Search

Forest plot surveys are vital for monitoring forest resource growth, contributing to their sustainable development. The accuracy and efficiency of these surveys are paramount, making technological advancements such as Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) crucial. This study investigates the application of SLAM technology, utilizing LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and monocular cameras, to enhance forestry plot surveys. Conducted in three 32 × 32 m plots within the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, the research compares the efficacy of LiDAR-based and visual SLAM algorithms in estimating tree parameters such as diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height, and position, alongside their adaptability to forest environments. The findings revealed that both types of algorithms achieved high precision in DBH estimation, with LiDAR SLAM presenting a root mean square error (RMSE) range of 1.4 to 1.96 cm and visual SLAM showing a slightly higher precision, with an RMSE of 0.72 to 0.85 cm. In terms of tree position accuracy, the three methods can achieve tree location measurements. LiDAR SLAM accurately represents the relative positions of trees, while the traditional and visual SLAM systems exhibit slight positional offsets for individual trees. However, discrepancies arose in tree height estimation accuracy, where visual SLAM exhibited a bias range from −0.55 to 0.19 m and an RMSE of 1.36 to 2.34 m, while LiDAR SLAM had a broader bias range and higher RMSE, especially for trees over 25 m, attributed to scanning angle limitations and branch occlusion. Moreover, the study highlights the comprehensive point cloud data generated by LiDAR SLAM, useful for calculating extensive tree parameters such as volume and carbon storage and Tree Information Modeling (TIM) through digital twin technology. In contrast, the sparser data from visual SLAM limits its use to basic parameter estimation. These insights underscore the effectiveness and precision of SLAM-based approaches in forestry plot surveys while also indicating distinct advantages and suitability of each method to different forest environments. The findings advocate for tailored survey strategies, aligning with specific forest conditions and requirements, enhancing the application of SLAM technology in forestry management and conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book "Language teacher identity tensions: nexus of agency, emotion and investment" edited by Zia Tajeddin and Bedrettin Yazan explores the complexities of language teacher identity tensions across various cultural and linguistic contexts. The volume is organized into three parts, delving into aspects of identity tensions among language teachers in different settings, including teacher education and beliefs and practices. The book offers a comprehensive understanding of language teacher identity tensions through empirical studies and diverse methodological approaches, making it a valuable resource for educators, researchers, and stakeholders in the field of language education. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Mandibular arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is rare. Our work aims to introduce the ethanol embolization of a patient suffering from acute oral hemorrhage induced by mandibular AVM. Methods: A 35‐year‐old woman without coagulopathy underwent tooth extraction, and the acute oral bleeding occurred intraoperatively. Imaging examinations indicated the enhancement of vascular mass with bone destruction inside the mandible. Angiography finally confirmed the high blood flow nature and the diagnosis of AVM. Results: During the interventional procedure, the coils were first applied into the dilated outflowing vein to slow down the blood flow rate of mandibular AVM. Absolute ethanol was injected in a multi‐bolus modality to destroy the nidus of AVM. Her mandibular lesion had been stable in the 12‐month re‐examined angiography, no further bleeding occurred during the period. Conclusions: Ethanol embolotherapy was a less invasive, more precise, and quick‐action approach managing AVM of the jaw and related emergency medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a daily gridded observation data across China from 1961 to 2022 were used to calculate daily potential evapotranspiration (PET). The observed variables included daily temperature, sunshine hours, average wind speed, and average relative humidity. PET was determined using the Penman-Monteith method recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The long-term trend of PET was investigated in six regions of China during different seasons. To further compressed the influence of various meteorological factors on the PET trend, the contribution of each meteorological element to the long-term trend of PET was analyzed. The results indicate the following: (1) PET reaches its peak during summer which values from 145 to 640 mm, while it is lowest during winter from 21 to 244 mm. (2) The spatial patterns of PET trend changes are relatively similar across the four seasons, characterized by a decrease in the eastern regions and an increase in the western regions. The reduction is most significant during the summer and the range of trend is from -2.04 to 1.48 mm/day, while the increase becomes more pronounced in the winter which trend is from -0.34 to 0.53 mm/day. (3) The contribution of factors varies significantly across different regions. In spring and autumn, RH and U have little difference in contribution from other factors. But tsun is varies different from regions, the contribution value is largest in the northwest and