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Ground volume loss is an important parameter for settlement control and prediction in shield tunneling. This parameter is usually determined empirically, while its variation along the tunnel is not predictable. In this study, an analytical formula for ground volume loss is obtained based on physical derivation. The ground volume loss is divided into two components. Key operational parameters, i.e. face pressure, grouting pressure and grouting volume, are used to calculate the two components. The proposed formula is then validated against the field data collected from Changzhou Metro in thick silty clay layer. The validation shows that the new formula gives reasonable prediction of ground volume loss. Furthermore, the three model coefficients derived from physical calculation are very close to the regression coefficients based on statistical method. For EPB tunnels excavated in silty clay layer, the ground volume loss along a specific tunnel can be predicted by the new formula. The analysis also indicates that the surface settlement of EPB tunnel should be controlled by a balanced combination of varied operational parameters.

To investigate the impact of Jolkinolide B (JB) on renal cell carcinoma (RCC), we treated RCC cell lines with various concentrations of JB (0, 5, 25, 50 and 100 μM) for 24 hours and assessed cell viability using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) analysis. Then, we examined JB’s effects on proliferation, migration, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress through 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation, transwell migration assays, flow cytometry, ROS level determination, and western blot assays. Furthermore, we investigated the potential mechanism using western blot. Our results showed that JB dose-dependently reduced cell viability in both 786-O and Caki1 cells. Additionally, JB at concentrations of 5, 25 and 50 μM decreased the number of EdU-positive and migrating cells in both cell lines. Additionally, these concentrations of JB increased apoptosis rates, relative protein expressions of cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9, ROS levels, and relative protein expressions of C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP) and activated transcription factor 4 (ATF4) in both 786-O and Caki1 cells. Mechanistically, treatment with all three concentrations of JB significantly downregulated phosphorylated p38 (p-p38)/p38, phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT)/AKT and phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (p-PI3K)/PI3K in a dose-dependent manner. In summary, JB inhibited proliferation and migration while promoting apoptosis, ROS accumulation, and ER stress in RCC cells, potentially through the inactivation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and AKT signaling pathways.

BackgroundThe burden of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) is continuously increasing in the globe. Environmental factors are one of the trigger factors for chronic kidney diseases of unknown etiology (CKDu). However, the current toxicological evidence on the renal effects induced by environmental high concentrations of multiple ions in drinking water and high temperature exposure is very limited. ObjectiveTo preliminary investigate the renal effects of exposure to drinking water with environmental high concentrations of fluoride, calcium, sodium, and bromide ions alone or in combination with high temperature in mice. MethodsA mouse drinking water exposure model was established using ICR male mouse (8 weeks old) with exposure to 3 mg·L−1 fluoride ions, 250 mg·L−1 calcium ions, 400 mg·L−1 sodium ions, and 1 mg·L−1 bromide ions (to mimic the high concentration of ions in the groundwater in the areas with a high prevalence rate of CKDu in Sri Lanka) and high temperature of 32 ℃. ICR male mice were randomly divided into a mixed fluoride-calcium-sodium-bromide ion and high temperature exposure group, exposure groups of each ion and high temperature alone, a fluoride-calcium-sodium ion exposure group, and a fluoride-calcium-sodium-bromide ion exposure group. In the control group, the animals were given normal purified water at room temperature of (23±2) ℃. After 12 consecutive weeks of exposure, body weights and liver (kidney) organ coefficients were determined. Assessment of renal histopathologic damage was performed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and pathology scoring. At the end of the 12-week exposure period, 24 h urine samples were collected for the measurements of creatinine (UCr), albumin (ALB), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) levels. Cell apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL assay. ResultsThe mice in the mixed exposure group showed a significant decrease in body weight and marked increases in the scores of renal histopathological injuries and the urinary levels of β2-MG compared to those of the control mice (P0.05), but the renal histopathological injury scores were significantly increased (P0.05). Furthermore, the renal histopathological injury score showed no significant differences between the fluoride-calcium-sodium ion exposure group and the fluoride-calcium-sodium-bromide ion exposure group (P>0.05). The interaction between bromide ions and fluoride-calcium-sodium ions on renal tissue pathological damage was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Results from the TUNEL assay showed a significant increase in renal cell apoptosis in the fluoride-calcium-sodium ion exposure group (P

Abstract Flash Joule heating (FJH) is an emerging and profitable technology for converting inexhaustible biomass into flash graphene (FG). However, it is challenging to produce biomass FG continuously due to the lack of an integrated device. Furthermore, the high-carbon footprint induced by both excessive energy allocation for massive pyrolytic volatiles release and carbon black utilization in alternating current-FJH (AC-FJH) reaction exacerbates this challenge. Here, we create an integrated automatic system with energy requirement-oriented allocation to achieve continuous biomass FG production with a much lower carbon footprint. The programmable logic controller flexibly coordinated the FJH modular components to realize the turnover of biomass FG production. Furthermore, we propose pyrolysis-FJH nexus to achieve biomass FG production. Initially, we utilize pyrolysis to release biomass pyrolytic volatiles, and subsequently carry out the FJH reaction to focus on optimizing the FG structure. Importantly, biochar with appropriate resistance is self-sufficient to initiate the FJH reaction. Accordingly, the medium-temperature biochar-based FG production without carbon black utilization exhibited low carbon emission (1.9 g CO2-eq g−1 graphene), equivalent to a reduction of up to ~86.1% compared to biomass-based FG production. Undoubtedly, this integrated automatic system assisted by pyrolysis-FJH nexus can facilitate biomass FG into a broad spectrum of applications.

The snow-shaped distribution network (SDN) is a cable distribution network composed of eight (or six) 10 kV feeders from four (or three) substations in a regular connection. Compared with the traditional 10 kV distribution network, SDN can support a wide range of load transfer among six or eight feeders. Aiming at the problem of load spatial-temporal unbalanced condition caused by the integration of distributed generators (DGs) and different load types in different feeders, this paper proposes a dynamic reconfiguration strategy for load balancing in SDN considering DGs and energy storage system (ESS). Firstly, the basic structure of SDN is analyzed and the power flow model for its dynamic reconfiguration is developed. Secondly, the dynamic reconfiguration optimization model for load balancing in SDN considering DGs and ESS is proposed to utilize the load transfer capability to mitigate the load unbalanced condition and reduce active power loss. Thirdly, the original non-convex model is converted into a mixed-integer second-order cone programming (MISOCP) model by applying the second-order cone relaxation and the big-M method, which is solved by CPLEX solver. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed model and method are verified by an actual case in Tianjin and IEEE 33-node system. The analysis results show that the proposed method can significantly alleviate the load unbalanced spatial-temporal distribution and improve the economic efficiency by regulating the operation of SDN including ESS optimization and dynamic reconfiguration.

