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• A meta-analysis of conservative treatment of DIE with DNG drugs. • DNG can effectively relieve the pain symptoms related to DIE without resorting to surgical treatment. • DNG showed significantly reducing the size of the lesions when used in the conservative treatment of DIE. To systematically review and conduct a meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of dienogest (DNG) in the prolonged conservative drug management of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE). The findings from this study are intended to serve as a valuable reference for clinical decision-making regarding medication in the context of DIE. Following the PRISMA Statement, we searched EMBASE, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Medline databases for relevant literature published in the public domain from the date of establishment of the database until October 2023. Subsequently, all English publications on clinical studies using DNG for the treatment of DIE were included. Studies involving surgical intervention or drug therapy for postoperative recurrence were excluded. All literature included in the review underwent risk assessment of bias. Two evaluators independently screened the publications, conducted a quality assessment of each article and extracted data. We used Revman 5.4 for the meta-analysis of the included literature. Our final analysis consisted of five clinical studies, involving a total of 256 patients. We found that there were significant improvements in the following indicators post-medication as compared to levels before taking the medication: dysmenorrhea (MD = 4.24, 95 % CI: 2.92–5.56, P < 0.00001), non-menstrual pelvic pain (MD = 3.11, 95 % CI: 2.34–3.88, P < 0.00001), dyspareunia (MD = 1.93, 95 % CI: 1.50–2.37, P < 0.00001), dyschezia (MD = 2.48, 95 % CI: 1.83–3.12, P < 0.00001), and rectosigmoid nodule size (MD = 0.32, 95 % CI: 0.18–0.46, P < 0.00001). Compared with pre-medication levels, the following indicators were significantly worse: headache (RR = 0.03, 95 % CI: 0.00–0.23, P = 0.0006), decreased libido (RR = 0.08, 95 % CI: 0.01–0.62, P = 0.02); and there was no significant improvement in dysuria (P > 0.05). DNG showed efficacy in relieving pain-related symptoms and significantly reducing the size of the lesions when used in the drug conservative treatment of DIE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study shock recompression of the metal spall fracture region using macroscopic simulations in a wide range of initial parameters. Recompression states are mainly analyzed based on different simulation methods. First, we employ an empirical numerical treatment within the fracture post-processing model, resulting in a good agreement with experimental data of porous metals. To further validate its applicability, we carry out direct simulations that distinguish various initial fractured states, and we find that the influence of an initial fractured state on the recompression state is remarkable, especially the temperature. By comparing recompression states calculated by two different simulation methods, it reveals that empirical-treatment-based simulations actually describe fragment-state recompression. The present study shows that empirical-treatment-based simulations are physically capable of describing the shock recompression of fractured metals, which might be potentially used to investigate detonation-driven experiments with more complicated physical scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of cGMP-dependent protein kinase I (PRKG1) gene and gene-environment interactions with bronchial asthma in children. 109 asthma patients and 158 healthy controls from the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command were enrolled, based case–control study. The iMLDR® multiple SNP typing technique was applied to detect the genotypes of rs7903366, rs7081864, rs7070958 and rs7897633 in PRKG1 gene. The percentage of eosinophils (EOS%) in peripheral blood and serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the case group were also measured. Gene-environment interactions were examined using the generalized multi-factor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) method. There were polymorphisms in four SNPs of PRKG1 gene in the case and control groups. The genotype and allele frequencies distribution of rs7897633 demonstrated statistical significance (p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in EOS% and IgE among genotypes at the four SNPs of PRKG1 gene (p > 0.05). The haplotypes CAGA and TGAC presented significant association with asthma risk (p < 0.05). The four-factor model indicated a potential gene-environment interaction in rs7897633, allergen exposure, residence, and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure (p < 0.05). The rs7897633 in PRKG1 gene was associated with susceptibility to childhood asthma, and C allele is a protective factor. The haplotype CAGA had a protective effect against asthma risk and TGAC was linked to the high risk of developing asthma. Moreover, the interaction of rs7897633, allergen exposure, residence, and ETS exposure conferred susceptibility to childhood asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this special issue, the authors theoretically, methodologically, and empirically address challenges and opportunities associated with comparative social media analysis in political contention. Actors from civil society, media, and institutional politics use social media to coordinate, mobilise, and communicate, turning public online communication into an arena of conflict that offers researchers valuable windows of observation. In this introduction to the special issue, we systematise comparative perspectives on social media and political contention. We outline the traditional comparative dimensions of space, time, platform, and case; and suggest an approach for comparison within dimensions that are less dependent on the rapidly changing social media environment and more attuned to the interconnection between social media and political contention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractBackgroundAimMaterials and methodsResultsConclusionsSignificanceThe outcome of clinical treatment for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) is frequently the primary concern.For the convenient prediction of reference prognosis outcomes in patients with ISSNHL.Patients diagnosed with ISSNHL who were admitted to the otorhinolaryngology ward of Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to December 2023 were included. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to identify independent prognostic factors for the treatment outcome of ISSNHL, which were subsequently used to develop nomograms. Discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility were assessed to evaluate the performance of the ISSNHL nomograms.371 ISSNHL patients were enrolled in this study. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that history of deafness, aural fullness, time of onset, and age were independent prognostic factors for ISSNHL patients, with statistically significant regression coefficients. Predictive nomograms were developed with excellent discrimination, calibration, and clinical value.Leveraging data from ISSNHL patients, we developed a predictive nomogram to assess prognostic factors upon admission. This nomogram facilitates clinicians in approximating the likelihood of favorable prognosis.By accumulating clinical data from ISSNHL patients, it’s anticipated that the possibility of recovery following treatment can be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the prognosis of patients with Multiple Myeloma (MM) after surgery, analyze the risk factors leading to adverse postoperative outcomes, and establish a nomogram. Methods: Clinical data from 154 patients with MM who underwent surgery at our institution between 2007 and 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Assessing and comparing patients' pain levels, quality of life, and functional status before and after surgery (P < 0.05) were considered statistically significant. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to estimate the median survival time. Adverse postoperative outcomes were defined as worsened symptoms, lesion recurrence, complication grade ≥ 2, or a postoperative survival period < 1 year. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the prognostic factors. Based on the logistic regression results, a nomogram predictive model was developed and calibrated. Results: Postoperative pain was significantly alleviated in patients with MM, and there were significant improvements in the quality of life and functional status (P < 0.05). The median postoperative survival was 41 months. Forty-nine patients (31.8%) experienced adverse postoperative outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified patient age, duration of MM, International Staging System, preoperative Karnofsky Performance Status, and Hb < 90 g/L as independent factors influencing patient prognosis. Based on these results, a nomogram was constructed, with a C-index of 0.812. The calibration curve demonstrated similarity between the predicted and actual survival curves. Decision curve analysis favored the predictive value of the model at high-risk thresholds from 10% to-69%. Conclusion: This study developed a nomogram risk prediction model to assist in providing quantifiable assessment indicators for preoperative evaluation of surgical risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A non‐collocated output tracking problem for a flexible string with tip payload at one end was studied in this paper, which is expected to describe by a wave equation coupled ordinary differential equation (ODE) system. The regulated output and the reference trajectory signal with unknown frequency and amplitude are non‐collocated with the boundary control input. An adaptive