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Mei-e Tan,1–3,* Cheng-hui He,3,* Wen Jiang,4 Cheng Zeng,2–4 Ning Yu,3 Wei Huang,2 Zhong-gao Gao,2 Jian-guo Xing3 1Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic Phytomedicine Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 2State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 3Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Uighur Medicines, Xinjiang Institute of Materia Medica, 4Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Total flavonoid extract from Dracocephalum moldavica L. (TFDM) contains effective components of D. moldavica L. that have myocardial protective function. However, the cardioprotection function of TFDM is undesirable due to its poor solubility. In order to improve the solubility and efficacy of TFDM, we developed TFDM-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (TFDM-SLNs) and optimized the formulation of TFDM-SLNs using central composite design and response surface methodology. The physicochemical properties of TFDM-SLNs were characterized, and the pharmacodynamics was investigated using the myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury model in rats. The nanoparticles of optimal formulation for TFDM-SLNs were spherical in shape with the average particle size of 104.83 nm and had a uniform size distribution with the polydispersity index value of 0.201. TFDM-SLNs also had a negative zeta potential of -28.7 mV to ensure the stability of the TFDM-SLNs emulsion system. The results of pharmacodynamics demonstrated that both TFDM and TFDM-SLN groups afforded myocardial protection, and the protective effect of TFDM-SLNs was significantly superior to that of TFDM alone, based on the infarct area, histopathological examination, cardiac enzyme levels and inflammatory factors in serum. Due to the optimal quality and the better myocardial protective effect, TFDM-SLNs are expected to become a safe and effective nanocarrier for the oral delivery of TFDM. Keywords: solid lipid nanoparticles, Dracocephalum moldavica L., high-shear homogenization, myocardial ischemic–reperfusion injury, pharmacodynamics

BackgroundsInsomnia is frequent in schizophrenia and is found to be negatively affected by stressful life events， psychotic symptoms and depressive disorder， while the relationship among the four remains understudied in community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia.ObjectiveTo analyze the effect of stressful life events on insomnia in community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia， and to explore the mediation effect of psychotic symptoms and depression， so as to provide references for the intervention of insomnia in community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia.MethodsFrom April to June 2023， a sample of 1 105 patients with schizophrenia attending 48 community health centers in Chengdu， Sichuan province and fulfilling the International Classification of Diseases， tenth edition （ICD-10） diagnostic criteria were included. All subjects were assessed using Stressful Life Event Scale （SLEs）， Athens Insomnia Scale （AIS）， Psychosis Screening Questionnaire （PSQ）， and Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale （PHQ-9）. Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation among the scales. Then the mediation model was constructed using Smart PLS 4.0， and tested with partial least squares algorithm and Bootstrap techniques.Results332 patients （30.05%） with community schizophrenia were found to have insomnia. AIS scores in patients with schizophrenia were positively correlated with the scores on SLEs， PSQ and PHQ-9 （r=0.165， 0.322， 0.554， P

Between 1958 and 1999, notable lithic localities recorded prehistoric activities in Xiqiao Town of Nanhai District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province, from which double-shouldered and microlith-stone artefacts were uncovered. Currently, the "Xiqiaoshan site" is recognized as a substantial Neolithic quarry and processing location, dating back to 4‒7 ka B P. Subsequently, from 2011 to 2022, we conducted multiple geological environmental surveys and analyses on Xiqiaoshan Mountain. A well-preserved Quaternary stratigraphic profile was discovered north of Fuxian village in the southeast foothills of Xiqiaoshan Mountain. The sedimentological, geochemical, and geochronological results indicate the presence of two primary sedimentary strata in the Fuxian locality. The upper unit comprises the Holocene swamp facies, with a calibrated AMS14C dating range from 5052‒5409 a B P; whereas, the lower unit comprises the late Pleistocene alluvial-diluvial strata, with a calibrated AMS14C dating range from 38420‒40502 a B P, and an optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating range of 41.977‒43.796 ka B P. Late Pleistocene strata yielded two sand-gravel layers containing Paleolithic artefacts, which are marked as layers A1 and A2. The predominant artefacts in lower layer A1 include larger scrapers, pointed tools, tongue-shaped edged tools, and small flake tools, such as various scrapers, denticulates, notches, knives, utilized flakes, and cores, including tanged axe-shaped knives. In the upper layer A2, backed or tanged knives appear more frequently. The other small flake tools from this layer (A2) were not significantly different from those in lower layer A1. One bifacially prepared core for producing small elongated flakes is of particular interest for this artefact. Based on the average deposition rate, the computational age of the A1 layer was 46.511‒47.325 ka B P, whereas that of the A2 layer was 41.977‒42.167 ka B P. Although the number of artefacts within the Holocene sediments (>5 ka B P) overlying the late Pleistocene strata is limited, the characteristics of inheritance and development are still evident in the types of artefacts. The discovery presented in this study has completely updated and extended the connotation of Xiqiaoshan National Geopark and "Xiqiaoshan culture,"breaking through the late Pleistocene Paleolithic remains records with exact dating in the Pearl River Delta region for the first time. Therefore, a ground-breaking discovery can accurately trace the footsteps of modern humans in the coastal areas of South China from 40‒50 ka. It also reveals the rich features of lithic industry and the developmental characteristics and evolution of its cultural connotations during this period. The present study shows that during the relatively warm and humid conditions of marine isotope stages 3 (MIS3) interglacial period and the subsequent cold and arid stage of MIS2, human population in the Fuxian locality encountered environmental challenges and adopted new subsistence strategy, which is of great significance for understanding modern human responses and adaptations to global and regional environmental and climate change.

Abstract To explore the influence of surfactant concentration on the pore structure and permeability of coal samples during the chemical enhancement of coalbed methane production, different kinds and different concentrations of surfactants were added to the chemical solution, and the coal samples were soaked. Methods such as low-field nuclear magnetic resonance testing (NMR), fractal theory, permeability testing, surface tension testing, and contact angle testing were employed to analyze the variation patterns of coal sample pore structure, fractal characteristics, and permeability, and to explore the correlation between surface tension, contact angle, and the degree of pore structure development. The results show that the increase in total porosity of coal samples, the increase in the seepage pore porosity, the decrease in D t, and the growth rate of permeability increase with the increase in surfactant concentration, and are negatively correlated with the surface tension of the solution and the contact angle of the coal-solution interface, while the decrease in D s is not significantly correlated with surfactant concentration, surface tension, or contact angle. In terms of the erosion effect of a chemical solution on coal samples, the influence of contact angle is greater than that of surface tension, while surface tension has the greatest impact on the development of adsorption pores. By adding different surfactants, the surface tension of the chemical solution and the contact angle of the coal-solution interface can be controlled, further promoting the erosion of coal samples, which is of positive significance for the chemical enhancement of coalbed methane production.

During the overhaul of petrochemical refineries, a large amount of wastewater will be discharged unorganized, which has a serious impact on the operation of wastewater treatment system. In this study, macroscopic pollutant index analysis was combined with microscopic pollutant composition analysis, and the water quality of cleaning wastewater and cleaning-passivation wastewater were characterized from four aspects: pollutant load, system stability, pollutant composition, and biological toxicity. Both cleaning wastewater and cleaning-passivation wastewater exhibited high organic pollutant loads, high concentrations of suspended and colloidal pollutants, high system stability, and strong acute biological toxicity. The composition of polar pollutants of cleaning wastewater and cleaning-passivation wastewater was dominated by OxS1. Cleaning wastewater had the highest relative abundance of O3S1, which was speculated to be derived from alkyl benzene sulfonates. The relative abundance of O4S1 was the highest in cleaning-passivation wastewater, which was presumed to come from alkyl sulfates or sulfate surfactants. There was a significant difference in the composition of weakly polar pollutants between the cleaning wastewater and cleaning-passivation wastewater. Cleaning wastewater was mainly consisted of alcohol ethers, ethers, and petroleum hydrocarbons. Cleaning-passivation wastewater was mainly consisted of small molecule heterocycles, aromatic hydrocarbons, and phenols. The results could guide the development of pretreatment processes for overhaul wastewater, and provide support for the stable operation of comprehensive wastewater plant during overhaul of petrochemical refineries.

