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Abstract Background Bladder cancer (BLCA) exists a profound molecular diversity, with basal and luminal subtypes having different prognostic and therapeutic outcomes. Traditional methods for molecular subtyping are often time-consuming and resource-intensive. This study aims to develop machine learning models using deep learning features from hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained whole-slide images (WSIs) to predict basal and luminal subtypes in BLCA. Methods RNA sequencing data and clinical outcomes were downloaded from seven public BLCA databases, including TCGA, GEO datasets, and the IMvigor210C cohort, to assess the prognostic value of BLCA molecular subtypes. WSIs from TCGA were used to construct and validate the machine learning models, while WSIs from Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital (STPH) and The Affiliated Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital of Jinan University (GD2H) were used as external validations. Deep learning models were trained to obtained tumor patches within WSIs. WSI level deep learning features were extracted from tumor patches based on the RetCCL model. Support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), and logistic regression (LR) were developed using these features to classify basal and luminal subtypes. Results Kaplan-Meier survival and prognostic meta-analyses showed that basal BLCA patients had significantly worse overall survival compared to luminal BLCA patients (hazard ratio = 1.47, 95% confidence interval: 1.25–1.73, P

The video recognition community is undergoing a significant change in backbone shifting from CNNs to transformers. However, due to the temporal information existing in the video, vision transformers, which have been shown to be effective in image tasks, cannot model spatio-temporal structure in video recognition. In addition, current transformer-based video models exclusively utilize either class tokens or visual tokens for classification, failing to combine the merits of these two types of tokens. To solve the above problems, we propose a novel video second-order transformer network (ViSoT). As there are complex motion and appearance information in video, visual tokens of the last ViSoT layer are aggregated by cross-covariance pooling to model spatio-temporal information, which is combined with class tokens for classification. Meanwhile, a fast singular value power normalization is further introduced to achieve effective aggregation of visual tokens. For temporal modeling, before ViSoT block temporal convolutions are performed continuously in the early stage after the convolution stem via a short-cut connection. In ViSoT, token shift module and space–time attention are proposed for modeling temporal relations and spatio-temporal interaction across adjacent frames respectively. Validating ViSoT on four video benchmarks demonstrates its effectiveness and efficiency, comparable to or better than state-of-the-art methods with fewer parameters and GFLOPs.

Passive microwave (PMW) remote sensing is increasingly employed for generating seamless all-weather land surface temperature (LST) data due to its ability to penetrate cloud cover and capture the actual surface conditions underneath. Existing PMW retrieval methods often utilize large amounts of remote sensing data, overlooking the fact that redundant data can increase computational and time costs, reduce model interpretability, and may negatively impact accuracy. In this article, we proposed a PMW-LST retrieval method that integrates CatBoost-Based adaptive feature selection. First, we categorized the data into six groups based on the underlying surface types and data view time. Next, for each group, we ranked the feature sets according to their importance and employed the recursive feature elimination (RFE) method for feature selection. Finally, the optimized feature sets were used in the CatBoost algorithm to construct the PMW-LST retrieval model. We compared the accuracy of the proposed method with the Holmes, multichannel, and Random Forest algorithms. Results showed that the proposed method had lowest RMSE, with the value of 3.28 K (1.95 K), 2.69 K (1.65 K), and 3.71 K (2.22 K) on grassland, cropland, and barren land at daytime (nighttime), respectively. The verification at sites in Heihe river basin shows that the ubRMSE ranges from 1.73 to 4.48 K at daytime and 2.71 to 3.19 K at nighttime under clear-sky conditions, and from 1.83 to 5.23 K at daytime and 2.77 to 3.93 K at nighttime under cloudy-sky conditions. These results indicate the proposed method achieves higher accuracy in generating seamless all-weather LST data.

Abstract Necroptosis, a type of programmed cell death, has been increasingly linked to cardiovascular disease development, yet its role in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed the GSE5406 dataset from the GEO database to explore necroptosis-related prognostic signatures in DCM using LASSO regression. We identified five necroptosis-related genes (BID, CAMK2B, GLUL, HSP90AB1, CHMP5) that define a necroptosis-related signature with strong predictive value, evidenced by ROC curve areas of 0.852 and 0.957 in training and test sets, respectively. Our analyses, including GO and GSEA enrichment, focused on pathways associated with high necroptosis-related scores (NRS) and revealed significant immune cell infiltration. Notably, nTreg and iTreg cells were enriched in the high NRS group, while CD8 naive T cells and CD8 T cells positively correlated with NRS. Small molecule drugs fenofibrate, procyclidine, and tienilic acid emerged as potential therapeutic agents for high-risk patients, with fenofibrate showing efficacy in inhibiting DCM progression in an inflammatory animal model. These findings underscore the clinical relevance of necroptosis-related genes in assessing DCM progression and prognosis and highlight their potential for targeted therapeutic development.

Abstract Objective Osteoporosis is a systemic disease with high morbidity and significant adverse effects. Increasing evidence supports the close relationship between oxidative stress and osteoporosis, suggesting that treatment with antioxidants may be a viable approach. This study evaluated the antioxidant properties of dichotomitin (DH) and its potential protective effects against osteoporosis. Methods SD rats were divided into three groups: Sham, OVX, and OVX + DH (5 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection twice weekly). After three months, blood samples, femurs, and tibiae were collected for analysis. Micro-CT evaluated the femoral, while histological examination assessed tibial tissues. Serum osteogenic biochemical markers were measured. In vitro, osteogenic differentiation was induced with varying concentrations of DH, followed by ALP and ARS staining. RT-qPCR and western blot were used to assess the expression of osteogenesis-related genes and proteins. Additionally, an oxidative stress cell model was established, dividing cells into control, H2O2-treated, and H2O2 + DH-treated groups. Expression of oxidative stress-related genes and proteins was assessed using real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting. Results Micro-CT and histological staining revealed decreased and disrupted bone trabeculae in the OVX group, whereas the DH-treated group exhibited enhanced bone trabecular area and structure compared to the OVX group. In vitro studies showed that DH enhanced ALP activity and elevated expression of RUNX2, OPN, OCN, SOD1, and SOD2. Conclusion DH has the potential to enhance osteoblast differentiation and alleviate osteoporosis through the attenuation of oxidative stress.

Abstract Background Alternative splicing (AS) is a process that facilitates the differential inclusion of exonic sequences from precursor messenger RNAs, significantly enhancing the diversity of the transcriptome and proteome. In cancer, pathogenic AS events are closely related to cancer progression. This study aims to investigate the role and regulatory mechanisms of AS in gastric cancer (GC). Methods We analyzed AS events in various tumor samples and identified hnRNPU as a key splicing factor in GC. The effects of hnRNPU on cancer progression were assessed through in vitro and in vivo experiments. Gene knockout models and the FTO inhibitor (meclofenamic acid) were used to validate the interaction between hnRNPU and FTO and their impact on AS. Results We found that hnRNPU serves as a key splicing factor in GC, and its high expression is associated with poor clinical prognosis. Genetic depletion of hnRNPU significantly reduced GC progression. Mechanistically, the m6A demethylase FTO interacts with hnRNPU transcripts, decreasing the m6A modification levels of hnRNPU, which leads to exon 14 skipping of the MET gene, thereby promoting GC progression. The FTO inhibitor meclofenamic acid effectively inhibited GC cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion The FTO/hnRNPU axis induces aberrant exon skipping of MET, thereby promoting GC cell growth. Targeting the FTO/hnRNPU axis may interfere with abnormal AS events and provide a potential diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for GC. Graphical Abstract Schematic model for the findings of this work: Aberrant hnRNPU in GC binds FTO. The m6A-modified hnRNPU transcripts are recognized by m6A reader YTHDF3 and subsequently demethylated by FTO. This demethylation enhances the stability of hnRNPU mRNA, consequently promoting alternative splicing of MET. The altered splicing pattern ultimately contributes to the proliferation of GC cells.

