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Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the causal relationship between Interleukin-27 (IL-27) and osteoporosis by bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Methods Firstly, the genome-wide association study summary data of osteoporosis (finn-b-M13_OSTEOPOROSIS) and IL-27 levels (ebi-a-GCST90012017) were picked out from the Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU) OpenGWAS database. After filtrating instrumental variables (IVs), the bidirectional MR analysis between IL-27 levels and osteoporosis was performed by MR-Egger, Weighted median, Simple mode, Weighted mode, and Inverse variance weighted (IVW). Subsequently, the sensitivity analysis was adopted to evaluate the reliability of the MR results via the Heterogeneity, Horizontal pleiotropy test and Leave-One-Out (LOO) analysis. Finally, the enrichment analysis of genes corresponding to SNPs related to IL-27 levels derived from eQTLGen database was executed to explore in depth the biological function and regulatory mechanism of these genes on osteoporosis occurrence. Results The bidirectional MR results based on IVW method revealed that IL-27 level as a risk factor was causally related to osteoporosis (P = 0.004, odds ratio (OR) = 1.123, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.037–1.217), whereas osteoporosis was not in significant connection with IL-27 levels (P > 0.05). In regard to the sensitivity analysis for forward MR results, there was no heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy, and no SNPs relevant to IL-27 levels existed severe bias, suggesting the reliability of forward MR analysis. Furthermore, a total of 74 genes corresponding to 26 SNPs of IL-27 levels were obtained and were mainly involved in immune and inflammatory pathways including MyD88-dependent toll-like receptor signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway and so forth. Conclusions This study supported that IL-27 level as a risk factor was causally connected with osteoporosis and might regulate the disease occurrence and progression by means of immune and inflammatory mechanisms, which could provide important reference and evidence for further exploring the role of IL-27 in the development of osteoporosis.

Abstract Atomically thin semiconductor heterostructures provide a two-dimensional (2D) device platform for creating high densities of cold, controllable excitons. Interlayer excitons (IEs), bound electrons and holes localized to separate 2D quantum well layers, have permanent out-of-plane dipole moments and long lifetimes, allowing their spatial distribution to be tuned on demand. Here, we employ electrostatic gates to trap IEs and control their density. By electrically modulating the IE Stark shift, electron-hole pair concentrations above 2 × 1012 cm−2 can be achieved. At this high IE density, we observe an exponentially increasing linewidth broadening indicative of an IE ionization transition, independent of the trap depth. This runaway threshold remains constant at low temperatures, but increases above 20 K, consistent with the quantum dissociation of a degenerate IE gas. Our demonstration of the IE ionization in a tunable electrostatic trap represents an important step towards the realization of dipolar exciton condensates in solid-state optoelectronic devices.

Abstract This study conducted a comparison of the nutritional content and lipid composition of five different varieties of quinoa (QL-1, SJ-1, SJ-2, KL-1, and KL-2) from Qinghai Province, China. Each of the five varieties exhibited varying levels of essential nutrients, including crude protein, dietary fiber, and crude fat. The QL-1 variety has the highest concentration of phytic acid, measuring 1.66 g/100 g. A non-targeted lipomics analysis discovered a total of 16 lipid categories and 383 individual lipids in quinoa. Out of the several substances, glyceride had the highest concentration, exceeding 70%, with phospholipids coming next. The percentage of fatty acids and fatty acid esters was between 5 and 11%. The glycerides in all five kinds exhibited a similar composition, with unsaturated glycerides constituting over 99% of the total glycerides. Phospholipids constituted over 11% of the overall lipid content, with lecithin comprising more than 80% and cephalin ranging from 16.70 to 18.61%. The results establish a solid basis for the utilization of quinoa in processing, particularly in lipid processing. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Background Reactive astrocytes participate in various pathophysiology after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), including neuroinflammation, glymphatic–lymphatic system dysfunction, brain edema, BBB disruption, and cell death. Astrocytes transform into two new reactive phenotypes with changed morphology, altered gene expression, and secretion profiles, termed detrimental A1 and beneficial A2. This study investigates the effect of 67LR activation by PEDF-34, a PEDF peptide, on neuroinflammation and astrocyte polarization after the experimental SAH. Methods A total of 318 male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were used in experiments in vivo, of which 272 rats were subjected to the endovascular perforation model of SAH and 46 rats underwent sham surgery. 67LR agonist (PEDF-34) was administrated intranasally 1 h after SAH. 67LR-specific inhibitor (NSC-47924) and STAT1 transcriptional activator (2-NP) were injected intracerebroventricularly 48 h before SAH. Short- and long-term neurological tests, brain water content, immunostaining, Nissl staining, western blot, and ELISA assay were performed. In experiments in vitro, primary astrocyte culture with hemoglobin (Hb) stimulation was used to mimic SAH. The expression of the PEDF-34/67LR signaling pathway and neuro-inflammatory cytokines were assessed using Western blot, ELISA, and immunohistochemistry assays both in vivo and in vitro. Results Endogenous PEDF and 67LR expressions were significantly reduced at 6 h after SAH. 67LR was expressed in astrocytes and neurons. Intranasal administration of PEDF-34 significantly reduced brain water content, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and short-term and long-term neurological deficits after SAH. The ratio of p-JNK/JNK and p-STAT1/STAT1 and the expression of CFB and C3 (A1 astrocytes marker), significantly decreased after PEDF-34 treatment, along with fewer expression of TNF-α and IL-1β at 24 h after SAH. However, 2-NP (STAT1 transcriptional activator) and NSC-47924 (67LR inhibitor) reversed the protective effects of PEDF-34 in vivo and in vitro by promoting A1 astrocyte polarization with increased inflammatory cytokines. Conclusion PEDF-34 activated 67LR, attenuating neuroinflammation and inhibiting astrocyte A1 polarization partly via the JNK/STAT1 pathway, suggesting that PEDF-34 might be a potential treatment for SAH patients. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Estimating nonlinear functions of quantum states, such as the moment $${{{\rm{tr}}}}({\rho }^{m})$$ tr ( ρ m ) , is of fundamental and practical interest in quantum science and technology. Here we show a quantum-classical hybrid framework to measure them, where the quantum part is constituted by the generalized swap test, and the classical part is realized by postprocessing the result from randomized measurements. This hybrid framework utilizes the partial coherent power of the intermediate-scale quantum processor and, at the same time, dramatically reduces the number of quantum measurements and the cost of classical postprocessing. We demonstrate the advantage of our framework in the tasks of state-moment estimation and quantum error mitigation.

