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Background: To investigate the prognosis of patients with Multiple Myeloma (MM) after surgery, analyze the risk factors leading to adverse postoperative outcomes, and establish a nomogram. Methods: Clinical data from 154 patients with MM who underwent surgery at our institution between 2007 and 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Assessing and comparing patients' pain levels, quality of life, and functional status before and after surgery (P < 0.05) were considered statistically significant. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to estimate the median survival time. Adverse postoperative outcomes were defined as worsened symptoms, lesion recurrence, complication grade ≥ 2, or a postoperative survival period < 1 year. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the prognostic factors. Based on the logistic regression results, a nomogram predictive model was developed and calibrated. Results: Postoperative pain was significantly alleviated in patients with MM, and there were significant improvements in the quality of life and functional status (P < 0.05). The median postoperative survival was 41 months. Forty-nine patients (31.8%) experienced adverse postoperative outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified patient age, duration of MM, International Staging System, preoperative Karnofsky Performance Status, and Hb < 90 g/L as independent factors influencing patient prognosis. Based on these results, a nomogram was constructed, with a C-index of 0.812. The calibration curve demonstrated similarity between the predicted and actual survival curves. Decision curve analysis favored the predictive value of the model at high-risk thresholds from 10% to-69%. Conclusion: This study developed a nomogram risk prediction model to assist in providing quantifiable assessment indicators for preoperative evaluation of surgical risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medium-entropy alloys (MEAs) have attracted considerable attention in recent decades due to their exceptional material properties and design flexibility. In this study, lightweight and non-equiatomic MEAs with low density (~5 g/cm3), high strength (yield strength: 1200 MPa), and high ductility (plastic deformation: ≧10%) were explored. We fine-tuned a previously developed Ti-rich MEA by microalloying it with small amounts of Ni (reducing the atomic radius and increasing the elastic modulus) through solid solution strengthening to achieve a series of MEAs with enhanced mechanical properties. Among the prepared MEAs, Ti65Ni1 and Ti65Ni3 exhibited optimal properties in terms of the balance between strength and ductility. Furthermore, the Ti65Ni3 MEA was subjected to thermo-mechanical treatment (TMT) followed by cold rolling 70% (CR70) and cold rolling 85% (CR85). Subsequently, the processed samples were rapidly annealed at 743 °C, 770 °C, 817 °C, and 889 °C at a heating rate of 15 °C/s. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the MEA could retain its single-body-centered cubic solid solution structure after TMT. Additionally, the tensile testing results revealed that increasing the annealing temperature led to a decrease in yield strength and an increase in ductility. Notably, the Ti65Ni3 MEA sample that was subjected to CR70 and CR85 processing and annealed for 30 s exhibited high yield strength (>1250 MPa) and ductility (>13%). In particular, the Ti65Ni3 MEA subjected to CR85 exhibited a specific yield strength of 264 MPa·cm3/g, specific tensile strength of 300 MPa·cm3/g, and ductility of >13%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operational amplifiers (Op-Amps) are critical to sensor systems because they enable precise, reliable, and flexible signal processing. Current automated Op-Amp generation methods suffer from extremely low efficiency because the time-consuming SPICE-in-the-loop sizing is normally involved as its inner loop. In this paper, we propose an efficiently automated Op-Amp generation tool using a hybrid sizing method, which combines the merits together from a deterministic optimization algorithm and differential evolution algorithm. Thus, it can not only quickly find a decent local optimum, but also eventually converge to a global optimum. This feature is well fit to be serving as an acute filter in the circuit structure evaluation flow to efficiently eliminate any undesirable circuit structures in advance of detailed sizing. Our experimental results demonstrate its superiority over traditional sizing approaches and show its efficacy in highly boosting the efficiency of automated Op-Amp structure generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iodine, an essential trace element for the human body, plays a pivotal role in sustaining health. Malnutrition has emerged as a pressing public health concern, posing a significant threat to human well‐being. Iodine deficiency poses a substantial threat to the development of children, potentially leading to neurological developmental disorders and mental retardation. Conversely, excessive iodine intake can result in structural and functional abnormalities in the thyroid gland. In this study, we selected children aged 3–6 years through a stratified cluster sampling approach in six regions across China to explore the correlation between iodine nutrition and their physical growth. A total of 5920 preschool children participated in this study, with a median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) of 177.33 [107.06, 269.92] μg/L. Among these children, 250 (4.2%) exhibited stunting, 180 (3.0%) were underweight, 198 (3.3%) experienced wasting, 787 (3.3%) were overweight and 414 (7.0%) were classified as obese. The multivariate linear regression revealed that UIC exhibited a positive correlation with body mass index z‐Score (BMIZ) in overweight children (β = 0.038; 95% CI: 0.001, 0.075). In normally growing children, the associations between UIC and height‐for‐age z‐score, weight‐for‐age z‐score and BMIZ displayed nonlinear patterns. Our findings suggest that iodine nutrition is adequate for Chinese children aged 3–6 years. Furthermore, iodine nutrition is intricately linked to the growth and development of these children. Consequently, it is imperative to implement decisive measures to prevent both iodine deficiency and excess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study investigates the association between physical exercise and emotion regulation abilities among college students, introducing self-efficacy as a mediating variable to analyze the pathway mechanism through which physical exercise affects emotion regulation abilities. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed, utilizing a stratified random sampling method to survey three colleges in Jiangsu Province, China. Physical Activity Rating Scale, Physical Activity Self-efficacy Scale, and Emotional Intelligence Scale were used to measure the college student population. Regression analysis and mediation tests assessed whether self-efficacy mediates the relationship between physical exercise and college students' emotion regulation abilities. A total of 5,430 valid questionnaires were collected. Results: The distribution of college students' physical activities was 77.0% for low, 13.1% for medium, and 9.3% for high levels. Physical activities were significantly and positively correlated with self-efficacy and emotional management abilities (r = 0.298,0.105;P<0.01), and self-efficacy was significantly and positively correlated with emotional management abilities (r = 0.322, P<0.01). Situational motivation and subjective support under self-efficacy were 0.08 and 0.255, respectively, and the adjusted R2 was 0.107. Self-efficacy played a fully mediating role between physical activities and emotional management abilities, with a total effect value of 0.032. The values of the direct and indirect effects were 0.003 and 0.029, accounting for 8.95% and 90.74% of the total effect, respectively. Conclusion: The physical exercise behavior of college students is primarily characterized by low intensity. Physical exercise among college students can positively predict their ability to regulate emotions. Self-efficacy fully mediates the relationship between physical exercise and emotion regulation ability among college students. College students can indirectly influence their ability to regulate emotions through physical exercise and self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the most promising advanced energy storage system, lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are highly favored by the researchers because of their advantages of high energy density (2500 W h kg−1), low cost and non-pollution. However, the low conductivity, volume expansion of sulfur, and shuttle effect are still the great hindrance to the practical application of LSBs. Herein, the above problems can be addressed through the following strategies: (1) Hollow carbon microspheres with high specific surface area were constructed as sulfur hosts to increase sulfur loading while also being able to enhance the physical adsorption of polysulfides; (2) the loading of Mn3O4 particles on the basis of hollow carbon microspheres facilitates the capture and adsorption of polysulfides; (3) the hollow carbon sphere structure as a conductive network can provide more pathways for rapid electrical/ionic transport and also accelerate electrolyte wetting. Moreover, the thinner shell of hollow carbon microsphere is conducive to ion diffusion and speed up the reaction rate. Thus, the NHCS/Mn3O4/S composites exhibit a high discharge specific capacity of 1010.3 mAh g−1 at first and still maintained a reversible capacity of 269.2 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles. This work presents a facile sustainable and efficient synergistic strategy for the development of advanced LSBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the expression and function of basic leucine zipper ATF-like transcription factor (BATF) in colorectal cancer (CRC), and its correlation with 2-deoxy-2[18F]fluoro-d-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) parameters. Methods: The TIMER database, GEPIA database, TCGA, and GEO database were used to analyze the expression profile of BATF in human cancers. The reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blot analyses were used to evaluate the mRNA level and protein expression in different CRC cell lines. The expression of BATF in SW620 and HCT116 cells was silenced and cell counting kit-8 assays and clonogenic assay were utilized to evaluate the role of BATF in CRC proliferation. The expression of tumor BATF and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1) were examined using immunohistochemical tools in 37 CRC patients undergoing preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging. The correlation between the PET/CT parameters and immunohistochemical result was evaluated. Results: In database, BATF was highly expressed in pan-cancer analyses, including CRC, and was associated with poor prognosis in CRC. In vitro, the results showed that knocking down of BATF expression could inhibit the proliferation of SW620 and HCT116 cells. In CRC patients, BATF expression was upregulated in tumor tissues compared with matched para-tumoral tissues, and was related with gender and Ki-67 levels. BATF expression was positively related to GLUT-1 expression and PET/CT parameters, including tumor size, maximum standard uptake value, metabolic tumor volume, and total lesion glycolysis. The multiple logistic analyses showed that SUVmax was an independent predictor of BATF expression. With 15.96 g/cm3 as the cutoff, sensitivity was 85.71%, specificity 82.61%, and area-under-the-curve 0.854. Conclusion: BATF may be an oncogene associated with 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters in CRC. SUVmax may be an independent predictor of BATF expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Flies are acknowledged as vectors of diseases transmitted through mechanical means and represent a significant risk to human health. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of enteropathogens carried by flies in Pudong New Area to inform strategies for preventing and controlling flies. Methods: Samples were collected from various locations in the area using cage trapping techniques between April and November 2021, encompassing various habitats such as parks, residential areas, restaurants, and farmers' markets. The main fly species were identified using cryomicrography and taxonomic enumeration, with 20 samples per tube collected from different habitats. Twenty-five enteropathogens were screened using GI_Trial v3 TaqManTM microbial arrays. Results: A total of 3,875 flies were collected from 6,400 placements, resulting in an average fly density of 0.61 flies per cage. M. domestica were the most common species at 39.85%, followed by L. sericata at 16.57% and B. peregrina at 13.14%. Out of 189 samples, 93 tested positive for enteropathogens, with nine different pathogens being found. 12.70% of samples exclusively had parasites, a higher percentage than those with only bacteria or viruses. The study found that M. domestica had fewer enteropathogens than L. sericata and B. peregrina, which primarily harbored B. hominis instead of bacteria and viruses such as E. coli, Astrovirus, and Sapovirus. During spring testing, all three fly species exhibited low rates of detecting enteropathogens. M. domestica were found in residential areas with the highest number of pathogen species, totaling six. In contrast, L. sericata and B. peregrina were identified in farmers' markets with the highest number of pathogen species, totaling six and seven, respectively. Conclusions: Flies have the potential to serve as vectors for the transmission of enteropathogens, thereby posing a substantial risk to public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metschnikowia bicuspidata, a globally distributed opportunistic pathogenic fungus, poses a significant threat to crustaceans in diverse aquatic ecosystems, causing severe diseases. Iron, recognized as a virulence factor, plays a crucial role in successful infection with M. bicuspidata. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the transcriptome response of M. bicuspidata to low- and high-iron conditions. Overall, 1082 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (FDR < 0.05, |log2FC ≥ 1.5|) were identified, comprising 977 and 105 DEGs, in response to low- and high-iron conditions, respectively. These genes predominantly participate in altering metabolism, cell membranes, or cellular structure, allowing the organism to adapt to varying iron levels. Iron limitation-induced genes play crucial roles in energy metabolism, transport, and catabolism pathways. Moreover, 27 ortholog genes were associated with iron transport and homeostasis, with 7 of them participating in iron uptake and regulation under low-iron conditions. This study contributes to the comprehension of iron homeostasis in aquatic fungi. It may offer potential therapeutic strategies for managing M. bicuspidata diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource-based cities often face problems such as resource scarcity and insufficient electricity to achieve complex high-quality growth. At present, there is relatively little research on the impact on the high-quality development of such cities. To study the key variables that affect the high-quality growth of resource-based cities, we adopt entropy weighted TOPSIS technology, spatial correlation analysis, and spatial econometric models. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The overall high-quality development of resource-based cities in China is on the rise year by year; The cities with the highest growth rates are those that are mature, rejuvenated, growing, and declining. (2) Resource-based cities have a positive geographical correlation in high-quality development, and different numbers of clusters are displayed by changing the Moran I index score. (3) High quality development is strongly influenced by human capital, urbanization, technological innovation, and global market openness. There are significant differences in the ways in which these variables affect various types of resource-based cities. Policy makers who strive to reduce regional inequality and encourage high-quality growth in resource-based communities may benefit greatly from the insights provided by this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding factors associated with antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence is crucial for ART success among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the "test and treat" era. Multiple psychosocial factors tend to coexist and have a syndemic effect on ART adherence. We aimed to explore factors associated with ART adherence and the syndemic effect of multiple psychosocial factors on ART adherence among PLHIV newly starting ART in Guangdong Province, China. Methods: Newly diagnosed PLHIV from six cities in Guangdong Province were recruited between May 2018 and June 2019, and then followed up from May 2019 to August 2020. Baseline and follow-up data were collected from a questionnaire and the national HIV surveillance system, the follow-up data of which were analyzed in this study. A Center for Adherence Support Evaluation (CASE) index > 10 points was defined as optimal ART adherence, which was measured via participants' self-reported adherence during follow-up survey. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with ART adherence. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multi-order latent variable structural equation modeling (SEM) were performed to explore the syndemic effect of multiple psychosocial factors on ART adherence. Results: A total of 734 (68.53%) follow-up participants were finally included in this study among the 1071 baseline participants, of whom 91.28% (670/734) had self-reported optimal ART adherence. Unemployment (aOR = 1.75, 95%CI: 1.01–3.02), no medication reminder (aOR = 2.28, 95%CI: 1.09–4.74), low medication self-efficacy (aOR = 2.28, 95%CI: 1.27–4.10), low social cohesion (aOR = 1.82, 95%CI: 1.03–3.19), no social participation (aOR = 5.65, 95%CI: 1.71–18.63), and ART side effects (aOR = 0.46, 95%CI: 0.26–0.81) were barriers to optimal ART adherence. The EFA and second-order latent variable SEM showed a linear relationship (standardized coefficient = 0.43, P < 0.001) between ART adherence and the latent psychosocial (syndemic) factor, which consisted of the three latent factors of medication beliefs and self-efficacy (standardized coefficient = 0.65, P < 0.001), supportive environment (standardized coefficient = 0.50, P < 0.001), and negative emotions (standardized coefficient=-0.38, P < 0.01). The latent factors of medication beliefs and self-efficacy, supportive environment, and negative emotions explained 42.3%, 25.3%, and 14.1% of the variance in the latent psychosocial factor, respectively. Conclusions: About nine out of ten PLHIV on ART in Guangdong Province self-reported optimal ART adherence. However, more efforts should be made to address barriers to optimal ART adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the safety and efficiency problems in the picking process of Waxberry, the slow speed and low precision of high‐density Waxberry target detection under a complex background were studied. A lightweight Waxberry target detection algorithm based on YOLOv5 is studied. In this study, C3‐Faster1 and C3‐Faster2 modules are proposed, which are located in the backbone and neck of the network: C3‐Faster1 can improve the model speed with a simple structure; C3‐Faster2 integrates the context attention mechanism and transform module based on C3‐Faster1 to make the network pay attention to the information of Waxberry image context and expand the channel receptive field. A new pyramid module, SPPFCSPC, is proposed to expand the sensing field and improve the accuracy of boundary detection. It also combines the Coordinate Attention (CA) and Dyhead dynamic detection head to suppress useless information and enhance the detection ability of small targets. Compared to YOLOv4, YOLOv7, and YOLOv8, mean accuracy percentage (mAP) improved by 5.7%, 9.4%, 8.3%. Compared to the base YOLOv5 model, mAP has improved from 86.5% to 91.9%, running on 2 GB Jeston nano, and the improved model is 5.03 frames per second (FPS) faster than YOLOv5. Experiments show that the designed module is more effective in Waxberry detection tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately predicting the maximum temperature is essential for studying human comfort, ecological environment development and social progress. However, traditional prediction methods are inefficient and inaccurate when dealing with large volumes of meteorological data. To tackle these challenges, this paper introduces an integrated approach, the ARIMA–LSTM–XGBoost model, which combines the strengths of autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), long short-term memory network (LSTM) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) to predict the maximum temperature. The proposed model enhances the prediction accuracy and convergence rate through techniques like MAPE reciprocal weight (MAPE-RW) and Schedule Sampling. Additionally, the model selects the best performing model using the early stopping method. This paper compares and analyzes the prediction results of the ARIMA, LSTM, XGBoost and ARIMA–LSTM–XGBoost models. The experimental results indicate that the ARIMA–LSTM–XGBoost model proposed in this paper achieves superior prediction accuracy, performance, and confidence. The ARIMA–LSTM–XGBoost model shows a Root-Mean-Squared Error (RMSE) of 1.381, significantly outperforming the ARIMA model (3.828), LSTM model (3.360) and XGBoost model (1.422). The coefficient of determination ( R 2) is 0.977, surpassing the values of 0.905 for the ARIMA model, 0.922 for the LSTM model and 0.910 for the XGBoost model. The ARIMA–LSTM–XGBoost model also exhibits a higher confidence level compared to the individual models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomatoes possess significant nutritional and economic value. However, frequent diseases can detrimentally impact their quality and yield. Images of tomato diseases captured