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

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

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

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

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

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

Objective: The aim was to investigate the changes in retinal and choroidal thickness and vascular density in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods: Twenty-nine patients with SLE (29 eyes) and 25 control subjects (25 eyes) were enrolled. SLE activity was assessed using the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). Retinal thickness (RT), inner retinal thickness (IRT), outer retinal thickness (ORT), choroidal thickness (ChT), retinal superficial vascular density (SVD), retinal deep vascular density (DVD), choriocapillary vascular density (CCVD), foveal avascular zone (FAZ), superficial FAZ (sFAZ), and deep FAZ (dFAZ) were measured using OCTA. The retinal and choroidal thickness and vascular density between the control group and SLE group were compared. The relationships between SLEDAI scores and the retinal and choroidal thickness and vascular density in SLE group were analyzed. Results: The SVD was significantly increased, and the DVD and CCVD were significantly decreased in the SLE group compared to the control group (p <.05). The results of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) showed that the area under the curve (AUC) values of SVD, DVD, and CCVD were 0.873, 0.729, and 0.727, indicating a high accuracy in discriminating patients with SLE from controls. Correlation analysis showed that the SLEDAI scores were positively correlated with dFAZ (r = 0.589, p =.001) and FAZ (r = 0.451, p =.018), and negatively correlated with DVD (r = −0.491, p =.009) and CCVD (r = −0.521, p =.005). Conclusions: DVD and CCVD were decreased in the SLE and might be related to the disease activity. SVD, DVD, and CCVD may hold promise in the discovery of biomarkers for diagnosing SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is a microinvasive method to diagnose lymph nodes. This study aims to determine the capability of lymphatic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (LCEUS)-guided FNA in predicting the axillary metastasis with the target of one lymph node (LN) in patients with breast cancer. Methods LCEUS was prospectively performed in 105 patients with breast cancer. The most suspicious LN was targeted based on the characters of LCEUS. FNA was performed in the LN, followed by localization using a guide wire. The detection of lymph cells and/or tumour cells was recognized as a puncture success. Cytologic diagnosis was compared with histologic diagnosis of wire-marked LN for diagnosing accuracy and compared with histologic diagnosis of axillary LNs for predicting accuracy. Results LCEUS-guided FNA was performed in all 105 female patients who underwent axillary dissection. The puncture success rates were 74.3%, 91.4%, and 97.1% for three sequential groups (P  =  .010). In diagnosing LN metastasis, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy values of LCEUS-guided FNA were 89.7%, 100%, and 95.7%, respectively. In predicting axillary metastasis, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy values of LCEUS-guided FNA were 81.4%, 100%, and 91.3%, respectively. Conclusions The microinvasive LCEUS-guided FNA of one lymph node can be an accurate method and may help predict axillary metastasis in patients with breast cancer. Advances in knowledge This study presented that LCEUS combined with FNA would be practical in clinic. The characters of LCEUS could indicate the suspicious LNs and promote the accuracy in predicting axillary metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanofluidic membranes are currently being explored as potential candidates for osmotic energy harvesting. However, the development of high‐performance nanofluidic membranes remains a challenge. In this study, the ultrathin MXene membrane (H‐MXM) is prepared by ultrathin slicing and realize the ion horizontal transportation. The H‐MXM membrane, with a thickness of only 3 µm and straight subnanometer channels, exhibits ultrafast ion transport capabilities resembling an “ion freeway”. By mixing artificial seawater and river water, a power output of 93.6 W m−2 is obtained. Just as cell membranes have an ultrathin thickness that allows for excellent penetration, this straight nanofluidic membrane also possesses an ultrathin structure. This unique feature helps to shorten the ion transport path, leading to an increased ion transport rate and improveS performance in osmotic energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a search for novel nonsugar α‐glucosidase inhibitors for diabetes treatment, a series of N‐(phenylsulfonyl)thiazole‐2‐carboxamide derivatives were designed and synthesized, the α‐glucosidase inhibitory activities were then evaluated. Several compounds with promising α‐glucosidase