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In this paper, we consider parameter estimation, kink points testing and statistical inference for a longitudinal multi-kink expectile regression model with nonignorable dropout. In order to accommodate both within-subject correlations and nonignorable dropout, the bias-corrected generalized estimating equations are constructed by combining the inverse probability weighting and quadratic inference function approaches. The estimators for the kink locations and regression coefficients are obtained by using the generalized method of moments. A selection procedure based on a modified BIC is applied to estimate the number of kink points. We theoretically demonstrate the number selection consistency of kink points and the asymptotic normality of all estimators. A weighted cumulative sum type statistic is proposed to test the existence of kink effects at a given expectile, and its limiting distributions are derived under both the null and the local alternative hypotheses. Simulation studies show that the proposed estimators and test have desirable finite sample performance in both homoscedastic and heteroscedastic errors. An application to the Nation Growth, Lung and Health Study dataset is also presented.

In order to study the ultrasonic propagation law and damage characteristics of the soft coal body, coal briquette is selected to replace raw coal, three wave propagation paths were set, and MTS rock mechanics experiment machine and PCI-II acoustic emission instrument were used to carry out the multi-path wave synchronization monitoring test of the coal body under the condition of uniaxial compression, and the anisotropy index was introduced to analyze the wave velocity evolution law. Three transverse and longitudinal sections were selected, and CT scanning equipment was used to carry out damage characterization experiments, reconstruct the micro-structure of the coal body after failure, and compare and study the differences in the distribution of the transverse and longitudinal fissures of two-dimensional slices, and to explore the relationship between the wave velocity and the three-dimensional volume of the fissures. Results show that: ① The parallel and vertical loading directions and the average wave velocity of the coal body show the basic law of smoothness followed by decrease and then smoothness with the increase of axial strain.The wave velocity anisotropy index has a smooth, then increasing and then smooth trend with the increase of axial strain, and the wave velocity in the vertical loading direction is the first to decrease, and the decrement is the largest. ② Compared with the vertical plane, the fracture spectral peak ratio and fractal dimension of the transverse plane of the damaged coal body are larger, the fracture density is higher, and the fracture morphology is also more complicated. ③ With the increase of fissure volume, the average wave velocity of the damaged coal body decreases roughly linearly, and the expansion of internal fissures in the coal body under uniaxial loading is dominated by the parallel loading direction, and the vertical linear expansion of the fissures is the main cause of the variability of the wave velocity in all directions and the damage characteristics of the transverse and longitudinal sections. ④ Compared with the parallel loading direction, the damage variables obtained by using the wave velocity in the vertical loading direction are larger and the evaluation of the damage state of the coal body is more reliable. When sound waves are used in the field to evaluate the damage state of coal , it is beneficial to improve the reasonableness of the prediction of instability accidents by making the sound wave propagation path perpendicular to the direction of the coal body loaded (maximum principal stress).

Abstract When high-temperature steam is used as a medium to pyrolyze organic-rich shale, water steam not only acts as heat transfer but also participates in the chemical reaction of organic matter pyrolysis, thus affecting the generation law and release characteristics of gas products. In this study, based on a long-distance reaction system of organic-rich shale pyrolysis via steam injection, the effects of steam temperature and reaction distance on gas product composition are analyzed in depth and compared with other pyrolysis processes. The advantages of organic-rich shale pyrolysis via steam injection are then evaluated. The volume concentration of hydrogen in the gas product obtained via the steam injection pyrolysis of organic-rich shale is the highest, which is more than 60%. The hydrogen content increases as the reaction distance is extended; however, the rate of increase changes gradually. Increasing the reaction distance from 800 to 4000 mm increases the hydrogen content from 34.91% to 69.68% and from 63.13% to 78.61% when the steam temperature is 500 °C and 555 °C, respectively. However, the higher the heat injection temperature, the smaller the reaction distance required to form a high concentration hydrogen pyrolysis environment (hydrogen concentration > 60%). When the steam pyrolysis temperature is increased from 500 °C to 555 °C, the reaction distance required to form a high concentration of hydrogen is reduced from 3800 to 800 mm. Compared with the direct retorting process, the volume concentration of hydrogen obtained from high-temperature steam pyrolysis of organic-rich shale is 8.82 and 10.72 times that of the commonly used Fushun and Kivite furnaces, respectively. The pyrolysis of organic-rich shale via steam injection is a pyrolysis process in a hydrogen-rich environment.

Abstract This paper presents a world-leading scintillation light yield among inorganic crystals measured from a 0.5 kg pure-CsI detector operated at 77 Kelvin. Scintillation photons were detected by two 2-inch Hamamatsu SiPM arrays equipped with cryogenic front-end electronics. Benefiting the light yield enhancement of pure-CsI at low temperatures and the high photon detection efficiency of SiPM, a light yield of 30.1 photoelectrons per keV energy deposit was obtained for X-rays and $$\gamma $$ γ -rays with energies from 5.9 to 59.6 keV. Instrumental and physical effects in the light yield measurement are carefully analyzed. This is the first stable cryogenic operation of kg-scale pure-CsI crystal readout by SiPM arrays at liquid nitrogen temperatures for several days. The world-leading light yield opens a door for the usage of pure-CsI crystal in several fields, particularly in detecting the coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering of reactor neutrinos. The potential of using pure-CsI crystals in neutrino physics is discussed in the paper.

Abstract Background Long-term exposure to a high altitude environment with low pressure and low oxygen could cause abnormalities in the structure and function of the heart. Myocardial strain is a sensitive indicator for assessing myocardial dysfunction, monitoring myocardial strain is of great significance for the early diagnosis and treatment of high altitude heart-related diseases. This study applies cardiac magnetic resonance tissue tracking technology (CMR-TT) to evaluate the changes in left ventricular myocardial function and structure in rats in high altitude environment. Methods 6-week-old male rats were randomized into plateau hypoxia rats (plateau group, n = 21) as the experimental group and plain rats (plain group, n = 10) as the control group. plateau group rats were transported from Chengdu (altitude: 360 m), a city in a plateau located in southwestern China, to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (altitude: 3850 m), Yushu, China, and then fed for 12 weeks there, while plain group rats were fed in Chengdu(altitude: 360 m), China. Using 7.0 T cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) to evaluate the left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV) and stroke volume (SV), as well as myocardial strain parameters including the peak global longitudinal (GLS), radial (GRS), and circumferential strain (GCS). The rats were euthanized and a myocardial biopsy was obtained after the magnetic resonance imaging scan. Results The plateau rats showed more lower left ventricular GLS and GRS (P 0.05). Conclusions After 12 weeks of exposure to high altitude low-pressure hypoxia environment, the left ventricular global strain was partially decreased and myocardium is damaged, while the whole heart ejection fraction was still preserved, the myocardial strain was more sensitive than the ejection fraction in monitoring cardiac function.

Abstract Background Mental health problems among children at preschool age are a common issue across the world. As shown in literature, a caregiver’s parenting style can play a critical role in child development. This study aims to examine the associations between a caregiver’s parenting style and the mental health problems (or not) of their child when he/she is at preschool age in rural China. Methods Participants were children, aged 49 to 65 months, and their primary caregivers. The primary caregivers of the sample children completed the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire, Short Version, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and a questionnaire that elicited their socio-demographic characteristics. The level of cognitive development of each sample child was assessed using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Fourth Edition. Pearson correlation analysis, linear regression analysis, and multivariable regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Results The prevalence of mental health problems among sample children at preschool age was high (31.6%). If a caregiver practices an authoritative parenting style, it was found to be negatively associated with the mental health problems of their child. In contrast, a caregiver’s authoritarian parenting style was positively associated with the mental health problems of their child. Compared to those in a subgroup of primary caregivers that used a combination of low authoritative and low authoritarian parenting style, primary caregivers that used a combination of high authoritarian and low authoritative or a combination of high authoritative and high authoritarian were found to have positive association with child health problems. A number of demographic characteristics were found to be associated with the adoption of different parenting styles. Conclusion Different parenting styles (including authoritative, authoritarian, and combination of authoritative and authoritarian) of the sample caregivers had different associations with the mental health problems of the sample children. Parenting programs that aim to improve the parenting styles (favoring authoritative parenting styles) should be promoted in an effort to improve the status of child mental health in rural China.