Aerobic granular sludge was cultivated as a biological carrier under laboratory conditions, and Chlorella was inoculated to form algal-bacterial granular sludge(ABGS). The effects of different light intensities on pollutant removal efficiency of ABGS system were explored, and the enhancement of Chlorella on the treatment capacity of ABGS system under 5 klx light intensity was emphatically investigated. The results showed that the removal rates of COD, TN and TP by ABGS were 87.01%-95.32%, 53.14%-89.37% and 32.49%-99.40%, respectively, with the SND of 7.70%-83.66%. However, the removal rates of TP and TN in a single Chlorella system were only 20%-30%, while the removal effect of COD was not obvious. Chlorella could increase the concentration of dissolved oxygen in water within a certain light intensity range, and facilitate the degradation of pollutants by promoting the metabolic rate of bacteria in ABGS system. With the increase of light intensity, the removal rates of COD and TP in ABGS system increased, while the removal rates of TN and SND decreased. Too low or too high light intensity would inhibit the photosynthesis and even kill Chlorella, leading to the disintegration of ABGS, system collapse and poor pollutant removal effect. High throughput analysis showed that the addition of algae further expanded the relative abundance of bacteria related to nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism, and enhanced the nitrogen and phosphorus removal effect of the system.

As a green and safe amino acid surfactant, sodium lauryl glutamate (SLG) has been favored by researchers. However, SLG has low solubility and its single system is not conducive to its application. Zwitterionic surfactants can increase its solubility by forming mixed micelles and possibly new phase states. In this paper, SLG was combined with lauramide propyl hydroxysulfobetaine (LHSB), and its different states were characterized. The type of phase states were determined and the pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were drawn. It was found that when the concentration of SLG was low and the proportion of SLG was not high, there were a large number of globular micelles in the solution, and rod-like micelles would appear as the concentration increased. As the concentration further increased, the SLG/LHSB system exhibited the characteristic of worm like micelles. With the further increase of concentration, the liquid crystal structures of hexagonal and layered phases were observed.

Purposes It is important to explore the law of capillary action on the corrosion of X70 steel in soil. Methods On the basis of the theory of unsaturated soil and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, combined with polarization curve technology, electrochemical impedance technology, scanning electron microscopy, and other test methods, the electrochemical corrosion behavior of X70 steel caused by capillarity in silty clay was investigated through the simulation test of one-dimensional soil column instrument under indoor conditions. Findings The test results show that capillary action has a certain influence on the electrochemical corrosion behavior of X70 steel, that is, the corrosion rates of steel sheet at the height of 12 and 27 cm of soil column first increase and then decrease with embedding time, and the corrosion rate of steel sheet at the height of 42 and 57 cm of soil column first decrease and then increase with embedding time; The rising rate of capillary water in silty clay meets the law of being first fast and then slow. Conclusions The corrosion type of X70 steel sheet surface is mainly pitting corrosion, and the corrosion product surface is accompanied by deep and wide cracks. With the increase of soil sample height, the corrosion degree decreases, and the size and number of corrosion pits show a decreasing trend on the whole. In the rising process of capillary water, when X70 steel sheet is at the solid-liquid-gas three-phase boundary, its corrosion rate is the fastest and the corrosion degree is the most serious.

This study aimed to screen out the differential metabolites between Taigu yam and Tiegun yam by metabolomics approach, and determine differential markers for predicting different yam varieties through the east absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression method. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) was employed to analyze metabolites in two types of yams. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were applied to identify distinct metabolites in these two yam varieties. Additionally, the LASSO regression method was used to screen out differential markers and establish a prediction model for variety identification. The results showed that a total of 206 metabolites were identified in the two yams. PCA found that Taigu yam and Tiegun yam were clearly distinguished. OPLS-DA further screened out 56 differential metabolites. LASSO regression analysis was performed based on these differential metabolites, and five differential markers were obtained including ophiogenin 3-O-beta-L-rhamnopyranosyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside, aspartic acid, epicatechin gallate, schaftoside and gallocatechin. These differential markers were used to establish a LASSO regression prediction model for identification of Taigu yam and Tiegun yam varieties. Based on metabolomics and LASSO regression methods, this study identified differential markers between Taigu yam and Tiegun yam, constructed a prediction model to identify different yam varieties, and would provide new ideas for the identification of yam.

Objective Multiple types of oil reservoirs, including conventional oil, tight oil, and shale oil, have been discovered from the slope area to the depression area in the Jimusaer Depression, demonstrating the characteristics of conventional–unconventional ordered coexistence and complete oil and gas system accumulation. Methods Source rocks, sedimentary reservoirs, and reservoir formation were examined to explore the rules of oil and gas accumulation in hydrocarbon-rich depressions in the Eastern Junggar. Results High-quality, saline, lacustrine facies source rocks are believed to be developed in the Middle Permian of the Eastern Junggar. The source rocks in the Jinan, Jimusaer, and Shishugou Depressions have large scale and best quality and have reached the mature stage of evolution. The inherited ancient uplifts around the Permian hydrocarbon-rich depression provided long-term material sources, with the development of fan deltas, braided river deltas, and saline lake sediments, forming sandy conglomerates, cloudy sandstones, cloudy mudstones, etc., in an orderly manner and demonstrating the characteristics of grain sequence reservoir formation. Conventional oil and gas, tight oil and gas, and shale oil and gas accumulations, demonstrating a complete type of reservoir formation and complete oil and gas system development pattern, are developed from the edge of the basin to the depression area. Conclusions The depressions in the Eastern Junggar Basin show a whole oil and gas system pattern. Significance Under the guidance of the entire oil and gas system reservoir formation model, the southern slope of the Shishugou Sag and the Lucaogou Formation of the Jinan Sag were selected as important exploration zones for future exploration in the Eastern Junggar.

Abstract Alleviating water scarcity is at the core of Sustainable Development Goal 6. Yet the timing of water scarcity in its onset and possible relief in different regions of the world due to climate change and changing human population dynamics remains poorly investigated. Here we assess the timing of the first emergence of water scarcity (FirstWS) and disappearance of water scarcity (EndWS), by using ensembles of simulations with six Global Hydrological Models under two representative concentration pathways (i.e., RCP2.6, RCP6.0) combined with two shared socioeconomic pathways (i.e., SSP2, SSP3) for 1901–2090. Historically (1901–2020), FirstWS occurred predominantly in Asia (e.g., China and India) and Africa (e.g., East Africa); the peak time of emerging water scarcity began around the 1980s. Under all the four future RCPs-SSPs scenarios (2021–2090), FirstWS will likely occur mainly in some regions of Africa, for which the newly added area is double that in Asia. On the other hand, EndWS will mostly occur in China after 2050, primarily due to the projected declining population. We, therefore, call for specific attention and effort to adapt to the looming water scarcity in Africa.

The aroma and taste profiles of Qingxiang Tieguanyin tea from different regions were determined through sensory evaluation and quantitative descriptive analysis of sensory attributes. By gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), biochemical composition analysis, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and metrological statistical analysis, the aroma and taste constituents of the tea were determined. The correlation between aroma and taste components and aroma and taste attributes was explored by correlation analysis and regression analysis, and the correlation between taste components and taste attributes was verified through experiments. The results showed that the sensory quality of Qingxiang Tieguanyin tea had regional characteristics and the aroma composition was dominated by terpenoids, followed by esters. Water content, water extract content, total tea polyphenols content and theaflavins content were the major biochemical factors responsible for the taste quality.

