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Introduction: Extreme weather becomes increasingly frequent and severe under climate change, causing unexpected damage to trees. Among them, sleet damage is particularly harmful to evergreen trees in subtropical area. Camphor trees (Cinnamomum camphora), as dominant street trees in central China, are prone to sleet damage, resulting in loss of valuable ecosystem functions. Methods: By measuring tree size characteristics of 118 camphor trees before and after a record-breaking sleet event in Wuhan, a mega-city in central China, we built allometric equations between size and volume of broken branches and used the random forest regression to model sleet damage to camphor trees. Results: We identified that larger trees with intermediate bole height suffered more than smaller trees with tall bole height from the sleet event. We estimated the volume of broken branches of a camphor tree with DBH at 35.0 cm as 106.4 dm3, equivalent to 55.3 kg biomass loss, from the sleet event. Discussion: We suggest that pruning the branches instead of topping the main stems of small camphor trees would reduce the sleet hazard. To mitigate the negative impacts of climate change, regular pruning should be practiced on street camphor trees to protect them from future heavy sleet events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Clean drinking water is a necessity for maintaining public health and livelihoods. Hard water containing excessive calcium and magnesium threatens urinary health with elevated risks of kidney stones at rural villages with tap water shortages. After entitled poverty alleviation in 2019, residents of Yangxin county of Hubei Province in central China unexpected suffered shortage of tap water and additional cost of water softening. However, the impact of lack of tap water on risks of kidney stones was not yet quantified for residents at rural villages in Yangxin. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis by testing 216 water samples from 114 families at four villages and surveying urinary health and living conditions of each householder. Results: Lab tests showed that mean total hardness of well and tap water at each village was above 355 mg/L CaCO3, except tap water from the village with government support for industrial development. Mean softening depth was 309.3 mg/L at the families paying for filters or bottle water, and mean annual cost of water was 1,915 CNY (1 CNY = 0.14 USD) equivalent to 5.8% of mean annual household income. Mean tap water availability was only 34%, and the prevalence of kidney stones among the four villages was 33.9%, 25.0% higher than the rate of kidney stones in Hubei Province. About 60% of the families showed strong willingness to accept annual government compensation of 3,324 CNY for clean water supply, whereas only 2.6% of the families wanted to pay government for water treatment. Using logistic and randomforest regressionmodels, we identify factors associated with the prevalence of kidney stones as gender (males have 3.78 times the risks of females), age (2.42 times greater risks if 10 years older), body mass index (higher risks if overweight or obese), total hardness of drinking water (2.59 times for a 100 mg/L increase in total hardness), and tap water availability (2.42 times higher among those without tap water supply compared to those with constant supply). Discussion: Old and obese males are more likely to be diagnosed with kidney stones, but tap water shortages and high total hardness of drinking water increase the risks for all residents. To improve urinary health and meet support needs of residents, tap water supply of soft water is urgently needed at the rural villages in Yangxin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the urgent need for soft tap water in rural villages in Yangxin, a poverty-alleviated county in central China, to reduce the risks of kidney stones. The study conducted by researchers from Hubei Normal University and the Department of Human Resources and Social Security of Hubei Province examines the prevalence of kidney stones and its relationship with factors such as age, body mass index, total hardness of drinking water, and tap water availability. The research includes logistic regression models and random forest regression models to analyze the data. The findings highlight the importance of providing soft tap water to these rural communities to mitigate the risk of kidney stones. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Cervical cancer, a severe threat to women's health, is experiencing a global increase in incidence, notably among younger demographics. With artificial intelligence (AI) making strides, its integration into medical research is expanding, particularly in cervical cancer studies. This bibliometric study aims to evaluate AI's role, highlighting research trends and potential future directions in the field. Methods: This study systematically retrieved literature from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), employing VOSviewer and CiteSpace for analysis. This included examining collaborations and keyword co-occurrences, with a focus on the relationship between citing and cited journals and authors. A burst ranking analysis identified research hotspots based on citation frequency. Results: The study analyzed 927 articles from 2008 to 2024 by 5,299 authors across 81 regions. China, the U.S., and India were the top contributors, with key institutions like the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the NIH leading in publications. Schiffman, Mark, featured among the top authors, while Jemal, A, was the most cited. 'Diagnostics' and 'IEEE Access' stood out for publication volume and citation impact, respectively. Keywords such as 'cervical cancer,' 'deep learning,' 'classification,' and 'machine learning' were dominant. The most cited article was by Berner, ES; et al., published in 2008. Conclusions: AI's application in cervical cancer research is expanding, with a growing scholarly community. The study suggests that AI, especially deep learning and machine learning, will remain a key research area, focusing on improving diagnostics and treatment. There is a need for increased international collaboration to maximize AI's potential in advancing cervical cancer research and patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are concerned in this paper with the convergence analysis of the primal-dual splitting (PDS) and the split Douglas-Rachford (SDR) algorithms for monotone inclusions by using an operator-oriented approach. We shall show that both PDS and SDR algorithms can be driven by a (firmly) nonexpansive mapping in a product Hilbert space. We are then able to apply the Krasnoselskii-Mann and Halpern fixed point algorithms to PDS and SDR to get weakly and strongly convergent algorithms for finding solutions of the primal and dual monotone inclusions. Moreover, an