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Precisely determining how cables distribute their current-carrying capacity and temperature field is crucial for the dependable and cost-effective functioning of power grids. Firstly, the power cable structure and the advantages and disadvantages of different laying methods are analyzed in detail. Secondly, the theoretical model of current-carrying capacity calculation and temperature field of power cables, including heat convection, heat conduction, and heat radiation, is constructed, and the method for calculating cable current-carrying capacity, relying on the double-point chordal interception method, is suggested. Then, the COMSOL multiphysics 6.2 finite element simulation software is utilized to create a simulation model that aligns with the real cable laying technique. Finally, the current-carrying capacity and temperature field of power cables are simulated and analyzed for different arrangements of power cables in three laying modes, namely directly buried, row pipe, and trench. The simulation results show that the cable laying method greatly affects the cable's carrying capacity; the more centralized the cable distribution, the smaller the flow. The method can be realized in different ways of laying power cables in the real-time rapid calculation of flow as the actual laying of power cables has an important reference and reference significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southern root-knot nematodes are among the most pernicious phytoparasites; they are responsible for substantial yield losses in agricultural crops worldwide. The limited availability of nematicides for the prevention and control of plant-parasitic nematodes necessitates the urgent development of novel nematicides. Natural products have always been a key source for the discovery of pesticides. Waltherione A, an alkaloid, exhibits potent nematocidal activity. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of quinoline and quinolone derivatives from Waltherione A, leveraging a strategy of structural simplification. Bioassays have revealed that the quinoline derivatives exhibit better activity than quinolone derivatives in terms of both nematocidal and fungicidal activities. Notably, compound D1 demonstrated strong nematocidal activity, with a 72 h LC50 of 23.06 μg/mL, and it effectively controlled the infection of root-knot nematodes on cucumbers. The structure–activity relationship suggests that the quinoline moiety is essential for the nematocidal efficacy of Waltherione A. Additionally, compound D1 exhibited broad-spectrum fungicidal activity, with an EC50 of 2.98 μg/mL against Botrytis cinerea. At a concentration of 200 μg/mL, it significantly inhibited the occurrence of B. cinerea on tomato fruits, with an inhibitory effect of 96.65%, which is slightly better than the positive control (90.30%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuritin, also known as candidate plasticity gene 15 (CPG15), was first identified as one of the activity‐dependent gene products in the brain. Previous studies have been reported that Neuritin induces neuritogenesis, neurite arborization, neurite outgrowth and synapse formation, which are involved in the development and functions of the central nervous system. However, the role of Neuritin in peripheral nerve injury is still unknown. Given the importance and necessity of Schwann cell dedifferentiation response to peripheral nerve injury, we aim to investigate the molecular mechanism of Neuritin steering Schwann cell dedifferentiation during Wallerian degeneration (WD) in injured peripheral nerve. Herein, using the explants of sciatic nerve, an ex vivo model of nerve degeneration, we provided evidences indicating that Neuritin vividly accelerates Schwann cell dedifferentiation. Moreover, we found that Neuritin promotes Schwann cell demyelination as well as axonal degeneration, phagocytosis, secretion capacity. In summary, we first described Neuritin acts as a positive regulator for Schwann cell dedifferentiation and WD after peripheral nerve injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perennial trees have a recurring annual cycle of wood formation in response to environmental fluctuations. However, the precise molecular mechanisms that regulate the seasonal formation of wood remain poorly understood. Our prior study indicates that VCM1 and VCM2 play a vital role in regulating the activity of the vascular cambium by controlling the auxin homoeostasis of the cambium zone in Populus. This study indicates that abscisic acid (ABA) affects the expression of VCM1 and VCM2, which display seasonal fluctuations in relation to photoperiod changes. ABA‐responsive transcription factors AREB4 and AREB13, which are predominantly expressed in stem secondary vascular tissue, bind to VCM1 and VCM2 promoters to induce their expression. Seasonal changes in the photoperiod affect the ABA amount, which is linked to auxin‐regulated cambium activity via the functions of VCM1 and VCM2. Thus, the study reveals that AREB4/AREB13‐VCM1/VCM2‐PIN5b acts as a molecular module connecting ABA and auxin signals to control vascular cambium activity in seasonal wood formation. Summary statement: Perennial trees undergo a recurring annual process of wood formation in response to changes in the environment. This study demonstrates that the AREB4/AREB13‐VCM1/VCM2‐PIN5b module functions by linking abscisic acid and auxin signals to regulate the activity of the vascular cambium for the process of seasonal wood formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an engineered porous graphite felt (GF) was first prepared by a high-temperature etching method and then carbon nanoparticles were decorated on the GF surface. The physical and chemical properties of the modified carbon graphite felt (MCGF) electrode were then analyzed through various tests, including field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and galvanostatic charging/discharging curves. The physical characterization and electrochemical performance analysis indicated that high-temperature etching influenced the hydrophilicity and reaction surface area of the electrode. The presence of carbon nanoparticles adhering to the fiber surface enhances electron transfer at the electrode/electrolyte interface during the oxidation and reduction processes of 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl (4-HO-TEMPO). The peak currents of the redox reactions (147.2 and 142.3 mA for oxidation and reduction processes, respectively) on the electrode modified by MCGF are about two times those for the other electrodes. After the electrode was assembled in the battery, the MCGF electrode demonstrated a significant improvement in battery performance, notably increasing both battery capacity and efficiency. Meanwhile, the carbon nanoparticles can still firmly attach to the modified electrode after multiple cycles and exhibit powerful catalytic performance. At a current of 80 mA/cm2, the energy efficiency (EE) of the battery increased from 51.1 to 54.4% by the MCGF electrode. Furthermore, after 100 cycles, the system's cyclability testing revealed no significant fading, indicating the outstanding cycling stability of the MCGF electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This article presents the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN)'s approach to automation for public health surveillance using digital quality measures (dQMs) via an open-source tool (NHSNLink) and piloting of this approach using real-world data in a newly established collaborative program (NHSNCoLab). The approach leverages Health Level Seven Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) application programming interfaces to improve data collection and reporting for public health and patient safety beginning with common, clinically significant, and preventable patient harms, such as medication-related hypoglycemia, healthcare facility-onset Clostridioides difficile infection, and healthcare-associated venous thromboembolism. Conclusions The NHSN's FHIR dQMs hold the promise of minimizing the burden of reporting, improving accuracy, quality, and validity of data collected by NHSN, and increasing speed and efficiency of public health surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of dynamic positioning (DP) algorithms for an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) is attracting great interest, especially in support of complex missions such as sea rescue. In order to improve the simplicity of the algorithm, a DP algorithm based on its own path following control ability is proposed. The algorithm divides the DP problem into two parts: path generation and path following. The key contribution is that the DP ability can be realized only by