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Abstract The analysis of genomic variations in offspring after implantation has been infrequently studied. In this study, we aim to investigate the extent of de novo mutations in humans from developing fetus to birth. Using high-depth whole-genome sequencing, 443 parent-offspring trios were studied to compare the results of de novo mutations (DNMs) between different groups. The focus was on fetuses and newborns, with DNA samples obtained from the families’ blood and the aspirated embryonic tissues subjected to deep sequencing. It was observed that the average number of total DNMs in the newborns group was 56.26 (54.17–58.35), which appeared to be lower than that the multifetal reduction group, which was 76.05 (69.70–82.40) (F = 2.42, P = 0.12). However, after adjusting for parental age and maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), significant differences were found between the two groups. The analysis was further divided into single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and insertion/deletion of a small number of bases (indels), and it was discovered that the average number of de novo SNVs associated with the multifetal reduction group and the newborn group was 49.89 (45.59–54.20) and 51.09 (49.22–52.96), respectively. No significant differences were noted between the groups (F = 1.01, P = 0.32). However, a significant difference was observed for de novo indels, with a higher average number found in the multifetal reduction group compared to the newborn group (F = 194.17, P

Abstract Background Given the rapid population aging in China, achieving universal health coverage (UHC) presents a primary challenge in addressing unmet healthcare needs and associated inequalities among middle-aged and older adults. Several studies have focused on healthcare utilization and its inequalities, but little attention has been paid to the inequality in unmet healthcare needs. This study aimed to analyze the inequalities in unmet the healthcare needs of middle-aged and older adults in eastern China during the progression toward UHC. Methods Data were obtained from the fourth, fifth, and sixth National Health Service Survey (NHSS) of Jiangsu Province, located in eastern China, during the years 2008, 2013, and 2018, respectively. Logistic regression models were used to assess the associated factors of unmet healthcare needs. The inequality was measured according to the concentration index (CI) and its decomposition. Results In this study, we found that 12.86%, 2.22%, and 48.89% of middle-aged and older adults reported unmet needs for outpatient and inpatient services and physical examinations, respectively. The prevalence of unmet outpatient needs increased from 2008 to 2018, while the prevalence of unmet inpatient services was lower but maintained. The prevalence of unmet needs for physical examinations among middle-aged and older adults markedly decreased since 2008. Rural areas had a higher prevalence of unmet needs for inpatient services and physical examinations than urban areas. Unmet healthcare needs were more prevalent among the poor. The pro-poor inequalities of unmet healthcare needs have been mitigated during the progression toward UHC; however, they remain predominant among rural middle-aged and older adults for outpatient and inpatient services. Socioeconomic factors significantly influenced unmet healthcare needs and contributed to their inequalities. Conclusions The findings characterize the prevalence and inequality of unmet healthcare need among middle-aged and older adults in eastern China during the progression toward UHC. Policy interventions should be actively advocated to effectively mitigate the unmet healthcare needs and address the associated inequalities.

Abstract Due to the advanced studies on stem cells in developmental biology, the roles of stem cells in the body and their phenotypes in related diseases have not been covered clearly. Meanwhile, with the intensive research on the mechanisms of stem cells in regulating various diseases, stem cell therapy is increasingly being attention because of its effectiveness and safety. As one of the most widely used stem cell in stem cell therapies, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation shows huge advantage in treatment of leukemia and other blood-malignant diseases. Besides, due to the effect of anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory, mesenchymal stem cells could be a potential therapeutic strategy for variety infectious diseases. In this review, we summarized the effects of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and its components on different types of adult stem cells and their downstream signaling pathways. Also, we reviewed the roles of different kinds of stem cells in various disease models caused by S. aureus, providing new insights for applying stem cell therapy to treat infectious diseases.

Abstract Efficient thrombolysis in time is crucial for prognostic improvement of patients with acute arterial thromboembolic disease, while limitations and complications still exist in conventional thrombolytic treatment methods. Herein, our study sought to investigate a novel dual-mode strategy that integrated ultrasound (US) and near-infrared light (NIR) with establishment of hollow mesoporous silica nanoprobe (HMSN) which contains Arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD) peptide (thrombus targeting), perfluoropentane (PFP) (thrombolysis with phase-change and stable cavitation) and indocyanine green (ICG) (thrombolysis with photothermal conversion). HMSN is used as the carrier, the surface is coupled with targeted RGD to achieve high targeting and permeability of thrombus, PFP and ICG are loaded to achieve the collaborative diagnosis and treatment of thrombus by US and NIR, so as to provide a new strategy for the integration of diagnosis and treatment of arterial thrombus. From the in vitro and in vivo evaluation, RGD/ICG/PFP@HMSN can aggregate and penetrate at the site of thrombus, and finally establish the dual-mode directional development and thrombolytic treatment under the synergistic effect of US and NIR, providing strong technical support for the accurate diagnosis and treatment of arterial thrombosis. Graphical Abstract

In July 2021, a heavy rainstorm was sweeping across Henan Province, causing geological disasters such as floods, mudslides, and landslides, which seriously threatened the safety of human life and property. Precipitable water vapor (PWV) is related to the occurrence and scale of rainfall. Here, based on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observations, in-situ meteorological files (GMET), ephemeris products, ERA5 data, and weather station data, the relationship between PWV and rainstorm from July 1st to 30th was studied. The results show that GMET and ERA5 in July 2021 have high consistency in some stations, with a root mean square error (RMSE) for temperature below 1.6 °C, for pressure below 0.5 hPa, and for relative humidity below 9 %. During the week before the heavy rainstorm, the temperature dropped remarkably and the temperature difference decreased, while the relative humidity increased and the relative humidity difference decreased. Compared with ERA5 PWV, the RMSE of GNSS PWV retrieved using real-time ephemeris is 3.238 mm. Different from the normal rainfall, we found that the PWV variation during the Henan rainstorm experienced a unique “accumulation” period. We also observed a clear correlation between PWV and the rainstorm, both temporally and spatially. In addition, the PWV in the severely damaged area was 20 mm higher than the average value of the past decade. Ten days after the rainstorm, the surface of this area had subsided by 1.5–3 mm. Finally, we found that the topography of Henan, the low vortex, the north-biased subtropical high, and the double typhoons all played a role in the successful transport and deposition of water vapor.

Objective To reveal the deformation evolution of the Xinhua landslide in Luding County, Sichuan Province under the comprehensive effects of reservoir impoundment, reservoir water level fluctuations and seasonal rainfall, and to explore the progressive cumulative effect of the strength degradation of the landslide rock and soil mass under the coupling of multiple factors. Methods In this paper, based on a field investigation and multisource long sequence monitoring data analysis of the Xinhua landslide in the reservoir area of the hydropower project, combined with the three-stage evolution characteristics of the landslide cumulative deformation-time (S-t) curve and the measured S-t curve of the Xinhua landslide, the evolution stages of the three-step deformation cycles of the Xinhua landslide are identified and divided. At the same time, the improved tangent angle method is used for calculation and analysis, and a quantitative classification standard for Xinhua landslide classification early warning based on the improved displacement tangent angle early warning threshold is constructed. Results The results show that the short-term large increase of water level during the initial impoundment period, the rapid decrease of water level during the reservoir operation period and the influence of seasonal heavy rainfall are the main factors to accelerate the deformation of the Xinhua landslide. Conclusion According to the analysis and discussion, the improved displacement tangent angle early warning threshold can provide guidance for identifying the current stability state and potential risks of the Xinhua landslide to a certain extent, but multiple early warning indicators should still be considered, and the signs of macroscopic deformation and failure of landslides should be integrated for judgement.