smallest in the northeast. However, during summer, tsun become the most significant contributor in the YZ and SE regions, while in winter, Tm emerges as the most significant contributor to the PET trend in all six subregions. In SW, the contribution from U2 is the smallest in all seasons, with RH and Tm being the two crucial factors determining the PET trend in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Venomous snakebite is a neglected yet an important public health problem in China, and few studies have focused on them so far. The aim of this study is to investigate clinical characteristics of snakebites patients in a tertiary hospital in Hangzhou, southeast China. Methods A total of 416 snakebite cases were included in this retrospective study. The data were collected from the medical records including demographics, clinical manifestations, management and outcomes. Results Of the 416 patients with venomous snakebites, 248 were male, and the average age was 54.6 years. The majority of cases occurred in rural in May to September. Out of all the venomous bites, Gloydius brevicaudus accounted for the highest percentage (55.3%). Hands were the most vulnerable site to snakebites (47.4%). Patients had clinical manifestations of pain (100%), swelling (100%), wound necrosis (25.7%), hemorrhagic blister (18.3%), and blister (8.7%). Three hundred and ninety-two patients received antivenom administration, and most were treated within six hours after bites. Twenty-six patients received surgical treatments, and 90 patients developed venom-induced consumption coagulopathy. No deaths have occurred in this study. Conclusion Hangzhou is one of the regions with high affecting of snakebites in China. The results of this study will increase the understanding of the clinical characteristics of venomous snakebites in Hangzhou area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frost growth on cold surfaces is a transient process with coupled heat and mass transfer. Due to multiple factors such as humidity, temperature, flow velocity, and constantly changing thermal properties as frost grows, precise prediction can be challenging. Especially when the geometry of the frosting surfaces gets complicated, it requires a balance of computing accuracy and efficiency. In this work, a numerical model is developed to predict frost growth considering the effect of the above parameters. Mixture model is adapted to improve computational efficiency and the unstructured grids add the flexibility to extend the model to complex geometries. The predicted frost growth rate matches well with the experimental data reported in the literature under similar conditions. The model predicts a reasonable growth trend of frost as the surface temperature, air temperature, humidity, and flow velocity vary. The surface wettability effect is well captured at the early stage of frosting and it shows a higher frost growth rate on surfaces with a higher wettability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial "Advance in vascular anomalies of head and neck region: from bench to bedside" published in Frontiers in Neurology discusses the classification, characteristics, and treatment of vascular anomalies in the head and neck region. Vascular anomalies are categorized as either vascular tumors or malformations, with examples such as hemangioma and kaposiform hemangioendothelioma. The document highlights the latest research on vascular anomalies, including novel treatments for low-flow and high-flow malformations, as well as the role of gene mutations in the development of these conditions. The authors emphasize the need for further research to optimize the treatment of these complex conditions. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Venous malformation (VM) is a kind of congenital vascular anomaly with a high incidence of recurrence, detailed pathogenesis and standard treatment of VM still lack now. Increasing evidence showed exosomal RNA plays a pivotal role in various diseases. However, the underlying mechanism of VM based on the potential differentially exosomal RNAs remains unclear. Methods: Comparative high‐throughput sequencing with serum exosomes from three VM patients and three healthy donors was used to explore differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs, DE lncRNAs, and DE mRNAs involving the formation of VM. We identified and verified DE circRNAs, DE lncRNAs, and DE mRNAs via qRT‐PCR assay. We explored the potential functions of these exosomal DE non‐coding RNAs via performing further Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis. Besides, circRNA/lncRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA linkages were also constructed to find their potential relationships in VM. Results: A total of 121 circRNAs, 53 lncRNAs, and 42 mRNAs (|log2FC| ≥ 2.0, FDR <0.05, n = 3) were determined to be differentially expressed. QRT‐PCR validated that these top‐changed DE circRNAs, lncRNAs, and mRNAs had significant expression changes. Functional studies demonstrated that DE circRNAs play a pivotal role in thyroid hormone signaling pathway, DE lncRNAs function as a key regulator in MAPK signaling pathway and DE miRNAs participate in the process of hepatocellular carcinoma mostly. Conclusion: Our study comprehensively depicted exosomal DE non‐coding RNAs networks related to the pathogenesis of VM which can provide new insight into, a novel target for treating VM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Object detection in aerial images is a critical and essential task in the fields of geoscience and remote sensing. Despite the popularity of computer vision methods in detecting objects, these methods have