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Deciphering the physical origin of transient crustal deformation is a difficult challenge in the field of continuous borehole observations of crustal movement because the relevant influencing factors of the phenomenon are extremely multifarious. In the Shanxi Rift, squall lines are a frequently occurring mesoscale convective system. Consequently, strain transients are always observed by the borehole dilatometer network within the Shanxi Rift; however, a fundamental understanding of the transient phenomena induced by squall lines remains elusive. To address this challenge, we adopted a second-order Butterworth band-pass filters (0.5–2 h) to retrieve the borehole volumetric deformations excited by a "dry" squall line from September 21, 2017, that occurred in the Shanxi Rift. The elastic loading of Ricker-wavelet-shaped atmospheric waves induced by squall line, which can cause the main signature of transient deformation to adopt a highly similar shape; this pressure-induced deformation process can last approximately 148–164 min and has a maximum magnitude of approximately 19 nstrain. This work of signal processing clearly identifies the crustal transient induced by a squall line and provides new insights into the origin of some short-lasting crustal deformations in the Shanxi Rift and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing building stock faces the challenge of low energy efficiency and requires renovation and upgrading to meet society′s goals of carbon reduction and sustainable development. This study presents an optimization framework utilizing genetic algorithms to develop robust retrofit plans that balance the need for improved energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness considerations for householders, and uncertainties regarding climate conditions. A case study of an aged residential building in a hot and humid region of China is used to demonstrate the proposed method. The optimization results show a potential energy demand reduction of 81.5%. However, due to the relatively long time required to realize economic benefits from high investments, short-term optimization tends to favor solutions with high energy demand and low primary costs. To effectively reduce carbon emissions, it is recommended to consider the long-term economic benefits of retrofits and prioritize solutions with high energy efficiency. However, it is important to acknowledge that the expensive nature of retrofit investments may pose barriers to residents. Society should provide adequate support and guidance to facilitate residential renovation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: CXCL1 belongs to a member of the ELR + CXC chemokine subgroups that also known as GRO-alpha. It has been recognized that several types of human cancers constitutively express CXCL1, which may serve as a crucial mediator involved in cancer development and metastasis via an autocrine and/or paracrine fashion. However, the expression pattern and clinical significance of CXCL1 in human uterine cervix cancer (UCC), as well as its roles and mechanisms in UCC tumor biology remains entirely unclear.Methods: The expression and clinical significance of CXCL1 in UCC tissues was explored using immunohistochemistry and bioinformatics analyses. The expression and effects of CXCL1 in HeLa UCC cells were assessed using ELISA, CCK-8 and transwell assays. Western blotting experiments were performed to evaluate the potential mechanism of CXCL1 on malignant behaviors of HeLa UCC cells.Results: The current study demonstrated that CXCL1 was expressed in HeLa UCC cells, PHM1-41 human immortalized cervical stromal cells, as well as cervical tissues, with UCC tissues having an evidently high level of CXCL1. This high level of CXCL1 in cancer tissues was notably related to poor clinical stages and worse survival probability, rather than tumor infiltration and patient age. In addition, CXCL1 expression was extremely correlated with CCL20, CXCL8 and CXCL3 cancer-associated chemokines expression. In vitro, the growth and migration abilities of HeLa cells were significantly enhanced in the presence of exogenous CXCL1. Gain-function assay revealed that CXCL1 overexpression significantly promoted growth and migration response in HeLa cells in both autocrine and paracrine manners. Finally, we found that CXCL1 overexpression in HeLa cells influenced the expression of ERK signal-related genes, and HeLa cell malignant behaviors derived from CXCL1 overexpression were further interrupted in the presence of the ERK1/2 blocker.Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate the potential roles of CXCL1 as a promoter and a novel understanding of the functional relationship between CXCL1 and the ERK signaling pathway in UCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies have proved that the incorporation of polypropylene fiber can effectively improve the impact resistance of concrete. In this paper, the split Hopkinson pressure bar and digital pulse shaping technology are used to further study the dynamic compression performance and constitutive relationship of concrete in the cold regions under the deteriorating effect of freeze-thaw cycle, and obtain the dynamic increase factor. Studies have shown that polypropylene fiber-reinforced high-strength concrete has a strain rate enhancement effect. The number of freeze-thaw cycle times at low strain rates has an obvious effect on concrete deterioration, and the effect is weaker at higher strain rates. By comparing three typical dynamic strength growth factor models with the test results, after revising the model, the dynamic increase factor equations under different freeze-thaw circulation times were fitted. This research provides a basis for the design of durability and robustness of building structures in cold regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the dynamic response and damage evolution of coal under multiple high-pressure air blasting (HPAB), simulated coal specimens were used in the HPAB experiments, and the variation laws of stress field, vibration field, damage field, and cumulative fracture failure process in specimens were analyzed from a macro point of view. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) were used to observe the pore distribution near the blasthole of the specimen and analyze the variation law of pore structure parameters under multiple HPAB from the microscopic point of view. The test results show that (1) the stress wave generated by HPAB has a great impact on the near zone. After multiple HPAB, the damage value at the place 50 mm away from the blasthole increases by 3.91 times compared with the one shock from HPAB, and the strain peak and vibration velocity are reduced by 17.86% and 63.05%, respectively. With the increase of distance, the internal damages of the specimens in the middle and far zones are mainly driven by the stress wave and the high-pressure air, and the strain peak, vibration velocity, and damage degree gradually decrease. (2) With the increase of shock times in HPAB tests, the stress wave attenuation index decreases at first and then increases, and the damages degree of the middle and far zones increase slowly in the first few shocks and then increase rapidly. The site coefficient (k) shows an overall decreasing trend, whereas the attenuation coefficient (α) tends to increase. (3) The multiple HPABs have a great impact on the pore structure of the specimens. Compared with unshocked specimen, the cumulative mercury injection and pore volume increased by 152.04% and 135.05%, respectively. The number of connecting pores with large pore diameter is significantly increased. The multiple HPAB can effectively improve the pore and fracture structure in the specimens and form a relatively developed fracture network channel. The study results have certain guiding value for solving practical engineering problems of low extraction efficiency in low permeability coal seams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-pressure air blasting (HPAB) is one type of physical blasting technique that enhances the extraction rate of coalbed methane by impacting the coal mass with high-pressure gas to create cracks within it. First, based on the physical and mechanical parameters of the simulated coal rock mass, the RHT constitutive model of the coal rock mass was established, and its parameters were determined. Then, the laws of crack propagation and stress wave decay in coal induced by high-pressure air blasting were revealed by comparing the effect with that of equivalent explosive blasting. Next, the HPAB experiment was simulated to explore the coal crack propagation law under in-situ stress conditions. Finally, the HPAB experiment was carried out and the results of this experiment were compared with the numerical simulation results. The results indicate that the crack propagation induced by high-pressure air blasting is considered as two major stages, i.e., the crack initiation and crack propagation stage induced by the stress wave and the crack stable propagation stage induced by the duration high-pressure gas. In the case of equal energy, the peak stress wave of high-pressure gas is smaller, decays more slowly and has a longer action time, compared to explosive blasting. Therefore, the number of initial random cracks in coal mass induced by high-pressure air blasting is less, and the range of crack propagation induced by high-pressure air blasting is larger. When λ = 0 (λ is the ratio of the horizontal in-situ stress to the vertical in-situ stress), the in-situ stress in the coal seam can promote the propagation of vertical cracks but inhibit the propagation of horizontal cracks. When λ = 0.5 and 1, the in-situ stress inhibits the propagation of both horizontal and vertical cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earth's water resources are critical for supporting livelihoods and food security but are being increasingly overexploited to support global agriculture. Diversifying cropping systems could potentially resolve unsustainable water use but trade‐offs with other aspects of sustainability and food security have not yet been assessed. We performed a detailed analysis of 31 different field crop rotations conducted during 1990–2019 in the North China Plain, to assess the potential impact of crop diversification on actual evapotranspiration (ETa), changes in regional groundwater table, grain yield, economic output, and water use efficiency (WUE) and to identify configurations that can achieve co‐benefits across multiple dimensions. We found that a combination of lowering the cropping index (i.e., harvest frequency), incorporating fallow periods, and introducing higher‐value crops into the currently dominant winter wheat–summer maize double cropping system can reduce growing season ETa by as much as 31%, mitigate groundwater decline by 19% or more, and increased economic output and economic WUE by more than 11% and 3%, respectively. We also found that multiple diversified wheat‐maize–based rotations—all with rotation lengths greater than 2 years—achieve co‐benefits across all evaluated dimensions. This study provides new empirical evidence of the opportunities for diversified crop rotations to balance the multiple objectives of food production, sustainable groundwater use, and farmer profitability. Extending this solution to other water‐stressed agricultural regions could be an effective strategy in achieving more sustainable food production system globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image style transfer is a significant challenge in computer vision, where the goal is to transfer the style of a reference image to a source image while preserving its background and feature information. Despite previous progress in this area, many studies have overlooked the issues of local details and complexity, leading to unrealistic generated images and slow model inference speeds. This paper proposes an efficient image style transfer method based on cross-fusion attention (CFA), inspired by generative adversarial networks (GAN) and a new joint loss. Our novel CFA encodes local contextual information between low-level and high-level features, models remote dependencies of features, and embeds CFA into the encoder of our proposed model to increase the diversity of small features and focus on more prominent feature parts. Furthermore, we use frequency domain loss to improve image reconstruction quality and a joint loss to train the network. Our experiments on multiple datasets demonstrate that our proposed method offers significant advantages in terms of inference speed, background information preservation, and local details, making it a promising approach to image style transfer. The code for our method is available at https://github.com/berylxzhang/CFA-GAN. • We propose Cross-Fusion Attention (CFA) for image style transfer, addressing slow inference speed and loss of local details in GAN-based methods. • Our approach incorporates a Frequency Loss to bridge frequency domains and enhance training effectiveness. • A joint loss function aids GAN training, improving the image synthesis effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Findings: What is the central question of this study?The aim was to investigate the function of microRNA‐188 in the biological characteristics of lung cancer stem cells and the molecular mechanisms involved.What is the main finding and its importance?This study highlights a new molecular mechanism involving microRNA‐188, MDK and the Hippo signalling pathway that plays a suppressive role in biological activity of lung cancer stem cells. This finding might offer new insights into gene‐based therapy for lung cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in lung cancer and reported as new promising diagnostic and therapeutic tools for cancer control. Here, we investigated the action of microRNA‐188 (miR‐188) in lung cancer stem cells. We first tested miR‐188 expression in clinical samples of lung cancer patients, and a low expression profile of miR‐188 was found. Next, we analysed the role of miR‐188 in lung cancer stem cells with cell growth assays. To verify the in vitro results, we used a xenograft model to validate the capability of miR‐188 in tumorigenesis. Overexpression of miR‐188 reduced viability and metastasis of cancer stem cells. Similar results were reproduced in vivo, where overexpression of miR‐188 retarded tumour growth in mice. We also identified MDK as a target of miR‐188, and overexpression of MDK was found in lung cancer samples. Overexpressed MDK promoted the malignant behaviours of lung cancer stem cells. In addition, the Hippo pathway was found to be inactivated in lung cancer tissues, presenting as increased levels of YAP and TAZ. Suppression of the Hippo pathway also enhanced lung cancer stem cell activity and promoted the growth of xenograft tumours. To sum up, our results reveal that miR‐188 inhibits the malignant behaviours of lung cancer stem cells and the growth of xenograft tumours. This study might offer new insights into gene‐based therapies for cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc finger protein 703 (ZNF703) is a new member of the zinc finger protein family of transcription factors that plays an important role during embryogenesis in metazoans. The overexpression of ZNF703 contributes to tumorigenesis and progression of a number of malignancies by activating the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. This pathway is activated in medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), but its mechanism of action is not yet fully understood. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of ZNF703 and its association with Akt/mTOR activation in MTC. The present study used the phosphorylation of Akt1 protein at serine 473 (pAkt473) as an indicator of signaling activation. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining and western blot analyses were performed in order to examine the expression of ZNF703 in 34 cases of MTC and 12 cases of corresponding normal thyroid tissues. ZNF703 expression in MTC was significantly higher compared with the corresponding normal thyroid tissues (P<0.05). Furthermore, expression of ZNF703 was associated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis and advanced stage of disease. IHC also demonstrated that the level of ZNF703 was positively correlated with p-Akt473 in the 34 cases of MTC. The human MTC cell line TT was selected for further investigation as TT cells exhibit Akt/mTOR activation. The biological effects of silencing ZNF703 in TT cells on proliferation and apoptosis, both in vitro and in vivo were investigated in the present study. ZNF703 silencing inhibited the proliferation of TT cells in vitro and inhibited xenograft tumor growth in vivo. These effects were accompanied by the substantial decrease of pAkt473 and the induction of p53 protein. These results demonstrate that ZNF703 may play a relevant role in MTC due to its association with the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the freeze-thaw damage characteristics of concrete, the uniaxial compressive tests of concrete under different number of freeze-thaw cycles were conducted, and the damage variable of freeze-thaw was obtained. The test results showed that the stress was a function of strain and freeze-thaw damage variable, and it can describe the degradation of concrete strength. Meanwhile, the equation for the stress-strain curved surface about strain and freeze-thaw damage variable was also proposed in this paper. The derivative function of the stress-strain curved surface equation with respect to strain presented the change of elastic modulus with the increase of freeze-thaw cycle number. Equation proposed in this paper can be used for predicting the concrete lifetime effectively in cold and large temperature difference regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The propagation and attenuation rule of blasting vibration wave parameters is the most important foundation of blasting vibration prediction and control. In this work, we pay more attention to the influence of the damage accumulation effect on the propagation and attenuation rule of vibration wave parameters. A blasting damage accumulation experiment was carried out, the ultrasonic wave velocity of the specimens was measured, and the damage value was calculated during the experiment. The blasting vibration wave was monitored on the surface of the specimens, and its energy was calculated by using the sym8 wavelet basis function. The experimental results showed that with the increase in the number of blasts, the damage continues to increase; however, the vibration velocity and the main frequency decrease continuously, the unfocused vibration wave energy in the zone near to the blasting source is rapidly concentrated in the low-frequency band (frequency bands 1 to 3), and the energy is further concentrated in the low-frequency band in the intermediate zone and zone far from the blasting source. There is a distortion process in which the vibration velocity and the main frequency increase slightly and the energy of the blasting vibration wave converges to the high-frequency band (the 5th band) before the sudden unstable fracture failure of the specimens. The experimental results indicate that the prediction and evaluation of blasting vibration should consider the variation rule of blasting vibration wave parameters synthetically based on the cumulative damage effect, and it is not safe to use only one fixed vibration control standard for the whole blasting operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate prediction of carbon price effectively ensures the stability of the carbon trading market and reduces carbon emissions. However, making accurate prediction is challenging because the carbon price is highly nonlinear and nonstationary due to complex influential factors. Thus, we propose a multifactorial hybrid forecasting framework, ET-MVMD-LSTM, to integrate three advanced algorithms for a reliable multi-step ahead prediction of the carbon price. First, extremely randomized tree (ET) is used to determine the optimal input variables for the modeling to follow. Then, multivariate variational mode decomposition (MVMD) is executed to simultaneously decompose the screened input variables into relatively regular sub-modes, which reflect characteristics at different scales. Subsequently, long short-term memory (LSTM) with a stable forecasting ability is employed to model each mode individually to effectively extract the long-term trend and short-term fluctuation features. The final forecast is reconstructed by the ensemble of the predictions of all sub-modes. Last, systematical studies on two European Union Emissions Trading Scheme carbon price datasets indicate that the proposed ET-MVMD-LSTM framework outperforms several advanced baseline models in terms of accuracy and stability, which prove the framework is deemed promising and practical for carbon price prediction. • Propose a novel hybrid framework for multi-step carbon price forecasting. • Consider multiple influential factors for carbon price forecasting. • Use extremely randomized tree for feature selection. • MVMD algorithm decomposes multiple variables simultaneously. • The proposed model outperforms the baseline models in two EU ETS dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma spray physical vapor deposition (PS-PVD) is a new promising technology for processing thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). In this study, the microstructural evolution of PS-PVD yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) TBCs at 1150 °C was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, electron backscattered diffraction, and impedance spectroscopy. Bridging is observed between the secondary columns of the coatings during the first 8 h of heat treatment, while sintering necks are observed between the quasi-columns over the heat-treatment interval of 12–20 h. As the heat-treatment time increases to 100 h, the nanogaps between the secondary columns disappear and a large number of shrinkage pores are observed in the columns, leading to a typical cellular structure. Besides, the average grain size of the YSZ coatings increases from 0.20 (as-deposited) to 0.55 µm (after 50 h of heat treatment). The resistance of the YSZ grains increases while that of the YSZ grain boundaries decreases because of grain coarsening. During the first 4 h of heat treatment, the resistance of the thermally grown oxide (TGO) scale increases because of its thickening. However, its resistance decreases during the next 4 h of heat treatment mainly because of the change in its composition (from pure alumina to mixed oxides). