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Linear response theory is a fundamental framework studying the macroscopic response of a physical system to an external perturbation. This paper focuses on the rigorous mathematical justification of linear response theory for Langevin dynamics. We give some equivalent characterizations for reversible overdamped/underdamped Langevin dynamics, which is the unperturbed reference system. Then we clarify sufficient conditions for the smoothness and exponential convergence to the invariant measure for the overdamped case. We also clarify those sufficient conditions for the underdamped case, which corresponds to hypoellipticity and hypocoercivity. Based on these, the asymptotic dependence of the response function on the small perturbation is proved in both finite and infinite time horizons. As applications, Green-Kubo relations and linear response theory for a generalized Langevin dynamics are also proved in a rigorous fashion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with diabetes are susceptible to acute kidney injury (AKI) as compared to counterparts without diabetes. However, data on the long-term clinical outcome of AKI specifically in people with diabetes are still scarce. We sought to study risk factors for and adverse cardio-renal outcomes of AKI in multi-ethnic Southeast Asian people with type 2 diabetes. 1684 participants with type 2 diabetes from a regional hospital were followed an average of 4.2 (SD 2.0) years. Risks for end stage kidney disease (ESKD), major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and all-cause death after AKI were assessed by survival analyses. 219 participants experienced at least one AKI episode. Age, cardiovascular disease history, minor ethnicity, diuretics usage, HbA1c, baseline eGFR and albuminuria independently predicted risk for AKI with good discrimination. Compared to those without AKI, participants with any AKI episode had a significantly high risk for ESKD, MACE and all-cause death after adjustment for multiple risk factors including baseline eGFR and albuminuria. Even AKI defined by a mild serum creatinine elevation (0.3 mg/dL) was independently associated with a significantly high risk for premature death. Therefore, individuals with diabetes and any episode of AKI deserve intensive surveillance for cardio-renal dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital twin model of mine ventilation system (DTMVS) plays an important role in intelligent safety management. However, the uncertainty of the ventilation resistance coefficient, which is the core parameter of the model, makes it challenging to accurately construct a DTMVS. In this study, Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) and ventilation resistance coefficient estimation models (VRCEMs) are used to analyze the uncertainty. First, the LHS method was used to explore the effect of uncertainty in the simulated airflow by continuously increasing the level of uncertainty in the ventilation resistance coefficients. Subsequently, the ventilation resistance coefficients were estimated using the VRCEMs, and the uncertainty of the ventilation resistance coefficient and the simulated airflow was analyzed. The results showed that the ventilation resistance coefficients with a 5% coefficient of variation can cause the DTMVS to lose 34% of the real airflow data points. The degree of uncertainty in the ventilation resistance coefficients estimated by the VRCEM-GA (VRCEM using genetic algorithm) and VRCEM-DE (VRCEM using differential evolution algorithm) methods was enhanced by 27.4% and 4.4%, respectively, compared with VRCEM-ES (VRCEM using evolutionary strategy algorithm). The VRCEM-ES model had the least influence on the uncertainty of the simulated airflow of DTMVS. The simulated airflow of the DTMVS constructed based on VRCEMs fluctuated normally within the confidence interval. VRCEMs had a higher sensitivity to the ventilation resistance coefficients of branches with low coefficients of variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advantages of low cost, excellent ability of heat and mass transfer and easy accessibility to the supercritical point, supercritical CO2 has been applied in many engineering devices recently. Because of the sharply-varying thermophysical properties near the supercritical point, heat transfer and flow behavior of supercritical CO2 in tubes become complex and have received a lot of research attention. The main purpose of this paper is to summarize the findings of the published works related to flow phenomena and heat transfer characteristics of supercritical CO2. Firstly, influence parameters related to boundary conditions of supercritical CO2 flowing in a smooth tube are introduced. Secondly, commonly-used turbulence and mathematic models dealing with internal flows of supercritical CO2 are summarized. Then, research works on geometric effects of design parameters, shapes and configurations are introduced. The practical applications of supercritical CO2 in recent years are presented. Finally, developments and future challenges of supercritical CO2 in tubes are analyzed and summarized. This paper provides basic knowledge of heat transfer and fluid flow mechanisms and related practical applications of supercritical CO2 in tubes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the following HLS lower critical Choquard equation with a nonlocal perturbation - Δ u - (I α ∗ [ h | u | N + α N ]) h | u | N + α N - 2 u - μ (I α ∗ | u | q ) | u | q - 2 u = λ u in R N , ∫ R N u 2 d x = c , where α ∈ (0 , N) , N ≥ 3 , μ , c > 0 , N + α N < q < N + α + 2 N , λ ∈ R is an unknown Lagrange multiplier and h : R N → (0 , ∞) is a continuous function. The novelty of this paper is that we not only investigate autonomous case but also handle nonautonomous situation for the above problem. For both cases, we prove the existence and discuss asymptotic behavior of ground state normalized solutions. Compared with the existing references, we extend the recent results obtained by Ye et al. (J Geom Anal 32:242, 2022) to the HLS lower critical case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term stability and safety of underground engineering greatly depend on a thorough understanding of the creep characteristics of fractured rock. This paper discusses the potential application of the damage evolution equation and the fractional derivative operator for describing the creep characteristics of fractured rock. By considering the initial damage of the original fracture and the internal damage induced by external loads, coupled damage evolution equations are proposed to account for different failure mechanisms. The introduction of damage and fractional calculus into basic mechanical elements allows for the deduction of creep constitutive relationships for both viscoelastic and viscoplastic bodies. A range of fractional-order damaged creep models is developed based on the Burgers model and the Nishihara model. Parameter sensitivity analysis shows that the inclusion of the damage evolution equation in the creep model is crucial for accurately capturing the accelerated creep deformation characteristics of rock, with the fractional derivative order primarily affecting the steady creep strain rate. By fitting the creep