been faced with significant limitations of aerial images such as appearance occlusion and variable object sizes. In this letter, we explore the limitations of conventional neck networks in object detection by analyzing information bottlenecks. We propose an enhanced neck network to address the information deficiency issue in current neck networks. Our proposed neck network, which serves as a bridge between the backbone network and the head network, comprises a global semantic network (GSNet) and a feature fusion refinement module (FRM). The GSNet is designed to perceive contextual surroundings and propagate discriminative knowledge through a bidirectional global pattern. The FRM is developed to exploit different levels of features to capture comprehensive location information. We validate the efficacy and efficiency of our approach through experiments conducted on two challenging datasets, DOTA and HRSC2016. Our method outperforms existing approaches in terms of accuracy and complexity, demonstrating the superiority of our proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Here, we report our experience treating a patient with Maffucci syndrome and evaluate the outcomes resulting from surgical management combined with sclerotherapy in the treatment of head and neck venous malformations (VMs). A 19-years-old woman with multiple enchondromas and heterauxesis complained of masses in the oral cavity that had gradually increased in size and eventually affected her daily life. A tracheotomy was performed followed by traditional sclerotherapy to treat the oropharyngeal VMs. Next, we surgically excised the VMs of the oral cavity and maxillofacial skin. Results: Magnetic resonance imaging indicated that the oral VMs were nearly eradicated and the oropharyngeal VMs had stabilized. The patient's appearance and normal maxillofacial region function were restored. Conclusion: In summary, local resection combined with sclerotherapy facilitated timely and efficient VMs removal from the head and neck region of a patient with Maffucci syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bisphenol S (BPS), a safer alternative to bisphenol A, is commonly used as a plasticizer to manufacture various food‐packaging materials. The accumulated BPS inhibits osteoblastic bone formation and promotes osteoclastogenesis, thereby accelerating remarkable bone destruction, but it is unclear whether BPS affects osteocytes, comprising over 95% of all bone cells. This study aimed to investigate the biological effect of BPS on osteocytes in vitro, as well as the detailed mechanism. Results showed that BPS (200, 400 μmol/L) exposure caused dose‐dependently cell death of osteocytes MLO‐Y4, and increased cell apoptosis. BPS induced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and mitochondria impairment. Furthermore, BPS upregulated expressions of mitophagy‐related proteins including microtubule‐associated protein light chain 3 (LC‐3) II and PTEN‐induced putative kinase (PINK) 1, accompanied by elevation of autophagy flux and the accumulation of acidic vacuoles; whereas p62 level was downregulated after BPS treatment. Additionally, BPS triggered the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial ROS (mtROS), while it decreased expression levels of nuclear factor E2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) and quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1). The specific mtROS scavenger MitoTEMPO reversed cell apoptosis and mitophagy, suggesting that mtROS contributes to BPS exposure‐induced apoptosis and mitophagy in MLO‐Y4 cells. Our data first provide novel evidence that apoptosis and mitophagy as cellular mechanisms for the toxic effect of BPS on osteocytes, thereby helping our understanding of the potential role of osteocytes in the adverse effect of BPS and its analogs on bone growth, and supporting strategies targeting bone destruction caused by BPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to identify a novel prognostic biomarker for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) based on tumor immunology‐related alternative splicing (AS). Data for 502 HNSCC and 44 normal samples were obtained from the TCGA database and used to establish an AS‐related risk model through univariate, least absolute shrinkage, and selection operator Cox regression analyses. Fresh HNSCC and normal oral tissues were surgically obtained from 44 HNSCC patients. Western blotting and quantitative reverse transcription‐PCR were used to assess gene expression levels. Kaplan–Meier was performed to evaluate patients' overall survival (OS) rate. The CIBERSORT algorithm, single‐sample gene set enrichment analysis, and immune checkpoint analyses were performed to compare immune activities between subgroups. The risk model was established using 10 pivotal AS events first. Collagen Type III Alpha 1 Chain (COL3A1) were screened based on |log2FC| ≥ 1 and FDR < 0.05 criteria. COL3A1 expression levels in HNSCC tissues were elevated relative to normal tissues (p < 0.001). Moreover, COL3A1 was a reliable biomarker for HNSCC patients' prognostic prediction in both cohorts (p < 0.001, p = 0.0085, respectively). COL3A1 protein (p = 0.0054) and mRNA (p < 0.0001) levels were correlated with HNSCC differentiation. Furthermore, the T stage was correlated with COL3A1 expression (p = 0.043), and COL3A1 expression was an independent prognostic predictor for HNSCC patients (p = 0.006). Compared with the risk model, COL3A1 was better at evaluating immune cell infiltrations, immune activities, and immune checkpoint gene expressions of HNSCC lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study focused on investigating relation between