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Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been extensively used in numerous remote sensing image detection tasks owing to their exceptional performance. Nevertheless, CNNs are often vulnerable to adversarial examples, limiting the uses in different safety-critical scenarios. Recently, how to efficiently detect adversarial examples and improve the robustness of CNNs has drawn considerable focus. The existing adversarial example detection methods require modifying CNNs, which not only affects the model performance but also greatly enhances training cost. With the purpose of solving these problems, this study proposes a detection algorithm for adversarial examples that does not need modification of the CNN models and can simultaneously retain the classification accuracy of normal examples. Specifically, we design a method to detect adversarial examples using frequency domain reconstruction. After converting the input adversarial examples into the frequency domain by Fourier transform, the adversarial disturbance from adversarial attacks can be eliminated by modifying the frequency of the example. The inverse Fourier transform is then used to maximize the recovery of the original example. Firstly, we train a CNN to reconstruct input examples. Then, we insert Fourier transform, convolution operation, and inverse Fourier transform into the features of the input examples to automatically filter out adversarial frequencies. We refer to our proposed method as FDR (frequency domain reconstruction), which removes adversarial interference by converting input samples into frequency and reconstructing them back into the spatial domain to restore the image. In addition, we also introduce gradient masking into the proposed FDR method to enhance the detection accuracy of the model for complex adversarial examples. We conduct extensive experiments on five mainstream adversarial attacks on three benchmark datasets, and the experimental results show that FDR can outperform state-of-the-art solutions in detecting adversarial examples. Additionally, FDR does not require any modifications to the detector and can be integrated with other adversarial example detection methods to be installed in sensing devices to ensure detection safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differential Evolution (DE) stands as a potent global optimization algorithm, renowned for its application in addressing a myriad of practical engineering issues. The efficacy of DE is profoundly influenced by its control parameters and mutation strategies. In light of this, we introduce a refined DE algorithm characterized by adaptive parameters and dual mutation strategies (APDSDE). APDSDE inaugurates an adaptive switching mechanism that alternates between two innovative mutation strategies: DE/current-to-pBest-w/1 and DE/current-to-Amean-w/1. Furthermore, a novel parameter adaptation technique rooted in cosine similarity is established, with the derivation of explicit calculation formulas for both the scaling factor weight and crossover rate weight. In pursuit of optimizing convergence speed whilst preserving population diversity, a sophisticated nonlinear population size reduction method is proposed. The robustness of each algorithm is rigorously evaluated against the CEC2017 benchmark functions, with empirical evidence underscoring the superior performance of APDSDE in comparison to a host of advanced DE variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is increasing evidence that gut fungi dysbiosis plays a crucial role in the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). It has been reported that gut fungi exacerbate the severity of CRC by regulating tumor immunity. Our previous studies have shown that the opportunistic pathogenic fungal pathogen, Candida tropicalis (C. tropicalis) promotes CRC progression by enhancing the immunosuppressive function of MDSCs and activating the NLRP3 inflammasome of MDSCs. However, the relationship between IL-1β produced by NLRP3 inflammasome activation and the immunosuppressive function of MDSCs enhanced by C. tropicalis in CRC remains unclear. Methods: The TCGA database was used to analyze the relationship between IL-1β and genes related to immunosuppressive function of MDSCs in human CRC. The expression of IL-1β in human CRC tissues was detected by immunofluorescence staining. The proteomic analysis was performed on the culture supernatant of C. tropicalis-stimulated MDSCs. The experiments of supplementing and blocking IL-1β as well as inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome activation were conducted. A mouse colon cancer xenograft model was established by using MC38 colon cancer cell line. Results: Analysis of CRC clinical samples showed that the high expression of IL-1β was closely related to the immunosuppressive function of tumor-infiltrated MDSCs. The results of in vitro experiments revealed that IL-1β was the most secreted cytokine of MDSCs stimulated by C. tropicalis. In vitro supplementation of IL-1β further enhanced the immunosuppressive function of C. tropicalis-stimulated MDSCs and NLRP3-IL-1β axis mediated the immunosuppressive function of MDSCs enhanced by C. tropicalis. Finally, blockade of IL-1β secreted by MDSCs augmented antitumor immunity and mitigated C. tropicalis-associated colon cancer. Conclusions: C. tropicalis promotes excessive secretion of IL-1β from MDSCs via the NLRP3 inflammasome. IL-1β further enhances the immunosuppressive function of MDSCs to inhibit antitumor immunity, thus promoting the progression of CRC. Therefore, targeting IL-1β secreted by MDSCs may be a potential immunotherapeutic strategy for the treatment of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is increasing evidence that gut fungi dysbiosis plays a crucial role in the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). It has been reported that gut fungi exacerbate the severity of CRC by regulating tumor immunity. Our previous studies have shown that the opportunistic pathogenic fungal pathogen, Candida tropicalis (C. tropicalis) promotes CRC progression by enhancing the immunosuppressive function of MDSCs and activating the NLRP3 inflammasome of MDSCs. However, the relationship between IL-1β produced by NLRP3 inflammasome activation and the immunosuppressive function of MDSCs enhanced by C. tropicalis in CRC remains unclear. Methods: The TCGA database was used to analyze the relationship between IL-1β and genes related to immunosuppressive function of MDSCs in human CRC. The expression of IL-1β in human CRC tissues was detected by immunofluorescence staining. The proteomic analysis was performed on the culture supernatant of C. tropicalis-stimulated MDSCs. The experiments of supplementing and blocking IL-1β as well as inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome activation were conducted. A mouse colon cancer xenograft model was established by using MC38 colon cancer cell line. Results: Analysis of CRC clinical samples showed that the high expression of IL-1β was closely related to the immunosuppressive function of tumor-infiltrated MDSCs. The results of in vitro experiments revealed that IL-1β was the most secreted cytokine of MDSCs stimulated by C. tropicalis. In vitro supplementation of IL-1β further enhanced the immunosuppressive function of C. tropicalis-stimulated MDSCs and NLRP3-IL-1β axis mediated the immunosuppressive function of MDSCs enhanced by C. tropicalis. Finally, blockade of IL-1β secreted by MDSCs augmented antitumor immunity and mitigated C. tropicalis-associated colon cancer. Conclusions: C. tropicalis promotes excessive secretion of IL-1β from MDSCs via the NLRP3 inflammasome. IL-1β further enhances the immunosuppressive function of MDSCs to inhibit antitumor immunity, thus promoting the progression of CRC. Therefore, targeting IL-1β secreted by MDSCs may be a potential immunotherapeutic strategy for the treatment of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrochar from waste biomass is a promising material for removing emerging contaminants (e.g., antibiotics) in water/soil environment. Abundant small-sized hydrochar particles (HPs) with a high content of reactive functional groups and high mobility are easily released into ecosystems through hydrochar applications. However, the photodegradation ability and corresponding structures of HPs are largely unknown, which hinder accurate estimation of the remediation effect of hydrochar in ecosystems. Herein, photodegradation performance of HP towards targeted norfloxacin (NOR, a typical antibiotic) under light irradiation (visible and UV light) were investigated after adsorption processes upon release into soil/water, and its reactive species and photoactive structures were clarified and compared with those of residual bulk hydrochar (BH) comprehensively. The results showed that: (1) photodegradation percentages of HPs were 4.02 and 4.48 times higher than those of BHs under UV and visible light, in which reactive species of both HPs and BHs were ·OH and ·O2−; (2) density functional theory (DFT) results identified that the main photoactive structure of graphitic-N decreased the energy gap (Eg) of HPs, and C=O, COOH groups improved electron donating ability of BHs; (3) well-developed graphitization structure of HP resulted from higher polymerization reaction was an significant photoactive structure involving its superior photodegradation ability relative to that of BH. The distinct heterogeneities of photodegradation ability in HP and BH and underlying photoactive structures provide an in-depth understanding of hydrochar application for removing emerging contaminants in soil/water environment. Identifying photoactive structures is helpful to predict photodegradation ability of hydrochar according to their abundance. Highlights: Photodegradation percentage of HP from hydrochar application was ~4 times superior to that of BH in degradation of NOR. Major reactive species of HPs and BHs (·OH and ·O2−) were generated from graphitic-N and C=O/COOH groups, respectively. Photoactivity of HPs superior to BHs was mainly generated from well-developed graphitization structure of former. