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The chiral H8-BINOL derivatives R-1 and R-2 were efficiently synthesized via a Suzuki coupling reaction, and they can be used as novel dialdehyde fluorescent probes for the enantioselective recognition of R/S-2-amino-1-phenylethanol. In addition, R-1 is much more effective than R-2. Scanning electron microscope images and X-ray analyses show that R-1 can form supramolecular vesicles through the self-assembly effect of the π-π force and strong hydrogen bonding. As determined via analysis, the fluorescence of the probe was significantly enhanced by mixing a small amount of S-2-amino-1-phenylethanol into R-1, with a redshift of 38 nm, whereas no significant fluorescence response was observed in R-2-amino-1-phenylethanol. The enantioselective identification of S-2-amino-1-phenylethanol by the probe R-1 was further investigated through nuclear magnetic titration and fluorescence kinetic experiments and DFT calculations. The results showed that this mechanism was not only a simple reactive probe but also realized object recognition through an ICT mechanism. As the intramolecular hydrogen bond activated the carbonyl group on the probe R-1, the carbonyl carbon atom became positively charged. As a strong nucleophile, the amino group of S-2-amino-1-phenylethanol first transferred the amino electrons to a carbonyl carbocation, resulting in a significantly enhanced fluorescence of the probe R-1 and a 38 nm redshift. Similarly, S-2-amino-1-phenylethanol alone caused severe damage to the self-assembled vesicle structure of the probe molecule itself due to its spatial structure, which made R-1 highly enantioselective towards it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite ceramics are applied widely nowadays by combining superior properties of different ceramic materials. In this study, SiO 2 –Si 3 N 4 composite ceramics with higher mechanical properties and lower dielectric constant were successfully fabricated by nitriding diamond-wire saw silicon waste. The effect of gas atmospheres (N 2 , NH 3 , N 2 –H 2) and SiO 2 content (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%) on the microstructure and properties of composite ceramics were studied. It shows that the synthesis of SiO 2 –Si 3 N 4 composite ceramics can be obtained in the NH 3 atmosphere, and it is inevitable to form the Si 2 N 2 O phase in N 2 and N 2 –H 2 mixture atmospheres. Furthermore, the shrinkage rate and dielectric constant of the ceramics decreased as SiO 2 content increased from 0% to 40%. As for the porosity of the sintered ceramics, it first decreased and then increased, with a minimum of 1.73% at the SiO 2 content of 20%. However, the flexural strength of the sintered ceramics was the inverse of the porosity, with a maximum of 160.72 MPa at the SiO 2 content of 30%. For the sintered ceramic with 30% SiO 2 , the shrinkage rate, dielectric constant, porosity and flexural strength are 0.3%, 4.62, 1.97% and 160.72 MPa respectively. Thus, this study provides an environment-friendly and value-added approach to recycling photovoltaic waste and reducing the cost of the reactive sintering SiO 2 –Si 3 N 4 composite ceramics with excellent mechanical and dielectric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female entrepreneurs have irreplaceable status and essential significance in entrepreneurship research. Improving females' entrepreneurial intentions is an important topic in this area. Accordingly, this study, based on the theory of planned behavior, investigates the factors that affect female students' entrepreneurial intention at China's vocational colleges and whether household income moderates the relationship between entrepreneurial education, attitude, competence, self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intention. 2149 females from vocational colleges in Guangdong Province, Zhejiang Province, and Jiangxi Province were randomly chosen to participate in the study. They had taken part in entrepreneurial courses throughout 2021–2022. In addition, data were analyzed by structural equation modeling partial least squares. The results demonstrate that entrepreneurial education did not directly affect female students' intentions. Entrepreneurial competence, self-efficacy, and attitude positively affect entrepreneurial intention. It is further concluded that household income significantly moderates the relationship between entrepreneurial education, attitude, competence, and intention. However, there is no significant difference in the relationship between self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intention between high and low-household-income students. While females continue to confront sexism in the workplace, it is crucial that we conduct empirical research into the factors influencing female entrepreneurial intention to boost economic growth and gender parity. This research helps bridge a gap in the prior literature and adds substantial value to encouraging female entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Co-WS 2 heterostructure, loaded on nanofibers with faster electron transport rates, was designed and developed using a top-down approach to achieve high HER performance in alkaline electrolytes. Driven by the inherent electric field induced by the work function difference between Co and WS 2 , efficient electron transfer at the interface optimizes the adsorption energy of reaction intermediates and boosts catalytic activity. [Display omitted] Designing and developing cost-effective, high-performance catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is crucial for advancing hydrogen production technology. Tungsten-based sulfides (WS x) exhibit great potential as efficient HER catalysts, however, the activity is limited by the larger energy required for water dissociation under alkaline conditions. Herein, we adopt a top-down strategy to construct heterostructure Co-WS 2 nanofiber catalysts. The experimental results and theoretical simulations unveil that the work functions-induced built-in electric field at the interface of Co-WS 2 catalysts facilitates the electron transfer from Co to WS 2 , significantly reducing water dissociation energy and optimizing the Gibbs free energy of the entire reaction step for HER. Besides, the self-supported catalysts of Co-WS 2 nanoparticles confining 1D nanofibers exhibit an increased number of active sites. As expected, the heterostructure Co-WS 2 catalysts exhibit remarkable HER activity with an overpotential of 113 mV to reach 10 mA cm−2 and stability with 30 h catalyzing at 23 mA cm−2. This work can provide an avenue for designing highly efficient catalysts applicable to the field of energy storage and conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), which is expressed on the surface of tumor cells, and programmed cell death 1 (PD-1), which is expressed on T cells, impedes the effective activation of tumor antigen-specific T cells, resulting in the evasion of tumor cells from immune-mediated killing. Blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway has been shown to be effective in preventing tumor immune evasion. PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibodies have garnered significant attention in recent years within the field of tumor treatments, given the aforementioned mechanism. Furthermore, clinical research has substantiated the efficacy and safety of this immunotherapy across various tumors, offering renewed optimism for patients. However, challenges persist in anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies, marked by limited indications and the emergence of drug resistance. Consequently, identifying additional regulatory pathways and molecules associated with PD-1/PD-L1 and implementing judicious combined treatments are imperative for addressing the intricacies of tumor immune mechanisms. This review briefly outlines the structure of the PD-1/PD-L1 molecule, emphasizing the posttranslational modification regulatory mechanisms and related targets. Additionally, a comprehensive overview on the clinical research landscape concerning PD-1/PD-L1 post-translational modifications combined with PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibodies to enhance outcomes for a broader spectrum of patients is presented based on foundational research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vascular occlusion induced by hyaluronic acid injections is rare, but can lead to severe adverse events, including necrosis, blindness, and cerebral infarction. Objective: This study aims to explore methods of reducing the risk of complications such as embolism induced by hyaluronic acid injection, and to study the impact of comprehensive systematic treatment on the prognosis of patients with hyaluronic acid embolism. Methods: The clinical data of three female patients with vascular occlusion due to hyaluronic acid injection was analyzed. Their median age was 26 years, with symptoms presenting 1–6 h postinjection. Hospital stays averaged 6 days. Two patients had ptosis, diplopia, and severe pain after injection of eyebrows. The other, who had a nose enhancement, experienced facial skin color changes and intense pain. Results: Two patients received comprehensive, systematic treatment based on injectable hyaluronidase. One patient self‐discharged after receiving injectable hyaluronidase, antispasmodic, and vasodilator treatment on the night of embolism and returned to the hospital 3 days later with worsening embolism symptoms and