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Abstract NOTCH1 signaling, a vital regulator of cell proliferation and differentiation, is widely involved in the occurrence and development of malignant tumors. Pharmacological regulation of NOTCH1 is promising in tumor immunotherapy, whereas the effective rate of existing therapies remains low. NOTCH1 functions, as a cancer suppressor or a cancer promoter in different cancers, is engaged in the crosstalk between the immune microenvironment and cancer cells, posing a major challenge to immunotherapy. Therefore, a comprehensive view of the overall situation of NOTCH1-associated immune infiltration in pan-cancer should be built. The relation between NOTCH1 and immune infiltration was initially investigated in this paper. In this study, the data originated from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases were input into multiple online bioinformatic tools to study the characteristics of NOTCH1 in pan-cancer. We found that there was obvious heterogeneity in the NOTCH1-associated tumor immune infiltration in pan-cancer. In accordance with the heterogeneity, pan-cancer mainly fell into two categories, i.e., cancers that NOTCH1 promoted immune infiltration (termed hot tumors) and NOTCH1 inhibited immune infiltration (termed cold tumors). We further analyzed the changes of immune infiltration in pan-carcinoma species from the perspectives of NOTCH1 expression, mutation, gene function, tumor metastasis and drugs. NOTCH1 expression was significantly up-regulated in cold tumors but down-regulated in hot tumors. The Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of NOTCH1 with the two categories placed stress on angiogenesis and protein dealkylation, respectively. Further, the gene sets of angiogenesis facilitated immune infiltration, whereas the gene sets of protein dealkylation hindered immune infiltration. The tsRNA associated with NOTCH1 is a type of angiogenin that potentially exerts a significant influence on angiogenesis. We have conducted a meticulous analysis of the function of this tsRNA. NOTCH1 was conducive to cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) immune infiltration, while the metastatic process was more dependent on the differentiation and angiogenesis function of NOTCH1. Accordingly, the heterogeneity of NOTCH1 in immune infiltration was extensively analyzed in this study based on the pan-cancer study, which can contribute to the formulation of specific immunotherapy strategies.

Phosphoric acid, as a vital chemical raw material, holds an important position in the chemical industry. Its applications span across various sectors, determined largely by its purity. Low-purity phosphoric acid can be used in industrial and agricultural sectors, while high-purity phosphoric acid is essential for pharmaceuticals, food, electronics and other industries. The rising demand for batteries and semiconductors in recent years has led to increased requirements for phosphoric acid purity. There are two main methods for manufacturing phosphoric acid. The thermal method, while effective, is energy-intensive and environmentally unfriendly, conflicting with China’s green chemistry development goals. On the other hand, the phosphoric acid process, characterized by lower energy consumption, is more adept at handling China’s low-grade phosphate rock despite resulting in bulk and complex product impurities. Among various purification technologies, such as chemical precipitation, crystallization, electrodialysis, and ion exchange resin, the extraction method stands out. It offers environmental benefits, simple operation, and the capacity for large-scale production, marking it as a promising technique for phosphoric acid purification. This article summarizes in detail the research status of various extraction methods in recent years. It focuses on solvent extraction, aqueous two-phase extraction, reverse micelle extraction, ultrasonic-assisted extraction, and supercritical fluid extraction. It sorts out the solvent extraction method along with various extractants. The research on single extractants such as tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP), methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), and n-octanol (NOA) has been primarily focused on identifying the optimal extraction conditions, including the O/A phase ratio, temperature, and air pressure. However, these single extractants typically target a single impurity, which limits their effectiveness in purifying phosphoric acid when multiple impurities are present. This limitation underscores the significant advantages of composite extractants in the purification process. Current research on composite extractants emphasizes determining the ideal proportion of extractants, often based on volume ratio, and establishing the optimal conditions for effective extraction. In addition to composite extractants, the development of new extractants offers promising solutions to the challenges posed by the low extraction efficiency of single extractants. Looking forward, the future of phosphoric acid extraction technology is poised for exciting developments: (1) The development of green composite extractants, alongside new extractants and materials combined with extractants, aims to achieve more efficient separation of impurities from phosphoric acid; (2) There is a growing interest in expanding research into the application of aqueous two-phase extraction and reverse micelle extraction for ion extraction, including the exploration of new aqueous phase systems; (3) The use of ultrasonic technology to accelerate the extraction process, coupled with studies on how supercritical fluids can improve the solubility and extraction efficiency of ions, represents another avenue for innovation. These advancements seek to reduce costs and explore specific application areas.

Abstract Focused ultrasound ablation surgery (FUAS) is a minimally invasive treatment option that has been utilized in various tumors. However, its clinical advancement has been hindered by issues such as low safety and efficiency, single image guidance mode, and postoperative tumor residue. To address these limitations, this study aimed to develop a novel multi-functional gas-producing engineering bacteria biological targeting cooperative system. Pulse-focused ultrasound (PFUS) could adjust the ratio of thermal effect to non-thermal effect by adjusting the duty cycle, and improve the safety and effectiveness of treatment.The genetic modification of Escherichia coli (E.coli) involved the insertion of an acoustic reporter gene to encode gas vesicles (GVs), resulting in gas-producing E.coli (GVs-E.coli) capable of targeting tumor anoxia. GVs-E.coli colonized and proliferated within the tumor while the GVs facilitated ultrasound imaging and cooperative PFUS. Additionally, multifunctional cationic polyethyleneimine (PEI)-poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (PEI-PLGA/EPI/PFH@Fe3O4) containing superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO, Fe3O4), perfluorohexane (PFH), and epirubicin (EPI) were developed. These nanoparticles offered synergistic PFUS, supplementary chemotherapy, and multimodal imaging capabilities.GVs-E.coli effectively directed the PEI-PLGA/EPI/PFH@Fe3O4 to accumulate within the tumor target area by means of electrostatic adsorption, resulting in a synergistic therapeutic impact on tumor eradication.In conclusion, GVs-E.coli-mediated multi-functional nanoparticles can synergize with PFUS and chemotherapy to effectively treat tumors, overcoming the limitations of current FUAS therapy and improving safety and efficacy. This approach presents a promising new strategy for tumor therapy. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Background Although patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) are preferred to undergo catheter ablation (CA), the high possibility of recurrence following surgery is still concerning. We aimed to evaluate the ability of the left atrioventricular coupling index (LACI), which is the ratio of the left atrium end-diastolic volume to the left ventricle end-diastolic volume, to predict PAF recurrence after CA. Methods Patients with PAF undergoing CA for the first time between January 2018 and June 2021 were admitted and grouped by recurrence within a year. LACI was measured before CA using ultrasonography. Risk factors identified by multivariable logistic regression analysis, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the ability of LACI to predict PAF recurrence after CAP. Results Among the 204 patients treated at our hospital, 164 patients were included in the research after eliminating those who were lost to follow-up. Among them, 56 individuals had recurrence following a 90-day blanking period. Recurrence is more likely in elderly patients with high blood pressure. Patients who suffered recurrence exhibited lower left atrial ejection fraction and increased LACI, left atrial volume minimum, and left atrium volume index maximum. LACI was an independent risk factor for postoperative recurrence (OR: 1.526, 95% CI: 1.325–1.757, P

Abstract Background The childbirth experience of primipara profoundly impacts her future physical and mental health, reproductive intention, and choice of childbirth mode. This study aimed to explore the current situation of primipara’s childbirth experience, to analyze the factors influencing negative childbirth experience, and to explore the relationship between childbirth experience and reproductive intention. Methods A cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of 522 primipara 1–5 days postpartum was conducted at five hospitals in Guangdong Province (May to July 2024). Data were collected using the General Information Questionnaire, the Social Support Rating Scale, the Childbirth Readiness Scale, the Caring Behaviors Inventory Scale, the Wijma Delivery Experience Questionnaire, and the Questionnaire on Reproduction Intention of Primipara. Results The mean score of fear of childbirth was 68.86 ± 17.68. A total of 137 respondents met the clinical criteria for fear of childbirth (≥ 85 points), indicating that 26.2% of primipara had a negative experience of childbirth. Binary logistic regression model showed that elderly primipara [odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)): 11.167 (2.737–45.559)], pregnancy comorbidities or maternal childbirth complications [OR (95%CI): 6.596 (3.046–14.287)], childbirth intervention [OR (95%CI): 6.168 (2.869–13.258)], and severe pain [OR (95%CI): 4.660 (2.197–9.882)] were risk factors for negative childbirth experience. Childbirth accompaniment [OR (95%CI): 0.081 (0.018–0.368)], high level of social support [OR (95%CI): 0.768 (0.704–0.839)], and high level of childbirth readiness [OR (95%CI): 0.878 (0.812–0.950)] protected against a negative birth experience. There was a negative correlation between the fear of childbirth score and reproduction intention scores. Conclusions Childbirth accompaniment and high levels of social support and childbirth readiness can reduce primipara’s perception of negative childbirth experience. Negative childbirth experience can reduce reproduction intention.