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geotechnical particle image velocimetry (GeoPIV), as a type of digital image correlation (DIC), represents the state-of-the-art methodology for non-contact full-field deformation measurement in geotechnical engineering. Yet, when applying GeoPIV on sand specimens with interests in grain level, the discontinuities detection at grain boundaries remains as a challenge for 2D GeoPIV applications. In order to facilitate the full-field measurement for microscopic study, a method is proposed in this study to realize 2D pixel-level motion calculation using supervised optical flow algorithm with deep networks. Using digital images acquired from direct shear testing, the performance of this approach is demonstrated and compared with the prevailing GeoPIV method. Two series of experiments using small and large displacement modes were conducted, respectively, to demonstrate the method's ability of revealing greater insights on soil behavior at grain level. To verify its accuracy, performance benchmarking of the approach was also conducted. Besides, a method was proposed to evaluate the errors in experimental images to ensure the accuracy and precision. It was demonstrated that the proposed method can achieve accurate pixel-level motion field calculation using images of common size and that the deformation discontinuities among particles can be clearly presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It has been proposed that anti-angiogenesis therapy could induce tumor "vascular normalization" and further enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, target therapy, and immunotherapy for nearly twenty years. However, the detailed molecular mechanism of this phenomenon is still obscure. Method: Overexpression and knockout of CCL28 in human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 and murine lung adenocarcinoma cell line LLC, respectively, were utilized to establish mouse models. Single-cell sequencing was performed to analyze the proportion of different cell clusters and metabolic changes in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Immunofluorescence and multiplex immunohistochemistry were conducted in murine tumor tissues and clinical biopsy samples to assess the percentage of pericytes coverage. Primary pericytes were isolated from lung adenocarcinoma tumor tissues using magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS). These pericytes were then treated with recombinant human CCL28 protein, followed by transwell migration assays and RNA sequencing analysis. Changes in the secretome and metabolome were examined, and verification of retinoic acid metabolism alterations in pericytes was conducted using quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting, and LC–MS technology. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by quantitative PCR (ChIP-qPCR) was employed to validate the transcriptional regulatory ability and affinity of RXRα to specific sites at the ANGPT1 promoter. Results: Our study showed that after undergoing anti-angiogenesis treatment, the tumor exhibited a state of ischemia and hypoxia, leading to an upregulation in the expression of CCL28 in hypoxic lung adenocarcinoma cells by the hypoxia-sensitive transcription factor CEBPB. Increased CCL28 could promote tumor vascular normalization through recruiting and metabolic reprogramming pericytes in the tumor microenvironment. Mechanistically, CCL28 modified the retinoic acid (RA) metabolism and increased ANGPT1 expression via RXRα in pericytes, thereby enhancing the stability of endothelial cells. Conclusion: We reported the details of the molecular mechanisms of "vascular normalization" after anti-angiogenesis therapy for the first time. Our work might provide a prospective molecular marker for guiding the clinical arrangement of combination therapy between anti-angiogenesis treatment and other therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rising temperatures and higher atmospheric CO2 levels can potentially increase plant photosynthesis and boost forest productivity, thereby spurring litter inputs to soils on a global scale. Understanding the feedback loops between increased litter inputs and soil biota activity will allow for better prediction of organic matter and carbon (C) cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Nematodes represent the full spectrum of trophic groups within the soil biota. Accordingly, we studied the link between nematode metabolic activities and plant litter input. For this, different litter input levels were manipulated in a temperate forest, including control zones without litter, natural litter input zones and zones with double, triple and quadruple amounts of natural litter input. Soil top layers (0–10 cm) were then collected to study the responses of nematode communities. Increased litter input positively influenced the abundance and diversity of nematodes, except for plant‐parasitic species. Higher litter input levels led to an enhancement in the ratio of bacterivores to the total of bacterivores and fungivores. More litter increased the K/r strategist ratio among bacterivores and the corresponding nematode metabolic footprints. More litter also stimulated nematode production and respiration components and improved the carbon use efficiency of bacterivores. Moreover, structural equation modelling revealed the crucial role of bacterivores in influencing soil organic C under increased litter input. In conclusion, our study shows that increased plant above‐ground litter input modifies the taxonomic and functional communities of soil nematodes, ultimately regulating carbon cycling in forest soils. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the issue of insufficient model detection capability caused by the lack of labeled samples and the existence of new types of attacks in the industrial internet, a few-shot learning-based intrusion detection method is proposed.The method constructs the encoder of the prototypical network using a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) and an attention mechanism, and employs the squared Euclidean distance function as the metric function to improve the prototypical network. This approach aims to enhance the accuracy of intrusion detection in scenarios with scarce labeled samples and the presence of new types of attacks.inally, simulation experiments are conducted on the few-shot learning-based intrusion detection system. The results demonstrate that the method achieves accuracy rates of 86.35% and 91.25% on the CIC-IDS 2017 and GasPipline datasets, respectively, while also exhibiting significant advantages in detecting new types of attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The annotation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images plays an important role in deep learning-based MRI segmentation tasks. Semi-automatic annotation algorithms are helpful for improving the efficiency and reducing the difficulty of MRI image annotation. However, the existing semi-automatic annotation algorithms based on deep learning have poor pre-annotation performance in the case of insufficient segmentation labels. In this paper, we propose a semi-automatic MRI annotation algorithm based on semi-weakly supervised learning. In order to achieve a better pre-annotation performance in the case of insufficient segmentation labels, semi-supervised and weakly supervised learning were introduced, and a semi-weakly supervised learning segmentation algorithm based on sparse labels was proposed. In addition, in order to improve the contribution rate of a single segmentation label to the performance of the pre-annotation model, an iterative annotation strategy based on active learning was designed. The experimental results on public MRI datasets show that the proposed algorithm achieved an equivalent pre-annotation performance when the number of segmentation labels was much less than that of the fully supervised learning algorithm, which proves the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using physical vapor deposition (PVD) technology, GeSe nanowires were successfully fabricated by heating GeSe powder at temperatures of 500 °C, 530 °C, 560 °C, 590 °C, and 620 °C. The microstructure, crystal morphology, and chemical composition of the resulting materials were thoroughly analyzed employing methods like Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), plus Raman Spectroscopy. Through a series of photoelectric performance tests, it was discovered that the GeSe nanowires prepared at 560 °C exhibited superior properties. These nanowires not only possessed high crystalline quality but also featured