Abstract Introduction Early prediction and timely treatment are essential for minimizing the risk of visual loss or blindness of retinopathy of prematurity, emphasizing the importance of ROP screening in clinical routine. Objective To establish predictive models for ROP occurrence based on the risk factors using artificial neural network. Methods A cohort of 591 infants was recruited in this retrospective study. The association between ROP and perinatal factors was analyzed by univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression. We developed predictive models for ROP screening using back propagation neural network, which was further optimized by applying genetic algorithm method. To assess the predictive performance of the models, the areas under the curve, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value and accuracy were used to show the performances of the prediction models. Results ROP of any stage was found in 193 (32.7%) infants. Twelve risk factors of ROP were selected. Based on these factors, predictive models were built using BP neural network and genetic algorithm-back propagation (GA-BP) neural network. The areas under the curve for prediction models were 0.857, and 0.908 in test, respectively. Conclusions We developed predictive models for ROP using artificial neural network. GA-BP neural network exhibited superior predictive ability for ROP when dealing with its non-linear clinical data.

Abstract Extreme myopia (EM), defined as a spherical equivalent (SE) ≤ −10.00 diopters (D), is one of the leading causes of sight impairment. Known EM-associated variants only explain limited risk and are inadequate for clinical decision-making. To discover risk genes, we performed a whole-exome sequencing (WES) on 449 EM individuals and 9606 controls. We find a significant excess of rare protein-truncating variants (PTVs) in EM cases, enriched in the retrograde vesicle-mediated transport pathway. Employing single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) and a single-cell polygenic burden score (scPBS), we pinpointed PI16 + /SFRP4+ fibroblasts as the most relevant cell type. We observed that KDELR3 is highly expressed in scleral fibroblast and involved in scleral extracellular matrix (ECM) organization. The zebrafish model revealed that kdelr3 downregulation leads to elongated ocular axial length and increased lens diameter. Together, our study provides insight into the genetics of EM in humans and highlights KDELR3’s role in EM pathogenesis.

This study conducted bearing capacity test of high-steep rock slope foundation under different slope angles and slope distances to investigate the bearing capacity of high-steep rock slope foundation. We carried out numerical simulation to analyze the influencing factors of the bearing capacity of the high-steep rock slope foundation, combined with the deep waste pit project. The results show that: (1)The capacity coefficient η gradually decreases with the increase of the slope angle β, and increases nonlinearly with the increase of slope distance B. When the slope distance B exceeds a certain value, the bearing capacity coefficient η no longer increases and approximates 1.0. (2)Compared with slope angle β, geological strength index GSI exerts significant influence on the bearing capacity coefficient, and both of them increase nonlinear synchronously. (3)Anchor cable could improve the bearing capacity coefficient η. When four anchor cables are set, the bearing capacity coefficient η demonstrates more significant improvement. Yet, further increase in the number of anchor cables has little effect on the bearing capacity coefficient η.

Abstract Background The incidence of pancreatic cancer is increasing by years, and the 5-year survival rate is very low. Our team have revealed that Musashi2 (MSI2) could promote aggressive behaviors in pancreatic cancer by downregulating Numb and p53. MSI2 also facilitates EMT in pancreatic cancer induced by EGF through the ZEB1-ERK/MAPK signaling pathway. This study aims to further explore the molecular mechanisms of MSI2-regulated downstream pathways in pancreatic cancer. Methods In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to investigate the role and mechanism of MSI2 in promoting malignant behaviors of pancreatic cancer through regulation of NLK. Results Genes closely related to MSI2 were screened from the GEPIA and TCGA databases. We found that NLK showed the most significant changes in mRNA levels with consistent changes following MSI2 interference and overexpression. The high correlation between MSI2 and NLK was also observed at the protein level. Multivariate analysis revealed that both MSI2 and NLK were independent adverse indicators of survival in pancreatic cancer patients, as well as join together. In vitro, silencing or overexpressing NLK altered cell invasion and migration, by regulating EMT and the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway. Silencing MSI2 reduced protein expression in the EMT and PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathways, leading to decreased cell invasion and migration abilities, while these effects could be reversed by overexpression of NLK. In vivo, MSI2 silencing inhibited liver metastasis, which could be reversed by overexpressing NLK. Mechanistically, MSI2 directly binds to the translation regulatory region of NLK mRNA at positions 79–87 nt, enhancing its transcriptional activity and exerting post-transcriptional regulatory roles. The analysis of molecular docking showed the close relationship between MSI2 and NLK in pancreatic cancer patients. Conclusions Our findings elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of the MSI2-NLK axis in modulating aggressive behaviors of pancreatic cancer cells, which providing new evidence for therapeutic strategies in pancreatic cancer.

Abstract Introduction To assess the safety and efficacy of repeated intravitreal injections of RC28-E, a novel bispecific antibody that simultaneously binds vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This was a prospective, multicenter, open-label clinical trial; 37 patients with choroidal neovascularization secondary to AMD and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) letter scores between 73 and 34 were enrolled. Methods Treatment regimens consisted of a 3-month loading phase and a pro re nata (PRN) maintenance phase. This study included three treatment groups: the 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg RC28-E groups, with escalating doses ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 mg. Patients were evaluated monthly for 48 weeks. Safety was assessed based on ocular and systemic adverse events (AEs), pharmacokinetic characteristics, and the presence of anti-RC28-E antibodies. Efficacy was assessed using the mean change in BCVA and central subfield thickness (CST) from baseline to week 48. Results Most AEs were mild or moderate. The most common AE was a minor injection-related subconjunctival hemorrhage (16.2%). The AEs did not increase with dose or repeated injections. At week 48, mean improvements in BCVA from baseline in the 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg groups were 6.1 ± 8.3, 9.9 ± 10.7, and 7.6 ± 9.38 letters, respectively; mean reductions in CST in the three groups were 112.1 ± 160.5, 175.1 ± 212.4, and 128.7 ± 145.8 μm, respectively. The serum RC28-E concentrations in 95% of the patients were below the quantification limit of the assay. No significant change from baseline was observed in the mean plasma concentrations of VEGF or FGF over the 48 weeks of treatment. Pre-treatment antibodies to RC28-E were detected in 1 of the 37 patients. Antibodies to RC28-E were detected in two patients after dosing with RC28-E for 48 weeks. Conclusion RC28-E was well tolerated and exhibited an overall favorable safety profile with evidence of improvements in BCVA and anatomical parameters.

In order to study the relationship between the corrosion behavior of steel rails and the concentration and corrosion time of NaCl solution, U71Mn steel rails were taken as the object, and the initial corrosion behavior and mechanism of steel rail materials immersed in neutral NaCl solutions (different concentrations of 1.0%, 2.0%, 2.5%, 3.5%, 4.0% and 5.0%) for 144 h, and in neutral 3.5% NaCl solutions for various immersion times (12, 48, 96, 144, 192, 288 h) were investigated by full immersion test and electrochemical tests.Results showed that the average corrosion rate of initial steel rail materials was positively correlated with NaCl concentration and immersion time.With the increase of NaCl concentration, the Ecorr of the steel rail specimen moved negatively from－0.651 V to－0.717 V, and the Jcorr increased from 5.71 μA/cm2 to 67.48 μA/cm2.With the increase of corrosion time, the Ecorr of the steel rail specimen moved negatively from－0.692 V to－0.720 V, and the Jcorr increased from 7.54 μA/cm2 to 74.59 μA/cm2.Furthermore, the reduction of corrosion products γ-FeOOH could destroy the original stable rust layer structure, and finally causing the acceleration of corrosion.

