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By zeroing in on the term 'heritage' in the most important international legal instrument on oceans – the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC), this article explores how the concept of the Common Heritage of [Hu]mankind and maritime heritage are produced and deployed in the global legal project of ocean-ordering and the implications thereof. The Common Heritage of [Hu]mankind concept embodies and enacts a dominant resource-centric framing of the ocean. This framing prioritises and valorises the material and economic value of the deep seabed, thereby transmuting it into an oceanless exploitable common. The LOSC, with minimal cultural preoccupation, also conceptualises and confines maritime heritage within a narrow land-based and material-centric understanding of heritage that often prioritises state control and claims. This is because the LOSC is constrained and shaped both by the metaphysical, geographical, and legal tendency of ocean parcelisation and by the authorised heritage discourse that conditions how heritage is understood and practiced. We conclude by suggesting taking the Middle Passage as an analytical provocation, that is to recognise the mutually constitutive and constituting relationship between the Middle Passage and the (Atlantic) Ocean, to enable critical reflections and alternative perspectives on heritage-making in ocean environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The boundedness and compactness of weighted composition operators on the logarithmic Bloch-Orlicz space Blogφ are investigated in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dinuclear Fe(II) spin crossover (SCO) complex with the formula [Fe2L5(NCS)4]·2DMF·2H2O (1) was synthesised from 1-naphthylimino-1,2,4-triazole (L). Complex 1 exhibits an incomplete thermally induced spin transition with a transition temperature T1/2 of 95 K and a thermally trapped metastable high-spin state at low temperatures. Furthermore, it undergoes a reversible light-induced spin crossover by alternate irradiation with 532 and 808 nm lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viral co-infections, in which a host is infected with multiple viruses simultaneously, are common in the human population. Human viral co-infections can lead to complex interactions between the viruses and the host immune system, affecting the clinical outcome and posing challenges for treatment. Understanding the types, mechanisms, impacts, and identification methods of human viral co-infections is crucial for the prevention and control of viral diseases. In this review, we first introduce the significance of studying human viral co-infections and summarize the current research progress and gaps in this field. We then classify human viral co-infections into four types based on the pathogenic properties and species of the viruses involved. Next, we discuss the molecular mechanisms of viral co-infections, focusing on virus–virus interactions, host immune responses, and clinical manifestations. We also summarize the experimental and computational methods for the identification of viral co-infections, emphasizing the latest advances in high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics approaches. Finally, we highlight the challenges and future directions in human viral co-infection research, aiming to provide new insights and strategies for the prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of viral diseases. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge and future perspectives on human viral co-infections and underscores the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to address this complex and important topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Person re-identification, as an essential research direction in intelligent security, has gained the focus of researchers and scholars. In practical scenarios, visible light cameras depend highly on lighting conditions and have limited detection capability in poor light. Therefore, many scholars have gradually shifted their research goals to cross-modality person re-identification. However, there are few relevant studies, and challenges remain in resolving the differences in the images of different modalities. In order to solve these problems, this paper will use the research method based on the attention mechanism to narrow the difference between the two modes and guide the network in a more appropriate direction to improve the recognition performance of the network. Aiming at the problem of using the attention mechanism method can improve training efficiency. However, it is easy to cause the model training instability. This paper proposes a cross-modal pedestrian re-recognition method based on the attention mechanism. A new attention mechanism module is designed to allow the network to use less time to focus on more critical features of a person. In addition, a cross-modality hard center triplet loss is designed to supervise the model training better. The paper has conducted extensive experiments on the above two methods on two publicly available datasets, which obtained better performance than similar current methods and verified the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed methods in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional method for analysis and design of laterally loaded piles with non-circular cross-sections such as rectangular, H-shaped, and X-shaped piles involves the simplification of converting the non-circular pile to a circular pile with equivalent second moment of inertia. A rigorous semi-analytical method is developed for calculating the response for laterally loaded piles with arbitrary non-circular cross-sections in multi-layered elastic soil without using any simplification regarding the shape of the pile cross-section. The governing differential equations for the pile–soil system are obtained using the principle of virtual work. The soil displacements around the pile are described as products of separable functions that are compatible with horizontal pile movement. As a result, the three-dimensional (3 D) boundary value problem (BVP) is described by a fourth-order linear ordinary differential equation (ODE) governing horizontal pile displacement and second-order partial differential equations (PDEs) governing soil displacements. New solution techniques for the ODE and PDEs are proposed, and the accuracy of the present method is verified by comparing the predicted pile and soil responses with the corresponding results of equivalent 3 D finite element method. The effects of pile cross-section shape and lateral loading direction on the pile and soil responses are highlighted through a series of parametric analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)‐positive cell therapy, specifically with anti‐CD19 CAR‐T (CAR19‐T) cells, achieves a high complete response during tumor treatment for hematological malignancies. Large‐scale production and application of CAR‐T therapy can be achieved by developing efficient and low‐cost enrichment methods for CAR‐T cells, expansion monitoring in vivo, and overcoming tumor escape. Here, novel CAR‐specific binding aptamers (CAR‐ap) to traceless sort CAR‐positive cells and obtain a high positive rate of CAR19‐T cells is identified. Additionally, CAR‐ap‐enriched CAR19‐T cells exhibit similar antitumor capacity as CAR‐ab (anti‐CAR antibody)‐enriched CAR‐T cells. Moreover, CAR‐ap accurately monitors the expansion of CAR19‐T cells in vivo and predicts the prognosis of CAR‐T treatment. Essentially, a novel class of stable CAR‐ap‐based bispecific circular aptamers (CAR‐bc‐ap) is constructed by linking CAR‐ap with a tumor surface antigen (TSA): protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7) binding aptamer Sgc8. These CAR‐bc‐aps significantly enhance antitumor cytotoxicity with a loss of target antigens by retargeting CAR‐T cells to the tumor in vitro and in vivo. Overall, novel CAR‐aptamers are screened for traceless enrichment, monitoring of CAR‐positive cells, and overcoming tumor cell immune escape. This provides a low‐cost and high‐throughput approach for CAR‐positive cell‐based immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital image correlation (DIC) and particle image velocity (PIV) are highly effective non-contact methods to accurately measure full-field deformations in transparent soil model testing (TSMT). The nature of transparent soils combined with the rapid development of three-dimensional (3D) DIC/PIV techniques means that the acquisition of the full internal 3D deformations is now technically feasible. However, current approaches focus on two-dimensional (2D) in-plane displacements and typically ignore out-of-plane displacements. This paper presents an approach of combining 3D-DIC with optical slicing to observe 3D movements of transparent soil using custom MATLAB programming. A rigid body motion (RBM) test of a transparent soil sample is first conducted to estimate the accuracy of the proposed algorithm. A vertically loaded circular footing test is subsequently performed as a proof of concept; multiple-slice images of the soil are captured using a new experimental apparatus and processed by the 3D-DIC algorithm, and the resultant 3D displacements of all slices are reconstructed to visualize the soil deformations in 3D space. The findings confirm that the proposed 3D-DIC algorithm is accurate and the optical slicing with supplementary spatial reconstruction method enables visualization of transparent soil in 3D space, which can be used in future TSMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuron localization is a fundamental step in the neuron morphology reconstruction and quantitative analysis of cell counting and spatial distribution. The recent development of labelling and imaging techniques has resulted in growing demand for automatic neuron localization methods of 3D neuronal microscopy