biglycan (BGN) and decorin (DCN) expression and prognostic outcome for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cases. Material and Methods: BGN and DCN mRNA and protein expression was detected by qRT‐PCR and Western‐blotting (WB) assays from 31 OSCC samples as well as healthy samples. This work harvested 101 paraffin‐embedded OSCC together with 30 healthy samples, and conducted immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for assessing pathological changes. Association of DCN with BGN within OSCC was explored by Spearman's analysis. Survival rate was explored by Kaplan–Meier (KM) approach. Multivariate analysis was conducted by Cox regression. Results: WB and qRT‐PCR results showed BGN up‐regulation (p < 0.001, p < 0.0001) whereas DCN down‐regulation (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001) with fresh OSCC tissues; the expression of BGN and DCN associated with the OSCC histopathological grade. IHC results suggested elevated BGN level (p < 0.0001) whereas DCN down‐regulation (p < 0.0001) with paraffin embedded OSCC tissues. The expression of BGN and DCN associated with histopathologic grades and tumor stage of OSCC. The result of Spearman's analysis demonstrated significant association between the expression of BGN and DCN in OSCC. Survival analysis revealed that patients with higher BGN/lower DCN level showed poor overall survival (OS) as well as tumor‐specific survival (TSS). Multivariate analysis proved that BGN and DCN independently predicted the prognosis of OS and TSS. Conclusion: BGN and DCN expression levels can be adopted for predicting OSCC prognostic outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: Head and neck vascular malformation (HNVM) is a highly complex congenital condition that is difficult to diagnose, monitor and treat. Therefore, it is critical to explore serum cytokines that may be related to its pathology and prognosis. Methods: An antibody‐based microarray was used to examine the expression of 31 angiogenic cytokines in 11 HNVM patients relative to 11 healthy subjects. ELISA was used to verify the results. We performed Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses of the differentially expressed cytokines (DECs). Additionally, we explored the function of DECs in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro via CCK‐8, wound healing, transwell and tube formation assays. Results: Expression of interleukin (IL)‐10, matrix metallopeptidase‐9 (MMP‐9) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGF‐R2) in HNVM patients was significantly higher, whereas levels of IL‐12p40 and angiostatin were significantly lower in HNVM patients relative to healthy controls (p < 0.05). However, ELISA only verified that IL‐10, MMP‐9, VEGF‐R2 and IL‐12p40 had significant expression changes. Functional enrichment analysis revealed DECs mainly participated in the RAS signalling pathway. Functional studies demonstrated that IL‐10, MMP‐9 and VEGF‐R2 promote cell proliferation, migration, invasion and tube formation, while IL‐12p40 inhibited these processes in HUVECs. Conclusions: The present study not only indicates that IL‐10, MMP‐9, VEGF‐R2 and IL‐12p40 may participate in the development of HNVMs but also provides a theoretical basis for the discovery of new targeted molecules in the treatment of HNVMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc (Zn), an essential trace element, can stimulate bone formation and inhibit osteoclastic bone resorption, which controls the growth and maintenance of bone. However, the effect of Zn supplementation on tricalcium phosphate (TCP) wear particles‐induced osteolysis remains unknown. Here, we doped Zn into TCP particles (ZnTCP), and explore the protective effects of Zn on TCP particles‐induced osteolysis in vivo. TCP particles and ZnTCP particles were embedded under the periosteum around the middle suture of the mouse calvaria. After 2 weeks, blood, the periosteal tissue, and the calvaria were collected to determine serum levels of Zn and osteocalcin, pro‐inflammatory cytokines, bone biochemical markers, osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption area, and to explain its mechanism. Data revealed that Zn significantly prevented TCP particles‐induced osteoclastogenesis and bone loss, and increased bone turnover. The Zn supplement remarkably suppressed the release of pro‐inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, interleukin (IL)‐1β, and IL‐6. Immunoblotting demonstrated that Zn alleviated expression levels of ER stress‐related proteins such as glucose‐regulated protein 78 (GRP78), PKR‐like ER kinase (PERK), phospho‐PERK (p‐PERK), eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), phospho‐eIF2α (p‐eIF2α), activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), inositol‐requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1‐α) and transcription factor X‐box binding protein spliced (XBP1s), leading to decreasing the ratios of p‐PERK/PERK and p‐eIF2α/eIF2α. Taken together, Zn supplementation strongly prevents TCP particles‐induced periprosthetic osteolysis via inhibition of the ER stress pathway, and it may be a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of aseptic prosthesis loosening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 34-year-old man with extensive capillary malformation (CM) in the oral and maxillofacial region, neck, and chest wall. Topics include physical examination revealing an ulcer extended from the postoperative scar involving the left lower lip with a clear boundary and no obvious bleeding; and containing many malignancies such as basal cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, and mesenchymal cell carcinoma.