To prevent convulsions and falls of patients in the absence of medical staff, it is crucial to monitor their physical condition in hospital wards. However, several unresolved challenges in human joint recognition remain, such as object occlusion, human self-occlusion and complex backgrounds, resulting in difficulties in its practical application. In this paper, a multi-LiDAR system is proposed to obtain a multi-view human body point cloud. An improved V2V-Posenet model was introduced to detect the actual position of the human joint. In this system, each point cloud was spliced into a full point cloud and voxelized into the model. We also used a random voxel zero setting for data enhancement, constraining the relative length between human joints into a loss function and three-dimensional Gaussian filtering in a heat map for model learning. The improved model exhibited excellent performance in detecting human joints in hospital wards. The experimental results showed that the improved model achieved 91.6 % mean average precision, compared to 80.1 % for the original model and 77.4 % for the comparison algorithm A2J-Posenet. The speed of the improved model meets the requirements for real-time target detection.

Summary: p53 regulates multiple signaling pathways and maintains cell homeostasis under conditions of DNA damage and oxidative stress. Although USP7 has been shown to promote p53 stability via deubiquitination, the USP7-p53 activation mechanism has remained unclear. Here, we propose that DNA damage induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and activates ATM-CHK2, and CHK2 then phosphorylates USP7 at S168 and T231. USP7 phosphorylation is essential for its deubiquitination activity toward p53. USP7 also deubiquitinates CHK2 at K119 and K131, increasing CHK2 stability and creating a positive feedback loop between CHK2 and USP7. Compared to peri-tumor tissues, thyroid cancer and colon cancer tissues show higher CHK2 and phosphorylated USP7 (S168, T231) levels, and these levels are positively correlated. Collectively, our results uncover a phosphorylation-deubiquitination positive feedback loop involving the CHK2-USP7 axis that supports the stabilization of p53 and the maintenance of cell homeostasis.

Morphological adaptation is crucial for animals and robots in navigating unstructured environments. In this article, a quadruped robot with a reconfigurable sprawl posture and posture transformation strategy is proposed, which can transform between different sprawl postures to cope with complex environments and adapt to a dorsal downward fall posture through reverse sprawling. First, the function and structure of the robot are described, including an analysis of the Hawken mechanism's endpoint trajectories and a regional examination of the robot leg's fundamental components, establishing a relationship between the trajectory characteristics and linkage length. Second, the robot posture transformation strategy is analysed, obtaining the geometric dimensional constraints and feasibility regions of the posture transformation. The posture transformation process is quantified, and the robot transformation gait and drive functions are designed. The robot gait and velocity regulation are implemented based on a neural control architecture. Finally, the robot's locomotion and posture transformation are tested using four high‐speed cameras. The results show that the robot can crawl on an inclined surface and continue crawling in a dorsal downward posture post‐fall. Additionally, the robot effectively navigates obstacles and narrow spaces after posture transformation.

Ischemic stroke is a cerebrovascular disease associated with high mortality and disability rates. Since the inflammation and immune response play a central role in driving ischemic damage, it becomes essential to modulate excessive inflammatory reactions to promote cell survival and facilitate tissue repair around the injury site. Various cell types are involved in the inflammatory response, including microglia, astrocytes, and neutrophils, each exhibiting distinct phenotypic profiles upon stimulation. They display either proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory states, a phenomenon known as ‘cell polarization.’ There are two cell polarization therapy strategies. The first involves inducing cells into a neuroprotective phenotype in vitro, then reintroducing them autologously. The second approach utilizes small molecular substances to directly affect cells in vivo. In this review, we elucidate the polarization dynamics of the three reactive cell populations (microglia, astrocytes, and neutrophils) in the context of ischemic stroke, and provide a comprehensive summary of the molecular mechanisms involved in their phenotypic switching. By unraveling the complexity of cell polarization, we hope to offer insights for future research on neuroinflammation and novel therapeutic strategies for ischemic stroke.

Abstract Background Neuroepithelial transforming gene 1 (NET1) is a RhoA subfamily guanine nucleotide exchange factor that governs a wide array of biological processes. However, its roles in meiotic oocyte remain unclear. We herein demonstrated that the NET1-HACE1-RAC1 pathway mediates meiotic defects in the progression of oocyte maturation. Methods NET1 was reduced using a specific small interfering RNA in mouse oocytes. Spindle assembly, chromosomal alignment, the actin cap, and chromosomal spreads were visualized by immunostaining and analyzed under confocal microscopy. We also applied mass spectroscopy, and western blot analysis for this investigation. Results Our results revealed that NET1 was localized to the nucleus at the GV stage, and that after GVBD, NET1 was localized to the cytoplasm and predominantly distributed around the chromosomes, commensurate with meiotic progression. NET1 resided in the cytoplasm and significantly accumulated on the spindle at the MI and MII stages. Mouse oocytes depleted of Net1 exhibited aberrant first polar body extrusion and asymmetric division defects. We also determined that Net1 depletion resulted in reduced RAC1 protein expression in mouse oocytes, and that NET1 protected RAC1 from degradation by HACE1, and it was essential for actin dynamics and meiotic spindle formation. Importantly, exogenous RAC1 expression in Net1-depleted oocytes significantly rescued these defects. Conclusions Our results suggest that NET1 exhibits multiple roles in spindle stability and actin dynamics during mouse oocyte meiosis.

Abstract Radar signal sorting is a vital component of electronic warfare reconnaissance, serving as the basis for identifying the source of radar signals. However, traditional radar signal sorting methods are increasingly inadequate and computationally complex in modern electromagnetic environments. To address this issue, this paper presents a novel machine-learning-based approach for radar signal sorting. Our method utilizes SemHybridNet, a Semantically Enhanced Hybrid CNN-Transformer Network, for the classification of semantic information in two-dimensional radar pulse images obtained by converting the original radar data. SemHybridNet incorporates two innovative modules: one for extracting period structure features, and the other for ensuring effective integration of local and global features. Notably, SemHybridNet adopts an end-to-end structure, eliminating the need for repetitive looping over the original sequence and reducing computational complexity. We evaluate the performance of our method through conducting comprehensive comparative experiments. The results demonstrate our method significantly outperforms the traditional methods, particularly in environments with high missing and noise pulse rates. Moreover, the ablation studies confirm the effectiveness of these two proposed modules in enhancing the performance of SemHybridNet. In conclusion, our method holds promise for enhancing electronic warfare reconnaissance capabilities and opens new avenues for future research in this field.

Inflammation-driven endothelial dysfunction is the major initiating factor in atherosclerosis, while the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, we report that the non-canonical stimulator of interferon genes (STING)–PKR-like ER kinase (PERK) pathway was significantly activated in both human and mice atherosclerotic arteries. Typically, STING activation leads to the activation of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)/p65, thereby facilitating IFN signals and inflammation. In contrast, our study reveals the activated non-canonical STING–PERK pathway increases scaffold protein bromodomain protein 4 (BRD4) expression, which encourages the formation of super-enhancers on the proximal promoter regions of the proinflammatory cytokines, thereby enabling the transactivation of these cytokines by integrating activated IRF3 and NF-κB via a condensation process. Endothelium-specific STING and BRD4 deficiency significantly decreased the plaque area and inflammation. Mechanistically, this pathway is triggered by leaked mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) via mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), formed by voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) oligomer interaction with oxidized mtDNA upon cholesterol oxidation stimulation. Especially, compared to macrophages, endothelial STING activation plays a more pronounced role in atherosclerosis. We propose a non-canonical STING–PERK pathway-dependent epigenetic paradigm in atherosclerosis that integrates IRF3, NF-κB and BRD4 in inflammatory responses, which provides emerging therapeutic modalities for vascular endothelial dysfunction.