amidst intricate backgrounds are susceptible to environmental disturbances, presenting challenges in achieving precise detection and identification outcomes. This study focuses on tomato disease images within intricate settings, particularly emphasizing four prevalent diseases (late blight, gray leaf spot, brown rot, and leaf mold), alongside healthy tomatoes. It addresses challenges such as excessive interference, imprecise lesion localization for small targets, and heightened false-positive and false-negative rates in real-world tomato cultivation settings. To address these challenges, we introduce a novel method for tomato disease detection named TomatoDet. Initially, we devise a feature extraction module integrating Swin-DDETR's self-attention mechanism to craft a backbone feature extraction network, enhancing the model's capacity to capture details regarding small target diseases through self-attention. Subsequently, we incorporate the dynamic activation function Meta-ACON within the backbone network to further amplify the network's ability to depict disease-related features. Finally, we propose an enhanced bidirectional weighted feature pyramid network (IBiFPN) for merging multi-scale features and feeding the feature maps extracted by the backbone network into the multi-scale feature fusion module. This enhancement elevates detection accuracy and effectively mitigates false positives and false negatives arising from overlapping and occluded disease targets within intricate backgrounds. Our approach demonstrates remarkable efficacy, achieving a mean Average Precision (mAP) of 92.3% on a curated dataset, marking an 8.7% point improvement over the baseline method. Additionally, it attains a detection speed of 46.6 frames per second (FPS), adeptly meeting the demands of agricultural scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textbook question answering requires a system to answer questions with or without diagrams accurately, given multimodal contexts that include rich paragraphs and diagrams. Existing methods usually utilize a pipelined way to extract the most relevant paragraph from multimodal contexts and only employ convolutional neural networks to comprehend diagram semantics under the supervision of answer labels. The former will result in error accumulation, while the latter will lead to poor diagram understanding. To provide a remedy for the above issues, we propose an end-to-end DIagraM Perception network for textbook question answering (DIMP), which is jointly optimized by the supervision of relation predicting, diagram classification, and question answering. Specifically, knowledge extracting is regarded as a sequence classification task and optimized through the supervision of answer labels to alleviate error accumulation. To capture diagram semantics effectively, DIMP uses an explicit relation-aware method that first parses a diagram into several graphs under specific relations and then grasps the information propagation within them. Evaluation on two benchmark datasets shows that our method achieves competitive or better results without large data pre-training and constructing auxiliary tasks compared with current state-of-the-art methods. We provide comprehensive ablation studies and thorough analyses to determine what factors contribute to this success. We also make in-depth analyses for relational graph learning and joint optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We apply the generalised Komar method proposed in [] to Taub-NUT-AdS spacetime in the theory of Einstein gravity plus a cosmological constant. Based on a generalised closed 2-form, we derive the total mass and NUT charge of the Taub-NUT-AdS spacetime. Together with other thermodynamic quantities calculated through standard method, we conform the first law and Smarr relation. Then, we consider charged AdS NUT spacetimes in Einstein–Maxwell theory with a cosmological constant, and show that the generalised Komar method works, too. We obtain all the thermodynamic quantities, and the first law and Smarr relation are checked to be satisfied automatically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intermittent and uncertainty of new energy in the grid connection process affects the overall quality of the grid. To resolve the scattered geographical locations, small individual capacities and poor controllability of distributed energy storage (DES) devices, edge computing is applied in conjunction with aggregate service providers to build an edge computing‐based aggregate model of DES. Regarding its characteristics, the schedulable potential of the energy storage device is analysed through modelling. A multi‐objective scheduling model with multiple parties participating in the subject's behaviour is established using the Internet of Things (IoT) optimization strategy. The simulation example of concrete data further verifies the validity of the model. Results demonstrate that the edge computing‐based aggregate model of DES effectively reduces the calculation load's peak‐valley load and reduces the wind power abandonment. In the meantime, the multiple starts and stops of the thermal power unit reduce the operation cost of the unit. The multi‐objective dispatch model can reduce the opportunity cost and payment of DES effectively. This model achieves load peak reduction and valley filling and reduces the peak dispatch cost of the power grid. The research results can provide some ideas for storing and utilizing the new energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are effective solutions for the development of high-performance and flexible lithium metal batteries (LMBs). However, the key problems of SPEs including low ionic conductivity and inability to repair damage have hindered their industrialization process. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) cross-linked network gel polymer electrolyte (CNGPE) is designed. The addition of deep eutectic solvent (DES) improves the ionic conductivity of CNGPE. The hydrogen bonds and dynamic disulfide bonds in the 3D cross-linked network endow CNGPE rapid self-healing ability at ambient temperature. In addition, the addition of lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB) and lithium nitrate (LiNO 3) helps to form a stable solid electrolyte interface (SEI). Due to the ingenious design, the Li/CNGPE/Li symmetrical cell exhibits excellent interface stability and no short circuit occurs for more than 800 h. The assembled LiFePO 4 /CNGPE/Li cell exhibits a discharge specific capacity of 126 mAh g−1 after 960 cycles at 0.5C. This work has shown that the self-healing gel polymer electrolyte containing DES provides an effective and feasible method for the development of high-performance LMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria have distinctive properties that make them ideal for biomedical applications. They can self‐propel, sense their surroundings, and be externally detected. Using bacteria as medical therapeutic agents or delivery platforms opens new possibilities for advanced diagnosis and therapies. Nano‐drug delivery platforms have numerous advantages over traditional ones, such as high loading capacity, controlled drug release, and adaptable functionalities. Combining bacteria and nanotechnologies to create therapeutic agents or delivery platforms has gained increasing attention in recent years and shows promise for improved diagnosis and treatment of diseases. In this review, design principles of integrating nanoparticles with bacteria, bacteria‐derived nano‐sized vesicles, and their applications and future in advanced diagnosis and therapeutics are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of rice, evaluated using multiple quality-related traits, is the main determinant of its market competitiveness. In this study, two japonica rice varieties with significant differences in quality-related traits were used as parents to construct two populations, BC3F2 and BC3F2:3, with Kongyu131 (KY131) as the recurrent parent. A genetic linkage map was constructed using the BC3F2 population based on 151 pairs of SSR/InDel polymorphic markers selected between the parents. Grain-shape-related traits (grain length GL, grain width GW, and length-to-width ratio LWR), chalkiness-related traits (white-core rate WCR, white-belly rate WBR, white-back rate BR, and chalkiness rate CR), and amylose content (AC) were investigated in the two populations in 2017 and 2018. Except for BR and CR, the traits showed similar characteristics with a normal distribution in both populations. Genetic linkage analysis was conducted for these quality-related traits, and a total of 37 QTLs were detected in the two populations. Further validation was performed on the newly identified QTLs with larger effects, and three grain shape QTLs and four chalkiness QTLs were successfully validated in different environments. One repeatedly validated QTL, qWCR3, was selected for fine mapping and was successfully narrowed down to a 100 kb region in which only two genes, LOC_0s03g45210 and LOC_0s03g45320, exhibited sequence variations between the parents. Furthermore, the variation of LOC_Os03g45210 leads to a frameshift mutation and premature protein termination. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for positional cloning of the qWCR3 gene, thus offering new genetic resources for rice quality improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the greatly increased penetration rate of wind power, photovoltaic, and other new energy sources in the power system, the proportion of controllable units gradually decreased, resulting in increased system uncertainty. The biogas power generation system can effectively alleviate the pressure caused by source-load uncertainty in such high-permeability systems of new energy sources such as wind power and photovoltaic. Hence, from the perspective of the power system, this paper introduces a capacity demand analysis method for a rural biogas power generation system capable of independent operation amidst source-load uncertainty. To enhance the depiction of pure load demand uncertainty, a scene set generation method is proposed, leveraging quantile regression analysis and Gaussian mixture model clustering. Each scene's data and probability of occurrence elucidate the uncertainty of pure load demand. An integrated optimal operation model for new energy and biogas-generating units, free from energy storage capacity constraints, is established based on the generated scenario set. Addressing considerations such as biogas utilization rate and system operation cost, a biogas storage correction model, utilizing the gas storage deviation degree index and the cost growth rate index, is developed to determine biogas demand and capacity. The example results demonstrate the significant reduction in gas storage construction costs and charging and discharging imbalances achieved by the proposed model while ensuring systemic operational cost effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we focus on the degradation of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) in proton-exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) induced by different accelerated