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Negatively thermo-responsive 2D membranes, which mimic the stomatal opening/closing of plants, have drawn substantial interest for tunable molecular separation processes. However, these membranes are still restricted significantly on account of low water permeability and poor dynamic tunability of 2D nanochannels under temperature stimulation. Here, we present a biomimetic negatively thermo-responsive MXene membrane by covalently grafting poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) onto MXene nanosheets. The uniformly grafted PNIPAm polymer chains can enlarge the interlayer spacings for increasing water permeability while also allowing more tunability of 2D nanochannels for enhancing the capability of gradually separating multiple molecules of different sizes. As expected, the constructed membrane exhibits ultrahigh water permeance of 95.6 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 at 25 °C, which is eight-fold higher than the state-of-the-art negatively thermo-responsive 2D membranes. Moreover, the highly temperature-tunable 2D nanochannels enable the constructed membrane to perform excellent graded molecular sieving for dye- and antibiotic-based ternary mixtures. This strategy provides new perspectives in engineering smart 2D membrane and expands the scope of temperature-responsive membranes, showing promising applications in micro/nanofluidics and molecular separation.

Abstract Irradiation (IR) induces immunogenic cell death (ICD) in tumors, but it rarely leads to the abscopal effect (AE); even combining IR with immune checkpoint inhibitors has shown only anecdotal success in inducing AEs. In this study, we aimed to enhance the IR-induced immune response and generate reproducible AEs using the anti-alcoholism drug, disulfiram (DSF), complexed with copper (DSF/Cu) to induce tumor ICD. We measured ICD in vitro and in vivo. In mouse tumor models, DSF/Cu was injected intratumorally followed by localized tumor IR, creating an in situ cancer vaccine. We determined the anticancer response by primary tumor rejection and assessed systemic immune responses by tumor rechallenge and the occurrence of AEs relative to spontaneous lung metastasis. In addition, we analyzed immune cell subsets and quantified proinflammatory and immunosuppressive chemokines/cytokines in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and blood of the vaccinated mice. Immune cell depletion was investigated for its effects on the vaccine-induced anticancer response. The results showed that DSF/Cu and IR induced more potent ICD under hypoxia than normoxia in vitro. Low-dose intratumoral (i.t.) injection of DSF/Cu and IR(12Gy) demonstrated strong anti-primary and -rechallenged tumor effects and robust AEs in mouse models. These vaccinations also increased CD8+ and CD4+ cell numbers while decreasing Tregs and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the 4T1 model, and increased CD8+, dendritic cells (DC), and decreased Treg cell numbers in the MCa-M3C model. Depleting both CD8+ and CD4+ cells abolished the vaccine’s anticancer response. Moreover, vaccinated tumor-bearing mice exhibited increased TNFα levels and reduced levels of immunosuppressive chemokines/cytokines. In conclusion, our novel approach generated an anticancer immune response that results in a lack of or low tumor incidence post-rechallenge and robust AEs, i.e., absence of or decreased spontaneous lung metastasis in tumor-bearing mice. This approach is readily translatable to clinical settings and may increase IR-induced AEs in cancer patients.

Abstract Elucidating the expression of microRNAs in developing single cells is critical for functional discovery. Here, we construct scCAMERA (single-cell cartography of microRNA expression based on reporter assay), utilizing promoter-driven fluorescent reporters in conjunction with imaging and lineage tracing. The cartography delineates the transcriptional activity of 54 conserved microRNAs in lineage-resolved single cells throughout C. elegans embryogenesis. The combinatorial expression of microRNAs partitions cells into fine clusters reflecting their function and anatomy. Notably, the expression of individual microRNAs exhibits high cell specificity and divergence among family members. Guided by cellular expression patterns, we identify developmental functions of specific microRNAs, including miR-1 in pharynx development and physiology, miR-232 in excretory canal morphogenesis by repressing NHR-25/NR5A, and a functional synergy between miR-232 and miR-234 in canal development, demonstrating the broad utility of scCAMERA. Furthermore, integrative analysis reveals that tissue-specific fate determinants activate microRNAs to repress protein production from leaky transcripts associated with alternative, especially neuronal, fates, thereby enhancing the fidelity of developmental fate differentiation. Collectively, our study offers rich opportunities for multidimensional expression-informed analysis of microRNA biology in metazoans.

Abstract Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious traumatic disease of the central nervous system and leads to incomplete or complete loss of the body’s autonomous motor and sensory functions, seriously endangering human health. Recently, exosomes have been proposed as important substances in cell-to-cell interactions. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes exert good therapeutic effects and play a crucial role in neurological damage repair. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying their effects remain unknown. Herein, we found that compared to SCI rats, those subjected to umbilical cord MSC (UC-MSC)-derived exosomes injection showed an improved motor ability. Nevertheless, the transcriptome of BV2 microglia in different treatment groups indicated that the action pathway of exosomes might be the NF-κB/MAPK pathway. Additionally, exosomes from UC-MSCs could inhibit P38, JNK, ERK, and P65 phosphorylation in BV2 microglia and SCI rat tissues. Moreover, exosomes could inhibit apoptosis and inflammatory reaction and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production of BV2 microglia in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, UC-MSCs-derived exosomes might protect SCI in rats by inhibiting inflammatory response via the NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway, representing novel treatment targets or approaches for SCI.

Fe–20Mn–9Al-1.5C–2Ni–3Cr low-density steel is subjected to multi-stage heat treatment (MHT) to improve the toughness while maintaining high strength and ductility. The mechanical properties and fracture behavior of MHT steel are compared with those resulting from single-stage heat treatment (S1000 and S1050) usnig SEM, EBSD, and TEM microstructural characterization. The grain sizes of S1000, S1050 and MHT are 3.17, 3.84, and 7.31 μm, respectively. The proportion of “special” grain boundaries changes from 71.7 % to 68.3 % and finally to 71.2 % (by length). Simultaneously, dissolution of intergranular Cr7C3 precipitates in S1000. The half-size impact energy of MHT is 88.6 % higher than that of S1000, reaching 55.1 J, and the ultimate tensile strength and total elongation are maintained at approximately 1100 MPa and 50 %, respectively. As demonstrated by quantitative analysis, the yield strength is maintained at 910 MPa due to solution, grain boundary, and precipitation strengthening, whereas the increase in toughness is due to the rise in the crack propagation energy. The increased toughness is derived from the combined effect of reducing the number of intergranular precipitates and a high percentage of “special grain boundaries''.

Abstract Fixed frequency beam-scanning leaky-wave antennas have been a focus of attention for many scholars in recent years, and numerous related results have been obtained. However, these antennas suffer from several issues such as small beam-scanning range, low gain, and unsatisfactory impedance matching. To address these problems, this paper proposes a microstrip line (ML) antenna unit based on liquid crystal (LC) materials etched Complementary Split Ring Resonator (CSRR). In a first-of-its-kind approach, the substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) structure and the ML transmission structure are combined to present the SIW-ML transmission structure. The antenna operates in the Ka-band with excellent resonance characteristics at 34.7 GHz, and the S11 parameters are below − 13 dB in the frequency range of 30–40 GHz, indicating outstanding impedance matching. By arranging 56 antenna units, a periodic leaky-wave antenna is created, enabling fixed-frequency beam-scanning at 34.7 GHz. Experimental results show that the antenna can achieve scanning of angles between − 53° and + 60° with a gain of up to 12.63 dB. Once single-beam scanning is achieved, a method combining LC and discrete amplitude weighting technique, as well as multi-beam theory, is proposed for multi-beam study. Experimental results reveal that the designed 56-unit beam-scanning antenna can effectively realize beam scanning in two directions.

