Search

ObjectiveTo evaluate the intervention effect of meteorological risk forecasting service on acute onset and medical expenses of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease（COPD） patients， and to provide scientific basis for the establishment of health management model for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease（COPD） patients.MethodsStudy subjects were recruited from chronic obstructive pulmonary patients aged ≥40 in Pudong New Area. Propensity score matching method was used to determine the intervention group and the control group. The control group received regular health education and follow-up management， and the intervention group was provided with meteorological and environmental risk forecasting services through WeChat， mobile phone short message service（SMS）and telephone. Finally， a total of 2 589 subjects were included in the analysis， including 1 300 in the intervention group and 1 289 in the control group. General demographic data， past medical history and family history of COPD， COPD related knowledge and practice survey， COPD related symptom assessment， acute onset， health service utilization and medical expenses before and after intervention were collected through questionnaire survey. The differences of acute attack， health service utilization and related medical expenses between the two groups before and after intervention were compared to evaluate the intervention effect.ResultsIn terms of acute attacks， after intervention， the incidence of acute attacks in the intervention group was lower than that before intervention（χ2=52.901， P0.05）. After intervention， the difference between the control group and the intervention group with different intervention methods was statistically significant （H=11.864， P

Background In recent years, women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have had a higher prevalence of lipid metabolism disorders, which are strongly associated with obesity and insulin resistance (IR) . Higher levels of lipid metabolism have been also found in PCOS women with normal body mass index (BMI) , but there are fewer studies on dyslipidemia in this population. Objective To investigate the factors influencing the development of hyperlipidemia in PCOS women with normal BMI. Methods Based on the data of the clinical trial Effect of Acupuncture and Clomiphene on Live Birth Rate in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOSAct) , a total of 428 subjects with complete baseline data and meeting the study criteria were selected. The evaluation criteria for determining hyperlipidemia included total cholesterol (TC) 6.22 mmol/L and/or triglycerides (TG) 2.26 mmol/L and/or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) 4.14 mmol/L and/or high-density lipoprotein (HDL)

Switchable radiative cooling based on the phase-change material vanadium dioxide (VO2) automatically modulates thermal emission in response to varying ambient temperature. However, it is still challenging to achieve constant indoor temperature control solely using a VO2-based radiative cooling system, especially at low ambient temperatures. Here, we propose a reverse-switching VO2-based radiative cooling system, assisting indoor air conditioning to obtain precise indoor temperature control. Unlike previous VO2-based radiative cooling systems, the reverse VO2-based radiative cooler turns on radiative cooling at low ambient temperatures and turns off radiative cooling at high ambient temperatures, thereby synchronizing its cooling modes with the heating and cooling cycles of the indoor air conditioning during the actual process of precise temperature control. Calculations demonstrate that our proposed VO2-based radiative cooling system significantly reduces the energy consumption by nearly 30 % for heating and cooling by indoor air conditioning while maintaining a constant indoor temperature, even surpassing the performance of an ideal radiative cooler. This work advances the intelligent thermal regulation of radiative cooling in conjunction with the traditional air conditioning technology.

BackgroundAtmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can disrupt the metabolic homeostasis of the liver and accelerate the progression of liver diseases, but there are few studies on the effects of sub-chronic PM2.5 exposure on the liver metabolome. ObjectivesTo investigate the effects of sub-chronic exposure to concentrated PM2.5 on hepatic metabolomics in mice by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and to identify potentially affected metabolites and metabolic pathways. MethodsTwelve male C57BL/6J (6 weeks old) mice were randomly divided into two groups: a concentrated PM2.5 exposure group and a clean air exposure group. The mice were exposed to concentrated PM2.5 using the "Shanghai Meteorological and Environmental Animal Exposure System" at Fudan University. The exposure duration was 8 h per day, 6 d per week, for a total of 8 weeks. The mice's liver tissues were collected 24 h after the completion of exposure. LC-MS was performed to assess changes in the hepatic metabolome. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis and t-test were employed to identify differentially regulated metabolites between the two groups under the conditions of variable important in projection (VIP)≥1.0 and P

Abstract Accurate detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood and non-blood body fluids enables generation of deterministic cancer diagnosis and represent a less invasive and safer liquid biopsy approach. Although genomic alternations have been widely used in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis, studies on cell-based genomic alternations profiling for CTC detection are rare due to major technical limitations in single-cell whole genome sequencing (WGS) including low throughput, low accuracy and high cost. We report a single-cell low-pass WGS-based protocol (scMet-Seq) for sensitive and accurate CTC detection by combining a metabolic function-associated marker Hexokinase 2 (HK2) and a Tn5 transposome-based WGS method with improved cell fixation strategy. To explore the clinical use, scMet-Seq has been investigated with blood and non-blood body fluids in diagnosing metastatic diseases, including ascites-based diagnosis of malignant ascites (MA) and blood-based diagnosis of metastatic small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). ScMet-Seq shows high diagnostic sensitivity (MA: 79% in >10 cancer types; metastatic SCLC: 90%) and ~100% of diagnostic specificity and positive predictive value, superior to clinical cytology that exhibits diagnostic sensitivity of 52% in MA diagnosis and could not generate blood-based diagnosis. ScMet-Seq represents a liquid biopsy approach for deterministic cancer diagnosis in different types of cancers and body fluids.

Abstract Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease that causes the periodontal bone destruction and may ultimately result in tooth loss. With the progression of periodontitis, the osteoimmunology microenvironment in periodontitis is damaged and leads to the formation of pathological alveolar bone resorption. CD301b+ macrophages are specific to the osteoimmunology microenvironment, and are emerging as vital booster for conducting bone regeneration. However, the key upstream targets of CD301b+ macrophages and their potential mechanism in periodontitis remain elusive. In this study, we concentrated on the role of Tim4, a latent upstream regulator of CD301b+ macrophages. We first demonstrated that the transcription level of Timd4 (gene name of Tim4) in CD301b+ macrophages was significantly upregulated compared to CD301b− macrophages via high-throughput RNA sequencing. Moreover, several Tim4-related functions such as apoptotic cell clearance, phagocytosis and engulfment were positively regulated by CD301b+ macrophages. The single-cell RNA sequencing analysis subsequently discovered that Cd301b and Timd4 were specifically co-expressed in macrophages. The following flow cytometric analysis indicated that Tim4 positive expression rates in total macrophages shared highly synchronized dynamic changes with the proportions of CD301b+ macrophages as periodontitis progressed. Furthermore, the deficiency of Tim4 in mice decreased CD301b+ macrophages and eventually magnified alveolar bone resorption in periodontitis. Additionally, Tim4 controlled the p38 MAPK signaling pathway to ultimately mediate CD301b+ macrophages phenotype. In a word, Tim4 might regulate CD301b+ macrophages through p38 MAPK signaling pathway in periodontitis, which provided new insights into periodontitis immunoregulation as well as help to develop innovative therapeutic targets and treatment strategies for periodontitis.

Abstract Accurate identification and localization of multiple abnormalities are crucial steps in the interpretation of chest X-rays (CXRs); however, the lack of a large CXR dataset with bounding boxes severely constrains accurate localization research based on deep learning. We created a large CXR dataset named CXR-AL14, containing 165,988 CXRs and 253,844 bounding boxes. On the basis of this dataset, a deep-learning-based framework was developed to identify and localize 14 common abnormalities and calculate the cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) simultaneously. The mean average precision values obtained by the model for 14 abnormalities reached 0.572-0.631 with an intersection-over-union threshold of 0.5, and the intraclass correlation coefficient of the CTR algorithm exceeded 0.95 on the held-out, multicentre and prospective test datasets. This framework shows an excellent performance, good generalization ability and strong clinical applicability, which is superior to senior radiologists and suitable for routine clinical settings.