Abstract Background It is well known that high-fat diet (HFD)-induced metabolic syndrome plays a crucial role in cognitive decline and brain-blood barrier (BBB) breakdown. However, whether the bone-brain axis participates in this pathological process remains unknown. Here, we report that platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) secretion by preosteoclasts in the bone accelerates neuroinflammation. The expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALPL), a nonspecific transcytosis marker, was upregulated during HFD challenge. Main body Preosteoclast-specific Pdgfb transgenic mice with high PDGF-BB concentrations in the circulation recapitulated the HFD-induced neuroinflammation and transcytosis shift. Preosteoclast-specific Pdgfb knockout mice were partially rescued from hippocampal neuroinflammation and transcytosis shifts in HFD-challenged mice. HFD-induced PDGF-BB elevation aggravated microglia-associated neuroinflammation and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) secretion, which increased ALPL expression and transcytosis shift through enhancing protein 1 (SP1) translocation in endothelial cells. Conclusion Our findings confirm the role of bone-secreted PDGF-BB in neuroinflammation and the transcytosis shift in the hippocampal region during HFD challenge and identify a novel mechanism of microglia-endothelial crosstalk in HFD-induced metabolic syndrome.

Abstract Objectives Despite accumulating evidence regarding the impact of sleep disturbance on internalizing symptoms among adolescents, the underlying psychological mechanisms remain inadequately explored. This study aimed to investigate a conceptual framework elucidating how sleep disturbance influences internalizing symptoms in adolescents through the mediating role of self-control, with mindfulness as a moderator. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 1876 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 14.88 years, SD = 1.47 years, range = 12–19 years, 44.7% boys) completed the Youth Self-Rating Insomnia Scale (YSIS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Brief Self-control Scale (BSCS), and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale-Children (MAAS-C) to provide data on sleep-related variables, internalizing symptoms (anxiety and depression), self-control, and mindfulness, respectively. The PROCESS macro for SPSS was applied to perform moderated mediation analysis. Results Sleep disturbance demonstrated a significant positive correlation with internalizing symptoms in adolescents, including anxiety (β = 0.481, p

Abstract A dual‐frequency (DF) dielectric barrier discharge, excited by the superposition of a 50 Hz low frequency (LF) and a 5000 Hz intermediate frequency (IF), is proposed to enhance discharge. The effect of the LF voltage component on the breakdown behaviour of the DF discharge during different periods has been studied both experimentally and numerically. The number of high‐current pulses rises as the LF voltage increases. The statistical analysis shows that the number of the current pulse amplitude above 80 mA in the DF discharge reaches nearly 6 times that in the IF discharge. Additionally, the total discharge energy in the DF discharge is significantly higher than that in the IF discharge. The simulation reproduces the temporal variation of the breakdown behaviours in the DF discharge. The simulated results reveal that the maximal electric field strength of the breakdown process is greater in the DF discharge compared to the IF discharge during a half‐period of DF. Finally, the comparison between the IF and DF discharges exhibits that the LF voltage regulates the accumulation of residual charged species on the dielectric surface after the breakdown by modulating the residual voltage between the air gap.

Objective Palaeomagnetic methods can be used to quantitatively constrain the Early Palaeozoic palaeo-position of the North China Block (NCB), which provides a crucial scientific basis for researching the evolution of the Proto-Tethyan Orogeny and the affinity of the NCB for Gondwana. However, the NCB has undergone considerable tectonic activity since the Early Palaeozoic, and the Ordos Basin in the western part of the NCB is rich in hydrocarbon resources. Late tectonic activity and the migration of hydrocarbon resources may have caused remagnetization of Early Palaeozoic strata. Methods Thus, in this paper, to determine the main magnetic minerals in various rocks and their ability to record the primary remanent magnetization, we carry out a series of detailed petrography, rock magnetism and stepwise demagnetization experiments on the limestone and tuff samples of the Upper Ordovician Zhaolaoyu Formation in the Fuping area of the southern Ordos Basin, including optical microscope identification, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), saturated isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM) acquisition curve, three-axis isothermal thermal demagnetization test, κ-T curve test, hysteresis loop experiment, first-order reversal curve (FORC), and thermal demagnetization and hybrid (TD+AF) demagnetization. Results The results indicate that the main magnetic minerals in the limestone and tuff samples are magnetite, pyrrhotite and/or greigite, and some samples also contain a tiny quantity of haematite with impurities and goethite. Mineral particles possess single domains (SDs) as well as multiple domains (MDs) within their magnetic domains. Combining petrographic and demagnetization data, this paper suggests that the main magnetic minerals in the samples are likely secondary minerals associated with later fluid alteration (maturation and migration of organic matter). Conclusion The remanent magnetic signals conveyed by these rocks cannot be directly used to constrain the Early Palaeozoic palaeoposition of the NCB but may be used to constrain hydrocarbon migration and accumulation in the Lower Palaeozoic strata of the southern Ordos Basin.

Introduction: Refractory lupus nephritis (LN) causes kidney disease progression and increases the risk of loss of renal function. Due to the high specificity and few side effects of biological agents, they are recommended for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus. There are few data on telitacicept for the treatment of refractory LN. Case Presentation: Here, we report the efficacy and safety of telitacicept in the treatment of refractory LN in a 25-year-old female patient. This patient with refractory lupus developed Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia while using multitargeted therapy, and the patient’s urine protein was rapidly relieved after telitacicept combination with low-dose mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). Conclusion: This result suggests that telitacicept has a positive effect on refractory LN with no significant side effects. Further reports and a registry are necessary to confirm that telitacicept with low-dose MMF should be preferred in refractory LN.

Abstract Background To investigate the role of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) in the disease severity and prognosis of SLE-related thrombocytopenia (SLE-TP). Methods This multicenter prospective study was conducted based on data from the CSTAR registry. TP was defined as a platelet count

Abstract Background Quitting support from smokers’ partners can predict quit attempts and smoking abstinence but research on factors that predict such support has been limited. To add more evidence for partner support and the improved interventions for smoking cessation, we analyzed some new potential predictors of quitting support from smokers’ spouses. Method This cross-sectional study was conducted in in 2022 and 2023, selecting the students’ families in which fathers smoked and mothers didn’t smoke from grade 1–5 of 13 primary schools in Qingdao, China. Parents who met the criteria completed the online questionnaires and 1018 families were included in the analysis. We measured personal information related to smokers and their spouses such as age, education and nicotine dependence, and variables related to family and marital relationship such as family functioning, perceived responsiveness and power in decision-making of quitting smoking. Quitting support from smokers’ spouses was measured by Partner Interaction Questionnaire and generalized linear model was used to explore the potential predictors of partner support. Results In this study, the mean age of smokers was 39.97(SD = 5.57) and the mean age of smokers’ spouses was 38.24(SD = 4.59). The regression analysis showed that for smokers and their spouses, the older age groups showed the lower ratio of positive/negative support(P