inhibitory effects were identified. Among these, compound W24 which shows low cytotoxicity and good α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 53.0 ± 7.7 μM, is more competitive compared with the commercially available drug acarbose (IC50 = 228.3 ± 9.2 μM). W24 was identified as a promising candidate in the development of α‐glucosidase inhibitors. Molecular docking studies and molecular dynamics simulation were also performed to reveal the binding pattern of the active compound to α‐glucosidase, and the binding free energy of the best compound W24 was 36.3403 ± 3.91 kcal/mol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Breast cancer survivors face dual challenges: long-term sequelae of treatment and the risk of recurrent disease. Furthermore, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle can complicate both challenges. We aimed to assess the effect of a 12-week exercise-based weight-management program in overweight/obese breast cancer survivors. Methods: A two-arm, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial was conducted among 60 overweight/obese, stage 0–III breast cancer survivors. During the 12-week program, the intervention group received weekly information support, fortnightly exercise prescriptions, including aerobic and resistance exercises to perform at home, and one dietary instruction. The control group received information support about weight management and exercise. Weight, body composition, and physical fitness data were collected at baseline, postintervention, and the 3-month follow-up. Results: The intervention group showed significant improvements in body weight and all adiposity indices, including body mass index, waist circumference, and %body fat, in comparison with baseline (P < 0.001) and the control group (P < 0.05). Both groups showed no significant changes in fat-free mass during the 6-month period (P > 0.05). International Physical Activity Questionnaire scores and left grip strength increased significantly in the intervention group in comparison with the baseline (P < 0.01) and the control group (P < 0.05). Right grip strength, lower-body strength, and aerobic endurance showed no significant intergroup differences (P > 0.05). Conclusions: A combination of exercise prescription and weight-loss interventions yielded clinically meaningful weight loss in overweight/obese breast cancer survivors. These findings may facilitate the incorporation of home-based exercise and weight management into breast cancer treatment and survivorship care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The community structure of gut microbiota changes during pregnancy, which also affects the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). However, the distribution of gut microbiota composition and metabolite SCFA levels are poorly understood in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART). Aims: To evaluate the changes in gut microbiota composition and metabolic SCFAs in women who received assisted reproduction treatment. Methods: Sixty-three pregnant women with spontaneous pregnancy (SP) and nine with ART pregnancy were recruited to provide fecal samples. Gut microbiota abundance and SCFA levels were determined by 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene amplicon sequencing and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Key results: The ART group showed decreased alpha diversity (the species richness or evenness in a sample). The principal coordinates analysis (a method of analysing beta diversity) showed significant difference in gut microbiota between the ART group versus the SP group (unweighted UniFrac distance, R 2 = 0.04, P = 0.003). Proteobacteria , Blautia and Escherichia-Shigella were enriched in the ART group, whereas the relative abundance of beneficial intestinal bacteria Faecalibacterium was lower than in the SP group. Different modes of conception were associated with several SCFAs (valeric acid (r = −0.280; P = 0.017); isocaproic acid (r = −0.330; P = 0.005); caproic acid (r = −0.336; P = 0.004)). Significantly different SCFAs between the two groups were synchronously associated with the differential gut microbiota. Conclusions: The diversity and abundance of gut microbiota and the levels of SCFAs in women undergoing ART decreased. Implications: The application of ART shaped the microbial composition and metabolism, which may provide critical information for understanding the biological changes that occur in women with assisted reproduction. While assisted reproductive technology (ART) offers hope to infertile couples, it also brings problems. In this study, researchers found the application of ART altered the gut microbial composition and metabolism of pregnant women. The gut microbiota, as a 'virtual organ', is profoundly associated with the health of mother and fetus, and may have the potential to predict and treat ART-related adverse pregnancy and delivery outcomes. Image by Ni Wu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