Abstract Diabetes foot ulcer (DFU) is one of the common complications of diabetes patients, which may lead to infection, necrosis and even amputation. Therefore, early diagnosis, classification of severity and related treatment are crucial for the patients. Current DFU classification methods often require experienced doctors to manually classify the severity, which is time-consuming and low accuracy. The objective of the study is to propose a few-shot DFU image classification method based on deep residual neural network and transfer learning. Considering the difficulty in obtaining clinical DFU images, it is a few-shot problem. Therefore, the methods include: (1) Data augmentation of the original DFU images by using geometric transformations and random noise; (2) Deep ResNet models selection based on different convolutional layers comparative experiments; (3) DFU classification model training with transfer learning by using the selected pre-trained ResNet model and fine tuning. To verify the proposed classification method, the experiments were performed with the original and augmented datasets by separating three classifications: zero grade, mild grade, severe grade. (1) The datasets were augmented from the original 146 to 3000 image datasets and the corresponding DFU classification’s average accuracy from 0.9167 to 0.9867; (2) Comparative experiments were conducted with ResNet18, ResNet34, ResNet50, ResNet101, ResNet152 by using 3000 image datasets, and the average accuracy/loss is 0.9325/0.2927, 0.9276/0.3234, 0.9901/0.1356, 0.9865/0.1427, 0.9790/0.1583 respectively; (3) Based on the augmented 3000 image datasets, it was achieved 0.9867 average accuracy with the DFU classification model, which was trained by the pre-trained ResNet50 and hyper-parameters. The experimental results indicated that the proposed few-shot DFU image classification method based on deep ResNet and transfer learning got very high accuracy, and it is expected to be suitable for low-cost and low-computational terminal equipment, aiming at helping clinical DFU classification efficiently and auxiliary diagnosis.

BackgroundThe predictive value of triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the US elderly diabetic patients is ambiguous. This study aimed to investigate the association between TyG index and the risk of CVD in an older US population with diabetes.MethodsThe study examined data from the 2007-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Univariate and multivariate regression analysis models were obtained to explore the association between baseline TyG index and the risk of CVD. Non-linear association were investigated using restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression. Subgroup analyses and interaction tests were constructed and a sensitivity analyses was carried out. The 10 - year CVD risk were evaluated via the Framingham Risk Score (FRS). Mediation analysis explored the mediating role of glycated hemoglobin in the above relationships.ResultsA total of 2987 subjects were included (977 CVD patients and 2010 non-CVD persons). CVD patients had higher TyG values (9.01 ± 0.58 vs. 8.94 ± 0.56, P=0.003), and the prevalence of CVD increased with TyG index (P=0.015). In a multifactorial regression model with gradual adjustment for all covariates, the risk of CVD associated with TyG increased by 48.0% in the highest quartile group (OR 1.480, 95% Cl 1.171-1.871, P=0.001). The RCS curves showed a U-shaped association between TyG index and CVD risk (P for overall=0.013, P for nonlinear=0.043). Subgroup analyses showed that in the highest quartile group, individuals with body mass index (BMI) ≥24 kg/m2, an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is a broad-spectrum organophosphate chloride (OP) insecticide widely used in domestic use and open field. However, there is currently no relevant research revealing the toxic effects of CPF exposure on the skin, then it is necessary to comprehensively understand the toxic effects and mechanisms. The results showed that the skin tissue structure and function of mice were significantly disrupted after CPF exposure. Furthermore, PPI network analysis and molecular docking experiments pinpointed core targets such as Bcl2, EGFR, Caspase-3, TNF-α, IL-1β, and VEGF. Additionally, through KEGG analysis, the VEGF and apoptosis signaling pathways were identified as pivotal pathways implicated in CPF-induced skin toxicity. These core targets and pathways were subsequently confirmed through animal experimentation. In conclusion, our study suggests that CPF exposure primarily induces skin damage by disrupting tissue structure and function, mediated through apoptosis and proliferation processes in skin cells, alongside aberrant angiogenesis and heightened inflammatory response. These insights are expected to advance the development of preventive and therapeutic strategies aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of CPF exposure on the skin.

Slope stability is an important factor affecting safe production in large surface coal mines. Most traditional slope fixation methods adopt grouting and anchor reinforcement. However, cementing rock and soil using conventional methods is challenging in areas with high water content. This study innovatively proposes the application of artificial ground freezing technology to reinforce the slopes of large-scale open-pit coal mines and verifies the technical feasibility of this technique. Five conditions are investigated via sandbox tests and the development characteristics of the freezing temperature field are analyzed. The results show that different water contents, lithologies, and the presence or absence of seepage affect freezing. Specifically, when the water content is 7.3%, the freezing radius is 220 mm; when the water content is increased to 27.4%, the freezing radius extends to 300 mm. Sand has the fastest freezing rate at 0.072°C/h, while lignite has the slowest freezing rate at 0.061°C/h. The temperature drop rates are 0.068°C and 0.058°C/h for the impermeable and seepage conditions, respectively. Moreover, the fitting function y = A1e-x/A2+A3 adequately describes the temperature profile decrease. The results of the study provide a basis for the precise design of freezing programs to further realize green and low-carbon, large-scale slope stabilization.

Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of many malignant tumors. However, ICI-induced hyper-immune activation causes cardiotoxicity. Traditional treatments such as glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants have limited effectiveness and may even accelerate tumor growth. This study aimed to identify approaches that effectively reduce cardiotoxicity and simultaneously preserve or enhance the antitumor immunity of ICI therapy.Methods ICI injection in melanoma-bearing C57BL/6J female mice was used to simulate cardiotoxicity in patients with tumor undergoing immune therapy. MCC950 was used to block nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activity. Echocardiography, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to assess cardiac function, immune cell populations, and inflammatory factor levels. Bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing was used to detect the changes in cardiac transcriptome and immunological network.Results NLRP3 inhibition reduced inflammatory response and improved cardiac function. Notably, NLRP3 inhibition also resulted in a pronounced suppression of tumor growth. Single-cell RNA sequencing elucidated that MCC950 treatment reduced the cardiac infiltration of pathogenic macrophages, cytotoxic T cells, activated T cells, and their production of inflammatory cytokines, while enhancing the presence of reparative macrophages and naive T cells. In addition, MCC950 attenuated cardiotoxicity induced by dual programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) immunotherapy and promoted tumor regression, and showed efficacy in treating established cardiotoxicity.Conclusions Our findings provide a promising clinical approach for preventing and treating cardiotoxicity induced by ICIs, dissociating the antitumor efficacy of ICI-based therapies from their cardiotoxic side effects.

To date, the use of shallow geothermal energy to directly cool and dehumidify a building in summer via a direct-supply chilled-water radiant-floor cooling (DS-RFC) system coupled with an earth‒air heat exchanger (EAHE) system has not been investigated. In this study, a physical test was performed in a real-world application room, where the cooling and dehumidification characteristics of DS-RFC and EAHE systems were individually studied to evaluate their application potential. The changes in the indoor air temperature and humidity and in the soil temperature when the two systems were operated independently were quantitatively analyzed. Additionally, the effects of the coupled DS-RFC/EAHE system on the indoor environment were evaluated for three air-supply inlet locations. The results showed that the DS-RFC system had a superior cooling effect but almost no dehumidification ability; the change in the humidity ratio was less than 2.00 g/kg. The EAHE system had a superior dehumidification effect, where the change in the humidity ratio exceeded 5.00 g/kg. When the DS-RFC system was operating, different air-supply inlet positions significantly affected the change states of the indoor-air state parameters. The indoor temperature was primarily concentrated at 25–27 °C, and the relative humidity was 83–88 %. This study provides rational support for a building cooling model in which a DS-RFC system coupled with an EAHE system is supplied directly by shallow geothermal energy in summer.