additional projection technique is used to derive strong convergence of a modified SDR algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-native aquatic plants are regarded as serious threats to aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem health. Large-flowered, or Brazilian waterweed (Egeria densa Planchon, 1849) is a submerged aquatic plant native to South America that has been introduced to all continents except Antarctica primarily because of its popularity in the aquarium trade. E. densa was brought into China after 2000, and it has become one of the most popular aquatic plants used in China's burgeoning aquarium trade. It is one of many non-native aquatic species whose plasticity and thermal tolerance have buffered them from global warming impacts. This has allowed the establishment of feral populations that have caused significant negative impacts in China. Information about introduction pathways, distribution, and the ecological impacts of non-native species, such as E. densa has been very limited in China. This knowledge gap has hindered their effective management. Here we provide an updated distribution of E. densa in China from summarized literature data and our comprehensive field study. Furthermore, an overview of ecological impacts, and control or eradication approaches that have been used to manage and curtail the spread of large-flowered waterweed is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study investigates the efficacy of training methodologies aimed at mitigating asymmetries in lower limb strength and explosiveness among basketball players. Methods: Thirty male university basketball athletes were enrolled in this research. Initial assessments were made regarding their physical attributes, strength, and explosiveness. Subsequently, the participants were randomly allocated into two groups: an experimental group (EG, n = 15) and a control group (CG, n = 15). Over 10 weeks, the EG engaged in a unilateral compound training regimen, incorporating resistance training exercises such as split squats, Bulgarian split squats, box step-ups, and single-leg calf raises (non-dominant leg: three sets of six repetitions; dominant leg: one set of six repetitions) and plyometric drills including lunge jumps, single-leg hops with back foot raise, single-leg lateral jumps, and single-leg continuous hopping (non-dominant leg: three sets of 12 repetitions; dominant leg: one set of 12 repetitions). The CG continued with their standard training routine. Assessments of limb asymmetry and athletic performance were conducted before and after the intervention to evaluate changes. Results: 1) Body morphology assessments showed limb length and circumference discrepancies of less than 3 cm. The initial average asymmetry percentages in the single-leg countermovement jump (SLCMJ) for jump height, power, and impulse were 15.56%, 12.4%, and 4.48%, respectively. 2) Post-intervention, the EG demonstrated a significant reduction in the asymmetry percentages of SLCMJ height and power (p < 0.01), along with improvements in the isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) test metrics (p < 0.05). 3) The EG also showed marked enhancements in the doubleleg countermovement jump (CMJ) and standing long jump (SLJ) outcomes compared to the CG (p < 0.01), as well as in squat performance (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The 10-week unilateral compound training program effectively reduced the asymmetry in lower limb strength and explosiveness among elite male university basketball players, contributing to increased maximal strength and explosiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supramolecular systems feature dynamic, reversible and stimuli-responsive characteristics, which are not easily achieved by molecular entities. The last decade has witnessed tremendous advances in the investigations of supramolecular systems for various bioapplications, which include drug delivery, anticancer therapy, antibacterial therapy, photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, combination therapy, antidotes for residual drugs or toxins, and bioimaging and biosensing. Host-guest chemistry has played a key role in the development of such bioactive supramolecular systems, and natural macrocycles (such as cyclodextrins), synthetic macrocycles (such as calixarenes, cucurbit[n]urils, and pillararenes), and porous framework polymers (such as supramolecular organic frameworks and flexible organic frameworks) have been most successfully used as hosts to build different kinds of host-guest systems for attaining designed biofunctions. The self-assembly of rationally designed amphiphilic molecules, macromolecules and polymers represent another important approach for the construction of supramolecular architectures with advanced biofunctions. In this review, we summarize the important contributions made by Chinese researchers in this field, with emphasis on those reported in the past five years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gas-particle flow with multiple dispersed solid phases is associated with a complicated multiphase flow dynamics. In this paper, a unified algorithm is proposed for the gas-particle multiphase flow. The gas-kinetic scheme (GKS) is used to simulate the gas phase and the multiscale unified gas-kinetic wave-particle (UGKWP) method is developed for the multiple dispersed solid particle phase. For each disperse solid particle phase, the decomposition of deterministic wave and statistic particle in UGKWP is based on the local cell's Knudsen number. The method for solid particle phase can become the Eulerian fluid approach at the small cell's Knudsen number and the Lagrangian particle approach at the large cell's Knudsen number. This becomes an optimized algorithm for simulating dispersed particle phases with a large variation of Knudsen numbers due to different physical properties of the individual particle phase, such as the particle diameter, material density, etc. The GKS-UGKWP method for gas-particle flow unifies the Eulerian-Eulerian and Eulerian-Lagrangian methods. The particle and wave decompositions for the solid particle phase and their coupled evolution in UGKWP come from the consideration to balance the physical accuracy and numerical efficiency. Two cases of a gas-solid fluidization system, i.e. one circulating fluidized bed and one turbulent fluidized bed, are simulated. The typical flow structures of the fluidized particles are captured, and the time-averaged variables of the flow field agree well with the experimental measurements. In addition, the shock particle-bed interaction is studied by the proposed method, which validates the algorithm for the polydisperse gas-particle system in the highly compressible case, where the dynamic evolution process of the particle cloud is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We herein present an approach of