Researching infrared adversarial attacks is crucial for ensuring the safe deployment of security-sensitive systems reliant on infrared object detectors. However, current research on infrared adversarial attacks mainly focuses on pedestrian detection tasks. Due to the complex shape and structure of vehicles and the changing working conditions, adversarial attack in infrared vehicle detection pose challenges like difficult multi-angle attack, poor physical transferability, and weak environmental adaptation. This paper proposed Leaf-like Mask Bar Code (LMBC), a novel adversarial attack method for multi-angle physical black-box attack on infrared detectors. Inspired by natural leaf structures, a mask was designed to restrict the adversarial patch contour. Then, adversarial parameters of the patches (angle, sparsity, and position) were optimized using the Genetic Algorithm with Multi-segment (GAM). Moreover, leaf-like structures in physical adversarial patches were constructed using suitable infrared coating materials. deploying them at multiple angles. Experimental results demonstrated LMBC’s efficacy, paralyzing the infrared vehicle detector with an Average Precision (AP) as low as 33.7% and an average Attack Success Rate (ASR) as high as 92.9% across a distance of 2.4m 4.2 m and angles of 0° 360°. Moreover, LMBC’s adversarial patches transferred to mainstream detectors (e.g., Faster RCNN, Yolov3, etc.) and pedestrian detection tasks.

BackgroundThe novel coronavirus disease 2019 as the most pervasive and consequential pandemic in recent years, has exerted significant impacts on human health, including aspects related to body weight. Objectives: This study aims to assess the influence of the lockdown measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic on Chinese college students’ Body Mass Index (BMI) through a three-year cohort study.MethodsWe recruited 6156 college students (n = 4,248, 69% male, and n = 1,908, 31% female, with an average age of 18.68 ± 0.86 yr.) from a University in China to participate in this three-year cohort study. All of the subjects took the same physical fitness tests from 2019 to 2021 (pre-lockdown, during lockdown and post-lockdown). Participants’ height and weight data were objectively measured by Tongfang Health Fitness Testing Products 5000 series. A paired t-test was performed in the analysis.ResultsDuring the lockdown, there is 4.2% increase of BMI among the college student (p

Objectives: Fungal bloodstream infection (fBSI) following pediatric liver transplantation presents a significant challenge; however, there remains a paucity of guidance regarding antifungal prophylaxis in this population. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of universal antifungal prophylaxis and propose a desirable strategy. Methods: We enrolled 604 pediatric patients who underwent liver transplantation between 2020 and 2023, including 242 patients with empirical prophylaxis and 362 patients with universal prophylaxis. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent factors for fBSI. Results: Eight (2.2%) pediatric recipients in the universal prophylaxis group and 13 (5.4%) in the empirical group developed fBSI (P = 0.038). Universal prophylaxis was a protective factor (P = 0.044), while high-volume intraoperative plasma transfusion and deceased donor liver transplantation were independent risk factors for fBSI (P = 0.035 and 0.008, respectively). Universal antifungal strategy showed an increased overall survival trend after liver transplantation although without significant statistical difference (P = 0.217). Patients with fBSI had poorer survival than those without fBSI (P

ObjectivesThe safety and feasibility of repeat biopsy after systemic treatment for non-small cell lung cancer have received extensive attention in recent years. The purpose of this research was to compare complication rates between initial biopsy and rebiopsy in non-small cell lung cancer patients with progressive disease and to assess complication risk factors and clinical results after rebiopsy.MethodsThe study included 113 patients initially diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent lung biopsy at initial biopsy and rebiopsy after progression while on epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) and/or chemotherapy from January 2018 to December 2021. We compared the incidence of complications between the initial biopsy and rebiopsy and analyzed the predictors factors that influenced complications in patients who underwent rebiopsy.ResultsThe successful rate of rebiopsy was 88.5% (100/113). With the exception of two cases where lung adenocarcinoma changed into small cell lung cancer with gefitinib treatment, 98 individuals retained their initial pathological type. The secondary EGFR T790M mutation accounts for 55.6% of acquired resistance. The total number of patients with complications in initial biopsy was 25 (22.1%) and 37 (32.7%) in the rebiopsy. The incidence of pulmonary hemorrhage increased from 7.1% at the initial biopsy to 10.6% at rebiopsy, while the incidence of pneumothorax increased from 14.2% to 20.4%. Compared with the initial biopsy, the incidence of overall complications, parenchymal hemorrhage, and pneumothorax increased by 10.6%, 3.5%, and 6.2%, respectively. In all four evaluations (pneumorrhagia, pneumothorax, pleural reaction, and overall complication), there were no significant differences between the rebiopsy and initial biopsy (all p > 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that male sex (odds ratio [OR] = 5.064, p = 0.001), tumor size ≤ 2 cm (OR = 3.367, p = 0.013), EGFR-TKIs with chemotherapy (OR = 3.633, p =0.023), and transfissural approach (OR = 7.583, p = 0.026) were independent risk factors for overall complication after rebiopsy.ConclusionCompared with the initial biopsy, the complication rates displayed a slight, but not significant, elevation in rebiopsy. Male sex, tumor size ≤ 2 cm, transfissural approach, and EGFR-TKIs combined with chemotherapy were independent risk factors for rebiopsy complications.

Background:Psoriasis is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease, and hyperuricemia is a common comorbidity in patients with psoriasis. However, the exact relationship between uric acid levels and psoriasis remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the association between uric acid levels and psoriasis.Methods:Observational study participant data (≥16 years, n = 23,489) from NHANES 2003–2014. We conducted analyses using a weighted multiple logistic regression model. Genetic data sets for uric acid levels and psoriasis were obtained from the IEU database. We selected genetically independent loci closely associated with serum uric acid levels as instrumental variables and performed Mendelian randomization analyses using five complementary methods: inverse variance weighting (IVW), MR-Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode.Results:After adjusting for other covariates, the results revealed no significant association between serum uric acid levels and psoriasis (b = 0.999, 95% CI: 0.998, 1.001, p = 0.275). Subgroup analyses stratified by gender and ethnicity showed no significant association between sUA and psoriasis in any of the subgroups. Furthermore, the MR analysis involved the selection of 227 SNPs that were associated with both sUA and psoriasis. IVW results demonstrated no causal relationship between sUA and psoriasis (OR = 0.282, 95% CI: -0.094–0.657, p = 0.142).Conclusion:Our study suggests that uric acid levels are not significantly causally related to psoriasis. This finding provides valuable insights for the treatment and prevention of psoriasis, indicating that merely reducing uric acid levels may not be an effective strategy to reduce the risk of psoriasis onset.

Ammonia (NH3) is a vital chemical for modern human society. It is conventionally produced by the energy‐ and emission‐intensive Haber–Bosch process. Alternatively, sustainable NH3 production from renewable electricity‐driven electrolyzers has emerged as a promising route. Particularly, NH3 synthesis from nitrate (NO3−), a common pollutant in water and soil, by the nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) has drawn wide attention. Among various catalysts demonstrated recently, copper (Cu)‐based catalysts have been recognized as attractive candidates due to their availability, good activity, high NH3 selectivity, and facile reaction kinetics. In this review, the recent progress of Cu‐based NO3RR catalysts from the reaction mechanistic fundamentals to various catalyst design strategies, aiming at providing an on‐time summary, is summarized, and perspectives that can guide the rational and on‐demand design of Cu‐ and other earth‐abundant metal‐based catalysts for selective NO3RR toward sustainable NH3 production are elucidated.

