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This paper studies the process of SiC abrasive particles abrasive flow machining iron-carbon alloy surface through molecular dynamics simulation from the microscopic angle of different cutting angles SiC particles cutting force, workpiece atomic energy, workpiece atomic displacement, workpiece internal lattice structure and dislocation variation law, explore and clarify the SiC abrasive particles micro-cutting iron-carbon alloy mechanism. The results show that, in the micro-cutting process, when the cutting angle of the abrasive increases, the working surface of the iron-carbon alloy will produce deeper cutting marks, the cutting force of the SiC particles and the atomic energy of the workpiece have an significant upward trend, the atomic displacement is more complex, the lattice deformation is intensified, and the reconstruction and amorphous phase transformation occur, the number of dislocations increases, and the distribution is denser, and the surface machining quality of the workpiece decreases. Therefore, selecting a smaller cutting angle can reduce the probability of forming the workpiece's internal defect structure and improve the workpiece's surface machining quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-supervised monocular depth estimation has opened up exciting possibilities for practical applications, including scene understanding, object detection, and autonomous driving, without the need for expensive depth annotations. However, traditional methods for single-image depth estimation encounter limitations in photometric loss due to a lack of geometric constraints, reliance on pixel-level intensity or color differences, and the assumption of perfect photometric consistency, leading to errors in challenging conditions and resulting in overly smooth depth maps with insufficient capture of object boundaries and depth transitions. To tackle these challenges, we propose MFFENet, which leverages multi-level semantic and boundary-aware features to improve depth estimation accuracy. MFFENet extracts multi-level semantic features using our modified HRFormer approach. These features are then fed into our decoder and enhanced using attention mechanisms to enrich the boundary information generated by Laplacian pyramid residuals. To mitigate the weakening of semantic features during convolution processes, we introduce a feature-enhanced combination strategy. We also integrate the DeconvUp module to improve the restoration of depth map boundaries. We introduce a boundary loss that enforces constraints between object boundaries. We propose an extended evaluation method that utilizes Laplacian pyramid residuals to evaluate boundary depth. Extensive evaluations on the KITTI, Cityscapes, and Make3D datasets demonstrate the superior performance of MFFENet compared to state-of-the-art models in monocular depth estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to realize high-fidelity quantum communication is one of the many facets required to build generic quantum computing devices. In addition to quantum processing, sensing, and storage, transferring the resulting quantum states demands a careful design that finds no parallel in classical communication. Existing experimental demonstrations of quantum information transfer in solid-state quantum systems are largely confined to small chains with few qubits, often relying upon non-generic schemes. Here, by using a superconducting quantum circuit featuring thirty-six tunable qubits, accompanied by general optimization procedures deeply rooted in overcoming quantum chaotic behavior, we demonstrate a scalable protocol for transferring few-particle quantum states in a two-dimensional quantum network. These include single-qubit excitation, two-qubit entangled states, and two excitations for which many-body effects are present. Our approach, combined with the quantum circuit's versatility, paves the way to short-distance quantum communication for connecting distributed quantum processors or registers, even if hampered by inherent imperfections in actual quantum devices. Faithful transfer of quantum states between different parts of a single complex quantum circuit will become more and more important as quantum computing devices grow in size. Here, the authors transfer single-qubit excitations, two-qubit entangled states, and two excitations across a 6 × 6 superconducting qubit device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of transcriptional regulation has revealed the vital role of chromatin modifiers in human diseases from the beginning of functional exploration to the process of participating in many types of disease regulatory mechanisms. Chromatin modifiers are a class of enzymes that can catalyze the chemical conversion of pyrimidine residues or amino acid residues, including histone modifiers, DNA methyltransferases, and chromatin remodeling complexes. Chromatin modifiers assist in the formation of transcriptional regulatory circuits between transcription factors, enhancers, and promoters by regulating chromatin accessibility and the ability of transcription factors to acquire DNA. This is achieved by recruiting associated proteins and RNA polymerases. They modify the physical contact between cis-regulatory factor elements, transcription factors, and chromatin DNA to influence transcriptional regulatory processes. Then, abnormal chromatin perturbations can impair the homeostasis of organs, tissues, and cells, leading to diseases. The review offers a comprehensive elucidation on the function and regulatory mechanism of chromatin modifiers, thereby highlighting their indispensability in the development of diseases. Furthermore, this underscores the potential of chromatin modifiers as biomarkers, which may enable early disease diagnosis. With the aid of this paper, a deeper understanding of the role of chromatin modifiers in the pathogenesis of diseases can be gained, which could help in devising effective diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photothermal therapy (PTT) has been widely used in the treatment of tumors, but its efficacy is greatly limited by the inability of precise drug delivery and the increase of heat shock proteins (HSPs) caused by high temperature. This article describes a therapeutic strategy to enhance PTT with starvation therapy in conjunction with ferroptosis mechanism. A nanoparticle platform ZIF-8@GA was constructed by wrapping together glucose oxidase (GOX) and gold nanospheres (AuNPs) loaded with dihydroartemisinin (DHA) with zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8). This platform can take advantage of the micro-environment of osteosarcoma (OS) cells, featuring low pH and high reactive oxygen species (ROS), for precision drug delivery. GOX can effectively catalyze glucose to produce gluconic acid and H2O2, and DHA can also induce ROS production in OS cells. ROS produced by GOX and DHA can further generate lipid peroxidation (LPO) and lead to ferroptosis of OS cells. At the same time, ROS and LPO produced can inhibit the expression of HSPs, thereby increasing the therapeutic effect of PTT. In vitro experiments show that the nanoparticles are pH and ROS responsive. 1 µg/mL GOX combined with 0.2 µg/mL DHA promotes ferroptosis of OS cells, and increases the killing effect of near-infrared (NIR) on OS cells. Further in vivo experiments showed that the nano drug-delivery platform combined with PTT can effectively inhibit the growth of OS cells. Meanwhile, this study provides a new idea for the treatment of OS with biomaterials combined with various treatment methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harmonic generation is a result of a strong non-linear interaction between light and matter. It is a key technology for optics, as it allows the conversion of optical signals to higher frequencies. Owing to its intrinsically large and electrically tunable non-linear optical response, graphene has been used for high harmonic generation but, until now, only at frequencies < 2 THz, and with high-power ultrafast table-top lasers or accelerator-based structures. Here, we demonstrate third harmonic generation at 9.63 THz by optically pumping single-layer graphene, coupled to a circular split ring resonator (CSRR) array, with a 3.21 THz frequency quantum cascade laser (QCL). Combined with the high graphene nonlinearity, the mode confinement provided by the optically-pumped CSRR enhances the pump power density as well as that at the third harmonic, permitting harmonic generation. This approach enables potential access to a frequency range (6-12 THz) where compact sources remain difficult to obtain, owing to the Reststrahlenband of typical III-V semiconductors.Compact sources in the frequency range of 6-12 THz are difficult to obtain due to optical phonon absorption in conventional III-V semiconductors. Here, the authors demonstrate third harmonic generation at 9.63 THz by optically pumping monolayer graphene coupled to a circular split ring resonator by using a semiconductor laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contamination by odor substances such as geosmin (GSM) and 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) was examined in the cultured water from aquaculture farming in the region of the Hongze Lake in 2022, and some factors influencing residual levels of them in the water were analyzed. Geographically, high concentrations of GSM were located mainly in the north and northeast culture areas of the lake, while those of 2-MIB were found in the northeast and southwest. Analysis of the water in the enclosure culture revealed significant differences in the concentrations of GSM and 2-MIB among the cultured species. The mean concentrations of GSM in culture water were ranked in the order: crab > the four major Chinese carps > silver and bighead carp, and silver