Abstract G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the largest family of human membrane proteins and an important class of drug targets, play a role in maintaining numerous physiological processes. Agonist or antagonist, orthosteric effects or allosteric effects, and biased signaling or balanced signaling, characterize the complexity of GPCR dynamic features. In this study, we first review the structural advancements, activation mechanisms, and functional diversity of GPCRs. We then focus on GPCR drug discovery by revealing the detailed drug-target interactions and the underlying mechanisms of orthosteric drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in the past five years. Particularly, an up-to-date analysis is performed on available GPCR structures complexed with synthetic small-molecule allosteric modulators to elucidate key receptor-ligand interactions and allosteric mechanisms. Finally, we highlight how the widespread GPCR-druggable allosteric sites can guide structure- or mechanism-based drug design and propose prospects of designing bitopic ligands for the future therapeutic potential of targeting this receptor family.

Abstract Sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2) is a synthetic pesticide and a potent greenhouse gas that is accumulating in the global atmosphere. Rising emissions are a concern since SO2F2 has a relatively long atmospheric lifetime and a high global warming potential. The U.S. is thought to contribute substantially to global SO2F2 emissions, but there is a paucity of information on how emissions of SO2F2 are distributed across the U.S., and there is currently no inventory of SO2F2 emissions for the U.S. or individual states. Here we provide an atmospheric measurement-based estimate of U.S. SO2F2 emissions using high-precision SO2F2 measurements from the NOAA Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network (GGGRN) and a geostatistical inverse model. We find that California has the largest SO2F2 emissions among all U.S. states, with the highest emissions from southern coastal California (Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties). Outside of California, only very small and infrequent SO2F2 emissions are detected by our analysis of GGGRN data. We find that California emits 60-85% of U.S. SO2F2 emissions, at a rate of 0.26 ( ± 0.10) Gg yr−1. We estimate that emissions of SO2F2 from California are equal to 5.5–12% of global SO2F2 emissions.

The Dongwuyang Bay of Fujian Province is the core production area for sea cucumber culture in South China; however, research on the environmental status and bacterial community structure in this area is still limited. In this study, we investigated and evaluated the seawater quality in January, which is the peak culture period for sea cucumber in this area, and analyzed the diversity and differential characteristics of seawater and sediment bacterial community structure using the high-throughput sequencing method and analyzed the correlation between environmental factors and bacterial community structure. The following results were obtained: The Makeng eutrophication index reached 21.60, which indicated that this area was experiencing serious eutrophication. Dong´an and Leijiang were experiencing severe eutrophication, and only the Shawan sea area was experiencing moderate eutrophication. The organic pollution assessment showed that Dong´an and Shawan had light organic pollution, while Makeng and Leijiang had moderate organic pollution. A total of 1 520 OTUs were obtained via high-throughput sequencing, belonging to 28 phyla, 57 orders, 163 families, 322 families, and 581 genera. The diversity analysis revealed that the level of bacterial community diversity in the sediment of each region was significantly higher than that of the corresponding seawater diversity and presented stronger spatial heterogeneity. The diversity and abundance in Shawan were the highest. The results of the principal coordinate analysis and similarity analysis showed that there were significant differences in the bacterial community composition between sediment and seawater. The cluster analysis revealed that the cluster was influenced by water exchange and site location. Vibrionaceae, a family with potential pathogenicity, was one of the dominant species in all seawater and sediment samples. LEFSe (line discriminant analysis effect size) analysis of seawater column samples and sediment samples screened 74 specific OTUs (operational taxonomic units) of bacteria at different taxonomic levels. Prediction of gene function and COG (clusters of orthologous groups of proteins) classification statistics showed significant differences in 12 metabolic pathways between seawater and sediment samples (P < 0.05). LEFSe analysis of bacterial community structure from four sites screened 30 specific OTUs at different taxonomic levels. The RDA (redundancy analysis) of the seawater bacterial community structure with environmental factors revealed that temperature, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll-a concentration were the major environmental factors affecting the structure in the four sites. Related studies should provide basic data and scientific reference for the management of sea cucumber culture in Fujian Province.

Background/Objectives: Due to the character of the taekwondo, the adenosine triphosphate–phosphocreatine system provides the energy for each kick, the glycolytic system supports the repeated execution of kicks, and the aerobic system promotes recovery between these movements and the bout. Therefore, taekwondo athletes require high explosive power and anaerobic capacity in order to carry out sustained and powerful attacks. So, the purpose of this study is to compare the effects of APRE and VBRT on lower-limb explosive power and anaerobic capacity in college taekwondo players. Methods: A total of 30 taekwondo players completed an 8-week training intervention with autoregulatory progressive resistance exercise (APRE; n = 15) and velocity-based resistance training (VBRT; n = 15). Testing included the one-repetition maximum squat, countermovement jump (CMJ), taekwondo anaerobic intermittent kick test (TAIKT), and 30-s Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT). Results: (1) Intragroup comparisons revealed significant effects for one-repetition maximum squat, peak power of CMJ (CMJPP), relative peak power of CMJ (CMJRPP), and total number of TAIKT (TAIKTTN) in both the APRE and VBRT groups. The VBRT group exhibited small effect sizes for time at peak power of WAnT (WAnTPPT) and moderate effect sizes for peak power of WAnT (WAnTPP), relative peak power of WAnT (WAnTRPP), and fatigue index of TAIKT (TAIKTFI), whereas the APRE group exhibited small effect sizes for TAIKTFI. (2) Intergroup comparisons revealed no significant effects in any of the results. However, VBRT demonstrated a moderate advantage in WAnTPP and WAnTRPP, whereas APRE had a small advantage in CMJPP and CMJRPP. Conclusions: These findings suggest that APRE improved explosive power (CMJPP and CMJRPP) more, whereas VBRT improved anaerobic power output (WAnTPP and WAnTRPP) more. Both methods were found to have similar effects in improving the anaerobic endurance (WAnTPPT and TAIKTTN) and fatigue index (power drop of WAnT and TAIKTFI).

Background: While suboptimal medication adherence remains an obstacle to the management of hypertension and diabetes in China, few studies have investigated associated factors with medication adherence on different dimensions simultaneously. Objective: To systematically examine associated patient, family, and community factors with suboptimal medication adherence among people with hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes in China. Methods: The study stratified a random sample of 622 adults aged 45 years or older with hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes from three southeast cities in China in 2019. Trained interviewers used the Morisky Green Levine Medication Adherence Scale, Self-Efficacy to Manage Chronic Disease (SEMCD) Scale, and the Family Adaptability, Partnership, Growth, Affection, and Resolve (APGAR) Scale to assess medication adherence, self-efficacy, and family function, respectively. Participants also reported their perceived satisfaction with community health services (quantity, quality, affordability, and overall acceptance). The study used the multivariable logistic regression to assess the association of patient, family, and community factors with suboptimal medication adherence. Results: Among the participants, 42.9% reported suboptimal medication adherence. In the multivariable logistic regression model, male participants (odds ratio [OR] = 0.55, p = 0.001) had higher medication adherence compared to females. Having a self-efficacy score that was lower than or equal to the sample mean was significantly associated with lower adherence (OR = 1.44, p = 0.039). Participants unsatisfied with the affordability of community health services and medicine had lower adherence (OR = 2.18, p = 0.028) than those neutral or satisfied. There were no significant associations between family function and medication adherence. Conclusions: Sex, self-efficacy, and perceived affordability of community health services were important factors associated with medication adherence. Healthcare professionals are recommended to consider multiple factors and leverage services and resources in community health centers when promoting medication adherence.