BackgroundCutaneous phosphorylated alpha-synuclein (p-α-syn) deposition is an important biomarker of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (iPD). Recent studies have reported synucleinopathies in patients with common genetic forms of PD.ObjectiveThis study aimed to detect p-α-syn deposition characteristic in rare genetic PD patients with CHCHD2 or RAB39B mutations. Moreover, this study also aimed to describe peripheral alpha-synuclein prion-like activity in genetic PD patients, and acquire whether the cutaneous synucleinopathy characteristics of genetic PD are consistent with central neuropathologies.MethodsWe performed four skin biopsy samples from the distal leg (DL) and proximal neck (C7) of 161 participants, including four patients with CHCHD2 mutations, two patients with RAB39B mutations, 16 patients with PRKN mutations, 14 patients with LRRK2 mutations, five patients with GBA mutations, 100 iPD patients, and 20 healthy controls. We detected cutaneous synucleinopathies using immunofluorescence staining and a seeding amplification assay (SAA). A systematic literature review was also conducted, involving 64 skin biopsies and 205 autopsies of genetic PD patients with synucleinopathy.ResultsP-α-syn was deposited in the peripheral cutaneous nerves of PD patients with CHCHD2, LRRK2, or GBA mutations but not in those with RAB39B or PRKN mutations. There were no significant differences in the location or rate of α-syn-positive deposits between genetic PD and iPD patients. Peripheral cutaneous synucleinopathy appears to well represent brain synucleinopathy of genetic PD, especially autosomal dominant PD (AD-PD). Cutaneous α-synuclein SAA analysis of iPD and LRRK2 and GBA mutation patients revealed prion-like activity.ConclusionP-α-syn deposition in peripheral cutaneous nerves, detected using SAA and immunofluorescence staining, may serve as an accurate biomarker for genetic PD and iPD in the future.

In this work, the effects of edible alkali additions on the quality of different frozen grain doughs (wheat, buckwheat, corn, and mung bean) were studied, the frozen doughs were prepared by adding different amounts (0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%) of edible alkali into raw materials, which were based on 100 g of frozen grain dough, respectively. And the doughs were frozen at −30 ℃ for 8 h and freezing at −18°C for 1 d, then thawed at 25 ℃ for 30 min. The water loss rate, water retention rate, pH, textural properties, water distribution were measured, respectively. And changes in the surface network structure and protein structure of the frozen doughs were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the additions of edible alkali were negatively correlated with the water loss rate of frozen doughs, it could significantly (P

Abstract Aim To explore factors promoting and hindering resilience in youth with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) based on Kumpfer's resilience framework. Design A descriptive qualitative study design with an interpretative approach was used. Methods Participants consisted of 10 youths with IBD from a tertiary hospital in Beijing (China) recruited using the purposive sampling method. Data were collected by semi‐structured interviews from December 2020 to March 2021. The directed content analysis was performed for data analysis. Results Both promoting factors and hindering factors could be divided into personal factors and environmental factors. Thirteen themes were identified. The promoting factors included acceptance of illness, strict self‐management, previous treatment experience, life goals, family support, medical support and peer encouragement. Stigma, lack of communication, negative cognition, societal incomprehension, economic pressure and academic and employment pressure were hindering factors. Conclusion Health care professionals need to develop greater awareness of factors, stemming from both the individual and the outside world, that hinder or promote resilience in order to aid young patients with IBD. Building targeted nursing measures to excavate the internal positive quality of patients, provide external support and promote the development of resilience.

Objectives This study aims to investigate the impact of digital engagement on urban-rural disparities in depressive symptoms among Chinese women. Methods Using a dataset from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) wave 2020, this study analyzes the impact of digital engagement on the urban-rural disparity in women's depressive symptoms using multiple linear regression and recentered influence function (RIF) models. Furthermore, the extent to which digital engagement affects the urban-rural disparity in women's depressive symptoms was calculated using the RIF decomposition method. Results Analysis showed that rural women had significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms compared to urban women; digital engagement significantly reduced women's depressive symptoms levels and mitigated the urban-rural disparity for women with moderate to high levels of depressive symptoms, and the mitigating effect was stronger for the highly depressed sample, but still widened the urban-rural disparity in women's depressive symptoms overall. In addition, the results of the RIF decomposition showed that digital engagement explained 28.28% of the urban-rural disparity in women's depressive symptoms. Conclusion There is a significant disparity in depressive symptoms levels between urban and rural women in China. Digital engagement reduces women's depressive symptoms, but it also widens the depressive symptoms disparity between urban and rural women overall. Digital engagement is potentially positive for reducing women's depressive symptoms.

Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as colon cancer, is the third most common cancer and the fourth most cause of cancer-related death in the world. CRC can be classified into two major subtypes, including microsatellite instability (MSI) and microsatellite stability (MSS), which showed different characteristics in immunotherapy. Low sensitivity of diagnostic biomarkers and metastasis are still the principal cause of mortality, especially in MSI. Here, applying computational programs, we identified recurring expression programs based on single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) data of CRC cell lines. Notably, three MSI specific recurring modules were identified by non-negative matrix factorization (NMF). High NMF score genes enriched in the function of metabolism and inflammatory response. Focusing on top specific active transcription factor (TF), RUNX3 (Runt-related transcription factor 3), our results suggest that T cell infiltration was increased in RUNX3 high MSI CRC samples. Unbiased Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) showed that RUNX3 was strongly associated with immune and metastasis related functions, such as Interferon Gamma (IFN-γ) and EPITHELIAL MESENCHYMAL TRANSITION (EMT). In addition, RUNX3 shows specific highly activated at epigenetic level in MSI compared with other gastrointestinal carcinomas. Positive correlation between RUNX3 and most immune checkpoints further confirmed RUNX3 might have crucial roles in MSI cancer progression and immunotherapy. Taken together, these results indicate significant tumor heterogeneity of two CRC subtypes at single-cell level and epigenetic modification level. These results also linked transcriptional dysregulation with immune infiltration at single-cell level in MSI, which may advance the application of scRNA-Seq technology in immunotherapy and contribute to developing novel biomarkers of this malignancy.

Against the background of China’s strengthening of finance and accounting supervision, this study examines the practice among listed companies of changing signing auditors at the last minute and explores whether Chinese investors can capture this information in a timely manner. We find that China’s capital market responds significantly negatively to these last-minute changes, implying that investors perceive a potential negative impact of this behavior. Cross-sectional analyses suggest that the characteristics of the change event, recent corporate events, and accounting firm capability significantly affect the stock price response. Furthermore, in terms of the individual characteristics of signing auditors, external investors appear to comprehensively consider busyness level, industry experience, and the timing of the change to determine the causes and effects of the auditor change and make different market reactions accordingly. In addition, consistent with investor perceptions, we find that last-minute changes significantly impair the quality of financial statements, indicating that external investors’ judgments based on information about changes in signing auditors are rational and effective.

