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Abstract The Taihangshan-Yanshan region (TYR) is an important ecological barrier area for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, and the effectiveness of its ecological restoration and protection is of great significance to the ecological security pattern of North China. Based on the FVC data from 2000 to 2021, residual analysis, parametric optimal geodetector technique (OPGD) and multi-scale geographically weighted regression analysis (MGWR) were used to clarify the the multivariate driving mechanism of the evolution of FVC in the TYR. Results show that: (1) FVC changes in the TYR show a slowly fluctuating upward trend, with an average growth rate of 0.02/10a, and a spatial pattern of "high in the northwest and low in the southeast"; more than half of the FVC increased during the 22-year period. (2) The results of residual analysis showed that the effects of temperature and precipitation on FVC were very limited, and a considerable proportion (80.80% and 76.78%) of the improved and degraded areas were influenced by other factors. (3) The results of OPGD showed that the main influencing factors of the spatial differentiation of FVC included evapotranspiration, surface temperature, land use type, nighttime light intensity, soil type, and vegetation type (q > 0.2); The explanatory rates of the two-factor interactions were greater than those of the single factor, which showed either nonlinear enhancement or bifactorial enhancement, among which, the interaction of evapotranspiration with mean air and surface temperature has the strongest effect on the spatial and temporal evolution of FVC (q = 0.75). Surface temperature between 4.98 and 10.4 °C, evapotranspiration between 638 and 762 mm/a, and nighttime light between 1.96 and 7.78 lm/m2 favoured an increase in vegetation cover, and vegetation developed on lysimetric soils was more inclined to be of high cover. (4) The correlation between each variable and FVC showed different performance, GDP, elevation, slope and FVC showed significant positive correlation in most regions, while population size, urban population proportion, GDP proportion of primary and secondary industries, and nighttime light intensity all showed negative correlation with FVC to different degrees. The results can provide data for formulating regional environmental protection and restoration policies.

Abstract Background There is still limited research on the prognostic value of Presepsin as a biomarker for predicting the outcome of COVID-19 patients. Additionally, research on the combined predictive value of Presepsin with clinical scoring systems and inflammation markers for disease prognosis is lacking. Methods A total of 226 COVID-19 patients admitted to Beijing Youan Hospital’s emergency department from May to November 2022 were screened. Demographic information, laboratory measurements, and blood samples for Presepsin levels were collected upon admission. The predictive value of Presepsin, clinical scoring systems, and inflammation markers for 28-day mortality was analyzed. Results A total of 190 patients were analyzed, 83 (43.7%) were mild, 61 (32.1%) were moderate, and 46 (24.2%) were severe/critically ill. 23 (12.1%) patients died within 28 days. The Presepsin levels in severe/critical patients were significantly higher compared to moderate and mild patients (p

Background: Endometriosis (EMs) is a common chronic inflammatory disease which is characterized by multiple clinical symptoms and high recurrence rate due to the absence of effective therapies. Huayu Jiedu Formula (HYJDF), is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription with five major herbs. It has been used as traditional medicine to treat EMs for more than twenty years and exerted a good therapeutic effect. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here we aim to observe the effects of HYJDF on EMs and investigate the therapeutic mechanism. Methods: The extract components of HYJDF were identified and quantified by an UHPLC-QE-MS method. Network pharmacology was used to obtain the core targets of HYJDF for the treatment of EMs and the specific biologic processes involved. A total of 68 EMs cases were randomly divided into control (gestrinone) and observation (HYJDF) groups. The overall effectiveness, pain scores, cyst-size changes, serum CA125 levels, quality-of-life scores, safety, and adverse events were evaluated before and after treatment. For the mechanism research, DNA methylation-chip analysis was performed to determine the differential genes. EMs mice models and human ectopic stromal cells (ESCs) were treated with HYJDF and its pharmaceutical serum, respectively. The ectopic foci was measured via H&E staining while the expressions of the target genes were verified by real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. The inflammatory cytokine levels in the peritoneal fluid of mice were detected by ELISA. The proliferative potential of cells was analyzed by MTS whereas the apoptosis and cell cycle were determined through flow analysis. Results: The total number of components detected in positive and negative ion modes was 839 and 597, respectively. Network pharmacology suggested that HYJDF treated EMs through DNA methylation. We found that HYJDF and gestrinone exerted good therapeutic effect with no obvious difference, but the HYJDF treatment group had fewer side effects. GATA 6, which was hypomethylated and abundant in endometriotic cells, potently induced inflammatory response. This finding indicated the important role of GATA 6 in EMs development. Moreover, HYJDF ameliorated inflammatory response (i.e., reduced the levels of IL-1β and PGE2 in peritoneal fluid), suppressed ESCs proliferation, and increased cell apoptosis by down-regulating GATA 6 expression. Conclusion: We demonstrated that HYJDF has anti-inflammation activity and increased cell apoptosis through the reduction of GATA 6 expression in ectopic tissues, which showed good therapeutic effect without any obvious side effects. These findings suggest that HYJDF may be a new and efficient traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of EMs.