experimental data of fractured Beishan granite, it is evident that the damaged Nishihara model [H-N(D)/H(D)-N(D)/St. V model], which considers only the damage effect, and the fractional damaged Burgers model [H-N(A)-N(D)/H(D) model], which accounts for both the damage effect and the fractional operator, exhibit significant advantages in characterizing the entire process of creep deformation in fractured granite. Highlights: Coupled damage evolution equations for fractured rock with different inclination angles are proposed to account for different failure mechanisms. Fractional order damaged creep models are developed by incorporating damage equations and fractional calculus into basic mechanical elements. The inclusion of the damage in the creep model is crucial for capturing the accelerated creep deformation characteristics of the rock. The fractional derivative order mainly affects the steady state creep strain rate. The validity and applicability of the model are verified by fitting the experimental data of fractured granite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome the limitation of a single classification model's inability to simultaneously identify multiple lesion targets within periapical radiographs, This study proposes YoCNET (Yolov5 + ConvNeXt), a novel deep learning integrated model. YoCNET leverages the target detection capability of Yolov5 and the image classification capability of ConvNeXt to achieve automatic segmentation of individual teeth and concurrent detection of periapical lesions across multiple teeth. A dataset of 1,305 periapical radiographs was used to train and validate the ConvNeXt and ResNet34 models, with an 8:2 split for training and validation. Deciduous teeth were excluded from the dataset. Furthermore, 717 individual teeth images were extracted from 200 previously unused periapical radiographs for integrated model validation. Evaluation metrics included accuracy, precision, sensitivity, F1 score, AUC (Area Under Curve), and a confusion matrix.The YoCNET integrated model demonstrated values of 90.93%, 98.88%, 85.30%, 0.9159, and 0.9757 for accuracy, precision, sensitivity, F1 score, and AUC, respectively. These metrics were superior to those achieved by the YoRNET (Yolov5 + ResNet34) integrated model, which recorded 80.47%, 83.78%, 82.16%, 0.8296, and 0.8822. The integrated model achieved high accuracy and efficiency in automatic teeh segmentation by Yolov5 and in automatically detecting multiple periapical lesions by ConvNeXt. YoCNET exhibited superior overall data performance, making it a more suitable deep learning integrated model for clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coral reconstruction often serves as a major proxy of high-resolution sea surface temperature (SST) variability beyond the instrumental era. However, coral reconstructions are sparse and are usually studied for interannual variability, with few studies on the monthly features. In this study, we reconstruct the monthly SST spatial field by applying the paleoclimate data assimilation method to the coral records of the latest CoralHydro2k data set for the instrument period of 1880–2000. A comparison with observed SST variability shows that our assimilated tropical SST variability performs reasonably well for the seasonal cycle and monthly ENSO characteristics, notably the phase-locking and onset timing, and more realistic spatial fields relative to the model simulations. This study suggests the feasibility of applying paleoclimate data assimilation to reconstruct the monthly SST in the historical period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the control of unipolar sinusoidal excited switched reluctance motors (SRMs), deadbeat predictive current controllers (DPCCs) have gained attention for their enhanced dynamic performance. However, periodic disturbances caused by mismatches between the predictive model's nominal and actual system parameters degrade the control performance of SRMs. To address this issue, a robust DPCC with multi-parameter compensation is proposed to improve dq0-axes current control performance. By analyzing the impact of parameter mismatches, a Kalman filter (KF) is developed to compensate for inductance coefficient mismatches, mitigating periodic disturbances. Additionally, a disturbance estimator with measurement noise suppression is integrated into the DPCC for both state and disturbance estimation to handle residual uncertainties, including winding resistance mismatches, magnetic saturation, and unmodeled dynamics. Compared simulation and experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed robust DPCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease, mainly characterized by perifibrocartilage osteitis of the sacroiliac joints and spinal enthesitis. To date, the exact pathogenesis of AS remains elusive. It is generally believed that AS is a multifactorial disease involving genetics, infection, environment, and immunity. Among them, genetic factors are the primary determinants of disease risk and severity. In recent years, epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation have been extensively surveyed with respect to the pathogenesis of AS. This review summarizes the latest research progress of methylation in AS, from whole-genome sequencing to individual differentially methylated gene. And finally, the role of methylase in AS inflammation, autophagy, and osteogenic differentiation was explored. In summary, the results of this review attempt to explain the role of methylation in the occurrence and development of AS and point out the shortcomings of current methylation research, providing directions for subsequent methylation research in AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much remains to be established about the socio-ecology and mating system of the soft-furred tree mouse, the Typhlomys species, only genus of rodents confirmed to have evolved echolocation. In this study, we examined sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in T. daloushanensis to gain insight into its as yet unknown mating system. Sexual selection has been generally theorized to drive male-biased SSD among mammals, linked to male competitiveness in polygynous mating systems. We live-trapped 212 adults from Xingshan County in Hubei Province from 2021 to 2023 and supplemented this dataset with 67 individuals measured during a previous study. Our findings revealed a significant male-biased sexual size dimorphism, with males exhibiting notably greater body length (+ 4.3%) and body mass (+ 16.7%) compared to females. This suggests that the larger size may provide an advantage to male T. daloushanensis in competition for access to females (i.e., the Darwin-Bateman-Trivers paradigm), implying the likelihood of a polygynous mating system, although monogamous and promiscuous mating strategies should also be considered in future research. Additionally, ANCOVA analyses revealed that males had significantly longer ears and forefeet than females, beyond allometric scaling. This may indicate a functional basis to specific trait sexual dimorphism linked to differences in agility and auditory perception in this echolocation species. Our first report of male-biased SSD in T. daloushanensis suggests directions for future research to expand understanding of this little-known, echolocating mice, and adds further data on SSD in the Muroidea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the changes in alveolar bone following the simultaneous performance of labial and lingual augmented corticotomy (LLAC) in patients with insufficient alveolar bone thickness on both the labial and lingual sides of the mandibular anterior teeth during presurgical orthodontic treatment. Materials and methods: Thirth-five surgical patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion were included: 19 (LLAC group) accepted LLAC surgery during presurgical orthodontic treatment, and 16 (non-surgery group, NS) accepted traditional presurgical orthodontic treatment. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were obtained before treatment (T0) and at the completion of presurgical orthodontic treatment (T1). The amount of vertical alveolar bone and contour area of the alveolar bone in the labial and lingual sides of mandibular incisors were measured. Results: After presurgical orthodontic treatment, the contour area of the alveolar bone at each level on the lingual side and alveolar bone level on both sides decreased significantly in the NS group (P < 0.001). However, the labial and lingual bone contour area at each level and bone level increased significantly in the LLAC group (P < 0.001). The bone formation rate in the lingual apical region was the highest, significantly different from other sites (P < 0.001). Conclusions: During presurgical orthodontic treatment, LLAC can significantly increase the contour area of the labio-lingual alveolar bone in the mandibular anterior teeth to facilitate safe and effective orthodontic decompensation in skeletal Class III patients. Clinical relevance: : This surgery has positive clinical significance in patients lacking bone thickness (< 0.5 mm) in the labial and lingual sides of the lower incisors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although advances in long-read sequencing technology and genome assembly techniques have facilitated the study of genomes, little is known about the genomes of unique Chinese indigenous breeds, including the Huai pig. Huai pig is an ancient domestic pig breed and is well-documented for its redder meat color and high forage tolerance compared to European domestic pigs. In the present study, we sequenced and assembled the Huai pig genome using PacBio, Hi-C, and Illumina sequencing technologies. The final highly contiguous chromosome-level Huai pig genome spans 2.53 Gb with a scaffold N50 of 138.92 Mb. The Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO) completeness score for the assembled genome was 95.33%. Remarkably, 23,389 protein-coding genes were annotated in the Huai-pig genome, along with 45.87% repetitive sequences. Overall, this study provided new foundational resources for future genetic research on Chinese domestic pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate the clinical benefit of adding concurrent chemotherapy to intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients with an intermediate risk (stage II and T3N0M0). Methods: A multicenter phase II randomized trial was conducted in intermediate-risk NPC patients. Enrolled patients were previously untreated and aged ranged from 18 to 70 years without severe coexisting diseases. Patients were randomly assigned to receive IMRT alone or IMRT+concurrent chemotherapy (CC; three cycles of 80 mg/m2 cisplatin every 3 weeks). Primary endpoint was defined as 3‑year progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints were distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), locoregional relapse-free survival (LRRFS), overall survival (OS), and treatment-associated toxicity. We registered this study with Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (CliCTR1800017132; registered July 13, 2018, study start July 13, 2018). Results: From November 2015 to July 2019, 42 patients with stage II and T3N0M0 NPC were enrolled; 20 patients received IMRT alone while 22 patients received IMRT+CC. After a median of 58 months of follow-up, we estimated the 3‑year PFS rates as 90% (IMRT group) and 86.4% (IMRT+CC group; hazard ratio 1.387, 95% confidence interval 0.240–8.014; P = 0.719). The 3‑year PFS, OS, and cumulative DMFS and LRRFS showed no significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). However, the IMRT group displayed a lower incidence of nausea/vomiting, leucopenia, and dry mouth than the IMRT+CC group. Conclusion: Adding CC to IMRT provided no survival benefit but increased treatment-associated toxicities in patients with intermediate-risk NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seepage failure of levees can cause landslides and other hazards. Three-dimensional (3D) laser-scanning technology has become a new method for collecting levee hazard data. In this study, the 3D characteristics of landslide point clouds were investigated through systematic indoor model tests, and a feature recognition algorithm applicable to levee landslides was proposed. The major outcomes of this study are as follows: 1) the formulation of an adaptive random sampling boundary extraction (A-R-B) algorithm, which integrates random sample consensus plane segmentation, adaptive distance threshold calculation, and boundary extraction for levee landslide disaster recognition; 2) through feasibility analyses and accuracy tests of the A-R-B algorithm, this study demonstrated the capacity of the proposed method to accurately recognise the features of levee landslides, with a relative accuracy of 1 cm and an absolute accuracy of 3.5 cm in the extraction process; 3) the testing of the A-R-B algorithm and optimal parameters for the recognised levee landslide features using the point clouds obtained from laboratory models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Formation of seroma/hematoma is one of the most common postoperative complications following laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with seroma/hematoma and construct a prediction model. Methods: Elderly subjects undergoing laparoscopic Transabdominal preperitoneal Patch Plasty (TAPP) were included in this study. The observation endpoint was set as the occurrence of seroma/hematoma within 3 months after TAPP surgery. Independent risk factors were identified through preliminary univariate screening and binary logistic regression analysis. These risk factors were then used to construct a nomogram predictive model using R software. Results: A total of 330 patients were included in the analysis, of which 51 developed seroma/hematoma, resulting in an incidence rate of 15.5%. Obesity (OR: 3.54, 95%CI: 1.45–8.66, P = 0.006), antithrombotic drug use (OR: 2.73, 95%CI: 1.06–7.03, P = 0.037), C-reactive protein (CRP) ≥ 8 (OR: 2.72, 95%CI: 1.04–7.10, P = 0.041, albumin/fibrinogen ratio (AFR) < 7.85 (OR: 2.99, 95%CI: 1.28-7.00, P = 0.012), and lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR) < 4.05 (OR: 12.62, 95%CI: 5.69–28.01, P < 0.001) were five independent risk factors for seroma/hematoma. The nomogram model has well predictive value for seroma/hematoma, with an AUC of 0.879. Conclusions: The nomogram model based on obesity, antithrombotic drug, CRP, AFR, and LMR has a proved good predictive