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This paper proposes a segmentation-based global optimization method for depth estimation. Firstly, for obtaining accurate matching cost, the original local stereo matching approach based on self-adapting matching window is integrated with two matching cost optimization strategies aiming at handling both borders and occlusion regions. Secondly, we employ a comprehensive smooth term to satisfy diverse smoothness request in real scene. Thirdly, a selective segmentation term is used for enforcing the plane trend constraints selectively on the corresponding segments to further improve the accuracy of depth results from object level. Experiments on the Middlebury image pairs show that the proposed global optimization approach is considerably competitive with other state-of-the-art matching approaches.

Abstract Temporal information in event streams plays a critical role in event‐based video frame interpolation as it provides temporal context cues complementary to images. Most previous event‐based methods first transform the unstructured event data to structured data formats through voxelisation, and then employ advanced CNNs to extract temporal information. However, voxelisation inevitably leads to information loss, and processing the sparse voxels introduces severe computation redundancy. To address these limitations, this study proposes a point‐image fusion network (PIFNet). In our PIFNet, rich temporal information from the events can be directly extracted at the point level. Then, a fusion module is designed to fuse complementary cues from both points and images for frame interpolation. Extensive experiments on both synthetic and real datasets demonstrate that our PIFNet achieves state‐of‐the‐art performance with high efficiency.

Abstract A direct strategy to achieve specific treatments and reduce side effects is through cell type‐specific drug delivery. Exosomes (Exos) can be modified with folic acid (FA) to prepare drug delivery systems targeting tumor cells that highly express FA receptors. This study aimed to produce an exo drug delivery system with FA decoration and temozolomide (TMZ) loading to improve the sustained TMZ release and targeting. We used DSPE‐PEG2000‐FA to modify exos derived from astrocyte U‐87 to prepare FA‐modified exos (Astro‐exo‐FA). TMZ was encapsulated into Astro‐exo‐FA or Astro‐exo through electroporation to produce TMZ@Astro‐exo and TMZ@Astro‐exo‐FA. In vitro drug release was examined using the dialysis bag method. Through cell experiments in vitro and mouse glioma models in vivo, the effect of TMZ@Astro‐exo‐FA on U‐87 cells was determined. Exo properties were not affected by FA modification and TMZ loading. The drug release rate of TMZ@Astro‐exo‐FA was slower. TMZ@Astro‐exo‐FA uptake by U‐87 cells was higher compared to TMZ@Astro‐exo, indicating that TMZ@Astro‐exo‐FA has a stronger targeting toward U‐87 cells. TMZ@Astro‐exo‐FA remarkably reduced U‐87 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion compared with TMZ@Astro‐exo and free TMZ. Treatment with TMZ@Astro‐exo‐FA reduced the side effects of TMZ (minimal change in body weight), prolonged survival, and inhibited tumor growth in mouse glioma models, and its efficacy was stronger than that of TMZ@Astro‐exo and free TMZ. TMZ@Astro‐exo‐FA could enhance the effect of TMZ against glioma, providing novel ideas for drug targeting delivery and exploring exos as drug carriers against glioma.

Objectives Osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) are a critical public health concern requiring urgent attention, and severe OVFs impose substantial health and economic burdens on patients and society. Analysis of the risk factors for severe OVF is imperative to actively prevent the occurrence of this degenerative disorder. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors associated with the severity of OVF, with a specific focus on changes in the paraspinal muscles. Methods A total of 281 patients with a first‐time single‐level acute OVF between January 2016 and January 2023 were enrolled in the study. Clinical and radiological data were collected and analyzed. The cross‐sectional area (CSA) and degree of fatty infiltration (FI) of the paraspinal muscles, including the multifidus muscles (MFMs), erector spinae muscles (ESMs), and psoas major muscles (PSMs), were measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the L4/5 intervertebral discs. According to the classification system of osteoporotic fractures (OF classification) and recommended treatment plan, OVFs were divided into a low‐grade OF group and a high‐grade OF group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyse s were performed to identify risk factors associated with the severity of OVF. Results Ninety‐eight patients were included in the low‐grade OF group, and 183 patients were included in the high‐grade OF group. Univariate analysis revealed a significantly higher incidence of a high degree of FI of MFMs (OR = 1.71, p = 0.002) and ESMs (OR = 1.56, p = 0.021) in the high‐grade OF group. Further multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that a high degree of FI of the MFMs (OR = 1.71, p = 0.002) is an independent risk factor for the severity of OVF. Conclusion A high degree of FI of the MFMs was identified as an independent risk factor for the severity of OVF. Decreasing the degree of FI in the MFMs might lower the incidence of the severity of OVF, potentially reducing the necessity for surgical intervention in OVF patients.

Abstract Exfoliation of 2D non‐Van der Waals (non‐vdW) semiconductor nanoplates (NPs) from inorganic analogs presents many challenges ahead for further exploring of their advanced applications on account of the strong bonding energies. In this study, the exfoliation of ultrathin 2D non‐vdW chromium sulfide (2D Cr2S3) by means of a combined facile liquid‐phase exfoliation (LPE) method is successfully demonstrated. The morphology and structure of the 2D Cr2S3 material are systematically examined. Magnetic studies show an obvious temperature‐dependent uncompensated antiferromagnetic behavior of 2D Cr2S3. The material is further loaded on TiO2 nanorod arrays to form an S‐scheme heterojunction. Experimental measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm that the formed TiO2@Cr2S3 S‐scheme heterojunction facilitates the separation and transmission of photo‐induced electron/hole pairs, resulting in a significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity in the visible region.

