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Coalbed methane (CBM) is an increasingly important unconventional natural gas. Production logging can provide important information about the production status of each layer in a CBM well, which is crucial for developing and adjusting development plans. However, currently, only open-hole logging is done for CBM wells, and there is no mature technology for production testing of wells that produce low amounts of gas. To address this issue, a new method has been proposed in this paper for measuring the production profile of CBM wells. This method is based on the pressure difference method and measures the gas–liquid two-phase flow in a 125 mm vertical rising circular tube. The researchers established a simulation model of the CBM wellbore pressure difference method and obtained four flow patterns: bubble flow, slug flow, churn flow, and annular flow. We studied the relationship between the pressure difference and gas and water flow rates at different positions and spacing between measuring points in the wellbore. A differential pressure flowmeter without a throttling device was developed, and gas–liquid dynamic experiments were carried out through a simulation experiment platform to verify the feasibility of the flowmeter. Two well field tests were conducted in Shanxi CBM fields using differential pressure flowmeters, which accurately and quantitatively measured the stratified gas production of CBM wells. This technology can help improve the productivity and development efficiency of CBM wells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thioesters are a common class of biologically active fragments and synthetically useful building blocks. An attractive synthetic approach would be to use simple and bench-stable carboxylic acids as a coupling partner. Herein, we present a 4-bromo pyridine–borane complex as a catalyst for the direct coupling of carboxylic acids with thiols. A wide range of thioesters with good functional group compatibility could be prepared via this metal-free approach. The merit of this strategy is exemplified by the modification of carboxylic acid-containing drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) is a common critical neurological condition that can lead to irreversible hippocampal neuron damage and cognitive dysfunction. Multiple studies have demonstrated the critical roles that long non-coding RNA Mir155hg plays in a variety of diseases. However, less is known about the function and mechanism of Mir155hg in CSE. Here we investigate and elucidate the mechanism underlying the contribution of Mir155hg to CSE-induced hippocampal neuron injury. By applying high-throughput sequencing, we examined the expression of differentially expressed genes in normal and CSE rats. Subsequent RT-qPCR enabled us to measure the level of Mir155hg in rat hippocampal tissue. Targeted knockdown of Mir155hg was achieved by the AAV9 virus. Additionally, we utilized HE and Tunel staining to evaluate neuronal injury. Immunofluorescence (IF), Golgi staining, and brain path clamping were also used to detect the synaptic plasticity of hippocampal neurons. Finally, through IF staining and Sholl analysis, we assessed the degree of microglial phagocytic function. It was found that the expression of Mir155hg was elevated in CSE rats. HE and Tunel staining results showed that Mir155hg knockdown suppressed the hippocampal neuron loss and apoptosis followed CSE. IF, Golgi staining and brain path clamp data found that Mir155hg knockdown enhanced neuronal synaptic plasticity. The results from IF staining and Sholl analysis showed that Mir155hg knockdown enhanced microglial phagocytosis. Our findings suggest that Mir155hg promotes CSE-induced hippocampal neuron injury by inhibiting microglial phagocytosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The primary objective of this study is to comparatively assess the safety of nasogastric (NG) feeding versus nasojejunal (NJ) feeding in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP), with a special focus on the initiation of these feeding methods within the first 48 h of hospital admission. Methods: Studies were identified through a systematic search in PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science. Four studies involving 217 patients were included. This systematic review assesses the safety and efficacy of nasogastric versus nasojejunal feeding initiated within 48 h post-admission in moderate/severe acute pancreatitis, with a specific focus on the timing of initiation and patient age as influential factors. Results: The results showed that the mortality rates were similar between NG and NJ feeding groups (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.42 to 1.77, P = 0.68). Significant differences were observed in the incidence of diarrhea (RR 2.75, 95% CI 1.21 to 6.25, P = 0.02) and pain (RR 2.91, 95% CI 1.50 to 5.64, P = 0.002) in the NG group. The NG group also showed a higher probability of infection (6.67% vs. 3.33%, P = 0.027) and a higher frequency of multiple organ failures. Subgroup analysis for early intervention (within 48 h) showed a higher risk of diarrhea in the NG group (RR 2.80, P = 0.02). No significant differences were found in the need for surgical intervention, parenteral nutrition, or success rates of feeding procedures. Conclusion: This meta-analysis highlights the importance of considering the method and timing of nutritional support in acute pancreatitis. While NG feeding within 48 h of admission increases the risk of certain complications such as diarrhea and infection, it does not significantly impact mortality or the need for surgical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compositional changes of successively emplaced mafic magmatites provide insights into the evolution of orogenic belts, particularly the transformation processes and properties of the orogenic lithospheric mantle. Herein, we present new zircon U‒Pb ages and Lu‒Hf isotopes, as well as whole-rock major, trace element, and Sr – Nd isotope compositions from three mafic intrusions in the Asuo area, central Tibet, to clarify the evolution of the Lhasa – Qiangtang Orogenic Belt (LQOB). These mafic intrusions can be classified into calc-alkaline basalts and are enriched in large ion lithophile elements and depleted in high-field strength elements. Significant differences in the whole-rock trace element compositions, Sr – Nd isotope values, and U – Pb ages stratify them into two groups, namely Groups I and II, of which Group I rocks (ca. 105 Ma) show lower87Sr/88Sri = (0.70694–0.70701), [Sm/Yb]N = (1.51–1.54) and higher εNd (t) = (−0.74 to −0.61) than Group II (ca. 97–95 Ma) (87Sr/88Sri = 0.70759–0.70870; εNd (t) = –4.58 to −3.75; [Sm/Yb]N = 2.43–2.94). These features indicate that the mantle source exhibits a progressive increase in the proportion of garnet, along with significant addition of subduction-related components into the primary melts. One scenario for producing such trace element patterns and gradually enriched radioactive isotope signatures involves the extensive heating of an oceanic slab beneath the LQOB by upwelling asthenosphere, which leads to the extensive melting of sediments within the slab. Identification of ca. 105–95 Ma Asuo mafic rocks suggests their formation in a post-collisional setting with additional heat input from the deep mantle. These results provide new evidence supporting the occurrence of the Lhasa – Qiangtang collision within the framework of north-south bidirectional subduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined with computational fluid dynamics analysis method and coupled vibration analysis method, the aerodynamic shielding effect of tower of long-span sea-crossing bridge on high-speed trains is analyzed from the aspects of flow field distribution, aerodynamic characteristics, and dynamic response. Based on k–omega shear stress transport turbulence model, a three-dimensional numerical simulation model of train-tower-girder is established. Considering the influence of bridge tower width, train speed, and crosswind speed, how the bridge tower changes the aerodynamic characteristics of the train by causing local sudden wind is discussed, and the average fluctuation amplitude ( Δ m ) and influence width (d) are defined to quantify the tower-induced aerodynamic shielding effect. Meanwhile, the further influence of shielding effect on train dynamic response is discussed by the comprehensive wind-train-track-bridge coupled analysis system. The results show that the bridge tower greatly changes the wind environment around the train with it passes through the bridge tower area, resulting in a significant and sudden change in the aerodynamic characteristics of the train. Larger tower width and smaller yaw angle (e.g., higher train speed and lower crosswind speed) will increase the influence width and sudden change amplitude of tower-induced shielding effect on trains' aerodynamic coefficients. The further influence of tower-induced sudden wind on car body acceleration and wheel load reduction ratio of high-speed train shows a wider width than that on train aerodynamic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hardawu granites in the eastern segment of the ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic belt, the northern Qaidam Basin, were studied by whole-rock major and trace elements and in-situ zircon U-Pb geochronology and Hf isotopes to discuss the petrogenesis and tectonic evolution. Geochronological results show that the granites have a crystallization age of 401 ± 3 Ma, suggesting that they were formed in the Early Devonian. The granites have SiO2 contents of 75.32 wt.%–76.05 wt.%, total alkali contents of 8.23 wt.%–8.36 wt.