Abstract Background Increasing evidence is appearing that ozone has adverse effects on health. However, the association between long-term ozone exposure and lung function is still inconclusive. Objectives To investigate the associations between long-term exposure to ozone and lung function in Chinese young adults. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study among 1594 college students with a mean age of 19.2 years at baseline in Shandong, China from September 2020 to September 2021. Lung function indicators were measured in September 2020 and September 2021, including forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced expiratory flow at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of the FVC (FEF25, FEF50, and FEF75) and mean flow rate between 25% and 75% of the FVC (FEF25-75) were measured. Daily 10 km×10 km ozone concentrations come from a well-validated data-fusion approach. The time-weighted average concentrations in 12 months before the lung function test were defined as the long-term ozone exposure. The associations between long-term ozone exposure and lung function indicators in Chinese young adults were investigated using a linear mixed effects model, followed by stratified analyses regarding sex, BMI and history of respiratory diseases. Results Each interquartile range (IQR) (8.9 µg/m3) increase in long-term ozone exposure were associated with a -204.3 (95% confidence interval (CI): -361.6, -47.0) ml/s, -146.3 (95% CI: -264.1, -28.4) ml/s, and − 132.8 (95% CI: -239.2, -26.4) ml/s change in FEF25, FEF50, and FEF25-75, respectively. Stronger adverse associations were found in female participants or those with BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2 and history of respiratory diseases. Conclusion Long-term exposure to ambient ozone is associated with impaired small airway indicators in Chinese young adults. Females, participants with BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2 and a history of respiratory disease have stronger associations.

Abstract Background Pathway mutations have been calculated to predict the poor prognosis and immunotherapy resistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). To uncover the unique markers predicting prognosis and immune therapy response, the accurate quantification of pathway mutations are required to evaluate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and immune escape. Yet, there is a lack of score to accurately quantify pathway mutations. Material and methods Firstly, we proposed Individualized Weighted Hallmark Gene Set Mutation Burden (IWHMB, https://github.com/YuHongHuang-lab/IWHMB ) which integrated pathway structure information and eliminated the interference of global Tumor Mutation Burden to accurately quantify pathway mutations. Subsequently, to further elucidate the association of IWHMB with EMT and immune escape, support vector machine regression model was used to identify IWHMB-related transcriptomic features (IRG), while Adversarially Regularized Graph Autoencoder (ARVGA) was used to further resolve IRG network features. Finally, Random walk with restart algorithm was used to identify biomarkers for predicting ICI response. Results We quantified the HNSCC pathway mutation signatures and identified pathway mutation subtypes using IWHMB. The IWHMB-related transcriptomic features (IRG) identified by support vector machine regression were divided into 5 communities by ARVGA, among which the Community 1 enriching malignant mesenchymal components promoted EMT dynamically and regulated immune patterns associated with ICI responses. Bridge Hub Gene (BHG) identified by random walk with restart was key to IWHMB in EMT and immune escape, thus, more predictive for ICI response than other 70 public signatures. Conclusion In summary, the novel pathway mutation scoring-IWHMB suggested that the elevated malignancy mediated by pathway mutations is a major cause of poor prognosis and immunotherapy failure in HNSCC, and is capable of identifying novel biomarkers to predict immunotherapy response.

Objective To explore the impact of trauma interventions using mindfulness based extinction and reconsolidation (TIMBER) on post-traumatic stress symptoms in rehabilitation patients with limb dysfunction after accidental trauma. Methods Convenient sampling was used to select 46 rehabilitation patients with limb dysfunction after accidental trauma (impact of event scale-revised, IES-R total score ≥33) admitted to Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital from March 2022 to May 2023.They were randomly divided into an intervention group (TIMBER intervention) and a control group (health education of knowledge about mental health).IES-R, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Self-Rating Scale of Sleep (SRSS) were employed to survey the participants before (T1), at the end of (T2), and 1 month after intervention (T3).The changes in post-traumatic stress symptoms, anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and sleep were compared between the 2 groups of patients. Results There were no statistically differences in demographic information and various psychological variables between the 2 groups at T1(P>0.05).The intervention group got their total and various dimensional scores of IES-R, and scores of anxiety, depression, and sleep at T2 and T3 significantly decreased when compared with these scores at T1(P < 0.01), and all the scores at T2 and T3 were obviously lower in the intervention group than the control group (P < 0.05).Compared with T1, the avoidance and intrusion scores and total IES-R score were declined in the control group at T2 and T3, with statistical significance (P < 0.05), while no such differences were observed in the scores of high alertness, anxiety, depression, and sleep (P>0.05). Conclusion TIMBER significantly improves the post-traumatic stress symptoms, anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and sleep in rehabilitation patients with limb dysfunction after accidental trauma.

In order to investigate permeability and destructive deformation energy evolution of the loaded coal body under different power microwaves, the high-pressure three-dimensional visual mechanics experimental equipment to carry out the triaxial compressive percolation experiments of the coal samples after microwave pretreatment with different power. Results show that the modulus of elasticity of coal samples after microwave treatment with different powers shows a decreasing and then increasing trend, while the peak stress and Poisson's ratio show a decreasing trend; the increase of microwave power leads to easier compact of coal samples, larger overall strain values of radial and body stress-strain curves, and significant expansion; the permeability of the coal samples increases as power rises, which is consistent with the logarithmic function fitting relationship; the increase of microwave power leads to decreasing total energy U and elastic energy Ue at the peak stress of different pretreated coal samples, and the ability of coal samples to accumulate elastic energy Ue in the elastic stage is weakened. When we compare 200 W and 600 W microwave pretreatment under the same irradiation time, it is found that the change of each energy was more significant in 400 W microwave pretreatment, and the coal samples have the smallest dissipated energy Ud as a proportion of total energy U, at 24%. The study could provide references for gas extraction in microwave fracturing coal seams.

Depressive disorder has been known to be associated with high variability in resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) signals. However, this phenomenon is often ignored in stimulus-related brain activities. This study proposed a new method to explore the EEG variability evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS, TMS-EEG) in depressive disorder (DE) patients. The TMS-EEG data were collected from 34 DE patients and 36 healthy controls (HC). The maximum eigenvalue of the real binary correlation matrix, calculated between different trials using cross-correlation and surrogate methods, was extracted to assess trial-by-trial variability (TTV) of TMS-EEG. The new method was found to more sensitive and reliable than the standard deviation method. DE patients exhibited significantly smaller TTV in Gamma band and greater TTV in Delta band than HC. Furthermore, the HAMD-17 scores were negatively correlated with TTV values in Gamma band. This study represented the first investigation into the TTV in TMS-EEG data and revealed abnormal values in DE patients. Those findings enhance our understanding of TMS-EEG technology and provide valuable insights for studying the characteristics of DE.

Online social networks, especially Twitter (X), have become focal points for illicit activities, providing unique criminal investigation opportunities. This paper introduces an innovative methodology that uses social media sentiment analysis to predict criminal activities. One major challenge in sentiment analysis is the uneven distribution of sentiment classes, where traditional models often fail to accurately classify instances of the minority class due to the overwhelming presence of majority class data. To tackle this issue, we propose a model that combines a reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm with a scope loss function. The RL approach uses a reward mechanism that assigns a more significant value to correctly predicting minority class instances over majority class ones. The scope loss function ensures an optimal balance between utilizing known data and exploring new data, thus maintaining a delicate equilibrium between accuracy and generalizability. Our model employs a series of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to extract significant features from textual content, which are then utilized for sentiment classification. We also incorporate an advanced artificial bee colony (ABC) optimization technique to refine the model's hyperparameters. The effectiveness of our approach was empirically tested using two distinct datasets: one consisting of crime incident reports from the Chicago Police Department covering the period from September 2019 to July 2024 and another comprising tweets containing crime-related terms related to Chicago. The predictive capabilities of our proposed model were benchmarked against existing models, demonstrating superior performance with accuracies of 96.411% and 94.088%, respectively. This breakthrough highlights the potential of integrating sentiment analysis with reinforcement learning to significantly enhance the predictive accuracy of crime-related activities in online social networks, offering valuable insights for law enforcement and criminal investigation applications.