Abstract To ensure compositional consistency while mitigating potential immunogenicity for stem cell therapy, synthetic scaffolds have emerged as compelling alternatives to native extracellular matrix (ECM). Substantial progress has been made in emulating specific natural traits featuring consistent chemical compositions and physical structures. However, recapitulating the dynamic responsiveness of the native ECM involving chemical transitions and physical remodeling during differentiation, remains a challenging endeavor. Here, the creation of adaptive scaffolds is demonstrated through sequential protein‐instructed molecular assembly, utilizing stage‐specific proteins, and incorporating in situ assembly technique. The procedure is commenced by introducing a dual‐targeting peptide at the onset of stem cell differentiation. In response to highly expressed integrins and heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) on human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC), the peptides assembled in situ, creating customized extracellular scaffolds that adhered to hMSCs promoting osteoblast differentiation. As the expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and collagen (COL‐1) increased in osteoblasts, an additional peptide is introduced that interacts with ALP, initiating peptide assembly and facilitating calcium phosphate (CaP) deposition. The growth and entanglement of peptide assemblies with collagen fibers efficiently incorporated CaP into the network resulting in an adaptive biphasic scaffold that enhanced healing of bone injuries.

Abstract Pain, a comorbidity of anxiety disorders, causes substantial clinical, social, and economic burdens. Emerging evidence suggests that propofol, the most commonly used general anesthetic, may regulate psychological disorders; however, its role in pain‐associated anxiety is not yet described. This study investigates the therapeutic potential of a single dose of propofol (100 mg kg−1) in alleviating pain‐associated anxiety and examines the underlying neural mechanisms. In acute and chronic pain models, propofol decreased anxiety‐like behaviors in the elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field (OF) tests. Propofol also reduced the serum levels of stress‐related hormones including corticosterone, corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH), and norepinephrine. Fiber photometry recordings indicated that the calcium signaling activity of CRH neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVNCRH) is reduced after propofol treatment. Interestingly, artificially activating PVNCRH neurons through chemogenetics interfered with the anxiety‐reducing effects of propofol. Electrophysiological recordings indicated that propofol decreases the activity of PVNCRH neurons by increasing spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs). Further, reducing the levels of γ‐aminobutyric acid type A receptor β3 (GABAAβ3) subunits in PVNCRH neurons diminished the anxiety‐relieving effects of propofol. In conclusion, this study provides a mechanistic and preclinical rationale to treat pain‐associated anxiety‐like behaviors using a single dose of propofol.

Abstract Patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA‐HNSCC) have poor survival outcomes. The real‐world efficacy of nimotuzumab plus intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT)‐based chemoradiotherapy in patients with LA‐HNSCC remains unclear. A total of 25,442 HNSCC patients were screened, and 612 patients were matched by propensity score matching (PSM) (1:1). PSM was utilized to balance known confounding factors. Patients who completed at least five doses of nimotuzumab were identified as study group. The primary end point was 3‐year overall survival (OS) rate. Log‐rank test examined the difference between two survival curves and Cloglog transformation test was performed to compare survival at a fixed time point. The median follow‐up time was 54.2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 52.7–55.9) months. The study group was associated with improved OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.57–0.99, p = 0.038) and progression‐free survival (PFS) (HR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.58–0.96, p = 0.021). Subgroup analysis revealed that aged 50–60 year, IV, N2, radiotherapy dose ≥ 60 Gy, without previous surgery, and neoadjuvant therapy have a trend of survival benefit with nimotuzumab. Nimotuzumab showed favorable safety, only 0.2% had nimotuzumab‐related severe adverse events. Our study indicated the nimotuzumab plus chemoradiotherapy provides survival benefits and safety for LA‐HNSCC patients in an IMRT era.

Abstract Blueberry juice is one of deep‐processed products of blueberries, anthocyanins are main bioactive substance in blueberry juice. However, anthocyanins have poor stability. Thermal, high pressure, electric field, magnetic field and cobalt source irradiation were used to treat blueberry juice, and then the treated blueberry juice composition and antioxidant capacity were determined to explore ways to better protect anthocyanins. Metabolomics was used to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the anthocyanins in blueberry juice, a total of 54 anthocyanins were identified. Different processing methods of treatment did not significantly change the types of anthocyanins in blueberry juice. Their effects were mainly focused on the changes in content. By determining the antioxidant capacity of blueberry juice, it was found that there is more than a simple linear relationship between the total anthocyanin content of blueberry juice and its antioxidant capacity. Therefore, the structural parameters of the four main anthocyanin monomers of blueberry juice were calculated using density functional theory to predict the antioxidant capacity and the antioxidant capacity of the monomers was determined for validation. The effect of different treatments on the change of antioxidant activity of blueberry juice due to anthocyanin occupancy was explained using equivalent antioxidant. The results showed that the 1 kGy irradiation treatment had a better protective effect on the anthocyanins, whereas the change in the percentage of anthocyanins due to this treatment was the key factor for the change in their antioxidant capacity.