images. However, accurately localizing touching neurons remains a challenge. To address this issue, a novel method utilizing a super‐resolution segmentation network based on 2D Conv‐LSTM and a region growing method are proposed. This network can map and detect individual neurons in higher resolution space, allowing for the separation of closely touching neurons with reduced resource consumption. Subsequently, a region growing method is employed to localize neurons accurately. This method is evaluated using neuronal images generated by TDI‐fMOST. This method achieved neuron localization with an F1 score of 0.91. In comparison, other automatic localization methods achieved F1 scores lower than 0.85. It is also demonstrated that our network has fewer computational requirements compared to 3D neural networks. This method is promising for accurately localizing neurons in large‐scale neuron images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals in occupational settings are often exposed to moderate levels (e.g., < 85 dBA) of background noise (i.e., broadband noise) while performing cognitive-based tasks. Exposure to such noise may affect individuals' cognitive performance and thus affect desired performance level (e.g., safety performance). The present review outlines the effect of moderate broadband noise on indices of cognition such as reaction time, attention, short-term and long-term memory, and high(er)-order cognitive tasks such as decision-making, mental arithmetic, grammatic reasoning, or reading comprehension. The present review highlights limitations associated with moderators, and their effect on broadband noise. 43 studies ranging from 1980 to February 2023 were selected and analysed to investigate this issue. Reviewed results offered minimal evidence for a negative effect of moderate broadband noise on cognitive performance. Negative effects that were found, were often evident only under specific circumstances. The roles of cognitive load, repeated session, and individual differences (e.g., sex) were found to differ from theoretical predictions based on evidence from broader noise(s), which highlights the distinctive characteristics of the mild stressor; hence an area for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well-established that contact fire sensors are susceptible to interference from non-fire particles and cannot be applied to fire alarms in both large indoor and outdoor open spaces. On the other hand, the fire detection technology based on the image has several advantages including non-contact, fast response, strong anti-interference, unlimited application space, and comprehensive fire alarm information, which is preferable to fire detection. To this end, in this work, eight existing object detection models were first compared based on convolutional neural networks by autonomously collecting flame smoke datasets. From the acquired results, it was demonstrated that the YOLOv5 network has higher Mean Average Precision (mAP) and Frame Per Second (FPS) than the others. Next, further optimization of the YOLOv5s network was carried out. By introducing Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM), replacing PANet with BiFPN, and replacing nearest neighbor interpolation with transposed convolution (TC), the accuracy of the YOLOv5s network was significantly improved. Simultaneously, three lightweight networks, namely MobileNetV3, ShuffleNetV2, and GhostNet, were used to lighten the YOLOv5s network. The validation results indicated that the mAP of the improved YOLOv5s model reached 82.1%, the parameters were as low as 5.9 M and the floating-point operations (FLOPs) dropped to 8.1G. Finally, Single Eye (SiEYE) and Double Eyes (DoEYE) detection networks were proposed for emergency conditions based on the above-mentioned improvements. From the test results, it was indicated that the network has stronger robustness and meets the fire detection requirements, which is of great importance for the next research on smoke diffusion prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study described here was to evaluate the safety of Sonazoid-assisted high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in the treatment of advanced malignant liver lesions. A single-arm study was designed to enroll participants who were diagnosed with advanced primary liver cancer or liver metastases and proposed to receive Sonazoid assistance during HIFU treatment. Serological examination was conducted within 1 wk, and side effects in each patient were monitored for 1 mo. To evaluate therapeutic efficacy, the contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging was performed 1 mo after treatment, and short-term follow-up was conducted a year later. A total of 17 participants (12 male, 5 female) with an average age of 58 y (range: 46–73 y) were enrolled, including 11 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, 2 patients with hepatic metastasis and 4 patients with cholangiocarcinoma. The total volume of tumor mass was 111.82 (11.01–272.30) cm3. The average total ablation time for a patient was 2021 ± 1030 s, and the energy efficiency factor was 5979.7 (3108.0, 45634.5) J/cm3. Immediately after HIFU treatment, 1 patient (5.9%) achieved complete response (CR), 4 patients (23.5%) had a moderate response, 8 patients (47.1%) had partial reperfusion and 4 patients (23.5%) had stable disease (SD). The average ablation rate for all the tumors was 51.5 ± 26.7%. The level of glutamic–pyruvic transaminase (ALT) was mildly increased in 71.6% (12/17) of patients after HIFU therapy. Mean ALT values before and after treatment were 22 (14, 35) U/L and 36 (25, 41) U/L, respectively (Z = 1.947, p = 0.051). Mild or obvious edema in skin and subcutaneous soft tissues were observed in 76.5% of patients, but no serious side effects were found. Twelve months after treatment, the follow-up results revealed that 1 patient (5.8%) achieved a CR, 8 patients (47.1%) had SD and 8 patients (47.1%) had progressive disease. The estimated median time to progression was 11 mo after treatment, with a 95% confidence interval of 6, 11 for all involved patients. Use of Sonazoid is safe and feasible for improving HIFU ablation efficiency during the treatment of advanced malignant liver lesions. The therapeutic efficacy of Sonazoid-assisted HIFU needs to be explored in additional controlled clinical investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This letter, proposes and experimentally demonstrates a simple and efficient estimating method for high‐voltage floating field ring (FFR). Four rings in FFR are used to determine the influence of rings' distance (d) on the voltage drops of the highest voltage to the third ring (Vn+1) and the third to the second ring (Vn). Then, two voltage curves (curves for Vn+1 and Vn) based on d are drawn. For a target breakdown voltage, by iterating between the curves for Vn+1 and Vn, the number of FFRs and corresponding distances can be found. Based on this method, an 8.0 kV PN diode with 111 FFRs is designed and fabricated. The measured breakdown voltage is 7840 V, which reaches 98% of the designed value. This method provides a simple and efficient design for high‐voltage SiC devices, especially for ultra‐high voltage applications where the number of rings exceeds dozens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate terrain mapping information is very important for foot landing planning and motion control in foot robots. Therefore, a terrain mapping method suitable for an indoor structured environment is proposed in this paper. Firstly, by constructing a terrain mapping framework and adding the estimation of the robot's pose, the algorithm converts the distance sensor measurement results into terrain height information and maps them into the voxel grid, and effectively reducing the influence of pose uncertainty in a robot system. Secondly, the height information mapped into the voxel grid is downsampled to reduce information redundancy. Finally, a preemptive random sample consistency (preemptive RANSAC) algorithm is used to divide the plane from the height information of the environment and merge the voxel grid in the extracted plane to realize the adaptive resolution 2D voxel terrain mapping (ARVTM) in the structured environment. Experiments show that the proposed mapping algorithm reduces the error of terrain mapping by 62.7% and increases the speed of terrain mapping by 25.1%. The algorithm can effectively identify and extract plane features in a structured environment, reducing the complexity of terrain mapping information, and improving the speed of terrain mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding the interplay between psychosocial factors and polygenic risk scores (PRS) may help elucidate the biopsychosocial etiology of high alcohol consumption (HAC). This study examined the psychosocial moderators of HAC, determined by polygenic risk in a 10-year longitudinal study of US military veterans. We hypothesized that positive psychosocial traits (e.g. social support, personality traits, optimism, gratitude) may buffer risk of HAC in veterans with greater polygenic liability for alcohol consumption (AC). Methods: Data were analyzed from 1323 European-American US veterans who participated in the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, a 10-year, nationally representative longitudinal study of US military veterans. PRS reflecting genome-wide risk for AC (AUDIT-C) was derived from a Million Veteran Program genome-wide association study (N = 200 680). Results: Among the total sample, 328 (weighted 24.8%) had persistent HAC, 131 (weighted 9.9%) had new-onset HAC, 44 (weighted 3.3%) had remitted HAC, and 820 (weighted 62.0%) had no/low AC over the 10-year study period. AUDIT-C PRS was positively associated with persistent HAC relative to no/low AC [relative risk ratio (RRR) = 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.23–1.67] and remitted HAC (RRR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.07–2.50). Among veterans with higher AUDIT-C PRS, greater baseline levels of agreeableness and greater dispositional gratitude were inversely associated with persistent HAC. Conclusions: AUDIT-C PRS was prospectively associated with persistent HAC over a 10-year period, and agreeableness and dispositional gratitude moderated this association. Clinical interventions designed to target these modifiable psychological traits may help mitigate risk of persistent HAC in veterans with greater polygenic liability for persistent HAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to better understand the stressors in families of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) to assist with formulating targeted stress management plans for such families. A descriptive qualitative study was undertaken at a tertiary referral hospital in China. Following purposeful sampling, interviews were conducted with 21 parents of children with CHD regarding the stressors in their families. Following content analysis, 11 themes were generated from the data and categorised into six main domains: the initial stressor and associated hardships, normative transitions, prior strains, the consequences of family efforts to cope, intrafamily and social ambiguity, and sociocultural values. The 11 themes include confusion regarding the disease, hardships encountered during treatment, the heavy financial burden, the unusual growth track of the child due to the disease, normal events becoming abnormal for the family, impaired family functioning, family vulnerability, family resilience, family boundary ambiguity induced by role alteration, a lack of knowledge about community support and family stigma. Various and complex stressors exist for families of children with CHD. Medical personnel should fully evaluate the stressors and take targeted measures before implementing family stress management practices. It is also necessary to focus on the posttraumatic growth of families of children with CHD and strengthen resilience. Moreover, family boundary ambiguity and a lack of knowledge about community support should not be ignored, and further research is needed to explore these variables. Most importantly, policymakers and healthcare providers should adopt a range of strategies to address the stigma of being in a family of a child with CHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: IBAK, as a plant growth regulator, has broad application prospects in improving crop resistance to abiotic stress. Results: In this study, the regulation mechanism of IBAK on rice was revealed by physiology and transcriptomics by spraying 80 mg·L−1 IBAK solution on rice leaves at the early jointing stage under salt stress. The results showed that spraying IBAK solution on leaves under salt stress could significantly increase K+ content, decrease Na+ content, increase net photosynthetic rate (Pn), and increase the activity of catalase (CAT) and the contents of glutathione (GSH) and soluble protein in rice leaves. Using IBAK under salt stress increased the expression of plant hormone signal transduction pathway-related genes LOC4332548 and LOC4330957, which may help rice to more effectively sense and respond to plant hormone signals and enhance resistance to salt stress. In addition, the photosynthesis pathway-related genes LOC4339270, LOC4327150, and LOC4346326 were upregulated after using IBAK under salt stress, and the upregulation of these genes may be beneficial to improve the efficiency of photosynthesis and increase the photosynthetic capacity of rice. Regarding starch and sucrose metabolism pathway, spraying IBAK on leaves could promote the expression of sucrose synthesis-related gene LOC4347800 and increase the expression of starch synthesis-related genes LOC4330709 and LOC4343010 under salt stress. Finally, IBAK spraying resulted in the upregulation of multiple 50 S and 30 S ribosomal protein genes in the ribosome pathway, which may increase protein synthesis, help maintain cell function, and promote rice growth and development. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed the mechanism of IBAK mediating resistance to salt stress in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CD19 CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor-T) cell immunotherapy achieves a remission rate of approximately 70% in recurrent and refractory lymphoma treatment. However, the loss or reduction of CD19 antigen on the surface of lymphoma cells results in the escape of tumor cells from the immune killing of CD19 CAR-T cells (CAR19-T). Therefore, novel therapeutic strategies are urgently required. In this study, an anti-CD79b/CD3 bispecific antibody (BV28-OKT3) was constructed and combined with CAR19-T cells for B-cell lymphoma treatment. When the CD19 antigen was lost or reduced, BV28-OKT3 redirected CAR19-T cells to CD79b+ CD19– lymphoma cells; therefore, BV28-OKT3 overcomes the escape of CD79b+ CD19– lymphoma cells by the killing action of CAR19-T cells in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, BV28-OKT3 triggered the antitumor function of CAR– T cells in the infusion product and boosted the antitumor immune response of bystander T cells, markedly improving the cytotoxicity of CAR19-T cells to lymphoma cells in vitro and in vivo. In addition, BV28-OKT3 elicited the cytotoxicity of donor-derived T cells toward lymphoma cells in vitro, which depended on the presence of tumor cells. Therefore, our findings provide a new clinical treatment strategy for recurrent and refractory B-cell lymphoma by combining CD79b/CD3 BsAb with CAR19-T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: It has been suggested that trimethylamine N‐oxide (TMAO) is related to Parkinson's disease (PD) in observational studies. However, the direction of this association is inconsistent. An exploratory Mendelian randomization study was conducted to investigate whether TMAO and its precursors have a causal relationship with PD. Methods: Summary statistics were obtained for single nucleotide polymorphisms related to circulating levels of TMAO, betaine, carnitine and choline, and the corresponding data for the risk, age at onset and progression of PD from genome‐wide association studies. Inverse‐variance weighting was used as the primary method for effect estimation. The false discovery rate was applied to the correction of multiple testing. A p value of association <0.05 but above the false discovery rate corrected threshold was deemed suggestive evidence of a possible association. A range of robust Mendelian randomization methods were used for sensitivity analysis. Results: Suggestive evidence was observed of an inverse causal effect of TMAO on motor fluctuations (odds ratio [OR] 0.851, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.731, 0.990, p = 0.037) and carnitine on insomnia (OR 0.817, 95% CI 0.700, 0.954, p = 0.010) and a positive causal effect of betaine on Hoehn–Yahr stage (OR 1.397, 95% CI 1.112, 1.756, p = 0.004), Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) III score (β = 0.138, 95% CI 0.051, 0.225, p = 0.002), motor fluctuations (OR 1.236, 95% CI 1.011, 1.511, p = 0.039), and choline on UPDRS IV (β = 0.106, 95% CI 0.026, 0.185, p = 0.009) and modified Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living Scale score (β = 0.806, 95% CI 0.127, 1.484, p = 0.020). Conclusions: Our findings provide suggestive evidence that TMAO and its precursors have a causal effect on the progression of PD. Further investigation of the underlying mechanisms is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The point cloud-based 3D model of forest helps to understand the growth and distribution pattern of trees, to improve the fine management of forestry resources. This paper describes the process of constructing a fine rubber forest growth model map based on 3D point clouds. Firstly, a multi-scale feature extraction module within the point cloud column is used to enhance the PointPillars learning capability. The Swin Transformer module is employed in the backbone to enrich the contextual semantics and acquire global features with the self-attention mechanism. All of the rubber trees are accurately identified and segmented to facilitate single-trunk localisation and feature extraction. Then, the structural parameters of the trunks calculated by RANSAC and IRTLS cylindrical fitting methods are compared separately. A growth model map of rubber trees is constructed. The experimental results show that the precision and recall of the target detection reach 0.9613 and 0.8754, respectively, better than the original network. The constructed rubber forest information map contains detailed and accurate trunk locations and key structural parameters, which are useful to optimise forestry resource management and guide the enhancement of mechanisation of rubber tapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess prenatal diagnosis and pregnancy outcomes in twin pregnancies where one fetus has nuchal translucency (NT) above the 95th percentile. Method: In this retrospective analysis, 130 twin pregnancies (260 fetuses) in which one twin had an NT measurement above the 95th percentile while that of the other twin was normal were analyzed. Prenatal diagnostic results such as G bands, chromosomal microarray analysis, ultrasound findings, and pregnancy outcomes were reviewed. Results: Karyotype analysis and CMA results revealed that 15 (15.6 percent, 15/96) fetuses exhibited chromosomal abnormalities and that 13 fetuses were Variant of Uncertain Significance. Chromosome abnormalities were detected at a rate of 8.9% (5/56) in the DCT group and 25.0% (10/40) in the MCT group (p = 0.033, X2 = 4.571). 