Abstract Background To analyze the risk factors for the development of avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head after reduction surgery in children with developmental hip dysplasia (DDH), and to establish a prediction nomogram. Methods The clinical data of 134 children with DDH (169 hips) treated with closure reduction or open reduction from December 2016 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Independent risk factors for AVN after DDH reduction being combined with cast external immobilization were determined by univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression and used to generate nomograms predicting the occurrence of AVN. Results A total of 169 hip joints in 134 children met the inclusion criteria, with a mean age at surgery of 10.7 ± 4.56 months (range: 4–22 months) and a mean follow-up duration of 38.32 ± 27.00 months (range: 12–94 months). AVN developed in 42 hip joints (24.9%); univariate analysis showed that the International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI) grade, preoperative development of the femoral head ossification nucleus, cartilage acetabular index, femoral head to acetabular Y-shaped cartilage distance, residual acetabular dysplasia, acetabular abduction angle exceeding 60°, and the final follow-up acetabular index (AI) were associated with the development of AVN (P

Introduction: Posterior subtenon injection of triamcinolone acetonide (PSTA) is commonly done to treat refractory cases of macular edema. Complications may arise from the procedure as well as from the use of the periocular steroid medications. Side effects include subconjunctival hemorrhage, progression of cataract, scleral perforation (resulting in subretinal, subhyaloid, or intravitreal injection of the drug), retinal detachment, ptosis, orbital fat prolapse, orbital abscess, infectious scleritis, ocular hypertension, and scleral abscess. Here we describe a case of inadvertent subretinal triamcinolone acetonide (TA) deposition from a PSTA procedure without any adverse vision-threatening outcomes. Case Presentation: We report a patient who presented with a history of superior temporal left eye macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, which was successfully repaired with a scleral buckle (SB), pars plana vitrectomy, and gas placement. Due to persistent diplopia, the SB was removed after 1 year post-operatively. Due to the development of cystoid macular edema, a PSTA was performed after the patient failed topical steroids and NSAIDs. The procedure was halted early due to unexpected resistance during the injection. A dilated fundus exam showed the presence of subretinal triamcinolone acetonide. The patient was observed and found to have no complications with almost complete resolution of the triamcinolone acetonide after 3 months. Conclusion: In previous SB patients, it is important to highlight the risk of globe penetration, subretinal deposition of TA, formation of retinal breaks, or reopening of prior retinal breaks with posterior subtenon injection, which could have adverse effects on the local retina as well as the risk of retinal detachment.

Abstract Background Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a highly lethal form of lung cancer. Despite advancements in treatments, managing LUAD is still challenging due to its aggressive behavior. Recent studies indicate that various molecular pathways, including the dysregulation of ferredoxin 1 (FDX1), play roles in LUAD progression. FDX1, a crucial protein in cellular redox reactions and energy metabolism, has been linked to several cancers. However, its exact role in the development of LUAD is not yet fully understood. Methods We investigated the role of ferredoxin 1 (FDX1) in LUAD progression through analysis of its expression in LUAD tissues and its impact on patient survival. Functional assays were performed to assess the effects of FDX1 overexpression on LUAD cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. A xenograft model was employed to evaluate the tumorigenesis potential of LUAD cells with FDX1 overexpression. Mechanistic insights into FDX1 regulation were gained through depletion experiments targeting the G protein-regulated inducer of neurite outgrowth 2 (GPRIN2)/PI3K signaling pathway. Results FDX1 expression was down-regulated in LUAD tissues, correlating with shorter patient survival. Overexpression of FDX1 suppressed LUAD cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro, and inhibited tumorigenesis in vivo. Mechanistically, the GPRIN2/PI3K signaling pathway was implicated in FDX1 regulation, as depletion of GPRIN2 reversed the effects of FDX1 overexpression on cellular functions. Conclusions Our findings highlight FDX1 as a potential tumor suppressor in LUAD, acting through modulation of the GPRIN2/PI3K signaling pathway. These results suggest FDX1 as a promising therapeutic target for LUAD treatment, warranting further investigation into its clinical relevance.

Abstract Cerebral infarction is a common neurological disease with high rates of morbidity, mortality, and recurrence, posing a great threat to human life and health. Cerebral infarction is the second leading cause of death in the world and the leading cause of long-term disability in humans. The results of the third national retrospective sampling survey on causes of death in 2008 showed that cerebral infarction has become the leading cause of death in China and its mortality rate is 4–5 times that of European and American countries. Therefore, this article proposed a study on the predictive value of Cmmi-MHR combined with thromboelastography parameters that was performed for acute cerebral infarction. This paper mainly proposed a high frame rate imaging technology and analyzed its algorithm. In this article, in the experimental part, an in-depth analysis of the predictive value of the Monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) combined with thromboelastography parameters was performed for acute cerebral infarction. The final experimental results showed that HDL (OR = 1.695%, P-trend = 0.049) had a probability of death within 90 days of hospitalization (OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 1.06–3.11, P-trend = 0.523). There were no significant differences in mortality rate after 90 days. Regardless of adjusting for confounders such as age, gender, and NIHSS score, there was no significant difference in the risk of MHR or monocyte count within 90 days of hospitalization. The conclusion indicates that the combination of Cmmi-MHR and thromboelastography parameters provides a new perspective and method for the diagnosis and treatment of cerebral infarction, and provides important support for personalized treatment and management of cerebral infarction.

Abstract Metasurface enables the generation and manipulation of multiphoton entanglement with flat optics, providing a more efficient platform for large-scale photonic quantum information processing. Here, we show that a single metasurface optical device would allow more efficient characterizations of multiphoton entangled states, such as shadow tomography, which generally requires fast and complicated control of optical setups to perform information-complete measurements, a demanding task using conventional optics. The compact and stable device here allows implementations of general positive operator valued measures with a reduced sample complexity and significantly alleviates the experimental complexity to implement shadow tomography. Integrating self-learning and calibration algorithms, we observe notable advantages in the reconstruction of multiphoton entanglement, including using fewer measurements, having higher accuracy, and being robust against experimental imperfections. Our work unveils the feasibility of metasurface as a favorable integrated optical device for efficient characterization of multiphoton entanglement, and sheds light on scalable photonic quantum technologies with ultra-thin optical devices.