Real-time detection of X/gamma radiation dose rates holds particular significance in nuclear science research. In this study, we developed a portable X/gamma-ray survey meter for large-scale distributed real-time monitoring of ambient dose equivalent rates in the surrounding environment. This innovative device uses a silicon photomultiplier coupled with a CsI(Tl) scintillator and can connect to an Internet of Things network. Additionally, it facilitates a wide spectrum of dose rate measurements by modifying the frequency of a pulse-frequency modulation-type DC-DC power supply mode. The energy response of the survey meter, which is improved through Geant4 simulations and a multi-comparator design, ranges from 48 keV to 1.3 MeV, encompassing various common protection level applications. It effectively measures gamma radiation dose rates ranging between 0.1 mSvh-1 and 100 mSvh-1 for 60Co. Temperature compensation of the detector was achieved through a series of experiments. The meter exhibits a deviation of -25 % to +25 % at temperatures between -40°C and +40°C.

Objective: In order to determine the key control points that cause samples bagging and strengthen the prevention and control of microbial contamination during the processing of meat dates. Methods: Traditional microbial culture method combined with high-throughput DNA sequencing method was used to analyze the changes of bacterium during the processing of meat jujube and swollen bag of samples. Results: The total number of colonies basis was low in soft bones, while in the chicken skin reached to 9.10×104 CFU/g. And the total number of colonies decreased to 30 CFU/g after cooking, but increased significantly after vacuum packaging, indicated a greater risk of contamination in the vacuum packaging process. The swollen bag samples showed a significant increase in the number of bacterium, which ranged from 1.03×106~3.30×106 CFU/g. Acinetobacter, Psychrobacter and Pseudomona were the dominant spoilage bacteria in meat products. Staphylococcus was the dominant bacteria in the samples during processing （Y8~Y12）, with the relative abundance decreasing to 0.02% after sterilization. The swollen bag samples （P1~P3） were dominated by Virgibacillus, with an average relative abundance of 99.37%. It was firstly founded in samples after sausage-filling （Y8） and with an increase of relative abundance after sterilization. Conclusion: The sausage-filling and packaging processes may be the critical points of contamination in the processing of meat jujube.

This paper establishes a microchannel model based on the pore scale distribution characteristics of natural cores from Daqing Oilfield. It considers the deformation and flow characteristics of the dispersed and continuous phases in the heterogeneous system， builds a flow model by the phase field method， and solves it by the finite element method. The paper also simulates the generation of dispersed phase particles in the microchannel， realizes particle sorting， and studies the effect of the matching coefficient and pore-throat ratio on the plugging performance of particles in the microscopic pore-throat structure. The results show that when the particles are elastically plugged in the microscopic pore-throat structure， the pressure at the entrance of the pore throat changes periodically with the migration of the particles through the pore throat. The optimal matching coefficient between the particles and the pore throat is ［1.0， 1.4）. In this interval， the particles can be temporarily plugged at the entrance of the pore throat and recover their original shape after deformation and migration through the pore throat. When the pore diameter is the same， a larger matching coefficient and pore-throat ratio indicate greater pressure of particles through the pore throat， and larger particle size reflects a smaller critical value of particles through the pore throat.

For the gas flow controlled by the closed boun&dary， after the completion of gas testing and shut-in to obtain the original formation pressure， the pressure draw down curves can be divided into three stages： unsteady state， transit state and pseudo-steady state. The pseudo-steady state is called elastic two-phase state， and the pressure within the well control range of the elastic two-phase state decreases at a constant velocity. This article established the general formulas for the stable rate and variable rate elastic two-phase method of gas wells， based on the stable rate elastic two-phase method represented by pressure first power， pressure square and pseudo pressure proposed by Chen Yuanqian， and the variable rate elastic two-phase method represented by pressure first power proposed by Blasingame. The practical application shows that the general formula provided in this paper are practical and effective.

Abstract Neural mechanisms underlying semantic processing have been extensively studied by using functional magnetic resonance imaging, nevertheless, the individual differences of it are yet to be unveiled. To further our understanding of functional and anatomical brain organization underlying semantic processing to the level of individual humans, we used out-of-scanner language behavioral data, T1, resting-state, and story comprehension task-evoked functional image data in the Human Connectome Project, to investigate individual variability in the task-evoked semantic processing network, and attempted to predict individuals’ language skills based on task and intrinsic functional connectivity of highly variable regions, by employing a machine-learning framework. Our findings first confirmed that individual variability in both functional and anatomical markers were heterogeneously distributed throughout the semantic processing network, and that the variability increased towards higher levels in the processing hierarchy. Furthermore, intrinsic functional connectivities among these highly variable regions were found to contribute to predict individual reading decoding abilities. The contributing nodes in the overall network were distributed in the left superior, inferior frontal, and temporo-parietal cortices. Our results suggested that the individual differences of neurobiological markers were heterogeneously distributed in the semantic processing network, and that neurobiological markers of highly variable areas are not only linked to individual variability in language skills, but can predict language skills at the individual level.

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) and minimally invasive transforminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) on degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS) in the elderly based on spinal pelvic anatomy and lumbar spondylolisthesis mechanics. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 122 elderly patients with DLS who underwent surgical treatment in Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine from April 2020 to March 2022. Fifty-nine patients who received OLIF surgery were as OLIF group, while 63 patients who received MIS-TLIF surgery were as MIS-TLIF group. The clinical data of operation, pre-operation, immediately after operation and 12 months after operation were collected from two groups of patients, including the spondylolisthesis parameters ［intervertebral height (DH), local kyphosis angle (SK), lumbar spondylolisthesis rate (SP), spondylolisthesis angle (SA)］, lumbar pelvic anatomical parameters ［L1 distance between the center of the vertebral body and the perpendicular line of the sacrum (LASD), lumbar lordosis angle (LL), sacral inclination angle (SS), pelvic inclination angle (PT) and pelvic incidence angle (PI)］. Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS) score and the Oswestry Dysfunction Index (ODI) were used to assesse pain perception and lumbar function. Results: Compared with the MIS-TLIF group, the OLIF group had shorter operative time, hospital stay and incision length, less intraoperative bleeding and postoperative drainage flow (P＜0.01). In immediate period and 1 year after surgery compared to preoperative levels, both groups of patients showed an increase in DH, a decrease in SK, SP and SA (P0.05); the VAS score and ODI decreased significantly (P＜0.05). At the same time point after surgery, the OLIF group had a larger DH and a smaller SK compared with the MIS-TLIF group (P＜0.01), and there was no significant difference in other mechanical parameters of spondylolisthesis， lumbar pelvic anatomy parameters, VAS score and ODI between the two groups (P＞0.05). Conclusion: OLIF and MIS-TLIF have good improvement effects on the spine pelvic anatomy, mechanical parameters of lumbar spondylolisthesis, pain degree, and lumbar function in elderly patients with DLS, and the effects are similar, but when using OLIF, the operation time, hospitalization time, and incision length are shorter, and the intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drainage are less, which has obvious advantages.