Abstract Background The relationship between venous congestion in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and acute kidney injury (AKI) in cardiac surgery has not utterly substantiated. This study aimed at investigate the relationship between CVP in CPB and the occurrence of AKI. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 2048 consecutive patients with cardiovascular disease undergoing cardiac procedure with CPB from January 2018 to December 2022. We used the median CVP value obtained during CPB for our analysis and patients were grouped according to this parameter. The primary outcomes were AKI and renal replacement therapy(RRT). Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore the association between CVP and AKI. Results A total of 2048 patients were enrolled in our study and divided into high CVP group (CVP ≥ 6.5 mmHg) and low CVP group (CVP

Abstract Background Extensive hepatocyte mortality and the absence of specific medical therapy significantly contribute to the unfavorable prognosis of acute liver failure (ALF). Ferroptosis is a crucial form of cell death involved in ALF. In this study, we aimed to determine the impact of Mediator complex subunit 1 (Med1) on ferroptosis and its potential hepatoprotective effects in ALF. Results Med1 expression is diminished in the liver of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/D-galactosamine (D-GalN)-induced ALF mice, as well as in hepatocytes damaged by H2O2 or TNF-α/D-GalN in vitro. Med1 overexpression mitigates liver injury and decreases the mortality rate of ALF mice by ferroptosis inhibition. The mechanism by which Med1 inhibits erastin-induced ferroptosis in hepatocytes involves the upregulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream antioxidant genes heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic (GCLC), and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1). Furthermore, Med1 overexpression suppresses the transcription of proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the liver of mice with LPS/D-GalN-induced ALF. Conclusion Overall, our research findings indicate that Med1 suppresses ferroptosis and alleviates liver injury in LPS/D-GalN-induced ALF through the activation of Nrf2. These findings substantiate the therapeutic viability of targeting the Med1-Nrf2 axis as a means of treating individuals afflicted with ALF. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Background During alfalfa harvesting and preservation, it is important to minimize losses and preserve dry matter and nutrients. Soil contamination of alfalfa forage is a common issue that occurs during the ensiling process. Soil contamination can adversely influence the quality of silage, potentially altering the fermentation process, microbial composition, and iron content. Results In this study, different levels of soil (0, 1.5% or 7.5% contamination on a wet basis; silt loam soil) and two types of additives (LP, Lactobacillus plantarum inoculant alone; MLP, combination addition of molasses and Lactobacillus plantarum) were added to alfalfa and subjected to anaerobic fermentation for 45 days to evaluate the iron content as well as the alpha diversity and relative abundance of bacterial and fungal communities. Soil-contaminated alfalfa contained lower levels of LA (14.2–41.8 g kg−1 DM) and higher levels of AN (50.0–156.4 g kg−1 DM) compared to uncontaminated alfalfa. Soil contamination of alfalfa forage increased the abundance of Clostridia, Actinobacteria, and Alphaproteobacteria in silage. The application of LP or MLP in soil-contaminated silage increased the abundance of Lactobacillus and inhibited the growth of Enterococcus faecium, Pediococcus pentosaceus, unclassified_f_Enterobacteriaceae, and Weissella cibaria. In addition, as the level of soil contamination increased, both the total and bioaccessible iron contents in alfalfa silage increased. The dominant bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum exhibited a positive relationship with LA and bioaccessible iron contents and a negative relationship with pH, AN and BA. The dominant fungi Neocosmospora rubicola showed a positive relationship with total iron, BA, AN and pH. Conclusions Soil contamination of alfalfa increased the abundance of Clostridia, Actinobacteria, and Alphaproteobacteria and it also increased the total and bioaccessible iron content in silage. The addition of LP and MLP improved the fermentation quality of soil-contaminated silage by increasing LA production and reducing the relative abundance of Enterococcus faecium, Pediococcus pentosaceus, unclassified_f_Enterobacteriaceae, and Weissella cibaria. Graphical Abstract

Abstract REBCO has been used extensively as coated conductors applied to superconducting magnets due to its exceptional superconducting properties. As a REBCO superconductor, YbBa2Cu3O7−y (Yb123) has a low melting temperature, making it suitable for use as an intermediate medium connector while preparing the superconducting joint. However, there is still uncertainty about the formation mechanism of Yb123 and the synthesis of this superconductor has not been fully understood. Therefore, this study systematically investigated the phase transformation process of Yb123 during heat treatment in flowing oxygen. The results indicated that Yb123 sample with the highest phase purity could be obtained by annealing at 927 °C or 937 °C but not in between, respectively. Furthermore, a quantitative phase analysis revealed that the sample annealed at 937 °C had a phase purity greater than 80 wt%. Additionally, a strong c-axis texture was observed in the bulk Yb123 superconductor prepared at 937 °C. Meanwhile, the superconducting results revealed that the bulk sample’s Tc was 89.9 K, and its self-field critical current densities at 4.2 K and 77 K were 1.3 × 105 A/cm2 and 5.0 × 103 A/cm2, respectively. Based on the results mentioned above, the phase transformation process and formation mechanism of Yb123 in flowing oxygen were elaborated.

Abstract Childhood Sjögren’s disease represents critically unmet medical needs due to a complete lack of immunological and molecular characterizations. This study presents key immune cell subsets and their interactions in the periphery in childhood Sjögren’s disease. Here we show that single-cell RNA sequencing identifies the subsets of IFN gene-enriched monocytes, CD4 + T effector memory, and XCL1 + NK cells as potential key players in childhood Sjögren’s disease, and especially in those with recurrent parotitis, which is the chief symptom prompting clinical visits from young children. A unique cluster of monocytes with type I and II IFN-related genes is identified in childhood Sjögren’s disease, compared to the age-matched control. In vitro regulatory T cell functional assay demonstrates intact functionality in childhood Sjögren’s disease in contrast to reduced suppression in adult Sjögren’s disease. Mapping this transcriptomic landscape and interplay of immune cell subsets will expedite the understanding of childhood Sjögren’s disease pathogenesis and set the foundation for precision medicine.

Abstract Strain-specific probiotics can present antioxidant activity and reduce damage caused by oxidation. Streptococcus alactolyticus strain FGM (S. alactolyticus strain FGM) isolated from the chicken cecum shows potential probiotic properties which have been previously demonstrated. However, the antioxidant properties of S. alactolyticus strain FGM remain unknown. In this view, cell-free supernatant (CFS), intact cells (IC) and intracellular extracts (CFE) of strain FGM and 3 strains of Lactobacillus (LAB) were prepared, and their scavenging capacities against DPPH, hydroxyl radicals and linoleic acid peroxidation inhibitory were compared in this study. The effects of strain FGM cell-free supernatant (FCFS) on NO production, activity of SOD and GSH-Px in RAW264.7 cells and LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells were analyzed. The metabolites in the supernatant were quantitated by N300 Quantitative Metabolome. It was shown that the physicochemical characteristics of CFS to scavenge DPPH, hydroxyl radicals, and linoleic acid peroxidation inhibitory were significantly stronger than that of IC and CFE in the strain FGM (P

Abstract Solute structure and its evolution in supersaturated aqueous solutions are key clues to understand Ostwald’s step rule. Here, we measure the structural evolution of solute molecules in highly supersaturated solutions of KH2PO4 (KDP) and NH4H2PO4 (ADP) using a combination of electrostatic levitation and synchrotron X-ray scattering. The measurement reveals the existence of a solution-solution transition in KDP solution, caused by changing molecular symmetries and structural evolution of the solution with supersaturation. Moreover, we find that the molecular symmetry of H2PO4 - impacts on phase selection. These findings manifest that molecular symmetry and its structural evolution can govern the crystallization pathways in aqueous solutions, explaining the microscopic origin of Ostwald’s step rule.

Abstract The research addresses energy consumption, latency, and network reliability challenges in wireless sensor network communication, especially in military security applications. A multi-agent context-aware model employing the belief-desire-intention (BDI) reasoning mechanism is proposed. This model utilizes a semantic knowledge-based intelligent reasoning network to monitor suspicious activities within a prohibited zone, generating alerts. Additionally, a BDI intelligent multi-level data transmission routing algorithm is proposed to optimize energy consumption constraints and enhance energy-awareness among nodes. The energy optimization analysis involves the Energy Percent Dataset, showcasing the efficiency of four wireless sensor network techniques (E-FEERP, GTEB, HHO-UCRA, EEIMWSN) in maintaining high energy levels. E-FEERP consistently exhibits superior energy efficiency (93 to 98%), emphasizing its effectiveness. The Energy Consumption Dataset provides insights into the joule measurements of energy consumption for each technique, highlighting their diverse energy efficiency characteristics. Latency measurements are presented for four techniques within a fixed transmission range of 5000 m. E-FEERP demonstrates latency ranging from 3.0 to 4.0 s, while multi-hop latency values range from 2.7 to 2.9 s. These values provide valuable insights into the performance characteristics of each technique under specified conditions. The Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR) dataset reveals the consistent performance of the techniques in maintaining successful packet delivery within the specified transmission range. E-FEERP achieves PDR values between 89.5 and 92.3%, demonstrating its reliability. The Packet Received Data further illustrates the efficiency of each technique in receiving transmitted packets. Moreover the network lifetime results show E-FEERP consistently improving from 2550 s to round 925. GTEB and HHO-UCRA exhibit fluctuations around 3100 and 3600 s, indicating variable performance. In contrast, EEIMWSN consistently improves from round 1250 to 4500 s.