Background. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory disease. Currently, no specific treatment strategy has been established; therefore, finding new treatment methods is essential. Clinically, Shenqi Huatan Decoction (SQHT) is a traditional Chinese medicinal formula for COPD treatment; however, its mechanism of action in treatment needs to be clarified. Methods. The COPD rat model was replicated by cigarette smoking and tracheal injection using the LPS method. The control group and the SQHT groups were treated with dexamethasone and SQHT by gavage, respectively. After treatment, superoxide dismutase (SOD) serum levels, total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), lipid peroxidation, and malondialdehyde (MDA) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Activated protein kinase alpha (AMPK-α), forkhead transcription factor O3a (FOXO3a), manganese SOD (MnSOD), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) were detected using reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot. Microribonucleic acid and protein expression levels were measured, and pathological changes in lung tissue were observed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results. The pathological findings suggested that SQHT substantially affects COPD treatment by enhancing alveolar fusion and reducing emphysema. ELISA results showed that SQHT could lower the blood levels of MDA and lipid peroxide and raise SOD and TAOC levels, suggesting that it could lessen oxidative stress. In the lung tissue of rats with COPD, large doses of SQHT intervention dramatically increased AMPK protein expression, AMPK-α, FOXO3a, MnSOD, and PPARγ, indicating that SQHT may reduce oxidative stress by activating the PPARγ-mediated AMPK/FOXO3a signaling pathway. Similar results were obtained using RT-qPCR. Conclusion. SQHT is effective for COPD treatment. The mechanism of action may be related to the activation of the PPARγ-mediated AMPK/FOXO3a signaling pathway to improve oxidative stress in lung tissue.

Abstract Fluorescent analysis of bone provides valuable insights into bone structures. However, conventional dyes suffer from low specificity on bone tissue, small stokes shift, short fluorescent lifetime, and aggregation‐caused quenching effect, which result in low efficacy and artifacts. In this work, we design an aggregation‐induced emission (AIE)‐active iridium(III) complex (Ir‐BP2) as a highly selective, convenient, nondestructiveness, and dual‐mode staining agent for bone analysis. Ir‐BP2 containing phosphonate groups selectively binds to hydroxyapatites, the main component of bone matrix, and exhibits turn‐on AIE phosphorescence with prolonged lifetime. Ir‐BP2 exhibits promising biosafety and offers higher accuracy in staining calcium deposits than conventional Alizarin Red S staining assay when it is employed in real‐time monitoring of osteogenesis differentiation process. A ready‐to‐use staining spray of Ir‐BP2 is fabricated. By using fluorescent imaging and lifetime imaging, Ir‐BP2 staining provides valuable insights into bone microstructure analysis, microdamage diagnosis, and bone growth state identification. Further, Ir‐BP2 is successfully applied on a human spine vertebra for diagnosing bone invasiveness of eosinophilic granuloma, validating its clinical practice. This work presents a powerful tool in bone analysis and will lead to new approaches for the diagnosis and treatment of bone‐related diseases.

Abstract Background This study aimed to examine the treatment and prognosis of patients with type B2 + B3 thymoma and compare it with those patients with type B2 and B3 thymoma. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of the results of 39 patients with type B2 + B3 thymoma, 133 patients with type B2 thymoma, and 64 patients with type B3 thymoma. The Kaplan–Meier technique was used to generate survival curves. For multivariate analysis, the Cox proportional hazard model was applied. Results With a median follow‐up of 60 months (range: 1–128 months), the percentage of patients with tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) stage III and IV disease gradually increased from 19.5% to 25.6% to 35.9% among those with histological subtypes B2, B2 + B3, and B3, respectively, p = 0.045. Twenty‐three patients experienced recurrence or metastasis. The total 10‐year progression‐free survival (PFS) rates were 86.0% overall (85.0% in type B2, 87.2% in type B2 + B3, and 87.5% in type B3). Age, R0 resection, and Masaoka–Koga stage were found to have a significant on PFS in all patients. There was no statistically significant difference in PFS between different histotypes of thymoma, p = 0.650. PFS was predicted by R0 resection in all histotypes and by the Masaoka–Koga stage in the type B2 subgroup. Conclusion Combining the two staging methods to guide the diagnosis and treatment of patients with B2 + B3 thymoma is recommended. R0 resection is recommended to reduce recurrence. Patients with B2 + B3 thymoma have a prognosis similar to those with a B2 thymoma or a B3 thymoma alone.

