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Background: Protein-1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) therapy have become an important treatment approach for patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but primary or secondary resistance remains a challenge for some patients. PD-1/PD-L1 combined with anti-angiogenic drugs (AAs) in NSCLC patients have potential synergistic effects, and the survival benefit may vary based on a treatment order. To investigate the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 combined with AAs as the treatment for patients with advanced NSCLC. Materials and Methods: We comprehensively searched EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang databases from January 2017 to September 2022. The Cochrane risk bias tool evaluated the quality of included randomized clinical trials. Newcastle-Ottawa-Scale score was used to evaluate the quality of retrospective studies. Publication bias was evaluated by funnel plot, Begg's test, and Egger's test. Results: Seventeen articles were finally selected, involving 5182 patients. Meta-analysis results showed that PD1/PD-L1 combined with AAs therapy significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.50-0.75, P < 0.00001), overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.71-0.88, P < 0.00001), and objective response rate (ORR) (risk ratio = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.81-0.96, P = 0.004), with the statistically significant difference. The sensitivity analysis demonstrated the robustness of the PFS, ORR, and OS. Conclusion: The combination of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors with AAs in treating advanced patients has exhibited notable therapeutic advantages when contrasted with monotherapy. Specifically, the administration of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in conjunction with AAs, or sequential treatment involving PD-1/PD-L1 followed by AAs, has shown enhanced therapeutic efficacy in this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent traffic control at nonsignalized intersections under a connected and automated vehicle (CAV) environment can reduce traffic congestion, vehicle emissions [e.g., carbon dioxide ðCO2Þ, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NO)], but it is still not safe enough for an unpredictable emergency. For example, an accidental stop or slow down of a vehicle in the conflict area will cause secondary accidents of vehicles from other directions because they do not have enough distance to brake. Such risks have not been given sufficient attention in the literature. This paper proposed a safety guarantee mechanism of intersection control to avoid secondary accidents by adding a safe buffer area outside the conflict area of the intersection. To improve the traffic efficiency of intersections and reduce vehicle emissions under the mechanism, we proposed a heuristic vehicle trajectory planning control strategy based on vehicle kinematics. Three planning principles are applied to generate the microscopic trajectory for each vehicle: (1) the vehicle first decelerates and then accelerates before passing the intersection; (2) try not to change the running state of the vehicle; and (3) the vehicles do not collide with each other. Finally, to further improve efficiency, we proposed the concept of a dynamic safety area, which reduces the delay by self-adjusting the safety area to each vehicle’s trajectory. The paper selected three simulation scenarios of road intersections to validate our methodology. The simulation results show that the proposed control method with the safe buffer significantly reduces average vehicle delay and emissions compared to traditional signal control systems. Compared with the fixed buffer, in the dynamic safe buffer scenario, the average vehicle delay can be reduced by 66.94%, the throughput is increased by 18.75%, and CO2 emissions are reduced by 9.9%. The dynamic safe buffer can not only relax the safety concern of a nonsignalized intersection, which is not well addressed in the literature, but also has much better performance than the traditional intersection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microenvironment of malignant melanomas defines the properties of tumor blood vessels and regulates infiltration and vascular dissemination of immune and cancer cells, respectively. Previous research in other cancer entities suggested the complement system as an essential part of the tumor microenvironment. Here, we confirm activation of the complement system in samples of melanoma patients and murine melanomas. We identified the tumor endothelium as the starting point of the complement cascade. Generation of complement-derived C5a promoted the recruitment of neutrophils. Upon contact with the vascular endothelium, neutrophils were further activated by complement membrane attack complexes (MACs). MAC-activated neutrophils release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Close to the blood vessel wall, NETs opened the endothelial barrier as indicated by an enhanced vascular leakage. This facilitated the entrance of melanoma cells into the circulation and their systemic spread. Depletion of neutrophils or lack of MAC formation in complement component 6 (C6)-deficient animals protected the vascular endothelium and prevented vascular intravasation of melanoma cells. Our data suggest that inhibition of MAC-mediated neutrophil activation is a potent strategy to abolish hematogenous dissemination in melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Schur--Parlett algorithm, implemented in MATLAB as funm, evaluates an analytic function f at an n X n matrix argument by using the Schur decomposition and a block recurrence of Parlett. The algorithm requires the ability to compute f and its derivatives, and it requires that / have a Taylor series expansion with a suitably large radius of convergence. We develop a version of the Schur--Parlett algorithm that requires only function values and not derivatives. The algorithm requires access to arithmetic of a matrix-dependent precision at least double the working precision, which is used to evaluate f on the diagonal blocks of order greater than 2 (if there are any) of the reordered and blocked Schur form. The key idea is to compute by diagonalization the function of a small random diagonal perturbation of each diagonal block, where the perturbation ensures that diagonalization will succeed. Our algorithm is inspired by Davies's randomized approximate diago-nalization method, but we explain why that is not a reliable