Objective Grouting reinforcement is a common measure to reduce disturbance on existing buildings during tunnel construction. It is essential to focus on the design of GRM (grouting reinforcement mass) parameters in the engineering. Appropriate GRM parameters are crucial to ensure reinforcement effectiveness and reduce project costs. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize and analyze these parameters based on practical engineering conditions. Method Taking the tunneling project of Wuyi Overpass Station to Xinxiu Park Station interval on Nanning Rail Transit Line 5 as example, the under-passing construction is classified by the position relation between existing buildings and tunnel. Numerical calculations are used to optimize the GRM cross-sectional parameters, and the stress mechanism of the GRM is analyzed. On-site grouting reinforcement is carried out according to the parameter optimization results to validate the effectiveness of GRM parameter optimization. Result & Conclusion Under-passing construction is divided into three categories: under-passing directly beneath buildings, side-passing Type I buildings, and side-passing Type II buildings. For the first one, the GRM should extend into the micro-disturbance area by approximately 1 m, with a grouting thickness of 6 m. For the second and third, the GRM should extend approximately 4 m beyond the close tunnel side and penetrate 4 m into the micro-disturbance area on the far tunnel side, with a thickness of 6 m. The stress mechanism of the GRM can be simplified to anchor beams at both ends when under-passing directly beneath buildings and to cantilever beams when side-passing buildings. Monitoring results demonstrate that optimizing the GRM parameters can effectively control building deformation.

Scenarios such as tidal passenger flow, instantaneous large passenger flow, and mixed operation demand an increasing number of autonomous-rail rapid trams (ART) to increase passenger capacity. However, traditional mechanical physical coupling proves too cumbersome for convenient adjustments. This paper proposes a virtual coupling concept and system architecture for autonomous-rail rapid trams as a solution. This study developed a safe braking model and collaborative control model, in addition to establishing a collaborative planning objective function and constraints. Real-time calculations of speeds, accelerations and traction/braking force percentages for the following ART were conducted under the condition of maintaining the minimum safe distance. Simulations and experiments conducted with real trams demonstrated distances between the trams of less than 5 m, arrival time differences of less than 3 s, parking time differences between the leading and following trams of less than 0.5 s, jerks of the following tram not exceeding 0.4 m/ s3, as well as seamless switching between traction and braking during the operation of virtually coupled trams at 45 km/h. These results underscored the effectiveness of the proposed system in facilitating punctual, precise, comfortable and energy-efficient operation of virtually coupled trams. This research lays a solid foundation for potential future applications of virtually coupled ARTs at scale.

Abstract Background The role of red blood cell (RBC) counts as potential independent risk factors for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) remains uncertain. This study aims to clarify the associations between RBC counts and DVT incidence among this population. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 576 patients with SCI admitted to the rehabilitation medicine department from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2021. After exclusions, 319 patients were analyzed, among which 94 cases of DVT were identified. Results Mode of injury, D-dimer and anticoagulant therapy were significant covariates (P

Ecosystem degradation is one of the critical constraints for the sustainable development of our planet. However, recovering an ecosystem to a pre-impairment condition is often not practical. The International Restoration Standards provide the first framework for practical guidance on what constitutes the process of ecological repair and how this repair process can be influenced to improve net ecological benefits. In these Standards, Restorative Continuum is highlighted and it recognises that many do not, yet there is still value in aspiring to improvements to the highest extent possible, with some sites potentially being able to be improved in a stepwise manner. Here we elaborate on these Standards by providing a cross-ecosystem theoretical framework of Stepwise Ecological Restoration (STERE) for promoting higher environmental benefits. STERE allows the selection of suitable restorative modes by considering the degree of degradation while encouraging a transition to a higher state. These models include environmental remediation for completely modified and degraded ecosystems, ecological rehabilitation for highly modified and degraded ecosystems, and ecological restoration for degraded native ecosystems. STERE requires selecting tailored restorative modes, setting clear restorative targets and reference ecosystems, applying a systematic-thinking approach, and implementing a continuous monitoring program at all process stages to achieve a resilient trajectory. STERE allows adaptive management in the context of climate change, and when the evidence is available, to “adapt to the future” to ensure climate resilience. The STERE framework could assist in initiating and implementing restoration projects worldwide, especially in developing countries.

In order to investigate the acceleration and deformation behavior of particles during cold spraying, the finite element method was used to simulate the acceleration process of copper particles with different sizes inside the Laval spray gun, and the accuracy of the simulation results was verified through particle image velocimetry. Meanwhile, the multi-particle collision model was established using a coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian method with Python script to simulate the deposition process of copper particles and analyze the residual stresses of the copper coating. The simulation results of particle acceleration indicated that the velocity of the same material increased as the particles size decreased under the same spraying conditions. The simulated particle velocity distribution closely matched the actual velocity distribution during spraying, with only a 3.5% difference in average values. Under the conditions of 3 MPa and 723 K, the collision process of particles at different moments was simulated, and the deposited particles were compacted by subsequent particles, causing severe deformation and filling of the pores between the deposited particles, forming a dense coating. The residual stress of the coating simulated by the multi particle collision model(-57.02 MPa) was close to the measured value(-42.68 MPa), demonstrating that this model could effectively reflect the formation of the coating and the distribution of internal residual stresses.

Abstract A new idea to alleviate environmental pollution is the development of low-cost adsorbents using natural minerals and fishery wastes to treat high concentrations of heavy metal pollutants in acid mine drainage (AMD). Adsorbent morphology, adsorptive and regenerative capacity, and application potential are limiting factors for their large-scale use. Oyster shells capable of releasing alkalinity were loaded on the surface of lignite to develop two composite adsorbents with different morphologies (powdery and globular) for the treatment of AMD containing Pb(II) and Cd(II). The results show that the ability of the adsorbent to treat AMD is closely related to its morphologies. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir model are suitable to describe the adsorption process of OS-M(P), and the maximum adsorption saturation capacities of Pb(II) and Cd(II) are 332.6219 mg/g and 318.9854 mg/g, respectively. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Freundlich model are suitable to describe the adsorption process of OS-M(G). A synergistic result of electrostatic adsorption, neutralization precipitation, ion exchange and complex reaction is achieved in the removal of Pb(II) and Cd(II) by two morphologies of adsorbents. The regeneration times (5 times) and recovery rate (75.75%) of OS-M(G) are higher than those of OS-M(P) (3 times) and recovery rate (20%). The ability of OS-M(G) to treat actual AMD wastewater is still better than that of OS-M(P). OS-M(G) can be used as a promising environmentally friendly adsorbent for the long-term remediation of AMD. This study provides a comprehensive picture of resource management and reuse opportunities for natural mineral and fishery wastes.

Purposes Rapid industrial development has led to increased levels of chlorophenolic pollutants in water bodies, which poses threats to ecosystems and human survival. Methods In order to efficiently degrade the refractory contaminant 2, 4-dichlorophenol (2, 4-DCP) in industrial wastewater, a Co3O4-coated carbon fiber catalyst (Co3O4@CF) with poor/rich electron-active centers was prepared by one-step impregnation method, and applied to the study of activated persulfate degradation of 2, 4-DCP. Findings The results show that Co3O4 is uniformly coated on the surface of carbon fibers with regular skeleton structure, and electron-rich cobalt centers and electron-poor carbon centers are formed under the Co(Ⅱ)-π interactions. Under the initial conditions of pH 3.0～7.8, 2, 4-DCP mass concentration of 50 mg/L, Co3O4@CF mass concentration of 0.1 g/L, and PMS concentration of 10 mmol/L, the complete degradation of 2, 4-DCP is achieved by Co3O4@CF within 20 min. During the process, Co3O4@CF can induce the transfer of electrons from electron-poor to electron-rich centers in the reaction system to achieve rapid reduction of Co3＋ and rapid activation of PMS. The characterization results further demonstrate that carbon fibers can not only at as carriers, but also participate in the PMS activated chain radical reaction through their structural defects, thus promoting the conversion of SO4-· to 1O2 and O2-· for the efficient degradation of 2, 4-DCP.