value and it has potential in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although accelerated urbanization has led to economic prosperity, it has also resulted in urban heat island effects. Therefore, identifying methods of using limited urban spaces to alleviate heat islands has become an urgent issue. In this study, we assessed the spatiotemporal evolution of urban heat islands within the central urban area of Fuzhou City, China from 2010 to 2019. This assessment was based on a morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) model and an urban thermal environment spatial network constructed using the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model. Optimization measures for the spatial network were proposed to provide a theoretical basis for alleviating urban heat islands. The results show that the heat island area within the study area gradually increased while that of urban cold island area gradually decreased. The core area was the largest of the urban heat island patch landscape elements with a significant impact on other landscape elements, and represented an important factor underlying urban heat island network stability. The thermal environment network revealed a total of 197 thermal environment corridors and 93 heat island sources. These locations were then optimized according to the current land use, which maximized the potential of 1599.83 ha. Optimization based on current land use led to an increase in climate resilience, with effective measures showing reduction in thermal environment spatial network structure and function, contributing to the mitigation of urban heat island. These findings support the use of current land use patterns during urban heat island mitigation measure planning, thus providing an important reference basis for alleviating urban heat island effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this study, we aimed to investigate the risk factors and impact of poststroke pneumonia (PSP) on mortality and functional outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). Methods: This was a post hoc analysis of a prospective randomized trial (Direct intraarterial thrombectomy in order to revascularize AIS patients with large-vessel occlusion efficiently in Chinese tertiary hospitals: a multicenter randomized clinical trial). Patients with AIS who completed EVT were evaluated for the occurrence of PSP during the hospitalization period and their modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 90 days after AIS. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the independent predictors of PSP. Propensity score matching was conducted for the PSP and non-PSP groups by using the covariates resulting from the logistic regression analysis. The associations between PSP and outcomes were analyzed. The outcomes included 90-day poor functional outcome (mRS scores > 2), 90-day mortality, and early 2-week mortality. Results: A total of 639 patients were enrolled, of whom 29.58% (189) developed PSP. Logistic regression analysis revealed that history of chronic heart failure (unadjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.011, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.026–3.941; P = 0.042), prethrombectomy reperfusion on initial digital subtraction angiography (OR 0.394, 95% CI 0.161–0.964; P = 0.041), creatinine levels at admission (OR 1.008, 95% CI 1.000–1.016; P = 0.049), and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale at 24 h (OR 1.023, 95% CI 1.007–1.039; P = 0.004) were independent risk factors for PSP. With propensity scoring matching, poor functional outcome (mRS > 2) was more common in patients with PSP than in patients without PSP (81.03% vs. 71.83%, P = 0.043) at 90 days after EVT. The early 2-week mortality of patients with PSP was lower (5.74% vs. 12.07%, P = 0.038). But there was no statistically significant difference in 90-day mortality between the PSP group and non-PSP group (22.41% vs. 14.94%, P = 0.074). The survivorship curve also shows no statistical significance (P = 0.088) between the two groups. Conclusions: Nearly one third of patients with AIS and EVT developed PSP. Heart failure, higher creatinine levels, prethrombectomy reperfusion, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale at 24 h were associated with PSP in these patients. PSP was associated with poor 90-day functional outcomes in patients with AIS treated with EVT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subsea manifold system is a complex system that occupies a pivotal role in contemporary ocean engineering and has a significant impact on the safety of marine resource exploitation. Reliability technology plays a significant role in ensuring the safe operation of the subsea manifold system. To perform a comprehensive analysis of the reliability of complex systems, a combination method of FMECA-FFTA (Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analysis - Fuzzy Fault Tree Analysis) is introduced in this study. Firstly, FMECA is used to accomplish a qualitative analysis of system reliability considering multifactorial failure modes, which included analyzing potential failure modes, causes of system failure, and evaluating the degree of hazard to the system through a risk matrix diagram. Then, FFTA is applied to build a fault tree model to divide the system into "system-subsystem-component" and determine the minimal cut sets for quantitative analysis of system reliability. In addition, fuzzy set theory is incorporated to improve the accuracy of handling uncertainty in quantitative reliability analysis. Finally, a qualitative and quantitative reliability analysis is conducted by using FMECA-FFTA method for subsea manifold system. The failure modes of the subsea manifold system are clearly identified, including high-risk modes such as external leakage, medium-high-risk modes such as fail to close/lock on demand, and medium-risk modes such as leakage of critical location, plugged, and effective measures should be taken to focus on preventive protection and regular testing for the high risk, medium-high risk and medium risk modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroelectric materials hold great promise in photocatalytic water splitting because their built-in electric field induced by the depolarization field can fulfill the separation of photogenerated carriers. However, a number of intrinsic charged vacancy defects are simultaneously generated to screen the depolarized field for stabilizing the crystal structure, always resulting in severe recombination of photogenerated carriers and thus poor overall water splitting activity. Herein, we proposed a strategy to promote the separation and transport of photogenerated carriers of ferroelectric photocatalysts by adjusting the ferroelectric polarization and altering the coordination environment of elements to reduce the defect concentration. Specifically, we prepared a series of Ta-doped PbTiO3 with low Pb (VPb) and O (VO) vacancy concentrations by reducing the polarization intensity and strengthening the Pb–O interaction. The Ta-doped PbTiO3 shows efficient charge separation and greatly enhanced photocatalytic overall water splitting activity with the assistance of cocatalyst. This work highlights the importance of regulating ferroelectric