Summary: Sepia esculenta is an economically important cephalopod species contributing to aquaculture in China. Global climate changes have increased fluctuations in the ocean salinity level, which is a major problem for S. esculenta populations because extreme changes in salinity may be fatal to marine life. In this study, S. esculenta larvae were subjected to high salinity stress to investigate their stress resistance mechanisms. High-throughput transcriptome sequencing technology was used to detect transcript-level changes in samples. A total of 1126 significant differentially expressed genes were identified. The results of functional enrichment analyses showed that high salinity activated apoptosis and several innate immunity-related pathways in S. esculenta larvae. On the basis of a protein–protein interaction network analysis, PARP1, PIK3CB and FLNA were identified as hub genes involved in larval resistance to high salinity. Quantitative real-time PCR technology was used to analyze gene expression and verify the accuracy of the transcriptome sequencing results. The process of apoptosis can restrict high salinity-induced tissue damage, while the activation of an inflammatory response can maintain cellular homeostasis. Therefore, we speculate that high salinity induces innate immunity and apoptosis in S. esculenta larvae and modulates growth and development. These findings also suggest that aquaculture losses due to increased seawater salinity must be prevented in artificial aquaculture systems.

Abstract Background There is evidence indicating that both lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] and fibrinogen (FIB) are associated with mortality, However, the impact of their combination on mortality has not been determined. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the association between the combination of Lp(a) and FIB with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Methods This prospective cohort study enrolled 4,730 participants from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The exposure variables included Lp(a), FIB and their combination, while the outcome variables consisted of all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer-related mortality. Multivariate COX regression, subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis and restricted cubic spline (RCS) were used to investigate the association between Lp(a), FIB and their combination with all-cause, CVD and cancer-related mortality. Results Over a median follow-up period of 235 months, 2,668 individuals died, including 1,051 deaths attributed to CVD and 549 deaths due to cancer. Multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed independent associations between both Lp(a) and FIB with all-cause, CVD, and cancer-related mortality. Compared to participants in the 1st to 50th percentiles of both Lp(a) and FIB, those in the 90th to 100th percentiles exhibited multivariable adjusted HRs of 1.813 (95% CI: 1.419–2.317, P 0.05). Conversely, the relationship between Lp(a) and the risk of CVD-related mortality, as well as the relationship between FIB and the risk of all-cause and CVD-related mortality, were nonlinear (P for nonlinearity

Abstract Aims To test the association of C-reactive protein (CRP) with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in people with gout. Methods This cohort study included 502 participants with gout from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Multivariate Cox regression analysis, subgroup analysis, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were utilized to examine the association of CRP levels with all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. Results After adjusting for multiple variables, Cox regression analysis showed that compared with individuals in the lowest tertile of CRP levels, those in the middle and highest tertiles experienced increases in all-cause mortality risk of 74.2% and 149.7%, respectively. Similarly, the cancer mortality risk for individuals in the highest tertile of CRP levels increased by 283.9%. In addition, for each standard deviation increase in CRP, the risks of all-cause and cancer mortality increased by 25.9% and 35.4%, respectively (P 60 years), gender (male), presence or absence of hypertension, non-diabetes, cardiovascular disease, non-cardiovascular disease and non-cancer. Furthermore, the association with cancer mortality was significant in subgroups including males, those without hypertension and cancer, and those with or without diabetes. However, the association with cardiovascular mortality was only significant in the non-hypertension subgroup (P

In order to study the influence of basement inclination on the stability of the dump slope under rainfall conditions, according to the actual situation of Antaibao Open-pit Coal Mine, FLAC3D software was used to simulate the slope of the dump under the same rain intensity and different base inclination angles. The results show that in the early stage of rainfall, the saturation of the surface layer of the dump slope first grows rapidly and tends to the stable value of unsaturation, and when the rainfall infiltrates to the junction of the weak layer and bedrock, the rainwater accumulates at the slope angle under the action of gravity and leads to shear failure at the slope angle. With the increase of the basement inclination, the time lag effect occurred in each monitoring point when it reached saturation or steady state, and the displacement and strain increment were positively correlated with the substrate inclination.

Morroniside (MOR) has shown great potential in treating atrazine (ATZ)-induced skin damage. This study aims to elucidate MOR's mechanism of action in mitigating lipid metabolism disorders and inhibiting ferroptosis to repair ATZ-induced skin damage. Twenty C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups: the control group, the ATZ group, the MOR-H group and the MOR-L group, each comprising five mice. Following a one-month intervention, mouse skin tissues were harvested for untargeted lipid metabolomics analysis. Subsequently, the samples were assessed for indices related to ferroptosis. Untargeted lipid metabolomics analysis showed 127 differential metabolites in the ATZ vs. Ctrl group. There were 57 differential metabolites in the MOR-L vs. ATZ group. 34 differential metabolites in the MOR-H vs. ATZ group. the most obvious lipid reversal occurred after MOR-L administration, which primarily involved phospholipids, ceramides, and sphingomyelins. The levels of GPX4, Ferritin, MDA, SOD and GSH-PX, ferroptosis-related indicators, and the levels of p21 and p53, apoptosis-related indicators, were most significantly regressed in the MOR-L group (all P < 0.05). MOR may delay cellular aging and correct skin damage by reversing ATZ-induced lipid metabolism disorders, inhibiting ferroptosis and excessive oxidative stress occurrence.

Abstract Selective breeding for production traits has yielded relatively rapid successes with high‐fecundity aquaculture species. Discovering the genetic changes associated with selection is an important goal for understanding adaptation and can also facilitate better predictions about the likely fitness of selected strains if they escape aquaculture farms. Here, we hypothesize domestication as a genetic change induced by inadvertent selection in culture. Our premise is that standardized culture protocols generate parallel domestication effects across independent strains. Using eastern oyster as a model and a newly developed 600K SNP array, this study tested for parallel domestication effects in multiple independent selection lines compared with their progenitor wild populations. A single contrast was made between pooled selected strains (1–17 generations in culture) and all wild progenitor samples combined. Population structure analysis indicated rank order levels of differentiation as [wild − wild]

Land surface temperature (LST) is a vital parameter that reflects the land–atmosphere interaction in the land surface energy process. However, due to the temporal effect induced by the wide swath of satellites, differences in local solar time for each pixel observation can result in large differences in LST. Although many studies have been conducted to address this problem, these methods still suffer from spatial discontinuities due to cloud contamination. In this context, this article aims to develop a hybrid method that is combined with surface solar irradiance parameterization and random forest regression. The developed method is suitable for the temporal normalization of LST under all-sky conditions. This method was tested with terra moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data and skin temperature in the land component of the fifth generation of European ReAnalysis under clear and cloudy conditions and was validated by three in-situ measurements. An enhancement can be observed with the root mean square error (RMSE) reduction from 2.73 K (3.39 K) to 2.45 K (2.66 K) under clear-sky conditions compared with the original MODIS LST. The RMSE of the normalized LSTs was reduced from 3.60 K (4.14 K) to 2.96 K (3.74 K) under cloudy-sky conditions. From a comparison between the hybrid method and current temporal normalization methods, it is found the former outperforms the latter in terms of spatial completeness and accuracy. These results demonstrate this method has good potential for the temporal normalization of LST under all-sky conditions.