IntroductionCurrently, using machine learning methods for precise analysis and improvement of swimming techniques holds significant research value and application prospects. The existing machine learning methods have improved the accuracy of action recognition to some extent. However, they still face several challenges such as insufficient data feature extraction, limited model generalization ability, and poor real-time performance.MethodsTo address these issues, this paper proposes an innovative approach called Swimtrans Net: A multimodal robotic system for swimming action recognition driven via Swin-Transformer. By leveraging the powerful visual data feature extraction capabilities of Swin-Transformer, Swimtrans Net effectively extracts swimming image information. Additionally, to meet the requirements of multimodal tasks, we integrate the CLIP model into the system. Swin-Transformer serves as the image encoder for CLIP, and through fine-tuning the CLIP model, it becomes capable of understanding and interpreting swimming action data, learning relevant features and patterns associated with swimming. Finally, we introduce transfer learning for pre-training to reduce training time and lower computational resources, thereby providing real-time feedback to swimmers.Results and discussionExperimental results show that Swimtrans Net has achieved a 2.94% improvement over the current state-of-the-art methods in swimming motion analysis and prediction, making significant progress. This study introduces an innovative machine learning method that can help coaches and swimmers better understand and improve swimming techniques, ultimately improving swimming performance.

Background and aimPathological changes in the central nervous system (CNS) begin before the clinical symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) manifest, with the hippocampus being one of the first affected structures. Current treatments fail to alter AD progression. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has shown potential in improving AD pathology through multi-target mechanisms. This study investigates pathological changes in AD hippocampal tissue and explores TCM active components that may alleviate these changes.MethodsGSE5281 and GSE173955 datasets were downloaded from GEO and normalized to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Key functional modules and hub genes were analyzed using Cytoscape and R. Active TCM components were identified from literature and the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China. Enrichment analyses were performed on target genes overlapping with DEGs.ResultFrom the datasets, 76 upregulated and 363 downregulated genes were identified. Hub genes included SLAMF, CD34, ELN (upregulated) and ATP5F1B, VDAC1, VDAC2, HSPA8, ATP5F1C, PDHA1, UBB, SNCA, YWHAZ, PGK1 (downregulated). Literature review identified 33 active components from 23 herbal medicines. Target gene enrichment and analysis were performed for six components: dihydroartemisinin, berberine, naringenin, calycosin, echinacoside, and icariside II.ConclusionMitochondrial to synaptic vesicle dysfunction pathways were enriched in downregulated genes. Despite downregulation, UBB and SNCA proteins accumulate in AD brains. TCM studies suggest curcumin and echinacoside may improve hippocampal pathology and cognitive impairment in AD. Further investigation into their mechanisms is needed.

Summary: The strong resource constraints of edge-computing devices and the dynamic evolution of load characteristics put forward higher requirements for forecasting methods of active distribution networks. This paper proposes a lightweight adaptive ensemble learning method for local load forecasting and predictive control of active distribution networks based on edge computing in resource constrained scenarios. First, the adaptive sparse integration method is proposed to reduce the model scale. Then, the auto-encoder is introduced to downscale the model variables to further reduce computation time and storage overhead. An adaptive correction method is proposed to maintain the adaptability. Finally, a multi-timescale predictive control method for the edge side is established, which realizes the collaboration of local load forecasting and control. All cases can be deployed on an actual edge-computing device. Compared to other benchmark methods and the existing researches, the proposed method can minimize the model complexity without reducing the forecasting accuracy.

Livelihood capital is the core element of sustainable livelihood development for rural households. Based on the survey data of 615 growers in the main rubber-producing areas of Hainan and Yunnan province, this paper constructs an evaluation system of rubber growers' livelihood capital within the sustainable livelihood analysis framework and calculates key indicators, such as farmers' livelihood capital index, livelihood activity diversity index, and household income diversity index. The multiple regression model and the mediating effect model are used to explore the influence mechanism of livelihood capital on the sustainable livelihood of rural households. The following three conclusions are drawn: (1) The accumulation of livelihood capital of rural households is conducive to enriching the structure of household livelihood activities and income sources, especially the accumulation of financial capital, which is more likely to improve the diversity of household livelihood activities. Regional differences exist in the impact of livelihood capital structures on rural household livelihood outcomes. Natural capital endowment has a significant effect on the income diversification level in Hainan, but there may be a "curse" effect in Yunnan. (2) Geographical characteristics, production decisions, and farming household characteristics significantly impact sustainable livelihoods. The altitude of the village and the distance from the county seat pose certain challenges for farmers in diversifying their livelihoods. Although the law of rubber tapping production may weaken farmers' production and business activities, it can better stabilize farmers' incomes owing to its strong flexibility in labor arrangements, which may be beneficial for diversifying livelihoods; however, it does not necessarily lead to diversified incomes. While the characteristics of poor households can help rural households gain policy support, building capacity is the key to achieving a sustainable livelihood. (3) There are intermediary effects of livelihood capital on livelihood activities and household income, but the mechanisms of action are different. For the diversity of farmers' livelihoods, 52.70% of the catalytic effect of livelihood capital is achieved by improving the ability to integrate livelihood capital. Optimizing household employment strategies contributed to the promotion of livelihood capital on the income diversification index, with a mediating effect of 30.52%. The main contribution of this study is to clarify how livelihood capital can achieve the goal of diversifying household livelihood activities and income by coordinating livelihood capacity and employment strategies. Therefore, to enhance the comprehensive livelihood capacity of rural households, the coordination capacity of livelihood capital, livelihood capacity building should be enhanced, and employment information channels should be expanded.

Abstract Among the least studied portion of the pterosaur skeleton is the palate, which tends to be poorly preserved and commonly only visible from one side (the ventral portion). Even in well-preserved specimens, the bones tend to be fused, with the limits of individual palatal elements obscured. To shed new light on this region, we employed advanced X-ray imaging techniques on the non-pterodactyloid Kunpengopterus (Wukongopteridae), and the pterodactyloids Dsungaripterus (Dsungaripteridae), Hongshanopterus (Istiodactylidae), and Hamipterus (Hamipteridae). Our analyses revealed the presence of sutures between palatal bones in Dsungaripterus and Kunpengopterus, which resulted in different interpretations of the relation between palatine, ectopterygoid, and pterygoid, leading to a new identification of the palatal openings. Furthermore, our study shows six main observations such as the variation of the angle between the palatine rami and the variation in the relative sizes of the palatal openings. We also point out that the presence of a maxillopalatine fenestra (previously identified as postpalatine fenestra), is unique within Diapsida. Although much more work needs to be done, we showed that advanced X-ray imaging techniques open a window for understanding pterosaur cranial anatomy and provide a new perspective for investigating the evolutionary history of these flying reptiles.