The experiment aimed to investigate the effects of microbial preparations on the growth and intestinal microbiota of crucian carp. Three hundred evenly sized crucian carp were randomly divided into five groups, with three replicates in each group, and 20 fish in each replicate. The group A was fed a feed containing mixed lactic acid bacteria preparations, the group B was fed a feed containing mixed Clostridium butyricum preparations, the group C was fed a feed containing a mixture of lactic acid bacteria and Clostridium butyricum preparations, the group D was fed a feed containing a mixture of lactic acid bacteria, Clostridium butyricum preparations, and 3 mg/g nano-selenium. The control group (CK group) was fed a basic feed. The experimental period lasted for 28 days. The results showed that the weight gain rate of crucian carp in the group A, group B, and group D was higher than that in the CK group ( P<0.05). The condition factor and feed coefficient of crucian carp in the group A were higher than those in the CK group ( P<0.05). The hepatopancreas SOD activity of crucian carp in the group D was higher than that in the CK group ( P<0.05), and the hepatopancreas LZM activity in the group B was higher than that in the CK group ( P<0.05). The abundance of Fusobacteria in the intestines of crucian carp in the group A significantly increased, while the abundance of Bacteroidetes in the intestines of crucian carp in the group B significantly increased. The study indicates that adding lactic acid bacteria, Clostridium butyricum, and nano-selenium to the feed can promote the growth of crucian carp, alter the community structure of the intestinal microbiota, and inhibit harmful bacteria in the intestines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with poor HIV testing in adulthood yet, they have not been extensively described in those at increased risk for HIV. Cross‐sectional analysis data (n = 204,231) on ACEs and HIV testing were obtained from the 2019–2020 Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. Weighted logistic regression models were used to access the association of ACEs exposure, ACEs score, and ACEs type with HIV testing among adults with HIV risk behaviours, and stratified analysis was also performed to examine gender differences. The results indicated the overall rate of HIV testing was 38.8% and was higher among those with HIV risk behaviours (64.6%) than those without (37.2%). In populations with HIV risk behaviours, the negative association of HIV testing with ACEs exposure, ACEs score, and ACEs type was identified. Relative to those without ACEs, adults who were exposed to ACEs might decrease the rate of HIV testing, participants with ≥4 ACEs scores were less likely to have HIV testing, and childhood exposure to sexual abuse had the greatest impact on HIV testing. For both males and females, childhood exposure to ACEs was associated with lower odds of HIV testing and ACEs score ≥4 had the most robust associations with HIV testing. For males, those who experienced witnessed domestic violence had the lowest odds of HIV testing but the odds of engaging in HIV testing for females were the lowest among those who experienced childhood sexual abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Cisternostomy is a novel surgical concept in the treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), which can effectively drain the bloody cerebrospinal fluid from the skull base cistern, reduce the intracranial pressure, and improve the return of bone flap, but its preventive role in post-traumatic hydrocephalus (PTH) is unknow. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether Cisternostomy prevents the occurrence of PTH in patients with moderate and severe TBI. Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical data of 86 patients with moderate and severe TBI from May 2019 to October 2021 was carried out in the Brain Trauma Center of Tianjin Huanhu Hospital. Univariate analysis was performed to examine the gender, age, preoperative Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, preoperative Rotterdam CT score, decompressive craniectomy rate, intracranial infection rate, the incidence of subdural fluid, and incidence of hydrocephalus in patients between the Cisternostomy group and the non-Cisternostomy surgery group. we also analyzed the clinical outcome indicators like GCS at discharge,6 month GOS-E and GOS-E ≥ 5 in two groups.Additionaly, the preoperative GCS score, decompressive craniectomy rate, age, and gender of patients with PTH and non hydrocephalus were compared. Further multifactorial logistic binary regression was performed to explore the risk factors for PTH. Finally, we conducted ROC curve analysis on the statistically significant results from the univariate regression analysis to predict the ability of each risk factor to cause PTH. Results: The