designing the path generation method, rather than a whole complex independent DP controller. This saves the computing power of the USV onboard computer and can effectively reduce the complexity of the algorithm. In addition, the fixed-time LOS guidance law is designed to improve the convergence rate of the system state in path-following control. The reasonable selection of speed and a heading controller ensures that the number of design parameters to be determined is at a low level. The above algorithms have been thoroughly evaluated and validated through extensive computer simulations, demonstrating their effectiveness in simulated and real marine environments. The simulation results verify the ability of the proposed algorithm to realize the dynamic positioning of USVs, and provide a practical scheme for the design of the dynamic positioning controller of USVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D), pancreatic islets, especially the β cells, face significant challenges. These insulin-producing cells adopt a regeneration strategy to compensate for the shortage of insulin, but the exact mechanism needs to be defined. High-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ) treatment are well-established models to study islet damage in T2D and T1D respectively. Therefore, we applied these two diabetic mouse models, triggered at different ages, to pursue the cell fate transition of islet β cells. Cre-LoxP systems were used to generate islet cell type-specific (α, β, or δ) green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled mice for genetic lineage tracing, thereinto β-cell GFP-labeled mice were tamoxifen induced. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was used to investigate the evolutionary trajectories and molecular mechanisms of the GFP-labeled β cells in STZ-treated mice. STZ-induced diabetes caused extensive dedifferentiation of β cells and some of which transdifferentiated into a or δ cells in both youth- and adulthood-initiated mice while this phenomenon was barely observed in HFD models. β cells in HFD mice were expanded via self-replication rather than via transdifferentiation from α or δ cells, in contrast, α or δ cells were induced to transdifferentiate into β cells in STZ-treated mice (both youth- and adulthood-initiated). In addition to the re-dedifferentiation of β cells, it is also highly likely that these "α or δ" cells transdifferentiated from pre-existing β cells could also re-trans-differentiate into insulin-producing β cells and be beneficial to islet recovery. The analysis of ScRNA-seq revealed that several pathways including mitochondrial function, chromatin modification, and remodeling are crucial in the dynamic transition of β cells. Our findings shed light on how islet β cells overcome the deficit of insulin and the molecular mechanism of islet recovery in T1D and T2D pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare and complex cerebrovascular disorder characterized by the progressive narrowing of the internal carotid arteries and the formation of compensatory collateral vessels. The etiology of MMD remains enigmatic, making diagnosis and management challenging. The MOYAOMICS project was initiated to investigate the molecular underpinnings of MMD and explore potential diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Methods: The MOYAOMICS project employs a multidisciplinary approach, integrating various omics technologies, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, to comprehensively examine the molecular signatures associated with MMD pathogenesis. Additionally, we will investigate the potential influence of gut microbiota and brain-gut peptides on MMD development, assessing their suitability as targets for therapeutic strategies and dietary interventions. Radiomics, a specialized field in medical imaging, is utilized to analyze neuroimaging data for early detection and characterization of MMD-related brain changes. Deep learning algorithms are employed to differentiate MMD from other conditions, automating the diagnostic process. We also employ single-cellomics and mass cytometry to precisely study cellular heterogeneity in peripheral blood samples from MMD patients. Conclusions: The MOYAOMICS project represents a significant step toward comprehending MMD's molecular underpinnings. This multidisciplinary approach has the potential to revolutionize early diagnosis, patient stratification, and the development of targeted therapies for MMD. The identification of blood-based biomarkers and the integration of multiple omics data are critical for improving the clinical management of MMD and enhancing patient outcomes for this complex disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the fabrication of a serious of anisotropic composite aerogels comprising polyimide and graphene (PI/G) through a simple and eco‐friendly technique. Poly(amic acid) ammonium salt/graphene dispersion, which was produced through the mixture of poly(amic acid), graphene aqueous dispersion, triethylamine, and water, was utilized in the process of creating PI/G composite aerogels employing unidirectional freezing, freeze‐drying, and thermal imidization. The PI/G aerogels displayed anisotropic mechanical properties, thermal insulation, and electrical conductivity. The PI/G aerogels with an anisotropic microstructure demonstrated notable rigidity and a high compressive modulus (52.7 MPa) along the axial direction, while displaying favorable flexibility and a low modulus (18.2 MPa) along the radial direction. Furthermore, the PI/G aerogel exhibited anisotropic thermal conductivity (axial: 64 mW m−1 K−1; radical: 55 mW m−1 K−1). These properties enable the PI/G aerogel to have a wider range of potential applications, especially strain sensors. The research presented herein establishes a simple and eco‐friendly strategy for the production of anisotropic PI/G‐based composite aerogels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient and precise retrieval of desired information from extensive geological databases is a prominent and pivotal focus within the realm of geological information services. Conventional information retrieval methods primarily rely on keyword matching approaches, which often overlook the contextual and semantic aspects of the keywords, consequently impeding the retrieval system's ability to accurately comprehend user query requirements. To tackle this challenge, this study proposes an ontology-driven information-retrieval framework for geological data that integrates spatiotemporal and topic associations. The framework encompasses the development of a geological domain ontology, extraction of key information, establishment of a multi-feature association and retrieval framework, and validation through a comprehensive case study. By employing the proposed framework, users are empowered to actively and automatically retrieve pertinent information, simplifying the information access process, mitigating the burden of comprehending information organization and software application models, and ultimately enhancing retrieval efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of similarity measures in interval-valued neutrosophic sets (IVNSs) theory is essential for comparing and assessing the degree of IVNSs difference. However, existing similarity measures for IVNSs suffer from several issues such as lacking precise axiomatic definitions, counterintuitive results, division by zero errors, inability to distinguish between positive and negative differences, and failure to satisfy the ranking definition. To address these limitations, we propose a novel multi-parameter similarity measure for IVNSs based on the tangent function. We demonstrate that our measure satisfies the axiomatic definition and apply it to medical diagnosis, achieving accurate diagnostic results. Additionally, we consider the interactions between symptoms, adjust the proposed similarity measure using Choquet integrals, and provide analytical comparisons to demonstrate the advantages of our improved similarity measure, highlighting its stability and high confidence in the field of medical diagnosis.This study contributes to the advancement of similarity measures in IVNSs theory and provides valuable insights for the field of medical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malnutrition is very common in patients with chronic kidney disease, especially in those on maintenance dialysis. Malnutrition is one of the major factors affecting survival and death of dialysis patients, and reducing their activity tolerance and immunity. There are numerous and interacting risk factors for malnutrition, such as reduced nutritional intake, increased energy expenditure, hormonal disorders, and inflammation. Selenium, in the form of selenoproteins, is involved in many physiological processes in the body and plays an important role in maintaining redox homeostasis. Oxidative stress and infection are very common in dialysis patients, and selenium levels in dialysis patients are significantly lower than those in the healthy population. It has been shown that there is a correlation between selenium levels in hemodialysis patients and their nutrition-related indicators, and that selenium supplementation may improve malnutrition in patients. However, further studies are needed to support this conclusion and there is a lack of basic research to further characterize the potential mechanisms by which selenium may improve malnutrition in dialysis patients. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of factors associated with malnutrition in dialysis patients and to describe the progress of research on nutritional status and selenium levels in dialysis patients. Malnutrition is very common and one of the main factors affecting the survival and mortality of dialysis patients Risk factors for malnutrition in dialysis patients are numerous and interact with each other; controlling and reducing these risk factors is important to improve the nutritional status of patients. The trace element selenium acts to improve the nutritional status of patients by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in their bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several recent efforts have been devoted to enhancing pretrained language models (PLMs) by utilizing extra heterogeneous knowledge in knowledge graphs (KGs) and have achieved consistent improvements on various knowledge-driven natural language processing (NLP) tasks. However, most of these knowledge-enhanced PLMs, regardless of the domain-specific knowledge required by PLMs, lack a Chinese corpus to support large-scale PLMs, especially in domain-specific PLMs. Herein, we harvest and process public geological reports (mainly various reports from the National Geological Archives of China), abstracts of papers from 34 geological journals, and abstracts of geological dissertations from 161 universities or scientific institutions. This paper introduces a large-scale Chinese geological corpus (GeoCorpus) containing approximately 232 MB of training data with a total of 243 million characters. Based on GeoCorpus, we also introduce a Chinese pretrained language representation model in the geological domain (CnGeoPLM). The model utilizes the generic BERT to complete parameter initialization and combines the GeoCorpus for the second stage of training. We evaluate and test CnGeoPLM and Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) on three tasks of geological named entity recognition (GeoNER), geological entity relationship extraction (GeoRE), and geological entity clustering (GeoClu). In the results of both the GeoNER and GeoRE experiments, CnGeoPLM has different degrees of improvement in evaluation metrics compared to BERT. In the GeoClu experiment, CnGeoPLM is significantly more effective and discriminative in entity clustering effect compared to BERT. These results show that CnGeoPLM has a stronger representation ability in geological NLP tasks than BERT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stroke is closely related to carotid atherosclerotic plaques, which tend to occur in specific parts of the arteries, especially at the bifurcations, and are considered to be caused by biomechanical factors. Quantitative analysis of hemodynamic stress characteristics of the carotid sinus in vivo provides a mechanical basis for the development of atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid sinus. Previous studies found that ultrasound (US) contrast agent microbubbles would vibrate nonlinearly under the excitation of sound pressure, generating subharmonics (transmission fundamental frequency, i.e., f0 and subharmonic frequency at f0/2), which have the highest sensitivity to pressure changes and exhibit an inverse linear relationship with environmental pressure. Purpose: This study employed subharmonic aided pressure estimation (SHAPE) technology to reflect carotid artery hydrodynamic characteristics in the carotid lumen. Methods: From May 2021 to December 2021, this prospective study reviewed a total of 26 normal carotid arteries of 13 participants, all of whom received bilateral carotid artery routine US and SHAPE US examinations. During this study, the lumen of the bilateral distal segment of the common carotid artery (Distal‐CCA), carotid artery bifurcation (CAB), and carotid bulb (CB) were scanned section by section from bottom to top in longitudinal and transverse sections. Subsequently, the subharmonic amplitudes in the lumen of normal carotid arteries were collected and analyzed. Results: This study found that the amplitude of subharmonic amplitude in the carotid was distributed unevenly, with the amplitudes of subharmonic at the CAB being higher. Specifically, the subharmonic gradient of the carotid artery bifurcation apex plane was maximum (9.72 ± 4.31 dB), while the average subharmonic amplitude of the outer lateral layer of the carotid artery was higher (‐56.40 ± 6.31 dB) (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The SHAPE technique is capable of indirectly reflecting the pressure changes of vascular system tissues, which may provide a new monitoring method for evaluating mechanical characteristics obviating invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the oxidation of ferrous ions in lithium iron phosphate and reduction of trivalent cobalt ions in lithium cobaltate, an innovative combined recovery process of lithium iron phosphate and lithium cobaltate powders is proposed. The effects of leaching conditions on leaching performance are studied and the optimal leaching conditions are obtained. Under these conditions, the leaching efficiencies of lithium and cobalt ions reach up to 99.92% and 81.11%, respectively. After removing ferric ions from leachate, the cobalt and lithium ions are separately recovered from the leaching solution. The final precipitation rate of cobalt ions is up to 97.71% with the purity of cobalt oxalate as 99.94%. In addition, the precipitation rate of lithium ions is 78.54% and the purity of lithium carbonate reaches up to 99.94%. Finally, the reaction path and mechanism for the combined recovery of lithium iron phosphate–lithium cobaltate system are preliminary investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate cardiac function, particularly left ventricular systolic function, in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) using velocity vector imaging (VVI), and to determine whether a correlation exists between left ventricular global systolic function and PD severity. Methods: A case–control study design was used to select 56 PD patients and 30 healthy controls from January 2019 to December 2019. The characteristics of age, sex, BMI and course of disease were collected. The Hoehn–Yahr (H‐Y) score was collected to record the grading of PD. The left ventricular systolic function of all patients was evaluated by variable vapor injection (VVI). The left ventricular systolic function was compared between the case group and the control group, and the correlation between cardiac dysfunction and the severity of PD symptoms was assessed using the modified H‐Y scale. Results: Compared with control group, left ventricular global systolic function18.22 (17.08, 19.12) vs 18.88 (18.12, 20.01) was lower in PD patients as indicated by left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS), and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.039). Additionally, H‐Y scores (r = −0.404) and PD duration(r = −0.323) were significantly correlated with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (P < 0.01), GLS (P < 0.001), left ventricular global radial strain (GRS; P < 0.001), and left ventricular global circumferential strain (GCS; P < 0.001), along with their associated peak strain rates (GLSr, GRSr, and GCSr; P < 0.001). Conclusion: Subclinical left ventricular global systolic dysfunction in patients with PD can be detected using VVI, and reduced left ventricular systolic function correlates with the modified H‐Y score and duration of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is among the main pathogens that cause nosocomial infections. The ability to rapidly and accurately detect A. baumannii and its drug resistance is essential for blocking secondary infections and guiding treatments. In this study, we reported a nucleic acid fluorescent lateral flow assay (NFLFA) to identify A. baumannii and carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) in a rapid and quantitative manner by integrating loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and silica–based