Abstract Aims Copy number variant‐sequencing (CNV‐seq) and exome sequencing (ES) have been used as powerful tools in understanding the role of genetic variants in congenital heart diseases (CHDs). A few previous large cohort studies have utilized CNV‐seq and ES to investigate prenatally diagnosed CHD. Here, we sought to determine the value of CNV‐seq and ES for genetic evaluation of foetal CHDs. Methods and results We recruited 398 pregnant women diagnosed with CHDs between 8 January 2017 and 30 November 2020. CNV‐seq and ES were performed on foetal and parent samples. CHD cases were classified following the guidelines of the International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code and the Tenth and Eleventh Revisions of the International Classification of Diseases. Data on aneuploids (AUP), pathogenic CNVs (pCNVs), and single nucleotide variants (SNVs) were collected and compared, following appropriate procedures. We identified genetic abnormalities in 129 (32.41%) foetuses. These abnormalities included AUP (10.80%), pCNVs (13.32%), and SNVs (8.04%). ES analysis yielded higher SNVs in cases without AUP or pCNVs. Non‐isolated CHDs were associated with higher genetic abnormalities than isolated CHDs, mainly due to AUP differences between the two groups. The prevalence of genetic defects was the highest in foetuses with atrioventricular septal defects (AVSD), left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO), and conotruncal defects (CTD). AVSD and anomalies of atrioventricular junctions and valves were associated with AUP abnormalities. CTD, anomalies of extrapericardial arterial trunks, and anomalies of the ventricular outflow tracts were the most common CHD categories diagnosed using CNVs. The most common CHDs associated with single ventricle (SV) abnormalities were heterotaxy (Hex) (14.89%), LVOTO (14.58%), and ventricular septal defect (VSD) (26.67%, 4/15). Although the ES yields were higher than CNV‐seq for VSD (44.4%, 4/9), LVOTO (20%, 7/35), Hex (14.89%, 7/47), and CTD (9.1%, 11/121), its diagnostic yield did not increase for SV (6.7%, 1/15), AVSD (3.8%, 1/26), or right ventricular obstruction defects (2.6%, 1/38). The most common mutations were observed in KMT2D, CHD7, and NOTCH1. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the largest cohort study to investigate the incidence of SNVs using ES in foetal CHD. CNV‐seq and ES identified genetic abnormalities in nearly 1/3 of foetal CHD cases. Thus, CNV‐seq and ES can provide clinically relevant information for pregnancy management.

Abstract This case study aimed to identify rare viral myocarditis combined with encephalitis as a COVID‐19 vaccine complication. A 59‐year‐old male patient with a 2 day history of headache and rapidly progressive cognitive decline, who had received the third dose of COVID‐19 vaccine 12 days before, was admitted to our hospital. The patient had no underlying systemic conditions, no prior medical history, and no prior history of COVID‐19 infection. The patient was diagnosed with viral myocarditis and encephalitis by two neurologists and two cardiologists after laboratory examination, head computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging evaluation. The patient experienced cardiogenic shock and developed severe arrhythmia, resulting in his death 10 h after admission. Clinically suspected lethal viral myocarditis combined with encephalitis in the patient could be related to COVID‐19 vaccination. Adverse effects of the Chinese COVID‐19 vaccine, especially serious complications, have been uncommon. This case study highlights a rare complication after COVID‐19 vaccination that needs high attention.

Abstract The safety problems encountered with lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) hinder their development for practical applications. Herein, a highly thermally conductive separator was constructed by cross‐weaving super‐aligned carbon nanotubes (SA‐C) on super‐aligned boron nitride@carbon nanotubes (SA‐BC) to create a composite film (SA‐BC/SA‐C). This separator was used to fabricate safe LSBs with improved electrochemical performance. The highly aligned separator structure created a uniform thermal field that could rapidly dissipate heat accumulated during continuous operation due to internal resistance, which prevented the development of extremely high temperatures. The array of boron nitride nanosheets endowed the composite separator with a large number of adsorption sites, while the highly graphitized carbon nanotube skeleton accelerated the catalytic conversion of high‐valence polysulfides into low‐valence polysulfides. The arrayed molecular brush design enabled the regulation of local current density and ion flux, and considerably alleviated the growth of lithium dendrites, thus promoting the smooth deposition of Li metal. Consequently, a battery constructed with the SA‐BC/SA‐C separator showed a good discharge capacity of 685.2 mAh g−1 over 300 cycles (a capacity decay of 0.026% per cycle) at 2 C and 60°C. This “three‐in‐one” multifunctional separator design strategy constitutes a new path forward for overcoming the safety problems of LSBs.

Abstract In the process of electrical equipment detection based on deep learning, insufficient image samples of the target equipment will lead to detection failure. To solve this problem, an object detection network and two‐stage fine‐tuning approach based on You Only Look Once (YOLO)v4 is proposed in this paper to achieve image recognition of electrical equipment under the condition of small samples. Using the two‐stage and dual‐network method as the training strategy, the data‐rich base class samples are used to train the sample classifier based on the modified cosine similarity in the base class training stage, and the fine‐tuning is carried out in the small sample new class training stage. In the training part, the improved Retinanet network is used for coarse detection and the YOLOv4 network with Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) attentional mechanism module is inserted for fine detection. The experimental results show that the average accuracy of the proposed method under the settings of 5‐shot, 10‐shot, and 30‐shot is 31.6%, 34.3%, and 52.8%, respectively, which greatly improves the ability of electrical equipment identification under the condition of few‐shot.