The corrosion of rebars in concrete has been regarded as one of the most predominant factors for the degradation of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. The accurate predictions of corrosion damages are the basis for the safety assessment of in-service RC structures and the enhancement of new structure designs. X-ray computed tomography (XCT), known for its non-destructive capabilities, has been widely utilized to understand the corrosion process inside the concrete, offering three-dimensional (3D) visualization and aiding in the identification of the parameters in the predictive model of steel corrosion. This study uses U-Net, a deep learning network, to detect various phases of steel corrosion evolution in concrete, including the identification of rebar, corrosion products, pores, cement mortar, and corrosion-induced cracking. A galvanostatic accelerated corrosion test was conducted to simulate rebar corrosion within the mortar. The XCT test was performed, producing a series of XCT images that revealed the corrosion-induced cracks in the concrete. This set of images formed a comprehensive training database for the U-Net model. The performance of the model was significantly improved by data augmentation within the training dataset, thereby enabling it to recognize corrosion-induced cracking and pores. The U-Net model proved effective in accurately segmenting the XCT images into different phases, demonstrating a high accuracy rate of 99.18% on the validation dataset. A mean Intersection over Union (IoU) of 82.1% and a mean F1 score of 89.1% are observed on the test dataset, showing superior segmentation performance on XCT images. This significant advancement has automated the process of visualizing and 3D reconstructing the steel corrosion process inside the concrete. Concurrently, it has enabled the quantification of the volumetric expansion coefficient of corrosion products. The findings reveal spatial and temporal variations in this coefficient due to the migration of the corrosion product through the cracks.

Aiming at the conventional low-light enhancement algorithms for low-light image enhancement with problems of loss of details, low contrast and low color saturation, a detection algorithm called CE-Retinex(Cross Expansion Retinex) by incorporating the cross-mixed attention mechanism and the receptive field expansion mechanism is proposed and demonstrated for the first time. It mainly consists of three parts: initial module, optimization module, and detail restoration. Firstly, in the initial module, the image is decomposed into reflectance and illuminance using two different U-shaped networks with multiple layers of convolution. Secondly, in the optimization network module, the image brightness is enhanced using multi-scale lighting mechanism. Denoising is also performed. After that, a multi-layer convolutional fusion cross-mixed attention mechanism is used to filter the information from the four dimensions of channel, spatial, vertical and horizontal attention, so that it can be effectively reduce the negative effects of the low-light image enhancement process. In the detail restoration module, the receptive field expansion mechanism is utilized to enhance the receptive field and strengthen the detail information. Also, the color consistency loss function is used to recover colors in the loss function. The CE-Retinex algorithm was experimentally analyzed on the LOL dataset, and the PSNR of the CE-Retinex algorithm was 25.33, and the NIQE was 3.37, and the subjective feelings and objective evaluation indicators have effectively improved. So the proposed algorithm could be effectively solve the problems of loss of detail, low contrast, and low color saturation in low-light image enhancement.

Brain homeostasis refers to the normal working state of the brain in a certain period, which is important for overall health and normal life activities. Currently, there is a lack of effective treatment methods for the adverse consequences caused by brain homeostasis imbalance. Snapin is a protein that assists in the formation of neuronal synapses and plays a crucial role in the normal growth and development of synapses. Recently, many researchers have reported the association between snapin and neurologic and psychiatric disorders, demonstrating that snapin can improve brain homeostasis. Clinical manifestations of brain disease often involve imbalances in brain homeostasis and may lead to neurological and behavioral sequelae. This article aims to explore the role of snapin in restoring brain homeostasis after injury or diseases, highlighting its significance in maintaining brain homeostasis and treating brain diseases. Additionally, it comprehensively discusses the implications of snapin in other extracerebral diseases such as diabetes and viral infections, with the objective of determining the clinical potential of snapin in maintaining brain homeostasis.

Rolling and annealing are common composite processes of Copper/Aluminum composites (Cu/Al), but the formation of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at Cu/Al interfaces and their relationship with processing conditions still lack a nanoscale understanding. Here, we use molecular dynamics (MD) method to simulate the formation of IMCs at Cu/Al interface under different rolling and annealing process parameters with their formation mechanisms quantitatively analyzed. XRD, RDF and potential energy analysis show that rolling promotes the formation of interfacial IMCs, because copper and aluminum atoms tend to diffuse into each other at the interface and combine to form IMCs during rolling. The effects of different size ratios of copper to aluminum and annealing on IMCs are also evaluated. By studying the equivalent phonon thermal conductivity of the interfacial layer and shear strength, it is shown that IMCs enhances interfacial phonon heat transfer, but reduce the interfacial shear strength due to their brittle and hard properties. In addition, the rolling and annealing processes are able to change the dislocation density, thereby affecting the phonon scattering and shear strength of Cu/Al. These results are expected to guide improved directions for the process optimization of high-performance Cu/Al.

Intracerebral hemorrhage is a life-threatening condition with a high fatality rate and severe sequelae. However, there is currently no treatment available for intracerebral hemorrhage, unlike for other stroke subtypes. Recent studies have indicated that mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy likely relate to the pathophysiology of intracerebral hemorrhage. Mitophagy, or selective autophagy of mitochondria, is an essential pathway to preserve mitochondrial homeostasis by clearing up damaged mitochondria. Mitophagy markedly contributes to the reduction of secondary brain injury caused by mitochondrial dysfunction after intracerebral hemorrhage. This review provides an overview of the mitochondrial dysfunction that occurs after intracerebral hemorrhage and the underlying mechanisms regarding how mitophagy regulates it, and discusses the new direction of therapeutic strategies targeting mitophagy for intracerebral hemorrhage, aiming to determine the close connection between mitophagy and intracerebral hemorrhage and identify new therapies to modulate mitophagy after intracerebral hemorrhage. In conclusion, although only a small number of drugs modulating mitophagy in intracerebral hemorrhage have been found thus far, most of which are in the preclinical stage and require further investigation, mitophagy is still a very valid and promising therapeutic target for intracerebral hemorrhage in the long run.

This paper aims to extend a previously developed probabilistic model for simulating extreme response scenarios to include congested traffic flow on long-span bridges, addressing the challenge of accurately modeling traffic loads under changing conditions. While the model was initially designed for free-flow traffic, this study demonstrates how it can be adapted for congested conditions, with the objective of improving the accuracy of traffic load models. To overcome the limitation of traditional Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) systems in capturing congested traffic, congested flow characteristics were inferred from available free-flow data. The cellular automata (CA) method was applied to generate realistic congested traffic scenarios, which were used as input for the probabilistic model. Key simulation parameters, such as cell length and vehicle weight distribution, were adjusted to reflect congested conditions. The results validate the model’s flexibility, showing how, with the adaptation of some parameters, it can simulate both free-flow and congested traffic patterns effectively. This research provides a basis for improving traffic load models used in the design and assessment of long-span bridges, addressing the current limitations in existing codes and standards.

In recent decades, alpine meadows have experienced severe degradation owing to external disturbances. Although soil microorganisms are critical for ecosystem services, little is known about their responses to soil degradation and the potential patterns in alpine meadows. To solve this question, we collected and analyzed soil samples from three degraded alpine meadows situated on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We aimed to examine the effects of degradation on soil microbial diversity and identify the ecological predictors for the diversity of bacteria and fungi. Our results showed that alpine meadow degradation significantly changed soil bacterial and fungal diversity and community composition. Specifically, the relationship between bacterial and fungal diversity and degradation intensity was a hump-shaped, with the highest diversity observed at a moderate degradation level. Additionally, alpine meadow degradation-induced changes in microbial diversity were strongly correlated with decreased plant production, with fungal diversity showing a closer link with below-ground biomass (BGB) than with bacterial diversity. Our findings offer empirical evidence that intermediate disturbance (i.e., moderate degradation) may be beneficial for supporting soil biodiversity. This has important implications for informing policy and management strategies meant to conserve soil biodiversity and ecosystem services when facing anthropogenic change.