numerical method for computing matrix functions. This multiprecision Schur--Parlett algorithm is applicable to arbitrary analytic functions / and, like the original Schur--Parlett algorithm, it generally behaves in a numerically stable fashion. The algorithm is especially useful when the derivatives of f are not readily available or accurately computable. We apply our algorithm to the matrix Mittag--Leffler function and show that it yields results of accuracy similar to, and in some cases much greater than, the state-of-the-art algorithm for this function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In human-machine interaction, facial emotion recognition plays an important role in recognizing the psychological state of humans. In this study, we propose a novel emotion recognition framework based on using a knowledge transfer approach to capture features and employ an improved deep forest model to determine the final emotion types. The structure of a very deep convolutional network is learned from ImageNet and is utilized to extract face and emotion features from other data sets, solving the problem of insufficiently labeled samples. Then, these features are input into a classifier called multi-composition deep forest, which consists of 16 types of forests for facial emotion recognition, to enhance the diversity of the framework. The proposed method does not need require to train a network with a complex structure, and the decision treebased classifier can achieve accurate results with very few parameters, making it easier to implement, train, and apply in practice. Moreover, the classifier can adaptively decide its model complexity without iteratively updating parameters. The experimental results for two emotion recognition problems demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method over several well-known methods in facial emotion recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reservation-based intersection control for connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) is promising to improve travel mobility, safety, energy consumption, and reducing emissions. Though the first-come-first-served (FCFS) policy is proven to be effective in increasing traffic capacity, the fairness attribute of FCFS policy could cause higher levels of delay in asymmetric intersections (e.g., intersections of major and minor roads) compared with signal control. The reason is that the signal control gives priority to high-demand road vehicles, whereas the FCFS policy neglects road types and assigns the same priority to all vehicles. To resolve this paradox, we propose a heuristic platoon control method. Based on the real-time traffic states, vehicles adaptively form platoons to reduce the frequency of right of way (ROW) exchanges in the FCFS method and to allow continuous traffic flow on the high-demand road. A heuristic scheduling policy evaluates different policies and selects the passing mode with the minimum delay to adjust vehicles’service sequences. By implementing a reservation cancellation mechanism, vehicles’ service sequences are updated in response to new arrivals. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed heuristic platoon control method has a higher traffic capacity compared with the traditional FCFS method and the FCFS-based platoon method. The improvement is more significant when the minor road is two-way, the traffic is heavy, and the traffic flow difference between the major and minor roads is large. The proposed method can also reserve longer safety buffers for vehicles. Furthermore, the heuristic platoon control method is verified to be applicable to multiple intersections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deregulation of the receptor tyrosine kinase mesenchymal epithelial transition factor (MET) has been implicated in several human cancers and is an attractive target for small molecule drug discovery. Herein, a series of 6,7-disubstituted-4-phenoxyquinoline derivatives bearing pyridazinone derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their enzymatic inhibitory activity against c-Met kinase and cellular potency against A549, HepG2, and MCF-7 cell lines. Eight of them are equal to more active than positive control Foretinib against one or more cell lines and enzyme. The most promising compound 53 showed superior activity to Foretinib, which possessed excellent c-Met kinase inhibition on a singledigital nanomolar level (IC50 = 0.6 nM), and cancer cells of A549 (IC50 = 0.003 µM), HepG2 (IC50 = 0.49 µM) and MCF-7 cells (IC50 = 0.006 µM). The result of AO single staining indicated that compound 53 could induce remarkable apoptosis of HepG2 cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using quadrat sampling method,the community structure and diversity of ground cover plants in the flight area in Tianjin Binhai International Airport were investigated from spring to autumn in 2015. The results showed that 58 plant species were recorded at the airport,belonging to 18 families and 48 genera.Dominant plant species showed seasonal characteristics. Specifically,Ixeris chinensis( Thunb.) Nakai and Lagopsis supina( Steph.) Ik.-Gal. ex Knorr. were the dominant species in spring; Lagopsis supina,Cirsium setosum( Willd.) MB,Plantago asiatica L.,Cynanchum chinense R. Br. and Humulus scandens( Lour.)Merr. were the dominant species in summer; Chloris virgata Sw. and Eleusine indica( L.) Gaertn. were the dominant species in autumn. Quantitative characteristics of the dominant species,including the density,frequency,coverage and height,varied in different seasons. In different seasons,changes in the diversity of plant communities in three sampling points were analyzed. The results indicated that plant communities in summer exhibited the highest diversity and the most uniform distribution. This study provided a theoretical basis for avoidance of bird strike in Tianjin Binhai International Airport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of travel time reliability in traffic management, control, and network design has received a lot of attention in the past decade. In this paper, a network travel time distribution model based on the Johnson curve system is proposed. The model is applied to field travel time data collected by Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. We further investigate the network-level travel time reliability by connecting the network reliability measures such as the weighted standard deviation of travel time rate and the weighted skewness of travel time rate distributions with network traffic characteristics (e.g., the network