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Abstract Strain engineering plays an important role in tuning electronic structure and improving catalytic capability of biocatalyst, but it is still challenging to modify the atomic-scale strain for specific enzyme-like reactions. Here, we systematically design Pt single atom (Pt1), several Pt atoms (Ptn) and atomically-resolved Pt clusters (Ptc) on PdAu biocatalysts to investigate the correlation between atomic strain and enzyme-like catalytic activity by experimental technology and in-depth Density Functional Theory calculations. It is found that Ptc on PdAu (Ptc-PA) with reasonable atomic strain upshifts the d-band center and exposes high potential surface, indicating the sufficient active sites to achieve superior biocatalytic performances. Besides, the Pd shell and Au core serve as storage layers providing abundant energetic charge carriers. The Ptc-PA exhibits a prominent peroxidase (POD)-like activity with the catalytic efficiency (K cat/K m) of 1.50 × 109 mM−1 min−1, about four orders of magnitude higher than natural horseradish peroxidase (HRP), while catalase (CAT)-like and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activities of Ptc-PA are also comparable to those of natural enzymes. Biological experiments demonstrate that the detection limit of the Ptc-PA-based catalytic detection system exceeds that of visual inspection by 132-fold in clinical cancer diagnosis. Besides, Ptc-PA can reduce multi-organ acute inflammatory damage and mitigate oxidative stress disorder.

Abstract Autoimmune attack toward pancreatic β cells causes permanent loss of glucose homeostasis in type 1 diabetes (T1D). Insulin secretory granules store and secrete insulin but are also thought to be tissue messengers for T1D. Here, we show that the crinophagic granules (crinosome), a minor set of vesicles formed by fusing lysosomes with the conventional insulin dense-core granules (DCG), are pathogenic in T1D development in mouse models. Pharmacological inhibition of crinosome formation in β cells delays T1D progression without affecting the dominant DCGs. Mechanistically, crinophagy inhibition diminishes the epitope repertoire in pancreatic islets, including cryptic, modified and disease-relevant epitopes derived from insulin. These unconventional insulin epitopes are largely undetectable in the MHC-II epitope repertoire of the thymus, where only canonical insulin epitopes are presented. CD4+ T cells targeting unconventional insulin epitopes display autoreactive phenotypes, unlike tolerized T cells recognizing epitopes presented in the thymus. Thus, the crinophagic pathway emerges as a tissue-intrinsic mechanism that transforms insulin from a signature thymic self-protein to a critical autoantigen by creating a peripheral-thymic mismatch in the epitope repertoire.

Background:. Partly due to the limited effect of chemotherapy or other therapeutic strategies, which may be due to the insufficient knowledge of the tumor promotion markers and targets, pancreatic cancer (PC) holds the position of one of the most malignant tumors. This study aims to find a diagnosis/therapeutic molecule that can predict the prognosis of PC with different gene background. Methods:. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma (PAAD)–based single nucleotide polymorphisms and gene expression data were used to find the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between KRAS/TP53 mutant samples and no gene mutation samples. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA)-based Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis and R-based gene oncology (GO) or immune cell invasion assay were used to explore the above DEGs involved pathways. The single-center PC cohort accompanied with next-generation sequence testing was used to verify the TCGA PAAD–based bioinformatic results. Results:. First, we found PC patients who harbored KRAS and/or TP53 gene mutation have poor overall survival. Besides, the enrichment analysis showed that mutant KRAS/TP53 was correlated with PC tumor-promotion–related pathways and immune microenvironment. Next, we detected that prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) was one of the most differential genes in KRAS/TP53 mutant PC tissues. Indeed, the bioinformatic analysis and our clinical data showed that PSCA was a biomarker of poor prognosis in PC. Conclusion:. PSCA is a critical biomarker for predicting the prognosis of KRAS/TP53 mutant PC patients.

When simulating drying-rewetting process of grid cells in numerical groundwater modeling using the block-centered finite-difference approach, the models is highly probable to run into non-convergence, which could greatly affect the applicability of groundwater models. This study used ideal case and practical simulation in Denmark to comprehensively compare the simulation capabilities and characteristics of two algorithms, namely the empirical trial (ET) method proposed by MODFLOW and the always active cell (AAC) method proposed by COMUS, in the drying-rewetting simulation. The results show that: (1) For the ET method, the selection of parameter combination has a significant influence on the model convergence and the simulation results. It is compulsory to continuously optimize the parameter to avoid model failures such as non-convergence and large simulation errors when using the ET method, which greatly increases the difficulty of groundwater model application and time cost. (2) The simulation results from the AAC method are more reliable than those from the ET method. Theoretically, the effect of the AAC method is equivalent to the optimal parameter set in the ET method. Therefore, parameter optimization is no longer needed in the AAC method, which can effectively reduce the difficulty of using groundwater models and meanwhile reduce the uncertainty of simulation results. (3) The numerical accuracy of the intercell horizontal hydraulic conductance in the AAC method is consistent with that of the classical harmonic average method, demonstrating that the AAC method can also be used in the simulation without the drying-rewetting process. In summary, the AAC method is more suitable for simulating the drying-rewetting process of groundwater model cells and is expected to be more widely used in groundwater numerical simulation.

Abstract In this study, we successfully established a novel gallbladder cancer cell line, designated as GBC-X1, derived from a primary tumor of a gallbladder cancer patient. By comprehensively analyzing the cell line’s phenotype, molecular characteristics, biomarkers, and histological characteristics, we confirmed that GBC-X1 serves as a valuable model for investigating the pathogenesis of gallbladder cancer and developing therapeutic agents. GBC-X1 has been continuously cultured for one year, with over 60 stable passages. Morphologically, GBC-X1 exhibits typical features of epithelial tumors. The population doubling time of GBC-X1 is 32 h. STR analysis validated a high consistency between GBC-X1 and the patient’s primary tumor. Karyotype analysis revealed an abnormal hypertetraploid karyotype for GBC-X1, characterized by representative karyotypes of 98, XXXX del (4) p (12) del (5) p (21) der (10). Under suspension culture conditions, GBC-X1 efficiently forms tumor balls, while subcutaneous inoculation of GBC-X1 cells into NXG mice leads to xenograft formation with a rate of 80%. Drug sensitivity testing demonstrated that GBC-X1 is resistant to oxaliplatin and sensitive to 5-FU, gemcitabine, and paclitaxel. Immunohistochemistry revealed positive expression of CK7, CK19, E-cadherin, MMP-2, CD44, SOX2, and TP53 in GBC-X1 cells, weak positive expression of Vimentin, and a Ki67 positive rate of 35%. Our research highlights GBC-X1 as a novel gallbladder cancer cell line and emphasizes its potential as an effective experimental model for investigating the pathogenesis of gallbladder cancer and drug development.

Abstract Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a well-documented risk factor of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). The current study was aimed to clarify the effects and mechanisms of NADH: ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit A3 (NDUFA3) in human nucleus pulposus cells (HNPCs) exposed to high glucose. NDUFA3 was overexpressed in HNPCs via lenti-virus transduction, which were co-treated with high glucose and rotenone (a mitochondrial complex I inhibitor) for 48 h. Cell activities were assessed for cell viability, cell apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) ratio, oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and mitochondrial complexes I activities. High glucose decreased cell viability, increased apoptotic cells, increased ROS production, decreased MMP levels and OCR values in HNPCs in a dose-dependent manner. Rotenone co-treatment augmented the high glucose-induced injuries on cell viability, apoptosis, ROS production and mitochondrial function. NDUFA3 overexpression counteracted the high glucose-induced injuries in HNPCs. HDAC/H3K27ac mechanism was involved in regulating NDUFA3 transcription. NDUFA3 knockdown decreased cell viability and increased apoptotic cells, which were reversed by ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine. HDAC/H3K27ac-mediated transcription of NDUFA3 protects HNPCs against high glucose-induced injuries through suppressing cell apoptosis, eliminating ROS, improving mitochondrial function and oxidative phosphorylation. This study sheds light on candidate therapeutic targets and deepens the understanding of molecular mechanisms behind DM-induced IVDD.