multilayered quantum dot nanobead tag (Si@MQB). First, a rapid LAMP system was established and optimised to support the effective amplification of two bacterial genes in 35 min. Then, the antibody-modified Si@MQB was introduced to capture the two kinds of amplified DNA sequences and simultaneously detect them on two test lines of a LFA strip, which greatly improved the detection sensitivity and stability of the commonly used AuNP-based nucleic acid LFA. With these strategies, the established LAMP-NFLFA achieved detection limits of 199 CFU/mL and 287 CFU/mL for the RecA (house-keeping gene) and blaOXA-23 (drug resistance gene) genes, respectively, within 43 min. Furthermore, the assay exhibited good repeatability and specificity for detecting target pathogens in real complex specimens and environments; thus, the proposed assay undoubtedly provides a promising and low-cost tool for the on-site monitoring of nosocomial infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acer truncatum Bunge is a type of maple that is unique to China. Its fruit setting rate and seed oil content are both high. The oil is mainly composed of C16–C24 fatty acids and contains 5%–7% nervonic acid (NA). NA and its derivatives can delay ageing and prevent and treat disorders such as senile dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The content of NA ethyl ester prepared by the seed oil of A. truncatum Bunge is 5.84%. We report a new process for the enrichment of NA ethyl ester by urea inclusion (UI) and molecular distillation (MD), with the aim of obtaining highly pure NA ethyl ester. First, based on the difference in fatty acid ethyl ester saturation and carbon chain length, unwanted compounds such as oleic acid ethyl ester, linoleic acid ethyl ester, and sterol were removed by one‐stage UI, the content of NA ethyl ester was increased to 18.69%. The oil in the UI compound was used as a feed, and differences in the mean molecular free paths between the components were exploited to separate the C16–C20 fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) by two‐stage MD. The total content of C16–C20 FAEEs decreased to 3.69% and the purity of NA ethyl ester increased to 47.47%. A new purification process of UI‐MD‐UI was established and NA ethyl ester could be purified to 91.8%. The combination of MD and UI has an important reference value for the industrialization of producing high‐purity NA ethyl ester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing proliferation of geographic information presents a substantial challenge to the traditional framework of a geographic information analysis and service. The dynamic integration and representation of geographic knowledge, such as triples, with spatio-temporal information play a crucial role in constructing a comprehensive spatio-temporal knowledge graph and facilitating the effective utilization of spatio-temporal big data for knowledge-driven service applications. The existing knowledge graph (or geographic knowledge graph) takes spatio-temporal as the attribute of entity, ignoring the role of spatio-temporal information for accurate retrieval of entity objects and adaptive expression of entity objects. This study approaches the correlation between geographic knowledge and spatio-temporal information as a text classification problem, with the aim of addressing the challenge of establishing meaningful connections among spatio-temporal data using advanced deep learning techniques. Specifically, we leverage Wikipedia as a valuable data source for collecting and filtering geographic texts. The Open Information Extraction (OpenIE) tool is employed to extract triples from each sentence, followed by manual annotation of the sentences' spatio-temporal relevance. This process leads to the formation of quadruples (time relevance/space relevance) or quintuples (spatio-temporal relevance). Subsequently, a comprehensive spatio-temporal classification dataset is constructed for experiment verification. Ten prominent deep learning text classification models are then utilized to conduct experiments covering various aspects of time, space, and spatio-temporal relationships. The experimental results demonstrate that the Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformer-Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (BERT-RCNN) model exhibits the highest performance among the evaluated models. Overall, this study establishes a foundation for future knowledge extraction endeavors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A competitive fluorescent lateral flow assay (CFLFA) is proposed for direct, ultrasensitive, quantitative detection of common pesticides imidacloprid (IMI) and carbendazim (CBZ) in complex food samples by using silica–core multilayered quantum dot nanobeads (SiO2-MQB) as liquid fluorescent tags. The SiO2-MQB nanostructure comprises a 200-nm SiO2 core and a shell of hundreds of carboxylated QDs (excitation/emission maxima ~365/631 nm), and can generate better stability, superior dispersibility, and higher luminescence than traditional fluorescent beads, greatly improving the sensitivity of current LFA methods for pesticides. Moreover, using liquid SiO2-MQB directly instead of via the conjugate pad both simplifies the structure of LFA system and improves the efficiency of immunobinding reactions between nanotags and the targets. Applying these methods, the established CFLFA realized the stable and accurate detection of IMI and CBZ in 12 min, with detection limits down to 1.94 and 14.79 pg/mL, respectively. The SiO2-MQB-CFLFA is practicable for application to real food samples (corn, apple, cucumber, and cabbage), and undoubtedly a promising and low-cost tool for on-site monitoring of trace pesticide residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Daning-Jixian block, the eastern edge of the Ordos Basin, is one of the most potential areas for CO2 geological storage, enhanced coalbed methane recovery (ECBM) exploration and production in China in recent decades. The ionic composition and total dissolved solids (TDS) of the produced water, coal organic matter maturity, molecular composition and carbon isotope characteristics of the produced gas were utilized to analyze the hydrogeological condition, CBM generation and migration characteristics in this area. The CBM enrichment patterns and the geological impacts on gas well production characteristics were revealed. The optimal area for CBM development and CO2 geological storage in the study area were also proposed. Dominated by the Xueguan reverse fault zone, the hydraulic unit in this area can be divided into two parts (i.e., the recharge-runoff zone in the east and the weak runoff-stagnation zone in the west). The thermogenic gas is dominating CBM genesis in this area. Secondary biogenic gas replenishment is only distributed in the eastern margin area, where the δ13C1 value is less than the thermal simulation results as an influence of hydrodynamic fractionation. Finally, two models of CBM formation and accumulation were proposed, 1) thermogenic CBM migrated by hydrodynamic and resorbed for preservation at impermeable fault boundaries; 2) thermogenic CBM trapped by fault and accumulated by hydrodynamic in slope zone. The gas production performance, generally increased from east to west, is mainly dominated by hydrogeological conditions. Generally, the west side of the fault zone is the enrichment and high-yield area for ECBM development and CO2 geological storage in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence rate of stroke or cerebrovascular accidents ranks first in China. More than 85% of stroke patients have residual upper limb motor dysfunction, especially hand dysfunction. Normalizing the rehabilitation evaluation process and standard quantitative evaluation method is a complex and key point in rehabilitation therapy. The study aimed to establish a function model based on the Bayes discriminant by measuring the thenar stiffness with shear wave elastography (SWE) to quantitatively evaluate the hand motor function of hemiplegic patients after stroke. Methods: This study collected 60 patients diagnosed with hemiplegia after stroke from October 2021 to October 2022. Therapists used the Brunnstrom assessment (BA)scale to divide the patients into the stage. All the patients underwent the measurement of SWE examination of abductor pollicis brevis (APB), opponens pollicis (OP), flexor pollicis long tendon (FPLT), and flexor pollicis brevis (FPB) by two sonographers. The SWE change rate of four parts of the thenar area was calculated prospectively with the non-hemiplegic side as the reference, the function equation was established by the Bayes discriminant method, and the evaluation model was fitted according to the acquired training set data. Lastly, the model was