Large-depth and multiscale gradient microstructure in dual-phase Al0.6CoCrFeNi high entropy alloy (HEA) were fabricated by explosion hardening (EH) technique. The gradient microstructure evolution was investigated in detail. The microhardness distribution and tensile properties near EH affected surface were also determined. The formation and strengthening mechanisms of gradient microstructure after EH treatment were subsequently analyzed. Experimental results showed that the multiscale gradient microstructure in terms of grain size, phase morphology, dislocation structure, texture was induced in dual-phase (BCC + FCC) HEA by EH technique. The closer to EH affected surface, the finer grain size, higher dislocation density and stronger texture intensity. The deformation and break of spinodal decomposition and formation of new grain boundaries by dislocation structure contributed to grain refinement and transition of equiaxed grains to dendritic grains from lower area to EH affected surface. After EH treatment, the microhardness generally increased with a maximum increase of ∼67% within 5 mm from EH affected surface, the tensile yield stress increased from 320 MPa to maximum of 700 MPa. The strengthening mechanism is different at various depth positions: near EH affected surface, the main strengthening mechanism is high-density dislocations, stacking faults and grain refinement; in areas relatively far from EH affected surface, only dislocation structure contributed to the strengthening of mechanical properties.

A range of fire experiments were conducted to explore fire characteristics and smoke dynamics in a 1/6-scale stairwell adjacent to a room at different external wind velocities. The results indicated that the flame volume during the initial stage and the time taken for combustion to enter the steady stage both decrease with the increasing wind velocity. There are two opposite effects of the external wind on the fire combustion in a burning room adjacent to a stairwell. The inhibition effect plays an important role at lower wind velocities, leading to a decrease in the mass loss rate (MLR) of the pool fire. Conversely, the promotion effect dominates at higher wind velocities, resulting in an increase in the MLR. Stack effect and external wind demonstrate a synergistic relationship during experiments, and a correlation of the airflow velocity, wind velocity and heat release rate (HRR) is established. There are intersections in temperature curves at different wind velocities due to the smaller temperature decay rate in the stairwell and the lower smoke temperature near the pool fire at a higher velocity. Furthermore, a prediction model is also proposed for the smoke temperature distribution inside the stairwell, taking into account the wind velocity and HRR.

Abstract Supramolecular chirality‐mediated selective interaction among native assemblies is essential for precise disease diagnosis and treatment. Herein, to fully understand the supramolecular chiral binding affinity‐achieved therapeutic efficiency, supramolecular chiral nanoparticles (WP5⊃D/L‐Arg+DOX+ICG) with the chirality transfer from chiral arginine (D/L‐Arg) to water‐soluble pillar[5]arene (WP5) are developed through non‐covalent interactions, in which an anticancer drug (DOX, doxorubicin hydrochloride) and a photothermal agent (ICG, indocyanine green) are successfully loaded. Interestingly, the WP5⊃D‐Arg nanoparticles show 107 folds stronger binding capability toward phospholipid‐composed liposomes compared with WP5⊃L‐Arg. The enantioselective interaction further triggers the supramolecular chirality‐specific drug accumulation in cancer cells. As a consequence, WP5⊃D‐Arg+DOX+ICG exhibits extremely enhanced chemo‐photothermal synergistic therapeutic efficacy (tumor inhibition rate of 99.4%) than that of WP5⊃L‐Arg+DOX+ICG (tumor inhibition rate of 56.4%) under the same condition. This work reveals the breakthrough that supramolecular chiral assemblies can induce surprisingly large difference in cancer therapy, providing strong support for the significance of supramolecular chirality in bio‐application.

Abstract Bacterial infection can impede the healing of chronic wounds, particularly diabetic wounds. The high‐sugar environment of diabetic wounds creates a favorable condition for bacterial growth, posing a challenge to wound healing. In clinical treatment, the irregular shape of the wound and the poor mechanical properties of traditional gel adjuvants make them susceptible to mechanical shear and compression, leading to morphological changes and fractures, and difficult to adapt to irregular wounds. Traditional gel adjuvants are prepared in advance, while in situ gel is formed at the site of administration after drug delivery in a liquid state, which can better fit the shape of the wound. Therefore, this study developed an in situ HA/GCA/Fe2+‐GOx gel using a photothermal‐enhanced Fenton reaction to promote the generation of hydroxyl radicals (·OH). The generation of ·OH has an antibacterial effect while promoting the formation of the gel, achieving a dual effect. The addition of double‐bonded adamantane (Ada) interacts with the host‐guest effect of graphene oxide and the double‐bond polymerization of HAMA gel, making the entire gel system more complete. At the same time, the storage modulus (G′) of the gel increased from 130 to 330 Pa, enhancing the mechanical properties of the gel. This enables the gel to have better injectability and self‐healing effects. The addition of GOx can consume glucose at the wound site, providing a good microenvironment for the repair of diabetic wounds. The gel has good biocompatibility and in a diabetic rat wound model infected with S. aureus, it can effectively kill bacteria at the wound site and promote wound repair. Meanwhile, the inflammation of wounds treated with HA/GCA/Fe2+‐GOx + NIR was lighter compared to untreated wounds. Therefore, this study provides a promising strategy for treating bacterial‐infected diabetic wounds.

3D laser scanning is widely used in modeling industrial scenes, involving crucial steps like point cloud (PC) data preprocessing and extracting modeling targets from scattered points. Extracting target PC data from larger scenes is more challenging than from smaller settings. To efficiently obtain high-quality scene data and modeling targets, we introduce an innovative approach with the adaptive density-based voxel grid filtering algorithm and a probability statistics histogram method during preprocessing. We also propose a novel method for automatic extraction of target PC data using the adjacent feature plane constraint (AFPC) clustering technique. Initially, we capture height characteristics of the target object's PC through experiential and statistical height attributes. Points corresponding to each height are then clustered based on the PC's density distribution using the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise algorithm. The intersection of these results optimizes the position of the target object's extraction bounding box, achieving seamless automatic object extraction. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of our preprocessing methodology, with F1 scores of 97.7 % and 97.3 % for the 220 kV and 500 kV areas, respectively. Furthermore, our novel extraction method demonstrates the ability to autonomously and directly extract electrical equipment from substation PC data.