Abstract Background This study aimed to compare the impact of olanzapine, magnesium valproate, and lamotrigine as adjunctive treatments for anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis. And it is expected to add supporting points related to the rebalance of neurotransmitters in the brain through adjuvant therapy in the clinical management of anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Methods This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with anti-NMDAR encephalitis who received standardized immunotherapy at Hunan Brain Hospital between January 2018 and December 2020. Results Compared to the olanzapine group, both the magnesium valproate and lamotrigine groups showed lower scores on the positive and negative symptom scale (PANSS) total score after 3 weeks of treatment (all P 0.05). Conclusion Compared with olanzapine, the addition of magnesium valproate or lamotrigine to immunotherapy might be associated with a lower PANSS score, higher MoCA score, and lower mRS score. The improvement of neurological functions and cognitive function may be related to the decreased Glx/Cr ratio.

Abstract Edge computing nodes close to the perception layer of IoT systems are susceptible to data leaks and unauthorized access. To address these security concerns, this paper proposes a trusted IoT data sharing method based on secure multi-party computation (SMC). By running a reliable third-party blockchain service at edge computing nodes, the data computation relationships between IoT devices in the perception layer are registered in blockchain smart contracts. This constructs a publicly verifiable IoT data sharing method combining on-chain audit verification and off-chain SMC. Furthermore, a Bloom filter is maintained at the on-chain smart contract layer to track the trust status of IoT devices in the perception layer, filtering out non-trustworthy device requests and enabling secure data sharing among trusted devices. Comparative analysis and performance tests demonstrate the proposed method’s high computational efficiency for IoT device nodes.

Abstract In the phase 3 Coronavirus Efficacy (COVE) trial (NCT04470427), post-dose two Ancestral Spike-specific binding (bAb) and neutralizing (nAb) antibodies were shown to be correlates of risk (CoR) and of protection against Ancestral-lineage COVID-19 in SARS-CoV-2 naive participants. In the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron era, Omicron subvariants with varying degrees of immune escape now dominate, seropositivity rates are high, and booster doses are administered, raising questions on whether and how these developments affect the bAb and nAb correlates. To address these questions, we assess post-boost BA.1 Spike-specific bAbs and nAbs as CoRs and as correlates of booster efficacy in COVE. For naive individuals, bAbs and nAbs inversely correlate with Omicron COVID-19: hazard ratios (HR) per 10-fold marker increase (95% confidence interval) are 0.16 (0.03, 0.79) and 0.31 (0.10, 0.96), respectively. In non-naive individuals the analogous results are similar: 0.15 (0.04, 0.63) and 0.28 (0.07, 1.08). For naive individuals, three vs two-dose booster efficacy correlates with predicted nAb titer at exposure, with estimates -8% (-126%, 48%), 50% (25%, 67%), and 74% (49%, 87%), at 56, 251, and 891 Arbitrary Units/ml. These results support the continued use of antibody as a surrogate endpoint.

Abstract Terahertz frequency band (0.1 ~ 10 THz) can provide ultra-high transmitting rates for massive emerging applications. However, due to the radio frequency impairments and limited signal processing property of baseband devices, it is difficult for the current terahertz communication systems to be used in real applications. In this work, we report a 0.22 THz communication system, which can provide 84 Gbps air interface rate over 1.26 kilometers distance. Such a system is underpinned by three breakthroughs, namely, integrating the reported terahertz wireless communication system, redesigning the signal processing in baseband devices, and increasing the cut-off frequency and transmitting power of radio frequency component by parameter optimizing. Being applied to realize the real-time transmission of the uncompressed 8K ultra high-definition video in the 31st International University Sports Federation in Chengdu, China, this work is a leaping advancement to enable terahertz systems from experiment to promising applications.

Abstract Background Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSCs) is associated with high mortality (20–30%) and lacks of effective treatments. Almost all LUSC exhibit somatic mutations in TP53. Wee1, a tyrosine kinase, regulates the cell cycle at the G2/M checkpoint. In TP53-deficient cells, the dependence on G2/M checkpoints increases. PD0166285 is the first reported drug with inhibitory activity against both Wee1 and PKMYT1. Methods Protein expression was determined by Western blot analysis. Cell proliferation was assessed using cell colony formation and CCK-8 assays. Cell cycle was performed by PI staining with flow cytometry. Apoptosis was evaluated using Annexin V-Phycoerythrin double staining and flow cytometry. DNA damage was detected through comet assay and immunofluorescence assay. In vivo, apoptosis and anti-tumor effects were assessed using the TUNEL assay, a nude mouse model, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Co-immunoprecipitation assay was used to detect protein–protein interactions. We analyzed Wee1, PKMYT1, and Stat1 expression in pan-cancer studies using the Ualcan public database and assessed their prognostic implications with Kaplan–Meier curves. Result PD0166285, a Wee1 inhibitor, effectively inhibits Wee1 activity, promoting cell entry into a mitotic crisis. Moreover, PD0166285 sensitizes cells to cisplatin, enhancing clinical outcomes. Our study demonstrated that PD016628 regulates the cell cycle through Rad51 and results in cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. We observed increased apoptosis in tumor cells treated with PD0166285, particularly when combined with cisplatin, indicating an enhanced apoptotic response. The upregulation of γ-H2AX serves as an indicator of mitotic catastrophe. Co-immunoprecipitation and data analysis revealed that apoptosis in LUSC is mediated through the Stat1 pathway, accompanied by decreased levels of Socs3. Furthermore, IHC staining confirmed significant differences in the expression of Phospho-CDK1 and γ-H2AX in LUSCs, suggesting involvement in DNA damage. Conclusions In summary, our study suggests that PD0166285, an inhibitor of Wee1, sensitizes LUSC cells to cisplatin and modulates DNA damage and apoptosis pathways through Rad51 and Stat1, respectively. These findings highlight the combination of PD0166285 and cisplatin as a promising therapeutic approach for treating LUSC.

Abstract In this multicenter, non-inferiority, randomized trial, we randomly assigned 992 women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) with a good prognosis (aged 20-40, ≥3 transferrable cleavage-stage embryos) to strategies of blastocyst-stage (n = 497) or cleavage-stage (n = 495) single embryo transfer. Primary outcome was cumulative live-birth rate after up to three transfers. Secondary outcomes were cumulative live-births after all embryo transfers within 1 year of randomization, pregnancy outcomes, obstetric-perinatal complications, and livebirths outcomes. Live-birth rates were 74.8% in blastocyst-stage group versus 66.3% in cleavage-stage group (relative risk 1.13, 95%CI:1.04-1.22; Pnon-inferiority 3 days. Among good prognosis women, a strategy of single blastocyst transfer increases cumulative live-birth rates over single cleavage-stage transfer. Blastocyst transfer resulted in higher preterm birth rates. This information should be used to counsel patients on their choice between cleavage-stage and blastocyst-stage transfer (NCT03152643, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03152643 ).

Abstract Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a clinical condition characterized by a rapid decline in kidney function, which is associated with local inflammation and programmed cell death in the kidney. The G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the largest family of signaling transduction proteins in the body, and approximately 40% of drugs on the market target GPCRs. The expressions of various GPCRs, prostaglandin receptors and purinergic receptors, to name a few, are significantly altered in AKI models. And the role of GPCRs in AKI is catching the eyes of researchers due to their distinctive biological functions, such as regulation of hemodynamics, metabolic reprogramming, and inflammation. Therefore, in this review, we aim to discuss the role of GPCRs in the pathogenesis of AKI and summarize the relevant clinical trials involving GPCRs to assess the potential of GPCRs and their ligands as therapeutic targets in AKI and the transition to AKI-CKD.