Thermal analysis of three stator iron-core-less PMBLDC motors considering winding eddy and circulating current losses is investigated. First, the effects of strand diameter, permanent magnet (PM) magnetization and rotating speed on the above mentioned two winding losses and thermal characteristics are investigated by 3D finite element method (FEM). It is found that both strand diameter and rotating speed have great impacts on the temperature rise, parallel and radial magnetizations have almost identical temperature rise results. Then, influence of eddy and circulating current losses on the thermal characteristics of the three PMBLDC motors are further studied, separately. Furtherly, comprehensive study of the two winding losses on the thermal characteristics is carried out. Results show that thermal analysis considering both winding eddy and circulating current losses in parallel thin strands is vital during motor primary design process considering the limited insulation level of wires and PMs. Finally, three prototypes with different combinations of strand diameters and parallel numbers are selected for the calculation of eddy current losses and temperature rise experiment. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed 3D FEM models and validate the obtained simulation results. This paper clarifies the key influence factors, i.e., windings of different wire diameters, PM magnetization and rotation speed, on temperature rise characteristics of such iron-core-less motors, which provides guidance for the subsequent design of such three types of motors.

Abstract Although extensive research has examined the credit risk of real estate enterprises, the relationship between the political connection of real estate enterprises and these enterprises’ credit risk has not been formally studied. Using the panel data of 123 real estate listed companies in the Chinese stock market from 2008 to 2021, this paper finds a significant positive correlation between the political connection of private real estate listed companies and their credit risk. This phenomenon is attributed to the excessive debt that benefits from political connections since it may raise the credit risk of any real estate firm. Interestingly, considering that 2013 is the first year of China’s Internet finance era, we find that the popularity of Internet finance and other decentralized lending financing channels may enhance the impact of political connections on real estate credit risk. Our findings provide new micro evidence for the influencing factors and mechanism of credit risk of real estate enterprises during the recent “credit crisis” in the real estate market in China.

Abstract Breast cancer metastasis and invasion are both promoted by the oncoprotein Metadherin (MTDH). However, the the role of Metadherin in breast cancer progression and its role in the immune microenvironment. Are not clear. A bioinformatic analysis was performed to demonstrate the prognostic value of Metadherin in BC. In the present study, we found that Metadherin is overexpressed in BC and is significantly correlated with individual cancer stage, age, subclasses, menopause and nodal metastasis status. Metadherin overexpression was associated with a significant decrease in OS and DSS. Cox multivariate analysis indicated that Metadherin was an independent negative prognostic indicator for OS and DSS. Moreover, Metadherin hypomethylation status was associated with poor prognosis. A negative correlation was also noted between Metadherin overexpression and the number of plasmacytoid dendritic cells, cluster of differentiation 8+ T cells, and natural killer cells. Association patterns varied with different subtypes. Various associations between Metadherin levels and immune cell surface markers were revealed. A total of 40 groups of BC and adjacent normal breast tissue samples were collected. Metadherin mRNA was detected by PCR, and its expression levels in BC tissues were significantly increased compared with those noted in normal tissues. The expression levels of Metadherin were also measured in normal and BC cell lines, respectively, and similar conclusions were obtained. The Metadherin mRNA levels were knocked down in SK-BR3 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines and the cell proliferative and migratory activities were determined using Cell Counting Kit-8 and scratch assays, respectively. The results indicated that the cell proliferative and migratory abilities were reduced following knockdown of Metadherin expression. Therefore, Metadherin may be considered as a novel prognostic biomarker in BC.

Abstract Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths and imposes an enormous economic burden on patients. It is important to develop an accurate risk assessment model to determine the appropriate treatment for patients after an initial lung cancer diagnosis. The Cox proportional hazards model is mainly employed in survival analysis. However, real-world medical data are usually incomplete, posing a great challenge to the application of this model. Commonly used imputation methods cannot achieve sufficient accuracy when data are missing, so we investigated novel methods for the development of clinical prediction models. In this article, we present a novel model for survival prediction in missing scenarios. We collected data from 5,240 patients diagnosed with lung cancer at the Weihai Municipal Hospital, China. Then, we applied a joint model that combined a BN and a Cox model to predict mortality risk in individual patients with lung cancer. The established prognostic model achieved good predictive performance in discrimination and calibration. We showed that combining the BN with the Cox proportional hazards model is highly beneficial and provides a more efficient tool for risk prediction.

Background: Mutations in Slc26a2 cause a spectrum of autosomal-recessive chondrodysplasia with a significant and negligible influence on the quality of life. It has been reported that Slc26a2 deficiency triggers the ATF6 branch of the UPR, which may, in turn, activate the negative regulator of the FGFR3 signaling pathway. However, the correlation between the deletion of Slc26a2 and the augmentation of downstream phosphorylation of FGFR3 has not been investigated in vivo. Methods: First, we constructed Slc26a2 and Fgfr3 double knockout mouse lines and observed gross views of the born mice and histological staining of the tibial growth plates. The second approach was to construct tamoxifen-inducible Cre-ERT2 mouse models to replicate SLC26A2-related non-lethal dysplastic conditions. Pharmacological intervention was performed by administering the FGFR3 inhibitor NVP-BGJ398. The effect of NVP-BGJ398 on chondrocytes was assessed by Alcian blue staining, proliferation, apoptosis, and chondrocyte-specific markers and then verified by western blotting for variations in the downstream markers of FGFR3. The growth process was detected using X-rays, micro-CT examination, histomorphometry staining of growth plates, and immunofluorescence. Results: Genetic ablation of Fgfr3 in embryonic Slc26a2-deficient chondrocytes slightly attenuated chondrodysplasia. Subsequently, in the constructed mild dysplasia model, we found that postnatal intervention with Fgfr3 gene in Slc26a2-deficient chondrocytes partially alleviated chondrodysplasia. In chondrocyte assays, NVP-BGJ398 suppressed the defective phenotype of Slc26a2-deficient chondrocytes and restored the phosphorylation downstream of FGFR3 in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, in vivo experiments showed significant alleviation of impaired chondrocyte differentiation, and micro-CT analysis showed a clear improvement in trabecular bone microarchitectural parameters. Conclusion: Our results suggested that inhibition of FGFR3 signaling pathway overactivation and NVP-BGJ398 has promising therapeutic implications for the development of SLC26A2-related skeletal diseases in humans. The translational potential of this article: Our data provide genetic and pharmacological evidence that targeting FGFR3 signaling via NVP-BGJ398 could be a route for the treatment of SLC26A2-associated skeletal disorders, which promisingly advances translational applications and therapeutic development.

Abstract Objective Hypertension refers to the persistent elevation of blood pressure above the established normal range, resulting in increased pressure exerted by blood on the walls of blood vessels during its circulation. Recent studies have identified significant associations between obesity and lipid-related indices, as well as hypertension. Nevertheless, these studies have yet to comprehensively examine the correlation between the two variables. Our objective is to identify the fat and lipid-related indices that have the strongest correlation with hypertension. Method There was a total of 9488 elderly and middle-aged Chinese citizens who participated in this investigation. The participants in this research were separated into distinct gender cohorts. The participants were classified into normal and hypertensive categories according to their gender, with hypertension defined as a blood pressure level of 140/90 mmHg or higher, or a history of hypertension. Through the utilization of binary logistic regression analyses and the receiver operator curve (ROC), the optimal among fourteen indicators associated with obesity and lipids were identified. Results After adjusting for variables, statistical analysis showed that all 14 measures of obesity and lipid were risk factors for hypertension. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis reveals that the Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI) has the highest degree of relationship to hypertension. Simultaneously, a statistically significant association between hypertension and these 14 variables was observed in both males and females. Conclusion There was a significant independent association between various parameters related to obesity and lipid-related index and the presence of hypertension, indicating that these factors can be considered risk factors for hypertension. CVAI and WHtR (waist height ratio) can be used to screen the high-risk groups of hypertensions in middle-aged and elderly people in China, and then take individualized health care measures to reduce the harm of hypertension.