Abstract Recently, owing to the requirements of inference speed, most real-time semantic segmentation networks often have shallow network depth, which limits the receptive field size of the model, leading to the limited acquisition of semantic information and resulting in intraclass inconsistency and ultimately a decrease in segmentation accuracy. Additionally, the shallow network depth also restricts the feature extraction capability of the network, reducing its robustness and ability to adapt to complex scenes. To address these issues, a bilateral network with a rich semantic extractor (RSE) for real-time semantic segmentation (BRSeNet) is presented to perform real-time semantic segmentation. First, to solve the problem of insufficient semantic feature information extraction, an RSE is proposed, which includes a multiscale global semantic extraction module (MGSEM) and a semantic fusion module (SFM). The MGSEM can extract rich global semantics and expand the effective receptive field. Simultaneously, the SFM efficiently integrates multiscale local semantics with multiscale global semantics, resulting in more comprehensive semantic information for the network. Finally, based on the characteristics of detail and semantic branches, a bilateral reconstruction aggregation module is designed to reconstruct the contextual information of detail features, model the interdependencies on semantic feature channels, and enhance feature representation. Comprehensive experiments on the challenging Cityscapes and ADE20K datasets are conducted. The experimental results show that the proposed BRSeNet achieves mean intersection over union of 74.9% and 35.7% at inference speeds of 74 and 65 frames per second, respectively, and ensures a favorable balance between segmentation accuracy and inference speed.

Interfacial solar water evaporation is a reliable way to accelerate water evaporation and contaminant remediation. Embracing the recent advance in photothermal technology, a functional sponge was prepared by coating a sodium alginate (SA) impregnated sponge with a surface layer of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to act as a photothermal conversion medium and then subsequently evaluated for its ability to enhance Pb extraction from contaminated soil driven by interfacial solar evaporation. The SA loaded sponge had a Pb adsorption capacity of 107.4 mg g−1. Coating the top surface of the SA sponge with rGO increased water evaporation performance to 1.81 kg m−2 h−1 in soil media under one sun illumination and with a wind velocity of 2 m s−1. Over 12 continuous days of indoor evaporation testing, the Pb extraction efficiency was increased by 22.0% under 1 sun illumination relative to that observed without illumination. Subsequently, Pb extraction was further improved by 48.9% under outdoor evaporation conditions compared to indoor conditions. Overall, this initial work shows the significant potential of interfacial solar evaporation technologies for Pb contaminated soil remediation, which should also be applicable to a variety of other environmental contaminants.

Osteoarthritis (OA) has been considered non-reversible as articular cartilage wears down with limited repair capacity. Enhanced chondrocyte hypertrophy and increased type X collagen gene (COL10A1) expression have been associated with OA. Therefore, regulators controlling collagen X expression and chondrocyte hypertrophy may play a role in OA intervention. Here, we investigated how Distal-less homeobox 5 (DLX5), the distal-less homeobox family member, controls murine Col10a1 gene expression and chondrocyte hypertrophy in chondrogenic cell models and its role in a murine OA model. Through qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses, we detected significantly increased levels of COL10A1 and DLX5 in hypertrophic MCT and ATDC5 cells compared to their proliferative stage. Forced expression of Dlx5 further increases, while knockdown of Dlx5 decreases COL10A1 expression in hypertrophic MCT cells. We have performed dual-luciferase reporter and ChIP assays and demonstrated that DLX5 promotes reporter activity through direct interaction with Col10a1 cis-enhancer. We established a murine OA model and detected markedly increased COL10A1 and DLX5 in the articular cartilage and subchondral bone of the OA mice compared with the controls. Notably, forced overexpression of DLX5 in hypertrophic MCT cells up-regulates RUNX2, and adjacent DLX5 and RUNX2 binding sites have previously been found within the Col10a1 cis-enhancer. Together, our data suggest that DLX5 may cooperate with RUNX2 to control cell-specific Col10a1 expression and chondrocyte hypertrophy and is involved in OA pathogenesis.

Abstract Iron-based catalysts are promising candidates for advanced oxidation process-based wastewater remediation. However, the preparation of these materials often involves complex and energy intensive syntheses. Further, due to the inherent limitations of the preparation conditions, it is challenging to realise the full potential of the catalyst. Herein, we develop an iron-based nanomaterial catalyst via soft carbon assisted flash joule heating (FJH). FJH involves rapid temperature increase, electric shock, and cooling, the process simultaneously transforms a low-grade iron mineral (FeS) and soft carbon into an electron rich nano Fe0/FeS heterostructure embedded in thin-bedded graphene. The process is energy efficient and consumes 34 times less energy than conventional pyrolysis. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the electron delocalization of the FJH-derived heterostructure improves its binding ability with peroxydisulfate via bidentate binuclear model, thereby enhancing ·OH yield for organics mineralization. The Fe-based nanomaterial catalyst exhibits strong catalytic performance over a wide pH range. Similar catalysts can be prepared using other commonly available iron precursors. Finally, we also present a strategy for continuous and automated production of the iron-based nanomaterial catalysts.

Background Gastric cancer (GC) is an extremely heterogeneous malignancy with a complex tumor microenvironment (TME) that contributes to unsatisfactory prognosis. Methods The overall activity score for assessing the immune activity of GC patients was developed based on cancer immune cycle activity index in the Tracking Tumor Immunophenotype (TIP). Genes potentially affected by the overall activity score were screened using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Based on the expression profile data of GC in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, COX analysis was applied to create an immune activity score (IAS). Differences in TME activity in the IAS groups were analyzed. We also evaluated the value of IAS in estimating immunotherapy and chemotherapy response based on immunotherapy cohort. Gene expression in IAS model and cell viability were determined by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, respectively. Results WGCAN analysis screened 629 overall activity score-related genes, which were mainly associated with T cell response and B cell response. COX analysis identified AKAP5, CTLA4, LRRC8C, AOAH-IT1, NPC2, RGS1 and SLC2A3 as critical genes affecting the prognosis of GC, based on which the IAS was developed. Further RT-qPCR analysis data showed that the expression of AKAP5 and CTLA4 was downregulated, while that of LRRC8C, AOAH-IT1, NPC2, RGS1 and SLC2A3 was significantly elevated in GC cell lines. Inhibition of AKAP5 increased cell viability but siAOAH-IT1 promoted viability of GC cells. IAS demonstrated excellent robustness in predicting immunotherapy outcome and GC prognosis, with low-IAS patients having better prognosis and immunotherapy. In addition, resistance to Erlotinib, Rapamycin, MG-132, Cyclopamine, AZ628, and Sorafenib was reduced in patients with low IAS. Conclusion IAS was a reliable prognostic indicator. For GC patients, IAS showed excellent robustness in predicting GC prognosis, immune activity status, immunotherapy response, and chemotherapeutic drug resistance. Our study provided novel insights into the prognostic assessment in GC.

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic heavy metal that can severely hinder plant growth and development. Tomato is one of the most important economical crops in the world, and its quality and safety are closely related to human health. Therefore, it is important to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in tomato plant responses to Cd stress. In this study, tomato plants were treated with or without 100 μM Cd2+ in hydroponic culture for 3 days. Transcriptional changes in tomato roots and shoots were examined by transcriptome sequencing techniques. A total of 1,123 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in roots and 159 DEGs were identified in shoots after Cd treatment, including 15 DEGs were upregulated and 24 DEGs were downregulated in both roots and shoots. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that DEGs in the roots and shoots under Cd stress were significantly enriched in the glutathione metabolism pathway, sulfur metabolism pathway, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant-pathogen interaction cutin pathway, suberine and wax biosynthesis pathway, and photosynthesis-antenna proteins pathway. 15 DEGs were further validated by quantitative real-time RT-PCR, including ABC transporter genes, WRKY transcription factors, and NAC transcription factors, among others. This study will provide a theoretical basis for further research on the molecular mechanisms involved in tomato responses to Cd stress, and genetic improvement of Cd tolerance.

