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Cities place a high priority on addressing urban flooding issues and have worked on flood prevention planning and construction efforts. This study aims to develop the improved coupling hydrologic-hydrodynamic model based on SWMM and TELEMAC-2D model by considering river runoff factors. Taking Tongzhou district of Beijing as an example, two different coupled models of the drainage network are constructed for comparison. The research focused on the drainage capacity of the study area and surface ponding water under different rainfall recurrence periods to evaluate the current flood resilience status and the priority of drainage network improvements. The results indicate that the demonstration area effectively mitigates urban flooding and can handle a 100-year return period rainfall event, with a maximum inundation depth of 0.407 m and an overflow node ratio of 20.8%. As the rainfall recurrence period increases, the number of overflow nodes tends to stabilize. Due to the high susceptibility of traffic hubs in cities to flooding, the result of contrast model analysis suggests prioritizing the drainage networks under main roads and overpasses and implementing Low Impact Development (LID) facilities around rivers to enhance urban infiltration and reduce river overflow risks. This coupled model demonstrates good applicability and high simulation accuracy for complex urban flood scenarios, emphasizing the importance of targeted urban planning and infrastructure improvements in enhancing flood resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borehole destressing is one of the most widely used techniques for mitigating coal bursts. Understanding the working principle of destressing boreholes, exploring the main efficiency factors, and proposing a quantitative method for determining the drilling parameters for coal burst control are essential for maximizing coal burst control. This study establishes a unified damage mechanics model of borehole bursts (that is, dynamic collapse in boreholes) and roadway coal bursts, deduces the critical indices of borehole bursts, and identifies the main factors. The theoretical relationship between the critical stresses of borehole burst and roadway coal burst is quantitatively explored, and a theoretical criterion for borehole effectiveness in coal burst control is proposed using the critical indices of borehole bursts. Finally, a design principle, determination method, and calculation formulae for the drilling parameters, which are directly related to the roadway burst risk state, coal seam thickness, coal properties, and drilling size, are proposed. The optimized drilling parameters of typical coal burst mines in Hebei and Inner Mongolia verify the engineering applicability and effectiveness of the proposed design method. This study proposes a quantitative determination method for destressing drilling parameters that supports coal burst occurrence theory. Highlights: Critical conditions for borehole bursts, directly related to the mechanical properties of coal and borehole size, are theoretically provided. Theoretical relationship between boreholes and roadway coal bursts is explored. Quantitative description of the borehole destressing principle to mitigate coal burst is provided. Theoretical criterion for boreholes to mitigate coal bursts, which is directly related to the critical conditions of borehole bursts, is provided. Quantitative method for determining the drilling parameters to mitigate coal bursts is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The apple orchards in Liaoning, one of the four major apple-producing areas in Bohai Bay, Northeast China, play a crucial role in regulating the carbon sink effect. However, there is limited information on the variation in carbon flux and its influential factors in apple orchards in this region. To address this, CO2 flux data were monitored throughout the entire apple growth seasons from April to November in 2017 and 2018 in the apple (Malus pumila Mill. cv Hanfu) orchard in Shenyang, China. The energy closure of the apple orchard was calculated, and variations in net ecosystem exchange (NEE) at different time scales and its response to environmental factors were analyzed. Our results showed that the energy balance ratio of the apple was 0.74 in 2017 and 1.38 in 2018. NEE was generally positive in April and November and negative from May to October, indicating a strong carbon sink throughout the growth season. The daily average NEE ranged from − 0.103 to 0.094 mg m−2 s−1 in 2017 and from − 0.134 to 0.059 mg m−2 s−1 in 2018, with the lowest values observed in June and July. NEE was negatively correlated with net radiation, atmospheric temperature, saturated vapor pressure deficit, and soil temperature. These findings provide valuable insights for predicting carbon flux in orchard ecosystems within the context of global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Thyroid cancer is prevalent worldwide, including in China, where its incidence is on the rise. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the predominant subtype. Investigating the relationship between clinical data associated with PTC and gene mutations is crucial for improving detection and treatment. Patients and Methods: We collected samples and associated clinical data from 700 PTC patients at Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital. Using a panel of 57 genes linked to thyroid cancer, we sequenced the samples to determine the mutation frequency of thyroid cancer-associated genes in PTC. We further analyzed the correlation between gene variants and clinical information. Results: The mean age of patients in this study was 42.5 years. Females predominated, comprising 507 of the total patient population, resulting in a female-to-male ratio of 2.63 (507:193). Tumor distribution revealed 198, 257, and 142 cases on the left, right, and both sides, respectively. Among the 57 thyroid cancer-related genes analyzed, we identified at least one driver gene in 83.6% of patients. Notably, 76.4% had BRAF mutations, mainly BRAFV600E, which constituted 90.9% of all BRAF mutations, with 535 cases exhibiting these mutations. Other significant driver genes included CHEK2 (n = 84), RET (n = 42), PIK3CA (n = 7), and EGFR (n = 7). RET fusions (n = 28) were also identified. Notably, patients under 55 years old exhibit a higher tendency towards advanced N staging, suggesting that younger individuals may be more prone to lymph node metastasis. Additionally, male patients were more likely to have advanced N stages. Importantly, a positive correlation was observed between higher BRAF allele frequencies and more advanced T and N stages. Similarly, correlation analysis revealed that a greater frequency of RET fusions correlated with later T and N stages. Conclusion: This study uncovered several significant insights. Younger PTC patients exhibited a higher propensity for lymph node metastasis. An elevated mutation frequency of BRAF was correlated with a higher occurrence of RET fusions, predisposing individuals to lymph node metastasis and potentially indicating a poorer prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) involve dysfunction of the heart and blood vessels and have become major health concerns worldwide. Multiple mechanisms may be involved in the occurrence and development of CVDs. Although therapies for CVDs are constantly being developed and applied, the incidence and mortality of CVDs remain high. The roles of natural compounds in CVD treatment are being explored, providing new approaches for the treatment of CVD. Pentacyclic triterpenes are natural compounds with a basic nucleus of 30 carbon atoms, and they have been widely studied for their potential applications in the treatment of CVDs, to which various pharmacological activities contribute, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor effects. This review introduces the roles of triterpenoids in the prevention and treatment of CVDs, summarizes their potential underlying mechanisms, and provides a comprehensive overview of the therapeutic potential of triterpenoids in the management of CVDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the culture positivity and distribution of the conjunctival sac bacteria in the perioperative period of corneal refractive surgery. The selected time points of the perioperative period included before the use of antibiotic eye drops, before eye wash (after the use of antibiotic eye drops), after eye wash, and immediately after surgery. Conjunctival specimens obtained at the four time points were cultured to detect the positivity and distribution of bacteria. Before prophylactic antibiotic eye drops were administered, 49 eyes (50%) had positive bacterial