Abstract Background The effective therapeutic approach is still an unmet need for patients diagnosed with both lung cancer and interstitial lung disease (ILD). This is primarily due to the possible risk of ILD exacerbation caused by surgery or radiotherapy. The current study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of local ablative therapy (LAT) for this specific population. Methods Consecutive patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and ILD who received LAT between January 2018 and August 2022 were enrolled, and propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized to match the non‐ILD group. The primary endpoint was recurrence‐free survival (RFS), and secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), adverse events (AEs) and hospital length of stay (HLOS). Results The PSM algorithm yielded matched pairs in the ILD group (n = 25) and non‐ILD group (n = 72) at a ratio of 1:3. There were no statistically significant differences in RFS (median 16.4 vs. 18 months; HR = 1.452, p = 0.259) and OS (median: not reached vs. 47.9 months; HR = 1.096, p = 0.884) between the two groups. Meanwhile, no acute exacerbation of ILD was observed in the ILD group. However, the incidence of pneumothorax, especially pneumothorax requiring chest tube drainage, was significantly higher (36.0% vs. 11.2%, p = 0.005) among patients with NSCLC and co‐existing ILD, which resulted in longer HLOS (p = 0.045). Conclusion Although ILD was associated with a higher incidence of pneumothorax, the efficacy of LAT for NSCLC patients with ILD was comparable to those without ILD, suggesting that LAT might be a reliable and effective treatment option for this population, particularly in the early stage.

Pseudorabies (PR) is an acute infectious disease of pigs caused by the PR virus (PRV) and results in great economic losses to the pig industry worldwide. PRV glycoprotein E (gE)-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been used to distinguish gE-deleted vaccine-immunized pigs from wild-type virus-infected pigs to eradicate PR in some countries. Nanobody has the advantages of small size and easy genetic engineering and has been a promising diagnostic reagent. However, there were few reports about developing nanobody-based ELISA for detecting anti- PRV-gE antibodies. In the present study, the recombinant PRV-gE was expressed with a bacterial system and used to immunize the Bactrian camel. Then, two nanobodies against PRV-gE were screened from the immunized camel by phage display technique. Subsequently, two nanobody-HRP fusion proteins were expressed with HEK293T cells. The PRV-gE-Nb36-HRP fusion protein was selected as the probe for developing the blocking ELISA (bELISA) to detect anti-PRV-gE antibodies. Through optimizing the conditions of bELISA, the amount of coated antigen was 200 ng per well, and dilutions of the fusion protein and tested pig sera were separately 1:320 and 1:5. The cut-off value of bELISA was 24.20%, and the sensitivity and specificity were 96.43 and 92.63%, respectively. By detecting 233 clinical pig sera with the developed bELISA and a commercial kit, the results showed that the coincidence rate of two assays was 93.99%. Additionallly, epitope mapping showed that PRV-gE-Nb36 recognized a conserved conformational epitope in different reference PRV strains. Simple, great stability and low-cost nanobody-based bELISA for detecting anti-PRV-gE antibodies were developed. The bELISA could be used for monitoring and eradicating PR.

Abstract Background To successfully replicate within the host cell, Toxoplasma gondii employs several mechanisms to overcome the host cell defenses and mitigate the harmful effects of the free radicals resulting from its own metabolic processes using effectors such as thioredoxin proteins. In this study, we characterize the location and functions of a newly identified thioredoxin in T. gondii, which was named Trx4. Methods We characterized the functional role of Trx4 in T. gondii Type I RH and Type II Pru strains by gene knockout and studied its subcellular localization by endogenous protein HA tagging using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. The enzyme-catalyzed proximity labeling technique, the TurboID system, was employed to identify the proteins in proximity to Trx4. Results Trx4 was identified as a dense granule protein of T. gondii predominantly expressed in the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) and was partially co-localized with GRA1 and GRA5. Functional analysis showed that deletion of trx4 markedly influenced the parasite lytic cycle, resulting in impaired host cell invasion capacity in both RH and Pru strains. Mutation of Trx domains in Trx4 in RH strain revealed that two Trx domains were important for the parasite invasion. By utilizing the TurboID system to biotinylate proteins in proximity to Trx4, we identified a substantial number of proteins, some of which are novel, and others are previously characterized, predominantly distributed in the dense granules. In addition, we uncovered three novel proteins co-localized with Trx4. Intriguingly, deletion of trx4 did not affect the localization of these three proteins. Finally, a virulence assay demonstrated that knockout of trx4 resulted in a significant attenuation of virulence and a significant reduction in brain cyst loads in mice. Conclusions Trx4 plays an important role in T. gondii invasion and virulence in Type I RH strain and Type II Pru strain. Combining the TurboID system with CRISPR-Cas9 technique revealed many PV-localized proximity proteins associated with Trx4. These findings suggest a versatile role of Trx4 in mediating the processes that occur in this distinctive intracellular membrane-bound vacuolar compartment. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Background Since the twenty-first century, the prevalence of diabetes has risen globally year by year. In Gansu Province, an economically underdeveloped province in northwest China, the cost of drugs for diabetes patients accounted for one-third of their total drug costs. To fundamentally reduce national drug expenditures and the burden of medication on the population, the relevant departments of government have continued to reform and improve drug policies. This study aimed to analyse long-term trends in antidiabetic drug use and expenditure in Gansu Province from 2012 to 2021 and to explore the role of pharmaceutical policy. Methods Data were obtained from the provincial centralised bidding and purchasing (CBP) platform. Drug use was quantified using the anatomical therapeutic chemistry/defined daily dose (ATC/DDD) method and standardised by DDD per 1000 inhabitants per day (DID), and drug expenditure was expressed in terms of the total amount and defined daily cost (DDC). Linear regression was used to analyse the trends and magnitude of drug use and expenditure. Results The overall trend in the use and expenditure of antidiabetic drugs was on the rise, with the use increasing from 1.04 in 2012 to 16.02 DID in 2021 and the expenditure increasing from 48.36 in 2012 to 496.42 million yuan in 2021 (from 7.66 to 76.95 million USD). Some new and expensive drugs changed in the use pattern, and their use and expenditure shares (as the percentage of all antidiabetic drugs) increased from 0 to 11.17% and 11.37%, but insulins and analogues and biguanides remained the most used drug class. The DDC of oral drugs all showed a decreasing trend, but essential medicines (EMs) and medical insurance drugs DDC gradually decreased with increasing use. The price reduction of the bid-winning drugs was over 40%, and the top three drugs were glimepiride 2mg/30, acarbose 50mg/30 and acarbose 100mg/30. Conclusions The implementation of pharmaceutical policies has significantly increased drug use and expenditure while reducing drug prices, and the introduction of novel drugs and updated treatment guidelines has led to changes in use patterns.

Abstract With a significant number of mechanical products approaching the retirement phase, the batch recycling of discarded mechanical parts necessitates a preliminary assessment of their surface condition. However, the presence of surface rust poses a challenge to defect identification. Therefore, this paper proposes a method for detecting heavily rusted surface defects based on an improved YOLOv8n network. In the Backbone, the C2f-DBB module of re-parameterized deep feature extraction was introduced, and the attention module was designed to improve the accuracy of information extraction. In the Neck part, a Bi-Afpn multiscale feature fusion strategy is designed to facilitate information exchange between features at different scales. Finally, Focal-CIoU is employed as the bounding box loss function to enhance the network’s localization performance and accuracy for defects. Experimentally, it is proved that the improved network in this paper improves the Recall, Precision, and mAP0.5 by 1.2%, 2.1%, and 1.9%, respectively, on the original basis, which is better than other network models.

Abstract Intertemporal choices – decisions that play out over time – pervade our life. Thus, how people make intertemporal choices is a fundamental question. Here, we investigate the role of attribute latency (the time between when people start to process different attributes) in shaping intertemporal preferences using five experiments with choices between smaller-sooner and larger-later rewards. In the first experiment, we identify attribute latencies using mouse-trajectories and find that they predict individual differences in choices, response times, and changes across time constraints. In the other four experiments we test the causal link from attribute latencies to choice, staggering the display of the attributes. This changes attribute latencies and intertemporal preferences. Displaying the amount information first makes people more patient, while displaying time information first does the opposite. These findings highlight the importance of intra-choice dynamics in shaping intertemporal choices and suggest that manipulating attribute latency may be a useful technique for nudging.