BackgroundAs a severe hematological malignancy in adults, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by high heterogeneity and complexity. Emerging evidence highlights the importance of the tumor immune microenvironment and lipid metabolism in cancer progression. In this study, we comprehensively evaluated the expression profiles of genes related to lipid metabolism and immune modifications to develop a prognostic risk signature for AML.MethodsFirst, we extracted the mRNA expression profiles of bone marrow samples from an AML cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas database and employed Cox regression analysis to select prognostic hub genes associated with lipid metabolism and immunity. We then constructed a prognostic signature with hub genes significantly related to survival and validated the stability and robustness of the prognostic signature using three external datasets. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis was implemented to explore the underlying biological pathways related to the risk signature. Finally, the correlation between signature, immunity, and drug sensitivity was explored.ResultsEight genes were identified from the analysis and verified in the clinical samples, including APOBEC3C, MSMO1, ATP13A2, SMPDL3B, PLA2G4A, TNFSF15, IL2RA, and HGF, to develop a risk-scoring model that effectively stratified patients with AML into low- and high-risk groups, demonstrating significant differences in survival time. The risk signature was negatively related to immune cell infiltration. Samples with AML in the low-risk group, as defined by the risk signature, were more likely to be responsive to immunotherapy, whereas those at high risk responded better to specific targeted drugs.ConclusionsThis study reveals the significant role of lipid metabolism- and immune-related genes in prognosis and demonstrated the utility of these signature genes as reliable bioinformatic indicators for predicting survival in patients with AML. The risk-scoring model based on these prognostic signature genes holds promise as a valuable tool for individualized treatment decision-making, providing valuable insights for improving patient prognosis and treatment outcomes in AML.

This report involves a 54-year-old female patient diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who developed interstitial pneumonia (IP) during treatment. The patient presented to the ward with enlarged lymph nodes in the neck and was treated with the standard regimen, which included rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin liposomes, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CDOP regimen). After 3 cycles, the treatment was assessed as effective. However, following the 4th cycle, the patient experience shortness of breath after physical activity. A repeat lung computer tomography indicated IP, which completely recovered after receiving “full coverage” treatment. Subsequently, the patient underwent 2 cycles of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin liposomes, vincristine, and prednisone (CDOP), followed by local radiotherapy. Currently, the patient is now being followed up with regular reviews.

AIM: To elucidate the relationship between macular sensitivity and time in range (TIR) obtained from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) measures in diabetic patients with or without diabetic retinopathy (DR). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study including 100 eyes of non-DR patients and 60 eyes of DR patients. An advanced microperimetry was used to quantitate the retinal mean sensitivity (MS) and fixation stability in central macula. TIR of 3.9-10.0 mmol/L was evaluated with CGM. Pearson coefficient analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used to assess the correlation between TIR and retinal sensitivity. RESULTS: In a comparison of non-DR patients, significant differences (P0.05). A multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to prove that TIR and SDBG were both independent risk factors for MS reduction in the DR group. CONCLUSION: TIR is correlated with retinal MS reduction in DR patients, suggesting a useful option for evaluating DR progression.

Abstract Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease(CMT) is a hereditary peripheral neuropathy, characterized by progressive distal hypoesthesia and amyotrophia. CMT is characterized by an X- linked recessive inheritance pattern. The apoptosis-inducing factor mitochondria associated-1 (AIFM1) is the main pathogenic gene of the X-linked recessive Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease-4 with or without cerebellar ataxia (CMTX4), also known as Cowchock syndrome. In this study, we enrolled a family with CMTX from the southeast region of China and identified a novel AIFM1 variant (NM_004208.3: c.931C>G; p.L311V) using whole exon sequencing technology. The results of our study may also be useful for genetic counseling, embryo screening of in vitro fertilization embryos, and prenatal genetic diagnosis.

Background: Recurrence and metastasis are the main causes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)-related death. CD146 has been identified as a potential risk factor for poor prognosis, closely related to the distant metastasis and drug resistance in various cancers. However, the clinical significance of CD146 in NSCLC requires further investigation. Materials and Methods: This study explored the correlation between CD146 expression and clinical variables using tumor tissue samples collected from our hospital. CD146 expression levels in NSCLC cell lines and tissues were assessed and compared using immunohistochemistry, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), flow cytometry, and western blot analysis. The invasion and migration capabilities of tumor cells were determined using transwell and wound healing assays. The levels of proteins related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as well as the underlying PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was measured by western blotting. Results: We discovered that CD146 expression is significantly associated with the EMT signaling pathway. High CD146 expression predicted lymph node metastasis, metastasis to distant organs, advanced Tumor, Node, Metastasis (TNM) staging, and poor survival in NSCLC patients. Wound healing and transwell assays showed that knocking down CD146 significantly suppressed cell migration along with cell invasion in NSCLC, whereas overexpressing CD146 notably enhanced these processes. Western blot analysis revealed significantly reduced levels of N-cadherin, vimentin, snail, twist, PI3K, and AKT phosphorylation in shCD146 H460 cells compared to vector control cells. Treatment with PI3K inhibitor PI3K-IN-1 increased E-cadherin expression levels but reduced N-cadherin, Twist, Vimentin, PI3K, and AKT phosphorylation levels in pcDNA3.1-CD146 A549 cells compared with the vector control cells. Conclusions: CD146 expression acts as a prognostic risk factor for adverse outcomes in NSCLC, promoting invasion and metastasis by activating the EMT through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. These findings underscore the potential therapeutic strategies targeting CD146, offering new treatment options for NSCLC patients, especially those at risk of metastasis.

Trueperella pyogenes can cause various infections in the organs and tissues of different livestock (including pigs, cows, goats, and sheep), including mastitis, endometritis, pneumonia, or abscesses. Moreover, diseases induced by T. pyogenes cause significant economic losses in animal husbandry. In recent large-scale investigations, T. pyogenes has been identified as one of the main pathogens causing endometritis in lactating cows. However, the main treatment for the above-mentioned diseases is still currently antibiotic therapy. Understanding the impact of endometritis associated with T. pyogenes on the fertility of cows can help optimize antibiotic treatment for uterine diseases, thereby strategically concentrating the use of antimicrobials on the most severe cases. Therefore, it is particularly important to continuously monitor the prevalence of T. pyogenes and test its drug resistance. This study compared the uterine microbiota of healthy cows and endometritis cows in different cattle farms, investigated the prevalence of T. pyogenes, evaluated the genetic characteristics and population structure of isolated strains, and determined the virulence genes and drug resistance characteristics of T. pyogenes. An amount of 186 dairy cows were involved in this study and 23 T. pyogenes strains were isolated and identified from the uterine lavage fluid of dairy cows with or without endometritis.

