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Engineering rock mass often involves bedding planes and U-shaped defects. Under the combined influence of bedding planes and defects, the fracture mode of engineering rock mass is more complicated. To better understand the failure law of U-shaped defects in rock mass with bedding planes and better control or predict the crack propagation morphology, three-point bending tests were conducted on semicircular disk specimens with U-shaped notches under three different notch radii. The load variation law, different stages of the load–displacement curve, and fracture characteristics of specimens under five bedding angles were analyzed. Then, numerical models of semicircular three-point bending tests were established in particle flow code 2D (PFC2D). The influence of notch radius and bedding angle on the failure path of semicircular specimens was simulated and analyzed, and the three failure modes were verified again. In addition, the stress at the notch tip of the model was monitored by the measurement circle in the discrete-element method, and the fracture toughness of the model specimen was calculated, which provides a new calculation idea for fracture toughness. The research results help us more comprehensively understand the mechanical behavior and failure characteristics of layered rock mass with notch under external load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme rainfall, also known as heavy rainfall or intense precipitation, is a weather event characterized by a significant amount of rainfall within a short period. This study analyzes the trends in extreme precipitation indices at 17 stations in four main regions in Cambodia—the Tonle Sap, coastal, Mekong Delta, and Upper Mekong regions—between 1991 and 2021. Analyzing the data with RClimDex v1.9 reveals diverse spatial and temporal variations. The statistical analysis of the extreme rainfall indices in Cambodia from 1991 to 2021 reveals significant trends. In the Tonle Sap region, consecutive dry days (CDDs) increased at most stations, except Battabang, Kampong Thmar, and Pursat, while consecutive wet days (CWDs) increased at most stations. These trends align with rising temperatures and reduced forest cover. In the coastal region, particularly at the Krong Khemarak Phummin station, most rainfall indices increased, with a slope value of 89.94 mm/year. The extreme rainfall indices max. 1-day precipitation (RX1day) and max. 5-day precipitation (RX5day) also increased, suggesting higher precipitation on days exceeding the 95th (R95p) and 99th percentiles (R99p). The Kampot station showed a significant increase in CDDs, indicating a heightened drought risk. In the Mekong Delta, the Prey Veng station recorded a decrease in the CDDs slope value by −4.892 days/year, indicating potential drought risks. The Stung Treng station, which is the only station in Upper Mekong, showed a decreasing trend in CDDs with a slope value of −1.183 days/year, indicating a risk of extreme events. These findings underscore the complex interplay between climate change, land use, and rainfall patterns in Cambodia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to enhance flood forecasting accuracy in the Liangfeng River basin, a small karst watershed in Southern China, by incorporating the Available Reservoir Capacity of Karst (ARCK) into the HEC-HMS model. This region is often threatened by floods during the rainy season, so an accurate flood forecast can help decision-makers better manage rivers. As a crucial influencing factor on karstic runoff, ARCK is often overlooked in hydrological models. The seasonal and volatile nature of ARCK makes the direct computation of its specific values challenging. In this study, a virtual reservoir for each sub-basin (total of 17) was introduced into the model to simulate the storage and release of ARCK-induced runoff phenomena. Simulations via the enhanced model for rainfall events with significant fluctuations in water levels during 2021–2022 revealed that the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE) of the average simulation accuracy was improved by more than 34%. Normally, rainfalls (even heavy precipitations) during the dry season either do not generate runoff or cause negligible fluctuations in flow rates due to long intervals. Conversely, relatively frequent rainfall events (even light ones) during the wet season result in substantial runoff. Based on this observation, three distinct types of karstic reservoirs with different retaining/releasing capacities were defined, reflecting variations in both the frequency and volume of runoff during both seasons. As a real-time environmental variable, ARCK exhibits higher and lower values during the dry and rainy seasons, respectively, and we can better avoid the risk of flooding according to its special effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Rabson-Mendenhall