Abstract The tissue damage caused by transient ischemic injury is an essential component of the pathogenesis of retinal ischemia, which mainly hinges on the degree and duration of interruption of the blood supply and the subsequent damage caused by tissue reperfusion. Some research indicated that the retinal injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) was related to reperfusion time. In this study, we screened the differentially expressed circRNAs, lncRNAs, and mRNAs between the control and model group and at different reperfusion time (24h, 72h, and 7d) with the aid of whole transcriptome sequencing technology, and the trend changes in time-varying mRNA, lncRNA, circRNA were obtained by chronological analysis. Then, candidate circRNAs, lncRNAs, and mRNAs were obtained as the intersection of differentially expression genes and trend change genes. Importance scores of the genes selected the key genes whose expression changed with the increase of reperfusion time. Also, the characteristic differentially expressed genes specific to the reperfusion time were analyzed, key genes specific to reperfusion time were selected to show the change in biological process with the increase of reperfusion time. As a result, 316 candidate mRNAs, 137 candidate lncRNAs, and 31 candidate circRNAs were obtained by the intersection of differentially expressed mRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs with trend mRNAs, trend lncRNAs and trend circRNAs, 5 key genes (Cd74, RT1-Da, RT1-CE5, RT1-Bb, RT1-DOa) were selected by importance scores of the genes. The result of GSEA showed that key genes were found to play vital roles in antigen processing and presentation, regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, and the ribosome. A network included 4 key genes (Cd74, RT1-Da, RT1-Bb, RT1-DOa), 34 miRNAs and 48 lncRNAs, and 81 regulatory relationship axes, and a network included 4 key genes (Cd74, RT1-Da, RT1-Bb, RT1-DOa), 9 miRNAs and 3 circRNAs (circRNA_10572, circRNA_03219, circRNA_11359) and 12 regulatory relationship axes were constructed, the subcellular location, transcription factors, signaling network, targeted drugs and relationship to eye diseases of key genes were predicted. 1370 characteristic differentially expressed mRNAs (spec_24h mRNA), 558 characteristic differentially expressed mRNAs (spec_72h mRNA), and 92 characteristic differentially expressed mRNAs (spec_7d mRNA) were found, and their key genes and regulation networks were analyzed. In summary, we screened the differentially expressed circRNAs, lncRNAs, and mRNAs between the control and model groups and at different reperfusion time (24h, 72h, and 7d). 5 key genes, Cd74, RT1-Da, RT1-CE5, RT1-Bb, RT1-DOa, were selected. Key genes specific to reperfusion time were selected to show the change in biological process with the increased reperfusion time. These results provided theoretical support and a reference basis for the clinical treatment.

Abstract Background Indobufen is widely used in patients with aspirin intolerance in East Asia. The OPTION trial launched by our cardiac center examined the performance of indobufen based dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the vast majority of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and aspirin intolerance were excluded. We aimed to explore this question in a real-world population. Methods Patients enrolled in the ASPIRATION registry were grouped according to the DAPT strategy that they received after PCI. The primary endpoints were major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 2, 3, or 5 bleeding. Propensity score matching (PSM) was adopted for confounder adjustment. Results A total of 7135 patients were reviewed. After one-year follow-up, the indobufen group was associated with the same risk of MACCE versus the aspirin group after PSM (6.5% vs. 6.5%, hazard ratio [HR] = 0.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.65 to 1.52, P = 0.978). However, BARC type 2, 3, or 5 bleeding was significantly reduced (3.0% vs. 11.9%, HR = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.15 to 0.40, P

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a common, severe, and hard-to-treat chronic pain condition in clinics. Although PHN is developed from herpes zoster (HZ), the developing mechanism is unknown. A previous study investigated blood metabolomic and proteomic profiling in patients with PHN and HZ. The current study aims to explore the blood transcriptomic signature of PHN compared to HZ patients. Whole blood from eight PHN and 15 HZ patients was used for RNA-Seq analysis. There were 82 and 1,788 genes detected specifically in the PHN and HZ groups, respectively. PHN-specific genes are involved in viral infection, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, and immune response. For genes coexpressed in PHN and HZ patients, there were 407 differential expression genes (DEGs), including 205 upregulated (UP DEGs) and 202 downregulated (DOWN DEGs) in PHN compared to HZ groups. DEGs are involved in viral infection, type I interferon (IFN), and hemoglobin and oxygen carrier activity. UP DEGs are associated with regulatory T cells (Tregs), activated NK cells, and neutrophils, while DOWN DEGs are associated with Tregs, resting NK cells, and monocytes. The results suggest that the metabolism of lipid, glycan, and nucleotides, type I IFN signaling, and altered neutrophil activation are associated with and might contribute to the development of PHN in HZ. It is also suggested that persistent or altered activation of nonspecific immunity may contribute to the development of PHN from HZ.

Abstract Understanding the Hubbard model is crucial for investigating various quantum many-body states and its fermionic and bosonic versions have been largely realized separately. Recently, transition metal dichalcogenides heterobilayers have emerged as a promising platform for simulating the rich physics of the Hubbard model. In this work, we explore the interplay between fermionic and bosonic populations, using a WS2/WSe2 heterobilayer device that hosts this hybrid particle density. We independently tune the fermionic and bosonic populations by electronic doping and optical injection of electron-hole pairs, respectively. This enables us to form strongly interacting excitons that are manifested in a large energy gap in the photoluminescence spectrum. The incompressibility of excitons is further corroborated by observing a suppression of exciton diffusion with increasing pump intensity, as opposed to the expected behavior of a weakly interacting gas of bosons, suggesting the formation of a bosonic Mott insulator. We explain our observations using a two-band model including phase space filling. Our system provides a controllable approach to the exploration of quantum many-body effects in the generalized Bose-Fermi-Hubbard model.

Abstract Background Dysphagia is considered a complication in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). However, AECOPD may have risk factors for dysphagia. Methods Through a cross-sectional study, which included 100 patients with AECOPD. General information, Pulmonary function, COPD assessment test (CAT) and modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) were collected by questionnaire. The questionnaires were administered by uniform-trained investigators using standard and neutral language, and swallowing risk was assessed by using a water swallow test (WST) on the day of patient admission. Results Among the 100 included patients, 50(50%) were at risk of swallowing. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression analysis showed that age ≥ 74 years old, mMRC ≥ level 2, hospitalization days ≥ 7 days and the use of BIPAP assisted ventilation were important influencing factors for swallowing risk in patients with AECOPD. Conclusion Patients with AECOPD are at risk for dysphagia, assessing age, mMRC, hospitalization days and the use of BIPAP assisted ventilation can be used to screen for swallowing risk, thus contributing to the implementation of early prevention measures.

Abstract Background Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) caused by obesity have increased in recent years. The impact of obesity on long-term outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with or without DM remains unclear. Methods We retrospectively analysed data from 1918 patients who underwent PCI. Patients were categorized into four groups based on body mass index (BMI, normal weight: BMI

Abstract Recent developments in auxin-inducible degron (AID) technology have increased its popularity for chemogenetic control of proteolysis. However, generation of human AID cell lines is challenging, especially in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Here, we develop HiHo-AID2, a streamlined procedure for rapid, one-step generation of human cancer and hESC lines with high homozygous degron-tagging efficiency based on an optimized AID2 system and homology-directed repair enhancers. We demonstrate its application for rapid and inducible functional inactivation of twelve endogenous target proteins in five cell lines, including targets with diverse expression levels and functions in hESCs and cells differentiated from hESCs.