%, and K2O/Na2O ratios of 1.62–1.91. They were rich in K2O, poor in TiO2, MnO, MgO, and P2O5, and have A/CNK values of 1.05–1.07, Rittmann index δ values of 2.05–2.14, and differentiation index (DI) values of 92.85–94.18. They are high potassium calc-alkaline, weak-peraluminum, and highly differentiated I-type granites. The granites also show enrichment of large ion lithophile elements (LILE) such as Rb, Ba, and Th, and depletion of high field strength elements (HFSE) such as Nb, Ta, and Ti. The total REE concentrations range from 169 ppm to 232 ppm, with enrichments of light rare earth elements and negative Eu anomalies (δEu = 0.39–0.55). The zircon εHf(t) values range from −0.65 to −2.29, and the two-stage model ages (tDM2) changed within a small range of 1.44 to 1.54 Ga, indicating that the magma of the Hardawu granites was originated from the partial melting of Mesoproterozoic lower crustal materials. Combined with previous studies, we suggest that the Hardawu granites were formed in the extensional tectonic setting after the collision between the Qaidam Block and the central and southern Qilian Block in the Early Devonian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's aeromagnetic three-component detection system was successfully developed in 2017, but how to use the three-component data of a large area aeromagnetic field to conduct geological interpretation research is still in the initial stage. This study proposes that the vector map of the total intensity of magnetic anomaly drawn after the aeromagnetic three-component data was significantly facilitated in geological interpretation. The related literature and books have developed the reduction-to-the-pole formula for aeromagnetic three-component data, but it is not final. Therefore, this paper derives the ultimate simple reduction-to-the-pole method based on aeromagnetic three-component data for the first time using a deep theoretical formula. The simple model of a single anomalous body and the complex model of four anomalous bodies are designed. The aeromagnetic three-component data in different latitudes is used to analyze the effect of the aeromagnetic three-component data. The results show that the effect of aeromagnetic three-component data at low latitude is not ideal, and the vector arrowhead of the total intensity of magnetic anomaly drawn after the reduction-to-the-pole method for the aeromagnetic three-component data is studied. The total intensity vector arrowhead of the magnetic anomaly's total strength drawn after the three-component data of the magnetic field can point to the magnetic geological body, and the converged vector arrow's position can reflect the geological body's buried depth. Then, the idea is applied to the aeromagnetic three-component data in the northern part of China, and the vector arrowhead of the total intensity of the magnetic anomaly is drawn. The vector arrowhead diagram of the total intensity of the magnetic anomaly is upward and downward. This study proposes that the different orientation phenomenon of the arrowhead is due to the remanence in the region's magnetic geological body and is verified by comparing the geological data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The northern coastal zone of Taizhou spans three tectonic units: the North China Block, Lower Yangtze Block, and Cathaysian Block. The regional geological structure is complex, magmatic activity is strong, and faults are developed. Based on the latest aeromagnetic data, along with airborne gravity, regional geology, and measured rock susceptibility data, the aeromagnetic anomaly characteristics and distribution regularity of magmatic rocks and faults in the study area are classified and studied. Hundreds of intrusive and volcanic rocks are delineated, and magmatic activity is mainly concentrated in the Meso-Cenozoic Era, which is dominated by the Yanshanian Period and controlled by deep-large faults; these deep-large faults are mainly distributed in NE, NNE, and NW directions. There are SN, EW, and arc faults as well. The former has a great influence on the regional structure and tectonic evolution. Based on the epicenter distribution of natural earthquakes, deep-large fault activity is preliminarily discussed. The results presented in this study can provide a reference for meeting national strategic needs and conducting a comprehensive geological survey of the coastal zone, resolving major geological problems, realizing the goal of land-sea integration, and assisting in the planning of northern coastal economic zone, urban agglomeration planning and site selection, major engineering constructions, and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terpenoids have extensive pharmacological activities and are extensively applied in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. Increasing the structural diversity of terpenoids would expand their potential applications. Noncanonical backbones can be generated by coexpressing the canonical mevalonate pathway and C-methyltransferases, or the lepidopteran mevalonate pathway, in engineered strains. The design and chemical synthesis of farnesyl pyrophosphate analogs to create unnatural terpenoids promises two advantages: it complements other methods of terpene synthesis and bypasses the task of engineering entire metabolic pathways to produce alternative substrates in vivo. The artificial metalloenzyme Ir(Me)-porphyrin IX CYP119 allows cyclopropanation of limonene to synthesize high titers of unnatural products with high diastereoselectivity. Terpenoids display chemical and structural diversities as well as important biological activities. Despite their extreme variability, the range of these structures is limited by the scope of natural products that canonically derive from interconvertible five-carbon (C5) isoprene units. New approaches have recently been developed to expand their structural diversity. This review systematically explores the combinatorial biosynthesis of noncanonical building blocks via the coexpression of the canonical mevalonate (MVA) pathway and C-methyltransferases (C-MTs), or by using the lepidopteran mevalonate (LMVA) pathway. Unnatural terpenoids can be created from farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) analogs by chemobiological synthesis and terpene cyclopropanation by artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs). Advanced technologies to accelerate terpene biosynthesis are discussed. This review provides a valuable reference for increasing the diversity of valuable terpenoids and their derivatives, as well as for expanding their potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) is extensively utilized in power grid systems. However, the existence of numerous photoelectrons in the SF6 gas during X-ray non-destructive testing in ultra-high-voltage (UHV) GIS equipment may induce gas streamer discharge in a strong electric field. To address this issue, in this work, the impact of X-ray irradiation on the SF6 gas discharge in GIS equipment was systematically analyzed. Firstly, one GIS engineering mode with a three-dimensional electric field was established, and a physical GIS model was established by the Geant4 and Garfield++ codes. Secondly, the electrons’ ionization, and multiplication processes in SF6 gas during the X-ray irradiation were studied. Finally, a test platform with an equivalent electric field tube, which had the same intensity as in the GIS equipment, was established to verify the physical GIS model. X-ray beams with 0.1 MeV, 0.16 MeV, 0.3 MeV, and 1.25 MeV energy were used during the test process. From our analysis, it was concluded that X-ray irradiation can cause an electron avalanche in SF6 gas and the intensity of the avalanche is low, which is far away from the appearance of the streamer discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: PTEN loss has been identified in various tumor types and is linked to unfavorable clinical outcomes. In addition to PTEN mutation, multiple mechanisms contribute to PTEN loss during tumor development. However, the natural selection process of PTEN-deficient tumor cells remains unclear. Here, we aimed at further elucidating the role of PTEN-L in tumor progression. Methods: PTEN knockout cell lines were generated using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Ni-NTA affinity column chromatography was employed for PTEN-L purification. Tumor cell metastasis was evaluated in murine models and observed using the IVIS Spectrum Imaging System. RNA-sequencing, western blotting, PCR, flow cytometry, and cell proliferation assays were employed to investigate tumor cell dormancy and related mechanisms. Results: The chemotherapeutic drugs, cisplatin, paclitaxel, and doxorubicin, induced tumor cells to secrete PTEN-long (PTEN-L), which shields PTEN-deficient tumor cells from chemotherapy-induced apoptosis better than it shields PTEN-intact cells. Further investigation revealed that PTEN-L treatment induced dormancy in PTEN-null tumor cells, characterized by an increase in p16 and p27 levels, cell-cycle arrest, reduced cell proliferation, and enhanced DNA repair. Furthermore, PTEN-L treatment selectively promoted the accumulation and growth of PTEN-null tumor cells in the lungs of C57BL/6J mice, while evading immune surveillance. Mechanistically, PTEN-L induced dormancy in PTEN-null tumor cells by activating the p38 signaling pathway. Addition of a p38 inhibitor effectively reversed dormancy and growth of PTEN-deficient tumor cells in the lungs. We also demonstrated that PTEN expression played a pivotal role in determining the outcome of PTEN-L-mediated antitumor therapy. Conclusions: In summary, PTEN-L was identified as a potent inducer of dormancy in PTEN-deficient tumor cells, which increased their efficient selection within the tumor microenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI). However, the mechanism underlying this association has yet to be fully elucidated. This multicenter study aimed to investigate whether association between Lp(a) and MI risk is reinforced by the presence of low-attenuation plaque (LAP) identified by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). In a derivation cohort, a total of 5,607 patients with stable chest pain suspected of coronary artery disease who underwent CCTA and Lp(a) measurement were prospectively enrolled. In validation cohort, 1,122 patients were retrospectively collected during the same period. High Lp(a) was defined as Lp(a) ≥50 mg/dL. The primary endpoint was a composite of time to fatal or nonfatal MI. Associations were estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazard models. During a median follow-up of 8.2 years (Q1-Q3: 7.2-9.3 years), the elevated Lp(a) levels were associated with MI risk (adjusted HR [aHR]: 1.91; 95% CI: 1.46-2.49; P < 0.001). There was a significant interaction between Lp(a) and LAP (P interaction <0.001) in relation to MI risk. When stratified by the presence or absence of LAP, Lp(a) was associated with MI in patients with LAP (aHR: 3.03; 95% CI: 1.92-4.76; P < 0.001). Mediation analysis revealed that LAP mediated 73.3% (P < 0.001) for the relationship between Lp(a) and MI. The principal findings remained unchanged in the validation cohort. Elevated Lp(a) augmented the risk of MI during 8 years of follow-up, especially in patients with LAP identified by CCTA. The presence of LAP could reinforce the relationship between Lp(a) and future MI occurrence. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is of great significance to characterize the dynamics of underwater explosive bubbles in close proximity to mutually perpendicular walls for ensuring the safety of important underwater structures. In this paper, a dynamic experiment on underwater explosion bubbles was carried out near constructed mutually perpendicular walls. High-speed cameras were utilized to capture high-resolution images, while pressure sensors recorded pressure–time history curves. The main focus was on studying the evolution process of bubble morphology and pulse characteristics. When the position of the charge's center relative to the horizontal wall remained fixed, decreasing the distance between the charge's center and the vertical wall resulted in a reduction in the equivalent maximum radius of bubbles and an increase in its pulsation period. Additionally, the asymmetric collapse of bubbles on a single wall transformed into asynchronous collapse on two walls, with most collapsed bubbles tending to migrate and expand toward the corner formed by mutually perpendicular walls. The resulting jet from the collapse of bubbles exhibited deflection toward the vertical wall, with an inclination angle increasing approximately proportionally with dimensionless distance ratio γ h / γ v . Moreover, it became more difficult for achieving effective focusing of bubble energy as the jet approached the corners formed by mutually perpendicular walls. The experiments also implied that reducing the dead weight of the vertical wall weakened its contact with the horizontal wall, causing an increase in the equivalent maximum radius of bubbles and jet inclination, as well as a decrease in the bubble pulsation period, under the same dimensionless distance γ v . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this experiment was to study the effects of different levels of Clostridium butyricum supplementation on the gas production, fermentation parameters, and nutrient digestibility in TMR diet by in vitro gas production method, so as to determine the appropriate amount of Clostridium butyricum supplementation in beef cattle diet. Holstein steers with permanent fistula were selected as rumen fluid donors and TMR as culture substrate. The control group (CON group) only contained the culture substrate, while the Clostridium butyricum test group added Clostridium butyricum with the concentrations of 2x108 (CB1 group), 4x108 (CB2 group), 6x108 (CB3 group), 8x108 (CB4 group) and 10x108 CFU/kg (CB5 group) on the basis of the culture substrate, with six replicates at each level. The results showed that the in vitro gas production of CB1 group was significantly lower than that of other groups when the fermentation time was 2 h and 4 h (P<0.05). When the fermentation time was 12 h, the in vitro gas production of CB3 group, CB2 group, CB4 group, and CB5 group was significantly higher than that of CON group and CB1 group (P<0.05). The pH value in each experimental group were significantly lower than those in CON group (P<0.05), while the content of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) was significantly higher than that in CON group (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference among the experimental groups (P>0.05). The concentrations of acetic acid, propionic acid, and total acid in CB3 group, CB4 group and CB5 group were significantly higher than those in CON group (P<0.05). Isobutyric acid content in CB1 group, CB2 group and CB3 group was significantly higher than that in CON group (P<0.05). Dry matter digestibility (DMD) and neutral detergent fiber degradation (NDFD) of each experimental group were significantly higher than those of CON group (P<0.05). The degradation rate of acid detergent fiber (ADFD) in CB2 group was significantly higher than that in CON group (P<0.05). The study indicates that the addition of Clostridium butyricum can increase gas production, NH3-N, acetic acid, propionic acid, total volatile acid content and DMD. The suitable addition of Clostridium butyricum is 6x108 CFU/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic congestion is usually caused by many factors. When the traffic system passes through some critical bifurcation points, the stability state of the system will change abruptly, resulting in the loss of traffic stability. The saddle-node bifurcation in the static bifurcation will lead to a series of destructive dynamic behaviors, such as jump and delay of the system amplitude. This catastrophic bifurcation behavior can be eliminated or delayed by bifurcation control, help to solve the problem of traffic congestion. Based on this, in this paper, the saddle-node bifurcation control problem of stochastic traffic flow model considering vehicle braking effect is studied. By adding linear feedback control, the changes of bifurcation points and system stability in the system model are studied. It is shown that the bifurcation points can be shifted backwards and forwards by adjusting the values of the control parameters of the controlled system model so as to prevent or alleviate the traffic congestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beyond the antimicrobial activity, doxycycline (DOX) exhibits longevity‐promoting effect in nematodes, while its effect on mammals is unclear. Here, we applied a mouse model of Hutchinson‐Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), Zmpste24 knockout (KO) mice, and analyzed the antiaging effect of DOX. We found that the DOX treatment prolongs lifespan and ameliorates progeroid features of Zmpste24 KO mice, including the decline of body and tissue weight, exercise capacity and cortical bone density, and the shortened colon length. DOX treatment alleviates the abnormal nuclear envelope in multiple tissues, and attenuates cellular senescence and cell death of Zmpste24 KO and HGPS fibroblasts. DOX downregulates the level of proinflammatory IL6 in both serum and tissues. Moreover, the elevated α‐tubulin (K40) acetylation mediated by NAT10 in progeria, is rescued by DOX treatment in the aorta tissues in Zmpste24 KO mice and fibroblasts. Collectively, our study uncovers that DOX can decelerate aging in progeria mice via counteracting IL6 expression and NAT10‐mediated acetylation of α‐tubulin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass spectrometry was used to observe the reactions between Y−Co heteronuclear metal carbide cluster anions Y1‐3CoC1,2− and N2 at room temperature. Y2CoC1,2− can produce Co ejection products, in which Y2CoC− also has N2 association products; YCoC2− and Y3CoC− only generate N2 association products, while YCoC− and Y3CoC2− are inert to N2. Detailed reaction pathways were obtained through density functional theory calculations, which reasonably explain the experimental phenomena. Co is superior to Y as the electrophilic reaction site in the clusters and is the preferential initial adsorption site for N2. Some crucial steps were identified, including N−N dissociation, CC−N formation, C−CN dissociation, and C−N formation. The energy barriers of these steps are closely related to the coordination mode of N/N2 and C/C2 in clusters. Two indicators, the N−N bond length and the Mayer bond order, were utilized to describe the activation degree of the N−N bond. Analyses on the density of states and the frontier molecular orbitals reveal the electronic structures of key intermediates for N−N dissociation. The reaction mechanisms of N2 activation on Y−Co carbide clusters obtained may lay a preliminary foundation for the further development of catalysts for nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer after non-melanoma skin cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in US men. Its incidence and mortality rates vary substantially across geographical regions and over time, with large disparities by race, geographic regions (i.e., Appalachia), among others. The widely used Cox proportional hazards model is usually not applicable in such scenarios owing to the violation of the proportional hazards assumption. In this paper, we fit Bayesian accelerated failure time models for the analysis of prostate cancer survival and take dependent spatial structures and temporal information into account by incorporating random effects with multivariate conditional autoregressive priors. In particular, we relax the proportional hazards assumption, consider flexible frailty structures in