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A forecasting system is proposed for multi-step ahead PM 2.5 and PM 10 forecasting. • Spatial-temporal attention favors extracting spatial-temporal dependency. • Residual learning avoids degradation of model performance. • The developed forecasting system outperforms baseline models in most scenarios. Accurate and reliable forecasting of PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations is important to the public to reasonably avoid air pollution and for the governmental policy responses. However, the prediction of PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations has great uncertainty and instability because of the dynamics of atmospheric flows, making it difficult for a single model to efficiently extract the spatial–temporal dependences. This paper reports a robust forecasting system to achieve accurate multi-step ahead forecasting of PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations. First, correlation analysis is adopted to screen the spatial information on pollution and meteorology that may facilitate the prediction of concentrations in a target city. Then, a spatial–temporal attention mechanism is used to assign weights to original inputs from both space and time dimensions to enhance the essential information. Subsequently, the residual-based convolutional neural network with feature extraction capabilities is employed to model the refined inputs. Finally, five accuracy metrics and two additional statistical tests are applied to comprehensively assess the performance of the proposed forecasting system. In addition, experimental studies of three major cities in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration region indicate that the forecasting system outperforms various prevalent baseline models in terms of accuracy and stability. Quantitatively, the proposed STA-ResCNN model reduces root mean square error by 5.595 %-15.247 % and 6.827 %-16.906 % for the average of 1–4 h ahead predictions in three major cities of PM 2.5 and PM 10 , respectively, compared to baseline models. The applicability and generalization of the proposed forecasting system are further verified by the extended applications in the other 23 cities in the entire region. The results prove that the forecasting system is promising in the early warning, regional prevention, and control of air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel capacitor mismatch calibration method is presented to compensate the capacitor mismatches in a successive approximation register (SAR) ADC. The method features a new weight‐balancing split capacitive DAC which allows automatic extraction and calibration of the capacitor mismatches by itself. As a result, the ADC's resolution can be substantially improved with minimum area and power penalty. The calibration method was verified and implemented in a 14 bit, 10 kS/s SAR ADC, fabricated in a 0.13 µm standard CMOS process. The measured signal‐to‐noise‐plus‐distortion and spurious‐free dynamic range are 72.7 and 86 dB after calibration with 13.6 and 21.8 dB improvements, respectively. The total power consumption is 15.2 µW at a 1.2 V supply voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New anti-tubercular agents are urgently needed to address the emerging threat of drug resistance to human tuberculosis. Here, we have used structure-assisted methods to develop compounds that target mycobacterial membrane protein large 3 (MmpL3). MmpL3 is essential for the transport of mycolic acids, an important cell-wall component of mycobacteria. We prepared compounds that potently inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and other mycobacteria in cell culture. The cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of mycobacterial MmpL3 in complex with one of these compounds (ST004) was determined using lipid nanodiscs at an overall resolution of 3.36 Å. The structure reveals the binding mode of ST004 to MmpL3, with the S4 and S5 subsites of the inhibitor-binding pocket in the proton translocation channel playing vital roles. These data are a promising starting point for the development of anti-tuberculosis drugs that target MmpL3. [Display omitted] • Compounds with antibacterial activity that target MmpL3 are reported • Compound ST004 potently inhibits the growth of Mtb as well as other mycobacteria • Cryo-EM structure of MmpL3 in complex with ST004 is determined in lipid nanodiscs • The scaffolds at the S4 and S5 subsites are important for the efficacy of the compounds MmpL3 is an important target for TB drug discovery. Hu et al. report the structure-based development of potent compounds that target MmpL3. These data are a promising starting point for the development of anti-mycobacterial drugs targeting MmpL3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined whether active commuting to school in childhood and adolescence predicted active commuting to work and overall physical activity (PA) in adulthood. Participants from the Young Finns Study (N = 2436) were aged 9–18 years in 1980 and followed up until 2018/2020. Their commuting modes to school were assessed with a self-reported questionnaire in 1980. Adulthood PA was assessed through self-reports regarding commuting modes to work (2001–2018), leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) (2001–2018), and objectively measured daily steps (2007–2018/2020). Associations between childhood commuting and adulthood PA were evaluated using regression analyses and multilevel models. Demographic, socioeconomic and environmental covariates were adjusted for in the analyses. Active commuting to school in childhood contributed favourably to LTPA in 2001 (B =.38, p <.001), in 2007 (B =.35, p <.001), and in 2018 (B =.28, p <.01). Active commuting in childhood was associated with higher number of daily aerobic steps (B = 299.00, p =.03) and daily aerobic steps during weekdays in 2011 (B = 312.15, p =.03). In 2018, active commuting associated favourably with daily aerobic steps (B = 370.42, p <.01), daily aerobic steps during weekdays (B = 347.65, p =.01), daily steps during weekends (B = 628.49, p =.02), and daily aerobic steps during weekends (B = 402.69, p =.03). Covariate adjustments attenuated the associations excluding the one between active commuting and LTPA in 2007 (B =.36, p =.01) and daily steps during weekends in 2018 (B = 782.25, p =.04). Active commuting to school in childhood might be one of the PA modes that contribute to PA in adulthood and is therefore encouraged to be promoted from an early age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water tables are dropping by approximately one meter annually throughout the North China Plain mainly due to water withdrawals for irrigating winter wheat year after year. In order to examine whether the drawdown can be reduced we calculate the net water use for an 11 year field experiment from 2003 to 2013 where six irrigated crops (winter wheat, summer maize, cotton, peanuts, sweet potato, ryegrass) were grown in different crop rotations in the North China Plain. As part of this experiment moisture contents were measured each at 20 cm intervals in the top 1.8 m. Recharge and net water use were calculated based on these moisture measurement. Results showed that winter wheat and ryegrass had the least recharge with an average of 27 mm/year and 39 mm/year, respectively; cotton had the most recharge with an average of 211 mm/year) followed by peanuts with 118 mm/year, sweet potato with 76 mm/year, and summer maize with 44 mm/year. Recharge depended on the amount of irrigation water pumped from the aquifer and was therefore a poor indicator of future groundwater decline. Instead net water use (recharge minus irrigation) was found to be a good indicator for the decline of the water table. The smallest amount of net (ground water) used was cotton with an average of 14 mm/year, followed by peanut with 32 mm/year, summer maize with 71 mm/year, sweet potato with 74 mm/year. Winter wheat and ryegrass had the greatest net water use with the average of 198 mm/year and 111 mm/year, respectively. Our calculations showed that any single crop would use less water than the prevalent winter wheat summer maize rotation. This growing one crop instead of two will reduce the decline of groundwater and in some rain rich years increase the ground water level, but will result in less income for the farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases has caused grievous global warming and associated consequences. Lowering carbon footprint to promote the development of cleaner production demands the immediate attention. In this study, the carbon footprint calculations were performed on five cropping systems in North China Plain from 2003 to 2010. The five cropping systems included sweet potato → cotton → sweet potato → winter wheat–summer maize (SpCSpWS, 4-year cycle), ryegrass–cotton → peanut → winter wheat–summer maize (RCPWS, 3-year cycle), peanut → winter wheat–summer maize (PWS, 2-year cycle), winter wheat–summer maize (WS, 1-year cycle), and continuous cotton (Cont C), established in a randomized complete-block design with three replicates. We used a modified carbon