Abstract Children are generally susceptible to COVID-19, and infection with COVID-19 may cause serious harm to children. COVID-19 vaccination is an effective way to prevent infection at present, and many factors affect children's COVID-19 vaccination. This study aimed to explore the effects of perceived social support and health literacy on hesitancy towards first and second vaccine dose. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Minhang District of Shanghai, China, in October 2022. A total of 1150 parents of preschool children from 10 kindergartens participated. The survey encompassed four sections, capturing data on sociodemographic attributes, health literacy, perceived social support, and parental COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Health literacy was measured using a self-designed questionnaire consisting of four dimensions. Perceived social support was assessed using the MSPSS questionnaire. Hierarchical multiple logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between the independent variables and parental hesitancy towards the first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Parental hesitancy rate for the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine was 69.6%, and for the second dose, it was 33.1%. The final integrated model showed that parental hesitancy towards the first and the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine was associated with parental educational level, allergy in children, information decision-making and information comprehension ability, perceived social support from family and friends. Health literacy and perceived social support are influence factors for parental hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccine for preschool children. The findings will provide insights for future intervention studies on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and inform the development of vaccination policies.

Abstract High thermal conductive polymers have become more important because equipment requires high performance, high-energy density, and high integration. There are different strategies to make high thermal conductive polymers, among which is the synthesis of polymers in the liquid crystal phase. However, the thermal conductivity of such material is rarely beyond 1 W m−1 K−1 because of the disordered molecular directionality. The disordered directionality between crystal zones limits the thermal conductivity in a specific direction. Here, we show a method for unifying the direction of crystal zones by applying an external electric field on the liquid crystal monomers. Meanwhile, by exposing the transparent equipment and specially designed photopolymerisable monomer in UV light, the liquid crystal monomer is in situ polymerised into a liquid crystal polymer with a high intrinsic thermal conductivity of 1.02 W m−1 K−1. The molecular alignment was characterised and resulted in the resultant high conductivity.

The investigation of the blasting effects of the borehole considering decoupled eccentric charge is scarce and lacks thorough exploration. The coupled Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics and Finite Element Method (SPH-FEM) is adopted to study the decoupled eccentric charge blasting effects. The effective stress distribution of rock around the borehole is analyzed and the damage evolution is studied quantitatively with introducing image recognition algorithm. Further, the effect of the decoupling coefficient on blasting effects is investigated. Results show that effective stress distribution presents obvious eccentric characteristics. At the bottom coupling point, the maximum effective stress is observed, and gradually reduces towards the top uncoupling point. The lower part of rock surrounding the borehole exhibits a higher damaged area ratio compared to the upper part for decoupled eccentric charge blasting. With the decoupling coefficient increases from 1.14 to 2.00, the effective stresses at monitoring points are all decreasing and the effective stress ratio first increases and then keeps relatively stable, with the decoupling coefficient of 1.6 as inflection point. As the decoupling coefficient increases to 1.6, the damage extent ratio reaches the peak. The greatest disparity in explosion energy between the coupled and uncoupled sides occurs at a decoupling coefficient of approximately 1.6.

BackgroundChinese immigrants experience significant disparities in tobacco use. Culturally adapted tobacco treatments targeting this population are sparse and the use is low. The low use of these treatment programs is attributed to their exclusive focus on individuals who are ready to quit and the wide range of barriers that Chinese immigrants face to access these programs. To support Chinese immigrant smokers at all levels of readiness to quit and address their access barriers, we developed the WeChat Quit Coach, a culturally and linguistically appropriate WeChat (Tencent Holdings Limited)–based peer group mobile messaging smoking cessation intervention. ObjectiveThis study aims to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of WeChat Quit Coach. MethodsWe enrolled a total of 60 Chinese immigrant smokers in 2022 in New York City for a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) and a single-arm pilot test. The first 40 participants were randomized to either the intervention arm (WeChat Quit Coach) or the control arm (self-help print material) using 1:1 block randomization stratified by sex. WeChat Quit Coach lasted 6 weeks, featuring small peer groups moderated by a coach, daily text messages with text questions, and chat-based instant messaging support from the coach in response to peer questions. The next 20 participants were enrolled in the single-arm pilot test to further assess intervention feasibility and acceptability. All 60 participants were offered a 4-week supply of complimentary nicotine replacement therapy. Surveys were administered at baseline and 6 weeks, with participants in the pilot RCT completing an additional survey at 6 months and biochemical verification of abstinence at both follow-ups. ResultsOf 74 individuals screened, 68 (92%) were eligible and 60 (88%) were enrolled. The majority of participants, with a mean age of 42.5 (SD 13.8) years, were male (49/60, 82%) and not ready to quit, with 70% (42/60) in the precontemplation or contemplation stage at the time of enrollment. The pilot RCT had follow-up rates of 98% (39/40) at 6 weeks and 93% (37/40) at 6 months, while the single-arm test achieved 100% follow-up at 6 weeks. On average, participants responded to daily text questions for 25.1 days over the 42-day intervention period and 23% (9/40) used the chat-based instant messaging support. Most participants were satisfied with WeChat Quit Coach (36/39, 92%) and would recommend it to others (32/39, 82%). At 6 months, self-reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence rates were 25% (5/20) in the intervention arm and 15% (3/20) in the control arm, with biochemically verified abstinence rates of 25% (5/20) and 5% (1/20), respectively. ConclusionsWeChat Quit Coach was feasible and well-received by Chinese immigrants who smoke and produced promising effects on abstinence. Large trials are warranted to assess its efficacy in promoting abstinence in this underserved population. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05130788; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05130788

BackgroundDysnatremia is the most common electrolyte disorder in hospitalized patients. Sodium fluctuation level may be a better parameter in dysnatremia management. We aimed to examine the association between sodium fluctuation level during hospitalization and mortality and to evaluate its value in predicting poor prognosis among general hospitalized patients.MethodsData were collected from patients admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The generalized estimated equation (GEE) was used to examine the relationship between sodium fluctuation level and mortality. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to calculate the optimal cutoff value and the area under the ROC curve (AUC).ResultsSodium fluctuation level showed a dose-dependent association with increased mortality in general hospitalized patients. After adjusting age, sex, length of hospital stay, and Charlson comorbidity index, the ORs of group G2 to G6 were 5.92 (95% CI 5.16–6.79), 26.45 (95% CI 22.68–30.86), 50.71 (95% CI 41.78–61.55), 104.38 (95% CI 81.57–133.58), and 157.64 (95% CI 112.83–220.24), respectively, p trend

Background: Accumulating evidence has shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in gastric cancer (GC) tumorigenesis. However, specific functional circRNAs in GC remain to be discovered, and their underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Methods: CircRNAs that were differentially expressed between GC tissues and controls were analyzed using a circRNA microarray dataset. The expression of circVDAC3 in GC was determined using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and the structural features of circVDAC3 were validated. Cell function assays and animal experiments were conducted to explore the effects of circVDAC3 on GC. Finally, bioinformatics analysis, fluorescent in situ hybridization, and dual luciferase assays were used to analyze the downstream mechanisms of circVDAC3. Results: Our results showed that circVDAC3 was downregulated in GC and inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of GC cells. Mechanistically, circVDAC3 acts as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) of miR-592 and deregulates the repression of EIF4E3 by miR-592. EIF4E3 is downregulated in GC and overexpression of miR-592 or knockdown of EIF4E3 in circVDAC3-overexpressing cells weakens the anticancer effect of circVDAC3. Conclusion: Our study provides evidence that circVDAC3 affects the growth and metastasis of GC cells via the circVDAC3/miR-592/EIF4E3 axis. Our findings offer valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying GC tumorigenesis and suggest novel therapeutic strategies.