Abstract Background Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are crucial in maintaining immune homeostasis and preventing autoimmunity and inflammation. A proportion of Treg cells can lose Foxp3 expression and become unstable under inflammation conditions. The precise mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear. Methods The PI16 gene knockout mice (PI16fl/flFoxp3Cre) in Treg were constructed, and the genotypes were identified. The proportion and phenotypic differences of immune cells in 8-week-old mice were detected by cell counter and flow cytometry. Two groups of mouse Naïve CD4+T cells were induced to differentiate into iTreg cells to observe the effect of PI16 on the differentiation and proliferation of iTreg cells, CD4+CD25+Treg and CD4+CD25− effector T cells (Teff) were selected and co-cultured with antigen presenting cells (APC) to observe the effect of PI16 on the inhibitory ability of Treg cells in vitro. The effects of directed knockout of PI16 in Treg cells on inflammatory symptoms, histopathological changes and immune cell expression in mice with enteritis and autoimmune arthritis were observed by constructing the model of antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) and colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS). Results We identified peptidase inhibitor 16 (PI16) as a negative regulator of Treg cells. Our findings demonstrate that conditional knock-out of PI16 in Tregs significantly enhances their differentiation and suppressive functions. The conditional knockout of the PI16 gene resulted in a significantly higher abundance of Foxp3 expression (35.12 ± 5.71% vs. 20.00 ± 1.61%, p = 0.034) in iTreg cells induced in vitro compared to wild-type mice. Mice with Treg cell-specific PI16 ablation are protected from autoimmune arthritis (AIA) and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis development. The AIA model of PI16CKO is characterized by the reduction of joint structure and the attenuation of synovial inflammation and in DSS-induced colitis model, conditional knockout of the PI16 reduce intestinal structural damage. Additionally, we found that the deletion of the PI16 gene in Treg can increase the proportion of Treg (1.46 ± 0.14% vs. 0.64 ± 0.07%, p

Objective The Isobar TTL dynamic fixation system has demonstrated favorable outcomes in the short‐term treatment of lumbar degenerative disc diseases (LDDs). However, there is a paucity of extensive research on the long‐term effects of this system on LDDs. This study aimed to evaluate the long‐term clinical and radiological outcomes of patients with LDDs who underwent treatment utilizing the Isobar TTL dynamic fixation system. Methods The study analyzed the outcomes of 40 patients with LDDs who underwent posterior lumbar decompression and received single‐segment Isobar TTL dynamic internal fixation at our hospital between June 2010 and December 2016. The evaluation of clinical therapeutic effect involved assessing postoperative pain levels using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI), both before surgery, 3 months after, and the final follow‐up. To determine the preservation of functional motion in dynamically stable segments, we measured the range of motion (ROM) and disc height of stabilized and adjacent segments preoperatively and during the final follow‐up. Additionally, we investigated the occurrence of adjacent segment degeneration (ASD). Results Forty patients were evaluated, with an average age of 44.65 years and an average follow‐up period of 79.37 months. Fourteen patients belonged to the spondylolisthesis group, while the remaining 26 were categorized under the stenosis or herniated disc group. The preoperative ROM of the stabilized segment exhibited a significant reduction from 8.15° ± 2.77° to 5.00° ± 1.82° at the final follow‐up (p 0.05). Conclusion The Isobar TTL dynamic fixation system is an effective treatment for LDDs, improving pain relief, quality of life (QoL) and maintaining stabilized segmental motion. It has demonstrated excellent long‐term clinical and radiographic results.

For the purpose of exploring the polysaccharide content, relative molecular mass, monosaccharide composition, as well as antioxidant activity in Ziziphus jujuba flesh polysaccharide (ZJFP) at distinct growth stages. The content, relative molecular weight, monosaccharide composition and free radical scavenging ability of ZJFP in wild-type and plant-type at different growth stages were studied by phenol-sulfuric acid assay, high performance gel chromatography, high performance ion chromatography, and DPPH free radical scavenging experiment. Moreover, the results determined that the polysaccharide content of ZJFP in both wild and plant types demonstrated a trend of first decreasing and consequently rising. Furthermore, the relative molecular mass of the two types of ZJFP gradually decreased with the development of the Ziziphus jujuba. During the initial stage of fruit development, the ZJFP exhibited the highest content of rhamnose, reaching 46.14 mg/g, followed by galactose up to 33.10 mg/g. Whereas, in the later stage of fruit development, the highest monosaccharide content in the two types of ZJFP was arabinose up to 60.30 mg/g, preceded by galacturonic acid up to 45.02 mg/g. Additionally, the trend of DPPH free radical scavenging capacity of ZJFP of the two types was identical to the trend of polysaccharide content in Ziziphus jujuba flesh. Plant-type and wild-type Ziziphus jujuba illustrated the identical trend regarding polysaccharide content, the relative molecular weight of polysaccharides, monosaccharide composition, as well as free radical scavenging ability, and both were of the type of fruit that reduces sugar accumulation. The research serve as a valuable reference for the future development and utilization of Ziziphus jujuba flesh resources.

Petrochemical wastewater contains heavy metals and petroleum-based pollutants and is a major environmental and biological health hazard. Zebrafish are sensitive to water quality changes and can be used as biological indicators for water quality monitoring. The type, concentration, and toxicity of pollutants in the water can be inferred by observing zebrafish survival, behavior, activity, and other parameters. However, the traditional method of monitoring zebrafish toxicity-response behavior by manual observation and analysis is subjective, labor-intensive, and inefficient. Therefore, automating the monitoring and identification of zebrafish toxicity-response behavior using computer vision technology is an important and challenging research goal. The common methods of computer vision technology in zebrafish toxicity-response behavior monitoring and recognition can be divided into three steps: Foreground extraction, target tracking, and behavior analysis. However, there are problems such as sensitivity to light changes, inability to deal with occlusion and overlapping phenomena, and low efficiency. Therefore, the aim of this study was to improve efficiency and detection accuracy in complex situations such as fish shading for the automated and real-time identification of zebrafish toxicity-response behavior. In this study, four typical pollutants (zinc, chromium, lead, and phenol) in petrochemical tail water were selected to experimentally observe the swimming behavior of zebrafish at different concentrations and exposure times. A multi-target tracking technique based on YOLOv8+ Bytetrack was used to extract the characteristic values of zebrafish movements (average velocity, maximum velocity, minimum velocity, and average number of collisions). YOLOv8 is a deep learning-based end-to-end target detection algorithm that enables efficient and accurate target detection. Bytetrack is a multi-target tracking algorithm based on target detection that can achieve real-time target tracking coupled with the use of low-scoring frames in the tracking algorithm for secondary matching, which can effectively optimize the problem of switching IDs due to occlusion in the tracking process. The convolutional neural network Resnet was used to analyze the motion trajectory maps of zebrafish. The bounding box and confidence level output from the YOLOv8 model were inputted into the algorithm to obtain a unique ID and trajectory for each zebrafish. Finally, zebrafish features such as position, speed, number of wall touches, and trajectory were extracted based on the tracking results. The experimental results showed that the algorithm's tracking accuracy, missing rate, and detection time (per 300 frames) reached 90.26%, 16.33%, and 0.19 min, respectively, which represented a considerable improvement in detection time and accuracy over those of traditional target-detection methods. The tracking accuracy of manual labeling was up to 100%, and the monitoring time was 125.62 min, which was 661.16 times greater than that of the multi-target tracking method in this study. Moreover, the detection times of the threshold segmentation-based Kalman filter, SOTMOT-based multi-target tracking, and FairMOT-based multi-target tracking were 3.59, 0.41, and 0.37 min, respectively, representing 18.89-, 2.16-, and 1.95-fold increases over that of the proposed method, and the tracking accuracies were 67.09%, 88.52%, and 90.10%, which represented only 74.32%, 98.07%, and 99.82%, respectively, of the accuracy of this method. Moreover, the missing detection rates were 72.80%, 20.69%, and 26.45%, which were 4.46, 1.27, and 1.62 times greater than the missing detection rate of this method. This method outperforms other multi-target tracking methods (SOTMOT and Deepsort) regarding target-tracking accuracy and precision. Meanwhile, the proposed method can accurately identify the corresponding movement status and trajectory changes in zebrafish based on specific pollutants. An increase and then a decrease in velocity were observed in zebrafish exposed to zinc sulfate and lead acetate as compared to that of the control group. A significant difference (P < 0.05) exists between the effects of zinc sulfate and lead acetate on the increase in velocity of zebrafish at the beginning of the exposure. The velocity of zebrafish in the potassium dichromate-exposed group showed a fluctuating trend, with values slightly lower than those of the control group. In contrast, the proportion of abnormal trajectories was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that in the other experimental groups. Under phenol exposure conditions, the velocity of zebrafish tended to fluctuate over a wide range, while the number of wall touches was significantly higher than that in the other experimental groups (P < 0.05). At the late stage of exposure, the velocity of zebrafish in zinc sulfate, lead acetate, and potassium dichromate exposure groups gradually stabilized. The velocity of zebrafish under zinc sulfate and lead acetate exposure conditions tended to decrease significantly. In the potassium dichromate group, the velocity of zebrafish under 1 and 2 TU phenol exposure increased sharply and then fluctuated within a certain range, and 4 TU phenol exposure resulted in partial mortality of zebrafish. In summary, the multi-target tracking method can quickly identify the type of pollutant to which zebrafish are exposed by setting thresholds for the speed, number of wall touches, and percentage of abnormal trajectories in zebrafish behavior. This method is simple, effective, performs accurate identification, and determines real-time responses, making it highly valuable for reference in fish toxicity-response behavior identification.

Objective The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of sodium salicylate (SS) on semen preservation and metabolic regulation in goats. Methods Under the condition of low temperature, SS was added to goat semen diluent to detect goat sperm motility, plasma membrane, acrosome, antioxidant capacity, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and metabonomics. Results The results show that at the 8th day of low-temperature storage, the sperm motility of the 20 μM SS group was 66.64%, and the integrity rates of the plasma membrane and acrosome were both above 60%, significantly higher than those of the other groups. The activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase in the sperm of the 20 μM SS group were significantly higher than those of the control group, the contents of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde were significantly lower than those in the control group, the MMP was significantly higher than that in the control group, and the contents of Ca2+ and total cholesterol were significantly higher than those in the control group. Through metabonomics analysis, there were significant metabolic differences between the control group and the 20 μM SS group. Twenty of the most significant metabolic markers were screened, mainly involving five metabolic pathways, of which nicotinic acid and nicotinamide metabolic pathways were the most significant. Conclusion The results indicate that SS can effectively improve the low-temperature preservation quality of goat sperm.