verified by self-validation, cross-validation, and external data validation methods. The classification performance was evaluated regarding the area under the ROC curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity. Results: The median SWE values of the hemiplegic side of patients were lower than those of the non-hemiplegic side. According to the BA stage and SWER of APB, OP, FPLT, and FPB, our study established the Bayes discriminative model and validated it via self-validation and cross-validation methods. Then, the discriminant equation was used to validate 18 patients prospectively, the diagnostic coincidence rate was about 78.8%, and the misjudgment rate was approximately 21.2%. The AUC of the discriminant model for diagnosing BA stage I-VI was 0.928(95% CI: 0.839-1.0),0.858(95% CI: 0.748–0.969),1.0(95% CI: 1.0–1.0), 0.777(95% CI: 0.599–0.954),0.785(95% CI: 0.593–0.977) and 0.985(95% CI: 0.959-1.0), respectively. Conclusion: This Bayes discriminant model built by measuring thenar stiffness was of diagnostic value and can provide an objective basis for evaluating clinical rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insulin deficiency may be due to the reduced proliferation capacity of islet β-cell, contributing to the onset of diabetes. It is therefore imperative to investigate the mechanism of the β-cell regeneration in the islets. NKX6.1, one of the critical β-cell transcription factors, is a pivotal element in β-cell proliferation. The ubiquitin-binding enzyme 2C (UBE2C) was previously reported as one of the downstream molecules of NKX6.1 though the exact function and mechanism of UBE2C in β-cell remain to be elucidated. Here, we determined a subpopulation of islet β-cells highly expressing UBE2C, which proliferate actively. We also discovered that β-cell compensatory proliferation was induced by UBE2C via the cell cycle renewal pathway in weaning and high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. Moreover, the reduction of β-cell proliferation led to insulin deficiency in βUbe2cKO mice and, therefore, developed type 2 diabetes. UBE2C was found to regulate PER1 degradation through the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway via its association with a ubiquitin ligase, CUL1. PER1 inhibition rescues UBE2C knockout-induced β-cell growth inhibition both in vivo and in vitro. Notably, overexpression of UBE2C via lentiviral transduction in pancreatic islets was able to relaunch β-cell proliferation in STZ-induced diabetic mice and therefore partially alleviated hyperglycaemia and glucose intolerance. This study indicates that UBE2C positively regulates β-cell proliferation by promoting ubiquitination and degradation of the biological clock suppressor PER1. The beneficial effect of UBE2C on islet β-cell regeneration suggests a promising application in treating diabetic patients with β-cell deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel nanocomposite proton-exchange membrane (PEM) was obtained by combined electrospinning and solution casting of a composite solution of sulfophenylated poly(ether ether ketone ketone) (SP-PEEKK) and maleic anhydride modified nanocellulose (MN). SP-PEEKK was prepared by polymerization between phenyl hydroquinone and 1,4-bis(4-fluorobenzoyl)benzene followed by post-sulfonation. Nanocellulose (NCC) was prepared by the acid treatment of MCC with sulfuric acid, and MN with carboxyl group was obtained by modifying NCC with maleic anhydride. PEMs with 2% MN (MN2) showed a water uptake of 28% at 100°C, which was higher than that of MN0 (with 0% MN content). MN2 possessed a high tensile strength of 48.7 MPa, Young's modulus of 1.3 GPa, and elongation at break of 34%, which was 54%, 21%, and 16% higher than those of MN0, respectively. Thus, the ordered distributed of MN was illustrated to be the effective reinforcing material for SP-PEEKK membranes because of the strong interface between the hydroxyl group of rigid MN and the sulfonic acid group of SP-PEEKK. MN2 also had a substantially higher proton conductivity of 0.09 S cm−1 at 90°C than MN0 (0.037 S cm−1). Therefore, combined electrospinning and solution casting was found to be a promising choice to improve the proton conductivity of nanocomposite PEMs, as promoted by the three-dimensional hydrogen bond-proton-transport network formed by the well-oriented MN in SPEEKK produced by the electrospinning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neutrophils consume a large amount of energy when performing their functions. Compared with other white blood cells, neutrophils contain few mitochondria and mainly rely on glycolysis and gluconeogenesis to produce ATP. The inflammatory site is hypoxic and nutrient poor. Our aim is to study the role of abnormal adenosine metabolism of neutrophils in the asthmatic airway inflammation microenvironment. Method: In this study, an asthma model was established by intratracheal instillation of Aspergillus fumigatus extract in Ecto-5'-Nucleotidase (CD73) gene–knockout and wild-type mice. Multiple analyses from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were used to determine the levels of cytokines and chemokines. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect subcutaneous fibrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration. Finally, adenosine 5'-(α, β-methylene) diphosphate (APCP), a CD73 inhibitor, was pumped subcutaneously before Aspergillus attack to observe the infiltration of inflammatory cells and subcutaneous fibrosis to clarify its therapeutic effect. Result: PAS staining showed that CD73 knockout inhibited pulmonary epithelial cell proliferation and bronchial fibrosis induced by Aspergillus extract. The genetic knockdownof CD73 significantly reduced the production of Th2 cytokines, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-13, chemokine (C–C motif) ligand 5 (CCL5), eosinophil chemokine, neutrophil IL-17, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). In addition, exogenous adenosine supplementation increased airway inflammation. Finally, the CD73 inhibitor APCP was administered to reduce inflammation and subcutaneous fibrosis. Conclusion: Elevated adenosine metabolism plays an inflammatory role in asthma, and CD73 could be a potential therapeutic target for asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI), the complex process of secondary injury is mainly responsible for preventing SCI repair or even exacerbating the injury. In this experiment, we constructed the 8-gingerol (8G)-loaded mesoporous polydopamine (M-PDA), M@8G, as the in vivo targeting nano-delivery platform, and investigated the therapeutic effects of M@8G in secondary SCI and its related mechanisms. The results indicated that M@8G could penetrate the blood-spinal cord barrier to enrich the spinal cord injury site. Mechanism research has shown that all of the M-PDA,8G and M@8G displayed the anti-lipid peroxidation effect, and then M@8G can inhibit the secondary SCI by suppressing the ferroptosis and inflammation. In vivo assays showed that M@8G significantly diminished the local injury area, reduced axonal and myelin loss, thus improving the neurological and motor recovery in rats. Based on the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients, ferroptosis occurred locally in SCI and continued to progress in patients during the acute phase of SCI as well as the stage after their clinical surgery. This study showcases effective treatment of SCI through the aggregation and synergistic effect of M@8G in focal areas, providing a safe and promising strategy for the clinical treatment of SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Valuable propellants have the characteristics of high impulse, low pollution, and strong stability, and oxidizers play a substantial role in determining the performance of propellants. Ammonium dinitramide (ADN) is a relatively promising oxidizer due to its high‐energy and chlorine‐free characteristics. However, although ADN exhibits high energy performance compared with traditional oxidizers, the high hygroscopicity of ADN when exposed to high humidity restricts its broader application in solid propellants. This review highlights the necessity of utilizing anti‐hygroscopicity strategies with ADN to extend its application. The anti‐hygroscopicity mechanism of ADN is summarized by calculations and experimental results. Anti‐hygroscopicity technologies that can be used with ADN include prilling, surface coating, and co‐crystallization, and these technologies are comprehensively summarized herein. This review is intended to provide insight into the use of anti‐hygroscopicity technologies with ADN, highlight the challenges of these methods, and point out future development directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/hypothesis: Islets have