IntroductionPathogens causing diabetic foot infections (DFIs) vary by region globally; however, knowledge of the causative organism is essential for effective empirical treatment. We aimed to determine the incidence and antibiotic susceptibility of DFI pathogens worldwide, focusing on Asia and China.MethodsThrough a comprehensive literature search, we identified published studies on organisms isolated from DFI wounds from January 2000 to December 2020.ResultsBased on our inclusion criteria, we analyzed 245 studies that cumulatively reported 38,744 patients and 41,427 isolated microorganisms. DFI pathogens varied according to time and region. Over time, the incidence of Gram-positive and Gram-negative aerobic bacteria have decreased and increased, respectively. America and Asia have the highest (62.74%) and lowest (44.82%) incidence of Gram-negative bacteria, respectively. Africa has the highest incidence (26.90%) of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Asia has the highest incidence (49.36%) of Gram-negative aerobic bacteria with species infection rates as follows: Escherichia coli, 10.77%; Enterobacter spp., 3.95%; and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 11.08%, with higher local rates in China and Southeast Asia. Linezolid, vancomycin, and teicoplanin were the most active agents against Gram-positive aerobes, while imipenem and cefoperazone-sulbactam were the most active agents against Gram-negative aerobes.DiscussionThis systematic review showed that over 20 years, the pathogens causing DFIs varied considerably over time and region. This data may inform local clinical guidelines on empirical antibiotic therapy for DFI in China and globally. Regular large-scale epidemiological studies are necessary to identify trends in DFI pathogenic bacteria.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42023447645.

Introduction: The conventional 3-D point cloud-based deformation analysis methods, such as the shortest distance (SD), cloud-to-cloud (C2C), and multiscale model-to-model cloud comparison (M3C2), essentially regard the closest distance between two periods of point cloud data as the deformation, rather than the true position of the same point in 3-D space before and after deformation.Methods: This paper proposes a method based on the ICP algorithm to calculate the differences between the chunked multi-period point clouds to recognizes the 3-D deformations.Results and discussion: The results show that the obtained results are very close to the GNSS data but with a much larger spatial monitoring range. The accuracy is higher than that of the SD method. Moreover, we analyze the statistical relationship between the point cloud block size and the deformation vector error and determine the optimal block size. The aim of this article is to optimize the deformation analysis method and improve its accuracy to provide techniques and ideas for the wider surface deformation monitoring research field. For instance, combining this method with data from contact methods constructs a 3D overall deformation model of the mountain, enabling real-time monitoring and early warning of debris flows.

BackgroundMedical staff play a crucial role in delivering healthcare services, especially during epidemics of infectious diseases such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, there is a growing issue of burnout and low wellbeing among this group. While it is widely recognized that burnout has a negative impact on subjective wellbeing, the exact relationship between the two is not yet completely understood. The purpose of this study is to explore the chain mediating role of psychological capital and perceived social support between burnout and subjective wellbeing among medical staff.MethodsUsing the convenient sampling method, 604 medical staff were selected for a cross-sectional study. All participants completed a self-report questionnaire that collected demographic information, as well as data from the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey, General Wellbeing Schedule, Psychological Capital Questionnaire, and Perceived Social Support Scale. SPSS 27.0 and SPSS PROCESS macro were used for data analysis.ResultsThere was a significant correlation between burnout, psychological capital, perceived social support, and subjective wellbeing (p

Quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is one of the most widely used methods for gene quantification because it is extremely sensitive, can be highly sequence specific, and has high precision while being easily reproducible in samples. The stability of the reference genes used for data normalization is crucial for exact experimental results and conclusions. In this study, qRT-PCR was used to analyze the expression of eight candidate reference genes including β-actin (ACTB), α-tubulin (TUBA), Elongation factor-1-α (EF1A), Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH1, GAPDH2), Hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase1 (HPRT), Ribosomal protein L7 (RPL7), and RNA polymerase II (RNA PoL Ⅱ) in largemouth bass. The expression and stability of above genes were evaluated among eight tissues with or without largemouth bass virus (LMBRaV) infection and assessed using BestKeeper, GeNorm, NormFinder statistical softwares and comparative Ct method, and then analyzed the comprehensive ranking by ReFinder. Our results showed that ACTB was identified as the most suitable genes of different tissues, while TUBA was ranked as the best reference gene in tissues infection with LMBRaV. To verify the screened reference genes, the expression pattern of IFN in spleen during LMBRaV infection was examined. This study provides useful information for gene expression characterization using qRT-PCR, which will benefit for future studies of gene regulation in largemouth bass.

Colon cancer is a common gastrointestinal malignancy that ranks third in incidence among gastrointestinal cancers. Therefore, screening bioactive compounds for treatment of colon cancer is urgently needed. Sanguisorba officinalis L. (SO) has been demonstrated that the extractions or monomers possess potential anti-tumor effect. In this study, we firstly used cell membrane chromatography (CMC) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with (quadrupole) time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-(Q) TOF-MS/MS) to identify a novel active ingredient, octyl gallate (OG), from SO methanol extract (SO-MtOH). HCT116 and SW620 cells lines were used for in vitro research, which showed OG presents great anti-colon cancer effect by inhibiting proliferation, inducing apoptosis, and repressing the migration and invasion. Furthermore, SW620 bearing athymic nude mice was used to investigate the potential antitumor activity in vivo, which exhibited OG treatment remarkably lessened the tumor volume. Mechanism studies showed that OG downregulated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling axis and induced apoptosis by upregulating the Bax/Bcl-2 protein and the cleaved caspase-3, caspase-9. In conclusion, our research innovatively applied the method of CMC to intriguingly unearth the potential anti-colon cancer ingredient OG and demonstrated its the great antineoplastic activity, which provide a new insight for researchers efficiently developing the novel apoptosis-inducing compound for colon cancer therapy.

The improvement of landslide susceptibility assessment is a long-standing problem in hazard mitigation work, wherein previous studies have proposed various training models. However, the ratio of positive to negative samples and the selection of non-landslide samples have been shown to significantly influence results. These research directions have traditionally been focal points, while datasets are often overlooked, serving merely as auxiliary tools to support the validation process. Hence, this study proposes an approach to enhance datasets through the introduction of the side-sampling method. This technique focuses on individual research cells, conducting feature sampling training on fixed regions of length M, thereby enabling more precise identification of geographical clustering characteristics. Using evaluation metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and ROC curve, this study conducts a comparative analysis between the side-sampling method and traditional sampling methods, using three distinct railway lines in China as the study areas. Results show substantial improvements beyond several exceptions: accuracy (+7.68%), precision (+7.19%), recall (+13.48%), F1 score (+9.92%), and ROC (+6.22%). The results demonstrate a significant overall improvement in the performance of the trained models based on the side-sampling method, providing a positive insight into mitigating landslide hazards along railways from the dataset perspective.