received symptomatic treatment again. Two patients who received comprehensive, systematic treatment based on injectable hyaluronidase showed significant improvement, while the patient who did not undergo systematic treatment left scars on the face. Conclusion: Vascular occlusion caused by hyaluronic acid facial filling is a severe adverse event, and timely, comprehensive, systematic treatment can effectively improve irreversible damage caused by thrombosis, and even cure it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inductive Logic Programming (ILP) is a research field at the intersection between machine learning and logic programming, focusing on developing a formal framework for inductively learning relational descriptions in the form of logic programs from examples and background knowledge. As an emerging method of ILP, Meta-Interpretive Learning (MIL) leverages the specialization of a set of higher-order metarules to learn logic programs. In MIL, the input includes a set of examples, background knowledge, and a set of metarules, while the output is a logic program. MIL executes a depth-first traversal search, where its program search space expands polynomially with the number of predicates in the provided background knowledge and exponentially with the number of clauses in the program, sometimes even leading to search collapse. To address this challenge, this study introduces a strategy that employs the concept of reuse, specifically through the integration of auxiliary predicates, to reduce the number of clauses in programs and improve the learning efficiency. This approach focuses on the proactive identification and reuse of common program patterns. To operationalize this strategy, we introduce MILER, a novel method integrating a predicate generator, program learner, and program evaluator. MILER leverages frequent subgraph mining techniques to detect common patterns from a limited dataset of training samples, subsequently embedding these patterns as auxiliary predicates into the background knowledge. In our experiments involving two Visual Question Answering (VQA) tasks and one program synthesis task, we assessed MILER's approach to utilizing reusable program patterns as auxiliary predicates. The results indicate that, by incorporating these patterns, MILER identifies reusable program patterns, reduces program clauses, and directly decreases the likelihood of timeouts compared to traditional MIL. This leads to improved learning success rates by optimizing computational efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment of castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a long‐standing clinical challenge. Traditionally, CRPC drugs work by either reducing dihydrotestosterone biosynthesis or blocking androgen receptor (AR) signaling. Here it is demonstrated that AR inhibitor treatment gives rise to a drug‐tolerant persister (DTP) state. The thioredoxin/peroxiredoxin pathway is up‐regulated in DTP cells. Peroxiredoxin 5 (PRDX5) promotes AR inhibitor resistance and CRPC development. Inhibition of PRDX5 suppresses DTP cell proliferation in culture, dampens CRPC development in animal models, and stabilizes PSA progression and metastatic lesions in patients. Therefore, the study provides a novel mechanism and potential target for the management of castration‐resistant prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the neuroprotective effects of ARA290 and the role of β‐common receptor (βCR) in a mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Methods: This study included male C57BL/6J mice that underwent MCAO and reperfusion. The neuroprotective effect of ARA290 on MCAO‐induced brain injury was investigated using neurological function tests (Longa and modified neurological severity score). Cerebral infarction was examined by 2, 3, 5‐triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining, neuronal apoptosis was assessed by immunofluorescence staining, blood parameters were measured using a flow cytometry‐based automated hematology analyzer, liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was used to identify the serum metabolomics signature, inflammatory cytokines and liver index were detected by commercially available kits, and the protein levels of the erythropoietin (EPO) receptor and βCR were measured by western blot. Results: ARA290 exerted a qualitatively similar neuroprotective effect after MCAO as EPO. ARA290 significantly reduced neuronal apoptosis and the level of inflammatory cytokines in the brain tissue. However, ARA290's neuroprotective effect was significantly suppressed following the injection of siRNA against βCR. Conclusion: ARA290 provided a neuroprotective effect via βCR in cerebral ischemic mice without causing erythropoiesis. This study provides novel insights into the role of ARA290 in ischemic stroke intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contemporary times, developed economies are adopting environmentally friendly initiatives such as green finance and energy efficiency. However, the factors affecting energy efficiency are widely explored, and green finance remains overlooked in the empirical literature. The present research examines the drivers of sustainable green finance in OECD economies during 2004–2021. The study uses several panel diagnostic tests and validates the mixed integration order of the variables. Still, the long-run equilibrium relationship is valid between financial inclusion, energy efficiency, human capital, foreign trade, composite risk, and green finance. Using panel autoregressive distributed lag model, the study found that financial inclusion, energy efficiency, foreign trade, and composite risk significantly improve green finance in the long run. However, only energy efficiency is effective in the short run. On the other hand, human capital exhibits a significant adverse influence on green finance. The long-run results are robust due to the significant estimates offered by panel dynamic ordinary least square. Besides, there exist one-way and two-way causal associations between variables. The study recommends improving the financial sector performance to enhance financial inclusivity, increase investment in the energy efficiency sector, and encourage trade in environmentally friendly initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to explore the impact of HLB (Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance) values on two key properties, namely the thermoelectric conductivities and the stability of the suspension, of a hybrid nanofluid composed of TiO2 and CuO nanoparticles. The present study employed a two-step synthesis method to prepare the polymeric nanofluid, which meant that the nanoparticles were mixed with the base fluid using an ultrasonic oscillator, which was easier and cheaper than the one-step synthesis method. To ensure that the nanoparticles remain evenly dispersed in the base fluid, two distinct polymer-emulsifier combinations with different HLB values were employed as the dispersing agents. The first pair of polymeric emulsifiers consisted of Span#20 and Tween#20, and the second pair was Span#80 and Tween#80 composed to four HLB values of 12, 13, 14, and 15. The experiment measured the properties of the nanofluid, including the particle size, Zeta potential, and thermoelectric conductivities at different temperatures from 20 °C to 50 °C. The experimental outcomes indicated that an HLB value of 13 was the best for the two sets of polymeric emulsifiers tested. This value corresponded to the most reduced particle size, measured at 170 nm, alongside the most elevated Zeta potential, recorded at −30 mV. Additionally, this HLB value was associated with the peak thermoelectric conductivity, which was 1.46 W/m∙K. This suggests that there may be some variation in the best HLB value depending on the type of polymeric emulsifiers and the temperature of the hybrid nanofluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thanks to the development of novel electron acceptor materials, the power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices are now approaching 20%. Further improvement of PCE is complicated by the need for a driving force to split strongly bound excitons into free charges, causing voltage losses. This review discusses recent approaches to finding efficient OPV systems with minimal driving force, combining near unity quantum efficiency (maximum short circuit currents) with optimal energy efficiency (maximum open circuit voltages). The authors discuss apparently contradicting results on the amount of exciton binding in recent literature, and approaches to harmonize the findings. A comprehensive view is then presented on motifs providing a driving force for charge separation, namely hybridization at the donor:acceptor interface and polarization effects in the bulk, of which quadrupole moments (electrostatics) play a leading role. Apart from controlling the energies of the involved states, these motifs also control the dynamics of recombination processes, which are essential to avoid voltage and fill factor losses. Importantly, all motifs are shown to depend on both molecular structure and process conditions. The resulting high dimensional search space advocates for high throughput (HT) workflows. The final part of the review presents recent HT studies finding consolidated structure–property relationships in OPV films and devices from various deposition methods, from research to industrial upscaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Treatments