syndrome (RMS) is a rare autosomal, recessive disorder characterized by severe insulin resistance due to mutations in the insulin receptor (INSR) gene. This study aims to analyze the clinical features and gene mutations in RMS, which have not been extensively studied. Methods PubMed, Embase, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang were searched for "Rabson-Mendenhall syndrome" or "Black acanthosis hirsutism insulin resistance syndrome." Results A total of 42 cases from 33 articles were included. The body mass index ranged from 18.50 to 20.00 kg/m2 with an average of 16.00 kg/m2. There were no overweight (25.00∼29.90 kg/m2) or obese (≥30.00 kg/m2) patients. Acanthosis was present in 29 cases (29/42, 69.05%); growth retardation in 25 cases (25/42, 59.52%); dental anomalies including absence of teeth, crowding, and malocclusion in 23 cases (23/42, 54.76%); and hirsutism in 17 cases (17/42, 40.48%). The average glycosylated hemoglobin was 9.35%, and the average fasting blood-glucose was 8.44 mmol/L; the mean fasting insulin was 349.96 μIU/mL, and the average fasting C-peptide was 6.00 ng/mL. Diabetes was reported in 25 cases (25/33, 75.76%) all of which were diagnosed before 23 years old. All 42 patients had recorded gene mutations, with 22 patients (22/42, 52.38%) having ≥ 2 mutations and 20 cases (20/42, 47.62%) having only 1 mutation. No statistical differences were found in clinical features and laboratory parameters between patients with different mutations. Conclusion The study indicates that RMS should be considered in young patients with hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia with low weight, acanthosis nigricans, growth retardation, dental anomalies, and hirsutism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: Efficient discharge for stroke patients is crucial but challenging. The study aimed to develop early predictive models to explore which patient characteristics and variables significantly influence the discharge planning of patients, based on the data available within 24 h of admission. Design: Prospective observational study. Methods: A prospective cohort was conducted at a university hospital with 523 patients hospitalised for stroke. We built and trained six different machine learning (ML) models, followed by testing and tuning those models to find the best‐suited predictor for discharge disposition, dichotomized into home and non‐home. To evaluate the accuracy, reliability and interpretability of the best‐performing models, we identified and analysed the features that had the greatest impact on the predictions. Results: In total, 523 patients met the inclusion criteria, with a mean age of 61 years. Of the patients with stroke, 30.01% had non‐home discharge. Our model predicting non‐home discharge achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.95 and a precision of 0.776. After threshold was moved, the model had a recall of 0.809. Top 10 variables by importance were National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, family income, Barthel index (BI) score, FRAIL score, fall risk, pressure injury risk, feeding method, depression, age and dysphagia. Conclusion: The ML model identified higher NIHSS, BI, and FRAIL, family income, higher fall risk, pressure injury risk, older age, tube feeding, depression and dysphagia as the top 10 strongest risk predictors in identifying patients who required non‐home discharge to higher levels of care. Modern ML techniques can support timely and appropriate clinical decision‐making. Relevance to Clinical Practice: This study illustrates the characteristics and risk factors of non‐home discharge in patients with stroke, potentially contributing to the improvement of the discharge process. Reporting Method: STROBE guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the vitamin C microbial fermentation system, oxidative stress limits the growth and 2‐keto‐l‐gulonic acid (2‐KLG, the precursor of vitamin C) production of Ketogulonicigenium vulgare. Most Bacillus strains, as helper strains, have been reported to release key biomolecules to reduce oxidative stress and promote the growth and 2‐KLG production of K. vulgare. To understand the specific mechanism by which the helper strain and K. vulgare interact to reduce oxidative stress, a novel helper strain, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa A8, was used to construct a consortium in the co‐culture fermentation system. Based on the activities of the antioxidant enzymes and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis, R. mucilaginosa A8 could reduce oxidative stress and increase 2‐KLG production in K. vulgare by upregulating antioxidant enzyme activities and related gene‐expression levels. In addition, the carotenoids of R. mucilaginosa promoted 2‐KLG production in K. vulgare. Coculture of R. mucilaginosa with K. vulgare increased the yield of carotenoids. This study