How to quantitatively account for the effect of SC-CO2 (Supercritical Carbon) rock-breaking in different rock sites is the key concern in the engineering application of non-explosive rock-breaking technology and economic comparison and there is a lack of experimental basis for relevant studies. Through the equivalent calculation of industrial emulsion explosives, a typical representative granite and mudstone site was selected, and a field experimental program was designed to compare the equivalence of the rock-breaking effects of SC-CO2 and industrial explosives. Based on the rock-breaking equivalent field experiment, we compared and analyzed the rock-breaking area characteristics and parameter changes, such as rock-breaking volume, the morphology of the rock-breaking area, bulk rate, and unit consumption, between SC-CO2 and industrial explosives. A correction of the equivalent conversion formula based on the volume of broken rock was realized. The study shows that SC-CO2 breaks the rock in an elliptical volume shape, the explosives are round, the range of SC-CO2 fracturing breaks the rock is smaller than the range of explosives breaks the rock, and the unit consumption of CO2 is 6–10 times of the unit consumption of explosives. The rock bulk rate is higher after SC-CO2 breaking, while the explosive blast stress wave distribution is uniform, and the bulk rate is low. SC-CO2 rock-breaking produced by the surface vibration velocity is much smaller than the industrial explosives rock-breaking, industrial explosives blasting point of the combined vibration velocity value of the SC-CO2 rock-breaking point of the combined vibration velocity value of 9–11 times, SC-CO2 rock-breaking vibration impact on the surrounding environment is relatively small. The peak combined stress at the measurement point generated by SC-CO2 rock breaking is higher than that of industrial explosives rock breaking, which is 1.2–1.6 times the corresponding measurement point value in the explosives rock breaking test. The study provides an experimental basis for research on the equivalence of SC-CO2 rock-breaking and industrial explosives rock-breaking.

Organizational resilience is a key concept in the study of sustainable corporate growth and indicates an organization's capacity to recover from adversity. It plays a crucial role in responding to uncertain crises. In recent years, academic interest in organizational resilience has increasingly gained prominence. This research uses CiteSpace and VOSviewer to provide a thorough visual analysis of pertinent international literature based on 342 pieces of closely linked literature about organizational resilience. The findings suggest that organizational resilience research is currently experiencing a development phase. Within this field, there is a substantial number of scholars involved, with the most prolific among them including Aleksic Aleksandar, Prayag Girish, and Griffiths Andrew. The networks of collaboration among these authors, nevertheless, are very scattered. Co-citation network research reveals the academics with the biggest sway in the field. Organizational resilience, conservation of resources theory, crisis management, corporate social responsibility, and emergency management are identified as research hotspots within the keyword co-citation network. Furthermore, to determine which countries and regions are the most influential, this study has created a cooperative network among them. China, the United States, and England are the top three nations with articles published. Not only are the highly cited journals respected in the management sector, but they also showcase noteworthy research accomplishments within the field. The purpose of this study is to investigate potential avenues for future research and offer helpful sources for choosing research subjects and developing theoretical frameworks in this area. The analysis is highly valuable as a reference for research on organizational resilience in different settings in the future.

Abstract Background and objective Ivermectin (IVM), a widely used veterinary anthelmintic, lacks recommended doses for Bactrian camels. This study aims to establish its pharmacokinetics in Bactrian camels, comparing with other livestock. Methods A method for high‐performance liquid chromatography fluorescence detection of IVM in plasma was developed. Results IVM exhibited linear scaling (y = 0.6946x + 0.0088, R2 = 0.9988) within 0.025–5 ng/mL, with a lower limit of quantification of 25.00 pg/mL, high recovery (>70%) and low RSD (

BackgroundThere has been a gradual increase in the proportion of preterm birth in China during the past several decades. Maternal malnutrition is a significant determinant for preterm birth. Nevertheless, comprehensive studies investigating serum mineral levels during pregnancy associated with preterm birth remain scarce. This study aims to assess the associations between maternal serum mineral levels and the risk of preterm birth.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study of 18,048 pregnant women used data from a tertiary hospital in China from January 2016 to December 2022. Demographic data and serum mineral concentrations in the second and third trimesters of mothers were collected from the hospital information system. Analysis was performed using restricted cubic splines and logistic regression models.ResultsThe proportion of preterm birth in this study was 6.01%. Phosphorus [P for overall = 0.005; P for nonlinear = 0.490; OR (95%CI) = 1.11 (1.04, 1.18)] and chlorine [P for overall = 0.002; P for nonlinear = 0.058; OR (95%CI) = 1.11 (1.03, 1.19)] showed a significant positive correlation with preterm birth in a linear fashion. Furthermore, serum levels of potassium (P for nonlinear

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder commonly accompanied by gut dysfunction. EA has shown anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Here, we aim to explore whether EA can treat Parkinson's disease by restoring the intestinal barrier and modulating NLRP3 inflammasome. We applied 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) to establish a PD mouse model and EA at the GV16, LR3, and ST36 for 12 consecutive days. The open-field test results indicated that EA alleviated depression and behavioral defects, upregulated the expressions of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and blocked the accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn) in the midbrain. Moreover, EA blocked the damage to intestinal tissues of PD mice, indicative of suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation and increased gut barrier integrity. Notably, the antibiotic-treated mouse experiment validated that the gut microbiota was critical in alleviating PD dyskinesia and intestinal inflammation by EA. In conclusion, this study suggested that EA exhibited a protective effect against MPTP-induced PD by alleviating behavioral defects, reversing the block of motor dysfunction, and improving the gut barrier by modulating intestinal NLRP3 inflammasome. Above all, this study could provide novel insights into the pathogenesis and therapy of PD.

Obtaining comprehensive and accurate terrain data is important for engineering construction. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) are two widely used terrain modeling techniques. In mountainous areas, both techniques suffer limitations. These limitations occur in uninhabited areas, primarily caused by the steep terrain and inconvenient transportation conditions, resulting in poor data integrity and inadequate accuracy in UAV and TLS terrain mapping. In this article, we proposed a fusion modeling method based on UAV photogrammetry and TLS for high-precision terrain mapping in mountainous and canyon areas. The proposed method entails the use of TLS data to provide additional control points for UAV modeling, resulting in an improved accuracy of the modeling results. In addition, to quantify the optimization effect of this method, we proposed a 3-D model deviation comparison method based on the iterative closest point algorithm. This method can be employed to accurately depict the differences in distance and rotation angle between multiple terrain models. We applied this method to the Yebatan hydropower station in Southwest China, which increased the accuracy of the terrain data by 26% and expanded the effective range by over 100%.

