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Aim Methods Results Conclusions To investigate the relationship between thyroid function and weight regain in patients with obesity after metabolic surgery.This retrospective study enrolled 162 patients who underwent metabolic surgery. Correlations between decreases in thyroid hormone levels and changes in weight, waist circumference (WC) and the Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI) were assessed. Binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to identify predictors and clinically useful cut‐off values, respectively.The levels of thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) and free triiodothyronine (FT3) decreased markedly at 1 year after surgery, as did weight, body mass index (BMI), triglycerides, total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, WC and CVAI. Decreases in TSH and FT3 after metabolic surgery were associated with changes in weight, BMI and CVAI. Binary logistic regression and ROC curve analyses confirmed that decreases in TSH can predict good weight loss after metabolic surgery to some extent. Finally, binary logistic regression and ROC curve analyses confirmed that changes in TSH can predict weight regain after metabolic surgery.Changes in TSH and FT3 after metabolic surgery were correlated with changes in weight and CVAI. Changes in thyroid hormones can predict weight regain in patients with obesity who underwent metabolic surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis A virus (HAV), a member of the genus Hepatovirus (Picornaviridae HepV), remains a significant viral pathogen, frequently causing enterically transmitted hepatitis worldwide. In this study, we conducted an epidemiological survey of HepVs carried by small terrestrial mammals in the wild in Yunnan Province, China. Utilizing HepV-specific broad-spectrum RT-PCR, next-generation sequencing (NGS), and QNome nanopore sequencing (QNS) techniques, we identified and characterized two novel HepVs provisionally named EpMa-HAV and EpLe-HAV, discovered in the long-tailed mountain shrew (Episoriculus macrurus) and long-tailed brown-toothed shrew (Episoriculus leucops), respectively. Our sequence and phylogenetic analyses of EpMa-HAV and EpLe-HAV indicated that they belong to the species Hepatovirus I (HepV-I) clade II, also known as the Chinese shrew HepV clade. Notably, the codon usage bias pattern of novel shrew HepVs is consistent with that of previously identified Chinese shrew HepV. Furthermore, our structural analysis demonstrated that shrew HepVs differ from other mammalian HepVs in RNA secondary structure and exhibit variances in key protein sites. Overall, the discovery of two novel HepVs in shrews expands the host range of HepV and underscores the existence of genetically diverse animal homologs of human HAV within the genus HepV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food web robustness is a critical aspect of ecosystem stability and has been extensively studied in ecology. However, the potential of machine learning techniques in predicting food web robustness and the identification of key network structure indicators have not been fully explored. We compared the suitability of different machine learning methods and assessed the relative importance of network structure indicators for predicting the robustness of food webs. We utilized a variety of food web datasets spanning different ecosystems to calculate network structure indicators, which include average distance (AD), betweenness centrality (BC), directional connectivity (C), closeness centrality (CC), diameter (D), degree centrality (DC), edge betweenness centrality (EBC), number of links (L), linkage density (LD), and number of nodes (N). We then compared the performance of machine learning methods, including artificial neural network (ANN), random forest (RF), least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and decision tree (DT), and evaluated the relative importance of network structure indicators on robustness predictions. The results demonstrate that the RF model has the best performance (MAE = 0.0178, RMSE = 0.0263, R2 = 0.9063). Meanwhile, the CC indicator has a significant impact in predicting robustness of food webs. It is suggested that both the RF model and the CC indicator should be considered seriously in predicting food web robustness. This research elucidates the differential outcomes when various machine learning methodologies and indicators are employed to predict the robustness of food webs. It significantly enhances our understanding by demonstrating the precise capability of machine learning models in forecasting the robustness of food webs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent evidence has demonstrated that abnormal expression and regulation of circular RNA (circRNAs) are involved in the occurrence and development of a variety of tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of circ_PPAPDC1A in Osimertinib resistance in NSCLC. Methods: Human circRNAs microarray analysis was conducted to identify differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs in Osimertinib-acquired resistance tissues of NSCLC. The effect of circ_PPAPDC1A on cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis was assessed in both in vitro and in vivo. Dual-luciferase reporter assay, RT-qPCR, Western-blot, and rescue assay were employed to confirm the interaction between circ_PPAPDC1A/miR-30a-3p/IGF1R axis. Results: The results revealed that circ_PPAPDC1A was significantly upregulated in Osimertinib acquired resistance tissues of NSCLC. circ_PPAPDC1A reduced the sensitivity of PC9 and HCC827 cells to Osimertinib and promoted cell proliferation, invasion, migration, while inhibiting apoptosis in Osimertinib-resistant PC9/OR and HCC829/OR cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Silencing circ_PPAPDC1A partially reversed Osimertinib resistance. Additionally, circ_PPAPDC1A acted as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by targeting miR-30a-3p, and Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 Receptor (IGF1R) was identified as a functional gene for miR-30a-3p in NSCLC. Furthermore, the results confirmed that circ_PPAPDC1A/miR-30a-3p/IGF1R axis plays a role in activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in NSCLC with Osimertinib resistance. Conclusions: Therefore, for the first time we identified that circ_PPAPDC1A was significantly upregulated and exerts an oncogenic role in NSCLC with Osimertinib resistance by sponging miR-30a-3p to active IGF1R/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. circ_PPAPDC1A may serve as a novel diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for NSCLC patients with Osimertinib resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The FitzHugh–Nagumo neuron circuit integrates a piezoelectric ceramic to form a piezoelectric sensing neuron, which can capture external sound signals and simulate the auditory neuron system. Two piezoelectric sensing neurons are coupled by a parallel circuit consisting of a Josephson junction and a linear resistor, and a binaural auditory system is established. Considering the non-singleness of external sound sources, the high–low frequency signal is used as the input signal to study the firing mode transition and synchronization of this system. It is found that the angular frequency of the high–low frequency signal is a key factor in determining whether the dynamic behaviors of two coupled neurons are synchronous. When they are in synchronization at a specific angular frequency, the changes in physical parameters of the input signal and the coupling strength between them will not destroy their synchronization. In addition, the firing mode of two coupled auditory neurons in synchronization is affected by the characteristic parameters of the high–low frequency signal rather than the coupling strength. The asynchronous dynamic behavior and variations in firing modes will harm the auditory system. These findings could help determine the causes of hearing loss and devise functional assistive devices for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the developmental processes and signaling pathways involved in larval myogenesis and metamorphosis is crucial for comprehending the life history and adaptive strategies of marine organisms. In this study, we investigated the temporal and spatial patterns of myogenesis in the mussel Mytilus coruscus (Mc), focusing on the emergence and transformation of major muscle groups during different larval stages. We also explored the role of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway in regulating myogenesis and larval metamorphosis. The results revealed distinct developmental stages characterized by the emergence of specific muscular components, such as velum retractor muscles and anterior adductor muscles, in D-veliger and umbo larvae, which are responsible for the planktonic stage. In the pediveliger stage, posterior ventral, posterior adductor, and foot muscles appeared. After larval metamorphosis, the velum structure and its corresponding retractor muscles degenerate, indicating the transition from planktonic to benthic life. We observed a conserved pattern of larval musculature development and revealed a high degree of conservation across bivalve species, with comparable emergence times during myogenesis. Furthermore, exposure to the Hh signaling inhibitor cyclopamine impaired larval muscle development, reduced larval swimming activity, and inhibited larval metamorphosis in M. coruscus. Cyclopamine-mediated inhibition of Hh signaling led to reduced expression of four key genes within the Hh signaling pathway (McHh , McPtc , McSmo , and McGli) and the striated myosin heavy chain gene (McMHC). It is hypothesised that the abnormal larval muscle development in