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Abstract Quantum loop and dimer models are prototypical correlated systems with local constraints, which are not only intimately connected to lattice gauge theories and topological orders but are also widely applicable to the broad research areas of quantum materials and quantum simulation. Employing our sweeping cluster quantum Monte Carlo algorithm, we reveal the complete phase diagram of the triangular-lattice fully packed quantum loop model. Apart from the known lattice nematic (LN) solid and the even $${{\mathbb{Z}}}_{2}$$ Z 2 quantum spin liquid (QSL) phases, we discover a hidden vison plaquette (VP) phase, which had been overlooked and misinterpreted as a QSL for more than a decade. Moreover, the VP-to-QSL continuous transition belongs to the (2 + 1)D cubic* universality class, which offers a lattice realization of the (fractionalized) cubic fixed point that had long been considered as irrelevant towards the O(3) symmetry until corrected recently by conformal bootstrap calculations. Our results are therefore of relevance to recent developments in both experiments and theory, and facilitate further investigations of hidden phases and transitions.

Abstract Humans can easily perform various types of hugs in human contact and affection experience. With the prevalence of robots in social applications, they would be expected to possess the capability of hugs as humans do. However, it is still not an easy task for robots, considering the complex force and spatial constraints of robot hugs. In this work, we propose the HUG taxonomy, which distinguishes between different hugging patterns based on human demonstrations and prior knowledge. In this taxonomy, hugs are arranged according to (1) hugging tightness, (2) hugging style, and (3) bilateral coordination, resulting in 16 different hug types. We then further study the hug type preference of humans in different scenarios and roles. Furthermore, we propose a rule-based classification system to validate the potential of this taxonomy in human–robot hugs based on a humanoid robot with an E-skin of contact sensation. The HUG taxonomy could provide human hugging behavior information in advance, facilitating the action control of humanoid robots. We believe the results of our work can benefit future studies on human–robot hugging interactions.

Abstract Effective disinfection methods are crucial in the cold chain transportation process of food due to the specificity of temperature and the diversity of contaminated flora. The objective of this study was to investigate the sanitizing effect of different disinfectants on various fungi at – 20 °C to achieve accurate disinfection of diverse bacterial populations. Peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and potassium bisulfate were selected as low-temperature disinfectants and were combined with antifreeze. The sanitizing effect of these cryogenic disinfectants on pathogens such as Bacillus subtilis black variant spores (ATCC9372), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Candida albicans (ATCC 10231), Escherichia coli (8099), and poliovirus (PV-1) was sequentially verified by bactericidal and virus inactivation experiments. After a specified time of disinfection, a neutralizing agent was used to halt the sanitizing process. The study demonstrates that different disinfectants exhibit selective effects during the low-temperature disinfection process. Peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and potassium monopersulfate are suitable for the low-temperature environmental disinfection of bacterial propagules, viruses, and fungal contaminants. However, for microorganisms with strong resistance to spores, a low-temperature disinfectant based on peracetic acid should be chosen for effective disinfection treatment. Our results provide a valuable reference for selecting appropriate disinfectants to sanitize various potential pathogens in the future.

Lately, as a subset of human-centric studies, vision-oriented human action recognition has emerged as a pivotal research area, given its broad applicability in fields like healthcare, video surveillance, autonomous driving, sports, and education. This brief applies Lie algebra and standard bone length data to represent human skeleton data. A multi-layer long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural network and convolutional neural network (CNN) are applied for human motion recognition. Finally, the trained network weights are converted into the crossbar-based memristor circuit, which can accelerate the network inference, reduce energy consumption, and obtain an excellent computing performance.

In wireless communication networks, mobile users in overlapping areas may experience severe interference, therefore, designing effective Interference Management (IM) methods is crucial to improving network performance. However, when managing multiple disturbances from the same source, it may not be feasible to use existing IM methods such as Interference Alignment (IA) and Interference Steering (IS) exclusively. It is because with IA, the aligned interference becomes indistinguishable at its desired Receiver (Rx) under the cost constraint of Degrees-of-Freedom (DoF), while with IS, more transmit power will be consumed in the direct and repeated application of IS to each interference. To remedy these deficiencies, Interference Alignment Steering (IAS) is proposed by incorporating IA and IS and exploiting their advantages in IM. With IAS, the interfering Transmitter (Tx) first aligns one interference incurred by the transmission of one data stream to a one-dimensional subspace orthogonal to the desired transmission at the interfered Rx, and then the remaining interferences are treated as a whole and steered to the same subspace as the aligned interference. Moreover, two improved versions of IAS, i.e., IAS with Full Adjustment at the Interfering Tx (IAS-FAIT) and Interference Steering and Alignment (ISA), are presented. The former considers the influence of IA on the interfering user-pair's performance. The orthogonality between the desired signals at the interfered Rx can be maintained by adjusting the spatial characteristics of all interferences and the aligned interference components, thus ensuring the Spectral Efficiency (SE) of the interfering communication pairs. Under ISA, the power cost for IS at the interfered Tx is minimized, hence improving SE performance of the interfered communication-pairs. Since the proposed methods are realized at the interfering and interfered Txs cooperatively, the expenses of IM are shared by both communication-pairs. Our in-depth simulation results show that joint use of IA and IS can effectively manage multiple disturbances from the same source and improve the system's SE.

Digital Twin (DT) supports real time analysis and provides a reliable simulation platform in the Internet of Things (IoT). The creation and application of DT hinges on amounts of data, which poses pressure on the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for DT descriptions and intelligent decision-making. Federated Learning (FL) is a cutting-edge technology that enables geographically dispersed devices to collaboratively train a shared global model locally rather than relying on a data center to perform model training. Therefore, DT can benefit by combining with FL, successfully solving the ''data island'' problem in traditional AI. However, FL still faces serious challenges, such as enduring single-point failures, suffering from poison attacks, lacking effective incentive mechanisms. Before the successful deployment of DT, we should tackle the issues caused by FL. Researchers from industry and academia have recognized the potential of introducing Blockchain Technology (BT) into FL to overcome the challenges faced by FL, where BT acting as a distributed and immutable ledger, can store data in a secure, traceable, and trusted manner. However, to the best of our knowledge, a comprehensive literature review on this topic is still missing. In this paper, we review existing works about blockchain-enabled FL and visualize their prospects with DT. To this end, we first propose evaluation requirements with respect to security, fault-tolerance, fairness, efficiency, cost-saving, profitability, and support for heterogeneity. Then, we classify existing literature according to the functionalities of BT in FL and analyze their advantages and disadvantages based on the proposed evaluation requirements. Finally, we discuss open problems in the existing literature and the future of DT supported by blockchain-enabled FL, based on which we further propose some directions for future research.

BackgroundIndividuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are at risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Traditional seed-based analysis has shown biased functional connectivity (FC) in SCD individuals. To investigate unbiased altered FC by the brain-wide association study (BWAS) and to determine its association with cognition in SCD individuals.MethodsMeasure of association (MA) analysis was applied to detect significant voxels with FC changes. Based on these changes, we identified regions of interest (ROIs) and conducted ROI-wise FC analyses. Correlation analyses were then performed between these FC circuits and cognition.ResultsMA analysis identified 10 ROIs with significantly altered voxels. ROI-wise FC analyses revealed 14 strengthened FC, predominantly parietal-occipital link alterations. The FC between the right superior occipital gyrus and the right postcentral gyrus correlated positively with executive function, while the FC between the right middle occipital gyrus and the left angular gyrus correlated positively with episodic memory in SCD individuals.ConclusionSCD involves multifocal impairments, of which regions of default mode network (DMN) and occipital lobe should be specially focused. Cross-hemispheric alterations indicate an internal interactive impairment pattern in SCD. The reduced FC between the right superior occipital gyrus and the right postcentral gyrus, and between the right middle occipital gyrus and the left angular gyrus, which correlate with specific cognitive functions, could serve as potential biomarkers for SCD diagnosis.

Cold water removal and degreasing can reduce the waiting time for the cleaning solution to heat up, improve production efficiency, and reduce steam and energy consumption, which benefits environmental protection and supports sustainable economic development. In order to screen the raw materials suitable for cold water oil removal, the contact angle was used as an index to characterize their hydrophilicity, and the cleaning effects of various surfactants, washing aids and solvents on animal, vegetable and mineral oils at low temperature were tested. TEXZO-PAS80, phosphorus free detergent EDDHA-Na and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, which were found to have a cleaning effect on animal, vegetable and mineral oils, were determined to be the raw materials for cold water oil removal and degreasing. The experimental results showed that the optimal amounts of TEXZO-PAS80, EDDHA-Na and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether for cleaning mixed oil stains under cold water conditions at 10 ℃ were 3, 3, and 2 g/L, respectively.

Abstract Viable magnetic fusion devices necessitate combining good confinement with effective power flux handling. A major concern for ITER, and devices beyond, is the divertor heat load width, which sets peak boundary heat loads on the plasma-facing materials. Current estimates of the heat flux width are narrow for future reactors. Here, we demonstrate how pedestal turbulence can expand into, or entrain, the stable scrape-off-layer and so broaden the heat flux width beyond these neoclassical predictions. Employing combined theoretical, computational, and experimental approaches, we focus on quiescent high confinement discharges on the DIII-D tokamak, but the results are of broader significance. Our findings uncover common trends in the edge turbulence intensity flux, the pressure perturbation skewness, and the turbulence mixing length, which together determine the heat flux width. This research demonstrates the physics of scrape-off-layer broadening by turbulence and highlights the promise of a turbulent pedestal for successful core-edge integration in ITER and future fusion devices.

This paper proposes a multi-time collaborative restoration model for integrated electricity-gas distribution systems (IEGDSs) considering multiple resources after extreme weather events. Based on the linearized power flow constraints of the unbalanced electrical distribution system (EDS) and gas distribution system (GDS), this problem can be formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model. To improve the efficiency and veracity of the solution, a rolling optimization based two-stage method is developed with the first stage solved by a linear approximation model, and the second stage solved by real-time updated rolling optimization. By solving the MILP problem using rolling optimization, the proposed model and solution method achieve efficient and reliable collaborative restoration of IEGDS considering multiple resources and unbalanced operation characteristics of EDS. The effectiveness of the proposed model and method is validated by using an IEGDS made of a 37-bus unbalanced EDS and 11-node GDS.

Patients with myocardial ischemia and infarction are at increased risk of arrhythmias, which in turn, can exacerbate the overall risk of mortality. Despite the observed reduction in recurrent arrhythmias through antiarrhythmic drug therapy, the precise mechanisms underlying their effectiveness in treating ischemic heart disease remain unclear. Moreover, there is a lack of specialized drugs designed explicitly for the treatment of myocardial ischemic arrhythmia. This study employs an electrophysiological simulation approach to investigate the potential antiarrhythmic effects and underlying mechanisms of various pharmacological agents in the context of ischemia and myocardial infarction (MI). Based on physiological experimental data, computational models are developed to simulate the effects of a series of pharmacological agents (amiodarone, telmisartan, E-4031, chromanol 293B, and glibenclamide) on cellular electrophysiology and utilized to further evaluate their antiarrhythmic effectiveness during ischemia. On 2D and 3D tissues with multiple pathological conditions, the simulation results indicate that the antiarrhythmic effect of glibenclamide is primarily attributed to the suppression of efflux of potassium ion to facilitate the restitution of [K+]o, as opposed to recovery of IKATP during myocardial ischemia. This discovery implies that, during acute cardiac ischemia, pro-arrhythmogenic alterations in cardiac tissue's excitability and conduction properties are more significantly influenced by electrophysiological changes in the depolarization rate, as opposed to variations in the action potential duration (APD). These findings offer specific insights into potentially effective targets for investigating ischemic arrhythmias, providing significant guidance for clinical interventions in acute coronary syndrome.

BackgroundLeft ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a common consequence of hypertension and can lead to heart failure. The immune response plays an important role in hypertensive LVH; however, there is no comprehensive method to investigate the mechanistic relationships between immune response and hypertensive LVH or to find novel therapeutic targets. This study aimed to screen hub immune-related genes involved in hypertensive LVH as well as to explore immune target-based therapeutic drugs.Materials and methodsRNA-sequencing data from a mouse model generated by angiotensin II infusion were subjected to weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify core expression modules. Machine learning algorithms were applied to screen immune-related LVH characteristic genes. Heart structures were evaluated by echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI). Validation of hub genes was conducted by RT-qPCR and western blot. Using the Connectivity Map database and molecular docking, potential small-molecule drugs were explored.ResultsA total of 1215 differentially expressed genes were obtained, most of which were significantly enriched in immunoregulation and collagen synthesis. WGCNA and multiple machine learning strategies uncovered six hub immune-related genes (Ankrd1, Birc5, Nuf2, C1qtnf6, Fcgr3, and Cdca3) that may accurately predict hypertensive LVH diagnosis. Immune analysis revealed that fibroblasts and macrophages were closely correlated with hypertensive LVH, and hub gene expression was significantly associated with these immune cells. A regulatory network of transcription factor-mRNA and a ceRNA network of miRNA-lncRNA was established. Notably, six hub immune-related genes were significantly increased in the hypertensive LVH model, which were positively linked to left ventricle wall thickness. Finally, 12 small-molecule compounds with the potential to reverse the high expression of hub genes were ruled out as potential therapeutic agents for hypertensive LVH.ConclusionThis study identified and validated six hub immune-related genes that may play essential roles in hypertensive LVH, providing new insights into the potential pathogenesis of cardiac remodeling and novel targets for medical interventions.