The miscibility of flue gas and different types of light oils is investigated through slender-tube miscible displacement experiment at high temperature and high pressure. Under the conditions of high temperature and high pressure, the miscible displacement of flue gas and light oil is possible. At the same temperature, there is a linear relationship between oil displacement efficiency and pressure. At the same pressure, the oil displacement efficiency increases gently and then rapidly to more than 90% to achieve miscible displacement with the increase of temperature. The rapid increase of oil displacement efficiency is closely related to the process that the light components of oil transit in phase state due to distillation with the rise of temperature. Moreover, at the same pressure, the lighter the oil, the lower the minimum miscibility temperature between flue gas and oil, which allows easier miscibility and ultimately better performance of thermal miscible flooding by air injection. The miscibility between flue gas and light oil at high temperature and high pressure is more typically characterized by phase transition at high temperature in supercritical state, and it is different from the contact extraction miscibility of CO2 under conventional high pressure conditions.

Abstract The accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) causes ER stress and activates the unfolded protein response (UPR). As an adaptive cellular response to hostile microenvironments, such as hypoxia, nutrient deprivation, oxidative stress, and chemotherapeutic drugs, the UPR is activated in diverse cancer types and functions as a dynamic tumour promoter in cancer development; this role of the UPR indicates that regulation of the UPR can be utilized as a target for tumour treatment. T-cell exhaustion mainly refers to effector T cells losing their effector functions and expressing inhibitory receptors, leading to tumour immune evasion and the loss of tumour control. Emerging evidence suggests that the UPR plays a crucial role in T-cell exhaustion, immune evasion, and resistance to immunotherapy. In this review, we summarize the molecular basis of UPR activation, the effect of the UPR on immune evasion, the emerging mechanisms of the UPR in chemotherapy and immunotherapy resistance, and agents that target the UPR for tumour therapeutics. An understanding of the role of the UPR in immune evasion and therapeutic resistance will be helpful to identify new therapeutic modalities for cancer treatment. Video Abstract

Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) have proven highly effective for solving high-dimensional Partial Differential Equations (PDEs), having demonstrated tremendous potential in a variety of challenging scenarios. However, traditional PINNs (vanilla PINNs), typically based on fully connected neural networks (FCNN), often face issues with convergence and parameter redundancy. This paper proposes a novel approach that utilizes a multi-input residual network, incorporating a multi-step training paradigm to facilitate unsupervised training. This improved method, which we named MultiInNet PINNs, can enhance the convergence speed and the stability of traditional PINNs. Our experiments demonstrate that MultiInNet PINNs achieve better convergence with fewer parameters than other networks like FCNN, ResNet, and UNet. Specifically, the multi-step training increases convergence speed by approximately 45%, while the MultiInNet enhancement contributes an additional 50%, leading to a total improvement of about 70%. This accelerated convergence speed allows PINNs to lower computational costs by achieving faster convergence. Moreover, our MultiInNet PINNs provides a potential method for handling initial and boundary conditions (I/BCs) separately within PINNs.

ABSTRACTIn this work, wire arc additive manufactured IN718 materials with different textures and defect characteristics were obtained via two deposition strategies: parallel mode (P_mode) and oscillation mode (O_mode). The influences of these microstructure variables on the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) properties were systematically investigated by experimental and crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) frameworks. Results revealed that the weak texture of the O_mode sample may be detrimental to LCF due to strain incompatibility between adjacent grains. However, large-sized pore defects in the P_mode samples significantly increased the dispersity of LCF life. The sensitivity of fatigue crack initiation to critical defect size and location was further accurately captured based on the stored energy density criterion, and the fatigue crack nucleation life was also quantified. Finally, the LCF limit was calculated based on the Coffin–Manson equation, and the life prediction intervals of WAAMed-IN718 alloys with different deposition strategies were unified.

A flexible wing micro air vehicle and a rigid wing micro air vehicle, both with flying wing designs, were designed and developed, and the aerodynamic characteristics of the flexible micro air vehicle and the rigid micro air vehicle under steady wind and horizontal gust were studied in a wind tunnel. The difference in aerodynamic characteristics between flexible wing and rigid wing micro air vehicles was given. The research results showed that the aerodynamic characteristics of a flexible wing were better than those of a rigid wing under both steady wind and horizontal gust environments, and a flexible wing had the ability to delay stall and mitigate the impact of gust, which was beneficial to stable flight. The particle image velocimetry measurement results showed that due to the deformation of the flexible wing, the flow patterns on the rigid wing and flexible wing surfaces were different, resulting in changes in the aerodynamic characteristics of micro air vehicles.

Due to the high heterogeneity of ovarian cancer (OC), it occupies the main cause of cancer-related death among women. As the most aggressive and frequent subtype of OC, high-grade serous cancer (HGSC) represents around 70 % of all patients. With the booming progress of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), unique and subtle changes among different cell states have been identified including novel risk genes and pathways. Here, our present study aims to identify differentially correlated core genes between normal and tumor status through HGSC scRNA-seq data analysis. R package high-dimension Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (hdWGCNA) was implemented for building gene interaction networks based on HGSC scRNA-seq data. DiffCorr was integrated for identifying differentially correlated genes between tumor and their adjacent normal counterparts. Software Cytoscape was implemented for constructing and visualizing biological networks. Real-time qPCR (RT-qPCR) was utilized to confirm expression pattern of new genes. We introduced ScHGSC-IGDC (Identifying Genes with Differential Correlations of HGSC based on scRNA-seq analysis), an in silico framework for identifying core genes in the development of HGSC. We detected thirty-four modules in the network. Scores of new genes with opposite correlations with others such as NDUFS5, TMSB4X, SERPINE2 and ITPR2 were identified. Further survival and literature validation emphasized their great values in the HGSC management. Meanwhile, RT-qPCR verified expression pattern of NDUFS5, TMSB4X, SERPINE2 and ITPR2 in human OC cell lines and tissues. Our research offered novel perspectives on the gene modulatory mechanisms from single cell resolution, guiding network based algorithms in cancer etiology field.