Increasing plastic pollution is looming worldwide, damaging biodiversity, marine ecosystems, and human health. At the global level, no overarching normative framework sets out the specific rules and principles of general application in international environmental law, leading to difficulties in compliance and enforcement of plastic pollution governance. Developing an effective and legally binding instrument to tackle this emerging issue is imperative. The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) has called for developing an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, based on plastic’s full lifecycle approach. As one of the active participants in the negotiations, the European Union (EU) has discussed various aspects of the instrument in detail and sought to introduce the EU governance experience at the international level. This article develops a framework that considers contextual, actor, and process factors to assess the extent of achieving EU targets. On this basis, we argue that the EU’s objectives for the international instrument may be achieved at a high level. However, how the EU responds to challenges will also impact subsequent development, which may require the EU to adopt a more moderate stance and compromise on some controversial issues.

The disulfide bond plays a crucial role in the design of anti-tumor prodrugs due to its exceptional tumor-specific redox responsiveness. However, premature breaking of disulfide bonds is triggered by small amounts of reducing substances (e.g., ascorbic acid, glutathione, uric acid and tea polyphenols) in the systemic circulation. This may lead to toxicity, particularly in oral prodrugs that require more frequent and high-dose treatments. Fine-tuning the activation kinetics of these prodrugs is a promising prospect for more efficient on-target cancer therapies. In this study, disulfide, steric disulfide, and ester bonds were used to bridge cabazitaxel (CTX) to an intestinal lymph vessel-directed triglyceride (TG) module. Then, synthetic prodrugs were efficiently incorporated into self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (corn oil and Maisine CC were used as the oil phase and Cremophor EL as the surfactant). All three prodrugs had excellent gastric stability and intestinal permeability. The oral bioavailability of the disulfide bond-based prodrugs (CTX-(C)S-(C)S-TG and CTX-S-S-TG) was 11.5- and 19.1-fold higher than that of the CTX solution, respectively, demonstrating good oral delivery efficiency. However, the excessive reduction sensitivity of the disulfide bond resulted in lower plasma stability and safety of CTX-S-S-TG than that of CTX-(C)S-(C)S-TG. Moreover, introducing steric hindrance into disulfide bonds could also modulate drug release and cytotoxicity, significantly improving the anti-tumor activity even compared to that of intravenous CTX solution at half dosage while minimizing off-target adverse effects. Our findings provide insights into the design and fine-tuning of different disulfide bond-based linkers, which may help identify oral prodrugs with more potent therapeutic efficacy and safety for cancer therapy.

Welding problems have restricted the applications of lightweight SiCp/Al composites in aerospace. In this work, the controllability of the keyhole mode, nucleation mechanism, and mechanical properties of the laser-welding process are studied in detail. The extrusion effect formed by the open keyhole pushes SiC particles to the bottom of the molten pool. To observe the nucleation and growth mechanism of the Al4C3 of keyhole laser-welded SiC/2A14Al composites, the dissolution–precipitation behavior of the SiC particles and growth behavior of the Al4C3 tip were observed. Owing to its high chemical properties, Al4C3 mainly begins nucleating from the open edges of the SiC particles and its formation is mainly distributed along the direction of Al grains. Al4C3 was the main crack source and propagation path while the small-sized SiC particles hindered the crack propagation. This work innovatively regulates the keyhole mode to achieve ‘small damage breakdown’ laser welding, greatly reducing the volume fraction of Al4C3. It also provides new insight into fusion welding of SiC particle-reinforced Al matrix composites.

Accurate prediction of coronary artery disease (CAD) is crucial for enabling early clinical diagnosis and tailoring personalized treatment options. This study attempts to construct a machine learning (ML) model for predicting CAD risk and further elucidate the complex nonlinear interactions between the disease and its risk factors. Employing the Z-Alizadeh Sani dataset, which includes records of 303 patients, univariate analysis and the Boruta algorithm were applied for feature selection, and nine different ML techniques were subsequently deployed to produce predictive models. To elucidate the intricate pathogenesis of CAD, this study harnessed the analytical capabilities of Shapley values, alongside the use of generalized additive models for curve fitting, to probe into the nonlinear interactions between the disease and its associated risk factors. Furthermore, we implemented a piecewise linear regression model to precisely pinpoint inflection points within these complex nonlinear dynamics. The findings of this investigation reveal that logistic regression (LR) stands out as the preeminent predictive model, demonstrating remarkable efficacy, it achieved an Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.981 (95% CI: 0.952-1), and an Area Under the Precision-Recall Curve (AUPRC) of 0.993. The utilization of the 14 most pivotal features in constructing a dynamic nomogram. Analysis of the Shapley smoothing curves uncovered distinctive "S"-shaped and "C"-shaped relationships linking age and triglycerides to CAD, respectively. In summary, machine learning models could provide valuable insights for the early diagnosis of CAD. The SHAP method may provide a personalized risk assessment of the relationship between CAD and its risk factors.

Douyin is the Chinese version of TikTok. Using Douyin at bedtime is a very common behavior among Douyin users. However, the reasons why users like using Douyin before sleep are yet unclear. We conducted a cross-section survey from January 1st to January 16th, 2023 to capture data to examine the associations of depression, anxiety, life satisfaction, well-being, loneliness, and physical activity with Douyin usage at bedtime. The mediation role of insomnia in these associations was examined. A total of 3,392 participants who met the inclusion criteria were included for analysis. Our structural equation modeling analysis showed that depression on (β = 0.08; p

Shrimp has become a highly traded global seafood product, with 8 million tons of shrimp produced annually. Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) is the most prevalent and severe disease affecting shrimp aquaculture, resulting in considerable economic losses. The AHPND incidence in shrimp farming was as high as 60%–80% in China, resulting in reduced farming capacity and unstable production. Vibrio parahaemolyticus has been identified as the main causative agent of AHPND. In addition, V. harveyi, V. cambelii, V. algolyticus, and V. owenii are capable of causing similar diseases, demonstrating a distinct pathogenic diversity. Previous studies have indicated that not all of the above-mentioned Vibrios species are capable of causing AHPND, and whole gene sequencing and knockout genes have revealed that pirA and pirB are the primary pathogenic factors responsible for AHPND in shrimp. Specifically, the causative agent for AHPND should be a specific strain of Vibrio carrying the binary toxins pirAVp and pirBVp on the extrachromosomal virulence plasmid pVA1. Among them, the pirB toxin mainly determines the pathogenicity of the bacterium, whereas the pirA virulence is relatively weak. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that the virulence plasmids encoding the binary genes pirAVp and pirBVp are the main causative agents of AHPND. The virulence gene toxR is prevalent in Vibrio and plays an important role through the genetic diversity of 16S rRNA genes during shrimp infection. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR technology has less contamination, more accurate quantification, real-time monitoring, and greater automation than conventional PCR technology, which has been utilized in the fields of transgenic detection, environmental science, and medicine. However, this technique is time-consuming, involves multiple instruments and reagents, and requires personnel with extensive professional skills and experience. As a result of its small size, low sample and reagent consumption, rapid detection speed, miniaturization, and integration, microfluidic chip assay technology has emerged as a new focal point in assay technology. Therefore, in this study, we designed specific primers and established a microfluorescence quantitative PCR assay based on two genes, pirA and pirB, to address the genetic similarity of AHPND pathogens carrying a large plasmid encoding a binary toxin, pirA and pirB. The method was specific for the pathogenic pirA and pirB genes, and only when DNA from AHPND-infected samples was tested could the two genes be successfully amplified, while all other pathogenic bacteria were detected with negative results. The sensitivity was high, and the minimum detection limits for the pirA and pirB genes were 5.43×100 and 4.31×101 copies/μL, respectively. Standard curves for pirA and pirB were constructed and demonstrated good linearity in the concentration range of 5.43×109–5.43×104 copies/μL for pirA (y= –3.145x+6.63, R2=0.999) and 4.31×109–4.31×104 copies/μL for pirB (y= –3.015x+5.45, R2=0.999), with an average sample detection time of approximately 26 min. In order to evaluate the efficacy of the method in practice, artificial infection experiments with V. parahaemolyticus were performed. In this study, artificial infection experiments were induced by both injection and immersion, and samples were collected at different time periods to clinically validate the established method and compare its effectiveness in detecting different shrimp tissues, thereby facilitating a more thorough analysis of the pathogenic pathways of infection. The experimental group with injection as the mode of infection was found to be positive for all tissues in all time periods except the water test, which was negative. The experimental group that used immersion as the infection method showed different results for various time periods and with different genetic tests. In terms of the infection method, the tissues could be infiltrated within 2 h using the injection method, whereas the target genes were not detected in the hepatopancreas at 6 h using the immersion method. This indicated that the injection method infiltrated the tissues more rapidly than the immersion method. According to the comparison results of the three genes, pirB was only negative in the intestine at 2 h and positive in all tissues the rest of the time; pirA was negative in the hepatopancreas and intestine at 2 h, only the intestine was negative at 6 h, and all tissues were positive at 12 h; and toxR was negative in all tissues at 2 h. The rate of infestation from rapid to slow showed that pirB > pirA > toxR. Based on the rate of tissue infestation, pirA and pirB were detected in both cheek filaments and muscles at 2 h, making them the most rapid infiltration agents. Therefore, the strategy of using pirB as the primer and gill filament or muscle as the target tissue is more suitable for the rapid detection of AHPND in the field. In this study, we established a method for microfluidic fluorescent quantitative PCR that has the advantages of being rapid, sensitive, high throughput, less contaminated, on-site detectable, and integrated. The method is not only applicable to the laboratory but also meets the requirements of rapid field detection at hatcheries and farms, and can be used as a new technical method for shrimp fry quality detection and disease control.

