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Background: Except for gene fusions, FGFR2 genetic alterations in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (ICCs) have received limited attention, leaving patients harboring activating FGFR2 gene mutations with inadequate access to targeted therapies. Experimental design: We sought to survey FGFR2 genetic alterations in ICC and pan-cancers using fluorescence in situ hybridization and next-generation sequencing. We conducted an analysis of the clinical and pathological features of ICCs with different FGFR2 alterations, compared FGFR2 lesion spectrum through public databases and multicenter data, and performed cellular experiments to investigate the oncogenic potential of different FGFR2 mutants. Results: FGFR2 gene fusions were identified in 30 out of 474 ICC samples, while five FGFR2 genetic alterations aside from fusion were present in 290 ICCs. The tumors containing FGFR2 translocations exhibited unique features, which we designated as the "FGFR2 fusion subtypes of ICC". Molecular analysis revealed that FGFR2 fusions were not mutually exclusive with other oncogenic driver genes/mutations, whereas FGFR2 in-frame deletions and site mutations often co-occurred with TP53 mutations. Multicenter and pan-cancer studies demonstrated that FGFR2 in-frame deletions were more prevalent in ICCs (0.62%) than in other cancers, and were not limited to the extracellular domain. We selected representative FGFR2 genetic alterations, including in-frame deletions, point mutations, and frameshift mutations, to analyze their oncogenic activity and responsiveness to targeted drugs. Cellular experiments revealed that different FGFR2 genetic alterations promoted ICC tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis but responded differently to FGFR-selective small molecule kinase inhibitors (SMKIs). Conclusions: FGFR2 oncogenic alterations have different clinicopathological features and respond differently to SMKIs. Highlights: The findings presented in this study highlight the importance of identifying FGFR2 fusion subtypes and mutations in ICCs for both diagnosis and potential therapeutic interventions. The distinct characteristics observed in FGFR2 fusion subtypes, such as mass-forming histopathological type and CD56 positivity, can aid in accurate histopathological classification of ICC. The observation that different FGFR2 mutants in ICC nearly all promote tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis but respond differently to FGFR-selective small molecule kinase inhibitors (SMKIs) implies the need for personalized treatment strategies based on the specific FGFR2 mutation profile of each patient. These findings emphasize the potential clinical utility of targeted therapies that inhibit FGFR signaling pathways in ICC, but also underscore the importance of selecting the appropriate SMKI based on the specific FGFR2 mutation present. These findings may contribute to improved diagnosis, risk stratification, and development of targeted therapies tailored to the individual patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Street view images are emerging as new street-level sources of urban environmental information. Accurate detection and quantification of urban air conditioners is crucial for evaluating the resilience of urban residential areas to heat wave disasters and formulating effective disaster prevention policies. Utilizing street view image data to predict the spatial coverage of urban air conditioners offers a simple and effective solution. However, detecting and accurately counting air conditioners in complex street-view environments remains challenging. This study introduced 3D parameter-free attention and coordinate attention modules into the target detection process to enhance the extraction of detailed features of air conditioner external units. It also integrated a small target detection layer to address the challenge of detecting small target objects that are easily missed. As a result, an improved algorithm named SC4-YOLOv7 was developed for detecting and recognizing air conditioner external units in street view images. To validate this new algorithm, we extracted air conditioner external units from street view images of residential buildings in Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. The results of the study demonstrated that SC4-YOLOv7 significantly improved the average accuracy of recognizing air conditioner external units in street view images from 87.93% to 91.21% compared to the original YOLOv7 method while maintaining a high speed of image recognition detection. The algorithm has the potential to be extended to various applications requiring small target detection, enabling reliable detection and recognition in real street environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) yields indices, such as the right ventricular/left ventricular (RV/LV) ratio > 1.0, which are commonly used for risk stratification of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE). Although pulmonary artery elasticity (PAE) has been previously described, its relationship with right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) has not been explored. Here, we investigated whether PAE, measured using CTPA, is associated with RVD. Methods: Patients who underwent retrospective electrocardiogram-gated CTPA and had a definitive diagnosis of APE were included in the study. The subjects were classified into RVD and non-RVD groups according to the RVD on echocardiography. PAE, involving aortic distensibility (AD), aortic compliance (AC), and aortic stiffness (ASI), and right heart function indices were compared between the two groups, and their correlations were examined. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate the specificity and sensitivity of the RVD prediction. Results: Thirty-five patients with APE were enrolled in the study (RVD: 18, non-RVD: 17). The groups showed no significant differences in age, sex, number of patients receiving thrombolysis, and number of high-risk conditions (P > 0.05). Regarding PAE parameters, AD was significantly reduced in the RVD group compared to that in the non-RVD group (P < 0.05), whereas AC and ASI were not statistically different (P > 0.05). The ratio of the maximum cross-sectional area of PA and AA (PA/AAmax),the ratio of the minimum cross-sectional area of PA and AA(PA/AAmin), diameter of the coronary sinus, RV/LV diameter, RV/Lvarea, the ratio of the end-diastolic volume of right ventricular and left ventricular (RV/LVDV), the ratio of the end-systolic volume of right ventricular and left ventricular (RV/LVSV) were significantly greater in the RVD group than in the non-RVD group (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis of AD and right heart function parameters showed that AD was negatively correlated with PA/AAmax, PA/AAmin, RV/LV diameter, RV/LVDV, and PAE measured by ultrasound, with correlation coefficients ranging from − 0.336 to − 0.580 (P < 0.05). The ROC curves of AD and RV/LVdiameter to predict RVD had areas under the curve of 0.748 and 0.712, sensitivities of 82.35% and 70.59%, specificities of 66.67% and 72.22%, and cutoff values of 4.9433 and 1.1105, respectively. Conclusion: AD obtained by retrospective ECG-gated CTPA may be helpful in assessing RVD in patients with APE while accurately diagnosing APE. It contributes to timely diagnosis and treatment and improves the prognosis of patients with APE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Destruction of old buildings generates waste concrete and powder. In addition, the city's drainage system is gradually struggling to keep up with the demands. Therefore, this study takes the recycled aggregate and powder generated from the crushing of waste C30 concrete as the research object, and investigates the impacts of both on the permeable mortar and summarizes the permeability mechanism and hydration mechanism of permeable mortar. Carbon emission reduction calculations and life cycle assessment were performed for both. The study’s findings demonstrated that the extent of volcanic ash reaction increases and then decreases with increasing grinding time. Considering the activity and economy, the regenerated powder with a grinding time of 5 min was selected, and its activity index was 83%. By exploring the performance of the two, the permeable mortar with 10% of recycled micronized powder and 50% of recycled aggregate has good mechanical properties and water permeability, and its permeability coefficient is about 1.57 mm/s, continuous porosity is 21.8%, and the compressive strength is 18.7 Mpa. The permeable mortar has a quality loss rate of 5.01% and a strength loss rate of 25.1% at the 17th freezing and thawing cycle. Recycled aggregates and recycled powders produce far fewer carbon emissions during production and transportation than natural sand and cement. Currently, permeable bricks are mainly used as construction materials for sidewalk pavements. Recycled permeable mortar is more convenient, environmentally friendly, and stronger than permeable bricks, so the research results will provide basic theoretical support for replacing permeable bricks with recycled permeable mortar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the association between retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and cognitive dysfunction in patients with mild ischemic stroke. Methods Total 146 patients with mild ischemic stroke that diagnosed and treated in Chengde Central Hospital in Hebei from January 2020 to December 2021 were included. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used to measure the RNFL thickness in each quadrant of both eyes, and Mini -Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were used to evaluate cognitive function. Results In patients with mild ischemic stroke, the RNFL thickness at the superior side of left eye was greater than right eye (t = - 4.589, P = 0.000), and the RNFL thickness at the temporal side of right eye was greater than left eye (t = 3.639, P = 0.000). Correlation analysis showed that the correlation between the RNFL thickness at the superior side of the left eye and the MMSE score (r = 0.385, P = 0.000), the RNFL thickness at the temporal side of the left eye and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at admission (r = 0.170, P = 0.020) were positively correlated. The correlation between the RNFL thickness at the inferior side of the left eye and the history of drinking (r = - 0.216, P = 0.011), the RNFL thickness at the temporal side of the right eye and the history of hypertension (r = - 0.194, P = 0.023) were negativley correlated. Conclusions The thinning of RNFL in patients with mild ischemic stroke may have a certain degree of association with cognitive dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The treatment of posterolateral tibial plateau fractures is difficult, and providing sufficient exposure and effective fixation is a challenge. There is great controversy regarding the surgical approach for posterolateral tibial plateau fractures. The purpose of the study was to investigate the clinical effects of open reduction and internal fixation using the Frosch approach for the treatment of posterolateral tibial plateau fractures combined with lateral tibial plateau fractures. Methods: Data from 19 patients with posterolateral tibial plateau fractures combined with lateral tibial plateau fractures treated from May 2018 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. There were nine men and 10 women, ranging in age from 22 to 62 years, with an average age of 45.6 years. All patients were treated using the Frosch approach. Under direct vision, the posterolateral and lateral fractures were reduced, and full bone grafting was performed. We reshaped the oblique "T" shaped plate for the distal radius and placed it on the posterolateral tibial plateau to fix the posterolateral fractures. The lateral inverted "L" shaped locking plate was placed on the lateral tibial plateau to fix the lateral tibial plateau fractures. Within 2 weeks after the operation, the patients were instructed to perform knee joint function exercises within 90°. At the last follow‐up, the Rasmussen radiological criteria were used to evaluate the effectiveness of fracture reduction and fixation. And the knee joint function was evaluated using Rasmussen functional score. Results: The operation time ranged from 100 to 180 min, with an average of 134.2 min; intraoperative blood loss ranged from 20 to 150 mL, with an average of 66.8 mL. The follow‐up duration ranged from 14 to 58 months, with an average of 36.2 months. There were no complications, such as vascular or nerve injury or incision infection. Fracture healing was achieved in all patients, and the healing time ranged from 10 to 14 weeks, with an average of 11.2 weeks. During the follow‐up period, there was no loosening or breakage of the internal fixation, varus or valgus deformity of the knee joint, re‐collapse of the articular surface, or instability of the knee joint. At the last follow‐up, the effectiveness of fracture reduction and fixation was excellent in 13 patients and good in six patients. And the knee joint function was excellent in 17 patients and good in two patients. Conclusion: The Frosch approach for open reduction and internal fixation in the treatment of posterolateral tibial plateau fractures combined with lateral tibial plateau fractures has a definite clinical benefit and is worthy of promotion and application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Requirements of blood transfusions rise rapidly in China. Improving the efficiency of blood donation could help maintaining sufficient blood supplement. We conducted a pilot research to investigate the reliability and safety of collecting more units of red blood cell by apheresis. Methods: Thirty‐two healthy male volunteers were randomized into two groups: red blood cell apheresis (RA) (n = 16) and whole blood (WB) donation (n = 16). RA group donated individualized RBC volumes by apheresis according to the volunteers' basal total blood volumes and haematocrit levels, WB group donated 400 mL whole blood. All volunteers were scheduled seven visit times in 8 weeks' study period. The cardiovascular functions were assessed by laboratory examinations, echocardiography and cardiopulmonary functional tests. All results were compared between groups at the same visit time and compared between visit 1(before donation) and other visit times within the same group. Results: The average donated RBC volume in RA group and in WB group was 627.25 ± 109.74 mL and 175.28 ± 8.85 mL, respectively(p < 0.05); the RBC, haemoglobin and haematocrit levels changed significantly between times and between groups (p < 0.05). Cardiac biomarker levels such as NT‐proBNP, hs‐TnT and CK‐MB did not change significantly between times or between groups (p > 0.05). The echocardiographic and cardiopulmonary results did not change significantly between times or between groups during the whole study period(p > 0.05). Conclusions: We provided an efficient and secure method for RBC apheresis. By harvesting more RBC volumes at one single‐time, the cardiovascular functions did not change significantly compared with traditional whole blood donation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cotton fleahopper (Pseudatomoscelis seriatus Reuter) is considered a highly economically damaging pest of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in Texas and Oklahoma. Current control methods rely heavily on the use of foliar-applied chemical insecticides, but considering the cost of insecticides and the critical timeliness of applications, chemical control methods are often not optimized to reduce potential yield losses from this pest. The Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Mpp51Aa2 (formerly Cry51Aa2.834_16) protein has proven effective against thrips and plant bugs with piercing and sucking feeding behaviors, but the impact of this toxin on cotton fleahoppers has not been investigated. To evaluate the Mpp51Aa2 trait effectiveness towards the cotton fleahopper, field trials were conducted in 2019, 2020, and 2021, comparing a cotton cultivar containing the Mpp51Aa2 trait to a non-traited isoline cultivar under insecticide-treated and untreated conditions. Populations of cotton fleahopper nymphs and adults were estimated weekly by visually inspecting cotton terminals. Square retention was also assessed during the first week of bloom to provide some insight on how the Bt trait may influence yield. While cotton fleahopper population differences between the traited and non-traited plants were not consistently noted during the pre-bloom squaring period, there was a consistent increase in square retention in cotton expressing Mpp51Aa2 relative to non-traited cotton. Additionally, cotton expressing Mpp51Aa2 offered similar square protection relative to non-traited cotton treated with insecticides for the cotton fleahopper. These findings indicate that the Mpp51Aa2 protein should provide benefits of delayed nymphal growth, population suppression, and increased square retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycoplasma synoviae infection rates in chickens are increasing worldwide. Genomic studies have considerably improved our understanding of M. synoviae biology and virulence. However, approximately 20% of the predicted proteins have unknown functions. In particular, the M. synoviae ATCC 25204 genome has 663 encoding DNA sequences, among which 155 are considered encoding hypothetical proteins (HPs). Several of these genes may encode unknown virulence factors. This study aims to reannotate all 155 proteins in M. synoviae ATCC 25204 to predict new potential virulence factors using currently available databases and bioinformatics tools. Finally, 125 proteins were reannotated, including enzymes (39%), lipoproteins (10%), DNA-binding proteins (6%), phase-variable hemagglutinin (19%), and other protein types (26%). Among 155 proteins, 28 proteins associated with virulence were detected, five of which were reannotated. Furthermore, HP expression was compared