culture results, with 45 isolates (91.8%) identified as Staphylococcus epidermidis. The culture positivity rates of the conjunctival sac specimens before eye wash, after eye wash, and immediately after surgery were 19.4%, 3.1%, and 4.1%, respectively. The difference was significant before and after the use of antibiotics and before and after eye wash (both P < 0.001). Staphylococcus epidermidis was the major pathogen in the conjunctival sac before corneal refractive surgery, and the culture positivity rate of the conjunctival bacteria was higher in males. Sixteen of 37 eyes (43.2%) with contact lenses had positive culture results, compared to 33 of 61 eyes (54.1%) without contact lenses (P > 0.05). The judicious preoperative use of antibiotic eye drops combined with the surgical sterile eye wash procedure maximised the removal of conjunctival sac bacteria. Skilled surgical manipulations generally did not increase the risk of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the poor aqueous solubility of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), encapsulating it in egg yolk results in a reduction in the hydration properties of egg yolk powder (EYP), subsequently affecting its functional properties. In this study, the effects of vacuum low-temperature spray drying (VLTSD), high-temperature spray drying (HTSD), and freeze-drying (FD) on the hydration properties of DHA-enriched EYP were investigated. Firstly, we optimized the inlet temperature and feed rate for VLTSD (60 °C, 300 mL/h) and HTSD (170 °C, 800 mL/h), while FD was conducted under − 70 °C conditions. The most striking finding of this study was the DHA-enriched EYP prepared by VLTSD exhibited desirable solubility (54.86 g/100 g), water dispersibility (48.63%), and coefficient of stability (24.88%) during rehydration, which was well predicted by low-field NMR. Compared to HTSD and FD, the solubility increased by 16.18% and 45.17%, respectively. Furthermore, at the microscopic level, SEM images and FTIR spectra revealed that VLTSD enhanced the hydration properties by protecting the structural integrity and increasing the hydrogen bonding of the DHA-enriched EYP. The encapsulation efficiency of DHA-enriched EYP prepared by VLTSD, HTSD, and FD were 97.15%, 96.51%, and 81.31%, respectively. According to the quality analysis, VLTSD had the best protection for DHA-enriched EYP in terms of chromaticity, bulk density, storage stability, and sensory evaluation. Therefore, this study confirmed the applicability of VLTSD technology for microencapsulation of bioactive substances such as DHA to enhance the hydration properties of powders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The D-dimer is a sensitive indicator of coagulation and fibrinolysis activation, especially valuable as a biomarker of intravascular thrombosis. Measurement of plasma D-dimer levels plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and monitoring of conditions such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. A variety of immunoassays, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetric assays, whole-blood aggregation analysis, and immunochromatography assays, are widely used in clinical settings to determine D-dimer levels. However, the results obtained from different D-dimer assays vary significantly. These assays exhibit intra-method coefficients of variation ranging from 6.4% to 17.7%, and the measurement discrepancies among different assays can be as high as 20-fold. The accuracy and reliability of D-dimer testing cannot be guaranteed due to the lack of an internationally endorsed reference measurement system (including reference materials and reference measurement procedures), which may lead to misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis, limiting its full clinical application. In this review, we present an in-depth analysis of clinical D-dimer testing, summarizing the existing challenges, the current state of metrology, and progress towards harmonization. We also review the latest advancements in D-dimer detection techniques, which include mass spectrometry and electrochemical and optical immunoassays. By comparing the basic principles, the definition of the measurand, and analytical performance of these methods, we provide an outlook on the potential improvements in D-dimer clinical testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practices of prefabricated buildings illustrate the incentives in prefabricated markets as well as the decision-making behavior of stakeholders, which can influence the transformation, upgrading, and sustainability of the buildings sector. The game between the stakeholders in the prefabricated buildings market becomes complicated by the fact that they dynamically adjust their strategies in response to changing market conditions. With the aim of quantitatively studying the implications of the dynamic decision behavior of prefabricated construction stakeholders on the prefabricated construction market, this study introduces component suppliers as participating agents and government subsidies and penalties as the main measures. And a three-way model of the evolutionary game involving government subsidies and punitive schemes is constructed by this study. The essay examines the evolutionary equilibrium strategies of each game subject as well as the effect of original strategies and different parameter choices on the decision-making of each subject using MATLAB. The findings reveal that (1) decision-making behaviors among the government, component suppliers, and developers are both interrelated and constrained, but governments are the dominant agents in the evolution of prefabricated buildings. (2) Parameters such as subsidies, penalties, costs, and benefits affect the stability of the tripartite evolutionary model, which remains consistent with the previous research. (3) Component suppliers have an equally important position in the development of prefabricated buildings as recognized entities such as developers and contractors. (4) When subsidies are kept at 40% of the incremental cost and penalties at 80% of the incremental cost, the model combines a fast evolutionary rate with stable model evolution. In conclusion, the article's research findings not only validate the rationality and feasibility of component suppliers as research subjects and confirm the importance of component suppliers but also propose a more reasonable boundary value for penalties and subsidies, which provides a reference for the government to improve the incentive and punishment measures as well as the dynamic adjustment strategy of stakeholders and also provides a new perspective to achieve the goal of sustainable development of construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to explore the efficacy of a novel intramedullary fixation technique using the ortho-bridge system (OBS) for midshaft clavicle fractures. Methods: A total of 63 patients were included in this study: 35 underwent plate internal fixation (LP group) and 28 underwent OBS intramedullary fixation (OBS group). Surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, incision length, fracture healing time, removal of the internal fixation agent, visual analog scale (VAS) score for shoulder pain, Constant–Murley shoulder score and complication occurrence were compared between the two groups. Results: Preoperative general data, such as sex, age and fracture type, were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). However, the OBS group exhibited better outcomes than the LP group exhibited in terms of surgical time, intraoperative blood loss and total incision length (P < 0.05). Additionally, the OBS group exhibited a significantly shorter fracture healing time and internal-fixation removal time than the LP group exhibited (P < 0.05). The VAS scores on postoperative day 1, week 1, month 1 and month 3 were lower in the OBS group than in the LP group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the Constant–Murley shoulder scores at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively were higher in the OBS group than in the LP group (P < 0.05), with no significant difference at 1 year after surgery (P > 0.05). None of the patients in the OBS group experienced scarring of the surgical incision, and 6 patients in the LP group experienced scarring of the surgical incision. Finally, the complication incidence in the OBS group was lower than that in the LP group. Conclusion: For midshaft clavicle fractures, OBS intramedullary fixation is better than locking-plate internal fixation because it led to less trauma, a faster recovery, better efficacy, and better esthetic outcomes and comfort. Therefore, this technique may have potential as a novel treatment for midshaft clavicle fractures. Level of evidence: III, retrospective observational study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) are at high risk for falls, which is attributed to their impaired balance control. Identifying factors associated with balance control facilitates the development of precise KOA rehabilitation programs. This study was to investigate the correlations of balance control with proprioception, plantar tactile sensation (PTS), pain, joint range of motion (ROM), and strength among older adults with and without KOA, as well as the magnitudes and sequence of correlation of these factors to balance control. Methods: A total of 240 older adults with (n = 124, female: 84, age: 68.8 ± 4.0 years) and without (n = 116, female: 64, age: 67.9 ± 3.5 years) KOA were recruited and assigned to the KOA and control groups. Their proprioception, PTS, pain, ROM, and strength were measured. Pearson or Spearman correlations were used to test whether they were significantly related to their Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and factor analysis and multivariate linear regression were used to determine the degrees of correlation between each factor and the BBS. Results: Compared to the control group, the KOA group had lower BBS score, larger proprioception and PTS thresholds, smaller ROM, and less strength (p: 0.008, < 0.001–0.016, < 0.001–0.005, < 0.001–0.014, and < 0.001–0.002, respectively). In the KOA group, the BBS was weakly to moderately correlated with proprioception, PTS, pain, ROM, and strength (r: 0.332–0.501, 0.197–0.291, 0.340, 0.212–0.508, and 0.236–0.336, respectively). While in the control group, the BBS was correlated with proprioception and strength (r: 0.207–0.379, and 0.212–0.410). In the KOA group, BBS = 54.41+ (0.668*strength) - (0.579*PTS) - (1.141*proprioception) + (1.054* ROM) - (0.339*pain). While in the control group, BBS = 53.85+ (0.441*strength) - (0.677*proprioception). Conclusion: Worse proprioception and PTS, smaller ROM, and less strength were detected among older adults with KOA, and their proprioception, PTS, pain, ROM, and strength were all related to balance control. Proprioception had the strongest correlations, followed by ROM, strength, pain, and PTS. Precise KOA rehabilitation programs may be proposed following the sequence of improving the five factors. Key points: • Worse proprioception and plantar tactile sensation, smaller joint range of motion, and less strength were detected among older adults with knee osteoarthritis. • Among older adults with knee osteoarthritis, balance control was sequentially correlated with proprioception, joint range of motion, strength, pain, and plantar tactile sensation. • Precise knee osteoarthritis rehabilitation programs may be proposed following the sequence of improving proprioception, joint range of motion, strength, pain, and plantar tactile sensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wavefront control is the fundamental requirement in optical informatics. Planar optics have drawn intensive attention due to the merits of compactness and light weight. However, it remains a challenge to freely manipulate the dispersion, hindering practical applications, especially in imaging. Here, we propose the concept of frequency-synthesized phase engineering to solve this problem. A phasefront-frequency matrix is properly designed to encode different spatial phases to separate frequencies, thus makes arbitrary dispersion tailoring and even frequency-separated functionalization possible. The periodically rotated director endows cholesteric liquid crystal with a spin and frequency selective reflection. Moreover, via presetting the local initial orientation of liquid crystal, geometric phase is encoded to the reflected light. We verify the proposed strategy by cascading the chiral anisotropic optical media of specifically designed helical pitches and initial director orientations. By this means, planar lenses with RGB achromatic, enhanced chromatic aberration and color routing properties are demonstrated. Inch-sized and high-efficient lenses are fabricated with low crosstalk among colors. It releases the freedom of dispersion control of planar optics, and even enables frequency decoupled phase modulations. This work brings new insights to functional planar optics and may upgrade the performance of existing optical apparatuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to find the truth about the effect of ocean waves on the process of righting a capsized ship by employing common computational methods of marine salvage engineering. Mathematical models of ship stability and uprighting were developed to quantitatively evaluate the effects of wave encounter angle on the righting forces, bending moments and torques of the hull during the uprighting process. The results indicated that during the uprighting process, the maximum righting forces of the capsized ship were almost unchanged with a maximum difference of 1kN, when the ocean was calm or when the encounter angle of the waves varied. However, the righting force moment showed significant discrepancies under all conditions, with a maximum difference of 1177.5 kN m. When the wave encounter angle is at 0°, the shear force of some parts of the ship is 2–3 times that of the still water environment, and the shear force of some parts of the ship is 3–4 times that of the wave encounter angle at 300°. Remarkably, the bending moment varied by more than 200% at some particular locations under a particular wave encounter angle. Furthermore, the negative torque variation was relatively minor at a 300° wave encounter angle, and the uprighting process still needs relatively large righting forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulchinenoside B4, a natural saponin monomer from the Pulsatilla plant, plays an important role as an immunomodulator in the treatment of acute inflammation. Oral ulcer (OU) is a common ulcerative injury disease that occurs in the oral mucosa, including mucosal ulceration and abnormalities of lips and tongue. A close correlation exists between gut microbiota and circulating metabolites in patients with OU. However, the correlation between gut microbiota and serum metabolomics is not clear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the changes in gut microbiota and metabolites in OU. The 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene sequencing was used to detect the changes in the composition of gut microbiota in OU rat model. Moreover, the endogenous small metabolites were explored by collecting the non-targeted serum metabolomics data. A total of 34 OU-related biomarkers were identified, mainly related to fatty acid metabolism and inflammatory pathways. The administration of B4 effectively reduced the occurrence of OU and restored the levels of multiple endogenous biomarkers and key gut microbial species to the normal level. This study demonstrated that the gut microbiota and metabolites were altered in the OU rat model, which were significantly restored to the normal level by B4, thereby showing good application prospects in the treatment of OU. Key points: • The first investigating the correlation between OU and gut microbiota. • A close correlation between metabolites and gut microbiota in OU disease was successfully identified. • Pulchinenoside B4 ameliorates oral ulcers in rats by modulating gut microbiota and metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spontaneous high-temperature conditions in deep mining cause significant changes in one of the factors that determine the risk of rock burst in coal mine roadways. Therefore, based on the test method of the bursting proneness of coal, uniaxial loading tests were conducted on coal specimens under different thermal loads to explore the variations in the bursting proneness and energy release of heated coal, analyze the variations and mechanism controlling the coal skeleton, physicochemical properties, quality, fracture mode evolution, and macrocrack quantity with different loading rates, and calculate and discuss the changes in the critical conditions of a coal–rock system during heating. In summary, the study of the change in bursting energy release caused by the heating of coal can lay the foundation for the engineering-based prevention and control of composite dynamic disasters in deep coal mines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C-type lectin is a type of calcium-dependent sugar recognition protein, which plays an important role in recognizing invading microorganisms as non-self and assists in the clearance of pathogenic microorganisms. In this study, a C-type lectin homolog was identified from Penaeus vannamei (PvCTL2) using RACE-PCR method and functionally characterized in detail. The open reading frame (ORF) of PvCTL2 was 1143 bp, encoding 