stress tests (ASTs), including constant-current mode, square-wave mode, and solar photovoltaic mode. In constant-current mode, at continuous testing for 600 h at 80 °C, a degradation of operating voltage increased by the enhanced current density from 22 µV/h (1 A/cm2) to 50 µV/h (3 A/cm2). In square-wave mode, we found that in the narrow fluctuation range (1–2 A/cm2), the shorter step time (2 s) generates a higher degradation rate of operating voltage, but in the wide fluctuation range (1–3 A/cm2), the longer step time (22 s) induces a faster operating voltage rise. In the solar photovoltaic mode, we used a simulation of 11 h sunshine duration containing multiple constant-current and square-wave modes, which is closest to the actual application environment. Over 1400 h ASTs, the solar photovoltaic mode lead to the most serious voltage rise of 87.7 µV/h. These results are beneficial to understanding the durability of the PEM electrolyzer and optimizing the components of MEAs, such as catalysts, membranes, and gas diffusion layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malignant mesothelioma is a type of infrequent tumor that is substantially related to asbestos exposure and has a terrible prognosis. We tried to produce a fibroblast differentiation-related gene set for creating a novel classification and prognostic prediction model of MESO. Method: Three databases, including NCBI-GEO, TCGA, and MET-500, separately provide single-cell RNA sequencing data, bulk RNA sequencing profiles of MESO, and RNA sequencing information on bone metastatic tumors. Dimensionality reduction and clustering analysis were leveraged to acquire fibroblast subtypes in the MESO microenvironment. The fibroblast differentiation-related genes (FDGs), which were associated with survival and subsequently utilized to generate the MESO categorization and prognostic prediction model, were selected in combination with pseudotime analysis and survival information from the TCGA database. Then, regulatory network was constructed for each MESO subtype, and candidate inhibitors were predicted. Clinical specimens were collected for further validation. Result: A total of six fibroblast subtypes, three differentiation states, and 39 FDGs were identified. Based on the expression level of FDGs, three MESO subtypes were distinguished in the fibroblast differentiation-based classification (FDBC). In the multivariate prognostic prediction model, the risk score that was dependent on the expression level of several important FDGs, was verified to be an independently effective prognostic factor and worked well in internal cohorts. Finally, we predicted 24 potential drugs for the treatment of MESO. Moreover, immunohistochemical staining and statistical analysis provided further validation. Conclusion: Fibroblast differentiation-related genes (FDGs), especially those in low-differentiation states, might participate in the proliferation and invasion of MESO. Hopefully, the raised clinical subtyping of MESO would provide references for clinical practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unmanned deformable vehicle can switch between wheeled driving and legged walking through reconfiguration. The system is prone to tipping instability when reconstructing from a vehicle state in wheeled motion to a humanoid state in legged motion. To improve reconfiguration stability, a center-of-mass position-adjusting mechanism was designed based on structure optimization design for the unmanned deformable vehicle. The zero moment point was adjusted by controlling a center-of-mass position-adjusting mechanism, thereby further improving the reconfiguration stability of the system. In this study, the structure of the unmanned deformable vehicle was designed and a reconfiguration kinematic model was established based on spinor theory. A reconfiguration dynamic model was established based on Newton-Euler equation, and the zero moment point was used as the stability criterion for the reconfiguration motion. To improve the reconfiguration stability of the system, simulated annealing algorithm was used to optimize the main parameters of the system under both basic and severe working condition reconfiguration processes. To further improve the reconfiguration stability, a variable universe-fuzzy control strategy was designed to control the stability of the reconfiguration process of the whole vehicle. The results showed that the reconfiguration stability could be significantly improved under various working conditions by using the stability control after the system was optimally designed. • The reconfiguration of unmanned deformable vehicle is prone to collapse, and the stability of reconfiguration is studied. • The main structural and posture parameters that significantly impact reconfiguration stability were analyzed. • The simulated annealing algorithm was used to optimize the main parameters of the system. • A control strategy was proposed to maintain the zero moment point close to the center of the support domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondria undergo a myriad of changes during pre-implantation embryo development, including shifts in activity levels and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication. However, how these distinct aspects of mitochondrial function are linked and their responsiveness to diverse stressors is not well understood. Here, we show that mtDNA content increased between 8-cell embryos and the blastocyst stage, with similar copy numbers per cell in the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE). In contrast, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was higher in TE than ICM. Culture in ambient oxygen (20% O2) altered both aspects of mitochondrial function: the mtDNA copy number was upregulated in ICM, while MMP was diminished in TE. Embryos cultured in 20% O2 also exhibited delayed development kinetics, impaired implantation, and reduced mtDNA levels in E18 fetal liver. A model of oocyte mitochondrial stress using rotenone showed only a modest effect on on-time development and did not alter the mtDNA copy number in ICM; however, following embryo transfer, mtDNA was higher in the fetal heart. Lastly, endogenous mitochondrial dysfunction, induced by maternal age and obesity, altered the blastocyst mtDNA copy number, but not within the ICM. These results demonstrate that mitochondrial activity and mtDNA content exhibit cell-specific changes and are differentially responsive to diverse types of oxidative stress during pre-implantation embryogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning has recently received extensive attention in the field of rolling-bearing fault diagnosis owing to its powerful feature expression capability. With the help of deep learning, we can fully extract the deep features hidden in the data, significantly improving the accuracy and efficiency of fault diagnosis. Despite this progress, deep learning still faces two outstanding problems. (1) Each layer uses the same convolution kernel to extract features, making it difficult to adaptively select convolution kernels based on the features of the input image, which limits the network's adaptability to different input features and leads to weak feature extraction. (2) Large number of parameters and long training time. To solve the above problems, this paper proposes an integrated deep neural network that combines an improved selective kernel network (SKNet) with an enhanced Inception-ResNet-v2, named SIR-CNN. First, based on the SKNet, a new three-branch SKNet was designed. Second, the new SKNet is embedded into a depthwise separable convolution network such that the model can adaptively select convolution kernels of different sizes during training. Furthermore, the convolution structure in the Inception-ResNet-v2 network was replaced by the improved depthwise separable convolution network to achieve effective feature extraction. Finally, the time-frequency maps of the raw vibration signals are obtained through short-time Fourier transform (STFT) and then sent to the proposed SIR-CNN network for experiments. The experimental results show that the proposed SIR-CNN achieves superior performance compared to other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) has been demonstrated to be significantly associated with the incidence of prediabetes and diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the association between the AIP and undiagnosed diabetes in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. Methods: Among 113,650 ACS patients treated with coronary angiography at 240 hospitals in the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-ACS Project from 2014 to 2019, 11,221 patients with available clinical and surgical information were included. We analyzed these patients' clinical characteristics after stratification according to AIP tertiles, body mass index (BMI) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Results: The AIP was independently associated with a greater incidence of undiagnosed diabetes. The undiagnosed diabetes was significantly greater in the T3 group than in the T1 group after adjustment for confounders [T3 OR 1.533 (1.199–1.959) p < 0.001]. This relationship was consistent within normal weight patients and patients with an LDL-C level ≥ 1.8 mmol/L. In overweight and obese patients, the AIP was significantly associated with the incidence of undiagnosed diabetes as a continuous variable after adjustment for age, sex, and BMI but not as a categorical variable. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the AIP score, triglyceride (TG) concentration, and HDL-C concentration was 0.601 (0.581–0.622; p < 0.001), 0.624 (0.603–0.645; p < 0.001), and 0.493 (0.472–0.514; p = 0.524), respectively. A nonlinear association was found between the AIP and the incidence of undiagnosed diabetes in ACS patients (p for nonlinearity < 0.001), and this trend remained consistent between males and females. The AIP may be a negative biomarker associated with undiagnosed diabetes ranging from 0.176 to 0.738. Conclusion: The AIP was significantly associated with the incidence of undiagnosed diabetes in ACS patients, especially in those with normal weight or an LDL-C level ≥ 1.8 mmol/L. A nonlinear relationship was found between the AIP and the incidence of undiagnosed diabetes, and this trend was consistent between male and female patients. The AIP may be a negative biomarker associated with undiagnosed diabetes and ranges from 0.176 to 0.738. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces YOLOv8n-vegetable, a model designed to address challenges related to imprecise detection of vegetable diseases in greenhouse plant environment using existing network models. The model incorporates several improvements and optimizations to enhance its effectiveness. Firstly, a novel C2fGhost module replaces partial C2f. with GhostConv based on Ghost lightweight convolution, reducing the model's parameters and improving detection performance. Second, the Occlusion Perception Attention Module (OAM) is integrated into the Neck section to better preserve feature information after fusion, enhancing vegetable disease detection in greenhouse settings. To address challenges associated with detecting small-sized objects and the depletion of semantic knowledge due to varying scales, an additional layer for detecting small-sized objects is included. This layer improves the amalgamation of extensive and basic semantic knowledge, thereby enhancing overall detection accuracy. Finally, the HIoU boundary loss function is introduced, leading to improved convergence speed and regression accuracy. These improvement strategies were validated through experiments using a self-built vegetable disease detection dataset in a greenhouse environment. Multiple experimental comparisons have demonstrated the model's effectiveness, achieving the objectives of improving detection speed while maintaining accuracy and real-time detection capability. According to experimental findings, the enhanced model exhibited a 6.46% rise in mean average precision (mAP) over the original model on the self-built vegetable disease detection dataset under greenhouse conditions. Additionally, the parameter quantity and model size decreased by 0.16G and 0.21 MB, respectively. The proposed model demonstrates significant advancements over the original algorithm and exhibits strong competitiveness when compared with other advanced object detection models. The lightweight and fast detection of vegetable diseases offered by the proposed model presents promising applications in vegetable disease detection tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurodegenerative diseases encompass a heterogeneous group of disorders that afflict millions of people worldwide. Characteristic protein aggregates are histopathological hallmark features of these disorders, including Amyloid β (Aβ)-containing plaques and tau-containing neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease, α-Synuclein (α-Syn)-containing Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites in Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, and mutant huntingtin (mHTT) in nuclear inclusions in Huntington's disease. These various aggregates are found in specific brain regions that are impacted by neurodegeneration and associated with clinical manifestations. Transglutaminase (TG2) (also known as tissue transglutaminase) is the most ubiquitously expressed member of the transglutaminase family with protein crosslinking activity. To date, Aβ, tau, α-Syn, and mHTT have been determined to be substrates of TG2, leading to their aggregation and implicating the involvement of TG2 in several pathophysiological events in neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, we summarize the biochemistry and physiologic functions of TG2 and describe recent advances in the pathogenetic role of TG2 in these diseases. We also review TG2 inhibitors tested in clinical trials and discuss recent TG2-targeting approaches, which offer new perspectives for the design of future highly potent and selective drugs with improved brain delivery as a disease-modifying treatment for neurodegenerative disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the backdrop of the national strategic goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, the imperative for China's low-carbon new energy transformation is evident. Emerging as an efficient and clean new energy source, the coal-based "three gases" (coalbed methane, tight sandstone gas, and shale gas) have gained prominence. Nevertheless, the current exploration of the coal-based "three gases" is limited to individual reservoirs, posing challenges to achieving overall extraction efficiency. The primary obstacle lies in the conspicuous disparities in gas content among different reservoirs, with the causes of such disparities remaining elusive. To address this issue, this study focused on the Permian Longtan Formation (coal, shale, and tight sandstone) in the southeastern Sichuan Basin. Through a comparative analysis of the mineral composition, organic geochemical features, and pore structure characteristics, this study aimed to delineate reservoir variations and establish a foundation for the simultaneous exploration and exploitation of the coal-based "three gases". The research findings revealed that the differences in reservoir characteristics account for the variations in gas content among coal, shale, and tight sandstone. The mineral composition of the rock formations in the study area primarily consists of quartz, feldspar, clay minerals, pyrite, calcite, and dolomite. By comparison, the coal samples from the four major coal seams in the study area exhibited relatively large pore sizes, which are favorable for gas accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the course of China's modernization, the sports industry's advancement plays a dual role in enhancing national health and driving economic transformation. The integration and coalescence of the sports and health sectors have emerged as pivotal avenues for the structural elevation of China's sports industry. Hence, empirically scrutinizing the influential mechanisms and outcomes of sports and health industry integration on the sports industry's structural enhancement holds substantial practical significance. Method: This study formulates theoretical hypotheses regarding the impact mechanism of sports and health industry integration on the sports industry's sophisticated industrial structure. Drawing insights from literature review and categorization, three dimensions—industrial integration, government role, and market mechanism—are delineated. Employing panel data spanning 2015 to 2020 from four primary Chinese cities, an econometric model is devised to empirically dissect the influence of sports and health industry integration on the sports industry's structural advancement. Findings: The three pivotal explanatory variables—integration of sports and health industries, government role, and market mechanism—exert a positive influence on the sports industry's sophisticated industrial structure. Notably, the impact of market mechanisms outweighs that of government roles, with government roles exhibiting comparatively weaker individual impact effects. Conclusion: The dynamic development process characterizing the structural advancement of China's sports industry in first-tier cities exhibits positive and sustained developmental traits, with discernible convergence in trends. While market mechanisms demonstrate a more immediate and pronounced direct promotional effect than government roles, the enduring influence of government roles over an extended timeframe is evident from a dynamic long-term development perspective. Building upon these findings, the study suggests relevant stakeholders foster advanced sports industry structures by: refining the integration system of sports and health industries; fortifying the fundamental role of market mechanisms; and fully leveraging the government's impact in promoting sports and health industry integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lamasu deposit is the first large copper (Cu) deposit with ~0.6 Mt Cu reserve in the Chinese Western Tianshan Orogen (NW China). The Cu orebodies are mainly hosted in the exoskarn of the Proterozoic Kusongmuqieke Group. Now, the metallogenic mechanism of newly discovered skarn Cu orebodies (0.5 Mt Cu) remains poorly constrained. In this study, we conducted LA‐ICP‐MS U–Pb isotope dating, EPMA and LA‐ICP‐MS geochemical analyses on different generations of garnet from Lamasu to elucidate the magmatic hydrothermal evolution and its timing. Garnets from the Lamasu exoskarn can be divided into three types: reddish‐brown coarse‐grained Grt‐I, light brown fine‐grained Grt‐II and yellowish‐green heterogranular Grt‐III, with U–Pb age of 389.1 ± 2.0 Ma, 387.1 ± 1.8 Ma and 387.0 ± 2.3 Ma, respectively. These dates represent the oldest Cu mineralization age in the Chinese Western Tianshan, coeval with the Middle Devonian subduction of the North Tianshan oceanic plate. Grt‐I to Grt‐III particles are mainly andradite with minor grossularite, and they have different REE compositions. The Grt‐I has total REE contents (∑REE) of 101.47 to 262.87 ppm, with steeply right‐inclining REE distribution patterns (LREE/HREE of 3.81 to 68.50) and positive Eu anomaly. The Grt‐II core has ∑REE of 163.49–249.52 ppm, LREE/HREE of 2.00–4.71, and negative Eu anomaly. The Grt‐II rim has ∑REE of 46.34–99.99 ppm, with LREE/HREE of 18.06–177.23, and positive Eu anomaly. The ∑REE of Grt‐III range from 31.71 to 219.02 ppm, with flat REE distribution pattern and positive Eu anomaly, and the LREE/HREE ranges from 2.16 to 9.07. These garnets have similar trace element compositions, featured by LILE‐depletions (e.g., Rb, Ba and Sr) and HFSE enrichments (e.g., Th, U, Nb and Ce). Micro‐texture and geochemical composition of garnets indicate that the Lamasu magmatic hydrothermal system could have changed from an open to a closed environment, and from infiltration metasomatism to diffusive metasomatism, which formed Grt‐I, Grt‐II and Grt‐III successively. These garnets generally formed in a relatively oxidized fluid environment, which inhibited early sulphide precipitation and favoured for Cu enrichment during the ore fluid evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the biomechanical properties of posterior cruciate ligament avulsion fractures of the tibia fixed using four different methods, including triple tibial channel net suture fixation. In 40 porcine knees, a standardized bony avulsion of the posterior cruciate ligament was generated. Double tibial bone channel suture fixation was performed in group A, double-head hollow compression screw fixation was performed in group B, triple tibial bone channel net suture fixation was performed in group C, and cortical suspension EndoButton fixation was performed in group D. The constructs were cyclically loaded 500 times (10 to 100 N) to measure the initial displacement and stiffness values. Subsequently, loading to failure was performed, and the yield load and peak load were measured. The results were analysed by one-way ANOVA, with significance set at P < 0.05. The initial displacement in group D (1.00 ± 0.20 mm) was lower than that in group C (1.46 ± 0.33 mm, P = 0.000), group B (1.91 ± 1.71 mm, P = 0.000) and group A (3.91 ± 0.79 mm, P = 0.000), but there was no significant difference between groups B and C (P = 0.055). The initial stiffness in group A (50.59 ± 6.89 N/mm) was lower than that in group C (67.21 ± 12.80 N/mm, P = 0.001), group D (71.18 ± 9.20 N/mm, P = 0.000) and group B (78.67 ± 5.91 N/mm, P = 0.000). However, there was no significant difference between groups B and D or between groups C and D (P = 0.111 and P = 0.391). The yield load in group A (554.86 ± 71.43 N) was lower than that in group C (767.00 ± 34.53 N, P = 0.000), group D (777.62 ± 73.03 N, P = 0.000) and group B (837.50 ± 55.73 N, P = 0.000). There was no significant difference between groups C and D (P = 0.729). The peak load in group A (667.38 ± 61.54 N) was lower than that in group C (842.00 ± 26.20 N, P = 0.000), group D (867.63 ± 63.42 N, P = 0.000) and group B (901.25 ± 54.38 N, P = 0.000). There was no significant difference between groups C and D (P = 0.346). Different failure modes were found