Abstract As the two most principal active substances in the corn silk, polysaccharides and flavonoids, the mechanism of interaction between them has been a topic of intense research. This study provides an in-depth investigation of the interaction mechanism between corn silk glycans and luteoloside (LUT) and the synergistic role that result from this interaction. The interaction mechanism was evaluated by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and circular dichroism (CD), and the synergistic role was evaluated by the expression of glucose transporters (GLUT-1), insulin secretion and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). CD and ITC results indicated that the interaction between CSGs and LUT mainly driven by the Cotton effects, enthalpy and entropy-driven. This interaction precipitated the formation of complexes (CSGs/LUT complexes) between corn silk glycans (CSGs) with four different molecular weights and luteoloside (LUT). Furthermore, the CSGs and LUT play a synergistic role in glucose regulation through GLUT-1 expression and insulin secretion experiments, compared to single luteoloside group. Graphical Abstract

ObjectiveTo explore the clinical effect, safety and effectiveness of ultrasound-guided rhomboid intercostal and subserratus plane (RISS) block for postoperative analgesia after minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy (MIE-McKeown), and provide new ideas for the selection of postoperative analgesia programs for minimally invasive esophageal cancer surgery patients.MethodsA prospective randomized controlled study design was used to collect data. Patients undergoing MIE-McKeown in the Department of cardiothoracic surgery of Fuling Hospital of Chongqing University from March 2022 to June 2023 were prospectively collected as research objects. They were divided into three groups by random number table method: Group A: continuous RISS plane block+patient controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA), Group B: single RISS plane block+PCIA, and Group C: control group, simple PCIA. The outcome indicators of each group were recorded and compared: ①Analgesic effect [visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score for rest and cough at 2, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery], ②Postoperative use of analgesics [the amount of sufentanil used within 24 hours after surgery, the number of effective presses of the analgesia pump and the number of additional rescue analgesia], ③Adverse reactions during postoperative analgesia [dizziness, lethargy, postoperative nausea and vomiting(PONV), hypotension, respiratory depression, urinary retention, etc.], ④Intraoperative hemodynamic indicators [mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) at different time points], ⑤Analgesia satisfaction. ①②③ were the primary outcome indicators, and ④⑤were the secondary outcome indicators.ResultsA total of 96 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled, with 32 cases in each group. Group A patients had lower resting and cough VAS scores at 2, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery compared to Group C. Group A had lower resting VAS scores at 2, 24 hours after surgery and lower cough VAS scores at 12, 24 hours after surgery compared to Group B. Group B patients had significantly lower resting VAS scores at 2, 6, 12 hours after surgery and lower cough VAS scores at 2, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery compared to Group C (all P < 0.05). The dosage of sufentanil, the number of effective compressions of the analgesic pump, and the additional number of remedial analgesia gradually increased between groups A, B, and C within 24 hours after surgery, with statistical differences (all P < 0.01). The incidence of dizziness and PONV in Group C was higher than that in Groups A and B, respectively (both P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in MAP and HR among the three groups of patients before anesthesia induction (T0), immediately after skin incision (T1), 5 minutes after skin incision (T2), and 5 minutes after extubation (T3) (all P > 0.05). The satisfaction with pain relief in Group A, Group B, and Group C decreased sequentially(P < 0.05).ConclusionsUltrasound guided RISS block can provide good postoperative analgesia for MIE-McKeown surgery. As an active exploration of multimodal analgesia, continuous RISS has better analgesic effects. It is safe, effective, and worthy of further clinical promotion and use.

LNG receiving terminal, as an important transfer station for China to receive imported LNG resources, still has problems such as high trial operation costs, large material consumption and long trial operation time. In response to this, technology improvement was implemented in the four processes of pipeline precooling, unloading pipeline filling, tank precooling and BOG system trial operation based on the trial operation of the LNG receiving terminal of PipeChina Shenzhen Natural Gas Co. Ltd., and the trial operation technology was applied practically. The results show that: pipeline precooling with liquid nitrogen could realize the precooling and filling of the unloading pipeline, the wharf circulation pipeline for cold insulation and the low-pressure LNG export pipeline at the same time, and the nitrogen can be recycled after precooling the unloading pipeline. Besides, the precooling of the next tank can be started while the first precooled tank is unloaded at a small flow. Thus, the two precooled tanks can be unloaded at full flow simultaneously. In addition, the improved technology optimization method effectively reduces the material consumption of trial operation, saves the trial operation cost, and shortens the time for trial operation, thereby ensuring the safety of trial operation. Generally, the research results could provide a practical reference for the safe,stable and efficient trial operation of LNG receiving terminals.

Functional movement disorder (FMD) is a common subtype of functional neurological disorder (FND). Currently, multi⁃disciplinary team (MDT) is recommended for FMD. In addition to drug and psychological treatment, rehabilitation treatment is also of great value. Rehabilitation treatment improve the motor control function of patients through the comprehensive application of physical therapy, non ⁃ invasive nerve stimulation therapy and occupational therapy, enhance the activities of daily living (ADL). This article reviews the progress of rehabilitation treatment for FMD, so as to provide theoretical basis for accurate rehabilitation treatment for FMD.

Most W mineralization in the world is genetically related with highly fractionated granites, but little is known about ore-forming fluid evolution of W mineralization associated with weakly fractionated granites. To reveal the ore-forming fluid evolution of W mineralization related to the weakly fractionated granites, a combined study of field and petrographic observations, mineralogical, morphological, and in-situ geochemical data of different-type quartz from Dongyuan porphyry W deposit in the world-class Jiangnan W belt, China, was carried out. The petrographic observation and cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging revealed the quartz in the Dongyuan W deposit can be divided into hydrothermal quartz (Qz1 with core-edge structure, and Qz2 with oscillating zone) in the mineralized alteration zone, and magmatic quartz (Qz3 with inherited core) in granodiorite porphyry. The LA-ICP-MS results of the Dongyuan quartz samples show that Al may enter the quartz structure with trivalent Al3+ instead of Si4+, monovalent alkali metals and bivalent (Ge2+, Sr2+) cations is mainly of charge compensators in quartz, while Ti possibly is in the form of microinclusions of titanium-containing minerals in quartz. The integrated interpretation of the trace element compositions (e.g., Al and Ti contents, Al/Na ratios) and CL texture of quartz indicate high temperature (>400 °C) and uniform Al-rich acidic fluid are conducive to W precipitation of the Dongyuan deposit. Furthermore, trace element compositions (e.g., Ge, Al) and micro-textures of quartz have the potential for distinguishing magmatic and hydrothermal quartz in the Dongyuan W deposit.

Abstract N‐glycosylation has important implications for the physicochemical properties and biochemical activity of breast milk proteins. However, an in‐depth characterization of site‐specific N‐glycans in breast milk serum proteins is lacking. In this study, 875 site‐specific N‐glycans attached to 114 serum glycoproteins from breast colostrum (BC) and 427 site‐specific N‐glycans attached to 60 serum glycoproteins from breast mature milk (BM) were identified and quantified using label‐free site‐specific glycoproteomics. Among them, 24 site‐specific N‐glycans mapping to 11 N‐glycosites on 9 glycoproteins were significantly increased, and 76 site‐specific N‐glycans mapping to 19 N‐glycosites on 13 glycoproteins were significantly decreased. Gene ontology annotation analysis showed that BC and BM serum N‐glycoproteins were mainly enriched in complement activation, classical pathway, extracellular exosome part, and immunoglobulin receptor binding. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed that BC and BM serum N‐glycoproteins were mainly involved in the PI3K‐Akt signaling pathway. Additionally, breast milk serum N‐glycoproteins carried fucosylated core structures as well as Lewis and sialylated branch structures that may contribute to neonatal retinal homeostasis. These results provide a molecular basis for understanding the unique biological activities of breast milk serum N‐glycoproteins.