Abstract Background Cervical cancer (CC) and breast cancer (BC) threaten women’s well-being, influenced by health-related stigma and a lack of reliable information, which can cause late diagnosis and early death. ChatGPT is likely to become a key source of health information, although quality concerns could also influence health-seeking behaviours. Methods This cross-sectional online survey compared ChatGPT’s responses to five physicians specializing in mammography and five specializing in gynaecology. Twenty frequently asked questions about CC and BC were asked on 26th and 29th of April, 2023. A panel of seven experts assessed the accuracy, consistency, and relevance of ChatGPT’s responses using a 7-point Likert scale. Responses were analyzed for readability, reliability, and efficiency. ChatGPT’s responses were synthesized, and findings are presented as a radar chart. Results ChatGPT had an accuracy score of 7.0 (range: 6.6-7.0) for CC and BC questions, surpassing the highest-scoring physicians (P

Abstract. Background:. Endoscopic papillectomy (EP) is recommended as the first-line therapy for ampullary tumors, despite a relatively high incidence of complications. Pancreatic and/or biliary stents are placed at the endoscopist's discretion to prevent post-EP complications. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of different stents. Methods:. A total of 117 patients who underwent EP and met the criteria between June 2006 and October 2022 were enrolled in the study. These patients were divided into a pancreatic stent group (PS group, n = 47), a biliary stent group (BS group, n = 38), and a two-stent group (PBS [PS and BS] group, n = 32). Relevant clinical data were collected and compared among the three groups. Multivariate logistic analyses were performed to explore risk factors for post-EP complications. Results:. The incidence of all complications was 37.6% (44/117). Pancreatitis and hemorrhage were the two most common complications with incidence rates of 14.5% (17/117) and 17.9% (21/117). The incidence rates of post-EP pancreatitis were 10.6% (5/47), 23.7% (9/38), and 9.4% (3/32) in the PS group, BS group, and PBS group, respectively, with no significant differences. There were also no significant differences in other complications among the three groups. Age (odds ratio [OR]: 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.91–0.99; P = 0.022) was independently associated with post-EP pancreatitis while tumor size (OR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.06–2.60; P = 0.028) was independently associated with post-EP hemorrhage. Conclusions:. While pancreatic stenting is the first choice to prevent post-EP pancreatitis, biliary stenting could also be considered as a substitute for patients with difficulties in pancreatic cannulation. Two-stent (biliary and pancreatic stent) placement is unnecessary unless it is required due to other concerns.

This paper examines the impact of corporate digital transformation on employee satisfaction. Therefore, this study extends our understanding of the economic consequences of corporate digital transformation from employees’ perspectives. The data used to construct our main proxy of employee satisfaction are collected from Kanzhun.com, which provides reviews by rank-and-file employees on their employers. This study uses a large sample of Chinese firms and adopts various empirical methods to examine the impact of digital transformation on employee satisfaction. We find a significant positive relationship between corporate digital transformation and employee satisfaction. Moreover, we document that the relationship between corporate digital transformation and employee satisfaction is more pronounced in firms with higher labor intensity and in state-owned enterprises (SOE). One significant limitation is that corporate digital transformation is constructed based on word frequency analysis. This approach may be influenced by variations in corporate disclosure practices and might not accurately capture the true extent of corporate digital transformation. This limitation is not only present in our research but is also pervasive in many other studies that utilize similar methodologies. Therefore, our results should be interpreted with this caveat in mind. Our study suggests that corporate digital transformation enhances employee satisfaction, providing direct evidence for managers and regulators to promote corporate digital transformation. Through digital transformation, companies can not only improve operational efficiency but also foster employee satisfaction. This dual benefit underscores the importance of investing in corporate digital transformation for long-term success. Our study suggests that corporate digital transformation enhances employee satisfaction, providing direct evidence for managers and regulators to promote corporate digital transformation. Through digital transformation, companies can not only improve operational efficiency but also foster employee satisfaction. This dual benefit underscores the importance of investing in corporate digital transformation for long-term success. Our study contributes to the literature on the economic consequences of corporate digital transformation and extends existing research on the determinants of employee satisfaction. Additionally, it provides a novel measurement of employee satisfaction for a large sample of Chinese firms.

From January 31 to February 6 (P1, hereinafter) and from February 19 to February 25, 2024 (P2, hereinafter), China experienced two large-scale and sustained low temperature, rainfall/snowfall, and freezing weather events, which seriously affected the Spring Festival transportation. This paper compared the two events using multi-source observations and ERA5 reanalysis data, with a particular focus on the mechanisms of the differences in precipitation intensity and the phases between rainfall, snowfall, and freezing rain in southern China. The results are as follows. (1) Both events exhibit extreme features in total precipitation and are accompanied by complex phase changes, with the range and the intensity of the freezing rain being the largest since 2009. Compared to P2, the intensity of freezing rain and the snow depth in P1 are greater. However, the range of freezing rain, the precipitation amount, and the convective intensity in P2 are greater. (2) Both the circulation patterns of the two events are affected by the high-altitude trough and low-level cold air. The southwest jet stream in front of the trough and the periphery of the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) is stable and significantly stronger than normal, providing sustained and abundant water vapor. The ascent of warm-humid air over a cold cushion and the horizontal convergence of low-level winds are crucial dynamic mechanisms for snowfall and rainfall. Besides, the stable maintenance of the inversion layer and the melting layer is the key to the occurrence of freezing rain and the changes in the precipitation phase. (3) Different mechanisms also exist in the two events. In P1, the air temperature in the freezing layer is between -4~0 ℃ in most areas, which is higher than that in P2 and is more conducive to the formation of freezing rain. In P2, the inversion zone is wide but moves more quickly, with a larger range while weaker freezing rain. In P2, the WPSH is located further northwest, favoring the strengthening and northward shift of the southwest warm-humid jet. Meanwhile, the strong cold wave also leads to a stronger cold cushion. The interaction between the cold and warm airs is conducive to the development of upward movement and the enhancement of precipitation. The longer duration of the melting layer leads to more cloud water content, but the temperature in the freezing layer is lower, which is beneficial for the formation of ice particles or wet snow.

Two persistent low temperature, rainfall/snowfall and freezing processes occurred in the central and eastern regions of China from January 1-4 and February 19-24, 2024, which are mainly characterized by precipitation of wide range, long duration, extreme rainfall amount, and complex precipitation phase, and combined with significantly low temperature. These events brought serious impacts on the traffic during the Spring Festival. Using observation data from the National Meteorological Information Center, NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data, this work analyzed the characteristics of the large-scale circulation anomaly to reveal the reasons for the northward movement of Western Pacific subtropical high and the stratospheric precursor signal of the strong cold air. The results show that: (1) The situation of "low in the west and high in the east" at 500 hPa over the Chinese mainland was conducive to the occurrence of sustained precipitation in the central and eastern regions. During the first process (from January 31 to February 6, 2024), there was no obvious blocking near the Ural Mountains. The second process (from February 19 to February 25, 2024) was sustained by the development of blocking high in the north of Lake Baikal. During both processes, the West Pacific subtropical high was stronger and further north than usual. Combined with the southern trough, it was conducive to the transport of warm and humid air to the central and eastern regions of China. The cold air at the lower level moved south and the warm and humid air climbed along the cold pad at the lower level, providing important dynamic lifting and temperature stratification conditions for a wide range of rain and snow. (2) The main source of water vapor for the first process was the abnormal westerly wind transport from the north of the Bay of Bengal. For the second process, the abnormal water vapor transport from the northwest Pacific contributed greater, with a stronger water vapor transport flux intensity. (3) The northward deviation of the West Pacific subtropical high was possibly influenced by the Rossby wave energy in the middle and upper troposphere from West Africa to Northern Europe propagating downstream in the middle latitudes and subtropical regions. (4) The descent of the stratospheric polar vortex occurring around the 3rd pentad of February 2024 could be used as a precursor signal for the cold wave activity of the second process. The descent of the stratospheric polar vortex was ahead of the troposphere, providing a new basis for forecasting the cold air activities in China during winter.