footprint calculation with localized greenhouse gas emissions parameters to analyze the carbon footprint of each cropping system per unit area, per kg biomass, and per unit economic output. Results showed that the lowest annual carbon footprint values were observed in SpCSpWS among the five cropping systems, which were only 27.9%, 28.2% and 25.0% of those in WS rotation system (the highest carbon footprint) in terms of per unit area, per unit biomass, and per unit economic output, respectively. The five cropping systems showed the order of SpCSpWS < Cont C < RCPWS < PWS < WS sorting by their annual carbon footprint calculated by all the three metrics above-mentioned. Results revealed that appropriate diversified crop rotation systems could contribute to decreased carbon footprint compared with conventional intensive crop production system in North China Plain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The imbalance of autonomic nervous system (ANS) has a close relationship to cardiac mortality. The noninvasive assessment of ANS is of great importance and remains challenging. A new method, characterizing the consistency of short-term nonlinear indexes of heart rate variability (HRV) and QT variability (QTV), is proposed and validated. Holter records from two databases in Telemetric and Holter ECG Warehouse were used, 43 records from one database (named ESRD) as typical subjects of ANS dysfunction and 118 records from the other database (named Normal) as normal controls. The consistency of HRV and QTV was characterized by estimating mutual information (MI) of paired short-term recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) indexes in resting state. The influence of physiological differences on MIs of paired RQA indexes in Normal was investigated as well. Results showed that there were significant differences in MI-DET (day: 0.283 ± 0.070 versus 0.133 ± 0.055 and night: 0.258 ± 0.061 versus 0.117 ± 0.055) and MI-LAM (day: 0.439 ± 0.053 versus 0.293 ± 0.073 and night: 0.361 ± 0.079 versus 0.241 ± 0.087) between Normal and ESRD, much reduced consistency in ESRD. For MI-DET in Normal, sex had no influence, and there was age related alternations by day but not at night. There was no influence of sex and age on MI-LAM in Normal. The sensitivity, specificity, and total accuracy for discriminating Normal and ESRD were 88.37%, 95.76%, and 93.79%, respectively. The proposed measures are shown to have the advantage in reducing the influence of physiological differences and highlighting the pathological influence, providing a promising method to find clinical application for noninvasive assessment of ANS state. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As for the accurate determination of analytes, most of chemical probes suffer from poor selectivity and data fluctuation. Sensor systems via colorimetric and fluorometric modes have caused considerable interests since the two ways are free from employment of special instrumentation and complicated techniques. A new type of cobalt oxyhydroxide (CoOOH) nanosheet has been developed and boron nitride is incorporated. Such nanoplatform can oxidize o-phenylenediamine (OPD) to 2,3-diaminophenazine (OxOPD) with emission change. In the presence of ascorbic acid, CoOOH can be reduced to Co2+ ions and the generation of OxOPD has been suppressed. Therefore, the fluorescent signal of boron nitride has been recovered and ratiometric determination for ascorbic acid can be realized (detection limit: 1.07 μM; linear range: 0.05–80 μM). In addition, colorless 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) can be transformed into oxidized form-TMBox with blue color and the sensitivity can reach as low as 120 nM. Current study will not only provide a typical case of colorimetric and fluorometric sensing for quantitative analysis of ascorbic acid, but also promote a new molecular design concept in practical field. • Boron nitride was assembled together with cobalt oxyhydroxide. • The recovery of boron nitride emission caused the determination of ascorbic acid. • Ascorbic acid decomposed the CoOOH and colorimetric sensing was realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elevation of plasma glucose concentration may induce generation of oxygen-free radicals, which can play an important role in the progression of diabetes and/or development of its complications. Various glutathione transferases utilize the availability of reduced glutathione for the cellular defense against oxygen-free radicals. One such enzyme is microsomal glutathione S-transferase 3 encoded by MGST3, which maps to chromosome 1q23, a region linked to Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Pima Indians, Caucasian, and Chinese populations. We investigated the MGST3 gene as a potential susceptibility gene for T2DM by screening this locus for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in diabetic and non-diabetic Pima Indians. We also measured the skeletal muscle MGST3 mRNA level by Real-Time (RT) PCR and its relationship with insulin action in non-diabetic individuals. We identified 25 diallelic variants, most of which, based on their genotypic concordance, could be divided into three distinct linkage disequilibrium (LD) groups. We genotyped unique representative SNPs in selected diabetic and non-diabetic Pima Indians and found no evidence for association with T2DM. Furthermore, inter-individual variation of skeletal muscle MGST3 mRNA was not correlated with differences in insulin action in non-diabetic subjects. We conclude that alterations of MGST3 are unlikely to contribute to T2DM or differences in insulin sensitivity in the Pima Indians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ORP150 gene that encodes the human oxygen-regulated protein (150 kDa) maps to chromosome 11q23, a region previously reported to be linked to type 2 diabetes and obesity in Pima Indians. This gene was also found to be differentially expressed in global gene expression studies comparing muscle mRNA from insulin-resistant versus insulin-sensitive subjects. Therefore, ORP150 was analyzed as a candidate gene for susceptibility to diabetes. Twelve variants were identified, and three unique representative polymorphisms were genotyped in 1,338 Pima Indians. None of these polymorphisms were associated with diabetes, but two polymorphisms were significantly associated with measures of insulin resistance. These data indicate that ORP150 has a role in insulin action but does not have a major role in determining susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in Pima Indians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional two-dimensional radar images can only reflect the target azimuth and slant range and thus suffer problems of geometric deformation and overlapping. The unique three-dimensional (3D) imaging capability of ground-based real-aperture radar can more accurately and directly achieve correlation between the radar image and the slope monitoring scenarios, thus providing reliable information for the early warning and forecasting of landslides and collapse disasters. The latest method of selecting a slope target from a high-resolution range profile includes two indexes: maximum amplitude and coherence, which will affect the accuracy of displacement measurement when there is an interference target. We present a three-dimensional slope imaging method based on smoothness constraints. On the basis of the latest method, the objective fact of the practically smooth and continuous distribution of slope surfaces is considered. This method can be used for image interpretation on strongly scattered targets within the slope. The independently developed ground-based real-aperture slope radar system was deployed in the Heidaigou Open-Pit Coal Mine in Inner Mongolia to carry out 3D slope imaging experiments. The effectiveness of this method in slope monitoring and imaging was confirmed by comparing the surface roughness and the spatial positions of the targets with the high-density point cloud data in the projective plane obtained during the same time period. We used RMSE function and roughness as two measures. It shows that the method presented in this paper is more suitable for actual three-dimensional slope imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing consumer awareness and knowledge about safe and healthy food, it is imperative to develop 'green' crops with reduced fertilizer application for quality food production, environmental protection and sustainable agricultural development. This study systematically evaluated and compared the water footprint (WF) including WFblue, WFgreen and WFgrey of eight crops including wheat, maize, rice, sweet potato, soybean, millet, mung bean and sorghum under green and traditional cultivation in the Huang-Huai-Hai farming region. The data came from 252 onsite questionnaires conducted in 2018 for land under green and traditional cultivation by 19 green planting companies and farming cooperatives with green food production certification authorized by the government of China. The results revealed that, compared to traditional cultivation, green cultivation under reduced N fertilizer application (1) decreased crop yields by 3–13%; (2) reduced the average WFtotal by 29% to 1168 m3 t−1 and average WFgrey by 57% to 419 m3 t−1 with no significant differences in WFblue and WFgreen; (3) decreased the WFtotal of maize by 55%, rice by 41%, wheat by 27%, mung bean by 31%, sorghum by 24%, sweet potato by 19%, millet by 17% and soybean by 17%. The WFgrey proportion of WFtotal under green cultivation ranged from 27–57% and contributed the most to the decline in WFtotal. This study offers insight into the impact of green cultivation on water requirements and pollution relative to traditional cultivation. Precision N fertilizer application and improved N use efficiencies on-farm are important pathways to sustainable agricultural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines oxygen uptake and glucose utilization of embryonic and fetal neural tissue in normal and diabetic rat pregnancy. Effect of different concentrations of glucose on oxygen uptake of neural tissue of embryos and fetuses of normal rats; Glucose-induced superoxide production of neural tissue of embryos and fetuses of normal rats.