photo‐induced disproportionation for preparation of Type‐I photodynamic agents. As a proof of concept, BODIPY‐based photosensitizers were rationally designed and prepared. The photo‐induced intermolecular electron transfer between homotypic chromophores leads to the disproportionation reaction, resulting in the formation of charged intermediates, cationic and anionic radicals. The cationic radicals efficiently oxidize the cellularimportant coenzyme, tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), and the anionic radicals transfer electrons to oxygen to produce superoxide radicals (O2−⋅). One of our Type‐I photodynamic agents not only self‐assembles in water but also effectively targets the endoplasmic reticulum. It displayed excellent photocytotoxicity even in highly hypoxic environments (2 % O2), with a half‐maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.96 μM, and demonstrated outstanding antitumor efficacy in murine models bearing HeLa tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We herein present an approach of photo‐induced disproportionation for preparation of Type‐I photodynamic agents. As a proof of concept, BODIPY‐based photosensitizers were rationally designed and prepared. The photo‐induced intermolecular electron transfer between homotypic chromophores leads to the disproportionation reaction, resulting in the formation of charged intermediates, cationic and anionic radicals. The cationic radicals efficiently oxidize the cellularimportant coenzyme, tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), and the anionic radicals transfer electrons to oxygen to produce superoxide radicals (O2−⋅). One of our Type‐I photodynamic agents not only self‐assembles in water but also effectively targets the endoplasmic reticulum. It displayed excellent photocytotoxicity even in highly hypoxic environments (2 % O2), with a half‐maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.96 μM, and demonstrated outstanding antitumor efficacy in murine models bearing HeLa tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fault fractures usually have large openings and considerable extension. Accordingly, cross-linked gel materials are generally considered more suitable plugging agents than water-based gels because the latter often undergo contamination via formation water, which prevents them from being effective over long times. Hence, in this study, a set of oil-based composite gels based on waste grease and epoxy resin has been developed. These materials have been observed to possess high compressive strength and resistance to the aforementioned contamination, thereby leading to notable increase in plugging success rate. The compressive strength, thickening time, and resistance to formation water pollution of these gels have been evaluated indoors. The results show that the compressive strength of the gel can reach 11 MPa; additionally, the related gelation time can be controlled to be more than 3 h, thereby providing a safe construction time; Invasion of formation water has a small effect on the gel strength and does not shorten the thickening time. All considered performance indicators of the oil-based gel confirm its suitability as a plugging agent for fault fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pore pressure is essential data in drilling design, and its accurate prediction is necessary to ensure drilling safety and improve drilling efficiency. Traditional methods for predicting pore pressure are limited when forming particular structures and lithology. In this paper, a machine learning algorithm and effective stress theorem are used to establish the transformation model between rock physical parameters and pore pressure. This study collects data from three wells. Well 1 had 881 data sets for model training, and Wells 2 and 3 had 538 and 464 data sets for model testing. In this paper, support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGB), and multilayer perceptron (MLP) are selected as the machine learning algorithms for pore pressure modeling. In addition, this paper uses the grey wolf optimization (GWO) algorithm, particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, sparrow search algorithm (SSA), and bat algorithm (BA) to establish a hybrid machine learning optimization algorithm, and proposes an improved grey wolf optimization (IGWO) algorithm. The IGWO-MLP model obtained the minimum root mean square error (RMSE) by using the 5-fold cross-validation method for the training data. For the pore pressure data inWell 2 andWell 3, the coefficients of determination (R²) of SVM, RF, XGB, and MLP are 0.9930 and 0.9446, 0.9943 and 0.9472, 0.9945 and 0.9488, 0.9949 and 0.9574. MLP achieves optimal performance on both training and test data, and the MLP model shows a high degree of generalization. It indicates that the IGWO-MLP is an excellent predictor of pore pressure and can be used to predict pore pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Altered functional connectivity of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) within default mode network (DMN) regions has been verified to be closely associated with cognitive decline in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but most studies neglected the fluctuations of brain activities--the dynamic effective connectivity (DEC) within DMN of T2DM is still unknown. Methods: For the current investigation, 40 healthy controls (HC) and 36 T2DM patients have been recruited as participants. To examine the variation of DEC between T2DM and HC, we utilized the methodologies of independent components analysis (ICA) and multivariate granger causality analysis (mGCA). Results: We found altered DEC within DMN only show decrease in state 1. In addition, the causal information flow of diabetic patients major affected areas which are closely associated with food craving and metabolic regulation, and T2DM patients stayed longer in low activity level and exhibited decreased transition rate between states. Moreover, these changes related negatively with the MoCA scores and positively with HbA1C level. Conclusion: Our study may offer a fresh perspective on brain dynamic activities to understand the mechanisms underlying T2DM-related cognitive deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: At present, machine learning and image processing technology are widely used in plant disease diagnosis. In order to address the challenges of subjectivity, cost, and timeliness associated with traditional methods of diagnosing potassium deficiency in apple tree leaves. Methods: The study proposes a model that utilizes image processing technology and machine learning techniques to enhance the accuracy of detection during each growth period. Leaf images were collected at different growth stages and processed through denoising and segmentation. Color and shape features of the leaves were extracted and a multiple regression analysis model was