The application of lightweight and high-strength Al alloys are crucial to reduce energy consumption and emissions in today's world. The lightweight and high strength 7 series aluminum alloy is widely used in aerospace, but its poor welding performance has been a bottleneck restricting the further lightweight of structural parts. In this work, a lightweight and high-strength Al joint with a tensile strength of ∼400 MPa was successfully prepared by single mode laser beam welding using non-weldable 7075 aluminum alloy as the experimental mode. The superfine laser beam reduces the volume of molten pool and increases the solidification rate of molten pool, which significantly inhibits the growth behavior of each microstructure, thus refining the microstructure. The geometrically necessary dislocations (GND) density of each microstructure of 7075 joint after tensile test was: 1.32 × 1014 m−1 for EZ, 1.21 × 1014 m−1 for CLZ, HAZ is 1.17 × 1014 m−1 for HAZ. The synergistic effect of heterogeneous microstructure and work hardening enhanced the tensile strength of 7075 joint. Furthermore, TEM, FIB and EBSD were used to characterize the fracture behavior of the 7075 joint in detail. TEM images showed that the discordant interface between α-Al grain boundary and SiO2 particle was the potential source of crack initiation. The microstructure refinement design and technical selection strategy of the work provide a new insight for laser welding of lightweight and high strength 2xxx/7xxx aluminum alloy.

The effect of tetrasodium of 1-hydroxy ethylidene-1, 1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP·4Na) on the microstructure and phase characterization of alkali-activated fly ash–slag (AAFS) materials is not clear or well documented. In this study, XRD, DTG, TAM-air, and SEM analyses of AAFS were used to identify the microstructural changes in AAFS made with HEDP·4Na. Meanwhile, the workability and compressive strength of AAFS were evaluated. The results demonstrated that the early-age alkaline-activated reactions were retarded due to the addition of HEDP·4Na in the AAFS mixture. However, the degree of gel formation was relatively increased at a later age in the AAFS made with HEDP·4Na compared to the plain AAFS mixture. Additionally, in comparison to the control group, the incorporation of HEDP·4Na in AAFS specimens resulted in improved flowability, with increments of 5%, 15%, and 24% for concentrations of 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%, respectively. The initial and final setting times were prolonged by 5% to 50%, indicating a beneficial impact on the rheological properties of the AAFS fresh mixture. Furthermore, the addition of HEDP·4Na led to an improvement in compressive strength in the AAFS mixtures, with enhancements ranging from 13% to 16% at 28 days compared to the control group. With the presence of HEDP·4Na, the increase in the degree of reactions shifted to the formation of gel phases, like C-S-H, through the combined measurement of TGA, XRD, and SEM, resulting in a denser microstructure in the AAFS matrix. This study presents novel insights into the intricate compatibility between the properties of AAFS mixtures and HEDP·4Na, facilitating a more profound comprehension of the potential improvements in the sustainable development of AAFS systems.

Natural fish scales demonstrate outstanding mechanical efficiency owing to their elaborate architectures and thereby may serve as ideal prototypes for the architectural design of man-made materials. Here bioinspired magnesium composites with fish-scale-like orthogonal plywood and double-Bouligand architectures were developed by pressureless infiltration of a magnesium melt into the woven contextures of continuous titanium fibers. The composites exhibit enhanced strength and work-hardening ability compared to those estimated from a simple mixture of their constituents at ambient to elevated temperatures. In particular, the double-Bouligand architecture can effectively deflect cracking paths, alleviate strain localization, and adaptively reorient titanium fibers within the magnesium matrix during the deformation of the composite, representing a successful implementation of the property-optimizing mechanisms in fish scales. The strength of the composites, specifically the effect of their bioinspired architectures, was interpreted based on the adaptation of classical laminate theory. This study may offer a feasible approach for developing new bioinspired metal-matrix composites with improved performance and provide theoretical guidance for their architectural designs.

Abstract Background High expression of SETD1A, a histone methyltransferase that specifically methylates H3K4, acted as a key oncogene in several human cancers. However, the function and underlying molecular mechanism of SETD1A in ovarian cancer (OV) remain markedly unknown. Methods The expression of SETD1A in OV were detected by Western blot and analyzed online, and the prognosis of STED1A in OV were analyzed online. The protein and mRNA levels were determined by Western blot and RT-qPCR. The cell proliferatin, migration and invasion were measured by CCK-8 and transwell assays. The protein interaction was detected by co-IP assay. The interaction between protein and DNA was performed by ChIP assay. The tumor growth in vivo was performed by xenograft tumor model. Results SETD1A was overexpressed in OV and a predictor of poor prognosis. Overexpression of SETD1A augmented the abilities of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in MRG1 and OVCAR5 cells. In comparison, SETD1A knockdown suppressed cell growth, migration, and invasion in SKOV3 and Caov3 cells. Specifically, SETD1A enhanced Notch signaling by promoting the expression of Notch target genes, such as Hes1, Hey1, Hey2, and Heyl. Mechanistically, SETD1A interacted with Notch1 and methylated H3K4me3 at Notch1 targets to enhance Notch signaling. In addition, restoration of Notch1 in SETD1A-knockdown OV cells recovered cell proliferation, migration and invasion, which was inhibited by SETD1A knockdown. Furthermore, reduction of SETD1A suppressed tumorigenesis in vivo. Conclusion In conclusion, our results highlighted the key role of SETD1A in OV development and proved that SETD1A promotes OV development by enhancing Notch1 signaling, indicating that SETD1A may be a novel target for OV treatment.

Abstract The incidence of myocardial ischaemia‒reperfusion injury (MIRI) is increasing every year, and there is an urgent need to develop new therapeutic approaches. Nrf2 is thought to play a protective role during MIRI and it is regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs). This study focused on PLGA nanoparticles camouflaged by platelet membrane vesicles (PMVs) (i.e., PMVs@PLGA complexes) carrying microRNA inhibitors, which regulate Nrf2 and can play a therapeutic role in the MIRI process. In vitro and in vivo characterization showed that PMVs@PLGA has excellent transfection efficiency, low toxicity and good targeting. MicroRNAs that effectively regulate Nrf2 were identified, and then PMVs@PLGA-miRNA complexes were prepared and used for in vitro and in vivo treatment. PMVs@PLGA-miRNA complexes can effectively target the delivery of inhibitors to cardiomyocytes. Our results suggest that PMVs@PLGA complexes are a novel delivery system and a novel biological approach to the treatment of MIRI.