density). The weighting is done with respect to the number of signalized intersections on a trip. A clear linear relation between the weighted average travel time rate and the weighted standard deviation of travel time rate can be observed for different time periods with time-varying demand. Furthermore, both the weighted average travel time rate and the weighted standard deviation of travel time rate increase monotonically with network density. The empirical findings of the relation between network travel time reliability and network traffic characteristics can be possibly applied to assess traffic management and control measures to improve network travel time reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we give some sufficient conditions for the vanishing of the genus-2 G-function, which was introduced by B. Dubrovin, S. Liu and Y. Zhang in 2012. As a corollary we prove their conjecture for the vanishing of the genus-2 G-function for ADE singularities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic congestion caused by either insufficient road capacity or unexpected events has been a major problem in urban transportation networks. To disseminate accurate traveler information and reduce congestion impact, it is desirable to develop an adaptive model to predict travel time. The proposed model is practically implementable to capture dynamic traffic patterns under various conditions, which integrates the features of exponential smoothing and the Kalman filter by utilizing both real-time and historic data. The model is simple in formulation while robust in performance in terms of accuracy and stability. With a constraint or nonconstraint smoothing factor, the proposed model is tested with both real world and simulated data and demonstrated itself a sound model that outperforms others (e.g., Kalman filter and simple exponential smoothing) specifically under recurring and nonrecurring congestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a novel method for multichannel image gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) texture representation. It is well known that the standard procedure for the automatic extraction of GLCM textures is based on a mono-spectral image. In real applications, however, the GLCM texture feature extraction always refers to multi/hyperspectral images. The widely used strategy to deal with this issue is to calculate the GLCM from the first principal component or the panchromatic band, which do not include all the useful information. Accordingly, in this study, we propose to represent the multichannel textures for multi/hyperspectral imagery by the use of: (1) clustering algorithms; and (2) sparse representation, respectively. In this way, the multi/hyperspectral images can be described using a series of quantized codes or dictionaries, which are more suitable for multichannel texture representation than the traditional methods. Specifically, K-means and fuzzy c-means methods are adopted to generate the codes of an image from the clustering point of view, while a sparse dictionary learning method based on two coding rules is proposed to produce the texture primitives. The proposed multichannel GLCM textural extraction methods were evaluated with four multi/hyperspectral datasets: GeoEye-1 and QuickBird multispectral images of the city of Wuhan, the well-known AVIRIS hyperspectral dataset from the Indian Pines test site, and the HYDICE airborne hyperspectral dataset from the Washington DC Mall. The results show that both the clustering-based and sparsity-based GLCM textures outperform the traditional method (extraction based on the first principal component) in terms of classification accuracies in all the experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2009, residents of Lhasa city, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), China reported large numbers of mosquitoes and bites from these insects. It is unclear whether this was a new phenomenon, which species were involved, and whether these mosquitoes had established themselves in the local circumstances. Methods: The present study was undertaken in six urban sites of Chengguan district Lhasa city, Tibet. Adult mosquitoes were collected by bed net trap, labor hour method and light trap in August 2009 and August 2012. The trapped adult mosquitoes were initially counted and identified according to morphological criteria, and a proportion of mosquitoes were examined more closely using a multiplex PCR assay. Results: 907 mosquitoes of the Culex pipiens complex were collected in this study. Among them, 595 were females and 312 were males. There was no significant difference in mosquito density monitored by bed net trap and labor hour method in 2009 and 2012. Of 105 mosquitoes identified by multiplex PCR, 36 were pure mosquitoes (34.29%) while 69 were hybrids (65.71%). The same subspecies of Culex pipiens complex were observed by bed net trap, labor hour method and light trap in 2009 and 2012. Conclusion: The local Culex pipiens complex comprises the subspecies Cx. pipiens pipiens, Cx. pipiens pallens, Cx. pipiens quinquefasciatus and its hybrids. Mosquitoes in the Cx. pipiens complex, known to be, potentially, vectors of periodic filariasis and encephalitis, are now present from one season to the next, and appear to be established in Lhasa City, TAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Currently, the anticancer effects of metformin on different types of lung cancer have been frequently studied. However, the relationship between metformin and prognosis in nondiabetic patients with lung cancer remains controversial. To systematically evaluate the efficacy of metformin adjunctive therapy as the treatment for nondiabetic patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to provide an evidence-based reference for clinical medication. Materials and Methods: The literatures related to Phase II or III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of metformin adjunctive therapy in nondiabetic patients with advanced NSCLC, including EMBASE, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Scopus database, were retrieved by computer, and the search time ranged from January 2017 to August 2022. The risk of bias assessment tool recommended by Cochrane Systematic Evaluator Manual 5.1.0 was used to evaluate the quality of the RCTs included. Rev Man 5.3 software and STATA15.0 were used for meta-analysis. Results: A total of 8 studies were included (925 patients). Meta-analysis results showed that there were no significant differences in progression-free survival (PFS) (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.66-1.36, P = 0.77), overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.61-1.30, P = 0.55, n =7), objective response rate (ORR) (odds ratio [OR] = 1.37, 95% CI: 0.76-2.46, P = 0.30), and 1-year PFS rate (OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.39-1.94, P = 0.73, n = 3). Sensitivity analysis showed that PFS and OS indexes were stable. Conclusion: Metformin adjunctive therapy can improve the DCR of nondiabetic patients with advanced NSCLC. In addition, the patients cannot obtain a prolonged PFS, OS, 1-year PFS rate, and higher ORR rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studying the dispersal range of Anopheles sinensis is of major importance for understanding the transition from malaria control to elimination. However, no data are available regarding the dispersal range of An. sinensis in China. The aim of the present study was to study the dispersal range of An. sinensis and provide the scientific basis for the development of effective control measures for malaria elimination in China. Methodology/Principal Findings: Mark-Release-Recapture (MRR) experiments were conducted with 3000 adult wild An. sinensis in 2010 and 3000 newly emerged wild An. sinensis in 2011 in two villages of Yongcheng City in Henan Province. Marked An. sinensis were recaptured daily for ten successive days using light traps. The overall recapture rates were 0.83% (95% CI, 0.50%~1.16%) in 2010 and 1.33% (95% CI, 0.92%~1.74%) in 2011. There was no significant difference in the recapture rates of wild An. sinensis and newly emerged An. sinensis. The majority of An. sinensis were captured due east at study site I compared with most in the west at study site II. Eighty percent and 90% of the marked An. sinensis were recaptured within a radius of 100 m from the release point in study site I and II, respectively, with a maximum dispersal range of 400 m within the period of this study. Conclusions/Significance: Our results indicate that local An. sinensis may have limited dispersal ranges. Therefore, control efforts should target breeding and resting sites in proximity of the villages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle size fractions, varying from 1.6 to 0.1 mm, were separated from samples of municipal solid waste (MSW) compost. Several physical and chemical parameters of the samples with different particle sizes were measured. The results indicated particle size fractionation changed the physical properties and chemical component distribution of compost. Bulk density of the compost increased as particle size decreased. However, with the decrease of particle size there is a trend to decrease some soil parameters as pH, porosity, saturated water holding capacity, organic content, and Ca, Fe, Mg, and Mn contents. Higher organic content was found in fractions of diameter exceeding 0.4 mm, and total N content was higher (P<0.05) in fractions of diameter exceeding 0.8 mm than <0.8 mm fractions. Phosphorus was mainly distributed in coarse fractions larger than 0.8 mm, but K was concentrated in fine fractions of <0.8 mm. Calcium, Fe, Mg, and Mn contents in fractions >0.8 mm were higher (P<0.05) than those in fractions < 0.4 mm and control. Heavy metal concentrations in individual particles have strong particle size dependence. Lead was largely contained in fractions <0.8 mm, 244% higher than in >0.8 mm fractions. High Cu content was observed in the size range of 0.2-0.4 mm and 0.8-0.4 mm, with the maximum of 1,317 mg⋅kg-1 in the range of 0.8-0.4 mm. Zinc concentration was found to be the lowest in the range of 1.6-0.8 mm as compared to other fractions and control. No significant differences in Cd content were found between each treatment and control. Chromium and Ni were associated with the <0.8 mm particles more than any other fractions, and their concentrations were 177% and 140% higher than other particle sizes obtained, respectively. Based on the physical and chemical properties of different compost fractions used in this experiment, it is observed that coarse compost particles larger than 0.8 mm have considerable potential in agricultural applications as soil amendments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article urges that political change in China can only be brought about through willful social change. Following more than twenty years of reform, the author attests that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is still a powerful and selfish regime. Chinese totalitarianism is examined both during the reign of the former Chinese leader Mao Zedong and in the era following his reign, which the author labels the post-Mao era. This paper advocates for the development of human rights in China and discusses why a liberal political system can purportedly replace a dictatorship. Nonviolent resistance is identified as a powerful tool for fighting tyranny, and the author urges Chinese citizens to live like free people, regardless of the freedom-denying power of a regime.

In this paper, we give a simple formula for the generating function of genus-2 Gromov- Witten invariants for manifolds with semisimple quantum cohomology, and use this formula to prove the genus-2 Virasoro conjecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new state space method is presented for modal identification of a mechanical system from its time domain impulse or initial condition responses. A key step in this method is the identification of the characteristic polynomial coefficients of an adjoint system. Once these coefficients are determined, a canonical state space realization of the adjoint system and the system's modal parameters are formulated straightforwardly. This method is conceptually and mathematically simple and is easy to be implemented. Detailed mathematical treatments are demonstrated and numerical examples are provided to illustrate the use and effectiveness of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method is presented for synthesizing the dynamic responses of a complex structure based upon the frequency response functions of the substructures. This method is shown to be superior to traditional methods for several reasons: (i) It can be applied to a generic class of systems. (ii) The analyst is spared the responsibilities of eliminating the coupling forces and rearranging the equations of motion. (iii) The coupling forces and the responses of the total system can be obtained simultaneously and efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the problem of computing the square root of a perturbation of the scaled identity matrix, A = αIn + UV*, where U and