used to screen for key features. Linear discriminant analysis was then employed to optimize the data and obtain the optimal shape and color feature factors of apple tree leaves during each growth period. Various machine-learning methods, including SVM, DT, and KNN, were used for the diagnosis of potassium deficiency. Results: The MLR-LDA-SVM model was found to be the optimal model based on comprehensive evaluation indicators. Field experiments were conducted to verify the accuracy of the diagnostic model, achieving high diagnostic accuracy during different growth periods. Discussion: The model can accurately diagnose whether potassium deficiency exists in apple tree leaves during each growth period. This provides theoretical guidance for intelligent and precise water and fertilizer management in orchards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the exploration and development of oil and gas resources moving towards deeper areas, there is an increasing number of high-temperature wells being drilled. However, during drilling, the temperature of the drilling fluid at the bottom of the well may exceed the temperature limits of the rotary steerable system, logging while drilling, and other downhole tools. This poses a significant risk to the safety of the drilling operation. Therefore, it is urgent to study temperature control technology for drilling fluids in high-temperature wells. Inner-coating thermal insulation drill pipe is a new technology with significant application prospects. In order to study the thermal insulation performance of inner-coating thermal insulation drill pipe and consider the influence of the insulation coating, an equation for the wellbore temperature field during drilling with inner-coating thermal insulation drill pipe was established. Through case analysis, the thermal insulation performance of inner-coating thermal insulation drill pipe was evaluated, and the sensitivity of parameters was analyzed. An optimization method was developed for determining the installation length of inner-coating thermal insulation drill pipe. The installation length was optimized for various temperature-resistant conditions through case calculations. The research results show that inner-coating thermal insulation drill pipe has a positive impact on controlling the temperature of drilling fluid at the bottom of the well and has promising potential for widespread application. Only by installing 3500 m of inner-coating thermal insulation drill pipe can we meet the requirement for tools that can withstand temperatures of 150°C. This study can provide valuable insights for the design and application of inner-coating thermal insulation drill pipes in high-temperature wells. It is of significant importance for ensuring safe drilling operations in such conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen (Mtb-Ag) is a polypeptide component with a molecular weight of 10-14 kDa that is obtained from the supernatant of the H37Ra strain after heat treatment. It stimulates the activation and proliferation of gdT cells in the blood to produce an immune response against tuberculosis. Mtb-Ag is therefore crucial for classifying and detecting the central genes and key pathways involved in TB initiation and progression. Methods: In this study, we performed high-throughput RNA sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from Mtb-Ag-stimulated and control samples to identify differentially expressed genes and used them for gene ontology (GO) and a Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Meanwhile, we used PPI protein interaction network and Cytoscape analysis to identify key genes and qRT-PCR to verify differential gene expression. Single-gene enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used further to elucidate the potential biological functions of key genes. Analysis of immune cell infiltration and correlation of key genes with immune cells after Mtb-Ag-stimulated using R language. Results: We identified 597 differentially expressed genes in Mtb-Ag stimulated PBMCs. KEGG and GSEA enrichment analyzed the cellular pathways related to immune function, and DEGs were found to be primarily involved in the TNF signaling pathway, the IL-17 signaling pathway, the JAK-STAT signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions, and the NF-kB signaling pathway. Wayne analysis using GSEA, KEGG, and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network showed that 34 genes, including PTGS2, IL-1b, IL-6, TNF and IFN-g et al., were co-expressed in the five pathways and all were up-regulated by Mtb-Ag stimulation. Twenty-four DEGs were identified using qRT-PCR, including fourteen up-regulated genes (SERPINB7, IL20, IFNG, CSF2, PTGS2, TNF-a, IL36G, IL6, IL10, IL1A, CXCL1, CXCL8, IL4, and CXCL3) and ten down-regulated genes (RTN1, CSF1R CD14, C5AR1, CXCL16, PLXNB2, OLIG1, EEPD1, ENG, and CCR1). These findings were consistent with the RNA-Seq results. Conclusion: The transcriptomic features associated with Mtb-Ag provide the scientific basis for exploring the intracellular immune mechanisms against Mtb. However, more studies on these DEGs in pathways associated with Mtb-Ag stimulation are needed to elucidate the underlying pathologic mechanisms of Mtb-Ag during Mtb infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Mapping the landscape and exploring trends in macrophage-related research within non-small cell lung cancer: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis" was published in Frontiers in Immunology by Zhou et al. The authors used advanced bibliometric tools to analyze research progress, hotspots, and predict future trends in the field. While appreciating the researchers' work, concerns were raised about inaccuracies in cited references and data presentation. The study provides valuable insights for researchers in the field of non-small cell lung cancer, but the authors were encouraged to improve the rigor and scientific accuracy of their work. [Extracted from the article]

A commentary published in Frontiers in Immunology discusses the analysis of macrophage-related research within non-small cell lung cancer using advanced bibliometric tools. The authors examined research progress, hotspots, and future trends in the field. While appreciating the researchers' work, concerns were raised about inaccuracies in cited references and reference burst analysis. The commentary emphasizes the importance of rigorous expression in scientific articles and acknowledges the contribution of the researchers in guiding future research on NSCLC. [Extracted from the article]