Abstract The spatial and spectral information contained in the hyperspectral image (HSI) make it widely used in many fields. However, the sharp increase of HSI data brings enormous pressure to the data storage and real‐time transmission. The research shows that hyperspectral compressive sensing (HCS) breaks through the bottleneck of the Nyquist sampling theorem, which can relieve the massive pressure on data storage and real‐time transmission. Existing HCS methods try to design advanced compression sampling matrix or reconstruction algorithms, but cannot connect the two through a unified framework. To further improve the image reconstruction quality, a novel codec space‐spectrum joint dense residual network (CDS2‐DResN) is proposed. The CDS2‐DResN is divided into block compression sampling part and reconstruction part. For block compression sampling, coded convolutional layer (CCL) is leveraged to compress and sample HSI. For measurements reconstruction, deconvolution layer is first leveraged to initially reconstruct HSI, and then build a space‐spectrum joint network to refine the initial reconstructed HSI. Moreover, the CCL and reconstruction network are optimized via a unified framework, which can simplify the pre‐processing and post‐processing process of HCS. Extensive experiments have shown that CDS2‐DResN has an excellent HCS reconstruction effect at measurement rates 0.25, 0.10, 0.04 and 0.01, respectively.

Abstract Wind speed prediction has an important impact on the planning, economic operation and safe maintenance of wind power systems. However, the high volatility and intermittency of wind speed make it difficult to predict accurately. To improve the prediction accuracy, we developed a hybrid multistep wind speed prediction model named EWP‐CS‐RELM. In this model, a secondary decomposition technique of ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and wavelet packet transform (WPT) is used, and it is called the EWP decomposition technique. This decomposition technique can achieve an adaptive processing of the data and accurately extract the characteristic components of the signal, avoiding the occurrence of pattern overlap and reducing the mutual interference between components. At the same time, the high and low‐frequency parts of the complex signal (component) can be decomposed into different frequency bands, and the corresponding frequency band can be selected adaptively to match the signal spectrum. The subsequence obtained after EWP decomposition is then predicted using a regularised extreme learning machine (RELM) optimised by the cuckoo search (CS) algorithm with strong global search ability to obtain the results. The hybrid prediction model is validated using four seasons of wind speed data from two wind farms in Shandong, China, and compared with seven other prediction models. Simulation results illustrate that the EWP‐CS‐RELM model outperforms the other seven models with the smallest statistical errors.

The vibrating of concrete is one of the most important procedures that directly determines the quality of construction projects. The concrete vibration quality in field construction is mainly judged by the experience of workers, lacking quantitative indicators, and necessary supervision. However, the lack of research about concrete vibration quality led to these problems are still existing. There are some methods are proposed that are too difficult, or too expensive to use in field construction. Combined with the pouring project of Jianquan Pumped Storage Power Station in Yunyang, China, this research developed an intelligent detection system for concrete vibration time. The system took the convolutional neural network as the basic framework, and divided the concrete vibration process into three different states: vibrating, not vibrating, and no vibration tube, realized the concrete vibration time through the analysis of concrete vibration video data. The detection of concrete vibration process video with multiple stages in the actual project shows that the detection error of the system for each state is kept within 1 s, the accuracy is high, which can meet the quality management requirements of the construction process. The system can be quickly deployed to the construction site by using mobile phones, cameras, and other common equipment. It has the advantages of simple frame structure, low hardware requirements, and accurate detection results. In addition, the current system training process is only for the concrete pouring process of Jianquan Power Station, and the training sample can be further expanded in the future to enhance the applicability and accuracy of the system in other engineering applications in order to play a better role.

The harvest period of cultivated ginseng is generally 4–6 years. Ginseng flowers (GFs), the nonmedicinal parts, are usually removed every autumn, in which components are generally believed to stay unchanged with the increasing cultivation age. Recently, few documents were reported on the variation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other components about ginseng flowers. This study had an insight into the variation of the chemical constituents with the cultivation ages through the comparison of the volatile organic compounds, gross ginsenosides, crude polysaccharide, and gross proteins of ginseng flowers from 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-yr-old (GF3, GF4, GF5, and GF6) which were conducted by headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-QQQ/MS) and spectroscopic analysis combined with multivariate statistical analysis, including one-way ANOVA analysis and T test. The results indicated that the crude polysaccharide contents raised significantly depending on cultivation age except 6-yr-old, whereas the gross ginsenosides and the gross protein content were indistinctive. According to the peak intensity of determined VOCs, the contents of most differential compounds arranged in an order from high to low are GF3, GF4, GF5, and GF6, such as the compounds 2–15, 17–19, 22, and 25–26, therefore, they can be inferred that they are important markers to identify the age of GFs. 461 common differential compounds were gained and 26 common volatile organic compounds were identified with RSI >800 and RI and RIx no more than 30, including alcohols (such as 11, 12, and 15), sesquiterpenes (such as 2, 3, and 4), esters (such as 1 and 26), naphthalene and naphthol (such as 7 and 20), which had potential effects on curing Alzheimer’s disease, inflammatory diseases, and prostate cancer based on network pharmacology analysis. This paper firstly revealed the variation rules of constitutions of GFs, which may provide a reference for the harvest and making rational application.

