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Abstract Background Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a prevalent psychiatric complication in stroke patients, severely reducing quality of life and delaying social recovery in stroke survivors. Clinical studies have shown that acupuncture can be used as an alternative approach for PSD. The aim of this study was to examine the safety, efficacy, and electroencephalogram (EEG) mechanism of acupuncture in treating PSD patients. Methods From October 28, 2022 to May 16, 2023, this single-center, single-blind, randomized clinical trial was conducted at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. A total of 56 eligible subjects were assigned in a random manner, with an equal distribution between two groups: the manual acupuncture (MA) group and the sham acupuncture (SA) group. The primary outcome was the Hamilton Depression Scale-24 (HAMD-24); the secondary outcomes included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), the Barthel index, EEG power spectrum, and EEG imaginary coherent (iCOH). Results Compared to the SA group, the MA group exhibited significant improvements in HAMD-24, NIHSS, PSIQ, and Barthel index at week 6. The total improvement rate was 85.71% in the MA group and 28.57% in the SA group. After 6 weeks of treatment, the alpha and beta bands power spectrum increased significantly, while the delta and theta bands power spectrum decreased significantly in the MA group compared to the SA group. The iCOH analysis showed that the MA group had significantly higher functional connectivity in the four bands than the SA group. Conclusions Acupuncture might be regarded as an adjunctive treatment for PSD patients with improvements in their neurological deficits, sleep quality, and depression. Meanwhile, the mechanism of acupuncture in treating PSD patients may be through decreasing the slow wave power spectrum and increasing the fast wave power spectrum, and enhancing brain functional connectivity. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200065112/2022-10-28).

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the optimal frequency of dexamethasone (DEX) administration and the efficacy of DEX with aggressive warming in total hip arthroplasty (THA), which remains unclear. A total of 150 patients were treated with DEX (10 mg) once before and once or twice after surgery with or without intraoperative aggressive warming. On postoperative day 3, the dynamic visual analogue scale scores and C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in participants administered with DEX twice after surgery were significantly lower than those who did not receive the second dose. The range of motion (ROM), postoperative fatigue based on Identity-Consequence-Fatigue Scale, average temperature at different stages, intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative drainage volume in patients who were subjected to warming were significantly higher than those who were not. The degree of satisfaction was also higher in the patients who received both second dose and warming than those who received neither. No differences in complications were observed based on the treatments. An additional dose of DEX at 48 h post-surgery has short-term advantages in terms of analgesia, anti-inflammatory effects, and accelerated rehabilitation after THA. DEX combined with aggressive warming further optimises short-term ROM and fatigue and improves the degree of satisfaction. Clinical trial was registered in the International Clinical Trial Registry, and the date of registration is 2/12/2020 (ChiCTR2000040560).

ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of cyclic cryotherapy and vitamin D administration on early rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), as its efficacy remains unclear.MethodsWe divided 150 patients (three groups) who underwent TKA into those treated with or without cyclic cryotherapy and vitamin D.ResultsCompared with patients who did not receive cyclic cryotherapy, those who received postoperative cyclic cryotherapy and vitamin D supplementation had significantly higher American Knee Society Scores (AKSS) on postoperative day (POD) 7 and at 1 month postoperatively; higher visual analogue scale (VAS) values on POD1–3 and POD7; reduced thigh swelling on POD3 and POD7; increased range of motion (ROM) on POD3, POD7, and at 1 month postoperatively; and reduced postoperative length of stay (PLOS). However, no significant difference in patient satisfaction was observed between the patient groups. At 1 and 3 months postoperatively, patients administered cyclic cryotherapy and vitamin D had significantly higher AKSS, ROM, and vitamin D levels than those who did not receive vitamin D. No perioperative complications such as surgical site infection, skin frostbite, or vitamin D intoxication were observed.ConclusionCyclic cryotherapy post-TKA had short-term advantages in terms of AKSS, VAS, thigh swelling, ROM, PLOS, and accelerated rehabilitation, but did not improve patient satisfaction. Cyclic cryotherapy combined with vitamin D improved AKSS and ROM at 1 and 3 months postoperatively.