INTRODUCTION The widespread popularity of e-cigarettes is considered an important public health concern. However, only some studies have investigated the prevalence of e-cigarette use in Shanghai, China. Research on the perceived harmfulness of e-cigarettes and public support for e-cigarette regulations in China is limited. This study aimed to estimate e-cigarette awareness, prevalence, and associated factors among adults in Shanghai, China. METHODS This study used data from a representative survey conducted in Shanghai, China, in 2019. The survey was conducted at 64 surveillance points in Shanghai, China, using a multistage, stratified, cluster-randomized sampling design, recruiting community-based Chinese adults aged ≥15 years. Based on the principles outlined in the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) China Project, data were collected by conducting face-to-face interviews in households. Of the 3200 selected households, 3060 people completed the individual survey. The overall response rate was 97.4%. RESULTS In all, 72.3% of the respondents had heard of e-cigarettes. The respondents who had used e-cigarettes at some point in their life, used them in the last 12 months, and used them currently were 5.8%, 2.6%, and 1.3%, respectively. Among adult residents who had heard of e-cigarettes, 38.2% thought they were less harmful than traditional cigarettes. The respondents who perceived e-cigarettes as more harmful than traditional cigarettes were less likely to have ever used e-cigarettes (AOR=0.2; 95% CI: 0.1--0.5, p=0.0015) and more likely to support incorporating e-cigarettes into the regulation of smoking control (AOR=3.9; 95% CI: 1.8--8.6, p=0.0008). CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal that the awareness about e-cigarettes was high, and the prevalence of e-cigarette use was similar to the findings from previous studies in China. The harmful perception of e-cigarettes warrants further attention from public health practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to examine the association between sleep duration, sleep problems, and depression in Northwest China. Method: Depression was diagnosed at the hospital and self-reported by the participants in the baseline survey. Sleep duration and problems, including difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep, early morning awakening, daytime dysfunction, use of sleeping pills or drugs, and any sleep problems, were obtained by a self-reported questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for exploring the association between sleep duration, sleep problems, and depression, adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and health behaviors. The association between depression and sleep duration was also evaluated continuously with restricted cubic spline curves based on logistic models. Results: 36,515 adults from Regional Ethnic Cohort Study in Northwest China were included. About 24.04% of participants reported short sleep duration (<7 h), and 15.64% reported long sleep duration (≥9 h). Compared with standard sleep duration (7-9 h), short sleep duration was associated with a higher risk of depression (OR: 1.69, 95%CI: 1.26-2.27, p = 0.001). Self-reported sleep problems were also related to four times depression risk increased (OR: 4.02, 95%CI: 3.03--5.35, p < 0.001) compared with no sleep problems. In addition, a nonlinear relationship was found between sleep duration and depression after adjusting covariates (p = 0.043). Conclusion: Sleep duration and sleep problems are associated with depression. Enough sleep time and healthy sleep habits in life course might be a practical health promotion approach to reduce depression risk in Northwest Chinese adults. A further study from cohort study is needed to verify the temporal association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We will study primal-dual fixed point methods for the least-squares problem regularized by lp-norms with p 2 [1; 2]. Our methods and results extend some of Ribeiro and Richtarik [9] and Silva, et al [10] where the case of p = 2 (i.e, the ridge regression) is studied. The case of p = 1 corresponds to the lasso [11] and the general case of p 2 [1; 2] corresponds to the iterative shrinkage/thresholding algorithm (ISTA) of Daubechies, et al [5]. We will apply the proximal-gradient methods to prove convergence of our primal-dual fixed point methods for the general lp-regularization, and also for the elastic net problem [14]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features, pathological characteristics, immunophenotype, differential diagnosis and prognosis of pulmonary hepatoid adenocarcinoma using a clinical case and literature report. Methods: We analyzed the clinical presentation, histological pattern and immunohistochemistry of a case of primary hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the lung in April 2022. We also reviewed literature on hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the lung from PubMed database. Results: The patient was a 65-year-old male with smoking history, who was admitted to hospital with an enlarged axillary lymph node. The mass was round, hard, and grayish-white and grayish-yellow in color. Microscopically, it presented hepatocellular carcinoma-like and adenocarcinoma differentiation features, with abundant blood sinuses visible in the interstitium. Immunohistochemistry showed that the tumor cells were positive for hepatocyte markers, including AFP, TTF-1, CK7 and villin, and negative for CK5/6, CD56, GATA3, CEA and vimentin. Conclusion: Pulmonary hepatoid adenocarcinoma is a rare epithelial malignancy of primary origin in the lung with poor prognosis. Establishing the diagnosis relies mainly on the detection of hepatocellular structural morphology resembling hepatocellular carcinoma, and on clinicopathological and immunohistochemical testing to exclude diseases such as hepatocellular carcinoma. Combination treatment, mainly surgery, can prolong the survival of early-stage cases of the disease, whereas radiotherapy is mostly used for intermediate and advanced cases. Individualized treatment with molecular-targeted drugs and immunotherapy has shown different therapeutic effects for different patients. Further research is needed to better understand this rare clinical condition for the development and optimization of treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial distribution of underground tunnels is significant to the stress redistribution in the surrounding rock masses and blast wave propagation. The field blasting tests were first carried out to study the propagation of blast-induced seismic waves through underground tunnels of the Xiluodu Hydropower Station in China. The results show that the peak horizontal particle vibration velocity can be used as a safety criterion for underground tunnels. The effects of in situ stresses and spatial distributions of the tunnel group on the vibration velocities distribution is afterward investigated by numerical simulation. The results show that there is a significant amplification of the blasting vibrations in the adjacent tunnels, which depends on their vertical positions during the excavation of a tunnel. The peak vibration velocity decreases as the lateral separation between