V are n x k matrices with k ≤ n. This problem arises in various applications, including computer vision and optimization methods for machine learning. We derive a new formula for the pth root of A that involves a weighted sum of powers of the pth root of the k x k matrix αIk + V*U. This formula is particularly attractive for the square root, since the sum has just one term when p = 2. We also derive a new class of Newton iterations for computing the square root that exploit the low-rank structure. We test these new methods on random matrices and on positive definite matrices arising in applications. Numerical experiments show that the new approaches can yield a much smaller residual than existing alternatives and can be significantly faster when the perturbation UV* has low rank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The objective of the study was to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of semaglutide in overweight or obese adults with or without type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods: The study, registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023450979), was designed as a systematic review and meta-analysis. Using a combination of subject matter and free words, a comprehensive search of Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases was performed to identify randomized controlled trials of semaglutide in overweight or obese adults with or without Type 2 diabetes mellitus from January 1, 2020, to July 14, 2023. The primary outcomes were the changes in body weight and adverse drug reaction (ADR). Random or fixed effects models were used in meta-analysis, pooling data as relative risks (RRs) or mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool was used to assess quality. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3. Results: A total of 2490 publications were retrieved. Fifteen publications were finally included, totaling 6984 overweight or obese adult patients. Meta-analysis showed that compared with the control group, the semaglutide group was reduced more significantly in body weight (MD = -7.49, 95% CI [-9.92, -5.07], P < 0.001), body mass index (MD = -3.35, 95% CI [-4.79, -1.92], P < 0.001), waist circumference (MD = -7.26, 95% CI [-9.94, -4.58], P < 0.001), as well as glycosylated hemoglobin (RR = -0.66, 95% CI [-1.07, -0.25], P = 0.002), fasting blood glucose values (RR = -4.81, 95% CI [-7.03, -2.60], P < 0.001), and systolic blood pressure (RR = -3.37, 95% CI [-5.32, -1.42], P < 0.001), and the proportion of patients who lost > 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of their overall body weight, respectively (RR = 3.19, 95% CI [1.89, 5.36], P < 0.001), (RR = 4.74, 95% CI [2.78, 8.11], P < 0.001), (RR = 6.17, 95% CI [3.88, 9.82], P < 0.001), and (RR = 9.14, 95% CI [6.05, 13.80], P < 0.001) were also superior to the control group. Regarding safety, the incidence of total ADR in the semaglutide group was close to the placebo group. Still, gastrointestinal adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea were higher than those in the control group. Conclusion: Semaglutide can effectively lose weight in overweight or obese adults with or without diabetes, potentially providing cardiovascular benefits; however, gastrointestinal adverse should be closely monitored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangroves are unique ecosystems that harbor a wide variety of microbial communities including Archaea. Although Archaea have widely been reported to play important roles in biogeochemical cycles, the involvement of archaeal communities in mangrove ecosystems and nitrogen cycling remains largely underexplored. To bridge this gap, we investigated the distribution of archaeal communities and their functional genes involved in the nitrogen cycle in South China mangroves covering seven different geographical areas. Our results indicated that mangroves are an important reservoir of unclassified Archaea, and therefore these unique ecosystems could fuel important discoveries in the future. Moreover, total nitrogen, total carbon and nitrate concentrations were found to be critical drivers of archaeal community composition in these mangroves. Selective Archaea, particularly Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota, are the major contributors to nitrogen cycling in the mangroves, especially involved in nitrification. Taken together, our findings advance our understanding of Archaea-driven nitrogen cycling in mangrove ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing algorithms for computing the matrix cosine are tightly coupled to a specific precision of floating-point arithmetic for optimal efficiency so they do not conveniently extend to an arbitrary precision environment. We develop an algorithm for computing the matrix cosine that takes the unit roundoff of the working precision as input, and so works in an arbitrary precision. The algorithm employs a Taylor approximation with scaling and recovering and it can be used with a Schur decomposition or in a decomposition-free manner. We also derive a framework for computing the Fr'echet derivative, construct an efficient evaluation scheme for computing the cosine and its Fréchet derivative simultaneously in arbitrary precision, and show how this scheme can be extended to compute the matrix sine, cosine, and their Fréchet derivatives all together. Numerical experiments show that the new algorithms behave in a forward stable way over a wide range of precisions. The transformation-free version of the algorithm for computing the cosine is competitive in accuracy with the state-of-the-art algorithms in double precision and surpasses existing alternatives in both speed and accuracy in working precisions higher than double. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the Tiananmen Square student hunger strike in China. Purpose of the hunger strike; Sympathy for the student movement; Undemocratic elements in the process of seeking democracy; Main slogans of the students.