Fuel consumption differs between the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and the conventional vehicle (CV). However, traditional fuel consumption models developed for CVs are commonly applied to HEVs, which leads to uncertainties in the quantitative evaluation of energy consumption for passenger cars in traffic road networks. Considering the internal combustion engine (ICE) operating modes of hybrid vehicles among varying vehicle specific power (VSP) demand, we present a method to incorporate the HEV ICE speed to develop speed-specific VSP distributions for real-world driving conditions. Using vehicle trajectory and fuel consumption data in real traffic conditions, the results of this study show that the application of methods developed for CVs leads to a significant underestimation of fuel consumption for HEVs when the average speed is in the high-speed range (over 50 km/h) and a significant overestimation of fuel consumption when the average speed is in the low-speed range (below 30 km/h). The average relative error of the measured fuel consumption factor in each speed bin is 7.1% compared with real-world observations, which is an unacceptably large error. This paper proposes a method to develop the speed-specific VSP distribution, considering whether the internal combustion engine (ICE) of HEVs is on or off. This approach reduces the average relative error of the obtained fuel consumption compared with real-world observations to 2.2%, and the measuring accuracy at different average speeds is significantly improved. This method enhances the functionality and applicability of the VSP theory-based traffic energy model for HEVs.

Abstract Background To investigate the clinical characteristics of metachronous second primary malignancies (Met‐SPMs) and its impact on prognosis in hypopharyngeal carcinoma (HPC). Methods We reviewed 593 newly diagnosed HPC patients without invasive synchronous SPMs (Syn‐SPMs) who were treated in our cancer center between 2009 and 2019. According to the status during follow‐up, patients were classified into three groups: (a) without SPMs (No‐SPMs, n = 440), (b) with tumors in situ in the esophagus or stomach (Tis, n = 80), or (c) with Met‐SPMs (n = 73). Results The median follow‐up time for entire cohort (n = 593) was 66.7 months. Met‐SPMs were present in 12.3% of the cohort (73/593). The predominant site of SPMs was esophagus, followed by lung, oral cavity, thyroid, stomach, and oropharynx. In Met‐SPMs group, both index tumor and SPMs were the main causes of death. Tis group exhibited comparable 5‐year overall survival (OS) and disease‐specific survival (DSS) with that of No‐SPMs group. The Met‐SPMs group had similar 5‐year OS rate and better 5‐year DSS rate of 47.3% versus 43.6% (odds ratio [OR], 0.931; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.681–1.274, p = 0.657) and 66.3% vs. 46.2% (OR, 0.600; 95% CI, 0.402–0.896, p = 0.012), respectively, compared with the No‐SPMs group. Conclusion The overall incidence of Met‐SPMs in HPC was 12.3%. The occurrence of Met‐SPMs does not jeopardize the survival outcome of HPC. Routine surveillance of Met‐SPMs was requisite for patients with HPC.

Abstract Transmission lines are affected by aeolian vibration, sandstorms and acid rain, which cause structural damage and eventually lead to line breaking accidents. In this paper, the structural health monitoring technology of conductors is researched, and a structural monitoring system for conductors is designed. First, based on the structure of the ACSR (Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced) conductor and the dynamic equation, the relation between the natural frequencies and the structure of the conductor is obtained. Then, an online health monitoring system of the conductor structure is proposed, and key issues, such as the power supply solution of sensors, data preprocessing technology, multiple‐sensor synchronization method, are analyzed in detail. Finally, the structural health monitoring of overhead transmission lines designed in this paper is tested on 110‐kV experimental transmission lines. The experimental results show that from the system proposed the operation parameters of the conductors can be well obtained.

Abstract Purpose Conditional survival (CS) and failure hazard estimations can provide important dynamic prognostic information for clinical decision‐making and surveillance counseling. The current study aimed to investigate the CS and dynamic failure hazard in non‐metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Methods Conditional overall survival (COS) and progression‐free survival (CPFS) estimates adjusted for age and gender against each AJCC 8th stage were calculated. Multivariable Cox regression (MCR) models were fitted in the entire population at baseline and subsequently separate MCR models were fitted in patients who have maintained event‐free time of 1 to 10 years to generate respective hazard ratio (HR). Annual hazard rates of death and progression over 10 years for each stage were also estimated. Results A total of 1993 patients were eligible for analysis. The estimated 5‐year OS and PFS for entire cohort were 79.0% and 70.7% at initial diagnosis. After 5 years of event‐free follow‐up, additional 5‐year COS and CPFS increased to 85.9% and 85.5%, respectively. Stage I/II maintained dramatically favorable CS and low hazard (< 5%) of death and progression over time. Relative to stage I/II, stage III manifested non‐significantly higher failure hazard for the first 3 years of survivorship and approached to similar level of stage I/II afterwards. Stage IVA presented most impressive improvement in terms of both COS (∆=9.8%) and CPFS (∆ = 16.8%) whereas still drastically inferior to that of stage I‐III across all conditional time points. After 4 years of follow‐up, progression hazard of stage IVA became relatively steady of approximate 6%. Conclusions Survival prospect of non‐metastatic NPC improves over years with distinct dynamic patterns across stages, providing important implications for personalized decision‐making in terms of both clinical management and surveillance counseling. Stage‐dependent and hazard‐adapted clinical management and surveillance are warranted.