tunnels increases. When the separation between the tunnels exceeds the width of three tunnels, the impact of the blast waves on each part of the adjacent tunnel tends to be stable on the whole. In terms of the size of the tunnel, the blasting vibration velocity in the upper part of the straight wall on the front-blast side increases as the width increases (and then levels off), while the blasting vibration velocity in the lower part decreases as the width increases (and then levels off). Finally, a generalized formula of blasting vibration velocity considering the spatial distribution is established, which can well predict the vibration velocity of particles in underground tunnels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulatory elements involved in the regulation of various plant developmental and physiological processes by blocking the expression of target genes. MiR156 and miR529 are two combinatorial regulators, which cooperatively target the SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING-LIKE (SPL) family genes. However, there has been no report about the functional conservation and divergence of miR156 and miR529 during plant development to date. In this study, the biological function and relationship of miR156, miR529 and their target OsSPL14 in rice were explored. Overexpression of miR156e or miR529a (miR156e-OE and miR529a-OE) increased the grain size and tiller number but decreased the plant height and panicle length, while an opposite phenotype was observed for their target mimicry (miR156-MIMIC and miR529a-MIMIC) transgenic plants. Stem-loop RT-PCR results revealed ubiquitous expression of miR156 in roots, axillary buds and leaves, while miR529 was preferentially expressed in the panicle. Accordingly, OsSPL14 could be preferentially and precisely cleaved by miR529a in young panicle but by miR156 in vegetative tissues. Transgenic plants generated by the target immune strategy exhibited obvious growth defects upon the blocking of miR156 and/or miR529 function in rice, confirming that both miR156 and miR529 play important roles in controlling rice growth and development. Moreover, the miR156/miR529-OsSPL14 module negatively controlled grain size by regulating the genes associated with grain size and cell cycling, and controlled plant height through a more complicated mechanism. Taken together, our results demonstrate that miR156 and miR529 respectively function dominantly in the vegetative stage and reproductive stage to control rice growth and development by regulating the accumulation of OsSPL14. These findings facilitate a better understanding of the functional conservation and divergence of miR156 and miR529 family in the miRNA combinatorial regulatory network of plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like 2 (ARNTL2) belongs to the b HLH- PAS domain transcription factor family and is one of the key clock genes that control the circadian rhythm. ARNTL2 plays an important role in human biological functions. However, its role in various tumors, especially in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and immunotherapy, remains unclear. Methods: We integrated data from cancer patients from multiple databases, including the Cancer Genome Atlas, Cancer Cell Lineage Encyclopedia, Genotype Tissue Expression, Human Protein Atlas, cBioPortal, TIMER, and ImmuCellAI, with data from a large clinical study, three immunotherapy cohorts, and in vitro experiments to investigate the involvement of ARNTL2 expression in cancer prognosis and immune response. Results: ARNTL2 displayed abnormal expression within most malignant tumors, and is significantly associated with poorer survival and pathologic staging. Through gene-set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and gene-set variation analysis (GSVA), we found that ARNTL2 not only regulates cell cycle-related functions to promote cell proliferation but also regulates autoimmunity-related functions of the innate and adaptive immune systems, and other immune-related signaling pathways. In addition, ARNTL2 overexpression contributes to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment that plays a key role in immunosuppression-related features, such as the expression of immunosuppression-related genes and pathways and the number of immunosuppressive-infiltrating cells, including regulatory T cells (Tregs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). The group of patients with low ARNTL2 expression who received immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) therapy had better response rates and longer survival when compared to those with high ARNTL2 expression. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that ARNTL2 is a potential human oncogene that plays an important role in tumorigenesis and cancer immunity. Elevated ARNTL2 expression indicates an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Targeting ARNTL2 in combination with ICI therapy could bring more significant therapeutic benefits to patients with cancer. Our study sheds light on the remarkable potential of ARNTL2 in tumor immunity and provides a novel perspective for anti-tumor strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Unilateral (UNI) exercises are more effective than bilateral (BI) exercises in improving athletic performance is debatable. Objectives: this meta-analysis investigated the effects of UNI and BI exercises on different effect indicators of jump ability, sprint ability, maximal force, change of direction ability, and balance ability. Data Sources: PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of science, CNKI, Proquest, Wan Fang Data. Study Eligibility Criteria: To be eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis, the study had to be: 1) athletes; 2) UNI training and BI training; 3) the intervention period had to be more than 6 weeks and the intervention frequency had to be more than 2 times/week; 4) the outcome indicators were jumping ability, sprinting ability, maximum strength, and change of direction and balance. Study Appraisal and Synthesis Method: We used the random-effects model for meta-analyses. Effect sizes (standardized mean difference), calculated from measures of horizontally oriented performance, were represented by the standardized mean difference and presented alongside 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: A total of 28 papers met the inclusion criteria, and Meta-analysis showed that UNI training was more effective than BI training in improving jumping ability (ES = 0.61.0.23 to 0.09; Z = 3.12, p = 0.002 < 0.01), sprinting ability (ES = −0.02, −0.03 to −0.01; Z = 2.73, p = 0.006 < 0.01), maximum strength (ES = 8.95,2.30 to 15.61; Z = 2.64, p = 0.008 > 0.05), change of direction ability (ES = −0.03, −0.06 to 0.00; Z = 1.90, p = 0.06 > 0.01) and balance ability (ES = 1.41,-0.62 to 3.44; Z = 1.36, p = 0.17 > 0.01). The results of the analysis of moderating variables showed