In order to evaluate the feasibility of vegetable residues compost used as the growth medium for Brassica chinensis L. seedings, the effects of membrane covering and superphosphate application on the performance of tomato and mushroom residues aerobic compost were investigated. In the composting process, four treatments (T1: non-cover with non-addition, T2: membrane-covered with non-addition, T3: non-cover with superphosphate addition, and T4: membrane-covered with superphosphate addition) were explored. The results showed that membrane covering could effectively promote the degradation of lignocellulose, it had about 70% higher degradation rate than non-covered compost. The effect of superphosphate application was not significant. The humification indexes in Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and the fluorescence parameters were the main factors affecting the GI and chemical properties. The results manifested the membrane covering possess a higher conversion rate of humic substances, indicating better maturity. All the compost could almost meet the requirements of seedling substrate performance standards, especially the membrane-covered sample T2 had higher germination index (GI) value more than 100% and higher nutrient concentrations. Then, the four compost products were mixed with vermicompost, perlite, and vermiculite for the Brassica chinensis L. seedling raising experiment (T1B, T2B, T3B, T4B). It has been found that the compost-based substrate T2B with the best stability and maturity showed better seedling growth, and even comparable to peat substrate.

Abstract Background Physical exercise training is the central component of pulmonary rehabilitation. This study aimed to further investigate the rehabilitative effects of pulmonary-based Qigong exercise (PQE) in stable patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods In this randomized, assessor-blinded clinical trial, 44 participants with stable COPD were randomly assigned to 2 groups in a 1:1 ratio. Participants in the control group received usual care for 3 months. Participants in the intervention group received usual care combined with PQE (60 min each time, 2 times per day, 7 days per week, for 3 months). The outcome included exercise capacity, lung function test, skeletal muscle strength, dyspnea, and quality of life were measured before and after intervention. Results A total of 37 participants completed the trial. Compared to the control group, after 3 months of PQE, the mean change in exercise capacity, skeletal muscle strength, and quality of life were statistically significant (P 0.05, for each). Conclusion The findings of study suggest that the proposed program of 3 months of PQE intervention has significant improvement in exercise capacity, skeletal muscle strength, and quality of life of COPD-stable patients. Trial registration This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Trial ID: ChiCTR-1800017405 on 28 July 2018; available at https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=28343 ).

Abstract Handling emotions in human‐computer dialogues has emerged as a challenging task which requires artificial intelligence systems to generate emotional responses by jointly perceiving the emotion involved in the input posts and incorporating it into the generation of semantically coherent and emotionally reasonable responses. However, most previous works generate emotional responses solely from input posts, which do not take full advantage of the training corpus and suffer from generating generic responses. In this study, we introduce a hierarchical semantic‐emotional memory module for emotional conversation generation (called HSEMEC), which can learn abstract semantic conversation patterns and emotional information from the large training corpus. The learnt semantic and emotional knowledge helps to enrich the post representation and assist the emotional conversation generation. Comprehensive experiments on a large real‐world conversation corpus show that HSEMEC can outperform the strong baselines on both automatic and manual evaluation. For reproducibility, we release the code and data publicly at: https://github.com/siat‐nlp/HSEMEC‐code‐data.

ObjectiveAlthough lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP) are closely associated with the mortality of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), their synergistic effect on the risk of death remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the combined effect of Lp(a) and Hs-CRP on the incidence of all-cause and cardiovascular death in AMI patients.MethodsA comprehensive cohort study enrolled 912 AMI patients, categorizing them into four groups based on Lp(a) and Hs-CRP levels: Group 1 [Lp(a) < 30 mg/dL & Hs-CRP < 2 mg/L], Group 2 [Lp(a) < 30 mg/dL & Hs-CRP ≥ 2 mg/L], Group 3 [Lp(a) ≥ 30 mg/dL & Hs-CRP < 2 mg/L], and Group 4 [Lp(a) ≥ 30 mg/dL & Hs-CRP ≥ 2 mg/L]. Cox regression analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and sensitivity analysis were employed to determine the combined effects of Lp(a) and Hs-CRP on the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular death.ResultsOver a median observation period of 38.98 months, 217 patients passed away, with 137 deaths attributed to cardiovascular causes. The multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that in the comprehensively adjusted Model 3, only Lp(a) and the combination of Lp(a) and Hs-CRP exhibited a strong association with cardiovascular death risk. Specifically, for Lp(a) levels ≥ 30 mg/dL compared to < 30 mg/dL, the hazard ratio (HR) was 2.434 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.653–3.583 (P < 0.001); for log10(Lp(a)), the HR was 2.630 with a 95% CI of 1.530–4.523 (P < 0.001); for Group 4 versus Group 1, the HR was 2.346 with a 95% CI of 1.054–5.220 (P = 0.037); and for Group 4 versus Groups 1 + 2 + 3, the HR was 1.878 with a 95% CI of 1.284–2.748 (P = 0.001). Sensitivity analysis indicated that the synergy between Lp(a) and Hs-CRP continued to be independently associated with the risk of cardiovascular death. For Group 3 versus Group 1, the HR was 3.353 with a 95% CI of 1.133–9.917 (P = 0.029); for Group 4 versus Group 1, the HR was 3.710 with a 95% CI of 1.466–9.392 (P = 0.006); and for Group 4 versus Groups 1 + 2 + 3, the HR was 2.433 with a 95% CI of 1.620–3.656 (P < 0.001).ConclusionsCompared to elevated levels of either Lp(a) or Hs-CRP alone, the concurrent high levels of both significantly increased the risk of cardiovascular death in patients with AMI, underscoring the importance of considering their combined effects in the prognostic management of AMI patients.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) presents challenges in early diagnosis and effective treatment. In this study, we aimed to establish a prognostic model based on G2M checkpoint-related genes and identify associated clusters in ccRCC through clinical bioinformatic analysis and experimental validation. Utilizing a single-cell RNA dataset (GSE159115) and bulk-sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we analyzed the G2M checkpoint pathway in ccRCC. Differential expression analysis identified 45 genes associated with the G2M checkpoint, leading to the construction of a predictive model with four key genes (E2F2, GTSE1, RAD54L, and UBE2C). The model demonstrated reliable predictive ability for 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival, with AUC values of 0.794, 0.790, and 0.794, respectively. Patients in the high-risk group exhibited a worse prognosis, accompanied by significant differences in immune cell infiltration, immune function, TIDE and IPS scores, and drug sensitivities. Two clusters of ccRCC were identified using the ''ConsensusClusterPlus'' package, cluster 1 exhibited a worse survival rate and was resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs of Axitinib, Erlotinib, Pazopanib, Sunitinib, and Temsirolimus, but not Sorafenib. Targeted experiments on RAD54L, a gene involved in DNA repair processes, revealed its crucial role in inhibiting proliferation, invasion, and migration in 786-O cells. In conclusion, our study offers valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying ccRCC, identifying potential prognostic genes and molecular subtypes associated with the G2M checkpoint. These findings hold promise for guiding personalized treatment strategies in the management of ccRCC.

China’s small-arched shed-building machinery mostly adopts manual pole casting and mechanical planting, which have low building efficiency and mechanization. Therefore, we designed an automatic feeding device for shed poles to realize automatic single separation, orderly conveyance and timely dropping of poles. Considering shed pole-pitching pass rate as the evaluation index for the regression model, we adopted a three-factor, three-level experimental design and established the speed of the reclaiming ring, height of the falling shed poles and reclaiming ring spacing as the main influencing factors, obtaining 23.94 r/min, 408.799 mm and 1350 mm, respectively in experiments with a trellis qualification rate of 95.36%. Design-Expert 13 was used to perform analysis of variance and determine the optimal parameter combinations. The average measured trellis qualification rate in tests with the bench adjusted and the optimal parameter combination was 94.23%, with 1.13% relative error between test and theoretical optimization values. This confirmed the optimal parameter combination’s dependability. In field verification test results, pick-up card ring speed was 24 r/min; height of trellis pole drop, 410 mm; pick-up card ring spacing, 1350 mm; and pitching rate, 95.37%, obtaining 0.01% error compared with theoretically optimized values. The prototype operational performance was stable and satisfied design requirements.

