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Abstract Background Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) represent a high-risk group for HIV transmission in Romania, yet they possess few resources for prevention. Despite having no formal access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) through the health system, GBMSM in Romania demonstrate a high need for and interest in this medication. In anticipation of a national rollout of PrEP, this study tests the efficacy of a novel strategy, Prepare Romania, that combines two evidence-based PrEP promotion interventions for GBMSM living in Romania. Methods This study uses a randomized controlled trial design to examine whether GBMSM living in Romania receiving Prepare Romania, a culturally adapted counseling and mobile health intervention (expected n = 60), demonstrate greater PrEP adherence and persistence than those assigned to a PrEP education control arm (expected n = 60). Participants from two main cities in Romania are prescribed PrEP and followed-up at 3 and 6 months post-randomization. PrEP adherence data are obtained through weekly self-report surveys and dried blood spot testing at follow-up visits. Potential mediators (e.g., PrEP use motivation) of intervention efficacy are also assessed. Furthermore, Prepare Romania’s implementation (e.g., proportion of enrolled participants attending medical visits, intervention experience) will be examined through interviews with participants, study implementers, and healthcare officials. Discussion The knowledge gained from this study will be utilized for further refinement and scale-up of Prepare Romania for a future multi-city effectiveness trial. By studying the efficacy of tools to support PrEP adherence and persistence, this research has the potential to lay the groundwork for PrEP rollout in Romania and similar contexts. Trial registration This study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT05323123 , on March 25, 2022.

Abstract Since 2017, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been available for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or unresectable HCC, but their adoption into national medical insurance programs is still limited. Cost-effectiveness evidence can help to inform treatment decisions. This systematic review aimed to provide a critical summary of economic evaluations of ICIs as a treatment for advanced HCC and identify key drivers (PROSPERO 2023: CRD42023417391). The databases used included Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central. Economic evaluations of ICIs for the treatment of advanced HCC were included. Studies were screened by two people. Of the 898 records identified, 17 articles were included. The current evidence showed that ICIs, including atezolizumab plus bevacizumab, sintilimab plus bevacizumab/bevacizumab biosimilar, nivolumab, camrelizumab plus rivoceranib, pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib, tislelizumab, durvalumab, and cabozantinib plus atezolizumab, are probably not cost-effective in comparison with tyrosine kinase inhibitors or other ICIs. The most influential parameters were price of anticancer drugs, hazard ratios for progression-free survival and overall survival, and utility for health statest. Our review demonstrated that ICIs were not a cost-effective intervention in advanced HCC. Although ICIs can significantly enhance the survival of patients with advanced HCC, decision-makers should consider the findings of economic evaluations and affordability before adoption of new therapies.

Abstract Background In this study, we investigated the relationship between the risk of postoperative progressive disease (PD) in breast cancer and depression and sleep disorders in order to develop and validate a suitable risk prevention model. Methods A total of 750 postoperative patients with breast cancer were selected from the First People’s Hospital of LianYunGang, and the indices of two groups (an event group and a non-event group) were compared to develop and validate a risk prediction model. The relationship between depression, sleep disorders, and PD events was investigated using the follow-up data of the 750 patients. Results SAS, SDS, and AIS scores differed in the group of patients who experienced postoperative disease progression versus those who did not; the differences were statistically significant and the ability to differentiate prognosis was high. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUC) were: 0.8049 (0.7685–0.8613), 0.768 (0.727–0.809), and 0.7661 (0.724-–0.808), with cut-off values of 43.5, 48.5, and 4.5, respectively. Significant variables were screened by single-factor analysis and multi-factor analysis to create model 1, by lasso regression and cross-lasso regression analysis to create model 2, by random forest calculation method to create model 3, by stepwise regression method (backward method) to create model 4, and by including all variables for Cox regression to include significant variables to create model 5. The AUC of model 2 was 0.883 (0.848–0.918) and 0.937 (0.893–0.981) in the training set and validation set, respectively. The clinical efficacy of the model was evaluated using decision curve analysis and clinical impact curve, and then the model 2 variables were transformed into scores, which were validated in two datasets, the training and validation sets, with AUCs of 0.884 (0.848–0.919) and 0.885 (0.818–0.951), respectively. Conclusion We established and verified a model including SAS, SDS and AIS to predict the prognosis of breast cancer patients, and simplified it by scoring, making it convenient for clinical use, providing a theoretical basis for precise intervention in these patients. However, further research is needed to verify the generalization ability of our model.

Purpose: The present study aimed to analyze the influence of muscle activation on lumbar injury under a specific +Gz load. Methods: A hybrid finite element human body model with detailed lumbar anatomy and lumbar muscle activation capabilities was developed. Using the specific +Gz loading acceleration as input, the kinematic and biomechanical responses of the occupant's lower back were studied for both activated and deactivated states of the lumbar muscles. Results: The results indicated that activating the major lumbar muscles enhanced the stability of the occupant's torso, which delayed the contact between the occupant's head and the headrest. Lumbar muscle activation led to higher strain and stress output in the lumbar spine under +Gz load, such as the maximum Von Mises stress of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs increased by 177.9% and 161.8%, respectively, and the damage response index increased by 84.5%. Conclusion: In both simulations, the occupant's risk of lumbar injury does not exceed 10% probability. Therefore, the activation of muscles could provide good protection for maintaining the lumbar spine and reduce the effect of acceleration in vehicle travel direction.

Abstract Microglia are important players in surveillance and repair of the brain. Implanting an electrode into the cortex activates microglia, produces an inflammatory cascade, triggers the foreign body response, and opens the blood-brain barrier. These changes can impede intracortical brain-computer interfaces performance. Using two-photon imaging of implanted microelectrodes, we test the hypothesis that low-intensity pulsed ultrasound stimulation can reduce microglia-mediated neuroinflammation following the implantation of microelectrodes. In the first week of treatment, we found that low-intensity pulsed ultrasound stimulation increased microglia migration speed by 128%, enhanced microglia expansion area by 109%, and a reduction in microglial activation by 17%, indicating improved tissue healing and surveillance. Microglial coverage of the microelectrode was reduced by 50% and astrocytic scarring by 36% resulting in an increase in recording performance at chronic time. The data indicate that low-intensity pulsed ultrasound stimulation helps reduce the foreign body response around chronic intracortical microelectrodes.

Abstract Background Prior research has highlighted the involvement of a transcriptional complex comprising C-terminal binding protein 2 (CtBP2), histone acetyltransferase p300, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in the transactivation of proinflammatory cytokine genes, contributing to inflammation in mice with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Nonetheless, it remains uncertain whether the therapeutic targeting of the CtBP2-p300-NF-κB complex holds potential for ARDS suppression. Methods An ARDS mouse model was established using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure. RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) was performed on ARDS mice and LPS-treated cells with CtBP2, p300, and p65 knockdown. Small molecules inhibiting the CtBP2-p300 interaction were identified through AlphaScreen. Gene and protein expression levels were quantified using RT-qPCR and immunoblots. Tissue damage was assessed via histological staining. Key findings We elucidated the specific role of the CtBP2-p300-NF-κB complex in proinflammatory gene regulation. RNA-seq analysis in LPS-challenged ARDS mice and LPS-treated CtBP2-knockdown (CtBP2KD), p300KD, and p65KD cells revealed its significant impact on proinflammatory genes with minimal effects on other NF-κB targets. Commercial inhibitors for CtBP2, p300, or NF-κB exhibited moderate cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo, affecting both proinflammatory genes and other targets. We identified a potent inhibitor, PNSC928, for the CtBP2-p300 interaction using AlphaScreen. PNSC928 treatment hindered the assembly of the CtBP2-p300-NF-κB complex, substantially downregulating proinflammatory cytokine gene expression without observable cytotoxicity in normal cells. In vivo administration of PNSC928 significantly reduced CtBP2-driven proinflammatory gene expression in ARDS mice, alleviating inflammation and lung injury, ultimately improving ARDS prognosis. Conclusion Our results position PNSC928 as a promising therapeutic candidate to specifically target the CtBP2-p300 interaction and mitigate inflammation in ARDS management.