380 amino acids, which contained a conservative carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) and a low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) domain A. The predicted molecular weight was 41.79 kDa and the theoretical isoelectric point was 6.27. PvCTL2 was relatively high expressed in muscle, intestine, heart, nerve, and hepatopancreas, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus challenge could significantly upregulate the expression level of PvCTL2 in muscle. Agglutination test of recombinant protein of PvCTL2 in vitro showed that rPvCTL2 was a Ca2+-dependent C-type lectin, which could agglutinate five types of bacteria, including Gram-negative bacteria and fungi, as well as bind different concentrations of monosaccharides. RNAi-based silencing of PvCTL2 gene resulted in significantly higher mortality rate when shrimp was challenged with Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and the median lethal time was significantly shorter than the control. These results suggested that PvCTL2 could be involved in the immune response against bacterial challenge and contributed to non-self recognition as a pattern recognition receptor in the innate immune system of shrimp P. vannamei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: China's high-speed economic development was accompanied by rapid urbanization for forty years, guided by a series of changing policies enacted by the central government. However, did China become more sustainable both economically and environmentally? Or more specifically, did it operate within or towards a safe and just space (SJS)? Although numerous relevant studies exist, these questions have not been adequately addressed, and a multi-scale landscape perspective is needed. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to examine China's urbanization trends, associated institutional changes, and their impacts on the nation's sustainability trajectory during the past four decades. Specifically, we intended to analyze the impacts of urbanization and related policies on the spatial patterns, temporal trends, shortfalls, and complex nexus of the different dimensions of SJS across scales in China. Methods: We apply the SJS framework, which integrates eight environmental ceilings and seven social justice foundations, to examine China's urbanization, socioeconomic dynamics, and institutional changes, as well as their impacts on sustainability at multiple spatial scales. Segmented regression and correlation analysis were used to analyze the relationship of SJS with landscape urbanization and governance across China. Results: Since the implementation of China's Western Development Plan, China has faced increasing challenges of overshoots in CO2 emissions, phosphorus and nitrogen loading, ecological footprint, and material footprint on a per capita basis. However, our analysis showed that, by 2015, China met nearly all basic social justice needs. The pattern of SJS showed geospatial gradients of increasing social justice (except material footprint), multi-footprints, and CO2 from eastern to central, northeastern, and western regions, and from developed to developing provinces. The tradeoffs between social justice, environmental safety, and regional equality remain pronounced across heterogeneous landscapes with different levels of urbanization. The western region's material footprint expanded enormously, but mainly for consumption in the eastern region of China. Conclusions: China's development in the past four decades is characterized by enormous economic growth, rapid urbanization, much improved living standards, highly fragmented landscapes, and increasing environmental problems. To promote sustainability, China should continue to implement the strategy of high-quality development and promote ecological civilization. Regional landscape-based approaches are needed to explicitly recognize geospatial heterogeneity and disparities, and better understand the urbanization-governance-landscape nexus for promoting a safer and more just China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unsupervised anomaly detection in high-dimensional and complex settings poses a formidable challenge. To tackle the challenges associated with the recognition of high-dimensional data, this paper proposes a feedback channel between the Variational Auto Encoder and the Gaussian process to enhance its data feature extraction capabilities. In order to alleviate the impact of common mislabeling issues within unsupervised contexts, the proposed model introduces a method for the selection of representative data. Subsequently, these representative data points are employed as anchors for the construction of a full-data Gaussian process model covering the entire dataset. To further disentangle the intertwined normal and abnormal data, the proposed model employs a Bayesian framework to guide the displacement of each data point within the latent space toward its position with the highest confidence. This strategic approach effectively discriminates between normal and abnormal data. This innovative method significantly enhances data consolidation within the latent space, thus preserving robustness, particularly when processing high-complexity data. Also, the numerical experiments not only validate the method's effectiveness but also showcase the model's robustness. These experiments highlight that even a small number of incorrect labels do not significantly impact the accuracy of anomaly detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface roughness has a significant influence on the mechanical properties and service life of a component. During face milling, surface roughness greatly varies in the tool step direction and can be controlled by using a surface roughness prediction model. However, the issues of accuracy and efficiency of surface roughness prediction models have not been adequately addressed. This study aims to address these research constraints. An improved surface roughness prediction model is proposed, taking into consideration the influences of insert back cutting and stepover ratio. First, the profile-forming mechanism is analyzed based on geometry and kinematics. Subsequently, an improved surface roughness prediction model is established. Thereafter, the influence of feed per tooth, stepover ratio, corner radius, and minor cutting edge angle on surface roughness are analyzed through numerical simulation. Finally, the experiment of face milling aerospace aluminum alloy 7075 is suggested to verify the improved model, and the Z-Map model is introduced for comparison. Results show that the surface roughness is nonlinear with a feed per tooth and stepover ratio, a monotonic variation with corner radius, and a minor cutting edge angle. The predicted values of the improved model and the Z-Map model for the Rsm are equal to the experimental values. However, the improved model reduces the prediction error of Ra from 11.2 to 4.2% in the non-overlapping compared with the Z-Map model and from 62.58 to 13.34% in the overlapping. In addition, the improved model performs better than the Z-Map model in predicting the shape parameters. This work serves as a significant reference for selecting and optimizing the milling parameters to enable machining quality control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploration of non-corrosive chemical activation agents that are capable of transforming sustainable biomass into nanocarbon with large specific surface area and suitable heteroatomic content for electrochemical energy storage applications is highly desired. Herein, potassium peroxodisulfate (K2S2O8) has been proposed as the effective activation agent for the synthesis of N, S co-doped carbon nanosheets (N, S-CNSs) from renewable onions. Different from the other activation agents, it was found that the K2S2O8 can act as the physical activating agent and chemical activating agent simultaneously owing to its temperature-dependent decomposition behavior. Consequently, the N, S-CNSs with large specific surface area of 2110.6 m 2 g - 1 , optimal oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur-containing functional groups were rationally emerged. The assembled Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors with the as-prepared N, S-CNSs delivered a maximum specific capacity of 141.5 mAh g - 1 , robust cycling stability with 98.3% capacity retention after 20,000 cycles, and large specific energy up to 113.4 Wh k g - 1 . As explicitly discussed with the relevant characterizations, the study deeply explored the adaptability of the chemical activating agent in general synthesis of porous carbon-based materials from sustainable biomass, and great insight for designing high-performance electrochemical energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the critical problems of high fuel consumption and severe traffic congestion of brought by blindly cruising in a vast transportation system, we propose a Bidirectional-A-star-based Ant Colony Optimization (BiA*-ACO) algorithm to recommend the fastest route for taxicabs in a complex urban road network with passenger prediction results in this paper. More specifically, the cost estimation function of the Bidirectional A-star (BiA*) algorithm is employed to optimize the heuristic function of the Ant Colony (AC) algorithm for enhancing the global searching ability of ACO. Furthermore, the optimal route obtained from each cycle is introduced to improve the pheromone updating rules of AC for accelerating the convergence speed of ACO. Finally, the BiA*-ACO algorithm is applied to recommend the fastest route successfully. The experimental results of real-world taxi GPS trajectory big data with an urban road network demonstrate that the BiA*-ACO algorithm is at least 47.05% more efficient than the traditional ACO algorithm when the data set is small. As the big GPS trajectory data grows exponentially, the BiA*-ACO algorithm is at least 49.81% more efficient than ACO, Dijkstra, and Bellman-Ford. In particular, compared with the A-star algorithm, the Acyclic algorithm, and the Gurobi algorithm, the fastest route length recommended by the BiA*-ACO algorithm is reduced by 102.73m, 73.27m, and 23.08m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to better understand the crustal shortening and orogenic uplift in the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, as well as the geothermal resource effects formed during this process, we used ModEM software to perform 3D MT imaging on broadband magnetotelluric survey points deployed at 710 points in the Gonghe Basin and its surrounding areas. The resistivity model suggests that the Gonghe Basin exhibits a low–high–low overall electrical structure, with high conductivity widely distributed in the middle and lower crust. The resistivity model also reveals a significant discontinuity between high and low resistivity blocks at various depths in the upper and middle crust. These discontinuities are align with the faults observed on the surface related to strong crustal fluctuations, which are connected to high conductors in the middle and upper crust. Using empirical formulas for high-temperature and high-pressure testing of granite, it is estimated that the melting volume of these high conductors ranges from 3 to 43%, demonstrating good "plasticity". These high conductors can act as detachment layers for crustal shortening and deformation during the expansion of the Tibetan Plateau towards the northeast edge and can continuously conduct heat energy upwards, creating a high thermal background in the Gonghe Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macular corneal dystrophy (MCD) is a progressive, bilateral stromal dystrophic disease that arises from mutations in carbohydrate sulfotransferase 6 (CHST6). Corneal transplantation is the ultimate therapeutic solution for MCD patients. Unfortunately, postoperative recurrence remains a significant challenge. We conducted a retrospective review of a clinical cohort comprising 102 MCD patients with 124 eyes that underwent either penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) or deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK). Our results revealed that the recurrence rate was nearly three times higher in the DALK group (39.13%, 9/23 eyes) compared with the PKP group (10.89%, 11/101 eyes), suggesting that surgical replacement of the corneal endothelium for treating MCD is advisable to prevent postoperative recurrence. Our experimental data confirmed the robust mRNA and protein expression of CHST6 in human corneal endothelium and the rodent homolog CHST5 in mouse endothelium. Selective knockdown of wild-type Chst5 in mouse corneal endothelium (ACsiChst5), but not in the corneal stroma, induced experimental MCD with similar extracellular matrix synthesis impairments and corneal thinning as observed in MCD patients. Mice carrying Chst5 point mutation also recapitulated clinical phenotypes of MCD, along with corneal endothelial abnormalities. Intracameral injection of wild-type Chst5 rescued the corneal impairments in ACsiChst5 mice and retarded the disease progression in Chst5 mutant mice. Overall, our study provides new mechanistic insights and therapeutic approaches for MCD treatment by high-lighting the role of corneal endothelium in MCD development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the treatment method for urban sludge is mainly sludge landfill, which requires the water content of sludge to be less than 60%. Therefore, many researchers have proposed different methods to reduce sludge water content. Freeze–thaw (F/T) and chemical conditioning of sludge, combined with vacuum pressure and vertically inserted drainage board, has been proven to be an effective method to reduce the moisture content of landfill sludge (LS). Based on the consolidation theory of radial drainage, the characteristics of LS in the process of vacuum preloading were studied. A method of instantaneous multistage loading was proposed. The concept of free drainage stage before consolidation drainage is proposed, and the correction of the consolidation coefficient is introduced. Finally, the rationality of the theory was verified by experimental data. The results showed that the consolidation theory is rational for deep dewatering of LS in the vacuum preloading method. The difference between sludge dewatering after F/T pretreatment and chemical pretreatment was mainly reflected in the consolidation coefficient and the free drainage stage. The sludge after F/T pretreatment has higher permeability, more water precipitation, and low moisture content after vacuum preloading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate traffic flow prediction is essential for developing intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and providing real-time traffic applications. This study proposes a novel Spatial-Temporal Graph Neural Network based on Gated Convolution and Topological Attention (STGNN-GCTA) to accurately model complex spatiotemporal traffic flow correlations. In the temporal dimension, we design a novel Gated-Memory Convolutional Neural Network (GMCNN) to capture the non-linear temporal dependencies by controlling the output based on the timing information position. In the spatial dimension, we develop a Multilayer Graph Topological Attention Network (MGTAN) to capture the dynamic spatial dependencies by identifying high-impact neighborhood segments in each time step. In particular, we improve the model's prediction robustness in a noisy environment using the Network Smoothing Training (NST) method. Experimental results on two public traffic datasets demonstrate that STGNN-GCTA has higher prediction accuracy and execution efficiency than baseline methods and exhibits excellent robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the problems of high fuel consumption and severe traffic congestion caused by blindly cruising, we propose a Gurobi optimization algorithm combined with an A ngle and an A* algorithm (A2-Gurobi) to recommend the optimal taxi route based on big taxi trajectory data in the complex urban road network. Specifically, a r oad n etwork n ode e xtraction method (RNNE) based on the GPS direction of taxis is put forward to solve the difficulty of extracting road network nodes from the big Taxi GPS trajectory data. Next, an a ngle-based s harp p oint e limination approach (ASPE) is constructed to optimize the searching capability of the Gurobi algorithm to find the shortest path. Then, a Gurobi optimization algorithm (A-Gurobi) based on the A* algorithm is designed, which uses the heuristic function of the A* algorithm to enhance the ability of fast guidance from the origin to the destination, thereby improving the execution efficiency of the Gurobi algorithm. Finally, the A2-Gurobi algorithm is successfully applied to the optimal taxi route recommendation with real-world taxi trajectory big data. Compared with Gurobi, Dijkstra, Floyd, A*, Bi-A*-ACO, Bellman-Ford, BFS, Acyclic, and AC on the taxi trajectory data sets composed of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 nodes, the experimental results indicate that the distance of the A2-Gurobi algorithm for taxi route recommendation is 19.06%, 20.97%, 3.03%, 15.07%, 15.07%, and 3.85% shorter than that of Gurobi, A*, Bi-A*-ACO, BFS, Acyclic, and AC on average, respectively, and it also achieves the same distance as other algorithms. In terms of execution efficiency, our A2-Gurobi algorithm outperforms the baselines mentioned above by 38.56%, 96.63%, 66.66%, 