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a zoonotic disease caused by the rodent-transmitted orthohantaviruses (HVs), with China possessing the most cases globally. The virus hosts in China are Apodemus agrarius and Rattus norvegiens, and the disease spread is strongly influenced by global climate dynamics. To assess and predict the spatiotemporal trends of HFRS from 2005 to 2098, we collected historical HFRS data in mainland China (2005-2020), historical and projected climate and population data (2005-2098), and spatial variables including biotic, environmental, topographical, and socioeconomic. Spatiotemporal predictions and mapping were conducted under 27 scenarios incorporating multiple integrated representative concentration pathway models and population scenarios. We identify the type of magistral HVs host species as the best spatial division, including four region categories. Seven extreme climate indices associated with temperature and precipitation have been pinpointed as key factors affecting the trends of HFRS. Our predictions indicate that annual HFRS cases will increase significantly in 62 of 356 cities in mainland China. Rattus regions are predicted to be the most active, surpassing Apodemus and Mixed regions. Eighty cities are identified as at severe risk level for HFRS, each with over 50 reported cases annually, including 22 new cities primarily located in East China and Rattus regions after 2020, while 6 others develop new risk. Our results suggest that the risk of HFRS will remain high through the end of this century, with Rattus norvegieus being the most active host, and that extreme climate indices are significant risk factors. Our findings can inform evidence-based policymaking regarding future risk of HFRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flywheel energy storage system (FESS) is new advanced machinery which is intended for electric power storage and release. A FESS, which is suitable for the small flywheel, was developed with a permanent magnet bearing (PMB) and a single point flexible support, and its friction loss is very low. By means of the Lagrange theory, a dynamic model was established. The Campbell diagram, mode shapes, modal damping ratios and critical speeds were designed after the flywheel data at different operating speeds was obtained by numerical simulation. Based on the excitation test and single freedom vibration theory, the stiffness and damping coefficient of the upper and lower damper was measured. The influences of damper dynamic parameters on modes of flywheel rotor bearing system were discussed in detail. The comparison between the calculated unbalance response and the experimental response indicates that the dynamic model is appropriate. The results showed that the lower damper absorbed vibration energy of the flywheel rotor, which increased vibration of the damping body. And the bigger damping coefficient had better vibration absorption effect. The developed FESS is simple, stable and efficient in structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imported infectious diseases are becoming a serious public health threat in China. However, limited information concerning the epidemiologic characteristics of imported infectious diseases is available. In this study, we collected data related to imported infectious diseases in mainland China from the National Information Reporting System of Infectious Diseases and analyzed demographic, temporal, and spatial distributions. The number of types of imported infectious diseases reported increased from 2 in 2005 to 11 in 2016. A total of 31,740 cases of infectious disease were imported to mainland China during 2005-2016; most of them were found in Yunnan Province. The cases were imported mainly from Africa and Asia. As a key and effective measure, pretravel education should be strengthened for all migrant workers and tourists in China, and border screening, cross-border international cooperation, and early warning should be further improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electrochemical quercetin (QR) sensor is described that is based on the use of magnetic reduced graphene oxide (MrGO) incorporated into a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) on the surface of a screen-printed electrode (SPE). The MrGO consists of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), magnetite (Fe3O4) and silver nanoparticles (Ag). The analyte (QR) is electrostatically adsorbed on the surface of the MrGO. Finally, the MIP was deposited via in-situ polymerization. The composite was characterized by Xray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Vibrating sample magnetometry. The morphologies and electrochemical properties of different electrodes were characterized by Field emission scanning electron microscopy, Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and differential pulse voltammetry. Under optimal conditions, the modified electrode has a linear response in the 20 nM to 250 µM QR concentration range. The limit of detection is 13 nM (at an S/N ratio of 3). The electrode is selective, stable, regenerable and reliable. It was applied to the determination of QR in spiked pharmaceutical samples and gave satisfactory results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of SOX2 on odontoblast differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), and to examine the potential application of DPSCs on dental restoration. SRY-box 2 (SOX2) overexpression in human DPSCs (DPSCs-SOX2) was established by retroviral infection. The empty vector-infected DPSCs were regarded as a control group (DPSCs-vector group). Odontoblast differentiation culture medium was used to induce the differentiation of DPSCs. The degree of odontoblast differentiation of DPSCs was analyzed by flow cytometry. A genomic expression micro - array and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to analyze the molecular mechanism of SOX2 affecting odontoblast differentiation of DPSCs. After induction by odontoblast differentiation culture medium, the DPSC, DPSCs-vector and DPSCs-SOX2 groups all could carry out odontoblast differentiation. After induction for 3 weeks, all groups expressed dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) and dentin matrix protein-1 (DMP-1) to a certain degree. However, after induction differentiation, the expression efficiency of DSPP and DMP-1 in the DPSCs-SOX2 group was highest compared with the normal DPSC and DPSCs-vector groups, which demonstrated the advantages of DPSC-SOX2 in odontoblast differentiation. Mechanism analysis indicated that in the DPSCs-SOX2 group, the activation of the Wnt signaling pathway and the upregulation of Wnt genes may be important mechanisms underlying SOX2 promoting odontoblast differentiation of DPSCs. These results preliminarily indicate that SOX2 has a certain promoting effect on odontoblast differentiation of DPSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents FLGC, a simple yet effective fully linear graph convolutional network for semi-supervised and unsupervised learning. Instead of using gradient descent, we train FLGC based on computing a global optimal closed-form solution with a decoupled