Abstract Aims/Introduction To assess the efficacy and safety of metformin/sitagliptin‐based dual/triple therapy in elderly Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Materials and Methods This subgroup analysis included individuals aged ≥65 years from the STRATEGY study, a two‐stage study in which type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with unsatisfactory glycemic control on metformin were first treated with the dual combination of metformin and sitagliptin for 16 weeks (n = 681), and then, if glycemic control had not been achieved, were treated with a third add‐on oral antihyperglycemic drug for another 24 weeks (n = 291). The efficacy end‐point was change in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in each stage, and the safety end‐point was adverse events with a focus on hypoglycemia. Results At week 16, the change in HbA1c was −0.81% from baseline, and the percentages of patients who achieved HbA1c targets of

The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the key components of metro train safety as an emerging development approach due to its great potential to advance environmental sustainability. A bogie is a key component for carrying a passenger's vehicle body. Its damage and defects can destroy fluent operations and better service for train operation. The critical problem of traditional non‐destructive examination for bogie is the high cost of labour and environment. Because they are in effect only after the whole vehicle has to be split into many sub‐components and paint removed. This study provides an IoT approach and practice for bogie crack identification of bogie. The presented method can achieve simple and efficient detection of damage with cheap PZT sensor network. Its advantages is that non‐split work and non‐removal paint pollution. Compared with traditional detection methods, this method is more sensitive to a small area of internal damage and can identify the level of damage and location of the bogie plate frame even with the dirty and non‐smooth surface.

Shale gas plays a significant role in meeting the increasing demand of energy resources, which enables the exploration and exploitation of gas from shale reservoir to be emphasized gradually. Aiming to serve a more responsible and efficient shale gas development, for example, to guide the hydraulic/nonaqueous fracturing operation, this work organized a comprehensive assessment on the petrophysical characterization and gas accumulation of the Upper Ordovician Wufeng-Lower Silurian Longmaxi shale reservoir (abbreviated as WL shale). Results indicate that the WL shale in Well-YC4 contains three third-order sequences (SS1-lower WL, SS2-middle WL, and SS3-upper WL), and each sequence contains a transgressive system tract (TST) and a high-stand system tract (HST), according to the logging information. Meanwhile, the SS1, SS2, and SS3 experienced variable sedimentary environment—with different relatively oxygenic and hydrodynamics. And the bottom section (SS1 and SS2) has a soft great brittle index (BI) value than the upper section (SS3), suggesting the bottom WL shale is better suited for hydraulic fracturing than the upper section. Besides, the organic matter indicates the WL shale has a decent hydrocarbon generation ability, and the thermal evolution degree is also conducive to the full generation of shale gas. The gas content of WL shale ranges in the scope of 0.76 m3/t~2.38 m3/t, in which CH4 is the primary composition and occupies 95.51%~99.36%, and the content of heavy hydrocarbon gases is limited. Besides, the drying coefficient indicates the dry gas is the dominate molecular composition in the gas content of WL shale. Hopefully, this work is instructive to a certain extent for the researchers and engineers who are working on WL shale gas in Sichuan basin.

Background Sleep fragmentation induced by repetitive arousals is a hallmark of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Sleep fragmentation has been linked to hypertension in community‐based studies, but it is unclear if this association is manifest in OSA. We aimed to explore whether frequent arousals from sleep modify the relationship between OSA and prevalent hypertension. Methods and Results A total of 10 102 patients with OSA and 1614 primary snorers were included in the study. Hypertension was defined on either direct blood pressure measures or diagnosis by a physician. Spontaneous, respiratory, and movement arousals were derived by polysomnography. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations between arousals and prevalent hypertension in patients with OSA and primary snorers. For every 10‐unit increase of total arousal index, odds of hypertension significantly increased in both the total sample (odds ratio [OR], 1.08; 95% CI, 1.03–1.14; P=0.002) and patients with OSA (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.04–1.16; P

Abstract Background Lymph node (LN) metastasis status is the decision‐making basis for the surgical procedure and adjuvant therapy modalities. Fewer studies have previously focused on LN metastasis in N1 station, especially on peripheral lymph node (PLN) metastasis in N1 station. This study aimed to reveal the metastasis status of PLN of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and investigate its effects on N staging. Methods We retrospectively evaluated a consecutive series of patients who underwent curative resection for histologically confirmed N1 NSCLC. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to analyze the effects of PLN on N staging. Results A total of 105 patients with confirmed pathological N1 (pN1) stage NSCLC with solitary nodule and without neoadjuvant therapy were enrolled into the study: 55 patients had intraperipheral LN metastasis (IPLNM), and 50 patients had extra‐peripheral LN metastasis (EPLNM). Before PSM analysis, type of location (P = 0.002), surgical procedure (P = 0.008), number of positive LNs (P = 0.029), number of LNs removed (P = 0.010), lobe of lung cancer (P = 0.031), and vascular invasion (P = 0.049) showed significant differences between the two groups. After PSM analysis, statistically there were differences in type of location (P = 0.034), number of positive LNs (P = 0.008) and vascular invasion (P = 0.049) between them. Conclusion PLN metastasis was a quite common pattern of LN metastasis in N1 station of NSCLC. IPLNM occurred more frequently in central NSCLC and NSCLC with vascular invasion, and thoracotomy was likely to secure more accurate PLN staging. Clinicians should pay great attention to PLN dissection. Follow‐up data will be needed in order to detect the prognosis of IPLNM patients.