before and after the M. synoviae infection of cells to identify potential virulence-related proteins. The expression of 14 HP genes was upregulated, including that of five virulence-related genes. Our study improved the functional annotation of M. synoviae ATCC 25204 from 76% to 95% and enabled the discovery of potential virulence factors in the genome. Moreover, 14 proteins that may be involved in M. synoviae infection were identified, providing candidate proteins and facilitating the exploration of the infection mechanism of M. synoviae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal pollution seriously threatens the environment and human health. The biosorption of heavy metals has attracted worldwide attention due to its cost-effectiveness and environmental friendliness. It is significant to develop biosorbents with excellent adsorption performance. Sphingopyxis is widely used in the removal of various organic pollutants, but its potential application in heavy metal adsorption has been largely overlooked. This study investigates the biosorption of U(VI) onto live and dead cells of a Sphingopyxis strain YF1. The effects of pH, contact time and initial ion concentration on U(VI) adsorption investigated, and kinetic and isothermal models were used to fit the adsorption results. The results show that under pH 3–6, the adsorption of U(VI) by YF1 live cells increased with the increase of the pH. Both the pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order models can satisfactorily interpret the adsorption by live and dead cells. Three isothermal adsorption models (Langmuir, Freundlich, and Sips) were used to fit the adsorption process. The adsorption of uranium by live and dead cells was best fitted by the Sips model. The maximal adsorption capacities of U(VI) by live and dead cells were 140.7 mg g−1 and 205.7 mg g−1, respectively. The mechanisms of U(VI) adsorption by Sphingopyxis sp. YF1 were revealed. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) show that U(VI) was deposited on the surface of the bacterial cells. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) shows that amine, hydroxyl, alkyl, amide I, amide II, phosphate, carboxylates and carboxylic acids were the major functional groups that are involved in U(VI) adsorption by live and dead cells. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) suggests that the main functional groups of live cells involved in adsorption were O = C-O, C–OH/C–O–C and N–C = O. This study indicates Sphingopyxis sp. YF1 is a high-efficiency U(VI)-adsorbing strain, promising to remove U(VI) from aquatic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce the noise generated by large mechanical equipment, a stackable and expandable acoustic metamaterial with multiple tortuous channels (SEAM–MTCs) was developed in this study. The proposed SEAM–MTCs consisted of odd panels, even panels, chambers, and a final closing plate, and these component parts could be fabricated separately and then assembled. The influencing factors, including the number of layers N, the thickness of panel t0, the size of square aperture a, and the depth of chamber T0 were investigated using acoustic finite element simulation. The sound absorption mechanism was exhibited by the distributions of the total acoustic energy density at the resonance frequencies. The number of resonance frequencies increased from 13 to 31 with the number of layers N increasing from 2 to 6, and the average sound absorption coefficients in [200 Hz, 6000 Hz] was improved from 0.5169 to 0.6160. The experimental validation of actual sound absorption coefficients in [200 Hz, 1600 Hz] showed excellent consistency with simulation data, which proved the accuracy of the finite element simulation model and the reliability of the analysis of influencing factors. The proposed SEAM–MTCs has great potential in the field of equipment noise reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Nonhepatic hyperammonemia often occurs in patients with sepsis. Ammonia plays an essential role in the occurrence of hepatic encephalopathy. However, the relationship between nonhepatic serum ammonia levels and sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) remains unclear. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the association between serum ammonia levels and patients with SAE. Methods. Data of critically ill adults with sepsis who were admitted to the intensive care unit were retrieved from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC IV) between 2008 and 2019 and retrospectively analyzed. Data of patients with sepsis patients and serum ammonia not related to acute or chronic liver disease were not included. Results. Data from 720 patients with sepsis were included. SAE was found to have a high incidence (64.6%). After adjusting for other risk factors, a serum ammonia level of ≥45 μmol/L (odds ratio (OR): 3.508, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.336–5.269, p < 0.001) was found to be an independent risk factor for patients with SAE; moreover, as the serum ammonia level increased, the hospital mortality of SAE gradually increased in a certain range (serum ammonia <150 μmol/L). Serum ammonia levels of ≥45 μmol/L were associated with higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores in patients with SAE. Besides, our study found that patients with SAE used opioid analgesics (OR:3.433, 95% CI: 1.360–8.669, p = 0.009) and the SOFA scores of patients with SAE (OR: 1.126, 95% CI: 1.062–1.194, p < 0.001) were significantly higher than those without SAE. Conclusions. Nonhepatic serum ammonia levels of ≥45 μmol/L evidently increased the incidence of SAE. Serum ammonia levels should be closely monitored in patients with sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the factors impacting pathological complete remission (ipCR) of the internal mammary lymph nodes in patients with internal mammary lymph node metastasis (IMLN) after adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods. Sixty-five cases of primary breast cancer (BC) with IMLN metastasis who had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) were retrospectively analyzed. Postoperative pathology was used to divide the patients into ipCR and non-ipCR groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed on ipCR after NAC. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of the factors related to ipCR and a Kaplan-Meier curve was used to analyze prognosis. Results. Twenty-nine (44.62%) of the 65 female patients received ipCR after NAC. Significant differences in hormone receptor (HR) negative and axillary pathological complete response (apCR) rates between the ipCR and non-ipCR group (P < 0:05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that HR (OR = 2.698) and apCR (OR = 4.546) were the most significant factors that influenced ipCR (P <0.05). The ROC curves showed that the area under the curves (AUC) forHRand apCR for the prediction of ipCR were 0.744 and 0.735 respectively. The AUC for the combined detection was 0.905. The average disease free survival (DFS) for patients in the ipCR group was 94.0 months which was significantly longer compared to patients in the non-ipCR group (64.2 months) (χ2 = 4.265, P = 0.039). No significant difference in OS was detected between the two groups (P >0.05). Conclusions. ipCR after NAC is correlated with HR and apCR. HR combined with apCR has value in predicting ipCR. ipCR has prognostic value in patients with IMLN metastasis and may have the potential to inform clinical decision-making. Further validation of these findings is required through larger-scale prospective studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used reversed‐phase liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and supercritical fluid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry for determination of the stereoisomers of chlorfenvinphos and dimethylvinphos in tobacco. Tobacco samples were extracted and purified with a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe technique using spherical carbon. The performance of both methodologies was comprehensively compared in terms of methods validation parameters (separation efficiency, linearity, selectivity, recovery, repeatability, sensitivity, matrix effect, etc.). Under optimized conditions, the calibration curves of the stereoisomers of chlorfenvinphos and dimethylvinphos in the range of 10–500 ng/mL showed excellent linearity with R2 ≥ 0.997 in both methods. The adequate recoveries of analytes from three different spiked tobaccos were obtained using reversed‐phase liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (86.1–95.7%) as well as supercritical fluid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (86.5–94.0%). The relative standard deviations for spiked samples were all below 7.0%. Compared with supercritical fluid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, lower matrix effects and LODs can be obtained in reversed‐phase liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a morphing aircraft with a deployable flared skirt