cyclopamine-treated groups may be an indirect effect due to disrupted McMHC expression. We provide evidence for the first time that cyclopamine treatment inhibited larval metamorphosis in bivalves, highlighting the potential involvement of Hh signaling in mediating larval muscle development and metamorphosis in M. coruscus. The present study provides insights into the dynamic nature of myogenesis and the regulatory role of the Hh signaling pathway during larval development and metamorphosis in M. coruscus. The results obtained in this study contribute to a better understanding of the evolutionary significance of Hh signaling in bivalves and shed light on the mechanisms underlying larval muscle development and metamorphosis in marine invertebrates. [Display omitted] • Studied larval myogenesis with specific muscle emergence and degeneration in Mytilus coruscus. • Identified conserved patterns of larval musculature across bivalve species. • Hh signaling inhibitor cyclopamine inhibited larval muscle development and larval metamorphosis. • Cyclopamine inhibited the expression of key genes within the Hh signaling and a myosin gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a modified differential quadrature method (DQM) to solve buckling problems of beams and rectangular plates. The proposed method addresses the problem of applying multiple boundary conditions at each boundary point by developing a novel approach that constructs basis functions satisfying multiple boundary conditions. The weighting coefficient matrices of high-order derivatives in the DQM can then be calculated directly from the basis function, and additional equations about boundary conditions can be avoided. The method is first applied to derive the basis functions of beams with various boundary conditions and to solve beam buckling problems. Then, the method is extended to the buckling of rectangular plates, where the plate deflection is assumed as the sum of multiplications of two basis functions for beams with the corresponding boundary conditions. To verify the accuracy of the proposed method, several examples are presented, and very good agreement is observed between the results obtained by the proposed method and those reported in the literature as well as those obtained by the finite element method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Pd‐catalyzed [4+2] decarboxylative cycloaddition of 4‐vinylbenzodioxinones with barbiturate‐derived alkenes has been developed, leading to various spirobarbiturate−chromane derivatives in high yields with excellent diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities. The scale‐up reaction and further derivation of the product were demonstrated. A plausible reaction mechanism was also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mosquitoes (Anopheles sinensis), widely geographically distributed in Asia including China, are the primary vector of the malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax and other parasitic diseases such as Malayan filariasis. An. sinensis can survive through low winter temperatures. Aquaporin channels are found in all life forms, where they facilitate environmental adaptation by allowing rapid trans‐cellular movement of water (classical aquaporins) or water and solutes such as glycerol (aquaglyceroporins). Here, we identified and characterized 2 aquaporin (AQP) homologs in An. sinensis: AsAQP2 (An. sinensis aquaglyceroporin) and AsAQP4 (An. sinensis aquaporin). When expressed in frog (Xenopus laevis) oocytes, AsAQP2 transported water, glycerol, and urea; AsAQP4 transported only water. Water permeation through AsAQP2 and AsAQP4 was inhibited by mercuric chloride. AsAQP2 expression was slightly higher in adult female mosquitoes than in males, and AsAQP4 expression was significantly higher in adult males. The 2 AsAQPs were highly expressed in Malpighian tubules and midgut. AsAQP2 and AsAQP4 expression was up‐regulated by blood feeding compared with sugar feeding. At freezing point (0 °C), the AsAQP4 expression level increased and An. sinensis survival time reduced compared with those at normal temperature (26 °C). At low temperature (8 °C), the AsAQP2 and AsAQP4 expression levels decreased and survival time was significantly longer compared with those at 26 °C. These results suggest that AsAQP2 and AsAQP4 have roles in water homeostasis during blood digestion and in low temperature adaptation of A. sinensis. Together, our results show that the 2 AQPs are important for mosquito diuresis after blood feeding and when exposed to low temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recognition of bird species through the analysis of their vocalizations is a crucial aspect of wildlife conservation and biodiversity monitoring. In this study, the acoustic features of Certhia americana, Certhia brachydactyla, and Certhia familiaris were calculated including the Acoustic complexity index (ACI), Acoustic diversity index (ADI), Acoustic evenness index (AEI), Bioacoustic index (BI), Median of the amplitude envelop (MA), and Normalized Difference Soundscape Index (NDSI). Three machine learning models, Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), were constructed. The results showed that the XGBoost model had the best performance among the three models, with the highest accuracy (0.8365) and the highest AUC (0.8871). This suggests that XGBoost is an effective tool for bird species recognition based on acoustic indices. The study provides a new approach to bird species recognition that utilizes sound data and acoustic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of effective conductive networks can enhance the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance of the conductive polymer composites (CPCs). Herein, poly (l‐lactide) (PLLA) micro‐particles were used as a volume‐occupying phase to design and prepare the PLLA/polydimethylsiloxane/multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (PLLA/PDMS/MWCNT) composites with honeycomb‐like conductive networks. The interfacial morphology of the composites was adjusted by changing the surface morphology of the PLLA micro‐particles. The effects of the morphology and particle size of the PLLA phase on the EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of the composites were investigated in this study. The results indicate that the PLLA micro‐particles with regular shape and rough surface can effectively improve the EMI shielding performance of the PLLA/PDMS/MWCNT composites with the same filler loadings and the particle size of PLLA micro‐particles. Specifically, the EMI SE of the composites with etched 300‐μm spherical micro‐particles with rough surface can achieve 35.1 dB, which is 15% higher than the EMI SE of 30.6 dB for the composites with the 300‐μm irregular micro‐particles. In addition, the R values of the composites with honeycomb‐like conductive networks are below 0.5, indicating absorption dominated shielding mechanism. Highlights: Micro‐particle surface tunes the interfacial structure of the honeycomb‐like samples.Micro‐particles with different sizes endow different EMI SE for the composites.Samples with regular micro‐particles have higher EMI SE than irregular ones.The samples with etched micro‐particles have the highest EMI SE.The honeycomb‐like samples show an absorption‐dominated shielding mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, benzo-fused cyclic carbonates were designed and synthesized as a new type of precursor of π-allylpalladium zwitterionic intermediates, and were applied in Pd-catalyzed diastereo- and enantioselective (4+3) cycloaddition with C,N-cyclic azomethine imines, leading to various biologically important 1,3,4-benzoxadiazepine derivatives in 43–99% yields with 6 : 1 to >20 : 1 dr and up to 95% ee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentric circle reduction is one of the outcomes after reduction of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Radiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used to confirm the reduction results. In this study, we evaluated the reduction results of the coronal section of the hip using transgluteal ultrasonography. We enrolled 46 children admitted to our hospital for closed or open reduction plaster fixation of DDH between January 2021 and December 2022. Thirty-eight patients had unilateral DDH, and eight patients had bilateral DDH. Transgluteal ultrasonography, radiography and MRI were done on the patients during the 7 d after reduction, and the results were interpreted by different radiologists. The covering of the femoral head and the distance between the medial margin of the femoral head and the acetabulum (HSD) were measured after calculating the maximum coronal surface of the iliac bone. MRI is regarded as the gold standard for determining hip reduction or dislocation. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of ultrasound and radiography were determined and compared. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of transgluteal ultrasonography were 100% (confidence interval [CI]: 69.2%–100%), 97.7% (CI: 88%–99.9%), 90.9% (CI: 59%–98.6%) and 100%, respectively, higher than those of radiography, which were 50% (CI: 18.7%–81.3%), 86.4% (CI: 72.6%–94.8%), 45.5% (CI: 24%–68.7%) and 88.4% (CI: 80.2%–93.5%), respectively. Ultrasonography had a higher sensitivity (100% vs. 50%, p < 0.01) and positive predictive rate (90.9% vs. 45.5%, p < 0.01) than radiography. Ultrasonography revealed that a distance between the head and socket (HSD) >8 mm indicated a strong suspicion for a poor reduction. Transgluteal coronal ultrasound scan with semiquantitative assessment of acetabular femoral head coverage and measurement of HSD can effectively monitor the reduction relationship between the two in children after DDH reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a gradient-based optimization method for pattern synthesis of phase-only thinned concentric elliptical antenna arrays (CEAAs) with the tangent interpolation function of continuous 0–1 differentiation in topology optimization. The optimization model is reasonably constructed and actualized by simultaneously optimizing the presence or absence of metal materials and the excitation phase within each array element. In order to facilitate solving the optimization problem using the gradient-based algorithms and performing the CEAA pattern synthesis, the tangent interpolation function of metal material with a pseudo-resistance is introduced to realize the continuous 0–1 differentiation of each array element. The design objective is to maximize the difference between the radiation energies of the main-beam direction and the peak sidelobe level with the constraints on the total number of remaining elements. For ensuring that the mutual coupling between the elements is accurately considered, the full-wave method of moments (MoM) is integrated into the optimization method to synthesize the array radiation pattern. Typical examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Compared with the uniform array and the reference CEAA, the proposed method not only achieves the sidelobe suppression and aperture reduction but also significantly decreases the total number of array elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the experiment was to study the effect of nucleotides on growth performance, serum biochemical indexes, immune function of calves. In the same batch of newborn calves, eighty five-day-old calves with similar body weight were randomly divided into four groups, with five replicates in each group and four calves in each replicate. The calves in control group were fed a basal diet, the calves in experimental group 1, group 2 and group 3 were given 1, 2 and 3 g/(head⋅d) nucleotides. The experiment lasted for 56 days. The results showed that compared with the control group, the average daily gain of calves in the group 2 and the group 3 were significantly increased ( P<0.05), and the incidence of enteritis and pneumonia of calves in the experimental groups was significantly decreased ( P<0.05), the WBC of calves in the group 2 and the group 3 was significantly decreased ( P<0.05). The HCT of calves in the experimental groups were significantly decreased ( P<0.05). The serum ALB concent of calves in the group 1 and the group 2 was significantly higher than that in the control group ( P<0.05). The serum AST activity of calves in all experimental groups was lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05). The TNF- α level in the group 2 was significantly lower than that in the control group ( P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the average profit of each calf in the group 2 and the group 3 increased by 3.95% and 5.21%, respectively. The study indicates that nucleotides can significantly improve the daily gain and health level of calves, enhance the immunity of calves and increase economic efficiency. It is recommended that the suitable dosage of nucleotides should be 2~3 g/(head⋅d). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology trading matching facilitates quicker solution-finding for technology demanders and expedites the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. Yet, unstable matchings often lead traders to renounce existing contracts, sidestep trading intermediaries, and resort to private transactions. This results in inefficient trading mechanisms and market disarray. To ensure a stable and mutually satisfactory match for both suppliers and demanders, we propose a stable two-sided matching decision-making method that incorporates intuitionistic fuzzy multi-attribute information. Initially, we introduce an intuitionistic fuzzy TOPSIS approach to compute the comprehensive satisfaction of both suppliers and demanders by aggregating intuitionistic fuzzy information across various attributes. Subsequently, we design a multi-objective optimization model that weighs both stability and satisfaction to determine the ideal technology trading pairs. We conclude with a real-world example that demonstrates the proposed method's application, and its effectiveness is corroborated through sensitivity and comparative analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spin‐dependent electron transport is theoretically studied for a system with an interacting quantum dot sandwiched between a pair of ferromagnetic electrodes. By separately applying an electrical bias or a temperature gradient across the junction, a spin‐polarized current can be obtained and controlled by tuning the gate voltage. Interestingly, regardless of whether the electron transport is driven by the bias voltage or temperature difference, the current in the device always exhibits negative magnetoresistance under the control of the gate voltage. Such magnetoresistance anomalies in the current profile originate from the spin‐selective tunneling channels in quantum dots, which have been proven experimentally feasible. This device scheme is compatible with current technologies and has potential applications in spintronics or spin caloritronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of science and technology requires UAV to improve the accuracy of path planning to better apply in the military field and serve the people. The research proposes to use the social spider algorithm to optimize the ant colony algorithm, and jointly build an IACA to deal with the optimal selection problem of UAV path planning. Firstly, the swarm spider algorithm is used to make a reasonable division and planning of the UAV's flight field. Secondly, the AC is used to adjust and control the UAV's state and path. Then, the IACA is formed to carry out performance simulation and comparison experiments on the optimal path planning of the UAV to verify the superiority of the research algorithm. The results show that the maximum number of iterations of the original AC and the IACA is 100, but the IACA under the route planning optimization reaches the convergence state in 32 generations; Moreover, when the number of iterations is about 20 generations, there will be a stable fitness value, which saves time for the experiment to find the optimal path. In the simulation experiment, it is assumed that three UAVs will form a formation to conduct the experiment, and the multiple UAVs will be subject to global track planning and repeated rolling time domain track planning. The autonomous operation time of multiple UAVs through the assembly point is (5.30 s, 5.79 s, 9.29 s). The distance between UAVs during flight is predicted. It is found that the nearest distance is 2.3309 m near t = 6.65 s, which is in line with the safety distance standard. Under the improved algorithm, the speed in all directions is also relatively gentle. All the above results show that the improved algorithm can effectively improve the iteration speed and save time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Super high-strength steel has an important demand in manufacturing key components inside gear transmission systems of heavy-duty helicopter owing to its superior comprehensive mechanical property. However, the high-performance machining of super high-strength steel is confronted with great challenges owing to the high cutting force, serious tool wear, and impoverished machining quality. Comparative trials in grinding ultra-high strength steel under conventional grinding (CG) and ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding (UVAG) processes were conducted with white alumina (WA) and microcrystalline alumina (MA) wheels. Grinding performances, including grinding forces, force ratio, ground surface quality, and abrasive wheel morphologies, were discussed in detail. Experimental results show that the separation property between wheels and workpiece in UVAG process contributes to alter the material removal process, reducing the chip clogging and adhesion. In addition, the micro-fracture of abrasive grains can effectively improve the self-sharpening ability of abrasive wheels. UVAG possesses a shorter grinding scratch owing to the ultrasonic vibration than that of CG, which is beneficial to improve machining quality under the same wheel. Meanwhile, in comparison of WA wheels, MA wheels have the narrower grinding marks and better surface quality, which is due to the sharp edges produced by its higher strength, toughness, and excellent self-sharpening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma titanium-aluminum intermetallic compounds (γ-TiAl) have an important application significance in the field of aero-engines owing to their excellent mechanical properties (e.g., high-temperature resistance and high toughness). Grinding as an important method was used to realize the high efficiency and precise machining for difficult-to-cut materials. However, the machining defects (e.g., adhesion, cracks, and even burns) were confronted on the machined surface of γ-TiAl materials under high grinding force and temperature loads. In this case, the new machining methods combined with ultrasonic vibration and high-efficiency deep grinding technology were proposed to improve the machining quality and efficiency. Comparative trials of ultrasonic vibration-assisted high-efficiency deep grinding (UVHEDG) and high-efficiency deep grinding (HEDG) were carried out to study the grinding performance, in terms of the grinding force, grinding temperature, specific grinding energy, and machining surface quality. Results show that UVHEDG possesses the lower grinding force and temperature by 38.69% and 39.05% compared with HEDG, respectively. In addition, the employment of ultrasonic vibrations contributes to maintaining the abrasive sharpness, and thus, the specific grinding energy is reduced