approach has been developed to determine the unknown frequency of a disturbance by constituting an auxiliary trajectory and an internal model structure. In order to regulate exponential output tracking, the proposed error‐based adaptive dynamic compensation controller is employed. Closed‐loop stability and well‐posedness is established by exploiting the principle of semigroup theory. Finally, simulation experiments are performed to show the proposed scheme is very effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medium-entropy alloys (MEAs) have attracted considerable attention in recent decades due to their exceptional material properties and design flexibility. In this study, lightweight and non-equiatomic MEAs with low density (~5 g/cm3), high strength (yield strength: 1200 MPa), and high ductility (plastic deformation: ≧10%) were explored. We fine-tuned a previously developed Ti-rich MEA by microalloying it with small amounts of Ni (reducing the atomic radius and increasing the elastic modulus) through solid solution strengthening to achieve a series of MEAs with enhanced mechanical properties. Among the prepared MEAs, Ti65Ni1 and Ti65Ni3 exhibited optimal properties in terms of the balance between strength and ductility. Furthermore, the Ti65Ni3 MEA was subjected to thermo-mechanical treatment (TMT) followed by cold rolling 70% (CR70) and cold rolling 85% (CR85). Subsequently, the processed samples were rapidly annealed at 743 °C, 770 °C, 817 °C, and 889 °C at a heating rate of 15 °C/s. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the MEA could retain its single-body-centered cubic solid solution structure after TMT. Additionally, the tensile testing results revealed that increasing the annealing temperature led to a decrease in yield strength and an increase in ductility. Notably, the Ti65Ni3 MEA sample that was subjected to CR70 and CR85 processing and annealed for 30 s exhibited high yield strength (>1250 MPa) and ductility (>13%). In particular, the Ti65Ni3 MEA subjected to CR85 exhibited a specific yield strength of 264 MPa·cm3/g, specific tensile strength of 300 MPa·cm3/g, and ductility of >13%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operational amplifiers (Op-Amps) are critical to sensor systems because they enable precise, reliable, and flexible signal processing. Current automated Op-Amp generation methods suffer from extremely low efficiency because the time-consuming SPICE-in-the-loop sizing is normally involved as its inner loop. In this paper, we propose an efficiently automated Op-Amp generation tool using a hybrid sizing method, which combines the merits together from a deterministic optimization algorithm and differential evolution algorithm. Thus, it can not only quickly find a decent local optimum, but also eventually converge to a global optimum. This feature is well fit to be serving as an acute filter in the circuit structure evaluation flow to efficiently eliminate any undesirable circuit structures in advance of detailed sizing. Our experimental results demonstrate its superiority over traditional sizing approaches and show its efficacy in highly boosting the efficiency of automated Op-Amp structure generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iodine, an essential trace element for the human body, plays a pivotal role in sustaining health. Malnutrition has emerged as a pressing public health concern, posing a significant threat to human well‐being. Iodine deficiency poses a substantial threat to the development of children, potentially leading to neurological developmental disorders and mental retardation. Conversely, excessive iodine intake can result in structural and functional abnormalities in the thyroid gland. In this study, we selected children aged 3–6 years through a stratified cluster sampling approach in six regions across China to explore the correlation between iodine nutrition and their physical growth. A total of 5920 preschool children participated in this study, with a median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) of 177.33 [107.06, 269.92] μg/L. Among these children, 250 (4.2%) exhibited stunting, 180 (3.0%) were underweight, 198 (3.3%) experienced wasting, 787 (3.3%) were overweight and 414 (7.0%) were classified as obese. The multivariate linear regression revealed that UIC exhibited a positive correlation with body mass index z‐Score (BMIZ) in overweight children (β = 0.038; 95% CI: 0.001, 0.075). In normally growing children, the associations between UIC and height‐for‐age z‐score, weight‐for‐age z‐score and BMIZ displayed nonlinear patterns. Our findings suggest that iodine nutrition is adequate for Chinese children aged 3–6 years. Furthermore, iodine nutrition is intricately linked to the growth and development of these children. Consequently, it is imperative to implement decisive measures to prevent both iodine deficiency and excess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study investigates the association between physical exercise and emotion regulation abilities among college students, introducing self-efficacy as a mediating variable to analyze the pathway mechanism through which physical exercise affects emotion regulation abilities. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed, utilizing a stratified random sampling method to survey three colleges in Jiangsu Province, China. Physical Activity Rating Scale, Physical Activity Self-efficacy Scale, and Emotional Intelligence Scale were used to measure the college student population. Regression analysis and mediation tests assessed whether self-efficacy mediates the relationship between physical exercise and college students' emotion regulation abilities. A total of 5,430 valid questionnaires were collected. Results: The distribution of college students' physical activities was 77.0% for low, 13.1% for medium, and 9.3% for high levels. Physical activities were significantly and positively correlated with self-efficacy and emotional management abilities (r = 0.298,0.105;P<0.01), and self-efficacy was significantly and positively correlated with emotional management abilities (r = 0.322, P<0.01). Situational motivation and subjective support under self-efficacy were 0.08 and 0.255, respectively, and the adjusted R2 was 0.107. Self-efficacy played a fully mediating role between physical activities and emotional management abilities, with a total effect value of 0.032. The values of the direct and indirect effects were 0.003 and 0.029, accounting for 8.95% and 90.74% of the total effect, respectively. Conclusion: The physical exercise behavior of college students is primarily characterized by low intensity. Physical exercise among college students can positively predict their ability to regulate emotions. Self-efficacy fully mediates the relationship between physical exercise and emotion regulation ability among college students. College students can indirectly influence their ability to regulate emotions through physical exercise and self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the most promising advanced energy storage system, lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are highly favored by the researchers because of their advantages of high energy density (2500 W h kg−1), low cost and non-pollution. However, the low conductivity, volume expansion of sulfur, and shuttle effect are still the great hindrance to the practical application of LSBs. Herein, the above problems can be addressed through the following strategies: (1) Hollow carbon microspheres with high specific surface area were constructed as sulfur hosts to increase sulfur loading while also being able to enhance the physical adsorption of polysulfides; (2) the loading of Mn3O4 particles on the basis of hollow carbon microspheres facilitates the capture and adsorption of polysulfides; (3) the hollow carbon sphere structure as a conductive network can provide more pathways for rapid electrical/ionic transport and also accelerate electrolyte wetting. Moreover, the thinner shell of hollow carbon microsphere is conducive to ion diffusion and speed up the reaction rate. Thus, the NHCS/Mn3O4/S composites exhibit a high discharge specific capacity of 1010.3 mAh g−1 at first and still maintained a reversible capacity of 269.2 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles. This work presents a facile sustainable and efficient synergistic strategy for the development of advanced LSBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the expression and function of basic leucine zipper ATF-like transcription factor (BATF) in colorectal cancer (CRC), and its correlation with 2-deoxy-2[18F]fluoro-d-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) parameters. Methods: The TIMER database, GEPIA database, TCGA, and GEO database were used to analyze the expression profile of BATF in human cancers. The reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blot analyses were used to evaluate the mRNA level and protein expression in different CRC cell lines. The expression of BATF in SW620 and HCT116 cells was silenced and cell counting kit-8 assays and clonogenic assay were utilized to evaluate the role of BATF in CRC proliferation. The expression of tumor BATF and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1) were examined using immunohistochemical tools in 37 CRC patients undergoing preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging. The correlation between the PET/CT parameters and immunohistochemical result was evaluated. Results: In database, BATF was highly expressed in pan-cancer analyses, including CRC, and was associated with poor prognosis in CRC. In vitro, the results showed that knocking down of BATF expression could inhibit the proliferation of SW620 and HCT116 cells. In CRC patients, BATF expression was upregulated in tumor tissues compared with matched para-tumoral tissues, and was related with gender and Ki-67 levels. BATF expression was positively related to GLUT-1 expression and PET/CT parameters, including tumor size, maximum standard uptake value, metabolic tumor volume, and total lesion glycolysis. The multiple logistic analyses showed that SUVmax was an independent predictor of BATF expression. With 15.96 g/cm3 as the cutoff, sensitivity was 85.71%, specificity 82.61%, and area-under-the-curve 0.854. Conclusion: BATF may be an oncogene associated with 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters in CRC. SUVmax may be an independent predictor of BATF expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Flies are acknowledged as vectors of diseases transmitted through mechanical means and represent a significant risk to human health. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of enteropathogens carried by flies in Pudong New Area to inform strategies for preventing and controlling flies. Methods: Samples were collected from various locations in the area using cage trapping techniques between April and November 2021, encompassing various habitats such as parks, residential areas, restaurants, and farmers' markets. The main fly species were identified using cryomicrography and taxonomic enumeration, with 20 samples per tube collected from different habitats. Twenty-five enteropathogens were screened using GI_Trial v3 TaqManTM microbial arrays. Results: A total of 3,875 flies were collected from 6,400 placements, resulting in an average fly density of 0.61 flies per cage. M. domestica were the most common species at 39.85%, followed by L. sericata at 16.57% and B. peregrina at 13.14%. Out of 189 samples, 93 tested positive for enteropathogens, with nine different pathogens being found. 12.70% of samples exclusively had parasites, a higher percentage than those with only bacteria or viruses. The study found that M. domestica had fewer enteropathogens than L. sericata and B. peregrina, which primarily harbored B. hominis instead of bacteria and viruses such as E. coli, Astrovirus, and Sapovirus. During spring testing, all three fly species exhibited low rates of detecting enteropathogens. M. domestica were found in residential areas with the highest number of pathogen species, totaling six. In contrast, L. sericata and B. peregrina were identified in farmers' markets with the highest number of pathogen species, totaling six and seven, respectively. Conclusions: Flies have the potential to serve as vectors for the transmission of enteropathogens, thereby posing a substantial risk to public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Space information network (SIN) is difficult to fully utilize the limited on‐board resource due to its dynamic and heterogeneous nature, while the traditional resource management methods cannot adapt to the increasingly diverse task requirements. Space cloud network architecture is an effective technology to reduce the pressure on satellite resources. To effectively manage the space cloud network resources, we design a resources allocation strategy based on resource clustering. Firstly, we propose the space cloud network architecture. Then, we propose a genetic algorithm to cluster the space cloud resources. Finally, we propose a dynamic resource allocation method based on reinforcement learning for the dynamic characteristics of space cloud resources. The method improves the reinforcement learning algorithm through dynamic objective optimization to complete the optimization of multiple objectives in the process of space cloud resources allocation. The simulation results show that the algorithm proposed in this paper reduces the task execution delay by an average of 10.5% compared with the original DQN algorithm and increases the execution success rate by 2.17%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metschnikowia bicuspidata, a globally distributed opportunistic pathogenic fungus, poses a significant threat to crustaceans in diverse aquatic ecosystems, causing severe diseases. Iron, recognized as a virulence factor, plays a crucial role in successful infection with M. bicuspidata. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the transcriptome response of M. bicuspidata to low- and high-iron conditions. Overall, 1082 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (FDR < 0.05, |log2FC ≥ 1.5|) were identified, comprising 977 and 105 DEGs, in response to low- and high-iron conditions, respectively. These genes predominantly participate in altering metabolism, cell membranes, or cellular structure, allowing the organism to adapt to varying iron levels. Iron limitation-induced genes play crucial roles in energy metabolism, transport, and catabolism pathways. Moreover, 27 ortholog genes were associated with iron transport and homeostasis, with 7 of them participating in iron uptake and regulation under low-iron conditions. This study contributes to the comprehension of iron homeostasis in aquatic fungi. It may offer potential therapeutic strategies for managing M. bicuspidata diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrosilylation of unsaturated C‐C bonds with hydrosilanes is very important process to access functional organosillicon compounds. Ligands with phosphorus atoms act as a major role in the hydrosilylation of alkenes. A series of organosilicon‐containing phosphinyl ligands were prepared, and the application as ligands for iron catalyzed hydrosilylation of alkenes had been investigated. These catalytic systems show excellent catalytic performance for hydrosilylation of alkenes without other activator. FeCl2/L1 catalyst system showed the best catalytic performance (97.6% conversion of 1‐octene with 99.1% selectivity of the β‐adduct) for the hydrosilylation of olefins, and the hydrosilylation products can be obtained with higher yield for different straight chain olefin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource-based cities often face problems such as resource scarcity and insufficient electricity to achieve complex high-quality growth. At present, there is relatively little research on the impact on the high-quality development of such cities. To study the key variables that affect the high-quality growth of resource-based cities, we adopt entropy weighted TOPSIS technology, spatial correlation analysis, and spatial econometric models. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The overall high-quality development of resource-based cities in China is on the rise year by year; The cities with the highest growth rates are those that are mature, rejuvenated, growing, and declining. (2) Resource-based cities have a positive geographical correlation in high-quality development, and different numbers of clusters are displayed by changing the Moran I index score. (3) High quality development is strongly influenced by human capital, urbanization, technological innovation, and global market openness. There are significant differences in the ways in which these variables affect various types of resource-based cities. Policy makers who strive to reduce regional inequality and encourage high-quality growth in resource-based communities may benefit greatly from the insights provided by this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endemic Hupehsuchia from the Early Triassic of South China is generally accepted as the sister group of ichthyosauriforms and represents the only ichthyosauromorph that lived mainly in the shallow aquatic environment. Therefore, the detailed morphological study of basal hupehsuchians is important to elucidate the relationships of Ichthyosauromorpha with other reptiles. However, Nanchangosaurus, the most basal hupehsuchian taxon, is represented by only two skeletons, and the morphology of its palate and most of the appendicular skeleton remains unknown, limiting its role in resolving the phylogenetic relationships of Ichthyosauromorpha. Here we report a new hupehsuchian specimen from the Early Triassic of South China, which we have identified as a new morphotype of Nanchangosaurus. The new skeleton shows for the first time the morphology of the palate, zeugopodium and autopodium in Nanchangosaurus. Phylogenetic analyses including new morphological information from this skeleton support the recent recovery of an aquatic clade that includes the three major Triassic marine reptile groups. A clade comprising Helveticosaurus and Sauropterygomorpha forms the sister group to Ichthyosauromorpha, and Thalattosauria occupies the most basal position in this large aquatic clade. Archosauromorpha is recovered as a sister group to this aquatic clade, and together they form part of a monophyletic Archelosauria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding factors associated with antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence is crucial for ART success among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the "test and treat" era. Multiple psychosocial factors tend to coexist and have a syndemic effect on ART adherence. We aimed to explore factors associated with ART adherence and the syndemic effect of multiple psychosocial factors on ART adherence among PLHIV newly starting ART in Guangdong Province, China. Methods: Newly diagnosed PLHIV from six cities in Guangdong Province were recruited between May 2018 and June 2019, and then followed up from May 2019 to August 2020. Baseline and follow-up data were collected from a questionnaire and the national HIV surveillance system, the follow-up data of which were analyzed in this study. A Center for Adherence Support Evaluation (CASE) index > 10 points was defined as optimal ART adherence, which was measured via participants' self-reported adherence during follow-up survey. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with ART adherence. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multi-order latent variable structural equation modeling (SEM) were performed to explore the syndemic effect of multiple psychosocial factors on ART adherence. Results: A total of 734 (68.53%) follow-up participants were finally included in this study among the 1071 baseline participants, of whom 91.28% (670/734) had self-reported optimal ART adherence. Unemployment (aOR = 1.75, 95%CI: 1.01–3.02), no medication reminder (aOR = 2.28, 95%CI: 1.09–4.74), low medication self-efficacy (aOR = 2.28, 95%CI: 1.27–4.10), low social cohesion (aOR = 1.82, 95%CI: 1.03–3.19), no social participation (aOR = 5.65, 95%CI: 1.71–18.63), and ART side effects (aOR = 0.46, 95%CI: 0.26–0.81) were barriers to optimal ART adherence. The EFA and second-order latent variable SEM showed a linear relationship (standardized coefficient = 0.43, P < 0.001) between ART adherence and the latent psychosocial (syndemic) factor, which consisted of the three latent factors of medication beliefs and self-efficacy (standardized coefficient = 0.65, P < 0.001), supportive environment (standardized coefficient = 0.50, P < 0.001), and negative emotions (standardized coefficient=-0.38, P < 0.01). The latent factors of medication beliefs and self-efficacy, supportive environment, and negative emotions explained 42.3%, 25.3%, and 14.1% of the variance in the latent psychosocial factor, respectively. Conclusions: About nine out of ten PLHIV on ART in Guangdong Province self-reported optimal ART adherence. However, more efforts should be made to address barriers to optimal ART adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the safety and efficiency problems in the picking process of Waxberry, the slow speed and low precision of high‐density Waxberry target detection under a complex background were studied. A lightweight Waxberry target detection algorithm based on YOLOv5 is studied. In this study, C3‐Faster1 and C3‐Faster2 modules are proposed, which are located in the backbone and neck of the network: C3‐Faster1 can improve the model speed with a simple structure; C3‐Faster2 integrates the context attention mechanism and transform module based on C3‐Faster1 to make the network pay attention to the information of Waxberry image context and expand the channel receptive field. A new pyramid module, SPPFCSPC, is proposed to expand the sensing field and improve the accuracy of boundary detection. It also combines the Coordinate Attention (CA) and Dyhead dynamic detection head to suppress useless information and enhance the detection ability of small targets. Compared to YOLOv4, YOLOv7, and YOLOv8, mean accuracy percentage (mAP) improved by 5.7%, 9.4%, 8.3%. Compared to the base YOLOv5 model, mAP has improved from 86.5% to 91.9%, running on 2 GB Jeston nano, and the improved model is 5.03 frames per second (FPS) faster than YOLOv5. Experiments show that the designed module is more effective in Waxberry detection tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately predicting the maximum temperature is essential for studying human comfort, ecological environment development and social progress. However, traditional prediction methods are inefficient and inaccurate when dealing with large volumes of meteorological data. To tackle these challenges, this paper introduces an integrated approach, the ARIMA–LSTM–XGBoost model, which combines the strengths of autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), long short-term memory network (LSTM) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) to predict the maximum temperature. The proposed model enhances the prediction accuracy and convergence rate through techniques like MAPE reciprocal weight (MAPE-RW) and Schedule Sampling. Additionally, the model selects the best performing model using the early stopping method. This paper compares and analyzes the prediction results of the ARIMA, LSTM, XGBoost and ARIMA–LSTM–XGBoost models. The experimental results indicate that the ARIMA–LSTM–XGBoost model proposed in this paper achieves superior prediction accuracy, performance, and confidence. The ARIMA–LSTM–XGBoost model shows a Root-Mean-Squared Error (RMSE) of 1.381, significantly outperforming the ARIMA model (3.828), LSTM model (3.360) and XGBoost model (1.422). The coefficient of determination ( R 2) is 0.977, surpassing the values of 0.905 for the ARIMA model, 0.922 for the LSTM model and 0.910 for the XGBoost model. The ARIMA–LSTM–XGBoost model also exhibits a higher confidence level compared to the individual models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the upstream of the highway work zone, vehicles will change lanes automatically or forcibly, which has complexity and randomness. Most studies fail to consider the impact of actual mixed traffic characteristics on traffic flow. For example, the dependence of the lane-changing behaviors of Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) on the length of the zone is ignored in upstream of work zone. In addition, it is assumed that vehicles in the merge lane of the work zone would “yield” or not consider an impact on vehicles in the through lane. This simplifies the complex dynamics of the interaction between the two streams of traffic, which leads to the results of the study and the actual situation inconsistency. Based on the Gipps model, the adaptive cruise control (ACC) and the collaborative adaptive cruise control (CACC) vehicle-following models, this paper proposes a continuous cellular automata model under Vehicle-Road Collaboration and studies the mixed traffic flow characteristics in the work zone. By setting a metering zone before the lane reduction sign, ACC/CACC can adjust headway by obtaining road information in advance. The simulation results indicate that ACC/CACC vehicles have better following response compared to human-driven vehicles. In other words, the platoon composed of ACC/CACC vehicles has stability and can improve the traffic capacity of the work zone. The results of the study also found that the insertion of vehicles from adjacent lane into the ACC/CACC vehicles platoon is detrimental, especially when the penetration rate (Pinter) is high. Furthermore, when the length of the metering zone (Lmeter) is set at 120–150m, it can significantly improve the road congestion in the work zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomatoes possess significant nutritional and economic value. However, frequent diseases can detrimentally impact their quality and yield. Images of tomato diseases captured amidst intricate backgrounds are susceptible to environmental disturbances, presenting challenges in achieving precise detection and identification outcomes. This study focuses on tomato disease images within intricate settings, particularly emphasizing four prevalent diseases (late blight, gray leaf spot, brown rot, and leaf mold), alongside healthy tomatoes. It addresses challenges such as excessive interference, imprecise lesion localization for small targets, and heightened false-positive and false-negative rates in real-world tomato cultivation settings. To address these challenges, we introduce a novel method for tomato disease detection named TomatoDet. Initially, we devise a feature extraction module integrating Swin-DDETR's self-attention mechanism to craft a backbone feature extraction network, enhancing the model's capacity to capture details regarding small target diseases through self-attention. Subsequently, we incorporate the dynamic activation function Meta-ACON within the backbone network to further amplify the network's ability to depict disease-related features. Finally, we propose an enhanced bidirectional weighted feature pyramid network (IBiFPN) for merging multi-scale features and feeding the feature maps extracted by the backbone network into the multi-scale feature fusion module. This enhancement elevates detection accuracy and effectively mitigates false positives and false negatives arising from overlapping and occluded disease targets within intricate backgrounds. Our approach demonstrates remarkable efficacy, achieving a mean Average Precision (mAP) of 92.3% on a curated dataset, marking an 8.7% point improvement over the baseline method. Additionally, it attains a detection speed of 46.6 frames per second (FPS), adeptly meeting the demands of agricultural scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-dose cyclophosphamide (HD-Cy) (3 g/m2) plus granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a very effective regimen for peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) mobilization. Unfortunately, it is associated with an increased risk of neutropenic fever (NF). We analyzed the effect of NF on PBSC apheresis results and the efficacy of prophylactic antibiotics for the prevention of NF associated with HD-Cy plus G-CSF for PBSC mobilization in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM). First, patients were divided into NF (+) and NF (−) groups according to whether they suffered from NF during mobilization. Second, we divided patients into an antibiotic prophylaxis group and a nonantibiotic prophylaxis group according to whether antibiotic prophylaxis was used during the mobilization period. Our study showed that NF(+) patients (n = 44) had lower CD34 + cell dose collection (median 2.60 versus 5.34 × 106/kg, P < 0.001) and slower neutrophil engraftment and platelet engraftment (median 11 versus 10 days, P = 0.002, and median 13 versus 11 days, P = 0.043, respectively) than NF(−) patients (n = 234). Of note, the nonantibiotic prophylaxis group patients (n = 30) had a 26.7% incidence of NF. In the patients receiving antibiotic prophylaxis (n = 227), the incidence was reduced to 9.3% (P = 0.01). The antibiotic prophylaxis patients had higher CD34 + cell collection (median 5.41 versus 2.27 × 106/kg, P < 0.001) and lower hospitalization cost of mobilization ($ median 3108.02 versus 3702.39, p = 0.012). Thus, our results demonstrate that NF is associated with lower CD34 + cell collection and that antibiotic prophylaxis can reduce the incidence of NF and improve stem cell mobilization and collection outcomes, which reduces the hospitalization cost of mobilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textbook question answering requires a system to answer questions with or without diagrams accurately, given multimodal contexts that include rich paragraphs and diagrams. Existing methods usually utilize a pipelined way to extract the most relevant paragraph from multimodal contexts and only employ convolutional neural networks to comprehend diagram semantics under the supervision of answer labels. The former will result in error accumulation, while the latter will lead to poor diagram understanding. To provide a remedy for the above issues, we propose an end-to-end DIagraM Perception network for textbook question answering (DIMP), which is jointly optimized by the supervision of relation predicting, diagram classification, and question answering. Specifically, knowledge extracting is regarded as a sequence classification task and optimized through the supervision of answer labels to alleviate error accumulation. To capture diagram semantics effectively, DIMP uses an explicit relation-aware method that first parses a diagram into several graphs under specific relations and then grasps the information propagation within them. Evaluation on two benchmark datasets shows that our method achieves competitive or better results without large data pre-training and constructing auxiliary tasks compared with current state-of-the-art methods. We provide comprehensive ablation studies and thorough analyses to determine what factors contribute to this success. We also make in-depth analyses for relational graph learning and joint optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We apply the generalised Komar method proposed in [] to Taub-NUT-AdS spacetime in the theory of Einstein gravity plus a cosmological constant. Based on a generalised closed 2-form, we derive the total mass and NUT charge of the Taub-NUT-AdS spacetime. Together with other thermodynamic quantities calculated through standard method, we conform the first law and Smarr relation. Then, we consider charged AdS NUT spacetimes in Einstein–Maxwell theory with a cosmological constant, and show that the generalised Komar method works, too. We obtain all the thermodynamic quantities, and the first law and Smarr relation are checked to be satisfied automatically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intermittent and uncertainty of new energy in the grid connection process affects the overall quality of the grid. To resolve the scattered geographical locations, small individual capacities and poor controllability of distributed energy storage (DES) devices, edge computing is applied in conjunction with aggregate service providers to build an edge computing‐based aggregate model of DES. Regarding its characteristics, the schedulable potential of the energy storage device is analysed through modelling. A multi‐objective scheduling model with multiple parties participating in the subject's behaviour is established using the Internet of Things (IoT) optimization strategy. The simulation example of concrete data further verifies the validity of the model. Results demonstrate that the edge computing‐based aggregate model of DES effectively reduces the calculation load's peak‐valley load and reduces the wind power abandonment. In the meantime, the multiple starts and stops of the thermal power unit reduce the operation cost of the unit. The multi‐objective dispatch model can reduce the opportunity cost and payment of DES effectively. This model achieves load peak reduction and valley filling and reduces the peak dispatch cost of the power grid. The research results can provide some ideas for storing and utilizing the new energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there are two main clustering perforation methods: coiled tubing-conveyed perforation (TCP) and cable-conveyed perforation (CCP). To improve the efficiency of CCP strings in wellbore pass-through capacity problems, considering wellbore geometry constraints, pipe string variable cross-section, flexible tool deformation, and other factors, the pass-through capacity analysis model of the perforating tool string was established and solved by geometric analysis and beam-column theory. Aiming at the running depth problem of a TCP string, considering the influence of the buckling effect, a model of coiled tubing running depth was established by the infinitesimal method. The field test data were used to verify the effectiveness of the two models. The effects of well trajectory, perforating string size, casing inner diameter, and coiled tubing size on the pass-through capacity of the CCP string and running depth of the TCP string were explored. The results indicate that with the increase of perforation string size or the reduction of casing inner diameter, the pass-through capacity of CCP string decreases; with the increase of coiled tubing specification, the running capacity of TCP string is improved. The work presented in this paper provides an effective analysis method and theoretical guidance for clustering perforation jobs in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are effective solutions for the development of high-performance and flexible lithium metal batteries (LMBs). However, the key problems of SPEs including low ionic conductivity and inability to repair damage have hindered their industrialization process. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) cross-linked network gel polymer electrolyte (CNGPE) is designed. The addition of deep eutectic solvent (DES) improves the ionic conductivity of CNGPE. The hydrogen bonds and dynamic disulfide bonds in the 3D cross-linked network endow CNGPE rapid self-healing ability at ambient temperature. In addition, the addition of lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB) and lithium nitrate (LiNO 3) helps to form a stable solid electrolyte interface (SEI). Due to the ingenious design, the Li/CNGPE/Li symmetrical cell exhibits excellent interface stability and no short circuit occurs for more than 800 h. The assembled LiFePO 4 /CNGPE/Li cell exhibits a discharge specific capacity of 126 mAh g−1 after 960 cycles at 0.5C. This work has shown that the self-healing gel polymer electrolyte containing DES provides an effective and feasible method for the development of high-performance LMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Cisternostomy is a novel surgical concept in the treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), which can effectively drain the bloody cerebrospinal fluid from the skull base cistern, reduce the intracranial pressure, and improve the return of bone flap, but its preventive role in post-traumatic hydrocephalus (PTH) is unknow. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether Cisternostomy prevents the occurrence of PTH in patients with moderate and severe TBI. Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical data of 86 patients with moderate and severe TBI from May 2019 to October 2021 was carried out in the Brain Trauma Center of Tianjin Huanhu Hospital. Univariate analysis was performed to examine the gender, age, preoperative Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, preoperative Rotterdam CT score, decompressive craniectomy rate, intracranial infection rate, the incidence of subdural fluid, and incidence of hydrocephalus in patients between the Cisternostomy group and the non-Cisternostomy surgery group. we also analyzed the clinical outcome indicators like GCS at discharge,6 month GOS-E and GOS-E ≥ 5 in two groups.Additionaly, the preoperative GCS score, decompressive craniectomy rate, age, and gender of patients with PTH and non hydrocephalus were compared. Further multifactorial logistic binary regression was performed to explore the risk factors for PTH. Finally, we conducted ROC curve analysis on the statistically significant results from the univariate regression analysis to predict the ability of each risk factor to cause PTH. Results: The Cisternostomy group had a lower bone flap removal rate(48.39% and 72.73%, p = 0.024)., higer GCS at discharge(11.13 ± 2.42 and 8.93 ± 3.31,p = 0.000) and better 6 month GOS-E(4.55 ± 1.26 and 3.95 ± 1.18, p = 0.029)than the non-Cisternostomy group However, there was no statistical difference in the incidence of hydrocephalus between the two groups (25.81% and 30.91%, p = 0.617). Moreover, between the hydrocephalus group and no hydrocephalus group,there were no significant differences in the incidence of gender, age, intracranial infection, and subdural fluid. While there were statistical differences in peroperative GCS score, Rotterdam CT score, decompressive craniectomy rate, intracranial infection rate, and the incidence of subdural fluid in the two groups, there was no statistical difference in the percentage of cerebral cisterns open drainage between the hydrocephalus group and no hydrocephalus group (32.00% and 37.70%, p = 0.617). Multifactorial logistic binary regression analysis results revealed that the independent risk factors for PTH were intracranial infection (OR = 18.460, 95% CI: 1.864–182.847 p = 0.013) and subdural effusion (OR = 10.557, 95% CI: 2.425–35.275 p = 0.001). Further, The ROC curve analysis showed that peroperative GCS score, Rotterdam CT score and subdural effusion had good ACU(0.785,0.730,and 0.749), with high sensitivity and specificity to predict the occurrence of PTH. Conclusions: Cisternostomy may decrease morbidities associated with removal of the bone flap and improve the clinical outcome, despite it cannot reduce the disability rate in TBI patients.Intracranial infection and subdural fluid were found to be the independent risk factors for PTH in patients with TBI,and the peroperative GCS score, Rotterdam CT score and subdural effusion had higher sensitivity and specificity to predict the occurrence of PTH. And more importantly, no correlation was observed between open drainage of the cerebral cisterns and the occurrence of PTH, indicating that