Context: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the fastest-growing diseases worldwide; however, its pathogenesis remains unclear. Complications seriously affect the quality of life of patients in the later stages of diabetes, ultimately leading to suffering. Natural small molecules are an important source of antidiabetic agents. Objective: Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is an active ingredient of Astragalus mongholicus (Fisch.) Bunge. We reviewed the efficacy and mechanism of action of AS-IV in animal and cellular models of diabetes and the mechanism of action of AS-IV on diabetic complications in animal and cellular models. We also summarized the safety of AS-IV and provided ideas and rationales for its future clinical application. Methods: Articles on the intervention in DM and its complications using AS-IV, such as those published in SCIENCE, PubMed, Springer, ACS, SCOPUS, and CNKI from the establishment of the database to February 2022, were reviewed. The following points were systematically summarized: dose/concentration, route of administration, potential mechanisms, and efficacy of AS-IV in animal models of DM and its complications. Results: AS-IV has shown therapeutic effects in animal models of DM, such as alleviating gestational diabetes, delaying diabetic nephropathy, preventing myocardial cell apoptosis, and inhibiting vascular endothelial dysfunction; however, the potential effects of AS-IV on DM should be investigated. Conclusion: AS-IV is a potential drug for the treatment of diabetes and its complications, including diabetic vascular disease, cardiomyopathy, retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy, and nephropathy. In addition, preclinical toxicity studies indicate that it appears to be safe, but the safe human dose limit is yet to be determined, and formal assessments of adverse drug reactions among humans need to be further investigated. However, additional formulations or structural modifications are required to improve the pharmacokinetic parameters and facilitate the clinical use of AS-IV.

Optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery offers a wealth of complementary information on a given target, attributable to the distinct imaging modalities of each component image type. Thus, multimodal remote sensing data have been widely used to improve land cover classification. However, fully integrating optical and SAR image data is not straightforward due to the distinct distributions of their features. To this end, we propose a land cover classification network based on multimodal feature fusion, i.e., MFFnet. We adopt a dual-stream network to extract features from SAR and optical images, where a ResNet network is utilized to extract deep features from optical images and PidiNet is employed to extract edge features from SAR. Simultaneously, the iAFF feature fusion module is used to facilitate data interactions between multimodal data for both low- and high-level features. Additionally, to enhance global feature dependency, the ASPP module is employed to handle the interactions between high-level features. The processed high-level features extracted from the dual-stream encoder are fused with low-level features and inputted into the decoder to restore the dimensional feature maps, generating predicted images. Comprehensive evaluations demonstrate that MFFnet achieves excellent performance in both qualitative and quantitative assessments on the WHU-OPT-SAR dataset. Compared to the suboptimal results, our method improves the OA and Kappa metrics by 7.7% and 11.26% on the WHU-OPT-SAR dataset, respectively.

In this study, the effects of soil conditioners on the growth and development of melons and the rhizosphere soil environment were explored. The optimal amount of added soil conditioner was screened to solve the practical production problems of high-quality and high-yield thin-skinned melon. The melon variety “Da Shetou” was used as the material. Under the conditions of conventional fertilization and cultivation technology management, different soil conditioners were set up for potted melons. The effects of Pastoral soil (CK), 95% Pastoral soil + 5% volcanic ash soil conditioner (KT1), 85% Pastoral soil + 15% volcanic ash soil conditioner (KT2), 75% Pastoral soil + 25% volcanic ash soil conditioner (KT3), 65% Pastoral soil + 35% volcanic ash soil conditioner (KT4), and 55% Pastoral soil + 45% volcanic ash soil conditioner (KT5) on melon yield, quality, and rhizosphere soil characteristics were investigated. The soil microbial community was analyzed using Illumina MiSeq technology. Compared to CK, KT1, KT3, KT4, and KT5, the KT2 treatment could improve the single fruit yield of melon, increasing it by 4.35%, 2.48%, 2.31%, 5.92%, and 2.92%. Meanwhile, the highest contents of soluble protein, soluble solid, and soluble sugar in the KT2 treatment were 1.89 mg·100 g−1, 16.35%, and 46.44 mg·g−1, which were significantly higher than those in the control treatment. The contents of organic matter, total nitrogen, alkali-soluble nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, available potassium, and available phosphorus in melon rhizosphere soil were the highest in the KT2 treatment. Through Alpha diversity analysis, it was found that the Chao1 index, Shannon index, and ACE index were significantly higher in the KT1 treatment than in the control, while, among all groups, the Simpson index and coverage were not significantly different. The dominant bacteria in the six treated samples were mainly Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Myxomycota, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadota, Verrucomicrobia, and Planctomycetes, which accounted for 96.59~97.63% of the relative abundance of all bacterial groups. Through redundancy analysis (RDA), it was found that the organic matter, electrical conductivity, available phosphorus, and nitrate nitrogen of melon rhizosphere soil were the dominant factors of bacterial community change at the dominant genus level. In summary, 15% ash soil conditioner applied on melon was the selected treatment to provide a theoretical reference for the application of soil conditioner in facility cultivation.

A novel terahertz polarization isolator using a two-dimensional square lattice tellurium rod array is numerically investigated at the interesting band of 0.22 THz in this short paper. The isolator is designed by inserting six hexagonal tellurium rods into a fully polarized photonic crystals waveguide with high efficiency of −0.34 dB. The TE and TM photonic band gaps of the 7 × 16 tellurium photonic crystals are computed based on the plane wave expansion method, which happen to coincide at the normalized frequency domain from 0.3859(a/λ) to 0.4033(a/λ), corresponding to the frequency domain from 0.2152 to 0.2249 THz. The operating bandwidth of the tellurium photonic crystals waveguide covers 0.2146 to 0.2247 THz, calculated by the finite element method. The six hexagonal tellurium rods with smaller circumradii of 0.16a serve to isolate transverse electric waves and turn a blind eye to transverse magnetic waves. The polarization isolation function and external characteristic curves of the envisaged structure are numerically simulated, which achieves the highest isolation of −33.49 dB at the central frequency of 0.2104 THz and the maximum reflection efficiency of 98.95 percent at the frequency of 0.2141 THz. The designed isolator with a unique function and high performance provides a promising approach for implementing fully polarized THz devices for future 6G communication systems.

Small-hole structures, such as the millions of fastener holes found on aircraft, are typical stress-concentration structures prone to fatigue failure. To further improve the strengthening process of this small-hole structure, we make up for the limitations of laser shock processing (LSP) of small holes by combining it with the ultrasonic extrusion strengthening (UES) process to form a new strengthening method—laser shock and ultrasonic extrusion strengthening (LUE). The influence of the LUE process sequence and process parameters on residual stress distribution was studied through FEM, and the gain of fatigue life of specimens after LUE strengthening was also explored through tests. The results show that when using LUE technology, the friction force decreases with the increase in amplitude and decreases by 3.2% when the amplitude is maximum. The LUE process eliminates the thickness effect generated by LSP, which can achieve good stress distribution of small-hole components under smaller laser shock peak pressure, and reduces equipment power. LUE can significantly improve the fatigue life of small-hole components, and the maximum fatigue life gain can be up to 310.66%.

Osteoporosis (OP), a prevalent skeletal disorder characterized by compromised bone strength and increased susceptibility to fractures, poses a significant public health concern. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the current state of research in the field, focusing on the application of proteomic techniques to elucidate diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for OP. The integration of cutting-edge proteomic technologies has enabled the identification and quantification of proteins associated with bone metabolism, leading to a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying OP. In this review, we systematically examine recent advancements in proteomic studies related to OP, emphasizing the identification of potential biomarkers for OP diagnosis and the discovery of novel therapeutic targets. Additionally, we discuss the challenges and future directions in the field, highlighting the potential impact of proteomic research in transforming the landscape of OP diagnosis and treatment.

