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To reduce energy consumption, a new pulping process called A-D-E-RC (acidification/desalination/electrolysis/recycle-cooking) was developed by a research group in Guangxi University of China. The present work focuses on the step of recycle cooking (RC) to further investigate the technical feasibility of A-D-E-RC methods. Golden bamboo grass was considered as fiber source material for pulp, and it was cooked with the acidic treating of wastewater from black liquor. Then, the pulp obtained from each cooking was made into paper to test the changes in its physical properties. As a result, the pulp yield increased from 43.9% to 50.2%, after re-using acidified black liquor, and the paper's tear index and tensile index were improved. Therefore, this study demonstrated the feasibility of recycle cooking (RC) fiber materials for pulp applied the acidic treating wastewater from black liquor, and thereby, it further identifies the technical feasibility of A-D-E-RC pulping methods.

The increasing consumption of paper products has led to a shortage of paper fiber raw materials. It is necessary to develop new plant materials to alleviate the shortage of fiber suitable for papermaking. In this study, the fast-growing plant golden bamboo grass (Arundo donax), which is cultivated and planted in Guangxi province of China, was used as a new material for pulping. The average pulp yield by cyclic-cooking method averaged 48.6%, being 4.1% greater than the pulp yield by the ordinary caustic soda method. Much of the increased yield was attributable to the reprecipitation of lignin onto the fibers. The paper properties of the pulp prepared by cycle-cooked method did not decrease significantly, compared with the pulp prepared by the usual single-cooked method. Therefore, the pulp met the requirements of national standards of many kinds of papers. However, the pulp was not suitable for bleaching, due to its high consumption of oxidizing agents to reach the required brightness. Therefore, this research demonstrates that the fast-growing plant, Arundo donax is a good raw material for pulp, and the innovative method of cycle-cooking method can significantly improve the pulp yield.

Objectives: Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia have a high incidence and fatality rates due to pneumonia. Sarcopenia is a contributing factor to the development of pneumonia in patients with schizophrenia. In this study, we examine the effectiveness of three simple screening questionnaires, namely SARC-F, SARC-CalF, and SARC-F + EBM, in predicting the occurrence of pneumonia in stable patients with schizophrenia who are experiencing sarcopenia. Design: A prospective study. Setting: Patients with stable schizophrenia patients aged ≥50 years in two psychiatric hospitals in western China. Methods: Medical data from patients were collected from September 1 to September 30, 2020. Data specifically from patients diagnosed with pneumonia were collected for a period of one year, from October 2020 to October 2021. Three hundred thirty-five stable schizophrenia patients, among whom 229 were males (68.36 %.), were enrolled in the prospective study. The risk of sarcopenia was evaluated using the SARC-F, SARC-CalF, and SARC-F + EBM scores, with values of ≥4, 11, and 12 indicating an elevated risk of sarcopenia. The collected data were analyzed using logistic regression analysis to establish the association between the scores of these screening tools and the risk of pneumonia in individuals with stable schizophrenia. Results: The rate of pneumonia in stable schizophrenia individuals was 24.48 %. Among the included stable schizophrenia patients, the incidence of pneumonia in individuals with SARC-CalF scores ≥11 was higher than in those with SARC-CalF scores less than 11 (29.91 % vs 14.88 %, P = 0.002). In individuals with SARC-F + EBM scores ≥12, the pneumonia occurrence was higher than that in those with SARC-F + EBM scores less than 12 (37.33 % vs 20.77 %, P = 0.003). However, this pattern was not found in patients with stable schizophrenia who had SARC-F scores of 4 or above and less than 4. Following the implementation of logistic regression data analysis, it has been discovered that persons with SARC-CalF scores greater than or equal to 11 were at a significantly increased risk of having pneumonia compared to patients with SARC-CalF scores less than 11 (OR = 2.441, 95 % CI: 1.367–4.36). After adjusting the possible confounders, patients with SARC-CalF scores ≥11 had a greater danger of pneumonia (OR = 2.518, 95%CI: 1.36–4.665). As a result, it was found that individuals with SACR-F+EBM scores ≥12 were more likely to acquire pneumonia (OR = 2.273, 95%CI: 1.304–3.961) when compared to those with scores