uniform diameters, demonstrating excellent consistency. Under illumination at 780 nm, the GeSe nanowires prepared at this temperature showed higher dark current, photocurrent, and photoresponsivity compared to samples prepared at other temperatures. These results indicate that GeSe nanomaterials hold substantial potential in the field of photodetection. Particularly in the visible light spectrum, GeSe nanomaterials exhibit outstanding light absorption capabilities and photoresponse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is reported as a key material in photoelectrocatalysis owing to high theoretical efficiency, relatively narrow band gap of 2.4 eV, and favorable conduction band edge position for hydrogen evolution. However, the sluggish hole transport dynamics lead to slow photogenerated charge separation and transport efficiencies, which result in charge recombination due to aggregation. Herein, a novel hole transport layer of copper(I) thiocyanate (CuSCN) with the aim of significantly enhancing the efficiency of charge transport and stability of BiVO4 photoanodes is reported. The introduction of the hole transport layer could provide an appropriate intermediate energy level for photogenerated hole transfer and avoid charge recombination and trapping. After a photoassisted electrodeposition process of NiCoFe‐Bi catalysis, the obtained photoanode achieves a photocurrent density of 5.6 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode under AM 1.5 G simulated solar radiation, and an applied bias photon to current efficiency of 2.31%. With the CuSCN layer, BiVO4 photoanode presented impressive stable photocurrent during 50 h continuous illumination. Meanwhile, the unbiased tandem device of the NiCoFe‐Bi/CuSCN/BiVO4 photoanode and the Si solar cell exhibit a solar‐to‐hydrogen efficiency of 5.75% and excellent stability for 14 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Caspase Recruitment Domain-containing protein 9 (CARD9) expressed in myeloid cells has been demonstrated to play an antifungal immunity role in protecting against disseminated candidiasis. Hereditary CARD9 ablation leads to fatal disseminated candidiasis. However, the myeloid cell types and molecular mechanisms implicated in CARD9 protecting against disseminated candidiasis remain wholly elusive. Methods: The role of CARD9 ablation in exacerbating disseminated candidiasis was determined in vivo and in vitro. The molecular mechanism by which CARD9 ablation promotes acute kidney injury in disseminated candidiasis was identified by RNA-sequencing analysis. The expression of mitochondrial proteins and ferroptosis-associated proteins were measured by Quantitative real-time PCR and western blot. Results: CARD9 ablation resulted in a reduced proportion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and a substantially lower expression of solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) in the kidneys, which increased susceptibility to acute kidney injury and renal ferroptosis during disseminated Candida tropicalis (C. tropicalis) infection. Moreover, CARD9-deficient MDSCs were susceptible to ferroptosis upon stimulation with C. tropicalis, which was attributed to augmented mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) caused by reduced SLC7A11 expression. Mechanistically, C-type lectin receptors (CLRs)-mediated recognition of C. tropicalis promoted the expression of SLC7A11 which was transcriptionally manipulated by the Syk-PKCδ-CARD9-FosB signaling axis in MDSCs. FosB enhanced SLC7A11 transcription by binding to the promoter of SLC7A11 in MDSCs stimulated with C. tropicalis. Mitochondrial OXPHOS, which was negatively regulated by SLC7A11, was responsible for inducing ferroptosis of MDSCs upon C. tropicalis stimulation. Finally, pharmacological inhibition of mitochondrial OXPHOS or ferroptosis significantly increased the number of MDSCs in the kidneys to augment host antifungal immunity, thereby attenuating ferroptosis and acute kidney injury exacerbated by CARD9 ablation during disseminated candidiasis. Conclusions: Collectively, our findings show that CARD9 ablation enhances mitochondria-mediated ferroptosis in MDSCs, which negatively regulates antifungal immunity. We also identify mitochondria-mediated ferroptosis in MDSCs as a new molecular mechanism of CARD9 ablation-exacerbated acute kidney injury during disseminated candidiasis, thus targeting mitochondria-mediated ferroptosis is a novel therapeutic strategy for acute kidney injury in disseminated candidiasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of tectonics, volcanism and climate in controlling temporal and spatial variations in rift‐basin sedimentation is still poorly understood. Here, we tackle this issue by the analysis of mid‐Cretaceous sediments deposited in the Songliao Basin, northeastern China. We present new zircon U–Pb, apatite fission‐track and trace‐element data from the northeastern basin, which are discussed within the framework of the published geochronology dataset. Our results reveal a major provenance change from syn‐rift tectonic extension to post‐rift thermal subsidence at ~103 Ma. During the syn‐rift stage, the detrital inputs were dominantly from transverse rivers sourced from the surrounding mountains including graben shoulders and volcanoes. During the post‐rift stage and coeval thermal subsidence, the basin sedimentation was controlled by coexisting transverse and axial drainage systems sourced from uplifting regions in the south. We conclude that tectonics, not climate, exerted a major control in sediment provenance change in the mid‐Cretaceous Songliao Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a strategy for achieving the selective detection of benzaldehyde and aniline by using Fischer's base (Cy237). The response of Cy237 to benzaldehyde and aniline yielded obvious color changes and a fluorescence redshift after 405 nm-wavelength LED light irradiation, and visual detection of benzaldehyde and aniline by the naked eye was realized. Furthermore, Cy237 was successfully applied for the discrimination of benzene series compounds in effluent and food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A coordinated torque distribution method (CTDM) combined with balanced torque vectoring distribution method (BTVDM) and differential braking distribution method (DBDM) is proposed to enhance vehicle lateral stability and improve ride comfort. The phase plane of sideslip angle and its angular velocity with three regions are used to evaluate vehicle lateral stability. The models of region boundary parameters considering vehicle velocity, steering angle, and road adhesion coefficient are established on the basis of the nonlinear partial least squares regression model (NLPLSRM). Vehicle lateral stability is dynamically evaluated on the basis of the vehicle state position in the phase plane. The distribution ratio of direct yaw moment (DYM) realised by DBDM and BTVDM is determined in accordance with the instability risk of vehicle lateral stability. Compared with BTVDM and DBDM, the proposed CTDM can correctly realise the accuracy of DYM and reduce vehicle velocity, which is beneficial to improving vehicle lateral stability. Numerical simulation results show that the proposed CTDM substantially improves vehicle lateral stability and reduces control intervention for ride comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mediation analysis is widely applied in various fields of science, such as psychology, epidemiology, and sociology. In practice, many psychological and behavioral phenomena are dynamic, and the corresponding mediation effects are expected to change over time. However, most existing mediation methods assume a static mediation effect over time, which overlooks the dynamic nature of mediation effect. To address this issue, we propose dynamic mediation models that can capture the dynamic nature of the mediation effect. Specifically, we model the path parameters of mediation models as auto-regressive (AR) processes of time that can vary over time. Additionally, we define the mediation effect under the potential outcome framework, and examine its identification and causal interpretation. Bayesian methods utilizing Gibbs sampling are adopted to estimate unknown parameters in the proposed dynamic mediation models. We further evaluate our proposed models and methods through extensive simulations and illustrate their application through a real data application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parallel process latent growth curve mediation models (PP-LGCMMs) are frequently used to longitudinally investigate the mediation effects of treatment on the level and change of outcome through the level and change of mediator. An important but often violated assumption in empirical PP-LGCMM analysis is the absence of omitted confounders of the relationships among treatment, mediator, and outcome. In this study, we analytically examined how omitting pretreatment confounders impacts the inference of mediation from the PP-LGCMM. Using the analytical results, we developed three sensitivity analysis approaches for the PP-LGCMM, including the frequentist, Bayesian, and Monte Carlo approaches. The three approaches help investigate different questions regarding the robustness of mediation results from the PP-LGCMM, and handle the uncertainty in the sensitivity parameters differently. Applications of the three