This paper mainly studies the sum-of-linear-ratios problems, which have important applications in finance, economy and computational vision. In this process, we first propose a new method to re-represent the original problem as an equivalent problem (EP). Secondly, by relaxing these constraints, a nonlinear relaxation subproblem is constructed for EP. In view of the special structure of the relaxation, it is reconstructed as a second-order cone programming (SOCP) problem, which is essentially a SOCP relaxation of EP. Thirdly, through the structural characteristics of the objective function of EP, a region reduction technique is designed to accelerate the termination of the algorithm as much as possible. By integrating the SOCP relaxation and acceleration strategy into the branch and bound framework, a new global optimization algorithm is developed. Further, the theoretical convergence and computational complexity of the algorithm are analyzed. Numerical experiment results reveal that the algorithm is effective and feasible.

The traditional geothermal reservoir volume method is suitable for the evaluation of geothermal resources in large-scale regions, but there is a significant error when it is used for the evaluation of mine geothermal resources. On the basis of analyzing the characteristics of the geothermal system of the Cambrian karst geothermal reservoir, i.e., heat sources, fluid channels, reservoirs, caprocks and the heat fluid in the Pingdingshan mining area, a conceptual model of geothermal genesis in the Pingdingshan coalfield was established. Based on the geothermal geological conditions and drilling data ground and underground in No.10 Coal Mine of Pingdingshan Tianan Coal Mining Co., LTD., a three-dimensional geological model of the strata in the study area was established using Groundwater Modeling System software. The distribution of Cambrian karst strata and its overburden strata was displayed, and the Cambrian karst strata space was gridded and digitized. The integrated geothermal reservoir volume method for evaluating geothermal resources in mines was proposed and used to estimate the static resource quantity of the Cambrian karst geothermal reservoir in the study area, and the dynamic resource quantity of the geothermal reservoir was also evaluated. The relationship curve between the geothermal reservoir resource quantity and water level elevation was obtained. A complete water quality analysis was conducted on the karst geothermal water in the study area, and the corrosiveness and scaling properties of the geothermal water were evaluated. The results show that the Cambrian carbonate strata in the study area are the karst geothermal reservoir, and the heat mainly comes from high-temperature rock mass deep in the Cambrian Zhushadong Formation; surface atmospheric precipitation enters the deep rock mass through Cambrian limestone outcrops and deep faults around the mining area, and is heated along the way and stored in Cambrian limestone, after which the water continue to receive the heat from deep bedrock and then forms a hydrothermal karst geothermal reservoir; the static hot water resource of Cambrian karst strata in the study area is 7.68 billion m3, containing heat of 1.19×1018 J; the heat contained in the rock is 3.25×1018 J, with a total geothermal resource of 4.44×1018 J; the recoverable geothermal resources are 6.66×1017 J, equivalent to 22.7 million tons of standard coal; the Cambrian karst hot water has slight corrosiveness, with a slight to moderate degree of scaling. Corrosion and scale prevention treatments are required for metal pipelines and containers of the geothermal water.

Abstract Background Occupational stress can affect specialty nurses’ quality of work, especially for those working in care units. This study, therefore, investigated role stress and its related factors among specialty nurses working in tertiary general hospitals. Methods This cross-sectional descriptive study used convenience sampling to recruit 795 Chinese specialty nurses in 11 tertiary general hospitals (from February to March 2023). A questionnaire survey was conducted using the Basic Information Questionnaire and the Role Stress Scale. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed on the survey data to explore the factors affecting role stress. Results The total role stress score of specialty nurses in tertiary general hospitals was 52.05 ± 19.98. The highest mean item score was quantitative overload, followed by qualitative overload, role conflict, and role ambiguity, which had the lowest score. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that gender (β = -0.085, p

Abstract Objective There is a dearth of comprehensive research on the stability of the spinal biomechanical structure when combining Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusion (OLIF) with internal fixation methods. Hence, we have devised this experiment to meticulously examine and analyze the biomechanical changes that arise from combining OLIF surgery with different internal fixation techniques in patients diagnosed with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. Methods Seven validated finite element models were reconstructed based on computed tomography scan images of the L3-L5 segment. These models included the intact model, a stand-alone (S-A) OLIF model, a lateral screw rod (LSR) OLIF model, a bilateral pedicle screw (BPS) OLIF model, an unilateral pedicle screw (UPS) OLIF model, a bilateral CBT (BCBT) OLIF model, and an unilateral CBT(UCBT) OLIF model. The range of motion (ROM), as well as stress levels in the cage, L4 lower endplate, L5 upper endplate, and fixation constructs were assessed across these different model configurations. Results S-A model had the highest average ROM of six motion modes, followed by LSR, UPS, UCBT, BPS and BCBT. The BCBT model had a relatively lower cage stress than the others. The maximum peak von Mises stress of the fixation constructs was found in the LSR model. The maximum peak von Mises stress of L4 lower endplate was found in the S-A model. The peak von Mises stress on the L4 lower endplate of the rest surgical models showed no significant difference. The maximum peak von Mises stress of the L5 upper endplate was found in the S-A model. The minimum peak von Mises stress of the L5 upper endplate was found in the BCBT model. No significant difference was found for the peak von Mises stress of the L5 upper endplate among LSR, BPS, UPS and UCBT models. Conclusion Among the six different fixation techniques, BCBT exhibited superior biomechanical stability and minimal stress on the cage-endplate interface. It was followed by BPS, UCBT, UPS, and LSR in terms of effectiveness. Conversely, S-A OLIF demonstrated the least stability and resulted in increased stress on both the cage and endplates. Combining OLIF with BCBT fixation technique enhanced biomechanical stability compared to BPS and presented as a less invasive alternative treatment for patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis.

Abstract Purpose Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) commonly impacts the quality of life in older men. However, there is lack of research on relationship between dietary niacin intake and the risk of BPH. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between dietary niacin intake and the risk of BPH. Methods Data from the NHANES spanning 2003 to 2008 were utilized. BPH was determined using a self-report questionnaire, while dietary niacin intake was calculated based on the mean of two distinct diet interviews. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed to explore the association, supplemented with restricted cubic splines and subgroup analysis. Results A total of 700 males were enrolled, of which 653 men had BPH. After adjusting for all covariates, a high dietary intake of niacin was associated with an increased risk of BPH (OR: 1.04; 95%CI: 1.01–1.07). Furthermore, when the lowest dietary niacin intake is used as the reference, the highest tertile is associated with an increased risk of BPH (OR: 2.34, 95% CI: 1.24-4,42). Restricted cubic splines demonstrated a positive correlation between dietary niacin intake and BPH risk. Conclusions The study results demonstrated a positive association between dietary niacin intake and the risk of BPH in elderly men in the US. These findings underscore the importance of systematic assessment before supplementing micronutrients in elderly men.