and bighead carp > crab > the four major Chinese carps for 2-MIB. The concentration of GSM was significantly higher at 38.99 ± 18.93 ng/L in crab culture water compared to other fish culture water. Significant differences were observed in GSM concentrations between crab enclosure culture and pond culture, while 2-MIB levels were comparable. These findings suggest that cultural management practices significantly affect the generation of odor substances. The taste and odor (T&O) assessment revealed that the residual levels of GSM and 2-MIB in most samples were below the odor threshold concentrations (OTCs), although high levels of GSM and 2-MIB in all water bodies were at 30.9% and 27.5%, respectively. Compared with the corresponding data from other places and the regulation guidelines of Japan, USA, and China, the region in the Hongze Lake is generally classified as a slightly T&O area, capable of supporting the aquaculture production scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic digestion (AD) technology is a practical approach to alleviate severe environmental issues caused by vegetable wastes (VWs). However, its primary product is methane-rich biogas converted from the precursors (mainly volatile fatty acids, VFAs) after long fermentation periods, making traditional AD projects of low economic profits. Intervening in the methanogenesis stage artificially to produce high value-added VFAs can shorten the reaction time of the AD process and significantly improve profits, posing a promising alternative for treating VWs. Given this, this study applied heat shock (HS) pretreatment to inoculum to prevent methane production during AD and systemically investigated the effects of HS pretreatment and initial pH regulation on VFA production from VWs. The results showed that appropriate HS pretreatment effectively inhibited methane generation but promoted VFA accumulation, and VFA production was further enhanced by adjusting the initial pH to 8.0 and 9.0. The highest total VFA concentration of 14,883 mg/L with a VFA yield of 496.1 mg/gVS, 26.98% higher than that of the untreated group, was achieved at an initial pH 8.0 with HS pretreatment of 80 °C for 1 h. Moreover, pH regulation influenced the metabolic pathway of VFA production from VWs during AD, as butyrate was the dominant product at an initial pH of 6.0, while the increased initial pH improved the acetate proportion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-commerce platforms have become a significant sales channel for processed tilapia products such as frozen tilapia fillets, pickled tilapia, and canned tilapia in China. As food safety issues are worldwide concerned, the imbalance between the nutritional benefits of fish and the risk of contamination has become a major constraint on fish consumption. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the safety of tilapia products sold on e-commerce platforms. We conducted a quantitative benefit-risk assessment of arsenic and nutrient levels for tilapia products sold on Chinese e-commerce platforms using the hazard quotient (HQ). A total of 147 tilapia products were collected from the central Chinese e-commerce platforms Tmall, Taobao, and Jingdong for arsenic determination. Arsenic concentrations in tilapia products ranged from 0.004 to 0.820 mg·kg−1. The inorganic arsenic content of tilapia products was lower than the national limit (0.1 mg·kg−1). One-way analysis of variance revealed that there was no significant difference in arsenic levels in tilapia products among different regions (p > 0.05), while there was a significant difference in product form, with canned tilapia containing significantly higher arsenic levels than frozen tilapia fillets and pickled tilapia fillets (p < 0.05). We conducted an aquaculture experiment to analyze the nutrient levels of tilapia. The mean value of EPA + DHA content of tilapia was 20.634 mg·100 g−1. The HQ values of tilapia products ranged from 0.004 to 0.736. In a word, the nutritional benefits of consuming tilapia products exceed the risk of arsenic exposure. These data can help demonstrate that tilapia products are low-risk, high-yield nutritious food and provide relevant safety recommendations for consumers purchasing processed tilapia products online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high incidence, recurrence and treatment costs of urolithiasis have a serious impact on patients and society. For a long time, countless scholars have been working tirelessly on studies related to the etiology of urolithiasis. A comprehensive understanding of the current status will be beneficial to the development of this field. We collected all literature about the etiology of urolithiasis from 1990 to 2022 using the Web of Science (WoS) database. VOSviewer, Bibliometrix and CiteSpace software were used to quantitatively analyze and visualize the data as well. The query identified 3177 articles for final analysis, of which related to the etiology of urolithiasis. The annual number of publications related to urolithiasis research has steadily increased during the latest decade. United States (1106) and China (449) contributed the most publications. University of Chicago (92) and Indiana University (86) have the highest number of publications. Urolithiasis and Journal of Urology have published the most articles in the field. Coe FL is the most productive author (63 articles), whose articles have obtained the most citations in all (4141 times). The keyword, such as hypercalciuria, hyperoxaluria, citrate, oxidative stress, inflammation, Randall’s plaque, are the most attractive targets for the researchers. Our review provides a global landscape of studies related to the etiology of urolithiasis, which can serve as a reference for future studies in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a chronic degenerative orthopedic illness that causes lower back pain as a typical clinical symptom, severely reducing patients' quality of life and work efficiency, and imposing a significant economic burden on society. IVDD is defined by rapid extracellular matrix breakdown, nucleus pulposus cell loss, and an inflammatory response. It is intimately related to the malfunction or loss of myeloid cells among them. Many mechanisms have been implicated in the development of IVDD, including inflammatory factors, oxidative stress, apoptosis, cellular autophagy, and mitochondrial dysfunction. In recent years, mitochondrial dysfunction has become a hot research topic in age-related diseases. As the main source of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in myeloid cells, mitochondria are essential for maintaining myeloid cell survival and physiological functions. Methods: We searched the PUBMED database with the search term "intervertebral disc degeneration and mitochondrial dysfunction" and obtained 82 articles, and after reading the abstracts and eliminating 30 irrelevant articles, we finally obtained 52 usable articles. Results: Through a review of the literature, it was discovered that IVDD and cellular mitochondrial dysfunction are also linked. Mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to the advancement of IVDD by influencing a number of pathophysiologic processes such as mitochondrial fission/fusion, mitochondrial autophagy, cellular senescence, and cell death. Conclusion: We examine the molecular mechanisms of IVDD-associated mitochondrial dysfunction and present novel directions for quality management of mitochondrial dysfunction as a treatment approach to IVDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging reports demonstrated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a role in the pathogenesis and metastasis of cancers. However, the biological functions and underlying mechanisms of LncRNA CEBPA-AS1 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remain largely elusive. The level of CEBPA-AS1 was examined in AML clinical tissues and cell lines via fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). In vivo and in vitro functional tests were applied to identify the pro-oncogenic role of CEBPA-AS1 in AML development. The overexpressed CEBPA-AS1 was linked to poor survival in AML patients. Moreover, the relationships among CEBPA-AS1, Zinc Finger Protein X-Linked (ZFX), and miR-24-3p were predicted by bioinformatics and validated by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and luciferase reporter assays. Our findings unveiled that transcription factor ZFX particularly interacted with the promoter of CEBPA-AS1 and activated CEBPA-AS1 transcription. Downregulation of CEBPA-AS1 inhibited the proliferation and invasion while promoted apoptosis of AML cells in in vitro, as well as in vivo, xenograft tumor growth was modified. However, overexpression of CEBPA-AS1 observed the opposite effects. Furthermore, CEBPA-AS1 acted as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) of miR-24-3p to attenuate the repressive effects of miR-24-3p on its downstream target CTBP2. Taken together, this study emphasized the pro-oncogenic role of CEBPA-AS1 in AML and illustrated its connections with the upstream transcription factor ZFX and the downstream regulative axis miR-24-3p/CTBP2, providing important insights to the cancerogenic process in AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the practicability and safety of a novel endovascular robotic system for performing endovascular aortic repair in human. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in 2021 with 6 months post-operative follow-up. Patients with aortic aneurysms and clinical indications for elective endovascular aortic repair were enrolled in the study. The novel developed robotic system is applicable for the majority of commercial devices and various types of endovascular surgeries. The primary endpoint was technical success without in-hospital major adverse events. Technical success was defined as the ability of the robotic system to complete all procedural steps based on procedural segments. Results: The first-in-human evaluation of robot-assisted endovascular aortic repair was performed in five patients. The primary endpoint was achieved in all patients (100%). There were no device- or procedure-related complications or no in-hospital major adverse events. The operation time and total blood loss in these cases were equal to those in the manual procedures. The radiation exposure of the surgeon was 96.5% lower than that in the traditional position while the radiation exposure of the patients was not significantly increased. Conclusions: Early clinical evaluation of the novel endovascular aortic repair in endovascular aortic repair demonstrated practicability, safety, and procedural effectiveness comparable to manual operation. In addition, the total radiation exposure of the operator was significantly lower than that of traditional procedures. Clinical relevance statement: This study applies a novel approach to perform the endovascular aortic repair in a more accurate and minimal-invasive way and lays the foundation for the perspective automation of the endovascular robotic system, which reflects a new paradigm for endovascular surgery. Key Points: • This study is a first-in-human evaluation of a novel endovascular robotic system for endovascular aortic repair (EVAR). • Our system might reduce the occupational risks associated with manual EVAR and contribute to achieving a higher degree of precision and control. • Early evaluation of the endovascular robotic system demonstrated practicability, safety, and procedural effectiveness comparable to that of manual operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly selective production of valuable ethylene from electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (ECO2RR) is particularly desirable yet challenging. Morphology engineering is an effective strategy for catalyst design, which can adjust the electronic structure of catalyst surface, change the adsorption behavior of critical reaction intermediates over catalyst surface, and thus regulate the activity of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction. In this work, we prepared copper phosphate catalysts with different morphologies and tested their catalytic activity for the ECO2RR in the flow cell. Compared with irregular flocculent aggregates, copper phosphate nanospheres exhibit a high and stable ethylene Faradaic efficiency of 47% with high current density of 350 mA·cm− 2, which is higher than the 200 mA·cm− 2 required for industrial applications. The catalysts were extensively characterized by SEM, EDS, XRD, ICP-OES, XPS, BET and CO-TPD. Combining the characterization results and activity data, we found that the superior spherical morphology of copper phosphate can increase the electron density around Cu, stabilize the Cu+ species on the surface through the electron transfer between P and Cu, and adjust the adsorption strength of CO intermediates (*CO) to enhance the productivity of C2+ products. This work provides new insights into catalyst design for highly efficient C2H4 production from the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction by tuning morphologies of Cu-based catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Grasslands are facing the threat of climate change and intensive land use. Soil respiration (Rs) in grassland ecosystems can be potentially altered by changes in precipitation and land use. We aimed to quantify the impact of changes in precipitation and common land use practices in an Inner Mongolia grassland, i.e., mowing and grazing, on soil respiration. Methods: We performed an in situ experiment with altered precipitation (+ 50%, ambient, and -50%) and land use (control or fencing, mowing, and grazing) to explore their impacts on soil respiration and its autotrophic (Ra) and heterotrophic (Rh) components. Results: Altered precipitation had stronger impacts on abiotic and biotic drivers than land use, leading to stronger impacts on Rs and its components. Over the 3-year experiment, Rs, Ra and Rh decreased by 36%, 42% and 33% with reduced precipitation and increased by 29%, 36% and 25% with increased precipitation, respectively. Grazing and mowing caused relatively small decreases in Rs compared to fencing (generally < 10%). However, precipitation and land use interactively impacted abiotic and biotic drivers and thus Rs. The decrease in Rs with reduced precipitation was greater with grazing (38%) and mowing (37%) than with fencing (32%). Conclusions: Rs and its components may decrease under the projected decrease in precipitation and may further decrease with grazing and mowing compared to fencing. Therefore, land use should be considered when predicting grassland carbon cycling in response to future precipitation changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgical crushing of stones alone has not addressed the increasing prevalence of kidney stones. A promising strategy is to tackle the kidney damage and crystal aggregation inherent in kidney stones with the appropriate therapeutic target. FKBP prolyl isomerase 5 (FKBP5) is a potential predictor of kidney injury, but its status in calcium oxalate (CaOx) kidney stones is not clear. This study attempted to elucidate the role and mechanism of FKBP5 in CaOx kidney stones. Lentivirus and adeno-associated virus were used to control FKBP5 expression in a CaOx kidney stone model. Transcriptomic sequencing and immunological assays were used to analyze the mechanism of FKBP5 deficiency in CaOx kidney stones. The results showed that FKBP5 deficiency reduced renal tubular epithelial cells (RTEC) apoptosis and promoted cell proliferation by downregulating BOK expression. It also attenuated cell–crystal adhesion by downregulating the expression of CDH4. In addition, it inhibited M1 polarization and chemotaxis of macrophages by suppressing CXCL10 expression in RTEC. Moreover, the above therapeutic effects were exerted by inhibiting the activation of NF-κB signaling. Finally, in vivo experiments showed that FKBP5 deficiency attenuated stone aggregation and kidney injury in mice. In conclusion, this study reveals that FKBP5 deficiency attenuates cell–crystal adhesion, reduces apoptosis, promotes cell proliferation, and inhibits macrophage M1 polarization and chemotaxis by inhibiting NF-κB signaling. This provides a potential therapeutic target for CaOx kidney stones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Holmium (Ho:YAG) laser is presently the most extensively employed in laser lithotripsy for the management of kidney stones. Despite its adoption as the gold standard for laser lithotripsy, Ho:YAG laser lithotripsy poses three significant challenges, namely thermal effect, insufficient stone fragmentation, and stone displacement, which have garnered increased attention from urologic surgeons. Nowadays, the femtosecond laser is regarded as a potential alternative to the Ho:YAG laser due to its capacity to ablate diverse materials with minimal thermal effect. In our ex vivo investigation, we assessed the dimensions of ablation pits, the efficacy of ablation, the degree of stone fragmentation, the alterations in water temperature surrounding stones, and the degree of tissue damage associated with Femtosecond laser lithotripsy utilizing adjustable power settings (1–50 W). Our findings indicate that the ablation pits generated by the Femtosecond laser exhibited uniform geometries, and the effectiveness of ablation and fragmentation for Femtosecond laser lithotripsy were significantly and positively correlated with laser power. When the laser power remained constant, the Femtosecond laser with higher pulse energy demonstrated superior efficiency in stone ablation, but inferior performance in stone fragmentation. Conversely, the Femtosecond laser with higher pulse frequency exhibited the opposite behavior. Furthermore, the thermal effect increased proportionally with laser power, leading to a tentative recommendation of 10W laser power for future investigations. Our in vitro findings suggest that the Femtosecond laser holds promise as a safe and effective alternative to holmium lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to examine the efficacy of oxytocin in treating core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with children. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of oxytocin for the treatment of core symptoms in children with ASD. The search included studies published between January 1, 1999 and March 15, 2023, that were randomized, single or double-blinded, and included a placebo control group. Standard screening rules were applied to select relevant studies, resulting in the inclusion of five RCTs involving 486 children with ASD. Results: Ultimately, a total of five RCTs, involving 486 children with ASD, were included in the review using standard screening rules.One of the included studies demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS) scores when children with ASD were treated with oxytocin (24 IU/2 days for 6 weeks). The improvement in core symptoms persisted at the 6-month follow-up. The meta-analysis findings suggested that oxytocin might have a moderate effect in improving the core symptom of narrow interests and repetitive stereotyped behaviors in children with ASD. Conclusion: While the therapeutic value of oxytocin in treating core symptoms of ASD in children is not fully established, the results of this meta-analysis indicate a potential moderate effect. However, further studies with larger sample sizes and more robust RCTs are needed to directly demonstrate the efficacy of oxytocin. Future research should also focus on effect size and outcome evaluation accuracy while minimizing bias in RCT experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationship between sea level change and a single climate indicator has been widely discussed. However, few studies focused on the relationship between monthly mean sea level (MMSL) and several key impact factors, including CO2 concentration, sea ice area, and sunspots, on various time scales. In addition, research on the independent relationship between climate factors and sea level on various time scales is lacking, especially when the dependence of climate factors on Niño 3.4 is excluded. Based on this, we use wavelet coherence (WC) and partial wavelet coherence (PWC) to establish a relationship between MMSL and its influencing factors. The WC results show that the influence of climate indices on MMSL has strong regional characteristics. The significant correlation between Southern Hemisphere sea ice area and MMSL is opposite to that between Northern Hemisphere sea ice area and MMSL. The PWC results show that after removing the influence of Niño 3.4, the significant coherent regions of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Dipole Mode Index (DMI), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) decrease to varying degrees on different time scales in different regions, demonstrating the influence of Niño 3.4. Our work emphasizes the interrelationship and independent relationship between MMSL and its influencing factors on various time scales and the use of PWC and WC to describe this relationship. The study has an important reference significance for selecting the best predictors of sea level change or climate systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Facing the 0.7–22% incidence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus (IVCTT), there are usually no obvious symptoms and signs when the tumor thrombus completely blocks the IVCTT in the early stage.1.J Gastroenterol. 29:41–46;2.Hepatogastroenterology. 41:154–157;3.Clin Cardiol. 19:211–213; Once diagnosed, it is the end-stage manifestation without unified treatment for HCC with IVCTT, bringing poor prognosis. Without active treatment, the median survival time is only 3 months. Previous scholars believed that patients with IVCTT should not adopt active surgical treatment. With the advance of technology, active surgical treatment has significantly lengthened the survival time with IVCTT.4.Ann Surg Oncol. 20:914–22;5.World J Surg Oncol. 11:259;6.Hepatogastroenterology. 58:1694–1699; However, for patients with HCC and IVCTT, open surgery was always selected in the past by opening the diaphragm through the combined thoracoabdominal incision to block the superior and subhepatic vena cava, leading long incision and huge trauma. With the development of minimally invasive techniques, laparoscopy thoracoscopy has showed great advantages in the treatment of HCC with IVCTT. A patient underwent laparoscopic with thoracoscopic resection of tumor and cancer thrombectomy after neoadjuvant therapy and then survived after follow-up.7.Ann Surg Oncol. 29:5548–5549 Therefore, it used as a first reported case of robot-assisted laparoscopic with thoracoscopic treatment of HCC complicated inferior vena cava cancer thrombectomy. Methods: A 41-year-old man had a liver space-occupying lesion discovered during his medical examination 2 months ago. The diagnosis of HCC with IVCTT was confirmed by enhanced CT and biopsy specimen in the first hospitalization. A combination of TACE, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy plan was applied for the patient after multidisciplinary treatment (MDT). Specifically, Lenvatinib was taken orally 8 mg daily and 160 mg of toripalimab was given intravenously every 3 weeks. His reexamination CT showed that the tumor was more advanced after 2 months of treatment. The surgical operation was performed based on comprehensive consideration. The patient was placed in the left lateral decubitus position, and a thoracoscopic prefabricated the inferior vena cava above diaphragm blocking device was pulled out of the incision. The patient was switched to a supine position with the head of the bed raised 30 degrees. The gallbladder was removed first after entering the abdominal cavity, then prefabricated first hilar blocking band. Sterile rubber glove edges and hemo-lock were used to fabricate the blocking device. The novel hepatic inflow occlusion device is a safe, reliable, and convenient technique that is associated with favorable perioperative outcomes and low risk of conversion.8.Surg Endosc. 34:2807–2813 The liver along the middle hepatic vein was cut to expose the anterior wall of the inferior vena cava, then prefabricated posterior inferior vena cava blocking belt and right hepatic vein blocking belt. Finally, the first portal of liver, right hepatic vein, retrohepatic inferior vena cava, and inferior vena cava above diaphragm were blocked in sequence, so that accomplishing tumor resection and thrombectomy of inferior vena cava. It should be emphasized that before the inferior vena cava is completely sutured, the retrohepatic inferior vena cava blocking device should be released to allow blood flow to flush the inferior vena cava. Moreover, transesophageal ultrasound is required to real-time monitor inferior vena cava blood flow and IVCTT. Some images of the operation are shown in Fig. 1. Results: It took 475 min to finish the operation, and the loss of blood was estimated as 300 ml. The patient was discharged from hospital 8 days after the operation without postoperative complication. HCC was confirmed by postoperative pathology. Conclusions: Robot surgical system reduces the limitations of laparoscopic surgery by offering a stable three-dimensional view, 10-times-enlarged image, restored eye–hand axis, and excellent dexterity with the endowristed instruments, which has several advantages over open operation such as diminished blood loss, reduced morbidity, and shorter hospital stay.9.Chirurg. 88:7–11;10.BMC Surg. 11:2;11.Minerva Chir. 64:135–146; Furthermore, it could favor the operative feasibility of difficult resections reducing the conversion rate and playing a role to extend the indications of liver resection to minimally invasive approaches. It may provide new curative options in patients deemed inoperable with conventional surgery, such as HCC with IVCTT.12.Biosci Trends. 16:178–188;13.J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Sci. 29:1108–1123; [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the net effects of dietary consumption on the potential neurodevelopmental effects of largemouth bass (Micropterus Salmoides, simplify as bass) cultured in China, especially when the bait of largemouth bass is changed from iced trash fish to formulated feed. A total of three bait group bass samples were collected from main producing areas during harvest period, including formulated feed group, iced trash fish group, and both group (converting from iced trash fish to formulated feed). Net neurodevelopment value (expressed as intelligence quotient or IQ) was calculated using FAO/WHO deterministic methods and probabilistic assessment model. The results showed net IQ of largemouth bass fed by the three baits groups all showed positive or beneficial neurodevelopmental effects, with the values of 1.55 ± 0.97 (formulated feed group), 3.17 ± 1.76 (iced trash fish group), and 2.65 ± 1.29 (both group) respectively. Bass samples fed with ice trash fish showed the highest neurodevelopmental effect. The present study suggested that more valuable formulated feed should be developed to improve the quality of cultured largemouth bass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large amount of eggplant stalk (ES) is incinerated after harvesting of eggplant every year, which aggravates environmental pollution and waste of resources. Converting ES into methane through anaerobic digestion (AD) technology may be a potential treatment method, considering the low environmental impact and high energy recovery. Firstly, this study explored the effects of organic loading (OL) and feed to inoculum ratio (F/I ratio) on the AD of ES by response surface methodology (RSM). In order to achieve higher AD efficiency, various pretreatments (acid, alkali, alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP), microwave, and ultrasound) were introduced and comprehensively assessed with regard to methane production, organic matter destruction, and kinetic parameters. Results showed that OL had a more significant impact on AD process compared to F/I ratio and methane production was enhanced remarkably when the OL and F/I ratio were 35.0 g VS/L and 3.0, respectively. XRD, FTIR, and SEM analyses of pretreated ES showed that alkali and AHP pretreatments performed better in delignification. Under optimal conditions, the ES pretreated with 1.5% AHP (adjusted by KOH) performed the maximum methane production of 262.2 mL/g VS with a biodegradability of 95.0%, which increased by 334.1% compared to untreated ES. This paper not only provides the theoretical data about methane production performance of ES but also gives practical guidance for efficient utilization of similar vegetable stalk biowastes, which is also promising for large-scale industrial applications in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyaspartic acid is considered a green agent for the treatment of circulating cooling water. However, its chemosynthetic process is not green, as it requires significant amounts of energy and causes water pollution. In this work, we identified an analog of polyaspartic acid, namely polyglutamic acid (γ-PGA), which could be directly produced by Bacillus spp., and we explored its performance and scale inhibition mechanism as a scale inhibitor. We found that γ-PGA secreted by B. megaterium with a molecular weight of ~ 70 kDa showed poor scale inhibition, while the γ-PGA secreted by B. licheniformis with a molecular weight of ~ 15 kDa had a 26.87% higher efficiency