for multiple myeloma (MM) have evolved over time and improved MM survival. While racial differences in MM treatment and prognosis between non‐Hispanic African American (NHAA) and non‐Hispanic White (NHW) patients are well‐established, it is unclear whether they have persisted after the introduction of novel agents. Methods: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results‐Medicare linked database, our study investigated racial difference in the receipt of treatment within 1 year following diagnosis and assessed survival outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries (≥66 years) diagnosed with MM from 2007 to 2017. We applied multivariable Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the association between race and survival and presented hazard ratios (HRs). Results: Of 2094 NHAA and 11,983 NHW older patients with MM, 59.5% and 64.8% received treatment during the first year, respectively. Discrepancy in the proportion of patients receiving treatment between the two groups increased from 2.9% in 2007 to 2009 to 6.9% in 2014–2017. After controlling for relevant factors, patients who received treatment within the first year had lower mortality than those who did not (HR = 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.86–0.94). NHAA patients had a lower probability to receive treatments during the first year than NHW patients (HR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.85–0.97) but had lower mortality (HR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.88–1.00). The lower mortality was only observed among patients who received no treatment (HR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.77–0.93); NHAA and NHW patients who received treatment had similar survival (p = 0.63). Conclusions: The increasing racial disparity in treatment utilization over time is concerning. Efforts are needed to eliminate the barriers of receiving treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating the dynamic evolution process of the ocean and ionosphere in sudden sea conditions poses a challenging problem. To address this objective, this study utilizes actual data from high-frequency surface wave radar (HFSWR) to analyze, validate, summarize, and characterize the echo properties of the ocean and ionosphere during the severe Typhoon Muifa. By employing the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) method, the HFSWR ocean and ionosphere echoes stimulated by typhoon-induced gravity waves are observed, and the joint gravity wave features of the ocean and ionosphere echoes at different time scales are extracted. Additionally, the phase-space reconstruction method is employed to characterize the dynamical evolution of the joint gravity wave features in higher-dimensional space. Furthermore, the chaotic dynamics behavior of the joint gravity wave features is analyzed using the largest Lyapunov exponents. By combining the gravity wave features with chaotic dynamics, this study introduces a method to characterize the joint gravity wave features. The extraction of joint gravity wave features in HFSWR echoes stimulated by typhoons, along with the construction of a chaotic characterization scheme for the gravity wave features, provides an innovative approach and a solid technical foundation for studying the ocean and ionosphere using HFSWR under sudden sea conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: White matter hyperintensities (WMH) increase the risk of stroke and cognitive impairment. This study aims to determine the cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations between adiposity and WMH. Methods: Participants were enrolled from the UK Biobank cohort. Associations of concurrent, past, and changes in overall and central adiposity with WMH were investigated by linear and nonlinear regression models. The association of longitudinal adiposity and WMH volume changes was determined by a linear mixed model. Mediation analysis investigated the potential mediating effect of blood pressure. Results: In 34,653 participants with available adiposity measures and imaging data, the concurrent obese group had a 25.3% (β [95% CI] = 0.253 [0.222–0.284]) higher WMH volume than the ideal weight group. Increment in all adiposity measures was associated with a higher WMH volume. Among them, waist circumference demonstrated the strongest effect (β [95% CI] = 0.113 [0.101–0.125]). Past adiposity also demonstrated similar effects. Among the subset of 2664 participants with available WMH follow‐up data, adiposity measures were predictive of WMH change. Regarding changes of adiposity, compared with ideal weight stable group, those who turned from ideal weight to overweight/obese had a 8.1% higher WMH volume (β [95% CI] = 0.081 [0.039–0.123]), while participants who turned from overweight/obese to ideal weight demonstrated no significant WMH volume change. Blood pressure partly meditates the associations between adiposity and WMH. Conclusions: Both concurrent and past adiposity were associated with a higher WMH volume. The detrimental effects of adiposity on WMH occurred throughout midlife and in the elderly and may still exist after changes in obesity status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver disease accounts for millions of deaths per year all over the world due to complications from cirrhosis and liver injury. In this study, a novel compound, dimethyl bisphenolate (DMB), was synthesized to investigate its role in ameliorating carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury through the regulation of oxidative stress-related genes. The structure of DMB was confirmed based on its hydrogen spectrum and mass spectrometry. DMB significantly reduced the high levels of ALT, AST, DBIL, TBIL, ALP, and LDH in a dose-dependent manner in the sera of CCl4-treated rats. The protective effects of DMB on biochemical indicators were similar to those of silymarin. The ROS fluorescence intensity increased in CCl4-treated cells but significantly weakened in DMB-treated cells compared with the controls. DMB significantly increased the content of oxidative stress-related GSH, Nrf2, and GCLC dose-dependently but reduced MDA levels in CCl4-treated cells or the liver tissues of CCl4-treated rats. Moreover, DMB treatment decreased the expression levels of P53 and Bax but increased those of Bcl2. In summary, DMB demonstrated protective effects on CCl4-induced liver injury by regulating oxidative stress-related genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological learning curve models have been continuously used to estimate the cost development of solar photovoltaics (PV) for climate mitigation targets over time. They can integrate several technical sources that influence the learning process. Yet, the accurate and realistic learning curve that reflects the cost estimations of PV development is still challenging to determine. To address this question, we develop four hypothetical-alternative learning curve models by proposing different combinations of technological learning sources, including both local and global technological experience and knowledge stock. We specifically adopt the system dynamics approach to focus on the non-linear relationship and dynamic interaction between the cost development and technological learning source. By applying this approach to Chinese PV systems, the results reveal that the suitability and accuracy of learning curve models for cost estimation are dependent on the development stages of PV systems. At each stage, different models exhibit different levels of closure in cost estimation. Furthermore, our analysis underscores the critical role of incorporating global technical sources into learning curve models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number (CN) is a biomarker of mitochondrial function and has been reported associated with kidney disease. However, its association with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), the most common cause of glomerulonephritis (GN), has not been evaluated. We included 664 patients with biopsy-proven IgAN and measured mtDNA-CN in peripheral blood by multiplexed real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). We examined the associations between mtDNA-CN and clinical variables and found that patients with higher mtDNA-CN had higher estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (r = 0.1009, p =.0092) and lower serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and uric acid (UA) (r=−0.1101, −0.1023, −0.07806, respectively, all p values <.05). In terms of pathological injury, mtDNA-CN was higher in patients with less mesangial hypercellularity (p =.0385, M0 vs. M1 score by Oxford classification). Multivariable logistic regression analyses also showed that mtDNA-CN was lower for patients with moderate to severe renal impairment (defined as eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) vs. mild renal impairment, with the odds ratio of 0.757 (95% confidence interval: 0.579–0.990, p =.042). In conclusion, mtDNA-CN was correlated with better renal function and less pathological injury in patients with IgAN, proposing that systemic mitochondrial dysfunction may be involved in or reflect the development of IgAN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study developed a new tool, differential staining fluorescence microscopy (DSFM), to measure the biovolume and track the location of enteric pathogens in mixed-species biofilms which can pose a risk to food safety in beef