necessary. This study collected spectral data of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay using a geophysical spectrometer, with a focus on the 500–1800 nm spectrum. The spectra were preprocessed using Savitzky–Golay (SG), first-order differential (1D), standard normal transform (SNV), and their respective combinations. Characteristic bands were extracted through correlation analysis (PCC). Models such as partial least squares (PLS), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), and one-dimensional neural network (1DCNN) were used to model tannin content. The study found that preprocessing the raw spectra improved the models' predictive capacity. The SVM–RF model was the most effective in predicting grape tannin content, with a test set R2 of 0.78, an RMSE of 0.31, and an RE of 10.71%. These results provide a theoretical basis for non-destructive testing of wine grape tannin content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deltamethrin (Del), a widely administered pyrethroid insecticide, has been established as a common contaminant of the freshwater environment and detected in many freshwater ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the changes in brain transcriptome and metabolome of crucian carp after exposure to 0.6 μg/L Del for 28 days. Elevated MDA levels and inhibition of SOD activity indicate damage to the antioxidant system. Moreover, a total of 70 differential metabolites (DMs) were identified using the liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry, including 32 upregulated and 38 downregulated DMs in the Del‐exposed group. The DMs associated with chronic Del exposure were enriched in steroid hormone biosynthesis, fatty acid metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism for prostaglandin G2, 5‐oxoeicosatetraenoic acid, progesterone, androsterone, etiocholanolone, and hydrocortisone. Transcriptomics analysis revealed that chronic Del exposure caused lipid metabolism disorder, endocrine disruption, and proinflammatory immune response by upregulating the pla2g4, cox2, log5, ptgis, lcn, and cbr expression. Importantly, the integrative analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics indicated that the arachidonic acid metabolism pathway and steroid hormone biosynthesis were decisive processes in the brain tissue of crucian carp after Del exposure. Furthermore, Del exposure perturbed the tight junction, HIF‐1 signaling pathway, and thyroid hormone signaling pathway. Overall, transcriptome and metabolome data of our study offer a new insight to assess the risk of chronic Del exposure in fish brains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic pain is the key manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis. Neuroinflammation in the spinal cord drives central sensitization and chronic pain. Ferroptosis has potentially important roles in the occurrence of neuroinflammation and chronic pain. In the current study, mouse model of collagen‐induced arthritis was established by intradermal injection of type II collagen in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) solution. CFA inducement resulted in swollen paw and ankle, mechanical and spontaneous pain, and impaired motor coordination. The spinal inflammation was triggered, astrocytes were activated, and increased NLRP3‐mediated inflammatory signal was found in CFA spinal cord. Oxidative stress and ferroptosis in the spinal cord were manifested. Meanwhile, enhancive spinal GSK‐3β activity and abnormal phosphorylated Drp1 were observed. To investigate the potential therapeutic options for arthritic pain, mice were intraperitoneally injected with AB4 for three consecutive days. AB4 treatment reduced pain sensitivity and increased the motor coordination. In the spinal cord, AB4 treatment inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome‐mediated inflammatory response, increased antioxidation, decreased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and ferroptosis. Furthermore, AB4 decreased GSK‐3β activity by binding with GSK‐3β through five electrovalent bonds. Our findings indicated that AB treatment relieves arthritis pain by inhibiting GSK‐3β activation, increasing antioxidant capability, reducing Drp1‐mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and suppressing neuroinflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The impact of sexual abstinence on sperm quality, particularly in pathological cases, is a subject of debate. We investigated the link between abstinence duration and semen quality in both normal and pathological samples. Methods: We analyzed semen samples from 4423 men undergoing fertility evaluation, comprising 1256 samples from healthy individuals and 3167 from those with conditions such as oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, teratozoospermia, or a combination of these factors, namely oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT). Parameters including sperm concentration, the percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa, total motile sperm count, and the percentage of spermatozoa with normal morphology were assessed at various abstinence durations (each day, 0–2, 3–7, and >7 days). Results: Extended abstinence