We aimed to investigate the effects of quercetin and taxifolin on gut health in the Chinese sucker (Myxocyprinus asiaticus). Short-term exposure (96 h) was conducted by exposing Chinese sucker to 2.5 mg/L of quercetin (Q2.5), 5 mg/L of quercetin (Q5), 10 mg/L of quercetin (Q10), 2.5 mg/L of taxifolin (T2.5), 5 mg/L of taxifolin (T5), 10 mg/L of taxifolin (T10), and their combination (quercetin and taxifolin: 5 mg/L+5 mg/L, QT). Then, we analyzed intestinal microorganisms, fat composition, digestive enzyme activities, and antioxidant and inflammatory-related gene expression. Both quercetin and taxifolin had an inhibitory effect on the intestinal flora, and the higher the quercetin concentration, the better the inhibitory effect. When compared to quercetin, taxifolin inhibited harmful bacteria more efficiently and maintained the abundance of probiotics. T5 and QT reduced the content of total cholesterol (T-CHO), and QT reduced the content of triglycerides (TG) in intestinal tissues. Q5 inhibited trypsin activity, while T5 increased amylase (AMS) activity in intestinal tissues. Q5, T5, and QT increased the expression of GST, GPx4, SOD1 and CAT in the intestine. The expression levels of GST and CAT in T5 were higher than in the Q5 and QT groups. Q5, T5, and QT inhibited the expression of IL1β, IL6, IL8, TNF-α, and TNF-β, and increased the expression levels of IL10. In summary, using taxifolin alone would be more beneficial with regards to maintaining homeostasis of the intestinal flora and increasing the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity of the intestinal tract. The optimal application rate of taxifolin was 5 mg/L.

In order to improve the management efficiency of college students' associations, the author combined with ant colony algorithm to study the student management model of college student associations. Firstly, based on the study of the basic idea, principle, process and application scope of ant colony algorithm under the framework of swarm intelligence, several improved versions of the well-known ant colony algorithm are studied in depth, it provides a basis and reference for the research work of core theory and practical engineering application, secondly, the author will introduce the theoretical framework of the diagnosis and evaluation of college student associations. Through extensive literature review, documents, conducted a questionnaire survey in the student associations of colleges and universities in Dalian, and collected a large number of detailed first-hand materials. The model obtained by using ant colony algorithm plays an important role in management.

In order to evaluate the success rate of students’ entrepreneurship more effectively based on a nonlinear differential equation, the author proposes a model for evaluating the success rate of students’ entrepreneurship based on a nonlinear differential equation. These models allow for a score set on the cost of higher education entrepreneurship and determine all higher education entrepreneurship based on it, realizing the cost optimization of higher education entrepreneurship. The simulation results show that the model has scoring and improved student entrepreneurship.

In order to understand the current achievements of vocational students' entrepreneurship, the author creates a model of university students' innovativeness and entrepreneurship. This study analyzes the quality requirements of stakeholders, such as schools and students, for higher education innovation and entrepreneurship education based on research and practical results obtained in Finland and abroad. With the help of probability theory statistics, the relevant indicators are classified, the innovation and entrepreneurship system of vocational educational institutions is built, and the evaluation standards for each indicator are presented. Based on this, the weight of each index is determined and the innovation and entrepreneurship education model of vocational colleges is built. Through the analysis of index scores and total scores at all levels of X Vocational and Technical College and J Vocational College, the total score for innovation and entrepreneurship education at X Vocational College is 3.307 and the total score for innovation and entrepreneurship is 3.307. The education of the J vocational and technical college is 2.743, so the applicability of the model is good.