processing facilities. DSFM was employed to examine the impact of pathogenic bacteria, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and three different Salmonella enterica strains on mixed-species biofilms of beef processing facilities. Fourteen floor drain biofilm samples from three beef processing plants were incubated with overnight BacLight stained enteric pathogens at 7 °C for 5 days on stainless steel surface then counter-stained with FM-1-43 biofilm stain and analyzed using fluorescence microscopy. Notable variations in biovolume of biofilms were observed across the fourteen samples. The introduction of E. coli O157:H7 and S. enterica strains resulted in diverse alterations of biofilm biovolume, suggesting distinct impacts on mixed-species biofilms by different enteric pathogens which were revealed to be located in the upper layer of the mixed-species biofilms. Pathogen strain growth curve comparisons and verification of BacLight Red Stain staining effectiveness were validated. The findings of this study show that the DSFM method is a promising approach to studying the location of enteric pathogens within mixed-species biofilms recovered from processing facilities. Understanding how foodborne pathogens interact with biofilms will allow for improved targeted antimicrobial interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the detection speed of cow mounting behavior and the lightness of the model in dense scenes, this study proposes a lightweight rapid detection system for cow mounting behavior. Using the concept of EfficientNetV2, a lightweight backbone network is designed using an attention mechanism, inverted residual structure, and depth-wise separable convolution. Next, a feature enhancement module is designed using residual structure, efficient attention mechanism, and Ghost convolution. Finally, YOLOv5s, the lightweight backbone network, and the feature enhancement module are combined to construct a lightweight rapid recognition model for cow mounting behavior. Multiple cameras were installed in a barn with 200 cows to obtain 3343 images that formed the cow mounting behavior dataset. Based on the experimental results, the inference speed of the model put forward in this study is as high as 333.3 fps, the inference time per image is 4.1 ms, and the model mAP value is 87.7%. The mAP value of the proposed model is shown to be 2.1% higher than that of YOLOv5s, the inference speed is 0.47 times greater than that of YOLOv5s, and the model weight is 2.34 times less than that of YOLOv5s. According to the obtained results, the model proposed in the current work shows high accuracy and inference speed and acquires the automatic detection of cow mounting behavior in dense scenes, which would be beneficial for the all-weather real-time monitoring of multi-channel cameras in large cattle farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic forcing caused the biodiversity loss and stability decline of communities. There is still controversy over whether the decline in biodiversity will lead to a decrease in community stability. The stability of biological communities is related to both biodiversity and structure, and this paper aims to reveal the human impacts on diatom communities' biodiversity and structure. We studied the richness, β‐diversity and network distance of diatom communities in Qinghai‐Xizang, Yunnan‐Sichuan and Lower Yangtze River Basin, China through empirical dataset and simulation method. The results showed that the diatoms richness in the Qinghai‐Xizang and the Yunnan‐Sichuan region was lower and the network distance was higher than that of the Lower Yangtze River Basin. β‐diversity in the Lower Yangtze River Basin was the lowest and the diatom network distance responds negatively to human population densities in China. The simulation showed that the network distance kept constant during random species loss, and declined while specialist species were lost or replaced by generalist species. The results suggested diatom communities' homogeneity and stability decline were associated with human activities. Human impacts may cause biodiversity loss targeted to specialist species or no biodiversity loss while generalist species replace those specialist species. This study showed that how diversity changes determined ecological stability depends on the type of species changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale short-term monitoring and prediction of surface deformation are of great significance for the prevention and control of geohazards in rapidly urbanizing developing cities. Most studies focus on individual cities, but it would be more meaningful to address large urban agglomerations and consider the relevance of the regions within them. In addition, the commonly used linear fitting prediction methods cannot accurately capture the dynamic mechanisms of deformation. In this study, we proposed an automatic PS extraction method (named PS-SBAS-InSAR) that improves SBAS-InSAR to extract surface deformation and an Informer-based short-term surface deformation prediction method for case studies in 16 typical cities of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). The results show that PS-SBAS-InSAR successfully extracted accurate surface deformation sequences of the YRD. During the period from January 2019 to January 2021, the YRD experienced a slight deformation with an average deformation rate within [−4, 4] mm/year. Geographically neighboring cities may have associated deformation distributions and similar deformation trends, as indicated by average deformation rate maps and landscape metrics. Both types of deformation (i.e., subsidence/uplift) tend to occur simultaneously, with specific areas of subsidence/uplift occurring in close proximity to areas of concentrated deformation. The Informer model effectively captured the time-series variation in surface deformation, suggesting a slowdown of deformation over the next two months (February 2021–March 2021). Our work contributes to a better understanding of changes and trends in large-scale surface deformation and provides useful methods for monitoring and predicting surface deformation in coastal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the detection speed of cow mounting behavior and the lightness of the model in dense scenes, this study proposes a lightweight rapid detection system for cow mounting behavior. Using the concept of EfficientNetV2, a lightweight backbone network is designed using an attention mechanism, inverted residual structure, and depth-wise separable convolution. Next, a feature enhancement module is designed using residual structure, efficient attention mechanism, and Ghost convolution. Finally, YOLOv5s, the lightweight backbone network, and the feature enhancement module are combined to construct a lightweight rapid recognition model for cow mounting behavior. Multiple cameras were installed in a barn with 200 cows to obtain 3343 images that formed the cow mounting behavior dataset. Based on the experimental results, the inference speed of the model put forward in this study is as high as 333.3 fps, the inference time per image is 4.1 ms, and the model mAP value is 87.7%. The mAP value of the proposed model is shown to be 2.1% higher than that of YOLOv5s, the inference speed is 0.47 times greater than that of YOLOv5s, and the model weight is 2.34 times less than that of YOLOv5s. According to the obtained results, the model proposed in the current work shows high accuracy and inference speed and acquires the automatic detection of cow mounting behavior in dense scenes, which would be beneficial for the all-weather real-time monitoring of multi-channel cameras in large cattle farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by the framework of contentious publicness, this study examines the role of mass media organizations in facilitating digital activism during the 2019–2020 Hong Kong anti-extradition movement. We collected movement tweets targeting media organizations, conceptualized as public-media messages, to identify what media outlets and what narratives were likely to generate more engagement. Findings revealed that activists tended to mobilize media based on colonial history and legitimacy. Furthermore, topic areas, media type, and technological affordances were all related to message publicness measured by the number of retweets and likes. Implications are provided regarding the process of mobilizing for contentious publicness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mode-pairing quantum key distribution (MP-QKD) is a potential protocol that is not only immune to all possible detector side channel attacks, but also breaks the repeaterless rate-transmittance bound without needing global phase locking. Here we analyze the finite-key effect for the MP-QKD protocol with rigorous security proof against general attacks. Moreover, we propose a six-state MP-QKD protocol and analyze its finite-key effect. The results show that the original protocol can break the repeaterless rate-transmittance bound with a typical finite number of pulses in practice. And our six-state protocol can improve the secret key rate significantly in long distance cases. Mode-pairing quantum key distribution (MP-QKD) is a potential protocol. Here the authors analyze the finite-key effect for the MPQKD protocol with rigorous security proof against general attacks. And they propose a six-state MP-QKD protocol and analyze its finite key effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study