Abstract Hydrogen energy storage plays an important role in improving the operation efficiency and reliability of power systems with high wind energy penetration. Hydrogen to power (HtP) system is the key link of hydrogen applications. However, the single HtP equipment is limited in power output range and efficiency. Hybrid HtP system is an important scheme to realize the performance complementary. A wider power output range can enrich the application scenarios of hydrogen energy storage and provide flexible and reliable energy scheduling in larger and more complex energy systems. In this study, first, a power system including traditional units, wind power generation and hybrid HtP system is established. Second, a bi‐layer hybrid HtP system optimal configuration model considering planning and operation is constructed. Then, a bi‐layer optimal configuration method based on the improved PSO algorithm is proposed. Finally, the optimization model and its solution method are applied to IEEE RTS‐96. The discussions based on the optimization results show that the hybrid HtP system has significant contributions in optimizing the output cost of traditional units, improving the utilization of wind energy, and reducing load shedding losses.

Abstract Corrosion of electrocatalysts during electrochemical operations, such as low potential - high potential cyclic swapping, can cause significant performance degradation. However, the electrochemical corrosion dynamics, including structural changes, especially site and composition specific ones, and their correlation with electrochemical processes are hidden due to the insufficient spatial-temporal resolution characterization methods. Using electrochemical liquid cell transmission electron microscopy, we visualize the electrochemical corrosion of Pd@Pt core-shell octahedral nanoparticles towards a Pt nanoframe. The potential-dependent surface reconstruction during multiple continuous in-situ cyclic voltammetry with clear redox peaks is captured, revealing an etching and deposition process of Pd that results in internal Pd atoms being relocated to external surface, followed by subsequent preferential corrosion of Pt (111) terraces rather than the edges or corners, simultaneously capturing the structure evolution also allows to attribute the site-specific Pt and Pd atomic dynamics to individual oxidation and reduction events. This work provides profound insights into the surface reconstruction of nanoparticles during complex electrochemical processes.

Maternal age has significantly increased among Chinese women, thereby posing risk of pregnancy-related complications. Preeclampsia is a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, and coagulation analysis in conjunction with clinical signs and symptoms are generally used for its diagnosis with limited efficacy. Sonoclot coagulation analyzer is effective in assessing coagulation function used during cerebral surgery and cardiovascular surgery. However, its use has not been explored in preeclampsia. Here, we investigated the potential use of Sonoclot in diagnosing preeclampsia in obstetrics cases. Subjects meeting the screening criteria were divided either into a test group or a control group, according to whether they were preeclamptic or not. We recorded the Sonoclot-derived coagulation and the routine coagulation parameters including platelet function (PF), activated clotting time (ACT) and clot rate (CR), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), fibrinogen (FIB), and platelet count. Regression analysis was done on the relevant parameters to assess the feasibility of Sonoclot analyzer in preeclampsia diagnosis. In parallel, changes in preeclampsia lncRNAs was also evaluated. Significant differences were recorded in PT and ACT between the two groups. In the monovariant logistic regression, PT and ACT appeared to be reliable predictor variables. In the multinomial logistic regression, a total of five regression steps were performed with decreasing AIC values. The K-fold cross validation resulted in an accuracy rate (ACC) of 77.5%, a false positive rate of 16.4%, and a false negative rate of 33.2%. lncRNAs ANRIL and HOXD-AS1 were found deregulated. Our findings indicate that Sonoclot may be useful for diagnosis of preeclampsia in obstetrics.

Some structures or components of coastal buildings are often in an unsaturated state between drying and wetting conditions, and their performance deterioration is extremely serious. This paper mainly studied Cl− diffusion of coral aggregate concrete under the coupled erosion of drying-wetting cycles, sulfate and chloride salts. Based on the microscopic morphology of corroded concrete, the erosion mechanism of the concrete under the coupled erosion of drying-wetting cycles sulfate and chloride salt was elaborated. The results indicated that, under the coupling erosion of sulfate and chloride salts, a large amount of Na2SO4 crystals will precipitate on the surface of concrete. The addition of mineral admixtures can not only improve the relative dynamic elastic modulus and relative compressive strength of coral aggregate concrete, but also improve its resistance to Cl− corrosion. SO42− reacts with cement hydration products to produce ettringite and gypsum, which hinder further Cl− corrosion during the early stage of erosion. However, as the erosion time increases, large numbers of erosion products lead to continuous expansion of cracks and accelerate Cl− transport. Finally, based on the transport mechanism of Cl− in the concrete, machine learning prediction models for Cl− content were established using CART, SVR, and XGBoost, respectively. It was found that the predicted values of the XGBoost model were in good agreement with the measured values, and the goodness of fit of the test set was R2 = 0.98, RMSE = 0.021%, MAE = 0.013%. This work can provide a new method for predicting chloride concentration in concrete under the coupling effect of multiple factors.

Abstract Background PD-L1 overexpression is commonly observed in various malignancies and is strongly correlated with poor prognoses for cancer patients. Moreover, PD-L1 has been shown to play a significant role in promoting angiogenesis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) processes across different cancer types. Methods The relationship between PD-L1 and vasculogenic mimicry as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was explored by bioinformatics approach and immunohistochemistry. The functions of PD-L1 in regulating the expression of ZEB1 and the EMT process were assessed by Western blotting and q-PCR assays. The impact of PD-L1 on the migratory and proliferative capabilities of A549 and H1299 cells was evaluated through wound healing, cell invasion, and CCK8 assays following siRNA-mediated PD-L1 knockdown. Tube formation assay was utilized to evaluate the presence of VM structures. Results In this study, increased PD-L1 expression was observed in A549 and H1299 cells compared to normal lung epithelial cells. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a higher prevalence of VM structures in the PD-L1-positive group compared to the PD-L1-negative group. Additionally, high PD-L1 expression was also found to be significantly associated with advanced TNM stage and increased metastasis. Following PD-L1 knockdown, NSCLC cells exhibited a notable reduction in their ability to form tube-like structures. Moreover, the levels of key EMT and VM-related markers, including N-cadherin, MMP9, VE-cadherin, and VEGFA, were significantly decreased, while E-cadherin expression was upregulated. In addition, the migration and proliferation capacities of both cell lines were significantly inhibited after PD-L1 or ZEB1 knockdown. Conclusions Knockdown PD-L1 can inhibit ZEB1-mediated EMT, thereby hindering the formation of VM in NSCLC.

Abstract Background Rectal temperature (RT) is an important index of core temperature, which has guiding significance for the diagnosis and treatment of pet diseases. Objectives Development and evaluation of an alternative method based on machine learning to determine the core temperatures of cats and dogs using surface temperatures. Animals 200 cats and 200 dogs treated between March 2022 and May 2022. Methods A group of cats and dogs were included in this study. The core temperatures and surface body temperatures were measured. Multiple machine learning methods were trained using a cross-validation approach and evaluated in one retrospective testing set and one prospective testing set. Results The machine learning models could achieve promising performance in predicting the core temperatures of cats and dogs using surface temperatures. The root mean square errors (RMSE) were 0.25 and 0.15 for cats and dogs in the retrospective testing set, and 0.15 and 0.14 in the prospective testing set. Conclusion The machine learning model could accurately predict core temperatures for companion animals of cats and dogs using easily obtained body surface temperatures.