In the field of straw recycling, a cotton straw-harvesting mechanism is an important piece of agricultural equipment. The mechanistic analysis method of the harvesting mechanism is a major focus of research and development in this field. Currently, in the mechanistic analysis of the cotton straw recycling mechanism, the kinematic and mechanical analysis of the recycling mechanism is generally the main focus. There is not a lot of research based on the quantitative analysis between different recycling mechanisms. In this study, a clamped cotton straw pulling mechanism is optimized and designed, and two different pulling structures are designed. In addition, a two-dimensional modeling and analysis method is used to establish the two-dimensional equations of motion of the two pulling mechanisms, analyze the leakage and breakage rates of the two clamping structures, predict the final pulling effect, and verify the results of the field tests. According to the analysis, the belt-clamping side has more uniform clamping stress and a larger clamping contact area than the chain-clamping side, and the tangential stress on cotton straw is smaller. Based on the field-test verification, the band-clamping side had a higher pulling net rate by an average of 19.32% and a lower missed pulling rate by an average of 6.01% than the chain-clamping side. Therefore, it was determined that the main reason for the lower pulling net rate of the chain-gripped side than that of the belt-gripped side was the higher pulling breakage rate, and the secondary reason was the high leakage pulling rate. Thus, the feasibility and accuracy of the analytical method of this study are verified.

Dielectric nanostructures exhibit intriguing optical properties and outstanding advantages in designing optical nanoantennas and metasurfaces compared to plasmonic nanostructures. This study employs classical electrodynamic methods to comprehensively explore the scattering characteristics of silicon triangular nanoprisms in monomer and oligomer forms. For monomeric nanoprisms, the scattering spectra reveal two distinct and prominent resonance peaks attributed to magnetic dipole (MD) and electric dipole (ED) modes. Reducing interparticle gaps within dimeric structures leads to noticeable blueshifts in MD resonance peaks with stable intensities, in contrast to the nearly constant position and significantly reduced intensities of the ED resonance peaks. A pronounced Fano-like resonance was observed upon transitioning to tetrameric and hexameric configurations, resulting from the coupling between MD and ED modes. A broad resonance peak also emerges in the long-wavelength region due to MD-to-MD coupling. The simulations conducted herein hold significant theoretical implications, advancing our comprehension of the scattering properties of dielectric nanoparticles and contributing valuable insights into fundamental nanophotonics.

The highly sensitive and versatile technique of plasmonic sensing has been widely employed in detecting and analyzing chemical or biological substances. This work employs classical electrodynamics methods to investigate the sensing performance of nanoprisms systematically. By varying heights, base edge lengths, and rounding radii of base corners of triangular nanoprism, we explore their influence on sensitivity and the figure of merit (FOM) in both transverse and longitudinal polarization cases. Our findings indicate that enlarged triangular prisms exhibit enhanced sensitivity, but a decrease in FOM counterbalances this improvement. Conversely, reducing the rounding radius of the base corners of the triangular prism leads to simultaneous improvements in sensitivity and FOM. We suggest prioritizing triangular or tetrahedral prisms in fabricating nanosensors for higher FOM or sensitivity, respectively. These insights provide valuable directions for designing and optimizing plasmonic sensors in practical usage.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association of serum uric acid (SUA) with all-cause and cardiovascular death in individuals with coronary heart disease (CHD).MethodsIn this prospective cohort study, 1556 individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2015) were included in the analysis. Multivariate COX regression analysis, restricted cubic spline plot (RCS) and threshold effect were used to investigate the association between SUA and all-cause and cardiovascular death in individuals with CHD.ResultsIn the fully adjusted model, when SUA was regarded as a continuous variable, it was closely associated with the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular death (P < 0.01). When all participants were divided into four groups according to the quartile of SUA, compared with Q1 group, only individuals in Q4 group had higher risk of all-cause and cardiovascular death (P = 0.002 and 0.034). The following subgroup analysis showed that the association between SUA and all-cause death risk was still statistically significant in individuals over 60 years old, male, with hypertension, without diabetes and with chronic kidney disease, while the association with cardiovascular death risk only persisted in individuals over 60 years old and male (P < 0.05). Further sensitivity analysis showed that SUA was still closely associated with all-cause and cardiovascular death, whether as a continuous variable or a classified variable (P = 0.007 and 0.044). RCS analysis revealed that SUA had a nonlinear association with all-cause and cardiovascular death risk (P for nonlinearity < 0.01). Threshold effect analysis showed that SUA below 345 umol/L was negatively associated with all-cause and cardiovascular death risk (P < 0.05), while SUA above 345 umol/L was positively associated with all-cause and cardiovascular death risk (P < 0.001), and the 2-piecewise regression model was better than the 1-line regression model (P for likelihood ratio test < 0.05).ConclusionSUA had a nonlinear association with all-cause and cardiovascular death risk in individuals with CHD.

BackgroundThe association between waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) with hypertension has not been adequately explained, so in this study we sought to clarify the predictive role of WHtR on the incidence of hypertension as well as the potential nonlinear associations in the general population.MethodsIn this large prospective cohort study, a total of 4,458 individuals from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) were included in the analysis. Multivariate Cox regression analyses, subgroup analyses, receiver operator characteristic (ROC) and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were used to examine the association of WHtR with the risk of new-onset hypertension.ResultsHypertension occurred in 32.8% of participants during the maximum six-year follow-up period. Compared with the group with lower WHtR, the group with higher WHtR had a higher incidence of hypertension (p

Background: Numerous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have reported the benefits of external diaphragm pacing combined with conventional rehabilitation therapies (EDP-CRTs) on pulmonary function and exercise capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, evidence-based regarding its effects remains unclear. Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of EDP-CRTs versus CRTs on patients with COPD. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources and methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis, searching PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, China Biology Medicine Disc, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan-Fang Database, and Chinese Scientific Journal Database from inception to 10 September 2023. RCTs investigating the effects of EDP-CRTs versus CRTs on COPD patients were included. The primary outcome was pulmonary function, including forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), the percentage of predicted values of FEV1 (FEV1%pred), and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC)%. Secondary outcomes included arterial blood gas analysis [the partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO 2 ) and the partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO 2 )]; dyspnea [modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (mMRC)]; exercise capacity [6-min walking distance (6MWD)]; and quality of life [COPD assessment test (CAT)]. RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the revised Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2.0). The certainty of the evidence was evaluated with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system. Results: In total, 13 studies/981 participants were included. The pooled results revealed significant benefits of EDP-CRTs versus CRTs on the FEV1 [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.58–1.56], FEV1%pred [weighted mean difference (WMD) = 6.67, 95% CI = 5.69–7.64], the FEV1/FVC% (SMD = 1.24, 95% CI = 0.48–2.00), PaO 2 (SMD = 1.29, 95% CI = 0.74–1.84), PaCO 2 (SMD = −1.88, 95% CI = −2.71 to −1.04), mMRC (WMD = −0.55, 95% CI = −0.65 to −0.45), 6MWD (SMD = 1.63, 95% CI = 0.85–2.42), and CAT (WMD = −1.75, 95% CI = −3.16 to −0.35), respectively. Planned subgroup analysis suggested that EDP-CRTs had a better effect on FEV1, FEV1/FVC%, 6MWD, and CAT in the duration of 2–4 weeks. Conclusion: EDP-CRTs have better effects on pulmonary function, PaCO 2 , dyspnea, exercise capacity, and quality of life in COPD patients than CRTs, and the duration to achieve the most effective treatment is 2–4 weeks. Trial registration: This systematic review and meta-analysis protocol was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (No. CRD42022355964).