compared to commercially available polyaspartic acid. The scale inhibition mechanism was explored using the γ-PGA material secreted by B. licheniformis. Fourier transform spectrometer, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis demonstrated that the scale inhibition performance of γ-PGA was due to the combination of its functional groups and Ca2+, which affected the growth process of CaCO3 and inhibited the formation of CaCO3. This study provided deeper insight into scale inhibition performance related to the scale inhibition mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently accumulated evidence implicates a close association of vitamin D (VitD) insufficiency to the incidence and clinical manifestations of the COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-COV-2). Populations with insufficient VitD including patients with osteoporosis are more susceptible to SARS-COV-2 infection and patients with COVID-19 worsened or developed osteoporosis. It is currently unknown, however, whether osteoporosis and COVID-19 are linked by VitD insufficiency. In this study, 42 common targets for VitD on both COVID-19 and osteoporosis were identified among a total of 243 VitD targets. Further bioinformatic analysis revealed 8 core targets (EGFR, AR, ESR1, MAPK8, MDM2, EZH2, ERBB2 and MAPT) in the VitD-COVID-19-osteoporosis network. These targets are involved in the ErbB and MAPK signaling pathways critical for lung fibrosis, bone structural integrity, and cytokines through a crosstalk between COVID-19 and osteoporosis via the VitD-mediated conventional immune and osteoimmune mechanisms. Molecular docking confirmed that VitD binds tightly to the predicted targets. These findings support that VitD may target common signaling pathways in the integrated network of lung fibrosis and bone structural integrity as well as the immune systems. Therefore, VitD may serve as a preventive and therapeutic agent for both COVID-19 and osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In rock, mining, and/or tunneling engineering, determination of uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of rocks is an important and crucial task, which is often estimated from readily available index properties of rocks in practice, such as porosity (n), Schmidt hammer rebound number (Rn), P-wave velocity (Vp), point load index (Is(50)). This is especially true for projects with medium- or small-size, as well as for rocks with a high degree of fragility and porosity. While numerous methods have been proposed for predicting UCS indirectly, linear assumptions are frequently made during model development, despite the possibility of nonlinear relationships between UCS and the abovementioned indices. Furthermore, many established methods often struggle to strike a balance between model complexity and performance, resulting in models that are either over- or under-fitted. As a result, constructing an optimal UCS model with minimal variables while maintaining a high level of performance remains a great challenge in rock engineering practice. This paper proposes a fully Bayesian Gaussian process regression (fB-GPR) approach to develop an optimal model for UCS prediction which strikes a balance between prediction accuracy and model complexity. Both real-world and numerical examples are used to illustrate the proposed method. Results show that the optimal model of predicting UCS for the database from Malaysia is constructed by only n and Vp, with the same coefficient of determination of around 0.9 as the more complex model involving n, Rn, Vp and Is(50). A sensitivity study is also performed to systematically examine its robustness and accuracy of the proposed method in developing optimal model for UCS prediction. Highlights: A fully Bayesian Gaussian process regression (fB-GPR) method is proposed for constructing an optimal model for UCS prediction from rock indices. The optimal model for UCS prediction has minimal variables but maintains a high level of performance. The fB-GPR approach is data-driven and non-parametric, and can automatically strike a balance between model complexity and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minority Stress in lesbian, gay, and bisexual people (LGBs) might have detrimental effects on relationship satisfaction. However, less is known regarding the potential mechanisms among the association above in LGBs' romantic relationships. In the present study, we investigated the spillover and buffering impact of minority stress on relationship satisfaction among LGB individuals. A targeted sampling strategy was used to recruit LGBs (N= 1481) for a cross-sectional, online survey. Participants (M age = 35.05 years; 53% men) completed a survey that captured minority stress (i.e., internalized homonegativity, stigma consciousness, and concealment of sexual orientation); intra-/extra-dyadic stress and dyadic coping; and relationship satisfaction. Rigorous latent moderated structural equations was used to test associations between variables. Results indicated that the final model demonstrated acceptable fit. Minority stress was negatively associated with relationship satisfaction only via heightened intra-dyadic stress. Dyadic coping moderated the spillover effect between minority stress and intra-dyadic stress. This study highlights the importance of investigating dyadic coping in romantic relationships in LGBs to gain an insight into these relationships and the associated processes. It has important clinical and social implications for the development and evaluation of multi-level interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presently, the use of sub-bottom profiler sonar signals is limited to inversing the physical parameters of the sediment in the surface layer (first layer). In this study, based on the acoustic theory of porous medium, the acoustic inversion of the physical parameters of the lower layer (second layer) sediment is studied. When acoustic waves propagate in water and sediment media, interlayer reflection and transmission, intralayer attenuation, and other processes change the energy. The reflection and transmission coefficients of acoustic waves incident perpendicularly to the water—sediment and sediment—sediment interfaces are derived, and the effects of the reflection and transmission process of acoustic waves on the amplitude are quantified. The relationship between the frequency shift and relaxation time of the transmitted signal in different particle size sediments is established to estimate the corresponding attenuation coefficient using the frequency shift of each layer signal. On this basis, combined with the diffusion process of acoustic waves, the equation for extracting the acoustic wave reflection and transmission coefficients of each layer at the interface is derived from the measured sonar signal. Further calculations show that the sediment parameters have a greater influence on the reflection coefficient, and the feasibility of calculating the physical parameters of the lower sediment using the reflection coefficient has been proved. Under the premise of obtaining the physical parameters of surface sediment, this study provides specific methods and steps for inverting the physical parameters of the lower sediment. The on-site detection in the Xiaolangdi reservoir area of the Yellow River, combined with the sediment sampling test results, proved that the proposed method of inversion of the lower sediment parameters based on the porous medium acoustic theory is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a disease registry to collect all incident amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases diagnosed during 2016–2018 in Ohio. Due to incomplete case ascertainment and limitations of the traditional capture-recapture method, we proposed a new method to estimate the number of cases not recruited by the Registry and their spatial distribution. Specifically, we employed three statistical methods to identify reference counties with normal case-population relationships to build a Poisson regression model for estimating case counts in target counties that potentially have unrecruited cases. Then, we conducted spatial smoothing to adjust outliers locally. We validated the estimates with ALS mortality data. We estimated that 119 total cases (95% CI [109, 130]) were not recruited, including 36 females (95% CI [31, 41]) and 83 males (95% CI [74, 99]), and were distributed unevenly across the state. For target counties, including estimated unrecruited cases increased the correlation between the case count and mortality count from r = 0.8494 to 0.9585 for the total, from 0.7573 to 0.8270 for females, and from 0.6862 to 0.9292 for males. The advantage of this method in the spatial perspective makes it an alternative to capture-recapture for estimating cases missed by disease registries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Conversion rates during minimally invasive surgery are generally examined in the limited scope of a particular procedure. However, for a hospital or payor, the cumulative impact of conversions during commonly performed procedures could have a much larger negative effect than what is appreciated by individual surgeons. The aim of this study is to assess open conversion rates during minimally invasive surgery (MIS) across common procedures using laparoscopic/thoracoscopic (LAP/VATS) and robotic-assisted (RAS) approaches. Study design: Retrospective cohort study using the Premier Database on patients who underwent common operations (hysterectomy, lobectomy, right colectomy, benign sigmoidectomy, low anterior resection, inguinal and ventral hernia repair, and partial nephrectomy) between January 2013 and September 2015. ICD-9 and CPT codes were used to define procedures, modality, and conversion. Propensity scores were calculated using patient, hospital, and