correlated with higher sperm concentration overall (p < 0.001), except in oligozoospermia. Longer abstinence reduced progressive motility in normal (p < 0.001) and teratozoospermic samples (p < 0.001). Shorter abstinence was linked to higher morphologically normal sperm in normal samples (p = 0.03), while longer abstinence did so in oligoasthenoteratozoospermic samples (p = 0.013). Conclusion: The findings suggest that a prolonged abstinence time is linked to higher sperm concentration, while optimal sperm motility is observed after shorter abstinence periods. However, results regarding morphology remain inconclusive. Recommendations on abstinence duration should be tailored based on the specific parameter requiring the most significant improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Victims' willingness to report crime and their opinions about the police are important indicators of police performance, police legitimacy, and trust in the justice system. This study examines two decades of trends in police notification and victims' perceptions of the police in the United States and major metropolitan areas since 2000, using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). In contrast to previous studies indicating an increase in police notification in the 1980s and 1990s, the present study shows a progressive decline in police notification observed in the last two decades, especially since 2010. Furthermore, there has been a marked increase in victims' mistrust of police responsiveness since the mid-2000s. Using multivariable regression models that control for potential changes in the characteristics of crime and survey methodology, we find that the victims' rising distrust of the police is widespread in many metropolitan areas, in all racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups, and especially so for victims of theft, burglary, and simple assault. In the discussion, we suggest that the changing policing strategies and the evolving economic, political, and social environments of the 21st century may help explain the trends identified by this research. Understanding victim reporting trends and victims' opinions of the police may affect data and policy and help the justice system to better serve victims and enhance public safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reliability of DC-link electrolytic capacitors is crucial to ensure the quality of power supply systems. The degradation of capacitor parameters may lead to a higher temperature and thus accelerate degradation as a self-accelerating effect. In this article, an improved reliability prediction method for DC-link electrolytic capacitors is proposed, as existing methods have not adequately accounted for the self-acceleration effect. The degradation under dynamic stress is obtained by cumulative computations and the stress is updated according to the degraded parameters. The degradation models are converted into degradation rate models to overcome the computational challenges associated with small-step iterations that may make traditional methods unaffordable. The proposed method for developing the degradation rate model is widely applicable and achieves satisfactory accuracy. To demonstrate the practicality of the proposed method, a case study of a boost motor drive system is presented. The appropriate iteration step can be determined by comparing the results of the lifetime distributions obtained using different iteration steps. Degradation paths considering self-acceleration effects can be obtained, enabling more precise system quality analysis and reliability prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations of the vertical wind profile in Chongqing, a typical mountainous city in China, are important, but they are sparse and have low resolution. To obtain more wind profile data, this study matched the Aeolus track with ground-based wind observation sites in Chongqing in 2021. Based on the obtained results, verification and quality control studies were conducted on the wind observations of a wind profile radar (WPR) with radiosonde (RS) data, and a comparison of the Aeolus Mie-cloudy and Rayleigh-clear wind products (Aeolus winds measured in cloudy and aerosol-rich atmospheric conditions from Mie-channel-collected data and winds measured in clear-air conditions from Rayleigh-collected data) with WPR data was then performed. The conclusions can be summarized as follows: (1) a clear correlation between the wind observations of WPR and RS was found, with a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.71. Their root mean square deviation increased with height but decreased at heights between 3 and 4 km. (2) After quality control using Gaussian filtering (GF) and empirical orthogonal function construction (EOFc; G=87.23 %) of the WPR data, the R between the WPR and RS reached 0.83 and 0.95, respectively. The vertical distribution showed that GF could better retain the characteristics of WPR wind observations but with limited improvement in decreasing deviations, whereas EOFc performed better in decreasing deviations but considerably modified the original characteristics of the wind field, especially regarding intensive vertical wind shear in strong