by 23.95%. Ground surface roughness can be reduced by 19.53%, and the grinding surface quality is effectively improved due to the lubrication effect and track overlap effect under ultrasonic vibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) are widely distributed in proteins and related to many important biological functions. Accurately identifying IDRs is of great significance for protein structure and function analysis. Because the long disordered regions (LDRs) and short disordered regions (SDRs) share different characteristics, the existing predictors fail to achieve better and more stable performance on datasets with different ratios between LDRs and SDRs. There are two main reasons. First, the existing predictors construct network structures based on their own experiences such as convolutional neural network (CNN) which is used to extract the feature of neighboring residues in protein, and long short-term memory (LSTM) is used to extract the long-distance dependencies feature of protein residues. But these networks cannot capture the hidden feature associated with the length-dependent between residues. Second, many algorithms based on deep learning have been proposed but the complementarity of the existing predictors is not fully explored and used. Results: In this study, the neural architecture search (NAS) algorithm was employed to automatically construct the network structures so as to capture the hidden features in protein sequences. In order to stably predict both the LDRs and SDRs, the model constructed by NAS was combined with length-dependent models for capturing the unique features of SDRs or LDRs and general models for capturing the common features between LDRs and SDRs. A new predictor called IDP-Fusion was proposed. Conclusions: Experimental results showed that IDP-Fusion can achieve more stable performance than the other existing predictors on independent test sets with different ratios between SDRs and LDRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presenting treatment outcomes positively or negatively may differently influence treatment preferences and lead to sub-optimal decision in a medical context. This review systematically organised how positive versus negative framing of treatment outcomes influenced cancer treatment decisions of cancer patients and individuals without a cancer diagnosis. Three databases (PubMed, PsycInfo and Scopus) were searched for studies reporting the effects of positive versus negative framing on cancer treatment decision-making from 1981 to December 2020. The effects of positive versus negative framing on cancer treatment preferences and the elimination of framing effect were evaluated. A total of 12 studies that met inclusion criteria were reviewed. Framing effect was consistently observed in individuals without a cancer diagnosis. There was not enough evidence to suggest a robust framing effect in cancer patients. Surgery was preferred in positive framing, whereas adjuvant therapy was preferred in negative framing. Justification intervention significantly eliminated framing effect. Mixed framing failed to eliminate framing effect. Current recommendations for presenting treatment options are based on research in cancer-screening decision-making. Knowledge of how positive versus negative framing affect cancer patients' treatment decisions is still limited. Our review highlighted the need for continued research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bowenoid papulosis (BP) is a benign and possibly carcinogenic disease associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which has been increasingly recognised and paid attention to in recent years, but the potential mechanisms still remain unclear. In our study, three patients who were diagnosed with BP were enrolled into our research. Skin biopsies were taken and were separated into two parts, one part was for HE staining and the others were for RNA‐sequencing (RNA‐seq). All the three patents were human papillomavirus (HPV) positive and HE staining revealed typical skin histopathological changes in BP, including dyskeratosis, hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the granular and spinous layers, atypical keratinocytes. RNA‐seq analysis demonstrated that a total of 486 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected between the skin tissues from BP and the controls, among which, 320 genes were significantly upregulated and 166 genes were dramatically downregulated. GO enrichment revealed that antigen binding, cell cycle, immune response and keratinisation to be the most notably altered pathways, whereas KEGG analysis indicated that cell cycle cytokine‐cytokine receptor interaction, ECM receptor interaction and p53 signalling pathway to be the most significantly changed signalling pathways in BP. Furthermore, metabolism‐associated enrichment analysis showed that cholesterol metabolism, metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome p450 and pyrimidine metabolism to be the most dramatically dysregulated metabolic pathways in BP as compared to normal controls. Our study revealed that inflammation, metabolism and cell proliferation signalling pathways might be the most important pathways for BP disease, targeted inhibiting of these signals might be a potential method for BP treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rock sections in intermittent joints are important structures that prevent joints from interconnecting and maintain the stability of the rock mass, and they play a pivotal role in the strength and failure mode of the rock mass. In order to analyze the controlling effect of rock section in intermittent joints, the samples with different rock section angles were prepared and laboratory tests were carried out using Acoustic Emission and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) techniques. The results show that the uniaxial compressive strength of the samples reaches its minimum value when the orientation of the rock section in the intermittent joints coincides with the loading direction. Furthermore, as the angle of the rock section increases, the time share of the sample in the compaction stage increases and the time share in the plastic-yield stage decreases. The samples show the structural characteristics of being difficult to close at the early stage and easy to destroy at the late stage. In terms of the damage mode, the increase in the angle of the rock section reduces the difficulty of the rock section itself being penetrated, and the samples are more easily damaged. Finally, a damage constitutive model considering the compaction stage and initial damage was developed and the effect of rock section angle on the rate of rock damage was analyzed. Highlights: The influence of the angle of the rock section in the intermittent joints on the compressive strength and failure mode of the samples was investigated. Based on acoustic emission, DIC and damage constitutive models, the effect of the angle of the rock section in an intermittent joint on the deformation phase of the sample is quantified. A damage constitutive model considering the initial damage of the intermittent joints and the compaction stage of the rock is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The mechanisms of regional acceleratory phenomenon (RAP) induced by orthognathic osteotomy are unclear. It was not known if locally hypoxic microenvironment changes were involved in this phenomenon. Methods: Hypoxia‐induced factor‐1α knockout mice harboring Cathepsin K (CTSK) Cre were used to investigate the effect of hypoxia‐driven osteoclasts on alveolar bone remodeling. RAW264.7 cells were induced by CoCl2 to observe the effects of dendritic cell‐specific transmembrane protein (DC‐STAMP) on the fusion and differentiation of osteoclasts. Results: We found mandibular osteotomy of C57 mice induced active alveolar osteoclasts and increased hypoxia‐induced factor‐1α (HIF‐1α) positive staining areas. Alveolar bone density of the 10‐week‐old HIF‐1α conditional knockout (CKO) mouse was increased at 10 and 14 days after bilateral mandibular osteotomy. Moreover, decreased numbers of osteoclasts and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP‐9)‐positive cells were observed on the surface of bone resorption lacunae in the CKO group. HIF‐1α could increase the expression level of DC‐STAMP to enhance osteoclastogenesis and cell fusion in active RAW264.7 cells. Conclusion: Our data considered hypoxia‐driven osteoclasts resorption to be an adaptive mechanism to permit alveolar bone loss after bilateral mandibular osteotomy of mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prognostic value of the left atrial function index (LAFI) in acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is unknown. This study sought to determine whether the LAFI predicts prognosis in STEMI patients treated with PCI. Patients with newly diagnosed STEMI who were treated with PCI in Hunan Provincial People's Hospital from March 2020 to October 2020 were prospectively enrolled. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography at baseline and follow-up. The endpoint events included rehospitalization due to unstable angina, nonfatal myocardial infarction, rehospitalization due to heart failure and cardiovascular death. A total of 156 STEMI patients treated with PCI were studied with a median follow-up of 14 months. Forty-eight patients had endpoint events. The LAFI had the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) predicting the endpoint events, with an AUC of 0.90 (95% CI 0.84–0.94). Multivariate Cox analysis demonstrated that only the LAFI (HR: 0.91, 95% CI 0.87–0.96, P < 0.0001) was independently predictive of endpoint events. Kaplan‒Meier survival curves showed that patients with an LAFI ≤ 42.25 cm/cc/m2 had more events than patients with an LAFI > 42.25 cm/cc/m2 (HR: 19.15, 95% CI 8.90–41.21, P < 0.001). The LAFI is a strong and independent predictor of events in STEMI patients treated with PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the second largest dust source on the globe, the tectonic and climatic evolution of continental Asia has an important impact on regional and global climate change. The West Pacific is the main sediment sink for eolian dust transported eastward from the Asian interior. Clay minerals, as the major fine-grained weathering products of continental rocks, can be readily transported by wind or currents over long distances and thus have been widely used in the reconstruction of paleoclimate and weathering history. However, the overall evolutionary tendency and response mechanism of clay mineral records over large spatial and long timescales across Asia remain unclear. Here, two continuous and high-resolution clay mineral records since 30 Ma were reconstructed from sediments at Deep Sea Drilling Program (DSDP) Sites 292 and 296 in the Philippine Sea. Clay minerals and Sr-Nd isotope compositions were used to constrain provenance and reconstruct the drying history of the dust source region since the Oligocene. The results show that the clay-sized detrital sediments in the Philippine Sea are a mixture of Asian eolian dust and volcanic materials from the West Pacific arcs. Based on the clay mineral compositions and eolian flux, we reveal that the Asian interior has been continuously drying since the late Oligocene and that stepwise enhanced aridification occurred at approximately 20, 14, 7, and 3 Ma. Compared with other regions of the world, the relative contents of illite and chlorite increased more dramatically in Asia during the late Cenozoic, and the inconsistency became more obvious at approximately 20 Ma. Since 3 Ma, illite and chlorite have increased consistently across the globe. Combined with the Asian tectonic and climatic history, we suggest that the increase in illite and chlorite from Asia between 20 and 3 Ma was mainly in response to the uplift of the Himalayan-Tibetan Plateau, whereas after 3 Ma, it was primarily controlled by global cooling driven by the expansion of the Arctic ice sheet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: It has been acknowledged in China that actions should be taken immediately to ease the critical shortage of psychiatric nurses. However, with national data lacking, little is known about nurses' mental health status. Aim: To evaluate psychiatric nurses' mental health status by measuring their burnout, depression, anxiety and stress. Methods: All psychiatric nurses in the 41 selected hospitals in China were invited to participate in the survey. The Maslach Burnout Inventory‐Human Service Survey and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale were used to assess variables of interest. Results: 38.6% of psychiatric nurses met the criteria for burnout. The rates of depression, anxiety and stress were 26.3%, 36.4% and 12.5%, respectively. It was found that workplace region, educational level, working years, longer working hours and night shifts were associated with risk of burnout and DASS. Conclusions: More than a quarter of psychiatric nurses are suffering from burnout, depression or anxiety in China. Policymakers and hospital administrators should design a flexible schedule and restrict working hours for psychiatric nurses to achieve work‐life balance. Implications for Practice: The study informs policymakers and administrators on addressing the nursing shortage by identifying nurses immersed in negative emotions and preventing mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an indispensable material for animals, plants and human beings, obtaining accurate water body information rapidly is of great significance to maintain the balance of ecosystems and ensure normal production and the life of human beings. Due to its independence of the time of day and the weather conditions, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data have been increasingly applied in the extraction of water bodies. However, there is a great deal of speckle noise in SAR images, which seriously affect the extraction accuracy of water. At present, most of the processing methods are filtering methods, which will cause the loss of detailed information. Based on the characteristic of side-looking SAR, this paper proposed a self-adaptive thresholding approach for automatic water extraction based on an OTSU algorithm and distance block. In this method, the whole images were firstly divided into uniform image blocks through a distance layer which was produced by the distance to the orbit. Then, a self-adaptive processing was conducted for merging blocks. The OTSU algorithm was used to obtain a threshold for classification and the Jeffries–Matusita (JM) distance was calculated with the classification result. The merge processing continued until the separability of image blocks reached the maximum. Subsequently, we started from the next block to repeat the merger, and so on until all blocks were processed. Ten study areas around the world and the local Dongting Lake area were applied to test the feasibility of the proposed method. In comparison with five other global threshold segmentation algorithms such as the traditional OTSU, MOMENTS, MEAN, ISODATA and MINERROR, the proposed method obtains the highest overall accuracy (OA) and kappa coefficient (KC), while this approach also demonstrates greater robustness in the analysis of time series. The findings of this study offer an effective method to improve water detection accuracy as well as reducing the influence of speckle noise and retaining details in the image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to investigate longitudinally the activation of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) by subgingival biofilm samples before and after nonsurgical periodontal therapy (NSPT). Materials and methods: Forty periodontitis patients received NSPT and were reviewed 3 and 6 months post-treatment. Subgingival biofilm was sampled from 4 teeth per patient, at baseline and each follow-up time point. TLR-4 activation was determined using the HEK-BLUE™/hTLR4 system. Changes in TLR-4 activation and probing pocket depths (PPDs) were evaluated using generalised linear models, and the association between TLR-4 activation and pocket reduction (defined as 6-month PPDs ≤ 3mm) was determined using generalised estimating equations. Results: At 6 months, the mean TLR-4 activation by subgingival biofilm samples was significantly reduced from 11.2AU (95%CI 7.1AU, 15.4AU) to 3.6AU (95%CI 2.3AU, 4.8AU, p < 0.001), paralleling significant reductions in mean PPDs at sampled sites. The response to NSPT was associated with longitudinal TLR-4 activation profiles, with significantly higher TLR-4 activation by subgingival biofilm obtained from sites that did not achieve pocket reduction, compared to sites at which pocket reduction was achieved. Conclusions: The activation of TLR-4 by subgingival biofilm samples was reduced after NSPT, and this reduction was significantly associated with the clinical improvements (PPD reductions) at sampled sites. Clinical relevance: This study demonstrated an association between the longitudinal profile of TLR-4 activation by subgingival biofilm and periodontal treatment response. Longitudinal monitoring of TLR-4 activation by subgingival biofilm may potentially identify non-responsive sites, enabling targeted additional treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoclasts are bone‐resorbing polykaryons responsible for skeletal remodeling during health and disease. Coincident with their differentiation from myeloid precursors, osteoclasts undergo extensive transcriptional and metabolic reprogramming in order to acquire the cellular machinery necessary to demineralize bone and digest its interwoven extracellular matrix. While attempting to identify new regulatory molecules critical to bone resorption, we discovered that murine and human osteoclast differentiation is accompanied by the expression of Zeb1, a zinc‐finger transcriptional repressor whose role in normal development is most frequently linked to the control of epithelial‐mesenchymal programs. However, following targeting, we find that Zeb1 serves as an unexpected regulator of osteoclast energy metabolism. In vivo, Zeb1‐null osteoclasts assume a hyperactivated state, markedly decreasing bone density due to excessive resorptive activity. Mechanistically, Zeb1 acts in a rheostat‐like fashion to modulate murine and human osteoclast activity by transcriptionally repressing an ATP‐buffering enzyme, mitochondrial creatine kinase 1 (MtCK1), thereby controlling the phosphocreatine energy shuttle and mitochondrial respiration. Together, these studies identify a novel Zeb1/MtCK1 axis that exerts metabolic control over bone resorption in vitro and in vivo. Synopsis: Osteoporosis and similar bone‐wasting conditions can be caused by an increase in osteoclast‐mediated bone resorption. Here, we learn that both murine and human osteoclasts are activated by a Zeb1‐dependent regulation of mitochondrial energy metabolism.The transcription factor Zeb1 is a negative regulator of giant multinucleated osteoclast‐mediated skeletal remodeling.Zeb1 regulates mitochondrial energy metabolism in myeloid lineage‐derived osteoclasts.The mitochondrial creatine kinase MtCK1 is a transcriptional target of Zeb1 that enables bone resorption by buffering ATP availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Source illusion is an important issue in acoustic fields that has significant applications in various practical scenarios. Recent progress in acoustic metasurfaces has broken the limitation of manipulating large-scale waves at subwavelength scales and enables a better illusion capability, while there