Abstract Immune checkpoint inhibitors have transformed the treatment landscape of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, accurately identifying patients who will benefit from immunotherapy remains a challenge. This study aimed to discover potential biomarkers for predicting immunotherapy response in NSCLC patients. Single-cell mass cytometry (CyTOF) was utilized to analyze immune cell subsets in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from NSCLC patients before and 12 weeks after single-agent immunotherapy. The CyTOF findings were subsequently validated using flow cytometry and multiplex immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence in PBMCs and tumor tissues, respectively. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. In the CyTOF cohort (n = 20), a high frequency of CD57+CD8+ T cells in PBMCs was associated with durable clinical benefit from immunotherapy in NSCLC patients (p = 0.034). This association was further confirmed in an independent cohort using flow cytometry (n = 27; p

Abstract Background Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat protein-3 (NLRP3) gene are reported to be linked to many inflammatory disorders. However, uncertainty persists over the associations between these SNPs and susceptibilities to chronic osteomyelitis (COM). This study aimed to investigate potential relationships between NLRP3 gene SNPs and the risks of developing COM in a Chinese Han cohort. Methods The four tag SNPs of the NLRP3 gene were genotyped in a total of 428 COM patients and 368 healthy controlsusing the SNapShot technique. The genotype distribution, mutant allele frequency, and the four genetic models (dominant, recessive, homozygous, and heterozygous) of the four SNPs were compared between the two groups. Results A significant association was found between rs10754558 polymorphism and the probability of COM occurence by the heterozygous model (P = 0.037, odds ratio [OR] = 1.541, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.025–2.319), indicating that rs10754558 may be associated with a higher risk of developing COM.In addition, possible relationship was found between rs7525979 polymorphism and the risk of COM development by the outcomes of homozygous (P = 0.073, OR = 0.453, 95% CI = 0.187–1.097) and recessive (P = 0.093, OR = 0.478, 95% CI = 0.198–1.151) models, though no statistical differences were obtained. Conclusions Outcomes of the present study showed, for the first time, that rs10754558 polymorphism of the NLRP3 gene may increase the risk of COM development in this Chinese Han population, with genotype CG as a risk factor. Nonetheless, this conclusion requires verification from further studies with a larger sample size.

In smart city contexts, traditional methods for semantic segmentation are affected by adverse conditions, such as rain, fog, or darkness. One challenge is the limited availability of semantic segmentation datasets, specifically for autonomous driving in adverse conditions, and the high cost of labeling such datasets. To address this problem, unsupervised domain adaptation (UDA) is commonly employed. In UDA, the source domain contains data from good weather conditions, while the target domain contains data from adverse weather conditions. The Adverse Conditions Dataset with Correspondences (ACDC) provides reference images taken at different times but in the same location, which can serve as an intermediate domain, offering additional semantic information. In this study, we introduce a method that leverages both the intermediate domain and frequency information to improve semantic segmentation in smart city environments. Specifically, we extract the region with the largest difference in standard deviation and entropy values from the reference image as the intermediate domain. Secondly, we introduce the Fourier Exponential Decreasing Sampling (FEDS) algorithm to facilitate more reasonable learning of frequency domain information. Finally, we design an efficient decoder network that outperforms the DAFormer network by reducing network parameters by 28.00%. When compared to the DAFormer work, our proposed approach demonstrates significant performance improvements, increasing by 6.77%, 5.34%, 6.36%, and 5.93% in mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) for Cityscapes to ACDC night, foggy, rainy, and snowy, respectively.

Abstract The great saphenous vein is the most commonly used vessel for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), but its use has been associated with a high restenosis rate at 10-year follow-up. This study sought to determine the key genes associated with vein graft restenosis that could serve as novel therapeutic targets. A total of 3075 upregulated and 1404 downregulated genes were identified after transcriptome sequencing of three pairs of restenosed vein grafts and intraoperative spare great saphenous veins. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis showed that the floralwhite module had the highest correlation with vein graft restenosis. The intersection of the floralwhite module gene set and the upregulated gene set contained 615 upregulated genes strongly correlated with vein graft restenosis. Protein–protein interaction network analysis identified six hub genes (ITGAM, PTPRC, TLR4, TYROBP, ITGB2 and CD4), which were obtained using the STRING database and CytoHubba. Gene Ontology term and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses showed that the common hub genes were mainly involved in the composition of the cell membrane; in biological processes such as neutrophil degranulation, receptor binding and intercellular adhesion, innate immune deficiency; and other signaling pathways. Finally, ITGB2 was selected as the target gene, and its expression was verified in tissues. The results showed that ITGB2 was significantly overexpressed in occluded vein grafts. To study the function of ITGB2 in HVSMCs, primary HVSMCs were cultured and successfully identified. EdU incorporation, wound healing and transwell assays showed that ITGB2 silencing significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of HVSMCs stimulated by PDGF-BB. Overall, our study provides a basis for future studies on preventing restenosis following CABG.

Abstract Purpose Since the unexplained in vitro fertilization failure occurs frequently, it is of great importance and clinical value to identify potential underlying predictors. This study aimed to explore whether the percentage of sperm with a small acrosome was correlated with unexplained in vitro fertilization failure. Methods A new acrosomal function evaluation index (the percentage of sperm with a small acrosome) was introduced into the analysis of sperm morphology. The association between the index and acrosome function by acrosin activity detection test and acrosome reaction test was investigated. In addition, the correlation with unexplained in vitro fertilization failure was further explored. Finally, the ROC curve was used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy on the failure of in vitro fertilization and the cutoff value was calculated. Results As the increasing of the percentage of sperm with a small acrosome, the value of acrosin activity, acrosome reaction rate, and in vitro fertilization rate were reduced, with a statistically significant difference (P

Abstract The article by Zhao et al. titled “Associations of Triglyceride-Glucose (TyG) Index with Chest Pain Incidence and Mortality among the U.S. Population” provides valuable insights into the positive correlation between the TyG index and chest pain incidence, as well as a nonlinear relationship with mortality. However, the use of the COX proportional hazards model in their analysis presents several limitations. The assumption of constant hazard ratios over time may not hold, potentially leading to biased estimates. The model’s struggle with time-dependent covariates and the possibility of residual confounding are notable concerns. Additionally, the study’s subgroup analyses might suffer from reduced statistical power, and potential interactions with other metabolic markers were not explored. Considering these limitations, future research should adopt alternative approaches, such as time-varying covariate models, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the TyG index and cardiovascular outcomes.

Abstract FY‐3E plays a vital role in the meteorological global earth observing system. Precipitable water vapor (PWV) is an essential parameter for the water cycle and global climate change. Here, we carry out the PWV retrieval using the MERSI‐LL sensor onboard the FY‐3E satellite for the first time. The retrieval accuracy under different cloudage conditions is validated by the extra PWV from ground‐based GNSS and spaceborne occultation. For the results against ground‐based GNSS, the total accuracy shows an RMSE of 2.69–3.36 mm as the clouds increase, and correlation coefficients higher than 0.95. The spatial accuracy distribution indicates that inland stations have higher accuracy than the coast and island stations. As for the results against spaceborne occultation, the verification accuracy varies with the spatial pairing distance, showing poor accuracy in the low latitude area. This study can provide an essential reference for the community to understand the current water vapor inversion performance of MERSI‐LL.