Imaging examinations are necessary to determine the location of Maffucci lesions.[2] There remains a lack of targeted therapies or consensus for the management of Maffucci syndrome, thus treatment decisions are dictated by the patient's complaints, as well as quality of life. Natural history of Ollier disease and Maffucci syndrome: Patient survey and review of clinical literature. Maffucci syndrome is a very rare congenital disease caused by somatic mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) or IDH2. [Extracted from the article]

The spectral division method (SDM) is one of several sound field synthesis techniques of spatial sound reproduction. The synthesis accuracy of SDM is usually higher than that of wave field synthesis (WFS). However, existing SDM-based sound field synthesis methods are developed for virtual sources moving uniformly along a straight trajectory. This Letter proposes a 2.5-dimensional SDM driving function for arbitrary moving sources. Numerical simulations have validated the driving function. The results indicate that the synthesis error of the SDM with the proposed driving function is lower than that of WFS, especially when the virtual source is close to the secondary sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The current study was aimed to investigate the association of nudix hydrolase 1 (NUDT1) levels with the prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients.Material and Methods: Western immunoblotting and qRT-PCR were used to detect the protein and mRNA levels of NUDT1 in 31 cases of OSCC and normal tissues. The paraffin-embedded 62 cases of OSCC and 18 normal tissues were collected, and the pathological alterations were assessed by immunohistochemistry. The prognosis of all patients was followed up. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the survival rate, and Cox regression was used for multivariate analysis.Results: Both the protein and gene levels of NUDT1 were statistically increased (P = .0007 and P < .0001) in the OSCC tissue and had a significant association with the histopathologic grades of OSCC (P < .0001 and P = .0223). Immunohistochemistry detection of NUDT1 in 62 human OSCC tissues and 18 normal control tissues showed that NUDT1 expression was significantly increased in OSCC tissue and showed a strong association with histopathologic grades (P < .0001) and tumor stage (P = .005). Patients with high NUDT1 expression exhibited poorer overall survival rate (OS) and tumor-specific survival rate (TSS) than those with low NUDT1 expression (P < .0001 and P = .0008), and NUDT1 was independent prognostic factors for OS and TSS (P < .0001 and P < .001).Conclusion: The expression level of NUDT1 might be used to predict the prognosis of OSCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This letter explores a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator- (Lasso-) based beamforming algorithm for a sparse cylindrically baffled speaker array, which can be used for low-cost multi-channel surround sound reproduction. The proposed method exploits the inherent sparsity of the Lasso algorithm, and achieves both narrower beamwidth and a smaller side lobe in comparison with existing algorithms in both simulation and experiment. In addition, further study on the dependency of operating speaker sparsity on regularization parameter enables user preference-based adjustment in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This letter proposed advantageous in-uniform gradient cross-section (GCS) channels which weaken the dependence of the coiled-up anechoic metasurface on the total channel length. The privilege of GCS channels was revealed by studying Fabry-Pérot absorbers with designed channel widths. A theoretical framework was set up to explain the inherent sound absorbing mechanism, from which the overall performance as well as dominant working frequencies of linear and exponential GCS channels can be predicted. With proper GCS channel design, the proposed structures were experimentally and theoretically proven to achieve lower absorption frequencies in comparison with conventional uniform cross-section absorbers with the same exterior geometry. Through a parametric study on the near-perfect absorption frequency range of GCS absorbers, the strong tunability brought by GCS was confirmed, suggesting the possibility of on-demand frequency-oriented absorber design. Serving as an approach for acoustic impedance transferring, promising features of GCS can be extensively applied in existing coiled-up anechoic metasurfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]