complex heterogeneity and subpopulations. Cell surface markers representing alpha, beta and delta cell subpopulations are urgently needed for investigations to explore the compositional changes of each subpopulation in obesity progress and diabetes onset, and the adaptation mechanism of islet metabolism induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). Methods: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was applied to identify alpha, beta and delta cell subpopulation markers in an HFD-induced mouse model of glucose intolerance. Flow cytometry and immunostaining were used to sort and assess the proportion of each subpopulation. Single-cell proteomics was performed on sorted cells, and the functional status of each alpha, beta and delta cell subpopulation in glucose intolerance was deeply elucidated based on protein expression. Results: A total of 33,999 cells were analysed by scRNA-seq and clustered into eight populations, including alpha, beta and delta cells. For alpha cells, scRNA-seq revealed that the Ace2low subpopulation had downregulated expression of genes related to alpha cell function and upregulated expression of genes associated with beta cell characteristics in comparison with the Ace2high subpopulation. The impaired function and increased fragility of ACE2low alpha cells exposure to HFD was further suggested by single-cell proteomics. As for beta cells, the CD81high subpopulation may indicate an immature signature of beta cells compared with the CD81low subpopulation, which had robust function. We also found differential expression of Slc2a2 in delta cells and a potentially stronger cellular function and metabolism in GLUT2low delta cells than GLUT2high delta cells. Moreover, an increased proportion of ACE2low alpha cells and CD81low beta cells, with a constant proportion of GLUT2low delta cells, were observed in HFD-induced glucose intolerance. Conclusions/interpretation: We identified ACE2, CD81 and GLUT2 as surface markers to distinguish, respectively, alpha, beta and delta cell subpopulations with heterogeneous maturation and function. The changes in the proportion and functional status of islet endocrine subpopulations reflect the metabolic adaptation of islets to high-fat stress, which weakened the function of alpha cells and enhanced the function of beta and delta cells to bring about glycaemic homeostasis. Our findings provide a fundamental resource for exploring the mechanisms maintaining each islet endocrine subpopulation's fate and function in health and disease. Data availability: The scRNA-seq analysis datasets from the current study are available in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) repository under the accession number GSE203376. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the preferences of adult rape stem weevils, Ceuthorrhynchus asper Roel for plant volatiles from different varieties of oilseed rape in order to identify the varieties most attractive to this pest, and thereby provide a basis for developing environmentally-friendly control measures. [Methods] Y-type olfactometers were used to determine the preferences of C. asper for volatiles from different varieties of oilseed rape. Volatile components of different rape varieties were extracted and identified using headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Important volatile components of rape varieties were analyzed with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA). [Results] Adult rape stem weevils significantly preferred volatiles from the CKE58 and Qingza 5 varieties to those from the other two varieties tested. A total of 47 volatile compounds were identified, including esters, alcohols, aldehydes, terpenoids, alkenes and alkanes. Esters were the predominant volatile in every variety, comprising > 81% of all volatiles. PCA and PLS-DA analyses indicate significant differences in volatile compounds and their contents among the different oilseed rape varieties. Important or characteristic volatile compounds included (Z)-3-hexyenyl acetate, 1-undecanol, hexyl acetate, (E)-3-hexen-1-ol and (E)-2-dodecene, etc. [Conclusion] The rape stem beetle is attracted to the CKE58 and Qingza 5 varieties of oil seed rape. Characteristic volatile components of these varieties, include (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, 1-undecanol, hexyl acetate and €-3-hexen-1-ol, and may play a key role in the host selection behavior of C. asper. These results provide a basis for developing new monitoring and environmentally-friendly control methods for C. asper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stroke is closely associated with carotid plaques. The assessment of carotid plaque is still the key issue of stroke prevention in clinical practice. This prospective cross‐sectional study included patients with carotid plaque evaluated by ultrasonography (US). The intima‐media thickness (IMT), lumen stenosis severity, thickness, and length of carotid plaque were measured by the routine US, and the amplitudes of subharmonics in the upstream shoulder, top, and downstream shoulder of all plaques and corresponding lumens were observed by Subharmonic Aided Pressure Estimation (SHAPE) US examination from the US contrast agent perflubutane microbubbles (Sonazoid), which analyzed the clinical parameters of patients, the subharmonic amplitude characteristics of all plaques and lumens, and the parameter differences between the ischemic stroke (IS) group and control group. From May 2021 to February 2022, 46 carotid plaques of 23 patients were included. For plaques, the subharmonic amplitude in the plaque (−60.52 ± 4.46) was lower than that in the opposing level lumen (−56.82 ± 5.68 dB), the subharmonic gradient across the plaque cap was negatively correlated with plaque thickness (r = −0.51, p < 0.001), and with the lumen stenosis severity (r = −0.42, p = 0.003). The median IMT of the IS group was thicker than the control group. The subharmonic gradient of the intraplaque of the IS group was larger than the control group (p = 0.004). In this analysis, we use the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to establish the cutoff value of the difference to predict a new monitoring method for plaque without invasion to predict IS. It still needs a large‐scale study with long‐term follow‐up to validate these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial exploration and development of deep buried coalbed methane (CBM) in Daning-Jixian Block, eastern margin of Ordos Basin, have rapidly increased in recent decades. Gas content, saturation and well productivity show significant heterogeneity in this area. To better understand the geological controlling mechanism on gas distribution heterogeneity, the burial history, hydrocarbon generation history and tectonic evolution history were studied by numerical simulation and experimental simulation, which could provide guidance for further development of CBM in this area. The burial history of coal reservoir can be classified into six stages, i.e., shallowly buried stage, deeply burial stage, uplifting stage, short-term tectonic subsidence stage, large-scale uplifting stage, sustaining uplifting and structural inversion stage. The organic matter in coal reservoir experienced twice hydrocarbon generation. Primary and secondary hydrocarbon generation processes were formed by the Early and Middle Triassic plutonic metamorphism and Early Cretaceous regional magmatic thermal metamorphism, respectively. Five critical tectonic events of the Indosinian, Yanshanian and Himalayan orogenies affect different stages of the CBM reservoir accumulation process. The Indosinian orogeny mainly controls the primary CBM generation. The Yanshanian Orogeny dominates the second gas generation and migration processes. The Himalayan orogeny mainly affects the gas dissipation process and current CBM distribution heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well recognized that strain and deflection data are important indexes to judge the safety of truss structures. Specifically, the shape sensing technology can estimate the deformation of a structure by exploiting the discrete strain data without considering the material property conditions. To fill the gap in which most of the methods in SHM (structural health monitoring) cannot be directly used to predict the displacement field, this paper proposed a novel inverse finite element method (iFEM) algorithm based on the equivalent stiffness theory. A deflection sensor is fabricated to focus on predicting the distributed deflection variation of the truss structure. The performance of the deflection sensor was evaluated by a calibration test and a stability test. Finally, it was applied to distributed deflection monitoring in the testing of truss structures. Results