Abstract Background Increased attention has been focused on cancer immunity gene signature. However, the threshold of immune scores to predict disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in breast cancer has not yet been defined. This study aimed to explore the association of immune scores with prognosis and build a clinical nomogram to predict the survival of patients with breast cancer. Methods A total of 986 subjects were analyzed, and clinicopathological characteristics and immune scores were obtained from the TCGA database. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs). Based on results of multivariate analysis, nomograms were built. The models were subjected to bootstrap internal validation. The predictive accuracy and discriminative ability were measured by concordance index (C‐index) and the calibration curve. Results The patients were divided into three subgroups according to their immune scores. We found that compared with patients with low immune scores, those with intermediate and high immune scores had significantly improved DFS (HR and 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.439 [0.242‐0.799], 0.541 [0.343‐0.855], respectively), whereas only intermediate immune scores significantly indicated better OS (HR and 95% CI: 0.385 [0.163‐0.910]). The C‐index for DFS and OS prediction was 0.723 (95% CI, 0.661‐0.785) and 0.800 (95% CI, 0.724‐0.877), respectively. The calibration curves for probability of 3‐ and 5‐year DFS showed significant agreement between nomogram predictions and the actual observations. Conclusions High and/or intermediate immune scores are significantly correlated with better DFS and OS in patients with breast cancer. Moreover, the nomograms for predicting prognosis may help to estimate the survival of patients.

Dempster–Shafer (D–S) evidence theory is more and more extensively applied in multi-sensor data fusion. However, it is still an open issue that how to effectively combine highly conflicting evidence in D–S evidence theory. In this article, a novel divergence measure, called pignistic probability transformation divergence, is proposed to measure the difference between evidences. The proposed pignistic probability transformation divergence can reflect the interaction between single-element and multi-element subsets by introducing the pignistic probability transformation, and satisfies the properties of boundedness, non-degeneracy, and symmetry. Moreover, the pignistic probability transformation divergence can degenerate as Jensen–Shannon divergence when mass function and the probability distribution are consistent. Based on the pignistic probability transformation divergence, a new multi-sensor data fusion method is presented. The proposed method takes advantage of pignistic probability transformation divergence to measure the discrepancy between evidences in order to obtain the credibility weights, and belief entropy to measure the uncertainty of the evidences in order to obtain the information volume weights, which can fully mine the potential information between evidences. Then, the credibility weights and the information volume weights are integrated to generate an appropriate weighted average evidence before using Dempster’s combination rule. The results of two application cases illustrate that the proposed method outperforms other related methods for combining highly conflicting evidences.

Abstract Background Microtia is a congenital malformation of the external ear and may occur as an isolated deformity or as part of a syndrome. Our previous study found a high correlation between microtia and thoracic deformities, thus, we propose that external ear and thorax development may be regulated by certain genes in common. Methods We performed exome sequencing on 10 families of sporadic microtia with thoracic abnormalities. We identified mutated genes under different models of inheritance, and checked them through Mouse Genome Informatics and association analysis. Results We identified 45 rare mutations, including 9 de novo mutations, 20 heterozygous mutations, 3 homozygous mutations, and 13 hemizygous mutations, of which 2 are likely to be causative. They are de novo missense variant in PHF5A and compound heterozygous mutations in CYP26B1, of which CYP26B1 mutation is highly likely pathogenic. Conclusion The results indicate that certain genes may affect both external ear and thorax development, and demonstrate the benefits of whole‐exome sequencing in identifying candidate genes of microtia. This study provides a new way for genetic exploration in microtia.

The purpose of this study was to present a surgical technique for taking out universal screw and nail caps which were difficult to removed. We used a variety of industrial hex wrenches, dental drills, and other equipment to take out internal hex nuts with different specifications (32 pieces) and universal screws (15 pieces) in 28 patients. A total of 32 nuts were taken out, 3 of which were polished by the industrial drill. A total of 17 were spun by hand, 2 were spun by locking pliers, 10 were turned by “I” type screwdriver, and 3 were turned by bone blade. A total of 15 screws were taken out, 9 of which were removed with a wrench and the other 6 by means of locking pliers after re‐fixing with a truncated titanium rod. The novel technique is simple and provides a solution following failure of a supporting device.

Abstract Background Most lung cancer patients are diagnosed after the onset of symptoms. However, whether the symptoms of lung cancer were independently associated with the diagnosis of lung cancer is unknown, especially in the Chinese population. Methods We conducted a 10 years (2005‐2014) nationwide multicenter retrospective clinical epidemiology study of lung cancer patients diagnosed in China. As such, this study focused on nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We calculated the odds ratios (ORs) for variables associated with the symptoms and physical signs using multivariate unconditional logistic regressions. Results A total of 7184 lung cancer patients were surveyed; finally, 6398 NSCLC patients with available information about their symptoms and physical signs were included in this analysis. The most common initial symptom and physical sign was chronic cough (4156, 65.0%), followed by sputum with blood (2110, 33.0%), chest pain (1146, 17.9%), shortness of breath (1090, 17.0%), neck and supraclavicular lymphadenectasis (629, 9.8%), weight loss (529, 8.3%), metastases pain (378, 5.9%), fatigue (307, 4.8%), fever (272, 4.3%), and dyspnea (270, 4.2%). Patients with squamous carcinoma and stage III disease were more likely to present with chronic cough (P