is proposed, and the influence of the flare skirt on the static stability of hypersonic aircraft is studied. The theoretical model of static stability of slender aircraft is established, and the position of the center of pressure can be used as a theoretical basis to measure static stability. Three-dimensional compressible Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) solver and an SST k-ω turbulence model are used to analyze the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft and the influence effect of the flared skirt on the pressure distribution of the body, and the influence trend on the position of the pressure center is verified. At the same time, the reliability of the code and grid is verified by a classic example, and the results are in good agreement with the experimental data in the current literature. Finally, the static stability of an aircraft with flared skirts with different deployment angles is quantitatively measured by defining the stability derivative at the common point. The results show that the static stability of the aircraft with the same forebody is improved by more than 100% under different flight Mach numbers when the flared skirt deployment angle is 30° compared to 0°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GNSS water vapor tomography has emerged as a prominent technique for obtaining the three-dimensional distribution of atmospheric water vapor. It effectively compensates for the deficiency of GNSS precipitable water vapor that only reflects the two-dimensional distribution of water vapor and has become a hotspot in GNSS meteorology. The GNSS water vapor tomography based on the Kalman filter well considers the correlation between successive epochs and avoids the restrictions of too many additional constraints, but its accuracy and stability are often affected by the noise covariance. We propose an optimized noise covariance matrix method for GNSS water vapor tomography based on the Kalman filter. It constructs the state noise covariance using historical water vapor information derived from atmospheric reanalysis data and establishes the observation noise covariance considering the satellite elevation angle and the signal intercept crossing the tomographic voxels. The tomography experiments conducted in Hong Kong show that the root-mean-square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) of the slant water vapor computed by the proposed method decreased by 38.8% and 34.9% compared with the traditional method. The proposed method improves average RMSE and MAE of 23.2% and 24.8% compared to the radiosonde data and 27.6% and 44.3% compared to ERA5 data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many degumming methods for fibrilia fiber have been established, the reaction priority of the gums and the influence of single gummy component removal/retention on the fiber property and the reaction behavior of the other components remain unclear. This study analyzed the above issues by the observing the change of fiber in microbial-mechanical 'enzyme peeling' and gas phase ozone treatment. Results showed that pectin removal could increase the fiber density significantly (∼60.3%) but would not cause damage to the fiber tenacity. The 2.5–4.5% pectin in untreated fiber could strongly restrict the removal of lignin and hemicellulose. Lignin had less influence on fiber density than pectin. The detailed composition of hemicellulose had a significant effect on fiber tenacity: the retention of xylan and mannan caused damage and benefit, respectively, to fiber tenacity. After the removal of 90.0% pectin and 23.0% hemicellulose, a deep delignification rate (>70.0%) could be obtained. The delignification rate of 70.0–80.0% was beneficial for the density decreasing and tenacity increasing of the fiber, while a delignification rate over 80.0% would cause the collapse of the cellulose structure and thus damage the fiber property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the existence and non-existence of traveling wave solutions for a nonlocal dispersal non-cooperative and non-monotonic system with a cyclic structure, which can model the SIS disease-transmission and the nutrient-phytoplankton mechanism. The upper-lower solutions method combined with Schauder’s fixed-point theorem is used to obtain the existence of traveling wave solutions and the minimal wave speed. Firstly, we show the traveling wave solutions are bounded by analysis techniques. Then, a suitable Lyapunov function is constructed to show the traveling wave solutions connecting a positive equilibrium at the final state. Particularly, the negative Laplace transform is applied to prove the asymptotic behavior of traveling wave solutions at - ∞ with the critical wave speed. Meanwhile, the non-existence of traveling waves is established by eigenvalue theory. Finally, a numerical simulation is given to present the traveling waves and shows the differences between non-local and local dispersal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycoplasma bovis is a global concern for the cattle industry owing to its high rates of infection and resulting morbidity, but its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Metabolic pathways and characteristics of M. bovis clinical strain were elucidated by comparing the differential expression of metabolites between M. bovis clinical strain NX114 and M. bovis international reference strain PG45. Metabolites of M. bovis in the logarithmic stage were analyzed based on the non-targeted metabolomic technology of ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS). We found 596 metabolites with variable expression, of which, 190 had substantial differences. Differential metabolite analysis of M. bovis NX114 showed organic acids and their derivatives, nucleosides, and nucleotide analogs as important components. We found O-Phospho-L-serine (SEP) as a potential signature metabolite and indicator of pathogenicity. The difference in nucleic acid metabolites reflects the difference in growth phenotypes between both strains of M. bovis. According to KEGG enrichment analysis, the ABC transporter synthesis route had the most differential metabolites of the first 15 differential enrichment pathways. This study reflects the species-specific differences between two strains of M. bovis and further enriches our understanding of its metabolism, paving the way for further research into its pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite growing interest in controlled-release N fertilizers (CRNFs) because of their potential for enhancing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and economic returns, their comprehensive impact on machine-transplanted rice remains to be understudied. To address this gap, here, we present a two-year field experiment that assessed the impact of CRNF using mechanical deep placement fertilization (DPF) on rice cultivation. The study involved three CRNF types (bulk blending fertilizer (BBF), polymer-coated urea (PCU), and sulfur-coated urea (SCU)) and two fertilization methods (DPF and broadcast application), with a high-yield split fertilization of urea as a control (CK). The results showed that DPF, especially with SCU, greatly enhanced soil NH4+-N concentrations, NUE, rice yield, and economic benefits compared to broadcast application. BBF consistently exhibited superior NUE and notable economic benefits, regardless of the application method used. Conversely, single-time application of PCU was less favorable for rice growth. In conclusion, for optimal economic benefits and NUE, DPF combined with single-time application of SCU is recommended. However, if deep application is not feasible and only broadcasting is possible in rice cultivation, BBF emerges as the ideal choice for both high NUE and significant economic returns. This research offers insights for improved nitrogen management in machine-transplanted rice, effectively optimizing yield, NUE, and profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Marrakesh Treaty entered into force in China on May 5, 2022. To fulfill its obligations and guarantee basic education access for visually impaired people, China revised its copyright law and introduced supporting measures for Treaty implementation. This article discusses various issues in designing a legal system for achieving 'intangible accessible environments' for visually impaired people in China and the priorities and possible shortcomings in transforming the Marrakesh Treaty into domestic law. Legislation must carefully avoid using specialized over-protection designs that could exacerbate the marginalization and social isolation of visually impaired people. Furthermore, it is crucial to refine the supporting system for Treaty implementation and strengthen sectoral synergies and international cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the disparity between the computing power and hardware development in electronic neural networks, optical diffraction networks have emerged as crucial technologies for various applications, including target recognition, because