2 fetuses in DCT (3.9 percent, 2/51) and 4 fetuses in MCT (13.3 percent, 4/30) (p = 0.187) revealed structural abnormalities among the cases with normal prenatal diagnosis. Fetuses in the DCT group had an overall survival rate of 75.4 percent (95/126), whereas those in the MCT group had a survival rate of 60.4 percent (81/134) (p = 0.01, X2 = 6.636). According to the findings of Logistics regression analysis, NT thickening, maternal age and method of conception were all significant risk factors for chromosome abnormalities. Conclusion: In twin pregnancies with one fetus with NT above the 95th percentile, the prevalence of fetal structural abnormalities of the MCT group and the DCT group were comparable. Pregnant women's age and mode of pregnancy are risk factors for chromosomal abnormalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tibetan Plateau is a key region to understand the evolution of the Tethys Oceans. To better constrain the tectonic evolution of the Proto-Tethys Ocean on the western margin of the Yangtze plate, we present an integrated petrography, geochemistry, and zircon U-Pb-Lu-Hf isotope study on newly recognized early Silurian gabbro and serpentinite rocks from the eastern Yidun terrane of the Tibetan Plateau. Zircon U-Pb dating of the gabbro yields an Early Silurian age of 438.2 ± 2.8 Ma. Zircon εHf(t) values of 5.4 to 8.5 suggest a single-stage model age (TDM1) ranging from 729 to 858 Ma. The gabbros exhibit low total rare earth element abundances but are moderately enriched in the light rare earth elements and the large-ion lithophile elements (e.g. Rb, Ba, and Sr), and display representative negative high-field strength elemental anomalies for Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf on spidergrams. The gabbro and serpentinites were derived from a depleted mantle-like source made of garnet-spinel lherzolite composition, from a sub-arc mantle wedge that was metasomatized by slab dehydration. Thus, the gabbro and serpentinites record an Early Silurian subduction event of the Proto-Tethys Ocean under the Yangtze plate. Furthermore, this study confirms that the Yidun terrane on the western margin of the Yangtze plate is underlined by a Precambrian crystalline basement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of benzylaminoimidazoline derivatives was synthesized and evaluated for norepinephrine transporter (NET) targeting. Among them, N‐(3‐iodobenzyl)‐4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐imidazol‐2‐amine (Compound 9) displayed the highest affinity for NET (IC50 = 5.65 ± 0.97 μM). The corresponding radiotracer [125I]9 was further prepared by copper‐mediated radioiodination and evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. The cellular uptake results suggested that [125I]9 was specifically taken up by the NET‐expressing SK‐N‐SH cell line. Biodistribution studies showed that [125I]9 accumulated in the heart (5.54 ± 1.24 %ID/g at 5 min p.i. and 0.79 ± 0.08 %ID/g at 2 h p.i.) and adrenal gland (14.83 ± 3.47 %ID/g at 5 min p.i. and 3.87 ± 0.24 %ID/g at 2 h p.i.). The uptake in the heart and adrenal gland could be significantly inhibited by preinjection of desipramine (DMI). These results indicated that the benzylaminoimidazoline derivatives retained affinity for NET, which could provide structure–activity relationship data for further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to measure the femoral prosthesis flexion angle (FPFA) in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using three-dimensional reconstruction, and to assess the differences in early clinical efficacy between patients with different degrees of flexion. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study. From June 2019 to May 2021, 113 patients admitted for TKA due to osteoarthritis of the knee were selected. The patients' postoperative knee joints were reconstructed in three dimensions according to postoperative three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) scans. The FPFA was measured, and the patients were divided into 4 groups: anterior extension group (FPFA < 0°), mildly flexed group (0° ≤ FPFA < 3°), moderately flexed group (3° ≤ FPFA < 6°) and excessively flexed group (6° ≤ FPFA). The differences in the Knee Society Score (KSS), knee Range of Motion (ROM), and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were measured and compared between the four groups at each postoperative time point. Results: Postoperative KSS, ROM, and VAS were significantly improved in all groups compared to the preoperative period. At 1 year postoperatively, the ROM was significantly greater in the mildly flexed group (123.46 ± 6.51°) than in the anterior extension group (116.93 ± 8.05°) and the excessively flexed group (118.76 ± 8.20°) (P < 0.05). The KSS was significantly higher in the mildly flexed group (162.68 ± 12.79) than in the other groups at 6 months postoperatively (P < 0.05). The higher KSS (174.17 ± 11.84) in the mildly flexed group was maintained until 1 year postoperatively, with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). No significant difference in VAS scores was observed between groups at each time point. Conclusions: A femoral prosthesis flexion angle of 0–3° significantly improved postoperative knee mobility, and patients could obtain better Knee Society Scores after surgery, which facilitated the postoperative recovery of knee function. Trial registration: ChiCTR2100051502, 2021/09/24. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the prenatal and perinatal outcome of fetuses with extremely large nuchal translucency (eNT) thickness (≥ 6.5 mm). Methods: 193 (0.61%) singleton fetuses with eNT were retrospectively included. Anomaly scan, echocardiography, and chromosomal and genetic test were included in our antenatal investigation. Postnatal follow-up was offered to all newborns. Results: Major congenital anomalies included congenital heart defect (32.6%, 63/193), hydrops fetalis (13.5%, 26/193), omphalocele (9.3%, 18/193), and skeletal dysplasia (7.8%, 15/193) et al. Abnormal karyotype was identified in 81/115 (70.4%) cases including Turner syndrome (n = 47), Trisomy 18 (n = 17), Trisomy 21 (n = 9), and Trisomy 13 (n = 3). Chromosomal microarray analysis provided informative results with 3.6% (1/28) incremental diagnostic yield over conventional karyotyping. The diagnostic yield of exome sequencing is 10.0% (2/20). There was no significant increase [Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.974; 95% confidence interval 0.863–4.516; P = 0.104] in the incidence of chromosomal defects despite the presence of other structural anomalies. Only 13 fetuses were successfully followed up and survived at term, no one was found with developmental delay or mental retardation. Conclusions: Extremely large NT has a high risk of chromosomal abnormality. CMA and ES improve chromosomal genomic and genetic diagnosis of fetal increased NT. When cytogenetic analysis and morphology assessment are both normal, the outcome is good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improved durability, enhanced interfacial stability, and room temperature applicability are desirable properties for all‐solid‐state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs), yet these desired properties are rarely achieved simultaneously. Here, in this work, it is noticed that the huge resistance at Li metal/electrolyte interface dominantly impeded the normal cycling of ASSLMBs especially at around room temperature (<30 °C). Accordingly, a supramolecular polymer ion conductor (SPC) with "weak solvation" of Li+ was prepared. Benefiting from the halogen‐bonding interaction between the electron‐deficient iodine atom (on 1,4‐diiodotetrafluorobenzene) and electron‐rich oxygen atoms (on ethylene oxide), the O‐Li+ coordination was significantly weakened. Therefore, the SPC achieves rapid Li+ transport with high Li+ transference number, and importantly, derives a unique Li2O‐rich SEI with low interfacial resistance on lithium metal surface, therefore enabling stable cycling of ASSLMBs even down to 10 °C. This work is a new exploration of halogen‐bonding chemistry in solid polymer electrolyte and highlights the importance of "weak solvation" of Li+ in the solid‐state electrolyte for room temperature ASSLMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improved durability, enhanced interfacial stability, and room temperature applicability are desirable properties for all‐solid‐state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs), yet these desired properties are rarely achieved simultaneously. Here, in this work, it is noticed that the huge resistance at Li metal/electrolyte interface dominantly impeded the normal cycling of ASSLMBs especially at around room temperature (<30 °C). Accordingly, a supramolecular polymer ion conductor (SPC) with "weak solvation" of Li+ was prepared. Benefiting from the halogen‐bonding interaction between the electron‐deficient iodine atom (on 1,4‐diiodotetrafluorobenzene) and electron‐rich oxygen atoms (on ethylene oxide), the O‐Li+ coordination was significantly weakened. Therefore, the SPC achieves rapid Li+ transport with high Li+ transference number, and importantly, derives a unique Li2O‐rich SEI with low interfacial resistance on lithium metal surface, therefore enabling stable cycling of ASSLMBs even down to 10 °C. This work is a new exploration of halogen‐bonding chemistry in solid polymer electrolyte and highlights the importance of "weak solvation" of Li+ in the solid‐state electrolyte for room temperature ASSLMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this meta‐analysis is to investigate the relationship between interleukin (IL)‐10 levels and its polymorphism and Takayasu arteritis (TAK). Methods: Five databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Ovid, Sinomed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were gone through from inception to March 31, 2022. Studies were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale (NOS) was applied to assess study quality. Strengths of association were evaluated by odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI. The T v. t (allele contrast), TT v. tt (homozygous contrast), Tt vs tt (heterozygous