developed a new tool, differential staining fluorescence microscopy (DSFM), to measure the biovolume and track the location of enteric pathogens in mixed-species biofilms which can pose a risk to food safety in beef processing facilities. DSFM was employed to examine the impact of pathogenic bacteria, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and three different Salmonella enterica strains on mixed-species biofilms of beef processing facilities. Fourteen floor drain biofilm samples from three beef processing plants were incubated with overnight BacLight stained enteric pathogens at 7 °C for 5 days on stainless steel surface then counter-stained with FM-1-43 biofilm stain and analyzed using fluorescence microscopy. Notable variations in biovolume of biofilms were observed across the fourteen samples. The introduction of E. coli O157:H7 and S. enterica strains resulted in diverse alterations of biofilm biovolume, suggesting distinct impacts on mixed-species biofilms by different enteric pathogens which were revealed to be located in the upper layer of the mixed-species biofilms. Pathogen strain growth curve comparisons and verification of BacLight Red Stain staining effectiveness were validated. The findings of this study show that the DSFM method is a promising approach to studying the location of enteric pathogens within mixed-species biofilms recovered from processing facilities. Understanding how foodborne pathogens interact with biofilms will allow for improved targeted antimicrobial interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transmission gear is a key component of vehicles and its surface integrity affects the safety of the transmission system as well as the entire mechanical system. The design and optimization of allowances in form grinding are important for improving dimensional accuracy and machining efficiency during the manufacturing of heavy-duty gears. This work aims to investigate the effects of grinding allowance allocation on surface morphology, grinding temperature, microstructure, surface roughness, and microhardness fluctuation during the form grinding of 20Cr2Ni4A gears. Results indicated that grinding temperature was primarily influenced by rough grinding involving significant grinding depths exceeding 0.02 mm. The ground surface exhibited slight work hardening, while thermal softening led to a reduction in microhardness of around 40 HV. Ground surface roughness Ra varied from 0.930 μm to 1.636 μm, with an allowance allocation of the last two passes exerting the most significant influence. Analysis of surface and subsurface microstructures indicated that a removal thickness of 0.02 mm during fine grinding was insufficient to eliminate the roughness obtained from rough grinding. Evident ridges, gullies, and surface defects such as material extraction, adhesion, and plastic deformation were also observed. The proposed grinding strategy was validated in practical manufacturing with good surface quality and geometrical accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET) are linked to increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In addition to the reduction in of arterial thrombotic events, statins may prevent venous thrombosis including among patients with cancer. As previous registry‐ and claims‐based studies revealed that the use of statins may improve the survival of patients with various malignancies we evaluated their impact on outcomes of older adults with PV and ET. Methods: We identified 4010 older adults (aged 66–99 years at diagnosis) with PV (n = 1809) and ET (n = 2201) in a population‐based cohort study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results‐Medicare database with median follow‐up of 3.92 (interquartile range: 2.58–5.75) years. Propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) approaches were utilized to assess potential association between statins and overall survival. Multivariable competing risk models with death as a competing risk were used to evaluate possible relationship between statins and the incidence of thrombosis. Results: 55.8% of the patients used statins within the first year after PV/ET diagnosis, and statin use was associated with a 22% reduction in all‐cause mortality (PSM: hazard ratio [HR] = 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.63–0.98, p = 0.03; IPTW: HR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.64–0.97, p = 0.03). Statins also reduced the risk of thrombosis in this patient population (PSM: HR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.51–0.78, p < 0.01; IPTW: HR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.49–0.66, p < 0.01) as well as in PV and ET subgroups. Conclusions: These findings suggest that it may be important to incorporate statins into the therapeutic strategy for older adults with PV and ET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is an emerging biomarker for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), giving hope for stratified treatment. As the completed studies have small sample sizes and different experimental methods, systematic review and meta‐analysis were performed to explore their role in predicting pathological complete response (pCR), tumor recurrence, and prognosis. Methods: PubMed, Embase, and the Web of Science were searched for potentially eligible studies published up to September 6, 2022. Pooled relative risk (RR) was calculated to predict pCR and tumor recurrence, and pooled hazard ratio (HR) was calculated to evaluate the prognosis of overall survival (OS), recurrence‐free survival (RFS), and metastasis‐free survival (MRS). Results: Twelve studies published between 2018 and 2022 included 931 patients, and 2544 serum samples were eventually included in the meta‐analysis. The pooled revealed that ctDNA‐negative patients were more likely to have a pCR (RR = 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.26–2.12). The pooled revealed that ctDNA‐positive patients were at high risk of recurrence (RR = 3.37, 95% CI: 2.34–4.85) and had a poorer prognosis for OS (HR = 3.03, 95% CI: 1.86–4.95), RFS (HR = 7.08, 95% CI: 4.12–12.14), and MRS (HR = 2.77, 95% CI: 2.01–3.83). Conclusion: ctDNA may be useful for stratifying treatment and assessing prognosis in patients with LARC, but its clinical application still needs to be confirmed in a prospective multicenter study with large samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Person re-identification is a technology used to identify individuals across different cameras. Existing methods involve extracting features from an input image and using a single feature for matching. However, these features often provide a biased description of the person. To address this limitation, this paper introduces a new method called the Dual Descriptor Feature Enhancement (DDFE) network, which aims to emulate the multi-perspective observation abilities of humans. The DDFE network uses two independent sub-networks to extract descriptors from the same person image. These descriptors are subsequently combined to create a comprehensive multi-view representation, resulting in a significant improvement in recognition performance. To further enhance the discriminative capability of the DDFE network, a carefully designed training strategy is employed. Firstly, the CurricularFace loss is introduced to enhance the recognition accuracy of each sub-network. Secondly, the DropPath operation is incorporated to introduce randomness during sub-network training, promoting difference between the descriptors. Additionally, an Integration Training Module (ITM) is devised to enhance the discriminability of the integrated features. Extensive experiments are conducted on the Market1501 and MSMT17 datasets. On the Market1501 dataset, the DDFE network achieves an mAP of 91.6% and a Rank1 of 96.1%; on the MSMT17 dataset, the network achieves an mAP of 69.9% and a Rank1 of 87.5%. These outcomes outperform most SOTA methods, highlighting the significant advancement and effectiveness of the DDFE network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine natural products have been recognized as the most promising source of bioactive substances for drug discovery research. This review illustrates the diversity of culturable actinobacteria associated with marine algae, their bioactivity and metabolites, and approaches to their isolation and determination of their biological properties. Furthermore, actinobacteria associated with marine algae are presented as a new subject for an extensive investigation to find novel and active natural products, which make them a potentially rich and innovative source for new drug development deserving more attention and exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to propose a new approach to calculate the quantitative relations between morphostructural similarity degree and map scale change in multi-scale contour clusters for automatic contour generalization. Terrain lines were extracted by pre-processing of unclosed contour lines, and an indirect quantitative expression method of morphostructural similarity relation was proposed based on terrain line hierarchical trees. Thirteen groups of multi-scale contour clusters with different drainage areas of loess geomorphy were employed to explore the changing regularity of morphostructural similarity indices with map scale. Finally, the quantitative relations between morphostructural similarity degree and map scale change were calculated using 52 groups