Knowledge of the recharge from surface water to groundwater is the basement of the scientific understanding of water cycle and the sustainable management of groundwater resources. Meanwhile, the layered heterogeneity is the main structural feature of riverbed sediments (i.e., the lithologic difference between riverbed sediments and the underlying aquifer) and the main factor that controlling the recharge from surface water to groundwater. To reveal the influence mechanism of layered structure of pore media on the recharge from surface water to groundwater, a conceptual model of surface water and groundwater interaction is established based on the field test results of Henan reaches of the Yellow River, and the process of the recharge from surface water to groundwater interaction is described using flow path as the object. The results show that the exchange flux of surface water and groundwater is mainly affected by hydraulic conductivity of riverbed sediments, and the change of the thickness of riverbed sediments has little effect on the exchange flux between surface water and groundwater. That is, the increase of the ratio of the thickness of the sediments to that of the underlying aquifer (HS/H) from 0 to 0.125 leads to the interaction flux decreased by 72%, indicating that the existence of the low permeability layer is the main reason that decreases the interaction flux between surface water and groundwater. The change of the permeability and the thickness of riverbed sediments has obviously changed the flow path from surface water to groundwater and the travel time. Specifically, the increase in KU/KL leads to a lager penetration depth of groundwater flow and lager travel times. The sensitivity of exchange flux between surface water and groundwater and groundwater travel time to the hydraulic conductivity of riverbed sediments increases with the decreasing hydraulic conductivity. At the same time, the groundwater travel time is more sensitive to the change of the thickness of the low permeability riverbed sediments, and the sensitivity increases with the increasing thickness. The research results can provide reference for groundwater resource management and sustainable development.

The presence of young stars, aged around several million years and situated within the range of ∼0.04–1 pc from our Galactic center raises a question about their origins and dynamical evolutions. Their kinematics provide an opportunity to explore their formation or possible subsequent dynamical evolution. If Sagittarius A* was active in the past as suggested by several observations, the accretion disk may have a significant impact on the dynamics of stars in the Galactic center. The drag force exerted on stars during star–disk interaction could lead some of them to sink into the accretion disk, and these embedded stars will rapidly migrate inward and eventually be disrupted within ∼10 ^5 yr. This could roughly explain the absence of stars within 2.5 × 10 ^4 R _g (∼1000 au). Additionally, Kozai–Lidov oscillations, induced by the gravitational perturbation of the disk, could contribute to the bimodal distribution of S-star inclinations and drive a majority of stars into high-eccentricity orbits.

Badminton, a dynamic racquet sport demanding agility and power, features the overhead forehand smash as a pivotal offensive shot. Utilizing 3D motion analysis, this research delves into the intricate biomechanical facets underpinning this pivotal shot, with a dual focus on both novice and proficient players. Through a comparative analysis of these two player cohorts, the investigation aims to elucidate the fundamental factors influencing the quality of the forehand smash. Our findings reveal that skilled players exhibit significant improvements in smash quality, including a 60.2% increase in shuttlecock speed, reduced clearance height, and flight angle at release. These enhancements are associated with specific determinants, such as consistent positioning, racket angle at impact, and range of motion (ROM) in various joints. More crucially, full-body tension-arc formation and a four-segment whip-like smash contribute to these improvements. Unique to the whip-like smash is the rapid trunk and shoulder rotations in early whip-like control inducing passive elbow flexion and wrist over-extension, enhancing the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) effect of muscles for a more powerful smash. Emphasizing this uniqueness and the determinants simplify smash learning, potentially boosting training effectiveness. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of badminton’s biomechanics and offers practical implications for coaches and players to enhance their forehand smashes, especially among beginners.

Due to the extensive excavation of open-pit coal mines in northwest of China, the rock slopes formed by special environments are subjected to freeze-thaw (F-T) action, which has a certain impact on their stabilities. In order to evaluate the mechanical properties and micro damage characteristics of coal under different freeze-thaw cycles, uniaxial compression experiments combining acoustic emission tests were conducted. The results suggest that as the number of freeze-thaw cycles increased, elastic modulus of coal samples decreased, the samples showed ductile damage characteristics and initial compaction stage gradually increased. Compared with unfrozen-thawed coal sample, the compressive strength of the coal samples decreased by 23.27% after 10 F-T cycles, 31.06% after 15 F-T cycles, and 36.01% after 20 F-T cycles. The internal fissures in the coal samples transitioned from tensile fissures to shearing fissures, and the samples gradually showed tensile-shear combined failure. The final cumulative energy of the coal sample became lower, the cumulative energy duration increased and the time point of the energy surge was delayed with the increase of cyclic freeze-thaw times. A damage model based on the evolution law of the cumulative energy was established to bridge the gap between macro-micro damage mechanics.

PurposeTesticular yolk sac tumor (TYST) is a rare malignant germ cell tumor that mainly occurs in young men. Due to the low incidence of yolk sac tumors, there is a lack of prospective cohort studies with large samples. We aimed to develop a nomogram to predict cancer-specific survival (CSS) in patients with TYST.Materials and methodsPatient information was downloaded from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. We enrolled all patients with TYST from 2000 to 2018, and all patients were randomly divided into a training set and a validation set. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to identify independent risk factors for patients. We constructed a nomogram based on the multivariate Cox regression model to predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year CSS in patients with TYST. We used a series of validation methods to test the accuracy and reliability of the model, including the concordance index (C-index), calibration curve and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).Results619 patients with TYST were enrolled in the study. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that age, T stage, M stage and chemotherapy were independent risk factors for CSS. A nomogram was constructed to predict the patient's CSS. The C-index of the training set and the validation set were 0.901 (95%CI: 0.859–0.847) and 0.855 (95%CI: 0.865–0.845), respectively, indicating that the model had excellent discrimination. The AUC showed the same results. The calibration curve also indicated that the model had good accuracy.ConclusionsIn this study, we constructed the nomogram for the first time to predict the CSS of patients with TYST, which has good accuracy and reliability and can help doctors and patients make clinical decisions.