Gastrointestinal diseases exert a profound impact on global health, leading to millions of healthcare interventions and a significant number of fatalities annually. This, coupled with escalating healthcare expenditures, underscores the need for identifying and addressing potential exacerbating factors. One emerging concern is the pervasive presence of microplastics and nano-plastics in the environment, largely attributed to the indiscriminate usage of disposable plastic items. These nano-plastics, having infiltrated our food chain, pose a potential threat to gastrointestinal health. To understand this better, we co-cultured human gastric fibroblasts (HGF) with polystyrene nano-plastics (PS-NPs) of diverse sizes (80, 500, 650 nm) and meticulously investigated their cellular responses over a 24-hour period. Our findings revealed PS particles were ingested by the cells, with a notable increase in ingestion as the particle size decreased. The cellular death induced by these PS particles, encompassing both apoptosis and necrosis, showcased a clear dependence on both the particle size and its concentration. Notably, the larger PS particles manifested more potent cytotoxic effects. Further analysis indicated a concerning reduction in cellular membrane potential, alongside a marked increase in ROS levels upon PS particles exposure. This suggests a significant disruption of mitochondrial function and heightened oxidative stress. The larger PS particles were especially detrimental in causing mitochondrial dysfunction. In-depth exploration into the PS particles impact on genes linked with the permeability transition pore (PTP) elucidated that these PS particles instigated an internal calcium rush. This surge led to a compromise in the mitochondrial membrane potential, which in tandem with raised ROS levels, further catalyzed DNA damage and initiated cell death pathways. In essence, this study unveils the intricate mechanisms underpinning cell death caused by PS particles in gastric epithelial cells and highlighting the implications of PS particles on gastrointestinal health. The revelations from this research bear significant potential to shape future healthcare strategies and inform pertinent environmental policies.

Abstract In this work, we focus on using reinforcement learning and game theory to solve for the optimal strategies for the dice game Pig, in a novel simultaneous playing setting. First, we derived analytically the optimal strategy for the 2-player simultaneous game using dynamic programming, mixed-strategy Nash equilibrium. At the same time, we proposed a new Stackelberg value iteration framework to approximate the near-optimal pure strategy. Next, we developed the corresponding optimal strategy for the multiplayer independent strategy game numerically. Finally, we presented the Nash equilibrium for simultaneous Pig game with infinite number of players. To help promote the learning of and interest in reinforcement learning, game theory and statistics, we have further implemented a website where users can play both the sequential and simultaneous Pig game against the optimal strategies derived in this work.

Abstract Clustering and layering are widely employed in large‐scale wireless sensor networks (WSNs) to alleviate data implosion, reduce transmission delay and improve energy efficiency. It is vital to conduct performance analysis in clustered WSNs for better defining and designing networks. Here, a general analytical framework based on a randomly spacial model is proposed to conduct inter‐cluster interference analysis and physical‐layer security analysis for clustered WSNs. It is assumed that two adjacent cluster heads exchange confidential massage with a passive eavesdropper and the non‐head nodes in clusters could be selected as cooperative jamming (CJ) nodes to disturb the eavesdropper. All mentioned nodes are randomly located in their specific areas. Under the above settings, three scenarios, namely interference, eavesdropping and CJ are considered, and a stochastic geometry tool based on kinematic measure is employed for analysis. Comparing to existing stochastic geometry methods, the proposed analytical framework can handle arbitrarily shaped, disjoint and tiered networks. The results obtained from extensive simulations have verified the rationality of the framework and demonstrated the impact of different parameters on the performance metrics of interest. The comparison with PPP also shows the advantages of this proposed model.

Games of chance have historically played a critical role in the development and teaching of probability theory and game theory, and, in the modern age, computer programming and reinforcement learning. In this paper, we derive the optimal strategy for playing the two-dice game Pig, both the standard version and its variant with doubles, coined “Double-Trouble”, using certain fundamental concepts of reinforcement learning, especially the Markov decision process and dynamic programming. We further compare the newly derived optimal strategy to other popular play strategies in terms of the winning chances and the order of play. In particular, we compare to the popular “hold at n” strategy, which is considered to be close to the optimal strategy, especially for the best n, for each type of Pig Game. For the standard two-player, two-dice, sequential Pig Game examined here, we found that “hold at 23” is the best choice, with the average winning chance against the optimal strategy being 0.4747. For the “Double-Trouble” version, we found that the “hold at 18” is the best choice, with the average winning chance against the optimal strategy being 0.4733. Furthermore, time in terms of turns to play each type of game is also examined for practical purposes. For optimal vs. optimal or optimal vs. the best “hold at n” strategy, we found that the average number of turns is 19, 23, and 24 for one-die Pig, standard two-dice Pig, and the “Double-Trouble” two-dice Pig games, respectively. We hope our work will inspire students of all ages to invest in the field of reinforcement learning, which is crucial for the development of artificial intelligence and robotics and, subsequently, for the future of humanity.