that intervention period, intervention frequency and intervention types all had different indicators of effect on exercise performance. Conclusion: UNI training has a more significant effect on jumping and strength quality for unilateral power patterns, and BI training has a more significant effect on jumping and strength quality for bilateral power patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We establish some new results on second-order (necessary and sufficient) optimality conditions for minimization problems with abstract constraints in infinite-dimensional spaces, where the objective functions are only assumed to be C¹-smooth. For doing so, we apply the concept of Fréchet (regular) second-order subdifferential from variational analysis to the Lagrangian function of the problem under investigation. Our results extend and refine several existing ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used 'Shannong No.1' experimental material to simulate higher salt concentration in ginger and analyzed the physiological responses of different parts of ginger seedlings under salt stress. The results showed that salt stress led to a significant decrease in fresh and dry weight of ginger, lipid membrane peroxidation, increased sodium ion content and enhanced activity of antioxidant enzymes. Compared with the control, the overall plant dry weight of ginger under salt stress decreased by about 60%, and the MDA content in roots, stems, leaves, and rhizomes increased by 372.27%, 184.88%, 291.5%, and 171.13%, respectively, and the APX content increased by 188.85%, 165.56%, 195.38%, and 40.08%, respectively. After analysis of the physiological indicators, it was found that the roots and leaves of ginger were the most significantly changed parts. We analyzed the transcriptional differences between ginger roots and leaves by RNA-seq and found that they jointly initiated MAPK signaling pathways in response to salt stress. By combining physiological and molecular indicators, we elucidated the response of different tissues and parts of ginger to salt stress during the seedling stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cuproptosis is a novel form of programmed cell death that disrupts the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and mitochondrial function. The mechanism of cuproptosis is quite different from that of common forms of cell death such as apoptosis, pyroptosis, necroptosis, and ferroptosis. However, the potential connection between cuproptosis and tumor immunity, especially in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), is poorly understood. Methods: We used machine learning algorithms to develop a cuproptosis-related scoring system. The immunological features of the scoring system were investigated by exploring its association with clinical outcomes, immune checkpoint expression, and prospective immunotherapy response in LUAD patients. The system predicted the sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents. Unsupervised consensus clustering was performed to precisely identify the different cuproptosis-based molecular subtypes and to explore the underlying tumor immunity. Results: We determined the aberrant expression and prognostic relevance of cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) in LUAD. There were significant differences in survival, biological function, and immune infiltration among the cuproptosis subtypes. In addition, the constructed cuproptosis scoring system could predict clinical outcomes, tumor microenvironment, and efficacy of targeted drugs and immunotherapy in patients with LUAD. After validating with large-scale data, we propose that combining the cuproptosis score and immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy can significantly enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy and guide targeted drug application in patients with LUAD. Conclusion: The Cuproptosis score is a promising biomarker with high accuracy and specificity for determining LUAD prognosis, molecular subtypes, immune cell infiltration, and treatment options for immunotherapy and targeted therapies for patients with LUAD. It provides novel insights to guide personalized treatment strategies for patients with LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, vaccinations were essential in preventing COVID-19 infections and related mortality in older adults. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the COVID-19 vaccines in older adults. We systematically searched the electronic bibliographic databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, Research Square, and OpenGrey, as well as other sources of gray literature, for studies published between January 1, 2020, and October 1, 2022. We retrieved 22 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), with a total of 3,404,696 older adults (aged over 60 years) participating, that were included in the meta-analysis. No significant publication bias was found. In the cumulative meta-analysis, we found that the COVID-19 vaccines were effective in preventing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (OR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.23-0.65, p = 0.0004) and in reducing the number of COVID-19-related deaths (OR = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.10-0.25, p < 0.00001) in elderly people. Antibody seroconversion (AS) and geometric mean titer (GMT) levels significantly increased in vaccinated older adults [OR = 24.42, 95% CI = 19.29-30.92; standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.64-1.20, respectively]. However, local and systemic adverse events after COVID-19 vaccine administration were found in older adults (OR = 2.57, 95% CI = 1.83-3.62, p < 0.00001). Although vaccination might induce certain adverse reactions in the elderly population, the available evidence showed that the COVID-19 vaccines are effective and tolerated, as shown by the decrease in COVID-19-related deaths in older adults. It needs to be made abundantly clear to elderly people that the advantages of vaccination far outweigh any potential risks. Therefore, COVID-19 vaccination should be considered as the recommended strategy for the control of this disease by preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection and related deaths in older adults. More RCTs are needed to increase the certainty of the evidence and to verify our conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that the choice of stepsize in Korpelevich’s extragradient algorithm is sharp, while the choice of stepsize in Popov’s extragradient algorithm can be relaxed. We also extend Korpelevich’s extragradient algorithm and Popov’s extragradient algorithm (with larger stepsize) to the infinite-dimensional Hilbert space framework, with weak convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate changes have significantly affected tree growth and forest structures and functions in