In order to realize the effective separation of palladium from high-level liquid waste (HLLW), a ligand-supported adsorbent (NTAamide(C8)/SiO2-P) was prepared by the impregnation method in a vacuum. The SiO2-P carrier was synthesized by in situ polymerization of divinylbenzene and styrene monomers on a macroporous silica skeleton. The NTAamide(C8)/SiO2-P adsorbent was fabricated by impregnating an NTAamide(C8) ligand into the pore of a SiO2-P carrier under a vacuum condition. The adsorption performance of NTAamide(C8)/SiO2-P in nitric acid medium has been systematically studied. In a solution of 0.2 M HNO3, the distribution coefficient of Pd on NTAamide(C8)/SiO2-P was 1848 mL/g with an adsorption percentage of 90.24%. With the concentration of nitric acid increasing, the adsorption capacity of NTAamide(C8)/SiO2-P decreases. Compared to the other 10 potential interfering ions in fission products, NTAamide(C8)/SiO2-P exhibited excellent adsorption selectivity for Pd(II). The separation factor (SFPd/other metals > 77.8) is significantly higher than that of similar materials. The interference of NaNO3 had a negligible effect on the adsorption performance of NTAamide(C8)/SiO2-P, which maintained above 90%. The adsorption kinetics of Pd(II) adsorption on NTAamide(C8)/SiO2-P fits well with the pseudo-second order model. The Sips model is more suitable than the Langmuir and Freundlich model for describing the adsorption behavior. Thermodynamic analysis showed that the adsorption of Pd(II) on NTAamide(C8)/SiO2-P was a spontaneous, endothermic, and rapid process. NTAamide(C8)/SiO2-P also demonstrated good reusability and economic feasibility.

Background: Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) is a prevalent disease, which features decreased bone mass, bone weakness and deteriorated bone microstructure in postmenopausal women. Although many factors have been revealed to contribute to the occurrence of PMOP, its mechanism remains undefined. This work aimed to identify significant changes in gene expression during PMOP formation and to examine the most valuable differential genes in postmenopausal osteoporosis versus the control group. Methods: The GSE68303 dataset that contains 12 ovariectomize (OVX) experimental and 11 sham groups was downloaded and analyzed. The results indicated that interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) might be a hub gene in the development of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were carried out to evaluate IRF4 levels in thoracic vertebra extracts from OVX and Sham mice. To assess IRF4’s impact on osteogenic differentiation in postmenopausal bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), IRF4 overexpression (OV-IRF4) and knockdown (Sh-IRF4) plasmids were constructed. Results: The results showed that comparing with the sham group, bone samples from the OVX group showed higher IRF4 expression. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining revealed that IRF4 overexpression significantly inhibited ALP activity, while IRF4 knockdown promoted ALP activity in BM-MSCs. Simvastatin-treated OVX mice showed increased total bone volume/total tissue volume (BV/TV) and elevated Runx2 expression by immunohistochemical staining compared with the OVX group. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that IRF4 is associated with OVX induced osteoporosis, it can regulate bone stability by inhibiting the osteogenic differentiation BM-MSCs. This study may help enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanism of PMOP formation, providing new insights into estrogen defiance induced osteoporosis.

A precise measurement of animal behavior and reaction forces from their surroundings can help elucidate the fundamental principle of animal locomotion, such as landing and takeoff. Compared with stiff substrates, compliant substrates, like leaves, readily yield to loads, presenting grand challenges in measuring the reaction forces on the substrates involving compliance. To gain insight into the kinematic mechanisms and structural–functional evolution associated with arboreal animal locomotion, this study introduces an innovative device that facilitates the quantification of the reaction forces on compliant substrates, like leaves. By utilizing the stiffness–damping characteristics of servomotors and the adjustable length of a cantilever structure, the substrate compliance of the device can be accurately controlled. The substrate was further connected to a force sensor and an acceleration sensor. With the cooperation of these sensors, the measured interaction force between the animal and the compliant substrate prevented the effects of inertial force coupling. The device was calibrated under preset conditions, and its force measurement accuracy was validated, with the error between the actual measured and theoretical values being no greater than 10%. Force curves were measured, and frictional adhesion coefficients were calculated from comparative experiments on the landing/takeoff of adherent animals (tree frogs and geckos) on this device. Analysis revealed that the adhesion force limits were significantly lower than previously reported values (0.2~0.4 times those estimated in previous research). This apparatus provides mechanical evidence for elucidating structural–functional relationships exhibited by animals during locomotion and can serve as an experimental platform for optimizing the locomotion of bioinspired robots on compliant substrates.

With the explosive growth in demand for lithium (Li) resources, the Mufushan area has been a hotspot for Li deposit exploration in China in recent years. Geochemical maps and geochemical anomaly maps are basic maps in the geochemical exploration of mineral resources. A fixed-value method to contour a Li geochemical map is presented here, in which Li concentrations are divided into 19 levels on 18 fixed values, ranging from 5 μg/g (corresponding to the detection limit) to 1858 μg/g (corresponding to the cut-off grade of Li deposit in hard-rock type) and illustrated in six color tones corresponding to Li areas of low background, high background, low anomaly, high anomaly, mineralization in clay-type, and mineralization in hard-rock type. The geochemical map of Li in the Mufushan area using the new fixed-value method indicates that the study area belongs to the high background area, and the known Li deposits are located in the high anomaly areas. In addition, the geochemical anomaly map of the Mufushan area is drawn using the method of seven levels of classification, and indicates that the known Li deposits are all in the anomaly areas, with anomaly levels not lower than the second level. Furthermore, four other areas are recognized for Li resource potential based on the geochemical map and geochemical anomaly map in the Mufushan area.

In recent years, significant progress has been witnessed in the field of deep learning-based object detection. As a subtask in the field of object detection, traffic sign detection has great potential for development. However, the existing object detection methods for traffic sign detection in real-world scenes are plagued by issues such as the omission of small objects and low detection accuracies. To address these issues, a traffic sign detection model named YOLOv7-Traffic Sign (YOLOv7-TS) is proposed based on sub-pixel convolution and feature fusion. Firstly, the up-sampling capability of the sub-pixel convolution integrating channel dimension is harnessed and a Feature Map Extraction Module (FMEM) is devised to mitigate the channel information loss. Furthermore, a Multi-feature Interactive Fusion Network (MIFNet) is constructed to facilitate enhanced information interaction among all feature layers, improving the feature fusion effectiveness and strengthening the perception ability of small objects. Moreover, a Deep Feature Enhancement Module (DFEM) is established to accelerate the pooling process while enriching the highest-layer feature. YOLOv7-TS is evaluated on two traffic sign datasets, namely CCTSDB2021 and TT100K. Compared with YOLOv7, YOLOv7-TS, with a smaller number of parameters, achieves a significant enhancement of 3.63% and 2.68% in the mean Average Precision (mAP) for each respective dataset, proving the effectiveness of the proposed model.

Abstract Thrombocytopenia is a major complication in a subset of patients with multiple myeloma (MM). However, little is known about its development and significance during MM. Here, we show thrombocytopenia is linked to poor prognosis in MM. In addition, we identify serine, which is released from MM cells into the bone marrow microenvironment, as a key metabolic factor that suppresses megakaryopoiesis and thrombopoiesis. The impact of excessive serine on thrombocytopenia is mainly mediated through the suppression of megakaryocyte (MK) differentiation. Extrinsic serine is transported into MKs through SLC38A1 and downregulates SVIL via SAM-mediated tri-methylation of H3K9, ultimately leading to the impairment of megakaryopoiesis. Inhibition of serine utilization or treatment with TPO enhances megakaryopoiesis and thrombopoiesis and suppresses MM progression. Together, we identify serine as a key metabolic regulator of thrombocytopenia, unveil molecular mechanisms governing MM progression, and provide potential therapeutic strategies for treating MM patients by targeting thrombocytopenia.