Abstract Objective There is very limited of evidence linking fibrinogen and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. Therefore, this study intended to examine the relationship between fibrinogen and total BMD in postmenopausal women. Methods This cross-sectional analysis included 2043 postmenopausal women aged 50 years and older from the 1999 to 2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The independent variable was fibrinogen and the outcome variable was total BMD. The association between fibrinogen and total BMD in postmenopausal women was examined using multivariate linear regression models, with subgroup analyses stratified by race. Smoothing curve fitting and generalized additive models further analyzed the sample data. Results In multiple regression models adjusted for potential confounders, fibrinogen was negatively associated with total BMD (model 1: − 0.0002 [− 0.0002, − 0.0001], model 2: − 0.0000 [− 0.0001, − 0.0000], model 3: − 0.0001 [− 0.0001, − 0.0001]). In subgroup analysis stratified by race, fibrinogen levels were negatively associated with total BMD in postmenopausal women, Non-Hispanic Whites, and Mexican Americans. However, in Non-Hispanic Blacks, the correlation between fibrinogen levels and total BMD was not significant. For individuals that identify as Other Races, fibrinogen levels were positively correlated with total BMD. Conclusion Our findings show a negative association between fibrinogen levels and total BMD in most postmenopausal women aged 50 years and older, however, is variable by race. In postmenopausal women, Non-Hispanic Whites and Mexican Americans, relatively high fibrinogen levels may be adverse to bone health.

Abstract Background The simulation is one of the basic methods of medical education, which is often used for procedural skills training. However, the existing simulator lacks internal anatomical landmarks. The study developed a mixed-reality stimulator and evaluated its usability and feasibility in lumbar puncture training. Methods The study recruited 40 subjects, including medical students, residents and faulty with varied levels of experience. Before training, participants completed the questionnaire about the basic information and watched a presentation about mixed reality. After practicing on mixed-reality stimulator, which provided internal anatomical structure, the examination was carried out and the results were documented. At the end of the training, trainees completed a survey of MR technology. Results In this study, participants generally believed that the MR technology was very realistic (90%), and that the presentation of internal anatomy could help the operation (95%). Moreover, 72.5% and 75%, respectively, strongly agreed that the MR technology promoted learning and should be used in medical training. After this training, the success rate of puncture and the puncture time were significantly improved in experienced and non-experienced participants. Conclusion The existing simulator was easy to be transformed into MR simulator. This study showed the usability and feasibility of MR simulator in lumbar puncture training. As a potentially good tool to simulated medical skills training, next, MR technology would be developed and evaluated in more clinical skills teaching scenarios.

Background and aimsIncreasing evidence supports a causal relationship between lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, yet its association with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) assessed by electrocardiogram (ECG) remains unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between Lp(a) and LVH assessed by ECG in general population.Methods and resultsIn this cross-sectional study, we screened 4,052 adults from the participants of the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for analysis. Lp(a) was regarded as an exposure variable. LVH defined by the left ventricular mass index estimated from ECG was considered as an outcome variable. Multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) were used to assess the relationship between Lp(a) and LVH. Individuals with LVH had higher Lp(a) compared to individuals without LVH (P< 0.001). In the fully adjusted model, Lp(a) was strongly associated with LVH when as a continuous variable (per 1-unit increment, OR: 1.366, 95% CI: 1.043-1.789, P = 0.024), and higher Lp(a) remained independently associated with a higher risk of LVH when participants were divided into four groups according to quartiles of Lp(a) (Q4 vs Q1, OR: 1.508, 95% CI: 1.185-1.918, P = 0.001). And in subgroup analysis, this association remained significant among participants< 60 years, ≥ 60 years, male, with body mass index< 30 kg/m2, with hypertension and without diabetes (P< 0.05). In addition, we did not observe a nonlinear and threshold effect of Lp(a) with LVH in the RCS analysis (P for nonlinearity = 0.113).ConclusionLp(a) was closely associated with LVH assessed by ECG in general population.

Objective To investigate the association between creatinine to cystatin C ratio (CCR) and bone mineral density (BMD) in middle-aged and older adults. Methods This cross-sectional study investigated participants aged 50–85, using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 1999 to 2002. The correlation between CCR and total BMD was assessed by multivariate linear regression models, using stratified analysis by age, sex and race (Mexican American, other Hispanic, non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and other race) to distinguish various special populations. Results Among 2992 patients, multiple regression models revealed a significant positive correlation between CCR and total BMD: model 1, 0.030 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.029, 0.031); model 2, 0.009 (95% CI 0.008, 0.010); model 3, 0.010 (95% CI 0.009, 0.013). After controlling for all covariates, a positive correlation was observed between CCR and total BMD in both men and women, and was further strengthened in older age groups. When stratifying by race, the positive correlation was most significant among ‘other Hispanic’ participants; there was no significant correlation among those of ‘other race’. Conclusions A positive correlation was demonstrated between CCR and total BMD in middle-aged and older adults aged 50–85 years, with the most significant positive correlation in the older ‘other Hispanic’ population. No significant correlation was observed among participants of ‘other race’.

Continued urban expansion (UE) has long been regarded as a huge challenge for climate change mitigation. However, much less is known about how UE affects carbon emissions (CEs), especially in the urban agglomerations of the Yellow River Basin (UAYRB), China. In this regard, this study introduced kernel density analysis, the Gini coefficient, and Markov chains to reveal the UE patterns and carbon emissions intensity (CEI) in the UAYRB at the county level, and explored the spatial heterogeneity of the impact of UE on CEI with the geographically and temporally weighted regression model. The results show that both CEI and UE in the UAYRB showed a steady growing trend during the study period. The kernel density of CEI and UE revealed that CEI in the UAYRB was weakening, while the UE rate continuously slowed down. The Gini coefficients of both CEI and UE in the UAYRB region were at high levels, indicating obvious spatial imbalance. The Markov transfer probability matrix for CEI with a time span of five years showed that CEI growth will still occur over the next five years, while that of UE was more obvious. Meanwhile, counties with a regression coefficient of UE on CEI higher than 0 covered the majority, and the distribution pattern remained quite stable. The regression coefficients of different urban landscape metrics on CEI in the UAYRB varied greatly; except for the landscape shape index, the regression coefficients of the aggregation index, interspersion and juxtaposition index, and patch density overall remained positive. These findings can advance the policy enlightenment of the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin.