polarization and vacancy defect concentration by the doping strategy in charge separation for photocatalytic water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanozymes are a new kind of material which has been applied since the beginning of this century, and its birth has promoted the development of chemistry, materials science, and biology. Nanozymes can be used as a substitute for natural enzyme and has a wide range of applications; therefore, it has attracted extensive attention from all sectors of the community, and the number of studies has constantly increasing. In this paper, we introduced the outstanding achievements in the field of nanozymes in recent years from the main function, the construction of nanozyme-based biosensors, and the treatment of ischemic stroke, and we also illustrated the internal mechanism and the catalytic principle. In the end, the obstacles and challenges in the future development of nanozymes were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the effect of tirofiban on ischemic events in CYP2C19 loss-of-function (LOF) allele carriers during pipeline embolization device (PED) implantation. Demographic information, imaging data, ischemic complications, CYP2C19 genotyping, and platelet function test results were collected from patients with PED-treated intracranial aneurysms at three centers. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze risk factors for ischemic events. Patients were grouped according to LOF alleles and antiplatelet drugs, the baseline information of LOF allele carriers and non-carriers were compared, and the efficacy of tirofiban was analyzed by comparing the incidence of ischemic events in each group. In total, 278 patients were included in the study, 24 of whom had an ischemic event. 157 (56.5%) patients carried the LOF allele and were more likely to develop resistance to clopidogrel (P < 0.001) and hypertension (P = 0.010). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the independent risk factors for ischemic events were age of > 55 years (OR = 3.308, P = 0.028), LOF alleles (OR = 3.960, P = 0.036), and clopidogrel nonresponsiveness (OR = 3.301, P = 0.014). For LOF allele carriers, prophylactic use of tirofiban after PED implantation helped to reduce ischemic events (4.3% vs. 16.4%, P = 0.039). This study supports CYP2C19 genotyping before flow diversion because LOF alleles increase the risk of ischemic events. Prophylactic use of tirofiban may help reduce ischemic events in LOF allele carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase of mining scope, rockburst occurs frequently, but its generation mechanism has not been understood comprehensively. Based on a rockburst in the coal pillar area of high tectonic stress zones (HTSZs), this study analyzed the distribution characteristics of large-energy microseismic (MS) events by using data statistics. The mechanical cause of the MS event that induced the rockburst was revealed by means of seismic moment tensor inversion. On this basis, by using numerical simulation, this study explored the distribution characteristics of static load in rockburst area and the effect of dynamic load in the floor, and then proposed the rockburst mechanism. The results show that under the squeezing action, the floor strata in HTSZs implode and transmit energy outward in the form of stress waves. This causes the cumulative damage and stress of the coal body in the fast track of coal pillar area increase in a short time. Since the coal in this area has already been in the critical stress state, small stress changes may lead to coal failure and rockburst. In this case of rockburst, the high static load of coal is the main force source, and the dynamic load plays a role in increasing coal body damage and inducing rockburst. Combined with seismic moment tensor inversion and numerical simulation, this paper proposes a rockburst research scheme, which makes the simulation of dynamic load more reasonable. The results provide the theoretical basis for rockburst control under similar conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rotary motor plays a pivotal role in various motion execution mechanisms. However, an inherent issue arises during the initial installation of the encoder grating, namely, eccentricity between the centers of the encoder grating and motor shaft. This eccentricity substantially affects the accuracy of motor angle measurements. To address this challenge, we proposed a precision encoder grating mounting system that automates the encoder grating mounting process. The proposed system mainly comprises a near-sensor detector and a push rod. With the use of a near-sensor approach, the detector captures rotating encoder grating images, and the eccentricity is computed in real-time. This approach substantially reduces the time delays in image data transmission, thereby enhancing the speed and accuracy of eccentricity calculation. The major contribution of this article is a method for real-time eccentricity calculation that leverages an edge processor within the detector and an edge-vision baseline detection algorithm. This method enables real-time determination of the eccentricity and eccentricity angle of the encoder grating. Leveraging the obtained eccentricity and eccentricity angle data, the position of the encoder grating can be automatically adjusted by the push rod. In the experimental results, the detector can obtain the eccentricity and eccentricity angle of the encoder grating within 2.8 s. The system efficiently and precisely completes a encoder grating mounting task in average 25.1 s, and the average eccentricity after encoder grating mounting is 3.8 µm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textile dyeing requires optimizing combinations of ingredients and process parameters to achieve target colour properties. Modelling the complex relationships between these factors and the resulting colour is challenging. In this case, a physics-informed approach for multi-output regression to model CIELAB colour values from dyeing ingredient and process inputs is proposed. Leveraging attention mechanisms and multi-task learning, the model outperforms baseline methods at predicting multiple colour outputs jointly. Specifically, the Transformer model's attention mechanism captures the complex interactions between dyeing ingredients and process parameters, while the multi-task learning framework exploits the intrinsic correlations among the L*, a*, and b* dimensions of the CIELAB colour space. In addition, the incorporation of physical knowledge through a physics-informed loss function integrates the CMC colour difference formula. This loss function, along with the attention mechanisms, enables the model to learn the nuanced relationships between the dyeing process variables and the final colour output, thereby improving the overall prediction accuracy. This reduces trial-and-error costs and resource waste, contributing to environmental sustainability by minimizing water and energy consumption and chemical emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WNT signaling is fundamental in development and homeostasis, but how the Frizzled receptors (FZDs) propagate signaling remains enigmatic. Here, we present the cryo-EM structure of FZD4 engaged with the