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the real-world standardisation and adherence of medical treatment regimens in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the community for making future management strategy. The follow-up data and treatment information of patients with COPD, which were collected through the Management Information Center of COPD (MICCOPD) in 21 community health service centres in Songjiang District, a countryside region of Shanghai. Concordance between the pharmaceutical treatment plan and recommendation of 2017 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) report during the follow-up management period, as well as the medication adherence by patients,were analysed. Out of the 2044 patients diagnosed with COPD, 814 patients (39.8%) who had an initial record of medication use were found to meet the inclusion criteria. The most common medication regimens were long-acting beta-agonist plus inhaled corticosteroids (35.9%) and oral bronchodilators (41.9%). Among these 814 patients, 45.7%, 38.0%, 31.6% and 14.6% adhered to the treatment after 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of follow-up, respectively. The concordance rate with the regimens recommended by the 2017 GOLD guidelines was 35.5% at baseline, 35.5% at 6 months, 32.7% at 12 months, 35.4% at 18 months and 37% at 24 months. The compliance and guideline consistency rates of patients with COPD in the community under the management of general practitioners need to be improved. Enhancing general practitioner proficiency in the prevention and management of COPD and increasing patient awareness of the condition, are crucial standardising and improving adherence to initial and follow-up COPD treatments.

Abstract Background Renal sinus angiomyolipoma (RSAML) is a rare and typically complex renal tumor. The objective is to present our single-center experience with a modified technique of robotic nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) for treating RSAML. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 15 patients with RSAMLs who were treated with robotic NSS at the Department of Urology of Tongji hospital, ranging from November 2018 to September 2022. Renal vessels and ureter were dissected. The outer part of RSAML was resected. The rest of tumor was removed by bluntly grasp, curettage and suction. Absorbable gelatin sponges were filled in the renal sinus. The preoperative parameters, operative measures and postoperative outcomes were all collected. Follow-up was performed by ultrasonography and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Results Robotic NSS was successfully performed in all the patients, without any conversion to open surgery or nephrectomy. The mean operation time was 134.13 ± 40.56 min. The mean warm ischemia time was 25.73 ± 3.28 min. The median estimated blood loss was 100 [50, 270] ml and 1 patient required blood transfusion. The mean drainage duration was 5.77 ± 1.98 days. The median postoperative hospital stay was 6.90 [5.80, 8.70] days. Two patients experienced postoperative urinary tract infection (Clavien-Dindo Grade II). During the median follow-up of 25.53 ± 15.28 months, patients received 91.18% renal function preservation. No local recurrence occurred in all the patients. Conclusions Robotic NSS for RSAML is a complicated procedure that demands technical expertise and a well-designed strategy is critical in the operation. Treating RSAML with modified robotic NSS is safe, effective and feasible.

Abstract Optimizing short‐term load forecasting performance is a challenge due to the randomness of nonlinear power load and variability of system operation mode. The existing methods generally ignore how to reasonably and effectively combine the complementary advantages among them and fail to capture enough internal information from load data, resulting in accuracy reduction. To achieve accurate and efficient short‐term load forecasting, an integral implementation framework is proposed based on convolutional neural network (CNN), gated recurrent unit (GRU) and channel attention mechanism. CNN and GRU are first combined to fully extract the highly complicated dynamic characteristics and learn time compliance relationships of load sequence. Based on CNN‐GRU network, the channel attention mechanism is introduced to further reduce the loss of historical information and enhance the impact of important characteristics. Then, the overall framework of short‐term load forecasting based on CNN‐GRU‐Attention network is proposed, and the coupling relationship between each stage is revealed. Finally, the developed framework is implemented on realistic load dataset of distribution networks, and the experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Compared with the state‐of‐the‐art models, the CNN‐GRU‐Attention model outperforms in different evaluation metrics.

Objective The objective of this study was to identify candidate genes that play important roles in skeletal muscle development in ducks. Methods In this study, we investigated the transcriptional sequencing of embryonic pectoral muscles from two specialized lines: Liancheng white ducks (female) and Cherry valley ducks (male) hybrid Line A (LCA) and Line C (LCC) ducks. In addition, prediction of target genes for the differentially expressed mRNAs was conducted and the enriched gene ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes signaling pathways were further analyzed. Finally, a protein-to-protein interaction network was analyzed by using the target genes to gain insights into their potential functional association. Results A total of 1,428 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with 762 being up-regulated genes and 666 being down-regulated genes in pectoral muscle of LCA and LCC ducks identified by RNA-seq (p

Abstract Anlotinib is effective in treatment of many kinds of malignant cancer, but its antineoplastic effects on esophageal cancer remains unclear. This study aims to investigate its impact on esophageal cancer and the underlying mechanisms. Anlotiniband 5-fluorouracil + cisplatin (5-FU + DDP) was administered separately to human esophageal cancer TE- 1 cells tumor xenograft mouse models every 3 days. Tumor size and body weight were measured before each treatment and at the end of the experiment. In vitro studies were conducted using TE- 1 cells to examine the effects of Anlotinib. Cell viability, migration, proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, their regulatory proteins and the transcriptomic changes were analyzed. Anlotinib reduced tumor size, tumor weight, and the ratio of tumor weight to body weight in vivo. It decreased the viability of TE- 1 cells, with a 50% growth-inhibitory concentration of 9.454 μM for 24 h, induced apoptosis, and arrested TE- 1 cell cycle in the S phase. It inhibited migration and proliferation while negatively regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Enhanced expressions of P21, Bax, and lowered expressions of cyclin A1, cyclin B1, CDK1, PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, and Bcl-2 were observed after Anlotinib treatment. Anlotinib exhibits antineoplastic activity against human esophageal cancer TE- 1 cells by negatively regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, consequently altering the expressions of proteins related to proliferation, apoptosis, and the cell cycle.

Abstract To address the limitations of traditional photothermal therapy (PTT)/ photodynamic therapy (PDT) and real-time cancer metastasis detection, a pH-responsive nanoplatform (NP) with dual-modality imaging capability was rationally designed. Herein, 1 H,1 H-undecafluorohexylamine (PFC), served as both an oxygen carrier and a 19F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probe, and photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG) were grafted onto the pH-responsive peptide hexahistidine (H6) to form H6-PFC-ICG (HPI). Subsequently, the heat shock protein 90 inhibitor, gambogic acid (GA), was incorporated into hyaluronic acid (HA) modified HPI (HHPI), yielding the ultimate HHPI@GA NPs. Upon self-assembly, HHPI@GA NPs passively accumulated in tumor tissues, facilitating oxygen release and HA-mediated cell uptake. Once phagocytosed by lysosomes, protonation of H6 was triggered due to the low pH, resulting in the release of GA. With near-infrared laser irradiation, GA-mediated decreased HSP90 expression and PFC-mediated increased ROS generation amplified the PTT/PDT effect of HHPI@GA, leading to excellent in vitro and in vivo anticancer efficacies. Additionally, the fluorescence and 19F MRI dual-imaging capabilities of HHPI@GA NPs enabled effective real-time primary cancer and lung metastasis monitoring. This work offers a novel approach for enhanced cancer phototherapy, as well as precise cancer diagnosis.

Fusarium head blight (FHB), mainly caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum, is one of the most destructive wheat diseases. Besides directly affecting the yield, the mycotoxin residing in the kernel greatly threatens the health of humans and livestock. Xinong 979 (XN979) is a widely cultivated wheat elite with high yield and FHB resistance. However, its resistance mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we studied the expression of genes involved in plant defense in XN979 by comparative transcriptomics. We found that the FHB resistance in XN979 consists of two lines of defense. The first line of defense, which is constitutive, is knitted via the enhanced basal expression of lignin and jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis genes. The second line of defense, which is induced upon F. graminearum infection, is contributed by the limited suppression of photosynthesis and the struggle of biotic stress-responding genes. Meanwhile, the effective defense in XN979 leads to an inhibition of fungal gene expression, especially in the early infection stage. The formation of the FHB resistance in XN979 may coincide with the breeding strategies, such as selecting high grain yield and lodging resistance traits. This study will facilitate our understanding of wheat–F. graminearum interaction and is insightful for breeding FHB-resistant wheat.