Cisternostomy group had a lower bone flap removal rate(48.39% and 72.73%, p = 0.024)., higer GCS at discharge(11.13 ± 2.42 and 8.93 ± 3.31,p = 0.000) and better 6 month GOS-E(4.55 ± 1.26 and 3.95 ± 1.18, p = 0.029)than the non-Cisternostomy group However, there was no statistical difference in the incidence of hydrocephalus between the two groups (25.81% and 30.91%, p = 0.617). Moreover, between the hydrocephalus group and no hydrocephalus group,there were no significant differences in the incidence of gender, age, intracranial infection, and subdural fluid. While there were statistical differences in peroperative GCS score, Rotterdam CT score, decompressive craniectomy rate, intracranial infection rate, and the incidence of subdural fluid in the two groups, there was no statistical difference in the percentage of cerebral cisterns open drainage between the hydrocephalus group and no hydrocephalus group (32.00% and 37.70%, p = 0.617). Multifactorial logistic binary regression analysis results revealed that the independent risk factors for PTH were intracranial infection (OR = 18.460, 95% CI: 1.864–182.847 p = 0.013) and subdural effusion (OR = 10.557, 95% CI: 2.425–35.275 p = 0.001). Further, The ROC curve analysis showed that peroperative GCS score, Rotterdam CT score and subdural effusion had good ACU(0.785,0.730,and 0.749), with high sensitivity and specificity to predict the occurrence of PTH. Conclusions: Cisternostomy may decrease morbidities associated with removal of the bone flap and improve the clinical outcome, despite it cannot reduce the disability rate in TBI patients.Intracranial infection and subdural fluid were found to be the independent risk factors for PTH in patients with TBI,and the peroperative GCS score, Rotterdam CT score and subdural effusion had higher sensitivity and specificity to predict the occurrence of PTH. And more importantly, no correlation was observed between open drainage of the cerebral cisterns and the occurrence of PTH, indicating that Cisternostomy may not be beneficial in preventing the occurrence of PTH in patients with moderate and severe TBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of alkyl glycoside and alcohol ether glycoside alone on the interfacial tension between n-alkanes and Liaohe crude oil and on the interfacial tension in a composite system were studied by using a rotary drop interfacial tensimeter with the addition of ethylene oxide group (EO). The effects of mass fraction of surfactant, concentration of univalent and bivalent ions and EO group on dynamic interfacial tension of the system were investigated. The results show that the two glycoside surfactants can produce strong synergistic effect with sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, and the EO chain can adjust the hydrophilic and oleophilic balance of the surfactants, so that the surfactants are more closely arranged at the interface. The increase of salinity can compress the double electron layer, make the interfacial molecules closely arranged, and reduce the interfacial tension. Under proper salinity conditions, the mixed surfactant system can produce ultra-low interfacial tension with Liaohe viscous oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) invasions into native forest cause a series of ecological problems, including the alteration of soil microorganism community composition. Additionally, it has been established that variation changes in leaf litter types can drive changes in soil microorganism communities. We have previously demonstrated distinct differences in nutrient composition between bamboo leaf litter and leaf litter of native plants. Yet to date, we lack a comprehensive understanding of how Moso bamboo leaf litter inputs change soil microorganism community composition in native forests. Methods: We conducted an in-situ decomposition experiment to examine the response of soil bacterial and fungi phyla to Moso bamboo leaf litter addition in three native forest soils. Results: Bamboo leaf litter had higher quality (low lignin content and low C:N) and higher decomposition rates compared to native forest plants. Bamboo leaf litter additions did not change the richness and diversity of soil bacterial and fungi in the Broadleaf forest and Chinese fir forest. Additionally, bamboo leaf litter additions only affected the soil microorganisms in the Cryptomeria japonica var. Sinensis forest with low-quality litter; Principal Component Analysis (PCA) further supported this result. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that the soil microbial community has resilience to chemical and biotic inputs from foreign leaf litter. This study helps soil ecologists better understand the impacts of Moso bamboo invasions into native forests, including the weak effects of its litter input on soil microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