DEP domain of Dishevelled 2 (DVL2), a key WNT transducer. We uncover a distinct binding mode where the DEP finger-loop inserts into the FZD4 cavity to form a hydrophobic interface. FZD4 intracellular loop 2 (ICL2) additionally anchors the complex through polar contacts. Mutagenesis validates the structural observations. The DEP interface is highly conserved in FZDs, indicating a universal mechanism by which FZDs engage with DVLs. We further reveal that DEP mimics G-protein/β-arrestin/GRK to recognize an active conformation of receptor, expanding current GPCR engagement models. Finally, we identify a distinct FZD4 dimerization interface. Our findings delineate the molecular determinants governing FZD/DVL assembly and propagation of WNT signaling, providing long-sought answers underlying WNT signal transduction. Here the authors report the cryo-EM structure of Frizzeled 4 in complex with the DEP domain of Dishevelled 2. The study unveils the key mechanism of WNT signalling activation, the recruitment of dishevelled to Frizzled receptor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purposes: Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) is widely used to characterize molecular size variants of antibody drugs. However, SEC analysis is hindered by secondary interactions (or nonspecific interactions) between proteins and stationary phase packing, which result in poor column efficiency. Previous studies have reported that chaotropic salt can inhibit these interactions, but the corresponding applications of this aspect are relatively rare. Therefore, this study introduces a novel approach using sodium iodide (NaI) as a mobile-phase component in SEC and investigates the influence of the mobile-phase composition on secondary interactions. Methods: SEC analysis was performed on one antibody–drug conjugate and four monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) using three different mobile-phase systems (i.e., sodium chloride/L-arginine hydrochloride/NaI mobile phases system) to compare the column efficiency. Subsequently, mAb-1 was used as a model to investigate the effects of these factors on secondary interactions by adjusting the ionic strength (salt concentration) and pH of the NaI mobile-phase system. Results: NaI exhibits superior column efficiency performance in the SEC analysis of most products. The ionic strength will affect nonideal electrostatic and hydrophobic interaction. An appropriate ionic strength can inhibit electrostatic interactions, while an excessive ionic strength increases hydrophobic interactions. pH primarily influences electrostatic interactions. Determining the appropriate pH necessitates consideration of the isoelectric point of the protein and the pH tolerance of the column. Conclusions: In SEC analysis, using NaI as the salt component in the mobile phase reduces secondary interactions and improves column efficiency. This approach is advantageous for samples with intense secondary interactions and is a suitable alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consider a branching random walk with a random environment in time in the d-dimensional integer lattice. The branching mechanism is governed by a supercritical branching process, and the particles perform a lazy random walk with an independent, non-identical increment distribution. For A ⊂ ℤd, let ℤn(A) be the number of offsprings of generation n located in A. The exact convergence rate of the local limit theorem for the counting measure Zn(·) is obtained. This partially extends the previous results for a simple branching random walk derived by Gao (2017, Stoch. Process Appl.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The pathogenesis and development of Moyamoya disease are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of desmoglein-2 (DSG2) on Moyamoya disease and determine the inhibitory effect of DSG2 in vascular remodeling in Moyamoya disease. RNA sequencing, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and western blotting were used to detect the expression of DSG2 in the superficial temporal artery (STA) tissues of Moyamoya disease. The association between DSG2 and endothelial cells' biological activities was investigated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), migration assay, tube formation assay, flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, and TUNEL apoptotic cell detection kit. Pathways affected by overexpression or knockdown of DSG2 were identified in endothelial cells. The expression of DSG2 in the STA tissues of Moyamoya disease was lower than that in normal controls. Overexpression of DSG2 inhibits the proliferation and migration but promotes apoptosis in endothelial cells, and low DSG2 levels result in impaired angiogenesis. In addition, there was an interaction between DSG2 and MMP-9, and DSG2 acted through the PI3K signaling in endothelial cells. Our results indicate that DSG2 affects PI3K signaling in vascular endothelial cells, and MMP-9 is involved in DSG2-mediated vascular changes in Moyamoya disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is widely used to screen patients with hepatic diseases. However, the current reference ranges (< 50 U/L) were developed by laboratories and have not been validated in populations with a large number of healthy individuals. Methods: This study collected venous blood and anthropometric data from a total of 13,287 healthy children aged 3 months to 18 years who underwent routine physical examinations in the Department of Pediatric Healthcare. We applied the least mean square algorithm to establish age- and sex-related reference percentiles of serum levels of transaminases. For validation, we recruited 4276 children and adolescents with obesity/overweight who underwent evaluation and metabolic tests in the hospital. Using receiver operating characteristic curves, we determined age- and sex-specific upper limit percentiles of liver enzymes for fatty liver diseases. Results: This study revealed a significant correlation between serum transaminase levels and age and sex (P < 0.01). These transaminase levels exhibited age- and sex-specific patterns. Among individuals in the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) cohort, elevated ALT levels displayed a positive association with clinical markers of disease severity, including homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, waist–hip ratio, and serum uric acid levels (P < 0.01). According to the receiver operating characteristic curves, ALT levels at the 92.58th percentile for boys and the 92.07th percentile for girls yielded the highest accuracy and specificity. Conclusions: This study provides age- and sex-specific reference ranges for ALT, aspartate aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyltransferase in Chinese children and adolescents, making it the largest population study to date. Furthermore, the study establishes a precise upper limit for ALT levels, facilitating their use in NAFLD screening. CoEzBqA-ybMqMjKK3XNXmu Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignant cancer of the head and neck, with high morbidity and mortality, ranking as the sixth most common cancer in the world. The treatment of OSCC is mainly radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery, however, the prognosis