Abstract The Ningdong coalfield has played a pivotal role in advancing local economic development and meeting national energy. Nevertheless, mining operations have engendered ecological challenges encompassing subterranean water depletion, land desertification, and ground subsidence, primarily stemming from the disruption of coal seam roof strata. Consequently, the local ecosystem has incurred substantial harm. Water-preserved coal mining presently constitutes the pivotal technology in mitigating this problem. The primary challenge of this technique lies in identifying critical aquifer layers and understanding the heights of water-conducting fracture zones. To obtain a precise comprehension of the seepage patterns within the upper coal seam aquifer during mining, delineate the extent of water-conducting fracture zones, non-invasive geophysical techniques such as time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (TL-ERT), magnetic resonance sounding (MRS), and spontaneous potential (SP) have been employed to monitor alterations within the shallow coalfield’s aquifer throughout the mining process in the Ningdong coalfield. By conducting meticulous examinations of fluctuations in resistivity, moisture content, and self-potential within the superjacent strata during coal seam extraction, the predominant underground water infiltration strata were ascertained, concurrently enabling the estimation of the development elevation of water-conducting fracture zones. This outcome furnishes a geophysical underpinning for endeavors concerning local water-preserved coal mining and ecological rehabilitation.

Abstract Modulating macrophages presents a promising avenue in tumor immunotherapy. However, tumor cells have evolved mechanisms to evade macrophage activation and phagocytosis. Herein, we introduced a bispecific antibody-based nanoengager to facilitate the recognition and phagocytosis of tumor cells by macrophages. Specifically, we genetically engineered two single chain variable fragments (scFv) onto cell membrane: anti-CD40 scFv for engaging with macrophages and anti-Claudin18.2 (CLDN18.2) scFv for interacting with tumor cells. These nanoengagers were further constructed by coating scFv-anchored membrane into PLGA nanoparticle core. Our developed nanoengagers significantly boosted immune responses, including increased recognition and phagocytosis of tumor cells by macrophages, enhanced activation and antigen presentation, and elevated cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity. These combined benefits resulted in enhancing antitumor efficacy against highly aggressive “cold” pancreatic cancer. Overall, this study offers a versatile nanoengager design for immunotherapy, achieved through genetically engineering to incorporate antibody-anchored membrane.

Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the regulation relationship of Ten-eleven translocation 1 (Tet1) in DNA demethylation and the proliferation of primordial germ cells (PGCs) in chickens. Methods siRNA targeting Tet1 was used to transiently knockdown the expression of Tet1 in chicken PGCs, and the genomic DNA methylation status was measured. The proliferation of chicken PGCs was detected by flow cytometry analysis and cell counting kit-8 assay when activation or inhibition of Wnt4/β-catenin signaling pathway. And the level of DNA methylation and hisotne methylation was also tested. Results Results revealed that knockdown of Tet1 inhibited the proliferation of chicken PGCs and downregulated the mRNA expression of Cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6), as well as pluripotency-associated genes (Nanog, PouV, and Sox2). Flow cytometry analysis confirmed that the population of PGCs in Tet1 knockdown group displayed a significant decrease in the proportion of S and G2 phase cells, which meant that there were less PGCs entered the mitosis process than that of control. Furthermore, Tet1 knockdown delayed the entrance to G1/S phase and this inhibition was rescued by treated with BIO. Consistent with these findings, Wnt/β-catenin signaling was inactivated in Tet1 knockdown PGCs, leading to aberrant proliferation. Further analysis showed that the methylation of the whole genome increased significantly after Tet1 downregulation, while hydroxymethylation obviously declined. Meanwhile, the level of H3K27me3 was upregulated and H3K9me2 was downregulated in Tet1 knockdown PGCs, which was achieved by regulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Conclusion These results suggested that the self-renewal of chicken PGCs and the maintenance of their characteristics were regulated by Tet1 mediating DNA demethylation through the activation of Wnt4/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Accurate mapping of loess waterworn gully (LWG) is essential to further study gully erosion and geomorphological evolution for the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP). Due to the vertical joint and collapsibility of loess, LWGs have the characteristics of zigzag and unique slope abruptness under synthetic action of hydraulic force and gravity. This forces existing LWG mapping methods to either focus on the improvement of mapping accuracy or center on the increase of mapping efficiency. However, simultaneously achieving accurate and efficient mapping of LWG is still in its infancy under complex topographic conditions. Here, we proposed a method that innovatively integrates the loess slope abruptness feature into an improved deep learning semantic segmentation framework for LWG mapping using 0.6 m Google imagery and 5 m DEM data. We selected four study areas representing typical loess landforms to test the performance of our method. The proposed method can achieve satisfactory mapping results, with the F1 score, mean Intersection-over-Union (mIoU), and overall accuracy of 90.5%, 85.3%, and 92.3%, respectively. In addition, the proposed model also showed significant accuracy improvement by inputting additional topographic information (especially the slope of slope). Compared with existing algorithms (Random forests, original DeepLabV3+, and Unet), the proposed approach in this study achieved a better accuracy-efficiency trade-off. Overall, the method can ensure high accuracy and efficiency of the LWG mapping for different loess landform types and can be extended to study various loess gully mapping and water and soil conservation.

Abstract Background The effectiveness of flipped classroom (FC) on puncture skills in medical education is still uncertain. This study aimed to assess the role of the FC model in puncture skills and investigate the acceptance and approval of FC among medical students and instructors. Methods A mixed research approach of quasi-experimental research design and descriptive qualitative research was conducted in September 2022 for one month, using an FC teaching method that combined instructional videos and group learning. The study participants were 71 fifth-year medical students from two classes at a Chinese medical school and four instructors. The medical students were randomly divided into two groups: the traditional classroom (TC) group (Group A) and the FC group (Group B). For teaching, Group B used FC, and Group A used PowerPoint-based TC. The effectiveness of the two teaching models was assessed with Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), and questionnaires were distributed to the medical students and instructors after the assessment. Two independent sample t-tests were used to analyse the differences in demographic data and the OSCE scores of the two groups of medical students. Results Group B scored higher in puncture skills than Group A, especially regarding abdominal puncture (p = 0.03), thoracentesis (p 0.409). The medical students thought that the FC improved their self-learning ability and helped them acquire knowledge. Regarding the OSCE of their skills, most medical students thought that it was more innovative and objective than traditional examinations and that it was better for assessing their overall abilities. Both the FC and OSCE were supported by the medical students. The instructors were also satisfied with the students’ performance in the FC and supported the teaching model, agreeing to continue using it. Conclusions This study shows that FC teaching that combines instructional videos and group learning is a reliable and well-received teaching method for puncture skills, which supplements and expands existing teaching methods in the medical field.

Abstract Long‐term scenario generation of renewable energy is regarded as an important part of the optimal planning of renewable energy systems. This study proposes a scenario generation method for generating long‐term correlated scenarios of wind and photovoltaic outputs from historical renewable energy data. The generation of scenarios was divided into two processes: long‐term yearly sequence generation and intraday scenario generation of wind‐solar energy. In the long‐term yearly sequence generation process, the k‐means clustering algorithm and Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation method were developed to capture the seasonal and long‐term features of wind and photovoltaic energies. Furthermore, an attention‐based conditional generative adversarial network (ACGAN) was proposed to capture short‐term features. An attention structure and conditional classifiers were developed to capture features in the generated scenarios. To accelerate the convergence process and improve the quality of the generated scenarios, a gradient penalty was included in the ACGAN model. Numerical case studies were conducted to verify the validity of the proposed method using a real‐world dataset.