Objective Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious intestinal inflammatory disease. We investigated intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP), I-FABP mRNA, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) as potential diagnostic biomarkers in NEC. Methods Forty mice were subjected to hypoxic-ischemic intestinal injury, and then serum I-FABP protein and mRNA levels were quantified. Ileal tissue pathological scores were determined by hematoxylin and eosin staining. I-FABP expression levels and translocation in these tissues were detected using western blotting and immunofluorescence, respectively. Samples from 30 human neonates with NEC and 30 healthy neonates had serum I-FABP protein/mRNA and IL-6 levels measured. Results The mouse ileal tissue pathological score and I-FABP levels, as well as serum I-FABP and I-FABP mRNA levels, were significantly higher in the model group than in the control group. Serum I-FABP, I-FABP mRNA, and IL-6 levels were significantly higher in human neonates with NEC than in the healthy group. Logistic regression and receiver operating curve analyses revealed that I-FABP protein/mRNA and IL-6 levels could be diagnostic biomarkers for NEC. Conclusions I-FABP protein/mRNA and IL-6 levels are useful biomarkers of intestinal ischemic injury in neonates with NEC. The combined detection of I-FABP protein/mRNA and IL-6 is recommended rather than using a single biomarker.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects the joints of the human body and is projected to have a prevalence age-standardized rate of 1.5 million new cases worldwide by 2030. Several conventional and non-conventional preventive and therapeutic interventions have been suggested but they have their side effects including nausea, abdominal pain, liver damage, ulcers, heightened blood pressure, coagulation, and bleeding. Interestingly, several food-derived peptides (FDPs) from both plant and animal sources are increasingly gaining a reputation for their potential in the management or therapy of RA with little or no side effects. In this review, the concept of inflammation, its major types (acute and chronic), and RA identified as a chronic type were discussed based on its pathogenesis and pathophysiology. The conventional treatment options for RA were briefly outlined as the backdrop of introducing the FDPs that potentiate therapeutic effects in the management of RA.

Abstract The issue of poor sexual performance of some male giant pandas seriously impairs the growth and the genetic diversity of the captive population, yet there is still no clear understanding of the cause of the loss of this ability and its underlying mechanism. In this study, we analyzed the gut microbiota and its function in 72 fecal samples obtained from 20 captive male giant pandas, with an equal allocation between individuals capable and incapable of natural mating. Additionally, we investigated fecal hormone levels and behavioral differences between the two groups. A correlation analysis was then conducted among these factors to explore the influencing factors of their natural mating ability. The results showed significant differences in the composition of gut microbiota between the two groups of male pandas. The capable group had significantly higher abundance of Clostridium sensu stricto 1 (padjusted = .0021, GLMM), which was positively correlated with fatty acid degradation and two‐component system functions (Spearman, padjusted

The perinuclear theca (PT) is a dense cytoplasmic web encapsulating the sperm nucleus. The physiological roles of PT in sperm biology and the clinical relevance of variants of PT proteins to male infertility are still largely unknown. We reveal that cylicin-1, a major constituent of the PT, is vital for male fertility in both mice and humans. Loss of cylicin-1 in mice leads to a high incidence of malformed sperm heads with acrosome detachment from the nucleus. Cylicin-1 interacts with itself, several other PT proteins, the inner acrosomal membrane (IAM) protein SPACA1, and the nuclear envelope (NE) protein FAM209 to form an ‘IAM–cylicins–NE’ sandwich structure, anchoring the acrosome to the nucleus. WES (whole exome sequencing) of more than 500 Chinese infertile men with sperm head deformities was performed and a CYLC1 variant was identified in 19 patients. Cylc1-mutant mice carrying this variant also exhibited sperm acrosome/head deformities and reduced fertility, indicating that this CYLC1 variant most likely affects human male reproduction. Furthermore, the outcomes of assisted reproduction were reported for patients harbouring the CYLC1 variant. Our findings demonstrate a critical role of cylicin-1 in the sperm acrosome–nucleus connection and suggest CYLC1 variants as potential risk factors for human male fertility.

Wheat gluten insoluble dietary fiber has special physiological functions. In recent years the attention of domestic and foreign scholars to insoluble dietary fiber from wheat bran has also been increasing year by year. In this paper, the composition and function of wheat bran dietary fiber and wheat bran insoluble dietary fiber were introduced in a brief way. The extraction methods of wheat bran insoluble dietary fiber, such as physical method, chemical method, biological method and chemical-enzymatic method, were introduced briefly. The effect of insoluble dietary fiber from wheat bran on the quality of flour products, such as noodles, steamed bread and bread, was elucidated in order to provide a reference for further research on the extraction method of insoluble dietary fiber from wheat bran and its application in flour products.

Objective To explore the relationship of UHRF1 with the clinicopathological characteristics of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, as well as the effects of lentivirus transfection overexpression and knockdown of UHRF1 on the proliferation, invasion, and migration of CRC cells and the possible signaling pathways. Methods The expression of UHRF1 mRNA and protein in CRC tissues and adjacent tissues was detected by immunohistochemical staining and RT-PCR. The effects of the constructed UHRF1 overexpression- and knockdown-group cells on the expression of UHRF1, related molecules in the WNT signaling pathway, and MMPR9 were examined by Western blot and RT-PCR. EDU and Transwell assays were used to detect changes in the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC cells. Results (1) In the TCGA database and clinical data, the mRNA and protein expression levels of UHRF1 in CRC cancer tissues were significantly higher than those in adjacent normal tissues. UHRF1 expression was closely correlated with TNM stage, N stage, and M stage. Patients with low UHRF1 expression in TCGA had better 5-year OS and disease-specific survival. The area under the ROC curve of UHRF1 for predicting 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 0.634, 0.652, and 0.771, respectively. The 3-year OS in the clinical data also showed the same survival benefit. UHRF1 overexpression was a poor prognostic factor for CRC patients. (2) After UHRF1 overexpression, the expression of WNT3a, GSK3β, and MMP9 in SW480 cells significantly increased, whereas the expression of p-β-catenin decreased (P < 0.05). After UHRF1 knockdown, the expression of WNT3a, GSK3β, and MMP9 in HCT116 cells decreased, whereas the expression of p-β-catenin increased (P < 0.05). The "rescue" experiment with IWP-2 and HLY78 can produce consistent results. (3) Compared with the control group, the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of the UHRF1 overexpression group were enhanced. After IWP-2 treatment, the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities were inhibited. Knockdown experiment exhibited the reverse results to overexpression experiment. Conclusion UHRF1 may play an important role in the occurrence and development of CRC. UHRF1 overexpression may be a poor prognostic factor for CRC patients. UHRF1 may affect the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC cells through the WNT/MMP9 signaling pathway.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of trimethylsilane (TMS) plasma nanocoatings in protecting silver nanowires (AgNWs) from degradation and thus to improve their stability. TMS plasma nanocoatings at various thicknesses were deposited onto AgNWs that were prepared on three different substrates, including glass, porous styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene (SEBS), and poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA). The experimental results showed that the application of TMS plasma nanocoatings to AgNWs induced little increase, up to ~25%, in their electrical resistance but effectively protected them from degradation. Over a two-month storage period in summer (20–22 °C, 55–70% RH), the resistance of the coated AgNWs on SEBS increased by only ~90%, compared to a substantial increase of ~700% for the uncoated AgNWs. On glass, the resistance of the coated AgNWs increased by ~30%, versus ~190% for the uncoated ones. When stored in a 37 °C phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution for 2 months, the resistance of the coated AgNWs on glass increased by ~130%, while the uncoated AgNWs saw a ~970% rise. Increasing the TMS plasma nanocoating thickness further improved the conductivity stability of the AgNWs. The nanocoatings also transformed the AgNWs’ surfaces from hydrophilic to hydrophobic without significantly affecting their optical transparency. These findings demonstrate the potential of TMS plasma nanocoatings in protecting AgNWs from environmental and aqueous degradation, preserving their electrical conductivity and suitability for use in transparent electrodes and wearable electronics.