The corticostriatal connection plays a crucial role in cognitive, emotional, and motor control. However, the specific roles and synaptic transmissions of corticostriatal connection are less studied, especially the corticostriatal transmission from the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Here, a direct glutamatergic excitatory synaptic transmission in the corticostriatal projection from the ACC is found. Kainate receptors (KAR)‐mediated synaptic transmission is increased in this corticostriatal connection both in vitro and in vivo seizure‐like activities. GluK1 containing KARs and downstream calcium‐stimulated adenylyl cyclase subtype 1 (AC1) are involved in the upregulation of KARs following seizure‐like activities. Inhibiting the activities of ACC or its corticostriatal connection significantly attenuated pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)‐induced seizure. Additionally, injection of GluK1 receptor antagonist UBP310 or the AC1 inhibitor NB001 both show antiepileptic effects. The studies provide direct evidence that KARs are involved in seizure activity in the corticostriatal connection and the KAR‐AC1 signaling pathway is a potential novel antiepileptic strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) and age- matched SAMR1 mice are used to study the pathogenesis and therapeutics of Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, the molecular mechanisms are not completely understood. Objective: This study aimed to examine the effects of the 5-month administration of formononetin in SAMP8 mice and used RNA-seq to explore the molecular targets. Methods: SAMP8 mice were orally administered formononetin (0, 8, and 16 mg/kg) from 4 months of age, and age-matched SAMR1 mice were used as controls. Behavioral tests were performed in 9-month-old mice, followed by histopathologic analysis. Total RNA from the hippocampus was isolated and subjected to RNA-seq, RT-qPCR, and bioinformatics analysis. Results: The 9-month-old SAMP8 mice exhibited cognition deficits, evidenced by novel object recognition, open-field test, elevated plus maze, and passive avoidance. Nissl bodies in the cortex and hippocampus were decreased. Formononetin treatments ameliorated behavioral deficits and improved morphological changes, which were evidenced by Nissl and H&E staining. RNA-seq revealed distinct gene expression patterns between SAMP8 and SAMR1 mice. Differentially expressed genes in SAMP8 mice were attenuated or normalized by formononetin. Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) of canonical pathway and upstream regulators revealed increases in proinflammatory factors and immune dysfunction and decreases in NRF2 and SIRT-1 signaling pathways, leading to neuroinflammation. Formononetin treatment attenuated or reversed these molecular changes. The transcriptome of SAMP8 mice was correlated with transcriptomic profiles of other AD mouse models in the GEO database. Conclusion: Neuroinflammation and decreased antioxidant and SIRT-1 signaling contributed to cognitive deficits in aged SAMP8 mice, which are potential therapeutic targets of formononetin in combination with other therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a kinetostatic approach for analyzing the joint torques of a redundant snake robot. The method is suitable for weightless space environments. With the high degree of freedom and flexible cable actuation, the redundant snake robot is well-suited for utilization in space-weightless environments. This method reduces computational cost by using the multiplication of matrices and vectors instead of inverse matrices. Taking advantage of the velocity screw (twist) and force screw (wrench), this strategy provides an idea for redundant serial robots to achieve the calculation of joint torques. This methodology is straightforward for programming and has good computational efficiency. The instantaneous work performed by the actuation is expressed with the force screw. According to the principle of virtual work, the kinetostatic equation of the robot can be obtained and the torque required for each joint can be determined. Meanwhile, to solve the inertia force generated by joint acceleration, D'Alembert's principle is adopted to transform the dynamic problem into a static problem. Through kinetostatic analysis of a redundant snake robot, this paper shows the approach of establishing the kinetostatic model to calculate the torque in screw form. At the same time, the actuation distribution of the redundant snake robot is also cracked effectively for practical purposes. Due to the difficulty of achieving weightless space environments, this paper validates the method by using ADAMS simulation without gravity in the simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The method developed in our previous work (Wang et al., AIChE J. 2020; 