Ultrasonic vibration-assisted con-rod fracture splitting (UV-CFS) was used to carry out the fracture experiment of 1045 quenched and tempered steel. The effect of ultrasonic vibration on the fracture properties was studied, the fracture microstructure and the evolution of dislocations near the fracture were analyzed and the microscopic mechanism was analyzed. The results show that in the case of conventional fracture splitting without amplitude, the dimple and the fracture belong to ductile fracture. With the increase in ultrasonic amplitude, the plasticity and pore deformation of the con-rod samples decrease at first and then increase; when the amplitude reaches a certain point, the load required for cracking is reduced to a minimum and the ultrasonic hardening effect is dominant, resulting in a decrease in the plasticity of the sample, a cleavage fracture, a brittle fracture, the minimum pore deformation and high cracking quality. The research results also show that with the increase in ultrasonic amplitude, the fracture dislocation density decreases at first, then increases, and dislocation entanglement and grain breakage appear, then decrease, and multiple dislocation slip trajectories appear. The changes in the dislocation density and microstructure are consistent with the above results.

The field of orthopedics has long struggled with the challenge of repairing and regenerating bone defects, which involves a complex process of osteogenesis requiring coordinated interactions among different types of cells. The crucial role of endothelial cells and osteoblasts in bone vascularization and osteogenesis underscores the importance of their intimate interaction. However, efforts to bioengineer bone tissue have been impeded by the difficulty in establishing proper angiogenesis and osteogenesis in tissue structures. This study presents a novel approach to bone tissue engineering, involving a three-dimensional composite hydrogel scaffold composed of sodium alginate microspheres encapsulated in type I collagen. Using this scaffold, a three-dimensional indirect co-culture system was established for osteoblasts and endothelial cells to evaluate the osteogenic differentiation potential of osteoblasts. Results demonstrate that the non-contact co-culture system of endothelial cells and osteoblasts constructed by the composite hydrogel scaffold loaded with microspheres holds promise for bone tissue engineering. The innovative concept of an indirect co-culture system presents exciting prospects for conducting intercellular communication studies and offers a valuable in vitro tissue platform to investigate tissue regeneration.

BackgroundOverwhelming evidence points to that genetic factors contributing to the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) has come a long way in the last decade. So far, a large number of GWAS studies have been published on neurological diseases and many other diseases, providing us with a wealth of genetic information and unique biological insights.MethodsGenomic DNA was extracted from both patients’ and controls’ peripheral blood samples utilizing the Blood Genome Extraction Kit. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped employing the enhanced multiple ligase detection reaction (iMLDR) technology.ResultsA case-control study was conducted, involving 211 AD patients, 508 PD patients (including 117 with dementia), and 412 healthy individuals. Age and sex stratification analysis revealed that rs871269/TNIP1 was associated with LOAD (p = 0.035), and rs5011436/TMEM106B was associated with AD in males (p = 0.044) in the genotype model. In the allele model, rs871269/TNIP1 was found to be associated with PD in the Chinese Han population (p = 0.0035, OR 0.741, 95% CI 0.559-0.983), and rs708382/GRN was identified as a risk factor for Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) in the Chinese Han population (p = 0.004, odds ratio (OR) 0.354, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.171-0.733). However, no significant associations with AD or PD were observed for the remaining four loci (rs113020870/AGRN, rs6891966/HAVCR2, rs2452170/NTN5, rs1761461/LILRB2) in terms of allele or genotype frequencies.ConclusionThis study identifies rs871269/TNIP1 as a potential risk factor for both LOAD and PD, rs708382/GRN as a risk factor for PDD, and rs5011436/TMEM106B as associated with AD in males when stratified by age.

ObjectiveDementia is a significant public health concern, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) serves as a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia. Among the various types of MCI, amnestic MCI (aMCI) has been identified as having a higher likelihood of progressing to Alzheimer’s dimension. However, limited research has been conducted on the prevalence of aMCI in China. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the prevalence of aMCI, examine its cognitive characteristics, and identify associated risk factors.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we investigated a sample of 368 older adults aged 60 years and above in the urban communities of Chengdu, China. The participants underwent a battery of neuropsychological assessments, including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), Wechsler’s Logical Memory Task (LMT), Boston Naming Test (BNT) and Trail Making Test Part A (TMT-A). Social information was collected by standard questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analysis was utilized to screen for the risk and protective factors of aMCI.ResultsThe data analysis included 309 subjects with normal cognitive function and 59 with aMCI, resulting in a prevalence of 16.0% for aMCI. The average age of participants was 69.06 ± 7.30 years, with 56.0% being females. After controlling for age, gender and education, the Spearman partial correlation coefficient between various cognitive assessments and aMCI ranged from −0.52 for the long-term delayed recall scores in AVLT to 0.19 for the time-usage scores in TMT-A. The results indicated that all cognitive domains, except for naming scores (after semantic cue of BNT) and error quantity (in TMT-A), showed statistically significant associations with aMCI. Furthermore, the multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that older age (OR = 1.044, 95%CI: 1.002~1.087), lower educational level, and diabetes (OR = 2.450, 95%CI: 1.246~4.818) were risk factors of aMCI.ConclusionThis study found a high prevalence of aMCI among older adults in Chengdu, China. Individuals with aMCI exhibited lower cognitive function in memory, language, and executive domains, with long-term delayed recall showing the strongest association. Clinicians should prioritize individuals with verbal learning and memory difficulties, especially long-term delayed recall, in clinical practice.

Protein oxidation leads to changes in shrimp texture, which affects sensory profile and consumer acceptability. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of electron beam irradiation (EBI) on protein oxidation and textural properties of Litopenaeus vannamei during refrigerated storage. Results revealed that EBI treatment and storage increased the protein oxidation level of shrimps. Shrimps irradiated with ≥ 7 kGy exhibited remarkably higher (P

AbstractPurposes The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on physical fitness among college women living in China and to explore how fitness changed with different physical conditions.Methods We performed repeated measures of BMI, 800 m running and sit-up performance assessment on college women from one university in China pre and post the COVID-19 lockdown. A total of 3658 (age 19.15 ± 1.08 yr.) college women who completed the same assessment pre and post the COVID-19 lockdown were included in the analysis. We analyzed the data using one way ANOVA and paired-samples t-test.Results Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the result shows a significant increase in BMI by 2.91% (95% CI =0.33, 0.40) and a significant decline in 800 m running and sit-up by 7.97% (95% CI =0.69, 0.77) and 4.91% (95% CI = −0.27, −0.19), respectively. College women in the highest quartile level of physical condition (Quartile 4) had more decreases than college women in the lowest quartile level (Quartile 1). Their BMI level was increased by 3.69% and 0.98% in college women in Quartile 4 and Quartile 1, respectively. Their performance of 800 m running was decreased by 9.32% and 7.37% in college women in Quartile 4 and Quartile 1, respectively. Their performance of sit-up was decreased by 13.88% in college women in Quartile 4 while it increased by 10.91% in college women in Quartile 1, respectively.Conclusions The COVID-19 lockdown might increase the BMI level and decrease 800 m running and sit-up performance among college women living in China. The decrease for college women in higher quartile level of physical condition (Quartile 4) were more seriously while college women in lower quartile level of physical condition (Quartile 1) were modest.