Aims: Rasd1 has been reported to be correlated with neurotoxicity, metabolism, and rhythm, but its effect in case of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) remained unclear. White matter injury (WMI) and ferroptosis participate in the early brain injury (EBI) after SAH. In this work, we have investigated whether Rasd1 can cause ferroptosis and contribute to SAH‐induced WMI. Methods: Lentivirus for Rasd1 knockdown/overexpression was administrated by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v) injection at 7 days before SAH induction. SAH grade, brain water content, short‐ and long‐term neurobehavior, Western blot, real‐time PCR, ELISA, biochemical estimation, immunofluorescence, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were systematically performed. Additionally, genipin, a selective uncoupling protein 2(UCP2) inhibitor, was used in primary neuron and oligodendrocyte co‐cultures for further in vitro mechanistic studies. Results: Rasd1 knockdown has improved the neurobehavior, glia polarization, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, ferroptosis, and demyelination. Conversely, Rasd1 overexpression aggravated these changes by elevating the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), inflammatory cytokines, MDA, free iron, and NCOA4, as well as contributing to the decrease of the levels of UCP2, GPX4, ferritin, and GSH mechanistically. According to the in vitro study, Rasd1 can induce oligodendrocyte ferroptosis through inhibiting UCP2, increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS), and activating NCOA4‐mediated ferritinophagy. Conclusions: It can be concluded that Rasd1 exerts a modulated role in oligodendrocytes ferroptosis in WMI following SAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a quantitative detection method of pipeline cracks based on a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) was developed using the time-domain signal of ultrasonic guided waves and the crack size of the pipeline as the input and output, respectively. Pipeline ultrasonic guided wave detection signals under different crack defect conditions were obtained via numerical simulations and experiments, and these signals were input as features into a multi-layer perceptron and one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) for training. The results revealed that the 1D-CNN performed better in the quantitative analysis of pipeline crack defects, with an error of less than 2% in the simulated and experimental data, and it could effectively evaluate the size of crack defects from the echo signals under different frequency excitations. Thus, by combining the ultrasonic guided wave detection technology and CNN, a quantitative analysis of pipeline crack defects can be effectively realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperlipidemia is a major component of metabolic syndrome, and regarded as one of the main risk factors causing metabolic diseases. We have developed a therapeutic drug, akebia saponin D (ASD), and determined its anti-hyperlipidemia activity and the potential mechanism(s) of action by analyzing the metabolome and intestinal microbiota. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high fat diet to induce hyperlipidemia, and then given ASD orally for 8 weeks. Lipid levels in serum were determined biochemically. Metabolites in serum, urine and feces were analyzed by UPLC-Q/TOF-MS, and the structure of the intestinal microbiota was determined by 16S rRNA sequencing. The ASD treatment significantly decreased the levels of TC, TG and LDL-c and increased the serum level of HDL-c. Metabolomics analysis indicated that the ASD treatment mainly impacted seven differential metabolites in the serum, sixteen differential metabolites in the urine and four differential metabolites in feces compared to the model group. The ASD treatment significantly changed eight bacteria at the genus level compared to the model group. In conclusion, ASD treatment can significantly alleviate HFD-induced hyperlipidemia and the hypolipidemic effect of ASD treatment is certainly associated with a systematic change in the metabolism, as well as dynamic changes in the structure of the intestinal microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integrated sensor system comprised of a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS), corner reflectors (CRs), and high precision linear rail is utilized to validate ground-based synthetic aperture radar (GB-SAR) interferometric micro-displacement measurements. A rail with positioning accuracy of 0.1 mm is deployed to ensure accurate and controllable deformation. The rail is equipped with a CR on a sliding platform for mobility. Three smaller CRs are installed nearby, each with a reflective sticker attached to the CR's vertex; the CRs present as high-amplitude points both in the GB-SAR images and the TLS point cloud to allow for accurate data matching. We analyze the GB-SAR zero-baseline repeated rail differential interferometry signal model to obtain 2D interferograms of the test site in time series, and then use TLS to obtain a 3D surface model. The model is matched with interferograms to produce more intuitive 3D products. The CR displacements can also be extracted via surface reconstruction algorithm. Finally, we compared the rail sensor measurement and TLS results to optimize coherent scatterer selection and filter the data. The proposed method yields accurate target displacement results via quantitative analysis of GB-SAR interferometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the blasting construction of underground engineering in layered rock mass, the mechanism of cut blasting and the propagation law of blasting vibration waves are very complex. In this paper, a new method for predicting the blasting vibration velocity of layered rock mass under multihole cut blasting is proposed. The key steps include determining the equivalent elastic boundary and load, establishing the multidegree freedom model of blasting vibration and its motion differential equation, and solving the motion differential equation by time-history analysis method. Two multihole cut blasting tests of different schemes were carried out in the construction site of layered rock mass, and the measured results of blasting vibration waves were obtained. By comparing the time-history curves of the predicted and measured blasting vibration velocity, it can be seen that the time-history curves predicted by the proposed method can reflect the characteristics and attenuation law of blasting vibration waves, and the predicted waveforms are similar to the measured waveforms. By using the proposed method, the prediction accuracy for the peak velocity of blasting vibration in the two tests is 93% and 94%, respectively, and the prediction accuracy for the dominant frequency of blasting vibration in the two tests is 86% and 94%, respectively. The prediction accuracy of the main characteristic parameters of blasting vibration waves is high. So it can be proved that the prediction method proposed in this paper is feasible in effectiveness and accuracy, which can provide important theoretical guidance for the optimization of blasting design and the control of blasting vibration in underground engineering in layered rock mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focal cortical dysplasia type IIb (FCDIIb) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) are typical causes of developmental delay and refractory epilepsy. G‐protein‐coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) is a specific estrogen receptor that is critical in neurodevelopment, neuroinflammation, and neuronal excitability, suggesting that it plays a potential role in the epilepsy of patients with FCDIIb and TSC. Therefore, we investigated the role of GPR30 in patients with FCDIIb and TSC. We found that the expression of GPR30 and its downstream protein kinase A (PKA) pathway were decreased and negatively correlated with seizure frequency in female patients with FCDIIb and TSC, but not in male patients. GPR30 was widely distributed in neurons, astrocytes, and microglia, and its downregulation was especially notable in microglia. The GPR30 agonist G‐1 increased the expression of PKA and p‐PKA in cultured cortical neurons, and the GPR30 antagonist G‐15 exhibited the opposite effects of G‐1. The NF‐κB signaling pathway was also activated in the specimens of female patients with FCDIIb and TSC, and was regulated by G‐1 and G‐15 in cultured cortical neurons. We also found that GPR30 regulated cortical neuronal excitability by altering the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents and the expression of NR2A/B. Further, the relationship between GPR30 and glycometabolism was evaluated by analyzing the correlations between GPR30 and 18F‐FDG PET‐CT values (standardized uptake values, SUVs). Positive correlations between GPR30 and SUVs were found in female patients, but not in male patients. Intriguingly, GPR30 expression and SUVs were significantly decreased in the epileptogenic tubers of female TSC patients, and ROC curves indicated that SUVs could predict the localization of epileptogenic tubers. Taken together, our results suggest a potential protective effect of GPR30 in the epileptogenesis of female patients with FCDIIb and TSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: More than half of patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) suffer from drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), and resection surgery is the most effective way to control intractable epilepsy. Precise preoperative localization of epileptogenic tubers among all cortical tubers determines the surgical outcomes and patient prognosis. Models for preoperatively predicting epileptogenic tubers using 18F-FDG PET images are still lacking, however. We developed noninvasive predictive models for clinicians to predict the epileptogenic tubers and the outcome (seizure freedom or no seizure freedom) of cortical tubers based on 18F-FDG PET images. Methods: Forty-three consecutive TSC patients with DRE were enrolled, and 235 cortical tubers were selected as the training set. Quantitative indices of cortical tubers on 18F-FDG PET were extracted, and logistic regression analysis was performed to select those with the most important predictive capacity. Machine learning models, including logistic regression (LR), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and artificial neural network (ANN) models, were established based on the selected predictive indices to identify epileptogenic tubers from multiple cortical tubers. A discriminating nomogram was constructed and found to be clinically practical according to decision curve analysis (DCA) and clinical impact curve (CIC). Furthermore, testing sets were created based on new PET images of 32 tubers from 7 patients, and follow-up outcome data from the cortical tubers were collected 1, 3, and 5 years after the operation to verify the reliability of the predictive model. The