66.66%, 90.87%, 97.60%, 97.27%, 97.21%, and 99.27%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthracycline antitumor agents, such as doxorubicin (DOX), are effective in the treatment of solid tumors and hematological malignancies, but anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity (AIC) limits their application as chemotherapeutics. Dexrazoxane (DEX) has been adopted to prevent AIC. Using a chronic AIC mouse model, we demonstrated that DEX is insufficient to reverse DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Although therapies targeting autophagy have been explored to prevent AIC, but whether novel autophagy inhibitors could alleviate or prevent AIC in clinically relevant models needs further investigation. Here, we show that genetic ablation of Atg7, a key regulator in the early phase of autophagy, protected mice against AIC. We further demonstrated that SAR405, a novel autophagy inhibitor, attenuated DOX-induced cytotoxicity. Intriguingly, the combination of DEX and SAR405 protected cells against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in vivo. Using the cardiomyocyte cell lines AC16 and H9c2, we determined that autophagy was initiated during AIC. Our results suggest that inhibition of autophagy at its early phase with SAR405 combined with DEX represents an effective therapeutic strategy to prevent AIC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male sterility is an important trait in rice for hybrid rice (Oryza sativa) breeding. However, the factors involved in dominant male sterility are largely unknown. Here, we identified a gene from Sanming dominant genic male sterile rice, named Sanming dominant male sterility (SMS), and reported that an epi-allele of this locus contributes to male sterility. Segregation analysis attributed dominant male sterility to a single locus, SMS, which we characterized using a male-sterile near isogenic line (NIL) of rice cultivar 93-11. The SMS locus was heterozygous in the male-sterile 93-11 NIL, containing an epi-allele identical to that in 93-11, and an epi-allele identical to that in rice cultivar Nipponbare, which we refer to as SMS9 and SMSN, respectively. SMS9 is silent and hyper-methylated, whereas SMSN is expressed and hypo-methylated in the 93-11 NIL. Overexpressing SMSN led to male sterility. Mutations in SMS rescued the male sterility of the 93-11 NIL. Interestingly, we observed the duplication of SMSN in Nipponbare, but did not observe the duplication of SMS9 in 93-11. Together, these findings suggest that the reduced methylation and enhanced expression of the SMSN epi-allele in the 93-11 NIL is responsible for its role in conferring dominant male sterility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma (MF-HCC) accounts for > 40% of HCCs, exhibiting a poor prognosis than single primary HCCs. Characterizing molecular features including dynamic changes of mutational signature along with clonal evolution, intrahepatic metastatic timing, and genetic footprint in the preneoplastic stage underlying different subtypes of MF-HCC are important for understanding their molecular evolution and developing a precision management strategy. Methods: We conducted whole-exome sequencing in 74 tumor samples from spatially distinct regions in 35 resected lesions and adjacent noncancerous tissues from 11 patients, 15 histologically confirmed preneoplastic lesions, and six samples from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. A previously published MF-HCC cohort (n = 9) was included as an independent validation dataset. We combined well-established approaches to investigate tumor heterogeneity, intrahepatic metastatic timing, and molecular footprints in different subtypes of MF-HCCs. Results: We classified MF-HCCs patients into three subtypes, including intrahepatic metastasis, multicentric occurrence, and mixed intrahepatic metastasis and multicentric occurrence. The dynamic changes in mutational signatures between tumor subclonal expansions demonstrated varied etiologies (e.g., aristolochic acid exposure) underlying the clonal progression in different MF-HCC subtypes. Furthermore, the clonal evolution in intrahepatic metastasis exhibited an early metastatic seeding at 10–4–0.01 cm3 in primary tumor volume (below the limits of clinical detection), further validated in an independent cohort. In addition, mutational footprints in the preneoplastic lesions for multicentric occurrence patients revealed common preneoplastic arising clones, evidently being ancestors of different tumor lesions. Conclusion: Our study comprehensively characterized the varied tumor clonal evolutionary history underlying different subtypes of MF-HCC and provided important implications for optimizing personalized clinical management for MF-HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a debilitating multiorgan disease characterized by recurring flares leading to organ dysfunction, decreased quality of life, and mortality. Glucocorticoids, the standard of care for IgG4-RD, are associated with substantial treatment-related toxicity. Inebilizumab, an antibody directed against CD19, mediates the rapid and durable depletion of CD19+ B cells thought to be involved in IgG4-RD pathogenesis. We describe the first international, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of B-cell depletion for flare prevention in IgG4-RD (MITIGATE). Methods: The study was designed by an international panel of physicians with expertise in IgG4-RD. Critical trial design decisions included the selection of participants, definition of clinically meaningful primary and secondary endpoints, accommodation of standard of care, and development of flare diagnostic criteria. The study is approved for conduct in 22 countries. Planned Outcomes: The primary efficacy endpoint is time from randomization to the occurrence of the first centrally adjudicated and investigator-treated disease flare during the 1-year randomized controlled period. A set of novel, organ-specific flare diagnostic criteria were developed specifically for this trial, incorporating symptoms and signs, laboratory findings, imaging study results, and pathology data. MITIGATE aims to accrue 39 flares for the primary endpoint, which provides sufficient power to detect a relative risk reduction of 65% in the inebilizumab group. It is anticipated that enrollment of 160 participants will achieve this goal. Additional endpoints include safety, annualized flare rate, flare-free complete remission, quality-of-life measures, and cumulative glucocorticoid use. MITIGATE represents the first randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of any treatment strategy conducted in IgG4-RD. Data from this study will provide insights into the natural history and pathophysiology of IgG4-RD and the efficacy and safety of B-cell depletion as a therapeutic avenue. Trial Registration: NCT04540497. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the temporal and spatial evolution of the North China Craton (NCC) basement, formed by amalgamation, is a crucial issue in global geosciences. The Huozhou complex is situated at the core of the Trans-North China Orogen (TNCO) in the NCC and comprises a considerable number of Palaeoproterozoic granitic gneisses, providing valuable insights into the tectonic evolution of the TNCO. In this study, comprehensive field geological surveys, petrology, chronology, geochemistry, and Hf isotope analysis were conducted to investigate the genesis and tectonic context of the Xingtangsi and Zhengnangou granitic gneisses and elucidate the TNCO's tectonic evolution. The Xingtangsi granite gneiss yielded a magmatic zircon age of 2495±34 Ma, implying its Palaeoproterozoic or Archean origin, as previously suggested. Its protolith was I-type peraluminous granite, primarily generated through the partial melting of pre-existing continental crust materials with a small quantity of mantle-derived magma. The Zhengnangou granitic gneiss's protolith was A-type granite, and its magmatic zircon age was 2,190±11 Ma, indicating its Palaeoproterozoic origin rather than Archean. TDM1(Ma) for the Zhengnangou granitic gneiss ranged from 2,424 to 2,498 Ma, TDM2(Ma) varied from 2563 to 2684 Ma, and the εHf(t) value ranged from 1.3 to 3.3. These results suggest that it was primarily derived from newly formed crustal materials without any mantle-derived addition. Integrating our data with the literature, the ∼2.5 Ga magmatic activity in the Huozhou area may have formed in the tectonic setting of the continental arc, and ∼2.2 Ga A-type granite may have formed in a post-collisional extensional environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Co/Mn compensated Ca3Co1+xMn1-xO6 compounds were synthesized. The structure and magnetization were characterized, as well as