The effects of different surface modifiers on the CO2 adsorption capacity of coal-based activated carbons were studied, and the diffusion behavior, adsorption kinetics and thermodynamic parameters of CO2 in activated carbons were analyzed. The results show that compared with ethylene glycol, 1,2-propylenediamine and zinc chloride, potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide can greatly improve CO2 adsorption capacity. The adsorption rate is faster, and the adsorption capacity is larger, with the maximum CO2 adsorption capacity being 33.54 mL/g. Fick's law can well describe the diffusion behavior of CO2 in activated carbon. The addition of a surface modifier can increase the diffusion coefficient. The diffusion of CO2 in activated carbon falls into the category of crystal diffusion. The adsorption kinetics of CO2 before and after surface modification follow the Bangham equation. During the adsorption process, δ H < 0, δ G < 0, δ S < 0. Surface modification can reduce adsorption heat and promote adsorption, and the adsorption process is dominated by physisorption.

IntroductionLung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) is a unique subform of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The lack of specific driver genes as therapeutic targets leads to worse prognoses in patients with LUSC, even with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immune checkpoint inhibitors. Furthermore, research on the LUSC-specific prognosis genes is lacking. This study aimed to develop a comprehensive LUSC-specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) signature for prognosis correlated with tumor progression, immune infiltration,and stem index.MethodsRNA sequencing data for LUSC and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data portal, and DEGs analyses were conducted in TCGA-LUSC and TCGA-LUAD cohorts to identify specific DEGs associated with LUSC. Functional analysis and protein–protein interaction network were performed to annotate the roles of LUSC-specific DEGs and select the top 100 LUSC-specific DEGs. Univariate Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analyses were performed to select prognosis-related DEGs.ResultsOverall, 1,604 LUSC-specific DEGs were obtained, and a validated seven-gene signature was constructed comprising FGG, C3, FGA, JUN, CST3, CPSF4, and HIST1H2BH. FGG, C3, FGA, JUN, and CST3 were correlated with poor LUSC prognosis, whereas CPSF4 and HIST1H2BH were potential positive prognosis markers in patients with LUSC. Receiver operating characteristic analysis further confirmed that the genetic profile could accurately estimate the overall survival of LUSC patients. Analysis of immune infiltration demonstrated that the high risk (HR) LUSC patients exhibited accelerated tumor infiltration, relative to low risk (LR) LUSC patients. Molecular expressions of immune checkpoint genes differed significantly between the HR and LR cohorts. A ceRNA network containing 19 lncRNAs, 50 miRNAs, and 7 prognostic DEGs was constructed to demonstrate the prognostic value of novel biomarkers of LUSC-specific DEGs based on tumor progression, stemindex, and immune infiltration. In vitro experimental models confirmed that LUSC-specific DEG FGG expression was significantly higher in tumor cells and correlated with immune tumor progression, immune infiltration, and stem index. In vitro experimental models confirmed that LUSC-specific DEG FGG expression was significantly higher in tumor cells and correlated with immune tumor progression, immune infiltration, and stem index.ConclusionOur study demonstrated the potential clinical implication of the 7- DEGs signature for prognosis prediction of LUSC patients based on tumor progression, immune infiltration, and stem index. And the FGG could be an independent prognostic biomarker of LUSC promoting cell proliferation, migration, invasion, THP-1 cell infiltration, and stem cell maintenance.

Objectives Jumping ability has been identified as a key factor that influences the performance of badminton athletes. Autoregulatory progressive resistance exercise (APRE) and velocity-based resistance training (VBRT) are commonly used approaches to enhance muscle strength and have been shown to accurately monitor the development of explosive power to improve jumping ability. This study aims to investigate the effects of APRE and VBRT on badminton athletes’ jumping ability and to provide practical insights into improving their jumping performance during competitions. Methods Upon completing familiarization and pretesting, 18 badminton athletes were included and completed the training intervention (age, 21.4 ± 1.4 years; stature, 170.1 ± 7.3 cm; body mass, 65.9 ± 12 kg); they were randomly divided into the APRE group (n = 9) and VBRT group (n = 9). Jumping performance was assessed during the countermovement jump (CMJ), squat jump (SJ), and drop jump (DJ) via SmartJump, with CMJ ’s and SJ’s jump height, eccentric utilization ratio (EUR), and reactive strength index (RSI). All participants then completed a 4-week in-season resistance training intervention. Results (1) The results of the within-group indicated that only the CMJ (pre: 41.56 ± 7.84 vs post: 43.57 ± 7.85, p < 0.05) of the APRE group had significant differences, whereas the SJ, EUR, and RSI were not significantly different (p > 0.05). (2) The results of the intergroups revealed that all indicators had no significant differences (p > 0.05), but APRE had a moderate effect size on the improvement of the CMJ (η2 = 0.244) and EUR (η2 = 0.068) when compared with VBRT. Conclusions The results showed that, compared to VBRT, APRE can effectively improve the performance of the reactive athletes’ lower limb explosive power in the CMJ in a shorter period of time. The findings indicate that APRE may be useful for coaches seeking to improve the CMJ performance of athletes in the short term.

Animals exhibit different extents of sexual dimorphism in a variety of phenotypes. Sex differences in longevity, one of the most complex life history traits, have also been reported. Although lifespan regulation has been studied extensively in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, the sex differences in lifespan have not been consistent in previous studies. To explore this issue, we revisited this question by examining the lifespan and stress resistance of both sexes among 15 inbred strains. We first found positive correlations between males and females from the same strain in terms of lifespan and resistance to starvation and desiccation stress. Although the lifespan difference between male and female flies varied greatly depending on the strain, males across all strains collectively had a longer lifespan. In contrast, females showed better resistance to starvation and desiccation stress. We also observed greater variation in lifespan and resistance to starvation and desiccation stress in females. Unexpectedly, there was no notable correlation observed between lifespan and the three types of stress resistance in either males or females. Overall, our study provides new data regarding sexual dimorphism in fly lifespan and stress resistance; this information may promote the investigation of mechanisms underlying longevity in future research.

Despite numerous studies on the response of vegetation change to climate variation, they have mainly been based on annual mean temperature and annual mean precipitation, and have failed to reveal the impact of climate on the inter-annual variation of vegetation in different geomorphic zones based on non-linear methods and considering daily low and high temperature. In this study, the effect of climate variation on the inter-annual variation of vegetation in different geomorphic zones along the area of t the Yangtze River Basin, China from 1982 to 2015 is revealed using Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition method. The results show that the inter-annual variation of vegetation is frequently fluctuating, mainly on a short time scale (3-year time scale), and its contribution gradually increases from 62.35% to 73.57% with increasing relief (from plain to high undulating mountain). The vegetation change of more than 75% of the areas is dominated by inter-annual variations, moreover, the vegetation change of the low relief areas is dominated by the 3-year timescale along with the long-term trend, while that of the other geomorphic zones is dominated by the 3-year timescale only. Inter-annual vegetation variation is positively related to precipitation and maximum temperature, but negatively related to mean temperature and minimum temperature in most areas, with area percentages of 67.20%, 86.55%, 65.38% and 75.02%. Inter-annual variation is mainly controlled by maximum temperature in most areas (54.77%). These results will deepen our understanding of the vegetation-climate relationship, suggesting that the responses of inter-annual variation in vegetation to climate vary not only on different time scales, but also in indifferent geomorphic zones.