Cisternostomy may not be beneficial in preventing the occurrence of PTH in patients with moderate and severe TBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article revisits saturated stabilization of the feed‐forward systems that are subject to lower‐order perturbations, with the purpose of providing new analysis approaches. To carry out the saturation reduction analysis, we do not use the existing time‐interval based contradiction approach, but propose a Lyapunov function method; to deal with the reduced system (the closed‐loop system that does not contain saturation any longer), we do not use the “adding a power integrator” backstepping scheme, but propose an approach which is established by jointly using the vector Lyapunov function theory, a matrix measure stability theory and the switching systems theory. As a result, a quite number of inequality computations can be avoided, and the stability conditions summarized in two analysis procedures can be expressed by directly using the system parameters. This article also shows that the established approaches are applicable to the uncertain feedforward systems subject to linear input perturbation and consequently, allows to present new stabilizing control laws for several intractable under‐actuated systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria have distinctive properties that make them ideal for biomedical applications. They can self‐propel, sense their surroundings, and be externally detected. Using bacteria as medical therapeutic agents or delivery platforms opens new possibilities for advanced diagnosis and therapies. Nano‐drug delivery platforms have numerous advantages over traditional ones, such as high loading capacity, controlled drug release, and adaptable functionalities. Combining bacteria and nanotechnologies to create therapeutic agents or delivery platforms has gained increasing attention in recent years and shows promise for improved diagnosis and treatment of diseases. In this review, design principles of integrating nanoparticles with bacteria, bacteria‐derived nano‐sized vesicles, and their applications and future in advanced diagnosis and therapeutics are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of rice, evaluated using multiple quality-related traits, is the main determinant of its market competitiveness. In this study, two japonica rice varieties with significant differences in quality-related traits were used as parents to construct two populations, BC3F2 and BC3F2:3, with Kongyu131 (KY131) as the recurrent parent. A genetic linkage map was constructed using the BC3F2 population based on 151 pairs of SSR/InDel polymorphic markers selected between the parents. Grain-shape-related traits (grain length GL, grain width GW, and length-to-width ratio LWR), chalkiness-related traits (white-core rate WCR, white-belly rate WBR, white-back rate BR, and chalkiness rate CR), and amylose content (AC) were investigated in the two populations in 2017 and 2018. Except for BR and CR, the traits showed similar characteristics with a normal distribution in both populations. Genetic linkage analysis was conducted for these quality-related traits, and a total of 37 QTLs were detected in the two populations. Further validation was performed on the newly identified QTLs with larger effects, and three grain shape QTLs and four chalkiness QTLs were successfully validated in different environments. One repeatedly validated QTL, qWCR3, was selected for fine mapping and was successfully narrowed down to a 100 kb region in which only two genes, LOC_0s03g45210 and LOC_0s03g45320, exhibited sequence variations between the parents. Furthermore, the variation of LOC_Os03g45210 leads to a frameshift mutation and premature protein termination. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for positional cloning of the qWCR3 gene, thus offering new genetic resources for rice quality improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the greatly increased penetration rate of wind power, photovoltaic, and other new energy sources in the power system, the proportion of controllable units gradually decreased, resulting in increased system uncertainty. The biogas power generation system can effectively alleviate the pressure caused by source-load uncertainty in such high-permeability systems of new energy sources such as wind power and photovoltaic. Hence, from the perspective of the power system, this paper introduces a capacity demand analysis method for a rural biogas power generation system capable of independent operation amidst source-load uncertainty. To enhance the depiction of pure load demand uncertainty, a scene set generation method is proposed, leveraging quantile regression analysis and Gaussian mixture model clustering. Each scene's data and probability of occurrence elucidate the uncertainty of pure load demand. An integrated optimal operation model for new energy and biogas-generating units, free from energy storage capacity constraints, is established based on the generated scenario set. Addressing considerations such as biogas utilization rate and system operation cost, a biogas storage correction model, utilizing the gas storage deviation degree index and the cost growth rate index, is developed to determine biogas demand and capacity. The example results demonstrate the significant reduction in gas storage construction costs and charging and discharging imbalances achieved by the proposed model while ensuring systemic operational cost effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A negatively curved aza‐nanographene (NG) containing two octagons was synthesized by a regioselective and stepwise cyclodehydrogenation procedure, in which a double aza[7]helicene was simultaneously formed as an intermediate. Their saddle‐shaped structures with negative curvature were unambiguously confirmed by X‐ray crystallography, thereby enabling the exploration of the structure–property relationship by photophysical, electrochemical and conformational studies. Moreover, the assembly of the octagon‐embedded aza‐NG with fullerenes was probed by fluorescence spectral titration, with record‐high binding constants (Ka=9.5×103 M−1 with C60, Ka=3.7×104 M−1 with C70) found among reported negatively curved polycyclic aromatic compounds. The tight association of aza‐NG with C60 was further elucidated by X‐ray diffraction analysis of their co‐crystal, which showed the formation of a 1 : 1 complex with substantial concave‐convex interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non‐conjugated luminescent polymers have received much attention due to their excellent flexibility, processability, and biocompatibility. However, the single emission color and low solid‐state luminescence efficiency restrict their further development. Herein, by introducing carboxyl‐terminated alkyl chains on the rigid and helical polymaleimide backbone, a series of non‐conjugated luminescent polymers are designed and synthesized. Due to the “spring lock” formed by the synergism of scalable helical main chains and flexible alkyl side chains, these polymers exhibit effective cluster luminescence with thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) property, thereby significantly improving the solid‐state luminescence efficiency with the quantum yield up to 59.6%. The TADF emission wavelengths of the polymer powders can be tuned from 498 to 639 nm through changing reaction solvents, because the conformation of helical chains forming clusters is sensitive to solvent polarity. Interestingly, metal ions can induce the polymers to construct self‐repairing cluster luminescence gels, which show excellent potential applications in ammonia detection and information encryption. This work not only provides an effective design strategy for the colorful cluster luminescence with high‐efficiency TADF, but also further reveals the cluster luminescence mechanism and enlightens the promising applications of cluster luminescent gels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A negatively curved aza‐nanographene (NG) containing two octagons was synthesized by a regioselective and stepwise cyclodehydrogenation procedure, in which a double aza[7]helicene was simultaneously formed as an intermediate. Their saddle‐shaped structures with negative curvature were unambiguously confirmed by X‐ray crystallography, thereby enabling the exploration of the structure–property relationship by photophysical, electrochemical and conformational studies. Moreover, the assembly of the octagon‐embedded aza‐NG with fullerenes was probed by fluorescence spectral titration, with record‐high binding constants (Ka=9.5×103 M−1 with C60, Ka=3.7×104 M−1 with C70) found among reported negatively curved polycyclic aromatic compounds. The tight association of aza‐NG with C60 was further elucidated by X‐ray diffraction analysis of their co‐crystal, which showed the formation of a 1 : 1 complex with substantial concave‐convex interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article focuses on the output regulation problem for uncertain 1‐d reaction‐diffusion equation(RDE), in which the disturbance inputs are located at both the interior of the equation and uncontrolled end. Both the reference signal and the disturbances signal are specified due to an exosystem of time‐varying coefficients. The difficulty of the problem is that the control end is noncollocated with the regulated output. The so‐called feedforward control is designed by introducing an regulator, which is determined by infinite‐dimensional equation. A state observer is proposed based on the measurement output to recover the original and the external systems. The suitable feedback control has to be integrated by replacing the states in the expression of feedforward control law. As a result, exponential convergence of the error between the reference signal and the output, and the closed‐loop stability are established. Numerical results are performed the