Wetlands in the arid zone of northwest China have ecological values such as climate regulation, water conservation, and biodiversity maintenance. However, in the context of global warming and economic development, the degree of natural and human interference in the wetlands has been increasing, and wetland health problems are becoming increasingly severe. The current comparative research on the ecosystem health evaluation of natural and constructed wetlands and their sustainable development in the arid zone of northwest China is not perfect, so we selected the natural (Dunhuang Xihu Wetland) and constructed wetlands (Suzhou District Wetland) as research objects. The ecosystem health evaluation system has been developed from 5 levels of the drive, pressure, state, impact, and response (DPSIR). The ecological health status and impact factors were evaluated for the two wetlands using socioeconomic data combined with remote sensing technology from 2000 to 2019. The results showed that 1) the ecological health of natural and constructed wetlands was in a medium healthy state, and the ecological health values of the wetlands showed a trend of decreasing and then increasing from 2000 to 2019, with 2005 as the turning point. The ecological health status of natural wetlands (0.46) was better than that of constructed wetlands (0.42). 2) The main reasons for the degradation of constructed wetlands (-3.20%) were the urban population expansion and blind agricultural reclamation of wetlands, while the degradation of natural wetlands (-6.45%) was dominated by extreme climatic conditions and overuse of water resources. These results provide case support and a theoretical basis for the conservation management and sustainable development of wetland ecosystems in the arid zone.

Three rat sarcoma (RAS) gene isoforms, KRAS, NRAS, and HRAS, constitute the most mutated family of small GTPases in cancer. While the development of targeted immunotherapies has led to a substantial improvement in the overall survival of patients with non-KRAS-mutant cancer, patients with RAS-mutant cancers have an overall poorer prognosis owing to the high aggressiveness of RAS-mutant tumors. KRAS mutations are strongly implicated in lung, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers. However, RAS mutations exhibit diverse patterns of isoforms, substitutions, and positions in different types of cancers. Despite being considered “undruggable”, recent advances in the use of allele-specific covalent inhibitors against the most common mutant form of RAS in non-small-cell lung cancer have led to the development of effective pharmacological interventions against RAS-mutant cancer. Sotorasib (AMG510) has been approved by the FDA as a second-line treatment for patients with KRAS-G12C mutant NSCLC who have received at least one prior systemic therapy. Other KRAS inhibitors are on the way to block KRAS-mutant cancers. In this review, we summarize the progress and promise of small-molecule inhibitors in clinical trials, including direct inhibitors of KRAS, pan-RAS inhibitors, inhibitors of RAS effector signaling, and immune checkpoint inhibitors or combinations with RAS inhibitors, to improve the prognosis of tumors with RAS mutations.

Rose (Rosa spp.) is one of the most economically important ornamental species worldwide. Flower diameter, flower weight, and the number of petals and petaloids are key flower-size parameters and attractive targets for DNA-informed breeding. Pedigree-based analysis (PBA) using FlexQTL software was conducted using two sets of multi-parental diploid rose populations. Phenotypic data for flower diameter (Diam), flower weight (fresh (FWT)/dry (DWT)), number of petals (NP), and number of petaloids (PD) were collected over six environments (seasons) at two locations in Texas. The objectives of this study were to 1) identify new and/or validate previously reported QTL(s); 2) identify SNP haplotypes associated with QTL alleles (Q-/q-) of a trait and their sources; and 3) determine QTL genotypes for important rose breeding parents. Several new and previously reported QTLs for NP and Diam traits were identified. In addition, QTLs associated with flower weight and PD were identified for the first time. Two major QTLs with large effects were mapped for all traits. The first QTL was at the distal end of LG1 (60.44–60.95 Mbp) and was associated with Diam and DWT in the TX2WOB populations. The second QTL was consistently mapped in the middle region on LG3 (30.15–39.34 Mbp) and associated with NP, PD, and flower weight across two multi-parent populations (TX2WOB and TX2WSE). Haplotype results revealed a series of QTL alleles with differing effects at important loci for most traits. This work is distinct from previous studies by conducting co-factor analysis to account for the DOUBLE FLOWER locus while mapping QTL for NP. Sources of high-value (Q) alleles were identified, namely, ‘Old Blush’ and Rosa wichuraiana from J14-3 for Diam, while ‘Violette’ and PP-J14-3 were sources for other traits. In addition, the source of the low-value (q) alleles for Diam was ‘Little Chief’, and Rosa wichuraiana through J14-3 was the source for the remaining traits. Hence, our results can potentially inform parental/seedling selections as means to improve ornamental quality in roses and a step towards implementing DNA-informed techniques for use in rose breeding programs.

Adenoid hypertrophy is a pathological condition characterized by the enlargement of the adenoids in children, which may lead to various problems. The conventional manual measurement is time-consuming and subject to subjective errors. Previous automated methods based on landmark detection in X-ray images have shown reliability. However, these methods neglect global features, making it difficult to locate landmarks accurately and thus affecting adenoid-to-nasopharyngeal (AN) ratio estimation when migrating to MRI images. In this paper, we first apply a deep-learning method to automatically assess adenoid hypertrophy in MRI images. We propose an adenoid network (ADNet) to capture local and global features near landmarks to achieve accurate landmark localization. Specifically, ADNet uses an encoder-decoder architecture where we employ a depthwise separable convolution-based encoder to extract local features and then employ an adaptive convolution-based decoder to capture global features. We collected a dataset of 500 cephalometric MRI images to train and evaluate the performance of the proposed model. Our experimental results demonstrate that our network achieves state-of-the-art performance with an average radial error of 4.85 pixels for landmark detection, an average successful detection rate of 96% within 15 pixels, and an error of 0.026 for the calculated AN ratio.

Identifying and assessing the disaster risk of landslide-prone regions is very critical for disaster prevention and mitigation. Owning to their special advantages, neural network algorithms have been widely used for landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) in recent decades. In the present study, three advanced neural network models popularly used in relevant studies, i.e. artificial neural network (ANN), one dimensional convolutional neural network (1D CNN) and recurrent neural network (RNN), were evaluated and compared for LSM practice over the Qingchuan County, Sichuan province, China. Extensive experimental results demonstrated satisfactory performances of these three neural network models in accurately predicting susceptible regions. Specifically, ANN and 1D CNN models yielded quite consistent LSM results but slightly differed from those of RNN model spatially. Nevertheless, accuracy evaluations revealed that the RNN model outperformed the other two models both qualitatively and quantitatively but its complexity was relatively high. Experiments concerning training hyper-parameters on the performance of neural network models for LSM suggested that relatively small batch size values with Tanh activation function and SGD optimizer are essential to improve the performance of neural network models for LSM, which may provide a thread to help those who apply these advanced algorithms to improve their efficiency.