is still a problem that most previous studies are hampered by a lack of tuning capability. Here we propose a reconfigurable source illusion device capable of providing azimuthally-dependent phase delay in real-time via changing the static voltage distribution. The resulting device is implemented by employing an adjustable piezoelectric metasurface with a subwavelength thickness that can achieve a full 2 π -phase shift while maintaining efficient transmittance. The effectiveness of our mechanism is demonstrated via two distinctive source illusion phenomena of shifting and transforming a simple point source without changing the device geometry. We anticipate that our methodology, which does not require a large device size or a complicated phased array, will open up new avenues for the miniaturization and integration of source illusion devices and may promote their on-chip applications in a variety of fields, such as acoustic camouflage and manipulation precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properties of coral sands are significantly affected by the gradation changes caused by the particle breakage. In this paper, a series of triaxial consolidated drained (CD) shear tests were carried out to investigate the influence of gradation on the particle breakage and mechanical properties of coral sands. The results showed that the softening and dilatancy during shearing are more significant for coral sands with smaller average particle sizes under low confining pressure. The peak friction angle decreases with the confining pressure and can be fitted by a power function for different gradations. The particle size distribution of the "hyperbolic" or "straight" curve has a trend to transform into a "sigmoidal" type after shearing; and the variation is affected by the confining pressure and the initial gradation. The critical state lines of the coral sands with different gradations are parallel straight lines on the e − (p ′ / p a) ξ plane. In addition, the relative breakage of coral sand particles increases with the confining pressure and the mean particle size. Based on the triaxial compression test results, the expressions relating relative breakages to the confining pressure and the gradation parameters were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a non-uniform strip-array decoupling structure (SADS) of the MIMO antenna-arrays for the dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) applications in intelligent transportation systems (ITS) is presented. The SADS is composed of metal strips with non-uniform longitudinal layout, which has a simple strip-array geometry, low design and fabrication complexity, and easy to be applied to the design domain without destroying the original antenna-array. The design of the strip thickness, strip-array layout and number of strips is realised by the proposed simple and effective optimisation method. The mutual coupling between the elements can be effectively suppressed to less than −32 dB by the proposed structure in the required bandwidth (5.795 GHz~5.815 GHz). The results show that, compared with the no-strip and uniform SADS, the non-uniform SADS can improve the maximum mutual coupling reduction by 23 dB and 13 dB, respectively. Both the simulated and measured results verify the effectiveness of the proposed SADS, which makes it very suitable for the large-scale MIMO antenna-arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vortex dynamics of a supersonic flow past an impulsively started circular cylinder are studied numerically. A well-developed high-order finite difference method is adopted to solve the two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations. In particular, Ma = 1.1 and Re = 2.2 × 104 are selected to report the vortex evolution process. The results confirm that the α-, β-, sub-α-, and sub-β-phenomena observed in incompressible flow in the separated region do exist in the supersonic regime. In addition, the influence of Mach number and Reynolds number on the vortex is also studied, and the vortex changes are compared at Ma = 1.1, 1.7 and Re = 1 × 104, 2 × 104, 2.5 × 104, 3 × 104, 5 × 104, and 1 × 105. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southeast China is one of the core areas of the Sino‐Japanese floristic region and a hotspot of biodiversity in East Asia. This region has been considered as both a museum and a cradle of woody genera in China. Why a region with highly stable topography and climate could be a cradle of species diversity remains unclear. In this study, the phylogeographic pattern and genetic structure of Wikstroemia monnula, an endemic species to southeast China, were analyzed by sequencing four chloroplast DNA fragments (4679 bp in total) of 836 individuals from 39 populations. Extremely high diversity and endemism of chlorotypes were found. Out of 54 chlorotypes, 51 (94.44%) were private, with genetic diversity index (HT) near 1 (HT = 0.992), and 96.51% of the genetic variation occurring among populations, indicating that this species has undergone strong intraspecific differentiation and very limited migration. The correlational analysis showed that the population differentiation of W. monnula was driven not only via isolation by distance (IBD), but more importantly via isolation by environment (IBE). A significant phylogeographic structure was not found (NST = 0.979, GST = 0.833, P > 0.05); however, the spatial pattern of the sublineages of chlorotypes was largely consistent with the biogeographic boundaries on a smaller scale in the region. These results suggest that habitat heterogeneity in southeast China not only promoted speciation on a long time‐scale, but still continues to impact population differentiation in recent times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development trend and technological progress of lithium batteries, the battery market is booming, which means that the consumption demand for lithium batteries has increased significantly, and, therefore, a large number of discarded lithium batteries will be generated accordingly. Solvent extraction is a promising approach because it is simple. Solvent extraction is low in time consumption and is easy to industrialize. This paper is focused on the selective recovery of cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), and manganese (Mn) contained in leachate obtained by digesting a cathodic material from spent lithium batteries with hydrochloric acid. After leaching the cathodic material, Mn was selectively extracted from leachate by using solvent extraction with D2EHPA diluted in kerosene in an optimized condition. Afterward, Co was extracted from the Mn-depleted aqueous phase using Cyanex272 diluted in kerosene. Finally, the raffinate obtained via a stripping reaction with H2SO4 was used in the Ni extraction experiments. Cyanex272 extractant was employed to separate Ni and Li. The process can recover more than 93% of Mn, 90% of Co, and 90% of Ni. The crucial material recovered in the form of sulfuric acid solutions can be purified and returned to the manufacturer for use. This process proposes a complete recycling method by effectively recovering Mn, Co, and Ni with solvent extraction, to contribute to the supply of raw materials and to reduce tensions related to mineral resources for the production of lithium batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a significant sex difference in the growth of yellow catfish (Pelteobagrusfulvidraco) at the same age which shows that males are longer in length and heavier in weight than females. mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase) signaling pathway plays an important role in cell growth, development and protein synthesis. In order to understand the correlation between the nutritional growth mechanism of yellow catfish and the mTOR signaling pathway, this study firstly analyzed the muscle nutrient composition of female and male yellow catfish in the aspects of physiology and biochemistry. The results showed that the nutritional quality of female yellow catfish muscle was better than that of the wild female yellow catfish in terms of mineral elements, amino acid composition, protein evaluation and fatty acid quality, while there was little difference in water, crude protein and crude fat content between them. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis was conducted for the major genes of mTOR signaling pathway. The results showed that the expressions of AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), AKT serine/threonine kinase 2 (AKT2), AKT serine/threonine kinase 3 (AKT3), mTOR, ribosomal protein S6 kinase B1 (S6KA), ribosomal protein S6 kinase B2 (S6KB), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) in muscle, liver, kidney and heart tissues of male yellow catfish were significantly higher than those of female. This may be related to the growth differences of female and male yellow catfish. These results provide an experimental basis for further exploring the molecular mechanism of sexual growth difference of yellow catfish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unit charts are a common type of chart for visualizing scientific data. A unit chart is a chart used to communicate quantities of things by making the number of symbols on the chart proportional to the number of items represented. An accurate perception of the order of magnitude is essential to evaluating whether a unit chart can effectively convey information. Previous studies have primarily focused on perceptual properties at small order-of-magnitude scales or the efficacy of pictographs in unit charts. However, few researchers have explored the perceptual effectiveness of unit charts when representing large orders of magnitude. In this study, we performed a series of sampling measurements to investigate the visual–perceptual characteristics