suggested that helper strains with the ability to reduce oxidative stress in K. vulgare would likely act as potential helper strains for facilitating 2‐KLG biosynthesis. This work could provide a theoretical basis for the search for potential helper strains for vitamin C microbial fermentation and for the construction of synthetic microbial communities to produce valuable products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Asians bear a heavier burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD), a common comorbidity of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), than non‐Asians. Nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) have garnered attention for their potential advantages in renal outcomes. Nevertheless, the impact on diverse ethnic groups remains unknown. Methods: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database, and clinical trial registries were searched through August 2023 with the following keywords: nonsteroidal MRAs (finerenone, apararenone, esaxerenone, AZD9977, KBP‐5074), CKD, T2DM, and randomized controlled trial (RCT). A random effects model was used to calculate overall effect sizes. Results: Seven RCTs with 14 997 participants were enrolled. Nonsteroidal MRAs reduced urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR) significantly more in Asians than non‐Asians: (weighted mean difference [WMD], −0.59, 95% CI, −0.73 to −0.45, p <.01) vs (WMD, −0.29, 95% CI, −0.32 to −0.27, p <.01), respectively. The average decline of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was similar in Asians and non‐Asians (p >.05). Regarding systolic blood pressure (SBP), nonsteroidal MRAs had a better antihypertension performance in Asians (WMD, −5.12, 95% CI, −5.84 to −4.41, p <.01) compared to non‐Asians (WMD, −3.64, 95% CI, −4.38 to −2.89, p <.01). A higher incidence of hyperkalemia and eGFR decrease ≥30% was found in Asians than non‐Asians (p <.01). Conclusions: Nonsteroidal MRAs exhibited significant renal benefits by decreasing UACR and lowering SBP in Asian than that of non‐Asian patients with CKD and T2DM, without increase of adverse events except hyperkalemia and eGFR decrease ≥30%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-quality waveguide structure in the Dy 3 + -doped Y3Al5O 1 2 transparent ceramic is of significance for the application of integrated micro-light elements. However, there have been no reports on the preparation of optical waveguides by ion implantation in the Dy 3 + -doped Y3Al5O 1 2 transparent ceramic. The work reports on the formation of optical planar waveguides by using the proton implantation in the Dy 3 + -doped Y3Al5O 1 2 transparent ceramic. The acceleration energy and the dose of the protons are 400 keV and 8 × 1 0 1 6 ions/cm2, respectively. The structure of the fabricated waveguide is captured with the high-res/mag images by a metallurgical microscope. The dark-mode spectrum and the refractive index distribution are gained by the prism coupling system and the RCM software, respectively. The measurement and simulation of the near-field intensity distribution indicate the propagation of light field in the waveguide. The results are of potential to the compact devices in the photonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field investigations and back analyses were conducted on a rockfall hazard. The flexible barrier protection system constructed along the roadside was damaged by the rockfall impact and lost its mitigation ability. Vital physical characteristics such as rockfall trajectory and kinetic energy were presumed based on the data from the aerial survey and the slope digital model. A numerical model, including slope, rockfalls, and flexible barrier, was created and thus the impacting process was reproduced. It demonstrates that the impact kinetic energy of the rockfall is only around 40 % of its design protection energy. The improper connections of members are the leading causes of damage, which prevent the flexible barrier from producing significant deformation and reduce its capacity to absorb impact force. The damage can be avoided by changing the connections of the members to improve the ability of the nets and ropes to slide and deform. The calculation results indicate that the impact resistance of the optimized model is 3 times better than the actual project. The findings can be used as a guide when designing a flexible protection system that performs better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Achondroplasia is the most common of the skeletal dysplasias that cause fatal and disabling growth and developmental disorders in children, and is caused by a mutation in the fibroblast growth factor receptor, type 3 gene(FGFR3). This study aims to analyse the clinical characteristics and gene mutations of ACH to accurately determine whether a patient has ACH and to raise public awareness of the disease. Methods: The database of Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Wanfang and CNKI were searched with terms of "Achondroplasias" or "Skeleton-Skin-Brain Syndrome" or "Skeleton Skin Brain Syndrome" or "ACH" and "Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3" or "FGFR3". Results: Finally, four hundred and sixty-seven patients with different FGFR3 mutations were enrolled. Of the 138 patients with available gender information, 55(55/138, 40%) were female and 83(83/138, 60%) were male. Among the patients with available family history, 47(47/385, 12%) had a family history and 338(338/385, 88%) patients were sporadic. The age of the patients ranged from newborn babies to 36 years old. The mean age of their fathers was 37 ± 7 years (range 31–53 years). Patients came from 12 countries and 2 continents, with the majority being Asian (383/432, 89%), followed by European (49/432, 11%). Short stature with shortened arms and legs was found in 112(112/112) patients, the abnormalities of macrocephaly in 94(94/112) patients, frontal bossing in 89(89/112) patients, genu valgum in 64(64/112) patients and trident hand were found in 51(51/112) patients. The most common mutation was p.Gly380Arg of the FGFR3 gene, which contained two different base changes, c.1138G > A and c.1138G > C. Ten rare pathogenic mutations were found, including c.831A > C, c.1031C > G, c.1043C > G, c.375G > T, c.1133A > G, c.1130T > G, c.833A > G, c.649A > T, c.1180A > T and c.970_971insTCTCCT. Conclusion: ACH was caused by FGFR3 gene mutation, and c.1138G > A was the most common mutation type. This study demonstrates the feasibility of molecular genetic testing for the early detection of ACH in adolescents with short stature, trident hand, frontal bossing, macrocephaly and genu valgum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ion implanter was used to irradiate protons with a dose of 8×1016 ions/cm2 and an energy of 400 keV into a Ce3+:GGG crystal. To our knowledge, this is the first time that ion implantation was applied to a Ce3+:GGG crystal. The penetration depth was determined by the stopping and range of ions in matter simulation. The prism coupling method was utilized to evaluate the propagation modes in the H+-implanted waveguide. The end-face coupling method and the finite-difference beam propagation were employed for the analysis of the waveguide performance. The refractive index distribution was reconstructed by the reflectivity calculation method. The main significance of the investigation is to confirm the potential of the ion-irradiated Ce3+:GGG crystals for fabricating waveguide structures and devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ferroptosis is a novel form of regulated cell death that involves in cancer progression. However, the role of ferroptosis-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) remains to be elucidated. The purpose of this paper was to clarify the prognostic value of ferroptosis-related lncRNAs in PTC., Methods: The transcriptome data and clinical information were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The correlation between ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) and lncRNA was determined using Pearson correlation analysis. Multivariate Cox regression model (P < 0.01) was performed to establish a ferroptosis-related lncRNAs risk model. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, risk curve and nomograms were then performed to assess the accuracy and clinical applicability of prognostic models. The correlations between the prognosis model and clinicopathological variables, immune and m6A were analyzed. Finally, in vitro assays were performed to verify the role of LINC00900, LINC01614 and PARAL1 on the proliferation, migration and invasion in TPC-1 and BCPAP cells, as well as the relationship between three lncRNAs and ferroptosis., Results: A five-ferroptosis-related lncRNAs (PARAL1, LINC00900, DPH6-DT, LINC01614, LPP-AS2) risk model was constructed. Based on the risk score, samples were divided into the high- and low-risk groups. Patients in the low-risk group had better prognosis than those in high-risk group. Compared to traditional clinicopathological features, risk score was more accurate in predicting prognosis in patients with PTC. Additionally, the difference of immune cell, function and checkpoints was observed between two groups. Moreover, experiments showed that LINC00900 promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion in TPC-1 and BCPAP cells, while LINC01614 and PARAL1 revealed opposite effects, all of which were related to ferroptosis., Conclusions: In summary, we identified a five-ferroptosis-related lncRNAs risk model to predict the prognosis of PTC. Furthermore, our study also revealed that LINC00900 functioned as a tumor suppressor lncRNA, LINC01614 and PARAL1 as an oncogenic lncRNA in PTC., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright 2024, Zhao et al.)