space and time, and also explore strategies for handling the temporal variable. The parameter estimation and inference are based on a Monte Carlo Markov chain technique under a Bayesian framework. The deviance information criterion is used to check goodness of fit and to select the best candidate model. Extensive simulations are performed to examine and compare the performances of models in different contexts. Finally, we illustrate our approach by using the 2004-2014 Pennsylvania Prostate Cancer Registry data to explore spatial-temporal heterogeneity in overall survival and identify significant risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyridine‐borane complex was widely used as a reducing agent, but the exploration of such reagent as a catalyst for amidation of carboxylic acids are still unknown. Here we reported the first example of direct amidation of carboxylic acids catalyzed by pyridine‐borane complexes. This protocol features a low catalyst loading (0.2–10 mol %), broad substrate scope, good functional group compatibility, and affording the amides in high yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the well logging requirements of horizontal stripper wells, the flow characteristics of the oil-water two-phase flow in the invisible horizontal tri-electrode capacitive sensor (HTCS) measurement pipeline are studied. First, an experimental device and a numerical validation model of a horizontal 20 mm glass pipeline are established to study the flow characteristics of the oil-water two-phase flow. Then, the flow characteristics of the horizontal oil-water two-phase flow in the measurement pipeline under different horizontal inclination angles are studied and the flow patterns and inclination angles suitable for the new tri-electrode capacitive sensor are discussed. Finally, using the horizontal oil-water two-phase flow loop platform of the largest oil and gas testing center in China, the dynamic response of the new capacitive sensor is studied under different inclination angles, flow rates, and water-cut conditions, and the dynamic response law is analyzed based on the simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precision control of multiple robotic fish visual navigation in complex underwater environments has long been a challenging issue in the field of underwater robotics. To address this problem, this paper proposes a multi-robot fish obstacle traversal technique based on the combination of cross-modal variational autoencoder (CM-VAE) and imitation learning. Firstly, the overall framework of the robotic fish control system is introduced, where the first-person view of the robotic fish is encoded into a low-dimensional latent space using CM-VAE, and then different latent features in the space are mapped to the velocity commands of the robotic fish through imitation learning. Finally, to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, experiments are conducted on linear, S-shaped, and circular gate frame trajectories with both single and multiple robotic fish. Analysis reveals that the visual navigation method proposed in this paper can stably traverse various types of gate frame trajectories. Compared to end-to-end learning and purely unsupervised image reconstruction, the proposed control strategy demonstrates superior performance, offering a new solution for the intelligent navigation of robotic fish in complex environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The evidence on the role of retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy is limited to less common histology subtypes of epithelial advanced ovarian cancer. Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2019. Patients with stage III–IV epithelial ovarian cancer were included and divided into two groups based on whether they received retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy. The primary outcomes are overall survival (OS) and cause‐specific survival (CSS). Results: Among the 10 184 included patients, 5472 patients underwent debulking surgery with retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy, while 4712 patients only underwent debulking surgery. No differences were found in the baseline information between the two groups after propensity score matching. Retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy during debulking surgery was associated with improved 5‐year OS (43.41% vs. 37.49%, p < 0.001) and 5‐year CSS (46.43% vs. 41.79%, p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis further validate the retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy increased the 5‐year OS and CSS in patients with high‐grade serous cancer. Although the results were not validated in the less common ovarian cancer (including endometrial cancer, mucinous cancer, low‐grade serous cancer, and clear cell cancer), the tendency showed patients with the above four subtypes may benefit from the lymphadenectomy which is restricted for small sample size after propensity score matching. Conclusions: This study revealed that retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy could further improve the survival outcome during debulking surgery in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. The conclusion was affected by the histology subtypes of ovarian cancer and further studies are needed to validate the conclusion in less common ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The imbalance of land cover categories is a common problem. Some categories appear less frequently in the image, while others may occupy the vast majority of the proportion. This imbalance can lead the classifier to tend to predict categories with higher frequency of occurrence, while the recognition effect on minority categories is poor. In view of the difficulty of land cover remote sensing image multi-target semantic classification, a semantic classification method of land cover remote sensing image based on depth deconvolution neural network is proposed. In this method, the land cover remote sensing image semantic segmentation algorithm based on depth deconvolution neural network is used to segment the land cover remote sensing image with multi-target semantic segmentation; Four semantic features of color, texture, shape and size in land cover remote sensing image are extracted by using the semantic feature extraction method of remote sensing image based on improved sequential clustering algorithm; The classification and recognition method of remote sensing image semantic features based on random forest algorithm is adopted to classify and identify four semantic feature types of land cover remote sensing image, and realize the semantic classification of land cover remote sensing image. The experimental results show that after this method classifies the multi-target semantic types of land cover remote sensing images, the average values of Dice similarity coefficient and Hausdorff distance are 0.9877 and 0.9911 respectively, which can accurately classify the multi-target semantic types of land cover remote sensing images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total synthesis strategy was developed for the synthesis of luotonin A, B and their analogues using synergistic FeCl3/KI‐catalyzed oxidative cyclization. This protocol utilizes cheap and widely available N‐propargyl 2‐methyl‐quinazolinones and arylamines under mild conditions, and it has a wide substrate scope and high atom economy. Different natural products (luotonin A, B and derivatives) can be synthesized via a unique switchable approach. Further transformations from luotonin B to luotonin E and structural modification of natural products demonstrate the potential applications of this method. Moreover, camptothecin can also be modified with the reported protocol to afford the hydroxyl‐substituted product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various yellowish-green persistent phosphors of Y2.95−x−yLuxGdyAl5−zGazO12:0.05Ce3+ (x = 0–1, y = 0–1, z = 1–4) were successfully synthesized by the one-step high-temperature solid-state reaction method in air. The effects of simultaneous doping of Lu3+, Gd3+ and Ga3+ on the luminescence properties of the phosphors were investigated in detail for the first time. Herein, the microstructure, morphology, afterglow performance, luminescence properties, thermoluminescence, thermal quenching and flicker index of the efficient blue-light-activated Y2.95−x−yLuxGdyAl5−zGazO12:0.05Ce3+ phosphors were tested. The τ90 and τ80 values of Y1.45LuGd0.5Al2.5Ga2.5O12:0.05Ce3+ are 10.8 ms and 33.2 ms, respectively. These parameters are important in terms of effectiveness in reducing flicker in alternating current (AC) LEDs. Compared with the conventional Y3Al2Ga3O12:Ce3+ phosphor, the Y1.45LuGd0.5Al2.5Ga2.5O12:0.05Ce3+ phosphor has a better luminescence performance, stronger afterglow performance, and lower flicker index. The quantum yield of the Y1.45LuGd0.5Al2.5Ga2.5O12:0.05Ce3+ phosphor was 86.42% and the luminous efficiency of the LED devices prepared with it reached 92.12 lm W−1 when operated at 100 mA. Integrating sphere and spectroradiometer tests as well as CIE chromaticity diagrams indicate that the AC-WLEDs assembled by mixing the Y1.45LuGd0.5Al2.5Ga2.5O12:0.05Ce3+ phosphor and a commercial red phosphor in an appropriate ratio could obtain ideal white light with a high color-rendering index (87.9) and the flickering index was successfully reduced from 100% to 61.4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Serine proteinase inhibitors, clade B, member 3 (SerpinB3) and B4 are highly similar in amino acid sequences and associated with inflammation regulation. We investigated SerpinB3 and B4 expression and their roles in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Methods. The expression of SerpinB3 and B4 in nasal mucosa tissues, brush cells, and secretions from CRSwNP patients was