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

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

Summary: Conventional fault recognition algorithms can only recognize the classes of faults that have appeared in wind turbine systems. However, if a new category of faults appears, the traditional algorithm can only misclassify it into the class of pre‐existing faults. In this paper, a new class fault recognition method based on deep learning is proposed. Firstly, the initialized model is built using known fault data, including detectors and classifiers. Secondly, the new class fault data detected by the detectors are put into the cache, and when the cache overflows, the new class faults are augmented with data using generative adversarial networks. Finally, the new class fault data and the generated data are added to the initial training set, and the structure and weights of the initialized model are updated using the new training set. In this way, the purpose of recognizing the new class of faults is achieved. The experimental results show that the proposed detection algorithm can effectively detect new class faults and the model can efficiently solve the problem of the new class of fault recognition after data augmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite cylindrical shells play a crucial role in aerospace and marine structures. This study investigates the optimal structure for cylindrical multilayer composite shells under the effect of axial pressure using the finite element method and NSGA-II genetic algorithm to determine the maximum buckling load capacity. The critical buckling load of multilayer composite shells depends on various parameters, such as fiber angle, the number of layers, the material of the layers, and their thickness. The objective functions are used to increase the structure load capacity and reduce its weight. ABAQUS software was used to perform finite element analysis on the composite cylindrical shell for determining the buckling load. Using the response surface model, the relationship between variables and objective functions has been determined. Results of the proposed response surface model for the training stages are evaluated using various statistical indices and the root mean square error for buckling load and shell weight variables is 0.065 and 0.140, respectively. In the next step, the NSGA-II genetic optimization algorithm was used to modify the layout and thickness of the composite layers to optimize the buckling strength and weight of the structure. A genetic algorithm based on NSGA-II was used to optimize the geometric characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which examined factors associated with immediate antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation among newly diagnosed people living with HIV (PLHIV) aged 18 years and above between May 2018 and June 2019 at six study sites in Guangdong Province, China. Topics include characteristics of the study participants, factors associated with immediate ART initiation among newly diagnosed PLHIV in Guangdong Province, and limitations of the study.

Ultrasonic assisted extraction was used to extract total alkaloids from mulberry leaves, and the extraction conditions were optimized by orthogonal test on the basis of single-factor experiments, and the antioxidant and bacteriostatic activities of alkaloids in mulberry leaves were studied. The results showed that the optimal extraction conditions of total alkaloids in mulberry leaves were as follows: ethanol volume fraction 50%, liquid to material ratio of 25 mL/g, extraction temperature of 70 °C, and extraction time of 40 min. At the same concentration (0.2~1.0 g/L), the scavenging rates of DPPH and ABTS+ radicals by the total alkaloids in mulberry leaves were 85.5% and 96.3%, respectively, indicating that its antioxidant resistance was stronger than that of vitamin C. The total alkaloids in mulberry leaves had a stronger inhibitory effect on bacteria than sorbic acid and ethanol solution, and had a strong inhibitory effect on bacteria with a diameter greater than 10 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The study indicates that the total alkaloids in mulberry leaves can be used as functional feed additives in animal breeding industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By deconstructing the dimensions of rural tourism and rural revitalization and constructing a coupled conceptual model, a coupled evaluation model is constructed. Yannanfei Tea Field Resort in Guangdong is taken as a research case for empirical analysis, to explore the coupled development trend of the two. The results show that ① the tourism development of Guangdong Yannanfei Tea Field Resort has a good synergistic relationship with rural revitalization. The two complement and promote each other, and rural tourism has significantly promoted the development of rural revitalization. ② The coupling development of tourism development and rural revitalization in Guangdong Yannanfei Tea Field Resort is divided into coupling imbalance period and coupling coordination period. The results indicate that the coordination between the two has not yet reached a level of good coordination and high-quality coordination. It is recommended that the resort should fully utilize the opportunity of rural revitalization strategy, increase investment in rural tourism, promote the transformation and upgrading of the resort, impel the integration of tea and tourism, and develop new business model of tea-tourism rural vacation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