Abstract Given afferent functions, sensory nerves have recently been found to exert efferent effects and directly alter organ physiology. Additionally, several studies have highlighted the indirect but crucial role of sensory nerves in the regulation of the physiological function of osteoclasts. Nonetheless, evidence regarding the direct sensory nerve efferent influence on osteoclasts is lacking. In the current study, we found that high levels of efferent signals were transported directly from the sensory nerves into osteoclasts. Furthermore, sensory hypersensitivity significantly increased osteoclastic bone resorption, and sensory neurons (SNs) directly promoted osteoclastogenesis in an in vitro coculture system. Moreover, we screened a novel neuropeptide, Cyp40, using an isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ). We observed that Cyp40 is the efferent signal from sensory nerves, and it plays a critical role in osteoclastogenesis via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-Ras/Raf-p-Erk-NFATc1 pathway. These findings revealed a novel mechanism regarding the influence of sensory nerves on bone regulation, i.e., a direct promoting effect on osteoclastogenesis by the secretion of Cyp40. Therefore, inhibiting Cyp40 could serve as a strategy to improve bone quality in osteoporosis and promote bone repair after bone injury.

Abstract Wind power supply chains are evolving as markets expand to reach climate goals. With the largest installed wind power capacity globally, China must deal with increasing composite turbine waste and anticipate its associated costs. Here we predict the quantity and composition of wind turbine blade waste based on historic deployment. A high-resolution database containing 14 turbine capacities (150–5500 kilowatts) was compiled based on 104 turbine models. The environmental and financial costs of waste treatment options were evaluated using a bottom-up approach. Based on current installations and future projections, 7.7 to 23.1 million tonnes of blade waste will be generated in China by 2050. Technologies exist to recycle glass fibre from blade waste, but these solutions vary in level of maturity and are not always commercially available, cost-competitive, or environmentally sustainable. Our findings can inform decision-makers in governments and industry on the pathways to carbon neutrality.

Abstract Objective To compare force degradation of elastomeric chains and NiTi coil springs in vivo and in vitro, and evaluate the effects of pre-stretched and reused elastomeric chains in the oral cavity during the time. Methods In the in vitro groups, 4-unit elastomeric chains and NiTi coil springs with an initial force of 200 g were placed in dry air and artificial saliva. The volunteers wore clear retainers which were used to hold the sample of 4-unit chains, pre-stretched 4-unit chains, and NiTi coil springs with the initial force of 200 g in the in vivo groups. After the first 4 weeks, 4-unit specimens were stretched to 200 g again for another 4 weeks in vivo. The force value and the percentage of force degradation were recorded at each measurement time interval in the in vivo and in vitro groups. Results The force degradation of elastomeric chains was greatest within the initial 4 hours, followed by a more stable phase after 1 week. The average force degradation of 4-unit elastomeric chains after 4 weeks was in vivo (64.8%) > artificial saliva (55.0%) > dry air (46.42%) (P

Abstract Objective To translate the Academic Goals Orientation Questionnaire (AGOQ) into Chinese and to determine the validity and reliability of the (AGOQ) in Chinese nursing students based on SEM and IRT multidimensional models. Methods The participants were 654 nursing students with an age range of 17–26 years (mean age 21.61 ± 1.73 years). The psychometric properties of AGOQ were investigated based on a dual analytical perspective of structural equation modeling (SEM) and item response theory (IRT). Results The Cronbach’s α value of the questionnaire is 0.895. A four-factor model was obtained by exploratory factor analysis, which explained the variance of 71.892%. With confirmatory factor analysis, a new four-factors model was built and showed an acceptable goodness-of-fit, chi-square/degree of freedom (CMIN/DF) = 4.008, goodness of fit index (GFI) = 0.932, adjusted goodness of fit index (AGFI) = 0.905, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.952, incremental fit index (IFI) = 0.952, Tucker Lewis index (TLI) = 0.941. In the analysis part of IRT, according to the comparison between Akek’s information criterion (AIC) and Bayesian information criterion (BIC), we choose the Graded Response Model (GRM) for analysis. The results show that the difficulty value is monotonically increasing, and the discrimination of all items is greater than 0.19, which shows that 16 items can be retained. Conclusions This study tested the psychometric characteristics of AGOQ of nursing students in China. The results confirmed that the Chinese version of AGOQ has good psychometric characteristics and can be used to measure the academic goal orientation of nursing students in China.

Abstract The pathogenesis of thyroid dysgenesis (TD) is not well understood. Here, using a combination of single-cell RNA and spatial transcriptome sequencing, we identify a subgroup of NF-κB-activated thyrocytes located at the center of thyroid tissues in postnatal mice, which maintained a partially mesenchymal phenotype. These cells actively protruded out of the thyroid primordium and generated new follicles in zebrafish embryos through continuous tracing. Suppressing NF-κB signaling affected thyrocyte migration and follicle formation, leading to a TD-like phenotype in both mice and zebrafish. Interestingly, during thyroid folliculogenesis, myeloid cells played a crucial role in promoting thyrocyte migration by maintaining close contact and secreting TNF-α. We found that cebpa mutant zebrafish, in which all myeloid cells were depleted, exhibited thyrocyte migration defects. Taken together, our results suggest that myeloid-derived TNF-α-induced NF-κB activation plays a critical role in promoting the migration of vertebrate thyrocytes for follicle generation.

This study proposes to explore the coal mechanics and seepage characteristics under the coupling of water-saturation, freeze-thaw and different temperatures. The original coal of 9105 working face in Wangzhuang Coal Mine was taken as the research object, and non-contact digital image processing was used to carry out the triaxial loading test of the coal rock under the conditions of liquid nitrogen freeze-thaw and microwave heat injection. Results showed that: ① in the original coal samples after freeze-thaw, water-saturated, and water-saturated freeze-thaw conditions and gradient temperature treatment, there is increase in the compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, Poisson's ratio, and shear strain value of the coal rock; ② the original coal rock in the compression density, elasticity, yield and destruction of the four stages of the stress concentration phenomenon shows no obvious developmental changes, but by water-saturated, water-saturated freeze-thaw, water-saturated freezing and thawing conditions of 100 ℃ and 150 ℃ temperature treatment, the local stress of the specimen concentrates in the destruction phase with obvious amplification; ③ compared with the initial permeability of the original coal rock, the initial permeability of the coal sample underwent a small increase of 1.44×10-3μm2 after the liquid nitrogen freeze-thaw treatment. After the water-saturated liquid nitrogen freeze-thaw, water-saturated liquid nitrogen freeze-thaw treatment at 50 ℃ and 100 ℃, there is more significant increase in the initial permeability of the coal rock, and after the water-saturated liquid nitrogen freeze-thaw treatment at 150 ℃, the initial permeability of the coal sample underwent a significantly higher increase and reaches 7.40×10-3μm2. The study provide references for increasing the permeability of gas in deep low-permeability coal beds, which could improve the efficiency of downhole gas extraction.