of points. The results show that power function is the best fit among the candidate functions, and the quantitative relations between the morphostructural similarity degree and map scale change can be expressed using the same power function, which facilitates the automation of contour generalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] In this study, a new composite (MWCNTs-CuNiFe 2 O 4) prepared by loading magnetic CuNiFe 2 O 4 particles onto carboxylated carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) through co-precipitation was applied to remove oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCl) in solution. The magnetic properties of this composite could address of the issue of difficulty associated with the separation of MWCNTs from mixtures when applied as an adsorbent. In addition to the good adsorption properties recorded for MWCNTs-CuNiFe 2 O 4 towards OTC-HCl, this developed composite could be used to activate potassium persulfate (KPS) for an efficient degradation of OTC-HCl. The MWCNTs-CuNiFe 2 O 4 was systematically characterized using Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM), Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The influence of dose of MWCNTs-CuNiFe 2 O 4 , the initial pH, the amount of KPS and the reaction temperature on the adsorption and degradation of OTC-HCl by MWCNTs-CuNiFe 2 O 4 were discussed. The adsorption and degradation experiments showed that MWCNTs-CuNiFe 2 O 4 exhibited an adsorption capacity of 270 mg·g−1 for OTC-HCl with the removal efficiency 88.6% at 303 K (at an initial pH 3.52, 5 mg KPS, 10 mg composite, 10 mL reaction concentration 300 mg·L−1 of OTC-HCl). The Langmuir and Koble-Corrigan models were used to describe the equilibrium process while the Elovich equation and Double constant model were suitable to describe the kinetic process. The adsorption process was based on single-molecule layer reaction and non-homogeneous diffusion process. The mechanisms of adsorption were complexation and hydrogen bond whereas active species such as SO 4 ‧-, ‧OH and 1O 2 were confirmed to have played a major role in the degradation of OTC-HCl. The composite was also found to be very stable with good reusability property. These results confirm the good potential associated with the use of MWCNTs-CuNiFe 2 O 4 /KPS system for the removal of some typical pollutants from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When plates with edge cracks in the rolling process is straightened by cyclic tensile and compressive stress, the tip of edge crack always accompanied by stress concentration, which leads to crack propagation. In this paper, damage parameters are imported into the plate straightening model based on determining the GTN damage parameters of magnesium alloy materials by inverse finite element calibration method, the influence of different straightening process schemes and prefabricated V-shaped crack geometry on crack growth is analyzed through the way of the combination of simulation and straightening experiment. The results show that the peak values of equivalent stress and equivalent strain under each straightening roll appear at the crack tip. The value of longitudinal stress and equivalent stain decrease with the distance to crack tip becomes larger. The peak value of longitudinal stress appears when the crack circumferential angle is about 100°, and the crack tip is easy to form crack propagation; when the plate passes roll 2 and roll 4, the equivalent stress and strain concentration at the crack tip are most obvious; when the reduction reaches a certain degree, the void volume fraction (VVF) reaches the VVF of the material breaking; with the increase of the entrance reduction, the number of VVF at the crack tip which reaches the material fracture increases, and the length of crack propagation increases; the stress concentration at the tip of V-shaped crack with large length–width ratio is obvious, and the VVF is more likely to reach the VVF at the time of material fracture, crack initiates and propagates easily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article selects relevant data from 283 cities in China from 2000 to 2020 and verifies the impact of the establishment of free trade zones on human capital levels based on the asymptotic PSM-DID model. It is found that the establishment of FTZs can significantly contribute to the improvement of regional human capital levels, but the promotion effect has a certain lag. Finally, the article gives constructive suggestions based on the empirical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visible-infrared person re-identification aims to solve the matching problem between cross-camera and cross-modal person images. Existing methods strive to perform better cross-modal alignment, but often neglect the critical importance of feature enhancement for achieving better performance. Therefore, we proposed an effective method that combines both modal alignment and feature enhancement. Specifically, we introduced Visible-Infrared Modal Data Augmentation (VIMDA) for visible images to improve modal alignment. Margin MMD-ID Loss was also used to further enhance modal alignment and optimize model convergence. Then, we proposed Multi-Grain Feature Extraction (MGFE) Structure for feature enhancement to further improve recognition performance. Extensive experiments have been carried out on SYSY-MM01 and RegDB. The result indicates that our method outperforms the current state-of-the-art method for visible-infrared person re-identification. Ablation experiments verified the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: The respiratory microbiota and radiomics correlate with the disease severity and prognosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We aim to characterize the respiratory microbiota and radiomics features of COPD patients and explore the relationship between them. Methods: Sputa from stable COPD patients were collected for bacterial 16 S rRNA gene sequencing and fungal Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequencing. Chest computed tomography (CT) and 3D-CT analysis were conducted for radiomics information, including the percentages of low attenuation area below − 950 Hounsfield Units (LAA%), wall thickness (WT), and intraluminal area (Ai). WT and Ai were adjusted by body surface area (BSA) to WT/ and Ai/BSA, respectively. Some key pulmonary function indicators were collected, which included forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), diffusion lung carbon monoxide (DLco). Differences and correlations of microbiomics with radiomics and clinical indicators between different patient subgroups were assessed. Results: Two bacterial clusters dominated by Streptococcus and Rothia were identified. Chao and Shannon indices were higher in the Streptococcus cluster than that in the Rothia cluster. Principal Co-ordinates Analysis (PCoA) indicated significant differences between their community structures. Higher relative abundance of Actinobacteria was detected in the Rothia cluster. Some genera were more common in the Streptococcus cluster, mainly including Leptotrichia, Oribacterium, Peptostreptococcus. Peptostreptococcus was positively correlated with DLco per unit of alveolar volume as a percentage of predicted value (DLco/VA%pred). The patients with past-year exacerbations were more in the Streptococcus cluster. Fungal analysis revealed two clusters dominated by Aspergillus and Candida. Chao and Shannon indices of the Aspergillus cluster were higher than that in the Candida cluster. PCoA showed distinct community compositions between the two clusters. Greater abundance of Cladosporium and Penicillium was found in the Aspergillus cluster. The patients of the Candida cluster had upper FEV1 and FEV1/FVC levels. In radiomics, the patients of the Rothia cluster had higher LAA% and WT/ than those of the Streptococcus cluster. Haemophilus, Neisseria and Cutaneotrichosporon positively correlated with Ai/BSA, but Cladosporium negatively correlated with Ai/BSA. Conclusions: Among respiratory microbiota in stable COPD patients, Streptococcus dominance was associated with an increased risk of exacerbation, and Rothia dominance was relevant to worse emphysema and airway lesions. Peptostreptococcus, Haemophilus, Neisseria and Cutaneotrichosporon probably affected COPD progression and potentially could be disease prediction biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a q -analogue of the polynomial reduction which was originally developed for hypergeometric terms. Using the q -Gosper representation, we describe the structure of rational functions that are summable when multiplied with a given q -hypergeometric term. The structure theorem enables us to generalize the q -polynomial reduction to the rational case, which can be used in the automatic proof and discovery of q -identities. As applications, several q -analogues of series for π are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plateau is characterized by low oxygen, low pressure, strong radiation, cold and dryness, among which low oxygen is the main factor that affects the normal life activities of human body. Altitude hypoxia leads to significant changes in the metabolic characteristics of drugs in vivo, which in turn affects the efficacy and adverse actions of drugs. This paper summarizes the present situation of rational drug use in plateau area and pinpoints the existing problems. Meanwhile, we posit the strategies and measures for realizing