effectiveness of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tautomers coexisting in an equilibrium system have significant potential for regulating luminescent properties because of their structural differences. However, separating and stabilizing tautomers at room temperature is a considerable challenge. In this study, it is found that hydrogen‐bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) composed of Br‐ anions can effectively separate and stabilize two proton‐transfer tautomers of triarylformamidinium bromide: namely, the nitrogen cation (BA‐N) and carbon cation (BA‐C). The BA‐N crystal consisting of a dense anionic HOF and parallelly aligned organic cations exhibits green thermally activated delayed fluorescence and red room‐temperature phosphorescence (RTP). The BA‐C crystal contains acetone molecules that induce an antiparallel arrangement of the organic cations to form a loose HOF, producing blue prompt fluorescence and green RTP. Interestingly, switching of the HOFs between BA‐N and BA‐C can be achieved through the uptake and release of acetone, thereby dynamically adjusting multiple luminescent properties. Consequently, the HOF crystals can be used for the highly sensitive and specific sensing of acetone with a detection limit of 66.74 ppm. This study not only stabilizes tautomeric luminescent materials at room temperature, but also provides a new method for constructing smart HOFs with a sensitive response to a stimulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tautomers coexisting in an equilibrium system have significant potential for regulating luminescent properties because of their structural differences. However, separating and stabilizing tautomers at room temperature is a considerable challenge. In this study, it is found that hydrogen‐bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) composed of Br‐ anions can effectively separate and stabilize two proton‐transfer tautomers of triarylformamidinium bromide: namely, the nitrogen cation (BA‐N) and carbon cation (BA‐C). The BA‐N crystal consisting of a dense anionic HOF and parallelly aligned organic cations exhibits green thermally activated delayed fluorescence and red room‐temperature phosphorescence (RTP). The BA‐C crystal contains acetone molecules that induce an antiparallel arrangement of the organic cations to form a loose HOF, producing blue prompt fluorescence and green RTP. Interestingly, switching of the HOFs between BA‐N and BA‐C can be achieved through the uptake and release of acetone, thereby dynamically adjusting multiple luminescent properties. Consequently, the HOF crystals can be used for the highly sensitive and specific sensing of acetone with a detection limit of 66.74 ppm. This study not only stabilizes tautomeric luminescent materials at room temperature, but also provides a new method for constructing smart HOFs with a sensitive response to a stimulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we focus on the degradation of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) in proton-exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) induced by different accelerated stress tests (ASTs), including constant-current mode, square-wave mode, and solar photovoltaic mode. In constant-current mode, at continuous testing for 600 h at 80 °C, a degradation of operating voltage increased by the enhanced current density from 22 µV/h (1 A/cm2) to 50 µV/h (3 A/cm2). In square-wave mode, we found that in the narrow fluctuation range (1–2 A/cm2), the shorter step time (2 s) generates a higher degradation rate of operating voltage, but in the wide fluctuation range (1–3 A/cm2), the longer step time (22 s) induces a faster operating voltage rise. In the solar photovoltaic mode, we used a simulation of 11 h sunshine duration containing multiple constant-current and square-wave modes, which is closest to the actual application environment. Over 1400 h ASTs, the solar photovoltaic mode lead to the most serious voltage rise of 87.7 µV/h. These results are beneficial to understanding the durability of the PEM electrolyzer and optimizing the components of MEAs, such as catalysts, membranes, and gas diffusion layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the design of large-diameter rock-socketed piles, the ultimate bearing capacity of intact rocks under the pile tip (qb) is often required to be predicted, especially for rock-socketed end-bearing piles. Existing approaches for calculating qb establish an empirical relation with the macroscopic parameters of rock layers, but the research on the microscopic parameters inside intact rocks is insufficient. This study provides a theoretical method for calculating qb from a micro perspective and implements it in MATLAB, in which the integral stress of the Mindlin solution within the circular region at the pile base was selected as the stress state of the theoretical calculation regions, and the tension– or compression–shear mixed mode I–II criterion was selected as the failure criterion of micro-cracks inside intact rocks. Six model piles with measured ultimate end-bearing capacities were analyzed to validate the proposed solution. The results showed that the failure ranges of intact rocks under an identical base load for analytical analyses are comparable with those obtained by model tests, which confirms the rationality of the theoretical approach. Then, the failure zone of intact rocks under different working loads of pile base was explored. Finally, parametric studies were conducted using the proposed solution to explore the effects of rock properties and pile dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malignant mesothelioma is a type of infrequent tumor that is substantially related to asbestos exposure and has a terrible prognosis. We tried to produce a fibroblast differentiation-related gene set for creating a novel classification and prognostic prediction model of MESO. Method: Three databases, including NCBI-GEO, TCGA, and MET-500, separately provide single-cell RNA sequencing data, bulk RNA sequencing profiles of MESO, and RNA sequencing information on bone metastatic tumors. Dimensionality reduction and clustering analysis were leveraged to acquire fibroblast subtypes in the MESO microenvironment. The fibroblast differentiation-related genes (FDGs), which were associated with survival and subsequently utilized to generate the MESO categorization and prognostic prediction model, were selected in combination with pseudotime analysis and survival information from the TCGA database. Then, regulatory network was constructed for each MESO subtype, and candidate inhibitors were predicted. Clinical specimens were collected for further validation. Result: A total of six fibroblast subtypes, three differentiation states, and 39 FDGs were identified. Based on the expression level of FDGs, three MESO subtypes were distinguished in the fibroblast differentiation-based classification (FDBC). In the multivariate prognostic prediction model, the risk score that was dependent on the expression level of several important FDGs, was verified to be an independently effective prognostic factor and worked well in internal cohorts. Finally, we predicted 24 potential drugs for the treatment of MESO. Moreover, immunohistochemical staining and statistical analysis provided further validation. Conclusion: Fibroblast differentiation-related genes (FDGs), especially those in low-differentiation states, might participate in the proliferation and invasion of MESO. Hopefully, the raised clinical subtyping of MESO would provide references for clinical practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unmanned deformable vehicle can switch between wheeled driving and legged walking through reconfiguration. The system is prone to tipping instability when reconstructing from a vehicle state in wheeled motion to a humanoid state in legged motion. To improve reconfiguration stability, a center-of-mass position-adjusting mechanism was designed based on structure optimization design for the unmanned deformable vehicle. The zero moment point was adjusted by controlling a center-of-mass position-adjusting mechanism, thereby further improving the reconfiguration stability of the system. In this study, the structure of the unmanned deformable vehicle was designed and a reconfiguration kinematic model was established based on spinor theory. A reconfiguration dynamic model was established based on Newton-Euler equation, and the zero moment point was used as the stability criterion for the reconfiguration motion. To improve the reconfiguration stability of the system, simulated annealing algorithm was used to optimize the main parameters of the system under both basic and severe working condition reconfiguration processes. To further improve the reconfiguration stability, a variable universe-fuzzy control strategy was designed to control the stability of the reconfiguration process of the whole vehicle. The results showed that the reconfiguration stability could be significantly improved under various working conditions by using the stability control after the system was optimally designed. • The reconfiguration of unmanned deformable vehicle is prone to collapse, and the stability of reconfiguration is studied. • The main structural and posture parameters that significantly impact reconfiguration stability were analyzed. • The simulated annealing algorithm was used to optimize the main parameters of the system. • A control strategy was proposed to maintain the zero moment point close to the center of the support domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown that saikosaponin D (SSD) has favorable neurotherapeutic effects. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the efficacy and possible molecular mechanisms of SSD on pilocarpine (PP)‐induced astrocyte injury. Primary astrocytes were isolated from juvenile rats and identified using immunofluorescence. The cells were treated with PP and/or SSD for 6 h and 12 h, respectively, followed by measurement of their viability through 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Next, quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) was used to measure the expression levels of Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), C3, S100 calcium binding protein A10 (S100a10), pentraxin 3 (Ptx3), toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4), and RAG in astrocytes after different treatments. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and biochemical tests were utilized to evaluate the level of inflammatory factors [interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α)] secreted by cells and the content of oxidative stress‐related factors (malondialdehyde [MDA] and glutathione [GSH]) or enzyme activity (catalase [CAT] and glutathione peroxidase [GPX]) in cells. The JC‐1 mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) fluorescence probe was used to measure the MMP in astrocytes. Additionally, western blot was applied to test the expression of proteins related to the nod‐like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3)/caspase‐1 signaling pathway. PP treatment (1 mM) induced cell injury by significantly reducing the viability of astrocytes and expression of cellular markers. SSD treatment (4 μM) had no toxicity to astrocytes. Besides, SSD (4 μM) treatment could significantly up‐regulate the cell viability and marker expression of PP‐induced astrocytes. Furthermore, SSD could be employed to inhibit inflammation (reduce IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α levels) and oxidative stress (decrease MDA level, elevate GSH level, the activity of CAT and GPX), and ameliorate mitochondrial dysfunction (upregulate JC‐1 ratio) in PP‐induced astrocytes. Moreover, further mechanism exploration revealed that SSD treatment significantly reduced the activity of the NLRP3/caspase‐1 signaling pathway activated by PP induction. SSD increased cell viability, inhibited inflammation and oxidative stress response, and ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction in PP‐induced astrocyte injury model, thus playing a neuroprotective role. The mechanism of SSD may be related to the inhibition of the NLRP3/caspase‐1 inflammasome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondria undergo a myriad of changes during pre-implantation embryo development, including shifts in activity levels and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication. However, how these distinct aspects of mitochondrial function are linked and their responsiveness to diverse stressors is not well understood. Here, we show that mtDNA content increased between 8-cell embryos and the blastocyst stage, with similar copy numbers per cell in the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE). In contrast, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was higher in TE than ICM. Culture in ambient oxygen (20% O2) altered both aspects of mitochondrial function: the mtDNA copy number was upregulated in ICM, while MMP was diminished in TE. Embryos cultured in 20% O2 also exhibited delayed development kinetics, impaired implantation, and reduced mtDNA levels in E18 fetal liver. A model of oocyte mitochondrial stress using rotenone showed only a modest effect on on-time development and did not alter the mtDNA copy number in ICM; however, following embryo transfer, mtDNA was higher in the fetal heart. Lastly, endogenous mitochondrial dysfunction, induced by maternal age and obesity, altered the blastocyst mtDNA copy number, but not within the ICM. These results demonstrate that mitochondrial activity and mtDNA content exhibit cell-specific changes and are differentially responsive to diverse types of oxidative stress during pre-implantation embryogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning has recently received extensive attention in the field of rolling-bearing fault diagnosis owing to its powerful feature expression capability. With the help of deep learning, we can fully extract the deep features hidden in the data, significantly improving the accuracy and efficiency of fault diagnosis. Despite this progress, deep learning still faces two outstanding problems. (1) Each layer uses the same convolution kernel to extract features, making it difficult to adaptively select convolution kernels based on the features of the input image, which limits the network's adaptability to different input features and leads to weak feature extraction. (2) Large number of parameters and long training time. To solve the above problems, this paper proposes an integrated deep neural network that combines an improved selective kernel network (SKNet) with an enhanced Inception-ResNet-v2, named SIR-CNN. First, based on the SKNet, a new three-branch SKNet was designed. Second, the new SKNet is embedded into a depthwise separable convolution network such that the model can adaptively select convolution kernels of different sizes during training. Furthermore, the convolution structure in the Inception-ResNet-v2 network was replaced by the improved depthwise separable convolution network to achieve effective feature extraction. Finally, the time-frequency maps of the raw vibration signals are obtained through short-time Fourier transform (STFT) and then sent to the proposed SIR-CNN network for experiments. The experimental results show that the proposed SIR-CNN achieves superior performance compared to other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) has been demonstrated to be significantly associated with the incidence of prediabetes and diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the association between the AIP and undiagnosed diabetes in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. Methods: Among 113,650 ACS patients treated with coronary angiography at 240 hospitals in the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-ACS Project from 2014 to 2019, 11,221 patients with available clinical and surgical information were included. We analyzed these patients' clinical characteristics after stratification according to AIP tertiles, body mass index (BMI) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Results: The AIP was independently associated with a greater incidence of undiagnosed diabetes. The undiagnosed diabetes was significantly greater in the T3 group than in the T1 group after adjustment for confounders [T3 OR 1.533 (1.199–1.959) p < 0.001]. This relationship was consistent within normal weight patients and patients with an LDL-C level ≥ 1.8 mmol/L. In overweight and obese patients, the AIP was significantly associated with the incidence of undiagnosed diabetes as a continuous variable after adjustment for age, sex, and BMI but not as a categorical variable. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the AIP score, triglyceride (TG) concentration, and HDL-C concentration was 0.601 (0.581–0.622; p < 0.001), 0.624 (0.603–0.645; p < 0.001), and 0.493 (0.472–0.514; p = 0.524), respectively. A nonlinear association was found between the AIP and the incidence of undiagnosed diabetes in ACS patients (p for nonlinearity < 0.001), and this trend remained consistent between males and females. The AIP may be a negative biomarker associated with undiagnosed diabetes ranging from 0.176 to 0.738. Conclusion: The AIP was significantly associated with the incidence of undiagnosed diabetes in ACS patients, especially in those with normal weight or an LDL-C level ≥ 1.8 mmol/L. A nonlinear relationship was found between the AIP and the incidence of undiagnosed diabetes, and this trend was consistent between male and female patients. The AIP may be a negative biomarker associated with undiagnosed diabetes and ranges from 0.176 to 0.738. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces YOLOv8n-vegetable, a model designed to address challenges related to imprecise detection of vegetable diseases in greenhouse plant environment using existing network models. The model incorporates several improvements and optimizations to enhance its effectiveness. Firstly, a novel C2fGhost module replaces partial C2f. with GhostConv based on Ghost lightweight convolution, reducing the model's parameters and improving detection performance. Second, the Occlusion Perception Attention Module (OAM) is integrated into the Neck section to better preserve feature information after fusion, enhancing vegetable disease detection in greenhouse settings. To address challenges associated with detecting small-sized objects and the depletion of semantic knowledge due to varying scales, an additional layer for detecting small-sized objects is included. This layer improves the amalgamation of extensive and basic semantic knowledge, thereby enhancing overall detection accuracy. Finally, the HIoU boundary loss function is introduced, leading to improved convergence speed and regression accuracy. These improvement strategies were validated through experiments using a self-built vegetable disease detection dataset in a greenhouse environment. Multiple experimental comparisons have demonstrated the model's effectiveness, achieving the objectives of improving detection speed while maintaining accuracy and real-time detection capability. According to experimental findings, the enhanced model exhibited a 6.46% rise in mean average precision (mAP) over the original model on the self-built vegetable disease detection dataset under greenhouse conditions. Additionally, the parameter quantity and model size decreased by 0.16G and 0.21 MB, respectively. The proposed model demonstrates significant advancements over the original algorithm and exhibits strong competitiveness when compared with other advanced object detection models. The lightweight and fast detection of vegetable diseases offered by the proposed model presents promising applications in vegetable disease detection tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]