Abstract Simulating lattice gauge theory (LGT) Hamiltonian and its nontrivial states by programmable quantum devices has attracted numerous attention in recent years. Rydberg atom arrays constitute one of the most rapidly developing arenas for quantum simulation and quantum computing. The $${{\mathbb{Z}}}_{2}$$ Z 2 LGT and topological order has been realized in experiments while the U(1) LGT is being worked hard on the way. States of LGT have local constraints and are fragmented into several winding sectors with topological protection. It is therefore difficult to reach the ground state in target sector for experiments, and it is also an important task for quantum topological memory. Here, we propose a protocol of sweeping quantum annealing (SQA) for searching the ground state among topological sectors. With the quantum Monte Carlo method, we show that this SQA has linear time complexity of size with applications to the antiferromagnetic transverse field Ising model, which has emergent U(1) gauge fields. This SQA protocol can be realized easily on quantum simulation platforms such as Rydberg array and D-wave annealer. We expect this approach would provide an efficient recipe for resolving the topological hindrances in quantum optimization and the preparation of quantum topological state.

Background: More and more novel anticancer drugs have been approved for patients with hematological malignancies in recent years, but HBV reactivation (HBV-R) data in this population is very scarce. This study aimed to evaluated HBV-R risk in patients with hematological malignancies receiving novel anticancer drugs. Methods: HBV markers and serum HBV DNA levels of patients with hematological malignancies receiving novel anticancer drugs in a tertiary cancer hospital were retrospectively collected. HBV-R risk in the whole cohort and subgroups was described. The relevant literature was reviewed to make a pooled analysis. Results: Of 845 patients receiving novel anticancer drugs, 258 (30.5%) were considered at risk for HBV-R. The median duration of exposure to novel drugs was 5.6 (0.1–67.6) months. The incidence of HBV-R was 2.1% in patients with past HBV infection without prophylactic antiviral treatment (PAT) and 1.2% in all patients at risk of HBV-R. In a pooled analysis of 11 studies with 464 patients, the incidence of HBV-R was 2.4% (95% CI: 1.3–4.2) in all at-risk patients receiving novel anticancer drugs and 0.6% (95% CI: 0.03–3.5) in patients with anticancer drugs plus PAT. The incidence of death due to HBV-R was 0.4% (95% CI: 0.1–1.6) in all at-risk patients and 18.2% (95% CI: 3.2–47.7) in patients with HBV-R. Conclusion: Most episodes of HBV-R are preventable, and most cases with HBV-R are manageable. We recommend that novel anticancer drugs should not be intentionally avoided when treating cancer patients with HBV infection.

Abstract The effects of drying on the quality, antioxidant activity and anthocyanin components of blueberry pomace were investigated using hot air drying (HAD), freeze-drying (FD), microwave vacuum drying (MVD) and microwave freeze vacuum drying (MFD). The quality, antioxidant activity, and individual anthocyanin compositions of blueberry pomace were evaluated and compared with the non-dried control. MVD produced the highest levels of total phenols, total anthocyanins, total sugars and color values in blueberry pomace while HAD gave the lowest. The ABTS +and DPPH radical scavenging abilities of blueberry pomace were significantly high when MVD was used. Moreover, FD, MVD, and MFD resulted in the retention of significantly more anthocyanin species than HAD as determined by HPLC coupled to the mass spectrometer. Overall, MVD proved to be the best technique for preservation of antioxidant capacity and natural color. Therefore, MVD of blueberry pomace can improve efficiency and productivity of the blueberry fruit processing industry while reducing the environmental burden. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Background Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is a contagious intestinal disease caused by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, and dehydration, which has caused huge economic losses around the world. However, it is very hard to find completely valid approaches to control the transmission of PEDV. At present, vaccine immunity remains the most effective method. To better control the spread of PED and evaluate the validity of different immunization strategies, 240 PED outbreak cases from 577 swine breeding farms were collected and analyzed. The objective of the present study was to analyze the epidemic regularity of PEDV and evaluate two kinds of different immunization strategies for controlling PED. Results The results showed that the main reasons which led to the outbreak of PED were the movement of pig herds between different pig farms (41.7%) and delaying piglets from the normal production flow (15.8%). The prevalence of PEDV in the hot season (May to October) was obviously higher than that in the cold season (January to April, November to December). Results of different vaccine immunity cases showed that immunization with the highly virulent live vaccine (NH-TA2020 strain) and the commercial inactivated vaccine could significantly decrease the frequency of swine breeding farms (5.9%), the duration of PED epidemic (1.70 weeks), and the week batches of dead piglets (0.48 weeks weaned piglets), compared with immunization with commercial attenuated vaccines and inactivated vaccine of PED. Meanwhile, immunization with the highly virulent live vaccine and the commercial inactivated vaccine could bring us more cash flows of Y̶275,274 per year than immunization with commercial live attenuated vaccine and inactivated vaccine in one 3000 sow pig farm within one year. Conclusion Therefore, immunization with highly virulent live vaccine and inactivated vaccine of PED is more effective and economical in the prevention and control of PED in the large-scale swine farming system.