surgeon characteristics. Propensity-score matched analysis was used to compare conversions between LAP/VATS and RAS for each procedure. Results: A total of 278,520 patients had MIS approaches of the ten operations. Conversion occurred in 5% of patients and was associated with a 1.77 day incremental increase in length of stay and $3441 incremental increase in cost. RAS was associated with a 58.5% lower rate of conversion to open surgery compared to LAP/VATS. Conclusion: At a health system or payer level, conversion to open is detrimental not just for the patient and surgeon but also puts a significant strain on hospital resources. Use of RAS was associated with less than half of the conversion rate observed for LAP/VATS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum many-body systems away from equilibrium host a rich variety of exotic phenomena that are forbidden by equilibrium thermodynamics. A prominent example is that of discrete time crystals1–8, in which time-translational symmetry is spontaneously broken in periodically driven systems. Pioneering experiments have observed signatures of time crystalline phases with trapped ions9,10, solid-state spin systems11–15, ultracold atoms16,17 and superconducting qubits18–20. Here we report the observation of a distinct type of non-equilibrium state of matter, Floquet symmetry-protected topological phases, which are implemented through digital quantum simulation with an array of programmable superconducting qubits. We observe robust long-lived temporal correlations and subharmonic temporal response for the edge spins over up to 40 driving cycles using a circuit of depth exceeding 240 and acting on 26 qubits. We demonstrate that the subharmonic response is independent of the initial state, and experimentally map out a phase boundary between the Floquet symmetry-protected topological and thermal phases. Our results establish a versatile digital simulation approach to exploring exotic non-equilibrium phases of matter with current noisy intermediate-scale quantum processors21.Signatures of non-equilibrium Floquet SPT phases with a programmable superconducting quantum processor are observed in which the discrete time translational symmetry only breaks at the boundaries and not in the bulk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquatic products contain both beneficial substances such as polyunsaturated fatty acids and harmful compounds such as methylmercury, and their combined health effects should be assessed at a common end point for a rational analysis. We used a risk–benefit model to assess net IQ point gain from consumption of Chinese mitten crabs (Eriocheir sinensis) from Jiangsu Province. Levels of methylmercury in the edible parts of the crabs ranged from 0.79 to 69.47 μg/kg (mean: 26.88 ± 15.09 μg/kg). Levels of methylmercury did not differ by sampling location. In aquaculture experiments, we simulated artificial pond farming using either iced trash fish or formulated feed. Crabs fed iced trash fish contained 28.72 ± 2.30 mg/g of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid and crabs fed formulated feed contained 19.64 ± 3.62 mg/g of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Model calculations estimated a gain of 7.52 IQ points from consumption of crabs fed formulated feed and 11.00 IQ points from consumption of crabs fed iced trash fish. They are all above the maximum theoretical IQ point gain value. Chinese mitten crab is a kind of high-quality food which is beneficial to the neural development of infants. Our findings may assist in improving crab farming methods and consumption patterns, accelerating the sustainable development of the Chinese mitten crab industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebral vasculitis is a long-standing but flourishing and fadeless research topic. Infections are a frequent cause of cerebral vasculitis, vital to diagnose due to involvement of specific anti-infection treatments. A 65-year-old man visited the hospital for his neurological symptoms without obvious inducements. After admission, radiological examination and comprehensive conventional microbiological tests (CMTs) revealed suspected intracranial infectious vasculitis. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction further confirmed that his cerebral vasculitis was caused by Talaromyces marneffei (T. marneffei) and Aspergillus niger (A. niger) co-infection. The patient's final diagnosis changed from initial herpetic encephalitis, due to the past history of cephalosome and facial herpes and non-significant antiviral therapeutic effects, to fungal cerebral vasculitis. The patient was discharged after use of targeted antifungal therapies on day 18 of his admission, and his associated symptoms disappeared completely at follow-up 3 weeks later. We first illustrated the presence of uncommon cerebral vasculitis caused by T. marneffei and A. niger in a human immunodeficiency virus-positive patient. In clinically suspected patients with infectious cerebral vasculitis, mNGS should be performed to detect potential pathogens if CMTs may not provide useful pathogenic clues, highlighting the importance of mNGS in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River networks regulate carbon and nutrient exchange between continents, atmosphere, and oceans. However, contributions of riverine processing are poorly constrained at continental scales. Scaling relationships of cumulative biogeochemical function with watershed size (allometric scaling) provide an approach for quantifying the contributions of fluvial networks in the Earth system. Here we show that allometric scaling of cumulative riverine function with watershed area ranges from linear to superlinear, with scaling exponents constrained by network shape, hydrological conditions, and biogeochemical process rates. Allometric scaling is superlinear for processes that are largely independent of substrate concentration (e.g., gross primary production) due to superlinear scaling of river network surface area with watershed area. Allometric scaling for typically substrate-limited processes (e.g., denitrification) is linear in river networks with high biogeochemical activity or low river discharge but becomes increasingly superlinear under lower biogeochemical activity or high discharge, conditions that are widely prevalent in river networks. The frequent occurrence of superlinear scaling indicates that biogeochemical activity in large rivers contributes disproportionately to the function of river networks in the Earth system. River networks play an important role in biogeochemical processes of the earth system. Here the authors show that cumulative river network function increases faster than watershed size for many biogeochemical processes, particularly at higher river flow, indicating large rivers contribute disproportionately to network function in the Earth System. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce the crosstalk effects between the signals at reference points in operational transfer path analysis (OTPA) and improve the reliability of solutions, a novel OTPA method based on auto-regressive (AR) model is proposed in this paper. The key to this method is to obtain the power spectrum by AR model for estimating the prior transmissibility function matrix. Firstly, in view of the lack of noise reduction process in conventional crosstalk cancellation method, singular value decomposition (SVD) is applied to reduce the noise of original signals. Secondly, Burg algorithm is used to calculate AR model parameters. Thirdly, auto-power spectrum and cross-power spectrum are obtained by AR model and the periodogram method respectively. Fourthly, the transmissibility function matrix is obtained by Landweber iterative method based on corrected signals at reference points. Finally, the proposed method can significantly reduce the crosstalk effects, resulting in more accurate evaluation of transfer path contributions. Generally, this study can provide accurate and reliable evidences for vibration & noise monitoring and reduction for mechanical systems, and thus benefit for the active control of vibration & noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compelling demand exists for high-performance high-temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMAs) that can be applied as intelligent components in the rapidly developing aerospace, robotics, manufacturing, and energy exploration industries. However, existing HTSMAs are handicapped by their high cost and unsatisfactory functional properties, which impede their practical application. Here, by using the strategy of creating an oligocrystalline structure, we have developed a high-performance, cost-effective high-temperature shape memory microwire exhibiting an exceptional combination of superb superelasticity with a large recoverable strain of up to 15%, an outstanding one-way shape memory effect with a maximum recoverable strain as high as 13% and a remarkable two-way shape memory effect with a large recoverable strain of 6.3%. These unparalleled comprehensive properties provide this microwire with a high potential for use in high-temperature actuation, sensing, and energy conversion applications, especially in miniature intelligent devices, such as high-temperature microelectromechanical systems. The present strategy may be universally applicable to other brittle phase-transforming alloys for achieving outstanding functional properties at high temperatures.Shape-memory alloys: Controlling crystal size increases elasticity Improved fabrication of temperature-sensitive alloys that snap back to their original shapes after being deformed can promote their use as sensors and actuators. Shape-memory alloys are often composed of precious metals such as platinum and can become brittle after extended use at high temperatures. An international team led