of patients is still poor and the recurrence rate is high. This paper reviews the range of effects of natural medicinal plant active ingredients (NMPAIs) on OSCC cancer, including the types of NMPAIs, anti-cancer mechanisms, involved signaling pathways, and clinical trials. The NMPAIs include terpenoids, phenols, flavonoids, glycosides, alkaloids, coumarins, and volatile oils. These active ingredients inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis and autophagy, inhibit migration and invasion of OSCC cells, and regulate cancer immunity to exert anti-cancer effects. The mechanism involves signaling pathways such as mitogen-activated protein kinase, phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B, nuclear factor kappa B, miR-22/WNT1/β-catenin and Nrf2/Keap1. Clinically, NMPAIs can inhibit the growth of OSCC, and the combined drug is more effective. Natural medicinal plants are promising candidates for the treatment of OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the numerical algorithm and its error estimates for the dynamics of relativistic charged particles under a strong maximal ordering scaling magnetic field. To maintain the fundamental principles of relativistic dynamics, including energy conservation, volume preservation, and the Lorentz invariant property, we construct a structure-preserving algorithm using the splitting scheme. This algorithm ensures the preservation of volume, energy, and the Lorentz invariant property (VELPA) exactly. Specifically, we establish an uniform and optimal error bound in both 4-position and 4-velocity for VELPA. Numerical experiments are also presented to demonstrate the advantages of VELPA in both uniform error estimate and conservation of energy, compared to the implicit Euler method and traditional energy-preserving AVF method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (TiO2/MWCNTs) are nanocomposites (NCs) prepared via click reaction of TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) with azide groups (TiO2–N3) on the surface and MWCNTs with alkynyl groups (MWCNTs–ALK) on the surface. The phase structure, graphitization degree, structure, elemental composition, the microstructure of TiO2/MWCNTs NCs were characterized by XRD, Raman, IR, XPS and SEM, and their electromagnetic (EM) parameters were determined by the vector network analyser. For TiO2/MWCNTs NCs with click reaction, the minimum reflection loss (RLmin) is up to −47.87 dB at 12.02 GHz, the matching thickness is 2.0 mm, and the bandwidth is lower than −10 dB in the range of 7.7–12.48 GHz. Compared with the physically mixed TiO2/MWCNTs composites, TiO2/MWCNTs NCs prepared by click reaction show more excellent EM absorption properties, which is mainly due to the binding of covalent bonds between the two kinds of materials that lead to the enhancement of interfacial effects, the improvement of impedance matching and the increase of electron migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new pimarane-type diterpene, ent-8(14),15-pimaradiene-2β,19-diol (JXE-23), was isolated from the fern plant Aleuritopteris albofusca by our previous work; however, the biological activity of this diterpene remains unclear. In the present study, the anti-cancer potential of JXE-23 in various cancer cells was investigated. Among MCF-7 breast cancer cells, A549 lung cancer cells, and HepG2 liver cancer cells, JXE-23 displayed significant cytotoxicity to HepG2 cells with an IC50 value of 17.20 ± 1.73 µM, while showing no obvious toxicity in normal hepatocytes HL7702. JXE-23 inhibited cell growth and colony formation in HepG2 cells. A cell cycle distribution analysis showed that JXE-23 caused G2/M cell cycle arrest. Besides, JXE-23 also suppressed the migration of HepG2 cells. Interestingly, an increase of light chain 3 II (LC3II) and Beclin 1 and a decrease of P62 have occurred in JXE-23-treated cells, as well as the formation of GFP-LC3 dots, indicative of autophagy induction by JXE-23. When combined with autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine and chloroquine, the cell viability was significantly reduced, suggesting that JXE-23 triggered protective autophagy in hepatoma cells. Further study showed that JXE-23 inactivated the CIP2A/p-AKT/c-Myc signaling axis in HepG2 cells. Our data provided evidence that JXE-23 inhibited cell growth, arrested cells at the G2/M phase, and induced protective autophagy in HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. JXE-23 may be a potential lead compound for anti-cancer drug development, and autophagy inhibitor treatment may provide an effective strategy for improving its anti-cancer effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are highly favored in clinical trials due to their unique characteristics, which have isolated from various human tissues. Derived from dental tissues, dental stem cells (DSCs) are particularly notable for their applications in tissue repair and regenerative medicine, attributed to their readily available sources, absence of ethical controversies, and minimal immunogenicity. Hydrogel-loaded stem cell therapy is widespread across a variety of injuries and diseases, and has good repair capabilities for both soft and hard tissues. This review comprehensively summarizes the regenerative and differentiation potential of various DSCs encapsulated in hydrogels across different tissues. In addition, the existing problems and future direction are also addressed. The application of hydrogel–DSCs composite has gained substantial progress in the field of tissue regeneration and need in-depth study in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A spoken language understanding system is a crucial component of a dialogue system whose task is to comprehend the user’s verbal expressions and perform the corresponding tasks accordingly. Contextual spoken language understanding (contextual SLU) is an extremely critical issue on this field as it helps the system to understand the user’s verbal expressions more accurately, thus improving the system’s performance and accuracy. The aim of this paper is to enhance the effectiveness of contextual SLU analysis. Context-based language unit systems are mainly concerned with effectively integrating dialog context information. Current approaches usually use the same contextual information to guide the slot filling of all tokens, which may introduce irrelevant information and lead to comprehension bias and ambiguity. To solve this problem, we apply the principle of graph contrastive learning based on the graph convolutional network to enhance the model’s ability to aggregate contextual information. Simultaneously, applying graph contrastive learning can enhance the model’s effectiveness by strengthening its intention. More precisely, graph convolutional networks can consider contextual information and automatically aggregate contextual information, allowing the model to no longer rely on traditionally designed heuristic aggregation functions. The contrastive learning module utilizes the principle of contrastive learning to achieve the effect of intention enhancement, which can learn deeper semantic information and contextual relationships, and improve the model's effectiveness in three key tasks: slot filling, dialogue action recognition, and intention detection. Experiments on a synthetic dialogue dataset show that our model achieves state-of-the-art performance and significantly outperforms other previous approaches (Slot F1 values + 1.03% on Sim-M, + 2.32% on Sim-R; Act F1 values + 0.26% on Sim-M, + 0.56% on Sim-R; Frame Acc values + 3.15% on Sim-M, + 1.62% on Sim-R). The code is available at: . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the relationship of dyslipidemia and menopausal symptoms in Chinese menopausal women. Material and methods: A total of 989 eligible participants with menopausal syndrome were recruited from outpatient clinics in several cities in China. Menopausal symptoms were assessed using the Chinese Menopause Rating Scale (CMRS), the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). Serum lipid profile was measured using enzyme colorimetry. The relationship between lipid profile and menopausal symptoms was assessed using Student's t test/nonparametric Mann–Whitney U test, Spearman's correlation test, and binary logistic regression analysis. Results: Among the 989 patients, 527 had dyslipidemia while 462 did not. Patients with dyslipidemia had significantly higher Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) scores than those without (p < 0.001), while there was no significant difference in Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores. Patients without dyslipidemia had higher scores on the Chinese Menopause Rating Scale (CMRS) vascular dimension compared to those with dyslipidemia (p = 0.003). The correlation test revealed that variables associated with dyslipidemia included age (p = 0.031), CMRS hot flashes dimension score (P = 0.003), and SAS score (p < 0.001). Regression analysis demonstrated that BMI (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.01–1.16, p = 0.027), SAS scores (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.07–1.13), vasomotor dimension (OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.83–0.95), physical dimension (OR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.93–1.00), and social dimension (OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.74–0.95) were independently associated with an increased risk of dyslipidemia. Conclusions: This study showed that anxiety was associated with an unfavorable lipid profile, and menopausal depression seemed to have no relationship with lipid profile, while vasomotor symptoms appeared to be a favorable factor for dyslipidemia in Chinese menopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Two closely linked novel loci, qKRN2-1 and qKRN2-2, associated with kernel row number were fine-mapped on chromosome 2, and a key candidate gene for qKRN2-1 was identified through expression analysis. Kernel row number (KRN) is a crucial factor influencing maize yield and serves as a significant target for maize breeding. The use of wild progenitor species can aid in identifying the essential traits for domestication and breeding. In this study, teosinte (MT1) served as the donor parent, the inbred maize line of Mo17 was used as the recurrent parent, we identified a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) for KRN, designated qKRN2, into two closely linked loci, qKRN2-1 and qKRN2-2. Here, fine mapping was performed to investigate two QTLs, qKRN2-1 and qKRN2-2, within a genomic range of 272 kb and 775 kb, respectively. This was achieved using a progeny test strategy in an advanced backcross population, with the two QTLs explaining 33.49% and 35.30% of the phenotypic variance. Molecular marker-assisted selection resulted in the development of two nearly isogenic lines (NILs), qKRN2-1 and qKRN2-2, which differed only in the segment containing the QTL. Notably, the maize (Mo17) alleles increased the KRN relative to teosinte by approximately 1.4 and 1.2 rows for qKRN2-1 and qKRN2-2, respectively. Zm00001d002989 encodes a cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase and its expression in the immature ears exhibited significant differences among the qKRN2-1 NILs. In situ hybridization localized Zm00001d002989 to the primordia of the inflorescence meristem and spikelet pair meristems, is predicted to be the causal gene of qKRN2-1. The findings of this study deepen our understanding of the genetic basis of KRN and hold significant potential for improving maize grain yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freezing is a common method to maintain pork quality. However, prolonged frozen storage can cause oxidation reactions of metmyoglobin in pork, resulting in meat quality deterioration. Therefore, it is significant to detect frozen pork quality rapidly and non-destructively for public health and food safety. Metmyoglobin content is considered a critical indicator for evaluating the quality of frozen pork. In this paper, a rapid non-destructive method combining visible and near-infrared (VIS–NIR) spectroscopy technology with chemometrics was applied for the high accuracy ion of metmyoglobin content. First, VIS–NIR spectral data were collected on the pork samples with different freezing times. The raw spectral data were pre-processed using six methods: 1st derivative, 2nd derivative, Savitzky-Golay convolutional smoothing, vector normalization, standard normal variate, and multiple scattering corrections. Then, partial least squares (PLS) and random forest (RF) algorithms were applied to establish the prediction models of metmyoglobin content respectively, while the characteristic wavelengths were extracted by combining with the successive projections algorithm (SPA). The results showed significant effects on the prediction accuracy by using different modeling combinations. The MSC-RF-SPA model performed best in prediction, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.901 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.0216, which confirmed the ability to evaluate metmyoglobin content in frozen pork with high accuracy. The results of this study indicated that Vis–NIR spectroscopy technology coupled with MSC-RF-SPA modeling is a promising method, which provided a new way to accurately detect metmyoglobin content in frozen pork. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the practical fixed-time consensus for nonlinear multi-agent systems (MASs) in the presence of denial-of-service (DoS) attack utilizing aperiodically intermittent event-triggered control protocol. Unlike predefining the distribution of DoS attack intervals, an attack detection algorithm is designed to identify the onset and cessation of attack intervals in a dynamic manner. Subsequently, by incorporating the aperiodically intermittent control scheme with the event-triggered mechanism, an efficient control protocol is designed that guarantees the fixed-time consensus for nonlinear MASs under DoS attacks and exhibits resilience against certain attack sequences. Furthermore, in order to address the Zeno and non-differentiable issues, the hyperbolic tangent function is employed in the design of nonlinear controller. Moreover, the control protocol utilizing a non-continuous monitoring event-triggered mechanism is also developed to save more communication resources. Finally, simulations are performed to verify the efficacy of the proposed control protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]