Presenilin-2 (PSEN2) mutation is one of the pathogenic factors of autosomal dominant early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD). We generated a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line from fibroblasts of an EOAD patient carrying PSEN2 mutation (c.716 T > C) utilizing Sendai reprogramming kit. The resulting iPSC line carried patient-specific point mutation, exhibited typical iPSC morphology, retained a normal karyotype, expressed pluripotency markers, and could form embryoid bodies. Established iPSC line serve as valuable resource for EOAD disease pathogenesis modelling and drug screening.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a substantial global health burden. Tumorinfiltrating B lymphocytes (TIL-Bs) contribute to tumor progression and significantly impact the efficacy of tumor therapy. However, the characteristics of TIL-Bs in HCC and their effect on HCC therapy remain elusive. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) was applied to investigate the heterogeneity, cellular differentiation and cell-cell communication of TIL-Bs in HCC. Further, the Cancer Genome Atlas-liver hepatocellular carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC) and liver cancer institutes (LCI) cohorts were applied to construct and validate the plasma cell marker-based prognostic risk model. The relationship between the prognostic risk model and the responsiveness of immunotherapy and chemotherapy in patients with HCC were estimated by OncoPredict and tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) algorithm. Finally, we established nomogram and calibration curves to evaluate the precision of the risk score in predicating survival probability. Our data identified five subtypes of TIL-Bs in HCC, each exhibiting varying levels of infiltration in tumor tissues. The interactions between TIL-Bs and other cell types contributed to shaping distinct tumor microenvironments (TME). Moreover, we found that TIL-Bs subtypes had disparate prognostic values in HCC patients. The prognostic risk model demonstrated exceptional predictive accuracy for overall survival and exhibited varying sensitivities to immunotherapy and chemotherapy among patients with HCC. Our data demonstrated that the risk score stood as an independent prognostic predictor and the nomogram results further affirmed its strong prognostic capability. This study reveals the heterogeneity of TIL-Bs and provides a prognostic risk model based on plasma cell markers in HCC, which could prove valuable in predicting prognosis and guiding the choice of suitable therapies for patients with HCC.

BackgroundThere has been a gradual increase in the proportion of preterm birth in China during the past several decades. Maternal malnutrition is a significant determinant for preterm birth. Nevertheless, comprehensive studies investigating serum mineral levels during pregnancy associated with preterm birth remain scarce. This study aims to assess the associations between maternal serum mineral levels and the risk of preterm birth.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study of 18,048 pregnant women used data from a tertiary hospital in China from January 2016 to December 2022. Demographic data and serum mineral concentrations in the second and third trimesters of mothers were collected from the hospital information system. Analysis was performed using restricted cubic splines and logistic regression models.ResultsThe proportion of preterm birth in this study was 6.01%. Phosphorus [P for overall = 0.005; P for nonlinear = 0.490; OR (95%CI) = 1.11 (1.04, 1.18)] and chlorine [P for overall = 0.002; P for nonlinear = 0.058; OR (95%CI) = 1.11 (1.03, 1.19)] showed a significant positive correlation with preterm birth in a linear fashion. Furthermore, serum levels of potassium (P for nonlinear

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.

Abstract Background Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among young people aged 15–29 years. A large number of studies have found that mental disorder in adulthood is closely related to childhood trauma, and the relationship between childhood trauma and suicide risk is influenced by resilience and mental distress. This study aimed to explore the effects of childhood trauma on suicide risk among young people and the potential roles of resilience and mental distress in the relationship between childhood trauma on suicide risk. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 742 young adults who were in graduate school stage from multiple provinces and cities in China. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-Short Form), Connor-Davison Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and Suicide Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) were used to measure young adults’ childhood trauma, resilience and suicide risk, respectively. 9-items Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and 7-items self-report Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) were used together to measure mental distress. Correlation analysis was performed to explore the initial relationships among the main variables. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to examine the chain mediating effects of resilience and mental distress in the relationship between childhood trauma and suicide risk. Results The structural equation modeling produced goodness of fit indices (χ2 /df = 3.668, p

Abstract Hypoxia, characterized by reduced oxygen concentration, is a significant stressor that affects the survival of aerobic species and plays a prominent role in cardiovascular diseases. From the research history and milestone events related to hypoxia in cardiovascular development and diseases, The "hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) switch" can be observed from both temporal and spatial perspectives, encompassing the occurrence and progression of hypoxia (gradual decline in oxygen concentration), the acute and chronic manifestations of hypoxia, and the geographical characteristics of hypoxia (natural selection at high altitudes). Furthermore, hypoxia signaling pathways are associated with natural rhythms, such as diurnal and hibernation processes. In addition to innate factors and natural selection, it has been found that epigenetics, as a postnatal factor, profoundly influences the hypoxic response and progression within the cardiovascular system. Within this intricate process, interactions between different tissues and organs within the cardiovascular system and other systems in the context of hypoxia signaling pathways have been established. Thus, it is the time to summarize and to construct a multi-level regulatory framework of hypoxia signaling and mechanisms in cardiovascular diseases for developing more therapeutic targets and make reasonable advancements in clinical research, including FDA-approved drugs and ongoing clinical trials, to guide future clinical practice in the field of hypoxia signaling in cardiovascular diseases.

Abstract Background The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) are well known indicators for adverse outcomes in various diseases, but there is no evidence on their association with the risk of left atrial thrombus (LAT) in patients with valvular atrial fibrillation (VAF). Methods A comparative cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 433 VAF patients. Demographics, clinical characteristics and echocardiographic data were collected and analyzed. Patients were grouped by the presence of LAT detected by transesophageal echocardiography. Results LAT were identified in 142 patients (32.79%). The restricted cubic splines showed an L-shaped relationship between PNI and LAT. The dose-response curve flattened out near the horizontal line with OR = 1 at the level of 49.63, indicating the risk of LAT did not decrease if PNI was greater than 49.63. GNRI was negative with the risk of LAT and tended to be protective when greater than 106.78. The best cut-off values of PNI and GNRI calculated by receiver operating characteristics curve to predict LAT were 46.4 (area under these curve [AUC]: 0.600, 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.541–0.658, P = 0.001) and 105.7 (AUC: 0.629, 95% CI:0.574–0.684, P

Abstract Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) has been recommended as the preferred method for pancreatic exocrine insufficiency caused by chronic pancreatitis (CP). However, at present, the patient-related factors for the poor PERT management are not clear, and there are no studies on the adherence to PERT in patients with CP in East China. This was a mixed-method study following the principle of sequential explanatory design and included two parts: a quantitative and qualitative study. A cross-sectional survey of medication adherence (MA) was first carried out, followed by a semi-structured interview to further explore and explain the influencing factors of adherence to PERT. Of the 148 patients included in this study, 48.0% had poor MA and only 12.8% had good MA. Multivariate logistic regression showed that lower levels of education and income were contributing factors for non-adherence to PERT. Semi-structured interviews with 24 patients revealed that the reasons for non-adherence also included lack of knowledge, self-adjustment of PERT, lifetime of medication, side effects of PERT, forgetfulness, financial burdens, and accessibility issues. The adherence to PERT was poor among patients with CP in East China. Healthcare providers should personalize medication strategies to improve patients’ MA.