Intensive application of chlorine-based disinfectants driven by the COVID-19 pandemic was suspected to be detrimental to receiving water ecosystems, but with little field evidence. We characterized the occurrences of typical disinfectants and microeukaryotic communities in surface waters associated with three wastewater treatment plants (WWTP)-river systems one year after the lockdown in Wuhan, China. Trihalomethanes (THMs) declined from summer 2020 (0.01–1.82 ​μg/L) to summer 2021 (0.01–0.95 ​μg/L), whereas quaternary ammonium salts (QAs) increased from summer 2020 (0.53–6.35 ​ng/L) to summer 2021 (8.49–191 ​ng/L). Biodiversity monitoring with environmental DNA (eDNA) revealed significant temporal variation in microeukaryotic community composition. The monitored disinfectants were correlated with some eukaryotic communities as demonstrated by redundancy analysis. For example, QAs were positively related to Cryptophyta relative abundance, but negatively related to Rotifera relative abundance. A microeukaryote-based multimetric index indicated ecological impairment near the Han River WWTP outlet in 2020. Our findings indicate the influence of heavily used disinfectants on river microeukaryotic communities, and the usefulness of assessing mid-term ecological risks from disinfectants in the post COVID-19 era.

ABSTRACT: To investigate the effect of genetic selection on meat quality in ducks, twenty of each fast growth ducks (LCA) and slow growth ducks (LCC) selected from F6 generation of Cherry Valley ducks (♂) x Liancheng white ducks (♀) were analyzed for carcass characteristics, meat quality (physicochemical and textural characteristics), amino acid and fatty acid profiles at 7 wk. Results showed that live body weight, slaughter weight, eviscerated yield and abdominal fat percentage of LCA were significantly higher than those in LCC ducks (P < 0.01). Moreover, the average area and diameter of myofiber were larger in LCA than LCC ducks (P < 0.01). The breast and thigh muscles of LCA exhibited significantly lower water holding capacity and thermal loss compared with LCC ducks (P < 0.01). In addition, the content of nonessential amino acids (Glu, Asp, and Arg) in breast muscles and Asp, Ser, Thr, and Met in thigh muscles was higher in LCC than LCA ducks (P < 0.05). The proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in breast muscles of LCC was higher than LCA ducks (P < 0.05). However, the content of saturated fatty acids (SFA) in breast and thigh muscles of LCA was higher compared with LCC ducks (P < 0.05). The proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) in thigh muscles was significantly higher in LCC compared with LCA ducks (P < 0.01). Finally, multiple traits were evaluated by applying principal component analysis (PCA) and the results indicated that PUFA and SFA in breast muscles of LCA played important roles in meat quality, followed by Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and MUFA. However, water holding capacity (WHC) had a dominant effect in meat quality of thigh muscles in both LCA and LCC ducks.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the trace element pollution in a marine ranching area in China based on molecular responses (expression of metallothionein and antioxidant enzyme genes), and biochemical biomarkers (metallothionein content, antioxidant enzyme activities, and malonaldehyde level) in four indicator species. We collected samples of two fish (Lateolabrax maculatus and Sebastes schlegelii), one crustacean (Charybdis japonica), and one gastropod (Rapana venosa) from the western Furong Island marine ranching area and from an adjacent area in March 2022 and measured the trace element content in these indicator species as well as in the seawater and sediment. We found that the bioaccumulation characteristics of trace elements and the response patterns of biomarkers were species specific. Moreover, not every biomarker was significantly correlated with environmental trace element content. We then established two biomarker combinations indicative of trace element pollution in seawater and sediment, respectively, based on the correlation between biomarkers and trace element contents. The selected biomarkers were integrated using integrated biomarker response version 2 (IBRv2). IBRv2 values in the studied marine ranching area were lower than those in the adjacent area. Additionally, these values were consistent with the bioaccumulation of trace elements in the indicator species, the integrated trace element pollution index for seawater, and the potential risk index for sediment. These results show that this multi-biomarker and multi-species IBRv2 approach provided a comprehensive diagnosis of trace element pollution in the marine ranching area. Therefore, its application may be beneficial for marine environmental monitoring and management in view of the ecotoxicological impact of pollutants on organisms.

China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative to strengthen regional connectivity so as to embrace a brighter future together. Since the Initiative was put forward, it has brought many challenges to China’s English education policy. By employing Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and Word2Vec, this study analyzes the evolution of topics and challenges in China’s English education policy under the Belt and Road Initiative. The results indicate that after the initiative, the policy focus has changed. English education has shifted from testing abilities to cultivating students’ intercultural communication skills in order to meet the needs with countries alongside the “Belt and Road”. Moreover, teaching strategies that were examination-oriented have also changed to emphasizing teaching methods and feedback. The focus and teaching strategies have also undergone great changes. China’s English education policy has shifted from focusing on improving students’ writing skills, English proficiency, and creativity to conducting in-depth research and addressing specific issues, including challenges in linguistics, media influence, educational institutions and programs, online courses, attitudes and self-efficacy, use of multiple languages and globalization, teaching issues, and curriculum design. These findings shed light on how the Belt and Road Initiative changed China’s English education policy and provide further directions for future research.

Abstract Background The surge in omicron variants has caused nationwide breakthrough infections in mainland China since the December 2022. In this study, we report the neutralization profiles of serum samples from the patients with breast cancer and the patients with liver cancer who had contracted subvariant breakthrough infections. Methods In this real‐world study, we enrolled 143 COVID‐19‐vaccinated (81 and 62 patients with breast and liver cancers) and 105 unvaccinated patients with cancer (58 and 47 patients with breast and liver cancers) after omicron infection. Anti‐spike receptor binding domain (RBD) IgGs and 50% pseudovirus neutralization titer (pVNT50) for the preceding (wild type), circulating omicron (BA.4‐BA.5, and BF.7), and new subvariants (XBB.1.5) were comprehensively analyzed. Results Patients with liver cancer receiving booster doses had higher levels of anti‐spike RBD IgG against circulating omicron (BA.4‐BA.5, and BF.7) and a novel subvariant (XBB.1.5) compared to patients with breast cancer after breakthrough infection. Additionally, all vaccinated patients produced higher neutralizing antibody titers against circulating omicron (BA.4‐BA.5, and BF.7) compared to unvaccinated patients. However, the unvaccinated patients produced higher neutralizing antibody against XBB.1.5 than vaccinated patients after Omicron infection, with this trend being more pronounced in breast cancer than in liver cancer patients. Moreover, we found that there was no correlation between anti‐spike RBD IgG against wildtype virus and the neutralizing antibody titer, but a positive correlation between anti‐spike RBD IgG and the neutralizing antibody against XBB.1.5 was found in unvaccinated patients. Conclusion Our study found that there may be differences in vaccine response and protective effect against COVID‐19 infection in patients with liver and breast cancer. Therefore, we recommend that COVID‐19 vaccine strategies should be optimized based on vaccine components and immunology profiles of different patients with cancer.

Abstract Ficus carica L. (FC) is rich in phenolic compounds such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. Phenolic compounds in FC show remarkable health benefits and applications. The composition of phenolic compounds in FC can vary with some factors, such as variety, ripeness, geographical location, extraction methods and processing methods. New techniques such as supercritical fluid extraction, subcritical water extraction and ionic liquid extraction should be further developed and combined with traditional techniques to obtain higher quality sources of phenolic compounds. Numerous in vivo and in vitro studies reported healthy benefits of phenolic compounds in FC, such as anti‐oxidant, anti‐inflammatory, anti‐diabetic, anti‐obesity, anti‐cancer and anti‐Alzheimer's. Further works are required to reveal mechanisms and structure‐activity relationships, such as targeted metabolomics and pharmacological studies. In terms of applications, phenolic compounds in FC as prebiotics on the intestinal flora need to be further studied to expand their applicability in food fermentation. In a word, this review highlights the remarkable health benefits and application value of phenolic compounds in FC.