AbstractObjective To compare the safety and efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment for patients with internal or external adenomyosis based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) classification.Materials and methods A total of 238 patients with internal adenomyosis and 167 patients with external adenomyosis who received HIFU treatment were enrolled. HIFU treatment results and adverse effects between patients with internal and external adenomyosis were compared.Results The treatment time and sonication time for patients with external adenomyosis were significantly longer than that for patients with internal adenomyosis. The total energy used and EEF for patients with external adenomyosis were higher than that for patients with internal adenomyosis (p

AbstractObjective To investigate the therapeutic dose and long-term efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation for different types of uterine fibroids based on signal intensity on T2-weighted MR images (T2WI).Materials and methods Four hundred and one patients with a solitary uterine fibroid treated with HIFU were classified into four groups consisting of extremely hypointense, hypointense, isointense and hyperintense fibroids. Each group was further classified into two subtypes: homogeneous and heterogeneous, based on signal homogeneity of fibroids. The therapeutic dose and long-term follow-up results were compared.Results There were significant differences in treatment time, sonication time, treatment intensity, total treatment dosage, treatment efficiency, energy-efficiency factor (EEF) and non-perfused volume (NPV) ratio among the four groups (p

The incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is gradually increasing, making it a widespread global health concern. Cadmium (Cd) is a common toxic heavy metal in the environment, and cadmium exposure may be associated with diabetic nephropathy (DN). However, the mechanism of Cd-induced DN remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of cadmium on diabetic kidney injury and the underlying mechanism in diabetic rats and a renal tubular epithelial cell line (NRK-52E cells). Our results could provide novel insights on the nephrotoxic mechanism of cadmium. HE, PAS, and Masson staining were used to observe pathological renal injury. COL-I, COL-IV, CTSB, and CTSD protein levels were detected by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the fluorescence intensity of p62 and LC3 proteins in kidney tissue. TEM was used to observe the ultrastructure of mitochondria and number of autophagosomes. After cadmium exposure, DM rats showed a dramatic decrease in body weight compared to the unexposed DM group. Relative kidney weight showed a contrasting trend after cadmium exposure. Urinary microalbumin/creatinine significantly increased in normal and DM rats after cadmium exposure. However, the trend was clearer in the DM groups than in the control groups. Endogenous creatinine clearance exhibited a contrasting trend. After cadmium exposure in DM rats, MDA content significantly increased and GSH, CAT, SOD, and GSH-PX activation reduced compared to normal controls. Pathological damage was more pronounced, and the expression of autophagy related proteins and apoptosis and fibrosis proteins was significantly higher in vivo and vitro in the cadmium-exposed groups than in unexposed controls. Further, lysosomal protein levels were lower, and ROS content and autophagosome count significantly higher in the cadmium exposed groups compared to the unexposed controls. Therefore, Cadmium exposure aggravates diabetic kidney injury via autophagy inhibition.

Renewable energy is increasingly relying on optimized electrolytes and interfaces. In this work, Tween 20 and sodium chloride are selected as a model system to reveal the effects of surfactants on salt crystallization in the context of ionic conductivity and interface optimization. At a varied crystallization speed and mix ratio, it is demonstrated that the resultant solution-grown ionic crystalline complexes can achieve a highly tunable ion transport with a controllable crystalline interface. X-ray diffraction results rule out the possibility of polymorphism in the NaCl/Tween 20 systems, which further supports the importance of an optimized crystalline network for optimizing permittivity or ionic conductivity. Raman mapping and machine learning techniques are used to perform semantic segmentation on highly heterogeneous NaCl/Tween 20 complexes. Furthermore, FTIR measurements demonstrate that inter- and intra-molecular interactions play critical roles in the formation of these crystals. This work lays a foundation toward future optimization of such complex ion systems for a specific salt or crystallization modifier in energy storage or ion transport applications.

Thick LiFePO4 (LFP) cathodes offer a promising solution to increasing the areal capacity and reducing the cost of Li-ion batteries while retaining the qualities intrinsic to LFP, including long cycle lifetimes and thermal stability required for electric vehicles and stationary energy storage applications. However, the primary challenges of thick LFP cathodes are poor rate capability and cycling stability due to LFP’s electronically insulating material property, poor electronic conductivity, and long diffusion length at high electrode thicknesses. Herein, we propose an electrode architecture composed of vertically aligned carbon fibers (CFs) attached to a plasticized current collector (PCC) to promote rate capability, cycle life, and further enhance the safety of thick LFP cathodes. The effectiveness of the CF-PCC architecture is demonstrated by electrochemical analysis with a good areal capacity of 3.5 mA cm-2, excellent cycling stability at C/3, and good rate capability up to 1C. These results are confirmed by investigating the architecture’s impact on ionic diffusivity via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) compared to the conventional slurry cast LFP cathode.

This study aims to investigate the evolution patterns of fluidity and rheological properties of AASCM under varying dosages of foaming agent and particle sizes of filling aggregate. The flow characteristics of AASCM are significantly affected by the filling aggregate's size and the foaming agent's dosage. Specifically, an increase in filling aggregate size (D(4,3) ϵ [26 μm, 69 μm]) enhances the fluidity of foamed AASCM, while an increase in foaming agent dosage reduces fluidity. These observed variations can be attributed to the presence of particle voids, the specific surface area of the aggregate, as well as the quantity and spatial distribution of bubbles within the slurry. A bubble-particle packing model is established, and by calibrating the simulation error coefficient to 1.1, the study investigates the evolution of water film thickness (WFT) in foamed AASCM with slurry expansion degree. It is observed that bubbles in the slurry affect the fluidity by altering the overall compactness and specific surface area of the foamed slurry, subsequently modifying the WFT.

Maintaining the stability of natural capital stock is an important basis for realizing regional sustainable development goals. Based on the improved three-dimensional (3D) footprint family model, this study analyzes the spatial and temporal evolution of the natural capital utilization of water-carbon-ecological footprints in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration (CPUA) from 2010 to 2020. It considers water resources, carbon emissions and ecological environment comprehensively, and establishes an evaluation system to assess the regional resource and environmental pressure. The results showed that: (1) During the period of 2010–2020, each component of the per capita water-carbon-ecological footprint of the CPUA were in deficit. Footprint depths were all greater than 1 and in a state of depleting capital stock. The water footprint depth (WFdepth) showed a large fluctuation between 1.721 and 4.302, the carbon footprint depth (CFdepth) increased from 6.025 to 7.440, and the ecological footprint depth (EFdepth) fluctuated between 4.801 and 5.779. (2) There were spatial differences in the depth of each type of footprint, with the WFdepth showing a south-high and north-low distribution, the CFdepth showing a northwest-high and southeast-low distribution, and the EFdepth showing an east-high and west-low distribution. (3) Exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) showed that there were spatial correlations between the various types of footprint size and footprint depth in the CPUA, and that cities showed local spatial characteristics of High-High cluster and Low-Low cluster. (4) All types of resource and environmental pressure measured were at high levels (>0.8), and the resource-environment pressure index (REPI) in the northwest showed a gradual increasing trend.

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this experiment was to explore the effects of zinc supplementation in breeding pigeons diet on carcass traits, meat quality, antioxidant capacity and mRNA expressions of myogenic regulatory factors of squabs. A total of 120 healthy White King pigeons were randomly assigned to 5 treatments, each involving 8 replicates. The experiment lasted for 46 d (18-d incubation period of eggs and 28-d growth period of squabs). The 5 groups were 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 mg/kg zinc addition. Results showed that the 28-d body weight, breast muscle yield, zinc content in crop milk and myogenic factor 6 (MyF6) abundance of breast muscle were linearly increased (P < 0.050), but the abdominal fat yield linearly decreased (P = 0.040) with increasing dietary zinc supplementation. Both the linear (P < 0.050) and quadratic responses (P < 0.001) were observed in copper zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn SOD), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in liver and breast muscle. The 28-d body weight was increased by 90 mg/kg zinc supplementation (P < 0.05), and there is no significant difference between 90 and 120 mg/kg zinc addition. The breast muscle yield, Cu-Zn SOD and T-AOC contents in breast muscle and liver, zinc contents in crop milk and breast muscle, MyF6 mRNA expression in breast muscle were higher (P < 0.05) in the group supplemented with 120 mg/kg zinc than the control. The abdominal fat yield was numerically lowest, and MDA contents in breast muscle and liver were significantly lowest in the group fed 120 mg/kg zinc (P < 0.05). However, the meat quality traits were not affected (P > 0.05) by zinc supplementation, except for shear force. It should be stated dietary zinc supplementation at the level of 120 mg/kg for breeding pigeons increased body weight and breast muscle yield of squabs, which may be associated with the up-regulating MyF6 mRNA expression and antioxidant capacity in liver and breast muscle.