To accurately characterize the damage of rock-like materials under simultaneous or alternating tensile and compressive loading, a dynamic damage constitutive model for rock-like materials based on elastic tensile strain is developed by integrating the classical compressive plastic damage model and the tensile elastic damage model. The model is based on the Holmquist–Johnson–Cook (HJC) and Kuszmaul (KUS) models, categorizing the element stress state into tensile and compressive states through positive and negative elastic volumetric strain. It utilizes elastic tensile strain to enhance the calculation method for tensile cracks, determining the tensile strength of the principal direction based on the contribution rate of tensile principal stress for uniaxial/multiaxial loading. Additionally, it establishes a maximum elastic tensile strain rate function to rectify the model’s effect on the tensile strain rate. Through the LS-DYNA subroutine development, the model proficiently delineates the distribution of ring-shaped cracks on the frontal side and strip-shaped cracks on the rear side of the reinforced concrete slab subjected to impact loading. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the model provides more accurate damage prediction results for stress conditions involving simultaneous or alternating compression and tension, offering valuable insights for damage analysis in engineering blasting or impact penetration.

In this study, we compared the physical properties of coconut fiber/polypropylene (PP) composite materials with coconut fiber as a reinforcing agent, produced through a hybrid injection molding process and a layered hot-pressing process. Through comparative experiments, the mechanical properties of both the hybrid injection-molded and layered hot-pressed materials were validated. The results indicated that, when using a coconut fiber content of 5%, the layered hot-pressed composite material exhibited optimal comprehensive performance. Specifically, its tensile strength reached 25.12 MPa, showing a 37.6% increase over that of pure PP materials of the same brand and batch. Its tensile modulus was 1.17 GPa, representing an 11.4% decrease. Additionally, its bending strength was 35.94 MPa, marking a 49.8% increase, and its bending modulus was 2.69 GPa, which is nearly double that of pure PP materials. Furthermore, through Creo modeling and an ANSYS simulation analysis, it was verified that this material could be applied to airbag covers in the field of automotive safety. This study confirmed that layered hot-pressed coconut fiber/PP composite materials exhibit superior mechanical properties to traditional materials and injection-molded composite materials, making them more suitable for airbag covers.

Callose, found in the cell walls of higher plants such as β-1,3-glucan with β-1,6 branches, is pivotal for both plant development and responses to biotic and abiotic stressors. Plasmodesmata (PD), membranous channels linking the cytoplasm, plasma membrane, and endoplasmic reticulum of adjacent cells, facilitate molecular transport, crucial for developmental and physiological processes. The regulation of both the structural and transport functions of PD is intricate. The accumulation of callose in the PD neck is particularly significant for the regulation of PD permeability. This callose deposition, occurring at a specific site of pathogenic incursion, decelerates the invasion and proliferation of pathogens by reducing the PD pore size. Scholarly investigations over the past two decades have illuminated pathogen-induced callose deposition and the ensuing PD regulation. This gradual understanding reveals the complex regulatory interactions governing defense-related callose accumulation and protein-mediated PD regulation, underscoring its role in plant defense. This review systematically outlines callose accumulation mechanisms and enzymatic regulation in plant defense and discusses PD’s varied participation against viral, fungal, and bacterial infestations. It scrutinizes callose-induced structural changes in PD, highlighting their implications for plant immunity. This review emphasizes dynamic callose calibration in PD constrictions and elucidates the implications and potential challenges of this intricate defense mechanism, integral to the plant’s immune system.

Objective: To conduct a comprehensive and systematic review of the application of existing artificial intelligence for tooth segmentation in CBCT images. Materials and Methods: A literature search of the MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus databases to find publications from inception through 21 August 2023, non-English publications excluded. The risk of bias and applicability of each article was assessed using QUADAS-2, and data on segmentation category, research model, sample size and groupings, and evaluation metrics were extracted from the articles. Results: A total of 34 articles were included. Artificial intelligence methods mainly involve deep learning-based techniques, including Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), Fully Convolutional Networks (FCNs), and CNN-based network structures, such as U-Net and V-Net. They utilize multi-stage strategies and combine other mechanisms and algorithms to further improve the semantic or instance segmentation performance of CBCT images, and most of the models have a Dice similarity coefficient greater than 90% and accuracy ranging from 83% to 99%. Conclusions: Artificial intelligence methods have shown excellent performance in tooth segmentation of CBCT images, but still face problems, such as the small size of training data and non-uniformity of evaluation metrics, which still need to be further improved and explored for their application and evaluation in clinical applications.

In order to improve the oil recovery of mid-deep heavy oil reservoirs, this study investigates the efficiency of enhanced oil recovery and the mechanisms of oil displacement in mid-deep heavy oil reservoirs using different injected gases (N2, CH4, CO2) and development approaches (gas flooding and gas huff-n-puff) through a series of experiments. These experiments include high-pressure physical properties tests of crude oil after gas injection, displacement efficiency tests of gas injection, and displacement efficiency tests of gas huff-n-puff. The results indicate that for mid-deep heavy oil reservoirs, the preferred optimal injection gas is CO2, with gas huff-n-puff being the most effective development method. Furthermore, a numerical simulation study was conducted to explore the adaptability parameters of CO2 huff-n-puff development in different well patterns, encompassing variables such as the amount of gas injected per cycle, crude oil viscosity, reservoir permeability, and oil layer thickness.

Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (SS2) is a Gram-positive bacterium. It is a common and significant pathogen in pigs and a common cause of zoonotic meningitis in humans. It can lead to sepsis, endocarditis, arthritis, and pneumonia. If not diagnosed and treated promptly, it has a high mortality rate. The pan-genome of SS2 is open, and with an increasing number of genes, the core genome and accessory genome may exhibit more pronounced differences. Due to the diversity of SS2, the genes related to its virulence and resistance are still unclear. In this study, a strain of SS2 was isolated from a pig farm in Sichuan Province, China, and subjected to whole-genome sequencing and characterization. Subsequently, we conducted a Pan-Genome-Wide Association Study (Pan-GWAS) on 230 strains of SS2. Our analysis indicates that the core genome is composed of 1,458 genes related to the basic life processes of the bacterium. The accessory genome, consisting of 4,337 genes, is highly variable and a major contributor to the genetic diversity of SS2. Furthermore, we identified important virulence and resistance genes in SS2 through pan-GWAS. The virulence genes of SS2 are mainly associated with bacterial adhesion. In addition, resistance genes in the core genome may confer natural resistance of SS2 to fluoroquinolone and glycopeptide antibiotics. This study lays the foundation for further research on the virulence and resistance of SS2, providing potential new drug and vaccine targets against SS2.