With the continuous development of network technology, online education has become an important form of education. However, in the online education model, it is difficult for educators to effectively evaluate students' learning status, and using a learning status evaluation model can effectively solve this problem. The main goal of this model is to comprehensively evaluate students' learning behavior, progress, and outcomes, in order to understand their learning status, provide effective teaching feedback to teachers, help students improve learning methods, and improve learning efficiency. The current automatic evaluation model for student learning status has certain limitations in terms of applicability and accuracy. A student learning state evaluation model based on Multi task Cascaded Convolutional Networks (MTCNN) is proposed to address the effectiveness of online education student learning state evaluation. Use the facial image acquisition function to extract students' facial features, process each feature through label classification, and then analyze the students' attention and learning emotions. Finally, analyze the effectiveness of the research method application. The results showed that the train_loss value of the learning state evaluation model proposed in the study can be reduced to about 0.1; the train_acc value can reach more than 95 %, and the overall volatility is small; the overall evaluation accuracy of facial expressions can reach 74.71 %, which is significantly better than cpc, VGG19 and other evaluation methods; compared with the comprehensive evaluation results and multi-modal analysis methods, only two evaluations at the critical value are different. The experimental results show that the online education students’ learning status evaluation model designed by the research has a high accuracy rate and has a certain application potential in the field of online education.

BackgroundLimited studies have investigated the relationship between systemic oxidative stress and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between oxidative balance score (OBS) and IBD.MethodsWe included 175,808 participants from the UK Biobank database from 2006 to 2010. OBS scores were calculated based on 22 lifestyle and dietary factors. Multiple variable Cox proportional regression models, as well as gender stratification and subgroup analysis, were utilized to investigate the relationship between OBS and IBD.ResultsThere is a significant negative correlation between OBS and the occurrence of IBD, ulcerative colitis (UC), and Crohn’s disease (CD). Additionally, OBS is significantly negatively correlated with intestinal obstruction in CD patients. Gender stratified analysis suggest a significant correlation between OBS and CD in female patients, particularly pronounced in those under 60 years old. Sensitivity analysis indicates a significant negative correlation between lifestyle-related OBS and diet-related OBS with the occurrence of CD in females, diet-related OBS is negatively correlated with CD in males.ConclusionOBS showed a significant negative correlation with IBD, especially in female CD patients. This study underscores the importance of antioxidant diet and lifestyle, which may provide a greater advantage for female CD patients.

α‐Fe2O3 with suitable band structure, good chemical stability, and easy preparation, is a potential photoanode material. However, the key to enhance the performance of α‐Fe2O3 photoanode is to improve the transport characteristics of bulk carriers. It is expected to form a Schottky barrier to improve the carrier separation efficiency by embedding metal nanoparticles into the matrix, but the process is still challenging. Herein, a strategy of forming the Schottky barrier is shown to improve bulk carrier transport dynamics by embedding laser‐generated Pt nanocrystals in α‐Fe2O3 photoanode, which achieves photocurrent densities of up to 1.16 mA cm−2 at 1.23 VRHE (from original 0.21 mA cm−2). This work provides another way to promote the carrier transfer and separation of α‐Fe2O3, which is of great significance to improve the photoelectrochemical water splitting performance.

ObjectiveIn physical health examinations, breast sonography is a commonly used imaging method, but it can lead to repeated exams and unnecessary biopsy due to discrepancies among radiologists and health centers. This study explores the role of off-the-shelf artificial intelligence (AI) software in assisting radiologists to classify incidentally found breast masses in two health centers.MethodsFemale patients undergoing breast ultrasound examinations with incidentally discovered breast masses were categorized according to the 5th edition of the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS), with categories 3 to 5 included in this study. The examinations were conducted at two municipal health centers from May 2021 to May 2023.The final pathological results from surgical resection or biopsy served as the gold standard for comparison. Ultrasonographic images were obtained in longitudinal and transverse sections, and two junior radiologists and one senior radiologist independently assessed the images without knowing the pathological findings. The BI-RADS classification was adjusted following AI assistance, and diagnostic performance was compared using receiver operating characteristic curves.ResultsA total of 196 patients with 202 breast masses were included in the study, with pathological results confirming 107 benign and 95 malignant masses. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that experienced breast radiologists had higher diagnostic performance in BI-RADS classification than junior radiologists, similar to AI classification (AUC = 0.936, 0.806, 0.896, and 0.950, p < 0.05). The AI software improved the accuracy, sensitivity, and negative predictive value of the adjusted BI-RADS classification for the junior radiologists’ group (p< 0.05), while no difference was observed in the senior radiologist group. Furthermore, AI increased the negative predictive value for BI-RADS 4a masses and the positive predictive value for 4b masses among radiologists (p < 0.05). AI enhances the sensitivity of invasive breast cancer detection more effectively than ductal carcinoma in situ and rare subtypes of breast cancer.ConclusionsThe AI software enhances diagnostic efficiency for breast masses, reducing the performance gap between junior and senior radiologists, particularly for BI-RADS 4a and 4b masses. This improvement reduces unnecessary repeat examinations and biopsies, optimizing medical resource utilization and enhancing overall diagnostic effectiveness.

In order to better describe the uncertainty of renewable energy output, this paper proposed a novel robust optimization method for new distribution systems based on adaptive data-driven polyhedral sets. First, an ellipsoidal uncertainty set was established using historical data on renewable energy output, and a data-driven convex hull polyhedral set was established by connecting high-dimensional ellipsoidal vertices; on this basis, an adaptive data-driven polyhedral set model was established to address the problem of high conservatism in the scaling process of convex hull polyhedral sets. Furthermore, a novel adaptive data-driven robust scheduling model for new distribution systems was established, and a column-and-constraint generation (C&CG) algorithm was used to solve the robust scheduling model. Finally, the improved IEEE-33 bus system simulation verification shows that the robust scheduling model for new distribution systems based on adaptive data-driven polyhedral sets can reduce conservatism and improve the robustness of optimization results.

Full-resolution quality evaluation model for pansharpened images is significant for remote sensing applications, yet presents a challenge of the absence of reference compared with the reduced-resolution approach. To predict the image quality accurately, it is necessary to consider the distortion during the pansharpening process. Based on an observation that the quality of pairwise images can more easily be ranked, we propose a rank learning based full-resolution quality evaluation method for pansharpened images. Our approach begins with the synthesizing of ranked distortion images in spatial and spectral domains. Then, we develop a pansharpening distortion-perceiving model. This model employs spatial and spectral Siamese networks to perceive distortions and applies a pair-wise learning strategy for ranked images. Consequently, we establish a distortion-guided full-resolution quality evaluation framework for pansharpening. This framework integrates the spatial and spectral distortion-perceiving network and is enhanced with a dimension alignment module and a discrepancy Rrpresentation module, enabling effective distortion extraction among high-resolution multispectral, panchromatic, and low-resolution multispectral images. We conducted a series of experiments on a large-scale public pansharpened database. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed approach.