Nanomaterials for enhanced oil recovery （EOR） have gained more and more attention from petroleum researchers. However， the research mainly focuses on the properties of spherical nanomaterials， and the research on two-dimensional nanosheets is insufficient. In this paper， the amphiphilic MoS2 nanosheets （active MoS2 nanosheets） were independently synthesized to significantly enhance the oil recovery after water flooding in reservoirs. The spreading law of active MoS2 nanosheets on a solid surface was studied， and the mechanism of active MoS2 nanosheets on an oil film of a solid surface was elucidated. Based on the measurement of the gas-water-solid three-phase contact angle， it is determined that the equilibrium contact angles of water droplets remain unchanged at 90° after oil-wet quartz is immersed in an oil displacement system of active MoS2 nanosheets for 120 h. Eventually， the wettability of the quartz surface changes from oil-wet to neutral-wet. Both formation water and SiO2 nanofluid （mass fraction of 0.15%） fail to make the oil film produce wedge film on the solid surface. However， the oil displacement system of active MoS2 nanosheets （mass fraction of 0.005%） could form a prominent wedge film in the oil-water-solid three-phase contact area， then form structural disjoining pressure and eventually strip the oil film from the solid surface. Moreover， it is found that the oil film could form two contact lines （inner line and outer line） during the contraction process on the solid surface in the oil displacement system of active MoS2 nanosheets （mass fraction of 0.005%）. The contraction velocities of the inner contact line and the outer contact line are 0.661 7 × 10-5 and 8.581 7 × 10-5 cm/s， respectively. From the perspective of thermodynamics， the Gibbs free energy increment of the oil-water-solid mixture system is negative in the contraction process of oil film， which proves that the contraction of the oil film in the oil displacement system of MoS2 nanosheets is spontaneous. The research results show that the oil displacement system of MoS2 nanosheets （mass fraction of 0.005%） has high oil displacement efficiency.

In order to investigate the corrosion inhibition efficiency of calcium lignosulfonate (CLS) added to the Korla soil simulation solution on pure copper grounding material and its adsorption behavior on the surface of pure copper grounding material， the effect of CLS in the Korla soil simulation solution on the corrosion behavior of pure copper grounding material was studied using potentiodynamic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.Results showed that as the concentration of CLS increased within the range of 2.27×10-4 to 9.08×10-4 mol/L， the corrosion inhibition efficiency of Cu was found to gradually increase.This increase suggested that the addition of CLS effectively inhibited the corrosion reaction process of Cu， categorizing CLS in the soil simulation solution system as an anode corrosion inhibitor.Analysis of the Mott-Schottky curves revealed that the film formed on the Cu surface in the soil simulating solution possessed the characteristics of a P-type semiconductor film.It was also observed that as the concentration of CLS increased within the range of 2.27×10-4 to 9.08×10-4 mol/L，the concentration of NA decreased， enhancing the protectiveness of the semiconductor protective film on the Cu surface.Additionally， the fitting of the three adsorption isotherms demonstrated that the adsorption of CLS inhibitor molecules on the Cu surface tended more towards the Langmuir model.In the concentration range of 2.27×10-4 to 9.08×10-4 mol/L， the ΔGm values of CLS on Cu surface varied from -37.00 to -20.00 kJ/mol， indicating that the adsorption of CLS on the Cu surface was a mixed process， controlled by both physical and chemical adsorption.

RNA terminal phosphorylase B (RTCB) has been shown to play a significant role in multiple physiological processes. However, the specific role of RTCB in the mouse colon remains unclear. In this study, we employ a conditional knockout mouse model to investigate the effects of RTCB depletion on the colon and the potential molecular mechanisms. We assess the efficiency and phenotype of Rtcb knockout using PCR, western blot analysis, histological staining, and immunohistochemistry. Compared with the control mice, the Rtcb-knockout mice exhibit compromised colonic barrier integrity and prominent inflammatory cell infiltration. In the colonic tissues of Rtcb-knockout mice, the protein levels of TNF-α, IL-8, and p-p65 are increased, whereas the levels of IKKβ and IκBα are decreased. Moreover, the level of GSK3β is increased, whereas the levels of Wnt3a, β-catenin, and LGR5 are decreased. Collectively, our findings unveil a close association between RTCB and colonic tissue homeostasis and demonstrate that RTCB deficiency can lead to dysregulation of both the NF-κB and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways in colonic cells.

To determine the definition, foundation, practice, and development of evidence-based rehabilitation medicine (EBRM) and point out the development direction for EBRM. Retrieve the database of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, and China science and technology journal database (CSTJ). The search was conducted from the establishment of the database to June 2023. The key words are “rehabilitation medicine and evidence based” in Chinese and English. After reading the abstract or full text of the literature, a summary analysis is conducted to determine the definition, foundation, practice, and development of EBRM. A total of 127 articles were included. The development of 14 sub majors in EBRM are not balanced, evidence-based musculoskeletal rehabilitation medicine (EBMRM) (31 articles, mainly focuses on osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and musculoskeletal pain), evidence-based neurorehabilitation medicine (EBNM) (34 articles, mainly concentrated in stroke, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury) and evidence-based education rehabilitation medicine (EBEDRM) (17 articles, mainly focuses on educational methodology), evidence-based nursing rehabilitation medicine (EBNRM) (2 articles), evidence-based engineering rehabilitation medicine (EBENRM) (7 articles), evidence-based traditional Chinese rehabilitation medicine (EBTCRM) (3 articles), evidence-based internal rehabilitation medicine (EBIRM) (11 articles), evidence-based intensive care rehabilitation medicine (EBICRM) (4 articles), evidence-based oncology rehabilitation medicine (EBORM) (6 articles), evidence-based physical therapy medicine (EBPTM) (3 articles), evidence-based cardiopulmonary rehabilitation medicine (EBCRM) (6 articles), evidence-based speech therapy medicine (EBSTM)/evidence-based occupation therapy medicine (EBOTM)/evidence-based geriatric rehabilitation medicine (EBGRM) (1 article). The EBMRM, EBNM and EBEDRM are relatively well developed. The development of EBNRM, EBENRM, EBTCRM, EBIRM, EBICRM, EBGRM, EBORM, EBCRM, EBPTM, EBSTM and EBOTM is relatively slow, indicating these eleven fields should be pay more attention in future.

BackgroundThe occurrence rate of dangerous behaviors in patients with severe mental disorders is higher than that of the general population. In China， there is limited research on the prediction of dangerous behaviors in community-dwelling patients with severe mental disorders， particularly in terms of predicting models using data mining techniques other than traditional methods.ObjectiveTo explore the influencing factors of dangerous behaviors in community-dwelling patients with severe mental disorders and testing whether the classification decision tree model is superior to the Logistic regression model.MethodsA total of 11 484 community-dwelling patients with severe mental disorders who had complete follow-up records from 2013 to 2022 were selected on December 2023. The data were divided into a training set （n=9 186） and a testing set （n=2 298） in an 8∶2 ratio. Logistic regression and classification decision trees were separately used to establish predictive models in the training set. Model discrimination and calibration were evaluated in the testing set.ResultsDuring the follow-up period， 1 115 cases （9.71%） exhibited dangerous behaviors. Logistic regression results showed that urban residence， poverty， guardianship， intellectual disability， history of dangerous behaviors， impaired insight and positive symptoms were risk factors for dangerous behaviors （OR=1.778， 1.459， 2.719， 1.483， 3.890， 1.423， 2.528， 2.124， P

Abstract Purpose To compare the safety and efficacy of CPG in the rectus abdominis and intercostal regions. Materials and methods This retrospective study included 226 patients who underwent CPG at a single center, with the stoma placed in the rectus abdominis or intercostal region. Surgical outcomes and complications, such as pain and infection within 6 months postoperatively, were recorded. Results The surgical success rate was 100%, and the all-cause mortality rate within 1 month was 0%. An intercostal stoma was placed in 56 patients; a rectus abdominis stoma was placed in 170 patients. The duration of surgery was longer for intercostal stoma placement (37.66 ± 14.63 min) than for rectus abdominis stoma placement (30.26 ± 12.40 min) (P = 0.000). At 1 month postsurgery, the rate of stoma infection was greater in the intercostal group (32.1%) than in the rectus abdominis group (20.6%), but the difference was not significant (P = 0.077). No significant difference was observed in the infection rate between the two groups at 3 or 6 months postsurgery (P > 0.05). Intercostal stoma patients reported higher pain scores during the perioperative period and at 1 month postsurgery (P = 0.000), but pain scores were similar between the two groups at 3 and 6 months postsurgery. The perioperative complication rates for intercostal and rectus abdominis surgery were 1.8% and 5.3%, respectively (P = 0.464), with no significant difference in the incidence of tube dislodgement (P = 0.514). Patient weight improved significantly at 3 and 6 months postoperatively compared to preoperatively (P