procedure, resulting in a generalized linear framework and making it easier to implement, train, and apply. We show that (1) FLGC is powerful to deal with both graph-structured data and regular data, (2) training graph convolutional models with closed-form solutions improve computational efficiency without degrading performance, and (3) FLGC acts as a natural generalization of classic linear models in the non-Euclidean domain (e.g., ridge regression and subspace clustering). Furthermore, we implement a semi-supervised FLGC and an unsupervised FLGC by introducing an initial residual strategy, enabling FLGC to aggregate long-range neighborhoods and alleviate over-smoothing. We compare our semi-supervised and unsupervised FLGCs against many state-of-the-art methods on a variety of classification and clustering benchmarks, demonstrating that the proposed FLGC models consistently outperform previous methods in terms of accuracy, robustness, and learning efficiency. The core code of our FLGC is released at https://github.com/AngryCai/FLGC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of treatment with epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on the human esophageal cancer cell line ECa109 and elucidate the associated underlying mechanisms. ECa109 cells were cultured and treated with increasing concentrations of EGCG for various durations. Cell viability was evaluated using the MTT assay and apoptosis was detected using flow cytometry. The methylation status of the cyclin‑dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (p16) gene was analyzed using the methylation‑specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). p16 mRNA and protein expression was measured using reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blot analysis, respectively. The results of the present study demonstrated that, following treatment with EGCG, ECa109 cell viability was significantly decreased, while the rate of apoptosis was significantly increased (P<0.01), in a dose‑ and time‑dependent manner. Following treatment of ECa109 cells with EGCG, p16 gene demethylation, and its mRNA and protein expression, were significantly increased compared with the untreated cells (P<0.01). EGCG may induce ECa109 cell apoptosis and inhibit cell growth through p16 gene demethylation, which restores its expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skip-stop operation is a low cost approach to improving the efficiency of metro operation and passenger travel experience. This paper proposes a novel method to optimize the skip-stop scheme for bidirectional metro lines so that the average passenger travel time can be minimized. Different from the conventional "A/B" scheme, the proposed Flexible Skip-Stop Scheme (FSSS) can better accommodate spatially and temporally varied passenger demand. A genetic algorithm (GA) based approach is then developed to efficiently search for the optimal solution. A case study is conducted based on a real world bidirectional metro line in Shenzhen, China, using the time-dependent passenger demand extracted from smart card data. It is found that the optimized skip-stop operation is able to reduce the average passenger travel time and transit agencies may benefit from this scheme due to energy and operational cost savings. Analyses are made to evaluate the effects of that fact that certain number of passengers fail to board the right train (due to skip operation). Results show that FSSS always outperforms the all-stop scheme even when most passengers of the skipped OD pairs are confused and cannot get on the right train. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An adaptive sampling and optimized extrapolation scheme for spherical near-field antenna testing is proposed. The method relies on the partition clustering classification algorithm and Voronoi classification to divide a small amount of initial data into subclasses and cells. The sampling density and rates of variation between adjacent sampling points are used as an overall metric function to evaluate the sampling dynamics at each location. Appropriate interpolation is performed in the highly dynamic region to increase the effective data in the near-field samples. The Gerchberg-Papoulis algorithm extrapolates the unnecessary interpolation region to improve the near-field sampling accuracy. This method uses a small amount of initial near- field sampled data for near-far field conversion to achieve the same precision as uniform oversampling. The feasibility and stability of the algorithm are proved from the actual measurement results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the rapid attenuation of the millimeter wave, it is necessary to use very large-scale antenna arrays in millimeter wave communications to get ultra-high directivity which improves the transmission distance and the signal-to-noise ratio. Considering the cost of large-scale RF links, analog beamforming plays an important role in large-scale MIMO communications. This paper discusses the calculation method of the antenna pattern that best matches the instantaneous MIMO channel in analog beamforming. By giving piecewise modeling on the antenna pattern, singular value decomposition and the water-filling algorithm are used to obtain the antenna pattern and the power distribution among antennas. The optimal antenna pattern can provide the target pattern for antenna synthesis to get the maximum capacity. The simulation results show that the method is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil humus dissimilation in 8 kinds of pure forests was detected and its relationship with soil biological and chemical properties and leaf litter characteristics was assessed using partial least squares regression (PLS-R). The results indicated that: The particular soil properties in pure forest rather than the litter characteristics exhibited the dominant impacts on humus accumulation and degree of humifications. High soil microbial biomass carbon (MC), alkaline N and available P contents, soil phosphatase, dehydrogenase and urease activities, and litter accumulation were associated with high humic acid accumulation, while high soil available Fe and litter Mn contents were opposite. High soil MC, alkaline N, available Zn and P contents, and dehydrogenase and phosphatase activities were in favour of fulvic acid accumulation, while the high litter Mn content were opposite. High soil MC and alkaline N contents, dehydrogenase and phosphatase activities and high litter N content were associated with the accumulation of humin, in contrast, increase in soil available K and Zn