Acupuncture is an important therapeutic method of traditional Chinese medicine and can effectively modulate brain disorders. The therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture is hard to evaluate due to lacking of effective measurements of brain activity. In this work, we design an EEG-based monitoring system to evaluate therapeutic effect of acupuncture on human brain by extracting periodic-aperiodic features. Power spectral density is estimated to compute the adjusted power of periodic oscillatory rhythm in EEG under acupuncture stimulation. It is exhibited that the brain activity in alpha band (8–12 Hz) is significantly enhanced during acupuncture, especially in parietal and occipital lobe regions. To probe the modulatory effect of acupuncture on aperiodic brain activity, we calculate the aperiodic exponent based on the parameterization of EEG power spectra. The aperiodic exponent decreases along with acupuncture process, which is more significant in central and frontal lobe regions. Furthermore, sensitivity of different brain regions to acupuncture is assessed by the integration of adjusted power and aperiodic exponent. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed periodic-aperiodic measurements of EEG signals, by which different effects of four acupuncture manipulations are precisely evaluated and a knowledge graph is established. The monitoring system provides a new perspective to quantitatively evaluate acupuncture effect on human brain and improve its therapeutic efficacy in clinical applications for neural disorders.

This study demonstrates the first work that achieves accurate modeling of Hydrogen plasmatreated (H-treated) p-GaN gate devices with the ASM-GaN model, facilitating simulations for applications in monolithic integrated circuit (IC) design. The workflow for ASM-GaN model parameter extraction and optimization using IC-CAP is proposed. The I-V characteristics of both Enhancement / Depletion (E/D) mode devices are modeled and fitted. The impact of device capacitance on the dynamic properties of monolithic IC is investigated through the ASM model. The results demonstrate that Cds, Cgd, and Cgs have different effects on the monolithic logic circuit performances. The high-level fitting of experimental data and circuit simulation of Inverter, NAND, and Comparator circuits proves the credibility of the modeling workflow and device capacitance modulation. This work provides a method to speed up the GaN monolithic IC design by accurate modeling with fast parameter extraction workflow regardless of the fabrication process. The reliable prediction of the circuit’s dynamic performance will lay the foundation for designing and scaling up the GaN monolithic IC application.

Abstract Background Mesothelin (MSLN) has been implicated in cancer migration, invasion, and prognosis, making it a potential tumor marker. However, the precise role of MSLN in the migration and invasion of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) remains elusive, and effective noninvasive methods for assessing MSLN status are currently lacking. In this study, we focused on MSLN expression and elucidated the underlying mechanisms by which MSLN regulates migration and invasion in MPM. Building upon this knowledge, we developed an MRI nanoprobe that targets MSLN to assess its status in vitro and in vivo by comparing T2 signal intensity and T2 values on magnetic resonance imaging examinations. This nanoprobe combines the anatomical information obtained from MRI with biological information obtained from MSLN for comprehensive evaluation of MPM. Results Notably, we observed that MSLN expression in the epithelial type of MPM was higher and increased continuously with tumor growth than that in other types. In addition, MSLN upregulation promoted N-cadherin, matrix metalloproteinase-7, and MMP9 expression and resulted in higher migration/invasion ability and shorter survival. We synthesized MSLN-targeted nanoprobes (Fe3O4@SiO2-PEG-MSLN, FSPM) to assess MSLN expression by comparing the T2 signal intensity and T2 value of different cell lines and mice after 14, 28, and 42 days of modeling. Remarkably, MSLN-targeted nanoprobes demonstrated excellent targeting capabilities. In vitro studies revealed a pronounced reduction in T2 signal intensity and T2 values of the epithelial type as the probe concentration increased. In addition, in vivo experiments demonstrated a gradual decline in these parameters over time, particularly in the epithelial type as compared to the biphasic type, corresponding to the dynamic expression patterns of MSLN during different growth stages. Conclusion Our comprehensive research succeeded in confirming the regulatory mechanisms by which MSLN influences migration and invasion. Moreover, we introduced a promising method for monitoring MSLN expression that may help in facilitating the early detection, histological subtype identification, and assessment of migration, invasion, and prognosis in MPM.

Purposes A load feature extraction method based on a combination of event monitoring and Gaussian mixture model clustering is proposed to explore the potential of energy saving and emission reduction at the customer side, to finely analyze and manage the customers’ electricity consumption behavior, and to improve the efficiency of electricity utilization. Methods First, the active power fluctuation of each appliance during a single operation is extracted by the event monitoring algorithm based on sliding window, and the start-up time, number of times, and operation duration of the appliance can be obtained by the event monitoring algorithm. Second, to address the problem that the same appliance often has similar power but inconsistent operation status, the Gaussian mixture model clustering algorithm with the advantages of “soft classification” and flexible class clusters is adopted to finely classify the load operating status and form a load status feature library that is consistent with the actual operation of power-using equipment. Finally, with the public data set AMPds2 as the research object, the method proposed in this paper is applied to study the energy consumption habits of residential customers, and the validation analysis is carried out. Findings The results show that the proposed method can extract load features better than other models.

Abstract Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), characterized by the abnormal accumulation of immature marrow cells in the bone marrow, is a malignant tumor of the blood system. Currently, the pathogenesis of AML is not yet clear. Therefore, this study aims to explore the mechanisms underlying the development of AML. Firstly, we identified a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) SUCLG2-AS1-miR-17-5p-JAK1 axis through bioinformatics analysis. Overexpression of SUCLG2-AS1 inhibits proliferation, migration and invasion and promotes apoptosis of AML cells. Secondly, luciferase reporter assay and RIP assay validated that SUCLG2-AS1 functioned as ceRNA for sponging miR-17-5p, further leading to JAK1 underexpression. Additionally, the results of MeRIP-qPCR and m6A RNA methylation quantification indicted that SUCLG2-AS1(lncRNA) had higher levels of m6A RNA methylation compared with controls, and SUCLG2-AS1 is regulated by m6A modification of WTAP in AML cells. WTAP, one of the main regulatory components of m6A methyltransferase complexes, proved to be highly expressed in AML and elevated WTAP is associated with poor prognosis of AML patients. Taken together, the WTAP-SUCLG2-AS1-miR-17-5p-JAK1 axis played essential roles in the process of AML development, which provided a novel therapeutic target for AML.

With the aid of endmember spectral libraries, sparse unmixing plays a critical role in interpreting hyperspectral remote sensing data. Integrating spatial clues from hyperspectral data into sparse unmixing frameworks is pivotal for enhancing unmixing capabilities. As such, extracting and harnessing spatial signatures from imagery has emerged as a prevalent tactic to optimize unmixing. In real-world scenarios, hyperspectral images are susceptible to noise, which poses great challenges to the separability of ground objects. As a result, most sparse unmixing models are ill-equipped to handle this issue properly, facing risks of failure. To tackle this challenge, we proposed a sparse unmixing technique with robust multiscale spectral–spatial regularization (RMSR). In the proposed RMSR model, an abundance estimation error reduction regularizer and a spectral–spatial weighted sparse regularizer are consolidated into a unified framework, which excavates the spatial information of the image from multiple perspectives. Specifically, in the first part, the abundance estimation error is defined as the difference between the precomputed abundance maps at the superpixel level and the expected abundances calculated from the original data. Then, the $\ell _{2,1}$ norm is applied to it as a regularization term, which enhances the robustness of the model against image noise and outliers. In the second part, image level spectral weighting coefficients and local spatial weighting terms are leveraged to individually enhance the sparsity of the abundance maps and their piecewise smoothness. The experimental results reveal the algorithm's considerable capabilities in noise immunity and improved unmixing abilities.