sensitivity analyses are illustrated using a real-data example. A user-friendly Shiny web application is developed to conduct the sensitivity analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social network attackers leverage images and text to disseminate sensitive information associated with pornography, politics, and terrorism,causing adverse effects on society.The current sensitive information classification model does not focus on feature fusion between images and text, greatly reducing recognition accuracy.To address this problem, we propose an attentive cross-modal fusion model (ACMF), which utilizes mixed attention mechanism and the Contrastive Language-Image Pre-training model.Specifically, we employ a deep neural network with a mixed attention mechanism as a visual feature extractor. This allows us to progressively extract features at different levels. We combine these visual features with those obtained from a text feature extractor and incorporate image-text frequency domain information at various levels to enable fine-grained modeling. Additionally, we introduce a cyclic attention mechanism and integrate the Contrastive Language-Image Pre-training model to establish stronger connections between modalities, thereby enhancing classification performance.Experimental evaluations conducted on sensitive information datasets collected demonstrate the superiority of our method over other baseline models. The model achieves an accuracy rate of 91.4% and an F1-score of 0.9145. These results validate the effectiveness of the mixed attention mechanism in enhancing the utilization of important features. Furthermore, the effective fusion of text and image features significantly improves the classification ability of the deep neural network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Full-scale Accelerated Pavement testing (APT) has been regarded as an essential step to bridge the gap between research and practice for pavement design because it can fully mimic a large number of heavy wheel loading on pavements. Despite being able to test pavements in an accelerated manner compared to Long-term Performance Monitoring (LTPM), conducting one full-scale APT experiment is still demanding in terms of monetary cost, space, time, etc., and the accessibility to APT facilities is only available in a few countries nowadays. In this study, an exploratory APT study with a down-scaled pavement model in a high-g environment created by geotechnical centrifuge was performed with up to half a million simulated aircraft load repetitions. Through this test, it was proved that the centrifuge APT can reproduce the full-scale airfield pavement responses, including rutting, cracking, material fatigue, etc. The transient and permanent deflection of the pavement surface, variations in stress and strain states within the pavement structure over its lifespan can be well captured for analysis. This framework of centrifuge APT provides a new methodology for pavement testing and can significantly save the current cost and time of full-scale APT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stems and rhizomes of Sinomenii Caulis (SC) are highly effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aims to screen potential quality markers using a comprehensive strategy that integrates chemical profiling, chemometrics, machine learning and network pharmacology analysis. First, a database for qualitative analysis of alkaloids in SC was established. Then, non-parametric tests and OPLS-DAs were used to compare the differences between the two medicinal parts, where ROC curves were used to verify the reliability of the results. Subsequently, K-nearest neighbors (KNN), support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF) algorithms were employed to calculate the grouping accuracy based on different variables. Finally, network pharmacology was used to analyze the main metabolic pathways of SC in the treatment of RA. A total of 81 alkaloids were identified from SC, including 13 aporphine alkaloids, 18 protoberberine alkaloids, 32 morphine alkaloids, 10 benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, and eight other types of alkaloids. Five compounds were screened by non-parametric tests and OPLS-DAs to differentiate the rhizomes and stems. The machine learning results showed that filtered variables were more responsive to the differences between the two medicinal parts. In addition, the RF model showed a higher classification accuracy than the SVM and KNN models, with an accuracy of 100%. Notably, sinoracutine (23/O), palmatine (41/P), and 8-oxotetrahydropalmatine (81/M) were both active ingredients and differential compounds. This comprehensive strategy may prove to be a powerful technique for screening the quality markers of SC, and can serve as a reference for the design of quality control of other herbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The duplicated middle cerebral artery (DMCA), a rare anatomical variant of the middle cerebral artery, arises between the anterior choroidal artery and the distal end of the internal carotid artery. We present the case of a patient who had an acute progressive stroke caused by severe stenosis in the initial segment of the DMCA and was successfully treated with endovascular stenting. Case presentation: A 57-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with sudden left extremity weakness for three days. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple fresh infarcts in the right basal ganglia and temporal lobe. Cerebrovascular imaging revealed severe stenosis of the right DMCA's initial segment. However, despite standard medical therapy, the patient's limb weakness worsened. Based on the clinical and imaging findings, we speculated that severely stenotic DMCA is responsible for the acute progressive stroke. On the basis of the best medical treatment, the patient successfully underwent endovascular stent implantation under general anesthesia two weeks after the onset. The patient's condition was stable after interventional therapy, and his postoperative follow-up prognosis was favorable. Conclusions: Endovascular stenting may be a feasible treatment for symptomatic severe stenosis of the DMCA in cases of poor control with standard medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the weaker geomagnetic activity in Solar Cycle 24, we present comparisons of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) fittings and in situ observation parameters in Solar Cycles 23 and 24. According to their in situ features, ICMEs are separated into two categories: isolated ICMEs (I-ICMEs) and multiple ICMEs (M-ICMEs). The number of I-ICMEs in Solar Cycles 23 and 24 does not show a strong difference, while the number of M-ICMEs, which have a high probability of causing intense geomagnetic storms, declines proportionally to the sunspot number in Solar Cycle 24. Despite no obvious variation in their distribution, the geoeffective ICMEs in Solar Cycle 23 have a larger average total magnetic field strength and a larger southern magnetic field than those of Solar Cycle 24. Since the average solar wind velocities of the two solar cycles differ, the geoeffective ICMEs in Solar Cycle 23 have a higher velocity and distinct speed distributions from those in Solar Cycle 24. The total magnetic flux and radius of I-ICMEs in Solar Cycle 23 are larger than those in Solar Cycle 24, while the axial magnetic field intensity is basically the same. We propose that geomagnetic activity in Solar Cycle 24 is lower than that of Solar Cycle 23, due to the smaller M-ICME number, the slower ICME speed, and absence of ICME events with significant southward magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Full-scale Accelerated Pavement testing (APT) has been regarded as an essential step to bridge the gap between research and practice for pavement design because it can fully mimic a large number of heavy wheel loading on pavements. Despite being able to test pavements in an accelerated manner compared to Long-term Performance Monitoring (LTPM), conducting one full-scale APT experiment is still demanding in terms of monetary cost, space, time, etc., and the accessibility to APT facilities is only available in a few countries nowadays. In this study, an exploratory APT study with a down-scaled pavement model in a high-g environment created by geotechnical centrifuge was performed with up to half a million simulated aircraft load repetitions. Through this test, it was proved that the centrifuge APT can reproduce the full-scale airfield pavement responses, including rutting, cracking, material fatigue, etc. The transient and permanent deflection of the pavement surface, variations in stress and strain states within the pavement structure over its lifespan can be well captured for analysis. This framework of centrifuge APT provides a new methodology for pavement testing and can significantly save the current cost and time of full-scale APT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) represents a clinically challenging condition characterized by persistent damage to the colonic epithelial mucosa as the principal pathological feature. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution, primarily composed of glue, is a biodegradable polymer material that has found utility in the medical field. This research endeavors to investigate the therapeutic potential of PVA water solution in ameliorating UC in mice. Methods: UC was induced in 48 C57BL/6 mice by administering 2.5% DSS in their diet for 6 days. Mice were treated with different concentrations of PVA (0.1 mg/ml PVA, 0.3 mg/ml PVA, 1 mg/ml PVA, 3 mg/ml PVA, 10 mg/ml PVA) enemas (n = 6). Disease Activity Index (DAI) and histologic score were evaluated for inflammation degree. Furthermore, mouse colon organoids were cultured, which were used to assess the effects of PVA on expansion in vitro. Results: PVA aqueous solutions (1 mg/ml and 3 mg/ml) were able to alleviate the DAI in mice. By DAY 6, there was a significant 3/5-fold decrease in DAI within the 1 mg/ml PVA group (p = 0.02). Histopathology scores demonstrated improvements, while the levels of inflammatory factors in the intestinal mucosal tissue were reduced. Additionally, it was confirmed that PVA could promote the expansion of colonic organoids in vitro. Conclusions: In summary, our investigation has yielded findings indicating that PVA holds the potential to ameliorate symptoms associated with colitis in murine subjects afflicted by DSS-induced colitis, primarily through its facilitation of intestinal stem cell expansion. This study might provide a new candidate for the clinical treatment of ulcerative colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ureides allantoin and allantoate serve as nitrogen (N) transport compounds in plants, and more recently, allantoin has been shown to play a role in signaling. In planta , tissue ureide levels are controlled by the activity of enzymes of the purine degradation pathway and by ureide transporters called ureide permeases (UPS). Little is known about the physiological function of UPS proteins in crop plants, and especially in monocotyledon species. Here, we identified 13 TaUPS genes in the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genome. Phylogenetic and genome location analyses revealed a close relationship of wheat UPSs to orthologues in other grasses and a division into TaUPS1, TaUPS2.1, and TaUPS2.2 groups, each consisting of three homeologs, with a total of four tandem duplications. Expression, localization, and biochemical analyses resolved spatio-temporal expression patterns of TaUPS genes, transporter localization at the plasma membrane, and a role for TaUPS2.1 proteins in cellular import of ureides and phloem and seed loading. In addition, positive correlations between TaUPS1 and TaUPS2.1 transcripts and ureide levels were found. Together the data support that TaUPSs function in regulating ureide pools at source and sink, along with source-to-sink transport. Moreover, comparative studies between wheat cultivars grown at low and high N strengthened a role for TaUPS1 and TaUPS2.1 transporters in efficient N use and in controlling primary metabolism. Co-expression, protein–protein interaction, and haplotype analyses further support TaUPS involvement in N partitioning, N use efficiency, and domestication. Overall, this work provides a new understanding on UPS transporters in grasses as well as insights for breeding resilient wheat varieties with improved N use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have discovered arboreal pollen in non-forested areas on the Tibetan Plateau, which are mostly anemophilous type and regarded as a result of the Asian summer monsoon. However, the relationship between the spatial distribution of wind-pollinated pollen and monsoon has seldom been illustrated quantitatively. Here, we used 676 surface samples (647 compiled, 29 new samples) to examine the characteristics of the spatial distribution patterns of 13 anemophilous pollen taxa on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, by employing the spatial interpolation technique. Then, we quantified the correlation between the distributions of these taxa and monsoon wind via Mantel test. The results show that the anemophilous pollen represents at least half percentage of the total pollen assemblages in most areas of the study region. Anemophilous tree pollen mainly distributes in the south and southeastern part, while anemophilous non-tree pollen does in the opposite and perpendicular direction. The distributional pattern of non-anemophilous pollen reflects that their corresponding plants most likely constitute the understory components of different forests or the minorities of non-forests communities. Mantel tests indicate that the anemophilous tree pollen has a highest correlation with the Asian summer monsoon. Anemophilous pollen, overall pollen assemblages and anemophilous pollen with air sacs have higher correlations with summer monsoon. Contrarily, non-anemophilous pollen has relatively weak correlation. Furthermore, we found that the relationships between various pollen groups or separate taxa and the Asian summer monsoon are dependent on sample types. The lake sediment surface samples had the strongest signal of the Asian summer monsoon among the different sample types. Our findings provide the strong evidence of the Asian summer monsoon influencing the pollen distribution patterns. More importantly, the quantification of this correlation between anemophilous tree pollen and the Asian summer monsoon offers the fundamentally theoretical basis of reconstructing paleo-monsoon by the proxy of windborne pollen taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are some irregular and disordered noise points in large-scale point clouds, and the accuracy of existing large-scale point cloud classification methods still needs further improvement. This paper proposes a network named MFTR-Net, which considers the local point cloud's eigenvalue calculation. The eigenvalues of 3D point cloud data and the 2D eigenvalues of projected point clouds on different planes are calculated to express the local feature relationship between adjacent point clouds. A regular point cloud feature image is constructed and inputs into the designed convolutional neural network. The network adds TargetDrop to be more robust. The experimental result shows that our methods can learn more high-dimensional feature information, further improving point cloud classification, and our approach can achieve 98.0% accuracy with the Oakland 3D dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mediation analysis is widely used to study whether the effect of an independent variable on an outcome is transmitted through a mediator. Bayesian methods have become increasingly popular for mediation analysis. However, limited research has been done on formal Bayesian hypothesis testing of mediation. Although hypothesis testing using Bayes factor for a single path is readily available, how to integrate the Bayes factors of two paths (from input to mediator and from mediator to outcome) while incorporating prior beliefs on the two paths and/or mediation is under-studied. In the current study, we propose a general approach to Bayesian hypothesis testing of mediation. The proposed approach allows researchers to specify prior odds based on the substantive research context and can be used in mediation modeling with latent variables. The impact of prior odds specifications on Bayesian hypothesis test of mediation is demonstrated via both real and hypothetical data examples. Both R functions and a user-friendly R web app are provided for the implementation of the proposed approach. Our study can add to researchers' toolbox of mediation analysis and raise researchers' awareness of the importance of prior odds specifications in Bayesian hypothesis testing of mediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accumulating evidence implicates that gut fungi are associated with the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Our previous study has revealed that Candida tropicalis (C. tropicalis) promotes colorectal tumorigenesis by enhancing immunosuppressive function of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and increasing accumulation of MDSCs, but the underlying mechanisms remain unestablished. Methods: Bone marrow–derived MDSCs were stimulated with C. tropicalis. RNA-sequencing analysis was performed to screen the differentially expressed genes. Quantitative real-time PCR and western blot were used to measure the expression of related proteins. Co-culture assay of MDSCs and CD8+ T cells was used to determine the immunosuppressive ability of MDSCs. Metabolomic analysis was conducted to detect metabolic reprogramming of MDSCs. Aerobic glycolysis of MDSCs was assessed by extracellular acidification rate (ECAR), glucose consumption and lactate production. A CAC mouse model was induced by AOM and DSS to determine the therapeutic action of TEPP-46. IHC and immunofluorescence were performed to examine the expression of PKM2, PKM2 (p-Y105) and iNOS in human CRC-infiltrated MDSCs. Results: C. tropicalis facilitates immunosuppressive function of MDSCs by increasing the expression of iNOS, COX2 and NOX2, production of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Mechanistically, C. tropicalis facilitates the immunosuppressive function of MDSCs through the C-type lectin receptors Dectin-3 and Syk. C. tropicalis-enhanced immunosuppressive function of MDSCs is further dependent on aerobic glycolysis. On the one hand, NO produced by MDSCs enhanced aerobic glycolysis in a positive feedback manner. On the other hand, C. tropicalis promotes p-Syk binding to PKM2, which results in PKM2 Tyr105 phosphorylation and PKM2 nuclear translocation in MDSCs. Nuclear