In this study, zein-based gluten-free model dough (Z dough) was prepared with zein, corn starch, and wormwood gum. Based on the flour quality test, the kneading torque, water composition and protein distribution of the zein simulated dough with different lactic acid content were compared when finish dough (torque up to 1.1 Nm; set as ZS dough) and kneading for 12 minutes (set as ZL dough) conditions. The optimal amount of lactic acid added to kneadable dough was explored, and the physical and chemical properties of zein in dough with different lactic acid content were discussed under the action of kneading for a certain period of time, which could and provide reference for the preparation of related cereal products. Studies have shown that adding a small amount of lactic acid could promote zein to build a protein network in the dough, but long-term kneading would lead to decreasing the strength of the acidified dough, destroying the continuity of the zein network in the dough, reducing the level of zein wrapping on starch granules and weak bonding in the dough. The proportion of water decreased and the proportion of free water increased. The surface hydrophobicity increased and the relative molecular weight decreased, when the deamidation reaction of zein occurred. The analysis showed that the dough gradually weakened after a long time of kneading, because the kneading effect would expand the effect of lactic acid on zein in the dough, which would increase the hydrophobicity of the protein surface and fragment the protein, and lead to a decrease in the coherence of the zein network.

Neuritin plays a key role in neural development and regeneration by promoting neurite outgrowth and synapse maturation. Our previous research revealed the mechanism by which neuritin inhibits Notch signaling through interaction with neuralized-like 1 (Neurl1) to promote neurite growth. However, how neuritin regulates Notch signaling through Neurl1 has not been elucidated. Here, we first confirm that neuritin is an upstream regulator of Neurl1 and inhibits Notch signaling through Neurl1. Neurl1 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that can promote ubiquitination and endocytosis of the Notch1 ligand Jagged1. Therefore, we observe the effect of neuritin on the ligase activity of Neurl1. The results indicate that neuritin inhibits Neurl1 activity by reducing the ubiquitination level and endocytosis of the target protein Jagged1. Moreover, we find that decreased activity of Neurl1 results in reduced expression of Notch receptor Notch intracellular domain (NICD) and downstream target gene hairy and enhancer of split-1 (HES1). Furthermore, we investigate how neuritin affects Neurl1 enzyme activity. The results show that neuritin not only weakens the affinity between Neurl1 and Jagged1 but also promotes the degradation of Neurl1 by the 26S proteasome pathway. Taken together, our results suggest that neuritin negatively regulates Notch signaling by inhibiting the activity of Neurl1, promoting the degradation of Neurl1 and weakening the affinity of Neurl1 for Jagged1. Our study clarifies the molecular mechanisms of neuritin in regulating the Notch signaling pathway and provides new clues about how neuritin mediates neural regeneration and plasticity.

Due to the broadcast nature of wireless communications, users’ data transmitted wirelessly is susceptible to security/privacy threats. Meanwhile, as a result of the limitation of spectrum resources, massive wireless connections will incur serious interference, which may damage the efficiency of data transmission. Therefore, improving both efficiency and secrecy of data transmission is of research significance. In this paper, we propose a wireless transmission scheme by taking both Secure Communication (SC) and Interference Management (IM) into account, namely SCIM. With this scheme, an SCIM signal is generated by the legitimate transmitter (Tx) and sent along with the desired signal, so that the SCIM signal can interact with and suppress the environmental interference at the legitimate receiver (Rx). Meanwhile, the SCIM signal may interfere with the eavesdropper in the coverage of legitimate transmission so as to deteriorate the eavesdropping performance. Therefore, the secrecy of desired transmission is improved. In this way, both the transmission efficiency and privacy are enhanced. Then, by taking various transmission preferences into account, we develop different implementations of SCIM, including Interference Suppression First SCIM (ISF-SCIM), Data Transmission First SCIM (DTF-SCIM), Anti-Eavesdropping First SCIM (AEF-SCIM), and Secrecy Rate Maximization SCIM (SRM-SCIM). Our in-depth simulation results have shown the proposed methods to effectively improve the efficiency and secrecy of the legitimate transmission.

Abstract Based on the path integral formulation of the reduced density matrix, we develop a scheme to overcome the exponential growth of computational complexity in reliably extracting low-lying entanglement spectrum from quantum Monte Carlo simulations. We test the method on the Heisenberg spin ladder with long entangled boundary between two chains and the results support the Li and Haldane’s conjecture on entanglement spectrum of topological phase. We then explain the conjecture via the wormhole effect in the path integral and show that it can be further generalized for systems beyond gapped topological phases. Our further simulation results on the bilayer antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model with 2D entangled boundary across the (2 + 1)D O(3) quantum phase transition clearly demonstrate the correctness of the wormhole picture. Finally, we state that since the wormhole effect amplifies the bulk energy gap by a factor of β, the relative strength of that with respect to the edge energy gap will determine the behavior of low-lying entanglement spectrum of the system.

The construction of high-rise and multi-functional commercial buildings has emerged as a global trend, but it also introduces significant fire hazards. Consequently, there is a pressing need to examine the fire development trends in super high-rise commercial buildings and establish logical evacuation strategies. This study utilizes the Pyrosim program to simulate a typical fire scenario at the Yangtze River International Conference Center, allowing for the acquisition of essential fire parameters and available evacuation time. Subsequently, based on the complex functional zones and personnel distribution within the building, appropriate evacuation plans are devised and simulated using the Pathfinder software. The results reveal that by effectively utilizing stairs, elevators, and refuge floors in accordance with personnel distribution, evacuation efficiency can be substantially enhanced. Furthermore, the required evacuation time during nighttime fires is merely 36.6%–55.3% compared to unorganized evacuation. The findings of this study offer valuable theoretical guidance for the evacuation of super high-rise commercial buildings, holding immense significance in minimizing fire-related casualties within such structures.

With the development of 5G technology, the miniaturised and highly integrated electronic devices urgently require thermal management materials possessing high thermal conductivity and mechanical properties. In this work, isotactic polypropylene (iPP)/high-density polyethylene (HDPE)-based dielectric composites possessing ideal thermal conductivity and balanced mechanical properties were prepared via Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). The advanced material properties were achieved by the introduction of hybrid fillers and tailored polymer crystalline structure. The highly oriented h-BN, oriented iPP crystalline and iPP/HDPE epitaxy crystalline were observed. Meanwhile, we studied the effect of the ratio of hybrid fillers on various properties of composites. The thermal conductivity of iPP/HDPE/h-BN/Al2O3 composites reach 1.802 W·m−1·K−1. The impact strength and tensile strength reach 13.23 KJ/m2 and 40 MPa, respectively. In addition, the composites maintain ideal dielectric properties. This work offers a feasible strategy to fabricate dielectric and thermal conductive composites with balanced mechanical properties using semicrystalline polymer through FFF process.