among the four groups. The triple tibial bone channel suture fixation group showed better initial stability and fixation strength, which was comparable to that in the cortical suspension EndoButton fixation group and double-head hollow compression screw fixation group and significantly stronger than that in the double tibial bone channel suture fixation group. This study analysed the dynamic and static indexes of posterior cruciate ligament tibial avulsion fractures fixed by four different fixation methods under cyclic loading tests and single failure loading tests, providing a theoretical basis for clinical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing coverage, density, and accuracy of the global inland water altimetry record, remote sensing observations of water surface elevation (WSE) and water surface slope (WSS) are becoming available for the world's rivers. In steady, uniform flows, WSS is invariable, while there is a unique one‐to‐one relationship between WSE and discharge, the rating curve. While the assumptions of steady uniform flow are appropriate for many rivers, they are violated upstream of river confluences. We present a simple analytical hydraulic model of river confluences using the theory of steady, gradually varied flow. We apply the model to four river confluences in the Mississippi‐Missouri river system. We determine the spatial extent of the backwater‐affected zones and map WSE‐discharge and WSS‐discharge relationships. We show that coincident measurements of WSE and WSS from new satellite altimetry missions effectively constrain discharge estimates from space in the backwater‐affected zones upstream of river confluences. Plain Language Summary: New satellite altimetry missions monitor water levels in global rivers at unprecedented spatio‐temporal resolution and accuracy. One principal objective of this monitoring effort is to map river flow in space and time, understand the impacts of climatic change on river flows, and provide river flow estimates for practical water resources applications. In many locations and situations, there is a one‐to‐one relationship between river flow and river water level. This so‐called rating curve can be used to directly translate water level observations into river flow estimates. However, the concept of the rating curve breaks down whenever the flow in the river is significantly different from steady uniform flow, which is the flow occurring in a long and uniform river reach with constant boundary inflow. Upstream of river confluences, conditions are often non‐uniform, because high flow in one tributary can coincide with low flow in the other, leading to significant backwater effects in both tributaries. This study models water level and water surface slope dynamics upstream of river junctions and highlights the value that data sets from new satellite missions provide for understanding the hydraulics around river confluences and for estimating flow upstream of river confluences from space. Key Points: The classic stage‐discharge rating curve concept fails upstream of river confluences because of backwater effectsHydraulic modeling confirms that unique stage‐slope‐discharge relationships exist upstream of river confluencesNew satellite altimetry observations of river stage and slope reveal stage‐slope‐discharge relationships for selected river confluences [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we introduce a novel technique that optimizes the design and properties of support structures for Powder Bed Fusion–Laser-Based Metal (PBF-LB/M) processes. The goal is to significantly ease support removal during post-processing without compromising print quality. We propose an additive manufacturing (AM) workflow that streamlines the end-to-end AM process through the creation and integration of innovative support systems, modeling software, and efficient support removal techniques. This approach enhances productivity and minimizes trial and error between design and 3D printing. Our key concept revolves around developing a "soft" support system, which can be easily removed using sandblasting. Compared to manual or machining removal, this method substantially reduces cost and time, particularly in areas with limited or no access. For locations with steep overhangs and large cross-sectional areas, the traditional strong support system can be implemented as a "hard" support. The proposed workflow allows for the development of a hybrid system combining hard and soft supports, effectively manufacturing parts with minimal design constraints. The workflow begins from a standard operating procedure (SOP) for evaluating the appropriate printing parameters to achieve a support that can be soft enough to be sandblasted for removal, yet sufficient strong to support the overhang part structure and prevent distortion. A simulation platform is developed to assess the ideal placement and combination of the hybrid support design, achieving a balance between post-processing cost and effort, and print quality. The development of this solution truly reflects the advantage of metal 3D printing technology, i.e., design freedom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Retinal degeneration (RD) is a group of disorders on irreversible vision loss. Multiple types of stem cells were used in clinical trials for RD treatment. However, it remains unknown what kinds of stem cells are most effective for the treatment. Therefore, we investigated the subretinal transplantation of several types of stem cells, human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs), amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSCs), bone marrow stem cells (hBMSCs), dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs), induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC), and hiPSC-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells for protection effects, paracrine effects and treatment efficiency in an RD disease model rats. Methods: The generation and characterization of these stem cells and hiPSC-derived RPE cells were performed before transplantation. The stem cells or hiPSC-derived RPE cell suspension labelled with CellTracker Green to detect transplanted cells were delivered into the subretinal space of 3-week-old RCS rats. The control group received subretinal PBS injection or non-injection. A series of detections including fundus photography, optomotor response (OMR) evaluations, light–dark box testing, electroretinography (ERG), and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining of retinal sections were conducted after subretinal injection of the cells. Results: Each stem cell, hiPSC-derived RPE cell or PBS (blank experiment) was successfully transplanted into at least six RCS rats subretinally. Compared with the control rats, RCS rats subjected to subretinal transplantation of any stem cells except hiPSCs showed higher ERG waves (p < 0.05) and quantitative OMR (qOMR) index values (hADSCs: 1.166, hAFSCs: 1.249, hBMSCs: 1.098, hDPSCs: 1.238, hiPSCs: 1.208, hiPSC-RPE cells: 1.294, non-injection: 1.03, PBS: 1.06), which indicated better visual function, at 4 weeks post-injection. However, only rats that received hiPSC-derived RPE cells maintained their visual function at 8 weeks post-injection (p < 0.05). The outer nuclear layer thickness observed in histological sections after HE staining showed the same pattern as the ERG and qOMR results. Conclusions: Compared to hiPSC-derived RPE cells, adult and fetal stem cells yielded improvements in visual function for up to 4 weeks post-injection; this outcome was mainly based on the paracrine effects of several types of growth factors secreted by the stem cells. Patients with RD will benefit from the stem cell therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to investigate the feasibility of the anterior transpedicular root screw (ATPRS) intervertebral fusion system for the cervical spine and provide a basis for the design of the ATPRS intervertebral fusion system. Methods: A total of 60 healthy adult cervical spine CT images examined from our hospital were selected, including 30 males and 30 females, with an average age of 39.6 ± 4.8 years. The image data was imported into Mimics 21.0 software in DICOM format for 3D model reconstruction. Simulated screw insertion was performed on both sides of the midline of the intervertebral space. The entry point (P1) was determined when the upper and lower screw paths did not overlap. When the screw was tangent to the medial edge of the Luschka joint, the insertion point was determined as the entry point (P2). Measurements were taken and recorded for the following parameters: distance from the screw entry point to the midline of the intervertebral space (DPM), the simulated screw length, inclination angle, cranial/caudal tilted angle, the anterior–posterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) diameters of the cervical intervertebral space, the heights of the anterior, middle, and posterior edges of the cervical intervertebral space, and the curvature diameter of the lower end plate of the cervical vertebral body. Statistical analysis was performed on the measurement results. Results: The screw entry area (P1P2) showed an increasing trend from C3-C7 in both male (2.92–6.08 mm) and female (2.32–5.12 mm) groups. There were statistical differences between men and women at the same level (P < 0.05). The average screw length of men and women was greater than 20 mm, and the upper and lower screw lengths showed an increasing trend from C3 to C7. In the area where screws could be inserted, the range of screw inclination was as follows: male group upper screw (47.73–66.76°), lower screw (48.05–65.35°); female group upper screw (49.15–65.66°) and lower screw (49.42–63.29°); The range of cranial/caudal tilted angle of the screw was as follows: male group upper screw (32.06–39.56°), lower screw (29.12–36.95°); female group upper screw (30.97–38.92°) and lower screw (27.29–37.20°). The anterior–posterior diameter and mediolateral diameter of the cervical intervertebral space showed an increasing trend from C3 to C7 in both male and female groups. The middle height (MH) of the cervical intervertebral space was greater than the anterior edge height (AH) and posterior edge height (PD), with statistical differences (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Through the study of CT images of the cervical spine, it was determined that the ATPRS intervertebral fusion system has a feasible area for screw insertion in the cervical intervertebral space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zika virus can infect the fetus through the placental barrier, causing ZIKV congenital syndrome and even miscarriage, which can cause great harm to pregnant women and infants. Currently, there is no vaccine and drug available to combat the Zika virus. In this study, we designed a fusion protein named EDIII-Fc, including the EDIII region of Zika E protein and human IgG Fc fragment, and obtained 293T cells that stably secreted EDIII-Fc protein using the lentiviral expression system. Mice were immunized with the EDIII-Fc protein, and it was observed that viral replication was significantly inhibited in the