66(8): e16257), was used to study the influence of the mass‐transfer direction and flux on the dynamic interfacial tension (DIFT) in a pulsed column. The breakup frequency was the highest near the entrance of the dispersed droplet, corresponding to the lowest interfacial tension and highest mass transfer flux. The decrease in the interfacial tension was proportional to the square root of mass‐transfer flux, and this difference is defined as a new parameter, named interfacial relaxation. When the mass‐transfer direction was changed from the dispersed phase to continuous phase to the opposite direction, the proportion of binary breakage was decreased from ~80% to ~40% and the interfacial relaxation was more sensitive to the mass‐transfer flux. A DIFT model was finally established based on the interfacial relaxation parameter, which predicted the experimental results with an error of ±10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was reported that the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway is involved in the regulation of aerobic glycolysis and that brain glycolytic dysfunction results in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Icariin (ICA), an active component extracted from Epimedii Folium, has been reported to produce neuroprotective effects in multiple models of AD, but its underlying mechanism remains to be fully described. We aimed to investigate the protective effects of ICA on animal and cell models of AD and confirm whether the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway has functions in the neuroprotective function of ICA. The 3 × Tg‐AD mice were treated with ICA. HT22 cells, the Aβ25‐35 peptide and Dickkopf‐1 (DKK1) agent (a specific inhibitor of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway) were used to further explore the underlying mechanism of ICA that produces anti‐AD effects. Behavioral examination, western blotting assay, staining analysis, biochemical test, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays were applied. We first demonstrated that ICA significantly improved cognitive function and autonomous behavior, reduced neuronal damage, and reversed the protein levels and activities of glycolytic key enzymes, and expression of protein molecules of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway, in 3 × Tg‐AD mice back to wild‐type levels. Next, we further found that ICA increased cell viability and effectively improved the dysfunctional glycolysis in HT22 cells injured by Aβ25‐35. However, when canonical Wnt signaling was inhibited by DKK1, the above effects of ICA on glycolysis were abolished. In summary, ICA exerts neuroprotective effects in 3 × Tg‐AD animals and AD cellular models by enhancing the function of glycolysis through activation of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To establish ulcerative colitis (UC) rat model of spleen deficiency and dampness, and to explore effect of Jianpi-Huazhu pill and its different deconditions on TLR-4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. Methods: A total of 64 Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group (n=8) and model group (n=56). UC rat model was established by traditional Chinese medicine syndrome combined with ethanol-2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid enema method. After successfully modeling, rats were randomly divided into model group (M), Mesalazine group (A), Jianpi-Huazhi pill group (B), Jianpi-Qinghua decoction group (C), Jianpi-Qinghua-Huoxue decoction group (D), Jianpi-Qinghua-Daozhi decoction group (E) and Qinghua-Daozhi-Huoxue decoction group (F), with 8 rats in each group, given corresponding drugs by gavage for 4 weeks. At end of course of treatment, all rats were sacrificed and samples were taken. Changes of body weight, disease activity and pathological changes of colon were observed. TNF-α expression in colon tissue was detected by ELISA and immunohistochemistry. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect mRNA and protein expressions of TLR-4, MyD88 and NF-κB in rat colon tissue. Results: Rats weight in Jianpi-Huazhi pill group, Jianpi- Qinghua decoction group, Jianpi-Qinghua-Huoxue decoction group and Jianpi-Qinghua-Daozhi decoction group were obviously higher than that of model group (P<0.01), all treatment groups could obviously improve UC model rat pathological damage and disease activity index in colon tissue, and Jianpi-Huazhi pill group and Jianpi-Qinghua-Huoxue group showed better efficacy. All treatment groups could inhibit mRNA and protein expressions of TLR-4, MyD88 and NF-κB in colon tissue (P<0.001). Mesalazine group, Jianpi-Huazhi pill group, Jianpi-Qinghua-Daozhi group and Qinghua-Daozhi-Huoxue group were significantly better than Jianpi-Qinghua group and Jianpi-Qinghua-Huoxue group in reducing NF-κB mRNA and protein expressions (P<0.05). All groups could reduce expression of TNF-α in colon tissue (P<0.001), and there was no significant difference between groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: Jianpi- Huazhi pill and its various deconditions may play roles through TLR-4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. Among them, Coptid-Rhizoma coptifolia, stews woody incense, Fengwei herb and gung ginger may be core drugs of this recipe, which has certain guiding significance for clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript introduces a symmetrical gripping mechanism, a significant piece of robotic equipment, adept at adjusting to the variable dimensions of disparate objects within an extensive range. The innovative mechanism presented in this treatise has dual degrees of freedom (DOF), and its parameters can be customized to satisfy diverse requirements. Symbolic computation is employed to dissect both the forward and inverse kinematics of the mechanism. Furthermore, the requisite driving force of the mechanism, when paired with parameterized objects, is discussed. Ultimately, a methodology is suggested for discerning the mechanism's parameters in relation to variously grasped widths and forces. The article concludes with the introduction of a prototype construction process. Experimental results substantiate the effectiveness and functionality of the proposed mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is in urgent requirement to directly measure the droplet coalescence frequency for the application of the population balance model. In this study, a method was firstly developed to directly measure the droplet coalescence frequency in turbulent flow field by using a specially designed mixing tank and a high‐speed camera. The effects of the rotating speed and holdup fraction on the droplet coalescence frequency were quantitatively investigated. The increasing of rotation speed promotes first and then inhibits the coalescence, while the holdup fraction has little influence on the coalescence frequency function. The droplet collision frequency was also counted and the coalescence efficiency was calculated. The models in the literature were tested with our experimental data and were found failing to predict the coalescence frequency in the stirring tank. Empirical correlation was finally proposed and good agreement was found between the prediction results and the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of ethephon can achieve early and concentrated the machine-harvested cotton boll opening. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of the boll-period shortening on the boll weight, fiber quality, and relationship, when the ethephon was sprayed at different stages of the boll development with a selection of 18 materials. The results showed that when the period of cotton was 47--69 days, spraying ethephon at the age of boll was 40.5--49.7 days, which could advance boll opening by 3.5--5.7 days. It took 64.1--69.7 days for fiber to fully mature under ethephon, while it took 54.8--60.5 days for cotton seed. When boll was opened 1.5--6.2 days earlier, the probability of boll weight and fiber quality decreasing was up to 58.0%--76.5%. To achieve an early opening of the boll, ethephon can be applied at the boll age of 34.8--44.1 days, when the boll weight (< 0.26 g) and fiber quality damage (length reduction < 0.28 mm and fiber strength < 0.30 cN tex--1) at the top of cotton plant are reduced by 5% and 1%, respectively. In addition, the boll period was shortened in some materials, but the boll weight, fiber length, and strength were increased, with the 9.5%--23.5% probability. Therefore, the reasonable use of ethephon in some cotton varieties can shorten the boll period and improve the boll weight and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change poses a significant threat to humanity. Achieving net-zero emissions is a key goal in many countries. Among various energy resources, solar power generation is one of the prominent renewable energy sources. Previous studies have demonstrated that post-processing techniques such as bias correction can enhance the accuracy of solar power forecasting based on numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. To improve the post-processing technique, this study proposes a new day-ahead forecasting framework that integrates weather research and forecasting solar (WRF-Solar) irradiances and the total solar power generation measurements for five cities in northern, central, and southern Taiwan. The WRF-Solar irradiances generated by the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau (CWB) were first subjected to bias correction using the decaying average (DA) method. Then, the effectiveness of this correction method was verified, which led to an improvement of 22% in the forecasting