BackgroundCoagulation is critically involved in the tumor microenvironment, cancer progression, and prognosis assessment. Nevertheless, the roles of coagulation-related long noncoding RNAs (CRLs) in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear. In this study, an integrated computational framework was constructed to develop a novel coagulation-related lncRNA signature (CRLncSig) to stratify the prognosis of CRC patients, predict response to immunotherapy and chemotherapy in CRC, and explore the potential molecular mechanism.MethodsCRC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were used as the training set, while the substantial bulk or single-cell RNA transcriptomics from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) data from CRC cell lines and paired frozen tissues were used for validation. We performed unsupervised consensus clustering of CRLs to classify patients into distinct molecular subtypes. We then used stepwise regression to establish the CRLncSig risk model, which stratified patients into high- and low-risk groups. Subsequently, diversified bioinformatics algorithms were used to explore prognosis, biological pathway alteration, immune microenvironment, immunotherapy response, and drug sensitivity across patient subgroups. In addition, weighted gene coexpression network analysis was used to construct an lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA competitive endogenous network. Expression levels of CRLncSig, immune checkpoints, and immunosuppressors were determined using RT-qPCR.ResultsWe identified two coagulation subclusters and constructed a risk score model using CRLncSig in CRC, where the patients in cluster 2 and the low-risk group had a better prognosis. The cluster and CRLncSig were confirmed as the independent risk factors, and a CRLncSig-based nomogram exhibited a robust prognostic performance. Notably, the cluster and CRLncSig were identified as the indicators of immune cell infiltration, immunoreactivity phenotype, and immunotherapy efficiency. In addition, we identified a new endogenous network of competing CRLs with microRNA/mRNA, which will provide a foundation for future mechanistic studies of CRLs in the malignant progression of CRC. Moreover, CRLncSig strongly correlated with drug susceptibility.ConclusionWe developed a reliable CRLncSig to predict the prognosis, immune landscape, immunotherapy response, and drug sensitivity in patients with CRC, which might facilitate optimizing risk stratification, guiding the applications of immunotherapy, and individualized treatments for CRC.

Although mountains provide various important ecological services for human beings, the need remains to be stressed for further research on conducting ecological risk analysis in vulnerable mountainous regions characterized by a relatively high population density. In this study, the Nanling Mountains, which are recognized as a significant mountainous region in southern China, were selected as a case. Using the Globe Land30 dataset and landscape metrics, we calculated landscape ecological risk indices from 2000 to 2020. Our objective was to investigate the distribution and changes in landscape ecological risks within mountainous areas and their associated implication, to support the protection and development of the Nanling Mountains, and to provide a valuable reference case for risk management in other mountainous regions. The results showed that the land cover transformation in Nanling was predominantly driven by the expansion of artificial surfaces and open water, accompanied by a decline in woodland, cultivated land, grassland, wetland, and shrubland areas. The overall landscape metrics exhibited minimal changes, with the majority of modifications observed between 2000 and 2010. During this period, there was a noticeable shift in patch shape from complex to simple, a decrease in landscape continuity, an increase in landscape separation, and an overall increase in landscape heterogeneity. The landscape ecological risk index displayed substantial spatial heterogeneity within the study area. High-risk and medium–high-risk areas were primarily concentrated in the central and eastern regions, surrounded by medium-risk areas. Low-risk and medium–low-risk areas were widely dispersed across the entire study area. Between 2000 and 2020, there was an observed rise in the percentage of low and medium–low-risk areas from 61.74% to 64.05%. This indicates an overall enhancement in the ecological environment of the study area. The transfer of landscape ecological risk primarily involved artificial surfaces and high-altitude grasslands. The correlation analysis between the total regional GDP and LERI showed that there was a smooth inverse “U” linear relationship between them. To conclude, there exists a definite correlation between the landscape ecological risk and human activities, particularly environmental policies. Additionally, the relationship between the landscape ecological risk index and the total regional GDP aligns with the Environmental Kuznets Curve. It is crucial to approach major decisions concerning densely populated and fragile mountainous areas with careful consideration and caution. In promoting land optimization and integration, priority should be given to the area around the artificial surface.

Increasing penetration of renewable energy generation poses a challenge to power system inertia adequacy. It is vital to provide long-term incentive signals to induce a generation mix with adequate inertia supply. However, existing literature rarely studies inertia incentive mechanisms or considers inertia constraints when making generation investment decisions. Thus, we propose an inertia market to quantify the value of inertia and to remunerate inertia provision. To examine the impacts of the inertia market on generation mix, we then propose a stochastic bilevel generation investment equilibrium model that depicts a multi-leader and multi-follower Stackelberg game. The lower level of the model considers the proposed inertia market, along with the energy, reserve, and capacity markets. The upper level considers multiple profit-maximizing strategic producers, and each producer is able to build gas-fired generators, wind generators, and energy storages. Numerical experiments demonstrate that a generation mix with adequate inertia supply can be induced with the proposed inertia market whereas there can be inertia shortage without the inertia market. Interestingly, considering carbon taxes, it is more cost-competitive to invest in wind resources with virtual inertia facilities than to substitute wind resources by thermal generators. Correspondingly, the introduction of an inertia market does not significantly reduce wind generation shares but boosts virtual inertia facility penetration. Our findings imply a future power system powered by fully decarbonized power resources with adequate inertia.

The National Electricity Market (NEM) in Australia was suspended during June 15-23, 2022, with a primary attribution to the lack of available generation capacity. This incident is noteworthy because it was the first market suspension in NEM's history and took place in a major energy exporting country. In this letter, we review the outline and impacts of the incident. From the perspectives of market regulation, electricity supply, and electricity demand, we identify three underlying causes of the market suspension and offer four recommendations for the market mechanism evolution to ensure power supply security.

In this study, the induction plasma spheroidization (IPS) technique was adopted to improve the microstructure and properties of the traditional agglomerated ZrO2-7wt%Y2O3 (YSZ) powders used in thermal barrier coating (TBC) applications. Compared with agglomerated YSZ powders, IPS-treated powder has a more desirable microstructure, and the overall performance of the spray powders for TBC preparation is significantly improved. Specifically, IPS-treated powder has a dense, solid, defect-free, and chemically uniform microstructure, and its apparent density, flowability, and powder strength are significantly improved, which is believed to substantially enhance the coating performance when prepared with this IPS-treated powder.

BackgroundICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) leads to a reduced male-to-female ratio at birth, whereas blastocyst transfer results in an increased male-to-female ratio. However, limited knowledge exists regarding the impact of these factors on the live birth rate for each gender. This study aimed to investigate the influence of patient characteristics and treatment parameters on the live birth rate for each gender, as well as the ultimate male-to-female ratio at birth in frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles.MethodThis retrospective cohort study involved a total of 28,376 FET cycles and 9,217 subsequent deliveries, spanning from January 2003 to December 2015. The study consisted of two parts. First, logistic regression models were constructed to determine the factors influencing the male-to-female ratio among babies born after FET. Second, we aimed to investigate the mechanisms underlying this sex ratio imbalance by analyzing data from all transfer cycles. Generalized estimated equations were employed to assess the impact of risk factors on rates of male and female live births separately.ResultsICSI resulted in a lower proportion of male offspring compared to in vitro fertilization (IVF) (50.1% vs. 53.7%, aOR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.80-0.96). Conversely, blastocyst transfer yielded a higher proportion of male offspring than cleavage-stage embryo transfer (58.7% vs. 51.6%, aOR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.17-1.48). Analysis of all cycles indicated that ICSI resulted in a reduced likelihood of male live birth in comparison to IVF (19.8% vs. 21.6%, aOR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83-0.97). However, the transfer of blastocysts rather than cleavage-stage embryos not only increased the chance of male live birth (26.9% vs. 20.2%, aOR: 1.70, 95% CI:1.56-1.85) but also facilitated female live birth (20.3% vs. 19.3%, aOR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.15-1.39).ConclusionICSI was associated with a reduction in the male-to-female sex ratio and a lower rate of male live births, while blastocyst transfer was associated with an increased male-to-female sex ratio at birth and a higher rate of male live births.

Abstract Background Maternal mortality has always been a major medical concern. Recently, the successful application of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) technology in the rescue of near-death patients has been reported. Case presentation This study retrospectively analyzed 5 cases of critically ill pregnant women/parturients treated with ECMO for respiratory and circulatory failure in the Wuxi People’s Hospital from 2018 to 2020. The mean age of the 5 cases was 30.2 years. Among them, Cases 1 and 5 were treated with Venoarterial (VA) ECMO. Case 1 was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, atrial septal defect, and severe pulmonary hypertension. VA ECMO was applied before cesarean section and was successfully removed after double lung transplantation, but the patient died 10 months after delivery from lung infection. While Case 5 was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, lupus nephritis, thrombotic vascular disease, HELLP syndrome, and cerebral hemorrhage. VA ECMO was applied 39 days after cesarean section, and the patient died 40 days after delivery due to multiple organ failure. Cases 3 and 4 were treated with Venovenous (VV) ECMO. Case 3 was diagnosed with refractory postpartum hemorrhage, and Case 4 was diagnosed with postpartum hypoglycemic coma, aspiration pneumonia, and shock. They were treated with VV ECMO after delivery, and all survived after successful evacuation. Another Case (Case 2) was diagnosed with postpartum pelvic infection, sepsis and septic shock, and was treated with VA ECMO at 15 days after delivery. The patient changed to VV ECMO at 30 days after delivery due to significant improvement in heart function and poor lung function, but eventually died of multiple organ failure. For the 5 cases, the mean duration of ECMO was 8.7 days, the mean duration of intensive care was 22.0 days, and the mean length of hospital stay was 57.6 days. As a result, 3 patients gradually returned to normal with significant improvement in ventilation and oxygenation after ECMO treatment. Conclusions ECMO technology can be used to treat some of the critical obstetric patients with respiratory and circulatory failure that is ineffective to conventional treatment, but it has no therapeutic effect on the primary disease.

With the rapid advancement of cloud computing, cloud storage services have developed rapidly. One issue that has attracted particular attention in such remote storage services is that cloud storage servers are not enough to reliably save and maintain data, which greatly affects users’ confidence in purchasing and consuming cloud storage services. Traditional data integrity auditing techniques for cloud data storage are centralized, which faces huge security risks due to single-point-of-failure and vulnerabilities of central auditing servers. Blockchain technology offers a new approach to this problem. Many researchers have endeavored to employ the blockchain for data integrity auditing. Based on the search of relevant papers, we found that existing literature lacks a thorough survey of blockchain-based integrity auditing for cloud data. In this paper, we make an in-depth survey on cloud data integrity auditing based on blockchain. Firstly, we cover essential basic knowledge of integrity auditing for cloud data and blockchain techniques. Then, we propose a series of requirements for evaluating existing Blockchain-based Data Integrity Auditing (BDIA) schemes. Furthermore, we provide a comprehensive review of existing BDIA schemes and evaluate them based on our proposed criteria. Finally, according to our completed review and analysis, we explore some open issues and suggest research directions worthy of further efforts in the future.

Quantum dimer models are known to host topological quantum spin liquid phases, and it has recently become possible to simulate related $${{\mathbb{Z}}}_{2}$$ Z 2 gauge theories with Rydberg atoms. Yan et al. compute the phase diagram of an experimentally motivated quantum dimer model on a triangular lattice with fluctuating dimer density.

Objective To evaluate the effect of miR-140 on the sensitivity of imatinib(IM)-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell strain KBM5R to IM and potential underlying mechanism. Methods The expression level of miR-140 and Bcl-2 in CML cells KBM5 and IM resistant CML cells KBM5R were detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot, respectively. KBM5R cells were transfected with miR-NC or miR-140 mimic, and then incubated with 25-100 nmol/L IM for 24 h. Cell viability was examined by CCK-8 assay. KBM5R cells transfected with miR-NC or miR-140 mimic were examined with 100 nmol/L IM for 24 h then cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry; Mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by JC-1 staining, and cleaved caspase-3 expression was detected by Western blot.The targeting relation between miR-140 and Bcl-2 was verified by bioinformatics and fluorescence activity analysis. Results Compared with KBM5 cells, the expression of miR-140 in KBM5R cells was significantly decreased (P＜0.01) and the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly increased(P＜0.001). In the presence of IM, compared with the miR-NC group, the cell viability in miR-140 mimic group was significantly decreased (P＜0.01 or P＜0.001); Cell apoptosis was significantly increased(P＜0.001); Mitochondrial membrane potential was significantly decreased (P＜0.001), and cleaved caspase-3 expression was significantly increased(P＜0.001). Bcl-2 was a target of miR-140. Conclusions miR-140 may increase the sensitivity of KBM5R cells to IM by inhibiting the target gene Bcl-2.