Abstract Objective Leukoencephalopathies are a group of heterogeneous disorders characterized by the degeneration of white matter, resulting in a variety of progressive neurological symptoms. To date, over 60 genes linked to genetic leukoencephalopathies have been discovered through whole‐exome sequencing (WES) and long‐read sequencing. Nonetheless, the genetic diversity and clinical variability of these disorders among various racial groups remain largely unknown. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the genetic spectrum and clinical features of Chinese adult leukoencephalopathies and compare the genetic profiles in different populations. Methods A total of 129 patients suspected of possible genetic leukoencephalopathy were enrolled and underwent WES and dynamic mutation analysis. Bioinformatics tools were used to predict the pathogenicity of these mutations. Skin biopsies were conducted for further diagnosis. Genetic data sources from different populations were collected from published articles. Results Genetic diagnosis was established in 48.1% of patients, with WES identifying 57 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in 39.5% of cases. NOTCH3 and NOTCH2NLC were the most common mutated genes, accounting for 12.4% and 8.5% of cases, respectively. Dynamic mutation analysis revealed NOTCH2NLC GGC repeat expansions in 8.5% of patients. Different mutations resulted in varying clinical symptoms and imaging findings. Comparisons of genetic profiles between different populations showed distinct mutational spectrums in adult leukoencephalopathies. Interpretation This study highlights the importance of genetic testing for accurate diagnosis and improved clinical management of these disorders. It also sheds light on the genetic heterogeneity of adult leukoencephalopathies across different races, emphasizing the need for further research on this topic.

Land cover classification using high-resolution Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (PolSAR) images obtained from satellites is a challenging task. While deep learning algorithms have been extensively studied for PolSAR image land cover classification, the performance is severely constrained due to the scarcity of labeled PolSAR samples and the limited domain acceptance of models. Recently, the emergence of the Segment Anything Model (SAM) based on the vision transformer (VIT) model has brought about a revolution in the study of specific downstream tasks in computer vision. Benefiting from its millions of parameters and extensive training datasets, SAM demonstrates powerful capabilities in extracting semantic information and generalization. To this end, we propose a dual-stream feature extraction network based on SAM, i.e., BSDSNet. We change the image encoder part of SAM to a dual stream, where the ConvNext image encoder is utilized to extract local information and the VIT image encoder is used to extract global information. BSDSNet achieves an in-depth exploration of semantic and spatial information in PolSAR images. Additionally, to facilitate a fine-grained amalgamation of information, the SA-Gate module is employed to integrate local–global information. Compared to previous deep learning models, BSDSNet’s impressive ability to represent features is akin to a versatile receptive field, making it well suited for classifying PolSAR images across various resolutions. Comprehensive evaluations indicate that BSDSNet achieves excellent results in qualitative and quantitative evaluation when performing classification tasks on the AIR-PolSAR-Seg dataset and the WHU-OPT-SAR dataset. Compared to the suboptimal results, our method improves the Kappa metric by 3.68% and 0.44% on the AIR-PolSAR-Seg dataset and the WHU-OPT-SAR dataset, respectively.

Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) causes a wide spectrum of diseases including hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The current Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) testing methods for STEC use the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) protocol, which includes enrichment, cell plating, and genomic sequencing and takes time to complete, thus delaying diagnosis and treatment. We wanted to develop a rapid, sensitive, and potentially portable assay that can identify STEC by detecting Shiga toxin (Stx) using the CANARY (Cellular Analysis and Notification of Antigen Risks and Yields) B-cell based biosensor technology. Five potential biosensor cell lines were evaluated for their ability to detect Stx2. The results using the best biosensor cell line (T5) indicated that this biosensor was stable after reconstitution with assay buffer covered in foil at 4 °C for up to 10 days with an estimated limit of detection (LOD) of ≈0.1–0.2 ng/mL for days up to day 5 and ≈0.4 ng/mL on day 10. The assay detected a broad range of Stx2 subtypes, including Stx2a, Stx2b, Stx2c, Stx2d, and Stx2g but did not cross-react with closely related Stx1, abrin, or ricin. Additionally, this assay was able to detect Stx2 in culture supernatants of STEC grown in media with mitomycin C at 8 and 24 h post-inoculation. These results indicate that the STEC CANARY biosensor developed in this study is sensitive, reproducible, specific, rapid (≈3 min), and may be applicable for surveillance of the environment and food to protect public health.

Recently, biochar has emerged as a promising option for environmentally friendly remediation due to its cost-effectiveness, extensive surface area, porosity, and exceptional electrical conductivity. Biochar-based advanced oxidation procedures (BC-AOPs) have gained popularity as an effective approach to breaking down organic pollutants in aqueous environments. It is commonly recognized that the main reactive locations within BC-AOPs consist of functional groups found on biochar, which encompass oxygen-containing groups (OCGs), imperfections, and persistent free radicals (PFRs). Additionally, the existence of metallic components supported on biochar and foreign atoms doped into it profoundly impacts the catalytic mechanism. These components not only modify the fundamental qualities of biochar but also serve as reactive sites. Consequently, this paper offers a comprehensive review of the raw materials, preparation techniques, modification approaches, and composite catalyst preparation within the biochar catalytic system. Special attention is given to explaining the modifications in biochar properties and their impacts on catalytic activity. This paper highlights degradation mechanisms, specifically pathways that include radical and non-radical processes. Additionally, it thoroughly examines the importance of active sites as catalysts and the basic catalytic mechanism of BC-AOPs. Finally, the potential and future directions of environmental remediation using biochar catalysts and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are discussed. Moreover, suggestions for future advancements in BC-AOPs are provided to facilitate further development.

Abstract Compared with the traditional permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM), the double‐stator permanent magnet synchronous motor (DS‐PMSM) can utilise the internal space adequately and has high power density. In this study, the design method of this kind of motor will be researched. Different rotor magnetic circuit topologies are analysed while keeping the outer diameter of outer stator unchanged, and the rotor magnetic circuit topologies with higher power density are selected. Furthermore, the effects of pole‐arc coefficient and stator split ratio on the power density of the motor are analysed, so a high power density DS‐PMSM can be designed. On this basis, a kind of magnetic pole structure with unequal pole‐arc coefficient is proposed to solve the problem of large torque ripple in DS‐PMSM. Finally, the DS‐PMSM is investigated by the FEA, compared with the traditional single stator PMSM, the average torque of the DS‐PMSM is increased by 62.2%, and the torque ripple is only 3.2%.