convective weather processes. (3) In terms of the differences between the Aeolus and WPR data, 56.0 % and 67.8 % deviations were observed within ±5 m s -1 for Rayleigh-clear and Mie-cloudy winds (Aeolus winds measured in cloudy and aerosol-rich atmospheric conditions from Mie-channel-collected data and winds measured in clear-air conditions from Rayleigh-collected data) vs WPR winds, respectively. Vertically, large mean differences of both Rayleigh-clean and Mie-cloudy winds versus WPR winds appeared below 1.5 km, which is attributed to the prevailing quiet and small winds within the boundary layer in Chongqing; in this case the movement of molecules and aerosols is mostly affected by irregular turbulence. Additionally, large mean differences at a height range between 4 and 8 km for Mie-cloudy versus WPR winds may be related to the high content of cloud liquid water in the middle troposphere of Chongqing. (4) The differences in both Rayleigh-clear and Mie-cloudy versus WPR winds had changed. Deviations of 58.9 % and 59.6 % were concentrated within ±5 m s -1 for Rayleigh-clear versus WPR winds with GF and EOFc quality control, respectively. In contrast, 69.1 % and 70.2 % of deviations appeared within ±5 m s -1 for Rayleigh-clear versus WPR and EOFc WPR winds, respectively. These results shed light on the comprehensive applications of multi-source wind profile data in mountainous cities or areas with sparse ground-based wind observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interactions between the terrestrial biosphere, atmospheric chemistry, and climate involve complex feedbacks that have traditionally been modeled separately. We present a new framework that couples the Yale Interactive terrestrial Biosphere (YIBs), a dynamic plant-chemistry model, with the RegCM-Chem model. RegCM-Chem-YIBs integrates meteorological variables and atmospheric chemical composition from RegCM-Chem with land surface parameters from YIBs. The terrestrial carbon flux calculated by YIBs, are fed back into RegCM-Chem interactively, thereby representing the interactions between fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ozone (O3), and carbon dioxide (CO2). For testing purposes, we carry out a one-year simulation (2016) at a 30 km horizontal resolution over East Asia with RegCM-Chem-YIBs. The model accurately captures the spa-tio-temporal distribution of climate, chemical composition, and ecological parameters. In particular, the estimated O3 and PM2.5 are consistent with ground observations, with correlation coefficients (R) of 0.74 and 0.65, respec-tively. The simulated CO2 concentration is consistent with observations from six sites (R ranged from 0.89 to 0.97) and exhibits a similar spatial pattern when compared to carbon assimilation products. RegCM-Chem-YIBs produces reasonably good gross primary productivity (GPP) and net primary productivity (NPP), showing seasonal and spatial distributions consistent with satellite observations, and mean biases (MBs) of 0.13 and 0.05 kg C m-2 year-1. This study illustrates that the RegCM-Chem-YIBs is a valuable tool to investigate coupled interactions between the terrestrial carbon cycle, atmospheric chemistry, and climate change at a higher resolution in regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes is a leading cause of morbidity, mortality and cost of illness1,2. Health behaviours, particularly those related to nutrition and physical activity, play a key role in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus3. Whereas behaviour change programmes (also known as lifestyle interventions or similar) have been found efficacious in controlled clinical trials4,5, there remains controversy about whether targeting health behaviours at the individual level is an effective preventive strategy for type 2 diabetes mellitus6 and doubt among clinicians that lifestyle advice and counselling provided in the routine health system can achieve improvements in health7–9. Here we show that being referred to the largest behaviour change programme for prediabetes globally (the English Diabetes Prevention Programme) is effective in improving key cardiovascular risk factors, including glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), excess body weight and serum lipid levels. We do so by using a regression discontinuity design10, which uses the eligibility threshold in HbA1c for referral to the behaviour change programme, in electronic health data from about one-fifth of all primary care practices in England. We confirm our main finding, the improvement of HbA1c, using two other quasi-experimental approaches: difference-in-differences analysis exploiting the phased roll-out of the programme and instrumental variable estimation exploiting regional variation in programme coverage. This analysis provides causal, rather than associational, evidence that lifestyle advice and counselling implemented at scale in a national health system can achieve important health improvements.Analysis of the largest behaviour change programme for prediabetes globally provides causal evidence that lifestyle advice and counselling implemented at scale can improve key cardiovascular risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]