predictive performance was determined by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results: PET quantitative indices including SUVmean, SUVmax, volume, total lesion glycolysis (TLG), third quartile, upper adjacent and standard added metabolism activity (SAM) were associated with the epileptogenic tubers. The SUVmean, SUVmax, volume and TLG values were different between epileptogenic and non-epileptogenic tubers and were associated with the clinical characteristics of epileptogenic tubers. The LR model achieved the better performance in predicting epileptogenic tubers (AUC = 0.7706; 95% CI 0.70–0.83) than the LDA (AUC = 0.7506; 95% CI 0.68–0.82) and ANN models (AUC = 0.7425; 95% CI 0.67–0.82) and also demonstrated good calibration (Hosmer‒Lemeshow goodness-of-fit p value = 0.7). In addition, DCA and CIC confirmed the clinical utility of the nomogram constructed to predict epileptogenic tubers based on quantitative indices. Intriguingly, the LR model exhibited good performance in predicting epileptogenic tubers in the testing set (AUC = 0.8502; 95% CI 0.71–0.99) and the long-term outcomes of cortical tubers (1-year outcomes: AUC = 0.7805, 95% CI 0.71–0.85; 3-year outcomes: AUC = 0.8066, 95% CI 0.74–0.87; 5-year outcomes: AUC = 0.8172, 95% CI 0.75–0.87). Conclusions: The 18F-FDG PET image-based LR model can be used to noninvasively identify epileptogenic tubers and predict the long-term outcomes of cortical tubers in TSC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firstly, the experimental test of blasting vibration was carried out to study the propagation characteristics of the peak particle velocity (PPV) and dominant frequency (DF) of the blasting vibration of layered rock mass under high-pressure gas impact. The test results show that the PPV and DF of blasting vibration of layered rock mass decrease gradually with the increase in distance from the explosion source. The PPV and DF of layered rock mass under the same impact pressure of high-pressure gas are lower than those of single rock mass at the same measuring points. With the increase in hole spacing, the PPV and DF of blasting vibration become smaller, and the blasting effect first becomes better and then worse. Next, the relationship models between the PPV and DF and their influencing factors were deduced by the dimensional analysis method, which can be simplified as exponential forms that decay with the scaled distance. In addition, through a numerical simulation test, it was found that the optimal hole spacing recommended in an excavation example of an underground pipe gallery is 100 cm. Finally, the blasting vibration effects under the two excavation methods of high-pressure gas impact and explosive blasting were numerically simulated and compared. The results indicate that high-pressure gas impact can significantly reduce the blasting vibration effect of layered rock mass compared with explosive blasting. This study has important theoretical guiding significance and practical value for revealing the propagation law, forecasting and controlling the harm of blasting vibration effect of layered rock mass caused by high-pressure gas impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) improves postoperative analgesia and significantly enhances the quality of recovery (QoR) after video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy surgery (VATLS). However, it is not known whether the use of dexmedetomidine (Dex) as an adjunct for ropivacaine to ESPB affects the QoR after VATLS. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of different Dex dosages as an adjunct for ropivacaine in combination with ultrasound-guided ESPB on the quality of postoperative recovery in patients with VATLS. Methods: In this single-center, double-blind, randomized study, 120 patients between the ages of 18 and 65 who were scheduled for VATLS from december 2021 and october 2022 in our hospital under general anesthesia were randomly divided into three groups: ultrasound-guided ESPB with 30 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine (Group R), ultrasound-guided ESPB 0.5% ropivacaine plus 0.5 µg/kg Dex (Group RD1), and ultrasound-guided ESPB 0.5% ropivacaine plus 1.0 µg/kg Dex (Group RD2), ultrasound-guided ESPB was administrated at the T5 vertebral level before surgery. The primary outcome was the QoR-15 score 24 h after the surgery. The secondary outcomes included the QoR-15 scores at 12 h, 48 h, and 72 h after the operation, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores at 8 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h after surgery, cumulative flurbiprofen consumption, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), postoperative bradycardia, and hypotension. Results: The QoR-15 scores were higher in group RD2 than the R and RD1 groups on postoperative day 1 (P < 0.05), in addition, no significant difference was found in the QoR-15 scores between groups R and RD1 on postoperative day 1. The VAS scores were significantly lower in group RD2 than in groups RD1 and group R 12–24 h after surgery (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in the QoR-15 and VAS scores at 48 and 72 h after surgery between the three groups. The cumulative flurbiprofen consumption was markedly reduced during the 72 h after surgery in the RD2 group (P < 0.05). The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was lower in the RD2 group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The combination of 1 µg/kg dexmedetomidine as an adjunct with 0.5% ropivacaine 30 ml for erector spinae plane block significantly improved the postoperative quality of recovery and provided better postoperative analgesia on postoperative day 1 in patients undergoing Video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy surgery. However, dexmedetomidine (1 µg/kg) as an adjunct for ropivacaine combined with erector spinae plane block did not enhance the postoperative quality of recovery at 48 and 72 h postoperatively. Trial registry number: The number of this clinical trial registry is ChiCTR2100053230, date of registration: 16/11/ 2021) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Purpose: Physical activity, sleep problems, and symptoms of depression contribute to overall well-being. The factors are reciprocally associated, but the nature of these associations remains unclear. The present study examined whether sleep problems mediated the association between physical activity and depressive symptoms. Methods: The eligible population (n = 3596) consisted of adults from the ongoing, population-based Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study started in 1980. Participants' leisure-time physical activity was assessed with physical activity index (2007) and sleep problems with Jenkins' Sleep Questionnaire in 2007 and 2011. Depressive symptoms were measured using modified Beck Depression Inventory in 2007 and 2012, from which the items reflecting sleep problems were excluded. Mediation analyses, through which the associations between the variables were examined, were adjusted for sex and a set of health-related covariates assessed in 2007 and 2011. Results: Physical activity was associated with decreased levels of sleep problems and depressive symptoms (P < 0.05). The association between physical activity and depressive symptoms (b = −0.10, P < 0.01) was partly mediated by sleep problems (proportion mediated = 0.36, P < 0.01). The adjustment for depressive symptoms at baseline attenuated the mediation effect (proportion mediated = 0.30, P > 0.05). Conclusions: Physical activity's favorable contribution to depressive symptoms was mediated partly by sleep, but the mediation effect disappeared after adjusting for the previous depressive symptoms in adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over-irrigation to ensure high crop yields in North China Plain (NCP) has led to a sharp groundwater table decline over the past decades. We conducted a scenario analysis from1980 to 2017 with 12 irrigation strategies from T1W0M0 to T12W3M2 (T is treatment and numbers of irrigation times in wheat (W) and maize (M) seasons, 75 mm each) for the dominant winter wheat-summer maize rotation using the soil-water-atmosphere-plant (SWAP) model in the NCP. After model calibration and validation with 4-year experimental data, we analyzed the long-term simulated annual crop yield, actual evapotranspiration (ET a), water productivity (WP), groundwater table change and economic benefit to the different irrigation practices. The optimized irrigation strategy is based on an integral analysis for different precipitation year-types. Results showed that annual yield and WP increased with increased irrigation until these reached a plateau. Treatment T4W2M1 was the turning point with an annual yield of 15335 kg·ha-1, significantly higher than T2W1M1 (26 %) and T1W0M0 (63 %), but not significantly different from 4 to 5 irrigations in wet and normal years. ET a increased with increased irrigation from 456 to 644 mm yr-1. The annual WP followed a similar trend as annual crop yield for all irrigation schedules. T4W2M1 had an annual WP of 2.47 kg cm-3, significantly higher by 15 % than T2W1M1 and 24 % higher than T1W0M0, with no significant difference seen with 4–5 irrigations. The rainfed treatment mitigated groundwater table decline the best, even reversing the trend during the past four decades to 0.11 m yr-1 rise. This was followed by two irrigation treatments (−0.30 m yr-1), three irrigations (−0.55 m yr-1), four irrigations (−0.72 m yr-1), and five irrigations (−0.86 m yr-1). The latter corresponds to typical farmer practice. Using the productivity indicators, including irrigation WP, marginal benefit and economic index, T4W2M1 showed the best performance. Therefore, we recommend T4W2M1 (two irrigations at pre-wintering and jointing stages for wheat and one irrigation at maize sowing stage) as the best irrigation strategy for the wheat-maize rotation to mitigate groundwater table decline, and sustain grain yields and water productivity in the NCP; another anthesis irrigation for winter wheat is recommended during extreme dry years to sustain grain yield. • Twelve irrigation strategies for wheat-maize from 1980 to 2017 were evaluated. • Three targeted irrigations per year mitigated the groundwater table decline by 40 %. • 225 mm total for three irrigations per year is best to increase water productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced irrigation generally induces the tomato fruit yield reduction but enhance the fruit quality. Elevated CO 2 (eCO 2) injection is a common technique for alleviating water stress while eCO 2 could inevitably lead to the element