rational and precise pharmacotherapy of plateau residents. First, we need to acquire a panoramic view of differential and relative pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in between plateau area and plain area by carrying out comparative studies on drug metabolisms and on comprehensive drug efficacies and mechanisms. Second, we must apply the findings from basic research to clinical practice and formulate guidelines and recommendations of drug use for plateau habitants. Finally, we should eventually achieve precise and individualized drug use for plateau habitants based on their characteristic etiology and pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem of fast divergence of pure inertial navigation system without correction under the condition of GNSS restricted environment, this paper proposes a multi-mode navigation method with an intelligent virtual sensor based on long short-term memory (LSTM). The training mode, predicting mode, and validation mode for the intelligent virtual sensor are designed. The modes are switching flexibly according to GNSS rejecting situation and the status of the LSTM network of the intelligent virtual sensor. Then the inertial navigation system (INS) is corrected, and the availability of the LSTM network is also maintained. Meanwhile, the fireworks algorithm is adopted to optimize the learning rate and the number of hidden layers of LSTM hyperparameters to improve the estimation performance. The simulation results show that the proposed method can maintain the prediction accuracy of the intelligent virtual sensor online and shorten the training time according to the performance requirements adaptively. Under small sample conditions, the training efficiency and availability ratio of the proposed intelligent virtual sensor are improved significantly more than the neural network (BP) as well as the conventional LSTM network, improving the navigation performance in GNSS restricted environment effectively and efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the interest in the potential pharmacological application of dandelion, the chemical constituents and activities of Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz were studied. Box–Behnken response surface methodology was employed to optimize the protocol for extraction of flavonoid from dandelion. The molecular structures of different flavonoid compounds were acquired and analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Several major flavonoid compounds were isolated and purified, namely, hesperetin-5′-O-β-rhamnoglucoside, hesperetin-7-glucuronide, kaempferol-3-glucoside, baicalein, hyperseroside, which were extracted for the first time from dandelion. Hesperetin-5′-O-β-rhamnoglucoside was identified as a new type of flavonoid that had never reported in the literature. This new flavonoid has outstanding antioxidant activity, as shown by its IC50 value (8.72 mg/L) for scavenging DPPH free radicals. The determination of the structure-related antioxidant activities could be interpreted based on DFT calculations. As such, we have not only illustrated the rich flavonoid contents in Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz, but also revealed new types of flavonoid compounds in dandelion in terms of structure and antioxidant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The history of the treatment of APL has shown remarkable success. However, it is not clear whether it is necessary to monitor long-term toxicity in "cured" patients who survive for more than five years, which is critical to ensuring maximum survival in APL patients. To answer this question, we performed a comprehensive analysis of 1952 APL 5-year survivors and 5973 non-APL acute myeloid leukemia (AML) 5-year survivors from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We found that the overall mortality risk in >5-year survivors of APL was 1.41 times than that of the general population due to a significant increase in mortality from AML (SMR, 87.67) and other second malignant neoplasms (SMR, 1.56) only at 60–119 months. This result indicated long-term survivors of APL are safe after 10 years, which may help clinicians make future risk assessment, health guidance, and follow-up plans for APL long-term survivors. Background: Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a highly curable cancer, but it is not clear whether it is also necessary to monitor long-term toxicity in "cured" patients who survive for more than five years, which is critical to ensuring maximum survival in APL patients. Methods: A total of 1952 APL 5-year survivors and 5973 non-APL acute myeloid leukemia (AML) 5-year survivors were included from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was calculated to measure the risk of death. Cumulative mortality is calculated as the incidence of specific causes of death under competing risk events. Results: The SMR of all causes of death in >5-year survivors of APL was higher than that of the general population only at 60–119 months (SMR, 1.41). This was mainly because a significant increase in mortality from AML (SMR, 87.67) and second malignant neoplasms (SMNs) (SMR, 1.56) was found only at 60–119 months. However, there was no higher risk of death from non-cancer-related disease in >5-year survivors of APL than that of the general population (SMR, 0.89). The SMR of all-cause deaths in >5-year survivors of non-APL AML decreased year by year and was no higher than that of the general population until after 216 months. The cumulative incidence of AML-related death, SMN-related death, and non-cancer-related death was significantly lower in APL patients than in non-APL AML patients throughout the follow-up period. Conclusions: Compared with the general population, the risk of death of patients with APL was higher within 5 to 10 years but not higher over 10 years. Therefore, we believe that long-term survivors of APL are safe after 10 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: In patients with colorectal cancer and clinically suspected para-aortic lymph node metastasis, the survival benefit of para-aortic lymphadenectomy is unknown. We conducted a meta-analysis and systematic review to investigate it. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE were searched until January 2000 to April 2022 to identify studies reporting overall survivals, complication rates, and hazard ratios of prognostic factors in patients with colorectal cancer undergoing para-aortic lymphadenectomy, and those data were pooled. Results: Twenty retrospective studies (1021 patients undergoing para-aortic lymphadenectomy) met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis indicates that participants undergoing para-aortic lymphadenectomy were associated with 5-year survival benefit, compared to those not receiving para-aortic lymphadenectomy (odds ratio = 3.73, 95% confidence interval: 2.05–6.78), but there was no significant difference in complication rate (odds ratio = 0.97, 95% confidence interval: 0.46–2.08). Further analysis of para-aortic lymphadenectomy group showed that 5-year survival of the positive group with pathologically para-aortic lymph node metastasis was lower than that of the negative group (odds ratio = 0.19, 95% confidence interval: 0.11–0.31). Moreover, complete resection (odds ratio = 5.26, 95% confidence interval: 2.02–13.69), para-aortic lymph node metastasis (≤4) (hazard ratio = 1.88, 95% confidence interval: 0.97–3.62), and medium-high differentiation (hazard ratio = 2.98, 95% confidence interval: 1.48–5.99) were protective factors for survival. Preoperative extra-retroperitoneal metastasis was associated with poorer relapse-free survival (hazard ratio = 1.85, 95% confidence interval: 1.10–3.10). Conclusion: Para-aortic lymphadenectomy had promising clinical efficacy in prolonging survival rather than complication rate in patients with colorectal cancer and clinically diagnostic para-aortic lymph node metastasis. Further prospective studies should be performed. Trial registration: PROSPERO: CRD42022379276. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are five closed types of piezo actuators (closed type of PA, closed PA) as a cooling fan relative to those different PAJs of the previous work (open type of PAJ, open PAJ) for analysis in the present study. Closed PA was composed of circular piezoelectric ceramics (PCs) and acrylic (PMMA) plates and investigated on five different types at operating conditions. The results show that the noise of the closed PA is quieter than that of the open PAJ by about 10 dB. When the closed PA is deposed at a suitable distance of 10 to 20 mm from the heat source, averting sucking back the high-temperature fluids around that, the thermal convection coefficient is above 120% more than that of the conventional rotary fan. The cooling performances of these five closed PAs were evaluated by thermal analysis technique, and the convection thermal resistance of the best closed PA can be decreased by over 15%. In terms of energy consumption, a monolithic closed PA was less than 10% than that of a rotary fan. Among these five closed PAs, the best one has the essential qualities that the diameter of the piezoelectric sheet is 41 mm, the opening length is 4 mm, and the outer opening length is 10 mm. Moreover, the best operating conditions are a voltage frequency of 300 Hz and a release distance of 15 mm in the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common type of cancer in children (age 0–14 years); however, the