measured, and their regulation by inflammatory cytokines were investigated. Their functions were also analyzed using air–liquid interface (ALI)-cultured primary human nasal epithelial cells (HNECs) and transcriptomic analysis. Results. Both SerpinB3 and B4 expression was higher in nasal mucosa, brush cells, and secretions from eosinophilic (E) CRSwNP and nonECRSwNP patients than in healthy controls. Immunofluorescence staining indicated that SerpinB3 and B4 were primarily expressed in epithelial cells and their expression was higher in CRSwNP patients. SerpinB3 and B4 expression was upregulated by interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5, IL-6, and IL-17a. Transcriptomic analysis identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in response to recombinant SerpinB3 and B4 stimulation. Both the DEGs of SerpinB3 and B4 were associated with disease genes of nasal polyps and inflammation in DisGeNET database. Pathway enrichment indicated that downregulated DEGs of SerpinB3 and B4 were both enriched in cytokine–cytokine receptor interactions, with CXCL8 as the hub gene in the protein–protein interaction networks. Furthermore, CXCL8/IL-8 expression was downregulated by recombinant SerpinB3 and B4 protein in ALI-cultured HNECs, and upregulated when knockdown of SerpinB3/B4. Conclusion. SerpinB3/B4 expression is upregulated in nasal mucosa of CRSwNP patients. SerpinB3/B4 may play an anti-inflammatory role in CRSwNP by inhibiting the expression of epithelial cell-derived CXCL8/IL-8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anopheles stephensi is native to Southeast Asia and the Arabian Peninsula and has emerged as an effective and invasive malaria vector. Since invasion was reported in Djibouti in 2012, the global invasion range of An. stephensi has been expanding, and its high adaptability to the environment and the ongoing development of drug resistance have created new challenges for malaria control. Climate change is an important factor affecting the distribution and transfer of species, and understanding the distribution of An. stephensi is an important part of malaria control measures, including vector control. Methods: In this study, we collected existing distribution data for An. stephensi, and based on the SSP1-2.6 future climate data, we used the Biomod2 package in R Studio through the use of multiple different model methods such as maximum entropy models (MAXENT) and random forest (RF) in this study to map the predicted global An. stephensi climatically suitable areas. Results: According to the predictions of this study, some areas where there are no current records of An. stephensi, showed significant areas of climatically suitable for An. stephensi. In addition, the global climatically suitability areas for An. stephensi are expanding with global climate change, with some areas changing from unsuitable to suitable, suggesting a greater risk of invasion of An. stephensi in these areas, with the attendant possibility of a resurgence of malaria, as has been the case in Djibouti. Conclusions: This study provides evidence for the possible invasion and expansion of An. stephensi and serves as a reference for the optimization of targeted monitoring and control strategies for this malaria vector in potential invasion risk areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including condyloma acuminatum (CA), syphilis, gonorrhea, genital Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, are a group of diseases primarily transmitted through sexual contact, similar behaviors, and indirect contact. These diseases exert a profound impact on both the physical and mental health of patients and impose a substantial socioeconomic burden. Nonetheless, there is a lack of satisfactory treatment options and preventive strategies currently. Research has revealed aberrant expression patterns of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the tissues and blood of individuals with STDs, which are involved in the regulation of essential cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Consequently, miRNAs hold promise as crucial biomarkers for early diagnosis, disease assessment, prognosis, and potential therapeutic targets for STDs. This systematic review presents pertinent research on miRNAs in the context of STDs to establish a theoretical foundation for clinical diagnosis and treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yield calculation is an important link in modern precision agriculture that is an effective means to improve breeding efficiency and to adjust planting and marketing plans. With the continuous progress of artificial intelligence and sensing technology, yield-calculation schemes based on image-processing technology have many advantages such as high accuracy, low cost, and non-destructive calculation, and they have been favored by a large number of researchers. This article reviews the research progress of crop-yield calculation based on remote sensing images and visible light images, describes the technical characteristics and applicable objects of different schemes, and focuses on detailed explanations of data acquisition, independent variable screening, algorithm selection, and optimization. Common issues are also discussed and summarized. Finally, solutions are proposed for the main problems that have arisen so far, and future research directions are predicted, with the aim of achieving more progress and wider popularization of yield-calculation solutions based on image technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives We aimed to investigate the value of deep learning (DL) models based on multimodal ultrasonographic (US) images to quantify RA activity. Methods Static greyscale (SGS), dynamic greyscale (DGS), static power Doppler (SPD) and dynamic power Doppler (DPD) US images were collected and evaluated by two expert radiologists according to the EULAR–OMERACT Synovitis Scoring system. Four DL models were developed based on the ResNet-type structure, evaluated on two separate test cohorts, and finally compared with the performance of 12 radiologists with different levels of experience. Results In total, 1244 images were used for the model training, and 152 and 354 for testing (cohort 1 and 2, respectively). The best-performing models for the scores of 0/1/2/3 were the DPD, SGS, DGS and SPD models, respectively (Area Under the receiver operating characteristic Curve [AUC] = 0.87/0.95/0.74/0.95; no significant differences). All the DL models provided results comparable to the experienced radiologists on a per-image basis (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.239–0.756, P  < 0.05). The SPD model performed better than the SGS one on test cohort 1 (score of 0/2/3: AUC = 0.82/0.67/0.95 vs 0.66/0.66/0.75, respectively) and test cohort 2 (score of 0: AUC = 0.89 vs 0.81). The dynamic DL models performed better than the static ones in most of the scoring processes and were more accurate than the most of senior radiologists, especially the DPD model. Conclusion DL models based on multimodal US images allow a quantitative and objective assessment of RA activity. Dynamic DL models in particular have potential value in assisting radiologists to improve the accuracy of RA US-based grading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With global climate change and accelerating urbanization, accurate and timely extent information on urban wetlands is extremely important for sustainable urban development and conservation of ecosystem services, supporting the implementation and evaluation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). China has experienced the most dramatic urbanization process in recent decades, but accurate and comprehensive information for urban wetland changes in China's major cities are still unavailable. In this study, using 137,779 Landsat images available on the Google Earth Engine platform, we developed a novel approach (MWC-CCDC) integrating historical maximum wetness composition (MWC) and continuous change detection and classification (CCDC), and generated the first annual 30-m resolution urban wetland maps for 71 major cities with populations over 0.5 million across China from 1985 to 2022. The resultant annual urban wetland distribution dataset in China, named China_Urban_Wetland (CUW), achieved over 82.81 % overall classification accuracy. According to the CUW, cities in the Yangtze River basin, Pearl River Delta, and Hangzhou Bay cover the majority of urban wetland area in China's 71 major cities. Wuhan had the largest urban wetland area (168.00 km2), followed by Nanjing (103.19 km2). Jiujiang has the highest wetland coverage rate at 27.23 %, followed by Wuhan (20.68 %) and Xiangyang (18.89 %). Between 1985 and 2022, 52 of 71 cities lost wetland area, with Tianjin having the largest percentage loss (79.40 %), followed by Urumqi (74.86 %) and Guiyang (67.55 %). In contrast, Hohhot experienced the largest increase (90.63 %), followed by Beihai (89.21 %) and Xi'an (71.34 %). In about one-third the cities, urban wetland landscape patterns are becoming more fragmented and less connected. Such consistent annual assessments of urban wetlands is expected to benefit the implementation and evaluation of urban-related targets in the SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of the latest aeromagnetic data of the northern coastal zone of Taizhou, integrated interpretation is performed in this study by combining airborne gravity data, regional geology, and magnetic susceptibility information. According to different zone and block characteristics of the reduced-to-the-pole (RTP) aeromagnetic data, the magnetic field characteristics and related structural division are determined and described in detail. The variation in aeromagnetic field characteristics reflects tectonic movement, magmatic activity, and stratigraphic distribution, which