contrast), TT + Tt vs tt (dominant contrast) and TT vs Tt + tt (recessive contrast) models were adopted. Results: Seven studies were included. No significant relationship between IL‐10 and TAK was detected in the included patients (P > 0.05). The levels of IL‐10 were lower in the active group than those in the stable group, which was −0.47 (95% CI: −0.93, 0.00) (P = 0.05). No significant relationships between IL‐10 and TAK were found under all contrasts for polymorphisms rs1800871, rs1800872 and rs1800896 (P > 0.05). Conclusions: There was no significant difference in IL‐10 levels between TAK patients and control subjects. The levels of IL‐10 were lower in TAK patients in the active stage. There was no significant association between IL‐10 gene polymorphisms and TAK. Further well‐designed studies with larger sample sizes in patients with different stages are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant bone tumors result in high rates of disability and death and are difficult to treat in terms of killing tumors and repairing bone defects. Compared with other hyperthermia strategies, magnetic hyperthermia has become an effective therapy for treating malignant bone tumors due to its lack of depth limitations. However, tumor cells express heat shock protein (HSP) to resist hyperthermia, which reduces its curative effect. Competitive ATP consumption can reduce HSP production; fortunately, the basic principle of starvation therapy by glucose oxidase (GOx) is consuming glucose to control ATP production, thereby restricting HSP generation. We developed a triple-functional magnetic gel (Fe3O4/GOx/MgCO3@PLGA) as a magnetic bone repair hydrogels (MBRs) with liquid‒solid phase transition capability to drive magneto-thermal effects to simultaneously trigger GOx release and inhibit ATP production, reducing HSP expression and thereby achieving synergistic therapy for osteosarcoma treatment. Moreover, magnetic hyperthermia improves the effect of starvation therapy on the hypoxic microenvironment and achieves a reciprocal strengthening therapeutic effect. We further demonstrated that in situ MBRs injection effectively suppressed tumor growth in 143B osteosarcoma tumor-bearing mice and an in-situ bone tumor model in the rabbit tibial plateau. More importantly, our study also showed that liquid MBRs could effectively match bone defects and accelerate their reconstruction via magnesium ion release and enhanced osteogenic differentiation to augment the regeneration of bone defects caused by bone tumors, which generates fresh insight into malignant bone tumor treatment and the acceleration of bone defect repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prohexadione-calcium (Pro-Ca) has been proved to play an important role in releasing abiotic stress in plants. However, there is still a lack of research on the mechanism of Pro-Ca alleviating salt stress in rice. To explore the protective effects of Pro-Ca on rice seedlings under salt stress, we investigated the effect of exogenous Pro-Ca on rice seedling under salt stress by conducting the following three treatment experiments: CK (control), S (50 mmol·L−1 NaCl saline solution) and S + Pro-Ca (50 mmol·L−1 NaCl saline solution + 100 mg·L−1 Pro-Ca). The results indicated that Pro-Ca modulated the expression of antioxidant enzyme-related genes (such as SOD2, PXMP2, MPV17, E1.11.1.7). Spraying Pro-Ca under salt stress significantly increased in ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase activity by 84.2%, 75.2%, and 3.5% as compared to the salt treatment, as demonstrated by an example of a 24-hour treatment. Malondialdehyde level in Pro-Ca was also dramatically decreased by 5.8%. Moreover, spraying Pro-Ca under salt stress regulated the expression of photosynthesis genes (such as PsbS, PsbD) and chlorophyll metabolism genes (heml, PPD). Compared to salt stress treatment, spraying Pro-Ca under salt stress significantly increased in net photosynthetic rate by 167.2%. In addition, when rice shoots were sprayed with Pro-Ca under salt stress, the Na+ concentration was considerably reduced by 17.1% compared to salt treatment. In conclusion, Pro-Ca regulates antioxidant mechanisms and photosynthesis to aid in the growth of rice seedlings under salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite extensive studies on functional linear regression, there exists a fundamental gap in theory between the ideal estimation from fully observed covariate functions and the reality that one can only observe functional covariates discretely with noise. The challenge arises when deriving a sharp perturbation bound for the estimated eigenfunctions in the latter case, which renders existing techniques for functional linear regression not applicable. We use a pooling method to attain the estimated eigenfunctions and propose a sample-splitting strategy to estimate the principal component scores, which facilitates the theoretical treatment for discretely observed data. The slope function is estimated by approximated least squares, and we show that the resulting estimator attains the optimal convergence rates for both estimation and prediction when the number of measurements per subject reaches a certain magnitude of the sample size. This phase transition phenomenon differs from the known results for the pooled mean and covariance estimation, and reveals the elevated difficulty in estimating the regression function. Numerical experiments, using simulated and real data examples, yield favourable results when compared with existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the genetic burden in fetuses with isolated and severe fetal growth restriction (FGR) using Trio whole‐exome sequencing (WES) with a normal chromosomal microarray. Method: This retrospective study analyzed WES results of singleton fetuses with isolated and severe FGR, whose estimated fetal weight (EFW) was less than the third percentile by Hadlock formula, in a tertiary center between March 2016 and March 2022. Cases with abnormal chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and TORCH results were excluded. Results: Fifty‐one fetuses with isolated and severe FGR and negative CMA results underwent Trio‐WES. Of all patients, eight (15.7%) were diagnosed with FGR at its early onset (<32 weeks) and showed pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants involving Nipped‐B‐like protein gene (NIPBL) (n = 3), fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (n = 1), pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 subunit alpha 1 (n = 1), collagen, type I, alpha 1 (n = 1), superkiller viralicidic activity 2‐like (n = 1), and chloride voltage‐gated channel (CLCN5) (n = 1). De novo–generated variants were identified in five fetuses, of which two were novel, including c.6983C>A (p. Thr2328Lys) in NIPBL and c.934‐1G>T in CLCN5. Genetic disorders involved Cornelia de Lange syndrome and metabolic and skeletal genetic diseases. Conclusion: The present study indicates that Trio‐WES can improve effectivity of prenatal diagnoses for isolated and severe FGR in cases with normal CMA results, aiding prenatal genetic counseling and pregnancy management for FGR fetuses. Synopsis: Whole‐exome sequencing added 15.7% to the diagnostic yield for isolated and severe fetal growth restriction in patients with normal chromosomal microarray analysis results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dispersive modal characteristics of propagating guided waves are useful for efficiently detecting defects in high-speed railway rails due to their advantages. This paper presents an effective method for directly analyzing the effect of defects in rails on the dispersive modal characteristics of propagating guided waves, which can be utilized for the defect detection in rails. By using the semianalytical finite element method and from the characteristic equations of the guided wave propagation in waveguides, a general perturbation method is developed to provide an exact relationship between the perturbations of structural stiffness caused by damage and the perturbations of dispersive modal characteristics of propagating guided waves. Thus, the phase velocity and group velocity for the damaged waveguide can be accurately predicted. From the obtained propagating guided wave modes, a mode selection index used for selecting effective guided waves for damage detection is introduced by evaluating the nodal displacements and energy concentrations on the rail surfaces. Finally, a numerical study for a high-speed rail is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for rail defect detection and propagating mode selection. The results of the numerical study show that the dispersive modal properties of propagating modes are affected by the location and size of defects in the rail, and the proposed method can give useful information for effective detection of defects in rails. Defects often occur in rails, which can be detected by using guided waves. Guided waves have advantages of high detection efficiency, long propagation distance, and small attenuation along the propagation path, which is particularly useful for detecting rail defects in practices. In the defect detection process, the group velocity and phase velocity dispersion curves should be analyzed, and the effect of rail defects on these dispersion curves needs to be fully investigated for effective damage identification. Also, these results can be useful for selecting appropriate guided wave modes and effective measuring positions for detecting defects in rails by guided wave testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite oxides are widely regarded as the promising air electrode catalytic materials for zinc-air batteries (ZABs). In the present work, A-site Y and B-site Fe co-doped La 0.85 Y 0.15 Ni 0.7 Fe 0.3 O 3 perovskite catalyst was prepared by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis, and this material was evaluated