capability from the WRF-Solar model. Subsequently, the WRF-Solar irradiances after bias correction using the DA method were utilized as inputs into the transformer model to predict the day-ahead total solar power generation. The experimental results demonstrate that the application of bias-corrected WRF-Solar irradiances enhances the accuracy of day-ahead solar power forecasts by 15% compared with experiments conducted without bias correction. These findings highlight the necessity of correcting numerical weather predictions to improve the accuracy of solar power forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a promising non-invasive treatment that has shown great potential in eliminating tumors. It not only induces apoptosis of cancer cells but also triggers immunogenic cell death (ICD) which could activate the immune system against cancer. However, the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TIME) poses a challenge to triggering strong immune responses with a single treatment, thus limiting the therapeutic effect of cancer immunotherapy. In this study, dual-targeted nano delivery system (GOx@FeNPs) combined with αPD-L1 immune checkpoint blocker could inhibit colorectal cancer (CRC) progression by mediating PTT, ferroptosis and anti-tumor immune response. Briefly, specific tumor delivery was achieved by the cyclic arginine glycyl aspartate (cRGD) peptide and anisamide (AA) in GOx@FeNPs which not only had a good photothermal effect to realize PTT and induce ICD, but also could deplete glutathione (GSH) and catalyze the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from endogenous H2O2. All these accelerated the Fenton reaction and augmented the process of PTT-induced ICD. Thus, a large amount of tumor specific antigen was released to stimulate the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) in lymph nodes and enhance the infiltration of CD8+ T cells in tumor. At the same time, the combination with αPD-L1 has favorable synergistic effectiveness against CRC with tumor inhibition rate over 90%. Furthermore, GOx@FeNPs had good magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) capability under T2-weighting owing to the presence of Fe3+, which is favorable for integrated diagnosis and treatment systems of CRC. By constructing a dual-targeted GOx@FeNPs nanoplatform, PTT synergistically combined with ferroptosis was realized to improve the immunotherapeutic effect, providing a new approach for CRC immunotherapy.

Abstract Background The ability of socially assistive robots (SARs) to treat dementia and Alzheimer’s disease has been verified. Currently, to increase the range of their application, there is an increasing amount of interest in using SARs to relieve pain and negative emotions among children in routine medical settings. However, there is little consensus regarding the use of these robots. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the effect of SARs on pain and negative affectivity among children undergoing invasive needle-based procedures. Design This study was a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that was conducted in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook guidelines. Methods The PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, and WanFang databases were searched from inception to January 2024 to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We used the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool 2.0 (RoB2.0) to assess the risk of bias among the included studies, and we used RevMan 5.4 software to conduct the meta-analysis. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework was used to assess the quality of the evidence. Results Ten RCTs involving 815 pediatric subjects were selected for this review and reported outcomes related to pain and emotions during IV placement, port needle insertion, flu vaccination, blood sampling, and dental treatment. Children undergoing needle-related procedures with SARs reported less anxiety (SMD= -0.36; 95% CI= -0.64, -0.09) and fewer distressed avoidance behaviors (SMD= -0.67; 95% CI= -1.04, -0.30) than did those receiving typical care. There were nonsignificant differences between these groups in terms of in pain (SMD = -0.02; 95% CI = − 0.81, 0.78) and fear (SMD = 0.38; 95% CI= -0.06, 0.82). The results of exploratory subgroup analyses revealed no statistically significant differences based on the intervention type of robots or anesthetic use. Conclusions The use of SARs is a promising intervention method for alleviating anxiety and distress among children undergoing needle-related procedures. However, additional high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to further validate these conclusions. Trial registration The protocol of this study has been registered in the database PROSPERO (registration ID: CRD42023413279).