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

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

Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common, aggressive primary sarcoma of bone. Drug resistance is a huge obstacle to chemotherapy for cancer. This study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of circ_0002060 in OS resistance to doxorubicin (DOX). Methods: The levels of circ_0002060, miR-198, and ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1) in OS tissues and DOX-resistant OS cells were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction or Western blot assay. Kaplan–Meier analysis was performed to determine the relationship between circ_0002060 expression in OS tissues and overall survival of OS patients. The half-inhibitory concentration (IC50) of DOX was calculated using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Proliferation and apoptosis of DOX-resistant OS cells were assessed by colony formation assay and flow cytometry. The levels of apoptosis-related proteins in DOX-resistant OS cells were measured by Western blot assay. Xenograft assay was utilized to analyze the effect of circ_0002060 on DOX resistance in vivo. The interactions among circ_0002060, miR-198, and ABCB1 in DOX-resistant OS cells were confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation assay, or RNA pull-down assay. Results: circ_0002060 and ABCB1 were upregulated, while miR-198 was downregulated in OS tissues and DOX-resistant OS cells. circ_0002060 silencing reduced DOX resistance in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, circ_0002060 enhanced DOX resistance by sponging miR-198. Besides, miR-198 decreased DOX resistance by binding to ABCB1. In addition, circ_0002060 sponged miR-198 to upregulate ABCB1 expression. Conclusions: circ_0002060 promoted DOX resistance and OS progression by regulating the miR-198/ABCB1 axis, suggesting that circ_0002060 might be a promising biomarker for OS therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibition of type II alveolar epithelial (AE-II) cell apoptosis is a critical way to cure hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury (HALI). It has been reported that miR-21–5p could reduce H 2 O 2 -induced apoptosis in AE-II cells. However, the upstream molecular mechanism remains unclear. Herein, we established a cellular model of HALI by exposing AE-II cells to H 2 O 2 treatment. It was shown that miR-21–5p alleviated H 2 O 2 -induced apoptosis in AE-II cells. ROS inhibition decreased apoptosis of H 2 O 2 -evoked AE-II cells via increasing miR-21–5p expression. In addition, ROS induced MAPK and STAT3 phosphorylation in H 2 O 2 -treated AE-II cells. MAPK inactivation reduces H 2 O 2 -triggered AE-II cell apoptosis. MAPK activation inhibits miR-21–5p expression by promoting STAT3 phosphorylation in H 2 O 2 -challenged AE-II cells. Furthermore, STAT3 activation eliminated MAPK deactivation-mediated inhibition on the apoptosis of AE-II cells under H 2 O 2 condition. In conclusion, ROS-mediated MAPK activation promoted H 2 O 2 -triggered AE-II cell apoptosis by inhibiting miR-21–5p expression via STAT3 phosphorylation, providing novel targets for HALI treatment. [Display omitted] • MiR-21–5p alleviates H2O2-evoked AE-II cell apoptosis. • ROS induces apoptosis of H2O2-treated AE-II cells by inhibiting miR-21–5p expression. • ROS causes MAPK and STAT3 activation in H2O2-treated AE-II cells. • MAPK inactivation reduces H2O2-triggered AE-II cell apoptosis. • MAPK activation inhibits miR-21–5p expression by promoting STAT3 phosphorylation in H2O2-challenged AE-II cells. • STAT3 activation reverses the inhibition of H2O2-induced AE-II cell apoptosis caused by MAPK deactivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