as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for ZABs. The effect of co-doping on crystal structure and reaction activities, which can promote oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), was investigated. Results show that Y and Fe co-doping substantially improved the ORR and OER of LaNiO 3. In comparison with LaNiO 3 , the ORR performance of La 0.85 Y 0.15 Ni 0.7 Fe 0.3 O 3 exhibited a higher limiting current density (3.8 mA cm−2 at 0.4 V vs. RHE) and more positive onset potential (0.75 V vs. RHE) at 1600 rpm. It also had an excellent OER performance of 1.74 V vs. RHE at 10 mA cm−2. When La 0.85 Y 0.15 Ni 0.7 Fe 0.3 O 3 was used as an air electrode catalyst for ZABs, it exhibited a high power density of 93.6 mW cm−2, which increased by 84.8% compared with that of LaNiO 3. Moreover, the full cell with La 0.85 Y 0.15 Ni 0.7 Fe 0.3 O 3 air electrode catalyst was operated for more than 80 h, maintaining good stability. Therefore, La 0.85 Y 0.15 Ni 0.7 Fe 0.3 O 3 can be used as a promising bifunctional air electrode catalyst for ZABs. The characterization analysis reveals that A-site Y and B-site Fe co-doped catalyst transforms crystal structure from trigonal system to cubic system, retain the valence state of Ni3+ and increases the contents of O 2 2−/O−, and these properties are more conducive for LaNiO 3 catalysis. [Display omitted] • A-site Y and B-site Fe co-doped La 0.85 Y 0.15 Ni 0.7 Fe 0.3 O 3 is studied as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for Zinc air battery. • The battery shows a power density as high as 93.6 mW cm−2 when La 0.85 Y 0.15 Ni 0.7 Fe 0.3 O 3 was used as cathode catalyst. • La 0.85 Y 0.15 Ni 0.7 Fe 0.3 O 3 presents excellent long-term stability that operated stably for more than 80 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This retrospective study aimed to investigate the value of whole exome sequencing (WES) for clubfoot (CF) fetuses with or without other structural abnormalities and to further explore the genetic causes of fetal CF. Methods: this study included 83 singleton pregnancies diagnosed with fetal CF referred to our center between January 2016 and March 2022; cases were divided into two groups: isolated CF and non-isolated CF. After excluding cases with positive karyotyping and chromosomal microarray analysis results, WES was performed for the eligible fetuses and parents. Monogenic variants detected by WES and perinatal outcomes were recorded and evaluated at postnatal follow-up. Results: overall, clinically significant variations were identified in 12.0% (10/83) of fetuses, and the detection rate was significantly higher in the non-isolated than in the isolated CF group (8/36, 22.2% vs. 2/47, 4.3%, p = 0.031). We additionally detected eight (9.6%) fetuses harboring variants of unknown significance. We identified 11 clinically significant variations correlating with clinical phenotypes in nine genes from ten fetuses, with KLHL40 being the most frequent (n = 2). Furthermore, we observed a significant difference in termination and survival rates between isolated and non-isolated CF cases (27.6 vs. 77.8% and 59.6 vs. 19.4%, p < 0.001 for both). Conclusion: our data indicate that WES has a high additional diagnostic yield for the molecular diagnosis of fetal CF, markedly enhancing existing prenatal diagnostic capabilities and expanding our understanding of intrauterine genetic disorders, thus assisting us to better interpret fetal phenotype in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past 30 years have witnessed remarkable developments of microcavity exciton–polaritons, which have made a great impact on photonics and optoelectronics from fundamental physics to device applications. New materials and optical structures have been developed for novel polariton lasers for the sake of room temperature operation, flexible mode engineering, and high power efficiency. More powerful spectroscopic techniques have also promoted the understanding of polariton dynamics, coherence, nonlinearity, and topology. In this review, we start with a brief introduction to the picture of polaritons, and various polariton systems based on different microcavity structures and semiconductor materials. Then, we present several important spectroscopic techniques and numerical tools for characterizing polaritons experimentally and theoretically. Next, we address the macroscopic quantum phenomena observed in the polariton systems and review the physics and applications of polariton nonlinearity. Moreover, we highlight the new emerging fields of topological and non-Hermitian polaritons. In the end, we conclude with the future perspectives of microcavity exciton–polaritons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The main objective of this study was to predict the status of blood and the occurrence of lower limb deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after total knee arthroplasty(TKA) by means of mean platelet volume (MPV) combined with thromboelastography (TEG). METHODS: We collected 180 patients who underwent unilateral total knee arthroplasty between May 2015 and March 2022, and the patients were divided into DVT group and control group according to whole-leg ultrasonography on the seventh postoperative day. Blood count and TEG were performed on the day before surgery, the first day after surgery and the seventh day respectively. Multifactorial analysis was used to investigate whether the relevant parameters were independent predictors of DVT after TKA. RESULTS: MPV has the strongest correlation with the maximum amplitude (MA), followed by alpha-angle; MPV and alpha-angle on the first postoperative day are independent predictors of DVT. MPV in patients with thrombosis tends to rise and then fall in the perioperative period. The optimal threshold for MPV to predict thrombosis is 10.85 fL and the area under the ROC curve is 0.694, The area under the ROC curve increases to 0.815 using MPV combined with alpha-angle. In addition, MA, α-angle, composite coagulation index (CI) and MPV were all statistically higher in the DVT group than in the control group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: MPV is a predictor of DVT after TKA. It can reflect the hypercoagulable state of blood after surgery; Combination of MPV and alpha-angle on the first day after surgery in patients with TKA improves predictive power of DVT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies a new variant of the vehicle routing problem with drones, i.e., the two-echelon vehicle routing problem with drones, where multiple vehicles and drones work collaboratively to serve customers. Drones can perform multiple back-and-forth trips when their paired vehicle stops at a customer node, forming a two-echelon network. Several practical constraints such as customers' delivery deadlines and drones' energy capacity are considered. Different from existing studies, we treat the number of drones taken by each vehicle as a decision variable instead of a given parameter, which provides more flexibility for planning vehicle and drone routes. We first formulate this problem as a mixed-integer linear programming model, which is solvable by off-the-shelf commercial solvers. To tackle instances more efficiently, we next construct a set-partitioning model. To solve it, an exact branch-and-price algorithm is proposed, where a bidirectional labeling algorithm is used to solve the pricing problem. To speed up the algorithm, a tabu search algorithm is first applied before the exact labeling algorithm for finding desired columns in each iteration of the column generation process. Extensive numerical tests show that our algorithm can solve most instances within 25 customers to optimality in a short time frame and some instances of 35 customers to optimality within a three-hour time limit. Results also demonstrate that the allocation decisions of drones can help save the duration of all routes by 3.44% on average for 25-customer instances, compared to the case of fixing the number of paired drones on each vehicle. In addition, sensitivity analyses show that multiple strategies, e.g., adopting batteries of a higher energy density and developing faster drones, can be applied to further improve the delivery efficiency of a truck–drone system. • A two-echelon vehicle routing problem with drones is studied. • The allocation decisions of drones to vehicles are considered. • An MILP model and a set-partitioning model are provided. • A branch-and-price algorithm is developed. • Results show the effectiveness of the algorithm and provide managerial insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemorrhage progression in deep intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) involves not only the growth of parenchymal hematoma but also an increase in intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). The search for methods that predict both the increased risk of parenchymal hematoma and IVH growth is warranted. We conducted a retrospective cohort study at multiple centers. Participants with deep ICH were enrolled from January 2018 to December 2021. Prediction models based on logistic regression analysis included clinical as well as routine radiographic and radiomics variables, separately or in combination. The performance of each model was evaluated using discrimination measures (e.g., area under the curve [AUC]). Evaluation of clinical utility was performed using decision curve analysis (DCA). Overall, 647 individuals across 4 stroke centers were included. A total of 429 (66%) patients from 3 centers were assigned to the primary cohort and 218 (34%) from another center were placed in the validation cohort. Multivariate analysis showed that the Glasgow Coma Scale score, baseline ICH volume, IVH, blend sign, and radiomics score were associated with hemorrhage progression in the primary cohort. The clinical-radiomics model (AUC = 0.852 and 0.835) improved the prediction performance of hemorrhage progression compared to the Noncontrast computed tomography signs model (AUC = 0.666 and 0.618) in both the primary and validation cohorts, with similar results in the decision curve analysis curves. The clinical-radiomics model outperformed the routine Noncontrast computed tomography signs model in predicting the progression of deep ICH. The clinical benefit of screening patients using this model may assist in risk stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