further delineates the structural characteristics of the basement lithofacies, aeromagnetic anomaly characteristics, and distribution regularity of the magmatic rocks and faults. The Bohai coastal zone, located to the west of the Tancheng-Lujiang fault, is characterized by block-like positive aeromagnetic anomalies. The basement is composed of rocks of the Archean Qianxi, Anshan, and Taishan groups, as well as Paleoproterozoic metamorphic rocks. The area to the east of the Tancheng-Lujiang fault is dominated by variable negative aeromagnetic anomalies. The magnetic field is caused by the metamorphic rocks of the Anshan, Jiaodong, Liaohe, and Fenzishan groups, in addition to several intermediate-acid magmatic rocks. The block-like positive aeromagnetic anomaly in the coastal zone of the South Yellow Sea might be related to Archean metamorphic rocks, and the basement rocks are Proterozoic metamorphic. The dramatic changes in the aeromagnetic anomaly belts in the southern Jiangsu-Wunansha region and the Zhejiang-Fujian coast are attributed to the strong reformation of the Proterozoic metamorphic basement rocks of weak magnetism to Mesozoic-Cenozoic magmatic rocks. The coastal zone of the East China Sea is characterized by NNE positive and negative aeromagnetic anomalies, whereas the metamorphic basement is composed of metamorphic rocks of the Proterozoic Chencai Group. The positive aeromagnetic anomaly belt is a reflection of the magmatic rock belt. In summary, this study reveals the characteristics of basement lithofacies in airborne gravity and aeromagnetic fields, which provides an important reference for geological evolution and the division of tectonic units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protocatechuic acid (3, 4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, PCA) is widely used in the pharmaceuticals, health food, and cosmetics industries owing to its diverse biological activities. However, the inhibition of 3-dehydroshikimate dehydratase (AroZ) by PCA and its toxicity to cells limit the efficient production of PCA in Escherichia coli. In this study, a high-level strain of 3-dehydroshikimate, E. coli DHS01, was developed by blocking the carbon flow from the shikimate-overproducing strain E. coli SA09. Additionally, the PCA biosynthetic pathway was established in DHS01 by introducing the high-activity Ap AroZ. Subsequently, the protein structure and catalytic mechanism of 3-dehydroshikimate dehydratase from Acinetobacter pittii PHEA-2 (Ap AroZ) were clarified. The variant Ap AroZR363A, achieved by modulating the conformational dynamics of Ap AroZ, effectively relieved product inhibition. Additionally, the tolerance of the strain E. coli PCA04 to PCA was enhanced by adaptive laboratory evolution, and a biosensor-assisted high-throughput screening method was designed and implemented to expedite the identification of high-performance PCA-producing strains. Finally, in a 5 L bioreactor, the final strain PCA05 achieved the highest PCA titer of 46.65 g/L, a yield of 0.23 g/g, and a productivity of 1.46 g/L/h for PCA synthesis from glucose using normal fed-batch fermentation. The strategies described herein serve as valuable guidelines for the production of other high-value and toxic products. • High-titer DHS-producing strain E. coli DHS01 was constructed as the chassis strain. • Product inhibition was significantly alleviated by the variant Ap AroZR363A based on the elucidation of protein structure. • The PCA tolerance of strain was enhanced by biosensor-assisted adaptive laboratory evolution. • 46.6 g/L PCA with a productivity of 1.46 g/L/h was produced in a 5-L bioreactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallic acid is a renewable plant phenolic resource, and the polyphenolic bio‐based epoxy resin prepared from it can be used as a substitute for bisphenol A epoxy resin in certain fields. However, bio‐based epoxy resins used in the field of high‐performance composite material matrices often require modification. In this paper, firstly, γ‐(2,3‐epoxypropoxy)propyl trimethoxysilane (KH560) was used as the raw material to prepare epoxy‐based cage silsesquioxanes (E‐POSS). Then, E‐POSS was grafted onto γ‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH550) modified halloysite nanotubes (m‐HNTs) to prepare a novel hybrid nanoparticle HNTs‐e‐POSS. Experimental analysis shows that ring opening reactions of amino and epoxy groups can occur between m‐HNTs and E‐POSS, forming a hybrid nanoparticle system of POSS aggregates on the surface of HNTs. Bio‐based nanocomposites were prepared by adding different mass fractions of hybrid nanoparticles HNTs‐e‐POSS into polyphenol type gallic acid epoxy resin matrix (GAER) and using methyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride as curing agent. The properties and micromorphology of the composite were analyzed and characterized. The research showed that with the addition of HNTs‐e‐POSS nanoparticles, the strength and toughness of the composite resin system show a pattern of first increasing and then decreasing, while the storage modulus(E′), glass transition temperature (Tg), and thermal stability of the composite material increased. Mechanical performance analysis shows that the introduction of 0.5 wt% HNTs‐e‐POSS would increase the tensile strength of the composite by 25.46%, while adding 0.75 wt% HNTs‐e‐POSS can increase the impact strength by 15%. The E′(30°C) increased by 24.2% and Tg increased by 7.7°C when the HNTs‐e‐POSS addition was 0.25 wt%. Highlights: Prepared hybrid nanoparticle HNTs‐e‐POSS by grafting POSS onto the HNTs surface.Application of HNTs‐e‐POSS in modification of bio‐based gallic acid epoxy resin.HNTs‐e‐POSS can co‐cured with epoxy matrix to increase the crosslinking degree.The strength, toughness, and modulus of gallic acid epoxy resin are improved.Tg and thermal stability of gallic acid epoxy resin are enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of noise affects the process of quantum computing and quantum communication, and quantum autoencoders (QAEs) provide a new solution for dealing with this problem. Previous study has shown that QAEs could denoise pure quantum states subject to spin-flip errors and random unitary noise (Bondarenko and Feldmann Phys Rev Lett 124: 130502, 2020). However, avoiding or reducing the interference of noise on mixed states remains an interesting problem in quantum communication and quantum computing. In this paper, the denoising effect of QAEs for mixed states is studied. We investigate the denoising effect of QAEs for a specific type of mixed states in four types of noise usually encountered in the real world, i.e., the bit-flip, the phase-flip, the depolarizing, and the amplitude-damping noise. Simulation results show that the QAEs can significantly denoise four types of noise on mixed states with different noisy and mixed parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 changed the landscape of employment and financial security in the USA, contributing to multi-systemic disruptions in family life. Using dyadic, daily-diary parent–adolescent data from a nationwide American sample (18,415 daily assessments; 29 days: 4/8/2020–4/21/2020 and 5/18/2020–6/1/2020; N = 635 parent–adolescent dyads), this intensive longitudinal study investigated how COVID-19-related job loss and working-from-home (WFH) arrangements influenced parents' and children's daily affect indirectly through family functioning (i.e., parent–adolescent conflict, inter-adult conflict, and parental warmth) and whether these links varied by family socioeconomic status (SES). Parental employment status was linked to these family relational dynamics, which were then connected to parents' and adolescents' daily affect. Although SES did not moderate these links, low-income families were more likely to experience job loss, parent–adolescent conflict, and inter-adult conflict and less likely to WFH than higher-income families. As inter-relations within the family are a malleable point for intervention, clinicians working with families recovering from the fiscal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic are encouraged to use approaches that strengthen family relationships, especially between adolescents and their parents. Unemployment subsidies are discussed as a means to support families struggling with job loss, and organizations are urged to consider the benefits of WFH on employee health and work-life balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We developed a convolutional neural network (CNN) model to predict treatment outcomes of transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI) for controlling cervical radicular pain due to cervical foraminal stenosis. Methods: We retrospectively recruited 293 patients with cervical TFESI due to cervical radicular pain caused by cervical foraminal stenosis. We obtained a single oblique cervical radiograph from each patient. We cut each oblique cervical radiograph image into a square shape, including the foramen that was targeted for TFESI, the intervertebral disc, the facet joint of the corresponding level with the targeted foramen, and the pedicles of the vertebral bodies just above and below the targeted foramen. Therefore, images including the targeted foramen and structures around the targeted foramen were used as input data. A favorable outcome was defined as a ≥ 50% reduction in the numeric rating scale (NRS) score at 2 months post TFESI compared to the pretreatment NRS score. A poor outcome was defined as a < 50% reduction in the NRS score at 2 months post TFESI vs. the pretreatment score. Results: The area under the curve of our developed model for predicting the treatment outcome of cervical TFESI in patients with cervical foraminal stenosis was 0.823. Conclusion: A CNN model trained using oblique cervical radiographs can be helpful in predicting