In order to address the common difficulties in pulling and harvesting whole cotton stalks, such as high pulling resistance, high miss-pulling rate, and high breakage rate, which severely hinder the recycling of cotton stalks, three different pulling mechanisms with different pulling principles (wrapping-type pulling mechanism, clamping-type pulling mechanism, transverse roller-type pulling mechanism) were designed. The pulling force on cotton stalks during the pulling process of the three different roller-type pulling mechanisms was compared and analyzed, clarifying the mechanism of roller-type whole cotton stalk pulling mechanisms and identifying situations with optimal pulling force. Field comparative experiments were conducted to compare the working performance of different roller-type pulling mechanisms in the field, and a comprehensive analysis of two key indicators in pulling cotton stalks, miss-pulling rate and breakage rate, was carried out. The results showed that the pulling method and pulling force of the pulling mechanism played a crucial role in the successful pulling of cotton straws. Comparative analysis of the three pulling mechanisms revealed that the clamping-type pulling mechanism had the highest pulling force. The standard deviation means of the missed pull rates for mechanisms X1, X2, and X3 were 0.83%, 0.59%, and 0.43%, respectively, while the standard deviation means of the breakage rates were 1.48%, 1.79%, and 0.49%, respectively. The enveloping-type pulling mechanism had a higher missed pull rate with an average of 8.32%, and the clamping-type pulling mechanism resulted in excessive breakage of cotton straw during operation, with an average breakage rate of 14.10%. In contrast, the transverse roller-type straw pulling mechanism performed the best in the field performance test, as it did not require precise alignment and had an average missed pull rate of 4.55% and an average breakage rate of only 7.55%. Considering the practical needs of agriculture production, the transverse roller-type straw pulling mechanism is recommended as the pulling device for cotton straw harvesting. The research results can provide a reference for the design selection of whole-plant straw pulling mechanisms.

The mechanical properties of tomato stalk, relevant to the harvesting and crushing of tomato vines, significantly impact its harvesting quality and efficiency. Establishing a simulation model, which accurately mirrors these properties, is foundational for designing related mechanical components. The discrete element method models tomato stalk harvesting and is optimized through mechanical tests and simulations. A blend of Plackett–Burman, steepest ascent, and central composite design modeling identified three contact model parameters influencing the maximum stalk shear force. The optimal values of these three parameters were a normal stiffness of 1.04 × 1010 N m−3, tangential stiffness of 7.59 × 109 N m−3, and bond radius of 1.06 mm. The relative error in the simulated versus measured shear force was

Abstract Background and aims A novel non–insulin-based metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS‐IR) index has been proposed as a simple and reliable alternative insulin resistance (IR) marker, but its the predictive value in asymptomatic adults with coronary artery calcification (CAC) remains unclear. Methods and results We enrolled 1576 participants without cardiovascular disease (CVD), who underwent multidetector computed tomography. Logistic regression, restricted cubic spline models and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to examine the association between METS-IR, the ratio of triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) and triglyceride glucose index (TyG index) and CAC. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the increase in METS-IR was independently associated with a higher prevalence of CAC (all P

In this work, using Eu3+ embedded tungsten-oxygen cluster (compound 1) as the fluorescent probe material, the rapid and sensitive fluorescence detection of heavy metal Cr3+ ions in aqueous solution by compound 1 has been systematically studied. The selectivity, anti-interference ability and detection limit of compound 1 for fluorescence detection of Cr3+ ions in water were characterized and analyzed by steady-state transient fluorescence spectrometer. The results showed that compound 1 exhibited a rapid and sensitive fluorescence quenching response to heavy metal Cr3+ ions with strong anti-interference ability. The calculated value of quenching constant (1.41×108 L·mol−1·s−1) was far lower than the maximum scattering collision quenching constant (2.00×1010 L·mol−1·s−1), which showed that compound 1 exhibited a rapid and sensitive fluorescence quenching response to heavy metal Cr3+ ions. Fluorescence detection results of compound 1 in the aqueous solution containing different cations and anions showed that compound 1 had strong anti-interference ability for fluorescence detection of Cr3+ ions in aqueous solution. The calculated results indicated that detection limit of compound 1 for Cr3+ ions in aqueous solution was 4.21×10−7 mol/L, which showed that compound 1 had a good detection effect on Cr3+ ions in water environment. This study was supposed to provide a sensitive and reliable method for the fluorescence detection of heavy metal Cr3+ ions in water.

A plant factory with artificial lighting (PFAL) usually uses top lighting for cultivation. The light from the upper part of the canopy cannot penetrate the entire lettuce canopy, however, resulting in uneven vertical spatial light in the canopy, and accelerating the senescence of both the bottom and side leaves of the plant canopy. Therefore, in this study, the performance of lettuce in hydroponics was investigated upon supplemental side lighting with different spectral LEDs in a PFAL. A set of short-term side lighting treatments, including no side lamps (CK), red (R), blue (B), red + blue (RB), and red + blue + green (RGB) LED lamps (150 μmol·m−2·s−1, respectively), was employed for an additional 2 h per day after normal top lighting for 6 days before harvest. The results showed that the lettuce canopy was relatively loose and had a large crown size under side lighting compared with CK. Side lighting, irrespective of spectral qualities, significantly increased the fresh weight, and the R, B, RB, and RGB treatments increased the shoot fresh weight of lettuce plants by 34%, 19%, 31%, and 34%, and increased the fresh weight of leaf layer 2 by 50%, 17%, 44%, and 48%, respectively. The side lighting of different spectral qualities had a significant impact on the nutritional quality of the first row of lettuce at the edge of the top lighting illuminated area. Treatment B significantly promoted the chlorophyll content of leaf layer 3; the soluble sugar contents from leaf layer 1, 2, and 3; the starch contents in leaf layers 2 and 3; and the content of phenolics in the leaf layers 3; and significantly reduced the nitrate content in leaf layers 2 and 3. RGB significantly increased soluble sugar content by 91%, and the starch content in leaf layer 1, as well as the leaf chlorophyll and flavonoid content of leaf layer 3, while R had opposite effect completely. RB significantly increased the leaf chlorophyll content of leaf layer 3 and the nitrate content in leaf layer 1, but the overall effect was lower than that of RGB. In summary, side lighting of any type could effectively improve lettuce yield, solve the problem of inconsistent lettuce plant size caused by the edge effect of top lighting, and affect the nutritional quality of lettuce. B and RGB performed best. There was spatial response diversity of lettuce plants to side lighting spectral qualities.

The investigation of functional brain networks (FBNs) using task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (tfMRI) has gained significant attention in the field of neuroimaging. Despite the availability of several methods for constructing FBNs, including traditional methods like GLM and deep learning methods such as spatiotemporal self-attention mechanism (STAAE), these methods have design and training limitations. Specifically, they do not consider the intrinsic characteristics of fMRI data, such as the possibility that the same signal value at different time points could represent different brain states and meanings. Furthermore, they overlook prior knowledge, such as task designs, during training. This study aims to overcome these limitations and develop a more efficient model by drawing inspiration from techniques in the field of natural language processing (NLP). The proposed model, called the Multi-head Attention-based Masked Sequence Model (MAMSM), uses a multi-headed attention mechanism and mask training approach to learn different states corresponding to the same voxel values. Additionally, it combines cosine similarity and task design curves to construct a novel loss function. The MAMSM was applied to seven task state datasets from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) tfMRI dataset. Experimental results showed that the features acquired by the MAMSM model exhibit a Pearson correlation coefficient with the task design curves above 0.95 on average. Moreover, the model can extract more meaningful networks beyond the known task-related brain networks. The experimental results demonstrated that MAMSM has great potential in advancing the understanding of functional brain networks.

Abstract The relationship between conventional lipid parameters and arterial stiffness (AS) has been verified by previous studies. However, it remains unknown whether non‐conventional lipid parameters have certain predictive effect on AS represented by brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). Therefore, the study was to explore the relationship between remnant cholesterol (RC) and other non‐conventional lipid parameters and AS in the general population free from cardiovascular disease. The study included 912 participants aged 24–84 years from a medical health checkup center of Murakami Memorial Hospital. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to examine the association between non‐conventional lipid parameters and AS. The results showed that compared with non‐AS group, the AS group had higher RC, non‐high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (Non‐HDL‐C), atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), lipoprotein combine index (LCI), atherosclerosis index (AI), triglycerides/HDL‐C (TG/HDL‐C), Castelli's risk index I (CRI‐I) and Castelli's risk index II (CRI‐II). Then, the authors divided participants into two groups by the optimal cutoff point of 23.6 of RC determined by Youden index. The baPWV was significantly higher in higher RC group compared with lower RC group, and RC was positively correlated with baPWV. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that, regarding lower RC as reference, higher RC was independently associated with higher risk of AS, independent of other risk factors (OR = 1.794, 95% CI: 1.267‐2.539, p = .001). The area under the curve of AS predicted by RC was higher than that of other non‐conventional lipid parameters (almost all p < .05). The findings indicated that increased RC was a significant predictor of AS.