sTrem2 reshapes the ICH-associated microglia/macrophages impairing erythrophagocytosis and enhancing inflammation via inhibition of Vps35-mediated pro-erythrophagocytic molecular receptor CD36 recycling and lysosomal degradation of unrecycled CD36, causing exacerbation of neuronal loss and neurological dysfunction after ICH. [Display omitted] • Soluble Trem2 delays the microglia/macrophages mediated hematoma resolution after ICH • Soluble Trem2 modulates erythrophagocytosis in a full-length Trem2 independent pathway. • Soluble Trem2 inhibits CD36 receptor recycling and exacerbates lysosomal degradation of unrecycled CD36 in microglia/macrophages. Microglia and macrophages participate in hematoma clearance after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), thereby facilitating tissue restoration and neurological recovery. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (Trem2) has been indicated as a major pathology-induced immune signaling hub on the microglial/macrophage surface. Soluble Trem2 (sTrem2), the proteolytic form of Trem2, is abundant in the body fluid and is positively correlated with the pathological process. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the potential role of sTrem2 in hematoma resolution after ICH and to elucidate its underlying mechanisms. We explored the biological functions of sTrem2 in the murine ICH brain by stereotaxic injection of recombinant sTrem2 protein or by adeno-associated virus-mediated expression. Erythrocyte phagocytosis was assessed using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. Western blotting was performed to evaluate protein expression. Changes in behavior, sTrem2-induced down-stream pathway, and microglia were examined. sTrem2 impedes hematoma resolution and impairs functional motor and sensory recovery. Interestingly, sTrem2 bypasses full-length Trem2, negatively regulating microglial/macrophage erythrophagocytosis, and promotes an inflammatory phenotype, which is associated with reduced retromer levels and impaired recycling of the pro-erythrophagocytic receptor CD36. Rescue of retromer Vps35 abolishes the phagocytosis-inhibiting effects and lysosome-dependent CD36 degradation caused by sTrem2. These findings indicate sTrem2 as a negative factor against microglia/macrophage-mediated hematoma and related neuronal damage clearance, provide insight into the mechanisms by which erythrophagocytosis is regulated and how it may be impaired after ICH, and suggest that the anti-proteolytic activity of Trem2 can be explored for ICH therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops an innovative undrained solution for cylindrical cavity expansion using a hypoplastic model that could well reflect the mechanical properties of clay, especially the structural degradation of unstable clay. Then, the constitutive relationship of the hypoplastic clay model for cavity expansion problems is established by adding the strain rate–displacement relationship in cylindrical coordinates. Therefore, simple first-order ordinary differential equations are obtained to solve the problem of cavity expansion for structured clay. This paper compares the proposed solution with the Abaqus finite-element solution and conducts an extensive analysis of the model parameters. The results prove that the solution can accurately capture the expansion responses under undrained conditions. The variations and distributions of the internal cavity pressure, excess pore pressure, and sensitivity in unstable structural clay are obtained, which show obvious trends of structural degradation. The normalized expansion pressure and excess pore pressure decrease as the value of OCR increases. The normalized cavity pressure and structural degradation radius decrease as the structural parameters increase, while the opposite change is observed in the excess pore water pressure. The results of the application analysis can be used as a reference for clarifying the variation in the bearing capacities of piles and the disturbance of surrounding soil in practical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban underground comprehensive pipe galleries (referred to as UCPGs) often have large rectangular cross sections and are now widely used as underground tunnel spaces for accommodating various engineering pipelines used for power, signal communication, gas, oil, heating, water supply, and drainage channels in China. The force–displacement relation for a pipe–soil interaction is very important since it can be used to evaluate the pipe behavior under various conditions. Conventional theoretical analysis methods are usually proposed for circular cross-sectional pipes, while few methods have been presented for UCPGs with large rectangular cross sections. This paper studies the two-dimensional rectangular pipe–soil interaction problem. The limit resistances of underground rectangular pipe galleries (URPGs) in undrained clay under purely horizontal and vertical loads are first investigated through two-dimensional finite-element limit analysis (FELA). Subsequently, the failure envelope of the URPGs under relative pipe–soil movement along various directions is investigated. Parametric analyses are carried out to derive the empirical equations of the limit resistance and failure envelope of the URPGs. The proposed empirical equations are verified by comparing the theoretical predictions with the FELA results and other researchers' studies, and they provide a basis for constructing the p–y relation of the pipe–soil interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relation between vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) remains unclear. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using six databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, CNKI, Wanfang and Cochrane Library. The selection of each study was based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was applied to assess the quality of the included studies, while the strength was evaluated by odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. The following contrasts were used: allele contrast (H vs h), homozygous contrast (HH vs hh), heterozygous contrast (Hh vs hh), dominant contrast (HH + Hh vs hh) and recessive contrast (HH vs Hh + hh). For the BsmI-rs1544410 polymorphism, three studies were included of 782 cases and 863 controls. The data showed a significant relationship under allele contrast H vs h (OR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.20–2.30 (P = 0.002)). For the TaqI-rs731236 polymorphism, 675 cases and 697 controls were included in two studies. The data showed a significant relationship under allele contrast H vs h (OR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.11–2.21 (P < 0.05)), homozygous contrast Hh vs hh (OR = 1.65, 95% CI 1.12–2.43 (P < 0.05)), and recessive contrast HH + Hh vs hh (OR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.13–2.43 (P < 0.05)). There were significant relationships between VDR gene BsmI-rs1544410 and TaqI-rs731236 polymorphisms and AS, while no associations were found between FokI-rs2228570 and ApaI-rs7975232 polymorphisms and AS. In the future, additional studies with larger case numbers are need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 56-day feeding trial was conducted to assess the effects of different viscous guar gum on the growth, intestinal flora, and intestinal health of Micropterus salmoides. Four practical diets with 42.5 % crude protein and 13.7 % crude lipid were formulated to contain 8 % cellulose and three different viscosities (2500, 5200, and 6000 mPa·s) of guar gum. Dietary guar gum inhibits fish growth and feed utilization, decreases the α-diversity of the intestinal flora, and negatively alters the intestinal flora structure and metabolite composition. High viscous guar gum down-regulated the intestinal tight junction, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic related gene's expression, decreased digesta butyrate/histamine ratio; and increased the abundance of Plesiomonas shigelloides. These results suggest that dietary guar gum adversely affects intestinal health by disrupting intestinal flora structure and metabolite composition, and that viscosity should be considered when using guar gum as a binder in aquafeeds. • Effects of viscous guar gums on fish health were studied. • Dietary guar gum inhibits fish growth and feed utilization. • High-viscosity guar gum damages intestinal health. • Guar gum should be controlled when used as a binder in aquafeeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of helical pile installation in undrained softening clay using a coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) finite element modelling approach. A previously published strain softening soil constitutive model was used to evaluate soil disturbance. The influence of two key strain softening parameters was considered to assess installation-induced soil disturbance. The CEL-predicted remoulded soil strength field was then imported into a finite element limit analysis (FELA) to evaluate the subsequent influence on uplift capacity. The CEL results showed that helical pile installation caused a significantly disturbed zone of soil that measured approximately 1.4 helix diameters in plan and extended the full length of the pile. When the disturbed soil strength field was imported into FELA calculation, it was found that the solutions reported in previous literature had significantly overestimated the ultimate uplift capacity for