Abstract US natural gas production increased by ∼43% between 2005 and 2015, but there is disagreement among existing studies on whether this growth led to increased methane emissions. We evaluate the likely contributions of atmospheric transport to an upward trend in atmospheric methane enhancements during 2007–2015, defined as the contribution of North American emissions to atmospheric observations across the US. We find that interannual variability (IAV) in transport yields an apparent upward trend in enhancements across much of the US during this time and can explain disagreements among existing studies over emissions trends. We further find that enhancements at satellite and in situ monitoring sites are 19% higher during El Niño than La Niña, possibly because air masses spend more time over North America on average during some years. The results show that accurate modeling of IAV in transport is a key prerequisite to quantifying emissions trends.

While Siamese object tracking has witnessed significant advancements, its hard real-time behaviour on embedded devices remains inadequately addressed. In many application cases, an embedded implementation should not only have a minimal execution latency, but this latency should ideally also have zero variance, i.e., be predictable. This study aims to address this issue by meticulously analysing real-time predictability across different components of a deep-learning-based video object tracking system. Our detailed experiments not only indicate the superiority of Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) implementations in terms of hard real-time behaviour but also unveil important time predictability bottlenecks. We introduce dedicated hardware accelerators for key processes, focusing on depth-wise cross-correlation and padding operations, utilizing high-level synthesis (HLS). Implemented on a KV260 board, our enhanced tracker exhibits not only a speed up, with a factor of 6.6, in mean execution time but also significant improvements in hard real-time predictability by yielding 11 times less latency variation as compared to our baseline. A subsequent analysis of power consumption reveals our approach’s contribution to enhanced power efficiency. These advancements underscore the crucial role of hardware acceleration in realizing time-predictable object tracking on embedded systems, setting new standards for future hardware–software co-design endeavours in this domain.

Ship course-keeping control is of great significance to both navigation efficiency and safety. Nevertheless, the complex navigational conditions, unknown time-varying environmental disturbances, and complex dynamic characteristics of ships pose great difficulties for ship course-keeping. Thus, a PSO-based predictive PID-backstepping (P-PB) controller is proposed in this paper to realize the efficient and rapid course-keeping of ships. The proposed controller takes the ship’s target course, current course, yawing speed, as well as predictive motion parameters into consideration. In the design of the proposed controller, the PID controller is improved by introducing predictive control. Then, the improved controller is combined with a backstepping controller to balance the efficiency and stability of the control. Subsequently, the parameters in the proposed course-keeping controller are optimized by utilizing Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), which can adaptively adjust the value of parameters in various scenarios, and thus further increase its efficiency. Finally, the improved controller is validated by carrying out simulation tests in various scenarios. The results show that it improves the course-keeping error and time-response specification by 4.19% and 9.71% on average, respectively, which can efficiently achieve the course-keeping of ships under various scenarios.

In order to improve the accuracy of the ground-based microwave radiometer retrievals of the atmospheric temperature and humidity profile, and enhance the observation performance of locally deployed devices, this study implements two kinds of neural network methods for ground-based radiometer. One is called neural network direct sample retrieval algorithm, and the other is the neural network indirect sample retrieval algorithm based on the preprocessing of the observed brightness temperature. In this paper, these two retrieval algorithms are applied to the HRA002 domestic ground-based microwave radiometer developed by Wuhan Huameng Technology Co., Ltd., and the comparative observation experiments with soundings and three US MP-3000A microwave radiometers are carried out at the Wuhan National Basic Weather Station. The experiments results show that the mean square error of water vapor density and relative humidity retrieved by the improved network in direct sample retrieval is reduced by 0.94 g·m-3 and 5% respectively. The correlation between the observed brightness temperature and the simulated brightness temperature is improved significantly after preprocessing, the mean square error of the retrieval of lower-level temperature, water vapor density and relative humidity compared with sounding are improved from 2.4 K, 3.26 g·m-3 and 18.79% to 1.58 K, 2.18 g·m-3 and 14.55%. The accuracy of the HRA002 indirect sample retrieval method is slightly lower than that of the direct sample retrieval method, but the accuracy of the two methods is close. Compared with the retrieval results of 3 MP-3000A, the temperature profile of HRA002 using the direct sample retrieval method is generally better than MP-3000A, while the average deviations of water vapor density and relative humidity using indirect sample retrieval method of HRA002 is better than others, but the mean square errors are slightly lower. The research results in this paper show that the improved direct sample inversion method is more suitable for radiometer hardware performance and has higher retrieval accuracy, and the brightness temperature preprocessing of HRA002 can effectively improve the accuracy of indirect sample retrieval, making up for the defect that the direct sample retrieval method needs long-term observation data. The results also show that the use of direct sample and indirect sample retrieval algorithms can improve the localized and individualized observation performance of domestic microwave radiometers, and is useful in retrieving atmospheric parameter profiles.

Neurological diseases such as traumatic brain injury, cerebral ischemia, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease usually occur in the central and peripheral nervous system and result in nervous dysfunction, such as cognitive impairment and motor dysfunction. Long-term clinical intervention is necessary for neurological diseases where neural stem cell transplantation has made substantial progress. However, many risks remain for cell therapy, such as puncture bleeding, postoperative infection, low transplantation success rate, and tumor formation. Sustained drug delivery, which aims to maintain the desired steady-state drug concentrations in plasma or local injection sites, is considered as a feasible option to help overcome side effects and improve the therapeutic efficiency of drugs on neurological diseases. Natural polymers such as silk fibroin have excellent biocompatibility, which can be prepared for various end-use material formats, such as microsphere, gel, coating/film, scaffold/conduit, microneedle, and enables the dynamic release of loaded drugs to achieve a desired therapeutic response. Sustained-release drug delivery systems are based on the mechanism of diffusion and degradation by altering the structures of silk fibroin and drugs, factors, and cells, which can induce nerve recovery and restore the function of the nervous system in a slow and persistent manner. Based on these desirable properties of silk fibroin as a carrier with sustained-release capacity, this paper discusses the role of various forms of silk fibroin-based drug delivery materials in treating neurological diseases in recent years.

Summary: The mammalian circadian clock and glucose metabolism are highly interconnected, and disruption of this coupling is associated with multiple negative health outcomes. Liver is the major source of endogenous glucose production and liver clock is one of the most vital peripheral clock systems. We demonstrate that fatty acid translocase (CD36) is expressed rhythmically in mouse liver and autonomously modulates the diurnal oscillations of liver clock and glucose homeostasis. CD36 knockout in hepatocytes inhibits the relay of insulin signaling and provokes FoxO1 nuclear shuttling, consequently increasing Per1 nuclear expression. Moreover, FoxO1 can activate the central clock gene Per1 at the transcriptional level. These changes lead to a disrupted clock oscillation and behavioral rhythm. Our study first reveal that CD36 is a key regulator of the circadian oscillator and its deficiency may cause liver clock disruption, which aggravates the imbalance of glucose homeostasis and contribute to augmentation and progression of metabolic disease.

Bioinspired architectures are desired to achieve improved mechanical properties, but challenging to achieve in metallic systems. Here the authors fabricate a Mg-Ti interpenetrating phase composite with brick-and-mortar, Bouligand, and crossed-lamellar architectures by pressureless infiltrating method.

Abstract For the existing jamming discrimination methods on the multistatic radar system, the single feature of target echo space correlation is utilised as the metric, which leads to the lack of comprehensive feature extraction and universal discrimination algorithm. In this study, a discrimination method in a multistatic radar system based on the convolutional neural network is proposed. This proposal combines the advantages of multiple‐radar systems cooperative detection technology with the convolutional neural network, and effectively applies to the field of anti‐deception jamming, which takes full advantage of unknown information of echo data to obtain multi‐dimensional, comprehensive, complete and deep feature differences besides correlation, so as to achieve a better jamming discrimination effect. The simulation results show that the proposed method can extract the multidimensional and separable essential features of echoes, and all these features have a strong degree of differentiation between targets and jamming, which effectively reduce the influence of noise and pulse number. At the same time, the influence of radar distribution on jamming discrimination under non‐ideal conditions is relieved, when the correlation coefficient of the true target reaches 0.4, the discrimination probability remains above 85%, which broadens the boundary conditions of the application process.

Marine navigation is the lifeblood of international trade and the global economy, facilitating over 80% of worldwide commerce [...]