of their high speed, low power consumption, and large bandwidth. However, traditional optical diffraction networks and electronic neural networks are limited by long training durations and hardware requirements for complex applications. To overcome these constraints, this paper proposes an innovative opto-electronic hybrid system that combines optical diffraction networks with electronic neural networks. Using scattering layers to replace the diffraction layers in traditional optical diffraction networks, this hybrid system circumvents the challenging training process associated with diffraction layers. Spectral outputs of the optical diffraction network were processed using a simple backpropagation neural network, forming an opto-electronic hybrid network exhibiting exceptional performance with minimal data. For three-class target recognition, this network attains a classification accuracy of 93.3% within a substantially short training time of 9.2 s using only 100 data samples (training: 70 and testing: 30). Furthermore, it demonstrates exceptional insensitivity to position errors in scattering elements, enhancing its robustness. Therefore, the proposed opto-electronic hybrid network presents substantial application prospects in the fields of machine vision, face recognition, and remote sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: To investigate the dosimetry effects of different gating strategies in cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐guided breath‐hold pancreatic cancer radiotherapy. Methods: Two cine MRI‐based gating strategies were investigated： a tumor contour‐based gating strategy at a gating threshold of 0–5% and a tumor displacement‐based gating strategy at a gating threshold of 3–5 mm. The cine MRI videos were obtained from 17 pancreatic cancer patients who received MRI‐guided radiation therapy. We calculated the tumor displacement in each cine MR frame that satisfied the gating threshold and obtained the proportion of frames with different displacements. We generated IMRT and VMAT plans using a 33 Gy prescription, and motion plans were generated by adding up all isocenter‐shift plans corresponding to different tumor displacements. The dose parameters of GTV, PTV, and organs at risk (OAR) were compared between the original and motion plans. Results: In both gating strategies, the difference was significant in PTV coverage but not in GTV coverage between the original and motion plans. OAR dose parameters deteriorate with increasing gating threshold. The beam duty cycle increased from 19.5±14.3% (median 18.0%) to 60.8±15.6% (61.1%) for gating thresholds from 0% to 5% in tumor contour‐based gating and from 51.7±11.5% (49.7%) to 67.3±12.4% (67.1%) for gating thresholds from 3 to 5 mm in tumor displacement‐based gating. Conclusion: In tumor contour‐based gating strategy, the dose delivery accuracy deteriorates while the dose delivery efficiency improves with increasing gating thresholds. To ensure treatment efficiency, the gating threshold might be no less than 3%. A threshold up to 5% may be acceptable in terms of the GTV coverage. The displacement‐based gating strategy may serve as a potential alternative to the tumor contour based gating strategy, in which the gating threshold of approximately 4 mm might be a good choice for reasonably balancing the dose delivery accuracy and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) alloy has the ability to quickly transform between the amorphous phase and the crystalline phase; therefore, it can be used in non-volatile phase change storage. First-principles molecular dynamics was used to simulate the reversible phase change process of GST alloy, namely, amorphization and crystallization. The amorphous state was obtained by melting (∼3000 K) and cooling, and the amorphization process was characterized by the pair correlation function and bond angle distribution. The bond angles of amorphous GST were mainly distributed around 60°, 90°, and 110°, indicating the existence of octahedral and tetrahedral bonding configurations. The crystalline state was obtained by annealing at a temperature of 600 K, and the crystallization process was characterized by the pair correlation function, component disordered number, bond angle distribution, and dynamic atomic structure change. The results show that the bond angle of GST in crystallization is mainly distributed around 90°, and the structure mainly contains four-membered rings formed by Ge–Te and Sb–Te. By analyzing the optical properties, with the growth of crystallization time, the absorption coefficient, reflectivity, and conductivity of GST were significantly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have assessed the association between antidiabetic drugs and stroke risk, but the results are inconsistent. Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to assess effects of antidiabetic drugs on stroke risk. Methods: We selected blood glucose-lowering variants in genes encoding antidiabetic drugs targets from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). A two-sample MR and Colocalization analyses were applied to examine associations between antidiabetic drugs and the risk of stroke. For antidiabetic agents that had effect on stroke risk, an independent blood glucose GWAS summary data was used for further verification. Results: Genetic proxies for sulfonylureas targets were associated with reduced risk of any stroke (OR=0.062, 95% CI 0.013-0.295, P=4.65×10－4) and any ischemic stroke (OR=0.055, 95% CI 0.010-0.289, P=6.25×10－4), but not with intracranial hemorrhage. Colocalization supported shared casual variants for blood glucose with any stroke and any ischemic stroke within the encoding genes for sulfonylureas targets (KCNJ11 and ABCC8) (posterior probability>0.7). Furthermore, genetic variants in the targets of insulin/insulin analogues, glucagon-like peptide-1 analogues, thiazolidinediones, and metformin were not associated with the risk of any stroke, any ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage. The association was consistent in the analysis of sulfonylureas with stroke risk using an independent blood glucose GWAS summary data. Conclusions: Our findings showed that genetic proxies for sulfonylureas targets by lowering blood glucose were associated with a lower risk of any stroke and any ischemic stroke. The study might be of great significance to guide the selection of glucose-lowering drugs in individuals at high risk of stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem that the railway passenger volume data are abnormal due to holidays and major events interfering with the prediction accuracy, the spline interpolation method is introduced to replace the abnormal passenger volume data. In addition, an improved particle swarm optimization (IPSO) is proposed to optimize the gradient difference acceleration law to combine and improve the predicted value and further improve the prediction accuracy of the railway passenger traffic. Finally, taking Beijing as the research object, the Holt exponential smoothing method and the BP neural network are selected to verify the effect of spline interpolation and IPSO-gradient difference acceleration law on prediction accuracy. The research results show that the spline interpolation method has a better prediction effect after processing abnormal passenger traffic data, and the improved particle swarm algorithm also shows better optimization ability and convergence speed when solving the double difference postulate. In comparison with the BP neural network, Holt exponential smoothing, simple averaging, and conventional redifference approaches, the IPSO-redifference acceleration method achieves a superior prediction performance, and the absolute values of the forecast error are reduced by 3.320%, 1.518%, 2.419%, and 0.602%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures with spontaneous intrinsic ferroelectrics play an essential role in ferroelectric memories. Also, the reversal of polarized directions induces band alignment transitions among different types to provide a new path for multifunctional devices. In this work, the structural and electronic properties of 2D VS2/Ga2O3 vdW heterostructures under different polarizations were investigated using first-principles calculations with the vdW correction of the DFT-D2 method. The results reveal that the polarized direction of a 2D Ga2O3 monolayer can cause a distinct band structure reversion from a metal to a semiconductor due to the shift of band alignment induced by the interlayer charge transfer. Moreover, the VS2/P↑ Ga2O3 heterostructures retain type-I and type-II band alignments in the majority and minority channel, respectively, under an external electric field. Interestingly, applying the external electric field for VS2/P↓ Ga2O3 heterostructures can lead to a transition from type-II to type-I in the majority channel, and from type-II to type-III in the minority channel. Our work provides a feasible way to realize 2D VS2/Ga2O3 vdW heterostructures for potential applications in ferroelectric