Modified guar gum and whey protein were used as raw materials for the preparation of a composite film. It was found that when the mass ratio of modified guar gum and whey protein was 1:0.6, the best mechanical properties, barrier properties, and thermal stability of the composite film were obtained; the tensile strength (TS) of the film was 39.92 MPa, the elongation at break was 31.13%, and the thermal decomposition temperature was 147.85 ℃. The composite film could effectively remedy the defects of the single-component films. In addition, the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated that the film was smooth and transparent, and the compatibility between modified guar gum and whey protein was good. A modified guar gum/whey protein/rutin composite film (G’/W-R) was prepared by adding rutin to the film. Addition of rutin was found to impart good antioxidant activity to the film. Meanwhile, when applying the composite film to Agaricus bisporus preservation, it was found that G’/W-R could effectively delay the browning of mushroom, maintain high hardness, and inhibit the respiratory rate; the peak respiratory rate was only 2.8 × 103 mL/(kg·h), and the overall mass loss rate was only 25% of the control group. Moreover, this treatment effectively suppressed the levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide anion radical and malondialdehyde (MDA), which was conducive to maintaining the integrity and stability of the cell membrane. Also, it terminated the free radical chain reaction, maintained the activities of peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), removed the excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mushroom tissues, and consequently the shelf life of mushroom.

Fungal pathogens deploy a set of molecules (proteins, specialized metabolites, and sRNAs), so-called effectors, to aid the infection process. In comparison to other plant pathogens, smut fungi have small genomes and secretomes of 20 Mb and around 500 proteins, respectively. Previous comparative genomic studies have shown that many secreted effector proteins without known domains, i.e., novel, are conserved only in the Ustilaginaceae family. By analyzing the secretomes of 11 species within Ustilaginaceae, we identified 53 core homologous groups commonly present in this lineage. By collecting existing mutants and generating additional ones, we gathered 44 Ustilago maydis strains lacking single core effectors as well as 9 strains containing multiple deletions of core effector gene families. Pathogenicity assays revealed that 20 of these 53 mutant strains were affected in virulence. Among the 33 mutants that had no obvious phenotypic changes, 13 carried additional, sequence-divergent, structurally similar paralogs. We report a virulence contribution of seven previously uncharacterized single core effectors and of one effector family. Our results help to prioritize effectors for understanding U. maydis virulence and provide genetic resources for further characterization. [Graphic: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Aiming at the frost heave characteristics of long-distance and large-section underground freezing projects in cities, the double-line tunnel of Shanghai Metro Line 18 undercrossing an operation station was select as an example,a three-dimensional numerical model was established by using finite element software based on the thermal-mechanical coupling equation. Combined with the physical parameters obtained from laboratory tests, the evolution law of frost heave displacement field of the project was studied, and the influence of measures such as the staggered peak freezing and the adjustment of brine temperature on the frost heave displacement field was explored. Under the experimental conditions, the results show that: ① the deformation of the station floor caused by frost heave which mainly occurs in the active freezing period. When the double-line tunnel is frozen at the same time, the vertical displacement of the station floor at 45days of freezing reaches 77.72% of the displacement at 90 days of freezing. ② When the freezing time reaches 90 days, compared with simultaneous freezing, the displacement of the station floor reduced by 7.7% under the condtion of staggered peak freezing. The superposition effect of frost heave in the same time period is effectively avoided, and the frost heave effect is reduced to a certain extent. ③ When the freezing time reaches 90 days, compared with simultaneous freezing, the displacement of the station floor reduced by 34.2% under the condtion of adjusting the brine temperature, it shown that the expansion rate and frost heave effect of frozen soil are effectively controlled. In engineering practice, measures such as staggered freezing and adjusting brine temperature are used together to control frost heave, and the maximum vertical deformation of the station floor is 25.41 mm. The deformation law of the station floor obtained by numerical simulation is basically consistent with the measured data, which effectively guided the construction of the project.

The coal industry is the ballast stone and stabilizer that supports the rapid development of China’s economy and society and ensures national energy security. It also undertakes the mission of ensuring energy supply and supporting the stable development of new energy. At present, the high-quality development of China’s coal industry has achieved some staged results, with remarkable achievements in energy supply, the continuous optimization of industrial structure, the significant improvement of scientific and technological innovation capabilities, and the continuous advance of green development and clean and efficient utilization. However, the current development level of the coal industry is far from meeting the national needs of Chinese-style modernization. The sustainable development is restricted by multiple factors. The digital technology and coal development and utilization have not yet been deeply integrated. The intelligent construction is still in the demonstration and cultivation stage. The green development is unbalanced and contradictory and prominent. The transformation and upgrading of the coal industry still has a long way to go. In view of the current development status and challenges of the coal industry, this paper proposes a synergistic development mode of digitalization, intelligentization and greenization (three -izations), clarifies the core connotation of new-quality coal productivity, constructs the overall framework of the synergistic development of new-quality coal productivity, and expounds the technical path for the transformation of the innovative allocation of production factors by digitalization, the breakthrough of key technologies led by intelligentization, and the deep transformation of traditional industries by greenization, i.e., by these three factors to generate new-quality coal productivity. Six major technical systems are proposed: through the research and development of the technical system of efficient data collection and in-depth governance of the whole industry chain, the data barriers among coal production, transportation, storage, marketing and use of the whole process are removed. Through the research and development of the knowledge map and intelligent decision-making and control technological system of the coal industry, the correlation relationship and value of the upstream and downstream business scenarios of the coal industry are deeply explored, so as to lay the foundation for the independent decision-making and intelligent control of the whole process of coal production and utilization. Also, the research should be carried out in terms of the intelligent-green-efficient development technological system of coal resources, the technical system of collaborative guarantee of safety in the coal industry, the technical system of ecological intelligent monitoring-early warning-restoration in mining areas, and the technical system of flexible development and clean and low-carbon utilization of coal, so as to realize the synergistic development of the whole industrial chain and the whole process of coal development and utilization, cultivate and form a new-quality coal productivity, and bring some fundamental changes and improvements to the overall image of the coal industry.

The mining industry is a sector aimed at the safe, efficient, green development, and clean, efficient, low-carbon utilization of mineral resources, serving as a foundational industry for economic and social development. In order to make mining development more economical, consider a more comprehensive range of factors, and optimize the design and development processes, in the late 1950s, operations research and computer technology were introduced into mining engineering, giving rise to a new discipline known as mining systems engineering. In its early stages, mining systems engineering primarily focused on the optimization of mining production processes and the use of computers in mine design, excavation planning, information processing, and application software development, with a predominant emphasis on open-pit mining as the research object. In recent years, research in mining systems engineering has closely integrated with big data, artificial intelligence, network technology, and has achieved fruitful results in areas such as mining information network construction, logistics systems, intelligent mining, equipment management, and safety management. This paper provides a detailed exposition of the origin and development process of mining systems engineering, with a chronological narrative based on international conferences on the application of operations research and computers in mining (APCOM), particularly the fifteen national conferences on mining systems engineering that have taken place. It objectively summarizes the developmental process and evolution of research content in mining systems engineering. Using the CNKI database as the data foundation, current research employs cluster analysis to study the publication volume, research objects, and their changes in mining systems engineering over the past 20 years. The future development of mining systems engineering should focus on the integration of systems science thinking with modern mining technology, establishing scientific systems and their boundaries, such as scientific mining systems, mine lifecycle systems, intelligent mine systems, and other eight major systems. The development of mining systems engineering will increasingly emphasize innovation and application in aspects such as digitization, intelligence, sustainable development, informatization, and automation, while continually expanding its application areas to achieve optimized, efficient, green, and low-carbon mining development.