Abstract Objective Employing whole‐exome sequencing (WES) technology to investigate the etiology of infantile epileptic spasm syndrome (IESS), and determining whether different etiologies exhibit phenotypic variations, while elucidating the potential associated factors, might improve short‐term responses to first‐line treatment. Methods We retrospectively evaluated patients with IESS admitted for treatment between January 2018 and June 2023. Clinical phenotypic differences among etiological classifications and clinical manifestations were analyzed. Variable selection using the best subset method was performed, followed by logistic regression analysis to identify the factors influencing treatment response. Results A total of 577 patients were included; 412 completed trio‐WES. Magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities were detected in 387 patients (67.1%). Patients with etiology as structural abnormalities were likelier to have non‐spasms at the initial seizure onset. A total of 532 patients completed the first‐line treatment; 273 patients received it for the first time at our hospital (initial response rates: 30.1% and 42.1%, respectively). The response group had a lower proportion of early‐onset seizures (≤3 months) than the no‐response group (11.3% vs. 23.7%, p

Abstract The synthesis of multi-carbon (C2+) fuels via electrocatalytic reduction of CO, H2O using renewable electricity, represents a significant stride in sustainable energy storage and carbon recycling. The foremost challenge in this field is the production of extended-chain carbon compounds (Cn, n ≥ 3), wherein elevated *CO coverage (θco) and its subsequent multiple-step coupling are both critical. Notwithstanding, there exists a “seesaw” dynamic between intensifying *CO adsorption to augment θco and surmounting the C-C coupling barrier, which have not been simultaneously realized within a singular catalyst yet. Here, we introduce a facilely synthesized lattice-strain-stabilized nitrogen-doped Cu (LSN-Cu) with abundant defect sites and robust nitrogen integration. The low-coordination sites enhance θco and concurrently, the compressive strain substantially fortifies nitrogen dopants on the catalyst surface, promoting C-C coupling activity. The n-propanol formation on the LSN-Cu electrode exhibits a 54% faradaic efficiency and a 29% half-cell energy efficiency. Moreover, within a membrane electrode assembly setup, a stable n-propanol electrosynthesis over 180 h at a total current density of 300 mA cm−2 is obtained.

The shear strength deterioration of bedding planes between different rock types induced by cyclic loading is vital to reasonably evaluate the stability of soft and hard interbedded bedding rock slopes under earthquake; however, rare work has been devoted to this subject due to lack of attention. In this study, experimental investigations on shear strength weakening of discontinuities with different joint wall material (DDJM) under cyclic loading were conducted by taking the interface between siltstone and mudstone in the Shaba slope of Yunnan Province, China as research objects. A total of 99 pairs of similar material samples of DDJM (81 pairs) and discontinuities with identical joint wall material (DIJM) (18 pairs) were fabricated by inserting plates, engraved with typical surface morphology obtained by performing three-dimensional laser scanning on natural DDJMs sampled from field, into mold boxes. Cyclic shear tests were conducted on these samples to study their shear strength changes with the cyclic number considering the effects of normal stress, joint surface morphology, shear displacement amplitude and shear rate. The results indicate that the shear stress vs. shear displacement curves under each shear cycle and the peak shear strength vs. cyclic number curves of the studied DDJMs are between those of DIJMs with siltstone and mudstone, while closer to those of DIJMs with mudstone. The peak shear strengths of DDJMs exhibit an initial rapid decline followed by a gradual decrease with the cyclic number and the decrease rate varies from 6% to 55.9% for samples with varied surface morphology under different testing conditions. The normal stress, joint surface morphology, shear displacement amplitude and shear rate collectively influence the shear strength deterioration of DDJM under cyclic shear loading, with the degree of influence being greater for larger normal stress, rougher surface morphology, larger shear displacement amplitude and faster shear rate.

Abstract Cancer affects patients as well as their spouses. Patients and their spouses use different strategies to cope with cancer and the associated burden. This study aimed to gain a deeper and more differentiated understanding of support systems for patients and their spouses. This was an exploratory qualitative study conducted in China. The study was based on 20 semistructured face-to-face interviews. Ten pancreatic cancer patients and their spouses were interviewed. The interviews took place at a tertiary hospital from June 2023 to December 2023. The data were analysed using thematic analysis according to Braun and Clarke's methodology. This study was guided by the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist. Twenty participants of different ages (patients: range = 49–75 years; spouses: range = 47–73 years) participated. Patients with different cancer stages (e.g., potentially resectable, borderline resectable, locally advanced) and cancer types (initial diagnosis or relapse) participated in the study. Five themes emerged from the data, namely, denial and silence, fear and worry, struggle, coping strategies and cherishing the present. Active dyadic coping is conducive to promoting disease adaptation, and spouses seem to need more psychological support to improve their own well-being. Health care providers should pay attention to pancreatic cancer patients and their spouses in terms of five themes: denial and silence, fear and worry, struggle, coping strategies and cherishing the present. Future studies should use a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to explore dyadic coping in greater depth.

Abstract The increasing prevalence of myopia worldwide presents a significant public health challenge. A key strategy to combat myopia is with early detection and prediction in children as such examination allows for effective intervention using readily accessible imaging technique. To this end, we introduced DeepMyopia, an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled decision support system to detect and predict myopia onset and facilitate targeted interventions for children at risk using routine retinal fundus images. Based on deep learning architecture, DeepMyopia had been trained and internally validated on a large cohort of retinal fundus images (n = 1,638,315) and then externally tested on datasets from seven sites in China (n = 22,060). Our results demonstrated robustness of DeepMyopia, with AUCs of 0.908, 0.813, and 0.810 for 1-, 2-, and 3-year myopia onset prediction with the internal test set, and AUCs of 0.796, 0.808, and 0.767 with the external test set. DeepMyopia also effectively stratified children into low- and high-risk groups (p

Abstract The transition away from coal involves the widespread closure of coal mines. While the potential adverse consequences of these closures on industry and the local economy have received considerable attention, empirical evidence on the benefits of water resources remains limited. Here, we quantify the effect of coal mine closure on terrestrial water storage (TWS) in China using satellite data and a staggered difference-in-differences approach. Our findings indicate a rapid restoration in TWS following closure, with coal mine closures increasing TWS by an average of 18.8 ± 8.9 mm per year. This increase in TWS is primarily attributable to augmented groundwater storage and reduced industrial water usage. Furthermore, our analysis suggests that these TWS gains exceed the indirect impacts of climate change mitigation efforts on water resources, potentially complementing such strategies in water-stressed regions. Overall, our study underscores the positive environmental impact of coal mine closures on water availability in China, potentially facilitating the transition away from coal production and enhancing the sustainability of the energy transition.

In order to investigate the suitable tea types of wolfberry, this study prepared 4 kinds of wolfberry tea made from two kinds of wolfberry plant respectively with green tea or white tea processing technology. Headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-TOF-MS), biochemical compositional analysis and sensory evaluation combined with principal component analysis (PCA), aroma activity value (OAV) and multivariate statistical analysis were used to analyze the flavor characteristics of the four types of wolfberry tea processed from bud and leaf. The results showed that green tea processed by M plant had the highest sensory quality score, followed by white tea processed by M and A plant respectively, and green tea processed by A plant had the lowest score. The highest flavonoid contents were found in green tea processed by M, meanwhile, the highest water extracts were found in green tea processed by A. A total of 58 volatiles were detected in the four teas, among which geranylacetone, n-hexanol, dihydrokiwi lactone, phenylethanol, benzyl alcohol, naphthalene, and α-pinitol were the characteristic aroma components of AB and MB presenting sweet floral and light aroma. 1-octen-3-ol was the characteristic aroma component of AL presenting fruity aroma, and 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 3,5-octadien-2-one, β-cyclic citral, benzaldehyde, foliate acetate and hexyl acetate were the characteristic aroma components of ML presenting floral, fruity and light aroma. It could be seen that M plant was suitable for green tea and white tea, A plant was suitable for white tea, A and M processed white tea were floral, light flavor characteristics, A plant processed green tea was fruity flavor characteristics, M plant processed green tea was floral, fruity, light flavor characteristics. This study clarified the suitable tea types of wolfberry A and M plant and the flavor characteristics of wolfberry buds and leaves tea, and provided reference for the excavation and utilization of wolfberry buds and leaves tea.