memories and electrostatic gating dependent multiple band alignment devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a novel degradation pathway of a human immunoglobulin G (IgG) molecule featuring a light chain N-terminal asparagine. We thoroughly characterize this pathway and investigate its charge profiles using cation exchange chromatography (CEX) and capillary isoelectric focusing (cIEF). Beyond the well-documented asparagine deamidation into isoaspartic acid, aspartic acid, and succinimide intermediate, a previously unreported clipping degradation pathway is uncovered. This newly identified clipped N-terminal IgG variant exhibits a delayed elution in CEX, categorized as a "basic variant", while retaining the same main peak isoelectric point (pI) in cIEF. The influence of temperature and pH on N-terminal asparagine stability is assessed across various stressed conditions. A notable correlation between deamidation percentage and clipped products is established, suggesting a potential hydrolytic chemical reaction underlying the clipping process. Furthermore, the impact of N-terminal asparagine modifications on potency is evaluated through ELISA binding assays, revealing minimal effects on binding affinity. Sequence alignment reveals homology to a human IgG with the germline gene from Immunoglobulin Lambda Variable 6-57 (IGLV6-57), which has implications for amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis. This discovery of the N-terminal clipping degradation pathway contributes to our understanding of immunoglobulin light chain misfolding and amyloid fibril deposition under physiological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tribological properties of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) play a significant role in artificial joint materials. Graphite fluoride (GrF), a novel solid lubricant, was incorporated into ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) at different concentrations via ball milling and heat pressing to prepare the GrF-UHMW-PE composites. The structure, hardness, and tribological behavior of the composites were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry, ball indentation hardness, and a reciprocating ball-on-plane friction tester, respectively. The results of FT-IR showed that hydrogen bonds (C-F···H-C) could be formed between GrF and UHMW-PE. The hardness of the composites was significantly enhanced by increasing the GrF concentrations. GrF in the composites displayed superior lubricant properties and the coefficient of friction (COF) of the composites was significantly decreased at lower concentrations of GrF viz. 0.1 and 0.5 wt%. The addition of GrF also significantly enhanced the anti-wear properties of the composites, which was a combined effect of lubrication as well as hardness provided by GrF. At 0.5 wt% GrF concentration, the COF and the wear rate were reduced by 34.76% and 47.72%, respectively, when compared to UHMW-PE. As the concentration of GrF increased, the wear modes of the composites transitioned from fatigue wear to abrasive wear. Our current work suggested that GrF-UHMW-PE composites could be a suitable candidate for artificial joint materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the inorganic modification of raw soil materials by using cement, fly ash, lime and other admixtures, the influence of modified jute fiber content on the strength of raw-soil-based wall materials was studied. The effects of the gradient distribution of inorganic admixtures on the mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of raw-soil-based wall materials were studied and compared by designing the gradient distribution and homogenous distribution of admixtures in raw soil materials. The results show that when the mass ratio of raw soil, sand, cement, fly ash and lime is 30:10:5:3:2, the compressive strength and flexural strength of the modified raw soil specimen at 28 d are 6.4 MPa and 2.9 MPa, respectively; on the basis of the further addition of 0.8 v% jute fibers, the strength can still be enhanced by 20% and its thermal insulation properties will also be improved. Gradient design can further improve the mechanical properties of modified raw-soil-based wall materials and can weaken the loss of its inherent thermal insulation function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcosis disease caused by Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS) results in a huge economic loss of tilapia culture. It is urgent to find new antimicrobial agents against streptococcosis. In this study, 20 medicinal plants were evaluated in vitro and in vivo to obtain medicinal plants and potential bioactive compounds against GBS infection. The results showed that the ethanol extracts of 20 medicinal plants had low or no antibacterial properties in vitro, with a minimal inhibitory concentration ≥256 mg/L. Interestingly, in vivo tests showed that 7 medicinal plants could significantly inhibit GBS infection in tilapia, and Sophora flavescens (SF) had the strongest anti‐GBS activity in tilapia, reaching 92.68%. SF could significantly reduce the bacterial loads of GBS in different tissues (liver, spleen and brain) of tilapia after treated with different tested concentrations (12.5, 25.0, 50.0 and 100.0 mg/kg) for 24 h. Moreover, 50 mg/kg SF could significantly improve the survival rate of GBS‐infected tilapia by inhibiting GBS replication. Furthermore, the expression of antioxidant gene cat, immune‐related gene c‐type lysozyme and anti‐inflammatory cytokine il‐10 in liver tissue of GBS‐infected tilapia significantly increased after treated with SF for 24 h. Meanwhile, SF significantly reduced the expression of immune‐related gene myd88 and pro‐inflammatory cytokines il‐8 and il‐1β in liver tissue of GBS‐infected tilapia. The negative and positive models of UPLC‐QE‐MS, respectively, identified 27 and 57 components of SF. The major components of SF extract in the negative model were α, α‐trehalose, DL‐malic acid, D‐ (−)‐fructose and xanthohumol, while in the positive model were oxymatrine, formononetin, (−)‐maackiain and xanthohumol. Interestingly, oxymatrine and xanthohumol could significantly inhibit GBS infection in tilapia. Taken together, these results suggest that SF can inhibit GBS infection in tilapia, and it has potential for the development of anti‐GBS agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood surface staining suffers from volatile organic gas (VOC) emissions and uneven staining at knots, and these environmental and decorative performance issues are the main restrictions in the application of wood products, indoors and outdoors. Herein, the method of wood-based panel surface staining is presented for improving environmental and decorative performance using environmentally friendly water-based inks, water-based primers, and digital inkjet coloring technology. The wood-based panels' dye coatings were prepared with oak plank as the sample substrate, a one-component water-based primer as the interfacial adhesive, and a water-based ink as a coating agent. The application amount of water-based primer was 15 g per square meter, applied twice by a roller, and the coating thickness reached approximately 20 μm. The influence of the one-component water-based primer on the interfacial properties of water-based inkjet coatings was investigated via Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, a video contact angle analyzer, and environmental scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the one-component water-based primer connected the plain board to the inkjet-printed coating. The addition of a water-based primer coating reduced the contact angle of the wood surface from 41.69° to 37.28° and increased wettability. This helped enhance the adhesion of the water-based inkjet coating, and the primer treatment in the semi-closed state covered the scar defects of the plain board while preserving the path of grain holes on the wood surface. With image editing and inkjet dyeing, the surface of the oak plank obtained a uniform staining effect on the primer coating while maintaining the original natural pore texture of the wood. This study proves that a one-component water-based primer pretreatment process for water-based inkjet printing coatings on wood surfaces has excellent modification ability and interface adhesion. It provides a feasible method of color modification for artificial panel surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ballast fouling occurs when the voids of granular particles are wholly or partially filled by fine particles. Railway ballast fouling is always an inevitable issue related to railway performance and safety in ballasted tracks. This paper presents an overview of the railway ballast fouling mechanism, current works, perspective, and innovation. The paper first reviews the fouling mechanism with different fouling sources and their influence, followed by the fouling indices. Then, fouling inspection methods are reviewed, and the ground penetrating radar is highlighted due to its high efficiency and accuracy. The proposed