of unit charts when representing asymmetric interactions such as large-scale numbers. The results showed that under the restriction of the current conventional display medium, unit charts still offer a significant advantage over bar charts in a single-scale visual overview. However, this comes at the cost of a longer response time. Although this study constitutes basic research, accumulating evidence about how people reason about magnitudes beyond human perception is critical to the field of information science. This study may contribute to understanding how viewers perceive unit charts and the factors that influence graphical perception. This article provides some specific guidelines for designing unit charts that may be useful to visualization designers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the efficacy and safety of different treatment options for cervical pregnancy (CP). A total of 74 patients diagnosed with CP at Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital between January 2016 and September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 31 were treated with uterine artery embolization (UAE) followed by hysteroscopic curettage, 34 were treated with hysteroscopic curettage alone, and nine were treated with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) followed by hysteroscopic curettage. Medical records and pregnancy outcomes were analyzed. There were no significant differences in age, gravidity, parity, abortion, or preoperative hemoglobin levels among the patients in the three groups; however, significant differences in gestational age, gestational sac diameter, preoperative β-hCG, and presence of cardiac pulsation were observed (p < 0.05). After treatment, there was no conversion to laparotomy, and the uterus was preserved in all patients. Significant differences in blood loss during curettage, hospitalization costs, hospital days, menstrual recovery interval, β-hCG decline rates, retained products of conception, and intrauterine adhesions rate among the three groups were observed (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the placement of the uterine Foley balloon, effective curettage rate, pre-and postoperative hemoglobin decline, live birth rate, or proportion of subsequent pregnancies among the three groups. Our results showed that hysteroscopic curettage, HIFU, and UAE followed by hysteroscopic curettage are safe and effective for treating patients with CP. Compared with the UAE, HIFU has the advantages of lower hospitalization costs, shorter hospital stays, and shorter menstrual recovery intervals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a new criterion "Entropy based on projection Hamming distance pattern", denoted as S (D k) , to evaluate and detect combinatorially non-isomorphic orthogonal designs. It is defined by the entropy based on the distribution of all Hamming distance patterns of projections, that provides a new perspective to evaluate orthogonal designs. Hamming distance pattern is incorporated in this new criterion since it has many connections with other criteria in the literature, such as the generalized word-length pattern and uniformity measures. To compare the detection performances, we adopt three orthogonal designs with different sizes, 18-run, 27-run and 32-run. Some non-isomorphic classes of 27-run and 32-run orthogonal designs are misclassified by S (D k). Hence we adopt the projection Average Squared Correlation distribution as an amendment in the detection algorithm to improve the effectiveness. • The new criterion incorporates the entropy with the distribution of projection HDP. • The new criterion provides a new perspective of evaluating orthogonal designs. • The proposed algorithm can conveniently detect non-isomorphism. • Several case studies refer to three- and four-level orthogonal designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field isolate (Reo/SDWF /Pheasant/17608/20) of avian orthoreovirus (ARV), isolated from a flock of game-pheasants in Weifang, Shandong Province, was genetically characterized being a field variant or novel strain in our recent research studies in conducting whole genome sequencing by using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technique on Illumina MiSeq platform. Among a total of 870,197 35-151-mer sequencing reads, 297,711 reads (34.21%) were identified as ARV sequences. The de novo assembly of the ARV reads resulted in generation of 10 ARV-related contigs with the average sequencing coverage from 1390× to 1977× according to 10 ARV genome segments. The complete genomes of this pheasant-origin ARV (Reo/SDWF /Pheasant/17608/20) were 23,495 bp in length and consist of 10 dsRNA segments ranged from 1192 bp (S4) to 3958 bp (L1) encoding 12 viral proteins. Sequence comparison between the SDWF17608 and classic ARV reference strains revealed that 58.1–100% nucleotide (nt) identities and 51.4–100% amino acid (aa) identities were in genome segment coding genes. The 10 RNA segments had conversed termini at 5' (5'-GCUUUU) and 3' (UCAUC-3') side, which were identical to the most published ARV strains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that this pheasant ARV field variant was closely related with chicken ARV strains in 7 genome segment genes, but it possessed significant sequence divergence in M1, M3 and S2 segments. These findings suggested that this pheasant-origin field variant was a divergent ARV strain and was likely originated from reassortments between different chicken ARV strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is the main cause of early-onset hip osteoarthritis in adulthood. Early screening of DDH is the key to avoiding these severe complications. This study aimed to assure the risk factors are suitable for screening patients with DDH in our region. We retrospectively analyzed 10,668 patients (21,336 hips) at our hospital. Overall, 204 patients with pathological DDH and 408 patients with normal hips were included in this study. All patients were diagnosed by performing ultrasound examinations according to the Graf technique. The risk factors were assessed based on patients' clinical data. Pearson's chi-square or Fisher's exact tests and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed for statistical analysis. A total of 204 patients were diagnosed with pathologic DDH and were treated with the Pavlik harness. Among these, 184 patients were female. There were 73 cases of first birth, 13 had oligohydramnios, 13 had foot deformity, 31 had breech delivery, 6 had congenital muscular torticollis. Female sex, vaginal delivery, breech presentation, oligohydramnios and foot deformity were identified as the risk factors for DDH. The risk factors of DDH in our clinical center were confirmed in our clinical center, this can supply the screening advice for the doctors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is relatively common and certain high-risk HPV strains can induce epithelial dysplasia, increasing the risk of cervical cancer. Green tea polyphenol (GTP) preparations exhibit diverse anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and antitumor properties In Vitro and In Vivo. Topical GTP application has been recommended as a treatment for genital warts, but the effect of GTP treatment on HPV infection and HPV-associated cancer remains to be established. The present study aimed to explore the mechanism by which GTP affected HPV type 16 (HPV-16)-positive immortalized human cervical epithelial cells. Survival, apoptosis, and autophagocytosis of these cells following GTP treatment was assessed using CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, and monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining. These cells were further transfected with an shRNA specific for Nrf2 to generate stable Nrf2-knockdown cells. The levels of Caspase-3, Bcl-2, Bax, P53, Rb, HPV-16 E6, HPV-16 E7, P62, Beclin1 and LC3B were determined via Western blotting. These analyses revealed that GTP treatment induced autophagy and apoptosis in HPV-16-positive cells, while Nrf2 gene knockdown reversed GTP-induced autophagic and apoptotic effects. Together, these results suggested that GTP could alleviate HPV infection and HPV-associated precancerous lesions In Vitro by regulating the Nrf2 pathway, highlighting the therapeutic potential of GTP in treating HPV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the importance of the westerlies to the global climate system, we still know little about their long‐term evolution and possible orographic controls during the late Cenozoic because of the lack of sedimentary records with precise chronological control. Eolian deposition in the North Pacific preserved past information about the westerlies, the major wind system delivering Asian dust to the Pacific. A continuous, high‐resolution eolian flux record since 23 Ma was reconstructed from sediments at Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 296 in the North Pacific. Combined with dust flux at Ocean Drilling Program Site 1208, variations in their difference indicated a northwards shift of the westerlies during 23‒9 Ma and a relatively stable state since then. We suggest that Tibetan uplift since the early Miocene began to drive the poleward shift of the westerlies until 9 Ma, after which the westerlies remained relatively stable over Asia on million‐year timescales. Plain Language Summary: The Northern Hemisphere Westerly wind is a significant component of planetary‐scale atmospheric circulation and has a large impact on regional and global climate change. Although numerous modern observations and orbital time‐scale studies of the Westerly wind have been conducted, we still know little about its evolution on million‐year time‐scales, which may modulate the overall amplitude of short‐term variations. Eolian deposition in the North Pacific has