Since 2013, the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus type 2 (PRRSV-2), lineage 1.8 (NADC30-like PRRSV) has emerged and become widely prevalent in China. The NADC30-like PRRSV poses significant challenges for disease control, primarily because of its propensity for frequent mutations and recombinations. We successfully isolated and identified a NADC30-like strain, designated SCCD22, in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. We meticulously examined the genetic recombination properties and evaluated its pathogenicity in 28-day-old piglets. SCCD22 showed 93.02% nucleotide homology with the NADC30 PRRSV strain, and its non-structural protein 2 coding region showed the same 131 amino acid deletion pattern as that seen in NADC30. Furthermore, we identified two recombination events in SCCD22: one in the NSP2 region (1,028–3,290 nt), where it was highly similar to the JXA1-like strain GZ106; and another in the NSP10 ~ 12 region (9,985–12,279 nt), closely resembling the NADC30-like strain CY2-1604. Piglets infected with SCCD22 exhibited clinical symptoms such as elevated body temperature, prolonged fever, reduced appetite, and roughened fur. Postmortem examinations underscored the typical lung pathology associated with PRRSV, indicating that the lungs were the primary affected organs. Furthermore, extended viral shedding accompanied by progressive viremia was observed in the serum and nasal excretions of infected piglets. In summary, this study reports a domestic PRRSV recombination strain in the Sichuan Province that can provide critical insights into preventing and controlling PRRSV in this region.

The effect of chemical ordering on the thermoelastic properties of Mg-Sc light weight shape memory alloys are studied by the exact muffin-tin orbital method. Chemical ordering has significant hardening effect on elastic properties of Mg-Sc alloys, the C' is increased by 21% for Mg76Sc24 alloy, and the elastic hardening due to ordering can properly explain the increase in Vickers hardness observed in experiment. The quasi-harmonic Debye-Grüneisen model simulated the order–disorder transition temperature reasonably. The vibrational entropy increase due to elastic softening induced by disordering contributes considerably in driving the order–disorder transition. Mg-Sc alloys in ordered phase shows better thermoelastic stability over well-known commercial Mg alloys, therefore, ordering treatment of Mg-Sc are beneficial for structural application of this family of alloys. The Sc atoms (Mg atoms either) in bcc nearest neighboring lattice repel each other to form a B2-type ordered phase, and resultantly, the s-d and p-d hybridization between nearest neighboring Mg and Sc atoms is the main electronic reason for elastic hardening. The findings in current article not only give insight into understanding the strengthening mechanism during the ordering process of Mg-Sc alloys, but also provides a useful reference for the future development and modification of their shape memory effects.

Mitochondria-associated ferroptosis exacerbates cardiac microvascular dysfunction in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Nicorandil, an ATP-sensitive K+ channel opener, protects against endothelial dysfunction, mitochondrial dysfunction, and DCM; however, its effects on ferroptosis and mitophagy remain unexplored. The present study aimed to assess the beneficial effects of nicorandil against endothelial ferroptosis in DCM and the underlying mechanisms. Cardiac microvascular perfusion was assessed using a lectin perfusion assay, while mitophagy was assessed via mt-Keima transfection and transmission electron microscopy. Ferroptosis was examined using mRNA sequencing, fluorescence staining, and western blotting. The mitochondrial localization of Parkin, ACSL4, and AMPK was determined via immunofluorescence staining. Following long-term diabetes, nicorandil treatment improved cardiac function and remodeling by alleviating cardiac microvascular injuries, as evidenced by the improved microvascular perfusion and structural integrity. mRNA-sequencing and biochemical analyses showed that ferroptosis occurred and Pink1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy was suppressed in cardiac microvascular endothelial cells after diabetes. Nicorandil treatment suppressed mitochondria-associated ferroptosis by promoting the Pink1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy. Moreover, nicorandil treatment increased the phosphorylation level of AMPKα1 and promoted its mitochondrial translocation, which further inhibited the mitochondrial translocation of ACSL4 via mitophagy and ultimately suppressed mitochondria-associated ferroptosis. Importantly, overexpression of mitochondria-localized AMPKα1 (mitoAα1) shared similar benefits with nicorandil on mitophagy, ferroptosis and cardiovascular protection against diabetic injury. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated the therapeutic effects of nicorandil against cardiac microvascular ferroptosis in DCM and revealed that the mitochondria-localized AMPK-Parkin-ACSL4 signaling pathway mediates mitochondria-associated ferroptosis and the development of cardiac microvascular dysfunction.

IntroductionLinear accelerator (linac) incorporating a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging device providing enhanced soft tissue contrast is particularly suited for abdominal radiation therapy. In particular, accurate segmentation for abdominal tumors and organs at risk (OARs) required for the treatment planning is becoming possible. Currently, this segmentation is performed manually by radiation oncologists. This process is very time consuming and subject to inter and intra operator variabilities. In this work, deep learning based automatic segmentation solutions were investigated for abdominal OARs on 0.35 T MR-images.MethodsOne hundred and twenty one sets of abdominal MR images and their corresponding ground truth segmentations were collected and used for this work. The OARs of interest included the liver, the kidneys, the spinal cord, the stomach and the duodenum. Several UNet based models have been trained in 2D (the Classical UNet, the ResAttention UNet, the EfficientNet UNet, and the nnUNet). The best model was then trained with a 3D strategy in order to investigate possible improvements. Geometrical metrics such as Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), Intersection over Union (IoU), Hausdorff Distance (HD) and analysis of the calculated volumes (thanks to Bland-Altman plot) were performed to evaluate the results.ResultsThe nnUNet trained in 3D mode achieved the best performance, with DSC scores for the liver, the kidneys, the spinal cord, the stomach, and the duodenum of 0.96 ± 0.01, 0.91 ± 0.02, 0.91 ± 0.01, 0.83 ± 0.10, and 0.69 ± 0.15, respectively. The matching IoU scores were 0.92 ± 0.01, 0.84 ± 0.04, 0.84 ± 0.02, 0.54 ± 0.16 and 0.72 ± 0.13. The corresponding HD scores were 13.0 ± 6.0 mm, 16.0 ± 6.6 mm, 3.3 ± 0.7 mm, 35.0 ± 33.0 mm, and 42.0 ± 24.0 mm. The analysis of the calculated volumes followed the same behavior.DiscussionAlthough the segmentation results for the duodenum were not optimal, these findings imply a potential clinical application of the 3D nnUNet model for the segmentation of abdominal OARs for images from 0.35 T MR-Linac.