CuGaTe 2 -based compounds show great promise in the application for high-temperature thermoelectric power generation; however, its wide bandgap feature poses a great challenge for enhancing thermoelectric performance via structural defects modulation and doping the system. Herein, it is discovered that the presence of Ga Cu antisite defects in the CuGaTe 2 compound promotes the formation of Cu vacancies, and vice versa, which tends to form the charge-neutral structure defects combination with one Ga Cu antisite defect and two Cu vacancies. The accumulation of Cu vacancies in the structure of the (Cu 2 Te) x (Ga 2 Te 3 ) 1- x compounds evolves into twins and stacking faults. This in conjunction with Ga Cu antisite defects intensify the point defects phonon scattering, yielding a dramatic reduction on lattice thermal conductivity from 6.95 W m -1 K -1 for the pristine CuGaTe 2 sample to 2.98 W m -1 K -1 for the (Cu 2 Te) 0.45 (Ga 2 Te 3 ) 0.55 sample at room temperature. Furthermore, the high concentration of charge-neutral defects combination narrows the band gap and increases the carrier concentration, leading to an improved power factor of 1.58 mW/mK 2 at 600 K for the (Cu 2 Te) 0.49 (Ga 2 Te 3 ) 0.51 sample, which is 41% higher than for the pristine CuGaTe 2 sample. Consequently, the highest ZT value of 0.82 is achieved at 915 K for Cu 0.015 (Cu 2 Te) 0.48 (Ga 2 Te 3 ) 0.52 , which represents an enhancement of about 22% over that of the pristine CuGaTe 2 compound.

Aims: Primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD), as a rare kind of Cushing's syndrome, is frequently misdiagnosed. To get a better understanding of the disease, we analyzed the clinical characteristics and pathogenic variants of PPNAD., Methods: Databases were searched, and the pathogenic variants and clinical manifestations of patients were summarized from the relevant articles., Results: A total of 210 patients in 86 articles were enrolled with a median age of 22 and a female-to-male ratio of 2:1. Sixty-six (31.43%) patients were combined with Carney complex (CNC) and 94.29% were combined with osteoporosis/osteopenia. Among 151 patients who underwent genetic testing, 87.42% (132/151) had pathogenic variants. Six gene mutations ( PRKAR1A , PDE11A , PRKACA , CTNNB1 , PDE8B , and ARMC5 ) were detected in the patients. The most common mutation was PKAR1A, accounting for 79.47% (120/151). There was a significant correlation between PRKAR1A pathogenic variant and spotty skin pigmentation in CNC concurrent with PPNAD ( p < 0.05). Among pregnant patients with PPNAD, those without surgical treatment and with bilateral adrenalectomy suffered from a high-risk perinatal period. However, patients with unilateral adrenalectomy presented a safe perinatal period., Conclusions: For young patients with Cushing's syndrome, especially female patients with spotty skin pigmentation and osteoporosis/osteopenia, PPNAD should be considered. Unilateral adrenal resection may be considered as an option for women with fertility needs. In view of the difficulty of PPNAD diagnosis, genetic testing before surgery might be a reasonable option. Patients with PPNAD with spotty skin pigmentation should consider the PRKAR1A pathogenic variant and pay attention to CNC., Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier CRD42023416988., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Sun, Ding, He, Fu, Li, Feng, Dong and Liao.)

We described an iron(III) and BF 3 ·OEt 2 -promoted oxygen transfer reaction of N -aryl-α,β-unsaturated nitrones to prepare various N , O -difluoroboron β-ketoiminates in good yields ranging from 24% to 87%. Control experiments revealed that the enaminone was the vital intermediate for the formation of N , O -difluoroboron β-ketoiminates, and iron(III) combined with BF 3 ·OEt 2 played as cocatalyst to promote the oxygen transfer reaction through intramolecular cyclization and N-O bond cleavage. More importantly, an estrone-derived N , O -difluoroboron β-ketoiminate was easily prepared in 40% yield from estrone in four steps.