The Yellow River Basin is an energy basin that has the dual responsibility of ecological environment governance and economic and social development. The precise and intelligent recognition of the categories, numbers and characteristics of coal-related industrial sites is a key basic issue for energy resources-low carbon development-ecological protection in the basin. This study integrated the multi-source data and deep learning algorithms to precisely analyze the characteristics of coal-based sites in 13 large-scale coal-fired power bases in the Yellow River Basin from the basin-base-site scale, obtained the high-precision and high-quality background information of coal-power bases, and proposed a new method of real-time real-scene intelligent recognition of spatial characteristics of coal-related industries. In this study, ① Multi-source data such as Google image, GF-6 image, Sentinel-2 image, etc. were collected as coal-based site samples from 13 large-scale coal-fired power bases to build four datasets of coal mine sites (open-pit), coal mine sites (underground), coal-power sites, and coal chemical sites, covering 21 categories of samples. According to each type of sample, 6×10 samples were set for each hexagonal cell, totaling 1260 site samples. The confidence interval of the optimal sample number-highest recognition efficiency-optimal recognition model was 80%−86%. ② A coal-based site classification quantitative model (CSCQM) and a coal-based site range characteristic model (CSRCM) were established. The average accuracy of the models was 0.837. The background information of coal-related industrial sites in the Yellow River Basin were clarified, and a high-precision site intelligent recognition method based on Google image base map overlaying site intelligent recognition model calculation results was proposed. ③ The precise background data of the Shendong coal-power industrial agglomeration area in the basin were analyzed. Analyzed by remote sensing based ecological index (RSEI), the surface ecological quality of the 2 km core area of coal-based sites was significantly affected by coal mine and coal-power industries, while the 5 km buffer zone was not significantly affected, and the 8 km control zone was basically not affected by coal mine and coal power industries. Thus, the low-carbon pathways such as dynamic remediation and key management by region and stage were proposed. ④ The precise background data of the Ningdong coal-power-chemical industrial agglomeration area in the basin were analyzed. In 2022, the area of coal mine sites covered an area of 17.81 km2, accounting for 34.1% of the total area, the area of coal chemical sites covered an area of 22.3 km2, accounting for 42.6% of the total area, and the area of coal-power sites covered an area of 12.2 km2, accounting for 23.3% of the total area. The area ratio was coal chemical sites > coal mine sites > coal-power sites. Then, using the PSR (Pressure-State-Response) model, the comprehensive score of risk management was obtained as 53.93 points, which was 27.2% higher than that in 2003. A zoning management mode of ecological maintenance zone, production monitoring and early warning zone, damage repair and reconstruction zone, and other regulation zone were implemented. The study provided some technical methods and practical support for the potential pollution control, site management and regional ecological restoration of coal-related industrial sites.

Objective: This study aims to analyze how changes in pathological diagnosis practice and molecular detection technology have affected clinical outcomes for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients in Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC). Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed 21,141 pathologically confirmed CRC cases diagnosed at FUSCC from 2008 to 2020. Patients were divided into five groups for different analytical purposes: (1) the before vs. since 2014 groups to analyze the influence of the changes in the classification criteria of pT3 and pT4 staging on the survival of patients; (2) the partial vs. total mesorectal excision (TME) groups to analyze whether evaluation of completeness of the mesorectum have impact on the survival of patients; (3) the tumor deposit (TD)(+)N0 vs. TD(+)N1c groups to analyze the influence of the changes in the pN staging on the survival of patients with positive TD and negative regional lymph node metastasis (LNM); (4) the before vs. since 2013 groups to analyze the influence of the changes in the testing process of deficient mismatch repair on the survival of patients; and (5) the groups with vs. without RAS/BRAF gene mutation testing to analyze the influence of these testing on the survival of patients. Patients’ clinicopathological parameters, including age at diagnosis, sex, tumor size, location, differentiation, mucinous subtype, TD, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, tumor depth, LNM and distant metastasis, and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, were compared between groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis with log rank method was performed for patients’ overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) analyses. Results: In pathological reports, there were three parameter changes that impacted patient outcomes. Firstly, changes in the pT staging criteria led to a shift of the ratio of patients with stage pT3 to stage pT4 from 1: 110.9 to 1: 0.26. In comparison to patients admitted before 2014 (n = 4,754), a significant difference in prognosis between pT3 and pT4 stages was observed since 2014 (n = 9,965). Secondly, we began to evaluate the completeness of the mesorectum since 2016. As a result, 91.0% of patients with low rectal cancer underwent TME (n = 4,111) surgery, and patients with TME had significantly better OS compared with partial mesorectal excision (PME, n = 409). Thirdly, we began to stage TD (+) LNM (-) as N1c since 2017. The results showed that N1c (n = 127) but not N0 (n = 39) can improve the prognosis of patients without LNM and distal metastasis. In molecular testing, there have been three and five iterations of updates regarding mismatch repair (MMR)/microsatellite instability (MSI) status and RAS/BRAF gene mutation detection, respectively. The standardization of MMR status testing has sharply decreased the proportion of deficient MMR (dMMR) patients (from 32.5% to 7.4%) since 2013. The prognosis of patients underwent MMR status testing since 2013 (n = 867) were significantly better than patients before 2013 (n = 1,313). In addition, detection of RAS/BRAF gene mutation status (n = 5,041) resulted in better DFS but not OS, for patients with stage I-III disease (n = 16,557). Conclusion: Over the past few decades, updates in elements in pathological reports, as well as the development of standardized tests for MMR/MSI status and RAS/BRAF gene mutations have significantly improved patient outcomes.

Abstract Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and plastics are pivotal components of modern society; nevertheless, their escalating production poses formidable challenges to resource sustainability and ecosystem integrity. Here, we showcase the transformation of spent lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) cathodes into photothermal catalysts capable of catalyzing the upcycling of diverse waste polyesters into high-value monomers. The distinctive Li deficiency in spent LCO induces a contraction in the Co−O6 unit cell, boosting the monomer yield exceeding that of pristine LCO by a factor of 10.24. A comprehensive life-cycle assessment underscores the economic viability of utilizing spent LCO as a photothermal catalyst, yielding returns of 129.6 $·kgLCO −1, surpassing traditional battery recycling returns (13–17 $·kgLCO −1). Solar-driven recycling 100,000 tons of PET can reduce 3.459 × 1011 kJ of electric energy and decrease 38,716 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. This work unveils a sustainable solution for the management of spent LIBs and plastics.

Abstract Objective This study aimed to investigate the association between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index in early pregnancy and the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in the second trimester. The primary objectives were to evaluate the predictive potential of the TyG index for GDM, determine the optimal threshold value of the TyG index for GDM assessment, and compare the predictive performance of the TyG index alone versus its combination with maternal age and pre-pregnancy body mass index on GDM. Moreover, the study explored the association between the TyG index in early pregnancy and the risk of other pregnancy-related complications (PRCs), such as placental abruption and gestational hypertension. Patients and methods This prospective cohort study recruited 1,624 pregnant women who underwent early pregnancy antenatal counseling and comprehensive assessments with continuous monitoring until delivery. To calculate the TyG index, health indicators, including maternal triglycerides and fasting plasma glucose, were measured in early pregnancy (

Abstract Background The mass occurrence of scyphozoan jellyfish severely affects marine ecosystems and coastal economies, and the study of blooming jellyfish population dynamics has emerged in response. However, traditional ecological survey methods required for such research have difficulties in detecting cryptic life stages and surveying population dynamics owing to high spatiotemporal variations in their occurrence. The environmental DNA (eDNA) technique is an effective tool for overcoming these limitations. Results In this study, we investigated the biodiversity and spatial distribution characteristics of blooming jellyfish in the Bohai Sea of China using an eDNA metabarcoding approach, which covered the surface, middle, and bottom seawater layers, and sediments. Six jellyfish taxa were identified, of which Aurelia coerulea, Nemopilema nomurai, and Cyanea nozakii were the most dominant. These three blooming jellyfish presented a marked vertical distribution pattern in the offshore regions. A. coerulea was mainly distributed in the surface layer, whereas C. nozakii and N. nomurai showed a upper-middle and middle-bottom aggregation, respectively. Horizontally, A. coerulea and C. nozakii were more abundant in the inshore regions, whereas N. nomurai was mainly distributed offshore. Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed a strong correlation between the eDNA of the three dominant blooming jellyfish species and temperature, salinity, and nutrients. Conclusions Our study confirms the applicability of the eDNA approach to both biodiverstiy evaluation of blooming jellyfish and investigating their spatial distribution, and it can be used as a supplementary tool to traditional survey methods.

Abstract The feed-forward loop between the transcription factors Ppar-gamma and C/ebp-alpha is critical for lineage commitment during adipocytic differentiation. Ppar-gamma interacts with epigenetic cofactors to activate C/ebp-alpha and the downstream adipocytic gene expression program. Therefore, knowledge of the epigenetic cofactors associated with Ppar-gamma, is central to understanding adipocyte differentiation in normal differentiation and disease. We found that Prmt6 is present with Ppar-gamma on the Ppar-gamma and C/ebp-alpha promoter. It contributes to the repression of C/ebp-alpha expression, in part through its ability to induce H3R2me2a. During adipocyte differentiation, Prmt6 expression is reduced and the methyltransferase leaves the promoters. As a result, the expression of Ppar-gamma and C/ebp-alpha is upregulated and the adipocytic gene expression program is established. Inhibition of Prmt6 by a small molecule enhances adipogenesis, opening up the possibility of epigenetic manipulation of differentiation. Our data provide detailed information on the molecular mechanism controlling the Ppar-gamma–C/ebp-alpha feed-forward loop. Thus, they advance our understanding of adipogenesis in normal and aberrant adipogenesis.