concentration dilution in the plant organs. Inoculated with photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) are confirmed to form a symbiotic relationship with crop roots, thereby promoting root development, and improving crop root nutrient and water uptake capacity. Yet, it remains unknown whether PSB could mitigate the adversely effect of nutrient dilution under eCO 2 condition and the yield decline under reduced irrigation. To investigate that, two water treatments, including reduced irrigation (RI, plants were irrigated to 75% field water capacity) and full irrigation (FI, plants were irrigated to 90% field water capacity) of tomato plants, were grown under normal ambient CO 2 (aCO 2 , 400 ppm) and elevated CO 2 (eCO 2 , 800 ppm) conditions, respectively. And photosynthetic bacteria were inoculated in half plants. The results showed that inoculation of PSB improved the effectiveness of CO 2 stimulation on biomass and yield in tomato plants grown under reduced irrigation conditions. The stimulation effects have been associated with increased advantages linked to their root system, we have observed that CO 2 and PSB inoculation promoted the root development and antioxidant abilities. These consequently increased nitrogen uptake efficiency under eCO 2 and reduced irrigation conditions, and increased nitrogen accumulation in various organs. Furthermore, eCO 2 and inoculation with PSB individually or in combination ameliorated yield penalties under reduced irrigation conditions. Combined elevated CO 2 and inoculation with PSB resulted in the highest fruit quality. Collectively, the responses of tomato fruit yield and quality to water-reduced irrigation regimes are further enhanced by the combination of eCO 2 and PSB inoculation, and this would be efficacious in greenhouse tomato cultivation and future agriculture production. • The combined effect of PSB and eCO 2 on cherry tomato treated with reduced irrigation were studied. • The combination of PSB and eCO 2 compensated the negative effect on tomato root limitation induced by low water treatments. • The responses of tomato fruit yield and quality to reduced irrigation are enhanced by combination of PSB and eCO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The borehole pressure of the rock mass under blasting under consideration is essentially the pressure of the transmitted shock wave acting on the borehole wall. Its value directly affects the fragmentation degree and damage range of the rock mass around the borehole. The whole-process action mechanism of the shock wave in different media and interfaces for air-decoupled charge explosion was comprehensively analyzed, discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method was used to simulate and solve parameters of the multiple media flow field formed by the detonation products and air in the borehole. Two theoretical calculation models of the borehole pressure of air-decoupled charge with discontinuous interface conditions of the pressure and particle velocity were proposed and their algorithm flows were presented. Furthermore, the reliability and feasibility of the proposed models were verified by comparing with the numerical simulation results of the same example under five working conditions. It is suggested to use different theoretical models when using different decoupling coefficients. It is shown that there is an optimal value of the decoupling coefficient for air-decoupled charge, which makes the rock blasting obtain a high utilization rate of explosive energy and good blasting effect at the same time. This study can provide a theoretical basis for revealing the blasting rock-breaking mechanism and optimizing blasting designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Focal cortical dysplasia type IIb (FCDIIb) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) show persistent neuroinflammation, which promotes epileptogenesis and epilepsy progression, suggesting that endogenous resolution of inflammation is inadequate to relieve neuronal network hyperexcitability. To explore the potential roles of formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2), which is a key regulator of inflammation resolution, in epilepsy caused by FCDIIb and TSC, we examined the expression and cellular distribution of FPR2. Method: The expression of FPR2 and nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) signaling pathway was examined by real‐time PCR, western blots, and analyzed via one‐way analysis of variance. The distribution of FPR2 was detected using immunostaining. The expression of resolvin D1 (RvD1, the endogenous ligand of FPR2) was observed via enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Pearson's correlation test was used to evaluate the correlation between the expression levels of FPR2 and RvD1 and the clinical variants. Results: The expression of FPR2 was significantly lower in FCDIIb (p =.0146) and TSC (p =.0006) cortical lesions than in controls, as was the expression of RvD1 (FCDIIb: p =.00431; TSC: p =.0439). Weak FPR2 immunoreactivity was observed in dysmorphic neurons (DNs), balloon cells (BCs), and giant cells (GCs) in FCDIIb and TSC tissues. Moreover, FPR2 was mainly distributed in dysplastic neurons; it was sparse in microglia and nearly absent in astrocytes. The NF‐κB pathway was significantly activated in patients with FCDIIb and TSC, and the protein level of NF‐κB was negatively correlated with the protein level of FPR2 (FCDIIb: p =.00395; TSC: p =.0399). In addition, the protein level of FPR2 was negatively correlated with seizure frequency in FCDIIb (p =.0434) and TSC (p =.0351) patients. Conclusion: In summary, these results showed that the expression and specific distribution of FPR2 may be involved in epilepsy caused by FCDIIb and TSC, indicating that downregulation of FPR2 mediated the dysfunction of neuroinflammation resolution in FCDIIb and TSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are multiple disease-modifying immunotherapies showing the potential of preventing or delaying the progression of type 1 diabetes (T1D). We designed and performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to gain an overview of what a role immunotherapy plays in the treatment of T1D. We searched PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) from inception to December 2023. We included clinical trials of immunotherapy conducted in patients with T1D that reported the incidence of hypoglycemia or changes from baseline in at least one of following outcomes: 2 h and 4 h mixed-meal-stimulated C-peptide area under the curve (AUC), fasting C-peptide, daily insulin dosage, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG). The results were computed as the weighted mean differences (WMDs) or odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in random-effect model. In all, 34 clinical trials were included. When compared with control groups, 2 h C-peptide AUC was marginally higher in patient treated with nonantigen-based immunotherapies (WMD, 0.04nmol/L, 95% CI, 0.00–0.09 nmol/L, P=0.05), which was mainly driven by the effects of T cell-targeted therapy. A greater preservation in 4 h C-peptide AUC was observed in patients with nonantigen-based immunotherapies (WMD, 0.10nmol/L, 95% CI, 0.04–0.16 nmol/L, P=0.0007), which was mainly driven by the effects of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) inhibitor and T cell-targeted therapy. After excluding small-sample trials, less daily insulin dosage was observed in patient treated with nonantigen-based immunotherapies when compared with control groups (WMD, −0.07units/kg/day, 95% CI, −0.11 to −0.03units/kg/day, P=0.0004). The use of antigen-based immunotherapies was also associated with a lower daily insulin dosage versus control groups (WMD, −0.11units/kg/day, 95% CI, −0.23 to −0.00units/kg/day, P=0.05). However, changes of HbA1c or FPG were comparable between nonantigen-based immunotherapies or antigen-based immunotherapies and control groups. The risk of hypoglycemia was not increased in patients treated with nonantigen-based immunotherapies or patients treated with antigen-based immunotherapies when compared with control groups. In conclusion, nonantigen-based immunotherapies were associated with a preservation of 2 h and 4 h C-peptide AUC in patients with T1D when compared with the controls, which was mainly driven by the effects of TNF-a inhibitor and T cell-targeted therapy. Both nonantigen-based immunotherapies and antigen-based immunotherapies tended to reduce the daily insulin dosage in patients with T1D when compared with the controls. However, they did not contribute to a substantial improvement in HbA1c or FPG. Both nonantigen-based immunotherapies and antigen-based immunotherapies were well tolerated with not increased risk of hypoglycemia in patients with T1D. [Display omitted] • Immunotherapies were associated with the preservation of 2 h and 4 h C-peptide AUC in patients with T1D. • Immunotherapies tended to reduce the daily insulin dosage in patients with T1D. • Immunotherapies did not increase the risk of hypoglycemia in patients with T1D. • TNF-a inhibitor and T cell-targeted immunotherapy might be promising game changers to delay the development of T1D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Available saline-alkali land could be used to plant bioenergy crops for biofuel stocks, retaining productive land for food crops. Sweet sorghum is a promising candidate for bioethanol production due to its ability to tolerate environmental stresses. This study estimated the available saline-alkali land for sweet sorghum planting in northwest China using a multi-factorial analysis, quantified its bioethanol potential, and assessed the carbon footprint of sweet sorghum stalk (SSS)-based bioethanol production on this land using a life cycle assessment. The results revealed 9.33 × 105 ha saline-alkali land available for sweet sorghum planting, or 11.47% of the total saline-alkali land in the study area, with a potential yield of 6.87 × 107 t sweet sorghum stalk, producing 4.29 × 106 t bioethanol. The carbon footprint of SSS-based bioethanol production ranged from 2.21 to 2.25 t CO 2 eq t−1 bioethanol across selected districts. Sweet sorghum cultivation accounted for most of the carbon footprint in each district (40.18–45.30%). Compared to gasoline, the carbon footprint for pure bioethanol (E100) made from SSS in the selected districts declined by 33.42–49.94% with or without reusing the bagasse co-product. The carbon footprint of E10 (10% bioethanol from SSS and 90% gasoline) declined by 2.68–4.49%. Thus, it is possible to cultivate sweet sorghum on the selected saline-alkali land