Plumage color is a key trait for identifying waterfowl breeds with significant economic importance. A white-feathered group has recently emerged within the native Matahu duck population, presenting an opportunity for breeding new lines. However, the genetic basis for this plumage variation is still unknown, necessitating further research. This study aims to identify the genetic mechanisms underlying the emergence of white-feathered individuals in the Matahu duck population through combined genome and transcriptome analysis, providing insights for selective breeding and the development of new white-feathered lines. In this study, a total of 1344 selected genes and 1406 significantly differentially expressed genes were identified through selection signal analysis and transcriptomic analysis, respectively. The functional enrichment of these genes revealed several key signaling pathways, including those related to cGMP-PKG, cAMP, PI3K-Akt, and MAPK. Furthermore, important candidate genes involved in melanin biosynthesis, such as MITF, MC1R, TYR, TYRP1, and ABCB6, were identified. Notably, 107 genes were detected by both methods, and, among these, DGKI, GPRC5B, HMX1, STS, ADGRA1, PRKAR2B, and HOXB9 are suggested to play a role in melanin formation and potentially influence plumage traits. Through the integrative approach combining genomic selection signals and transcriptomic analyses, we identified several candidate genes directly associated with plumage color, including MITF, TYR, TYRP1, and MC1R, along with multiple signaling pathways linked to melanin formation. We hypothesize that the expression of DGKI, GPRC5B, HMX1, STS, ADGRA1, PRKAR2B, and HOXB9, detected by both methods, may be closely related to the regulation of plumage color traits. These findings provide a foundational basis for further research aimed at elucidating the genetic mechanisms governing plumage color variation in ducks.

Pest management is pivotal for ensuring secure grain production and constitutes a fundamental strategy in combating pests that detrimentally affect grain supplies. Given the complexity and dynamic nature of pests, it is imperative that farmers implement coordinated prevention and control strategies. Such measures are essential to augment the efficacy of these efforts and to reduce the risks posed by pests to agricultural crops. This research involved a survey of 1205 agricultural households spanning three representative provinces in Northwestern China. By employing an endogenous switching Probit model and addressing sample selection bias, the study investigates the influence of social learning on the adoption of cooperative pest control strategies by farmers. The findings indicate that social learning significantly enhances farmers’ adoption of cooperative pest control measures. In a counterfactual scenario, introducing social learning to farmers previously unexposed to it would result in a 10.3% increase in the likelihood of adopting these practices. Additionally, factors such as the health status of the household head, income level, and size of land under management are critical determinants of farmers’ participation in social learning. The differential access to scientific, accurate, and systematic information, coupled with resource disparities among farmers, can partially account for the varying average treatment effects observed in different learning methods on the propensity to adopt cooperative pest control practices. Furthermore, social learning plays a crucial role in fostering such adoption by establishing trust among farmers, facilitating consensus in decision-making, and enhancing the dissemination of information.

The thermodynamics of black holes (BHs) and their corrections have become a hot topic in the study of gravitational physics, with significant progress made in recent decades. In this paper, we study the thermodynamics and corrections of spherically symmetric BHs in models f(R)=R+αR2 and f(R)=R+2γR+8Λ under the f(R) theory, which includes the electrodynamic field and the cosmological constant. Considering thermal fluctuations around equilibrium states, we find that, for both f(R) models, the corrected entropy is meaningful in the case of a negative cosmological constant (anti-de Sitter–RN spacetime) with Λ=−1. It is shown that when the BHs’ horizon radius is small, thermal fluctuations have a more significant effect on the corrected entropy. Using the corrected entropy, we derive expressions for the relevant corrected thermodynamic quantities (such as Helmholtz free energy, internal energy, Gibbs free energy, and specific heat) and calculate the effects of the correction terms. The results indicate that the corrections to Helmholtz free energy and Gibbs free energy, caused by thermal fluctuations, are remarkable for small BHs. In addition, we explore the stability of BHs using specific heat. The study reveals that the corrected BH thermodynamics exhibit locally stable for both models, and corrected systems undergo a Hawking–Page phase transition. Considering the requirement on the non-negative volume of BHs, we also investigate the constraint on the EH radius of BHs.

The interest in natural fibres and biopolymers for developing bio-composites has greatly increased in recent years, motivated by the need to reduce the environmental impact of traditional synthetic, fossil fuel-derived materials. However, several limitations associated with the use of natural fibres and polymers should be addressed if they are to be seriously considered mainstream fibre reinforcements. These include poor compatibility of natural fibres with polymer matrices, variability, high moisture absorption, and flammability. Various surface treatments have been studied to tackle these drawbacks, such as alkalisation, silane treatment, acetylation, plasma treatment, and polydopamine coating. This review paper considers the classification, properties, and limitations of natural fibres and biopolymers in the context of bio-composite materials. An overview of recent advancements and enhancement strategies to overcome such limitations will also be discussed, with a focus on mechanical performance, moisture absorption behaviour, and flammability of composites. The limitations of natural fibres, biopolymers, and their bio-composites should be carefully addressed to enable the widespread use of bio-composites in various applications, including electronics, automotive, and construction.

Regarding the terrestrial water storage anomaly (TWSA) gap between the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE Follow-on (-FO) gravity satellite missions, a BEAST (Bayesian estimator of abrupt change, seasonal change and trend)+GMDH (group method of data handling) gap-filling scheme driven by hydrological and meteorological data is proposed. Considering these driving data usually cannot fully capture the trend changes of the TWSA time series, we propose first to use the BEAST algorithm to perform piecewise linear detrending for the TWSA series and then fill the gap of the detrended series using the GMDH algorithm. The complete gap-filling TWSAs can be readily obtained after adding back the previously removed piecewise trend. By comparing the simulated gap filled by BEAST + GMDH using Multiple Linear Regression and Singular Spectrum Analysis with reference values, the results show that the BEAST + GMDH scheme is superior to the latter two in terms of the correlation coefficient, Nash-efficiency coefficient, and root-mean-square error. The real GRACE/GFO gap filled by BEAST + GMDH is consistent with those from hydrological models, Swarm TWSAs, and other literature regarding spatial distribution patterns. The correlation coefficients there between are, respectively, above 0.90, 0.80, and 0.90 in most of the global river basins.

The bright band (BB) is an important symbol of the ice–water transition zone in stratiform precipitation, and the presence or absence of BB will lead to different microphysical processes. In this paper, the characteristics of BB and precipitation characteristics with and without BB in summer at Tibetan Plateau (TP) as well as Central-eastern China (CEC) are analyzed by using Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) and the fifth generation ECMWF atmospheric reanalysis of the global climates (ERA5) datasets. The results show the freezing level height and BB height in TP are 0.5 km higher than those in CEC. With the increase in rain rate, the BB height decreases in TP but increases in CEC. The BB width becomes wider with the increase in maximum radar reflectivity. Secondly, the maximum reflectivity factor and particle diameter of stratiform precipitation with BB appear at 5 km, while the maximum reflectivity factor of stratiform precipitation without BB and convective precipitation appear near the ground. The particle diameter first decreases and then increases from the cloud top to the ground. Thirdly, the land surface temperature of convective precipitation is about 2.5 °C higher than stratiform precipitation with BB, indicating higher land surface temperatures are more likely to trigger convection. Lastly, BB can lead to a decrease in brightness temperature and an increase in polarized difference at 89 GHZ and 166 GHZ in CEC, likely due to the increasing ice particles in stratiform precipitation with BB.