preserved precious information about the westerlies in the past. A continuous and high resolution eolian flux record dating from 23 Ma was reconstructed from sediments at Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 296 in the Northwest Pacific. Combined with dust records at Ocean Drilling Program Site 1208 to the east, we constrain how the path and strength of the Northern Hemisphere Westerlies have changed since the early Miocene. The two eolian records indicate a northwards shift of the westerlies between 23 and 9 Ma and a relatively stable state since then. We suggest that stepwise uplift of the Tibetan Plateau since at least the early Miocene began to drive the northwards shift of the Northern Hemisphere Westerlies until about 9 Ma, after which the westerlies remained relatively stable over Asia‐North Pacific on million‐year timescales. Key Points: We reconstruct the eolian flux record in the North Pacific since 23 Ma at high resolutionThe Northern Hemisphere Westerlies shifted northward between 23 and 9 Ma and have remained relatively stable since thenTibetan uplift drove the northward shift of Northern Hemisphere Westerlies in the early late Miocene [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common mental disorder in children, which is related to inattention and hyperactivity. These symptoms are associated with abnormal interactions of brain networks. We used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) based on the graph theory to explore the topology property changes of brain networks between an ADHD group and a normal group. The more refined AAL_1024 atlas was used to construct the functional networks with high nodal resolution, for detecting more subtle changes in brain regions and differences among groups. We compared altered topology properties of brain network between the groups from multilevel, mainly including modularity at mesolevel. Specifically, we analyzed the similarities and differences of module compositions between the two groups. The results found that the ADHD group showed stronger economic small-world network property, while the clustering coefficient was significantly lower than the normal group; the frontal and occipital lobes showed smaller node degree and global efficiency between disease statuses. The modularity results also showed that the module number of the ADHD group decreased, and the ADHD group had short-range overconnectivity within module and long-range underconnectivity between modules. Moreover, modules containing long-range connections between the frontal and occipital lobes disappeared, indicating that there was lack of top-down control information between the executive control region and the visual processing region in the ADHD group. Our results suggested that these abnormal regions were related to executive control and attention deficit of ADHD patients. These findings helped to better understand how brain function correlates with the ADHD symptoms and complement the fewer modularity elaboration of ADHD research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) is an abnormally proliferating photoallergic skin disease. Dysregulated inflammation and oxidative stress are the immediate factors in the abnormal proliferation of keratinocytes. This study aimed to investigate the effect of curcumin on the aberrant proliferation of keratinocytes in an in vitro (actinic dermatitis) AD model and the possible molecular mechanisms. Methods. The keratinocytes were irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) to construct an in vitro AD model and then processed with different concentrations of curcumin. Cell viability, oxidative stress markers (SOD, GSH-PX, and MDA), activated oxygen species (ROS), and inflammation markers (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and TNFα) were determined, respectively. Western blot was applied to assay the profiles of apoptosis-related proteins (Bax, Bcl-xL, Caspase3, Caspase8, and Caspase9), oxidative stress proteins (Keap1, Nrf2, HO-1, COX2, and iNOS), and inflammatory proteins (NF-κB, MMP1, and MMP9) and SPAG5/FOXM1. Functionally, SPAG5 or FOXM1 overexpression and knockdown models were constructed in keratinocytes to characterize their influence on UV irradiation-mediated keratinocyte dysfunction. Results. Curcumin weakened UV-mediated inflammation, proliferation, and oxidative stress and impaired apoptosis in keratinocytes. UV boosted SPAG5/FOXM1 expression in cells, while curcumin concentration-dependently retarded SPAG5/FOXM1 expression. Overexpression of SPAG5/FOXM1 fostered UV-mediated inflammation, proliferation, oxidative stress, and intensified apoptosis, whereas curcumin mostly reversed the SPAG5/FOXM1-mediated effects. In addition, knocking down SPAG5/FOXM1 ameliorated UV-mediated keratinocyte dysfunction, whereas curcumin failed to exert further protective effects in cells with knockdown of SPAG5/FOXM1. Conclusion. Curcumin modulated proliferation, inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis of keratinocytes by restraining the SPAG5/FOXM1 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the modern poultry industry, newly hatched chicks are unavoidably transported from the hatching to the rearing foster. Stress caused by multiple physical and psychological stressors during transportation is particularly harmful to the liver. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) possesses multiple benefits against hepatic metabolic disorders. Given that transport stress could disturb hepatic glucolipid metabolism and the role of APS in metabolic regulation, we speculated that APS could antagonize transport stress-induced disorder of hepatic glucolipid metabolism. Firstly, newly hatched chicks were transported for 0, 2, 4, and 8 h, respectively. Subsequently, to further investigate the effects of APS on transport stress-induced hepatic glucolipid metabolism disturbance, chicks were pretreated with water or APS and then subjected to transport treatment. Our study suggested that APS could relieve transport stress-induced lipid deposition in liver. Meanwhile, transport stress also induced disturbances in glucose metabolism, reflected by augmented mRNA expression of key molecules in gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis. Surprisingly, APS could simultaneously alleviate these alterations via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α)/Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)/AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway. Moreover, APS treatment regulated the level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), thereby alleviating transport stress-induced alterations of VLDL synthesis, cholesterol metabolism, lipid oxidation, synthesis, and transport-related molecules. These findings indicated that APS could prevent the potential against transport stress-induced hepatic glucolipid metabolism disorders via PGC-1α/SIRT1/AMPK/PPARα/PPARγ signaling system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been confirmed as an influencing factor of visual impairment, but potential concomitant effects on visual and cognitive performance are not well understood.Objective: To provide a new method for early screening of Alzheimer's disease and further explore the theoretical mechanism of the decline of whole visual and cognitive performance in AD.Methods: We studied 60 individuals without dementia as normal control (NC), 74 individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), 60 individuals with amnesia mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and 75 patients with AD on a battery of tests designed to measure multiple aspects of basic and higher-order visual perception and cognition. All subjects performed on same visual and cognitive test batteries.Results: The results showed both of four groups, with the stimulus-presentation time being longer, the visual-search performance improved, and both the eye interest-area first fixation duration and the interest-area-fixation count increased. Particularly under the noise-masking condition, the AD group performed the worst at stimulus-presentation times between 300 and 900 ms. The aMCI group, but not the SCD group, performed worse than the NC group at the stimulus-presentation time of either 300 or 500 ms. The interest-area-fixation count was higher in all the patient groups than that in the NC group, and distinguishable between participants with AD and those with SCD or aMCI.Conclusion: The visual-search performance combined with eye-movement tracking under the noise-masking condition can be used for distinguishing AD from normal aging, SCD, and aMCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) is a widely used tool for point‐of‐care testing (POCT). Although the method is fast and inexpensive, it provides only qualitative or semi‐quantitative information, which limits the scope of its applications in POCT. Here, we report the development of a low‐cost, portable LFIA reader based on photothermal detection of reporters (such as colloidal gold and colored latex beads) captured on LFIA strips using a low‐power green laser as the heating source and a single‐element infrared sensor as the detector. For 40‐nm colloidal gold, we measured a detection limit of 3 × 105 particles/mm2 by laser irradiation of the reporters at 532 nm with an intensity of 20 W/cm2. The photothermal detection enables a 10‐fold enhancement in sensitivity over color visualization with the naked eye. More importantly, with the use of the control line intensities as internal calibrants, the results so obtained are quantitative and useful to support critical decision‐making in POCT, as demonstrated by gold‐based assays for human chorionic gonadotropin and human immunodeficiency virus as well as latex‐based assays for nucleocapsid protein of the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]