Backgrounds: Pelvic organ prolapse commonly affects the upper two-thirds of the vagina. However, evaluating this region in its normal position presents challenges. This study aimed to assess the anatomical axis of this vaginal segment using pelvic magnetic resonance imaging measurements. Methods: A retrospective study of 614 hospitalized women from two hospitals, who were rigorously screened to exclude those with Pelvic Organ Prolapse or known anatomical variations (median age: 43 years, range: 17–76 years). Two reference lines were used: the pubococcygeal line (PCL) and a line from the inferior pubic symphysis to the third sacral vertebra (PS3L). Distances between the distal, middle, and apical points of the upper vagina and the reference lines, as well as the angles between the upper vagina and the reference lines, were measured. Comparisons were made among different age groups. Results: The median distances from the distal, middle, and apical vaginal points to the PCL were 0.4 ​cm (interquartile range [IQR]: 0.0–0.7 ​cm), 2.1 ​cm (IQR: 1.7–2.5 ​cm) and 3.1 ​cm (IQR: 2.5–3.7 ​cm), respectively. The median PCL-vaginal angle was 29.0° (IQR: 23.0–34.0°). The median distances from the distal, middle, and apical vaginal points to the PS3L were -0.5 ​cm (IQR: -0.9–0.0 ​cm), 0.0 ​cm (IQR: -0.4–0.6 ​cm), and -0.2 ​cm (IQR: -0.9– 0.0 ​cm), respectively. The median PS3L-vaginal angle was 0.0° (IQR: -4.0–7.0°). Women aged 50 years or older had slightly lower vaginal points and slightly larger angles than younger groups in relation to both reference lines (p ​

AbstractIn the present study, we have sequenced, annotated and characterized the complete mitogenome of Tanichthys flavianalis Li, Liao & Shen, 2022, which is an endemic minnow to Hainan Province, China. The entire mitogenome size is 16,545 bp, containing 37 genes coding for 13 mitochondrial proteins, 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, and one putative control region. It has the typical fish mitochondrial gene arrangement, though with 9 gene overlaps and 17 intergenic spacers scattering throughout the mitogenome, and a high A + T bias (60.8%) comparing to other Cyprinids. ATG is used as the start codon in most mitochondrial protein coding genes (PCGs) except for cox1 which uses GTG, whereas the canonical TAA/TAG are prevailing stop codons except for cox2, cox3, nad4 and cytb. Phylogenetic analyses with other reported species from Tanichyidae were conducted using IQ-TREE and MrBayes, based on the concatenated 13 PCGs. The results clustered T. flavinalis with the newly described T. albiventris Li Bohlen & Liao, 2022, and proved the reciprocally monophyletic relationship between Chinese and Vietnamese Tanichthys.

Abstract Integrated hydrogen energy systems (IHESs) have become attractive alternatives to cope with the depletion of fossil fuels and increasingly severe climate change problems. This paper proposes an adaptively optimal energy scheduling method based on deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) to improve the operational efficiency of IHES. The optimal scheduling problem is formulated as a Markov decision process problem with action space, environmental states, and action‐value function. The DDPG‐based optimal energy management algorithm with actor‐critic structure is proposed based on policy gradients and neural networks. Through actor‐critic network training and policy iteration, the energy management scheme can be adaptively optimized according to the dynamic responses of IHES. The benefits of the proposed algorithm are analysed through time‐domain simulations, and the scheduling robustness under different uncertain conditions is verified.

Abstract The vibration controlled transient elastography (VCTE) technique was used to assess the effectiveness of a Biejia Decoction pill in combination with Entecavir in the treatment of hepatitis B liver fibrosis/cirrhosis. We randomly selected 120 patients to receive entecavir and 119 patients to receive both entecavir and Biejia Decoction Pill, which both with hepatitis B liver fibrosis/cirrhosis visited the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University between January 2019 and February 2022. The observation group got ETV (entecavir) and Biejia Decoction pills, whereas the control group received only standard ETV antiviral medication. Based on the grading of the VCTE detection value (LSM) initially diagnosed for patients with hepatitis B liver fibrosis/cirrhosis, we divided the patients into two subgroups of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. In addition, patients with liver fibrosis were divided into mild and moderate subgroups according to their VCTE values. Patients were measured for liver hardness after three, six, nine, and twelve months of treatment with VCTE. Biejia Decoction Pill combined with ETV on HBV liver fibrosis/cirrhosis was evaluated by comparing patients' changes in liver hardness and HBV-DNA negative conversion rates before and after treatment in each group at the same baseline. The LSM (liver elasticity value) of the observation group and the control group after treatment was lower than that before treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (P

Abstract Power system can utilize the flexibility provided by energy‐intensive enterprises (EIEs) for large‐scale renewable energy penetration. However, system operators cannot obtain the manufacture scheme of EIEs due to business privacy protection. Furthermore, highly regulated electricity prices further restrict the flexible utilization of EIEs. To overcome these issues, a coordinated dispatch framework between power system and EIEs under the intrinsic time of use (TOU) prices is designed in this paper, which requires only several boundary information for interaction. Firstly, the mathematical formulation of EIEs is given based on the inherent features analysis of typical production equipment and the optimal operation scheme of EIEs can be obtained. Then, considering uncertainties of both source and loads, the purchasing energy of EIEs from the network can be adjusted through the designed framework to track renewable energy dynamics and the clear equivalence class method is used to solve fuzzy chance constrained programming. Next, the improved Asymmetric Nash Bargaining (ANB) method is adopted to carry out the distribution of benefits. Finally, a modified IEEE‐30 test system is given to verify the feasibility of the proposed method, which can effectively improve the regional consumption level of renewable energy and ensure interests of all sides.

Abstract Mycobacterium phlei is a gram‐positive acid‐fast mycobacterium from the family Mycobacteriaceae. It is a valuable resource for both natural drugs and microecological preparations. It has been widely used in the field of human medicine; however, in the field of animal husbandry and veterinary medicine, the research and application of M. phlei is still in the preliminary exploration stage. This study aims to summarize the research progress of M. phlei in the field of veterinary medicine and provide a valuable reference for future research. Key words, such as ‘M. phlei’, ‘veterinary field’, ‘immune balancer’, ‘genome’ and other relevant words to this study, were used to search through PubMed, Web of Science, SciELO, Science Direct and Google Scholar databases. The results showed that the culture conditions of M. phlei were relatively simple, but its bacterial composition and genome sequence were relatively complex, and various components in the cell wall may have immunoregulatory effects. Therefore, the inactivated preparation made from M. phlei can have various applications in the veterinary field, such as growth regulation, immune regulation, antitumour, anti‐parasite and asthma treatment. The literature review indicates that M. phlei preparation is an efficient and convenient immune system balance agent. Despite the challenges associated with the use of M. phlei preparations, it has a strong potential for application in veterinary medicine.

BackgroundThe Oxidative Balance Score (OBS) is commonly used to assess oxidative stress and provides a comprehensive evaluation of dietary and lifestyle-related exposures. However, there is limited research on the association between OBS and colorectal cancer (CRC), its subsites, and complications. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between OBS and the risk of CRC, its subsites, and common complications in a large prospective cohort study.MethodsWe included data from 175,808 participants in the UK Biobank data sample repository from 2006 to 2010. We evaluated OBS using a scoring system based on 22 dietary and lifestyle factors. Multiple adjustments, including multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression, gender stratification, subgroup analysis, and sensitivity analysis, were performed to fully explore the relationship between OBS and CRC, its subsites, and complications. The mediation analysis was conducted to investigate whether serum albumin, uric acid, and neutrophil levels mediate the relationship between OBS and CRC.ResultsAfter adjusting for potential confounding factors, a significant negative correlation was found between OBS and the risk of CRC and its subsites (proximal colon cancer, distal colon cancer, and rectal cancer). This correlation was particularly pronounced in male CRC patients. Serum albumin, uric acid, and neutrophil count, which are biomarkers, were found to have a significant mediating effect between OBS and CRC.ConclusionOur study suggests that higher exposure to antioxidants assessed through OBS (diet and lifestyle rich in antioxidants) may decrease the occurrence of CRC and its subsites.