the dielectric properties were studied. In Co/Mn compensated samples, the well-ranked Co/Mn ionic order is destroyed which manifests the suppression of the formation of the short-range magnetic order. As a result, the freezing anomaly around Tf = 150 K diminishes. For the two Co/Mn compensated samples, the critical field HSF that causes magnetic structure change from ↑↑↓↓ state to ↑↑↓↑ state also increases. The appearance of dielectric peak at the antiferromagnetic phase transition temperature clearly indicates the coupling effect between the spin dipole and electric dipole. The temperature corresponding to the dielectric peak increases with the increasing measurement frequency. The frequency dependence of ferroelectric peak identifies relaxor ferroelectric nature. In dielectric measurements associated with magnetic fields, Δε` and Δtanδ have the same sign elucidating intrinsic magnetodielectric effect of Ca3Co1+xMn1-xO6. For the Co/Mn compensated x = ±0.05 two samples, the suppressed magnetic short-range order also leads to a low diffusion exponent γ and the weak relaxor ferroelectric nature. The thermal activation process of the dipole response is characterized by the Vogel–Fulcher equation and the results confirm that the freezing process of Ca3Co1+xMn1-xO6 is mainly dominated by coupling of polar nanodomains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of a green, low carbon economy, it is significant to accurately estimate the future CO2 emissions of countries with significant CO2 emissions for developing the world's green economy. A new Nonlinear Grey Bernoulli and BP neural network combined model (BP-ONGBM (1,1) model) have been proposed to study the CO2 emissions of China, the USA, the European Union, India and Japan. Firstly, the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is optimized using the Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm (AFSA). Then, the background value of the ONGBM (1,1) model is dynamically optimized. Based on the linearization of the model, the time response function is derived. Then, the ONGBM (1,1) model is combined with the BP neural network model. An improved PSO algorithm determines the combined weight and the background value coefficient. Finally, according to the observation data from 2010 to 2021 in the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research 2022, the model is established to calculate the CO2 emissions of the selected countries from 2022 to 2026 and compared with the prediction results provided by multiple competitive models. The empirical application shows that the proposed BP-ONGBM (1,1) model is significantly better than other competitive models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: GB223 is a novel, fully-humanized monoclonal antibody against the receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL). In this phase I study, the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and immunogenicity of GB223 were investigated. Patients and Methods: This was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, single-dose escalation study conducted in 44 healthy Chinese adults. Participants were randomly assigned to receive a single subcutaneous injection dose of 7, 21, 63, 119, or 140 mg of GB223 (n = 34) or placebo (n = 10) and were followed up for 140–252 days. Results: The results of noncompartmental analysis showed that GB223 was slowly absorbed after dosing, with a time to reach maximum concentration (Tmax) ranging from 5 to 11 days. Serum GB223 concentrations decreased slowly, with a long half-life ranging from 7.91 to 19.60 days. A two-compartment Michaelis–Menten model was found to best describe the pharmacokinetics of GB223, and the absorption rate of GB223 differed between males (0.0146 h-1) and females (0.0081 h-1). Serum C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen decreased significantly postdose, and the inhibition lasted 42–168 days. No deaths or drug-related serious adverse events occurred. The most frequent adverse events were blood parathyroid hormone increased (94.1%), blood phosphorus decreased (67.6%) and blood calcium decreased (58.8%). In the GB223 group, 44.1% (15/34) of subjects were antidrug antibody positive after dosing. Conclusion: In this study, we demonstrated for the first time that a single subcutaneous injection of GB223, from 7 to 140 mg, is safe and well tolerated in healthy Chinese subjects. GB223 has a nonlinear pharmacokinetic profile, and sex was a potential covariate that may affect the absorption rate of GB223. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT04178044 and ChiCTR1800020338 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data augmentation is a low-cost but effective technique to suppress overfitting due to limited datasets. In this paper, we aim to design efficient data augmentation methods for image super-resolution to expand the number and diversity of data. First, we propose HRCutBlur that mixes a low-resolution image with its corresponding high-resolution image and cut-and-pastes the mixed image patch to the corresponding low-resolution image region. It alleviates the great resolution difference between low-resolution region and high-resolution region in augmented image caused by directly cut-and-pasting the high-resolution image patch to low-resolution image patch. Then, we propose HRCutBlur Augment to solve the insufficient diversity of input images caused by using a certain method alone. The core idea is to design a search space that includes various augmentation methods such as HRCutBlur and Cutout, and use a search algorithm to weighted select methods from the space to augment the input. This design can integrate the advantages of various methods and effectively enrich the diversity of data to adapt to the characteristics of different super-resolution models and various scenarios. Finally, the effectiveness and generality of our methods are verified by designing multi-dimensional experiments on different sizes of image super-resolution models and different benchmark datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the following polyharmonic equation with critical exponent (- Δ) m u = K (| y |) u m ∗ - 1 , u > 0 in B 1 (0) , u ∈ D 0 m , 2 (B 1 (0)) , where m > 0 is a integer, m ∗ = : 2 N N - 2 m , B 1 (0) is the unit ball in R N , N ≥ 2 m + 4 , K : [ 0 , 1 ] → R N is a bounded function, K ′ (1) > 0 and K ′ ′ (1) exists. We prove a non-degeneracy result of the non-radial solutions constructed in Guo and Li (Calc Var PDEs 46(3–4):809–836, 2013) via the local Pohozaev identities for N ≥ 2 m + 4 . Then we apply the non-degeneracy result to obtain new existence of non-radial solutions for N ≥ 6 m . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The twenty-first century has brought in its wake a flurry of competing foreign investment players on the African investment sphere. This situation may be called the globalization of foreign investment (Bodomo 2017). Foreign investment features as a salient issue for intellectual discussions of topics such as agency, soft power, and symmetry. In this paper, we outline the important role that China and the European Union (EU), the biggest investment polities in Africa, have played in the globalization of investment in Africa and argue that China has, indeed, created a paradigm shift with respect to its investment engagement with the African continent. This paradigm shift may be calibrated in terms of the volume of engagement; in terms of the speed and efficiency with which investment projects are completed, and, in terms of the very discourse of trade and investment. The argument is advanced further by discussing some of the main features of Chinese investment that distinguish it from that of other global players on the African continent, such as Europe. We further extend arguments from our previous work (Bodomo 2017; Bodomo and Che 2020) to say that if Africa does not sharpen its agency, the end result may be that China and the EU may gain at the expense of Africa but that should Africa play a more proactive and controlling role such as enforcing its investment laws, the mid-twenty-first century may yet see a trilateral win–win-win outcome for Africa, China, and the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well established that innervation is one of the updated hallmarks of cancer and that psychological stress promotes the initiation and progression of cancer. The breast tumor environment includes not only fibroblasts, adipocytes, endothelial cells, and lymphocytes but also neurons, which is increasingly discovered important in breast cancer progression. Peripheral nerves, especially sympathetic, parasympathetic, and sensory nerves, have been reported to play important but different roles in breast cancer. However, their roles in the