PKM2 interacts with HIF-1α and subsequently upregulates the expression of HIF-1α target genes encoding glycolytic enzymes, GLUT1, HK2, PKM2, LDHA and PDK1, which are required for the C. tropicalis-induced aerobic glycolysis of MDSCs. Blockade of PKM2 nuclear translocation attenuates C. tropicalis-mediated colorectal tumorigenesis. The high expression of PKM2, PKM2 (p-Y105) and iNOS in CRC-infiltrated MDSCs correlates with the development of human CRC. Conclusion: C. tropicalis enhances immunosuppressive function of MDSCs via Syk-PKM2-HIF-1α-glycolysis signaling axis, which drives CRC. Therefore, we identify the Syk-PKM2-HIF-1α-glycolysis signaling axis as a potential therapeutic target for CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient and accurate tracking of a target in complex scenes has always been one of the challenges to tackle. At present, the most effective tracking algorithms are basically neural network models based on deep learning. Although such algorithms have high tracking accuracy, the huge number of parameters and computations in the network models makes it difficult for such algorithms to meet the real-time requirements under limited hardware conditions, such as embedded platforms with small size, low power consumption and limited computing power. Tracking algorithms based on a kernel correlation filter are well-known and widely applied because of their high performance and speed, but when the target is in a complex background, it still can not adapt to the target scale change and occlusion, which will lead to template drift. In this paper, a fast multi-scale kernel correlation filter tracker based on adaptive template updating is proposed for common rigid targets. We introduce a simple scale pyramid on the basis of Kernel Correlation Filtering (KCF), which can adapt to the change in target size while ensuring the speed of operation. We propose an adaptive template updater based on the Mean of Cumulative Maximum Response Values (MCMRV) to alleviate the problem of template drift effectively when occlusion occurs. Extensive experiments have demonstrated the effectiveness of our method on various datasets and significantly outperformed other state-of-the-art methods based on a kernel correlation filter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MOF‐on‐MOF heterostructure is attractive in material science because of its potential combined effects in catalysis. However, precisely controlling the growth pattern at the metal–organic framework (MOF) nucleation stage to manipulate the metallic composition and structure dimensionality remain a challenge. Herein, we introduce a polyvinylpyrrolidone‐assist kinetic‐control strategy to achieve the "anti‐epitaxial growth" pattern of a foreign MOF nucleus on the (111) facets of UiO‐66‐NH2 octahedron seeds, and construct diverse two‐dimensional‐on‐three‐dimensional (2D‐on‐3D) MOF heterostructures (2D‐on‐3D Cu, Zn, Cd, Co, and Ni). Notably, the 2D‐on‐3D Cu exhibits a unique "dimensionality‐hybrid" effect in photocatalysis which led to a significant photoactivity enhancement over those of the traditional "dimensionality‐identical" 2D, 3D and 3D‐on‐3D MOF structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MOF‐on‐MOF heterostructure is attractive in material science because of its potential combined effects in catalysis. However, precisely controlling the growth pattern at the metal–organic framework (MOF) nucleation stage to manipulate the metallic composition and structure dimensionality remain a challenge. Herein, we introduce a polyvinylpyrrolidone‐assist kinetic‐control strategy to achieve the "anti‐epitaxial growth" pattern of a foreign MOF nucleus on the (111) facets of UiO‐66‐NH2 octahedron seeds, and construct diverse two‐dimensional‐on‐three‐dimensional (2D‐on‐3D) MOF heterostructures (2D‐on‐3D Cu, Zn, Cd, Co, and Ni). Notably, the 2D‐on‐3D Cu exhibits a unique "dimensionality‐hybrid" effect in photocatalysis which led to a significant photoactivity enhancement over those of the traditional "dimensionality‐identical" 2D, 3D and 3D‐on‐3D MOF structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of traits related to nitrogen (N)-use efficiency (NUE) in wheat cultivars are important for breeding N-efficient cultivars. Canopy structure has a major effect on NUE, as it determines the distribution of light and N. However, the mechanism by which canopy structure affects the distribution of light and N within the canopy remains unclear. The N-efficient winter wheat varieties YM49 and ZM27 and N-inefficient winter wheat varieties XN509 and AK58 were grown in the field under two N levels. Light transmittance was enhanced, and the leaf area index and photosynthetically active radiation were lower in the N-efficient cultivar population, which was characterized by moderately sized flag leaves, a low frequency of canopy leaf curling, a low light attenuation coefficient (KL), and high plant compactness. Reductions in the amount of shade increased the distribution of light and N resources to the middle and lower layers. The photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, instant water-use efficiency, and canopy photosynthetic NUE were higher, N remobilization of the upper and middle canopy leaves was reduced, and the leaf N content was high in the N-efficient cultivars. A higher ratio of the N extinction coefficient (KN) to KL reflects the assimilation ability of the N-efficient winter wheat cultivars, resulting in improved canopy structure and distribution of light and N, higher 1000-grain weight and grain yield, and significantly increased light and NUE. An improved match between gradients of light and N in the leaf canopy promotes balanced C and N metabolism and reduces energy and nutrient losses. This should be a goal when breeding N-efficient wheat cultivars and implementing tillage regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we analyzed 149 geomagnetic storms of moderate and intensity (i.e., Dst min ≤ - 50 n T) occurred during the solar cycle 24 from 2009 to 2019, and identified their interplanetary sources. Among them, there are 20 strong storms with - 200 n T ≤ D s t min ≤ - 100 n T , and 2 super–strong storms with Dst min ≤ - 200 n T. We have found that corotating interaction regions (CIRs) account for 37% (55/149) of geomagnetic storms, interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) result in 30% (45/149) of geomagnetic storms and sheath regions (SH) are responsible for 15% (23/149) of geomagnetic storms. Meanwhile, 18/20 of the strong storms are caused by the structures associated with interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICME, SH, and SH + ICME), while the CIR constitutes only to 2/20 of the strong storms. It is found that the two super–strong geomagnetic storms are caused by the SH + ICME. Our findings also suggest that geomagnetic storms in different periods of solar activity are caused by different interplanetary structures, which is consistent with previous research. In comparison to solar cycle 23, there is no substantial geomagnetic storm induced by CIR during the dwindling and subsiding phases of solar cycle 24. In the descending stage, the proportion of moderate events caused by ICME decreases, and ICMEs cause no super–strong event. In ascending stage, neither strong nor super strong events occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypericum perforatum L. (HPL), also known as St. John's wort, is one of the extensively researched domestically and internationally as a medicinal plant. In this study, non-targeted metabolomics combined with machine learning methods were used to identify reasonable quality indicators for the holistic quality control of HPL. First, the high-resolution MS data from different samples of HPL were collected, and visualized the chemical compounds through the MS molecular network. A total of 122 compounds were identified. Then, the orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model was established for comparing the differences in metabolite expression between flower, leaf, and branches. A total of 46 differential metabolites were screened out. Subsequently, analyzing the pharmacological activities of these differential metabolites based on protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. A total of 25 compounds associated with 473 gene targets were retrieved. Among them, 13 highly active compounds were selected as potential quality markers, and five compounds were ultimately selected as quality control markers for HPL. Finally, three different classifiers (support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), and K-nearest neighbor (KNN)) were used to validate whether the selected quality control markers are qualified. When the feature count is set to 122 and 46, the RF model demonstrates optimal performance. As the number of variables decreases, the performance of the RF model degrades. The KNN model and the SVM model also exhibit a decrease in performance but still manage to satisfy the intended requirements. The strategy can be applied to the quality control of HPL and can provide a reference for the quality control of other herbal medicines. [Display omitted] • A custom-built database was built to visualized the compounds present in HPL. • An OPLS-DA model was established to selected differential metabolites. • The PPI network was established to selected the active compounds. • Three classifiers were