Epoxy resins are widely used as insulation materials for power systems and are mainly prepared from petrochemical materials, which have the disadvantage of being non-recyclable and environmentally harmful. In this paper, the maleopimaric acid (MPAc) curing agent was prepared from a renewable resource, rosin, and blended with a petroleum-based curing agent (methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride) to cure bisphenol A epoxy resin. The effects of the blending ratio on the curing characteristics as well as on the thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties of the epoxy resins were examined. From the results obtained, as for thermal properties, the introduction of MPAc enhanced the rigidity, glass transition temperature, and thermal decomposition temperature. As for mechanical properties, the brittleness was increased while the tensile strength and bending strength were weakened. When the mass fraction of MPAc was 20–30 wt%, the electrical properties reached the optimum, meeting the application requirements of electrical equipment. This study shows that using rosin-based curing agent maleicpine acid (MPAc) as a partial replacement for petroleum-based curing agents can make electrical equipment environmentally friendly, demonstrating the potential application prospects of rosin-based epoxy resins.

In order to investigate the effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and tensile properties of an Mg-5Gd-4Y-0.5Zn-0.5Zr alloy, the phase diagram was calculated by Pandat software, and accordingly the as-extruded alloy was annealed at 450, 510 and 550 °C followed by water quenching. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the specimens were analyzed subsequently by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and tensile testing. The results showed that the average grain size of the as-extruded specimen was about 4 μm, in which Mg24Y5 was detected, and fine-grain strip was formed during the extrusion process. The grain size of the specimen annealed at 450 °C for 24 h was about 11 μm, and the main secondary phases were 14H-LPSO, δ-Zr3Zn2, β1-Mg3Gd and (HCP)Zr particles. The plate-like 14H-LPSO and cubic β1- Mg3Gd phases were coherent with the matrix, and the surface layer of (HCP)Zr was enriched with Zn atoms. When the annealing temperature reached 510 °C and 550 °C, the grain size increased to about 83 and 151 μm, respectively. The 14H-LPSO phases were gradually dissolved while the other secondary phases still existed. It was shown by uniaxial tensile testing that the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield tensile strength (YTS) and elongation (EL) of the as-extruded specimen were 291 MPa, 236 MPa and 24.7%, respectively. Increase of UTS, EL and decrease of YTS was resulted after annealed at 450 °C. However, both the strength and ductility dropped obviously after annealed at 510 °C and 550 °C. Ductile fracture features were found on the fracture surface of the as-extruded and 450 °C annealed specimens, whereas brittle topology, such as cleavage, was the main feature on the fracture surfaces of the specimens annealed at higher temperatures. Based on the strength analysis, it was concluded that the fine-grain strengthening was more important than solution strengthening and precipitation strengthening in this work.

Condensation is the process of changing a substance from a gaseous state into a liquid state, which is a phase-change process and has been widely applied in many fields. Dropwise condensation occurs on hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surfaces, and thus, has a much higher heat-transfer coefficient than film condensation. In this study, four types of micro-structured surfaces including cylinder, cube, cone and pyramid with the same height of 6μmwere made on silicon surfaces. Due to the different surface morphology, the micro-structured surfaces with cylinders and cubes had superhydrophobic properties with the contact angle of 158.4° and 155.5°, respectively; while the micro-structured surfaces with cones and pyramids had hydrophilic properties with the contact angle of 86.4° and 44.4°, respectively. Through the experimentally study of the heat transfer and dynamic characteristics of droplets on the micro-structured surfaces, the results showed that under the same conditions (steam pressure is 0.1MPa, saturated steam temperature is 100 °C and steam flow rate is 0.298 ± 0.02 m3/h), the heat flux increased linearly with the increase of the cooling water temperature difference and the subcooling, respectively. Moreover, condensation heat transfer coefficient decreased as the increase of the subcooling. Because of less sharp edges and bigger contact angles, the cylindrical micro-structured surface had more excellent droplet mobility leading to faster condensation process and heat transfer. Through the comparison of the droplet growth in the horizontal and vertical directions, it was found that the micro-structured surface with more sharp edges had a larger droplets density. However, the sharp edges prevent the coalescence and shedding which slowed down the heat transfer. Therefore, the cylindrical micro-structured surface spent the shortest time in the whole growth process and thus had the best heat transfer performance.

Fully understanding the past characteristics of climate and patterns of climate change can contribute to future climate prediction. Tree-ring stable oxygen isotope ratio (δ18O) is crucial for high-resolution research of past climate changes and their driving mechanisms. A tree-ring δ18O chronology from 1896 to 2019 was established using Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. from the Yimeng Mountains (YMMs) in the central part of eastern China. We found that precipitation from the 41st pentad (five days) of the previous year to the 40th pentad of the current year (P41–40) was the main factor influencing the YMMs tree-ring δ18O change. We then created a transfer function between P41–40 and tree-ring δ18O. The reconstructed P41–40 explained 39% of the variance in the observed precipitation during the common period of 1960–2016. Over the past 124 years, the YMMs experienced 19 dry years and 20 wet years. The spatial correlation results indicate that the reconstructed precipitation could, to some extent, represent the precipitation changes in Shandong Province, and even the central part of eastern China, from the early 20th century to the present. In addition, it was found that the trends in YMMs tree-ring δ18O were similar at both high frequency and low frequency to those in tree-ring δ18O series from Mt. Tianmu in eastern China and from Jirisan National Park in southern South Korea. However, the YMMs tree-ring δ18O was only correlated at low frequency with the tree-ring δ18O of the Ordos Plateau in northwestern China and that of Nagano and Shiga in central Japan, which are far from the YMMs. The changes in precipitation and tree-ring δ18O in the YMMs were, to some extent, influenced by the Pacific decadal oscillation.

Some wild cotton species are remarkably tolerant to salt stress, and hence represent valuable resources for improving salt tolerance of the domesticated allotetraploid species Gossypium hirsutum L. Here, we first detected salt-induced stress changes in physiological and biochemical indexes of G. anomalum, a wild African diploid cotton species. Under 350 mmol/L NaCl treatment, the photosynthetic parameters declined significantly, whereas hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents increased. Catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) activity and proline (PRO) content also significantly increased, reaching peak values at different stages of salt stress. We used RNA-Seq to characterize 15,476 differentially expressed genes in G. anomalum roots after 6, 12, 24, 72, and 144 h of salt stress. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis revealed these genes to be related to sequence-specific DNA and iron ion binding and oxidoreductase, peroxidase, antioxidant, and transferase activity; meanwhile, the top enriched pathways from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database were plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, fatty acid degradation, carotenoid biosynthesis, zeatin biosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism, and MAPK signaling. A total of 1231 transcription factors were found to be expressed in response to salt stress, representing ERF, MYB, WRKY, NAC, C2H2, bZIP, and HD-ZIP families. Nine candidate genes were validated by quantitative real-time PCR and their expression patterns were found to be consistent with the RNA-Seq data. These data promise to significantly advance our understanding of the molecular response to salt stress in Gossypium spp., with potential value for breeding applications.