Low tumor immunogenicity, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and bacterial infections have emerged as significant challenges in postsurgical immunotherapy and skin regeneration for preventing melanoma recurrence. Herein, an immunotherapeutic hydrogel booster (GelMA-CJCNPs) was developed to prevent postoperative tumor recurrence and promote wound healing by incorporating ternary carrier-free nanoparticles (CJCNPs) containing chlorine e6 (Ce6), a BRD4 inhibitor (JQ1), and a glutaminase inhibitor (C968) into methacrylic anhydride-modified gelatin (GelMA) dressings. GelMA-CJCNPs reduced glutathione production by inhibiting glutamine metabolism, thereby preventing the destruction of reactive oxygen species generated by photodynamic therapy, which could amplify oxidative stress to induce severe cell death and enhance immunogenic cell death. In addition, GelMA-CJCNPs reduced M2-type tumor-associated macrophage polarization by blocking glutamine metabolism to reverse the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, recruiting more tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes. GelMA-CJCNPs also downregulated IFN-γ-induced expression of programmed cell death ligand 1 to mitigate acquired immune resistance. Benefiting from the amplified systemic antitumor immunity, GelMA-CJCNPs markedly inhibited the growth of both primary and distant tumors. Moreover, GelMA-CJCNPs demonstrated satisfactory photodynamic antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus infections, thereby promoting postsurgical wound healing. Hence, this immunotherapeutic hydrogel booster, as a facile and effective postoperative adjuvant, possesses a promising potential for inhibiting tumor recurrence and accelerating skin regeneration.

In object segmentation, the existence of hard-classified-pixels limits the segmentation performance. Focusing on these hard pixels through assigning different weights to pixel loss can guide the learning of segmentation model effectively. Existing loss weight assignment methods perceive pixels hardness by current predicted information, pay less attention to past predicted information. While current studies show that samples with less improvement in predicted probability compared to the past are difficult to learn. To define hard pixels more accurately, a hardness-aware loss for object segmentation is proposed. Firstly, the metric of pixel hardness degree is defined, and a mapping function is proposed to quantitatively evaluate the hardness degree which is defined on the difference between current and past predicted probabilities. Then a new compound metric, hardness value, is defined based on hardness degree and the uncertainty. Based on the compound metric, a new loss function is proposed. Experiment results on four datasets using convolutional neural network and Transformer as the backbone models demonstrate that the proposed method effectively improves the accuracy of object segmentation. Especially, in the segmentation model based on ResNet-50, the proposed method improves mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) by almost 4.3 % compared to cross entropy on DUT-O dataset.

Background: Mounting evidence underscores the importance of cell communication within the tumor microenvironment, which is pivotal in tumor proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Exosomes play a crucial role in cell-to-cell communication. Although single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides insights into individual cell transcriptional characteristics, it falls short of comprehensively capturing exosome-mediated intercellular communication. Method: We analyzed Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tissues, separating supernatant and precipitate for exosome purification and single-cell nucleus suspension. We then constructed Single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and small RNA-seq libraries from these components. Our bioinformatic analysis integrated these sequences with ligand-receptor analysis and public miRNA data to map the cell communication network. Results: We established intercellular communication networks using bioinformatic analysis to track exosome miRNA effects and ligand-receptor pairs. Significantly, hsa-miR-1293 emerged as a prognostic biomarker for pancreatic cancer, linked to immune evasion, increased myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and poorer prognosis. Targeting this miRNA may enhance anti-tumor immunity and improve outcomes. Conclusion: Our study offers a novel approach to constructing intercellular communication networks using snRNA-seq and exosome-small RNA sequencing. By integrating miRNA tracing with ligand-receptor analysis, we illuminate the complex interactions in the pancreatic cancer microenvironment, highlighting the pivotal role of miRNAs and identifying potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

The outbreak of algal blooms caused by cyanobacteria has led to a significant concern regarding water safety due to the release of microcystins. This study aimed to investigate the release and removal of microcystins (RR, LR) using coagulant polyaluminum chloride (PAC) with the assistance of nano-Fe3O4 particles. The findings indicate that the addition of PAC alone resulted in the rupture of Microcystis aeruginosa cells, leading to the release of microcystins into the water. PAC alone faced challenges in coagulating and removing the extracellular microcystins, especially at low dosages, but increasing the dosage of PAC could promote the release of intracellular microcystins. When combined with nano-Fe3O4, even a low concentration of PAC exhibited effective removal of microcystins in water. The presence of nano-Fe3O4 facilitated the hydrolysis of PAC, resulting in the production of Alc, which enhanced the coagulation performance of PAC. Furthermore, the addition of nano-Fe3O4 significantly improved the removal rate of microcystins by coagulant PAC under different pH conditions. Notably, at pH 5, the residual amount of microcystins was only about 7% compared to PAC alone. This study holds great significance in terms of achieving safer and more economical removal of microcystins from water.

Abstract Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia holds great promise for developing green technologies for electrochemical ammonia energy conversion and storage. Considering that real nitrate resources often exhibit low concentrations, it is challenging to achieve high activity in low-concentration nitrate solutions due to the competing reaction of the hydrogen evolution reaction, let alone considering the catalyst lifetime. Herein, we present a high nitrate reduction performance electrocatalyst based on a Co nanosheet structure with a gradient dispersion of Ru, which yields a high NH3 Faraday efficiency of over 93% at an industrially relevant NH3 current density of 1.0 A/cm2 in 2000 ppm NO3 - electrolyte, while maintaining good stability for 720 h under −300 mA/cm2. The electrocatalyst maintains high activity even in 62 ppm NO3 - electrolyte. Electrochemical studies, density functional theory, electrochemical in situ Raman, and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy confirm that the gradient concentration design of the catalyst reduces the reaction energy barrier to improve its activity and suppresses the catalyst evolution caused by the expansion of the Co lattice to enhance its stability. The gradient-driven design in this work provides a direction for improving the performance of electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia.

Abstract The paradigm of lunar crust formation has been widely applied to other terrestrial bodies, but the nature of early crust building on the Moon remains enigmatic. Here we report non-Apollo-like highland clasts from the Chang’e-5 mission and find high-alumina melts enclosed in a noritic anorthosite. Geochemistry and phase equilibria modeling suggest that the melt is compositionally parental to lunar magnesian-suite rocks, and was sourced from a plagioclase-bearing, orthopyroxene-dominated upper mantle ( ~ 4.5 kbar and 1225°C). It was formed as a direct consequence of upper mantle melting at the onset of gravitational instability. We propose a continuous early crust formation on the Moon, started from multiple anorthositic cumulate flotations, to upper mantle melting caused by small-scale, in-situ overturn, and eventually ended up by decompression melting of lower mantle cumulates following large-scale, global overturn.