The environmental concerns resulting from coal-fired power generation that produces large amounts of CO2 and fly ash are of great interest. To mitigate, this study aims to develop a novel carbonated CO2-fly ash-based backfill (CFBF) material under ambient conditions. The performance of CFBF was investigated for different fly ash–cement ratios and compared with non-CO2 reacted samples. The fresh CFBF slurry conformed to the Herschel-Bulkley model with shear thinning characteristics. After carbonation, the yield stress of the fresh slurry increased significantly by lowering fly ash ratio due to gel formation. The setting times were accelerated, resulting in approximately 40.6% of increased early strength. The final strength decreased when incorporating a lower fly ash ratio (50% and 60%), which was related to the existing heterogeneous pores caused by rapid fluid loss. The strength increased with fly ash content above 70% because additional C–S(A)–H and silica gels were characterized to precipitate on the grain surface, so the binding between particles increased. The C–S(A)–H gel was developed through the pozzolanic reaction, where CaCO3 was the prerequisite calcium source obtained in the CO2-fly ash reaction. Furthermore, the maximum CO2 uptake efficiency was 1.39 mg-CO2/g-CFBF. The CFBF material is feasible to co-dispose CO2 and fly ash in the mine goaf as negative carbon backfill materials, and simultaneously mitigates the strata movement and water lost in post-subsurface mining.

Abstract Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease which has risen to become the main cause of childhood disability, placing a heavy burden on families and society. To date, the treatment of patients with ASD remains a complicated problem, for which neuromodulation techniques are a promising solution. This study analyzed the global research situation of neuromodulation techniques in the treatment of ASD from 1992 to 2022, aiming to explore the global research status and frontier trends in this field. Methods The Web of Science (WoS) was searched for literature related to neuromodulation techniques for ASD from 1992 to October 2022. A knowledge atlas to analyze collaboration among countries, institutions, authors, publishing journals, reference co-citation patterns, keyword co-occurrence, keyword clustering, and burst keywords was constructed using Rstudio software, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer. Results In total, 392 publications related to the treatment of ASD using neuromodulation techniques were included. Despite some fluctuations, the number of publications in this field has shown a growing trend in recent years. The United States and Deakin University are the leading country and institution in this field, respectively. The greatest contributing authors are Peter G Enticott, Manuel F Casanova, and Paul B Fitzgerald et al. The most prolific and cited journal is Brain Stimulation and the most commonly co-cited journal is The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. The most frequently cited article was that of Simone Rossi (Safety, ethical considerations, and application guidelines for the use of transverse magnetic stimulation in clinical practice and research, 2009). “Obsessive–compulsive disorder,” “transcranial direct current stimulation,” “working memory,” “double blind” and “adolescent” were identified as hotspots and frontier trends of neuromodulation techniques in the treatment of ASD. Conclusion The application of neuromodulation techniques for ASD has attracted the attention of researchers worldwide. Restoring the social ability and improving the comorbid symptoms in autistic children and adults have always been the focus of research. Neuromodulation techniques have demonstrated significant advantages and effects on these issues. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are new therapeutic methods introduced in recent years, and are also directions for further exploration.

Abstract Nasal swabs are non-invasive testing methods for detecting diseases by collecting samples from the nasal cavity or nasopharynx. Dysosmia is regarded as an early sign of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and nasal swabs are the gold standard for the detection. By nasal swabs, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleic acids can be cyclically amplified and detected using real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction after sampling. Similarly, olfactory dysfunction precedes the onset of typical clinical manifestations by several years in prion diseases and other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy. In neurodegenerative diseases, nasal swab tests are currently being explored using seed amplification assay (SAA) of pathogenic misfolded proteins, such as prion, α-synuclein, and tau. These misfolded proteins can serve as templates for the conformational change of other copies from the native form into the same misfolded form in a prion-like manner. SAA for misfolded prion-like proteins from nasal swab extracts has been developed, conceptually analogous to PCR, showing high sensitivity and specificity for molecular diagnosis of degenerative diseases even in the prodromal stage. Cyclic amplification assay of nasal swab extracts is an attractive and feasible method for accurate and non-invasive detection of trace amount of pathogenic substances for screening and diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease. Graphical Abstract

ABSTRACT Importance Infantile spasm (IS) is a kind of refractory epilepsy. The first‐line treatments for IS are adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), oral corticosteroids, and vigabatrin. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of magnesium sulfate and ACTH (MgSO4+ACTH) combination therapy in patients with IS who failed first‐line treatments. Methods In this retrospective study, the clinical data of patients with IS who failed first‐line treatments were collected in the Chinese PLA General Hospital. Patients received MgSO4+ACTH combination therapy after first‐line treatments failed. The course of treatments was 2 weeks. The therapeutic dose of ACTH and MgSO4 was 2.5 U·kg−1·d−1 and 0.25 g·kg−1·d−1, respectively. Results A total of 229 patients with IS who failed the first‐line treatments were collected. At the end of the MgSO4+ACTH combination treatment, the seizure‐free rate was 48.5% (111/229), and the resolution of hypsarrhythmia on electroencephalogram (EEG) was 72.1% (165/229). About 21.4% (49/229) of patients showed side effects, including infectious diseases, hypokalemia, and diarrhea. Interpretation For patients with IS who failed first‐line treatments, in terms of the seizure‐free rate and resolution of hypsarrhythmia on EEG, MgSO4+ACTH combination therapy can be considered.

Smart membranes with responsive wettability show promise for controllably separating oil/water mixtures but it remains challenging to fabricate responsive and stable scalable membranes. Here, the authors develop a capillary force-driven self-assembling strategy to construct a scalable and stable CO2-responsive membrane for the smart separation of various oil/water systems.

Objectives: People’s mental health and digital usage have attracted widespread attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate how social media overload influenced depressive symptoms under the COVID-19 infodemic and the role of risk perception and social media fatigue.Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted on 644 college students during the COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai, and data analysis was conducted using the PROCESS4.0 tool.Results: The findings showed that in the COVID-19 information epidemic: 1) both information overload and communication overload were significantly and positively associated with depressive symptoms; 2) risk perception of COVID-19, and social media fatigue mediated this association separately; 3) and there was a chain mediating relationship between communication overload and depressive symptoms.Conclusion: Social media overload was positively associated with depressive symptoms among college students under the COVID-19 infodemic by increasing risk perception and social media fatigue. The findings sparked further thinking on how the public should correctly use social media for risk communication during public health emergencies.

Mulching is widely recognized as an effective soil and water conservation measure all over the world. Nevertheless, a comprehensive evaluation of mulching's effectiveness in controlling soil erosion and the influencing factors is still lacking. A global meta-analysis based on 421 runoff and 512 soil loss observations from 90 publications was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of mulching in reducing runoff and soil loss across a variety of variables (i.e. mulch type, mulch coverage and application rates, rainfall intensity, land use, soil texture, slope gradient, and slope length). Our meta-analysis shows that overall, mulching significantly reduced runoff and soil loss by 47.4% and 76.2%, respectively. Straw mulch and wood-based mulch are generally more effective in reducing runoff and soil loss than rock fragments, highlighting the effectiveness of organic materials in controlling water erosion. In general, increasing mulch coverage and application rates resulted in a significant reduction in runoff and soil loss. It is recommended, however, that mulch coverage should be at least 60% based on the trade-off between economic costs and ecological benefits, which can reduce runoff and soil loss by approximately 50% and 80%, respectively. An application rate of 0.3–0.4 kg m−2 for straw and 0.6–0.8 kg m−2 for wood-based mulch should be sufficient to effectively control soil erosion. The study also found that mulching is more effective in post-fire forests on medium-textured soils and less effective on steep slopes (>60%) and under both natural and simulated extremely heavy rainfall conditions (>90 mm/h). Overall, this study provides further insights into the impact of mulching on water erosion globally and proposes an overall framework for a precision mulching strategy (P-M-S) to guide the implementation of mulching in soil erosion control.