treatment outcomes after cervical TFESI in patients with cervical foraminal stenosis. If the predictive accuracy is increased, we believe that the deep learning model using cervical radiographs as input data can be easily and widely used in clinics or hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families experienced financial and health stressors associated with parental employment. Using multi-informant and daily-diary data from a nationwide U.S. sample of parents and children (626 dyads; 18,780 daily assessments across 30 days: May 18, 2020–June 1, 2020, October 19, 2020–November 2, 2020; parents: Mage = 43, 15% male; children: Mage = 15, 42% male; 36% Black, 26% White, 14% multiracial, 12% Latinx, 11% Asian American, and 1% Native American), this intensive longitudinal study investigated (a) the mediating role of health stress and financial stress in the link between parental employment status and psychosocial adjustment among adolescents and their parents and (b) whether this link differed by families' socioeconomic status or receipt of government subsidies. Results indicated that families who experienced job loss tended to report higher levels of health stress and financial stress, which in turn was associated with heightened negative affect and poorer sleep quality for both parents and adolescents. When parents work from home (WFH), families tended to have lower levels of health stress and financial stress, which in turn weakened the positive links with negative affect and sleep quality. Lower- (vs. higher-) income families experienced weaker protective effects associated with WFH arrangements. Government subsidies were associated with lower stress and better psychosocial outcomes in families experiencing job loss. Public Significance Statement: During COVID-19, families experienced stressors associated with changes in parental employment. This study shows that flexible working schedules and government subsidies during periods of heightened family stress may serve as catalysts for family resilience, as they were associated with less impairment to family functioning. Clinicians should work closely with social workers to help increase patient literacy on available supports, especially for families whose circumstances are compounded by financial hardships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the microstructure and texture of completely crystalline Ge–Cu–Te thin films, focusing on the grain orientation, grain boundary character distribution and morphology, and their correlation with electrical and optical behaviors, as phase-change materials for application in phase change memory (PCM). In this study, the preferred {111} orientation was observed in thin films annealed at 300 °C, which is favorable for improving carrier mobility. As the annealing temperature increases to 400 °C, the grain orientation evolves into a random distribution, which is beneficial for improving optical reflectivity. The corresponding orientation evolution mechanism involves the effects of work function, surface energy, and different stress states during annealing. In addition, a high fraction of high angle grain boundaries mixed with a fraction of 60°〈111〉 and 30°〈110〉 grain boundaries is prevalent in the crystalline thin films, which is related to the great thermal stress and orientation randomization in the crystalline thin films. For completely crystallized thin films, the cross-section grain growth, accompanying numerous stacking faults and dislocations, has already spanned the entire thin films thickness direction. This work shows that the grain orientation of phase change materials can be highly impacted by thermal circumstances, which is expected to shed light on the phase-change thin film growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Objective Methods Results Conclusion Premature ejaculation (PE) is the most prevalent sexual dysfunction among men. Eejaculation involves a complex nervous mechanism in which the ejaculatory centers play a key role in modulating sperm emission. Although treatment possibilities span from psychotherapy to pharmacological approaches, results show inconsistent efficacy. In this context, the emergence of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a non‐invasive neuromodulatory approach represents a compelling avenue for potential therapeutic exploration.To investigate whether high‐frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation can modulate the ejaculatory behavior of rats with rapid ejaculation by altering neurotransmitter levels and neuroplasticity in the hippocampus.Rats have been screened for rapid ejaculation by observing behavioral indices of mating, and subsequently divided into two groups. The intervention group was administered with a 10 Hz rTMS stimulation, whereas the control group received a sham procedure. Upon the delivery of rTMS, we investigated ejaculation latency (EL), the hippocampal 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) concentration, brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), synaptophysin (SYN), and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) expressions, as well as BDNF‐receptor tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) pathway upregulation.After 14 days, EL was increased in the intervention group compared with the control group. 5‐HT concentration in the hippocampal region was increased, and high‐frequency rTMS activated the BDNF and TrkB pathways, including phosphorylation of cAMP response element‐binding protein (CREB), and upregulated the transcription and protein expression of SYN, and PSD95.RTMS upregulates BDNF, SYN, and PSD95 expression through activation of the BDNF–TrkB pathway and increases brain 5‐hydroxytryptamine thereby regulating neuroplasticity and improving ejaculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical relevance Background Methods Results Conclusions There are many methods to control the progression of myopia. However, it is currently unknown which method could better control myopia progression: 0.02% atropine eye drops, peripheral myopic defocus design spectacle lenses (PMDSL), or orthokeratology (OK).To compare the efficacy of 0.02% atropine, PMDSL, and OK to control axial length (AL) elongation in children with myopia.This study was analysed based on a previous cohort study (0.02% atropine group) and retrospective data (PMDSL and OK group). Overall, 387 children aged 6–14 years with myopia − 1.00D to − 6.00D in the three groups were divided into four subgroups according to age and spherical equivalent refraction (SER). The primary outcome was changed in AL over 1-year.The mean axial elongation was 0.30 ± 0.21 mm, 0.23 ± 0.16 mm, and 0.17 ± 0.19 mm in the 0.02% atropine, PMDSL, and OK groups, respectively. Multivariate linear regression analyses showed significant differences in axial elongation among the three groups, especially in children aged 6–10, but not in children aged 10.1–14; the corresponding axial elongation was 0.35 ± 0.21 mm, 0.23 ± 0.17 mm, and 0.21 ± 0.20 mm (P < 0.05 between any two groups, except between PMDSL and OK groups at P > 0.05) and 0.22 ± 0.20 mm, 0.21 ± 0.13 mm, and 0.13 ± 0.18 mm (P < 0.05 between any two groups, except between 0.02% atropine and PMDSL groups at P > 0.05) in children with SER from − 1.00D to − 3.00D and from − 3.01D to − 6.00D, respectively.Within the limits of this study design and using only the current brand of PMDSL, OK appeared to be the best method, followed by PMDSL and then 0.02% atropine, for controlling AL elongation over one year. However, different effects were found in the various age and SER subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud platforms rapidly develop and supply many cloud-based services with various functions but varying Quality of Service (QoS) attributes. In the context of cloud computing, a major concern is how to incorporate disparate cloud services to maximize QoS value, which is underpinned by meeting the local QoS requirements of users. To deal with multiple QoS parameters in service composition, we propose a new mechanism using the Capuchin Search Algorithm (CapSA) that provides solutions to satisfy connectivity constraints. The CapSA algorithm mimics the dynamic behavior of capuchin monkeys in the forest to solve global and local optimization problems. The CapSA was selected for its simplicity, reduced computational complexity, and exploration/exploitation balance. The approach takes the form of an optimization problem to minimize energy consumption and total cost. Compared with other approaches, the proposed algorithm improves the efficiency of cloud service composition by convergent rapidly and obtaining better compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study area is located in the south margin of the North China Block, the south end of the junction between the Ordos Block and the Hehuai Block, and is part of the Fenwei Graben System and the Shanxi Cenozoic fault basin in the central part of the North China Craton. The study area has a complex regional geological structure, intense tectonic movement, and frequent magmatic activities. Based on the latest high-precision aeromagnetic data, an integrated interpretation was completed by combining the regional geology, regional gravity, and magnetic susceptibility information. In this paper, the magnetic field characteristics and the relationship with the structure division are described in detail based on the block features in different zones of the reduction-to-the-pole aeromagnetic data. We showed that the different characteristics of the magnetic field depend on the concentrated reflection such as tectonic movement, magmatic activity, and stratigraphic distribution, and the fault structures were inferred and studied, especially the deep and large fault structures. The fault structures were distributed to the northeast (NE) and