In order to cope with the frequent challenges of network security issues, a method of applying artificial intelligence technology to computer network security communication is proposed. First, within the framework of computer network communication, an intelligent protocol reverse analysis method is proposed. By converting the protocol into an image and establishing a convolutional neural network model, artificial intelligence technology is used to map the data to the protocol result. Finally, use the model to test the test data to adjust the model parameters and optimize the model as much as possible. The experimental results show that compared with the test model, the results obtained after training with the deep convolutional neural network model in this paper have increased the accuracy by 2.4%, reduced the loss by 38.2%, and reduced the running time by 42 times. The correctness and superiority of the algorithm and model are verified.

The understanding of solute transport in rock fractures is of great importance in many engineering fields. In this study, two groups of experiments on artificial and natural single fractures with different fracture apertures and roughness were conducted to investigate the changes of solute transport regimes. The time fractional advection–dispersion equation (tFADE) as a promising model was applied to describe the anomalous transport. The performance of the classical advection-dispersion equation (ADE) and tFADE was compared according to the fitting precision of breakthrough curves (BTCs). The responses of the fitting parameters in the tFADE to the experimental conditions were also discussed. The results indicated that the non-Fickian transport more likely occurred in the short distance transport, and the larger Peclet number (Pe) led to the increase of the exponent of the power-law function in the phase of concentration decline. The tFADE was superior to ADE in capturing the non-Fickian transport especially the tailing behavior. The fractional order of time α in the tFADE was the key parameter to describe the anomalous transport process, and its responding mechanisms of were revealed: the best-fit α decreased with the increase of flow velocity and the decrease of the fracture aperture. The roughness of the single fracture which leads to a complex flow field had a significant effect on the best-fit α. The findings of this study can help for better understanding the effectiveness and physical significance of the tFADE.

Delimiting the red line of ecologically functional space is a system innovation in the field of environmental management in China. This study proposes a method to delineate the spatial red line of ecological functions based on the strong leakage area in Jinan. The ecological control line was delineated by comprehensively considering the influence of topographic slope, lithologic characteristics, tectonic development, thickness and permeability of Quaternary strata, and vegetation coverage. And the vector analysis of these indicators was carried out in ArcGIS, the ecological control lines of the main seepage areas were initially determined by spatial superposition of vector data. In addition, the accuracy of the ecological control lines was effectively improved by vegetation cover and Quaternary stratigraphic thickness. Our results show that the major leakage areas, major leakage protection areas, and buffer areas were 299.75 km2, 114.38 km2, and 185.23 km2, respectively. The near-natural, development-construction, and new development-construction leakage areas were 221.43 km2, 60.97 km2, and 17.35 km2, respectively. This study provides support for the restoration of urban natural ecology, highlighting urban characteristics and orderly implementation of urban organic renewal, and it is of great significance to protect the regional ecology and ensure the continuous flow of Baotu Spring.

Abstract Objective To study the clinicopathological characteristics and genetic features of melanin-producing medullary thyroid carcinoma (MP-MTC). Methods The immunophenotype of MP-MTC was studied using the immunohistochemical method, and its genetic features were assayed using an amplification refractory mutation system or PCR method. Results A 71-year-old man presented with a slowly growing 5-cm mass on the left side of the neck for approximately two months. The cut surface of the neoplasm was brown and black. Melanin was found in the cytoplasm of tumor cells or the extracellular matrix. The tumor cells were positive for AE1/AE3, S-100 protein, melan A, HMB-45, synaptophysin, calcitonin, chromogranin A, melanoma, and thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) and negative for thyroglobulin. No typical genetic features were observed in this case. The patient showed no symptoms and recurrence at 12 months after the operation. Conclusions The tumor cells of MP-MTC were positive for melanin biomarkers, TTF-1 and exhibited no genetic features. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry of the tumor cells will aid accurate diagnosis.