immunized mice compared to non-immunized mice. In rhesus macaques, we found that EDIII-Fc effectively induce the secretion of neutralizing antibodies and T cell immunity. These experimental data provide valid data for further use of Zika virus E protein to prepare an effective, safe, affordable Zika vaccine. Author summary: Zika virus (ZIKV) is a member of the Flavivirus genus. ZIKV could be transmitted through mosquito bites. In the population, ZIKV can be transmitted through mother-to-child transmission, sexual transmission, and blood transmission. Clinical symptoms of ZIKV infection in adults include rash, fever, arthralgia, and conjunctivitis, and neurological symptoms in those with severe infection, manifesting as Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). ZIKV can infect the fetus through the placental barrier, causing ZIKV congenital syndrome and even miscarriage. ZIKV causes fatal damage to the central nervous system of infants. Due to the lack of effective drugs, vaccination is the main strategy to against ZIKV. Conventional vaccines against the Zika virus have the potential to cause antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). In this study, the authors designed a fusion protein named EDIII-Fc, including the EDIII region of Zika E protein and human IgG Fc fragment. EDIII protein has been shown to be incapable of causing ADE. Mice and rhesus monkeys were immunized with EDIII-Fc. EDIII-Fc could induce protective antibodies in mice and rhesus monkeys and protect mice against the challenge of ZIKV. These experimental data provide valid data for further use of ZIKV E protein to prepare an effective, safe, affordable Zika vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to describe the learning curve of surgeons performing tibial cortex transverse transport (TTT) and explore its safety and effectiveness during the initial stages of surgeon's learning. Methods: The clinical data of patients with diabetic foot ulcers classified as Wagner grade ≥ 2, who underwent TTT at our hospital from January 2020 to July 2021, were included in this retrospective analysis. The same physician performed all procedures. Patients were numbered according to the chronological order of their surgery dates. The cumulative sum and piecewise linear regression were used to evaluate the surgeon's learning curve, identify the cut-off point, and divide the patients into learning and mastery groups. A minimum follow-up period of 3 months was ensured for all patients. Baseline data, perioperative parameters, complications, and efficacy evaluation indicators were recorded and compared between the two groups. Results: Sixty patients were included in this study based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. After completing 20 TTT surgeries, the surgeon reached the cut-off point of the learning curve. Compared to the learning group, the mastery group demonstrated a significant reduction in the average duration of the surgical procedure (34.88 min vs. 54.20 min, P < 0.05) along with a notable decrease in intraoperative fluoroscopy (9.75 times vs. 16.9 times, P < 0.05) frequency, while no significant difference was found regarding intraoperative blood loss (P = 0.318). Of the patients, seven (11.7%) experienced complications, with three (15%) and four cases (10%) occurring during the learning phase and the mastery phase, respectively. The postoperative ulcer area was significantly reduced, and the overall healing rate was 94.8%. Significant improvements were observed in postoperative VAS, ABI, and WIFI classification (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the occurrence of complications or efficacy indicators between the learning and mastery groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Surgeons can master TTT after completing approximately 20 procedures. TTT is easy, secure, and highly efficient for treating foot ulcers. Furthermore, TTT's application by surgeons can achieve almost consistent clinical outcomes in the initial implementation stages, comparable to the mastery phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the issues of blurred details and distortion of color in the images recovered by the original AOD-Net dehazing method, this paper proposes a CPAD-Net dehazing network model based on attention mechanism and dense residual blocks. The network is improved on the basis of AOD-Net, which can reduce the errors arising from the separately determined transmittance and atmospheric light values. A new dense residual block structure is designed to replace the traditional convolution method, which effectively improves the detail processing capability and the representation ability of the network model for image feature information. On this basis, the attention module determines how to learn the weights according to the feature importance of distinct channels and distinct pixels, and then obtain the recovery of images in terms of color and texture. The experiments showed that the dehazing efficiency of our method are richer in texture detail information and more natural in color recovery. Compared with other algorithms, the PSNR and SSIM indexes of our method are considerably superior to those listed algorithms, which definitively demonstrates that the dehazing effect of our method is more effective, and the recovered images are more realistic and natural. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperspectral image (HSI) classification, due to its characteristic combination of images and spectra, has important applications in various fields through pixel-level image classification. The fusion of spatial–spectral features is a topic of great interest in the context of hyperspectral image classification, which typically requires selecting a larger spatial neighborhood window, potentially leading to overlaps between training and testing samples. Vision Transformer (ViTs), with their powerful global modeling abilities, have had a significant impact in the field of computer vision through various variants. In this study, an ensemble learning framework for HSI classification is proposed by integrating multiple variants of ViTs, achieving high-precision pixel-level classification. Firstly, the spatial shuffle operation was introduced to preprocess the training samples for HSI classification. By randomly shuffling operations using smaller spatial neighborhood windows, a greater potential spatial distribution of pixels can be described. Then, the training samples were transformed from a 3D cube to a 2D image, and a learning framework was built by integrating seven ViT variants. Finally, a two-level ensemble strategy was employed to achieve pixel-level classification based on the results of multiple ViT variants. Our experimental results demonstrate that the proposed ensemble learning framework achieves stable and significantly high classification accuracy on multiple publicly available HSI datasets. The proposed method also shows notable classification performance with varying numbers of training samples. Moreover, herein, it is proven that the spatial shuffle operation plays a crucial role in improving classification accuracy. By introducing superior individual classifiers, the proposed ensemble framework is expected to achieve even better classification performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to atmospheric scattering, solar radiation, and other factors, the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) product data suffer from a substantial amount of background noise. This poses a significant challenge when attempting to directly utilize the raw data. Consequently, data denoising becomes an indispensable preprocessing step for its subsequent applications, such as the extraction of forest structure parameters and ground elevation data. While the Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) algorithm is currently the most widely used method, it remains susceptible to complexities arising from terrain, low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and input parameter variations. This paper proposes an efficient Multi-Level Auto-Adaptive Noise Filter (MLANF) algorithm based on photon spatial density. Its purpose is to extract signal photons from ICESat-2 terrestrial data of different ground cover types. The algorithm follows a two-step process. Firstly, random noise photons are removed from the upper and lower regions of the signal photons through a coarse denoising process. Secondly, in the fine denoising step, the K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) algorithm selects the K photons to calculate the slope along the track. The calculated slope is then used to rotate the direction of the searching neighborhood in the DBSCAN algorithm. The proposed algorithm was tested in eight datasets of four surface types: forest, grassland, desert, and urban, and the extraction results were compared with those from the ATL08 datasets and the DBSCAN algorithm. Based on the ground-truth signal photons obtained by visual inspection, the classification precision, recall, and F-score of our algorithm, as well as two other algorithms, were calculated. The MLANF could achieve a good balance between classification precision (97.48% averaged) and recall (97.96% averaged). Its F-score (97.69% averaged) was higher than that of the other two methods. This demonstrates that the MLANF algorithm successfully obtained a continuous surface profile from ICESat-2 datasets with different surface cover types, significant topographic relief, and low SNR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the model of the additive tectonic stress from celestial tide-generating force, we studied the relationship between the seismogenic structure and celestial tide-generating stress in the M7.8 Turkey earthquake on 6 February 2023. We analyzed the daily continuous variation characteristics of OLR before and after the Turkey earthquake and discussed the correlation characteristics of tidal stress, OLR, and the earthquake. The results showed that the observed OLR anomaly according to the tidal stress variation cycle "C" (1–15 February) presented a phase change in time, which was synchronized with a continuous trough-to-peak change in the additional tectonic main pressure stress. The spatial distribution of OLR anomalies was mainly concentrated in the southwest section of the East Anatolian Fault Zone, which indicates that seismic tectonic movements were the main causes of OLR anomaly variation during this earthquake. An OLR anomaly change was related to this M7.8 "Swarm Type" of earthquake in Turkey. Impending earthquake OLR anomalies represent that the stress of the seismogenic structure in the seismogenic region has entered a critical state, which can provide stress monitoring and a seismogenic region indication for earthquakes induced by tidal force. The change cycle of the celestial tide-generating force provides a time indication for the identification of seismic thermal anomalies, and it indicates that the combination of the additional tectonic stress of the tidal force and the change of OLR anomaly has value for the research on the short-impending earthquake precursor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although