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

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder that affects multiple organs and systems, including joints, the cardiovascular system, lungs, skin, kidneys, the nervous system, and blood. The clinical presentations of SLE are diverse and vary widely. In this report, we present a case of a patient whose SLE was complicated by hemochromatosis to enhance clinicians' comprehension of this infrequent or rare complication of SLE. We aim to provide insights into the diagnosis and treatment processes of this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Soybean growth was stimulated and inhibited at low and high Cd concentrations. • Soybean can tolerate moderate Cd contamination. • High Cd concentrations resulted in the imbalance of essential elements in soybeans. Soybean (Glycine max L.), as an oil and protein crop, has attracted interest for its potential in the reclamation/restoration of barren and contaminated habitats due to its ability to tolerate adverse environments. To investigate the effects of the growth (biomass and plant height), chlorophyll content, antioxidative capacity (peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities), and homeostasis of essential elements in soybean plants induced by cadmium (Cd), a pot experiment was performed. Soybean seeds were cultivated in six different levels of Cd-contaminated soil (0, 0.25, 0.50, 1.00, 2.50, 5.00, and 10.00 mg kg−1) for 27 days at 60 % humidity and 25–35 °C in a greenhouse with natural light. Soybean seedling growth was stimulated and inhibited at low (≤1.00 mg kg−1) and high (≥2.50 mg kg−1) Cd concentrations, respectively. Essential metal elements (Mg, Fe, and Zn) and chlorophyll contents of leaves were increased and decreased at low and high Cd concentrations, respectively. Exposure to high Cd concentrations interfered with the homeostasis of essential elements in soybean plants. High Cd concentrations reduced antioxidant capacity and chlorophyll content, which inhibited soybean growth. The Cd accumulation level (>100 mg kg−1) in soybean plant organs was unsafe for producing soybean products. However, soybean seedlings appear to tolerate moderate Cd contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

With potential thermal management applications, such as plastic heat exchangers and thermal interface materials, thermally conductive polymers have gained renewed interest in the past decade. Ultradrawn polyethylene fibers and films have been experimentally shown to have thermal conductivities at least two orders of magnitude of these in their amorphous counterparts. However, the theoretical molecular-level understanding of strain effects on the thermal transport in drawn semicrystalline polymers, such as polyethylene, especially the roles of different interlamellar chain topologies in the crystalline-amorphous interphase region, remains elusive. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we investigated the strain effects on the thermal conductivity and vibrational transport in a simplified sandwich semicrystalline structure. We found that the topology of the interlamellar chains determines the dependence of thermal conductivity on strains. Comparing thermal resistances at different regions in the interlamellar structure, thermal resistance at the amorphous region is not necessarily the highest; the interphase region with the transition from the crystalline to amorphous state can have a much higher resistance. We conducted the frequency domain analysis to obtain the heat flux spectrum in the crystalline-amorphous interphase region and found that the vibrational modes at intermediate and high frequencies can contribute more than these at relatively low frequencies to the total heat flux because of the complex interlamellar chain topologies (e.g., loop chains). Our work provides molecular-level understandings of the structural-property relationship in semicrystalline polymers with strains, which could assist the design and development of thermally conductive polymers for thermal management applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

A new morphotype of nothosaurs collected from the Upper Member of Anisian Guanling Formation in the Muta village, Luxi County, Yunnan Province, China is reported here. The new morphotype is represented by a single specimen that can be distinguished from other nothosaurs in the combination of the following features: premaxilla partly fused, jugal positioned forward in the cheek, pineal foramen in a deep trough and close to the middle of the skull table, quadratojugal present, distinctly long internal naris. The right lower jaw of the new specimen is completely exposed in medial view, providing hereto unknown information about the medial morphology of the lower jaw for nothosaurid sauropterygians, including the large splenial forming half of the inner wall of the lower jaw, the slender and elongate coronoid located in the middle of the mandible, and the Meckelian foramen located within the adductor fossa bounded by surangular and prearticular. Morphological comparison with other Triassic eosauropteygians reveals previously unrecognised characters that may be used for reconstructing the phylogeny of sauropterygians in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