Abstract Type I interferon (IFN-I) plays a crucial role in the antiviral immune response and inflammatory autoimmune diseases by inducing the expression of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). Hence, the regulation of ISG expression is fundamental for maintaining immune homeostasis. In this study, we found that PCGF3 negatively regulates the antiviral response by suppressing the expression of ISGs. The deficiency of PCGF3 in innate immune cells results in an augmented expression of ISGs in response to IFN-I stimulation. Mechanistically, PCGF3 is recruited to interferon-stimulated response elements (ISREs) region in an IFN-dependent way, precluding STAT1 from binding to the ISG promoter and diminishing ISRE activity. Additionally, we observed a negative correlation between decreased PCGF3 expression and elevated ISG expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with dermatomyositis (DM). Our findings clarified the epigenetic regulatory role of PCGF3 in inhibiting the excessive expression of ISGs induced by IFN-I under pathological circumstances.

[Objectives] This study was conducted to investigate the application of Sargassumfusiforme (Harv.) Setch. in cigarettes. [Methods] Tobacco-specific nitrosamines in the smoke of cigarettes added with ethanol extract of S. fusiforme were determined, and the compounds related to the aroma of S. fusiforme were identified by flavor-smelling experiment. [Results] With the addition of the ethanol extract of S. fusiforme, the decrease in the total amount of four tobacco-specific nitrosamines in mainstream cigarette smoke reached 16.42%. The results of the flavor-smelling experiment showed that the aroma of S. fusiforme might be related to ( R)-5,6,7,7A-tetrahydro4,4,7A-trimethyl-2 ( 4H) -benzofuranone, glycerol, ethyl palmitate, methyl palmitate, ethyl linoleate, methyl ( Z, Z, Z) -9, 12, 15- octadecatrienoate, ethyl ( Z, Z, Z) -9, 12, 15-octadecatrienoate, phytol, and tetradecanoic acid. [Conclusions] The ethanol extract of S. fusiforme has the potential function of reducing the content of tobacco-specific nitrosamines in smoke and improving the taste of cigarettes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated pavement condition survey is of critical importance to road network management. There are three primary tasks involved in pavement condition surveys, namely data collection, data processing and condition evaluation. Artificial intelligence (AI) has achieved many breakthroughs in almost every aspect of modern technology over the past decade, and undoubtedly offers a more robust approach to automated pavement condition survey. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review on data collection systems, data processing algorithms and condition evaluation methods proposed between 2010 and 2023 for intelligent pavement condition survey. In particular, the data collection system includes AI-driven hardware devices and automated pavement data collection vehicles. The AI-driven hardware devices including right-of-way (ROW) cameras, ground penetrating radar (GPR) devices, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) devices, and advanced laser imaging systems, etc. These different hardware components can be selectively mounted on a vehicle to simultaneously collect multimedia information about the pavement. In addition, this article pays close attention to the application of artificial intelligence methods in detecting pavement distresses, measuring pavement roughness, identifying pavement rutting, analyzing skid resistance and evaluating structural strength of pavements. Based upon the analysis of a variety of the state-of-the-art artificial intelligence methodologies, remaining challenges and future needs with respect to intelligent pavement condition survey are discussed eventually.