of all tests verify that the deflection sensor based on the i-FEM algorithm can predict the distributed deflection variation of the truss structure accurately, in real time, and dynamically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the effects of three typical operation modes, namely short-circuit fault, load change, and chemical energy storage on the frequency of a regional power grid after photovoltaic asynchronous interconnection were studied with different penetration ratios, taking the power grid in Northern Henan Province as the research object. It was found that with an increase in the photovoltaic penetration ratio, the maximum value of the system frequency and the fluctuation amplitude gradually increased, and the power grid system in Northern Henan became less and less stable. With an increase in the penetration ratio, the peak value of the system frequency at the corresponding node gradually increased, and the valley value gradually decreased. With an increase in load, the peak value of the frequency curve gradually increased, and the valley value gradually decreased. When photoelectricity was connected to the grid through chemical energy storage, the system stability during a short-circuit fault and load change operation was significantly improved. Compared with that before energy storage, the frequency amplitude of the system after energy storage was reduced to approximately one tenth of the original. Compared with the case before energy storage, when the load changed, the frequency amplitude of the system decreased to approximately a quarter of the original. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Carotid vulnerable plaque is an important risk factor for stroke occurrence and recurrence. However, the relationship between risk parameters related to carotid vulnerable plaque (plaque size, echogenicity, intraplaque neovascularization, and plaque stiffness) and neurological outcome after ischemic stroke or TIA is unclear. This study investigates the value of multimodal ultrasound-based carotid plaque risk biomarkers to predict poor short-term functional outcome after ischemic stroke or TIA. Methods: This study was a single-center, prospective, continuous, cohort study to observe the occurrence of adverse functional outcomes (mRS 2–6/3–6) 90 days after ischemic stroke or TIA in patients, where the exposure factors in this study were carotid plaque ultrasound risk biomarkers and the risk factors were sex, age, disease history, and medication history. Patients with ischemic stroke or TIA (mRS ≤3) whose ipsilateral internal carotid artery stenosis was ≥50% within 30 days were included. All patients underwent multimodal ultrasound at baseline, including conventional ultrasound, superb microvascular imaging (SMI), and shear wave elastography (SWE). Continuous variables were divided into four groups at interquartile spacing for inclusion in univariate and multifactorial analyses. After completion of a baseline ultrasound, all patients were followed up at 90 days after ultrasound, and patient modified neurological function scores (mRSs) were recorded. Multivariate Cox regression and ROC curves were used to assess the risk factors and predictive power for predicting poor neurological function. Results: SMI revealed that 20 (30.8%) patients showed extensive neovascularization in the carotid plaque, and 45 (69.2%) patients showed limited neovascularization in the carotid plaque. SWE imaging showed that the mean carotid plaque stiffness was 51.49 ± 18.34 kPa (23.19–111.39 kPa). After a mean follow-up of 90 ± 14 days, a total of 21 (32.3%) patients had a mRS of 2–6, and a total of 10 (15.4%) patients had a mRS of 3–6. Cox regression analysis showed that the level of intraplaque neovascularization and plaque stiffness were independent risk factors for a mRS of 2–6, and the level of intraplaque neovascularization was an independent risk factor for a mRS of 3–6. After correcting for confounders, the HR of intraplaque neovascularization level and plaque stiffness predicting a mRS 2–6 was 3.06 (95% CI 1.05–12.59, P = 0.041) and 0.51 (95% CI 0.31–0.83, P = 0.007), respectively; the HR of intraplaque neovascularization level predicting a mRS 3–6 was 6.11 (95% CI 1.19–31.45, P = 0.031). For ROC curve analysis, the mRSs for intraplaque neovascularization level, plaque stiffness, and combined application to predict 90-day neurological outcome ranged from 2 to 6, with AUCs of 0.73 (95% CI 0.59–0.87), 0.76 (95% CI 0.64–0.89) and 0.85 (95% CI 0.76–0.95), respectively. The mRSs for the intraplaque neovascularization level to predict 90-day neurological outcome ranged from 3 to 6, with AUCs of 0.79 (95% CI 0.63–0.95). Conclusion: Intraplaque neovascularization level and plaque stiffness may be associated with an increased risk of poor short-term functional outcome after stroke in patients with recent anterior circulation ischemic stroke due to carotid atherosclerosis. The combined application of multiple parameters has efficacy in predicting poor short-term functional outcome after stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Osteoarthritis is the leading disease of joints worldwide. Osteoarthritis may be treated by exosomes derived from Runx2-overexpressed bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (R-BMSCs-Exos). R-BMSCs-Exos would promote the proliferation, migration, and phenotypic maintenance of articular chondrocytes. Methods. BMSCs were transfected with and without Runx2. Exosomes derived from BMSCs and R-BMSCs (BMSCs-Exos and R-BMSCs-Exos) were isolated and identified. Proliferation, migration, and phenotypic maintenance were determined in vitro and compared between groups. The mechanism for activation of Yes-associated protein (YAP) was investigated using small interfering RNA (siRNA). The exosomes' preventive role was determined in vivo using Masson trichrome and immunohistochemical staining. Results. R-BMSCs-Exos enhance the proliferation, migration, and phenotypic maintenance of articular chondrocytes based on the YAP being activated. R-BMSCs-Exos prevent knee osteoarthritis as studied in vivo through a rabbit model. Conclusions. Findings emphasize the efficacy of R-BMSCs-Exos in preventing osteoarthritis. Potential source of exosomes is sorted out for the advantages and shortcomings. The exosomes are then modified based on the molecular mechanisms to address their limitations. Such exosomes derived from modified cells have the role in future therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Point-of-care testing methods for the rapid and sensitive screening of pathogenic bacteria are urgently needed because of the high number of outbreaks of microbial infections and foodborne diseases. In this study, we developed a highly sensitive and multiplex lateral flow assay (LFA) for the simultaneous detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhimurium in complex samples by using wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)-modified magnetic quantum dots (Mag@QDs) as a universal detection nanoprobe. The Mag@QDs-WGA tag with a 200 nm Fe3O4 core and multiple QD-formed shell was introduced into the LFA biosensor for the universal capture of the two target bacteria and provided the dual amplification effect of fluorescence enhancement and magnetic enrichment for ultra-sensitivity detection. Meanwhile, two antibacterial antibodies were separately sprayed onto the two test lines of the LFA strip to ensure the specific identification of P. aeruginosa and S. typhimurium through one test. The proposed LFA exhibited excellent analytical performance, including high capture rate (>80%) to the target pathogens, low detection limit (<30 cells/mL), short testing time (<35 min), and good reproducibility (relative standard deviation < 10.4%). Given these merits, the Mag@QDs-WGA-based LFA has a great potential for the on-site and real-time diagnosis of bacterial samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Moyamoya disease can lead to stroke with devastating consequences, it is necessary to find a non-invasive and effective approach to identify the occurrence of stroke. In this study, we aim to analyze the association between ultrasound parameters and ipsilateral cerebral hemisphere stroke in patients with moyamoya disease by logistic regression analysis. Methods: In this retrospective case–control study, 88 patients with MMD (153 cerebral hemispheres) hospitalized in Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University from November 2020 to October 2021 were analyzed. According to the occurrence of stroke, the 153 cerebral hemispheres were divided into a stroke group and a non-stroke group. Clinical data and ultrasound parameters of the ipsilateral internal carotid artery, superficial temporal artery, maxillary artery, and posterior