The effects of different processing methods on the quality of cooked crayfish during refrigerated storage were studied. Crayfish were treated with post-cooking sterilization (100 ℃, 5 min after 121 ℃, 5 min, 0.18 MPa) and simultaneous curing and sterilization (110 ℃, 10 min, 0.13 MPa), and no sterilization after cooking (100 °C for 5 min) samples were the control group. The three groups of samples were placed in a refrigerator at 4 °C, and the pH value, texture profile analysis (TPA), total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), centrifugal loss rate, myofibrillar protein characteristics, the total number of colonies of each group of samples were measured during this period, and combined with the observation of the microstructure, to evaluate quality changes in crayfish with different processing methods during refrigerated storage. The results showed that the muscle of crayfish was seriously broken under the treatment of first cooked and then sterilized, and the hardness and elasticity were significantly lower than those of other groups (P

Abstract Background Epilepsy is one of the most common glioma complications, and the two may be connected in more ways than we understand. We aimed to investigate the clinical features of glioma-associated epilepsy and explore the risk factors associated with it. Methods We collected clinical information from 485 glioma patients in the Nanjing Brain Hospital and conducted 4 periodic follow-up visits. Based on the collected data, we analyzed the clinical characteristics of glioma patients with or without epilepsy and their relationship with survival. Results Among glioma patients, younger people were more likely to have epilepsy. However, epilepsy incidence was independent of gender. Patients with grade II gliomas were most likely to develop epilepsy, while those with grade IV gliomas were least likely. There was no difference in Karnofsky Performance Status scores between patients with glioma-associated epilepsy and those without epilepsy. Additionally, epilepsy was independently associated with longer survival in the World Health Organization grade IV glioma patients. For grades II, III, and IV tumors, the 1-year survival rate of the epilepsy group was higher than that of the non-epilepsy group. Conclusions Epilepsy did not lead to worse admission performance and correlated with a better prognosis for patients with grade IV glioma.

Introduction: The Epley maneuver is useful for the otoconia to return from the long arm of the posterior semicircular canal into the utricle. To move otoconia out of the posterior semicircular canal short arm and into the utricle, we need different maneuvers. Objective: To diagnose the short-arm type BPPV of the posterior semicircular canal and treat them with bow-and-yaw maneuver. Methods: 171 cases were diagnosed as BPPV of the posterior semicircular canal based on a positive Dix–Hallpike maneuver. We first attempted to treat patients with the bow-and-yaw maneuver and then performed the Dix–Hallpike maneuver again. If the repeated Dix–Hallpike maneuver gave negative results, we diagnosed the patient with the short-arm type of BPPV of the posterior semicircular canal and considered the patient to have been cured by the bow-and-yaw maneuver; otherwise, probably the long-arm type BPPV of the posterior semicircular canal existed and we treated the patient with the Epley maneuver. Results: Approximately 40% of the cases were cured by the bow-and-yaw maneuver, giving negative results on repeated Dix–Hallpike maneuvers, and were diagnosed with short-arm lithiasis. Conclusion: The short-arm type posterior semicircular canal BPPV can be diagnosed and treated in a convenient and comfortable manner.

BackgroundMild cognitive impairment (MCI) depicts a transitory phase between healthy elderly and the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with worsening cognitive impairment. Some functional MRI (fMRI) research indicated that the frontoparietal network (FPN) could be an essential part of the pathophysiological mechanism of MCI. However, damaged FPN regions were not consistently reported, especially their interactions with other brain networks. We assessed the fMRI-specific anomalies of the FPN in MCI by analyzing brain regions with functional alterations.MethodsPubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched to screen neuroimaging studies exploring brain function alterations in the FPN in MCI using fMRI-related indexes, including the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation, regional homogeneity, and functional connectivity. We integrated distinctive coordinates by activating likelihood estimation, visualizing abnormal functional regions, and concluding functional alterations of the FPN.ResultsWe selected 29 studies and found specific changes in some brain regions of the FPN. These included the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, insula, precuneus cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, inferior parietal lobule, middle temporal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, and parahippocampal gyrus. Any abnormal alterations in these regions depicted interactions between the FPN and other networks.ConclusionThe study demonstrates specific fMRI neuroimaging alterations in brain regions of the FPN in MCI patients. This could provide a new perspective on identifying early-stage patients with targeted treatment programs.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023432042, identifier: CRD42023432042.

IntroductionPorcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the primary etiological agent of porcine circovirus diseases (PCVD), which are widespread in most pig herds, causing huge economic losses in the global pig industry. Therefore, it is critical to assess the infection characteristics of PCV2 in different swine herds to develop effective strategies against PCVD.MethodsIn this study, routine diagnostic and monitoring protocols were used to collect 12,714 samples from intensive farms in China, and PCV2 was tested for by qPCR to determine positivity rates and viral loads in samples from different herds and materials.ResultsPCV2 was found to be prevalent throughout China, and fattening farms had higher positivity rates than breeding farms. The PCV2 positivity rates in breeding farms in Southern China were higher than those in Northern China. Growing–finishing pigs demonstrated the highest positivity rate in the tested samples, while pre-weaning piglets and adult sows had the lowest. Meanwhile, samples with viral loads exceeding 106 copies/mL in growing–finishing pigs had 27.2% positivity, compared to 1.9% and 3.3% in sows and piglets, respectively. The results of the viral loads in the serum samples followed a similar trend.DiscussionThe findings reveal that PCV2 circulates in different herds from intensive farms, with positivity increasing from pre-weaning to growing–finishing herds. It is urgent to develop effective strategies to reduce PCV2 positivity in growing–finishing herds and prevent viral circulation among pigs.

As an emerging technology, microneedles offer advantages such as painless administration, good biocompatibility, and ease of self-administration, so as to effectively treat various diseases, such as diabetes, wound repair, tumor treatment and so on. How to regulate the release behavior of loaded drugs in polymer microneedles is the core element of transdermal drug delivery. As an emerging on-demand drug-delivery technology, intelligent responsive microneedles can achieve local accurate release of drugs according to external stimuli or internal physiological environment changes. This review focuses on the research efforts in smart responsive polymer microneedles at home and abroad in recent years. It summarizes the response mechanisms based on various stimuli and their respective application scenarios. Utilizing innovative, responsive microneedle systems offers a convenient and precise targeted drug delivery method, holding significant research implications in transdermal drug administration. Safety and efficacy will remain the key areas of continuous efforts for research scholars in the future.

The extensive deployment of Modular Multilevel Converters (MMCs) in AC/DC systems can lead to complex resonance issues. Impedance modeling forms the foundation for analyzing the stability of interconnected system. Existing investigations primarily address resonance concerns on the AC side of MMC. In the process of impedance modeling, the DC system is generally approximated as an ideal voltage source, thereby neglecting its dynamic impact on the impedance characteristic of MMC. Such simplification may result in inaccuracies within stability analysis findings. Based on the multi-harmonic linearization method, this paper introduces an impedance modeling approach that takes into account the characteristics of the DC port. Taking DC voltage control as a case study, the impedance model for the AC side of the MMC is established. The results of programming calculation and simulation measurement of sequence impedance are mutually verified. Finally, the MMC impedance responses determined by different DC port characteristics are analyzed. Significant alterations in MMC impedance characteristics are introduced by DC side resistance and capacitance, which may result in negative damping effects and a decrease in system stability margins. The DC side inductance has a relatively minor impact on MMC impedance responses. The analysis results show that the sequence impedance model of MMC considering DC port characteristics can improve the accuracy of stability analysis results.