Abstract Background Given the growing evidence on the health benefits associated with physical literacy (PL), it is necessary to develop sound measures to assess the levels of PL in children. The Physical Literacy in Children Questionnaire (PL-C Quest) is the first self-report pictorial-based scale to assess children’s perceived PL. It has good validity and reliability in Australian children aged 7 to 12 years, but little is known in younger children and in other cultural contexts. The aim of this study was to examine the validity and reliability in an expanded age range. Methods A total of 1,870 Chinese children (girls, n = 871; 46.6%), aged 4 to 12 years (M = 8.07 ± 2.42) participated in validity testing. Structural equation modeling with the Weighted Least Squares with Mean and Variance approach was used to assess construct validity. The hypothesized theoretical model used the 30 items and four hypothesized factors: physical, psychological, social and cognitive capabilities. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess sex and age group (4–6 years, 7–9 years and 10–12 years) measurement invariance. Internal consistency analyses were conducted using polychoric alpha. A random subsample (n = 262) was selected to determine test–retest reliability using Intra-Class Correlations (ICC). Results All items except one (moving with equipment–skateboarding) loaded on sub-domains with λ > 0.45. The hypothesized model had a good fit (CFI = 0.954, TLI = 0.950, RMSEA = 0.042), with measurement equivalence across sex and age groups separately. Internal consistency values were good to excellent (overall: α = 0.94; physical: α = 0.86; psychological: α = 0.83; social: α = 0.81; cognitive: α = 0.86). Test–retest reliability was adequate to excellent (overall: ICC = 0.90, physical: ICC = 0.86, psychological: ICC = 0.75, social: ICC = 0.71, cognitive: ICC = 0.72). Conclusion The Chinese version of the PL-C Quest is valid and reliable for testing the self-reported PL of Chinese children aged 4 to 12. This study provides the first evidence of validity for this tool in children aged 4–6 years and also evidence that the PL-C Quest would be a meaningful instrument to assess PL in Chinese children.

Abstract Due to the benefits of the high sensitivity, real-time response, no labeling requirement, and good selectivity, fiber optic sensors based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) have gained popularity in biochemical sensing in recent years. The current research on such sensors is hot in enhancing sensitivity, improving detection accuracy, and achieving the detection of biochemical molecules. The goal of this work is to present a thorough overview of recent developments in the optical fiber SPR biosensor research. Firstly, it explores the basic principles and sensing structures of optical fiber SPR biosensors, focusing on four aspects. Subsequently, this paper introduces three fiber optic surface plasmon biosensors: SPR, localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), and long-range surface plasmon resonance (LRSPR). Each concept is explained from the perspective of the basic principles of fiber optic SPR biosensors. Furthermore, a classification of fiber optic SPR biosensors in health monitoring, food safety, environmental monitoring, marine detection, and other applications is introduced and analyzed. Eventually, this paper summarizes the current research directions of SPR biosensors. Meanwhile, it provides a prospective outlook on how fiber optic SPR sensors will develop in the future.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate whether the urinary continence (UC) recovery after robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) relates to the membranous urethral length (MUL) and the membranous urethral complex volume (MUV). Materials and methods 120 patients who underwent RARP were enrolled according to the different times of UC recovery and examined using prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before surgery. The membranous urethral (MU) parameters were measured using the three-Dimensional (3D) model reconstructed by holographic technology, such as total MUV (tMUV), exposed MUV (eMUV), full MUL (fMUL) and exposed MUL (eMUL). Statistical software SPSS 26.0 was used to analyze the data and compare the MU parameters and baseline data in different groups. Results Patients with larger tMUV (p = 0.038), eMUV (p = 0.003), longer fMUL (p = 0.025), eMUL (p = 0.044) had better UC after removal of the catheter, and eMUV (OR = 1.002, 95%CI = 1.001–1.004, p = 0.004) was a predictor; the patients with younger age (p = 0.021), lower VPSS score (p = 0.004) and larger eMUV (p = 0.012) and longer eMUL (p = 0.049) had better UC recovery one month after RARP while eMUV (OR = 1.002, 95% CI = 1.000–1.003, p = 0.008) and VPSS score (OR = 0.886, 95% CI = 0.806–0.973, p = 0.011) were independent risk factors; The patients with younger age (p = 0.018), larger tMUV (p = 0.029), eMUV (p = 0.016) had better UC recovery three months after RARP. eMUV (OR = 1.002, 95% CI = 1.000–1.004, p = 0.042) and age (OR = 0.904, 95% CI = 0.818–0.998, p = 0.046) were independent risk factors. Conclusion This clinical study shows that patients with larger MUV and longer MUL can return to UC earlier after surgery. Among that, eMUV is a better predictor.

Abstract The mining of the protective coal seam usually produces different pressure relief effects on the different areas of protected coal seam, the reason is that the stress paths of protected seam coal body in different areas caused by mining effect are different. In order to explore the differential pressure relief damage effect of coal body under different pressure relief conditions, the stress evolution path of coal body in different areas of the protected coal seam is obtianed by using theoretical analysis and the macro–micro damage characteristics of coal body under different stress paths by using numerical simulation in this paper. The results show that: The damage characteristics of the sample models are basically the same in the in-situ stress recovery stage and the mining disturbance stage of the two stress paths. With ith the sequence of stress stages experienced by the sample model, the distribution of acoustic emission events concentrates in the high-intensity area and the porosity continues to decrease. The number of cracks increases slowly in the stage of in-situ stress recovery stage, most of which are tensile cracks, while the number of cracks increases sharply in the mining disturbance stage, most of which are shear cracks. The difference of the deformation and macro meso damage characteristics of the sample models under the two stress paths is mainly reflected in the post mining pressure relief stage. At the post mining pressure relief stage of path 1, the number of cracks in the sample has little growth, and most of them are small energy tensile cracks, and the porosity increases, which verifies its obvious pressure relief activation antireflection effect; At this stage of path 2, the crack growth of the sample is obvious, and most of them are high-energy shear cracks, and the porosity continues to decrease. Compared with path 1, the pressure relief expansion effect of the sample model is suppressed and the compression damage continues to develop in this stage of path 2.

Abstract Applying high stack pressure (often up to tens of megapascals) to solid-state Li-ion batteries is primarily done to address the issues of internal voids formation and subsequent Li-ion transport blockage within the solid electrode due to volume changes. Whereas, redundant pressurizing devices lower the energy density of batteries and raise the cost. Herein, a mechanical optimization strategy involving elastic electrolyte is proposed for SSBs operating without external pressurizing, but relying solely on the built-in pressure of cells. We combine soft-rigid dual monomer copolymer with deep eutectic mixture to design an elastic solid electrolyte, which exhibits not only high stretchability and deformation recovery capability but also high room-temperature Li-ion conductivity of 2×10−3 S cm−1 and nonflammability. The micron-sized Si anode without additional stack pressure, paired with the elastic electrolyte, exhibits exceptional stability for 300 cycles with 90.8% capacity retention. Furthermore, the solid Li/elastic electrolyte/LiFePO4 battery delivers 143.3 mAh g−1 after 400 cycles. Finally, the micron-sized Si/elastic electrolyte/LiFePO4 full cell operates stably for 100 cycles in the absence of any additional pressure, maintaining a capacity retention rate of 98.3%. This significantly advances the practical applications of solid-state batteries.

Abstract Background Bloodstream infections (BSI) are highly prevalent in hospitalized patients requiring intensive care. They are among the most serious infections and are highly associated with sepsis or septic shock, which can lead to prolonged hospital stays and high healthcare costs. This study aimed at establishing an easy-to-use nomogram for predicting the prognosis of patients with BSI. Methods In retrospective study, records of patients with BSI admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) over the period from Jan 1st 2016 to Dec 31st 2021 were included. We used data from two different China hospitals as development cohort and validation cohort respectively. The demographic and clinical data of patients were collected. Based on all baseline data, k-means algorithm was applied to discover the groups of BSI phenotypes with different prognostic outcomes, which was confirmed by Kaplan-Meier analysis and compared using log-rank tests. Univariate Cox regression analyses were used to estimate the risk of clusters. Random forest was used to identified discriminative predictors in clusters, which were utilized to construct nomogram based on multivariable logistic regression in the discovery cohort. For easy clinical applications, we developed a bloodstream infections clustering (BSIC) score according to the nomogram. The results were validated in the validation cohort over a similar period. Results A total of 360 patients in the discovery cohort and 310 patients in the validation cohort were included in statistical analyses. Based on baseline variables, two distinct clusters with differing prognostic outcomes were identified in the discovery cohort. Population in cluster 1 was 211 with a ICU mortality of 17.1%, while population in cluster 2 was 149 with an ICU mortality of 41.6% (p

Abstract Background Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PC) is an aggressive malignancy with limited treatment options. The poor prognosis primarily stems from late-stage diagnosis and when the disease has become therapeutically challenging. There is an urgent need to identify specific biomarkers for cancer subtyping and early detection to enhance both morbidity and mortality outcomes. The addition of the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), erlotinib, to gemcitabine chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer slightly improved outcomes. However, restricted clinical benefits may be linked to the absence of well-characterized criteria for stratification and dependable biomarkers for the prediction of treatment effectiveness. Methods and results We examined the levels of various cancer hallmarks and identified glycolysis as the primary risk factor for overall survival in PC. Subsequently, we developed a glycolysis-related score (GRS) model to accurately distinguish PC patients with high GRS. Through in silico screening of 4398 compounds, we discovered that erlotinib had the strongest therapeutic benefits for high-GRS PC patients. Furthermore, we identified ARNTL2 as a novel prognostic biomarker and a predictive factor for erlotinib treatment responsiveness in patients with PC. Inhibition of ARNTL2 expression reduced the therapeutic efficacy, whereas increased expression of ARNTL2 improved PC cell sensitivity to erlotinib. Validation in vivo using patient-derived xenografts (PDX-PC) with varying ARNTL2 expression levels demonstrated that erlotinib monotherapy effectively halted tumor progression in PDX-PC models with high ARNTL2 expression. In contrast, PDX-PC models lacking ARNTL2 did not respond favorably to erlotinib treatment. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that the ARNTL2/E2F1 axis-mediated cellular glycolysis sensitizes PC cells to erlotinib treatment by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Conclusions Our investigations have identified ARNTL2 as a novel prognostic biomarker and predictive indicator of sensitivity. These results will help to identify erlotinib-responsive cases of PC and improve treatment outcomes. These findings contribute to the advancement of precision oncology, enabling more accurate and targeted therapeutic interventions.