softening clay. The numerical output informed the development of a new closed-form analytical approach to predict uplift capacity considering the influence of the installation process. The design method was shown to provide a high-fidelity representation of the numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Objective: To investigate the prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling for 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome and to evaluate its pregnancy outcome. (2) Methods: This study included 4968 pregnant women who selected invasive prenatal diagnoses from 1 January 2017 to 1 August 2022. These 4698 pregnancies underwent chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA), data on 81 fetuses diagnosed with 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome based on prenatal ultrasound features and genetic test results were recorded, and their pregnancy outcome was evaluated. (3) Results: 1.63% of fetuses (81/4968) were diagnosed with 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome. Among these, there were skeletal malformations in 48.15% of the 81 fetuses, cardiovascular malformations in 30.86%, central nervous system malformations (CNS) in 11.11%, digestive system structural abnormalities in 6.17%, and isolated ultrasonography markers in 3.70%. (4) Conclusions: 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome can display various systemic ultrasound abnormalities in the perinatal period but vertebral malformations are the most common. Our study is the first to report that TBX1 and CJA5 are associated with 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome, expanding the disease spectrum of 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome. In our study, the ventricular septal defect is the main feature of cardiac structural abnormalities caused by 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome. In addition, our study highlights the use of CMA in 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome, analyzed their genetic results, and evaluated the follow-up prognosis, which can be useful for prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective, selective, and multicolor colorimetric assay for Cu2+ detection based on the regulation of peroxidase-like nanozyme-mediated etching of gold nanorods (Au NRs) is proposed. Cu2+-creatinine complex is selected as the nanozyme that exhibits excellent peroxidase-like activity even in the case of low concentration of Cu2+, which can catalyze 3,3,5,5-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to produce oxidized TMB (TMB+) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, and TMB+ is oxidized to generate TMB2+ after adding H+, and the TMB2+ can etch Au NRs. The determination of Cu2+ is achieved based on the blue shift of the longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance peak of Au NRs. Under the optimal conditions, the developed colorimetric assay exhibits high sensitivity for the detection of Cu2+ (limit of detection is 0.034 μM) with a wide linear range of 0.05–4.0 μM (R2 = 0.987). The solution shows a rainbow-like color in response to the increase of Cu2+ concentration, which can realize the semi-quantitative detection of Cu2+ by naked eyes. In addition, the developed method exhibits excellent selectivity for Cu2+-detection. The established method was used for the determination of Cu2+ in lake water, soil, and normal human serum with satisfactory recovery of spiked samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Recurrent implantation failure (RIF), a clinical disorder characterized by failure to achieve pregnancy after repeated (≥3) embryo transfer, is a challenge for reproductive demands worldwide. In our preliminary work, the Zhuyun formula (ZYF) with auricular acupressure, a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) with a small sample size for RIF, can improve the clinical pregnancy rate (41.2% vs. 26.7%, treatment group vs. control group, p < 0.05). Based on the toxicological and pregnancy-related pharmacological analysis of ZYF for RIF, the T-cell receptor signaling pathway might be involved in the pharmacological activity. This study aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of the CAM therapy according to pregnancy outcomes and maternal and child health and investigating the changes of T-helper (Th) cells in the peripheral blood of unexplained RIF women. Materials and Methods. We conducted a prospective, two-arms, randomized, nonblinded study. All eligible women were randomly assigned to the treatment group (TG) and the control group (CG) according to a computer-generated randomization list in sealed opaque envelopes. Blood samples were collected from the two groups, and serum Th1, Th2, and Treg were detected by flow cytometry. The cytokines were detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The TG was administrated with ZYF and auricular acupressure for three months before ovarian stimulation, while the control group was on a waiting list for the same period. The primary outcome was CPR. The second outcomes were the serum levels of immune parameters. For the safety evaluation, the perinatal outcomes of maternal and child were obtained by follow-up. Post-hoc sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the effect of missing data. Results. One hundred and twenty-three women were randomized into the TG (n = 62) and CG (n = 61). The CPR was increased significantly in the TG (45.2%) than CG (26.2%) (p = 0.029). Twenty blood samples were collected, and the Th2/Th1 and Treg expression level was significantly higher in the TG than in the CG. IL-2, IL-10, and Foxp3 were higher significantly in the TG than in the CG. The maternal and child perinatal outcomes were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions. The ZYF with auricular acupressure was effective and safe in improving the pregnancy outcomes of RIF. It might be related to balancing the level of cytokines related to the immune tolerance of the maternal-fetal interface to protect the embryo from the maternal immune system. Clinical Trial Registration: Clinical Trial Registry; date: 14/Dec/2013; no. NCT03078205. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether tibial tuberosity-posterior cruciate ligament (TT-PCL) distance is representative of the true lateralization of tibial tuberosity in isolation and its influence on the accuracy of the Akagi line and medial third of the tibial tuberosity (MTTT).Methods: A total of 135 osteoarthritis patients with varus knees who undergoing computed tomography scans were enrolled to establish three-dimension models of the knees. Tibial width (TW), tibial tuberosity lateralization (TTL), posterior cruciate ligament lateralization (PCLL), knee rotation angle (KRA) and tibial rotational axes were measured and investigated their correlations with TT-PCL distance. Based on the analysis of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the influence of TT-PCL distance on the distributions of mismatch angles of tibial rotational axes was investigated with a safe zone (-5° to 10°).Results: TT-PCL distance was in significantly positive correlation with TW (r = 0.493; P < 0.001) and TTL (r = 0.378; P < 0.001) which was different with PCLL (r = 0.147; P = 0.009) and KRA (r = -0.166; P = 0.054). All tibial rotational axes were significantly positively correlated with TT-PCL distance (P < 0.001). The mismatch angles between the vertical line of the surgical epicondylar axis (SEA) and the Akagi line and MTTT were -1.7° ± 5.3° and 7.6° ± 5.6° respectively. In terms of the optimal cut-off value of 19 mm for TT-PCL distance, the Akagi line applied as tibial rotational axis ensures 87.3% of the positions of tibial components within the safe zone when TT-PCL distance > 19 mm, and MTTT ensures 83.3% when TT-PCL distance ≤ 19 mm.Conclusion: TT-PCL distances cannot reflect the true lateralization of tibial tuberosity in isolation but can aid in the combination of the Akagi line and MTTT in varus knees. The patients with TT-PCL distance > 19 mm are recommended to reference the Akagi line for tibial rotational alignment. MTTT is recommended to the patients with TT-PCL distance ≤ 19 mm. The study will aid surgeons in deciding which reference may be used by measuring TT-PCL distance using a preoperative CT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal death, and there are no effective clinical means for the prevention and treatment of spontaneous preterm birth, mainly because the mechanism for labor initiation has not been fully elucidated. Objective. The effect of enucleation with Zhuyun I Recipe Capsule enema (ZRC) on the maternal-fetal interface microenvironment in SD rats with kidney deficiency and blood stasis. Methods. In this study, poor endometrial tolerance was induced by hydroxyurea and epinephrine in SD rats with kidney deficiency and blood stasis type of endometrium, and gavage with norethindrone (estradiol) or Bamboo Rhythm No.1 formula. HOXA10 mRNA levels were measured by qPCR. In addition, the expression of IL-6, VEGF, TGF–β, and IGFBP-1 in the uterus was detected by IHC and ELISA. Results. Hydroxyurea- and epinephrine-induced PER was associated with low levels of HOXA10 in the endometrium and reduced levels of IL-6, TGF-β, VEGF, and IGFBP-1 in the endometrium. These were abolished by ZRC and Progynova treatment compared to PER rats, resulting in a dramatic increase in the levels of HOXA10 mRNA, IL-6, TGF-β, VEGF, and IGFBP-1 proteins. Conclusions. ZRC improves metaplasticization of endometrial stromal cells and promotes angiogenesis in rats with kidney deficiency and blood stasis. The moderate dose of kidney tonic to promote blood circulation method is superior in promoting angiogenesis, facilitating the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy, limiting trophoblast invasion of metaplasia, reducing miscarriage, and improving pregnancy rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]