solutions, including rehabilitation, prevention, reinforcement, and stabilization in the ballasted track, are introduced. Additionally, several perspectives and works for the future are mentioned. Ballast cleaning is a thorough and effective treatment. Ground-penetrating radar inspection and proper evaluation can provide a preview and perspective on ballast cleaning determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) contamination is a worldwide environmental problem that poses a grave threat to the water ecosystem and public health. Exposure to MC-LR has been associated with the development of intestinal injury, but there are no effective treatments for MC-LR-induced intestinal disease. Probiotics are "live microorganisms that are beneficial to the health of the host when administered in sufficient quantities". It has been demonstrated that probiotics can prevent or treat a variety of human diseases; however, their ability to mitigate MC-LR-induced intestinal harm has not yet been investigated. The objective of this study was to determine whether probiotics can mitigate MC-LR-induced intestinal toxicity and its underlying mechanisms. We first evaluated the pathological changes in colorectal tissues using an animal model with sub-chronic exposure to low-dose MC-LR, HE staining to assess colorectal histopathologic changes, qPCR to detect the expression levels of inflammatory factors in colorectal tissues, and WB to detect the alterations on CSF1R signaling pathway proteins in colorectal tissues. Microbial sequencing analysis and screening of fecal microorganisms differential to MC-LR treatment in mice. To investigate the role of microorganisms in MC-LR-induced colorectal injury, an in vitro model of MC-LR co-treatment with microorganisms was developed. Our findings demonstrated that MC-LR treatment induced an inflammatory response in mouse colorectal tissues, promoted the expression of inflammatory factors, activated the CSF1R signaling pathway, and significantly decreased the abundance of Lactobacillus. In a model of co-treatment with MC-LR and Lactobacillus fermentum (L. fermentum), it was discovered that L. fermentum substantially reduced the incidence of the colorectal inflammatory response induced by MC-LR and inhibited the protein expression of the CSF1R signaling pathway. This is the first study to suggest that L. fermentum inhibits the CSF1R signaling pathway to reduce the incidence of MC-LR-induced colorectal inflammation. This research may provide an excellent experimental foundation for the development of strategies for the prevention and treatment of intestinal diseases in MC-LR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have primarily concentrated on the hepatotoxicity of MC-LR, whereas its gastric toxicity effects and mechanisms of long-term exposure under low dosage remain unknown. Herein, the gastric tissue from C57BL/6 mice fed with drinking water contaminated by low-dose MC-LR (including 1, 60, and 120 μg/L) was investigated. The results obtained showed that exposure to different concentrations of MC-LR resulted in significant shedding and necrosis of gastric epithelial cells in mice, and a down-regulation of tight junction markers, including ZO-1, Claudin1, and Occludin in the stomach, which might lead to increased permeability of the gastric mucosa. Moreover, the protein expression levels of p-RAF/RAF, p-ERK1/2/ERK1/2, Pink1, Parkin, and LC3-II/LC-3-I were increased in the gastric tissue of mice exposed to 120 μg/L of MC-LR, while the protein expression level of P62 was significantly decreased. Furthermore, we found that pro-inflammatory factors, including IL-6 and TNF-ɑ, were dramatically increased, while the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 was significantly decreased in the gastric tissue of MC-LR-exposed mice. The activation of the MAPK signaling pathway and mitophagy might contribute to the development of gastric damage by promoting inflammation. We first reported that long-term exposure to MC-LR induced gastric toxicity by activating the MAPK signaling pathway, providing a new insight into the gastric toxic mechanisms caused by MC-LR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is unknown whether high‐frequency ultrasound (HFUS) can evaluate invisible subcutaneous lesions. We aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of HFUS in invisible subcutaneous lesions. Method: Patients with invisible subcutaneous lesions were prospectively recruited from two centres. Before undergoing biopsy or surgery, each lesion was independently evaluated by two clinicians. One provides a clinical diagnosis by only clinical examination and the other provides an integrated diagnosis by combining clinical examination and HFUS information. Diagnoses were classified as correct, wrong, and indeterminate. A total of 391 lesions from 355 patients were enrolled, including 225 epidermoid cysts, 77 lipomas, 25 pilomatrixomas, 21 haemangiomas, 19 dermatofibromas, 11 dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP), 7 neurofibromas, and 6 leiomyomas. Using pathological results as the gold standard, diagnostic performance was compared. Results: The number of correct diagnoses increased from 185 (47.3%) by clinical examination alone to 316 (80.8%) after the addition of HFUS (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the indeterminate diagnosis rate decreased from 143 (36.6%) to 10 (2.6%). Using HFUS, the accuracy improved significantly for epidermoid cysts (59.6% vs. 86.7%), lipomas (50.6% vs. 94.8%), pilomatrixomas (0% vs. 48.0%), haemangiomas (23.8% vs. 57.1%), and DFSPs (0% vs. 81.8%) (all p < 0.05). However, HFUS did not significantly improve the diagnostic accuracy of dermatofibromas (15.8% vs. 21.1%, p > 0.999), neurofibromas (42.9% vs. 71.4%, p = 0.625), or leiomyomas (16.7% vs. 100%, p = 0.063). Conclusion: Combining HFUS and clinical examination can generally improve the diagnostic accuracy and decrease the indeterminacy of invisible subcutaneous lesions, especially epidermoid cysts, lipomas, pilomatrixomas, haemangiomas, and DFSPs. However, for some rare lesions, HFUS cannot provide useful information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of flexible electronics and functional textiles requires phase change material (PCM) with mechanical flexibility. Here, a lightweight and flexible composite PCM has been prepared by loading melted paraffin wax (PW) into a robust carbon nanotube (CNT) scaffold. This flexible PW/CNT PCM with 85 wt.% PW loading shows a mechanical strength of 3.1 MPa and a tensile strain up to 21%, suggesting a high flexibility and structural integrity that cannot be found in traditional carbon foams. The greatly increased toughness of the flexible PCM was ascribed to the interwoven structure of the CNT scaffolds bonded by PW. Additionally, the material maintains 99.78% of the initial capacity after 200 cycles. High thermal storage capacity (183.93 kJ kg−1) and cycling stability endow the nanocomposite with a stable cooling function, while the CNT scaffolds are conductive and allow the flexible nanocomposite to display rapid heating function. Additionally, the as-prepared flexible PW/CNT PCM has greatly enhanced thermal conductivity, which causes rapid thermal response for heat transfer. Thereby, the nanocomposite materials show potential for use over a wider temperature range and multi-functional thermal management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3(PZT)/PbZrO3(PZ) composite films are deposited on LaNiO3/SiO2/Si substrates using sol–gel method, and annealed at 620 °C for a different time with the rapid thermal annealing technology. The microstructures, crystal structure, and electrical performance of the PZT/PZ composite films are researched. When the composite films are annealed at 620 °C for 3 min, the PZT films show the perovskite phase and the PZ films exhibit the pyrochlore phase with tiny perovskite phase, making the films obtain a linear hysteresis loop and possess the high energy storage density of 10.0 J cm−3 and the energy storage efficiency of 84.8%. The aforementioned experimental results show that the phase structure of the PZT/PZ multilayer films can be regulated by different annealing times, which would improve the energy storage performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose:Listeria monocytogenes infections are rare in the central nervous system (CNS) and frequently difficult-to-diagnose. Our goal is to assess CNS listeriosis patients' clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.Patients and Methods: Patients with CNS listeriosis admitted to the Department of neurology, the first medical center of the Chinese PLA general hospital, were enrolled in this study from March 2018 to August 2022.Results: This study analyzed eight adults, including five males and three females. The average age of onset was (50.25 ± 11.52) years. The clinical manifestations included fever, headache, altered mental status, vomiting, seizures, neck rigidity, hemiplegia and cranial nerve palsies. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tests revealed intracranial hypertension, elevated cell count and protein concentration, and decreased glucose levels. The positive rates of blood and CSF culture were 40% and 28.57%, respectively. All patients underwent CSF metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), with a 100% positive rate and the specific read number 12– 20394. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exhibited leptomeningitis, meningoencephalitis, and brain abscess, and no specific changes were discovered in two patients. All patients received antibiotic treatment, seven were cured, and one died.Conclusion: Monitoring the proportion of monocytes in blood and mNGS results of CSF can play a crucial role in diagnosing pathogens. Early and sufficient application of two to three sensitive antibiotics with a BBB permeability of 20– 30% for at least 2– 3 months can significantly improve CNS listeriosis prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellular signaling data have become increasingly indispensable in analyzing residents' travel characteristic. Especially with the enhancement of positioning quality in 4G-LTE and 5G wireless communication systems, it is expected that the identification accuracy of fine-grained travel modes will achieve an optimal level. However, due to data privacy issues, the empirical evaluation of the performance of different identification methods is not yet sufficient. This paper builds a travel mode identification model that utilizes the gated recurrent unit (GRU) neural network. With 24 features as input, this method can identify four traffic modes, including walking, bicycle, car, and bus. Moreover, in cooperation with the operator, we organized an experiment collecting cellular signaling data, as well as the corresponding GPS data. Using the collected dataset as ground-truth data, the performance of the method presented in this paper and other popular methods is verified and compared. The results indicate that the GRU-based method has a better performance, with a precision, recall, and F score of 90.5%. Taking F score as an example, the outcome of the GRU-based method is about 6% to 7% higher than methods based on other machine learning algorithms. Considering the identification accuracy and model training time comprehensively, the method suggested in this paper outperforms the other three deep learning-based methods, namely, recurrent neural network (RNN), long short-term memory network (LSTM), and bidirectional long short-term memory network (Bi-LSTM). This study may provide some insights for the application and development of cellular signaling-based travel information collection technology for residents in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the nonlinear changes in the vertical motion of 411 GNSS reference stations situated in mainland China and assessed the influence of the environmental load on their vertical displacement. The researchers evaluated the effect of environmental load by calculating the change in annual cycle amplitude before and after its removal, focusing on its impact across regions with distinct foundation types. The results demonstrate that removing the environmental load led to a considerable reduction of approximately 50.25% in the annual cycle amplitude of vertical motion for GNSS reference stations in mainland China. This reduction in amplitude improved the positioning accuracy of the stations, with the highest WRMS reduction being 2.72 mm and an average reduction of 1.03 mm. The most significant impact was observed in the southwestern, northern, and northwestern regions, where the amplitude experienced a notable decrease. Conversely, the southeastern region exhibited a corresponding increase in amplitude. This article innovatively explored the effects of environmental loads on diverse foundation types. When categorizing GNSS reference stations based on their foundation type, namely, bedrock, 18 m soil layer, and 4–8 m soil layer stations, this study found that removing the environmental load resulted in reductions in annual cycle amplitudes of 49.37%, 59.61%, and 46.48%, respectively. These findings indicate that 18 m soil layer stations were more susceptible to environmental load-induced vertical motion. In conclusion, the impact of the environmental load was crucial when analyzing the vertical motion of GNSS reference stations in mainland China, as it was essential for establishing a high-precision coordinate reference framework and studying the tectonic structure of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brownification denotes increasing water color, partly caused by increasing dissolved organic matter of terrestrial origin in freshwater. Brownification has become a wide-spread environmental problem because water color alters the physicochemical environment and biological communities in aquatic ecosystems. However, our understanding of its ecological effects on aquatic macrophytes is limited. Here, an indoor mesocosm experiment with a common submerged macrophyte, Potamogeton crispus, along an increasing gradient of brownification was conducted over a period of 42 days. Results showed that P. crispus was able to overcome low degrees of brownification owing to the plasticity in morphological and physiological traits and P. crispus growth even benefitted from the concomitant nutrients along with brownification. However, the macrophyte growth was negatively affected by a 10-fold increase in water color beyond its current level. Additionally, collapse in antioxidant systems and potent photosynthesis inhibition implied that P. crispus could not adapt to the low-light stress generated under the high degree of brownification. Epiphytic bacteria are more sensitive to brownification than their hosts. Any degree of brownification initially caused a decrease in microbial diversity of epiphytic biofilm, whereafter the concomitant nutrients under brownification favored the growth of epiphytic microorganisms. The shading effect of a large number of epiphytic biofilms under brownification may further aggravate the low-light stress on macrophytes. Overall, the study provides new insights into the comprehensive effects and underlying mechanisms of brownification on macrophytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of an active control system, crucial for the co-phase maintenance of segmented mirrors, is closely related to the spatial layout of sensors and actuators. This article compares two types of edge sensor layouts, vertical and horizontal, and proposes a novel tandem differential sensor layout that saves layout space and reduces the number of positioning references. The control performance of this scheme is analyzed in terms of error propagation, mode representation, and the scalable construction of the control matrix. Finally, we constructed a tandem differential-based sensor detection system to examine the performance of edge sensors and the effect of laboratory environmental variables on sensor measurements. Simulations and experiments demonstrate that this scheme has the same ability to fully characterize actuator modification modes as the Keck edge sensor layout. Although the total error multiplier is slightly larger than the latter, it has fewer scalable control matrix types and stronger spatial and segmental shape adaptation capabilities. Actual measurements show that the sensor's own noise in a tandem differential layout is less than 20 nm, which meets the requirements for future segmented co-phase maintenance. This layout type can potentially be applied to future small and medium-sized segmented splices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lifespan extension has independently evolved several times during mammalian evolution, leading to the emergence of a group of long-lived animals. Though mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is shown as a central regulator of lifespan and aging, the underlying influence of mTOR pathway on the evolution of lifespan in mammals is not well understood. Results: Here, we performed evolution analyses of 72 genes involved in the mTOR network across 48 mammals to explore the underlying mechanism of lifespan extension. We identified a total of 20 genes with significant evolution signals unique to long-lived species, including 12 positively selected genes, four convergent evolution genes, and five longevity associated genes whose evolution rate related to the maximum lifespan (MLS). Of these genes, four positively selected genes, two convergent evolution genes and one longevity-associated gene were involved in the autophagy response and aging-related diseases, while eight genes were known as cancer genes, indicating the long-lived species might have evolved effective regulation mechanisms of autophagy and cancer to extend lifespan. Conclusion: Our study revealed genes with significant evolutionary signals unique to long-lived species, which provided new insight into the lifespan extension of mammals and might bring new strategies to extend human lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]