used to assess the qualification of quality markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, the effects of peracetic acid (PAA), polymeric flocculants, and their combined conditioning on improving the dewatering performance were comprehensively evaluated. The results showed that sludge cake moisture content, capillary suction time (CST), and specific resistance to filtration (SRF) were 70.6%, 48.1 s, and 3.42 × 1012 m/kg after adding 0.10 g/gMLSS PAA for 50 min, representing reductions of 12.60%, 40.32%, and 33.98%, respectively. Additionally, conditioning of sludge with polyferric sulfate (PFS), polyaluminum chloride (PAC), and cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) enhanced sludge properties in the following order: CPAM > PAC > PFS. After the PAA oxidation and re-flocculation process, the optimal dosages of PFS, PAC, and CPAM were reduced to 1.5 g/L, 0.9 g/L, and 0.04 g/L, respectively. The sludge dewatering performance significantly improved, with sludge cake moisture content measuring 65.8%, 66.3%, and 61.7%, respectively. Moreover, the spatial multi-porous skeleton structures were formed via re-flocculation to improve the sludge dewatering. Furthermore, economic evaluation validated that the pre-oxidation and re-flocculation process could be considered an economically viable option. These research findings could serve as a valuable reference for practical engineering applications. [Display omitted] • The spatial multi-porous skeleton structures were formed via re-flocculation. • Sludge properties were improved by PAA oxidation and re-flocculation process. • PAA could effectively crack sludge cells and destroy sludge floc structure. • Polymeric flocculants could improve sludge properties in CPAM > PAC > PFS. • Protein substances in SEPS and LB-EPS were degraded by combined conditioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By means of density functional theory (DFT), the most stable structures of NH 3 and NO 2 molecules adsorbed by different layers of GeSe were studied. The adsorption properties of the adsorption system were studied from the aspects of adsorption energy, band gap, state density, differential charge density and recovery time. Significant adsorption energy (−1.060 eV, −1279 eV, −1.390 eV), charge transfer (−0.370e, −0.382e, −0.379e) and electron localization function (ELF) indicated that NO 2 was chemisorbed on the surface of GeSe. The recovery time indicates that the mono-layer GeSe adsorption NO 2 system can complete the desorption between 298 K and 398 K, and the bi-layer GeSe adsorption NO 2 system can complete the desorption in a shorter time with the recovery time of 8.66S at the temperature of 498 K. Therefore, the theoretical research in this paper provides a theoretical basis for the development of GeSe gas sensors for the detection of harmful gases NH 3 and NO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hand knob stroke is a rare clinical disorder frequently misdiagnosed as peripheral neuropathy. The purpose of this study is to recognize this particular type of stroke by analyzing clinical features, etiology, and prognosis.Methods: We enrolled 19 patients with acute hand knob stroke in the Department of Neurology of the Beijing Geriatric Hospital from January 2018 to January 2022, and the clinical and imaging data of the patients during hospitalization and follow-up were collected and summarized.Results: Acute hand knob stroke accounted for 0.9% of all acute stroke, and ischemic stroke (17 cases, 89.5%) was more than hemorrhagic stroke (2 cases, 10.5%). All patients presented sudden contralateral hand paresis, 12 (63.2%) of them had only isolated hand paralysis, and the location of the lesion corresponded to different finger weakness. The cause of hand knob hemorrhage was hypertension, while the causes of hand knob infarction were mainly small-vessel occlusion (SVO) (35.3%) and large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA) (35.3%), and the rare causes include carotid artery dissection and carotid body tumor. After a median follow-up 13.5 months, the prognosis of 94.7% patients was good, and one patient (5.3%) had recurrent stroke.Conclusions: Hand knob stroke is a rare stroke with a good prognosis and a low stroke recurrence rate. Ischemic stroke is the predominant type and the main clinical manifestation is hand paresis. The cause of hand knob hemorrhage is hypertensive, while SVO and LAA are the main causes of hand knob infarction, but there are some rare etiologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prefabricated concrete structure is a building structure designed for sustainability and low comprehensive carbon emission. The grouted sleeve splice is a major connection method for prefabricated concrete structures. However, construction defects occur easily in the grouted sleeve splice connection at construction sites because of complex construction environments and the high connection accuracy. To determine the influence of rebar in steel half-grouted sleeve connections with construction defects, investigations were conducted using four different test groups (rebar offset, rebar bended, insufficient fluidity of grout, and control group). The load-displacement curve and load-stress curve were analyzed on 24 different specimens through uniaxial tension experiments. The experimental results showed that rebar fracture was the failure of specimens. The load-displacement curves consisted of elastic, yield, strength, and tight stages. The curves were similar to rebar under uniaxial tension, except for the rebar bended group. The axial stress and circumferential stress on the sleeve surface consistently followed a linear response before the specimen yield, whereas the axial stress and circumferential stress showed a rebound response after the specimen yielded. Different finite element models were established based on the different defects. Compared with the experimental results, the finite element analysis results coincided with those of the experimental results, and the errors were within 8% to evaluate the performance of steel half-grouted sleeve connections in construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the optimal replenishment strategy of the retailer under partial two levels of credit. The paper also considers the following scenarios: (1) the product under consideration is a deteriorating item, (2) the demand function is an incremental function of time, and (3) the retailer pays the supplier by the payment method of Advance-Cash-Credit (ACC) and gives his/her customers a certain credit period. (4) The supplier provides the retailer with a certain price discount to facilitate sales. The goal of the paper is to decide the retailer's order cycle, which minimizes his/her total cost per unit time. Firstly, we proved the existence and uniqueness of the optimal solution. Secondly, we validated the theoretical results and discussed the performance of upstream ACC payment and downstream credit payment by numerical analysis of key parameters, numerical results show that it is cheaper for the retailer to pay for the payment in upstream ACC and downstream credit payment than in traditional payment method (i.e., upstream cash and downstream cash payment method), which encourage the retailer to order more quantity and less frequently under the former payment method. Thirdly, we compared the retailer's order behaviors and total cost per unit time under the following five two-level payment types: upstream cash and downstream cash payment, upstream advance, cash, credit, ACC and downstream credit payment, in which the supplier will provide a certain price discount when the retailer pays in advance. It is found that the retailer pays the supplier in upstream advance and downstream credit payment is the lowest cost to the retailer, and it will lead to order the most quantities under this payment method, while the retailer pays the supplier with upstream credit and downstream credit (upstream credit period is shorter than the downstream credit period) is the highest cost to the retailer. The research results can help the retailers make the payment selections and optimize their operational decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As large-scale laser 3D point clouds data contains massive and complex data, it faces great challenges in the automatic intelligent processing and classification of large-scale 3D point clouds. Aiming at the problem that 3D point clouds in complex scenes are self-occluded or occluded, which could reduce the object classification accuracy, we propose a multidimension feature optimal combination classification method named MFOC-CliqueNet based on CliqueNet for large-scale laser point clouds. The optimal combination matrix of multidimension features is constructed by extracting the three-dimensional features and multidirectional two-dimension features of 3D point cloud. This is the first time that multidimensional optimal combination features are introduced into cyclic convolutional networks CliqueNet. It is important for large-scale 3D point cloud classification. The experimental results show that the MFOC-CliqueNet framework can realize the latest level with fewer parameters. The experiments on the Large-Scale Scene Point Cloud Oakland dataset show that the classification accuracy of our method is 98.9%, which is better than other classification algorithms mentioned