In order to conserve the water resource during underground mining, the fracture and mechanical properties of rock are important for the stability of water-resisting layers, especially for the fracture behavior of boundary cracks containing water in rock. Considering the swelling of rock under water environment and the influence of water on rock, the stress intensity factors of modes I and II are derived for boundary cracks in rock under compressive and shear stresses. The cracks are divided into the closed and open states. The effects of the crack inclination angle, friction coefficient between crack surfaces, and initial crack length on stress intensity factors are also taken into account. The stress intensity factors for closed and open boundary cracks are verified by numerical and physical experiments, respectively, and the deviation of the results is within 5%. It is shown that pore pressure has different effects on the relationship between stress intensity factor and friction coefficient under different lateral pressures. The effect of water on crack propagation is mainly due to the deterioration of the fracture toughness of the rock. It is found that the critical coefficient λc is a key parameter to determine whether the boundary crack propagates in rock under compression-shear stress. Further studies should be performed to apply the present fracture theory to rock mass or water-resisting layers.

In order to investigate the effect of vehicular blocking scene on the smoke spread in the longitudinal ventilated tunnel fire and improve the effectiveness of smoke control scheme, 30 simulation conditions were carried out. The effect of different blockage area ratio, blockage position, and blockage length on the smoke spread were included. The temperature, velocity, and smoke spread characteristics beneath the tunnel ceiling were analyzed. The results showed that the maximum temperature and smoke spread range beneath the tunnel ceiling was affected significantly by the blockage area ratio. The critical velocity was different when the blockage vehicle was located on upstream or downstream of the fire. When the critical velocity was the same, as the blockage length increased, the maximum temperature beneath the tunnel ceiling decreased at first and then increased gradually. Keywords: Tunnel fire, Blocking scene, Longitudinal ventilation, Smoke spread

Focusing on the research landscape for graduate students of China’s Christian universities is of great significance for making sense of the path along which the theological and practical studies are conducted by contemporary China’s Christian universities and for promoting the dialogue and understanding between Chinese and foreign seminaries. In this research, thesis topics selected by graduate students majoring in theology are classified into four categories: universal theoretical research, universal practical research, theoretical research of Chinese Christianity, and practical research of Chinese Christianity. Results of coded categorical data analysis and case study show that graduate students mainly focus on universal theories without giving adequate attention to the topic of the “Sinification” of Christianity. In their universal theoretical research, graduate students examine classic Christian works and theological thoughts of important figures in a detailed and in-depth way. Universal practical studies are skewed to practices of religious reforms and teaching improvements from a multidisciplinary perspective. In the theoretical research of Sinified Christianity, researchers build upon the commensurability between traditional Chinese culture and Christian theology, including the theological thoughts of important Christian figures in China, to explore the fulfillment of cultural, national, and social identities. In the practical research of Christianity in China, empirical methodologies are widely applied, centering on the “localization” process and forms of practices taking place in churches of China. The coincidentia oppositorum between universality and particularity dictates that much tension exists with respect to the development of Christianity in China. Focusing on the accommodative process between universality and particularity is important to produce further implications for research to be conducted by China’s Christian universities.

The extraction of regulatory information is a prerequisite for automated code compliance checking. Although a number of machine learning models have been explored for extracting computer-understandable engineering constraints from code clauses written in natural language, most are inadequate to address the complexity of the semantic relations between named entities. In particular, the existence of two or more overlapping relations involving the same entity greatly exacerbates the difficulty of information extraction. In this paper, a joint extraction model is proposed to extract the relations among entities in the form of triplets. In the proposed model, a hybrid deep learning algorithm combined with a decomposition strategy is applied. First, all candidate subject entities are identified, and then, the associated object entities and predicate relations are simultaneously detected. In this way, multiple relations, especially overlapping relations, can be extracted. Furthermore, nonrelated pairs are excluded through the judicious recognition of subject entities. Moreover, a collection of domain-specific entity and relation types is investigated for model implementation. The experimental results indicate that the proposed model is promising for extracting multiple relations and entities from building codes.

The increase in antimicrobial resistance is a threat to both human and animal health. The transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) via plasmids has been studied in detail whereas the contribution of bacteriophage-mediated ARG transmission is relatively little explored. We isolated and characterized two T7-like lytic bacteriophages that infected multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli hosts. The morphology and genomic analysis indicated that both phage HZP2 and HZ2R8 were evolutionarily related and their genomes did not encode ARGs. However, ARG-like raw reads were detected in offspring sequencing data with a different abundance level implying that potential ARG packaging had occurred. PCR results demonstrated that six fragments of genes (qnrS, cmlA, tetM, blaTEM, sul3, mcr-1) were potentially packaged by phage HZP2 and four (qnrS, cmlA, blaTEM, mcr-1) by phage HZ2R8. Further quantitative results showed that ARG abundance hierarchies were similar. The gene blaTEM was the most abundant (up to 1.38 × 107 copies/mL) whereas cmlA and qnrS were the least. Moreover, the clinically important mcr-1 gene was the second most abundant ARG indicating a possibility for spread through generalized transduction. Together, our results indicated that these structurally similar phage possessed similar characteristics and potential packaging during phage-host interaction displayed an ARG preference rather than occurring randomly.