With the advancement of intelligent shipping, current traffic management systems have become inadequate to meet the requirements of intelligent supervision. In particular, with regard to ship violations, on-site boarding is still necessary for inspection. This paper presents a novel approach for enhancing ships’ management and service capabilities through scientific knowledge graph technology to develop a ship knowledge graph. The proposed approach extracts key characteristics of ship violations from the ship knowledge graph, such as monitoring ships, expired ship certificates, multiple ship tracks, inconsistent ship tracks with port reports, and ships not reported to the port for a long time. Combining the characteristics of ship violations, the approach uses reasoning and identification techniques to detect specific instances of falsely licensed ships and other violations. The development of the ship knowledge graph analysis system enables the identification and verification of illegal ships using fake license plates, while also improving the effective utilization of maritime data and enhancing the ability to make informed decisions related to ship safety. By leveraging cognitive approaches and knowledge graphs, this study offers the potential to develop an intelligent decision-making system for maritime traffic management.

Abnormal levels of intracellular hydrogen sulphide (H2S) have been associated with different pathological conditions, including cancer. Here the authors report the design of a H2S-responsive and -depleting nanoplatform that, combined with NIR-II photodynamic properties, can be used for H2S imaging and cancer therapy.

Objective: The present study compared the effects of two different resistance types (pneumatic resistance and free weight) of 6-week squat training on the performance for young female judo athletes in linear speed and vertical jump by utilizing the maximum power of each set of squats in each training session as the monitoring vehicle. Monitoring data were used to assess the effects and trends of the two resistance types on 70% 1RM weight-bearing during the 6-week intervention training.Methods: In a 6 weeks squat training (2 reps/week with a constant load), 23 adolescent female judo athletes (Age span: 13–16 years, 14.58 ± 0.96) were randomly selected and then divided into the traditional barbell (FW) group (n = 12) and the pneumatic resistance (PN) (n = 11) group according to different resistance types (free weight and pneumatic resistance), with 10 in FW group and 9 in PN group actually completed the study. Before and after training, the 30-m Sprint time (T-30M), vertical jump height and relative power (countermovement jump, static-squat jump, and drop jump), reactive strength index (DJ-RSI), and maximal strength were assessed. One-Way ANOVA was used to examine the pre-test differences of groups (FW and PN). A 2-factor mixed-model analysis of variance was used to examine the independent effects of group (FW and PN) and time (pre and post) on each dependent measure. Scheffe post hoc comparisons were used to examine the differences. Pre- and post-experimental differences between the two groups were analyzed using independent samples t-tests and magnitude-based inferences (MBI) derived from their p values, and effect statistics were applied to compare the pre- and post-changes exhibited by each group to identify the potential beneficiary groups.Results: The PN group outperformed the FW group in terms of maximal power output per training session (822.5 ± 55.22 vs. 927.42 ± 48.15, conventional vs. pneumatic, p < 0.001, effect size = −2.02). After 6 weeks of training, the FW group showed significant increases in vertical jump height and relative strength (CMJ, SJ, DJ), with no significant gains observed in T-30 and maximal strength. The PN group showed significant improvements in maximal strength; however, no significant improvements were observed in the other tests. In addition, there was no significant difference in DJ-RSI between the two groups before and after training.Discussion: At 70% weight bearing, free weight resistance appears to be more conducive to vertical jump growth, while pneumatic resistance appears to be more conducive to maximal strength gains; however, the maximal strength gains from pneumatic resistance may not be well applied to athletic performance. In addition, the body adapts more quickly to pneumatic resistance than to free weight resistance.

Land use changes are thought to deeply impact the changes of terrestrial carbon sink, however, how the changes of land use pattern affect the carbon sink remains unclear. To investigate the response of Net Ecosystem Productivity (NEP) to the pattern of land use dynamics in China, a landscape pattern approach (with the 30 km moving window) was used to analyze the pattern dynamics with continuous Land Use and Land Cover Change (LUCC) data from 1981 to 2019 and the nonlinear trends of the NEP and the patterns of land use were explored from 1981 to 2019 using Ensemble empirical modal decomposition (EEMD) methods, and their interannual relationship was further explored using Pearson correlation. The results are as follows: (1) For NEP, nearly half of the regions did not experience significant changes. 90 %) have experienced significant changes in land use patterns, the fragmentation and shape complexity, diversity and evenness of land use types has increased, while the connection decreased, meanwhile, most of these changes are not monotonical, but experiencing trend shifts; (3) In most of the total area (>80 %), land use patterns showed insignificant relationship with NEP, especially in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. However, in Greater Khingan Range, Loess Plateau and southern Hilly area, it showed significant relationship with NEP. Our studies highlight the importance of nonlinear analysis for fully understanding the spatial–temporal changes of NEP and land use patterns, and deepened the understanding the impacts of land use changes on NEP.

Introduction: The study compared the effects of 6-week (2 sessions/week) velocity-based resistance training (VBRT) and percentage-based resistance training (PBRT) on athletic performance in Sport-College female basketball players.Methods: Fifteen participants were assigned to the VBRT (n = 8) or PBRT (n = 7) groups. The load in VBRT group were determined through the sessional target velocity and velocity loss monitoring, whereas PBRT group used a fixed-load based on percentage of 1-repetition maximum (1RM). Both groups completed intervention that involved the free weight back squat and bench press using the same relative load (linear periodization from 65% to 95% 1RM). Training loads data was continuously recorded. Measurements at baseline (T0) and post-training (T2) included 1RM, countermovement-jump (CMJ), squat-jump (SJ), eccentric-utilization-ratio (EUR), drop-jump height and reactive-strength-index (DJ, DJ-RSI), plyometric-push-up (PPU), 505 change-of-direction (COD), 10-m、20-m sprint (T-10、T-20), 17 × 15 m drill-lines (17-drill), Hexagon agility, and functional movement screen (FMS). A mid-term (T1) assessment was included to investigate the short-term effects of both methods and the fluctuation of personalized 1RM.Results: No between-group differences were observed at T0 for descriptive variables (p > 0.05). Both groups showed significant improvement in strength gains for back squat and bench press, but VBRT showed likely to very likely favorable improvements in CMJ, SJ, EUR, DJ-RSI, Hexagon and COD among athletic performance. The VBRT showed likely to very likely improvements in 17-drill and DJ, while PBRT showed unclear effects. The lifted weights adjusted by VBRT method were higher than prescribed by PBRT (p < 0.05) for the same subjects.Conclusion: Compared with fixed-load PBRT, VBRT enhanced power and athletic performance despite similar strength gains. VBRT can be regarded as a more functional resistance-training method under linear periodization.

IntroductionLiposclerosing myxofibrous tumor (LSMFT) is a rare benign fibro-osseous tumor that most frequently occurs in the proximal femur. The reported literature shows that the proximal femur, ilium, tibia, humerus, rib, and skull have occurred, but so far, the female distal femur has not been characterized in detail. This, we think, is the first single comprehensive case report of the female distal femur. To prevent misdiagnosis and overtreatment of this illness, it is critical for us to continue strengthening our knowledge of it and to add it to the differential diagnosis of the space-occupying lesion of the female distal femur.Case summaryTwo months ago, a 55-year-old female patient was found to have a space-occupying lesion of the left distal femur and the pain symptom was aggravated. She underwent thorough curettage and bone grafting without additional treatment to relieve the current symptoms and determine the nature of the lesion in our hospital. The intraoperative specimens were submitted to the pathology laboratory for analysis, and the result was reported as LSMFT. And six months after the operation, the patient returned to our hospital for another x-ray examination and we found that she had recovered well without any signs of recurrence. The patient self-reported that she had now resumed her daily life without any uncomfortable symptoms.ConclusionThe incidence of LSMFT itself is relatively low, and the occurrence of the distal femur is even rarer. However, it is recommended to add LSMFT into the differential diagnosis of the occupying lesions of the distal femur. Once the diagnosis is made, thorough curettage and bone grafting without additional special treatment can achieve better postoperative outcomes. The patient gave her agreement after learning that information about the case will be submitted for publication.