in northwest China for bioethanol production. However, future studies are needed to (1) improve sweet sorghum genotypes and identify optimal agronomic management for feedstock, (2) advance technologies for bioethanol production, (3) develop bioethanol-tolerant yeast and bacteria strains, and (4) stimulate policy support for growers and industrialists to accelerate cleaner production. • The available saline-alkali land for sweet sorghum planting in northwest China was assessed. • Carbon footprint and potential yield of sweet sorghum stalk-based bioethanol was evaluated. • SSS-based bioethanol decreased carbon footprint up to 49.94% compared to gasoline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hard-shelled character of ordinary cultivated Tartary buckwheat has become a factor influencing its taste and nutritional efficacy. However, the local variety, Rice-Tartary, can dehull easily. The genetic mechanism regulating easily-shelled Fagopyrum tataricum is unknown. In this study, the F2 generation segregating population was constructed by crossing Yunqiao No.1 (hard-shelled) and Rice-Tartary (easily-shelled) as parents, and the bulked segregant analysis sequencing (BSA-seq) strategy was used to initial mapping. The gene locus controlling the easily-shelled trait of Tartary buckwheat was preliminarily located in the 4.07 Mb region of the first chromosome. To further narrow the range, the Kompetitive allele-specific PCR primers based on the single nucleotide polymorphisms in the initial location range were designed and tested in 335 individual plants in the hybrid F2 population. The candidate gene Ftes1 was located between Ft6,705,225 and Ft7,041,921, according to the genetic linkage map constructed based on typing data. Combined with the location of candidate genes, the RNA-Seq data, and qRT-PCR results, the results indicate that 3 genes, FtPinG0001427400.01, FtPinG0001428600.01, and FtPinG0002492200.01 may regulate the easily-shelled Tartary buckwheat. The results of this study provide vital candidate genes for the cloning and functional analysis of genes related to easily-shelled traits, as well as prominent molecular markers for breeding of new varieties of Tartary buckwheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] High glucose induces cytotoxicity and apoptosis in endothelial cells. [•] Timosaponin B-II protects endothelial cells from cytotoxicity and apoptosis. [•] Timosaponin B-II decrease high glucose-induced oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water-intensive conventional winter wheat–summer maize (WM) double cropping system in the North China Plain (NCP) has significantly decreased the groundwater table. To address this issue, we undertook a two-year field experiment to explore the potential and mechanisms of water-saving and yield increase of five newly designed diversified crop rotations incorporating spring crops (sweet potato, soybean, peanut, spring maize, and millet) into cereal crops compared with the conventional WM (as control). The results revealed that the five diversified crop rotations significantly decreased annual actual crop evapotranspiration by 7–12% and net groundwater use by 21–31% compared to the conventional WM. Sweet potato and peanut-based rotations significantly enhanced annual average equivalent yields up to 32% and economic benefit (+50%, +7%) while improving water productivity by 24–68% compared to WM. Shallow-rooted crops (sweet potato, soybean, peanut, and millet), when used as the preceding crop, improved soil water storage in the 0–180 cm soil layer at the start of the succeeding wheat planting season by 3–9% compared to the conventional WM. These shallow-rooted crops mainly concentrated their root systems in the 0–120 cm soil water, particularly the top 80 cm, complementing the deeper root systems of wheat, which extended down to 180 cm. Consequently, this optimal soil water use regime in diversified crop rotations increased the leaf area index and aboveground biomass of the succeeding wheat and maize crops, increasing total grain yields by 4–11%. Thus, introducing shallowed-root annual crops as preceding crops to the current WM rotation is beneficial for decreasing irrigation inputs, enhancing overall crop productivity, and mitigating groundwater table decline in the NCP. • Diversified crop rotations significantly decreased annual ET a and net groundwater use. • Shallow-rooted crops rotated deep-rooted crops produced soil moisture complementarity. • Diversified preceding crops had a positive 'lag effect' on the grain yield of succeeding cereals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For robust multi-modal person re-identification (re-ID) models, it is crucial to effectively utilize the complementary information and constraint relationships among different modalities. However, current multi-modal methods often overlook the correlation between modalities at the feature fusion stage. To address this issue, we propose a novel multimodal person re-ID method called Transformer Relation Regularization (TRR). Firstly, we introduce an adaptive collaborative matching module that facilitates the exchange of useful information by mining feature correspondences between modalities. This module allows for the integration of complementary information, enhancing the re-ID performance. Secondly, we propose an enhanced embedded module that corrects general information using discriminative information within each modality. By leveraging this approach, we improve the model's stability in challenging multi-modal environments. Lastly, we propose an adaptive triple loss to enhance sample utilization efficiency and mitigate the problem of inconsistent representation among multimodal samples. This loss function optimizes the model's ability to distinguish between different individuals, leading to improved re-ID accuracy. Experimental results on several challenging visible-infrared person re-ID benchmark datasets demonstrate that our proposed TRR method achieves optimal performance. Additionally, extensive ablation studies validate the effective contribution of each component to the overall model. In summary, our proposed TRR method effectively leverages complementary information, addresses the correlation between modalities, and improves the re-ID performance in multi-modal scenarios. The results obtained from various benchmark datasets and the comprehensive analysis support the efficacy of our approach. • Collaborative module enhances modality, improves stability. • Embedding module enhances features, improves robustness. • Adaptive triplet loss enables adaptive model learning. • TRR achieves optimal VI-ReID performance, validated by studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to evaluate the effect of 3 kinds of TCM polysaccharides instead of antibiotics in preventing salpingitis in laying hens. After feeding the laying hens with Lotus leaf polysaccharide, Poria polysaccharide, and Epimedium polysaccharide, mixed bacteria (E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus) were used to infect the oviduct to establish an inflammation model. Changes in antioxidant, serum immunity, anti-inflammatory, gut microbiota, and serum metabolites were evaluated. The results showed that the 3 TCM polysaccharides could increase the expression of antioxidant markers SOD, GSH, and CAT, and reduce the accumulation of MDA in the liver; the contents of IgA and IgM in serum were increased. Decreased the mRNA expression of TLR4, NFκB, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL1β, IL6, and IL8, and increased the mRNA expression of anti-inflammatory factor IL5 in oviduct tissue. 16sRNA high-throughput sequencing revealed that the 3 TCM polysaccharides improved the intestinal flora disturbance caused by bacterial infection, increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Bacteroides and Actinobacillus , and decreased the abundance of harmful bacteria such as Romboutsia, Turicibacter , and Streptococcus. Metabolomics showed that the 3 TCM polysaccharides could increase the content of metabolites such as 3-hydroxybutyric acid and isobutyl-L-carnitine, and these results could alleviate the further development of salpingitis. In conclusion, the present study has found that using TCM polysaccharides instead of antibiotics was a feasible way to prevent bacterial salpingitis in laying hens, which might make preventing this disease no longer an issue for breeding laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vibration caused by the tunnel blasting and excavation will harm the surrounding rock and lining structure of the adjacent existing tunnels. This paper takes a two-lane large-span highway tunnel as the research object, conducts on-site monitoring tests on the impact of vibration caused by the blasting and excavation of new tunnels on the existing tunnels under different blasting schemes, and analyses in detail the three-dimension vibration velocity by different excavation footages. From the vibration speed, it is concluded that the influence of the existing tunnel of the newly built tunnel blasting team is affected by various factors, such as distance, free surface, charge, and blasthole distribution. With different blasting schemes, the greater the amount of charge, the greater the vibration caused by blasting. Existing tunnels correspond to the front of the tunnel, and the axial and radial vibration peaks are greater than the vertical. Although the cut segment uses a less amount of explosive and has a less blasthole layout, there is only one free surface. Because of the clamping of the rock, it is compared with the other two segments. The vibration caused is the largest. Although the peripheral holes are filled with a large amount of explosive, the arrangement of the blast holes is relatively scattered and there are many free surfaces. Hence, the vibration caused is the smallest. Corresponding to the back of the tunnel face, since there is no rock clamp, the vibration caused by the cut segment is the smallest, and the vibration caused by the peripheral segment and the floor segment is relatively large. The vibration caused by the front explosion side is significantly greater than the vibration caused by the back explosion side. The vibration velocity caused by the unit charge of 1.5 m footage is greater than that of the 3.0 m footage. The vibration velocity caused by the unit charge of the cut segment is the largest, and the vibration velocity caused by the peripheral segment and the floor segment is smaller. The research results provide a reference for the blasting control of similar engineering construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]