An animal's skin provides a first point of contact with the sensory environment, including noxious cues that elicit protective behavioral responses. Nociceptive somatosensory neurons densely innervate and intimately interact with epidermal cells to receive these cues, however the mechanisms by which epidermal interactions shape processing of noxious inputs is still poorly understood. Here, we identify a role for dendrite intercalation between epidermal cells in tuning sensitivity of Drosophila larvae to noxious mechanical stimuli. In wild-type larvae, dendrites of nociceptive class IV da neurons intercalate between epidermal cells at apodemes, which function as body wall muscle attachment sites, but not at other sites in the epidermis. From a genetic screen we identified miR-14 as a regulator of dendrite positioning in the epidermis: miR-14 is expressed broadly in the epidermis but not in apodemes, and miR-14 inactivation leads to excessive apical dendrite intercalation between epidermal cells. We found that miR-14 regulates expression and distribution of the epidermal Innexins ogre and Inx2 and that these epidermal gap junction proteins restrict epidermal dendrite intercalation. Finally, we found that altering the extent of epidermal dendrite intercalation had corresponding effects on nociception: increasing epidermal intercalation sensitized larvae to noxious mechanical inputs and increased mechanically evoked calcium responses in nociceptive neurons, whereas reducing epidermal dendrite intercalation had the opposite effects. Altogether, these studies identify epidermal dendrite intercalation as a mechanism for mechanical coupling of nociceptive neurons to the epidermis, with nociceptive sensitivity tuned by the extent of intercalation.

ObjectivesIn recent years, there has been an increase in the number of randomized clinical trials of BTX-A combined with ESWT for the treatment of post-stroke spasticity. This has made it possible to observe the benefits of combination therapy in clinical practice. Therefore, this paper reviews the effectiveness of BTX-A in combination with ESWT for the treatment of post-stroke spasticity.MethodsBy October 2023, a systematic review was conducted in the databases PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Medline, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan Fang Database, China Biology Medicine disc and China Science and Technology Journal Database were systematically searched. We included randomized controlled trials that reported outcome metrics such as MAS, FMA, and MBI score. Studies were excluded if MAS was not reported. The quality of the included studies was assessed by the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing risk of bias, and the AMSTAR quality rating scale was selected for self-assessment.ResultsA total of 70 articles were included in the initial search, and six were ultimately included. The results of the included studies showed that the combination therapy was effective in reducing MAS scores and improving FMA and MBI scores in patients with spasticity compared to the control group. Combination therapy has also been shown to improve joint mobility and reduce pain in spastic limbs.ConclusionCumulative evidence from clinical randomized controlled trial studies suggests that the combination therapy is effective in reducing lower limb spasticity and improving mobility after stroke. However, more clinical trials are still needed to corroborate the evidence regarding the efficacy of BTX-A combined with shockwave therapy.Systematic Review RegistrationThe system review can be searched in the PROSPERO database (CRD42023476654).

Recent advancements in machine learning have spurred an increased integration of AI in critical sectors such as healthcare and criminal justice. The ethical and legal concerns surrounding fully autonomous AI highlight the importance of combining human oversight with AI to elevate decision-making quality. However, trust calibration errors in human-AI collaboration, encompassing instances of over-trust or under-trust in AI recommendations, pose challenges to overall performance. Addressing trust calibration in the design process is essential, and eXplainable AI (XAI) emerges as a valuable tool by providing transparent AI explanations. This paper introduces Calibrated-XAI (C-XAI), a participatory design framework specifically crafted to tackle both technical and human factors in the creation of XAI interfaces geared towards trust calibration in Human-AI collaboration. The primary objective of the C-XAI framework is to assist designers of XAI interfaces in minimising trust calibration errors at the design level. This is achieved through the adoption of a participatory design approach, which includes providing templates, guidance, and involving diverse stakeholders in the design process. The efficacy of C-XAI is evaluated through a two-stage evaluation study, demonstrating its potential to aid designers in constructing user interfaces with trust calibration in mind. Through this work, we aspire to offer systematic guidance to practitioners, fostering a responsible approach to eXplainable AI at the user interface level.

Abstract Temperature sensitivity (TS) of the green‐up date (GUD) of plants is crucial for the prediction of grassland phenology that is important for animal husbandry and pasture management. Spatial variations in the TS are known to reflect interannual temperature variability and/or accumulated precipitation preceding the GUD (pre‐GUD). However, whether spatial TS variations are related to the interaction between pre‐GUD temperature variability and precipitation, which is a potential indicator of frost risk, remains unclear. Furthermore, because the interaction between interannual temperature variability and accumulated precipitation following the GUD (post‐GUD) can exert selection pressure on the plant life cycle, it may also be involved in shaping the spatial TS pattern. Using long‐term ground observations of GUD on the Tibetan Plateau, we show that TS is more negative (greater GUD advance per unit temperature increase) in areas with more pre‐GUD precipitation and low pre‐GUD interannual temperature variability, but less negative in areas with more pre‐GUD precipitation and high pre‐GUD interannual temperature variability. This result is likely because more pre‐GUD precipitation facilitates sprout and leaf development under stable temperature conditions, whereas it increases frost risk when the temperature variability is high. In contrast, TS magnitude decreases with increases in post‐GUD precipitation in areas where post‐GUD interannual temperature variability is low, but increases with post‐GUD precipitation in areas where post‐GUD interannual temperature variability is high. We speculate that because hydrothermal demands for leaf growth from the onset of green‐up to maturity are more easily fulfilled when interannual temperature variability is lower and precipitation is higher, green‐up need not be sensitive to pre‐GUD temperature. In contrast, high post‐GUD precipitation likely aggravates low‐temperature constraints on leaf growth when temperature variability is high, resulting in greater TS to maximize growing season length. These results suggest that spatial TS variations on the Tibetan Plateau are likely associated with adaptations of leaf‐out phenology to background pre‐GUD climatic conditions together with selection pressure from post‐GUD conditions.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic and recurrent inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. This study aimed to determine the effect of cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide (Cramp) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced acute experimental colitis in mice and to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Acute UC was induced in C57BL/6 mice with 3% DSS for 7 days, 4 mg/kg b.w. synthetic Cramp peptide was administrated once daily starting on day 4 of the experimental period. Mice were evaluated for body weight, colon length, colon histopathology, and inflammatory cytokines in colon tissue. Using 16 s rRNA sequencing, the composition structure of gut microbiota was characterized. Metabolomic profiling of the serum was performed. The results showed that DSS treatment significantly induced intestinal damage as reflected by disease activity index, histopathological features, and colon length, while Cramp treatment significantly prevented these trends. Meanwhile, Cramp treatment decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines in both serum and colonic tissue on DSS-induced colitis. It was also observed that DSS damaged the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier, whereas Cramp also played a protective role by attenuating these deteriorated effects. Furthermore, Cramp treatment reversed the oxidative stress by increasing the antioxidant enzymes of GSH-PX and decreasing the oxidant content of MDA. Notably, compared to the DSS group, Cramp treatment significantly elevated the abundance of Verrucomicrobiota at the phylum level. Furthermore, at the genus level, Parasutterella and Mucispirllum abundance was increased significantly in response to Cramp treatment, although Roseburia and Enterorhabdus reduced remarkably. Metabolic pathway analysis of serum metabolomics showed that Cramp intervention can regulate various metabolic pathways such as α-linolenic acid, taurine and hypotaurine, sphingolipid, and arachidonic acid metabolism. The study concluded that Cramp significantly ameliorated DSS-induced colonic injury, colonic inflammation, and intestinal barrier dysfunction in mice. The underlying mechanism is closely related to the metabolic alterations derived from gut microbiota.