This study investigated the influence of microbead dosages (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20%) on the frost resistance of expanded polystyrene (EPS) concrete. Five groups of EPS concrete specimens were prepared and subjected to rapid freeze–thaw tests. The freeze–thaw deterioration of EPS concrete was assessed using macroscopic indicators, including mass loss, strength loss, and dynamic elastic modulus loss. The underlying deterioration mechanism was revealed through the analysis of the EPS particle–matrix interface. A concrete damage plasticity model of EPS concrete based on damage mechanics theory was established. The results indicate that the addition of microbeads increased the strength of EPS concrete by 38–53%, reduced the strength attenuation after freeze–thaw damage by 8.1%, and improved the frost resistance level by 10–60 grades. The optimal dosage of microbeads is 15% of the cementitious material. The interfacial transition zone gaps in EPS concrete with added microbeads after freeze–thaw cycles are smaller, contributing to a more complete hydration reaction. The freeze–thaw damage model established in this study accurately reflects the freeze–thaw damage law of EPS concrete and provides a reference for studying the mechanical properties of EPS concrete under freeze–thaw cycles. The research findings of this study can enhance the strength and service life of EPS concrete, expanding its application scope as a structural material. The study provides valuable insights for future research and engineering applications related to the frost resistance of EPS concrete.

BackgroundIonizing radiation can cause damage to animal's intestinal tissue. Citrulline is produced in the intestinal epithelial cell and has been proven to possess a protective effect on the gastrointestinal tract.PurposeThis study aims to investigate the protective effects and the underlying mechanisms of citrulline in the context of radiation-induced intestinal injuries.MethodsFirstly, a mouse model of an acute radiation-induced intestinal injury was established, incorporating a normal control, a simple irradiation, and an irradiation plus citrulline group. Then, these groups were employed to scrutinize the protective effects and mechanisms associated with citrulline. Subsequently, hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to examine the morphology of the mice's intestinal tissue, and the Elisa kit was employed to quantify endotoxin levels in plasma, as well as nitric oxide and inducible nitric oxide synthase in the intestinal tissue. Finally, focal adhesion kinase and Occludin levels in the intestinal tissue were assessed using western blotting.ResultsThe experimental results demonstrate that intraperitoneal injection of 1 g∙kg-1∙d-1 citrulline for one week following irradiation significantly extend the median survival time of irradiated mice and increase their body weight. Moreover, it markedly reduces plasma endotoxin levels, elevate the expression levels of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and intestinal tight junction protein (Occludin), and decreases the expression levels of nitric oxide (NO) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the intestinal tissue.ConclusionsCitrulline enhances the integrity of the intestinal barrier in irradiated mice, improves barrier function, mitigates nitrosative stress, and demonstrates a protective impact on radiation-induced intestinal damage in mice.

The structure of mRNA lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) is still under debate, with different studies presenting varying morphological characteristics, significantly hindering their biomedical potential. A typical formulation process of mRNA LNPs involves three steps: initial rapid mixing of lipids in an ethanol phase and mRNA in an acidic aqueous phase, followed by the swift removal of ethanol, and finally adjusting the solution to a neutral environment. In this study, we utilize Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) with contrast matching to reveal the kinetic pathway-dependent of mRNA LNPs morphology. We find that the formulation process of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is controlled by a competition between aggregation and microphase separation, dictating the diverse morphologies observed in mRNA LNPs. The first step leads to the formation of polydisperse spherical droplets with an average diameter of 42±6.0 nm in an acidic ethanol aqueous solution. Ethanol removal initiates both aggregation and internal microphase separation, resulting in a polydisperse core-shell structure with an average diameter of 48±3.7 nm. Heptadecan-9-yl 8-((2-hydroxyethyl) (6-oxo-6-(undecyloxy) hexyl) amino) octanoate (SM-102) binds to mRNA via electrostatic interaction to form a reverse-wormlike micelle structure inside. The 1,2-Distearoyl-sn‑glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC) and PEG-lipid are just in the shell and cholesterol acting as a filler throughout the core-shell structure. Upon transitioning to a neutral environment, SM-102 loses its charge and neither the periphery nor the reverse-wormlike micelle can maintain their stabilities, leading to further aggregation and microphase separation. The average diameter of core-shell structure turns to be 66±5.2 nm. In the actual formulation process of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, steps 2 and 3 occur simultaneously, and the competition between aggregation and microphase separation determines the final morphology. These findings offer crucial insights into optimizing the morphology of mRNA LNPs, thereby facilitating advancements in vaccine development and mRNA vaccine delivery technologies.

Tumor-derived exosomes bind to organ resident cells, activating S100 molecules during the remodeling of the local immune microenvironment. However, little is known regarding how organ resident cell S100A10 mediates cancer metastatic progression. Here, we provided evidence that S100A10 plays an important role in regulating the lung immune microenvironment and cancer metastasis. S100A10-deficient mice reduced cancer metastasis in the lung. Furthermore, the activation of S100A10 within lung fibroblasts via tumor-derived exosomes increased the expression of CXCL1 and CXCL8 chemokines, accompanied by the myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) recruitment. S100A10 inhibitors such as 1-Substituted-4-Aroyl-3-hydroxy-5-Phenyl-1 H-5-pyrrol-2(5 H)-ones inhibit lung metastasis in vivo. Our findings highlight the crucial role of S100A10 in driving MDSC recruitment in order to remodel the lung immune microenvironment and provide potential therapeutic targets to block cancer metastasis to the lung.

Abstract Food traceability and authentication systems play an important role in ensuring food quality and safety. Current techniques mainly rely on direct measurement by instrumental analysis, which is usually designed for one or a group of specific foods, not available for various food categories. To develop a general strategy for food identification and discrimination, a novel method based on fluorescence sensor arrays is proposed, composed of supramolecular assemblies regulated by non‐covalent interactions as an information conversion system. The stimuli‐responsiveness and tunability of supramolecular assemblies provided an excellent platform for interacting with various molecules in different foods. In this work, five sensor arrays constructed by supramolecular assemblies composed of pyrene derivatives and perylene derivatives are designed and prepared. Assembly behavior and sensing mechanisms are investigated systematically by spectroscopy techniques. The traceability and authentication effects on several kinds of food from different origins or grades are evaluated and verified by linear discriminant analysis (LDA). It is confirmed that the cross‐reactive signals from different sensor units encompassing all molecular interactions can generate a unique fingerprint pattern for each food and can be used for traceability and authentication toward universal food categories with 100% accuracy.