The aerodynamic design and optimization of modern centrifugal compressors are inseparable from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools. In a design environment, CFD simulations are expected to predict compressor performance characteristics with reasonable accuracy. Turbulence models and model simplification can play a significant role in the discrepancy between analysis and reality. To investigate the influence of turbulence models on aerodynamic analysis results of centrifugal compressors, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's high efficiency centrifugal compressor stage is selected as the test vehicle. Six eddy-viscosity models, namely, Spalart–Allmaras (SA), standard k–epsilon (k − ε), renormalization group k–epsilon (RNG k − ε), Wilcox k–omega (k − ω), shear stress transport (SST), and SST-reattachment modification (SST-RM) are considered. In all numerical analyses, measured surface roughness is included with the aim of improving numerical solution accuracy. Although some discrepancies exist, the compressor performance characteristics predicted by the k − ω model are in satisfactory agreement with the test data over the whole speedline. The k − ε model overpredicts the isentropic efficiency than the other models, while the SST-RM model underestimates the total pressure ratio in the near-stall region. The RNG k − ε model matches high flow characteristics but overestimates the choked mass flow rate. The SST model obtains a similar operating range with the test data but underestimates the compressor's isentropic efficiency and total pressure ratio, while the SA model totally overestimates the compressor characteristics due to the wall function. Furthermore, variations caused by turbulence models are discussed together with the flow field analysis. Finally, to verify the impact of the impeller backplate bleed cavity, an additional simulation is conducted that specifically accounts for this feature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

Imbalanced glutamate signaling has been implicated in the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This case-control study was to examine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in glutamate receptor and carrier genes and determine their association with childhood ASD in a Chinese Han population. A total of 12 SNPs in genes encoding glutamate receptors (GRM7 and GRM8) and carriers (SLC1A1 and SLC25A12) were examined in 249 autistic children and 353 healthy controls. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and its verbal communication domain were applied to evaluate the severity of the disease and language impairment, respectively. The T allele of rs2292813 in the SLC25A12 gene was significantly associated with an increased risk of ASD (odds ratio (OD) = 1.7, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1–2.6, P = 0.0107). Neither the genotypes nor allele distributions of other SNPs were associated with the risk of ASD. Notably, rs1800656 and rs2237731 in the GRM8 gene, but not other SNPs, were related to the severity of language impairment. All SNPs were not correlated with the overall severity of ASD. Our findings support associations between the SLC25A12 gene variant and the risk of childhood ASD, and between the GRM8 gene variant and the severity of language impairment in the Chinese Han population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation capability has become a necessary requirement for qualified teachers in the context of informatization. However, the validity and objectivity of existing assessments are unclear. Therefore, this study selected nine researchers to evaluate the instructional innovation capabilities of 60 pre-service teachers from a Chinese normal university. The Many-Faceted Rasch Model (MFRM) was used to measure and analyze the rater severity, difficulty of evaluation criteria, and instructional innovation capability of pre-service teachers. Combined with qualitative analysis, the results showed that most participants had moderate instructional innovation capability, and only certain individuals demonstrated a high level. In addition, innovation related to teaching content and learning activities was easier than innovation related to instructional and evaluation strategies. These results suggest directions for fostering pre-service teachers' instructional innovation capabilities. Plain Language Summary: Many-Faceted Rasch Model (MFRM) analysis using instructional plans written by pre-service teachers and scores form nine researchers to more objectively and accurately identify the levels and differences in pre-service teachers' instructional innovation capabilities Purpose: Using Many-Faceted Rasch Model (MFRM) to create a profile of pre-service teachers' with regard to their instructional innovation capability. Methods: This study selected nine researchers to evaluate the instructional innovation capabilities of 60 pre-service teachers from a Chinese normal university. The MFRM was used to measure and analyze the rater severity, difficulty of evaluation criteria, and instructional innovation capability of pre-service teachers. Conclusions: Most participants had moderate instructional innovation capability, and only certain individuals demonstrated a high level. In addition, innovation related to teaching content and learning activities was easier than innovation related to instructional and evaluation strategies. Implications: Different instructional plans, the severity of following to the plan and rater severity might have caused differences in the evaluation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]