some arid and semi-arid regions, which are becoming warmer and wetter. Due to natural factors such as climate and terrain, some tree species may form different forest patches at the edges of their distribution areas. However, how forest patches of various sizes respond to climate change is unclear. In this study, we collected 203 tree cores from six different sizes of forest patches at the edge of the distribution area of Picea crassifolia Kom. in the northeast Tibetan Plateau. And we used the dendrochronology method to study the response of tree growth and resilience in different forest patches to climate change from 1961 to 2020. We simultaneously measured the contents of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC), total nitrogen and total phosphorus of tree needles. Our results showed that the growth of trees in small- and medium-size forest patches (0.8-18.6 ha) has increased significantly. The early growing season (May-July) minimum temperature was the most important climate factor driving the growth of small- and medium-sized patch trees. The early growing season maximum temperature was the most important climate factor that inhibited the growth of trees in the largest patches (362.8 ha). The growth of individual trees in medium forest patches was better and the correlation with annual minimum temperature, maximum temperature, precipitation, actual evapotranspiration, and palmer drought severity index was stronger. The higher NSC content, stronger photosynthesis, and higher nitrogen utilization efficiency in leaves might be one of the reasons for the better growth of trees in moderate forest patches. In extreme drought years, as the forest patch area increased, the overall trend of tree growth resistance showed a unimodal pattern, with the highest at a forest patch area of 7.1 ha, while the overall trend of tree growth recovery was opposite. Therefore, we should strengthen the management of trees in large forest patches to cope with climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of elite soybean (Glycine max) cultivars is limited due to their highly sensitive to photoperiod, which affects the flowering time and plant architecture. The recent emergence of CRISPR/Cas9 technology has uncovered new opportunities for genetic manipulation of soybean. The major maturity gene El of soybean plays a critical role in soybean photoperiod response. Here, we performed CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted mutation of E1 gene in soybean cultivar Tianlong1 carrying the dominant E1 to investigate its precise function in photoperiod regulation, especially in plant architecture regulation. Four types of mutations in the E1 coding region were generated. No off-target effects were observed, and homozygous trans-clean mutants without T-DNA were obtained. The photoperiod sensitivity of e1 mutants decreased relative to the wild type plants; however, e1 mutants still responded to photoperiod. Further analysis revealed that the homologs of E1, E1-La, and E1-Lb, were up-regulated in the e1 mutants, indicating a genetic compensation response of E1 and its homologs. The e1 mutants exhibited significant changes in the architecture, including initiation of terminal flowering, formation of determinate stems, and decreased branch numbers. To identify E1-regulated genes related to plant architecture, transcriptome deep sequencing (RNA-seq) was used to compare the gene expression profiles in the stem tip of the wild-type soybean cultivar and the e1 mutants. The expression of shoot identity gene Dt1 was significantly decreased, while Dt2 was significantly upregulated. Also, a set of MADS-box genes was up-regulated in the stem tip of el mutants which might contribute to the determinate stem growth habit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Millet-based dryland agriculture is the traditional mode of agricultural cultivation in northern China and has been of great significance to the emergence and development of Chinese civilization. However, although they are both millet-based agricultural production methods, with various subtypes in different regions of northern China. In the Songhua River Region in northeast China, the ecological environment and abundant natural resources led to the slow development of agriculture, and it was only after the Liaojin Dynasties that a mature farming industry was formed. Material and Method: We used the plant flotation instrument to flotation the soil samples unearthed in the Luotong Mountain City, a Liaojin period site in Songhua River Region, northeast China, and collected the charred plant seeds. Then observing them with the electron microscope, we identified and counted the plant seeds in this site. Result: It was found that this region is still a millet-based crop utilization structure, and a total of 11 types of charred agricultural crop seeds were excavated from flotation at the Luotong Mountain City site. And the barnyard millet crops occupy a prominent advantage, with ubiquity of more than 91%. Discussion: The ancestors of this region were still engaged in a millet-based agricultural strategy during this period, with a certain lag compared to the Central Plains'agricultural strategy where Triticeae crops had become dominant. In addition, the crop structure with the millet-based agriculture of the region is also somewhat different from that of the Central Plains. Through comparative studies of surrounding sites and reference to historical documents, it was found that this difference in crop structure is a phenomenon unique to the Songhua River Region and is related to the dietary habits of the local settled Jurchen nomads, who ate barnyard millet meal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells that play an important role in both innate and acquired immune responses against pathogens. However, the role of DCs in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unclear. Virus-like particles (VLPs) that structurally mimic the original virus are one of the candidates COVID-19 vaccines. In the present study, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) VLPs were used as an alternative to live virus to evaluate the interaction of the virus with DCs. The results revealed that SARS-CoV-2 VLPs induced DC maturation by augmenting cell surface molecule expression (CD80, CD86, and major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II)) and inflammatory cytokine production (tumor necrosis factor-a, interleukin (IL)-1b, IL-6, and IL-12p70) in DCs via the mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor-kB signaling pathways. In addition, mature DCs induced by SARS-CoV-2 VLPs promoted T cell proliferation, which was dependent on VLPs concentration. Our results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 VLPs regulate the immune response by interacting with DCs. These findings will improve the understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]