Abstract Background The prevalence and severity of pediatric Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) poses a significant threat to the health and lives of children. In this study, we aim to systematically evaluate the value of routine blood parameters in predicting MPP and develop a robust and generalizable ensemble artificial intelligence (AI) model to assist in identifying patients with MPP. Methods We collected 27 features, including routine blood parameters and hs-CRP levels, from patients admitted to The Affiliated Dazu’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University with or without MPP between January, 2023 and January, 2024. A classification model was built using seven machine learning (ML) algorithms to develop an integrated prediction tool for diagnosing MPP. It was evaluated on both an internal validation set (982 individuals) and an external validation set (195 individuals). The primary outcome measured the accuracy of the model in predicting MPP. Results The GBDT is state-of-the-art based on 27 features. Following inter-laboratory cohort testing, the GBDT demonstrated an AUC, accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, PPV, NPV, and F1-score of 0.980 (0.938–0.995), 0.928 (0.796–0.970), 0.929 (0.717-1.000), 0.926 (0.889–0.956), 0.922 (0.727-1.000), 0.937 (0.884–0.963), and 0.923 (0.800-0.966) in stratified 10-fold cross-validation. A GBDT-based AI Lab was developed to facilitate the healthcare providers in remote and impoverished areas. Conclusions The GBDT-based AI Lab tool, with high sensitivity and specificity, could help discriminate between pediatric MPP infection and non-MPP infection based on routine blood parameters. Moreover, a user-friendly webpage tool for AI Lab could facilitate healthcare providers in remote and impoverished areas where advanced technologies are not accessible.

Abstract This study aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the status and trends of Two-Dimensional Nano Black Phosphorus (2D nano BP) in cancer research from 2015 to 2023, offering insights for future studies. To achieve this, articles from the Web of Science database published between 2015 and 2023 were analyzed using R and VOSviewer software. The analysis included 446 articles, revealing a consistent increase in publication rates, especially between 2017 and 2019. China emerged as a leader in both publication volume and international collaborations. Prominent journals in this field included ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces and Advanced Materials, while key researchers were identified as Zhang Han, Tao Wei, and Yu Xuefeng. The analysis highlighted common keywords such as drug delivery, photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, and immunotherapy, indicating the major research focuses. The findings suggest that 2D nano BP holds significant promise in cancer treatment research, with a growing global interest. This study thus serves as a valuable reference for future investigations, providing a detailed analysis of the current state and emerging trends in this promising field.

Abstract Background There is a scarcity of prospective clinical research evidence regarding the utilization of transvaginal natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) as a treatment option for ovarian cysts. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety of employing vNOTES for the management of ovarian cysts. Methods Our study included women between the ages of 18 and 70 who intended to undergo surgical intervention for benign lesions. Stratified blocked randomization was employed to allocate participants into groups. The main objective was to assess whether the assigned group adhered to the recommended surgical technique for ovarian cystectomy or adnexectomy, without any deviation to alternative surgical methods. Results A total of 196 patients were included in the study, with all surgeries in each group being conducted according to the assigned procedures. Among them, the ovarian cystectomy layer included 58 cases in the vNOTES group and 58 cases in the conventional laparoscopy (CL) groups. The adnexectomy layer included 40 cases in the vNOTES group and 40 cases in the CL group. Utilizing a sensitivity analysis, the two-sided 95% lower confidence limit was determined to be 5.5% for the disparity in proportions between the vNOTES groups and CL groups. These lower limits fell below the predetermined non-inferiority margin of 10%. Conclusions The study findings demonstrate that vNOTES was not inferior to CL in terms of adnexectomy or ovarian cystectomy. vNOTES can be considered a more minimally invasive surgical approach, as it results in reduced postoperative pain, faster recovery, and absence of visible incisions. Overall, vNOTES proves to be a safe, feasible, and less invasive treatment option. Trial registration This study retrospectively registered with the China Clinical Trial Registry with the registration number ChiCTR2100052223(22-10-2021).

Abstract Background Most sows will experience negative energy balance during lactation resulting in impaired follicular development. This study aimed to treat 28-day lactating sows with altrenogest (ALT) to suppress follicle enlargement during lactation, and to assess the estrus and reproductive performance post-weaning. Methods In this study, we conducted two trials. In trial 1, we monitored the follicular development of lactating sows including 10 primiparous sows and 10 multiparous sows during the whole lactation to confirm the ALT administration time. In trial 2, a total of 42 primiparous and 111 multiparous sows were allocated to three treatments: Ctrl (control group, n = 51): no treatment; TAI (timed artificial insemination group, n = 51): sows were injected with equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) after weaning 24 h and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) when they expressed estrus; and AT-TAI (ALT treatment-timed artificial insemination group, n = 51): base on the process of TAI group, the sows were fed with 20 mg ALT per day before weaning 10 days. All sows were artificially inseminated twice at 12 h and 36 h after estrus. The follicle size changes and serum hormone levels were explored in this process. Results Although the follicle size of multiparous sows was larger than primiparous sows during the whole lactation (P 0.05). Additionally, ALT treatment increases estrus concentration and the preovulatory follicle size (P 0.05). Conclusions There were significant differences in the size of follicles in the lactation between primiparous and multiparous sows. ALT treatment during the last ten days of lactation concentrated estrus expression leading to higher work efficiency of breeder in batch production, however, with no improvement in reproductive performance.

The digital positron emission tomography (PET) innovation technology system, which gradually evolved from the Multi-Voltage Threshold (MVT) sampling method, has driven the development of many fields, including key materials, core devices, electronics, intelligent algorithms, and industry standards, forming a new PET industry ecology characterized by modular hardware and intelligent software. In 2010, the world's first All-Digital PET scientific instrument, based on the MVT method, was successfully developed and showed an obvious spatial resolution advantage. With the modular characteristics of the All-Digital PET’s detector, it has successively developed digital PET scientific instruments with different apertures, different fields of view (FOV), and different geometric structures for small animals, large animals, primates, and plants, and has been put into various scientific research applications. In 2015, the world's first All-Digital PET medical device prototype for human scanning was successfully developed. In the following 7 years, several clinical All-Digital PET products have been developed and put into the market. These All-Digital PET products break the fixed architecture of conventional whole body scanning in the past and use modular digital detectors to build various medical devices, such as site-dedicated PET systems, PET-insert system, wearable PET, and proton PET. It has helped promote the rapid expansion of PET applications from tumor diagnosis to new application fields such as nervous system diseases, unexplained fever, and proton precision treatment. The vigorous development of All-Digital PET ecology has also brought innovation to the industrial division of labor. The new scintillation crystal materials, the new silicon photomultiplier (SiPM), and the modular PET detector are developing independently and rapidly, forming their own standardized component or interface. The synchronous progress of upstream and downstream technologies has promoted the development of the entire PET industry chain and innovation chain. With the rapid development of All-Digital PET, the proposal of a variety of PET digital technology routes has also put forward new challenges to industry technical standards and regulatory systems, such as technical requirements for the digitization of PET medical devices and the registration guidelines that have been updated and developed simultaneously. This paper reviewed the dynamic progress of All-Digital PET in scientific instruments, medical devices, the industrial chain, and regulatory science in the past 20 years and looked forward to the future ecological development of All-Digital PET.

Abstract Self-distillation method guides the model learning via transferring knowledge of the model itself, which has shown the advantages in object segmentation. However, it has been proved that uncertain pixels with predicted probability close to 0.5 will restrict the model performance. The existing self-distillation methods cannot guide the model to enhance its learning ability for uncertain pixels, so the improvement is limited. To boost the student model’s learning ability for uncertain pixels, a novel self-distillation method is proposed. Firstly, the predicted probability in the current training sample and the ground truth label are fused to construct the teacher knowledge, as the current predicted information can express the performance of student models and represent the uncertainty of pixels more accurately. Secondly, a quadratic mapping function between the predicted probabilities of the teacher and student model is proposed. Theoretical analysis shows that the proposed method using the mapping function can guide the model to enhance the learning ability for uncertain pixels. Finally, the essential difference of utilizing the predicted probability of the student model in self-distillation is discussed in detail. Extensive experiments were conducted on models with convolutional neural networks and Transformer architectures as the backbone networks. The results on four public datasets demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively improve the student model performance.