in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liver is a metabolically active organ and is also 'tolerogenic', exhibiting sophisticated mechanisms of immune regulation that prevent pathogen attacks and tumorigenesis. How metabolism impacts the tumor microenvironment (TME) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains understudied. We investigated the role of the metabolic regulator SIRT5 in HCC development by conducting metabolomic analysis, gene expression profiling, flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry analyses in oncogene-induced HCC mouse models and human HCC samples. We show that SIRT5 is downregulated in human primary HCC samples and that Sirt5 deficiency in mice synergizes with oncogenes to increase bile acid (BA) production, via hypersuccinylation and increased BA biosynthesis in the peroxisomes of hepatocytes. BAs act as a signaling mediator to stimulate their nuclear receptor and promote M2-like macrophage polarization, creating an immunosuppressive TME that favors tumor-initiating cells (TICs). Accordingly, high serum levels of taurocholic acid correlate with low SIRT5 expression and increased M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in HCC patient samples. Finally, administration of cholestyramine, a BA sequestrant and FDA-approved medication for hyperlipemia, reverses the effect of Sirt5 deficiency in promoting M2-like polarized TAMs and liver tumor growth. This study uncovers a novel function of SIRT5 in orchestrating BA metabolism to prevent tumor immune evasion and suppress HCC development. Our results also suggest a potential strategy of using clinically proven BA sequestrants for the treatment of patients with HCC, especially those with decreased SIRT5 and abnormally high BAs. Hepatocellular caricinoma (HCC) development is closely linked to metabolic dysregulation and an altered tumor microenvironment. Herein, we show that loss of the metabolic regulator Sirt5 promotes hepatocarcinogenesis, which is associated with abnormally elevated bile acids and subsequently an immunosuppressive microenvironment that favors HCC development. Targeting this mechanism could be a promising clinical strategy for HCC. [Display omitted] • SIRT5 is downregulated in human HCC samples and its deficiency promotes oncogene-driven liver cancer in mice. • Sirt5 deficiency synergizes with oncogenes to increase bile acid biosynthesis in the peroxisome of hepatocytes. • The abnormal accumulation of bile acids skews macrophage polarization and creates an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. • A clinically proven bile acid sequestrant reverses the effect of Sirt5 deficiency on immune evasion and liver tumor growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Due to the special geographical location and climate of China, there are large differences in the chemical composition and content of Paederia scandens (PS) from different origins, which will have a large impact on its efficacy. Methods: An efficient quality control method for PS was established by combining ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analyses. First, a UPLC‐quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry system was employed to identify the chemical composition of PS from seven different origins. Then, the chemical variation in 73 batches of PS samples was subsequently investigated by quantitation of four marker compounds. Results: A total of 15 common compounds were identified in the samples of PS from seven origins. And four of the marker compounds were chosen based on VIP values to characterize the differences between PS samples of different origins. The linearity ranged between 0.005 and 2.500 mg/mL; the correlation coefficients (r2) ranged from 0.999 to 1; the limits of detection ranged from 0.013 to 0.033 μg/mL; and the relative standard deviations for repeatability, precisions, and stabilities were below 0.2%, 1.6%, and 0.6%, respectively. Conclusion: The results show that the method can be effective and comprehensive in evaluating the quality of PS from different origins. And this comprehensive strategy proved to be a powerful technique used to differentiate between different geographical herbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem of dynamic analysis and quantitative assessment of potential vulnerability of large-scale complex heterogeneous Industrial Control System(ICS), this paper studies a dynamic quantitative evaluation method of ICS vulnerability based on cross-domain and cross-layer attack graph of vulnerability correlation. Combined with the expected attack value, a cross-domain and cross-layer attack graph generation algorithm based on vulnerability correlation is designed to comprehensively and dynamically analyze the potential hidden dangers and threats in ICS and realize the scientific assessment of the vulnerability of industrial Internet attack paths. The experimental results show that the method in this paper achieves dynamic security vulnerability analysis under ICS and IT systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-pressure xenon time projection chamber (TPC) utilizing micro-pattern gaseous detector readout has emerged as a highly promising technical solution for the search of neutrino-less double beta decay events. This approach offers exceptional features, including high energy resolution, fine granularity, low background radioactivity, and scalability for large-scale experiments. In line with these advantages, the PandaX-III experiment aims to implement a 10 bar X e 136 TPC, employing a readout plane comprising 52 194 × 194 mm2 Micromegas detectors, within the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. To fulfill the stringent experimental requirements of PandaX-III, a low-background Micromegas detector with high energy resolution was proposed and developed using the thermal bonding method. The performance of the thermal bonding Micromegas prototypes was investigated using X-ray characterization under various gas mixtures with argon and isobutane from 1 bar to 10 bars. Remarkable results were presented at 1 bar gas pressure, where a maximum gas gain of ∼8 × 104 and the best energy resolution (FWHM @5.9 keV) of 13.6% is obtained, and at 10 bar pressure, where maximum gas gain exceeding 104, the best energy resolution of 19%, and excellent stability over a test duration exceeding 150 h is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpura fulminans (PF) is a hematological emergency that can be caused by severe congenital protein C (PC) deficiency. It has been rarely reported in the Chinese population. We aimed to characterize the clinical and genetic features of Chinese pediatric patients with severe congenital PC deficiency who first presented with PF. Twelve pediatric patients were diagnosed with severe congenital PC deficiency with PF, which was diagnosed based on our hospital records and previous reports from 1988 to July 2021 in China. We evaluated the clinical and genetic features of these patients. Nine patients (9/12, 75%) had onsets that were observed within the first 48 h after birth. Six patients had a family history of thromboembolism. There was no consanguinity. Other symptoms were intracranial thrombosis or hemorrhage (4, 33.3%), ocular lesions (2, 16.7%), gastrointestinal hemorrhage (2, 16.7%) and kidney infarction before birth (1, 8.3%). All but one of the patients (one case not detected) had a plasma PC activity of <10%. The genetic study indicated that in the eight patients with inherited PC deficiency, two were homozygous, five were compound heterozygous and one was heterozygous for PC deficiency. This is the first and largest case series of Chinese pediatric patients with severe congenital PC deficiency who first presented with PF. It has been shown that treatment with both fresh frozen plasma and anticoagulants is recommended when PC concentrate is not easily available, especially in developing countries. • There is a largest case series study of severe protein C deficiency in pediatric patients who first presented with purpura fulminans in China • Purpura fulminans is extremely rare and life-threatening • Treatment with both fresh frozen plasma and anticoagulants is recommended [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of safety factor has long been proposed to evaluate the uplift triggering of underground structure induced by soil liquefaction, and it is well known that it should be unity when the underground structure raises up. However, a close-unity value has been rarely obtained in experiments, especially for vulnerable cases. This is due to the difficulties of an accurate measurement during testing; thus, the sidewall friction below groundwater table is always ignored for simplicity. In this study, a close-unity safety factor during the seismic shaking was acquired for a variety of manhole uplift cases, being stable in ground or suffering significant uplift. More importantly, a complete time history showing the safety factor degradation was acquired for each case. It was found that the safety factor before earthquake shaking (termed as 'prior safety factor' subsequently) shows good correlation with the final manhole uplift displacement based on the presented centrifuge testing data both in this study and in the literature. This prior safety factor shows good potential to predict final uplift displacement for conventional manholes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]