Sodium channel Nav1.7 triggers the generation of nociceptive action potentials and is important in sending pain signals under physiological and pathological conditions. However, studying endogenous Nav1.7 currents has been confounded by co-expression of multiple sodium channel isoforms in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. In the current study, slow-repriming (SR) and fast-repriming (FR) tetrodotoxin-sensitive (TTX-S) currents were dissected electrophysiologically in small DRG neurons of both rats and mice. Three subgroups of small DRG neurons were identified based on the expression pattern of SR and FR TTX-S currents. A majority of rat neurons only expressed SR TTX-S currents, while a majority of mouse neurons expressed additional FR TTX-S currents. ProTx-II inhibited SR TTX-S currents with variable efficacy among DRG neurons. The expression of both types of TTX-S currents was higher in Isolectin B4-negative (IB4−) compared to Isolectin B4-positive (IB4+) neurons. Paclitaxel selectively increased SR TTX-S currents in IB4− neurons. In simulation experiments, the Nav1.7-expressing small DRG neuron displayed lower rheobase and higher frequency of action potentials upon threshold current injections compared to Nav1.6. The results suggested a successful dissection of endogenous Nav1.7 currents through electrophysiological manipulation that may provide a useful way to study the functional expression and pharmacology of endogenous Nav1.7 channels in DRG neurons.

The Moon’s origin is a long-debated scientific question, and its unique characteristics have led to the widespread acceptance of the giant impact hypothesis as the dominant theory explaining how the Moon formed. According to the canonical impact model, an impactor about the size of Mars collided with Earth, leading to the formation of a debris disk primarily composed of material from the impactor, within which the Moon subsequently formed. However, the canonical impact model faces an important challenge in accounting for the remarkably similar isotopic anomalies across various isotope systems observed in both Earth and the Moon, referred to as the “isotope crisis”. To address this quandary, a range of new computational models depicting the giant impact has been proposed. Nevertheless, the inquiry into the Moon’s origin is still far from a conclusive resolution. Consequently, acquiring additional experimental and exploratory data becomes imperative. Furthermore, delving deeper into the limitations and mechanisms of numerical models is crucial, offering the potential for an enhanced understanding of Earth and Moon’s evolution. This paper provides an extensive evaluation of the primary computational models associated with the giant impact theory. It explores the advancements made in research related to this theory and analyzes its merits and limitations.

With the intensification of global climate change, the frequency of wildfires has markedly increased, presenting an urgent challenge in assessing tripping failures for power systems. This paper proposes an innovative method to evaluate the spatial wildfire-induced tripping risk of transmission lines based on a flame combustion model. Firstly, Bayes theory is employed to assess the spatial probability of wildfire occurrence. Subsequently, Wang Zhengfei’s flame combustion model is utilized to estimate the potential flame height of wildfires along the transmission corridor. Thirdly, the insulation breakdown risk of the transmission line is calculated based on the relative height difference between the flame and the transmission line. Finally, the spatial wildfire-induced tripping risk of the transmission line is then determined by combining the wildfire occurrence probability and the insulation breakdown risk. A case study conducted in Guizhou province, China validates the accuracy of the proposed model. Utilizing ArcGIS, the wildfire occurrence probability distribution in Guizhou is visualized to enhance the efficiency of operation and maintenance. The results indicate that over 80% of wildfire incidents occurred in areas with occurrence probabilities exceeding 50%.

Abstract Multifunctional metasurfaces based on wavelength-decoupled supercells are experimentally demonstrated, enabling new regimes of optical control for arbitrary orthogonal polarizations at different wavelengths.

(1) Background: Color changes, physical degradation, and fungal infections are challenges to the longevity of maxillofacial polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomers. This study aimed to evaluate color changes, physical properties, and antifungal properties of PDMS loaded with ZrO2 and TiO2 submicron- and nano-sized particles. (2) Methods: A 1% weight of 40 nm or 200 nm diameter ZrO2 or TiO2 nanoparticles was mixed into PDMS with 2% functional intrinsic yellow pigment and polymerized. Control materials contained 13% weight 200 nm silica. Samples were exposed to 3000 h of UVB radiation (200 µW/cm2) or darkness. Color parameters L*a*b* and ∆Eab*, ultimate tensile strength, strain, elastic modulus, and Shore A hardness were measured. Candida albicans growth was measured using XTT and confocal microscopy, and data were analyzed with the Dunnett test (p < 0.01). (3) Results: TiO2 200 nm showed the least color change after 3000 h of UVB radiation, followed by TiO2 40 nm (p < 0.05). The silica-containing control group was superior in all physical property measurements due to higher additive content (p < 0.05). TiO2-containing materials exhibited significantly lower C. albicans growth (p < 0.01) than those loaded with ZrO2 or SiO2. (4) Conclusions: TiO2 nanoparticles of 40 nm and 200 nm, when added to pigmented PDMS at 1% weight, provided the best resistance to color change and significantly lowered C. albicans activity compared to silica- and zirconia-filled elastomers. Particle size differences rendered minor differences for most properties. The incorporation of low-level submicron- and nano-sized TiO2 particles has the potential to improve color stability and antifungal activity in silicones designated for maxillofacial prostheses and may be extended to denture reline applications.

Carallia brachiata (Lour.) Merr. (1919) is an important medical resource distributed across subtropical Asia. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of C. brachiata was sequenced, revealing a total length of 162,460 bp, including four regions – a large single copy (89,814 bp), a small single copy (18,804 bp), and a pair of inverted repeats (26,921 bp each). The overall guanine + cytosine content was 35.76%. In total, 130 genes were annotated within the chloroplast genome, comprising 85 protein-coding, 37 tRNA, and 8 rRNA genes. Subsequent phylogenetic analyses revealed that C. brachiata is closely related to Carallia diplopetala.

Abstract Overhead fisheye images can be used for person detection in intelligent monitoring systems. Unlike horizontal images, people in fisheye cameras are generally distributed in any orientation. When the object is rotated, the feature maps from convolutional neural networks have nonlinear variations and lose many orientation features. Transformer can learn the orientation relationship between features. However, a transformer cannot directly extract orientation features and the effectiveness of detecting small objects needs to be improved. In this paper, We propose a novel rotation-equivariant transformer backbone network, which combines group-equivariant convolution with swin transformer to solve these problems. In our proposed model, the rotation-equivariant feature map extracted by group-equivariant convolution contains a large number of orientation features in multiple directions. Aggregates feature in different directions to enhance the communication of orientation features before computing window self-attention. We propose the equivariant-group relation module for evaluating the similarity of the equivariant-group and calculating the aggregation weights. Our network architecture for multi-level receptive field structure can expand the local receptive field to enhance the detection of small objects. The experiments validate that our model achieves state-of-the-art performance on fisheye image datasets MW-R, HABBOF, and CEPDOF. Compared with the swin transformer, the accuracy of our model is improved by 0.3 $$\%$$ % , 0.5 $$\%$$ % , and 1.3 $$\%$$ % , and the accuracy of small object detection in the CEPDOF dataset is improved by 0.73 $$\%$$ % .