contents and sucrase activity hindered this process. Increases in soil available K content, urease and peroxidase activities and litter accumulation and C/P ratio increased the degree of humifications of soil, while the increases in soil available Fe and Cu contents, catalase activity and litter P content significantly decreased it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer is the primary malignancy of the lung and is the leading cause of cancer-associated mortality in China. Multidrug resistance (MDR) is an essential aspect of lung cancer treatment failure and a popular topic of investigation in tumor studies. Previous studies have demonstrated that soluble resistance-related calcium-binding protein (Sorcin) is involved in the MDR of various types of human tumor, and that silencing Sorcin was able to reverse the MDR of several types of cultured human cancer cells. However, the effect and potential mechanism underlying the ability of Sorcin to reverse MDR in human lung cancer remains to be fully elucidated. The present study examined the role of Sorcin in the reversal of MDR in human lung cancer A549/DDP cells. The effects included increased drug sensitivity to cisplatin, apoptotic rate, cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase and intracellular accumulation of rhodamine-123, and decreased expression of multidrug resistance gene 1, lung resistance protein, multidrug resistance-associated protein, glutathione S-transferase π, ATP-binding cassette transporter A2 (ABCA2), ABCA5, B-cell lymphoma 2 and P-glycoprotein, and the depletion of glutathione in Sorcin-silenced A549/DDP cells. The present study also revealed that there was a downregulation of p-Akt and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK), and a decreased transcriptional activation of nuclear factor κB, signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3, STAT5 and nuclear factor of activated T-cells following silencing of Sorcin. The results indicated that Sorcin may be used as a potential therapeutic target for MDR through inhibiting the Akt and ERK pathways in human lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polybenzoxazine (PB a) was modified by polyarylene ether nitriles (PEN) via in situ curing reaction of benzoxazine in the presence of PEN to improve toughness and thermal properties. DSC measurements of the cured blends containing PBa and PEN showed single glass-transition temperatures (Tg's) when the amount of PEN in the blends less than 20%, and the blends have significantly higher glass transition temperatures than those of each homopolymer. Tensile measurements of the films revealed that the strength and elongation was dramatically enhanced by the addition of PEN, the toughness of the PBa/PEN films was greatly enhanced. The thermal stability also increased with the increase of PEN content as evidenced by TGA. All of the mechanical and thermal characteristics show that the blends can be good candidates for the matrix resin of advanced composite materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Titania-containing Polyarylene ether nitriles (PEN) hybrid films have been successfully fabricated via in-situ sol-gel process, nanosized TiO2 particles are found well dispersed within the polymer matrix. The dielectric properties of the films were measured to find that dielectric constant as well as dielectric loss of the hybrid films increased linearly with the increasing TiO2 content without sacrificing dielectric breakdown strength compared to that of the pristine polymer. Increased gel temperature reduced dielectric loss efficiently but has little influence on dielectric constant. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Examines the advantages of using tellurite glasses in broadband amplifiers and integrated optics. Thermal properties of glass hosts; Measurements of nonlinear refractive index and absorption; Importance of optical amplifiers in multichannel transmission systems.

A near-field planar array of wideband dual polarized antennas for plane-wave synthesis has been investigated. The paper presents a PWG with a concentric ring array of 84 Vivaldi antennas which can work at 0.6GHz-3GHz. The constraint least square (CLS) algorithm is used to optimize the weight coefficients of the array elements, which effectively reduce the influence of system uncertainty on quiet zone (QZ) ripple. To reduce the system cost and complexity, the array elements in each concentric ring form a sub-array and the elements of the same sub-array adopt a passive beam forming network. The simulation and initial test results of a circular QZ with a diameter of 600 mm are given. The results demonstrate the feasibility of our design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shared medical appointments, which allow greater access to care and provide peer support, may be an effective treatment modality for prediabetes. We used a retrospective propensity-matched cohort analysis to compare patients attending a prediabetes shared medical appointment to usual care. Primary outcome was patient's weight change over 24 months. Secondary outcomes included change in hemoglobin A1c, low density lipoprotein, and systolic blood pressure. The shared medical appointments group lost more weight (2.88 kg vs 1.29 kg, P = .003), and achieved greater reduction in hemoglobin A1c (-0.87% vs +0.87%, P = .001) and systolic blood pressure (-4.35 mmHg vs +0.52 mmHg, P = .044). The shared medical appointment model can be effective in treating prediabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the patency of graft and anastomoses in sequential and individual coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods: Our study used the Cochrane Library database, Excerpta Medica database, Web of Science, and PubMed. Studies comparing the outcomes of graft or anastomosis patency were assessed independently by two reviewers to identify the literature of satisfaction. We used Review Manager and STATA software for statistical analysis. Results: Fifteen cohort studies were analyzed, including 10681 patients, 12957 grafts, and 4341 anastomoses, under sequential and individual CABG. Compared with the sequential group, the individual one is statistically significant in the graft patency [risk ratio (RR)=1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.13; p=0.02] and anastomosis patency (RR=1.06, 95% CI 1.01-1.12; p=0.005). Conclusion: Our study suggested that the patency of the individual group, in terms of graft and anastomosis patency, is better than that of the sequential one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]