by Daoyong Cong at the University of Science and Technology Beijing, China, now report a technique for constructing robust shape-memory alloys from low-cost metals. The team’s approach uses controlled quenching and drawing to produce nickel–manganese–iron–gallium microwires with large crystal grain sizes. Because each crystal grain spans the cross-section of the microwire, the alloys feature fewer points where stress fractures are likely to occur during shape transformations. The microwires demonstrated recoverable strain values nearly triple that of platinum-based alloys at temperatures up to 500 °C.A high-performance, cost-effective high-temperature intelligent microwire with exceptional combination of superb superelasticity, outstanding one-way shape memory effect, and remarkable two-way shape memory effect is designed with the concept of creating oligocrystalline structure with bamboo-like grains. This microwire shows tremendous potential for applications as intelligent components at elevated temperatures, especially in miniature devices, such as high-temperature microelectromechanical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generative adversarial networks are an emerging technique with wide applications in machine learning, which have achieved dramatic success in a number of challenging tasks including image and video generation. When equipped with quantum processors, their quantum counterparts—called quantum generative adversarial networks (QGANs)—may even exhibit exponential advantages in certain machine learning applications. Here, we report an experimental implementation of a QGAN using a programmable superconducting processor, in which both the generator and the discriminator are parameterized via layers of single- and two-qubit quantum gates. The programmed QGAN runs automatically several rounds of adversarial learning with quantum gradients to achieve a Nash equilibrium point, where the generator can replicate data samples that mimic the ones from the training set. Our implementation is promising to scale up to noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices, thus paving the way for experimental explorations of quantum advantages in practical applications with near-term quantum technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium carbonate is promising thermochemical heat storage material for next-generation solar power systems due to its high energy storage density, low cost, and high operation temperature. Researchers have tried to improve energy storage performances of calcium carbonate recently, but most researches focus on powders, which are not suitable for scalable applications. Here, novel granular porous calcium carbonate particles with very high solar absorptance, energy storage density, abrasive resistances, and energy storage rate are proposed for direct solar thermochemical heat storage. The average solar absorptance is improved by 234% compared with ordinary particles. Both cycle stability and abrasive resistances are excellent with almost no decay of energy storage density over 25 cycles nor apparent particle weight loss over 24 h of continuous operation insides a planetary ball mill. In addition, the decomposition temperature is reduced by 2.8%–5.6% while the reaction rate of heat storage is enhanced by 80%–205% depending on the CO2 partial pressure. The decomposition process of doped granular porous CaCO3 particles is found to involve three overlapping processes. This work provides new routes to achieve scalable direct solar thermochemical heat storage for next-generation high-temperature solar power systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The craton is a long-lived stable geologic unit on the Earth's surface. However, since the Mesozoic, the North China Craton (NCC) experienced large-scale lithospheric removal, the fundamental change of physical and chemical characteristics of the lithospheric mantle, widely distributed crustal deformation, and extensive magmatism. This complex evolution contrary to other cratons is called the NCC destruction. Widespread magmatism in the eastern NCC is an important response to the lithospheric removal at depth and crustal deformation on the surface. The plutons emplace under a tectonic context and therefore record the information of the tectonics; especially, the anisotropy magnetic susceptibility (AMS) pattern of the pluton was acquired with the influence of regional stress. In the past fifteen years, about 22 plutons intruding during the different periods from the Late Triassic to the late stage of the Early Cretaceous have been studied with AMS. The emplacement mechanisms of plutons and the contemporary tectonic setting were discussed to constrain their relationship with the NCC destruction in different stages of magmatism. As a result, the Late Triassic, Early Jurassic, and Late Jurassic plutons exhibit consistent N(E)-S(W) trending magnetic lineations. The early stage of Early Cretaceous plutons display NW-SE trending magnetic lineations, while the late stage of Early Cretaceous plutons show magnetic lineations with various orientations. Combined with previous studies, it is concluded that the emplacements of the plutons intruding in these three stages were controlled by weak N(E)-S(W) trending extension, regional NW-SE trending extension, and weak extension in the shallow crustal level, respectively. The transformation of regional extension from the N(E)-S(W) to the NW-SE direction was accompanied by a strain-increasing tendency. The extensional tectonics in the eastern NCC was interpreted to represent the interaction between Mongol-Okhotsk belt, Paleo-Pacific plate, and eastern Eurasian continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orthogonal experiments were used to simulate the enrofloxacin (ENR) elimination dynamic in deeper water of aquaculture. Two factors at values common in fishery water (temperature of 20°C, 25°C, and 30°C; pH of 5, 7, and 9) were studied. The degradation of ENR in the nine treatment groups ranged from 44.7 to 80.1%. Variance analysis indicated that pH had a strong impact on the elimination of ENR, while temperature changes showed little effect. The ENR removal rate was highest at a combination of 25°C and pH 5. The optimal conditions of eliminating ENR were performed for exploring the generation of ciprofloxacin (CIP), which indicated that higher ENR concentrations led to the production of greater amounts of CIP. The half-time of ENR was increased 2.02-times in the ENR concentrations increasing from 20 to 2000 ng/mL. This study could increase our understanding of the behaviors of ENR and CIP during the aquaculture process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RecurIndex, a multigene profiling assay, can predict the risk of local recurrence and distant metastasis in female breast cancer (FBC), but its role in male breast cancer (MBC) remains unclear. In this study, the clinicopathological data of 43 consecutive MBC patients undergoing surgeries between 2009 and 2018 were retrospectively analysed. Their paraffin-embedded tissue sections were examined by RecurIndex test which comprised 2 models: recurrence index for local recurrence (RI-LR) and recurrence index for distant recurrence (RI-DR). Of 43 patients, there were 26 low-risk and 17 high-risk patients assessed by RI-LR, while 17 low-risk and 26 high-risk patients by RI-DR. For RI-LR, tumor N stage showed statistically significant (P < 0.001) between low- and high-risk patients; for RI-DR, differences were pronounced in tumor grade (P = 0.033), T stage (P = 0.043) and N stage (P = 0.003). In terms of clinical outcomes, the overall survival (OS) of low- and high-risk patients stratified by RI-LR showed no statistically significant differences (P = 0.460), while high-risk patients identified by RI-DR had a significantly worse distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) (P = 0.035), progression-free survival (PFS) (P = 0.019) and OS (P = 0.044) than low-risk patients. Overall, RI-DR can effectively predict the DRFS, PFS and OS of MBC patients and identify those at low risk of recurrence, which may serve as a potential prognostic tool for MBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effect of chiral pesticide fenvalerate (FV) on the micro-ecological environment of aquaculture pond sediment, we used an indoor static experiment to observe the effects of FV added at different concentrations with different chiral isomers on the changes in the sediment bacterial community. The 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing technique was used to conduct sequencing and analysis of the bacterial community structure as well as changes in aquaculture pond sediments after 4 weeks of cultivation. The results showed that the microbial alpha diversity indices (Sobs and Shannon indices) of the treated groups were significantly lower than those of the control group after 4 weeks (P < 0.05), and the values in the high-concentration group were significantly lower than those of the low-concentration group (P < 0.05). In terms of bacterial group composition, the proportion of abundance of Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria in the treated groups were greater than in the control group after 4 weeks, while the proportion of abundance of Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia were lower. In the high-concentration FV treatment group, the proportion of abundance of Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Nitrospinae, unclassified_k_norank, Ignavibacteriae, and Nitrospirae were significantly different from those of the other groups (P < 0.05). Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and ANONISIM/Adonis analysis showed that the cis-enantiomer had a stronger effect on the bacterial community as the concentration of FV increased. In addition, the linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) results revealed differences in the level of enrichment of bacterial groups caused by FV at different concentrations and isomer levels. Collectively, this study showed that FV residue has a pronounced effect on bacterial communities in sediment, which becomes more significant with increasing exposure concentration. The effects of the cis- and trans-enantiomers of FV on the sediment environment are different; the cis-enantiomer has a stronger effect on the bacterial community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish populations have declined in many estuarine and freshwater ecosystems in part due to the loss of habitat in recent decades. Reconstructing lost habitat for larvae fish is a potential method for recovering larvae fish populations. Three-dimensional artificial floating wetlands (AFWs) on which Phragmites australis was planted were experimentally deployed to recover the lost habitat in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary from May to July 2018. The AFW area was characterized by slow velocity, high transparency, low dissolved oxygen, and relatively constant water temperature. The total individuals of larvae fish in the AFW area (12 122 in total) was higher than that in the non-AFW area (1 250 in total), and the densities of most larvae fish species were higher in the AFW habitat than in the non-AFW area. The distributions of larvae fish species were positively influenced by habitat type because they were strongly related to the negative part of the first axis of the redundancy analysis, and Cyprinus carpio and Cyprinus auratus were inclined to habitat in the slow velocity and high transparency AFW habitat area. These results indicate that larvae fish species are inclined to inhabit the AFW habitat. The use of three-dimensional P. australis AFWs would be a potential method for enhancing the habitat of larvae fish in the degraded habitats along the estuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of Chinese mitten crabs for human consumption is controversial due to their uptake of heavy metals, such as cadmium (Cd). We developed a formula for quantification of benefit and risk assessment (hazard quotient) for the intake of a product containing essential polyunsaturated fatty acids versus heavy metals. A total of 70 samples (2100 individuals) of crabs were collected from 6 representative basins in Jiangsu province to determine Cd levels. Cd levels ranged from 0.028 to 5.015 mg kg−1, and the levels among the basin regions were similar (p > 0.05). To determine the nutritional differences between crabs fed with iced trash fish and formulated feed, we conducted a comparative aquaculture experiment. We simulated the cultivation conditions of crabs in China and found that the nutritional content in the trash fish group (28.724 ± 2.301 mg kg−1) was significantly higher than in the formulated food group (19.278 ± 3.556 mg kg−1; p < 0.05). The differences in the hazard quotient of benefit and risk balance between these two diets were not significant (p > 0.05). The average hazard quotient of iced trash fish feed culture was 0.023 ± 0.019, compared with the formulated feed culture (0.034 ± 0.028). Formulated feed and iced trash fish produce similar results as culture food for the Chinese mitten crab. In terms of cadmium exposure risk, the appropriate daily consumption of crabs is less than eight. These data can help justify culture using formulated food and the sustainable development of the Chinese mitten crab industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Soil respiration (Rs) is expected to positively feedback to climate warming. The strength of this feedback is uncertain as numerous environmental factors, such as precipitation and soil moisture, can moderate the warming response of Rs. Methods: We combined seven-year Rs measurements in a warming experiment in the Tibetan alpine grassland with a meta-analysis on grassland warming experiments globally to investigate how precipitation and soil moisture influences the warming response of Rs. We further analyzed the warming responses of heterotrophic (Rh) and autotrophic (Ra) components of Rs. Results: Warming enhanced growing-season Rs in the wet years but decreased it in the dry years in the field experiment at the Tibetan grassland. Precipitation modulated the warming responses of growing-season Rs via Rh, but not Ra. Consistent with the field experiment, a positive relationship between precipitation and the warming response of growing-season Rs was also observed in the global-scale meta-analysis on grassland warming experiments. Conclusions: Precipitation influences the warming effects on Rs and could result in variation in warming response of Rs across years and experimental systems. Empirical functions provided by this study could be used to reduce the uncertainty in predicting Rs in a warmer future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the concrete slope protection projects conducted around urban rivers in many megalopolises, increased attention has been paid to fish biodiversity losses accompanying urban development. Hatchery technology is a promising method for restoring fisheries where spawning substrates are degraded and/or lacking. In the current study, a Phragmites australis stereo artificial floating wetland (SAFW) was constructed in an urban river (Tuanwang River, Shanghai), and palm sheets were laid under the SAFW frame to imitate the spawning grounds for phytophilous fish. Fish species with five spawning types were distinguished from nineteen fish species in the study area. After viscid eggs were found to be attached to the palm sheets, the eggs were distinguished by the subunit of the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase I gene. All of the eggs belonged to six fish species: Culter ilishaeformis, Cyprinus carpio, Cyprinus auratus, Cultrichthys erythropterus, Rhodeus sinensis, and Hemiculter leucisculus. Cyprinus auratus and Cyprinus carpio accounted for the vast majority, and the number of these species was significantly greater than that of the other species. Dissolved oxygen and light intensity at the water surface were significantly higher than those at the deep water sites (p < 0.05), and all viscid eggs were inclined to be distributed at water depths of -0.5 and − 1.5 m. The results of redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that both water depth and dissolved oxygen were the main environmental variables in all spawning periods. The current study suggested that the relatively inexpensive P. australis SAFW was a useful hatchery technology for creating spawning grounds for phytophilous fish in urban rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza A virus (IAV), influenza B virus (IBV), enterovirus 71 (EV71), and coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16) are common pathogens for viral infection in children. In order to investigate the epidemiology of these four viral infections in the central region of Zhejiang province, China, 10,638 respiratory secretion samples previously tested for IAV and IBV, and 6427 whole blood samples previously tested for EV71 and CVA16 detection were analyzed retrospectively. The present data shows that viral infections with these four viruses featured with distinct seasonal patterns. Both IAV and IBV infections more frequently occurred in winter, while infections with the two enteroviruses peaked in summer with high positive rates in other months. The most susceptible ages for IAV, IBV, EV71, and CVA16 were 2–7 years old, 4–6 years old, 1–3 years old, and 1–2 years old, respectively. It was recommended that children in the central region of Zhejiang Province should be vaccinated for influenza by the end of October every year, especially between the ages of 2 and 7 years old and children in age from 1 to 3 years old should be paid more attention all year round for EV71 and CVA16 infection. Moreover, the female gender appeared to be a risk factor only for IBV infection, while CVA16 inflicted more infection in young children. This study revealed that season, age, and gender should be taken into consideration when devising vaccination schedules for children in the central region of Zhejiang. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: OsGhd7 gene was discovered by screening our rice activation tagging population. CRISPR–Cas9 created knockouts of OsGhd7 conferred early flowering and early maturity in rice varieties across multiple geographical locations in China. Our research shows that OsGhd7 is a good target for breeding early maturity rice varieties, and an excellent example of the advantages of applying the CRISPR–Cas9 technology for trait improvement. Flowering time (heading date) is an important trait for crop cultivation and yield. In this study, we discovered a late flowering gene OsGhd7 by screening our rice activation tagging population, and demonstrated that overexpression of OsGhd7 delayed flowering time in rice, and the delay in flowering time depended on the transgene expression level. OsGhd7 is a functional allele of the Ghd7 gene family; knockouts of OsGhd7 generated by CRISPR–Cas9 significantly accelerated flowering time and the earliness of the flowering time depended on field location. The homozygous OsGhd7 knockout lines showed approximately 8, 10, and 20 days earlier flowering than controls at three different locations in China (Changsha City, Sanya City, and Beijing City, respectively) that varied from 18.25° N to 39.90° N. Furthermore, knockouts of OsGhd7 also showed an early flowering phenotype in different rice varieties, indicating OsGhd7 can be used as a common target gene for using the CRISPR technology to modulate rice flowering time. The importance of OsGhd7 and CRISPR technology for breeding early maturity rice varieties are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]