In recent years, reinforcement learning (RL) has seen increasing applications in the financial industry, especially in quantitative trading and portfolio optimization when the focus is on the long-term reward rather than short-term profit. Sequential decision making and Markov decision processes are rather suited for this type of application. Through trial and error based on historical data, an agent can learn the characteristics of the market and evolve an algorithm to maximize the cumulative returns. In this work, we propose a novel RL trading algorithm utilizing random perturbation of the Q-network and account for the more realistic nonlinear transaction costs. In summary, we first design a new near-quadratic transaction cost function considering the slippage. Next, we develop a convolutional deep Q-learning network (CDQN) with multiple price input based on this cost functions. We further propose a random perturbation (rp) method to modify the learning network to solve the instability issue intrinsic to the deep Q-learning network. Finally, we use this newly developed CDQN-rp algorithm to make trading decisions based on the daily stock prices of Apple (AAPL), Meta (FB), and Bitcoin (BTC) and demonstrate its strengths over other quantitative trading methods.

X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (XLRS) is an inherited disorder characterized by retinal schisis cavities, which can be observed in optical coherence tomography (OCT) images. Monitoring disease progression necessitates the accurate segmentation and quantification of these cavities; yet, current manual methods are time consuming and result in subjective interpretations, highlighting the need for automated and precise solutions. We employed five state-of-the-art deep learning models—U-Net, U-Net++, Attention U-Net, Residual U-Net, and TransUNet—for the task, leveraging a dataset of 1500 OCT images from 30 patients. To enhance the models’ performance, we utilized data augmentation strategies that were optimized via deep reinforcement learning. The deep learning models achieved a human-equivalent accuracy level in the segmentation of schisis cavities, with U-Net++ surpassing others by attaining an accuracy of 0.9927 and a Dice coefficient of 0.8568. By utilizing reinforcement-learning-based automatic data augmentation, deep learning segmentation models demonstrate a robust and precise method for the automated segmentation of schisis cavities in OCT images. These findings are a promising step toward enhancing clinical evaluation and treatment planning for XLRS.

AimWe investigated the relationship between the sarcopenia-indicating Ishii test scores and pneumonia risk in stable schizophrenia patients.MethodsThis prospective investigation involves schizophrenic inpatients from two mental health centers in western China. Patient baseline information was gathered over 1 month from September 1 to 30 in 2020. All pneumonia-related patient information, including diagnosis and treatment, was acquired over 1 year between October 2020 and October 2021. Patients with schizophrenia were screened for sarcopenia utilizing a threshold value established by Ishii et al. Using regression analysis, the link between Ishii test scores and pneumonia risk in schizophrenia patients was investigated.ResultThis study recruited 232 males and 107 females with schizophrenia over the age of 50 and older. During a 1-year follow-up period, four patients (3 males and 1 female) acquired pneumonia within 1 week of relapse in schizophrenia; therefore, these patients were excluded from the study. Finally, data were collected for 335 patients. The pneumonia incidences were 29.3% in males and 14.2% in females. Our analysis confirmed that compared to the male schizophrenia patients with Ishii test scores < 105 (non-sarcopenia), those with Ishii test scores ≥ 105 (sarcopenia) exhibited an elevated pneumonia risk (OR = 2.739, 95%CI: 1.406–5.333). Following confounders adjustment, Ishii test scores ≥ 105 remained a risk factor for pneumonia (OR = 2.064, 95%CI: 1.029–4.143). Among females with schizophrenia, the Ishii test scores were not associated with pneumonia risk.ConclusionIn conclusion, our results demonstrated that the Ishii test scores ≥ 105 were strongly associated with pneumonia risk in stable schizophrenic male patients.

AimHere, we investigate the relationship between mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and calf circumference (CC) screening indicators of sarcopenia and the risk of pneumonia in stable patients diagnosed with schizophrenia.MethodThe study is prospective and includes inpatients with schizophrenia from two mental health centers in Western China. The studied screening indicators, MUAC and CC were assessed in standing patients. The relationship between MUAC and CC as sarcopenia screening indicators with the risk of pneumonia in patients with schizophrenia was analyzed by performing a statistical logistic regression analysis.ResultFor this study, 339 patients with schizophrenia, aged 50 years and over were recruited. Moreover, four patients with pneumonia that occurred within 1 week of the relapse of schizophrenia were excluded. As a result, only 335 patients were included in the analysis. Pneumonia has been reported in 82 (24.5%) of all included patients with schizophrenia. Our data analysis confirmed that in the male patients, the higher CC was associated with a lower risk of pneumonia (odds ratio [OR] = 0.751, 95% CI: 0.635–0.889). We have divided men into two cohorts following the values of CC. Our analysis further showed that the patients with CC ≥ 34 cm had a lower risk of pneumonia in men (OR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.163–0.795).ConclusionWe demonstrate that CC is associated with pneumonia risk in stable men with schizophrenia.