ObjectiveIncreased risk of stroke is highly associated with psychiatric disorders. We aimed to conduct the machine learning model based on multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics predicting the prognosis of ischemic stroke.MethodsThis study retrospectively analyzed 148 patients with acute ischemic stroke due to anterior circulation artery occlusion. Based on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score, patients were divided into good (mRS ≤ 2) and poor (mRS > 2) outcome groups. Segmentation of the infarct region was performed by manually outlining a mask of the lesion on diffusion-weighted images (DWI) using MRIcron software. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), fluid decay inversion recoverage (FLAIR), susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) and T1-weighted (T1w) images were aligned to the DWI images and the radiomic features within the lesion area were extracted for each image modality. The calculations were done using pyradiomics software and a total of 4,744 stroke-related imaging features were automatically calculated. Next, feature selection based on recursive feature elimination was used for each modality and three radiomic features were extracted from each modality plus one feature from the lesion mask, for a total of 16 radiomic features. At last, five machine learning (ML) models were trained and tested to predict stroke prognosis, calculate the received operating characteristic (ROC) curves and other parameters, evaluate the performance of the models and validate their predictive efficacy by five-fold cross-validation.ResultsSixteen radiomic features were selected to construct the ML models for prognostic classification. By five-fold cross-validation, light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) model-based muti-modal MRI radiomic features performed best in binary prognostic classification with accuracy of 0.831, sensitivity of 0.739, specificity of 0.902, F1-score of 0.788 and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.902.ConclusionThe ML models based on muti-modal MRI radiomics are of high value for predicting clinical outcomes in acute stroke patients.

BackgroundThe association between a body shape index (ABSI) and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) is still unclear, so we tried to prove the association between ABSI and AAC in the general population in this cross-sectional study.Materials and methodsAfter excluding participants with missing data on height, weight, waist circumference (WC), and AAC, we finally selected 3,140 participants aged 40–80 years from the 2013–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Using multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to test the association between ABSI and AAC.ResultsParticipants (median age: 58.0 years; 48.3% men) were divided into two groups by the optimal cutoff point of ABSI: higher ABSI (> 0.84) and lower ABSI (≤ 0.84). Participants with higher ABSI showed significantly higher proportion of AAC than those with lower ABSI (39.8 vs. 23.7%, P < 0.001). Participants with higher ABSI had an increased risk of developing AAC in crude model (ABSI as a continuous variable: OR = 2.485, 95% CI: 2.099–2.942, P < 0.001; as a categorical variable: OR = 2.132, 95% CI: 1.826–2.489, P < 0.001), and ABSI was still independently associated with AAC in all adjusted models (all P < 0.05). Further subgroup analyses showed that higher ABSI was consistently associated with AAC in subgroups with sex (male or female), age (≤ 65 or > 65 years), smoking history (yes or no), hypertension (yes or no), diabetes (yes or no), sleep disorder (yes or no), body mass index (BMI) (< 23 or ≥ 23 kg/m2), systolic blood pressure (< 140 or ≥ 140 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (< 90 or ≥ 90 mmHg), fasting plasma glucose (< 126 or ≥ 126 mg/dL), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (≤ 130 or > 130 mg/dL) (P for interaction > 0.05). While in other subgroups, the association was no longer synchronized. The ROC showed that the area under the curve of ABSI was significantly higher than height, weight, BMI, WC, and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR).ConclusionHigher ABSI was closely associated with higher risk of AAC, and discriminant ability of ABSI for AAC was significantly higher than height, weight, BMI, WC, and WHtR.

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that increasing the frequency of eating is beneficial in terms of cardiovascular metabolic risk factors; however, limited evidence is available for the association between daily eating frequency and mortality, especially in people with diabetes. Therefore, we aimed to explore the association between eating frequency and long-term mortality in populations with diabetes.MethodsWe selected 4,924 individuals suffering from diabetes (mean age: 57.77 years; 51.3% men) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2014. Daily eating frequency was used as the exposure factor in this study. We extracted the mortality data from the National Death Index records and matched them with the population of NHANES. All participants were followed up from the date of getting enrolled in NHANES to 31 December 2015. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression, Kaplan–Meier survival curves, and restricted cubic spline were used to assess the associations between eating frequency and all-cause and cause-specific mortality among people with diabetes.ResultsDuring 34,950 person–years of follow-up, 1,121 deaths were documented, including 272 cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related deaths and 156 cancer-related deaths. After adjusting for confounding factors, the daily eating frequency was linearly inversely associated with all-cause and CVD-related mortality, and the HR (95% CIs) for per one-time increment of eating frequency was 0.88 (0.80–0.98) and 0.77 (0.63–0.93), respectively. Sensitivity analyses showed that the main results and statistical significance were still stable.ConclusionHigher eating frequency was independently related to lower all-cause and CVD-related mortality in people with diabetes, which can be used as a potential strategy for daily-diet management among populations suffering from diabetes.

Aiming at the problem of complex and low efficiency of intelligent patrol paths in 220/500 kV bionic substations, this paper proposes a method for collaborative inspection of multiple patrol robots. Firstly, the deficiencies of the Biological Inspired Neural Network algorithm(BINN) in complex paths and large corner scenarios are analyzed, and an improved method for solving the neuron activity value near the boundary and an improved method for the neuron activity value near the obstacle are proposed, in order to solve the phenomenon that the decrease of neurons that can transmit activity values in the neighborhood leads to generally low neuron activity values, which leads to unreasonable path planning; Secondly, establish a substation area segmentation model based on the variable tangent method, divide the substation area into several sub-intervals without obstacles, and use the priority heuristic algorithm to select the robot travel path, so as to realize the multi-robot joint inspection task ; Finally, the method proposed in this paper reduces the path length, number of turns and rotation angle by 11.38%, 38,89% and 20.51, respectively, compared with the BINN algorithm, and by 5.75%, 18.18%, and 16.68 compared with the A* algorithm, which verifies the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.

Drinking water contaminated by Cd2+ is one of the main pathways for Cd to enter the body. The skin barrier is destroyed when the skin is contaminated by environmental Cd2+, however, the detailed mechanism by which Cd2+ induces skin metabolic disorder, and senescence and affects hair regeneration is not completely understood. In this study, 18 C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a Control group, a Low-dose group, and a High-dose group with 6 mice in each group, and intragastrically administered with different concentrations of cadmium chloride once a day, respectively. After 1 month of intervention, the skin tissues on the back of mice were collected for non-targeted metabolomics analysis, and the related proteins were detected by immunofluorescence assay. Non-targeted metabolomics analysis result showed that compared with the Control group, there were 29 different metabolites, mainly including lysophospholipids, fatty acids, and bile acids, in the Low-dose group, and 39 differential metabolites in the High-dose group, in addition to the above compounds, there were more amino acid compounds, and most of the metabolites had a reduced response after administration. Immunofluorescence assay result showed that the higher the concentration of cadmium chloride led to the more obvious the proliferation inhibition and apoptosis promotion effects of skin cells, and the more significant damage to hair follicle stem cells. Thus, our findings demonstrate that cadmium chloride pollution can accelerate skin metabolism disorder, and aging and impair hair regeneration.