breast cancer progression and treatment are still controversial. In addition, the brain is one of the favorite sites of breast cancer metastasis. In this review, we first summarize the innervation of breast cancer and its mechanism in regulating cancer growth and metastasis. Next, we summarize the neural-related molecular markers in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. In addition, we review drugs and emerging technologies used to block the interactions between nerves and breast cancer. Finally, we discuss future research directions in this field. In conclusion, the further research in breast cancer and its interactions with innervated neurons or neurotransmitters is promising in the clinical management of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin are the major chemical components in wood paper. Various types of wet and dry strength additives are used to enhance the optical and mechanical properties of recycled paper. One of the possible materials is the carbon nanotube. In order to explore the probability of the use of carbon nanotubes as reinforcing materials and to understand how carbon nanotubes affect the mechanical properties of paper, a single-walled carbon nanotube is inserted into a I β cellulose nanocrystal, and its mechanical properties are studied by using energy minimization and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. During simulations, the crystals are stretched in the axial direction at a constant speed, and stress and strain are computed and recorded at the atomic level. Our results indicate that carbon nanotube can significantly enhance the mechanical properties of paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-based catalysts are promising alternatives to precious metals for the selective and effective oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to the higher value-added 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). However, these catalysts still suffer from unsatisfactory activity and poor selectivity. A series of N-doped carbon-supported Co-based dual-metal nanoparticles (NPs) have been designed, among which the Co-Cu1.4-CNx exhibits enhanced HMF oxidative activity, achieving FDCA formation rates 4 times higher than that of pristine Co-CNx, with 100% FDCA selectivity. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations evidenced that the increased electron density on Co sites induced by Cu can mediate the positive electronegativity offset to downshift the d-band center of Co-Cu1.4-CNx, thus reducing the energy barriers for the conversion of HMF to FDCA. Such findings will support the development of superior non-precious metal catalysts for HMF oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Follicles consist of specialized somatic cells that encase a single oocyte. Follicle development is a process regulated by a variety of endocrine, paracrine, and secretory factors that work together to select follicles for ovulation. Zinc is an essential nutrient for the human body and is involved in many physiological processes, such as follicle development, immune response, homeostasis, oxidative stress, cell cycle progression, DNA replication, DNA damage repair, apoptosis, and aging. Zinc deficiency can lead to blocked oocyte meiotic process, cumulus expansion, and follicle ovulation. In this mini-review, we summarize the the role of zinc in follicular development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In cold rolling of silicon steel strip, edge drop directly affects the side cutting and yield of silicon steel. To improve the edge drop of silicon steel in the cold rolling process, a multi-stand coordinated control strategy and model based on multi-objective optimization are proposed. The first step is to analyze the influence of each control stand work roll shifting (WRS) on edge drop through the finite element model (FEM), then determine the edge drop control effectiveness of each work roll shifting actuator. Meanwhile, a fitting model is proposed to solve the limitation caused by the discrete change of efficiency factors in solving the optimal adjustments of each WRS. On this basis, the target model for silicon steel edge drop control is formulated, and the optimal adjustment model of WRS of each stand is established. To realize the optimal coordinated control among the rolling mill stands, a multi-objective optimal model of edge drop control has been established by the overall modeling method. The improved penalty function algorithm is developed to calculate the optimal adjustment of WRS for each stand. The experiments and application show that the proposed multi-objective optimal control strategy and model can effectively improve the accuracy of edge drop control in silicon steel continuous cold rolling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manipulating the oxidation state of Cu catalysts can significantly affect the selectivity and activity of electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction (CO2RR). However, the thermodynamically favorable cathodic reduction to metallic states typically leads to catalytic deactivation. Herein, a defect construction strategy is employed to prepare crystalline/amorphous Cu2+1O/CuOx heterostructures (c/a-CuOx) with abundant Cu0 and Cuδ+ (0 < δ< 1) sites for CO2RR. The C2+ Faradaic efficiency of the heterostructured Cu catalyst is up to 81.3%, with partial current densities of 406.7 mA·cm−2. Significantly, real-time monitoring of the Cu oxidation state evolution by in-situ Raman spectroscopy confirms the stability of Cuδ+ species under long-term high current density operation. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further reveal that the adjacent Cu0 and Cuδ+ sites in heterostructured c/a-CuOx can efficiently reduce the energy barrier of CO coupling for C2+ products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geologic evolution of the Tibetan plateau is characterized by crustal extension and horizontal movement in the post-collision stage, during which, approximate north–south (N–S) trending tectonic belts typically represented by Tangra-Yumco rift are developed. The Tangra-Yumco tectonic belt is an ideal object to investigate the deep structure and mechanism of the crustal extension. The magnetotelluric (MT) method is effective in probing crustal structures, especially for high-conductivity bodies. A MT profile of east–west direction with dense stations has been carried out across the Tangra-Yumco tectonic belt. Resistivity models independently derived from two-dimensional and three-dimensional inversions provided more detailed geophysical constraints on the mechanism of crustal extension and deformation. A significant conductor with estimated melt fraction as 3.0–7.5% in mid-lower crust was revealed under the N–S tectonic belt, where the asthenospheric upwelling through the slab-tearing window might have induced partial melting of the lithospheric mantle and lower crust. Combined with previous studies, the upward migration of hot mantle materials and the expansion of the lower crust should be the primary mechanism driving east–west (E–W) extension of the brittle upper crust with high resistivity above the depth of 30 km. According to lateral electrical discontinuity in the upper crust, we inferred that there might exist three normal faults with the reference of topography and the trend of extension of the existing faults. The expansion and deformation of the conductor might have pulled the brittle upper crust and cause significant E–W extension, leading to the formation of the approximate N–S trending rift and normal faults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study highlights the effects of salvianolic acid B (Sal B) on angiotensin II (Ang II)–activated atrial fibroblasts as well as the associated potential mechanism from the metabonomics perspective. Metabolic profile analysis performed an optimal separation of the Ang II and control group, indicating a recovery impact of Sal B on Ang II–activated fibroblasts (FBs). We found that metabolite levels in the Ang II + Sal B group were reversed to normal. Moreover, 23 significant metabolites were identified. Metabolic network analysis indicated that these metabolites participated in purine metabolism and FoxO signaling pathway. We found that Sal B activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation, which further promoted FoxO1 activation and increased miR-148a-3p level. We further verified that Sal B modulate the abnormal AMP, phosphocreatine, glutathione (GSH), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in Ang II–stimulated FBs. Collectively, Sal B can protect the Ang II–activated FBs from fibrosis and oxidative stress via AMPK/FoxO1/miRNA-148a-3p axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]