etiology remains incompletely understood. Several environmental exposures have been linked to risk of childhood ALL, including air pollution. Closely related to air pollution and human development is artificial light at night (ALAN), which is believed to disrupt circadian rhythm and impact health. We sought to evaluate outdoor ALAN and air pollution on risk of childhood ALL. The California Linkage Study of Early-Onset Cancers is a large population-based case–control in California that identifies and links cancer diagnoses from the California Cancer Registry to birth records. For each case, 50 controls with the same year of birth were obtained from birth records. A total of 2,782 ALL cases and 139,100 controls were identified during 2000–2015. ALAN was assessed with the New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness and air pollution with an ensemble-based air pollution model of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5). After adjusting for known and suspected risk factors, the highest tertile of ALAN was associated with an increased risk of ALL in Hispanic children (odds ratio [OR] = 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–1.32). There also appeared to be a borderline association between PM2.5 level and risk of ALL among non-Hispanic White children (OR per 10 µg/m3 = 1.24, 95% CI 0.98–1.56). We observed elevated risk of ALL in Hispanic children residing in areas of greater ALAN. Further work is needed to understand the role of ALAN and air pollution in the etiology of childhood ALL in different racial/ethnic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electrochemical sensor enabled by electropolymerization (EP) of β-cyclodextrin on glassy carbon electrode (β-CDP/GCE) is built for the determination of fenitrothion (FNT). The effects of the EP cycles, pH value, and enrichment time on the electrochemical response of FNT were studied. With the optimum conditions, good linear relationships between the current of the reduction peak of the nitroso derivative of FNT and the concentration are obtained in the range of 10–150 and 150–4000 ng/mL, with a detection limit of 6 ng/mL (S/N = 3). β-CDP/GCE also exhibits a satisfactory applicability in cabbage and tap water, with recovery values between 98.43% and 112%. These outstanding results suggest that β-CDP/GCE could be a new effective alternative for the determination of FNT in real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the association between the Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) gene polymorphism and the susceptibility to sepsis using a meta-analysis. Methods: The publications were searched on PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases up to December 1, 2019 for relevant literature. Results: A total of 32 studies (21 adult and 11 pediatric studies) were selected for analysis. Overall, in the three models of MBL +54 A/B gene polymorphisms, namely the dominant model BB + AB vs. AA (p = 0.03), the recessive model BB vs. AB + AA (p < 0.00001), and the allele model B vs. A (p = 0.04), MBL +54 A/B was significantly related to the risk of sepsis. In the adult group, the MBL A/O gene polymorphism was associated with the risk of sepsis in the dominant model AO + OO vs. AA (p = 0.006) as well as in the allele model O vs. A (p = 0.04). The MBL +54 A/B gene polymorphism was significantly related to the risk of sepsis in the recessive model and, therefore, may increase the risk of sepsis. In the pediatric group, no polymorphic loci were significantly associated with sepsis in any of the three models. The results of the publication bias test demonstrated no publication bias in an unadjusted estimate of the relationship between MBL A/O and −211Y/X gene polymorphism and sepsis. Conclusions: The polymorphisms of MBL that are related to the occurrence of sepsis are primarily A/O and +54 A/B, while −221Y/X and −550H/L have no clear relationship with the susceptibility of sepsis in various age groups or different models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bombyx batryticatus (BB) is an anticonvulsant animal medicine in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and acts on the central nervous system. This research aimed to study the anticonvulsant effects of different polarity fractions of extracts from BB and to explore the components conferring anticonvulsant activity. Materials and methods: Crude extracts of BB at 20 g/kg were divided into different polarity fractions (petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, water) and were administered to groups of mice before injecting pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) to induce convulsions. The animals were placed in chambers, and their behaviors were recorded for 30 min following the injection. Latency time, percent of protection, convulsion, convulsion rate, and convulsion score were determined for these mice. The compounds present in the different fractions were analyzed, and those from the fraction that conferred anticonvulsant activity were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF MS) and molecular networking (MN). The chloroform extract fractions (B-C) clearly increased the seizure latency time and protection percentage and decreased the convulsion percentage compared to the control group. The anticonvulsant effect of other extract fractions was not significant. Our study shows that the chloroform extract fractions (B-C) of BB have a significant anticonvulsant effect. We also identified 17 compounds including lumichrome, pheophorbide A, and episyringaresinol 4′-O-beta-d-glucopyranose that were found for the first time. The results of this study may lay the groundwork for studying compounds derived from Bombyx batryticatus and their anticonvulsant effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Circulating metabolites have been implicated in stroke pathogenesis, but their genetic determinants are understudied. Using a Mendelian randomization approach, our aim was to provide evidence for the relationship of circulating metabolites and the risk of stroke and its subtypes. Methods: Genetic instruments of 102 circulating metabolites were obtained from a genome‐wide association study, including 24,925 European individuals. Stroke was extracted from the MEGASTROKE dataset (67,162 cases; 454,450 controls) and a lacunar stroke dataset (7338 cases; 254,798 controls). The magnetic resonance imaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease and microstructural injury were evaluated by a genome‐wide association study of white matter hyperintensities (N = 18,381), fractional anisotropy (N = 17,663), mean diffusivity (N = 17,467) and brain microbleeds (N = 25,862). The inverse‐variance weighted method Mendelian randomization was used as the primary analytical method, and directional pleiotropy and heterogeneity were examined in sensitivity analyses. Results: A genetic predisposition to a higher level of cholesterol in small and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) was associated with risk of stroke (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08–1.21, p = 5.98 × 10−7), especially for large‐artery atherosclerotic stroke (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.19–1.52, p = 1.90 × 10−6). Total lipids in LDL particles were also associated with risk of stroke. A genetically determined higher cholesterol level in high‐density lipoprotein (HDL‐C) was associated with risk of intracerebral haemorrhage (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.23–2.45, p = 1.66 × 10−3). No statistically significant association was found between genetic predisposition to circulating metabolites and magnetic resonance imaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease and microstructural injury. Conclusions: Genetically determined levels of lipids in small LDL were associated with the risk of stroke, suggesting that a therapeutic strategy targeting small LDL levels may be crucial for stroke prevention. HDL‐C was positively associated with the risk of intracerebral haemorrhage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV) is the main pathogen causing maize rough dwarf disease (MRDD) in China. Typical enation symptoms along the abaxial leaf veins prevail in RBSDV-infected maize inbred line B73 (susceptible to RBSDV), but not in X178 (resistant to RBSDV). Observation of the microstructures of epidermal cells and cross section of enations from RBSDV-infected maize leaves found that the increase of epidermal cell and phloem cell numbers is associated with enation formation. To identify proteins associated with enation formation and candidate proteins against RBSDV infection, comparative proteomics between B73 and X178 plants were conducted using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) with leaf samples at the enation forming stage. The proteomics data showed that 260 and 316 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in B73 and X178, respectively. We found that the majority of DEPs are located in the chloroplast and cytoplasm. Moreover, RBSDV infection resulted in dramatic changes of DEPs enriched by the metabolic process, response to stress and the biosynthetic process. Strikingly, a cell number regulator 10 was significantly down-regulated in RBSDV-infected B73 plants. Altogether, these data will provide value information for future studies to analyze molecular events during both enation formation and resistance mechanism to RBSDV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]