previous neuroimaging evidence has confirmed the brain functional disturbances in thyroid‐associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), the dynamic characteristics of brain activity and functional connectivity (FC) in TAO were rarely concerned. The present study aims to investigate the alterations of temporal variability of brain activity and FC in TAO using resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs‐fMRI). Forty‐seven TAO patients and 30 age‐, gender‐, education‐, and handedness‐matched healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled and underwent rs‐fMRI scanning. The dynamic amplitude of low‐frequency fluctuation (dALFF) was first calculated using a sliding window approach to characterize the temporal variability of brain activity. Based on the dALFF results, seed‐based dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) analysis was performed to identify the temporal variability of efficient communication between brain regions in TAO. Additionally, correlations between dALFF and dFC and the clinical indicators were analyzed. Compared with HCs, TAO patients displayed decreased dALFF in the left superior occipital gyrus (SOG) and cuneus (CUN), while showing increased dALFF in the left triangular part of inferior frontal gyrus (IFGtriang), insula (INS), orbital part of inferior frontal gyrus (ORBinf), superior temporal gyrus (STG) and temporal pole of superior temporal gyrus (TPOsup). Furthermore, TAO patients exhibited decreased dFC between the left STG and the right middle occipital gyrus (MOG), as well as decreased dFC between the left TPOsup and the right calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex (CAL) and MOG. Correlation analyses showed that the altered dALFF in the left SOG/CUN was positively related to visual acuity (r =.409, p =.004), as well as the score of QoL for visual functioning (r =.375, p =.009). TAO patients developed abnormal temporal variability of brain activity in areas related to vision, emotion, and cognition, as well as reduced temporal variability of FC associated with vision deficits. These findings provided additional insights into the neurobiological mechanisms of TAO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, structural columns with cross-section sizes of 100mm × 100mm, 75mm × 150mm, and 85mm × 121mm are designed based on the same notional size of member. The acceleration signals of each column at axial compression ratio of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 were obtained by impact hammering. The corresponding frequency and damping ratio are obtained by half power wideband method. Based on the statistical method, the variation rules of acceleration signal characteristics, frequency characteristics and damping characteristics in different thickness directions under different axial compression ratios were analyzed. The correlation between frequency and damping ratio in different thickness directions with different axial compression ratios is discussed. The results show that under the same axial compression ratio, the damping ratio and frequency tend to decrease with the increase of the thickness in the tapping direction. Under the same thickness, the frequency decreases with the increase of the axial compression ratio. The damping ratio of the column decreases with increasing stress ratio when the thickness in the knocking direction is less than 100mm. The damping ratio of the column increases with the increasing stress ratio when the thickness in the knocking direction is equal to 100mm. The damping ratio of the column increases slightly with the increasing stress ratio when the thickness in the knocking direction is greater than 100mm. By fitting the discrete data, the frequency variation range is 229.65–511.07Hz, and the range of the damping ratio variation is 0.1–0.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer. HCC with liver fluke infection could harbor unique biological behaviors. This study was aimed at investigating radiomics features of HCC with liver fluke infection and establishing a model to predict the expression of cytokeratin 7 (CK7) and cytokeratin 19 (CK19) as well as prognosis at the same time. A total of 134 HCC patients were included. Gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images of all patients were acquired. Radiomics features of the tumor were extracted and then data dimensionality was reduced. The radiomics model was established to predict liver fluke infection and the radiomics score (Radscore) was calculated. There were 11 features in the four-phase combined model. The efficiency of the combined model increased significantly compared to each single-phase MRI model. Radscore was an independent predictor of liver fluke infection. It was also significantly different between different expression of CK7/ CK19. Meanwhile, liver fluke infection was associated with CK7/CK19 expression. A cut-off value was set up and all patients were divided into high risk and low risk groups of CK7/CK19 positive expression. Radscore was also an independent predictor of these two biomarkers. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence free survival (RFS) of negative liver fluke infection group were significantly better than the positive group. OS and RFS of negative CK7 and CK19 expression were also better, though not significantly. Positive liver fluke infection and CK19 expression prediction groups harbored significantly worse OS and RFS, survival of positive CK7 expression prediction was unsatisfying as well. A radiomics model was established to predict liver fluke infection among HCC patients. This model could also predict CK7 and CK19 expression. OS and RFS could be foreseen by this model at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation Model quality assessment is a crucial part of protein structure prediction and a gateway to proper usage of models in biomedical applications. Many methods have been proposed for assessing the quality of structural models of protein monomers, but few methods for evaluating protein complex models. As protein complex structure prediction becomes a new challenge, there is an urgent need for model quality assessment methods that can accurately assess the accuracy of interface residues of complex structures. Results Here, we present DeepUMQA3, a web server for evaluating the accuracy of interface residues of protein complex structures using deep neural networks. For an input complex structure, features are extracted from three levels of overall complex, intra-monomer, and inter-monomer, and an improved deep residual neural network is used to predict per-residue lDDT and interface residue accuracy. DeepUMQA3 ranks first in the blind test of interface residue accuracy estimation in CASP15, with Pearson, Spearman, and AUC of 0.564, 0.535, and 0.755 under the lDDT measurement, which are 17.6%, 23.6%, and 10.9% higher than the second best method, respectively. DeepUMQA3 can also assess the accuracy of all residues in the entire complex and distinguish high- and low-precision residues. Availability and implementation The web sever of DeepUMQA3 are freely available at http://zhanglab-bioinf.com/DeepUMQA_server/. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 193.5-m high concrete tube-shaped TV tower in the city of Nantong, China, was founded on short piled–raft footing, whose safety was threatened by implementation of four 10.9–26.5-m-deep excavations for an interchange subway station within close proximity. Considering the great damage potential of the TV tower associated with excavation-induced ground movement, a row of barrier piles consisting of bored piles was initially constructed between the excavations and TV tower. Field monitoring data indicated that the TV tower developed limited settlements during excavation of the two farthermost subway zones. However, it suffered notable settlements during excavation of the second farthest subway zone; hence, large-diameter metro-jet-system (MJS) piles along with bislurry piles were constructed between the excavations and TV tower to mitigate the adverse excavation influence. As a result, the tower gradually stabilized as construction continued, but it still exhibited an accelerated rate of differential settlement. Since excessive differential settlements might incur cracking, tilting, or even an overturning failure of the tower, it was determined finally to underpin the TV tower with long end-bearing steel pipe piles before excavation of the closest subway zone. With the aid of the comprehensive underpinning plan, the tower gradually became steady during excavation of the closest subway zone, without suffering structural damages or excessive deformations. The lessons and experience learned from this project as well as the extensive protection plans and measures are practically useful for engineers worldwide to safeguard high-rise superstructures sensitive to ground movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Although pilon fractures are rare in clinical practice, they are difficult to treat because of their complexity. Effective fixation of the fracture fragment is the key to the treatment of pilon fractures. Plate osteosynthesis is common clinically, but there are many types of plates and the evaluation of the effect of fixation plates is not comprehensive. This study attempted to compare the capture effect of different fixation plates on the fracture fragments based on 3D modeling and fine distinctions of fracture fragments. Methods: The computed tomography (CT) images before treatment of 127 patients with pilon fractures from January 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively collected. The fracture lines were mapped and digitally displayed as 3D images using MIMICS 21 software. APLUS distal tibia anatomical locking plate (Plate A) and ZIMMER distal tibia anatomical plate (Plate B) were placed on a pseudo‐bone model and CT scans were used to determine the number of screws in the major and minor fragments of pilon fractures. The frequency of the two plates capturing the fracture fragments was recorded. Results: Under Assumption 1 or 2, Plate A performed significantly better than Plate B in capturing the major, Chaput, Volkmann, medial malleolus, and die‐punch fracture fragments. Plate A captured markedly more minor fragments than Plate B under Assumption 2 but was not significantly different from Plate B under Assumption 1. Plate A or Plate B showed no obvious difference between major and minor capture rates under the same assumption, and A1 or B1 showed a markedly higher capture rate compared with A2 or B2. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the major capture rate and the major fragments in B1, and a significant negative correlation between the minor capture rate and the minor fragments in Plates A and B. However, there was no correlation between the major capture rate of Plate A and the major fragments. Conclusion: The APLUS distal tibial anatomical locking plate is superior to the ZIMMER distal tibia anatomical plate in the ability to capture distal tibial fragments in pilon fracture cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]