Abstract Nanofluidic membranes offer exceptional promise for osmotic energy conversion, but the challenge of balancing ionic selectivity and permeability persists. Here, we present a bionic nanofluidic system based on two-dimensional (2D) copper tetra-(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin framework (Cu-TCPP). The inherent nanoporous structure and horizontal interlayer channels endow the Cu-TCPP membrane with ultrahigh ion permeability and allow for a power density of 16.64 W m−2, surpassing state of-the-art nanochannel membranes. Moreover, leveraging the photo-thermal property of Cu-TCPP, light-controlled ion active transport is realized even under natural sunlight. By combining solar energy with salinity gradient, the driving force for ion transport is reinforced, leading to further improvements in energy conversion performance. Notably, light could even eliminate the need for salinity gradient, achieving a power density of 0.82 W m−2 in a symmetric solution system. Our work introduces a new perspective on developing advanced membranes for solar/ionic energy conversion and extends the concept of salinity energy to a notion of ionic energy.

Abstract Background Cancer, a disease with high morbidity and mortality rates, poses a significant threat to human health. Driver genes, which harbor mutations accountable for the initiation and progression of tumors, play a crucial role in cancer development. Identifying driver genes stands as a paramount objective in cancer research and precision medicine. Results In the present work, we propose a method for identifying driver genes using a Generalized Linear Regression Model (GLM) with Shrinkage and double-Weighted strategies based on Functional Impact, which is named GSW-FI. Firstly, an estimating model is proposed for assessing the background functional impacts of genes based on GLM, utilizing gene features as predictors. Secondly, the shrinkage and double-weighted strategies as two revising approaches are integrated to ensure the rationality of the identified driver genes. Lastly, a statistical method of hypothesis testing is designed to identify driver genes by leveraging the estimated background function impacts. Experimental results conducted on 31 The Cancer Genome Altas datasets demonstrate that GSW-FI outperforms ten other prediction methods in terms of the overlap fraction with well-known databases and consensus predictions among different methods. Conclusions GSW-FI presents a novel approach that efficiently identifies driver genes with functional impact mutations using computational methods, thereby advancing the development of precision medicine for cancer.

Objectives There is no consensus on the treatment of moderate‐to‐severe rigid scoliosis. Anterior release and three‐column osteotomy are excessively traumatic, whereas posterior column osteotomy (PCO) alone results in poor outcomes. An emerging surgical technique, posterior intervertebral release (PR), can release the rigid spine from the posterior approach. This study was performed to compare the multi‐segment apical convex PR combined with PCO and PCO alone in patients with moderate‐to‐severe rigid scoliosis. Methods From June 2021 to June 2022, this prospective study of moderate‐to‐severe (Cobb: 70–90°) rigid scoliosis (flexibility of main curve

Abstract Background At present, the need for vitamin C supplementation for pregnant smokers has not been fully studied. This study is aimed at investigating whether vitamin C supplementation for pregnant smoking women can improve the pulmonary function of their offspring. Methods Four databases were searched from inception to April 1, 2023 for studies on the effect of vitamin C supplementation to pregnant smokers on the pulmonary function of their offspring. Meanwhile, the reference lists of relevant studies were manually searched. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool, and the data was analyzed using STATA/SE 17.0. Results Four randomized controlled trials (RCTs), all of high quality, were enrolled in this meta-analysis, including 787 pregnant women. The offspring of pregnant smokers who received vitamin C supplementation exhibited improved Forced Expiratory Flow between 25 and 75% (FEF25-75), FEF50, FEF75, and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) compared to those who did not receive vitamin C supplementation. However, there was no statistically significant difference in Forced Expiratory Volume at 0.5 s (FEV0.5) and the ratio of FEV0.5 to FVC between the offspring of pregnant smokers who received vitamin C and the control group. Conclusion Vitamin C supplementation for smoking pregnant women may enhance the pulmonary function of their offspring, particularly in FEF25-75, FEF50, FEF75, and FVC. Nevertheless, there are no significant differences in FEV0.5 and the FEV0.5/FVC ratio. These findings suggest that vitamin C supplementation has potential benefits for specific pulmonary function. Further studies are needed to comprehensively assess the effects of vitamin C on pulmonary function in the context of maternal smoking during pregnancy.

Water management is an important practice that affects fruit size and quality. Effective implementation of irrigation scheduling requires knowledge of the appropriate indicators and thresholds, which are established manly based on the effects of water deficits on final fruit quality. Few studies have focused on the real-time effects of water status on fruit and shoot growth. To establish soil water potential (ψsoil) thresholds to trigger irrigation of peach at pivotal fruit developmental stages, photogrammetry, 13C labelling, and other techniques were used in this study to investigate real-time changes in stem diameter, fruit projected area, net leaf photosynthetic rate (Pn), and allocation of photoassimilates to fruit under soil water potential conditions ranging from saturation to stress in 6-year-old ‘Shimizu hakuto’ peach. Stem growth, fruit growth, and Pn exhibited gradually decreasing sensitivity to water deficits during fruit developmental stages I, II, and III. Stem diameter growth was significantly inhibited when ψsoil dropped to −8.5, −7.6, and −5.4 kPa, respectively. Fruit growth rate was low, reaching zero when the ψsoil was −9.0 to −23.1, −14.9 to −21.4, and −16.5 to −23.3 kPa, respectively, and Pn decreased significantly when the ψsoil reached −24.2, −22.7, and −20.4 kPa, respectively. In addition, more photoassimilates were allocated to fruit under moderate ψsoil conditions (−10.1 to −17.0 kPa) than under other ψsoil values. Our results revealed three ψsoil thresholds, −10.0, −15.0, and −15.0 kPa, suitable for triggering irrigation during stages I, II, and III, respectively. These thresholds can be helpful for controlling excessive tree vigor, maintaining rapid fruit growth and leaf photosynthesis, and promoting the allocation of more photoassimilates to fruit.

Abstract Background Plantar fasciitis (PF) is the most common cause of heel pain. Among conservative treatments, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is considered effective for refractory PF. Studies have shown that applying ESWT to the trigger points (TrPs) in the triceps surae may play an important role in pain treatment in patients with PF. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to combine the concept of trigger points and ESWT to explore the effect of this combination on plantar temperature and pressure in patients with PF. Methods After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 86 patients with PF were recruited from the pain clinic of Huadong Hospital, Fudan University and randomly divided into experimental (n = 43) and control groups (n = 43). The experimental group was treated with extracorporeal shock waves to treat the medial heel pain point and the gastrocnemius and soleus TrPs. The control group was only treated with extracorporeal shock waves at the medial heel pain point. The two groups were treated twice with an interval of 1 week. Primary measurements included a numerical rating scale (NRS) score (overall, first step, heel pain during daily activities), and secondary measurements included heel temperature, Roles–Maudsley score (RMS), and plantar pressure. All assessments were performed before treatment (i.e., baseline) and 6 and 12 weeks after treatment. Results During the trial, 3 patients in the experimental group withdrew from the study, 2 due to interruption of the course of treatment by the COVID-19 epidemic and 1 due to personal reasons. In the control group, 3 patients fell and were removed due to swelling of the heel. Therefore, only 80 patients with PF were finally included. After treatment, the two groups showed good results in NRS score (overall, first step, heel pain during daily activities), RMS, and plantar temperature, especially in the experimental group, who showed a significantly better effect than the control group. Conclusion ESWT of the heel combined with the triceps trigger point of the calf can more effectively improve the pain, function and quality of life of refractory PF than ESWT of the heel alone. In addition, ESWT of the heel combined with the triceps trigger point of the calf can effectively reduce the skin temperature of the heel on the symptomatic side, indicating that the heel temperature as measured by infrared thermal imaging may be used as an independent tool to evaluate the therapeutic effect for patients with chronic PF. Although extracorporeal shock waves combined with TrPs treatment can cause changes in the patients’ gait structure, plantar pressure is still difficult to use as an independent tool to evaluate the therapeutic effect for PF. Trial registration Registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( www.chictr.org.cn ) on 12/17/2021 with the following code: ChiCTR-INR-2,100,054,439.