Background: The intricate interplay between the platelet-coagulation system and the progression of malignant tumors has profound therapeutic implications. However, a thorough examination of platelet and coagulation markers specific to colorectal cancer (CRC) is conspicuously absent in the current literature. Consequently, there is an urgent need for further exploration into the mechanistic underpinnings of these markers and their potential clinical applications. Methods: By integrating RNA-seq data and clinicopathological information from patients with CRC in the cancer genome atlas, we identified genes related to the platelet-coagulation system using weighted gene co-expression networks and univariate Cox analysis. We established a prognostic risk model based on platelet- and coagulation-related genes using Lasso Cox regression analysis and validated the model in two independent CRC cohorts. We explored potential biological functional disparities between high-risk and low-risk groups through comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. Results: Our findings indicate that colorectal cancer patients classified as high-risk generally exhibit poorer prognoses. Moreover, the model’s risk scores were associated with the differential composition of the immune tumor microenvironment, suggesting its applicability to infer immunotherapy responsiveness. Cellular functional experiments and animal experiments indicated that CYP19A1 expression in CRC influences malignant phenotype and platelet activation. Conclusions: In summary, we present a novel platelet- and coagulation-related risk model for prognostic assessment of patients with CRC and confirm the important role of CYP19A1 in promoting malignant progression of CRC.

Background: The objective of the study was to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of semaglutide in overweight or obese adults with or without type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods: The study, registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023450979), was designed as a systematic review and meta-analysis. Using a combination of subject matter and free words, a comprehensive search of Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases was performed to identify randomized controlled trials of semaglutide in overweight or obese adults with or without Type 2 diabetes mellitus from January 1, 2020, to July 14, 2023. The primary outcomes were the changes in body weight and adverse drug reaction (ADR). Random or fixed effects models were used in meta-analysis, pooling data as relative risks (RRs) or mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Cochrane Collaboration’s Risk of Bias tool was used to assess quality. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3. Results: A total of 2490 publications were retrieved. Fifteen publications were finally included, totaling 6984 overweight or obese adult patients. Meta-analysis showed that compared with the control group, the semaglutide group was reduced more significantly in body weight (MD = −7.49, 95% CI [−9.92, −5.07], P < 0.001), body mass index (MD = −3.35, 95% CI [−4.79, −1.92], P < 0.001), waist circumference (MD = −7.26, 95% CI [−9.94, −4.58], P < 0.001), as well as glycosylated hemoglobin (RR = −0.66, 95% CI [−1.07, −0.25], P = 0.002), fasting blood glucose values (RR = −4.81, 95% CI [−7.03, −2.60], P < 0.001), and systolic blood pressure (RR = −3.37, 95% CI [−5.32, −1.42], P < 0.001), and the proportion of patients who lost > 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of their overall body weight, respectively (RR = 3.19, 95% CI [1.89, 5.36], P < 0.001), (RR = 4.74, 95% CI [2.78, 8.11], P < 0.001), (RR = 6.17, 95% CI [3.88, 9.82], P < 0.001), and (RR = 9.14, 95% CI [6.05, 13.80], P < 0.001) were also superior to the control group. Regarding safety, the incidence of total ADR in the semaglutide group was close to the placebo group. Still, gastrointestinal adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea were higher than those in the control group. Conclusion: Semaglutide can effectively lose weight in overweight or obese adults with or without diabetes, potentially providing cardiovascular benefits; however, gastrointestinal adverse should be closely monitored.

To explore the effects of altered amino acids (AAs) and the carnitine metabolism in non-pregnant women with infertility (NPWI), pregnant women without infertility (PWI) and infertility-treated pregnant women (ITPW) compared with non-pregnant women (NPW, control), and develop more efficient models for the diagnosis of infertility and pregnancy, 496 samples were evaluated for levels of 21 AAs and 55 carnitines using targeted high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Three methods were used to screen the biomarkers for modeling, with eight algorithms used to build and validate the model. The ROC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the infertility diagnosis training model were higher than 0.956, 82.89, 66.64, and 82.57%, respectively, whereas those of the validated model were higher than 0.896, 77.67, 69.72, and 83.38%, respectively. The ROC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the pregnancy diagnosis training model were >0.994, 96.23, 97.79, and 97.69%, respectively, whereas those of the validated model were >0.572, 96.39, 93.03, and 94.71%, respectively. Our findings indicate that pregnancy may alter the AA and carnitine metabolism in women with infertility to match the internal environment of PWI. The developed model demonstrated good performance and high sensitivity for facilitating infertility and pregnancy diagnosis.

Objectives: Plant polysaccharides have attracted increasing attention due to their high efficiency and low toxicity. Codonopsis pilosula polysaccharide (CPP) is an essential substance extracted from Codonopsis pilosula, known for its excellent antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. However, it is still unclear how CPP improves nerve protection and what its underlying molecular mechanisms are. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of CPP on Aβ25-35-induced damage in PC12 cells and its underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods: The neuroprotective effect of CPP was evaluated using Aβ25-35-induced damage in pheochFfromocytoma (PC12) cells as an in vitro cell model. The cells were treated with CPP alone or in combination with SB203580 (an inhibitor of p38MAPK) in Aβ25-35 culture. The cell viability was assessed using a 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) assay. Furthermore, reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected using flow cytometry. The production levels of intracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD), dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyFde (MDA) were determined using the colorimetric method. Annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide (PI) staining, as well as 33258 were performed using fluorescence microscopy. Moreover, the effect of adding SB203580 was studied to determine the changes in cell apoptosis induced by CPP treatment and Aβ25-35 induction. Results: The CPP markedly inhibited Aβ25-35-induced reduction in the viability and apoptosis of PC12 cells. CPP also reduced the Aβ25-35-induced increase in the expression of the apoptosis factors and the levels of free radicals (ROS and MDA) and reversed the Aβ25-35-induced suppression of antioxidant activity. Additionally, inhibition of p38MAPK via the addition of their antagonists reversed the observed anti-apoptosis effects of CPP. Conclusions: CPP can efficiently provide neuroprotection against Aβ25-35-induced damage in PC12 cells brought about via oxidation and apoptosis reactions, and the underlying mechanisms involve the p38MAPK pathways. Therefore, CPP could potentially be useful as a neuroprotective agent in natural medicine, pharmacy, and the food industry.

The difficulty of classifying retinal fundus images with one or more illnesses present or missing is known as fundus multi-lesion classification. The challenges faced by current approaches include the inability to extract comparable morphological features from images of different lesions and the inability to resolve the issue of the same lesion, which presents significant feature variances due to grading disparities. This paper proposes a multi-disease recognition network model, Fundus-DANet, based on the dilated convolution. It has two sub-modules to address the aforementioned issues: the interclass learning module (ILM) and the dilated-convolution convolutional block attention module (DA-CBAM). The DA-CBAM uses a convolutional block attention module (CBAM) and dilated convolution to extract and merge multiscale information from images. The ILM uses the channel attention mechanism to map the features to lower dimensions, facilitating exploring latent relationships between various categories. The results demonstrate that this model outperforms previous models in classifying fundus multilocular lesions in the OIA-ODIR dataset with 93% accuracy.

This study introduces a novel direct expansion air conditioning (DX AC) system with three evaporators (DX-TE) to enhance indoor temperature and humidity control. Operating in two modes, the DX-TE system provides variable cooling output, adapting to fluctuating indoor cooling loads while maintaining uniform air supply. Experimental and simulation studies were conducted to investigate the system’s operational characteristics. An experimental setup was established to obtain preliminary steady-state data, followed by the development and validation of a steady-state mathematical model. Simulation studies were then performed to optimize the evaporator sizes. The results indicate that the DX-TE system delivers variable cooling capacities at a constant compressor speed and airflow rate, outperforming conventional variable frequency DX AC systems in cooling and dehumidification. The evaporator area ratio significantly impacts the system’s performance, with smaller ratios yielding a larger output range. As the area ratio increases from 1:1 to 1:3, the cooling capacity range in Modes 1 and 2 increases by 33.6% and 14.3%, respectively, while the dehumidification range expands by 58.6% and 51.69%.