northwest (NW) directions. On the aeromagnetic map, faults are reflected as a boundary of different magnetic fields and aeromagnetic gradient belts. Under the interaction of NE and NW faults, an X-shaped fault structural system is formed. The NE faults control the magnetic field division, the sedimentary formation, magmatism, metamorphism, and mineral distribution, whereas the NW faults control the magmatism only. The NW faults are characterized by dislocation of NE faults, and the formation time of NE faults is earlier than that of NW trending faults. This study provides insight into the geophysical basis and reference for basic geological research and potential analysis for iron and other metal minerals in the study area in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The obvious deformation of long-span arch bridges poses a new challenge to the operation and maintenance management of the track alignment and the operational stability of high-speed trains. This study aims at understanding the influence mechanism of track alignment of long-span arch bridges on the operational stability of trains, wherein both static and dynamic track alignments are considered. This study starts with a comparison of the static and dynamic track alignments caused by the shrinkage and creep of concrete, as well as the temperature. Then, an effective evaluation method for track alignment with different wavelength components is proposed. The influence of static and dynamic track alignments under different loads is discussed. The results show that concrete shrinkage and creep introduces more alignment components within the sensitive wavelength range than environmental temperature. The proposed chord measurement and curvature methods are proved to accurately evaluate the car body acceleration caused by the different wavelength. For the sensitive wavelength range, the chord measurement amplitude of the dynamic track alignment can be covered by the chord measurement amplitude of the static track alignment. The shrinkage and creep of concrete have great influence on the smoothness of track and the operational stability of trains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many observational studies and clinical trials collect various secondary outcomes that may be highly correlated with the primary endpoint. These secondary outcomes are often analyzed in secondary analyses separately from the main data analysis. However, these secondary outcomes can be used to improve the estimation precision in the main analysis. We propose a method called multiple information borrowing (MinBo) that borrows information from secondary data (containing secondary outcomes and covariates) to improve the efficiency of the main analysis. The proposed method is robust against model misspecification of the secondary data. Both theoretical and case studies demonstrate that MinBo outperforms existing methods in terms of efficiency gain. We apply MinBo to data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study to assess risk factors for hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restricted tendon gliding is commonly observed in patients after finger flexor tendon (FFT) repair. The study described here was aimed at quantifying the amount of FFT gliding to evaluate the recovery of post-operative tendons using a 2-D radiofrequency (RF)-based ultrasound speckle tracking algorithm (UST). Ex vivo uniaxial tensile testing of porcine flexor tendons and in vivo isometric testing of human FFT were implemented to verify the efficacy of UST beforehand. The verified UST was then applied to the patients after FFT repair to compare tendon gliding between affected and healthy sides and to investigate its correlation with the joint range of motion (ROM). Excellent validity was confirmed with the average R 2 value of 0.98, mean absolute error of 0.15 ± 0.08 mm and mean absolute percentage error of 5.19 ± 2.43% between results from UST and ex vivo testing. The test–retest reliability was verified with good agreement of ICC (0.90). The affected side exhibited less gliding (p = 0.001) and smaller active ROM (p = 0.002) than the healthy side. Meanwhile, a significant correlation between tendon gliding and passive ROM was found only on the healthy side (ρ = 0.711, p = 0.009). The present study provides a promising protocol to evaluate post-operative tendon recovery by quantifying the amount of FFT gliding with a validated UST. FFT gliding in patients with different levels of ROM restriction should be further explored for categorizing the severity of tendon adhesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Situated at middle-to-high latitudes with limited thermal resources, Northeast China is the primary maize-producing region in China. It is also one of the regions most significantly impacted by climate change. Given the persistent impact of climate change, it is crucial to elucidate the effects of the varying thermal conditions and low temperatures for different sowing dates on the growth, development, and grain maturity of spring maize. To ensure secure maize production and disaster prevention, choosing the optimal sowing time for spring maize holds significant implications for the judicious utilization of climatic resources, risk mitigation, and the provision of meteorological guidance. Moreover, it can serve as a technical reference for relevant departments to conduct climate evaluation, disaster monitoring, prediction, and assessment, as well as impact analysis of corn production safety. Additionally, it can provide meteorological evidence to ensure food security and promote the sustainable development of modern agriculture. An interval sowing experiment of spring maize was conducted in Harbin in the north of Northeast China. Two varieties were used in the experiment. Four sowing dates were set, and the interval between adjacent sowing dates was 10 days. The local perennial sowing time, 5 May, was set as the second sowing date, with one date set later and two dates set earlier. During the experiment, the growth process, grain dry matter, seed moisture content, yield components, and temperature of spring maize were observed. The impact of temperature conditions on maize growth and yield formation was analyzed in this paper through mathematical statistics, which further led to the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation model for assessing the effect of thermal conditions and temperature on maize. The results showed that the growth rate of spring maize was closely related to temperature. When the average temperature, minimum temperature, and maximum temperature increased by 1 °C, the average emergence rate increased by 1.05%, 0.99%, and 1.07%, respectively, and the average vegetative growth rate increased by 0.16%, 0.16%, and 0.09%, respectively. The change rate of ≥10 °C active accumulated temperature was significantly correlated with the change rate of the dry weight of the grain kernel, which conformed to the quadratic equation of one variable. The temperature influence coefficients of different sowing dates varied from 1.0% to 1.7%. The relationship between the accumulated values of 10 ℃ active accumulated temperature and the grain moisture content of spring maize was a logarithmic function. From 10 to 50 days after anthesis, the effect of temperature can explain about 95% of the change in grain moisture content. After physiological maturity, the effect of thermal conditions can only explain 56–83%. The temperature influence coefficient ranges from 1.3% to 13.8%. Comparatively speaking, the second sowing date is the most suitable sowing date. Early sowing is prone to encounter low temperatures, resulting in underutilization of the early heat, while late sowing is prone to less heat. Both conditions are not conducive to better improve the yield of spring maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to discover differential metabolites and pathways underlying infrequent gout flares (InGF) and frequent gout flares (FrGF) using metabolomics and to establish a predictive model by machine learning (ML) algorithms. Methods: Serum samples from a discovery cohort of 163 patients with InGF and 239 patients with FrGF were analyzed by mass spectrometry–based untargeted metabolomics to profile differential metabolites and explore dysregulated metabolic pathways using pathway enrichment analysis and network propagation–based algorithms. ML algorithms were performed to establish a predictive model based on selected metabolites, which was further optimized by a quantitative targeted metabolomics method and validated in an independent validation cohort with 97 participants with InGF and 139 participants with FrGF. Results: A total of 439 differential metabolites between InGF and FrGF groups were identified. Top dysregulated pathways included carbohydrates, amino acids, bile acids, and nucleotide metabolism. Subnetworks with maximum disturbances in the global metabolic networks featured cross‐talk between purine metabolism and caffeine metabolism, as well as interactions among pathways involving primary bile acid biosynthesis, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, suggesting epigenetic modifications and gut microbiome in metabolic alterations underlying InGF and FrGF. Potential metabolite biomarkers were identified using ML‐based multivariable selection and further validated by targeted metabolomics. Area under receiver operating characteristics curve for differentiating InGF and FrGF achieved 0.88 and 0.67 for the discovery and validation cohorts, respectively. Conclusion: Systematic metabolic alterations underlie InGF and FrGF, and distinct profiles are associated with differences in gout flare frequencies. Predictive modeling based on selected metabolites from metabolomics can differentiate InGF and FrGF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]