Summary: Composite structures integrated with metasurfaces and nonlinear films have emerged as alternative candidates to enhance nonlinear response. The cooperative interaction between the two components is complicated. Herein, a split-ring resonator (SRR)-type metasurface was fabricated on a free-standing nanocrystal diamond (NCD) film utilizing electron beam lithography, electron beam evaporation, and a lift-off process. The terahertz (THz) radiation from the SRR-NCD under normal incidence originates from the high-order magnetic resonance of SRR because the NCD film cannot produce detectable THz radiation at this incident angle. As increasing the incident angle, the contribution of the THz radiation from the NCD film gradually increases until reaching 40° incident angle limitation. The results indicate that this angular-dependent THz radiation is induced by the interplay between the NCD film and SRR. This study offers a new approach to investigate nonlinear processes in composite structures.

Background: Greenspace is known to have a positive impact on human health and well-being, but its potential effects on visual acuity have not been extensively studied. Objectives: Our aim was to examine the relationship between long-term greenspace exposure and visual acuity in children, while also exploring the potential mechanisms in this association. Methods: We conducted this prospective cohort study based on the Children’s growth environment, lifestyle, physical, and mental health development project (COHERENCE), which screened 286,801 schoolchildren in Guangzhou, China, starting in the 2016/17 academic year and followed them up for three academic years (2017/18-2019/20). Visual acuity was measured using a standardized logarithmic chart, and visual impairment was defined as visual acuity worse than 0.0 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR) units in the better eye. We used the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), and the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) to assess the greenspace surrounding child's geocoded home and school at each visit. Results: Our analysis indicated that higher greenspace exposure was associated with greater visual acuity z-score at baseline and with slower decline in visual acuity z-score during the 3-year follow-up. An interquartile range increase in home-school-based NDVI 300m was associated with a 7% decrease [hazard ratios (HRs): 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.92, 0.94] in the risk of visual impairment. We also found that air pollution, physical activity, outdoor time, and recreational screen time partially mediated the greenspace-visual acuity association. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that increasing greenspace exposure could benefit children’s visual acuity development and reduce the risk of visual impairment by reducing air pollution and recreational screen time while increasing physical activity and outdoor time. All results could have potential policy implications, given the individual and societal burdens associated with visual impairment.

Largemouth bass ranavirus (LMBRaV), a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) virus, leads to considerable mortality and significant economic impacts in the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) aquaculture sector. This study evaluated and screened compounds from Chinese herbs for their activity against LMBRaV. Esculin exhibited the highest rate (73 %) of inhibition on LMBRaV major capsid protein (MCP) gene expression at a concentration of 60 mg/L in a cellular environment. It also significantly reduced the cytopathic effect (CPE), protecting infected cells from LMBRaV-induced nuclear damage and hindering LMBRaV infection by modulating viral entry mechanisms. For in vivo study, esculin increased the survival rate of LMBRaV-infected largemouth bass by 60.0 % and 53.3 %, in prevention experiment and treatment experiment, respectively. Concurrently, esculin significantly reduced viral loads and induced the upregulation of antiviral-associated genes, indicating its potential for immunoregulation. In summary, esculin holds potential for both preventing and treating LMBRaV infections in the aquaculture context.

Nest-site selection plays a crucial role in reproductive success and survival of birds, particularly for territorial birds. Therefore, it is important to understand how birds identify and select their nesting sites. The Amur Paradise Flycatcher ( Terpsiphone incei ) is a medium-sized species of the Monarchidae family with dichromatism in males. To investigate the differences in nest-site utilization strategies between different male morphs and identify the nest-site variables that influence the nest success of the species, we conducted a study on nest-site selection and nest success during the breeding seasons of 2020 to 2022 in Yangxian County, Shaanxi Province, China. During our study, we recorded a total of 98 nests and found that the Amur Paradise Flycatcher preferred nesting in forests with lower illumination, specifically on cedrela trees, and exclusively near residential areas. Interestingly, we did not find any significant difference both in nest-site selection and nesting success between the two male morphs. The overall nesting success was 51.06% (n = 94), with nest predation being the primary cause of nest failure. Our principal component analysis identified several significant factors affecting nest-site selection, including nest tree factors (14.168%), interference factors (13.145%), nest concealment factors (10.87%), terrain factors (10.262%), altitude factors (10.046%), and stability factors (8.438%). Furthermore, the results of binary logistic regression analysis indicated that successful breeding nests were located closer to the forest edge, had a sunnier aspect, and a smaller slope compared to failed nests. Similarly, the multiple linear regression analysis showed that slope, aspect, and nest tree species had significant effects on breeding success. Our findings suggest that the Amur Paradise Flycatcher seeks a balance between nest concealment and a view of the surroundings. The lack of a significant difference in reproductive outcomes between the two male morphs could potentially be attributed to the greater experience of white morph individuals, which may help mitigate the higher risk with their more attractive plumage for predators. Understanding the factors affecting nest-site selection and nest success is crucial for conservation efforts aimed at protecting this fascinating species and ensuring its long-term survival.

In online social networks, users can vote on different trust levels for each other to indicate how much they trust their friends. Researchers have improved their ability to predict social trust relationships through a variety of methods, one of which is the graph neural network (GNN) method, but they have also brought the vulnerability of the GNN method into the social trust network model. We propose a data-poisoning attack method for GNN-based social trust models based on the characteristics of social trust networks. We used a two-sample test for power-law distributions of discrete data to avoid changes in the dataset being detected and used an enhanced surrogate model to generate poisoned samples. We further tested the effectiveness of our approach on three real-world datasets and compared it with two other methods. The experimental results using three datasets show that our method can effectively avoid detection. We also used three metrics to illustrate the effectiveness of our attack, and the experimental results show that our attack stayed ahead of the other two methods in all three datasets. In terms of one of our metrics, our attack method decreased the accuracies of the attacked models by 12.6%, 22.8%, and 13.8%.

Rockfall intrusion detection is crucial for the safety management of railway operations, and video detection methods help reduce deployment costs and improve detection efficiency. Mainstream neural network-based video detection methods have rapidly evolved in recent years but struggle to adapt to complex scenarios such as existing railway slope constructions due to weak generalization ability, low accuracy, and limited information acquisition. Therefore, this paper introduces a dynamic neural network detection model and establishes a dataset for rockfall intrusions in existing railway slope scenarios. The model initially relies on the YOLOv5 neural network, adopting an activation function suitable for the target scenario and addressing overfitting to achieve precise target recognition. Based on the neural network, the model dynamically detects rolling rockfalls by integrating a background subtraction algorithm based on the Gaussian Mixture Model and captures target dimensions using monocular vision technology, thus broadening the dimensions of detection information. Trials conducted on a railway in Shandong, China, demonstrate that the model accurately identifies moving rockfalls along the railway slopes and acquires the dimensions of moving rockfalls, successfully filtering out low-risk targets in the scene.