Dominant optic atrophy (DOA) is one of the most common type of hereditary optic atrophy. Here, we describe the generation and characterization of a human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line of DOA patient with an OPA1 mutation. The reprogramming of this iPSC line was performed from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using the non-integrative Sendai virus. The established hiPSC line retained the disease-associated mutation and showed normal karyotype, pluripotency, and differentiation capacity.

Choroideremia (CHM) is a rare monogenic, X-linked recessive inherited chorioretinal dystrophy caused by loss of function variants in the CHM gene. We successfully generated a novel human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line from a CHM patient with CHM variant using the Sendai-virus based approach. These cells will provide a disease model for further studies on the disease pathogenesis and potential interventions.

RDH12 mutations have been identified in patients diagnosed with severe early-onset retinal dystrophy, including Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) and early-onset severe retinal dystrophy (EOSRD). Here, we describe the generation and characterization of a human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line of a patient with RDH12 mutations. Blood sample was obtained, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were reprogrammed using the non-integrative Sendai virus to generate the iPSC line. The hiPSCs were characterized according to standard protocols including karyotyping, pluripotency marker expression and differentiation towards the three germ layers.

The current wastewater treatment method shows low efficiency in treating wastewater with high concentrations of chemical mechanical pulp (CMP). Therefore, a chlorine dioxide Pretreatment Anaerobic Treatment (DPAT) was developed and applied to treat the CMP wastewater to obtain higher efficiency, obtaining the following results: The biodegradability of CMP wastewater improved after chlorine dioxide pretreatment. The COD of wastewater treated with chlorine dioxide was reduced from 5634 mg/L to 660 mg/L. The removal rate for chemical oxygen demand (COD) was 88.29%, 29.13% higher than the common anaerobic treatment. The reasons for the high efficiency of the DPAT treatment were that chlorine dioxide pretreatment removed the toxic substances in the original wastewater and thereby promoted the proliferation and growth of the anaerobe. The results show that pretreatment with chlorine dioxide can effectively enhance the biodegradability of high-concentration CMP wastewater. Therefore, DPAT treatment of high-concentration CMP wastewater is beneficial to environmental protection.

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is the major intermediate filament III protein of astroglia cells which is upregulated in traumatic brain injury (TBI). Here we reported that GFAP is truncated at both the C- and N-terminals by cytosolic protease calpain to GFAP breakdown products (GBDP) of 46-40K then 38K following pro-necrotic (A23187) and pro-apoptotic (staurosporine) challenges to primary cultured astroglia or neuron-glia mixed cells. In addition, with another pro-apoptotic challenge (EDTA) where caspases are activated but not calpain, GFAP was fragmented internally, generating a C-terminal GBDP of 20 kDa. Following controlled cortical impact in mice, GBDP of 46-40K and 38K were formed from day 3 to 28 post-injury. Purified GFAP protein treated with calpain-1 and -2 generates (i) major N-terminal cleavage sites at A-56*A-61 and (ii) major C-terminal cleavage sites at T-383*Q-388, producing a limit fragment of 38K. Caspase-6 treated GFAP was cleaved at D-78/R-79 and D-225/A-226, where GFAP was relatively resistant to caspase-3. We also derived a GBDP-38K N-terminal-specific antibody which only labels injured astroglia cell body in both cultured astroglia and mouse cortex and hippocampus after TBI. As a clinical translation, we observed that CSF samples collected from severe human TBI have elevated levels of GBDP-38K as well as two C-terminally released GFAP peptides (DGEVIKES and DGEVIKE). Thus, in addition to intact GFAP, both the GBDP-38K as well as unique GFAP released C-terminal proteolytic peptides species might have the potential in tracking brain injury progression.