The micro-mechanical properties of asphalt surfaces are significantly impacted by short-term aging during construction and long-term aging in service. This, in turn, affects macroscopic characteristics such as asphalt-aggregate adhesion and water stability of asphalt mixtures. The study investigated different aging processes had different impacts on the micromechanical properties of the asphalt on the surface. The short-term aging process had the most significant effects, while the subsequent long-term aging had similar but less important effects. The adhesion, surface energy, and Young's modulus of five different types of asphalt using atomic force microscopy (AFM) in their original state, after short-term aging through the Rolling Thin Film Oven Test (RTFOT), and after long-term aging through the RTFOT+Pressure Aging Vessel (PAV). The results showed that ZH and SK asphalts had a distinct ''bee structure'', and aging had varying effects on adhesion, surface energy, and Young's modulus in different areas (peak, valley, and other region). Before and after asphalt aging, the adhesion and surface energy approximately followed the order other region > peak > valley, while Young's modulus approximately followed the peak>valley> other region. This indicates that the bumpy ''bee structure'' does not always correspond to higher modulus or lower adhesion. It was also found that ZH asphalt and SK asphalt with a ''bee structure'' exhibited better aging resistance compared to KL asphalt without a ''bee structure''. The study also revealed that aging led to decreased adhesion and surface energy, while increasing Young's modulus. This finding indicates that as asphalt ages, adhesion decreases and asphalt elasticity increases. Additionally, it was observed that the modified asphalt showed less change in adhesion, surface energy, and Young's modulus after aging compared to the matrix asphalt, indicating that SBS modifiers contribute to improving the aging resistance of asphalt. These results will provide a good reference for understanding the microscopic changes in asphalt aging properties.

Background: Acupuncture may be effective in treating tension-type headache (TTH). The durability of its effects after treatment completion remains inconclusive. Methods: We searched multiple databases and references from previous reviews for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which investigated the effectiveness of acupuncture for TTH. We assessed the methodological quality of RCTs using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 (RoB 2) tool. Primary outcome was response rate, defined as the proportion of participants who reported at least a 50% reduction in monthly headache days from baseline after completion of treatment. Secondary outcomes included headache days, headache intensity, and analgesic use. Safety outcomes were also evaluated. Results: A total of seven RCTs involving 3,221 participants with frequent episodic and chronic TTH were included. Individuals receiving acupuncture reported a significantly higher response rate versus sham acupuncture (SA) immediately and at 1–6 months after completion of treatment (P

A low-cost composite adsorption material has been synthesized from fishery wastes and natural minerals to address challenges such as ecological balance destruction caused by high concentrations of Pb and Cd in acid mine drainage (AMD), unreasonable use of low-caloric lignite, and environmental pollution caused by idle accumulation of oyster shells. This new adsorbent can effectively treat AMD by improving acidity and adsorbing Pb2+ and Cd2+. In this study, oyster shell-modified lignite composite in globular shape (OSL-G) was synthesized by using pyrolyzed oyster shell and lignite, with the addition of bentonite adhesive. The adsorption properties of OSL-G on AMD were evaluated, and the potential mechanism of OSL-G repairing AMD was explored. The results showed that when the mass ratio of oyster shell to lignite was 1:1, oyster shell-modified lignite composite (OSL) was synthesized at 900 °C for 20 min. When the adhesive content was 15.50 %, the roasting temperature was 640 °C, and the roasting time was 2.35 h, OSL-G was synthesized and the adsorption effect was the best. The OSL-G could effectively treat AMD with pH 4 ∼ 5 and initial Pb2+ and Cd2+ concentrations of 10 mg/L within 600 min at a dosage of 4 g/L. The OSL-G adsorption process followed the quasi-second-order kinetic model and the Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption saturation capacities of Pb2+ and Cd2+ were 107.2821 mg/g and 8.3777 mg/g at 298.15 K, respectively. The adsorption process was a multistep controlled spontaneous endothermic process. The potential mechanism was mainly the adsorption-condensation coexistence results of electrostatic adsorption, neutralization precipitation, ion exchange, and surface complexation. The removal rates of Pb2+ and Cd2+ of the recovered OSL-G (ROSL-G) were still high, reaching 57.26 % and 50.38 % after 5 times of adsorption–desorption, respectively. The applicability of ROSL-G after adsorption–desorption for other heavy metal components in AMD proved its good application potential. This study suggested that OSL-G can be used as a promising environmentally friendly adsorbent for AMD. This study provided a broad picture of the management and reuse possibilities of fishery wastes and natural mineral resources, and addressed established, current, and potential strategic needs, particularly in terms of sustainability challenges and ecological civilization construction.

Semisupervised semantic segmentation aims to effectively leverage both unlabeled and scare labeled images, reducing the reliance on labor-intensive pixel-level labeling for extensive training processes. The leading semisupervised learning method, consistency regularization, employs weak and strong data augmentations to diversify input representations. Ultimately the model is compelled to maintain consistent predictions across different input views, thus boosting the model's generalization. However, previous methods suffered from limited input representation space introduced by linear transformations such as cutmix. To address such issue, a consistency regularization based on masked image modeling (MIM) called MIMSeg is proposed to achieve accurate segmentation with limited labeled images. First, MIM pixel-wise perception with ViT encoder-decoder lays the foundation for expanding the data representation space. Second, collaborating with weak data augmentations, two MIM-related strong data augmentations are developed to generate more challenging input views for consistent predictions. Precisely, weak data augmentations are employed to replicate input views from various perspectives while a controllable generative strong data augmentation called masked image reconstruction (MIR) is crafted to simulate multiple imaging diversity while preserving the original semantic information intact. In addition, a more severe strong data augmentation masked context perturbation (MCP) is designed to further generate more challenging input views and alleviate semantic deficiency via masked category prediction. Leveraging the MIM perception and two MIM-related strong data augmentations, the model is compelled to achieve consistency predictions across diverse input views from weak data augmentations, MIR and MCP. These components result in the generation of more stable pixel-level pseudo-labels and facilitate collaborative training between unlabeled and labeled images. Extensive experiments have shown that MIMSeg can achieve state-of-the-art performance in pixel-level prediction with very limited sample annotations.

Building change detection (BCD) aims to identify new or disappeared buildings from bitemporal images. However, the varied scales and appearances of buildings, along with the challenge of pseudochange interference from complex backgrounds, make it difficult to accurately extract complete changes. To address these challenges in BCD, a U-shaped hybrid Siamese network combining a convolutional neural network and a vision transformer (CNN-ViT) with learnable mask guidance, called U-Conformer, is designed. First a new hybrid architecture of U-Conformer is proposed. The architecture integrates the strengths of CNNs and ViTs to establish a robust, multiscale heterogeneous representation that aids in detecting buildings of various sizes. Second, a learnable mask guidance module is specifically designed for U-Conformer, focusing the multiscale heterogeneous representation on extracting relevant scale changes while progressively suppressing pseudochanges. Furthermore, for the U-Conformer architecture, a mask information joint class-balanced loss function that combines the binary cross-entropy loss function and the dice loss function is devised, significantly mitigating the issue of class imbalance. Experimental results on three publicly available change detection datasets, LEVIR-CD, WHU-CD, and GZ-CD, demonstrate that U-Conformer surpasses previous methods, achieving F1 scores of 91.5%, 94.6%, and 86.7%, as well as IoU scores of 84.3%, 89.7%, and 76.5% on the LEVIR-CD, WHU-CD, and GZ-CD datasets, respectively.

Nanoscale zero-valent iron（nZVI） is a kind of widely-concerned environmental remediation material，which expands the application scope of iron-based materials in site remediation and pollutant removal because it has both the reactive activity of nanoscale materials and the reductive property of zero-valent iron. Although nZVI is more effective，the more complex preparation process leads to increased environmental footprint and production costs，the preparation method of nZVI is becoming a key constraint to its development. The paper introduced the development of nZVI and carded the various preparation methods and characteristics of nZVI from the perspective of sustainable development. Furthermore，this paper examined the potential environmental consequences resulting from the preparation process of nZVI. On this basis，the sustainability of typical nZVI preparation was assessed，and potential unsustainable factors were quantified，highlighting the dependence of the preparation process on electrical energy sources. Based on the existing researching，the large-scale and potential methods of preparation of nZVI were prospected，such as laser ablation. Moreover，it illustrated the importance of choosing reasonable preparation method，emphasizing the indispensable position of the sustainability assessment of nZVI in the future development. It is hoped to provide a reference for researchers and policy makers in the selection and improvement of nZVI preparation methods.