The Zhundong region in Xinjiang has abundant high-Na coal resource, which can be used as high-quality fuel and chemical raw material. However, the high-Na content can lead to severe equipment pollution and ash slagging during combustion and gasification processes, thereby significantly restricting its large-scale and efficient utilization. The efficient, economical, and environmental friendly removal of Na is of great significance for the clean utilization of the Zhundong coal. This study investigates the rule and mechanism of Na removal from low-rank high-Na coal in the Zhundong region using a series of low-concentration ammonium salts. The results show that the deionized water (DI) can only remove about 52% of Na in the coal. When some low-concentration ammonium salts such as NH4Ac, NH4Cl, (NH4)2SO4, NH4NO3 and TMACl with a concentration of 0.006 mol/L are used, the total Na removal rate and organic Na removal rate can reach to 90%−97% and 80%−95%, respectively. The Na2O mass fraction in coal ash is significantly reduced from 6.21% in raw coal, 2.77% in water-treated coal and 0.27%−0.81% in coal treated with low-concentration ammonium salts. Among the various ammonium salts mentioned above, the NH4Ac shows the best Na removal effect. The size of the cation in the Na removal agent plays an important role in the removal of organic Na, and the Na removal capacity follows the order: H+ > NH4+ > TMA+, which is due to the smaller cations are more favorable for entering coal pores and interacting with organic Na through ion exchange. Ammonium salts can remove various types of Na carboxylates through conventional ion exchange mechanisms, but the removal mechanism of phenolic Na may involve ion exchange, complex decomposition of phenolic ammonium salts, and hydrolysis of NH4+. Increasing the temperature, prolonging the time, and increasing the amount of ammonium salts significantly enhance the removal of total Na, water-soluble inorganic Na, and organic Na in coal. A correlation between the amount of ammonium salt added and the removal of total Na and organic Na in coal has been established. For NH4Ac, the correlation is as follows: y(total Na) = 12479x(ammonium amount) + 2200, y(organic Na) = 12394x(ammonium amount) + 136. In order to meet the national coal combustion standard (w(Na2O) < 2.0%, mass fraction by ash) for the Zhundong coal, about 70% of the total Na needs to be removed, about 4.26 kg of NH4Ac should be added per ton of the Zhundong coal.

A henge-like metaring (HMR) is proposed for improving the radiation pattern roundness of monopole antennas off-center mounted on a finite ground by localizing the radiation from the monopole and suppressing the scattering by the ground. The improved patterns enhance uniform coverage of multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) systems. The study reveals that the radiation pattern of an off-center monopole is distorted by the asymmetric ground currents excited by both the feed and the radiation of the monopole. The distorted radiation patterns severely degrade wireless communication link quality. The HMR, composed of an annular array of mushroom unit cells, simultaneously functions as an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) and a radiator, and encircles the monopole to form a henge monopole antenna (HMA). The HMR as an EBG is used to suppress the ground currents outside the HMR analyzed by an equivalent circuit model. The HMR as a radiator is designed to decouple the monopole from the ground with its elevated radiation pattern using characteristic mode analysis. As examples, two prototypes of single and four off-center MIMO HMAs are designed and investigated in the 2.45-GHz band. Simulated and measured results show that the single HMA and each of the four HMAs achieve the un-roundness of the radiation pattern at θ = 65° plane lower than 2 dB and 3 dB in the 2.45-GHz band. As a result, near the radiation nulls, the SNR is improved by 6 dB. The compact construction and efficient current suppression facilitate the application of HMAs in multi-antenna systems above a finite ground with uniform coverage and reliable connections.

Critical size bone defects represent a significant challenge worldwide, often leading to persistent pain and physical disability that profoundly impact patients’ quality of life and mental well-being. To address the intricate and complex repair processes involved in these defects, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing and revealed notable shifts in cellular populations within regenerative tissue. Specifically, we observed a decrease in progenitor lineage cells and endothelial cells, coupled with an increase in fibrotic lineage cells and pro-inflammatory cells within regenerative tissue. Furthermore, our analysis of differentially expressed genes and associated signaling pathway at the single-cell level highlighted impaired angiogenesis as a central pathway in critical size bone defects, notably influenced by reduction of Spp1 and Cxcl12 expression. This deficiency was particularly pronounced in progenitor lineage cells and myeloid lineage cells, underscoring its significance in the regeneration process. In response to these findings, we developed an innovative approach to enhance bone regeneration in critical size bone defects. Our fabrication process involves the integration of electrospun PCL fibers with electrosprayed PLGA microspheres carrying Spp1 and Cxcl12. This design allows for the gradual release of Spp1 and Cxcl12 in vitro and in vivo. To evaluate the efficacy of our approach, we locally applied PCL scaffolds loaded with Spp1 and Cxcl12 in a murine model of critical size bone defects. Our results demonstrated restored angiogenesis, accelerated bone regeneration, alleviated pain responses and improved mobility in treated mice.

The quantitative assessment of glacier flow velocity dynamics plays a pivotal role in understanding its response mechanisms concerning climate warming. This work provides a systematic quantitative assessment of the deceleration status of glaciers in this region by investigating the motion evolution of typical glaciers in Mount Gongga in recent years, thereby revealing the seasonal dynamics and inter-annual evolution over an extensive time span. We used the optical flow-small baseline subset (OF-SBAS) method to compute the time-series velocities of the Hailuogou Glacier and the Mozigou Glacier using 178 archived Sentinel-1 satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images from 2014 to 2021. The findings revealed a prominent seasonal pattern in glacier motion, characterised by cyclic variations in velocity from cold to warm seasons. Moreover, we identified variations in velocities across distinct regions of the glacier surface, underscored by the lag in the peak time node of glacier flow with increasing elevation. This pattern may have been determined by a combination of internal and external factors, including mass accumulation and ablation-driven subglacial drainage, as well as the glacier geomorphological setting. Furthermore, during 2015–2021, the glaciers on the eastern slope of Mount Gongga exhibited an overarching trend of deceleration. Notably, the ablation area of the Hailuogou Glacier recorded the most substantial deceleration, exceeding 8% per year. This study underscores the efficacy of the OF-SBAS method in extracting long-term glacier velocities. This work also establishes a robust foundation for the analysis of spatiotemporal fluctuations in glacier movement within the context of climate warming.

Abstract Background Testosterone deficiency (TD) and obesity are globally recognized health concerns, with a bidirectional causal relationship between them. And a newly discovered obesity indicator, the Weight-Adjusted-Waist Index (WWI), has been proposed, demonstrating superior adiposity identification capability compared to traditional body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) indicators. Therefore, we present the inaugural investigation into the associations of WWI with total testosterone levels and the risk of TD. Methods Data restricted to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2013 and 2016 were analyzed. Only males aged > 20 years who completed body measures and underwent serum sex hormone testing were potentially eligible for analysis. Weighted multivariable linear regression and logistic regression analyses were employed to investigate the relationships between WWI and total testosterone levels, and the risk of TD, respectively. Smooth curve fittings and weighted generalized additive model (GAM) regression were conducted to examine the linear relationship among them. Additionally, subgroup analyses with interaction tests were performed to assess the stability of the results. Results Finally, a total of 4099 participants with complete data on testosterone and WWI were included in the formal analysis. The mean age of study participants was 46.74 ± 0.35 years with a TD prevalence of 25.54%. After adjusting all potential confounders, the continuous WWI displayed a negative linear relationship with total testosterone levels (β=-61.41, 95%CI: -72.53, -50.29, P 0.05). Conclusions This investigation firstly unveiled a negative linear association between WWI and total testosterone levels, coupled with a positive linear relationship with the prevalence of TD in U.S. male adults aged 20 years and older. Further studies are needed to validate the potential utility of WWI for the early identification and timely intervention of TD.