cerebral artery were recorded. The ultrasound parameters were divided into four groups according to interquartile range, and then they were compared between the stroke group and the non-stroke group. Those with significant differences were scored by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: There were 75 cerebral hemispheres (49.0%) in the stroke group and 78 cerebral hemispheres (51.0%) in the non-stroke group. Logistic regression analysis showed that the internal diameter of the internal carotid artery, peak systolic velocity of the internal carotid artery and peak systolic velocity of the posterior cerebral artery were independently correlated factors for stroke in patients with MMD. The fourth quartile group of the above three ultrasound parameters was taken as the reference group, and the odds ratio of the first quartile group were 11.679 (95% CI 2.918–46.749, P = 0.001), 19.594 (95% CI 4.973–77.193, P < 0.001), and 11.657 (95% CI 3.221–42.186, P < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: Ultrasound parameters are independently correlated with ipsilateral cerebral stroke in patients with MMD. Ultrasound provides a new way to identify stroke in MMD patients. Future prospective cohort studies are needed to verify the clinical value of ultrasound in identifying patients with MMD at high risk of stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the accuracy of earth faults feeder selection in full cable networks under different fault conditions, an improved K‐means algorithm for earth faults feeder selection in full cable networks is proposed. Firstly, the transient zero‐sequence network for earth faults in full cable networks is built using the rich fault information contained in its transient current, which per feeder under different fault conditions is decomposed by Fourier transform, active power method, and wavelet packet transform to obtain four features: fundamental wave amplitude, fifth harmonic amplitude, average active power component, and wavelet energy value. Then, the four features are fused by principal component analysis, the principal component components are extracted, and the feature database is established. Eighty per cent and 20% of the database data are used as training sets and test sets, respectively. The feature database is trained by the improved K‐means method to realize fault feeder selection. The proposed method is validated in a full cable network model with five feeders. The findings demonstrate that the suggested technique has high accuracy in feeder selection and is not affected by fault conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibrillin 1 (Fbn1) mutation causes Marfan syndrome (MFS) with thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) as the main complication. The mechanisms for extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis disruption in MFS TAA are unclear. Here, we found ECM-related gene secreted phosphoprotein 1 (Spp1) increased in Fbn1C1041G/+ mice using transcriptome sequencing and a distinct fibroblast subcluster with Spp1 as the strongest marker was identified with analysis of the MFS mouse aortic single-cell sequencing dataset. Immunostaining confirmed elevated Spp1 in adventitial fibroblasts, and Spp1 might regulate fibroblast and smooth muscle cell (SMC) communication primarily through Itga8/Itgb1. Then, we observed Spp1 reduced contractile genes Acta2 and Tagln expression in SMCs and increased collagen expression in fibroblasts, which might contribute to TAA development. Finally, we also found elevated SPP1 plasma level was associated with an increased risk of TAA in patients. Therefore, SPP1 may serve as a biomarker and therapeutic target for TAA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benefiting from the powerful expressive capability of graphs, graph-based approaches have been popularly applied to handle multi-modal medical data and achieved impressive performance in various biomedical applications. For disease prediction tasks, most existing graph-based methods tend to define the graph manually based on specified modality (e.g., demographic information), and then integrated other modalities to obtain the patient representation by Graph Representation Learning (GRL). However, constructing an appropriate graph in advance is not a simple matter for these methods. Meanwhile, the complex correlation between modalities is ignored. These factors inevitably yield the inadequacy of providing sufficient information about the patient’s condition for a reliable diagnosis. To this end, we propose an end-to-end Multi-modal Graph Learning framework (MMGL) for disease prediction with multi-modality. To effectively exploit the rich information across multi-modality associated with the disease, modality-aware representation learning is proposed to aggregate the features of each modality by leveraging the correlation and complementarity between the modalities. Furthermore, instead of defining the graph manually, the latent graph structure is captured through an effective way of adaptive graph learning. It could be jointly optimized with the prediction model, thus revealing the intrinsic connections among samples. Our model is also applicable to the scenario of inductive learning for those unseen data. An extensive group of experiments on two disease prediction tasks demonstrates that the proposed MMGL achieves more favorable performance. The code of MMGL is available at https://github.com/SsGood/MMGL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct and sensitive detection of multiple illegal additives in complex food samples is still a challenge in on-site detection. In this study, an ultrasensitive immunochromatographic assay (ICA) using magnetic Fe3O4@Au nanotags as a capture/detection difunctional tool was developed for the direct detection of β2-adrenoceptor agonists in real samples. The Fe3O4@Au tag is composed of a large magnetic core (~160 nm), a rough Au nanoshell, dense surface-modified Raman molecules, and antibodies, which cannot only effectively enrich targets from complex solutions to reduce the matrix effects of food samples and improve detection sensitivity, but also provide strong colorimetric/surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) dual signals for ICA testing. The dual readout signals of the proposed ICA can meet the detection requirements in different environments. Specifically, the colorimetric signal allows for rapid visual detection of the analyte, and the SERS signal is used for the sensitive and quantitative detection modes. The proposed dual-signal ICA can achieve the simultaneous determination of two illegal additives, namely, clenbuterol hydrochloride and ractopamine. The detection limits for the two targets via colorimetric and SERS signals were down to ng mL−1 and pg mL−1 levels, respectively. Moreover, the proposed assay has demonstrated high accuracy and stability in real food samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harmonic pollution sources in microgrids have the characteristics of high penetration and decentralization, as well as forming a full network. Local harmonic mitigation is a traditional harmonic mitigation method, which has the disadvantages of complexity and costly operation. Based on the idea of the decentralized autonomy of power quality, this paper establishes a comprehensive optimization model of the active power and harmonic mitigation capacities of grid-connected inverters based on two-layer optimization and realizes harmonic mitigation. Firstly, based on the harmonic sensitivity analysis, the calculation method of harmonic mitigation capacity is given. Secondly, a two-layer model of harmonic mitigation optimization is established. The upper-layer optimization model takes the minimum operation cost of the microgrid as the objective and the active power reduction in the multi-functional grid-connected inverter (MFGCI) as the optimization variable. The lower-layer optimization model offers the best harmonic mitigation effect as the objective and the harmonic current compensation as the optimization variable. According to the relationship between the total remaining capacity of MFGCI and the capacity required for harmonic mitigation, there are three different objective functions in the lower-layer optimization model. Then, the model solving steps are provided. Finally, an example shows that the proposed optimization model can achieve harmonic mitigation at different times. Compared with the case without active power optimization, the operation cost of the whole system can be reduced by up to 14.6%, while ensuring the harmonic mitigation effect. The proposed method has the advantages of a harmonic mitigation effect and economical system operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]